《Strongest Necromancer Of Heaven's Gate》


 Chapter 1 Prologue

    "I see things others can''t."


    A zing inferno raged across the capital city that once stood on the continent for thousands of years.


    "Hear things others don''t."


    The sound of warcries, curses, and dying screams spread across the entire city as the invaders mercilessly attacked anything and everything in their path.


    "Shed tears when others won''t."


    The sound of babies and children wailing in their mother''s arms could be heard everywhere, as their parents desperately looked for a safe ce to hide in order to save themselves from the one-sided massacre that was happening around them.


    "And fight when others don''t."


    A red-headed boy looked at the vast hordes of monsters that were about to destroy everything he held dear in his life. Even so, he walked towards them fearlessly as several men and women marched alongside him.<sub> </sub>


    "I seek the monsters you fear the most," The Half-Elf said softly as he raised his hand, summoning countless Undead to fight for his side. "I chase the nightmares that gue your sweetest dreams."


    "I walk in the darkness so that others may see the light. I fight the creatures that threaten this world with all my might."


    A giant bone dragonnded in front of the Half-Elf and bowed its head in respect. The red-headed boy patted its head before jumping on its back, preparing to fight alongside his Undead Legion.


    With one mighty p of its tattered wings, the bone dragon soared towards the sky and uttered a deafening roar of defiance. Its Master stood straight on its back like a sword, looking at the countless monsters that were slowly advancing in his direction.


    "In a world where my existence has long been forgotten��" The Half-Elf stated as his bone dragon opened its mouth to unleash its Dragon Breath.


    "I will let you know the error of the path you have trodden!"

 Chapter 2 Character Creation [Part 1]

    If you were given the chance to live that one perfect life you had always dreamed of�� would you do it even if there were strings attached?


    Some would dly take this chance, while others would feel more cautious or even ignore itpletely.


    Lucien chose the first option and decided to ept an Angel''s offer to join the Heaven''s Gate Project.


    He believed that this was an opportunity to live a life that was different from the pitiful one that he had lost just a few hours ago.


    With that said, Lucien found himself somewhere in the vast multiverse inside a shady office, being watched in disdain by a drop-dead gorgeous Angel, who had picked him up from Earth after he died.


    The Angel then brought him to the Celestial Realm. The chubby twenty-year-old was asked to fill up a character creation form that would be used as his temte for his next life.


    ��--


    "Hair color?" Lucien gazed at the options that were in front of him. The form was like a multiple choice questionnaire. He simply needed to shade in the small circle beside his choice and his answer would be finalized.


    "Blonde is good�� but that is toomon. How about silver, or white?" the chubby young man mused as he scratched his head.


    This was only the first choice and he was already having a hard time choosing what he wanted for his next life.


    "Let''s go for red," Lucien said with determination. He then shaded his choice using the pen that was given to him by the Angel behind him.


    After making his choice, the other hair options were grayed out, which meant that he couldn''t take back his choice anymore.


    After answering the first question, the chubby young man scratched his head for the second time because the next one was just as difficult as the first.


    ��-


    < Choose Eye Color >


    �C Blue


    �C Green


    �C Hazel


    �C Red


    �C Gold


    �C Gray


    �C Brown


    �C ��.


    �C ��.


    ��--


    "My hair color is red, so should I also go for the red eye color? Hmm�� oh, they also have the option for heterochromia."


    After thinking for a few minutes, Lucien finally decided on green. For some reason, having red hair and green eyes reminded him of that handsome protagonist that he had read about in one of his favorite novels.


    "Sex? Of course it should be Male," Lucien muttered as he shaded in his option. ''I still n to reincarnate as a man in my next life. In my past life, I aplished nothing. This time around, I want to live my life to the fullest!''


    Weight��


    Height��


    <o>,m Body Build��</o>


    Skin Color��


    The chubby young man answered them all to his liking before ncing at the next set of choices.


    ��


    < Facial Aesthetic >


    ( in )


    ( Average )


    ( Cute )


    ( Attractive )


    ( Handsome )


    ( Casanova )


    ( Hideyoshi )


    ( Astolfo )


    ��-


    ''Umu, all of these options are good, but thest two choices seem dangerous,'' Lucien thought. ''Just to be on the safe side, I''ll just choose Handsome. Next!''


    ��--


    < Race >


    ( Human )


    ( Elf )


    ( Dwarf )


    ( Demon )


    ( Beastkin )


    ( Dragon )


    ( ��.)


    ( ��. )


    ��--


    Lucien''s first choice was, of course, Elf. Being good looking was a default characteristic of the Elves and they also had a very long lifespan, but after thinking things through, he decided to choose a different race.


    Why? The answer was simple. Because of diversity. If everyone was handsome and beautiful, wouldn''t that make the Aesthetic Option lose its value?<sub> </sub>


    Elves had long lives.


    He also wanted to live a long life. However, he preferred to mingle with the Humans as well, so being a Half-Elf was a good option.


    Although he was worried about discrimination, he knew that it was a risk that he needed to take if he wanted to stand out from the crowd.


    In order to maximize his future good looks, he decided to choose a race that had the best of both worlds and that was Half-Elf.


    As the chubby young man shaded in his choice, all the other races grayed out.


    For some reason, he felt a sense of relief knowing that he couldn''t change his decision after picking his desired race.


    ��--


    < Lineage >


    ( Royalty Bloodline )


    ( Noble Bloodline )


    ( Influential n Bloodline )


    ( Commoner Bloodline )


    ��--


    Lucien stared at these four options with a serious expression on his face. Having a Royal Bloodline was a tempting choice, but he had read many novels in which being part of the Royal Family was not only difficult but dangerous as well.


    Infighting for the throne and being backstabbed by his own brothers and sisters wasn''t the life he wanted to live.


    ''If I want to stand out like a hero, going for themoner route is a good choice, but I don''t know anything about the world I will be reincarnated into,'' Lucien thought as he rubbed his chin. ''It might be dangerous or hard for amoner to rise up in society. It''s a very risky choice too since I might be born as the son of a farmer or the son of a gangster.''


    Since his next life was precious to him, he decided on the Noble Bloodline so he would at least be able to live a life offort without being too high profile.


    However, when he looked at the next set of choices, he almost dropped his pen in disbelief because he didn''t expect something like it to be included in the form he was filling up.


    ��


    < PP Size >


    �C Take note that this option gives additional bonuses when you reincarnate into your next life. Please choose wisely.


    ��


    ''Damn! They are giving me the power to freely choose the size of my "Ahem", and I can even get bonuses?'' Lucien''s eyes widened in surprise. ''Bro, this is the best thing ever. I''m going all in on this one!''


    ��


    ( 2 Inches )


    �C You will be given 6 Legendary Items of your choosing.


    ( 3 inches)


    �C You will be given 3 Legendary Items of your choosing.


    ( 4 inches )


    �C You will be given 1 Legendary Item of your choosing.


    ( 5 Inches )


    �C You will be given one rare item of your choosing


    ( 6 inches )


    �C You will be given one pack of tissue papers.


    ( 7 inches )


    �C You will be given two packs of tissue papers.


    ( 8 Inches )


    �C Omaewa mou��


    ( 9 Inches )


    �C Bruh��


    ( 10 Inches )


    �C Are you nning to reincarnate as a horse? If yes then choose this option.


    ( 11 Inches )


    �C Hey, that''s hell you''re walking into.


    ( 12 inches )


    �C �� Dear mother of


    ��-


    The chubby young man almost spat blood after seeing the diabolical choicesid out in front of him.


    ''Wtf man? Baiting me with Legendary Items in exchange for my happiness?'' Lucien gnashed his teeth in anger. ''Not cool bro, not cool.''


    After considering his future happiness, and his little brother''s happiness, the chubby young man finally made his decision and shaded in the bubble next to his choice with gritted teeth.


    It was at that moment that he heard a chuckle filled with ridiculee from behind him.


    Lucien turned his head and gazed at the beautiful Angel who was looking back at him with a teasing smile. For some reason, he felt like he had made a mistake when he chose his PP size.


    ''Should I have chosen a bigger one?'' Lucien thought as he continued to gaze at the Angel who continued to look at him with a teasing smile.


    Using all of his willpower, he averted his gaze from the beautiful Angel who made him feel a little salty.


    More questions came after that, and the chubby young man answered all of them to the best of his abilities.


    ''This is like creating a character in a game,'' Luciel mused. ''Unfortunately, they don''t have the preview option. It might have been easier if they had this option, what a shame�� truly a shame.''

 Chapter 3 Character Creation [Part 2]

    There were a few more questions on the list, but they were only minor questions. After double checking to make sure he had answered everything correctly, he gave the form to the Angel behind him.


    The Angel took it and gave it a quick nce to ensure that every question had been answered.


    After seeing that there was nothing wrong with the form, she nodded her head and told the chubby boy to follow behind her.


    Five minutester, they arrived in an open space where countless gxies could be seen in the sky.


    It was the most marvelous thing the boy had ever seen. He just stood there in awe, gazing at the heavens above him.


    "Stop gawking and follow me. What are you, a country bumpkin?" the Angel asked in irritation.


    "Sorry," Lucien replied as he ran towards her. He had always thought of Angels as kind and benevolent beings. They were nowhere like this b*tchy Angel, who seemed to have a horrible personality.


    Ten minutester, they arrived at a small cottage located at the center of the amazing scenery.


    "Your Excellency, Macuilxochitl, I brought the soul that you requested," the Angel said as she opened the door.


    When they entered the room, the chubby boy saw an old man who had an infatuated look on his face as he gazed at the screen of hisputer.


    It didn''t take long before the old geezer froze when he realized that he was no longer alone inside the room.


    The first thing he did was immediately stand up and use his body to block their view, so they wouldn''t see the image on hisputer screen.


    Although it was only for a brief moment, Lucien had already seen the image of a half-naked anime girl on hisputer.


    Unfortunately, even though the old man managed to prevent his two guests from seeing everything, his attempt was suddenly ruined by the loud moans that yed through the surround sound speakers that hung all around his room.


    It was at that moment when the old man realized that he f*cked up.


    The Angel''s expression immediately changed and she looked at the old man as if he was a piece of sh*t.


    The old geezer lightly coughed as he averted his gaze, unable to endure the disdainful stare that the Angel was giving him.


    ''Am I really going to be fine?'' Lucien thought as he looked at the old man who was doing his best to act like a dignified person while failing miserably.


    Clearly, the old man didn''t expect someone to barge inside his room without knocking first while he was watching something inappropriate for young audiences.


    "Boy, what is your name?" the old man named Macuilxochitl asked as he pushed the power button of hisputer to forcefully turn it off.


    As a member of the Bros Before Hoes Brotherhood, the boy decided to y along with the old geezer''s attempt to change the subject.


    "My name is�� Lucien," Lucien said with a slightly strained smile.


    "Lucien? A good name," the old manmented as he eyed Lucien from head to toe. "Well then, Lucien. Did my assistant, Himea, exin everything to you already?"


    "Yes. She said that I was chosen to participate in the Heaven''s Gate Project."


    "And�� did she say anything else aside from that?"


    Lucien shook his head as he nced at the Angel who had her arms crossed over her chest.


    "She said that this project is confidential," Lucien answered. "The only thing she asked me to do was to fill up the form for my rebirth."


    "I see," Macuilxochitl said as he yed with the white beard on his chin. "Very well. Before anything else let me properly introduce myself first. I am the God of Gamblers, Macuilxochitl. Since my name is a mouthful, just call me Max.


    "I personally designed the Heaven''s Gate Project in an attempt to send an individual to a particr world without being found out by the higher ups�C I mean, to bypass certain old fogies who are sticklers to the rules."


    "Are we doing something illegal?"


    "Hahaha! Of course not. It''s not a crime unless someone reports it to the authorities. You''ll be fine�� maybe."


    "Hahaha... can I still back out?" Lucien asked whileughing nervously.


    Max ignored his question and immediately took another form out of his breast pocket, and presented it to Lucien.<sub> </sub>


    It looked simr to the form the boy just filled up, so he guessed that it might be a continuation of his character creation settings.


    "Since I chose you to be my guinea pig�C I mean, my hero who will participate in this glorious project, it is only normal that I give you some freebies," Max said with a smile that would put all con-artists to shame. "You may choose only one. So, take your time and choose wisely."


    Lucien held the form that the God of Gamblers handed to him and read its contents without any expectations.


    However, half a minuteter Lucien''s eyes widened in surprise as he read the amazing "freebies" that were written on the form he was holding.


    ��-


    < Special Add-ons! You may choose only one. >


    ( System )


    �C You will be given a random System upon reincarnation. Take note that the System you will get cannot be exchanged or refunded. If you ever get the Eunuch System, consider yourself fcked for life.


    ( Random High-Tier Skill )


    �C You will receive a random High-Tier Skill at the get go. This Skill will be exclusive to you and will be bound to your soul.


    ( 20x Exp Gains )


    �C If you Reincarnate in a world where you gain experience points, you will be able to grow 20x faster than the average person.


    ( Charm )


    �C Your Charm Stat will be at its max value. Even a rock will fall in love with you if you stare at it long enough.


    ( Status Ailment Immunity )


    �C You will gain immunity to Poison, Charm, Sleep, Petrify, Paralyze, and any other abilities that will have a harmful effect on your body and soul.


    ( Infinite Mana )


    �C No matter what magic spell you cast, your mana will never run out.


    (Infinite Stamina)


    �C No matter how many rounds you do it with your lover, you will keep going, and going, and going�� and going��


    (Unique Body Constitution)


    �C You will receive a special body constitution that will be the envy of mortals and immortals alike.


    [ Example: Divine Dragon Immortal''s Body, Ice Phoenix Legacy, Thunder God Physique. ]


    ( 10x Gacha Pull )


    �C Depending on the world you reincarnate on, the contents of the Gacha Pull will be modified to fit thews of that world.


    �C You are guaranteed to receive one SSR Item, Artifact, Weapon, Waifu, or Husbando Companion from this Gacha Pull.


    ��


    "S-Sh*t!" Lucien wasn''t able to stop himself from cursing out loud after reading the options that were avable for him.


    ''Regardless of what I choose, I know that I will definitely gain a massive advantage as I reincarnate to my next life,'' Lucien thought. ''If possible, I want all of them, but since his Excellency, Max, told me that I could only choose one, I need to take this matter seriously.''


    "Well then, have you decided what option you want to choose?" Max asked the boy who was still seriously looking at his options after half an hour had passed.


    "Yes." Lucien nodded his head. He had already weighed the pros and cons of his decision, so he faced the God of Gamblers with determination. "Your Excellency, I choose��"

 Chapter 4 The Gamble Of The God Of Gamblers

    Max yed with his beard as Lucien made his choice.


    "I''ll ask you again," Max said with a serious expression on his face. "You want a random High-Tier Skill as your freebie, correct?"


    "Yes." Lucien nodded. "I choose this one, Your Excellency."


    The Angel who had her arms crossed over her chest raised an eyebrow when she heard Lucien''s choice. Clearly, she didn''t expect the young man to choose this option.


    "Understood." Max smiled and pped his hands thrice.


    ----------


    (A/N: I know a lot of you may be disappointed with his choice, but keep reading. A surprise is waiting in the next few chapters).


    -----------


    Suddenly, the form in Lucien''s hand was set aze. The embers flew towards the young man''s chest and merged with his body. However, Max wasn''t finished yet.


    The form that Lucien had filled up earlier burst into mes, and its remains also flew towards his body.


    The young man felt his body be warm as an unknown power surged within his soul. While he was still basking in the afterglow of the surreal experience, he suddenly found himself floating in space, underneath the countless gxies that he had seen a while ago.


    Standing on his right was Max, the God of Gamblers, and standing on his left was Himea, the b*tchy angel who was suffering from her terminally bad personality.


    "Lucien, do you know why I chose you out of the countless souls in the multiverse to be the first candidate to take part in the Heaven''s Gate Project?" Max asked as he stared into the young man''s eyes.


    "No," Lucien answered. He also didn''t know why he was chosen to participate in the Heaven''s Gate Project.


    Max smiled as he patted Lucien''s shoulder. "It''s because you struggled to live until the bitter end. You could have given up anytime, but you didn''t choose the easy way out and end your life with your own hands."


    Lucien looked back at the old man with a serious expression on his face. "That is because I am a coward. I''m afraid of death, so I struggled to live until the end. There''s nothing glorious about it."


    Max chuckled as he ruffled the young man''s head. "Perhaps you are right, but you are not a coward. Living requires courage, and I pray that you will be courageous in your next life."


    Lucien looked up at the old man who was smiling back at him. This was the first time that someone had told him to live.


    When he was still alive, he grew up always hearing the words "You''re just baggage. You should just die" or "You were a mistake. You shouldn''t have been born."


    These words were said to him over and over again. Thinking back, there were times when he wanted to end his own life in order to escape that living hell. However, he was afraid of death.


    Truly afraid of death, so he struggled to live until the bitter end.


    Lucien bit his lip because he felt like crying. He didn''t know if souls could cry, but he would be damned if he let others see him cry.


    A few minutes passed before he finally regained hisposure. He then looked up at the God of Gamblers and asked the question that had been on his mind since he entered this unknown space, shrouded in mystery.


    "Your Excellency, you still haven''t said what the purpose of the Heaven''s Gate project is," Lucien said. "Can you please tell me what it is?"


    "Lucien, the goal of the Heaven''s Gate Project is to change the Fate of a world. You are the chosen one that will usher in a new era that will lead it to a better and brighter tomorrow."


    "I don''t think I''m qualified to take on such a big responsibility��"


    "Beautiful women are waiting for you in that world! If you''re lucky, you can even have more than one wife!"


    "Leave this to me, Your Excellency!" his attitudepletely flipped and Lucien patted his chest as if he was a general that was about to go to war. "You chose the right man for the job. I''ll conquer the world for you!"


    "World Conquest? Sure! I will allow it! A man should dream big after all! You either go all in or go home crying! Hahahaha!"


    The angel stared at the two useless lust driven idiots with scorn as she summoned a giant cannon. Her patience was already at its limit and she wanted to end this job as soon as possible.


    When Max saw the Angel''s expression, a bitter smile appeared on his face as he made a gesture for Lucien toe closer.


    "Come, Lucien," Max ordered. "It''s time for you to start your journey."


    The God of Gamblers waved his hand and a door appeared in front of them. He then opened it and walked inside, dragging the boy along with him.


    The Angel followed behind the two and closed the door behind her. They were headed to the testing area where the Hyper-Super-Mega-Rebirth-Cannon was waiting for them.


    ��-


    "Wow!" Lucien''s eyes sparkled as he looked at the giant cannon in front of him. "T-This is so cool!"


    Maxughed and patted the boy''s shoulder because he was very pleased with his reaction.


    "This thing cost a lot to build," Max said with a smile. "Himea, dear, can you start up the cannon and check if everything is ready?"


    "Okay," the Angel replied.


    She then went towards the control panel and started pushing the buttons to let the cannon warm up and gather energy. While she was doing this task, Max was busy telling Lucien about how the cannon was made.


    "The name of this cannon is Hyper-Super-Mega-Rebirth-Cannon, SIMP for short," Max stated. "Beautiful isn''t it?"


    "Um? Sir Max, isn''t it supposed to be HSMRC instead of SIMP?" Lucien asked back.


    "Boy, don''t sweat the small stuff. If I say this is a SIMP Cannon, it is a SIMP Cannon."


    "O-Okay."


    Himea rolled her eyes at the God of Gamblers who was talking crap as always. If not for the fact that Max had taken care of her ever since she was born, she might have left him to serve other Gods who were more "normal", and didn''t have mental issues.


    After checking the status of the cannon, Himea deemed that everything was in order.


    "Your Excellency, the status of the cannon is all green," Himea reported. "We can start anytime."<sub> </sub>


    Max nodded. He then patted Lucien''s shoulder to tell the boy that the time hade.


    "Lucien, are you ready?" Max asked in a teasing tone. "Your new journey is about to begin."


    "I''m ready," Lucien answered.


    "Good! Now, time to load you into the cannon."


    "Um, Sir, how will you do tha��aahh!"


    Lucien wasn''t even able to finish his words when Max grabbed his waist and flew up the tip of the cannon.


    "Fire in the hole," Max shouted as he tossed Lucien''s body inside the barrel of the Cannon.


    Soon, a loud thud was heard followed by an "Ouch!". Which made Maxugh out loud.


    "Boy, are you fine?" Max asked, "Does it hurt?"


    "I''m not fine!" Lucien shouted back. Clearly, he didn''t expect that he would be tossed like a cannonball inside the cannon. "It hurts!"


    "It''s good to know that you''re fine. Anyst words?"


    "F*ck you!"


    Max snickered as he gave Himea the okay signal.


    "Heaven''s Gate Project initiated," Himea said as she started tapping on the keypads of the control panel. "Setting course��"


    The SIMP Cannon suddenly turned to its right side, aiming at a purple gxy in the distance.


    After the coordinates had been properly calibrated, Himea opened the ss casing that held the firing mechanism of the cannon. "Sir, Cannon is ready to fire!"


    "Start the countdown!" Max ordered.


    Himea nodded. "Starting countdown. Ten, nine, eight, seven��


    Three��


    Two��


    One��


    "Hyper-Super-Mega-Rebirth-Cannon Fire!"


    The beautiful angel pressed the red button, instantly starting the firing sequence.


    Lucien found himself turning into a ball of light as denseyers of concentrated magical energy wrapped around him.


    Not long after, a giant ball of energy appeared on the cannon''s tip. It then started to gather the power of Divinity in order to shoot Lucien''s soul across the multiverse.


    An electrical current snaked around the body of the cannon and smoke started to appear in some ces. Clearly, this was not a good sign and it made the God of Gamblers, as well as the angel, anxious.


    As if confirming their fears, a series of warning sounds started to spread across the testing area, telling them that something was terribly wrong with the cannon.


    "Stop the firing sequence now!" Max ordered. He didn''t anticipate something going wrong with his prized cannon at thest minute. He then raised his hand to wrap Lucien''s soul in his Divinity to protect it from any form of damage.


    However, before his Divinity could reach the boy, the firing sequence waspleted. With a loud rumbling sound, a beam of magical energy streaked across the Celestial Realm, followed by a loud explosion.


    The cannon exploded and shattered into a thousand pieces, sending metal shards flying everywhere.


    Max teleported in front of Himea and used his Divine powers to create a shield to protect both of them.


    After the chaotic situation calmed down, the God of Gamblers looked at the wreckage in front of him before shifting his attention toward the sky.


    In the Heavens, a blueet streaked towards the purple gxy creating a trail of light.


    "What is Lucien''s status?" Max asked as he stared at the equipment that was still working.


    Himea typed on the keyboard and brought out the status of Lucien''s Soul.


    "No�� this can''t be happening��," Max couldn''t believe the result of the images that appeared in front of him.


    Lucien''s soul had received serious injury during the firing sequence and was on the verge of breaking. Only the safety mechanisms that Max had added to the cannon on a whim were keeping his soul from disintegratingpletely.


    "Y-Your Excellency, I''m afraid that Lucien wouldn''t be able to undergo a normal rebirth in his current state," Himea started to panic. "In the worst case scenario, his soul might cease to exist."


    Max took a deep breath because he was fully aware of Lucien''s current situation. However, there was nothing he could do. The world he had sent the boy to was a world that had been abandoned by the Gods.


    Right now, there was only one person that could help them and that person was none other than Max''s best friend, Eriol,  the God of Games.


    "Himea, look for Eriol," Max ordered as his body floated in the air. "Once you find him, exin our situation. He will know what to do."


    Himea could see the resignation on Max''s face and it made her feel anxious.


    "Your Excellency, where are you going?" Himea asked.


    "This is my fault," Max replied as he gathered his Divinity around his body. "The least I can do is to ensure that Lucien''s soul won''t cease to exist."


    As soon as he finished his deration the God of Gamblers transformed into a gold and shot towards the Blue Comet that had started to enter the purple gxy.


    This was a race against time, and the God of Gamblers was betting everything he had to save the boy he had chosen to save this world.

 Chapter 5 Let’s Go Home

    The sobs of a young elvendy permeated the night as she hugged the bundle of cloth, which held her baby in ce.


    Her tears fell like rain, as her parents, and members of their n looked at her with pity.


    All of them stood at the riverbank, under the light of the full moon. It was a beautiful night, with the stars shining brightly above them.


    Yet, the youngdy''s sorrowful sobs made this wonderful scenery lose its luster.


    Several minutes passed, and the Patriarch of the Elven n patted the youngdy''s shoulder.


    "I am sorry for your loss, Adeline," the Patriarch said softly. "But we cannot bury him in our ancestralnds. I hope you can understand."


    Adeline nodded as the tears streamed down the side of her face. She knew about the tradition of their n, but it still broke her heart to part with her child who had died not long after he was born.


    Adeline''s father sighed as he walked toward her daughter carrying a basket in his hands. The basket wasdened with a cloth to make itfortable for a baby to lie down in. Unfortunately, Adeline''s child would not be able to feel its softness, for it had breathed itsst breath a day ago.


    The youngdy then kissed her baby''s forehead before cing him inside the basket. She then took a wooden te from her storage ring and used her magic to carve a name on it.


    "Although I wasn''t able to give you love and happiness, I will not forget to give you a name," Adeline said sadly as she finished writing her son''s name on the wooden te.


    She had used themonnguage of the world to write her son''s name in hopes that if anyone found her baby, they would give him a proper burial.


    Lux.


    That was the name that Adeline had given her son.


    After cing the wooden te inside the basket, Adeline''s mother wrapped her arms around her daughter''s body and held her tight.


    "Let me send you off, my dear grandson," Adeline''s father said sadly. "I pray that the spirits will guide your soul to the promised paradise, where we shall go when our time hase as well. Forgive us, for being unable to give you a proper burial."


    The Patriarch of the Elven n of Entheas looked at the basket and sighed internally.


    ''Even though I want to make an exception, the elders will definitely not allow it,'' the Patriarch thought. ''Half-Bloods have no ce in Ashe Entheas. Forgive us, child. My hands are tied.''


    Suddenly, a little elven girl started to sing. It was the song of parting that the Elves sang when their loved ones had departed the world.


    Soon, the other elves joined in the singing as they sent off the youngest member of their n on his journey to the afterlife.


    Adeline''s father ced the basket on the river. He gave his grandson onest nce before finally letting go.


    Adeline wailed and her mother struggled to hold her in ce. She had a feeling that if she didn''t hold her daughter properly, Adeline would jump into the river and bring back the basket to the shore.


    "Sleep, child," the Patriarch said as he cast a sleeping spell on the struggling youngdy. This was the only thing he could think of to prevent Adeline from acting recklessly.


    Soon, the youngdy stopped struggling and copsed in her mother''s arms. Her tears continued to fall, for she knew that when she woke up, she would never see her son ever again.


    ��--


    The basket floated on the Avonlea River and was carried away by the river currents, far from thend of Ashe Entheas, where he was not weed, even in death.


    Several hours passed, and the basket had already traveled many miles, unhindered by anyone or anything.


    Some of the creatures that lived in the river didn''t pay it too much attention because they didn''t detect any signs of life within the basket. They thought that it was just a piece of wood that floated on its surface, so they left it alone and minded their own businesses.


    Suddenly, high above the star-filled sky, a blueet streaked creating a dazzling trail in the heavens.


    As if attracted by the basket flowing on the river, theet shifted its course, as its body decreased in size with every passing second.


    Soon, only a small orb of blue light, the size of a tennis ball, was left of the blueet that once traveled from the other side of the multiverse.


    This small orbnded on the baby''s chest and merged with its body.


    After a few minutes, the dead baby abruptly opened its mouth as if trying to suck up air to fill up its lungs that were deprived of oxygen.


    Little by little, the baby''splexion improved, but it was still too weak to do anything. Soon, all movements stopped and the baby remained motionless inside the basket, asleep and unaware of the dangers that surrounded the basket that was carrying his fragile body.


    ��--


    "We''re almost home, Sophie," an old woman said as she softly patted the back of her mount. "Let''s speed up a bit so we can have breakfast with the others."<sub> </sub>


    A short honk answered her request, as the head of a three-meter tall White Hippopotamus rose from the water.


    The old woman smiled as she looked at the distant stronghold that was known as Wildgarde.


    As they traversed the river, they noticed two giant crocodiles fighting against each other, while the rest of the group watched from the sides.


    This was a normal urrence in the Huntdeen River during this time of the year.


    The old woman and her mount, Sophie, steered clear of the two giant crocodiles fighting for dominance. It was their mating season, and these beasts were more aggressive during this time of the year.


    As they passed the two fighting behemoths, a sudden crying sound reached the old woman''s ears.


    She turned around to search where the cry wasing from, and it was then that she saw the floating basket that was slowly heading toward the group of crocodiles.


    The old woman frowned because she could clearly hear the crying sound of a babying from the basket.


    "Sophie, turn around! Now!" the old woman ordered.


    The white hippopotamus obeyed her master and hurriedly made a U-turn towards the basket that was only dozens of meters away from the giant crocodiles that were fighting for supremacy.


    It was not only the olddy that heard the young baby''s cries. Several of the crocodiles had started to swim towards the basket with bloodshot eyes.


    For them, the baby''s cry was like an invitation to a free meal.


    Soon, one of the crocodiles arrived a meter away from the basket and opened its massive jaws to swallow the basket and the baby that was inside it.


    However, before it could im its prey, a footnded on its snout and forcefully closed its jaws shut tight.


    The olddy picked up the basket with both hands before jumping away, using the crocodiles as stepping stones.


    With one final jump, shended deftly on the white hippopotamus'' back and ordered it to flee as fast as it could.


    The enraged crocodiles roared as they charged toward the escaping thief who had stolen their prey.


    The two fighting crocodiles also stopped their battle and blocked the hippopotamus''s path of escape.


    "We don''t have to make a big deal out of this small matter," the olddy said to the two giant crocodiles whose bloodshot eyes had locked onto her small frame. "I''m taking this child with me, so get out of my way."


    The two giant crocodiles roared, which made the olddy click her tongue in annoyance.


    "So be it. Sophie, go forward," the olddy ordered.


    The white hippopotamus obeyed and charged toward the two giants that blocked her way. When the olddy and her mount were only a dozen meters away from their location, the two giant crocodiles lunged at them with fury.


    While holding the basket with her left hand, the olddy moved the fingers in her right hand in a seemingly erratic manner.


    Soon, two figures materialized out of thin air and charged toward the two giant crocodiles, whose jaws filled with razor sharp teeth were only several meters away from the olddy and her mount.


    A deafening cracking sound reverberated in the surroundings as the two giant crocodiles were sent flying dozens of meters away.


    Their giant bodies smashed down on the river''s surface, creating waves in all directions.


    The other crocodiles who saw this scene stopped their advance and looked at the olddy in horror. Their thoughts of finding trouble for her disappearedpletely after she had effectively dealt with the two dominant crocodiles with a single blow.


    The olddy sighed and shook her head helplessly. "We''re going to be a bitte for breakfast, but it can''t be helped."


    She then looked at the baby who was still crying inside the basket.


    "Don''t cry, little one. You are safe now," the olddy said.


    She then used her finger to lightly caress the baby''s cheeks in order to calm him down.


    Perhaps it was a coincidence, or perhaps it was only the baby''s natural instinct, but the moment his face was touched, his small hands reached out to hold the finger that was caressing his face.


    The olddy smiled when the baby stopped crying while firmly holding onto her finger. With a nce, she could tell that the baby had once again fallen asleep, so she sat down and carefully ced the basket on herp to secure it in ce.


    "Let''s go, Sophie," the olddy said softly. "Let''s go home."

 Chapter 6 I Am The God Of Games

    A sixteen-year-old boy with short red hair, and green eyes grit his teeth as he ran after a horned rabbit with all of his might.


    ''No matter what happens, I must catch this rabbit!'' the young boy vowed in his heart as he pushed himself to the limit.


    Several children, as well as adults, were cheering for him from the sidelines, giving him encouragement. They had seen him challenge this trial over and over for the past few years, and all of them sincerely hoped that the boy would be able to pass it this time around.


    As the stinging pain in his chest intensified, the young boy''s breathing became erratic. Even so, he ignored the pain and ran as if his life depended on it.


    Watching him from a distance was an old woman sitting on top of a white hippopotamus. Although she had a calm expression on her face, deep inside she was worried about her adopted grandson''s condition.


    "You''re mine!" the boy roared as he reached out his hand to grab the rabbit who was now within reach. He had painstakingly closed the gap at thest second, using everything he had in order for his capture to seed.


    Just as his hands were about to touch the rabbit''s fur, he felt his world spin for a brief moment before everything went dark.


    The boy fell to the ground face-first and all his movements stoppedpletely.


    A few secondster, the old woman appeared beside the fallen boy and gently rolled his body over so that he could lie on his back.


    The boy had several bruises on his head and all of them were bleeding. His lower lip had also been punctured and blood flowed ceaselessly.


    "Lux," the old woman felt her heart ache at seeing her adopted grandson''s current state. "Silly boy, why must you go this far?"


    The olddy took out a small bottle from her storage bag and sprinkled half of its contents over the boy''s head and facial injuries. It was a high-quality healing potion that she always carried around in case of emergency.


    A few secondster, the wounds had started to close and heal at a rapid pace.


    The olddy then sprinkled the remaining half of the healing potion on the other injuries located on the boy''s arms, legs, and chest.


    After making sure that she had dealt with all of her grandson''s injuries, she picked him up and sighed in relief.


    It was at that moment a middle-aged man walked toward the old woman and looked at the boy in her arms.


    "Vera, I''m sorry but I can''t allow Lux to enter Elysium," the middle-aged man said. "Sending him there is akin to sending him to his death. He is a hardworking and kind boy, but Wildgarde will forever be his home."


    Vera sighed and nodded her head. "I understand, Gerald. Thank you for epting Lux''s request to take the trial."


    Vera gave Gerald a brief bow before walking away while carrying her grandson.


    The residents of Wildgarde looked at the red-haired boy on Sophie''s arms and sighed.


    "He failed again this year."


    "Poor Lux. He has been training everyday, but his weak constitution won''t allow him to seed."


    "Such a shame, but maybe this is for the best. Even if he can''t enter Elysium, he is still a member of our stronghold."


    "That''s right. So what if he has a weak body? I know people stronger than him that have died inside Elysium. No matter how strong you are, it won''t matter if you''re dead!"


    ��-


    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself lying in a familiar room.


    It was the room where he had stayed up for most of his life and this discovery made him feel helpless.


    ''I failed again,'' Lux thought as he covered his face with his left hand. Not long after, the sound of the boy''s sobbing spread throughout the room.


    ''Why was I born a failure?''


    ''Why was I born useless?''


    ''The others were able to enter Elysium when they were fourteen. I''m sixteen now and I''m still here! Just what is my purpose in life? I failed Grandma again. I''m too embarrassed to face her now��''


    Lux''s tears flowed without stopping as the shame, embarrassment, and helplessness in his heart burst forth like a raging river.


    He had done everything within his power to make his grandma proud, but due to the unknown disease that gued his body, he would often lose consciousness even if he was just standing still.<sub> </sub>


    Because of this, he was unable to train and study properly.


    Usually, in the stronghold when kids turned twelve, they would officially begin their training regimen in order to enter Elysium.


    The Elysium Fields, or Elysium for short, was the world''s primary source of resources. Only those that had met the necessary requirements were allowed to enter this special ce and help their stronghold expand in that strange, yet beautiful world that was so different from the world that they resided in.


    The veteran warriors of the Wildgarde Stronghold would then train these young children in order to prepare them for their exploration of this new world.


    When Lux turned twelve, he too trained alongside his friends. He thought that he would be able to join them on their adventures in Elysium, but reality gave him a hard p to the face.


    He suffered several injuries and injured many people due to his tendency to faint during training.


    When he was fourteen he fainted while swinging his sword and sent the weapon flying. Thankfully, he didn''t hit anyone, but it had made others refrain from sparring against him.


    Stamina training��AKA long distance running��was also a problem. Sometimes in the middle of running Lux would faint, forcing his friends to carry him until they returned to the stronghold.


    At first, they were able to tolerate it, but after it happened several times they politely told him that running long distances was something he shouldn''t attempt without supervision.


    Thest incident he had was during bow practice. He fainted and identally released the arrow, hitting the instructor''s butt in the process. Because of this, he was banned from participating in archery training again.


    Although he begged and pleaded with his instructors, all of them shook their heads and politely told him to just train under his Grandma''s supervision.


    Vera was more than happy to train her grandson, but because of Lux''s unstable condition, there were times when her grandson almost lost his life in the middle of training.


    In the end, Vera told Lux that being a warrior was not suitable for him.


    But Lux didn''t want to hear this truth. Just like everyone else, Lux also wanted to go to Elysium. He wanted to make his grandma proud.


    Lux wanted to be a High-Ranker and show his grandma that she hadn''t wasted her time raising him from infanthood. He didn''t want to bebeled as a failure or a useless person.


    She was the only family Lux had in the world, and he wanted to show her that he was not useless. So to prove himself, he would train in secret.


    Since then, it had be a normal urrence in the stronghold to see kids dragging Lux''s unconscious body back to his house every day.


    After half an hour, Lux finally regained hisposure. He wiped the remaining tears from his eyes and stared out the window of his room.


    "Maybe I''m not really meant to enter Elysium," Lux said softly. This time, he really felt like giving up.


    Elysium was a ce where one can acquire many amazing things. Anyone who entered this world could gain riches, fame, glory, as well as realize their wildest dreams.


    This was a strange world that had appeared many years ago, right after the Hundred-Year War that had razed the world of Sis to the brink of copse.


    It was a new frontier that had the key to saving their world.


    This was why many people young and old wanted to enter and explore this unknown world. Lux was one of them. And yet, he was once again denied the opportunity due to his weak body that was unable to keep up with the desire in his heart.


    Just as he was trying to convince himself into giving up his dream, a hearty chuckle spread throughout his surroundings.


    "You''ve struggled all this time, and now you''re giving up?" a teasing voice said by his ear.


    Lux almost jumped off his bed from fright due to the unexpected voice that came out of nowhere.


    He then hurriedly looked around his room to try and find where the voice wasing from.


    "Just where are you looking?" the teasing voice asked. "I''m right here outside your window."


    Lux walked towards the window and came face to face with a little boy with short, dark-blue hair and gray eyes, who seemed to be around ten years old, floating in the air in front of him.


    "Who are you?" Lux asked as he stared at the little boy he''d never seen before in the Wildgarde Stronghold.


    "My name is Eriol," Eriol said with a friendly smile that made Lux feel as if he had found a long lost friend.


    "I am the God of Games and I came here to help my best friend, Macuilxochitl, finish the task he started."

 Chapter 7 Do You Want To Enter Elysium?

    "The God of Games?" Lux looked at the floating boy in front of him in confusion. "Who is Macuilxochitl? Are you sure you didn''t visit the wrong person? Are you perhaps looking for my Grandma?"


    Eriol sighed as he looked at Lux who had no recollection of the God of Gamblers, from the Heavenly Domain.


    "It seems that the damage to your soul is quite severe," Eriol said. "You didn''t reincarnate properly. This is why your current body and your soul are not synchronized and you keep fainting. They''re notpatible."


    Lux frowned as he listened to Eriol''s words. "Huh? What are you talking about? Are you sure you''re not talking to the wrong person?"


    "Does the name Lucien ring any bells to you?"


    "Lucien? Who''s that? My name is Lux."


    Eriol smiled bitterly when he realized that Lux had no recollection of anything prior to his rebirth. He was like a te that had been wiped clean.


    ''Looks like I have to start from the beginning,'' Eriol thought. He then looked at the red-haired boy in front of him who his best friend had chosen to take a gamble with.


    "Neh~ Lux. Do you want to enter Elysium?" Eriol asked.


    "... I do," Lux answered. "But I don''t have the qualifications to survive in that world."


    Eriol nodded. "True. The current you will just die a miserable and pitiful death if you enter Elysium now. However, what if I told you that I could help you meet the requirements to set foot in that world that you''ve always dreamed of?"


    Lux narrowed his eyes as he focused his attention on Eriol who was looking back at him with a sad expression.


    "What do I have to do in return?" Lux asked.


    He knew that there was no free lunch in the world. Although he didn''t feel any kind of maliceing from Eriol, he was still someone Lux had met for the first time. He couldn''t possibly put his trust in a stranger so easily, right?


    "What I want you to do is struggle," Eriol answered. "Struggle to the bitter end. Regardless of whether you be a Hero or a Demon Lord, all I ask is that you do everything in your power to live. Can you promise me that?"


    "That''s it?"


    "Yes."


    "You''re not going to ask me to give you my soul when I die?"


    It was at that moment a smile appeared on Eriol''s face.


    "Well if you want to give me your soul I can ept that too," Eriol said in a teasing tone. "Do you want to?"


    "No way." Lux firmly shook his head. "I hear that those who sold their souls to the devil all had untimely ends. I don''t want to suffer the same fate."


    Eriol smirked as he waved his hand.


    ? Suddenly, Lux found himself standing on top of a clear blue sea that reflected the blue sky above.


    Before Lux could even do anything, he heard Eriol''s voice behind him.


    "This is a special domain I have created," Eriol said. "In here, no one will be able to hear our conversation. We don''t have to worry about prying Gods who have too much time on their hands. I''m sure that you have a lot of questions, but sadly I can''t answer them all. My time in this world is limited, so for now please listen to my exnation. Okay?"


    Lux nodded his head. He wasn''t sure where he was, but he had a feeling that if he didn''t obey Eriol''s words he would be stuck in this strange ce for a very long time.


    "First, let me help you recover your memory," Eriol stated as he pressed his hand on Lux''s head.


    A few secondster, Lux''s pained screams spread throughout the beautiful blue world that Eriol had created.


    Eriol didn''t bat an eye as he continued to pour his Divinity through his hand in order to repair the memories that Lux had forgotten.


    Several minutester the red-headed boy panted on top of the blue sea, staring at his own reflection.


    "Do you remember now?" Eriol asked as he crouched down beside Lux.


    "I do," Lux answered as he panted for breath. "The Heaven''s Gate Project�� Max, and Himea."


    Eriol nodded. "Because of the cannon''s malfunction, your soul suffered irreparable damage. Do you remember anything after you were shot from the cannon?"


    "No."


    "I see..."


    Eriol rubbed his chin as he pondered his next move. After Lux regained hisposure, the God of Games eyed him with a serious expression.


    "Okay, before anything else, let me tell you how you were born in this world," Eriol said. "After your soul survived its long journey, it didn''t have the ability to be reborn the natural way. This is why the Divinity that Max gave you decided to look for the best next substitute toply with your character settings.


    "Since a normal rebirth was impossible, your soul merged with the body of a newly born�� I mean, a newly-dead baby Half-elf. That is the current vessel that you are possessing right now."


    Eriol patted Lux''s shoulder, making the red-headed boy look back at the God of Games in disbelief.


    "I know, it''s hard to believe, but it''s the truth and nothing but the truth," Eriol stated. "This is also the reason why you sometimes feel disconnected from your body. Every time you exert your will, your body rejects you.


    "The reason for this is because your body and soul are not synchronized properly. Don''t worry. I will fix that problem. Right here, right now."


    Eriol tapped his finger on Lux''s forehead and the boy''s body stiffened. It was at that moment a series of words appeared inside his head, surprising Lux.


    ��-


    < Starting Body and Soul Synchronization >


    < Ipatibility Ratio is 78% >


    < Looking for solution�� >


    < Solution Found! >


    < Looking for Compatible Body Physique�� ><sub> </sub>


    < Compatible Body Physique Found! >


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    < Synchronizing with Special Body Physique >


    < Synchronization Rate: 1% >


    < Synchronization Rate: 18% >


    < Synchronization Rate: 39% >


    < Synchronization Rate: 78% >


    < Synchronization Rate: 100% >


    < Ding! >


    < Congrattions! Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy had been set to be your primary body constitution! >


    ��--


    A zing fire engulfed Lux''s body and instantly incinerated his clothes until nothing was left.


    The red-headed boy started to panic because he thought that he was going to be burned alive. However, after iling his hands for half a minute, he realized that he wasn''t feeling any kind of burning pain.


    Instead, he felt a soothing pleasure wash over his body.


    It was a very surreal feeling that he couldn''t put into words. All he knew was that every fiber of his being was rejoicing as they were born anew, shedding their weak and pathetic selves behind them.


    When the ze disappeared, Lux''s body appeared sitting cross legged in the air with his eyes closed. He was basking in the afterglow of his rebirth and trying to understand the changes that happened inside his body.


    In the past, whenever he tried to do anything, his body felt heavy as if it was weighed down with stones. There were also minor dys when he executed actions. Growing up, he thought that it was a normal thing.


    But now things have changed. He no longer felt burdened, the invisible shackles that held him back had all disappeared. He felt that if he challenged the trial again he had an 80% chance of seeding.


    When Lux opened his eyes, the happiness he felt was evident on his face.


    Eriol smiled in satisfaction after seeing that Lux''s rebirth seeded.


    "Now, take out your Soul Book, and see the changes that have been made to your body." Eriol urged.


    Lux nodded and summoned his Soul Book. Every person in the world of Sis could summon their Soul Books to check their progress. Only the owner of the Soul Book would be able to see their stats.


    Of course, others could see them as well if the owner gave them his permission.


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Strength: 4


    Intelligence: 5


    Vitality: 4


    Agility: 5


    Dexterity: 4


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX]


    Special Body Constitution: Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy


    Title: None


    Note: You''re still a mob character. Don''t think too highly of yourself, weakling!


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] >


    �C This ability will allow you to evolve your skills once.


    �C Certain requirements must be met in order to evolve the skill of your choosing.


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: F


    Progress: 1/100


    Conquest is not all about imingnds and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.


    Abilities: (None)


    Note: Upgrading your special constitution will allow you to unlock its abilities.

 Chapter 8 Isn’t This Item A Little Too OP?

    Lux stared at his Soul Book with excitement.


    Although his stats had remained the same, he acquired a special ability as well as a body constitution that he never had before.


    After reading the information in his Soul Book, Lux held Eriol''s hand and thanked him profusely for what he had done for him.


    "Thank you!" Lux bowed repeatedly. "With this, I can repay Grandma for raising me. I am no longer useless!"


    Eriol could only smile at Lux''s passionate act of gratitude.


    "Lux, I think you''re having a very big misunderstanding here," Eriol replied. "Those abilities were rightfully yours from the start. However, due to what happened in the Heavenly Domain your soul was damaged, preventing you from using the blessings that my best friend, Macuilxochitl, had bestowed upon you. I am merely setting the record straight."


    Lux still held Eriol''s hand firmly as he stared at the boy''s gray eyes that held a kind of maturity that didn''t match his young appearance.


    "Even so, without your help, the legacy that Max has left me would have been all for naught," Lux stated. "If you need anything from me, just say the word and I''ll do my best to achieve it."


    Eriol nced at the hands that were holding his own. It had been a while since a human had touched him, and aplicated feeling rose in his heart.


    "Don''t worry. I have a task for you to do," Eriol said as he raised his head to stare at Lux''s light-green eyes. "But for that to happen, you need to get the qualifications to enter Elysium. Even if your body has now synchronized with your soul, you are far too weak to aplish anything in that world.


    I also know that you''re startingte whenpared to your peers, so I''m going to give you a freebie as well to help you catch up," Eriol said as he summoned a golden ticket in his hand. "Are you familiar with Gacha Games?"


    "Gacha games?" Lux blinked. "Are you talking about those games where people gamble with their savings in order to get those Super Rare Characters and Weapons in order to be strong? Those P2W yers (Pay to Win)? Those bastards who use money to brute force their way into clearing the game and challenging F2P (Free to y) yers in PVP and trash talk them when they win?!"


    "Bruh, chill out. The saltiness in you is strong. It''s not their fault that they''re rich, okay? What is wrong with spending money on gacha games?"


    "I''m an F2P, you know? I believe that you don''t have to spend anything to enjoy a game. We demand equality!"


    Eriol looked at Lux with a pitiful gaze. Although he didn''t say any word, his "another salty F2P yer" gaze made the red-headed boy''s liver itch.


    "Well anyway, the reason why I asked is because this golden ticket in my hand will allow you to do a free pull on a gacha draw," Eriol said. "Of course, since this is a golden ticket, you are guaranteed to get one SSR weapon, artifact, or character."


    "You''re giving it to me for free?" Lux stared at the golden ticket like a hungry beast. Only those who had yed gacha games would understand how tempting it was to get a free gacha draw with a guaranteed SSR Item.


    "Yes," Eriol nodded. "I''m sure that you already know that there are three types of rarity that you can get from Gacha games. Rare (R), Super Rare (SR), and Super Super Rare (SSR). If we are going to convert the rarity of these items to the terms used in your world, they would be called Rare, Unique, and Mythical.


    "Just like normal gacha games, these items correspond to colors as well, which are blue, purple, and gold respectively. The good news about these items is that you can use them inside and outside Elysium. Now, here is your golden ticket."


    The God of Games handed the ticket to Lux, and thetter held it with both hands. He stared at it for a while before shifting his gaze back to Eriol who had his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Can I use it now?" Lux asked.


    "Of course," Eriol replied with a smile.


    The red-headed boy pressed his hands together in a prayer with the golden ticket between them.


    After finishing his prayer, he threw the golden ticket in the air and looked at it with expectation.


    The golden ticket glowed brightly and turned into a golden orb of light.


    Suddenly, the orb shattered and ten smaller orbs of different colors descended from the sky. They stopped two meters away from Lux and hovered around him, forming an encirclement.


    Lux looked around him and saw five blue orbs, three purple orbs, and two golden orbs.


    As a Gacha Gamer, the first things he checked were, of course, the two golden orbs that contained Mythical Items.


    When his hand touched one of the Golden Orbs, it immediately changed its shape and transformed into a golden book with intricate design.


    A series of texts appeared in Lux''s vision as he read the information about the Mythical Item that he had acquired.


    ��--


    < Elysium Grand Compendium >


    Rarity: Mythical


    �C This book contains important information about Elysium.


    �C Information about Monster Drops and their Locations.


    �C Information on Treasure Chests scattered around the world.


    �C Complete list of Herbs.


    �C Complete list of Metals.


    �C Complete list of Precious Gems.


    �C Complete list of ingredients and misceneous materials.


    �C Expert''s guide to managing Viges, Towns, Cities.<sub> </sub>


    �C Beginner''s guide to crafting.


    �C Beginner''s guide to alchemy.


    �C Beginner''s guide to cksmithing.


    -- This Item is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer


    ��


    "You got really lucky with that one," Eriolmented as he floated beside Lux. "Thispendium is like a walkthrough of Elysium. If the Humans and other races knew that you had this in your possession they would definitely send all avable manpower to snatch this from your hands."


    "A walkthrough?" Lux scratched his head. "You make it sound like this is a game. Only games have walkthroughs."


    Eriol smirked, "Life is a game. Knowledge is power. If you can use thispendium properly, you will be amazed at how fast you can progress when you enter Elysium."


    Lux could only nod his head in response to Eriol''s words. He still hadn''t stepped inside that strange world, so his knowledge of it was limited. With thependium in his possession, the knowledge hecked would no longer be a problem.


    "Okay, time for the next item��," Lux said softly as he pressed his hand over the other golden orb beside him.


    The orb glowed brightly before transforming into a ck coffin with a golden cross embedded in its cover.


    Lux''s body unconsciously shuddered as he looked at the ck coffin that was standing upright in front of him. He was about to run away due to fright, when he felt Eriol''s small hand press down on his shoulder, holding him in ce.


    "Rx, that coffin is empty," Eriol said. He then looked at the ck coffin in front of them with aplicated expression on his face. "Seriously, I don''t know if you are lucky or unlucky to get this thing."


    "What kind of item is it?" Lux asked.


    Eriol sighed. "It will be best if you read the information instead of asking me"


    Lux reluctantly nodded his head as he looked at the ck coffin to read its information. He had been too scared a while ago andpletely forgotten to appraise the item he received from the golden ticket.


    ��-


    < ckfire, Oath of Eternal Glory >


    Rarity: Mythical


    Creatures in Storage: (0/4)


    Requirements to use transformation ability: 400 Combined Stat Points


    �C This coffin could store any humanoid type creature and randomly transform them into Higher-Undead, Fairies, Nymphs, Elementals, or Celestials.


    �C Only dead, or near-death creatures withplete bodies can be stored inside the coffin for transformation.


    �C Rates of transformation for each creature are as follows.


    (Higher Undead - 40%)


    (Fairies / Demons - 20%)


    (Nymphs - 10%)


    (Elementals - 5%)


    (Celestial - .05%)


    �C You can offer Beast Cores as a sacrifice in order to increase the rarity of the creature you want to transform. The Rarer the Beast Core, the higher the chance for your desired creature to transform into an Apex Being.


    p If your creature transformed into a Vampire, and you have sacrificed a Beast Core with high-rarity, there is a chance that the Vampire will transform into a Vampire Lord.</anda>


    �C All transformed creatures will be loyal to you.


    �C Each creature that you transform has a 25% chance to obtain the ability to evolve. This will allow them to be stronger and surpass their current forms, once certain requirements are met.


    �C The ckfire can only hold four creatures at a time. If the number of creatures exceeds that number, you will be given an option to remove one creature from the storage. Creatures that have been removed from the storage would be freed from the owner''s control. Their loyalty may, or may not stay depending on their personality.


    �C If any of the creatures you own die in battle, you can revive them by offering a number of Beast Cores depending on their rank. The stronger the creature, the higher that offering will be.


    -- This item is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer


    ��-


    ''Isn''t this item a little too OP?'' Lux thought as he stared at the ck coffin that was floating in front of him. Although he couldn''t use it right now because his stats didn''t meet the requirements, he was confident that once he was able to use this artifact, his offensive capabilities would drastically increase.


    Even though there was a limitation to the number of creatures that it could store, it didn''t change the fact that it would allow Lux to have strong allies that would help him on his journey through the world of Elysium.

 Chapter 9 My Legend Is About To Begin

    "It is indeed a good artifact." Eriolmented. "But, you still need to reach a certain threshold before you can use it. So, work hard!"


    Lux nodded. He then looked at the purple orbs of light that were glowing around him.


    Choosing one at random, a ck sword appeared with runic symbols embedded on its de. The red-headed boy swung it a few times, to test it out. He had held wooden swords before during training.


    Although he wasn''t an expert swordsman, he still knew the basics of wielding a weapon. Everyone in the stronghold was expected to enter Elysium, so they had basicbat training at an early age.


    Unfortunately, due to his fainting habit, Lux''s progress was the slowest of all.


    Surprisingly, the sword in his hand wasn''t as heavy as he expected. Although it was slightly heavier than a wooden sword, the bnce was perfect. Lux then checked the information of the sword in his hand with great expectations.


    ��


    < Oathbreaker, Dark de of Eternity >


    Rarity: Unique


    (One Handed Sword)


    Requirement: 100 Combined Stats


    �C Attack: 100-145 Dark Damage


    �C Physical skills deal 20% more damage.


    �C Has a 10% chance to trigger double damage with each attack. This ability works with skills as well.


    �C


    "Not bad," Lux muttered as he once again appreciated the weapon in his hand.


    After checking the sword''s information he opened all the purple orbs to see what other kinds of items they held. Although the purple items weren''t as amazing as the golden orbs, they were still strong in their own right.


    ��-


    < Storage Ring of Travelers >


    Rarity: Unique


    Item Slot: (0/300)


    �C This storage ring allows you to store up to 300 items.


    �C You cannot store living things inside the ring.


    �C The size and shape of items must not be taller than two meters, and not wider than one square meter.


    �C This ring has an independent storage for Gold Coins and Elysium Gold Coins. The maximum number of gold coins that can be stored in this ring is ten million.


    ��-


    < Skill Book of Necromancy >


    Rarity: Unique


    Type: Skill Book (Consumable)


    Requirement: Dark Magic Affinity


    �C Allows you to learn Necromancy Magic


    �C Only those who have an affinity with Dark Magic will be able to learn the Arts of Necromancy.


    ��-


    "Magic Affinity?" Lux muttered. He suddenly remembered that his magic affinity still hadn''t been tested because he didn''t meet the requirements to enter Elysium.


    Everyone born in the world of Sis had the opportunity to learn skills by consuming Beast Cores inside Elysium. The only problem was that they could only learn the skills that matched their affinity.


    There was simply no way for someone to cast the skill, Fireball, if they didn''t have affinity with Fire Magic.


    Fortunately, those that weren''t born with any affinities were still able to learn certain skills that fell under the Non-Elemental category.


    Skills like sh, Long Jump, and Power Shot, were all Non-Elemental skills. These skills could be learned by anyone. Hence, they were often called Universal Skills.


    Some powerful skills that could be obtained from Beast Cores, had a very low chance of being acquired. There were even rumors that learning skills also depended on a person''s luck.


    Skill Books could also be found on Elysium, but they are very rare. Most of them were found inside treasure chests, and auctioned at very high prices.


    "Right, you still haven''t checked your affinity." Eriol smiled. "This is a good opportunity to do so. However, since the things you acquired in the Gatcha were due to my golden ticket, there is a high chance that you are capable of wielding Dark Magic."


    The God of Games took out a white crystal ball and presented it to Lux.


    "Touch it," Eriol said. "Usually affinities are decided by your Body Constitution, and you acquired the Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy Physique, so I''m curious to know the results."


    Lux ced his hand over the white crystal ball. A few secondster, the crystal ball glowed and shot out a beam of light.


    A projection of five glowing orbs of different colors appeared in front of Lux and Eriol, and the God of Games smirked after seeing it.


    One Dark Orb surrounded by four smaller ones appeared in their vision.


    "As expected of an Immortal Legacy," Eriolmented. "Well, as you can see, your main attribute is Dark Magic. With this you will have no issue learning that Necromancy Skill Book.


    "You also have lesser affinities to Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water. This means that you can use low-level up to mid-tier Elemental Magic of the four elements. I''m guessing that these lesser affinities of yours will get a boost once you upgrade your Body Constitution. If you don''t die after entering Elysium then your future is very bright."


    "This is good," Lux said with a smile. "This means that I will not have trouble learning other skills rted to the four elements. I hit the jackpot!"


    Eriol nodded. He couldn''t deny that Lux had indeed hit the jackpot when he randomly acquired the Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy, as his body constitution.


    "Now, it''s time for the blue orbs." Lux grinned as he touched all of them at the same time.<sub> </sub>


    ��


    < Tranquility, Call of the Wolf >


    Rarity: Rare


    (One Handed Sword)


    �C Attack: 15 - 20


    �C Allows you to summon one Forest Wolf to aid you in battle


    (Forest Wolf)


    Health: 50


    Attack: 5-10


    ��-


    < Dawne, Charm of Timeless Battles >


    Rarity: Rare


    (Round Shield)


    Requirement: Strength 10


    �C Defense: 50


    �C You can use the skills Shield Bash and Shield Throw when Dawn is equipped.


    (Shield Bash)


    �C Deals 10-15 Physical Damage to your target


    �C Has a chance to stun


    (Shield Throw)


    �C Deals 10-15 Physical Damage to your target


    �C When using this skill, the shield will be treated as a throwing weapon, and won''t automatically return to its owner.


    ��-


    < Harmony >


    Rarity: Rare


    (Magic Staff)


    Requirement: Intelligence 10


    �C Magic Damage increase by 5%


    �C Able to use the skill Magic Missile


    (Magic Missile)


    �C Fires five magical darts at the enemies.


    �C Damage is equivalent to the Intelligence Stat of the caster


    ��-


    < Dagger of Frost >


    Rarity: Rare


    (Dagger)


    �C Attack: 10 - 15 Frost Damage


    �C Allows you to use the skill Ice sh


    (Ice sh)


    �C Deals 20-25 Frost AOE cone damage to creatures that are within five meters away from the user.


    �C Has a chance of freezing the user''s enemy for five seconds


    �C Skill Cooldown: 2 minutes.


    ��


    < Wolf''s Leather Armor >


    �C Defense: 20


    �C Pierce and shing damage reduced by 10%


    ��-


    Lux grinned from ear to ear after seeing the items that he acquired from the Golden Ticket. With these items in hand, although he was startingte among his peers, he knew that he would be able to catch up to them in time.


    "Wait for me, Elysium," Lux said softly as he stored all the items he obtained inside his storage ring. "My Legend is about to begin."

 Chapter 10 The Arts Of Necromancy [Part 1]

    After dinner, Lux hurriedly went to the training room inside their residence and locked the door.


    His Grandma, Vera, didn''t find this strange because Lux would train everyday, regardless of the time of the day.


    Vera''s only condition was that Lux would train inside their residence when night came, so she wouldn''t have to go look for him in the fields.


    After making sure that the door was properly locked, Lux took the Necromancy Skill book from his storage ring and pressed it over his head.


    Soon, the skill book turned into particles of light and flew towards Lux''s forehead. Information about Necromancy appeared inside his mind, and the young boy immersed himself in the indescribable feeling of enlightenment, which he was experiencing for the first time.


    "So, this is how it feels to learn skills," Lux thought with a smile.


    Skill books were different from the skills that one could learn from Beast Cores. The skills that could be learned from Beast Cores, were skills that the monster possessed.


    Skill books, on the other hand, could let you learn a single spell, or a set of spells that belonged under a Legacy.


    Legacies often consisted of many spells under one branch of magic. For example, the Necromancy Skill Book allowed anyone to learn Basic Necromancy Magic, up to Advanced Necromancy Magic.


    This meant that Lux didn''t have to hunt specific monsters in order to gain spells that fell under the Necromancy Branch of Magic.


    This was why Skill Books fetched for a high price, especially in Auction Houses. Anyone who was lucky enough to acquire one was set for life.


    After learning Necromancy, Lux summoned his Soul Book and opened it to the page where the different Skills he had learned could be found.


    Since it was his first time learning a Skill, he decided to read its information properly, so he would have a better understanding as to how the skill worked.


    ��-


    < Necromancy >


    �C Use the Unholy Power to Summon the Undead and use Curses to weaken your enemies


    �C Basic Summoning Skill unlocked.


    �C Summon Golem (Locked)


    Requirement: Apostle Rank D.


    �C Curses (Locked)


    Requirement: Apostle Rank D.


    �C Intermediate Skills (Locked)


    Requirement: Initiate Rank.


    �C Advance Skills (Locked)


    Requirement: D-Ranker.


    ��-


    < Basic Summoning Skills >


    Summon Skeleton


    Rating: F


    Energy: 5


    Progress: (0/100)


    �C You can increase the Progression Rating when you use Beast Cores to upgrade this skill.


    �C Summons one Skeleton to fight for you


    �C Summon duration 1 hour


    �C Skill Cooldown: 5 minutes.


    ��--


    ( Skeleton )


    Health: 10


    AttacK: 1 - 5


    Attack Type: Physical Damage


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    < Since the Skill is learned from a Skill Book and not from a Beastcore, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    < Choose which path of Evolution you wish to take. >


    Option 1: Summon two Skeletons to fight for you instead of one.


    Option 2: Upgrade Summon Skeleton Skill to Summon Skeleton Warrior.


    Option 3: Give your first Skeleton a name. Named creatures will be stronger and more intelligent than normal ones. Also, you can upgrade your named creature individually if you wish it.


    ��-


    "My Skill can be upgraded because of my Skill Evolution [EX]?!" Lux''s eyes widened in shock and joy at this unexpected discovery. "Doesn''t this mean that I can upgrade all my Skills by one stage once I have unlocked their requirements? Amazing!"


    Lux looked at the three options carefully. The first and second options were good because he could understand what they meant.


    However, the third option baffled Lux. He didn''t know what Named Creatures were and what kind of abilities they possessed. Even so, he still felt that the third option was the best choice among the three.<sub> </sub>


    "If you are unsure about certain terms in regards to skill, you can always consult the Elysium Compendium for more details."


    A lively voice spoke from behind Lux, which made thetter jump in fright.


    "E-Eriol! Don''t scare me like that!" Lux gasped as his hand pressed over his chest in an attempt to regain his calm. "Bro, you almost gave me a heart attack!"


    "Bro?" Eriol looked at Lux with amusement. "This is the first time someone has called me a Bro. Fine, I''ll make an exemption this time and allow you to refer to me as such. Now, go on and check what a Named Creature is."


    Lux nodded and summoned the Elysium Grand Compendium. As soon as he held the book in his hands, its pages automatically started to turn before they stopped at a certain page.


    The red-headed boy looked at the page and was surprised to see that it had stopped on the page with the information on Named Creatures.


    ��--


    < Named Creatures >


    �C These are Creatures that have been bestowed names by their Masters.


    �C Creatures who were bestowed names are more powerful than the monsters of the same species and level.


    �C They also learn special Skills that are exclusive to them.


    �C Named Creatures also have the ability to evolve and transform into more powerful forms once they meet the necessary requirements. .


    �C A Named Creature will always be loyal to its master.


    ��--


    After reading the information about named creatures, Lux shifted his gaze to his Soul Book and confidently chose the third option to name a creature.


    < You have chosen to give your first Skeleton a name. >


    < Please choose a name >


    ��-


    Lux rubbed his chin as he ran a series of names inside his head. He knew how important names were, and he was blessed to have been given good names in both of his lifetimes. Because of this, he decided to give his firstpanion a name that would make anyone tremble whenever they heard it.


    "Diablo," Lux said softly. "From now on, your name will be Diablo."


    ��--


    < You have chosen the name "Diablo" as the name for your first Skeleton. >


    < Is this your final answer? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��-


    Lux clicked yes to confirm his answer.


    As soon as he did, particles of light appeared in front of him and, from there, a Skeleton emerged.


    The skeleton stood at 174 cm (5''7") and Its bones were extremely white. On its forehead, some kind of mark that resembled a ck me could be seen easily.


    Lux opened Diablo''s personal page in his Soul Book and checked its information


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    "Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Rating: F+


    �C Energy: 10


    �C Progress (0/100)


    Health: 15


    Attack: 3 - 10


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    Title: Firstborn


    �C Diablo is your first Named Creature and has been bestowed the title "Firstborn".


    �C This Named Creature has gained the ability to evolve.


    < Firstborn >


    �C Regardless of what happens in the future, this Named Creature will be forever loyal to you.


    �C Attacks made by this creature have a high chance of dealing critical damage.


    �C All attacks made by this Creature will deal Ethereal Damage.


    �C Ethereal Damage ignores armor and other kinds of defensive equipment.


    �C When you use Beast Cores to upgrade Diablo, its effects would be boosted by 50%


    Note: Congrattions! You got your firstckey! Yohoho! Here we go!

 Chapter 11 The Arts Of Necromancy [Part 2]

    Lux nodded his head in appreciation.


    He felt that he made the right choice after choosing the third option and giving his first Skeleton a name.


    After the naming waspleted, the red-headed boy checked the other Basic Summoning Skills that were avable to him.


    ��--


    < Summon Skeleton Archer >


    Rating: D


    Energy: 10


    Progress: (0/100)


    �C You can increase the Progression Rating when you use Beast Cores to upgrade this skill.


    �C Requirement: Summon Skeleton Rating C


    �C Summons one Skeleton Archer to fight for you


    �C Summon duration 1 hour


    �C Skill Cooldown: 5 minutes.


    ( Skeleton Archer )


    Health: 20


    Attack: 3 - 10


    Attack Type: Physical Damage


    ��-


    < Summon Skeletal Mage >


    Rating: C


    Energy: 20


    Progress: (0/100)


    �C You can increase the Progression Rating when you use Beast Cores to upgrade this skill.


    �C Requirement: Skeleton Archer Rating A


    �C Summons one Skeleton Mage to fight for you


    �C Summon duration 1 hour


    �C Skill Cooldown: 5 minutes.


    ( Skeleton Mage )


    Health: 50


    Attack: 5 - 15


    Attack Type: Elemental Damage


    ��--


    "Summon Skeleton Archer, and Summon Skeleton Mage," Lux muttered. "Not bad. But, this makes upgrading them more troublesome."


    Lux scratched his head as he looked at the requirements of his two other Summoning Skills. He could already imagine the amount of resources that he would need to upgrade Diablo, as well as the Summon Skeleton Skill.


    Since both of them were separate Skills, upgrading them at the same time was not ideal. In the beginning, Lux was aware of how hard it was to gain Beast Cores.


    Those who passed the Stronghold''s entry test to Elysium would gain the right to enter the "Beginner''s Area".


    Inside this Beginner''s Area were low-level creatures, andmon monsters that those who were twelve years old and above could practice on in order to refine their fighting abilities.


    When these creatures were killed, there was a ten percent chance that they would drop a Beast Core.


    When using a Beast Core, people would be given two options by their Soul Books.


    The first one was to upgrade their Personal Stats.


    Depending on the rarity of the Beast Core, they could gain up to a hundred points once it was consumed.


    The Beast Cores of low-tier Beasts usually give a ten percent chance to gain a Skill exclusive to the Creature that was in. Aside from that, one could also gain one to two stat points that could be allocated freely.


    The second option was to upgrade Skills.


    When one upgraded Skills, the progress bar of the Skill would rise until it reached 100% progression. The Skill would then be more powerful, and might even lead to a mutation that could unlock a more powerful version of the original Skill.


    This was simr to Lux''s Skill Evolution [EX], but this instance only happened at a very, very, low probability.


    Usually, when people upgraded their Skills, they would only have their Skill''s performance improved. This was why the Skill that Lux acquired from the God of Gamblers was a Skill that would make everyone in the world of Sis feel extremely envious.<sub> </sub>


    An ability that could evolve any kind of Skill was unheard of. If this was made public, many powerful factions would fight to have Lux under their wing, or eliminated, to prevent a future powerhouse from threatening their rule.


    Lux didn''t think about these things because he had a more troublesome problem at hand. He felt conflicted if he should upgrade his Stats first, or his Skills first. This question had gued countless people soon after they had entered Elysium for the first time.


    The line drawn between internal and external strength, had long been a subject of debate for Rankers.


    Only those that were born without any Affinities would focus on enhancing their stats, instead of relying on Skills to be stronger.


    "Eriol, what should I do?" Lux asked. "Should I upgrade my Stats first, or Diablo''s?"


    "That''s the choice you need to make, Lux," Eriol replied. "For now, you should think of what to do in the morning. Since you just failed the recent entrance test to Elysium, the Leader of this Stronghold, Gerald, will not allow you to take the test anytime soon. He doesn''t want others to think that he is ying favorites, so you will have to wait a year to take Elysium''s entrance exam again."


    "I-I can''t wait that long!" Lux stuttered. Now that he had unlocked his body''s potential, as well as learned a Skill, not being able to go to Elysium would drive him crazy.


    Eriol nodded in understanding. "How about this? I will lend you an artifact that will allow you to travel to a Beginner''s Area that is located far away from territory that belongs to Wildgarde Fortress in Elysium.


    "This way, not only will you be able to ess Elysium, no one will be able to recognize you as well. What do you think about this proposal of mine?"


    "I ept!" Lux answered in a heartbeat. He was afraid that Eriol would take back his offer if he didn''t answer right away.


    Eriol chuckled and looked at the over-excited youngster who was holding himself back from hugging him to oblivion.


    "Okay. take this," Eriol presented a ck ring to Lux. "This ring is called the Ring of Arondight. It will take you to the Arondight Territory which is located at the Far South of Elysium. Ah, before I forget, do you know how big Elysium is?"


    "ording to Grandma, Elysium is as big as this world?"


    "Correct. But, do you know how big this world is?"


    Lux blinked as he gave Eriol a random answer. "As big as Earth?"


    Eriol chuckled after hearing Lux''s answer. He then gave the young boy a mischievous smile as he asked another question.


    "Is Earth big?" Eriol asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    "Then, is Jupiter bigger than Earth?"


    "It is bigger."


    Lux was aware that Jupiter was the biggest in the Sr System. However, he didn''t know just how big it was.


    "Sis is the same size as Jupiter," Eriol stated. "Do you know how many Earths you can fit inside Jupiter?"


    "... I don''t know."


    "The answer is almost 1,300 Earths. Sis and Elysium are that big. So, when I told you that this ring would allow you to enter the Southern Area of Elysium, it meant that you would be several Earth''s away from the Wildgarde Stronghold."


    Lux''s jaw hung open because he didn''t expect that the world he was living on was that big. A that could fit almost 1,300 Earth''s was beyond his understanding.


    When Eriol asked him if the Earth was big, he had answered yes.


    Now that he knew that Sis was as big as Jupiter, he realized that he would be hundreds of thousands of miles away from home.


    "Um, is it possible to travel from Arondight to the territory of Wildgarde in Elysium?" Lux inquired.


    "Definitely," Eriol answered with confidence. "However, the path will be extremely dangerous. Elysium has just recently opened, and the races of this world have only explored the tip of the iceberg. Even if they were given a thousand years, there would still be many unexplored regions waiting for the brave to discover. Also, the ces you can enter are only the Beginner Areas.


    "If you really want to go to this Stronghold''s territory in Elysium, it will be far safer to wait a year and take the test once again. Wouldn''t it be better to give everyone a big surprise when they find out that you''ve be so strong after staying at home for a year?"


    Eriol''s yful words struck Lux''s heartstrings.


    He could already see the shock in everyone''s expressions after he took the next test, alongside the other twelve-year olds.


    As Lux was thinking of showing off an amazing performance in the future, he remembered his Grandma''s worried expression during dinner.


    His sudden silence confused Eriol, and the God of Games thought that Lux was getting cold feet. Because of this, he decided to encourage the red-headed boy that everything was going to be fine.


    "It''s just a year of waiting," Eriol said. "After you pass the test with flying colors, your friends, and the adults here in the Stronghold will definitely see you in a better light."


    Lux shook his head because that was not what he was thinking.


    "Eriol, can I tell my grandma about this?" Lux asked. "Since I will be going to Elysium, I will not be home. She might get worried and look for me everywhere. Knowing Grandma, she would turn thisnd upside down just to find me."


    Eriol frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest. There were several issues with Lux''s suggestion, and it might lead toplicationster. However, he also couldn''t rule out the consequences of what would happen if Lux disappeared for a very long time.


    Although he hadn''t passed the test to enter Elysium, everyone in the Stronghold cared about Lux. if the red-headed boy suddenly disappeared, it would certainly cause amotion and it might lead to head-ache inducing scenarios.


    If Lux and Eriol wanted to avoid this problem, they needed to bring Lux''s grandma, Vera, in their inner circle.


    "Very well, let''s talk to your grandma," Eriol replied after weighing the pros and cons of things. "I will do the talking. You can just support me from the side."


    Lux nodded. "Good!"


    If possible, Lux didn''t want to hide anything from his grandma. She was the only family he had ever known, and Vera had taken care of him since he was a baby. There was a certain trust between them that couldn''t be spoken through words.


    This was also why Vera gave Lux her silent approval for wanting to train in secret in order to follow his dream to enter Elysium.

 Chapter 12 I Am No Quack Doctor

    Vera looked at her grandson with a serious expression on her face. She had known that Lux had wanted to go to Elysium to prove that he wasn''t useless, but Vera had never treated him as someone who was.


    For her, Lux was a child that filled her lonely world with colors. Although he wasn''t the healthiest of individuals, he would do his best in order to help her in any way that he could.


    If possible, Vera didn''t want Lux to go to Elysium because she was afraid that the boy''s life would be endangered.


    "Lux, I know that you really wanted to be a warrior," Vera said softly. "But, even if your heart wills it, your body is not strong enough to see it through."


    Vera wanted to say that Lux didn''t have to think about anything else and just live a happy andfortable life, but she held these words back. She knew, more than anything else, what her grandson wanted to do in life.


    "Grandma, I know that you love me and want only the best for me," Lux replied. "Also, I know that it is hard for you to believe me, but my body is now healed. I will no longer faint if I stress my body too much."


    Vera shook her head firmly. "Lux, life is very precious. I will not let you enter Elysium until I personally see with my own eyes that what you are telling me is the truth. However, this will also be thest time. If you fail to convince me, you will no longer insist on going to Elysium. Do we have a deal?"


    "Do I have your word, Grandma?"


    "When have I ever lied to you?"


    Lux breathed a sigh of relief. He grew up being spoiled by his grandma, and thetter treated him with great care. Although they''d had several arguments in the past in regards to his dreams to go to Elysium, Vera had never rejected his dream, and allowed him to train as much as he could.


    "Grandma, I''d like to introduce you to someone," Lux said. "He is the one that helped cure my body."


    "... don''t tell me it''s another one of those quack doctors you invited in the past?" Vera''s face became stern. "How many times have you been conned by people into buying those random potions that only made you sick? Have you not learned your lesson?"


    Lux coughed lightly because he couldn''t refute his grandma''s words. In the past, he had bought some shady strengthening tonics from the merchants that passed through their stronghold. Although these tonics looked good on the outside, their effects were horrible, causing Lux to suffer from rashes, or fever, for a few days.


    "Don''t worry, Grandma. This time it''s not a quack." Lux patted his chest with confidence. "In fact, he also came here to personally talk to you."


    "He wanted to talk to me?" Vera frowned. "Where is he?"


    "In my room."


    "... Lux. Did you just invite a random stranger inside our house while I was away?"


    Vera''s steady gaze made Lux feel like he was suffering from constipation. However, he gritted his teeth in order to take control of the situation.


    "Grandma, let me just introduce him to you first," Lux said. "If he''s really a suspicious quack, feel free to whack his head silly!"


    Vera reluctantly nodded her head and made a gesture for Lux to fetch the person that healed his body. She had already decided that if the quack was nning to hurt her grandson, she would strangle him and feed his body to the crocodiles in the river.


    A few minutester, a child, who seemed to be around twelve years old, followed behind Lux with a smile.


    Vera was surprised because she didn''t expect that the person that Lux was talking about was actually a boy younger than him.


    Suddenly, Vera''s expression became serious as she stared at the young boy with dark-blue hair and gray eyes.


    She was a warrior, so it was fairly easy for her to notice even the smallest of things when it came to people.<sub> </sub>


    The first thing that rmed her was that she couldn''t sense the blue-haired boy''s presence. It was as if the one following Lux was not a person, but just a passing breeze.


    The second thing she noticed were the boy''s eyes. Those eyes didn''t belong to someone young, but a wise person that seemed to have lived for many years.


    ''A High-Ranker?'' Vera thought as she extended her senses towards the boy who was now sitting in front of her.


    "Good day. My name is Eriol, and I am the one that helped Lux fix his body," Eriol said with a smile. "Before anything else, I would just like to say that I am no quack doctor.


    "Lux is already healed and, although his body still hasn''t reached the standards to enter Elysium, it is no longer burdened by its past weakness. If he trains properly then going to the Newbie Area will not be an issue."


    "Are you a ranker?" Vera asked. "What is your rank?"


    Eriol blinked once then twice before realization hit him.


    "Well, I''m not really a ranker��," Eriol replied. "But, if it will make you feel any better, you can think of me as one."


    Vera narrowed her eyes. She didn''t believe that someone like Eriol would randomly choose to help someone. There was no free lunch in this world, and she was sure that the blue-haired boy had some hidden agenda.


    ''Lux must have something he wants,'' Vera thought. ''I better get rid of him before he can do something to my grandson.''


    "Such scary thoughts," Eriolmented with a smile. "I swear by my name that I have no evil intentions in regards to Lux. If I nned something so sinister, I would not have gone out of my way to meet with you, right?"


    Vera''s pupils shrank when she realized that the other person could read her thoughts. This was not the first time she had met someone with this ability. She had her fair share of fighting against these kinds of people in Sis and Elysium. The one thing that they all had inmon was that all of them were troublesome opponents.


    "Please, can''t we have a proper discussion without you thinking of ways to kill me?" Eriol said with a bitter smile. "I came here to tell you that I will take Lux to Elysium with me and train him for a year. After that he will take the test here in the Wildgarde Stronghold so he can join your faction inside Elysium."


    "Take him to Elysium?" Vera raised an eyebrow. "You''re already a ranker. You can''t possibly enter the Newbie Area."


    Eriol briefly nodded his head in agreement. "There arews in Elysium that divide thends that people can explore depending on their ranks. However, I can bypass thesews and go anywhere unhindered.


    "But, we both know that you won''t allow Lux to go to Elysium unless he has proven himself capable of surviving by himself, right?"


    "Yes," Vera answered.


    "Well then, since both of us are in agreement, how about we all go on a little trip outside this stronghold?" Eriol proposed. "That way, you will be able to see with your own eyes if your beloved grandson had the qualifications to go to Elysium or not."


    Vera didn''t reply right away. Instead, she looked at her grandson who was giving her a pleading gaze.


    After a brief inner battle, Vera sighed and reluctantly nodded her head.


    "Very well," Vera said. "We will leave at first light. I want to see if my grandson is really cured of his sickness. If you can show me that he has the means to survive in Elysium then I will allow him to go there. However, if you are lying to me�� I don''t care who you are, or where you are from. I will ensure that you never see my grandson again. Do I make myself clear?"


    Eriol smiled and nodded his head. Vera''s threats had no meaning to him, but he could understand how much she cared about Lux.


    Although the general n had been derailed from the start, he was still happy that the candidate they had chosen was well loved by his foster family.

 Chapter 13 Earning Vera’s Recognition

    Vera, Lux, and Eriol, sat on top of the White Hippopotamus, Sophie, as they traveled along the river.


    This was not the first time that Vera had taken Lux on a journey with her, so he was quite familiar with thendmarks that they were passing.


    After traveling for half a day, the White Hippopotamus swam towards the riverbank. After walking up tond, Vera, Lux, and Eriol dismounted from her back and observed their surroundings.


    "Where are we, Grandma?" Lux asked.


    This was the first time that he had stepped into this ce, and he was not sure why Vera had brought him here alongside Eriol.


    "This ce is called the Westmill Valley," Vera answered. "This is a ce where bothmon and ranked monsters can be found. Don''t worry, the strongest monsters here are Rank 2 Monsters. As long as you don''t go deep inside the valley, your chances of meeting them are slim. "


    Lux gulped because ording to the knowledge he had, Rank 2 monsters were as strong as Grade C Apostles.


    In Sis, there were various ranks to measure the strength of an individual.


    Only those that had stepped on the Apostle Rank, were considered individuals that had surpassed the limits of mortality.


    Those who had be Apostles were eligible to enter the Intermediate Area of Elysium. It was also where stronger monsters and richer resources could be found.


    Children who were twelve and above were given the opportunity to enter the Beginner Area of Elysium, wheremon monsters, like the Horned Rabbit, could be found anywhere.


    This was the ce where they could hone theirbat abilities, in preparation to step into the Apostle Rank.


    Since Lux was not allowed to enter Elysium, Vera could only take him to a simr environment wheremon monsters could be found. This was the only way for her to gauge whether Lux and Eriol were lying to her.


    "Come, let us make camp," Vera ordered as she took out arge tent from her storage ring.


    Lux happily helped his grandma prepare the tent because it had been a few years since they had gone on a camping trip together. Even so, he was still very proficient in doing these simple chores, because he wanted to be useful to her whenever they left Wildgarde Stronghold to visit the nearby towns in their territory.


    After finishing the tent, Vera started to prepare their lunch.


    Lux busied himself with practicing his swordsmanship. He was holding the rare weapon, Tranquility, that allowed him to summon a Forest Wolf to aid him in battle.


    "Go!" Lux shouted as he activated the summon skill.


    Immediately, a wolf with light-brown fur appeared in front of him.


    Lux gave his Grandma a side-long nce to see her reaction, but thetter didn''t even raise her head as she stirred the dish inside the cooking pot.


    Eriol, who saw this scene, chuckled, because he knew what Lux was thinking. The God of Games was aware of Vera''s level, and such a simple disy was usually not enough to move her heart, but a tinge of wariness or concern had touched it and she briefly shifted her eyes from the meal in front of her to her grandson.


    While weapons with summoning abilities were not that rare in Sis. Anyone who was able to get their hands on one could easily do what Lux had done.


    Of course, Lux wasn''t aware of this. He thought that having a cool weapon was enough to impress his grandma, so her seemingly indifferent reaction made his heart ache.


    "Now, now, don''t be so down," Eriol wasn''t able to ignore Lux''s depressed state, but nor would he reveal the subtle change that hade over Vera, when he decided to cheer him up. "Your grandma just wants to know if you are capable of entering Elysium without relying on external strength."


    Lux scratched his head as he looked up at Eriol who was sitting on a tree branch. "Does that mean I can''t summon the Forest Wolf and Diablo?"


    "You can," Eriol replied. "I''m sure that your grandma will notin as long as you understand that you shouldn''t over rely on them. I''ll give you an example. If you were to fight against a Summoner and his powerful summon, who would you attack first?"


    "The Summoner?" Lux answered with uncertainty.


    Eriol nodded. "Once the Summoner is dealt with, the summon will also disappear. So, although a summoned creature is strong, the Summoner must also have a way to defend himself. There are beasts with very high intellect. They would directly attack you and ignore your summons if you were to face them in battle."


    Lux crossed his arms over his chest as he digested Eriol''s words. He then nced at the Forest Wolf who took a sitting position in front of him.


    "Should I upgrade my personal stats first and not strengthen Diablo then?" Lux inquired.


    Eriol smirked, "Lux, whether you do, or do not, that decision will always be yours to make. Do not rely on others to make the decision for you. No one can decide what to do with your life, except you."<sub> </sub>


    "But, I don''t know what to do? Can you give me a hint?" Lux pressed his hands together and pleaded.


    Eriol nced at Vera who was busy cooking their food. He knew that she was listening to their discussion, and testing him to see whether he was indeed a good mentor for Lux or not.


    Since that was the case, Eriol decided to give Lux some tips in order to make him understand the concept of roles in battle.


    "Priests and Mages are almost always at the back of the party. Swordsmen, Defenders, and closebat professions will always be at the front." Eriol exined. "Archers will always be somewhere where they could snipe their enemies from a safe distance.


    "Different strokes, for different folks. What you need to ask yourself is what role you want to y in the greater scheme of things. Do you n to go solo, or do you want to team up with others? Since you have learned Necromancy, you can have the best of both worlds. Even without people, you can form a party with your summoned creatures."


    At the mention of Necromancy, Vera raised her head and looked at Lux who was deep in thought.


    "Lux, is that true? Have you learned Necromancy?" Vera asked with a serious expression on her face.


    "Yes, Grandma," Lux answered.


    "Show me."


    "Okay."


    Lux took a deep breath as he activated the Summon Skeleton Skill.


    "Come forth! Diablo!" Lux ordered.


    A magic circle materialized on the ground in front of him.


    A secondter, a white Skeleton with a ck me mark on its head appeared holding a bone sword in its hand.


    Vera frowned because she knew that her grandson didn''t have this kind of Necromantic ability in the past. In fact, she had been paying close attention and the boy hadn''t shown anything that said he would have this kind of ability today.


    She was finding it hard to believe how her grandson, who always fainted during critical moments, could have learned Necromancy without her knowing it.


    As Vera appraised the white skeleton, her eyes widened in shock when she noticed something that only experts like her could see at a nce.


    "A Named Creature!" Vera hurriedly approached the Skeleton.


    She then closely appraised it to ensure that her eyes were not deceiving her.


    "How can this be?" Vera asked in confusion. "How can you have a Named Creature in your current state? Is this your doing?" she finished, turning to face Eriol who was still seated on the tree branch.


    "I only gave him the means," Eriol replied. "The one that made the choice for his first Skeleton to be named was Lux."


    Vera was aware of how powerful a Named Creature could be. Unlike other creatures, a named creature could grow strong at a faster rate than others. Also, it possessed unique abilities that set them apart from normal creatures.


    "What do you think, Grandma?" Lux patted his chest. "Don''t you think that I have what it takes to enter Elysium now?"


    Vera nced at Diablo before shifting her gaze to her grandson. She admitted that having a Named Creature would greatly help Lux in the long run, but the problem was his short term progression.


    "Only if you don''t faint in battle," Vera ruffled Lux''s hair fondly. "If you faint, no matter how strong  your summon is, it will just disappear into thin air."


    "Don''t worry, Grandma. I will not faint anymore."


    "We''ll see about that."


    Eriol smiled as he watched the yful banter of the grandmother and grandson pair. Now that Vera had finally acknowledged Lux''s potential, all that was left was to see how the red-headed boy was in actual battle.


    As long as Lux passed his grandma''s test, the God of Games was sure that Vera would give Lux her full support and permit him to enter the Beginner''s Area, using the backdoor that Eriol had prepared for him.

 Chapter 14 Vera’s Trial

    After lunch, Vera led Lux and Eriol on the Western outskirts of the valley.


    Every now and then, they woulde acrossmon monsters like the horned rabbits, foxes, wild cats, boars, and other beasts that would gaze at them in the distance.


    Although some of these creatures were aggressive by nature, Vera''s presence, as well as that of the White Hippopotamus, Sophie, who had shrunk its size to a half a meter tall and a meter long, made them feel threatened.


    After walking for an hour, they finally arrived at their destination.


    Lux frowned because he could hear grunts, screams, and howlsing from the trees in front of them. In fact, some of the trees were even shaking because their residents had been alerted of their presence.


    "This is the territory of the Barb Tailed Jester Monkeys," Vera said. "They are justmon creatures, but they are notorious for their ability to urately throw things like rocks and fruits at their enemies.


    "What I want you to do is hunt ten of them. If you can do this, I will allow you to go to Elysium. However, if you fail, you will not talk about going to Elysium for a year, and continue your training at home. Do I make myself clear?"


    Lux nodded. "Okay, Grandma."


    Lux was surprised by his grandma''s sudden change of heart. He thought that she would prevent him from going to Elysiumpletely if he failed her test, but she merely said that he should continue to train at home, which was already a goodpromise.


    "Good luck," Eriol gave Lux a pat on the shoulder as a form of encouragement. ''Still, his grandma made things a little difficult for him to pass the test. Although it is not impossible, Lux has to be resourceful if he wants to clear this trial."


    "Don''t worry," Lux said with a smile. "I got this!"


    Lux took a deep breath before taking a step forward. He was holding his sword, Tranquility, and paying close attention to the Monkeys, who were jumping up and down on the branches of the trees as they continued to scream at him.


    Just as Lux was thinking about what to do next, he heard a dull ringing sound in his head. What followed next were rows of text that appeared in front of him, as if they were being carved into the air.


    ��--


    < Special Quest: Vera''s Trial >


    �C Your grandmother asked you to defeat 10 Barb Tailed Jester Monkeys in order to gain her permission to enter Elysium.


    < Rewards >


    �C 5 Free Stats Points


    �C 10 Body Constitution Points


    �C 10 Skill Points


    ��-


    ''A Quest?'' Lux stared at the image in front of him in disbelief. ''What is this? Some kind of RPG Game?''


    Although Lux was confused about what was happening, he decided to put it aside for the time being because he needed to focus on the task at hand.


    After walking fifty steps forward, the two-foot-tall Monkeys became more agitated as they started jumping from tree branch to tree branch while increasing the decibels of their screeching noises.


    Suddenly, a nut that was as big as a human''s fist came flying in his direction. Lux had already raised his awareness to its limits because he understood that the Monkeys were wild creatures, and their temperament was on the aggressive side. Because of this, he was able to dodge the nut that was thrown at him with ease.


    The monkeys seemed to find his dodging amusing, so they all started screeching and pping their hands like spectators at a theatrical performance.


    It was also at that moment when Lux saw several Monkeys raise their hands in the air in the act of throwing something. Lux''s body stiffened when he realized that the Monkeys were now going to attack him for real.


    As soon as this thought came to his mind, several flying projectiles, namely fruit, wooden sticks, and rocks, descended on him like rain.


    The red-headed boy rolled over to his right side, and hid behind a tree in order to shield himself from the barrage of projectiles that were being aimed at him.


    The monkeys then started to jump from tree to tree, in order to encircle Lux and attack him from all directions.<sub> </sub>


    "S-Sh*t!" Lux cursed loudly as he narrowly evaded a rock, that was as big as his head, that had been thrown from his left side.


    "Diablo! Help me!" Lux ordered as he summoned his named creature to battle.


    A White Skeleton appeared in front of Lux and shed at the fruits that were being thrown at its master. Unfortunately, its movements were not that fast, and several of the fruits hit their intended target.


    Lux saw a couple of numbers pop up above Diablo''s head, which he assumed were damages that the Skeleton received from the projectiles thrown at him.


    ��-


    < Diablo >


    Health: 6 / 15


    Attack: 3 - 10


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    ��--


    <o>,m Lux was rmed when he saw that Diablo''s Health Points had decreased by more than half and knew that he wouldn''t be able to beat the Monkeys in his current situation. Because of this, he decided to take a strategic retreat and ran like his pants were on fire.</o>


    Diablo ran after its Master and used its body, and weapon, to shield Lux from further attacks that came from the Monkeys.


    Only when Lux had escaped to his Grandma''s side did the Monkeys stop their attacks.


    Vera''s re was more than enough to scare them silly, and the Monkeys decided to stop attacking the red-headed boy who was hiding behind her back.


    Eriol chuckled at Lux''sedic performance. Although he didn''t have high hopes for him when it came to being able to beat a pack of Monkeys, he still believed that the red-headed boy''s decision to retreat was wise.


    Vera, on the other hand, knew that her test was a bit unreasonable. Her true goal was to see if Lux would faint during an intense situation like he usually did. Although she was standing far away, Vera had already made preparations to deflect any attack that would prove lethal to her grandson.


    What she wanted to teach Lux was that there were times when he would find himself in a disadvantageous situation when he entered an unknown territory for the first time.


    The Beginner''s Zone might seem like it is a safe ce for twelve-year-olds, but the truth was, it was a ce where they would hone their survival instincts. Several children often died in the Beginner Zone because they became too confident in their meager abilities.


    These kids would go to ces where monsters lived together and try to eliminate them, only to find themselves vastly outnumbered, and fighting with their lives on the line.


    Although these deaths were unfortunate, the adults could only me themselves for not teaching their kids properly before they entered the Elysian Fields.


    This was Vera''s way of teaching Lux that the ce he wanted to go was a very dangerous ce.


    A ce where he could lose his life any moment if he was careless in his actions.


    "Do you want to call it a day?" Vera rested her hand on Lux''s shoulder and looked at him with tender eyes. "Don''t worry, you can still try again tomorrow. I will give you one week toplete this test, so there''s no need for you to hurry."


    Lux pondered for a bit before shaking his head. "It''s still too early, Grandma. I want to give it another try."


    "Very well. Just be careful."


    "Yes!"


    Vera smiled and lightly ruffled Lux''s hair. She really thought that her grandson would faint earlier, but after observing him for a while, she could tell that Lux didn''t lie when he said that his fainting habit had been fixed.


    Since that was the case, she was even more curious about how her grandson would clear the test that she had given him.

 Chapter 15 Lux’s Counterattack

    Lux stared at the Monkeys and the Monkeys stared back at him.


    After staring at each other for several minutes, the Monkeys started to chatter amongst themselves, while ncing at the red-headed boy who was eyeing their every move from a safe distance.


    "Doesn''t that boy look like a Monkey as well?"


    "Maybe he is our distant cousin?"


    "I don''t think so. He doesn''t have a tail."


    "Ah! He resembles those Red-Butt Baboons from the East!"


    "Now that you mention it, Baboons don''t have tails. Also, his face is just as red as theirs. He might be from their tribe."


    "Bastard! So he came here to show us his red butt?! How shameless! Let''s beat him up!"


    "I agree!"


    "Let''s go!"


    If Lux were to know that he had beenbeled a Red-Butt Baboon by the Monkeys he was observing, he would have definitely been angered to death, and given all of them the middle finger. Fortunately, he didn''t speak Monkeynguage, so he was able to continue observing the Monkeys without being taunted by their words.


    After arming themselves, the troop of Monkeys suddenly started screaming as they advanced toward Lux with determination. All of them carried fruit, rocks, and wooden sticks with them that they could use to throw at the Baboon that had entered their territory.


    Seeing that the Monkeys had finally started to move against him, Lux did what he needed to do and that was to�� run away!


    After a few minutes of chasing, the Monkeys gave up and returned to their territory.


    Lux, on the other hand, returned to observing them from a distance.


    The red-headed boy was trying to memorize the movements and behavioral patterns of the Barb Tailed Jester Monkeys.


    This strategy had been taught to him by the Elders in Wildgarde Stronghold when he had turned twelve years of age.


    Lux could recall these lessons by heart and now had the opportunity to apply this knowledge to his current situation.


    The Barb Tailed Jester Monkeys would jump from tree to tree using their hands, feet, and tail, on normal asions. When they were going to fight, however, both of their hands were upied by fruit, sticks, or rocks, which prevented them from using them.


    Even so, the Monkeys could still travel at a fast pace because their strong legs allowed them to jump from tree to tree with ease. At times, their tails would coil around branches and help the Monkeys maneuver through the tree-tops, while still being able to perform ranged attacks with deadly uracy.


    ''So they can only carry two to three items at most when they start to attack from the treetops,'' Lux thought as he observed the Monkeys from afar. ''However, thependium said that they are also capable of engaging in closebat, using their fangs, ws, and tails like a deadly whip to injure their enemies.''


    After pondering for a while, Lux devised a n for how to beat the Monkeys in order to pass Vera''s trial.


    Vera and Eriol, who were observing Lux from far away, smiled when they saw the red-headed boy collecting rocks from the ground and cing them inside his storage ring


    The next day, right after breakfast, Lux decided to put his n into motion. He had already made adequate preparations, and he was confident that he would be able to pull it off, as long as nothing out of the ordinary happened


    "Grandma, I''m going."


    "Good luck."


    Eriol just gave Lux a brief nod of encouragement, and thetter gave the God of Games a thumbs up.


    ��-


    "Look. He''s back again."


    "This Red-Butt Baboon still hasn''t learned its lesson?"


    "To arms!"


    "Fight!"


    "Let''s get hi�Cargh!"


    One of the Monkeys fell off the tree branch when it wasn''t able to dodge Lux''s surprise rock throw from a distance.


    The other Monkeys were angered by this action and all of them started to screech while jumping from tree to tree, in order to encircle the red-headed boy who dared to hurt theirpanion.


    ��--


    < Special Quest: Vera''s Trial >


    Defeated Monkeys: 1 / 10


    ��-<sub> </sub>


    ''I knew it!'' Luxughed internally as the notification materialized out of thin air. ''I don''t have to kill them. Incapacitating them also counts as a defeat.''


    Lux dodged the attacks that he could, and used the trees as shields for those that he couldn''t.


    He had stacked many fist sized rocks inside his storage ring, and he threw them one after the other whenever an opportunity arrived. The Monkeys might be proficient in the art of throwing things, but Lux wasn''t a pushover either.


    After not being able to practice with weapons, due to his fainting condition, the red-headed boy spent his spare time throwing rocks at wooden targets as a means to pass the time.


    As a Half-Elf, he was blessed with a natural affinity when it came to using ranged weapons and projectiles. After practicing rock throwing for nearly four years, Lux''s proficiency in throwing things surpassed even that of the Barb Tailed Jester Monkeys!


    It didn''t take long before the Monkeys realized that the boy that they had bullied yesterday had be a changed man overnight. Six of their members had already fallen prey to his rock throwing, and were now squirming on the ground in pain.


    After emptying their hands of things to throw, the Monkeys then decided to take things up close and personal.


    As Lux was defending himself from the ranged attacks that wereing from the front, three Monkeys had snuck behind his back with blood-shot eyes.


    Without warning, they lunged at the boy from behind with their fangs and ws extended, going for the kill.


    Suddenly, two blurs appeared in their vision.


    Before the three Monkeys could even react, one of them was sent flying by a bone sword, while the other dealt with an excruciating swipe from the ws of a Forest Wolf.


    It was only a short exchange, but both Monkeys suffered from serious injuries. The third Monkey was the unluckiest of all because it found itself face to face with a sneering Half-Elf, who used the t side of his sheathed sword like a baseball bat to send the Monkey hurtling several meters away.


    The Monkey''s pained scream spread across the jungle before it smashed into a tree, which knocked it unconscious.


    After seeing that their attacks had failed, the Monkeys panicked and ran away in fright.


    Lux watched them go, and didn''t make any moves to pursue them.


    His goal was to only clear Vera''s Trial and not to annihte their troop. Afterpleting his mission, a ringing sound once again sounded inside his head and a series of texts appeared in front of him.


    ��-


    < Special Quest: Vera''s Trial Completed! >


    < Rewards >


    �C 5 Free Stats Points


    �C 10 Body Constitution Points


    �C 10 Skill Points


    < Bonus Reward >


    Skill: urate Throw


    < urate Throw >


    �C Increase throwing skill uracy by 10% and damage by 10%


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    urate Throw will be upgraded into Power Shot once the requirements have been met.


    < Power Shot >


    �C Increase Throwing Skill uracy by 30% and damage by 30%


    �C Has a 5% chance to deal critical damage when using Power Shot Skill.


    �C Requirement to upgrade: Hit a moving target using urate Throw 100x


    �C Progress ( 0 / 100 )


    ��--


    Lux was quite surprised when he got a bonus reward out of the blue. He didn''t expect to learn a Skill in this manner, but he was quite happy about it. The icing on the cake was that his special ability, Skill Evolution [EX], had upgraded thismon skill into a more powerful one.


    The Half-Elf was confident that he could easily meet the requirement for the Throwing Skill''s evolution.


    After calming down, he then returned to the camp where Vera and Eriol were waiting for him. He could tell after seeing the rxed smile on his grandma''s face that she was quite satisfied with his performance.


    After so many years of waiting, Lux finally saw the look of approval on his grandma''s face. He knew that after they returned to the Wildgarde Stronghold, things would finally change for the better.

 Chapter 16 Our Heaven’s Gate Project Begins Here!

    Back at the camp, Vera praised her grandson for his wonderful performance.


    After seeing how the battle yed out, Vera was convinced that Lux had indeed recovered from the ailment that gued him all these years.


    She was now more at ease, knowing that her grandson would be able to enter the Beginner''s Area of Elysium and survive there for a year under Eriol''s guidance.


    On the way back to the Wildgarde Stronghold, Lux took out his Soul Book and started to allocate his rewards.


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Health: 20


    Mana: 25


    Strength: 4


    Intelligence: 5


    Vitality: 4


    Agility: 5


    Dexterity: 4


    Free Stat Points Avable: 5


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX].


    Skills: urate Throw.


    Body Constitution: Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy


    ��--


    ''I have received 5 free stat points, so I can enhance my stats easily,'' Lux thought. ''The problem is which stat should I prioritize?''


    After discussing a bit with Eriol, the God of Games told him that his stats were simr to that of a game character.


    His Strength Stat influenced his physical damage, and overall body strength. Allowing him to equip heavy armor, as well as carry heavy items.


    The Intelligence Stat didn''t have any rtion to how smart a person was. This stat raised magical damage, mana capacity, and mana regeneration.


    Vitality, on the other hand, increases a person''s natural defense and Health Points. To a certain extent, Vitality made the body sturdy, which would allow him to endure attacks from physical and magical damage.


    Dexterity yed a role in the body''s reflexes and overall bnce. Performing dexterous maneuvers like backflips, and martial arts, required high Dexterity. This stat also allowed the user to wield weapons like bows with greater proficiency.


    Agility''s role was to increase a person''s movement speed, dodging ability, and capacity to run away from dangerous encounters.


    Aside from these stats, there were two other secret stats that couldn''t be seen in the Soul Book.


    Those two stats were Charisma and Luck.


    ording to Eriol, these two stats were quite special, and the reason why they were hidden was to prevent others from purposely adding points to them.


    Everyone in Sis could ess their Soul Books and freely add points to their stats ording to their wishes.


    This setting was really simr to those RPG games that Lux had yed in the past. The only difference was that they were not yers who could resurrect an infinite number of times when they were killed.


    One mistake and it was a permanent game over for all of them.


    ''I can either fight alongside my summons, or support them from the rear,'' Lux thought. ''However, if given the choice, I would like to be strong enough to protect myself, so even if I get attacked, I can still give my attackers a nasty surprise.''


    After careful considerations, Lux decided to take a more bnced approach on things.


    ��--


    Health: 25


    Mana: 25


    Strength: 6


    Intelligence: 5


    Vitality: 5


    Agility: 6


    Dexterity: 5


    ��--


    Lux added two points to Strength, one point to Vitality, one point to Agility, and one point to Dexterity.


    The red-headed boy immediately felt the effects in his body and it almost made him cry in happiness. For the past four years, his stats hadn''t improved one bit. Even the twelve year olds in Wildgarde Stronghold were stronger than him, when it came to physical and magical strength.


    ''Now, for the other rewards��'' Lux checked the extra rewards that he received after clearing his trial.<sub> </sub>


    ��-


    �C 10 Body Constitution Points


    �C 10 Skill Points


    ��--


    ''The 10 Body Constitution should have been automatically added to my Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy,'' Lux thought as he went to his Body Constitution tab.


    Just as he expected, the progress bar had increased by ten points, which put his mind at ease.


    ��--


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: F


    Progress: 11/100


    Conquest is not all about imingnds, and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.


    Abilities: (None)


    Note: Upgrading your special constitution will allow you to unlock its abilities.


    ��--


    ''As for Skill points��'' Lux opened the Skills tab and several options appeared in front of him.


    In the Skill Tab, he saw the Summoning Skeleton and Summon Diablo options. Both of their progress ratings were at zero, but for Lux, this was an easy choice to make.


    ''Let''s go with quality over quantity,'' Lux thought as he added the ten skill points to Summon Diablo.


    Immediately, the progression bar on his Named Summon increased by ten points.


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    "Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Rating: F+


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress (10/100)


    Health: 15


    Attack: 3 - 10


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    Strength: 3


    Intelligence: 2


    Vitality: 3


    Agility: 2


    Dexterity: 2


    Title: Firstborn


    ��--


    After allocating all of his rewards, Lux unsummoned his skill book and hummed a song.


    Vera nced at her happy grandson and was unable to keep herself from smiling. Although she would be a bit lonely when Lux went to Elysium to start his training, she also understood that she couldn''t keep him by her side forever.


    "Lux, promise me one thing," Vera said as she gave Lux a light hug.


    "Anything for you, Grandma," Lux replied as he hugged Vera back.


    "Prioritize your safety. If the situation bes too dangerous, do not hesitate to run away. I have only three family members left in this world, and one of them is you. My heart will break if something terrible happens to you."


    "Grandma, I can''t promise that I will not encounter a dangerous situation when I am in Elysium. However, I will promise you this. I will do everything in my power to live. I will do my best for you, Grandma."


    "Mmm," Vera nodded as she patted Lux''s head. "Make sure toe home from time to time, okay? I will be waiting for you."


    "I will. I promise," Lux replied as he closed his eyes in happiness.


    Now that his grandma had given him permission to go to Elysium, there was nothing more that could hold him back.


    Eriol, who was also seated on the back of the white hippopotamus, Sophie, sighed in relief. Now that the wheels of Fate were finally set in motion, the n that he and Max had made for many years was about to officially start, finally.


    ''Max, don''t worry. I will take it from here,'' Eriol said in his heart while thinking of his best friend. ''Our Heaven''s Gate Project begins here!''

 Chapter 17 People Will Always Be Afraid Of The Unknown

    "Have you packed your clothes?"


    "Yes, Grandma."


    "How about the food I prepared? Do you have that as well?"


    "Yes."


    Vera looked at her grandson lovingly as she patted his head.


    "Remember, if you face an enemy that is stronger than you, just run," Vera said. "The most important thing is to live to fight another day, do you understand, Lux?"


    "Yes, Grandma," Lux replied. "I will do as you say."


    Eriol watched this from the side without interrupting. Once Lux entered Elysium he coulde home anytime he wanted, but most people stayed in Elysium for weeks, or months at a time before returning home.


    A day in Sis was equivalent to two days in Elysium. This was something that Lux knew because of the lessons that he received when he was ten years old. Now that he was going to embark on the adventure that he had waited for all his life, he felt somewhat sad about leaving his grandma all alone in their residence.


    Seeing the hesitation in his eyes, Veraughed and lightly pinched his cheeks.


    "Silly boy, don''t tell me you''re getting cold feet now?" Vera said with a smile. "Go and start your new journey. When you get tired and weary, I will be here waiting for you."


    Lux nodded as he tried to hold back the sadness that was rising in his heart.


    Eriol chose this time to pat his shoulder and give him some reminders.


    "Using the ring of Arondight, you will be able to go to Elysium at any time. However, you still haven''t set your return point," Eriol stated. "When you exit Elysium, your return point will be in a fixed location."


    "Um, can I choose this residence as my return point?"


    "Of course. But, which part of this residence would you like to register?""


    Vera, who was listening to the side, made a suggestion.


    "Why don''t you register the training room as your return point?" Vera proposed. "I have ced a ward over there to inform me when you are using the training room since that is the ce where you would often faint when you pushed yourself too hard. I think it is the most ideal location for this return point that you speak of."


    "Right! Why didn''t I think of that?" Lux nced at Eriol who nodded his head in agreement.


    "Let''s go to the training room then," Eriol replied.


    A few minutester, Lux pressed the Arondight ring against the floor in the center of the training room in order to register it.


    ��-


    < Return Point has been saved >


    < Whenever you leave Elysium, you will automatically teleport to this ce. >


    ��--


    "Now, you''re good to go," Eriol stated. "To activate the ring, you just need to say the words, ''Open, Heaven''s Gate''. You can use this activation code to enter and leave Elysium."


    Lux nodded and turned to his grandma.


    "Grandma, I''m going now," Lux said.


    "Be safe, Lux," Vera replied as she gazed proudly at her grandson. "I''ll be waiting for your safe return."


    Lux gritted his teeth as he pressed his right hand over his chest.


    "Open! Heaven''s Gate!"


    ��-


    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself standing beside a floating blue crystal. It took him a while to regain hisposure as he looked around at his surroundings.


    He seemed to have appeared in some kind of za, where several people had gathered. Some of them were looking at him with curiosity, while others were looking at him in confusion.


    "Is that a Human?"


    "What is a Human doing in this ce?"


    "Did he get lost or something?"


    "Should we call the vige''s guards?"


    Lux felt that something waspletely out of ce in his surroundings. Although there were people around him, some of them were only over three feet tall (95 cm).


    Their gazes pierced the red-headed boy as if he was some kind of trespasser in a ce that he shouldn''t have stepped into.


    Suddenly, a cute little girl with blonde hair, holding a mace with both hands approached him.


    "Um, Big Brother, are you lost?" the blonde girl asked. "Are you a Human?"


    "No. I am not lost," Lux replied. "And, I am a Half-Elf, so I''m only half Human."


    The little girl''s eyes sparkled as she looked at Lux with great interest. "A Half-Elf? This is the first time I''ve seen a Half-Elf."


    Lux crouched down in order to have eye to eye contact with the blonde girl who was showing no signs of hostility to him. "You haven''t seen Half-Elves before?"


    The blonde girl shook her head. "This is Dwarven Territory. It is very difficult to see other races here. You are the first non-dwarf that has appeared in this territory since Elysium opened."


    "Dwarven territory?"


    "Yes. This ce is called Leaf Vige. One of the Beginner Areas exclusive to the Dwarven Race."


    Lux finally understood why he felt out of ce.


    He now understood why everyone around him�� was short.<sub> </sub>


    ''So they''re Dwarves,'' Lux thought. ''Did Eriol identally make a mistake when he set my coordinates?''


    Lux didn''t know if the God of Games had purposely sent him to the Dwarven Lands or not. However, one thing was certain. He was stuck in Leaf Vige until he broke through to the Apostle Grade.


    "Um, Big Brother, how old are you?" the blonde girl asked.


    "I am sixteen years old," Lux answered. "How about you?"


    "I''m twelve! I just entered Elysium. My name is Colette!"


    "Colette? You have a very beautiful name. It suits you perfectly."


    The little Dwarven girl smiled sweetly after receiving Lux''s praise.


    Lux was about to ask more questions when several Dwarves surrounded him and Colette.


    "Colette, stay away from this Half-Elf!" a Dwarf with light-brown hair shouted as he raised his sword. Have you forgotten what our Elders told us? Humans can''t be trusted!"


    "But, he''s not Human," Colette argued. "He is a Half-Elf."


    "He''s still half Human!" the dwarven boy shouted. "Humans cannot be trusted!"


    The other Dwarven kids also voiced their opinions, which made Colette unable to use reason to calm them down.


    In the end, Lux could only smile bitterly as he stood up and nced at Colette who had a troubled expression on her face.


    "My name is Lux," Lux said. "See you around, Colette."


    Without another world, Lux left the teleportation gate to explore Leaf Vige.


    If possible, he didn''t want to start a conflict as soon as he entered Elysium. Since the situation was turning for the worse, he decided to just leave in order to prevent the worst case scenario from happening.


    He strolled around Leaf Vige and tried tomit itsndmarks to memory. Eriol and Vera told him that familiarizing himself with his first vige was part of the basics when entering Elysium for the first time.


    ''This is really like a game,'' Lux thought as he visited the weapons shops, armor shops, alchemy shops, potion shops, and general stores that sold misceneous items.


    There were also the cksmith and merchant guilds that offered repairs, crafting services, and the trading of items.


    Of course, an RPG game wouldn''t beplete without an Adventurer''s Guild that gave quests depending on your rank.


    Leaf Vige wasn''t big, so it only took Lux several hours to see everything he needed to see. The people in the vige, especially the shopkeepers, watched him vigntly.


    However, one kind olddy, named Annie, who sold sweets, told him that he shouldn''t be too bothered by the unfriendly stares he was getting.


    "People will always be afraid of the unknown," the olddy dwarf said as she poured Lux some tea. "You are the first Foreigner toe to this ce that is not of the Dwarven Race. It is only natural that people would find you ''different'' from us. However, as long as you showed them that you meant them no harm, they will all warm up to you eventually. I''m sure of it."


    "Thank you, Grandma Annie," Lux said with a smile. "I will do my best."


    Grandma Annie smiled back. "As long as you understand."


    After having a talk with Grandma Annie, Lux went to the Adventurer''s Guild to register himself as an adventurer.


    The registration itself was quite quick. All he needed to do was drop his blood on a small nk card, and all of his information was registered automatically.


    ��-


    < Guild Card >


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Registered in Leaf Vige


    ��-


    "Your registration isplete, Sir Lux," a pretty dwarf with dark-brown hair bowed respectfully as she presented Lux''s Guild Card to him.


    Unlike Colette who was only a little above three feet tall, the Guild Receptionist was at least 4''5" (137 cm).


    Lux estimated that this was the average size of adult dwarves because most of the adults he met in Leaf Vige were around that height as well.


    After bidding goodbye to the receptionist, Lux decided to rest at an inn for the rest of the day, and explore the outskirts of the vige in the morning.


    Eriol had told him that he was going to give him a freebie of 100 Elysium Copper Coins, and 2 Silver Elysium Coins when he arrived in Elysium.


    Each Elysium Silver Coin was equivalent to 100 Copper Coins, and one Gold Elysium Coin was equivalent to a hundred Elysium Silver Coins.


    Elysium Coinage was the universal currency that was used in Elysium. The gold coins that Lux used in Sis had no value whatsoever in Elysium. For the Elysians, anything that belonged to Sis was no better than stones lying on the road.


    After paying 5 Elysium Copper Coins for his room, Lux was guided to his room by the innkeeper himself.


    It seemed that he was afraid that Lux would barge into the other rooms, and disturb his other guests, which would ruin his business.


    Although the treatment he was receiving was a bitter pill to swallow, Lux decided to do his best to win the hearts of the people in Leaf Vige.


    ''A year in Sis is equivalent to two years here,'' Lux muttered. ''I wonder how strong I will be when the trials in Wildgarde Stronghold start next year?''


    Lux grinned as he envisioned his gloriouseback after several years of failure. He knew that when that day came, he would shock everyone speechless.


    ��-


    (A/N: Foreigners are what the Elysians call the people that didn''te from their world.)

 Chapter 18 Pests Of The Plains

    Inside his room, Lux was busy reading the information about Leaf Vige in the Elysium Compendium.


    "So this vige is located in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven," Lux muttered. "The specialty of Leaf Vige is honey-vored leaf candies. It restores 50 Health Points and 50 Mana Points��"


    With thependium in hand, Lux was able to ess important information about anything in Elysium. Just like Eriol said, it was like a walkthrough that could help anyone who had it.


    When Lux clicked the image of Leaf Vige in the Compendium, he was given two options. The first option was the map of the vige, and the second one was the map of its surrounding areas. Since he had already explored the vige, the red-headed boy chose the information on its surrounding areas instead.


    ��--


    < Leaf Vige >


    p �C Beginner''s Zone</anda>


    < North Zone >


    �C Figaro Gardens


    �C A ce where insectoid type monsters roam.


    < West Zone >


    �C Heartwood Forest


    �C The ce where the majority of people from the Leaf Vige hunt for food, and resources.


    < South Zone >


    �C Leaf Vige Cemetery


    �C A ce where low-level undead are sighted during the night.


    < East Zone >


    �C Aspiration ins


    �C A wide open in filled with monsters that travel in groups.


    ��--


    "I see, the Compendium also allows me to view the types of monsters that can be found in each area. This is amazing! I''m d I got this from the Gacha Pull," Lux felt truly blessed after getting the Compendium. "It might not even take me a year to enter the Apostle Rank. Now, the only question is, where will I go first tomorrow?"


    Lux rubbed his chin as he checked the information regarding the various monsters exclusive to each zone. The Compendium even highlighted the location of the dangerous monsters that roamed their territories, known as Alpha Monsters.


    These monsters were often referred to as Newbie Killers because their strength could easily kill any neer who had unknowingly wandered in their territories.


    Aside from the Alpha Monsters, Lux also noticed that there was one "Field Boss" in the territory of the Leaf Vige and it was found inside the Heartwood Forest.


    The name of the Field Boss was Forest Wolf King. Lux checked its stats to get a better idea of how strong a Field Boss was.


    ��--


    < Forest Wolf King >


    �C Beginner Zone Field Boss


    �C King of the Forest


    �C Rank 4 Field Boss Monster


    Health: 300,000 / 300,000


    Mana: 80,000 / 80,000


    Strength: 200


    Intelligence: 100


    Vitality: 250


    Agility: 250


    Dexterity: 150


    Skills: Windwalk, Wind de, Air st, Call of the Wild.


    ��--


    Lux sucked in a deep breath because the stats of a Rank 4 Field Boss Monster truly made him feel insignificant.


    In Elysium, the mortal and the monster ranks depended on theirbined stats.


    This was the Basic Ranking System for Mortals.


    Grade A Apostles - 800 Points


    Grade B Apostles - 600 Points


    Grade C Apostles - 400 Points


    Grade D Apostles - 200 Points


    Beginners - Anyone whose stats are below 200


    ��


    As for monsters, their Basic Ranking System was as follows.


    Rank 4 = 800


    Rank 3 = 600


    Rank 2 = 400


    Rank 1 = 200


    Common Monsters - Below 200 Points


    ��-


    After their points surpassed the 800 Point Mark, they would enter a new Ranking System. However, since this was only the Beginner''s Area, anyone who surpassed 200 points would be forcefully teleported out of their starting zone after ten days.


    "Even if I reach the Apostle Rank, I would still not be able to beat the Field Boss alone," Lux said softly. "I can only fight it if I team up with other people. Challenging it alone is akin to suicide. It''s a shame�� the rare drops I can obtain from killing it are very tempting."


    Lux greedily eyed the monster drops of the Field Boss, which would be enough tost him until he became a Grade C Apostle. Still, he knew his capabilities, so he decided to just take things one step at a time.


    After memorizing the information of all the zones around Leaf Vige, Lux finally went to sleep.


    ��-<sub> </sub>


    The next day��


    Lux stood in front of the Bulletin Board where all the Guild Quests were posted. The quest rewards were mostly paid in copper or silver coins. Some of the quests offer low-grade Beast Cores as rewards, and these were the most popr among the Dwarven Adventurers who had chosen Leaf Vige as their starting area.


    "Big Brother Lux!"


    A cute little Dwarf walked towards Lux with a smile. It was none other than Colette who had tried to befriend him a day ago.


    "Good morning, Colette," Lux greeted. "Are you here to take some quests as well?"


    "Un!"


    "Goodluck."


    Lux wanted to talk more, but the res from the Dwarves who apanied Colette were starting to make him feel ufortable.


    ''Well, at least they''re not shouting at me today,'' Lux thought as he eyed the little peepsqueaks who seemed to be part of Colette''s fans club.


    The Dwarf that had pointed a sword at him yesterday was ring at him more intensely than the others. It was quite easy to tell that this Dwarf was among Colette''s top admirers.


    After eyeing Colette''s group of six, Lux once again shifted his attention to the bulletin board. He was looking for a decent quest to take, but most of the good ones were already taken. The only ones remaining were chores like gathering herbs, helping with vige repairs, and escort missions.


    After pondering for a while, Lux decided to choose the quest to pick the herbs that grew in the Aspiration ins, located in the East Zone of Leaf Vige.


    He had read all about the monsters that could be found in this area and he deemed that all of them were within his capabilities.


    After Lux registered the quest with the Guild Receptionist, he immediately headed to his destination and left through the Eastern Gate of Leaf Vige.


    After ten minutes of walking, he arrived in a wide open in that extended as far as the eye could see. He could see several monsters grazing on the grasnds, as well as Dwarves who were busypleting their own quests.


    "Well then, time to find the Toyama Herb," Lux muttered as he walked towards the Grasnd Area. "I just hope I finish before lunch time."


    Two hourster, Lux was able to gather six out of the fifteen Toyama Herbs needed to finish his mission.


    When he was about to get his seventh herb, a horned rabbit jumped out of nowhere and snatched the herb that he was just about to pull out of the ground.


    "Bastard!" Lux shouted at the Horned Rabbit who had already bolted away after snatching his herb. "You think I''ll let you go that easily!"


    Lux summoned a fist-sized stone from his storage ring and threw it at the fleeing horned rabbit.


    "urate Throw!"


    The rock flew straight and true, hitting the Horned Rabbit on its head dealing five damage. Horned Rabbits only had fifteen hit points, so Lux''s single rock throw was enough to lower a third of its Health Points.


    The enraged Horned Rabbit immediately turned back and charged at Lux with a vengeance.


    "That''s more like it!" Lux summoned his sword, Tranquility, and prepared to fight the rabbit that was now hell-bent to stab him with the horn on its head.


    "Kaizer Sword Art First Form," Lux said as he thrust his sword forward. "Piercing the Heavens!"


    With one fluid motion, Lux executed the sword thrust that Vera had taught him when he was ten years old.


    Tranquility''s de, and the horn rabbit''s horn collided, spreading a metallic sound in the surroundings.


    A secondter, a pained cry escaped the horned rabbit''s lips as it flew several meters away after getting hit by Lux''s perfect sword strike.


    ��-


    < Ding! >


    < Repeatable Quest Activated >


    < This Quest can be repeated 10x >


    < Pests of the ins >


    �C Horned Rabbits are notorious for attacking beginners as well as interrupting those who are out to gather herbs in the fields.


    �C Kill ten of them to show them who''s boss!


    �C Horned Rabbits Killed ( 1 / 10 )


    < Rewards >


    �C 1 Free Stats Point


    �C 1 Body Constitution Point


    �C 5 Skill Point


    �C 10 Elysium Copper Coins


    ��--


    Lux was slightly disappointed when he saw the rewards, but his mood gradually changed after realizing that the quest he received was a repeatable one. Meaning, he could do this quest over and over again in order to farm points that he could use to make himself grow stronger.


    Also, Lux realized that this was the perfect quest to help him upgrade his urate Throw into its stronger form, which was the Power Shot.


    ��-


    < Power Shot >


    �C Increase Throwing Skill uracy by 30% and damage by 30%


    �C Has a 5% chance to deal critical damage when using Power Shot Skill.


    �C Requirement to upgrade: Hit a moving target using urate Throw 100x


    �C Progress ( 1 / 100 )


    ��


    "One down, ny-nine to go." Lux smirked. He then picked up the body of the foot-long horned rabbit to sell back at the Adventurer''s Guild after he finished his herb gathering mission.


    Right now, he had limited funds. Even though the horned rabbit meat wasn''t the most delicious meat in the Beginner''s Area, it was still something that could be sold for one Elysium Copper Coin.


    Lux could also use the meat for his own consumption, which would lessen his food expenses.


    ''Back then, I couldn''t even catch one Horned Rabbit,'' Lux mused. ''Now, I can kill them without any problems. Thank you, Grandma. Those years of hard training were not wasted.''


    After storing the Horned Rabbit''s corpse inside his storage ring, Lux scanned the surroundings in order to hunt for more.


    Since he found one in the area, it was only a matter of time before he found more.


    At the corner of his vision, he found something moving fast in the grasnds. A smile appeared on Lux''s face as he made his way towards his next target.

 Chapter 19 First Quest Completion

    < Congrattions you have learned Power Shot Skill! >


    Lux panted as he sat on the ground. After killing his hundredth horned rabbit, his skill had finally been upgraded sessfully.


    ''Finally.'' Lux sighed in relief before checking his stats in his Soul Book.


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Health: 25 / 25


    Mana: 4 / 25


    Strength: 10


    Intelligence: 5


    Vitality: 5


    Agility: 9


    Dexterity: 8


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX].


    Skills: Power Shot.


    ��--


    Elysium Copper Coins: 145


    Elysium Silver Coins: 2


    Elysium Gold Coins: 0


    ��--


    Lux allocated his 25 Skill Points to Diablo in order to help his named creature be more powerful. Right now, Diablo''s progression rate was at thirty five percent.


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    Progress: (35/100)


    ��--


    The red-headed boy was quite excited to see what changes his Named Creature would have once he upgraded him.


    Lux was also looking forward to the new ability that he would learn once he had upgraded his body constitution to its next stage.


    ��--


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: F<sub> </sub>


    Progress: (16/100)


    ��--


    ''I guess it''s time to head back,'' Lux thought after looking at the sun that was about to set in the horizon. His whole body ached due to all the running he had done all over the ins as he chased the horned rabbits he''d killed.


    He had alsopleted his gathering mission a few hours ago, and was only waiting until he had upgraded his urate Throw Skill into Power Shot before he headed back to Leaf Vige.


    On his return trip to the vige, the Dwarves who had been at the ins were staring at him in a weird manner. Some of them were even gossiping, while ncing in his direction every now and then.


    Lux knew that these Dwarves were younger than him. Although it was a bit embarrassing, he was without a doubt, the oldest "Foreign" teenager in the Leaf Vige.


    Because of this, most of the Dwarves looked down on him because he started outtepared to their older brothers and sisters, who were already in the Intermediate Zones of Elysium.


    ��--


    "Everything seems to be in order," the guild receptionist said with a trace of surprise. "Have you handled herbs before?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "When I was younger I usually apanied my grandma to go foraging."


    "So that exins why all the herbs are in excellent condition. Usually, first timers don''t know how to gather them properly and just pull them up by the roots. Because of this, the herbs are damaged and lose their quality."


    The receptionist smiled and handed Lux the reward money forpleting his mission.


    After checking hispensation, Lux frowned because he realized that he got more than the quest had beenmissioned for.


    "Um, the Quest Rewards should only be seven copper coins, I have ten coins here," Lux said as he tried to return the three coins that had been overpaid to him, but the guild receptionist only shook her head.


    "Those whomissioned the herb gathering quest explicitly told us to add three more copper coins if the herbs that were handed into our care were in excellent condition," the receptionist exined.


    "Don''t worry, you are only getting what you deserve. Would you like to reserve the Herb Gathering Quest for tomorrow? I''m sure that our client will have no problems if you are the one who will carry out their mission."


    Lux pondered a bit before nodding his head in agreement. "By the way, do you buy horned rabbit meat here?"


    "We do. Depending on the quality of the corpse we will buy one horned rabbit for one copper coin," the receptionist replied. "But, if the corpse is damaged then the price is halved."


    Lux nodded his head and took forty horned rabbit corpses out of his storage ring at the dismantling area of the Adventurer''s Guild.


    The corner of the receptionist''s lips twitched when she saw the battered corpses in front of her. As she inspected one of the horned rabbits, she noticed that most of them seemed to have been hit by a bludgeon type attack that damaged their fur, and body organs.


    Although she could understand that horned rabbits were difficult to kill, seeing the bludgeoned corpses in front of her made her feel pity for the so-called Pests of the ins.


    "Sorry, but the prices will have to be lowered further due to the quality of these corpses," the guild receptionist said. "How about this, we will pay fifteen copper coins for these forty horned rabbits. Will that be fine with you?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes."


    The red-headed boy felt slightly embarrassed because he had gotten carried away when he was hunting the horned rabbits. Instead of giving them a clean death, Lux had smacked their bodies using the fist-sized rocks he collected in order to train his urate Throw Skill.


    Only the first ten kills were in good condition, so he decided to keep them for himself to use as food rations during his travels.


    Meat that was stored inside a storage ring didn''t rot, so he could be assured that the rabbits would remain fresh even if he carried them around for a long time.


    After earning an additional fifteen copper coins, Lux returned to his inn to rest for the night.


    "The Alpha Beast of the ins of Aspiration is the Carbuncle," Lux muttered as he opened his Elysium Compendium. "It is the Lord of the Horned Rabbits. Fortunately, its territory is at the center of the ins, so I don''t have to worry about meeting it anytime soon. But, just to be on the safe side, I won''t wander too far into the ins tomorrow."


    The Carbuncle was a meter-tall, blue rabbit with a red, diamond-shaped, crystal on its forehead.


    These so-called Red Diamonds were highly sought out by Mages, and Magic Swordsmen because of its ability to amplify magic. However, as an Alpha Creature, a party of six��whose members had stepped unto the Apostle Rank��was needed in order to challenge this quick and nimble beast.


    Although it was weaker than the Field Boss, Forest Wolf King, it was without a doubt one of the apex creatures in the Beginner''s Zone.

 Chapter 20 Monster Outbreak [Part 1]

    Lux was sleeping peacefully when the loud tolling of several bells sounded in the middle of the night.


    The Half-Elf opened his eyes and opened the window of his room. He didn''t know what was happening, so he decided to take a look outside to get a better understanding of what had caused thismotion sote into the night.


    It didn''t take long for Lux to see several Dwarven patrolmen running towards the South Gate of the vige.


    Judging by the anxious expressions on their faces, Lux knew that something bad had happened.


    The red-headed boy immediately equipped the Wolf''s Leather Armor that he had acquired in his Gacha Pull before leaving his room in haste.


    ��-


    < Wolf''s Leather Armor >


    �C Defense: 20


    �C Pierce and shing damage reduced by 10%


    ��-


    When he arrived at the first floor of the inn, several Dwarves were organizing themselves into parties. All of them were wearing armor, and they were holding their weapons firmly in their hands.


    "Excuse me, but can you tell me what is happening?" Lux asked the innkeeper who was standing behind the bar and smoking a pipe.


    The Innkeeper took a deep drag of his pipe before answering Lux''s question, "Every once in a while, we get monster outbreaks. Right now, we have an Undead Outbreak and everyone''s gathering at the South Gate in order to bolster our vige''s defenses. Are you nning to participate in the vige''s defense?"


    "Yes," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "Although I just arrived here in Leaf Vige, I feel that I should do my best in order to protect this ce."


    The Innkeeper''s gaze softened as he lightly patted Lux''s shoulder. "I''ll give you something good for breakfastter. Go, but make sure that you don''t get yourself killed."


    Lux nodded with a smile as he headed towards the door. The Dwarves heard his discussion with the innkeeper and they were somewhat impressed by Lux''s conviction to help the vige in its time of need.


    "What are you numbskulls dawdling around for?" the Innkeeper shouted at the Dwarves who were still loitering at the tavern area of the Inn. "Are you Dwarves or are you Goblins? Are you going to let that Half-Elf fight alone? If any of you don''t want to fight then you can scram. I don''t need useless brats here!"


    The Dwarves immediately left the inn because they were afraid that the Innkeeper would really throw them out if they didn''t participate in the vige''s defense.


    When everyone had left, the Innkeeper sighed as he looked up at the picture of a teenage Dwarf that hung on the wall.


    "Times like this, I wish you were here, son," the Innkeeper said as he sighed a second time. "This ce will never be the same without you."


    ��--


    As Lux hurried towards the Southern Gate of Leaf Vige, he noticed several Dwarves running alongside him.


    "Big Brother Lux!" Colette waved her hand as she ran alongside him. "Are you going to participate in the vige''s defense?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Colette, is it just me or are you pretty hyped about this thing?"


    "Of course I am hyped! This is the first time I get to participate in a vige''s defense. My Pa and Ma usually forbid me from doing dangerous things like this, but now I am here in Elysium, they won''t be able to stop me!"


    "... Just do things in moderation, okay?"<sub> </sub>


    "Un!"


    After having some small talk with Lux, Colette increased her running speed and left Lux behind.


    The Half-Elf had a dumbfounded expression on his face as he looked at the speedy little Dwarf who was already fifty meters ahead of him.


    ''She sure runs fast,'' Lux mused. ''I didn''t expect Dwarves to run this fast.''


    A few minutester, Lux arrived at the South Gate, which had been shut tight. Several Dwarven patrol guards could be seen standing on the ramparts, holding crossbows in their hands.


    Colette and her party had also gathered on one side of the protective wall, just beside the entrance, and were looking at something in the distance.


    Lux didn''t waste any time and also climbed the ramparts to see what kind of enemies they were fighting against.


    As soon as he stood on top of the vige''s protective walls, his expression immediately became grim as he saw a countless number of skeletons and zombies, walking shakily towards Leaf Vige.


    ''This is a Monster Outbreak?'' Lux frowned.


    He was not unfamiliar with a Monster Outbreak because Wildgarde Stronghold had experienced them as well in the past. However, the children would always be gathered into the underground shelter of the stronghold, preventing them from participating in or observing the battle.


    Now that Lux was facing a Monster Outbreak in Elysium, he now understood why the adults chose to safeguard the children, instead of letting them participate in a battle of this magnitude.


    ''Grandma always participated in the defense against Monster Outbreaks,'' Lux thought as he clenched his fists to shake away the fear that was starting to take hold of his body. ''It''s fine. As long as I stay here on the ramparts, I will be fine. The vige''s guards are here, so I''m sure that they will be able to handle the rest.''


    Lux tried to assure himself that everything was going to be fine, but the wild beating of his heart, and the pounding in his ears, prevented him from being able to calm his senses.


    It was at that moment when he felt a small hand hold his own.


    "Don''t worry, Big Brother! I will protect you!" Colette said with a big smile on her face. "Those skeletons and zombies are nothing. I can beat them with ease!"


    She noticed that Lux''s expression was turning pale, so she decided to tell him the words that her sister always said to her, whenever they were up against a dangerous situation.


    Lux snapped out of his daze as he looked at the smiling little girl who was holding his right hand.


    <o>,m ''Get a grip, Lux!'' Lux berated himself internally. ''I am the oldest here! I should be the one protecting these kids! Grandma would definitely feel sad if she found out that I was hiding under the skirt of a girl that is younger than me by four years!"</o>


    Lux lightly squeezed Colette''s little hand as he gazed at the Undead Swarm that was only a few hundred meters away from the walls of the vige.


    "You don''t need to protect me," Lux said with a smile. "I''m not afraid of these weak skeletons and zombies. Heck, I can even summon a skeleton of my own. Do you want to see?"


    "Really? You can summon a skeleton?"


    "Of course I can. Just watch me. Come forth, Diablo!"


    Immediately, a white skeleton appeared in front of Lux.


    Colette''s jaw dropped when she saw the skeleton that Lux had summoned.


    Before Lux could even brag about his Named Creature, several bolts flew in Diablo''s direction. Fortunately, some of them passed harmlessly through his skeletal ribs, but a few hit its head, sending it flying away from its body.

 Chapter 21 Monster Outbreak [Part 2]

    "W-Wait! Stop!" Lux cried out as he waved his hands toward the Dwarven Defenders. "We are on the same side! This is my Summon!"


    The Dwarves looked at Lux with doubtful expressions, but they no longer shot the White Skeleton that had suddenly appeared on the ramparts.


    The Half-Elf ran to pick up Diablo''s head that was chattering on the ground. For a brief moment, the red-headed boy thought that he heard Diabloin about getting hit by friendly fire.


    As soon as Lux returned the Skeleton''s Head from its body, Diablo faced the Dwarven Defenders and raised its middle finger at them.


    The Half-Elf subconsciously covered Colette''s eyes, to prevent her from seeing something that a twelve-year-old shouldn''t see.


    Lux had never tried tomunicate with Diablo in the past, but now he could confirm that his Named Creature was an intelligent being.


    Because of this, he decided to tell him exactly what he had in mind.


    "Diablo, stay close to me at all times," Lux ordered. "We will defend the vige with everything we have. Do you understand?"


    Diablo nodded its head once. He then stood behind Lux like a bodyguard that would strike anyone who dared to threaten his life.


    "Wow! Mr. Skeleton looks cool!" Colette said.


    "Just call him Diablo."


    "Okay. From now on, I will call him Mr. Diablo. Nice to meet you Mr. Diablo."


    The White Skeleton looked down at the little Dwarf before chattering its teeth in greeting. Diablo then patted Colette''s head as if telling her that she was a good girl.


    It was at this moment when the sword-bearing Dwarf approached and dragged Colette away from Lux.


    "Hey, Matty, what do you think you''re doing?!" Coletteined as she turned around to re at the Dwarven boy who always got in the way of her discussions with Lux.


    "The battle is about to start," Matty exined. "You are the leader of our group, so your ce is here and not there! He is older than us, so he can fend for himself."


    Matty then red at Lux. "You don''t need a little girl to protect you, right?"


    "Yes, I don''t need her protection," Lux replied. "My intention is to protect all of you."


    Lux''s deration made Colette''s party look at him as if he had a loose screw in his head.


    "We don''t need your protection," Matty snorted. "Just focus on yourself. Looking at you, I bet you''ll die during the first wave of the outbreak. Colette, let''s go!"


    "Fine," Colette snappily replied at Matty. "Big Brother, just do your best! I will keep an eye on you, so don''t worry. I wille running if you need help!"


    "Haha, okay." Lux nodded. He then shifted his attention to the young Dwarf who was staring daggers at him. "Oi, Matty."


    "What?"


    "Keep Colette safe. You can do that, can''t you?"


    Matty scoffed at Lux as he raised his short sword towards the Undead Army.


    "The only way they are going to hurt her is through my dead body," Matty dered. "Let''s go, Colette."


    The little girl no longer resisted as she allowed Matty to drag her back to their party members.


    Lux only smirked at the little boy who seemed to be suffering from puppy love. In Lux''s eyes, all of them were children, so he didn''t intend to quarrel with them about every little thing.


    He shifted his gaze back to the Undead Swarm that was only a hundred meter away from the vige''s defensive wall.


    Lux held a fist-sized rock in his right hand, while he held the Elysium Compendium in his left.


    ��--


    < Undead Skeleton >


    Health: 15


    Attack: 3 - 10


    < Skeleton Warrior >


    Health: 30


    Attack: 5 - 15


    < Zombie >


    Health: 20


    Attack: 5 - 8


    < Ghoul >


    Health: 50


    Attack: 8 - 15<sub> </sub>


    ��-


    ''Fortunately, they don''t have any range type Undead,'' Lux thought. ''Their numbers are the problem. There are too many of them.''


    In a battle of attrition, there was no doubt that the one who woulde out on top was the Undead Swarm.


    Lux scanned his surroundings and estimated that there were over seven hundred defenders protecting Leaf Vige.


    Three hundred of those were the vige''s Guards and the other adults who were capable of fighting.


    The rest were the Dwarven children who were here in the Beginner''s area to train themselves in order to advance to the Apostle Rank.


    Lux then pointed the Elysium Compendium towards the Undead Swarm in order to get an urate count of how many undead they were about to face.


    ��--


    Undead Army: 9,889


    ��--


    "Sh*t!" Lux cursed out loud after seeing the results. "Almost ten thousand. Can we really survive this?"


    As if waiting for that moment, a row of text appeared in front of Lux, which made his expression turn grim.


    ��--


    < Survive the Monster Outbreak >


    �C A monster outbreak is threatening to destroy the vige of Leaf Gate.


    �C Quest Objective: Survive for one hour.


    �C You are unable to teleport outside of or leave the vige at this time.


    �C Mission will automatically fail when you die.


    �C Outbreak Duration: 59:46


    < Rewards >


    �C 10 Free Stat Points


    �C 100 Skill Points


    �C 50 Body Constitution Points


    �C 20 Elysium Silver Coins


    ��--


    Lux gritted his teeth because the quest was clearly telling him that this was going to be a very hard battle.


    Although the rewards were good, he knew that needed to survive first, before he could enjoy its benefits.


    The bells in the vige continued to ring without stopping. It was at this moment when Lux heard the distinct sound of another bell that didn''t originate from the vige.


    The Half-Elf narrowed his eyes as he extended his senses to pick up the direction of the bell that seemed to be answering their vige''s request for aid.


    ''It''sing from the North,'' Lux thought as the sound of the bell in the North intensified.


    Suddenly a dawn of realization descended on him.


    ''I get it now!'' Lux clenched his fist in determination. ''Reinforcements will arrive in an hour. We just need to hold out until then!''


    The Half-Elf didn''t know if his hunch was correct or not. But, he would like to believe that he was right. If there really was helping from the North then that exined why they needed to endure the Monster Outbreak for an hour.


    "Everyone listen to me!" a Dwarf wearing full body armor shouted as loud as he could. "My name is Aron, and I am the Captain of the Guards here in Leaf Vige. Our reinforcements will arrive in an hour, so do everything in your power to protect the vige until then! Onest thing, none of you are allowed to die! Now, brace yourselves! They are almost here!"


    The sound of a blow horn reverberated in the night, heralding the battle that was about to start.


    "Archers, take aim!" Aron ordered.


    All the archers, and crossbowmen loaded their bows, and crossbows with bolts and arrows and took aim at the approaching army.


    Lux took out a deep breath as he held the fist-sized rock in his hand and aimed at the nearest undead in front of him.


    "Fire at will!" Aron ordered.


    Soon, a barrage of projectiles rained down on the Undead Swarm, destroying the Undead at the forefront of the battlefield.


    This was how Lux''s first Monster Outbreak started��


    But, the red-haired boy had no idea how it was going to end.

 Chapter 22 Do You Wish To Consume The Rank 1 Beast Core?

    Lux immediately realized how proficient the Vige''s Guards were in defending Leaf Vige.


    Clearly, this was not the first time that a monster outbreak had happened, and all of them were veterans in this field.


    Even so, the sheer number of Undead was still a hurdle that couldn''t be ovee by experience alone. Aside from the low-tier Undead, Lux also noticed some stronger Undead mixed in the Undead Swarm that was now at the base of the vige''s protective walls.


    "Foreigners, aim for the Skeletons and Zombies in front!" Aron ordered. "The rest, aim for the Draugrs! Kill as many as you can. Don''t let them get past the walls of the vige!"


    The Draugr were simr to zombies, but with one clear distinction. They had blue skin and wore light-weight armor. They were stronger than the regr undead and were Rank 1 Monsters, which were equivalent to Grade D Apostles.


    ��--


    < Draugr >


    �C Undead


    �C Rank 1 Monster


    Health: 2,500 / 2,500


    Mana: 400 / 400


    Strength: 50


    Intelligence: 20


    Vitality: 50


    Agility: 40


    Dexterity: 40


    Skills: sh


    ��--


    Lux knew that he was no match against these creatures, so he just focused on aiming at the Skeletons and Zombies that he could kill with two to three hits using Power Shot.


    After a few minutes, bones started to pile up at the base of the protective wall. However, before Lux could even take a breather, he gasped as the undead used the piles of bones as leverage in order to climb up the vige''s walls, which were only three-meters tall.


    Some of the undead even used each other as adder in order to breach their defenses.


    Aron shouted one order after the other in order to stop the Undead''s advance, but it was futile.


    A scream that came from a little Dwarf reached Lux''s ears, so he immediately turned to his left side to see what was happening.


    A Draugur had managed to climb up the ramparts and pierce one of the Town''s Guard''s chest with its sword.


    Aron hurriedly charged at the Draugr and sent it flying back towards the Undead Army with one powerful strike of his Mithril Hammer.


    The Town''s Guard that had been stabbed got lucky because the sword didn''t pierce too deep due to his armor.


    The Half-Elf thought that the guard would immediately retreat to tend to his injuries, but to his surprise, the Dwarf kept on fighting.


    Lux could clearly see that the Dwarf was in pain, but he was still forcing himself to swing his mace at the Undead who were trying to breach the walls, with one hand pressing over his bloody chest.


    "Someone heal him!" Lux shouted as Diablo parried a sword strike that Lux wasn''t able to block due to his concern over the Guard''s condition.


    The red-headed boy knew that although this world was simr to that of a game, it was not.


    The Elysians were not NPC''s, but real breathing people. Eriol had hammered this fact into his head even before he hade to this strange new world, in the hope that Lux would not treat everything as if he was just ying an RPG game.


    "Just focus on what''s in front of you, boy!" one of the Town''s Guards who was fighting near Lux shouted as he smashed his shield on a zombie''s head. "He''ll be fine after a drink or twoter, so keep swinging ye damn sword at these bastards!"


    Lux was about to argue, but the skeleton sword that was about to sh his face prevented him from doing so. Raising his shield, Dawne, Lux blocked the attack, and used Shield Bash to smash the Skeleton''s head to bits.


    ''How are we supposed to survive for an hour like this?!'' Lux gritted his teeth as he and Diablo shed at the monsters that had now managed to climb up the ramparts to engage them in closebat.


    Everyone was fighting with everything they had. The Town''s Guards, Colette and her party members, as well as the other Dwarves who were just basically little children.


    Lux ordered his Forest Wolf to grab a fallen Dwarf child from the ramparts and ordered it to take her to the vige to get some treatment. Although there were over a dozen clerics who could heal the injured, there were just too many people for them to attend to, and had no time to heal everyone.


    For their part, the Town''s Guards did their best to protect the children who were fighting alongside them. These caused them to suffer grave injuries, while others died, alongside the children they were protecting, due to being ganged up by the Undead who had now taken a foothold in their first line of defense.<sub> </sub>


    Colette and Matty were being pushed back by the growing number of zombies, while the Town''s Guard focused their attention on the Draugr''s who posed a threat to the Foreigners who were only a match for the low-tier undead.


    Seeing that they would only suffer more casualties in this manner, Aron had no choice but to order everyone to retreat and use gueri tactics against the Undead.


    "What about the vigers?" Colette asked one of the Town''s Guards that was helping them retreat from the frontlines. "Did they already evacuate?"


    "Aye,ss," the Town''s Guard replied. "They are now in the underground shelter. Rx, they''re far safer there than we are out here. So, hurry along and don''t let the Undead bite you!"


    The minutes passed by as the Defenders and the Undead shed against each other. Some of the vigers hadn''t escaped to the shelter and were fighting against the Undead, by shooting crossbows at them from their rooftops.


    Others were on the ground and swinging their axes left and right in order to protect their families who were currently hiding in the shelter.


    Lux was doing his best to help transport the injured Dwarves at the rear of the battlefield, where the Clerics were currently treating everyone.


    At times, only the Forest Wolf or Lux would carry the Dwarves because he was afraid that the Defenders would kill Diablo by mistake.


    Although Diablo was a pure white Skeleton that stood out from the other Undead, it didn''t change the fact that it was still an Undead. To prevent misunderstandings, he ordered his Named Creature to fight alongside Colette''s party and protect them to the best of its abilities.


    Diablo had already died three times in an effort to protect Lux and the other Dwarves from the swarm of Undead that showed no signs of stopping their rampage.


    As Lux was carrying a Dwarf boy who had been stabbed by a Skeleton Warrior, he found himself blocked by a Draugr that had just killed one of the Town''s Guards. Although the Rank 1 Monster was missing an arm, it was still a monster that was stronger than the Half-Elf, which made Lux''s face turn pale.


    If he dropped the Dwarf boy he was carrying and escaped, he would probably be able to save his life, but the boy would surely lose his life in the process.


    Just as Lux was madly thinking of what to do next, the Draugr''s body exploded in a fiery ze, leaving only a blue Beast Core behind.


    "Go, Child," a familiar voice reached Lux''s ears. "I''ll buy you some time."


    Lux gazed at the olddy Dwarf who was holding a wooden cane in her hand in disbelief.


    "G-Grandma Annie?" Lux asked.


    "Yes. it is me," Annie said as she opened a small bottle and poured half of its contents on the boy''s wound, before letting him drink the rest.


    A few secondster, the boy''splexion became better, and he was able to stand on his feet, albeit shakily.


    "Go. I''ll take it from here," Annie ordered as she tapped the end of her cane on the ground. Several small orbs of fire circled around her body as she faced off against the a dozen Skeletons that were headed in their direction.


    "Go to the back of the vige," Lux said to the Dwarf boy who was still not recovered enough to continue fighting. "I''ll stay here with Grandma."


    The Dwarf boy nodded as he fled from their location.


    "Silly boy, I told you to go, didn''t I?" Annie said as she pointed her finger at the approaching Skeletons. "Fire Bullet Barrage!"


    The small orbs of fire that circled Annie''s body shot out at the dozen approaching Skeleton Warriors, destroying their headspletely.


    The Skeleton bodies copsed in a heap of bones, never to stand up again.


    "You''ve done well, Child," Annie picked up the blue beast core that the Draugr had dropped after dying and gave it to Lux. "Here. Take this as a reward for trying your best to help everyone."


    Lux stared at the blue beast core wanting to refuse the olddy''s goodwill, but Annie''s expression wouldn''t take no for an answer.


    "I know that you don''t intend to stop, so just use that Beast Core to get a little stronger," Annie said softly. "As you can see, today is going to be a busy night. I might not be able to open my shop in the morning because of these trespassers."


    The olddy gave the Undead that was swarming her vige a hateful gaze.


    "Catch up to me after you''re done," Annie ordered. "If you get lucky, we might be able to get more Beast Cores from the Draugr''s wee across along the way."


    As Annie walked away, Lux stared at the Beast Core in his hand before making a decision.


    ��-


    < Ding! >


    < Do you wish to consume the Rank 1 Beast Core? >


    < Yes / No >


    "Yes," Lux said with determination. He knew that Grandma Annie was right. If he wanted to help more people, he needed to be stronger first.

 Chapter 23 Let’s Fight Together!

    After choosing yes, two more options appeared in front of Lux.


    ��--


    < Upgrade Stat Points >


    < Upgrade Skills>


    ��--


    This was the question that stomped Lux in the past, but now, he understood what he needed to do.


    ''Upgrade Stat Points,'' Lux ordered and the Beast Core in his hand was consumed.


    ��--


    < Upgrade Stat Points has been chosen >


    < Are you sure about your decision? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��--


    Lux said yes to confirm his decision. Immediately, the Beast Core turned into particles of light and was absorbed by his body.


    Several rows of text appeared in front of him, showing him the results of the Beast Core Consumption.


    ��--


    Obtained 5 Free Stats Points


    Obtained 10 Body Constitution Points


    You have acquired the Skill sh


    < sh >


    Active Skill: Requires 2 Mana to use


    �C sh at your enemy dealing +20 Physical Damage


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    sh Skill will be upgraded into Fury sh once the requirements have been met.


    < Fury sh >


    Active Skill: Requires 5 Mana to use


    �C sh at your enemy dealing +40 Physical Damage


    �C If your target has less than half of its health remaining, deals an additional +40 damage to your attack.


    �C Requirements to upgrade: Use sh 100x


    �C Progress ( 0 / 100 )


    ��--


    Lux immediately put three of his stat points into Strength, and two into Vitality, increasing his attack power, defense, and Health Points.


    ( A/N: Although I didn''t mention it in the previous chapters, One Vitality Point is equivalent to One Defense Point. )


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Health: 35 / 35


    Mana: 5 / 25


    Strength: 13


    Intelligence: 5


    Vitality: 7


    Agility: 9


    Dexterity: 8


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX].


    Skills: Power Shot, sh


    ��--


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: F


    Progress: (26/100)<sub> </sub>


    ��-


    Lux unsummoned his Soul Book as soon as he finished adding his stat points. He then ran after Grandma Annie, who was now actively shooting fire bullets at every Undead that she encountered.


    The Half-Elf could see her breathing raggedly, but the olddy kept on hurling fire bullets at the Undead who were about to strike the Defenders who were slowly losing ground with each passing minute.


    Lux was about to run past Grandma Annie to help Colette and her friends when the olddy stopped him.


    "Take this, Lux," Grandma Annie said as she handed him a dozen Honey-vored Leaf Candies that restored Health and Mana by fifty points. "Don''t use them sparingly. I have plenty of those, so if you run out, juste and find me."


    Grandma Annie winked at Lux before putting a candy inside her mouth. Immediately, herplexion became better after replenishing her mana reserves.


    "I will," Lux nodded. "Thank you, Grandma Annie."


    Lux gave her a brief bow before running towards Colette, Matty, and Diablo, who were in an intense battle against several Undead that had encircled them.


    Just as he arrived at their location, Diablo turned into particles of light after getting shed by an Undead that was meant to hit Matty from behind.


    "Rise and fight once more, Diablo!" Lux ordered and the White Skeleton reappeared beside him with red mes burning in its hollow eye sockets.


    Lux felt a bit light-headed because his mana had almost dropped to zero after summoning his named creature for the fourth time.


    He hurriedly ate one of the candies that Grandma Annie gave to him, and immediately felt better afterwards.


    "Colette, take one and give the rest to your friends," Lux ordered as he handed six candies to the little girl who was breathing heavily. Her tear-stained face, which was proof of the terrible things that she witnessed tonight, made his heart ache.


    "These candies will help you recover your stamina, as well as your mana," Lux exined. "Do you see that olddy over there shooting fire bullets? If you need more candies, just go to her."


    Colette was still in a daze, but she was able to nod her head in understanding. After passing the candies to his friends, she ate one, which immediately made her feel that her strength had returned to her.


    "Let''s fight together!" Lux said as he faced the Undead that had now gathered up in front of them.


    "Right!" Colette gripped her mace with both hands. "Everyone, let''s fight!"


    ""Yes!""


    "Summon Forest Wolf!" Lux ordered and a meter-tall forest wolf appeared beside him. Although the Forest Wolf was only slightly stronger than a Skeleton Warrior, having more allies was better than having none.


    "Charge!" Lux shouted as he ran with Diablo and the Forest Wolf at his left and right side.


    Colette and her party was right behind him as they supported Grandma Annie in holding back the Undead.


    "sh!" Lux shouted as he shed his sword in a wide arc, instantly beheading two zombies in front of him.


    ��


    < Fury sh >


    �C Progress (1/100)


    ��-


    The low-tier undead didn''t drop Beast Cores. Only Ranked 1 Monsters and above��like the Draugr��had them.


    Unlike the Half-Elf, Colette and the others gained experience points from killing monsters. These points allowed them to level up, which gave them free stat points that they could distribute freely depending on their wishes.


    At first, Lux argued with Eriol that this was unfair treatment. Unlike the other Sians, who could level up, the Half-Elf didn''t have this advantage.


    Eriol smiled at him at that time and told him the reason why he was unable to gain experience points by killing monsters. It was because his soul was damaged and wasn''t able to be born naturally in the World of Sis.


    Because of this, thews of the world didn''t apply to him because he was more of a transmigrator, than a reincarnator.


    However, Eriol assured him thatpared to Sians, Lux''s progress was far superior.


    Instead of waiting to level up, he would receive quests that would directly upgrade his stats and skill points which Colette and her friends were unable to do.


    Also, Eriol added that each time a person in Sis leveled up, they would only get three stat points that they could distribute freely.


    Although they could progress faster in the earlier levels, when it came to the middle levels, unless their families were rich, and had many Beast Cores, and other resources in their possessions, Lux would leave them in the dust because of his "no-leveling-up" stats and skill points upgrade.


    "sh!" Lux faced three zombies and cut their bodies in half with the sword in his hand.


    ��--


    < Fury sh >


    �C Progress ( 5 / 100 )


    ��--


    Checking his mana reserves, Lux sighed when he realized that he could at most use sh five more times before his mana points would be down to five.


    His mana regeneration of 1 mana point recovered every two minutes was not enough to obliterate the low-tier undead in his path.


    ''I''ll add some points to Intelligenceter,'' Lux thought as he used his shield to block the attack aimed at his chest. ''At this rate, I might choose the Magic Swordsman Profession when I get a total of 100bined stat points.''


    Just like in games, there was also a Job ss Change mechanic in Elysium. They could use this function by going to the Adventurer''s Guild, Temples, or Shrines that were scattered all over Elysium.


    Just as the red-headed boy was sighing over his limited mana capacity, Grandma Annie shouted for them to retreat.


    Lux backed off just in time to dodge a thrown sword headed in his direction.


    When the red-headed boy looked in the direction where the sword hade from, he found three Draugr''s walking leisurely towards their group, which made his expression turn grim instantly.


    ��--


    (A/N: Take note that Lux said stamina here instead of Health Points because it would make no sense if he told them that the candy would help them recover their "Health Points". So, he opted to tell them that it would help them recover their stamina which, in some cases, is almost the same, since it will make them feel that they had recovered their strength to fight again.)

 Chapter 24 Lux’s Regrets

    "Sh*t!" Lux cursed out loud at the three Rank 1 Monsters that hade to personally deal with them.


    "Run!" Grandma Annie ordered. "I can beat one of them, but I can''t beat three at the same time! Let''s retreat!"


    Colette and her friends supported the olddy as they retreated, but the Draugrs didn''t n to just watch and let them escape.


    "Block them!" Lux ordered.


    The Forest Wolf and Diablo moved forward to intercept the three Draugrs in order to buy them some time to escape their pursuit.


    Unfortunately, it only took one sh for the Forest Wolf and Diablo to turn into particles of light, which only brought them a few seconds of reprieve.


    Gritting his teeth, Lux stopped running and held his ground.


    Holding his shield, Dawne, and one-handed sword, Tranquility, he once again summoned Diablo and the Forest Wolf by his side.


    After doing so, he swapped his sword for the Dagger of Frost.


    ��-


    < Dagger of Frost >


    Rarity: Rare


    (Dagger)


    �C Attack: 10 - 15 Frost Damage


    �C Allows you to use the skill Ice sh


    (Ice sh)


    �C Deals 20-25 Frost AOE cone damage to creatures that are within five meters away from the user.


    �C Has a chance of freezing the user''s enemy for five seconds


    �C Skill Cooldown: 2 minutes.


    ��-


    "Ice sh!" Lux roared, sending a white, crescent, energy de, flying towards the three Draugrs that were running towards him.


    Two of the monsters were frozen in ice, while the third one brushed off the attack despite it dealing significant damage to its body.


    The Forest Wolf growled as it lunged at the Draugr, biting its neck.


    Diablo, on the other hand, shed at the Draugr''s hand that carried its weapon in an attempt to disarm it.


    Unfortunately, the bone sword wasn''t strong enough to cut the hand off making Diablo''s attempt futile.


    This exchangested only for a few seconds before the Forest Wolf and Diablo, once again, turned into particles of light after receiving the Draugr''s counterattack.


    During this brief period, Lux forcefully chewed another candy inside his mouth, recovering his mana at a fast rate.


    No sooner had the Draugr killed the two annoying pests, then the Wolf and the Skeleton reappeared in front of it to continue attacking it from both sides.


    It was also at this moment when the other two Draugrs broke out of their frozen state, roaring in anger.<sub> </sub>


    Their eyes locked on Lux''s with the intention of tearing him apart.


    However, before the two Draugrs could even get close to the Half-Elf, the third Draugr had once again killed Diablo and the Forest Wolf.


    It then roared and sent a hate-filled punch towards the red-headed boy, who hurriedly raised his shield to defend himself.


    A loud crash reverberated in the air, followed by a pained cry as Lux was sent flying by the Draugr''s attack.


    The boy''s bodynded over a dozen meters away from where he previously stood and rolled on the ground for a few meters more before stoppingpletely.


    Lux''s body was wracked in pain, especially his left arm, which was bent in an unnatural angle. It was so painful that the Half-Elf''s vision blurred as tears streamed down his face, while he gasped for breath.


    With every breath he took, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and wondered how many of his ribs were broken.


    Gritting his teeth, he tried to stand up, but he couldn''t muster any strength in his body.


    "Grandma�� Vera��," Lux said between pained breaths. "Sorry��"


    Lux looked up at the three Draugr''s who were looking down on him, with their swords raised high. He knew that he no longer had the ability to dodge the assault of the three Rank 1 Monsters that surpassed his current abilities.


    His only regret was that he wouldn''t be able to keep his promises to his Grandma Vera, Eriol, and Max.


    ? "I''m sorry��" Lux sighed as he closed his eyes, waiting for the strikes that would end his life, but they never came.


    Instead, he felt a wave of hot air wash over his body, making him open his eyes abruptly.


    The three Draugrs in front of him were roaring in pain as their bodies were consumed by zing mes that illuminated the dark night.


    It was also at that moment when the mighty sound of a blowing horn reached Lux''s ears. The ground trembled, as hundreds of hooves made their way towards the front lines of the battle.


    Suddenly, something jumped over Lux''s body that was lying on the ground.


    As if time had slowed down, Lux was able to see the face of an armor wearing Dwarf, who looked down on him from the back of a meter and a half tall Mountain Goat.


    Their gazes met for what seemed like an eternity before time once again flowed naturally.


    "Charge!" the Dwarf that had jumped over Lux''s body shouted. "Ride warriors of Norria! Push them back!"


    ""Kill!""


    Hundreds of mounted Goat Riders passed over Lux''s body as they shouted their war cries. The goats rammed the Undead army, obliterating the Skeleton Warriors that blocked their way.


    The weakest of the Goat Riders were equivalent to Grade C Apostles (Rank 2 Monster), which was more than enough to easily beat two Draugrs simultaneously.


    Cheering broke out across the vige as their powerful reinforcements arrived.


    Lux felt his body easing up as he heard the sound of warcries spread across the vige because powerful reinforcements from the Stronghold of Norria had arrived. They cut through the Undead horde like a hot knife cutting through butter, immediately turning the tides of battle.


    Due to how intense the situation was, Lux hadpletely forgotten to check the remaining time of the quest that he had deemed almost impossible to clear.


    Soon, the Half-Elfy on the ground motionless. He had fallen unconscious due to exhaustion and relief.


    The Half-Elf didn''t even stir at the ringing sound that marked the sessfulpletion of his quest, which had pushed his physical, mental, and emotional states to their limits.

 Chapter 25 Aftermath Of The Monster Outbreak

    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself inside an unfamiliar room.


    After looking around, still half-asleep, the images of what happened a few hours ago shed inside his head, which woke him uppletely.


    "The Monster Outbreak!" Lux immediately inspected his body and was surprised to find out that he didn''t feel pain anywhere. Even his left arm that had been broken due to the Draugr''s attack was working properly, which made the Half-Elf think that everything that happened was just a dream.


    ''Was that really just a dream?'' Lux frowned. ''I''d better confirm it.''


    The first thing Lux did was summon his Soul Book to see his stats. If it was really a dream then he wouldn''t have an increase in stats points, nor would he have learned the skill sh.


    ''No. It wasn''t a dream,'' Lux sighed as he looked at his information. There had been a significant increase to his strength, as well as the gaining of the skill sh, which was on its way to evolve into Fury sh.


    Lux sighed as he walked towards the window of the room. The sun was already at its zenith, which meant that he had woken up veryte.


    The red-headed boy viewed the houses within his vision and noticed that some of them had been damaged here and there, but most of them remained intact.


    The Defenders had used some of the houses as strategic locations in order to use hit and run tactics against the Undead.


    As he was observing the surroundings, the Half-Elf noticed a Dwarf wearing armor mounted on a Mountain Goat.


    By the looks of it, he was patrolling the vige and making sure that everything was in order.


    Just as Lux was thinking about what to do next, he heard a knock on the door that broke him out of his daze.


    "Come in," Lux subconsciously called out to the one knocking on the door.


    When the door opened, the olddy Dwarf whom Lux was very familiar with, smiled when she saw him already awake.


    "Although the Clerics healed your body a few hours ago, they might have missed a few spots," Annie said as she walked towards Lux. "Is there any ce that still hurts? I still have some healing potions with me."


    Lux shook his head. "I''m fine, Grandma Annie. What happened to Colette and the others?"


    "Are you talking about those children who fought with usst night?"


    "Yes."


    "They have also been treated by the Clerics. A few hours ago they went to the za before they returned home," Annie answered. "If I''m not mistaken, they said that they would report what happened here to their Elders. Many people diedst night. Fortunately, no more than a dozen children passed away due to the efforts of the Vige Guards, and the reinforcements that came from the Stronghold of Norria."


    Grandma Annie had a very sad expression on her face as she talked about the deaths of the children.


    "It is a bit embarrassing to say, but as an adult, we don''t like to see children dying in front of us, even if they are Foreigners," Annie stated. "Thanks to them, we were able tost as long as we could until the reinforcements arrived."


    Less than a dozen children had died during the hour of fighting due to the strong presence of Aron and the Vige Guards.


    ording to Grandma Annie, almost two hundred Vige Guards diedst night. That was almost two-thirds of the total number of guards that were protecting Leaf Vige.


    If only there hadn''t been any Draugrs in the Undead Swarm, the number of casualties would have been much lower.


    Rank 1 Monsters that numbered in the hundreds, were a nightmare for a vige located in the Beginner''s Zone. Aron was a Grade C Apostle, which was the equivalent of a Rank 2 Monster. The rest of the Town''s Guards were Grade D Apostles, which meant they were only as strong as Rank 1 Monsters.


    "Grandma Annie, do Monster Outbreaks happen often?" Lux asked as he sat on the couch, joining the olddy.


    Annie nodded. "We get them once or twice a year. But, this time around, it was quite problematic. I''m sure that the Stronghold will station at least a dozen or two of their Goat Riders here to protect the vige for the time being. With them around, we will probably survive the next Outbreak that is sure to happen in another half a year or so."


    Lux sighed as he thought of the bi-yearly cmity that the Leaf Vige had to face. He asked Grandma Annie a few more questions, which thetter answered to the best of her abilities.


    Because of this, the Half-Elf was able to learn a lot of things.


    In the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, viges would normally be built near a Dwarven Stronghold, which acted as its protector in times of need.


    The Stronghold of Norria for example was the protector of four viges, including Leaf Vige. The vigers used the bells tomunicate with the Stronghold over long distances when they were being attacked by a force that far surpassed their capabilities to defend against.


    In turn, the Stronghold would then dispatch its Goat Riders to assist the viges to resist the threat that hade knocking on their doors.


    However, due to the distance, they needed at least an hour to arrive, which was why Lux''s survival quest asked him to survive for an hour, before the reinforcements came to their rescue.<sub> </sub>


    "You were very bravest night, Lux," Annie said as she held the red-headed boy''s hand firmly. "Also, thank you for standing up to those Draugrs to give us time to escape."


    "I only did what had to be done," Lux replied. "In the end, I was saved as well."


    Lux wasn''t delusional to think that he could have survived his predicament by himself. If not for the timely arrival of the Goat Riders, he might have been added to the list of casualties of the Monster Outbreak who had died protecting the vige.


    Although being regarded as a Dead Hero might be something that your bloodline could be proud of�� a dead hero is still�� a dead hero.


    Lux would rather be alive than dead, so he was very thankful that he was still alive after that nightmarish night that he would always remember in his memories.


    "Before I forget, please, take this," Annie took out three blue beast cores and handed them to Lux. "Those belonged to the three bastards that tried to kill youst night."


    Lux didn''t stand on ceremony and gratefully epted the Beast Cores, which would allow him to grow stronger.


    "Grandma, were you the one that saved mest night?" Lux inquired.


    "If you were asking who was the one that burned those Draugrs then yes it was me," Annie answered. "But, it is not I who saved you, but it is you that saved me. If you didn''t block their path, I and the children might have been grievously injured or, worse, dead.


    "Also, you gave me enough time to cast a high-level spell, so it is still thanks to you that we were able to survive to live another day."


    Lux smiled and didn''t say anything else. As if waiting for this moment, his stomach growled in protest to tell him that he had not eaten breakfast.


    Grandma Annie chuckled and bid Lux to follow her down the dining area to have lunch with her.


    Naturally, the Half-Elf epted her offer and enjoyed rice porridge with egg that was prepared especially for him.


    After eating a filling lunch, Grandma Annie told him to rest more inside the guest room because the vige was still in a bad state.


    Lux nodded his head in agreement and thanked Grandma Annie for her hospitality. Right after he closed the door of his room, the red-headed boy sat on the couch and summoned his Soul Book.


    He opened the Quest Page and saw thepletion mark on top of it. He then eyed the rewards that he had no time to checkst night due to exhaustion.


    ��--


    < Survive the Monster Outbreak >


    Status: Completed!


    < Rewards >


    �C 10 Free Stat Points


    �C 100 Skill Points


    �C 50 Body Constitution Points


    �C 20 Elysium Silver Coins


    < Bonus Reward >


    �C 100 Skill Points


    ��--


    ''I gained a bonus of 100 Skill Points afterpleting the quest which gives me a total of 200 Skill Points,'' Lux mused. ''With this, I won''t need to use the Beast Cores I earned to upgrade Diablo. I have enough points to upgrade him twice.''


    Last night, he realized how fragile Diablo was when facing a monster that was a tier higher than him. Just a single punch was enough to obliterate his Named Creature and it made Lux very sad to see his partner die like that.


    ''Don''t worry, Diablo,'' Lux thought. ''I will ensure that no Draugr will be able to one-shot you in the future.''


    Lux had a determined look as he opened Diablo''s personal page in his Soul book. He was quite excited to see how powerful his partner would be, after he was upgraded twice.

 Chapter 26 Diablo’s Upgrade

    < Diablo >


    Progress: (35/100)


    ��--


    "So, I need 65 Skill Points to upgrade Diablo once," Lux muttered as he checked how much progress his Named Creature had made in the short time he had been in Elysium.


    The Half-Elf didn''t bat an eye and used the needed skill points to upgrade his partner, who had fought alongside him during the greatest battle he had experienced in his lifetime.


    ��-


    < Diablo >


    "Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Rating: E


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress ( 0 / 100)


    Health: 55 / 55


    Mana: 60 / 60


    Attack: 8 - 15 (+20 Damage from Tranquility)


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    Strength: 13


    Intelligence: 12


    Vitality: 11


    Agility: 12


    Dexterity: 12


    Title: Firstborn


    Note: Congrattions! Your Named Creature is now capable of equipping items! Take note that it can only equip items that match its current stats.


    ��-


    "Equip Items?" Lux blinked as he gazed at the new bookmark that appeared in Diablo''s profile.


    After clicking the Equipment Page, an idea suddenly appeared on Lux''s head.


    "Come forth, Diablo!" Lux ordered.


    A magic circle appeared on the ground in front of him and his trusted partner emerged from it.


    "Can you equip this?" Lux asked as he handed Tranquility to Diablo, who didn''t look any different from his pre-upgraded state.


    The White Skeleton unsummoned its Bone Sword and held Tranquility in a firm grip, giving it a few practice swings.


    Lux nced at Diablo''s Equipment page and saw Tranquility appear in its right hand weapon slot.


    "Okay, take these as well," Lux ordered as he handed his shield, Dawne, and his Wolf''s Leather Armor, over to Diablo, which made the Skeleton look like a decent Skeleton Warrior that was missing his pants.


    The Half-Elf chuckled when he looked at this funny scene. To his surprise, Diablo also chuckled with its jaws rattling non-stop.


    "Okay, how do you feel?" Lux asked. "Do you feel stronger now?"


    The White Skeleton nodded its head in affirmation to its Master''s inquiry.


    The red-headed boy smiled as he gazed at his remaining Skill Points.


    ��-


    Free Stat Points Avable: 10


    Free Skill Points Avable: 135


    ��--


    Just as he nned, Lux used another 100 Skill Points to upgrade Diablo and made him stronger.


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    "Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Rating: E+


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress ( 0 / 100)


    Health: 105 / 110


    Mana: 110 / 110<sub> </sub>


    Attack: 16 - 25 (+20 Damage from Tranquility)


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    Strength: 23


    Intelligence: 22


    Vitality: 21


    Agility: 22


    Dexterity: 22


    Title: Firstborn


    Skills: sh


    Note: Not bad. Your Thug is now stronger than a typical mob character. They say that one good thing leads to another. On your next upgrade, your Named Creature will have a qualitative boost in its overall strength and performance. Look forward to it!


    ��-


    Free Stat Points Avable: 10


    Free Skill Points Avable: 35


    ��--


    "Nice!" Lux wasn''t able to hide his appreciation as he looked at Diablo''s current stats. Just like the note at the end of his named character''s profile said, Diablo had indeed be stronger than he was before.


    Also, just based on stats alone, the White Skeleton was even stronger than his master, Lux. who was looking at his partner with admiration.


    The other thing that made Lux happy was the information that Diablo would have a qualitative boost in his overall performance on his next upgrade!


    "Partner, take care of me from now on," Lux said as he extended his hand for a handshake.


    "Kekeke," Diablo chuckled as he extended his hand to shake his Master''s hand.


    Lux was caught by surprise because although Diablo had shown signs that it was an intelligent creature, this was the first time that it had attempted to talk to him.


    Not only that, the White Skeleton''s thoughts were clearer nowpared to how they were in the past. The Half-Elf could now understand it, even though it was not speaking any formalnguage.


    "Amazing! You are amazing, Diablo!"


    "Kekeke."


    A few minutester, Lux unsummoned Diablo and stared at the three blue beast cores in front of him.


    He was hesitating about whether he should use them to upgrade Diablo or not, or use them to upgrade his own stat points. After much deliberation, the red-headed boy decided to use them to upgrade himself.


    The Monster Outbreak had shown him how much he wascking in terms ofbat ability. His mana was quite low, so he easily ran out of juice after using the sh Skill, and Summoning Diablo and the Forest Wolf several times to bolster his forces.


    "Now that Diablo has Tranquility, he can summon the Forest Wolf by himself," Lux muttered as he yed with one of the beast cores on the palm of his hand. "He also learned sh, so he is capable of dealing greater damage to our enemies now. Although he is still weaker than a Draugr, he won''t die after getting hit once."


    After pondering for a while, Lux returned the beast cores to his storage ring and went to talk with Grandma Annie.


    "You''re going now?" Annie asked as she looked at Lux with concern.


    Lux nodded. "Yes, Grandma Annie. I will return home for a while."


    Annie smiled after finding out the red-headed boy''s reason for leaving.


    "That''s good," Annie replied. "Let your loved ones know that you are safe. You can always return here whenever you want. My house is always open for you."


    "Thank you Grandma Annie for your care and hospitality. I''ll be going now."


    "Have a safe trip."


    ��--


    As Lux walked the streets of Leaf Vige, he genuinely felt the sadness of the people living in it. Just like Eriol had said, there were no NPC''s in Elysium. In short, the people here were no different from him.


    All of them were alive and knew how to feel happiness, sadness, anger, and helplessness.


    But, aside from the sadness, Lux also noticed something had changed in the hearts of people around him.


    They no longer looked at him with a guarded expression. Some of them even went out of their way to give him a brief nod of acknowledgement as he passed through them.


    The vigers heard how the Half-Elf had fought tooth and nail, to defend their vige from the Monster Outbreak.


    They no longer treated him as an outsider, and had acknowledged his presence among them.


    For some reason, this made Lux feel warm, and made his eyes water a bit.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, he had been starving for recognition all his life.


    Recognition from the people in Wildgarde Stronghold.


    Recognition from his grandmother Vera.


    And recognition from the world he was living in.


    Now that he had finally taken a step into the world of Elysium, he understood more than ever how precious life was.


    Because of this, he wanted to return home to see his Grandma and feel the warmth of having a family, all over again.

 Chapter 27 Vera’s Equipment Collection

    "I''m back," Lux said softly as he reappeared inside the Training Room of their residence.


    Before he could even take a step forward, the door of the room opened and Vera appeared with a surprised expression on her face.


    "I''m back, Grandma." Lux walked towards Vera and gave her a hug.


    "Wee back." Vera hugged her grandson in a loving embrace. For some reason, she felt that Lux''s presence was differentpared to what it was before he went to Elysium.


    As someone who had experienced many things, she had a hunch that the red-headed boy had experienced something in Elysium that made him decide to go back home and see her.


    "Are you hungry?" Vera asked. "I just had lunch, but I can easily prepare something for you."


    Lux pulled back and shook his head. "It''s fine, Grandma. I ate beforeing here."


    "Alright, let''s go to the living room," Vera proposed as she lightly patted her grandson''s shoulder. "Tell me about your adventures in Elysium."


    "Okay." Lux nodded.


    ��-


    "It must have been a scary experience," Vera said as she pulled her grandson close to her. "I''m just d that you survived."


    Lux had just finished his tale of the Monster Outbreak in Leaf Vige, which made Vera''s feel as if her heart was being squeezed inside her chest. Lux was one of her three remaining family members, and the thought of losing him made her feel very anxious.


    "I''m d I survived as well, Grandma," Lux replied with his eyes closed. "During that time, I felt very sad about the possibility of leaving you all alone. In fact, I was more scared of you being alone than the thought of me dying. It''s so painful that it hurts."


    Vera held Lux tighter. It was not only Lux who felt that way. She was also very scared of losing the grandson that she had raised since he was a baby.


    "Will you return to Elysium?"


    "Yes. I need to go back. There''s still many things I need to do."


    Vera sighed, but she didn''t try to dissuade her grandson from his decision. The only thing she could do was give him her support and pray that he would be safe as he explored the world that she had journeyed through several years ago.


    "Is there anything that I can help you with?" Vera asked. "As long as I have it, I will give it to you."


    Lux nodded. "Grandma. I need weapons, armor, and other equipment."


    "How about Beast Cores?" Vera asked. "I have some as well."


    "Um, Grandma, don''t the rules of Wildgarde Stronghold state that giving beast cores to beginners is not allowed?" Lux asked.


    Gerald, the Guardian of Wildgarde Stronghold, had made a rule that the adults couldn''t spoil their children and give them Beast Cores to increase their stats at an early stage. He believed that this kind of practice would only prevent the children from striving to reach a higher rank.


    If they could jump tiers at the get go then they would not develop the proper mindset of warriors who had undergone the baptism of blood.


    It was simr to the spoiled second rich generations, who enjoyed their current status due to their parents'' achievements and hard work.


    Gerald wanted to have a strongmunity. He had no use for useless people with high stats who would only serve as cannon fodder when the real fighting began.


    Vera frowned because she understood what Lux was trying to say. However, she cared about the survival of her grandson, so she decided to reach apromise with him.


    "I will only give you Four Rank 1 Beast Cores," Vera replied. "Don''t worry. Having that many isn''t a big deal. Gerald''s rules are there to remind the adults to not spoil their kids too much. I''m sure that he will not raise a fuss if I give you four low-grade beast cores."


    Lux pondered for a bit before reluctantly nodding his head. He thought that it was indeed not a big deal if he had four low-grade Beast Cores. Besides, he was also itching to raise Diablo''s strength to the next level.


    "Good. Now, let''s talk about equipment," Vera said. "Let''s go back to the training area. The living room is not big enough to unload the items I want to give to you."


    Lux was very keen to see what items his Grandma had prepared for him.


    Gerald didn''t forbid the adults from giving their children equipment to be used in Elysium. His reasoning behind this was very simple. Certain requirements must be met before certain types of equipment could be equipped.


    Take Lux''s shield for example. Dawne needed 10 points to Strength before it could be used.


    Twelve year olds weren''t that strong at the beginning. It would take them a while to "level up" and gain the strength necessary to equip the weapons, armor, and other artifacts that their parents had prepared for them.


    Also, these things could also be obtained in Elysium, so Gerald didn''t see any problem in letting the kids have them. Since that was the case, the adults had an unwritten agreement that supplying their children with equipment was allowed, as long as they didn''t tantly announce it to the world.


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock at the sheer number of equipment that Vera presented to him.


    Truthfully, Vera was only nning to give them to Lux if her grandson asked for her help. The things that she had prepared for him were all rare and unique weapons.


    The Half-Elf appraised these items one by one. He found out that he could only use most of them after he had stepped into the Apostle Rank, which was still quite a distance from his current state.


    Even so, he still found some Set Equipment that made him smile from ear to ear.


    Set Equipment were items that gave decent boosts to attack, defense, and bonus stats when two or more of them were equipped.


    "Come forth, Diablo!" Lux shouted and his trustypanion appeared beside him wearing the Fox Leather Armor, Dawne, and Tranquility.


    "Change your armor to this!" Lux ordered as he pointed at a ck set of armor that he had specially chosen for his partner.


    Diablo nodded and took off the Wolf Leather''s armor and returned it to Lux.


    ��--


    < Wandering Knight Set ><sub> </sub>


    Set Requirement: 22 Points to Strength


    �C Wandering Knight Greaves


    +15 Defense


    �C Wandering Knight Tassets


    +15 Defense


    �C Wandering Knight Breastte


    +15 Defense


    �C Wandering Knight Bracers


    +15 Defense


    �C Wandering Knight Helmet


    +15 Defense


    < Wandering Knight Set Bonus >


    �C 2 Pieces of Equipment


    +1 to Strength


    �C 3 Pieces of Equipment


    +2 to Vitality


    �C 4 Pieces of Equipment


    +2 to Dexterity


    �C 5 Pieces of Equipment


    +50 Health Points


    +25 All Elemental Resistance


    + 2 to Agility


    20% Damage Reduction from Physical Attacks


    ��--


    Diablo had aplete makeover after putting on the ck set of armor. His glowing red eyes could be seen through the helmet''s eye slits, which gave him a very intimidating presence.


    "It would have been perfect if his sword and shield were ck as well," Lux muttered as he rubbed his chin in contemtion. "Still, this will have to do for now."


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    Health: 165 / 165


    Mana: 110 / 110


    Attack: 18 - 27 (+20 Damage from Tranquility)


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    Strength: 23 (+1)


    Intelligence: 22


    Vitality: 21 (+2)


    Agility: 22 (+2)


    Dexterity: 22 (+2)


    Defense: 98


    Title: Firstborn


    Skills: sh


    ��--


    Vera was surprised when she saw that the White Skeleton was capable of equipping one of the armor sets that she had prepared for her grandson.


    She didn''t expect Lux''s Named Monster to have grown to such a degree. This gave her a feeling offort, knowing that there would be a dependable bodyguard following her grandson around in the world of Elysium.

 Chapter 28 The Story Of Elysium

    After admiring Diablo''s new armor set for a while, Lux finally went to gather his own set of armor, which was called the "Relentless Warrior" Equipment Set.


    < Relentless Warrior >


    Set Requirement: 15 Points to all Stats


    �C Relentless Warrior Circlet


    +1 to Intelligence


    �C Relentless Warrior Leather Armor


    +15 Defense


    �C Relentless Warrior Leather Tassets


    +10 Defense


    �C Relentless Warrior Arm Guard


    +10 Defense


    �C Relentless Warrior Boots


    +10 Defense


    < Relentless Warrior Set Bonus >


    �C 2 Pieces of Equipment


    +3 to Strength


    �C 3 Pieces of Equipment


    +3 to Agility


    �C 4 Pieces of Equipment


    +3 to Dexterity


    �C 5 Pieces of Equipment


    +150 Health Points


    +40 Defense


    +10 All Elemental Resistance


    10% Damage Reduction from Physical Attacks


    ��-


    Lux still didn''t meet the requirements for this armor set, but with the help of the 7 Beast Cores in his possession, he was certain that he would be able to equip this set without any problem.


    For the record, Equipment Sets were not easy to get. They could only be farmed in certain Dungeons in Elysium that required a party of six or more toplete.


    ? "Thank you, Grandma," Lux said after storing the Relentless Warrior Set in his storage ring.


    "You''re wee," said Vera as she returned the other items into her storage ring.


    Several of the items in her possessions had very high requirements. The only reason why she had shown them to Lux was to tell her grandson that these items were avable to him at any time.


    Lux understood his grandma''s gesture and was very happy inside his heart. Although some of the items he had seen would require him to reach the Apostle Grade, knowing that they were there made a difference.<sub> </sub>


    "Grandma, you entered Elysium when you were young, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Can you tell me what your starting vige was like?" Lux inquired. "Did it also have Monster Outbreaks?"


    Vera smiled as she made a gesture to Lux to follow her.


    Fifteen minutester, the grandma and grandson pair drank tea as they stared at the garden of their residence.


    "Before I tell you the tale of my younger days, let me tell you first how Elysium appeared," Vera said as she stared at the distance, relieving the memories of the past that appeared inside her head. "The Hundred-Year War had just ended in Sis at that time, and the geography of this entire world had been changed forever.


    The living areas where people could live had decreased greatly. If you were to leave this territory, the only things you would see are wastnds. Much of thend has been changed so no nts can grow, no water can be found, and no animal can stay for long due to poisonous fumes that erupt from the ground from time to time."


    In order to prevent the loss of more lives andnds, all the ruling nations came to an agreement. They agreed that no morerge-scale wars would be waged on the surface of Sis. In order to make this pact binding, they begged the Gods that had chosen to abandon this world to grant them thisst wish.


    Perhaps due to pity, or perhaps because they truly wished to cut all connections to this world, the Gods agreed. Since then, a universalw has enveloped this world to preventrge-scale wars from happening again."


    "Right now, the only points of conflict are border issues, but most of the time only small skirmishes happen. No one dares to vite the rule, because they won''t be able to bear the consequences of their actions."


    Vera drank her tea before continuing her tale.


    "Several years passed, and everyone had been living their lives peacefully when they suddenly heard a voice filled with power reverberate across the heavens," Vera said as she looked at her reflection on the tea''s surface. "The voice said, ''The world is dying, but the way to save it can be found in Elysium."


    Suddenly, Teleportation Gates appeared in several ces around the world that allowed anyone to gain ess to Elysium. And the Wildgarde Stronghold was built to monopolize one of those passage ways."


    "Because of this, it became the Overlord of this territory. The viges and towns surrounding us send their children here in the hopes that they will be allowed entry into this unknown world that holds infinite possibilities."


    Lux who was listening quietly on the side frowned. He had grown up within the walls of the Stronghold, and had seen these children travel to their Keep in order to pay tribute and get ess to the Teleportation Gate that led to Elysium.


    "Grandma, I''ve never thought of this before but, am I considered lucky?" Lux asked. "All I need to do is pass the trial and I can enter Elysium. Others need to pay a fee before they can enter the teleportation gate. Could it be that I didn''t notice how privileged I''ve been all these years?"


    Vera chuckled. "Well, it was very rare for you to leave the walls of the Stronghold, so you were not aware of the situation outside. In a way, you are indeed privileged. You don''t need to worry about paying fees, and meeting strict requirements to enter Elysium. The other viges and towns in our Domain also pay taxes to us on a quarterly basis.


    "But, in return for these offerings, the Stronghold is obligated to protect them from all forms of aggression, including the Beast Tides that happen every three to five years. The role we y is simr to the Stronghold of Norria that protects Leaf Vige."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. "Then, the kids of the other viges who enter Elysium. What bes of them?"


    "They will randomly appear in one of the four viges that our faction belongs to in the Navarre Empire," Vera answered. "When we arrived at Elysium, there were already ruling families governing the territories we were teleported to.


    Some of us decided to build our own strongholds, so that we could gain a foothold in that world. Others, decided to form strong connections with the ruling families, and earned enough merits to be bestowed a noble title, which allowed them to gainnds."


    "The Founder of Wildgarde Stronghold chose the second option and did his best to gain enough merits until he could be granted the title of a Viscount. This was how our faction was able to have our own Domain in Elysium. It has grown since then. However, unlike the Leaf Vige, our side doesn''t have to worry about Monster Outbreaks."


    Lux nodded in understanding. "Grandma, what happens if the kids from our Domain be Rankers? How does the Stronghold treat them?"


    "Good Question." Vera nodded her head in appreciation for her grandson''s curiosity. "As you already know, Rankers are special cases. They are known to be powerhouses, so they are treated in a way deserving of their rank. However, being a Ranker doesn''t make your life any easier.


    "You are almost always going out on missions for the Kingdom, Empire, or Dynasty that you belong to. Lux, you already know this, but Elysium is not a peaceful ce. Wars are no longer possible in Sis, but in Elysium it is a verymon thing. Battles between Parties, Gangs, ns, Factions, and Guilds happen on a daily basis.


    "It''s as if people have forgotten our true reason for going to Elysium, and that is to find a way to save our world. I''m afraid that with the way things are going, everyone in Sis will just choose to migrate to Elysium, and abandon this ruined world for good."


    Vera chuckled as she looked at her grandson who had a troubled look on his face.


    "Child, this matter is not something that you should think about," Vera said in a teasing tone. "This is for the adults to worry about. As for you, just focus on getting stronger. Right now, a Rank 1 Monster can kill you with a single p. You don''t have the qualifications to affect the bigger picture."


    Lux looked at his grandma with aplicated expression on his face. He had a feeling that Vera would onlyugh at him, if he told her that his purpose foring into this world was to help save it.


    However, at the end of the day his grandma was right.


    Someone who would die from a single p of a Rank 1 Monster didn''t really have the qualifications to make an impact on a world that was on the verge of copse.

 Chapter 29 Colette’s Older Sister

    "Big Sister, you should really meet Big Brother Lux," Colette said with a smile. "Although he is a Half-Elf, he is as brave as a Dwarf! Both of you are of the same age, and he is also very good looking!"


    A charming youngdy with long blonde hair, tied in a ponytail, smiled back at her little sister, who had been chattering non-stop about the Half-Elf she had met in Leaf Vige.


    Colette''s older sister looked like a doll that was made to perfection. But, unlike the adorable Colette, her sister''s charm was like a flower that was about to bloom.


    Her name was Aina, and she was recognized as one of the top prodigies in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, as well as the Dwarven Empire of Evarith in Sis.


    "This is the first time that I''ve heard of a Half-Elf, or any other race for that matter, appearing in the Beginner''s Vige in the Dwarvennds of Elysium," Aina said with undisguised interest. "So, what is he like? Is he strong?"


    Colette shook her head. "He''s not that strong, but he is very cool! During the battle, he prioritized saving Dwarves and transporting the injured to the treatment area, at the far end of the vige, away from the fighting."


    Aina sipped the tea in her cup as she eyed her sister. "Maybe he''s just scared of fighting, so he prioritized taking the injured as an excuse to not get killed."


    "Big Brother isn''t like that!" Colette pouted. "If he''s afraid of fighting, he wouldn''t have faced three Draugrs to let us escape! Those are three Rank 1 Monsters. If Big Brother didn''t block them, I might have also died, you know?"


    "I''m sorry," Aina apologized after seeing her sister''s teary-eyed face. "He is indeed not a coward. He is a very brave person."


    "Yes! He is a very brave person! I already told Father that he saved my life, and he agreed to give him ten Rank 2 Beast Cores as a thank you gift."


    "Father sure is generous."


    "Yes!"


    Aina smiled. She could already understand what her father was thinking. If her guess was right, her father was indeed very thankful to the Half-Elf for saving her sister''s life. However, gifting the young generation was akin to spoiling them and making their lives easier.


    This would give them a fake sense of security seeing that their stat points would drastically increase due to the power of the Beast Cores. But, at the end of the day, even if they suddenly gained an increase in overall stats, there were still many dangers in Elysium that could end their lives if they weren''t careful.


    ''Father''s purpose is to let Lux graduate from the Beginner''s Vige, so that Colette would no longer be able to meet up with him again,'' Aina thought. ''I guess this is not a bad thing. Once he steps into the Intermediate Area, I will be able to see this "Big Brother" that Colette is so proud of.''


    The Beginner Viges would only allow Foreigners to stay in them until they reached the Apostle Rank.


    Once they stepped into that realm, thews of the world would only give them ten days before forcefully teleporting them away to the nearest Intermediate Area in the vicinity.


    ''The only question is, which Intermediate Area will he be transported to?'' Aina frowned.


    The Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven had over twenty Intermediate Towns for Apostles, and five cities, including the Capital City, Aeronwen, where the Rankers of the realm stayed.


    Although twenty towns might seem like a small number, they were several miles apart from each other.<sub> </sub>


    Aina had only registered in three towns so far, which meant that she could teleport to these three towns whenever she liked. If Lux were to appear in any of the towns that she had visited before, she could personally thank the Half-Elf for saving her sister.


    ''Ten Rank 2 Beast Cores would be enough to give him at least a hundred stats points,'' Aina calcted in her head. ''This meant that he would just need a hundred more in order to reach the limit of the Beginner''s Vige. If he''s talented enough, it would only take him two months before he reached the Apostle Rank.''


    Aina was using her knowledge about gaining experience from monster kills, and leveling up in order to gain stat points. What she was not aware of was that Lux didn''t need to level up, and could directly earn points by finishing his quests.


    "Big Sister, once Big Brother and Ie to the Intermediate Towns, make sure to take good care of us, okay?" Colette said while holding her sister''s hands and looking up at her with puppy eyes.


    "Okay," Aina replied with a smile. "However, you should understand that there will definitely be prejudiced people against him. Not many Dwarves like Humans, and although he is a Half-Elf, he might still be shunned because of his race."


    Colette nodded in understanding. Their Dwarven Empire, Evarith, in Sis disliked Humans because of what happened in the Hundred-Year War.


    Up to this day, the Evarith Royal Family still held grudges against Humans, and refused to entertain discussions about reconciliation between the two races.


    "So, when will you be going back to Elysium?" Aina asked.


    Colette pondered before raising two fingers. "Mother said that I should stay for two days because she missed me terribly. Father is also preparing new equipment for me to ensure my safety.


    "I already talked to Matty and he said that his parents were doing the same. It seems that what happened in Leaf Vige made them realize that it isn''t as safe as the other Beginner Viges due to the Monster Outbreak."


    Aina nodded in understanding. She, too, was surprised when she heard that a Monster Outbreak had happened in a Beginner''s Vige. Although this was not the first time something like this had happened, it was still something that the adults didn''t want to hear.


    After all, if their children were to appear in Leaf Vige at the wrong time then they might alsoe face to face with a Monster Outbreak, which would lead them to an untimely demise.


    "Father issued a decree ordering parents to educate their children about the dangers of Leaf Vige," Aina stated. "If they were to encounter a Monster Outbreak, all of them were ordered to flee the vige, or hide in the Underground Shelter until the reinforcements from Norria arrive."


    "Should I do that as well, Big Sister?"


    "Of course. Your life is very important. If a Monster Outbreak happens, just bring your party to the Underground Shelter. All of you are still children, so the people in Leaf Vige will not bat an eye and allow you to enter their shelter."


    Colette nodded. "Understood. I will hide when a Monster Outbreak appears. I''m just wondering, will they also allow Big Brother to take shelter with us?"


    Aina frowned. She didn''t know the answer to this question, so she didn''t dare give her sister false hope.


    "I don''t know if they will allow him inside the Shelter or not," Aina replied. "But, it might be possible for him to leave Leaf Vige long before the next Monster Outbreak starts."

 Chapter 30 For As Long As My Heart Keeps Beating

    < Ding! >


    < Do you wish to consume the Rank 1 Beast Core? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��--


    < Upgrade Stat Points >


    < Upgrade Skills>


    ��--


    Lux consumed the seven Beast Cores and upgraded his Stat Points, which in turn upgraded his Special Body Constitution. After the boost in stats, he was finally able to equip the Relentless Warrior set to his "Battle Equipment Page".


    Once someone had entered Elysium, their Clothes Inventory would be divided into two categories. The first category was Fashion and the other was Battle.


    As the name suggested, the Fashion Inventory would mostly store normal clothes, while the Battle Inventory would mostly store armors that people wore when they went to battle.


    Lux could easily swap between two sets depending on the situation. While other people liked to disy their amazing armor for everyone to see, the Half-Elf didn''t feelfortable wearing it outside of battle.


    After allocating his points, Lux felt more confident about returning to Elysium and challenging the locations around Leaf Vige.


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Health: 225 / 225


    Mana: 105 / 105


    Strength: 20 (+3)


    Intelligence: 20 (+1)


    Vitality: 15


    Agility: 17(+3)


    Dexterity: 15 (+3)


    Defense: 100


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX].


    Skills: Power Shot, sh, Dark Arrow


    ��--


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: F


    Progress: (96/100)


    Conquest is not all about imingnds, and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.


    Abilities: (None)


    Note: Upgrading your special constitution will allow you to unlock its abilities.


    ��--


    < Dark Arrow >


    (2 Mana)


    �C Hurls an arrow of darkness that has a small chance to blind your target.


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. ><sub> </sub>


    Dark Arrow will be upgraded into Void Arrow once the requirements have been met.


    < Void Arrow>


    �C Hurls an arrow of darkness that has an intermediate chance to blind your target.


    �C Requirement to upgrade: Sessfully blind a target 30x


    �C Progress ( 0 / 30 )


    ��--


    Lux was quite happy to receive the Dark Arrow Skill from the Beast Cores that he had received from his Grandma.


    ording to Vera, the Beast Cores came from the Rank 1 Monster called Night Shade Crow.


    This Crow only hunted at night, and it was notorious for preying on the Beginners who happened to step into its hunting grounds.


    Although the skills and the upgrade he received were good, there was still something that troubled the red-headed boy the most.


    Lux could feel his liver itching when he saw that his Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy only needed four more points before it couldplete its first upgrade.


    He was very curious about what kind of abilities it would unlock after it reached 100%. Because of this, Lux was hesitating whether or not he should ask his grandma for one more Beast Core in order toplete his upgrade.


    Vera could see his dilemma, but she only gave him a smile. She understood that look on her grandson''s face, but she didn''t want to spoil him too much.


    "Lux, I believe in you," Vera said as she patted her grandson''s shoulder. "I look forward to the day when you''re able to surpass me."


    Lux smiled and nodded his head. "I''m also hoping for that day toe, Grandma. That way, it will be my turn to protect and take care of you."


    Vera chuckled as she ruffled her grandson''s hair. "No need to protect me. I''m already old enough to handle myself."


    "Then, Grandma, is there anything you want? No matter what it is, I''ll give it to you without fail," Lux said with determination, which made Vera rub her chin in contemtion.


    After a few minutes, Vera shed a mischievous grin to Lux and said her dearest wish.


    "I want to hold my great grandchild," Vera replied. "It doesn''t have to be now, but I want to see them within seven years. Do you think you can grant this wish of mine?"


    Lux blushed because he didn''t expect his grandma to ask him for a great grandchild. Even so, he summoned his thick skin to give the person who raised him a determined answer.


    "Don''t worry, Grandma," Lux said as he patted his chest with confidence. "Your grandson is very handsome. I''m sure that even if you cut the time down to five years, you''ll be holding not just one, not just two, but many great grandchildren in your arms!"


    Vera pped her hands together. "Wonderful. I didn''t know that my grandson was so capable. Very well, I''ll look forward to holding my great grandchildren. You better work hard in Elysium and find me some good daughter-inws."


    Lux could feel his cheeks burning after his embarrassing deration. However, since he had already said it, he would definitely fulfill it.


    The only problem was that he still had to wait a year before he could use the Widlgarde Stronghold''s Teleportation Gate to connect to Elysium in order to meet with Humans. Although the Dwarven Lands were good, he felt that the Dwarves wouldn''t like to have a Half-Elf staying in their Domain for a very long time.


    ��--


    "Grandma, I''m going now."


    "Take care, Lux. Come home when you get homesick."


    Lux reluctantly took a step back after giving his grandma a hug.


    "Be safe, always," Vera said as she waved her grandson goodbye.


    Lux nodded. "See you soon, Grandma."


    "Open! Heaven''s Gate!"


    ��---


    Lux strolled the streets of Leaf Vige and saw that the houses that had been damaged during the Monster Outbreak were being repaired.


    While the Dwarven children yed on the streets, their parents busied themselves with helping their vige restore its previous state.


    Lux took a deep breath before taking steady steps towards the Adventurer''s Guild.


    He also wanted to do his part to help Leaf Vige in his own way. This was why Lux made a vow to himself.


    ''It doesn''t matter how long it takes,'' Lux thought as he walked towards the Adventurer''s Guild. ''For as long as my heart keeps beating, I will do the right thing. That way, I can live this precious life given to me without any regrets.''

 Chapter 31 Colette’s Gift

    A week had passed since the Monster Outbreak. The residents of Leaf Vige paid their respects to the brave men and women who had stood their ground to protect their vige from the Undead that had broken past their defenses.


    Because it was mainly the Vige''s Guards who battled against the Monsters, they incurred the most casualties and only a little more than fifty had survived.


    Aron, who was the Captain of the Guards, had requested his counterparts from the Norria Stronghold to station thirty Goat Riders in their vige to help bolster their defenses.


    The Commander of Norria approved his request, and stationed a group of Dwarven Defenders, known as the ck Thorn, to guard Leaf Vige for the time being.


    These thirty mounted warriors had the rank of Grade C Apostles (Rank 2 Monster), led by their Rider Captain, Boreas, who was a Grade B Apostle (Rank 3 Monster).


    Due to the intensity of the battle, Aron had also broken through to the rank of a Grade B Apostle, and had be a staunch defender of the vige. It was quite unfortunate that his about fifty subordinates, who fought alongside him, didn''t break through and remained as Grade D Apostles (Rank 1 Monster), falling short of reaching the next rank.


    All in all, more than eighty defenders were left in Leaf Vige as protectors.


    ��-


    Adventurer''s Guild��


    "Big Brother, please, take this!" Colette said as she happily handed a storage bag to Lux. "This is a thank you gift from my father for saving my life."


    "A thank you gift?" Lux asked. "For saving your life? I don''t remember doing that."


    Matty, who was standing beside Colette, snorted. "She is talking about the time when you held back those three Draugrs to let us escape."


    The young Dwarf boy, who had never liked Lux, acted as obnoxious as always. However, although his words sounded a bit rude, it no longer contained the contempt it originally had when the two of them met for the first time.


    In his own way, Matty had recognized Lux''s bravery, and no longer treated him with disdain.


    Lux epted the storage bag and checked its contents. The red-headed boy almost dropped the bag given to him when he saw the ten beast cores that were the size of tennis balls.


    "I can''t take this." Lux tried to return the storage bag to Colette''s hand, but the little girl ran behind Matty and stuck her tongue out at the Half-Elf who wanted to return her gift.


    "Just take it already!" Matty shouted. He wanted to impress Colette, so he took a firm stance and prevented Lux from returning the storage bag to Colette. "Are you really a man? If you don''t like her gift, then give it to me. I''ll use it myself!"


    "What do you mean you''ll use it yourself?! That''s for Big Brother!" Colette red at Matty, which made the Dwarf boy blush, because he found her re very adorable.


    Colette then ced her hands on her hips and then turned her head to look up at Lux, who was struggling to keep himself from chuckling over Matty''s submissive attitude.


    "Big Brother, if you really feel bad about it, you can just help us with our Dungeon Expeditionter," Colette tried to butter Lux up, so he would no longer think of returning her gift. "Having a strong person join our party will definitely help us clear the dungeon."


    "Dungeon Expedition?" Lux frowned. "Are you talking about raiding the Bronze Crypt?"


    There was only one dungeon in the Beginner''s Area and it was the Bronze Crypt located in the South Zone of Leaf Vige. This was also where the Undead Swarm had broken out from not long ago. It made Lux wonder if it was a good idea to challenge it right now.


    "Duh! There is only one dungeon here in the vige," Matty once again found his courage and decided to vent his frustration on the person whom he hadbeled as his rival. "What? Don''t tell me you developed a trauma against the Undead?"


    Thinking that Lux might have really developed a trauma after the Monster Outbreak, Colette tried to assure him that their Dungeon Expedition would be conducted in a safe manner.


    "Don''t worry, Big Brother. We can buy teleportation crystals from the Adventurer''s Guild," Colette stated. "With the crystals, we will be able to automatically teleport outside of the Dungeon anytime we want."


    Matty who was just listening to the side crossed his arms over his chest. "You don''t have toe with us, you know? Even without you, we can beat it just fine."


    "Shut up Matty! You''re being mean to Big Brother!"<sub> </sub>


    "..."


    Lux snickered internally at the hen-pecked Dwarf boy who wouldn''t dare defy Colette''s wishes. In the end, he decided to agree to Colette''s request. He was also curious to know about what it would be like to explore a Dungeon.


    In these past few days, the Half-Elf epted a couple of missions that focused on repairing the vige. He hadn''t gone out to hunt, so his stats hadn''t shown any signs of progression.


    Now that an opportunity was at hand, he thought that it would be a good way to test how strong he and Diablo had be.


    "Okay," Lux finally agreed to ept Colette''s invitation. "When do we leave?"


    Colette grinned as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall of the Adventurer''s Guild.


    "Around six when the sun is about to set," Colette replied. "The Bronze Crypt only opens at that time."


    Lux nodded. "Okay. I will meet you thereter. Make sure to prepare everything, including the teleportation crystals."


    "Un!" Colette grinned.


    The red-headed boy bid them all farewell as he went back to his inn to use the Beast Cores that had been given to him. He was certain that the Beast Cores Colette gifted him were none other than cores that were looted from Rank 2 Monsters, which made him a bit excited.


    After closing the door of his room, Lux immediately took one of the cores from the storage bag and then walked towards the bed.


    "These are indeed Rank 2 Beast Cores," Lux muttered as he sat on top of the bed. "Now, let''s see how many points I get by consuming one."


    ��--


    < Ding! >


    < Do you wish to consume the Rank 2 Beast Core? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��-


    Lux clicked yes and chose "Upgrade Stat Points" from the next batch of options. Immediately, rows of text appeared in front of him, which made him grin.


    ��--


    Obtained 10 Free Stats Points


    Obtained 10 Body Constitution Points


    ��--


    "So, Rank 2 Beast Cores will give me 10 free stat points," Lux muttered as he rubbed his chin. "It''s quite unfortunate that I haven''t learned any new skills and my body constitution points remain the same."


    The Half-Elf didn''t know from which monsters the beast cores were taken from, so he could only sigh in regret for not being able to acquire more skills to add to his arsenal.


    "Now, it''s time to upgrade my Body Constitution." Lux opened his Soul Book to allocate points to the Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy.


    He was looking forward to seeing what new abilities he would gain once the upgrade was finished.

 Chapter 32 Immortal Conqueror’s Legacy Upgrade

    < Ding! >


    < Congrattions! Your Body Constitution has been upgraded! >


    < Choose one from among these three options as your bonus reward! >


    (Option 1) �C +50 permanent points to Vitality


    (Options 2) �C  Warcry: +30 Physical and Magical Damage to you and your allies


    Duration: 5 minutes


    Cooldown: 10 minutes


    (Options 3) �C Mana Drain: Absorbs the Mana of your target for five seconds. Mana absorbed is equivalent to 2% of Target''s Maximum Mana.


    Range: 10 meters


    Duration: 5 seconds


    Cooldown: 30 seconds


    ��--


    The Half-Elf almost drooled upon seeing the three bonus rewards that were presented to him. If possible, he would like to have all three. It was quite unfortunate that he could only choose one of them.


    ''50 points to Vitality is good because it will increase my Health and Defense by a substantial amount,'' Lux thought as he rubbed his chin in contemtion. ''However, I am leaning more towards the War Cry and Mana Drain skills.''


    Since Lux had learned necromancy, War Cry would provide an excellent boost to his summons, increasing their damage.


    Mana Drain, on the other hand, would allow him to drain his target''s mana, allowing him to have an unlimited supply of energy to cast spells. For sses and professions that relied heavily on active skills and spells, this was an ability that they couldn''t afford to pass up.


    The Half-Elf kept on scratching his head because both War Cry and Mana Drain were very important to him.


    ''I wonder if the same options will appear again as I continue to upgrade my Body Constitution,'' Lux mused. ''This is really a hard choice to make, but if I have to choose one over the other then I''ll choose�� Mana Drain.''


    During the Monster Outbreak, Lux had been very depressed by his very low mana pool. If he''d had more mana, he would have been able to continuously use his sh Skill, and summon Diablo and the Forest Wolf over and over again.


    Although he really wanted to choose Battle Cry,. Mana Drain was more important to him right now.


    ��-


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    < Since the Skill is learned from your Body Constitution Upgrade and not from a Beast Core, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    < Mana Drain [EX] >


    �C Absorb the Mana of your target for five seconds. Mana absorbed is equivalent to 5% of Target''s Maximum Mana.


    Range: 10 meters


    Duration: 5 seconds


    Cooldown: 30 seconds


    ��--


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: F+


    Progress: (6/100)


    Conquest is not all about imingnds, and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.


    Upgrade Rewards: +5 to All Stats, +200 Health Points, Mana Drain [EX]


    Note: Upgrading your special constitution will allow you to unlock its abilities.<sub> </sub>


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Health: 450 / 450


    Mana: 130 / 130


    Strength: 25 (+3)


    Intelligence: 25 (+1)


    Vitality: 20


    Agility: 23 (+3)


    Dexterity: 20 (+3)


    Defense: 100


    Free Stat Points Avable: 10


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX]


    Skills: Power Shot, sh, Dark Arrow


    ��--


    After looking at his Soul Book, Lux eyed the nine remaining beast cores in his storage bag with determination.


    "Mybined stat points right now is 93," Lux muttered. "If I convert all of the Beast Cores into stat points, I will have a total of 193bined stat points. I''m only seven points away from bing an Apostle."


    The Half-Elf didn''t expect that he would be able to graduate from the Beginner''s Vige in less than a month after arriving at Elysium.


    Now he understood how important it was to have many resources, especially a good supply of Beast Cores, to instantly raise a person''s stats to a very high degree.


    Lux was, of course, very happy with how things turned out, but he also understood that he hadn''t achieved his current status by his own abilities alone.


    Even so, his goal hadn''t changed. Once he decided on something, he would carry it out to the best of his abilities.


    After taking a deep breath to regain hisposure, Lux took the beast cores out of the storage bag and consumed them one by one.


    There was still one more thing he had to do before meeting Colette in a few hours, and that was to visit the Adventurer''s Guild to choose a Job ss.


    Once a person had umted 100bined stats. They would be eligible to pick a Job ss, which would give them a boost in overall strength.


    Not only that, they would also learn exclusive skills that belonged to their chosen profession.


    Lux was curious about what kind of Job sses would be avable to him when he visited the Adventurer''s Guild.


    His Grandma Vera had told him that there were some hidden Job sses that could be found in Elysium as well. These sses were extremely powerful like the Dragon Rider ss, which allowed them to tame Dragons that could fight with them in battle.


    Just like everyone else, Lux also dreamed of having one of those hidden Job sses. Most people said that they found these rare sses through fortuitous encounters, while others said they were bestowed upon them by Masters who were looking for disciples to inherit their legacies.


    Lux sighed as he put aside these thoughts for the time being. He had finished consuming all of the Beast Cores, and prepared to leave his room to visit the Adventurer''s Guild.


    He had no intention of leaving Leaf Vige anytime soon because he still needed to do a few things in order to prepare for the goal he had in mind.


    As long as this goal was achieved, he could leave Leaf Vige with a clear conscience.


    Lux decided to pave his own path in the world of Elysium, regardless of what people thought of him. As long as his Grandma Vera, Max, and Eriol believed in him, then he could walk the rough and winding road with his head held high.

 Chapter 33 Lux’s Job Class [Part 1]

    "A Job ss change? Certainly," the guild receptionist said with a smile. "Please follow me, Lux. We need to go to the back of the Guild where the shrine is."


    "Thank you Miss Amelia," Lux replied.


    After walking for a few minutes, Amelia led Lux to a small shrine where a white crystal ball the size of a basketball ball was ced on a pedestal.


    On their short walk towards their destination, the guild receptionist gave Lux some tips when it came to choosing a Job ss.


    Lux had already asked his Grandma about changing professions in Elysium, so he already knew most of what Amelia was telling him. Even so, he appreciated the gesture because it meant that the receptionist cared for his well being.


    "Just ce your hand on the crystal ball, Lux," Amelia said. "Make sure to think carefully before you choose your profession."


    Lux nodded. "I will. Thank you, Miss Amelia."


    After taking a deep breath, Lux ced his palm over the crystal ball.


    A few secondster, it glowed and a projection appeared in front of him.


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaiser


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    < Compatible Job sses >


    Swordsman


    Magic Knight - (Rare)


    Magician -


    Battle Mage - (Rare)


    Summoner - (Unique)


    Necromancer - (Hidden ss)


    ��--


    Lux blinked once then twice after seeing the Job ss options that were avable to him.


    He had already expected the Necromancer ss to appear in his choices, but he didn''t expect that it was categorized as Hidden ss.


    In Elysium, there were several sses that people could choose from. They are further divided into different types.


    The first type was the Basic Job sses, which were avable to everyone. Examples of the Basic Job sses were Swordsman, Thief, Brawler, Magician, Archer, Fighter, and Healer.


    Then there were the Rare Job sses. These sses were usually a hybrid of the Basic Job sses. If a person was good in swordsmanship and capable of wielding magic then he could be a Magic Knight.


    Same with magicians who preferred to learn both closebat and magic spells. The option to be a Battle Mage would be allowed to them.


    As for Unique sses, these were professions that were rtively hard to find. Just like the Hidden ss, Unique sses could only be obtained through fortuitous encounters. These rare events, which would only happen out of the blue, usually blessed people to learn Job sses that were not avable to everyone.


    Hidden sses were simr to Unique sses. Only lucky or very unlucky people could bump into professions that no one usually had ess to.


    An example of this was Lux''s Necromancer ss. If he didn''t acquire the Necromancy Skill Book during his Gacha Pull, then there was no way that he would have ess to the Summoner and Necromancer Job sses from the get go.


    Of course, there were instances when people stumbled upon these hidden sses as they journeyed through the world of Elysium. If this happened, they could visit the Adventurer''s Guilds, Temples, or Shrines, to change their professions and start from scratch.


    Thankfully, however, only the skills of the previous Job ss would be erased from the person''s Soul Book. Their stat points would remain the same.


    After thinking for a while, Lux finally decided on the Necromancer Job ss. Since he had already intended to strengthen Diablo, picking this choice would be the optimal choice for his future progress in Elysium.


    ��--


    < You have chosen the Necromancer Job ss >


    < Is this your final answer? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��-


    Lux chose yes.


    After making his choice, the crystal ball glowed and enveloped Lux in a white light. This only happened for a brief moment, and yet, Lux felt a new kind of power start to flow inside his body.<sub> </sub>


    ��--


    < Necromancer >


    "Say hello to my Little Friends!"


    �C the Necromancer specializes in the practice of ck Magic, which is sometimes called Death Magic, that allows them tomunicate with and summon the dead.


    They are also capable of casting curses to weaken their enemies and allow their Undead Minions to deal them the final blow.


    < You already have learned the Necromancy Skills for this Job ss >


    < Calcting Job ss Change Bonus aspensation >


    < Job ss Change Bonus >


    100% Mana Regeneration


    +500 to Health


    +1 to all Stats


    +1 to all Summoning Skills


    ��--


    "Wow!" Lux wasn''t able to stop himself from voicing out his excitement after seeing the Job ss Bonus that he received.


    Usually, people who changed their professions wouldn''t get the same kind of Bonus that Lux got. However, since he did not need to learn the Necromancer Skills, he was given a Job ss Change Bonus aspensation.


    Seeing Lux''s expression, Amelia thought that he had been blessed by a Rare Job ss.


    She had witnessed this event happen many times in the past, so she just smiled and proceeded to do her job as the Guild''s receptionist.


    "Have you already chosen a Job ss?" Amelia asked.


    Lux nodded. "Yes, Miss Amelia."


    "Then, please, give me your Guild Card. we will need to update your current information."


    "Ah! I almost forgot."


    Lux presented his guild card to Amelia, and the receptionist asked the Half-Elf for a drop of his blood in order to upgrade his current information.


    The red-headed boyplied and the information on his guild card was updated..


    ��--


    < Guild Card >


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Job ss: Necromancer


    Registered in Leaf Vige


    ��--


    "N-Necromancer?!" Amelia almost dropped the guild card in her hand after seeing Lux''s current Job ss. "Isn''t this a Hidden ss? How did you get this?!"


    Lux blinked as the gears in his head started to turn in overdrive as he thought of an excuse to exin how he gained this profession.


    Usually, Hidden sses weren''t that easy to obtain. Any individual who acquired a Hidden Job ss would receive special attention from the Adventurer''s Guild.


    They could also gain ess to information that was exclusive to the Adventurer''s Guild like current news in the neighboring kingdoms, or any monster sightings that required strong adventurers to exterminate.


    "D-During the Monster Outbreak, I kind of felt a connection with the Undead after almost dying," Lux replied. "When I was attacked by the Draugr, I thought I was going to die. The thought of death might have unlocked something inside me, and allowed me to grasp the power of Necromancy."


    Amalie listened to Lux''s exnation with a serious expression on her face.


    "This is a possibility." Amelia nodded. "There are certain people in history who have unlocked Hidden sses during life and death situations. This information has been in the Adventurer''s Guild Compendium. You''re very lucky, Lux. Not many are able to get a Hidden ss. I''m happy for you!"


    "T-Thank you," Lux replied. He was feeling a bit guilty for lying to Amelia, but he had no other choice. He couldn''t possibly exin that he acquired the Necromancy Job ss through using a golden ticket for a Gacha Pull.

 Chapter 34 Lux’s Job Class [Part 2]

    After leaving the Adventurer''s Guild, Lux returned to the inn and went back to his room in order to tie up the loose ends of his ss Change.


    Lux stared at the 100 untouched Stat Points in his Soul Book and decided to start allocating them.


    After someone had acquired 200bined stat points, they would step into the ranks of a Grade D Apostle.


    This was the first step towards breaking through the limits of mortality, and would set the person apart frommoners. Therefore, after Lux stepped into this new realm, he would have to leave Leaf Vige and go to an Intermediate Town.


    But for the time being, Lux had no intention of leaving yet because he still had unfinished business in the Beginner''s Area. Having considered this, he decided to limit his stats, so he wouldn''t cross the threshold into that of Apostles.


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Health: 960 / 960


    Mana: 940 / 940


    Strength: 46 (+3)


    Intelligence: 46 (+1)


    Vitality: 31


    Agility: 34 (+3)


    Dexterity: 31 (+3)


    Free Stat Points Avable: 30


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX]


    Active Skills: Power Shot, sh, Dark Arrow,


    Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude


    ��--


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    <o>,m Rating: F+</o>


    Progress: (51/100)


    ��--


    After limiting his stats, Lux was now only twelve points away from bing an Apostle. Although he had enough stats to do so, he decided to put them on hold until he was done upgrading all of his other skills to the limit of the Beginner''s Area.


    His Health Points and Mana had risen drastically after he changed his profession, which made him feel more secure in fighting against the monsters that had easily beaten him in the past, just like the Draugr.


    His first skill Summon Skeleton that he acquired after he got + 1 to all Summoning Skills had  also been upgraded.


    ��--


    < Choose which upgrade you wish to take. >


    Option 1: Summon two Skeletons to fight for you instead of one.


    Option 2: Upgrade Summon Skeleton Skill to Summon Skeleton Warrior.


    ��--


    After experiencing the Monster Outbreak, Lux''s mentality had also changed. Instead of quantity, he now focused on quality.


    "Let''s go with Summon Skeleton Warrior," Lux muttered as he clicked his choice.


    ��--


    < Summon Skeleton Warrior >


    Rating: F+


    Mana: 5


    �C Summons one Skeleton Warrior to fight for you


    �C Summon duration: 1 hour


    �C Skill Cooldown: 5 minutes.


    < Skeleton Warrior >


    Health: 30


    Attack: 5 - 15


    ��---


    Unlike Diablo, whose stats he could see, the stats of the Summoned Creatures were fixed. This was also an example advantage of having a Named Creature instead of normal Monsters. Their growth rate was at least two to three times faster whenpared to other Monsters of the same rank.


    Lux smirked before going to Diablo''s Personal page. His Named Creature was also affected by the "+1 to all Summoning Skills" bonus that he received from his ss Change.


    He remembered the note telling him that Diablo would go through a qualitative change after he was upgraded again, so Lux happily checked to see if the changes had already been implemented on his Named Creature''s Status Page.


    ��-


    < Diablo has reached the requirement for a Job Change >


    < Please Choose your named Creature''s Job ss wisely >


    < Compatible Job sses >


    < Skeleton Barbarian >


    �C U MAD BRUH? The Skeleton Barbarian is always mad. Its sole purpose is to deal as much damage to the enemy without care for its own life. This is a pure offensive Job ss that brings fear to the hearts of anyone who faces them in battle.


    (Job ss Bonus)


    +20 Strength


    Active Skill: Berserk, Stone Body.<sub> </sub>


    ��--


    < Skeleton Fighter >


    �C If you need ackey that handles everything like fighting, cooking, or doing theundry then the Skeleton Fighter is your best pick. It is not only a warrior, but also a tactician. It has well rounded abilities that allow it to both attack and defend, depending on the situation.


    (Job ss Bonus)


    +10 Strength


    +5 Agility


    +5 Dexterity


    Passive Skill: Parry, Tactician


    ��--


    < Skeleton Shield Warrior >


    �C Need a meatshield? Look no further! The Skeleton Shield Warrior is the Masochist of the Skeletal Race. No matter if you are fighting a Dwarf, or a Dragon, this cannon fodder will always die before you!


    (Job ss Bonus)


    +20 Vitality


    +500 Health Points


    Active Skill: Taunt


    Passive Skill: Guts


    ��-


    "Diablo can also change Job sses?" Lux''s eyes widened in shock after looking at the three options that were presented right in front of him.


    This also made Lux realize that he still hadn''t given his Named Creature a role in his party. Roles were very important because it could make or break a team''sposition, especially when going on raids and dungeon expeditions.


    ''Although a Barbarian is good, I don''t want Diablo to be a mindless killing machine.'' Lux rubbed his chin. ''A Skeleton Fighter is also good because it''s an all rounder. As for the Shield Warrior, this is a must have in any party��''


    Currently, Lux was torn between a Skeleton Fighter and a Skeleton Shield Warrior. After spending a quarter of an hour thinking about the pros and cons of both, he finally settled for the Skeleton Fighter for its well rounded stats.


    It could both attack and defend. The Skeleton Fighter had the flexibility that neither the Skeleton Barbarian or the Skeleton Shield Warrior had.


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    "Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Skeleton Fighter


    �C Rating: D


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress ( 35 / 100)


    Health: 670 / 670


    Mana: 640 / 640


    Attack: 50 - 65 (+20 Damage from Tranquility)


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    Strength: 33 (+1)


    Intelligence: 32


    Vitality: 31 (+2)


    Agility: 32 (+2)


    Dexterity: 32 (+2)


    Defense: 75


    Title: Firstborn


    Active Skills: sh


    Passive Skills: Parry, Tactician


    Note: Congrattions! Your Partner has finally unlocked its first Job ss! Now things are going to get really interesting!


    ��--


    After properly organizing his Soul Book, Lux unsummoned it andid on his bed.


    The Beast Cores that had been given to him by Colette also allowed him to learn the passive skill "Fortitude", which automatically upgraded itself to Enhanced Fortitude due to Lux''s Skill Evolution [EX].


    ��---


    < Enhanced Fortitude >


    (Passive Skill)


    �C Enhanced Fortitude decreases all damage received by 10%.


    ��--


    Although a 10% decrease in damage might not seem much, this would prove very useful when he fought off stronger monsters because it worked for both physical and magical damage.


    ''Now I understand why Lord Gerald issued a decree to not allow any of the adults to spoil their children by giving them Beast Cores to boost their stats at the early stages,'' Lux mused. ''It gives them a false sense of security knowing that they will be able to outss the Monsters in the Beginner''s Area.


    This carelessness might lead them to lower their guard, causing them tomit several mistakes because they thought that they were strong enough to handle anything the Monsters throw at them.


    ''I better be careful with my mindset, or else I might suffer the same fate as those sons of noble families who fearlessly challenged the Alpha Monsters and Field Bosses due to their boosted stats.''


    Lux nced at the clock on the wall and decided to take a nap for a few hours before meeting Colette and Matty at the Bronze Crypt. This had been a very eventful day, and he needed to rest his mind in order to be ready for his first ever Dungeon exploration.

 Chapter 35 Leaving A Legacy Behind

    "So, you''re finally here," Matty said in an annoyed expression. "What took you so long? I''ve been waiting here for twenty minutes already!"


    "Sorry, I woke up a littlete from my nap," Lux apologized. "Where is Colette?"


    After scanning the faces of the Dwarves in front of him, he found that only the adorable little girl was missing. As if waiting for that cue, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard in the clearing.


    "Sorry, everyone!" Colette shouted as she ran towards her party members. "I overslept. Did I make you guys wait for too long?"


    Matty smiled as he looked at the object of his affection. "No. We just arrived here a minute ago. You''re notte at all."


    "Really? I''m d. I thought I made you guys wait."


    "No. I also overslept a bit. Hahaha."


    Lux looked at the fawning Dwarf boy and forced down his urge to spit on Matty''s face.


    ''When I was the one that waste, you got angry.''


    ''But, when the one you like iste, you turn a blind eye.''


    ''What''s this? Discrimination much? Double standards!''


    "Big Brother, did I make you wait for long?" Colette shifted her attention to Lux and held his hand. "Sorry. It won''t happen again."


    "I just arrived as well," Lux replied. "Don''t worry about it."


    This was the first time Lux would explore a Dungeon with a party, so he didn''t want to create amotion and sh with Colette''s friends. For now, he decided to turn a blind eye to Matty''s behavior because he understood that the little Dwarf was a simp.


    ''This is really like a game,'' Lux thought as a row of words appeared in front of him.


    < Do you want to join the Golden yers Party? >


    < Yes / No >


    Lux epted Colette''s request and formally joined the Dwarven Party. Although there was no option to see each other''s Health Points like in games, forming a party allowed everyone to share team buffs that increased their stats.


    This was simr to the skill War Cry that Lux didn''t get because he chose Mana Drain instead.


    The moment he joined the party, he felt as if a refreshing breeze blew over him.


    Seeing his reaction, Matty immediately smirked and decided to tell him what was happening.


    "Colette changed her profession to Pdin," Matty exined. "Everyone that is in her party gets a passive regeneration boost that heals minor injuries. However, if you get a fatal injury, don''t expect it to save your life."


    "I see." Lux nodded in understanding. "You are amazing, Colette!"


    The little girl smiled after being praised by Lux. Due to her good mood, she grabbed Lux''s hand and dragged him towards the entrance of the Bronze Crypt.<sub> </sub>


    "Big Brother, take a look at this," Colette said as she pointed at a bronze te located right beside the entrance of the cave. "The names of the Top Three Party that have cleared this dungeon in Hell Mode are all written here. The rankings are based on their individual performance. But usually, the party who clears the dungeon faster will get in the Top Six spots."


    "I see." Lux nced at the Bronze te and focused on the name that held the top spot. ''Aina Van Goldenyer�� wait! Goldenyer? Isn''t that the name of our party?''


    Lux blinked once then twice before shifting his attention at the adorable little girl that was looking back at him with a big grin on her face.


    "Aina Van Goldenyer is my Big Sister!" Colette said with pride. "Ever since she cleared the dungeon in Hell Mode with her party members, her record has never been broken for the past four years. Isn''t my Big Sister amazing?"


    "She is amazing," Lux agreed, "but we can be more amazing than her! How about we beat Hell Mode and put our names on this te as well?"


    "Hah? Are you stupid?" Matty, who suddenly appeared beside Colette red at Lux. "Don''t you know that the boss in Hell Mode is a Rank 2 Berserker Barbarian Draugr? If you want to die, you can go in there by yourself! We''re just challenging the Normal Mode!"


    The rules of Dungeons in Elysium were different from the rules of the outside world.


    In Elysium, all dungeons had two modes. Normal Mode and Hell Mode.


    Hell Mode was, of course, the hardest mode, but it also gave better rewards. However, it was very dangerous to choose this mode without proper preparation. Many parties had died for this reason.


    Fortunately, the penalty for dying inside a dungeon was more forgiving than dying in the open world.


    Those who died inside the Dungeons in Elysium wouldn''t really die. They would respawn in the nearest town. But as a penalty, a quarter of their Status Points would be taken away.


    After dying, they had no choice but to regain their deducted experience points or consume Beast Cores to recover these lost points. Even so, this was still a better oue than challenging an unknown Dungeon and dying in the process.


    Lux was just teasing Colette when he said that they should challenge Hell Mode and let their names be written on the bronze te.


    The Half-Elf was aware that with his current strength, he would still need a bit more preparation before he could challenge the Hell Mode of the Bronze Crypt.


    "I''m not saying that we should challenge it now," Lux replied to Matty. "Before we leave Leaf Vige, most of us will be in the Apostle Rank. That is the perfect time to challenge the Hell Mode difficulty. Are you sure you don''t want to leave your mark here to be seen by future generations?"


    Matty turned quiet after hearing Lux''s words. Of course, he wanted to leave his name on the Bronze te, so others would know that he had once been here in the Leaf Vige and had aplished an amazing feat.


    "That''s right!" Colette said as she gazed at her sister''s name in the Bronze te. "Before we leave this vige, we should leave our mark here. Although I''m not confident that we can beat my Big Sister''s record, taking second ce is not impossible!"


    The members of Colette''s party also nodded their heads in agreement. They also wanted to leave a memento behind. Having their names recorded on the Bronze te was the best thing they could do to preserve their legacy.


    "Okay! Let''s do this!" Colette ced her hand on the Bronze Gate which would lead them inside the dungeon. The adorable dwarf chose Normal Difficulty. A secondter, the gate in front of them opened wide.


    "Please, listen to my orders once we''re inside," Colette reminded everyone. "Although this is just the Normal Difficulty, we might still be killed if we''re not careful."


    Everyone, including Lux nodded in agreement.


    Seeing that no one had anyints, Colette led the way and everyone else followed behind her.

 Chapter 36 Overcoming Your Fears [Part 1]

    "Summon Skeleton Warrior!"


    A gray skeleton with a horned helmet, wielding a bone sword and a shield appeared in front of Lux.


    ''Hmm, not bad,'' Lux thought as he observed his Skeleton Warrior. From the stats alone, he could already tell that it was stronger than Diablo back when it was still a Named Creature at its first level.


    ��-


    < Skeleton Warrior >


    Health: 30


    Attack: 5 - 15


    ��--


    "Is this the skeleton that fought alongside us back then?" Colette asked as she looked at the Skeleton Warrior. "He looks stronger than before."


    "No. This is not Diablo," Lux replied. "I just want to see how this skeleton performs during a fight."


    "I see." Colette nodded her head in understanding. "Still, I think it is stronger than most monsters here in Normal Mode. Of course, except the dungeon boss called Dark Draugr."


    Lux already knew that the only real threat in Normal Mode was the Boss, which was a monster that was at the peak of Rank 1 Monsters. This was why he had summoned his Skeleton Warrior in this stage. This dungeon was the perfect ce to test its fighting abilities.


    "Well then, time to suit up," Lux thought as he equipped his Relentless Warrior Armor and his new sword, Oathbreaker.


    ��-


    < Oathbreaker, Dark de of Eternity >


    Rarity: Unique


    (One Handed Sword)


    Requirement: 100 Combined Stats


    �C Attack: 100-145 Dark Damage


    �C Physical skills deal 20% more damage.


    �C Has a 10% chance to trigger double damage with each attack. This ability works with skills as well.


    ��--


    Lux''s red armor and sword caught the party''s attention because they looked so cool as a set. Even Matty, who liked nitpicking everything about him, was left speechless by his current attire.


    "Big Brother, you look so cool!" Colette eximed as she looked at Lux with sparkling eyes. "Where did you get that armor and sword? I''m pretty sure that this set can''t be found here in Leaf Vige."


    "My Grandma gave it to me. After hearing what happened during the Monster Outbreak, she thought that I needed equipment to protect myself in battle."


    Earlier, Lux had been wearing his Wolf''s Leather Armor, which was considered a fashionable set of armor.


    Since he had two interchangeable equipment slots, the Half-Elf decided to use the wolf''s armor as his default Fashion Set to make others think that it was his only set of armor.


    "This sword seems powerful." Matty eyed Lux''s weapon with great interest.


    He was a Dwarf Weaponmaster, which was a rare ss just like the Pdin. It was normal for Matty to have a great interest in swords, so he had always been familiar with them. He could naturally feel that Lux''s swords were quite extraordinary.


    "Its name is Oathbreaker," Lux said with a smile.


    p "It''s a good sword."</anda>


    "Thank you."


    After finishing their short chat, everyone started to pull their focus back to their mission.


    Lux, Colette, and Matty were the vanguards, while the mages Andy and Axel were at the rear. The only cleric in their party, Helen, was at the center of the formation, and she was protected by everyone.


    The Skeleton Warrior was used as a scout for detecting if there were any enemies ahead.


    It didn''t take long before the Skeleton Warrior attacked the lone zombie that it had detected in front of it.


    The battle didn''tst long. Naturally, the Skeleton Warrior came out victorious.


    Lux observed his Summon and found out that it wasn''t as smart as Diablo when it came to making decisions in battle. Although its performance was passable, he had long gotten used to Diablo''s style. The Skeleton Warrior''s movement and attack patterns were too stiff for his taste.<sub> </sub>


    ''Maybe things will change after its next upgrade,'' Lux thought as he continued to follow the skeleton from behind.


    On their way, their party encountered two skeletons and a zombie blocking the path they wanted to take.


    Colette, Matty, and the Skeleton Warrior only took a  short time to deal with them because they were merely small fries.


    After experiencing the Monster Outbreak, these low level monsters were no longer a big deal to Colette''s party. Just like Lux, their parents had given them Beast Cores to allow them to boost their stats and get their first Job ss. As a result, they had be stronger than they originally were during the attack on Leaf Vige.


    Lux could somewhat understand what Colette and the others were doing. They were trying to prove that they were no longer the weak little children who had almost lost their lives in a battle that was way out of their league.


    ''People grow through adversity,'' Lux thought as he kept his stance to protect the mages and the cleric from any sudden attacks from their rear.


    Although everyone had a boost in their strength, none of them wanted to be toocent during their very first Dungeon expedition.


    An hour passed and, just as Lux expected, their party managed to reach the Boss Room without any hitch from themon Undead.


    "This is the real thing," Colette gazed at the door with determination. "Everyone, please prepare to battle. Our opponent is a monster that is only a step away from bing a Rank 2 Monster. It is more powerful than the Draugr''s we faced on the Monster Outbreak. Does everyone have their teleportation crystal?"


    Lux, Matt, and the rest of the party nodded their heads. If they really couldn''t ovee their opponent, they would use the teleportation crystal to escape the battle.


    "Okay, let''s go," Colette stated as she pushed open the door.


    After everyone had entered the room, the bronze gate behind them closed, sealing their path from behind.


    The dim lighting from the glowing crystals in the room allowed them to see a figure seated on what seemed to be a small hill made of bones.


    Blue orbs of light glowed at the monster''s eye sockets as the Dark Draugr slowly stood up from where he sat.


    "It is about to attack," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "Colette, your orders?"


    Lux asked Colette, but thetter didn''t reply to his question.


    "Colette? What''s wrong?" Lux was about to pat her shoulder because she didn''t give him any reply. However, before his hand could even reach her, the little girl copsed on the floor, breathing heavily.


    "Colette?!" Lux immediately crouched down to check on the girl''s condition, but all he could see was that Colette''s body was trembling all over.


    ''D-Don''t tell me this is some sort of trauma she developed from the Monster Outbreak?!'' Lux shifted his attention to his other party members, and almost all of them were showing the same expressions as Colette.


    The Dark Draugr released a ferocious howl and charged towards them, holding a ck sword in each hand.


    "Skeleton Warrior! Block him!" Lux ordered.


    The Skeleton Warrior charged at the Dark Draugr in an attempt to stop its charge, but as soon as the two Undead Warriors collided, the Skeleton Warrior shattered into pieces.


    The Dark Draugr continued its charge towards the Dwarves with no intention of showing any mercy.


    "S-Sh*t!" Lux cursed out loud as he grabbed Colette from the ground and carried her towards the Bronze Gate. "Matty, Andy, Axel, Helen! Use your teleportation crystals now!"


    Matty breathed heavily as sweat streamed down his forehead. His body shuddered uncontrobly as he forced himself to move, but the Draugr''s intimidating presence froze him in ce.


    Andy, Axel, and Helen weren''t faring any better.


    Lux had forgotten that these Dwarves were just twelve-year-old children. Although they had already changed their professions and became stronger, deep down inside, the Monster Outbreak had left a scar in their minds.


    The Half-Elf even had a hunch that the reason why their party decided to challenge the Bronze Crypt was to ovee the fear that had buried itself deep into their hearts.


    "M-Mama��," Matty''s tears and snot poured out from his eyes and nose as the Dark Draugr raised its weapons to cut him to pieces.


    "Matty!" Colette shouted as she looked helplessly at her friend who was about to get killed in front of her eyes.


    It was at that moment that a ck Knight suddenly appeared and smashed its shield against the side of the Draugr''s body, sending thetter flying a few meters away.


    The Dark Draugr howled in anger as it stood back up, facing the enemy that had dared to get in its way.


    A ck Knight stood in front of the Dwarves, carrying the sword, Tranquility, and the shield, Dawne, in its hands. A pair of golden eyes glowed brightly inside the ck Knight''s helmet as it stared at its opponent fearlessly.


    "Diablo, don''t let that bastard near the children!" Lux ordered.


    The ck Knight nodded its head before summoning a Forest Wolf to fight alongside it.


    Diablo, Lux''s first Named Creature and trustedpanion, pointed its sword at the Dark Draugr''s face and moved it in a taunting manner.


    After being upgraded and getting its First Job ss, Diablo''s intelligence had risen to a higher level. He knew that his opponent was stronger than him, but he didn''t care. Right now, he only had one duty, and that was to protect everyone in the Boss Room and ensure that all of them would be able to leave this ce alive.

 Chapter 37 Overcoming Your Fears [Part 2]

    "Skeleton Warrior, go!" Lux ordered as he hastily carried Helen in a princess carry.


    The Skeleton Warrior, on the other hand, grabbed Andy and Axel, carrying them like sacks over its shoulders.


    Matty had somehow recovered his wits and ran alongside them. Only when all the children were at the edge of the room, with their backs against the Bronze Gate, did Lux finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    He then watched as Diablo and the Dark Draugr fought an intense one-on-one battle.


    The Dark Draugr''s twin des glowed as it prepared to use its sh against the ck Knight in front of it.


    Diablo didn''t back down as he, too, prepared to unleash his own sh Skill as well.


    When the two attacks met, the Dark Draugr took a step back, while Diablo skidded a few meters away. Even so, the golden embers that glowed brightly on the ck Knight''s helmet never wavered.


    Diablo lunged towards the Dark Draugr, and thrust it sword forward. Thetter deflected it to the side and counter-attacked with a stab of its own, but it was blocked by Diablo''s round shield.


    The two Undead exchanged several blows against each other, with Diablo being pushed back most of the time. Even so, Lux''s Named Creature had sessfully activated his Parry Skill several times, dealing damage to the enemy in front of him.


    After watching the battle, the children had somewhat recovered theirposure and were able to think clearly. All of them were surprised that the skeleton that had fought alongside them during the Monster Outbreak had be so strong.


    They couldn''t believe that in the short period of time that they hadn''t seen Diablo, thetter was now able to stand up against a Rank 1 Monster by himself.


    "A-Amazing," Matty stuttered. "Despite the difference in strength, Diablo is able to fight back."


    "Do you think Diablo can win?" Helen asked.


    "No," Lux replied. "The Dark Draugr is stronger than Diablo right now, so he can''t win by himself. However, he is not alone. All of you stay here, I''ll help Diablo. Skeleton Warrior, protect the children."


    Lux didn''t wait for any of their replies and charged at the battlefield pointing his finger at their adversary.


    "Dark Arrow!"


    An arrow of darkness shot out from Lux''s finger and hit the Dark Draugr''s face. Unfortunately, it didn''t trigger the Blind Effect that he was hoping for.


    The Dark Draugr nced at Lux''s direction in annoyance, but before it could even attack the red-headed boy, a shield mmed into its body, sending it skidding several meters away.


    Just as the Dark Draugr was about to counter attack, the Forest Wolf jumped and wed the Undead''s face once before running away.


    Ever since the battle had started, the Forest Wolf was doing hit and run tactics following Diablo''s will. It was weaker than the Dark Draugr and would instantly die if thetter shed it once. However, Diablo used it effectively and only ordered it to attack whenever the Rank 1 Monster couldn''t retaliate.


    "Dark Arrow!"


    Another arrow of darknessnded on the Dark Draugr''s head. This skill dealt no damage since its sole purpose was to blind its targets. Unfortunately, the Blind Effect didn''t trigger, which made Lux wonder if their enemy was immune to Blind Spells.


    This time around the Dark Draugr was truly mad. Three enemies were attacking it at the same time in quick session, and it was having trouble deciding who among them it was going to attack first.


    Diablo had kept close proximity to the Draugr, ready to react to whatever kind of action it might take. The Named Creature''s defenses and stats had been upgraded, so only a third of its Health Points had been shaved off by the enemy during their intense exchange earlier.


    Lux was also starting to familiarize himself with the Boss Monster''s attack pattern. He was only waiting for an opportunity to strike and deal it a devastating blow.


    The Dark Draugr howled as it once again activated its sh Skill. Diablo received it with practiced defense, mitigating the damage he received.


    At the same time, the Forest Wolf and Lux charged at the Draugr from its left and right sides.<sub> </sub>


    "sh!" Lux roared as Oathbreaker shone in a crimson glow. Its de shed the Undead''s body, shaving off a tenth of its Health Points in a single blow.


    The Forest Wolf once again swiped its ws on the Draugr''s head, dealing very little damage.


    The Dark Draugr took a step back, due to the force behind Lux''s blow and raised both of its swords to a defensive position.


    Lux immediately backed away because he didn''t want to continue attacking the Draugr that had opted to defend itself from further attacks. However, the Half-Elf didn''t forget to fire a Dark Arrow on the immobile Undead to try his luck.


    This time around, the Blind Effect triggered and a ck mist oozed out of the Dark Draugr''s eyes.


    "Andy! Axel! Attack it now!" Lux shouted which brought the two Dwarf Mages back to their senses.


    "T-That''s right. We came here to fight, not to watch," Andy muttered as he raised his staff and aimed it at the Undead that was suffering from blindness. After saying a short incantation, a ball of mes the size of a tennis ball appeared at the tip of his staff.


    "Fire Bullet!"


    Just like Andy, Axel had also cast his own offensive spell and fired it at the same time his friend did.


    "Water Bullet!"


    The two spells pushed the Dark Draugr another two steps from where it stood, making the two mages regain their confidence.


    "We can do this!" Lux shouted. "This is not a one-on-one battle! This is an eight versus one battle! We got the upper hand. There''s no need to be scared. Diablo and I will protect all of you! So fight!"


    Colette, Matty, and Helen gripped their weapons firmly. After hearing Lux''s encouragement and seeing Andy''s and Axel''s attacksnd on their enemy, their courage had once again been reignited.


    "Charge!" Colette ordered as she ran towards the Dark Draugr with her mace ready to strike.


    Matty ran alongside Colette because there was no way he would let her fight alone. Holding his sword in a firm grip, he rushed ahead of her and shed at the Draugr that was wildly swinging its weapon around itself, in an attempt to hit something.


    As soon as Matty felt his sword hit the monster''s body, his blood started to boil for battle. He no longer felt afraid and timed his attacks, alongside hispanions.


    "Holy Smite!" Colette shouted as she smashed her mace against the Dark Draugr''s right leg, forcing it to lose its bnce.


    Helen, the Cleric of the group chanted and an arrow of light shot out from the tip of her staff, flying towards the Undead that had haunted her dreams for the past few days.


    "Holy Arrow!"


    The arrow of light hit the Undead''s chest and made it shriek in pain. Holy and Life Magic were the bane of the Undead, which made Colette''s and Helen''s attack deal significant damage to it.


    Suddenly, the Dark Draugr roared and a red mist oozed out of its body. The Blind Effect had also lost its effect, which allowed the Rank 1 Monster to finally see the insects that were ganging up on it.


    "Careful, it went berserk!" Lux shouted. "Colette, Matty, back away! Let Diablo handle the aggro first! Andy, Axel, Helen, stop firing spells and wait for my signal!"


    The children obeyed Lux''s orders without anyints and allowed Diablo to fight the Draugr head-on.


    They didn''t realize that they had started to recognize Lux as the leader of the party instead of Colette. The Dwarves listened to his orders as they reorganized their formation.


    Although he couldn''t see their enemy''s Health Bar, Lux was sure that the damage that they had dealt had surpassed half of the Dark Draugr''s Health Points, which forced it into a Berserked State.

 Chapter 38 Overcoming Your Fears [Part 3]

    Earlier, Diablo was forced in a passive position where it had no choice but to block, dodge, and parry the Dark Draugr''s strengthened attacks, which slowly depleted its Health Points.


    "Summon Diablo!" Lux shouted before his partner''s life was reduced to zero.


    The first thing that Diablo did after being respawned was to use Shield Bash against its enemy in order to prevent it from targeting the children. After a short dy, three spells flew side by side and sted the Dark Draugr''s several meters away from where it stood.


    "Dark Arrow!" Lux shouted for the umpteenth time in the hope that it would once again trigger the Blind Effect. Unfortunately, nothing happened, which forced the Half-Elf to use his other skill.


    "Mana Drain!"


    After using spell after spell, the Half-Elf''s mana had decreased a considerable amount. Lux used Mana Drain after the skill''s cooldown was over in order to replenish his dwindling mana reserves.


    Ten minutes passed as this intense battle continued. Diablo had been killed four times during that time, but it had sessfully fended off all attacks aimed at the children.


    Soon, the red mists surrounding the Dark Draugr faded. Lux and Diablo immediately closed the distance to deliver devastating blows, while their enemy entered a weakened state.


    "sh!"


    Diablo swung his sword on the Draugr''s left arm, while Lux''s shed its right, sessfully cutting them off their enemy''s body.


    "Now! Do it!" Lux shouted as he grabbed what remained of the Draugr''s right arm, and Diablo did the same with their enemy''s left arm.


    After doing so, Colette and Matty unleashed devastating attacks on the Undead''s body as if they were injected with chicken blood.


    Andy, Axel, and Helen watched this scene withplicated expressions on their faces.


    From their perspective, Diablo and Lux were like two Big Brothers who were pinning down a bully that had bullied their younger brother and sister.


    The two Dwarven children attacked without mercy as if venting out all of their frustrations on the person that bullied them, while their Big Brothers ensured that the Big Bad Bully couldn''t fight back.


    The other three watched the one-sided beating and nced at each other. Soon, they also ran towards the Dark Draugr like little Gremlins shouting war cries.


    Half a minuteter, five little children were hacking, shing, and bashing the pitiful Undead who could only passively ept their beating.


    The two mages and Cleric smashed their staffs on the Draugr''s face, while Colette and Matty bashed and hacked its body.


    Since the Dark Draugr was already at a weakened state, Diablo and Lux were able to hold it in ce due to their stats that hovered near the Apostle Rank.


    Lux could have ended the Draugr''s life faster if he worked together with Diablo. However, he didn''t do that for a simple reason.


    He wanted the children to ovee the trauma that had started to grow in their hearts. The only way for them to do that was to face their fears head on and ovee it.


    This was a verymon urrence for those that suffered in driving idents. Once those people sat behind the wheel again, they would have a distinct fear gripping their hearts. The best way to cure this feeling was to resume driving as soon as possible.


    If they dyed it, the trauma would just grow. It would make it harder for them to return to and regain their confidence in driving cars.


    Lux didn''t want the children to suffer, so he decided to nip the problem in the bud, while it still hadn''t fully grown.


    After five excruciating minutes, the Dark Draugr''s body shattered into a pile of bones before turning into particles of light.


    It left behind a Beast Core as well as one of the Dark Swords it had wielded earlier.


    "W-We did it!" Colette raised her weapon in excitement. "We won!"


    Matty clenched his fist in triumph before giving Colette a High Five.


    The other children also cheered and hugged each other for a job well done.


    Lux watched the young Dwarves with satisfied expressions stered on their faces as they realized they had seeded in defeating the Boss Monster. It was also at that moment that a series of notifications appeared in front of him which made the smile on his face widen.


    ��--<sub> </sub>


    < Achievement Unlocked! >


    < Clearing Bronze Crypt Normal Mode >


    < Rewards >


    �C 5 Free Stats Points


    �C 5 Body Constitution Points


    �C 5 Skill Points


    ��--


    Lux didn''t expect that he would get additional rewards for clearing the dungeon. Although the rewards weren''t much, he was still happy to receive them.


    "Big Brother, we did it!" Colette happily jumped up and down like a little kid that had won apetition.


    "Yes, you did well," Lux gave Colette a high five which made the adorable girl giggle.


    The Half-Elf raised his hand to also give the other children a high five, which they gave happily. Even Matty returned Lux''s gesture, which proved that the Dwarf boy was in a good mood.


    "Now, it''s time to divide the loot," Colette said after calming down.


    All the Dwarves looked at the Beast Core and the sword lying on the ground and exchanged a nce with each other.


    "I don''t want it," Matty said.


    "Me, either," Axel stated.


    "Me, either." Helen giggled.


    Colette smiled as she looked at Lux. "Big Brother, you can have the Beast Core and the ck Sword. I also don''t want it."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. "Alright. I will gratefully ept your wishes."


    All the Dwarves looked up at him with smiles on their faces. They knew that if Lux wasn''t there with them, all of them would have been killed by the Dark Draugr.


    The seed of fear and doubt that had started to grow in their hearts could have also grown bigger and haunted them for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, they had already managed to break free from its hold, and ovee their fears.


    Right now, all of them had the confidence that if they were to meet Draugr''s in the future, their bodies would no longer freeze up like scared children that were waiting for themselves to be killed.


    "Big Brother, do you have a moment?" Colette grabbed Lux''s hand after their party had exited the Dungeon.


    "What''s wrong?" Lux replied with a smile.


    "Nothing much. I just want to tell you that I have a beautiful older sister that is of the same age as you," Colette stated. "I guarantee that she is a good person. Although you''re not a Dwarf, I can y matchmaker and let the two of you meet. What do you say?"


    Lux blinked his eyes once then twice as he stared at the adorable girl that was looking back at him with the "leave everything to me" expression.


    "I will think about it," Lux replied.


    Colette pouted. "Big Brother, my Big Sister is very popr, you know? If you don''t act fast you will miss the opportunity of a lifetime. My Big Sister is that good!"


    Lux didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry at Colette''s attempt to y matchmaker. In the end, the little girl was able to make the Half-Elf promise that he would meet her sister, Aina, once he left Leaf Vige.


    After aplishing her goal, Colette and her friends walked towards the vige, while chattering happily. Lux walked behind them with a helpless smile on his face.


    For some reason, he was looking forward to his adventures with this little band of merry Dwarf children, while waiting for the day when he could leave Leaf Vige without any regrets.

 Chapter 39 Adventures That Would Be Remembered For A Lifetime

    After arriving in Leaf Vige, Lux parted with Colette and her friends and went back to the inn to check his spoils of war.


    He felt that it wasn''t appropriate to appraise the loot that the monster had dropped while they were still in the Dungeon, so he decided that he would do it when he was alone.


    Lux summoned the Sword that the Dark Draugr had dropped and checked its information.


    ��--


    < The ck de, Foe of the Covenant >


    Rarity: Rare


    (One Handed Sword)


    �C Attack: 30 - 50


    �C When equipped, the user will gain the Passive Skill "Dual Wielding".


    < Dual Wielding >


    �C Able to wield two one-handed weapons in each hand without receiving any penalty. You will be able to use both weapons as if you are wielding them with your dominant hand.


    ��-


    "Its attack is stronger than Tranquility, and allows its user to Dual Wield��," Lux thought as he rubbed his chin. "But, Tranquility can summon a Forest Wolf. Also, having Dawne on Diablo allows him to use Shield Bash to stun enemies for a brief moment. The reason why the Dark Draugr wasn''t able to deal any powerful blows is due to Shield Bash."


    After thinking things through, Lux decided not to swap the ck de with Tranquility. His only weapon right now was Oathbreaker. It was a unique weapon that could be considered a cheat item in his current level.


    "I guess for now I can equip both Oathbreaker and the ck de," Lux muttered as he returned the sword inside his storage ring.


    Lux also didn''t forget to allocate his rewards to his Body Constitution and Diablo to increase their progression level. As for the free stat points he had, he didn''t touch them for the time being because he had no intention of breaking through the Apostle Grade anytime soon.


    ��-


    Free Stat Points Avable: 35


    ��--


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: F+


    Progress: (56/100)


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    Rating: D


    Progress ( 40 / 100)


    ��---


    Colette and the others invited him toe with them to the Figaro Garden located in the North Zone of Leaf Vige. This was a ce where insectoid monsters roamed.


    ording to the adorable little Dwarf girl, there were rumors that there was a Unique Weapon hidden in this area. This was also the reason why they nned to investigate by themselves and check if the rumors were true.


    As the owner of the Elysium Compendium, Lux was aware of all the Unique Quests that could be found in Leaf Vige. One of them was even a Mythical Quest that was exclusive only to Beginner Viges.


    The Mythical Quest would give out Mythical Ranked items as rewards. However, its difficulty was so high that no beginner in their right minds would dare and try to challenge it. Also, since Mythical Quests were extremely rare quests, the only way to acquire them was based on luck and fortuitous encounters.


    Currently, Lux had two Mythical Items in his possession. One was the Elysium Compendium, which had all the information about Elysium. The other one was the ck coffin in Lux''s possession that went by the name "ckfire".


    The Elysium Compendium alone was already considered a priceless treasure. If Lux couldplete the Mythical Quest before he left Leaf Vige then he would gain another trump card on his journey through Elysium.


    Actually, the trigger of the quest was simpler than expected. All they needed to do was defeat all of the Alpha Monstres that were exclusive to each zone. However, even if the Dwarves defeated them, they would not be aware that they had triggered a Mythical Quest by ident.


    Until now, no one had managed toplete the Mythical Quest in the Beginner''s Vige because of how random it was.


    ��-


    < Mythical Quest >


    (Birth of a Legend)


    �C Defeat the Alpha Monster of the Aspiration ins.


    Carbuncle (0/1)


    �C Defeat the Alpha Monster of the Leaf Vige Cemetery<sub> </sub>


    Ghoul Beast (0/1)


    �C Defeat the Alpha Monster of Figaro Garden


    Red-eyed Terror Mantis (0/1)


    �C Defeat the Field Boss of Heartwood Forest


    Forest Wolf King  (0/1)


    ��--


    < Rewards >


    �C 500 Skill Points


    �C 50 Body Constitution Points


    �C 50 Stats Points


    �C Leaf Vige Equipment Set (Mythical)


    �C One random Mythical Item exclusive to the Leaf Vige


    Note: The Mythical Item reward will depend on your overall performance. So you better do your best!


    ��--


    Lux was sure that even if the Dwarves were able to defeat the three Alpha Monsters, the Field Boss, Forest Wolf King, was something that they wouldn''t dare to fight.


    ��--


    < Forest Wolf King >


    �C Beginner Zone Field Boss


    �C King of the Forest


    �C Rank 4 Field Boss Monster


    Health: 300,000 / 300,000


    Mana: 80,000 / 80,000


    Strength: 200


    Intelligence: 100


    Vitality: 250


    Agility: 250


    Dexterity: 150


    Skills: Windwalk, Wind de, Air st, Call of the Wild.


    ��--


    Lux estimated that only a hundred-men teamposed of Grade D up to Grade B Apostles, would be able to fight against this Field Boss, who was the Apex Creature within the boundaries of Leaf Vige.


    Field Bosses were different from Normal Rank 3 Monsters because of their strength and rarity.


    Simr to how Diablo was different from normal Skeletons, Field Bosses also had higher stats and powerful skills that surpassed monsters of the same rank.


    Clearing the Mythical Quest was only one of the two reasons why Lux was not in a hurry to leave Leaf Vige.


    His other goal was more important than the Mythical Quest, and it was on a more personal level.


    As long as this goal wasn''t achieved, Lux wouldn''t leave the Beginner''s Vige even after hepleted the Mythical Quest that no one had cleared in the past.


    Lux closed his eyes and the images of Colette and the other dwarves appeared in his head. They were the firstpanions that he had met in Elysium, and thought that it wouldn''t be a bad idea to go on adventures with them while he was still in Leaf Vige.


    "Grandma, I think I''ve made some new friends today," Lux said softly as he closed his eyes. "I hope that tomorrow will be another wonderful day."


    A minuteter, Lux was already fast asleep. He dreamt a happy dream.


    A dream where he and the Dwarf children went on epic adventures all around Elysium.


    Adventures that would be remembered for a lifetime.

 Chapter 40 Graduation Turned Disaster

    "Big Brother, over here!" Colette called out to Lux as soon as he appeared at the Northern Gate of Leaf Vige.


    "You guys are a bit early," Lux said with a smile. In order to prevent making the children wait, he hade half an hour earlier from their appointment.


    However, it seemed that he was not the only one who thought of this because everyone else had already gathered, with the addition of one more Dwarf boy in the party.


    "Big Brother, let me introduce you to our Ranger, Robin," Colette said with a smile. "He wasn''t able to apany us yesterday because he was finishing a quest for his Job ss Promotion."


    Lux eyed the young Dwarf with short dark-brown hair and hazel eyes, who was looking back at him with a frown. There was a hint of disapproval on Robin''s face, but Lux had long been used to this kind of expression from the Dwarves in Leaf Vige.


    Only Colette, and the other children that had explored the Dungeon with Lux, treated him like a friend.


    "Nice to meet you. Just call me Lux," Luxmented.


    Robin gave the Half-Elf a brief nod before averting his gaze. Clearly, he wasn''t interested in getting friendly with the new addition to their party.


    "Now that we''re all here, let''s go to the Figaro Gardens," Colette stated. "My acquaintance told me earlier that there are several ''Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes'' wandering around in the middle areas of the Garden. Although we can fight them, it is best that we avoid them if possible. If any of you see one, alert everyone in the group so we can withdraw as fast as possible."


    Everyone nodded their heads in understanding.


    The Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes were one of the most annoying monsters in Figaro Garden. All of them were a foot tall, and were known to always travel in groups.


    Their bite had a mild paralyzing effect, but it was not strong enough topletely render someone immobile. The problem was that, since they traveled in groups, the effect of each bite would stack. If someone were bitten more than six times, the paralyzing venom would take a hundred percent effect and render the victimpletely paralyzed.


    After that, they would have no choice but to watch in horror as these bloodsucking monsters drink their fill until they slowly lose consciousness due to blood loss.


    There was a saying in the Figaro Gardens.


    If the mosquitoes didn''t kill you, the other bugs will.


    Unconscious prey was a wee meal to any insects that lived within the garden, that had already imed countless lives, since the world of Elysium had opened to the world of Sis.


    After traveling for fifteen minutes on foot, all of them finally arrived at their destination.


    Lux was mildly surprised when he found out that the Figaro Garden was actually a ce where giant nts grow.


    For a brief moment, he even thought that he had shrunk because of the sheer size of the flowers around them.


    "It''s like a forest of flowers," Lux muttered as he followed behind Colette''s group.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Colette asked with a smile.


    "Yes, but I can also sense the danger in the surroundings," Lux replied. "I feel as if we will be attacked at any moment."


    As if waiting for that cue, a meter tall Ant suddenly came out of the grass beside the Half-Elf, which made thetter jump back in fright.


    Colette, Matty, and the rest of the groupughed after seeing this funny scene.


    "Damn, that almost gave me a heart attack," Lux said as he pressed his hand over his chest.


    The Ant that had crawled out of the bushes created a clicking sound with its mandibles as if trying tomunicate with them.


    Lux did his research and read the information about all the monsters in the Figaro Garden. The Ants in the garden were considered pacifists and simply minded their own business as they scavenged for food.


    They would not actively attack anyone, and they were also known for carrying wounded Dwarves back to Leaf Vige if they stumbled upon them while they were foraging.


    Because of this, the people in Leaf Vige would always warn the Foreigners to never attack or, worse, kill the Ants because no matter how docile they usually were, once they were attacked, they would retaliate.


    If someone killed one of their members, they would attack in swarms and hunt down the offender all the way to Leaf Vige. Anyone whomitted this taboo would not be protected by the Town''s Guards. They would be left to their own fate.


    As the Ant tried tomunicate with Colette and her friends, more Ants came out of the bushes carrying berries and other food stuff. They walked past the Dwarves as they headed back to their nest.


    Some of the Ants were even kind enough to offer berries to the Dwarves, which they politely declined.


    Lux watched this scene with great interest because this was the first time that he was interacting with the Ants of Figaro Garden.


    "I see." Robin nodded. "Thank  you for the warning. We greatly appreciate it."


    The Ant clicked its mandible a few more times before leaving the group of Dwarves to go back to its nest.


    After the Ants disappeared, everyone looked at Robin in askance. He was the only Ranger in the group with the skill called Beast Empathy, which allowed him to understand thenguage of monsters on a basic level.


    "They said that there are several Dwarves fighting against the Alpha Monster, roughly a kilometer in that direction," Robin said as he pointed towards the East. "The Ant also warned that dozens of Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes are loitering around the Northern area."


    Colette frowned because ording to the rumors, the location of the Unique Weapon that they were searching for was said to be found in the Northern area of the garden. However, the presence of over a dozen Predator Mosquitoes was extremely bad news for them.


    Although they weren''t as strong as a Rank 1 Monster, their sheer numbers and potential threat was more than enough for the little girl to reconsider their options.


    "For the time being, why don''t we head to the East?" Colette proposed. "Since the Ant said that several dwarves are fighting against an Alpha Beast, it must be the Graduation Ceremony of Leaf Vige."<sub> </sub>


    "Graduation ceremony?" Lux asked. "What Graduation Ceremony?"


    Helen, the party''s cleric, patted Lux''s arm in order to get his attention.


    "Big Brother, the Graduation Ceremony is when the Dwarves challenge any of the Alpha Monsters after reaching the Apostle Rank," Helen exined with a smile. "For us Dwarves who go to Elysium, this is our Rite of Passage to bing full-fledged Warriors."


    "I see." Lux nodded in understanding. "Since this is a special asion, why don''t we go and observe their fight against the Alpha Monster? This will allow us to prepare for our own Graduation Ceremony before we leave Leaf Vige."


    Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and immediately walked towards the East.


    Lux didn''t think that this so-called Graduation Ceremony was out of ce. In fact, he even thought that it was a very sensible thing to do. After breaking through the Apostle Rank, they would formally be known as true Warriors, and fighting an Alpha Beast was a good way to test their mettle before advancing onto their next journey in Elysium.


    Alpha Beasts were Peak Rank 2 Monsters. Although fighting them one-on-one was almost a suicide mission, fighting them as a party was doable.


    As they neared the territory of the Alpha Monster, they noticed that several dwarves were also headed into the same direction that they were.


    Graduation ceremonies were quite popr among the Dwarf children, and they all thought that it was a good opportunity to see just how strong an Alpha Beast was from a distance.


    Soon, sounds of metals shing against each other, and shouting reached their ears.


    In a wide clearing, a group of six Dwarves were fighting against the Alpha Monster of the Figaro Garden known as the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis.


    A single nce was enough to tell Lux that the Dwarves had the upper hand in the battle.


    "Amazing," Lux muttered. "Their teamwork is amazing."


    Lux watched in awe as a Shield Warrior, a Swordsman, and a Spearman, took turns in keeping the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis from attacking their rear fighters.


    At the back, Two Mages fired spell after spell, while the Shaman erected a healing ward that passively regenerated the Health of everyone in the party.


    Whenever the Terror Mantis changed target and attacked the mages, the Shield Warrior would use a Taunt Skill to force the monster to drag its attention to him.


    Once they had sessfully shifted its attention, the swordsman and the spearman would unleash a barrage of attacks at the Alpha Monster making it shriek in pain.


    ��--


    < Red-Eyed Terror Mantis >


    �C Figaro Garden Apex Creature


    �C Rank 2 Alpha Monster


    Health: 8,560 / 40,000


    Mana: 2,250 / 10,000


    Strength: 100


    Intelligence: 50


    Vitality: 100


    Agility: 150


    Dexterity: 100


    Skills: Fury sh, Gust, Berserk.


    ��--


    After the Health Points of the Terror Mantis was halved, the color of its body immediately turned red. This signaled the start of its berserked phase, which was also the most dangerous moment for the Dwarves who were currently facing it with their amazing teamwork.


    The Dwarves watching from afar clenched their fist in excitement because this was the turning point in the battle. All of them could feel their blood boiling as they watched the amazing disy of skills in front of them.


    While the battle between the berserked Terror Mantis and the Dwarves were about to reach its climax, a buzzing sound reached everyone''s ears.


    All the Dwarves in the area unconsciously shuddered because this sound was very familiar to them. Anyone who had been exploring in the Figaro Gardens for a long time was very familiar with this sound because it was the sign that a swarm of Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes were headed in their direction.


    "Everyone retreat to the South!!" the swordsman of the Dwarf party, that were facing off against the Terror Mantis, shouted. He was the leader of the group and knew more than anyone else how dire their current situation was.


    After issuing his order, his party immediately disengaged their battle with the Red Terror Mantis and hurriedly retreated. However, the Berserked Alpha Monster had no intention of letting them get away that easily.


    The other Dwarves, who had been observing the battle, also ran as if their pants were on fire. Lux''s and Colette''s group were among them and everyone''s faces were grim.


    As they ran away in haste, Lux nced behind him and saw a dark cloud headed in their direction. The sound of buzzing wings became stronger as the Predator Mosquitoes drew near.


    The Half-Elf had no doubt in his mind that if any creature were unfortunate enough to be overtaken by the swarm of mosquitoes, the only fate that awaited them was turning into a dried husk with all of their blood sucked out of their bodies.

 Chapter 41 Fishing In Troubled Waters [Part 1]

    As everyone ran for their lives, the ground under their feet trembled and several monsters joined their exodus.


    Ants, ground beetles, bees, flies,dybugs, wolf spiders, butterflies, and several other insects��that Lux was seeing for the first time��all fled in the opposite direction of the approaching swarm.


    A single Red-Striped Predator Mosquito was a monster that was far from being a threat. However, a swarm that numbered in the thousands was a different matter.


    It would only take ten bites to paralyze a Dwarf for an hour. In the face of thousands of mosquitoes, no creature in the Figaro Garden, no matter how strong and whether they were alone or in a group, would be able to resist their inevitable demise.


    For now, the Dwarves and beasts ignored each other and focused on looking for a safe ce to hide.


    "Follow the Ants!" Lux shouted. "Maybe we can hide in their nest or something."


    Colette and her party subconsciously followed Lux''s orders, with the exception of Robin. Even so, after seeing that his friends were now following the Half-Elf''s orders, he decided to not say anything and ran after them.


    Shrieks and screeches could be heard in the surroundings, mostly from the insects that had been overtaken by the mosquito swarm. Although the Dwarves were small, they were one of the fastest runners in the world of Elysium. Sometimes, they were even faster than Beastkins at running away!


    As chaos ensued, the group of Ants headed South East to return to their nest. Lux''s party and several other Dwarves, who had realized what they were nning, followed behind them.


    Fifteen minutester, they arrived at the Ant Nest where several Ant Guards were patrolling the area.


    "Diablo, Skeleton Warrior,e forth!" Lux ordered and his two Undead Warriors appeared beside him. The Half-Elf had thought of an idea while they were fleeing the mosquitoes and decided to give it a try.


    Colette and the others looked at Lux strangely, but the Half-Elf only told them to follow the Ants inside the nest.


    Surprisingly, none of the Ant Guards stopped them and allowed the Dwarves to enter their colony.


    After giving his two Undead subordinates orders, Lux also entered the safe area, Ant Nest, alongside the other fleeing Ants that wereing from other ces of the garden.


    Only after thest Ant had entered the nest did the Guard Ants closed the entrance, which made the Dwarves and a certain Half-Elf breathe a collective sigh of relief.


    "Damn, I thought I was a goner." Andy pressed his palm over his chest to calm his wildly beating heart.


    Axel nodded his head in agreement. "Still, it''s a bit of a shame. If the mosquitoes didn''te, that graduating party would have been able beat the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis without a problem.


    Colette, Matty, Helen, and Robin nodded their heads in agreement.


    The Dwarves that had followed their party inside the Ant Nest shared the same thoughts. Only the Half-Elf didn''t because he was not paying attention to their discussion. On the side, he silently sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.


    Right now, he was testing something that he had never done before.


    In his mind''s eye, he looked at a gray world with no other colors in it.


    Suddenly, a group of mosquitoes appeared in his vision. Diablo stopped moving, and the mosquitoes flew past him without even bothering to give him a second nce.


    Clearly, a skeleton deprived of blood was something that they were not interested in.<sub> </sub>


    It was at that moment when a smile appeared on Lux''s face. After testing to see that his theory was correct, he ordered Diablo and the Skeleton Warrior to look for traces of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis.


    He shared a special connection with his Named Creature that allowed him tomunicate with the other party on a deeper level.


    It allowed Lux to see and hear what Diablo could see and hear, which made his personal bodyguard the perfect chess piece to take advantage of the chaos that was currently happening inside the garden.


    Lux saw several dried up corpses of insects littered in the surroundings, which made him realize just how devastating the sudden mosquito attack was.


    Fortunately, he still hadn''t seen any Dwarf corpses, which gave him some peace of mind. The Half-Elf wasn''t fond of seeing dead children, whether they were Dwarves or Humans.


    Suddenly, a loud shriek reached Diablo''s ears. Lux immediately ordered his Named Creature to run in the direction where the shriek came from, and take a look at what was happening.


    As soon as Diablo arrived in the area, he heard an intense buzzing sound in the surroundings.


    Giant flowers were strewn across the ground alongside countless mosquitoes that had been sliced in half.


    In the distance, he saw a weakened Red-Eyed Terror Mantis that was being swarmed by the mosquitoes.


    The Terror Mantis'' exoskeleton was very hard, so the mosquito bites couldn''t make it past its defenses. However, that didn''t stop the mosquitoes from trying to find an area they could prate with their blood suckers in order to incapacitate the strongest creature in the Figaro Garden.


    After letting out a resounding shriek of frustration, the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis opened its wings and flew upwards. It then created powerful gusts of wind, which blew the mosquitoes away.


    Within the dense swarm of mosquitoes, a dozen ck mosquitoes, that were two timesrger than the normal Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes, appeared.


    The Half-Elf had read all the monsters living in the Figaro Garden from the Elysium Compendium and quickly recognized what they were.


    "Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes," Lux thought as he observed the Rank 1 Monsters from afar.


    Their bloodsuckers were very sharp and strong enough to prate the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis'' exoskeleton.


    After seeing them, the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis immediately flew away. Its berserked state had already ended just a few minutes ago, and it was now in a weakened state. In addition to its poor condition, the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis also had a wound on its chest, which had been caused by the spearman of the party that had fought against it earlier.


    When the mosquitoes were attacking its body, it made sure to cover its wound with its ded ws, to prevent any of the mosquitoes from targeting a part where they could prate with their bloodsuckers.


    Naturally the mosquitoes didn''t let their prize get away and chased after the Terror Mantis.


    On the ground, Diablo and the Skeleton Warrior followed them persistently.


    The chasested for ten minutes, until the weakened mantis finally crashed into a giant flower to help it break its fall.


    Knowing that it was backed into a corner, the Terror Mantis screeched and raised its ded ws to fight to the death.


    The Obsidian Mosquitoes didn''t attack it right away. Instead, the Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes swarmed towards the Alpha Beast who was about to fall on itsst legs.

 Chapter 42 Fishing In Troubled Waters [Part 2]

    "Big Brother, what are you doing?" Colette asked. "Are you tired from running?"


    <o>,m Lux opened his eyes and smiled. "A little bit. Let''s stay here for now. The Mosquito Swarm is still active outside. I''m using Diablo to check the current situation. Once the coast is clear, we will leave immediately and return to the Leaf Vige for the time being."</o>


    "Un!" Colette nodded her head in agreement.


    After reassuring his party members, Lux once again closed his eyes and strengthened his connection with Diablo.


    The fight was currently getting more intense. The Obsidian Mosquitoes encircled the Terror Mantis and applying hit and run tactics, using the ordinary mosquitoes as cannon fodder.


    Their goal was to leave a paralyzing venom inside their prey until it no longer had the ability to resist.


    After cutting over a hundred mosquitoes, the Terror Mantis'' movements gradually turned sluggish due to exhaustion. The stack of mosquito venom was starting to spread inside its body.


    The Obsidian Mosquitoes didn''t waste the opportunity and embedded their sharp suckers into any unprotected area of their prey.


    Several more minutes had passed when the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis screeched for thest time. Its screech was filled with unwillingness and frustration as its body copsed to the ground, paralyzed.


    After sending a few more ordinary mosquitoes to probe the fallen mantis, the Obsidian Mosquitoes finally went in to im their prize.


    Lux watched as a dozen Obsidian Mosquitoes impaled the Alpha Monster''s body with their sharp suckers and began drinking its blood.


    Their bodies glowed as they absorbed the high-quality blood of their prey, simr to how the Dwarves leveled up after reaching the limit of their experience bars.


    After who knows how long, the feasting of the Obsidian Mosquitoes finally ended. They then issued a series of buzzing sounds and flew Northwards, followed by their underlings.


    Only after Lux was certain that all the mosquitoes had left did he order Diablo to move towards the corpse lying on the ground.


    Lux gazed at the once proud Apex Monster of the Figaro Garden, which was now only left with a dried up husk, bereft of blood. The Half-Elf didn''t feel any pity for the Alpha Beast''s demise. Instead, what he felt was excitement. He hurriedly ordered Diablo and the Skeleton Warrior to drag the corpse back to the Ant Nest where they were currently hiding.


    Since the Mantis no longer had any blood on its body, it had be much lighter and the two Undead didn''t have any problems dragging it back to the nest in ordance to Lux''s wishes.


    When the two faithful Undead arrived at their destination, the entrance of the nest opened and Lux hurriedly came out to im his prize.


    Colette and the other Dwarves, who had followed the Half-Elf outside, gasped in shock when they saw the Alpha Beast''s bodyying in front of them.


    "B-Big Brother, isn''t this the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis?!" Colette wasn''t able to contain her surprise as she poked the dead Alpha Monster with her finger.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "The mosquitoes killed it a while ago, and I asked my Undead to drag it back here."<sub> </sub>


    Lux couldn''t hide the smugness on his face as he approached one of the strongest monsters in the Beginner''s Zone.


    As he gazed at the dead beast in front of him, he had a feeling that if the Alpha Monster wasn''t injured and in a weakened state, the Mosquitoes wouldn''t have dared to fight it head-on.


    Fortunately, it was. Lux even got its corpse, which was filled with treasures, for himself.


    The Dwarves that had been with them weren''t able to hide the envious looks on their faces as they stared at the Terror Mantis on the ground. The ded ws of the Terror Mantis could be given to a cksmith and crafted into a Pseudo-Unique Weapon.


    Its exoskeleton could also be used to create an extremely rare armor that was durable enough to withstand most attacks from most of the existing beasts that could be found in the Beginner''s Zone.


    The true prize, of course, was its Beast Core, which gave people additional Stat Points and a chance to acquire one of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis'' skills.


    The Alpha Beast had three skills, which were Fury sh, Gust, and Berserk.


    Any of those skills would prove useful even in thete Apostle Ranks. This was why most Dwarves performed the Graduation Ceremony before leaving. It would be helpful for their future journeys to acquire the Beast Cores of the Alpha Monsters in their respective Beginner Zones.


    Seeing the envious and greedy looksing from the Dwarves around him, Lux decided to use the ring that his Grandma Vera had given him before he left Wildgarde Stronghold.


    The ring was called "Enchanted Beast Ring", which allowed him to store the corpses of monsters of any size. The only downside was that it could only store ten monsters at a time.


    Even so, it was still a wonderful item that allowed its owner to carry their quarry back home, without worrying about hiring manpower for transport.


    Lux pressed his hand over the monster''s corpse and activated the ring. Immediately, the Terror Mantis disappeared, leaving nothing behind.


    The Half-Elf was quite satisfied because he was able to take advantage of the current situation and even profited a lot from it.


    This reminded him of what his Grandma Vera had told him about fishing in troubled waters.


    Although he felt a little bad for the party that had challenged the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis earlier, he didn''t feel guilty about taking the Alpha Monster for himself. After all, he wasn''t the one responsible for the mosquito swarm, nor was he the one that killed their prey.


    He was merely a bystander that happened to find the corpse, pick it up, and take it back home. No one could find fault in what he did because if other people were in the same shoes as him, they would have done the same.


    Unfortunately, things didn''t go the way Lux had nned after returning to the Leaf Vige.


    The Dwarves that had seen his exploits had spread the news to their friends. Naturally, this reached the ears of the Dwarf party that had fought tooth and nail with the Alpha Monster before the mosquito swarm invaded, which gave Lux a headache. After all, he now had to think about how to deal with the aftermath.

 Chapter 43 Let’s Get This Duel Started [Part 1]

    In the za of the Leaf Vige, Lux stood still as he faced the group of six that fought against the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis.


    Their leader, Frederick, had his arms crossed over his chest as he looked up at the Half-Elf who was taller than him.


    "I heard that you brought back the corpse of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis after it was killed by the Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes. Is this true?" Frederick asked.


    "Yes," Lux answered. "However, the ones that dealt the killing blows were the dozens of Obsidian Mosquitoes which were all Rank 1 Monsters."


    Frederick nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I know that you were not in the wrong, and simply took advantage of the situation, but it still didn''t sit well with us. We can only stay here in Leaf Vige for a little more than four days, but the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis might not spawn again before we leave this ce."


    "You can keep the Beast Core if you like, but we need the Terror Mantis'' ded ws and its exoskeleton. Can you give this to us as a sign of friendship?"


    "And, if I refuse?" Lux asked.


    He didn''t mind giving them the Terror Mantis'' ded ws and exoskeleton because he was sure that he could farm these items before he left the Leaf Vige. However, the hateful res that Frederick''s party members were giving him, which made it seem as if he was someone that had killed their family members, were ticking him off.


    "Hah? You dare refuse?" the Shield Warrior of the group shouted. "We are being civilized with you even though you stole our prey. If you are really an upstanding individual, you should hand the Beast Corpse over to us along with an apology!"


    "That''s right!"


    "Augustus is right. The Terror Mantis is rightfully ours, you thief!!"


    "Give us back what is rightfully ours!"


    Although Frederick didn''t say anything, he still didn''t stop his party members from voicing theirints. His gaze remained calm as he just stared at Lux, waiting for his answer.


    Because of themotion that had happened in the Figaro Gardens, some of the Dwarves who were in Leaf Vige turned to look at the disturbance in the za. Soon a crowd formed and watched this scene with great interest.


    Dwarves were known to be a rowdy race, especially when it came to drinking. They were also not afraid of a brawl, so the other races had learned not to tick off the stubborn Dwarves, who were known to raise their war hammers at the first sign of conflict.


    "How about you buy them from me?" Lux asked. "I''ll give you a fifty percent discount on the market price. How about it?"


    Before Frederick could give his reply, the Shield Warrior, Augustus, immediately raised a ruckus.


    "You''ve got guts I''ll give you that!" Augustus shouted with a sneer. "Selling something that originally belonged to us? Is this how Half-Elves operate?"


    "Bastard!"


    "Scum!"


    "Thief!"


    The Dwarves in the crowd that had encircled them were starting to murmur to each other.


    Colette''s group had also arrived at the scene and looked at the Half-Elf and Frederick with frowns on their faces.


    "Frederick, are you bullying my Big Brother?!" Colette immediately stepped forward and stood between Lux and the party leader of the Shadow Tempest with her arms crossed over her chest. "Although you were the ones that fought against the Terror Mantis, the ones that killed it were the mosquitoes. Meaning, it no longer belonged to any of you! How dare you gang up on Big Brother like this?"


    "Oi, little girl from the Goldenyer family, it is best if you stay out of this!" Augustus didn''t back down as he red at Colette.


    Both of them were children of Ducal Families in Sis. Although their territories were far from each other, the World of Elysium allowed the dwarves from Sis to appear in the Dwarven Lands ruled by the Dwarven Kings.


    This allowed these families to get to know each other, and form strong connections even though their territories were far apart.


    "Hmp! You think you can scare me, you pig?!" Colette shot back. "Come. I''ll smash your face with my mace!"


    Lux hurriedly grabbed the little girl who had already taken out her weapon and was raring to fight against the Shield Warrior who was looking down at her in disdain.


    Clearly, Colette wasn''t a match for the Shield Warrior, but she still made her stance known because she couldn''t just sit and watch on the side as Lux got bullied by other Dwarves.


    "Calm down, Colette," Lux said as he tried to pacify the adorable girl whose cheeks were puffed up like a hamster. Deep inside, he felt very touched because the other Dwarves in the crowd were looking at him as if he was theirmon enemy.


    After spending some time with Colette and the others, Lux had almost forgotten that he was the only Half-Elf in this Beginner Vige that was filled with Dwarves. In a conflict between two races, it was only normal for every race to back their own.


    "How do you want to settle this?" Lux asked Frederick who had kept his silence from the start of the conflict.


    Frederick gazed at him with a serious expression as he unsheathed his sword. "A duel. If we win, you will give us the Terror Mantis'' ded ws and exoskeleton."<sub> </sub>


    "And, if I win?" Lux asked.


    Frederick didn''t answer right away. Instead, he looked at his party members to see if they had other opinions. All of them nodded their heads at the same time. Actually, he had already told his party about his n to duel Lux if the negotiations didn''t turn out the way they wanted.


    Naturally, since this was a duel, they also needed to give something in return to make it fair in front of everyone.


    "A favor," Frederick replied. "We will owe you one favor that you can ask of us when you meet us again in the future."


    ording to his Grandma, Dwarves were known to honor their promises. This was why, when dealing with other races, most people would use Dwarves as intermediaries in negotiations. They knew that the Dwarves would uphold their part of the bargain.


    "A favor? What if I ask you to explore a dungeon with me and I get all the loot, you''re still willing to do that favor?"


    "We are Dwarves. We will honor our word without fail."


    The Dwarves who were watching from the side all nodded their heads in acknowledgement of Frederick''s words.


    "Fine," Lux said as he patted Colette''s head. "Since you want a duel, I will give you one. What are the rules?"


    Frederick smiled. "All you need to do is defeat me��"


    "And me!" Augustus interjected. "I also have a say in this. So you need to defeat me too!"


    Frederick and Augustus were both Apostles now, which meant that among the Dwarf children in Leaf Vige, they were the strongest. They also did an investigation about Lux''s history and background and found out that he had only recently arrived in the Beginner''s Vige.


    Since that was the case, there was no possible way for Lux to win against them in a one-on-one battle. After all, they were stronger than him.


    At least, this was what they believed, so they decided to go with a duel to make it look fair to everyone. Also, they were technically on the moral high ground, so no one would bat an eye and call them bullies.


    "Big Brother, you can''t beat them," Colette grabbed Lux''s hand and looked up at him. "They are already Apostles. They''re way stronger than you."


    Lux smiled as he crouched down and whispered something in her ear. "Don''t worry. I fought the Dark Draugr, remember? I can handle them just fine."


    Colette''s eyes widened in shock because she had almost forgotten about Lux''s bodyguard, Diablo.


    Although the Skeleton wasn''t as strong as an Apostle, a two-versus-one battle would still prove difficult for someone that had just be an Apostle.


    "Okay!" Colette nodded as she returned to where her party members were. "Don''t lose to them, Big Brother!"


    Lux gave her a thumbs up as he stood up. He knew that the majority of the Dwarves didn''t like him, but that was fine.


    Duels that were held in town were quite safe because there was a universalw that prevented deaths from happening. This was one of the safeguards that the God of Games, Eriol, had made to settle disputes over disagreements that might lead to brawl.


    Of course both parties must ept the duel for this feature to work.


    Anyone who started a fight in any of the viges, towns, and cities without dering a duel, would be treated as a criminal and captured by the guards that patrolled these territories.


    Frederick dered a duel invitation directed to Lux, and almost immediately, a small orb of light appeared in front of him.


    The young swordsman pricked his fingertip with a dagger and dropped a drop of his blood on the floating orb to signal his intention to start the duel. After receiving his blood, the orb flew towards Lux.


    Summoning Oathbreaker, Lux did the same and dropped his blood on the orb, signaling his agreement to the duel.


    "I recognize this duel," a voice filled with Divinity said. "The fight will begin in thirty seconds. Make your preparations."


    A countdown timer appeared on the surface of the orb signaling that the duel was about to start.


    Lux equipped his Relentless Warrior Armor, which made Frederick and Augustus arch their eyebrows. They had not seen this set of armor before.


    When the countdown reached ten seconds, Lux pointed Oathbreaker towards Frederick and smiled.


    "Don''t get surprised when you lose, okay?" Lux said with confidence.


    "I won''t be surprised," Frederick replied as he pointed his own weapon at Lux. "That''s because I won''t lose."

 Chapter 44 Let’s Get This Duel Started [Part 2]

    "Duel Start!"


    As soon as the glowing white orb dered the start of the duel, both fighters swiftly shed against each other.


    They exchanged exactly three strikes before backing away, as they appraised the ability of their opponent.


    ''How can this be!?'' Frederick was shocked after exchanging blows with Lux. ''He''s almost as strong as me!''


    Just like everyone else, the leader of the Shadow Tempest thought that since he had already stepped into the Apostle Rank, the battle would easily end in his favor.


    However, after gauging the strength of his enemy, he realized that although he was still stronger than Lux, the gap between them wasn''t that big.


    ''As expected, I can fight him head-on.'' Lux smiled as he scanned the Dwarf in front of him. ''This kid needs to be taught a lesson!''


    The Half-Elf stomped his right foot on the ground, preparing to charge at his opponent. However, before he could even take another step, he felt a magical fluctuationing from Frederick''s left hand, seemingly aimed at him.


    "Stone Bullet!" Frederick shouted as a fist-sized stone flew towards Lux, which forced thetter to dodge to the side at thest second.


    Having his attacking stance broken, the Half-Elf had no choice but to evade the barrage of stone bullets that Frederick fired in his direction.


    p ''Crap! He is a Magic Swordsman!'' Lux cursed internally as he was left with no other option but to equip Dawne to block one of the Stone Bullets that he was unable to dodge.</anda>


    A resounding metallic sound spread across the za as Lux skidded a few meters away from where he stood.


    "Sorry I underestimated you earlier," Frederick announced as more magic circles appeared around him. "I will now fight you seriously, so be prepare�C."


    Just before Frederick could finish his words, Lux picked a random rock on the ground and threw it at Frederick to stop his chanting.


    "Stone Bullet!" Lux shouted.


    Frederick tilted his body to the side to dodge Lux''s unexpected attack. This also interrupted him from casting the spell "Stone Bullet Barrage" which was the machine gun version of Stone Bullet, firing bullets continuously at a rapid pace.


    "You''re not the only one who can cast magic," Lux dered as he pointed his thumb at his chest. "I can do it too!"


    The lips of the Dwarves watching the duel twitched as they looked at the Half-Elf who was feeling proud of himself.


    ''Bruh�� you just picked up a rock and threw it. That''s not how magic works. Aren''t you feeling embarrassed for yourself?''


    That was the general summary of everyone''s collective thoughts in the za.


    Colette, and her party members, on the other hand, covered their faces in embarrassment except Robin.


    He only nced at his party mates and purposefully took a few steps back as if telling the other Dwarves that he didn''t know any of them.


    Frederick shrugged off Lux''s words and decided to close the gap between them. He only used a ranged attack earlier to test and see if his enemy had any long range spells that could be used against him.


    Of course, he already knew that Lux was capable of summoning the Undead thanks to the Dwarves that were on the site the day. They all said that it was how he retrieved the body of the Alpha Monster.


    The only thing that confused Frederick was that the other party wasn''t using any of his summons. Although he wasn''t afraid of the other party''s summoned monster, theck of it made Frederick think that his opponent wasn''t taking him seriously.


    The two fighters once again shed against each other at close range. This time, each of their strikes sent sparks flying in the air.


    "Tempest War Art First Form��," Frederick shouted.


    "Kaizer Sword Art Second Form��," Lux dered.


    "Whirlwind sh!"


    "Crescent sh!"


    A powerful gust of wind erupted at the center of the za, creating a thick dust cloud which blocked everyone''s views from the twobatants.


    However, Lux and Frederick didn''t falter and unleashed several lethal sword strikes that could seriously injure their opponent.


    Within the dust cloud, the sound of weapons shing could be heard. Several shes of light could also be seen as both fighters fought toe-to-toe at point nk range.


    Bothbatants were losing their Health Points at a rapid pace every time their attacks grazed each other. With one powerful sh, Lux sent Frederick a few meters away from him, after the Dwarf had blocked his attack.


    What Lux didn''t know was that the Leader of the Shadow Tempest had nned this all along. He used the strike of Lux''s sh to gain momentum in order to distance himself from his opponent.


    Switching his grip on his weapon, Frederick stabbed his sword to the ground and shouted.<sub> </sub>


    "Stone Spikes!"


    Lux''s sixth sense kicked in, prompting the Half-Elf to summon his Skeleton Warrior in order to deal with the Dwarf''s unexpected move.


    Several two-meter spikes jutted out of the ground around where Lux had initially been standing a moment ago, piercing their target from all directions.


    As the dust cloud settled, Frederick saw the Skeleton Warrior''s body copse in front of him, but the Half-Elf was nowhere to be found.


    Augustus, who used his detection skill, immediately located Lux and shouted to warn his leader where the enemy was.


    "Frederick, above you!" Augustus hollered.


    Unfortunately, it was already toote. The Skeleton Warrior had propelled Lux high up in the air before the Earth Spikes hit it. This allowed the Half-Elf not only to escape the attack, but also initiate a counter attack of his own.


    ''Kaizer Sword Art Fourth Form!'' Lux pulled his sword back in order to prepare his family''s special attack that he had practiced, while jumping off the tree on their property.


    He had practiced this move so many times when he was twelve years old, to the point that he fainted every one out of three attempts.


    Now that he was no longer worried about fainting, Lux unleashed the attack that had made his Grandma Vera spank his bum numerous times for repeating this move over and over again until he fainted.


    "Phoenix Descent!"


    A screeching sound that was simr to that of a phoenix, spread across the za as Lux''s sword shone brightly.


    The crowd watched as the Half-Elf brushed through the Dwarf''s body and skidded across the ground with his sword at his side.


    Phoenix''s Descent was the only attack that his Grandma Vera had taught him that could be used while he was mid-air.


    It was also an attack that put great stress on the body due to the difficulty of its execution. But, the current Lux was now strong enough to execute this move without fail.


    Frederick knelt on the ground clutching his chest with his hand. He didn''t expect that not only would someone survive his Earth Spikes, but also manage to counterattack against him.


    Although they didn''t actually receive any injuries when Duel Mode was activated, they could still feel the pain of each attack. Lux''sst strike made the dwarf feel as if his body was sliced in two.


    "Duel Over!"


    "Winner, Lux!"


    The Orb of Light announced the victor of the duel before fading away.


    Colette, who intently watched the battle, immediately ran towards Lux and jumped into his arms. The Half-Elf stored his weapon and caught the ever-lively little girl with both hands, and swung her around, and around, making Colette shout in joy.


    The Dwarves stared at the Half-Elf in disbelief because they hadn''t expected this oue. As soon as the dust cloud settled, the battle had alsoe to an end.


    Augustus clenched his fist, because he couldn''t believe that Frederick had lost against the Half-Elf. Now that his leader had lost the battle, it was now his turn to fight.


    "You did well, Half-Elf," Augustus said as he stepped forward. "Now, it''s my turn. Don''t worry, I''ll give you a few minutes to rest."


    Lux put Colette down on the ground as he looked at the Shield Warrior who had a serious expression on his face.


    "There''s no need to rest," Lux said. "I don''t want to waste time. Let''s just duel now."


    This time, Lux was the one that initiated the duel and summoned the Orb of Light.


    After giving it a drop of his blood, the orb flew towards Augustus.


    ''Although I''m not as proficient as Frederick in fighting, I am confident in my defense,'' Augustus thought as he dropped a drop of his blood on the Orb of Light, signaling his eptance to Lux''s challenge. ''No matter what kind of attack he makes, I can block them all!''


    "I recognize this duel," a voice filled with Divinity said. "The fight will begin in thirty seconds. Make your preparations."


    Augustus smirked at Lux, and thetter smirked back at him. When the timer ended, Augustus raised his shield and held his ground.


    As a Shield Warrior who specialized in defense, he had decided to use the counter-attack strategy on Lux, believing that he would be thest one standing between the two of them.


    However, the smile on the Dwarf''s face stiffened when Lux raised his hand and summoned Diablo and his Skeleton Warrior to fight by his side.


    He hadpletely forgotten that his opponent was a Necromancer who didn''t need to fight one-on-one battles with him!

 Chapter 45 Let’s Get This Duel Started [Part 3]

    Augustus had equipped his full-te armor that covered his entire body.


    He couldn''t afford to lose, so he decided to go all out and prove to the Half-Elf that he was a tough cookie to crack.


    Diablo summoned the Forest Wolf, making it a four versus one battle. Even so, Augustus wasn''t worried. In his eyes, the only threat was Lux. Once the other party fell, the others would follow, so he decided to focus all of his attention on the Half-Elf.


    Lux charged at the Shield Warrior as he brandished Oathbreaker to check how tough the little Dwarf was.


    After executing sh, a metallic ring reverberated in the surroundings after Augustus sessfully blocked his attack.


    Diablo, the Skeleton Warrior, and the Forest Wolf also took this opportunity to attack the Shield Warrior from all sides.


    Aside from the shield in his right hand, the dwarf also had a peculiar looking short sword in his left hand, which he used to block Diablo''s strike.


    For some reason, Augustus'' instinct told him that Diablo was a creature he couldn''t afford to look down on.


    After sessfully blocking Lux''s and Diablo''s attack, the Forest Wolf''s jaws mped down on the Shield Warrior''s head. At the same time, the Skeleton Warrior shed at the Dwarf''s body.


    The Forest Wolf''s teeth weren''t able to prate through the helmet it had bitten on. The Skeleton Warrior was no different as its attack didn''t even put a dent on Augustus'' armor.


    One mighty roar suddenly sounded from the Shield Warrior, causing Lux and his subordinates to get blown a few meters away. Augustus unleashed his AOE Skill, Shield Warrior''s Roar, which had a knockback effect.


    Although it didn''t deal great damage, it was effective when it came to pushing enemies away especially when the user was getting mobbed.


    "No matter what you do, you can''t pierce my defense!" Augustus dered.


    Lux smiled as he took a fighting stance. "We''ll see about that."


    This was the first time that the Half-Elf had seen a Shield Warrior in action, so he was quite curious about its abilities. From what he could tell, the Forest Wolf and the Skeleton Warrior practically did no damage to Augustus because of his full-te armor.


    Lux was sure that this armor was something that couldn''t be obtained from Leaf Vige, so there was only one exnation. It was an armor that was given to the Dwarf before he entered Elysium.


    Seeing that Augustus focused on blocking his attacks, Lux knew that there was only one tactic he could use in order to breach the dwarf''s solid defenses.


    Lux took a fighting stance and the sword in his hand glowed as he prepared to unleash one of his family''s sword arts.


    "Kaizer Sword Art First Form��," Lux shouted as he charged at the Shield Warrior who had already raised his shield up to meet him. "Piercing the Heavens!"


    Augustus shifted his body in order to deflect Lux''s attack and weaken its momentum. However, just before he could properly block the Half-Elf''s attack, a moan of pain and pleasure escaped his lips.


    Diablo had positioned himself behind the Dwarf and stabbed Augustus'' bum. Although the Dwarf was wearing a full-te armor that covered his entire body, Diablo''s attack dealt Ethereal Damage.


    It was an elemental damage that was simr to a spiritual attack that ignored all defenses.


    Diablo''s attack had prated Augustus'' weak spot, which made thetter cry out in pain and pleasure.


    Lux didn''t continue his attack because the Dwarf had already copsed on the ground, with his hands covering his backside.


    "I concede!" Augustus said as he rolled on the ground towards his party members.


    "Duel Over!"


    "Winner, Lux!"


    All the aspiring Shield Warriors, who were watching the battle, unconsciously covered their backside. For some reason, they could feel Augustus'' pain. All of them shuddered as they looked at Diablo, who was looking at his sword in a weird manner.


    Augustus had already unequipped his te armor and returned to his normal attire. Beads of sweat could be seen in his forehead as he endured the pain that persisted in his backside.<sub> </sub>


    It was at that moment when a ck shadow covered his body.


    The shield warrior looked up only to see Diablo looking down on him. This made Augustus'' body unconsciously shudder as he backed away while shielding his backside with both hands.


    "The battle is already over!" Augustus stated in shame and embarrassment. "What do you want?!"


    Diablo ignored him and simply walked toward the panicking Dwarf who was frantically hiding behind Frederick.


    Without another word, Diablo reached out to touch Augustus robe and did the unthinkable.


    To everyone''s surprise, the Skeleton who was wearing a ck Armor used the Shield Warrior''s robes to wipe its sword.


    Although it was hard to tell the facial expression on the skeleton''s face, everyone could vaguely feel the trace of disgust in Diablo''s face, as he wiped Tranquility''s tip zealously.


    Lux didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry at his Named Creature''s actions. Just like everyone else, he was also caught off-guard by Diablo''s act, which showed that it was a very intelligent creature.


    After making sure that his weapon was now clean, Diablo patted Augustus'' head before walking towards its Master, Lux.


    The Half-Elf knew that he had to diffuse the situation, so he decided to settle things in a peaceful manner.


    "That was a good fight," Lux said with a smile. "Although we all started off on the wrong foot, everything can be settled if we all sit down and talk in a civilized manner. Since you want the ded w and the Exoskeleton, I am willing to sell it to your party at a 90% Discount of the market price.


    "You can buy the ded ws for five gold coins and the Exoskeleton for three gold coins. How does that sound?"


    Frederick knew that Lux was trying to settle things peacefully, so he readily agreed to his condition. Although they still had to pay a total of eight gold coins, it was already a very low price considering that these materials could be used to craft a high-quality weapon and set of armor.


    "You have a deal," Frederick said as he extended his hand for a handshake.


    Lux held the Dwarf''s hand and shook it firmly. For him, the Terror Mantis'' ded ws and Exoskeleton were not a big deal to give up. Anyway, he could simply hunt the Terror Mantises at his leisure when Diablo, and his other summons, achieved a higher rank.


    Making the Dwarves his enemies for materials that he could hoard in the future was simply not worth it. This was why he decided to take a step back and give Frederick and the Shadow Tempest Party a way to resolve the issue without escting things.


    After the sessful trade, Lux took Colette and her party members to the inn to eat.


    Robin politely declined, using the excuse that he still had things to do, and left without waiting for anyone''s reply. Colette and the others watched him go with a sigh because they were used to Robin always doing things at his own pace.


    Lux didn''t think much about it and herded the Golden yers off to eat and drink to their heart''s content.


    ��--


    In a house located inside Leaf Vige��


    "Find any information that you can about the Half-Elf," Robin ordered the Dwarves who were kneeling in front of him. "I want to know everything about him. Now, Go!"


    ""Yes, Sir!""


    All the Dwarves left the house and headed in different directions. Since their master had given them an order, they would fulfill it to the best of their abilities.


    "Lux Von Kaizer��," Robin muttered. "Just how did you arrive here in the Kingdom of Gweliven? Just what is your goal?"


    Robin was very wary of Lux because his father had warned him that associating with children from other races would just lead to trouble. Of course, he didn''t believe this advicepletely because he hadn''t met any other races in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.


    But although he didn''t know if other races could be trusted or not, he was still very curious about the Half-Elf who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    "I''ll find out your true colors soon," Robin said softly. "If you are a threat to this kingdom�� I will make sure that you will never be heard from again."

 Chapter 46 Lux’s Business Partners

    Three days had passed since the duel between Lux and Shadow Tempest Party. Amotion happened in the Figaro Gardens, which made all the Dwarves leveling in the area abandon itpletely.


    ording to the report of those who managed to flee in time, the Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes and the Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes were regrly conducting swarm raids in the Figaro Gardens.


    Because of this, most of the Dwarves decided to boycott the North Zone of the Beginner Vige in fear of getting themselves surrounded by thousands of bloodsucking mosquitoes.


    The Adventurer''s Guild had also issued a ss B Extermination Mission to clear the pests that were bing a threat to the outer area of the Beginner''s Vige.


    The Vige Chief, Cedwyn, was also worried that if things continued to get out of hand, another Monster Outbreak would ur and, this time, they would be fighting against swarms of mosquitoes that thirsted for blood.


    The Elders of Leaf Vige believed that the threat the Mosquito Swarm posed had even surpassed that of the Undead Army that had raided their vige not long ago.


    Grandma Annie, the old woman that had fought alongside Lux during the Monster Outbreak, had a grim expression on her face as she voiced her opinion.


    "I think we need to stock more food in our underground shelter," Grandma Annie proposed. "Unlike the Undead Army, these mosquitoes can get past our defenses because they can fly. Also, the paralyzing effect of their bites can cause countless casualties on our side. It is best to not fight them, and just wait until they leave the vige."


    Cedwyn and the Elders of the vige nodded their heads.


    "Fortunately, all the houses and other establishments of our vige have underground basements," Cedwyn said. "If going to the shelter is impossible, hiding in the underground basement is also an option. As long as the mosquitoes don''t see any live targets, they will leave on their own."


    One of the elders rubbed his beard as he made his concern known. "Has there been any news from the Stronghold of Norria? We sent someone to inform them of the current threat we are facing a day ago. We should have gotten an answer from them by this time."


    Cedwyn sighed. "I''m afraid the Stronghold is busy right now. Our neighboring vige, Lindow, was attacked by a notorious bandit group. The Warriors of Norria are scouring the nearby areas to find their main camp, but the bastards are like slippery eels that couldn''t get caught. It will take a while before they can spare us some manpower to handle this threat."


    Grandma Annie shook her head in disappointment after hearing the news, but there was nothing that they could do about it. They were not the only viges that were under the protection of the Stronghold of Norria. Other people needed help from them as well, so they needed to handle the situation on their own for the time being.


    "Tell the Adventurer''s Guild to issue an announcement to the vigers, as well as the Foreigners, that going to the Figaro Garden is forbidden," Grandma Annie stated. "Although it is impossible to close off the entire area, giving a warning to everyone should at least have enough effect."


    Everyone in the room nodded their heads as they concluded their meeting. They set out to do their assigned tasks to ensure that their vige would not suffer many casualties if another Monster Outbreak were to happen.


    ��--


    East Zone, Aspiration ins��


    "It''s too bad. We can''t go to the Figaro Gardens," Colette said. She was sitting on top of a carriage.


    "I heard that there have already been two casualties due to the Mosquitoes Mob Strikes in the garden," Mattymented from the side. "It is better to stay away from that ce for the time being."


    Helen, the Cleric of the group, nodded. "Let the adults handle this matter. This is something that is beyond our abilities. By the way, where is Big Brother?"


    Helen had started to imitate Colette, calling Lux Big Brother as well. It didn''t seem wrong either since he was the oldest and tallest in their party.


    "Big Brother said that he still has other things to do, so he can''t apany us on this escort mission." Colette pouted. "I wonder what he is up to��"


    The Goldenyer Party had taken an escort mission to protect a merchant caravan from bandits and wild monsters. They were headed to a vige called Lindow Vige, which was one of the trade partners of Leaf Vige within the territory of Norria.


    Robin, who was also seated in the carriage, had his arms crossed over his chest as he looked outside the window.


    The investigation about Lux''s identity was not proceeding smoothly because they couldn''t gather any information about how he appeared in Leaf Vige.


    Although Foreigners could visit the Kingdom of Gweliven from their homeworld of Sis, all of them were Dwarves. There had not been a single instance where a different race had appeared in the Dwarven Lands, which was why Lux''s case was being investigated critically.


    Even the Stronghold of Norria had been keeping an eye on the Half-Elf''s movements through the men that they had stationed in Leaf Vige.


    As Colette''s party continued their journey, the Half-Elf who didn''t apany them was busy getting chummy with the Ants inside the Figaro Garden.


    Using the Elysium Compendium as a trantor, Luxmunicated with the Ants while he hid in their underground colony. He asked them of thetest news of what was happening inside the garden.


    ording to the information he gathered, the number of Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes was growing at a fast rate. This was due to them drinking the blood of stronger monsters as they terrorized the ecosystem that had lost their Alpha Beast.


    ording to the Elysium Compendium, it would take a week for Alpha Monsters to spawn after they were killed. This prevented newly ranked Apostle Parties from hunting them indiscriminately.<sub> </sub>


    Also, the Ants told him some information that made him frown.


    The dozen Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes that had feasted on the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis had all evolved into Iron Scaled Torment Mosquitoes, which were Rank 2 Monsters.


    In the Beginner''s Area, the strongest monster was the Field Boss, Forest Wolf King, followed by the Alpha Monsters.


    The tiers below them were Rank 1 and Rank 2 Monsters.


    For a party that had just arrived in the Beginner''s Vige, they could at most handlemon monsters like Horned Rabbits, Skeletons, Lady Bugs, and Forest Wolves.


    After they became stronger, they could then challenge Rank 1 Monsters.


    After they get used to fighting strong monsters, they could then challenge the Rank 2 Monsters, which would help them level up faster.


    This would also allow them to gain enough stat points in order to deal with the Alpha Monsters in each zone of the Beginner''s Vige.


    In the absence of the Alpha Monster, the current big boss of the Figaro Garden were now the Mosquitoes. No creature within it would dare to poke their noses out while these bloodsuckers were bing more and more active in their territory.


    While Lux was chatting with the Ants about mundane things, Diablo gave him a mental message which made the Half-Elf grin.


    ''I knew it!'' Lux thought as he gave an order to his Named Creature. ''This is the perfect opportunity to farm points!''


    Lux was different from the Elysians and Sians.


    He didn''t get experience points through killing monsters. He received points directly after absorbing Beast Cores and finishing quests. Right now, no Dwarves were loitering in the Figaro Gardens, which made this the perfect spot for him to loot the goods that the mosquitoes left behind.


    The mosquitoes only cared about blood. They would immediately leave the body of their prey once all of its blood had been sucked out of its body.


    What did this mean? It meant that Lux could get Beast Cores without having to do anything!


    Diablo and the Skeleton Warrior would scout the areas where the Mosquito Swarm had just passed through. He got the information about the monster raids from the Ants, who shared information through their colony.


    With such a powerful informationwork, which covered the entirety of the Figaro Garden, aiding him, Lux could collect Beast Cores without any problems, even if the mosquitoes were still active in the area.


    After all, Diablo and the Skeleton Warriors were just walking bones. As long as they didn''t actively attack the Mosquitoes, the Swarm would just leave them alone.


    This created the perfect opportunity for Lux to collect Beast Cores and materials which he could sell back in Leaf Vige to earn coins.


    Of course, the Ants also got some benefits from cooperating with Lux. They had agreed into a seventy-thirty split.


    ? Seventy percent goes to the Ants, while thirty percent goes to him.


    The Figaro Garden was a very big ce, and Lux understood that he couldn''t cover them all. This was why he had made the Ants his business partners for a win-win scenario.


    His Skeletons would scout the area to tell them if the coast was clear. After that, the Ants would then send their scavenging parties to haul the dead bodies of the Monsters back to their colonies.


    This partnership allowed the Ants to safely stock up on their food sources, without worrying about being targeted by the troublesome Mosquitoes that could poke them to death.


    Lux would then get thirty percent of the Beast Cores of Rank 1 and 2 Monsters, as well as their materials after the Ants had collected their bodies.


    Although the number of Rank 1 and 2 Monsters only numbered about a dozen or so, having two to five Beast Cores a day was something that Lux wouldn''t dare pass up.


    ��-


    (A/N: In case I haven''t mentioned it before, the people in Sis that go to Elysium can level up to be stronger. Likewise, the people of Elysium also level up by fighting monsters and using Beast Cores.


    Once theirbined stat points reached a certain threshold, they would be able to break through the Rankings.)

 Chapter 47 I Just Did What Was Needed To Be Done

    A week had passed since Lux had holed himself up in the Figaro Garden and he was still conducting his business with the Ants.


    Although the Adventurer''s Guild had announced that going to the Figaro Gardens was forbidden, some stubborn Dwarves would still secretly go there to kill monsters and collect herbs and other ingredients.


    Due to the decrease of people visiting the ce, the Dwarves didn''t have muchpetition in herb collecting, monster killing, and foraging.


    This made them bolder, so most of them decided to go deeper inside the garden, which was a big mistake on their part.


    "Run!"


    A party of Dwarves had ventured too deep in their exploration, and came in contact with one of the mosquito swarms that were active in the area.


    The buzzing sounds of the mosquitoes'' wings became louder as they closed their gap between the Dwarves who were rich in blood.


    While they were running away, the healer of the party suddenly tripped on one of the roots of the nts that was on his way.


    "Help!" the healer cried out, but his party members only gave him a side-long nce before running away.


    "Nooooo! Stay away!" The healer screamed as the mosquitoes pierced his body with their bloodsuckers.


    His blood curdling screams spread across the garden, which scared those who heard it increase the pace of their running.


    The ranger of the party, a girl with long brown hair, had been enduring the sudden pain in her ankle as she ran with all of her might, but she had finally reached her limit.


    She fell face first on the ground as tears streamed down her eyes. The Dwarf girl knew what fate awaited her, but there was nothing else she could do.


    "No, I don''t want to die!" the girl shouted. "Mama! Save me, Mama!"


    It was at that moment when her body was grabbed by something, making her scream with all of her might. Her screaming onlysted for only a brief moment, before it disappearedpletely.


    ''Sh*t! We shouldn''t havee!'' the Leader of the party cursed internally. ''We should have only stayed on the outskirts. I have been too greedy!''


    No matter how much he cursed himself, it was already toote. Another scream echoed in the garden which made the Leader subconsciously shudder. He had asked his teammates to spread out in order to increase their chances of survival.


    However, the screams he just heard sounded close to his location. It only meant one thing and that was that the Monster Swarm was hot on his trail.


    Using everything he had, the Dwarf ran as fast as he could like there was no tomorrow. Even though he could already feel a stinging pain in his chest, he ignored it and only ran as fast as he could. This allowed him to widen the gap between him and the Mosquito Swarm.


    A few hourster, he woulde to discover that he was one of the only three survivors of his party of six.


    ��--


    The Dwarf girl, who had sprained her ankle earlier, hung limply in Diablo''s arm.


    He had discovered her crying when he was exploring the area where the mosquitoes were currently active. Naturally, Lux ordered Diablo to save her, as well as one of herpanions that was nearby.


    After running for a few minutes, Diablo saw the Skeleton Warrior carrying an unconscious Dwarf boy in his arms.


    The two immediately headed to one of the Ant Holes that were scattered around the Figaro Gardens to hide from the Mosquito Swarm that was still hunting the members of the Dwarf party.


    Although they wanted to save more Dwarves, there were only two of them, and the things they could do were limited.


    After running in the underground tunnel for half an hour, the two Undead Finally arrived at a wide cavern where Lux was waiting for them.


    Unlike the unconscious Dwarf boy, the ranger was awake and saw everything that had transpired.


    After arriving at the cavern, Diablo handed the ranger to Lux, while the Skeleton Warriorid the unconscious boy to the ground.


    "Are you alright?" Lux asked.


    The ranger nodded. "Just a sprain, but I''m mostly alright. Thank you for saving me."<sub> </sub>


    "You''re wee," Lux replied as he gentlyid her on the ground to tend to her injuries.


    The Half-Elf deftly removed the ranger''s boots from her feet, before taking out a healing potion from his storage ring. He poured half of the bottle''s contents on the swelling ankle before checking the other Dwarf''s condition.


    The Dwarf girl watched Lux tend to herpanion and felt gratitude welling up in her heart. Deep inside, she felt relieved that she was able to survive this incident. If Diablo hadn''te to her rescue, she might have already turned into a dried husk right about now, and would never see her mother ever again.


    After delivering the two Dwarf children, Diablo and the Skeleton Warrior once again left the Ant Nest. They would look for the girl''s other party members and bring them here to see if they could still be saved.


    Even if they were dead, Lux ordered them to bring their corpses back inside the Ant Nest, so that he could return them to Leaf Vige. Later, they could be taken back home to Sis, to be given a proper burial.


    A few hours passed, before Diablo and the Skeleton Warrior returned.


    The ranger girl turned pale after seeing the remains of herpanions, who were bereft of blood.


    She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.


    Lux watched this scene with a sigh. The Figaro Gardens was currently an off-limit zone, and this Dwarf party thought that they were strong and smart enough to survive it.


    Unfortunately, they thought too highly of themselves, which led to this tragic ending.


    Half an hourter, the unconscious boy awoke from his slumber. What followed next was a screaming fit after he saw what remained of hispanions. It took a while for Lux to calm the panicking Dwarf. Fortunately, in the end, he regained hisposure.


    "Stay here for the time being," Lux said to the two surviving Dwarves before cing the remains of theirpanions inside his ck Coffin.


    The coffin could store dead and dying humanoid creatures inside them, but Lux couldn''t use its main ability because he hadn''t met the necessary requirements.


    Also, he didn''t want to do it as well. If he were to turn the Dwarves into Undead, he was sure that every Dwarf in Leaf Vige would hate him, even if his intentions were good. Since that was the case, the least he could do was bring their bodies back to the vige and let their friends return them to Sis to get buried.


    "A swarm is currently active near the exit of the Garden," Lux said to the two Dwarves after receiving Diablo''s report. "We will return to the vige once they decide to return to their nest."


    The two dwarves could only nod their heads as they sat and hugged their legs while staring at the small fire that Lux had made to cook some barbecue skewers made from horned rabbit meat.


    "Thank you for saving me," the Dwarf boy said after a while. "My name is Glenn, thirteen years old. I am a third son of a viscount in the Dwarven Empire of Evarith. I will do my best to repay your kindness in the future."


    The Dwarf girl raised her head as she stared at Lux with an embarrassed expression on her face. She hadpletely forgotten to introduce herself to the Half-Elf after he had saved her.


    "My name is Megan. Fourteen years old." Megan bowed her head. "I''m only ofmoner birth, but I thank you for saving me. I can''t give you a reward because my family is poor, but if there''s any way I can repay you, just ask. I will do my best to return the favor."


    Lux nodded as he also introduced himself to the two Dwarves who were looking at him with grateful expressions on their faces.


    "Lux," Lux said. "I don''t need any repayment. I just did what needed to be done. I''m sure that if you were in my shoes, both of you would have done the same."


    Glen and Megan lowered their heads. They felt ashamed because back then, they only thought about saving themselves, and didn''t care if theirrades were going to die or not. After all, they were just a temporary party that was made out of necessity.


    Lux didn''t know what the two Dwarves were thinking as he took two skewers from the fire pit and gave them to the two of them to eat.


    "Eat first," Lux stated. "Both of you will need your strength when we leave this ce."


    The two dwarves thanked Lux for his generosity and ate the barbecue in silence.


    The Half-Elf was about to give them more when his sensitive ears picked up a buzzing sounding from one of the tunnels leading to their cavern.


    Seeing the look of concern on Lux''s face, the two Dwarves frowned. They couldn''t hear what the red-headed teenager was hearing, so they were not aware that the Mosquitoes had discovered one of the hidden entrances that led into the colony.


    "Both of you stay here," Lux said as he ran towards one of the tunnels to help the Ants resist the invaders.


    Right now, he and the Ants were allies, so it was only natural for him to extend his help during their time of need.


    Glenn and Megan nced at each other before nodding their heads at the same time. They stood up and ran after their savior. Although they didn''t know what had caused Lux to have that anxious look on his face, they were sure that it was not something good.

 Chapter 48 Skirmish Inside The Ant Nest

    As soon as Lux arrived near one of the entrances leading to the colony, he could see several Ants and Mosquitoes already fighting against each other.


    Dozens of Mosquitoes led by an Iron Scaled Torment Mosquito (Rank 2 Monster), and four Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes (Rank 1 Monster) started to sh against the defenders.


    Fortunately, the Ants weren''t pushovers. Although they were pacifists, when push came to shove, they were willing to fight back against any invaders.


    The Guards of the Ant Nest, which were the Horned Army Ant (Rank 1) spat formic acid at the mosquitoes that attempted to enter their domain.


    The Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes shrieked in pain after their bodies were drenched in acid.


    The Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes, on the other hand, received minor injuries, but they were still capable of battling.


    Only the Iron Scaled Torment Mosquito was unaffected by the acid sprays that fell on its body.


    It boldly impaled one of the defender Ants with its spear-like bloosuckers and started to suck its blood.


    The Ants screeched in anger as they called for backup within their colony. Soon, more Horned Army Ants emerged and started to bombard their foes with formic acid.


    Due to the overwhelming difference in numbers, the numbers of Mosquitoes decreased drastically. Even the Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes couldn''t escape the army''s advance. The only problem was the Iron Scaled Torment Mosquito, whose body was resilient to the acid sprays that the Ants were shooting at it.


    After seeing that all of its bodyguards had died, the Iron Scaled Torment Mosquito nned to make its escape, but the Ants were adamant to prevent it from getting away. They had blocked the entrance leading outside of their nest, effectively trapping thest invading monster within.


    The Ants had climbed the walls and the ceiling of their nest, and lunged at the invader who was trying its best to remain in the air. However, after several ants had taken hold of its body, it lost its ability to fly, and fell to the ground.


    It was at that moment when the Ants showed their superiority as they mobbed the Scaled Torment Mosquito like a bunch of gangsters out for blood.


    Shrieks and screeches emerged from the cavern as the ants bit, pulled, and tore the mosquito apart. When the helpless mosquito had lost its ability to fly, three ants that were two-meter tall emerged from the depths of the Ant Nest.


    Lux knew the name of this Ant Species because he had seen them while traversing the countless passages of the underground maze that had been built by the Ants.


    "Armored Jaws," Lux muttered as he saw the Rank 2 defenders of the Ant Colony.


    The bodies of these ants were as hard as steel. Using their powerful mandibles, they grabbed hold of the Iron Scaled Torment Mosquito''s body and tore it apart.


    Lux watched this scene unfold with a calm expression on his face. The reason why he was confident in having the Ants be his business partners was due to the fact that they were the true Overlords of the Figaro Garden.


    The Mosquitoes were scary because they numbered in the tens of thousands, but it didn''t mean that they could beat the Ants which numbered in the hundreds of thousands. When talking about superiority between the two races, the ants were clearly the winner.


    If not for their pacifist attitude, they would have long be the true rulers of the Figaro Garden.


    After the battle, the Ants carried the bodies of the Mosquitoes back to their Queen so she could feast upon them. They also carried off the bodies of their fallenrades, which they would bury at a specialized location called the graveyard of the ants.


    Earlier, Lux wanted to help, but when he saw that the Ants didn''t need it, he held his hand and simply watched the battle unfold.


    Glenn and Megan looked at the dead Mosquitoes with lingering fear because they knew that if it weren''t for Lux''s help, they would have died a very painful and horrific death.


    Lux approached one of the Guard Ants and took out his Elysium Compendium tomunicate.


    After getting the information he needed, he bid the Ant goodbye and signaled for Glenn and Megan to follow him.


    "This tunnel will lead us to the surface. It is also the entrance that the Mosquitoes used to infiltrate the Ant Nest," Lux exined. "But you don''t have to worry, the Mosquitoes in this area have all been killed, so it is safe to use this passage to return to Leaf Vige."


    The two Dwarves nodded in understanding.


    "Diablo,e forth!" Lux ordered. "Skeleton Warrior, youe here as well!"


    Immediately, a ck knight , and a skeleton warrior appeared in front of them.


    "Check the entrance and the surrounding area for any Mosquitoes." Luxmanded. "Make sure to extend your search, to ensure that the path towards Leaf Vige doesn''t have any danger."<sub> </sub>


    Diablo and the Skeleton Warrior nodded their heads as they ran towards the surface. Several Horned Army Ants walked past Lux and the two Dwarves to resume their duties in guarding their nest.


    The three followed behind the Ants because it would be safer that way.


    After a quarter of an hour of scouting, Diablo informed the Half-Elf that the coast was clear, and no threats were in sight.


    Hearing his trusted subordinate''s report, Lux led the two Dwarves back to Leaf Vige without encountering any monsters along their path.


    "Thank you for saving me again," Glenn bowed. "I promise to repay this favor in the future."


    "Me, too," Megan said firmly. "I will return this favor."


    Lux nodded. "Please, take care of the bodies of yourrades and return them to their families."


    Glenn and Megan sadly nodded their heads because this was the least that they could do for their party members that had fallen in battle.


    "Glenn! Megan! Thank goodness you are alive!" a Dwarf shouted as he ran in their direction.


    Glenn and Megan looked at their party leader, Oman, with sad expressions on their faces. When thetter had told all of them to separate, they knew that it was the only way to increase the number of survivors in their party.


    They simply couldn''t fight against hundreds of Mosquitoes at the same time. Doing so would only lead to a pointless death.


    As the Dwarf neared their location, Lux unloaded the bodies of the three Dwarves that he had ced inside sacks to be brought back home in Sis.


    "Oman, this is Lux," Glenn said after the three had their reunion. "He is the one who saved us, and brought the bodies of our friends back to us."


    Oman''s face paled after seeing the three sacks on the ground. After having escaped the Mosquitos'' pursuit, the Dwarf had kept on ming himself for what happened to his party members.


    He really thought that he was the only one that survived and was ridden with guilt.


    Before seeing Glenn and Megan, Oman had already resolved to go back to the Figaro Garden to find the bodies of his party members and give them a proper burial.


    "Thank you, Sir Lux," Oman bowed his head. "If therees a time that you will need my help, just say a word. Even at the cost of my life, I will help you to the best of my ability."


    Oman tapped his chest three times with his closed fist. This was a gesture that Dwarves did when they made an absolute pledge to someone with their life on the line.


    Lux looked at the Dwarf who had blonde hair and brown eyes who was looking at him with a serious expression on his face.


    "Understood," Lux replied. "If there will reallye a time when I will need your help, I will not hesitate to call you."


    After spending time with the Dwarves, the Half-Elf already understood how serious they were when it came to pledges. Because of this, he epted Oman''s promise because it was the right thing to do.


    "Just return the bodies of your friends to their loved ones, and do not step into the Figaro Gardens again for the time being," Lux stated. "The environment there is too dangerous for you kids. Also, do not throw your lives away because of greed. We only have one life. Treasure it and live it to the fullest."


    Lux bid the Dwarves goodbye and returned to the inn. He had stayed in the Figaro Gardens for a week, and he hadn''t had a good sleep for the past few days. Also, he needed to take a bath badly, so he decided to take the rest of the day off.


    As he walked towards his inn, he thought about his own party mates that had epted an Escort Mission. He kinda missed the rowdy bunch of Dwarves, especially Colette who was always brimming with positivity.


    "If I''m not mistaken, they will be back in another two weeks," Lux muttered as he made his way towards his room. "When they return, I think I''ll ask them to help me hunt the Carbuncle in the Aspiration ins."


    The Carbuncle was the Alpha Beast of the Aspiration ins. Although it was a Rank 3 Monster, it didn''t specialize in attacks. Instead it was a support type monster that had the power to heal and buff the minions that fought for it.


    It was the weakest among the three Alpha Beasts in the Beginner''s Vige. Lux was confident that if they all worked together, they would be able to hunt it down without any problems.


    "All of you, please be safe," Lux said softly as he looked to the East where Lindow Vige was located. "I can''t wait to go adventuring with you guys again."

 Chapter 49 Lux’s Dilemma

    Twenty-six Beast Cores.


    That was the total number of Beast Cores that were currently in Lux''s possession. One of these cores belonged to the Alpha Beast, Red-Eyed Terror Mantis.


    The Half-Elf looked at these cores, not with happiness, but with a serious expression on his face. He was torn whether he should use these cores to upgrade himself or to upgrade his summons.


    If Lux chose to use these Beast Cores for himself, he wouldn''t be able to add any points to his existing stats anymore because it would kick him out of the Beginner''s Zone.


    The Half-Elf knew this, but there was one more thing that was making him hesitate and that was not knowing what skills could be learned from the Beast Cores.


    If he used the Cores for his Summons, he would no longer have the chance to learn the skills from them. Although the chances of learning a skill from a Beast Core was small, the possibility still existed. This was why he was hesitant to not use them to strengthen himself.


    "Soul Book," Lux muttered as he raised his hand.


    Immediately his Soul Book appeared.


    The Half-Elf then checked his stats to see what he could do about his current predicament.


    ��---


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Health: 960 / 960


    Mana: 940 / 940


    Strength: 46 (+3)


    Intelligence: 46 (+1)


    Vitality: 31


    Agility: 34 (+3)


    Dexterity: 31 (+3)


    Free Stat Points Avable: 35


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX]


    Active Skills: Power Shot, sh, Dark Arrow,


    Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude


    ��--


    Elysium Copper Coins: 170


    Elysium Silver Coins: 24


    Elysium Gold Coins: 8


    ��--


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: F+


    Progress: (56/100)


    Conquest is not all about imingnds, and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.


    Upgrade Rewards: +5 to All Stats, +200 Health Points, Mana Drain [EX]


    Note: Upgrading your special constitution will allow you to unlock its abilities.


    ��


    < Diablo >


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Skeleton Fighter


    �C Rating: D


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress ( 40 / 100)


    ��-


    < Skeleton Warrior >


    Rating: F+


    Mana: 5


    �C Summons one Skeleton Warrior to fight for you


    �C Summon duration: 1 hour


    �C Skill Cooldown: 5 minutes.


    Progress ( 0 / 100)


    ��--


    Lux gazed at this status page as he held the Rank 3 Beast Core of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis in his hand.


    ''I need 44 Points to upgrade my Body Constitution to its next stage,'' Lux thought. ''With a Rank 3 Beast Core, I can get 15 free Status Points, and 15 Body Constitution Points.''


    The Half-Elf had long decided that he would be using the Alpha Beast Core on himself, because the Terror Mantis had three skills and they were Fury sh, Gust, and Berserk.


    Right now, his sh skill was on its way to evolving into Fury sh. Among the three skills that could be learned from the Beast Core, Fury sh was not something he wanted to acquire.


    Gust was a Wind Elemental Skill that created powerful gusts of wind that dealt damage and blew away one''s enemies.


    Berserk, on the other hand, was a very useful ability that doubles one''s stat points for a brief period of time.


    However, it had a downside.<sub> </sub>


    When the berserked state faded away, the user would have their stats halved as they fell into a weakened state for a period of time. This was also why the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis fell to the Mosquito Swarm. After losing half its health points, the bacsh of the weakened state made it unable to resist the Mosquitoes and died under their suppression.


    ''Okay, I will upgrade my Body Constitution then focus the remaining upgrades on Diablo and the Skeleton Warrior.'' Lux clenched his fist as he made up his mind to upgrade his Body Constitution.


    When he upgraded his Body Constitution for the first time, the overall upgrade to his body was fantastic. Also, the Half-Elf was hoping that the free options that would be avable to him after his upgrade would include the War Cry skill.


    Last time, he was forced to choose Mana Drain in order tost longer during battles, which had been a great boon. Now that another upgrade was on the way, Lux wanted to choose the skill War Cry so that his subordinates would have increased bonus damage that would make their attacks stronger.


    ''Okay. Let''s do this!'' Lux held the Beast Core with both of his hands and willed his thoughts to consume it.


    ��--


    < Ding! >


    < Do you wish to consume the Rank 3 Beast Core? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��--


    Lux naturally chose yes and picked the Upgrade Stat Points option.


    ��--


    Obtained 15 Free Stats Points


    Obtained 15 Body Constitution Points


    You have acquired the Fury sh


    ��--


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched when he saw that the skill that he acquired was the skill that he didn''t want to learn!


    The Half-Elf was about to curse out loud when a series of notifications appeared in his Soul Book.


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected that the skill sh was on its way to evolving into Fury sh. >


    < Forcefully upgrading sh to Fury sh. >


    < Upgrade Sessful! >


    < Skill Evolution [EX] has detected that the skill Fury sh can be upgraded one more time. >


    < New Skill Unlocked! >


    < Double Fury sh >


    Active Skill: Requires 10 Mana to use


    �C sh the enemy twice forming an X dealing Heavy Physical Damage with a very high chance of dealing critical damage.


    �C Deals +100 Damage with high chance of dealing critical damage.


    �C If your target has less than half of its health remaining, it deals an additional +100 damage to your attack with a high chance of dealing critical damage.


    �C Requirements to upgrade: Use Fury sh 10x


    Progress: (0/10)


    �C You can use Fury sh and Double Fury sh anytime once the requirement has been met.


    ��---


    Lux blinked at the information in front of him before his initial annoyance turned into happiness.


    "Not bad!" Lux grinned after seeing the new skill that was added in his collection.


    The Half-Elf then used three more Rank 1 Beast Cores and sessfully upgraded his Body Constitution to the next level.


    ��--


    < Ding! >


    < Congrattions! Your Body Constitution has been upgraded! >


    < Choose one from among these three options as your bonus reward! >


    (Option 1) �C +50 permanent points to Vitality


    (Options 2) �C  Warcry: +30 Physical and Magical Damage to you and your allies


    Duration: 5 minutes


    Cooldown: 10 minutes


    (Options 3) �C Item Transmutation


    �C Transfer a skill from one item to another. Once the skill has been sessfully transferred, the item will be immediately destroyed.


    ��--


    As expected, the skill War Cry was avable after Lux had upgraded his Body Constitution. However, a new skill had caught his interest and it was none other than Item Transmutation.


    After using the Elysium Compendium, Lux found out that the skill "Item Transmutation" was a Pseudo-Mythical Tier Skill that could only be learned by Grandmaster Alchemists, Grandmaster cksmiths, Grand Master Jewelers, and other Grandmaster Artisans that specialized in creating items.


    In a nutshell, if Lux were to sacrifice Tranquility and transfer its ability to summon a Forest Wolf to Oathbreaker, the Unique Sword would gain a "bonus skill".


    But, it wouldn''t end there. If Lux could acquire other items with special abilities then he could transfer all of them to his equipment, making them more powerful.


    "... Damn! Why must you make things difficult for me?!" Lux was both happy and frustrated at the third choice that appeared after he had upgraded his Body Constitution.


    His initial choice was to get War Cry. But now that the skill Item Transmutation has appeared, he was having a hard time deciding between the two.


    Right now, Lux was in a dilemma. Just likest time, he wasn''t sure if the skill Item Transmutation would still be there after he upgraded his Body Constitution again.


    For him, a Pseudo-Mythical Skill like Item Transmutation would allow him to have Overpowered Equipment if he yed his cards right.


    Lux could see the skill''s potential. He even thought of buying cheap equipment with special skills so he could attach them to his own equipment.


    Simply put, this was a money burning skill with great payoff.

 Chapter 50 A Fun Thing To See

    "Fine," Lux muttered after an intense internal struggle. "So be it. I choose you, Item Transmutation!"


    ��-


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    < Since the Skill is learned from your Body Constitution Upgrade and not from a Beast Core, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    < Item Transmutation [EX] >


    �C Transfer up to two skills, or weapon attributes, from one item to another. Once the skills or attributes have been sessfully transferred, the sacrificed item will immediately be destroyed.


    ��--


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: E


    Progress: (0/200)


    Conquest is not all about imingnds, and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.


    Upgrade Rewards: +1000 Health Points, Item Transmutation [EX]


    Bonus Reward:  +1 Summon Skeleton Skill


    �C You will be able to summon two more skeletons to fight for you.


    Note: Upgrading your special constitution will allow you to unlock its abilities.


    ��---


    "Yes!" Lux raised his hand in excitement after seeing the bonuses that he got after upgrading his body constitution. "This is so freaking awesome!"


    He already expected that the Item Transmutation skill could evolve to its next form, but the thing that he didn''t expect was that he would get a bonus reward for his summoning skill.


    Before, he could only summon one Skeleton Warrior, but now he could summon three. Counting Diablo and his other Skeleton Warriors, he now had a total of four summons he could use to fight along his side. This greatly increased his manpower in one fell swoop.


    "Twenty Four Beast Core Remaining." Lux eyed the Beast Cores in his possession.


    Twenty of those Beast Cores were from Rank 1 Monsters, while four were from Rank 2 Monsters.


    Lux opened up Diablo''s page in the Soul Book to check the points he needed to upgrade his trusted partner.


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Skeleton Fighter


    �C Rating: D


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress ( 40 / 100)


    ��--


    Diablo had the title Firstborn.


    As Lux''s first Named Creature Diablo had gained the special ability to increase the number of skill points he would get when upgraded by a Beast Core.


    Normally��


    A Rank 1 Beast Core would give 10 Skill Points.


    A Rank 2 Beast Core would give 20 Skill Points.


    But if Lux were to use a Rank 1 Beast Core on Diable, thetter would gain 15 points. With a Rank 2 Core, thetter would gain 30 points.


    Without batting an eye, Lux used two Rank 2 Beast Cores to upgrade his Named Creature, raising Diablo''s overall performance.


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    "Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Skeleton Fighter


    �C Rating: D+


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress ( 0 / 300)


    Health: 1,275 / 1,275


    Mana: 840 / 840


    Attack: 70 - 95 (+20 Damage from Tranquility)


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    Strength: 43 (+1)


    Intelligence: 42


    Vitality: 41 (+2)


    Agility: 42 (+2)


    Dexterity: 42 (+2)


    Defense: 75 (+100 Defense) (New!)


    Title: Firstborn, Squad Captain (New!)


    Active Skills: sh, Heavy sh (New!), Bone Spear (New!)


    Passive Skills: Parry, Tactician, Improved Dodge


    Note: This Skeleton is going to be the next Pirate King!


    ��--


    Lux nodded his head in satisfaction. With the upgrade, Diablo''s strength had officially broken through the Apostle Grade, which was equivalent to a Rank 1 Monster.


    Not only that, Lux''s Named Creature also acquired several bonuses like increased defense, a new title, two active skills, and one passive skill.<sub> </sub>


    ��--


    < Squad Captain >


    �C Increases the attack and defense of any unit under the Named Creature''s Command by 20%


    ��--


    < Bone Spear >


    Mana: 10


    �C Throws a spear made of bones at a target.


    �C Deals +100 Damage to target


    �C Has a medium chance to deal Critical Damage


    �C Skill Cooldown: 30 Seconds


    ��--


    < Improved Dodge >


    �C Enhances the chance to dodge any attack during battle.


    ��-


    "The title, Squad Captain, came at the right time," Lux said as he rubbed his chin. "Without War Cry, I have no way of increasing the damage of my Undead Summons. This skill will have to do for the time being. Now, it''s time to upgrade my Skeleton Warriors."


    Lux preferred quality over quantity, but since his Body Cultivation had given him additional manpower free of charge, he would use it to his full advantage.


    Lux consumed ten Rank 1 Beast Cores, bringing his stash of cores to twelve.


    ��-


    < Choose which path of Evolution you wish to take. >


    Option 1: Summon Four Skeleton Warriors to fight for you instead of three.


    Option 2: Upgrade Summon Skeleton Skill to Summon Skeleton Fighter.


    ��-


    "Um? Skeleton Fighters? Isn''t this Diablo''s current ss?" Lux muttered as he looked at the two options avable to him. "I need to make them stronger, so Skeleton Fighter it is!"


    ��--


    < Summon Skeleton Fighter >


    Rating: E+


    Mana: 5


    Max Summons: (0/3)


    �C Summons one Skeleton Fighter to fight for you


    �C Summon duration: 1 hour


    Progress ( 0 / 100)


    ��---


    After upgrading the Skeleton Warrior to Skeleton Fighter, it had also gained the Passive Skill Parry, which allowed it to deflect attacks then follow up with a counter attack.


    Lux used ten more Beast Cores to upgrade his Skeleton Fighters one more time, bringing his stockpile of Beast Cores down to two.


    ��--


    < Choose which path of Evolution you wish to take. >


    Option 1: Summon Four Skeleton Fighters to fight for you instead of three.


    Option 2: Allow Skeleton Fighters to use Basic Tactical Formations in battle, allowing them to effectively fight as a team.


    ��--


    "Option two it is." Lux chose the second option without batting an eye. Teamwork was important in any battle. The Half-Elf understood this concept. With Diablo as the Squad Captain of the group, they would be able tounch effective attacks against their enemies, and use their numbers as an advantage.


    ��--


    < Summon Skeleton Fighter >


    Rating: D


    Mana: 5


    Max Summons: (0/3)


    Progress ( 0 / 200)


    �C Summons one Skeleton Fighter to fight for you


    �C Summon duration: 1 hour


    Health Points: 250


    Attack: 20 - 35


    Active Skills: sh


    Passive Skills: Parry


    Note: Your Skeleton Fighters will gain great improvements on their next upgrade.


    ��---


    Lux sighed after looking at his Soul Book. He already knew that being a necromancer would require him to use many resources.


    Unlike most of the other Job sses which only required others to strengthen themselves, Lux needed to constantly upgrade his skills which allowed his minions to be stronger separately. He knew that this path would be a difficult road to travel, but he had already made up his mind to go through with it until the end.


    "Perhaps a month or two from now, I will have enough Skeleton Warriors to challenge the Hell Mode of the Bronze Crypt even if I am alone." Lux pondered. "When that happens, I will be able to constantly farm Rank 2 Beast Cores without needing to share them with anyone."


    Lux chuckled as an ingenious idea appeared in his mind. "I wonder how Colette will react if I manage to break her Big Sister''s record in the Bronze Crypt? That will be a fun thing to see."


    The Half-Elf grinned while thinking of the not so distant future. Now that he and his Summons had undergone an upgrade, he would be able to farm more Beast Cores in the Figaro Gardens, while waiting for his Dwarf friends to return from their escort mission.


    He was sure that the next time they saw him, they would be surprised at how much he improved while they were away.

 Chapter 51 There Is No Coincidence In The World

    A day after Lux finished upgrading his Soul Book, he went to visit the cksmith in Leaf Vige.


    His goal was to purchase cheap weapons that had skills imbued in them, so he could transfer the skills to make his own equipment stronger.


    "Sir Randolph, good morning!" Lux greeted the cksmith who was taking a break from his smithing.


    "Oh, it''s you, Lux," Randolph greeted the Half-Elf who had be his regr supplier of Beast Parts that hailed from the Figaro Garden. "Are you going to sell me some materials today?"


    Lux shook his head. "No. This time, I am here to buy weapons and armor."


    Randolph chuckled as he gestured to the weapons and armors that were on disy in his shop.


    Lux held the Elysium Compendium in his hand and the detailed information of the items in front of him materialized in his sight.


    The Elysium Compendium could also work as an appraising tool. After all, its main feature was ess to detailed information about almost anything in Elysium.


    The Half-Elf looked at the War Axe in front of him and immediately saw the information he was looking for.


    ��-


    Axe of Onught


    Weapon Type: Axe


    Rarity: Rare


    Damage: 40 - 75


    Durability: 300/300


    Required Strength: 30


    Skill: Critical Strike


    �C Each attack has a 10% chance to do critical damage.


    Price: 20 Gold


    ��--


    Lux scratched his head as he looked at the price of the Axe of Onught, and the coins he had in his possession.


    ��--


    Elysium Copper Coins: 200


    Elysium Silver Coins: 50


    Elysium Gold Coins: 12


    ��--


    Even after selling all of those valuable monster parts to Randolph, his current funds still weren''t enough to buy the Axe in front of him. With a heavy heart, Lux could only force himself to look at the other weapons beside the Axe and wondered if they would fit his budget.


    ��--


    Sting


    Weapon Type: One-handed Sword


    Rarity: Rare


    Damage: 20 - 32


    Durability: 200/200


    Required Strength: 15


    Required Dexterity: 15


    Skill: Envenom


    Mana: 10


    �C Has a low chance to poison your target.


    Price: 10 Gold


    ��-


    Fanged Kris


    Weapon Type: Dagger


    Rarity: Rare


    Damage: 15 - 25


    Strength Requirement: 10


    Dexterity Requirement: 20


    Durability: 200/200


    Skill: Thorn


    �C has a 5% chance to apply the Bleeding effect to your target with every strike.


    �C Bleeding effect reduces your target''s Health Points by 1% of its Maximum Health Points every 2 seconds.<sub> </sub>


    �C Bleed Effect Duration: 10 seconds.


    Price: 15 Gold


    ��---


    Lux checked all the items in Randolph''s shop. In conclusion, all of them were pretty expensive. Some of them had skills imbued to them, while others didn''t have any. But the thing that made him depressed the most was how pretty darn expensive they all were.


    The normal weapons were obviously cheaper, but since they didn''t possess any Skills whatsoever, it was useless to buy them.


    Only superior weapons and sets of armor in Randolph''s shop had skills, but aside from being expensive, there was only a limited number of them. It was at that moment when Lux understood how much of a money burning skill the Item Transmutation [EX] was.


    Without any item in hand, he wouldn''t be able to maximize the skill that he had gained after his upgrade.


    While Lux was having a dilemma, a sudden idea popped inside his head.


    "Um, Sir Randolph, do you have any defective products for sale?" Lux asked. "Even scrapped weapons will do."


    Randolph frowned as he looked at the Half-Elf who had just asked him something unreasonable.


    "Boy, I don''t sell defective products in my shop," Raymond replied with a snort. "No Dwarf cksmith that cares about their name and reputation would do such a thing. If you ask me something like this again in the future, I''ll hit you with my Smithing Hammer to knock some senses into you!"


    Lux hurriedly apologized to the fuming Dwarf and exined that it wasn''t his intention to belittle him or anything.


    He made an excuse that he was very interested in cksmithing and he wanted to see what defective products looked like, so when he forged his own weapons and sets of armor, he would have an idea on what was defective or not.


    "You want to learn cksmithing?" Randolph sized up the Half-Elf half and down. "Well, I guess anyone can learn it as long as they are passionate about the craft. Do you want to be my apprentice then?"


    Beads of sweat formed in Lux''s forehead because he couldn''t believe that Randolph had taken his excuse seriously.


    He didn''t n to learn cksmithing at the moment because he was still nning to monopolize the loots in the Figaro Gardens and collect as many monster parts and Beast Cores as possible while the mosquitoes were still atrge.


    However, before he could politely reject Randolph''s offer, a notification materialized in front of him.


    ��-


    < Special Quest: The Art of cksmithing >


    �C Randolph is currently looking for an apprentice to pass his craft on to. If you decide to ept this quest, you will gain the cksmith Subss as a reward.


    �C This is an optional quest. You can choose to decline his offer if you don''t want it.


    < Rewards >


    �C cksmith Sub ss


    �C Title: Apprentice cksmith


    < Would you like to ept this Subss Quest? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��--


    Lux''s body stiffened because he didn''t expect that he would gain a special quest out of the blue. He was not new to the Subss option in games because most games had this feature.


    ording to his understanding, his Main ss was Necromancer, allowing him to summon the Undead, use curses, and other abilities connected to his profession.


    A Subss, however, would allow him to use the abilities of other Job sses without any conflict with his Main ss. Meaning, Lux could be a Necromancer and an Apprentice cksmith at the same time.


    Lux weighed the pros and cons of epting Randolph''s offer inside his head.


    ''If I became an Apprentice cksmith, I will be able to learn how to create weapons and armor,'' Lux thought. ''If in the process of cksmithing, I happen to make an exceptional weapon with an attached skill, I can transfer it to my weapon without any problem.


    ''The only downside is that I will need to constantly craft weapons in order to raise the rank of my cksmithing Skills.''


    The Elysium Compendium in Lux''s hand had supplied him with information about the Artisan sses in the world of Elysium. These craftsmen who pursued different fields couldn''t raise their Skill Proficiencies by using Beast Cores.


    They needed to pursue their passion devotedly in order to gain a higher understanding of their craft.


    In Elysium, people could have up to a maximum of three Subsses. If they were to exceed that number, they would have to acquire special tokens from the Adventurer''s Guild to increase the number of Subsses up to five.


    However, earning these tokens would require them to achieve an unbelievable feat that would be recognized by the ruler of the territory that they were staying in.


    ''There are no coincidences in the world,'' Lux thought. ''Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. All I need to do is take a leap of faith and see where this road will take me.''


    After finalizing his decision, Lux faced the Dwarf who was looking at him with a serious expression.


    "If you''re really fine with me then I dly ept your offer to be your apprentice," Lux replied. "However, I can''t always be with you, Sir Randolph, because I am an adventurer."


    "That''s fine," Randolph replied. "I was also an adventurer like you in the past but I took an arrow to the knee and decided to retire and be a cksmith."


    "We can focus on your training on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I don''t care what you do on the other days, but you have to be here on the days I mentioned."


    Lux nodded his head in agreement. "Understood, Master."


    "Master��," Randolph yed with his beard as he looked at the Half-Elf with a satisfied expression. "I like the sound of that."


    The Dwarf then extended his hand for a handshake, and Lux epted it with a smile.


    When their two hands sped each other, Lux immediately felt the hidden strength in Randolph''s grip.


    The calluses on the Dwarf''s hand made the Half-Elf realize that he couldn''t take this apprenticeship half-heartedly. Doing so would be the same as ridiculing Randolph''s passion for his profession, and this was something that was against Lux''s principles.


    After the two shook hands, Randolph happily closed his shop and took Lux to the tavern to celebrate his apprenticeship.


    Although he didn''t know if he would be a sessful Apprentice cksmith in the future, he was sure that he would definitely do his best, not only for Randolph''s sake, but for his own sake as well.

 Chapter 52 Big Brother! Please, Help Us!

    After epting Randolph''s proposal, Lux spent his days practicing cksmithing, as well as going to the Figaro Gardens to help the Ants retrieve the bodies of insects in by the Mosquitoes.


    The Half-Elf''s cksmithing apprenticeship wasn''t going smoothly. Until now, he still hadn''t managed to forge anything decent. All of his attempts ended up in failure, but Randolph said it was all normal.


    Seven dayster, Lux returned to Leaf Vige carrying some monster parts that he had obtained through the partnership he had with the Ants.


    All in all, he earned sixteen new Beast Cores, bringing his total number to eighteen.


    Just as soon as he arrived at the za, he noticed a crowd of Dwarves, making him curious about what was happening.


    Since he was taller than them, he effortlessly saw through the crowd and noticed a wounded Dwarf who was begging and clinging to Aron, the Guard Captain of Leaf Vige, to help save herrades.


    At first, Lux didn''t recognize her, but after hearing her constant pleading, her voice finally registered in his head.


    "Helen?!" Lux shouted. "Please, let me through! That is my friend!"


    The Dwarves made a path for him and the Half-Elf hurried over to the Dwarf girl who had turned her head to look in his direction.


    "Big Brother!" Helen cried out. "Please! Help us! Colette and the others had been captured by the bandits!"


    The little Dwarf tried to stand in order to run to Lux''s direction, but she was seriously injured, so she was only able to take a few steps before her legs lost their strength, causing her to fall down on the ground.


    However, just before Helen couldpletely fall, a pair of strong hands grabbed her and supported her body.


    "Big Brother! Wuwuwu!" Helen cried out with snot and tears streaming on her face. "Save Colette and the others. Please! I beg you!"


    Lux hurriedly took out a healing potion and poured it over Helen''s body.


    The little Dwarf ignored her injuries because the only thing on her mind was to go and seek help from Leaf Vige in order to save herpanions.


    "Calm down," Lux said as he poured another health potion on the wounds on her body. "Tell me everything right from the start."


    Helen gradually regained her rity of mind as her injuries started to recover. She immediately told Lux about what had happened to the members of the Golden yer Party.


    ording to Helen, after their group left Lindow Vige, the caravan traveled to the next vige called Millwood Vige.


    Everything was going smoothly, but they were suddenly ambushed by dozens of Kobolds while they were camping to rest for the night. The bandit group was led by a Kobold Chieftain with Draconic Blood.


    The leader''s strength was the reason why the bandits managed to overwhelm the defenders. The Chieftain''s strength was on par with an Alpha Beast''s. The Kobolds heavily injured the defenders and killed a few of them.


    Colette and her party mates were mostly injured, but their lives weren''t in danger. Since Helen had been given a special teleport scroll by her family, she immediately used it to return to Leaf Vige to ask for help.


    After hearing the details of the incident, Aron frowned because this was not within the scope of his duties. First and foremost, he was the Guard Captain of Leaf Vige. His duty was to ensure the Vige''s safety, not travel several miles to aid the Foreignerspleting their rescue mission.


    Suddenly, several Dwarves appeared and surrounded Lux and Helen.<sub> </sub>


    "Was Master Robin also taken by those bandits?" a middle-aged Dwarf with blonde hair asked.


    Helen nodded her head. "Robin was knocked unconscious by the Kobolds, but he wasn''t killed by them. I used the teleport scroll when I was about to be captured by the Kobolds, so I don''t know what happened after that."


    The middle-aged Dwarf''s expression became grim as he continued pressing Helen for more details.


    "You were attacked between Lindow Vige and Millwood Vige, right?" the middle-aged Dwarf asked.


    "Yes," Helen answered. "Please! Help save them! I beg of you!"


    The middle-aged Dwarf nodded his head. "Don''t worry. We will save Master Robin without fail."


    The Dwarf then turned to one of hisrades and whispered something in his ear.


    The middle-aged Dwarf''s subordinate nodded his head and ran towards the North where the Goat Riders were stationed.


    After getting all the details from Helen, the Dwarf and his subordinates left the scene, leaving Lux and the crying Helen behind.


    "Big Brother! Please help us!" Helen sobbed in Lux''s chest as the Half-Elf held her tight.


    "I will," Lux replied. "I need some time to prepare. For the time being,e with me and rest at Grandma Annie''s ce. We will leave at sunset to rescue Colette and the others."


    Helen nodded. Even though the healing potion had allowed her body to heal, her mental and emotional injury from what she had just experienced made her exhausted. For this reason, shepletely lost all of the strength in her body and Lux had to carry her all the way to Grandma Annie''s shop.


    Fifteen minutester, Luxid the sleeping girl on the bed and sighed.


    "I''m sure that Aron will not send any help for the little ones," Grandma Annie said as she sat on a chair. "This is outside of his duties. I''m sorry Lux, but don''t expect any help from the Vige."


    "I understand, Grandma Annie," Lux answered. "Please, look after Helen for me. I will go and speak with Master Randolph for the time being."


    "Okay." Grandma Annie  nodded. "Leave her to me."


    "Thank you."


    "This is just a small matter, but are you really going to go and save those kids? A Draconian Kobold Chieftain is no easy opponent. Besides, he would definitely have strongckeys that are all Rank 1 and Rank 2 Monsters."


    Lux already knew about this, but he didn''t care. Colette, Matty, Andy, Axel, and Helen, were his friends. He would be damned if he left them under the mercy of the kobold group.


    Seeing his determined gaze, Grandma Annie only shook her head because she already knew the answer to her question.


    Actually, she had already expected this to happen, but still felt sad because, in her eyes, Lux was merely going to throw his life away if he faced the bandit group alone.

 Chapter 53 Randolph’s Mythical Weapon

    "You''re going to save your friends from a Kobold Bandit Group?" Randolph rubbed his chin. "That is not an easy task, my boy. Are you sure of this?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes, Master. This is also why I would like to ask a favor from you."


    "Favor? Very well. What do you want from me?"


    "Please, let me borrow the sword in your basement."


    Randolph''s casual expression immediately turned serious upon hearing Lux''s request. After epting Lux as his apprentice, he had shown thetter his greatest creation, which was the Mythical Sword that he had kept hidden from everyone''s eyes.


    In fact, this was the only Mythical Weapon in Leaf Vige. No one knew about its existence except Lux, who had be Randolph''s apprentice.


    "You want to borrow Blood Moon?" Randolph asked with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Yes, Master." Lux bowed. "Please, let me borrow your Named Weapon."


    A minute of silence descended inside the smithy as Randolph gazed at his apprentice whose head had remained bowed.


    "Even if I let you borrow it, your stats are not enough to wield it," Randolph replied. "Blood Moon requires all of your stats to be at least fifty, which is impossible for anyone who is still here in Leaf Vige. It is simply out of the question for you to use it with your current strength."


    Lux raised his head. "Master, I may not be able to wield it, but Diablo can. Please, let me borrow it to save my friends. I swear upon my name and honor that I will return it to you without fail."


    Randolph sighed as he leaned on the wall of his smithy.


    "Without fail? I''ve heard that the leader of the Kobolds is a Rank Three Monster at its peak," Randolph stated. "Even if Diablo can wield Blood Moon, he will still fall short against that Monster. Aside from that, the Kobold Chieftain has plenty of subordinates to back him up. My weapon alone will not be enough to turn the tide of battle."


    "Master, don''t worry about that. I have a n."


    "Oh? Let me hear it then."


    Lux told Randolph that he had a way to locate the location of the Bandit Group. He added that the Riders of Norria were also riding for the Bandit Group. If he were to give them the information about where their headquarters were located, he would have many strong helpers to fight alongside him.


    "This will certainly work, but there is just one problem, Lux," Randolph stated. "You said that you have a way of finding their location, but will the Riders of Norria believe you?"


    "... To be honest I don''t know."


    "Then how about this? Once you convince Boreas, the Rider Captain, to take you with them, I will lend Blood Moon to you. This is the only way that I will allow you to take Blood Moon from my treasury."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. "Understood. I will go and talk to Sir Boreas now."


    The Half-Elf didn''t even wait for Randolph''s reply and hurriedly left the Smithy to look for the Guard Captain.


    When he arrived at the Rider''s temporary barracks, the riders were already mounted on their Goat mounts and were about to depart.


    Lux saw the middle-aged man who hade to interrogate Helen earlier. He was already sitting on a goat mount beside Boreas. Clearly, if the middle-aged man managed to mobilize the Riders of Norria to help save Robin from the bandits, he was no ordinary Dwarf.


    "Sir Boreas, please wait!" Lux ran towards the Rider Captain.


    Several of the mounted riders blocked Lux''s path and drew their weapons towards him.


    "Boy, we are on an important mission," an annoyed looking dwarf said. "We don''t have time to listen to your nonsense."


    "That''s right," another dwarfmented. "We have more pressing issues to address, and we obviously have no time to y with a Half-Elf."


    Lux ignored the two Dwarves as he shouted towards Boreas who was also looking in his direction.


    "I know the location of the Bandit Group!" Lux shouted. "Take me with you and I''ll lead you to them!"


    "You brat! Stop spouting nonsense!"


    "That''s right. If you keep on interfering with our mission, don''t me us for not being merciful!"


    The two mounted Dwarfs that had stopped Lux from approaching their Captain raised their weapons in anger. They had always disliked everyone from other races and had long thought of Lux as an eyesore in Leaf Vige.


    If not for the fact that their Captain had ordered them to not harm the boy, they would have already taught him a lesson or two.


    "Halt!"


    A dignified shout stopped the two from hitting the Half-Elf who didn''t even make any effort to defend himself.


    The two Dwarfs immediately ceased their hostilities and reluctantly lowered their weapons.


    It was at that moment when Boreas, one of the Captains of Norria, urged his mount to walk towards Lux and eyed him from head to foot.


    "Are you telling the truth?" Boreas asked. "This mission is of the utmost importance to us. Failure is not an option. If you are lying to us, I will make sure that you suffer a fate worse than death."


    Instead of answering them, Lux summoned his Elysium Compendium and opened its pages.


    Immediately, a projection appeared in front of everyone showing them a map of Norria. In a ce between the Vige of Lindow and Vige of Millwood vige, a golden dot blinked on the map.


    "Before my friends left to do their escort mission, I put a special tracking spell on them that allows me to know their location," Lux answered. "I am not familiar with the topography of thisnd, but as you can see, I can pinpoint their location using my ability.


    "If you don''t take me with you, the chances of you finding Robin are very slim. However, that will be solved if Ie along. So, what do you think, Sir Boreas? Can you take me with you? I also want to save my friends."


    All the Dwarven Riders looked at their Captain and waited for his decision.


    Boreas was the strongest Warrior in Leaf Vige. He was a Grade B Apostle, which was equivalent to a Rank 3 Monster. With him around, their chances of winning against the Draconic Kobold would be higher.


    "Understood, you cane with us," Boreas answered. "However, if you are lying to us, I will make you regret it."


    Lux breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Boreas'' answer. With this, he would be able to borrow his Master''s Mythical Weapon to make Diablo more formidable.


    "Sir Boreas, I have a favor to ask," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "Can youe with me to the Smithy and tell my Master, Randolph, that you will be taking me with you on your expedition. He said that he won''t allow me to go unless I get your permission to let me go with you."


    "You are Randolph''s apprentice?" Boreas widened his eyes in shock as he looked at the Half-Elf in disbelief. "That old coot actually epted you as his apprentice? Is the world going to end?"


    "Who are you calling old coot, you f*cker?!"


    Randolph barged inside the barracks with a flushed face as he red at the Rider Captain, Boreas.


    "Bastard, since you are taking my apprentice with you, I expect you to bring him back safely!" Randolph shouted at Boreas, making the other Dwarf Riders look at the cksmith in disbelief.


    Boreas was a very stern Dwarf, and not even their Commander dared to shout at him like the cksmith of Leaf Vige was doing.<sub> </sub>


    "I am not his nanny," Boreas replied in an indifferent tone. "We''re not going on an excursion. If he can''t even protect himself then he should just stay here and y house with you."


    "Hmph! Fine. Since you want my apprentice to y house with me then so be it. Come, Lux. Let these eggheads handle this mission without you. Let''s see if they find that Robin brat on their own."


    Randolph didn''t even wait for Lux''s reply and dragged the Half-Elf away from the barracks.


    "M-Master, I want to go and save my frie�C"


    "Hush! Let''s talk when we''re back in the Smithy. Don''t worry. Knowing Boreas, he wille knocking on my door sooner orter."


    Little did the Half-Elf know that Randolph was doing this for his sake. The cksmith wanted the Riders of Norria to officially ask his apprentice to be their guide, so that he would receivepensation from them.


    Also, he didn''t have any n to let the Dwarves see the Mythical Weapon in his possession. He needed to pass it to Lux secretly in order to avoid any future problems.


    After the two arrived at the smithy, Randolph hurriedly locked the doors and made a gesture for Lux to follow him into the basement.


    "I originally nned to bestow Blood Moon to a person that had the bearings of a hero," Randolph grumbled. "Who would have thought that the first one who will wield it is not even a Dwarf, but a Skeleton?! Fate sure knows how to y with my heart."


    Lux endured Randolph''s ramblings until they arrived at his hidden treasure house, which was buried deep under the Smithy.


    A few minutester, the Master and apprentice pair arrived at a small altar where a sheathed sword was held on a silver pedestal.


    It was Randolph''s greatest creation, the Mythical Sword, Blood Moon.


    ��--


    Blood Moon


    Weapon Type: One Handed Sword


    Rarity: Mythical


    Damage: 225 - 350


    Requirement: All stats must be fifty or above.


    Additional Requirement: Only those recognized by Randolph could wield this weapon.


    Passive Skills: Sharp de, Swift de, Life Steal, Thorn, Indestructible


    < Sharp de >


    �C The de of this sword will always be sharp and will never dull.


    ��--


    < Swift de >


    �C The sword feels very light which helps its wielder brandish it with ease. Able to strike very fast in quick sessions.


    ��--


    < Life Steal >


    �C Each attack heals the user with 3% of their Max Health Points.


    ��--


    < Bleed >


    �C has a 5% chance to apply the Bleeding effect to your target with every strike.


    �C Bleeding effect reduces your target''s Health Points by 1% of its Maximum Health Points every 2 seconds.


    �C Bleed Effect Duration: 10 seconds.


    ��--


    < Indestructible >


    �C This weapon is indestructible. It cannot be destroyed.


    ��--


    The reason why Randolph decided to show Lux the mythical weapon in the first ce was to encourage his apprentice to do better. He believed that once Lux realized how amazing being a cksmith was, the more serious thetter would be in his studies.


    Although this was already Lux''s second time seeing Blood Moon, his admiration for the weapon never waned.


    On the contrary, the more he looked at it, the more determined he became to increase the proficiency of his smithing skill, so that he would be able to create his own Mythical Weapon.


    Randolph took the weapon from the pedestal with both hands before presenting it to Lux.


    "Take it," Randolph said. "Remember, I''m only loaning it to you for a short while. Go and save your friends and make sure that you return in one piece."


    Lux epted the sword with both hands and looked at his Master with a grateful expression.


    "Thank you, Master," Lux replied. "I will not let you down."


    As he held the Mythical Weapon in his hand, Lux believed that once Diablo equipped this weapon, his Named Creature would be able to easily handle Rank 1 and 2 Monster with ease.


    ''Wait for me, Colette,'' Lux thought as he gripped the sword firmly in his hands. ''I aming to save you guys!''


    The adorable little Dwarf was Lux''s first friend in Leaf Vige. Even without the help of the Riders of Norria, he would still do his best to go and save her, as well as the other members of the Goldenyer Party.


    Right now, Diablo was still unable to wield Blood Moon as he still needed to be upgraded one more time before he could do so.


    Fortunately, Lux had acquired more than enough Beast Cores to upgrade his Named Creature. As the Half-Elf was about to return to the room in his inn to make preparations, Boreas appeared in Randolf''s Smithy to formally invite the Half-Elf to join them on their rescue mission.


    An hourter, Lux, Helen, and the Riders of Norria, left Leaf Vige together in haste. Their destination was the bandit hideout, which was located somewhere in the mountainous region between Lindow Vige and Millwood Vige.

 Chapter 54 The Real Protagonist

    Lux and Helen were seated in a carriage pulled by two horses. They were procured by the middle-aged man who had asked Helen about Robin''s whereabouts.


    They all traveled non-stop and, ording to Lux''s estimate, with this speed, they would arrive at their destination within two days.


    Although he was very worried about Colette and the others, there''s nothing he could do but pray to the Gods that they were safe.


    For the time being, Lux shifted all his attention to his Soul Book.


    He had eighteen Beast Cores in hand, and half of them were Rank 2 Beast Cores. The Ants had been very generous in giving him these Beast Cores because his scouting massively helped them to forage safely in the areas where the mosquitoes had just finished feeding.


    Now that he was dealing with an emergency situation, he immediately used the Rank 2 Beast Cores to upgrade Diablo''s progression to the next stage.


    After using nine Rank 2 Beast Cores, Lux managed to upgrade Diablo''s Progression Bar, but it still fell short of his target.


    ��-


    Progress: 270/300


    ��-


    Left with no other alternative, Lux used two Rank 1 Beast Cores which gave him exactly thirty additional Skill Points, bringing his stockpile of Beast Cores to seven.


    ��--


    < Ding! >


    < Your Named Creature, Diablo has reached a milestone! >


    < Please, choose two options from the bonus upgrades avable for him! >


    �C Option 1: Increase Health Points by 3,000


    �C Option 2: Learn Active Skill: Whirlwind sh


    �C Option 3: Learn Active Skill: Duel [EX]


    �C Option 4: Learn Passive Skill: Guts


    �C Option 5: Upgrade Skeleton Warrior to Skeleton Knight


    �C Option 6: Upgrade Skeleton Warrior to Skeleton Rider


    ��--


    Lux ignored option one because a mere three thousand Health Points since it wouldn''t change anything at this point.


    After checking the Elysium Compendium, he found the information he was looking for about the skills that appeared in the list of Diablo''s Bonus Upgrade options.


    ''Whirlwind sh is an AOE skill that hits multiple targets. This is good if Diablo is surrounded by enemies,'' Lux thought as he rubbed his chin. ''Duel [EX] is simr to taunt skill, but this skill would force your opponent to exchange one blow with you no matter what. It has a one minute cooldown, which is a good option, since I don''t have any taunting skill at the moment.


    ''Guts will allow Diablo to survive One-Hit Attacks that could instantly kill him. This skill is useful, but only at the higher levels.''


    The Half-Elf then eyed the two Job Upgrades that became avable for Diablo. His Named Creature had only be a Skeleton Fighter recently, but due to the milestone, Diablo could once again upgrade his profession to a higher ss free of charge.


    Skeleton Knight is a bnced Job ss simr to Skeleton Fighter, but stronger,'' Lux mused. ''As for Skeleton Rider, it is a mounted unit that specializes in mobility, and has many other advantages.


    ''The only problem is that it''s not very useful when raiding dungeons because of the cramped space. However, it is good for open world exploration because it allows Diablo to tame Monsters as his mount.''


    Lux scratched his head when he realized that his Named Creature was more of a Protagonist than him. Diablo kept on getting more powerful with each upgrade he got, even faster than the Master.


    After a long internal struggle, the Half-Elf chose the third and fifth option.


    ��--


    < You have chosen the skill, Duel [EX], and Upgrade Skeleton Warrior to Skeleton Rider >


    < Is this your final answer? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��--


    Lux chose yes, and immediately several more notifications appeared on Diablo''s Soul Page.


    ��--


    < Job Change Bonus >


    �C All stats +20


    �C Skill Union of Skeleton and Beast has been acquired.


    �C Skill Tame Mount has been acquired<sub> </sub>


    �C Title Relentless Charger has been acquired.


    ��--


    Union of Skeleton and Beast allowed Diablo to effectively fight while riding on a mount. This passive skill allowed him to remain seated even if he received attacks that should''ve been able to dismount him.


    Tame Mount, as the name suggested, allowed Diablo to tame a Mount that he could ride in battle. The chances of taming a Mount would depend on how strong it was. If the creature was weaker than Diablo, thetter would be able to tame it without a problem.


    However, if the creature was stronger, the chances of taming it would be lower, which made it extremely difficult. Also, Diablo couldn''t tame creatures that were two ranks higher than it. These limitations were to prevent the Named Creature from obtaining strong mounts that exceeded its current strength.


    Relentless Charger, on the other hand, gave Diablo an additional 30% damage and increased chances of dealing critical strikes, while mounted.


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Skeleton Rider


    �C Rating: C


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress ( 0 / 500)


    Health: 2,500 / 2,500


    Mana: 1,240 / 1,240


    Attack: 125 - 170 (+20 Damage from Tranquility)


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    Strength: 63 (+1)


    Intelligence: 62


    Vitality: 61 (+2)


    Agility: 62 (+2)


    Dexterity: 62 (+2)


    Defense: 75 (+100 Defense)


    Title: Firstborn, Squad Captain, Relentless Charger.


    Active Skills: sh, Heavy sh, Bone Spear, Duel [EX]


    Passive Skills: Parry, Tactician, Improved Dodge, Union of Man and Beast.


    Note: Sh*t just got real!


    ��--


    ''Diablo has 317 Combined Stat Points. He is now in the middle stages of Grade D Apostles.'' Lux thought as he started to feel slightly envious of his Partner in Crime, but he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Diablo didn''t have to follow thews of the Beginner Vige because he was a Summoned Creature, but Lux couldn''t.


    After sighing internally, he equipped Blood Moon in Diablo''s Equipment Page. The blood-red sword, which was Randolph''s greatest creation, shone with an eerie glow.


    With the Mythical Sword in hand, Diablo was a menace and had more than enough leeway to fight against Rank 2 Monsters without problem. It was also possible to fight Rank 3 Monsters because of the Mythical Weapon''s attributes.


    As long as Diablo could hit the target, his Health Points would be replenished without problem.


    Now that his preparations wereplete, Lux checked Colette''s Condition in the Elysium Compendium.


    ording to the information he could ess, Colette had received minor injuries, but there was no danger to her life.


    Matty, Robin, Andy, and Axel, had more serious injuries, but their current status told Lux that they were far from kicking the bucket. With the safety of the children confirmed, Lux was able to gain some peace of mind, as he coordinated with Boreas to lead the group in the general direction of where his friends were.


    "If all goes well, we will arrive at our destination faster than we expected," Boreas said as he looked at the ce Lux had pointed out on his map. "Now I understand why the patrollers can never seem to find the bandits, they are hiding inside the mountain. This will be a bit tricky��"


    At the moment, their current forces wereposed of Thirty Goat Riders, twelve Warriors (including the middle-aged Dwarf), Lux, and Helen.


    Theirbined forces were only forty-five in headcount and they didn''t know how many enemies they would be facing. Even so, they had no choice but to deal with the current situation as quickly as possible. Boreas had also sent a messenger bird to the Stronghold of Noria asking for backup.


    The Dwarf Captain had shared the information that Lux had given to him to his superior, and he hoped that reinforcements would arrive by the time they reached their destination.


    Lux could only see the location of his friends. He didn''t know how many enemies there were, but he was confident that if they all worked together, they would be able to save everyone without any casualties on their side.

 Chapter 55 Time Waits For No Man, Nor Dwarf

    "So, this is why we can''t find them," Boreas said with a serious expression on his face. "These Kobolds chose this ce to build their nest."


    They were all looking at the entrance of a cave that was guarded by three Kobold Warriors.


    They were just Rank 1 Monsters and didn''t pose a threat to their team. However, the problem now was that they didn''t know how many Kobolds they were going to deal with.


    Kobolds'' nests usually consisted of thousands of individuals. Among the humanoid creatures, these demonic looking dogs reproduce at a very rming rate.


    Legend has it that they also had Draconian blood flowing through their bloodlines, which sometimes led to a birth of a Draconic Kobold whom they treated with reverence.


    The middle-aged dwarf, who went by the name Nevreal, was the assigned leader of this expedition, which caught Lux by surprise.


    Lux already had a feeling that the Nevreal was someone important, but he never expected that the Rider Captain of Norria would give the middle-aged man full authority over this rescue mission.


    Nevreal yed with his beard as he weighed their options. Right now, the reinforcements of Norria were on their way. ording to his estimates, they would arrive after a day.


    He was only concerned about Robin''s safety. Although waiting was the best option right now, he didn''t know Robin''s current condition. He was afraid that if they waited another day, the Kobolds might do something to the boy.


    If Robin died on this mission, the consequences were something that Nevreal, and the Stronghold of Norria, couldn''t afford to shoulder.


    No matter what, they had to save Robin at all costs!


    "Using our mounts inside is not possible," Nevreal said after careful consideration. "We have no choice, but to engage them on foot. The only problem is that the Kobold''s nest is very big. It will take us some time to find Robin''s location."


    The Dwarves nodded their heads in unison.


    Lux on the other hand frowned. He understood that their priority was to rescue Robin, but they seem to forget that he was not the only one that needed saving.


    For him, his priority was to rescue Colette, Matty, Andy, and Axel. He would prioritize the lives of those little Dwarves over Robin any day.


    Lux opened his Elysium Compendium and used it to scan the location of the children in the Kobold''s nest.


    Colette, Matty, and Axel, seemed to be in the same ce, while Robin and Andy were in another location.


    Colette''s group was in the Northeastern part of the nest, while Robin''s was on the Northwestern side. Lux knew that if he told the rescue party that he knew where Robin was located, they would not hesitate to prioritize him over the other Dwarf children.


    While he was thinking about what to do next, he noticed that Robin''s status had changed. Right now, the information about Robin stated that he was seriously injured. A few secondster, Andy''s condition had also changed to seriously injured.


    It meant that they were currently being harmed by the Kobold, which left Lux no choice but toe up with a crucial decision on the spot.


    While the Dwarves were arguing on what to do next, Lux cleared his throat and made his presence known.


    "I know where Robin is inside the nest," Lux said.


    Immediately everyone stopped talking and looked in his direction.


    "Right now, he is seriously injured," Lux continued his exnation. "If we don''t hurry, we might not be able to arrive in time."


    "Then what are we waiting for?!" Nevreal replied with urgency. "Boy, if Robin is rescued you will be able to gain great merits. So, let''s hurry up and save him."


    However, Lux shook his head as he stared back at Nevreal with a serious expression on his face. "I will help you on this mission on one condition. All of you will swear to the Earth Goddess that you will also save Colette and the others."


    Nevreal narrowed his eyes. He was a veteran and, looking at Lux''s expression, something was telling him that this wasn''t as simple as it seemed.


    "Are they not in the same location?" Nevreal asked. This was the only conclusion that he coulde to as to why Lux was asking them to make an oath to their Goddess.


    Lux nodded. "Colette and my friends are located at the deepest part of the nest. Robin and Andy are in the middle area. However, I will not tell you their location if you don''t make an oath to the Earth Goddess to save my friends."<sub> </sub>


    "Oi, boy, do you think we are your hired goons or something?" one of the Dwarves asked in an intimidating tone.


    "Do you really think we don''t have ways to make you talk?" another Dwarf red at Lux. "If you refuse to cooperate, I don''t mind skinning you alive."


    Lux remained unfazed as he stared at Nevreal. Although he didn''t know what Robin''s real identity was, he could tell that the person in front of him and the riders of Norria, seemed to ce Robin''s safety above all else. This meant that he was a very important person to them!


    Using this as leverage, the Half-Elf faced them head on with a devilish smile.


    ''Since you''re threatening me, don''t think that I can''t threaten you back,'' Lux thought. ''You''re not the only one who knows how to y dirty.''


    The Half-Elf suffered in both of his lifetimes, so he was already used to pain. Right now, he was the one who had the upper hand, which he could use to his advantage no matter what. If the Riders of Norria refused to help Colette and the others, then he wouldn''t help them either!


    "Sure, you want to skin me alive? Go ahead," Lux replied. "However, I already told you that Robin is seriously injured. Who knows? By the time you finish skinning me properly, he might be taking his journey to the afterlife."


    <o>,m Lux sneered at the Dwarf whose face had turned beet red from anger. In a battle of wits, the first one to back down was the loser. The Half-Elf had no intention of losing. He had promised Helen that he would save Colette and the others, and he would be damned if he allowed himself to be intimidated by Dwarves who thought they could bully him into submission.</o>


    "Oh, no! Robin''s condition is now Fatally Injured. I don''t think he will survive more than five minutes," Lux said with a serious expression.


    Just as he expected, all the Dwarves surrounding him all had grim expressions on their faces. In truth, Lux was lying. Robin''s and Andy''s status told him that they were still seriously injured. He was merely testing them to see how important Robin was to the Dwarves.


    Back on Earth, this whole scenario could be described in one word��ckmail.


    Yes. Lux was using ckmail to force the Dwarves to make an oath, so that they wouldn''t abandon his friends after they saved their precious Robin from the Kobolds.


    "Boy, you''re lying," Nevreal said through gritted teeth.


    Lux shrugged as he gazed at the Dwarf who was looking at him with a deadly stare. "You''ll know whether I''m lying or not in five minutes. By then, it will be toote for all of you. I don''t know who Robin is, but judging from your expressions, he must be a very important person."


    "Are you all prepared to suffer the consequences if he died in this ce? Let me tell you, his life and death does not mean anything to me. Now, choose."


    "Swear that you will save my friends to the best of your abilities. You will also swear that you will not harm us in any way and lead us safely back to Leaf Vige. If you fail to abide by this oath, not only will all of your souls be damned by the Earth Goddess, the entire Stronghold of Norria, as well as  those in your seven generations will also be damned for eternity!"


    "Bastard!" one of the Dwarves growled. He was about to smash Lux''s head with his hammer when the other Dwarves stopped him from taking a single step from his ce.


    "This is why I hate other races." another Dwarf spat on the ground. "Bastards, the lot of them."


    Lux remained indifferent to the words and the res of the Dwarves. However, Helen couldn''t do the same..


    She was still young and inexperienced, so the res of the adults made her little body shudder.


    Lux noticed this and moved to stand in front of her, so that she wouldn''t have to see the hateful stares that were being thrown in their direction.


    "Aren''t all of you ashamed?" Lux said with disdain. "Bullying a child of your own race just because she wants to save her friends? If you don''t want to go then we will go on our own. You can stay here until tomorrow if you want, but I will assure you that it will be toote by then. Let''s go, Helen."


    Lux held the little girl''s hand and turned to take her away from the Dwarf''s camp. He was serious when he said that he would go alone if he had to. Fortunately, a hand grabbed his arm and held him in ce. The Half-Elf breathed a sigh internally because he knew that he had won the gamble he made.


    "Fine, I will make an oath," Nevreal said through gritted teeth.


    It was quite obvious that he didn''t like being forced to do something against his will, but the current circumstance left him with no other alternative. Robin was very precious to the Stronghold of Norria, and one wrong move could send them all to the execution grounds if they failed to bring him back safely.


    The Half-Elf turned around and stared back at Nevreal whose eyes screamed of murder.


    "Make the oath, and let''s start saving people," Lux replied unfazed by the fact that Nevreal''s gaze was filled with killing intent. "Time waits for no Man, nor Dwarf."

 Chapter 56 Bloody Battle Inside The Kobold’s Nest

    All the Dwarves that were part of the expedition swore an oath to the Earth Goddess, who they worshiped.


    This was the greatest oath a Dwarf could make. Even the Dwarfs in Sis shared the same mentality. Once they made an oath, they had to do it no matter what. Failure to do so would weigh terribly in their conscience because it would mean that once they died, their souls would be cast away, forever banished from the Earth Mother''s embrace.


    "Keep your word, Half-Elf, or I swear by the Earth Goddess that you will not keep your life," Nevreal said in a threatening tone.


    "We''ll see whose oath will be broken first," Lux replied with a calm expression on his face. "Now, listen to me. Our first goal is to eliminate the guards as fast as we can and prevent rming the kobolds inside the nest."


    "Of course, this will only work at the early stages of our rescue mission. The moment we encounter a single Kobold in the nest, we will be in for a tough battle. Our n is simple, strike fast, and run fast. The sooner we rescue the hostages, the sooner we leave."


    "I will not interfere with themands of the Dwarves. I also know that it is unrealistic to think that we will be able to rescue our targets all at once with the current manpower we have. Since your priority is to save Robin then you can go ahead and save him."


    "However, once he is safe and sound, you will then coordinate with the reinforcementsing from the Stronghold of Norria to raid the nest, and rescue my friends. Do we all have an understanding?"


    Nevreal and Boreas nodded. Deep inside they felt relieved that Lux was still thinking logically. It was simply impossible for their current manpower to fight an entire Kobold Nest on their own.


    "If you are all ready, we can begin the operation," Lux stated. "Helen, stay close to me. No matter what happens, stay by my side."


    The little Dwarf nodded her head in understanding. Even if Lux didn''t remind her, she would still stick to him because the adult Dwarves scared her.


    ��--


    The Kobold Warriors stood in their position in a carefree manner. For them, doing this was a boring job.


    Although there were wandering beasts in the mountains that were stronger than them, none of the Kobolds were afraid of being attacked. They always had the mentality that nothing couldn''t be ovee by sheer numbers.


    As one of the humanoid races that specialized in reproduction, the Kobolds were one of the most annoying monsters to fight due to their quantity vs quality mindset.


    While the three guards were casually chatting with each other, several throwing axes flew in their direction. All three guards died almost at the same time as the axes embedded themselves on the kobold''s heads, back, necks, and chests.


    As soon as the Kobolds copsed on the ground, several Dwarves sprang up from their hiding ces, and dragged the in kobolds away to hide them.


    Just for good measure, Boreas stabbed the chests of all three kobolds to make sure that all of them were really dead.


    Once the deed was done, the Dwarf rescue party entered the nest to find Robin as soon as possible.


    On the other hand, Lux summoned Diablo and his four Skeletal Fighters to guard the rear of the group to inform them if there were any Kobolds returning to the nest.


    Nevreal and Boreas nodded their heads in appreciation because they couldn''t spare any of their men to do this job. Fortunately, Lux had enough manpower to do this important job, making the Dwarves'' anger from being ckmailed earlier to simmer down a bit.


    Unknown to them, Lux had other reasons for letting Diablo and his Skeletal Fighters stay at the rear, aside from keeping a lookout for possible backstabbers that the Half-Elf had kept to himself.


    Three minutester, the rescue party encountered a group of kobolds patrolling the nest.


    Immediately a scuffle broke out. Fortunately, the vanguard of the Dwarves, led by Nevreal and Boreas, were all Grade D and C Apostles, which were equivalent in stats to Rank 1 and 2 Monsters respectively.


    Normal Kobold Warriors were not a match to them. The true problem happened when they neared the first spacious cavern in the underground pathways.


    After checking the surroundings, Nevreal and Boreas knew that it would be impossible to proceed without the Kobolds raising the rms.


    Over a hundred Kobolds stayed in the cavern. Some of them were cooking, some were loafing around, while others were sharpening their weapons.


    It was amunal area where some of the Kobold Warriors stayed, while waiting for their Chief to give them orders.


    Near the back of the Cavern were three ck Kobolds that wererger than the others. These were the Kobold Leaders, who were tasked to lead their own troops to hunt or participate in banditry depending on the orders of the Kobold Chieftain.


    Every Kobold Nest had thesemunal caverns near the entrance of the nest that served as the main line of defense in case they got invaded. Its main role was to alert the entire nest if there was a need for everyone to move into action, so they could repel the invaders together.


    Lux frowned because just like Nevreal and Boreas, he knew that an all-out battle was inevitable.


    Boreas raised his hand and made a gesture, signaling all the other Dwarves to get ready.


    Half a minuteter, the group charged inside and started to massacre the Kobolds that were in their way.


    The two Kobold Leaders immediately sprang up in action in order to face them in battle. The other Kobolds then started to make noise, with some of them running deeper inside the nest to raise a ruckus and rming their brethren that their home was being invaded.


    The Dwarves worked quickly and efficiently, killing all of their enemies in less than five minutes.


    Nevreal and Boreas didn''t hold back, using their Rank 3 prowess to overwhelm the Kobolds who were caught by surprise.


    "Where next?" Nevreal asked Lux who had just killed two Kobolds that had tried to attack Helen beside him.<sub> </sub>


    "We go straight and turn left at the third intersection on the way. From there, we just continue heading West until we arrive at the ce where Robin and Andy are being held captive."


    Nevreal nodded and led the charge alongside Boreas. Lux, Helen, and the other Dwarves followed, leaving the scene of carnage behind them.


    A minuteter, Diablo, as well as three Skeletal Fighters arrived at the cavern.


    Lux had tasked them with an important mission.


    A mission that they would follow without fail.


    Screams, and shrieks resounded inside the Nest as the Kobolds and the Dwarf Party shed. Although the Kobolds were not a match for the Dwarves, the Riders of Norria still suffered several injuries to their bodies.


    Some of them were unlucky and received serious injuries during the intense battle being fought at close range. Fortunately, Helen was a Cleric. The little Dwarf healed everyone to the best of her ability, while munching on the honey-vored-candies that were being provided to her by Lux.


    The Half-Elf made sure to visit his Grandma Annie back in Leaf Vige to buy all the candies she had in stock for this mission. Naturally, the olddy was more than happy to sell all the candies she had to her regr customer, which helped both of them greatly.


    Because of this, the Dwarves'' attitude towards Helen changed. Boreas even assigned two of his subordinates to guard the little girl and ensure that no Kobold would put her life in danger.


    Lux was quite happy with this arrangement, because it gave an addedyer to Helen''s security.


    The pathway that led to the ce where Robin and Andy were being held was drenched with blood.


    This was the first time that Lux had witnessed such a bloody battle. His heightened senses, especially his sense of smell, made him feel very ufortable because of the heavy smell of blood in the surroundings.


    He was also in awe of how the Kobolds fearlessly engaged them without care for their lives. They were like Kamikaze fighters whose only intention was to deal as much damage to their enemies as they could before they died.


    When one Kobold died, another took its ce.


    They came with forty five members, and in that short amount of time, five dwarves had already died in battle, which showed that even if the warriors of Norria were stronger, they were still not a match against the overwhelming disparity in numbers.


    Their only saving grace was that the Kobold Nest wasrge. Even if the Kobolds swarmed in droves, it would still take the rest of their brethren some time before they could reach their location.


    "Robin and Andy are over there!" Lux shouted as he pointed at several cages in the distance that were made from wood.


    Nevreal broke out of the scuffle, followed by four of his men, and ran towards the cages.


    Boreas and his men held their ground and continued to fight against the Kobolds whose numbers kept on increasing.


    Lux gritted his teeth as he stood in front of Helen and fought off any Kobolds that had managed to break through the vanguard''s defenses.


    His arm was already aching from constantly swinging his sword without rest. It was at that moment when he knew that everyone in the rescue team was nearing their limits.


    Even Helen who was constantly healing the Dwarves were starting to breathe heavily. Sweat streamed down her face, as she chanted without stopping, to prevent anyone from dying.


    "Retreat!" Nevreal shouted as he carried an unconscious Robin on his shoulder like a sack of rice.


    Andy was also safe and being carried by another one of Nevreal''s subordinates. The group hurriedly made their way back to the entrance with Boreas and the stronger warriors of Norria guarding the rear.


    Unfortunately, they encountered a group of Kobolds in the intersection leading to the entrance, and another bloody battle took ce.


    This time, the Big Shots of the Kobold Race were present, which made the battle more difficult.


    Four Rank 3 Kobold Mages cast fireball spells which severely injured four of the Dwarves.


    Seeing that they were in a difficult situation, Nevreal no longer hesitated and ordered everyone to break through the encirclement.


    Suddenly, one of the Kobold Mages unleashed the skill Earth Tremor. Which made the ground under everyone''s feet tremble.


    Lux sensed that the ground under his and Helen''s feet was about to give way, so he decisively lifted the little girl and threw her towards Boreas with all of his might.


    "Sir Boreas! Catch her!" Lux shouted as the ground under his feet copsed.


    Boreas heard Lux''s shout and hurriedly caught the little girl who was screaming her lungs out.


    That was thest thing the Half-Elf saw before he fell into the deepest part of the Kobold''s Nest.


    The Dwarves knew that Lux was a goner, and there was nothing they could do to save him.


    Right now, even their own lives were in danger. The Dwarves hurriedly retreated with everything they had, while an angry mob of Kobolds ran after them with only one thought in mind, and that was to hunt them down before they managed to escape their nestpletely.

 Chapter 57 I Ain’t Following A Damn Half-Elf

    Lux felt his entire body aching, and almost couldn''t move a muscle due to the injuries he received from the fall.


    Fortunately, he had no broken bones, only a badly bruised body that made him want to scream in pain.


    "Diablo,e," Lux ordered and his trusted partner appeared beside him.


    The Half-Elf willed the storage ring in his hand to take out a few potions, which Diablo took to spray over his injured body. The rest, he helped Lux drink, which allowed the Half-Elf to recover from his injured state.


    Although he fell deeper inside the Kobold''s Nest, there were no Kobolds in the vicinity. All of them were busy chasing after the Dwarves, who were running towards the exit with their lives on the line.


    Lux summoned his Soul Book to check where he was currently at.


    He could see Helen''s marker going further and further away from him, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Let''s go save Colette and the others first," Lux said as he checked the pathways he needed to take in order to reach his friends.


    Diablo nodded his head and soon followed the red-headed teenager as they ran within the underground maze that the Kobolds had built.


    Their journey wasn''t that smooth since Lux and Diablo had to prioritize their safety. Right now, the Half-Elf was behind enemy lines, and one small slip could end his life in a matter of minutes.


    After almost an hour of traversing the nearly abandoned lower levels of the Kobold''s Nest, they finally arrived at their destination.


    Just like Robin and Andy, Lux found his friends trapped in cages. However, they were not alone. Several other dwarves were also imprisoned there, which caught the Half-Elf by surprise.


    ''Well, since I''m already here, might as well free them all,'' Lux thought as he ordered Diablo to hack apart the wooden nks that kept the other Dwarves imprisoned.


    The Half-Elf prioritized freeing his friends, because they were the main reason why he had braved the dangers of the Kobold''s Nest in the first ce.


    "B-Big Brother?" Colette asked in surprise and confusion. "What are you doing here?!"


    "I came to rescue you guys," Lux replied. "Shhh, don''t raise your voice. We might get discovered if you do."


    Colette nodded her head in understanding and kept her mouth shut. After she was freed, she went to the wooden crates in the corner of the room to retrieve her equipment, and storage rings.


    Matty and Axel did the same, as well as the other Dwarves whom Lux and Diablo had freed. After distributing Health Potions to everyone, most of their injuries had been treated, making them capable of fighting against the Kobolds that had taken them captive.


    A Dwarf who had blonde hair and blue eyes walked towards Lux while carrying an Axe. He thanked Lux for rescuing them and introduced himself as Hans.


    He was one of the prominent merchants in the Kingdom of Gweliven, and his base of operations were the viges and towns near the Stronghold of Norria.


    The blond-haired dwarf was also the leader of the merchant group that had hired Colette''s and several other adventurer parties as escorts for his trade expedition. Unfortunately, they got captured by the Kobolds, and all of their wares were seized.


    Lux shook hands with the Dwarf before addressing everyone at the cavern.


    "Before anything else, let me exin the current situation first," Lux said. "Right now, a group of Riders from Norria havee here for a rescue operation. I was their guide and led them to this location. Unfortunately, we were forced to retreat after saving only a few individuals because of the sheer numbers of the Kobolds."


    "After a great battle, I fell down to thisyer, due to the spells of the Kobold Mages. As for the main force, they are headed towards the exit of this nest as we speak."


    "However, none of you have to worry. Once the reinforcements from the Stronghold of Norria arrives, they will conduct another rescue operation and deal with the Kobolds inside this nest."


    Lux made sure to emphasize that he was the one that led the Riders of Norria to the nest in order to show his importance to the Dwarves in front of him.


    After hearing his report, the majority of the Dwarves sighed in relief because there was still a chance for them to leave the ce alive.


    "You said that you can navigate through this terrain," Hans said with a determined look on his face. "Can you also lead us to the exit?"


    Lux nodded. However, his next words dampened the mood of everyone inside the cavern.


    "Although I can lead you all to the exit, I cannot do that at this point in time," Lux answered. "The only reason why I managed to reach this ce unharmed is because the majority of the Kobolds have climbed to the upper level to pursue the trespassers to their domain. If we go up right now, we will just be hacked to pieces. Our best course of action is to wait for reinforcements to arrive."


    Colette, who had been listening to the side, voiced her concern about their current situation.


    "Big Brother, what do we do now?" Colette asked. "Are we just going to stay here?"


    Lux shook his head. "This ce is too big, and it''s hard to defend ourselves here. We need to find a good hiding ce while we wait for the rescuers to arrive."


    Lux summoned the Elysium Compendium to look for possible hiding spots small enough for them to effectively defend against a horde of Kobolds that were out for blood.


    "Follow me," Lux said. "I found a ce where we can hide."


    "And why should we follow you?" a grumpy Dwarf asked back. "I ain''t following a damn Half-Elf."<sub> </sub>


    Lux didn''t even bother to nce at the grumpy Dwarf as he herded Colette and the others to follow him. He had already done what he could for the captives. Whether they wanted to follow him or not was none of his business.


    Seeing his indifferent attitude, the grumpy Dwarf cursed under his breath.


    Hans, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes as he followed behind the Half-Elf who obviously didn''t give a damn about them.


    The blonde-dwarf was a merchant. When it came to making transactions, and forming connections with potential business partners, he always trusted his instincts.


    Right now, his instinct was telling him to follow Lux, so that was what he nned to do.


    Seeing Hans'' action, a couple of the Dwarves, which were his subordinates, followed behind him as well.


    The rest of the Dwarves, who were not part of the merchant group, who had been kidnapped from other ces, merely nced at each other in dismay.


    Wandering around the Kobold Nest without an urate map was useless. Also, the Dwarves knew that the Half-Elf was right. If they tried to go to the exit at this point in time, what awaited them was an untimely death at the hands of the Kobold Horde that had been rubbed off the wrong way.


    After navigating through the underground tunnels, Lux led his friends to a smaller cavern that seemed to be used as a garbage dump by the Kobolds.


    The rotten smell permeated the air, and it made the Dwarves wrinkle their noses, but they currently had no choice in the matter.


    Even Hans thought that this was a good ce to hide, because no Kobolds would go actively looking for them in this area.


    The pathway leading to the garbage dump was also very narrow. It was only big enough for a single adult dwarf to walk down, and the ceiling was a head shorter than the Half-Elf who was forced to crouch down a little when he walked down the tunnel.


    After arriving at their destination, Lux used the empty storage rings that he had acquired in the prisoner''s cell to store as much garbage as he could.


    The Dwarves like Colette, who had special skills like the Cleansing Spell did their best to reduce the abominable smell that permeated the cavern.


    Several minutes passed before the annoying smell disappeared, which made the dwarves quite thankful.


    Even though the cavern was smaller than the ce where they had been held as prisoners, it was more than enough to house all of them.


    "Listen, I will just like to make some rules while we are here," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "First of all, talking is not allowed. On the off chance that a Kobold or a group of Kobolds were toe to this ce, our priority should be to kill them as fast as possible before they can raise an rm."


    All the Dwarves nodded their heads in agreement. They had noint whatsoever with the rule that Lux had stated.


    "The second rule is that we should make as little noise as possible. Everyone should just rest for the time being. We will need every bit of strength we have in order to leave this ce."


    The Dwarves once again nodded their heads in approval.


    "Lastly, if the worst case scenario happens, and we are discovered, everyone should stay as calm as possible," Lux stated. "I am confident that we will be able to stand our ground if we work together as a cohesive unit.


    "My Skeletons will serve as the first line of defense and block the entrance of this cavern should the Koboldsunch an all out attack. If they fall, all able-bodied men will help block the entrance alongside me to ensure that they won''t be able to break through our defenses."


    The Dwarves nodded their heads for thest time and rested to conserve their strength.


    Lux sat beside the entrance of the cavern to use his sensitive hearing to detect anyone who was headed in their direction.


    Colette, Matty, and Axel were very tired, so all of them slept, leaving the defenses to Lux.


    The little Dwarves had developed an unwavering faith in the Half-Elf, especially after seeing that he had braved the danger to rescue all of them.


    Lux watched the children sleep with a smile on his face. Now that they had finally settled down, it was now time to make his preparations for the uing battle.


    Diablo walked towards him and handed the Half-Elf a ck storage ring.


    Lux gratefully epted it and peered at its contents.


    Hundreds of Beast Cores could be seen inside the ring, which made Lux quite happy. The main reason he had left Diablo and the Skeletal Fighters behind was to loot the Beast cores from the Kobolds'' corpses.


    The Half-Elf knew that the Riders of Norria weren''t in the mood to pick up the cores as they bulldozed their way through the nest to save Robin.


    Since that was the case, Lux was more than happy to receive the free loot that was presented to him. He knew that if things went South, he could only rely on himself to save his friends.


    The red-headed teenager took a Beast Core out of the storage ring and started converting it into Skill Points.


    He would use as many cores as possible to upgrade himself, Diablo, and his Skeletal Fighters.


    That way, even if they were faced with Rank 3 Monsters, they would be able to hold their ground, and show the Kobolds that it was a futile endeavor to kill what was already dead.

 Chapter 58 In The Midst Of Every Crisis, Lies Great Opportunity

    After looking at his stockpile, Lux decided to upgrade his Partner, and make him more formidable. After all, thetter would be the main fighting force in this rescue operation.


    Since Diablo had a special title, First Born, the amount of skill points he received everytime Lux used a Beast Core to upgrade him was increased.


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    �C Progress ( 0 / 500)


    ��--


    Lux didn''t bat an eye as he used thirty-four Rank 1 Beast Cores to upgrade Diablo to the next stage.


    ��---


    < Diablo >


    �C Progress: (10 / 600 )


    ��--


    Lux decided to upgrade Diablo one more time, turning his First Named Creature into a Rank 2 Monster. With the Mythical Sword Blood Moon in his possession, Diablo could now fight Rank 3 Monsters on even ground.


    ��--


    < Diablo >


    "Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Skeleton Rider


    �C Rating: B


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress ( 10 / 600)


    Health: 7,500 / 7,500


    Mana: 1,640 / 1,640


    Attack: 250 - 300 (+300 Damage from Blood Moon)


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    Strength: 83 (+1)


    Intelligence: 82


    Vitality: 81 (+2)


    Agility: 82 (+2)


    Dexterity: 82 (+2)


    Defense: 83 (+200 Defense)


    Title: Firstborn, Squad Captain, Relentless Charger.


    Active Skills: sh, Heavy sh, Bone Spear, Duel [EX], Whirlwind sh (New), Leap (New).


    Passive Skills: Parry, Tactician, Improved Dodge, Union of Man and Beast, Enhanced Fortitude (New)


    Note: Can you teach me how to Dougie?


    ��--


    Diablo had managed to collect 268 Beast Cores from the corpses that the Dwarves had left behind. Ten of them were Rank 2 Cores, while the rest were Rank 1 Beast Cores.


    Since Lux had used a total of seventy four Rank 1 Beast Cores to upgrade Diablo twice, his stockpile was brought down to one hundred and ny four.


    Now that he had upgraded Diablo twice, it was now time for him to upgrade himself!


    Lux was quite happy when Diablo learned the AOE skill, Whirlwind sh, which would ensure that even if thetter got surrounded on all sides, Diablo would still be able to take out his enemies as long as he wanted to.


    The second skill Diablo obtained was Leap. This skill allowed him to jump several meters in the air, beforending in his desired location, causing a small tremor that would deal AOE Physical damage in a four-meter radius that was simr to Whirlwind sh.


    Aside from that, the massive boost in Diablo''s Health Points and Defense made Lux feel more secure because this meant that his Partner could take more hits. This would allow Diablo extensive survivability on the battlefield.


    After admiring Diablo''s Stats for a full minute, Lux decided to upgrade his own Body Constitution, so he wouldn''tg behind his Partner in Crime.


    Checking his progression, Lux used twenty Rank 1 Beast Cores to upgrade his Body Constitution to the next stage.


    ��--


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: E+


    Progress: (0/400)


    ��--


    < Ding! >


    < Congrattions! Your Body Constitution has been upgraded! >


    < Choose one from among these three options as your bonus reward! >


    (Option 1) �C +50 permanent points to Vitality


    (Options 2) �C  Warcry: +30 Physical and Magical Damage to you and your allies


    Duration: 5 minutes


    Cooldown: 10 minutes


    (Options 3) �C Guts: A Skill that will allow you to withstand a lethal blow without dying. No matter how powerful the attack is, it will always leave you with One Health Point after the damage has been dealt.


    ��----


    This time around, Lux firmly chose the skill War Cry. This was the skill he needed the most, and he would be a fool if he didn''t choose the skill at this critical moment.


    Just as the Half-Elf expected, his handy, dandy, Special Evolution [EX] Skill kicked in and upgraded the skill that he had chosen.


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected the skill Warcry. >


    < War Cry will be upgraded into Battlecry once the requirements have been made. >


    < Since the Skill is learned from your Body Constitution Upgrade and not from a Beast Core, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    < Battle Cry >


    +100 Physical and Magical Damage to you and your allies


    Duration: 5 minutes


    Cooldown: 10 minutes


    ��---


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy ><sub> </sub>


    Rating: D


    Progress: (0/600)


    < Bonus Rewards >


    +5,000 Health Points, Battle Cry,


    Additional Reward:  +2 Summon Skeleton Skill


    �C You will be able to summon four more skeletons to fight for you.


    ��--


    ''Hell yeah!'' Lux wanted to scream so badly, but he held his excitement in.


    The only skill that the Rank 1 Kobold Monsters could use was the sh skill. Since Lux already had it and its upgrade, he didn''t learn any other skills from it.


    Even so, he was quite happy with the overall improvement in his strength after his upgrade.


    Before, he could only summon four Skeletal Warriors to fight for him. With the additional +2 in his Summon Skeleton Skill, he could now summon seven skeletal fighters, which made him a one-man party.


    Not only that, he also gained an additional 100 Stat Points that he could distribute freely. However, since Lux had no intention of leaving the Leaf Vige for the time being, he merely hoarded his stat points and didn''t add any of them to his current stats.


    ''One more time,'' Lux resolved himself to upgrade himself one more time, in order to cope with any variable that might arise during their escape from the Kobold''s Nest.


    After spending sixty Rank 1 Beast Cores from his stockpile, Lux was once again given a choice between three options to choose as a reward for his Body Constitution Upgrade.


    ��--


    < Ding! >


    < Congrattions! Your Body Constitution has been upgraded! >


    < Choose one from among these three options as your bonus reward! >


    (Option 1) �C +50 permanent points to Vitality


    (Options 2) �C Guts: A Skill that will allow you to withstand a lethal blow without dying. No matter how powerful the attack is, it will always leave you with One Health Point after the damage has been dealt.


    (Option 3) �C Parry: A passive skill that gives you a high chance to deflect a physical melee, or ranged attack, using your weapon. By breaking your opponent''s stance, you will be able to unleash a counter attack.


    ��--


    Lux chose the passive skill, Parry, because this was what he currently needed the most. This skill would be very helpful in the uing battle with the Kobolds. Besides, being able to sessfully parry against a multitude of attacks would be really handy, regardless who the enemy he was fighting against.


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected the skill Parry. >


    < Parry will be upgraded into Expert Parry once the requirements have been made. >


    < Since the Skill is learned from your Body Constitution Upgrade and not from a Beast Core, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    < Expert Parry >


    �C A passive skill that gives you a higher chance to deflect a physical melee, or ranged attack, using your weapon. By breaking your opponent''s stance, you will be able to unleash a counter attack that has a very high chance to deal critical damage to your enemy.


    ��---


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: D+


    Progress: (0/800)


    < Bonus Rewards >


    +5,000 Health Points, Expert Parry,


    Additional Reward:  +1 Summon Skeleton Archer Skill


    �C You will be able to summon two more skeleton archers to fight for you.


    �C This additional reward cannot be used at this time because the requirement to unlock Summon Skeleton Archer has not been met. Once the Skeleton Archer Skill bes avable, the effect of this reward will automatically activate.


    Conquest is not all about imingnds, and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.


    Note: You''re starting to look like a real Novel Protagonist!


    ��---


    Lux smirked as he looked at his current stats with a satisfied look on his face. He had now surpassed Diablo''s Health Points, which made him more confident in the uing battle.


    Not only that, his free stat points were almost 500, which was more than enough for him to step into the ranks of a Grade B Apostle.


    The Half-Elf was not willing yet to take that step because he still had many things to do in Leaf Vige. There were still plenty of unique quests that he hadn''t taken because he was still too weak.


    However, right now, even without a party to help him, Lux was confident that he could bulldoze his way through the different areas to fight against the Alpha Beasts, which were the Apex Creatures in the Beginner''s zone.


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Health: 11,960 / 11,960


    Mana: 940 / 940


    Strength: 46 (+3)


    Intelligence: 46 (+1)


    Vitality: 31


    Agility: 34 (+3)


    Dexterity: 31 (+3)


    Free Stat Points Avable: 480


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX], Item Transmutation [EX]


    Active Skills: Power Shot, Dark Arrow, Fury sh, Double Fury sh, Battle Cry


    Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude, Expert Parry,


    ��--


    There was a famous saying back on Earth that "In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity".


    If not for the fact that Colette and the others were kidnapped by Kobolds, Lux would never have the opportunity to upgrade his skills to his current level.


    Lux also knew this, but since it had alreadye to this point, all he could do was to take advantage of his current situation. They were still trapped inside the Kobold''s Nest and waiting for rescue.


    Unless he, his friends, and the other Dwarves could escape this deadly prison, he wouldn''t be able to celebrate the rewards that he had already received from this rescue mission.


    ''I still have 114 Beast Cores with me,'' Lux thought with a smile. ''I think this is more than enough to upgrade the Skeletal Fighters to Rank C, which will unlock the Summon Skeleton Archer Skill.''


    The Half-Elf then started to absorb the remaining Beast Cores in his possession to upgrade his Skeletal Fighters twice. More than anything else, he was curious about the options he would be given after he unlocked the Summon Skeletal Archer Skill.


    If things went ording to the script, then there was a high chance that Lux would have another Named Creature fighting on his side.

 Chapter 59 The Forgotten Queen

    Nevreal, Boreas, Helen, and the rest of the Dwarves had sessfully escaped the Kobold''s Nest.


    Their numbers had greatly fallen after some Dwarf Warriors sacrificed their lives in order to buy time for everyone else to escape.


    Aside from Helen, Robin, and Andy, only eighteen other Dwarves remained, which included Nevreal and Boreas.


    Boreas had a pained expression on his face as he carried Helen on his shoulders. Many of his subordinates had died in this rescue mission, but he knew that if those men didn''t take the initiative to hold the Monster Horde back by sacrificing themselves, more Dwarf Warriors would have died.


    Right now, he only had one thought in his mind. It was none other than to wait for the reinforcements from the Stronghold of Norria, and then to wipe the entire Kobold Nest from the face of the Gweliven Kingdom!


    After finding a safe ce to hide, the Dwarves tended to their injuries and sharpened their weapons.


    Helen looked after the unconscious Robin and Andy and thought of her Big Brother Lux, as well as Colette and her other friends.


    ''Please, be safe everyone,'' Helen silently prayed in her heart. ''I hope that when the reinforcements arrive, I will once again be reunited with my friends.''


    ��---


    After the Summon Skeletal Fighter was upgraded twice, the requirements to upgrade to Summon Skeleton Archer had been reached and the option is now unlocked.


    Lux only had forty four Rank 1 Beast Cores and ten Rank 2 Beast Cores left in his stockpile. However, he didn''t regret using them one bit. What was the point of having a stockpile of Beast Cores if you do not live long enough to use them?


    ''Now, time to activate this new summoning skill,'' Lux thought as he used ten Rank 1 Beast Cores and put his new skill to the test.


    ��---


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    < Since the Skill is learned from a Skill Book and not from a Beastcore, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    < Choose which path of Evolution you wish to take. >


    Option 1: Summon two Skeleton Archers to fight for you instead of one.


    Option 2: Upgrade Summon Skeleton Archer Skill to Summon Skeleton Hunter.


    Option 3: Give your first Skeleton Archer a name. Named creatures will be stronger and more intelligent than normal ones. Also, you can upgrade your named creature individually if you wish it.


    ��--


    Lux decisively chose the third option and a row of text materialized in front of him.


    < You have chosen to give your first Skeleton Archer a name. >


    < Know that your first Skeleton Archer is a female. Although it is already a skeleton, giving it an appropriate name will raise its loyalty towards you.


    < Please choose a name >


    ��-


    Lux blinked once then twice as he read the part which said that his first Skeleton Archer was a female. He had already thought of a cool name for his Skeleton Archer, which was Gilgamesh, but after seeing its gender, he had to scrap his ns entirely.


    After thinking for a few minutes, he finally settled for a name and made sure to spell it properly.


    ��--


    < You have chosen the name "Ishtar" as the name for your first Skeleton Archer. >


    < Is this your final answer? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��-


    As soon as Lux clicked yes, another page appeared in his Soul Book, this time it was a page dedicated to his new Named Creature, Ishtar.


    ��--


    < Ishtar >


    "Let the living beware."


    �C Named Skeleton Archer


    �C Rating: F


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress (0/100)


    Health: 200


    Attack: 20 - 30


    Attack Type: Ranged Ice Damage


    Strength: 10


    Intelligence: 15


    Vitality: 10


    Agility: 10


    Dexterity: 15


    Title: The Forgotten Queen


    �C Ishtar is your second Named Creature and has been bestowed the title "The Forgotten Queen".


    �C This Named Creature has gained the ability to evolve.


    < Forgotten Queen >


    �C Regardless of what happens in the future, this Named Creature will be forever loyal to you.


    �C All attacks made by Ishtar will deal Ice Damage.


    �C Ice Damage can slow and even freeze those hit by Ishtar''s deadly arrows.


    �C As someone who bore the title, Forgotten Queen, Ishtar''s stats increase by 50% during the night.


    �C When you use Beast Cores to upgrade your Named Creature, its effects will be increased by 50%


    Note: Let phantom arrows fly!


    ��--


    Lux used seven Rank 1 Beast Cores to upgrade Ishtar. Thanks to the 50% points boost, Lux''s Beast Core consumption was reduced by a good margin.


    However, he wasn''t satisfied yet so he used another thirteen Rank 1 Beast Cores to further boost Ishtar''s stats, which raised her Rating to D.<sub> </sub>


    After seeing her stats, Lux consumed the ten Rank 2 Beast Cores in his possession, and an additional seven Rank 1 Beast Cores to upgrade Ishtar''s rating to D+.


    ��--


    < Ishtar has reached the requirement needed to change a Job ss >


    < Please Choose your named Creature''s Job ss wisely >


    < Compatible Job sses >


    ��--


    < Skeleton Hunter >


    �C A Hunter doesn''t only hunt animals. Anything living or dead can be hunted. If you are foolish enough to hunt a Hunter then be prepared to be hunted as well.


    �C This skill specializes in long rangebat, as well as setting traps to ensnare their prey. They are one of the deadliest range professions around, and anyone should be wary of being marked by one of them.


    (Job ss Bonus)


    +30 Dexterity


    Active Skill:


    �C Hunter''s Mark: ce a tracker on your target. Ishtar will be able to know her target''s location as long as they are within a three-mile radius around her. Up to three markers can be active at any given time.


    �C Set Traps: ce traps anywhere to bind, injure, or even cripple those who are unlucky enough to set foot upon them. Up to five traps can be active at any given time. More traps will be avable on the next upgrade.


    Passive Skill: Fast Reload


    ��--


    < Skeleton Ranger >


    �C Rangers are natural protectors and have a strong empathy with wild beasts. They can wield bows, daggers, or short swords with great proficiency and are masters in both ranged and closebat fighting.


    They are also proficient Beast Tamers, which allows them to have Beast Companions to fight for their side.


    (Job ss Bonus)


    +15 Dexterity


    +15Agility


    Active Skill:


    �C Beast Taming: Tames a Beast to be the Skeleton Ranger''s Beast Companion. A Maximum of four Beast can be tamed, but only one can be present at any given time.


    When the number of Tamed Beasts exceeds four, the Skeleton Ranger will be given an option to release the Beasts that they have already tamed, in order to make room for another.


    �C Stealth: Blend in with the surroundings to decrease the chance of getting detected by the enemy.


    ��--


    After a brief internal struggle, Lux decided to choose the Skeleton Hunter Job ss for Ishtar.


    No matter how good the Skeleton Ranger was, what he needed right now was a dedicated damage dealer. He already had the Diablo and the Skeletal Fighters to swarm the enemy with numbers.


    Adding a few more Beast Companions may bolster their troops and even increase their survivability, but the Hunter''s Skills like Set Traps and Hunter''s Mark, were nothing to sneeze at.


    Setting traps was a no brainer. A properly set trap could make an enemy feel a world of pain, and it would also weaken them greatly.


    Hunter''s Mark on the other hand, would allow Ishtar to trace any target that she had set her sights on.


    Lux was only able to track Colette and the others because they were part of his party. If they weren''t, the Half-Elf wouldn''t have any idea that his friends had been taken by the Kobolds nor where the Kobolds hid them. This was why a tracking skill was necessary.


    This was especially true for enemies. As long as Lux knew of their location, he could hunt them down anytime as long as they were within Ishtar''s range.


    ��-


    After the binge upgrading, Lux was only left with twenty Rank 1 Beast Cores, but he regretted nothing. The red-headed teenager looked at Ishtar''s stats and nodded his head in satisfaction.


    ��----


    < Ishtar >


    �C Named Skeleton Hunter


    �C Rating: D+


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress (0/600)


    Health: 2,500 / 2,500


    Mana: 900 / 900


    Attack: 115 - 135


    Attack Type: Ranged Ice Damage


    Strength: 50


    Intelligence: 55


    Vitality: 50


    Agility: 55


    Dexterity: 85


    Active Skill: Hunter''s Mark, Set Trap


    Passive Skill: Equip Item


    Title: The Forgotten Queen


    Note: Screaming helps... not at all.


    ��--


    ''Not bad,'' Lux thought as he gazed at Ishtar''s stats. ''She now gets fifteen free stat points every time she is upgraded. This is good. She will be able to catch up to Diablo easily.''


    The Half-Elf knew that he had already done everything in his power to prepare himself for the tough fight ahead. His second named creature, Ishtar, had the strength of a Rank 1 Monster.


    Aside from Ishtar, he could also summon an additional two skeleton archers to fight for his side. But these extra summons were just cannon fodders that would die from a single attack from Kobold Warriors.


    Even so, Lux still had uses for them. He immediately put their uses into action while waiting for their rescuers to arrive.

 Chapter 60 Learning Things The Hard Way

    After the Dwarves escaped the Kobold''s Nest, the majority of the Kobolds returned to tend to their duties.


    However, when the guards of the prison returned to their posts, they noticed that all of their captives had escaped. This immediately brought a new round of rms that could be heard through the entirety of the nest.


    <o>,m The expressions of Lux and the other Dwarves turned serious. They didn''t know why the Kobolds raised the rms. However, they all knew that this was a dangerous time for all of them.</o>


    Just as the Half-Elf had expected, the Kobolds performed a thorough search for the prisoners that had escaped from their cages. They looked in every nook and cranny of their nest, with the exception of the dump site where they threw their trash.


    For them, going there was a waste of time, and they didn''t believe that the Dwarves would go to that ce to hide.


    An hour passed then two, followed by the third.


    The tension in Lux and the Dwarves was at an all time high as the hours passed by. In the end, Lux told the nonbatants to just rest, and thebatants to alternate between guarding and sleeping.


    The red-headed teenager had be the temporary leader of the Dwarf survivors, and everyone listened to him. The grumpy Dwarf who had made things difficult for him earlier was no exception.


    All of them wanted to live, and Lux saved their lives. Since they all owe him and they had seen his capabilities, the least they could do was trust his judgment until they managed to leave the Kobold''s Nest.


    Lux positioned himself near the entrance of the cavern they were staying in. He was resting, but he would wake up at a moment''s notice. This was one of the techniques that his Grandma Vera had taught him a year ago, to allow himself to rest but still be able to react to any situation at any given time.


    Hans, the head of the Dwarf merchant group, was paying close attention to the Half-Elf who had saved them. For some reason, he had a feeling that if he followed Lux''s orders, he would be able to leave this ce alive.


    Merchants usually followed their gut instinct, and his instincts were telling him that he had to stick with the Half-Elf no matter what.


    Because he was paying close attention to Lux, he immediately noticed when thetter opened his eyes and made a gesture to everyone, signaling them to stop whatever they were doing.


    This was a signal that Lux had established with them beforehand to let them know that Kobolds were approaching the dump site.


    Earlier, he had summoned the two Skeletal Archers and ced their heads outside of the cavern. He ced them on the path facing the tunnels, and ordered them to keep a lookout for any enemies that were headed their way.


    Since his connection with the Skeleton Archers wasn''t as strong as his Named Creatures, he gave them an additional order to mention the number of the approaching enemy if they saw any.


    Right now, the skulls of his Skeleton Archers had just told him that three Kobolds Warriors were approaching the dump site. Since the path was narrow, the Kobolds didn''t have any other choice but to walk single file down the tunnel.


    This was the main reason why Lux chose this ce. The topography would render any advantage in numberspletely useless.


    Lux had summoned his sword in preparation to kill the Kobolds before they could alert anyone of their position.


    Hans also gripped his axe in order to help the red-headed teenager quickly deal with their enemies the moment they showed up.


    The leader of the Merchant Group was a Grade C Apostle (Rank 2 Monster). The only reason why he allowed himself to get captured was because he knew that he didn''t stand a chance against the numbers of Kobolds that had ambushed them.


    However, when backed to a corner, he would be willing to fight to the death if needed.


    He was standing near the entrance of the cavern as well, facing Lux. The two nodded their heads in unison as they held the weapons in their hands firmly.


    When the first Kobold entered the cavern, Lux immediately summoned Diablo behind the three Kobold Warriors, so they would have nowhere to run.


    Diablo stabbed the back of the Kobold that was right in front of him, piercing through its chest, killing it in one hit.


    Hans hacked his axe at the neck of the Kobold that had just entered the cavern, and decapitated it in one strike.


    Lux, on the other hand activated his skill, Double Fury sh, dealing critical damage and killing the second Kobold before it could even shout for help.


    Lux, Diablo, and Hans, hurriedly dragged the dead monsters inside the cavern, so that they wouldn''t be easily discovered. The Half-Elf didn''t rule out the fact that they might have been sent here by their superiors to check if their prisoners were hiding inside the dump site.


    Diablo took out the three Beast Cores from the Kobold''s chests, and presented them to his Master, who took them without another word.<sub> </sub>


    Hans didn''t have anyints because, for him, Rank 1 Beast Cores were useless. He would not fight Lux over them and ruin the bigger picture.


    "If these are scouts then we can expect that their superior will send some other Kobolds to look for their whereabouts," Hans said.


    Lux nodded because he was also thinking of the same thing. "If we get lucky they willpletely forget about this matter and only remember it in a few hours."


    Hans smiled. He knew that what the red-headed teenager was saying was only wishful thinking, but he also hoped that it was the case.


    Unfortunately, an hourter, the Skeleton Archers once again issued a warning, and this time around, they said that there were a dozen Kobold Warriors headed in their direction, with one of them being a Kobold Leader, which was a Rank 2 Monster.


    When Lux ryed this information to Hans and his subordinates, all of their expressions became serious. They knew that they would have to kill these Kobolds as fast as they could and prevent them from leaving the ce alive.


    Aside from Diablo, Hans was the strongest warrior in their group. The Dwarf also had six subordinates under hismand, who were all Grade D Apostles (Rank 1 Monster). All of them were willing to fight for their survival, but Lux told them that they didn''t have to fight.


    This perplexed the Dwarves, which made them think that the Half-Elf had given up all hope. However, when they saw Lux summon Diablo and seven Skeleton Warriors, they immediately understood why he asked them to stand down.


    Right now, every Dwarf was indispensable. If they died fighting against the Kobolds, it would be one less fighter on their side. However, the skeletons were different. As long as Lux had mana, he could summon them over and over again, and they were not afraid of dying.


    All the other Dwarves had backed away to the very corner of the cavern, so that they wouldn''t be involved in the fighting.


    Colette had asked Lux to let them join the fight, but the Half-Elf rejected their proposal. Lux only told the adorable little Dwarf to protect the nonbatants and ensure that no Kobolds would harm them.


    Everyone became tense when the sounds of footsteps reached their ears. The n was rtively simple, and had no room for error. The moment the first Kobold entered the cavern, Hans immediately decapitated it, while Diablo charged and stabbed the Kobold behind it.


    The Kobold Leader was in the middle of the formation, so all it could do was bark orders for those behind it to retreat.


    However, who was Lux? Naturally, he already expected that this was going to happen, so he had ced a key figure at the back of the tunnel, which was none other than Ishtar.


    Lux''s second Named Creature had a peculiar ability. She was able to disassemble her body, and scatter her body parts to where she wanted them to be.


    Ishtar was also the one that warned Lux that there was a Rank 2 Monster amidst the group of Kobolds. As soon as the fight began, the Skeleton Hunter assembled her body parts once again and ced traps in front of her.


    After doing that, she immediately began shooting her arrows into the rear of the Kobold formation, trapping them in a pincer attack.


    Diablo had a strength equivalent to a Rank 3 Monster because of the Mythical Weapon, Blood Moon. With this powerful weapon in hand, Diablo made short work of the Kobolds and killed the Kobold Leader without mercy.


    By the time the battle was over, Diablo had killed six, Isthar killed seven, and Hans killed one.


    Just likest time, they dragged the dead bodies inside the cave, took their beast cores, and incinerated them with fire magic.


    The smell of burning flesh permeated the room, but with the cleansing magic, the smell disappearedpletely.


    Now that they had killed the scouting party, Lux, Hans, and the Dwarves knew that they were now only on borrowed time. They couldn''t leave their hiding spot because it was the only ce they could defend themselves with the numbers they currently had.


    Lux gazed at everyone with a serious expression. "The next time the Kobolds appear here, we will all be fighting for our lives. I hope that when that timees, all of you will do your best to remain calm and listen to my orders."


    "Don''t worry. No matter how many of theme, I am confident that we will be able to hold them back. The tunnel only allows one person at a time to pass through it. Even if there were thousands of them, they will have no choice but to go down this one path. As long as we block this one entrance, they will not be able to overwhelm us with numbers."


    Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. After hearing Lux''s strategy, all of them felt a little better. They had seen how strong the skeletons were, so they believed that they would be able to hold the Kobolds at bay no matter what.


    Technically, they weren''t wrong. However, they had forgotten one thing. Kobolds may not be the smartest monsters around, but they were not stupid.


    Because of this, Lux, and the other Dwarves didn''t remember that even a well thought out n could go terribly wrong if they did not understand the true nature of their enemies.


    This was a lesson that the red-headed teenager would learn the hard way.

 Chapter 61 Are You Dwarves, Or Are You Goblins?

    Half a day after Robin and Andy were rescued, the Riders of Norria arrived at the ce where Nevreal had asked them to meet.


    Due to the importance of this endeavor, the Stronghold had dispatched almost half of its manpower, which numbered a little over five hundred Dwarf Warriors.


    Four Hundred Grade D Apostles.


    Ny Five Grade C Apostles


    Eight Grade B Apostles.


    This level of manpower was strong enough to wipe out any hostile forces within the territory of Norria.  However, even Nevreal still doubted whether it was enough to raid the Kobold Nest.


    Usually, a Kobold''s Nest housed thousands of Kobolds. The Kobold Warriors were the weakest, followed by the Kobold Leaders. The Kobold Mages were stronger than the rest, and some of the older ones could reach Rank 3.


    As for the Draconic Kobolds, their Ranks were at Rank 3 Minimum. These special Kobolds were known to break through to Rank 5 once they got older.


    If there were a handful of Rank 4 Draconic Kobolds, or even one Rank 5 Kobold. The Riders of Norria would be in for a tough battle.


    Usually, Rank 5 creatures wouldn''t be found in any Beginner Areas. Simply put, they could be considered "World Bosses", because no one in the Beginner''s Territory would be able to fight them one on one.


    At most, a group of a hundred people that wasposed of Grade B (Rank 3) and A Apostles (Rank 4) could fight it in a Boss Raid.


    "Since Robin is already safe then there''s no need for us to risk our lives trying to raid the Kobold''s Nest," one of the Rider Captains of Norria, who was a Grade B Apostle, said. "We should just return to the Stronghold and call it a day."


    The other riders nodded their heads in agreement. If Robin was still inside the Kobold''s Nest then they would surely charge in and do everything in their power to rescue him.


    However, since he was already rescued, the Warriors of Norria didn''t feel the need to rescue the Dwarves who had been captured by the Kobolds. For Riders of Norria, they were not that important.


    "Normally, I would agree with you," Boreas said, "but this time it''s different. We made an oath to the person that served as our guide to find this ce that we would rescue his friends no matter what happens. We made this vow to the Earth Goddess, so our hands are tied."


    Nevreal nodded his head, which made the Dwarf Captains groan. The Commander of the Stronghold hade to personally supervise the rescue operation. He was the only Grade A Apostle (Rank 4) in the territory of Norria, which made him the absolute decision maker at all times.


    His name was Thoram, the Commander of the Stronghold of Norria.


    Thoram wore a serious expression on his face. He knew that he had to make a difficult choice. If he chose to ignore the oath made by Boreas and Nevreal, it was tantamount to abandoning them to their Fate.


    If he did this then his subordinates would no doubt be safe, but they would always have reservations when it came to following his orders. Nobody wanted to follow a leader who readily abandoned his men with only a moment''s notice.


    This was not the way of the Dwarves, and doing so would tarnish his reputation.


    On the other hand, if he chose to honor the oath, he would be gambling the life of his men to fight against an unknown number of Kobolds. It was impossible not to have any casualties when raiding a monster den, especially a Kobold''s Den.


    Thoram didn''t want to see his men die in droves if they were to encounter a Draconic Kobold, whose rank surpassed theirs.


    Just as he was hesitating to decide what to do, a voice spoke out from behind him.


    "We will go and rescue Colette and the others."


    All the Dwarf Warriors turned around to look at Robin who stood before them with a serious expression on his face.


    "I owe that Half-Elf a life," Robin stated. "I will not be able to sleep at night knowing that I abandoned the one that saved me when he needed me the most. I am a Dwarf, not a Goblin. I will not turn my back on those that had made their oath to the Earth Goddess."


    Robin scanned the faces of all the Dwarf Warriors who were looking at him withplicated expressions on their faces.


    "So, tell me��" Robin sneered. "Are you Dwarves, or are you Goblins who abandon their kin at the first signs of trouble? The Kingdom of Gweliven has no need for Goblins. I am a Dwarf, so I will do what Dwarves do best. All of you can return to the stronghold if you want, I''m going to go and save my friends even if I have to do it alone."


    Andy and Helen stood beside Robin with determined expressions on their faces. Clearly, they also wanted to enter the cavern and save their friends to the best of their abilities.


    Thoram sighed as he knelt in front of Robin.<sub> </sub>


    "I, Thoram, son of Malrom of Thordrom, hereby swear that I will wield my axe to pave the path to victory! I swear this upon the honor of the Earth Goddess!"


    All the Warriors of Norria knelt toward Robin and thumped their weapons on the ground to voice out their approval.


    Robin nodded his head in acknowledgement as he patted Thoram''s shoulder.


    "Fight for victory," Robin stated. "Fight for Gweliven!"


    ""For Gweliven!""


    It was at that moment that the five hundred strong Dwarf Battalion of Norria marched towards the Kobold Nest with one goal in mind. To rescue Robin''s friends, and fulfill their oaths to the Half-Elf who was now currently fighting for his life.


    ��--


    Kobold Nest��


    "Sh*t!" Lux cursed as he and the Dwarves held their weapons firmly in their hands.


    All of them were staring at the walls of their hiding ce, as the sound of digging became stronger.


    Just as he expected, the Kobolds had discovered that the men that they had sent to scout the Dump Site hadn''t returned after an hour. The Kobold Chieftain and the Kobold Sorcerer dispatched a hundred kobolds led by a Kobold Mage and four Kobold Leaders to the Dump Site and made them check what was going on.


    A great battle ensued when they arrived at their destination. Out of the hundred Kobolds, seventy were able to retreat and report their findings to their Kobold Chieftain.


    After discovering that the escaped prisoners had holed themselves up in the Dump Site, the Kobold Chieftain sent the Kobold Sorcerer, who was the leader of the Kobold Mages, to takemand of the Kobold Army.


    Instead of forcing their way into the narrow tunnel which led to their destination, the Kobold Sorcerer ordered the Kobolds to do what they did best. Naturally, that was mining!


    Thousands of Kobolds started to chip away at the walls that led to the Dump Site, while they positioned some of their troops to observe the tunnel that led to where the Dwarves were hiding. This development had far surpassed Lux''s understanding, which made him grit his teeth in frustration.


    After three hours of nerve-wracking tension, the sounds of the mining stopped, which made Lux frown.


    "The sound of mining has stopped," Lux informed everyone. "I don''t know what they''re nning, but everyone, brace yourselves."


    Diablo and the Skeletal Fighters raised their shields as they faced the wall. Ishtar was standing in front of the main entrance of the tunnel, ready to snipe the Kobolds who would use that route to pincer attack them.


    Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, a loud explosion broke the wall in front of them. Dirt and rubble flew in different directions as the wall copsed. It was hit by a fireball made by the Kobold Sorcerer.


    When the dust had settled down, a two-meter wide hole appeared in front of everyone. Soon, the blood curdling war cries of the Kobolds were heard as they charged down the path made by their brethren.


    Diablo and the Skeletal Fighters immediately formed a defensive wall using their bodies, continuously hacking the Kobolds who were trying to overpower them with sheer numbers. If Lux hadn''t upgraded his minions, the Kobold might have stood a chance, but with Diablo''s strength, which was now at the peak of a Rank 3 Monster, the Rank 1 Kobold Warriors quickly died under his mythical de.


    Lux and the Dwarves could feel their hearts rising towards their throats as the battle turned more intense.


    Soon, even Ishtar, who was standing far away from them, had started to fire arrows at the main tunnel leading to their hiding ce. Just like Lux had anticipated, the Kobolds nned to do a pincer attack.


    Thanks to Ishtar''s Ice Elemental Damage, Kobolds'' advance was slowed down. Even so, it was merely dying the inevitable.


    "Everyone, get ready. Go to your positions!" Lux ordered "This is a do or die moment, so do everything in your power to resist. Once the Kobold breaks past our defenses, it''s all over. So fight with everything you''ve got!"


    ""Yes!""


    As the battle in the Dump Site area intensified, the Warriors of Norria had just killed the guards that were manning the entrance of the Kobold Nest.


    Over five-hundred strong warriors, with Thoram at the lead, ran through the passageway that led to the depths of the Nest.


    A battle that had never before seen in the territory of Norria was about to begin.

 Chapter 62 Show These Lizards Whose Boss

    "FIght!" Lux roared as he activated his skill, Battle Cry.


    This was the skill that added +100 to both Physical and Magical attacks for all of his allies. With this boost of strength, his ordinary Skeletal Fighters'' physical damage had reached Rank 2, making them more formidable as they held back the charging Kobolds.


    Diablo and five Skeleton Fighters blocked the newly created passage made by the Kobolds, while Ishtar and other two of the Skeletal Fighters blocked the original narrow tunnel that the Kobolds were using to form a pincer attack.


    The nonbatants hurriedly retreated to the very back of the cavern, leaving all those who could fight standing behind the Skeletal Fighters, who were ready to rece thetter the moment they died.


    Colette held her weapon firmly. But on the contrary, she couldn''t stop her body from shaking. As someone who had already been defeated by the Kobolds once in battle, she was well aware of how tenacious they were.


    They were one of the races that could use the strategy of overwhelming their enemies through sheer numbers with kamikaze attacks.


    It was at that moment when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, gripping it firmly.


    "Are you scared?" Lux asked with a smile.


    Colette bit her lip. Her father had told her that she mustn''t show any weakness, especially during a battle. She was a member of the Goldenyer n, a family of Pdins. It was their duty to stand at the forefront of battle and lead their people to victory.


    And yet, right now, she was truly scared. Although she was doing her best to fight the growing fear in her heart, she was still unable to stop her body from shaking.


    Seeing that she couldn''t bring herself to answer, Lux raised the hand he had ced on her shoulder and rested it over the little girl''s head.


    "I am scared, too," Lux said as he shifted his attention to his subordinates who were keeping their enemies at bay using everything in their arsenal. "But, I have a goal in life. For the sake of that goal, I must make a stand, even if my heart trembles inside my chest."


    One of the Skeletons fighting alongside Diablo shattered into pieces, and the Half-Elf raised his hand to summon another one to take its ce.


    "For that goal, I must wield my weapons to fight," Lux added. "Also, there is someone�� waiting for me back home; someone that raised me with love and care. If I fall here, she will be heartbroken, so no matter what happens, I must return alive."


    Lux smiled as he summoned another Skeleton Fighter after another died. Colette looked up at the Half-Elf who was like a strong pir, who gave her and everyone in that cavern, hope.


    "What is your goal, Big Brother?" Colette asked.


    She wanted to know what the Half-Elf, who came from a distantnd, wanted to aplish bying to Elysium.


    "To save a dying world from destruction," Lux answered as he lightly patted her head. "And prevent it from being destroyed a second time."


    The red-headed teenager took a step forward as he summoned another Skeletal Fighter to block the narrow tunnel where the Kobolds were advancing slowly.


    "That''s why I asked all of you to trust me, and fight with me until the end," Lux dered. "We will not lose. I promise that I will lead all of you to the surface. So, children of the Earth Goddess, I bid all of you to stand�� and carve a path to victory!"


    The Half-Elf then charged forward as one of his Skeletal Fighters shattered. He took its ce and engaged against Kobolds in closebat, preventing them from breaking past their defenses.


    Colette and the other Dwarves felt their blood boiling inside their chest. Although they were still feeling fearful, a small ze of courage was rekindled in their hearts.


    The little blonde girl raised her mace and charged forward the moment another Skeletal Fighter got destroyed. She activated her Pdin Aura to strengthen her allies, and then continued fighting side by side with Lux and Diablo.


    "Diablo! Push them back!" Lux ordered. "Show these Lizards who''s boss!"


    The glowing embers in Diablo''s eyes burned brightly as he rammed the Kobold in front of him with his shield. Lux''s First Born then pulled back his arm as he activated his AOE Skill "Whirlwind sh."


    Lux''s first Named Creature annihted all the Kobolds in front of him as he assumed a protective stance to defend Lux and Colette from the Kobolds, who had momentarily stopped their advance due to the pressure that he was releasing.


    "Kekeke."


    Diabloughed as if he was finding his enemies'' reaction very funny. Truth be told, he wasn''t too worried about the monsters that he was facing. As a monster that had reached Rank 3, very few monsters in the Kobold''s Nest could beat him.


    Not to mention that Blood Moon was a cheat-like Mythical Weapon that broke thews of the Beginner''s Area.


    ��-


    < Blood Moon >


    Weapon Type: One Handed Sword


    Rarity: Mythical


    Damage: 225 - 350


    Requirement: All stats must be fifty or above.<sub> </sub>


    Additional Requirement: Only those recognized by Randolph can wield this weapon.


    Passive Skills: Sharp de, Swift de, Life Steal, Thorn, Indestructible


    < Sharp de >


    �C The de of this sword will always be sharp and will never dull.


    ��--


    < Swift de >


    �C The sword feels very light which helps its wielder brandish it with ease. Able to strike very fast in quick session.


    ��--


    < Life Steal >


    �C Each attack heals the user with 10% of the damage they deal to their enemies.


    ��--


    < Bleed >


    �C Has a 5% chance to apply the Bleeding effect to your target with every strike.


    �C Bleeding effect reduces your target''s Health Points by 1% of its Maximum Health Points every 2 seconds.


    �C Bleed Effect Duration: 10 seconds.


    ��--


    < Indestructible >


    �C This weapon is indestructible. It cannot be destroyed.


    ��-


    Diablo''s defense was quite high, so he only received minimal damage from the Kobold''s attacks. With the help of the "Life Steal" ability that was imbued in his weapon, his health points were almost always full.


    Simply put, even if Diablo fought against a hundred Rank 1 Monsters, a single Whirlwind sh was enough to fully restore his Health Points.


    Seeing that things were not going their way, the Kobold Sorcerer decided to intervene and shot a fireball towards the defenders. Just like Diablo, it was a Rank 3 Monster who was very close to breaking through Rank 4.


    The moment the Kobold Sorcerer cast its fireball, Diablo threw its Bone Spear which met the attack head-on.


    When the two spells collided, a powerful explosion took ce, negating each other''s attack.


    "Kekeke." Diablo raised his sword and made a taunting gesture to the Kobold Sorcerer who was at the back of the Kobold Formation.


    The Kobold Sorcerer snorted as it unleashed fireball after fireball with the intention of obliterating the arrogant Undead that dared to provoke it.


    Diablo continued to unleash his Bone Spears to meet the fireballs head on. The loud explosions made the walls of the cavern tremble, causing Lux to frown due to the possibility of the cave crumbling.


    He had already dragged Colette back to the safety of the cavern, while Diablo stood in front and continued his barrage of Bone Spears.


    Just as the Half-Elf expected, the impromptu tunnel that the Kobolds had made wasn''t stable enough to handle the powerful explosion, which resulted in a cave-in. This sent dust clouds billowing in Lux''s direction, forcing everyone to cover their faces to prevent themselves from getting dirt in their eyes.


    When the dust cloud receded, Lux nced in the direction of his Named Creature and sighed internally. The cavern''s entrance had beenpletely blocked by rubble, preventing the Kobolds from continuing their assault on two fronts.


    It was at that moment when Diablo turned his head to look at Lux and gave him a thumbs up. Although it couldn''t talk, its confident pose gave everyone the impression that it was saying the words "Just as nned!".


    Lux smirked because the feeling of smugnessing from his Named Creature was being transmitted back to him. It was at that moment when he wondered if it was possible for Diablo to talk after a few more upgrades.


    The Half-Elf reluctantly put this matter aside as he summoned more of his Skeletal Fighters. Their fight was far from over, and he had no intention of letting his guard down until reinforcements arrived.

 Chapter 63 The Kobold Chieftain’s Decision

    Due to the battle happening at the loweryers of the Kobold''s Nest, Lux had no idea that the reinforcements he had been waiting for had already arrived.


    Led by Thoram, the Commander of Norria, the Dwarf Warriors used brute force to st their way through the Kobolds, which had detected their advance. After the incident of the other''s escape, the Nest was on high alert, so the Kobolds immediately noticed the arrival of the uninvited guests in their domain.


    The Kobold Chieftain frowned after hearing his subordinates'' report. Right now, their strongest warrior, the Kobold Champion, was currently leading their main force to subdue the Goblins that had built arge settlement near their territory.


    It would take their reinforcements a full day before they could return to the nest, so the Chieftain was contemting his choices about what they could do for the time being. Just like the Kobold Sorcerer, the Kobold Chieftain was at the peak of a Rank 3 Monster.


    Their Champion, the Draconic Kobold, was at the peak of Rank 4 and was only a step away from breaking through to Rank 5. The other Draconic Kobolds, which ranged from Rank 3 and Rank 4, had apanied him to battle, leaving only the Kobold Chieftain and the Kobold Sorcerer to look after the nest.


    Because of this, only seven thousand Kobolds remained inside the nest. Although Kobolds weren''t afraid to fight to the death, they still didn''t like meaningless deaths. After knowing the strength of their opponents, the Kobold Chieftain estimated that they wouldn''t be able to beat the Dwarf Warriors who hade to raid them.


    Since that was the case, he decided to personally handle the issue and came out to have a dialogue with the invaders.


    ��--


    Thoram and his men brute forced their way against a horde of Kobolds. Although the majority of them were rank one, there were dozens of Rank 2 Kobolds mixed within their group. The battle was bloody as both sides fought tooth and nail against each other.


    After two hours of non-stop battle, blood dyed the ground making Helen''s expression very pale. Although the dwarves were stronger, they still lost over a hundred men as over a thousand Kobolds fought them with a ferocity that made even the most arrogant of dwarves feel respect towards their enemies.


    After the battle ended, Thoram and the Dwarves took a short rest as they tended to their injured. They knew that there would be more battles up ahead, so they decided to recuperate for a short period of time before continuing their rescue mission.


    An hourter, they once again formed their ranks and braced themselves for another hard battle.


    Thoram and his men noticed that the Kobold Nest was surprisingly empty after they explored the middle levels of the Nest.


    They didn''t know that the Kobold Chieftain had issued amand for all the Kobolds to retreat to the lower levels, in order to prevent them from dying needlessly.


    Word had also been sent to the Kobold Sorcerer about the new threat, so they decided to pull their forces, which were currently raiding the Dump Site, to regroup with their Secondary Force.


    Just as the Warriors of Norria arrived near the end of the Kobold Nest''s middle level, they noticed seven Kobolds standing in a spacious cavern, as if waiting for their arrival. None of the Kobolds were carrying any weapons, but they did hold wooden sticks with a white cloth tied to them.


    Thoram frowned, but he made a gesture for his men to not do anything reckless.


    After seeing their reaction, the Kobold Chieftain briefly nodded its head and spoke using the universalnguage of the realm.


    "What is your reason foring here, Dwarves?" the Kobold Chieftain asked.


    Thoram took a step forward as he faced the Kobold''s Chieftain''s indifferent expression. "You terrorize ournds and capture our people, yet, you still dare to ask why we''vee?"


    The Kobold Chieftain''s expression remained calm as he eyed the Dwarf who seemed to be the leader of the raiding party.


    "Dwarves kill us Kobolds, and steal the treasures we mine underground," the Kobold Chieftain stated. "Naturally we kill them back. It has always been like this, and will always be in the future."


    This time, it was Thoram''s turn to frown. To the Dwarves, the Kobolds were a race that liked to mine. Although Dwarves liked to mine themselves, their passion didn''te close to what the Kobolds felt about mining.


    There were times when these two races met underground while they were creating mazes in the depths of the Earth. Wars between them were verymon, and Thoram would not lower his dignity to refute the Kobold Chieftain''s words.


    Since that was the case, he decided to get to the point and see whether both he and the Kobold Chieftain could reach apromise.


    "We''ve onlye here to rescue our people," Thoram dered. "If you give them to us and promise to not attack any more Dwarves in the territory of Norria, we can have a non-aggression pact between our parties."


    "Do you have the qualifications to make this pact hold true?" the Kobold Chieftain asked. Right now, their priority was to wage war on the other monsters in the area in order to secure the safety of their Nest.


    Also, they were patiently waiting for their Draconic Champion to Evolve into a Rank 5 Monster. Once that happened, there would be very few creatures that could threaten their existence in the territory of Norria.


    "I am Thoram, the Commander of the Stronghold of Norria," Thoram replied. "This territory is under my jurisdiction, so yes, I have the authority to make this pact binding."


    Thoram didn''t want to lose any more of their men in a fight against the Kobolds because they had more pressing issues at hand. The Beast Tide Season was nearing, and they would need every Dwarf Fighter to protect the walls of Norria from the Beast Invasion.


    They simply didn''t have time to deal with the Kobolds at this point. If the Stronghold of Norria could form a non-aggression pact with them, that meant that they could focus all of their attention in other areas that required their assistance.<sub> </sub>


    "Very well." The Kobold Chieftain nodded.


    Since both sides didn''t want to wage a full blown war against each other, apromise was a wee topic between the two forces.


    "Make an Oath to your Earth Goddess," the Kobold Chieftain stated.


    "And you make an oath to the Dragon King," Thoram countered.


    To the Dwarves, the Oath to the Earth Goddess was a sacred oath. Although the Dragon King was not a God, for Kobolds it was the ultimate existence they would offer everything to, even their lives.


    After the two sides made their oaths, the Kobold Chieftain asked one of his Elite Warriors to escort Thoram, and his subordinates to the loweryers, where Lux and the other Dwarves had holed themselves in.


    ��--


    Lux and the other Dwarves were in a state of tension as they waited for the Kobolds to continue their attacks. The Half-Elf didn''t know why the Kobolds'' relentless assault had suddenly stopped, so he merely advised everyone to be on their guard.


    Two hourster, the Half-Elf heard some noises that seemed to be heading towards their direction. When the Half-Elf stood up and went towards the exit, all the Dwarves prepared themselves to fight once again.


    However, before they could even raise their fighting spirit, Helen''s voice echoed down the tunnel.


    "Big Brother! Colette! Matty! Axel! Are you guys alright?" Helen shouted as soon as she appeared in the narrow tunnel leading to the Dump Site.


    "Helen?" Lux couldn''t believe that the little Dwarf girl would appear on the lower floors of the Kobold Nest looking practically unharmed. "What are you doing here?"


    "We''vee to rescue everyone!" Helen shouted as she ran towards the opening of the cavern, and hugged Colette.


    The red-headed teenager nced down the tunnel and saw several Dwarves wearing armor. Clearly, these were the reinforcements they had been waiting for. However, he felt that something was off.


    "Helen, did you meet any Kobolds along the way?" Lux asked.


    "Un! The Kobold Chieftain came to negotiate with the Commander," Helen answered. "We now have a non-aggression pact with the Kobolds. We can all leave this ce safely."


    When Lux and the Dwarves heard Helen''s words, most of them didn''t believe it at the start, but after seeing that no Kobolds were attacking the Dwarves, they finally understood why the attack on their location had stopped.


    Lux breathed in a sigh of relief after confirming that Helen''s words were true. Although he kept on showing a confident expression on his face to prevent Colette and the other Dwarves from panicking, deep inside, he was standing on pins and needles.


    After losing the tension in his body, his legs buckled and he almost copsed on the ground. Fortunately, Diablo was standing beside him and managed to support him in time.


    "Big Brother, what''s this? Getting soft all of a sudden?" Colette teased. Now that they had been saved, the little girl''s cheekiness had returned.


    The Half-Elf only chuckled and ruffled Colette''s hair in order to get back at her.


    "Let''s go back to Leaf Vige," Lux said softly. "I want to take a long nice rest and a few days off from adventures."


    Colette and the other Dwarves felt the same way.


    With the protection of the Warriors of Norria, all of them left the Kobolds Nest safely.


    Thoram had sent fifty of his men to apany Lux, Colette, and the rest of her party to escort them back to Leaf Vige.


    Along the way, Nevreal and Lux had a private talk. The middle-aged dwarf had directly asked the Half-Elf what kind of reward he wanted for his help in guiding them to the Kobold''s Nest, where Robin was held captive.


    Lux didn''t n to y the goody-two-shoes and reject the free rewards that were being offered to him.


    "I want weapons and armor," Lux stated. "The higher the quality, the better. Of course, if you n to give me a Mythical Weapon, I will dly ept it with open arms."


    Nevreal stared at Lux with a hawk-like gaze before leaving the Half-Elf''s side. The red-headed teenager watched him go with a smile on his face. He was just teasing the middle-aged Dwarf about the Mythical Weapon, but he wasn''t lying when he said that he wanted weapons and armor.


    His summoned minions had gained the Equip Item Skill, which meant that they could equip weapons, armor, essories, and other misceneous items. If Lux could arm all of them to the teeth, then the forces he could wield would not lose to a Dwarf Party who had broken through the Apostle Rank.

 Chapter 64 I Miss You

    The swishing sound of a broom could be faintly heard in the surrounding area as Vera gathered the leaves that had fallen in front of their house.


    She had been doing this almost every single day ever since Lux left because she had nothing else to do. After gathering the leaves into a pile, she took them to a part of the garden where she used them as mulch for other nts.


    After finishing her task, she went back inside the house and headed to Lux''s room. Upon entering, she scanned the surroundings to see if there was anything amiss. Seeing nothing out of ce, she waved her hand and used cleaning magic to clean it.


    A gentle breeze swept across the room, leaving a refreshing fragrance behind. Vera made sure to clean her grandson''s room everyday using magic to ensure that Lux''s stay would be afortable one if ever he came back home to rest.


    She nodded her head in satisfaction once the cleaning spell ended. Just as she was about to leave, her gazended on a rainbow ball that sat on top of Lux''s desk. It was something that she had bought from a passing merchant when Lux was only two years old.


    After picking up the ball, a nostalgic smile appeared on Vera''s face as she remembered her adopted grandson''s hardship when he was only two years old.


    ��--


    Two years after Vera saved Lux from the Giant Crocodiles��


    "Good morning Grandma Vera; good morning Lux!"


    "Are the two of you going out for a walk?"


    "Lux is growing up fast. It was just like yesterday when you adopted him as your grandson. After a few more years, he will definitely be a handsome boy."


    Vera smiled as she chatted with the residents of Wildgarde Stronghold. Lux was a special existence within the Stronghold, not because he was a Half-Elf, but because he was Vera''s adopted grandson.


    The Stronghold had Nine Protectors which ensured that it remained the Overlord of the territory. There had been many asions when the local and foreign warlords tried to invade the Fortress in order to expand their Domains.


    However, all of their ambitions were turned to ashes after these Nine Protectors made their move. Vera was one of those Protectors, so her status in Wildgarde Stronghold was very high. As someone who their Protector had adopted, Lux became a hot topic among the residents.


    Lux, who was being carried by Vera in her arms, sucked his thumb as he curiously eyed his surroundings. Whenever someone tried to lightly rub his cheeks, he would cry. Even if a beautiful girl kissed him, he would still cry. If someone attempted to talk to him, he would cry as well.


    This made Vera feel very helpless. Her grandson didn''t like to be touched, kissed, or talked to by other people at all.


    As Vera neared the vast yground, where most of the children in the Stronghold gathered, the thumb-sucking baby in her arms raised his head and looked at the children with great interest. His grandma would often bring him here to watch the other children y.


    But, today was different. Vera took him to the yground so that he could interact with children of his age. As the olddy walked towards the left side of the yground, where a group of toddlers could be found, several of thedies who had gathered there to look after their children stood up and gave her a brief bow.


    Vera waved her hand to put them at ease before cing Lux down on the ground.


    As a two year old, Lux was able to stand up on his own, but most of the time, he still preferred to crawl on all fours to get to where he wanted.


    "Lux, y with the other kids," Vera said as she coaxed her grandson to go to where the other children were ying.


    The toddler''s area had a special protection magic around it that ensured that nothing dangerous would happen to any of the children.


    Vera had only taken a few steps away when she saw Lux following behind her. When she stopped, Lux grabbed hold of her leg andughed.


    This made thedies who had been watching over their children giggle. They had seen Lux several times in the past, but he was mostly carried along by Vera whenever she walked around the stronghold for her regr patrol.


    Seeing the little Half-Elf follow his grandma around like a little duckling made the hearts of thedies melt. They couldn''t help but think about how endearing he was.


    "Lux, don''t you want to y with the other kids?" Vera asked. "Look, they are having fun over there."


    Vera pointed at a bunch of two to four year old kids ying with colorful balls and small boxes that littered the ying area.


    Lux nced at the ce where Vera was pointing at and started to suck on his thumb once again. Seeing that an opportunity had arrived, the olddy lightly pried Lux''s left hand, which was still clinging at her leg off, and jumped to the top of a tree where Lux wouldn''t be able to see her.


    Since Lux was still a baby, he didn''t notice right away that his grandma had disappeared from beside him. The moment he turned his head to look back, Vera was no longer in sight.


    The little Half-Elf turned his head in every way, searching his surroundings, trying to find his grandma. A minuteter, when Lux still couldn''t find Vera, he started crying, calling out to his grandma.


    "Manma! Waaaaaaaah! Manmaaa!"


    (A/N: Manma is Mama and Grandmabined.)


    The Little Half-Elf was bawling his eyes out, making thedies who were watching him earlier get a strong urge to hug and coax him until he no longer cried. However, they didn''t dare move from their location because they knew that Vera was just up in the tree beside her grandson, observing his every move.


    "Manmaaaa! Manmaaa!"


    Lux cried and called out repeatedly until his face became flushed. Anyone who saw him right now would feel heartbroken because of how pitiful he looked.


    Vera sighed because she realized that Lux might not be ready yet to y with the other children. Just as she was about to jump off the tree, Lux suddenly copsed andid on the ground without moving.<sub> </sub>


    Thedies who saw what happened cried out in rm and stood from their seats. They were about to go and help Lux when Vera appeared by his side.


    The olddy picked up her grandson, and immediately checked his condition with a spell. The result baffled Vera because ording to her medical knowledge, Lux was perfectly fine.


    The olddy then wiped the tears and snot on her grandson''s face before leaving the scene to visit her friend, who was Wildgarde Stronghold''s healer. She was not a medical expert, so she decided to let her friend do a full diagnostic check on her grandson to find out what had happened to him.


    ��--


    "He''s not in any serious danger. At least, for now," the strongest Cleric in Wildgarde Stronghold, Natasha, said with a frown. "There''s nothing wrong with his body. But, do you remember what I told you when you brought him to me after you returned to the Stronghold with him?"


    Vera nodded. "You said that he might have been exposed to a soul damaging spell, which may leave him with some problems growing up."


    "Yes," Natasha stated. "Back then, he was still too young, so these problems weren''t obviously showing. Now, it''s different. This is a side-effect of his soul being damaged."


    "Although it is too early to tell, I have a feeling that he will lose consciousness anytime he is faced with very strenuous situations. Worst case scenario, it might be triggered when he experiences any kind of strong emotions like happiness, anger, sadness, or depression."


    Vera looked at her grandson with an anxious expression before looking back at her friend, who was still in the middle of casting a diagnostic spell.


    "Is there any way to cure him?" Vera asked. "Just tell me what things you need, I''ll get them for you."


    Natasha sighed and shook her head. "This is beyond my capabilities. I''ve already tried to use my powers, and even gave him a very strong elixir a year ago. I thought that it would help his soul heal over time, but it didn''t work."


    "Then, what should I do?"


    "Don''t let him feel any stress or encounter stressful situations. Bring him to me for regr checkups so I can observe his condition all the time. Maybe, just maybe, we will be able to figure out a way to rid him of this sickness before he bes old enough to enter Elysium."


    After leaving her friend''s house, Vera carried her grandson back to their residence. When she was halfway through their journey, Lux opened his eyes and looked drowsily at Vera. After seeing that his Grandma was in front of him. He hurriedly wrapped his arms around her neck and once again started to cry.


    Clearly, the little Half-Elf had been scared silly earlier, and still hadn''t gotten over the fact that Vera had disappeared without him noticing.


    "There, there, don''t cry," Vera coaxed as she lightly patted Lux''s back. "Don''t worry, Grandma will not leave you again, okay? So stop crying."


    It took Vera a full five minutes to coax Lux enough to get him to stop crying. It was at this moment when she passed by a merchant stall in which several items wereid out for sale.


    In order to apologize to her grandson, Vera bought the rainbow-colored ball from the merchant and gave it to Lux to y with.


    Surprisingly, the little Half-Elf loved Vera''s gift and yed with it a lot. There were even times when he would faint while ying with the ball due to how excited he was, which had made Vera panic several times because of how sudden it was.


    ��--


    "Time flies so fast," Vera muttered as she lovingly ced the ball back on top of the desk. She missed the days when Lux was still young, but she also understood that he couldn''t remain a child forever.


    This was why when Lux decided to go to Elysium, she had given him her silent consent and passed her family''s Special Techniques to him. Vera hoped that it would be enough to keep Lux safe when he faced dangerous situations.


    Just as she was wondering what to cook for lunch, she felt a fluctuation inside the house.


    Vera didn''t hesitate and ran towards the training room. The moment she opened the door, a handsome Half-Elf with red hair, and eyes as green as emeralds turned his head to look at her.


    "I''m back, Grandma," Lux said with a smile. "I missed you."


    The olddy walked towards her grandson and hugged him tightly. It had been more than a month since Lux hade to Elysium, so she had also missed him terribly.


    "Wee back, Lux," Vera replied as she lightly ruffled her grandson''s head like usual. "Your hair has grown a bit long, do you want me to cut it for you?"


    "Is it that long already?" Lux asked as he scratched his head.


    "Yes," Vera answered with a smile. "But, we can do thatter. Have you eaten? What do you want to eat for lunch?"


    That day, Vera cooked all of Lux''s favorite dishes. The Half-Elf ate a lot because it was tasty and he had missed his Grandma''s cooking. After the meal, Lux told Vera about his adventures in Elysium.


    Vera smiled as she listened to her grandson''s bragging. She found it funny when Lux told her that he single-handedly fought a Kobold''s Nest. As someone that had fought these monsters in the past, how could she possibly believe her grandson''s exaggerated tale?


    ''Well, as long as he is safe, that is all that matters,'' Vera thought as she praised Lux for his amazing performance.


    They had been finally reunited after more than a month of parting, so Vera had no intention of ruining Lux''s good mood, and allowed him to brag as much as he wanted.


    While the Grandma and Grandson pair were spending some quality time together, news of what happened in the Kobold''s Nest had reached the ears of the high-ranking personages in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    By the time that the Half-Elf returned to Leaf Vige to continue his adventures, he would understand that the Dwarf Race was not a race that should be taken lightly.

 Chapter 65 Will You Please… Marry…

    "I''m going now, Grandma," Lux said as he hugged Vera. "I''lle and visit as often as I can."


    "Mmm," Vera hummed as she lightly patted her adopted grandson''s head. "I''ll always be here waiting. Be safe, Lux."


    The red-headed teenager reluctantly took a step back as he looked at his grandma''s gaze filled with affection. It was the face that had watched over him all these years and showered him with love and tenderness.


    In his past lifetime, Lux had no goals in life. This time around, he had two goals in mind. The first one was to help save the world from destruction.


    And the second, goal was to make his Grandma proud of him. He wanted her to know that all the sacrifices she had made for him all these years were worth it. More than anything else, he wanted the world to give Vera the recognition she deserved.


    And for that to happen, he must return to Elysium. Back to the world that held the secrets on how Sis could be saved from its predetermined destruction.


    "Take care, Grandma. I love you," Lux said as he pressed his fist over his chest. "Open, Heaven''s Gate!"


    Lux turned into particles of light and disappeared.


    Vera smiled as she ced a hand over her chest. She was very happy that her grandson was doing well in Elysium. She knew that this parting wouldn''tst forever, for in time, the little Half-Elf��who she had raised since he was a baby��would return to her side once more after he grew tired from his adventures.


    ��---


    Leaf Vige��


    After returning to Leaf Vige, the first thing that Lux did was to visit his cksmith Master, Randolph.


    He had already returned Blood Moon to his Master''s custody because the mission had ended. However, Lux was thinking if he could borrow it again for a short period of time to aplish a great undertaking for the vige.


    Although he didn''t want to rely on the Mythical Weapon for help, the mission he nned to aplish was impossible toplete without it.


    However, just as Lux entered the business district of the vige, several familiar faces ran towards him with smiles on their faces.


    "Big Brother!" Colette called out as she happily jumped at him with her arms opened wide.


    The Half-Elf had no choice but to catch the adorable little girl who seemed to have be more lively after spending a few days back home.


    After the battle in the Kobold''s Nest, Colette and her friends returned to Sis in order to see their families. This was a very natural custom for Dwarves, especially after managing to survive a near-death experience.


    After swinging the little Dwarf round and round a few times, Lux ced her back on the ground and lightly patted her head. Colette, on the other hand, grabbed hold of Lux''s hands and held it firmly in her two little hands.


    "Big Brother, I have thought about this for a long time. You have risked your life a few times to save me, and for that I am very grateful," Colette said with a serious expression on her face. "That''s why, in order to repay you, will you please�� marry��"


    Lux gulped because Colette was looking at him with a flushed expression on her face. The Half-Elf waited with bated breath as the little dwarf finished what she wanted to say.


    Matty, who was watching this scene, immediately became rmed. He then gave Lux the "I''m going to kill you if you marry Colette!" re, which made the red-headed teenager have the strong urge to p him.


    "Will you please�� marry�� my Big Sister?" Colette pleaded. "That way, you will be part of our family!"


    "Eh?" Matty, who was about to draw his sword, ready to hack Lux into pieces, stopped midway. He then looked at Colette and patted his chest in relief before ring back at Lux, who had a dumbfounded expression on his face.


    "Marry your Big Sister?" Lux blinked once then twice in confusion.


    "Yes!" Colette nodded her head. "My Big Sister is very beautiful! She has many suitors, but if I help you, your chances of marrying her will be very high! Don''t worry, even if you are not a dwarf, I will vouch for you!"


    Lux wanted to scratch his head using his left hand, since his right was firmly held by the excited little Dwarf who was looking up at him with sparkling eyes.


    "... I''ll think about it," Lux replied in helplessness. He felt that if he rejected Colette''s offer right away, the little girl would throw a tantrum and pester him until he said yes.


    "Good." Colette smiled. For now, she was satisfied with Lux''s answer. After going back home, she had told her parents and her sister about how Lux had saved them inside the Kobold''s Nest.


    Colette''s parents and older sister were quite surprised because they understood how difficult it was to fight against a horde of Kobolds inside their nest. Because of this, the little girl''s father even prepared several gifts to repay Lux for saving his daughter''s life.


    "Big Brother, this is for you. This came from my Family. It''s a thank you gift for saving our lives." Colette procured a silver ring from her magic bag and gave it to Lux. "Please, ept it."


    Lux didn''t stand on ceremony and epted the silver ring from Colette''s hands. Right now, he wouldn''t reject any goodwill that would help him be stronger in Elysium.


    When the Half-Elf nced at the contents of the ring, he found twenty Rank 2 Beast Cores and a blue bow with intricate designs.


    Out of curiosity, Lux took out the bow from the storage ring to give it a closer look.


    "It''s a good bow," Lux said as he held it in his hands. Right now, he didn''t have the ability to appraise things because he still hadn''t learned the skill yet, but it was not a problem because he had the Elysium Compendium.


    Any item that could be found in Elysium was recorded inside the Mythical Item that Lux had acquired through Gacha.


    After summoning thependium in his hand, the information for the bow appeared, and Lux wasn''t able to stop himself from whistling after reading its contents.<sub> </sub>


    ��--


    < Heartstriker: Bow of the Forest >


    Weapon Type: Longbow


    Rarity: Unique


    Requirement: Dexterity 80


    �C Damage: 125 - 160


    �C Increase Range Attack damage by 20%


    Passive Skill: Shot to the Heart


    < Shot to the Heart >


    �C Deals double damage if your attack hits the heart area of your target


    �C This ability works with normal and skill based attacks.


    ��---


    "Thank you, Colette," Lux said with a smile. "This is just the thing that I need."


    "I''m d you liked it, Big Brother!" Colette smiled back.


    She was quite happy that Lux liked the gift that her father had prepared for him. Although she hadn''t seen Lux use a bow before, she believed that since her Big Brother was a Half-Elf, he was blessed with the ability to use a bow perfectly.


    What the cute little Dwarf didn''t know was that the reason why Lux was happy was because he was looking for a weapon to give to his Skeleton Hunter, Ishtar. With Heartstriker in her possession, her long range attacks would be even more deadly.


    Matty, Helen, Axel, and Andy also gave Lux various gifts that came from their family. Although they didn''t present Lux with any weapons, all of them gave him ten Rank 2 Beast Cores, which made the Half-Elf very happy.


    "Are you angels?" Lux asked as he epted the Beast Cores with gratitude. "Thest time I checked, today is not my birthday."


    "Hah? Did the Kobolds clobber your head on our return trip?" Matty snorted. "This is just our family being grateful to you for saving our lives. Mark my word, this won''t happen ever again. I will never, ever, be ced in a situation again where someone else needs to rescue me!"


    Colette, Helen, Axel, and Andy all nodded their heads in agreement. Their experience inside the Kobold''s Nest wasn''t a good one. Because of this experience, they wanted to be stronger. The next time a simr situation happened, they wouldn''t be as helpless as they had been previously.


    Lux could understand what they were feeling because he also thought the same. As long as he could be stronger than his enemies, then he wouldn''t have to worry about being ced into a dangerous position.


    "Big Brother, what are your ns for today?" Colette asked. "We nned to look for the Carbuncle in the Aspiration ins. Would you like to join us?"


    "Carbuncle?" Lux frowned as he returned the bow to his storage ring.


    The Carbuncle was the Alpha Beast of the Aspiration ins. It was the Lord of the Horned Rabbits and a Support Type Monster that healed and buffed its allies in battle. Of course, when put to a pinch, this meter-tall beast was capable of attacking its enemies with physical and magical attacks.


    It was also very fast, which made it a difficult adversary for a party whose members still hadn''t stepped into the Apostle Rank.


    The reason why Colette proposed to attack the Carbuncle was due to Lux''s performance in the Kobold''s Nest. After seeing Diablo''s strength, as well as the other skeletons under the Half-Elf''smand, she was very confident that they would be able to beat the weakest of the Alpha Beasts of Leaf Vige.


    Colette''s offer was very tempting, and Lux also knew that they were indeed capable of challenging the Carbuncle. However, the n he had in mind must take precedence. Now that the Riders of Norria had a non-aggression pact with the Kobolds, who had resorted to banditry in the past, their hands were now more free to handle some tasks that they had set aside beforehand.


    One of these tasks was dealing with the mosquito infestation that was still happening in the Figaro Gardens. Lux wanted to deal with this menace, before the Riders of Norria were dispatched to the scene.


    As long as he could borrow Blood Moon from his Master, Randolph, again Lux was confident that his skeleton party would be able to decimate the mosquitoes that had forced the Adventurer''s Guild to prevent everyone from entering the Figaro Gardens.


    "There is something that I need to do first, but I''ll probably be back within three days," Lux replied after organizing his thoughts. "If you can wait till then, I will be more than happy to challenge the Carbuncle with all of you."


    "Okay!" Colette readily agreed to Lux''s proposal. "Let''s fight the Carbuncle in three days. This is a promise. Right, Big Brother?"


    Lux nodded. "I promise. I will return in three days and fight the Carbuncle with all of you. Also, I won''t fight with any of you for the monster drops. All of you can have it."


    "Big Brother, you are the best!" Colette grinned as she gave Lux a thumbs up.


    After talking about a few more things, the group parted and went to deal with their own business.


    Lux resumed his journey to his Master''s workshop while time was still on his side. He hoped that before the Riders of Norria arrived, he would be able to finish the task that he had set out to do.

 Chapter 66 Striking While The Iron Was Hot

    "Hmm�� your purpose is good, but can''t you just wait until the Riders of Norria handle this mission?" Randolph, the cksmith of Leaf Vige, asked. "Now that the Kobolds are no longer a problem, it is only a matter of time before they resume handling the problems that they have set aside due to the Kobold''s wanton banditry."


    "It is exactly because of this reason that we should strike now, Master," Lux countered. "Right now, there are so many monster materials that can be looted from the Figaro Gardens. Are we going to let the Riders of Norria take them all?"


    Randolph''s expression eased up a bit, and Lux knew that he was faltering. All he needed to do was give his Master one more push before thetter agreed to lend him Blood Moon for a few days.


    "Well, I''m going to be honest. It does tempt me, but the answer is still no," Randolph replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Listen, Lux, I don''t want you to rely on the Mythical Weapon to boost your progress. Since you are my Disciple, I want you to resume your studies of cksmithing. I''m sure that after a few years, you will be able to craft Mythical Weapons."


    "No, Master." Lux corrected. "I won''t settle for Mythical Weapons, I will go for Legendary Weapons."


    Randolph looked at Lux with a dumbfounded expression before roaring inughter.


    "Hahaha! Yes, you''re right!" Randolph patted Lux''s shoulder in a good mood. "As my Disciple, you are bound to create Legendary Weapons. This is something I expect from the person I have chosen."


    Lux grinned because he was only just a step away from achieving his n. Now that he had stroked Randolph''s ego, it was now time to strike while the iron was hot.


    "Master, I will be honest with you, I have a feeling that the Mosquitoes growth is suspicious," Lux said. "There has been no record that such a thing has happened in the past. Something must be causing it, and the secret lies in the North end of the Figaro Garden."


    Randolph rubbed his chin because he couldn''t refute Lux''s hypothesis. Just as he said, there had been no incidences in the past where a mosquito swarm of such magnitude had appeared in the ce where Insectoid Monsters roamed.


    Although the Elders of the Vige looked calm on the surface, deep inside they must be very worried. A Mosquito Monster outbreak wasn''t a joke, andpared to the Undead outbreak they had experienced not long ago, this one was potentially more dangerous.


    It was so dangerous that the houses which still didn''t have basements that the residents could hide in, had no choice but to cooperate with the Earth Mages of the vige. These Earth Mages used their magic to dig an underground shelter to be used for an emergency, in the off chance that they didn''t have time to go to the main shelter.


    "Lux, I know that your main purpose in asking for Blood Moon is to take advantage of the situation," Randolph stated. "However, as one of the Elders of the Vige, I still have to consider the well-being of everyone that lives here. If I lend you Blood Moon for a few days, are you confident that you will be able to deal with the Mosquito Swarm?"


    Lux smiled as he held up two fingers from his hand.


    "Without Blood Moon, my chances to aplish my goal is only twenty percent," Lux admitted. "However, if I have Blood Moon, my chances will rise to sixty percent. Master, I think it is worth it to take a gamble."<sub> </sub>


    "I know you have Skeleton Summons to handle the dangerous stuff for you, but can you assure your safety in this mission?"


    "I can."


    Lux patted his chest with confidence. He had no intention of dying in Elysium because he knew that his grandma would be sad. So more than anything else, he had always prioritized his safety above all others.


    This was why he wanted Randolph to lend him Blood Moon. It was to ensure that his mission would be a huge sess.


    "Very well," Randolph relented. "I will lend you Blood Moon, but only for a few days. After you finish this expedition, you will not ask me to lend it to you ever again. Do I make myself clear?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes, Master!"


    The two talked about the details of how Lux would safely aplish his mission. Hearing his n made Randolph scratch his head in disbelief. He had thought that Lux had only nned a simple means to keep himself safe, so he was surprised to hear that his Disciple also nned to hide in the underground tunnels of the Ant Nest to ensure that no mosquito would find him.


    After knowing that his sole Disciple was truly going to y it safe, Randolph lent Blood Moon to Lux with peace of mind. As long as the Half-Elf wouldn''t risk his life to fight against thousands of mosquitoes, the cksmith of Leaf Vige was willing to entrust him with the greatest creation that he had made in his lifetime.


    "Ah, Master, I need another favor from you," Lux said after receiving Blood Moon and re-equipping it in Diablo''s equipment slot. There was one more important thing that he needed to do in order to maximize the rewards of his expedition.


    "Well, as long as it''s not unreasonable, I will think about it," Randolph replied. Since he had already agreed to lend the Half-Elf his weapon, a little favor wouldn''t hurt.


    Lux smiled as he told his Master the contents of his favor. After hearing his request, Randolph nodded his head in agreement.


    Now that his goal has been achieved, Lux made preparations to enter the Figaro Garden under the cover of darkness. The mosquitoes were more active around this time, and Lux was sure to find them instantly.


    Looking at the Beast Cores that had been gifted to him by the parents of his friends, Lux nned to upgrade his Skeleton Party and have them attack the mosquitoes, and collect as many monster parts as possible during his expedition in the Figaro Gardens.

 Chapter 67 I Will Show Them How Awesome Your Grandson Is!

    Lux locked himself up inside his room in the inn and looked at the Beast Cores he had in his possession.


    From fighting with his life on the line in the Kobold''s Nest, as well as the rewards that were given to him by the parents of Colette, Matty, Helen, Axel, and Andy, the Half-Elf had acquired a good number of Beast Cores which would make his team a lot stronger.


    One Hundred and Fifty One Rank 1 Beast Cores, and Eighty Rank 2 Beast Cores.


    That was the total number of Beast Cores that Lux currently possessed, which made him feel giddy whenever he thought of it.


    "I''ll upgrade Ishtar and the Skeleton Archers for now," Lux muttered as he held a Rank 2 Beast Core in his hand. "Our opponents are flying creatures, so range attacks will be more effective than melee attacks."


    Lux then checked Ishtar''s current rank as he applied one Beast Core after another.


    After using twenty Rank 2 Beast Cores, Ishtar''s Rating went up from D+ to C, which upgraded her overall stats.


    She also learned the passive skill Hunter''s Eye, which allowed Ishtar''s to lock on a single target and attack it with greater uracy from great distances.


    Lux spent an additional twenty-seven Rank 2 Beast Cores to raise her Rating to C+, which allowed her to learn two active skills, namely Arrow Shower and Piercing Arrow.


    Arrow Shower, as the name suggested, allowed Ishtar to shoot a magical arrow where it would split into multiple arrows that would rain down on her enemies. This was a very effective AOE attack especially when dealing with enemies that were grouped together.


    Piercing Arrow, on the other hand, was a skill that allowed Ishtar to fire a charged arrow that could pierce through armored units, or monsters that had very tough skin like dragon scales, exoskeletons, etc.


    Of course, when certain arrows were paired up with the Piercing Arrow skill, their effectiveness would increase, turning them deadlier.


    For example, an Adamantium arrow was an arrow that was strong enough to pierce through Dragon Scales. If Ishtar were to use the Piercing Arrow Skill, alongside the Adamantium Arrow, the arrow would embed itself deeper inside the monster''s body, causing greater damage.


    ��---


    < Ishtar >


    �C Named Skeleton Hunter


    �C Rating: C+


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress (0/1,000)


    Health: 5,500 / 5,500


    Mana: 2,550 / 2,550


    Attack: 180 - 215 (+160 Heartstriker)


    Attack Type: Ranged Ice Damage


    Strength: 80


    Intelligence: 85


    Vitality: 80


    Agility: 85


    Dexterity: 115


    Active Skill: Hunter''s Mark, Set Trap, Arrow Shower, Piercing Arrow


    Passive Skill: Equip Item, Hunter''s Eye.


    Title: The Forgotten Queen


    Note: Sometimes I aim to please. But, most of the time, I aim to Kill!


    ��---


    Lux smiled after seeing Ishtar''s character information in his soul book. After admiring her stats and skills for a minute, he then shifted his attention to his Skeleton Archers, whom he intended to upgrade until they matched the strength of his Skeleton Fighters.


    "Let''s go bigtime on this one," Lux smirked as he consumed all One-Hundred and Fifty One Rank 1 Beast Cores, and turned them into 1510 Skill Points.


    ��---


    Lux used 1,300 Skill Points and upgraded his Skeleton Archers four times, which made them evolve into Skeleton Grand Archers. These upgraded Skeleton Archers had also acquired powerful skills like the Crippling Volley, and Vulture''s Eye, which gave Lux the confidence that he would be able to aplish his goal without fail.


    ��--


    < Crippling Volley >


    �C When four or more Skeleton Grand Archers are together, they will be able to activate this unique ability that allows them to fire a volley of magical arrows that have a high chance to paralyze their enemies.


    < Vulture''s Eye >


    �C Allows the Skeleton Grand Archer to see further by two hundred meters


    ��-


    < Summon Skeleton Grand Archer >


    Rating: B


    Mana: 10<sub> </sub>


    Progress: (0/800)


    �C Summons Four Skeleton Grand Archer to fight for you


    �C Summon duration: 4 hour


    �C Skill Cooldown: 1 minute.


    Health Points: 2000


    Attack: 100 - 150


    Attack Type: Physical Range Damage


    Active Skills: Triple Shot, Crippling Volley.


    Passive Skills: Fast Reload, Vulture''s Eye


    ��-


    Just to be on the safe side, Lux used seventeen Rank 2 Beast Cores to upgrade Diablo once, making his vanguard even stronger. The Skeleton Rider was already his party''s strongest melee unit. However, since Diablo was also the wielder of Blood Moon, Lux decided to strengthen him to make him more formidable in battle.


    ��---


    < Diablo >


    "Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Skeleton Rider


    �C Rating: B+


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress ( 10 / 800)


    Health: 10,500 / 10,500


    Mana: 1,940 / 1,940


    Attack: 280 - 335 (+300 Damage from Blood Moon)


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage.


    Strength: 98 (+1)


    Intelligence: 97


    Vitality: 96 (+2)


    Agility: 97 (+2)


    Dexterity: 97 (+2)


    Defense: 83 (+250 Defense)


    Title: Firstborn, Squad Captain, Relentless Charger.


    Active Skills: sh, Heavy sh, Bone Spear, Duel [EX], Whirlwind sh, Leap.


    Passive Skills: Parry, Tactician, Improved Dodge, Union of Man and Beast, Enhanced Fortitude, Intimidate (New)


    ��--


    Lux still had 220 Skill Points remaining, which he set aside for the time being so they could be used for future upgrades.


    Diablo had also learned the skill Intimidate, which struck fear in monsters that were equal or weaker than it in rank. Monsters affected by the Intimidate skill would have their attack speed and movement speed decreased by 30%


    ''Diablo and Ishtar are now Rank 2 Monsters, while my other summons are at the middle stage of Rank 1 Monsters,'' Lux thought as he nced at the information of all the creatures under hismand.


    Back then, he thought that it would take him a long while to gather resources in order to fully upgrade his minions. Gathering Beast Cores was not an easy task, especially at the start when one was going solo.


    If not for the fact that he had been generously rewarded by Colette''s parents at the beginning, as well as having the chance to take advantage of the Figaro Garden and Kobold Nest incidents, Lux would not have reached the stage he was in right now.


    Now that his minions had all evolved and became stronger, Lux was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as he finally overcame the insecurity he''d felt over the past few years.


    For four years, he was barred entry to Elysium because of his weak body. Now, even though he had been left behind by his friends in Wildgarde Stronghold, who had gone to the higher areas of Elysium, Lux no longer felt envious of them


    For he knew that after just a year, he could catch up to them.


    And a year after that, he would surpass all of them.


    "Grandma, just wait for me," Lux said as she stood up to leave his room. "A few months from now, I will surprise everyone in Wildgarde Stronghold. I will show them how awesome your grandson is!"


    The Half-Elf left the inn with a serious expression on his face. His destination was the Figaro Garden, and he would not return until his storage bags, storage rings, and his Enchanted Beast Ring, were filled to the brim with resources that would make his Master Randolph,ugh until all of his teeth fell out of their sockets.

 Chapter 68 Lux’s Masterplan

    The buzzing of mosquitoes could be heard in the darkness of the night. Ever since Lux had left to save Colette and the others, the numbers of mosquitoes had increased significantly.


    In fact, there were now so many of them that the ecosystem of the Figaro Garden was in danger of being overturned. The first thing that the Half-Elf did when he entered the garden was to look for the nearest Ant Nest where he could hide.


    The Ants recognized Lux right away because he was the only Half-Elf that visited the garden, not to mention that he had be their business partner as well.


    After chatting with the Ants for a bit in order to get a general situation of the garden, Lux immediately summoned his skeletons and put them to work.


    Diablo, along with Seven Skeletal Fighters, stood at the ready. Ishtar as well as four Skeleton Grand Archers were waiting for Lux to give them orders.


    Lux admired his team of Skeletons and grinned evilly as he gave them the order to move out. Their first destination was their of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, who��ording to the Ants��had already spawned after it was killed a few weeks ago.


    After his nice long chat with the Ants, he hade to the understanding that all the other insects were now rallying behind the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis in order to resist the Red-Striped Predator Mosquitoes (Common Monster), Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes (Rank 1 Monster), and Scaled Torment Mosquitoes (Rank 2 Monster).


    Truth be told, Lux had a feeling that there might be mosquitoes whose tiers might have reached Rank 3, or worse, Rank 4. This was something that the Half-Elf didn''t want to see. He was afraid that if a mosquito had really reached Rank 4, there would be a new boss in the Figaro Gardens and it wouldn''t be the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis. A mosquito boss would be much harder to deal with.


    As they drew closer to their designated location, the buzzing sound also intensified. The red-headed teenager was monitoring the situation using Diablo''s eyes and ears, while hiding inside the Ant''s Nest.


    There was simply no way that he would take the risk and apany his summons'' to fight against thousands of mosquitoes that could suck his blood dry and turn him into a dried husk. His team of Skeletons slowed their movements as they observed the on-going battle from afar.


    A never seen before team battle between hundreds of the Insects that resided in the Figaro Garden against the Mosquito Swarm that outnumbered them five to one.


    The Half-Elf was delighted as he watched such a scene because, for him, all of the monsters were simply Free Skill and Stats Points that were waiting to be imed by him. As body parts of monsters piled up on the ground, Lux noticed that the majority of those that had died were simply Common Monsters.


    In the Monster World, Common Monsters were merely cannon fodder that could be used to exhaust the enemies. The truebatants were the Rank 1 and Rank 2 Monsters, who were engaged in mortalbat.


    While everyone was fighting, Lux was looking for the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, who was nowhere to be found.


    Suddenly, several giant flowers were sliced apart as the Alpha Beast of the Figaro Gardens entered the scene. However, the Half-Elf noticed that the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis didn''t enter the fray right away. Instead, it looked in the distance, eyeing a dozen meter-long mosquitoes, whose exoskeleton had taken a greenish hue.


    After using his Elysium Compendium to identify the new monsters, the red-headed teenager found that his fears became a reality.


    "Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes," Lux muttered. "Rank 3 Monsters."


    Although these dozen Rank 3 Monsters were weaker than the Alpha Beast, their numbers still posed a problem. Just like the name implied, these Mosquitoes carried a powerful venom in their bites, which had a high chance of poisoning their target. Aside from that, there was also a medium chance that their victims would be paralyzed in just one bite as well.


    With this deadlybination, the Rank 3 Mosquitoes were something that the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis wouldn''t dare attack recklessly.


    Since the big shots were simply eyeing each other and not making any moves, the battle of the lower ranks raged on. The fight was so intense that the Half-Elf thought that their skirmish would end in less than fifteen minutes.


    ''What should I do?'' Lux thought. ''Should I help the insects? Or should I help the mosquitoes?"


    The red-headed teenager pondered this question for a bit as he eyed the battlefield with a serious expression on his face. After weighing the pros and cons on who to help, the Half-Elf ordered his Skeletons to�� help the Mosquitoes vanquish their enemies!


    Although he knew that this was the wrong thing to do, Lux simply went ahead with his n due to one simple reason.


    "Mosquitoes only drink blood, they don''t eat Beast Cores," Lux muttered. "Since that is the case, I''ll just help them kill the other Insects faster. Don''t think badly of me, this is just pure business."<sub> </sub>


    After receiving Lux''s orders, the Skeletons sprang into action. They immediately attacked the Insects and targeted their wings and legs, crippling them and allowing the Mosquitoes to go in for the kill.


    Diablo''s, Ishtar''s, and the Skeletons'' appearance had a profound effect on the battle. They were high-ranking Monsters, so their battle prowess was enough to tilt the advantage in favor of the Mosquitoes.


    The Red-Eyed Terror Mantis screeched in anger as it opened its wings to fly towards Diablo and the others. However, Ishtar''s ranged attacks, that were imbued with the ice element, slowed its movement by a good margin.


    Seeing that an opportunity arrived, the Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes joined in and attacked the Alpha Beast from all sides. This was the effect that Lux had wanted to achieve, and he couldn''t help butugh madly, while he was inside the Ant Nest.


    "That''s it! Die and give your Beast Cores to me!" Luxughed. No matter what happened, he would get the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis'' body parts this time without fail. Back then, he was forced topromise and sell the parts of the Alpha Monster to Frederick and his party.


    Now, it was different. He was hunting the Alpha Beast solo, while using the Mosquitoes as a way to weaken it. The monster parts of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis were very valuable. Its exoskeleton could be used as armor, while its ws could be used to forge a unique sword.


    However, Lux didn''t n to forge the weapon right away. The reason? Because the Elysium Compendium had reminded him that a better weapon could be crafted using ten ws from the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis.


    If crafted properly, the weapon had a high chance of bing a Pseudo Mythical Weapon, that had a sharpness that could cut through steel. In order to achieve this, the red-headed teenager needed to fight the Alpha Monster five times, in order to collect five sets of ws.


    This was something that beginners knew nothing about. In fact, there were only a handful of individuals in the entirety of the Gweliven Kingdom who knew about this, and all of them were Master and Grandmaster cksmiths.


    Randolph was a Master cksmith, so he also knew the recipe of this Pseudo Mythical Weapon. However, he kept his lips shut tight and would only buy these monster parts from the dwarves, at a very high price, silently.


    In fact, Blood Moon was made with five sets of ws from the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, teeth from the Forest Wolf King, and the Beast Cores of three high-ranking Noble Vampires, whose rank was no lower than Viscount.


    Creating this weapon was no easy feat because the chances of failure were high. Fortunately, against all odds, Randolph had seeded and the Mythical Weapon Blood Moon was born.


    As Randolph''s Disciple, he had learned the recipe from his Master, which made him want to craft a Blood Moon of his own. Because of this, he decided to just collect the parts he needed, while he was still in Leaf Vige.


    That way, he would be able to craft the weapon that made Diablo a killing machine.


    After the Mosquitoes gained the advantage in battle, Lux ordered his Skeletons to slowly back away to the outskirts of the battlefield. He was quite far from the location of the battle, and he didn''t want to lose any more of his forces. Among the seven Skeleton Fighters, three had died in battle.


    The Skeleton Grand Archers suffered no losses because they were attacking from a safe distance, and were protected by Ishtar.


    The Half-Elf had also ordered Diablo to not use any of his shy moves, so that Blood Moon''s ability would be hidden from the high-ranking Monsters. He nned to deliver the coup de grace when they least expect it, giving them no time to evade the deadly blow that would end their lives.


    Just like the Mantis stalking the Cicada, unaware of the Oriole from behind, Lux manipted his forces to attack the Insects that were a safe distance from the battle being waged between the Rank 3 Mosquitoes and the Alpha Monster that ruled the Figaro Garden.


    The red-headed teenager knew that the Alpha Monster was not an easy opponent to beat, but he would be damned if he allowed the rascal to get away after he had decided to im its monster parts as his own.


    "Diablo, pay extra close attention to the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis," Lux ordered. "Once it enters its berserked state, pull out as fast as you can. Stop all hostilities against the insects and get as far from the battlefield as possible."


    The Half-Elf knew that in that brief period of time when the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis enter berserk mode, its stats would double, and it would be unstoppable. He nned to wait patiently until the berserk effect wore off, before going in for the kill.


    In the meantime, Lux had re-summoned the Skeletal Fighters that died and ordered them to regroup with everyone in battle. Although the journey from Lux''s location to Diablo''s was several minutes away, he figured that it was enough time for his forces to regroup and take advantage of the weakened Alpha Monster so they could end its life once and for all.

 Chapter 69 Once In A Lifetime Opportunity

    Due to Ishtar''s and the Skeleton Grand Archer''s harassment of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, the Mosquitoes were able to take advantage of the situation and collectively bombarded the Mantis with Venomous Sprays that whittled its health away.


    The other Insects who realized that their leaders were losing the battle decided to shift their attention to the Skeletons that had appeared out of nowhere. However, Diablo stood in front of his subordinates and fought with Blood Moon in hand.


    Although two more Skeleton Fighters died during the collision, Diablo was more than enough to hold off several enemies at once. After all, he was a Rank 2 Monster, and he had a Mythical Weapon on hand.


    The Mosquitoes had figured out that the Skeletons were on their side, so they used this opportunity to deal significant losses to their enemies.


    In the end, Diablo and only two other Skeletal Fighters remained as the vanguard, while Ishtar and the Skeleton Grand Archers fired volley after volley of attacks aimed at the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis in the distance.


    Five minutester, the eyes of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis glowed brightly. This was a sign that it was about to use its Berserk Skill, which Lux and Diablo had been waiting for. As soon as the Alpha Monster showed signs of going berserk, the Skeletons immediately stopped attacking and ran away like there was no tomorrow!


    A few seconds after they left the battlefield, an angry screech that was simr to nails scratching a steel resounded in the surroundings.


    The Red-Eyed Terror Mantis'' berserked state doesn''t happen right away. It was a gradual strengthening that increased all of its stats by 50% after several minutes had passed. The best way to fight against it was to let it activate Berserk, then run away until its duration ended.


    All Alpha Beasts and Field Bosses had Berserk Skills. This was why they were the hardest to fight, and also why they were more dangerous than normal monsters.


    The Red-Eyed Terror Mantis was a High-Tiered Rank 2 Beast. Although it was only Rank 2, it was stronger than most Rank 3 Monsters.


    Once it entered its berserked state, its strength would reach the middle stages of Rank 3, which would put it on par with a Rank 4 Monster at its peak.


    Since it was a High-Tiered Monster, its Health and Defenses were stronger than most, so it was impossible to fight it alone, even if the opponent was also a Rank 4 Monster.


    Lux had looked for all of the information rted to the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis because it was one of the most dangerous Alpha Beast in the Beginner''s Zone, only second to the Field Boss, the Forest Wolf King.


    Those who had reached the Rank of Apostles would usually challenge this Alpha Monster as proof of their strength before leaving the Leaf Vige, just like Frederick''s Party did when their party had reached the Apostle Rank.


    Powerful gusts of wind blew in every direction as the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis unleashed a devastating attack against the mosquitoes that had encircled it.


    Its sharp ws sliced anything in its path, including the Rank 2 Monsters, the Scaled Torment Mosquitoes.<sub> </sub>


    The Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes, who were Rank 3 Monsters, stayed outside of its attack zone and only hurled Venomous Sprays from afar.


    The Alpha Beasts knew that it was fighting on borrowed time so it jumped towards one of the Rank 3 Mosquitoes like a cannonball. It then opened its wings for an extra burst of speed, closing the distance in two heartbeats.


    The Mantis ws sliced the Ruthless Venom Mosquito''s wings cleanly off its body, which made the Rank 3 Monster fall to the ground.


    Surprisingly, the Mantis didn''t go for the kill. In fact, the moment itnded on the ground, it leapt towards another mosquito and sliced its wings in half.


    Mosquitoes can walk and crawl, but their speed was nothingpared to how fast they could fly in the air. The moment theynded on the ground, several angry insects, who were weaker than the mosquitoes mobbed them, despite thetter being stronger.


    One by one, the Rank 3 Mosquitoes fell on the ground until only four were left. These mosquitoes had already flown to a height that couldn''t be reached by the Mantis, which prevented the Alpha Monster from continuing its rampage.


    Since that was the case, the Mantis focused its attention on the Rank 3 Monsters that it had crippled earlier and were now being attacked by the angry insects that they had terrorized for days. Even so, these Mosquitoes were still Rank 3 Monsters, so they overpowered their enemies and killed them one by one.


    The Red-Eyed Mantis was really the only one that could cut through their defenses, and that was what it did. It shed at them repeatedly until green blood oozed out of their bodies.


    After killing thest Ruthless Venom Mosquito, the glow on the Alpha Monster''s eye waned, signaling that its berserked state had passed. This was the moment that Lux and the Mosquitoes were waiting for.


    p After seeing that their nemesis had stopped moving, the remaining Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes swooped in for the kill. This was a once in a lifetime chance to suck the Alpha Monster''s blood dry, and gain the chance to evolve into a higher specie.</anda>


    This was the ultimate goal of all creatures. Even Common Monsters had the ability to evolve, but only if they consumed enough Beast Cores, or if the requirements for their evolution was met.


    The Skeletons, who had now returned to the outskirts of the battlefield, observed this from afar. Although they were all made up of bones, a look of anticipation could be seen in the flickering lights within their hollow eye sockets.


    Lux, who was safely hidden inside the Ant Nest, smiled evilly as he waited for the battle to end.


    The Alpha Beast was on itsst legs, and it was only a matter of time before it fell. Right now, it was a race against time for both the Mosquitoes and the Insects that were putting up a strong resistance until the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis recovered from its weakened state.

 Chapter 70 One-Sided Beating

    The four remaining Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes swooped down from the sky and then sprayed Venomous Sprays at the Mantis which had just transitioned into its weakened state after using its berserk skill.


    The Alpha Beast was helpless against the ranged attacks that rained down on its body. The most it could do was raise its ws, taking on a defensive stance, covering as much of its body as it could. Its strong and sturdy exoskeleton was covered in Venomous Sprays in no time, but the Terror Mantis was mostly unaffected by the Mosquitoes'' attack.


    Feeling impatient at theirck of progress, the Ruthless Venomous Mosquitoes decided to try some hit and run tactics and used their sharp and powerful needles to pierce the Mantis'' protective armor in an attempt to inject their venom directly inside thetter''s body.


    Out of the four Mosquitoes, the Mantis was able to seriously injure one of them after it came close to its strike range. The other two the Mosquitoes were able to pierce its armor and inject their Venom, but the fourth barely evaded a ferocious swipe that was aimed at its head.


    Seeing this scene, Lux knew that he needed to do something, or the Alpha Beast would recover from its lethargic state. He no longer cared about being the one to deal the finishing blow to the Mantis. All he cared about was that it died.


    Ishtar and the Skeleton Archers fired volley after volley of arrows, while Diablo and the two remaining Skeleton Fighters stood in front of them, serving as shields and protecting them from insects whose attention had shifted to them.


    Ishtar''s attack was incredibly deadly, especially when it was up against an unmoving target.


    The Skeleton Hunter used her bow''s exclusive passive skill "Shot to the Heart", which dealt double damage if it sessfully hit the spot where the target''s heart was located. Although the Alpha Beast was using its ws to shield that part of its body, Ishtar didn''t care.


    For her, it didn''t matter whether the Mantis was blocking her attack or not. If the Alpha Beast chose to block her attack then the Mosquitoes would be able to attack its blindspot, using their sharp needle-like mouths to pierce its body.


    Ishtar activated her skill Piercing Arrow, which pushed the Alpha Beast from where it stood with its powerful impact. Just as Lux expected, the Mosquitoes used this opportunity to attack the Mantis in its blind spots, making it shriek in pain.


    Ishtar didn''t relent in her attacks, and fired one Piercing Shot after the other. Soon, the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis decided that it had had enough and decided to go all out and kill as many as it could before it died.


    Unfortunately for him, Ishtar''s passive ability to shoot ice arrows had greatly slowed its movement and attack speed, which made itsst attempts futile.


    It was also at that moment that Ishtar''s arrow pierced its chest, making it shriek in frustration. The passive skill Shot to the Heart activated, dealing great damage to the Mantis, pushing it one step closer to its death.


    Two minutester, the Alpha Beast of the Figaro Garden uttered a blood-curdling shriek before copsing on the ground. It had breathed itsst, which signaled the end of the battle.


    The surviving insects hurriedly escaped because they knew that, without their leader, they no longer stood a chance against the Mosquitoes.


    The Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes greedily pounced on the dead Mantis and sucked its blood. It was the reason why they had attacked its Domain, and they wouldn''t leave until they had drained all of its blood.


    The lower ranking Mosquitoes, on the other hand, flew after the insects that ran away. Because they knew that there was no way that they would get a share of the Alpha Beast, they chose to settle for the other insects who were running away in every direction.


    While the Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes focused their attention on the Mantis, they didn''t notice that a small team of Skeletons had already made their way to their location.


    Without any warning, Diablo leapt through the air and stabbed Blood Moon on the back of the head of one of the Mosquitoes that had received a serious injury during the battle against the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis.


    The Ruthless Venom Mosquito instantly lost its life, not knowing how it died. Itspanions were a bit slow to react, so Diablo was able to thrust its sword to another mosquito, aiming at its left eye. At that exact moment, a whistling sound was simultaneously heard and a magic arrow pierced the mosquito''s right eye, embedding itself directly into its brain, dealing critical damage.


    Diablo''s sword also pierced the Mosquito''s left eye at that exact moment, which dealt critical damage as well. Thebined attack between Lux''s two Named Creatures was executed with perfection that their target had no time to react, which led to its death.


    Suddenly, a shower of arrows poured like rain on the location where the two other Mosquitoes were about to take flight. The Grand Skeleton Archers had activated their team attack, Crippling Volley, which had a high chance to paralyze their enemies.<sub> </sub>


    The two mosquitoes'' bodies stiffened as the paralyzing effects of the attack activated. Diablo kicked one of the Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes, sending its body flying into the air before targeting the other Mosquito which was struggling to move on the ground.


    A magical arrow flew straight and true, piercing a spot on the back of the mosquito''s body where its heart was located. Ishtar and the Grand Skeletal Archers focused fire on the fallen mosquito, while Diablo and the two remaining Skeletal Fighters gangbanged the other one.


    The Mosquitoes looked at the Skeletons in anger because they thought that they were on the same side. What they didn''t know was Lux and his team weren''t on anyone''s side.


    Their goal was to take advantage of the situation and collect as many Beast Cores and Monster parts as possible. After a few minutes of one-sided beating, the two Rank 3 Mosquitoes finally died.


    Diablo hurriedly activated the Enchanted Beast Ring and stored the body of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, as well as the bodies of the four Mosquitoes had just been in. Ishtar and the other Grand Archer Skeletons regrouped with Diablo and began the tedious process of Beast Core Collection.


    Lux''s Skeletons had acquired an inventory after they got upgraded. Although it wasn''t big, it was more than enough to store a hundred Beast Cores per Skeleton Monster.


    The fun part about this item inventory skill was that Lux could directly transfer those items from the skeletons'' inventory into his through the Soul Book!


    This was something that was never heard before in Elysium, and the Half-Elf felt that Eriol had "tweaked" his Soul Book to allow such things to happen. It was the only exnation Lux could think of, and he was more than happy to abuse this feature.


    "It''s too bad that the Monster Storage Ring has a limit," Lux muttered. "If possible I''d like a few more of those."


    The Half-Elf knew that storage items that could store the Monsters'' entire bodies cost a lot. However, he understood well that buying those would be worth it. If he happened to kill a rare monster in the future, bringing it back, instead of dismantling its body and only taking the most important part of its body, would be more profitable.


    While Lux''s Skeletons were busy prying the Beast Cores from the dead insects on the ground, the sound of buzzing once again permeated the air. The red-headed teenager knew that their time was up.


    Although he wanted to get as many cores as possible at this time, he couldn''t allow his cover to be blown at this point in time. The Mosquitoes thought of Diablo and the others as allies, so it would be a shame to not take advantage of it.


    In the end, Lux unsummoned his skeletons to make sure that no traces would be left behind. This was a safer option than letting the mosquitoes discover what they had been doing while they were going after the fleeting insects that had escaped the battlefield.


    ''Five of my Skeletal Fighters are already on their way to that location,'' Lux thought. ''It will be more than enough time to let the Mosquitoes drink their fill before I order them to resume the collection of Beast Cores.''


    Lux grinned evilly as he summoned Diablo, Ishtar, and the rest of his skeletons one by one. They would return to the Leaf Vige and dispose of the Monster Parts in his Master''s smithy, so that they could free up some space for the second round of looting.


    He was sure that Randolph wouldn''t mind if he left those monster bodies behind. In fact, he believed thay the Dwarf would be more than happy to take the monster''s bodies off his hands, especially the body of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis.


    They made a deal earlier that Randolph would take the Mantis'' parts, except for the ws, aspensation for letting Lux use Blood Moon.


    Lux didn''t mind sharing those things with his Master because this would not be the first andst time that he would be fighting the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis. He was nning on collecting enough Mantis ws until he had enough to forge his own Blood Moon.


    This way, he would no longer need to borrow his Master''s Mythical Weapon. Lux believed that with hard work, he would be able to craft a Mythical Weapon of his own.


    All he needed to do was patiently collect the items that were needed before leaving the Beginner''s Area, the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.

 Chapter 71 This Is What You Call Investment

    "You did well, Lux," Randolph said as he looked at the corpse of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis that was strewn across the ground of his warehouse. "Can you tell me the current situation in the Figaro Gardens?"


    Lux nodded his head and exined how the battle of Mosquitoes and the insects yed out. He also told him about how they interfered with the battle and how he backstabbed the Mosquitoes when they least expected it.


    Randolph listened as he rubbed his beard. After Lux finished his tale, the Dwarf sighed before he patted his Disciple''s back.


    "You''re one god damn backstabber." Randolph chuckled. "Are you going back to the Figaro Gardens?"


    Lux nodded. "The night is still young and there are still many corpses to be collected. It will be a waste if I leave them behind."


    Randolph understood that Lux was right. Even so, he was concerned about his safety, so he reminded him to not do anything reckless, and just let his Skeletons do the fighting.


    After bidding his Master goodbye, Lux once again slipped into the Figaro Gardens and headed towards the location of the Ant Nest.


    However, along the way, he heard the buzzing sounds of Mosquitoes, so he hurriedly took cover in order to hide from them.


    Diablo and the rest were with him, so he wasn''t too worried about his safety. His only concern was that the number of the mosquitoes would be too much for him and his small team to handle. All the Skeletons each held a torch in their right hand, which served as a distraction that prevented the mosquitoes from sensing Lux''s warm blood.


    Fortunately, after ncing in their direction, the mosquitoes didn''t bother to take a closer look. They just focused on their mission which was to look for the Insects that were currently grouping with each other to resist their overwhelming numbers.


    Even after the Mosquitoes had left the scene, Lux didn''t move from where he was hiding. He sent four Skeletal Fighters to scout in different directions to ensure that there was nothing that could threaten his life within the radius of five hundred meters.


    Only after making sure that it was indeed safe to move did the Half-Elf hurry towards the nearest entrance to the Ant Nest in order to seek shelter.


    Just like usual, the Ants happily weed him after he shared the location of where thetest battle had been fought. Lux''s skeletons had already taken the Beast Cores that he could take from them, so he didn''t mind sharing the dead bodies with the Ants, who always made sure to keep him safe while he was inside their colony.


    The Mosquitoes were not too keen to fight the Ants in their underground tunnels. Theck of maneuverability as well as the cramped space prevented them from being able to use their advantage in numbers. One could even say that, among the Insects in the Figaro Gardens, it was the Ants which were least affected by the one-sided ughter that was happening on the surface.


    After arriving to safety, Lux didn''t hurry to send out his Skeletons. The first thing he was going to do was upgrade them in order to make them stronger.


    Lux had a dozen Rank 3 Beast Cores, as well as the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis'' Alpha Core which glowed crimson red.


    He also managed to acquire a total of fifty Rank 2 Beast Cores and two hundred twenty-two  Rank 1 Beast Cores, which was more than enough to strengthen his skeleton army by a few grades.


    Lux still had several Beast Cores in his collection, which he still hadn''t used. After taking a quick look in his inventory, to see just how many beast cores he had, he saw three hundred seventy Rank 1 Beast Cores, Sixty Six Rank 2 Beast Cores, twelve Rank 3 Beast Cores, and 1 Alpha Beast Core.


    This was a staggering number. If his Grandma Vera were to know how her grandson was faring inside the Beginner''s Vige, she would definitely be surprised and would question him about how he had managed to acquire so many Beast Cores on his own.


    No matter how one looked at it, Lux was simply a cheat-like character who was abusing the mechanics of the rules inside the Beginner''s Vige. Although his rank was still below the Apostle Grade, his summons had long exceeded the limit of the rank of anyone that could stay in the Beginner''s Zone.


    Lux was like one of those gamers who liked to over-level themselves before taking on the first boss of the game. This would ensure that the enemy wouldn''t pose any threat to him, and he would be able to gain the upper hand in any of the battles that would take ce within the different zones of the Beginner''s Vige.


    The Half-Elf used forty-three Rank 2 Beast Cores in order to upgrade Diablo twice. He knew that the one who would decide the sess of this mission would be none other than his First Named Creature, whosebined stats had reached five hundred and sixty, making him a Rank 2 Monster in the middle stages.


    Diablo also learned the skill Expert Trainer, which allowed him to sessfully train any kind of Monster which rank didn''t surpass his by two tiers.


    For example, Diablo was currently a Rank 2 Monster. He could tame monsters that he could use as his mount as long as they were Rank 4 and below. Of course, for higher-leveled monsters, he would have to weaken them first before he could make them submit to be his Beast Mount.


    For higher ranked monsters, even if they were near-death, Diablo wouldn''t be able to tame them because his rank would prevent him from doing so.


    Ishtar was the next one that Lux upgraded. As the dedicated long-range damage dealer, it was only natural for him to buff up the former who would also y a vital role in the uing battle.


    Just like Diablo, Lux upgraded Ishtar twice, which brought up herbined stat points to five hundred and ny five. She also learned the skill Siege Stance, that rendered her immobile with the tradeoff of increasing her attack by 100%


    ��--<sub> </sub>


    < Siege Stance >


    Increases damage output by 100% and has a high chance of dealing critical damage for ten seconds. While in siege stance, the user is unable to move from their spot, and can only shoot at their enemies like a siege tower.


    Moving away, jumping, or breaking this stance will cancel the effect of the skill. This Skill stacks with any other long-ranged skills.


    ��--


    Lux also upgraded his Skeletal Fighters once and his Skeleton Grand Archers twice, greatly reducing his stockpile of Beast Cores, but Lux had no regrets. After all those upgrades, he no longer had any Rank 1 Beast Cores remaining and only eight Rank 2 Beast Core was left in his inventory.


    He didn''t touch the Rank 3 Beast Cores, as well as the Alpha Cores, because he nned to use those for himself after he left Leaf Vige.


    His Skeletal Fighters learned the skill Whirlwind sh, which allowed them to deal AOE damage, while the Skeleton Grand Archers learned Poison Arrow, which made their attacks very deadly.


    "This is what you call investment," Lux muttered as he gazed at his Skeleton Team that had be stronger. Although his way of doing things burned more resources whenpared to Colette and the others, the payback was very satisfying.


    Right now, aside from Diablo and Ishtar, Lux''s army was only wearing the basic weapons and armor that he had bought from his Master at a very cheap price. If only he could arm them all to the teeth, then forget about forming a party for the dungeon.


    He could go solo and kill the Boss all by himself, as long as his Skeletons had the right equipment for the job.


    "Now, let''s address the main goal of this trip. Diablo, lead everyone towards the North of the Figaro Gardens," Lux ordered. "It''s time to raid the Mosquito Nest and see what is causing this massive outbreak."


    Lux and Randolph both agreed that what was happening inside the Figaro Garden was a bit abnormal. He wanted to get into the bottom of things, and in order to do that, his forces would first need to travel to the North, and investigate the source of the problem.


    ��-


    North Region of the Figaro Gardens��


    Someone, who was wearing a dark robe, frowned upon hearing the report of the Scaled Torment Mosquito (Rank 2 Monster) that he had tasked to supervise the attack on the other regions of the garden.


    He needed the Beast Core of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis for the ritual he was nning to make, but its corpse was nowhere to be found. Also, the Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes that led the attack had been all wiped out, which made the frown on his face deepen.


    He didn''t believe that the Alpha Beast was the one that killed them all, so he conducted a thorough investigation and interrogated the scouting parties that he had assigned to patrol the garden on a regr basis.


    "Did any of you see anything unusual?" the dark-robed figure asked. "It could be anything that you don''t always see in this territory.


    "Bzzzt." one of the Red-Striped Mosquitoes flew towards him and spoke about the Skeletons that it saw when it was patrolling the area.


    After hearing his subordinate''s report, the person wearing the dark-robed smashed his fist on his make-shift table, breaking it in half. After panting for half a minute, he regained hisposure as he stared at the giant cocoon that was pulsing beside him like a beating heart.


    "So, we have a rat in our midst," the dark-robed figure gnashed his teeth. "All of you, find the location of those Skeletons. Do not alert them, just simply encircle the area where they are located. Find any Dwarf that you see and bring them to me alive. I would like to have a nice�� long talk with the person that is getting on my way."


    The dark-robed person assumed that the one that was getting on his way was a Dwarf. He could not be med for thinking that way because the Gweliven Kingdom was a Dwarf Kingdom.


    No other races could be seen within itsnds, so he deemed that only a Dwarf could pose a threat to his ns. Now that he was only one step away from realizing his goals, he would ensure that no more mishaps happened.


    Although losing the Beast Core of the Alpha Beast was troublesome, he had other substitutes that he could use in order to take its ce. However, what concerned him was the identity of his enemy.


    Right now, he was increasing the pace of his experiment because he had heard that the Riders of Norria had just dealt with the Kobold Bandits that were terrorizing thends. He thought that he still had a few more days before his experiment wasplete, but it seemed that Fate had other ns for him.


    Since that was the case, he had no choice but to find the perpetrator, and offer their blood to the new breed of Monster that would make him and his organization the overlords.


    An organization that wished to control the Dwarf Kingdom of Gweliven from the shadows.

 Chapter 72 Birth Of An Abomination

    In the middle of the night, the intense buzzing sounds of insect wings spread across the Figaro Gardens.


    Diablo, Ishtar, and the other Skeletons, were sneakily moving towards the North using the darkness as cover. The Mosquitoes weren''t able to detect them because their bodies didn''t give off any heat, making them practically invisible in the former''s eyes.


    As the elite Skeleton party neared their destination, they noticed that the Monster Nest was mostly empty. The robed-man had ordered the Mosquitoes to look for the traces of the Skeletons, and capture their summoner.


    Fortunately, Diablo and his team had been using plenty of the underground tunnels the Ants had made to reach the Northern Regions, which allowed them to bypass the Mosquitoes that were looking for them.


    Diablo gazed at Ishtar and thetter nodded her head. She then nocked an arrow on her bow and took aim. The Skeleton Grand Archers followed her lead and also prepared to shoot, only waiting for her signal to attack.


    A few secondster, a shower of arrows killed the Red-Striped Mosquitoes that were loitering around the entrance of the Monster Nest.


    Since they were Common Monsters, they instantly died from the surprise attack that Ishtar and her Archers had unleashed. After making sure that no other Monsters were in sight, the group hurriedly entered the Nest.


    Lux, who was watching everything through the eyes of Diablo, frowned. He thought that he and the Skeletons would be fighting their way through vast swarms of Mosquitoes, but after arriving at their destination, the Mosquitoes were nowhere to be found.


    ? The Half-Elf wasn''t aware that the majority of them were currently sweeping the FIgaro Garden in search of Diablo and him.


    As the skeletons traveled deeper inside the Nest, they arrived in what seemed to be a spacious cavern, where a four-meter-tall glowing cocoony at its center. Beside it was the robed person who was busy chanting incantations, as if reinforcing the cocoon and strengthening whatever was inside it.


    Before Lux could even assess what was going on, a notification sounded and a series of text materialized in front of him.


    ��---


    < Birth Of An Abomination >


    Mission Rating: S


    �C An unknown organization is conducting an experiment within the Beginners Area of the Gweliven Kingdom. Their goal is to create a monster that could potentially make them the Overlords of the Dwarf Kingdom to overturn the rule of the Royal Family.


    �C Their ns are still in the initial stages and it is up to you to stop them!


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Kill the Abomination.


    �C No matter what happens, the creature must be killed at all cost.


    �C Gather information about the unknown organization and pass it to the Knights of Norria.


    �C Quest Duration: 1 Hour


    �C Quest will automatically fail if you fail to subjugate the Abomination within the allotted time.


    < Rewards >


    100 Free Stat Points


    100 Skill Points


    100 Body Constitution Points


    500 Elysium Gold Coins


    500 Riders of Norria Reputation Points


    100 Kingdom Reputation Points (Exclusive to Kingdom of Gweliven)


    2000 Leaf Vige Reputation Points


    ��--


    ''A Rank S Mission?!'' Lux gasped internally after reading the information that had suddenly shed in front of him. ''And I only have one hour to aplish it?!''


    After staying inside the Leaf Vige for a few months, he found that there was not a single Rank S Mission avable for people in the Beginner Zone. The highest mission avable was the subjugation of the Field Boss, Forest Wolf King, but even that was only a Rank A Mission.


    What did that mean? It meant that this Mission was harder than subjugating a Field Boss. It also meant that an Elite Party of Apostles was needed to finish such a task.


    ''Fortunately, I upgraded Diablo, Ishtar, and my other skeleton summons,'' Lux thought as he observed the robed-person through Diablo''s eyes. ''Perhaps they will be able to finish this mission, if things y out right.''


    Right now, the robed person still hadn''t discovered that he was no longer alone inside the cavern. Lux assumed that the identity of the figure was a male dwarf, whose rank was unknown to him.


    ''We have the element of surprise in our side,'' Lux mused as he used Diablo''s eyes to look at the cocoon that was pulsing like a human heart. ''I bet he didn''t expect that someone would venture deep inside this Nest and discover his sinister ns.''<sub> </sub>


    Lux decided to act quickly because he didn''t know when the Mosquito Swarm would return to their nest. Also, the timer was ticking and he had less than an hour to finish this task before the mission failed.


    Ishtar nted her feet firmly on the ground as she activated her Siege Stance, which would increase all of her attacks by 100%.


    The Skeleton Grand Archers also posed to fire a Crippling Volley to paralyze the robed figure, allowing Diablo to close the gap and deal with him.


    Diablo and the Skeleton Fighters took a charging position in preparation for their united assault. After everyone had taken their position, Lux gave the order and Ishtar''s Piercing Arrow flew towards the robed figure, at the same time the Crippling Volley was activated.


    As the whistling of the arrow echoed within the cavern, the robed figure moved his body to the side, barely evading the arrow that grazed the side of his cheek.


    Ishtar had aimed for his head in order to deal a lethal blow, but her opponent was a veteran that had fought in the battlefield before joining the secret organization. The moment he heard the whistling wind, his body had unconsciously moved to the side, allowing him to barely escape Ishtar''s deadly attack.


    When the rain of arrows, that were imbued with paralyzing effects, rained down on him, the dwarf raised a staff and created a barrier that repelled the attacks that were meant to incapacitate him.


    "Who are you?!" the Dwarf shouted. "What faction do you belon�Cguh!"


    The robed man was forced to stop his questioning when Ishtar''s second Piercing Arrow collided with his shield, breaking it apart. In desperation, he rolled to the ground to evade the arrow that held considerable power to threaten his life.


    Unfortunately, after rolling to the side, the robed Dwarf came face to face with Diablo, who had used his Leap Attack to smash Blood Moon onto the robed Dwarf''s head.


    "Protection!" the Dwarf shouted as another barrier appeared in front of him. He hoped that it would be enough to block the unusual attack of the ck Knight that was wielding a red sword in his hand.


    What followed next was a scream of pain that made Lux breath a sigh of relief from inside the Ant Nest.


    Diablo''s Heavy sh managed to shatter the barrier, but it didn''t end there. The Dwarf had used a blink spell to escape, but Diablo''s Bone Spear had already materialized in the air. In one swift motion, the bone spear pierced the left arm of the robed figure, making thetter scream in pain.


    Lux watched as the robe of the dwarf fell down on the ground, revealing his body.


    The man''s scarred face, who seemed to be in histe thirties, appeared in Lux''s vision. The Dwarf''s hair was tied up in a braid, and there were ear piercings on his mouth, and nose, making him look intimidating.


    Fortunately, Lux was not intimidated as he ordered Diablo to engage the Dwarf and knock him unconscious.


    To his surprise, the Dwarf once again blinked away, and even summoned a Fireball that sent Diablo crashing to the wall of the cavern.


    "Bastards!" the Dwarf shouted as he fired Fireball after Fireball at the Skeletons, who did their best to evade.


    Although his left arm was seriously injured and couldn''t be used at this point in time, his tenacity gave the Skeletons a very difficult time.


    ''At least Grade A Apostle,'' Lux thought with a grim expression on his face. ''This won''t do. I need to change my tactics!''


    Lux immediately gave his orders, which Diablo obeyed without fail. The Named Creature used its Leap and swung its sword at the cocoon at the center of the Cavern.


    "Noooo!" the Dwarf shouted as he stopped hurling Fireballs at Ishtar and the Skeleton Grand Archers, who were using long ranged attacks against him.


    Just like their leader, the Skeletal Fighters also started to hack the cocoon, using it as a shield to prevent the Wizard from firing Fireballs at him.


    "sted Undead!" the Dwarf screamed as he tapped the butt of his staff on the ground thrice, activating a magic circle. He couldn''t possibly just watch as the mission that was entrusted to him was destroyed right in front of his eyes.


    The Dwarf regretted sending all, but a few Mosquitos out to look for the Skeletons. Because of what he did, the Monster Nest was left unprotected, which allowed the Skeletons to sneak up on him.


    ''Dammit!'' the Dwarf cursed internally. ''Just one more day and everything would have gone ording to n. Why now?!''


    Knowing that he was left with no other alternative, the Dwarf forcefully awoke the creature that was inside the cocoon. Although it was going to be a premature birth, it was better than dying at the hands of the Skeletons who were hacking its body like crazy.


    "Rise and trample these fools!" the Dwarfmanded. "Come forth! Ash Wing!"


    One of the Skeletons that were hacking the cocoon was blown away when a spiny leg emerged from the cocoon. Diablo hurriedly ordered the other Skeletons to back away as they observed the Beast that was emerging from its shell.


    A four meter tall, ash-colored Mosquito with golden stripes appeared in everyone''s vision. Its golden eyes glowed brightly, as it red hatefully at the Skeletons who had hurt its body. What made Lux shudder was the fact that the monster had three heads instead of one, which was something he didn''t expect from the mosquito.


    Although the newly born beast looked powerful, it was still in a weakened state after forcefully breaking through its shell. Its wings were quite small, perhaps due to the fact that it was born prematurely, depriving it of its ability to fly, which made the Half-Elf feel thankful.


    Just as Lux was about to recover from his shock, an arrow flew to the air and pierced the monster''s back, where its heart was located.


    The Ash Wing screamed in pain, as it tried to move its body closer to the wall, in order to prevent it from getting hit from behind.


    Diablo quickly made his move and used Heavy sh repeatedly on one of its legs, cutting it in two. Another loud shriek echoed inside the cavern as the giant mosquito''s three heads screamed in unison. It then kicked Diablo away, sending him smashing towards the cave wall in order to stop him from continuing to hack at its remaining legs.


    The other Skeletal Fighters immediately retreated because they knew that a single kick from the Mosquito would be enough to kill them. Although it was still in a weakened state, the fact still remained that it was simr to a Field Boss that was in the peak stage of Rank 3.

 Chapter 73 This Is Checkmate

    "It''s iplete. This monster cannot be used to further our goals in the Gweliven Kingdom." The dwarf clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I shouldn''t have been impatient. I should have continued to y it safe until this thing was born properly. Now, it''s toote. This project has failed."


    The Dwarf broke the bone spear that had pierced his arm, and poured a healing potion over it. His wounds healed uppletely, but he wouldn''t be able to fully use his arm for a few days. Since his ns had failed, he decided to leave and start from scratch.


    As the man was about to leave, he heard a whistling sounding from behind his back, and he was forced to roll to his right side to evade whatever it was. Grazing the side of his waist, an arrow shot past him, almost dealing a lethal injury to him had it hit its designated target, which was his heart.


    "Dammit!" The Dwarf cursed as he opened another healing potion and poured its contents on his injury.


    Ishtar had shot at him due to Lux''s orders. The dwarf couldn''t be let go yet because one of Lux''s mission objectives was to collect information about the unknown organization and pass it to the Knights of Norria. Since that was the case, he couldn''t possibly allow the man to escape at all costs.


    Diablo, who also received Lux''s orders, leapt from the ground and aimed to deliver a fatal blow to the Dwarf who seemed to be an Apostle Grade Mage who specialized in Fire Magic.


    "Barrier!" The Dwarf shouted just in time to block Diablo''s Heavy sh and prevent thetter from giving him a serious injury.


    The barrier shattered, but the Dwarf was able to use his blink ability to gain distance from his attacker. Just as he was about to cast a fireball at the skeleton in front of him, several whistling sounds reached his ears, which prevented him from doing what he wanted.


    The Dwarf mmed the butt of his staff against the ground, which created a powerful shockwave that repelled the arrows that Ishtar had shot in his direction.


    Right now, the Skeleton Grand Archers, and the Skeleton Warriors were keeping the Ash Wing''s attention, allowing Diablo and Ishtar to work in tandem to defeat the Dwarf Mage, who was responsible for overturning the bnce inside the Figaro Gardens.


    Ten minutes passed as Diablo and Ishtar fought together against the Dwarf, whom Lux had determined to be at least a Grade B Apostle (Rank 3 Monster). The Dwarf was hard pressed in dealing with the deadly long range and short range attacks that were forcing him to use all of his abilities to their fullest.


    Meanwhile, the Ash Wing was being attacked by the hit and run tactics by the Skeleton Fighters, constantly being pummeled by volleys of long range attacks, and gradually increasing the injuries that it had received in total. After fighting against the Abomination, Lux realized that aside from its strength and size, the Ash Wing didn''t know how to fight.


    Simply put, it just uses its legs to deliver blows that could be avoided as long as one paid attention to its movements. Just as the dwarf had mentioned, the Beast was a failed project because it was born prematurely.


    None of its deadly weapons were fully developed. The Ash Wing was just an oversized meat shield in a nutshell, which made Lux breathe a sigh of relief.


    However, although its attacks were very basic, the fact still remained that a single blow from it would be enough to annihte the Skeletons that were running around it.


    After being locked in a deadly battle with Diablo and Ishtar, the Dwarf Mage was finally able to take a breather when he sessfully blew Diablo away with a fireball that was fired at point nk range.


    The Dwarf immediately used this opportunity to blink away from the battlefield, and he seeded. He was quite familiar with the terrain of the Monster Nest and had already created several paths of escape to be used once the project had sessfully beenpleted.


    His clothes were drenched in blood because the battle had truly been intense. Even so, he just kept on running while pouring Health Potions over his body. Everytime the duration of the skill, Blink, became avable, he would blink away again.


    This caused his mana to drop at a rapid rate, but he didn''t care. Right now, his priority was to escape the Figaro Garden and report his findings to their organization.


    Suddenly, something unexpected happened.


    Right after he blinked to a location, the ground underneath his feet exploded. The Dwarf found his left arm being pierced through by a sword, which made him scream in pain.


    Lux was riding on top of a Silver Ant, and he used the momentum of its charge to impale the dwarf who was the ringleader of everything. However, his attack was not over yet.


    "Mana Drain!" Lux shouted as he grabbed hold of the Dwarf''s left arm, which he had pierced with his sword.


    Mana Drain was a range spell that absorbed 2% of the target''s maximum mana for five seconds. Lux knew that his current stats were not strong enough to fight against the enemy, so he decided to use the only thing that he could do and that was to prevent him from using magic.


    The Dwarf panicked as he felt his remaining mana be taken away from him. As a Mage, all of his attacks relied on Mana. His mana was already dangerously low, and now even that was being taken away from him.<sub> </sub>


    "Who are you?!" the Dwarf screamed in anger as he tried to break free from Lux''s firm hold. "Why are you getting in our way?!"


    Lux didn''t bother to answer the dwarf''s question, as he pulled his sword out of the Dwarf''s arm so he could stab his enemy''s chest. Unfortunately, the dwarf was stronger than him, so thetter managed to kick Lux away the moment he pulled the sword that was piercing his arm out.


    After escaping from Lux''s grasp, the Dwarf ran away, only to be pinned down by the Silver Ant that Lux was using as a mount.


    The name of the Ant was the Speedy Silver Ant and, just as the name suggested, it was the fastest ant in the Ant Colony. Lux had asked for its help in order to reach the Nest as soon as possible, to help his Summons deal with the situation.


    The duration of the mission was only an hour, so the Half-Elf decided to go to the site, and personally handle the matter in order to clear his mission.


    "Annoying Ant!" the dwarf roared in anger. "Fire Bullet!"


    The Silver Ant screamed after it was hit by the magical attack, which allowed the Mage to use his Blink Skill to distance himself from the Rank 1 Monster, whose only merit was its fast running speed.


    This time around, the Dwarf had been drainedpletely of his mana reserves. However, just like everyone in his organization, he had brought several potions with him, and two of them were mana potions.


    Unfortunately, just as he was about to drink one of them, the bottle he was holding in his hand shattered when an arrow passed through it.


    A secondter, his chest was impaled by a bone spear, which pinned him to a nearby tree. The Dwarf spat a mouthful of blood as he looked in disbelief at the enemies that had appeared in front of him.


    "I knew that the Hunter''s Mark is indispensable when hunting prey," Lux stated as he walked towards the Dwarf who was barely clinging onto life. "I just didn''t know that the first thing I would be hunting was not a beast, but a Dwarf. Sorry, Mr. Dwarf. This is checkmate."


    Lux raised his hand and sneered at the slippery Dwarf who always used his Blink Skill to escape the battle. "Mana Drain!"


    The Dwarf spat a mouthful of blood before his entire body stiffened. For magicians, and other spell casters, being deprived of mana was the same as being deprived of their health. When a magician loses all of his mana, and goes into a deficit, their whole body enters a state of shock, which knocks them unconscious.


    When they entered this state, they wouldn''t be able to regenerate mana for 24 hours, and their bodies would enter a weakened state, making it impossible for them to cast spells. Diablo pulled the Bone Spear embedded on the dwarf''s chest out, which made thetter fall to the ground.


    Lux poured just a bit of healing potion on the bloody hole to close it up. The Half-Elf had no intention of healing his enemy, he just wanted to keep him alive until he handed him personally to the Riders of Norria who were stationed in Leaf Vige.


    The Half-Elf rummaged through the Dwarf''s belongings and took everything of value from his body. Storage rings, storage bags, his staff, and other misceneous items. He had no time to inspect them all because the battle was not over.


    For the time being, he stored all of these items in his inventory for safekeeping.


    The red-headed teenager then took ropes out from his storage ring and tied the Dwarf up properly and tight in order to prevent him from escaping. Just to be on the safe side, he had Ishtar cast another Hunter''s Mark on the Dwarf as insurance, if he happened to wake up before they finished dealing with the Abomination.


    "Speedy, can you take him to your nest for the time being?" Lux asked the Silver Ant that had brought him to the battlefield.


    Speedy clicked its mandibles and nodded its head before picking up the Dwarf on the ground. He then carried him towards the hole that he had made earlier, and disappeared from Lux''s sight.


    The Half-Elf finally breathed a sigh of relief as he stared at Diablo and Ishtar who stood a few meters away from him.


    "Let''s go," Lux ordered. "There''s onest pest remaining."


    Lux ran towards the entrance of the Nest along with Diablo and Ishtar. Now that the ringleader was defeated, all they needed to do was whittle the Ash Wing''s health away, and put an end to the Abomination that threatened the lives of everyone inside the Figaro Gardens.

 Chapter 74 Mission Completion

    A blood curdling screech reverberated across the Monster Nest as the Ash Wing Mosquito went berserk. This was itsst resort to kill Lux and his skeletons that had backed it into a corner.


    Lux panted as he distanced himself from the monster who was nearing its end. Although his health and mana was still full, the mental exhaustion he received from fighting the Dwarf andmanding his Skeletons piled up and took a toll on his body.


    Diablo and the Skeleton Fighters had died plenty of times because Lux had ordered them to do suicide attacks, with the intention of cutting of the monster''s legs, to prevent it from moving around.


    In the end, they seeded, and only one leg remained on the Diabolical Beast''s body. And even though it had entered a berserked state, the only thing it could do was re at Lux and his skeletons while helplessly epting their beating.


    The red-headed teenager did his best to calm his breathing as he stared at the dying monster in front of him. He was quite thankful that the Dwarf had been forced to make the monster be born prematurely, which rendered all of its fighting abilities iplete.


    Without wings to fly, it was no different from a stationary target that the Skeletons, whom the Half-Elf could summon over and over again, could beat up.


    Five minutester, the crimson eyes of the three headed Abomination, which red hatefully at them, eventually lost their luster and turned dim. The Abomination''s body copsed on the ground, dead.


    Lux didn''t move from his spot until he heard the notification which said that his mission had sessfully beenpleted. Several words appeared in front of him, congratting him on his victory against the Diabolical Monster.


    ��---


    < Birth Of An Abomination >


    Mission Rating: S


    ( COMPLETED! )


    < Rewards >


    100 Free Stat Points


    100 Skill Points


    100 Body Constitution Points


    500 Elysium Gold Coins


    500 Riders of Norria Reputation Points


    100 Kingdom Reputation Points (Exclusive to the Kingdom of Gweliven)


    2000 Leaf Vige Reputation Points.


    < Bonus Reward. >


    Choose one among these options.


    < Option 1: Hell Horse >


    �C A hellish creature known for its cruelty as it terrorizes its victims until they draw theirst breath. They are found in ces where the miasma is thick, or in ancient battlefields where they are known to spawn from the malevolent stench of death that lingers after the lives of thousands have been imed.


    �C This monster''s rank would always be equivalent to the rank of its Master.


    < Option 2: Golden Token of Gweliven >


    �C This token is one of the thirteen tokens that the founder of the Gweliven Kingdom had made when he was crowned King of the Dwarves''nds. After several years had passed, these tokens changed owners many times before disappearing over the course of history.<sub> </sub>


    �C It is said that if you present this Token to the reigning King of the Kingdom, you will be given the title of "Honorary Knight", which would give you certain benefits within the Dwarf Kingdom.


    < Option 3: Monster Egg >


    �C An unknown monster egg, which you can hatch at the nearest bestiary near you.


    �C Depending on your luck, the Monsters that could be born from the egg can be Common Monsters, Rare Monsters, Unique Monsters, Mythical Monsters, or Legendary Monsters.


    < Option 4: Teleport Scroll 4 Pieces. >


    �C This scroll will directly send you to any ces that you have visited, regardless of the restrictions that were set in ce.


    �C For example, if you have be an Apostle or a High Ranker and you wish to return to the Leaf Vige, using this scroll will allow you to return without suffering any bacsh from the restrictions.


    �C If you want to bully children, this is the perfect item to satisfy your sadistic desires.


    ��--


    Lux whistled after seeing the list of Bonus Rewards that he could choose from afterpleting the mission. Although each option was good and picking one of them now was tempting, the Half-Elf decided to set it aside for now because he was still not safe from danger.


    The first thing Lux did was to take the Beast Core out from the dead Monster''s body, before storing the body inside his Enchanted Beast Ring, which was capable of storing the corpses of any monster regardless of their size.


    After safely storing his prize, Lux hurriedly ran towards the hole that his friend, Speedy, had made. Surprisingly, the Silver Ant was still by the time he arrived, as if waiting to carry the Half-Elf for the return trip back inside their Ant Nest.


    Lux didn''t hesitate and mounted the Silver Ant''s back, which was almost a meter and a half tall. Just as Speedy entered the underground tunnel that it had temporarily made along the way, the red-headed teenager heard the buzzing sounds of thousands of wings.


    The Half-Elf breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of their very timely escape out of the monster nest. Even though Diablo, Ishtar, and the rest of his Skeletons were strong, they were still not a match against the thousands of Mosquitoes that had been looking for them for several hours in the Figaro Gardens.


    ��---


    Several hourster inside Leaf Vige��


    "Are you sure about this?" the Vige Head of Leaf Vige, Cedwyn, asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "If not, I wouldn''t have asked Master Randolph to call all of you out in the middle of the night."


    Cedwyn''s eyes narrowed as he looked down at the tied-up dwarf who wasying on the floor. The Elders of the vige, as well as Boreas, the Captain of the Riders of Norria who were stationed in the vige, were also present in the scene.


    All the Dwarves had grim expressions on their faces as they gazed at the unconscious man.


    "Do you have any other proof?" Boreas asked. "Cedwyn has already passed the documents to me, but this can be forged easily. Don''t get me wrong. It''s not that I''m doubting you. But for something major like this, I need more concrete proof before I can report this to my superior."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. "I have proof, but it will not fit this ce. Let''s go outside."


    The Half-Elf didn''t wait for the Dwarf''s reply before leaving the room.


    Boreas signaled for two of his men to watch the unconscious Dwarf before following behind Lux. Cedwyn, Randolph, and the other Elders of the vige also followed the red-headed teeanager outside the house.


    They were very curious about what kind of proof Lux would present to them, so that they would be convinced that he was telling them the truth.


    Only Randolph, who was Lux''s cksmith Master, had a smug smile on his face. He had already seen the Ash Wing, which had given him a fright. He and Lux were confident that after everyone had seen the corpse of the Beast, they would understand that Leaf Vige had survived a close call due to Lux''s intervention.

 Chapter 75 I’m Just Happy To Help

    "Dear Goddess��"


    Cedwyn muttered as he stared at the three-headed Abomination whose body Lux had summoned behind the Vige Chief''s residence.


    This was the first time Cedwyn had seen such a creature in his life, and he was sure that this was not a natural born monster. The only exnation for its existence was that it was artificially bred from an experiment which forced it to mutate and turn into the horrific creature they were looking at.


    Boreas circled the beast and appraised its entire body. After inspecting it for a few minutes, he nced at Lux as he gave his verdict.


    "Rank 3 Alpha Beast," Boreas dered. "How did you kill it?"


    With a nce, the Captain of the Riders of Norria, who was often stationed in leaf vige, could tell that if the creature stood on its legs, it would be four-meters tall at the bare minimum. Just thinking about a Mosquito with a size as big as this was enough to make everyone''s hearts tremble.


    "Take a good look at its wings," Lux replied.


    He had already prepared a story about his confrontation with the monster, in order to make it sound that he just got lucky with the encounter.


    "As you can see, its wings were undeveloped, so it was incapable of flight," Lux exined. "I attacked it while it was still inside its cocoon, so it was helpless under my assault. I hacked it over and over until it died. After that, I hurriedly left the scene and returned here to the vige."


    Boreas frowned. As someone who had fought powerful monsters in the past, this was not his first time seeing such a high-tiered creature. What concerned him was that Lux wasn''t strong enough to defeat this monster on his own.


    He had been there when the Half-Elf had been carried to the make-shift infirmary site that the Dwarves of Leaf Vige had made after the monster outbreak of the Undead Army.


    Back then, Lux was unable to defeat even a Rank 1 Monster. The Abomination in front of him was an Alpha Beast, which Boreas assumed to be at least a Rank 3 Monster. In simpler terms, it was extremely powerful. Even though he believed that Lux was just lucky and killed the beast while it was inside its cocoon, that couldn''t exin how he managed to capture the Dwarf Mage that was inside the Monster Nest as well.


    Only a fool would dare to raid a Monster Nest alone, because anyone would know that doing so was suicide. Boreas decided to just wait until he had time to talk with the Commander of Norria, who was currently in their Stronghold.


    "Very well, I will interrogate the Dwarf Mage and get into the bottom of this mess," Boreas said after much contemtion. "However, I will need to bring this monster to our Stronghold, so that our specialists can study its body. Perhaps, we will be able to better understand how this Abomination was made."


    Lux nodded in understanding. In truth, he didn''t know what to do with the Giant Mosquito because even his Master, Randolph, said that its parts weren''t good enough as a material to forge weapons and armor.


    At most, the alchemists could use its body parts and organs as ingredients to concoct potions and other misceneous items that might be useful to him in the future.


    "What about the Beast Core?" Boreas asked. "Did you take it?"


    "Of course," Lux replied. "Afterall, it was my kill."<sub> </sub>


    Boreas nodded. Although it was regrettable that they wouldn''t be able to study the Beast Core, as the one who killed the beast, it was Lux''s right to take possession of it. Giving them the whole corpse was already a generous move on the Half-Elf''s part, so Boreas didn''t ask for more.


    "I expect that the Riders of Norria will give some rewards to Lux as well," Randolph, the Half-Elf''s cksmith Master said. "If he hadn''t stopped this organization''s ns then this territory might have beenpromisedpletely. Tell that to your Commander as well."


    Boreas sighed and reluctantly nodded his head. He couldn''t refute Randolph''s words because it was the truth. He believed that if the Monster was born properly and had the time to grow to its fullest, the possibility of it reaching Rank 5 was very high.


    A Rank 5 Alpha Beast in the Beginner''s area waspletely unheard of. The damage the Monster and itsckeys could have brought to the poption of Norria would have definitely been astounding.


    It might have been able to force the Dwarves to leave the Vige just to escape from the cmity that was about to befall them.


    "I will make sure to report your good deed to my Commander," Boreas said as he looked at Lux. "You have done the Kingdom a great service."


    "I''m just happy to help," Lux replied. "However, the problem in the Figaro Gardens still persists. If possible, the Riders of Norria should still perform an extermination to ensure that such a beast can''t be born again."


    "Understood. I will request for more reinforcements from our Stronghold." Boreas promised. "I''ll be taking my leave so we can make the necessary preparations."


    After saying his parting words, Boreas gave a brief nod to Cedwyn before heading to the makeshift barracks where his subordinates were staying. This was an important event, and the sooner he reported it to his Commander, the sooner it would be taken care of.


    Lux sighed in relief because Boreas didn''t ask him anything else. Right now, the only thing he wanted was to go back to his room in the inn and get some rest. The battle in the Figaro Garden had drained him physically and mentally.


    Seeing his exhausted expression, Cedwyn announced that the meeting was adjourned and once again thanked Lux for the meritorious service that he had made to their vige. Because of this, he decided to reward the other party at ater day, after he had discussed this matter in full with the other Elders of the vige.


    After bidding his goodbye to Cedwyn, the Elders and, Lux''s Master, Randolph, Lux finally got to go back to the inn where he, upon entering the room, copsed on the bed. He didn''t even bother changing his clothes, and simplyid on top of the bed after removing his shoes.


    He had aplished his main goal of going to the Figaro Gardens. As for the mosquito swarm, he would just leave the rest of it in the hands of the Riders of Norria.


    As the Half-Elf slept a dreamless sleep, Cedwyn and the Elders continued their discussion about Lux''s rewards.


    Randolph made sure that the other Elders weren''t too stingy with their proposed rewards, which made Grandma Annie, the olddy Dwarf who had a close rtionship with Lux, smile.


    She didn''t expect that the Half-Elf, who had appeared in their small vige several weeks ago, would be a promising individual that would catch everyone''s eyes.

 Chapter 76 Colette The Matchmaker

    Lux scratched his head in confusion as he walked towards the East Gate of Leaf Vige.


    After waking up and leaving his room, he realized that there was a sudden change in the way the Dwarves of Leaf Vige look at him.


    Ever since he helped them defend Leaf Vige during the Monster Outbreak, the Dwarves stopped distancing themselves from him and even treated him civilly during his stay. However, it was different as to how they were being extra friendly now, which made the Half-Elf wonder if he had woken up on the wrong side of the bed.


    The Tavern Owner even gave him two additional eggs when he ordered his usual order for breakfast, bacon and eggs. The middle-aged Dwarf insisted that it was on the house, and didn''t ask Lux to pay for the extra.


    The people in the tavern would also give him a brief smile whenever he met their gaze, which made Lux wonder if they were pranking him or something. This series of unexpected changes followed the Half-Elf as he walked towards the East Gate to meet with Colette and the others.


    Everyone was looking at him in a kind and friendly manner, which made him pinch himself several times to ensure that he wasn''t still dreaming.


    "You''re finally here, Big Brother!" Colette said as she ran and jumped into Lux''s arms, which, as usual, made Matty shoot daggers using his eyes to the Half-Elf, who hurriedly opened his arms to catch the lively-little-cannonball that jumped at him so early in the morning.


    "Have you been good while I wasn''t around?" Lux asked after sessfully catching the giggling little Dwarf.


    "Un!" Colette replied. "Yesterday we defeated a Berserked Horned Rabbit with just the five of us!"


    "Wow. That''s amazing!"


    "Right?!"


    Lux chuckled as he patted Colette''s head. A Berserked Horned Rabbit was a Rank 2 Monster, which could be found near the center of the Aspiration ins where the Carbuncle resided. He guessed that the Goldenyer Party, headed by Colette, was preparing for their inevitable battle with the Carbuncle.


    The Half-Elf had assumed that they had already consumed Beast Cores that were given to them by their parents in order to boost their ranks. Lux had a feeling that the little Dwarves, who had epted him as one of their party members, were nearing the Apostle Rank.


    ''Soon, they will be leaving this ce behind,'' Lux thought with a sigh as he gazed at the Dwarves who were looking at him with happy expressions, with the exception of Matty, who was looking at him with envy and jealousy.


    ''I feel sorry for this hen-pecked shrimp.'' Lux chuckled internally as he shed a smug smile to Matty, which made thetter give him the middle finger.


    "How did the fight against the Berserked Horned Rabbit end?" Lux asked.


    "It took us fifteen minutes to defeat it," Colette reported. "It was very fast and very strong. ording to the information we gathered, the Carbuncle is always apanied by two of them. This is the reason we decided to familiarize ourselves with its attack patterns."


    "That is a very good n," Lux nodded in agreement.


    Knowing the fight patterns of the Monsters you would be fighting against would greatly increase the probability of defeating them. This was especially true for strong Monsters like the Carbuncle, which was the Aspiration in''s Alpha Monster.


    "You better pay attention when we fight the Berserked-Horned Rabbitter," Matty snorted. "That Monster is a meter tall and packs a punch. You don''t want its horn stuck into your butt, right, Big Brother?"


    Matty''s words didn''t hide his wish for Lux to suffer from a butt-attack from the Rank 2 monster who was known for its speed and short temper.


    "You should worry about yourself," Lux replied. "A mere Berserked-Horned Rabbit is no match against me. I even fought against an Alpha Monster��"


    "Alone?" Colette asked as she looked at Lux with sparkling eyes.


    Lux shook his head. "No. It was fourteen against one."


    Colette, Matty, and the rest of the Golden yers party, looked at Lux with a weird expression on their faces. While the adorable blonde-haired Colette didn''t say anything, Matty used this opportunity to bring Lux down a peg.


    "What? Fourteen against one?" Matty asked with an amused expression on his face. "Aren''t you ashamed, Big Brother? Even the Dwarf Parties here in the Beginner''s Zone only fight Alpha Beasts with up to seven members. You on the other hand fought them with twice the number? That''s not something to be proud of!"<sub> </sub>


    Colette and Helen, the two girls of the party, giggled as they looked at Lux''s proud expression. What Matty said was true, and there was no sense of achievement in fighting an Alpha Beast with twice the number of regr party members.


    Although there was nothing fundamentally wrong with this strategy, many Dwarves looked down on this practice because they would not feel any satisfaction from this.


    They preferred to fight Alpha Monsters with a single party, in order to prove that party''s overall strength.


    Lux just shrugged Matty''s words because for him, fighting a monster one-on-one, or fighting it in a group was not a big deal. Since he was a necromancer, it would be a great waste if he didn''t bring his Skeletons to fight alongside him.


    "Where is Robin?" Lux asked. After scanning his partymates, he found out that the boy, whom the Riders of Norria had been very keen to rescue, wasn''t around.


    "Robin is handling some family matters, and will be away for some time," Colette replied. "He said that he will return once he is able to and told us not to wait for him."


    "Robines and goes as he pleases," Helenmented as she walked towards Lux. "He''s a free spirited boy and is only a temporary member of our party."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. Until now, he had been wondering about Robin''s real identity. For thetter to be treated so highly by the Riders of Norria, that could only mean that the Dwarf boy was not an ordinary person.


    "Let''s go, Big Brother." Colette smiled as she held onto Lux''s right arm and dragged him towards the gate. "We''ll hunt for the Carbuncle and try to defeat it. I''m sure that if all of us worked together, we will emerge victorious! Oh, before I forget, do you want to marry my Big Sister? I talked to my father about it when I returned, and he said that he would love to meet you and go fishing with you."


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched when he heard Colette''s innocent words. Deep inside, he knew that Colette''s father didn''t want to go fishing with him. The Half-Elf had a feeling that if he really were to meet Colette''s father, whichever fishing area it was, thetter would definitely feed him to the fishes if he ever yed along with Colette''s wishes and asked Colette''s sister for her hand in marriage.


    "Colette, why are you so intent on making me your Big Sister''s fiance?" Lux asked as they passed through the gate.


    The little blonde Dwarf was humming a tune before she turned her head to look up at Lux.


    "Isn''t it obvious? I want Big Brother to be part of my family."


    "Um, that is what is bothering me. Why do you want me to be part of your family?"


    Colette gave Lux a mischievous smile before replying to his question.


    "Because, Big Sister once told me that she didn''t n on getting married," Colette answered. "When I pressed her for answers, she said that there was no Dwarf that had caught her attention. Since no Dwarves can satisfy her, I thought that you might be able to do that. After all, Big Brother is not a Dwarf, right?"


    Lux didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry at Colette''s innocent words. He found the reasoning silly, buting from Colette, he thought that it was very likely of her toe up with such a conclusion.


    ''I''m sure that your sister just said that she didn''t n to marry in order to pursue her goals here in Elysium,'' Lux thought as he walked hand in hand with Colette who had started to hum a song.


    For the little girl, her sister was her idol. Her sister was one of the Prodigies of their country, and she was simply perfect. Many noble families in Sis and Elysium had tried to y matchmaker in order to form a strong connection with her, but all of them were politely rejected by her.


    Aina, who was Colette''s older sister, had a grand goal in life and, for that to happen, she had to expand her influence in Elysium to simultaneously build the foundation of her dream.


    Colette was not aware of her sister''s circumstance, so she was doing her best to y matchmaker for Lux and Aina.


    After being rescued by Lux in the Kobold''s Nest, her respect and admiration for the Half-Elf had grown in leaps and bounds.


    Colette wasn''t aware that the more she talked about Lux to the members of her family, the more her father wished that he could go to the Beginner Zone and hack Lux to pieces. Fortunately, he couldn''t do that because of the rules that bound the world of Elysium.


    As the Dwarves and the Half-Elf headed towards the center of the Aspiration ins, a purple-skinned menace with red eyes and a red jewel on its head, opened its eyes.


    It let out a soft cry, and four Berserked Horned Rabbits ran to its side. It was now time for it to hunt, and everyone in the Aspiration ins was its prey, ready for the taking.

 Chapter 77 Alpha Monster Of The Aspiration Plains [Part 1]

    As they traveled towards their destination, Lux pondered which among the four options that he obtained from his Bonus Reward was the most ideal choice. He must choose the one that would give him the most benefits.


    ��--


    Hell Horse


    Golden Token of Gweliven


    Monster Egg


    Teleport Scroll 4 pcs


    ��--


    In truth, if he wanted an immediate upgrade, the Hell Horse was the most ideal option. Not only would it allow Diablo''s Skeleton Rider ss to show its full potential, the mount would also grow along with its rider.


    For example, if someday, Diablo became a High-Ranker, the Hell Horse would also be a High-Ranker, Lux would automatically have two powerful creatures under hismand.


    The Golden Token of Gweliven might have useful functions, but it was only effective within the Dwarven Kingdom.


    The egg was either a hit or miss. Lux might gain a decent monster or an extremely good monster after hatching. Unfortunately, the Half-Elf didn''t trust his luck too much, and he wasn''t confident enough to choose the egg and hatch it.


    As for the Teleport Scroll, Lux believed that it would be extremely useful in the future after he left the Beginner''s Vige. It could be used as a life saving item if he had to escape from a dangerous situation. The teleport scroll had different functions depending on the situation, which made it a very valuable item to possess.


    ''Fortunately, choosing a reward doesn''t have a time limit,'' Lux thought. ''For the time being, I''ll keep it on hold and decide when something unexpected happens. I don''t need to hurry.''


    Lux knew that his current strength was enough to deal with anything in the Leaf Vige, as long as he didn''t do anything stupid like challenge the Field Boss, which was the Forest Wolf King.


    The Half-Elf nced at the Dwarves, who were seated with him, in the horse wagon, which they had rented back at the vige. In the front, Matty was tasked to be the coachman, while the rest were assigned to scan the surroundings.


    The children were being extra alert because of what happened with the Kobolds during their escort mission. All of them were holding their weapons at the ready, prepared to react instantly at the first sign of danger.


    Even Helen, the group''s cleric, had a serious expression on her face as she observed her surroundings with a critical eye. When Lux saw that, it made him smile. Most of the time, he would almost forget that they were just children because of how strong-willed they were.


    "Two Berserked Horned Rabbits at eight o''clock!!" Colette shouted.


    Everyone immediately looked in the direction where the little blonde Dwarf was pointing. Two red Rabbits that were a meter tall were running in their direction. They were Rank 2 Monsters that were known for their speed and their aggressive attitude towards those that had entered their territory.


    "Battle Formation!" Colette shouted as she jumped off the horse wagon, holding the mace in her hands. Matty stood beside her, while Andy, Axel, and Helen were in the rear.


    Colette''s profession was a Pdin. She was a hybrid offensive warrior that excelled in closebat, could use magic, and tank enemies if needed be.


    As the leader of the group, she was always on the front line alongside Matty, who was a pure offensive fighter.


    Lux also stood beside the two children as he raised his hand and summoned Diablo and Ishtar. It had been a while since he had fought side-by-side with his friends, so he was wondering how much they had improved during the time they weren''t together.


    "I''ll handle one of the Berserked Horned Rabbit," Lux said. "The rest of you deal with the other one."


    "Okay, Big Brother!" Colette agreed as she braced herself to collide with the horned rabbit whose horn was poised to strike her.


    The sound of metal hitting a hard object reverberated in the surroundings as Colette and the Horned Rabbit shed. The little girl''s feet skidded across the ground by a meter, but her stance didn''t break as she stopped the Berserked Horned Rabbit''s charge.


    Matty took this opportunity to deliver two powerful shes to the Horned Rabbit''s right leg making it cry out in pain.


    "Fire Bullet!"<sub> </sub>


    "Water Bullet!"


    Andy and Axel fired their respective spells whichnded on the Berserked Horned Rabbit''s body, pushing it back.


    Diablo on the other hand, smashed his shield against the Berserked Horned Rabbit''s head, stunning it before delivering a Heavy sh on the side of its body.


    Ishtar, on the other hand, used Siege Stance, and fired a piercing arrow into the Berserked Horned Rabbit''s leg, crippling it.


    Diablo used this opportunity to strike the Monster''s other foot, preventing it from running away. The Horned Rabbit''s main weapons were its powerful legs as well as the horn on its head, both which were often used to attack its enemies with a charging attack. As long as its legs were immobilized, it would effectively lose more than seventy percent of itsbat abilities.


    Diablo was no longer ignorant of the ways of battle after he had fought in the Undead Outbreak, then against the Kobolds, the Mosquitoes, and the Dwarf Mage, which they had recently defeated. As a Named Creature, its intelligence was quite high. With each battle it fought, its Tactical Ability grew more and more.


    Diablo and Ishtar worked together in order to kill the incapacitated monster, which they did with rtive ease. Lux didn''t do anything and simply stood still, while he observed the battle of his friends.


    Matty had also attacked the legs of the Berserked Horned Rabbit after the initial sh, with practiced movements.


    Colette, on the other hand, used her mace to give the horned rabbit an uppercut, which made Lux subconsciously massage his jaw due to the imaginary second-hand pain that he had felt.


    "Fire Lance!"


    "Water Lance!"


    Andy''s and Axel''s attacks pierced the Monster''s chest, making it screech in pain and frustration. With just a nce, Lux could see that the kids were also just a few points away from reaching the Apostle Rank. Their current performance reflected this.


    ''So, this is why you want to fight Carbuncle,'' Lux thought. ''You guys are about to graduate, and are nning to fight against the Alpha Monsters of the Beginner''s Vige as proof of your strength and courage.''


    Lux felt a little sad at the knowledge that his friends would be leaving Leaf Vige soon. The Half-Elf guessed that due to the Kobold Incident, the parents of his friends decided to give them Beast Cores, in order to help them break through to the Apostle Rank.


    ''Ah, if I remember correctly, Colette''s Big Sister is also an Apostle,'' Lux mused. ''Maybe Colette''s parents want her to babysit her little sister and keep her safe.''


    Although he felt a little sad knowing that the children were preparing for their graduation in the Beginner''s Vige, he was also very happy for them.


    A few minutester, the two Berserked Rabbits were dead, and the Goldenyers Party rejoiced for their easy win.


    "Big Brother, how did Mr. Diablo be so strong?" Colette asked as she patted one of Diablo''s legs, which was covered with ck armor.


    Diablo must have been amused by the little girl who was patting him all over, so he patted her head and even yfully ruffled Colette''s hair, which made her giggle.


    "This is the first time I''ve seen this skeleton," Matty said as he pointed at Ishtar who was looking at Colette''s and Diablo''s interaction with a curious gaze. "Is he your new Summon, Lux?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Her name is Ishtar, and she is a Skeleton Hunter."


    "Skeleton hunter? First time I''ve heard of it." Matty crossed his arms over his chest as he pondered. "I only know about Skeleton Archers. This Skeleton Hunter doesn''t ring a bell."


    Andy and Axel used their own Enchanted Beast Rings to store the corpse of the two Monsters, which they would bring back to Leaf Vige to sell after they finished their goal ining to the Aspiration ins.


    "You can think of her as a more powerful version of a Skeleton Archer," Lux exined. He was about to say more when he suddenly heard a screeching from behind them.


    A two-meter tall, purple Monster with a red jewel on its forehead charged in their direction. Lux''s expression turned grim when he saw that the Monster wasn''t alone. Running alongside it were four Berserked Horned Rabbit, whose red eyes glowed with fury.


    "Everyone brace yourselves!" Colette shouted as she stood in front of her party members. "That is a Mutated Carbuncle! It''s stronger than the normal Carbuncle, and its strength is equivalent to a peak Rank 3 Alpha Monster!"


    Lux frowned because this was the first time he heard the term "Mutated" and it made him wonder if there was something special about this Monster that was now headed in their direction.

 Chapter 78 Alpha Monster Of The Aspiration Plains [Part 2]

    The red jewel on the Mutated Carbuncle''s head glowed brightly, signifying its increase in movement speed as well as the increase in speed of the Berserked Horned Rabbits with it.


    Lux already knew that the Carbuncle was more of a support type monster, rather than an offensive one. Just like the Berserked Horned Rabbits, the Carbuncle was only supposed to be a meter tall.


    However, the one that they were facing right now was at least two-meters tall, which was why Colette called it a mutated monster.


    Lux didn''t have time to open the Elysium Compendium and check what that ''mutated'' meant, but he didn''t have to be a genius to understand that it was a stronger version of the original monster.


    ''I just hope that it is still a support focused monst�C''


    Lux was unable to finish his thought because the carbuncle opened its mouth and released a barrage of sparkling golden diamonds, all of which were the size of fingernails.


    "Skeleton fighters!" Lux summoned his Skeletons, which stood in front of the Dwarves and used their shields to block the unexpected magical attack from the mutated Alpha Beast.


    When the dazzling attack receded, a third of the Skeletal Fighters'' health was lost, which made Lux''s face turn serious. However, before he could even think of a way to counter the Carbuncle''s offensive, the four Berserked Horned Rabbits had already closed the distance, and rammed their horns on the Skeleton Fighters'' shields, which sent them flying away.


    Fortunately, although Colette and the others were young, they were not helpless little kids.


    After the Skeleton Fighters were blown away, Colette, Matty, Diablo, and Ishtar all used their strongest skills to attack the legs of the Berserked Horned Rabbits, in order to lower their mobility.


    The attacks sessfully connected, which gave them the ideal results they were aiming for, but, before any of them could celebrate, the red jewel on the Carbuncle''s forehead glowed once again.


    A green light enveloped the Berserked Horned Rabbits, and the injuries that they had received got healed, allowing them to evade the follow up attacks of Colette and the others.


    Lux summoned his Skeleton Grand Archers in order to deal range damage to the Carbuncle who stood behind all of his minions.


    The Alpha Beast deftly evaded the rain of arrows that was aimed at it with its incredible speed. No matter what kind of attack was fired at it, the Carbuncle dodged it without fail, which made things difficult for Lux and the others.


    There were times when they were able to seriously injure the Berserked Horned Rabbits, but because of the Carbuncle''s healing abilities, the injuries the monsters received recovered at a rapid pace.


    "This is not going anywhere, Big Brother!" Colette said as she smashed her mace on the head of the Berserked Horned Rabbit that had attacked Matty, who stood beside her. "We need to deal with the Mutated Carbuncle first!"


    "Got it! Diablo, Ishtar, let''s deal with that Alpha Beast first!" Lux ordered before activating his Battle Cry, which raised the physical and magical attacks of his allies.


    He then ordered his Skeleton Fighters and Skeleton Grand Archers to assist Colette and the others in dealing with the Alpha Beast''s minions.


    The Skeleton Fighters, as well as the Skeleton Archers, were at the peak of Rank 1 Monsters. The Berserked Horned Rabbits might be stronger than them, but the gap between the two parties wasn''t that wide.


    The Dwarves were surprised when they realized how strong Lux''s summoned Skeletons were. It hadn''t been long since they fought against the Dark Draugr in the Bronze Crypt and came out victorious.


    Because of that, they thought that if they added Lux and Diablo to their party, they would be able to fight the Carbuncle if all of them worked together. Never in their wildest dreams did they think that one of Lux''s Skeleton Fighters were just as strong as them!


    ''Unbelievable,'' Colette thought. ''Big Brother is really amazing!''


    Matty who was fighting alongside Colette had also noticed the strength of the Skeletons fighting by his side and was dumbfounded.


    ''Just how did he get this strong in such a short period of time?'' Matty couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Although he knew that Lux had been rewarded with several Beast Cores by their families, it wasn''t enough to create this many powerful Summons at the get go.


    Without the help of the Carbuncle, the Berserked Horned Rabbits were slowly losing their ground in the head-on confrontation.


    "I feel more powerful!" Axel gasped when the effects of the Battle Cry affected him.


    Axel nodded as he fired spell after spell at the Berserked Horned Rabbit that was being pinned down by Lux''s skeleton fighters.


    "We can win this!" Helen chanted as she cast her own support spells to help her teammates be stronger.<sub> </sub>


    The battle was quite intense, with neither side wanting to back down. The Mutated Carbuncle was fighting a three against one battle, while his minions were fighting four against sixteen.


    Seeing that its minions'' health had already fallen past fifty percent, the Carbuncle decided to use its healing ability to restore their health. However, Lux and Diablo were waiting for this exact moment.


    Diablo pointed his sword at the Mutated Carbuncle and activated his special skill Duel [EX], which forced his enemies to exchange one blow with him.


    It was simr to a taunting skill, but the difference between the two skills was that the Taunt Skill could be resisted, while the Duel [EX] couldn''t. With an effective range of three hundred meters, Diablo could practically taunt anything that he had set his eyes on.


    Although the skill had a one minute cooldown, it was still a very useful ability to break the enemy''s momentum.


    After executing the skill, the Mutated Carbuncle faced Diablo and screeched. Its healing skill was interrupted, and was now forced to charge in the Named Creature''s direction.


    Diablo, who was wearing his ck knight armor, stood steadily in order to sh with the Alpha Beast that it had angered.


    Ishtar had taken a siege stance and fired a Piercing Arrow, which flew towards the chest of the Carbuncle, making it howl in pain.


    Lux extended his hand and shouted "Mana Drain" in order to deplete the Alpha Beast''s mana reserves. The Half-Elf knew that this was going to be a battle of attrition, so he prioritized draining the Carbuncle''s mana to stop it from being able to cast spells that would help its minions recover from the one-sided beating that they were currently suffering from.


    The sword in Diablo''s hand glowed briefly as he activated his skill, Heavy sh. His sword met the Mutated Carbuncle''s swiping attack. The sound of metal hitting metal spread throughout the surroundings.


    Diablo''s feet skidded against the ground, while the Mutated Carbuncle took two steps back after their collision.


    Another arrow flew through the air and pierced Carbuncle''s chest making it shriek in pain. Ishtar was a very opportunistic hunter and timed her attack at the right moment to deal significant damage to the Alpha Beast.


    Lux also fired a Dark Arrow at the Mutated Carbuncle, hoping to blind it, but it failed.


    It was at that moment when one of the Berserked Horned Rabbits let out a blood curdling screech before copsing on the ground dead.


    The Alpha Beast was immediately rmed because it hadpletely forgotten about its minions since it was entangled by Lux and his two Named Creatures. Just as it was about to cast its healing magic on the survivors, Diablo smashed his shield against the Alpha Beast''s face, interrupting its healing magic for the second time.


    Lux understood that the only reason why they could overpower the Mutated Monster was because of the Carbuncle originally being only a support type monster. Among the Alpha Beasts in the Beginner''s Vige, it was the weakest.


    To deal with it, everyone just had to kill its minions first before encircling it and hacking it to death. This was the typical strategy used when fighting against the Carbuncle, which had been proven effective over time.


    Because it was unable to heal its allies due to Diablo''s interference, the remaining Berserked Horned Rabbits fell one by one.


    Just as everyone was about to encircle the Mutated Alpha Monster, it leapt high into the air in an attempt to run away. Diablo also used his own Leap Skill, following its enemy into the air, while Ishtar released another Piercing Arrow.


    Although the sound of the whistling wind reached the Mutated Carbuncle''s ears, the arrow was almost impossible to avoid while in air. Unable to evade, the arrow pierced its chest, breaking its stance. Diablo''s Heavy sh immediately followed after the arrow had struck true, smashing its back and sending it towards the ground.


    The Dwarves and the Skeletons didn''t miss this opportunity and ran towards the fallen Alpha Beast. However, Lux''s shout made them all take a defensive stance as the Carbuncle once again unleashed another Diamond Storm as itsst resort.


    Just like before, the Skeletal Fighters stood in front of the Dwarves and shielded them from the unique attack of the Mutated Beast.


    When the attack ended, the Skeleton Fighters'' bodies shattered because their health was already low after fighting against the Berserked Horned Rabbits. However, this wasn''t a big issue.


    "Arise!" Lux ordered and his Skeleton Fighters rose once again to beat the crap out of the oversized rabbit that had killed them just a moment ago.


    The pitiful Alpha Monster then found itself surrounded on all sides with nowhere to go. Diablo and Ishtar had already dealt significant damage to its legs. However, its ability to heal itself was getting annoying.


    To deal with this, Lux used Mana Drain every time the Skill''s cooldown ended. After a grueling thirty minutes, the Mutated Alpha Monster finally fell, transforming into particles of light.


    It left several items on the ground, including an egg that was two-feet tall, which made Colette jump up and down due to happiness.

 Chapter 79 Special Quest Rewards

    Colette and the other Dwarves flocked to the items that were dropped by the Mutated Carbuncle.


    The monster egg stood at the center of it all, catching everyone''s attention.


    "This egg is without a doubt a Carbuncle''s egg," Colette said with sparkling eyes. She then began to gently touch the egg as if it was a priceless treasure that she had seen for the very first time.


    Helen also touched the egg just like Colette. This was the first time she had seen a monster drop an egg, so she was quite surprised when she saw it.


    Since the two girls were busy touching the egg all over, Matty and the others busied themselves with organizing the rest of the loot that they had acquired.


    One of them was a red jewel that was as big as Lux''s hand. This jewel, which could be found on the Carbuncle''s forehead, was very precious, and many merchants were willing to buy it at a very high price.


    The second item was the Mutated Carbuncle''s purple fur. This was another top tier item that could be used as a carpet, a nket, and even clothes which were perfect to wear in ces with cold weather.


    The third item was the monster''s meat, which also fetched a decent price in the market. Since rabbit meat is quite popr in Leaf Vige, the meat of this Alpha Beast was considered to be a rare delicacy.


    Last, but not the least, was the Mutated Carbuncle''s Beast Core. It was the size of a bowling ball and had a bright purple color. Although it was a Rank 3 Beast Core, it was bigger than a regr one, which meant that the number of skill or stat points that could be gained from it would not be less than fifty.


    "Nice haul," Lux said as he crossed his arms on his chest. "Congrattions for beating your first Alpha Beast."


    The Dwarves who were in cloud nine were broken out of their daze after they heard Lux''s words. All of them stopped what they were doing and looked in his direction as if they hadpletely forgotten about him.


    It was at that moment when they remembered that the one who yed a major role in subjugating the Mutated Carbuncle was none other than the Half-Elf in front of them. If Lux wasn''t there, all of them might have been seriously injured. As for the worst case scenario? They might have all died fighting the Mutated Monster that came out of nowhere.


    "B-Big Brother, these spoils of war should belong to you," Colette stuttered while looking at Lux with teary eyes. Her hands were stilltched onto the egg like a Ko hugging a tree, which made the red-headed teenagerugh due to how adorable she looked.


    "Don''t worry, all the loot for this hunt is for you guys," Lux replied. "As you can see, with my current strength, it will not be a problem for me to hunt another Carbuncle. If you still find this unfair then just think of it as an older brother giving gifts to his little brothers and sisters. It''s fine that way, right?"


    Colette immediately let go of the Monster Egg and ran towards Lux, jumping into his arms.


    "Big Brother, you are the best!" Colette shouted happily as Lux spun her round and round.


    After spinning the little girl a few times, Lux finally set her back down on the ground. Colette then nced at the egg then back at Lux before voicing her thoughts.


    "Big Brother, you can take the egg," Colette said. "The eggs of Alpha Beasts are very rare, especially mutated ones. Even my sister didn''t get one when she was in the Beginner''s Vige."


    Lux shook his head firmly. "No. I don''t need it. However, promise me that you will raise that Carbuncle with love and care. Since it is a support type monster, it will help you and Helen heal your party members when things get rough.


    "I will be able to have more peace of mind knowing that you guys have an extra healer supporting you in your adventures. So, just take the egg and the other items."


    "Big Brother, are you sure you really don''t want it?" Colette asked with a serious expression on her face.


    "I''m sure. Just keep everything for yourselves." Lux smiled as he nced at the rewards that he had obtained from killing the Mutated Carbuncle in his Soul Book.


    ��--


    < Special Quest >


    �C Encounter with a Mutated Monster


    Mission Rating: B


    Status: Completed!


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Kill the Mutated Carbuncle


    < Rewards ><sub> </sub>


    �C 50 Free Stat Points


    �C 50 Skill Points


    �C 50 Body Constitution Points


    �C Mutated Carbuncle''s Jewel


    �C Mutated Carbuncle''s Meat


    �C Mutated Carbuncle''s Fur


    �C Rank 3 Alpha Beast Core


    < Bonus Reward >


    �C Alpha Monster Egg


    �C Hatching the egg will give you a random baby monster that is equivalent or higher than an Alpha Monster that could be found in the entirety of the Territory of Norria.


    �C You can hatch this egg with the help of a Monster Breeder


    ��---


    The reason why Lux didn''t want to fight the children with the distribution of the loot was due to the fact that he had already acquired a set of items on his own. Since that was the case, asking for more would be too greedy of him.


    Besides, he really liked Colette and the others. He thought that it would be best to just let the kids enjoy their first attempt at challenging an Alpha Monster as a team.


    Since the egg wasn''t an item that could be stored inside the Enchanted Beast Ring, Lux and the others carefully ced it inside the carriage. Matty was assigned to put the egg on hisp to ensure that the bumps on the road wouldn''t break it.


    Everyone was in a good mood as they returned to Leaf Vige. The distribution of the loots was done as follows.


    Colette would take the monster egg because she was the leader of the group.


    The boys decided to give the monster fur to Helen aspensation.


    Matty, Andy, and Axel, on the other hand, would sell the Carbuncle''s Jewel, and share the profits that they would gain from it.


    Since Lux didn''t get anything, Colette decided to scribble something on a piece of paper and handed it to Lux.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but chuckle after reading its contents, which made Colette''s face turn beet red due to embarrassment.


    One Shoulder Massage Ticket.


    That was what was written on the piece of paper that Colette gave Lux, which made Matty extremely envious. If possible, he would give Lux his share of the gold coins they would receive for selling the Carbuncle''s Jewel in exchange for the shoulder massage ticket in his hand.


    Naturally, he couldn''t voice this out loud, so he had no choice but to re at the Half-Elf who acquired a very precious ticket that he would fight to get.


    As soon as their merry little band entered Leaf Vige, Lux noticed Boreas, as well as the middle-aged Dwarf, Nevreal, who was also Robin''s caretaker, standing by one of the sides of the gate. There were other Goat Riders beside them, which made Lux wonder if they were nning to go on a mission somewhere.


    However, before their carriage could drive past them, Boreas called out to Lux.


    "Lux Von Kaizer, do you have some time today?" Boreas asked. "There is something very important that we need to talk about. Why don''t you follow me to the barracks for now?"


    Lux frowned, but still nodded his head. Although he didn''t know why Boreas and Nevreal were waiting for him at the gates of the vige, he could tell that the matter they wanted to discuss was a serious one.

 Chapter 80 Rewards From The Dwarven King

    Lux and the important people in Leaf Vige sat in a conference room.


    Boreas had called for all of them because the matter he was going to discuss was about the recent incident that happened in the Figaro Gardens.


    "My Commander, Lord Thoram, took the remains of the Abomination to the capital and had an audience with his Majesty," Boreas said with a serious expression on his face. "The mages there examined the corpse and found some highly-confidential information that I will share with all of you right now.


    "Make no mistake, this information mustn''t be revealed to anyone. The only reason why I''ve been given permission to mention this to everyone present is because this new organization is currently performing their experiments in the viges near the borders of the Kingdom."


    "After his Majesty gave the order, a massive operation was set in motion, and various border Strongholds managed to capture four more members of the organization in the other Dwarf viges."


    "These ces also encountered an unusual increase of a specific type of monster in their area. Unfortunately, in two of those ces, the monster was born sessfully, which made subjugation very difficult. Many lives were lost, so his Majesty was forced to send Initiates to handle the situation."


    "After a gruesome battle, those two Abominations were in. However, after examining all of their bodies, the mages discovered that these monsters had the power to evolve��"


    The faces of the Elders of Leaf Vige immediately went pale when they heard the word "evolve". Certain monsters had this particr ability, so it was not that surprising. However, creatures that had the strength of field bosses after being born, and still had the power to evolve, was bad news for everyone.


    If left undiscovered, they could step into a high rank, which was strong enough to wipe out entire viges and towns, whose defenders didn''t have the strength to defeat it.


    "Lux Von Kaizer, Lord Thoram, and the other Commanders of the Border Guards are very grateful for your contribution in this matter," Boreas gave Lux a brief bow before passing him a wooden box. "His Majesty wanted to hold a ceremony for you to be an Honorary Knight of our Kingdom, but his advisers advised against it."


    "Although the Kingdom of Gweliven does trade with other races, their presence in our Kingdom is very rare. Usually less than ten people from the other nations are allowed entry to our borders. The advisers said that if you were knighted publicly, it might cause unrest for the people, and would in turn create unnecessary trouble in the future.


    "This was why, instead of His Majesty, I havee to present to you the medal that bestows upon you the rank of an Honorary Knight within our Kingdom. Although you are conferred this title, you will not be awarded with anynds."


    "However, you will receive discounts in any shops or for any services that this nation provides. Please, ept his Majesty''s well wishes, and know that you are now known to him and he regards you in high esteem."


    Lux opened the wooden box and saw a golden medal with the insignia of a war axe. It was carved with a very intricate design, which made the Half-Elf quite happy. It was because as soon as he received the medal of knighthood, he received a series of notifications telling him that he had acquired the Honorary Knight Title.


    ��-


    Title: Honorary Knight


    �C You have performed an outstanding service for the Kingdom of Gweliven, and his Majesty, King Maximilian Von Gweliven, hereby recognizes you as an honorary Knight.


    �C Grants additional 100 Reputation Points to the Kingdom of Gweliven


    �C You will receive a 10% increase in attack and defense if you are fighting within the Kingdom of Gweliven


    ��--


    ''Very nice,'' Lux thought.


    However, that was the only beginning. After receiving the medal, the Reputation Function in his Soul Book activated. Lux checked the effect of the reputation points he had gained, and was quite happy with the oue.


    ��--


    Kingdom of Gweliven Reputation Points: 200


    Rtionship Status: Good


    �C You will get up to a 20% discount for all services within the Kingdom


    �C Thew abiding Dwarves in the Kingdom will not find any trouble for you.


    ��--


    Riders of Norria Reputation Points: 500


    Rtionship Status: Friendly<sub> </sub>


    �C Gives you the privilege to enter the Stronghold of Norria and explore the services avable there.


    �C You will get up to a 20% discount on all services inside the Stronghold.


    �C You will be able to gain their assistance if you wish for it. Every time you ask for their help, your reputation points will be decreased by 500 Points.


    ��--


    Leaf Vige Reputation Points: 2000


    Rtionship Status: Benefactor


    �C As someone who had saved the entire Vige from a catastrophe, you will be treated politely by all of its residents.


    �C Certain services that are not avable to foreigners will be open to you.


    �C You will get up to a 50% discount on all services inside Leaf Vige.


    �C You will be able to ask for the help of the City Guards if you wish for it. Each time you use this service, 250 Reputation Points will be deducted.


    �C Points will not be deducted when you ask for their help, as long as the task will benefit Leaf Vige as a whole.


    ��


    ''Interesting,'' Lux thought. ''I will be able to ask for their assistance if need be. I never thought that reputation worked like this.


    Although the price for asking for the assistance from the Stronghold of Norria would immediately bring his reputation points to zero, Lux thought that it was a good trade-off since he would have their full assistance.


    The Stronghold had hundreds of Warriors, whose Ranks ranged from Grade D up to Grade A Disciples. It was the strongest force within the territory of Norria, and Lux felt having them as a backup was a worthwhile thing.


    "Aside from the Medal of Knighthood, you will be given other rewards," Boreas continued. "Sir Nevreal said that you are looking for weapons and armor. ording to the information that we have on you, your profession is a Necromancer. Do you perhaps n to arm your minions with these weapons?"


    Lux had a dumbfounded look on his face as he gave Boreas the "how did you know about that?" gaze, which made the Rider Captain chuckle.


    "It''s not that hard to guess," Boreas exined. "You already have good weapons and armor, so I''m guessing that the weapons and armor that you requested from us will be equipped by your Skeletons. Worry not, our Stronghold will allow you to receive fifteen sets of weapons and armor which are in the same level as the standard equipment for Riders of Norria. Just go to the Stronghold and collect the things you need."


    "Thank you very much!" Lux replied excitedly. He would initially get a headache whenever he thought about how he would even arm his ordinary Summons with stronger gear. Now that they would receive the equipment from the Stronghold of Norria, this problem was solved for the time being.


    Nevreal, who had kept silent for the duration of Boreas'' speech, suddenly cleared his throat in order to catch Lux''s attention.


    "His Majesty also passed a decree to me before we came here to see you," Nevreal said. "He said that if you have something you want, as long as it doesn''t go past the limit of his generosity, he will bestow it upon you. So, is there something that you want as a reward for your services to the Kingdom?"


    Lux''s smile widened after hearing Nevreal''s words. He knew that this was a good opportunity, so he decided to see if he could get the thing he needed most right now.


    "Um, if it''s not too much of a bother, can His Majesty give me a Hell Horse?" Lux asked.


    Nevreal frowned. "A Hell Horse? What do you n to do with one? They are malevolent Beasts and it is very hard to tame one. Although there are several of them roaming near the borders of the Kingdom, we mostly leave them alone because acquiring one is more trouble than they''re worth."


    "I want one," Lux replied. "This is the reward that I want his Majesty to bestow upon me."


    Nevreal and Boreas nced at each other before shifting their attention back to Lux.


    "I''ll pass your message to His Majesty," Nevreal said after pondering for a moment. "From what I can tell, you n to get a mount that has an evil personality. Although we don''t have a Hell Horse in our possession, we do have something simr called a Nightmare.


    "If you are interested, I''ll ask his Majesty to bestow this beast to you. However, if it causes any trouble to the Kingdom, you will take responsibility for its actions. Do you understand?"


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. After getting Nevreal''s promise, the Half-Elf felt like all the effort he put into investigating the abnormality in the Figaro Gardens had finally paid off.

 Chapter 81 I Need Her Good Luck

    After an hour, Lux left the conference room, while the others remained.


    The Captain of the Riders of Norria and the Elders of Leaf Vige were about to discuss something on a national level, so the Half-Elf politely took his leave. He didn''t want to meddle in those affairs.


    What he cared about were the weapons and the mount that were promised to him by both Boreas and Nevreal.


    ''Fortunately I haven''t chosen anything from my mission rewards yet,'' Lux thought as he praised himself for not being in a hurry to choose rewards from the Abomination Mission that he had cleared recently.


    Now that he had an Alpha Monster Egg, which could spawn a monster that waspletely random, an Honorary Title, and a mount for Diablo, he no longer needed to choose those things from the four choices that were avable to him.


    ''Now, I just have to choose between the Golden Token of Gweliven, and the four Teleport Scrolls that could take me anywhere I have visited previously,'' Lux mused. ''I guess, I''ll just wait for a good opportunity to use either of those two rewards in the future.''


    As soon as Lux stepped onto the street, he saw Colette and the others waiting for him on the opposite side.


    "Big Brother!" Colette waved her hand enthusiastically the moment she saw Lux. In truth, she and the others had been worried because they thought that the Half-Elf was in trouble.


    After seeing him unharmed, and his expression which implied that he seemed to be in a good mood, their worries disappearedpletely.


    "You guys waited for me?" Lux asked. Deep inside he was quite touched. He had really gotten close to the Dwarf children, which had been his first party members in the world of Elysium.


    "It''s not that we care about you. We just came here to apany Colette," Matthew replied in a cranky manner. "Don''t get the wrong idea, okay?"


    Lux smirked as he looked at the future hen-pecked-boyfriend, who was doing his best to look irritated. The Half-Elf then patted Colette''s head as he gave her some good news.


    "I''ll be traveling to the Stronghold of Norria ten days from now," Lux said. "Why don''t you guyse with me? They might have some interesting things over there that we can''t find in the Beginner Zones."


    Colette blinked once then twice beforetching onto Lux''s arm and looking up at him with a serious expression on her face.


    "You''re not lying right, Big Brother?" Colette asked. "Can we really go with you?"


    Lux nodded. "Of course. I asked Captain Boreas earlier if I could bring you guys, and he said that he didn''t mind as long as we don''t cause trouble when we are there."


    "We won''t cause trouble!" Colette replied happily. "Hehehe, even my sister wasn''t able to go to the Stronghold of Norria. I bet she will be surprised when I tell her about this."


    "Eh? Your sister hasn''t been there? Howe?"


    "Big Brother, the Stronghold of Norria is off limits to everyone. Only high-ranking nobles and those with high-status are allowed to enter the fortress."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding as he gave Colette a knowing smile. He knew that the adorable, little, blonde Dwarf adored her older sister like an idol that she hoped to be like her sister someday.


    Colette always boasted that her sister was a genius, very beautiful, and had many suitors. She also constantly reminded Lux that she would be more than happy to y matchmaker, and pair him up with her sister in marriage.


    The Half-Elf justughed it off because he thought that Colette was just being childish and teasing him. Although he had to admit that he was quite curious to meet the little girl''s sister, he wasn''t in a hurry to do so.


    "Well then, do you guys have any ns for the time being?" Lux asked.


    Colette gave Lux a sweet smile as she told him that she nned to return home for a few days in order to have the monster egg that she had received from their battle hatched in their family''s residence. Although she could hatch it in Leaf Vige, Colette wanted her sister to be there to see the hatching process with her.


    Helen also nned to return home to ask her parents for advice on what to do with the Carbuncle Fur that she got from the expedition.<sub> </sub>


    As for the three boys, they nned to go back to Sis in order to sell the Carbuncle''s Jewel. They would then split the coins among the three of them and get better gear from their parents, in preparation for their graduation from Leaf Vige.


    Everyone parted ways and promised to meet again after ten days in Elysium. Lux''s main purpose in going back was to also hatch the egg that he caught. However, the one that would be hatching it wasn''t him, but someone who he considered to be blessed with Lady Luck.


    Since the monster that woulde out of the egg waspletely random, he decided to let someone lucky do the honors, so he would get the best possible results.


    ��--


    "Wee back, Lux," Vera said with a smile on her face as she arrived at the training room. "Have you eaten? I was just about to eat dinner. Why don''t you join me?"


    "I''m back, Grandma," Lux replied as he gave Vera a loving hug. "What''s for dinner?"


    "I didn''t know you wereing, so I just made rice porridge. Do you want something specific to eat? Just tell me. I will prepare it for you."


    "Porridge is fine. Actually, I ate a bit beforeing back home, so I''m not that hungry."


    Vera smiled as she led Lux to the dining table. The two of them ate, and after that, Vera asked her grandson about his adventures in Elysium.


    The Half-Elf didn''t hide anything from his grandma and told her everything. He told her about the member of the secret organization that he fought, the Abomination Monster that had threatened the safety of Leaf Vige, the rewards he had received, and rewards that he was about to receive.


    Vera listened with a calm expression on her face, but deep inside, she was greatly shocked about the experiences that her grandson had faced while he was away from home.


    "That is very generous of you to give the monster drops to your friends," Vera said. "But, make sure to also think of your own benefits in the future, okay?"


    "Um, about that Grandma, I need to tell you something," Lux replied.


    He then exined that he had obtained a reward after the Mutated Carbuncle was in, which led him to take a pass on the distribution items after the Alpha Monster was killed.


    "Strange," Vera thought. "I''ve never heard of this phenomenon before��"


    Vera thought long and hard, but she didn''t know anyone that could receive items directly into their Soul Book after killing an Alpha Monster.


    "Lux, keep this a secret for the time being," Vera stated. "This is a good thing, but since I haven''t heard of this incident happening in the past, those who also have the same ability must have made sure to keep it to themselves. I mean, when you think about it, isn''t this a fantastic ability? You don''t have to fight for Monster drops because you get them directly.


    "If anyone discovers this, they will be very jealous. During dungeon expeditions, and fighting against Field Monsters, parties often distribute the monster drops due to merit. This allows only a select few to benefit from the hunt, but you don''t have this problem."


    Vera smiled because her grandson had this cheat-like ability. Back then, she was worried that Lux would be too nice, and people would take advantage of him. Now that the Half-Elf had this ability, she wouldn''t worry about Lux not getting enough resources, or being treated harshly in Elysium.


    ''With this, Lux will definitely not lose out when forming teams with other people,'' Vera thought. ''Although I feel sorry for his party members, this is still a good thing for my grandson.''


    Lux, who had just finished drinking his tea, looked at his grandma with a hopeful expression.


    "Grandma, I need a favor," Lux said.


    "As long as it is within my ability, I will do it," Vera replied. As long as it was for her grandson, she would do her best to make it happen.


    "Grandma, I want to see Iris," Lux stated. "I need her goodluck."

 Chapter 82 Welcome To Barbatos Academy

    Both Lux and Vera stared at the towering, and majestic structure in the distance as they sat on the back of a White Hippopotamus.


    They had traveled through a teleportation gate from within the Wildgarde Stronghold, and got transported at the closest ry station from their destination. Even then, they still had to travel onnd for a day and on water for half a day.


    But since they had Sophie, the White Hippopotamus, the length of their journey was cut in half. Whenpared to most boats in the water, Sophie was still faster.


    As they neared their destination, Lux wasn''t able to keep a sigh from escaping his lips as he looked at one of the grandest academies in Sis.


    "Barbatos Academy," Lux said softly. "It has been nearly a year since west came here to visit them. Right, grandma?"


    Vera nodded. "Indeed. You were so preupied with training and trying to pass the entrance test to Elysium that you refused to visit your step sister. I''m sure Iris still feels bad about it. Make sure to treat her nicely this time around, okay?"


    Lux scratched his cheek as he nodded his head.


    Vera only had three family members in the entirety of Sis. The first one was her son, Alexander, and the second was her granddaughter, Iris. The third was Lux, of course, whom she had adopted as her grandson, making him Iris'' stepbrother.


    "Ah, by the way, Iris sent me a letter two months ago," Vera said with a smile. "She is asking me when you are going to see her. I only said that you are busy with your training because you failed again this year. Even so, I promised that both of us would visit her before her birthday six months from now."


    "Time sure flies quickly," Luxmented. "She will be sixteen this year."


    "And you will be seventeen, Lux. Should we proceed with making Iris your fiance? My son is acting stubborn about it, but if I smack his head, I''m sure that he will agree. So, would you like Iris to be your future wife?"


    "Grandma, I don''t think smacking the head of a Saint is a good idea. Besides, Uncle Alex only wants what is best for Iris. There are more eligible candidates aside from me that can make her happy."


    Vera snorted as she ruffled Lux''s hair.


    "I only n to share good things with my family," Vera stated. "Since both of my grandchildren are good, why not match them up? That way, the bonds of our family will be stronger."


    "Grandma, let''s talk about this when I be a Ranker."


    "Nonsense. By the time you be a Ranker, a moron might have already swept Iris off her feet! I''m not going to wait that long. Besides, Iris keeps on pestering me to ensure that no flies will gather around you until shees of age. We just need to wait for a few months. After her birthday, the two of you can get married the very next day."


    Lux subconsciously gulped. He knew that his grandma was serious about pairing him and Iris together. Truth be told, Iris had told him time and time and again that she would only marry him when she grew up.


    The Half-Elf found her words amusing back then, and even casually replied that he would wait for her to grow up and marry her every time. Iris took his words seriously back then and even told Vera about it.


    Vera was overjoyed and even agreed to it on the spot. Lux and Iris were only twelve and eleven years old back then and, for some reason, he felt that he had shot himself on the foot when he made that promise to her.


    Naturally, Alexander didn''t agree to it. As Iris'' father, he was very overprotective of his daughter. Even though Lux was Vera''s adoptive grandson, he rejected his mother''s proposal to let Iris be Lux''s fiance.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll make sure to convince that no-good-son of mine," Vera promised. "All you have to do is say yes, and we will host the wedding right away."


    Lux chuckled nervously as he stared at the looming academy that was hailed as one of the best in the Western Regions of Sis.


    Barbatos Academy was right at the center of six kingdoms. Most children of the nobility, as well as the members of the Royal Family, all went there to study and expand their horizons.


    Just like the Wildgarde Stronghold, the Barbatos Academy had its own faction in Elysium and was based in the Regulus Empire.


    The Wildgarde Stronghold''s faction was stationed in the Azrael Kingdom, which was a neighbor of the Regulus Empire. Both of them were allies, and enjoyed trade, as well as other lucrative businesses between their two nations.<sub> </sub>


    ''I just hope Iris doesn''t mention anything about marriage when we meet her,'' Lux thought as he felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Truth be told, he didn''t dislike Iris. In fact, he was very fond of her and treated her like a real sister.


    As for his feelings for her, he would be lying if he said that he didn''t like her. In fact, there had been times when he thought that it would be nice if she could be his fiance, but he would also remember the things that he needed to do in Elysium. With his priorities shifted a bit, he would often brush off that thought.


    ''Also, I''m sure that Uncle will make it difficult for the two of us to be together,'' Lux sighed internally. ''Well, I don''t have to worry about these things. If grandma really wants us to be together, she will turn the world upside down to make it happen. For now, I''m sure that she is holding back, in order to respect Uncle''s wishes.''


    When Vera adopted Lux, his uncle, Alexander, registered his name in their family tree. Their rtionship was civil enough, but Lux couldn''t really tell if they were close or not.


    While Alexander never made any effort to make Lux feel that he was happy with thetter, he also never made any effort to keep him at arm''s length.


    If Lux could use a word to describe their rtionship, it would definitely be "lukewarm".


    Iris was the only one that could make the cold and indifferent man, who was respected and feared by many, break out into a smile.


    "We''re here, Lux."


    Vera''s words broke Lux out of his daydream as they neared the portside of the academy.


    Sophie swam towards the shore, which caught the attention of several people who were present in the area.


    After Lux and Vera dismounted from her back, Sophie''s size shrank to only half a meter tall. This was the form that she took whenever she was in the Wildgarde Stronghold, because her original size prevented her from entering into most of the houses in the stronghold.


    "Wee to Barbatos Academy, Lady Vera," ady who was wearing the uniform of the academy, and seemed to be in her early thirties, said as she bowed her head towards Vera.


    "Alicia, have you been well?" Vera replied with a smile. "I hope my no-good son is not overworking you."


    Alicia waved her hand as a tinge of redness spread across her face. "The Headmaster isn''t making things difficult for me. I am happy with my current work, Lady Vera."


    Alicia then shifted her gaze to Lux and grinned.


    "It''s good to see you again, Young Master Lux," Alicia said as he gave Lux a brief bow. "It seems that you have gotten a little taller since west met."


    Lux smirked as nodded his head in acknowledgement. "It''s good to see you again, Alicia. You''ve gotten more beautiful since thest time I saw you."


    "Keep that up, Young Master, and you will not have a hard time finding a lover," Alicia replied, "but make sure to hide your affair from Lady Iris. She will definitely throw a tantrum if she finds out that you are meeting girls behind her back."


    Lux chuckled nervously because it seemed that Iris had managed to make Alicia one of her people. If he wanted to enjoy his short visit to Barbatos Academy, he''d better stay clear of the young nobledies, who usually flirted with him whenever he visited the academy with Vera.


    After seeing Lux''s nervous expression, a smile appeared on Alicia''s lips before shifting her gaze to Vera.


    "Lady Vera, please,e with me," Alicia said respectfully. "The Headmaster has been waiting for your arrival."


    Vera nodded as she held Lux''s hand. The academy had many beautiful girls in it, so she decided to keep Lux by her side to ensure that no random girl would ensnare him during their visit.


    After all, she was dead set on making her two grandchildren a couple. That way, she could have the best of both worlds. She wouldn''t have to worry about other people trying to use Iris as a political tool in order to form connections with her son, Alexander, who was the Headmaster of the strongest military academy in the Western Regions of Sis.

 Chapter 83 That Was My First Kiss!

    "Headmaster, Lady Vera has arrived."


    "Let them in."


    Alicia bowed to Vera as she opened the door, weing thetter and Lux to enter. She remained outside because this was a family affair and she didn''t want Lux teasing her after their meeting with the Headmaster.


    As soon as Lux entered the room, he saw a man who seemed to be in histe twenties signing a few documents that were piled up on top of his table.


    With just a nce, one could tell that he wasn''t an ordinary person. Although he did his best to suppress it, his overwhelming powers would fluctuate from time to time, causing the air around him to ripple.


    Contrary to his very young appearance, Alexander Von Kaizer was already fifty-five years old. He had attained Sainthood at a very young age, so his growth had drastically slowed down.


    In fact, Lux wouldn''t be surprised if his Uncle looked like someone in his early thirties once thetter reached a hundred years old. This was one of the perks in breaking through the limits of the mortal realm in the world of Sis.


    When Vera and Lux sat on the seats in front of him, the Headmaster ced thest document at his side and looked at his mother with a smile.


    "Mother, it''s good to see that you are doing well," Alexander said. He then shifted his attention to Lux and gave him a brief nod. "Boy, ording to my informant in Wildgarde Stronghold, you once again failed the entrance exam to Elysium. You better man up if you want to have even the slightest chance of leaving your mark in the world."


    Lux''s neck shrank because his Uncle didn''t bother to mince words when telling him that he needed to "Git Gud".


    Vera, on the other hand, chuckled when she saw this exchange. She knew her son''s temper better than anyone else because she was the one that raised him. The fact that he even bothered to remind Lux to step up his game meant that he didn''t want the Half-Elf to spend his time feeling sorry for himself.


    What Alexander wanted was for Lux to think of ways to improve himself, instead of moping like a useless bum.


    ''I guess, there is still hope in making my grandchildren be partners in life,'' Vera thought as looked at her son with satisfaction. Thetter rolled his eyes at his mother, whom he could read like an open book.


    "I''ve received your letter, Mother," Alexander stated. "I don''t think that you should spoil Lux so much. You even got him a rare monster egg for him to raise. How will he grow up to be an outstanding man if you spoon feed him each and every time?"


    Lux lowered his head because he didn''t want his uncle to see the smirk that was about to appear on his face. He and his grandma, Vera, both agreed that they should keep his entry to Elysium a secret for now.


    The two wanted to surprise, not only the Wildgarde Stronghold, but also Alexander, at the next Gathering of Heroes by showing them how awesome Lux was.


    Once every four years, a grand tournament would be held in Barbatos Academy to showcase the young talents within the Western Regions of Sis. All participants must be Grade A Apostle or below in order to join this prestigious event.


    The Final Four would receive amazing prizes from the sponsors of the event. The six kingdoms that backed Barbatos Academy often used this opportunity to gather young talents and bestow upon them the rank of nobility in order to bring them under their wing.


    Naturally, those who wished to serve a different king could take this opportunity to jump ship, and start their careers in greener pastures. This had been the established rule since the tournament was created.


    If a ruler were to lose a talented individual, it just meant that the benefits they presented weren''t enticing enough to make the young prodigies serve them. In the end, the only one that they could me was themselves for being stingy.


    Vera wanted her grandson to step on that grand stage and show the world how awesome he was. That way, the past grievances that Lux had suffered would be washed awaypletely, which in turn would force everyone to look at him in a new light.


    "Don''t be like that, Alex," Vera replied. "Lux was the one that found the egg while we were out camping. We just don''t know what kind of monster is inside it, so I proposed that we bring it here so that Iris could help him hatch it."


    "A good tale, but I don''t buy it, Mother."


    "I won''t force you. Now, where is Iris? I want to see my granddaughter."


    p Alexander sighed as he rang a small bell in order to call for Alicia.</anda>


    The moment the prettydy stepped inside the office, Alexander ordered her to escort Vera and Lux to the training area.


    The Barbatos Academy followed a strict rule. All students could stay in Elysium for the duration of five days before they needed to return to the academy, then they had to stay there for two days in order to give their reports to the academy.


    Just like Wildgarde Stronghold, the Barbatos Academy had managed to create a kingdom of their own within Elysium. It was jointly managed by a council,posed of representatives from each of the six kingdoms, as well as Alexander, who served as the Head of the Council.


    As a Saint, he held the strongest deterrence force that kept those who eyed the academy, as well as their kingdom in Elysium��that they had named the Barbatos Kingdom��at bay.


    The purpose of the students inside the academy was to be stronger and help expand their Domain. Only those who had attained the rank of Apostle were allowed to enroll at Barbatos Academy.


    They simply had no need for the weak to join their ranks, which was the main reason why Lux wasn''t one of their students.


    As they neared the training area, Lux and Vera could hear the cheering of a crowd. A few minutester, they saw two youngbatants fighting an intense battle in an arena.


    Lux could tell that both fighters were at least the Grade B Apostles due to the intensity of their battle. Vera gave her grandson a side-long nce to see his expression, and was quite satisfied with what she saw.


    The Half-Elf was currently focusing on the match, and watching the twobatants very closely. He was trying to put himself in the shoes of the two opponents and was trying to emte how to best dodge or counter-attack their moves.


    ''He has really grown up after entering Elysium,'' Vera thought with a smile. She then shifted her attention back to the two young fighters, who seemed to be fighting with their life and honor on the line as they continued to sh against each other.


    Five minutester, a young man with light-brown hair and blue eyes raised his sword towards the heavens to dere his victory.


    The crowd cheered and gave him a thunderous apuse.


    "Sir Lawrence is so amazing!"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes! Simply the best among the other boys in his year."


    "I feel faint whenever I see him fight. I wonder if he has a girlfriend yet?"


    "He doesn''t have one. As if you don''t know, he only has eyes for Lady Iris."


    "I''m so jealous! She''s such a lucky girl!"


    The girls talked among themselves, while the boys looked at Lawrence in envy. He was simply too perfect in their eyes, and someone whom they aspired to be.


    "I have won, My Lady Iris," Lawrence said as he gave a respectful bow to a young beauty with light-blue hair and eyes, which made anyone who saw them feel as if they were looking at a beautiful painting.


    "Un, congrattions," Iris gave Lawrence an awkward smile.


    This whole battle started because thebatant that Lawrence fought had confessed his feelings to Iris a day ago. Iris politely declined his confession and told him that she already had someone in her heart.


    It should have ended then and there, but when Lawrence heard that someone had confessed to the girl he liked, he immediately challenged that person to a duel. Since the other guy had just been rejected, he wanted to vent out his frustrations, so the young man was more than happy to ept Lawrence''s challenge.


    And so, this duel, which Iris didn''t want to happen in the first ce, happened, and had turned into a spectacle for hundreds of people who were looking for entertainment inside the academy.


    Just as Iris was thinking about how to get out of this mess, she saw something red appear in the corner of her vision, which made her turn her head.


    It was at that moment when she saw Lux, who was standing beside her grandma, waving at her.


    "Brother!" Iris immediately shouted as she broke free from the crowd and left the handsome Lawrence behind with a confused look on his face.


    The crowd parted for Iris because she was a very important figure within the academy, and was treated like a princess.


    "Brother Lux! I missed you!" Iris said as she gave Lux a very tight hug, which thetter returned by lightly wrapping his arms around her waist.


    "I missed you too, Iris," Lux replied. "Have you gotten a bit taller?"


    "Have I?"


    "Yes. By a few centimeters I think."


    Lawrence frowned when he saw someone whom he hadn''t seen before hugging the apple of his eye. He immediately walked towards the stranger with the intention of knowing who he was.


    Iris, who hadn''t seen Lux for a very long time, stood on tiptoe and pressed her soft lips against his, kissing him in front of all the students who were present at the training ground.


    ''Oh my!'' Vera covered her own lips as she gave her granddaughter two thumbs up in her heart. ''She really has the Kazier bloodline flowing inside her veins. She''s so bold.''


    Lawrence''s body froze after seeing the scene unfold in front of him.


    He was not the only one to react this way. Several boys, as well as girls, looked at the unexpected incident in front of them with shock and disbelief.


    Even Lux, who had just been kissed by Iris, stiffened after realizing what just transpired.


    The youngdy in question pulled back with a smile. However, her smile didn''tst long as the realization of what she had just done hit her.


    "I-I''m sorry!" Iris stuttered as her whole face turned beet red. "I missed Brother Lux so much that my brain momentarily went nk! That was my first kiss! I was hoping to do it in a more romantic way. Oh, no! What have I done?!"


    The beautiful youngdy was about to panic when she found herself being wrapped up in a protective embrace.


    "I missed you, Iris," Vera said as she kissed her granddaughter''s forehead. "Why don''t we visit your father, so that our family can have afternoon tea together?"


    "Y-Yes! Let''s do that, Grandma!" Iris immediately grabbed Vera''s hand because it was the perfect excuse to get out of this tricky situation. She half-dragged her grandma towards the exit of the training ground. "Let''s have afternoon tea together! Alicia, please, prepare some snacks as well!"


    "As you wish, My Lady," Alicia bowed, but wasn''t able to hide the smirk on her lips upon seeing Iris'' flustered expression.


    When the young beauty felt that there was something amiss, Iris immediately remembered that Lux was still rooted on the spot and was looking at them with a dazed expression.


    "Brother Lux! What are you zoning about there for?" Iris asked with an embarrassed look on her face. "Don''t tell me you fainted standing up? Let''s go have tea together!"


    Iris let go of her grandma''s hand and ran back towards Lux. She then grabbed his hand and ran back to Vera''s side, forcefully dragging the Half-Elf along.


    "Now, let''s go," Iris said as she held the hands of the two most important people in her life, aside from her father. She led them towards the exit of the Training Ground, leaving a dumbfounded crowd behind.


    Lawrence, who had initially wanted to confront the red-headed stranger, stood rooted on the spot, as he watched them leave with a frustrated look on his face.


    It was at that moment when the young man realized that the students inside the academy, who also pursued Iris, weren''t his true love rivals. His greatest rival was none other than the red-headed teenager who stole his crush''s first kiss!

 Chapter 84 Brother Lux, Our Baby Is Finally Born!

    "Brother, say Ahhhh!"


    ".... Ahhh."


    Iris happily spoonfed Lux some apple pie with a sweet smile on her face. Vera looked at his scene happily. Ever since Lux turned ten and Iris turned nine, she had been thinking of pairing the two of them together.


    Both of them were her grandchildren and she wanted the two of them to live a happy life together. Fortunately, Iris was more than happy with the idea, and even asked her Grandma to make sure that no other girls became close with Lux while he was in Wildgarde Stronghold.


    Truth be told, there were many girls that had a crush on Lux in the stronghold, but their parents told them that it would be better to choose someone else. The first reason was due to Lux''s sickly constitution, the other reason being his inability to go to Elysium.


    ? The people of Sispursued strength, stability, and resources. Lux might be good looking, but that was all he had. He neither had power, stability, nor resources. His good looks made him popr, but good looks and poprity alone wouldn''t put food on the table.


    When it came to choosing a son-inw, the parents would prefer men who were strong enough to protect his wife. This was why Lux was not a good prospect in the eyes of those who lived in Wildgarde Stronghold.


    But Iris didn''t care whether Lux was strong or not. She had fallen in love with him because, although he was sickly, he always yed with her and did his best to be there for her whenever her father was away.


    Admittedly, Vera also yed a vital role in how the two became close because. She always created opportunities for the two of them to always be together.


    However, the time they spent together became scarce as Lux focused on his training in order to enter Elysium.


    Iris did the same, but her environment was special. As the daughter of a Saint, she was well protected at all times.


    Iris'' profession was a Beast Tamer, who also specialized in Monster Breeding. The reason Lux came to see her was because there was something that not many people knew about Iris, and that was her unbelievable luck.


    It would not be an exaggeration to call her Lady Luck''s daughter. If a flock of birds were to drop their poop on a crowd of people. You could be certain that everyone would get hit, except her.


    She also stumbled upon monster eggs in the fields and, when she hatched them, rare and legendary monsters would be born 100% of the time.


    Right now, Iris had five Beast Companions that she had raised from eggs.


    A Blue Dragon, a White Tiger, a Red Phoenix, a ck Turtle, and a Unicorn.


    Lux had even joked at one time that if she nned to rule the world, it would definitely be a reality.


    After Iris'' one-sided disy of affection which was sweet enough to rot Lux''s teeth, the Half-Elf brought up why he hade to see her.


    "An Egg that came from an Alpha Beast?" Iris'' eyes sparkled immediately at the mention of the monster egg. "Fufufu. So, Brother came to see me so I could hatch your egg, right?"


    "Yes," Lux nodded as he took his egg out of the special storage ring that Vera had given him, which was exclusively used for carrying monster eggs.  "Please, help me, Iris."


    Iris smiled as she ced the two-foot-tall monster egg on herp, and lightly caressed its surface.


    "I can sense its strong will to live," Irismented as she closed her eyes. "Don''t worry. I will hatch you soon."


    The young beauty with light-blue hair smiled as she carried the egg towards the Bestiary. Lux followed behind her because he was quite excited to see the kind of monster that would be born from the egg.


    Neither Vera nor Alicia had gone with them because they didn''t want to get in the way of the two youngsters.<sub> </sub>


    ��-


    "Fufufu. Brother Lux, somehow, I feel like I''m going to hatch our baby," Iris said as she ced the egg on an incubator. "So, what would you like to have? A boy or a girl?"


    "Um, either one is fine," Lux replied. "As long as they are born healthy."


    Because it had been a while since he had seen Iris, Lux hadpletely forgotten what kind of girl she was. The young beauty beside him was aplete brocon.


    However, Iris wasn''t just an ordinary brocon. She was the kind of brocon who had the intention of marrying her bro.


    Iris smiled as she nodded her head. "Yes. That is the important part. Don''t worry, I will make sure to give birth to our baby properly."


    Lux was already used to Iris'' way of speaking after spending many years with her, so he decided to remain silent and pretend that he didn''t hear what she just said.


    Iris chanted as her hands wrote runic engravings on the surface of the monster egg. Usually, monster breeders had the ability to inject some of their magical powers, as well as their lifeforce, in order to assist the birth of a monster.


    This would ensure that the monster would be born safely and, at times, awaken a rare skill or ability that would set it apart from monsters of its kind, simr to Named Creatures like Diablo and Ishtar.


    After she finished her chanting, the egg started to glow, and a small crack appeared on its surface. Soon, the cracks spread until the entire egg was covered by them.


    Lux stared at it with bated breath as he thought about the monster that would be born from it.


    ''Knowing Iris, this will definitely be a mythical monster. Could this be a dragon? Or perhaps a phoenix? Wait. She already has both of them, so what is the thing that is missing from her lineup? The only one I can think of is a Qilin��"


    Lux then pushed this thought aside because the egg finally split apart revealing the monster inside it.


    "Brother Lux, our baby is finally born!" Iris happily picked up the monster and gave her a kiss. "Isn''t she cute? Um, from now on, your name will be Eiko."


    The newly born monster, Eiko, pressed her body against Iris'' right cheek, as if returning the kiss that she gave her.


    Lux, on the other hand, looked at the monster in Iris'' hand with a dumbfounded expression on his face.


    He was expecting that he would get a mythical or legendary Alpha Beast, after getting Iris'' help, but the monster that had been hatched was a verymon monster, which made Lux question whether Iris had somehow used up all of her luck hatching her own beastpanions.


    "Brother Lux, isn''t she adorable?" Iris asked as she presented the baby monster to Lux.


    "Y-Yes," Lux replied. "She looks so�� jiggly."


    Iris giggled as she once again nted a kiss on the baby monster before cing her in Lux''s hands.


    The Half-Elf stared at Eiko, and Eiko stared back at him.


    This was their first meeting, and it also marked the start of Eiko''s journey alongside Lux, as they explored the world where miracles, and wishes, could be a reality.

 Chapter 85 Mama’s And Papa’s Girl

    Lux had a confused look on his face as he stared at his baby monster, Eiko.


    The Half-Elf had no idea how a two-foot tall egg could give birth to a blue slime that was only as big as his hand.


    "Brother,  you still need to give her a drop of your blood," Iris reminded. "This is how we put our imprint on baby monsters, so that they will fully recognize us as their parents."


    "Is that so?" Lux thought as he allowed Iris to lightly prick his left index finger to draw blood. He wasn''t an expert when ites to monster breeding, so he decided to let his step sister guide him to do the finishing touches.


    Once enough blood pooled on the tip of his fingertip, Lux then ced it over Eiko''s head, but the baby slime did something unexpected.


    As if sensing Lux''s blood, Eiko raised her head and extended her body to bite his fingertip. The Half-Elf almost jumped back in shock, but was able to stop at thest minute out of sheer willpower.


    After consuming his blood, Eiko''s body glowed briefly and rows of text appeared inside Lux''s Soul Book.


    Iris giggled as she picked up Eiko with both of her hands. She then used an ability of hers to draw blood from her fingertip, and allowed Eiko to absorb her blood as well. Just like what happened after Eiko had taken Lux''s blood, Eiko''s body glowed briefly, which meant that Eiko recognized Iris as her parent as well.


    "With this, I will be your Mama and Brother will be your Papa," Iris smiled sweetly as she gave Lux a sidelong nce, before giving Eiko a kiss, which made the blue slime''s small body jiggle.


    The red-headed teenager could only scratch the back of his head because he didn''t know how he should react to Iris'' teasing.


    ''I guess I''ll just check on Eiko''s stats first,'' Lux thought as he opened his Soul Book.


    Just as he expected, a new page had appeared that was exclusive for Eiko. However, what he saw in the information sheet of the baby slime made Lux wonder if he was just seeing things.


    ��--


    < Eiko >


    "The world is my oyster!"


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Rating: E-


    �C Progress (0 / 1000)


    Health: 40 / 40


    Mana: 400 / 400


    Strength: 2


    Intelligence: 20


    Vitality: 2


    Agility: 2


    Dexterity: 2


    Special Abilities: Mimicry [EX], Regeneration [EX]


    Active Skill: None


    Passive Skill: None


    Title: Mama''s and Papa''s Girl


    Note: This baby slime will someday rule the world.


    ��-


    < Mimicry [EX] >


    �C Eiko is able to copy up to six skills or abilities from anyone, and anything, within a fifty meter radius around her.


    �C Copied skills are only temporary and onlyst for a maximum of two hours before disappearingpletely.


    �C This skill can also copy the appearance of the target creature, allowing Eiko to transform into that form. Duration of transformationsts for a maximum of one hour.


    �C Eiko''s stats remain as they are, regardless of what type of creature, or non-living creature, she copied. Even if she transforms herself into a dragon, her stats will remain the same.


    ��-


    < Regeneration [EX] >


    �C Increase Health and Mana Regeneration by 500%


    �C This ability can also regenerate any injuries that Eiko received in battle. Even if she was cut into a hundred pieces, as long as a part of her exists, she will be able to fully regenerate her body without fail.<sub> </sub>


    ��--


    Title: Mama''s and Papa''s Girl


    �C If either Lux Von Kaizer or Iris Von Kaizer is within a fifty-square meter radius of Eiko, all of her stats will increase by 50% during battle.


    �C If both of them are present, Eiko will receive a 100% increase in all of her stats during battle.


    ��-


    ''... Dafuk is this sh*t?'' Lux cursed internally as he looked at the cheat-like abilities that were avable on Eiko''s Status Page.


    The first thing that he noticed was the incredibly high progression rating that Eiko currently had. Even Diablo''s and Ishtar''s ratings started with only a 100 points, but Eiko''s rating had jumped straight to 1,000!


    This was something unexpected, and Lux was starting to feel his head aching at the thought of how he would be able to get Eiko to upgrade with the measly amount of resources he currently had. Also, unlike his two other Named Creatures, Diablo and Ishtar, Eiko didn''t have a 50% bonus when absorbing beast cores.


    This meant that the baby slime needed to eat one hundred Rank 1 Beast Cores, in order to get her first upgrade.


    Lux also believed that Eiko''s two skills, Mimicry [EX], and Regeneration [EX], were nothing to scoff at. Those two skills alone was enough to tell him how powerful Eiko would be if she reached a higher rank.


    ''I knew that I would get something insane if I left the hatching of the egg to Iris, but I didn''t expect to learn that this kind of insanity existed,'' Lux pinched the bridge of his nose because his stepsister was truly ady blessed by luck.


    Just as Lux was wondering how to upgrade Eiko to the next level, he saw Iris holding a blue Rank 1 Beast Core that was the size of a quail''s egg, and fed it to the baby slime in her hands.


    The Half-Elf watched this endearing scene with a smile on his face, but his smile froze when a row of text once again appeared on Eiko''s Status Page, catching himpletely by surprise.


    ��-


    �C Eiko has learned the skill Water Bullet!


    < Water Bullet >


    (Mana: 5)


    �C Shoot a small ball ofpressed water at your target dealing 20 - 30 Magical Damage.


    �C Deals 100% additional damage to Fire Type Monsters.


    ��--


    Eiko activated the skill Mimicry [EX]!


    �C Target Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C Sessfully copied Skill Evolution [EX]!


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Water Bullet will be upgraded into Hydro Ball once the requirements have been met.


    < Hydro Ball >


    �C Shoot a ball ofpressed water at your target dealing 100 - 200 Magical Damage.


    �C Deals 100% additional damage to Fire Type Monsters


    �C Requirements to upgrade: Use Water Bullet 10x


    �C Progress ( 0 / 10 )


    ��--


    Before Lux could even digest the words that he had read, Eiko turned around and spat a blob of water at the floor. She did this ten times, with an interval of a few seconds in between.


    Immediately after that, Lux received a notification that Eiko''s Water Bullet Skill had sessfully evolved into Hydro Ball.


    "Wow! You''re amazing Eiko!" Iris praised the baby monster who jiggled in her hand in happiness. "But, let''s go outside, okay? We don''t want you damaging this ce."


    Iris happily left the Bestiary and headed to her personal training ground with the baby slime in her arms. Lux could only stare at them in disbelief as he tried to understand what had just transpired a moment ago.


    ''I think I discovered a bug in the system,'' Lux thought as he forced himself to follow Iris and Eiko to her private training room.


    Deep inside, he was starting to have a feeling of anticipation. Although Eiko was still a baby right now, her possibilities were endless.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t even imagine what kind of upgrade the baby slime would have, once she consumed the necessary amount of beast cores to upgrade her rank to the next level.

 Chapter 86 Not An Ordinary Baby Slime

    Iris hummed, holding Eiko in her arms, as she headed to her personal training field, while Lux followed a few steps behind them.


    The Half-Elf had lent her his Soul Book, so she could also see Eiko''s stats. Lux was hoping that Iris would be surprised after seeing Eiko''s status page, but the blue-haired beauty didn''t even bat an eye after seeing the information that was in front of her.


    "Iris, don''t you think it''s strange?" Lux asked. "Eiko''s progression bar requires 1000 Points although she''s only at Rank E-. Isn''t this a bit too much?"


    Iris stopped in her tracks and turned her head to look at Lux with a confused expression on her face.


    "Isn''t that normal?" Iris blinked. "My Beast Companions had the same progression point when they were hatched from their eggs."


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched when he realized that he had forgotten that Iris'' Beast Companions were all Mythical Beasts. Her standards for normal were already very high at the start, which made Lux feel sorry for his own Summoned Creatures, like Diablo and Ishtar, which started at 100 Progression Points at their lowest rank.


    "Oh! Are you worried about raising her rank, Brother?" Iris smiled. "Don''t worry. I will give Eiko a hundred Rank 1 Beast Cores to upgrade her Rank. This is my responsibility as her Mama. But, the rest will have to depend on her Papa, okay?"


    Iris winked at Lux before she continued walking towards their destination while humming a song.


    Lux could only scratch his head. Iris was really treated like a Princess in Barbatos Academy. A hundred Rank 1 Beast Cores were nothing to her. On the contrary, he had to fight against hordes of monsters in order to secure the same amount of Beast Cores.


    ''Well, I guess this is also a good thing,'' Lux thought. ''My supply of Beast Cores has dwindled as ofte. I don''t even have enough to upgrade Diablo, Ishtar, and the other skeletons. I guess I''ll have to farm beast cores when I return to Leaf Vige.''


    While Lux was still thinking about the most ideal ce to go to hunt for Beast Cores in the Beginner Zone, they finally arrived at their destination.


    The moment Iris appeared in the training room, two monsters immediately ran up to her. One was a White Tiger, and the other was a Unicorn. Both monsters were two meters tall, which would have been intimidating to those who were not familiar with them. However, since Lux had visited Iris many times in the past, her two guardian beasts recognized him immediately.


    The White Tiger nudged its head against Lux''s chest, and thetter rubbed its neck, which made the tiger purr.


    "Have you been a good boy, Hanz?" Lux asked the White Tiger who seemed to be enjoying the attention he was receiving from Lux.


    Hanz growled lightly as if replying to Lux''s question. Among Iris'' Beast Companions, the White Tiger and the Half-Elf got along the most, and would y with each other whenever Lux visited Iris in the academy.


    The Unicorn stared at the blue slime in Iris'' arm and neighed. Clearly, it wasn''t happy seeing its owner pamper a monster aside from them. It even moved its head closer to look at Eiko who was also looking back at it.


    "Eiko, this is Astra," Iris introduced her unicorn to the slime that was looking at it with curiosity. "Astra, this is Eiko. She is mine and Brother''s baby. Please, get along with her, okay?"


    The Unicorn gave a light snort, as it moved its head closer to the baby slime. Astra didn''t like it when other monsters, aside from itspanions, got near Iris. Unicorns get jealous very easily. This was why it decided to intimidate the baby slime, who was currently monopolizing its Master''s good graces.


    Eiko stared at the unicorn for a few seconds before spitting a blob of water at its head, drenching itpletely. The Unicorn hastily backed away as it shook its head to dry itself from the unexpected attack from the baby monster.


    The baby slime giggled after seeing the unicorn''s antics, and immediately spat one water bullet after the other.


    Astra raised its head arrogantly as it easily dodged Eiko''s attack, making the baby''s smile turn into a pout. Seeing that its attacks weren''t hitting its target, Eiko stopped spitting Water Bullets and cried!


    "Oh, don''t cry little Eiko," Iris coaxed the baby slime as she cradled her in her arms like a baby. "It''s fine. Astra will y with you some other time."


    The baby slime instantly quieted down when Iris started to feed it Beast Cores. However, she didn''t expect that what she was doing could make anyone green with jealousy if only they were able to see Eiko''s Status Page.


    ��-


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Fire Bullet will be upgraded into Fire Bolt once the requirements have been met.


    ��-


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Wind Bullet will be upgraded into Aero Ball once the requirements have been met.


    ��-


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Stone Bullet will be upgraded into Stone Spike once the requirements have been met.


    ��-


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Shadow Bullet will be upgraded into Shadow Ball once the requirements have been met.


    ��-


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Blink will be upgraded into Teleport once the requirements have been met.


    ��-


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Cure will be upgraded into Cure-All once the requirements have been met.


    ��-<sub> </sub>


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Dodge will be automatically upgraded into Uncanny Dodge.


    ��-


    Although his Soul Book was currently in Iris'' hand, the rows of text that appeared in front of Lux made his throat dry.


    Iris kept on feeding Eiko until her progression bar hit 1,000 points, which allowed the baby slime to upgrade its rank.


    ��--


    Eiko has acquired the skill Family Bond.


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Since the skill Family Bond is not learned from a Beast Core, it will automatically be upgraded to Family Bond [EX].


    ��-


    < Family Bond [EX]


    �C Twice a day, Eiko will be able to teleport to Lux Von Kaizer''s, or Iris Von Kaizer''s, location wherever they may be.


    �C This skill works even if they are inside a dungeon, a domain, or a special ne of existence.


    ��--


    Eiko has acquired the skill Speech.


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Since the skill Speech is not learned from a Beast Core, it will automatically be upgraded to Speech [EX].


    ��--


    < Speech [EX] >


    �C Eiko will be able to talk to any creature, as long as they use some kind of means tomunicate.


    ��--


    < Select two options from the list to bestow upon Eiko. >


    �C Health +2000


    �C Intelligence +100


    �C Underwater Breathing


    �C Lava Walking


    �C Air Steps


    �C Dig


    �C Summon Metal Slime


    �C Summon Fire Slime


    �C Summon Water Slime


    �C Summon Rock Slime


    �C Summon Aero Slime


    �C Summon Saber Slime


    �C Summon Berserker Slime


    �C Summon Hunter Slime


    �C Summon Shadow Slime


    �C Summon Devil Slime


    �C Summon Angel Slime


    ��--


    "... Damn," Lux muttered as he scanned the long list of bonuses that Eiko gained after being upgraded once. He finally understood that the baby slime in his stepsister''s arms was definitely not an ordinary baby slime, but a baby slime that matched the power of the mythical beasts in Iris'' Bestiary.

 Chapter 87 Eiko Vs. Astra [Part 1]

    "Eiko, say Mama."


    "Ma."


    "Mama."


    "Ma."


    "My baby is so smart!" Iris said as she rubbed her cheek against Eiko''s body, which made the baby slime giggle. On the other side, the Unicorn snorted in irritation.


    Lux and Hanz only looked at this scene with amused expressions on their faces.


    ''I''ll choose two from the optionster, once I have a better understanding of what would be more beneficial for Eiko,'' Lux thought as he walked towards Iris who was humming happily, while dancing with the baby slime in her hands.


    "Thank you, Iris," Lux said. "I wouldn''t have been able to upgrade Eiko''s rank without your help."


    Iris stopped dancing and smiled at the red-headed teenager who rarely visited her due to his training.


    "You''re wee, Brother," Iris replied as she presented Eiko to Lux. "Eiko, call him Papa."


    The little slime looked at Lux with curiosity before spraying water on his face, drenching himpletely.


    Iris hurriedly took a step back and moved Eiko away, preventing the mischievous baby slime from continuing to spray water on her beloved brother.


    Eiko stopped spraying water before giggling like a naughty kid that had seeded in its prank. Iris then gave Lux an apologetic look, while thetter just waved his hand to tell her that he was fine.


    As Lux dried his face with a towel, Iris admonished Eiko for being naughty, which made the baby slime look at her with a teary-eyed face. Seeing her adorable daughter look at her that way, Iris couldn''t find it in herself to further chastise the baby in her hand.


    "Just don''t do it again, okay?" Iris said in a gentle tone. "That is your Papa. you should always treat him as you treat me. We''re family, so you shouldn''t y pranks on your Papa, okay?"


    "Family," Eiko repeated Iris'' words before nodding her head in understanding.


    Iris smiled with satisfaction "Good girl! Now let''s say sorry to your Papa, okay?"


    "Un!" Eiko nodded.


    Iris once again approached Lux with Eiko in hand. The Half-Elf had just finished wiping his head, and looked at the baby slime with a guarded expression on his face.


    Eiko looked at Lux innocently as Iris held her up until the baby slime was only two feet away from Lux''s face.


    "Pa!" Eiko said.


    Lux smiled and lightly patted Eiko''s head. "Mmm."


    Eiko didn''t move and allowed Lux to lightly pat her head. When the Half-Elf pulled his hand away, the baby slime jumped off of Iris'' hand andnded on her Papa''s head with excellent precision. The baby slime then turned around to face Iris with a smile on its face.


    "Ma!"


    "Well done, Eiko!" Iris pped her hand as she praised her baby. "That''s my baby girl!"


    Her praise made Eiko giggle, which made the baby slime jump back to her. The youngdy caught the mischievous baby effortlessly.


    Iris had a lot of experience from raising many monsters that had been left behind by their owners in the academy because they were still too young to apany them on their journey to Elysium.


    Baby Monsters were often targeted by other monsters because they were deemed as easy prey, which in turn resulted in their early demise. To prevent this from happening, Barbatos Academy had opened up a nursery for these monsters. Their owners only had to prepare a good number of beast cores in order to hasten their growth.


    Iris was a Beast Tamer, so she would frequent the nursery in order to take care of the baby monsters that were left behind. She was not new to the mischievous antics of these monsters because, most of the time, newly born monsters just wanted to seek the attention of their owners.<sub> </sub>


    Depending on their personality, some would y pranks to their owners because this was their way of showing their affection to them.


    "Big Brother, I think Eiko is a prankster," Iris said as she lightly patted Eiko''s head as she faced her stepbrother. "Monsters like these are very hard to raise because they do things at their own pace. Sometimes, they will even take the initiative to attack other monsters out of curiosity, which often leads to them getting seriously injured.


    "If you n to take Eiko with you to Elysium, make sure to always have an eye on her, so she doesn''t go and cause trouble for anyone."


    Lux nodded. "Thanks for the reminder. I''ll keep that in mind."


    As someone who had no experience with raising pets, Iris'' insight was very helpful to him. Eiko was his first Beast Companion, so he needed to understand her character. This way, he would know how to handle certain situations when he was traveling, while bringing her with him.


    Iris was about to say something else, but she stopped after hearing Astra''s irritated neigh.


    "What''s wrong, Astra?" Iris asked.


    Astra once again neighed as it used its horn to point at the baby slime who had crawled on top of Iris'' head.


    Eiko nced at the Unicorn and narrowed her eyes. Because of her ability to understand all creatures, she understood that the Unicorn wanted her to leave her Mama''s head.


    The baby slime didn''t want to leave, so she decided to show the arrogant Unicorn that she wasn''t someone that it could mess with.


    Eiko spat several Fire Bullets in rapid session towards the Unicorn that was trying to make her stay away from her Mama.


    Astra had already expected that this would happen, so it casually dodged Eiko''s attack with ease, while looking at her in contempt.


    The arrogant expression on the Unicorn''s face didn''t sit well with Eiko, so she unleashed a barrage of spells that she had just recently learned.


    Astra neighed with disdain as the little Slime pelted it with elemental attacks in rapid session.


    As a monster that had been cared for by Iris for many years, Astra''s rank was equivalent to a Rank 3 Monster. Since the Unicorn specialized in speed, it was very easy for it to dodge the attacks of a low-level monster like Eiko.


    After seeing that her attacks weren''t connecting, Eiko''s body glowed briefly as it shouted with its adorable voice.


    "Arise!"


    Suddenly, a scene that Lux and Iris didn''t expect to happen in front of them happened.


    Seven Skeleton Fighters, and Four Skeleton Grand Archers appeared in front of Iris.


    Eiko raised its head and shouted. "Attack!"


    The Slime''s seven Skeleton Fighters charged at the Unicorn with fury. The Skeleton Grand Archers also used their Crippling Volley attack in order to limit the number of ces that Astra could move.


    The Unicorn was caught by surprise, but it wasn''t entirely helpless either. As one of Iris'' guardians, it had faced this situation numerous times when it apanied her to Elysium.


    Astra disappeared from where it stood using its Blink ability, then fired a beam of light from the tip of its horn at the approaching skeletons.


    The attack blew the Skeleton Fighters away, and shaved off half of their health. The Unicorn once again Blinked and instantly appeared behind the Skeleton Grand Archers and used its Thrash attack, kicking them in different directions.


    Lux had already pulled Iris and helped her back away from the intense battle, so she wasn''t in any danger from the battle that was currently being waged by Eiko''s summons as well as Astra''s skills.


    Hanz stood in front of his Master, ready to block any wayward spells or attacks that might head in her direction.


    Unknown to the three of them, Eiko had Blinked away from Iris'' head, and was currently jumping towards her minions in order to fight alongside them. Astra wanted Eiko to stay away from Iris, which upset the baby Slime.


    Because of this, she decided to fight against the annoying Unicorn, and show it that she was not someone that could be bullied easily.

 Chapter 88 Eiko Vs. Astra [Part 2]

    "Brother, what is happening?" Iris asked. "Where did those skeletonse from?"


    "Eiko copied my Summoning Skills," Lux answered. "Iris, the baby Slime you hatched from the egg I gave you might be the strongest Slime in existence."


    "Brother, Eiko is our daughter. Of course, she''s bound to be the strongest."


    "Um. Now that you mention it, how can my daughter be a weakling?"


    "I know, right?"


    ��-


    While Lux and Iris were spectating from the side, Eiko was spitting one spell after another at the Unicorn that was trying to bully her.


    Astra merely looked at the baby Slime with contempt as it deftly evaded her attacks with ease. For the attacks that were impossible to evade, it would just use Blink and instantly appear several meters away from its original position.


    If Astra didn''t have the Blink skill, it would be hard pressed to fight against the skeletons that Eiko had summoned. However, since it could use Blink, it hadplete control of the current pace of the battle.


    Not wanting to lose, Eiko copied Lux''s skill, Mana Drain [EX], and tried to drain the Unicorn''s mana in an attempt to prevent it from Blinking away.


    When the baby Slime activated her Mana Drain skill, the Unicorn instantly felt that some of its mana was being siphoned to the baby Slime who had its mouth open wide.


    Neighing in anger, Astra Blinked towards Eiko''s location, wanting to punish her for trying to defy it. However, just as Astra appeared in front of Eiko, the baby slime disappeared using her own Blink ability.


    As soon as Eiko reappeared in the distance, she spat a Void Arrow towards the Unicorn, nning to blind it. Unfortunately for her, the one she was fighting against was a veteran beast.


    Astra also blinked away, and this time, it Blinked behind Eiko.


    Sensing that the enemy was behind her, Eiko Blinked away, preventing herself from being pressed down by Astra''s hoof.


    Starting from that moment, both beasts fought by using Blinks consecutively. The Unicorn was doing its best to get close to the baby slime, while Eiko was doing her best to escape from Astra.


    This game of tagsted for two-full minutes before the baby slime reappeared in the corner of the room, panting for breath. Eiko had used all of her mana with the constant Blinking, and could no longer move away from the Unicorn who had a devilish smile on its face.


    Just as Astra was about to close in on the baby Slime, whose body had almost turned into a small puddle due to fatigue, a skeleton with burning golden eyes in its sockets appeared in front of it.


    Soon, a ng resounded in the training field as Astra''s horn met Diablo''s shield head-on.


    Lux''s Named Creature held his ground, as he blocked Astra''s attack. Although Astra was stronger than Diablo, his appearance had unnerved the Unicorn, which made thetter unable to use its full power, resulting in their sh bing a tie.


    "Alright Astra, I think that''s enough," Lux said as he extended both of his hands to scoop up the exhausted baby slime that was lying on the floor. "Eiko is still a baby. Don''t bully her too much."


    The Unicorn snorted, but it no longer pursued the matter. Its main reason was because it felt that it was beneath it to keep bullying a newborn baby monster. Astra only wanted to teach Eiko a lesson for trying to disobey her superior.


    It didn''t expect Eiko to have a stubborn personality with no intention of backing down, which resulted in the short skirmish between the two of them.


    Iris looked at this scene with a smile on her face. As a Beast Tamer, she understood that Astra was just feeling a bit jealous of Eiko because Iris was pampering her. Among her five mythical beasts, it was Astra who had the least tolerance towards strangers approaching Iris casually.


    Luckily, after repeatedly reminding it to not attack the students in the academy who were trying to get close to Iris, the Unicorn finally managed to reign in its emotions.


    Unfortunately, while it had developed sufficient tolerance against Humans, it still didn''t like other Monsters being chummy with its mother tamer.


    "Pa��," Eiko said as she weakly raised her head. "Wuwuwuwu."


    The baby slime started to cry, and tears streamed down from her eyes. Lux lightly patted her head and allowed Eiko to cry on his chest.


    Truth be told, he was shocked at how much of a Battle Junky Eiko was. Maybe she knew deep inside that Astra wouldn''t really hurt her, so she decided to fight against the Unicorn in order to get back at it.


    Unfortunately, the baby Slime was still a baby. Even with her cheat-like abilities, she was still not a match for a battle-hardened veteran that had protected Iris from the dangers of Elysium.


    "It''s fine, Eiko," Lux coaxed the baby slime. "Let''s get back at it when you grow stronger, okay? Just give it a year and we will be pping Astra''s butt cheeks."


    Astra neighed angrily at Lux as if telling him "Bro, what the f*ck? You are a bad influence on your daughter!"


    Iris, who had also approached the crying baby, pouted as she lightly pinched Lux''s ears.


    "Brother, don''t teach Eiko to carry a grudge," Iris said with a serious expression. "She''s still young and must be taught what is right and wrong. Do you want her to grow up to be a rebellious child?"


    Lux only smiled as he continued to pat the crying slime''s head. Although he was still struggling to grasp the concept of treating a Monster as his daughter, he thought that it might not be such a bad idea.<sub> </sub>


    Perhaps, feeling his change of heart, Eiko''s body rxed in his hand and fell asleep.


    Iris peered at the sleeping baby''s face with a smile.


    "Brother, raising a Monster is not easy," Iris said. "Some people treat them as pets. Others treat them as friends, while the majority treat them as tools. I hope that you won''t treat Eiko as a tool in order to advance in Elysium. If you do, I''ll make sure to take her away from you. Anyway, I can raise our daughter myself!"


    Lux nced at the youngdy who was staring at him with a serious expression on her face. Clearly, she meant every word that she had said, and would definitely take Eiko away from him if he treated thetter wrongly.


    "I promise that I won''t treat her as a tool," Lux met Iris'' serious gaze with his own. "I will also not treat her as a pet. Since you wanted to raise her as part of our family then I will do my best to treat her as one. However, I admit that this concept is new to me. Please, give me time to adjust."


    "Oh~ You don''t have to worry about that, Brother. If you''re notfortable calling Eiko your daughter, that''s fine too. When I turn sixteen, I''ll ask grandma to help me prepare our wedding," Iris said with a smile. "When that happens, we can make a real baby. That way, you will have plenty of time to practice how to be a father."


    ''... Well, that escted rather quickly,'' Lux thought as he took a step back, while looking at the young beauty whose eyes started to turn dreamy. The Half-Elf didn''t reject the idea of the two of them getting married.


    However, after regaining his memories, he remembered his main goal and the reason why he had to go to Elysium. In order to make his stepsister and his grandmother happy, he must do his best to find a way to keep the world of Sis from dying.


    Only by doing so would they have a future and a ce where they could raise a family together.


    As Lux was lost in his thoughts, working out how he would achieve his goal, Iris had already closed the distance and wrapped her arms around him. She didn''t hold him tightly, and even allowed the Half-Elf to break out of her hold if he really wanted to do it.


    "Brother Lux, I know that you might be tired of hearing me repeat things over and over again, but these are my real feelings," Iris said softly as she gazed at her beloved stepbrother''s beautiful green eyes that she liked so much. "Although it was Grandma who tried to matchmake the two of us, I sincerely hope that you will consider making me your wife."


    "I promise that I will do my best to make you happy. I know that for the longest time, your goal has been to go to Elysium. I respect that, and I wish for you to seed as well. However, know this, I have liked you for a very long time."


    Iris smiled as she pressed her finger over Lux''s lips in order to stop him from saying anything.


    "Don''t give me an answer now." Iris looked at him with a tender gaze. "Think about it and give me your answer in a year or two. But know this, if your answer is no then I will have no choice but to ask for Grandma''s help to tie you up and have the two of us wed whether you like it or not."


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched. Iris had managed to pluck his heartstrings with the first half of her confession. However, everything went south at the end, which made him unable to decide whether he shouldugh or cry at her subtle threat of a shotgun wedding.


    "Understood." Lux nodded his head in understanding. He had long known that Iris liked him, and he was no longer a child who would pretend that he didn''t understand. Since that was the case, he would also be open with his own feelings, and ask her a question that had been in his mind for quite some time.


    "Um, Iris, I have a serious question to ask you."


    "Go ahead, brother."


    "Let''s say, for example, that I fell in love with someone else. What would you do then?"


    The corner of Iris'' lips curled up into a smirk as she looked at Lux''s handsome face.


    "Whoever they may be, they must first get my approval," Iris answered. "Then and only then will I allow them to enter your harem."


    Lux blinked as he stared back at Iris who was looking back at him with a smile.


    "You''re not angry about me having otherdies aside from you?" Lux asked.


    "Well, I will be lying if I said that I don''t feel sad about it," Iris replied. "However, if they were capable of making you fall in love with them then that means they have the qualifications to get my approval. So, dear brother of mine, promise me this. If you truly find someone that you love, do not hide her from me, okay?"


    "Understood. I can make this promise to you."


    "Good. That is all I ask, Brother."


    Iris reluctantly took a step back as she looked at the Half-Elf in front of her, who had grown up with her since she was young.


    Even now, she didn''t know if the feelings she had for him were familial love or true love. However, one thing was clear. She liked Lux from the bottom of her heart.


    She also knew that Lux liked her, too. It was only her father, Alexander, who opposed their rtionship. Although the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy never talked about it, Iris could tell that he didn''t think that Lux was worthy of bing her groom due to thetter''s repeated failures to get the qualifications to enter Elysium.


    ''Just you wait, Father,'' Iris thought with an amused expression on her face. ''Brother Lux isn''t the ipetent person that you thought he was. I can''t wait to see the look on your face when he wins the tournament that you have prepared in order to look for my fiance.''


    The Princess of Barbatos Academy smiled sweetly. Although there were many geniuses that would join thepetition to win her hand in marriage, for some reason, she wasn''t afraid.


    She didn''t know where this confidence of hers wasing from, but after seeing Lux''s Soul Book today, she understood that his potential was limitless.


    Deep inside, she was very happy. How could she not be? She knew that if Lux was given a year or two, he would definitely surpass all those so-called geniuses that had graduated from the Apostle Grade and stepped into the rank of Initiates.


    Her gaze softened when she saw Eiko crawl towards Lux''s neck to give him a kiss. Although this little family of theirs might look like they were merely ''ying house'' to other people, Iris firmly believed that one day her wishes, and dreams, would finally be a reality.

 Chapter 89 I Don’t Have Much Time Left

    After Eiko''s battle with Astra, the baby slime slept peacefully in Lux''s arms.


    Iris walked beside Lux as they went to find Vera in the Sky Garden of Barbatos Academy. This particr garden was divided into four areas.


    The first one was for the students withmoner backgrounds.


    The second was for those with noble backgrounds.


    The third was for the elite students of the academy who had shown exceptional talent in Elysium. This special area didn''t care whether you were a noble or not. As long as you had results, you would be a part of this exclusive club.


    Everyone wanted to enter this circle of the Elites because they were truly the recognized prodigies of the six kingdoms that backed Barbatos Academy. Even Princes and Princesses could not enter the Elite Circle, regardless of how much influence and money they tried to use.


    Andst, but not the least, was the private sanctuary of the Kaizer family. Since Alexander was one of the strongest humans in the Western Regions of Sis, no one dared to defy him whenever he made a decision.


    This was also the case for the part of the garden where Iris usually stayed with her Beast Companions whenever she wasn''t training.


    When Lux and Iris arrived at the garden, they saw Vera enjoying some tea, while being served by Alicia, who wanted to score some brownie points with Alexander''s mother. Vera knew that the beautiful secretary admired her son, and had already approved of her.


    However, Alexander had be distant and indifferent after Iris'' mother died due to her poor health. Since then, he never remarried nor even looked at otherdies with the intention of marrying them.


    For him, Alicia was only his secretary and their rtionship was pure business. Nothing more, nothing less.


    ''Poor girl,'' Lux thought as he looked at the beautifuldy, who was trying to aim for the moon, but was given rice crackers instead.


    "Grandma!" Iris smiled brightly as she ran towards Vera to give her a hug, and a kiss on her left cheek.


    After giving her greeting, the young beauty gave Lux a side-long nce before whispering something in Vera''s ear, which made the old woman smile sweetly.


    As if it was a nned move, bothdies gazed at Lux''s with faces that screamed "Mission Aplished!"


    The Half-Elf could only chuckle nervously because he could already hear the wedding bells ringing in the distance. His only hope was his stepfather, Alexander, getting in the way of the twodies'' ns.


    "Grandma, please meet your great granddaughter," Lux said with a teasing tone as he presented the still sleeping baby Slime to his grandmother.


    As if sensing someone staring at her, Eiko opened her eyes and saw an old woman staring at her with an amused expression on her face.


    "Manma!" Eiko said happily as she looked at Vera.


    Lux was quite surprised that his baby Slime had called Vera "Manma", which was the endearment he used to call her when he was young.


    Vera was also surprised and gave Lux a nce, as if asking him if he had asked Eiko to call her in this manner. The Half-Elf shook his head firmly in response, which made Vera shift her attention back to the little Slime who was lightly jumping on Lux''s hands.


    "Come here, Little One," Vera picked up the baby slime with both hands and brought her close to her face, to take a better look at Eiko.<sub> </sub>


    Eiko didn''t resist, in fact when Vera tried to scoop her up, she jumped on Vera''s hands and giggled. Perhaps, she thought that her great grandmother was ying a game with her, so she decided to y with her.


    "Manma! Kiss!" Eiko said as she jumped up and down on Vera''s hands.


    Vera chuckled because this was the first time she had seen a Slime act like a spoiled child, which tickled her heart. The olddy then kissed Eiko''s cheeks, and the baby Slime returned the favor. After sharing a kiss, Eiko crawled from Vera''s hand, to her shoulder, until she stood beside her neck.


    Vera then picked up a small cookie from her te and fed it to the baby Slime, who was more than happy to eat some snacks after her battle with the Unicorn, who bullied her.


    "Although I didn''t expect that my first granddaughter would be a Slime, this feeling isn''t half bad," Veramented as she gave Eiko another cookie. "But Lux, make sure to give me another great grandchild in five years, okay? I don''t have much time left, and I still want to hold your baby."


    "Grandma, you''re still young," Lux replied as he rested a hand on his grandma''s other shoulder. "I''m sure that you''ll be able to live for another hundred years."


    "Silly boy, my ears are not as long as yours."


    "Grandma��"


    Lux suddenly felt sad after seeing the wrinkles on his grandma''s face. He hadn''t paid any attention to this in the past because, for him, Vera was strong and healthy.


    Also, Vera rarely showed any signs of weakness. For her to tell him that she didn''t have much time, and wanted to see her great grandchild, made him realize that he had only been thinking of himself as ofte.


    He had never paused to consider his Grandma who had raised him since he was a baby. The Half-Elf thought that because Vera was strong, she would be able to live longer.


    The people in Sis lived longer lifespans,pared to the Humans back on Earth. Most of them could live up to two hundred years old without any problems.


    Lux had never asked Vera how old she was because he had long been told that asking a woman''s age was disrespectful. But, seeing how old Vera looked, the red-headed teenager felt a tightening in his heart, as he thought about a future without her.


    "Don''t worry, Grandma," Lux said softly. "I promise you that before I turn twenty, you will be holding another great grandchild in your hands."


    Vera looked at her grandson and nodded her head with satisfaction. "I look forward to it."


    Iris who was listening from the side held her burning cheeks with both hands as her face turned beet red.


    "Grandma, I will also do my best," Irismented. "What do you want? A girl or a boy?"


    "Hm�� I don''t mind if it''s a girl or a boy. As long as they are born healthy."


    "Understood! Let''s do our best, Brother!"


    <o>,m "Mmm."</o>


    Eiko, who was listening to their conversation, also smiled. It was as if she was also excited to see her future brother or sister, who would be born a few years from now.

 Chapter 90 Feeling Like A Novel Protagonist

    "Look after your Papa for me, okay?"


    "Ma!"


    "Make sure he doesn''t cheat on me, okay?"


    "Ma?"


    Vera chuckled as she patted Iris'' head.


    "Don''t teach Eiko things like this, Iris," Vera said with a smile. "She''s still a baby."


    Iris stuck her tongue out at Lux, while thetter just shook his head helplessly. After spending a few days in Barbatos Academy, the Half-Elf had been targeted by several students who had a crush on Iris.


    Naturally, Lux didn''t fight them and simply told them that he was Iris'' stepbrother. Instead of feeling relieved, the boys became even more aggressive, and some even cursed him saying how jealous they were of him.


    Fortunately, Vera was always with him whenever he toured the academy, so no actual harm came to him. However, Lux''s grandma told him that if he wanted the harassment to stop, all he needed to do was marry Iris after she turned sixteen and the problem would be solved.


    Lux knew that his grandma was being serious about it, so he chose to stay silent and just turn a blind eye on it. He and Iris had already had a heart-to-heart talk about this and came to an agreement.


    For now, the Half-Elf would focus his attention on the thing that mattered, and that was to get stronger in Elysium, and find a way to save the world of Sis from destruction. That was his reason for being born in the world.


    After Iris clung to Lux for five-full minutes, under the res of thousands of teenage boys who were wishing for his death, the young beauty finally took a step back and gazed at Lux with eyes filled with tenderness.


    "Make sure to take care of our daughter, Papa," Iris said in a volume that was only loud enough for Lux to hear. "If anything happens to Eiko, I''ll make sure to give you a piece of my mind."


    Lux smiled and nodded. "I''ll do my best."


    Since Eiko and him were now bounded together by Fate, Lux decided to take good care of the baby slime and ensure that she became a strong monster.


    "Goodbye, Grandma," Iris hugged Vera affectionately. "Please, visit as often as you can. Just a few days is not enough for me to tie up big brother and give you your great grandson."


    "Don''t worry, next time, I''ll tie him up personally," Vera replied as she hugged the young beauty back. "Take care, Iris. Also, make sure that your father doesn''t overwork himself."


    Iris nodded. "Un!"


    The White Hippopotamus, Sophie, transformed and became bigger, allowing Vera and Lux to mount her back.


    Lux wanted to stay a bit longer to allow his grandma to spend more time with her son, and granddaughter, but he was on a tight schedule. He had made a promise to go to the Stronghold of Norria with Colette and the others, so he needed to return to Elysium as soon as possible.


    The Half-Elf and his grandmother looked in the distance as the academy slowly disappeared from their sights.


    "Lux, did Iris tell you about the uing tournament?" Vera inquired.


    Lux nodded. "Mmm."


    "Are you nning to enter?"


    "Yes. If I don''t, Iris will get mad at me. She will shout like a mandrake and wake up the dead."


    Vera chuckled as she rested her hand on her grandson''s shoulder. She knew what her son was nning as a reward in the tournament, but she didn''t say anything about it. Even though Lux might not be the champion, Vera would not allow her granddaughter to marry anyone else.


    After an uneventful journey, the two safely arrived in Wildgarde Stronghold. Lux decided to rest in his room for a bit and have dinner with his grandma before returning to Elysium in the morning.


    There was also the matter of Eiko''s skills, which he still hadn''t chosen. Lux decided to rule out the summoning options that were avable to her because she didn''t need those at this point in time. This removed more than half the options from the list, allowing the Half-Elf to focus his attention on the remaining choices.


    ��-


    �C Health +2000


    �C Intelligence +100


    �C Underwater Breathing


    �C Lava Walking


    �C Air Steps


    �C Dig


    ��-


    "There are no volcanoes here in the Beginner''s Area so I can skip Lava Walking for now," Lux muttered. "Underwater breathing is good, but slimes can already float in the water, and are good swimmers. She doesn''t need to be a submarine. The additional 100 Bonus to intelligence is good, so I guess I''ll choose this one. As for thest one��"


    Lux had to choose between Air Steps and Dig. in order to better understand them, Lux decided to look at the information about the two Skills, so he could finalize his decision.


    ��-


    < Air Steps >


    �C Allows Eiko to move in the air as if she was moving onnd. This skill consumes five Mana Point every thirty seconds, up to a maximum of a minute.


    �C Skill Cooldown: 2 minutes.


    ��--


    < Dig >


    �C Allows Eiko to dig a hole and move underground. This skill consumes fifty Mana Points every thirty seconds.


    �C This skill has no cooldown and can be used as long as Eiko has mana.<sub> </sub>


    ��


    Lux rubbed his chin as he gazed at the two choices. Both were self exnatory, but he was still finding a hard time to decide which skill to pick for the baby slime.


    If he chose Air Steps, Eiko would be able to maneuver in the air, assisting him in battle. Dig, on the other hand, would allow her to safely dig underground, preventing anyone from running after her.


    Both were life saving skills, and their only difference was their usage. After a long struggle, Lux finally decided to choose Air Steps. Although Dig was a good choice, Air Steps was more versatile. It also gave Eiko the ability to attack from above as she unleashed a barrage of spells that she had learned after absorbing the Beast Cores that Iris gave her.


    ��--


    You have chosen the skill Air Steps.


    ��--


    Eiko activated the skill Mimicry [EX]!


    �C Target Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C Sessfully copied Skill Evolution [EX]!


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    < Since the Skill is not learned from a Beastcore, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    �C Air Steps has sessfully been upgraded to Air Strider [EX]!


    < Air Strider [EX] >


    �C Aside from traversing on air, this skill also gives Eiko the ability to fly for a short period of time.


    �C This skill consumes five Mana Points every thirty seconds, up to a maximum of a minute when traversing on air.


    �C This skill consumes fifty Mana Points every thirty seconds, up to a maximum of five minutes while flying in the air.


    ��-


    < Eiko >


    "The world is my oyster!"


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Rating: E


    �C Progress ( 0 / 2000)


    Health: 850 / 850


    Mana: 7,500 / 7,500


    Strength: 17


    Intelligence: 150


    Vitality: 17


    Agility: 17


    Dexterity: 17


    Special Abilities: Mimicry [EX], Regeneration [EX], Family Bond [EX], Speech [EX], Air Strider [EX]


    Active Skill: Water Bullet, Hydro Ball. Fire Bullet, Fire Bolt, Wind Bullet, Aero Ball, Stone Bullet, Stone Spike, Shadow Bullet, Shadow Ball, Blink, Teleport, Cure, Cure-All.


    Passive Skill: Uncanny Dodge


    Title: Mama''s and Papa''s Girl


    Note: One small step for men, one giant leap for baby slime.


    ��---


    After looking at Eiko''s stats, Lux couldn''t stop the corner of his lips from twitching at the cheat-like abilities that his baby Slime possessed.


    Looking at her stats alone, Eiko was now considered a Rank 1 Monster because herbined stats had already surpassed 200 points.


    Not only that, she had a vast array of skills at her disposal. The best thing of all was that she could copy any move with the help of her Skill, Mimicry [EX], This allowed her to double Lux''s Skeleton Army in a heartbeat.


    With such a cute baby Slime by his side, Lux felt that he was like one of those novel protagonists, whose cheat-like abilities would make the readers reading it scream "OP!"


    "Let''s sleep, Eiko," Lux said as he lightly patted the baby Slime that was yawning on his pillow. "Tomorrow, I''ll let you meet my friends. I''m sure that you will get along with them."


    "Fwen?" Eiko sleepily muttered before closing her eyes to sleep.


    Lux smiled as he envisioned Colette''s and Helen''s reactions after seeing Eiko. Knowing the two little girls, they would surely pamper and spoil the baby Slime, who would give them a wonderful surprise as they continued their journey in Elysium.

 Chapter 91 This Is My Baby Monster Eiko

    "Take care of yourselves, okay?" Vera said as she ced her left hand on Lux''s shoulder, and patted Eiko''s head with her right. "Visit me often."


    "We will be careful, Grandma," Lux replied. "Please, take care of yourself as well."


    "I love Manma!" Eiko stated, which made Vera smile. Vera kissed her adopted great granddaughter''s head, causing thetter to giggle.


    After looking at the father and daughter pair, Vera reluctantly stepped back. Whenever Lux returned to Elysium, she would feel worried about him. However, the red-headed teenager made sure toe home as much as he could, and each of his stayssted for a few days before he left again.


    Also, Lux would show her his Soul Book each time, just like a student who would show their parents their report cards, so they could see how well they were doing. The Half-Elf wanted to assure his grandma that she didn''t need to worry about his safety in the Beginner''s Zone because he was getting strong.


    Since Vera already knew the extent of Lux''s progress, her worries diminished a bit. But, just like a doting parent, she still felt sad whenever the two of them parted. After taking care of him for over sixteen years, the olddy knew that Lux had to take the path he had chosen on his own.


    "Don''t worry, Grandma. We will return safely," Lux said after seeing the worried expression that Vera wasn''t able to hide as she looked at him.


    Vera nodded. "I will be waiting for the two of you to return. May the Gods watch over the two of you."


    Lux smiled as he ced his right hand over his chest.


    "Open! Heaven''s Gate!"


    ��----


    Eiko, who had imed the top of Lux''s head as her nest, looked at her surroundings with great curiosity.


    As the Half-Elf strolled through Leaf Vige, several Dwarfs greeted him, while others gave him a brief nod as he passed through them. After defeating the Abomination, the reputation points that he gained after finishing his quest made the locals of Leaf Vige treat him as a friend.


    The little Slime on his head also caught the attention of some Dwarf children. Most of them would often look at Eiko with great curiosity as thetter walked alongside Lux.


    It was at that moment when he heard a familiar voice calling out to him in the distance.


    "Big Brother!"


    Lux nced at the balcony of the tavern he usually went to with Colette and saw the adorable little Dwarf waving at him.


    He also saw Helen, Andy, Axel, as well as the Simp, Matty, who was looking at him with an annoyed expression.


    Lux waved back as he walked towards the tavern where his friends were at. Today was the tenth day since theyst saw each other. They were also nning to go to the Stronghold of Norriater in the afternoon.


    The red-headed teenager still had the special permits that Boreas had given him to gain ess to the checkpoints that they would be passing through along the way.


    "What took you so long?"


    That was the first thing that Matty asked when Lux joined their table. "We''ve been waiting for two hours already."


    "Sorry, I was dyed a bit because I had breakfast with Grandma," Lux replied.<sub> </sub>


    Matty clicked his tongue but didn''t say anything else. Andy and Axel greeted Lux in a friendly manner, while Colette and Helen looked at the Blue Slime on Lux''s head with curious gazes. Seeing the two girls'' reaction, the Half-Elf decided to introduce Eiko to them.


    "Everyone, this is my baby monster, Eiko," Lux said with a smile. "Eiko, they are your Big Sis Colette and Helen. These are your Big Brothers Andy, and Axel, and that Dwarf over there, just call him Simp."


    Matty rolled his eyes, before drinking the ale in his mug. He was not interested in whatever the baby Slime called him because he didn''t care about its existence.


    "Sis!" Eiko said as she crawled down from Lux''s head towards the table.


    She stopped in front of Colette and looked up at her with innocent eyes, which melted the little Dwarf''s heart.


    "No good, I may not be able to kill Slimes anymore," Colette said as she lightly poked Eiko''s cheeks, making the baby Slime giggle.


    "Eiko, do you like pancakes? You can have some of mine," Helenmented as she used her fork to feed Eiko the pancake on her te.


    Eiko moved towards Helen''s location and opened her mouth, allowing Helen to feed her.


    "Is it good?" Helen asked.


    "Un!" Eiko nodded happily, which prompted Colette and Helen to both feed her.


    The baby Slime happily ate everything that the two girls gave her. Since Eiko had a transparent body, everyone was able to see how she digested it all.


    "Do slimes digest things this fast?" Lux asked Colette, who had just finished feeding the baby Slime a small sausage.


    The Half-Elf hadn''t seen any Slime in the past, so she didn''t know if Eiko''s digestion speed was normal or not. Each bite of food that was given to her would be digested in less than five seconds, which made him wonder if all slimes were like Eiko.


    Colette and Helen paused as they considered this question. Suddenly both of them looked at Eiko in disbelief when they realized that what they were seeing wasn''t normal.


    "As far as I know, it takes Slimes a few hours to digest anything they eat," Colette said as she looked at Eiko in a different light. "Even the Gluttonous Slime, that eats just about anything, takes at least half an hour to digest the things it eats."


    Right after Colette finished talking, Eiko let out a burp before crawling back towards Lux''s hand. Soon, she crawled back up to the Half-Elf''s head before closing her eyes to sleep.


    ''I think I need to do a bit more research about Slimes,'' Lux thought. ''Good thing, I have the Elysium Compendium. I will take a good look at itter.''


    Looking at the baby Slime that was peacefully sleeping on Lux''s head, Colette and Helen asked the red-headed teenager where he got Eiko. Since Lux couldn''t possibly tell them that Eiko came from the egg that he had received as a bonus reward after killing Carbuncle, he just told them that she was given to him by his Grandma Vera.


    The two Dwarves didn''t find this strange because it was verymon for parents to give their children gifts whenever they do something praiseworthy in Elysium.


    An hourter, all of them left the tavern and went to the Merchant''s Guild to hire a carriage that would take them to the Stronghold of Norria.


    Before he left to return to Sis, Nevreal told him that they would bring the Nightmare Horse that he requested from the Stronghold while he was away. Lux was quite happy with this arrangement because he was also going there to pick up weapons and armor for his Skeleton Army.


    He believed that even if they were just wielding the standard weapons that the Riders of Norria used, the strength of his minions would be raised to a higher level, allowing them to deal more damage, and be more resistant to the physical and magical damage that came from their enemies.

 Chapter 92 It Is Not Only Kobolds That Keep Grudges

    As their carriage traveled towards the Stronghold of Norria, Colette and Helen took care of Eiko.


    Lux, on the other hand, was busy reading the Elysium Compendium and doing his best to learn more about Slimes. However, the more he read, the more his confusion grew.


    Eiko was a Blue Slime. It was the mostmon type of Slime, and yet her abilities far exceeded that of ordinary Slimes, which made it very hard for Lux to identify what kind of slime she really was.


    ''There''s no doubt that she''s a Blue Slime,'' Lux thought as he scratched his head. ''Well, I guess I shouldn''t be too surprised. After all, the one who hatched her was Iris.''


    His stepsister''s luck was off the charts, so any egg that she personally hatched would definitely be a Mythical Monster at the minimum.


    After reading for two hours, Lux closed the book and watched the baby Slime lightly hop on top of Colette''s palms, making thetter and the other Dwarf girl giggle.


    Lux watched this scene with a smile. However, his expression immediately changed when something suddenly descended from the sky, blocking the road in front of them.


    p The horse pulling the carriage abruptly halted as it neighed in fear, but the coachman managed to reign it in. Even so, he looked at the monster in front of him with a guarded expression on his face.</anda>


    The Dwarves immediately summoned their weapons, while Eiko hurriedly crawled towards Lux and hid behind him. All of them looked at the Draconic creature with wings behind his back, who was staring at them with a hint of amusement.


    Colette and her friends immediately recognized the monster, which made their faces turn grim. How could they possibly forget the one that was responsible for sabotaging their mission by attacking the caravan that they were guarding? They were even kidnapped and brought into thetter''s nest as prisoners.


    "I remember you Dwarves��," the creature said as soon as his eyesnded on Colette and her friends, which made them flinch.


    It then chuckled lightly after seeing the fear on their faces. After having its fill, it then shifted his gaze to the Half-Elf who stood out from the rest. "You are the one that the Chieftain mentioned some time ago. The Half-Elf that led the Warriors of Norria to our nest and started a massacre while I was away."


    The Draconic Kobold released faint traces of killing intent as his gaze locked on Lux. Clearly, it didn''t like the fact that its brethren were killed while he was fighting the Goblins that were trying to annex their territory.


    Lux faced the monster with a fearless gaze, but deep inside he was feeling anxious. The Elysium Compendium had identified the creature that was blocking their way.


    The red-headed teenager didn''t expect that he would meet this creature on their way to the Stronghold of Norria. Looking at its information, he knew that even if he fought alongside his friends, in addition to summoning all his creatures, the ending would still be the same.


    All of them would perish under the creature''s overpowering might.


    ��--


    < Draconic Kobold >


    �C Kobold Wyrmling


    �C Rank 5 Alpha Monster


    Health: 400,000 / 400,000


    Mana: 350,000 / 350,000


    Strength: 300


    Intelligence: 350


    Vitality: 300


    Agility: 300


    Dexterity: 300


    Active Skills: Dragon Breath, Dragon w, Dragon Tail, Dragon Fear, Berserk


    Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude


    ��-


    < Enhanced Fortitude >


    �C Reduce all damage taken by 30%


    ��-


    ''Sh*t,'' Lux thought as he read the information that appeared in front of him. He also had the Enhanced Fortitude Skill as a passive skill, so he understood how troublesome it would be if he fought against the Draconic Kobold in front of him.


    All Dragon Monsters had this skill. Lux was only able to obtain this skill because Vera had given him a beast core that contained the skill Fortitude, which the Skill Evolution [EX] upgraded to a higher rank, giving him the same resistance as the Dragon Race.


    However,pared to the foe in front of them, his resistance was equivalent to toilet paper.


    Rustling sounds were heard around them as several more Kobolds appeared to surround their carriage. Although none of them held any weapons, the Draconic Kobold that was eyeing their group was more than enough to make Lux and the others forget about this small detail.


    "What do you want?" Lux asked the two-meter tall monster who was eyeing him like a predator that had found his prey. "Don''t you know that your race and the Dwarves have signed a nonaggression pact treaty? You are no longer allowed to antagonize the citizens of this Domain."


    The Draconic Kobold snorted as his eyes locked on to Lux''s body.


    "True," the Draconic Kobold agreed. "But that only applies to Dwarves. You are not included in that treaty.''


    ''Oh, f*ck��" Lux cursed internally because he hadpletely forgotten that he wasn''t a Dwarf. The agreement between the Kobold Chieftain as well as Boreas, the Commander of Norria, only stated that they would no longer trouble the Dwarves in their territory.


    "You areing with me today, Half-Elf," the Draconic Kobold dered. "Take him. But, do not hurt the Dwarves."


    "We won''t let you touch Big Brother!" Colette shouted as she gripped her mace firmly in her hands. Although she knew that she wasn''t a match against the enemy in front of her, she just couldn''t possibly stand by and let them take Lux just like that.


    "Surround Big Brother now!" Colette ordered.


    Matty, Andy, Axel, and Helen, understood Colette''s intentions. As long as they used their bodies as a shield to protect Lux, the Kobold wouldn''t be able to do anything to them or they would break the agreement between the Kobolds and the Dwarves.


    "Foolish children," the Draconic Kobold said as it unleashed its Dragon Fear.


    Immediately, Colette and the others were subjected to an incredible pressure that made their knees buckle. They simply didn''t have the ability to resist the fear-inducing effect of the Dragon Fear, which made them almost lose their consciousness.


    Suddenly, the sound of hooves was heard in the distance. The Draconic Kobold turned its head to see six riders, mounted on goats, charging in their direction.<sub> </sub>


    "What''s the meaning of this?" the Captain of the Riders asked when it saw the Kobolds surrounding the carriage. "Are you nning on breaking the agreement, Kobold? How dare you harm our people?"


    The Draconic Kobold scoffed as it pointed its reptilian finger at Lux. "I''m not harming your people. I only want him."


    The Dwarf Captain frowned as he looked at the red-headed teenager, who was being surrounded by the Dwarf children.


    "You can''t take him," the Dwarven Captain said. "He is one of us."


    "One of you?" the Draconic Kobold smirked. "Do you think I am blind, Dwarf?"


    The Dwarf Captain ignored the Kobold and pointed at Lux.


    "You there, do you have the medal bestowed unto you by his Majesty?" the Dwarf Captain asked.


    Lux nodded and took the wooden box out of his storage ring. He then opened it and showed the Dwarf Captain the medal that had been given to him by the King of the Dwarves.


    "Take a good look at that, Kobold," the Dwarf Captain said. "Although he is not one of our kind, he is considered a Noble of our Kingdom. This means that he is one of us, and our King treats him with high regard. You already know the punishment for those who try to kill the Nobles of this Kingdom, right?"


    The Draconic Kobold walked towards the Half-Elf with steady steps. Colette and the others tried to move their bodies to block him, but Lux stopped them from doing so. The mere thought of letting the children get hurt because of him didn''t sit well with him.


    Since the Dwarf Captain was around, he knew that the Draconic Kobold wouldn''t do anything that would break the agreement that their race had with the Dwarves.


    The Draconic Kobold picked the golden medal up from the wooden box and scrutinized it. As one of the most intelligent creatures from its race, it knew the value of such trinkets. Seeing the insignia of the Gweliven Kingdom embedded on the medal, the Draconic Kobold had no choice but to recognize that what the Dwarf Captain said was true.


    "Just this once, I will let this slide," the Draconic Kobold said as he returned the medal to the wooden box. "What is your name, Half-Elf?"


    "Lux," Lux answered. "Lux Von Kaizer."


    "I will remember you, Lux," the Draconic Kobold said with an evil smirk on its face. His face was only inches away from Lux''s and his razor sharp teeth made the Half-Elf wonder when the Draconic Kobold had brushed its teethst.


    "My name is Cadmus," Cadmus introduced himself as he rested his ws on Lux''s shoulders, holding him in a vice grip. "The next time we see each other, you better pray that I am not in a bad mood."


    Cadmus sneered at the Half-Elf before making a gesture for his subordinates to leave. Its meeting with Lux and his friends had beenpletely by ident.


    The Draconic Kobold was only able to detect Lux''s location because the Kobold Sorcerer that the Half-Elf fought in the Kobold''s Nest had subtly left a faint magical mark on his body. This allowed any Kobold to sense his general direction.


    Lux didn''t know that after the raid on their nest, the Kobolds had made him their public enemy number one. They were a race that kept grudges, especially grudges that involved the death of their kin.


    The Half-Elf watched the Draconic Kobold spread its wings and fly towards the sky. He knew that if the Dwarf Captain hadn''t arrived, he would have definitely been captured, and perhaps dragged back to their nest to be tortured.


    ''It''s been a while since I felt this way,'' Lux thought as he clenched his right fist. ''This feeling of helplessness. I hate this feeling.''


    Lux remembered the times when he fainted after exerting his body. After he regained consciousness, that feeling of helplessness would wash over him, making him feel depressed.


    However, this time it was different. He was no longer the same Half-Elf that he was a year ago. Now, he had been given a chance to be strong and catch up to his friends who had started their own journeys many years ago.


    It was not only Kobolds who carried a grudge. Lux could also be petty at times, so he took Cadmus'' words to heart. Although he was much weaker than the Rank 5 Monster that looked down on him, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he caught up to it.


    Lux had only been in Elysium for a few months, but hisbined stats had already far exceeded the requirements of the Beginner Zone. As the Half-Elf gazed at his Soul Book, a sneer appeared on his face.


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: (None)


    Health: 11,960 / 11,960


    Mana: 940 / 940


    Strength: 46 (+3)


    Intelligence: 46 (+1)


    Vitality: 31


    Agility: 34 (+3)


    Dexterity: 31 (+3)


    Free Stat Points Avable: 580


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX], Item Transmutation [EX]


    Active Skills: Power Shot, Dark Arrow, Fury sh, Double Fury sh, Battle Cry


    Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude, Expert Parry,


    ��--


    ''Your name is Cadmus, right?'' Lux thought as he stared at the monster that was flying away from his location. ''I''ll remember your name.''


    Lux knew that there woulde a day when his strength surpassed the arrogant Draconic Kobold. Although he and the Kobolds'' conflict was over for now, his grudge against Cadmus, who intended to capture him, would remain.


    Elysium was a world where only the strong survived. Since that was the case, then the other party shouldn''t me him for being cruel when the timees. He was certain that Cadmus would be forced to leave the Territory of Norria after his rank broke through a certain threshold.


    Although the chances were slim, Lux believed that he would meet Cadmus again in the future. When that time came, the grudge that bloomed on this day would be repaid in full.

 Chapter 93 Chasing A Nightmare [Part 1]

    "It''s fine, Eiko. The ugly Kobold is gone," Lux said as he lightly patted the still-shivering baby Slime on his shoulder.


    Eiko had been subjected to the skill, Dragon''s Fear, that Cadmus had released to make Colette and his friends lose their strength and will to fight.


    This was the first time that Eiko met such a fearsome monster, so she was unable to stop her natural instinct from taking hold of her body when the Dragon Fear hit her.


    After a few more minutes of coaxing, the baby slime finally settled down as she hid inside Lux''s robe, in order to feel safe and warm.


    "Still, that was a close call, Big Brother," Colette said. If one listened carefully, they could trace the lingering fear in her words. "If you didn''t have the medal with you, things might have gotten out of hand."


    Helen, who was seated beside Colette, nodded her head in agreement.


    "Big Brother, I didn''t know that you were now an Honorary Knight of this Kingdom," Helenmented. "You are the third person I know that has received an Honorary Knight title from his Majesty."


    Matty eyed Lux with an envious look on his face, as he tried to pry answers out of him.


    "How did you get that medal of honor?" Matty asked. "What kind of achievement did you do in order to get enough merit to receive an Honorary Knight title?"


    Lux nced at the Simp Dwarf, as he proudly raised his chin.


    "Did you forget? I saved your bum in the Kobold''s Nest," Lux replied. "The Dwarf King thought that what I did was awesome, so he bestowed this reward on me. If you want to be like me, you better git gud you hen-pecked Simp!"


    "Simp!" Eiko poked out of Lux''s robes as she joined her Papa in teasing Matty. The baby Slime even giggled and called Matty Simp one more time before going back inside Lux''s robes.


    "Who are you calling a hen-pecked Simp?! I''m not a Simp!" Matty rebuked Lux''s statement.


    "Matty, be quiet," Colette said as she red at the Dwarf. He instantly folded and immediately shut his trap. "You might scare Eiko."


    "Okay," Matty replied before ring at Lux.


    Lux chuckled and wanted to say "See?" But in the end, he chose to hold back and give Matty some face. Although the Simp Dwarf bickered with him whenever an opportunity arose, Lux finally understood that it was just Matty''s way of interacting with him.


    The Riders of Norria, who hade due to the appearance of the Draconic Kobold, could only shake their heads due to how silly the children''s conversations were. In order to prevent the Kobolds from sneak attacking Lux once again, they decided to just escort him straight to their Stronghold and prevent any trouble from arising.


    The group traveled for half a day, before arriving at the base of a mountain, where the Stronghold of Norria stood.


    Lux was quite surprised because the Stronghold was just as big as the Wildgarde Stronghold where he had grown up since he was a baby.


    "Wee to the Stronghold of Norria," the Captain of the Riders said with a smile. "We don''t usually allow outsiders to enter our Domain, but you guys are an exception. Please, follow me and do not wander around after we''ve arrived at our destination."


    Lux and the Dwarves nodded their heads in understanding. Although they wanted to take a stroll inside the Stronghold, they held back this urge for the time being until they got permission from Thoram, who was the Supreme Commander of the Stronghold.


    Without taking any detours, the Dwarf Captain took their guests to the Barracks where another Dwarf Captain was waiting for them.


    Before Lux and the others left the vige, they had asked the Dwarf Captain, Boreas, who was stationed in Leaf Vige to send a message to the Stronghold to announce their arrival. Because of this, Thoram was able to make preparations beforehand and even sent the Dwarf Captain to escort them to their Domain.


    Fortunately, he had done that or else Lux might have been captured by the Draconic Kobold and might have suffered a lot from their thirst for revenge.


    "Let''s head to the stables first," the Dwarf Captain named Gustall said with a smile. "Lord Nevreal is there and is already waiting for your arrival."<sub> </sub>


    Lux''s eyes were suddenly filled with expectations because Nevreal had promised him several things before the two of them parted not too long ago.


    Five minutester, they arrived at the stables where several Dwarves were looking at a two-meter tall horse, whose body waspletely ck. Purplish mes zed brightly near its feet and the edge of the mane and tail, which made it seem intimidating to those that were seeing it for the first time.


    "Beautiful."


    This was the word that escaped Lux''s lips as he stared at the majestic creature in front of him.


    "d you like it," Nevreal said as he walked towards Lux with a smug expression on his face. "Took me some time to bring the Nightmare to this ce. However, are you sure you will be able to tame this beast? Not that I doubt your words, but even the stablemaster in the Royal Capital couldn''t make it obedient."


    Lux scratched his head because he also didn''t know if Diablo would be able to tame the beast or not. The only thing he knew was that his Named Creature was a Skeletal Rider, and was well-versed in taming beasts that could serve as its mount.


    "We''ll find out soon enough," Lux said. "Come forth, Diablo!"


    Lux''s First Born appeared in front of him and gazed at the Nightmare Horse in the distance. As if sensing its gaze, the Nightmare also turned its head towards Diablo who was seizing him up.


    The two monsters stared at each other for a full minute before Diablo leaped towards the enclosed area where the Nightmare was currently being held in.


    The Nightmare neighed fiercely as it stomped its foot, while looking at the Skeleton in front of it. Clearly, it didn''t like anyone intruding on its personal space.


    "Kekeke," Diablo chuckled as it summoned its shield and sword.


    The Dwarves who were standing behind the fence all cheered as they waited for a good show to start. All of them tried to tame the Nightmare, but thetter was too aggressive to be tamed.


    The Beast was currently a Rank 2 Monster, which spelled trouble for those that were weaker than it. It was fast, and had both short and long ranged attacks in its arsenal, making it a troublesome opponent for those who attempted to deal with it unprepared.


    "5 gold coins that the Nightmare will smash that Skeleton to pieces," one of the Dwarves said as he started to bet with his friends.


    "10 gold coins for the Nightmare!"


    "5 gold coins for the Skeleton. Although I''m not confident in its chances, I like to bet on the underdogs."


    The Dwarves became rowdy as they started to pool gold coins for their bets. Colette and the others were itching to join them, but were stopped by Lux.


    "Kids shouldn''t gamble," Lux told them with a serious expression on his face. "It might turn into an addiction."


    Because of this, the young Dwarves reluctantly nodded their heads and simply watched the two Monsters that were facing each other.


    Eiko found this fight to be interesting too, so she perched on top of Lux''s head to get a better view of the battle. As a battle junkie herself, Eiko wanted to learn as many strategies as she could about how to fight. This way, she would be able to beat the Unicorn, Astra, the next time she visited her Mama in Barbatos Academy.


    "Goodluck, Diablo," Lux muttered. "Make that Nightmare submit to your will."


    Lux had full confidence that Diablo would be able to tame the proud monster whose body started to ze fiercely.


    Clearly, the Nightmare had deemed Diablo as a strong opponent, so it didn''t n on holding back. Diablo, on the other hand, gazed at the Nightmare Horse in front of him. It had long wanted to use its ability to its fullest, but theck of a mount made him unable to do so.


    Now that an opportunity presented itself, he would not hesitate to use everything in his power to make the Nightmare yield and be his new mount.

 Chapter 94 Chasing A Nightmare [Part 2]

    The loud neighing of the Nightmare made everyone pay attention to the battle that was about to start.


    Diablo was like a ck knight as it held a sword and a shield in each hand in a defensive position.


    Nevreal scratched his head as he looked at Lux''s Summon before ncing at the Half-Elf who was cheering for the Skeleton, alongside the baby slime on his head.


    "Is this how you n to tame the Nightmare?" Nevreal asked with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    "Mmm." Lux hummed. "Don''t tell anyone. It is a trade secret."


    "What a bunch of nonsense."


    "Rx. Just watch and learn."


    Lux looked confident on the surface, but deep inside, he was wondering if Diablo''s strategy to tame the wild Nightmare was going to work.


    The fiery horse was a true Rank 2 Monster, which was of the same Rank as Diablo. Lux wanted to think that both were evenly matched, but there was one small problem. Skeletons were weak against Fire, Life, Healing, and Holy Magic.


    The Nightmare was able to conjure purple mes to aid it in battle, which made the untamed mount Diablo''s worst matchup. Even so, the Half-Elf felt that everything would just be fine. After all, his Named Creature had never let him down when it really mattered.


    Suddenly, the Nightmare coated its entire body in purplish mes as it ran towards Diablo with the intention to ram him.


    The Dwarves who were watching the battle smirked because they anticipated that the Skeleton''s body would crumble even if it was just grazed by the Nightmare''s attack.


    However, to their surprise, Diablo did something unthinkable.


    Diablo leaped high up in the air before throwing his shield like a frisbee towards the Nightmare''s head.


    A metallic sound reverberated in the surroundings the moment the shield collided with the Nightmare''s head, dispelling the mes that coated its body. But, Diablo''s attack wasn''t over yet. After throwing the shield, Dawne, to disorient the monster in front of him, Lux''s Named Skeleton took another shield out of its inventory.


    He then charged towards the side of the nightmare, ramming its body, which sent it skidding a few meters away, and neighing in pain.


    As a Rank 2 Monster, the Nightmare quickly recovered its footing and summoned two firences, and shot them in Diablo''s direction.


    Diablo didn''t back down and fired two bone spears consecutively, which negated the attacks that were aimed at him. After the battle against the Kobold Sorcerer in the Kobold''s Nest, Diablo had learned how to fight against spellcasters with long ranged attacks.


    Also, Lux had helped him a bit by casting Battlecry, which raised his physical and magical damage by 100 points, allowing him to ovee his elemental weakness.


    "Go Diablo!" Colette raised her fist as she cheered.


    "Diablo go!" Eiko lightly jumped on Lux''s head, as she also cheered for her Papa''s Named Creature.


    Nevreal rubbed his chin as he looked at the two monsters inside the monster pen.


    "Not bad," Nevreal stated. "It''s no wonder you were able to capture the mastermind behind the Figaro incident."


    Lux didn''t say anything and simply smiled. Although it didn''t show on his face, he was worried about Diablo''s chances of taking down the Nightmare.<sub> </sub>


    By this time, the fiery horse had already realized that its opponent wasn''t a pushover. However, because of its stubborn nature, it refused to believe that Diablo was better than it.


    As the mes on its body burned brightly, eight mingnces appeared around it. Their tip was pointed at the Skeleton that was currently standing perfectly still, as if he was just a mere target that was waiting for destruction.


    However, before the Nightmare could even fire thences that it had conjured, Diablo pointed his sword at the Nightmare, which made its body involuntarily charged forward.


    Due to the loss of concentration, the spears that it had summoned disappeared, leaving only traces of ember behind.


    Diablo had activated its skill, Duel [EX], which forced his target to exchange one blow with him.


    As the Nightmare angrily charged forward, Diablo leaped up to the air at thest minute and fired a Bone Spear at his opponent''s backside.


    Everyone who saw this scene flinched, and some of them even subconsciously ced their hands over their backside, as their faces winced in pain.


    The Nightmare neighed in pain as well as shame, as Diablo''s Bone Spear pierced the one ce that would make anyone go down on their knees.


    The corner of Nevreal''s lips twitched when he saw this shameless disy of skill. Although this seemed to be an effective way to tame the wild mounts that refused to submit to anyone, he still found Diablo''s method too�� crude and unorthodox.


    ''If I mentioned this method to the Royal Stablemaster, he would definitely shout in anger and call me mad,'' Nevreal thought as he tossed the idea to the back of his mind.


    The dwarf then watched as Diablo walked towards the horse that had fallen on the ground and lightly stepped on the Bone Spear that was still embedded on its backside.


    "Kekeke." Diablo chuckled as it looked at the Nightmare''s defiant expression.


    However, that stubbornness soon disappeared after it saw Diablo summoning another Bone Spear in its hand.


    Seeing that his opponent had surrendered, Diablo ced his hand over its head as he activated the taming spell. The Nightmare was enveloped with a purplish glow before disappearing from the Monster Pen.


    Lux then summoned his Soul Book as he went to check Diablo''s Page to see the status of his mount.


    To his surprise, the Mount received a page of its own, which also showed its stats and abilities. Diablo walked up to Lux as it peeked at his Soul Book to look at his new partner in crime.


    ? "Do you want to give him a name?" Lux asked because the Nightmare''s Page allowed him to bestow a name to Diablo''s new mount.


    Diablo rubbed his chin before nodding his head. He then tapped Lux''s chest twice, before tapping the Nightmare''s portrait, indicating his intention of letting his Master choose a name for his new steed.


    "Understood." Lux nodded as he thought of a good name for the stubborn horse that refused to be tamed in the past.


    After several minutes had passed, Lux lightly tapped the Nightmare''s Page as he used his finger to write the name that he had thought of.


    "Arion," Lux said softly. "From now on, your name will be Arion. The mighty horse that the heroes rode into battle."


    Diablo nodded his head in satisfaction before turning into particles of light. Now that he had his own mount to carry him into battle, he would finally be able to unleash the full power of the Skeleton Rider ss, which Lux had bestowed unto him.

 Chapter 95 Diablo’s Preference

    "Here are the weapons and armor that you wanted," Nevreal said as he led Lux to the warehouse. "All of them were made by the cksmith here in Norria, and their quality is a cut from the rest. Use them well."


    Lux looked at the rows of weapons and sets of armor that Nevreal had prepared for him. He then secretly used the Elysium Compendium to appraise them and see their stats.


    ��--


    < One Handed Steel Sword >


    Rating: Rare


    �C Standard Weaponry of the Warriors of Norria


    �C Increase physical damage by 10%


    Attack: 35 - 50


    ��--


    < Longbow of Norria >


    Rarity: Rare


    �C Standard Weaponry of the Warriors of Norria


    �C Increase range damage by 10%


    Attack: 45 - 60


    ��--


    < Norria Light-te Armor Set >


    Rarity: Rare


    �C Standard Armor of the Warriors of Norria


    �C Decrease Physical Damage Received by 10%


    Defense: 100


    ��--


    Lux smiled in satisfaction as he gazed at the twenty sets of weapons and armor that Nevreal generously gave him.


    "Thank you," Lux said. "This means a lot to me."


    Nevreal waved his hand as if this wasn''t a big deal to him.


    "With this, all debts have been settled," Nevreal replied. "We no longer owe you anything."<sub> </sub>


    Lux nodded as he acknowledged Nevreal''s words. The Dwarves had generously rewarded him for his help during the raid in the Kobold''s Nest in order to save Robin. Although the Half-Elf now had a hunch of who the snobbish Dwarf boy was, he had no intention of revealing this to the others.


    After all, it was only a hunch at the moment, and until it was verified, he shouldn''t tell anyone about it.


    "I have also talked to the Commander about your other request��," Nevreal frowned as he gazed at the red-headed teenager in front of him. "Are you sure you want to enter the C-Rank Dungeon that is under the jurisdiction of the Stronghold of Norria? It might still be too early for you and those kids. Are you sure you want to do it?"


    "Don''t worry, we are just going to take a look inside," Lux answered. "If it''s really too much then we will just use our teleport crystals to leave that ce."


    Nevreal could only reluctantly nod his head after hearing Lux''s words. The C-Rank Dungeon, Orc Dominion, was a twelve-man team Dungeon. Although it could be challenged even if the number of people in the party didn''t reach twelve, it was still highly rmended to challenge it using a full party.


    These Dungeons were quite special, and they also had another name and that was "Instance Dungeons".


    Instance Dungeons were Dungeons that would generate a simr copy of the entire Dungeon for every party that entered it.


    Meaning, although everyone was challenging the same Dungeon, they would be in a different version of the Dungeon, allowing each team to challenge it without worrying about other people interfering with their expedition.


    A twelve-men Dungeon meant that it was highly rmended to challenge it with twelve people instead of the usual party of six or seven. There were also fifty-men Dungeons, and hundred-men Dungeons.


    On very rare asions, SSR-Ranked Dungeons would suddenly appear in Elysium. This type of Dungeon required a thousand people in order to clear it. This Dungeon was an open world Dungeon, in which they needed to fight a Cmity-Ranked World Boss, which could drop Legendary Items once it was defeated.


    "Okay, I will wait for you at the barracks while you finish storing the equipment," Nevreal said before leaving the warehouse.


    Although he was very doubtful whether Lux and his friends would be able to clear the Dungeon or not, he still gave the Half-Elf the benefit of the doubt.


    The Orc Dominion Dungeon was the ce where the warriors of Norria would train after they had be Grade C Apostles. The Boss Monster inside it was a Rank 3 Alpha Monster called the Dark-Skinned Orc Chieftain.


    It was a monster that was slightly stronger than the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, and was very hard to kill because of its strength and tenacity. It also had a berserk ability which made it extremely dangerous once its health was dangerously low.


    "Okay guys, time to suit up," Lux smirked as he opened his Soul Book and equipped the weapons and armor to his Skeleton Fighters and Skeleton Grand Archers.


    Ishtar wore the new armor as well, increasing her defense. Although she would be attacking her enemies from a distance, having armor was still better than not having any.


    To Lux''s surprise when it was Diablo''s turn to equip the armor, his Named Creature decided to turn it down. When Lux asked him why, his Named Creature used his sword to write down two words on the ground.


    ck Armor.


    Those were the words that Diablo wrote, which made Lux scratch his head. This was the first time that Diablo told him his preferences, so he decided to respect his decision.


    ''I guess I better look for Dark Armor sets for him in the future,'' Lux thought. ''I''ll ask Grandma if she still has some ck Armor avable. If not, I''ll just have it custom made for him."


    When all of his Summons had properly equipped their weapons and armor, the Half-Elf stored the rest of it in his inventory. He was sure that he would be able to use them in the future after the number of his Summons had increased.


    For now, he left the warehouse in a good mood as he looked for Colette and the others who were busy sparring with the veteran soldiers of Norria.


    The little Dwarfs were steadily getting stronger, and were nearing the Apostle Rank. Lux knew that it was only a matter of time before they parted ways with each other, so he decided to challenge the C-Rank Dungeon with them.


    Although he didn''t know if they would agree to his request or not, he hoped that they would. After all, he was confident that if they all worked together, they would be able to ovee the Alpha Monster that was considered to be one of the strongest monsters in the territory of Norria.

 Chapter 96 Orc Dominion

    "So, do you guys want toe with me and challenge a C-Rank Dungeon?" Lux asked the Dwarves who were currently having afternoon tea together.


    "Eh?" Colette blinked once then twice before tilting her head to the side. "A C-Rank Dungeon?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes. It is a dungeon that belongs to the Stronghold of Norria. Only their elite warriors can challenge it. Lucky for us, I got permission to challenge it. So, do you guys want toe along or not?"


    Helen, who was currently holding Eiko in her hand, looked at Lux with eyes that were as wide as saucers.


    "Big Brother, arent C-Ranked Dungeons too advanced for our current ranks?" Helen asked. "We haven''t even entered the Apostle Rank yet. If I remember correctly, Monsters inside a C-Rank dungeon are all Rank 2 up to Rank 3 Monsters. Their bosses are also Rank 3 Alpha Monsters. I don''t think that we can handle it."


    "No. You''re wrong Helen," Mattymented. "That is only applicable for the Normal Mode of a C-Rank Dungeon. In Nightmare Mode, all of the monsters are Rank 3, and the Boss is a Rank 4 Alpha Beast."


    The Dwarf boy stared at Lux with a serious expression on his face. "If he is with us, clearing the Normal Mode is possible. But, Nightmare Mode is just in suicide."


    Although Rank 3 Monsters were strong, they were weaker than the Carbuncle that they had fought in the Aspiration ins. Matty believed that they still had a chance to beat them if they entered the Normal Mode. The only problem would be the Boss Monster. It was a Rank 3 Alpha Beast, which was even stronger than the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis that they had no hope of beating with their current strength.


    "B-Big Brother, are you going to challenge the Nightmare Mode?" Colette asked in a worried tone.


    "Of course not," Lux shook his head. "I''m not stupid."


    Lux knew that challenging the Nightmare Mode of Orc Dominion was indeed suicide. However, that didn''t mean that he wouldn''t challenge it in the future. The Elysium Compendium had told him about the quest that could be acquired inside the Orc Dominion even if it was in Normal Mode.


    The rewards were also amazing, but this was a once in forever deal. If someone had finished the quest already then the reward would be gone forever. Lux wanted to know if someone had already cleared this hidden mission. If not, he would be more than happy to share the rewards with his friends.


    "Don''t worry," Lux assured them. "We can always use teleport crystals to leave the Dungeon if it''s too much for us."


    Matty crossed his arms over his chest. "How about the split of the Beast Cores and Monster Drops?"


    Unlike the Monsters in the outside world, when the Monsters inside of a dungeon died, their bodies would disappear and they would drop items like Beast Cores, Weapons, and other monster parts exclusive to them.


    "Matty!" Colette red at the Dwarf boy, but Matty didn''t budge.


    Although he liked Colette a lot, he would not allow others to take advantage of her kindness.


    "We will split the rewards evenly among all of us," Lux answered with a smile. He had no intention of taking all the Monster loot for himself. The only thing he was really after was the generous rewards attached to the hidden mission for those who were the first to clear it.


    ��-


    Hidden Mission: I Wish For Dominion


    �C The First Orc Chief, who founded this empire hundreds of years ago, left his relics scattered across his territory. Those who are lucky enough to stumble upon them will gain the treasures that he left behind for the future generations.


    < Rewards >


    �C Potion of Vitality


    This potion adds +50 permanent Vitality Points to the one who consumes it. You can only consume one Potion of Vitality in your lifetime.


    �C Rank 3 Skill Book of your choice.


    You will be able to choose any Skill that is Rank 3 and below from the treasury of the Orc Empire.


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C ???


    ��---


    These were the rewards that were avable for the Hidden Quest inside the Orc Dominion Dungeon.


    When Lux found out about it, he was already dead-set on checking to see if the quest was still avable. Although the Potion of Vitality didn''t seem much, it was quite precious for those who were just starting their journey in Elysium.


    However, the real prize that Lux coveted was the Rank 3 Skill Book of his choice. With his special ability, Skill Evolution [EX], an ordinary skill would be upgraded one stage higher, making it more powerful.


    These rewards would be avable to all, meaning Colette and the others would also get a Potion of Vitality, as well as the Rank 3 Skill of their choice. As for the Bonus Rewards? Lux was also very curious on what kind of rewards he would be able to get from a C-Rank Dungeon''s Hidden Quest.


    "I''ll go with you, Big Brother!" Colette raised her hand readily.


    "Me, too!" Helen also raised her hand with a smile on her face. She still hadn''t returned Lux''s favor of saving her friends, so she was more than willing to apany him on his Dungeon expedition.


    "Ei!" Eiko also jumped up and down from Helen''s palm. It was her way of telling Lux that she wanted to go as well.<sub> </sub>


    Andy and Axel also nodded their heads. As for Matty? Lux didn''t even need to ask if the henpecked boy was going or not. As long as Colette wanted to go, the Simp Dwarf was going to follow.


    "Alright, let''s go," Lux said with a smile.


    After everyone prepared their gear, they went to find Nevreal, who took them to a hidden door inside the barracks that led them underground.


    After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a Silver Gate that was guarded by a dozen Riders of Norria.


    If one looked closely, the face of an Orc could be seen etched on the surface of the gate. It was a ferocious looking image that seemed to intimidate those who wished to enter its domain.


    Helen, who was the most timid in the group, flinched when she saw the image on the gate. Seeing this, Colette immediately held her hand, and gave it a light squeeze offort. Lux smiled when he noticed this scene and affirmed that Colette really had what it takes to be a leader.


    Her great observation skills allowed her to notice minute changes in her friend''s bodynguage and use the most appropriate method to deal with it.


    Lux then shifted his attention to Nevreal and the Dwarf who seemed to be the Captain that guarded this Dungeon. He knew that Nevreal had to pull some strings in order for them to be allowed to challenge the Dungeon that was exclusively used by the Riders of Norria.


    "Lord Nevreal, are they the ones who n to challenge the Orc Dominion?" the Captain of the Dwarves that were assigned to guard the Dungeon''s entrance asked.


    "Yes," Nevreal nodded.


    The Dwarf Captain looked at the Half-Elf as well as the little Dwarves with aplicated expression on his face.


    "But they''re not even of the Apostle Rank," the Dwarf Captainmented. "Also, there are only six people. This dungeon is meant for twelve people. I don''t think that they are fit to challenge this Dungeon."


    Nevreal frowned. He also understood this matter, and also thought that Lux was eating more than he could chew. However, before he could even reply, Lux stepped forward and smiled at the guard.


    "Captain, we are just here to experience what it is like to fight against stronger opponents," Lux exined. "We wanted to know what we could do once we met Monsters of simr rank in the wild. As you know, there are times when we encounter Monsters that are leagues above our rank.


    "I want my friends and me to experience what it is like to face such monsters, so in the future, we will not freeze up and be paralyzed with fear. Although this may sound silly right now, I believe that the ability to adapt to such situations will save our lives in the future."


    The guards who were guarding the entrance couldn''t stop themselves from nodding their heads in agreement. As soldiers of the Kingdom, they were duty bound to ensure that the Territory of Norria was safe from all threats.


    There were asions like Monster Outbreaks, in which Mutated Monsters would suddenly appear out of nowhere, posing great danger to everyone. The ability to quickly make decisions in the face of life and death situations would indeed increase their chances of survival.


    "Very well," the Dwarf Captain reluctantly nodded his head to acknowledge Lux''s exnation. "Each of you will take one teleport crystal that is exclusive to this Dungeon.


    "If you really can''t hang on, just use it. Being stubborn will only lead to death, which will automatically eject you out of the dungeon. The penalty is harsh, butpared to dying in real life, it is a small price to pay."


    Lux happily took the teleport crystal that was handed to him by one of the guards. He understood that this was just a safety precaution, and he would really not want to lose his current stats just because of stubbornness.


    After Colette and the others were given their own teleport crystals, the Dwarf Captain stepped aside and made a gesture for Lux to step forward.


    The Half-Elf nodded his head and pressed his palm over the gate of the dungeon. A row of text appeared in front of him.


    ��-


    < Choose Your Difficulty Setting >


    �C Normal


    �C Nightmare


    ��-


    Just as Lux was about to click the Normal Mode with his finger tip, Eiko jumped from Lux''s head andnded on the back of Lux''s hand, making him press the Nightmare Mode by mistake.


    Immediately, his group disappeared from the entrance of the dungeon.


    A few secondster, Nevreal, the Dwarf Captain as well as the other Dwarf Guards gasped in shock because the eyes of the Orc that was etched on the gate''s surface zed a fiery red.


    This only meant one thing, and one thing only.


    "That brat��" the Dwarf Captain scratched his head in frustration because he didn''t know if he should smack Lux or not due to his stupidity.


    "Fortunately they have their teleport crystals in hand," Nevreal patted the Dwarf Captain''s shoulder to calm him down. "Let''s just wait for a bit. I''m sure that they wille out sooner orter."


    The Dwarf Captain sighed and nodded his head. Since it was already done, the only thing they could do was to wait for Lux''s group to return after experiencing the Nightmare Mode of Orc Dominion.

 Chapter 97 First Encounter

    Lux looked at the baby slime on his hands, who was also looking back at him with a smile.


    After checking his Elysium Compendium, which had activated its Dungeon Exploration Function, Lux was able to see the difficulty level of the dungeon that they were about to challenge.


    "Orc Dominion: Nightmare Mode".


    ''Sh*t,'' Lux cursed internally as he confirmed his worst fears.


    The Half-Elf scanned his surroundings and found himself in what seemed to be a valley. With several trees scattered all around. In the distance, he could see a fortress-like stronghold that had a g fluttering in the wind that depicted two axes crossed over the other.


    The Dwarves who were standing beside him had pale expressions on their faces because they clearly heard a voice in their head say that they had now entered the Nightmare Difficulty of Orc Dominion.


    "Um�� Big Brother?" Colette asked. "I thought we were just going to challenge the Normal Mode?"


    "... That was the n," Lux replied. "But, Eiko jumped on my hand and identally made me choose the wrong difficulty."


    The baby slime tilted its head innocently to the side, as if she didn''t have an idea about what she did. Lux could only pick up Eiko and put her back on top of his head before turning to face the Dwarves beside him.


    "Okay, we now have two choices. The first one is to use our teleportation crystals to leave this ce," Lux said. "As you know, this is a one time consumable item. If we want another one, we need to pay ten gold coins for it."


    "Although I''m sure that we can pay for the expense, I say that we check this ce out first. Just make sure to ce your teleport crystal where you can reach it immediately in case of an emergency."


    The Dwarves nodded and ced the teleport stones in their pockets. They knew that they were biting off more than they could chew, but they were also very curious about what kind of Monsters they would be fighting against inside the Nightmare Mode of Orc Dominion.


    "Okay, let''s go," Lux said as he stepped forward.


    The first thing he wanted to know was whether the quest had beenpleted or not. The Elysium Compendium could only show the locations inside the Dungeon that would activate the Hidden Quest. It didn''t know if the quest had beenpleted in the past or not.


    "For now, follow me," Lux ordered. "If we meet any Monsters along the way, we will first assess if we can beat them or not. The challenge rating we chose is the Nightmare Mode of a C-Ranked Dungeon. At the very least, the weakest enemy that is roaming around this area are all Rank 2 Monsters."


    The Dwarves nodded their heads in understanding. The strongest Monsters that they had fought so far were Berserked Horned Rabbits (Rank 2 Monster), and the Mutated Carbuncle (Rank 3 Peak Alpha Monster).


    The Orc Dominion Instance Dungeon was not the typical dungeon where those who entered needed to challenge each floor in order to advance. This dungeon was an open world, fortress assault, type of dungeon, and the only way to beat the game was by defeating the Orc Chieftain who could be found inside the Stronghold.


    In short, this dungeon was a training ground for how to raid an Orc Stronghold with an elite team of fighters.


    All of the Warriors of Norria needed to undergo this trial in order to officially join the Riders of Norria, and be part of the Gweliven Border Army.


    "Let''s go, Clover!" Colette raised her hand and a half-a-meter tall Carbuncle appeared beside her.


    After going back to Sis, Colette had asked the Monster Breeder in their family to help hatch the egg. Right now, Clover had the strength of a Rank 1 Monster. It specialized in healing its allies, and increasing their movement speed with haste.


    Once it had grown into an adult, it would be capable of bing a mount, which would allow Colette to increase her mobility during mounted battles.


    After walking for five minutes, Lux raised his hand to gesture for everyone to stop. He then made a gesture for them to crouch down and follow him to the bushes. After a while, he pointed in a direction, and the Dwarves found the reason why Lux had asked them to hide.


    Two pig-like monsters, which had green skin, sauntered through the trees. They were at least two meters tall and armed with a war axe. They were regr Orc Warriors that made up the bulk of the Orc Army.


    ''Orc Warriors," Lux thought.


    Each of them were Rank 2 Monsters and was a rookie''s worst nightmare if they happen to encounter them in the wild alone.


    The reason why Lux was able to know their location was due to the Map that the Elysium Compendium provided. After experimenting with thependium, Lux found out that it had a special auto-mode function that gave him ess to features such as appraise, show map, show quest locations, and many more things after he merged it with his Soul Book.


    Simr to a game, Lux could see a mini map at the upper right side of his vision which he could expand anytime he wanted.


    Naturally, if he went to a ce that he had never gone before, the map would be nk. However, because of its special function, the Elysium Compendium allowed Lux to detect enemies within a hundred meters, even if they were in an unexplored area of his map.


    After making sure that there were indeed only two enemies in the immediate area, Lux nced at the Dwarves, and they all nodded back to him.


    "I''ll take the one on the left," Lux said. "All of you handle the one on the right."


    "Okay," Colette replied as she firmly gripped the mace in her hand. "We''re ready, Big Brother."<sub> </sub>


    Lux nodded as he summoned four of his Skeletal Fighters. He didn''t want to summon Diablo yet, because he wanted to see how his regr warriors handled facing off against a Rank 2 Monster with their current strength.


    "Battlecry!" Lux activated his skill that added +100 points to physical and magical attacks. He then ordered for his Skeletal Fighters to charge at the two Orcs, giving Colette and the others ample time to prepare.


    Just as expected, when the two Orcs saw the Skeletons, they immediately turned to confront them head-on.


    "Now!" Colette ordered.


    The blonde-haired Dwarf, as well as her side-kick, Matty, sprang into action and charged at one of the Orcs that had engaged their enemies inbat.


    Both of them were nearing the Apostle Rank, so they could be considered as strong as Rank 1 Monsters. Of course, the one they were fighting against was a bonafide Rank 2 Monster, so they were taking this battle seriously.


    Andy and Axel chanted their spells and waited for the perfect opportunity to use them.


    Colette smashed her mace against the Orc''s Legs with a growl which didn''t lookpatible with her adorable appearance. The Orc screamed in pain and was about to sh her with its weapon when a fire bullet and a water bullet hit its chest consecutively, pushing it back.


    Matty took this opportunity to use his two short swords to sh at its legs, drawing blood. Unfortunately, the Orc Warrior was able to recover right away and swatted Colette and Matty away with the War Axe in his hand.


    Colette blocked its de, but she was still sent flying a few meters away due to the Orc''s incredible strength.


    Matty on the other hand was able to evade the Orc''s attack, and even managed to counterattack by stabbing the Orc''s right leg.


    The Orc growled in anger and back handed Matty, sending him skidding across the ground.


    The Dwarf boy''s face contorted in pain because the blow almost broke his right arm. If not for the fact that Helen had given him a protective spell that mitigated the damage he received from the Orc''s attack, he might have ended up with more than just a simple break.


    Clover ran in Matty''s direction and cast a healing spell on him, allowing him to recover just in time to evade the Orc''s follow up attack.


    Andy and Axel followed up with their magical spells in order to give Matty enough time to distance himself from the Rank 2 Monster. Thetter was quite difficult to take down due to its high strength and vitality.


    It was at that moment when one of Lux''s Skeletons was smashed into pieces by the Orc that they were fighting against.


    ? Although the Orc Warrior was wounded all over due to the four Skeleton''s teamwork, its ferocity was something that Lux admired. The three remaining Skeletons immediately felt the increasing pressure after the death of one of theirrades in battle. They found themselves being pushed back by the Orc Warrior''s powerful blows.


    It was at this moment when a stone spike pierced the Orc''s shoulder, making it scream in pain.


    "Spike!" Eiko shouted and fired another Earth Spike at the enemy, which embedded itself in her target''s waist.


    Lux had allowed her to join the battle so he could see how Eiko fared against a Rank 2 Monster, while being nked by his Skeletal Fighters.


    The Orc then roared in anger as he swept its weapon in one mighty swing, using its skill called "Cleave".


    The Skeletal Fighters raised their shields to block the attack, but they were still sent skidding a few meters away due to the impact.


    Eiko, on the other hand, took this opportunity to shoot another Earth Spike, which conveniently hit the Orc''s chest, causing it to cough blood. Wanting to continue her attack, the baby Slime teleported two meters away from the Orc''s face and unleashed one of her upgraded spells.


    "Fireball!" Eiko shouted and a ball of me materialized in front of her, which exploded in the Orc''s face, burning it to a crisp.


    The Orc had been heavily injured by the Skeletal Fighters and Eiko''s earlier sneak attacks. All it needed was a finishing blow to end its life, and the baby Slime didn''t miss the opportunity to deliver the finishing blow.


    A few secondster, a green-colored beast core dropped on the ground, alongside the War Axe that the Orc was carrying.


    Eiko unceremoniously ate the Beast Core, before blinking consecutively until shended on Lux''s head with a satisfied expression on his face.


    She was quite proud of her performance and decided to eat the Beast Core as her reward, which made Lux feel helpless.


    ''Well, as long as she is happy, I guess it''s fine?'' Lux thought as he shifted his attention to the Orc that Colette and Matty were nking.


    After a shout that was filled with unwillingness, the Orc Finally copsed on the ground, leaving a Beast Core and its weapon behind. Immediately after that, Colette, and Matty sat on the ground, panting for breath.


    It was then that the little Dwarves realized how hard it was to challenge a Rank-C Dungeon in Nightmare Mode with their current level of strength.

 Chapter 98 I Wish For Dominion [Part 1]

    Eiko happily chewed the Beast Core she just stuffed in her mouth as she looked at Colette''s and Matty''s exhausted expressions after they defeated the Orc Warrior that was assigned to them.


    Unlike the Berserk Horned Rabbits that specialized in speed, their opponent specialized in strength and it also had very high health.


    Although both were Rank 2 Monsters, the difference in their fighting style was obvious to the naked eye.


    Lux rubbed his chin as he checked the health of his Skeleton Fighters after the battle. Most of them were almost out of health, which showed how tough the battle was for them.


    ''If I summoned all seven Skeletal Fighters, Diablo, Ishtar, and the Skeleton Grand Archers, to fight side by side with Colette and the others, I estimate that we can fight against five to seven Rank 2 Monsters at the same time,'' Lux thought. ''If there is a Rank 3 Monster among the group, we can at most fight three to four Rank 2 Monsters, while Diablo keeps the stronger monster at bay.''


    Suddenly, a notification broke Lux out of his pondering. After reading the notification, he was unable to stop his lips from twitching.


    ��-


    Eiko learned the Passive Skill Tough


    < Tough >


    �C Add +30 Points to Vitality.


    Eiko activated the skill Mimicry [EX]!


    �C Target Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C Sessfully copied Skill Evolution [EX]!


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    �C Since the skill Tough is a passive skill, it will automatically be upgraded to Very Tough.


    < Very Tough >


    �C Adds +60 Points to Vitality.


    ��-


    < Eiko >


    "The world is my oyster!"


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Rating: E


    �C Progress ( 20 / 2000)


    Health: 3,850 / 3,850


    Mana: 7,500 / 7,500


    Strength: 17


    Intelligence: 150


    Vitality: 77


    Agility: 17


    Dexterity: 17


    ��-


    ''Very Tough? Seriously?'' Lux didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry due to his baby Slime''s cheat-like ability.


    Eiko managed to get a massive boost to her Vitality Points just from eating a single Beast Core thanks to Lux''s skill. Of course, Lux was also very happy for her because the stronger the baby Slime became, the more help she would be to him in Elysium.


    ''If only she wasn''t a troublemaker,'' Lux shook his head helplessly. However, he now had a better understanding of one of the Skills that was avable to Orc Warriors after Eiko had consumed the Beast Core. ''I need that Tough Skill as well. Diablo and Ishtar would benefit from it too.''


    After Colette and Matty each consumed a stamina potion, the group once again continued to follow Lux as he guided them to their destination.


    ''We''re here,'' Lux thought as he looked at the small wooden cottage that was built in an inconspicuous ce which wouldn''t be noticed by someone who traveled along the main road.


    He hurriedly went inside to check if the item he was looking for was still there, which would confirm whether someone had already cleared the hidden quest or not.


    When he opened the door, the sight of a properly maintained cottage could be seen. There were no cobwebs, or any other signs that it hadn''t been tended to for a long time. Clearly, someone was still living, or recently lived, inside the cottage for it to look like this.<sub> </sub>


    "This is a good ce to rest," Colette said as she stepped inside the room. "Is this the ce you want to take us to, Big Brother?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes, but we didn''te here to rest. I''m here to check something out."


    "Check something out?"


    "Mmm."


    Lux walked straight towards the firece and stared at the bull ornament above it. An adult Dwarf wouldn''t be able to reach it, unless they used a chair or something simr to help them gain that added leverage.


    Orcs could easily reach it if they wanted to, but Lux crossed that possibility off. Since this was a dungeon for Orcs, the mission didn''t include them in it.


    Lux was still growing, so he wasn''t that tall. Also, due to the imbnce between his soul and body for the past few years, he hadn''t reached his growth spurt yet. Only after Eriol helped him stabilize his body, did his bodily functions finally get back on the right track.


    ording to his estimate, he would be able to reach his optimal height after a year.


    Since that was the case, he lowered his pride and reached out for a chair, which made the Dwarves look at him with curiosity.


    Now that he stood on top of a chair, Lux could easily reach the ornament. He held the two horns of the bull and pushed it upwards. The sound of something moving was heard inside the cottage, which made the Dwarves scan their surroundings in rm.


    "Rx. Everything is fine," Lux assured them as he climbed down from the chair and headed towards therge bed, located in the upper left corner of the room.


    "Matty, Alex, Andy, help me move this bed to the side," Lux said as he asked the Dwarves for help.


    Matty grumbled but he still went to help Lux move the bed ording to his instructions.


    Colette and Helen, who remained standing to the side, just watched the boys move therge bed that could easily fit an Orc.


    A few momentster, everyone saw a set of stairs that seemed to be leading underground.


    "You guys stay here," Lux ordered. "I''ll go in by myself."


    Lux could hear his heartbeat drumming as he walked down the set of stairs. Although the ce was dark, Half-Elves were able to see through it with very minimal light. In his hand was a small glowstone that emitted just enough light for him to see a few meters in front.


    He was silently praying that no one had taken the Hidden Quest before him. If someone really managed to do it, then there was nothing he could do about it.


    After walking straight for half a minute, Lux saw arge wooden chest that was covered in a thickyer of dirt.


    The Half-Elf took a deep breath before opening the chest with both hands.


    There, lying inside the chest was some kind of ragged nket that didn''t seem special. However, after seeing this, Lux breathed out a sigh of relief. It was the item he was looking for.


    "Fortunately, I am the first one to discover this quest," Lux muttered as he reached out to touch the item that would activate the Hidden Quest that he wanted toplete.


    < You have acquired the g of the ckrock n >


    ��-


    Ding!


    �C You have discovered the Hidden Quest "I Wish For Dominion".


    �C Would you like to ept this quest?


    < Yes / No >


    ��-


    Lux decisively clicked the Yes option, and a notification prompted him that the quest was now active.


    He was not the only one that received this notice. Colette and the others heard a voice inside their head that they had epted the Hidden Quest.


    Lux knew that he didn''t need to beat the Boss of the Dungeon in order to clear the quest. As long as he managed toplete it, he would get the full rewards of the mission, as well as the rewards from the Dungeon, as if he had defeated the final boss.


    This was why Hidden Quests were so good. It gave twice the reward for half the effort.


    However, before Lux could even fully rejoice his discovery, a loud roar was heard in the living room of the cottage, followed by the shouts of Colette and the others.


    Lux hurriedly climbed back up the stairs to see what was happening, only to find Colette and Matty standing in front of the others with their weapons drawn.


    In front of them was a Half-Orc holding a greatsword in its hands. Its angry and bloodshot eyes red at them.


    Clearly, it was not too happy to see what the uninvited guests had done to its home.

 Chapter 99 I Wish For Dominion [Part 2]

    "Who are you lot, and what are you doing inside my cottage?!" the Half-Orc shouted as it threatened to brandish its sword towards the Dwarves, who had taken a defensive stance against it.


    "Wee in peace," Lux stepped forward and stood between the Dwarves and the Half-Orc with his hands raised in surrender.


    "Peace?" the Half-Orc snorted. "Youe and steal from my house and you say youe in peace? Give me one good reason why I shouldn''t kill you, right here, right now?"


    Lux frowned because ording to the data that the Elysium Compendium was giving him, the Half-Orc in front of him was a Rank 4 Alpha Monster.


    At first, Lux didn''t want to believe it, but after looking at the information for the second time, he realized that it was indeed correct.


    The Half-Elf could feel beads of sweat forming on top of his head because he knew that if they really offended this Half-Orc in front of them, all of them would be sliced cheese in a matter of seconds.


    Fortunately, before he could even reply to the Half-Orc''s question, a row of texts appeared in front of him, giving him some options to choose from.


    ��--


    �C Option 1


    (Chaotic Evil)


    "We came here to burn this cottage and kill you, foul creature! A filthy half-blood like you deserves death!


    �C Option 2


    (Lawful Good)


    "Sorry for intruding into your cottage, good sir. We came here with the good intention of inviting you to a seminar on how to earn money while you sleep."


    �C Option 3


    (True Neutral)


    "We do not wish for conflict, and would like to talk things out. However, if you are adamant in using force, we will reply in kind.


    �C Option 4


    "We came here to help you with your wish for Dominion."


    ��--


    Lux knew that the first choice would instantly send all of them to the afterlife. The second option was funny, but he doubted that the Half-Orc was in the mood to humor them with their answer.


    The third choice was rather tame and Lux was initially tempted to choose it, but he knew that these weren''t the right words to say in their current circumstance either.


    "Sir, we came here to help you with your wish for Dominion," Lux said.


    Immediately the Half-Orc''s rage changed into that of confusion. After a while, it lowered its greatsword and looked at Lux with a serious expression on its face.


    "How did you know?" the Half-Orc asked. "How do you know that I wish for Dominion?"


    Lux sighed in relief as he read the next row of text that was the answer to the Half-Orc''s question.


    "An Orc shouldn''t be judged whether he is full-blooded or not. The only thing that is important to the Orcs is strength! Only the strong can rule andmand the Horde!"


    "Well said!" the Half-Orc replied as it patted Lux''s shoulder with its hand. "Although I don''t know how or why you came to know my goal, I believe that fate has brought us together. My name is Barca, tell me your name�� Half-Elf."


    "My name is Lux, and these are my friends," Lux made a gesture to introduce Colette and her friends to the Half-Orc.


    After the introduction the Half-Orc walked towards his bed and pushed it back to where it once was. He then moved the horns of the bull ornament to its original position.


    "Did you take it?" Barca asked. He didn''t ask what Lux took, but the meaning behind his words was very obvious to the Half-Elf.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "I took it."


    Barca nodded his head in understanding. The Half-Orc then sat on the floor beside the bed and took out his whetstone to sharpen his greatsword.


    "My mother was the daughter of a Tribal Chief, and my father was a mighty General in the Human army. They met by ident, and somehow fell in love, and I was born as a result. I will not bore you with the other details, because they are not important. Since you said that you wish to help me then are you prepared to ensure that I be the next Orc Chieftain?"


    Lux nodded. "That is why I am here."<sub> </sub>


    "Then prove it." Barca took a map out of his belongings and ced it on the floor.


    The Elysium Compendium automatically recorded the map in Lux''s Soulbook, allowing him to view it normally.


    "The current Orc Chieftain, Orobak, has four warlords that support him," Barca said as he pointed at the marked locations in the map. "Tanabur of the South, Baronar of the West, Oreg of the North, and Mogazar of the East."


    "As long as you are able to help me defeat or convince these Warlords to join my side, Orobak will lose his loyal supporters. This will give me the opportunity to challenge him in a duel in front of the other warriors for the position of Orc Chieftain."


    A series of notifications once again rang inside Lux''s Head as the information of the Hidden Quest was updated.


    ��


    Hidden Quest: I Wish For Dominion


    Bonus Rewards will be calcted depending on the choices you make in this mission.


    ��--


    < Kill the Four Orc Warlords >


    +500 Riders of Norria Reputation Points


    �C Gain one random Pseudo-Mythical weapon, armor, or artifact, that belonged to each of the Warlord that you have in.


    �C Gain the Orc yer Title


    ( Orc yer Title )


    �C Increase damage to all Orcs by 20%


    �C Orcs will feel threatened by your presence


    ��-


    < Negotiate with the Orc Warlords >


    +1000 Riders of Norria Reputation Points


    +200 Kingdom of Gweliven Reputation Points (Exclusive to Kingdom of Gweliven)


    +200 Gold Coins


    �C Gain Negotiator Title


    ( Negotiator Title )


    �C When dealing with Nobles or Royalty, your chances of closing a sessful deal is increased by 10%


    ��-


    The Half-Elf rubbed his chin as he pondered his next move.


    ''A Chain Quest,'' Lux thought as he looked at the information of the four warlords. ''If I choose not to kill them then I will gain reputation points, gold coins, and a title��''


    The Half-Elf then nced at the other option, which sounded more tempting to him. ''Although I will not gain as many reputation points and gold coins if I chose to kill the Warlords, getting four random pieces of Pseudo-Mythical Gear is not a bad trade off.''


    Lux understood that he was far from reaching the requirements to be able to craft Mythical Items. First, hecked the materials he could practice on and his current Smithing rank wasn''t high enough. Aside from that, the best weapon he could make with the items avable in the Beginner''s Zone were rare weapons.


    The Half-Elf was not satisfied by that, especially after experiencing the power of his Master Randolph''s Mythical Weapon, Blood Moon.


    Barca was closely observing Lux''s expression, and the moment both of their eyes met, the Half-Elf as well as the Half-Orc smiled evilly. As if waiting for that moment, both of themughed at the same time, which made the Dwarves look at them as if the two had gone crazy.


    Eiko, looked at her Papa, and the Half-Orc before joining them inughter. Although she didn''t understand what was going on, she felt like it would be fun if she followed her Papa''s actions.


    Lux and Barca understood that there was only one way to get what they wanted. For that to happen, only one option was left for both of them, and that was their opponent''splete and utter destruction.

 Chapter 100 Observing The Orc Encampment

    Since the Orc Warlord closest to their location was Baronar, Lux didn''t hesitate to tell Barca who his first target was.


    The Half-Orc agreed and set out with them in their mission to deal with one of Orobak''s loyal supporters.


    After checking the details of the quest in the Elysium Compendium multiple times, Lux found out that Barca''s role was just like an extra fighter in their party. Meaning, he would help them fight with the enemies in order to help ensure the sess of the mission.


    The Half-Elf was quite happy about having a Rank 4 Alpha Monster on their side. After all, it would greatly increase their fighting power.


    However, there was a catch. If Barca died, the mission would automatically fail and Lux would gain a -1000 Reputation Points Penalty with the Riders of Norria, and -200 Reputation Points Penalty with the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    He didn''t know what would happen if his reputation points dropped into the negatives, so he consulted the Elysium Compendium about it. ording to thependium, if his reputation points became negative and went lower than -500 points, he would be treated as a criminal in the Gweliven Kingdom.


    A reputation of -1000 Negative Points would mean that the Dwarf King would ce a bounty on his head, and any Dwarves that he came across would automatically be hostile towards him.


    When one gained a negative reputation points of -5000 Points, that was when things would take a nosedive. The King would order the High-Rankers of the Kingdom to hunt you down and kill you.


    Even if you hid in the Beginner''s Zone, the High Rankers would ignore the level requirement just to deal with you personally.


    Lux took note of this matter seriously and decided to never allow himself to fall to that point, so he could avoid inviting trouble to his front door.


    "We are here," Barca said as he gestured for Lux''s group to not make any noise as they traveled the secret trail that he had discovered back when he was searching for ways to infiltrate Baronar''s Camp.


    Lux nced at the Orc Encampment that was surrounded by a three-meter tall stone wall. Several tents, which were made of animal skins, could be seen inside, and there were at least a dozen guards manning the outposts and making sure that everything was in order.


    With the features of Elysium Compendium, Lux was able to identify the ranks of the enemies, which made him frown.


    ''The Orc Captain as well as the Orc Guards are all Rank 3.'' Lux rubbed his chin. ''And it seems that these Orc Warriors are merely the cannon fodder of their army. I guess this is the custom settings of the Nightmare Mode.''


    Among the twelve Orcs that were guarding the perimeter of the encampment, there was one wearing a ck armor. It was the Orc Captain and ording to the data shown in thependium, the Captain was at the peak of Rank 3.


    An ordinary Rank 3 Monster might be weaker than an Alpha Beast, but its threat level was simr to the Kobold Sorcerer that Diablo had faced off against in the past. Of course, it was not a problem for Barca, but for them, it was a tough hurdle.


    Not to mention, the Captain''s subordinates were also Rank 3 monsters, making the situation very tricky.


    ''A direct fight is out of the question,'' Lux thought. ''Although I don''t know how strong Baronar is, there is a possibility that he is at Barca''s level. If that is the case, our strongest fighter shouldn''t waste his strength in fighting the other mobs.''


    Boss Monsters usually had some goons protecting them, especially high-leveled ones. Lux was certain that aside from the twelve Orcs guarding the camp, Baronar would still have other subordinates who would aid him in battle. However, Lux didn''t know how many there would be.


    Fortunately, most of the warriors of the Stronghold were out patrolling their territory. This greatly reduced the number of Monsters that Lux''s party had to fight, but it was still a very tricky situation.


    "What is your n, Lux?" Barca asked. "Should we charge and fight our way in?"


    Lux shook his head. He knew that Barca was only testing him. The Half-Orc was keen on knowing what kind of warrior the Half-Elf was.


    "A head-on battle is out of the question," Lux replied. "We are both outmatched in quantity and quality."


    The Half-Elf then nced at the sun on the horizon. It was almost sunset, so a night attack would be the ideal opportunity to create chaos in the camp.


    "Tell me, Barca, do you know how strong Baronar is?" Lux asked as he nced at the Half-Orc beside him.<sub> </sub>


    The Half-Orc crossed his arm over his chest as he pondered.


    "Baronar is an Orc Shaman," Barca replied after organizing his thoughts. "He specializes in curses and other spells. If I can get close to him, I will be able to subdue him. But if I can''t, then my chances of defeating him are slim."


    "Orc Shaman? That is indeed a troublesome opponent." Lux nodded his head in agreement. It was at that moment when Baronar''s information appeared in his Mission Page.


    ��--


    < Baronar >


    �C Orc Shaman


    �C Rank 4 Alpha Monster


    Health: 160,000 / 160,000


    Mana: 272,000 / 272,000


    Strength: 50


    Intelligence: 340


    Vitality: 200


    Agility: 100


    Dexterity: 200


    Skills: Summon Elite Orc Spirit Warriors, Envenom, Fear, Frostfire, Life Drain, Soul Shield, Dim Vision, Amplify Damage.


    ��-


    Lux scratched his head. The Orc Shaman''s Skills spelled trouble. ording to the provided information, Baronar could summon two Elite Orc Spirit Warriors, which were peak Rank 3 Summons.


    Although he was confident that Barca could deal with them just fine, the Orc Shaman''s other skills would make things very difficult for the Half-Orc.


    Especially Envenom, Dim Vision, Amplify Damage, and Life Drain.


    Lux understood that this mission allowing Barca to apany him in battle didn''t mean that the mission would be smooth sailing. Just by looking at the current hurdle that they had to ovee made him finally understand why twelve people were needed to finish this mission.


    It was at the level of difficulty in which the power of a single party was not enough to tip the bnce in their favor.


    ''Fortunately I have my summons and Eiko with me,'' Lux thought as he formted a n of action in his head.


    The Half-Elf knew that if he wanted to defeat the first Orc Warlord in his list, he had to do some careful nning and designate positions to their limited forces in order to deal with the mission that would test their teamwork to its limits.

 Chapter 101 Lux’s Carefully Planned Slaughterhouse

    While the Orc Guards were manning their posts, they casually conversed with each other. Several Orc Warriors entered and left the camp from time to time, allowing Lux to get a general idea of how many forces were in or around Baronar''s encampment at any given time.


    The numbers gave him a headache and made him wonder if there had been others who had tried to clear the quest in the past, but were unable to do so due to the sheer difficulty of the mission.


    ''If my estimate is correct, aside from the twelve Orc Guards, there are still at least forty Orc Warriors in the encampment,'' Lux mused. ''Baronar is located at the Central Tent, and is mostly spending his time alone, performing some experiments. I just hope my n works.''


    After waiting half an hour longer, Lux sent a mental message to Diablo and Ishtar to immediately start their operation.


    Immediately, several fiery lights appeared in the distance. A momentter, a rain of arrows fell on the Orc Encampment, setting the tent where the food reserves were stored on fire.


    The Orc Guards immediately blew a horn to alert everyone in the camp that they were under attack.


    Several of the Orc Warriors ran towards the food storage tent, attempting to extinguish the mes that were already turning their food supply to ashes.


    However, that was the least of their problems. The rain of arrows continued, setting more tents in the Orc Encampment on fire, creating more and more chaos.


    The Skeletal Grand Archers kept on firing fire arrows that were imbued with the mes of Diablo''s Nightmare Mount, Airon.


    It was at that moment that the Guard Captain roared and ordered the Guards to attack the Skeleton Archers in the distance. A dozen Orc Warriors joined the Guards and charged towards their enemies as they shouted their war cries.


    Seeing this development, Diablo and the Skeleton Grand Archers made a strategic retreat towards the forest. Their role was to lure as many Orcs away from their encampment as possible so that Lux''s forces could kill them off one by one and weaken Baronar''s forces.


    Ishtar, the Forgotten Queen, shot her deadly arrows at the Orc Warriors that were at the rear of the formation. She was like a wraith that moved from tree to tree as she unleashed deadly rain of arrows that were coated in frost, which slowed the Orcs down in their pursuit after getting hit.


    The Skeleton Grand Archers had learned the skill Poison Arrow which they repeatedly shot at the Orcs, making their high health decrease by a good margin.


    With Eiko''s ability to copy Lux''s skills, the number of Skeleton Grand Archers on Lux''s side rose to eight in total. Although their numbers were few, the way they had used their poison arrows to cripple their enemies had slowly taken its toll.


    Naturally, once an Orc got near one of the Skeletons, it only took them five swings of their weapons topletely shatter the bodies of the Skeleton Grand Archers.


    But, that was not a problem.


    "EI! Ei! Ei!" Eiko shouted as she summoned her new Skeleton Grand Archers to rece those that had died in battle.


    Lux was doing the same. The Half-Elf and the Slime were currently on top of a tree, watching the battle unfold from their vantage point.


    Diablo with his mighty steed, Airon, yed their role well and were a force to be reckoned with. The two of them were peak Rank 2 Monsters, but although they were weaker than the Orc Guards, they weren''t fighting alone.


    It was the typical 1+1 = 2 scenario in which Diablo and his mount, Airon, attacked their enemies in unison.


    The Nightmare fired me Lances left and right, while Diablo hacked away at the Orc Guards with his sword, and blocked their blows with his shield.


    If it weren''t for the Skeletal Fighters that Lux and Eiko summoned, which numbered a total of fourteen, Diablo would have a harder time in the battle.


    Over twenty-four Orcs charged towards the forest, and all of them fell into Lux''s carefully designed ughterhouse.


    Naturally, some of the Orcs decided to retreat, but it was toote by then.


    Ishtar had ced traps on the forest floor right after the Orcs had charged deeper in the forest. As a Skeleton Hunter, one of her abilities was Set Trap. Although she could only ce five traps with her current rank, those five traps were more than enough to cripple or severely injure those that stepped on them.<sub> </sub>


    The traps that Isthar had set in this fight were "Steel Bear Traps". These were steel, jagged traps that would leave anyone who stepped on them feel a world of pain.


    When the number of Orcs had decreased to ten individuals, the attacksing from the Skeletons intensified as well.


    "Here. Drink this, Eiko," Lux said as he allowed the baby Slime to drink a mana potion in order to recover her almost depleted mana reserves.


    Eiko had very high regeneration, and the bonuses she received whenever Lux, or Iris, was around was also quite powerful. It wouldn''t have been a problem for the baby Slime were it not for the fact that the Skeletons were clearly no match against the Orc Warriors that could kill them with few swings.


    Whenever Diablo was about to die, Lux would unsummon him and resummon him in a different location, allowing the Skeletal Rider to continue his rampage.


    Even Airon''s eyes glowed brightly as the battle lust engulfed it.


    It was at that moment when Colette and her party joined the battle. The Orcs were a mostly spent force at this point, and the damage they had received from the poison in their bodies made their movements more and more sluggish.


    "Should I join as well?" Barca asked as he cracked his knuckles. "This will serve as a good warmup."


    "Okay, but don''t exert yourself too much," Lux replied. "We need you at your peak condition when we fight Baronar. Don''t underestimate your opponents."


    "I know." Barca grinned as he charged towards the battle holding his Greatsword.


    After Colette, her party, and Barca joined the battle, the Orcs could no longer offer any resistance and were gangbanged on all sides.


    Lux watched this one-sided massacre, while he and Eiko chugged down another bottle of Mana Potion. At most, he had only halved the forces under Baronar''smand. They had yet to deal with the other half, and their battle was far from over.


    After thest Orc Warrior fell on the ground, the bodies of Colette and her friends glowed briefly.


    <o>,m "They leveled up?" Lux chuckled when he saw the little Dwarves jump up and down due to happiness.</o>


    Usually, Sians would learn ss Specific Skills and Abilities when they level up, aside from getting Free Stats and Skill Points that they could distribute freely.


    Unlike Sians, Lux was unable to level up, but for him, this wasn''t too big of an issue since everyone could increase their stats by absorbing Beast Cores, in addition to being able to learn skills in the same manner, so��for now��the difference between him and Colette''s group was almost negligible.


    Of course, Lux''s friends, who had entered Elysium four years ago, were certainly stronger than him. However, the Half-Elf knew that it would only be a matter of time before he caught up to them.


    Lux felt giddy at the thought of letting his childhood friends see how strong he had be. Unfortunately, he didn''t n on meeting with them until his goals in the Kingdom of Gweliven had been met.


    For the time being, he tossed this idea to the back of his mind. His Hidden Quest was still not over and he couldn''t afford to be distracted. Baronar was still alive, and he still had to deal with the other half of Baronar''s forces remaining.


    "Now, it''s time for step two of the n," Lux muttered as he lightly patted Eiko''s head. "Eiko, I will leave it up to you."


    The baby Slime nodded her head happily. "Pa!"


    The father and daughter pairughed evilly as they moved into Phase 2 of their n. This was the first time that Lux had given Eiko a mission, and the baby Slime was more than happy to do her best.


    If their n worked perfectly then Baronar and the rest of the Orcs would be in for a very, very, nasty surprise.

 Chapter 102 Baronar’s Fate [Part 1]

    "Baronar! Come out, you swine!" Barca shouted


    After Lux and his group finished collecting their spoils of war, they decided to strike while the iron was still hot. Barca had already given Lux the item that would help him subdue Baronar without risking his life during their duel.


    The Half-Elf then passed it to Eiko who had snuck inside the Orc Encampment, waiting for an opportunity to carry out her mission.


    The Orc Shaman angrily came out of his tent, followed by his two elite guards, who he had summoned after hearing Barca''s shout. After hearing what happened to their stockpile of food, the Orc Shaman''s temper was at an all time high.


    A minute after Baronar left his tent to face off against Barca, a baby Slime poked out her head out of one of the tents near the Orc Shaman''s residence.


    Seeing that her target had left his abode, Eiko hurriedly crawled towards the tent to start her mission.


    The baby Slime looked around for a bit before she moved towards the table. As a Slime, she could practically walk on any surface without a problem. Once she was on top of the table, she saw a half finished te of roasted meat, a wooden cup, and a jug of some kind of drink that Eiko had no idea about.


    The baby slime used her Air Strider [EX] skill to float in the air and hover above the jug of what seemed to be some kind of Orc Beer.


    Earlier, Barca had given Lux a bottle of slow-acting Mage Poison. Although it had the word poison on it, it wasn''t lethal enough to kill a mage just because they drank it. However, it could prevent the Mage from being able to harness the mana in their bodies, therefore rendering them unable to cast spells.


    And even if they could still manage to cast a spell, it would be a very difficult endeavor for them to do. Barca intended to limit Baronar''s offensive abilities and whittle him down in front of his men. The Orc race was a race that obeyed the strong. Unless Barca was able to defeat Baronar in a duel, they would never recognize him as their new Master.


    The only downside of this poison was the amount of time needed before it starts to take effect, which was at least an hour or two.


    ''Pour all the contents of the bottle inside that jar, Eiko,'' Lux ordered. Using his connection with Eiko, he checked on her progress. This was simr to how Lux was able to observe Diablo''s surroundings as long as he entered a meditative state. It also allowed him to see and hear their immediate surroundings.


    The baby Slime nodded her head and took out a ss vial from inside her mouth. She then opened it and poured its contents inside the jug as Lux ordered. After the deed was done, the Half-Elf ordered Eiko to leave because Baronar might return at any moment.


    Just as Eiko was about to leave the tent, she heard the sounds of footsteps headed in her direction. The baby Slime immediately turned her head left and right in order to find a ce to hide.


    A few momentster, the p of the tent opened and Baronar came inside along with his two elite warriors.


    "That bastard, Barca! How dare he do this to me?!" Baronar growled in anger as he mmed the butt of his bone staff on the ground. "Challenge me to a duel in two hours? Hah! It seems that being a Half-Blood made him stupid. I knew that I should have killed him back then when I had the chance."


    Baronar walked towards the table in anger and poured himself a cup of mead. He chugged everything down in less than five seconds and poured himself another cup. After regaining his calm, he resumed eating his dinner.<sub> </sub>


    Since he would be fighting against Barca in two hours, he needed to replenish his strength. The Orc Shaman wasn''t afraid of his opponent. He had been challenged many times in the past, and the skulls of all those challengers had been added to his collection.


    Truth be told, among the four Orc Warlords, Baronar was the strongest. Even the reigning Orc Chieftain, Orobak, treated him with respect.


    After finishing his meal, the Orc Shamanid down on the bed to recover his strength. However, before doing so, he ordered one of his Elite Orc Warriors to get him some water.


    The Orc Warrior casually grabbed one of the y jugs near the door to take it to the river behind the camp to get some water.


    As he was headed towards his destination, he suddenly heard a giggling sound near him. The Orc Warrior became alert and looked around him. He was still holding the jug in his left hand, while he held a War Axe in his right.


    Looking at his surroundings, he saw no one, and yet, the giggling sound continued.


    The Orc Warrior tried to locate the source of the sound. After a while, he realized that the sound came from somewhere beside him.


    When he looked at his hand, he saw the y jug trembling. This confused the Orc Warrior because this was the first time he saw a giggling y jug. What he didn''t know was that Eiko had transformed into one of the y jugs near the door in order to hide from them.


    Unfortunately, the baby Slime was quite a bit ticklish. When the Orc Warrior carried her along, she wasn''t able to stop herself from giggling because the y jug was her body.


    Before the Orc Warrior could even decide what to do, a hand covered his mouth, and a greatsword pierced through his chest from behind.


    This loosened his grip on the y jug, causing it to fall towards the ground. However, before itnded, it transformed into a baby Blue Slime that bounced off the ground once before giggling happily. Clearly, Eiko still hadn''t recovered from her ticklish experience.


    "Good job," Barca said as he looked down on the baby Slime that had carried out her mission well. "Let''s go back."


    "Un!" Eiko replied, then happily ate the Beast Core that had dropped to the ground before jumping on Barca''s right shoulder.


    The baby Slime didn''t consume the Beast Core, but simply stored it inside her body so she could give it to her Papater. Although she was a battle junkie and a glutton, she would never consume a Beast Core when her Papa wasn''t near.


    Lux had told Barca to retrieve Eiko from the camp after the Orc Warrior left Baronar''s tent. Since Phase 2 of their n waspleted, all he needed to do was wait for the promised time, so that Barca could duel the weakened Baronar in front of his subordinates.

 Chapter 103 Baronar’s Fate [Part 2]

    Two hourster��


    Most of the patrolling Orc Warriors had returned to the Orc Encampment after hearing the signal horn. Because of this, the total number of Orc Warriors inside the camp now numbered a hundred.


    All of them gathered to watch the battle between Barca and Baronar, interested to see whether they would have a new Warlord to follow. Duels for the position of power usually ended with one party''s death. No defending Warlord liked to have their position taken away from them, so they would do their best to kill their opponent to ensure that they wouldn''t challenge them again in the future.


    Of course, Baronar could have refused the duel entirely. However, after suffering losses from Barca''s night raid, the Orc Shaman wanted nothing more than to kill the upstart Half-Orc who thought that it could win against him.


    Under the gazes of over a hundred Orc Warriors, Barca stood with his greatsword in his hands. He looked so intimidating and powerful that some of the Orcs were impressed by him.


    "Are you ready to die, Barca?" Baronar asked as he held the skull staff in his hand. "Don''t worry. I''ll be sure to add your head to my collection."


    "I didn''te here to die," Barca replied as he pointed his greatsword in Baronar''s direction. "I came here to kill you."


    "Big words from a Half-Blood."


    "You''ll soon see what this Half-Blood can do."


    Lux and the others were watching the battle from a distance. Although Barca assured them that the Orcs wouldn''t attack them because a duel was sacred, he still didn''t like taking his chances against over a hundred words with Barca''s assurance.


    The Dwarves had solemn expressions on their faces because they didn''t know if the serum that Baronar had drunk was going to work. Usually, when Fighters and Magicians fought, the magician always had the upper hand.


    The reason for this was mainly their ability to use powerful range attacks that could potentially kill the Fighters before they could evene close.


    The twobatants stared at each other for half a minute before their battle officially began.


    The first thing that Baronar did was to summon two Elite Orc Spirit Warriors to fight for him. They were Rank 3 Monsters, which were capable of stalling the Orc Shaman''s enemies, while thetter chanted his curses and offensive spells to whittle down their opponent''s health.


    That was exactly Baronar''s n. However, after he summoned his two Elite Orc Spirit Warriors, he felt that something was wrong with his body. He couldn''t gather mana as fast as he wanted to, which caused the spells he cast to get dyed.


    This dy didn''t escape Barca''s gaze, as he used brute force to make his way past the two Elite Orc Spirit Warriors. He didn''t waste his time attacking them because he didn''t want to miss the golden opportunity that was presented to him.


    "Frostfire!" Baronar shouted as he unleashed an icy blue me at point nk range. Sadly, the power of the mes was halved because he wasn''t able to gather enough mana to activate its full destructive power.


    Barca roared as he swung his sword and split the blue fireball into two halves, making them explode.


    Although the Half-Orc received damage to his body, he ignored it and continued to charge at the Orc Shaman who had just barely managed to summon his Soul Shield.


    "Die, you old turtle!!" Barca shouted as he swung his great sword towards the barrier that prevented him from taking Baronar''s life.


    A crack appeared on the Soul Shield''s surface after receiving Barca''s full strike. A momentter, the Half-Orc swung his sword again, shattering the shieldpletely.


    "Envenom!" Baronar roared as he fired a green glowing dart from his fingertips.


    The green dart pierced Barca''s chest, but thetter shrugged off the pain and swung his sword with fury. His high resistance prevented the poisonous effect of the skill from manifesting, making Baronar''sst resort futile.


    A scream was heard in the night as the Half-Orc''s greatsword sliced through the Orc Shaman''s right arm, cutting it offpletely.


    Barca was initially going to cut Baronar in half, but the Orc Shaman managed to twist his body just in time. Unfortunately, he wasn''t able to dodge the attackpletely, losing his arm in the process.


    "Stop! I concede!" Baronar shouted  as he kneeled on the ground. "I recognize you as the new Orc Warlord. Don''t kill me!"


    Barca stopped his greatsword mid-swing, and looked at the Orc Shaman that had surrendered.


    "You recognize me as your new Chieftain?" Barca asked.


    "Yes! I recognize you! I will serve you well!" Baronar pleaded.


    Lux who was watching this scene blinked because he didn''t think that the Orc Shaman would beg for his life.


    Barca then nced in the Half-Elf''s direction and asked him a question.


    "Should we kill him or not?" Barca asked.


    Lux naturally wanted Baronar dead because he wanted to gain the Pseudo-Rare item that the Orc Shaman would drop after his death.


    However, before he could shout the word "Kill!", a series of texts appeared in front of him.


    ��-


    < Baronar''s Fate >


    The Orc Shaman had pleaded for you to spare his life. What would you like to do?


    �C Option 1


    Kill Baronar.<sub> </sub>


    Receive one random Pseudo-Mythical Equipment that belongs to him.


    �C Option 2


    Spare Baronar


    Receive one random Skill from his Skill Set.


    Possible skills that can be acquired: Summon Elite Orc Spirit Warrior, Envenom, Fear, Frostfire, Life Drain, Soul Shield, Dim Vision, Amplify Damage.


    �C Option 3


    You can negotiate your terms. The sess of the negotiation will depend on your Charisma stat.


    ��-


    The sudden notification made Lux hold back the words he was about to say. Barca eyed him with a calm expression as he waited for the Half-Elf''s answer. The Half-Orc didn''t care whether Baronar lived or died.


    This was why he was fine in letting the Half-Elf decide the Orc Shaman''s fate. This would also allow him to gauge Lux''s character more and see if the red-headed teenager had what it takes to help him in his quest for dominion.


    ''Um?'' Lux blinked as he gazed at the options before him. Originally, he was dead-set on acquiring a Pseudo-Mythical Weapon after the Orc Shaman''s death.


    However, acquiring a random skill was also a good option since his special ability, Skill Evolution [EX], would upgrade the skill without fail.


    As for the third option, although he was good looking, Lux didn''t know if he had enough Charisma Points to seed in the negotiations. There were two hidden Stats that couldn''t be seen using the Soul Book. The two Stats were Luck and Charisma.


    Back then, he pestered the God of Games, Eriol, to let him see his Charisma and Luck Stats, but thetter refused. No matter how much the Half-Elf pleaded, the God of Games didn''t budge. This was why Lux didn''t know if he was lucky or unlucky.


    ''Option 3 is a gamble,'' Lux thought. It was at that moment when he remembered the God of Gamblers, Max. The old man had once told him that either he went all in or did nothing at all.


    However, after remembering how the God of Gamblers'' SIMP Cannon malfunctioned when he sent Lux to Sis, the Half-Elf shuddered uncontrobly.


    ''No. I can''t take chances. I''ll just go with Option 2.'' Lux thought. Right now, he couldn''t bet on his Charisma and Luck. since that was the case, he would just choose the option which would work wonders for him.


    Lux walked towards Baronar and only stopped when he was two meters away from the Orc Shaman.


    "Spare him," Lux said. "Having an Orc Shaman serve under you when you be Orc Chieftain is better than having none."


    "Are you sure?" Barca asked.


    "Yes."


    "Okay."


    Barca faced Baronar and extended his hand to him. Thetter looked at the offered hand for a brief moment before sping it with his own.


    The Orc Warriors that were watching from the side raised their weapons and cheered. At that exact time, Lux received a series of notifications.


    ��--


    Quest: Baronar''s Fate (Completed!)


    < Rewards >


    One Random Skill Ticket received.


    �C You will obtain one of the skills that belongs to the Orc Shaman, Baronar.


    < Bonus Reward >


    You gained 125 Orc Warriors under yourmand!


    Baronar became your ally!


    +500 ckrock Reputation Points


    10 Medium Quality Rejuvenation Potions


    ��-


    Lux smiled, thinking that the Bonus Reward was truly unexpected. Although he assumed that Baronar and the Orc Warriors would be their allies, this wasn''t a guarantee.


    Seeing that they had be part of their team, the Half-Elf became more confident that he would be able to clear the mission faster with the help of the strongest Orc Warlord on their side.

 Chapter 104 Lux’s Demonic Defender

    Eiko was sleeping peacefully on top of Lux''s chest. Thettery on the grass, looking up at the star-filled sky.


    It had been two hours since Baronar became their ally, so he decided to tell Colette and the others to rest because their quest would continue the next morning.


    It had been a long night, and he knew that the Dwarves were exhausted from the battles that they had fought earlier.


    ''I guess now is a good time to use the skill ticket I received earlier,'' Lux thought as he summoned the red ticket from his Soul Book. All of Baronar''s skills were good, so he wasn''t picky about whichever skill he would end up acquiring.


    Activating the ticket in his hand, Lux immediately saw a row of text appear in front of him.


    ��--


    You have acquired the "Summon Elite Spirit Warrior" Skill.


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    < Since the Skill is obtained from a reward not from a Beast Core, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    < Choose which path of Evolution you wish to take. >


    Option 1: Summon two Elite Spirit Warriors to fight for you instead of one.


    Option 2: Upgrade Summon Elite Spirit Warrior to one of the three options.


    �C Upgrade to Spirit Shield Warrior


    �C Upgrade to Spirit Raider


    �C Upgrade to Spirit Skirmisher


    Option 3: Give your first Elite Spirit Warrior  a name. Named creatures will be stronger and more intelligent than normal creatures. Also, you can upgrade your named creature individually if you wish it.


    ��--


    "Oh? I get to have another named minion, not bad," Lux muttered as he decisively clicked the third option, adding a third Named Creature in his team.


    ��-


    < You have chosen to give your first Elite Spirit Warrior a name. >


    < Please choose a name >


    ��-


    "Pazuzu," Lux said softly. "From now on, your name will be Pazuzu."


    ��--


    < You have chosen the name "Pazuzu" as the name for your first Elite Spirit Warrior. >


    < Is this your final answer? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��-


    After choosing yes, a very fat spirit warrior with a pair of ck wings on its back appeared in front of Lux. It had a very hideous appearance, which would have been enough to make Eiko cry out in fear if she saw him right now.


    It was holding a tower shield in its left hand, and a mace on its right. Its height was over two meters, and its body was fat enough to block the entrance of a cave, preventing others froming in or out of it.


    Even Lux flinched when his gazended on his Spirit Warrior''s face due to how scary it was. In the end, Pazuzu gave Lux a brief nod as a greeting before disappearing without a trace.


    Lux looked at the new page that appeared in his Soul Book and read the information about his new Summoned Creature.


    ��--


    < Pazuzu >


    "Have no fear! Pazuzu is here!"


    �C Named Elite Spirit Warrior


    �C Protector Spirit


    �C Rating: C


    �C Mana 10


    �C Progress (0/500)


    Health: 13,000 / 13,000


    Mana: 400 / 400


    Strength: 20


    Intelligence: 20


    Vitality: 260


    Agility: 20


    Dexterity: 20


    Attack: 20 - 40


    Attack Type: Bludgeon Physical Damage


    Defense: 360


    Active Skill: Duel [EX], Taunt, Shield Bash, Body m, Mad Rush, Shield Wall.


    Passive Skill: Equip Item, Guts, Very Tough, Enhanced Fortitude, Intimidate


    Title: Demonic Defender


    ��--


    �C Pazuzu is your third Named Creature and has been bestowed the title of Demonic Defender.


    �C This Named Creature has gained the ability to evolve.<sub> </sub>


    < Demonic Defender >


    �C Regardless of what happens in the future, this Named Creature will be forever loyal to you.


    �C All attacks made by Pazuzu will have a small chance to instill fear in your enemies.


    �C Enemies under the effect of fear will run away from Pazuzu.


    �C As someone who bears the title, Demonic Defender, Pazuzu''s defense will increase by 100% if his Health is reduced by half.


    �C When you use Beast Cores to upgrade your Named Creature, its effects will be increased by 50%


    Note: After this, we share a drink! Do you like goat''s milk?


    ��-


    ''A defender type? Not bad,'' Lux mused as he finished reading the information about his third Named Creature.


    Pazuzu''s stats made him a Rank 1 Monster in its middle stages. Since he specialized in defense, he would be able to tank the attacks of Rank 2 up to Rank 3 Monsters without fail.


    One particr skill caught Lux''s attention and he clicked it out of curiosity. It was Pazuzu''s Mad Rush.


    ��-


    < Mad Rush >


    �C Pazuzu''s speed will drastically increase, allowing him to travel up to 200 mph onnd and in the air for twenty seconds.


    �C Skill Cooldown: 10 minutes


    ��-


    ''What a mad,'' Lux scratched his head after seeing the skill''s information.


    He could feel his teeth itch at the thought of Pazuzu using the Mad Rush alongside the skill, Shield Bash, with the full weight of his body.


    The Half-Elf believed that even Barca would feel a world of pain if Pazuzu''s attack hit him directly.


    ''Finally I have a defender ss Summon,'' Lux thought as he let the new Named Creature equip a Norria Light-te Armor Set, which further increased Pazuzu''s already high defense to a total of 460.


    The Half-Elf knew that Diablo couldn''t y the tanker position in his party because he was more of a mobile damage dealer. Lux always had this as one of his greatest concerns, so he was quite happy that he finally got a meat shield that would serve as the vanguard for his team.


    It was at that moment when he heard the sound of footsteps headed in his direction. Turning his head to the side, he saw Colette walking towards him, with Matty trailing not far behind her.


    "What''s wrong, can''t sleep?" Lux asked the adorable Dwarf girl who served as the vanguard for his friends.


    <o>,m Colette nodded. "Yes."</o>


    Colette sat beside Lux, and Matty sat beside her.


    "Big Brother, I have a feeling that after we clear this dungeon, all of us will finally reach the Apostle Grade," Colette said with a trace of excitement in her voice.


    "Isn''t that a good thing?" Lux asked. "As soon as you step on the Apostle Grade, you will be able to go to where your sister is."


    "Yes. I am also looking forward to it," Colette replied, "but Big Brother, what about you?"


    "Hmm? What about me?"


    "What are your future ns after clearing this dungeon? Won''t you also reach the Apostle Grade when this expedition is over?"


    Lux smiled before nodding his head. He couldn''t possibly tell Colette that he could have graduated from the Beginner''s Zone long ago because had more than enough free stat points to level up.


    "I n to stay in Leaf Vige for a little while longer after we finish this expedition," Lux replied.


    "I see." Colette nodded her head in understanding. "We can stay in the Beginner''s Vige for ten more days after we reach the Apostle Grade. After that, we will forcefully be teleported out of the Beginner''s Zone."


    "No. That is not what I mean." Lux shook his head. "I will not step into the Apostle Grade for now. I still have things to do in Leaf Vige."


    "Things to do?"


    "Mmm. I made a promise to myself that I will only leave Leaf Vige once I tie up some loose ends."


    Colette became silent for a while before she lightly patted the sleeping baby Slime on Lux''s chest.


    "Understood," Colette said after a while. "When you decide to step into the Apostle Grade, look for us in Whitebridge City. My sister''s Guild, Eternal, is based over there. I will be joining her guild as well."


    "Eternal Guild?" Lux muttered. "Okay. I''ll make sure to drop by for a visit."


    "Promise?"


    "Mmm."


    Colette smiled sweetly as she looked at Lux''s face. She really enjoyed traveling with Lux in Elysium because he acted like a Big Brother looking out for his younger siblings.


    Colette had a real big brother as well, but the time they spent together was very little. Her brother was very busy managing their family''s main guild known as Golden yers. He didn''t even have enough time to visit home, and only talked to them using amunication crystal whenever he wasn''t too busy with the guild''s affairs.


    This was why she longed for the feeling of having a big brother spoil her, and Lux yed that role really well. Especially when he saved her in the Kobold''s Nest. The Half-Elf didn''t talk much about the affair, but Helen did.


    Colette''s best friend told them how the red-headed teenager ckmailed the Riders of Norria and forced them to take an oath in order to force them to save not only Robin, but Colette and the others as well.


    "Big Brother."


    "Mmm?"


    "Please marry my sister, okay?" Colette said with a smile. "That way, you will officially be my big brother, and be part of my family."


    Lux chuckled. "You''re still ying matchmaker? Besides, I don''t think that''s how it works. Once I be your sister''s husband, I will be your brother-inw, and not your big brother."


    "Big brother is big brother," Colette insisted. ''Nothing will change."


    "...Well, I''ll think about it first." Lux could only scratch his head in order to change the topic. "Go to sleep. We need to leave early tomorrow morning and head to the location of the next Orc Warlord. It would not be good if you don''t have the strength to fight when you need it the most."


    Colette nodded and bid Lux goodnight. Matty gave Lux a side-long nce before following behind the adorable Dwarf girl that had been his childhood friend for many years.


    Lux watched the two of them go, and a hint of sadness spread across his face.


    "I guess, parting ways is inevitable," Lux muttered as he lightly patted the baby Slime on his chest who was still in a deep sleep.


    He had long expected that this time woulde, but now that it did, he still felt sad. Colette and her party mates were the first friends he had made in Elysium and seeing them leave made his heart ache.


    But, he knew that this was part of the journey that he had to take in order to find a way to help save Sis from its fate.

 Chapter 105 I’ll Make You My Own Mount

    ''I think I greatly underestimated Baronar''s strength,'' Lux mused. ''Making him our ally made this entire expedition so much easier.''


    Before they set out to their next target, the Orc Shaman advised that they should deal with Tanabur first before targeting the other Orc Warlords.


    There were two reasons why Baronar told them to target Tanabur first before the others.


    First, Baronar and Tanabur didn''t get along well with each other. However, that was not the main reason why the former insisted that thetter Orc Warlord should be attacked first. It was because Tanaburmanded the Orcs'' Warg Cavalry.


    Wargs were Demonic Wolves that Orcs usually used as mounts. They were fast, strong, and very agile creatures that would not hesitate to attack bigger enemies. They were especially more fearless when they traveled in packs.


    Tanabur could easily send his reinforcements to the other Warlords if they were under attack. Baronar was sure that his rival could''ve helped him. It was just that thetter chose to turn a blind eye on the battle horns that had sounded as a signal to ask for assistance when their camp was being targeted by Lux and Barca.


    "As long as he is taken out, you won''t have to fight a two-versus-two battle against the other Orc Warlords," Baronar exined. "Once he is taken down, you can choose any other warlord you like without worrying about getting attacked from the rear."


    Lux and Barca found this suggestion very sound, so they immediately marched to the South to deal with the Orc Warlord Tanabur.


    Using Eiko to infiltrate their camp to drug their well water with a deadly colorless poison that Baronar had concocted, the Wargs, as well as the Orcs who mounted them, fell asleep and the attack on the Southern Camp went off without a hitch.


    Tanabury on the ground panting for breath, while Barca''s greatsword was positioned just an inch away from his neck.


    "Baronar, you filthy traitor!" Tanabur shouted in anger. "I knew you couldn''t be trusted!"


    Tanabur gnashed his teeth in anger as he red at the Orc Shaman,pletely ignoring the de that could cut his neck at any moment.


    "All of this is due to your stupidity, Tanabur," Baronar sneered. "I bet you wereughing when youmanded your subordinates to not send reinforcements to my camp. This is just the consequences of your shortsightedness!"


    "Bah! Shut up you weakling bone collector!"


    "At least I''m not an Orc who screws his Warg because women won''t look at him!"


    "Bastard! Fight me!"


    "Hah! Come! Who''s scared of who?!"


    Matty had covered Colette''s ears so that she wouldn''t hear the foulnguages that the two Orc Warlords were spouting in front of them.


    Lux did the same to Helen because the two Orc Warlords had now started to call each other "Warg P*ssy" and "Dead F*cker".


    It was at this moment when the Half-Elf realized that after unlocking the Hidden Quest, the settings of the dungeon had changed. Instead of a regr dungeon run, where they just killed monsters until they reached the Boss Monster, the dungeon had activated its "Story Mode".


    It was like they were re-enacting events that had happened long ago, while giving the Dungeon''s challenger free reign to decide how the story would end.


    "Should we kill him?" Barca shifted his gaze on Lux. "It''s your call."


    As soon as the Half-Orc said these words, a series of notifications appeared in front of Lux.


    ��--


    < Tanabur''s Fate>


    Barca doesn''t know if he should spare the Orc Raider, Tanabur, or not. He wants you to decide the Orc Warlord''s Fate.


    �C Option 1


    Kill Tanabur.


    Reward: Receive one random Pseudo-Mythical Equipment that belongs to him.


    �C Option 2


    Spare Tanabur.


    Reward: Receive twenty five Wargs aspensation.


    These wargs can be used as battle mounts and all of them are Rank 2 Monsters.


    �C Option 3


    You can negotiate your terms. The sess of the negotiation will depend on your Charisma stat.


    ��---


    ''Mounts?'' Lux''s eyes widened in shock when he read the reward for sparing Tanabur. ''Are you freaking serious? Twenty five Rank 2 Monsters as mounts?!''


    The red-headed teenager''s jaw almost dropped after seeing the second option. Only fools would pass up such an opportunity. Because of this option, the Half-Elf decided that he would choose a Rider ss upgrade for his Skeleton Fighters once the opportunity appeared.


    "Spare him," Lux said with a serious expression. "But, I''ll take twenty five of his Wargs as my reward."


    Barca nodded his head. "This is eptable. Very well, you may take twenty five Wargs from his Bestiary. You are free to choose which one you take in as your own."


    Lux smiled as he happily looked at the rewards that he received upon the Side Mission''s Completion.


    ��--


    Quest: Tanabur''s Fate (Completed!)


    < Rewards >


    Twenty Five Elite Wargs


    < Bonus Reward ><sub> </sub>


    Tanabur has be your ally!


    +500 ckrock Reputation Points


    ��-


    Colette, Matty, and the other Dwarves who were just listening to the conversation to the side looked at Lux with envy. The Wargs were at least two-meters tall, and looked very intimidating. Although they didn''t want to admit it, the thought of riding one had crossed their minds after seeing them in action.


    "You heard him," Lux chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "All of you pick a Warg for yourself. From now on, they will be your personal mounts."


    "Eh?" Colette blinked as she pointed her finger to her face. "Ours?"


    "You don''t want to?" Lux asked in a teasing tone.


    "I want!"


    "Then choose one. Helen, Andy, Axel, and Simp get to choose as well."


    "Oi! Who are you calling Simp?!" Matty red up as he raised his hand menacingly.


    "Simp!" Eiko giggled. "Simp! Simp!"


    The baby Slime had developed a tendency to tease Matty after seeing her Papa always do it. For her, whatever Lux did was right, so she copied her Papa as if he was the only role model for her.


    "Tch!" Matty could only click his tongue as he walked towards the Wargs that were now slowly regaining their consciousness from the sleeping drug that had been given to them earlier.


    Since the quest rewards had been activated, none of them attacked the children. They even allowed the little Dwarves to touch them all over, as they decided whether or not they were good enough to be their mounts.


    There were over three hundred Wargs in the camp, so Lux cheated and checked the Elysium Compendium to automatically choose the top twenty Wargs from among the rest.


    Lux was surprised when he found out that there was one Rank 3 Warg among the rest. It was a ck Warg with a scar above its right eye, a feature that made it stand out from the others.


    The Half-Elf looked at the Warg, and thetter looked back at him. Its predatory eyes observed the red-headed teenager in front of him, but made no move to attack.


    "I''ll make you my own mount," Lux said as he looked at the Warg with a serious expression.


    Sensing that it had been chosen by the Half-Elf in front of it. The Warg lowered its head and allowed Lux to touch its forehead.


    The moment Lux''s hand rested on the Warg''s head, a notification appeared in front of him.


    ��--


    Would you like this Elite Warg to be your mount?


    < Yes / No >


    ��--


    Lux clicked yes and a new notification appeared in front of him.


    ��--


    Would you like to give this Elite Warg a name?


    <  Yes / No >


    ��-


    Lux pondered for a bit before saying the name that came to his mind.


    "Jed," Lux said. "That will be your name from now on."


    The Warg turned into particles of light and flew towards Lux''s Soul Book.


    What Eriol didn''t tell Lux was that the Soul Book held a miniature world of that person''s soul. One could call it a spiritual world, where the creatures that served them could stay, while they weren''t active in the real world.


    This was where Beast Tamers like Iris stored their Beast Companions whenever they weren''t present in the real world.


    Colette and the others had also finished choosing their mounts, and just like what happened with Lux, they also turned into particles of light and flew into their Soul Books. They could be summoned any time their Master wished, and serve as their mount for as long as they needed to be.


    Naturally, these mounts also feel thirst and hunger, so having many Mounts, or Beast Companions required that you feed them on a regr basis, or else their loyalty would decrease and they would leave you the next opportunity they got.


    Lux summoned Jed once again and attempted to ride on his back. He had ridden on Sophie''s back many times before, but the White Hippo was a gentle beast. She would not move very fast to ensure that the Half-Elf didn''t fall off her back.


    Now that Lux had his own mount, he wanted to get used to riding it, so that he could also fight battles while mounted if the situation called for it.


    Colette and her friends had the same idea, so they also summoned their beasts to try and mount them. However, since the wargs were taller than the Dwarves, they had to order them to lie down on the ground so that they could ride on their backs.


    Barca and Baronar also chose a mount for themselves as they prepared to head to their next destination.


    Now that two of the Four Warlords had been subjugated, only two remained. Their next destination was the Orc Warlord, Morgazar. He was an Exceptional Orc Hunter that ruled the East, and was known for raising an elite army of Orc Archers who specialized in rangebat.


    Lux nced at Barca who was currently riding at the head of their formation. He didn''t know if this Hidden Story Quest was something that had happened in the real world or not.


    If it did, the Half-Elf wondered if Barca originally spared or killed the Orc Warlords that were serving Orobak.


    ''I guess, I''ll never know,'' Lux thought as he followed behind the Half-Orc whose wish was to form his own Orc Dominion.

 Chapter 106 Too Bad You Are Already Dead

    "I''d rather die than be your subordinate!"


    This roar of anger resonated in the surroundings as Morgazar firmly held the Warbow in his hand like a sword, ready to strike at any moment.


    The Orc Hunter''s encampment was easily subdued due to the strategic trickery that Tanabur had suggested to Barca. Since the Orc Raiders often visited the camps of the other Orc Warlords, Morgazar and his subordinates automatically assumed that this was just part of their regr inspections to ensure that everything was in order.


    Unfortunately, Barca had already subdued Tanabur and thetter used this method to sneak Barca inside Morgazar''s Orc Encampment and trap the Orc Warlord, forcing him to fight Barca one-on-one.


    Although the Orc Hunter was capable of fighting like a rogue when it came to closebat, his true specialtyy in ranged attacks. It didn''t even take Barca two minutes topletely subdue the Orc Hunter, who was now ring at the Half-Orc with fury.


    "Just kill me!" Morgazar shouted. "I will never recognize you as our Chieftain!"


    ��-


    < Morgazar''s Fate >


    The Orc Hunter had no intention in joining Barca''s rebellion. He would rather die than allow himself to serve someone who didn''t earn his respect.


    �C Option 1


    Kill Morgazar.


    Reward: Receive one random Pseudo-Mythical Equipment that belongs to him.


    �C Option 2


    Try to convince Morgazar to join Barca''s faction.


    Reward: ???


    ��--


    Lux frowned as he looked at the two options. The fastest way to deal with this matter was to kill Morgazar, which would reward Lux one of the other party''s Pseudo-Mythical Equipment.


    However, after sparing Baronar and Tanabur, the Half-Elf had gained lucrative rewards. Having considered this, he was more inclined to have Morgazar join Barca''s side, so he would get an unexpected bonus as a reward for his troubles.


    ''The reason why Morgazar refused to be Barca''s subordinate is because the Half-Orc wasn''t able to gain his respect,'' Lux thought. ''So, I need to make him respect Barca?''


    The Orcs were a race that followed the strong. As long as they acknowledged you as stronger than them, they were willing to listen to your words and consider them seriously."


    Barca had already nced at the Half-Elf''s direction, asking Lux how he wanted to deal with the Orc Hunter, who refused to submit no matter what.


    Lux shook his head as he approached the Orc Warlord who stood arrogantly in front of them. Since he had no other choice, the only thing he could do was do his best, and take the chance to see whether he could salvage the current situation in their favor.


    "I challenge you to a duel," Lux said. "You are free to choose what type of duel you want, and I will be the one to choose who your opponent will be. If I win, you will join Barca''s side and support him to be the Orc Chieftain. If you win, we will leave this ce peacefully, on the condition that you will not intervene with our fight for the seat of Orc Chieftain."


    "You? Challenge me?" Morgazar snorted. "A mere half-blood? But, this is indeed intriguing. Are you sure you want me to be the one to choose what type of duel I want?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "That way, you will have no excuse when you lose."


    The Orc Hunter growled as he eyed Lux menacingly. "Trying to rile me up? Very well, I want to see how you try to beat me at my own game. The Duel I want is simple. It will be a point-nk range battle!"


    The Orc Hunter raised his bow. "My opponent and I will fight in our stronghold''s special arena. We will only be fifty meters apart from each other, and whoever gets hit by an arrow first loses."


    "Can the twobatants approach each other?"


    "Of course. It doesn''t matter if we fight each other in close quarters, using only an arrow. The important rule is that the first one to get hit by an arrow will automatically lose. Anything goes!"


    Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    "Very well, I ept this duel," Lux replied.


    "So, who will be fighting on your side?" Morgazar asked. His voice was filled with arrogance and confidence. Clearly, he didn''t think that he would lose to anybody.


    "Ishtar,e forth," Lux ordered.


    A Skeleton Hunter materialized beside the Half-Elf.


    The moment the Skeleton appeared, Morgazar narrowed his eyes as if sizing up his opponent. Surprisingly, Ishtar did the same and the golden glow in her eyes burned brighter. It was as if she was looking at a worthy adversary who specialize in the same profession as she did.


    "Good!" Morgazar said. "This is more like it!"


    Ten minutester��


    Morgazar and Ishtar stood fifty meters from each other in a closed arena inside the Orc Encampment.


    The arena was a special training ground where the Elite Orc Archers under Morgazar trained on a regr basis. This helped the Orc Archers improve their closebat fighting skills whenever their opponents managed to close the gap between them.


    "Are both of you ready?" Lux asked.


    Isthar and Morgazar nodded at the same time.


    "Let the battle begin!" Lux shouted.


    Immediately after that, the two proud hunters unleashed a barrage of arrows at each other. They were first testing each other''s abilities to have a better grasp of their opponent''s strength and weakness.


    Both of them dodged, and fired arrows at an amazing speed that made Lux wonder if the Orc weighed like air. Although he was quite big, Morgazar was able to perform incredible maneuvers of dodging and counter-attacking despite his size.


    Ishtar on the other hand, side stepped, jumped, rolled, and performed other feats in order to evade Morgazar''s deadly arrows that seemed to have a life of its own.


    "Morgazar is stronger," Barca muttered.


    Baronar, Tanabur, and Lux nodded their heads in agreement. Just like Barca, Morgazar was a Rank 4 Alpha Beast.<sub> </sub>


    His expertise and skills far surpassed Ishtar''s. The only saving grace was that when the two dueled, the settings of the Dungeon lowered his rank to match Ishtar''s. This was perhaps the consequence of Lux''s choice to give the Orc Hunter the right to choose which duel he wanted.


    Because of this, Morgazar found it was beneath him to bully someone that had a lower rank than him. This then prompted the changes of his current rank, making him on the same level as his opponent.


    Although his rank had regressed, his skills and expertise remained the same. Just as Lux was wondering how Ishtar would be able to ovee her opponent, the Orc Hunter shot a barrage of arrows that had forced Ishtar into a corner.


    "This is my win!" Morgazar dered as he fired a ming arrow, merely twenty meters away from Ishtar, who had stumbled on the ground due to his earlier arrow barrage.


    Just as the ming arrow was about to hit Ishtar''s body, the Skeleton Hunter summoned a steep trap in her hand and used it as a shield.


    A metallic rang reverberated inside the arena as the arrow was deflected by the trap in Ishtar''s hand, surprising everyone that was watching the duel.


    The Skeleton Hunter didn''t let the opportunity slip by, and threw the Steel Trap towards her opponent.


    Morgazar was forced to use his arms to block the unexpected ranged weapon that was thrown at him at close range with his arm.


    After blocking the steel projectile, the Orc Hunter was about to do a counterattack when he saw the Skeleton Hunter standing ten meters away from him, holding two steel traps in each of her hands.


    Just as he expected, Ishtar threw the two Steel Traps in his direction, forcing the Orc Hunter to block them with his arm once again.


    The next time heid his eyes on his opponent, the Skeleton Hunter was almost upon him. In Ishtar''s left and right hands, three icy arrows��that resembled ws of a certain superhero from Lux''s world��could be seen.


    Without saying a word, Ishtar thrust the arrows that were firmly held by her bony fingers towards her enemy''s chest.


    As ast resort, Morgazar used his bow to sh down on Ishtar''s right hand, shattering itpletely. Unfortunately for him, the Skeleton Hunter''s decisive attack was far from over.


    The Orc Warlord felt a stinging, ice-cold, pain as the arrows in Isthar''s left hand, embedded themselves into the side of his body.


    Everyone watched with bated breath as the battle ended in a way that none of them expected.


    "Ishtar, was it?" Morgazar said as he looked at the Skeleton Hunter with aplicated expression on his face. "Too bad you are already dead. If you were alive, I would have made you my wife. I ept my defeat. This is your win."


    Isthar rattled her jaws as if telling her opponent that he wasn''t too shabby himself. After the twobatants exchanged their words. The adorable blonde Dwarf raised her hand from the stands and shouted.


    "Huzzah!" Colette raised her hand in happiness. "We won!"


    The Orc Warriors also raised their hands and shouted their war cries to honor the two warriors that had fought with honor and dignity. Even Lux who was trying to keep his expression calm could feel his blood from boiling due to the incredible performance that he had just witnessed.


    He never thought that he would get this much excitement and inspiration from a battle between two Hunters. It made him realize that his second Named Creature, Ishtar, could do something awesome when pushed into a corner.


    ��--


    p Morgazar''s Fate (Completed!)</anda>


    < Rewards >


    One Rank Up for Ishtar


    One Elite Orc Warlord Set Equipment


    +4 Summon Skeleton Grand Archer


    (Summon Four Additional Skeleton Grand Archers)


    (Elite Orc Warlord Hunter Set)


    Pseudo-Mythical Armor Set


    Requirement: Only for sses that specialized in range weapons


    +200 to Defense


    + 30 to Dexterity


    + 30 to Agility


    + 30 to Vitality


    20% Physical Damage Reduction


    20% Magical Damage Reduction


    < Bonus Reward >


    You gained 500 Orc Archers under yourmand.


    Morgazar became your ally!


    +500 ckrock Reputation Points


    ��--


    Lux whistled at the unexpected reward that he received from clearing Morgazar''s Side-Quest.


    Right now, he was short on resources, so he couldn''t level up his minions willy-nilly. Fortunately, Ishtar received a free rank up after defeating Morgazar, which boosted her overall stats, and added a few skills in her ever-growing deadly arsenal.


    But, that was not all. Lux could now summon four additional Skeleton Grand Archers, bringing their total number to eight.


    ''It was more than worth it.'' Lux couldn''t stop the wide smile that appeared on his face. Now that there was only one more Warlord that they needed to deal with, the Half-Elf was looking forward to the next batch of goodies that was waiting for him.

 Chapter 107 If You Want My Head, Come And Get It!

    As Lux and his group traveled North to face thest Warlord, Oreg, he checked Ishtar''s stats to see how much she had changed after she received her rank up.


    Ishtar was his main, long range, damage dealer. Lux wanted to know how strong she had be after her duel with Morgazar, so he would be able to make the necessary adjustments when using her expertise on the battlefield.


    ��---


    < Ishtar >


    �C Named Skeleton Hunter


    �C Rating: A


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress (0/2000)


    Health: 12,750 / 12,750


    Mana: 6,500 / 6,500


    Attack: 305 - 355 (+160 Heartstriker)


    Attack Type: Ranged Ice Damage


    Strength: 125


    Intelligence: 130


    Vitality: 125 +30


    Agility: 130+30


    Dexterity: 175 +30


    Defense: 155 (+200 Elite Orc Warlord Hunter Set)


    Active Skill: Hunter''s Mark, Set Trap, Arrow Shower, Piercing Arrow, Siege Stance, Poison Arrow (New) Knockback Arrow (New), Stun Arrow (New), Frostfire Arrow (New), Air Steps (New), Air Kick (New)


    p Passive Skill: Equip Item, Fast Reload, Hunter''s Eye, Bow Mastery (New), Deadly Aim (New), Precision Shot (New)</anda>


    Title: The Forgotten Queen


    Note: She''s one of the good guys, but not that good.


    ��---


    ''Those are a lot of new Skills,'' Lux thought as he checked Ishtar''s Skills one by one.


    He was pleasantly surprised upon seeing that his Skeleton Archer now had a wide array of attacks that could deal status changes to the enemy like Stun and Poison. She also had an interesting skill called knockback, which meant that her arrow could push her target backwards by five to ten meters.


    Although that might not sound much, when used in the right situation, it could create opportunities for her and her allies, in the midst of battle.


    Overall, Lux was quite satisfied with the boost in offensive power that Ishtar gained after finishing Morgazar''s Side-Quest.


    ''Now, there''s only Oreg,'' Lux mused.


    After traveling for two days, they had finally reached Oreg''s Stronghold, which was located on the North side of the Dungeon. So far, their scouts hadn''t encountered any patrolsing from the Orc Warlor''s Stronghold.


    The Orc Warmonger, Oreg, was known for his Elite Orc Berserkers. They were the juggernauts of the battlefield and would charge at their foes without any hesitation.


    They were the most fearsome warriors among the Orcs'' melee units because of their "Either you die, or I die" mentality. However, since all of them hade prepared, they were confident that they could deal with whatever the Orc Warmonger could throw at them.


    "Strange," Baronar said after they decided to camp for the night. "We are already deep in his Domain, and we still haven''t seen any signs of his men."<sub> </sub>


    "Indeed," Morgazar replied. "Although Oreg might not be the smartest among us, he is not stupid. He might have realized that something big might have happened and decided to act ording to his gut instincts."


    Tanabur, who was busy eating grilled meat, onlymented after he was done eating.


    "I have already sent two of my fastest riders to his Stronghold to check the situation," Tanaburmented. "They should be back in an hour or two. We''ll know the real reason then."


    Barca nodded his head in agreement as he listened to the discussion. This was the final stretch before his battle with Orobak, so he was reserving his strength for the inevitable battle between the two of them.


    Lux was also paying attention to their discussion as he spoonfed Eiko the stew in his wooden bowl. The baby Slime was not a picky eater, enjoying whatever food her Papa fed her.


    An hourter, Tanabur''s Riders returned to the camp, and the news they brought with them made everyone understand theck of patrols in their surroundings.


    "Oreg has chosen to abandon his encampment to regroup with Orobak at the Chieftain''s Stronghold," Tanabur said. "It is a smart move. Since he knew he''s not a match against us, he decided to go to Orobak in order to have a higher chance of survival."


    All the Orc Warlord''s present then shifted their attention to Barca, who was looking at the burning mes of their campfire. His eyes reflected the color of the mes, making him look more formidable than he usually was.


    "We ride at first light," Barca said after a minute had passed. "Our destination, the Orc Chieftain''s Stronghold."


    ��---


    The group traveled for a day before they arrived at the center of the Domain where Orobak''s Stronghold could be seen.


    They had encountered several of Orobak''s Scouts and managed to kill a few of them. However, some managed to escape, alerting their Chieftain of their arrival.


    By the time Barca, and the other Orc Warlords arrived near the Stronghold, the gate was already shut tight, and several Orc Warriors manned the ramparts.


    Two Orcs that stood out from the rest could be seen standing right above the gates.


    The Orc on their left, who was over two meters tall and had his entire body covered in ck-ted armor, stood arrogantly. He was wearing a horned helmet that covered his entire face, with the exception of his eyes.


    A ck spear was held firmly in his hand as he stared at the Half-Orc that had dared to oppose him.


    "So, you are here, Barca!" Orobak shouted. "I knew I should have killed you when you were just a baby. If I did, I would have been saved from all of this trouble!"


    "It''s toote for regrets, Orobak!" Barca shouted back at the Orc that had made his life miserable. "I''m here to pay you back for everything you''ve done to me!"


    "You''re just like your Mother. Stubborn and stupid," Orobak replied. "She was a fine woman, but he chose your father instead of me. Since that is the case, then it is only fitting that he followed her into the afterlife."


    "You Bastard! Fight me!"


    "You''re not qualified, Half-blood. If you want my head,e and get it!"


    The Orcs on the ramparts raised their weapons and shouted their warcries. Some of them even taunted Barca, insulting his dead mother and father.


    "Don''t let yourself get riled up by him," Baronar advised. "This is how we y his mind games."


    Barca nodded as he observed the defenses of the Stronghold. Right now, they only had a little over a thousand warriors on their side. The Half-Orc estimated that Orobak''s forces, with the addition of Oreg''s Orc Berserkers, numbered about the same.


    Although their forces were near equal, in reality, they were at a disadvantage. From the looks of it, Orobak had prepared himself for a siege battle.


    Barca knew that if they tried to storm the gates, their forces would only decrease at a rapid rate, with no certainty that they would be able to scale the walls, or break past the gate''s defenses.


    Even the Orc Warlords, Baronar, Tanabur, and Morgazar, didn''t have any advice to give him, which put their assault at a standstill.


    It was at this moment when Lux realized that it was up to him to create an opportunity for Barca''s forces to break inside the Stronghold and initiate a duel with Orobak.


    "I have a n," Lux said as he approached Barca. "But, I don''t know if it will work."


    "I''m all ears." Barca smiled as he looked at the Half-Elf who had helped him get this far.


    Barca had a feeling that if he allowed Lux to take action, the arrogant Orc Chieftain would soon find himself, face to face with the Half-Orc''s fury that he had kept in his heart for years.

 Chapter 108 Eiko’s Nighttime Escapade

    Eiko had a big smile on her face as she looked at her Papa who had entrusted her with an important mission.


    "If things be dangerous, don''t hesitate to use your Family Bond [EX] to teleport back to me, okay?" Lux said as he held the baby Slime in his hands.


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded her head in understanding.


    "Are you ready?"


    "Pa!"


    Lux nodded and summoned Pazuzu and Ishtar. In order for his n to work, he needed the Demonic Protector to smuggle Eiko inside the Orc Stronghold. Once he seeded, he would then create a distraction, alongside Ishtar, to give the baby Slime an opportunity to do her mission.


    The good thing about Pazuzu was that he could fly. No gates or walls were too high for him, and it would definitely make Orobak panic if he saw that someone from the opposing side managed to fly past their defenses.


    The Demonic Protector held the baby Slime in his left hand, and held his Tower Shield in his right.


    After listening to Lux''s instructions, the Demonic Protector, and the Skeleton Hunter nodded their heads in understanding.


    "Ishtar, make the world burn," Lux said to his Skeleton Hunter. "Pazuzu, smack them with your shield. This is a suicide mission, so I hope that the two of you will forgive me for letting both of you die deep behind enemy lines."


    Pazuzu chuckled, and Ishtar patted Lux''s shoulder, as if telling him that they understood.


    Soon, the Demonic Protector was airborne, with Ishtar holding onto his neck as she rode on his back.


    Pazuzu''s flying speed was fairly average, and any archer could easily hit him without problems. However, he had a secret weapon in his arsenal and that was the Mad Rush. When he used that skill, he would be just like a race car, zooming across thend and the sky, and leaving everyone in the dust.


    Lux watched as Pazuzu shortened the distance between himself and the Stronghold. Just as he expected, Orobak immediately ordered his men to shoot the flying creature out of the sky.


    A momentter, the sound of arrows hitting the tower shield reverberated in the surroundings.


    "Shield Wall!" Pazuzu roared and a blue tower shield that was six meters tall and five meters wide appeared in front of him.


    Shield Wall was a skill that summoned a defensive shield in front of Pazuzu. The shield''s defense was equivalent to Pazuzu''s overall defense multiplied by three. This ability wouldst for a full minute, and was one of his main defensive skills that was especially useful when tanking bosses.


    As the Demonic Defender, whenever his health fell below 50%, his defense would increase by 100%. If both abilities were activated at the same time, Pazuzu''s defense would rise drastically for a minute, allowing him to withstand deadly blows that could instantly kill anyone but him.


    "Mad Rush!"


    Just like a blueet, Pazuzu charged towards the Stronghold, ignoring the rain of arrows that pelted his Shield Wall.


    <o>,m Orobak''s panicked roar could be heard the moment the Demonic Defender flew past the ramparts and headed towards the center of the Stronghold. As soon as hended, Eiko jumped down from Pazuzu''s hand and ran away as fast as she could.</o>


    However, before the baby slimepletely left, she made sure to summon her Skeletal Fighters and Skeleton Grand Archers to help Pazuzu and Ishtar hold back the Orc Army. She then looked for a safe ce to hide.


    Ishtar and Pazuzu exchanged a nce, and proceeded to perform their roles separately. The Demonic Protector crouched down and used his hands to allow the Skeleton Hunter to use it as a stepping stone.<sub> </sub>


    A momentter, he propelled Ishtar upwards, allowing her to use her Air Steps, so that she could position herself at a high vantage point in order to best make the world burn ording to Lux''s orders.


    Ishtar nimblynded on top of an elevated tform. She immediately used her Siege Stance and with the raise of her bow, several fire arrows wereunched around her surroundings.


    When Orobak and his warriors arrived at Pazuzu''snding site, several of the buildings were already starting to burn.


    "Stop her!" Orobak shouted. "Kill that Skeleton!"


    Ishtar ignored Orobak''s shout and continued to rain fire arrows on her surroundings. Since this was a suicide mission, her life was not important. The only thing that currently mattered for her was to create as much chaos as possible, distracting the enemies until Eikopleted her mission.


    When the Skeleton Hunter finally crumbled to pieces and Pazuzu got subdued, the Orcs became busy with doing their best to put out the mes that were zing around them.


    Little did they know that while they were running around, carrying buckets of water to deal with the mes, a baby Slime had already entered their main Stronghold.


    Eiko giggled as she sneakily entered the Stronghold''s kitchen where the Orcs stored their food. She then spat a few bottles out of her mouth, which was given to her by Baronar in order to drug the Orcs'' food supplies and leave them unable to fight to their fullest.


    This was not the first time that Eiko had done this mission, so she was already well versed on what she needed to do.


    The baby Slime giggled a second time before she summoned her Skeletal Fighters to help her sabotage the food supplies of the Orcs. Since her supply of potions was limited, not all of the food inside the kitchen was doused with the debilitating potions that Baronar had prepared.


    Fortunately, Lux had been prepared for this scenario.


    Eiko approached the baskets of food with a smile on her face. After looking at her left and right to ensure that no Orcs wereing to the kitchen, the baby slime opened her mouth and ate the entire basket.


    Well, ate was not the right word for it. She merely stored the basket of food inside her own personal storage.


    The baby slime continued to "nom nom" every basket that hadn''t been drugged inside her storage. After making sure that everything was covered, she left the kitchen with a giggle before continuing her exploration of the Orc Encampment


    Although her main mission had beenpleted, Lux had given her a side-mission which he believed his baby Slime could pull off.


    With her main missionplete, it was now time for her to tackle the side mission that Lux had assigned her.


    Eiko traversed sneakily through the Stronghold and headed towards Orobak''s main quarters which was located at the very rear of the Orc Encampment. There had been asions where she had nearly been discovered, but due to her Mimicry [EX] ability, she was able to escape all of them.


    The baby Slime would transform into a rock, a piece of wood, or even a bone, just to avoid alerting the Orc Warriors that were wandering around their encampment to do their duties.


    After nearly two hours of painstaking effort, the baby Slime finally arrived at her destination and looked for a ce to rest for the night.


    She was still a baby, and her night escapade exhausted her.


    Lux smiled as he cut off his connection with his baby Slime, who was now sleeping safely inside one of the cupboards in Orobak''s residence. He knew that when morning came, they would be able to attack the Stronghold, with minimal casualties on their side.

 Chapter 109 Let’s Just Take All Of Them. Maybe They Are Valuable

    "Did she seed?" Barca asked upon seeing Lux''s figure enter their tent to discuss their ns for the siege.


    Lux nodded. "She''s done her part perfectly. We should get some rest for tonight so we''re in our best condition for the siege next morning."


    "Good." Barca smiled. "You don''t have to worry about Orobak, I will deal with him myself."


    "Okay. I''ll just cheer for you from the side." Lux smirked.


    Lux, Barca, and the Orc Warlords discussed for half an hour more before going back to their quarters to rest. After the meeting, their n of action for tomorrow was finalized. The only thing they needed to do for now was wait for Eiko''s signal to storm the Stronghold and end Orobak''s rule once and for all.


    As the Half-Elfid on his bed, he wondered how strong Orobak really was. He was the Boss of the Ranked-C Dungeon, and the strongest monster in the Dungeon''s Nightmare Mode.


    He already knew that Barca was strong, but if Orobak was really just as strong as Barca, then things didn''t add up. The Dungeon wouldn''t allow them to have a massive advantage over the Boss Monster even if the challengers managed to unite all the Orc Warlords.


    "I hope I''m just thinking too much," Lux muttered before closing his eyes to rest. He hoped that when morning came, they would be able to clear the dungeon and finally return to the real world and take a break from their exhausting expedition.


    ��-


    When the first rays of sunlight peered over the horizon, a certain baby Slime opened her eyes.


    She sleepily looked around and found herself in an unfamiliar ce.


    "Pa?" Eiko muttered before yawning.


    It was at that moment when she heard the sound of footsteps inside the house, reminding her that she wasn''t with her Papa right now.


    Eiko hurriedly went inside a wooden mug in order to hide from whoever was walking in her direction. The baby Slime closed her eyes as she bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anything.


    The cupboard opened and the shuffling noises from things being taken out were heard. Soon, the noise stopped, and the footsteps gradually faded, as if its owner was walking away from Eiko''s current hiding spot.


    After hearing the sound of a door being closed, the room once again descended into silence.


    Eiko slowly peeked from the mug she was hiding at to ensure that the coast was clear. Although the encounter onlysted for a brief moment, she felt that whoever was in the room with her a while ago had a strength that was simr to the Draconic Kobold that attempted to kidnap her Papa in the past.


    The baby slime remained stationary for an hour longer before deciding to make her move. Today was an important day, and she would need to y a part to ensure the sess of her Papa''s mission.


    ��--


    Outside the Dungeon��


    "It has been three days already and they still haven''te out?" Nevreal asked the guard captain that was assigned to watch over the Dungeon''s entrance.


    "No," the Guard Captain replied. Just like Nevreal, he was quite confused about what was happening.


    This was not the first time that the Dwarven Riders had challenged the Nightmare Mode of the Orc Dominion. However, most of their expeditions ended after two days.


    A day in Elysium was equivalent to three days inside a Dungeon. This meant that Lux''s group had already surpassed the number of days that the Riders of Norria had spent challenging the Dungeon.


    "Are they perhaps ying hide and seek with the monsters?" Nevreal scratched his head in confusion.


    Truth be told, he had thought of entering the Dungeon alongside the elites of the Stronghold in order to look for Lux and the Dwarf Children. However, since they would be taken to a different version of the Dungeon, looking for them was pointless.


    "Commander Thoram sent his aide earlier to inquire whether or not they had exited the dungeon. Unfortunately��," the Guard Captain sighed as he looked back at Nevreal with a helpless expression.


    "I bet Thoram is now regretting giving them permission to enter the Dungeon." Nevreal couldn''t stop himself from smiling bitterly.<sub> </sub>


    What was supposed to be a Normal Dungeon Raid had be a big issue after Lux identally chose the wrong difficulty to challenge. All of them thought that they would return after a day inside the Dungeon, but they never expected that the Half-Elf and his friends would still be inside the Dungeon after three days.


    ��-


    Inside Orobak''s Residence��


    The baby Slime looked left and right to check her surroundings to make sure that it was safe to continue her exploration. After making sure that there were no signs of the Orc Chieftain nearby, Eiko entered the room to check whatever was inside it.


    p There, she found arge bed that was big enough for a bear to lie on. There were several things that were scattered here and there, which confirmed Lux''s suspicion that Eiko had arrived in the Orc Chieftain''s room.</anda>


    ''Be careful, Eiko,'' Lux said through telepathy. ''If you feel like your life is in danger, teleport to me right away.''


    ''Pa!''


    Eiko rummaged inside the room looking for things of value. Since she had no idea what was important or not, she just listened to Lux''s voice inside her head.


    Most of the things that were inside the Orc Chieftain''s room were amulets made from the bones and teeth of monsters, several beast pelts, and beast horns.


    ''Pa?''


    ''Let''s just take all of them. Maybe they are valuable.''


    ''Pa!''


    Eiko then opened her mouth and ate the amulets, animal bones, horns, beast pelts, and anything that looked useful inside Orobak''s room.


    Lux couldn''t use the Elysium Compendium while looking through Eiko''s eyes, so he couldn''t determine whether the items they found had stats or not. Even so, he was already quite thankful that he was able to support the baby Slime as she performed this dangerous mission on her own.


    After summoning a Skeleton to help her open the wooden chest inside the room, the baby Slime found a stack of scrolls, a few rough gems, a dagger, and an ornate wooden box. She didn''t bother to check what was inside it because they were short on time.


    Eiko then ate the entire wooden chest, leaving nothing behind. Since she had already taken a lot of things inside the room, it was obvious that Lux and the baby Slime didn''t care if Orobak found out that someone had stolen his belongings.


    The baby Slime looked around the room from atop of her Skeleton Fighter''s head, to ensure that she didn''t miss anything. After seeing that there was nothing more of value inside the room, she decided to leave the room to return to her main mission.


    Lux had tasked her to go to the Orc Chieftain''s residence to see if there were any valuable treasures inside it. The Half-Elf didn''t know what would happen once the Orc Chieftain was defeated, so he decided to y it safe and start looting in advance in case they were instantly teleported out of the Dungeon as soon as Barca defeated Orobak.


    An hourter, Eiko scanned her surroundings with a critical gaze.


    She was currently on top of the highest point that could be found inside the stronghold, which allowed her to get a view of what was happening inside it. Due to her small size, she managed to slip past the Orcs that had been patrolling the surroundings.


    The Orc Warriors that were manning the gates were currently feeling lethargic, and some were even dozing on and off while leaning against the walls. Almost all the Orcs inside the stronghold were in a simr state due to the sedative that Baronar had created while they were traveling.


    ''Fortunately, there was an option to spare Baronar''s life,'' Lux thought as he stared at the weakened Orcs inside the stronghold. ''I''m sure that things would have been a lot harder if he hadn''t be our ally.''


    As the Half-Elf continued to monitor the movement of the Orcs, he heard Orobak''s loud roar of anger. He must''ve already realized that his forces had been drugged. The remaining Orc Warlord, Oreg, was right beside him and  was seemingly unaffected by the drug that was ced on their food supplies.


    The Orc Warmonger''s elite units, the Orc Berserkers, were also unaffected by the sedative, and seemed to be acting normally. For them to be unaffected by the potion that the Orc Shaman had made to dull their senses, they were clearly trained to resist such drugs,.


    ''Well, I guess this is the dungeon''s way of making things a bit more difficult for us. Eiko, it''s time for us to start the operation.''


    ''Pa!''


    The baby slime climbed down from her vantage point and headed towards the gate. The battle was about to start, and this would decide whether Barca would be able to realize his dream for dominion or not.

 Chapter 110 This Is Madness!

    "Raise the gs!" Barca ordered as he sat on top of his Warg.


    The gs of the three Orc Warlords fluttered in the breeze, letting Orobak know that they had changed their allegiance.


    All of them were eager to charge at the Stronghold and fight their way in.


    "Stay close to me guys," Lux was positioned in front of the Dwarves, while sitting on top of his mount. "Don''t leave my side no matter what."


    Colette, Matty, and the others nodded their heads. All of them were riding their mounts as well, and were at the rear of the formation.


    Not wanting to get in the way of Barca''s charge, Lux decided to stay in the back. This would also allow them to prepare for any unexpected scenarios that Orobak and Oreg could throw at them.


    "Charge!" Barca shouted as his mount lunged forward. "For the ckrock n!"


    ""For the ckrock n!""


    Due to the effects of the sleeping potions that were mixed on their food, none of the soldiers under Orobak''smand stirred from their slumber.


    The Orc Chieftain could only roar in anger as he watched Barca''s forces charging towards the Stronghold at full speed.


    "Man the ramparts!" Orobak shouted. "Oreg, Come here!"


    ? "Yes!" Oreg replied. "Man the ramparts! Don''t let them breach the walls!"


    The Orc Berserkers specialized in head-on shes, and were not really suited to be defenders. Even so, since there was no one else avable to man the walls but them, they could only follow the given order, gripping their war axes as they red at their enemies with bloodshot eyes.


    "Let''s see if you can climb the walls under my watch!" Orobak sneered as his eyes locked on Barca who was at the forefront of the rebels that dared to defy his rule.


    When the Mounted Riders were only a hundred meters away from the Stronghold, something unexpected happened.


    The gates that were tightly shut slowly opened, as if to wee the invaders with open arms.


    Orobak, as well as Oreg, almost couldn''t believe their eyes seeing the gates of their stronghold open right under their noses.


    The Orc Chieftain immediately nced in the direction where the gate''s mechanism was located, and found several Skeletons working together to raise the steel gate, which barred anyone''s entry.


    "Damn you, foul Creatures!" Orobak shouted as he grabbed the War Axe from the nearest Orc Berserker and threw it in the direction where the Skeletons were currently at.


    Two of the Skeletons that were managing the pulley were instantly shattered, slowing the pace of the gate''s opening.


    However, just before the Orc Chieftain could throw another War Axe to kill the remaining two Skeletons, the Skeletons that he had killed immediately respawned and resumed their duty.


    As if to mock Orobak''s attempt, two more Skeletons appeared, but they didn''t assist theirrades in opening the gates. They merely looked at the Orc Chieftain and waved their hands in greeting, infuriating Orobak and making him roar in anger, taking the Skeletons'' actions as mockery.


    Eiko giggled mischievously while hiding in the distance. She was remotely controlling her Summons in order to open the gates ording to her Papa''s orders.


    When the gates had been raised fully, Barca and the rest of the vanguard riders had already entered the Stronghold, wreaking havoc to their surroundings.


    "To arms!" Oreg shouted. "Kill them!"


    ""Kill!""<sub> </sub>


    Orobak shouted a battlecry which had an effect that was simr to Lux''s ability. It raised the physical attack of his allies, which allowed them to deal more damage to their enemies.


    Blood spilled like a river as the two forces shed. Although Orobak''s side was outnumbered, their ability to fight in close quarters was second to none.


    The Mounted Warg Riders'' specialty'' effectivity was greatly diminished after entering the stronghold. With little to no room to maneuver, the Orcs were forced to abandon their mounts and engage the enemies in closebat.


    Lux herded his friends to the corner of the battlefield where he summoned his minions to fight against the Orc Berserkers that were at the peak of Rank 3.


    "They are truly Berserkers," Lux gritted his teeth as he used a Void arrow in an attempt to blind his target. All the skeletons that he had summoned shattered instantly with a single swipe of the Berserker''s weapon. They werepletely outssed.


    "Have no fear! Pazuzu is here!"


    Pazuzu appeared and used a Shield Bash to send the Orc Berserker that was about to hack Colette in half. Thetter was instantly sent flying to the opposite direction.


    "Thank you, Pazuzu!" Colette shouted before smashing her mace into the leg of the Orc Berserker that was being ganged up on by Lux''s Skeletal Fighters.


    Matty didn''t stray far from the little blonde Dwarf and used his two short swords to sh the Orc''s Legs in order to limit its movements.


    "They''re too sturdy!" Mattyined. "My swords can''t cut deep!"


    "Fire Lance!"


    "Hydro Ball!"


    Andy and Axel fired their elemental spells at the Orc that Colette, Matty, and the Skeletons were fighting in order to help subdue it. However, their spells barely pushed it back, which proved how strong their opponent was.


    "This is madness!" Andy gasped. "It''s like we''re fighting a boss."


    "Yes, and there are over four hundred of these bosses," Axelmented as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.


    Lux shared his friends'' worries because he clearly felt the disparity in strength with just a few exchanges with their enemies. They were only dealing with two Orc Berserkers, and their forces were being decimated left and right.


    If not for Diablo, Ishtar, and Pazuzu holding off one of the Orc Berserkers, they would have definitely found themselves in a precarious situation.


    The main reason why they were having problems with the Orc Berserkers, was due to their ability "Rage". This was simr to the Berserk Skill which doubled the Orc Berserker''s Stats for a period of time, making them extremely formidable.


    An Orc Berserker under the effect of Rage was equivalent to a Rank 4 Monster, which put them on the same level as Boss Monsters in the eyes of Lux and the Dwarf children.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but nce in the direction where Barca and Orobak were duking it out with each other. From his vantage point, he could see the Barca was being pushed back by the Orc Chieftain, whose eyes had turned bloodshot from anger.


    Lux also noticed that there were some kind of red mists that were flying in Orobak''s direction that wereing from the blood of the corpses that were lying on the ground.


    These red mists seemed to coat Orobak''s ck Armor, as well as his sword, making them more durable, and deadly with each passing minute.


    "Is that some kind of Skill?" Lux muttered as he observed the battle from afar. "Whatever that is, it doesn''t bode well for us."


    The Half-Elf''s greatest fear was starting toe to light as Barca was blown away with one of Orobak''s powerful Sword sh.


    With that single exchange alone, Lux fully understood that Orobak''s current strength had broken through the initial stages of the Rank 5 Alpha Beast Rank, making him the strongest Orc inside the Stronghold, and an enemy that they would need to fight together in order to defeat.

 Chapter 111 What The F*Ck Bro? U Mad?!

    ''Is this really a C-Ranked Dungeon?!'' Lux cursed internally when he saw the changes in Orobak''s strength.


    A Rank 5 Monster in a C-Ranked Dungeon was unheard of. But, then again, he had unlocked the only Hidden Quest inside the Orc Dominion Dungeon, so he could somehow understand why the difficulty rating of the boss spiked this much.


    Even though it was still weaker than the Draconic Kobold, Cadmus, the current Orobak was still noughing matter.  A Rank 5 Boss Monster as an enemy was something that they were not prepared to face at this point in time.


    "Right now, I think he is as strong as the Field Boss, Forest Wolf King." Lux looked at Orobak, but he couldn''t see the Boss Monster''s stats. All he could see was the basic information. Even though the information he could see was limited, it was enough to confirm his suspicions.


    ��----


    < Orobak >


    �C Orc Chieftain


    �C Final Boss of Orc Dominion (Story Mode)


    �C Rank 5 Boss Monster (Initial Stages)


    Health: 400,000 / 400,000


    Mana: 80,000 / 80,000


    Strength: ???


    Intelligence: ???


    Vitality: ???


    Agility: ???


    Dexterity: ???


    Skills: ???


    Title: One Who Holds Dominion


    ��-


    ''This is bad. Barca will not be able to beat him alone.'' Lux desperately tried to think of another way to help Barca since his own forces were tied up with the Two Orc Berserkers, which had no other purpose but to make their lives difficult. It was at this moment when he saw the other Orc Warlords who were dealing with their own enemies.


    "Baronar! Help Barca! He won''t be able to beat Orobak alone!" Lux shouted.


    p The Orc Shaman nced at his direction and shook his head.</anda>


    "We are Orcs. None of us will interfere in the duel for session. This is part of the rules that our ancestors set long ago," Baronar replied. "However, none of you are bound by that rule."


    The Orc Shaman no longer said anything as he hurled his Shamanic Magic at the Orc Berserkers that tried to overpower his Elite Spirit Summons. Although he didn''t say it explicitly, his words meant that if Lux and his friends wanted to help Barca, they may do so because they were not Orcs.


    Lux looked at his current forces who had just managed to defeat their opponents after almost pushing themselves to their limit.


    His and Eiko''s Mana was already halved due to their constant summoning of their Skeletal Forces, who would die after two to three shes from the Orc Berserkers that they were trying to defeat.


    Oreg, thest Orc Warlord, roared and charged in their direction.


    "I will not allow any of you to interfere!" Oreg charged at Lux and the Dwarven Children, while sending everything in his path flying in every direction.


    "Sh*t!" Lux immediately hurled three Void Arrows in Oreg''s direction in an attempt to blind him, but the status effect didn''t activate.


    When the Orc Warmonger was only a few dozens of meters away from them, Lux had no choice but to order his tank to block his path.


    "Pazuzu! Stop him!" Lux ordered.


    Pazuzu raised his shield high and met Oreg''s charge head on.


    The result was Pazuzu being blown away by the initial sh due to the great difference in stats.


    However, the Demonic Protector righted itself in the air and used its skill Shield Wall. When the giant blue tower shield appeared in front of Pazuzu, it used its trademark skill, Mad Rush, wielding the shield to bash Oreg''s Body, sending thetter skidding a few meters away.


    The two fighters shed against each other with Pazuzu losing ground every time. His Shield Wall could onlyst for a minute. After that, the Orc Monger would overpower him, breaking through his defenses.


    Suddenly, an arrow hit the side of Oreg''s body, pushing him sideways.


    Ishtar had activated her Siege Stance and used her Knockback arrow in order to give Pazuzu some breathing time.<sub> </sub>


    "Wench!" Oreg spat angrily. "I''ll kill you!"


    It was at that moment when Oreg felt a threat behind him, so he immediately turned around and used his War Axes to block the Fire Lances that Diablo''s Nightmare had shot in his direction.


    "Triple sh!" Matty roared as he executed three full-powered shes on Oreg''s Leg while his attention was diverted elsewhere.


    Unfortunately, even if he managed to get a direct hit, the damage he dished out was only enough to give Oreg some shallow cuts, which was nothing to the Orc Warmonger.


    Oreg backhanded the Dwarf and sent him flying. Matty crashed on the ground several meters away and rolled a few times beforeing to aplete stop.


    He spat out a mouthful of blood, and tried to stand up, but his body was still recovering from the shock that it had received from Oreg''s powerful blow.


    Suddenly, an Orc Berserker who thought that this was a good opportunity to kill someone, lunged towards Matty with its Great Axe held high.


    "Matty!" Colette shouted as she ran in her friend''s direction with the intention to help him.


    However, she was too far from him. And even if she arrived on time, there was nothing she could do. She didn''t have the ability to deal with an Orc Berserker alone.


    Just as the Orc Berserker was about to sh the young Dwarf, the Orc Raider, Tanabur, and his Warg, jumped over Matty''s body and collided with the Orc Berserker in mid-air.


    The sh made the Orc Berserker howl in pain as the Warg bit into its body. Simultaneously, Tanabur''s War Axe cut off the arm that was holding its weapon.


    A meter away from Matty''s body, the War axey on the ground along the opposing Orc''s arm that was still holding its weapon. This showed how strong the Orc Berserker''s grip was on its weapon. Even after the arm was severed from its body, the hand and the weapon still hadn''t separated.


    After decapitating the Orc Berserker, Tanabur returned to Matty''s side and grabbed the back of his light-weight armor. Without giving any warning, Tanabur tossed Matty in Lux''s direction before looking for his next opponent.


    Matty, who was thrown away, was caught by one of Lux''s Skeletal Fighters, and brought to Helen to allow her to heal her friend.


    "Eiko! Just use Void Arrows and Mana Drain on Oreg!" Lux ordered the baby slime that was currently on top of his head. "I don''t believe we can''t blind this bastard!"


    "Pa!" Eiko obeyed Lux and joined her Papa as they rained Void Arrows at the Orc Warmonger with the intention of blinding him.


    After two minutes, Eiko''s Void Arrow finally blinded the Orc Warmonger, sending Oreg into a frenzy.


    He blindly hacked around him in an attempt to deter his enemies. Unfortunately for him, Pazuzu and Diablo had no intention of fighting him in his current state and allowed theirrades to use their range attacks to whittle Oreg''s health away.


    Ishtar and the Skeleton Grand Archers turned Oreg into a porcupine while using their Skill Poison Arrows. Poison was the best way to kill an opponent with very high HP because the poison damage would always deal a percentage of their maximum HP.


    The Poison in Oreg''s body grew, until he entered a status known as Badly Poisoned state. Although it was not enough to kill himpletely, it was more than enough to make his life miserable.


    "Kill!" Lux ordered as he grabbed a fist sized rock from his storage ring. Activating his Power Shot Skill, he threw the rock at the blinded and poisoned Orc Warmonger.


    The Skeleton Grand Archers used their Crippling Volley. Ishtar fired arrow after arrow, aiming for Oreg''s Heart. The moment she seeds, the power of her Heartstriker Bow would be activated.


    Diablo fired his Bone Spears, while Eiko unleashed a barrage of elemental spells to rapidly bring Oreg''s health down.


    "Eat DPS Baby!" Lux shouted as he threw another rock at Oreg''s motionless body that had taken a defensive stance.


    Just as the Orc Warmonger''s life was about to hit zero, a sonic boom reverberated in the air.


    Lux could only look in shock at the two-meter long arrow embedded in Oreg''s forehead, iming thest hit, and ending the Orc Warmonger''s life.


    The Half-Elf turned around to look in the direction where the arrow came from and saw, Morgazar looking at him with a smug expression on his face. The Orc Hunter even gave Lux a thumbs up, while the red-headed teenager gave him the middle finger.


    "You f*cking kill stealer!" Lux shouted. "What the f*ck bro? U mad?!"


    The Orc Hunter didn''t know what Lux meant with his words, and only thought that the Half-Elf was thanking him for his timely assistance.


    "No need to thank me!" Morgazar shouted. "We are on the same team!"


    "It wasn''t a thank you, You F*cker!"


    "Um, I don''t know what you''re saying, but, thank you?"


    The Orc Hunter then shifted its attention back to the battlefield and rained arrows upon their enemies, leaving the Half-Elf very frustrated with how things turned out in the end.


    The bodies of the Dwarves glowed, after Oreg was killed, which meant that all of them had gained a level after beating the Mini-Boss of the dungeon.


    When Oreg''s body turned into particles of light, he dropped a Rank 4 Beast Core, his two War Axes, as well as a ne with a single jagged tooth in it.


    Eiko didn''t waste time and ate all of the items before hurrying back in Lux''s direction. Now that one of the greatest obstacles blocking their way was dead. Only the Last Boss of the Dungeon remained.

 Chapter 112 Weaklings Should Know Their Place

    Barca spat a mouthful of blood after receiving Orobak''s powerful blow, which almost broke his defensive stance.


    "I see. So that is the armor that belonged to my Grandfather," Barca said as he looked at the ck armor that covered Orobak''s entire body. "The ckrock Legacy Set."


    "Indeed." Orobak sneered. "A fitting armor for me, isn''t it?"


    "The armor is good, but the one wearing it is trash," Barca replied. "If it could only talk, it would have already told you that you are garbage."


    Orobakughed. "A loser''sst words. Have you had enough? It''s time for you to die, Halfbreed."


    "Bring it on, Trash!" Barca gritted his teeth as he held the handle of his weapon tightly. His short talk with his enemy had given him a brief period of rest in order to regain some of his strength. However, he knew that he was about to reach his limit.


    The ckrock Legacy Set was an armor that absorbed the power of blood and death from the battlefield. The more dead people there were, the stronger the wearer became. This was how the first Chieftain of the ckrock n rose to greatness. With the power he got, he expanded his n until it became one of the strongest in the Orc Empire.


    "Die, Mongrel!" Orobak roared as he lunged at Barca with his greatsword held high.


    The Half-Orc channeled all the strength he could gather from his body to meet his blow, but before he was able to unleash his own attack, a Tower Shield mmed at the side of Orobak''s body, pushing him to the side.


    "... It''s you guys," Barca muttered when he saw Lux and his friends arrive at his side while riding on their Wargs.


    "Sorry to gatecrash on your duel, but someone kill-stealed our Mini-Boss, so I''m still infuriated by it," Lux said as he dismounted from his Warg and summoned it back to his Soul Book.


    Although he was tempted to fight Orobak while mounted on Jed, he didn''t have the necessary Cavalry Skills to make it effective. If he forced it, Jed would definitely die after getting a direct hit from Orobak. This was something that Lux didn''t want to happen.


    He chose to just fight normally for this reason, instead of sacrificing his mount to a battle that left no room for error.


    "An Orc Battle is sacred, and is not a ce for outsiders to intervene," Barca said. "But, I''m fighting against trash, so it''s allowed."


    "Wow! Double standards much," Lux replied. "Can''t you just say that you can''t beat him and need our help."


    "No. You''re just overthinking things."


    "Fine. Kill first, talkter."


    "That''s more like it!" Barca smirked as he looked at Orobak who had kicked Pazuzu away, turning the Demonic Defender into particles of light.


    Pazuzu had been fighting non-stop and taking hits for the team. Its health was already low, but Lux still decided to let it do a suicide attack in order to save Barca, and allow them to reach his side.


    "F*cker!" Eiko shouted as she looked at Orobak who had killed Pazuzu. She only heard Lux say these words after Morgazar killed Oreg. She didn''t know what the word meant, but she felt that using it at that moment was appropriate.


    Although the baby Slime had been scared of the Demonic Defender''s hideous appearance ever since she first saw him, she still treated Pazuzu as someone that belonged to Lux and her family.


    She held this same mentality for Diablo and Ishtar, both of which were her father''s Named Creatures. In her eyes, they were not ordinary Summons. They were her Big Brothers and Sisters!


    "Eiko, don''t say bad words," Lux said as he held the magical staff, Harmony, in his hands. "Your Mama will give me an earful if she hears you cursing out loud."


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded her head in understanding.


    This was one of the rare weapons that he had obtained from the Gatcha Ticket that Eriol had given him before his adventures truly began.


    ��--


    < Harmony >


    Rarity: Rare<sub> </sub>


    (Magic Staff)


    Requirement: Intelligence 10


    �C Magic Damage increase by 5%


    �C Able to use the skill Magic Missile


    (Magic Missile)


    �C Fires five magical darts at the enemies.


    �C Damage is equivalent to the Intelligence Stat of the caster


    ��--


    Although Lux''s Intelligence Stat was low, this was the only weapon he could use against Orobak. He didn''t dare fight the Orc Chieftain at close range because he believed that he would die instantly if he was hit directly by the Greatsword in his hands.


    He had also advised Colette and Matty to not approach the Boss Monster, but simply guard Andy, Axel, and Helen, who were capable of firing ranged magical attacks.


    "Hah! Getting in the way of our duel means that you want to die, right?" Orobak red at Lux and his friends with bloodshot eyes as the greatsword in his hands turned crimson.


    "Rending Strike!" Orobak shouted as he shed at the neers with a fury.


    Five red crescent des flew in their direction, while destroying the ground in front of it, creating five deep fissures as they headed towards their target.


    "Dodge!" Lux shouted before jumping to the side.


    The Dwarves also did the same. However, Helen was too slow topletely dodge it. In the end, she was forced to cast a barrier in front of her, which immediately shattered after the attack collided with it.


    "Helen!" Lux shouted as the little Dwarf girl was sent flying away by Orobak''s attack. Blood dyed her clothes as she crashed down on the ground.


    Colette and the others rushed to Helen''s side to check on her condition. Their party''s Cleric was critically injured, and if it weren''t for the defensive artifacts that she was wearing, she might have been instantly killed by the blow she received.


    Lux, and the others immediately started pouring health Potions over her body, especially on the part where her clothes were dyed red with her blood.


    Helen was still unconscious, and her face was pale, but her life was no longer in danger. However, it was clear that they could no longer count on her to join the battle against thest boss.


    "One down," Orobak chuckled. "All of you are next!"


    The Orc Chieftain casually raised his sword to block, an arrow that was aimed at his head. He then looked at the Skeleton Hunter, Ishtar, from afar with a smirk.


    "Cheap shots won''t work on me," Orobak dered. "Are you now all ready to die?"


    The armor on Orobak''s body glowed crimson as the blood of the in orcs all flew in his direction, dyeing his weapon and armor in a sinister bloody color.


    "Be careful! As long as there is blood and dead bodies in the surroundings, Orobak''s strength will soar!" Barca shouted.


    Now that all of the Orcs fighting for his side had died, the power he wielded intensified. This was all due to the ability of the ckrock Legacy Armor he was wearing.


    "Weaklings should know their ce," Orobak spat before stomping his right foot on the ground.


    That was thest thing he said before he charged forward, with the intention of hacking his enemies to pieces without mercy, with the aim to end this battle for dominion once and for all.

 Chapter 113 Strength That Knew No Bounds

    Orobak''s Great Sword was only a meter away from chopping off Lux''s neck when it came to aplete and abrupt stop.


    The Orc Chieftain roared in anger as his body moved against his will, changing direction and heading towards Diablo, who was seated on top of his Nightmare.


    ''Run!''


    Diablo''s single word rang inside Lux''s mind as he looked at his first Named Creature in disbelief. This was the first time that Diablo had said a word, and it told him to run.


    That single word contained everything that his Named Creature was trying to convey. It made Lux''s body move subconsciously just by how strong the emotions in that single word were.


    "Everyone, run!" Lux shouted. "Tanabur, take Barca and run!"


    The Half-Elf immediately summoned his Warg, Jed, and mounted it while carrying Helen in his arms. Colette and the others did the same, summoning their own mounts and following behind Lux, who was already running towards the entrance of the Stronghold.


    When Diablo had used Duel [EX] against Orobak, the Skeleton Rider intended for itself to sh with the Orc Chieftain in order to buy some time for the others. This skill would force his target to exchange a blow with him once.


    It had a range of three hundred meters and a cooldown of one minute, which was a very powerful skill for forcedbat.


    Tanabur grabbed Barca''s arm and forcefully hoisted him on the back of his mount. Baronar and Morgazar also followed behind them and ordered their forces to retreat.


    Only Lux''s Skeletons, including Ishtar, remained behind as all the Orcs allied with Lux and Barca, rushed out of the stronghold to flee towards the forest.


    Although it was a disgraceful behavior, the opponent was simply too strong for them to fight right now.


    As Lux was fleeing, he heard Airon''s pained neighs as he and Diablo were blown away by Orobak''s powerful attack.


    The Skeleton Rider''s left arm, which was holding a shield, was shattered and his body was on the brink of copse. Airon wasn''t faring any better.


    "I will not allow any of you to escape!" Orobak shouted. "All of you will die here!"


    The Orc Chieftain ignored Diablo and sprinted towards the entrance of the Stronghold, where several skeletons were blocking his path.


    Orobak didn''t even need to attack them because the Skeletons shattered instantly after trying to stop his ferocious charge.


    However, when he was only a dozen meters away from the entrance of the stronghold, a pained expression crossed his face as a Steel Bear Trap closed in on his right foot. Another trap sprung on his left, but that didn''t deter the Orc Chieftain from continuing his charge.


    He activated three more traps, totaling of five, which greatly slowed Orobak''s movement.


    Ishtar had ced all of her traps near the entrance of the Stronghold as ast ditch effort to stop Orobak from chasing after Lux and the others.


    Ishtar had taken her Siege Stance and fired a Knockback Arrow, which forcefully forced Orobak to take a few steps back, canceling the momentum of his charge.


    The Skeleton Hunter continued to fire arrow after arrow at the angered Orc Chieftain, while the Skeleton Grand Archers shot their Crippling Volley, in an effort to assist Ishtar in holding Orobak back.


    Orobak''s hateful shout reverberated inside the Stronghold as he threw one of the War Axes that was lying on the ground towards Ishtar.


    The War Axe flew straight and true, instantly shattering the Skeleton Hunter''s body, killing herpletely.


    Orobak''s rage didn''t stop there as he threw several more War Axes and decimated the Skeleton Grand Archers that were making his life difficult. When thest Skeleton Archer fell, the Orc Chieftain forcefully removed the steel traps from his feet and threw them aside.


    However, before he could even step out of his stronghold, his body once again moved backwards and a hateful shout escaped his lips.<sub> </sub>


    Diablo stood alone because he had already sent Airon back to Lux''s Soul Book to prevent the hard earned Nightmare from dying.


    The Skeleton Riderughed as his jaws rattled, as if mocking the angered Orc Chieftain, who was rushing towards him with his greatsword ready to swing for the kill.


    Diablo held his sword with his remaining right hand, as he prepared to parry Orobak''s attack.


    Both swords collided, and Diablo''s remaining arm shattered due to the strong impact. However, it didn''t back down and used his Leap Skill to jump over the Orc Chieftain''s head before unleashing hisst attack.


    Using his leg as a weapon, Diablo descended towards Orobak''s head and then activated his skill, Whirlwind sh.


    "Annoying insect!" Orobak shouted as he raised his greatsword and shattered Diablo''s leg, canceling his attack. The skeletal Rider fell on the ground without either of its legs.


    Orobak roared as he stomped on Diablo''s body, shattering itpletely and killing the Skeleton Rider once and for all.


    He then gazed at the entrance of the Stronghold where his enemies had escaped. The Orc Chieftain knew that it was already toote to run after them, and decided to look at his surroundings.


    All of the Orcs under hismand were dead. Their blood still dyed the ground with their color, which was continuously turning into red mist and flying in his direction. It was at this moment when Orobak understood.


    He might have won the battle, but he had lost the war. He was the reigning Orc Chieftain, but without Orcs to govern, it was only an empty title.


    Just like his Stronghold that no longer held any living creature inside it.


    ��-


    Lux and the other Orcs stopped their retreat when they were two miles away from Orobak''s Stronghold.


    His Skeletons'' sacrifice had given them enough time to escape the one-sided massacre from the second strongest monster that Lux had seen in Elysium.


    "Let''s make camp here," Lux said after ncing in the direction of Orobak''s Stronghold for a minute. "He will not follow us here."


    Baronar, Tanabur, and Morgazar nodded their heads. They then ordered their subordinates to make camp, so that all of them could rest.


    After everyone had settled down, the three Orc Warlords came to find Lux to tell him about an important matter.


    "Lux, from this point onwards, none of us will make a move to fight against Orobak," Baronar said with a firm expression on his face. "This is between Barca, you guys, and Orobak. Whoever won the final battle, would be our Orc Chieftain."


    Tanabur, and Morgazar nodded their heads in agreement. They had already done their part, and the final effort muste from Lux''s and Barca''s side.


    "I understand," Lux replied. "Thank you for everything."


    After saying what they had to say, the three Orc Warlords left to give Lux some time to think about his next course of action.


    During Diablo''s final moments, Lux was able to see everything that was happening to his Named Creature. It made him understand just how strong Orobak was.


    "In the face of absolute strength, all tricks are meaningless, right?" Lux muttered as he stared in the distance. "Well, we''ll just have to see if he really does have absolute strength."


    Lux narrowed his eyes as a n formted inside his head.


    Although the Orc Warlords said that they would not participate in the battle against Orobak, the Half-Elf felt that he could use some loopholes in order to make them help him with a few things, giving them a chance to win against the Orc Chieftain, whose strength knew no bounds.

 Chapter 114 Tilting The Favor To Their Side

    Lux was still inside his tent even when the sun had slowly set in the horizon.


    He had busied himself with drafting out a n in order to win against Orobak with the least casualties possible. After he finished doing that, he then sorted through the items that Eiko had taken from Orobak''s room. The Half-Elf was quite surprised by the goodies she managed to bring back with her. Some of them provided extra stats.


    All the bone amulets, as well as the tooth amulets, that Eiko had taken with her had stats, which was an unexpected boon to Lux. However, there was just one big problem.


    "Only Orcs can wear them?" Lux scratched his head for the umpteenth time due to the unreasonable requirements that the amulets had.


    Most of them gave an additional +10 points to a certain stat, which made them quite valuable. Unfortunately, since only Orcs could wear them, Lux''s n to overgear himself was put on hold.


    ''I''ll just let Barca wear them,'' Lux thought. ''That way, he can increase his stats before the final confrontation. After that, I''ll take them back with me, so I can transmute them all to make an overpowered essory. I knew that my Skill Item Transmutation [EX] woulde in handy."


    Lux understood the value of this skill, and was quite grateful to have it. The only reason he hadn''t managed to abuse it was due to hisck of resources, as well asck of equipment that had stats, or abilities that he could transfer.


    "Now, time to open this wooden chest," Lux muttered as he opened the wooden chest that Eiko had taken with her as well. "I wonder what is inside."


    The first thing that Lux took out from the wooden crate was a dagger. It looked very crude, and  yet its simplicity held a certain charm of its own. Lux used the Elysium Compendium that had merged with his Soul Book to appraise it and his jaw almost dropped after reading its information.


    ��--


    < Beloved''s Memento >


    Rarity: Mythical


    �C This crude dagger once belonged to Barca''s Mother. Due to her sacrifice, some of her stats were transferred to this dagger at the moment of her death.


    Requirement: The effect of this dagger will only activate if it is equipped by the Half-Orc, Barca.


    +50 to all Stats


    ��-


    "T-This!" Lux couldn''t believe what he was seeing. A mythical dagger that could increase the wearer''s stats by 50 points was something that you didn''t see everyday. Unfortunately, this was a weapon that was exclusively for Barca, which made Lux''s teeth ache.


    Setting the dagger to the side, Lux then unfurled one of the scrolls inside the wooden crate.


    "A single-use magic scroll," Lux muttered as he looked at the scroll in his hand. "Not bad. I can use this."


    Single-use magic scrolls were scrolls that allowed anyone to activate the Spell that was inscribed on it. They could be thought of as hand grenades or other simr consumables that could be used to deal great damage to one''s enemies.


    Lux checked the scrolls one by one and was pleasantly surprised to see five Rank 3 Fire st Spells that could be used to deal great damage to an enemy.


    After setting the scrolls aside, Lux then picked up one of the gems that was inside the crate. They were just ordinary gems, which could be sold for a decent price to merchants. After making sure that all of the gems had nothing special about them, Lux then opened the ornate wooden box that he had saved forst.


    Inside it was a Medallion.<sub> </sub>


    Upon closer inspection, Lux could tell that this item didn''t belong to the Orcs. The Medallion was well-crafted making it impossible for the Orcs to produce such a thing.


    After using appraisal, the Orc Medallion''s origin came to light.


    ��--


    Avetia Kingdom''s Elite Cavalry Medallion.


    Rarity: Mythical


    Requirement: Only for Professions that specialize in mountedbat.


    �C When wielding a spear, you will be able to use the skill Hero''s Charge.


    +20 to All Stats for any sses that allows you to fight while mounted on a beast.


    +10% increase to mobility, and physical attack.


    +100 to Physical Attack.


    < Hero''s Charge >


    �C A full powered charge attack that deals 300% of your overall physical damage to your target. Can only be used when mounted on a beast.


    �C If your enemy is bigger than you, it deals an additional 100% damage to your target. Can only be used when mounted on a beast.


    ��---


    ''This one is better. At least, Diablo can use it,'' Lux thought as he stared at the Medallion with a smile.


    The Half-Elf immediately equipped the Medallion to Diablo, making his Named Creature stronger than it ever was before.


    Now that everything had been sorted out, Lux left the tent and started looking for Tanabur''s men. Since the sun was no longer up, it was now time to execute his n.


    Barca was still recovering from his injuries, and ording to Baronar, it would still take him a day to fully recover. Lux thought that this was fine since he was still in the process of executing his n.


    After looking for the Orc Warlord, thetter looked at Lux weirdly before reluctantly nodding his head.


    Half an hourter, Lux, alongside a hundred Orc Riders, rode towards the Stronghold where the Orc Chieftain was. Their n was not to fight him, but to create a battlefield that would tilt the favor to their side.


    Although Lux didn''t know whether his n would work or not, it was still better than doing nothing at all.


    They only had one enemy remaining before he and his friends could clear the dungeon and go home. Since that was the case, he needed to put a lot of effort in order to make sure that all of them would be able to clear the dungeon, while making sure that their heads would remain attached to their bodies after fighting the Orc Chieftain onest time.

 Chapter 115 I Will Now Teach You How Weaklings Fight! [Part 1]

    It was already past midnight, and the surroundings were dark. There were neither stars nor moon in the sky to give light to thend. The torches that burned around the Stronghold were the only light source inside the Orc Encampment.


    Orobak stood in the center of the stronghold. The bodies of his warriors stilly on the ground around him.


    Since Lux and his partymates weren''t the ones that had fought them, their bodies didn''t disappear and turn into particles of light. This gave Orobak the opportunity to use their corpses to strengthen himself, and get an edge over Barca.


    Lux knew that Orobak wouldn''t leave the Stronghold because the Orc chieftain couldn''t lose his advantage. Since that was the case, the Half-Elf had no other choice but to�� annoy the sh*t out of the Orc Chieftain!


    Arrows rained from the sky from outside of the Stronghold, which forced the Orc Chieftain to use his weapons to block it.


    It was at this moment when the whistling sound of the wind reached Orobak''s ears, and he immediately turned around to use his great sword to block the arrow that was aimed at his side. The force of the arrow made the Orc Chieftain take a few steps back, which made him frown.


    "It''s you again," Orobak red at Ishtar, who was currently riding standing on top of Pazuzu''s Tower Shield, while thetter hovered in the air.


    The Skeleton Hunter had taken her shield stance and was firing arrow after arrow. Poison Arrow, Piercing Arrows, Knockback Arrows, Frostfire Arrows, Stun Arrows��all kinds of arrows in Ishtar''s arsenal were all fired in the Orc Chieftain''s direction without fail.


    Aside from Ishtar, the Skeleton Grand Archers were also firing arrows, but they didn''t care whether they hit Orobak or not because they couldn''t see him.


    The Orc Archers were doing the same. Lux had ordered them to just "shoot their arrows inside the Stronghold, without caring if they hit anything or not. Although the order was weird, the Orc Archers obeyed Lux.


    When Morgazar first heard of it, he even scratched his head, confused with the n that Lux had thought up. Since he specifically told the Half-Elf that they would not assist him in fighting against Orobak, thetter only told them that he didn''t need their help to attack the Orc Chieftain.


    What Lux ordered them to do was this. Just shoot inside the stronghold. It didn''t matter where the arrowsnded, all they had to do was make sure itnded inside the Orc Stronghold.


    It was a weird order, but since they weren''t directly attacking Orobak, Morgazar thought that the order was valid.


    And so, a rain of arrows that didn''t seem to have any designated target fell randomly inside the Stronghold, making it look like it was under siege.


    While Orobak was dealing with Ishtar''s and the rain of arrows that were falling above his head, he noticed several Skeleton Fighters, as well as the Skeleton Rider he fought a few hours ago, stabbing the bodies of the Orcs that had fallen.


    Lux had tasked his minions to steal any Beast Cores that they could find, while Orobak was under siege by his enemies.


    Eiko had also sneakily infiltrated the Orc Stronghold from the rear when the siege started.


    She then summoned her Skeleton Fighters, and Skeleton Grand Archers, and gave them specific roles.


    The Skeleton Fighters were to gather Beast Cores, while the Skeleton Grand Archers were to aim at Orobak using their poison arrows in order to whittle away his health.


    Naturally, the Orc Chieftain didn''t stand idly and threw any weapon that he could find at the Skeleton Grand Archers that were aiming at him from a distance, killing them instantly.


    "Ei! Ei! Ei!" Eiko continuously re-summoned the Skeletons that were destroyed, until her mana was almost depleted.


    Orobak was annoyed by the hit and run tactics that were being used against him, and roared in anger. He had finally understood that Ishtar, and the rain of arrows that were falling above his head were merely distractions.


    However, he realized it a bitte.


    Diablo and his subordinates had already collected dozens of Beast Cores from the corpses along the outskirts of the Stronghold. Surprisingly, each time they took a Beast Core from the bodies of the Orcs, they would turn into particles of light, their bodies, along with their blood, disappearingpletely.


    This was an unexpected discovery that made Lux extremely happy.<sub> </sub>


    ''Perhaps this is a loophole in the dungeon that would help the challengers cope with Orobak''s unreasonable advantage.''


    That was what Lux thought after the first Orc Warrior disappeared after the Beast Core was taken out of its body.


    After finding out that the opposing side''s main goal was to only make him passively defend from ranged attacks, Orobak roared in anger and charged towards Diablo and the Skeleton Fighters.


    Naturally, Diablo and the others made a run for it, while Eiko''s Skeleton Fighters, who were in the rear, sped up their Beast Core collection, while the Orc was chasing theirrades.


    This was a pincer attack that Lux had devised in order to steal power right out from under Orobak''s nose.


    Now that Orobak had changed his strategy, Ishtar was able tond a few hits on the Orc''s body since he had decided to just focus on killing the thieving Skeletons first, instead of worrying about the Orc Hunter that was shooting at him from the sky.


    The game of cat and mouse continued until more than half of the orcs inside the stronghold had vanishedpletely, making Orobak unable to think of what to do next.


    "Weaklings!" Orobak shouted when he exited the Stronghold and saw Lux, as well as Barca, standing hundreds of meters away from him, surrounded by torch lights.


    It was as if they were making sure that the Orc Chieftain spotted them no matter what, and their n had worked just as they envisioned.


    "Do you dare to fight me in a duel?!" Orobak roared in challenge.


    "Hell no!" Lux shouted in reply. "If you want to fight,e here!"


    "I''ll kill you!"


    "Come at me, bro!"


    Lux spread his arms wide and taunted Orobak, who was ring in his direction.


    The Orc Chieftain took out a small throwing knife and hurled it towards the Half-Elf with all the strength it could muster. Unfortunately, Barca just casually deflected it to the side, and sneered at his adversary.


    Although Orobak was currently stronger than him, a throwing axe didn''t pose a threat to him.


    "Barca, you coward!" Orobak roared. "Fight me!"


    "If you want to fight,e!" Barca pointed his greatsword at his opponent. "I am here! Fight me!"


    Orobak fought an internal struggle inside his head. If he fought Barca outside the Stronghold, his advantage would diminish making his strength almost at par with him. Even though he knew that he was stronger than the Half-Orc, he was now alone without any warriors under hismand.


    ? ''I just need to defeat him, and the other Orcs will once again swear their allegiance to me,'' Orobak thought as he looked back inside the stronghold where the Skeleton Fighters were still busy looting the bodies of his subordinates, making them fade into particles of light.


    ''The effect of the armorsts for half an hour. If I can kill him before then, it is my win!'' Orobak no longer hesitated as he ran towards Barca who had readied himself in a fighting stance.


    Orobak''s eyes turned bloodshot as he thought about all of his subordinates who had died due to the Half-Orc''s Rebellion. He had no intention of sparing Barca''s life, and would do the same to the Half-Elf who was in cahoots with him.


    However, when he was only a dozen meters away from the duo, the ground under his feet gave way and Orobak found himself falling into a muddy pit that Lux had prepared for him beforehand.


    "You call us weaklings, right?" Lux asked with a sneer. "Well, sorry for being a weakling. I will now teach you how weaklings fight."

 Chapter 116 I Will Now Teach You How Weaklings Fight! [Part 2]

    "Y-You!" Orobak could only re at the Half-Elf even after he realized that he had fallen into a trap. "You tricked me!"


    Due to his single-minded aim of killing Barca and the Half-Elf in front of him and the dim surroundings, he didn''t pay too much attention to the ground nor did he notice what was happening around him.


    When he fell in the muddy hole, only then did he understand that this was the real goal his enemies were aiming for.


    "Dirty Half-Breeds!" Orobak shouted in anger as he felt his body slowly sinking into the ground. "Do you think that this can stop me?!"


    Right now, the Orc Chieftain''s body was buried only up to his knees. Although he was caught by surprise, the situation wasn''t unsalvageable. Orobak nned to use his superior strength to propel himself up from the quicksand, using a skill simr to Diablo''s leap.


    However, before he could even do that, an arrow pierced the top of his head, canceling his attempt, and pushing him further down into the quicksand.


    Lux sneered. The quicksand trap was something he had prepared with the help of his Trap Specialist, Ishtar, who made sure it was almost wless, and the Orc Riders, who spent the majority of the night digging the swimming-pool-sized pit that he had designed for the Orc Chieftain.


    As someone who specializes in cing traps, Ishtar taught Lux how to calcte the right mixture of soil and water in order to create a quicksand that was strong enough to hold someone like Orobak.


    After his failed attempt, Orobak''s body was now waist-deep inside the quicksand. The stupid Orc continued to struggle, which only made the quicksand that was holding his body in ce more potent.


    Lux chuckled as he summoned Diablo in front of him.


    The Skeletal Rider''s burning, golden eyes looked at the Orc Chieftain as he gave a rattlingughter, as if to mock Orobak for his arrogance.


    Suddenly, Diablo jumped into the quicksand as well, allowing the sand to slowly pull him into its deathly embrace.


    In desperation, Orobak was about to use ast ditch effort to use everything he had to break free from the quicksand that bound his body. However, just as he was about to enact his n, his body instantly froze as he looked at the Skeleton Rider that had joined him in the muddy, and deadly, prison that had entrapped him.


    With one hand pointing at Orobak, Diablo activated his skill, Duel [EX], which forced the Orc Chieftain to exchange a single blow with him.


    A frustrated roar of anger escaped Orobak''s lips as his body started to reach out to Diablo regardless of his will. Diablo''s body was now chest-deep inside the quicksand, but since he was already dead, he had nothing to fear.


    The Skeleton Rider gave Orobak the middle finger as it slowly sank without resistance into the quicksand.


    Ishtar, who was right above Orobak''s head, shot another knockback arrow, hitting Orobak''s head, like a nail getting hit by a hammer. The Orc Chieftain''s body was once again pushed down until it was chest-deep in the quicksand.


    "I regret not killing you when you were a child!" Orobak shouted. "You are no Orc! You''re just a filthy Half-Blood!"


    Barca didn''t reply because he, too, knew that what was happening right now wasn''t the warrior''s way. It wasn''t how Orcs did battle.


    The Orc Warlords, as well as their subordinates gathered around the quicksand and looked at their former Orc Chieftain withplicated expressions on their faces. For them, the battle for Dominion was supposed to be a battle between two strong warriors.


    Only the strongest among them would be recognized as their leader. That was the way of the Orcs. Even now, they hadn''t fully recognized Barca as their Chieftain. They only became his subordinates because he had bested them in battle.


    However, that was that, and this was this.


    A battle between the Orc Chieftain and his challenger should have been the highlight of this battle, but what did they see?


    Their strongest Warrior, dying because of a trick!


    As Barca, the Orc Warlords, and the other Orcs felt theseplicated feelings in their heart, they heard Lux''s voice that brought them out of their daze.


    "Who is stronger?" Lux asked. "A Human or an Orc?"


    "An Orc!" Orobak shouted. "Orcs are the strongest! We fight with honor! And through battle, we show our mettle! We are the strongest!"


    Now that he could no longer find a way to escape his fate, he wanted to make the Orcs understand that Barca wasn''t the leader that they were looking for. He wasn''t suitable to be the next Orc Chieftain!<sub> </sub>


    The Orcs also shouted their war cries because theypletely agreed with their former Chieftain. Some of them were even eyeing Lux and Barca with hateful gazes. A hate that was slowly taking hold of their allegiance.


    "It is true, Orcs are stronger than humans," Lux replied.


    His reply was unexpected and the Half-Orc who was standing beside him closed his eyes because he, too, understood this as the truth.


    "But, what of it?" Lux chuckled. "Orcs are stronger than Humans, but which side prevailed over the years? Who was it that popted this world and held vast swaths of fertilends? Was it Orcs? Of course not. It is because strength alone is not enough for Dominion."


    Lux''s mocking words grated every Orc''s ears, making them want to shout and refute him. But before they could say anything, the Half-Elf''s next words made them shut up.


    "Humans are weak, this is true, but because of this weakness, they learned to adapt," Lux stated. "Humans are weaker than Orcs, who can crush rocks with their bare hands, but Humans don''t need to crush rocks. They used it as their weapon instead. Stone spears, stone axes, stone clubs, anything that they could use to survive, Humans used it all."


    "Whenever they fight strong opponents, they don''t fight them alone. They fight them in numbers. If numbers don''t work, they retreat, and fight again another day. Over the years, mankind has evolved. Since they live short lives, they made their lives meaningful by passing their knowledge to the next generation, so that they in turn could continue to develop and strengthen themselves."


    "The fact that Human Empires and Kingdoms exist to this day is proof of Humanity''s strength. Tell me, Orcs of the ckrock n, if Humans are as weak as you proim them to be then why is your former chieftain dying right now?"


    Lux''s question was filled with ridicule that stung the Orcs'' ears, making them answer him with hatred.


    "Because you used dirty tricks!" one of the Orc Archers shouted. "If you fought in battle, you are the one who would have been dead by now."


    <o>,m "All is fair in love and war," Lux replied. "The problem with you Orcs, is that your race is all brawns and no brains. Didn''t you learn anything from this battle? Didn''t you learn anything from him?"</o>


    Lux pointed at Orobak, whose head was the only thing that remained above the muddy waters.


    "That will be your n''s fate when you fight against Humans," Lux stated. "I am only Half-Human and I am already this devious. How much more devious could I be if I were fully Human? Wouldn''t he have died without knowing how he died?"


    Lux gave the Orcs an arrogant gaze that made them gnash their teeth in anger.


    "All of you are lucky." Lux snorted as he patted the Half-Orc beside him. "Here is a Half-Orc. He has both brains and brawn. A Chieftain who is not only strong, but is smart as well."


    "You are the one that devised this n. You are the smart one," Barca replied.


    "No. You are smart," Luxmented. "The fact that you asked me to help you gain Dominion is proof of how smart you are. If you didn''t ask for my help, none of this would have happened."


    Lux made a gesture and waved his hand to epass all the Orc Warriors that had fought for their side.


    "A good ruler must choose a good general to fight for him," Lux said. "I fought for you, and this is the result. This is now your Dominion."


    Orobak red hatefully at the Half-Elf until his body waspletely swallowed up by the quicksand.


    To kill a Rank 5 Alpha Monster using this method would not work every time. Lux just used the terrain of the Dungeon to his advantage, as well as Orobak''s desire to kill Barca, which led him to disregard the possibility that he was being led to a trap.


    Since ancient times, Humanity used simr methods in order to fight and kill the stronger beasts that threatened their lives. What Lux did was simply one of the many tried and true methods that ensured his and his friends'' survival.


    Lux could see through his Elysium Compendium that Orobak''s health was starting to decrease at a rapid pace. Soon, the Final Boss'' health went down to zero, signaling that he had died.


    As if waiting for that moment, Colette, Matty, Andy, Axel, and Helen''s body all glowed brightly like stars in the night sky.


    They had all leveled up a consecutive number of times after getting the massive experience points that the Final Boss had given them.


    Although they didn''t fight Orobak, Lux was part of their party. Since the Half-Elf''s Summon fought in his ce, they gained the experience points that were also meant for him.

 Chapter 117 So, Are You Ready To Rumble?

    Lux thought that after the Orc Chieftain was dead, the Hidden Quest would be finallypleted. However, contrary to his expectations, the quest wasn''t over yet.


    ��--


    Hidden Quest: I Wish For Dominion


    Bonus Rewards will be calcted depending on the choices you make in this mission.


    ��--


    < Kill the Four Orc Warlords >


    +500 Riders of Norria Reputation Points


    �C Gain one random Pseudo-Mythical weapon, armor, or artifact, that belonged to each of the Warlords that you have in.


    �C Gain the Orc yer Title


    ( Orc yer Title )


    �C Increase damage to all Orcs by 20%


    �C Orcs will feel threatened by your presence


    ��-


    < Negotiate with the Orc Warlords > (Completed)


    +1000 Riders of Norria Reputation Points


    +200 Kingdom of Gweliven Reputation Points (Exclusive to Kingdom of Gweliven)


    +200 Gold Coins


    �C Gain Negotiator Title


    ( Negotiator Title )


    �C When dealing with Nobles or Royalty, your chances of closing a sessful deal is increased by 10%


    ��---


    < Final Mission >


    Make the ckrock n recognize Barca as their new Orc Chieftain!


    �C The Orcs are dissatisfied with the oue of the battle. Because of this, they do not approve of Barca as their new leader.


    �C Find a way to convince the Orcs to recognize Barca as their new leader!


    Rewards: ???


    ��--


    ''This might be a bit troublesome,'' Lux thought as he looked at the final mission that he needed to clear in order toplete the mission.


    He could see the dissatisfaction in the eyes of the Orcs. Even Tanabur looked at Lux and Barca with a dissatisfied look. Only Baronar and Morgazar remained unfazed with the result of the battle.


    "Who among you do not approve of the method I used to kill your Orc Chieftain?" Lux asked. "Raise your hands!"


    More than a third of the Orcs raised their hands, including Tanabur who made his stance known.


    "So, you wish for an honorable battle, is that it?" Lux inquired.


    ""Yes!""


    Lux knew that there was nothing else he could do but go with the flow. Since it was a duel they wanted, a duel they would get.


    "Very well, I will ept your challenge," Lux said in an arrogant manner. "Since Barca defeated the Orc Warlords in a duel, this meant that all of you approve of his strength, right?"


    "Yes," Baronar replied.


    "It was Ishstar who defeated me, but since you are her Master, I approve of you as the victor of our duel," Morgazar replied.


    "I recognize Barca, but I don''t recognize you," Tanabur replied.


    "Okay, since all of you already recognize Barca and had fought with him, it is time for the subordinates to fight," Lux dered. "Anyone who wishes to challenge me, with the exception of Barca, and the Orc Warlords, feel free to step forward. I will fight you with everything I have, one-on-one!"


    Some of the orcs were itching to ept the challenge. In fact, some of them were already about to dere their intent to fight.


    "I will fight you!" an Orc Rider shouted and his mount stepped forward before growling at Lux.


    "Fine," Lux replied.


    The Half-Elf then summoned all of his minions. Eiko also summoned her skeletons as well.


    Since she was Lux''s daughter, and Beast Companion, her summons were also part of Lux''s strength. Even Baronar, who also had spirit summons, had to cover his face out of embarrassment due to the Half-Elf''s shamelessness.


    The corner of the lips of the Orcs twitched after seeing Lux''s shameful disy of power.


    "Bro, what happened to the one-on-one battle you promised?" The Orc Rider felt his courage failed him after seeing the lineup that he was about to fight. "This is not one-on-one."


    "I am a Necromancer. This is how I fight," Lux scoffed in disdain. "If you have someone to me, me yourself for being weak."


    Pazuzu and Ishtar alsonded on the ground and stood by his side. The Skeleton Hunter drew her bow, while the Demonic Defender tapped his Tower Shield with his mace, making known his intent to fight.<sub> </sub>


    One Overpowered Baby Slime


    One Skeletal Rider


    One Skeleton Hunter


    One Demonic Defender


    Fourteen Skeleton Fighters


    Sixteen Skeleton Grand Archers


    This was the lineup on Lux''s disposal, which made the Orcs who saw this feel their liver itch.


    With just a nce, any Orc, even if they weren''t smart, could understand that this was not a battle that they could win.


    ''Fools! Aside from Barca, and the Orc Warlords, none of you are my match!'' Luxughed in his heart. "So, are you ready to rumble?"


    Lux gave the Orc Warrior a devilish smile as he stepped forward.


    Eiko, who was on top of Lux''s head, was also pumped up for a battle. As a battle junky, and with great numbers on her side, the baby Slime was fearless, knowing that they were at a great advantage.


    If only Iris knew that her baby daughter was bing as shameless as her Papa, she would definitely take her back to the Barbatos Academy and raise her herself.


    "I-I concede," the Orc Rider had no choice but to concede over the hopeless fight that was waiting for him.


    Lux nodded his head. "Anyone else?!"


    None of the Orcs dared to step forward because they knew that it was impossible to win against Lux and his minions.


    "Fight me!" Tanabur shouted. He was greatly dissatisfied with what was happening so he made his voice known. "If you win, I will convince everyone to recognize Barca as our new Chieftain! What do you say?"


    "Okay," Lux answered in a heartbeat. "You''re very brave, Tanabur. Because of your bravery, I will only designate Diablo and Pazuzu as my representatives. If you beat them then I will no longer interfere with the affairs of the ckrock n. You are free to choose among yourselves who will be the next Orc Chieftain."


    Tanabur, who had already prepared himself to fight Lux and all of his summons in a battle, looked at the Half-Elf suspiciously.


    As a Rank 4 Alpha Monster, he knew that all he needed to do was defeat Lux, and all of his summons would be rendered useless. However, instead of fighting him, the Half-Elf designated two representatives to fight in his stead.


    "Are you sure about this?" Tanabur asked with suspicion. "If I defeat them, you will no longer meddle in our affairs?"


    "Correct," Lux answered. "This will be a no-holds barred battle. Anything is allowed. You can even fight with your mount. Everyone can use any method in order to win. Do you ept these conditions?"


    "I ept!" Tanabur dered. "I, Tanabur, ept this challenge! All of you bear witness to this battle. Any method is allowed. Only the result is important!"


    The Orcs raised their weapons and shouted their war cries.


    Baronar and Morgazar covered their faces with the palm of their hands. Both of them were few of the smarter ones  among the Orcs, and they already understood what the Half-Elf was nning to do.


    "This fool was led by the nose," Baronar muttered in embarrassment.


    Morgazar nodded his head in agreement. "Maybe we really do need a bit of humanity to ovee the stupidness of our race."


    Barca also realized what Lux was nning to do and shook his head helplessly. He vowed that after this duel ended, he would ensure that the Orcs learned some strategies from Humans so they would not be hoodwinked by words and other types of provocation.


    "Are you ready?" Lux asked.


    "I was born ready!" Tanabur replied.


    Diablo and Pazuzu had already taken a fighting stance, and Tanabur and his Warg did the same.


    "At the count of three!" Lux shouted. "One, Two, Three, Fight!"


    Tanabur''s Warg lunged forward in order to attack the two monsters in front of him. He was quite confident of his strength, and didn''t think much of Lux''s two Summons who were two ranks below him.


    The moment Lux gave the signal to fight, Diablo who was mounted on his Nightmare turned around and ran away from Tanabur and his Warg.


    Pazuzu activated his Shield Wall and used his Mad Rush to m his shield against the Orc Rider''s body, sending him skidding on the ground.


    "Petty tricks!" Tanabur shouted as he exerted his Rank 4 Alpha Monster strength to slowly push back the Demonic Protector that was keeping him at bay.


    Due to the big, blue, Tower Shield that was blocking his vision, he was unaware of what was happening in front of him.


    Suddenly, Tanabur activated his Cavalry Skill, Wild Charge, and pushed Pazuzu back.


    The Demonic Defender held on for as long as he could, but his enemy was simply too strong for him even if he had already used his two trump cards. Even so, Pazuzu didn''t back down and continued to hold his ground.


    Only when his Shield Wall was about to end did the Demonic Defender fly high up, allowing Tanabur and his Warg to continue charging forward.


    However, when the Orc Raider saw what was waiting for him, his face immediately became pale as Diablo''s middle finger pointed in his direction.


    Duel [EX]


    The Orc Raider, and his Warg looked on in horror as both of them were forced to run in the direction of the QuickSand that had killed their former Orc Chieftain, Orobak.


    "This isn''t part of the deal!" Tanabur''s horrified shout spread across the battlefield as his mount neared the deadly pit that would definitely im their lives.


    "This is an anything goes battle," Lux replied. "Any method is allowed. Only the result is important."


    "Damn you, Half-Elf!"


    Those were thest words that Tanabur shouted before he, and his Warg, fell into the deadly QuickSand that sealed their fate.

 Chapter 118 Orc Dominion Hidden Mode Cleared!

    Tanabur sat while hugging his knees while he stared off in the distance.


    He had just been saved by his men, who tried to pull him out of the quicksand, due to his incessant shouting of "I don''t want to die!"


    Lux didn''t make a move to stop them and simply chuckled at the scene. When the Orc Warlord had been saved, Lux then addressed the other Orcs and gave them a speech.


    "Strength alone doesn''t win battles," he said. "You shouldn''t always rely on strength, but strategy as well. This is why having Barca as your next chieftain will allow the ckrock n to grow because he is a Half-Orc. He had the strength of an Orc and the scheming mind of a Human."


    Barca, who was standing beside Lux, had a calm expression on his face, while he endured the b*llsh*t that the Half-Elf was saying. He knew that the red-headed teenager was doing his best to convince the Orcs to make him their Chieftain even though he was only a Half-Orc.


    Lux, who was like a salesman who was trying to sell a product to the Orcs, told them the importance of having a flexible leader to supervise their n.


    In the end, he heard a series of notifications inside his head, confirming that he had seeded in the mission.


    Once again, the bodies of the Dwarves glowed, as their levels increased once again, making Colette and the others very happy.


    All of them had now be Apostles, and had finally graduated from the Beginner''s Zone. However, after realizing this fact, the happiness they were feeling disappeared as they stared at the Half-Elf that was looking at them with a smile.


    "B-Big Brother��," Colette said with teary eyes.


    Lux didn''t answer and simply patted her head. "Silly girl. Don''t think of anything else. After we return to the Leaf Vige, let''s all perform your graduation ceremony. You still haven''t beaten the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, nor have you reced your sister''s name in the Bronze Crypt. There are still plenty of things to do before you move out of Leaf Vige."


    "... Un." Colette nodded her head as she hugged Lux''s body.


    Soon, the Half-Elf found himself being hugged by all the Dwarf children, with the exception of Matty, who was just standing a meter away from Colette.


    He was looking at Lux with aplicated look on her face before raising his fist at him. A tsundere through and through.


    Lux smiled because he understood the gesture. The Half-Elf raised his own fist and bumped it against the Simp Dwarf''s fist since the boy refused to give him a hug.


    While everyone was having a group hug, Barca had finished his talk with the Orc Warlords and went to seek out Lux to talk to him about his rewards.


    "Please, follow me inside the Stronghold," Barca said. "I will now give you the rewards for helping me in my quest."


    "Rewards?" Lux blinked. He had received several rewards afterpleting the mission, and thought that he would no longer get anything from the dungeon. However, Barca''s words piqued his interest.


    "Okay," Lux replied as he, and the Dwarf children followed the Half-Orc back inside the stronghold.


    After walking for several minutes, they stopped beside what seemed to be an Altar that was used to worship the Orc God, who gave blessings to the Orcs.


    "Go to the altar one by one," Barca stated. "Your rewards will appear based on the contributions that you have made for the sake of our n."


    Lux nodded as he lightly tapped Colette''s shoulders. "You go first. I intend to gost."


    Colette nodded her head as she climbed the short stairs leading to the altar. When she arrived at the ce where the offerings were ced, a golden light descended from the Heavens and hit the altar.


    A momentter, a golden treasure chest appeared on top of it.


    Colette looked at it with a determined gaze before opening it with both hands. Inside the treasure box, a mace and a shield could be seen.


    Although she didn''t have Lux''s ability to appraise items, Colette''s instincts were telling her that both of the items were Mythical Equipment, which made her eyes widen in shock.


    The Dwarf girl happily took the items and ran back to show her Big Brother, and her friends the item that she received from the treasure box.


    All of them were surprised, and even Lux couldn''t help but whistle after seeing the items that Colette received as her reward.


    "Mythical Items," Lux said softly. "The rewards sure are generous."


    Matty was the second one to go to the altar, and he received a pair of Mythical Shortswords.


    Helen, Andy, and Axel, all received Mythical Staffs that corresponded to their elemental affinities, which made them extremely happy.


    When it was Lux''s turn to stand in front of the Altar, two golden chests appeared in front of him. One big, one small.


    The Half-Elf tried to open the small golden chest first, but its lid didn''t budge. Eiko got curious and decided to give it a try. As soon as the baby slime jumped over the lid of the box, it slowly opened, and a golden mist flew out of it and merged with Eiko''s body.


    At first, Lux panicked because he thought that it was something harmful. However, after seeing the series of text that appeared in front of him, his worry disappeared and was reced by a look of disbelief.


    ��-


    < Eiko''s Reward >


    �C Three Rank Up


    This baby Slime performed exceptionally during this mission and the reward fitting for her is a Rank Up. However, a single one was not enough, so she will receive three Rank Ups instead.


    ��-


    "Unbelievable," Lux said softly as a wide grin appeared on his face. "You did well, Eiko."


    The Half-Elf lightly patted Eiko''s head as he praised her for doing a good job.


    "Pa!" The baby Slime giggled before crawling up Lux''s arm, until she was back on top of his head with a smile on her face.


    Eiko''s Monster Rating was E, and the resources needed to increase her rank gave Lux a headache. However, this unexpected reward would immediately raise her rank to D+, saving the Half-Elf the trouble of collecting a scary amount of Beast Cores to make Eiko stronger.


    After calming his heart, he then ced both of his hands on the big treasure chest in front of him. The chest was bigger than the others, which proved that Lux had yed a crucial role in thepletion of the mission.


    After opening the treasure chest, Lux''s eyes widened in shock when he saw something that was very familiar to him.


    ��--<sub> </sub>


    ckrock Legacy Armor (Set)


    Rating: Pseudo Legendary


    Requirements: 100 to all stats


    The Legendary Armor of the ckrock n''s first Orc Chieftain.


    +50 to all stats


    +400 to Defense


    30% decrease in physical and magical damage


    �C This Armor is bound to Lux Von Kaizer


    �C Any creature under Lux''s Von Kaizer''smand is capable of equipping this armor.


    Active Skills: Warlord''s War Cry


    Passive Skills: Warlord''s Presence, Bloody Fervor, Auto-Fit, Indestructible.


    ��--


    < Warlord''s Warcry >


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of all allied creatures by 200 Points.


    < Warlord''s Presence >


    Your presence in the battlefield inspires your allies and makes them do well in battle.


    �C 10% Increase to Physical and Magical attack to the Warlord and its allies.


    < Bloody Fervor >


    Your physical and defensive abilities increase with each in creature in the battlefield.


    �C For every in creature in the battlefield, your attack and defense points will increase by five.


    ��--


    ''Oh�� my�� Goddess!'' Lux almost roared inughter after seeing the stats of the Pseudo-Legendary Armor in his possession.


    A few hours ago, he had cursed at how unreasonable Orobak''s armor was. However, that same armor was now in his possession!


    How could Lux not be happy with this sudden turn of events?


    In truth, Lux was already very satisfied with the amazing rewards that he had received from thepletion of the hidden quest. but the ckrock Legacy Armor set was simply so amazing that he couldn''t stop smiling.


    ��--


    Nevreal and the Dwarves guarding the entrance of the Dungeon were getting anxious. There was not a single news about Lux and his friends. They had already waited several days, but they still hadn''t returned.


    Suddenly, a notification was heard all over the Stronghold of Norria, as well as its surrounding territories.


    ��--


    Norria Territory Announcement: The Orc Dominion Hidden Mode has been cleared!


    Six Brave Heroes have cleared the Quest of Dominion!


    �C Sess Rate of cksmithing within the territory of Norria will be increased by 10% for two years!


    �C Sess Rate of Alchemy within the territory of Norria will be increased by 10% for two years!


    �C Sess Rate of Crafting within the territory of Norria will be increased by 10% for two years!


    �C All Riders of Norria will receive a temporary buff of 30% increase to attack and defense when protecting their territory for two years!


    �C All Vige Guards and Defenders will receive a temporary buff of 30% increase to attack and defense when protecting their vige for two years!


    ��-


    The Dwarves guarding the gate felt a refreshing breeze wash over their bodies, followed by a surge of strength which made them gasp in shock.


    "T-This is like a buff I received from the Oracle back in the Kingdom''s Capital when I was assigned to be one of her guards!" The Guard Captain looked at his hands in surprise because it was the same feeling that he felt back then, while he guarded one of the VIP''s of their Kingdom.


    Nevreal was about to ask the Guard Captain if he was feeling anything else, when a sh of light appeared behind him.


    All the Dwarves turned their heads to look at the Half-Elf and his friends, who appeared in the spawning area for those that had just left the Dungeon.


    "Finally, we''re back," Lux said as he stretched his arms. "Let''s all get something to eat first."


    ""Okay!""


    The Dwarf children happily agreed to Lux''s proposal because they hadn''t enjoyed any good food for the past few days due to the constant traveling they had done inside the dungeon.


    "Y-You guys!" the Guard Captain pointed at Lux and his friends with a shaky finger. "What in the world did you do inside the dungeon?!

 Chapter 119 VIP Treatment

    Lux and the Dwarf children were immediately taken to the Commander''s Office.


    The Territory-Wide Announcement caught everyone by surprise. Especially the Riders of Norria and their Commander, Thoram.


    Because of this, they wanted to ask Lux and his friends how they were able to unlock the hidden quest. Ever since the dungeon was discovered, none of them had even heard about a hidden quest. All of them looked at Lux and the Dwarf children as if they were angels that had fallen down from the sky to make their lives easier.


    Lux told Thoram and Nevreal with a straight face that he didn''t know what triggered the activation of the Hidden Quest. However, he told them about his suspicions, which made everyone inside the conference room listen to him with serious expressions on their faces.


    "When we killed one of the Orcs inside the dungeon, instead of dropping a Beast Core, it dropped a treasure map," Lux stated. "After following the instructions in the map, we came across a hidden cave. Inside it was an Old Orc, who told us about the Hidden Quest.


    "The quest was about taking the Old Orc to the Orc Stronghold, and let him retrieve a memento that was left behind by the first Orc Chieftain. It was a very hard mission and we had to stay inside the Dungeon for several days to wait for the perfect opportunity."


    "Fortunately, an opportunity arrived and we were able to secure the artifact that the Old Orc wanted. After wepleted the mission, we were all teleported back here."


    Lux had no intention of telling anyone about the details of the Hidden Mission in case it encouraged the other Dwarves to be more wary of possible hidden missions inside the Dungeons that were scattered within the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Telling them that the trigger of the quest came from a monster drop would make them think that it all depended on luck.


    Colette and the others all had calm expressions on their faces because Lux had already told them that this was the story he''d tell the others before they left the dungeon. The dwarven children understood what Lux was trying to tell them, so they promised that they would keep the details of the quest a secret.


    "A monster drop��" Thoram sighed before nodding his head in understanding.


    What Lux had told him was something that had already happened in the past. There was a Dwarf adventurer that had discovered a treasure map after opening a chest inside a Dungeon. However, instead of clearing it alone, he asked for the help of the Kingdom to help clear it.


    Afterpleting the Hidden Mission, they discovered a Legendary Artifact, which the adventurer had donated to the Royal Family, making the Dwarf King very happy. Because of this, he was given the title of Viscount and fertilends ideal for nting crops.


    Nevreal also knew of this story, so he believed Lux''s exnation. Also, he had been paying close attention to the Dwarf children, and none of them were showing any sign that there was anything suspicious about the Half-Elf''s tale.


    "On behalf of the Riders of Norria, I would like to thank you for clearing the mission," Thoram gave Lux as well as the Dwarves a deep bow of gratitude. "I swear on my name that if you ever need the help of the Riders of Norria, we wille to your aid without fail."


    He knew that Lux may not understand the significance of the rewards that his territory had received, but Thoram knew very well how amazing they were. Because of the temporary buffs the territory received, it would definitely help in its growth and development.


    Also, the increased boost in strength of those who defended the territory ensured that they would be able to handle the threats that might arise at any moment like Dungeon and Monster outbreaks.


    An hourter, Lux and the children were escorted to the best tavern in the Stronghold to enjoy good food and mead.


    <o>,m They were treated like VIP Guests, which made the Dwarf children giddy with happiness. Lux, on the other hand, took things in stride, but the smile on his face remained until he entered one of the VIP rooms that were reserved for them.</o>


    "Tomorrow, we return to Leaf Vige, Eiko," Lux yawned as he removed his boots.


    The baby Slime had already jumped on the bed because she also felt exhausted from the things that happened over the past few days. The moment Luxid on the bed, Eiko jumped on his chest and yawned.


    "Goodnight, Eiko," Lux said as he lightly patted the sleepy baby''s head.


    "Pa��," Eiko sleepily replied before closing her eyes to sleep.


    Soon, the baby Slime was fast asleep, leaving Lux to look at the big harvest that he received after clearing the Hidden Quest of the Orc Dominion Dungeon.


    ��--


    Hidden Quest: Orc Dominion


    < I Wish For Dominion (Completed!) >


    Rewards<sub> </sub>


    �C Potion of Vitality


    This potion adds +50 permanent Vitality Points to the one who consumes it. You can only consume one Potion of Vitality in your lifetime.


    �C Rank 3 Skill Book of your choice.


    You will be able to choose any Skill that is Rank 3 and below from the treasury of the Orc Empire.


    +1000 Riders of Norria Reputation Points


    +200 Kingdom of Gweliven Reputation Points (Exclusive to Kingdom of Gweliven)


    +200 Gold Coins


    �C Gain Negotiator Title


    When dealing with Nobles or Royalty, your chances of closing a sessful deal is increased by 10%


    < Bonus Rewards >


    +1000 Riders of Norria Reputation Points


    +3000 ckrock n Reputation Points


    +100 Kingdom of Gweliven Reputation Points


    +3 to Summon Skeleton Fighters


    +3 to Summon Skeleton Grand Archers


    +100 Gold Coins


    �C Rank 5 Beast Core


    ��--


    Lux was quite happy with the rewards, especially the additional Summons that he received from the reward. This effectively raised the number of Skeletons that he could summon, making his force more formidable.


    But, what perplexed him the most was the ckrock n Reputation Points. Since it was added in the rewards, it could only mean one thing.


    "The ckrock n exists somewhere in Elysium��," Lux muttered as he thought of Barca, as well as the Orc Warlords whom he had fought alongside.


    In truth, Lux was wondering how the original Barca would have dealt with Orobak and the issue for session. He already knew that Barca was a cunning Half-Orc, so he was sure that if the story he witnessed inside the dungeon was real then the possibility of the Half-Orc seeding was high.


    The Half-Elf yawned a second time before he closed his Soul Book. Since the Hidden Quest was already over, it was about time to let go of the theories that he had made up inside his head.


    ''I''ll just sleep for now,'' Lux thought as he closed his eyes. ''I still have many things to do tomorrow.


    Lux still hadn''t upgraded Eiko''s Rank because he nned to do it after he rested, and cleared his head. That way, he wouldn''t make a mistake when he needed to choose skills or abilities that would be helpful to his baby Slime.


    As the Half-Elf and his friends slept, word of their deed was already making its way to the Capital via messenger birds.


    As to how the Royal Family would react to the achievements they made, only time would tell.

 Chapter 120 Beating The Impossible

    Colette woke up feeling revitalized after their long dungeon expedition.


    After spending several days inside the dungeon, she had finally reached the Apostle Grade, and even gained two pieces of Mythical Equipment that matched her profession. Not only that, she had also gained a Warg Mount of her own, as well as several Rank 2 and Rank 3 Beast Cores, which was the share she got from the expedition.


    She was quite happy with how things turned out, but also felt sad because after ten days, she would have to leave Leaf Vige and her Big Brother behind.


    Lux had already told her that he didn''t have any ns of leaving the Beginner''s Zone for the time being. When Colette asked why, the Half-Elf only told her that he made a promise to himself, and before he fulfilled that promise, he would continue to stay in Leaf Vige.


    The red-headed teenager didn''t tell Colette what his goal was, but thetter knew that it must be important for Lux to insist on staying.


    ''I really need Big Brother to marry my Big Sister,'' Colette thought. ''That way, he will be part of our family.''


    The adorable blonde Dwarf had alreadybeled Lux as her dependable Big Brother. A person that would always be there to ensure their safety when things got too dangerous for them to handle.


    After taking a bath, Colette went to check if Helen was already awake. As the only two girls in their party, she couldn''t help but care for her like a sister would.


    "Helen, it''s me," Colette said as she knocked on the door. "Are you awake? Let''s have breakfast together"


    "Yes." Helen''s reply was heard through the door. "Can you give me a few minutes? I am almost done. Justbing my hair a bit."


    Colette smiled. "Okay. I''ll just go and check if Big Brother is already awake. You can find me in his room."


    "Okay," Helen replied. "I''ll be there in a bit."


    The adorable Dwarf then walked towards Lux''s room and knocked on it.


    "Big Brother, it''s me, Colette," Colette said. "Are you awake? Let''s have breakfast together."


    Colette waited, but no reply came. Just as she was about to knock for the second time, the door opened and the first thing she saw was a Skeleton, which almost made her jump back in fright.


    "Sis!" Eiko, who was perched on top of the Skeleton''s head greeted Colette, which made thetter pat her chest in order to regain her calm.


    "Good morning, Eiko."


    "Sis!"


    "Is your Papa awake?" Colette asked as she peered at the bed. There, she saw Lux still sleeping peacefully, while snoring lightly. "I guess not."


    "Pa!" Eiko replied as she used the Skeleton''s arm to jump into Colette''s arms, which made the adorable Dwarf giggle.


    She then walked towards the sleeping Half-Elf, while holding the baby Slime in her hands. This was the first time that she had seen Lux''s sleeping face, and a yful feeling blossomed in her heart.


    "Big Brother, wake up," Colette said as she poked Lux''s cheeks. "Let''s have breakfast together."


    The Half-Elf didn''t reply, and was still fast asleep, which prompted Colette to look at his pointed ears.


    She had long wanted to touch them and see what they were like. But, since Lux was taller than her, she never had the opportunity to do so. After a brief internal struggle, Colette reached out to touch Lux''s ears gently.


    "It feels like a normal ear," Colette muttered as she lightly yed with the Half-Elf''s ear with her fingers. Just as she was having fun, Lux''s eyes abruptly opened and stared at her with a sleepy gaze.


    "Colette?" Lux asked while looking at the adorable Dwarf who was still holding his ear in her hand.


    "Good Morning, Big Brother," Colette hastily pulled back her hand as if she had been electrocuted. "Nice day we are having today."


    "Pa!" Eiko jumped on the bed and crawled towards his pillow. Aftering close to Lux''s face, the baby Slime lightly pecked his cheek with a kiss.<sub> </sub>


    "Good morning to you, too, Eiko," Lux said before kissing the cheek of the baby Slime, making Eiko giggle.


    The Half-Elf covered his lips in order to suppress a yawn before standing up from the bed.


    "What time is it?" Lux asked as he went to the sink to wash his face.


    "It''s just around seven in the morning, Big Brother," Colette answered. "Do you want to have breakfast together with us?"


    "Breakfast? Sounds good," Lux replied after drying his face.


    As if waiting for that moment, a knock was heard on the door.


    "Colette, Big Brother, it''s me, Helen. Can Ie in?"


    Colette hurried to the door and opened it for her friend.


    Lux was now fully awake. Afterbing his hair for a bit to fix his bed hair, Eiko jumped on his head so they could go have breakfast with the two girls.


    When the three arrived at the dining area of the inn, they saw Matty, Andy, and Axel seated at the table and waiting for their breakfast.


    "Over here," Matty waved his hands to Colette as soon as the adorable Dwarf appeared in his sight.


    Andy and Axel also waved their hands at their friends who were now headed in their direction. As soon as the three people sat, the Dwarf manning the counter personally came over to them to get their orders.


    A few minutester, Matty''s, Axel''s, and Andy''s orders arrived, but the three of them didn''t eat right away. Instead, they chatted with Lux and the girls, waiting until all their orders arrived.


    "Big Brother, what are your ns after we return to Leaf Vige?" Andy asked. "You''re noting with us to the Intermediate towns, right?"


    "Correct," Lux answered. "When we return, we will do your graduation ceremony of course. Beat the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, as well as�� beat Colette''s Big Sister''s record in the Bronze Crypt."


    "Huh?!" Colette, who was patting Eiko''s head, looked at the Half-Elf seated beside her in surprise. "Beat my sister''s record? That''s impossible!"


    "Impossible?" Lux chuckled. "You are one of the six people that cleared the Hidden Mission in the Orc Dominion Dungeon. ording to Thoram, all of you will be given a Medal of Honor just like the one I received from his Majesty. In short, all five of you will be Honorary Knights. Did your sister aplish that during her stay in Leaf Vige?"


    "N-No, but��!" Colette tried to argue, but Lux raised his hand to stop her.


    "Colette, nothing is impossible," Lux said with a smile. "You''ve already aplished something that your sister didn''t manage to do. The Hidden Quest will not be repeated, and the Riders of Norria will forever be indebted to all of you."


    Colette pouted. "But, Big Brother, the only reason we managed to clear that quest was because of you. In the end, we did very little to help you clear the mission."


    "You''re so silly, Colette," Lux patted the adorable Dwarf''s head, which made Matty re at him with envy. "We are a team, so it''s only natural that I was able to clear it because all of you were there. When we got attacked by the Orc Berserkers, I might have died if you guys hadn''t moved to fight on the frontlines.


    "Don''t belittle yourself too much. All of you had fought alongside me. I was also very surprised to see how brave Matty was. Even though he was outssed, he still took the enemy head-on."


    Matty didn''t expect Lux to praise him, so he just looked at the Half-Elf in a daze for half a minute before averting his gaze.


    Lux smiled as he scanned the faces of his friends who were all looking at him.


    "You guys still have ten days left," Lux said. "Let''s make sure that the Dwarves who enter Leaf Vigeter will look up to your names as the new role models that they need to surpass. Isn''t that exciting?"


    The Dwarves exchanged nces with each other before nodding their heads. For some reason, the desire of surpassing her sister''s achievements started to burn inside Colette''s heart. Although she wasn''t confident that she could do it alone, there was hope within her knowing that she had her friends and Big Brother to help her.


    He believed that as long as they were together, the five of them could beat the impossible.

 Chapter 121 Faunus Battle Regalia

    "Um, you don''t have to do this, you know?" Lux said to the Dwarf Captain that was escorting them back to Leaf Vige.


    "It''s fine," the Dwarf Captain replied. "It''s the Commander''s orders. This is to ensure that you won''t get ambushed by Kobolds again."


    Lux could only reluctantly nod his head as he allowed his Mount, Jed, to travel at the center of the hundred-men escort that was prepared for him and his friends by the Commander of Norria, Thoram.


    The Dwarves who were chosen to be the Half-Elf''s escort would nce in his direction from time to time. Admiration and respect could be seen in their faces. Clearly, they only had goodwill towards the man that had given them a great boon in their strength, as well as helped improve the growth of their territory.


    Lux endured the stares that the Riders of Norria were giving him.


    ''Is this the effect of having high reputation points?'' Lux thought as he looked at the reputation points that he had for the Riders of Norria.


    ��--


    Riders of Norria Reputation Points: 2,500


    Rtionship Status: Benefactor


    �C Gives you the privilege to enter the Stronghold of Norria and explore the services avable there.


    �C You will get up to a 50% discount on all services inside the Stronghold.


    �C You will be able to gain their assistance if you wish for it. Every time you ask for their help, your reputation points will be decreased by 500 Points.


    Points will not be deducted when you ask for their help, as long as the task will benefit the Territory of Norria as a whole.


    ��--


    ''Benefactor��," Lux mused as he looked at the current rtionship he had with the Riders of Norria. ''I guess this is a good thing.''


    The Stronghold of Norria was the main army that was stationed in the territory of Norria. Several viges, simr to the Leaf Vige, were under their protection. In short, they were the strongest Faction within the Beginner Zone, so having them as an ally was a good thing.


    When they arrived at the vige, the residents were surprised to see so many Riders of Norria all at once.


    "Did a big shot arrive?"


    "Maybe Commander Thoram is doing an inspection?"


    "Are we under attack? Is there some kind of outbreak headed our way?"


    The residents talked among themselves as the Riders of Norria continued to ride into the za.


    Boreas, the Rider Captain that was currently stationed in Leaf Vige, gave hisrades a salute before looking at the Half-Elf with a big smile on his face.


    "Lux, my boy, you''ve done well, Lad," Boreas said as he walked towards the Half-Elf who had just dismounted from his Warg.


    "How about you share your story with me in the tavernter, will that be fine?" Boreas asked.


    "Of course," Lux replied.


    Boreasughed as he patted Lux''s leg before returning to his duties. Thoram had already sent a messenger bird to Boreas, his message informing thetter that if Lux ever needed any kind of help while he was still in Leaf Vige, they would do their best to amodate him.


    ��


    "So, it was you!" Cedwyn looked at Lux in disbelief after Boreas had reported everything to the Vige Head of Leaf Vige.


    "Hahaha! That''s my boy!" Randolph said with a smug expression on his face. "The moment Iid my eyes on him, I knew that bing my Disciple would make him an amazing person."


    Grandma Annie snorted after hearing the cksmith''s words. The Elders of Leaf Vige had gathered together to talk to Lux and his friends about what had happened in the Stronghold of Norria.


    It was not only the Stronghold that gained great benefits from Lux''spletion of the Hidden Quest. All the viges within the territory also received the temporary buffs that increased their production rates.


    Randolph had bragged to Lux that his chances of creating Unique and Mythical Weapons had greatly increased thanks to the 10% sess buff that had fallen upon his head.


    Grandma Annie, who was also an alchemist, was also quite thankful to Lux because her experiments had also benefited from his sess. Aside from creating candies, the old Dwarf was also known to create potions that the defenders of Leaf Vige used during emergencies.


    "As a reward for all of your hard work, we decided to bestow upon you the ''Leaf Vige Equipment Set (Mythical),''" Cedwyn dered. "This is the least we can do for your help."


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock because he didn''t expect that he would be the one to receive one of the rewards from the Mythical Quest that could only be obtained inside Leaf Vige.


    What most foreigners (Sians) didn''t know was that each Beginner''s Vige had a Mythical Quest. Leaf Vige had a quest that was almost impossible to clear because of the strict requirements that needed to be met before the quest was cleared.


    ��--


    < Mythical Quest ><sub> </sub>


    (Birth of a Legend)


    �C Defeat the Alpha Monster of the Aspiration ins.


    Carbuncle (1/1)


    �C Defeat the Alpha Monster of the Leaf Vige Cemetery


    Ghoul Beast (0/1)


    �C Defeat the Alpha Monster of Figaro Garden


    Red-Eyed Terror Mantis (1/1)


    �C Defeat the Field Boss of Heartwood Forest


    Forest Wolf King  (0/1)


    ��--


    < Rewards >


    �C 500 Skill Points


    �C 50 Body Constitution Points


    �C 50 Stats Points


    �C Leaf Vige Equipment Set (Mythical)


    �C One random Mythical Item exclusive to the Leaf Vige


    Note: The Mythical Item reward will depend on your overall performance. So you better do your best!


    ��---


    In order toplete the Mythical Quest of Leaf Vige, all the Alpha Beasts, in addition to the Field Bosses, must be killed.


    A team of Apostles could defeat the Carbuncle, Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, as well as the Ghoul Beast that appeared at midnight in the graveyard area of Leaf Vige. The real challenge was fighting against the Field Boss, Forest Wolf King.


    Orobak was weaker than that Field Boss, but he was already hard to kill. Any party who had just stepped into the Rank of Apostle would find it impossible to defeat the Orc Chieftain, let alone the Forest Wolf King, who was Final Boss of Leaf Vige.


    This was why no one had cleared the Hidden Mythical Quest of Leaf Vige because they would always fall short of their final goal.


    However, Cedwyn had just said that he would bestow upon them the Mythical Armor Set that could only be obtained after clearing the Quest that Lux had once thought to be impossible.


    "Wait!" Randolph immediately stood up from his chair and pointed at Cedwyn with a reddened face. "You bastard! You didn''t tell me anything about this!"


    "I just did."


    "Fool! Do you think crafting Mythical Armor is easy?!" Randolph''s spittle flew in every direction as he red at the Vige Chief who had given him extra work. "Right now, we only have 3 sets of the Faunus Battle Regalia! Do you think I can craft them all before these kids leave the vige?! Even with the cksmithing buffs, at most, I can craft one armor set in ten days!"


    "Ah, don''t worry," Boreas replied. "The Riders of Norria will personally deliver them to these kids. As long as they are within the Kingdom of Gweliven, we can easily send them the armor once it is done."


    Randolph snorted, but no longer said anything. He didn''t mind crafting the Battle Regalia of Leaf Vige for Lux and his friends. He just didn''t have enough time before the kids left the vige.


    Just like everyone else inside the room, he could sense the power of Apostles radiating from Colette and her friends. This meant that they had already crossed the threshold and would be leaving soon.


    "Let them have the first batch," Lux said with a smile. "I''ll be staying here in Leaf Vige for a little while longer, so you can prioritize them first."


    Cedwyn nodded his head. "Since there is no problem with the delivery, all of you can rest assured that you will receive the best equipment that we can offer. Isn''t that right, Randolph."


    "Yeah, yeah, I heard you, Old Fart," Randolph waved his hand dismissively before leaving the room. Knowing that he needed to finish crafting the Faunus Regalia, he decided to start working on it before the kids left the vige.


    Lux patted Colette''s and Matty''s shoulders before ncing in Cedwyn''s direction. "Give them two of the three sets you have in your possession. We will be going to the Figaro Gardenster to challenge the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis."


    Cedwyn nodded his head. "Of course. The two of you, please,e with me."


    The Vige Head led the children to the treasury of the vige, while Lux decided to stay behind. Since they would be challenging the Alpha Monster of the Figaro Gardens, he needed to upgrade Eiko to make her stronger.


    He also still needed to choose which Rank 3 Skill Book he wanted from the Orcs'' treasury in order to give himself an edge against one of the strongest Alpha Beasts in the Beginner''s Zone.

 Chapter 122 Eiko’s Upgrade

    Lux took out his Soul Book and opened Eiko''s Page, so that he could upgrade her before their battle against the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis.


    Even after so long, the Half-Elf still couldn''t believe that the Monster he got from the egg was a Blue Slime. At first, he was disappointed because he was expecting a Dragon, or any other legendary creature. However, after spending time with Eiko, Lux found the baby Slime quite loveable, and no longer wished for something else.


    ��--


    < Eiko >


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Rating: E


    �C Progress ( 20 / 2000) - [Ready to Upgrade 3x]


    Health: 3,850 / 3,850


    Mana: 7,500 / 7,500


    Strength: 17


    Intelligence: 150


    Vitality: 77


    Agility: 17


    Dexterity: 17


    Special Abilities: Mimicry [EX], Regeneration [EX], Family Bond [EX], Speech [EX]


    Active Skill: Water Bullet, Hydro Ball. Fire Bullet, Fire Bolt, Wind Bullet, Aero Ball, Stone Bullet, Stone Spike, Shadow Bullet, Shadow Ball, Blink, Teleport, Cure, Cure-All.


    Passive Skill: Uncanny Dodge, Very Tough


    Title: Mama''s and Papa''s Girl


    Note: This baby slime will someday rule the world.


    ��--


    ''As expected, Eiko surpassed all of my summons'' abilities by an incredible margin,'' Lux thought. ''Although her rank is still low, her growth potential is scary to say the least.''


    Lux no longer hesitated and clicked the upgrade button near her progression bar. Immediately, several rows of text appeared, giving Lux several options to choose from.


    ��--


    < Select two options from the list to bestow upon Eiko. >


    �C Health +2000


    �C Intelligence +100


    �C Underwater Breathing


    �C Lava Walking


    �C Dig


    �C Summon Metal Slime


    �C Summon Fire Slime


    �C Summon Water Slime


    �C Summon Rock Slime


    �C Summon Aero Slime


    �C Summon Saber Slime


    �C Summon Berserker Slime


    �C Summon Hunter Slime


    �C Summon Shadow Slime


    �C Summon Devil Slime


    �C Summon Angel Slime


    ��-


    Lux chose the second option to add +100 to Eiko''s intelligence and the Dig Ability in order to make her stronger, as well as give her the ability to escape underground if need be.


    Eiko, who was currently perched on top of Lux''s head, smiled after she felt herself grow stronger.


    ��-


    You have chosen the skill Dig.


    ��--


    Eiko activated the skill Mimicry [EX]!


    �C Target Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C Sessfully copied Skill Evolution [EX]!


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    < Since the Skill is Dig not learned from a Beast Core, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    �C Dig has sessfully been upgraded to Dig [EX]!


    ��--


    < Dig [EX] >


    �C Allows Eiko to dig a hole and move underground. This skill consumes twenty Mana Points every thirty seconds.


    �C This skill has no cooldown and can be used as long as Eiko has mana.


    �C Eiko will be able to dig even through the hardest of rocks, metals, and crystals. There is nothing that this baby Slime cannot Dig!


    ��--


    "Oh, this is unexpected," Lux muttered as he looked at Eiko''s current stats.


    ��--


    < Eiko >


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Rating: E+


    �C Progress ( 20 / 4000) - [Ready to Upgrade 2x]


    Health: 4,600 / 4,600


    Mana: 12,500 / 12,500


    Strength: 32


    Intelligence: 250


    Vitality: 92


    Agility: 32<sub> </sub>


    Dexterity: 32


    ��-


    Lux clicked Upgrade once more and was given the same choices as before. He chose the second option once again, which added +100 to Eiko''s intelligence. However, for the second option, he decided to choose the Devil Slime as Eiko''s summon.


    The Devil Slime was a monster that had a shadow property. All of its Skills were of the Shadow Element, which was useful when doing missions that required stealth. Just like the mission in which Eiko infiltrated the Orc Stronghold to drug their food supply.


    ��-


    You have chosen the skill Summon Devil Slime


    ��--


    Eiko activated the skill Mimicry [EX]!


    �C Target Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C Sessfully copied Skill Evolution [EX]!


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    < Since the Skill is Summon Devil Slime is not learned from a Beast Core, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    �C Choose one among the three options avable to you.


    Option 1: Summon two Devil Slimes instead of one.


    Option 2: Upgrade Devil Slime, to Arch Devil Slime.


    Option 3: Give Eiko''s first Devil Slime a name. Named creatures will be stronger and more intelligent than normal ones. Eiko''s named creature will always be one rank higher than her.


    ��-


    "Oh? This is quite interesting," Lux rubbed his chin as he read the third option.


    Unlike Diablo and the rest of his Summons, which he needed to manually upgrade, Eiko''s Summons would automatically upgrade themselves every time she ranked up. For Lux, this was a wonderful thing. This feature allowed him to save on a huge amount of Beast Cores that he could''ve needed to upgrade Eiko''s minions.


    "Eiko, you will have a new subordinate," Lux said. "Um, this Slime is a male, so give him a guy''s name."


    Eiko nced at Lux''s Soul Book and saw the Devil Slime''s picture in it. It didn''t even take her ten seconds to give her Devil Slime a name.


    "ckie!" Eiko said.


    Lux chuckled, thinking that Eiko''s naming sense was quite simple. Since the Devil Slime was ck, she just called him ckie to make things easier.


    As soon as Eiko gave the Devil Slime a name, it glowed briefly in Lux''s Soul Book, proving that it had sessfully been named.


    ��-


    < Eiko >


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Rating: D


    �C Progress ( 20 / 6000) - [Ready to Upgrade 1x]


    Health: 5,350 / 5,350


    Mana: 17,500 / 17,500


    Strength: 47


    Intelligence: 350


    Vitality: 107


    Agility: 47


    Dexterity: 47


    ��-


    Lux shuddered upon seeing the number of points required for Eiko''s next Upgrade. Fortunately, he received three Upgrades for free, or else he would not have had a chance to upgrade his baby slime until he reached the Apostle Grade.


    "Onest time, let''s do this!" Lux clicked thest upgrade and chose to add another +100 points to Eiko''s intelligence, as well as another Summon for her. This time, he chose the Angel Slime toplement the Devil Slime. They made a great pair that would protect Eiko at all times.


    The same three options appeared, and just like Lux expected, Eiko named her Angel Slime, Whitey, making Lux chuckle.


    "It''s like naming a pet dog or cat." Lux could only shake his head as Eiko''s new Summon, Whitey, glowed briefly in his Soul Book.


    ��---


    < Eiko >


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Rating: D+


    �C Progress ( 20 / 8,000)


    Health: 6,100 / 6,100


    Mana: 22,500 / 22,500


    Strength: 62


    Intelligence: 450


    Vitality: 122


    Agility: 62


    Dexterity: 62


    Special Abilities: Mimicry [EX], Regeneration [EX], Family Bond [EX], Speech [EX], Dig [EX]


    Summon Skills: Summon ckie, Summon Whitey


    Active Skill: Water Bullet, Hydro Ball. Fire Bullet, Fire Bolt, Wind Bullet, Aero Ball, Stone Bullet, Stone Spike, Shadow Bullet, Shadow Ball, Blink, Teleport, Cure, Cure-All.


    Passive Skill: Uncanny Dodge, Very Tough


    Title: Mama''s and Papa''s Girl


    Note: Prepare for trouble! And Make it Double!


    ��-


    Lux pinched the bridge of his nose after he saw the required points that Eiko needed in order for her to reach Rank C. It was a staggering 8,000 points, which made his head ache.


    "Iris must be incredibly rich for her to upgrade four Mythical Creatures at the same time," Lux muttered. "If I remember correctly, Hanz (White Tiger), Astra (Unicorn A.K.A Eiko''s enemy), and the others were all Rank B+."


    Lux didn''t know if Iris'' Beast Companions were as powerful as Eiko. But, he felt that Eiko would give them a surprise, once she reached their rank.


    ''I almost feel sorry for Astra,'' Lux thought as he remembered the Unicorn, who was also Eiko''s rival for Iris'' attention. ''I''m sure that Eiko will ask for a rematch the next time we visit Barbatos Academy.''


    The Half-Elf lightly patted the baby Slime who had moved to his hand asking to be spoiled.


    "Eiko, let''s give Iris a surprise when we return to the academy, okay?" Lux said with a smile.


    "Pa!" Eiko replied with a bigger smile on her face.


    Soon the Half-Elf and the baby slime chuckled together. Now that Eiko''s upgrade was finished, it was now time for Lux to choose a Rank 3 Skill, which was one of the rewards he had received when hepleted the hidden mission inside Orc Dominion.

 Chapter 123 Birth Of An Apex Beast

    Lux activated the Rank 3 Skill ticket he stored in his Soul Book, which allowed him to choose one skill from. among the many skills that were exclusive to the Orc Race.


    ��--


    Rending Strike - (A cleaving Strike that Orobak used)


    Berserk


    Primal sh


    Last Stand


    Thick Skin


    Primal Instinct


    Close Combat Mastery


    Might over Magic


    ��.


    ��.


    ��.


    Warrior''s Luck


    ��.


    ��.


    ��.


    ��---


    There were over a hundred skills avable, ranging from Rank 1 skills up to Rank 3 skills.


    Lux didn''t ignore the Rank 1 and 2 skills, and read all of their descriptions. For him, as long as the skill was useful to him, it didn''t matter even if the skill had a lower rank. Since he had the ability, Skill Evolution [EX], he could easily get a stronger version of his chosen skill, once it was upgraded.


    After pondering for several minutes, Lux was left with two choices which were the two passive skills Might over Magic and Warrior''s Luck.


    Lux could have chosen an active skill that could deal damage to his enemies, but he was someone who had the end game in mind. Since these two skills gave a bonus to him, his allies, as well as all of his summoned creatures, they were more useful than a powerful attack that he could only  use for himself.


    As the name suggested, Might over Magic gave Lux, as well as his summons, increased magical resistance, reducing the damage of spells that were used against them.


    This was quite a bnced skill and would still be effective even when he and his summons had achieved a higher rank. Also, most armors had features that decreased both physical and magical attack damage, which could be stacked with this ability, making them more resistant to magic attacks.


    The second skill, Warrior''s Luck, was an interesting skill because it focused on increasing the chance of the activation of certain effects during battle. For example, Lux''s Void Arrow that could blind opponent doesn''t always trigger the blind effect. If he had the passive skill, Warrior''s Luck, the chances of blinding enemies would be higher.


    This was also a good addition to his summons'' special abilities, like Pazuzu''s normal attacks, which had a chance of inflicting Fear on his foes, making them run away. Ishtar''s normal attacks also had the chance to slow down and freeze her opponents when her attacks hit them.


    This was why Warrior''s Luck was quite appealing to Lux. It made any ability that relied on Chance and Luck more likely to activate.


    After a long internal struggle, Lux decided to choose the Rank 2 Skill, Warrior''s Luck.


    ��


    You have chosen the skill Warrior''s Luck.


    ��-<sub> </sub>


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    < Since the Skill, Warrior''s Luck, is not learned from a Beast Core, evolution requirements will be waived. >


    �C Warrior''s Luck has sessfully been upgraded to Warrior''s Luck [EX]!


    < Warrior''s Luck [EX] >


    �C Greatly increases the chance of activating abilities that rely on Luck and Chance.


    ��--


    Lux smiled in satisfaction after seeing the information of his newly upgraded Skill. Although he didn''t know how much the chances had increased, he still felt that it was a worthwhile skill to have because it was an all-rounder.


    "Big Brother!"


    Colette''s shout made the Half-Elf, as well as the baby Slime, look in her direction.


    Right now, Colette, Matty, and Helen were wearing light-weight, dark-green armor, with golden tings along the edges. Just a single nce was enough to tell him that this was Leaf Vige''s exclusive Mythical Armor that was called the Faunus Battle Regalia.


    "Wee back," Lux said as he patted the adorable Dwarf, who had run to hug him with a big smile on her face, on the head.


    "Sis!" Eiko also crawled on Colette''s shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek as a greeting.


    "How do I look?" Colette asked as she puffed up her chest proudly with her hands on her waist.


    Lux chuckled before giving her his answer. "It looks good on you. With this, I''m sure the chances of beating the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, as well as your sister''s record in the Bronze Crypt is assured."


    Lux was unable to use his appraisal skill on races and creatures that possessed Soul Books. Because of this, he was unable to see the stats of the Mythical Armor that had been bestowed on his friends by Cedwyn, who was the Vige Head of Leaf Vige.


    Colette blushed after Lux praised her, which made Matty grab the adorable Dwarf''s hand and pull her away from Lux.


    "Let''s go to the Figaro Garden," Matty said as he tried toe up with a good reason for dragging Colette away. "We only have ten days to remain in the Beginner''s Zone. Every moment counts."


    Colette didn''t find anything wrong with what Matty said because she was feeling the same way. She felt that now that she had be an Apostle, time was something precious to her because she only had ten days to spend with her Big Brother, before she left him behind.


    "Big Brother, let''s go!" Colette shouted. "What will we do if someone is already fighting the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis? We will have to wait for a week before it respawns again!"


    "Alright, I''ming." Lux smiled as he followed behind Colette and the others.


    He didn''t intend to summon all of his minions to fight against the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis because it would defeat the purpose of the graduation ceremony.


    ''I''ll just summon Pazuzu, and Ishtar,'' Lux thought. ''They should be enough to provide support as they fight against that Alpha Beast.''


    ��--


    Figaro Gardens��


    A five-meter tall Mantis let out a deafening shriek as soon as it appeared inside the Figaro Gardens.


    Its entire body was crimson in color, with golden tings near the edges, giving it a formidable and deadly appearance.


    Its golden eyes glowed faintly as it scanned its surroundings to look for its prey. It had just respawned inside its Domain, and it was feeling incredibly hungry.


    A wandering Ant nced in the Red Mantis'' direction before hurrying away in a mad sprint. However, before it could get away, a crimson sh, made from condensed magical energy, split its body in half.


    As the Ant''s life force faded away, its eyes gazed at the approaching Crimson Mantis in front of it. The five-meter tall monster was very different from the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis that was considered to be the Apex Beast of the Figaro Gardens.


    Several creatures who saw the scene also madly escaped, in fear of being the next victim of the Red Mantis that they were seeing for the first time in their lives.

 Chapter 124 Search For The Mutated Monster

    Lux and his friends headed to the Figaro Garden in high spirits. Their goal was to defeat the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis as a graduation ceremony for Colette and the others for reaching the Apostle Rank.


    However, just as they entered the Garden, over a hundred dwarves could be seen near the Garden''s entrance.


    There were some Dwarves with injuries, a few of them already passed out. A grim expression was across their faces as they discussed with each other. All of them were Sians and, from what Lux could tell, something major had happened. Otherwise, there was no reason for all of them to gather near the entrance instead of exploring the garden and hunting for monsters.


    "Did something happen?" Colette asked one of the Cleric Dwarves that was tending the injured.


    The Dwarf nodded and told her about the appearance of a mutated beast that they had never seen before.


    Lux''s and the other''s expressions immediately changed after hearing this news. They had encountered a Mutated Carbuncle in the past, and it was quite troublesome.


    "A five-meter tall red mantis now wanders around the Figaro Gardens," the Cleric exined. "A party that had just recently reached the Apostle Rank discovered it first. However, they didn''t dare fight it because it was the mutated version of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis. ording to their estimate it was a peak Rank 3 Alpha Monster."


    Colette frowned when she heard this news. The Red-Eyed Terror Mantis was only a peak Rank 2 Monster, and yet, it was powerful enough to threaten newly ascended Apostles. In fact, the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis'' threat would explode exponentially when it entered a Berserk Mode.


    During this state, all of its stats would increase by 50%, making it a very deadly monster to fight against.


    Most parties would focus on defense when the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis entered this phase. As long as they survived its onught, it would soon revert to a weakened state, making it an easier opponent to defeat.


    However, a Rank 3 Peak Alpha Monster was simply bad news for anyone in the Beginner''s Zone. If that Monster activated its Berserk Skill, it would immediately jump to the Mid-stages of a Rank 4 Alpha Beast, making it a threat that was almost impossible to defeat for all Sians inside Leaf Vige.


    "Where was itst seen?" Lux asked. "Do you know?"


    The Dwarf Cleric shook his head. "When the Apostle Grade party discovered the beast, they immediately warned the other Dwarfs inside the Figaro Garden to escape to the entrance. Even now, they are out there looking for the others who are still in the garden."


    Lux was quite surprised at how amazing the Apostle Party was. Not only did they decide to immediately warn others of the new threat that appeared in the gardens, they even went as far as to find every Dwarf that was currently inside the Garden in order to prevent them from encountering the Alpha Monster by ident.


    "Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Come!" Lux ordered as he summoned his Named Creatures. "Scour the Garden and find the Mutated Mantis. Do not engage it. Once you find it, tell us its location immediately."


    The three Named Creatures nodded as they headed in different directions.


    Diablo and his Mount, Airon, headed towards the North, Pazuzu flew towards the West, and Ishtar ran to the East.


    Lux knew that the Garden was a big ce, so he also summoned the rest of his Skeleton Minions and asked them to scatter in different directions.


    Eiko, on the other hand, summoned her Devil Slime, ckie, and her Angel Slime, Whitey.


    "ckie! Whitey!" Eiko shouted. "Go!"


    The Devil Slime pped its wings and flew to the North East, while the Angel Slime flew towards the North West.


    Lux wanted to go to the nearest Ant Nest to ask them if they knew where the Red Mantis was located, but he couldn''t leave his friends unprotected.


    For now, he just crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. He was able to see and hear what his Named Creatures could see and hear, so he decided to observe the surroundings with Pazuzu who was currently in the sky.


    Twenty minutester, the Demonic Protector noticed several giant flowers falling to the ground in the distance. Lux urged Pazuzu to investigate it and thetter flew towards the ce where themotion was happening.<sub> </sub>


    A few minutester, Lux was able to see a Red Mantis fighting against a couple of Dwarves, who were desperately trying to protect three Dwarf children behind them, who were seriously injured.


    Just as the Dwarves found their situation more and more desperate, a blue tower shield descended from the sky and mmed into the body of the Red Mantis, sending it rolling across the ground.


    "Run!" Pazuzu shouted as he faced off against the Alpha Monster, using his Shield Wall ability.


    The Dwarves broke out of their daze and immediately supported the three younger Dwarves and ran away as fast as they could, while the Demonic Defender held the Red Mantis at bay.


    A minuteter, the Blue Tower Shield shattered and Pazuzu was blown away by the Red Mantis'' powerful sh. In anger, the Mantis fired several red des made of condensed energy towards the Demonic Defender who faced them head-on with his shield.


    Due to his extremely high defense, Pazuzu was able to endure the blows. However, the other party''s attacks wereing too fast, so he could do nothing else aside from defending.


    Several minutes passed as Pazuzu entangled himself with the Mutated Alpha Monster. His health was almost depleted, but he stood firm.


    Suddenly, two firencesnded on the Red Mantis'' body, pushing it to the side. The Alpha Monster nced in the direction where the attack came from and saw a ck Knight riding on top of a ming ck horse.


    Just as it was about to attack, several ice arrowsnded on its body, making it take a defensive stance.


    "Shadow Ball!"


    "Holy st!"


    Two balls of light collided with the Red Mantis body, making it take a step back.


    Ishtar, ckie, and Whitey arrived at the scene and encircled the Alpha Monster.


    The Angel Slime used its healing ability to replenish Pazuzu''s health, raising it back to half. Although they outnumbered their enemy, they knew that they would not be able to defeat it with just the five of them.


    The Red Mantis shrieked at its enemies showing its anger. It was about to engage them in a battle when it heard the sound of several four-legged beasts in the distance.


    Two minutester, Lux, Colette, and her friends arrived at the scene while riding their Warg Mounts.


    They then looked at the monster in front of them with a burning determination in their eyes. This was their graduation ceremony, and for them to graduate, they needed to beat the Mutated Alpha Monster in front of them.


    "Battle Formation!" Colette ordered as she and Matty took the vanguard, while Andy, Axel, and Helen positioned themselves on the rear. "Clover, assist me!"


    The baby mutated Carbuncle appeared beside Colette and moved towards the back. It was a supporting monster, so itsbat abilities weren''t the best.


    "Arise!" Eiko shouted as she used her ability to copy her Papa''s Skills and summoned several Skeleton Warriors and Skeleton Grand Archers.


    Lux did the same as he summoned all of his minions to fight against the monster in front of them.


    To their surprise, the Apostle Party also returned. The injured Dwarves had been rescued by the Dwarves who had followed Lux''s group when they headed towards the Red Mantis.


    Now that they no longer had anything to worry about, they decided to join Lux and his friends to fight against the Red Mantis, as part of the tradition of the Dwarf Sians, who had ascended to the Apostle Rank.

 Chapter 125 Double Trouble

    The Red Mantis narrowed its eyes as it scanned the crowd of weaklings that had the intention to fight it.


    Ten Skeleton Fighters and eleven Skeleton Grand Archers. That was the number of Lux''s Summons aside from his Named Creatures. Since Eiko was around, that number doubled, making it a force that could threaten ordinary monsters in the Beginner''s Area.


    Unfortunately, they were dealing with a Mutated Monster that was known for its powerful attacks that could slice monsters in half.


    Lux then activated the Elysium Compendium which had merged with his Soul Book to check what kind of monster they were facing. Half a minuteter, a frown appeared on his face after reading its information.


    ��--


    < Golden Eyed Crimson Mantis >


    �C Figaro Garden Apex Creature


    �C Mutated Monster


    �C Rank 3 Alpha Monster


    Health: 84,000 / 84,000


    Mana: 30,000 / 30,000


    Strength: 200


    Intelligence: 50


    Vitality: 140


    Agility: 200


    Dexterity: 200


    Skills: Crimson sh, Double Fury sh, Berserk, Air Steps, Quick Assault, Hunter''s Mark, Doppelganger, Coup de Grace.


    Passive Skills: Intimidate, Razor Wind.


    ��


    ''Sh*t!'' Lux thought. ''Those skills are bad news, especially Doppelganger and Coup the Grace.''


    ��


    < Doppelganger >


    �C Create an almost perfect clone of the target (Self).


    �C The Doppelganger will be able to use any of the target''s skills freely. It will also have 50% of the target''s overall stats, and willst for thirty minutes, or until they are destroyed.


    Cooldown: 30 minutes.


    ��--


    < Coup De Grace >


    �C Deals 500% additional damage to any target that is in a helpless or incapacitated condition.


    �C Targets who are knocked unconscious, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or in a crippled state, would be dealt with greater damage from this attack.


    �C Any target under a negative status buff will also receive additional damage from this attack.


    Example: Fear from Intimidation.


    ��--<sub> </sub>


    "Colette, Helen, please help restore Pazuzu''s health," Lux said. "We need him in full health. This is one troublesome enemy and we need him to tank it."


    "Understood, Big Brother."


    "Okay."


    Lux then informed everyone, including the Apostle Party that hade to help them deal with the Golden Eyed Crimson Mantis, about its skills and abilities.


    Just like he expected, they also had grim expressions on their faces when they heard the effect of the skills that their foe possessed.


    "Here is the n, my Demonic Defender and Skeleton Rider will take turns in taking its aggro," Lux stated. "Once it enters its berserk state, all of us will run away. I repeat, all of us will run away and wait until its Berserk Phase ends. A single sh from that monster can cut all of us in half, so unless any of you want to die, it will be best to let it enter a weakened state before we go in for the kill."


    After hearing the strategy everyone nodded their heads in agreement.


    "Go, Pazuzu!" Lux ordered.


    The Demonic Protector, who had recovered his health, used Shield Charge to engage the Crimson Mantis in closebat.


    After dealing the first blow, all range attackers bombarded the Alpha Monster from a distance. Lux''s and Eiko''s Skeleton Fighters took a defensive stance, ready to protect everyone from any surprise attacks from the Crimson Mantis.


    Lux didn''t dare underestimate it since it had the Skill Quick Assault, allowing it to increase its movement speed as it attacked its designated target.


    After receiving the bombardment from the different range attackers, the Mantis was enraged and shed Pazuzu, knocking him aside before unleashing a barrage of Crimson des at the Dwarves, who were attacking it from a distance.


    The Skeleton Fighters immediately positioned themselves to block the attack with their shields. Their defensive stance seeded at the cost of the Skeletal Fighters copsing into a pile of bones after blocking a single attack.


    The Crimson Mantis'' passive skill, Razor Wind, infused its attacks with the Wind Element, making its attacks extra sharp. This allowed it to ovee defensive equipment like armor and shields and cut deeper into its target, thereby dealing lethal damage.


    Lux and Eiko didn''t bat an eye as they resummoned the Skeletal Fighters that died in battle. The Half-Elf could feel his liver ache due to the damage that was done to the equipment that his Skeletons were wearing.


    The shields that were used to block the Mantis'' attack were now dented, proving just how problematic the Alpha Monster''s attack was. Fortunately, Lux could ask his master, Randolph, to repair his minions'' equipment for a discount because he was his Disciple.


    ''I just hope that the loot is worth it,'' Lux thought as he ordered his Skeletons to take a defensive stance.


    Eiko''s Summons were different from Lux''s because they weren''t wearing any equipment. This made them significantly weaker to her Papa''s summons, but they were still decent enough to act as meat shields when things got out of hand.


    It was at this moment when something unexpected happened. The Crimson Mantis entered a Berserked State even though it still had 80% of its health remaining. But, that was the least of their worries.


    Right after activating its Berserk Skill, raising its stats to the middle stages of Rank 4, it activated its skill, Doppelganger, creating a copy that was half as strong as its berserked state.


    "Run!" Lux immediately ordered when he felt the intimidation aura of the two Monsters stacked together, making Colette and the other dwarves stiffen due to how scary the two Monsters were.


    "Diablo! Pazuzu! Hold them back!" Lux ordered as he grabbed hold of Colette''s and Matty''s hands, forcefully dragging them away from the frontlines.


    ckie and Whitey had been affected by the Monster''s intimidation, making them unable to react as several Crimson shes flew in their direction.


    Both slimes were instantly annihted, making Eiko shout in anger. However she also knew that she couldn''t fight against the Crimson Mantis in its current state, especially without her Papa''s help, so she remained perched on top of Lux''s head while firing several elemental spells at the two monsters as they moved further and further away from the battlefield.


    Some of the Skeleton Grand Archers carried the members of the Apostle Party who had also been affected by the Intimidation Skill of the Crimson Mantis, and ran alongside their Master, Lux.


    Although they had already run a good distance away, the explosions still shook the battlefield, so Lux opted to summon his Warg, Jed, and ordered his friends to do the same.


    The members of the Apostle Party also rode the Wargs with gratitude as the distance between them and the Alpha Monsters increased.


    At least, that was what they thought until they heard the buzzing of wings that was slowly getting stronger with each passing second.


    Lux didn''t want to believe it, but he knew that what they were hearing wasn''t a delusion.


    A single nce at the map function of the Elysium Compendium was enough to confirm his suspicion. The Alpha Monster, as well as its Doppelganger were right behind their backs, and shortening the gap at an incredible pace.


    Clearly, it had decided to leave the group of Skeletons that didn''t have an ounce of flesh or blood on them, and run after the Half-Elf and the Dwarves that would serve as its nutrition, in addition to it getting payback because they had gotten in the way of its meal.

 Chapter 126 Dwarves Are Scary

    "Everyone, scatter!" Lux ordered as he rode his mount forward.


    Colette and the others headed in different directions in order to decrease the number of targets that the two Alpha Monsters were aiming at.


    A few secondster, Lux wasn''t able to stop himself from cursing because the two Crimson Mantis were hot on his heels.


    "Jed, go to the right, now!" Lux ordered as he urged his mount to make a sharp turn, to evade two Crimson des that flew in the location he was a few seconds ago.


    The Half-Elf used the nts as a natural barrier against his pursuers, but it was of no use. The two Alpha Beasts only unleashed another barrage of Crimson des and cut off everything that stood in their path.


    Lux knew that Pazuzu and Diablo wouldn''t allow the two beasts to escape them that easily, so there was only one reason why they weren''t here. Both of them had already used their taunting skill, which was Duel [EX], yet the monster still chose to ignore them and run after Lux''s group in order to kill them.


    As for why the two Crimson Mantis'' were targeting Lux, the answer was really simple. It was because he had red hair.


    The Crimson Mantis was attracted to the color red, and the Half-Elf''s hair stood out from the rest, making him a suitable target. Although it sounded absurd, it was the reality that Lux wasn''t aware of. He just thought that since he was bigger than the Dwarves, he was a more delectable target to feast on in the eyes of the Crimson Mantises.


    Knowing that he couldn''t keep running forever, Lux decided to take a gamble and urged Jed to another location. A minuteter, he arrived at a ce where an underground hole was located. The Half-Elf then ordered Jed to dive at the hole without batting an eye.


    The two Mantises were almost upon him, and he barely managed to escape a sh that took a few strands of his hair.


    The two Mantises flew past him, but immediately turned around to follow him inside the hole.


    ? Suddenly, several Horned Army Ants (Rank 1) appeared in his vision, the tight group that was blocking the way made a narrow path that would allow Lux to pass through if he dismounted.


    Understanding the Ants'' intention, Lux unsummoned his Mount and hurriedly slipped through the blockade that was meant to defend the Ant Nest from the invaders.


    The Ants were a pacifist race inside the Figaro Gardens, but that didn''t mean that they didn''t know how to fight back. As soon as the two Mantis appeared in their visions, they hurriedly unleashed a barrage of Formic Acid at the two Mantises that didn''t even decrease their running speed.


    Since the underground passage was too narrow to fly, the Crimson Mantises crawled down the passageway just to hunt Lux down, which meant that they had already marked him as their prey, using their Hunter''s Mark skill.


    This meant that no matter where Lux went, they would follow him without fail.


    The exoskeleton of the Crimson Mantis was thrice as hard as the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis'', who was considered to be the Apex Creature of the Figaro Garden. Although the two Mantises'' bodies were covered in Acid, the Acid posed no threat to them whatsoever.


    They bulldozed through the blockade, leaving only sliced up ant bodies behind, as they pursued Lux deeper into the Ant Colony.


    The Rank 2 Defenders of the Ant Colonies known as the Armored Jaws also joined the battle. They had powerful mandibles and their bodies were as hard as steel.


    Although they managed to deal significant damage to the Mantises, they were simply no match for Rank 4 Alpha Monsters whose ws could cut through steel.


    Lux knew that he could no longer trouble the Ants when it came to dealing with the two Alpha Monsters so he decided to head to the nearest exit in order to bring the two Monsters to the surface.


    When the two Mantises exited the Ant Nest they found themselves being bombarded by arrows, bone spears, and firences.


    Perhaps due to its already low health, or perhaps the skill''s duration had ended, the Doppelganger of the Crimson Mantis disappeared, which made everyone shift their attacks to the enemy that remained in front of them.


    It was also at this moment when Lux''s Demonic Defender descended from the sky, and smashed its Tower Shield against the Mantis'' head, making it cry out in pain.


    However, due to the rage Pazuzu felt for failing to hold back the Alpha Monster, it swung its mace and gave the Crimson Mantis an uppercut. Although his strength stat was low, and the damage he could dish out was very little, his passive ability triggered, making the Mantis enter a state of Fear.


    "Coup!" Eiko shouted as she copied one of the Monster''s skills and fired a Crimson de at its head, making it shriek in frustration due to the increased damage it received.


    But, just like Pazuzu, the Baby Slime wasn''t finished just yet.


    "Doppel!" Eiko created a clone of herself, which jumped down onto Lux''s shoulder.


    "ckie! Whitey!"


    The Devil Slime and the Angel Slime appeared, but this time, they were not alone. Another pair of Devil and Angel Slimes appeared, which immediately bombarded the two Mantises with their Dark and Holy Magic.


    Eiko''s dopple also summoned its own Skeleton Minions, bringing Lux''s Skeleton Army to over sixty in number.


    "Attack!" Lux ordered the Skeleton Fighters, who had taken a defensive position earlier, to charge at Alpha Monster and hack it with all of their might.


    Naturally, they didn''tst long because a single sweep of the Mantis ws killed three to four Skeletons at once.


    "Hydro Ball!"<sub> </sub>


    "Fire Lance!"


    "Divine Zap!"


    Three spells flew out of nowhere and collided with the Mantis'' head making it stagger.


    "Big Brother, we are here!" Colette shouted as she charged at the Alpha Monster, while riding on her Warg.


    Colette swung her Mythical Mace fearlessly. At the same time her Warg Jumped towards the monster''s head, in order to help its Master deliver a crushing blow to their enemy.


    A metallic ring reverberated in the surroundings as Colette gave the Alpha Monster a mace uppercut, powered by her Smite Skill, which added additional Holy Damage to her attacks. Unlike Lux, Pdins were capable of mountedbat, so fighting with her Warg wasn''t a big deal to Colette.


    "Cross sh!" Matty sent a cross-like sh towards the Mantis'' head, drawing crimson blood.


    "Charge!" The leader of the Apostle Grade Party threw caution to the wind and charged at the Monster with his shield raised high. He was a Shield Warrior and his role was to always be at the front of his party, protecting his allies from the enemy''s attack.


    The Dwarf smashed his shield on the Crimson Mantis'' front leg, breaking its defensive stance.


    Just like wild monkeys that were off to a gang war, the Dwarves attacked the Alpha Monster simultaneously, like a gang beating up a single individual.


    Naturally, the Alpha Monster wasn''t a punching bag, so it also counter-attacked the Dwarves. However, due to Pazuzu''s and the Shield Warrior''s tenacity, they were able to block its attacks, and keep the Dwarves and their allies safe.


    The Skeleton Fighters also used their shields as an extra wall, to prevent casualties from happening.


    Although the Dwarves received injuries during the battle, including Colette whose left cheek was bleeding after getting grazed by the Mantis'' ws, as well as Matty who received a deep cut on his left arm, after exchanging a blow with their enemy, none of them faltered.


    "Dwarves are scary," Lux muttered as he continued to use his Mana Drain to siphon the Alpha Monster''s mana, preventing it from using its skills in battle, Eiko and her Doppelganger did the same, which left the Crimson Mantis helpless.


    After several minutes of intensebat, the Mantis'' movement became dull, and the glow in its eyes diminished by a good margin.


    "Its Berserk Phase is over!" Lux shouted. "Smash it with everything you got!"


    If the Dwarves were fearlessly attacking the Crimson Mantis before, now their attacks increased in ferocity as if they had all been injected by chicken blood. The Crimson Mantis was pushed into a corner as it received blow, after blow, after blow, eaching from a different direction.


    Without any Mana remaining, and its Berserk Skill spent, it was now subjected to a devastating beating by infuriated Dwarves, Skeletons, Slimes, as well as the Ants, who hade out of their Ant Nest to get revenge on the bastard that dared to invade their territory.


    The Armored Jaw Ants bit on the Alpha Monster''s legs and pulled hard, with the intention of cutting thempletely off its body. Over thirty of these ants emerged from the Ant Nest and pinned the Crimson Mantis in ce, allowing Colette and Matty to repeatedly hack its head without mercy until the Mantis'' eyes were smashed to a pulp.


    "Pa!" Eiko who was about to jump in and fight at close range was held firmly by her Papa who could only shake his head at the one-sided beating that was happening in front of him. Not one part of the Crimson Mantis was spared as the Dwarves hacked, smashed, and shed its body.


    Even Andy, Axel, and Helen were using their staffs to whack the Alpha Monster''s body with angry expressions on their faces.


    Clearly, they had been infected by the battle lust that permeated the air that was also affecting the baby Slime who struggled to get out of Lux''s hands in order to give the Crimson Mantis a piece of her mind.


    "Settle down, Eiko," Lux said. "It''s already dead, see?"


    "Pa?" Eiko tilted her head as she stopped struggling.


    Just like Lux said, the Crimson Mantis had stopped its struggle and remained motionless. A few secondster, its body turned into particles of light, leaving four pairs of Crimson ws��that were as long as a spear, a red exoskeleton, and a Rank 3 Beast Core behind.


    The Armored Jaw Ants returned to their nest after the enemy was eliminated, leaving the Dwarves and the Half-Elf to share the spoils of war.


    "Please, take this pair of ws with you," Lux said to the leader of the Apostle Grade Party as he pointed at two of the four ws that were lying on the ground. "All of you fought well. That was an incredible graduation ceremony, don''t you think so?"


    "Thank you," the Dwarf replied with a smile. Although he felt that Lux and the others should receive everything, he still appreciated the gesture and took the two Crimson ws that he believed were enough to be crafted into a mythical weapon.


    "If you guys don''t mind, I''ll take the Beast Core," Lux said as he negotiated with Colette and her friends. "You can take everything else."


    "Okay, Big Brother!" Colette replied with a big smile on her face.


    Lux knew that if he didn''t take anything from the loot, Colette and the others would force him to take it all. Since he didn''t want this to happen, he settled for the Beast Core that held great value to him.


    In truth, after the Mantis died, he received a series of notifications, which were simr to the ones he got after defeating the Mutated Carbuncle. But, since he couldn''t tell this to the others, he could only smile as he watched his friends celebrate their sessful graduation ceremony.

 Chapter 127 Your Journey In Elysium Has Just Begun, Right?

    < Special Quest >


    �C Encounter with a Mutated Monster


    Mission Rating: A


    Status: Completed!


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Kill the Mutated Golden Eyed Crimson Mantis


    < Rewards >


    �C 100 Free Stat Points


    �C 100 Skill Points


    �C 100 Body Constitution Points


    �C Mutated Golden Eyed Crimson Mantis ws (2 pcs)


    �C Mutated  Golden Eyed Crimson Mantis ws Exoskeleton


    �C Rank 3 Alpha Beast Core (Mutated Golden Eyed Crimson Mantis)


    < Bonus Reward >


    �C Choose One of the Mutated Golden Eyed Crimson Mantis Skills


    �C Any skill that you learned from this reward cannot be duplicated, and will not be part of the random skill that you will obtain after using the Beast Core of the Mutated Golden Eyed Crimson Mantis.


    < Skills that can be chosen >


    Skills: Crimson sh, Double Fury sh, Berserk, Air Steps, Quick Assault, Hunter''s Mark, Doppelganger, Coup de Grace.


    Passive Skills: Intimidate, Razor Wind.


    ��--


    ''Jackpot!''


    Lux couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw the Bonus Reward that he had obtained from the Special Quest after the Mutated Monster had been in.


    In truth, the Half-Elf wanted to acquire the skill Doppelganger so badly that he stared at the Beast Core in his hand with a very serious expression on his face. He thought that since he had two Beast Cores in hand, he had a two out of ten chances of getting it.


    Since he could now freely choose a skill that belonged to the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis, he was determined to choose Doppelganger as his reward.


    ��-


    You have acquired the skill, Doppelganger.


    ��-


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    �C Since the skill, Doppelganger, is not learned from a Beast Core, it will automatically be upgraded to Doppelganger [EX]


    < Doppelganger [EX] >


    �C Create two almost perfect clones of the target (Self).


    �C The Doppelgangers will be able to use any of the target''s Skills freely, with the exception of Named Creatures. They will also have 50% of the target''s overall stats, and willst for thirty minutes, or until they are destroyed.


    Cooldown: 1 hour.


    ��--<sub> </sub>


    Lux did a fist pump out of happiness when he saw the evolved form of the skill Doppelganger. He had seen how Eiko copied the Alpha Monster''s Doppelganger skill and created a clone of her own, which also summoned Undead Skeletons and two slimes to fight for her side.


    ''It''s quite unfortunate that my Doppelgangers can''t summon Diablo and the others.'' Lux chuckled internally at the thought of having three Diablos, three Pazuzus and three Ishtars. ''I can somewhat understand why the Doppelganger can''t allow such a thing. The Skill would just be too OP if even Named Creatures can be replicated that easily.''


    The Half-Elf was in a very good mood as he and his friends returned to the entrance of the Figaro Gardens. The hundreds of Dwarves that had evacuated in that area all cheered after hearing that the Mutated Monster had been killed.


    All of them looked at Lux, Colette, and her friends, as well as the Apostle Grade Party who fought tooth and nail to defeat the Monster that terrorized the Figaro Garden after it had spawned.


    Colette and her friends weren''t used to the looks of admiration from the Dwarves who cheered for their victory.


    "It''s nice, isn''t it?" Lux said as he patted Colette''s head. "Although your sister is indeed good, never belittle yourself. Your journey in Elysium has just begun, right?"


    "Un!" Colette nodded her head happily as they headed back towards Leaf Vige with smiles on their faces.


    They didn''t expect their graduation ceremony to be that intense. In truth, all of them were happy to ovee such a hurdle without having any casualties on their side.


    When they entered the vige, they headed straight to the za, so that they could return to Sis. Colette told Lux that she wanted to tell her parents that she was now an Apostle.


    Of course, this wasn''t her only purpose. This would also allow her Big Sister to make preparations for their reunion in Elysium when they meet up in the Intermediate Townter on.


    Matty, Andy, Axel, and Helen also had the same thoughts, so they bid their goodbyes to Lux and told him that they would return in two days time after meeting their families and sharing the good news with them.


    Lux waited for the Dwarf children to leave before lightly tapping the Arondight Ring on his finger. Since his friends would be staying with their parents for a day, he thought that this was also a good opportunity for him to go back home and spend some time with his Grandma.


    "Let''s go home, Eiko."


    "Pa!"


    ��--


    As soon as Lux appeared in the training room, he immediately heard the sound of hurried footstepsing in his direction.


    A momentter, the door opened and a youngdy with light-blue hair jumped into his arms while shouting, "Wee back, Big Brother!".


    "I-Iris?" Lux stuttered after taking a good look at the beautifuldy in his arms. "What are you doing here? Where is Grandma?"


    Iris raised her head and gave Lux a look filled with injustice.


    "Why? Am I not allowed to visit?" Iris replied with a pout.


    Lux chuckled as he lightly patted his step-sister''s head, which immediately put a smile on her face.


    "Of course you can," Luxmented. "It''s just that, I wasn''t expecting you to be here."


    Just as the Half-Elf was about to say more, Eiko happily jumped over to Iris'' head, and crawled down to the side of her face, giving her a kiss on the cheek.


    "Ma!"


    "Eiko! I missed you."


    "Ma!"


    The mother and daughter pair rubbed their cheeks against each other''s, while Lux could only look at them with a smile.


    "Wee back, Lux," Vera said as she walked towards her grandson and gave him a hug.


    Lux felt the warmth and security of his Grandma''s embrace and smiled. "I''m back, Grandma."


    Vera pulled back and cupped Lux''s face. "Are you hungry? You came at the right time. Iris and I were just about to eat. Let''s have dinner together."


    "Okay." Lux nodded.


    Iris then held onto Lux''s arm and stuck to him like glue, as they followed behind Vera.


    Although he didn''t know why Iris came for a visit, he was still happy to see her. There were some questions that he wanted to ask her in regards to Beast Companions, and he was hoping that his brocon-step-sister would be able to answer the questions that were bugging him back in Elysium.

 Chapter 128 My Brother Is The Strongest!

    "Eiko, say aah��"


    "Aah��"


    Lux watched as Iris fed Eiko some rice porridge that Vera had prepared.


    The red-headed teenager wanted to eat something light, and since Vera spoiled him silly, she cooked some rice porridge just for him.


    However, since Eiko liked to eat what her Papa liked to eat, she went to him and asked to be fed.


    When Iris saw this, she immediately took a bowl of rice porridge and started to spoon feed the baby Slime who had a big smile on her face.


    As the family of four ate together, Vera updated Lux about the things that had happened in Wildgarde Stronghold while he was away. ording to her, Lux''s childhood friends were now close to bing Grade A Apostles.


    Grade A Apostle was the rank before the Initiate Rank. Although it would take a few years for the children to reach the next rank, they were still greatly praised by their faction because they were the seeds that would strengthen their foundations.


    "Who is the one that is the closest to reaching the final stages of a Grade A Apostle?" Lux asked out of curiosity.


    Vera eyed Lux for a short while before answering his question.


    "Nero," Vera replied. "Among the members of the young generation, he is the closest to reaching the peak stage of a Grade A Apostle."


    Lux frowned after hearing the name of the boy who had a bad history with him.


    Nero was not one of the children that lived in the Wildgarde Stronghold. He was one of the children with high potential that was discovered among the viges that were under the Stronghold''s protection. Because of this, he was allowed to use the Stronghold''s Gate that connected to Elysium, without paying any fees whatsoever.


    Perhaps due to his background, Nero disdained the children of Wildgarde Stronghold who took things for granted. For him, they weren''t like the children in the viges who had to do their best in order to impress the Stronghold''s Elders, so that they could get sponsored and allowed passage to Elysium.


    Among other things, Nero hated Lux with a loathing.


    The brown-haired teenager hated Lux''s good luck of being adopted by Vera, in addition to being cared for by the people inside the Stronghold despite his weak constitution. There had been more than one asion when Nero openly ridiculed Lux for being useless, and they were usually whenever he returned to the Stronghold in order to report on the progress of the younger generation that belonged to their faction in Elysium.


    Iris arched an eyebrow after hearing Nero''s name as well. Nero had treated her nicely and even mentioned in passing that he would like to serve as one of Iris'' personal guards in Elysium.


    Barbatos Academy''s Faction belonged to the empire that bordered the kingdom where the Faction of Wildegarde Stronghold was located. Both rulers had good ties with each other and were allies.


    Because of this, coboration between the elites of Barbatos Academy and those of Wildgarde Stronghold in Elysium were verymon. This was how Nero met Iris.<sub> </sub>


    Although he tried hard to hide it, he liked the young prodigy very much. Nero liked Iris not only for her beauty, but because of her background. She was Vera''s granddaughter, and the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy''s only daughter.


    With such a solid backing behind her, it was impossible for someone with great ambition like Nero to ignore the beautiful girl, who was being treated like a princess by the countless students of Barbatos Academy.


    Unfortunately, Iris was a brocon who only had eyes for Lux.


    This made Nero hate Lux even more and, at some point, explicitly told thetter that aside from his handsome face, the Half-Elf had nothing to offer to the girl that Nero wanted as his lover.


    "I met him in Elysium the other day and that bastard even had the audacity to tell me that he would win the tournament in order to be my fiance," Iris gnashed her teeth in anger. "I hate to admit it, but among the young generation, his chances of seeding are very high. But, don''t worry, Big Brother. Even if he wins, I will not marry him! Grandma, help me elope with Big Brother when that timees, okay?"


    "Rest assured, I''ll tie him up really well, so that he can''t escape even if he bes a High-Ranker," Vera replied with a smile.


    ? The twodies shared a knowing nce at each other and smiled.


    ''Peak Stage of the Apostle Grade��,'' Lux thought with a serious expression on his face. ''Looks like I need to work harder when I get back.''


    Right now, aside from Iris and Vera, no one else knew that Lux could now go to Elysium. They kept this a secret from everyone, especially to Iris'' father, Alexander, who didn''t think much of Lux.


    In truth, Alexander had a higher chance of choosing Nero as Iris'' fiance than Lux, whom he deemed to be a weakling in his eyes.


    Vera and Iris wanted to give the stubborn man a surprise during the tournament that would be held in Barbatos Academy, where they would force Lux to participate.


    "Don''t worry about him, Iris," Lux said with a smile. "I will not let him marry you."


    The blue-haired beauty''s hand froze mid-air as she was about to feed Eiko.


    The baby Slime, who already had her mouth wide open, looked at her mama in confusion. Since Iris wasn''t moving, Eiko thought that they were ying a game, so she decided to jump and eat the porridge that was hanging a few inches above her head.


    As the baby slime happily chewed the porridge in her mouth, Iris looked at Lux with sparkling eyes.


    "Un!" Iris nodded. "My brother is the strongest! Only he has the right to marry me!"


    Vera nodded her head in agreement. This was her long-cherished wish, so she was giving Iris her full support. She was already looking forward to the grandchildren that she would hold a few years from now.


    Lux could only scratch his head due to Iris'' and Vera''s reaction. Although he knew that bothdies were just teasing him, he vowed to himself that he would not allow anyone to force his step sister into marrying someone she didn''t like.

 Chapter 129 Everything He Ever Wanted In His Life

    After dinner ended, all of them went to the living room to drink some tea and rx.


    Iris noticed that Eiko had grown more lively in the short time that the baby Slime had been in Elysium.


    "Big Brother, can you let me see Eiko''s stats?" Iris asked.


    "Sure," Lux replied as he summoned his Soul Book. he then gave Iris permission to only check Eiko''s Status Page, while preventing her from seeing the others.


    Although he didn''t mind sharing his full information to her brocon-stepsister, he wanted to wait until the tournament began.


    Only Vera had full ess to Lux''s Soulbook, because for the Half-Elf, his grandmother who raised him was the most important person in his life.


    "Wow! You managed to upgrade Eiko three times?!" Iris eximed after seeing Eiko''s Personal Page. "Big Brother, thank you for loving our baby! You must have spent a lot of resources on her. I knew that you would be a good father, but I didn''t know that you were going to be this good!"


    "You exaggerate too much," Lux replied as he casually waved his hand. "This was all due to Eiko''s effort. I didn''t do much."


    Lux didn''t know if he should tell Iris that Eiko ranked up three times due to the reward she received from a Hidden Quest.


    "Eiko, did you make many friends in Elysium?" Iris asked the baby Slime that was on herp.


    "Ma!" Eiko nodded her head.


    "Can you tell me who they are?" Iris asked. She was using speech training on Eiko in order for her to be able tomunicate properly after ranking up a few more times. This was something very basic, and all Monster Breeders, Beast Tamers, and simr professions did this to train their monsters at an early stage.


    Iris was a Beast Tamer, and her subss was a Monster Breeder. She specialized in raising monsters as well as taming them to fight for her in battle.


    Eiko nodded as she attempted to name the friends she had made in Elysium.


    "Sis Colette! Sis Helen! Bro Axel! Bro Andy! Simp Matty!"


    Lux chuckled after hearing Eiko say Simp Matty. He gave his baby Slime two thumbs up in his heart for getting Matty''s title right.


    Iris giggled as she lightly patted the peppy Slime that was jumping up and down on herp.


    The scene was so endearing that Lux and Vera felt as though their hearts were melting.


    ''I''ll ask Iris my questionster,'' Lux thought as he picked the cup of tea on the table. ''Eiko is happy, so I''ll let them bond for the time being.''


    Iris thought that this was a good opportunity to learn more about what Eiko did in Elysium so she decided to ask her more questions.


    "You''re now very good at talking, Eiko." Iris praised the baby Slime whose smile became wider. "Did you learn many words in Elysium?"


    "Ma!"


    "You did? Then can you tell me what words you learned?"


    Eiko nodded her head happily before opening her mouth to tell Iris what words he learned in Elysium.


    "F*cker," Eiko said and looked up at Iris waiting for her praise.


    "Pffft! Keho! Keho!"


    Lux spat a mouthful of tea that he had just drank after listening to Eiko and coughed repeatedly, while pounding his chest.


    Iris tilted her head to the side as she held up the baby Slime in her hands.


    "Sorry, Eiko, can you repeat what you said earlier?" Iris inquired. "I didn''t hear you properly."


    "F*cker." Eiko repeated as she once again looked at Iris in anticipation. She wanted to be praised for learning new words.


    The corner of Iris'' lips twitched. She lightly squeezed Eiko''s cheeks, making the baby Slime giggle.


    "Eiko, don''t say those words again, okay?" Iris said with a serious expression on her face. "They are bad words. Little girls shouldn''t say them."


    "Bad?"


    "Yes. Bad words. Only bad girls say them. Eiko is a good girl, so she shouldn''t say bad words, okay?"


    Eiko nodded. "Eiko, good girl!"


    "Yes, you are a good girl, so don''t say that word again, okay?" Iris said as she patted Eiko''s head.


    "Un! No bad words!"


    "That''s right."


    Iris then nced at Lux''s direction and gave her beloved stepbrother a re that said "What have you been teaching our daughter in Elysium?!"


    Lux could only raise his hands in surrender. Although he wasn''t at fault, he should have made sure that Eiko understood that she shouldn''t say such words because she was young.


    Iris shifted her attention to the baby Slime in her hands and smiled.


    "What are the things that Papa taught you in Elysium?" Iris asked. "He must have taught you a lot of things, right?"<sub> </sub>


    "Un!" Eiko lightly jumped on top of Iris palms.


    "Then what did he teach you?"


    "Stealing!"


    "Excuse me?" Iris blinked as she looked at Eiko in a dumbfounded manner. "Stealing?"


    "Un! Stealing things!" Eiko replied. As if thinking that she didn''t exin it properly, she added another word, which made Lux feel a strong urge to leave the room. "Steal many things! Steal Here! Steal there! Steal everywhere!"


    Vera covered her lips and chuckled. Although she knew that Lux would never really teach Eiko these things, she found her grandson''s reaction very funny, and decided to just observe from the side.


    "Papa, I think you better start talking," Iris nced at Lux with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes. "What are you teaching Eiko in Elysium?"


    Lux knew that he needed to correct the misunderstanding so he decided to exin the entire mission to his step-sister.


    Vera, who was also very curious about Lux''s progress in Elysium, listened patiently to his exnation. She could tell that Lux had somehow gotten stronger, but she didn''t know to what extent.


    Although she could easily look at his Soul Book to check his stats, she wanted to give her grandson some privacy. She appreciated Lux''s love for her, but she wanted to let him know that she trusted himpletely.


    When Lux''s story ended, Iris had a dumbfounded expression on her face. Although she knew that Lux could now go to Elysium, she thought that he was somewhere in the Empire where the Barbatos Academy faction was located.


    Since the territory that the Humans controlled was vast, she thought that Lux was just in one of the hundreds of Beginner Viges that could be found in the Human empires. She had no idea that Lux''s starting point was in a Dwarven Kingdom, whose location she hadn''t heard of.


    Iris was very curious and asked more about Leaf Vige.


    Lux answered her questions, but made sure to omit Colette''s intention of getting him to marry her Big Sister. The red-headed teenager knew that if Iris got wind of this, she would definitely want to meet the girl personally, which was currently impossible due to the vast distances that separated their Domains.


    "I see, so that exins it," Iris nodded in understanding as she lightly patted Eiko''s head. "The resources to raise Eiko to her current rank are enough to bring someone to the Apostle Rank. Since Big Brother still hasn''t stepped into that stage, it is impossible for you to collect that many resources to upgrade Eiko three times."


    "Right," Lux had no choice but to agree to Iris'' deduction because it was true. Eiko''s upgrade requirement was enough to bankrupt him three times over. So, he didn''t really have the resources to raise her up to her current rank.


    Just as Iris was about to ask more questions, a knock was heard on the door.


    Vera stood up in order to see who it was, leaving Lux, Iris, and Eiko in the living room. A few minutester, a beautifuldy entered the living room with an apologetic smile on her face.


    When Iris saw the familiar face, she hurriedly stood up and sat beside Lux, burying her head in his chest, and pretended that she didn''t see her father''s secretary, Alicia.


    "Lady Iris, it''s time to go back," Alicia said with a sigh. "Your father promised that he would not scold you if you returned with me."


    It was also at that moment when a handsome boy with light-brown hair and hazel eyes appeared beside Alicia.


    Lux frowned as he gazed at Nero, who was looking at him with a calm expression on his face. The red-headed teenager knew that the handsome boy who liked Iris was doing his best to restrain himself from ridiculing him in front of Iris and Vera, who was Iris'' grandmother.


    Nero had always been well-behaved in their presence and hid his disdain for Lux, whom he hated to the core.


    "Lady Iris, the Hundred-Men Dungeon that our guilds are targeting will open soon," Nero said. "If you don''t return in time, the other guilds might take the first clear in Nightmare Mode. We can''t allow that to happen. We need your power to ensure that no one will look down on our two guilds'' positions in Elysium."


    Iris didn''t even bother to reply to Nero and only hugged Lux tighter.


    The Half-Elf smiled and lightly patted Iris'' head, while wrapping his arm around her.


    "You can go back," Lux stated. "My Grandma and I will escort Iris back to Barbatos Academy. You can just wait for her in Elysium."


    A sh of hatred passed through Nero''s eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly. Over the years, he had learned to control his emotions better for the sake of his ambition. He knew that if he said anything to Lux, he would offend Iris and Vera.


    In order to prevent that from happening, he decided to not move from where he stood and to keep his silence.


    Alicia knew that Nero was aiming to be Iris'' fiance and be one of the Top Contenders in the Grand Tournament that would be held in Barbatos Academy. All the eligible members of the young generation that were ages eighteen and below and from the six kingdoms that made up the Alliance would be participating.


    So, it was not only Nero who was aiming to be Iris'' fiance.


    Alexander was one of the strongest human Saints in existence. More than anything else, forming a connection with him would ensure that their own kingdoms would prosper.


    This meant that the tournament that was going to be held in Barbatos Academy would be the highlight of the year. It was a once in a lifetime chance for them to form a strong connection with Alexander through his daughter, Iris.


    The funny thing was that the championship match would be held on the same day as Iris'' birthday. It was the day where she would turn sixteen, and finally be eligible for marriage.


    Alexander had nned this tournament very well, even going as far as to announce that Iris would be the fiance of the tournament''s champion. Vera opposed this n, but Alexander was firm in his decision.


    This made Iris want to rebel, so she decided to run away from home and hide in her Grandma''s house.


    Unfortunately, her father didn''t have to be a genius to know where she went. He could have gone personally, but since he didn''t want to offend his daughter and his mother to the point of no return, he decided to send Alicia as a proxy to bring his daughter home.


    Since Nero refused to budge, Lux decided to stand up, and carried Iris to his room in a princess carry.


    Eiko felt that her Mama and Papa didn''t like Nero, so she looked at him and mouthed the word "F*cker" without giving it any voice.


    A crack resounded inside the living room, as Nero clenched his fist. Sparks of lightning pulsed around his fist, but he didn''t do anything else. He simply stood and watched Lux take away Iris in his arms.


    If looks could kill, the Half-Elf would have already died a thousand times over due to his bone-deep hatred towards the red-headed teenager, who had everything he ever wanted in this life.

 Chapter 130 Sealed With A Kiss

    After firmly closing the door behind her, Lux gently put Iris on his bed and kissed her forehead.


    "Don''t worry, he can''t get inside this room," Lux said as he sat beside her and held her hand.


    "Un," Iris nodded as she lightly squeezed Lux''s hand. "Actually, I nned on sleeping in your room tonight, Big Brother. I just didn''t expect that you would also return from Elysium today. It seems that the Gods have blessed me with the opportunity to see you, before I am taken back to the academy."


    Eiko slid down from Lux''s head and crawled towards her Mama who was feeling depressed.


    The baby slime kissed Iris'' cheek before resting her head on her Mama''s neck, as if to assure her that everything was going to be fine.


    "Then stay here for the night," Lux replied. "Grandma Vera will apany you back to the academy tomorrow. I''m sure that she''s already negotiating with Alicia right now."


    "You won''te with us, Big Brother?" Iris inquired.


    Lux shook his head. "No. I n to return to Elysium when morninges."


    Iris became teary-eyed as she looked up at her stepbrother who had taken good care of her while growing up.


    "The reason why I can''t go with you is not because I don''t want to," Lux exined himself because he felt that Iris misunderstood him. "The reason why I want to go back to Elysium is because I don''t want you to get married to someone you don''t like. Iris, I promise you this, I will win that tournament for sure, and protect your happiness."


    <o>,m "Big Brother, have you decided?"</o>


    "Mmm."


    Lux smiled as he squeezed Iris'' hand back. The red-headed teenager and the blue-haired beauty stared at each other for a long time and smiled. There was no need to say anything, because the warmth that was spreading in their intertwined hands was enough to tell Iris what she wanted to know.


    The Half-Elfid beside Iris and held her in a protective embrace.


    "Sleep," Lux said as he kissed her forehead for the second time. "You''ll be safe here."


    "Un." Iris closed her eyes and hugged Lux back.


    Eiko, who was sandwichedfortably between her Papa and Mama, closed her eyes to sleep. The beating of Lux''s and Iris'' hearts were like a luby to her, making her feel safe and loved.


    A few minutester, Iris'' and Eiko''s soft breathing echoed inside the room as Lux stared at their peaceful sleeping faces.


    ''Nero��,'' Lux thought as the image of the teenager that always looked for trouble for him shed inside his head. ''The pain and suffering I endured back then�� I will make sure to repay it in full!''


    After silently vowing to himself, Lux closed his eyes to rest. Although he would be returning to Elysium a little earlier than scheduled, he decided to use that extra time as an opportunity to head inside the Bronze Crypt so he could get a better understanding of what its Hell Mode looked like.


    Dungeons inside Elysium usually had two levels of difficulty.


    Normal and Nightmare.


    However, there were dungeons who had three, which were Normal, Nightmare, and Hell Mode.


    The Bronze Crypt only had two difficulties and they were Normal and Hell Mode.


    An hourter, the door of the room creaked open as Vera peeked at her two grandchildren who were sleeping in each other''s arms.


    A smile appeared on her face as she closed the door quietly to return to her room to rest. Just as Lux had anticipated, Vera sessfully convinced Alicia to let her personally escort her granddaughter back to Elysium the next day.


    However, in order to not make things difficult for her son''s secretary, she proposed that she apany them on the return trip.


    Nero was nning to say that he also wanted to escort Iris back to Barbatos Academy, but Vera''s stare made him shut up.


    He felt like he was a little mouse staring at a viper who was looking down on it with its predatory eyes. In the end, he made the right decision and stepped down, telling Alicia that he would return to Elysium first and wait for Iris to rendezvous with their guild at the Dungeon''s entrance.


    In truth, Vera didn''t dislike Nero. She could tell that the boy truly wished to reach greater heights by relying on his ability, resources, as well as the connections he had built over the years. The Elders of Wildgarde Stronghold were not stupid.


    Since they knew Nero''s desire to w his way up to the top, they would support him because they needed people like him to usher in a new era and bring the members of their young generation to greatness.


    But, there were things that Vera wouldn''t allow no matter what. Lux and Iris were her reverse scales. She didn''t care if she was up against a Saint or not. Anyone who dared to harm them, would be ripped apart by her hands, even if she had to sell her soul to the devil to make it happen.


    "Alex," Vera muttered her son''s nickname with a sad expression on her face. "You should know better than to get in the way of your daughter''s happiness."


    ��---<sub> </sub>


    Iris slowly opened her eyes and gazed sleepily at the handsome face that was right in front of her.


    As the cogs in her brain started to turn, the memory of what happened a few hours ago shed inside her head.


    Soon, the beautiful youngdy was fully awake and looking at her Big Brother''s sleeping face with an infatuated look on her face.


    She didn''t know when exactly she had started to feel a strong attraction to her step brother who had been with her almost all her life. The only thing she knew was that her world seemed to be more colorful whenever Lux was around.


    Her heart would beat wildly inside her chest and she would feel like she was walking on clouds. That was how intense her feelings for Lux were, and even when they were separated by a great distance, her feelings for him didn''t wane.


    In fact, they even grew stronger. The saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," fit her feelings perfectly. This was why she wasn''t able to stop herself from kissing Lux when he appeared in Barbatos Academy to visit her after a long time.


    Iris gulped as she gathered all of her courage in her heart.


    ''Now is the perfect time to do this while Brother is asleep,'' Iris thought. ''If I miss this opportunity, who knows how long it will be till I see him again.''


    Iris then moved closer to Lux and kissed his lips.


    The kiss onlysted for a brief moment because she was afraid that he was going to wake up.


    Iris'' heart was beating wildly inside her chest as her breaths grew ragged. She was painfully waiting to see if Lux would wake up after she had kissed him, but after a minute had passed, her raging emotions finally calmed down.


    As if emboldened by her first sess. Iris once again raised her lips and kissed the sleeping Lux for the second time. This time, the kisssted longer, as she pressed her soft lips over his.


    In the middle of kissing her Big Brother, she felt his lips move to kiss her back. It was an unconscious move on Lux''s part, because he was still truly asleep. The Half-Elf didn''t know that what he did almost turned Iris'' mind to mush as her mind turned nk, after getting kissed by him.


    When the kiss ended, Iris felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest from its rapid beating. Although the kiss didn''tst long, it was long enough for Iris to ingrain it in her heart.


    ''I really like you, Lux,'' Iris said in her heart as a tear fell down at the corner of her eyes. ''I like you so much that it hurts.''


    Eiko, opened her eyes because she felt something warm and wet fall on top of her head. When she saw Iris crying, the baby slime moved to wipe her tears away, which made the young beauty cry more.


    "Eiko, your Papa is bullying me," Iris said as she lightly pinched the baby slime''s cheeks. "How can my step brother be this handsome?"


    "Ma?"


    Eiko tilted her head in confusion. She didn''t know why her Mama was unreasonably pinching her cheeks, while crying with a smile on her face.


    "Just look at your papa, doesn''t he look amazing," Iris whispered in Eiko''s ears as she turned the baby Slime to look at the sleeping Half-Elf beside them.


    "Pa," Eiko replied in agreement. Her Papa was indeed amazing.


    "Eiko, if you find any girl who is pestering your Papa, make sure to report it to me at once, okay?"


    "Ma!"


    "You''re such a good girl, Eiko. I love you."


    "Ma!"


    Eiko giggled after Iris kissed her cheeks. The two then spent half an hour more looking at Lux''s sleeping face, before the Half-Elf opened his eyes to look at them in a daze.


    "Good morning, Brother!"


    "Pa!"


    Lux smiled as he greeted the two girls who were looking at him with smiles on their faces.


    "Good morning, Eiko, Iris," Lux replied as he yawned and propped himself up on the bed. "Let''s go, Iris. I''m sure Grandma is awake by now."


    Lux reached out to offer his hand to the youngdy who was looking up at him with a reddened face.


    "Un." Iris nodded as she offered her hand to Lux, which thetter held firmly.


    Eiko moved on top of her Mama''s head as the three of them left Lux''s room. Although the two of them would part ways after breakfast, the promise that was sealed by a kiss, would bind them for the rest of their lives.

 Chapter 131 The Ghoul Beast Of Leaf Village Cemetery

    "Grandma, I''m going."


    "Take care."


    "Manma!"


    "Take care as well, Eiko," Vera said as she lightly patted the baby Slime, who was on top of Lux''s head, while looking at thetter with tender eyes.


    "Iris, I''m going," Lux said to the blue-haired beauty who couldn''t look at him straight in the eye.


    "Un. Be careful, Big Brother," Iris said as she raised her head to look at Lux. Her face was beet-red, which made the Half-Elf wonder if she were having a fever.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Yes. I''m just sad because Big Brother is going away."


    Lux thought that Iris was feeling lonely so she moved towards her and gave her a hug, which made the young beauty''s face turn a shade redder.


    "Ma!" Eiko said as she slid down from Lux''s head and kissed her Mama''s forehead to say goodbye.


    "Be safe, Eiko," Iris replied as she kissed Eiko back. "Make sure your papa doesn''t cheat on me."


    "Ma?"


    The red-headed teenager lightly pinched Iris'' cheeks before taking a few steps back.


    "Don''t worry, Iris," Lux said as he ced his closed fist over his chest. "Just trust me."


    Iris smiled as she nodded her head. "I trust you, Big Brother."


    "Let''s go, Eiko," Lux lightly patted the slime on his head to tell her that they were about to leave for Elysium.


    As if understanding what his Papa was trying to say, Eiko smiled before readying herself for departure.


    "Open! Heaven''s Gate!"


    A brief sh of light enveloped Lux''s and Eiko''s body before they disappearedpletely, leaving only Vera and Iris behind.


    Vera then rested her hand on Iris'' shoulder and gave her a smile.


    "Don''t worry, Lux never breaks a promise," Vera said. "If he said that he will win the tournament, he will win the tournament."


    "I know, Grandma," Iris replied. "I trust him."


    ��----


    When Lux appeared in Leaf Vige, the first thing he did was look for his Master, Randolph, before stopping by at Grandma Annie''s candy shop. He left both elders a message to tell Colette and the others, if they looked for him, that he would be waiting for them at the Bronze Crypt at the promised time.


    Since Lux had returned a day early in Elysium, he nned to go to the Bronze Crypt to check what Hell Mode was like, so he could prepare a detailed n for how he and his friends could challenge it a second time.


    Since he had returned early, he arrived an hour just before the sun was about to set. The Bronze Crypt would only open at night due to the peculiarities of the dungeon.


    As Lux made his way towards the graveyard, he saw a three-meter tall monster prowling the area. Its blue eyes glowed eerily in the darkness as it walked on its hind legs. The long tailing from its backside was simr to that of a scorpion''s that was always posed to strike.


    It was none other than the Rank 2 Alpha Monster of the Leaf Vige Cemetery that went by the name, Ghoul Beast.


    Lux didn''t move from his spot because he noticed a group of Dwarves approaching the Alpha Beast. They were the same group that had fought alongside them against the Mutated Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis back in the Figaro Gardens.


    ''This must be part of their graduation ceremony,'' Lux thought as he rubbed his chin. ''I guess I''ll just watch. I''m also curious to see how they are going to challenge this monster together.''


    ��-


    < Ghoul Beast >


    �C Leaf Vige Cemetery Apex Creature


    �C Rank 2 Alpha Monster


    Health: 60,000 / 60,000


    Mana: 8,000 / 8,000


    Strength: 150<sub> </sub>


    Intelligence: 40


    Vitality: 150


    Agility: 150


    Dexterity: 100


    Active Skills: Venomous Leap, Terror Howl, Ghoul Frenzy, Summon Draugr


    Passive Skills: Lifesteal, Stoneskin.


    ��--


    Lux knew that even though the Ghoul Beast was weaker whenpared to the Mutated Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis that they had fought in the Figaro Garden, that didn''t mean that the former was any less threatening.


    He knew that one small mishap could wipe out the entire party and their bodies would remain here in the graveyard of Leaf Vige for eternity.


    Of course, that would only happen if the Ghoul Beast didn''t feast on their corpses after killing them.


    "Everyone, get ready!"


    The Shield Warrior, who was also the leader of the party, pped his sword over his shield, activating his defensive buffs. "No matter what happens, stay behind me. If it summons Draugrs, the swordsmen will engage them separately. Mages, just focus fire on the Ghoul Beast, the heal should be focused on me!"


    ""Yes!""


    Lux watched as the party of one Shield Warrior, two Swordsmen, two Mages, and one Healer engaged the Ghoul Beast inbat.


    "A bnced team," Lux muttered as he eyed the battle that was about to happen. "Pazuzu,e."


    The Demonic Defender appeared beside Lux and waited for his orders.


    "Interfere if you deem that they are in mortal danger," Lux ordered. "If not, don''t do anything."


    Pazuzu nodded as it narrowed its eyes to look at the Ghoul Beast that had now engaged the Dwarf party that challenged it.


    With a furious roar, the Ghoul Beast summoned two Draugr''s to fight by his side as it leaped at the Shield Warrior with its razor sharp ws extended.


    The Shield Warrior didn''t back away and used his Shield Charge, to meet the enemy head-on. This was a standard opener for Shield Warriors in order for them to close the distance and keep the opponent at bay.


    When the two collided, a screeching sound simr to metal shing against each other reverberated in the night.


    The two swordsmen engaged the Draugrs in one-on-onebat, preventing them from attacking the Shield Warrior, as well as their magicians and healer who were at the rear.


    Their teamwork was good and Lux couldn''t stop himself from admiring their battle style, which seemed to be specially designed to fight against the Ghoul Beast. After defeating the Draugrs, the two swordsmen drank a bottle of health potion to recover their health before helping their Shield Warrior engage the Alpha Monster.


    ''They made the necessary preparations and arrangements for this battle,'' Lux nodded his head in admiration. ''If nothing goes wrong, they should be able to defeat the Ghoul Beast without any problems.''


    Spells constantly flew towards the Ghoul Beast, which pushed it back whenever it was about to overpower the three vanguards, who were preventing the monster from attacking their ranged attackers. Little by little, its health declined.


    However, the Ghoul Beast was still an Alpha Beast, so there were a few asions when it managed to send one of the vanguards flying with its powerful attacks.


    The Healer did his job well and helped his allies recover as fast as they could so that the Ghoul Beast wouldn''t be able to get the upper hand.


    Lux observed the battle with a serious expression on his face as he memorized the Ghoul Beast''s attack patterns. If the Apostle Grade Party was able to defeat it, he and his friends would have to wait until it respawned again.


    It was verymon for those that had reached the Apostle Grade to challenge the Carbuncle, Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, as well as the Ghoul Beast as their Last Hurrah before leaving the Beginner''s Zone.


    They left the Forest Wolf King alone, since it was something that none of them could defeat, unless several Apostle Grade Parties worked together to challenge it.


    ording to Lux''s estimate, it would take at least a fifty-men team of Apostle Grades to defeat the Field Boss of the Heartwood Forest. Anything lower than that was just in suicide.


    The battlested for half an hour and the Apostle Grade Party emerged victorious. Lux smiled as he watched the Dwarves share high-fives with each other with big smiles on their faces.


    "I''m really gonna miss them," Lux muttered as he thought of Colette and the others. He knew that when he finally passed the qualification to go to Elysium in the Wildgarde Stronghold, he would be teleported to the Human Territories, where their faction belonged.


    It was tens of thousands of miles away from Leaf Vige, and Lux didn''t know if he would ever see his friends again after he chose to transfer to  the Humannds.


    ''I''ll cross that bridge when I get there,'' Lux thought as he walked towards the Bronze Crypt, which was his original destination. ''In any case, I still have the Arondight Ring with me, so I can look for them when I have the time.''


    Lux understood that everyone had their own paths in life. If they were fated to meet,  then he and his Dwarf friends would definitely cross paths again, one way or the other.

 Chapter 132 Bronze Crypt Hell Mode [Part 1]

    Lux stopped in front of the familiar bronze gate and looked at the name that shone in bold gold letters at the very top of the ranking list.


    "Aina Van Goldenyer," Lux said softly. "Colette is always urging me to marry her so that I can officially be her Big Brother. I wonder, is she the same as Colette?"


    Lux tried to imagine a more mature version of Colette and ended upughing. He just picture the blonde and adorable little Dwarf with an elegant and dignified expression on her face.


    "I promised her that I''ll meet her sister, so I guess I''ll do that before I go to the Human territories," Lux muttered. "I''m sure that after Colette brings up the possibility of marriage, her sister will immediately reject me, leaving her perfect n in tatters. But, this is for the best. I do not belong in the Dwarvennds of the Gweliven Kingdom."


    Lux sighed as he shifted his attention to the entrance of the Dungeon. He then chose Hell Mode and disappeared from where he stood.


    The next time Lux opened his eyes, he found himself in what seemed like a creepy forest, illuminated by a red full moon.


    "This is a good ce to shoot a horror film," Luxmented as he scanned his surroundings.


    "Pa?" Eiko tilted her head in confusion because she didn''t understand what Lux had just said.


    "Don''t mind, Eiko. Just keep your eyes peeled for trouble."


    "Pa!"


    The Elysium Compendium had already activated its exploration mode, showing the map at the upper right corner of Lux''s vision.


    Lux waved his hand and summoned Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, as well as all of his Skeleton Warriors.


    Eiko also summoned her Skeleton warriors, as well as ckie and Whitey, who hovered beside Lux and were looking at their surroundings with vignce.


    The baby Slime was feeling scared because of the ambiance of the ce, so she hid inside Lux''s robes, and only peeked out to look at the path they were walking. Although she was already used to having skeletons and the scary Pazuzu around her, she was still afraid of foreign undead monsters, which amused Lux.


    The path was quite narrow, and the sides were blocked by towering ash-colored trees that forced the group to move in a tight formation.


    Diablo and Pazuzu were at the front, serving as the vanguard, while the Skeletal Fighters were behind them. Lux and Eiko were at the center. Ishtar and the Skeleton Grand Archers were right behind them.


    After experiencing the Hell-Mode of the Orc Dominion, Lux no longer underestimated anything with the Hell Modebel. Even though the Bronze Crypt was only an E-Ranked Dungeon and merely served as a training ground for newbies, he still took it seriously.


    When Lux took his hundredth step. The ground that was several meters away from him rose up, toppling the Skeletal Fighters that were standing in that position.


    Soon, Six Elder Ghouls emerged from the ground and attacked the nearest monster beside them. All of them were peak Rank 1 Monsters, and were only a step away from Rank 2. However, Lux''s skeletons were not pushovers either. All of them were Rank 1 Monsters, and they had the advantage when it came to numbers.


    Although the surprise attack managed to damage a few of them, the moment the Elder Ghouls appeared, all the Skeleton Fighters dealt with them as if they were in a gang fight.<sub> </sub>


    The pitiful ghouls were immediately neutralized until they copsed into a pile of dirt, leaving nothing else behind.


    The Skeleton Fighters used their sword to disperse the dirt, but they found nothing inside it.


    "So stingy," Lux muttered. "Not even leaving a Beast Core behind."


    "Pa!" Eiko was also dissatisfied as she looked at the dirt on the ground with beady eyes.


    Clearly, she was in the mood to eat some Beast Cores, even if they came from a bunch of zombies.


    After the first sh against the monster inside the dungeon, everyone became more alert as they headed deeper in the creepy forest.


    Suddenly, the trees around them started to shake, which made Eiko scream in fright before burying herself inside her Papa''s robes.


    The trees around them suddenly unearthed their roots from the ground and attacked Lux, who was the only living creature inside the dungeon.


    ''Corrupted Treants,'' Lux thought as his Summons formed a defensive encirclement with Lux at the center. "And one Hungering Treant. This dungeon really doesn''t pull any punches for newbies."


    Corrupted treants were simr to Elder Ghouls, but were more sturdy than them. They were Rank 1 Monsters that were weak against elemental attacks, especially fire, which dealt great damage to them.


    The Hungering Treant, on the other hand, was a Rank 2 Monster that was almost as strong as an Orc Berserker. If it was alone, it would take an entire party to bring it down, but with seven Corrupted Treants backing it, it definitely spelles trouble to those who had just stepped into the Apostle Rank.


    However, just like the Corrupted Treants were weakest against fire, the Hungering Treant was weak to elemental attacks, making it vulnerable against mages.


    Airon, the Nightmare Horse, hurled several firences at the Hungering Treant that was trying to reach out to Lux, setting it aze.


    ckie and Whitey also unleashed their elemental attacks, dealing significant damage, especially Whitey whose Holy Attacks were very deadly against undead and corrupted creatures.


    Once again, the monsters were easily dealt with, as they copsed in a pile of rotting wood, leaving nothing behind.


    "Again?" Lux scratched his head after finding out that no Beast Cores were found from the monsters'' remains. "Is this just a coincidence or does my luck just suck?"


    <o>,m Just as Lux was wondering if Iris absorbed all of his luck when they slept together, a terrifying roar echoed through the creepy forest, making the baby Slime inside his robes shudder.</o>


    Lux narrowed his eyes as he stared at the North, where a giant ck tree was located. It was the ce where he needed to go, and the location of the Boss of the Dungeon that was waiting for them.

 Chapter 133 Bronze Crypt Hell Mode [Part 2]

    "This ce is like a maze," Lux thought as he gazed at the map in front of him.


    After exploring the dungeon for nearly an hour, he ended up in several dead-ends, which only confirmed his suspicion.


    ''There''s only one path that leads to the boss and it is hidden inside this maze.'' Lux rubbed his chin as he looked at the ces that they had already explored. More than half of the map was now visible to him, and it was only a matter of time before he had itpletely mapped.


    Sounds of explosions sounded around him, but he didn''t bother looking at his surroundings, putting all his attention on the map in front of him.


    Six Bone Wraiths that were Rank 2 Monsters were currently engaging in closebat with Lux''s forces, but after encountering them on more than one asion, he and his Summons had already memorized their fight patterns, making them easier to deal with.


    ''Colette''s sister managed to beat this dungeon within 39 minutes,'' Lux mused. ''But, I''ve already been here for three hours��''


    The corner of Lux''s lips raised after finally knowing the reason why Colette''s sister managed to set the record for the fastest run in the Bronze Crypt.


    ''There''s no doubt about it, she challenged this dungeon several times with her party and memorized the maze.'' Lux concluded. ''Only after knowing the right path can you clear this dungeon without wasting any time. Even so, I admit that she is indeed quite capable of setting that record.''


    Lux gave the monsters that were attacking him with a side-long nce. The monsters that he had encountered inside the dungeon were all Rank 1 and Rank 2 Monsters. Even for an Apostle Grade Party, they would have to be strong enough to fight against such a lineup.


    Another hour passed, and after several more monster battles, Lux finally arrived at his destination.


    "So, you are the Last Boss of this dungeon," Lux muttered as he gazed at the three-meter tall zombie with bone spikes protruding from its back and arms.


    ��-


    < gue Monstrosity >


    �CFinal Boss of Bronze Crypt (Hell Mode)


    �C Rank 3 Boss Monster (Initial Stages)


    Health: 90,000 / 90,000


    Mana: 6,000 / 6,000


    Strength: 150


    Intelligence: 20


    Vitality: 150


    Agility: 100


    Dexterity: 100


    Skills: Poison Smog, Jackhammer, Rampage,


    Passive Skills: Heavy Handed


    Title: gue Bearer


    ��


    < Poison Smog >


    �C Unleash a breath of Poisonous Smog at your enemies.


    �C Have a medium chance to inflict poison or disease.


    ? < Jackhammer >


    �C unleash a full powered punch at your target dealing 300% melee damage.


    �C Has a knockback effect.


    < Rampage ><sub> </sub>


    �C Go on a rampage and deal a flurry of deadly blows to your enemies that be stronger with each strike.


    �C Deals five blows with each blow increasing melee damage by 50%, 100%, 150%, 200%, and 250% respectively.


    < Heavy Handed >


    �C Raise your Melee attacks by 20%


    < gue Bearer >


    �C All attacks of the gue Bearer have a chance to inflict poison or diseases.


    ��--


    "This is one tough cookie," Lux thought as he looked at the stats of his enemy. "It is almost as strong as the Alpha Monster, Ghoul Beast."


    For the first time, Lux decided to take the battle seriously. Eiko also prepared herself for battle.


    "Let''s finish this quickly before Colette and the others show up," Lux ordered. "Everyone, battle formations!"


    ��--


    Lux came out of the dungeon with his clothes torn in different ces. His face was a bit pale due to the effect of poison and diseases that he was infected with during the battle.


    Fortunately, Eiko had the skill "Cure-All", which removed these status effects in her Papa''s body.


    Unfortunately, after repeatedly being subjected to debilitating status ailments, Lux still felt sick even after his body had been cured from any kinds of poisons and diseases.


    For some reason, Eiko waspletely immune to poison and negative status effects, which surprised Lux.


    Since his minions were also Undead, they were not affected by poison and diseases, so they ended up being a perfect counter to their enemy.


    ''Whenever the gue Monstrosity unleashes its Poisonous Smog, the entire battlefield is covered by it,'' Lux mused as he walked towards Leaf Vige. ''There''s no escape, so we should bring Panaceas to counter the negative buffs.


    ''Rampage and Jackhammer are also very annoying skills. If Colette tanked either of these attacks, she would definitely be sent flying by that monster.''


    Colette was a Pdin, so she was always at the front during battle. Although her profession wasn''t a Shield Warrior, her ss was still an all-rounder that functioned well in a party. Capable of tanking damage, healing, and casting spells, Pdins were well received in any party.


    Some Pdins focused purely on defense, which made them as strong as Shield Warriors. Colette''s fighting style was bnced, so she could attack and defend at the same time.


    Lux''s n was to let the Dwarf children experience the difficulty of the Bronze Crypt Hell mode in the first run, without using any of his Summons. He also didn''t n to contend with Colette for the position as the leader of the group, so he would just listen to hermands during their Dungeon expedition.


    "Eiko, when we are with Colette and the otherster, you can summon ckie and Whitey, but don''t summon anyone else, okay?"


    "Pa!"


    As Lux entered Leaf Vige, he immediately headed to his room in the inn to rest. His dungeon expedition was a very traumatic one, and the boss was pretty stingy with its loot.


    He only got its Rank 3 Beast Core after defeating it and nothing else, which almost made Lux curse out loud. It turned out that the suffering he had experienced when fighting against it was just worth that much.


    Although the Half-Elf''s dungeon experience wasn''t the best, he didn''t regret it. Now, he had the information he needed in order to help his friends clear the dungeon, and beat Colette''s sister''s record.


    Of course, Lux didn''t n to break Colette''s sister''s record with their group''s first attempt to challenge it.


    He nned to do a speedrun after his friends experienced what the dungeon had to offer. This was to ensure that they would also be able to experience the suffering he had.


    ''I''m doing this for your own good, guys,'' Lux mused as he closed his eyes to sleep. ''I''m sure this experience will help you in the future after you leave Leaf Vige.''


    Eiko snuck inside Lux''s shirt, because she was still feeling the after effects of fighting scary monsters. She also liked to sleep hearing her Papa''s heart, because it put her at ease.


    Soon, the Half-Elf and the baby slime were sound asleep.


    They knew that when morning came, their friends would once again be in Elysium, and they would be able to continue their journey together, even if it was only for a little while longer.

 Chapter 134 The Journey Itself Has Meaning

    "Good morning, Big Brother!"


    "Good morning, Colette. Have you eaten?"


    "I ate before I came here, so I''m good."


    The adorable blonde Dwarf sat beside Lux as thetter ate the ham and eggs that were served to him inside the tavern.


    Eiko, on the other hand, was munching on bacon.


    Since Colette had nothing to do, she decided to hand feed the baby Slime who liked to be spoiled by the people she knew and cared about.


    Half an hourter, Helen arrived at the inn and also sat at the table to join her friends. She was wearing a golden pin on her head, which was an artifact that her family gave her as a reward after bing an Apostle in Elysium.


    "Big Brother, I bragged about our achievements to my Big Sister, and she was very surprised about it," Colette said with a smug expression on her face. "Also, I told her that our party will beat the record she had set in the Bronze Crypt and she only smiled and told me ''Good luck!''


    "It seems like she doesn''t believe that we can beat her. Big Brother, you better help me prove that we beat her record, okay? I even bought a recording crystal just to show her the change in the rankings."


    Lux chuckled but he firmly nodded his head. Although he admired Aina''s strategy when she set the fastest record in clearing the Hell Mode of the Bronze Crypt, their group had something that her group didn''t have when they were still in Leaf Vige.


    "Don''t worry, we will leave your sister in the dust and she will have no choice but to acknowledge that you had surpassed her record." Lux gave Colette a reassuring smile, which made thetter feel giddy.


    Colette was a verypetitive person, and her sister was her idol. Aina was someone who was considered a top prodigy in Sis as well as in Elysium. Her achievements were such that when she created a guild separate from her family''s main guild, many dwarfs still gathered under her banner.


    This was proof that she was capable enough to stand on her own, and Colette had long considered her sister as the perfect role model to aspire to.


    Colette knew that beating her sister''s record was a daunting task, but as long as there was a possibility, she would use everything in her power to make it happen.


    "Big Brother, it is still morning, and the Bronze Crypt only opens at night," said as she rested her chin over the palm of her hands. "What are we going to do while we wait for sunset?"


    "Let''s visit Grandma Annie''s ce and buy some Panaceas, Healing potion, and Mana Potion," Lus replied. "Even if we have Eiko, Helen, as well as your pet Clover (Mutated Carbuncle), we still need those things just in case they are not in the right state to cure us from status ailments."


    Colette and Helen nodded in understanding.


    Fifteen minutester, the group of three were having tea, and snacks in Grandma Annie''s candy shop as she prepared the things that they needed for their dungeon expedition.


    "So, you girls will be leaving soon," Grandma Annie said as she sat beside Colette and Helen. "Time surely flies. I can''t remember the number of times I''ve seen Foreignerse and leave this ce. Of course, there are some people who have stood out from among the crowd, and left a very good impression on me."<sub> </sub>


    Lux lightly coughed and said "Ahem Ahem" several times, but Grandma Annie, as well as the two Dwarven girls, ignored him.


    "Grandma, do you know any outstanding Dwarves that appeared here several years ago?" Colette asked. "Do you know someone named Aina?"


    "Aina? Of course I know her." Grandma Annie looked in the distance as if remembering a very good memory. "Not only is she a wonderful Dwarf, she''s also very strong, and kind. Although her face always looked cold on the surface, she was a very warm person. If I only had a grandson, I would have definitely urged him to approach her and ask her hand for marriage."


    Colette puffed up her chest with pride as she gave Lux a side-long nce that said, "Isn''t my sister awesome?".


    The adorable dwarf then told Grandma Annie that she was Aina''s sister, but thetter didn''t express any shock after this revtion.


    "I know," Grandma Annie said.


    Colette blinked her eyes in confusion. "You know?"


    "Yes. Before your sister left, she told me that a few years from now, her sister will alsoe to Leaf Vige, and asked me to look after you," Grandma Annie said with a mischievous smile on her face. "Perhaps this is also fate. Who would think that the one and only Half-Elf to appear in this vige arrived at the same time as you did?"


    The old Dwarf chuckled and sipped some tea before she continued her narration.


    "Then, all of you went through all sorts of trouble." Grandma Annie lightly patted Colette''s and Helen''s heads. "Getting caught up in a Monster Outbreak, Kidnapped by Kobold Bandits, and clearing a Hidden Dungeon.


    "When all of you leave Leaf Vige, and set off on your journey once again, you must remember that the journey itself has meaning. The songs of the cities, the smiles of the people, and the Monsters you face, all of them are part of your journey.


    "Although the destination is good, it is not everything. So, before you reach the end, keep your eyes open and use those chances to take in the world around you.  I''m sure that you will fondly remember these things when you sit back and reminisce about how your journey started."


    Grandma Annie sighed as she pulled the two Dwarves into her embrace and gave both of them a hug.


    "It is such a pity that Foreigners can''t return to the ce where they started." Grandma Annie sighed. "I would love to hear your stories after you have all traveled the world, and seen ces I have never seen before."


    ? Colette, and Helen became teary-eyed as they hugged back Grandma Annie who had always been kind to them.


    Lux no longer sulked and simply stared at this sad parting with a solemn gaze.


    Just like Grandma Annie said, those who stepped into the Apostle Rank are fated to leave Leaf Vige and never step foot in it again. Such were the rules of the world, and there was nothing they could do about it.

 Chapter 135 Playing Dirty [Part 1]

    "Are all of you ready?" Colette asked as she looked at her party members who were raring to challenge the Hell Mode of the Bronze Crypt.


    ""Yes!""


    "Okay. Let''s go."


    The little blonde Dwarf decisively chose the Hell Mode of the Bronze Crypt, teleporting them inside the Dungeon.


    The Dwarves found themselves standing in front of a creepy forest. It even made Helen subconsciously shudder.


    Lux and Eiko stood behind the Dwarves as they looked at the familiar scene with confident expressions on their faces.


    After a good night''s sleep, Eiko was no longer afraid of challenging the Bronze Crypt again. The fact that she was now perched on top of Lux''s head showed that she had already ovee her fears after eating a te full of bacon.


    "Vanguards at the front, Mages nk our healer," Colette ordered as she, Lux, and Matty stood at the front of the formation.


    Lux had already informed his friends that he didn''t n on summoning any of his minions to fight inside the Bronze Crypt. To his surprise, the Dwarves liked this idea and even asked him not to summon Diablo, Ishtar, and Pazuzu, no matter how the expedition fared.


    Although the Dwarf children didn''t want to admit it, they had be ustomed to being surrounded by Lux''s skeletons, which had given them a sense of security. This was something bad for their development, so they supported their Big Brother''s request with a unanimous vote.


    Only Eiko was allowed to summon her Devil Slime and Angel Slime to battle.


    Lux held the sword Oathbreaker, as well as the shield Dawne, in his hands. Because he had be so ustomed to standing in the rear with the protection of his Summons, his closebat abilities had not been used for a long time.


    Now that the tournament in Barbatos Academy was drawing near, the red-headed teenager decided to get serious and once again refine his sword and meleebat techniques in order to prepare for the battle that was toe.


    His current role in the party was a Magic Swordsman, so he walked two meters away from Colette''s left side, giving them some space to maneuver, just in case something unexpected happened.


    Matty kept the same distance as well while he walked on Colette''s right side. He had his guard raised to its peak as he warily scanned his surroundings for any surprise attacks.


    Eiko, on the other hand, was perched on top of Helen''s head. Her Papa had told her that he nned to fight solo for the time being, and ordered Eiko to act as Support for Helen, Andy, and Axel, just in case they were attacked by monsters.


    ckie and Whitey hovered above the mages, ready to fight at any given moment.


    Just as Lux predicted, after moving a hundred steps inside the dungeon, several Elder Ghoul rose from the ground and attacked their party.


    Helen let out an ear-piercing scream as her legs were grabbed by a pair of rotting hands that hade up from beneath the earth.


    Andy and Axel hurriedly swatted the rotting hands with their staff, forgetting the fact that they were mages.


    Fortunately, Whitey reacted in time and cast Holy st on the Zombie''s hands, making them let go of the Cleric''s legs, who had almost peed herself from fright.


    Andy fired two consecutive fire bullets at the ground, forcing the Elder Ghoul to surface. Axel, on the other hand, cast a water de to slice off the Zombie''s hands, preventing it from using its hands against them again.<sub> </sub>


    Although they had been caught by surprise by the Zombie''s ambush, all of them had been baptized by the Nightmare Mode of Orc Dominion. Fighting against Rank 1 Monsters was no longer an issue for them.


    Lux battled the Elder Ghoul in front of him, while paying close attention to his friends behind him. When Helen had been freed from the ghoul''s clutches, he focused all of his attention on the enemy that was in front of him.


    The Half-Elf unleashed the techniques that Vera had taught him when he was still a child. He had practiced these movements thousands of time in the past, until he fainted.


    As Lux executed move after move, he realized just how strong his body had be. Now that fainting was no longer an issue, he can exert all his strength in his attacks.  Lux''s de cleanly hacked the Elder Ghoul''s limbs from their sockets, rendering it helpless.


    "Kaizer Sword Art First Form," Lux said as he thrust his sword forward. "Piercing the Heavens!"


    The sword instantly pierced through the Elder Ghoul''s head, killing it instantly. Soon, the monster crumbled into pieces, leaving only dirt behind.


    Colette and Matty had also finished dealing with the monsters in front of them. The little blonde Dwarf looked at her friends with a critical gaze. After seeing that no one was seriously hurt during the skirmish, she ordered the group to advance deeper into the maze.


    With every battle they fought, the Dwarves were slowly getting the hang of fighting the monsters that would sneak attack them from the side, under the ground, and in the air above them.


    The Half-Elf chuckled internally as he watched Colette''s frustrated expression deepen whenever they came to a dead end. He had no intention of guiding them towards the Boss Monster''s location this time though.


    For him, this was an experience that his friends needed to experience so that when they encountered a simr incident in the future, they would be able to deal with it calmly and keep their wits about them.


    One and a half hourster, Colette''s group finally arrived at the end of the maze where the Final Boss was waiting for them.


    Lux sneakily ced a pill inside his mouth, but he didn''t bite on it. He only nned to use it once he had been affected by the Poison Cloud of the gue Monstrosity.


    Having a pill in his mouth would save him precious seconds of experiencing excruciating pain from the effect of the poison cloud, which the gue Monstrosity unleash whenever it was cornered.


    This was a very painful experience that would soon be experienced by his friends, who were fighting the boss for the very first time.


    Lux hoped that after this boss fight, his friends would not overly rely on their healer when they needed to be cured from negative status effects. Why? The answer was very simple. Although Clerics and other healing sses were able to cure these negative buffs on theirrades, things would be different when they were also subjected to the same negative buffs.


    ''Fortunately, Eiko is immune to poison and diseases,'' Lux thought as he held his weapon, and shield firmly as the boss Monster roared at them. ''She''ll take care of Helen and the others, while Colette, Matty, and I deal with this monster.''


    As soon as Lux took a fighting stance, Colette''s determined voice reverberated in the surroundings.


    "Shield Charge!" Colette shouted as the round shield in her hand glowed brightly.


    The little blonde Dwarf, charged forward, followed by Lux and Matty, who were only a few steps behind her.


    The gue Monstrosity summoned two Elder Ghouls to fight with it, as it gave another resounding roar of outrage.


    Soon the sounds of weapons shing, and spells exploding, spread across the Boss Room as Colette and her friends fought with everything they had against a monster that took the meaning of "ying dirty" to the next level.

 Chapter 136 Playing Dirty [Part 2]

    Five minutes had passed since Colette''s group started to engage the Boss Monster, gue Monstrosity.


    The Monster was being pushed back by the group''s teamwork, as well as Colette''s outstandingmands. However, when Lux saw the monster jump backwards, he knew that it was about to start "ying Dirty", and he looked forward to his friends'' suffering.


    ''I''m not doing this because I want to see you guys suffer,'' Lux thought as he readied to bite the pill (Panacea) inside his mouth. ''I just want you guys to experience this kind of hardship, so that it won''t bite you guys back in the future.''


    Just like Lux expected, the Boss Monster unleashed its Poisonous Smog which immediately incapacicated the Dwarves that were fighting against it.


    The gue Monstrosity bore the title "gue Bearer", which meant that 10 out of 10, the effect of its Poisonous Smog would activate, dealing poison or disease status to everyone in the vicinity.


    "Gah!"


    "D-dammit!"


    "It hurts!"


    "Urk��"


    "Blergh!"


    Lux had immediately bitten the Panacea in his mouth, preventing any status effects from affecting him.


    Eiko, on the other hand, was immune to the status effect from the gue Monstrosity, so she was still feeling peppy after the Boss Monster''s attack. The baby Slime calmly healed ckie''s and Whitey''s status, allowing the two Summoned Slimes to resume their attacks on the Boss Monster, who just used its skill, Jackhammer, to send the poisoned Colette flying to the back of their formation.


    Just as the Boss was about to unleash its other skill, Rampage, on Matty, Lux used the skill, Shield Bash, to cancel the Boss Monster''s attack.


    Since the Half-Elf had equipped Dawne, he was able to use the shield''s two abilities, which were Shield Bash and Shield Throw.


    "H-Helen, quickly, use Cure!" Colette ordered as she shakily propped herself off from the ground.


    When the gue Monstrosity attacked her, she still had enough wits in her to use her shield to block the attack, which mitigated the damage she received from it.


    Helen coughed repeatedly, as she tried to chant the Cure Spell to cure herself from her disoriented state, but she couldn''t seem to muster her wits, as if she had entered a confused state of mind.


    Fortunately, Andy had remembered that they were carrying Panacea''s with them and immediately ate one. After recovering, he made Helen eat one, allowing her to recover from the negative buffs that gued her.


    When Colette saw this, she hurriedly took out a pill from her storage ring and ate it. A few secondster, the pain in her chest disappeared.


    ''I hadpletely forgotten that we brought Panaceas with us,'' Colette thought as she ran towards the Boss Monster that was being held at bay by her Big Brother. ''We''ve relied so much on Helen that we forget this simple fact. I failed as a leader.''


    After learning from her mistake, she immediately gave an order to anyone to use the Panaceas they had whenever the boss monster activated its AOE gue Skill.


    Lux smiled after hearing Colette''s orders as he continued to attack the Monster, alongside the now recovered Colette.


    A few secondster, Matty once again joined the fight after he, too, used his Panacea, rather than waiting for Helen to cure him.


    After a few minutes of intense fighting, the Boss once again jumped back and unleashed its Poisonous Smog. This time, however, everyone was prepared and had already taken out a pill from their storage ring, chewing on it with vengeance.


    The gue Monstrosity would always use its skill, Jackhammer, after using its Poisonous Smog in order to take advantage of its enemies weakened state to deal them devastating damage.


    However, since its skill didn''t work, it found itself being attacked by an angry Dwarf Pdin who smashed her round shield against its body.


    "Shield Charge!" Colette shouted as she jumped after her sprint to smash her shield on the Boss Monster''s chest, pushing it back.


    Once they had gotten used to the Boss'' attack patterns, the rest of the battle went smoothly.


    Ten minutester, the gue Monstrosity finally died, leaving behind a chest as a reward for defeating it.


    Everyone''s faces, with the exception of Lux and Eiko, were pale after experiencing such a disgusting enemy.


    They had eaten five Panaceas each because the Monster had used its Poisonous Smog five times as well.


    Lux watched them with a calm expression on his face. In truth, he was doing his best to prevent himself from chuckling after seeing his friends'' nauseous faces.


    Matty looked like he had eaten a fly, while the three magic sses were leaning on their staffs and seemed to be on the verge of puking.


    Colette was the only one who had a betterplexion, but her face was still pale as she gazed at her friends who were suffering in front of her.


    "Big Brother, are you feeling ufortable somewhere?" Colette asked after looking at Lux who looked finepared to them.


    "I''m good," Lux answered. "You did well, Colette."


    Lux was quite impressed when he saw how much Colette''s leadership andmand skills had improved during the battle. If not for the fact that they had been taken by surprise by the Poisonous Smog at the beginning, they would have beaten the boss sooner without fail.


    Colette shed a smile after being praised by Lux before walking towards the treasure chest and opening it with both of her hands.


    Lux was also quite curious to see what the treasure box contained because he only got a Beast Core during his dungeon run.


    To his surprise, there were three items inside the Treasure Chest.<sub> </sub>


    The first item was a bone shield, which was made from the gue Monstrosities hard bones.


    The second item was a ne that increased Poison Resistance.


    The third item was a Rank 3 Beast Core, which belonged to the Boss Monster.


    Overall, it wasn''t a bad haul after nearly fifteen minutes of suffering.


    Lux wasn''t interested in any of the items, so he didn''t ask Colette to share them with him. A few minutester, the group exited the Bronze Crypt and appeared at its entrance.


    Their Clear Time was 1 hour and 48 minutes, which was a far cry from Aina''s record of 39 minutes.


    "Big Sister is truly amazing," Colette said as she looked up at her sister''s rank in the Leaderboards. "She was able to beat this dungeon with only that much time. Truly incredible."


    Matty and the others nodded their heads, while Lux only smiled with his arms crossed over his chest. Now that the Dwarves had experienced what the Bronze Crypt Hell Mode had to offer, it was now time for him to step in and keep his promise with Colette.


    A Promise on which he would help her beat her sister''s record before leaving the Leaf Vige.


    "Are you guys feeling better?" Lux asked.


    The Dwarf children all looked at him and nodded their heads.


    "Good." Lux smirked. "Let''s go challenge it again. I will teach you guys how to do a Speedrun."


    "Speedrun?" Colette tilted her head in confusion. "Big Brother, what is a speedrun?"


    Lux chuckled as he patted Colette''s head with a devilish smile on his face. "The reason why your sister managed to beat this dungeon in that much time is because she focused on killing the boss monster, instead of clearing the dungeon.


    "Earlier, you guys focused on clearing the dungeon, instead of trying to beat her record. This time around, we will ignore clearing the dungeon and just focus on getting to the boss in the fastest time possible."


    As if thest puzzle had fallen in ce, all the Dwarf children''s eyes widened in realization. They immediately understood what Lux was trying to tell them.


    Seeing their reactions, the Half-Elf grinned as he summoned his mount, Jed in front of his friends.


    "Your sister might be good, but she never acquired a mount while she was still here in Leaf Vige," Lux said as he mounted his Rank 3 Warg. "Now, are you guys ready for Round 2?"


    All the Dwarves nodded their heads with determination. The thought of having their names immortalized in Leaf Vige''s Bronze Crypt was an honor that they would fight to achieve.


    Fifteen minutester��


    ��-


    Congrattions! You have beaten the current record of Bronze Crypt Hell Mode!


    Your names will be added to the Hall of Fame!"


    ��-


    Bronze Crypt Hell Mode


    Date: 7th Day of the Month of the Chariot 1648 AD


    Clear Time: 14 minutes, 28 seconds.


    Challengers:


    Lux Von Kaizer


    Colette Van Goldenyer


    Eiko


    Matty��


    Andy��


    Axel��


    Helen��


    ��-


    The moment they reached the boss room, Lux and Eiko didn''t hold back, summoning all of their forces to gangbang the Boss Monster senselessly.


    The Boss Monster died a pitiful death in just five minutes, and it wasn''t even able to cast its Poisonous Cloud even once due to Diablo''s and Pazuzu''s Duel [EX], which canceled all of its attempts, making the battle end faster.

 Chapter 137 Pinky Promise

    "Cheers!"


    ""Cheers!""


    After sessfully beating Aina''s record, Lux and his friends partied inside the Tavern and ordered a lot of food.


    Everyone was in a good mood, including Matty, who even called Lux Big Brother as he exchanged a toast with him.


    The red-headed teenager knew well that Matty was just in an incredibly happy mood since the Dwarf boy had done something that he would never have done if he had been sober.


    Eiko was being hand fed by Colette and Helen, who took turns feeding the baby Slime. Andy and Axel were also drinking a lot of mead, which made Lux worry for the two Dwarfs, who were bound to have a hangover when they woke up in the morning.


    Although he knew that Dwarfs were strong drinkers, that was only true for adults, and not for Dwarf children that were only twelve years old.


    The other Dwarves inside the tavern looked at this happy scene with amused expressions on their faces. They didn''t know the reason why Lux and his friends were celebrating since the result of their Dungeon expedition wasn''t announced like their clear of the Hidden Quest in the Stronghold of Norria had been.


    They just thought that the rowdy group had fought an Alpha Monster somewhere and were celebrating a job well done, which was a verymon urrence among Apostle Grade Parties that were about to leave Leaf Vige in a few days.


    "Big Brother, what are your ns tomorrow?" Colette asked while feeding Eiko a chicken drumstick.


    "Good question," Lux answered. "To be honest. I haven''t made any ns for tomorrow."


    Usually when a Dwarves bes Grade D Apostles, they would either fight the Alpha Monsters as part of their graduation ceremony, or just leave Leaf Vige and transfer to an Intermediate Town.


    Colette and her group had already defeated the Mutated Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis, as well as beat her sister''s record in the Bronze Crypt. They had also beaten the Carbuncle, as well as cleared a Hidden Quest in a Rank-C Dungeon.


    Truth be told, Colette''s group had already done many things, and could leave Leaf Vige at any time, but she was reluctant to do so because of her Big Brother, Lux, who had no intention of leaving the Beginner''s Zone for the time being.


    As if guessing her thoughts, Lux smiled and ced his mug of fruit juice on the table.


    "This will not be ourst time seeing each other, Colette," Lux said. "Didn''t I promise you that I would meet your sister? I don''t want to brag, but I am someone that keeps my promise."


    "Although it might take a while, I promise that I''ll find you, so that you can introduce me to your amazing Big Sister."


    Colette looked at Lux with a serious expression on her face before giving a reply. "I still feel anxious, Big Brother. I feel like I really won''t see you again once I leave Leaf Vige."


    "Hahaha, you think too much," Lux stated. "Don''t you trust me?"


    "I trust you."


    "Then, continue to trust me. I will keep my promise. Let''s pinky promise on it?"


    "P-Pinky promise?" Colette looked at Lux with confusion. "What''s a pinky promise?"


    Lux raised his right little finger and wiggled it in front of Colette. "This is the pinky finger. Now use your own pinky finger to intertwine with mine."


    Colette was still unsure about what Lux was trying to do, but she obeyed until both of their little fingers were intertwined with each other.


    "This is how you pinky swear," Lux said. "I promise that I wille to find you and your sister. It may take a while, but I swear that I will look for the two of you. If I break my promise, I will lose all the hair on my head and be bald forever."


    Colette and Helen giggled after hearing the contents of Lux''s promise. They just couldn''t imagine what the Half-Elf would look like if he became bald.


    Lux then shook his intertwined finger with Colette, sealing the promise he made to her.


    "There," Lux said as he gave Colette a wink. "Now, do you feel any better?"


    Colette nodded. Although her Big Brother''s way of assuring her was unexpected, she now believed that he wouldn''t break his promise to meet her and her sister after they had left Leaf Vige.<sub> </sub>


    "Big Brother, I have an idea!" Colette said with sparkling eyes. "Let''s fight the Forest Wolf King!"


    Matty, who was having a drinking contest with Andy and Axel, spat the mead out of his mouth and coughed repeatedly.


    Even the Dwarves who were sitting at the tables near the group turned their heads to look at Colette after hearing her proposal.


    "No." Lux shook his head firmly. "That''s just suicide."


    This thought had already crossed his mind, but he decisively shot it down because it was too dangerous. When they fought against Orobak, he knew back then that they were no match for him.


    This was why he decided to fight him using trickery. Although he got the results he wanted, he knew that it wouldn''t work against the Forest Wolf King, who was stronger than Orobak. If they really went there to fight it with just their party, there was a high chance that they would suffer casualties, even if they managed to defeat it.


    This was something that Lux wanted to avoid at all costs.


    Colette was also aware that her proposal was unreasonable, and had gotten carried away because of the drinks that she had earlier. In the end, everyone just treated it as a joke and the discussion about hunting the Forest Wolf King ended.


    An hourter, their celebration ended and everyone went back to their own rooms to rest.


    Lux, who didn''t drink any alcohol, sat beside the window of his room and looked at the full moon in the sky.


    The baby Slime on hisp was sleeping peacefully after she''d had her fill of food and drinks from their party. Eiko had grown very fond of Colette and the others, and he was sure that she would miss them once they left Leaf Vige to go to the Intermediate Town.


    Although Lux could break past the Apostle Grade at any moment if he allocated his free stat points, he didn''t do that. Just like he told Colette earlier, he was someone who kept his promises, and until his promise in Leaf Vige was kept, he would not leave it anytime soon.


    ''Aside from the Ghoul Beast, only the Forest Wolf King is left,'' Lux thought as he gazed at the moon. ''All the Beginner Viges have a Mythical Quest in them�� I need toplete them all before the tournament starts.''


    Mythical Ranked Items were extremely rare because they were the highest tier before reaching Legendary Rank.


    He already had the Pseudo-Legendary Armor, the ckrock Legacy Armor Set, but it was currently equipped by Diablo.


    His Master, Randolph hadn''t even started crafting his Faunus Battle Armor because he was prioritizing Andy''s and Axel''s armor sets.


    In truth, there was a connection between the Mythical Quests of each Vige around the Stronghold of Norria.


    All of the mythical rewards from each of themprised the entirety of the Mythical Faunus Battle Regalia Set.


    Lux opened his Elysium Compendium as he read the passage that was written there.


    "In Leaf Vige, a special armor is made, its toughness is as resilient as adamantium.


    In Lindow Vige, a shield stands proud, waiting for the day its new owner arrives.


    In Sunflower Vige, where the sun rises in the east, a de that has in a dragon is hidden.


    Lastly, in Millwood Vige, where secrets are kept, a mask with many faces smiles at the ignorant."


    Four Viges,


    Four Battle Regalias that made up the Mythical Faunus Set.


    Once the full set had been gathered, it would forever be bound to its owner. ording to the Elysium Compendium, if the right conditions and requirements are met, the Mythical Armor Set could evolve into a Legendary Set.


    This was why Lux had no ns of leaving the Beginner''s Zone anytime soon. As long as he could acquire theplete Faunus Battle Regalia Set, he was confident that he would be able to win against anyone in the tournament, even if the participants were backed by the Royal Families that supported Barbatos Academy.

 Chapter 138 Colette Is Such A Sinful Child

    Several Dwarves, who had just arrived in Elysium, were running away from the center of the Aspiration ins.


    They identally ventured too far while hunting horned rabbits and didn''t notice that they had entered the territory of the Berserked Horned Rabbits, which were Rank 2 Monsters.


    One of the Dwarves identally tripped over the ground while running away, making the Berserked Horned Rabbits lock onto his small body.


    "No! Save me!" The Dwarf boy cried out in fear, but no one paid attention to him.


    It was not that the other Dwarves didn''t want to help him, but that there was nothing they could do. They were just beginners and they were already hard pressed fighting against Rank 1 Monsters, let alone Rank 2 Monsters, who were known for their speed and mobility.


    The Dwarf boy watched in horror as one of the Berserked Horned Rabbits lunged at him with its sharp horn posed to impale his body.


    He could only close his eyes and brace himself for the inevitable pain and death that would befall upon him shortly. However, it was at this moment when a metallic ring reached his ears.


    When the Dwarf boy opened his eyes, he saw an adorable blonde Dwarf girl, colliding with the Horned Rabbit using her shield.


    Time seemed to have stopped at that moment, as the boy looked at his savior with a flushed expression on his face.


    "Smite!" Colette shouted as she smashed her mythical mace against the Berserked Horned Rabbit''s body, making it take a few steps back.


    Before the Dwarf boy could even thank his savior, Colette raised her mace and cried out to her teammates.


    "Arrowhead Formation!" Colette ordered before charging at the enemies with Matty and Lux by her side.


    There were Four Berserked Horned Rabbits, but the Goldenyer Party was now more than capable of dealing with them after everything that they had been through.


    "Diablo, take care of the fourth one," Lux ordered as he summoned his dependable Firstborn to battle.


    Diablo appeared riding Airon, and the two Immediately entangled with the Berserked Horned Rabbit that was nning to attack the mages at the back of the formation.


    Colette used her all-rounder abilities to fight the horned rabbit in front of her. Berserked Horned Rabbits were known for their bursts of speed, instead of their strength.


    As long as they were stopped from gaining momentum when they started to sprint, their horned attacks were not much of a threat to the little Pdin whose mythical weapon, shield, and armor, could easily defend against its normal attacks.


    Matty, on the other hand, was an expert in parrying. Now that he was wearing mythical armor, and wielding two mythical short swords, his counterattacks were deadlier than ever.


    As for Lux�� he was just like Colette, an all rounder. But, having a baby slime who was a battle junkie, who had no qualms firing a barrage of spells at her target in addition to copying her Papa''s Doppelganger skill, was like a magical turret that spits random spells in a span of a few seconds, turning the Berserked Horned Rabbit in front of them into a punching bag.


    Because of this, Andy, Axel, and Helen, focused on supporting Colette and Matty. Lux, Eiko, and Diablo obviously didn''t need any support.


    They even pitied the Berserked Horned Rabbits that were unlucky enough to be targeted by them.


    "Eyah!" Eiko ordered ckie and Whitey, making the Devil and Angel Slime use theirbination attack called, Starfire Tempest, which allowed the two slimes tobine the power of Shadow and Holy into a single, concentrated beam of light.


    A loud explosion ensued followed by a shriek of pain. A few secondster the Berserked Horned Rabbit copsed on the ground, with a charred, basketball-sized hole in its chest.


    "Great job, Eiko."


    "Pa!"


    Lux then nced at the others and found them almost finished with their respective targets as well. For the time being, the Half-Elf moved towards the Dwarf boy, whose eyes never left Colette.


    The red-headed teenager didn''t fail to notice the look of admiration in the boy''s eyes which made him pray for his poor soul.


    ''Hah, Colette is such a sinful child,'' Lux mused as he stared at the love-struck Dwarf boy who seemed to have fallen in love at first sight.  ''It seems that Matty will have a lot of love rivals in the future. Colette is simply too good.''


    Lux was looking forward to Matty''s future hardships in trying to secure Colette''s hand in marriage after their party moved to the Intermediate Town where Apostle Grade Sians numbered in the thousands.


    After all the Berserked Horned Rabbits had been dealt with, the party focused on collecting their Beast Cores, as well as storing the corpses inside their Enchanted Beast Rings.


    Horned Rabbit Meat was a delicacy in Leaf Vige, especially Rank 2 Horned Rabbits, fetching a good price in the market.<sub> </sub>


    Lux didn''t even need to bother taking the Beast Core of the Berserked Horned Rabbit that he had in because his baby Slime would be the one who would deal with it. After the battle, Eiko jumped off his head and ordered ckie and Whitey to retrieve the Beast Core from the Horned Rabbit''s body, so that she could eat it.


    Just as he expected, a series of notifications appeared in front of him after Eiko finished absorbing the Beast Core.


    ��--


    Eiko has learned the skill Sprint


    ��--


    Eiko activated the skill Mimicry [EX]!


    �C Target Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C Sessfully copied Skill Evolution [EX]!


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Sprint will be upgraded into Mad Sprint once the requirements have been met.


    < Mad Sprint >


    <o>,m �C Increase speed by 100%</o>


    �C Requirements to upgrade: Use Sprint 20x


    �C Progress ( 0 / 20 )


    ��--


    Half a minuteter, Lux chuckled as he watched his baby Slime run all over the ce using her Sprint Skill, followed by ckie and Whitey as if they were ying tag.


    ��--


    "Are you alright?" Colette asked the Dwarf boy who had fallen on the ground with a smile on her face, making the poor Dwarf have a nosebleed.


    "Y-Yes, I am fine," the Dwarf Boy replied as he tried to reach out for Colette''s outstretched hand.


    However, before he could even touch the rugged hands of his savior, a much rougher hand grabbed him and pulled him off the ground.


    "Hi, my name is Matty," Matty said. "I am Colette''s future fiance. Nice to meet you," Matty added in an intimidating tone, which made the Dwarf look at Colette with a heartbroken gaze.


    Surprisingly, Colette didn''t correct Matty''s words because she didn''t want to entangle herself with a stranger that she had just saved. It would be better to turn a blind eye to Matty''s deration than deal with a Dwarf who was looking at her with puppy eyes.


    This was not the first time that this had happened, so she was already used to it.


    As the Dwarf boy looked at Colette every ten steps he took away from her, Matty got annoyed so he used his body to block the Dwarf boy''s vision, making thetter pout.


    Lux just watched this funny scene with his arms crossed over his chest. He could already tell that in a few more years, Colette would grow up to be a very beautiful youngdy, which would gather many suitors.


    As for whether Matty would be able to win her heart or not, even Lux didn''t know. All he wanted for his friends was to find happiness in life.


    "Well then, let''s go hunt a Carbuncle!" Colette dered as she summoned her Warg Mount.


    After their night of celebration, the Dwarf children decided to stay for three more days before leaving for Intermediate Town.


    Lux''s promise had eased Colette''s and the others'' hearts, which made them look forward to seeing him again when he traveled to the Intermediate Towns, where they could once again continue their journey together.

 Chapter 139 All For The Sake Of The Promises He Made

    "I''ll miss you, Eiko."


    "Eiko, make sure to remember us okay?"


    "Sis Colette, Sis Helen!"


    The baby Slime cried as she was hugged by Colette and Helen. The two Dwarves were also teary-eyed as they tried to pacify Eiko, who was already bawling her eyes out within their embrace.


    Lux could only look at this scene bitterly because he knew that exchanging goodbyes was a difficult thing to do. His friends were about to leave Leaf Vige and set out on a new adventure to the Intermediate Towns where Colette''s sister, Aina, was waiting for her.


    "Take care of yourselves in the intermediate Towns, okay?" Lux smiled as he rested his hands on Andy''s and Axel''s shoulders. "Things will be more difficult there, so always be on your toes and never let your guard down."


    "We will, Big Brother," Andy replied.


    "Big Brother, we''ll be waiting for you." Axel nodded.


    Matty had his arms crossed around his chest, but he was standing right beside Lux. Till the end, he refused to take the initiative to say goodbye, so the Half-Elf decided to do the Simp Dwarf a favor and patted his head.


    "Colette will definitely attract many handsome boys," Luxmented. "If you don''t step up your game, someone is going to sweep her off her feet."


    Matty snorted. "I''d kill them before they could do that."


    Surprisingly, he didn''t swat Lux''s hand away and allowed the red-headed teenager to continue patting his head.


    Five minutester, the two little girls managed to calm Eiko down and returned her to Lux with tears in their eyes.


    "Big Brother,e see us soon," Colette said as she hugged Lux''s waist. "I''ll make sure that you''ll get married to my sister as soon as possible."


    "Big Brother, don''t make us wait too long, okay?" Helen pleaded as she also hugged the Half-Elf, sandwiching him between her and Colette.


    Lux smiled as he patted their heads. "Don''t worry, I wille to find you guys, and when I do, we will go into an adventure together."


    "Okay!"


    "Un!"


    Colette gestured to Lux as if she wanted to whisper something to him. The Half-Elf thought that she was going to tell her about her sister again, so he lowered his head and waited for Colette to say what she wanted to say.


    As if waiting for that moment, Colette and Helen exchanged a nce and kissed Lux''s left and right cheeks simultaneously.


    Matty immediately reacted and was about to drag Colette away, but Andy and Axel both grabbed his arms, preventing him from ruining Colette''s and Helen''s goodbye.


    "Thank you," Lux said as he held Eiko in his hand and kissed the baby slime''s cheeks. "Go on, Eiko, kiss them back for me."


    Eiko happily puckered her lips and kissed Colette and Helen, making the two girls giggle. After that farewell ended, all the Dwarves stared at the Half-Elf who gave them all a nod of assurance.


    "Goodbyes are not forever," Lux said softly. "Goodbyes are not the end. It simply means Eiko and I will miss all of you until we meet again."<sub> </sub>


    "Yes!" Eiko echoed as she looked at her first friends in Elysium with teary eyes. "Bye bye!"


    "Bye bye, Big Brother, Eiko!" Colette said before turning around to summon her Warg.


    She immediately climbed on top of it and ordered it to run away, because she was afraid that if she stayed a minute longer, her resolve would shatter like a crystal ss.


    Helen sobbed before summoning her own Warg and ordering it to follow Colette.


    Unlike her leader, Helen wasn''t able to stop the tears from falling from her eyes as her Warg passed through the entrance of Leaf Vige.


    "I will wait for you, remember that," Matty dered as he also summoned his Warg and followed the two girls who had now put a good distance between them.


    Andy and Axel both bowed their heads before summoning their mounts and rejoining their partymates.


    Eiko buried her little head into Lux''s chest as she cried sadly. She had also tried her best not to cry, but the sadness was too much for a baby like her.


    Lux lightly patted the baby Slime on his chest, as his eyes blurred due to the tears that he had held back for so long.


    As everyone''s Big Brother, he knew that he couldn''t cry in front of Colette and the others because it would make their parting more difficult. He resolved himself and forcibly acted like a mature, collected, and dependable Big Brother who was seeing his little brothers and sisters off as they left on their new journey.


    Colette and her friends had been Lux''s first friends in Elysium and he treasured all of them in his heart. Now that they were no longer here, the Half-Elf stopped holding back his tears and allowed them to fall freely.


    The red-headed teenager and the baby Slime cried in each other''s arms, until they no longer had tears to shed.


    ��-


    Randolph and Grandma Annie looked at the Half-Elf that was standing by the West Gate of Leaf Vige that led to the Heartwood Forest. This was the path that everyone took whenever they left for the Stronghold of Norria, which allowed them to use the teleportation gates to go to the different Intermediate Towns in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    "Although they are foreigners, seeing them go still makes my heart ache," Grandma Annie said softly.


    "That is just the cycle of life," Randolphmented from the side. "One of these days, Lux will also leave us, and a new batch of foreigners will arrive to continue the cycle."


    Grandma Annie nodded. "Yes. The legacy is passed on from those whoe before, to those whoe after, letting this Vige, that is located in the outskirts of the kingdom, have a breath of fresh air."


    Randolph chuckled. "Still, I have high hopes for Lux. The Only Half-Elf that has appeared here for hundreds of years. I''m sure that he will be something great in the future."


    "Funny." Grandma Annie smiled. "I feel the same way myself."


    The two old people exchanged a knowing nce at each other before returning to their shops.


    Back at the gate, Lux wiped the tears from his eyes, as he walked back to the inn, carrying Eiko in his arms. Today, he nned to take it easy, resting his body and mind.


    Tomorrow, he would leave Leaf Vige, and venture to the other viges in the territory of Norria. All for the sake of the promises he made, and the friends who were now waiting for him beyond the gate.

 Chapter 140 But, I’m Only A Half-Elf

    Lux and Eiko were abruptly woken up by a series of loud knocks on the door.


    The Tavern Owner personally went to his room to wake him up because there was something going on at the entrance of the vige, and the vige guards had sent someone to his Tavern to have Lux woken up.


    The disgruntled Half-Elf, and Baby Slime, looked outside of the window, and realized that it was still dark outside. After doing a few stretches, he walked towards the door to see what themotion was about.


    "The Guard Captain wants to see you at the East Gate of the Vige," the Tavern Owner reported. "ording to the guard on duty, a Kobold Wyrmling named Cadmus demands your presence."


    "Cadmus?" Lux frowned. It took him a few seconds to register the name inside his sleepy brain, but when he did, the drowsiness he felt disappearedpletely. "Did the Draconic Kobold say why he is looking for me?"


    "No. The guard that came here only told me that you need to go there as soon as possible. He is waiting to escort you outside."


    "Give me a few minutes. I''ll just wash my face and change my clothes."


    The Tavern Owner nodded and left Lux alone. He was also quite annoyed that he was woken up from his sleep, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    Five minutester, Lux left the inn alongside the guard that was ordered to escort him to the East Gate of the vige.


    As they neared their location, they noticed several armed guards, as well as members of the Riders of Norria gathered near the gate.


    Even from a distance, he could see the arrogant Draconic Kobold with his arms crossed over his chest, when he noticed Lux''s presence.


    "What do you want?" Lux asked in a grumpy tone. "Last time I checked, I didn''t do anything bad to the Kobolds for you to personallye here to find me."


    The Kobolds and the Dwarves now had a non-aggression pact, which meant that both sides would do their best to avoid stirring up conflicts on both sides. Even now, Lux couldn''t think of any reason why Cadmus came to find him.


    "What are you talking about?" Cadmus replied. "Are you not one of those that had cleared the Hidden Quest in the Stronghold of Norria?"


    "I was one of them, but what does that have to do with you?"


    "In regards to the Hidden Mission, it has nothing to do with me. But, since you are one of the people thatpleted it, you''reing with me."


    "Huh?" Lux blinked in confusion. "Excuse me? Why do I need toe with you?"


    Cadmus red at the Half-Elf as he ced both of his hands to the side, as if itching to grab him and take him away by force.


    The guards, as well as the Riders of Norria saw this, and immediately stood between the Draconic Kobold and Lux. None of them were afraid of the Rank 5 Alpha Monster because if Cadmus really went to attack them, the Kingdom of Gweliven would send its Rankers to hunt it down, as well as exterminate the Kobold''s entire n.


    "Juste with me! I will exin it to youter!"


    "Hah? Are you stupid? Why would Ie with you if you don''t exin anything to me?"


    Cadmus growled as his Draconic Eyes locked into Lux''s body. He was clenching and unclenching his wed hands, as if he was fighting an internal battle inside of himself. After a few minutes of tension, the Draconic Kobold sighed as it tossed a leather pouch to Lux.


    The Half-Elf subconsciously caught it, but was surprised because the pouch was quite heavy. After checking its contents, he realized that it was filled with gold coins.


    After a rough estimate, the red-headed teenager guessed that there were at least five hundred gold coins in the pouch, which made him even more confused.


    "I am hiring you for a quest," Cadmus stated. "Isn''t this what the Dwarves do in that�� Adventure Guild or something."


    "Adventurer''s Guild," Lux corrected.


    "Yes. Now,e! I already paid you!"


    "... Dafuk?"


    The guards look at the exchange with frowns on their faces, but all of them understood the general gist of what the Draconic Kobold was trying to say. He nned to hire Lux for a quest, so he came to Leaf Vige in order to look for him.


    "But, why me?" Lux asked. "You''re already this strong, and you still need my help?"


    "Yes," Cadmus answered. "Because what I am about to face is stronger than me. This is why I need your help!"<sub> </sub>


    Lux was very tempted to spit on the Draconic Kobold for trying to drag him to something troublesome. If a Rank 5 Alpha Monster like Cadmus couldn''t do it on his own, adding him would not make much of a difference. At least, that was what Lux thought at the moment.


    "Tell me the specifics of the mission," Lux replied. "I need to know the details before I ept this quest of yours."


    Cadmus nced at Lux and the Dwarves that were guarding him.


    "Let''s talk, just the two of us."


    "... Fine."


    Looking at how serious Cadmus'' expression was, the Half-Elf had a feeling that if he rejected his request, the chances of the Draconic Kobold tearing him to pieces was high.


    ''At the very least, I should hear him out first,'' Lux thought as he followed Cadmus to a spot within a hundred meters away from the gate''s entrance. He didn''t trust the Draconic Kobold enough to follow him without the guards, as well as the Riders of Norria, looking at him for support.


    "Three days ago, we encountered the ruins of what seemed to be an ancient city, buried underground," Cadmus said as he nced at the Dwarves that were in the distance as if he was afraid that they would hear him. "After doing some investigation, we came to the conclusion that it was built by gnomes, but they weren''t the only ones living in the city."


    After hearing Cadmus'' exnation, he now understood why the Draconic Kobold didn''t want to discuss this in front of the Dwarves. There was a high possibility that their discovery would brute force their way into the ruins, and im that it was something that belonged to the Gweliven Kingdom.


    By doing so, they would not be breaking the oath they made with the Kobolds, as they seized the opportunity to study, and perhaps unearth some treasures within the Ancient Ruins buried deep underground.


    ''I understand why you don''t want to involve the Dwarves in this quest of yours, but why do I need to go with you?" Lux asked. "Can''t you Kobolds do this on your own?"


    "Excavating the ancient city as we look for treasures is fine," Cadmus snorted. "However, we found a Dungeon at the back of the city, and we were unable to ess it because there is some kind of restriction."


    Lux arched an eyebrow. "What restriction?"


    "Only ten individuals may enter it, and among those ten people, there must be an elf."


    "But, I''m only a Half-Elf."


    Cadmus nodded. "Yes. But, we have no other choice. You are the only Elf-like creature that we know, and I''m hoping that the Elven blood inside you, no matter how diluted, will be enough to open the dungeon''s entrance."


    Lux rubbed his chin. "What is the grade of this Dungeon?"


    The Draconic Kobold looked at Lux long and hard before giving him an answer.


    p "ording to our Shaman, it is a C-Ranked Dungeon, and there is only one difficulty setting."</anda>


    "Let me guess, it''s Hell Mode?"


    Cadmus nodded, which made Lux feel his liver ache.


    Right after Cadmus finished his exnation, Lux heard a ringing sound in his head, followed by several rows of text appearing in front of him, which made the Half-Elf pinch the bridge of his nose, and close his eyes. He wanted to confirm if he was just hallucinating things or not because the mission that appeared in front of him made him want to go back to the inn to continue sleeping.


    ��-


    Ding!


    �C You have received the Hidden Quest "A Touch of Dragons".


    �C Would you like to ept this quest?


    < Yes / No >


    ��----


    Lux had a feeling that if he epted this quest, he would find himself in a situation that was simr to Barca''s Quest, when he entered the Dungeon of the Orc Dominion.

 Chapter 141 A Touch Of Dragons

    ��-


    Ding!


    �C You have received the Hidden Quest "A Touch of Dragons".


    �C Would you like to ept this quest?


    < Yes / No >


    ��----


    Lux stared at the prompt in front of him before shifting his gaze at Cadmus whose eyes had locked unto his body.


    "If I help you, aside from these gold coins, what other benefits can I get?" Lux asked.


    "You''re too greedy, Half-Elf," Cadmus replied.


    "Then, go find another Elf that will help you," Lux scoffed. "I''m not interested. You can take your gold back."


    Lux didn''t even bat an eye as he threw the pouch filled with gold coins back at the Draconic Kobold whose eyes had turned bloodshot.


    The Half-Elf had acquired the title, Negotiator, after clearing the Hidden Quest of Orc Dominion. This allowed him to have a higher chance of winning when negotiating with anyone, especially those that were members of the Nobility or Royal Family.


    Although he was dealing with a Draconic Kobold, who was neither noble nor royal, this was still a negotiation, so he was hoping that he would gain more by epting this mission that was thrown at his face without prior notice.


    "What more do you want?" Cadmus growled. Clearly, he was feeling frustrated because he couldn''t use brute force to get his way in this situation. He knew that Lux was now an Honorary Knight of the Kingdom of Gweliven, and killing a Noble would spell out, not only his doom, but his entire n''s future as well.


    "I want a share of everything that will be acquired in the dungeon," Lux replied. "I want a third of whatever treasures, Beast Cores, or any other useful items that are found inside it."


    Cadmus growled and a streak of me burst out from his mouth, as he spat on the ground beside him.


    "Fine," Cadmus agreed through gritted teeth.


    "Ah. Can I also have that pouch back? I''m short on gold coins right now." Lux smiled at the Draconic Kobold, which almost pushed thetter to sh the Half-Elf''s face with his ws.


    "Take it!" Cadmus tossed the pouch back to the red-headed teenager using all the willpower it could muster. If not for the requirement of the Dungeon to have an Elf be part of the group, he would never, ever, go as far as to negotiate with the Half-Elf who was trying to extort him.


    After receiving the pouch of gold coins, Lux finally epted the mission. A few secondster, several rows of text appeared in front of him, which made him drop the gold pouch, and his jaw practically fell off his face.


    ''Oh sh*t��,'' Lux thought as he read the information in front of him.


    ��--


    Hidden Quest: A Touch of Dragons


    Difficulty Rating: S


    Quest Location: Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian


    Dungeon Rating: C


    Dungeon Mode: Hell Mode


    ��--


    < A Touch of Dragons >


    (Chain Quest)


    Deep within the earth, an ancient city was unearthed. Find out the secret that was buried along its demise within the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian.


    Bonus Rewards will be calcted depending on the choices you make in this mission.


    ��--


    Primary Rewards upon missionpletion.


    �C Potion of Intelligence


    This potion adds +50 permanent Intelligence Points to the one who consumes it. You can only consume one Potion of Intelligence in your lifetime.


    �C Rank 2 Skill Book of your choice.<sub> </sub>


    You will be able to choose any Skill that is Rank 2 and below from the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian.


    1,000 Gold Coins


    +2,000 Hazeback Kobold n Reputation Points


    ��---


    Lux didn''t expect that the difficulty rating of the mission would be S, which made him wonder if he could still back out from the mission he had just epted.


    "Um, can I back out?" Lux asked the grumpy Draconic Kobold.


    Instead of answering, Cadmus ced its wed hand on Lux''s shoulder, preventing him from moving from where he stood.


    "Do you want to?" Cadmus asked. Although his wed hand that was keeping Lux in ce wasn''t exerting any kind of pressure, the Half-Elf understood that the Draconic Kobold wouldn''t allow him to go, not after being told the secrets of the Ancient Ruins.


    "I don''t want to."


    "Good. You made the right choice."


    Cadmus nced at the guards at the gate, who had unsheathed their weapons after seeing him seize the Half-Elf who was under their protection.


    "You have two hours to prepare." Cadmus growled as he released his hold on Lux''s shoulder. "We''ll be leaving before sunrise. Now, go."


    Lux reluctantly nodded his head as he went back to the inn to gather his things. He also asked Aron, who was the Head of the Leaf Vige guards to pass a message to his Master, Randolph, that he would be leaving Leaf Vige for a week or two.


    After exiting the gate, Cadmus grabbed Lux''s body before taking off to the skies. He didn''t n on letting the Dwarves follow him, so he decided to cover his tracks by flying to the North for a few minutes before changing direction by turning towards the West.


    Lux understood why the Draconic Kobold was being secretive of the Ancient Ruin''s location because it could attract the attention of the Dwarves, who would not pass up the chance to gain more treasures.


    ��--


    After an hour of flying, Cadmus descended towards the ground, in a valley that was several miles away from the Stronghold of Norria.


    There, he made a beeline towards a giant boulder that was surrounded by vines. As soon as the Draconic Koboldnded, he released Lux and pushed the boulder to the side, revealing a narrow entrance.


    "Go in," Cadmus ordered.


    Lux nodded as he entered the narrow cave, which was big enough for Cadmus to traverse only if he crouched on the ground.


    There were several glowing crystals along the way, so Lux didn''t have any trouble seeing what was in front of him. The minutes passed by in silence, as the Half-Elf, as well as the Draconic Kobold, walked at a steady pace.


    After walking for almost half an hour, the two finally arrived in a spacious cavern, where an undergroundke had formed.


    Cadmus walked along the side of theke, until he arrived at another tunnel, leading deeper into the ground.


    The Half-Elf followed behind the Draconic Kobold as he secretly mapped the pathways that they took. Deep inside, he sniggered after discovering Cadmus'' attempt to confuse his sense of direction, in order to prevent him from memorizing the path that they were taking.


    ''He is too cautious,'' Lux thought as he followed the Draconic Kobold who was leading him in circles around the undergroundbyrinth.


    Finally, after three hours, Cadmus finally took the right path, and led Lux to the real location where the Ancient Ruins were discovered.


    When they arrived at their destination, Lux couldn''t help but whistle at the sheer size of the underground city. ording to his estimate, even if ten Leaf Viges were stuffed inside, it would fit and still have room to spare.


    Kobolds could be seen everywhere and most of them were digging into the ground, trying to unearth the entire city from its buried state.


    "Come, the Dungeon is at the very back of the city," Cadmus said as he dragged Lux forward. "You can go sightseeing when we get back."


    Lux didn''t reply and simply allowed Cadmus to lead him to the Dungeon''s entrance, while his eyes wandered around the ce.


    All the Kobolds were giving him unfriendly gazes as if he was a thief that hade to steal their treasures.


    ''Well, in a way, I dide to steal their treasures,'' Lux thought as he ignored the steely gazes of the Kobolds who had stopped their work to observe him.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, was looking around as well. This was something new to her, and she looked at this scene with genuine curiosity.


    After walking for twenty minutes, they finally arrived at the entrance of the Dungeon.


    Lux marveled at the design on the gates, which had the head of a dragon carved in it. In truth, he was both afraid of and excited about what he was going to find inside the Dungeon.


    Although he didn''t know if another Story-Mode would activate once he entered, since he was with the Kobold explorers, he had a feeling that if he yed his cards right, he would gain unimaginable rewards, which would be simr to the ones he gained inside the Orc Dominion, making him look forward to the secrets that were buried deep within the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian.

 Chapter 142 Actions Will Speak Louder Than Words

    Barbatos Academy��


    Alexander was signing documents in his office, when a knock was heard on the door.


    "Come in," Alexander said without even bothering to raise his head as he continued to sign the documents that were on top of his table.


    "If you keep forcing Iris, you''ll end up pushing her away and she will run somewhere far from you," Vera said as she walked towards her son who was busy with work. "You know who she loves and yet you still push other young men to be her fiance. Did you lose your heart after stepping into the Ranks of a Saint?"


    "Love won''t keep her safe when the sky falls down above her head," Alexander replied. "What she needs is someone that can take care of her, and not a good looking Half-Elf who faints at the first sign of danger."


    Vera chuckled as she shook her head. She knew that her son didn''t really dislike Lux. In fact, he liked the young man to a certain extent. His only concern was that he didn''t think of Lux as someone who could take care of Iris because of his weak body.


    For someone that stood at the peak of the world, they knew that only strength mattered. Without it, you will just get trampled on by those who were stronger than you. It didn''t matter if you were right or wrong. All that mattered was whether you were strong enough to make all those who oppose you, shut up.


    "You''ve already made a deration that whoever wins the tournament would be Iris'' fiance," Vera stated. "What if the one who won mistreats her in the future? What then?"


    "Impossible."


    "Impossible?"


    For the first time since Vera entered the room, Alexander raised his head to look at his aged-mother with a serious expression on his face.


    "Anyone who dares to harm my daughter will be erased from the face of this world," Alexander dered. "Even if a prince does it, I would kill him, as well as the rest of his entire family. If he''s from an influential n, I will wipe them all out until none is left. Mother, do you really think that anyone would dare to harm Iris, knowing the Fate that awaits them?"


    Vera leaned forward in her chair and lightly tapped her fingers on top of the table.


    "You think too much, Alex," Vera replied. "Since you''ve already dered that whoever wins the tournament will be Iris fiance then so be it. Just don''t regret your decisionter."


    Alexander frowned. He thought that his mother would openly oppose his decision to have the champion of the tournament be Iris'' fiance. Since Vera didn''te to his office to dissuade him, it only meant one thing.


    "So, you n to let Lux join the tournament," Alexander narrowed his eyes. "Aren''t you afraid that he will be aughingstock because of your whims?"


    The corner of Vera''s lips rose as she listened to her son''s words. She knew that Alexander had no faith in Lux when it came to fighting in the tournament, so she just kept her mouth shut.


    ''Actions will speak louder than words,'' Vera mused as she allowed the smile to spread across her weathered face.


    Her reaction made Alexander feel that something was off, but he didn''t pay much attention. He knew that if Vera really wished to renege his earlier deration, his mother would have already done it, even if it meant that the two of them would end up fighting against each other.


    "I''m going back to Wildgarde Stronghold," Vera said as she stood up. "If I hear that my granddaughter is getting bullied again, I will return to bring her back with me. You cane and pick her up when the tournament starts."


    The old woman walked towards the door without even looking back at her son. No more words needed to be spoken, for this was not her fight. She believed her grandson, and knew that no matter how high the hurdle he faced, he would never give up, even if the entire world were to turn its back against him.


    ��--


    "I give up!" Lux shouted. "No more! I quit!"<sub> </sub>


    Cadmus, as well as the other Kobolds who apanied him inside the dungeon red at the Half-Elf who was throwing a tantrum. As soon as they entered the dungeon, the Half-Elf had almost been swallowed whole by two Rank 4 Basilisks that were over two hundred meters long.


    If not for Cadmus'' quick rescue, the Half-Elf might have spent the rest of his days inside the stomach of the Giant ck Serpents.


    The two Basilisks weren''t in because they retreated quite quickly after discovering that one of their opponents had a higher rank than them. Unfortunately, even as a Rank 5 Alpha Monster, it was quite difficult for Cadmus to kill both Basilisks at the same time.


    "Just stick close to me if you don''t want to die," Cadmus stated as he picked the Half-Elf up like a kitten by grabbing onto his clothes.


    If not for the fact that almost all the passages inside the dungeon required someone with Elven blood in them, he would have long abandoned the red-headed teenager who was getting on his nerves.


    Lux stopped struggling and simply looked at the map in the upper right corner of his vision. He could see that the two basilisks were stealthily following them in the distance, and just waiting for the right opportunity to strike.


    In truth, if Lux really wished it, he could have gotten out of that situation alive. He just wanted to know if Cadmus would really go and save him if his life were ever threatened inside the Dungeon.


    The Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian was abyrinth style Dungeon. Unlike the Orc Dominion which had an "open world" setting, this particr Dungeon was simr to the Kobold''s Nest which had many underground pathways.


    Even with the Elysium Compendium, Lux couldn''t fathom how big and deep the dungeon was. If there were already two Rank 4 Monsters near the entrance of the dungeon, he was afraid to find out what lurked in its depths.


    ''Orobak had jumped to the Initial Stages of a Rank 5 Monster near the end of Story Mode,'' Lux thought. ''Back then I thought that having a Rank 4 Alpha Monster (Barca) with me guaranteed smooth sailing, but I was terribly wrong in my assumption.''


    Right now, he was under the protection of a Rank 5 Alpha Monster. Hell Mode Dungeons were known to adjust their settings, depending on their challengers. If their group had one Rank 5 Alpha Monster in their party then the Dungeon would definitely make things difficult for them.


    ''I sure hope that a Deimos Ranked monster will not appear here,'' Lux thought. ''If that happens, I''ll take Eiko and run as far away as possible. There is simply no way we are going to defeat something of that rank.''


    In the world of Elysium, there were Five Primary Stages. They were Rank 1 up to Rank 5 Monsters.


    For the Elysians, as well as Sins, there were Grade D Apostles, up to the Initiate Rank. Initiates were what people referred to as those that had the strength equivalent to Rank 5 Monsters. They were called Initiates, because it was the stage before being a Ranker.


    A Deimos Monster was equivalent to E-Rankers and F-Rankers.


    A Rank 5 Monster was simply food to a monster of that rank. Even though Cadmus could walk unhindered in the Beginner''s Zone, once it stepped into the Intermediate Territories, it was just another Boss Monster that was slightly harder to kill.


    In the Intermediate Territories, Deimos Monsters were the Apex Creatures. They were the threat that many Apostles avoided fighting because they were simply too powerful if not fought with hundreds of people at a time, or by a strong Guild.


    They were the "World Bosses" that dropped Unique up to Mythical items, and any guild would be willing to pay just about any price for any of those items to fall into their hands.


    ''I hope I''m just overthinking things,'' Lux thought as Cadmus and the Rank 3 Kobolds that had apanied him in this endeavor, scanned their surroundings with vignce.


    They had no destination in mind, and were simply trying to find out what this particr Dungeon had to offer.


    Unknown to them, a pair of golden eyes were watching them in the darkness. It was simply waiting for the perfect opportunity to grab the Half-Elf, whose blood was calling out to it.

 Chapter 143 I Need To Catch Up To Them Soon

    Unlike the Kobolds, who were used to living underground, Lux was having trouble adapting to the environment.


    Everywhere he looked, there was just dirt. The smell of soil also permeated the surroundings. Eiko, on the other hand, seemed at ease, and just stayed on top of Lux''s head for the duration of the expedition.


    For her, anywhere was good as long as she was with her Papa.


    "Let''s camp here for now," Cadmus said after they arrived in a small enclosed cavern. "Did you bring food with you, Half-Elf?"


    "The name is Lux, and yes, I brought food with me," Lux replied as he summoned a basket of sandwiches that he had asked the Tavern Cook to make on short notice.


    Eiko happily took a bite of the sandwich that was handed to her by her Papa. She hadn''t eaten anything yet, and she was starving. Lux felt sorry for his baby Slime and fed her five sandwiches, so Eiko would feel satisfied.


    After eating, Eiko went inside Lux''s robe to sleep. It was now her most favorite spot for sleeping after experiencing the horrors of the Goblin Crypt Hell Mode.


    Lux, on the other hand, nced at his map to check for the Monsters that were wandering around the undergroundbyrinth.


    Along the way, they had met several Worm type Monsters, as well as Centipedes. All of them were Rank 2 and 3, but they were of no match for the Kobold Lineup that apanied Lux and Cadmus on this Dungeon exploration.


    2 Kobold Shamans, 2 Kobold Mages, and 4 Kobold Raiders.


    All of these Kobolds were Rank 3 Monsters, while Cadmus was the only Alpha Monster who was Rank 5. Lux still hadn''t increased his stat points, so he was just skirting along the boundaries of the Apostle Grade.


    While resting, Lux looked at the two Beast Cores in his possession that he got from the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis. He still hadn''t used them because the primary skill he wanted from it was the Doppelganger, but then he had managed to acquire it from the quest reward.


    Originally, he nned to let Eiko absorb them, so that she had a chance to gain the Doppelganger ability on her own, but he decided against it.


    The baby Slime could mimic up to four skills that he possessed. Since they were always together, Lux decided to just consume the two beast cores so that he would gain a chance to acquire two of the Alpha Monster''s precious skills.


    ��-


    Skills: Crimson sh, Double Fury sh, Berserk, Air Steps, Quick Assault, Hunter''s Mark, Doppelganger, Coup de Grace.


    Passive Skills: Intimidate, Razor Wind.


    ��--


    Lux eyed the skills that belonged to the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis, and found all of them were to his liking, especially Coup de Grace and Berserk.


    The Half-Elf had always wanted to acquire the Berserk Skill since it was a crucial skill that could be used when pushed into a corner. Getting an explosive burst of strength to turn the situation around wasmon among Boss Monsters, and this was what made them extremely difficult to beat.


    ��--


    Do you wish to absorb a Rank 3 Beast Core?


    < Yes / No >


    ��--


    Lux chose yes and the familiar two options appeared in front of him.


    ��-


    < Upgrade Stat Points >


    < Upgrade Skills>


    ��--


    Obtained 30 Free Stats Points


    Obtained 60 Body Constitution Points


    You have acquired the passive skill Razor Wind.


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    �C Since the skill, Razor Wind, is a passive skill, it will automatically be upgraded to the passive skill Tempest Fury


    ��-


    ? < Tempest Fury >


    (Can be switched On and Off at any given time)


    �C Any weapon that the user wields will be enchanted by the wind element, making it sharper, and able to deal additional Wind Elemental Damage.<sub> </sub>


    �C This Skill is applied to unarmedbat as well. Punches and kicks will be imbued by the power of wind, and deal additional Wind Elemental Damage.


    �C This Skill is also applied to range attacks, including arrows, throwing knives, throwing axes, darts, or any projectile weapons that the user wields.


    �C Adds +100 Wind Elemental Damage to all attacks by the user.


    ��-


    ''Nice!'' Lux almost did a fist pump because the Skill he got was simply too awesome. Having all of his attacks imbued by an elemental attack would drastically increase his damage potential, as well as deal double damage to enemies that had a weakness to the wind element.


    It even allowed the Half-Elf to imbue projectile weapons like arrows with this elemental attack, giving Lux flexibility in battle.


    The skill could also be toggled On and Off depending on the situation, which was a handy feature, just in case his opponents were resistant to the Wind Element.


    Lux had plenty of unused stat points on his Character Page. If the Half-Elf were to use them all, he would immediately jump ranks up to a Grade B Apostle, which was equivalent to a Rank 3 Monster.


    ''Nero and the others are nearing the peak of Grade A Apostle,'' Lux thought. ''This is still not enough. I need to catch up to them soon.''


    The tournament was only a couple months away, leaving Lux with only half a year left in Elysium to get the points that he needed in order to reach the rank he wanted.


    ''Now, for the second one,'' Lux wished that he got either Coup de Grace or Berserk for hisst attempt. Although the other skills were good, he needed either of these two to get an edge over his opponents.


    After consuming the Beast Core, a series of texts appeared in front of Lux, which made the smile on the Half-Elf''s face stiffen.


    ��-


    Obtained 30 Free Stats Points


    Obtained 60 Body Constitution Points


    You have acquired the skill, Air Steps.


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    The skill, Air Steps, will be upgraded into Air Strider [EX] once the requirements have been met.


    ��--


    < Air Strider [EX] >


    �C Aside from traversing on air, this skill also gives the user the ability to fly for a short period of time.


    �C This skill consumes fifty Mana Points every thirty seconds, up to a maximum of five minutes while flying in the air.


    �C Requirement to upgrade: Use Air Steps 50x


    �C Progress ( 0 / 50 )


    ��-


    Lux scratched his head since he didn''t get the two skills he was aiming for.


    ''Air Strider [EX] is also good,'' Lux mused. ''It''s a very flexible ability. Although I didn''t get what I wanted, I got an all-rounder ability in exchange. I guess this isn''t a bad tradeoff.''


    The reason why Lux wasn''t really thrilled in getting the Air Strider [EX] skill was due to the fact that there were flying mounts, as well as several flying abilities in Elysium.


    Air Strider [EX] was just one of those skills that allowed the user to fly for a short period of time. It wasn''t bad, but it wasn''t good either. It was just as Lux said, it was an all-rounder skill that could be used if there were neither flying mounts nor other flying abilities.


    While Lux was upgrading his skill, Cadmus was paying close attention to him out of the corner of his eyes. He was still holding a grudge against Lux, but due to the fact that he was now an Honorary Knight of the Gweliven Kingdom, the Draconic Kobold was forced to stay his hand in attacking the Half-Elf in fear of the Kingdom''s retaliation.


    Cadmus knew that he was still a frog in the well. Unlike real Dragons that could threaten an entire Kingdom with its overpowering might, the Draconic Kobold was just a lizard with wings.


    The moment he left the territory of Norria, the chances of him getting attacked by the foreigners in the Intermediate town was quite high. This was also why he didn''t n to leave his nest until he''d stepped into the Deimos Rank.


    Then, and only then, would he gain sufficient strength to intimidate those who wished to attack him because of his race.


    After paying close attention to Lux, he noticed the subtle changes in the Half-Elf''s expression which made him wonder if Lux was feeling constipated.


    Just as he was about to continue his observation, the Half-Elf abruptly stood up and nced at the entrance of their camping site with a shocked expression on his face.


    "Everyone, we need to find a safe ce to hide!" Lux shouted. "A Dungeon Outbreak is about to happen, and if we don''t leave here soon, we will be caught in the crossfire!"

 Chapter 144 Fancy Meeting You Guys Here

    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Cadmus asked as he red at the Half-Elf who was panicking after receiving a Quest out of the blue.


    Lux didn''t know how to exin their current situation to the Draconic Kobold because he knew that no matter what he said, Cadmus wouldn''t believe him. He just stared helplessly at the Quest information in front of him, while thinking about his next course of action.


    ��-


    Survival Quest!


    Difficulty Rating: A


    < Dungeon Outbreak >


    �C The Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian has regr dungeon outbreaks to cull the spawned Monsters that have reached their maximum capacity.


    �C However, since the entrance of the Dungeon was sealed by a powerful spell to prevent the Monsters from emerging from the dungeon, the Monsters have nowhere to go. Because of this, they are forced into a maddened state where they would start killing each other in order to decrease their numbers.


    But, if there are any intruders inside the Dungeon during this period of time, all the Monsters will focus their attention towards disposing of the invaders first, before they start killing each other.


    (Quest Clear Conditions)


    �C Survive the Dungeon Outbreak for one hour.


    (Quest Failing Conditions)


    �C Lux Von Kaizer dies or more than half of his party members die.


    Failing this Quest will automatically expel the survivors out of the dungeon and prevent them from entering it again for the duration of two years.


    ��


    (Rewards for Quest Completion)


    100 Rank 2 Beast Cores


    20 Rank 3 Beast Cores


    2 Rank 4 Beast Core


    Title: Outbreak Survivor


    Bonus Reward: ???


    ��


    Time before Dungeon Outbreak Begins: 18 minutes 38 seconds


    ��----


    "Okay, listen to me," Lux said as he stared at Cadmus with a serious expression on his face. "You know that I cleared the Hidden Mission in the Stronghold of Norria, right?"


    "Yes," Cadmus replied.


    Lux took a deep breath as he prepared to spout some random bullsh*t in order to convince the Draconic Kobold, as well as his brethren to listen to believe his words.


    "The truth is, I was able to clear it because I have a special ability," Lux stated with an expression that would put con artists to shame. "This is an ability that is exclusive only to a handful of Foreigners. Not many have this, and those who do are known to have an easier time in clearing dungeons. Do you guys understand what I''m trying to say?"


    Cadmus reluctantly nodded his head, while the other Kobolds just exchanged nces with each other. Doubt was written on their faces. Clearly, they didn''t believe what Lux was trying to tell them.


    "Okay, so this ability activated right now, and gave me a warning that a Monster Outbreak would be happening soon," Lux said. "We need t�C"


    "What you''re talking about is impossible," one of the Kobold Mages interjected Lux''s speech. "The entrance of this dungeon is sealed, and can only be opened with the blood of an Elf. You barely meet this requirement, so unless your blood is used, the Monsters inside this dungeon can''t esca�C"


    The Kobold Mage wasn''t able to finish his exnation because he, too, realized that the possibility of the gate opening was quite high since they had Lux with them.


    "If the monsters are able to capture you then they could leave the dungeon and escape to the surface!" one of the Kobold Shaman''s eximed as he pointed at Lux. "Our brethren outside will be annihted and overrun by these beasts! We must stop them at once!"


    All the Kobolds now fully understood what could happen, but a few of them were still in doubt about whether Lux was telling the truth or not.


    "Do you have any proof to back your ims?" one of the Kobold Raiders asked. "This is a serious matter, and if you''re lying, we will make you understand what the meaning of pain is!"


    Lux snorted as he headed towards the wall of the cavern they were staying at.


    "I don''t need to exin anything to you guys," Lux said as Eiko jumped off his head and used her digging ability to burrow to the ground. "Fifteen minutes from now, the Dungeon Outbreak will happen. All of you can die if you want, but I''m not nning on dying here."


    Lux then turned around to look at the Kobolds who were ring at him.


    "I have promises I need to keep, and I won''t allow myself to die inside a Dungeon I was forced to enter because I was threatened!" Lux red back at the Kobolds, and red more at Cadmus, who left him with no other choice, but to ept the quest that was forced into him.


    Eiko tunneled deep underground, but the hole she made was only big enough for her to enter. She hurriedly dug back to the surface, in order to widen the hole, and allow her Papa to hide with her.<sub> </sub>


    "You can do it, Eiko!"


    "Pa!"


    "Just a little more!"


    "Pa!"


    The baby slime was like a bulldozer that shoveled dirt, in and out of the hole that she was creating. After ten minutes of digging, and chugging a few bottles of Mana Potions, the hole Eiko created was now big and deep enough to allow Lux and the other Kobolds to enter.


    However, it wasn''t big enough to allow Cadmus to squeeze inside because of the Draconic Kobold''s hulking figure.


    The exhausted baby Slime then looked up at her Papa with a proud smile on her face. Lux didn''t forget to praise Eiko to the high heavens before entering the hole that she had created.


    The Half-Elf didn''t bother inviting the Kobolds to follow him because he was sure that they would be able to sense the sudden changes that would happen in a few minutes.


    ''Once they realize that I was telling the truth, they will be more likely to listen to me in the future,'' Lux thought as he settled down at the farthest corner of the hole Eiko had dug for him. ''I don''t know what kind of Monster Outbreak is going to happen, but I''m sure that it is going to be a messy one.


    Outside of the hole where Lux was hiding at, the Kobolds were discussing the Half-Elf''s words.


    "He might just be trying to trick us so that he can escape," one of the Kobold Raiders said. "He''s and-dweller. He isn''t as sturdy as under-dwellers like us."


    "That may be true, but I am more inclined to believe him," one of the Goblin Shamansmented. "He is the weakest among us, and if he tries to leave without our protection, he will just be food to the Monsters that wander around thisbyrinth."


    The Kobold Raider wasn''t able to refute this fact, so he didn''t say anything else and merely looked at the other Kobolds, asking for their opinions with his gaze.


    "He said that the Dungeon Outbreak will be happening in a few minutes," the oldest among the Kobold Mages stated. "Let''s just wait for a while to see if what he is saying is true or not. It won''t be toote to punish himter if he was just making a fool of us."


    "I agree."


    "This makes sense."


    "It doesn''t hurt to have a second opinion."


    The oldest Kobold Mage then nced at Cadmus who was just listening to all of them talk.


    "What do you think, Cadmus?" the Kobold Mage asked. "Do you think he is telling the truth?"


    Cadmus shook his head.


    "I don''t know if he is telling the truth or not," Cadmus replied. "All I know is that we need him alive or else we won''t be able to leave this Dungeon. The gate requires someone with Elven blood flowing in their veins to open and close it. Without him, all of us will be trapped here, forever unable to leave."


    The Kobolds all simultaneously nced into the hole where the Half-Elf was currently hiding.


    "Understood. We just need to wai�C" the oldest Kobold Mage froze as he, and every other Kobold around him, felt the vibrationsing off the ground.


    As a race that spent most of their time mining underground, they were well aware what this vibration meant, especially since they had experienced stumbling upon the denizens of creatures that lived under the earth.


    Usually, when Kobolds, gnomes, dwarves, and underground monsters met during one of their digging sessions, both sides would immediately start attacking the other without any questions asked.


    This was a normal urrence in Elysium, so the Kobolds were quite aware of the tremors that were slowly getting stronger. Cadmus'' strong hearing had caught onto the sounds of hundreds of monsters crawling in their direction, which made the back of his spine tingle.


    "Everyone go inside the hole!" Cadmus ordered. Do it now!"


    The Kobolds hurriedly followed hismand and squeezed themselves inside the hole that Eiko had created.


    Soon, they met the Half-Elf who was seated in a small cavern that Eiko had specially made for him in the farthest side of the hole.


    "Yo," Lux said with a smile. "Fancy meeting you guys here."


    The Kobolds looked at him with flushed faces, feeling embarrassed, and didn''t know how to react to the Half-Elf''s greeting.


    ��-


    Outside the hole��


    The two Kobold Shamans chanted and cast a spell over Cadmus to make him shrink to the size of a normal Kobold Warrior, so that he could enter the hole alongside them.


    After the spell had taken effect, the two Shamans hurriedly went inside the hole, with Cadmus followingst.


    Although his size had shrunk to that of a normal Kobold, his strength remained intact.


    The Draconic Kobold summoned its sword as he faced the entrance of the hole with a determined gaze.


    No matter what happened, he wouldn''t allow any of the Monsters to make it past him. That was the only thing he could think of doing to prevent hisrades from being massacred, as well as to survive this Dungeon Outbreak that was now starting to fall upon their heads.

 Chapter 145 Remember The Time You Thought You Could Never Survive?

    "How did you know about this?" the Kobold Mage, who entered the hole first, asked the Half-Elf, who refused to let them enter thefortable small space that Eiko made, hogging it to lie down on the ground properly.


    "Half-Elf secrets," Lux replied as he casually fed Eiko a sandwich as a reward for her hard work in digging the hole. "Also, don''t talk to me. All of you refused to believe me earlier, so why are you now all here in my hole? Why don''t you y with the monsters outside instead? I''m sure they would be more than happy to y Whack-a-Kobold with you guys."


    The Kobold Mage''s face reddened as he red at the irritating Half-Elf who caused his cheeks to burn in anger and embarrassment.


    Lux sneered at the Kobold as he continued to feed his baby slime. He wasn''t afraid even if the monsters were able to enter the hole. Anyway, even if the other Kobolds died, he would be teleported outside of the dungeon before the monsters could even get to him.


    The vibrationsing through the ground were getting stronger, and the Half-Elf knew that the Monster Army was near their location.


    Cadmus, who was vigntly facing at the entrance of the hole, narrowed his gaze and gripped his weapon firmly in his hand.


    He was a Rank 5 Alpha Monster, and only a handful of existences in the Beginner''s Zone were capable of matching his strength. However, the Dungeon was different.


    It was apletely unknown territory and even he didn''t know how strong the Monsters inside it were. Even so, he was confident that none of them would get past him.


    The reason?


    Because he was strong.


    Cadmus sincerely believed in his strength, for he was a Draconic Kobold. He was someone meant to reach greater heights once he stepped into the Deimos Rank and had to leave the Territory of Norria behind to see the world.


    Suddenly, a Crimson Centipede gazed into the hole with its red-beady eyes which glowed faintly in the darkness.


    Cadmus arrogantly activated his Dragon''s Fear, which made the centipede back away in fright, crashing into the Monsters behind it. Soon, more Monsters tried to enter the hole, but Cadmus Dragon''s Fear made them unable to approach more than a meter inside the hole.


    Loud hisses, screeches, as well as roars of frustration spread in the surroundings, making the Kobolds, with the exception of Cadmus, tremble.


    After a few minutes of repeated attempts, the Monsters finally reached the limit of their patience and immediately raided the hole. Although they were too scared to do it, thepelling influence of the Dungeon to attack all intruders overrode their senses, making them rabid killing machines whose single purpose was to kill.


    Cadmus opened his mouth and unleashed a concentrated beam of Dragon''s Breath, which instantly incinerated the monsters that entered the hole.


    The smell of burning flesh permeated the air, reaching Lux who was in the very back, causing his nose to twitch.


    Cadmus'' angry roar reverberated within the hole as he stabbed, hacked, and smashed the monsters that were foolish enough to force themselves inside the hole he was guarding.


    Bodies upon bodies of monsters piled up in front of him, blocking the view. But, Cadmus didn''t allow those bodies to block the entrance and incinerated them using a Dragon''s Breath, effectively killing those who had tried to use this opportunity to get inside the hole that Lux created.


    ''Looks like my n worked,'' Lux thought.


    When he ordered Eiko to dig, he had already imagined how things might go and expected this scenario to happen. Since the entrance was narrow, the monsters didn''t have any choice but to enter the hole one by one,pletely disregarding their advantage in numbers.


    This allowed Cadmus to freely kill his opponents without too much trouble. As long as he was blocking the way, none of the monsters could dream of getting past him.


    After nearly twenty minutes of repeated failures, the monsters all gave a resounding cry of anger before they started killing each other.


    The Dungeon Outbreak happened because the Dungeon was unable to contain the big surplus of Monsters. Since they were unable to get past Cadmus who was a Rank 5 Alpha Monster, they resorted to killing each other in order to cull the number of the Monsters inside the Dungeon.


    By doing so, they would have a better chance at survival instead ofmitting suicide by entering the hole were a ferocious Draconic Kobold was waiting to kill them.


    As the battle raged on, Lux and the other Kobolds were finally able to sigh in relief because the worst case scenario was over.


    All they needed to do was wait until the number of Monsters decreased before they came out of the hole to kill the remaining survivors.


    The two Rank 4 Basilisks that had tried to eat Lux earlier were among the Rank 4 Monsters that had entered the chaotic battlefield, killing everything in their surroundings.


    Naturally, there were other Rank 4 Monsters, like the Earth Golem, Earth Trolls, as well as Earth Mawler, who were among the strongest Rank 4 Monsters in the Dungeon.<sub> </sub>


    All the Rank 4 Monsters were so big that their bodies couldn''t possibly enter the hole that Eiko had created. Because of this, they had no choice but to face each other, while the weaker monsters massacred those around them.


    It wasplete and total pandemonium, and Lux was quite thankful that he was safe and snug under the ground with his baby Slime in his arms.


    Minutes passed, and dirt started to fall inside the hole as the tremors intensified.


    Eiko had dug a hundred-meters into the ground, so Lux was confident that they were down far enough not to be implicated in the battle that was going on above ground. However, the constant rumblings in the surroundings made him anxious that a cave-in might happen if the battle didn''t end soon.


    ''I''m really d I have Eiko with me,'' Lux thought. ''If not, we would be forced to repel so many monsters at once.''


    The Half-Elf was sure that their chances of surviving such an onught if they were aboveground was non-existent. He didn''t know how many monsters were currently killing each other on the surface, but one thing was clear. He would rather stay underground than mingle with them on the surface.


    The minutes moved ever so slowly and painfully, for those in the hole who were feeling anxious. Each minute was feeling more and more like the passing of a year.


    Suddenly, the monstrous head of a Giant ck Basilisk appeared in the hole. It opened its jaw and was about to unleash some kind of acid attack, but Cadmus was faster than it.


    Before the Basilisk could even unleash its attack, a Dragon Breath passed through its opened mouth, making it shriek in pain.


    Since it had forced itself inside the hole, it was unable to get out quickly, so Cadmus Dragon''s Breath continued to raze its head, burning it to a crisp.


    Soon, the Giant Basilisk stopped moving after its head and body erupted in mes from the Draconic Kobold''s powerful attack.


    A minuteter, its body was pulled out of the hole, followed by a deafening roar that Lux believed came from a troll. A momentter, the sound of chewing reached their ears.


    It seemed that whatever had pulled the Basilisk''s body from the hole was enjoying the toasted, and headless ck serpent that had tried to attack the Kobolds that were hiding in the hole.


    Several minutes had passed. Lux patted his chest in relief when he saw the series of text that appeared in front of him.


    ��-


    Survive the Dungeon Outbreak for one hour. (Cleared!)


    Rewards:


    100 Rank 2 Beast Cores


    20 Rank 3 Beast Cores


    2 Rank 4 Beast Core


    Title: Outbreak Survivor


    Bonus Reward: Key of the Inner Grotto.


    < Outbreak Survivor >


    "Remember the time you thought you could never survive? You did it, and you can do it again."


    +10,000 Health Points


    ��-


    Lux looked at the Outbreak Survivor title and chuckled after reading its information. However, what he was most curious about was the Bonus Reward that he received, which was the Key of the Inner Grotto.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know where the Inner Grotto was, but now that the key was in his hands, he believed that it was only a matter of time before they found it and put the reward he got to good use.

 Chapter 146 It’s Impossible To Win!

    The battle aboveground quieted down, but Lux and the other Kobolds didn''t move from their location.


    They only kept their senses at their highest state as they listened to their surroundings. Cadmus waited for fifteen more minutes before slowly crawling out of the hole with his weapon at the ready.


    The Draconic Kobold poked his head outside the hole and scanned the surroundings with a critical eye. Only after making sure that the coast was clear, did he make a gesture for hisrades toe out of the hole, and see for themselves the oue of the battle that hadsted for an hour.


    Lux frowned after leaving the hole. The ground was dyed in blood, and nothing else was left behind. Usually, when Dungeon Monsters died, their bodies would turn into particles of light, leaving only their Beast Cores, as well as their Monster drops, behind.


    The stench of blood was so strong that it was making Lux and Eiko feel ufortable. They had been into battlefields before, but this incredibly thick scent of blood was strong enough to make Lux gag.


    "Come, Diablo," Lux ordered and his Named Creature appeared wearing the ckrock Legacy armor.


    The Skeleton Rider looked at his surroundings before his armor glowed crimson. Diablo had activated the skill of his armor, Blood Fervor.


    The blood that littered the ground was all being sucked by Diablo''s armor, giving it an eerie crimson hue. It was as if the Harbinger of Death had ascended from Hell, in order to collect the souls of the fallen.


    Cadmus as well as the other Kobolds frowned after seeing this scene. Diablo''s strength that was originally only at the Rank 2 Monster Rank, was starting to feel like something that belonged to a Rank 3 Monster.


    Although it wasn''t a threat to most of them, they found this discovery rather interesting, making them look at the Skeletal Rider, whose entire body was covered from head to toe with a ck-ted armor that had suddenly turned crimson due to the blood around it.


    As the blood disappeared, so did the scent it left behind. Lux wasn''t new to battles, but too much blood was still too much blood. He may be able to endure it to a certain extent, but it still made him feel ufortable.


    The Two Goblin Shamans chanted and summoned their spirit animals. One of the spirit animals that appeared was a ck crow, while the other was a ferret.


    A minute after they appeared, the two Monsters moved towards the Labyrinth, in search of a safe path that they could travel.


    "Eiko, summon ckie and Whitey," Lux ordered before summoning his Skeleton Monsters. "Go and explore this ce."


    The Skeletons nodded and headed in different directions as well. Diablo stayed behind in order to guard Lux because the Half-Elf felt that his Skeleton Fighters, and Skeleton Grand Archers were more than enough to investigate the surroundings.


    Cadmus, and the other Kobolds frowned, but they didn''t say anything.


    "Undead Magic is such foul magic," one of the Kobold Shamans said. "I haven''t seen a Necromancer since the day I was born."


    "There''s a first for everything," Lux replied while shrugging. "Ah, to be fair, I''d never seen any Kobolds until I met you guys. The world is such a big ce. The more we know, the more we know we don''t know."


    The Kobold Shaman nodded. "True. The world is a big ce."


    The discussion came to an end, and everyone remained inside the cavern where they had made camp. After what had happened, they were not in the mood to randomly wander around thebyrinth.


    They didn''t really have a destination in mind, and were just wandering around aimlessly. Because of this, they were fine with Lux sending his Skeletons to help scout for them.


    Suddenly, while the other Kobolds were discussing what they were going to do next, a powerful and deafening roar made them turn their heads to one of the entrances of the cavern they were staying in.


    "Get behind me!" Cadmus roared as he reverted to his original size. His primal instinct told him that the monster that was approaching them was stronger than him.


    It was then when they saw the Monster, holding several Skeleton Fighters in his hands.


    Lux''s expression instantly became grim as another notification appeared in front of him.


    ��--


    < Indus Death Worm >


    �C Monstrous Giant Worm<sub> </sub>


    �C Wandering Boss Monster of the Outer Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian


    �C Rank 5 Boss Monster (Pseudo-Deimos Rank)


    Health: 1,600,000 / 1,600,000


    Mana: 200,000 / 200,000


    Strength: ???


    Intelligence: ???


    Vitality: ???


    Agility: ???


    Dexterity: ???


    Defense: 1000


    Skills: Corrosive Acid Spray, Rending Jaws, Tail Smash, Crunch, Bind, Bull Rush, Dig


    Passive: Double Life, Jade Skin, Tough Carapace, Guts, Regeneration


    Title: Tunneler, All-Hearing.


    �C The Indus Death Worm was one of the two monsters that destroyed the ancient civilization that had once thrived underground for hundreds of years.


    �C Usually, it stays dormant and spends its days in hibernation. However, when a Dungeon Outbreak breaks loose, it wakes up from its slumber and devours all the Monsters that dared to wake it from its sleep.


    �C It will, also, mercilessly attack any intruders that dare to intrude upon its Domain. It was said that only Rankers were able to defeat this Beast, due to its incredible strength.


    ��


    ''What the F*ck?!'' Lux cursed internally after seeing the monstrous stats of the giant Monster that was in front of him. Although it still hadn''t stepped into the Deimos Rank, its level was very close to it.


    The red-headed teenager didn''t expect there to be a Wandering Boss Monster inside the dungeon, and it filled him with dread.


    The Half-Elf knew then and there that it was impossible to defeat the Monster due to its overwhelming strength. Even with Cadmus by their side, fighting against it was pure suicide. Perhaps, Cadmus knew this as well, which exined the grim expression on his face.


    In front of a Deimos, a Rank 5 Monster was merely food.


    This was the thought that passed through Cadmus'' head as he remembered the words that the schr of the Kobolds had told him. Although he knew that this was true, the Monster that he was facing against was only at the Pseudo-Deimos Rank.


    He believed that as long as the enemy wasn''t of the Deimos Rank, he could beat it. But his belief shattered because he was certain that even before he managed to decrease the monster''s life by half, he would definitely be dead.


    "Run!" Lux shouted. "It''s impossible to win!"


    As soon as Lux shouted, the head of the monster turned in his direction. The Indus Death Worm was blind and only relied on sounds and strong vibrations on the ground. Since the Half-Elf''s shout caught its attention, it decided to make Lux its target instead.


    ''Oh f*ck!'' Lux thought as the monster''s enormous head charged in his direction.


    Although he wanted to evade, the monster''s speed far exceeded his. He could only watch helplessly as the giant maws of the monster came crashing down, while the Kobolds, that were supposed to protect him, stood rooted in their ce.

 Chapter 147 The Moment Lux F*Cked Up

    Thebyrinth trembled as the Indus Death Worm''s gaping mouth mmed against the ground, sending rocks and dirt flying in every direction.


    Cadmus looked in despair as he knew that Lux was the only one that could help them maneuver inside the dungeon. Without the Half-Elf they would all be stuck inside the dungeon and would be unable to leave.


    ''Why did this happen?!'' Cadmus screamed internally as he gazed helplessly at the Giant Worm that had eaten up the Half-Elf who was supposed to be their key to unlock the mysteries of the Dungeon.


    Just as the Draconic Kobold was about to attack the Giant Worm in despair, he saw something move from the dust cloud that had obscured his vision.


    A fat demon was running away from the point of impact, carrying a Half-Elf in his arms.


    Seeing the Half-Elf alive, Cadmus was overjoyed and was about to shout at the red-headed teenager when thetter beat him to it.


    "This monster is blind!" Lux shouted. "As long as you don''t make any noises, it will take some time for it to find you guys! No matter what happens, don''t speak, and don''t move! I have a n!"


    The Giant Worm raised its head and once again shifted its attention to the ce where the voice wasing from. Pazuzu had used his Mad Rush after Lux had summoned him in order to escape the Boss Monster''s attack.


    Lux waved his hands and Ishtar appeared in the distance. Pazuzu then threw Lux towards the Skeleton Hunter, before turning in the direction of the Giant Worm.


    "Pazuzu is here!" Pazuzu shouted. "Come, you little worm!"


    After shouting with all of his might, Pazuzu ran away while his Mad Rush was still active, luring the Giant Worm away from his Master.


    Ishtar easily caught Lux and held him in ce as the Giant Worm wiggled past them. Eiko, who was still perched on her Papa''s head, sighed in relief. They were safe now, at least for the time being.


    Ishtar then stealthily ran towards Cadmus and the other Kobolds, creating as little sound as possible. When they were only a few meters away from the Draconic Kobold, Ishtar supported Lux to stand on his own before bowing her head and running in the direction of the Giant Worm.


    Lux looked at his Skeleton Hunter with a grim expression on his face before shifting his head towards the Kobolds, who were still visibly shaken by the appearance of the Indus Death Worm.


    "Okay, listen to me," Lux said in a hushed voice. "We need to find a gate or any type of entrance that will lead us to the Inner Grotto. I have the key to open it, so our priority would be escaping through that door while evading that monster''s pursuit."


    "If we don''t make any noise, will that monster be unable to find us?" Cadmus asked.


    Although he was curious about how Lux obtained the key to the so-called Inner Grotto of the Dungeon, he knew that staying here even for just a minute longer was dangerous. After what had happened during the Dungeon Outbreak, he was now more inclined to believe the Half-Elf''s words and didn''t bother questioning him further.


    "It still can find us through the sound of our breath and heartbeats," Lux answered. "However, if we make a louder noise, the monster will focus its attention to the direction of that noise."


    "It can even hear our heartbeats? That''s impossible!" one of the Kobold Mages replied in hushed tones. "Wouldn''t that leave us no way out of this situation?"


    "Are you deaf?" Lux asked back in irritation. "I said that if there is a noise that is louder than our breath and heartbeats, that thing wouldn''t be able to find us. Also, stop doubting everything that I say. If you want to die, I can leave you here!"


    Lux knew that the Kobolds still held a grudge against him, so they would always second guess whatever n he had in mind. Since that was the case, he would not tolerate them any further and move at his own discretion if they kept on making things difficult for him.


    The Kobold Mage was about to argue, but after it saw Cadmus'' re, it held back the words it wanted to say and just averted its gaze in frustration.


    "Okay, here is the n," Lux said. "We need to separate and look for the entrance individually. Now, before any of you whine, or voice aint, just let me finish firs�C"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Lux wasn''t able to finish his words because Pazuzu''s loud scream echoed within the entirebyrinth. He also felt that his connection with his Demonic Protector had been cut, which meant that thetter was already dead.


    The Half-Elf had instructed Pazuzu to shout if it was about to die, to allow him some time to prepare for his next move.


    ''Eiko, contact ckie and Whitey,'' Lux talked to the baby slime via telepathy. ''Tell them to go as far away as they can from our location and start making noises.''


    ''Pa!'' Eiko nodded as she gave out a suicide order to her two Named Creatures.<sub> </sub>


    The Kobolds who heard the Pazuzu''s blood curdling scream all quieted down as they gave Lux their undivided attention.


    "All of us will separate from each other, but there is no need to worry," Lux said. "My summons will keep on making sounds in order to draw the Giant Worm in their location. Once any of you has found the gate, or any kind of entrance that requires a key,e back and look for me here. I will focus on drawing the monster''s attention.


    "Also, there''s no need to worry about any other monsters in thisbyrinth. The Giant Worm has eaten them all, and it would take some time before they respawn again. During this crucial period, we just need to find the entrance as soon as possible. If we don''t, all of us will be worm food, so keep that in mind."


    All the Kobolds nodded their heads at the same time and dispersed in different directions. Cadmus chose to stay by Lux''s side, so the earlier incident wouldn''t happen again. Even if they found the entrance, everything would be in vain if the Indus Death Worm ate the Half-Elf who held the key to their survival.


    Lux nced at the Draconic Kobold but didn''t say anything else. Having Cadmus as a bodyguard was better than staying alone.


    The sounds of rattling bones could be heard from time to time within the Labyrinth. Lux had ordered his skeletons to lure the Giant Worm away from him.


    The Indus Death Worm had the title "All-Hearing."


    This title allowed it to hear even the smallest sound within its Domain, making it a very aplished hunter. Its giant body could maneuver over and under the ground, allowing instant ess to its designated targets before it ate them whole without any mercy.


    Every time a Skeleton died, Lux would summon it right away andmand it to head in a direction far from them.


    ckie and Whitey, the Devil and Angel Slime, also used their skills to create noises to get the attention of the Boss Monster.


    Explosions rang inside the dungeon, as the two slimes attacked the floor and walls of thebyrinth.


    Since the Indus Death Worm had a strong sense of hearing, Lux decided to make all of his minions make noise, in order to prevent the Monster from sensing their breaths and beating hearts.


    Two hours passed, and Lux could feel his sweaty clothes sticking to his skin. Just as he was thinking of fanning himself with his hand, the Head of the Giant Worm appeared out of the ground, only a few meters away from him.


    The Half-Elf as well as the Draconic Kobold stopped everything they were doing and becamepletely still. Both of them even held their breath in order to make as little noise as possible.


    The Giant Monster''s head turned to its left and right side as if trying to choose who among the noisy trespassers it was about to target next.


    Just as it was about to leave, it heard a long and diabolic fart that made it turn its giant head around to where the sound came from.


    It was at this moment when Lux knew that he f*cked up.


    "You f*cking bastard!" Cadmus growled in anger.


    "Sorry," Lux replied out of embarrassment. It just happened out of the blue, and there was no way he could have stopped it.


    Cadmus red at the Half-Elf who just farted with an irritated expression on his face, while thetter looked back at him with an apologetic one.


    The Indus Death Worm turned its head towards Lux and Cadmus and let out a deafening roar. However, before it could even charge at the two individuals.


    Several spells flew towards its head, creating elemental explosions that made it shift its attention to the creature that attacked it. The baby Slime might not be a match against the Boss Monster, but she wouldn''t allow thetter to eat her Papa without a fight.


    Eiko had teleported more than a hundred meter away from Lux and bombarded the Giant Worm with everything she had,pletely gaining thetter''s anger.


    After seeing that the monster had shifted its attention to her, Eiko immediately dug into the ground and hurriedly escaped the scene. She had the skill Dig [EX], which allowed her to burrow through the dungeon''s floor, which was normally impossible to do.


    Naturally, the Indus Death Worm wouldn''t allow the disrespectful baby Slime to get away that easily and followed her underground.


    Both monsters were expert diggers. One was the hunter, the other was the hunted. Soon, the entire Labyrinth trembled as the Giant Worm tunneled underground.


    Lux could only stand rooted on the spot as he looked at the giant hole in front of him with a grim expression on his face.

 Chapter 148 How Confident Are You Guys In Running?

    The ground shook as if there was an earthquake inside the dungeon.


    Eiko had zigzagged across the underground Labyrinth, with the angry Giant Worm hot on her heels. Her Dig [EX] skill allowed her to keep digging as long as she had Mana, and that was what the baby Slime was doing at the moment.


    However, just as she was running away from the Indus Death Worm, she felt some kind of attraction that pulled at her from the Eastern Part of the Labyrinth.


    Following her instinct, Eiko headed in that direction in a straight line as she pushed through the ground like a hot knife cutting through butter.


    Five hundred meters��


    Three hundred meters��


    A Hundred meters��


    Finally, after almost running out of Mana, Eiko''s body came to aplete stop as she bumped into something that was radiating a silver light.


    Eiko didn''t know what it was that she bumped into. All she knew was that she couldn''t dig through it.


    Suddenly, the ground under her body rose as the Giant Worm closed its massive jaws in an attempt to eat her.


    "Pa!" Eiko shouted and her body glowed before the Indus Death Worm swallowed her whole.


    After triumphantly eating its opponent, the Indus Death Worm tunneled towards the surface. Behind it, a silver gate that was buried deep underground glowed faintly in the darkness.


    ��-


    "Pa!"


    "Sorry, Eiko. Were you scared?"


    The baby Slime shook her head before smiling at her Papa. She had the skill, Family Bond [EX], which allowed her to instantly teleport to Lux''s or Iris'' location, wherever they may be. This was also the reason why she was confident she could escape the Boss Monster, even if it chased her to the far end of the Labyrinth.


    Lux knew this as well, but he still couldn''t help but feel guilty about what had happened earlier. It was an unexpected bodily reaction, possibly from anxiety due to the sudden appearance of the Boss Monster that he thought was busy chasing his Summons around the Outer Grotto of the dungeon.


    "None of this would have happened if you held it in!" Cadmus growled in anger, but he kept his voice very low. "Can''t you even do something so simple?


    The red-headed teenager wanted to argue that it just happened out of the blue and had beenpletely out of his control. Everyone farts, which was a perfectly normal thing.


    Unfortunately, it happened at the wrong moment, which almost caused their demise. Even so, he knew that he was in the wrong, so he didn''t bother arguing with the Draconic Kobold. He just busied himself withforting his baby Slime, who was happily chugging a bottle of Mana Potion.


    After drinking two bottles of Mana Potion, Eiko telepathically told Lux about the thing that she found underground.


    The Half-Elf then expanded the map that was located on the upper right side of his vision. Earlier, he had been looking at the map in order to follow Eiko''s escape underground. His heart had almost jumped out of his chest when he saw Eiko''s green dot get swallowed by the giant red dot that was chasing her earlier.


    It was also at that moment when Eiko suddenlynded on top of Lux''s head, after she had used her skill to teleport to his location. Because of this, Lux hadpletely forgotten about the silver blinking dot on the map that was identally unearthed by his baby Slime, while she tried to escape from her pursuer.


    The Half-Elf clicked on the silver blinking dot to check its information.


    ��-


    Entrance of the Inner Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian.


    Requires a key to enter.


    ��-


    Lux wanted to curse out loud due to the absurdity of the situation. The gate that they were looking for had been buried deep underground. If not for the fact that Eiko had done what she did, they might be trapped in the Outer Grotto forever since they wouldn''t have been able to find the exit.


    What he didn''t know was that after the Ancient Civilization perished, the Dungeon Core of The Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian was damaged as well. This prevented it from adding more floors to the Dungeon or fixing its damaged parts. The only function that it had retained was spawning monsters.


    Due to this uncontroble cycle of death and rebirth, the Indus Death Worm ended up changing the topography of the Outer Grotto, burying the entrance to the Inner Grotto deep underground.


    The cycle repeated over and over during the past hundreds of years, and if it weren''t for Lux''s appearance, the cycle would have continued indefinitely.


    After calming down, Lux praised Eiko for doing a wonderful job in finding the entrance, which made the baby Slime very happy. He then ordered his skeletons to look for the other Kobolds, and told them to bring them back to where he and Cadmus were staying.<sub> </sub>


    An hourter, all the Kobolds had returned, while the rest of the Skeletons were still busy luring the Giant Worm to the far corners of thebyrinth.


    Lux informed them about Eiko''s discovery and told the Kobolds that they needed to reach the gate in order to escape the Indus Death Worm''s looming threat upon their heads. However, there was one problem.


    The Gate of the Inner Grotto was located at the very center of the dungeon. It was highly possible that during their journey, they would meet with the Giant Worm along the way.


    "How about you let that slime lure that Monster away again?" the oldest of the Kobold Mages proposed.


    "How about you do it instead?" Lux angrily replied. "I''m not sacrificing Eiko for you guys."


    "But she can instantly appear by your side, no?"


    "So? No is still no."


    The oldest Kobold Mage red at the Half-Elf who couldn''t understand the situation they were in. "You fool. Doing this would ensure that all of us will be able to pass safely. Why don''t you let her do it?"


    "Because I don''t want to," Lux answered. "If you have a problem with that, I''ll just leave you guys here and go to the gate myself. Let''s see how you escape that giant worm on your own."


    Lux would never tell anyone that Eiko could only use this skill twice. Since she had already used it once, she could only use it one more time. The Half-Elf had no intention of letting the baby Slime use her life saving skill another time because he didn''t know what lied in the Inner Grotto of the Dungeon.


    If Eiko were to lose her only means of survival when her life was truly in danger, Lux wouldn''t be able to forgive himself for letting such a thing happen.


    "Tell us your n then," Cadmus said with his arms crossed over his chest. "Since we can''t use her to lure away the Giant Worm, we need a major distraction that will prevent the worm from sensing our presence."


    Lux nodded. "Actually there is no other way than to head towards the gate as fast as we can. Thanks to the tunnels that the Indus Death Worm made, we can reach our destination in ten minutes if we all run at full speed. However, we are bound to get noticed if we do that."


    "Then, why don''t we travel slowly?" one of the Kobold Shamans asked. "That way, we won''t be noticed."


    Lux shook his head as he summoned two Skeleton Fighters and ordered them to go to the corners of the Dungeon and create noise. "We can''t do it slowly. The Indus Death Worm moves very fast, and my Summons will all die before we can reach our destination. If we want to survive, we must make a run for it."


    All the Kobolds had troubled expressions on their faces. Lux''s n was too risky. Even though Lux could summon his Skeletons underground, the chances of them getting buried had a high possibility if the Indus Death Worm started to chase them underground.


    "So, it''s an all or nothing sprint?" Cadmus asked. "Either we do it, or we die?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "How confident are you guys in running?"


    The Kobold Shamans, and Mages nced at each other with bitter smiles on their faces. They weren''t built for running, and they would definitely drag everyone down if they did. This was why they felt very reluctant upon hearing Lux''s idea of running non-stop for ten minutes and suggested if they could do it slowly.


    "I can carry the Kobold Shamans, but I cannot carry the Mages," Cadmus admitted. "The Raiders are good at running, but if they carried the Mages, they would be encumbered."


    Lux then looked at the older mage with disdain, and gave him the "You''re just baggage" re, which made thetter avert its gaze.


    "If it''s only the two of them, I can take them with me," Lux said. "However, we only have one chance. If any of youg behind and the Indus Death Worm is upon us, I will not hesitate to open the gate and leave you guys behind. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Talk about yourself, Half-Elf," one of the Kobold Raiders replied. "Do you really think your puny legs can take you that fast?"


    "No," Lux answered. "My puny legs can''t take me that fast. But, he can."


    Lux then summoned his mount, Jed, before ncing at the Kobold Raider. "Problem?"


    The Kobold Raider''s jaw hung wide as he looked up at the Rank 3 Warg which was stronger than it.


    "Enough," Cadmus stated. "We only have one chance. If anyonegs behind, you will have no one to me but yourself. Do I make myself clear?"


    The four Kobold Raiders nodded with serious expressions on their faces.


    p Lux thenmanded Jed to allow the two Kobold Mages to mount his back, so that they could safely reach their destination with one death-defying sprint.</anda>


    Lux and Eiko then summoned their Skeleton Fighters and ordered them to go to the farthest corner of the map in groups of four. They only had one shot at this, and no matter what happened, they had to make it count.


    Or die trying.

 Chapter 149 The Great Escape

    "Are you guys ready?" Lux asked as he scanned the faces of the Kobolds around him.


    All the Kobolds nodded their heads. They had determined expressions on their faces, which gave Lux the feeling that they were nning to put their lives on the line for this mad sprint.


    Lux had also summoned Pazuzu to make noise and lure the Giant Worm away as ast resort and ordered him to fly behind their group.


    Just as Lux was about to signal the start of the operation, the oldest Kobold Mage who was mounted on top of Jed said something that made the Half-Elf want to p him silly.


    "If the Giant Worm discovers us then we''ll just fight it to the death like true Kobolds," the Kobold Mage said. "Our God, Ross, will definitely send our souls to the next batch of eggs in the nursery."


    All the Kobolds nodded their heads with the exception of Cadmus. He had no intention of dying in the dungeon, and it was evident in his eyes.


    Lux cursed the old Kobold internally because he was setting up a death g. The red-headed teenager was very tempted to toss the old fogey behind as a sacrifice to the Indus Death Worm, so that he could bring his cynical attitude to the afterlife.


    "Ready," Lux said. "Go!"


    As soon as Lux gave the order, several nging sounds resounded in the dungeon as the Skeleton Fighters bash their metallic swords into their shields to make noise. The Skeleton Archers on the other hand aimed a barrage of arrows at the walls or ground of the Labyrinth, creating vibrations for the Giant Worm to detect.


    ckey and Whitey casted spells in different directions and made explosions that resounded in the surroundings. Ishtar was doing the same as she fired ice arrows at the walls and the ground, creating a crackling sound as the ice spread out.


    ? The ground trembled as the Indus Death Worm charged to the eastern side of the Labyrinth were ckie and Whitey were creating a ruckus. Since the explosive spells created more sounds than anyone, it easily caught the Giant Worm''s attention.


    The Half-Elf and the Kobolds entered the giant hole that the Indus Worm had created when it chased Eiko and ran in the direction of the gate. Pazuzu flew behind them, and kept its senses on guard just in case the Indus Deathworm were to head in their direction.


    Dirt fell down from the ceiling of the tunnel as Lux led the way while mounted on Jed. Cadmus was only a few steps away from the Warg, while the Kobold Raiders were a dozen steps away from Cadmus.


    Around the three minute mark, the Giant Worm''s body broke through the wall behind them, missing one of the Kobold Raiders by only a few meters.


    Pazuzu, who was behind the group, immediately shouted and lured the giant worm away using his mad rush.


    A minuteter, Lux felt his connection with his Demonic Defender disappear, which meant that Pazuzu had been in.


    Another minute passed, and several more Skeletons died as the Indus Death Worm charged in their direction.


    Lux and Eiko summoned their Skeletons and ordered them to stand their ground and hold the line as they continued their journey.


    Six Minutes��


    Seven Minutes��


    On the eighth minute mark, an angry roar resounded behind the group as the Giant Worm annihted all the Monsters that were hiding on the surface. It then turned its massive head from side to side, trying to detect the location of the invaders of its Domain.


    Half a minuteter, it charged towards the direction of Lux''s group, after hearing the vibrations of their advance underground.


    Lux and Eiko ordered the Skeletons that they had summoned underground to make some noises, in order to buy them as much time as possible.


    Finally, after nine minutes, the location of the gate appeared in front of their eyes.


    "There it is!" the old Kobold shouted. "We''re almost there!"<sub> </sub>


    Lux, as well as the other Kobolds red at the old mage as if telling him "Can''t you f*cking shut your trap, old man?"


    As if waiting for that cue, the ground trembled, and the head of the Giant Indus Worm smashed through the wall behind them.


    At that exact moment, Lux and the other Kobolds looked at the old Kobold with serious expressions on their faces.


    All of them were very tempted to let their pig teammate be sacrificed in order to buy them a few seconds of precious time to reach the gate.


    As if sensing the intention of hisrades, the Old Kobold Mage grabbed hold of Jed''s fur, with the intention of not letting go no matter what.


    At that moment of life and death, Eiko''s body glowed and two more baby Slimes appeared beside her.


    These two Slimes then jumped off the back of the Warg and fired several spells in the Giant Worm''s direction. After that, they dug through the left and right sides of the tunnel while creating as much noise as they could.


    ""Pa!""


    ""Pa!""


    ""Pa!""


    ""Pa!""


    ""Pa!""


    ""Pa!""


    The Giant Death Worm turned its head to the right side and followed one of Eiko''s doppelgangers with a thunderous roar that caused the tunnels around it to copse.


    The Kobold Raiders increased their speed because the ground behind them was copsing at a fast rate, simr to a domino effect. They knew that if they didn''t reach the gate in time, all of them would be buried underground.


    Lux summoned the key and held it firmly in his hand. The moment the key appeared within a dozen meters away from the Silver Gate, the barrier surrounding it disappeared, and the gate opened.


    Lux passed through it safely, alongside Cadmus who was carrying the two Kobold Shamans like sacks of rice in his arms.


    Just as the four Raiders were about to pass through the gate, a giant mouth closed in on them, and sessfully gobbled up two of the Kobold Raiders.


    A loud explosion resounded as the head of the Indus Death Worm tried to dash through the Silver Gate. Fortunately, it wasn''t able to pass through because the silver barrier activated, preventing it from entering.


    Lux and the others watched as the silver gate slowly closed, while the Giant Worm continued to ram the barrier with its head. After a few tension-filled seconds passed, the gate closed fully,pletely barring the Indus Death Worm from entering the Inner Grotto.


    The Half-Elf sighed in relief, while the Kobolds looked at the closed gate with grim expressions on their faces.


    They had a close rtionship with the members of the expedition, and the deaths of theirrades made their hearts ache.


    The Half-Elf didn''t have a close rtionship with the Kobolds, so he just kept his silence. Right now, he was thankful that they managed to escape the Pseudo-Deimos Boss Monster, but he was feeling anxious about what they would find inside the Inner Grotto.


    Since the Boss Monster outside was already that strong, he was afraid that the boss they would be facing was much stronger than it, which made the Half-Elf feel like they had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

 Chapter 150 The Guardian Of The Inner Grotto

    After their harrowing escape, everyone decided to rest for the time being. Lux had unsummoned Jed, and lightly patted the Baby Slime that was resting on his chest, in order to calm her down.


    Eiko was forced to copy Lux''s Doppelganger [EX] skill in order to create a distraction to allow everyone to escape.


    Unfortunately, the Giant Worm changed its decision half-way and decided to pursue the group that was headed to the Silver Gate that led to the Inner Grotto of the Labyrinth. This resulted in the death of the two Kobold Warriors, which made the atmosphere of the expedition tense.


    Half an hourter, Cadmus stood up and faced hisrades.


    "All of us here knew that we were going to be risking our lives to explore this dungeon," Cadmus said. "They both died for the greater good, and Ross would definitely allow them to be reborn again as soon as possible.


    "What we need to do is continue our journey in order to solve the mystery of why the Ancient Civilization got destroyed. This is to ensure that the same fate does not happen to us, should we chose to inhabit the legacy that they left behind."


    All the Kobolds nodded their heads in agreement, as they, too, stood up one by one, and faced Cadmus with determined faces. Clearly, the Kobolds wanted to make the ancient city their new home, but due to the mystery of how it got destroyed, they were reluctant to do it.


    All of them hoped that they would get the answers inside the dungeon.


    Lux kept his silence, but he already knew half of the reason why the Ancient Civilization was destroyed. When he read the information of the Ignus Death Worm, it clearly stated that it was one of the two monsters that was responsible for its destruction.


    This meant that there was one more monster, and Lux guessed that this monster could be found inside the Inner Grotto where they were currently at.


    ''Perhaps, a Dungeon Outbreak happened and the Indus Death Worm and that other Monster left the dungeon,'' Lux thought. ''Due to its having the power of the Pseudo-Deimos Rank, it could easily overpower anyone in the Beginner''s Zone.


    However, there was one thing that puzzled Lux. The Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian was a C-Ranked Dungeon, so it was impossible for it to produce a monster that was as powerful as the Indus Death Worm.


    Creatures of that rank could be found in B-Ranked and A-Ranked Dungeons as a Boss Monster for its Hell Mode. For it to appear in a C-Ranked dungeon, it only meant that they may be missing something important.


    ''It couldn''t possibly be that, right?'' Lux thought as his body subconsciously shuddered at the absurd idea that passed through his mind.


    Lux didn''t even want to consider the thought that appeared in his head because it was simply too crazy. However, if the off-chance that he was right, that would easily exin the presence of the Indus Death Worm, in addition to the other Monster that might even be stronger than it here inside the Inner Grotto.


    The Half-Elf followed Cadmus as they walked into the single tunnel that led to something bright in front of them.


    "Just�� how?" Lux muttered as he gazed at the unbelievable scene in front of him.


    A fantasy-like scenery that could easily be a postcard appeared in his vision.


    A Majestic Mountain range served as a backdrop for the dozens of floating inds that hovered around it. Some of these inds had water falling from their bodies like waterfalls, catching the sunlight and creating stunning rainbows.


    This was vastly different from the undergroundbyrinth that they had exited just a while ago.


    Cadmus frowned, because he shared the same thought as Lux. this scene shouldn''t be here, which made him unable to understand what was happening.


    "You''ve finally arrived."


    A majestic voice resounded from the heavens, which made everyone look up at the biggest floating ind above them.


    Soon, they saw a giant beast flying in their direction, and its presence made Lux, Eiko, Cadmus, and the rest of the Kobolds feel an incredible pressure pressing on their bodies.


    The giant creaturended dozens of meters away from them, which allowed everyone to look at it at close range.


    A creature that was over twenty six meters long, and had a wingspan of twelve meters stood in front of them, with an amused expression on its face.


    Its glossy-white body sparkled in the sun, and its ancient golden eyes scanned the faces of its visitors before stopping on the red-headed teenager, whose green eyes were locked onto its body.


    All the Kobolds dropped down on their knees as a sign of respect to the majestic creature in front of them. They were a race that worshiped their God, Ross, as well as the Dragon God, Bahamut, whom all Kobolds revered as the perfect being.


    "A Crystal Dragon." Lux gulped as the Dragon looked at him with great curiosity.


    Although the Dragon wasn''t showing any signs of agressions, its mere presence was enough to make his breath ragged.<sub> </sub>


    Lux activated the Elysium Compendium to see what kind of monster he was facing, and the information that he saw almost made his knees buckle in fright.


    ��--


    < Keoza the Forbidden Guardian >


    �C Crystal Dragon


    �C The Guardian of the Inner Grotto


    �C Argonaut Ranked Monster


    Health: 45,000,000 / 45,000,000


    Mana: 4,200,000 / 4,200,000


    Strength: ????


    Intelligence: ????


    Vitality: ????


    Agility: ????


    Dexterity: ????


    �C The Crystal Dragon, Keoza, was the one of the two monsters that were responsible for the destruction of the Ancient Civilization that thrived underground.


    �C this Dragon is usually very friendly, and would not attack anyone unless they tried to attack it first, or rob him of his treasures. The Ancient Civilization''s greedy ruler thought that since Keoza wasn''t an aggressive Dragon, he could take advantage of its kindness and steal one of the Legendary Items in its possession.


    However, the ruler failed to understand that no matter how amiable a Crystal Dragon was, it was still a Dragon. Fools who didn''t have the strength to back up their greed, would simply end up dying from its sharp ws, while being blinded by its dazzling dragon breath that could pulverize those that it hit directly.


    �C Tread wisely upon dealing with Keoza, for it is a creature who can see the greed in people''s hearts.


    ��---


    ''A-Argonaut Rank?!'' Lux''s eyes widened in shock because the stats of the Dragon had surpassed the Deimos Rank, leaving it on equal footing with those who reached the level of a C-Ranker.


    This was a creature that didn''t belong to the Beginner Zone, nor in the Intermediate Zone. This was a creature that could only be seen in the Advance Zone of Elysium, where massive cities��that spanned for several miles��could be found.


    Simply put, this was a creature that could destroy the entirety of the Territory of Norria, if it wished for it.


    "Salutations, to all of you," Keoza said in a friendly manner, which made Lux, as well as the Kobolds, jump up in fright.


    The Crystal Dragon chuckled after seeing their reactions and a mischievous smile appeared on its friendly face.


    "Worry not, as long as you don''t try anything funny, all of you may leave this ce alive," Keoza stated. "However, if you are nning to do something wicked then I assure you that all of you will stay in this ce forever as crystal statues that I will be adding to my collection. Do I make myself clear?"


    Lux as well as the rest of the Kobolds nodded their heads like hens pecking rice. The creature in front of them was simply too powerful, and only fools would dare to defy it in its own Domain.


    The Half-Elf''s heart shuddered as his earlier hunch became a reality. They had made a grave mistake when they tried to evaluate the rank of the Dungeon.


    It was not a C-Ranked Dungeon, but an S-Ranked Dungeon that had degraded due to the damage that the Dungeon Core had received after the great battle that happened inside its depths, hundreds of years ago.


    However, although its rank had degraded, the monsters that lived inside it remained the same, especially the two Boss Monsters that retained their strength, even after the Ancient Civilization had perished under their overwhelming might.

 Chapter 151 I Guess It’s Time To Beat Up Some Noobs

    "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Keoza," Keoza said in a teasing tone. "I am the Guardian of the Inner Grotto. All of you should be fighting me together in order to gain the treasures that I possess. But, looking at all of you�� none of you seemed to have the strength to do that."


    Cadmus and the rest of the Kobolds shuddered. All of them worship Dragons, so there was simply no way for them to attack Keoza as it would be considered a sin on their part to even think of it. Also, even if they did, the Dragon could easily kill them with a snort.


    Cadmus would probably die after a p or two if Keoza really intended to kill him.


    "Um, would you believe us if we said that we are just passing through here?" Lux asked with a hopeful tone.


    Keoza chuckled and nodded its head. "Indeed. All of you were just doing your best to escape Indus'' from the Outer Grotto. It had been hundreds of years since anyone has entered the dungeon, so I''m guessing that the city of Eshouvell had been discovered, right?"


    Lux nodded his head in acknowledgement. ''So the name of the Ancient City is Eshouvell��''


    Keoza gazed at his guests as a bestial smile appeared on its Draconic face.


    "Since you came all the way here, I can''t let you go empty handed," Keoza said. "How about we y a game?"


    "A game?" Lux inquired. "What kind of game, Lord Keoza?"


    "Lord Keoza? Not bad. I like you, Half-Elf."


    "T-Thank you, Sir."


    Keoza chuckled, but in spite of his amiable attitude, Lux could still sense a foreboding feeling that made him raise his guard.


    "Let''s y a siege battle," Keoza replied. "However, we need to split your team into two. All the Kobolds, including you, the Draconic one, are on one team. As for you, Half-Elf, you will be fighting alone, without that baby slime on your head."


    "Eh?"


    "Pa?"


    Keoza didn''t bother to reply as its body shone brilliantly, momentarily blinding everyone.


    When the light receded, they found themselves staring at what seemed to be a table made up of crystals. On top of the table was a forest, where three paths could be seen. One on top, one at the center, and one at the bottom.


    "Let me exin the rules," Keoza said. "At regr intervals, crystal soldiers will spawn in the two strongholds that are located in the corners of the map. One side belongs to the Kobolds, while the other belongs to you, Half-Elf."


    As Keoza exined, several miniature soldiers moved along the paths and headed towards the center of the map where several watchtowers were standing. Both sides fought after they ran into each other.


    But since their forces were equal, no one got the upper hand.


    "Your goal is to break the crystal that is inside each of the fortresses," Keoza replied as he pointed at the two crystals inside the two strongholds. "The first one to break their opponent''s crystal wins the game. However, you can only break it once all the watchtowers are destroyed."


    Lux pinched the bridge of his nose because no matter how much he looked at the map, it still resembled the game called "Doh Tah" he yed on Earth when he was still alive.


    "There are monsters inside the forest, so if you go there, be prepared to fight them," Keoza stated. "Well then, Goodluck to bothbatants and�� how may I help you�� what''s your name?"


    "Lux, Lord Keoza," Lux replied.<sub> </sub>


    "So, what''s the problem? Why are you raising your hand?"


    "Aren''t I at a great disadvantage in this battle?"


    Keoza smiled as it nodded its head. "Of course how could I forget that you still haven''t reached the strength of a Rank 1 monster, while your opponents are all Rank 3, and one of them is even Rank 5. Very well, how about this? You Draconic Kobold over there, what is your name?"


    Cadmus respectfully bowed before answering Keoza''s question. "My name is Cadmus, Your Excellency."


    "I see. Well then, Cadmus, you are not allowed to fly. If you fly even once, you will be kicked out of the battlefield, do you understand?"


    "Yes, Your Excellency."


    "Very good. I like smart Kobolds."


    The red-headed teenager wanted to curse internally because he thought that Keoza would at least prevent Cadmus from joining the battle because it was simply too much. Fighting against a Rank 5 Alpha Monster in Doh Tah was like fighting a Level 20 hero when you were still Level 1.


    It was apletely unfair matchup and Lux wanted to protest about it. However, before he could even do that, Keoza nced at him with a devilish expression on its Draconic face.


    "I hate Elves, you know," Keoza replied. "But, since you are a Half-Elf, I only hate you half as much. Don''t worry, if in the off-chance that you win, I promise that I will not be stingy with the rewards, so, please do your best!"


    Just as Lux was about to argue, he was covered in a dazzling light and teleported to the artificial battlefield that Keoza created.


    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself inside a stronghold. He immediately went to the Fountain of Life, and checked the stores to see if there were any items that he could use to fight against the Kobolds who had a great advantage over him.


    Just as the Half-Elf expected, there were indeed weapons, armors, and artifacts that could be purchased in order to increase a person''s stats, as well as increase their fighting capabilities.


    ''There is still some time before the battle starts,'' Lux thought as he gazed at the giant hourss whose sand was still at its halfway point,'' Lux thought. ''Keoza didn''t exin the mechanics in detail, even about something as important as how to gain gold in this siege battle, and this is probably my only advantage.''


    Lux also looked at the temple near the Fountain of Life and saw his picture, Diablo''s, Ishtar''s, as well as Pazuzu''s.


    ''I guess it is safe to say that the four of us are the heroes of our team��,'' Lux mused. ''I see�� so this is why Keoza decided to make me fight the entire Kobold Team alone. It must have also seen Eiko''s capabilities, so it decided that having her with me was too unbnced.''


    The Half-Elf had to agree that his baby Slime was way too overpowered if it became one of the heroes that were to join him in battle.


    The red-headed teenager then opened the match-ups and saw Cadmus, One Kobold Shaman, One Kobold Mage, as well as One Kobold Raider on the opponent''s side. The rest of the Kobolds were treated as ordinary warriors to assist them in battle.


    The Half-Elf closed his eyes as he took several deep breaths to calm his senses before opening it again.


    He then stared at the trickling Hourss as he summoned all of his Named Creatures as well as Skeletons to fight for his side. He was no longer feeling anxious because he knew that even though the Kobolds were stronger than him, he was more experienced in the mechanics of the game.


    Lux was an avid Doh Tah yer in his past life. Although he wasn''t a professional yer, he was someone that had the skills to reach a high rank.


    "I guess it''s time to beat up some noobs," Lux said with a devilish smile on his face.

 Chapter 152 First Blood!

    "That bratty Half-Elf is no match against us," the eldest Kobold Mage said with a smirk. "Poor child. It seems that his Excellency Keoza really hated Elves. His chances of winning are almost non-existent."


    "I agree," the Kobold Raider replied. "Such a weakling, who is not even a Rank 1, thinks he can beat us? Howughable."


    "Without that Slime apanying him, he will have a hard time," the Kobold Shamanmented. "However, we shouldn''t be too overconfident. He might win if we let our guards down."


    Cadmus nodded his head. "That''s right. Do not let your guard down. Although he is at a disadvantage, this is our first time participating in this kind of siege battle. Perhaps we can use this as well if we ever fought against other races."


    All the Kobolds agreed with Cadmus'' exnation. They had also seen the shops, and understood that the items inside it could be bought by gold. However, they didn''t know how to obtain this currency. In the end, they decided that they could still beat the Half-Elf without the weapons, so they didn''t think much about it.


    "It''s starting," Cadmus said as he looked at the Hourss that had disappeared from the sky. Several crystal warriors then spawned at the three gates that led to the Top, Middle, and Bottom Lanes of the map. "Let''s end this battle quickly. All of us go to the middle!"


    ""Yes!""


    Lux stood at the middle of the map, and right by his side was Pazuzu. Behind him, several Skeleton Grand Archers stood at the ready.


    "They''re here," Lux muttered and the Demonic Defender by his side tapped his shield with his mace.


    "Have no Fear! Pazuzu is here!" Pazuzu dered as he stood in front of Lux.


    "Keep me safe, Pazuzu."


    "Yes, My Lord."


    Cadmus fearlessly charged towards Lux with the intention to kill him. Although the Half-Elf was standing in the middle of two watchtowers, the Draconic Kobold thought that he could easily kill the Half-Elf and his minions with one Dragon Breath.


    However, just as he was about to unleash his strongest attack, Pazuzu pointed his mace at the Draconic Kobold, which made thetter''s body move against his will.


    ''What sorcery is this?!'' Cadmus thought as his body lunged towards the Demonic Fighter, whose shield was firmly nted on the ground.


    When the Draconic Kobold came within the watchtower''s range, the two towers fired blue giant orbs of light that hit Cadmus'' body directly.


    The Draconic Kobold almost spat blood from how painful the attack was, which made him feel that he had clearly underestimated the damage that the two towers could bring. The two towers fired in rapid session, immediately taking a third of Cadmus'' health in the span of a few seconds.


    Naturally Lux and the Skeleton Archers weren''t being idle and unleashed their attacks at the Draconic Kobold, decreasing his health further.


    When Cadmus was only a few meters away from the Demonic Defender, an Ankle Snare trap sprang on his feet, stopping his charge for three seconds.


    This allowed the Towers, as well as Lux forces to take more than half of the Draconic Kobold''s health, making thetter feel regretful for his recklessness.


    After the duration of the trap ended, Cadmus once again continued his charge, but another trap stopped his advance. This continued three more times, making the Draconic Kobold spit blood due to the injuries he received.


    When his health was just a trickle away from disappearingpletely, Lux appeared in front of him and raised his sword over his head.


    "Double Fury sh!" Lux roared as he used his strongest attack skill against the arrogant Draconic Kobold who thought that it could fight him head-on.


    < First Blood! >


    An announcement rang inside the battlefield as Cadmus'' body turned into particles of light and returned to the Stronghold where he belonged.


    The Half-Elf nced at the respawn timer for the Draconic Kobold and snickered when he saw that it would take Cadmus a full minute before he respawned.


    "Being strong also has its downsides," Lux thought as he felt a temporary surge of strength in his body. All of his stats had increased by ten, which was enough for him to step to the Apostle Rank for the remainder of the Siege Battle against the Kobolds.


    He also received 500 Gold Coins after killing Cadmus, which made him very happy.


    "You bastard! I will kill you!" the Raider that had been chosen as a champion charged at Lux out of anger.


    However, the moment the two towers on Lux''s side hit its body, a quarter of the Kobold Raider''s health disappeared just like that.


    To Lux''s surprise, the Kobold ignored his injuries as it raised its Saber to continue its charge.


    "For the Nest!" the Kobold Raider shouted as its body was peppered with arrows.


    Lux chuckled after seeing Kobold''s reckless attack. He had already seen the way Kobolds fight. They often relied on great numbers in order to ovee their opponents. The other surviving Kobold Raider also followed itsrade, as the Kobold Mage and Kobold Shaman chanted their spells.<sub> </sub>


    Lux didn''t bat an eye and took out a fist-sized rock from his storage ring and threw it at the Kobold Raider''s whose life was hanging by a thread.


    "Power Shot!" Lux roared as he imbued the rock with his ranged attack.


    When the rock smashed against the Kobold Raider''s head, the Monster staggered before two orbs of light engulfed itpletely, turning it into particles of light.


    < Double Kill! >


    Before Lux could even celebrate killing another noob, a fireball and a Wind de flew in his direction.


    Pazuzu raised its shield and tanked the damages of the two attacks, decreasing his health by half.


    All the Kobolds were Rank 3 Monsters, so they were very powerful. However, Lux wasn''t afraid because he wasn''t fighting alone.


    Diablo emerged from the forest and pointed at the Kobold Mage who had raised a death g when they were still in the Outer Grotto.


    It was at that moment when the Kobold Mage felt shock as his body ran towards the Skeleton Rider, who was standing near the two towers that had killed two of hisrades.


    "Nooooo!" the Kobold Mage shouted as his body was bombarded by arrows, as well as the attacks of the two watchtowers.


    "Yes~" Lux sneered as he watched Diablo throw a Bone Spear at the Kobold Mage''s head, killing itpletely.


    Lux could have killed the Kobold Mage and had a Triple Kill, but he allowed Diablo to get thest hit in order for thetter to get the gold coins for the kill.


    After the Kobold Mage died, Diablo returned to the forest. It was busy killing monsters in the jungle to get gold, as well as increase its rank, alongside Ishtar.


    The Skeleton Hunter sneakily nted traps several meters behind Lux before following Diablo inside the forest.


    Lux had explicitly told his Skeleton Rider and Skeleton Hunter to buy certain items as soon as they acquired the gold for it. Right now, Diablo was headed towards the side of the map where a blue rune had appeared, which increased his damage by 100%.


    Keoza took pity on Lux and gave him 500 gold coins before the battle even started. Lux used this to buy a courier animal, and upgraded it into a raven that could carry items for him.


    Soon a screech resounded from the sky as Lux retreated to the back in order to gain the item that he had bought from the shop.


    Although he had anticipated that the Kobolds would all charge to the center of the map to take advantage of their numbers, they greatly underestimated the damage that the two towers beside the path could dish out on their enemies.


    The Kobold Mages and the Kobold Shamans hurriedly retreated after seeing three of theirrades die under Lux''s forces. They thought that they would be the next target of his minion''s taunting spell, forcing them to die a pitiful death, just like theirrades.


    Lux chuckled when he saw the retreating Kobolds.


    "Sorry, but in order to win, I need to bully you newbies," Lux thought as he ordered his Skeleton Archers to attack his opponent''s twin towers. He made sure that before thest crystal soldier and ballista were destroyed, his forces would retreat so they wouldn''t be attacked by the towers.


    The first thing that Lux bought were boots that increased his movement speed. His n was to run away if Cadmus had the intention to attack him. Although the Draconic Kobold was stronger than him, it would be impossible to catch him if the Kobold wasn''t wearing any items that increased his movement speed.


    ��-


    Kobold''s Side of the Battlefield��


    "Dammit!" Cadmus shouted as soon as he respawned in the Fountain of Life. He didn''t expect that he would die a dog''s death under the Half-Elf''s borate tactics.


    When he respawned, the Kobold Raider and Kobold Mage appeared beside him as well. The three Kobolds nced at each other and immediately formed a n.


    "Both of you go to the lowerne and help the crystal soldiers destroy the towers there," Cadmus ordered. I will hold the middle, and distract the Half-Elf. I will also send the rest of ourrades to your location. Make sure to destroy them as fast as possible, do I make myself clear?"


    ""Yes!""


    The two Kobolds replied in unison and immediately headed to the lowerne to help their forces advance.


    Cadmus watched them go before running down the middlene to fight against the Half-Elf who had killed him so easily.


    "You just got lucky!" Cadmus growled. He believed that after knowing the Half-Elf''s strategy, he would have an easier time dealing with him.


    The Draconic Kobold vowed that he would make Lux pay dearly for the humiliation he suffered in front of his subordinates with a painful death. What he didn''t know was that the Half-Elf was already waiting for him to arrive, so he could farm gold to buy the items he needed in order to teach the Kobolds not to underestimate their enemy.

 Chapter 153 Is He Cheating?

    "Your name is Eiko, right?" Keoza watched the baby Slime who was munching on berries beside him, as they watched the battle unfold.


    "Un!" Eiko replied before taking a red berry in her mouth.


    "Who do you think will win?"


    "Pa!"


    "Oh? So you think your Papa will win?"


    "Un!" Eiko nodded as she looked at the projection of the battlefield which showed her Papa looking at his enemies with a confident smile on his face.


    Keoza chuckled as he shifted his attention back to the battle. The battlefield where Lux and the others were currently fighting was gifted to him by someone who had suddenly appeared inside the dungeon several years ago.


    That person said that if there ever came a time when someone entered the dungeon and managed to reach the Inner Grotto, to have them y the game to relieve him of his boredom.


    After seeing how the Half-Elf fought against the Kobolds, the Crystal Dragon found it quite amusing.


    ''That person didn''t lie,'' Keoza thought. ''This Siege Warfare indeed is good entertainment.''


    ��---


    When Cadmus returned to the middlene of the battlefield, he saw Lux standing beside his twin towers with his arms crossed over his chest.


    The moment Lux saw the Draconic Kobold, the Half-Elf waved his hand in a teasing manner. Cadmus snorted as he kept his distance. He had learned from his earlier mistake and decided to not blindly charge towards the red-headed teenager who was hiding behind the watchtowers.


    ''Those watchtowers need to go,'' Cadmus thought as he eyed the two towers with a serious expression on his face.


    His own middlene towers were halfway damaged, but he didn''t know what to do about it.


    ''If I get too close, that fatso will use that trick again to force me to charge in their direction,'' Cadmus thought with a grim expression on his face. ''Although the two of them are weaklings, the towers hurt a lot. I won''t be able tost long if Ie within their range.''


    The Draconic Kobold felt frustrated because he couldn''t do the things he usually did in the Beginner''s Zone. In his own home turf, he could move unhindered and kill anyone he liked. However, when it came to the battlefield he was on, there were things that couldn''t be solved by brute force alone.


    Lux snickered inwardly after seeing the cautious Cadmus in the distance. He was quite a ways out of the range of Pazuzu''s Duel [EX], so they couldn''t force him into their towers'' attack range.


    ''Well it doesn''t matter,'' Lux thought as he casually threw a rock at one of the crystal soldiers, dealing thest hit, and earning gold coins. ''I''ll just destroy this tower first.''


    Five minutester, one of the two towers in the middlene that belonged to the Kobolds fell. This gave Lux an additional 500 Gold, which brought him closer to being able to purchase the recipe he needed to transform his boots into teleportation boots.


    The Teleportation Boots allowed him to freely teleport to any location in the map, as long as his allies were there. It was one of the most indispensable items in the game he yed back then, and he nned to use it to the fullest in order to deal with the Kobolds.


    As the Half-Elf threw rocks at his enemies, taking thest hit, the gold in his possession increased once again. This was something that the Kobolds still hadn''t discovered yet, and they were simply earning one gold coin every second.


    When thest tower of the middlene fell, Lux gained another 500 gold, which was enough to buy the recipe for the item that he needed.


    Cadmus watched as the crystal soldiers pushed through the middlene and headed in his direction.


    "You won''t get past me!" Cadmus roared as he fired a Dragon Breath at the crystal soldiers, leaving them with only a small fraction of their health.


    Lux then immediately threw several rocks at his allies, killing them, in order to prevent Cadmus from being able to gain any more gold once he killed them.


    The Draconic Kobold was confused by Lux''s behavior and simply thought that the Half-Elf had turned crazy. It was at that moment when Cadmus heard a screech in the distance.


    A Raven descended from the sky andnded on Lux''s arms. A few secondster, a golden radiance erupted around Lux''s body before the Raven flew towards the sky once again, and headed back in the direction of their Stronghold.


    "Pazuzu, you know what to do, right?" Lux asked.


    Pazuzu nodded. "Yes, My Lord!"


    The Demonic Defender ran into the forest using his mad rush to go to the Bottom Lanes, so he could help the crystal soldiers on their side to destroy the Kobold''s lower towers.


    Lux, on the other hand, waved at Cadmus with a smile as he ran behind one of the two Guard Towers that belonged to him.


    The Half-Elf immediately activated his Boots of Teleportation and teleported to the Top Lanes to help his allies destroy the tower there.


    Cadmus stared at the tower Lux stepped behind and frowned.


    ''Is he perhaps hiding from me?'' Cadmus thought. ''That must be it. He knew that he couldn''t beat me in a direct confrontation so he is depending on those two towers to defeat me. As expected of a weakling.''


    The Draconic Kobold sneered internally as he held his ground. He believed that as long as he stayed in the middlene, none of Lux''s forces would be able to pass by him.


    ��---


    Meanwhile at the Top Lanes of the Battlefield��


    Lux saw one Kobold Mage and One Kobold Shaman in the Top Lanes which had greatly helped their forces damage his towers. Right now, one of the towers only had a third of its health remaining, and was on the brink of copse.


    Even so, Lux wasn''t worried because he already had a n in mind.


    "Let''s go, Diablo!" Lux ordered and his named creature emerged from the forest and used his Duel [EX] skill to pull the Kobold Mage towards their tower.


    "Dammit!" the Kobold Mage shouted in anger as it was forced to head towards the Skeleton Rider who was standing near the two deadly towers that had killed Cadmus and its otherrades.


    "Sorry, not sorry," Lux chuckled as the Kobold Mage was bombarded by the towers'' concentrated attacks.<sub> </sub>


    "Curse you, Half-Elf!" the Kobold Mage shouted in anger before Diablo''s sword stabbed his chest, taking his life and thest hit reward.


    Lux''s n was to let Diablo gain experience points, so his rank would increase, as well as get enough gold to buy the items he needed.


    The red-headed teenager was more of a support character, while the end-game damage dealer, or what gamers refer to as "Carries", would be Diablo and Ishtar. The Half-Elf knew that once his two Carries had been properly equipped, the Kobolds wouldn''t stand a chance against them.


    After killing the Kobold Mage, the Kobold Shaman hastily retreated, but an ice arrow hit him in the back, slowing his movement speed.


    Ishtar released several arrows to not only whittle the Kobold Shaman''s life away, but also reduce its movement speed, making it move very slowly.


    "Filthy undead!" the Kobold Shaman hatefully cursed as it summoned several wind des to attack the Skeleton Hunter who was treating him like a shooting practice target.


    Ishtar casually evaded the Kobold Shaman''s attack before continuing her range attacks. A few secondster, a Bone Spear pierced through the Kobold Shaman''s chest, ending its life.


    < Double Kill! >


    As the Kobold turned into particles of light, its eyes filled with unwillingnessnded on the Skeleton Rider whose body was glowing crimson.


    For now, every in creature in the battlefield, whether it be foes or allies, strengthened Diablo. The red-headed teenager chuckled evilly when he saw that Diablo had already gained +100 Bonus to Physical and Magical Damage, as well as +100 to Defense due to the Skill Blood Fervor, which was an ability of Diablo''s ckrock Legacy Set.


    ''Cadmus, oh, Cadmus, you''re in for a surpriseter,'' Lux chuckled inwardly as he looked at Diablo''s damage and defense stats. With every minute that passed, Diablo''s strength grew as both allies, and enemies, supplied him with additional damage and defense.


    "Diablo, let''s do this!" Lux said as he raised his hand to activate the skill Battlecry, which added 100 Bonus Physical and Magical Damage to him and his allies.


    Diablo also raised his sword and activated his own skill, Warlord''s Warcry, which added another 200 Bonus Physical and Magical Damage to all of his allies.


    Thebined +300 to attack and defense made all the Crystal Soldier''s bodies turn crimson red as their attacks increased drastically.


    "Break the towers!" Lux ordered and theirbined forces easily broke the two towers, giving them bonus gold points.


    After the two towers were destroyed, Lux charged alongside Diablo and the others and destroyed the two towers that were three hundred meters away from the two towers that they had just destroyed. Due to their increase in strength, the two towers fell helplessly.


    < Your Towers on the Top Lanes have been destroyed! >


    Cadmus gasped in shock after hearing the words that resounded inside his head. He watched as his two towers in the Middle Lanes were destroyed a few minutes ago, and now, the towers belonging to the Top Lanes had been destroyed as well, which greatly shocked him.


    Just as the Draconic Kobold was thinking of what to do next, another notification reached his ears which made his blood turn cold.


    < Your Towers on the Top Lanes have been destroyed! >


    With an angry roar, Cadmus ran towards the Top Lanes in order to prevent Lux from destroying the Guard Towers that were located at the entrance of their stronghold.


    ''Just what in Bahamut''s name is happening?!'' Cadmus shouted internally as he ran with all of his might. ''Don''t let me catch you, Half-Elf! I will make sure you die a very slow and painful death!''


    ��---


    After destroying the two sets of towers on the Top Lanes, Diablo and Ishtar returned to the forest, while Lux teleported to the Bottom Lanes to reunite with Pazuzu.


    He was chuckling inwardly as he bought an item from the store in his Stronghold, and ordered the Raven to deliver it to him.


    Just like the game in his world, each "Hero" was only allowed to equip six items from the store. Right now, the only thing he had were the Boots of Teleportation, but one more item was on the way.


    With this item, the red-headed teenager was sure that even if Cadmus were to cross his path, he would be able to escape from the Draconic Kobold without any problems.


    The Kobolds were starting to get frustrated because they couldn''t believe that the Half-Elf and his Skeletons had been able to overpower them fifteen minutes after their battle started.


    Sometimes, Diablo woulde charging at them out of nowhere without being detected. Other times, they would see the Skeletal Rider with his body turnedpletely blue, and his attack damage doubled, which easily reduced their health to zero after they encountered him.


    The worst part was when they saw three Diablos at the same time, which made them feel their livers ache.


    "This bastard always knows where we are," the eldest Kobold Mage said. "Is he cheating? It''s as if he knows where we are hiding when we are about to ambush him, and he goes in the other direction."


    "This might be the reason for that." One of the Kobold Shamans took out an item from his bag. "This is called Spy Wards. You can ce them on the ground which allows you to see certain areas of the battlefield. He might be using these things to know our location."


    "Petty tricks!" one of the Kobold Raiders hissed in anger. "He thought that he was so smart? Then let''s fill the entire ce with these Spy Wards! Let''s see if he can hide from us."


    Cadmus felt that it was beneath him to rely on such tactics, but he was out of options at this point in time. The Half-Elf was destroying their towers left and right, and his Skeletons were ambushing his subordinates and killing them.


    If they didn''t counter his methods, all of them would be forced to just camp in their Stronghold and wait for the Half-Elf toe knocking on their door.


    "All of you go to the store and buy these Spy Wards," Cadmus ordered. "Make sure to ce them across the entirety of the map, so we can see where this Half-Elf is going."


    ""Yes!""


    ��--


    Lux snickered as he opened his eyes. "Fools, why are you discussing your ns right beside my Spy Ward? Isn''t that just asking for trouble?"


    The Half-Elf smiled as he gave an order to Ishtar to return to the Fortress to buy a certain item that would make the Kobolds regret their decision.


    ''All of you might be stronger than me in the outside world, but here, you''re just noobs,'' Lux summoned his Skeletons as he prepared to assist Pazuzu in taking down the towers on the Bottom Lanes of the map.


    He was already looking forward to the items Diablo and Ishtar were building, to deal with the Draconic Kobold, who was the greatest threat in the battlefield at this point in time.

 Chapter 154 Who Is Kong Kong?

    < Your Towers on the Bottom Lanes have been Destroyed! >


    The Kobolds exchanged nces at each other before looking at Cadmus whose face had already turned beet red from anger.


    The Draconic Kobold simply couldn''t ept how they were being one-sidedly beaten by the Half-Elf whom they thought was a weakling.


    "Maybe he is really cheating," the oldest Kobold Mage said. "There is just no way that we can lose against him. That has to be it, right?"


    p Before the other Kobolds could voice their opinions, a proud, yet teasing voice reached their ears.</anda>


    < He is not cheating. >


    Keoza''s voice made all the Kobolds shudder as they all subconsciously went down on their knees to show their respect for the Crystal Dragon.


    < As much as I appreciate the gesture, the more you dy, the more the Half-Elf is going to win this game. I will only give you one piece of advice and one piece only. Do not rely on your brute strength and buy items from the store before it''s toote. >


    "Your Excellency, can you please tell us what items we should buy from the store?" the Kobold Shaman respectfully asked with his head still bowed.


    However, Keoza no longer replied, and the Kobolds no longer felt his presence, making them feel lost.


    "You, and you,e with me to the Bottom Lanes to protect ourst tower," Cadmus ordered. "The rest, nt those Spy Wards so we will know where the Half-Elf is."


    "Should we also nt them inside the forest?" the eldest Kobold Mage asked. "His Skeleton Rider ambushes us from there, so I think it is a good idea to ce some Spy Wards over there as well."


    "Do what you must," Cadmus replied before turning towards one of the stores to purchase a boot to increase his movement speed. "His Excellency has already spoken. Make sure to check the stores for any useful items that we can use. We will beat that Half-Elf with his own strategy."


    ��-


    "Remember, when Cadmus attacks you, activate the ability of that armor, okay?" Lux said.


    "Pazuzu understands."


    Lux had patiently exined to Pazuzu the items he should get in order to fight against their opponents. Since the Demonic Defender was a tank, the red-headed teenager would dress him up as a monstrous tank that would make Cadmus feel like he was fighting the wrong person.


    Just as Lux was about to give an order, he saw four Kobolds enter the forest. Two of them were Kobold Mages, while the other two were Kobold Raiders. The red-headed teenager sneered because he already knew what they were nning to do, so he decided to make a detour towards the forest, alongside all of his minions, so they could earn some easy gold coins.


    ��--


    "Okay, I nted all the Spy Wards in my possession," the Kobold Raider said. "How about you guys?"


    "I''m done."


    "Me, too."


    "I''ve already finished setting mine."


    The Kobold Raider nodded. "Very well, let''s go bac�C"


    Before he could even finish his words, he saw Lux, and Ishtar, riding on a Warg, alongside the Skeletal Rider, Diablo. He was not only him who saw this scene, his entire team did as well."


    "They''re here!" the Kobold Raider shouted. "The Spy Wards are working! Now, let''s hurry back to the fortress!"


    All the Kobolds ran away, but there was one big problem. None of them were wearing any boots, or other items that increased their movement speed.


    It only took Lux and Diablo a minute to overtake them, and a battle immediately broke out between the Half-Elf''s forces and the four kobolds.


    "I will take your head, Half-Elf!" the Kobold Raider dered as he charged towards Lux.


    "Well, you need to catch him first," Lux sneered as Diablo charged towards the Kobold Raider using its skill, Hero''s Charge.


    ��--


    < Hero''s Charge >


    �C A full powered charge attack that deals 300% of your overall physical damage to your target. Can only be used when mounted on a beast.


    �C If your enemy is bigger than you, deal an additional 100% damage to your target. Can only be used when mounted on a beast.


    ��--


    Right now, Diablo had an attack buff of +1000 points due to thebined Warcries as well as the effect of the ckrock Legacy Armor. This was a very terrifying number, because Diablo''s normal attack damage, plus the damage of the items he had equipped, as well as other passive skills that increased his damage, were excluded from that attack buff.


    Now that the Skeleton Rider had used its most powerful mounted attack, his damaged was further increased to a terrifying 300%


    As soon Diablo collided with the Kobold Raider, the Kobold''s reaction instantly changed as it spat blood from the injury it received from Diablo''s attack.


    It only took Diablo one more sh at the Kobold Warrior''s head to kill itpletely.


    "By the Kobold Gods!" the Kobold Shaman eximed. "A monster has appeared!"


    The morale of the Kobolds were instantly shattered as Lux''s forces bulldozed through them, turning them into gold coins.


    "Ishtar, do it," Lux ordered and the Skeleton Hunter immediately ran through the forest and destroyed all the Spy Wards that had been ced on the ground. She had equipped an item called the All-Seeing Gem, which allowed her to see invisible things.


    Cadmus had originally nned to reinforce hisrades, but before he was even halfway to his destination, the Kobolds were already dead.


    He stopped his advance and hesitated whether he should continue or not.


    ''Is this the effect of the items in the store?'' Cadmus thought before clenching his fists. ''No. I should kill them now while I can. If I let this continue, they might get stronger. Who cares if they outnumber me? They have no towers to save them here!''


    The Draconic Kobold then ran into the forest with determination. He believed in his strength, and he knew that even if Lux was able to easily deal with hisrades, he would have a hard time dealing with him.


    Forty minutes had passed since the start of the battle, and Lux''s forces were now better equipped. Diablo''s and Ishtar''s level had already increased to Level 15, while Lux and Pazuzu were at Level 12.


    Cadmus was at level 23, which made him the stronger creature on the battlefield.<sub> </sub>


    When Lux saw the Draconic Kobold appear in the forest, the smile on his face widened.


    ''He wants a direct battle?'' Lux thought. ''Good decision. Unfortunately, now is not the time.''


    Lux used his Boots of Teleportation and teleported to the Bottom Lanes, alongside all of his named Creatures.


    Diablo, Ishtar, and Pazuzu, were all equipped with Boots of Teleportation to allow them to coordinate with Lux''s strategy.


    Cadmus, who had just arrived at the location where his friends had died, scanned his surroundings with caution.


    "Come out!" Cadmus shouted. "Fight me you cowards!"


    No one replied to his challenge. Instead, he heard a notification that made him roar in frustration.


    < Your Towers on the Bottom Lanes have been destroyed. >


    Cadmus was about to run to the Bottom Lanes when he heard another notification.


    < Your Stronghold Towers on the Bottom Lanes have been destroyed >


    < Barracks have been destroyed! >


    < Enemy''s Crystal Warriors have grown stronger! >


    Cadmus had no time to think and used the teleportation scroll that he had bought at the store located near the forest.


    When Lux saw the shining light in the distance, he immediately ordered his forces to retreat.


    "Let''s go back to the Fortress to do some shopping," Lux ordered as he urged his Warg, Jed, to return to their base.


    All the Kobolds had congregated at the bottom entrance of their Stronghold, which had been breached by the enemies.


    Although the opponent''s crystal soldiers had indeed grown stronger, they were still able to defend it to a certain degree.


    Now that the Kobolds had learned the importance of the Store, all of them started to buy items that they thought would be useful to them, allowing them to patch up the cracks in their defenses.


    After buying the equipment they needed, Lux led his forces to fight against "Kong Kong", which dropped a certain item that would be useful in their attack on the Kobold''s Stronghold.


    Now that the battle was inside the Kobolds'' base, the Half-Elf knew that they would have no choice but to face Cadmus head-on. In order to prepare for any mishaps, he decided to kill Kong Kong first, as insurance against their sh against the Rank 5 Alpha Monster.


    < Kong Kong has been in! >


    Cadmus and the Kobolds nced at each other in confusion.


    "Who is Kong Kong?"


    "No idea. Is he someone important?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe he''s just a nobody?"


    "Stop talking and start killing you bastards!" the oldest Kobold Mage shouted. "We are being overrun here and you idiots still have time for idle chat!"


    The Kobolds hurriedly returned to their duty of defending their base from the Crystal Warriors that had grown in strength.


    It was also at that moment when one of the Kobolds shouted.


    "They are attacking the gates at the Top Lane!"


    Cadmus didn''t think twice and ran towards the gates where Lux and his forces had appeared. He would not allow the Half-Elf the opportunity to destroy another gate, which would make their defense crumble.


    "You shall not pass!" Cadmus shouted before he unleashed his Dragon''s Breath towards the Half-Elf who was busy hacking at the base of the Guard Tower.


    Lux, continued his attack, and ignored the Dragon''s Breath because he wasn''t fighting alone.


    Pazuzu appeared in front of him, and raised his shield. However, that was not the only thing that the Demonic Defender did. Steel Spikes jutted out of his body, making him look like a metallic porcupine


    When the Dragon Breath hit Pazuzu''s shield, Cadmus gasped in pain because he also received the full brunt of his damage. It was as if the one that got hit by the Dragon''s Breath was him instead of the Demonic Defender, whose body had been pushed back several meters, until he hit the guard tower.


    Only fifty points remained in the Demonic Defender''s health, showing how powerful the Dragon''s Breath was.


    Cadmus health, on the other hand, had been reduced by a third after he had unleashed his strongest attack.


    Pazuzu hastily retreated behind the formation as his health regenerated at a rapid rate. Lux had equipped Pazuzu with a Heart of Behemoth, which increased his health regeneration, as well as provided him with the spiked armor which returned any damage he received back to his enemy. This abilitysted for five seconds, making it one of the most optimal items for the Demonic Defender.


    Cadmus roared in anger as he charged towards Lux, but his charge slowed down after he was repeatedly hit by Ice Arrows.


    Ishtar fearlessly fired arrow after arrow at the Draconic Kobold who could easily snap her in two in the outside world. But here, things were different. Although Ishtar couldn''t beat Cadmus one-on-one, she could beat him if she had backup.


    The Nightmare charged at Cadmus as Diablo''s eyes shone brightly from under his metallic helmet.


    "You mere insect!" Cadmus hatefully shouted as he raised his sword to attack the Skeleton, who was charging at him with mes zing behind his mount.


    Diablo had activated his skill, Hero''s Charge, and nned to deal with the hateful Draconic Kobold who looked down on his Master.


    The Skeleton Rider was Lux''s First Born, and for him, anyone who dared to look down on his Master deserved to be punished severely.


    The moment Cadmus'' sword, and Diablo''s Oathbreaker collided, a metallic rang spread across the surroundings, followed by a minor shockwave.


    The two strongest heroes on both sides of the battlefield had shed, and only one of them would remain once this sh was over.


    Lux continued to hack away at the Guard Tower with all of his might. He had full faith in Diablo, so he would perform his role well, and ensure that this siege of theirs would seed no matter what.

 Chapter 155 Croak For Me!

    Airon skidded a few meters across the ground with its rider, Diablo, after their first sh against the Alpha Monster.


    Cadmus couldn''t hide the shock on his face when he felt the unexpected force behind Diablo''s strike which made his arm numb. Although he won the initial exchange, the Skeleton Rider''s blow made him treat his opponent more seriously.


    The Kobolds, who were watching the battle from afar, were also shocked at the performance of their enemy. Because of this, the oldest Kobold Mage ordered the rest of the Kobolds to support Cadmus, while he held back the opponent''s strengthened Crystal Warriors.


    "Kill the Half-Elf!" the oldest Kobold Mage ordered. "Don''t let him destroy our Guard Towers!"


    The other Kobolds nodded their heads and hurriedly charged towards the Half-Elf who had just finished destroying one of the two Towers beside their Stronghold''s main gate.


    "Hack away, boys!" Lux ordered his Skeletons to focus fire on the remaining Towers. "Ishtar, deal with those small fry Kobolds! Show them the power of the Forgotten Queen!"


    The battlefield was quite special since it also had a day and night setting. The sun had just set, and because of Ishtar''s title of Forgotten Queen, all of her stats increased by 50% during the night.


    What did that mean? It meant that the Skeleton Hunter had be 50% more deadly. Just like Diablo, Ishtar was overgeared and was more than a match for the Rank 3 Kobolds, who weren''t even wearing any kind of special equipment on their bodies.


    The moment Ishtar''s Icy Arrow hit one of the Kobold Raiders, thetter immediately felt a world of pain, making it gasp in shock.


    Ishtar carried four Pseudo-Legendary Items in her possession. One of them was none other than the Windbow, which increased her agility, attack damage, evasion, and attack speed.


    Her second item was the Critical Shard, which increased her damage, as well as the chances ofnding critical hits on her enemies.


    The third item was the Boots of Teleportation which allowed her to teleport anywhere around the map, alongside Lux, allowing them to bulldoze their way through their opponents with ease.


    Thest item on her arsenal was the Thunder Shard, which Ishtar immediately activated, surrounding herself with five orbs of lightning. This item imbued her attacks with lightning, in addition to increasing her attack speed, making her a moving turret that could decimate anything and everything she hit.


    When the Kobold Raider was about to flee, a bolt of lightning hit its head, making it explode. The Kobold then turned into particles of light, making the rest of the small fry Kobolds look at Ishtar in horror.


    However, before the other Kobold Raider could flee, Ishtar''s ice arrow hit it, slowing its movement speed.


    "Help me!" the Kobold Raider screamed in fear as his health decreased at an incredibly fast rate, while Ishtar fired arrow after arrow as if there was no tomorrow.


    The Kobold Mage then pointed its staff at the Skeleton Hunter, but soon found itself running towards the fat Demonic Defender, who had appeared behind Ishtar.


    "Hateful Land Dwellers!" the Kobold Mage shouted in anger, as he found himself moving helplessly towards the enemy''s vanguard.


    Lux and his Skeletons focused fire on the Kobold Mage, killing it in a matter of seconds. After the Kobold Mage died, they once again focused their attacks on the Stronghold''s Guard Tower, destroying itpletely.


    Cadmus, who was fighting against Diablo, roared in anger when he saw thest tower copse under Lux''s determined assault.<sub> </sub>


    < Your Stronghold Towers on the Top Lanes have been destroyed >


    Cadmus immediately bashed Diablo to the side as he prepared to unleash his Dragon Breath to kill the Half-Elf who was madly hitting the Barracks of their Stronghold.


    Just as Cadmus was about to unleash his powerful attack, he halted midway as Diablo used his Duel [EX] skill to force the Draconic Kobold to attack him.


    A hate-filled growl escaped Cadmus lips as he was forced to exchange a blow with the Skeleton Rider whose attacks had been raised to a frightening level due to the constant death that was happening around him.


    With every in ally or foe, the Blood Fervor ability grew, raising his attack and defense to a level that even Cadmus found hard to deal with.


    Just as the Draconic Kobold sent Diablo and his Nightmare Mount flying a few meters away with a backhand blow, an announcement sounded in his ears, which made his eyes turn bloodshot.


    < Barracks have been destroyed! >


    < Enemy''s Crystal Warriors have grown stronger! >


    "Damn you!" Cadmus charged towards Lux with only one thing in mind and that was to end his life.


    Just as he was about to cleave the hateful Half-Elf in two, Lux sneered at him as he raised a staff pointed in the Draconic Kobold''s direction.


    "Croak for me!" Lux roared.


    Lux had three Pseudo-Legendary Equipments in his possession. One of them was the Boots of Teleportation, another was the Polytoad Staff. This staff increased the Intelligence Stat, as well as the user''s Mana regeneration. But those aside, it also had one annoying ability and that was transforming its target into a small toad for three seconds.


    The hulking Draconic Kobold instantly transformed into a toad, which Lux happily kicked like a ser ball, sending it flying dozens of meters in the air. Cadmus reverted back to his Draconic form and subconsciously pped his wings to break his fall.


    < You broke the rule. Time for you to be evicted. Truly a pity. >


    Keoza''s sigh reverberated in the surroundings as Cadmus turned into particles of light, causing the remaining Kobolds inside the Stronghold to despair.


    Lux had hoped for this scenario to happen, since there was only a small chance that Cadmus would break the rule that Keoza had given him as his handicap.


    After seeing the biggest threat in the battlefield disappear, Lux shifted his attention to the oldest Kobold Mage, as well as the two Kobold Shamans, who were frantically defending thest two towers that protected their Stronghold''s Core.


    "Kill!" Lux ordered as his forces charged at thest three Kobolds whose faces had turned grim.


    They knew that the battle was over the moment Cadmus was kicked out of the battle, and the only thing they could do was ept their fate as Diablo, Ishtar, and Pazuzu charged in their direction with their eyes glowing with excitement.

 Chapter 156 Keoza’s Last Gift

    Despite their desperate efforts, the three Kobolds were powerless against Lux''s two powerful Named Creatures, who specialized in dealing massive damage to their enemies.


    Lux didn''t even feel a shred of guilt as the three Kobolds died one after the other. This Siege Battle could only have one winner in the end, and he decided that it would be himself.


    The moment the Stronghold Core got destroyed, Lux found himself standing on one of the floating inds inside the Inner Grotto.


    The Kobolds were also on one of the inds, and all of them red towards Lux''s direction, especially Cadmus, who kept clenching and unclenching his fists out of anger.


    Just as Lux was thinking about how he could fix the tension between him and the Kobolds, an adorable voice reached his ears which made him look up in the sky.


    "Pa!"


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Keoza''s head, jumped towards Lux while giggling.


    The Half-Elf immediately used his Air Strider [EX] Skill to catch the naughty baby, who dared to sit on top of a Crystal Dragon''s head.


    "That was a most�� excellent performance," Keoza said as he gazed at Lux. "Truly amusing."


    The Half-Elf only smiled because he didn''t know how to reply to the Crystal Dragon''s praise. All he wanted was to leave the Dungeon as soon as possible before Keoza forced him to y another one of his "amusing" games.


    "Your name is Lux, right?" Keoza asked.


    "Yes, Your Excellency," Lux replied.


    Keoza nodded. "Good. Now, follow me."


    The Crystal Dragon pped its wings and rose in the air. A few secondster, a powerful breeze sucked Lux up towards the sky, making Eiko, who was in his arms, giggle. The baby Slime thought that they were going to y another game and that, this time, she would be joining her Papa in battle.


    As the red-headed teenager floated in the sky, he noticed that he was headed towards the highest floating ind in the Inner Grotto, which seemed to be the one where Keoza lived. Instead of feeling happiness like the baby Slime in his hands, the Half-Elf''s expression became more grim as he neared the ind.


    Truth be told, he would rather stay with Cadmus and the Kobolds who were mad at him, than stay with Keoza whose rank made him anxious.


    "You think too much, Half-Elf," Keoza said as soon as Luxnded on his ind. "Like I said earlier, as long as you don''t attack me first, or steal my treasures, I will allow you to leave this ce�� alive."


    "Um. There was a slight pause in your words, Your Excellency," Lux replied.


    The Crystal Dragon eyed Lux as he gave thetter a mischievous smile. "You''re just imagining things."


    Lux zipped his lips and no longer said anything. His behavior caused Keoza chuckle. The dragon invited the Half-Elf to follow behind him.


    At the center of the floating Ind was a grand temple that was at least the size of two football stadiums.


    The moment Lux entered the interior of the temple, he found himself staring at a sea of precious gems that littered the floor. It was as if he was looking at a rainbow colored sea that sparkled in the sunlight.


    Eiko looked at this scene with great interest. She was even nning to jump over to the hoard of gems to y, but Lux made sure to hold her firmly in his hands. He was afraid that Eiko''s next move might anger Keoza, so he decided to reign in his yful daughter, just to be on the safe side.


    "Long ago, the city of Eshouvell flourished alongside my Dungeon," Keoza said. "However, as the city grew, so did the greed of the rulers that managed it. Did you know? This Dungeon used to have fifty floors. Now, it only has the Outer and Inner Grotto."


    Keoza narrated as heid in the center of its treasure horde while gazing at Lux, who stayed outside the sea of gems that belonged to the Crystal Dragon.


    "Because of the ruler''s greed, they tried to take my treasures, and a battle ensued. Truth be told, they were no match against us, but they called for outside help."


    Keoza scoffed as he remembered the foul memory of his past.


    "Do you know whose help they asked for?" Keoza inquired.


    Lux hesitated for a bit before giving his answer. "Elves?"


    "Right. They asked help from Elves. Unfortunately, the Elves they invited were just as greedy as the ruler. While Indus (the Giant Worm) and I were fighting against the King and his subordinates, the Elves broke into the Dungeon Core Room and used their magic to gain authority over it.


    "The first thing they did was ce a condition that no one could enter the Dungeon unless they were apanied by someone with Elven Blood," Keoza exined. "This was to ensure that the King of Eshouvell would have no choice but to cooperate with their race if they wished to gain the treasures inside the Dungeon."


    "Their n almost seeded, but thanks to Indus'' overbearing attitude, they had no choice but to leave the Dungeon Core before they could corrupt it further. At least, that was what Indus and I nned."


    "Unfortunately, they were in the middle of performing a high-ranking magic spell when Indus went after them, so the spell went haywire. The spell permanently damaged the Dungeon Core and slowly led to this Dungeon''s decay."


    Keoza paused before closing its eyes.


    "Today is thest day that this Dungeon will exist," Keoza stated. "The Dungeon Core has reached its limit, so it can no longer support its functions. You and the Kobolds will be thest visitors of the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian."


    "The moment Keoza finished talking. Several artifacts flew from his treasure trove and floated in front of Lux."<sub> </sub>


    "You may choose three items from my treasury," Keoza dered. "This will be thest gift I will bestow upon mortals before this Dungeon vanishes from the face of the world. So, choose wisely."


    ��--


    < Choose 3 items from Keoza''s Treasure Vault >


    �C Golden Dragon Token


    �C Boots of Teleportation


    �C Spear of Azrael (Replica)


    �C Dragon Mythic Path Quest


    �C Argonaut Rank Beast Core (Crystal Dragon).


    You can only absorb this Beast Core once you be a Ranker.


    �C Rank 5 Beast Core (Indus Death Worm).


    �C Martial Arts Skillbook (Dragon War Art)


    �C A Vial of Dragon''s Blood


    �C ��..


    �C ��..


    �C ��..


    �C ��..


    ��------


    There were over twenty items to choose from, and all of them were amazing in their own right. Earlier, Lux thought that Keoza was quite generous when it had given him the option of choosing three items from his treasury.


    However, after seeing everything that it had to offer, he realized that three was not enough to get the items he truly wanted!


    For example, the Martial Arts Skill Book (Dragon War Art). There were several martial arts in the world and some of them were exclusive to a Family''s bloodline.


    The Kaizer War Art that Lux practiced was a Martial Art that was exclusive to the Kaizer Family, and only those with their bloodline would be able to use it.


    Vera had to host a special ceremony in order to allow Lux to use their Family''s War Art without receiving a bacsh. This was the only way for the Half-Elf to use a Bloodline Art that he couldn''t possibly use normally.


    The Dragon War Art required the user to have a bit of Dragon Blood running through their veins. But even if Lux didn''t have any Draconic Bloodline in him, there was a method he could use which was taking the Vial of Dragon''s blood.


    Once he drank it, a small amount of Dragon Blood would flow inside his body, giving him the ability to use the Dragon War Art without any problem.


    Then there was the Boots of Teleportation. It could allow Lux to instantly teleport, up to five miles from his location, to an ally''s location. Meaning, he could send Diablo or any of his other skeletons somewhere, and teleport to them with the help of the boots.


    Although Argonaut Rank Beast Core wasn''t rare when you reached the Advance Zones of Elysium, the Beast Core that belonged to a Crystal Dragon was very rare. This was why Lux decided to take it no matter what.


    Any skill that belonged to a Dragon was bound to be powerful. If Lux could upgrade it to a higher form with his evolution skill, it would be more deadly in his hands.


    The Golden Dragon Token allowed Lux to create a guild. There were several Guild Ranks and they were known as the Bronze, Silver, Gold, tinum, Diamond, and Legendary Heaven-Ranked Guilds.


    The Wildgarde Guild in Elysium was Silver-Ranked, while The Barbatos Guild in Elysium was a Gold Ranked Guild. This just showed how difficult it was to acquire a tinum-Ranked and Diamond-Ranked Guild in Elysium.


    They had toplete many outstanding feats, before their respective Kingdoms or Empires gave them the approval to raise their Guild''s Rank.


    The Golden Dragon Token also gave Lux the ability to summon an Argonaut Ranked Crystal Dragon three times. This was something quite unexpected and a trump card that he could use as ast resort, so he also nned to get the Golden Dragon Token as well, as one of the three items he would choose from the treasury.


    The Dragon Mythic Part Quest, on the other hand, was a mystery. The Elysium Compendium only described the Quest as the Path to Understanding the ways of the Dragon. It was such a vague description, and Lux wasn''t sure if it was worth choosing.


    In the end, Lux could only sigh in his heart because he could only choose three of them.


    ''I wish I could choose more, but I guess this is the limit,'' Lux thought as he picked the three items that he wanted from the list. It was a very hard decision to make, but the Half-Elf knew that he had chosen the things that he needed in order to grow stronger in the world of Elysium.

 Chapter 157 Immortal Dragon Conqueror’s Legacy

    C


    "Are you sure that these are the three items that you want?" Keoza asked.


    Lux nodded. "Yes."


    It was not easy, but after deliberating for a long time, the Half-Elf settled for the three items that were currently floating in front of him.


    The first item he chose was the Golden Dragon Token, which allowed him to create a Guild, as well as summon an Argonaut Ranked Crystal Dragon to help him.


    The second one was the Argonaut Ranked Beast Core, although he could only use it after he became a Ranker.


    Choosing thest item was the hardest part since there were many other items that Lux wanted to have. However, it was not possible, so he settled for something that allowed him to travel to ces without too much hassle.


    Yes. Thest item that Lux chose was none other than the Boots of Teleportation. He felt that as long as he had this artifact, he would be able toe and go wherever he pleased as long as the destination was within five miles around him.


    "Since this Dungeon will disappear the moment you leave this ce, I decided to add some freebies to your rewards." Keoza grinned. "I noticed earlier that you wanted the Dragon War Art, but you were unable to wield it because you don''t have the blood of dragons flowing in your veins."


    "Since that is the case, I will bestow upon you the Dragon War Art, as well as the vial of Dragon''s Blood. This will be myst gift to you. Please, take it."


    A worn out book as well as a vial that contained a dark-red liquid, which Lux assumed to be Dragon''s Blood, floated in front of him.


    "Thank you, Your Excellency," Lux bowed his head respectfully in order to thank the generous Crystal Dragon who had just  given him an unexpected surprise.


    "Don''t thank me yet," Keoza said. "You need to drink that Dragon''s Blood here and use the Skill Book in my presence. This is to ensure that you will be the only one to use it. I''d hate it if you were to suddenly auction these items just to get some gold coins. I don''t care what you do with the other items you handpicked, but this gift that I have given you must be used here."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding and drank the Dragon''s Blood in front of Keoza''s watchful eyes.


    Suddenly, a burning sensation erupted from inside his chest, as his body heated up, turning his skin red.


    "Pa!" Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, cried out in rm as the Half-Elf copsed on the ground and writhed in pain.


    "Don''t worry, little one," Keoza assured the Slime who started to cry after seeing her Papa''s condition. "He will be fine�� maybe."


    "Wuwuwu!" the baby Slime cried as she pressed her head against Lux''s forehead that was as hot as coal.


    It was at that moment when a series of notifications appeared in front of Lux, but he was in too much pain to pay any attention to them.


    ��---


    < Detected the Blood of the Red Dragon! >


    < Initializing synchronization with Special Body Physique! >


    < Preparing Integration�� >


    < Synchronization Starting! >


    < Synchronization Rate: 1% >


    < Synchronization Rate: 18% >


    < Synchronization Rate: 39% >


    < Synchronization Rate: 78% >


    < Synchronization Rate: 100% >


    < Synchronization Sessful! >


    < Immortal Conqueror''s Legacy has been upgraded to Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy! >


    < Special Body Physique will be upgraded by one Rank! >


    ��-


    < Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: E


    Progress: (0 /4,000)


    < Bonus Rewards >


    +10,000 Health Points


    +10,000 Mana Points<sub> </sub>


    + 3 to all Summon Skeleton Skills


    �C Complete Immunity to Fire


    �C Learned Skill, Dragon''s Fear


    �C Learned Draconic Language


    �C Once a day, you can use Dragon''s Breath


    Conquest is not all about imingnds and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.


    Note: Boost! Boost! Boost!


    ��-


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    �C Since the skill Dragon''s Fear is not learned from a Beast Core, it will automatically be upgraded to Dragon''s Fear [EX].


    =====


    < Dragon''s Fear [EX] >


    (Enemies below your rank.)


    �C Any enemy below your current rank will find themselves paralyzed in fear and unable to fight effectively.


    �C Decrease enemy''s movement and attack speed by 80%


    �C Decrease enemy''s physical and magical damage by 80%


    ��--


    (Enemies one rank above you.)


    �C Any enemy that is one rank above you would find themselves unable to fight effectively.


    �C Decrease enemy''s movement and attack speed by 50%


    �C Decrease enemy''s physical and magical damage by 50%


    ��--


    Dragon''s Fear [EX] will have no effect on enemies that are two ranks and above your current rank.


    =====


    Lux kept panting even after the pain he felt subsided. His skin had already returned to its normal color, and the paleness in his expression gradually starting to fade away.


    "I''m fine, Eiko," Lux said as hey on the ground, while trying to regain hisposure.


    Eiko had stopped crying and jumped on Lux''s chest. She could tell that her Papa was recovering, so there was no need for her to be worried anymore.


    "Congrattions," Keoza nodded in satisfaction. "The Dragon''s Blood has sessfully integrated with your body. Although it is only a few drops of blood, it is more than enough for you to learn the Dragon War Art. The blood will also strengthen your body, and make it tougher whenpared to normal mortals."


    "I don''t really know the specifics, so you will have to find the changes that have happened in your body by yourself. Also, don''t worry. The blood you gained will not be enough for you to transform into a dragon or grow dragon wings behind your back, but that could change in the future if you happen to gain the blood of a Red Dragon to further refine your bloodline."


    Lux slowly propped himself up from the ground before grabbing the Dragon War Art Skill book and opening it.


    A momentter, the book transformed into particles of light and flew inside Lux''s body.


    Knowledge of the Dragon Wart Art appeared inside his mind. The Half-Elf knew that it would take some time before he fully understood the information that was nted inside his head, so he decided to fully study his new Martial Art after he left the Dungeon.


    "See youter, Lux," Keoza said as the Crystal Dragon turned into particles of light and merged with the Golden Dragon Token that floated in front of the Half-Elf.


    Lux subconsciously reached out to hold the Golden Token in his hand and observed it.


    The image of a Crystal Dragon with its wings spread wide could be seen embedded on its surface, making the Half-Elf understand why Keoza said "See youter, Lux", instead of "Goodbye, Lux".


    Lux then grabbed the Teleportation Boots and equipped them. Lastly, he took the floating Argonaut Beast Core and ced it inside his storage ring.


    As soon as Lux took all of his rewards, a light descended from above his head, and covered himpletely in its blinding radiance.


    A momentter, the entire dungeon shook as the Dungeon Core shattered into hundreds of pieces. A few secondster, the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian vanished from the face of the world, never to be seen again.

 Chapter 158 From This Day Onwards, All Grudges Between Us Are Over

    After the light receded, Lux found himself standing by the entrance of the Dungeon.


    At least, that was where he was supposed to be. Unfortunately, the structure in front of him had copsed. The S-Ranked Dungeon that had degraded over the years finally met its end, and Keoza had given Lux the final gift it was capable of giving before the Dungeon disappeared from the world.


    Cadmus, as well as the other Kobolds were standing behind Lux. None of them knew what happened between Keoza and the Half-Elf. However, one thing was clear. The mysterious Dungeon within the Ancient Ruins was no more.


    Just as Lux was thinking of what to do next, the ground shook as a resounding roar reverberated in the surroundings. The Indus Death Worm appeared in front of Lux and the Kobolds behind him.


    Its powerful cry rmed the Kobold Race who were in the midst of unearthing the secrets of the Ancient Ruins. All of them could only stare helplessly at the Monster who clearly didn''t belong to the Beginner''s Zone, and had the power to wipe them all from the face of the earth.


    The Indus Deathworm lowered its massive head until it was only a few meters away from the Half-Elf, who currently held the Golden Dragon Token in his hand.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, had a serious expression on her face, as she prepared to fight against the Indus Death Worm in order to give her Papa some time to escape.


    "It''s fine, Eiko," Lux said in order to stop the baby Slime from provoking the Giant Death Worm. "Indus won''t hurt me."


    The reason he said that was due to the fact that he wasn''t sensing any killing intenting from the Monster in front of him.


    Indus had no eyes, but it was capable of hearing even the faintest vibrations in its surroundings. From within the Golden Token in Lux''s hands, it could tell that an old friend resided. A minuteter, the Giant Worm roared onest time before burrowing in the ground.


    It had taken the opportunity to escape the Dungeon the moment the Dungeon Core shattered.


    Since its connection with the Dungeon no longer bound it, Indus was finally able to break free from its prison ande to the outside world, like it did long ago to destroy the Ancient Civilization, alongside Keoza.


    The Beginner''s Zone was no ce for it, so it decided to leave. Its instincts were telling it that if it stayed in the territory of Norria, something very bad would happen to it.


    When the tremors in the ground finally subsided, Lux was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. This particr Dungeon expedition was truly too dangerous. If their timing had been wrong, Indus would have killed them.


    If Keoza hadn''t been kind, none of them would have survived the moment they entered the Inner Grotto. It was truly worthy of having an S-Ranked Difficulty rating, and Lux was thankful that it was finally over.


    He had received many rewards from this trip and he really liked them all, especially thest two gifts that Keoza had bestowed him.


    Just as the Half-Elf regained hisposure, a wed hand rested on his shoulders, and held it in a firm grip.


    "You, what happened back there?" Cadmus asked.


    Lux turned around to look at the Draconic Kobold and saw thetter''splicated look across his face. The Half-Elf decided to tell the Kobolds the truth about the Dungeon. He naturally omitted the parts about the rewards he received from Keoza, knowing that it might breed resentment between him and the Kobolds.


    Thest thing the Half-Elf wanted was for all the Kobolds to turn against him while he was miles deep under the Earth. Not to mention that there was still a Rank 5 Alpha Monster holding his shoulder to keep him from moving.


    <o>,m "The Dungeon reached the limit of its lifespan," Lux exined. "So, the moment I finished talking with Keoza, he kicked us out of the Dungeon before it was destroyed. This token I have with me is a reward that he gave me for winning the battle against you guys."</o>


    Lux showed them the Golden Dragon Token in his hand. Since Kobolds revered Dragons, he hoped that it would be enough to calm all of them down and forget all of their grudges against him.


    Cadmus eyed the golden token that was the size of an adult man''s fist. The Draconic Kobold could faintly feel the power of a Dragon inside it, so he decided to believe Lux''s story.


    "Since it is a gift given to you by the Great One, you may keep it," Cadmus said. "Rest assured. No Kobold will take it from you."<sub> </sub>


    The Kobolds behind Cadmus nodded their heads in agreement. Although they didn''t like Lux, they had no choice but to admit that he had bested them fair and square.


    Suddenly, the hands holding Lux''s shoulder trembled as Cadmus looked at him in shock.


    "Y-You! Why do you have the presence of a Dragon?!" Cadmus couldn''t believe it when he sensed the power of Dragons inside Lux''s body. Although it was very faint, it was impossible for him to mistake it for something else.


    "Ah, the Keoza bestowed upon me some Dragon''s Blood," Lux answered as he scratched his head. "He was so adamant that I have it, so I had no choice but to take it."


    The Kobolds hissed at Lux, not because of anger, but out of jealousy. Every Kobold wished to be a Dragon, and treated it as the highest honor to be one. Now that Lux had acquired some Dragon''s Blood, they had no choice but to let go of all of their grudges.


    No Kobold would willingly raise its arms to hurt those who had Dragon Blood flowing in their veins, no matter how little it was.


    Cadmus sighed internally as he released the grip he had on Lux''s shoulder. Originally, he nned to teach the Half-Elf a lesson in order to vent his frustration, but now that the other party had Dragon''s Blood, he had no other choice but to recognize him as one of hisrades who shared the same roots.


    "From this day onwards, all grudges between us are over," Cadmus dered as he reached his hand towards Lux in the form of a handshake. "Would you like to be the friend of the Hazeback Kobold n?"


    Lux smiled as he took Cadmus'' hand, and shook twice. "dly."


    A series of notifications then appeared in front of Lux telling him about his current rtionship with the Kobold n, which made him sigh in relief.


    ��--


    +2,000 Hazeback Kobold n Reputation Points


    ��---


    Hazeback Kobold n Reputation Points: 2000


    Rtionship: Friends


    �C The Hazeback Kobold n will treat you as a friend from this day onwards.


    �C Interaction with the Hazeback Kobold n is now possible.


    �C Cadmus will lend his aid to you once.


    ��--


    Now that the Kobolds no longer treated him as an enemy, he didn''t need to worry about a certain Rank 5 Alpha Monster ambushing him when he least expected it.


    After staying with the Kobolds for a day to participate in the feast they threw to celebrate their newly founded friendship, Lux left the underground city in order to return to Leaf Vige. He nned to tell his Master, Randolph, as well as his Grandma Annie, that he would be away from the vige for several months, and the two shouldn''t worry about him.


    After encountering the Indus Worm and Keoza, Lux decided to start the Mythical Missions in each vige of the Beginner''s Zone. That way, he would be able toplete the Faunus Mythical Regalia, while increasing his chances of winning against strong opponents in the uing tournament that would be held in Barbatos Academy.

 Chapter 159 Here Goes Nothing

    As Lux journeyed towards Leaf Vige on top of his mount, Jed, he checked the rewards he received from histest expedition in his Soul Book.


    ��-


    Hidden Quest: A Touch of Dragons (Completed!)


    Difficulty Rating: S


    Quest Location: Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian


    Dungeon Rating: C


    Dungeon Mode: Hell Mode


    ��--


    < A Touch of Dragons >


    (Chain Quest)


    Deep within the earth, an ancient city was unearthed. Find out the secret that was buried along its demise within the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian.


    Bonus Rewards will be calcted depending on the choices you make in this mission.


    ��--


    Rewards:


    �C Potion of Intelligence


    This potion adds +50 permanent Intelligence Points to the one who consumes it. You can only consume one Potion of Intelligence in your lifetime.


    �C Rank 2 Skill Book of your choice.


    You will be able to choose any Skill that is Rank 2 or below from the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian.


    1,000 Gold Coins


    +2,000 Hazeback Kobold n Reputation Points


    �C Boots of Teleportation


    �C Argonaut Beast Core (Crystal Dragon)


    �C Golden Dragon Token


    ��--


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C Vial of Dragon''s Blood


    �C Dragon War Art Skillbook


    ��


    < Grotto Survivor Reward >


    (Received in the Outer Grotto)


    100 Rank 2 Beast Cores


    20 Rank 3 Beast Cores


    2 Rank 4 Beast Core


    ��--


    ''Not bad.'' Lux thought as he skimmed through the things he gained after finishing the S-Ranked Quest.


    He was quite excited about trying out the Dragon War Art that was currently inside his head, but he held back against the temptation since he still needed to return to the Leaf Vige first to make sure that the Dwarves, who cared about him, knew that he was safe.


    His n was to stay in Leaf Vige for one more day before traveling to Lindow Vige, where the Shield of the Faunus Battle Regalia was said to be hidden. Completing a Mythical Quest wasn''t an easy thing to do, but Lux was determined to carry it through until the end.


    He didn''t know how long the entire quest line would take to finish, but he had no intention of leaving the Beginner''s Zone until he hadpleted it.


    Sure, he could probably get some Mythical or even Legendary Armor sets from his Grandma Vera, but Lux wanted to be independent. He wanted to advance in Elysium with his own power, so he decided that he would no longer ask his grandma for equipment that could help him get stronger.


    Also, he wanted to prove to Iris'' father, Alexander, that he was no longer the useless and weak Half-Elf that he knew in the past. More than anything else, Lux wanted to show everyone, whether they had ridiculed or supported him in the past, what he managed to achieve using his own strength.


    ''Now, let''s see what this Rank 2 skill book has to offer��,'' Lux clicked the skill book inside his Soul Book and it materialized in front of him.


    "Here goes nothing."


    Lux didn''t have any high expectations as he activated the Skill Book but he was amazed after he saw over fifty skills that appeared in front of him.


    ��---


    < Skills avable in the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian >


    �C Acid Spray


    �C Earth Tremor<sub> </sub>


    �C Entangle


    �C Heroism


    �C Earth Bind


    �C Detect Traps


    �C Summon Creature


    �C Detect invisible


    �C Enchant Weapon with Fire


    �C Armor of Death


    �C Jade Body


    �C Beam of Frost


    �C Acid Spray


    �C Whip of thorns


    �C Death Ray


    �C ��..


    �C ��..


    �C ��..


    �C ��..


    �C ��..


    �C ��..


    ��---


    The Half-Elf almost got a headache after reading them all. The problem was, he could only choose one among the many skills avable to him.


    Lux didn''t n to choose the Summon Creature since he already had many Summons. Adding a few more wouldn''t make a difference. What he needed was something that would increase his strength, as well as the strength of his minions, making them more powerful.


    After almost half an hour of thinking, the Half-Elf finally decided to choose the skill, Jade Body. This skill boosted the target''s defense by giving it an additional +200 to defense, which would make his Summoned Creatures more sturdy.


    Although an additional 200 points to defense might seemckluster, it was still an amazing Rank 2 Skill, and Lux was looking forward to how its evolved version would be.


    After taking a few deep breaths, Lux chose the Jade Body Skill. Immediately several rows of text appeared in front of him, telling him that his chosen Skill had been automatically upgraded.


    ��--


    You have learned the skill, Jade Body.


    ��----


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    �C Since the skill, Jade Body, is not learned from a Beast Core, it will automatically be upgraded to Improved Jade Body (Mass Buff).


    ��--


    < Improved Jade Body >


    (Mana: 10)


    �C This skill adds +300 to defense.


    �C This skill will automatically buff all allied units present in the battlefield.


    Skill Duration: 30 Minutes


    Skill Cooldown: 10 Minutes


    ��---


    Lux did a fist pump after seeing the improved version of the skill. Not only did it give an additional +300 to defense, it was also a Mass Buff, which saved the Half-Elf the trouble of manually buffing all of his units one at a time.


    "Very nice," Lux said with a smile.


    With this buff, only Alpha Monsters or Monsters with simr strength could threaten his Skeleton Summons in the Beginner''s Zone due to how sturdy they were. One could even say that Lux''s minions were on their way to bing "overgeared and overbuffed", in the Territory of Norria, making them the local bullies in town.


    Right now, only Rank 3 creatures and above could potentially break past his Skeletons'' defenses, making Lux very happy.


    "As long as I don''t meet someone as strong as Cadmus and the Indus Deathworm, I shouldn''t have any problem finishing the Mythical Quests from each vige," Lux mused as he closed his Soul Book. "My Body Physique also got an upgrade."


    Lux was confident that with his current strength, he could easily beat all the Alpha Monsters in the Territory of Norria with the exceptions of its Field Bosses, who still posed a significant threat to his current rank and forces.


    ''Once I gather the Faunus Battle Regalia and master the Dragon War Art, will I be able to beat them?'' Lux thought as the familiar scenery of Leaf Vige appeared in the distance. ''I''ll just cross that bridge when I get there.''

 Chapter 160 May The Gods Have Mercy On Us All

    Randolph sipped some tea as he gazed in the distance. From time to time, he would casually pick up a cookie from the te beside him and eat it while thinking of his Disciple who had disappeared for several months.


    Lux had told him in advance that he nned to go sight-seeing in the territory of Norria, but the cksmith of Leaf Vige didn''t buy his bullsh*t.


    "I''d greatly appreciate it if you don''t scowl while eating in front of my shop," Grandma Annie said in a reprimanding voice. "You are scaring away my customers."


    Randolph gave the olddy Dwarf a side-long nce before snorting.


    "I am not scowling," Randolph replied. "I was born with this face."


    Grandma Annie chuckled as she sat on the chair beside the Dwarf Smith, who was always looking in the direction of the vige''s entrance.


    "It has been almost six months since Lux left the vige," Grandma Annie said softly. Many foreigners have already left for the other towns after they stepped into the Apostle Rank, but that Half-Elf was still staying in thend of Norria.


    "Sometimes, I wonder if there is something that is holding him back. Are you perhaps ckmailing him to prevent him from leaving this ce?"


    Randolph shot an angry re towards the old woman, who had been one of his party members when he was still young and foolish. Together with Cedwyn and a few others, they traveled the Kingdom of Gweliven, facing dangers together while watching each other''s backs.


    Even if Annie and him bickered from time to time, it was at most a yful banter and nothing too serious.


    "I''m not ckmailing him, okay?" Randolph answered. "Even I feel that his stay in the Territory of Norria is long overdue. He had already mastered the basics of Smithing, and it is now time for him to set out on a new journey to see the world. When I see him next time, I''ll make sure to clobber him and talk some sense into him."


    "Violence is never the answer. How many times should I tell you that?"


    "And I''m sick and tired of you telling me to stop being violent!"


    Grandma Annie chuckled as she bit into one of the cookies she baked earlier. For her, Lux was a fascinating young man. She often wondered if Fate had brought him to Leaf Vige in order to bring a change that the local popce had never seen before.


    "Well, if you see Lux, tell him that he should pack up and leave," Grandma Annie said softly. "Although I will miss him, the territory of Norria is too small a ce for him to spread his wings."


    "I will do that even if you don''t tell me to!" Randolph replied grumpily.


    The old Smith was about to pick up another cookie when the bells located on the watchtower near the entrances of the vige started to make noise.


    Grandma Annie and him exchanged a nce of surprise before the two of them summoned their weapons.


    The guards of the vige were already shouting and telling everyone, including the Foreigners, to evacuate to the underground shelters.


    The adults herded the children to a safe ce as they prepared themselves to fight.


    "We will stay and fight!" a dwarf boy said as he held his mace with both hands. "We can beat them!"


    ""Yes!""


    His party members shouted in unison as they prepared to help the vigers to fight the Monster Outbreak that was upon them.


    "Oi! You dumb kids! What do you think you are doing?!" Cedwyn, the Vige Head of Leaf Vige grabbed the Dwarf boy and pulled him back. "Go to the shelters! Even if you are a foreigner,  you are no match against what we are about to face!"


    "No! We can beat them," the Dwarf boy struggled as he tried to break free from Cedwyn''s grip. "I havee to Elysium to fight, and not to hide in some underground shelter!"


    "Foolish boy!" Cedwyn smacked the boy''s head making the Dwarf boy cry out in pain. "You''ve just arrived here for a week and you''re already mumbling a bunch of crap! Go to the shelter now, or I''ll kick you until you get there!"


    "Waaaaah! Mommy! This old man is bullying me!" the Dwarf boy cried out as Cedwyn kicked his bum several times to make him go away.<sub> </sub>


    The boy''s party members could only watch helplessly. In the end, they followed their leader to the Shelter, but they had only taken a dozen steps when a giant Mantis descended from the sky and eyed the Dwarf children as if they were food.


    "Red-Eyed Terror Mantis," Cedwyn said as he stood between the Dwarf children and the Alpha Monster. "So, it''s an insect monster outbreak this time?"


    However, before Cedwyn could even chant a spell to fight against the Alpha Monster, he heard a scream behind him.


    As the Vige Head turned his head to where the scream came from, he saw several Berserked Horned Rabbits charging towards the children, who were quickly put under the protection of the adults. Not far from the rabbits was the Alpha Monster, Carbuncle, which made Cedwyn''s expression turn grim.


    "You brats, run in that direction, now!" Cedwyn ordered as he cast a barrier around him and the Dwarf children. He quickly herded them to the narrow passages between the Dwarves'' houses.


    The houses were built this way in order to serve as a strategic path for escape in case of pursuit by big monsters, who couldn''t fit through narrow ces.


    As soon as they emerged on the other side of the street, he saw a scene that made him wonder if he was just seeing things.


    "By the Gods, Undead Monsters in broad daylight!" Cedwyn cried out in shock when he saw several Skeletons, Ghouls, and Draugrs in the surroundings.


    Just as the Vige Head thought that things couldn''t get any worse, he saw a three-meter tall monster in the distance. It had a long tailing from its backside which was simr to that of a scorpion, which made Cedwyn p himself to make sure that he wasn''t dreaming.


    "Ghoul Beast!" Cedwyn cried out in rm. "Just what in the world is happening?!"


    Usually during Monster Outbreaks, Leaf Vige would just be fighting against one type of enemy. It would either be an Insect Outbreak, Undead Outbreak, or a Beast Outbreak. But right now, all three outbreaks were happening at the same time, which made the old Dwarf wonder if he was just having a nightmare.


    Just as Cedwyn was wondering on how to get out of this desperate situation, he heard a loud and dominating wolf howl thay made all the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.


    The Vige Head then looked in the distance and saw a five-meter tall monster, whom he had only seen once in his life.


    The first time he saw the Monster, he, along with Grandma Annie and Randolph, almost lost their lives.


    Now, he was seeing the same creature again, and this time, Cedwyn had a feeling that he wouldn''t be able to survive this second encounter against a creature whose strength was only a step away from the Deimos Rank.


    "Mutated Thunder Wolf King!" Cedwyn''s face had been drained of all color when he looked at the Monster who could single-handedly destroy the entirety of Leaf Vige.


    The foreigner Dwarves that he had saved earlier all started crying out of fear of the strong monsters that had appeared out of nowhere. They thought that they were just going to fight normal monsters, so they weren''t too afraid earlier.


    However, right now, they wished they had listened to Cedwyn right away and hid themselves in the underground shelters. If they did, perhaps they would have been able to live another day.


    But they no longer had this opportunity.


    It was far toote.


    "May the Gods have mercy on us all," Cedwyn muttered as he tried his best to keep standing, despite the fact that his legs felt like they could copse under him at any given moment.


    Cedwyn knew that even before this day was over, there would no longer be a Leaf Vige in the Territory of Norria. Although the bells of the vige continued to ring endlessly, telling the Stronghold of Norria to send reinforcements, Cedwyn knew that it would be of no use.


    Perhaps, not even their corpses would be spared, leaving nothing behind but a faint memory that their vige had once existed in the world of Elysium.


    Even if by some great miracle the reinforcements arrived in time, they would still have to pay a hefty price to win against an opponent this powerful. Only by sacrificing hundreds of lives could the Mutated Thunder Wolf King be in.


    Cedwyn had no idea if the Riders of Norria would be willing to pay such a price just to kill the Mutated Thunder Wolf King. The monster was leagues above the rank of their strongest fighter

 Chapter 161 I’ll Take Care Of These Pests For You

    "Run, children!" Grandma Annie desperately shouted to the fleeing Dwarves, wanting them to run faster towards the shelters.


    She was already feeling faint after casting spell after spell without a single break. She hurriedly ate some of her candies to replenish her health and mana as she scanned her surroundings.


    Not far from her, Randolph was fighting against two Draugr''s with his hammer. The cksmith had been a warrior in the past, and even now, he would train his body as long as he had extra time, which was whenever he wasn''t busy forging weapons or armor for the foreigners who would visit his shop.


    "Die!" Randolph shouted as he smashed one of the Draugrs'' head like a watermelon. He then rolled to his side, evading the attack of the Draugr behind him.


    <o>,m "Do you need help?" Grandma Annie asked as three Fire Bolts floated around her.</o>


    Randolph shook his head as he faced off against the Draugr in front of him.


    "Save your strength, there are stronger monsters prowling about," Randolph said as he parried the sh of his opponent. "I''ll kill this bastard first then we''ll go help the guards take control of the situation."


    "Got it!" Grandma Annie replied.


    It was at this moment that they heard a loud explosion from the distance, followed by something falling from the sky.


    "Cedwyn!" Grandma Annie shouted as she ran towards the Vige Head who was seriously injured. "What happened to you? Who did this?!"


    Blood seeped out of the corner of Cedwyn''s lips as she gripped Grandma Annie''s hand firmly.


    "A-Annie, it''s no use," Cedwyn said through gritted teeth. "The Vige is done for. We can''t win."


    "Stop talking," Grandma Annie replied as she poured healing potion on Cedwyn''s body and allowed him to drink a full bottle to help with his injuries. "We just need to hold on for an hour like always and the Riders of Norria will arrive. Captain Boreas is still here in the vige, so he should be able to buy us time until the rest of hisrades arrive."


    "No! It''s no use!" Cedwyn stated as he stared at Grandma Annie with blood-shot eyes. "Run Annie! We can''t win! No matter what we do, even if the Riders of Norria arrive, we can''t win!"


    "J-Just what are you talking about?" Grandma Annie stuttered.


    She hadn''t seen Cedwyn so desperate and helpless in the past, even if they were facing untold hardships.


    "It''s toote��," Cedwyn said, almost sobbing as he pointed behind Grandma Annie. "He is here."


    The old candy maker of Leaf Vige turned her head around and her entire body stiffened after seeing the Monster that was standing on top of a house and looking at her as if she was a mere insect.


    "M-Mutated Thunder Wolf King!" Grandma Annie gasped in shock. "No! This is impossible! It can''t be here! It just can''t!"


    Cedwyn could only smile bitterly as he watched Grandma Annie''s reaction. At first, he had also thought that he might just seeing things, but this was the reality that they were facing.


    Earlier, he was forced to use a teleportation spell to forcefully send the Dwarf children outside the vige. He didn''t know where he had sent them because he didn''t have enough time to properly set a coordinate.<sub> </sub>


    All he knew was that any ce would be safer than the vige at the moment, so he sent them away before the Thunder Wolf King sted them with its lightning bolt and turned them into ashes.


    A momentter, another figure crashed into the house beside Cedwyn and Grandma Annie.


    "Randolph!" Grandma Annie shouted as he looked at the cksmith who was not moving in the distance.


    A momentter, a Red-Eyed Terror Mantis descended from the sky andnded near the fallen cksmith. It then raised its ded w with the intention of ending Randolph''s life, while thetterid on the ground, heavily injured.


    "Randooooooooooooolph!" Grandma Annie shouted with all of her might as the ded w shed at the fallen Dwarf.


    mes swirled around her hand as she tried to cast her strongest spell in order to prevent the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis from taking her friend''s life. She knew that her spell wouldn''t make it in time, but there was nothing else that she could do at the moment.


    The two of them had just been bickering with each other, and now, she could only watch helplessly as her friend lost his life in front of her.


    Suddenly, the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis was blown away from where it stood and mmed into the wall of the nearby house,pletely destroying it.


    Grandma Annie and Cedwyn could only look at the figure standing beside the fallen Randolph with surprised expressions on their faces.


    "Have no fear!" the fat, Demonic Defender cried out with arrogance. "Pazuzu is here!"


    "P-Pazuzu," Grandma Annie stuttered. "If he''s here then that could only mean��"


    Just as Grandma Annie was about to finish her sentence, a ck Warg leapt above her head andnded several meters in front of her.


    Riding on the Warg''s back was a red-headed teenager, with a baby slime perched on top of his head.


    "Lux��," Grandma Annie said, almost sobbing as she looked at the Half-Elf that she hadn''t seen for several months. "Child, run away! Leave us here and save yourself!"


    Lux turned around to look at the kind Grandma who would always invite him to eat some sweets in her tea shop whenever she saw him walking past her store. Seeing her in a disheveled state already made his heart ache, but seeing his Master, Randolph, lying unconscious on the ground, made his heart ache more to the point that he felt suffocated.


    "Thank you for doing your best to protect everyone, Grandma Annie," Lux said as he shifted his attention to the two Alpha Monsters in front of him. "I''ll take care of these pests for you."


    The Half-Elf loved everyone in Leaf Vige. Seeing it in such a state filled him with rage.


    Grandma Annie wanted to dissuade the Half-Elf by letting him know that what he was about to do was suicide. However, her words stopped at the back of her throat as he looked at Lux''s figure who was standing between them and the monsters who wanted them killed.


    It had been a while since thest time she was protected by someone. She had always been the one doing her best to protect everyone in Leaf Vige to the best of her abilities. Seeing Lux''s straight and steady form, she started to believe that a miracle might just happen.


    A miracle that would be fondly remembered by the residents of Leaf Vige for many years toe.

 Chapter 162 If We Survive This, I’m Taking You Out For A Drink

    The Red-Eyed Terror Mantis emerged from the destroyed house and angrily shrieked at Lux.


    It was at this moment that Boreas, the Captain of the Riders of Norria, arrived at the scene along with over twenty Riders, who were all Grade C Apostles (Rank 2 Monsters).


    After seeing the opponents, Boreas face paled. With just a nce, he could tell that the five-meter-tall mutated wolf was bad news.


    "Captain Boreas, can you hold them back for five minutes?" Lux asked with a smile. "I need to do something first."


    "No," Boreas replied. "It''s impossible."


    "A. Isn''t this the part where you will say, ''Leave everything to me!'' and act like a hero?"


    "Don''t ask for the impossible. That wolf is bad news. Even if our reinforcements arrive, it will still be difficult to deal with."


    The red-headed teeanger dismounted from his warg and summoned his skeletons to carry Randolph, Grandma Annie, and Cedwyn and mount them on Jed''s back. He knew that all three of them had reached their limits and could no longer fight against the enemies.


    "Has everyone been evacuated?" Lux asked Boreas, who was firmly holding his War Hammer while riding on top of his Mountain Goat.


    Boreas nodded. "Only the Adults, the Guards of the Vige, and the Riders of Norria remain. We have already suffered over a hundred casualties, and there will be more names added on that list until we defeat that thing."


    Lux stared at the Thunder Wolf King who was eyeing them with great interest.


    ''If only I had my gold token with me, things would be different,'' Lux thought.


    The Half-Elf didn''t want to rely on the power of an Argonaut Ranked Crystal Dragon when he fought because it would only give him a false sense of security. In order to prevent himself from relying on the artifact, he left it in his Grandma Vera''s hands for safekeeping back in Sis.


    He wanted to train himself to be stronger by his own strength, not by using the strength of others.


    The Half-Elf took a deep breath as he summoned his Soul Book. It was now time for him to fight seriously, and this time, he would no longer hold back his strength.


    In truth, aside from the Mythical Quest of the different viges in the Territory of Norria, his main reason for staying was to help Leaf Vige fight off another Monster Outbreak as a means to redeem himself from what happened in the past.


    Now that the time had finally arrived, he would fight with everything he had and put his life on the line for the sake of the vige that epted him even though he was not a Dwarf.


    "Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu,e!" Lux ordered and his three named creatures stood by his side. "I order the three of you to hold them back for five minutes. Do I make myself clear?!"


    """Yes!"""


    All three named creatures spoke in unison as they took a step forward to face the two Alpha Monsters in front of them.


    "Captain Boreas, if you want to have a chance of winning, please, ept my invitation!" Lux said as he sent the Rider Captain an invite to join his party.


    For some reason, Boreas felt that Lux''s words held a trace of confidence, so he nodded his head and epted his invite. Soon, all of the Riders of Norria were added to Lux''s party.<sub> </sub>


    It was not only the Riders who had joined Lux''s party, but also the Vige Guards led by Aron, who was currently fighting against the Beast Ghoul in the Western side of the vige.


    "Eiko, summon ckie and Whitey, as well as your Skeletons!" Lux ordered. "Also, don''t join the battle for now. Wait for me to give you the signal!"


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded as she summoned ckie, Whitey, and her Skeleton Soldiers to fight by their side. Although she was raring to join them in battle, she prioritized obeying her Papa''s orders because she trusted himpletely.


    Lux did the same and raised his hand to shout a Battle Cry to enhance everyone''s physical and magical damage. He knew that even the smallest increment in strength could potentially tilt the battle in their favor, so he no longer nned to only use it for himself and his Summons.


    The Riders of Norria and the Vige Guards immediately felt an additional strength surge in their bodies. However, before they could express their amazement, Diablo shouted his Warlord''s Warcry, further boosting their strength.


    "Jade Body!" Lux shouted and all his Skeletons Summons, as well as his other allies were enveloped with brilliance, coating their bodies with anotheryer of protection.


    "W-We might just win this," Boreas muttered as he felt the power that was flowing inside his body.


    Because of the buffs, all of the Riders of Norria''s strength had been given an upgrade and their strength were now simr to a Grade B Apostle (Rank 3 Monsters). Boreas'' strength even reached the initial stages of a Grade A Apostle (Rank 4 Monsters).


    "Now, Captain, can you hold them back for five minutes?" Lux asked as he gazed at Boreas with a serious expression on his face.


    This time, Boreas nodded his head.


    "If it is only five minutes, I can do that," Boreas replied. "However, will we win if I give you five minutes?"


    "Perhaps," Lux answered. "I will not know until we try."


    Boreas grinned as he urged his mount to face the Monsters alongside his men.


    "Boy, if we survive this, I''m taking you out for a drink," Boreas stated. "I''ll give you the best Dwarf Wine you will ever taste in your life."


    Lux smiled as he nodded his head. "I look forward to it."


    The Half-Elf then summoned his Soul Book and started distributing his free stat points to his attributes, so that he could fight with full strength.


    Slowly but surely, Lux''s Rank broke through the Grade D Disciple Rank, but it didn''t stop there, continuously rising at a rapid pace.


    He had now broken past the limit of what was eptable inside the Beginner''s Zone, but he didn''t care.


    Several rows of text appeared in front of him, presenting him with the new set of abilities that had been unlocked after upgrading to his current rank.


    As the Half-Elf raced against time, his Named Creatures and Skeleton Summons fought with everything they had to buy him the time he needed.


    They knew that once their Master had finished allocating his points to his Stats and Skills, his true strength, that he had been suppressing for the past few months, would finally be unleashed in full.

 Chapter 163 Lux’s Battle Regalia [Part 1]

    After Lux''s arrival, the defenders suddenly found a second wind, which allowed them to gain more strength to repel the invaders.


    Due to the powerful buffs that had been granted when the Half-Elfpleted the Hidden Quest in the Stronghold of Norria, all the defenders gained a 20% increase to their attack and defense.


    Coupled with Lux''s stacking buffs, they were able to deal with the rampaging monsters that were destroying the houses that were bereft of their owners.


    "Push them back!" Boreas ordered. "Riders, rally to me!"


    Boreas led the charge against the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, who was pushed back by the Riders of Norria''s powerful charge.


    Over twenty Riders smashed their hammers against the three-meter tall Mantis at about the same time, making it shriek out of pain and fury.


    ''The only tough problem left is the Thunder Wolf King,'' Boreas thought as he nced at the Peak Rank 5 Alpha Monster that was being distracted by Lux''s Undead Army.


    Every few seconds, one of Lux''s and Eiko''s Skeleton Summons would shatter after getting hit by the Giant Wolf''s ferocious swipes.


    The Baby Slime would immediately resummon the Skeletons that belonged to her every time they get destroyed in order to buy her Papa some time to fix his stats.


    Several panels appeared in front of Lux, as he multitasked to allocate all of his stats and skill points.


    A few minutes passed before the panels in front of Lux disappeared. He then closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes again. He then looked at the carnage in front of him before shifting his attention to the Thunder Wolf King, whose strength even surpassed the Draconic Kobold, Cadmus.


    The Half-Elf used the Elysium Compendium to appraise the greatest threat among the Monsters attacking Leaf Vige.


    ��----


    < Mutated Thunder Wolf King >


    �C Thunder Wolf King


    �C Rank 5 Field Boss Monster


    Health: 783,210 / 800,000


    Mana: 246,956 / 250,000


    Strength: 800


    Intelligence: 500


    Vitality: 800


    Agility: 800


    Dexterity: 800


    Active Skills: Chain Lightning, Call Lightning, Thunder Fang, Lightning Body, Leap, Lightning Step, Lightning Tempest.


    Passive Skills: Ability Focus, Dodge, Quick Footed.


    Title: Blessed by Thunder and Lightning


    ��---


    Lux fearlessly gazed at the Monster as he prepared himself for battle.


    "Eiko, it''s time to fight seriously," Lux said as he raised his hand to summon more Skeletons to fight for his side.


    "Pa!" Eiko replied, as she, too, summoned the new and improved Skeletons she gained thanks to Lux''s upgrade.


    Twenty five Skeletal Fighters and twenty Skeleton Grand Archers rose to fight the enemy in front of him. Both of their summoning skills now had a Rating of A, which made them more powerful.


    However, Lux wasn''t finished yet.


    "Doppelganger," Lux said as two, near-perfect, clones appeared on his side.


    "Pa!" Eiko also used her Doppelganger skill, creating two baby Slimes that jumped onto the heads of the clones that her Papa created.


    """Arise!"""


    After a few seconds, the two new baby Slimes shouted in unison as they summoned their own Skeleton Fighters. Lux''s two clones did the same and a hundred and eighty skeletons appeared around them.


    But he was not done yet. Lux then raised his sword as he shouted his Battle Cry to increase everyone''s attack damage.


    As if waiting for that cue, Diablo also raised Oathbreaker towards the sky and activated his Warlord''s Warcry, boosting everyone''s attack further.<sub> </sub>


    Now, Lux''s Undead Army, as well as his allies, now had a +300 increase in their physical and magical attack damage.


    But thanks to Diablo''s passive ability, Warlord''s Presence, which granted a 10% increase to physical and magical attack to the Warlord and his allies, their attacks were once again raised to the next level.


    "Kill!" Lux ordered as his forces charged at the Thunder Wolf King with vengeance.


    Lightning snaked around the Giant Wolf as the horns on its head glowed brightly. It was preparing to unleash its skill, Chain Lightning, which could decimate the majority of Lux''s forces in one blow.


    Fortunately, before the Alpha Monster could unleash its attack, Pazuzu used his Duel [EX] to force the monster to cancel its attack and exchange a blow with him.


    Rains of arrows pelted the Giant Wolf''s body as Pazuzu used his Shield Bash to smash the Alpha Monster''s head, causing it to howl in pain.


    When the Giant Wolf regained its bnce, it leapt towards one of the houses and attempted to use its AOE skill once again. But before it could unleash its deadly strike, Diablo used his Duel [EX] to force thetter to lunge at him in frustration.


    "My God, he is actually able to hold his ground against that thing!" Boreas eximed after smashing the head of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, sending it crashing towards a house.


    The Thunder Wolf King then angrily roared towards the sky, creating storm clouds that covered the entire vige. Lightning shed in the heavens and thunder roared in fury. It had had enough of the pesky insects that were getting on its nerves, so it decided to get serious.


    "Did we rub you the wrong way?" Lux sneered at the arrogant Alpha Monster''s beastly face, who treated all of them like insects.


    The Giant Wolf roared in anger as lightning bolts hit its body, infusing it with some sort of lightning armor that crackled across its body.


    Lux was unfazed as he raised his hand to give his Undead Summons an offensive buff.


    "Barbed Bones!"


    The Skeletons grew barbed spikes on their bodies made up of bones. These bones dealt additional 10 Piercing True Damage to anyone that attacked them.


    Although 10 points of damage seemed like an insignificant number, it would still stack up every time Diablo, Ishtar, the Skeleton Fighters and the Skeleton Grand Archers were attacked.


    Currently, there were over a hundred and eighty Skeletons present on the battlefield. If the Thunder Wolf King attacked all of them, a significant amount of damage would be dealt before all of them died.


    Aron, the Guard Captain of Leaf VIge, arrived at the scene and assessed the situation. Seeing that Lux was fighting against the Thunder Wolf King, he ordered his men to attack the beasts that were getting in the way of the Half-Elf''s assault against the Field Boss Monster.


    "Deal with those small fries first!" Aron ordered. "We will reinforce Lux after we clear them all up! Get them!"


    "Charge!"


    "Kill these bastards!"


    "I''ll turn them into barbecued meatter!"


    The Dwarf Defenders rushed towards the Berserked Horned Rabbits, as well as the Carbunble that was assisting the Mutated Thunder Wolf King in battle. They had just defeated the Ghoul Beast and demolished its Undead Army, reducing the pressure on the Eastern Side of Leaf Vige.


    On the other hand, Boreas, the Rider Captain, was still busy dealing with the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis in addition to the Insect Outbreak that hade from the North.


    Although Lux was currently dealing with the Thunder Wolf King and the Dire Wolves that came from the Heartwood Forest, they still didn''t have enough manpower to deal with everything.


    As if sensing his worries, he heard Lux''s confident voice as he dealt with the Thunder Wolf King as well as the Dire Wolves that hade to help their leader.


    "Don''t worry, Captain Boreas," Lux answered. "I''ll keep the Thunder Wolfpany until you''re done with the cleanup."


    Boreas nodded and turned back to face the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis that had activated its Berserk Skill.


    "Don''t die before we exterminate these bugs, Lux," Boreas said as he charged at the Berserked Mantis whose strength had drastically increased.


    Lux no longer had time to reply to the Rider Captain as he shed at a Dire Wolf that had lunged at him.


    Jed, his ck Warg, stood by his side and defended him from sneak attacks. The ck Warg was a Rank 3 Monster, so it was more than enough to deal with the Rank 2 Dire Wolves that were currently targeting its Master.


    Suddenly, Lux''s sixth sense kicked up so he hastily turned around, just in time to see the Thunder Wolf King shoot a lightning bolt in his direction.


    A loud explosion rang out as the Giant Wolf''s attack connected. It caused an eruption of dust clouds in Lux''s location, blocking everyone''s view.


    Boreas'' and Aron''s voices rang out as they called for the Half-Elf who just got hit by the Monster''s powerful attack.


    The Mutated Thunder Wolf King was a very smart monster. It knew that if it killed the Summoner, all of the annoying Skeletons would disappear. Once they were gone, nothing would stand in its way ofpletely obliterating the vige that it had set its eyes on.


    "That was a close call. For a brief moment I thought I was a goner."


    A teasing voice came from within the dust cloud, which made Aron and Boreas, who thought that Lux had been turned into charcoal, feel relieved.


    A few momentster, the dust cloud dispersed and the Half-Elf reappeared. Only this time, he was covered in a blue-colored full body armor that gleamed faintly in the sunlight.

 Chapter 164 Lux’s Battle Regalia [Part 2]

    "I-Is that the Faunus Battle Regalia?" Aron gasped as he looked at the blue armor that covered Lux''s entire body. "No. The Faunus Battle Regalia is green. This one is blue, but the design is almost the same."


    What Aron didn''t know was that he guessed correctly. Lux had indeed equipped the Faunus Battle Regalia, but it had been modified in ordance to the Half-Elf''s request, which had given Randolph a headache when he was crafting it for him.


    Even so, after nearly a month of experiments, Lux''s Personal Battle Regalia was born and it was called "Lux''s Dragon Regalia".


    ��--


    < Lux''s Dragon Regalia >


    (Lightning Awakened Form)


    Rating: Pseudo-Legendary


    Requirements: Apostle Grade D


    �C An armor that was forged for the sake of protecting someone who is important to him.


    +50 to all Stats


    +500 to Defense


    �C 50% Resistance to the element of Lightning


    �C Has a moderate chance to nullify any lightning based damage that the wearer of this armor will receive.


    �C This armor can absorb lightning damage and use it to coat its entirety with lightning that deals damage to anyone within two meters of its wearer.


    �C This Armor is bound to Lux Von Kaizer


    Active Skills: Lightning sh, Lightning Strider, Lightning Body


    Passive Skills: Improved Lightning Reflexes, Improved Concentration, Beast Bane, Improved Elemental Resistance, Absorb Lightning, Indestructible, Auto Fit


    < Lightning sh >


    �C Create a dazzling radiance that has a high chance of temporarily blinding your enemies.


    ��--


    < Lightning Strider >


    �C Teleport anywhere within a twenty meter square radius.


    ��-


    < Lightning Body >


    �C Coat your body with the power of lightning that deals damage to anyone within two meters of you.


    ��--


    < Improved Concentration >


    �C Raises all of your stats by 10 points each.


    ��


    < Improved Lightning Reflexes >


    �C Your awareness is raised to a higher level, giving you the ability to dodge blows, as well as execute maneuvers that require fast movement.


    ��-


    < Beast Bane >


    �C When fighting against Beast Type Monsters, increase physical and magical damage by 20%


    ��-


    < Improved Elemental Resistance >


    �C Decrease all Elemental Damage by 20%


    ��----


    Lux''s Dragon Regalia was an armor that was specifically crafted to counter any skill that was rted to lightning. Lux had asked his Master, Randolph, to craft this armor with the intention of wanting to beat the crap out of Nero at the Tournament at Barbatos Academy.


    It just so happened that the Mutated Thunder Wolf King was a Lightning Type Monster, which gave Lux the perfect opportunity to try out the power of his armor.


    However, this armor was still notplete. After hearing Lux''s request, Randolph came up with an ingenious idea of creating an armor that could change its elemental affinity. He wanted to make an armor that was capable of resisting as well as nullifying all elemental damage.<sub> </sub>


    Lux''s Armor was still a prototype for his grand design, so it was still iplete. Even so, the red-headed teenager was already more than happy with the armor that his Master had especially crafted for him.


    "Lightning Body!" Lux roared towards the sky, and the heavens answered his call. Several lightning bolts descended from the sky, repeatedly striking the Half-Elf who was currently wearing his personalized battle regalia.


    After the armor was bathed in lightning bolts, its color changed to a whitish blue, as lightning cracked around its body.


    "Okay, let''s go for round two, shall we?" Lux said before consecutively teleporting three times until he was right below the Giant Wolf.


    "Dragon War Art Second Form!" Lux shouted as his hands turned into Dragon ws. "Dragon Uppercut!"


    The head of the Giant Wolf was pushed back after Lux unleashed one of the Dragon War Arts that he had mastered while he was finishing the mythical quests of the other viges in the Territory of Norria.


    The Mutated Thunder Wolf quickly recovered and immediately used its own ws to swipe at the arrogant Half-Elf that dared to attack it.


    A metallic sound resonated in the battlefield as a tower shield met with the Giant Wolf''s attack, preventing it from hitting Lux, who was now standing behind his Demonic Defender.


    "Shield Bash!" Pazuzu smashed his shield against the Wolf''s face, pushing it away from its Master.


    "Eiko, let''s do it!"


    "Pa!"


    Before Lux teleported towards the Mutated Thunder Wolf King, he had told Eiko to jump off his head, so she could go near their opponent without being noticed.


    Lux''s and the baby Slime''s clones had surrounded the Thunder Wolf King with the intention of crippling their opponent by draining away its mana reserves.


    """Mana Drain!"""


    """Pa!"""


    Tendrils of magical energy were siphoned from the Thunder Wolf King''s body at a rapid pace, which rmed the Field Boss.


    ��---


    Mana Drain [EX]: Absorbs the Mana of your target for five seconds. Mana absorbed is equivalent to 5% of Target''s Maximum Mana.


    Range: 10 meters


    Duration: 5 seconds


    Cooldown: 20 seconds


    ��--


    Although 5% might seem small, Mana Drain was still a skill capable of exhausting the opponent''s mana reserve, limiting their usage of active skills. Right now, Lux''s, as well as Eiko''s clones were also using this skill at the same time, which drastically increased the amount of mana drained from the Thunder Wolf King.


    The skill only had a twenty seconds cooldown, and in the limited period of time, Lux was able to absorb 30% of the Monster''s Mana within the span of a few seconds.


    If Lux could do this three to four more times, the Field Boss would run out of juice, and would have no choice but to fight them with just physical attacks.


    As if considering this possibility, the Thunder Wolf King decided to unleash a strong AOE attack to repel everyone that was attacking it. Right now, only Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and the Skeleton Grand Archers were actively fighting the Boss Monster.


    The Skeleton Fighters were busy keeping the Dire Wolves that were trying to help their leader away from the battle.


    As the Thunder Wolf King gathered magical energy in its body, it eyed Lux with hatred.


    Unfortunately, the boss was unable to cast its powerful skill because one of Eiko''s Clones had copied Diablo''s Duel [EX] skill, forcing the Giant Wolf to face her.


    The baby Slime clone only opened its mouth as a magic circle appeared in front of it.


    Lux, Eiko, and the rest of their clones did the same as they prepared to unleash one of the strongest attacks that they could muster at the same time.


    This was one of Lux''s ultimate Trump Cards.


    He and Eiko had already used this move several times when they were clearing the difficult missions that apanied the Mythical Quests in the Territory of Norria.


    It was an attack that even Cadmus, who was a Rank 5 Alpha Monster, didn''t want to face head-on.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    """Eyah!"""


    Six dragon breaths engulfed the Thunder Wolf King, resulting in an explosion that blew away all nearby Skeletons and Dire Wolves that were fighting near the Boss Monster.


    Aron, and Boreas, who had just finished dealing with the Carbuncle and the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, could only stare in shock at the powerful explosion that shook the entirety of Leaf Vige.


    Although they didn''t want to admit it, the Half-Elf who had almost died during the Undead Outbreak when he first arrived, was now stronger than them.

 Chapter 165 The Revenger

    The Mutated Thunder Wolf King was in the center of a smoldering crater after it had tanked six Dragon Breaths at the same time. It was badly shaken by the surprise attack, and had received serious injuries, but the Half-Elf was certain that it could still fight.


    If it was an ordinary Alpha Beast, like the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, it might have been killed by this point.


    Smoke oozed out from the corner of Lux''s and Eiko''s lips as the effect of the Dragon''s Breath faded.


    ''I knew it, it would not go down that easily,'' Lux thought. ''As expected of a Rank Five Field Boss Monster.''


    After checking the Elysium Compendium, Lux was quite surprised when he saw that they managed to take out a third of the Mutated Thunder Wolf King''s health.


    "Eiko!"


    "Pa!"


    """Mana Drain!"""


    """Drain!"""


    Lux took this opportunity to siphon the Monster''s mana reserves, while it was still down for the count.


    Diablo rushed towards the Monster, wielding a Dark Spear that Lux had acquired when doing the Mythical Quest in Millwood Vige. Although it wasn''t a Mythical Weapon, it was still a Unique Weapon that boasted significant strength.


    The Skeletal Rider''s Heroic Charge connected with the Thunder Wolf King''s body, sending it skidding several meters away. However, just before Diablo could hit it with a follow up attack, the monster leapt away to safety.


    "Lux! We''re here!" Boreas shouted.


    "Let''s take this monster down together!" Aron dered.


    Seeing that it was outnumbered, the Mutated Wolf King nned to escape, but before doing that, it still wanted to kill the Half-Elf who had made its life miserable.


    Lightning enveloped the Giant Wolf''s feet before it disappeared from where it originally stood. A secondter, it reappeared behind Lux, and opened its fangs to bite him to pieces.


    However, just as its fangs were about to reach its target, a rocky hand jutted out of the ground and gave the Thunder Wolf King an uppercut that sent it flying.


    "I knew you''d do that, so I prepared a surprise for you beforehand," Lux turned around to look at the Giant Wolf whose jaws were bleeding from the blow it received. "Say hello to my little friend."


    The ground trembled and a four-meter-tall rock golem stood in front of Lux. After Lux had upgraded all of his stats and skill points, he had unlocked his skill Summon Golem, and pooled his remaining Skill Points to strengthen it as much as possible.


    ��-


    < Orion >


    "Where there is no Struggle, there is no Strength."


    �C Named Golem


    �C Rock Golem


    �C Rating: B


    �C Mana 100


    �C Progress ( 0 / 10,000)


    Health: 60,000 / 60,000


    Mana: 2,500  /  2,500


    Attack: 950 - 1000


    Attack Type: Earth Elemental Damage


    Strength: 300


    Intelligence: 50


    Vitality: 300


    Agility: 50


    Dexterity: 100


    Defense: 600


    Active Skill: Earthshaker, Rock Throw, Rampage, Duel [EX], Jackhammer, Stomp, Gaia Smash


    Passive Skill: Equip Item, Guts, Enhanced Fortitude, Stone Skin, Earth Walker


    Title: Revenger


    �C Orion is your fourth Named Creature and has been bestowed the title of Revenger.


    �C This Named Creature has gained the ability to evolve.


    < Revenger >


    �C Regardless of what happens in the future, this Named Creature will be forever loyal to you.


    �C All attacks made by Orion will deal extra damage as his health decreases.


    100% Health = Normal Damage<sub> </sub>


    80% Health = Increase damage by 25%


    60% Health = Increase Damage by 50%


    40% Health = Increase Damage by 75%


    20% Health - Increase Damage by 200%


    �C When Orion is killed by an enemy, he will add the name of that creature to his Revenge List. The next time he faces the same enemy, all of his stats will increase by 200%


    �C The Revenger ability will apply to simr kinds of monsters in his Revenge List. For example, if he was killed by a Red Dragon, the next time he faced a Red Dragon, his overall stats would increase by 200% upon meeting the creature on his revenge list.


    �C If Orion is killed by the same creature again, he would gain an additional 10% stacking bonus to the overall increase of his Stat Points, whenever he faces the same enemy.


    Note: Vengeance is always an option!


    (A/N: Orion gains a 210% increase in all of his stats if he is killed by the same enemy twice, and 220% if he was killed thrice. This effect stacks and so on, and so forth.)


    ��----------


    ? "Go get him, Orion!" Lux ordered and the Rock Golem roared before running towards the direction of the Mutated Thunder Wolf King that lunged at the Golem in front of it.


    Just as the two were about to collide, the Giant Wolf King vanished once again. It was dead set on killing the Half-Elf, but did not want to bother with his Summons.


    The Mutated Thunder Wolf King reappeared beside its armored opponent and crushed him with all of his might.


    The sound of armor creaking was heard, and soon, the body it had bitten was torn in half.


    "No! Lux!" Boreas shouted when he saw what happened to the Half-Elf that had the upper hand in the battle. He didn''t expect that the monster would be stubborn enough to only aim at Lux in order to end his life.


    After killing its prey, the Mutated Thunder Wolf King howled in triumph before eyeing the summoned monsters that would soon disappear in front of it. But, after nearly half a minute, the Skeletons were still there and were rushing towards the Boss Monsters as if they were on steroids.


    Diablo''s bone spears, as well as Airon''s mences, flew through the air, hitting the side of the Giant Wolf''s body.


    Ishtar''s rain of arrows pummeled her target and made its movements slow down.


    Pazuzu smashed its mace into the Giant Wolf''s forehead, making it howl in pain.


    "T-They''re still moving?" Aron muttered as he looked at Lux''s summons who were duking it out with the Boss Monster, who was also fighting them with everything it had.


    Boreas immediately noticed something and urged his subordinates to attack. Since the summoned creatures didn''t disappear when Lux died it only meant one thing.


    The Half-Elf wasn''t dead.


    Soon, the wrath of the Riders of Norria was seen as their weapons smashed against the Mutated Thunder Wolf King''s body repeatedly, while their goats rammed their horns into its body.


    Aron also snapped out of his daze and ordered his men to join the fray.


    Each and every time the Thunder Wolf King tried to use its AOE lightning attacks, one of Lux''s minions would cancel it by forcing it into a duel.


    Little by little, the health of the Rank 5 Monster dropped, until only a third of it remained.


    The clones had repeatedly used the Mana Drain ability until the boss monster could no longer sustain its special moves. It had no choice but to resort to just using its physical attacks to deal with the horde of Skeletons, Dwarves, Slimes, and the Rock Golem who punched the Giant Wolf''s head left and right.


    After feeling that its death was imminent, the Thunder Wolf King forcefully shook off its attackers and used its Lightning Step onest time to distance itself from its enemies before making a run for it.


    "Just where do you think you''re going?"


    A teasing tone asked from the sky.


    Lux, whom everyone had thought was dead, descended from the heavens like aet.


    "Dragon War Art Ninth Form!" Lux roared as an image of a Red Dragon appeared above him. "Draco-Meteor!"


    The mighty roar of a Dragon spread across the surroundings as Lux descended in zing fury.


    His fist smashed into the Mutated Thunder Wolf King''s head, causing the ground under its feet to shatter due the force of the impact.


    "Die!" Lux shouted as he smashed the Giant Wolf''s head towards the ground again, creating a powerful explosion, which sent dirt and rocks flying in every direction.


    Lux clicked his tongue because his blow was still not enough to kill the monster. However, he waspletely exhausted from the all out attack he had just done.


    The Half-Elf then used his Lightning Strider skill to distance himself from the monster who was near-death and ordered his newpanion to finish it.


    "Orion! Finish him!" Lux ordered as he pointed at the Monster which had forcefully propped itself up from the ground.


    The ground shook as the four-meter tall Rock Golem ran towards his opponent. When the wolf came within its range, it used its Leap Attack to lunge at his opponent with his arms pulled back to deliver its strongest attack.


    "Gaia Smash!" Orion roared as it descended towards his enemy with his fist radiating a golden light.


    The moment the Rock Golem''s attack connected, a loud cracking sound was heard as the Mutated Thunder Wolf King''s skull broke under Orion''s finishing strike.


    A powerful shockwave sted everyone in the surroundings away as the Boss Monster howled its dying cry.


    The greatest threat that appeared in Leaf Vige had finally breathed itsst and turned into particles of light.


    This left everyone, especially the dwarves, feeling like they had just witnessed the birth of a legend, whose tale would soon spread across the entire Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.

 Chapter 166 Aftermath Of The Grand Monster Outbreak

    "Hurry up everyone!" Thoram, the Commander of the Stronghold of Norria, led the charge towards Leaf Vige.


    Behind him, over five hundred Riders of Norria rode their trusty Goats. Leaf Vige had rung the highest level of rm possible, which meant that they weren''t dealing with just an ordinary Monster Outbreak.


    Boreas, one of his most trusted Captains, had been stationed to look after the vige. With him there, no ordinary Monster Outbreak could possibly get past him. Still, the Cmity Bell of Leaf Vige had been rung, which meant that the problem they were facing could potentially wipe out the entire vige from the face of the world.


    From afar, he could see dark clouds covering the entirety of the vige. All of the Riders of Norria watched as lightning bolts fell from the sky, followed by a booming thunder that spread across the entire territory of Norria.


    As the strongest Dwarf Commander, he had also felt the powerful fluctuations that were happening in the distance.


    ''It will still take us about thirty minutes before we can arrive.'' Thoram gritted his teeth. ''If Leaf Vige falls, I will be demoted from my position and possibly be reced by the King for my inability to secure this territory. No matter what happens, I must get there in time!''


    When the almost non-existent protective walls of Leaf Vige finally came into view, all that Thoram saw was smoke rising up in the air. His heart sank, thinking that the vige had been destroyedpletely and that no one had survived.


    "Sound the battle horns!" Thoram ordered. "Make them know that reinforcements have arrived!"


    Immediately, the sound of horns reverberated in the surroundings as the Riders of Norria entered Leaf Vige with their weapons raised high. Their eyes were bloodshot and they were ready to kill the first Monster that crossed their path.


    The first thing that Thoram saw when he and his troops entered the vige were the countless bodies of Monsters lying on the ground. There were also several Dwarfs that had fallen in battle, but all of them were adults, who had done their best to fight for those that were important to them.


    It was obvious that they prioritized the evacuation of the children and the Foreigners, who would often help the Vige resist Monster Outbreaks.


    When the Riders of Norria arrived near the center of the vige, they saw over a hundred Skeletons loitering about. There was even a Rock Golem, who was carrying a few Dwarves in his hands, which made Thoram roar in anger.


    "Kill these filthy Monsters!" Thoram roared. "Avenge Leaf Vige!"


    ""Kill!""


    The Skeletons looked towards the direction of the approaching Riders, some even waving at them from afar. Thoram thought that the monsters were mocking them so he raised his warhammer and lunged at the nearest Skeleton and smashed his hammer on its face.


    The poor Skeleton was then gangbanged until its entire body shattered into pieces. Seeing this scene, all the other Skeletons made a run for it, and headed to the very center of the vige.


    "Don''t let them escape!" Thoram ordered. "Kill them all!"


    Just as the Riders were about to follow their Commander''s orders, Boreas and his subordinates ran towards their Commander while waving their hands in an attempt to stop the massacre of friendly forces.


    "Commander! They are allies!" Boreas shouted. "Don''t kill them!"


    Aron, the Head of the Vige Guards, also appeared from the distance, running in their direction and shouting to not kill the Skeletons.


    Thoram raised his hand to stop the Riders'' advance and looked at his Rider Captain, as well as the Guard Captain with a serious expression on his face.


    "Exin the situation," Thoram ordered. "Where are the monsters? Is everyone dead? Where is Cedwyn?"


    Boreas cleared his throat before he answered his Commander''s barrage of questions.<sub> </sub>


    "The Monsters are still being dealt with, but most of them have been in. We are currently in the middle of clean up operations, Commander," Boreas answered. "As for the vigers, we had over a hundred casualties, and hundreds of wounded who are now receiving treatment."


    "Vige Head, Cedwyn, was injured, but there is no danger to his life. He is currently at the rear of the vige, looking after the wounded."


    Thoram sighed after hearing Boreas'' exnation. He then looked at the devastated vige in front of him with a serious expression on his face.


    "Just what on Earth attacked this ce?" Thoram asked. "This is too much destruction for a Monster Outbreak."


    Boreas nodded. "It was no ordinary Monster Outbreak, Commander. It was a Grand Monster Outbreak. The Beasts from the Aspiration ins, the Undead from the Cemetery, the Insect Monsters from the Figaro Gardens, as well as the Dire Wolves from the Heartwood Forest, all attacked at the same time."


    "However, that is not the main reason for this much destruction. A Rank 5 Mutated Thunder Wolf King also appeared and destroyed any attempt of resistance from the vigers and us. I''m not gonna lie, Commander. I thought that I wouldn''t be able to survive unless all of you arrived."


    Thoram''s expression became grim when he heard the name of the Monster that attacked Leaf Vige. There had been several cases in the past where the Thunder Wolf King had been sighted, especially near the territory of the Intermediate Towns.


    Everytime it happened, the Adventurer''s Guild would issue an emergency order to y it as soon as possible in order to prevent widespread casualties that usually followed the appearance of such Beasts.


    The Dwarf Commander knew that Boreas, as well as Aron, couldn''t possibly defeat the Field Boss Monster, which was nearing the Pseudo-Deimos Rank.


    "Where is it now?" Thoram asked. "Did it leave after destroying more than half of the vige?"


    Boreas shook his head. "No, sir. The Mutated Thunder Wolf King is now dead. We are just cleaning up the remaining Beasts that are still loitering within the vige."


    Thoram blinked once then twice as he stared at his Rider Captain with an incredulous look on his face.


    "Killed?" Thoram asked. "What do you mean killed? Who killed it?"


    Boreas didn''t answer, and simply pointed towards the center of the vige. There, a red-headed teenager, seated on top of a ck Warg, could be seen.


    Thoram looked at the Half-Elf, who was holding his Soul Book in his hands and seemed to be pondering something very important. After looking at Lux, he then shifted his attention to Boreas and gave him the "You must be kidding me?" re, which made thetter scratch his head in helplessness.


    "It is true, Commander," Aron said as he walked towards the Commander of the Riders of Norria. "It was indeed Lux who slew the Mutated Thunder Wolf King. If I didn''t witness it myself, I''d have the same expression you have on your face right now."


    Thoram shifted his attention back to the Half-Elf, who was still seated on top of his ck Warg. Right now, he was still half in doubt whether Boreas and Aron were telling him the truth.


    However, things were clear, the Grand Monster Outbreak was now over and the vigers were safe. He wouldn''t have to be demoted and kicked out of his position as the Commander of Norria.


    ''I guess I owe this kid a favor,'' Thoram thought as he urged his mount to head towards the savior of Leaf Vige. He still had so many questions, but decided to hold onto them until he could get a detailed report from the Elders of Leaf Vige.


    Boreas and Aron watched as the Commander of Norria headed towards the Half-Elf, who was still busy looking at his Soul Book. A momentter, the two exchanged a knowing nce with each other because Lux''s performance had far exceeded those of the previous foreigners that had stayed in Leaf Vige.


    They had a feeling that if the officials in the Capital were to hear about histest feat, the King might confer another Honorary Rank on him, which would raise Lux''s rank to that of an Honorary Bar.

 Chapter 167 Birth Of A Legend

    Lux, who was seated on top of his Mount, Jed, had a serious expression on his face as he looked at the spoils of war he obtained from defeating the Mutated Thunder Wolf King.


    ��--


    < Leaf Vige''s Tragedy >


    �C Emergency Quest


    �C Difficulty Rating: S


    �C An extremely rare monster that has never been seen in the Territory of Norria has spawned inside Heartwood Forest.


    �C The Thunderwolf King can be considered an Overlord of an area and has the ability to control all beasts, including Alpha Monsters, within its surrounding territories.


    �C Due to its aggressive and terrorizing nature, the Thunder Wolf King will seek the nearest settlement and kill everything in sight without leaving any survivors behind.


    Quest Objective: Defeat the Thunder Wolf King and save Leaf Vige fromplete destruction.


    Quest Failure: When Leaf Vige ispletely destroyed and only 20% of the overall poption (including Sians) remains.


    ��--


    < Rewards >


    5,000 Gold Coins


    10,000 Leaf Vige Reputation Points.


    5,000 Stronghold of Norria reputation Points.


    200 Kingdom of Gweliven Reputation Points


    1 Beast Core of Mutated Thunder Wolf King


    1 Beast Core of Carbuncle


    1 Beast Core of Red-Eyed Terror Mantis


    1 Beast Core of Ghoul Beast


    +1,000 Points to Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy


    +1,000 Skill Points


    +5 to Summon Skeleton Skills


    +1 to Summon Golem Skills


    +1 Thunder Wolf King Mutated Blood


    ��----


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C Guardian Crystal (Mythical Rank)


    ��-


    < Guardian Crystal >


    �C The Guardian Crystal has the power to ward off any kind of Monster Attack below the Dreadnaught Rank.


    �C Once the Guardian Crystal has been assigned to a location, it cannot be transferred anywhere else.


    �C Gives a permanent 10% increase to production sess of Crafting, Alchemy, Smithing, and any form of crafts made in Leaf Vige.


    �C Everyone inside Leaf Vige will gain a 100% Health and Mana Regeneration Buff that willst for an hour after they leave the vige.


    ��----


    Lux was paying close attention to the Guardian Crystal that he had acquired as a Bonus Reward after defeating the Thunder Wolf King.


    ''If the information of the Guardian Crystal is true then this is certainly a good thing,'' Lux thought. ''With this, Leaf Vige will no longer have to worry about Monster Outbreaks ever again."


    Lux had already decided to give the Guardian Crystal to Cedwyn, to increase the defense of the Vige that had yed an important role in his life in Elysium.


    The Half-Elf''s main reason for not leaving the Vige when he could have was to help them fight against the next Monster Outbreak that would happen within a year. He could still remember the horror of the first Monster Outbreak he had experienced that had almost taken his life.


    This was the final goal that he had set for himself, before he could leave without any regrets and continue his journey in Elysium. Acquiring the Guardian Crystal was a pleasant surprise because it would ensure the safety of Leaf Vige for hundreds of years.


    But, the one thing that surprised Lux the most was that after defeating the Thunder Wolf King, he received its mutated blood, which allowed any wolf type monster to gain its abilities.


    ��---


    < Thunder Wolf King''s Mutated Blood >


    �C Allows Wolf Type Monsters to mutate and gain the powers of the Thunder Wolf King.


    �C Creatures bestowed with this blood will gain the ability to evolve.


    ��---


    ''This Thunder Wolf King Mutated Blood will be useful to upgrade Jed''s race and rank,'' Lux mused as he looked at the vial of blood which he already decided to give Jed at ater time. In Elysium, the type and race of a monster yed an important role in its strength.


    Even if creatures had the same Rank, that didn''t mean that their strengths were equal. The perfect example of this was Keoza, the Crystal Dragon, who now resided inside Lux''s Golden Dragon Token.


    If the Thunder Wolf King reached the Argonaut Rank, it would still lose to Keoza, hands down, if the two of them were to battle. This was the difference in race.


    In Elysium, there were very few monsters that had the strength to contend with Dragons. Phoenixes, Qilins, and the other Mythical Races were also in this category.


    Lower-ranked monsters like the Thunder Wolf King were simply not enough to threaten a pure-blooded Dragon of the same rank.


    After Lux finished checking the rewards he had received from the emergency quest, he noticed another notification in his Soul Book, which gave him a very pleasant surprise.


    ''I didn''t expect that I would be able toplete this mission in this manner,'' Lux thought as he looked at the rewards from the Hidden Mythical Quest of Leaf Vige that no one had ever cleared in the past.<sub> </sub>


    ��----


    < Mythical Quest >


    (Birth of a Legend)


    �C Defeat the Alpha Monster of the Aspiration ins.


    Carbuncle (1/1)


    �C Defeat the Alpha Monster of the Leaf Vige Cemetery


    Ghoul Beast (1/1)


    �C Defeat the Alpha Monster of Figaro Garden


    Red-Eyed Terror Mantis (1/1)


    �C Defeat the Field Boss of Heartwood Forest


    Forest Wolf King  (1/1)


    ��--


    < Rewards >


    �C 500 Skill Points


    �C 50 Body Constitution Points


    �C 50 Stats Points


    �C Leaf Vige Equipment Set (Mythical)


    [Favonius Legacy, The Heirloom of the West]


    �C One random Mythical Item exclusive to the Leaf Vige


    [Misery''s End - Destroyer of Lost Hope]


    < Bonus Rewards >


    Title: Eternal Guardian


    5,000 Leaf Vige Reputation Points


    ��--


    < Eternal Guardian >


    �C Increases Physical and Magical attacks by 10%


    �C Increases Defense by 10%


    ? �C Increases Magical Resistance by 10%


    �C When defending a vige, town, stronghold, or city, increase all Stats by 100%


    �C When defending a vige, town, stronghold, or city, increase Physical and Magical Attacks by 100%


    �C When defending a vige, town, stronghold, or city, increase Physical and Magical Defense by 100%


    �C When defending a vige, town, stronghold, or city, increase Health and Mana Regeneration by 200%


    �C When defending a vige, town, stronghold, or city, increase Health Points by 200%


    �C When defending a vige, town, stronghold, or city, you will be able to use the Skill, Guardian''s Call.


    �C When defending a vige, town, stronghold, or city, you will be able tomand its Guardian Beast if it exists.


    �C You will be able to instantly teleport to Leaf Vige anytime you want, regardless of your current Rank.


    ��--


    < Guardian''s Call >


    �C When defending a vige, town, stronghold, or city, increase the stats of all your guild members by 100%


    �C When defending a vige, town, stronghold, or city, increase Physical and Magical Attack of all your guild members by 100%


    �C When defending a vige, town, stronghold, or city, increase Physical and Magical Defense of all your guild members by 100%


    �C This Skill also applies to all Creatures under yourmand.


    ��--


    Lux almost fell off Jed''s back after seeing the information of the Title he received from clearing Leaf Vige''s Mythical Quest.


    "Oh�� My�� God," Lux muttered after rereading the information of the Eternal Guardian Title for the second time just to make sure that his eyes weren''t deceiving him.


    ''It''s real,'' Lux thought as he rubbed his face with both of his hands. ''What an OP ability.''


    Aside from the bonuses that the Eternal Guardian Title bestowed, it also gave a groundbreaking ability that would bypass the established rules of Elysium.


    What was that rule? It was the ability to return to a Beginner Vige regardless of Rank. This was simply an ability that was unheard of. Although Elysians could go anywhere in their world, the same couldn''t be said for Sians.


    Once they stepped into the Apostle Grade, they would be forced to leave the Beginner''s Vige after ten days, whether they liked it or not.


    While Lux was still recovering from his shock, Thoram, the Commander of the Stronghold of Norria, arrived next to him.


    "Lux, my boy, just what have you been eating as ofte?" Thoram asked in a teasing tone. "I haven''t seen you for a while and the next thing I know, you''re fighting against a Thunder Wolf King by yourself. Tell me, Lad, what kind of mead have you been drinking? I want some of that as well."


    Lux chuckled nervously, unable toe up with any answer to give to the Commander of Norria, who was looking at him as if he was nning on dissecting him to see what made him tick.

 Chapter 168 Tales Of Hardship And Friendship

    < 231 Hours, 23 minutes, 20 seconds. >


    The countdown indicating when Lux had to leave Leaf Vige had started to move. However, the Half-Elf was currently being jostled around the center of the za by his Master, Randolph, who had a merry face, while he held a mug of mead in his hands.


    "Hahaha! My Disciple is so awesome!"


    "Um. Do you know that this boy is my Disciple? You don''t? Well, now you know! I taught this brat everything he knows!"


    "Yes. the moment I saw him, I knew he was the one. Because of this, I made sure to teach him the basics, and look at him now, he''s so�� tall, right?"


    "Hahaha! Of course, I was the one that raised this boy since he was a weeeed. What? You don''t believe me? Tsk, can''t you see the resemnce of our faces? Both of us are handsome!"


    Lux was doing his best to keep the smile on his face from stiffening as his Master paraded him around, bragging to everyone that they met on how he raised him to be a strong adventurer.


    Only when Grandma Annie whacked him repeatedly with her walking stick out of irritation, did the old Dwarf stop bragging and leave Lux alone.


    The Half-Elf looked at a quiet ce as he raised the mug of mead in his lips to take a sip. If his Grandma Vera was there, she would give Lux a disapproving look because he was still not of drinking age.


    Even so, since the asion was special, Lux allowed himself to enjoy this moment, even though the drink he was drinking was quite bitter.


    Arge bonfire was set up at the center of the za, while several smaller ones could be seen everywhere. Half of Leaf Vige had been destroyed, and there were many things that needed to be done when morning came.


    Giving those who died theirst rites, and giving them a proper burial.


    Sending the orphaned children to the Stronghold of Norria to be kept safe until the orphanage that Cedwyn had proposed was built.


    Rebuilding the houses that were destroyed.


    There were so many things that had to be done, but for tonight, everyone was just thankful to be alive.


    As the one who yed a big role in saving the vige, Lux was treated as a hero by everyone. The Dwarves from Elysium and Sis would look at Lux in admiration and respect, which made the Half-Elf feel bashful.


    In the past, Lux had hungered for recognition.


    He wanted to prove to everyone that he wasn''t useless.


    He wanted his Grandma to be proud of his achievements as a way to repay her for raising him with love and care.


    More than anything else, he wanted to go to Elysium, so that his goals could be achieved.


    But, no one knew how hard he worked in order to achieve what he had today.


    How many times he risked his life in order to gain the power to protect those that were important to him.


    All everyone saw was his greatness, and no one knew about his failures and hardships. Even so, Lux felt that his suffering and hardships had just started.


    "Eiko, we''ll stay in Leaf Vige for a while to help repair the houses that were destroyed," Lux said as he lightly patted the baby Slime that sat on hisp. "After that, we''ll go to the Intermediate Town to look for Colette and the others. I don''t know if they went straight to Whitebridge City where her sister was, but just in case she didn''t, we will meet with them first before we head back to Sis to register for the uing tournament in Barbatos Academy."


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded her head in agreement. After that she jumped on Lux''s arms and moved toward the mug of mead in his hand.


    However, before the curious baby Slime could even drink the mead, Lux grabbed her and told Eiko that she was still too young to drink mead. Eiko protested, but after Lux told her that Iris would get mad if he allowed her to drink his mead, the baby Slime stopped being stubborn and crawled back onto Lux''sp, so that her Papa could continue to pat her head.


    While the Half-Elf and Baby Slime were having a bonding moment, Cedwyn, the Vige Head of Leaf Vige, approached Lux with a smile.<sub> </sub>


    "Lux, are you sure you want to give us this Guardian Crystal?" Cedwyn asked as he showed Lux a golden crystal that was a foot tall. "This could fetch a high price, you know?"


    "Vige head, the lives of the people here in Leaf Vige are priceless," Lux replied. "No amount of gold can match Grandma Annie''s life, as well as my Master Randolph''s life. Knowing that both of them will be safe even after I leave will give me some peace of mind. So, please, take the Guardian Crystal and ensure that Leaf Vige will prosper for many years toe."


    Cedwyn looked at Lux fondly and nodded his head. For viges located at the edge of the Kingdom of Gweliven, a Guardian Crystal was like a protective charm that ensured that no Monster Outbreaks, or Beast Tides, would daree their way.


    "By the way, Lux, when will you leave Leaf Vige?" Cedwyn asked. "Oh, don''t misunderstand. I am not forcing you to leave, in fact, I wish that you can stay with us longer. I just want to know so that we can prepare to give you a grand send off before you head to the Intermediate Towns."


    Lux smiled as he contemted a date. In the end, he told Cedwyn that he would be leaving in nine days.


    After getting the Half-Elf''s promise to attend their grand farewell party, Cedwyn left him alone so that he could have time to himself to think.


    After Cedwyn left, several Dwarf children approached Lux in order to have a chat with him.


    "It''s you guys," Lux said as he looked at the Dwarves who had suddenly appeared near him while he was on his way back to Leaf Vige after finishing hisst Mythical Quest.


    They were the Dwarves that Cedwyn had forcefully teleported away from the vige, in order to save them from the monsters that were about to kill them.


    These were the same Dwarves that told Lux about the current situation in Leaf Vige, which made the Half-Elf use his Boots of Teleportation to arrive at the spawn point of foreigners within the vige as fast as he could.


    If not for them, he might not have arrived in time to save his Master, Randolph, as well as Grandma Annie and Cedwyn, from the Alpha Monsters'' merciless assault.


    "Thank you for saving Leaf Vige," the Dwarf boy said with admiration.


    Lux shook his head. "No. It is me who should be thanking you. If not for you guys, I might not have known that the vige was under attack. Thank you very much. Because of you guys, the people important to me are still alive."


    The Dwarves then took a log and ced it in front of Lux, where they all sat and asked him to tell them the stories of his travels.


    Perhaps due to his good mood, or the effect of the mead he drank, the Half-Elf epted their request and told them tales about his travels.


    Tales of Kobolds, Powerful Orcs, Giant Worms, and Dragons. Tales of hardships and oveing difficulties, and trusting the bonds between friends.


    Soon, the Half-Elf was surrounded by many children, both Elysians and Sins. There were even some adults, namely Grandma Annie, Randolph, Aron, and Boreas, who hade over to hear Lux exploits during his time in the Territory of Norria.


    The Dwarf children, as well as the adults, were awed by Lux''s fairy-tale-like storytelling. Even Eiko kept on giggling whenever her Papa mentioned her exploits, and the Dwarf children would look at the Blue Slime as if she was a Mythical Beast.


    "I''ll also get a Slime as my beastpanion!"


    "Me, too!"


    "I''ll get one as well."


    Lux didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry at the Dwarf children''s desire to have a baby Slime as their first Beast Companion. He and the other adults did their best to convince the children that Eiko was different from the other Slimes that they were familiar with, and they shouldn''t take having one as a beastpanion lightly.


    The children were pacified but only on the surface. Lux didn''t know that his casual story telling would bring a trend to the Dwarves of Leaf Vige to always have a Slime with them whenever they went on adventures.


    In a few years, these same Slimes��that were reared in Leaf Vige��and their owners, would do incredible feats which would shake the entirety of the Kingdom of Gweliven in the unforeseeable future.


    But, that was a story that will be told another time.

 Chapter 169 A Heart That Is Bigger Than A Dwarf

    The next day, hundreds of Skeletons and three Rock Golems could be seen moving around Leaf Vige.


    They busied themselves with helping the vigers rebuild their homes by carrying logs, cutting wood, hammering nails, as well as applying a waterproof coating on the roofs of the newly built houses.


    Lux, Eiko, their Skeletons, the Dwarf children, as well as the adults, were working on a giant structure near the Eastern part of the vige. This was the orphanage that Cedwyn had proposed a day ago, and the Half-Elf thought that it was a great idea.


    Although he didn''t know much about carpentry, he was a fast learner. After a few hours, the orphanage''s basic foundation was already starting to take shape, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Skeletons that didn''t need to rest and the Golems that did the heavy lifting.


    When Grandma Annie, Randolph, and Cedwyn saw three Luxs and three Eikos working side by side, they initially thought that they were just seeing things. However, after confirming that their eyes were not deceiving them, they finally understood why there were so many Skeletons that were helping the vigers reconstruct their homes.


    "Such a convenient ability," Randolph said as he rubbed his chin. "If I could create two copies of myself then my work will be a whole lot faster."


    Granda Annie nodded her head in agreement. As an alchemist, she would be able to produce pills and potions faster than she did in the past.


    As for Cedwyn, he admired the clones because if he ever had them, then he would be able to take a nap, while the other two did his work for him.


    This earned him a re from Grandma Annie and Randolph, who started nagging him to do his job as Vige Head properly.


    "Lux, can youe here for a minute?" Cedwyn asked after escaping from his friends'' nagging. His purpose foring to see Lux was to let him know about the rewards that the vige nned to give him in return for what the Half-Elf did for them.


    The Half-Elf stopped his work and followed the Vige Chief, who had a mischievous smile on his face.


    "What''s wrong, Vige Head?" Lux asked. "Did something happen?"


    Cedwyn shook his head. "Nothing happened. It''s just, we came here to give you some rewards for helping us ovee this cmity. Also, you are not allowed to reject these gifts. Rejecting them is the same as rejecting our gratitude for you. We won''t take no for an answer."


    The wise Vige Head had cut off any forms of retreat for Lux, forcing the red-headed teenager to ept the gifts that they had prepared for him, without even knowing what they were.


    The two then joined Grandma Annie and Randolph, who were initially bickering at the side, and the four of them went to Cedwyn''s house to present Lux the gratitude of the Elders of Leaf Vige.


    As soon as Lux entered the conference room, the first thing Lux saw was a dark-green armor, which he initially thought was the Faunus Battle Regalia. However, after closer inspection, he realized that the design was different.


    There was gold ting on the edges of the armor, and it gave off a faint refreshing breeze. Beside the armor, a ck halberd with an intimidating presence could be seen.


    A single nce was enough to tell him that these two pieces of equipment were the rewards that he gained from clearing the Mythical Quest of Leaf Vige, which was called "The Birth of a Legend".


    "The name of the armor over there is the Favonius Legacy," Cedwyn exined. "It''s the armor which the Faunus Armor Set was inspired from. It is also the armor of the first founder of Leaf Vige, who decided to retire here after exploring the world. This was the legacy he left behind."


    "The Halberd beside it is called, Misery''s End, the Destroyer of Last Hope. This was the weapon that the founder of Leaf Vige used when he was still on active duty. It is our wish that you carry out his legacy as you travel the world."


    Lux looked at the two pieces of equipment before shifting his gaze towards Cedwyn who was looking up to him with a smile.


    "But, these two items are too precious," Lux said. "I can''t take them. These are like the final mementos of the Leaf Vige''s founder, right? It can also be considered a Family Heirloom. I greatly appreciate the gesture, but I can''t take these with me."


    Grandma Annie sighed before holding Lux''s hand. The Half-Elf could feel the roughness of the old Dwarfdy''s hand, who had encountered many hardships over the passing of many years.


    "Lux, I''m sure that our founder would be very happy if you carry his legacy with you," Grandma Anniemented. "If not for you, this vige would no longer be standing, and its people would all be dead. Although the vige could be rebuilt again, once the people are gone, it wouldn''t be the same.<sub> </sub>


    "That is why, as long as you carry these with you, Leaf Vige will always remain in your heart. Please, take them. This is our wish as the Elders of Leaf Vige."


    After seeing all the Elders look at him with tender gazes, Lux had no choice but to nod his head and ept the Founder of Leaf''s Vige Legacy.


    "Thank you very much," Lux replied. "I will use these gifts to the best of my abilities."


    "Good. That is all that we ask of you." Cedwyn smiled. "Now, go on. Take them."


    Lux nodded and reached out to touch the ancient armor that had been kept in a hidden treasure house that only the Vige Head of Leaf Vige could open.


    As soon as his hands touched the armor, the entire world suddenly turned white. A momentter, Lux found himself on a mountain, overlooking a small vige in the distance. Although it wasn''t exactly the same as the one he remembered, there was no mistake that the vige he was looking at was the old Leaf Vige.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?"


    A calm, steady voice spoke from behind Lux.


    The Half-Elf turned around to see an old Dwarf, with white hair and weathered features. However, his presence was strong enough to let Lux feel that the person in front of him was very strong.


    So strong that Lux was feeling doubtful whether he had properly assessed the old dwarf''s strength or not.


    ''His strength is the same as my step-father''s,'' Lux thought as he felt his heart clenched in his chest. Although he was still half in doubt, he had aspired so much to be that person in the past, so he was mostly sure of his hunch about how strong the old Dwarf was. ''This person before me is a Saint.''


    The old Dwarf smiled at Lux as he walked towards him. He then stopped a meter away from the Half-Elf and looked up at him as if he was looking at something very amusing.


    Lux felt his heart tremble when the old Dwarf stared straight to his eyes. Although the Dwarf was smaller than him, he felt that he was looking up at a mountain, whose peak was hidden by the clouds in the sky.


    "You are certainly not a Dwarf," the old Dwarf said after some time. "But your heart is bigger than one."


    The old Dwarf chuckled as he gave Lux a brief nod of acknowledgement. "My name is Favonius, and I am very happy to see that my vige has raised such an outstanding individual. What is your name, young man?"


    "My name is Lux, Sir Favonious," Lux replied. "Lux Von Kaizer."


    Favonius lightly patted Lux''s arms as he spoke in a friendly manner.


    "My friend, Lux, would you like to hear the ramblings of a lingering will that an old, decrepit, Dwarf left behind?" Favonius asked.


    "It will be my honor, Sir Favonius."


    "Good. As expected of the savior of my vige."


    Favonius happily chuckled as he looked at the person whom he had been waiting for hundreds of years to arrive. There were things that he wanted to impart to his sessor and it was his wish that the legacy he left behind would be put to good use.


    Lux took a deep breath as he forcefully tried to calm his wildly beating heart. He didn''t know why he was able to talk to an old Saint after touching the armor, but he knew with every fiber of his being, that this meeting across space and time was something that he wouldn''t forget in his lifetime.

 Chapter 170 Against The Unknown, All Races Must Stand As One

    "Tell me, Lux, when you look at that small vige over there, what do you see?" Favonius asked as he looked fondly at the vige that he had built on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    "A seed," Lux replied because that is truly what he felt after looking at the small vige in the distance.


    Favoniusughed heartily before nodding his head in satisfaction.


    "You can also put it that way," Favoniusmented. "It is a seed that will grow into a sturdy tree. This tree will then foster and care for the new batch of seeds, which will also grow into trees and usher in a new era of prosperity and peace."


    Lux smiled, but he knew that this was not the answer Favonius was looking for. Because of this, he decided to ask what that vige represented to the Dwarf Saint who decided to retire in a ce far from the Capital of the Dwarven Kingdom.


    "Hope," Favonius said as he gazed at the small vige with tender eyes. "When I look at the vige from here, I see hope."


    The old Dwarf then shifted his attention to Lux and gave him a warm smile that made the Old Saint''s weathered face look like it was ten years younger.


    "When I look at you, Lux, I also see hope," Favoniusmented. "Just like the seeds of a dandelion that fly freely with the help of a passing breeze, you are now about to set off on a new journey towards the unknown."


    "A journey where you will face countless dangers and hardships, but I am hopeful that you will be able to grow into a sturdy tree. A tree that will shelter the new generation and nourish them before they embark on their own journeys."


    The dwarf sighed as he once again looked at the small vige in the distance.


    "With hope, people can move mountains," Favonius softly muttered. "With courage, we can cross the seas. At age two-hundred and seventy, I had seen and conquered many vast domains, and yet, there were still ces I have yet to see."


    "As the years pass by and my age increases. Many times I''ve felt that I should have gone farther, and been more adventurous than what I was in the past."


    "This world is so vast, and sometimes you''ll feel like you are just a tiny insignificant speck in the grand order of things. Even a Saint can sometimes feel weak and, in the merciless face of the world, it is very normal for us to feel fear."


    Lux listened quietly on the side as he allowed Favonius to say whatever he had to say. He had already figured out that the person who was standing in front of him was not the real Favonius, but a Will that he had left behind the Favonius Armor that had apanied him on his adventures.


    The Dwarf appreciated Lux''s silence, so he continued to narrate his life experiences as his final parting words to the person who would now inherit his legacy.


    "My adventuring days may be over, but my ambition exceeds this lifetime of mine," Favonius said with a determined voice. "People create weapons and armors in order to fight monsters, and when monsters triumph over them, they create better tools."


    "Where my legs cannot take me, maybe yours can. And when yours fails you, perhaps those around you will carry you instead. My dear friend, I leave you my legacy. Against the unknown, all races must stand as one. To be alive is to live, to set foot in every ce that our eyes can see."


    Favonius held Lux''s hands into his own, and through the roughness of the old Dwarf''s hands, the Half-Elf felt as if he was being enveloped in a warm embrace.


    "I have little time remaining, and my soul has long been gone from this world. But, between us, your children, future guildmates and friends, I believe that your dying world will be saved, atst."


    The old man gave Lux a yful wink before disappearing into particles of light. The Half-Elf was surprised at Favonius''st words, because he didn''t mention Elysium in the end, but his own dying world, Sis.


    "Such an interesting old man," Lux said softly as he gazed at the small vige in the distance. "Understood, Sir Favonius. I will take you along on my journey to see the sights and heights that you haven''t seen before. Perhaps, someday, both of us will be able to reach that ce atst."


    As if touched by his solemn promise, thest traces of Favonius'' Will, that still lingered within that Domain, said its heartfelt words before finally disappearing from the world.<sub> </sub>


    "Thank you, my friend."


    Soon, the Half-Elf was bathed by a warm and radiant light as he bid goodbye to the scenery of the old Leaf Vige, which he was about to leave behind.


    ��--


    "Lux, my boy. Are you alright?" Randolph asked as he shook the red-headed teenager, who seemed to have gone into a trance the moment he touched the Favonius Legacy Armor that was left behind by the founder of Leaf Vige.


    "Stop shaking him," Grandma Annie said as she observed the Half-Elf who was staring nkly in space. "Maybe he is talking to the founder right now."


    "Talking to the founder? Have you grown senile, you old hag?" Randolph asked. "Careful now. Maybe next time, you will even forget your name because of old age."


    Instead of answering Randolph with words, Grandma Annie''s wooden staff smacked his face, sending him flying a few meters away from the Half-Elf who seemed to be frozen in time.


    None of the Dwarf Elders of Leaf Vige batted an eye when they saw this scene. They had already grown used to it long ago. Even if Grandma Annie whacked the old cksmith until his face looked like a pig, they would still not be surprised at the oue.


    A minuteter, Lux''s body shook as he woke up from his trance.


    "Child, what did you see?" Grandma Annie asked with great curiosity. "Did the Founder leave some instructions behind?"


    The Elders of Leaf Vige, including the Vige Head, Cedwyn, perked their ears up as they waited in anticipation for Lux''s answer. They had carefully handled the Favonius Armor, and studied it for years, which had led to the creation of the Faunus Battle Regalia.


    For them, the legacy that their founder had left behind held an important ce in their hearts. So if Favonius had indeed left some instructions for the next generation, they would be more than happy to carry out his will with the best of their abilities.


    "Yes. Sir Favonius had indeed left something behind," Lux replied with a smile. "He left behind Hope."


    "Hope?" Cedwyn inquired. "Can you please borate?"


    Lux nodded his head and told the Dwarves about his meeting with the founder of Leaf Vige, Favonius. Of course, he left out the part about his dying world. Although most Sins had a hunch that their world might be dying, this was only a conjecture on their part.


    After hearing his tale, the Dwarves sighed and looked at the Half-Elf with admiration and respect.


    All of them wished that they were the one to hear thest words of the Legendary Saint of the Gweliven Kingdom instead of Lux.


    "Lux, please, take our Founder''s hope and will with you," Cedwyn said as he held the Half-Elf''s hand. "It is not only his will that you carry with you, but our collective wills as well. You are our pride, and even though you are not a Dwarf, our founder is right. Your heart is bigger than a Dwarf''s."


    Lux nodded his head as he gratefully, and respectfully, equipped the Favonius Legacy as his equipment set. He still hadn''t seen all of its stats because he felt that it was inappropriate to do so at this time.


    However, he promised himself that regardless of the stats the armor had, he would always carry it with him as a memento of the Beginner Vige that had yed an important role in his life.


    ��--------

 Chapter 171 Lux’s Last Day In Leaf Village

    Inside the newly built inn, Lux and Eiko were sleeping peacefully.


    The baby Slime slept on top of Lux''s chest, as always, because Lux''s heartbeats were like a luby that made her feel safe and warm.


    Only an hour was left until sunrise and both had gone to bed veryte the night before, as they tried to finish the Orphanage within one day.


    The work inside Leaf Vige didn''t stop. Even though there were a lot of other people sleeping, there were still some who stayed awake, working on rebuilding their homes. Artifacts and spells that lit up the surroundings were verymon in Elysium, so it was not a big deal to workte at night.


    Lux''s and Eiko''s Named Creatures, Skeletons, Slimes, and Golems were still helping the vigers even as their Masters rested inside theirfortable room that was specially arranged for them by the Inn''s Owner.


    ��


    Leaf Vige za��


    "Well then, this turned out better than I thought," Randolph said as he admired the work that the Elders of Leaf Vige, as well as Lux''s Named Creatures, worked on in secret whenever the Half-Elf and his baby Slime were asleep.


    "Indeed," Grandma Anniemented with a satisfied nod. "This will be the symbol of our vige for years toe, so it must have an impact."


    In order to maintain secrecy, the Elders of the vige had erected four tall Earth Walls around their special project to prevent anyone from spying on their work.


    "I''m sure that Lux will be surprised when he sees it." Cedwyn chuckled as he imagined the Half-Elf''s reaction after seeing the surprise that they had made just for him. He turned to Diablo and asked, "What do you think, Diablo? Will your Master like it?"


    Diablo nodded. "Yes."


    Right now, Diabo and Ishtar were able tomunicate through speaking, despite the limited vocabry, due to the increase in their ranks.


    "Well then, we should wrap up," one of the Eldersmented as he stifled a yawn. "My old bones can''t handle works that require high precision on a regr basis. Perhaps, this will be thest masterpiece that I will work on in this lifetime."


    "Ah. Don''t be like that. You''re still young."


    "What definition of young are you talking about? I''m almost two-hundred and forty years old."


    The Eldersughed as they exchanged friendly banters. Half an hourter, all of them returned to their own homes to rest.


    Only Lux''s Named Creatures remained, and they once again looked at the new symbol of Leaf Vige with pride.


    ��---


    Five hourter��


    The Half-Elf finally opened his eyes. He then lightly patted the baby slime on his chest to wake her up as well.


    "....Pa?" Eiko asked sleepily before yawning.


    "Good morning, Eiko," Lux lifted the baby slime and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It''s almost noon. Time to wake up."


    Eiko looked at her Papa for a few seconds before closing her eyes again to sleep. Lux chuckled and no longer insisted on waking the baby, who was still exhausted from working all through the night.


    After cing Eiko back on the bed, he washed his face and changed his clothes. He thenbed his hair before picking up the baby Slime from the bed to ce her on his head.


    For some reason, Eiko could stay on top of Lux''s head even if it was shaking badly. The Half-Elf still had no idea how she was able to do that, but he was thankful for having such ability.


    When he went down the stairs to dine in the inn''s tavern, he was instantly able to smell the delicious food that was being prepared in the kitchen.


    Eiko, who was still asleep, started sniffing. The baby Slime liked to eat Beast Cores, but she also liked eating home-made food. She was not picky, unlike children who hated vegetables, and ate anything that Lux liked to eat.


    A few secondster, the smell of the food won her over, and she finally opened her sleepy eyes, and greeted her Papa before yawning.


    "Pa��"


    "Mmm. We will be having breakfast soon."


    As soon as the innkeeper saw Lux, he immediately went to the kitchen and brought out a tray of hot food for him and the baby Slime, who had somehow be Leaf Vige''s mascot.<sub> </sub>


    "Lux, are you going to leave Leaf Vige today?" the innkeeper asked. Although he didn''t try to show it, there was a faint trace of sadness in his voice.


    Lux nodded. "The time hase. I wish I could stay longer and help finish the reconstruction of Leaf Vige, but I just can''t fight the inevitable."


    Today was Lux''s tenth day after ascending to the Apostle Grade. Even if he wanted to stay, he would still be kicked out by thews of Elysium, and teleported to a random ce near an Intermediate Town upon midnight.


    The innkeeper nodded an understanding before presenting a que to the Half-Elf who blinked his eyes in confusion.


    "Please sign this," the Innkeeper said. "I will hang it on the wall over there and keep it as a family heirloom."


    "E-Eh? You don''t have to do that," Lux replied in embarrassment after hearing what the innkeeper had to say.


    "Nonsense. I insist that you sign it whether you like it or not. I have to brag to my great grandchildren that the Hero of this vige and I were best friends!"


    "... Um."


    Lux wanted to ask the innkeeper the question "Since when did we be best friends?" but decided to just let it slide. Finally, he signed the que and handed it back to the smiling innkeeper, who felt like he was holding something worth over a million gold coins in his hands.


    "Ah! Before I forget, the Vige Head said that you should look for him before you leave," the Innkeeper stated.


    "Understood," Lux replied.


    The Innkeeper then left the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime alone.


    Eiko had already started eating and was happily chewing on bacon strips that had be one of her favorite foods in Leaf Vige.


    Lux ate the roast beef sandwich that was the Inn''s specialty and savored its taste for thest time.


    ''I''m finally leaving this ce,'' Lux thought as his eyes wandered around the inn.


    This was the inn where he had stayed on his first night in Leaf Vige and it was also thest ce he''d slept in before leaving it.


    Half an hourter, Lux and Eiko finished their meal. The Half-Elf then left the inn and aimlessly strolled around town.


    Lux was taking in the sights and sounds of Leaf Vige before he left. All around him, houses that were under construction could be seen, and the newly built ones stood out from the rest. The several Dwarves who saw him greeted him with a smile, and he greeted them in return.


    The red-headed teenager had be a celebrity in Leaf Vige, and everyone inside it knew his name by heart. Even the Dwarf Sians looked up him and even told him that they would catch up to him soon.


    As Lux wandered around the vige, he found himself standing in front of Grandma Annie''s Candy Store. The store was partially destroyed, but Grandma Annie said that she was not in a hurry to fix it, and insisted that the other houses should be constructed first.


    "I''ll miss this ce," Lux muttered as he looked at the signage that said "Leaf Vige''s Candy Shop".


    "Well, I will miss you too."


    A familiar voice spoke from inside the house. A few momentster, the door opened and Grandma Annie appeared, smiling at Lux who would be leaving soon.


    "Have you had breakfast yet?" Grandma Annie inquired.


    Lux nodded. "Yes, Grandma Annie."


    "Then, would you like to have some tea with me? Randolph is still probably asleep and will probably wake up in two or three hours from now. Cedwyn is the same. So why don''t you have a chat with me for a while before you look for those two old buffoons."


    "It will be my pleasure."


    "Pa!"


    Lux epted Grandma Annie''s invite because he could see the sadness in the olddy''s eyes despite her smiling face.


    He had already decided to leave Leaf Vige before sunset, so spending an hour with the old Dwarf who had helped him many times in the past was the least he could do to show how thankful he was for her help.

 Chapter 172 Right Now, I Am Looking At The Future Heroes Of The World

    "Come, Lux!" Randolph said with a smug smile on his face. "It''s time for you to see my masterpiec-argh! Dammit woman! What do you think you''re doing?!"


    Grandma Annie, who had just finished whacking Randolph''s head with her staff, red at the bastard, who just made a failed attempt to im all credit for everyone''s hard work.


    "One more word from you and I''m going to hurl a fireball in your face!" Grandma Annie shouted, which made the cksmith cower in fear.


    Lux and Eiko chuckled after seeing this scene. Frankly, he wondered if Grandma Annie and Randolph were once a couple because of how close they were.


    After a few minutes, they arrived at the Vige''s za, near the spawning point of the Sians when they enter Elysium.


    "Lux Von Kaizer, on behalf of Leaf Vige, allow me to once again thank you for everything you have done for us," Cedwyn said as he bowed his head.


    The other Elders and the vigers of Leaf Vige, who had also gathered in the za, also bowed their heads to their hero.


    The Sians on the other hand, looked at the Half-Elf with respect, admiration, and even a hint of jealousy. They also wished to be someone like Lux, so they made a promise to surpass him after they had reached the Apostle Grade.


    "Vige Head, you don''t have to do this," Lux replied in embarrassment. "Leaf Vige has helped me grow, not only as an adventurer, but as a person as well. I have learned many lessons in this ce, and I will forever cherish them in my heart."


    "Pa!" Eiko also agreed with what her Papa said as she looked at everyone in the vige with a smile from on top of Lux''s head.


    Cedwyn smiled back, and gestured to Grandma Annie and Randolph as a signal to pull the cloth that was covering the surprise that they had prepared for Lux.


    The moment the cloth fell on the ground, Lux''s and Eiko''s mouths opened wide as they looked at the bronze statues that had been erected in the za.


    Diablo''s, Ishtar''s, and Pazuzu''s statues stood tall and proud, with Diablo at the center riding his Nightmare, Airon.


    Behind them was an elevated tform where a Half-Elf stood with his arms crossed over his chest, and a baby slime perched on top of his head.


    Behind the Half-Elf was a Hulking Rock Golem with his arms spread wide in a protective manner. It was as if he was ready to block anything and everything that would dare to harm his Master, who wore a fearless expression on his face.


    Eiko''s eyes sparkled as she looked at the statues in front of her. With a joyful shout, the baby Slime jumped off Lux''s head and hurriedly crawled across the ground to climb up her Papa''s bronze statue. A minuteter, Eiko looked closely at the bronze baby slime on top of Lux''s head as if admiring herself.


    "Pa!" Eiko shouted as she looked at the red-headed teenager who was looking at her with a smile.


    "That''s right, Eiko." Lux nodded his head. "That''s you."


    Eiko giggled and once again looked at the bronze baby slime. She stuck close to her statue and rubbed her cheeks against it, as if she was marking it as her own.


    The Dwarves of Leaf Vige, as well as the Sians, were all in awe of the statue that they were seeing for the first time.


    Suddenly, the chest of the Lux bronze statue shone, which spread to its entire body, as well as to the other statues around it. A momentter, a pir of light shot up towards the sky and a blue barrier suddenly formed around Leaf Vige.


    Lux, along with  everyone else in the vige, suddenly felt a refreshing breeze pass over their bodies as the effect of the Guardian Crystal took effect.


    ��--


    < You are affected by the Guardian Crystal Buff >


    �C Gives a permanent 10% increase to production sess for Crafting, Alchemy, Smithing, and any form of crafts made in Leaf Vige.


    �C Everyone inside Leaf Vige will gain a 100% Health and Mana Regeneration Buff that willst for an hour after they leave the vige.


    ��---


    ''Amazing,'' Lux thought as he looked at the Bronze Statues that were radiating a very faint glow from their bodies.


    When he gave the Guardian Crystal to Cedwyn, he didn''t expect that the Head of Leaf Vige would work together with the other Elders to create a statue of him and his subordinates, and use his statue as the home of the Crystal that would protect Leaf Vige.


    For him, this was the greatest honor that he could possibly receive, which made him teary eyed. Even so, he did his best to smile and not allow a single drop of tear to fall from his eyes. He needed to keep his cool image for the younger generation as he stood tall, while holding back the feeling of happiness inside his heart.


    "Why don''t you give us some parting words before you leave the vige?" Cedwyn said with a yful smile on his face.


    Everyone pped as they cheered the Half-Elf who had be an important member of their lives.<sub> </sub>


    "Actually, I don''t know what to say," Lux said as he scanned the faces of everyone around him. "You refer to me as a hero, but I am not a hero. In my eyes, the heroes are the Dwarves who have stood their ground and protected this ce since its conception."


    Lux smiled as he looked at Grandma Annie.


    "If you ask me who I think the true heroes of Leaf Vige are, they would be Grandma Annie, who sells candies to everyone and stands at the front lines when monsters invade the town."


    "My Master, Randolph, who busied himself in his smithy most of the time to craft and repair the weapons and armors that most of you use to fight and defend against Monsters and their attacks.


    "The Riders of Norria, who ensured the safety of this region and is always there to send reinforcements when the sky falls down upon our heads."


    "The adult Dwarves who escorted the children to the shelters whenever the town is being attacked by monsters."


    Lux closed his eyes and pressed his right hand over his chest. "A hero is someone who would give their life to something bigger than oneself."


    When the Half-Elf opened his eyes, he scanned the faces of everyone in the crowd, young and old alike, with a smile on his face.


    "Right now, I am looking at heroes, and the future heroes of the world," Lux dered before raising his closed fist towards the sky "Long live Leaf Vige!"


    ""Long live Leaf Vige!""


    ""Long live Leaf Vige!""


    ""Long live Leaf Vige!""


    ""Long live Leaf Vige!""


    ""Long live Leaf Vige!""


    Resounding shouts echoed all across the vige, which made Cedwyn''s and the Elders of the Vige''s blood boil. Not out of anger, but out of desire to uphold the Legacy that their Founder, Favonius, and now, Lux, had left behind.


    Lux then bowed his head to his Master, Randolph, to Grandma Annie, to Cedwyn, to the Elders of Leaf Vige, to Captain Boreas, to Aron, to the vigers, as well as the Sians. After bowing to all of them, he summoned his mount Jed, and jumped on its back.


    He had already said his final goodbyes to the people that were important to him. Now, he waved his hands as a final gesture of farewell to the dwarves of Leaf Vige, as well as the Dwarves that came from Sis.


    "I will bid you goodbye for now, but this is not our final farewell," Lux said as Eiko jumped onto Jed''s back, and crawled towards her Papa''s head.


    She knew that the time to say goodbye hade, but the tears in her eyes fell like rain, drenching her Papa''s hair.


    "Let''s all meet again soon!" Lux shouted as he urged Jed to make a dash for it. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, everyone would see him crying uncontrobly.


    "Bye Bye!" Eiko shouted before crying like the baby she is. "Wuwuwu!"


    Jed ran with all of its might, in order to protect his Master''s dignity.


    Grandma Annie and Randolph wiped the tears that fell from their faces. As they watched the red-headed teenager embark on the next stage of his journey. They never thought that they would love someone this much, even though he wasn''t a Dwarf.


    As the Half-Elf was approaching the gate of Leaf Vige, the Guards and the Riders of Norria that were stationed there gave him a salute.


    "Goodbye, everyone," Lux said as he returned their salute, while his tears blurred his vision. "Till we meet again."


    The guards bid him safe travels as Lux went past them. Eiko watched with sadness as the vige that she loved grew farther and farther away from her.


    ? "It''s fine, Eiko," Lux assured her. "We will definitely return here someday."


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded her head as more tears slid down her eyes.


    Even when the Half-Elf was already a kilometer away from Leaf Vige, Lux and Eiko could still hear the resounding shouts of the vigers, who were still shouting to honor his name.


    ��--


    End of Volume 1: Open! Heaven''s Gate!

 Chapter 173 You Better Not Lose Until You Meet Me

    Vera happily hummed as she cooked Lux''s favorite dishes.


    Just before midnight, Lux returned home from Elysium with tears in his eyes. Eiko was still crying when Vera entered the training hall. The baby slime jumped into her Grandma''s arms in order to cry her heart out more.


    The wise grandma didn''t ask why her grandson and her great granddaughter were crying. She just held both of them in a loving embrace, and told them, "Wee home."


    Perhaps due to the exhaustion from their journey and sadness, the two fell asleep two hours after their arrival. Even after the sun''s crown peaked and appeared in the East, they were still in bed.


    Vera didn''t mind and allowed the two to sleep as long as they wanted.


    "It''s done." Vera smiled after she had finished cooking everything that Lux and Eiko liked to eat. There was beef stew, grilled fish, chicken soup with vegetables, grilled corn with butter, and freshly baked bread.


    She wanted to prepare more, but she knew that there was a high possibility of Lux and Eiko not having an appetite when they woke up.


    As soon as she finished cing all the dishes on the table, she heard the door to Lux''s room open. A momentter, a Half-Elf, as well as a yawning baby slime, descended the stairs.


    "Good morning, Grandma."


    "Manma!"


    "Good morning, Lux," Vera replied with a smile. "Good morning, Eiko. Breakfast is ready, let''s eat together."


    "Mmm," Lux hummed as he sat on his chair. "It''s been a while since I ate your home-made cooking, Grandma."


    "Manma!" Eiko said as she crawled down from Lux''s head and lightly jumped on the table, away from the dishes. The baby Slime then crawled towards Vera and looked up to her like the spoiled great grandchild she was, hoping to catch her grandma''s attention.


    Vera chuckled and lightly patted Eiko''s head. She was quite fond of Lux''s and Iris'' baby Monster, whom she also treated as her great grandchild. After making the baby Slime happy, Vera then ced a te in front of her and served her some beef stew, a grilled fish, and a few cobs of grilled corn.


    Eiko happily ate the grilled corn first because this was something she couldn''t eat often in Leaf Vige.


    Lux, on the other hand, gave himself a good serving of beef stew. He then held a roll of freshly baked bread in his left hand, and alternated his bites between it and the beef stew on his te.


    "As expected, Grandma''s cooking is the best," Lux praised Vera''s cooking to the high heavens, which earned him a sweet smile from his grandma''s weathered face.


    "Manma!" Eiko nodded in agreement before eating the grilled fish on her te.


    Vera watched the two children eat with satisfaction. Eating alone was quite lonely, but whenever Lux and Eiko returned home from their journey in Elysium, their house would be lively for a short period of time.


    "Eat as much as you want," Vera said. "There are still plenty in the kitchen."


    "You should also eat, Grandma. You won''t get full by watching us eat."


    "Manma."


    The olddy chuckled before nodding her head. She then filled her bowl with chicken soup and ate in a good mood.


    An hourter, a satisfied Half-Elf and a baby Slime, washed the dishes together. Vera had gone through her usual morning rounds around Wildgarde Stronghold to ensure that everything was peaceful.


    Lux knew that his grandma would be away for an hour or two, so he decided to use that time to check his inventory.


    ��---


    < Favonius Legacy, The Heirloom of the West >


    (Degraded Pseudo-Demigod Armor)


    Rarity: Mythical (Degraded)


    Requirements: Must gain the recognition of Favonius'' Will.


    �C This armor was once worn by a Saint. However, due to the passing of hundreds of years, the armor had degraded to the Mythical Rank.


    �C After its rank degraded, the stats of this armor also degraded. In order to restore the armor to its former glory, you will need the help of a Saint-Ranked cksmith.


    �C Only those that had been recognized by the will of Favonius can wield this armor set.


    �C This armor is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C This armor can be worn by any Creature under yourmand.


    +20 to all stats


    +300 to Defense.


    �C 50% Resistant to Wind Element


    �C While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to fly.


    �C While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to use the skill "Sky-High Rush".


    �C While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to use the skill "Gale Storm."


    Active Skills: Razor Wind, eleration Charge.


    Passive Skills: Levitation, Auto Fit


    Title: Favored by the Wind.


    ��-


    < Razor Wind >


    (10 Mana)


    �C Send razor-sharp wind des at your target that deals +100 Wind Elemental Damage.


    ��----


    < eleration Charge >


    �C Increase flying speed by 100%


    ��----


    < Levitation ><sub> </sub>


    �C The wearer of this armor can hover up to two meters above the ground.


    �C This passive skill can be turned on and off.


    ��----


    < Favored by the Wind >


    �C The effect of Wind Elemental Damage, or skills, will increase by 20%


    �C Thrice a day, you may cast the skill, Healing Wind.


    ��----


    < Healing Wind >


    �C Restores 20% of the Maximum Health Points of everyone within the two-hundred meter radius of the wearer of this armor.


    ��---


    ''Even though its abilities have degraded, it is still an amazing set of armor,'' Lux thought as he looked at the legacy that was left behind by a Saint.


    He then turned the page of his Soul Book and looked at the information of the spear that served as the Saint''s weapon when he was still alive.


    ��-


    < Misery''s End - Destroyer of Lost Hope >


    (Degraded Pseudo-Demigod Weapon)


    Weapon Type: Spear


    Rarity: Mythical (Degraded)


    ? Requirement: Must gain the recognition of Favonius'' Will.


    �C This spear apanied Favonius during his travels. In the past, it was a fearsome weapon. But due to hundreds of years of inaction, its abilities and skills had degraded.


    �C This weapon is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C This weapon can be equipped by any Creature under yourmand.


    Attack: 300 - 350


    �C Has a 10% chance to trigger the skill, Bleed, while attacking an enemy.


    �C Has a .01% chance to trigger Storm Tempest, while attacking an enemy.


    ��----


    < Bleed >


    �C has a 5% chance to apply the Bleeding effect to your target with every strike.


    �C Bleeding effect reduces your target''s Health Points by 1% of its Maximum Health Points every 2 seconds.


    �C Bleed Effect Duration: 10 seconds.


    ��--


    Lux equipped the spear to Diablo, so that the Skeleton Rider could use it whenever he charged at his opponent.  But when fighting at extremely close range, Diablo could switch his weapon to the mythical sword that was given to Lux as a parting gift by his Master, Randolph.


    It was none other than the cksmith''s prized masterpiece, Blood Moon. This was the weapon that Diablo used during the battle in the Kobold''s Nest.


    Because of this, the Skeleton Rider had gained a massive boost in his offensive capabilities, making Lux very happy.


    After an hour, Lux finally finished sorting out his inventory. It was a grueling task, and he had no time to do it when he was still in Leaf Vige because he had been busy helping the Dwarves repair their houses and build the orphanage.


    ''In a few days, I''ll go to Barbatos Academy with Grandma in order to register for the tournament,'' Lux thought as he took a mask out of his inventory. ''I have to change my ns a bit.''


    The mask in Lux''s hand was one of the Mythical Equipment thatposed the Faunus Battle Regalia.


    It was called the "Mask of a Thousand Faces." It was an exaggerated title, since the mask didn''t exactly have the ability to let someone change their appearance with a hundred different faces.


    The mask could only allow each user to store two appearances inside it. Perhaps the creator had already expected that the mask would be passed down from generation to generation, allowing many people to use it until it had created over a thousand faces.


    The reason why Lux wanted to change his appearance was because he wanted to protect Iris from her father''s n to marry her off to the winner of the tournament.


    Iris was a very importantdy in the eyes of the nobles, as well as the royal families of the six kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy. Whoever won in the tournament would definitely be targeted by several powerful factions, and Lux wanted to avoid that scenario.


    Surprisingly, when he was thinking about what face to use, an ingenious idea came to his mind. He could copy any face as long as he had seen them once. The great part about the mask was that it could also change the size and shape of the body to create a perfect replica of the person that he wanted to copy.


    Since he didn''t want to harm other people by copying their appearance, he decided to use his former appearance from when he was back on Earth.


    In Lux''s past life, he was a chubby teenager with short ck hair and light brown eyes. He was confident that he had no look alike in the worlds of Sis and Elysium, so using his past identity was the perfect cover for his n.


    Naturally, he intended to reveal this secret to Vera and Iris as well. The reason for doing so was simple.


    He was certain that Iris would not acknowledge the champion of the tournament as her fiance. She would definitely fight tooth and nail with her father, even if thetter were to imprison her somewhere.


    The second reason was his grandma, Vera. Lux had a feeling that, aside from him, whoever won the tournament would meet an untimely death as soon as the tournament was over.


    This was a feeling that was deeply rooted in his bones, so to ensure that he didn''t die in his grandma''s hands, telling her about his n was of the utmost importance.


    "Wait for me, Nero," Lux said with determination. "I''ll settle all our scores in the tournament. You better not lose to anyone before you face me."


    Lux would not allow the arrogant prodigy, or any of the other participants in the tournament, marry Iris against her will. Although he knew that the tournament would be filled with powerfulpetitors, he wasn''t worried a single bit.


    The red-headed teenager was no longer the weak and sickly Half-Elf who would faint whenever he over-taxed himself.


    He was no longer the useless person that Nero humiliated in the past, or the person that Alexander didn''t deem worthy of his daughter.


    A faint smile appeared on Lux''s face before he closed his eyes to take a nap. He had already formted a n in his mind, and he was confident that he would be able to seed even in the face of needing to fight the strongest members of the young generation within the six kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy.

 Chapter 174 I Wonder Where That Confidence Of Yours Is Coming From?

    Later that afternoon, Lux decided to take a stroll inside Wildgarde Stronghold.


    It had been a long time since he had taken a walk around the ce where he grew up, and he was immediately greeted by the familiar faces that he hadn''t seen for a long time.


    As he was taking a stroll, he saw the Commander of the Stronghold, Gerald, walking alongside an old woman, who was one of his Grandma Vera''s close friends.


    "Grandma Natasha, Sir Gerald," Lux greeted the two important people in the stronghold with a big smile on his face. These were the two elders that took good care of him as a child, so he respected them a lot.


    "Lux, my boy," Gerald waved his hand. "I haven''t seen you for a long time. Vera said that you have been busy training for your next test to enter Elysium."


    "K-Kinda." The smile on Lux''s face stiffened after hearing Gerald''s words. "Grandma Natasha, how are you?"


    The old woman had taken care of Lux countless times, and the Half-Elf could be considered one of her regr patients due to his constant fainting.


    "Tired, but good," Natasha replied. "How about you? You are not making things difficult for Vera, are you? Also, that is one adorable Slime you got there. Is that your pet?"


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, looked at the two old people with a smile. She was quite fond of old people because her Grandma Vera, Grandma Annie, and the other old people in Leaf Vige spoiled her a lot. Because of this, she looked at the oldmander, and old nurse, with a warm smile that almost made the hearts of the two oldies melt.


    "She''s not my pet," Lux replied. "Her name is Eiko. She is like a daughter to me."


    <o>,m Eiko nodded her head in agreement before continuing to smile at the two old people that were now only a meter away from them.</o>


    "Such a well behaved Slime," Natasha lightly patted the baby Slime, who giggled under her touch. "By the way, Lux, ording to thest conference, the Entrance Test for Elysium will be dyed until the Tournament in Barbatos Academy is over.


    "The Stronghold is putting their effort into training the kids to participate in the tournament. Although I''m sure that they won''t reach the top 100, it is still a good thing to have a goal, right?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes. Having a goal is important."


    Gerald patted Lux''s right shoulder. "Don''t worry Lux. I believe if you continue to persevere, a miracle will happen. You will one day step foot in Elysium and realize your dream."


    "Thank you, Commander," Lux replied. He had no intention of telling the old man that he had already stepped into Elysium, and had already ascended into the initial stages of a Grade A Apostle.


    Right now, he was wearing a special ring given to him by Vera to hide his rank from the appraisal of other people. Since Lux had been a very sickly boy, no one would find it weird if he was still "Rankless", and considered to be one of the children who had no talent in going to the world on the other side of the gate.


    "By the way, I heard that your step-sister, Iris, will be the fiance of the champion of the tournament," Gerald said as he gazed at Lux with a serious expression. "I know that the two of you are close. How do you feel about it?"


    "Commander, I believe that everyone has the right to love," Lux replied. "I do not think that what her father is doing is right, but there is nothing that I can do about it."


    Gerald nced at his surroundings before whispering something in Lux''s ears.


    "You and I know that Nero had been pursuing your sister in Elysium for a long time now," Gerald whispered. "I know that you and him don''t get along, but right now, his position among the younger generation is quite high. Some of the Guardians even believe that he has a high chance of bing a champion in the tournament. If that happens, his goal of making your step sister his fiance will be a reality."


    Natasha didn''t say anything because she and Gerald were on Lux''s side. Although Nero''s performance in Elysium was great, and his ambition to reach the top was admirable, they were more biased to Lux whom they had raised with Vera.


    "He has to win the tournament first," Lux replied. "Only then will he have the possibility of bing Iris'' fiance."


    Natasha who was just standing at the side looked in the distance and smirked.


    "Speaking of the devil," Natashamented. "Look who just returned from Elysium."


    At the Teleportation Gate of Wildgarde Stronghold, several teenagers walked down the tform. Lux recognized all of them because most of them had be his friends inside the Stronghold, with the exception of the good looking boy who was leading the group.


    "Commander Gerald, I came to give you a report of ourtest expedition in Elysium," Nero bowed his head with respect. He then gave Lux a side-long nce before shifting his attention back to the Supreme Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold.


    "Feel free to speak, everyone is family here," Gerald replied as he patted Lux''s shoulder to tell him that red-headed teenager was one of his people.


    Nero smiled as he nodded his head in understanding. "Of course. Everyone inside the Stronghold is family. Isn''t that right, Lux?"<sub> </sub>


    "More or less," Lux replied.


    "Don''t be like that," Neromented. "After all, after the tournament, we will really be part of the same family."


    Gerald, and Natasha frowned, but they didn''t say anything. Rivalry and any form ofpetition was allowed inside Wildgarde Stronghold because it allowed the young generation to strive and do their best to reach greater heights.


    Lux''s friends, who were part of Nero''s entourage, didn''t say anything and remained silent. Lux was their friend, but Nero was the appointed Guild Master of Wildegarde Stronghold''s branch guild in Elysium, who managed the members of the young generation.


    They didn''t want to offend either side, so they decided to keep their silence to maintain a neutral stance.


    "You talk as if you have already won the tournament," Lux replied. "I wonder where that confidence of yours ising from?"


    Nero chuckled and brushed aside Lux''s sarcastic words as if they were a passing breeze.


    "My confidence is fueled by my ability, performance, and the achievements that I have made in Elysium," Nero replied. "I''m not like you. Aside from your good looks, you have nothing else to offer. But, don''t worry, there are plenty of prettydies out there that are unable to step inside Elysium because theyck talent. Just take your pick, I''m sure that any girl you choose would be a match made in heaven."


    Lux chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Yea, being handsome is a sin. Iris has been nagging me to marry her for a very long time. Unlike others whose face is as thick as the walls of the Stronghold, my face is enough to attract all thedies even if I just stand here and do nothing."


    Gerald and Natasha exchanged a nce at each other before looking at the Half-Elf who was tooting his own horn. Although they had to admit that Lux was indeed handsome because he was a Half-Elf, they had the strong urge to spank his bum for being shameless.


    Surprisingly, Nero just nodded his head and smiled.


    "Unfortunately, good looks alone is not enough to have her hand in marriage," Nero replied. "Her father, Saint Alexander, knows that only the strong can stand on top of the world. Only the strong can have riches, women, and influence. What you have is only superficial. In the end, it amounts to nothing. You can''t even protect those that are important to you."


    Nero sneered as he walked close to Lux until their faces were only a few centimeters apart.


    "If you''ve got guts then I dare you to enter the tournament that will be held in Barbatos Academy," Nero stated. "At that time, you will understand that, in the face of absolute strength, your eloquent words are meaningless."


    Nero snorted before bowing respectfully to Gerald and Natasha.


    "Commander, I will be visiting Master''s residence," Nero said in a polite manner. "I will also leave my detailed report with him. Please, consult with himter about the progress of the Storm Dragon Guild. I will now take my leave."


    "Okay," Gerald replied. "Thanks for your hard work."


    Nero nodded before leaving with his entourage. He didn''t even spare Lux a backward nce as he headed towards his Master''s residence.


    When the young man was no longer in sight, Gerald sighed as he once again patted Lux''s shoulder.


    "Even though he is arrogant, I have to admit that he can back his words," Geraldmented. "The Storm Dragons have grown to be the leading Bronze Guild under the Wildgarde Banner. I believe that it will only take them a month or two before their Guild is upgraded to the Silver Rank."


    Natasha took this opportunity to pat Luxs head as if giving him support.


    "It''s fine, Lux," Natasha replied. "Although I can''t refute that strength makes right, I believe that strength isn''t everything. One day, you will find your calling, and when that happens, no one, not even Nero, can look down on you."


    "Thank you, Commander Gerald; thank you, Grandma Natasha," Lux said as with a confident smile on his face. "Don''t worry. I am not bothered by his words. In fact, I wish him luck in the uing tournament."


    Gerald nodded. "That''s good. Although we sometimes have conflicting opinions, all of us are on the same side. Natasha, it''s time to go. We still have matters that we need to settle before the tournament starts."


    Natasha lightly pinched Lux''s and Eiko''s cheeks before following Gerald towards the Commander''s office.


    Lux watched them go with a calm expression, but deep inside his heart was boiling. If not for the fact that he was looking at the bigger picture, he might have challenged Nero to a duel to shut him up in front of everyone.


    ''I guess I''ll return to Elysium after registering at the academy for the tournament,'' Lux thought as he walked back towards his home where his Grandma Vera was waiting for him. ''Colette and the others are still waiting for me, and there''s still plenty of time before the tournament starts.''


    The Half-Elf chuckled internally as he looked forward to the uing tournament. Although he wouldn''t personally appear there as "Lux" he would still stand on that grand stage, and show the arrogant candidates, like Nero, a thing or two about humility.

 Chapter 175 When Two Rivals Meet

    "Eiko!"


    "Ma!"


    Before Sophie could even step onto the shore, Eiko jumped off from the White Hippopotamus'' head and used her Air Strider [EX] skill to fly in the direction of the beautiful youngdy who was waiting for her on the shore.


    Vera chuckled as she watched this scene, while Lux only smiled. With a nce, he could tell that Eiko really missed Iris, so he just happily looked at them as the Mama and daughter pair kissed each other after their reunion.


    Alicia who was standing beside Iris looked at the White Hippopotamus who was now making its way up the riverbank.


    "Lady Vera, wee back to Barbatos Academy," Alicia greeted.


    "Alicia, I hope you are doing well," Vera replied. "Is my no-good-son giving you some trouble with your work?"


    Alicia vehemently shook her head as she tried to protect the honor and dignity of her employer.


    "Lord Alexander is the one that is working too hard, Lady Vera," Alicia replied. "He sometimes works until midnight just to finish the paperwork."


    "Don''t worry. Dealing with paperwork is not enough to kill a Saint," Veramented as she dismounted from Sophie''s back assisted by Lux. "How are the preparations for the tournament going?"


    "They are going well. In fact, they are going too well. There have already been over six thousand applicants this month alone."


    "Not bad. It seems that a lot of people want to be the champion."


    Everytime a tournament was held, the rewards that could be gained from it were enormous. After all, it was sponsored by the six kingdoms that were supporting Barbatos Academy. The lowest number of participants that joined the tournament was usually around ten thousand, but this year, they were expecting more participants.


    Alexander''s whim of making the champion of the tournament Iris'' fiance, was just icing on the cake that was already sought by so many.


    "Are there many promising individuals this year?" Vera inquired as Lux went to have a chat with Iris, who was currently busy pampering Eiko.


    Alicia nodded. "Yes. Famed geniuses and prodigies that hail from the six kingdoms are going to join this year''s tournament. There are at least thirty notable individuals who are as strong as, and maybe even stronger than, thest tournament''s champion."


    "Oh? That sounds incredible."


    "Yes, Lady Vera. I was even surprised when I got their information. This year''s tournament is going to be the talk of the kingdoms for the next few years."


    Vera smiled as Alicia and her followed Lux and Iris, who were already making their way towards the hidden path that led to Barbatos Academy.


    "Alicia, there is a matter that I will need your help with in regards to the tournament," Vera said softly.


    Alicia already had an idea on what Vera was going to say as she nced at the handsome Half-Elf who was walking hand in hand with Iris in the distance.


    "Lady Vera, can Lux really do it?" Alicia asked. "If he faints in the middle of the tournament, it might traumatize him for life."


    "Don''t worry. What you''re thinking about will not happen. Also, I''m nning to have his identity be a secret, so you will have to be his guarantor when he enters the tournament.


    Guarantors were part of the high-ranking staff of the tournament who were in charge of dealing with participants who refused to reveal their identity to anyone. These participants could wear masks, or any other form of disguise, to prevent anyone from knowing who they were.


    However, since this rule could easily be taken advantage of, they were given strict guidelines by the guarantors who knew of their identity. This is to ensure that people wouldn''t switch ces with someone else for the duration of the tournament, which would lead to harsh consequences if discovered.


    "If that is your wish, Lady Vera, I will personally handle this task," Alicia promised. "May I get permission to tell this to the Headmaster?"<sub> </sub>


    Vera smirked as she thought of her no-good-son who was trying to get in the way of her granddaughter''s happiness.


    "You can tell him that Lux is joining, but don''t tell him what kind of identity he will use in the tournament. Let him guess as much as he wants."


    "Understood. I will handle the necessary preparations, and will register Lux before the sun sets. Is that eptable, Lady Vera?"


    Vera nodded. "Thank you, Alicia. You can now return to your duties. I''ll look after my grandkids for the time being."


    Alicia bowed respectfully before taking a left turn on the hidden path that they were traversing. Barbatos Academy had many hidden pathways and only a select number of people knew about them.


    The reason for this was because Barbatos Academy could be used as a fortress during war time, so these secret passageways were made in order to let high-ranking nobles, as well as members of the royal family, escape if and when their lives were in danger.


    The moment Lux, Vera, and Iris arrived at the young beauty''s private residence, the bro-con little sister immediately hugged Lux tightly and thetter responded by patting her head.


    Vera excused herself and left her grandkids alone to go and meet her son, who was buried under a lot of paperwork that was rted to the uing tournament.


    Also, Vera wanted to give Lux and Iris some private time together, since she knew that her granddaughter had plenty of questions to ask Lux. As a very understanding Grandma, she didn''t want to be a third wheel.


    Iris served Lux and Eiko some fruit juice, as well as sweets. She was dying to know what kind of adventures her brother and her baby slime had had in Elysium.


    However, just before Iris could ask the Half-Elf her question, the baby slime, that was happily drinking her fruit juice, jumped off the table and red at the Unicorn who was now walking towards Iris.


    It was none other than Eiko''s mortal enemy, Astra, who had given the baby slime a hard time when she was just born.


    "Simp!" Eiko shouted towards the Unicorn, which made Lux almost spit out the fruit juice that he was drinking.


    In truth, Eiko wanted to call Astra, f*cker, but since her mama was around, she refrained from using it and used the word that her Papa used to tease Matty back in Leaf Vige.


    The Unicorn scoffed as he looked down on the baby Slime in contempt. Clearly, he still didn''t see Eiko as a threat to its existence.


    Seeing that she got ignored, Eiko wanted to attack the arrogant Unicorn, but Iris immediately picked her up from the ground and patted her head.


    "You and Astra can fightter, Eiko," Iris said as she tried to coax the baby Slime to not fight inside her living room. "For now, I want to hear about your adventures with your papa in Elysium."


    Eiko looked up at her Mama and obediently nodded her head. She then gave the Unicorn a sidelong nce and stuck out her tongue towards the arrogant horse that she would be fightingter.


    Astra scoffed at Eiko''s petty attempts to taunt him and just walked towards Lux with an annoyed look on his face. He was giving the Half-Elf the "Bruh, what is wrong with your daughter?" look, which the Half-Elf replied with a helpless smile on his face.


    "Astra, make sure to not underestimate Eikoter," Lux warned. "If you''re not careful, you''ll be in a world of pain."


    Astra rolled his eyes at the red-headed teenager. Clearly, he didn''t take Lux''s words seriously. For him, Eiko was just a little baby who didn''t know her ce. As an elder, he was more than happy to teach her a thing or two about knowing her ce.


    Lux could only smirk at the Unicorn who served as one of Iris'' guardians before drinking his fruit juice. He was already looking forward to the battle between the two Monsters, who held a grudge against each other.


    ''I guess both of them are now considered rivals for Iris'' attention,'' Lux mused. ''Still, this will be one interesting battle. I look forward to how Eiko will showcase her skills against a veteran like Astra in battle.''


    Although he didn''t know who would win between the two rivals, Lux still wanted to see how Astra would react after it realized that the baby slime he bullied in the past was no longer the weak monster that he could deal with in a casual manner.

 Chapter 176 Eiko’s Monster Grade

    Eiko managed to convince Iris to make Astra leave the room before Lux told her about their adventures in Elysium.


    The baby Slime didn''t want her rival to hear how powerful she had be and wanted it to be a surprise to himter. Iris agreed and asked Astra to head to the training grounds to prepare for his battle with Eiko, which the Unicorn thought was a big joke.


    Even so, for Iris'' sake, he left the room and allowed Eiko to monopolize Iris for a short period of time.


    Astra was confident that he would easily win against the baby Slime who still didn''t know her ce in the hierarchy of beasts that protected Iris'' safety.


    The moment Astra left, Lux began to tell Iris about the details of the adventures they had in Elysium. The young beauty''s eyes would widen in shock from time to time, and her mouth would open and close as the red-headed teenager told the tale of things that seemed impossible to have happened inside a Beginner''s Zone.


    Even so, Iris believed every word of it. She could tell at a nce that her stepbrother was not exaggerating his tale, and even went out of his way to downy the story telling, so he wouldn''te out as someone who bragged about the feats he had aplished in Elysium.


    After hearing about his encounter with the Indus Death Worm and Keoza, the Argonaut-Ranked Crystal Dragon, Iris asked Lux to pause his story telling, so she could drink some water in order to calm herself.


    Only after she had regained her calm did Iris allow Lux to continue his tale.


    In the Intermediate Areas, Pseudo-Deimos and Deimos-Ranked Monsters were considered quite rare, and were deemed as the ultimate bosses that needed to be fought by an entire guild to ensure that there would be less casualties in battle.


    A single party would not challenge Monsters of such rank because it would immediately turn into a party wipe. If they met such Monsters inside a Dungeon, it would still be fine because if they died since they would just lose some of their stat points.


    However, if they encountered them in the wild, the first thing that a party should do is run away as fast as they could. It was simply impossible to beat creatures of that rank. If there were people stubborn enough to think that they could fight it using the power of friendship, they would end up as monster poop.


    "Unbelievable," Irismented after Lux finished his tale about the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian. "A dungeon that degraded because its Dungeon Core was damaged. Although this is the first time that I''ve heard of a story like this, I''m still d that you are still safe after that experience, Lux."


    Iris decided to just call the red-headed teenager, Lux, when it was just the two of them. Although Lux was surprised at first, he didn''t mind it too much and allowed the young beauty to call him whatever she wanted.


    Iris then stared at Lux with a serious expression on her face, while holding Eiko in her hand. A few momentster, she nodded her head in admiration after sensing the faint power of Dragons inside Lux''s body.


    As a Beast Tamer, she was quite familiar with how the blood of beasts could be fused with ordinary people, giving them specific abilities that belonged to that Beast. Although this practice was verymon, it still held significant danger to the person that consumed the Monster Blood.


    In the worst case scenario, they would die due to ipatibility or the Monster Blood having a strong side-effect on those who tried to fuse with it.


    "Lux, can you transform parts of your body?" Iris asked. "I have seen others do it, so I am curious if you can do it as well."


    Lux nodded and transformed his hand into that of a dragon w, which made Iris very curious. She even reached out to touch Lux''s wed hand, and pressed it in ces to confirm if it had mergedpletely.


    Her gaze was so serious that it reminded him of scientists who were focused on their craft. Out of curiosity, Iris almost licked Lux''s hand just to taste what a transformed w tasted like.


    Fortunately, Lux undid the transformation in time, which prevented Iris from continuing to carry out her experiments.


    After a few minutes of dissatisfaction, Lux continued his tale. When he mentioned fighting against the Mutated Thunder Wolf King, Iris'' brows furrowed.


    "When it died, did it leave behind a vial of mutated blood?" Iris asked.


    Lux nodded. "Yes. it did."


    Iris''s expression became more serious after hearing Lux''s answer.


    "Do you remember when Nero came to Wildgarde Stronghold to look for me because our guilds were going to challenge a Dungeon together?"


    "How could I forget?"


    Iris nodded. "The Boss of the Dungeon we faced was a Mutated Thunder Wolf King. Fortunately, there were two hundred of us, so we were able to deal with it. After it was defeated, ording to the rules of conquest, the one that made the greatest contribution would take the first pick at the Monster loot.


    "Nero didn''t even hesitate to take the Monster''s Beast Core. Since he specializes in Lightning Abilities, the oue was eptable. I don''t know if he seeded in learning a skill after absorbing the Monster Core, but one thing is for sure, he is strong, Lux, very strong. Be sure to be extra careful if you meet him in the tournament."<sub> </sub>


    Lux gave her a brief nod to acknowledge Nero''s abilities. "I understand. I promise to be careful. So, since you knew of the vial, did your group receive it as well?"


    "We did. The Mutated Monster Blood was given to the Prince of Exalos Kingdom, as hispensation for his support in the battle."


    "How about you? What did you get?"


    Iris gave Lux a mischievous smile, which caught thetter''s interest.


    "For some reason, the Mutated Thunder Wolf King dropped an egg," Iris answered. "As the main Beast Tamer in the group, it was given to me by unanimous vote."


    Lux chuckled. "I''m sure that no one will challenge you over a monster egg. So, did you hatch the egg already?"


    "Yes," Iris replied. "I gifted the baby monster to Alicia because she has long wanted to raise a baby Monster, but never found the time to hunt in Elysium."


    "Um, do you mind if I ask what kind of monster came out of the egg? It isn''t a Mutated Thunder Wolf King, right?"


    "No. What came out of it was a Mythical ss Golden-Winged Griffin. Alicia loves the little guy so much that he named him Alex."


    Lux almost burst outughing because, not expecting that Alicia would be so bold as to call a Golden-Wing Griffin, Alex, which was obviously a shortened version of Iris'' father''s name, Alexander.


    "But, as expected of you, Iris," Lux said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "A Mythical Beast from the get go. You sure are lucky when ites to hatching eggs."


    "Ma!" Eiko, who was sitting on Iris''p and being petted by her Mama, nodded her head in agreement.


    Iris smiled sweetly as she lightly squeezed Eiko''s cheeks, making the baby Slime giggle. "To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I thought I was going to hatch a Legendary ss Monster, but this time, I only got a Mythical one. I am losing my touch."


    Lux stared at his step-sister for a few seconds before rubbing his face with both hands. The only one who could casually say she was losing her touch by hatching a Mythical Grade Monster was none other than the young beauty with light-blue hair in front of him.


    If other Monster Tamers or Monster Breeders were to hear herints, all of them would definitely suffer from high blood pressure or aneurysm for her audacity.


    ''My sister is in another league when ites to her standards in hatching monsters,'' Lux thought as he shook his head helplessly. Finally, a thought came across his mind as he asked Iris the question he forgot to ask long ago.


    "Iris, what is Eiko''s Monster Grade?" Lux inquired.


    Iris blinked once then twice as she looked at Lux with surprise.


    "Didn''t I tell you about her Monster Grade when she was born?" Iris asked.


    Lux shook his head. "No. Is she perhaps Mythical Grade just like that Golden-Winged Griffin?"


    Iris smiled as she lightly rubbed Eiko''s chubby cheeks, making the baby Slime giggle for the second time.


    "I also thought that she was a Mythical Monster," Iris replied. "But, after thinking for a long time, I came to a conclusion. Eiko is not a Mythical Monster. She is a Legendary Monster, whose untapped potential is endless. Even now, I''m still researching what kind of Monster she is."


    Lux stared at the baby Slime that was giggling from Iris'' constant squeezing, and wondered what kind of evolution Eiko would take once she reached a higher rank.


    Now that Iris had confirmed that Eiko Monster Grade was of the Legendary Rank, he was sure that whatever the baby Slime would be in the future, she would definitely leave a mark in history as one of the strongest Slimes that was ever born in the world of Elysium.


    Eiko didn''t understand anything about Monster Grades or anything of the sort. She was just happy that her Mama was spoiling her before she''d go to fight that annoying Unicorn that was waiting for her in Mama''s private Training Grounds.


    She had long wanted to have a revenge match with Astra. Since she had been expecting this, she practiced a lot in Elysium. Eiko was confident that no matter how strong the Unicorn was, she would emerge victorious and show her arrogant rival that she was no longer the weak Monster that Astra had bullied in the past.

 Chapter 177 Eiko Vs. Astra

    Lux and Iris stood at the corner of the Training Ground, watching Eiko face off against Astra.


    They were not the only spectators this time since Vera hade just before they headed towards the training grounds. She was very curious to know how much stronger Eiko had be after staying in Elysium for several months.


    Iris'' other Guardians were also present to observe Lux and Iris'' "baby" and see for themselves what the little slime was capable of.


    Hanz, the White Tiger.


    Valerie, the Blue Dragon.


    Myrtle, the ck Tortoise.


    Andstly, Zoe, the Red Phoenix.


    These were all Iris'' Beast Companions, and they had been raised by her ever since they were hatched from eggs.


    They were her loyal protectors who ensured her safety in Elysium. All of them were powerful beasts, which made Iris a very precious member of the Serenity Guild, which was a subsidiary of the Barbatos Guild in Elysium.


    "Who do you think will win, Brother?" Iris asked.


    "If Astra underestimates Eiko, our daughter will definitely win," Lux replied.


    "Really?"


    "Yes."


    When the Guardian Beasts beside Iris heard Lux''s words, all of them thought that the Half-Elf was just joking, except Hanz, the White Tiger.


    He had been there when Eiko and Astra fought for the first time. Although the baby slime didn''t hold a candle to the Unicorn then, the White Tiger could see Eiko''s potential. Just like the others, he was looking forward to this rematch, wanting to know if the baby slime had improved since thest time he saw her.


    Eiko red at the Unicorn, who was looking down at her with contempt, in the distance. They were waiting for Iris'' go signal to start the battle before they began attacking each other.


    "Are the both of you ready?" Iris asked.


    "Ma!" Eiko replied.


    Astra just nodded his head and stomped his right hoof on the ground. He was also raring to teach the baby slime a lesson.


    "Start the Duel!"


    As soon as the battle started, Eiko summoned Four Slimes which spread out in order to attack the baby slime''s opponent.


    ckie and Whitey flew in the air and fired their spells at the unicorn, while Eiko''s two new summons, Rocky, the Earth Slime, and Maya, the Water Slime, did the same.


    "Looks like Eiko has made some new friends in Elysium," Irismented as she looked at the four slimes that were working together to fight against the Unicorn who easily dodged their attacks due to its speed.


    Lux nodded. He didn''t tell Iris that Eiko had also received a reward after defeating the Mutated Thunder Wolf King, which allowed her to gain another rank. Rocky and Maya were fairly new to Eiko''s arsenal, so their teamwork with ckie and Whitey wasn''t that great at the moment.


    However, that didn''t change the fact that the four slimes were performing extremely well against an opponent that was as strong as Astra.


    Just when the Unicorn evaded ckie and Whitey''sbination attack, Eiko appeared beside him and unleashed her skill, Moon st, which she had gained after she had ranked up.


    Astra''s body briefly glowed as he disappeared from his location and reappeared behind the baby slime. However, at that exact moment, ckie and Whitey''s specialbo attack, Starfire Tempest, collided with the side of the Unicorn''s Body that had just teleported behind Eiko.


    The unicorn was pushed back a few meters from where he stood, but he was mostly unscatched because it managed to activate its Magical Barrier just in time. Even so, there was a minor burn mark at the side of his body, which made the Unicorn narrow his eyes.


    "Astra is now going to get serious," Iris smiled. "He finally recognized Eiko''s threat."


    "Yes," Lux agreed. "Now, Eiko will be hard pressed to fight him since the element of surprise is now gone."


    Vera and the Guardians that were watching the battle from the side were quite impressed on how things yed out. Clearly, Eiko expected that Astra would teleport behind her and ordered ckie and Whitey to fire their special move behind her, even before Astra teleported.


    This made the attack hit the Unicorn without fail. If not for the fact that Astra reacted in time, a minor burn mark would be the least of his worries.


    "Simp!" Eiko raised her head arrogantly, taunting Astra.


    The Unicorn didn''t reply and simply unleashed its Aura, which created a shockwave that pushed back Eiko, as well as the slimes that were in a thirty-meter radius around it.


    Lightning crackled at the tip of Astra''s horn and its entire body was covered in lightning bolts. This was simr to the Mutated Thunder Wolf King''s Lightning Body, which damaged those who came close to it.<sub> </sub>


    Astra then aimed its horn at Eiko and unleashed a Lightning st, which thetter easily evaded using Blink.


    However, after she disappeared, the lightning changed direction and attacked the ce where she had gone to.


    A thunderous explosion erupted as a slime crashed on the ground, rolling away for several meters beforeing to aplete stop.


    "Rocky!" Eiko shouted as she gazed at the Earth Slime who had appeared in front of her to shield her from Astra''s attack.


    Rocky''s body shook as it propped itself up before looking in Astra''s direction.


    "Careful!" Rocky shouted as he fired a barrage of Stone Bullets at the Unicorn, who was in the middle of preparing to unleash another attack.


    Astra didn''t dodge and simply allowed himself to get hit by the Stone Bullets. The lightning that covered his body incinerated the stones before they could even reach him.


    Astra then unleashed three lightning bolts which were all targeted at Eiko. Knowing that dodging was not an option, the baby slime activated her Elemental Shields to mitigate the lightning bolts that were aimed at her.


    Three magic circles which glowed with the colors of the rainbow appeared in front of Eiko. However, they onlysted for a few seconds before they broke apart.


    At that moment, ckey, Whitey, and Maya, appeared in front of Eiko and blocked the lightning bolts with their bodies. All three slimes were sent flying several meters away before they crashed on the ground, motionless.


    Eiko red at Astra as her body glowed briefly.


    Suddenly, two baby slimes who looked exactly like Eiko appeared beside her. However, the moment these slimes appeared, Eiko shook her head and the two slimes vanished without a trace.


    Lux, who was watching this scene smiled, because he understood what Eiko was thinking.


    Clearly, she wanted to fight against Astra using only her powers, which proved that she had started to gain confidence in her own abilities. Although she could copy Lux''s abilities and gain an upper hand, she didn''t do that.


    More than anything else, Eiko wanted to beat Astra using everything she got, without relying on others.


    ''You can do it, Eiko!'' Lux cheered for the baby slime in his heart as he watched the battle be more intense.


    Iris'' Guardians were no longer observing with a carefree manner ever since they realized that the baby slime''s performance had exceeded their expectations.


    Little by little, Eiko was being pushed back by Astra''s dominating attacks. Even if the other slimes were to help her, all of them were helpless against the Unicorn''s swift and powerful attacks that didn''t give them any time to rest.


    "Simp!" Eiko shouted at Astra as she stood her ground. "Fight!"


    Astra paused as he looked at the baby slime. Although Eiko only said the word "Fight," he understood her intention. The baby slime was challenging him to a head on sh with their most powerful attack.


    Astra stomped his right foot against the ground and aimed his horn at the baby slime. He had epted her challenge and decided to face her head-on.


    Eiko then opened her mouth wide as a magic circle appeared in front of her. To everyone''s surprise, the magic circle was getting bigger and bigger. Clearly, Eiko was pouring all of her magical energy into one powerful attack with all of her might.


    Astra knew that he couldn''t afford to hold back since he could feel that Eiko''s magical energy was rising at a rapid rate.


    Lightning crackled at the tip of the Unicorn''s horn, creating a ball of lightning which growed bigger and bigger every second.


    Lux had summoned Pazuzu to stand in front of them, while the ck Tortoise, Myrtle, stood in front of Iris. The rest of Iris'' Guardians had also taken a defensive stance, forming a circle around their Master to ensure her safety.


    "Grandma, please, make your move if you see that Eiko''s life is in danger," Lux said softly.


    Vera nodded. She had also made her preparations to take action if Eiko''s and Astra''s life were in danger.


    "Moonst!" Eiko shouted and a two-meter tall orb of light erupted from the magic circle in front of her. It had a shape simr to that of the moon''s which emitted a radiance that shone brightly.


    Astra neighed as it unleashed its skill called "Thunder''s Fury." It was his strongest attack that he only used when he fought against strong opponents in Elysium.


    When these two spells collided, a mini shockwave erupted in the surroundings as both spells tried to push each other away.


    Thesested for several seconds before both attacks merged into each other.


    "Pazuzu, block it!" Lux ordered.


    The Demonic Defender immediately activated its Shield Wall, creating a giant Tower Shield in front of them.


    Vera disappeared from where she stood and a few seconds after that, a powerful explosion rocked the entire Training Grounds, forcing Lux, and Iris, to cover their eyes due to the intense radiance that turned their sightpletely white.

 Chapter 178 I’ve Seen That Mofo Two Times Already

    When the bright light receded, Lux and Iris stared at the aftermath of Eiko''s and Astra''s final sh.


    The training grounds were in a mess, with bits of equipment scattered all over. However, there was no damage in the Training Ground itself. It was obvious that the facility was made to endure strong attacks. It could probably only be destroyed by blows that came from High-Rankers.


    Vera approached her grandchildren while holding a small puddle of goo in her hands. The small blue puddle was none other than Eiko who had used up all her energy in herst attack. The baby slime didn''t even have any strength left to retain her usual form, which worried Lux and Iris.


    However, after Iris checked Eiko''s condition, she was relieved to find out that aside from exhaustion, her baby slime was fine and had simply fell into hibernation mode to regain her strength.


    Astra, on the other hand, stood arrogantly in the training ground. The moment the lightning that covered its body disappeared, several bruises could be found on its pristine white skin. Clearly, it suffered minor injuries during hisst sh with Eiko.


    Vera had stood in front of Eiko to block the explosion and protected the awakened slime from getting injured. Because of this, the baby slime was unscathed by the aftermath, and was now being cared for by Iris, who was pouring regeneration potions on Eiko''s puddle-like-body.


    "This is your victory, Astra," Lux said as he approached the Unicorn who was looking at the baby slime in Iris'' hands from a distance. "Thank you for taking it easy on my daughter. However, if you ck on your training, Eiko will surely catch up to you. She may not beat you in your next rematch, or your rematch after that. But, I''m sure that a year from now, you''ll no longer be able to take it easy."


    Astra nced at Lux and let out a snort before walking away. The Unicorn was about to return to its personal residence when Iris blocked his path.


    "Thank you, Astra, for holding back," Iris said with a smile. She then opened a regeneration potion and offered it to Astra, which thetter took without even a slight hint of hesitation.


    The young beauty then opened another potion and poured its contents on Astra''s bruised body. A few secondster, all of his injuries were healed. Aside from the dirt that was stuck on its body, the Unicorn had mostly recovered.


    Just like what Iris said, Astra had held back in the end. If it wished, it could''ve sted through Eiko''s Moon st and pushed the attack back to the baby slime, which might have resulted in a critical injury.


    Astra didn''t reply and simply nudged his head on Iris cheek, telling her that it was not a big deal to him. After a while, the Unicorn walked away before teleporting towards his residence.


    His battle with Eiko had made him realize that Lux was right. If he cked on his training, Eiko would definitely catch up to him, which was something he wouldn''t want to happen.


    It wasn''t only Astra who felt this way. All of Iris'' Guardians who witnessed the battle felt a fire light up inside their chest. More than anything else, they didn''t want to lose to the baby slime the most. The battle had shown them that even a baby like her could threaten their lives if they weren''t careful.


    Vera looked in amusement as she held the puddle of blue goo in her hands. ording to her estimate, it would take Eiko a few hours or a whole day before she finally regained her consciousness.


    She had seen many slimes in the past, and for some reason, Eiko reminded her of that one slime she had once encountered in one of the High-Ranking areas in Elysium. Vera didn''t know if Eiko would grow up to be simr to that slime she had met, but if the baby slime did, then her current impression of her adopted slime granddaughter would have to be revised.


    After all, that Slime Queen had taken over an entire kingdom by itself and was now considered as one of the Overlords in Elysium.


    It was an existence that even High-Rankers didn''t dare to offend.


    Iris had taken Eiko back to her room to do a full body examination. She was very curious about Eiko''s current form since she had never taken care of a slime before.<sub> </sub>


    Lux felt that it would be a bad idea to follow Iris back to her room, so he decided to stroll around Barbatos Academy with Vera, while waiting for Alicia to finish the preparation for his registration as well as the paperwork she had toplete to be his guarantor in the tournament.


    When the two appeared in the training grounds of the students, Vera pointed at one of the teenagers that were standing in the arena. The teenager had short blonde hair and blue eyes and he was quite handsome.


    The blonde teenager stood as straight as a sword and his mere presence made Lux feel that he was looking at an expert.


    "He is one of the people that you should look out for in the tournament, Lux," Vera said softly. "That young man is the Second Prince of the Kingdom of Azov, Rupert Evans Vi Azov. Have you heard of the ''Four Kings, and the Five Overlords''?"


    Lux nodded. "They are considered as the strongest members of the young generation among the Six Kingdoms."


    "That''s right. That person is one of the Four Kings and the younger generation refer to him as the Sword King."


    "What a domineering title. So, he''s a genius in swordsmanship?"


    Vera chuckled as she shook her head. "Calling him a genius is belittling him. Even my son hadn''t reached his level of proficiency with the sword when he was of the same age. Also, he has a very unique body constitution that is very resistant against magical attacks. This makes him a very dangerous opponent for magic users."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. "Looks like he got all of his bases covered. If Nero were to match up against him, who would win?"


    Vera paused as she pondered the answer to this question.


    "I say that Nero has a forty percent chance to win against him," Vera replied. "Although Prince Rupert might be strong, he is not invincible. Just remember Lux that there are many strong people that will be joining the tournament. You should never let your guard down."


    Lux knew that his Grandma was only concerned about his well-being, so she decided to show him one of the possible opponents that he could be facing in the tournament.


    As if sensing Lux''s gaze, Prince Rupert nced in his direction and gave him a brief nod before walking down from the arena. His opponent had conceded even before their mock battle started, which the spectators who were hoping to gain an insight to his abilities, sigh in disappointment.


    "Grandma, are the members of the Four Kings and Five Overlords also here in Barbatos Academy?" Lux inquired.


    "Two of the Four Kings, and two of the Five Overlords reside here," Vera answered. "The others like Nero spend most of their days in Elysium. They only return to Sis to give their reports, so it''s hard to get a hold of them."


    "Heh, I''ve seen that Mofo two times already," Lux said. "He''s not that hard to find."


    Vera could only shake her head helplessly at her grandson''sment. Clearly, Lux and Nero had bad blood between them. But, as a responsible adult, she didn''t n to interfere. This was a conflict between the younger generation, so this must be settled by the two of them.


    Besides, she didn''t dislike Nero being Lux''s rival. This kind of rtionship would only encourage her grandson to work harder. Aside from that, she was sure that Lux would settle their differences in the tournament, so she didn''t have to do anything about it.

 Chapter 179 Is My Disguise Good?

    "Brother, you''re going to join the tournament, right?" Iris asked as she sat on the couch of her residence''s living room.


    Lux nodded his head. "But I''ll be hiding my identity."


    "Is it because of my father?"


    "Not really. I just don''t want to stand out."


    Iris giggled as she looked at her stepbrother with an amused expression on her face.


    "So, will you be wearing a mask?" Iris asked in a mischievous tone.


    Lux replied with a smile as he took out the mythical mask that belonged to the Faunus Battle Regalia.


    The mask was called the Mask of a Thousand Faces, but the number of faces that it could store in its memory were only two.


    As soon as Lux wore the mask, something unbelievable happened. His body instantly changed. In just a short moment, a chubby boy with short ck hair and light-brown eyes appeared in front of Iris.


    The young beauty''s eyes widened and her jaw dropped in shock. When Lux said that he would be using a different identity to enter the tournament, she didn''t expect something like the scene in front of her eyes.


    "Well, how do I look?" Lux asked.


    His voice had also changed after wearing the mask, but his expressions were the same.


    Iris reached out to poke Lux''s chubby belly, as well as pat his chubby arms. She then reached out to pinch Lux''s face and felt its softness. What surprised her the most was the fact that even though she tried to take off the mask, the only thing she managed to pull was Lux''s skin, which made thetter cry out in pain.


    "S-Sorry!" Iris immediately apologized. "Brother, this mask is amazing! Are you the only one that can take it off?"


    "Yes," Lux said as he took off the mask, which allowed him to revert back to his handsome appearance. "What do you think? Is my disguise good?"


    "Very good! I think even my father will not be able to tell that it is you."


    "That''s the n. Since no one will know who I am, let alone how I fight, it''s the perfect disguise for me."


    Iris quieted down as she looked at Lux with a serious expression on her face. The Hal-Elf blinked once then twice because Iris'' was staring at him as if she wanted to see through his very soul.


    "Lux, can you wear it again?" Iris asked. "Please?"


    "Okay." Lux nodded. He didn''t know what Iris was thinking, but for some reason he felt that he shouldply with her request.


    As soon as Lux transformed into his chubby appearance, Iris walked up to him and cupped his face.


    "I see�� so that''s it," Iris said softly as she stared at Lux''s light-brown eyes.


    "Um, Iris?" Lux couldn''t help but feel anxious because Iris'' stare never left his eyes. "Is there something wrong with my eyes?"


    "No," Iris replied. "Even though you have taken a new form, the look in your eyes is the same."


    "Really?"


    "Yes. I''ve been observing Brother for a long time, so I can tell that the way you look at others is the same."


    After she finished talking, Iris hugged Lux and rested her head on his shoulder. A minuteter, Iris hand lightly patted Lux''s round belly and giggled.


    "Lux, I''d like to experience what it''s like to sleep on your belly," Iris said. "Can we do that?"


    "I don''t mind," Lux answered. "But, let''s do that when you are in Grandma''s house. If for some reason, your father suddenly visited you and saw us together, he might kill me without asking for any exnation."


    Iris giggled because what Lux had said was certainly possible. Her father wouldn''t allow a random stranger to be so close to Iris without his permission. Even if he didn''t kill that person, that person would still suffer from excruciating pain, which would make them wish they were dead.<sub> </sub>


    Just as the two were about to continue their discussion, a knock was heard from the door. Lux immediately took off his mask and hid it inside his storage ring, and sat on the couch as if nothing had happened.


    With a smirk on her face, Iris called out towards the door.


    "Come in."


    "Excuse me, Lady Iris."


    Alicia entered the room, and opened the door for Lux and Iris'' grandma, Vera.


    The old woman entered the room first before Alicia closed the door and locked it behind her.


    "Lady Vera had already told me that you''re nning to join the tournament and asked me to be your guarantor," Alicia stated. "Are you now ready to register, Lux?"


    Lux nodded his head to confirm his determination to participate in the tournament.


    "Good," Aliciamented before tossing a blue crystal on the floor.


    As soon as the crystal touched the floor, it transformed into a circr artifact that remained motionless on the ground.


    "Lady Vera said that you''re going to wear a disguise in the tournament," Alicia stared at Lux, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Wear your disguise and step onto the artifact. It will record your body''s statistics."


    Lux smiled before wearing his mask. He was quite curious on how Alicia would react after seeing his current form.


    The moment his form changed that of a chubby boy, Alicia just nodded her head and made a gesture for Lux to step into the tform, which confused the Half-Elf.


    "Um, aren''t you going to say anything?" Lux asked the beautiful secretary who always did her work properly.


    "About what? Your transformation?" Alicia arched an eyebrow. "Sorry, but I''ve been working with several Foxkin''s as ofte, and all of them are expert in transformations. If you showed this trick to me half a year ago, I would have been surprised. But now, I''m just numb to it all."


    "Hah�� it can''t be helped." Lux sighed before stepping into the tform that recorded his overall stats. This record would be the one that Alicia would use to register Lux to ensure that no problem would arise during the tournament.


    Only those who were aged twenty and below were allowed to participate in the tournament. Even if Lux changed his appearance, his bone age was still the same. This was how the artifact would ensure that Lux didn''t surpass the age of twenty, which was the main requirement to join the tournament in Barbatos Academy.


    "Your features are now recorded," Aliciamented after looking at the data that shed in front of her. "Now, all you need to do is give me the name that you want to use in the tournament."


    Lux smiled. He had thought long and hard for the name that he was going to use in the tournament. After Alicia, and Iris heard of the name, the two girls looked at Lux in a weird manner before chuckling at the same time.


    Vera only smiled because she had already known the name that Lux would use in the tournament. From the name alone, the olddy could already see how everyone would react when the tournament in Barbatos Academy finally started.


    "Lux, are you sure that this is the name that you are going to choose?" Alicia asked after she had regained herposure. "For some reason, I am already looking forward to how the referee will announce your name in the tournament."


    "Me too!" Irismented. "I want to see how everyone will react after hearing your name."


    Lux smirked because this was the reaction that he was aiming for when he chose his name. Alicia stayed for a few minutes to have idle chat with Lux and Iris before leaving the room.


    She was quite busy and there were still some things that she had to do. However, before anything else, she would go to the Headmaster''s Office to make a report that Lux was going to join the tournament.


    This was what Vera asked her to do, so that her son would be informed that the Half-Elf would also join the festivities.


    ''I just hope Lux doesn''t faint in the middle of the fight,'' Alicia thought anxiously as she knocked on the door of the Headmaster''s office. ''Will he really be alright?''


    To say that Alicia was worried about Lux was an understatement. The beautiful secretary was well aware of Lux''s condition since it had also happened several times in the past when the Half-Elf visited Barbatos Academy.


    However, since Vera had assured her that everything was going to be fine, Alicia had no choice but to believe the kind olddy, who had raised Lux with all the love and care in the world

 Chapter 180 There’s No Chance That He Will Pass The Qualifiers

    Alexander sighed after hearing Alicia''s report.


    "Does she really want Lux to get hurt that badly?" Alexander asked Alicia who had aplicated look on his face. "This is not a friendly sparring match. There''s a huge chance that he would get seriously injured in the tournament."


    Although Alicia also had misgivings, she believed that Vera wouldn''t have agreed to anything that could actively harm her grandson. Also, Lux somehow felt different to her at the moment. For some reason, she felt like the teenage boy had grown a lot since thest time that the two of them had met.


    "Sir, Lady Vera treasures Lux a lot," Alicia replied. "I''m sure you know how much she cares about him. Knowing her, do you really think that she would allow Lux to get hurt?"


    Alexander didn''t respond and merely tapped his finger on top of his table. He knew how overprotective his mother was more than anyone in the world. He didn''t believe that his mother would allow Lux to enter the tournament if she didn''t have some kind of assurance about his safety.


    "Let''s not talk about him for now," Alexander stated. "How are the registration of the tournament proceeding? Are you encountering any problems?"


    Alicia shook her head. "Everything is in order, Sir. I believe that the number of candidates will surpass our initial estimates. Perhaps dering that the champion will be Lady Iris'' fiance inspired the members of the young generation to go all out."


    Alexander''s expression remained calm after Alicia''s reply. He had long decided to go down this path for the sake of his daughter. Although his mother was against it, both of them knew that the only thing that mattered in this world was strength.


    Love might be good, but it was not enough to protect the people that are important to you when faced with someone who was truly powerful.


    Alexander and Vera knew this very well, and yet, both have divided opinions on how to settle Iris'' future.


    Alexander wanted his daughter to have a stable andfortable life.


    Vera on the other hand wanted Iris to live a happy life with her beloved.


    Right now, Alexander had the strength to protect his daughter, but who knew if that would change in the future. idents could happen, so at the very least, he wanted Iris to be with someone who could properly protect her when the sky falls down above her head.


    "If there are any concerns regarding the tournament, report it to me at once," Alexander ordered. "I don''t want any mishaps to happen in this year''s event."


    Alicia nodded her head. However, before she left the room, she decided to see if Alexander cared for Lux''s well-being in the tournament or not.


    "Sir, do you think that Lux will be able to get far in the tournament?" Alicia asked. She was curious on how the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy would answer her question.


    "I don''t need to think. There''s no chance for him to even pass the qualifiers," Alexander said before staring at his secretary with a serious expression on his face. "Make sure to personally handpick the referee for his battles. At the very least, order him to prevent that fool from dying. Although he''s not good enough to be Iris'' fiance, I don''t hate him enough for him to get killed. He is still family, so make sure he doesn''t die. Do you understand?"


    Alicia bowed. "As you wish, Headmaster."


    The beautiful secretary then left the room and returned to her duties. Now that Alexander had given her another order, she would have to personally handpick the referee that would be mediating Lux''s battles to ensure his safety.<sub> </sub>


    At the very least, Alicia felt relieved knowing that behind Alexander''s rough treatment for his step-son, he still cared enough to ensure Lux''s safety.


    ��--


    Inside the Storm Dragon''s Guild Headquarters in Elysium��


    "Sir, one of our people in Barbatos Academy had discovered that Lux hade to the academy to register for the tournament," one of Nero''s trusted subordinates reported.


    "Good," Nero replied. "Thank you for the report. You may leave now."


    His subordinate bowed before leaving the Guildmaster''s office. He was the person that Nero had tasked to make a report if Lux was found in Barbatos Academy. After hearing that the Half-Elf had registered for the tournament, Nero felt an incredible itch in the palm of his hand.


    "Too bad that I am already a seeded participant," Nero muttered. "I would love to personally kick that bastard out of the tournament. He sure is lucky that he didn''t have the chance to face me."


    The Four Kings and the Five Overlords were exempted from participating in the Qualifiers. Among the thousands of participants, only a few dozen would make it to the Final Qualifying Matches.


    After that, the regr matches would be held. That was where The Four Kings and the Five Overlords would participate until only eight would remain.


    These eight people would then head to the Semi-Finals.


    In Nero''s Eyes, only the Four Kings posed a threat to him. This was especially true for the Sword King, whose abilities were known to everyone.


    "You got lucky this time, Lux," Nero sneered. "But, don''t worry. I''ll make sure to win the tournament not only for your stepsister, but for my ambition as well."


    As someone who was born among themon folk, Nero wanted to escape from his origins and be a dragon among men.


    For that to happen, he needed power and influence.


    These were the things that he longed for and although his position allowed him some authority over the younger generation of Wildgarde Stronghold, for him, it was not enough.


    Right now, the tournament matched the goal he had in mind. Not only would he gain power and influence, he would also gain riches and the prized daughter of the Saint of Barbatos Academy.


    Nero could feel the ambition burning in his chest and his desire to be the champion intensified.


    His only regret was that he would not be the one to personally cripple the Half-Elf in front of thetter''s grandmother, as well as the young beauty that loved Lux.

 Chapter 181 I Want Them All. Dead Or Alive [Part 1]

    Somewhere in Elysium��


    "Are you sure this is the ce where that monster is located?" Colette asked as she surveyed their surroundings. "Maybe we came to the wrong ce?"


    "I''m certain that this is the ce," Matty replied as he looked at the map in his hands. "This is the location shown in the map. The receptionist in the Adventurer''s Guild was the one who gave it to us, so this shouldn''t be wrong."


    Andy, Axel, and Helen were paying close attention to their surroundings, feeling that this was a very dangerous ce. Their senses were telling them that something was amiss, but they had no idea what it was.


    They had epted a Rank-C mission from the Adventurer''s Guild, which was to kill a certain monster that was terrorizing the adventurers and the Town''s people that wandered too deep in the forest to forage, and then go to the next town in order to trade.


    There was an adventurer''s group that had attempted to clear this mission first, but they went missing and hadn''t been seen since then. The guild had re-issued this quest in the hope that clues on what happened to the adventurer party woulde to light.


    Colette and her party had safely be Grade C Apostles, so they thought that this mission was just right for their current rank. They were the kind of adventurer party that liked to help others, so finding the missing dwarves was something that they decided to carry out themselves.


    But, as they continued to advance further inside the forest, they sensed movement from their surroundings, which prompted all of them to take a defensive stance.


    Suddenly, a loud howl broke the peace and a two-meter tall Werewolf descended several meters away from them. Just as they thought that they were only fighting one opponent, five other Lycans who were shorter than the first one appeared at their left and right sides, nking them.


    As Colette''s party was about to engage their opponents, a merry voice sounded from behind them.


    "Looks like we got ourselves a decent group this time," an excited voice sounded from behind dwarven children.


    Colette and the others turned around to look at the source of the voice, which came from behind, and found over twenty ck-robed individuals.


    "Indeed, thest group were just a bunch of Rookies that had just stepped into the Apostle Grade," one of the robed dwarves said. "They weren''t even enough to be our experiment''s y thing."


    "Take a look at the emblems they are carrying. They are from the Eternal Guild."


    "From that girl, Aina''s, Guild? This is perfect. She has been getting in our way a lottely."


    "That''s right, we can take this as a little payback for making things difficult for us in Whitebridge City."


    "Well, with this, the members of our Lycan brigade here in Oakwood Town will grow. We could''ve had an army by now, but for some reason, the serum only works on Foreigners. The townspeople die before theyplete their transformation."


    Colette''s expression became grim after overhearing what the ck-robed figures were chatting about. The group didn''t even bother to keep this information secret from them, since they were sure that the dwarven children were already goners.


    With a two-meter tall Lycan, who was at least a Rank 3 Alpha Monster, and smaller Lycans who were Rank 3 Monsters, Colette found themselves in a difficult situation. Behind them was a group of dwarves whose strength were still unknown to them.


    "Colette, listen," Matty said in a low voice. "I will try to hold them off. You try to break through this encirclement and call for help."


    "Helen, you go with Colette," Andy said. "We will buy you girls some time, so run as fast as you can."


    Axel nodded his head as he held his staff firmly. The boys already knew that this was a hopeless situation, so they unanimously decided to let Colette and Helen escape while they held back their enemies.


    "Did you hear that?" one of the ck-robed dwarves chuckled. "These brats are ying the hero."


    "How touching. Too bad, it''s futile," the ck-robed dwarf who stood at the front of the group said. "None of you are getting away. Get them!"


    The Alpha Lycan Monster roared and lunged at Colette''s group. Matty roared as he blocked the Lycans'' path and engaged it in a one-on-one battle.


    "Go! Colette, Helen!" Matty shouted. "Go and look for help!"


    Right after Matty''s shout, one of the smaller Lycans nking them jumped at him with its jaws open wide.


    A metallic ring spread in the surroundings as Colette used her round shield to block the Lycan''s attack, shielding Matty from getting injured.


    "We can''t escape," Colette stated as she pushed back the Lycan before smashing its chest with her mace. "They will not let any of us escape, so might as well fight till the end!"<sub> </sub>


    Matty gritted his teeth as he shed at the Alpha Monster in front of him. He knew that what Colette said was right, and he felt helpless about it.


    Helen''s shout suddenly sounded behind them, which made Colette nce at her direction. One of the Lycans had managed tond a blow on Axel, sending him smashing towards a tree. Helen, who was about to heal him, was then attacked by another Lycan, forcing Andy to take the blow for her.


    The result was thetter getting a deep gash on his chest, staining his clothes with blood.


    Colette pushed back the Lycan she was fighting against and quickly came to Helen''s aid. If their healer were to fall, their chance for survival would decrease drastically, which was the main reason why the Lycans tried to take her down first.


    The group wearing ck-robes watched with great interest as Colette fought off two Lycans at once, forcing them back with sheer strength and determination.


    "She will make a good Lycan," the leader of the group said. "At least Alpha Rank 2, perhaps even Rank 3 after the serum strengthens her body."


    "That Weaponmaster over there isn''t too shabby himself," another robed-dwarfmented. "Perhaps he would also be an Alpha Monster after he transforms."


    While the ck-robed group chatted idly, Colette''s and Matty''s condition were deteriorating at a rapid rate. Although Helen had started to heal Andy''s and Axel''s injuries, the fact that they were being overpowered still remained.


    It was only a matter of time before they were taken down one by one, until none of them was left.


    Colette and Matty were wearing the Faunus Armor Set, which were made for fighters like them. If it weren''t for this, they wouldn''t have been able to stand their ground and resist most of the blows thatnded on their bodies.


    Andy, Axel, and Helen were wearing Faunus Sets as well, but theirs was more of a support type armor set meant for mages and healers. They were sturdy, but not as sturdy as the ones worn by warriors, which specialized in hand to handbat.


    "Good, theysted longer than expected," the leader said before taking out a flute from her storage ring. "Time to finish this."


    The leader of the dwarves blew on the flute, creating a shrill melody that made the Lycans stop their attacks. A momentter, all of them howled as their eyes turned blood-red, and the muscles on their bodies grew.


    They had all entered a berserked-state, which meant that all of their attacks were now stronger than before.


    As if to prove this point, when Colette used her Round Shield to block the Rank 3 Alpha Monster''s punch, she was sent flying until her body mmed to a tree, causing Matty to roar in anger.


    Immediately after that, the group''s formation crumbled, and they were easily beaten up until theyid on the ground groaning in pain.


    "You did well," the leader of the group of dwarves said, while pping her hand. "Worry not. We have deemed all of you worthy to be our subordinates, so none of you will be killed. When we return to our base, all of you will be injected with a serum that will turn you into Lycans. You should be honored because you will be part of the revolution that will change this world for the better!"


    Matty red hatefully at the leader of the dwarves as blood seeped at the corner of his lips. The Alpha Monster''s foot was pinning him down, so he couldn''t move even if he wished for it.


    He then nced at Colette in the distance, who had already lost consciousness. Several bruises could be seen on her pretty face. Matty felt his heart ache from seeing the girl he loved in such a condition.


    "Take them back to the Headquarters," the leader ordered. "Make sure to handle them with care. Afterall, they will be our new pets when the sun rises tomorrow."


    The Lycan''s picked up Colette''s, Helen''s, Andy''s, and Axel''s body from the ground and lifted them all in a princess carry.


    The Alpha Monster was about to knock Matty unconscious when it saw a blue slime looking up at it, a meter away from the dwarf boy under its feet.


    Slimes were prettymon monsters, so the Alpha Monster, as well as the robed-dwarves didn''t pay much attention to it.


    But, there was one person that paid attention to it, which was none other than Matty, who got teary-eyed after seeing the familiar baby slime that belonged to the person he aspired to be.


    The baby slime then lowered its gaze from the Lycan and looked at the beaten-up dwarf under its feet.


    "Simp!"


    The baby slime only said one word, but it was enough to make the dwarf boy, who had lost all hope,ugh, despite his sorry state.

 Chapter 182 I Want Them All. Dead Or Alive [Part 2]

    "Simp!"


    It was a word that Matty hated ever since he heard it back in Leaf Vige.


    Despite his multiple attempts to vehemently deny it over and over again, the naughty baby slime would call him with this word over and over again.


    When he left Leaf Vige alongside his friends, he even felt thankful, thinking that he would never hear this word ever again.


    But now, the word that was meant to tease him, sounded like it was the best thing ever.


    The irony made Mattyugh.


    Heughed as tears streamed down his bruised cheeks. Their Big Brother hade to save them from the people who bullied them.


    "Poor thing," the leader of the dwarves said as she looked at the dwarf boy who wasughing crazily. "He broke."


    "Well, that is only expected, Leader," one of the robed-dwarves said. "It seems that he had epted his situation and had fallen in despair."


    The leader nodded before pointing at the baby slime that was looking with an amused expression at theughing dwarf that was pinned on the ground.


    "Kill that slime," the leader nodded. "I hate weak monsters."


    "Yes!" one of her subordinates replied and fired a Stone Bullet at the baby slime who was giggling, while looking at theughing dwarf in front of her.


    Just as the Stone Bullet was about to hit its target, the baby slime jumped to the side, dodging the attackpletely.


    The subordinate frowned and fired another Stone Bullet at the baby slime, which thetter evaded by casually dodging to the side.


    Seeing this, the leader of the group became irritated and ordered one of the Lycans to step on the slime to crush itpletely.


    The Lycan growled as it stomped on the blue slime that had made its master angry. However, his attack missed because the baby slime disappeared on the ground. It thenter appeared on top of the Lycan''s head, giggling, as if finding the situation quite amusing.


    When the baby slime blinked on top of the Lycan''s head, the leader of the dwarves'' looked at it with a shocked expression on her face. She had never seen a slime use a blink skill before, and her impression of it changedpletely.


    "Capture that slime," the leader of the dwarves ordered. "It might be a new species that has never been seen before. It might be a specimen worth studying."


    Three of her subordinates rushed towards the baby slime with the intention to catch it. Just like their leader, they were very curious about the blue slime upon seeing that it was acting differently from the slimes they were familiar with.


    When the three robed-dwarves came within striking range, Eiko unleashed her Moonst Skill, which sent the three dwarves flying.


    If in the past, the leader was just interested in the baby slime, now, she was determined to catch it no matter what. A slime as powerful as the one in front of her was rare within the surrounding territories. She would be a fool to not bring it back to their base to research.


    "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself," the leader said as she conjured a magical rope meant for capturing monsters. "You''re mine!"


    The rope flew towards Eiko as if it was a living creature, which made the baby slime''s smile disappear from her face. She could tell that she would have a hard time breaking free from the magical rope if it managed to catch her, so she decided to take this fight seriously.


    The first thing Eiko did was to slide down from the Lycan''s head, and hid herself behind it. Without seeing her target, the leader was forced to make the rope bind the Lycan, in the hope that it would also bind the slime alongside it.<sub> </sub>


    However, when the rope wrapped itself around the Lycan, the baby slime was nowhere to be found.


    "It must have escaped," the leader said with a frown. "Don''t mind. We''ll just look for itter after we get these brats back to the base. We can''t stay here for long or else we might get discovered by passersby."


    Her subordinates nodded their heads in agreement, but just before they were about to carry the dwarves away, they heard a teasing voice right above their heads.


    "When you say passersby, are you referring to me?"


    The leader of the dwarves looked up and saw a red-headed teenager standing on a tree branch and looking down on them with a smile on his face.


    "An elf?" the leader stared at the teenager with a serious expression on her face. "No. A Half-Elf. So, you must be that boy who messed up our n in the Territory of Norria. Perfect timing. Our boss has long wanted to catch you, but the border guards had increased after the incident. Tough luck, boy. You shouldn''t have made us your enemy."


    p After hearing their leader''s words, the dwarves all took out their weapons with the intention to beat the Half-Elf until he was Half-Dead.</anda>


    Their Boss wanted him alive, even cing a bounty on Lux''s head for the members of their organization. Since the rewards were grand, everyone was raring to go and capture him for themselves.


    "Wrong," Lux replied as his body was covered with a Dark-Green armor that released a gust of wind. "You shouldn''t have hurt my friends and made me your enemy."


    After registering in Barbatos Academy for the tournament, Lux returned to Wildgarde Stronghold with his grandma Vera. He intended toe back to Elysium and stay for a few weeks to reunite with his friends, who had gone to a town outside the territory of Norria.


    He had promised to look for them after leaving Leaf Vige. When he arrived in Oakwood Town, he found out that Colette''s group had left for a mission from the Adventurer''s Guild.


    Although Lux had been away from the Kingdom of Gweliven for some time, the King of the Dwarves had notified all the branches of the Adventurer''s Guild in his kingdom about his aplishments.


    Because of this, the Guild Masters of the various branches of the Adventurer''s Guild had instructed their staff to give the Half-Elf the VIP treatment. Thanks to this, he was able to find the exact mission that his friends were handling and left Oakwood Town to give them a surprise.


    Lux didn''t expect that instead of a happy reunion, he would find his friends under the mercy of the same organization that had nned toy waste to the Territory of Norria through the abomination that they had hatched inside the Figaro Gardens.


    The red-headed teenager then pointed at the Alpha Monster that was stepping over Matty''s body with a re.


    "Take that filthy foot off my friend!" Lux ordered.


    Immediately, a rocky fist jutted from the ground and smashed on the Alpha Monster''s chest, sending it skidding a few meters away.


    A momentter, several pained howls followed, as the Lycans holding Colette, Helen, Andy, and Axel, were attacked by a group of skeletons that materialized out of nowhere.


    Since they were holding the dwarf children in their hands, they were unable to fend themselves from the surprise attack, which allowed Diablo, Ishtar, and Pazuzu to retrieve the children safely.


    After his friends were safely rescued, several skeletons carried them towards Lux, while his Named Creatures faced the Alpha Monster, as well as the group of dwarves fearlessly.


    Through the shared connection they had with Lux, they all knew how angry Lux was because of what happened to his friends.


    "Don''t let any of them escape," Lux ordered as he crouched down to help Matty drink a Health Potion. "I want them all. Dead or Alive."

 Chapter 183 Lycan Mutation Project

    "Drink up, Matty," Lux said as he helped the Dwarf boy drink the potion in his hand. After the bottle was emptied, the Half-Elf took out a different bottle and sprinkled it on Matty''s body to help him recover faster.


    The Dwarf boy''s face was still a little pale, but it was far better than its previous state.


    "Thank you, Big Brother," Matty replied as soon as he recovered enough of his strength to talk. He was ovee with emotions of gratitude, he ended up voicing out the thought inside his head that he had been trying to hold back.


    "Um? Big Brother?" Lux shed a mischievous smile towards the Dwarf boy before patting his head. "Good! Don''t worry, Little Bro, I got your back. Your Big Bro is going to teach these bullies not to pick on you guys."


    Matty''s face became beet red, instantly regretting calling Lux Big Brother. The Half-Elf''s smug expression was so irritating, he was very tempted to dig a hole and bury himself inside it with the mentality of out of sight, out of mind.


    However, before Matty could wallow in his embarrassment, Lux took out several Health Potions and Mana Potions from his storage ring and passed all of them to him.


    "Take care of Colette and the others," Lux said as he nced at the battle that was unfolding around them. "I''ll deal with these guys first."


    Matty nodded and hurried towards his friends'' side. Right now, Diablo and Pazuzu were dealing with the Rank 3 Alpha Monster, while Ishtar and Orion, alongside the skeleton army, were dealing with itsckeys.


    The robed Dwarfs were also about to join the battle when several Skeletons and Slimes attacked them from behind.


    "Doppelganger," Lux dered and two clones appeared beside him.


    Eiko had hidden herself in one of the trees, observing the battle from a safe distance. And just like Lux, she had also summoned her own Doppelgangers and tasked them to assist the battle.


    Lux had given the baby Slime a role, which disallowed her from showing herself in the battlefield. The same rule applied to her clones, so they had no choice but to hide in the treetops and simply summon minions to fight in their stead.


    With Lux''s and Eiko''sbined abilities, the number of Skeletons that were currently engaged in battle were over 300.


    But that was not all. Aside from the Skeletons and Slimes, there were also seven Rock Golems on the battlefield, including Orion. If in the beginning, the Lycans and the robed Dwarves outnumbered Colette''s party five to one, now, the summoned creatures outnumbered the other party fourteen to one.


    The leader of the Dwarves and her subordinates couldn''t believe what was happening around them. They initially thought that the Skeletons were just ordinary Skeletons, but against their expectations, the Undead they were fighting against were quite tough and worked well together as a team.


    "It''s still not enough," Lux muttered. "These bastards need to suffer more. Guys,e out and bite them silly!"


    Lux summoned the Wargs that he had acquired during the Quest of Dominion. All of them were battle mounts, so they had the ability to fight, just like Diablo''s mount, Airon.


    These twenty Wargs were led by Jed, who had now mutated into a Thunder Warg King after he ingested the Mutated Blood of the Thunder Wolf King that Lux gave him.


    Jed was now a Rank 4 Monster, while the other Wargs remained as Rank 2 Monsters.


    Back then, Jed just looked like any other ordinary Warg that could be seen in the wild. Aside from the scar on his right eye, he had no other distinctive features.


    But, now, it was different.


    With the help of Randolph, Lux''s Battle Mount was adorned with cool looking armor that made him look like a de Liger from the anime series Zoydz.


    Jed roared and lightning bolts snaked around his body. He then electrocuted the five lesser Lycans with his lightning bolts until all of them were paralyzed.


    Lux overheard the Dwarf leader''s words about turning Colette and the others into Lycans. If his hunch was right, the lesser Lycans were also dwarves that had been mutated due to the effect of the serum. If possible, Lux wanted to find a way to revert them to their previous forms.


    Although he wasn''t sure if it was possible, he still wanted to do his best to help them regain the things that they had lost.


    The robed Dwarves could still resist the Skeletons to a certain extent since most of them were Grade B and Grade A Apostles. However, after the lesser Lycans were dealt with, Ishtar, Orion, and Jed, as well as the Wargs under it, joined the Skeletons in attacking the viins who had targeted their Master''s friends.


    ''Not good!'' By now, the leader of the Dwarves had realized that staying to fight Lux and his minions was a futile endeavor.


    Using her subordinates as shields, she hurriedly escaped the scene and ran through the forest, leaving everyone behind.


    The other Dwarves, who saw this scene, ran after their leader. They had the same rank as her, so it was easy for them to break free from the Skeletons that were trying to pin them down.


    Lux watched them go with a sneer. He had ordered his Skeletons to subtly open a path that would allow the Dwarf leader and some of her subordinates to escape.


    ''Eiko, it''s all up to you.''


    ''Pa!''


    Six dwarves, including their leader, had fled the scene and hurried towards their headquarters. They were unaware that above their heads, three baby slimes were flying over the trees in hot pursuit.


    Ishtar, as well as Eiko, had used the Hunter''s Mark skill to put a tracker on the Dwarves that had escaped.


    Lux''s n was to allow them to return to their base, so that he could clear the quest that had appeared the moment he had engaged them in battle.<sub> </sub>


    ��--


    < Lycan Mutation Project >


    �C Emergency Quest


    �C Difficulty Rating: B


    �C An unknown organization is conducting an experiment within the territory of Oakwood Town. Their goal is to create an army of mutated monsters in order to further their goals of overturning the peace in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Find their headquarters and look for documents about the experiments.


    �C Report this discovery to the Adventurer''s Guild, so they can dispatch adventurers to weed out the remaining members of the unknown organization that are lurking within Oakwood Town.


    < Optional Quest Objective >


    �C Find a cure for the mutated Lycans


    ��--


    < Rewards >


    �C Quest Rewards will be calcted depending on how the quest is going to be cleared.


    ��---


    With a frustrated howl, the Rank 3 Alpha Lycan copsed on the ground after receiving Airon''s powerful kick to its chest.


    Lux could have killed it, but he was unsure if the Lycan was also a victim of the unknown organization''s experiment. Since that was the case, he decided to spare its life and only make it so it was incapable of fighting back.


    While Lux was in the middle of tying up the Dwarves that he had crippled, a loud shout reached his ear.


    "Big Brother!"


    The Half-Elf smiled as he opened his arms to hug back the crying Dwarf girl in his embrace.


    "Colette, we still have things to do," Lux said as he lightly patted Colette''s head. "The organization that tried to capture you is still atrge. So I need to ask you to do something for me."


    Colette pulled back and wiped the tears in her eyes before looking at Lux with a serious expression on her face.


    Seeing that the little Dwarf girl had finally regained herposure, the Half-Elf told her to take Helen back to the Adventurer''s Guild and report the current situation.


    Lux thought that letting the Adventurer''s Guild handle the bad guys that he had captured would be the optimal solution while he dealt with the leader of the organization that was on her way to their headquarters.


    Matty, Andy, Axel, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion were tasked to look after the Dwarves that they had captured and to wait for Colette''s and Helen''s return.


    "Don''t worry, Big Brother," Colette said as soon as she mounted her Warg. "I''ll bring help as fast as I can!"


    Lux nodded. "I''m counting on it."


    Colette didn''t waste any more time and urged her Warg to run as fast as it could.


    Helen was right behind her, also hurrying towards Oakwood Town to ask for reinforcements.


    When the two Dwarves and their mounts disappeared from his sight, Lux looked in the direction where the leader of the robed Dwarves had gone.


    ''Pa!''


    ''Good job, Eiko. I''m on my way.''


    Now that the Dwarf leader had finally reached their base, it was now time for him to make his move. He was going to make sure that the leader and her remaining subordinates would not have an easy time after what they tried to do to his friends.


    Originally, he wanted all of them dead. But after receiving the quest, he deemed that they were better off alive and left to pay for their sins in prison.


    Lux didn''t want to act too violently in front of the children, but since they were left to guard the captured Dwarves, he could now go all out and make them regret their decision of turning the innocents into pawns that they could use for their vile schemes.

 Chapter 184 A Deal With The Devil

    "Dammit!" the leader shouted as soon as she had locked the entrance of their headquarters. There was a hidden mechanism installed by the entrance to hide the whole base from in sight.


    The five subordinates who managed to escape with her were panting beside her, feeling ashamed that they had been forced to escape from the same person that thwarted their ns in the Territory of Norria.


    "Hurry and gather all the documents of our research!" the leader ordered. "This base might have already beenpromised. We can''t stay here for long."


    "What about the Foreigners that are still in the midst of transformation?" one of her subordinates asked.


    "Just leave them!" the leader replied. "We can''t possibly take them back with us. Besides, they have more worth staying here as decoys when someone discovers this base."


    Inside the nursery room, twelve cocoons were still in the midst of transformation. Although they wouldn''t be able to be there when the new batch of Lycans was born, their research had already produced the results that they needed in order to create batches of Mutated Lycans.


    Just as the Dwarves were ransacking their headquarters for anything of value, they heard the distinct opening of the entrance of their base, which made all of them stop whatever they were doing.


    The leader gestured for everyone to hide, nning to have them help her neutralize the trespasser who just entered their research facility.


    ''It must be him.'' The leader of the Dwarves gritted her teeth as she listened to the footsteps heading in her direction. ''It sounds like he''s alone. As long as we act quick enough, we can kill him before he can summon his minions.''


    The leaders'' subordinates were thinking of the same thing. All of them readied themselves to ambush the hateful Half-Elf who had forced them to evacuate their base and return to their branch headquarters in Whitebridge City.


    As soon as the trespasser opened the door to theboratory, several spells flew in their direction and obliterated their body.


    The leader of the Dwarves was about to celebrate when she noticed that something was wrong. Lying on the floor was not a charred corpse, but several shattered bones that soon turned into particles of light.


    "Such a warm wee." A voice filled with ridicule sounded from the passageway. "I''ve already sent the Dwarves that you targeted back to Oakwood Town to ask the Adventurer''s Guild for reinforcements. At most, it will take them an hour to arrive here, so you don''t have much time remaining."


    The expression of the Dwarf leader, as well as her subordinates, turned grim upon hearing the Half-Elf''s words. The leader had a skill which allowed her to know whether a person was telling the truth or not. This was why she was certain that the Half-Elf was telling the truth, which didn''t bode well for them.


    "Since you decided to talk to us, it means that you want something from us," the leader replied with certainty. "Boy, I admit that you have the upper hand right now, but if you think that you can trap us here until the reinforcements from the Adventurer''s Guild arrive, you are making a big mistake. We would rather die than be captured and interrogated by them."


    The reply she received was a mockingughter that made her grit her teeth in frustration.


    "So what if you kill yourselves?" Lux asked. "Go on. Kill yourselves. Do you think that I care? I am a Necromancer. I deal with dead people. So, all of you dying is better than being alive. I can raise your bodies and make you my ves. I''m sure that all of you will be more polite once you turn into an Undead."


    "Ah! Let me quote what you said back in the forest." An eerie smile crept up on Lux''s lips.


    "Worry not, for I have deemed all of you worthy to be my subordinates. You should all be honored because you will be part of my Undead Army that will change this world for the better!"


    The leader of the Dwarves and her subordinates felt the hair on the back of their necks stand on end. Lux''s words had reminded them that they were dealing with a Necromancer who specialized in dealing with dead people."


    Right now, they were still alive and could resist, but once they were dead, they would be at his mercy.


    "What do you want?" the leader asked through gritted teeth. "I am willing to negotiate. If you wish to have your name erased from the cklist of our Organization, I am willing to negotiate with our Boss for you."


    "Wait! How about you join us instead?" one of the dwarves shouted. "With your abilities, you can easily be one of our Elders! You will gain everything you need, and the organization will be more than happy to provide it to you!"


    Lux smiled in the ce where he was hiding as he listened to the Dwarf''s tempting words. The leader and her subordinates seemed to have realized that suicide won''t help them, so they decided to negotiate with him instead. Unfortunately, he had no intention of joining the organization.<sub> </sub>


    ''Maybe I can gain something from this exchange,'' Lux thought as he pondered what his next move would be.


    A few minutester, he finally gave his response, which made the Dwarves, who were already feeling anxious, feel like an olive branch had been offered to them.


    "Let''s not talk about your fake promises. I am not interested in them," Lux stated. "What can you offer me, from what is in your possession, that might interest me enough to let all of you go? This serum that you developed, I am quite interested with it. Does it have an antidote?"


    "It does," the leader replied in a heartbeat. She was afraid that if Lux thought that they had no value, he would immediately send his Skeletons to kill them. "We can give them to you if you release us."


    "Do you really think that your lives are so cheap that a mere antidote will be enough for me to let you go? Don''t forget, I can still get my hands on the antidote by interrogating all of you when you''re dead. You need to raise the bar higher if you want to get out of this ce alive."


    "Then, what more do you want?"


    Lux chuckled because he knew that he had made them truly understand that the only way to escape was through negotiation.


    "I want all the serums in your possessions as well as the antidotes," Lux replied. "Also, you will give me instructions on how to make them. Let''s see�� I also want all the gold in your possessions, including your artifacts. Don''t worry, I''ll let you guys keep your clothes. I am not a fan of exhibitionism."


    Lux knew that if he added a few more conditions like golds and artifacts, the Dwarves would be more inclined to give in to his demands.


    Why? Because they''d think that losing it all meant that there was a possibility that they would be able to live if they agreed to his conditions.


    The leader gritted her teeth as she forced herself to agree to Lux''s conditions.


    "If we give you everything, will you really let us go?" the leader asked. "How can we be certain that you will keep your promise?"


    "Well, you can either trust me, or not. In the end, the ones who are begging to live are you guys, not me. Don''t worry. I''ll give you guys exactly one minute to decide. After one minute, you will give me your answer. If I don''t like your answer, I will send my undead army to attack all of you. Your one minute starts now."


    Several rattling sounds echoed inside the underground base as Lux summoned his Undead Warriors. Their blue eyes glowed in the darkness, frightening the leader and her subordinates. At this point, they regret choosing Colette''s group as their next set of victims.


    If only they hadn''t touched Lux''s friends, perhaps all of them wouldn''t have to worry about keeping their lives, as well as keeping their experiments a secret.


    However, there were no if''s.


    Now that they were on the verge of losing their lives, they knew that they had to make a deal with the devil or risk bing his Undead Minions, who could do nothing but obey his everymand.


    "Fine, we ept your condition," the leader said after the one minute grace period was over. "We will give you everything."


    "Excellent," Lux replied. "Now, give your possessions to my minions and don''t try anything funny. The moment you do, the deal is off."


    Lux didn''t mind acting like a bandit this time around since he really needed the antidotes. Right now, he still didn''t have the skill, Raise Dead, which allowed him to revive dead creatures or people.


    He was just bluffing and using his job as a Necromancer to scare the Dwarves into thinking that they could not escape his clutches even in death. This worked perfectly well in the negotiations because none of them wanted to die.


    Especially when they knew that even when they turn into corpses, they would be reanimated and still be forced to thank their killer for killing them, which would be the most tragic thing ever.


    Although he had the ckfire Coffin that could store and revive the dead, Lux didn''t want to make these Dwarves his subordinates because, in his eyes, they didn''t have the qualifications to be his minions.

 Chapter 185 Letting The Rats Lead The Way To The Sewers

    ''As long as I can escape this ce alive, I can still have my revenge.'' That was the thought that passed through Mara''s head when the trespasser gave them the opportunity to leave with their lives.


    Ever since she became the leader of their branch guild in Oakwood Town, she painstakingly worked hard in order to achieve the mission that had been entrusted to her by her superior.


    After nearly a year of trial and error, she and her subordinates had finally developed a serum that had the ability to mutate foreigners into Lycans. Although the serum was still unstable and thetest version was able to meet their standards. To achieve this, several members from the first batch of experimental subjects died.


    Mara thought that it would be smooth sailing from that point onwards since they would''ve been able to increase their Lycan army secretly within the territory of Oakwood Town. Unexpectedly, they happened to target the wrong Dwarf party, whose members seemed to be friends with the same person that sabotaged their project in the Territory of Norria.


    ''If only you never appeared,'' Mara thought through gritted teeth.


    Yes, if only Lux hadn''t appeared, then their operation in Oakwood Town wouldn''t have been jeopardized. Unfortunately, the red-headed teenager was already here. Their organization first got wind of his information after their spy in the Royal Capital managed to overhear the discussion among some of the Ministers who were headed towards the throne room.


    They were discussing the Half-Elf who was bestowed an Honorary Knight Title by the King of the Dwarves, which made waves among the ministers of the pce.


    This was how they knew of Lux''s existence. Unfortunately, their Boss decided toy low for the time being after the consecutive raids on the other Beginner Viges. Their operations on the outskirts of the Gweliven Kingdom had been uprooted, so they were forced to take it slowly for the time being.


    Unfortunately, Mara got too full of herself, overestimating her ability of avoiding detection. She was confident that she could cover her tracks by issuing a Quest about a monster sighting in Oakwood Forest with a reward that was tempting for Adventurer Parties.


    She didn''t expect that instead of only attracting sheeps, she would identally invite a wolf to her own base, who was now currently in the midst of extorting them of their valuables.


    "Give your valuables to my Skeleton minions. Make sure you don''t do anything funny or, else, all of you will regret it."


    The tresspasser''s voice sounded from the distance, his words making Mara grit her teeth in frustration.


    She and her subordinates handed over their belongings, keeping only their clothes.


    "Oi, I said hand everything over. Do you think that I wouldn''t notice the item you''re hiding inside your mouth? Spit it out or I''ll cut off your head! The rest of you better not do the same or I''ll have your heads!"


    The two Dwarves, who attempted to hide something, immediately spat out storage rings from their mouths upon hearing Lux''smand and handed them over to the Skeletons that were collecting their possessions.


    The Skeleton didn''t have any expression on its face, but the way it looked at the two Dwarves made thetter feel like it was disgusted with them.


    Mara and her other subordinates had no idea how the trespasser had been able to see the items they hid inside their bodies. However, after being discovered, none of them took any more chances and honestly gave all of their belongings to the Skeletons, while cursing the trespasser inwardly.


    ��----


    Lux, whose real self was hiding in the distance, chuckled internally when he saw the Dwarves take out the items that they had hidden inside their bodies.


    He was just bluffing when he said that he saw an item inside one of the Dwarves'' mouths.


    Back on earth, he had watched a show where certain agents hid tracking devices in their teeth in order to evade detection from the criminal group that they were trying to infiltrate.


    ''Diablo, I''ll leave everything to you,'' Lux conveyed via telepathy.<sub> </sub>


    Diablo, who was beside him, nodded his head as he walked towards the Dwarves who had their arms raised in the air in surrender.


    "All of you move in a single file and exit this ce," Lux ordered. "The first one to do something funny gets stabbed. No questions asked. Now, start moving!"


    Diablo prodded Mara''s back with the tip of his sword, leaving the Dwarf leader no choice but to walk towards the exit.


    Her subordinates followed behind her as they were escorted by a legion of the Undead.


    Lux had already hidden himself in another room and was just waiting for the Dwarves to leave the base through the exit.


    He had no n to let the Dwarves escape for real. It was a trap nned to capture them with the help of the Adventurer''s Guild after he had ransacked the entire base.


    His minions had already found the nursery for the cocoons of mutated Lycans. ording to the Dwarf leader, Mara, the antidote could be drunk or poured into the mutated Lycan''s body to undo the mutation.


    He had already sent one of his minions to test this method earlier by pouring one of the antidotes over one of the cocoons. The cocoon melted and a Dwarf boy, who was in his birthday suit, appeared.


    Although the boy was unconscious, there were no problems with his body, so Lux was assured that the antidote had worked perfectly.


    When Mara''s group had safely left the base, Lux cured the other Dwarves, who were in the midst of their transformation, reverting them to their original forms.


    Among the Dwarves, two were girls so Lux covered them with capes and ordered Eiko and her slimes to look after them. As for the boys, the Half-Elf''s skeleton minions carried them to a different room to ensure that nothing untoward would happen when they woke up.


    After the Dwarves were separated, Lux personally shook the Dwarf boys to wake them up. He was afraid that if the Skeletons were the ones to do it, the Dwarves would wake up screaming upon realizing that it was an Undead that had been shaking them.


    "Thank you for saving us!" one of the Dwarves said as he gazed at Lux with a grateful look. "If you hadn''te, we might have all been turned into one of those Monsters."


    "I only did the right thing," Lux replied. "The people that have captured you guys have already been defeated and are tied up near the path that leads to Oakwood Town. The Adventurer''s Guild has already been called, so they will probably arrive soon. Make sure to tell them about your experiences so they can make a detailed report about this incident."


    The Dwarves nodded their heads and left theboratory to help guard the researchers who had almost turned them into Lycans. Lux could see anger in their eyes, so he wouldn''t be surprised if they suddenly decided to attack their captors in order to exact revenge.


    Just to be on the safe side, Lux gave a mental order to Pazuzu, Ishtar, and Orion to prevent the adventurers from killing any of the researchers. They were important leads to the whereabouts of the organization, and the Half-Elf didn''t n to let them off scot free.


    ''Now, all that is needed is for the rats to lead me to their sewers,'' Lux thought. ''I think I''ll need to contact Nevreal. I don''t know if he''s considered a high-ranking noble or not, but it would be best if I leave the cleanup to them.''


    Lux was a little worried about an unknown organization adding him to their cklist.


    If possible, he wanted to deal with them as soon as he could to eliminate future troubles. However, he wasn''t delusional enough to think that he alone could take down an entire group that had remained atrge while hiding inside the Gweliven Kingdom.


    He needed helpers, and Nevreal seemed to be the best person for the job.

 Chapter 186 Twilight Rain

    "Thank you for handling this matter perfectly," the Guild Master of the Adventurer''s Guild in Oakwood Town, Colton said with a serious expression on his face. "I never thought that the mastermind of this incident was also the same person that issued the Quest in our Guild. If I get my hands on her, I''ll break all the bones in her body!"


    Colton was furious when he found out that his branch of the Adventurer''s Guild had been used as a means to conduct diabolical experiments that endangered the adventurers working for them. Because of this, he decided to take the matter seriously, even inviting Lux back to the Guild in order to hear a detailed report from him.


    Lux agreed to his request and told him everything he knew about Mara and her group, who were currently on their way to Whitebridge City.


    After getting their rough Sketches, Colton thanked Lux once again before contacting the Guild Master of the Adventurer''s Guild in Whitebridge City.


    He nned to have Mara and her group captured the moment they stepped foot inside the city and have them interrogated by the authorities.


    "Sir Colton, I have a request," Lux said. "Can you pass a message to Sir Nevreal for me? Tell him that I have something important to tell him, and I''ll meet him here in Oakwood Town."


    "Nevreal? Are you talking about THAT Nevreal?" Colton asked with a surprised look on his face. "You know him?"


    Lux frowned. He didn''t know if the Nevreal he knew, and the Nevreal that Colton was talking about was the same person.


    "Um, the person I am talking about is Nevreal Cy Borris," Lux answered. "Middle-aged looking dwarf with scary eyes��"


    Coltonughed after hearing Lux''s description. Nevreal Borris might not be well-known among themon folk of the Gweliven Kingdom, but the influential people of the realm all knew who Nevreal was.


    He was one of the Grandmasters of Alchemy, who had discovered the cure for the White gue, which had be a wide-spread pandemic a decade ago.


    If not for his cure, with how scary the White gue was, more than a third of the poption of the Kingdom of Gweliven could have died.


    "Very well, I will send word to him," Colton said as he patted Lux''s shoulder. "I just need to tell him that Lux Von Kaizer wants to talk to him about something important, right?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes. The sooner we meet, the better."


    "Good. I''ll make it happen. I''ll get back to you as soon as I receive his reply. I will also tell him about the achievements that you have done here."


    "Sure."


    Everything that happened was just pure coincidence. Lux just wanted to look for his friends and it just so happened that they had been targeted by an unknown organization, which led Lux to fight against them.


    ''Well, I am already on their cklist,'' Lux thought. ''Making them angrier won''t change things.''


    Lux understood that since the unknown organization was now aware of his existence, it was only a matter of time before they came to blows. Before that happened, the Half-Elf nned to screw them three times over by letting Nevreal personally deal with the people involved in the incident.


    At that moment, a series of notifications sounded inside his head as rows of text appeared in front of him, signifying that the Emergency Quest waspleted.


    <o>,m Lux set this matter aside and went to look for Colette and her friends, who were currently waiting for him outside the Adventurer''s Guild. They all decided to celebrate their reunion at the most popr inn in Oakwood Town.</o>


    Because of Lux''s achievements, the Guild Master used his connections in order to let Lux and his friends use the VIP rooms, which were usually reserved for the high-ranking nobles of the Kingdom.


    "Big Brother, I have reported this incident to my sister," Colette said after she drank her mug of fruit juice. "She said that she wanted to personally thank you for saving all of us. So, if you''re not busy, why don''t we all go to Whitebridge City together? I promise you that my sister is a beauty. Don''t worry, I already approve of you as my brother-inw."<sub> </sub>


    Colette patted her chest as if she had the authority to choose who her sister''s husband would be. She was confident that as soon as her Big Brother saw her Big Sister, the red-headed teenager would immediately get down on his knees and propose to her sister.


    Lux only chuckled to evade Colette''s insistence to y matchmaker between him and her sister, Aina.


    Although he was curious to see the adorable girl''s older sister, he wasn''t in a hurry to meet her.


    He stirred the conversation to a different topic, asking the Dwarves what they had been up to since they had left Leaf Vige.


    Colette and the others were more than happy to tell Lux about their adventures after bing part of the Eternal Guild, which was under Aina''smand.


    The reunion partysted through the night before the Dwarves finally returned to their rooms to rest, leaving Lux and Eiko exhausted.


    They had traveled far in order to reach Oakwood Town and were dragged into the incident that concerned their friends.


    Eiko was already fast asleep on Lux''sp, while thetter wasn''t faring any better himself. As soon as he ced the sleeping Slime on the pillow on the bed, a knock was heard on the door of his room, which made him frown.


    It was already in the middle of the night, and he didn''t know anyw-abiding citizen that would visit him at this time of the day.


    Lux summoned Ishtar and Diablo by his side and ordered them to defend him if his life was threatened.


    After the two Named Creatures positioned themselves at the side of the door, Lux opened it to see who it was.


    "Can''t you just take it easy once in a while?"


    An annoyed, gruff voice greeted him as Nevreal stepped inside his room.


    "The moment you appear in an Intermediate Town, a problem appeared right away," Nevrealined. "If not for the fact that I personally know that you are not connected to the perpetrators of these incidents, I would have personally taken you into custody. Boy, don''t you know the meaning of moderation?"


    Lux could only scratch his head because he didn''t really want to be involved in any kind of mess. He only wanted to see his friends and give them a surprise. Who would have thought that the one who was given the surprise was him instead?


    "Okay, I''ll tell it to you straight," Nevreal stated as he sat without asking for Lux''s permission. "I don''t know if you have good or bad luck, but you have ruffled the feathers of an underworld organization, not just once, but twice."


    "If I were you, I''d return to where I came from to tide things over. Even with the increased security of the border patrols, I''m sure that they wille to target you for revenge."


    Lux frowned as he sat down to face the Dwarf who was looking at him with a serious expression on his face.


    "Have you captured the researchers?" Lux asked. This was something that he had been meaning to ask ever since Nevreal had stepped inside his room but had not been able to do so because thetter was nagging at him.


    "We did," Nevreal replied. "The Eternal Guild, as well as the other Guilds in Whitebridge City, are now working together to round up the members of the Dark Guild that goes by the name Twilight Rain."


    "Twilight Rain��," Lux muttered. "Tell me, Sir Nevreal. What can I do to help?"


    Now that he knew the identity of the organization that was targeting him, Lux decided that it was time to actively participate in the operations targeting the Dark Guild that was causing a lot of trouble within the Kingdom of Gweliven.

 Chapter 187 Lycanthrophy Mutation Perfect Genes

    By the time Nevreal left the room, the drowsiness that Lux felt earlier had disappeared.


    The middle-aged dwarf had given him a token that was exclusive to the Kingdom''s special agents, who handled matters concerning the stability of the Royal Family''s rule.


    The token came with a lot of perks, including ess to ces which were usually restricted from themon-folk and even high-ranking nobles. It could allow Lux to request for assistance from Dwarf guards and border patrols, especially when it came to certain things that he couldn''t handle alone.


    Nevreal also handed him another token which signified that Lux was now the Kingdom''s Honorary Bar, which was an upgrade from his Rank of Honorary Knight.


    The defense of Leaf Vige, in addition to thetest capture of the researchers who were nning to create a Mutant Army that could''ve threatened the Kingdom, had raised the red-headed teenager''s importance in the eyes of the Dwarf King.


    This was the reason why he gave the Half-Elf an honorary Bar Rank, making him one of the nobles of the Dwarven Kingdom.


    Since he was too sober to sleep, Lux decided to rummage through the things that he extorted from the researchers. He didn''t have time to check them earlier since he was busy helping the mutated Dwarves, in addition to dealing with the members of the Adventurer''s Guild who hade to help.


    Just as Lux expected, the Alpha Lycan and the lesser Lycans were Dwarves that the researchers had captured.


    To his surprise, the Alpha Lycan was a Grade B Apostle, who was also the ace adventurer in Oakwood Town. She went by the name Emma Hewitt, or just Emma for short.


    p After being reverted to her original form, the Dwarf recognized Lux as her benefactor, even going as far as to dere that she would be the Half-Elf''s subordinate from that day onwards.</anda>


    Lux, of course, rejected her offer, but Emma was too persistent, even going as far as begging on her knees to serve the red-headed teenager in order to return the favor. In the end, the Half-Elf reluctantly agreed, and now, Emma had officially be his first party member.


    ''Well, having a subordinate isn''t a bad thing,'' Lux thought. ''Emma seems like an honest person. I''m sure that it will work out�� probably."


    For the time being, Lux opened the storage rings of the researchers and checked all of their contents.


    ''How disappointing,'' Lux thought. ''All their gold coinsbined only amount to nearly a thousand. Is Twilight Rain a cheapskate organization?''


    Of course, it was not only gold that Lux looted from the researchers but also weapons and artifacts. However, all of them were just Rare Items and, for the Half-Elf, he no longer thought highly of Rare Items since he was already using Mythical Items.


    ''Still, they will be useful for transmutation,'' Lux mused as he stored the storage rings inside his own storage ring.


    Originally, Lux thought of using the Transmutation [EX] skill to transfer abilities to his weapons, armors, and artifacts. However, after gaining Mythical Items, the Half-Elf was very reluctant to use his transmutation skill, thinking that he might find a better item.


    For example, if he were to use the transmutation skill to transfer items to a Mythical Item, even if the item became a lot stronger, it was still nothingpared to a Legendary Item. For the Half-Elf, overgearing an item wasn''t worth it, but only if its grade was low.


    ''At least a Legendary Item,'' Lux thought. ''I won''t mind dumping a lot of abilities on a Legendary Item that will be beneficial in the future. Now, time to check the rewards from the quest.''


    Lux had set this matter aside as well and only remembered it after his meeting with Nevreal.


    The red-headed teenager opened his Soul Book to see the rewards he gained and hoped that they would be a whole lot better than the scraps he got from the Dwarf researchers.


    ��---


    < Lycan Mutation Project (Completed!) >


    �C Emergency Quest


    �C Difficulty Rating: B


    �C An unknown organization is conducting an experiment within the territory of Oakwood Town. Their goal is to create an army of mutated monsters in order to further their goals of overturning the peace in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Find their headquarters and look for documents about the experiments.


    �C Report this discovery to the Adventurer''s Guild, so they can dispatch adventurers to weed out the remaining members of the unknown organization that are lurking within Oakwood Town.


    < Optional Quest Objective >


    �C Find a cure for the mutated Lycans


    ��--


    < Rewards >


    1000 Oakwood Town Reputation Points


    100 Kingdom of Gweliven Reputation Points


    1000 Gold<sub> </sub>


    Lycanthrophy Mutation Perfect Genes (1x)


    < Lycanthrophy Mutation Perfect Genes >


    �C This gene can only be used by a foreigner.


    �C The Perfect Mutation Genes have no side-effects to the user, and will even strengthen their physical body, and add resistance bonuses.


    �C Upon consumption, the person will be able to transform into a Lycan at will, and return to their previous form at will.


    �C The transformed creature will gain certain bonuses including an increase in strength, speed, hearing, as well as raising their rank by one stage.


    (Example if a Grade B Apostle were to transform into a Lycan, they would gain the strength of a Grade A Apostle).


    ��--


    ''If Emma has no problems transforming into a Lycan, I''ll give this to her as a gift,'' Lux thought as he looked at the description of the Lycanthropy Mutation Genes. ''Since the gene is safe to use and can even strengthen its user, as long as Emma hasn''t developed a trauma from being forced to be a Lycan, this would be the perfect item for her.''


    Lux wasn''t stingy when it came to people on his side. The Half-Elf already had the Dragon''s Blood in his body, so using the mutation gene on himself would be a waste.


    The Half-Elf still had the Lycan Serums in his possession, as well as their antidotes. Although he didn''t know if they would be useful for him in the future, he decided to keep them for now, not surrendering them to the authorities.


    ��--


    The next day, Lux woke up a little earlier than usual. If not for the fact that Colette had started knocking on his door, even threatening to tear it down, the Half-Elf would have remained in bed for at least another half an hour.


    Naturally, he couldn''t let the adorable little Dwarf break down the door. Not only would that get them cklisted by the inn owner, it would also bring down their reputation among the other inns in Oakwood Town.


    With no alternative, Lux allowed Colette to drag him and Eiko to the tavern to eat.


    To his surprise, Emma was there, waiting for him. The pretty Dwarf with dark-brown hair was happily chatting with Matty and the others while they ate breakfast.


    Emma was of the same age as Lux. She was more of a Vagabond Adventurer that had no permanent party, so her rank wasn''t that high. However, her experience when it came to fighting even surpassed that of Grade A Apostles, and, perhaps, even matched those of the Initiate Rank.


    Lux believed that if Emma were to fight against people who were of the same Rank, all of them would be soundly defeated because of her rich battle experience.


    "Sir Lux, good morning," Emma said with a smile as she waved at the Half-Elf who was being pulled in their direction by Colette.


    "Good morning, Emma," Lux stated. "There is something important that I''d like to talk to you aboutter. For now, just enjoy your breakfast."


    "Okay." Emma nodded her head before resuming her chat with Matty and the others.


    Aside from the pretty dwarf calling him Sir Lux, Emma treated him in a friendly way, and not that of a Master and Servant rtionship.


    The Half-Elf preferred this type of rtionship, rather than a strained one. For him, he wanted to be good friends with Emma, and not treat her as a ve who only followed his orders.


    While eating, Colette asked Lux about his ns while he was in Oakwood Town. After being rescued by their Big Brother, the Dragonyer Party weren''t in a hurry to take on new quests for the time being.


    "I n to go to Whitebridge City tomorrow," Lux replied. "Do you remember Nevreal? He said that I need to meet a few people in Whitebridge City who are currently handling the cleanup operations for the organization that attacked you guys."


    The mood on the table immediately became serious as they looked at Lux with their undivided attention. Even Emma was no longer smiling and stared at the Half-Elf with a determined look on her face.


    "Big Brother, I think this is perfect," Colette said. "Since my sister is based in Whitebridge City, this is a good opportunity for the two of you to meet."


    "Um, I can meet her when I''m done with my business in the city."


    "Okay. I''ll make sure to tell herter of ouring."


    A few minutester, the atmosphere returned to its previous merry state as everyone ate and chatted about random things.


    Lux was quite curious about Whitebridge City because it was one of the biggest Dwarven cities in the Kingdom of Gweliven, aside from the Royal Capital.


    Colette and Emma told him everything they knew about the Dwarven City, including the uing Guild Wars, which was held every two years.


    ording to the two of them, the winner would be Whitebridge City''s number one Guild, which had the privilege of managing the city''s defenses, in addition to acquiring leases to prime real estate that were located in the city''s center.


    Thesends were perfect for setting up shops, and other establishments that could give the Guild high profits, which would cause all the major Guilds that were based in Whitebridge City to seek them out.

 Chapter 188 On The Way To Whitebridge City

    Somewhere in Whitebridge City��


    "How are the other members?" a middle-aged Dwarf asked his subordinate who had just returned from his mission.


    "Not good," the subordinate reported. "Most of our members are currently on the run and have left the city. Mara has been captured by a high-ranking Interrogator. She is currently being subjected to torture and has been fed with truth serums. It''s quite fortunate that none of the Guild''s members in the city know of our true identities. Using a third party to ry orders to them was a great decision on our Guild Leader''s part."


    "This is not something to celebrate about," the middle-aged manmented. "Now that everyone is either captured, on the run, or, even worse, dead, our operations in Whitebridge City have to be in aplete halt. Did you find out any information about who is responsible for this mess?"


    The subordinate nodded.


    "Although it isn''t confirmed yet, one of Mara''s subordinates managed to escape from capture and ryed thetest information he had to our branch here in Whitebridge City," the subordinate replied. "ording to his report, none of the serums were preserved, and Mara had no choice but to destroy the records of the experiments before she got captured. However, he did mention that it was a Half-Elf who foiled their ns in Oakwood Town."


    The middle-aged man sighed. Mara was a promising researcher who was loyal to their cause. Losing her to the authorities was a heavy blow to their Guild, and thinking of it made the Branch Leader of Twilight Rain clench his fist in anger.


    "There is only one Half-Elf in the Kingdom of Gweliven, so it is safe to assume that he is the same person that destroyed the abomination in the Territory of Norria, right?"


    "If the reports that we received are true then it is definitely him."


    p The middle-aged man sighed a second time before giving his order to his subordinate.</anda>


    "Send word to the Main Branch and inform the Guild Master that the Half-Elf is starting to be a nuisance," the middle-aged man ordered. "Tell them that our hands are tied at the moment, and they should send one of the Reapers to deal with him."


    "Sir, having one of the Reapers to deal with him is quite wasteful, no?"


    "Fool! It is best to nip the problem in the bud before it grows up enough to threaten us. Just follow my orders. Let the Main Branch decide whether a Reaper would be sent or not."


    The subordinate nodded before leaving the room. Although he felt that having one of the Initiates of the Guild deal with the Half-Elf was an overkill, he still decided to follow his Leader''s orders.


    The Twilight Guild had two Assasination Groups, the Reapers and the yers. The Reapers were the assassins who had the Rank of Initiates. They were responsible for the assasination of people who had the rank of Initiate and below.


    They were often called the Rookie Killers, because countless Apostles had already died in their hands.


    yers, on the other hand, was a specialized team of Rankers, who dealt with the Assasination of high profile targets, such as high-ranking nobles and politicians, but not Royals.


    It was almost impossible to assassinate members of the Royal Family since all of them were guarded by the best High-Rankers within the kingdom.


    The Branch Leader of Twilight Rain believed that as long as one of the Reapers took action, the annoying Half-Elf, who kept on getting in their way, would finally meet his end.


    ��-


    Meanwhile, on the road that led to Whitebridge City��


    "Big Brother, it will take us at least five more hours to arrive at the city," Colette said.


    She was currently seated beside Lux inside the carriage, which was arranged by the Guild Leader of the Adventurer''s Guild, to take them to Whitebridge City. He had even hired Grade A Apostles as guards to ensure that they would reach the city safely.


    In truth, Lux felt that it would have been faster if they all just traveled riding their Wargs instead of a carriage. However, since the Guild Master, Colton, had already dealt with their means of transport, he felt that it would be impolite to reject his kind offer.<sub> </sub>


    "That means that we will arrive just before sunset," Lux replied as he looked outside the window of the carriage. "Colette, you and your friends can head to your sister''s headquarters when we arrive in the city. I need to deal with private matters, so I''ll just see you guys in the morning."


    "Un!" Colette nodded her head obediently while patting Eiko''s head. "That will also give me some time to set up an appointment for you to meet with my sister, Big Brother. By the way, my sister likes dried berries. Make sure to buy a bag of them as a gift before meeting her."


    Lux suddenly imagined a slightly older Colette munching on dried berries like a chipmunk and it made him smile.


    Aina was the Guild Master of the Silver-Ranked Guild, Eternal.


    The Storm Dragons, which was currently under Nero''s management, was only a Bronze-Ranked Guild, indirectly proving that Aina was a step better than the brown-haired teenager, who held animosity towards Lux.


    The Half-Elf thought that it wouldn''t be a bad idea to form a good rtionship with Aina, who was in control of a well-established Guild in Whitebridge City.


    "Okay, are there any other things that she likes aside from dried berries?" Lux inquired.


    Colette, who thought that his Big Brother was trying to score more brownie points to make her sister like him, was more than willing to tell him the things that Aina liked and disliked.


    Lux smirked when he found out that Aina wasn''t a fan of spicy things. ording to Colette, her sister''s face would immediately turn beet-red if she consumed something rtively spicy.


    To his surprise, Aina liked eating sour things, which was the reason why she preferred dried berries. She was not too fond of sweet things, and could only tolerate the sweet and sour taste of the dried berries that she liked to snack on from time to time.


    Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt halt, and the sound of shouting was heard outside of the carriage.


    "Goblin attack!"


    "Are they perhaps bandits?"


    "Protect the carriage!"


    "There''s too many of them!"


    After hearing themotion outside, Lux immediately opened the carriage doors to help their escorts ward off the danger that hade knocking on their doors.


    Immediately, he saw dozens of Goblins that were wielding short swords, maces, and bows. They were known for attacking merchant convoys and kidnapping the women to make them their breeding horses.


    Using the appraisal ability of the Elysium Compendium, Lux immediately knew the Ranks of the Monsters that were attacking them. The bulk of the Goblins consisted of Rank 2 Monsters, but nearly twenty of them were Rank 3 Monsters.


    Although they weren''t that strong, there were too many of them, which ced their escorts at a disadvantage.


    Lux wasn''t too worried about the Goblins since he still had his skeletons. However, before he could even summon them, a ck blur flew past him.


    A two-meter tall Lycan grabbed the head of one of the Goblins that were attacking the adventurers, and smashed it towards the ground.


    The Lycan then emitted a growl that made the nearby Goblins take a step back due to the intimidating Monster, who was looking at all of them as if they were mere insects that it could easily crush with its bare hands.

 Chapter 189 Order Of The Griffin [Part 1]

    "M-Monster!" One of the adventurers, who was about to help his friend fight a Goblin, panicked after seeing the Lycan that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    Although the Monster had attacked the Goblin, as ordinary people, their reaction was quite normal.


    Even the adventurer that was saved also backed away in haste, pointing his weapon at the Lycan, who towered above him.


    However, before things could spiral out of control, a confident voice broke everyone from their anxious state.


    "Rx, she''s on our side," Lux said as he walked past the adventurers. "Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu,e out."


    As soon as the Half-Elf called for his Named Creatures, the three of them appeared in front of him.


    "Push them back," Lux ordered as he summoned thirty Skeleton Fighters, who now had the strength of peak Rank 1 Monsters.


    Although they were slightly weaker than the Goblins, their weapons and armor, which were forged within the Stronghold of Norria, made them slightly more powerful than the Goblins that were currently ambushing them since they were only wielding basic weapons.


    As soon as Lux''s minions joined the fray, the Goblins were pushed back, giving the adventurer party that was escorting them time to recover their bearings.


    Colette and the others also joined the battle. In just a short time, they managed to force the monsters to retreat by causing several of the other side''srades to die in battle.


    Lux was observing the Lycan whose strength and speed outmatched the Goblins that were running away.


    Before they left, he asked Emma if she was willing to take the Lycan''s Perfect Genes into her body which would allow her to turn back into a Lycan. Contrary to what Lux expected, the pretty dwarf said "Yes'''' in a heartbeat.


    He thought that Emma would reject, or tell him that she needed time to reconsider before epting his request, but that didn''t happen at all.


    Emma told Lux that she wanted to be stronger, and she believed that gaining the ability to transform into a Lycan at will would allow her to fight on even ground with stronger opponents.


    She had been a vagabond fighter all her life, because she thought that there was nothing that she couldn''t handle alone. However, after getting captured and experimented on by the researchers of Twilight Rain, Emma realized that her current strength was not enough to protect herself.


    Aside from that, she also trusted Lux. She felt that the Half-Elf would never harm her, so she readily agreed to epting his gift.


    ''Her rank had jumped from Grade B Apostle to Grade A Apostle,'' Lux thought as he observed Emma from a distance. ''She was a brawler in the past and used gauntlets to battle. Since she likes to engage the enemy in closebat, then, perhaps, being able to transform into a Lycan is perfect for her.''


    Fifteen minutester, several Goblinsy on the ground, dead.


    Eiko didn''t participate in battle and was, instead, busy ordering ckie, Whitey, Rocky, and Mara to dig the Beast Cores out of the Goblins'' bodies.


    Lux could only shake his head helplessly upon seeing how the baby Slime refused to miss any opportunity to eat the Beast Cores of Monsters in order to strengthen herself.


    Her recent loss against Astra made Eiko strive harder to be stronger, just so she could beat him up in their next rematch.


    After collecting the Beast Cores, Eiko didn''t hesitate to eat them all one by one, allowing her progression rating to increase.<sub> </sub>


    Unfortunately, the skills that she could acquire from the Goblins'' beast core were skills that she had already learned in the past, like sh, which had already evolved into Heavy sh.


    Even so, the baby Slime was still happy, because, for her, every Beast Core brought her one step closer to defeating Astra, whom she hadbeled as her mortal enemy when it came to her Mama''s affection.


    "You did well, Emma," Lux said the moment the Lycan returned to his side.


    ''Thank you, Lux,'' the Lycan said through telepathy before transforming back into the pretty dwarf whose height reached up to his chest.


    Emma could transform while wearing armor and regr clothes. The fun part was that after returning to her original form, her clothes would remain undamaged, which also added an additionalyer of defense to her stats, allowing her to maximize her equipment''s potential.


    Just like her clothes, the gauntlets that she wore as a weapon added to her physical damage in her Lycan Form. Her ws were as sharp and as hard as steel, making them ideal weapons in closebat.


    "Wow! Amazing!" Colette said as she used her hands to pat Emma''s body all over. "How are you able to transform? Is this the side-effect of that seru-mmpph!"


    Lux had covered the adorable girl''s mouth to prevent her from saying things that were confidential in nature.


    Colette also realized that she had made a blunder, so looked at her Big Brother with apologetic eyes.


    Seeing that she understood her mistake, Lux released the adorable Dwarf before returning to the carriage.


    He had already unsummoned his minions, because he believed that they would no longer encounter mishaps along the way to Whitebridge City.


    The adventurers, who were escorting them, also heaved sighs of relief. Although they had plenty of experience fighting against the Undead, fighting alongside them was a different matter.


    Just as Lux expected, no Goblins or any other type of Monster tried to ambush them again.


    As the sun was about to set on the horizon, Lux saw a magnificent city in the distance. A white bridge extended across a river, to allow people to gain ess to the city.


    This was the reason the city was called Whitebridge City. It was currently one of the main trading cities of the Gweliven Kingdom due to its ess to river transportation, allowing fast shipment of goods to and from important trade partners.


    ''Whitebridge City,'' Lux thought. ''So the other members of the Order of the Griffin are waiting for me there. I hope they''re nice.''


    ording to the Dwarven King''s orders, Lux had been secretly appointed as the newest member of the Order of the Griffin.


    The King and Nevreal shared the same opinion�� Lux was an abnormality that had appeared inside their kingdom for reasons that only the Gods knew. Since this was the case, they believed that Fate had sent him to be their friend and not their enemy.


    Because of this, the King granted Lux an honor that only those that had aplished Legendary Feats in the Gweliven Kingdom could acquire, and that was none other than the Token of the Griffin, which symbolized that he was one of the members of the Secret Organization that worked directly under the King.


    Lux hoped that his colleagues wouldn''t treat him like a child because of his age. After all, he was now part of their Secret Order, by hook or by crook.

 Chapter 190 Order Of The Griffin [Part 2]

    Lux entered the library inside the city, while Colette and her friends headed to the Eternal Guild to meet with her big sister, Aina.


    He had asked Emma to secure their inn amodations in the city, while he met with two members of the Order of the Griffin that had been dispatched to Whitebridge City to help the authorities find the members of Twilight Rain.


    After getting to the second floor of the library, he walked over to the Northeast corner of the room and pulled the candle holder, which was stuck on the wall, down.


    A few secondster, the bookcase in front of him moved to the side, allowing a single person to pass through it.  This was a hidden path specially used by the members of the Order in order to hold their meetings in Whitebridge City.


    The Half-Elf didn''t hesitate and entered the secret passageway. As soon as his body passed through the room, the bookcase righted itself, making it seem that nothing had happened in the surroundings.


    Lux then walked a long pathway for a few minutes before he arrived at a steel gate. The red-headed teenager knocked on it thrice.


    "Password?" a voice asked from behind the door.


    "Treat your password like your toothbrush," Lux replied. "Don''t let anybody else use it, and get a new one every six months."


    The gate opened wide, and the Half-Elf found himself inside a tavern filled with Dwarves who were either ying card games, drinking ale, or both.


    Those who were near the gate gave him a side-long nce, but no one paid too much attention to him.


    Lux then headed straight to the bartender who was busy cleaning a ss cup with a piece of cloth. The Half-Elf then ced the Token of the Griffin on the counter, which made the bartender arch an eyebrow.


    "Third Floor, Room 13," the bartender replied. "May you have a good day, Sir."


    Lux briefly nodded his head before climbing up the stairs. The bartender watched until his back disappeared from view before taking a golden locket from his pocket.


    "Capture the people that are waiting for our guest outside the library," the bartender ordered. "Make sure none of them escape."


    After giving his order, the bartender returned the golden locket inside his pocket and resumed cleaning the ss cups on his counter.


    The moment Lux appeared in the city, several individuals started to follow him around. The Order of the Griffin was an elite unit that directly served the King. Usually, the members of this Elite Unit often handled "messy" problems, and it was their job to clean up the mess others had left behind.


    Seeing that there were people targeting one of their Kingdom''s Guardians, the Dwarves that were ying cards left the tavern, intending to capture the members of Twilight Rain who had noticed Lux''s arrival in Whitebridge City.


    ��-


    Third Floor, Room 13��


    "Well, well, well�� look who''s finally here," a Dwarf with a curled up beard said with amusement. "The famous Half-Elf from Leaf Vige. So young, and yet has the uncanny hobby of poking the ho''s nest. Boy, you won''t live long at this rate."


    "That''s him?" a silver-haired Dwarf wearing spectacles gave Lux an appraising gaze. "Apostle Grade A. Not bad for an ordinary adventurer, but not good enough to contend against Twilight Rain. This Elf is as good as dead."


    Lux didn''t know how he should react at the two Dwarves'' greeting. He didn''t know if the Dwarves were praising him or mocking him for being stupid.


    "What are you waiting for, boy? Go on and sit," the Dwarf that Lux had mentally given the nickname "Curly" said with a smile.


    "Our time is precious, so please, don''t dilly dally," the Dwarf whom Lux had given the nickname "Prick"mented.


    Curly smiled before introducing himself.


    "Well, neer, we are your seniors, so I will first introduce myself," Curly said. "My name is Galileo Darwin. Just call me Galileo. This impatient person over here is Charles Galilei. Just call him Charles."


    "Lux Von Kaizer," Lux replied. "Just call me Lux. And this is my baby Slime, Eiko."


    "Ei!" Eiko lightly jumped to introduce herself.


    "A Slime huh? How peculiar."


    "It''s just amon blue Slime. Nothing special about it."


    Galileo and Charlesmented. After looking at the new member of their group, Charles immediately became uninterested, while Galileo had aplicated look on his face.


    After a minute of awkward silence, Galileo coughed as he started to talk about why they were meeting Lux in Whitebridge City.


    "Before anything else, let me ask you, Lux, what do you know about Twilight Rain?" Galileo asked.


    "Aside from the fact that they''re the bad guys? Not much." Lux answered.<sub> </sub>


    Galileo nodded as if he had already expected this answer from the Half-Elf. Charles, on the other hand, just closed his eyes and didn''t make anyment whatsoever.


    "Twilight Rain is what you foreigners call a Dark Guild," Galileo stated. "It is an organization that is trying to sow discord inside the Gweliven Kingdom. Their leader was the previous king''s uncle, who had tried to stop our current King''s coronation by starting a civil war. Fortunately, he didn''t seed and had been in hiding since then.


    "The problem is that he had allied himself with�� Foreigners who have designs to usurp the current rulers of thend. Many of them seem to be very keen in staking their im, not only in the Kingdom of Gweliven, but in the other Kingdoms as well."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. Sians hade to Elysium in order to gain resources, as well as own a ce where they could settle. There were people who wanted to work with the current inhabitants of the Elysium to create a mutually beneficial rtionship, while others wanted to conquer the existing Kingdoms and Empires in order to be the new rulers of the Territory.


    There were good and bad people in the world, and greed was the mostmon reason behind why these incidents happen in the first ce. Sians had long wanted to have their ownnds and territories in Elysium, so it didn''te as a surprise to Lux when Galileo exined the current structure of Twilight Rain.


    "The bulk of Twilight Rain is made up of Elysians��I believe that is the term that you Foreigners call us, yes?"


    "Right."


    Galileo smiled. He had long been fascinated by these visitors from another world, who were very simr to their own.


    "Right now, the cleanup operation is proceeding smoothly," Galileo exined. "However, the members of Twilight Rain in this city are just part of their Branch Guild. This means that the Main Guild is still atrge, which brings us to the next topic which is you.


    "Lux, I don''t know if you''re aware of how dangerous this Guild is. After the two recent incidents, I''m sure that you are now starting to be considered as an eyesore for them."


    Charles, who had stayed silent all this time snorted as he looked at the Half-Elf with a mocking gaze.


    "Boy, it''s best if you prepare a coffin for yourself," Charles stated. "Sooner orter, the Reapers wille for your head. If I were you, I''d go back to my world andy low for a year or two until their rage subsides. Actually, it might be better if you stayed in your world for good. That is the only way for you to survive from the assassins who are after the bounty that will be ced on your head."


    Galileo cleared his throat and knocked on the table to capture Lux''s attention.


    "Although my colleague''s words are quite harsh, what he said is the truth," Galileomented. "Twilight Rain has two assasination groups called the Reapers and the yers. The Reapers areposed of assassins who have reached the Initiate Rank, while the yers areposed of assassins who are already Rankers. Right now, there''s a very high chance that one of the Reapers of Twilight Rain has already been dispatched to kill you."


    "Although the King is providing us some support and protection, they can''t be with us all the time. Make sure to always be vignt, and keep a better awareness of your surroundings. Right now, you are not a match for an Initiate. So, take all the precautions that you can in order to survive their assasination."


    Galileo ced a golden locket on top of the table, and pushed it in front of the Half-Elf.


    "This locket is a special artifact that can negate three attacks from an Initiate. This is the life saving artifact that the Order has bestowed upon you, but remember that after three attacks, the effect of this locket will be used up. If you still haven''t escaped by that time, I''m afraid that you won''t survive for long."


    Lux picked up the golden locket on the table, which had the design of a Griffin embedded on its surface, and appraised it.


    ��--


    Golden Locket of the Griffin


    �C This protective charm is able to negate three attacks from an Initiate.


    �C This protective charm is able to negate twenty attacks from Apostles of any grade.


    �C Once either option is used up, this locket will lose its effectiveness.


    ��--


    "Thank you," Lux replied before slipping the chain of the locket over his head so he could wear it on his neck. "I will always wear it."


    Galileo nodded his head in satisfaction. "You are the youngest and tallest member of our organization. So make sure to stay alive as long as possible. I don''t want to see you kicking the bucket anytime soon."


    Lux smiled because despite Galileo''s teasing words, he could truly feel his concern for him.


    A few minutester, Lux left the room as their meeting came to an end. He remembered being told that before he joined, the Order of the Griffin only had twelve members, which meant that he was the thirteenth member.


    When Lux left the library, it was already very dark. Fortunately, a carriage had been prepared for him beforehand, and it took him to the inn where Emma had made reservations for their stay.


    As the carriage trotted away in the night, a lone figure stepped out of the alleyway and looked in the direction where Lux was headed.


    It was one of the Dwarves who had been ying cards in the tavern earlier. He had been assigned to ensure Lux''s safety while he was in Whitebridge City.


    A momentter, the Dwarf returned to the darkness of the alley. Since the coachman of Lux''s carriage was one of hisrades, he didn''t need to follow him back to the inn.


    This was going to be a long night, and they still had plenty of rats to catch before sunrise.

 Chapter 191 Lux’s Trump Card

    When Lux arrived at the Inn, Emma, as well as Colette and her friends, were waiting for his return.


    "Big Brother! Let''s go to our Guild''s Headquarters tomorrow before noon," Colette said. "My sister said that she wanted to meet you and personally thank you for always saving me."


    "Okay," Lux replied before patting Matty''s shoulder. He then winked at the young Dwarf. "Make sure to be stronger, so I don''t always have to save this troublemaker. I can''t always be by her side, you know?"


    Matty frowned, but he still nodded his head seriously. He was already thinking of ways he could improve himself to be stronger, so he wouldn''t always be the one that needed saving.


    Naturally, it wasn''t just Matty thinking about this. Colette, Andy, Axel, and Helen, also had the same thoughts.


    Lux understood that his friends were still too young, so bing strong right from the get go was impossible for them.


    ''Fortunately, the one being targeted is me and not them,'' Lux thought. ''Still�� an Initiate Assassin sounds like a pain in the ass.''


    An Initiate was the grade above the Grade A Apostle Rank. It was the turning point where an Apostle would be a Ranker after umting enough points.


    In order to reach the Initiate Rank, one must have at least 5,000bined Stat Points.


    This was a level that was still far away from his reach. Fighting against that kind of opponent would not be an easy task.


    Even so, he would rather face an Initiate by himself instead of allowing someone of that caliber target his friends, who wouldn''t stand a chance against such foes.


    After eating dinner, Colette and the others left the inn and returned to their headquarters. Aina had given strict orders to her sister and her friends, forbidding them from spending the night outside their guild''s headquarters, in order to keep them safe.


    Right now, the tension inside Whitebridge City was high, and Aina didn''t want her little sister to be caught in the crossfire between thebined might of the guilds and the authorities that were busy rounding up the members of Twilight Rain inside the city.


    Lux was also aware of what was happening in the city and was told to stay in the inn for the night. The ce where their inn was booked had guards patrolling on a regr basis, so, unless they wanted to be sent to prison, no one with ulterior motives would openly make trouble in the inn that was the mainstay of many high-ranked adventurer parties in Whitebridge City.


    "Emma, there is something that I need to tell you in private," Lux said as he invited Emma to his room.


    ? Once they were inside, he exined that there was a high possibility that he was being targeted by an Initiate, so he asked the pretty Dwarf to avoid interacting with him for the time being for her own safety.


    But, contrary to what Lux expected, Emma became more determined to stay by Lux''s side in order to protect him, rejecting his request, even though she wasn''t a match against an Initiate.<sub> </sub>


    "Since you are being targeted by Twilight Rain, I should always stay by your side," Emma insisted. "Make no mistake. I treasure my life, so I don''t n on doing anything reckless. But I also made an oath that I would return the favor for saving my life. If I can stall the assassin for a few seconds to allow you to escape, I will not hesitate to do that."


    "And if I die, then I die. You''re a Necromancer, right? Just raise me as an Undead. I don''t mind it one bit!"


    Lux rubbed his face with both of his hands when he heard the pretty Dwarf in front of him set up a death g for herself. Even so, he was touched that she was willing to sacrifice herself for his safety.


    "Very well, I promise you this, from now on, I truly recognize you as my first trusted subordinate," Lux stated. "I will do my best to help you grow stronger."


    "Um? You didn''t treat me as a trusted subordinate before?"


    "Let''s not dig up the past. What is important is that we should always go forward!"


    Emma chuckled, knowing that Lux no longer wanted to dwell on the subject. Even so, she was quite satisfied that the Half-Elf had finally recognized her as his trusted subordinate.


    After their short chat, Emma returned to their room to rest for the night, leaving Lux to think about how to handle the big threat that was looming over his head.


    ''An Initiate Ranked Assassin," Lux thought as he looked at the upper right corner of his vision where a map was located.


    Erging the map, Lux tweaked its settings to show only allies and enemies on the map. Allies would be represented by green dots on the map, while enemies would be represented by red. He hoped that by changing the setting of his map, he would be able to detect if the assassin was near his immediate vicinity.


    If he was able to detect the Assassin before thetter came in contact with him, he would immediately run away or hide in order to save himself from the other party who was ordered to kill him.


    He also ran several simtions in his head for what he would do when the Initiate Ranked Assassin appeared. He also talked to his Named Creatures through his Soul Book about his n, and all of them agreed to follow it to give Lux a chance at survival.


    Right now, it was impossible for them to fight against an Initiate Ranked Assassin. However, he was not entirely powerless.


    ''I still have the Token of the Gold Dragon with me,'' Lux thought as he held the golden token in his hand. ''Even an Initiate Rank would have no choice but to escape when faced with an Argonaut Ranked Crystal Dragon.''


    This was his Trump Card, and it was the only thing that he could rely on against an opponent that was an expert in waiting for the perfect opportunity to end his life.

 Chapter 192 Rivalry Between Assassins

    Somewhere in the Kingdom of Gweliven��


    "Useless fools!" A Dwarf with silver hair pounded the table with his fist after hearing the report of his subordinate. "They can''t even do something so simple!"


    The silver-haired dwarf once again smashed his fist on the table, making his subordinates inside the room lower their heads in shame.


    He was none other than the Guild Master of Twilight Rain, Magnar Vonmus Gweliven. As a member of the Royal Family, he had also wanted to be the King of the Dwarven Kingdom but had lost the right to session.


    Because of this, he started a civil war, with the intention to bring down his nephew, who had inherited the crown. Unfortunately, he was defeated but fortunately managed to escape with his life and had gone into hiding.


    A few yearster, he returned as the founder of the Dark Guild, Twilight Rain, which started to terrorize the Kingdom from the shadows. However, there were a few people who had blocked him in his path.


    They were the members of the Order of the Griffin that served his Nephew.


    It was an Elite Group that had both brains and brawn, and its members were capable enough to fight against him in the shadows, stopping his second attempt to start another civil war.


    After his nephew retired and passed his crown to the current ruling King, Magnar thought that he could use this opportunity to bring down the newly crowned King since he was not yet well versed in managing the affairs of the Kingdom.


    But he made a mistake. The new King had long been educated by his predecessor about Magnar''s desire for power.


    The new King had forged bonds with the new batch of elites who now belonged to his own Order, which was currently lurking in the shadows, waiting to end this decades-long struggle between them.


    After Magnar reined in his anger, he made a gesture for his right-hand man to step forward.


    "Who is the best assassin among the Reapers?" Magnar asked. "I want him to personally kill this Half-Elf and rid us of this bastard once and for all."


    Magnar''s right-hand man thought for a moment before giving two names.


    "Right now, we have two promising Reapers that have recently joined our ranks," the right-hand man answered. "All the missions that they have undertaken werepleted without fail. Till now, none among their peers have managed such a perfect record when ites to assassinating their targets. I believe that after a year or two, the both of them will be the new yer candidates that will bring our Assassination Squad to the next level."


    "Oh? We have such promising talents?" Magnar arched an eyebrow. He hadpletely given his right-hand man the control over the assassination groups under their guild, so he could focus on domestic issues. Because of this, he wasn''t aware about the current rankings among the Assassins under hismand.


    Magnar''s right-hand man nodded. "Sid hails from the North, while Scarlet is from the West. Both of them are more than capable of dealing with the Half-Elf. Sir, which one do you want to take on this mission?"


    Magnar pondered for a bit before a devilish grin appeared on his face.


    "How about you let thempete with each other," Magnar proposed. "Give them both the mission, and tell them that the one who manages to assassinate the Half-Elf will officially be given the title of yer Candidate."


    "Competition is good. This will ensure that the two of them will take this mission seriously."


    "I agree with the Guild Master. This is the most effective method to deal with the Half-Elf, while also nurturing our own talents. It''s like killing two birds with one stone."


    "I''m also curious to find out who the best assassin among the young generation is. I''m sure that this is going to be interesting."


    Magnar smirked after hearing his subordinate''s take on his idea. Even his right-hand man thought that this was also a good way to make the assassins be more proficient in their craft. A good rivalry allowed both parties to grow due to the pressure that they were giving each other.


    "Understood, I will issue this mission at once," Magnar''s right-hand man bowed his head before leaving the room to send word to the two assassins about theirtest mission.


    He believed that it wouldn''t even take two weeks before the Half-Elf''s head was delivered inside their conference room, since thetter would have to deal with the two strongest Initiates that were part of the Reapers.<sub> </sub>


    ��--


    "Achoo!"


    "Ah�� chu?"


    Lux brushed his nose, while Eiko tilted her head to look at her Papa who had sneezed while brushing his hair.


    Today was the day that he would be meeting Colette''s sister, Aina, so he wanted to give a good first impression.


    "Eiko, how do I look?" Lux asked the baby slime that was seated on top of the table, and chewing on a piece of bacon.


    "Pa!" Eiko replied.


    For her, it didn''t really matter whether Luxbed his hair or not. In the end, she would perch on top of his head and render his hard work useless.


    Just as the Half-Elf was admiring his image in the mirror, a knock was heard on the door.


    "Lux, it''s time to go."


    Emma''s voice sounded through the door, which Lux hurriedly opened.


    "Not bad," Emma said after looking at the Half-Elf who had dressed for the asion. "Are you doing this so that you can marry Colette''s sister in the future?"


    Lux was wearing a gown that was often used by nobles, which Nevreal had given him alongside the token that proved that he was now an Honorary Bar.


    In truth, this was the most expensive set of clothes that Lux had in his possession because it was specially made for the high-ranking members of the nobility.


    "Of course not," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "Don''t listen to that little girl. She tries to matchmake me with her sister whenever there is an opportunity."


    "But, I heard that the guild leader of the Eternal Guild is truly a beauty." Emma smirked. "You might even ask Colette''s helpter as you try to woo her."


    Lux could only smile helplessly due to the pretty Dwarf''s teasing.


    He really didn''t have any intention of letting Colette y matchmaker and pair him with her sister in marriage. Right now, the Half-Elf had a lot on his te. Aside from the threat of assassins that were meant to kill him, he still needed to protect his step-sister from the machinations of her own father.


    He really had neither the time or strength to chase the skirts of Dwarf girls due to his current circumstances.


    "Let''s go," Lux said before Emma could continue teasing him. "Eiko,e."


    "Pa!" The baby slime jumped from the table and blinked on top of Lux''s head.


    In the end, Eiko didn''t damage Lux''s hairstyle and behaved properly. She was also very curious about seeing Colette''s sister, and she hoped that she would be as friendly as the little blonde Dwarf, who spoiled her a lot whenever they were together.


    Emma led the way, and Lux walked behind her. Right now, her role was to be Lux''s bodyguard, so she would definitely do her best to ensure that no harm woulde to her savior under her watch.

 Chapter 193 Unfulfilled Wish

    When the carriage stopped, Lux looked past the window and saw a grand mansion, which was at least three stories high.


    The emblem that hung on the gate was a diamond surrounded by eight swords pointing outwards. Above the emblem, was a single word that Lux read with admiration.


    Eternal.


    It was a word that meant "tost forever".


    Lux could feel the strong and unwavering resolve of the person who had named their guild with this word, and, for some reason, he felt an emotion stir inside himself.


    It was an emotion that he was all too familiar with, and it was none other than "wanting to leave his mark on the world", making others recognize that he was not just another ordinary face in the crowd.


    As soon as Lux stepped off the carriage, he heard the familiar call for "Big Brother," causing a smirk to appear across his face.


    The guards, who were standing on the gate, opened the path for him. Their Guild Master had already informed them about Lux''s arrival. This was their first time seeing a Half-Elf, so they couldn''t help but look at him as if he was an exotic animal that was walking past them.


    Colette didn''t waste any time and grabbed Lux''s hand, pulling him towards the main entrance of the mansion that served as their Guild''s Headquarters.


    "You''re lucky, Big Brother," Colette said as she continued to pull Lux, who had caught the attention of the guild members in the lobby of their headquarters. "My sister was called to attend an emergency meeting by the Mayor of the city, but since she had promised to meet with you, she sent the Vice Guild Master to go in her ce."


    Lux frowned when he heard Colette''s words. "Won''t your Big Sister get into trouble for not going there? They would think that she''s not doing her job properly as Guild Master."


    "It''s fine. My Big Sister and the Mayor of Whitebridge City are good friends, so she can get away with this much. Also, our guild is the one that sent the majority of our forces to hunt down the members of Twilight Rain, who are currently hiding inside the city. The other guilds may hold grudges, but they will never voice it out loud."


    "... Isn''t that bad?"


    Colette stopped walking and turned towards the Half-Elf with a smile.


    "With my sister at the helm of the Guild, they will not dare oppose us, or else they will suffer a fate worse than getting stomped on by a mountain goat." Colette smirked. "My sister is the best."


    Lux could only pat the head of the smug-faced, little girl, who clearly idolized her sister.


    A few minutester, they arrived at the Guild Master''s office where two guards stood at the ready.


    "Go in, Big Brother," Colette said as she gave Lux''s back a light push. "My sister said that she wanted to talk to you alone."


    Lux nodded and knocked on the door.


    A few secondster, a curt and crisp voice answered from behind the door.


    "Come in."


    The Half-Elf no longer hesitated, stepping inside the room. The moment he saw her, the red-headed teenager froze. In front of him was a Dwarf girl with long-blonde hair, which had been tied up in a ponytail.


    Her blue eyes looked at him with a calm gaze, but Lux was busy staring at her face, which had taken himpletely by surprise.


    Aina''s pink lips, as well as her smooth white skin which could put the models on Earth to shame, made the Half-Elf subconsciously gulp.


    Before him stood Aina Van Goldenyer, the Guild Master of Eternal, as well as Colette''s older sister who was known by her allies and enemies, as the Warrior Princess.


    Lux didn''t want to admit it, but he felt his heart skip a beat after seeing the girl, who looked exactly like the younger version of his favorite actress on Earth, who had the screen name Luna.<sub> </sub>


    "L-Luna?" Lux stuttered after seeing the peerless beauty in front of him. "What are you doing here?"


    The cold beauty looked at Lux with a calm expression before standing up from her chair. She then walked towards the Half-Elf, who was gaping at her with a silly look on his face, with steady steps.


    She was like a warrior that had seen many battles and was no longer fazed by anything and everything she saw.


    "I wee you to the Eternal Guild, Lux Von Kaizer," Aina said in a calm tone. "I have heard many things about you from my sister."


    The beautiful Dwarven beauty then gave Lux a deep bow, which snapped thetter from his daze.


    "Thank you for always saving my sister whenever she is in trouble," Aina stated before raising her head to look up at the Half-Elf, who was taller than her. "Please, take a seat."


    The doll-like beauty gestured to the chair beside her table before walking back towards her chair.


    Lux lightly rubbed his face with his hands, while Aina wasn''t looking at him and followed behind her.


    After he sat down, he observed his childhood crush, who hade to life.


    "Is there something wrong with my face?" Aina asked. "I often see others look at me with the same expression you have right now, and wonder if there is something they see that I don''t."


    "There is nothing wrong with you," Lux replied subconsciously. "You just look so perfect that sometimes I wonder if you are real."


    Lux''s favorite actress, Luna, wasbeled as "perfect beauty", and many wondered if she achieved her good looks through stic surgery. Even so, the beautiful actress simply brushed the question off as if it was not even worth her time to answer it.


    Lux''s greatest regret in his past life was the fact that he had been unable to attend the events that Luna was part of. He wasn''t even able to get her autograph nor shake her hand during the fan meetings that she had posted on her social media profile.


    Now that someone who looked exactly like her had appeared in front of him, he was finding it hard to control the emotions that were bubbling up in his chest.


    "I look perfect?" Aina asked in the same monotonous tone that she always used. "You''re the first person to directly say such a thing to me. I guess the person that saved my sister is built differentlypared to the rest of the people that interact with me on a daily basis."


    Aina then rested her delicate chin on the back of her intertwined hands as she gazed at Lux with the same expressionless look on her face.


    "Tell me, Lux Von Kaizer. What kind of reward should I give you for saving my sister''s life?" Aina asked.


    "How about, I will be able to gain your guild''s help once?" Lux answered. "But, you will have the right to reject it if you think that it will be detrimental to your guild''s reputation or cause you innumerable casualties. I know that your guild isn''t a charitable institution, so I''ll let you decide whether you will agree to my request or not."


    Aina decisively shook her head. "Think of something else. I cannot in good conscience order my guild to do something for personal reasons."


    Aina met Lux''s gaze, and although the look in her eyes remained the same, there was a firmness in her gaze that wouldn''t ept anypromise. She was the Guild Master of Eternal. One order from her and her entire guild would mobilize.


    the doll-like beauty wouldn''t order her subordinates to sacrifice themselves for personal reasons. this was her bottom-line.


    Instead of feeling down, the Half-Elf smiled because Aina''s answer convinced him that the person in front of him wasn''t someone who used her authority to order his people around to benefit only herself.


    "Let''s change the condition a bit," Aina stated after a few minutes of silence. "Since this is a personal matter, You can ask for my help once. I, as an individual, will help you to the best of my abilities. How does that sound?"


    Lux smiled and reached out his hand towards her for a handshake. "We have a deal."


    Aina stared at Lux''s outstretched hand for a few seconds before extending her own. As the two shook each other''s hand, both of them felt that this was the beginning of something that wouldst a lifetime.

 Chapter 194 A Target With A Death Wish

    Somewhere in the Gweliven Kingdom��


    "Brother, you''re back!"


    "Brother, sweets!"


    "Did the two of you behave while I was away?" A young Dwarf, who seemed to be in his early twenties, reached out to the two little girls who had grabbed onto his body the moment they saw him.


    He was quite good looking, and with his light-brown hair, green eyes, and confident presence, any Dwarf beauty would definitely feel strong attraction to him.


    "I did!" the dwarf girl proudly said with a smile.


    "Me, too!" The other dwarf girl nodded her head vigorously.


    "Great. Now, here are some candies that I bought along the way," the light-brown haired Dwarf said as he handed two bags of candies to the two girls, who jumped up and down in joy after receiving them. "Make sure to share them with the others, okay?"


    ""Yes!""


    The Dwarf looked at the two little girls with an affectionate gaze as they ran back to the orphanage to share the sweets with everyone.


    "You''re finally back, Sid," a middle-aged Dwarfdy carrying a basket of vegetables said as she arrived at the entrance of the orphanage. "You''ve been away for a month. Being an apprentice merchant might give you a lot of money, but your little sisters miss you terribly every time you leave."


    "You should spend a few days with them this time, or they''ll probably cling to you like leeches to prevent you from leaving them again."


    Sid could only shrug his shoulders helplessly after hearing those words from one of thedies that managed the orphanage.


    "Auntie, this is the only job that I know that pays well," Sid replied. "Once I have saved enough, I''ll buy a big house in the capital and move there with my two sisters. I will let them enjoy life to the fullest. Also, I want to build an orphanage, one that is bigger than this, so that it can help more orphans like us."


    Sid and his two little sisters had been orphaned due to a bandit attack in their previous vige. The three of them were forced to run away,l and hide in the woods, while their parents, as well as the other adults, fought against the attackers in order to buy time for the women and children to escape.


    Unfortunately, the bandit group had reinforcements, so the defenders of their vige were overwhelmed. When Sid realized this, he and his sisters fled to a town with better security.


    Sid had always been an excellent fighter and hunter. His patience had been trained through hunting. He could even stay motionless for several hours until his target hade within striking range.


    Because of his abilities as a warrior, as well as a hunter, the branch head of Twilight Rain in the town where they were staying in, recruited him with the promise of greater pay for his services.


    It was then that Sid had undergone a baptism of blood and was trained to kill people, instead of animals. Since he already had the basic skills to be an assassin, the transition was quite smooth.


    After his assassin training, which almost cost his life several times, he decided to get his revenge. The first person he killed was the leader of the Bandit Group that had destroyed the peaceful life of his family.


    After sessfully killing the leader, he hunted all the members of the bandit group until none were left. After finally tying up the loose ends of his past, he then embarked on missions to kill the targets that the organization deemed to be an obstacle in their way to usurp the current royal family.


    Sid really didn''t care who sat on the throne of the Dwarven Kingdom. For him, the Dwarf King did nothing when his family was killed, so his loyalty to the other party wasn''t strong. The one that gave him the means to get his revenge was Twilight Rain, and because of this, thetter won his faith and loyalty, serving them wholeheartedly.


    "Well, just make sure to send them letters on a regr basis." The auntie knew how firm Sid was in his decision to earn a lot of money for his two sisters.


    This was why he became a merchant apprentice, which was the cover Sid used in order to hide his true profession as an assassin.<sub> </sub>


    In a way, his description wasn''t wrong. He would travel to different ces in order to "act" as a merchant while surveying the surroundings of his target and getting to know his or her daily routine.


    There were plenty of times when he had to stay in a particr ce for weeks or even months, while some missions only required him a few days to finish.


    There were even asions when he only needed a day or two before he could assassinate his target.


    "Thank you, Auntie," Sid replied. "I''ll make sure to send letters to my sisters once a week, so they won''t worry about me."


    "As long as you understand, then all is well." The Auntie smiled before walking towards the entrance of the orphanage to cook the vegetables that she bought from the market for the little ones, who were almost always hungry.


    Just as Sid was about to go in as well, he noticed a man wearing casual clothes standing beside a tree not far away from the orphanage.


    Sid didn''t hesitate as he walked towards the man who had personally recruited him into Twilight Rain.


    "Congrattions on a job well done," the man said with a smile. "Here is your reward. We also added a bonus because you managed to kill your target even though he was heavily protected."


    "It took me three weeks to kill that bastard," Sid replied. "If not for the fact that one of the guards forgot to lock the window of his room, I wouldn''t have been able to sneak in and kill him while he was sleeping."


    The man chuckled as he patted Sid''s shoulder. "The important part is that he is now dead. That is all that matters. However, I hate to disturb your reunion with your sisters, but you have a new mission."


    "Can''t you give it to someone else?" Sid frowned. "I nned to stay here for a week or two to spend some quality time with my sisters."


    The man scratched his head before sighing. "Well, I won''t force you because I know how hard working you are. But, hear me out first. You can decide whether you will reject this mission or not."


    Sid reluctantly nodded his head as he listened to what his benefactor wanted to say.


    "Our guild members in Whitebridge City are now being hunted down like pigs for the ughter," the man stated. "It all started with an incident in Oakwood Town when one of our secret headquarters was discovered by an annoying bastard."


    "Let me guess. This person is the target for assassination?"


    "Right. It was the Guild Master that personally gave out this order, and you were one of the two people that were chosen to handle this job."


    Sid''s eyes widened in shock after hearing his benefactor''s words.


    "A mission that the Guild Master has personally decreed?" Sid asked. "This target must have a death wish to annoy the Guild Master this much."


    The man nodded. "Aye. He was so angry that he even dered that whoever manages to kill that person will be the next yer Candidate."


    Sid''s body stiffened because he thought that he had heard wrongly. Bing a yer Candidate meant that the Guild would provide that person ess to enough resources to make the breakthrough to the rank of a Ranker.


    The yers were the main assasination team of Twilight Rain, and all of them were Rankers.


    "Who is the target this time around?" Sid asked. He wanted to know the name of the person that would allow him and his sister to live better lives.


    "Your target this time is a Half-Elf," the man answered. "His name is Lux Von Kaizer."

 Chapter 195 May The Best Assassin Win

    A week passed since Lux first met with Colette''s sister, Aina.


    Aina agreed that she would extend her help to Lux once, but as an individual, rather than as the Guild Master of Eternal.


    Lux didn''t find any issue with this. Aina was in the middle stages of the Grade A Apostle rank, which also meant that she was halfway the Initiate Rank.


    For someone her age, it was already a great achievement and the Half-Elf now understood why she was one of the prodigies of the Dwarf Race. Not only was she strong, but her future was also limitless.


    Within the one week that passed, almost all the members of the Twilight Rain who hid in Whitebridge City had been captured. The others were lucky enough to escape the city before the encirclement, which was made up with all the guilds and the army of the Gweliven Kingdom, was formed.


    However, Lux didn''t participate in the hunt for the members of Twilight Rain. Instead, he familiarized himself with the city, in order to know which locations he could run to or hide in, in case of emergencies.


    The one, who acted as his guide on this endeavor was none other than Emma, who was born in Whitebridge City. Colette and the others needed to undertake missions, so they couldn''t spend a lot of time with Lux, which made the adorable little Dwarf leader pout in frustration.


    Even so, she understood that this was her duty as a member of the Eternal Guild. Even her big sister, Aina, who was the guild leader, didn''t exempt her from her rightful duties.


    "We have almost explored the entire city, and only a little more remains," Emma said as she ate lunch with Lux and Eiko. "If my calctions are correct, we should be able to cover the rest in a day or two."


    Lux smiled. "Thank you, Emma. You''ve been a big help. If I strolled alone, I might have gotten lost. This city is really big."


    "Hahaha. I''m d to know that I was able to help you. Don''t worry, if any of those assassins arrive, I''m gonna help you�� run away! It is impossible for me to defeat an Initiate. Our best course of action is to run as fast as we can and hope he trips or something."


    "I''d rather hope that they don''t send an assassin my way. This will save me the trouble of dyin�C"


    Lux wasn''t able to finish his words because a notification had appeared in front of him. ncing at the upper right corner of his vision, he saw that a red dot had appeared on his map.


    A momentter, that single dot became two, and a frown appeared on Lux''s face. After changing the settings of his map to only show allied and hostile units, the Half-Elf instantly knew that the people that wanted him gone had now appeared in the city.


    However, just as he was about to tell Emma that the assassins had arrived, the two blinking dots on the map vanished without a trace.


    ''Could it be a glitch?'' Lux thought as he once again scanned his map to look for the two blinking dots that suddenly disappeared. ''Maybe they''re using some kind of artifact to hide their presence? If that is the case, I am screwed.''


    Seeing the sudden change in Lux''s reaction, Emma knew that something was wrong.


    "Lux? Did something happen?" Emma asked as she looked at Lux with concern.


    Lux nodded. "The assassins are here. Two of them."


    Emma''s face became grim as she took Lux''s words seriously. She didn''t even bother to ask Lux how he managed to find out that the assassins had appeared. The only thing she knew was that the Half-Elf would not joke about this matter because it affected his survival.


    "What are we going to do now?" Emma asked. "Should we tell the authorities?"


    Lux was also tempted to do it, but without proof, his reputation as a member of the Order of the Griffin might take a nosedive if he asked the guards to be his bodyguards out of the blue.<sub> </sub>


    Galileo, Charles, and Nevreal were also not in the city since they each had their own important matters to attend to.


    The three Dwarves initially stayed in the city for a few days to keep a lookout for possible assassins aiming at Lux''s life, but since they hadn''t noticed any suspicious individuals snooping around the city, they decided to leave and handle the aftermath of the Cleanup Operation that had recently transpired in Whitebridge City.


    "For now, we should finish eating," Lux replied. "They just entered the city and still don''t know where I am. At least, that is what I think. Even if they knew, this inn is under the protection of the Adventurer''s Guild. There might be some strong individuals here that can make those in the Initiate Rank be wary to attack."


    Emma nodded and ate her food silently. Even Eiko who was usually lively was now eating seriously as if preparing for a battle against her rival, Astra.


    ''Should I contact Nevreal?'' Lux thought.


    Right now, the middle-aged Dwarf was the only person of authority that he could contact at any given time. Galileo and Charles didn''t want Lux to get in touch with them during their missions, so the Half-Elf was only left with the only option he had.


    ''I can''t be passive,'' Lux thought. ''I need to think this through.''


    ��---


    Somewhere in Whitebridge City��


    "It''s annoying that I had to wait for you to arrive before I start this mission, Sid," a Dwarf girl with long red hair said in annoyance. "If only the Elder hadn''t required that we entered the city at the same time to make things fair, that Half-Elf might already be dead by now."


    "Perhaps," Sid replied. "Or the one who would be dead could have been you, Scarlet."


    "Me? Die? Oh, please. I can kill the target with my eyes closed."


    "That is because you rely on your eyes being closed to activate your special ability. Well, I won''t argue because it is indeed my fault foringte. Now that we''re both here in the city, it''s time to separate."


    Scarlet snorted. "About time. May the best assassin win."


    Scarlet didn''t even wait for Sid''s reply as she made a turn to an alley and disappeared in the shadows. All of the assassins of Twilight Rain were given special artifacts in order to hide their presence when they were about to start their assassination mission.


    This was because most high-profile targets had artifacts of their own to help warn them of potential assassination attempts on their lives. These artifacts were made to counter those detection artifacts, which frustrated the counter-terrorist agents of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Until now, they still hadn''t found a way to bypass the artifact that hid the assassin''s presence, preventing them from carrying out their ns of assasination.


    Sid kept on walking on the main street ignoring the people around him. He had also activated the artifact to hide his presence, which nullified the effects of detection artifacts that were designed to find the members of Twilight Rain.


    ''You''re right, Scarlet,'' Sid thought as he gazed at the most famous inn in Whitebridge City.


    His benefactor had gathered enough data about his target and had given it to him in order to help Sid one-up Scarlet, and allow him to be the next yer candidate.


    "May the best Assassin win."

 Chapter 196 Lapse In Judgment

    Three more days passed as Lux holed himself up inside the ck Spade Inn.


    The only one that left the inn was Emma as sheplied with the instructions that Lux had given her.


    The Half-Elf knew that going out would just spell trouble, so he made sure to let the pretty Dwarf handle the necessary groundwork for his n.


    ��-


    Somewhere near the ck Spade Inn��


    Sid had memorized the surrounding neighborhood and had found some ideal locations to escape to after he had done the deed of assassinating his target. Usually, when the Assassin fails his first attempt, the difficulty of killing the target would increase by a significant margin.


    What he wanted to do was kill the Half-Elf and leave Whitebridge City before his death could be discovered. That was the only way he could enjoy the bountiful reward that was waiting for him after his mission waspleted.


    ''Laura and Livia, just wait a little more, and we can finally live afortable life together,'' Sid thought as he gazed at one of the windows located in the second floor of the inn where the Half-Elf was currently staying.


    So far, his target had not left his room, preventing Sid from assessing all of his abilities. Just like him, Scarlet had also just finished preparing the groundwork of her own assasination.


    She and Sid were rivals, and only one of them would be the next yer Candidate. Because of this, she had no intention of letting the good-looking Dwarf get ahead of her.


    Just like him, she had her own reasons for bing an assassin. This was why, no matter what, she vowed toplete the mission and return triumphant.


    Two more days passed, and the two assassins continued their observation of the inn where their target was staying. This was not something new to them, and they had long gained the patience to wait for the perfect opportunity to end the life of their target.


    Sometimes, it would take them months toplete their mission because their target had employed guards, who were around the Initiate Rank, protecting them, making it difficult to move in for the kill.


    Two more days passed, and finally something unexpected happened. For the first time since they arrived in Whitebridge City, their target left the inn.


    For Sid and Scarlet, this was an opportunity that they couldn''t allow to pass. Both of them immediately stalked the Half-Elf from a safe distance in order to check where he was going.


    It was already around five in the afternoon, and the sun would set in an hour, or two, which was perfect timing for their assasination attempt.


    Lux randomly strolled around the city, with seemingly no destination in mind. However, he only walked in ces where there were a lot of people and patrol guards, who were going around the city to ensure that everything was in order.


    Sid and Scarlet were forced to stay their hand, since if they made a move now, even if they seeded in killing their target, it would be of no use if they were captured. They must be alive in order to enjoy the rewards of bing a yer Candidate.


    After all, this wasn''t a suicide mission, but a mission with great benefits. Neither of them would throw their lives away just for the sake of killing the target for their Guild.


    For them, their life was much more important.


    An hour passed��<sub> </sub>


    Two hours passed��


    The sun had already set and the surroundings had grown dark. Only the lights of the streemps illuminated the surroundings.


    Lux had strolled quite far from the inn, so he decided to take a shortcut in order to reach it faster. In order to do that, he must go down a long, narrow alley to reach a street that was close to his destination.


    Sid and Scarlet secretly followed behind him, using their stealth abilities to their fullest as they jumped onto the roof of the houses in order to sneak attack their target from behind.


    Originally, they nned to lead their target to a ce without people, but since the Half-Elf had done this for them, they would be more than happy to ept the opportunity that he had presented them.


    Sid and Scarlet nced at each other. Both werepetitors, and the desire to be a yer Candidate was clear in their eyes.


    When Lux was halfway in the alley, Scarlet looked in another direction and a surprised expression appeared on her face. Her reaction didn''t escape Sid''s eyes, so he nced in the direction where she had looked to see what surprised her.


    However as soon as he looked away, Scarlet jumped off the roof and descended towards the Half-Elf with her dagger that was coated with the poison of a basilisk.


    ''Damn!'' Sid cursed silently as he jumped a few secondste. He couldn''t believe that he had fallen for such a childish trick, allowing Scarlet to take the chance to attack first.


    With one precise thrust of her dagger, Sid knew that Scarlet had this mission in the bag.


    However, before her dagger could reach her target, a blue tower shield appeared to block its path. But, the next second, the tower shield shattered, and the de continued its descent only to be blocked by another shield.


    The shield was also destroyed, before the de finally pierced the body of the chubby demonic defender, who had only managed to give a grunt, as his Health decreased until one remained.


    His Skill, Guts, had activated, but it didn''t help him much because Scarlet had twisted the de on the Demonic Defender''s chest, which made thetter turn into particles of light.


    Lux, who was lying on the ground after Pazuzu had pushed him away, looked at this scene with a grim expression on his face.


    His strongest defender, Pazuzu, had easily died at the hands of an assassin in just two strikes, despite the fact that he had used his strongest ability to block the iing attack.


    In gaming terms, Scarlet hadnded a critical hit, and followed it up with a simple finisher, which had instantly decreased Pazuzu''s life to zero, due to the devastating damage that her attack contained.


    Scarlet clicked her tongue after her attack killed her target''s minion, which was not her real target.


    Just as she was about to attack the Half-Elf, a blur whisked past her, which caught her off guard.


    Sid took Scarlet''s momentarypse of judgment into his advantage, and sprinted towards the Elf on the ground to deliver the Coup de Grace.


    The short, silver sword in his hand gleamed with deadly sharpness as he delivered his strongest blow, that would put an end to his target''s life.

 Chapter 197 Oath Of Eternal Glory [Part 1]

    Blood spurted in the air as Sid''s short sword pierced through Lux''s chest.


    The Half-Elf''s face contorted in pain as his health dwindled rapidly. Everything happened so fast that he didn''t even have enough time to react to the assassin''s killing blow.


    As if to make sure that his fatal blow to his target would leave no room for survival, Sid twisted the short sword in his hand, shredding the Half-Elf''s heart to pieces.


    "Sorry, nothing personal," Sid said before pulling out his de from his target''s chest, where a bloody hole as big as a fist could be seen through. "I''ll at least make an offering in the Temple for your soul after I leave the city."


    To his surprise, the Half-Elf replied, and even smiled at him with blood seeping at the corner of his lips.


    "Thank you," Lux replied with a smile. "I''ll make sure to return the favor."


    As soon as the Half-Elf finished saying hisst words, he turned into particles of light and disappeared from the alley.


    Sid''s face became grim. He had seen one of the yers use this skill in the past.


    "Doppelganger!" Sid hissed as he immediately ran towards the other end of the alley to escape.


    Scarlet, who also saw this scene, knew that they had fallen into a trap. Immediately, she jumped towards the wall and used her ability "Spiderwalk" to climb the walls as fast as she could.


    The only thought in her mind was to escape, and look for another opportunity to kill her target. This was not the first time that she her first assassination attempt failed, so this minor setback was fine to her.


    As long as she was alive, another opportunity would appear in front of her�� at least, that was what she thought.


    However, just as she had climbed the rooftop, a powerful pressure descended upon her, making her body freezepletely.


    "N-No, this can''t be," Scarlet stuttered. "I was not told about this."


    Hovering above her was a Crystal Dragon whose strength far surpassed her rank. The Dragon had used Dragon''s Fear on her, which made her movements, as well as her abilities, decrease drastically.


    Before Scarlet could even react, the dragon used its tail to swat her immobile body, sending her crashing back toward the alley.


    The impact was so strong that several of her ribs had cracked. Scarlet spat a mouthful of blood, as stinging pain wracked her entire body.


    She immediately took out a potion from her storage ring, but before she could even drink it, a bony hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed onto her wrist, violently twisting it, making her cry out in pain.


    Diablo then stabbed his sword into her other hand, pinning her in ce.


    Scarlet screamed in pain. She had been trained to withstand all kinds of pain in her training, but the pain she felt was not just physical pain, but a pain that came from her very soul.


    Diablo''s attacks were infused with the Ethereal Element, which made it a ghost-like attack that bypassed armor, attacking the soul directly. Although his attacks could be blocked by weapons, a direct hit would make his targets feel as if their very soul had been seared by a hot branding iron.


    Lux''s named creature repeatedly stabbed Scarlet''s body, purposely avoiding her vital parts. The only thing Diablo wanted to do was to ensure that the assassin felt as much pain as possible, as punishment for trying to kill his Master.


    Just as he was about tond the killing blow, he received Lux''s order telling him to stop.


    A momentter, the sound of footsteps echoed inside the alley.


    "Sorry, nothing personal," Lux said in a cold and merciless voice as he looked down on the Dwarf lying on the ground. "Anyst words?"


    "Y-You can''t kill me!" Scarlet screamed. "I am the granddaughter of one of the Elders of Twilight Rain. If you kill me, he will make sure to make your life a living hell! He will kill everyone you care about in this world!"


    "I was thinking about what an Assassin''sst words would be, but it seems that you''re not a full-fledged assassin," Lux replied. "You guys are called Reapers, right? Assassins in training to be yers."


    "Yes! So you better let me go or you will regret it." Scarlet shouted. She was trying to get some attention from the surroundings. This way, she could frame Lux by saying that he attacked her.


    Although she didn''t want to rely on the patrol guards, whom she wanted to avoid at all cost, it seemed that they were her only hope to survive this mess.


    "Regret? The only regret I will have is if I let a b*tch like you get away," Lux sneered. "Since you had said yourst words, time for you to take your journey to the afterlife. Diablo end thi��"


    "Noo! Spare me! I''ll do anything! You can make me your ve if you want! Just don''t kill me! Have mercy!"


    "Mercy? When you killed people, did you show them mercy?"


    The words that Scarlet was about to say became stuck in her throat because she didn''t have aeback to the Half-Elf''s usation. In the end, she resorted to begging for forgiveness, in the hope that the Half-Elf would reconsider and spare her life.<sub> </sub>


    "I won''t show mercy on people who haven''t shown mercy to others," Lux stated. "As for you bing my ve? You don''t have to worry about that. Just ept your death as payment for the crimes youmitted in the past."


    The Half-Elf summoned Oathbreaker and stabbed it into the Dwarf''s neck, drawing blood. He watched as Scarlet slowly grasped for breath, as blood seeped out of her neck.


    From the beginning, he didn''t intend to give her a quick death. He wanted her to die as slowly as possible, in order to make her taste the despair that she had given to others when she took their life.


    After a few minutes, the Dwarf stopped moving and onlyid motionlessly on the ground. Her eyes filled with unwillingness as they looked at the dark sky for a few more seconds before their light vanishedpletely.


    Lux was a Necromancer, so he could confirm that Scarlet was now truly dead.


    "Take her," Lux ordered. "ckfire, Oath of Eternal Glory."


    A ck coffin with a golden cross embedded in its cover appeared behind Lux. It was one of the items that he had received after using the golden gacha ticket that Eriol had given him as a gift before he went on his adventure in Elysium.


    This item was something that he hadn''t been able to use in the past because it required its user to be an Apostle. Now that Lux had stepped into that rank, he could now wield the special artifact that had been with him this whole time.


    The moment the coffin opened its lid, Scarlet''s body flew towards it. When her entire body was inside, the coffin closed its lid again and transformed into a ck cross that was as tall as Lux.


    ��---


    <o>,m < ckfire, Oath of Eternal Glory ></o>


    Rarity: Mythical


    Creatures in Storage: (1/4)


    Requirements to use transformation ability: 400 Combined Stat Points


    �C This coffin can store any humanoid type creature and randomly transform them into Higher-Undead, Faeries, Spirits, Elementals, or Celestials.


    �C Only dead, or near-death creatures withplete bodies can be stored inside the coffin for transformation.


    �C Rates of transformation for each creature are as follows.


    (Higher Undead - 40%)


    (Fairies / Demons - 20%)


    (Nymphs - 10%)


    (Elementals - 5%)


    (Celestial - .05%)


    �C You can offer Beast Cores as a sacrifice in order to increase the rarity of the creature you want to transform. The Rarer the Beast Core, the higher the chance for your desired creature to transform into an Apex Being.


    If your creature transformed into a Vampire, and you have sacrificed a Beast Core with high-rarity, there is a chance that the Vampire will transform into a Vampire Lord.


    �C All transformed creatures will be loyal to you.


    �C Each creature that you transform has a 5% chance to obtain the ability to evolve. This will allow them to be stronger and surpass their current forms, once certain requirements are met.


    �C The ckfire can only hold four creatures at a time. If the number of creatures exceeds that number, you will be given an option to remove one creature from the storage. Creatures that have been removed from the storage would be freed from the owner''s control. Their loyalty may, or may not stay depending on their personality.


    �C If any of the creatures you own die in battle, you can revive them by offering a number of Beast Cores depending on their rank. The stronger the creature, the higher that offering will be.


    ��--


    "One down," Lux said as he held the ck cross and rested it over his shoulder. "One to go."


    The ck cross on Lux''s hand emitted a reddish aura, as if agreeing to its Master''s words.

 Chapter 198 Oath Of Eternal Glory [Part 2]

    Before Sid exited the alley, he had turned his head to look behind him and saw that Scarlet had decided to escape through the rooftops.


    He thought that it was a brilliant move, and even wished that he had done the same. Unfortunately, he didn''t have his acquaintance''s ability to climb walls.


    As soon as he left the alley, he immediately chose to run in the direction of one of the escape routes that he had nned beforehand just in case his assasination attempt failed.


    Without feeling any disgust in regards to his surroundings, Sid decisively went to the sewers as an escape route out of the city.


    Only the sploshing sounds of his traveling boots echoed throughout the underground as he hurried to his destination. Sid had nned all of this beforehand, and he was confident that he would be able to shrug off any pursuers that would try to go after him.


    There were many twists and turns in the sewers, and the murky waters would erase his footprints. Even if the guards were bold enough to follow him there, they would soon be lost in the many intertwining pathways that led to the different areas of the city.


    It took Sid an hour to reach his destination. The first thing he did was to listen to his surroundings for any signs of trouble. He didn''t dare to leave the sewers until he was sure that the coast was clear.


    After a few minutes, Sid deemed that there was no threat in his immediate surroundings, so he decisively got out of the sewers and appeared near a small river that was right outside the city''s walls.


    He then ran towards the nearby forest with all of his might, and only stopped when he could no longer see the city walls.


    As soon as he felt safe, Sid leaned against a tree and panted for breath. He had been running non-stop and was now very tired.


    The distant sounds of beast roaring, squawking, howling, and chirping of insects could be heard all around him.


    These sounds allowed Sid to rx because he knew that he was safe.


    ''I underestimated him,'' Sid thought as he recalled the expression on the clone''s face before it disappeared. ''He already knew that Twilight Rain was targeting him, and had made preparations beforehand. I wonder if Scarlet escaped.''


    After catching his breath, Sid analyzed the Half-Elf''s behavior for the past few days and realized that the other party''s actions had indeed been odd.


    Lux never left his room and holed up inside it for several days. Then, one day, he left, but he just randomly strolled around town with no destination in sight, as if he was just sightseeing.


    Only when the sun had set, and the surroundings had turned dark, did he choose to go into an alley that was perfect for an assassination attempt.


    ''He goaded us to attack him,'' Sid mused after he connected the dots of the recent events. ''Perhaps, staying inside his room for a few days was a way for us to make us feel a bit impatient. This is why when he left, it gave us a sense of urgency to finish our mission, while we still had the opportunity to do so.''


    Actually, he was right. However, there were also things that he didn''t know about.


    Just like Twilight Rain had spies inside the officials of the Kingdom of Gweliven, the Kingdom also had spies in Twilight Rain.


    After Lux contacted Nevreal, thetter told him about the identity of the two Assassins that were after his life.


    This allowed Lux to formte a n, and use the Assassin''spetition to his advantage.


    In truth, if Scarlet and Sid were operating on their own and were not forced topete with each other, they would have nned more thoroughly before they made their move.


    However, since the two of them were wary about theirpetitor''s action, they were unable to take it easy, so they had been less patient and were forced to take action.


    The yer Candidate position was truly too tempting for them to pass up, so they had no choice but to deal Lux the killing blow the moment an opportunity presented itself. This was the loophole that Twilight Rain didn''t think of when they decided to let their two top Reaperspete against each other.


    "Next time, I''ll make sure that I won''t make any mistakes," Sid muttered.


    "Well, that is all well and good. But do you think you will have a ''next time''?"


    Sid immediately stood up with his weapon drawn. He didn''t sense anyone approaching him, so he was surprised to find out that someone had gotten so close to him without his detection.


    It was at this moment when he realized that the sound of the forest had quieted down.


    No roars, howling, chirping, nor squawking could be heard. The only thing he could hear was the beating of his heart. Having realized this, Sid cursed himself for letting his guard down. He had been so engrossed in dissecting what went wrong, that he had forgotten that he was still in the vicinity of Whitebridge City.


    "I admire your tenacity, but this game ends here."


    A gust of wind descended from the sky, and a Crystal Dragon appeared in front of Sid, which made all the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.


    "D-Dragon," Sid stuttered. "But how?"


    "How?" the Crystal Dragon, Keoza, smiled. "Well, I''m not the one you should ask, but the one on my back."


    The Dwarf looked behind the Crystal Dragon and saw a red-headed teenager with a blue slime on his head looking down on him.


    "You don''t need to know how," Lux answered. "Anyst words?"


    Lux''s words made Sid''s heart tremble. He knew that the Half-Elf had no intention of letting him live. Even so, he still decided to negotiate because if he died here, his two sisters would be left to fend for themselves.


    "I know that you have every right to kill me, and I understand that," Sid said in a steady voice. "However, I have two little sisters that are waiting for me back home. If I die, they will no longer have someone to support them."


    Lux looked down on the Dwarf who had stabbed his clone with a sneer.


    "Did you ever wonder if the people you have killed had little brothers and sisters?" Lux asked. "Did you care if they were the only ones supporting their family? What about the fathers and mothers that you have killed? Did you think about whether or not their children would suffer after they were gone?"


    "In order to support your sisters, you made others suffer. As someone who kills people, you should be ready to be killed as well. I have heard yourst words. You can die now."


    A crystal shard jutted up from the ground and pierced through Sid''s chest, breaking past his defensive equipment and dealing him a killing blow.<sub> </sub>


    As he felt his life force getting slowly drained from his body, the faces of his two sisters shed across his mind.


    "Laura, Livia�� I''m sorry," Sid said softly as darkness slowly descended on his vision. "I will not be able to go home�� and see the two of you�� again."


    Sid''s short sword made a clunking sound on the ground as his arm fell to his side. A tear escaped his eye as he drew hisst breath while thinking of his sisters.


    "Why didn''t you torture him like you did to that girl earlier?" Keoza asked. "Did his story about his sisters move you?"


    "Perhaps," Lux neither confirmed nor denied Keoza''s question. "Take him in."


    The ck Cross on the Half-Elf''s back transformed into a coffin and sucked Sid''s body into it. He didn''t regret killing the two assassins. After all, the one who could have died, if ample preparations hadn''t been made, would have been him.


    Nevreal had made sure that no guards were stationed around the vicinity of the alley earlier, to prevent the two assassins from being on their guard. Only after Lux had given them the signal, did they close off the perimeter to prevent any innocent pedestrians from getting involved with the battle that was about to start.


    Originally, Lux''s n was to ask for some Initiates or even Rankers, to deal with the two assassins while he set up his trap. However, Nevreal advised him that there might still be some coborators of Twilight Rain inside the city that might tip the assassins off about his n.


    Because of this, Lux had no choice but to use one of his three opportunities to summon Keoza in order to deal with Sid and Scarlet.


    An Argonaut Ranked Crystal Dragon was more than enough to deal with two Initiate Ranked Assassins since only high-leveled Rankers would be capable enough to subdue it.


    Now that the threat to Lux''s life was gone, he ordered Keoza to return him to the city, so he could meet with Nevreal in the ce they had agreed upon.


    A few minutester, the Crystal Dragonnded in a deserted za. The middle-aged Dwarf was already there. Nevreal wasn''t able to hide the look of admiration in his face after seeing the Argonaut Ranked Crystal Dragon, which was a very rare species of Dragon inside Whitebridge City.


    "Do you have the things I requested?" Lux asked as he approached his coborator in today''s incident.


    "Yes," Nevreal replied as he opened a wooden box and showed two beast cores to the Half-Elf. "Two Deimos Beast Cores like you asked. However, you need to show me proof that you have indeed defeated the two Reapers of Twilight Rain before you get them."


    Lux nodded and a ck coffin appeared behind him. Nevreal gasped in surprise as he subconsciously took a step back because the coffin was giving off an eerie aura.


    A momentter, two corpses floated in front of Lux. They were none other than Sid and Scarlet, who hade to assassinate him earlier.


    Nevreal moved to the two corpses and ced a blue gem against their forehead. A few secondster, the names and aliases of the two dead Dwarves appeared on the crystal''s surface.


    "You''ve caught two big shots," Nevreal looked at the two corpses in disbelief. "Sid and Scarlet. They are the two most promising Reapers in Twilight Rain. If they were allowed to live, I''m sure that both of them would have be yers after a few years. You have done well, Lux. With this, we have eliminated two future rankers from Twilight Rain."


    Nevreal was very satisfied with Lux''s performance and handed the two Deimos Beast Cores to him as a reward. This was the thing that Lux requested from Nevreal, but thetter only agreed to give it to him if he managed to defeat the assassins from Twilight Rain.


    "I will make sure to report this to his Majesty," Nevrealmented. "I''m sure that he will be very pleased as well."


    "I don''t mind if you report this incident, but can you not mention anything about him?" Lux asked as he used his thumb to point at the dragon behind him.


    "Very well. I will not include this in my report."


    "Thank you."


    After they parted from each other, Lux unsummoned Keoza because having a Crystal Dragon appear in the city would only stir panic. Fortunately, Keoza had the ability to turn invisible for a period of time, allowing him to fly inside the city undetected.


    After returning to the inn, he was weed by the anxious Emma, who was waiting for his arrival.


    "Did you seed?" Emma asked right after Lux closed the door of his room.


    Lux nodded with a smile. "The assassins are dead. For now, I am safe."


    Emma breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Lux''s reply. She was the one that had beenmunicating directly with Nevreal as per Lux''s orders, and was also responsible in looking for a suitable ce to trap the two assassins.


    She had been on edge ever since Lux left the inn to carry out the n, but thetter had told her to stay inside the room and wait for his return. Lux was afraid that Emma might recklessly put herself in harm''s way in order to save Lux''s life, so he decided to let her stay inside the inn for her own good.


    "For now, you should return to your room and get some rest," Lux said. "I am also tired and I want to rest early."


    "Of course." Emma nodded her head in understanding. "Well then, I''ll see you and Eiko tomorrow. Goodnight."


    "Goodnight."


    "Night!"


    The moment Emma left his room, Eiko jumped towards the bed and yawned. Although the baby slime didn''t do anything important, she still felt exhausted, so she decided to sleep right away.


    Lux, on the other hand, had no n to sleep anytime soon.


    He opened the wooden box which contained the two Deimos-Ranked Beast Cores he got as a reward and looked at the ck Cross in front of him.


    "Well then, here goes nothing," Lux said before using the two Beast Cores as offering.


    The ck Cross glowed crimson red as a great amount of magic power surrounded its body.


    Lux waited with bated breath for the result of this experiment that he was trying to execute for the first time.

 Chapter 199 Treasure Everyday As If It Was The Last

    Four days after Sid''s and Scarlet''s assassination attempt��


    "Livia, how long do you think Big Brother will be gone this time?" a girl with long, light-brown hair and green eyes asked her twin as theyid down on the bed of their room.


    "I don''t know, Laura," Livia replied. She looked exactly just like Laura, and the only way to tell them apart was the color of the hairpin they used during the day. "But, Big Brother said that he would return within a month if his business transaction was sessful."


    "A month is too long��"


    "Yes��"


    They had gotten used to their brother leaving for long periods of time, but they still missed him terribly whenever he went to conduct his business. Each time, they would feel an anxiousness as if their Big Brother would no longere back to them, but whenever he returned, this anxiousness disappeared.


    However, a few days ago, they started to feel more restless than usual. It was as if something really bad had happened to their brother this time, and they might not see him again.


    "I just hope that hees soon," Laura said as she held her sister''s hand, while lying on the bed with her.


    "Yes," Livia replied. "He said that he will take us to a good ce after he returns."


    "Brother never breaks his promise."


    "Yes. He doesn''t ever break his promise. He will certainly take us somewhere safe and warm. A ce where we have plenty to eat."


    Just as the two girls were about to doze off to sleep, they heard a light knocking sound on their window.


    Laura and Livia sleepily raised their heads to see what was causing the noise, but their drowsiness immediately disappeared when they saw the person smiling at them from the window.


    "Big Brother!"


    "Brother!"


    Sid smiled as he ced his finger over his lips to tell them to be silent. The twins nodded their heads in unison as they went to the window to open it, and allow their dear brother toe inside their room.


    Since Sid was one of the Reapers of Twilight Rain, his sisters were given the best amodations in the orphanage, and were allowed to have their own room, separate from the rest of the children from the orphanage.


    As soon as Sid entered the room, the two little girls immediately hugged him tightly from both sides.


    "Brother, are you cold?" Laura asked. "Your skin is cold."


    "It''s a bit chilly outside," Sid replied as he lightly patted his little sister''s head. "This is why my body temperature is cold."


    "Brother, why did the colors of your eyes change?" Livia asked. "Are you hurt? They are red right now?"


    "Ah�� Um, I''m using a special magic potion right now that gives me additional strength," Sid replied with a smile. "While it is in effect, my eyes will be red for the time being. What''s wrong? Am I not as good looking as before?"


    "Big Brother is always good looking!"


    "That''s right! Big Brother is the best."


    Sid chuckled as he gave his two little sisters a hug. He was doing his best to control his strength, so that he would not identally break their bones. Right now, his physical strength had surpassed that of his former self, and it would be very easy for him to harm the two most important people in his life if he wasn''t careful.


    "Did you remember the promise I made to both of you back then?" Sid asked. "About me taking you to a good ce where you both can grow up happily?"


    Both girls nodded their heads in unison.


    "I''vee to bring you there," Sid said. "But, we need to go now. We can''t let others know that we are leaving."


    "If we go with you, will you stay with us for a while?"<sub> </sub>


    "Brother, you should y with us more."


    Sid scratched his head before reluctantly nodding his head.


    "Okay. I will ask my boss if I can take some time off to y with you guys," Sid said with a helpless smile. "But, if he doesn''t give me permission, the two of you should not be angry, okay? My boss is a very busy person, and I have to always be by his side to make sure that he''s safe."


    ""Un!""


    "Okay. let''s go."


    "Wait, Brother. Don''t we need to pack?" Laura asked.


    "No need," Sid replied. "I have prepared everything both of you need for the journey."


    Livia ran towards the table near their bed to pick up the two hairpins that Sid had given them as a gift on their 9th birthdays.


    "We''ll just take these," Livia said. "Can we, Brother?"


    Sid looked at the two hairpins with a smile before nodding his head.


    "Of course," Sid answered. "Can we go now?"


    ""Okay!""


    Sid held both of her sister''s bodies in each arm before jumping out of the window. The cold night-air brushed across their faces, as they slowlynded on the ground like a feather.


    Sid held both of his sister''s hands as they quietly left the orphanage to arrive at the main road. It was a moonless night and the surroundings were very dark, but he could see his surroundings as clearly as if it was day.


    Laura and Livia walked beside him until they arrived at the main road, where a Warg was waiting for them.


    At first, the two girls were scared of the two-meter tall wolf-like creature, but after Sid had assured them that it wouldn''t hurt them, the twins became curious about the monster that they were seeing for the first time in their lives.


    The Warg looked at the two little Dwarves with an amused expression on its face before lowering its body in order for them to ride his back.


    Sid helped his sisters onto the Warg''s back, before positioning himself behind them.


    "Let''s go," Sid ordered the Warg that was given to him by Lux, so he could take his sisters to one of the safest ces in the Kingdom of Gweliven. "To Leaf Vige."


    "Leaf Vige?" Laura asked. "Is that a good ce?"


    "It is a wonderful ce," Sid replied.


    "Do they have good food there?" Livia asked. "Will we have new friends there?"


    "They have good food, and since both of you are good girls, I''m sure that you will make plenty of friends," Sid answered as he wrapped his two little sisters with warm nkets to prevent them from catching a cold.


    The Dwarf then lightly patted the side of the Warg''s body to tell it that his sisters were now secured in ce, and they could leave anytime.


    Receiving its orders, the Warg sprinted into the darkness, headed to the new home where Sid''s sisters will be safe and warm.


    Sid never expected his new Master to be kind enough to allow him to see his sisters, as well as take them to a vige where they would be ced under the care of a person that went by the name Grandma Annie.


    Although he was surprised to find himself revived as a Dhamphir, and a loyal servant of the same person that he attempted to kill, the Dwarf could only be forever grateful for Lux''s mercy.


    When he was dying, his greatest regret was not being able to see his sisters ever again. Now that he was given a second chance at life, he would treasure everyday as if it was hisst, and dedicate his life to the kind Half-Elf, whosepassion touched his newly beating heart.

 Chapter 200 I Will Make You A Slayer Candidate

    Chapter 200 I Will Make You A yer Candidate


    Somewhere in the Kingdom of Gweliven��


    "Have Sid and Scarlet arrived in Whitebridge City?" one of the Elders of Twilight Rain asked his subordinate.


    "Yes, Sir," the subordinate replied. "ording to our coborator, Sid and Scarlet entered the city a few days ago. I''m sure that they are nowying the groundwork for their assasination attempt."


    The Elder nodded his head in understanding. He knew that assassinating people wasn''t an easy task, but he had high hopes that his granddaughter would be the one to kill the Half-Elf and gain the yer Candidate title.


    "Who would have thought that our branch would be uprooted in Whitebridge City just because a stupid whore got caught in Oakwood Town?" The Elder shook his head with a sigh. "Years of hard work went down the drain in just a couple of days. Even so, that slimy eel and his cronie are safe and sound in the city, and are still able to give us reports. They sure are capable."


    The Elder''s subordinate nodded his head in agreement. "The Head of the Merchant Guild in Whitebridge City is indeed capable, My Lord. However, one mistake and his business empire wille crashing down."


    "Unfortunately, we still need him to keep his business running," the Elder replied. "His supply routes, in addition to his caravans, are the perfect camouge for our logistic team. Working with him will continue to benefit our guild in the long run. Now, tell me, is there any other news about what is happening in the Kingdom at the moment?"


    "Aside from the uing Guild Wars, there is nothing else at the moment, My Lord."


    "Ah�� I almost forgot about this event."


    The Elder looked outside of his window and sneered.


    Every two years, the different cities in the Kingdom would jointly arrange this event in which various guilds wouldpete with one another for the title of "Protector".


    The Protector Guild would then be the city''s defenders, alongside the city guards that were stationed in the city. They would gain ess to the most promisingmercial areas in the city, including a few stores within the city center.


    This would allow the guild to gain massive profits for the duration of their term. Because of this, each guild could only hold the position for two years, and they would not be allowed to participate in the next Guild War.


    The King had decreed this to be so, so that other guilds would get the opportunity to show their mettle, and prevent others from monopolizing the Protector Title.


    After all, with such power, it would be impossible to not be blinded by greed. The two-year-term was to prevent the Protector Guild from doing anything shady in the long run.


    "Our allies will also participate in the Guild Wars. If I''m not mistaken, we have two coborator guilds inside Whitebridge City, right?" the Elder asked. "What were their names again?"


    "Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lords," the subordinate replied. "They are among the top Five Guilds in Whitebridge City."


    "What are the names of the other three guilds?"


    "Crescent Vanguard, Thunder Oath, and Eternal."


    The Elder pondered for a bit before ncing back at his subordinate.


    "Tell our coborators to look for an opportunity to sabotage, or prevent those three guilds from joining thepetition," the Elder ordered. "Also, send someone to contact their Guild Masters. If we can negotiate and bring them into our fold the better."


    The subordinate bowed to acknowledge his Master''s order. "Yes, My Lord."


    ��-


    "Yes, My Lord," Scarlet replied while kneeling like a knight. "I will not disappoint you."


    Lux nodded his head with a smile.


    After Sid and Scarlet had been revived by his Mythical Ranked Artifact, ckfire, both had returned to life as creatures with the ability to evolve.


    Sid had be a Dhampir, while Scarlet had unexpectedly turned into a Cambion.


    ording to the Elysium Compendium, Cambions were born from an Incubus or Subus who had mated with a mortal man and woman with the intention of conceiving a child.


    At times, Cambions are described as the offspring of a union between Humans and Fairies. In the past, demonic creatures were often called Fae, so the distinctions between the two��when it came to Cambions��were divided.<sub> </sub>


    Scarlet retained her original features, just with the addition of two small horns that protruded out of her head. These horns could easily be hidden if she covered the top of her head with a hat, or any other headgear, to prevent others from finding out her identity.


    Lux knew that Twilight Rain would not stop until he was dead. If they learned that the assassins they had sent had failed their missions and died, there was a possibility that the next person that woulde to try and kill him would be a yer.


    Right now, Lux didn''t want to deal with a Ranker. Even if he had Keoza to repel them, he could only be summoned two more times. The Half-Elf didn''t want to constantly be gued by assassins, so he decided to hatch a n that would benefit him in the long run.


    "Be honest, how do you feel about me?" Lux asked.


    "I hate you," Scarlet replied.


    "As expected, you hate me."


    "Hmph!"


    Lux chuckled after seeing Scarlet''s reaction, but he was fine with that. As a creature under hismand, Scarlet could never betray him because she would die even before that happened.


    The red-haired Dwarf girl knew this as well, so she decided to just be Lux''s useful pawn, while advancing her own goals on the side.


    Also, even though she didn''t want to admit it, she preferred her current form better than her previous self.


    As a Dwarf, she was able to do many things only because she was a talented individual and had been raised with a silver spoon. Meaning, she could take any resources she needed in order to increase her strength, unlike Sid who had gained his strength through hard work.


    But as a Cambion, she was stronger than even adult Dwarves, and she had even gained powerful abilities like enhanced strength, enhanced senses, energy absorption, flight, and demonic transformation.


    Under her demonic transformation, her strength drastically increased to be like Apex Predators that had entered a berserk state. Although this transformation could onlyst for an hour, it was still a Trump Card that could be used during critical situations.


    Both Sid and Scarlet had only been at the initial stages of the Initiate Rank, but after being revived with the power of Deimos Beast Cores, their rank had been upgraded to the middle stages of the Initiate Rank.


    Right now, Lux and Scarlet were in a forest that could be found between Oaktown and Whitebridge City.


    Lux didn''t want to let anyone see him at this point in time because it would only create unnecessary trouble, so he decided to lie low.


    Emma, who was serving portions of stew in wooden bowls, nced at Lux and Scarlet with a smirk.


    "Dinner is ready," Emma said as she handed the wooden bowl in her hand to Eiko, who had been looking at the cooking pot for quite some time now. "Eat slowly, Eiko. It''s still hot"


    "Un!" Eiko replied as she lightly blew on the wooden bowl in order to cool it down.


    Lux sat beside the baby slime and used a wooden spoon to feed her. Eiko happily ate because, for her, any food that was fed to her by her Papa or Mama became more delicious.


    Scarlet, on the other hand, sat on the log opposite her master and epted the wooden bowl that Emma handed to her. However, she didn''t eat right away. She stared at the Half-Elf who had now be her Master with aplicated look on her face.


    "I will make you a yer Candidate."


    That was what Lux had promised her after she was revived. In return, she would serve him faithfully and never ever betray him. Lux''s n was for Scarlet to be his mole inside Twilight Rain.


    Sid could also take this role, but he decided that it would be better if thedy assassin were to be the yer Candidate since one of the Elders of the Dark Guild was her grandfather.


    This gave her more leeway when snooping around their organization to retrieve information that would be beneficial for her new Master.


    Sid, on the other hand, would stay with Lux and be one of his bodyguards.


    Lux believed that even if Scarlet had the backing of Twilight Rain, and would be given ample resources by the Dark Guild to boost her to be a Ranker, she would still be unable to leave Sid in the dust when it came to raising their ranks.


    In truth, Lux was curious to see which of his two new servants would be a Ranker first. Anyway, no matter who was first, it would still be a win for him.


    After all, he didn''t have enough resources to raise two Initiates. Because of this, he was more than happy to leech off of Twilight Rain and make them shower his undercover spies with all the resources and information at their disposal.

 Chapter 201 I Don’t Want To Be Bound By Such A Feeling

    Only a week remained before the Guild Warsmenced in Whitebridge City.


    Lux had already created a perfect n, which would make use of this event as an advantage, in order to make the Dark Guild, Twilight Rain, stop targeting himpletely.


    However, his n was wasted when the long-awaited event was canceled due to an unforeseen cmity that threatened not only the Whitebridge City, but several towns and cities in the Southern Regions of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Because of this emergency, all of the Guild Masters, as well as the people responsible for the safety of the city, were hastily gathered by the City''s Mayor, Garth Feron, for a discussion about the countermeasures towards one of the natural cmities of the world.


    "A Beast Tide was sighted hundreds of miles away from the Southwest of the city," Garth stated. "Because of this, the Guild Wars will be canceled, and all guilds will be drafted to protect the city from getting destroyed."


    "Don''t worry. After a long meeting with the officials, we decided to make this Beast Tide the deciding factor for who will be the Protector Guild of this city. In short, all of you willpete and the guild who gains the most merit points will gain the title of Protector of Whitebridge City."


    Aina and the other guild leaders nodded their heads in understanding. They all read the documents distributed to each of them. It stated the detailed terms and conditions of thepetition.


    It was a simple point system, which allowed the guilds to kill as many monsters as they could in a manner that was suitable for them.


    The special artifact that would be used in the Guild Wars could alsopute the number of kills of each guild, allowing automatic tallying.


    During this battle, members of each guild were not allowed to kill each other, or deliberately sabotage the defense operation to protect the city. Any offenders would immediately be sent to prison. However, the punishment wouldn''t end there.


    The offender''s guild would get demerit points, which would drastically lower their overall points due to the action of their members. In order to prevent deliberate sabotage, the Guild Leader would get to choose who would participate in the city''s defense, along the outer perimeter.


    The rest of their guild members, who were not chosen to be part of the vanguards, would be stationed inside the city to protect the citizens in case the outer defenses were breached.


    After much discussion, the officials of each city agreed that at least a thousand members from each guild would be stationed along the city''s outer perimeter, alongside the army of the Kingdom of Gweliven for the city''s first line of defense.


    The Guild Leaders found this arrangement eptable, especially the Bronze-Ranked Guilds, whose members were not as many as the Silver-Ranked Guilds like Eternal.


    After reading the conditions, the attention of the guild leaders zoned in on the point system that would determine the rankings.


    ��-----


    Beast Tide Merit Points Computation


    Killing Rank 1 Monsters = 10 Merit Point


    Killing Rank 2 Monsters = 100 Merit Points.


    Killing Rank 3 Monsters = 500 Merit Points


    Killing Rank 4 Monsters = 5,000 Merit Points


    Killing Rank 5 Monsters = 20,000 Merit Points


    Killing Deimos Ranked Monsters = 500,000 Merit Points


    Killing Rank 1 Alpha Monsters = 1,000 Merit Points


    Killing Rank 2 Alpha Monsters = 10,000 Merit Points


    Killing Rank 3 Alpha Monsters = 20,000 Merit Points


    Killing Rank 4 Alpha Monasters = 50,000 Merit Points


    Killing Rank 5 Alpha Monsters Monsters = 200,000 Merit Points


    Killing Deimos Alpha Monsters = 5,000,000 Merit Points


    Important Notice: In the case that an Argonaut Ranked Monster appears on the battlefield, the Rankers that were assigned to guard the city would personally deal with them. Do not get in their way or join them in battle unless you are confident in your strength.


    The Kingdom will not be held responsible for the deaths of anyone in this endeavor. To those who don''t want to die, feel free to evacuate and seek shelter inside the city.


    ��-----


    ''This is a bit tricky,'' Aina looked at the document with the same indifferent expression on her face. ''Focusing on the small fries will not yield many points, but biting off more than we can chew will cost many lives.''


    Unlike other Guild Masters, Aina cared for each member of her guild, so she naturally would not allow them to throw their lives away just for the sake of short-lived glory.


    Only a few guild leaders shared the doll-like beauty''s line of thought. The other Guild Masters didn''t mind sacrificing their members as long as they won thepetition. For them, weaklings deserved to die and had no ce in their guilds.


    This was especially true for the two guilds, Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lords.


    While all the Guild Masters were digesting the information they received from the officials of the city, Lux sat not far from them and was reading the same document in his hands.


    Nevreal had passed along a few words to the Mayor, telling him of the Half-Elf''s importance. Because of this, Garth decided to give Lux the VIP treatment and allowed him to join the meeting for the defense of Whitebridge City.


    ''Hmm�� I can use this,'' Lux mused as he looked at the information in front of him. ''Although I will have to make revisions for my n, the end game is still the same. In fact it is even better!''


    The Half-Elf was secretly pleased about this new arrangement and hatched a new n in his mind.


    ''I''ll ask Ainater if I can temporarily join Eternal,'' Lux thought as she nced at Colette''s sister, who had the same expression as she always had. ''This is like hitting two birds with one stone.''<sub> </sub>


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, yawned out of boredom because she didn''t understand what was being discussed around her. If not for the fact that Lux had promised to buy her some candies after the meeting, she would have stayed at the inn and slept.


    An hourter, the meeting was adjourned and the Guild Masters returned to their respective guilds to discuss the details of their new mission to their members.


    On the way back, Lux joined Aina''s carriage and told her his proposal.


    "You want to temporarily join my guild?" Aina asked as she gazed at Lux.


    Lux nodded. "I am strong, you know? You won''t be missing out. I can umte a lot of points for you."


    Aina closed her eyes for a few minutes before gazing back at the Half-Elf who was lightly patting the head of the baby slime that was sleeping on hisp.


    "I have a feeling that you have another agenda aside from helping my guild umte points," Aina stated.


    "Don''t worry, I don''t have any malicious intentions nor agenda," Lux replied.


    "I believe you."


    "Then you''ll allow me to join?"


    "On one condition." Aina stared at Lux''s as if she was trying to see through his very soul. "You have to tell me the real reason behind why you want to join my guild. Even if you don''t n to harm my guild, there might be some outside factors that may. I want to know these unknown variables."


    "Lux, you have to understand that I am a Guild Master, and my Guildes first. I need to know if allowing you to join will have a negative impact on us in the long run."


    The Half-Elf sighed before reluctantly nodding his head.


    "Let''s talk somewhere private," Lux replied. "I promise to tell you everything, but you have to promise me that you won''t tell a soul about it."


    Aina nodded her head in understanding. Lux was her sister''s benefactor, so she trusted him to a certain extent. She knew that the Half-Elf must have a good reason for requesting her help to let him temporarily join her guild.


    In regards to Lux''s strength, Aina was convinced that thetter was indeed strong. She was a person who had a good head on her shoulders and was able to determine if someone had good intentions or not.


    Overall, she didn''t have qualms with Lux joining her guild. However, she still needed to know his reasons in order to create countermeasures if something unforeseen happened in the future.


    ��--


    An hourter��


    "And that''s why I want to join your guild," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "Will this create trouble for you in the long run?"


    Aina''s expression remained the same, but deep inside she was shocked by Lux''s revtion.


    She couldn''t believe that the Half-Elf in front of her had been targeted by not just one, but two Reapers of Twilight Rain, yet managed to survive their assasination attempt.


    What was more surprising was that the red-headed teenager was able to make them join his side and be his subordinates. Aina didn''t ask for the specifics on how Lux managed to convince two Initiate Ranked Assassins to be his coborators and betray their guild.


    Because of his revtion, her impression of the Half-Elf was raised to a higher level, making her finally understand why Colette boasted about her dependable "Big Brother" every opportunity she got.


    "Very well, on behalf of Eternal, I wee you as a temporary member of our guild," Aina stood up from her chair and extended her hand towards the Half-Elf. "Please, lend us your strength and help us win thepetition."


    "Of course." Lux smiled as he stared at the perfect beauty in front of him that resembled thedy he idolized back on Earth. ''She really looks like a younger version of Luna. It''s quite unfortunate that she will not grow to be as tall as her because she is a Dwarf.''


    "I have a feeling that you are thinking of something rude right now," Aina said.


    "Nonsense!" Lux replied. "I''m just thinking about how you have made the right choice today. Rx, I''ll make sure that Eternal bes the Protector Guild of Whitebridge City."


    "Thank you. I look forward to your results."


    "You can count on it."


    After Lux left the Guild Master''s office, Aina pulled out a document from her drawer and skimmed through its contents.


    On the document was Lux''s information, which had been gathered by one of the Information Guilds in the city.


    It listed the achievements that the Half-Elf had aplished in Leaf Vige. Aina had received this document just before the meeting regarding the Beast Tide was held, so she didn''t have time to look over it.


    However, a rare trace of appreciation could be seen in her eyes as she finished reading thest entry of the document.


    "So, this is the person you are trying to matchmake me to, Colette," Aina said as she thought about how her little sister had been dropping subtle hints here and there like, "Big Brother is still single," or "You know, even though he''s not a Dwarf, Big Brother and Big Sister look good when the two of you stand by side. It''s like a match made in heaven!"


    Aina sighed as she returned the document inside the drawer. She had already told her little sister that she didn''t n to have any rtionship at the moment because her priority was to raise Eternal to be a Gold-Ranked Guild.


    Love was not something that she needed at the moment, even though she had already received countless marriage proposals in both Elysium and Sis.


    ''Love is unnecessary,'' Aina thought. ''I don''t want to be bound by such a feeling.''


    The doll-like beauty stood up and stared at the emblem of her guild that she had built from scratch. Through great hardships, she had managed to raise Eternal from a Bronze-Ranked Guild to a Silver-Ranked Guild in record time, which had earned her the nickname, Warrior Princess.


    ''Lux Von Kaizer,'' Aina thought of the Half-Elf that just left her office a few minutes ago. ''I hope that there will note a time when the two of us be enemies. For your sake, and mine as well.''

 Chapter 202 Twilight Rain’s Next Target

    "A vacation to y with your sisters?"


    "Yes, Master. However, if it is too presumptuous of me to request such a thing, feel free to ignore it."


    "It''s fine," Lux said with a smile. "You can have a week off after we deal with the Beast Tide. Until then, please do your best to assist me."


    Sid respectfully bowed as he firmly knocked his fist against his chest. "Thank you, Master. I am very grateful for your mercy."


    Lux nodded. "How are your sisters doing in Leaf Vige?"


    After hearing about Sid''s and his sisters'' circumstances, Lux decided to do his new servant a favor and allow him to take his sisters to Leaf Vige, where they would be properly cared for by the brave and caring Grandma Annie, who had helped Lux several times in the past.


    "Grandma Annie was very happy to have them, and my sisters were also very happy to have a kind Grandma as their guardian," Sid replied with a rxed smile on his face. "I''m just a bit worried that they will eat all the candies in Grandma Annie''s shop because they said that they taste good."


    Lux chuckled after hearing Sid''s report. "Don''t worry. Knowing Grandma Annie, she would teach your sisters the recipe for making the candies. Perhaps, she might even teach them how to be Alchemists like her."


    "That will be wonderful. Both of my sisters have good memories and are fast learners."


    "Looks like their future is bright then."


    Lux then shifted his attention to Emma, who was also seated on the table in front of them. The pretty Dwarf gradually turned into the Half-Elf''s secretary, instead of a bodyguard, which made things easier for him.


    Right now, Emma was busy cing colored beads on the map, showing Lux the locations of where the various guilds would be deployed during the Beast Tide.


    Scarlet, who was also in the same room as them, looked at the map with a serious expression.


    "Twilight Rain has two guilds that are coborating with them here in Whitebridge City," Scarlet said as she pointed at the two beads that represented the guilds of Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lords. The roles they y are very subtle, so only the higher ups are aware of their existence.


    "I am only able to learn this information through my grandfather, who told me that if I ever needed help in Whitebridge City to assassinate you, I cane to these two guilds for help."


    Lux nodded in understanding. This was also why he had decided to choose Scarlet to be the yer Candidate instead of Sid. As long as she was the mole he nted inside Twilight Rain, even the secrets known only to the Elders would pass through her ears.


    "Master''s n is brilliant and, if executed well, would definitely work wonders," Scarlet said with a smile. "However, the problem is executing the n. We can''t do it too early because you intend to help Eternal, so you need points in order to make that happen.


    "Also, we can''t do it toote. I''m afraid that we might miss the right opportunity to carry out the mission."


    "Exactly," Luxmented. "Although the n is good, there''s a lot of variables on the battlefield. So I want you to improvise to the best of your ability."


    "I will do my best, Master."


    "Mmm."


    Emma looked at Lux with admiration. She never expected that he could even turn two outstanding Reapers from Twilight Rain as his subordinates. Because of this, she became more confident that staying with Lux was the best choice that she had made in her life.


    "Master, two days from now, the vanguard of the Beast Tide will appear," Emma exined after she finished arranging the beads on the map. "I don''t know if the arrangements were decided at random, but the Eternal Guild is stuck between Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lords."


    "The two other Silver-Ranked Guilds, Crescent Vanguard and Thunder Oath, are located on the outer perimeter. If these two Twilight Rain affiliate guilds were to sabotage Eternal, no one would notice their attempts."<sub> </sub>


    Lux rubbed his chin as he stared at the map.


    Aina''s guild, Eternal, was at the very center of the defensive perimeter. This was an ideal location in order to allow them to kill as many monsters as possible, but it also had its drawbacks.


    For example, since they are at the very center of the formation, it also meant that it was highly possible that they would have to face the main bulk of the Beast Tide, as well as the strong monsters leading the pack.


    Also, at the heat of the battle, it would not be impossible for the two coborators of Twilight Guild to y some dirty tricks during the siege.


    Although rules and other precautions were set, it was still possible for loopholes to be exploited, which could spell bad news for the guild of the doll-like beauty, who cared for the lives of her guild members.


    ''I need to tell Aina about Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lords,'' Lux thought. ''Eternal is the only ally I have in Whitebridge City, so it''s best to keep them as safe as possible.''


    While Lux was deep in his thoughts, Sid lightly tapped the table, pointing at the bead that represented Eternal.


    "ording to the person that recruited me to Twilight Rain, after your assassination, the next high-profile target is Aina Van Goldenyer," Sid said. "It is highly possible that Twilight Rain will use this opportunity to send someone to assassinate her during this Beast Tide."


    "Seriously?"


    "Seriously."


    Lux frowned after hearing this report. Aina was Colette''s sister, and, if something happened to her, the adorable little Dwarf girl would be devastated.


    "Understood," Lux said after a minute of thinking. "I was only going to assign you to help kill some monsters during the Beast Tide to rack up points, but if her life is really in danger, you are to silently protect her from the side."


    "Yes, Master," Sid nodded. "I will do my best to aplish my mission."


    "Good." Lux gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement.


    Scarlet didn''t participate in the discussion because she didn''t care whether Aina lived or died. The only thing she cared about was bing a yer Candidate by following Lux''s brilliant n to make her name known to the upper echelons of Twilight Rain.


    "Sid and Scarlet, before the start of the defense against the Beast Tide, I want you to scour this ce and look for suspicious individuals," Lux ordered. "If you see any of the Reapers��"


    Lux paused, which made everyone inside the room look at him with their undivided attention.


    "Kill them, and leave no traces behind."


    ""Yes, Master!""


    Lux would not allow anyone to make the little Dwarf, whom he treated like a little sister, cry because of the schemes of Twilight Rain.


    If only he had the strength to uproot this threat by himself, he would have taken action already.


    Sadly, he was still an insignificant Apostle in the grand scheme of things. The only thing he could do was tell Aina about the dangers that lurked around her, and hope that the Warrior Princess would make the necessary preparations to protect her life, against those who wished her dead.

 Chapter 203 The Lord Of Destruction [Part 1]

    Several banners fluttered in the breeze as the united army of both the guilds and the Kingdom of Gweliven stood side by side.


    Aina stood at the forefront of her guild, clutching the grip of her sword with both hands with its tip embedded in the ground.


    At that moment, Lux realized why she was given the title of War Princess. Her beauty, as well as her charisma, could be seen and felt by everyone in the surroundings.


    ''Although the feeling is very simr, it is also very different,'' Lux thought as he nced at the Dwarf in front of him.


    Luna, the star that the Half-Elf idolized back on earth, had a certain presence that would make everyone want to cheer for her. Her songs would uplift people, and her smile would make one feel as if they were gazing at an angel that descended to earth.


    Also, her fans gave her the nickname, Angel of Death.


    Why? Because a wink from her was enough to send someone to the hospital due to a heart attack. Fortunately, no deaths were confirmed. Even so, ever since then, she had been banned from winking on the stage whenever she was performing.


    Aina gave off the same feeling, but it was different from the merry atmosphere that idols and stars had. Perhaps, this was the same feeling of those who served under Jeanne of Arc during the Hundred-Year Wars that happened in the distant past.


    She was like a shining beacon that chased away the darkness and ensured that victory would fall upon her side.


    ''Sid, make sure to protect her at all cost,'' Lux ordered via telepathy.


    ''Yes, Master,'' Sid replied. ''As long as this body of mine still moves, I will not allow any harm toe to her.''


    Lux then shifted his attention to the ck swarm that was slowly making its way towards the city from beyond the horizon.


    The only experience he had when fighting many monsters was during the Monster Outbreak and the attack on the Kobold''s Nest.


    This time, he would be facing a Beast Tide that numbered in the tens of thousands. This was a grand-scale battle that usually happened once every three to five years.


    "Everyone prepare," Aina ordered as the sword in her hand glowed brightly. "Everyone, buff up."


    "Bless!''


    "Heroism!"


    "Inspire Courage!"


    "Shield of Faith!"


    Several buffs fell upon Aina''s Guild as they prepared for the battles ahead.


    Diablo and Lux also used their Battlecry and Warcry to further enhance the damage of Aina''s entire guild, which surprised not only the doll-like beauty, but also her entire guild.


    Diablo''s passive skill, Warlord Presence, further enhanced their attack, which allowed the Eternal Guild to increase theirbat power by a great margin.


    "Are you sure you only want to be a temporary guild member?" Aina asked in a volume that only Lux could hear.


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    "It''s a shame."<sub> </sub>


    "I think so as well."


    Aina''s expression remained the same, but she now understood why Colette liked to always go on adventures with Lux. With someone who had skills that could boost your team''s attack and defense, clearing dungeons would be a lot easier, not to mention monster subjugations.


    "Brace yourselves," Aina said and the sword in her hand shone brightly.


    A momentter, several angelic feathers descended upon everyone, adding ayer of protection to everyone who was under the Warrior Princess''mand.


    The other guilds, as well as the Army of Whitebridge City, had also finished their preparations.


    "Archers Aim!" Aina ordered. "Magicians, prepare your spells!"


    Lux didn''t summon his Skeleton Archers, because he didn''t want to let everyone see the aces under hismand. For this mission, he only summoned Diablo and all thirty Skeleton Fighters to assist him in this battle.


    Eiko had a determined look on her face as ckie, Whitey, Rocky, and Mara stood at the ready.


    She had only given her Named Creatures one order, and that was to�� get as many Beast Cores as they could!


    Lux had told Eiko that she was not allowed to participate in the battle, because he didn''t want to expose her strength. This made the baby slime pout. But, after hearing her Papa''s n to steal the Beast Cores, Eiko''s mood had a 90 degree turn, which made her feel motivated about the battle that was about toe.


    The Half-Elf chuckled because he could already see his baby slime happily eating Beast Cores at the end of the day. Eiko was a simple minded baby. As long as she could get stronger, she didn''t mind staying on the side and watching the entire world burn around her.


    ''Eiko, don''t tell your Mama about stealing stuff, okay?''


    ''Pa!''


    The baby slime nodded her head. She had never seen so many monsters before. In her eyes, all of them were just Beast Cores that were meant to make her stronger.


    "Brace!" Aina ordered and several shield warriors lined up beside her as they raised their shields in preparation to block the first wave that was almost upon them.


    Aina gazed fearlessly at the uing Beast Tide. She then raised her hand to signal for everyone to standby and wait for her orders.


    The moment the monsters stepped into the attack range of the arrows and magical spells, Aina decisively lowered her hand and shouted.


    "Open Fire!"


    Thousands of arrows, as well as magical spells rained down on the Monster Army, and decimated the cannon fodders that acted as their vanguards.


    "Diablo, show them what we''re made of!" Lux ordered.


    Diablo nodded his head and raised the sword in his hand. It was none other than the Mythical Weapon, Blood Moon, that Randolph had bestowed upon Lux after he sessfully saved Leaf Vige from destruction.


    The eyes of the Skeletal Rider glowed brightly as he sat on the back of his mount, Airon, who was also raring to fight by his side.


    On this day, Lux would realize just how overpowered Diablo''s abilities could be as long as he stood on the battlefield where the numbers of both allies and enemies numbered in the tens of thousands.

 Chapter 204 The Lord Of Destruction [Part 2]

    The screams of monsters reverberated in the air, as the first wave found themselves beneath a rain of deadly arrows and devastating spells, both of which were meant to wipe them off the face of the world.


    Lux, with a calm expression on his face, watched this with his arms crossed over his chest. However, something unexpected happened, catching his attention, nearly causing the Half-Elf''s jaw to drop to the ground due to his surprise.


    A notification appeared in front of him, which read that Diablo''s passive skill, Bloody Fervor, had activated.


    ��---


    Numbers of enemy in: 2,535


    Diablo''s Bonus Attack: 12,675


    Diablo''s Bonus Defense: 12,675


    ��----


    ''T-This��,'' Lux wasn''t able to stop himself from gawking. All this time, he hadpletely forgotten the passive ability of Diablo''s Armor, the ckrock Legacy Armor Set, which contained bonuses that allowed its wearer to be stronger, the more dead bodies there were on the battlefield.


    ��----


    ckrock Legacy Armor (Set)


    Rating: Pseudo Legendary


    Requirements: 100 to all stats


    The Legendary Armor of the ckrock n''s first Orc Chieftain.


    +50 to all stats


    +400 to Defense


    30% decrease in physical and magical damage


    �C This Armor is bound to Lux Von Kaizer


    �C Any creature under Lux''s Von Kaizer''smand is capable of equipping this armor.


    Active Skills: Warlord''s War Cry


    Passive Skills: Warlord''s Presence, Bloody Fervor, Auto-Fit, Indestructible.


    ��--


    < Warlord''s Warcry >


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of all allied creatures by 200 Points.


    < Warlord''s Presence >


    Your presence in the battlefield inspires your allies and makes them do well in battle.


    �C 10% Increase to Physical and Magical attack to the Warlord and its allies.


    < Bloody Fervor >


    Your physical and defensive abilities increase with each in creature in the battlefield.


    �C For every in creature in the battlefield, your attack and defense points will increase by five.


    ��--


    Bloody Fervor''s cheat-like ability was now active, and it was boosting Diablo''s attack and defense to unimaginable levels.


    For every minute that passed, countless monsters were being killed at a very fast rate, further boosting Diablo''s strength in battle.


    ''Oh�� my�� God,'' Lux thought. ''Ipletely forgot about this!''


    Diablo, who was standing behind the Shield Warrior, sat like a general watching his troops do battle. The armor on his body had now turned crimson red, and the Aura of Death he projected was gradually increasing, making the Dwarfs that were behind him feel a little uneasy.


    ��


    Numbers of enemy in: 5,896


    Diablo''s Bonus Attack: 29,480


    Diablo''s Bonus Defense: 29,480


    ��--


    Lux''s breathing became ragged as he looked at the rapidly increasing damage and defense boost that his first named creature was getting. This damage boost was still unaffected by the armor''s other passive ability, Warlord''s Presence, which further increased Diablo''s attack damage by 10%.


    "Aina, when the monsters reach us, let my skeletons stand on the frontlines," Lux said. "This will reduce casualties for your guild."


    Lux was desperately trying to contain the excitement in his voice as he waited for Aina''s reply to his proposal.


    "Are you sure that your skeletons can handle it?" Aina asked. "Most of them aren''t even Rank 2 Monsters. Only the Skeleton Rider riding on a Nightmare Horse has a high rank."


    "Trust me, Diablo is strong." Lux said in a confident tone. "He can handle it. He can give your guild a lot of Merit Points without endangering the lives of your members."


    Aina stared at Lux with the same expressionless face for a few seconds before nodding her head.


    "Okay," Aina replied. "But once he dies, we will advance."<sub> </sub>


    Lux nodded. "Okay."


    Aina nodded again before shifting her gaze back to the approaching Monsters.


    "Let them pass," Aina ordered, and the Shield Warriors turned their bodies to the side, to allow Diablo, and the Skeleton Fighters to pass through them.


    Aina was still quite doubtful about Lux''s words, but she didn''t think much about it. She wouldn''t lose anything by letting the Skeletons deal with the wave of Monsters that was quickly approaching their location.


    Once the Skeletons were destroyed, they could still use the strategy that they had nned beforehand. In the end, Lux''s proposal wouldn''t change the bigger picture.


    The two guilds beside Eternal had also started to take action. The Guild Leaders of Twisted Destiny, and Arcadian Lords, nced at each other, as they sat on top of their War Mounts.


    Both nodded their heads before signaling their members to proceed with the strategy they had in mind.


    Twilight Rain had tried to merge the three guilds, Crescent Vanguard, Thunder Oath, and Eternal. However, none of them agreed. This in turn made the Elders of Twilight Rain angry, so they ordered the Reapers to Eliminate the Guild Leaders of the three guilds during the Beast Tide, and make it look like an ident.


    The one on the top of their list was none other than Aina, who had gained a lot of poprity as ofte and was favored by one of the Dwarf Princesses of the Gweliven Kingdom.


    Twilight Rain didn''t want a guild to gain that much power and authority, especially if it wasn''t under their control, so they decided to cut the flower off its stem before it could even bloom fully.


    The members of Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lord formed a formation that would force the monsters to concentrate on Guild Eternal.


    Just like creating a man-made river that forcefully controlled the flow of water in the direction they chose, the two guilds were forcing Eternal to fight a great number of beasts that exceeded their fighting force.


    (A/N: the formation looked like this __/ the __ represents the guild Eternal.)


    Aina, who stood at the center, surrounded by her guild members, didn''t fail to notice these sudden changes, but she wasn''t bothered by it. She had already been warned by Lux, so she knew that the two guilds beside her were nning to harm her and her guild members.


    She had already made preparations in advance, and when the right moment came, she would counterattack and let them know that they were messing with the wrong person.


    However, Aina, as well as the two guild leaders of Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lords, could only stare in shock at the unbelievable scene in front of them.


    Diablo''s Nightmare Horse, Airon, walked steadily towards the approaching monsters, with the Skeleton Fighters by his side.


    When the hundreds of monsters came within striking range, Diablo raised Blood Moon above his head and casually shed in front of him as if he was just cutting grass.


    The Skeletal Rider used its AOE attack, Whirlwind sh, and what happened next made everyone''s eyes widen in shock.


    A blood mist appeared in front of them as the monsters in front of Diablo were all cut in half, instantly killing hundreds with one blow. However, it didn''t end there, as more monsters rushed past their fallenrades, the Skeleton Rider once again shed in front of him, repeating the same scene that happened earlier.


    With every sh, the fires on Diablo''s eye sockets burned brighter.


    The more he killed, the stronger he became.


    A minuteter, Diablo''s armor was now covered with blood, but thetter paid it no mind.


    Everyone who watched this felt their scalp tingle and wondered what would happen if Diablo was fighting against them, and not for them.


    "M-Monster," the Guild Master of Twisted Destiny gasped in shock as he looked at the one-sided massacre that was still happening in front of him.


    "J-Just what is going on?!" The Guild Master of Arcadian Lords could feel his hands turn sweaty. They never expected that their n to crush Eternal would only benefit them instead.


    ��---


    < Merit Point Rankings >


    Eternal - 154,800


    Twisted Destiny - 12,256


    Thunder Oath - 11,879


    Arcadian Lords - 10,875


    Crescent Vanguard - 10,572


    Blood Legion - 9,854


    Jade Skulls - 8,756


    ��..


    ��..


    ��..


    ��---


    Diablo had single-handedly raised Eternal Guild''s Ranking to the number one spot as he continued his one-sided massacre.


    Anything below a Rank 2 Monster would die the moment they came within Diablo''s attack range. As an Undead, Lux''s first Named Creature didn''t know the meaning of exhaustion, swinging his sword repeatedly as more dead bodies piled up in front of him.


    Blood flowed like a river, dyeing the ground under Airon''s feet, but the killing didn''t stop.


    No one dared to step forward and stop the Skeleton Rider from killing the monsters in front of him. Only the Slimes that were under Eiko''smand, were busy moving around on the battlefield.


    Their goal was to collect all the Beast Cores for their baby Slime Master, whose eyes were already sparkling in anticipation.


    Aina turned her head to look at the Half-Elf who was currently patting her little sister''s head and was looking at her with a confident smile on his face.


    She never thought that the Half-Elf''s sudden proposal would bring such results, which made her feel that this person was something she needed to recruit in her guild no matter what.

 Chapter 205 The Lord Of Destruction [Part 3]

    ��-


    Numbers of enemy in: 12,856


    Diablo''s Bonus Attack: 64,280


    Diablo''s Bonus Defense: 64,280


    ��-


    Only half an hour had passed since the battle started, and yet, the number of dead monsters had already surpassed ten thousand.


    Aside from Eternal, who was basically unscathed by the Beast Tide, the other guilds were now starting to feel the pressure since the Rank 1 Monsters were almost entirely eliminated. The rest that remained were Rank 2 Monsters, and above.


    There had also been several Alpha Beasts whose rank ranged from Rank 1 to Rank 3, which now made defending the city a lot harder.


    It was not only the Monsters that were dying, the defenders were the same as well. Just as the stronger Monsters were about to enter the fray, several blow horns sounded across the battlefield.


    It was the signal for everyone to retreat to the second defensive perimeter, where makeshift walls, made from Earth, were prepared to hold back the stronger Monsters that had now joined the siege.


    Aina ordered her guild to retreat in an orderly manner. Right now, her guild was taking things at an easy pace since not a single Monster had been able to get past the Skeletal Rider who was massacring everyone within his range.


    On the contrary, the other guilds didn''t have it easy, and were forced to retreat at a slower pace. The veryst to retreat were Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lords, who had stretched out their forces in order to guide the Beast Tide to the location that the Eternal Guild was defending.


    In short, their n backfired on them, and the number of their casualties numbered in the hundreds.


    Diablo also slowly retreated while shooting Bone Spears at the Rank 1 and Rank 2 Alpha Monsters, which were easily killed by him with one hit.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, frowned, because the Alpha Monsters'' Beast Cores were being eaten by the other monsters, who had taken advantage of the situation.


    "Muu!" the baby slime pouted, while her Papa could only chuckle at her current mood.


    "Don''t worry, there are still more where they came from," Lux assured the pouting Eiko on his head. "These monsters numbered nearly a million, so there are still plenty of Monsters left."


    "Pa!"


    "Okay, you can get some Alpha Cores as well. But, you shouldn''t take them all. The others need to get stronger too."


    Eiko nodded her head in understanding and stopped pouting. Currently, her Slimes had managed to get hundreds of Rank 1 and Rank 2 Beast Cores. Although they were just low-ranked beast cores, the baby slime knew that more woulde as the Beast Tide continued.


    After all the guilds were safely stationed at the second line of defense, they felt a lot safer because they now stood on five-meter tall walls.


    The reason why they engaged the lower-ranked monsters outside their defensive perimeters was due to the fact that they didn''t want the lower-ranked monster bodies to pile up and render their walls useless.


    If that happened, the stronger monsters could easily climb over the bodies of their deadrades and overwhelm the defenders behind the walls.


    In order to prevent this, they decided to kill the weak monsters out on the outskirts, and just move to the second line of defense once the main bulk of the Beast Tide had arrived.<sub> </sub>


    "Are you sure you only want to be a temporary member of our guild?" Aina asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "You''ve asked me this question five times. My answer will remain the same even if you ask me again."


    The officers of Eternal sighed after hearing Lux''s reply. After seeing Diablo''s performance, they wanted to bring Lux into their guild even more in order to strengthen their ranks andpete with the other guilds in clearing dungeons and difficult quests.


    Having heard Lux''s answer, Aina motioned for her sister toe close to her. Naturally, Colette happily obliged as her Big Sister whispered something in her ears.


    A minuteter, Colette held onto Lux''s arm and lightly swung it from side to side acting all cute and adorable, which made Matty, and the rest of her friends, cover their faces in embarrassment.


    "Big Brother, please join our guild," Colette said sweetly. "If you do, you will be given the rank of Elder, as well as 5,000 Gold Coins monthly allowance. Not only that, you will be given priority to item and equipment loot when clearing dungeons. Also, you can go out on dates with my Big Sister once a week."


    Aina expressionlessly stared at her little sister who was doing her best to convince Lux to join her guild.


    Colette had told Lux everything Aina wanted her to say to him. However, the adorable little girl had one-sidedly added the condition that she would go out on a date with the Half-Elf once a week. That was something that she had never said to her.


    The officers of Eternal all looked at Aina in askance, and thetter only shook her head to deny Colette''s additional condition to bribe the Half-Elf into bing part of their guild.


    The officers of Eternal knew what their Guild Master was like, and knew that she didn''t have any interest in having a rtionship with anyone.


    "Sorry, but I can''t," Lux replied while Colette swung his arm from side to side. "Don''t worry. I will still go on adventures with you guys even if I didn''t join your guild."


    "Promise?"


    "Promise."


    Colette could only ept Lux''s decision and no longer pestered him.


    Aina could only shake her head in her sister''s failed attempt to recruit a strong addition to their guild. The Guild Master of Eternal stared at the approaching tide of monsters with a fearless gaze.


    However, just like her, everyone''s eyes were looking at the Skeleton Rider who was standing two hundred meters away from them.


    People from other guilds had never seen such a strong Monster before and envied Eternal for having a Necromancer of Lux''s caliber in their ranks.


    Eternal''s ranking in the leaderboards seemed unshakeable because the gap was simply too wide for them to catch up.


    Even so, the Guild Masters of Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lords were still calm despite their first setback.


    Since they couldn''t decrease the number of Eternal''s Guild Members on the battlefield, they could still proceed to the next phase of their n now, which was to sabotage them from within.


    Everyone had a price, and even some of the most loyal members of Eternal could be bought as long as the price was high enough.


    It didn''t matter whether they had to use money, threats, or intimidation to make it happen. As long as they could achieve their goal, Twilight Rain was more than happy to move in the shadows to help their coborators shine in the spotlight.

 Chapter 206 The Lord Of Destruction [Part 4]

    "Hehehe."


    "Big Brother, is there something funny?"


    "Yes, but I''m not going to tell you."


    "Booo!"


    Lux chuckled as he patted the adorable little Dwarf, who decided to stick with him while they helped with the defense of Whitebridge City. Matty and the others were also nearby Lux, since they had requested for this beforehand from Aina.


    For them, it felt a lot safer when they were around their Big Brother, and thetter was more than happy to have his friends around him.


    "They''re here," Aina said. "Everyone, prepare yourselves!"


    The first wave of the Beast Tide were merely cannon fodders. There were plenty of Rank 1 and Rank 2 Alpha Beasts mixed in the first wave, but they were not really such a big deal against those who had already stepped on the Apostle Ranks.


    The only troublesome thing about them so far was their huge numbers. A Beast Tide was not like a simple monster outbreak. The number of monsters within it numbered in the millions.


    If they were lucky, there would only be only a little over a million, but if they weren''t, and the Beast Tide was severe, the numbers could reach up to ten million, which would be enough to destroy an entire city if the defenders were overwhelmed.


    Colette and her friends turned serious as their grip on their weapons became firmer. Lux smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was not worried about the monsters breaking through Eternal''s defenses, especially with Diablo holding the frontlines.


    If only Aina could see Diablo''s current stats. She would definitely think that going out on a date with Lux once a week would be worth it.


    ��---


    Numbers of enemy in: 28,458


    Diablo''s Bonus Attack: 142,290


    Diablo''s Bonus Defense: 142,290


    ��--


    Right now, Lux was confident that even if a group consisting of the Carbuncle, Red-Eyed Terror Mantis, and Ghoul Beast appeared in front of Diablo, a single p from the Skeleton Rider would be enough to instantly kill them.


    As for the Mutated Thunder Wolf King?


    Perhaps Diablo would need to sh it six to eight times before the powerful Mutated Monster died in his hands. The current Skeletal Rider also wouldn''t have any trouble standing toe-to-toe with Rank 5 Alpha Monsters of simr strength.


    Just as Lux expected, the moment the second wave of monsters reached their defensive line, Diablo massacred them without fail.


    ��--


    < Merit Point Rankings >


    Eternal - 785,600


    Twisted Destiny - 225,845


    Thunder Oath - 223,842


    Arcadian Lords - 218,357


    Crescent Vanguard - 216,568


    Blood Legion - 157,854


    Jade Skulls - 146,782


    ��--


    Aina and the officers of Eternal were quite happy, seeing the lead they currently had over the other guilds. Even those who held grudges about Aina''s decision to let Lux join their guild in this important event hadpletely changed their views and were even secretly happy that the Half-Elf was on their side.


    If he joined another guild aside from them, wouldn''t that be a pity?


    Just as the officers of the guild were feeling smug about their current lead, a fireball flew from behind their ranks and hit Diablo''s back, which made him stagger, allowing the Rank 3 Alpha Monster, Monkey Kong, to smash his chest, and send him flying off Airon''s back.


    "Who did that?" Aina asked as she turned around to look at her subordinates.


    It was quite obvious that the attack came from her own people, infuriating the doll-like beauty. Although her face was calm and expressionless like usual, her eyes stared daggers at the Guild Member who had cast the Fireball while Diablo was in the midst of fighting a strong Alpha Monster.


    "G-Guild Master, it was a mistake," a mage stuttered as he looked apologetically at Aina, as well as the officers who were ring at him. "I didn''t mean to hit the Skeleton. I was just trying to help him kill that Monkey Kong."


    "Does he look like he needs your help?" Aina asked in a voice that was colder than ice, making the mage shudder.<sub> </sub>


    "I-It won''t happen again, Guild Master!" the mage promised. "I-I will look for other targets to attack."


    "There''s no need for you to do anything," Aina replied. "Leave the formation and return to the city. You will be punished ording to our Guild''s Laws after the Beast Tide is over. Valerie, escort him to the city gates."


    Aina''s voice was filled with authority and wouldn''t take no for an answer.


    "Yes, Guild Master!" Valerie replied as she walked towards the mage who had lowered his head out of shame, and dragged him away from the formation.


    The doll-like beauty then scanned the faces of her guild members before making an announcement.


    "The next person who attacks Diablo will be expelled from the guild," Aina dered. "I don''t care if it''s an ident, or you aimed poorly. I will not listen to any excuses. Do I make myself clear?"


    ""Yes, Guild Master!""


    Lux nodded his head in satisfaction. Aina did the right thing. There was a saying that you need to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. This was a great way of setting an example to deter or threaten others frommitting the same mistake.


    Aina knew that the other guilds had nted spies inside Eternal, but there was nothing she could do about it. Even though their process for recruitment was strict, there would always be a possibility that one of the rival guilds'' moles had infiltrated her organization despite the safeguards that they had set in ce.


    Her threat to expel any member who attacked the Skeletal Rider, who was currently amassing a great number of merit points for them, was the only thing she could do in order to deter them from doing it.


    Unfortunately, a dozen more of her guild members attempted to sneak attack the Skeleton Rider, whose back was facing them, using skills that were near impossible to detect.


    Unfortunately for them, they were messing with the wrong Half-Elf. The moment someone attacked Diablo from behind, they would immediately turn red on Lux''s map,beling them as hostile forces.


    The Half-Elf would then tell Aina who attacked Diablo, and she in turn would summon her Guild''s Roster from her Soul Book and expel that member instantly.


    The moment they were expelled from the Guild, the officers took custody of them and dragged them back to the city. Their names were also reported to the General of the Army of Gweliven, preventing them from returning to the front lines.


    "I''m ashamed," Aina said. "I''m sorry. I didn''t expect that there were this many spies nted inside Eternal. I will make sure to be stricter in our selection of guild members in the future."


    <o>,m Lux chuckled after he heard Aina''s apology. He knew that managing a big organization was difficult and it would be near impossible not to have spies infiltrate her guild. Even Twilight Rain and the Kingdom of Gweliven had nted spies on each other''s sides, allowing them to gather information on the other side''s movements.</o>


    If a Kingdom managed by the Dwarves were suffering from this problem, it was only natural for a guild like Aina''s to encounter the same.


    "It''s fine," Lux replied. "It will take more than killing Diablo to kill him."


    In truth, the attacks dealt by the guild members of Eternal, in addition to those of the Monsters in the current wave wereughable.


    Diablo''s current Physical and Magical Defense had already surpassed 150,000. So, even if he was attacked by a dozen fireballs, it would not deal any significant damage to him. Even the attack of the Alpha Monster, Monkey Kong, couldn''t damage the Skeleton Rider, who was just pretending to be hurt.


    The damage that was being dealt to Diablo was only a series of 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1.


    Blood Moon had a passive skill that was called lifesteal, which allowed Diablo to regenerate his health, based on his attack damage.


    ��--


    < Life Steal >


    �C Each attack heals the user with 10% of the damage they deal to their enemies.


    ��--


    A single sh would instantly allow Diablo to recover over 10,000 health points. With such a high-regeneration rate, no one in the current wave of monsters could possibly threaten his life.


    Right now, the Skeleton Rider was the personification of the Lord of Destruction, who instantly obliterated everything and anything, that stood in his way.


    ''I think only Deimos Ranked Monsters can threaten Diablo at this point,'' Lux thought. ''Still, I wonder if it would be possible for Diablo to fight against one after more Monsters die on the battlefield.''


    While Lux was pondering these things, he wasn''t aware that somewhere in the distance, a Dwarf Sniper was aiming for his head.


    The Half-Elf was so preupied with what was happening in front of him, that he waspletely unaware that a hidden threat was about to bare its fangs at him from his blindspot.


    ''If I kill him, I will be the next yer Candidate,'' a Reaper from Twilight Rain thought. ''I don''t care if the mission was given to Sid and Scarlet. It''s their fault for being slow.''


    This particr Reaper was tasked to Assassinate Aina during the Beast Tide. The Eternal Guild was an eyesore in Twilight Rain''s eyes. After seeing that Eternal was leading the rankings, the Reaper thought that it would be a good idea to Assassinate the Warrior Princess, in order to reduce the morale of her Guild Members.


    However, after using his sniping skills, he discovered Lux, who was standing not far from his target. After a brief internal struggle, the Reaper decided to change his target and kill the Half-Elf, who had a higher bounty on his head than the Guild Master of Eternal.


    ''Why would I settle for leftovers, when I can eat the main dish?'' the Reaper mused as he channeled his strongest attack into the tip of his arrow.


    In his eyes, the allure of bing the yer Candidate and stealing the glory from Sid''s and Scarlet''s hands, was worth the risk of stealing their prey.

 Chapter 207 I’ll Get Back At You Someday For This

    The Reaper narrowed his eyes as he took his aim at the Half-Elf who was unaware of his uing demise. He had a good vantage point since he was located in one of the watchtowers that overlooked the battlefield.


    He had first disguised himself as one of the Dwarves responsible for bringing food and water to the defenders before infiltrating the watchtower. The food and water he had given the unsuspecting guards were drugged, which caught them off guard.


    It was nothing poisonous, but it was a special sleep serum that was enough to make those that had ingested it sleep for five hours straight.


    He carefully knocked the arrow on his bow and aimed at his target that was over six hundred meters away from him. The Reaper had no problems targeting anyone from this distance because of his sniping skills.


    The arrow that was knocked on the assassin''s bow was dipped in the venom of the Ravenous Saw-Scaled Viper. It was a Deimos-Ranked Monster, which could be found in the Burning Basin that stood between the Gweliven Kingdom and the various Orc Tribes.


    Even a graze from this venom was enough to kill a person within five minutes. Only a specific antidote, native to the Orc Tribes, could cure this poison, which had imed countless lives, including those of E-Rankers.


    (A/N: E-Rankers are the next rank after Initiate. They are the lowest rank of Rankers, but they are Rankers nevertheless.)


    After imbuing his arrow with improved pration and swift wind, the Reaper estimated that it should be enough to eliminate his target.


    ''Goodbye.'' The Reaper sneered as he released the string of his bow.


    However, just as the arrow was about to take flight, a whip wrapped around its tip, preventing it from flying towards its target.


    The sneer on the Assassin''s face instantly disappeared as he took out a dagger from his belt and looked at the person who had prevented him from iming his kill.


    Unfortunately, the person was wearing a mask, so it was impossible for him to identify his enemy. The first thought that came to his mind was to run, so that was exactly what he did.


    As one of the Reapers of Twilight Rain, he made sure to prepare an escape route in case his assasination attempt failed.


    The assassin jumped from the watch tower and extended his robe, imitating a flying squirrel in flight.


    Just as the Reaper thought that he had gotten away from his pursuer, he heard a teasing voice in his ears.


    "So you can fly," Scarlet said as she glided beside the assassin. As a Cambion, she had the ability to fly using the wings that she could extend from her back.


    "It''s you!" the assassin eximed. "Don''t kill me, Scarlet! I swear I will never steal your prey again!"


    Although she was wearing a mask, he had talked to Scarlet in the past, and the long red hair that fluttered out of her robe, was clear evidence of her identity.


    "Toote," Scarlet replied, as she thrust her dagger towards the Assassin''s neck and twisted it, simr to what Sid had done to Lux when he had stabbed him in the chest.


    A gaping hole appeared on the Reaper''s neck, as he looked at Scarlet in disbelief. Even though he had attempted to steal her prey, killing him was simply too much. Afterall, the two of them were in the same organization.


    Scarlet sneered before changing her path flight as shended near the walls of the city. Lux had tasked her to be on the lookout for possible Assassins that would target Aina. At first, Scarlet didn''t want to obey him, but when he said that he would be sticking close to the Guild Master, the red-haired Dwarf beauty understood what the Half-Elf was nning.


    He was using himself as bait to lure the other Reapers into attacking him instead of Aina, forcing Scarlet to hunt them down before they killed him.


    Her life was bound to Lux, so, if Lux died, she would also die. For someone as ambitious as Scarlet, she wouldn''t allow herself to die a second time, especially through the hands of other assassins like herself.


    "Such a devious Master I have." Scarlet clicked her tongue as she prepared to scout for other possible assassins in the area. "I''ll get back at you for this someday."


    This was the second assassin she had killed, and she hoped that the organization hadn''t assigned more than two Reapers to dispose of the doll-like beauty who led the Eternal Guild.


    ��-


    "Achooo!"


    "Achoo?"<sub> </sub>


    "Eiko, don''t imitate me," Lux said as he lightly patted the giggling baby slime on his head. The Half-Elf had seen the red mark that briefly appeared on his map, and saw a green mark pursue it.


    He knew that it was Scarlet who had eliminated the assassin, and he was quite impressed by how efficient she was when it came to cleaning up those of her own kind.


    Meanwhile, the other guilds were gradually losing ground against the Beast Tide that had overwhelmed the ces that they were currently defending.


    At this point, there had been a few monsters that slipped past Diablo''s line of defense, but they were no match against the Guild Members of Eternal, who were quite happy to have something to do to pass the time.


    The Guild Leaders of Twisted Destiny and Arcadian Lords no longer had time to deal with the Eternal Guild, since they were having problems on their own end.


    Unlike their rival guild, Eternal, who had Diablo, they didn''t have such a powerhouse in their ranks. Because of this, their frontline was breached by Rank 3 and Rank 4 Alpha Monsters, who were working alongside Rank 3 and Rank 4 Monsters.


    The spies that they had nted in Eternal were also gone, so they could no longer continue their goal to pressure them into submission.


    "Dammit!" The Guild Leader of Twisted Destiny cursed as he personally faced a Rank 4 Alpha Monster, alongside his Elite Guild Members that specialized in dealing with creatures of this rank.


    Aina gave her rivals a side-long nce to see their current conditions.


    If one were to look closely, they would see that the corner of her lips was raised slightly, forming a smirk on her doll-like face that was usually devoid of emotion.


    ''Serves you right,'' Aina thought as she gave her rival guilds a look of contempt.


    However, she also knew that her guild, Eternal, wouldn''t have their current peaceful circumstance if she had rejected Lux''s proposal to temporarily be her Guild Member.


    Just as she was gloating internally at the two guilds'' hardships, a resounding horn spread across the battlefield, which made her eyes widen in shock.


    That was the Signal that a Deimos Ranked Monster was sighted on the battlefield. Although they didn''t know if it was a regr Deimos Monster or an Alpha Beast, either one was bad news for all of them.


    The Kingdom of Gweliven had dispatched an Elite Team of Initiates to deal with this kind of threat, so Aina wasn''t too worried. ording to the briefing they had with the City''s Mayor and the Generalmanding the Gweliven Army, there were three special teamsposed of Initiates that would deal with Deimos-Ranked threats.


    But, Aina''sposure changed when more horns were blown consecutively, signaling them that more than one Deimos-Ranked Monster had appeared on the battlefield. Although she had already expected this to happen sooner orter, the number of strong monsters exceeded her expectations.


    "F-Five blow horns," Valerie, Aina''s second inmand, stuttered as she looked at the dense army of monsters in front of her. "Guild Master, one Deimos Beast at two o''clock!"


    Aina immediately nced in the direction where Valerie was pointing at. Within the mass of monsters that seemed unending, a four-meter tall Warthog was running in their direction.


    "Ivory Killer Warthog!" one of the officers of Eternal shouted. "Be careful. That monster can go berserk at any time!"


    The Warthog let out a deafening squeal as it charged straight towards the Eternal Guild with its two-meter long Ivory tusks that were strong enough to pierce through steel without any problems.


    "Shield Warriors, hold the line!" Aina ordered. "When the Deimos is near, use your strongest defensive skill to block its attack!"


    ""Yes!""


    Right now, they were standing on the ramparts of the Earthen Wall that was five meters tall. Even so, they didn''t feel safe when facing a Deimos Ranked Monster that was known for its relentless charge that could destroy the walls of a city.


    When the monster was only a dozen meters away from Eternal''s defensive perimeter, its charge suddenly swerved away from its intended target as it changed direction.


    The officers of Eternal sighed in relief when the monster shifted its charge away from them.


    However, Aina, who was paying attention to the Monster, noticed that not only did it change direction, it was also headed towards Diablo, who had dismounted from his Nightmare Horse, and was running towards the Deimos-Monster, with his eyes burning brightly with his fighting spirit.

 Chapter 208 The Will Of Eternal [Part 1]

    "Five Deimos-Ranked Beasts this early in the Beast Tide doesn''t bode well," the Mayor of Whitebridge City, Garth muttered as he rubbed his chin.


    "Indeed," a middle-aged Dwarf wearing a peculiar set of armor replied. "But, it is still within the eptable grounds."


    The middle-aged dwarf smiled as he drank a mug of mead, while paying close attention to the battles that were happening outside the city.


    Although he was making sure to keep watch on their surroundings to ensure that nothing escaped his eyes, most of his attention was directed towards the Deimos-Ranked Monster, Ivory Killer Warthog, who was now charging towards a Skeleton, who had performed well at the beginning of the Beast Tide.


    Two out of the five Deimos-Ranked Monsters that the scouts had sighted were Alpha Monsters. This was bad news for the defenders, but as long as the two Alpha Monsters were defeated, they would be able to handle the rest.


    The Deimos-Ranked Monster that was charging towards Diablo was not an Alpha Monster, but the threat it posed was something that couldn''t be ignored either.


    "Sir, will you not make a move to stop at least one of the Alpha Deimos Monsters on the battlefield?" Garth asked in a polite tone. "I am afraid that the Elite Teams will not be able to handle them by themselves."


    The middle-aged Dwarf drank his mug of mead until it was empty before standing up.


    "I guess it can''t be helped," the middle-aged Dwarf said. "We can''t have too many casualties in this war. I''ll handle one of the Alpha Deimos Monsters, you takemand of the rest while I am away."


    "Yes, Your Excellency," Garth bowed respectfully.


    The middle-aged Dwarf smirked before jumping off the ramparts and flying straight towards a ten-meter tall mammoth in the distance.


    As a Ranker, it was his duty to ensure that Whitebridge City didn''t fall to the Beast Tide. Even so, he was feeling a bit worried because if Deimos-Ranked Monsters had appeared in this stage, it could only mean one thing.


    ''An Argonaut, and possibly a Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster, is pulling the strings from behind,'' the middle-aged Dwarf thought as he smashed his fist on the Mammoth''s head, sending it rolling across the ground, screaming in pain.


    While the Ranker of the Kingdom was dealing with one of the Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monsters at the center of the Beast Tide, a certain Skeleton Rider and a Warthog shed for the first time.


    Diablo''s feet skidded on the ground as he blocked the Ivory Killer Warthog''s full charge by himself. The reason why he dismounted from Airon was because he was worried that his Nightmare Horse would be unable to handle the collision and perish instantly.


    Airon was only a Rank 2 Monster, and didn''t share Diablo''s ridiculous buffs. Although he was able to fight alongside his trusted Nightmare against Rank 5 Alpha Monsters, a Deimos-Ranked Monster was a different kind of beast.


    One mistake and Airon would be grievously injured, and possibly even killed on the spot, if one of the Warthog''s deadly tusks pierced any part of its body.


    Due to Diablo''s boosted defense, he was barely able to block the Deimos'' Monster attack without taking too much damage.


    Lux, who was paying close attention to Diablo''s health points, breathed a sigh of relief. The damage that Diablo received was minimal, and although it would take him some time to whittle away the Deimos-Ranked Monster''s enormous health, the Half-Elf had no reason to worry.


    Why?


    Because with every second that passed, Monsters and, to a certain extent, Dwarves continued to die in battle.


    This unending cycle continued to increase Diablo''s attack and defense that allowed him to fight against Deimos-Ranked Monsters.


    "Mr. Diablo is amazing!" Colette said as she looked at the Skeleton Rider with sparkling eyes. "Big Brother, was Diablo always that strong?"


    "I-It depends on his mood," Lux replied. "Sometimes when he is in the mood, Diablo can be many times stronger than he usually is."


    "Wow! That''s incredible!"


    "I know, right?"


    "But, since Diablo is Big Brother''s Summon, that only means that Big Brother is even more awesome!"


    "Isn''t that obvious?"


    Matty, as well as the rest of the Dwarves who were listening to Colette''s and Lux''s conversation, felt that something wasn''t right.


    However, since Diablo was on their side, they decided to just appreciate the Skeleton Rider''s incredible battle against a Deimos-Ranked Monster, that usually had to be dealt with by over a thousand elite members of Aina''s Guild.


    That was how strong a Deimos-Ranked Monster was. One-on-one battles against them wouldn''t work, and only by great numbers would they be able to ovee such a monster, which was considered a Field Boss Monster that could be found in the Apostle Grade Areas of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    After breaking the Warthog''s momentum, Diablo fired two bone spears in quick session, aiming for the monster''s eye, but his opponent used its tusks to deflect his attacks with rtive ease.


    ''Now I understand why monsters like these need to be fought by thousands of people,'' Lux thought. ''Since its whole attention is on Diablo, it can easily react to his attacks without any problems.''


    While Lux was thinking of ways to fight the Deimos Monster, the thirty Skeleton Fighters charged at the Warthog''s side and shed its body.


    The sound of metal hitting a hard object spread in the surroundings, but after checking the monster''s life, the damage couldn''t even be considered a scratch since the skeleton fighter''sbined assault only did a measly thirty damage.


    What did this mean? It means that the only damage they were able to deal to their opponent was only one point.


    The Half-Elf sighed as he looked at the Monster''s stats, which made him realize that unless Diablo was able tond a clean hit on its body, its health would remain high even if all the skeletons were to continuously attack its body at the same time.<sub> </sub>


    ��--


    < Ivory Killer Warthog >


    �C Overlord of the Forest


    �C Wandering Field Boss


    �C Deimos-Ranked Monster


    Health:  4,799,970 / 4,800,000


    Mana: 300,000 / 300,000


    Strength: ????


    Intelligence: ????


    Vitality: ????


    Agility: ????


    Dexterity: ????


    Defense: 2000


    �C The Ivory Killer Warthog is an Overlord of the forest. It is usually found in the lush green forests where it forages for food three times a week. Its main diet isposed of tubers and roots. However, when it feels threatened, this monster will not hesitate to attack anyone that it sets its eyes on.


    �C Its hide is quite thick and most attacks will bounce off its body unless it was imbued by the power of the elements.


    �C There is a saying that when the Ivory Killer Warthog had set its sights on its target, the poor creature will only have a few seconds to escape before the Warthog''s tusk impaled their bodies.


    ��--


    "Aina, Diablo can''t fight that beast alone," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "The best he can do is fight the Ivory Killer Warthog into a stalemate. If you are fine with that, we can continue to remain here in the walls and just focus on attacking the monsters that have broken past their battle."


    Lux didn''t tell Aina that Diablo could probably defeat the Warthog if he was given more time. What the Half-Elf wanted to know was how Aina would deal with this kind of situation. Depending on her answer, he would change his strategy to match her decision.


    "I appreciate the efforts that you and Diablo had done for our guild," Aina answered as she gazed at Lux with the same calm expression on her face. However, her eyes were anything but calm.


    Lux could feel the burning determination in them, which made him realize that the doll-like beauty in front of him wasn''t a herbivore.


    "Do not underestimate us too much," Aina stated. "My guild isn''t weak."


    After saying her words to Lux, the Warrior Princess faced her guild members and gave her orders.


    "Battle Formation!" Aina ordered. "Arrowhead Formation!"


    ""Yes!""


    The temporary gates of the Earthen Wall opened allowing Eternal''s melee fighters to charge towards the Warthog that was busy exchanging blows with Diablo.


    Just like an arrow that was released from the bow, the warriors formed four arrow heads as they charged at their target.


    This was a purely offensive battle strategy that Aina had created in order to fight against Deimos-Ranked Beasts that could also be found inside Dungeons. The purpose of this formation was to deal as much damage as possible to a monster, while it was being tanked by the Shield Warriors in front.


    Since Diablo was holding the beast for them, they could now attack it without any worries.


    "Shield Warriors, follow up with the Tower Formation!" Aina ordered. "Make sure to deploy your Shield Walls as soon as possible and block the other monsters from attacking our warriors! Mages, use Ray Type spells and focus on targeting the monster''s eyes.


    "Healers, ce your buffs on the Shield Warriors! Do not, under any circumstance, use heal on the Skeleton. Anyone who uses Heal on Diablo will be immediately expelled from the guild. Do I make myself clear?!"


    """Yes!"""


    Lux was amazed because in just a short period of time, the entirety of Eternal was mobilized to attack the Deimos Ranked Monster in front of them.


    He almostughed out loud when Aina reminded the Healers to not heal Diablo under any circumstances. He hadpletely forgotten that his Skeleton Rider was weak against Life, Fire, and Holy Magic.


    If not for Aina''s reminder, he believed that some of the healers would identally heal Diablo, which would make his Named Creature curse them under his breath.

 Chapter 209 The Will Of Eternal [Part 2]

    The Ivory Killer Warthog squealed in anger as it got swarmed by hundreds of Dwarves that had taken advantage of its battle against Diablo.


    Although the damage of the Dwarves was just a tiny bit higher than Lux''s skeletons, their numbers made up for it. Lux smiled because with Aina''s Guild joining the fray, the Warthog would finally divert its attention away from Diablo.


    Warriors shed their weapons at its body without mercy, Magicians fired ray-spells at its head, specifically targeting its eyes in an attempt to blind it.


    When the Deimos Monster diverted its attention to the Dwarves, wanting to teach them a lesson, Diablo managed tond two solid blows on its body, dealing over two-hundred-thousand ethereal damage, making the Warthog squeal in pain.


    Diablo''s attacks ignored defense. Whether the Deimos-Ranked Warthog had a tough carapace or not, it didn''t even matter. The named creature only cared about getting a clean hit on his opponent since it could deal a devastating amount of Ethereal Damage that could make anyone writhe in pain.


    "Mana Drain!"


    "Mana!"


    Lux and Eiko didn''t stand idle and started absorbing the mana of the Field Boss. Most powerful skills required mana, and they wanted to eliminate any chances the Warthog had to make aeback.


    Mana Drain [EX] would drain the mana of its target by 5% of its maximum Mana. Since Eiko was using the same spell as Lux, that single round of Mana Drain was able to shave off 10% of the Deimos'' Monster''s mana.


    They would need to do it nine to ten more times before the Warthogpletely ran out of mana. This was the strategy that they had developed when dealing with strong monsters.


    The sooner the monster ran out of mana, the sooner it would find itself helpless against thebined assault of Lux, and the Eternal Guild.


    "Grand Cross!" Aina shouted as she delivered a strike to the Warthog''s back leg, in order to destroy its bnce.


    It was her strongest attack, but the monster''s defense was simply too high for her to break its stance. Even so, she wasn''t depressed about it.


    "Everyone, continue attacking!" Aina ordered. "The moment it changes its target, Shield Warriors, prepare to intercept and use your strongest defensive skills!"


    ""Yes!""


    Lux, who was not far from Aina, smirked internally. He already knew that the Warthog wouldn''t dare change its target from Diablo because it knew that the moment it did, Diablo would unleash a sneak attack on its body, dealing damage that surpassed the attack of all of Aina''s guild membersbined.


    ��--


    < Ivory Killer Warthog >


    Health: 4,331,285 / 4,800,000


    Mana: 262,354 / 300,000


    ��--


    Seeing that it had no way out of its predicament, the Ivory Killer Warthog''s body immediately changed to crimson-red, which meant that it had activated its Berserk Skill.


    "Brace!" Aina immediately ordered.


    After hearing hermand, the Warriors all pulled away from engaging the Berserked Deimos-Monster because its attack would certainly deal enormous damage.


    The Shield Warriors stepped forward and deployed their strongest defense, Shield Wall, which grew stronger the more Shield Warriors activated it at the same time. One could even say that this was the "team-ability" that was unique among Shield Warriors, regardless of their rank.


    When more than one Shield Warrior deployed this ability, theirbined defense would stack up, forming a united defensive barrier that would mitigate most attacks.


    The Ivory Killer Warthog raised both of its front legs and mmed them on the ground, creating a shockwave that sent the Shield Warriors on the front lines flying backwards.


    "Healers, heal the wounded!" Aina ordered. "Second Defender Team, step forward!"


    The second team of Shield Warriors took the ce of their fallenrades and activated their Shield Wall in order to keep the Warthog''s berserked-rampage at bay.


    Even so, they were once again sent flying after the Warthog swung its massive tusks at them, sending the defenders flying like dried leaves being swept away by a broom.


    At that exact moment, Diablo snuck under the Warthog''s neck and leapt high into the hair, activating its strongest single target attack, Hellfire Annihtion sh.


    ��-


    < Hellfire Annihtion sh >


    (Mana: 200)


    Cooldown: 5 Minutes.


    �C Coat your weapon with the Hellish mes and deal massive damage to your enemy.


    �C Deals 500% of your maximum damage to your enemy.<sub> </sub>


    �C This skill has a moderate chance of dealing critical damage.


    �C When the attack bes a critical hit, decrease your target''s physical, and magical defenses by 20%


    �C Has a moderate chance to inflict Burn status on your target.


    �C If the attack dealt both critical damage and Burn status at the same time, the duration of Burn would extend to a full minute. During this time, any regeneration abilities by the target, or any skill that restores its health will not take effect.


    ��-----


    < Burn >


    �C Enemies inflicted with Burn will have their health decreased by 1% of their maximum health every 2 seconds.


    �C Burn effectsts for thirty seconds.


    �C While under the Burn effect, the monster''s physical attacks are decreased by 20%


    ��-----


    The attacknded perfectly on the Warthog''s blindspot, searing its skin with hellish mes, making it squeal in pain as it iled its tusks around in an attempt to ward off the Skeleton Rider who had dealt it a devastating blow.


    Diablo''s attack was a critical hit and, at the same time, it activated the Burn effect on the Deimos Monster, making its health decrease every two seconds, as well as lower its physical attacks by 20%.


    "Everyone attack and don''t hold back!" Aina ordered as the sword in her hand radiated a golden light. "Full Throttle!"


    Aina coated her weapon with the Holy Property before increasing her physical prowess by 300%. Full Throttle was a skill that allowed her to increase her strength for a few seconds, in order to strengthen the next skill that she was about to unleash.


    After boosting her attack that couldst for a short period of time, Aina raised the golden sword in her hand and swung at the rear leg of the Warthog, who had just received Diablo''s Hellish Strike.


    "Ignition Burst!" Aina roared as her blow prated the Warthog''s tough skin, and pierced through its bone.


    ��--


    < Ignition Break >


    �C Deals 300% Physical damage and has a small chance to shatter your target''s armor, or weapon.


    ��--


    Due to Diablo''s and Aina''sbined assault, the Warthog lost its bnce and fell on the ground. Immediately, the monster was mobbed by a bunch of crazed Dwarfs who seemed to have been injected with steroids.


    Even Lux who was watching the scene couldn''t help but feel goosebumps, thinking that Aina''s Guild seemed to be too excited as they mercilessly hacked, stabbed, and pounded the Warthog, whose skin color had reverted back to its normal color.


    Clearly, the effect of its Berserk ability had ended, and it temporarily entered a weakened state, allowing the Dwarves to attack without holding anything back.


    The Guild Leader of Twisted Destiny scowled when he saw the current status of Aina''s Guild. He thought that with the Deimos Ranked-Monster would be enough to decimate the Eternal Guild and allow his guild to catch up.


    But seeing that Aina''s Guild had everything under control, he knew that the gap would only widen once again when the Deimos Monster was defeated.


    ��-


    Killing Deimos Ranked Monsters = 500,000 Merit Points


    ��-


    The Guild Leader of Twisted Destiny clenched his fist when he saw the number of merit points that Eternal would gain after they had killed the Ivory Killer Warthog, which made him want to sabotage them at any cost.


    However, just before he could think of a n to make their guild suffer, something unexpected happened.


    From within the dense Beast Tide, something silver flew straight at him.


    It was none other than Lux''s Demonic Defender, Pazuzu.


    Right behind him was a four-meter tall Flying Tiger, which the Guild Master of Twisted Destiny had seen in the past.


    How could he possibly forget the exact same creature that had wiped out their entire guild after they entered the S-Ranked Dungeon that they had discovered by ident a month ago.


    The creature that was chasing Pazuzu was not just an ordinary Deimos-Ranked Monster, but an Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster that went by the name, Diabolical Demon Flying Tiger.


    Lux, fed up with Twisted Destiny''s repeated attacks on Eternal by using dirty tricks, made a move. He decided to teach them a lesson which would not only eliminate one of Aina''s rivals, but also exterminate one of the coborators of Twilight Rain, who was after his life.

 Chapter 210 The Will Of Eternal [Part 3]

    When Pazuzu was several hundred meters away from the defensive line of Twisted Destiny, the Demonic Defender stopped and faced the Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster with his shield raised high.


    Lux wasn''t afraid of getting any demerits, but he still had to make it seem like everything that would happen from this point on was merely an ident.


    The Alpha Monster was originally fighting against the Guild, Thunder Oath, which was one of the Top 5 Guilds in Whitebridge City.


    When the Diabolical Demon Flying Tiger descended on the battlefield, the Guild''s defenses instantly broke apart. They were simply no match against the Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster, who was supposed to be handled by one of the Elite Teams from the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    However, since five Deimos-Ranked Monsters appeared at the same time, they didn''t have enough manpower toe to their aid.


    Just as the monster was about to start a one-sided massacre, Pazuzu appeared and used Duel [EX] to force the Alpha Monster to follow him.


    This allowed the Thunder Oath Guild to escape a cmity, and all of them, including their Guild Master, watched with bated breath as the Flying Tiger was lured away from their location.


    Since Thunder Oath''s defensive lines weren''t far away from Twisted Destiny''s, Pazuzu was able to reach them before the duration of his skill, Mad Rush, ended.


    With a single swipe from the Flying Tiger''s ws, Pazuzu smashed into Twisted Destiny''s defensive lines, and turned into particles of light.


    "Damn you!" the Guild Master of Twisted Destiny roared in anger at the disappearing Pazuzu before giving out his order. "Everyone, retreat! Don''t bother to face it. Just run!"


    The members of Twisted Destiny didn''t need to be told twice as they turned tail and ran with all of their might. They had seen how powerful this monster was when it had wiped them all off from the face of the Dungeon.


    When people died in the Dungeon, they would respawn and lose a quarter of theirbined stat points. But even if it wasn''t real death, the pain and fear that they had experienced back then was still fresh in their memories.


    Right now, they weren''t inside a Dungeon, but in the open world.


    If they died here, their deaths would be permanent.


    Lux had summoned all of his Named Creatures, and ced them in different locations on the map. Ishtar and Orion were within the defensive lines of the Arcadian Lords, simply hiding underground and waiting for Lux''s orders before striking.


    The Half-Elf would dly gain demerit points from their attack. Anyway, he could easily gain them back by allowing Diablo to fight as many monsters as he could. However, there were many ways to take advantage of the conditions that had been drafted by the City Officials.


    In short, the red-headed teenager was exploiting the loopholes of the rules, which allowed him to sabotage his opponents legally.


    Take for example, Pazuzu. What the Demonic Defender did was to save the Guild of Thunder Oath from being wiped out by the Alpha Monster. Because of this, his action couldn''t be seen as a demerit as it was considered as an act of helping others.


    The Half-Elf chuckled internally as he watched the Alpha Monster devastate the defensive lines of Twisted Destiny in a matter of seconds.


    Aina, who was also paying attention to the chaos that was happening to her rival guild, urged her guild members to finish the Ivory Killer Warthog while they still had time.


    Although they were taking it easy right now, it would be noughing matter if the two Deimos Monsters joined hands and attacked them together.


    ''We should wrap this up,'' Lux thought as he continued to use his Mana Drain to prevent the Deimos-Ranked Warthog from staging aeback.


    As if sensing its impending doom, the Ivory Killer Warthog gathered its strength and�� ran away!


    This development made the Eternal Guild cry out in surprise, never expecting that their opponent would flee the moment it regained its strength. Fortunately, Diablo was there so, before the Warthog could even run more than a hundred-meters, it was forced to turn back and face the Skeleton Rider, whose physical damage had now crossed over three hundred thousand.


    Airon ran towards Diablo, and the Skeleton Rider leapt on its back, allowing him to use his mounted abilities. After understanding his opponent, Diablo deemed that he would now be able to fight it, alongside his mount Airon, due to the boost in attack and defense that he currently possessed.


    Since he was a Skeleton Rider, the moment he gained ess to his mount, his Rider Skills, as well as his Charge Skills had all be avable to him.


    Diablo had temporarily changed his weapon to a spear, which Randolph had crafted for him.


    Although it was only a Unique Weapon, and only had one single ability inside it, which was Indestructible, it was still the best weapon that the Skeleton Rider could use in this scenario.


    Airon''s body was enveloped in mes, as he ran towards the charging Warthog like a fireball. Diablo was about to use one of his strongest mounted abilities, which he had acquired from the medallion that Lux had found in Barca''s possession when they went to the Dungeon of Orc Dominion.


    ��-----


    Avetia Kingdom''s Elite Cavalry Medallion.


    Rarity: Mythical


    Requirement: Only for Professions that specialize in mountedbat.


    �C When wielding a spear, you will be able to use the skill Hero''s Charge.


    +20 to All Stats for any sses that allows you to fight while mounted on a beast.


    +10% increase to mobility, and physical attack.


    +100 to Physical Attack.


    < Hero''s Charge >


    �C A full powered charge attack that deals 300% of your overall physical damage to your target. Can only be used when mounted on a beast.<sub> </sub>


    �C If your enemy is bigger than you, it deals an additional 100% damage to your target. Can only be used when mounted on a beast.


    ��---


    With Diablo''s Physical damage amounting to over three hundred thousand, the skill, Hero''s Charge, was noughing matter.


    Just as Lux expected, the moment the two forces shed, the Ivory Killer Warthog uttered a blood-curdling roar before copsing on the ground.


    Airon, and Diablo, were blown away by the impact of the collision.


    The Skeleton Rider was mostly safe, but Airon only had a quarter of its health remaining. If Diablo hadn''t taken the brunt of the damage, the Nightmare Horse would have certainly perished after that single collision.


    "Aina, please heal the Nightmare Horse," Lux said and the doll-like beauty nodded her head in understanding.


    A momentter, a healing light descended upon the fallen Nightmare Horse, which allowed it to regain a third of its Health.


    The Guild Members of Eternal raised their weapons high up in the air and shouted their victory cries, which spread across the battlefield.


    Lux and Aina nced at each other and smiled.


    The Half-Elf was dumbfounded. Although Aina''s smile only consisted of the corner of her lips rising by a fraction, it was still enough for the red-headed teenager to receive a critical hit to his heart due to how beautiful it was.


    However, the brief smile on Aina''s face disappeared when the body of the Ivory Killer Warthog disappeared in front of her eyes


    A momentter, Diablo walked towards Lux holding the enchanted Beast Ring in his hand. The Skeleton Rider had taken the corpse of the Deimos-Ranked Monster for safekeeping, making Aina, as well as the members of Eternal look at the Half-Elf with a face filled with injustice.


    "I-I''m just going to hold onto it for safekeeping," Lux stuttered. "Rx. Everyone fought hard, so it is normal that we should split the rewards 50/50. I will take the Beast Core, and your Guild Leader will have the Warthog''s body. That way, she canmission skilled cksmiths to craft weapons, and armors, for your entire guild."


    Lux''s exnation made the Dwarves regain the smile on their faces and nodded their heads amicably.


    Although Lux was the one that would get the beast core, none of them had any qualms about it. Aina and her guild members weren''t stupid. They knew that they wouldn''t have been able to defeat the Deimos-Ranked Warthog as quickly as they did without Diablo''s help.


    Their only concern was whether or not the Half-Elf would be taking everything with him and not give them anything for their hard work.


    Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted not far from them.


    The Diabolical Demon Flying Tiger was finally pushed back by the concentrated barrage of the Gweliven Kingdom''s Army, and had shifted its sights in their direction.


    With a single nce, Aina knew that the Beast Monster was too strong, so she immediately ordered the retreat of her forces


    ��--


    < Diabolical Demon Flying Tiger >


    �C Apex Predator of the Mountains


    �C Wandering Field Boss


    �C Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster


    Health: 26,264,531 / 28,000,000


    Mana: 489,365 / 600,000


    Strength: ????


    Intelligence: ????


    Vitality: ????


    Agility: ????


    Dexterity: ????


    ��---


    Lux stared at the Monster with a grim expression on his face. The Elysium Compendium had given him some information about this new opponent. He instantly knew then and there that the Deimos-Ranked Warthog that they had just killed was nothingpared to the foe that was now currently headed in their direction.


    "Diablo, buy us some time to retreat," Lux ordered


    The Skeleton Rider nodded his head in understanding as he ran towards the Flying Tiger.


    Lux only hoped that his Named Creature would be able to buy them enough time so that the Eternal Guild could distance themselves away from the Flying Monster that had marked them all as its next target.

 Chapter 211 My New Master Sure Is Willful

    "Should I help those kids or not?" The middle-aged dwarf yed with his beard as he watched the Flying Tiger head towards one of the Silver-Ranked Guilds in the Kingdom.


    He was seated on top of an Alpha-Ranked Deimos Mammoth that he had defeated in less than a minute.


    "Well, our newest rookie is over there, so I guess I''ll let him handle this?" the middle-aged dwarf, who went by the name Nik Einstein muttered.


    He was one of the twelve original members of the Order of the Griffin. Just like everyone else, he was looking forward to the performance of the neer, whom the King had decided to add to their organization.


    Nik then nced at the rear of the Beast Tide and narrowed his eyes.


    "So, that is where you are hiding��," Nik frowned. "This is one tricky bugger. I don''t think I can beat this guy alone."


    A pair of ancient eyes met Nik''s gaze. It was the leader of the Beast Tide, and unless it was defeated, Whitebridge City would not be safe.


    ��--


    "Colette! Aina! Run as fast as you ca�C" Lux almost choked back his words when he turned his head and saw that Colette and her sister, Aina, were already hundreds of meters away from him.


    In fact, the two sisters were in front of the retreating guild, which proved how fast the two of them were running.


    Lux hadpletely forgotten how fast Colette could run, but he didn''t know that Aina shared the same trait.


    "At least, the two of them are decisive." Lux didn''t know if he shouldugh and cry at his current predicament.


    Right now, the Half-Elf was at the rear of the fleeing Dwarves as all of them were fast runners.


    Perhaps it was because of their small statures, or perhaps they were just built differently, but Dwarves in the World of Sis and Elysium could put even the Olympic sprinters to shame.


    Diablo, as well as the Skeleton Fighters, guarded the red-headed teenager''s retreat as they tried to get the attention of the Flying Tiger. However, the Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster was very intelligent.


    It knew that Diablo and the Skeletons were merely summons, so it didn''t pay attention to them.


    With a mighty roar, it increased its speed in preparation to descend onto the fleeing Dwarves, who were running with their lives on the line.


    It was at this moment when the Flying Tiger felt a strong pull, forcing it to change its direction mid-air.


    With a roar of annoyance, the Alpha-Ranked Deimos monster descended on the Skeleton Rider, who was waiting for its arrival.


    Diablo had ordered the Skeleton Fighters to scatter because they would just die against the Alpha Monster, aware that even he didn''t have a chance of defeating it on his own.


    Raising Blood Moon high in the air, Diablo nted his feet firmly in the ground as he used his skill, Cross sh, which was simr to Lux''s, Double Fury sh, to deal as much damage as he could to his enemy.


    The moment the Flying Tiger''s razor sharp ws met Diablo''s sword, a metallic sound reverberated in the battlefield. A secondter, the Skeleton Rider was sent flying due to the force behind the Flying Tiger''s attack.


    The Skeleton Rider crashed hundreds of meters from where it stood earlier, and rolled on the ground repeatedly.


    The Monsters mercilessly stomped on Diablo''s body as they headed towards Whitebridge City, since it was blocking their path.


    Lux''s face sank when he saw that Diablo''s HP was reduced by half due to the Flying Tiger''s blow. Right now, Diablo had an unimaginable defensive stat, thanks to the constant deaths that were happening around him.


    For him to take that much damage from the Flying Tiger could only mean one thing. The Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster managed to deal a critical hit on the Skeleton Rider, bypassing its powerful defense.


    However, before Lux could panic, Diablo used its skill, Whirlwind Strike, instantly annihting all the Monsters around him.


    Since Blood Moon had the passive skill, Life Steal, the Skeleton Rider''s health became full again after reaping the lives of the Monsters that were about to stomp on his body.


    Diablo fired three Bone Spears at the Flying Tiger, but thetter dodged them with ease. It was the only ranged attack that Diablo had in his arsenal, so even if the enemy was able to evade them all, he just kept on shooting the spears at his target in order to gain its attention.<sub> </sub>


    Lux felt that he should look for suitable Beast Cores for his Skeleton Rider so that his range abilities could have some kind of variation.


    "Jed,e!" Lux ordered and his Thunder Warg King appeared in front of him.


    Without another thought, Lux jumped on its back and urged it to run faster. A momentter, the Half-Elf had caught up with the rest of the Dwarves that were nearing the defensive walls of Whitebridge City.


    Suddenly, a ferocious roar resonated in the sky. The Flying Tiger pped its mighty wings, creating several tornadoes that spun around its body, razing everything that was on the ground to shreds.


    The Skeleton Fighters who got caught up in the tornado all shattered, turning into ashes due to the Flying Tiger''s overwhelming strength. Of course, it was not only the Skeleton Fighters that were ripped apart by the tornadoes.


    None of the other Monsters escaped the onught as a shower of blood mist gaved the tornadoes a crimson hue.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, was constantly muttering.


    "Mumumumumu."


    She felt her heart break when she saw the hundreds of Beast Cores her Slime Summons couldn''t take due to how dangerous the situation was.


    Diablo managed to escape the suction of the tornadoes because he didn''t hesitate to use his skill, Leap, to distance himself from his enemy. Of course, he didn''t forget to fire Bone Spears at the Flying Tiger while doing so, but it was of no use.


    The Bone Spears were sucked up by the tornadoes, preventing him from even grazing his target.


    ''Finally, that damned Skeleton has met his match!'' The Leader of Twisted Destiny managed to escape the ughter that hade upon his guild because he had retreated as soon as he saw the Flying Tiger flying towards their direction.


    Of the thousand men that he had brought to the frontlines with him, more than half were killed by the Diabolical Demon Flying Tiger. If not for the Kingdom of Gweliven''s cover fire, more of his guild members might have died.


    He had brought the Elite Members of his guild with him in order to gain as many points in the rankings as possible. However, instead of gaining points, he had lost his members that specialized in raiding A-Ranked and S-Ranked Dungeons.


    The Guild Master of Twisted Destiny knew that thanks to this incident, his guild would weaken considerably and might even fall off from its position as one of the Top 5 Guilds in Whitebridge City.


    ''Once I find the owner of that sted defender, I will definitely make him pay with blood.'' The Guild Master of Twisted Destiny gnashed his teeth in anger as he tried to salvage the situation he was in.


    Just as he was about to order his right-hand man to check how many members he still had left in hismand, he felt a stinging pain on the back of his neck.


    A momentter, the Guild Master of Twisted Destiny copsed on the ground and twitched a few times.


    "Guild Master!" The Vice-Guild Master of Twisted Destiny cried out in rm when he saw the arrow that was embedded in the Guild Master''s neck.


    It was the same poison-tipped arrow that the Assassin, who tried to assassinate Lux, had used earlier. For some reason, this same arrownded in the neck of the Dwarf that managed the Guild which was one of Twilight Rain''s coborators.


    "Someone! Help!" the Vice-Guild Master shouted, and several clerics rushed toe to their aid.


    Unfortunately, the poison that was used was very rare, and, unless a specific antidote was used, it was impossible to cure it.


    "My new Master sure is willful," Scarlet grumbled as she returned her bow to her storage ring. "Why must I do these menial chores?"


    Lux had ordered her to assassinate the Guild Masters of the two coborator Guilds of Twilight Rain, while the battle was at its fiercest. This way, she would be able to catch her targets by surprise, andplete her Master''s orders.


    Scarlet gave Lux onest nce before the grumbling Dwarf made herself scarce by heading to where the members of the Arcadian Lords were located.


    For now, the death of Twisted Destiny''s Guild Master would be overshadowed by the Beast Tide that had broken through the main defensive lines of the city.


    Scarlet was confident that before the Guild Master of the Arcadian Lords got wind of what happened to hisrade, he would have already fallen into her hands, apanying the Guild Master of Twisted Destiny to the afterlife.

 Chapter 212 A Gift From A Senior [Part 1]

    "Don''t let them break past the walls!" The General who was in charge of the army ordered, "Fire!"


    Several catapults that were inside Whitebridge city hurled the burning steel balls towards the Beast Tide that had broken past the first and second lines of defense.


    Only the location around where Eternal was stationed wasn''tpletely broken through since they had Diablo on their side, using his Whirlwind sh to eliminate all the enemies within his strike range.


    The Demonic Flying Tiger had decided to ignore the Skeleton Rider and attacked the city alongside the horde of monsters that numbered in the hundreds of thousands.


    Eternal, as well as the other guilds, had safely entered the city thanks to the coverfire of the Army of Gweliven. However, there were two guilds that suffered a great loss in this battle. The first one was Twisted Destiny, who lost more than half of its Elite Members due to the Demonic Flying Tiger that had rampaged in the location that they were guarding. Aside from that, their Guild Master was assassinated, which lowered the morale of the entire guild. The Vice Guild Master immediately rallied the survivors to return to the city to regroup with the main bulk of their forces.


    The Arcadian Lords suffered a simr fate, but not as harsh as what happened to Twisted Destiny. They were faring quite well during the battle, but after their Guild Master was assassinated, the chain ofmand broke apart, allowing Rank 3 up to Rank 5 Alpha Monsters to wreak havoc on their forces.


    Left with no other choice, the Vice Guild Master of the Arcadian Lords also ordered an immediate retreat.


    Now that all the guilds had retreated behind thest defensive wall of the city, the atmosphere had turned tense.


    Everyone knew that if the monsters managed to scale the city walls, the tide would spill into the city center, making the battlefield more chaotic. This was something they didn''t want to happen, so everyone was gritting their teeth in preparation for the intense battle, including Garth, the mayor of Whitebridge City.


    The ming steel balls descended on the horde of monsters, annihting everything in their path. They were one of the main defensive methods of the Dwarven cities, and each ball was created to inflict as much damage as possible, even to Deimos and Argonaut Ranked Monsters that couldn''t be defeated by normal means.


    Several Wind des descended from the sky as the Demonic Flying Tiger flew above the city and unleashed a barrage of attacks aimed at the catapults that were attacking itsrades.


    "Not on my watch!"


    A confident deration echoed inside the city as Nik blocked the Deimos'' Monster''s attack, using over a dozen Elemental Shields that hovered in front of the catapults, keeping them safe.


    "Come down here!" Nik shouted at the Flying Tiger in the sky. "I dare you!"


    He was a ranker that specialized innd battles, and flying enemies weren''t his forte. Even so, he still activated several Earth Spears and hurled them at the flying tiger, but thetter evaded them with ease.


    Lux frowned when he saw this scene. He could tell with a nce that the middle-aged man who was shouting at the Flying Tiger was very strong. However, his strength was useless because his attack couldn''t reach his target.


    It was at that moment when a n appeared inside his head.


    "Colette, stay with your sister," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "I''ll help deal with the Flying Tiger."


    "Okay!" Colette nodded her head in understanding. "Goodluck, Big Brother!"


    The little girl had so much faith in Lux. If the Half-Elf told her that he would defeat an Argonaut Monster on his own, Colette would definitely believe it without fail.


    Aina gave Lux a sidelong nce before shifting her attention to the Flying Tiger that was attacking them from the air. There were other flying monsters within the Beast Tide, but they were easily taken down by the Archers and the Mages who specialized in dealing with flying monsters.


    The only problem was that the Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster''s movement was so erratic, that neither their arrows or magic spells couldnd on its body.


    Two minutester, Lux arrived at the location where the catapults were stationed.


    "Sir, if I can bring that flying monster down from the sky, will you be able to do anything about it?" Lux asked as he looked at the middle-aged man whom he was seeing for the first time.


    "Of course," Nik shed Lux a wide grin. "Rookie, we have high hopes for you. Do you have a n in mind?"


    "Rookie?"


    "Ah. I forgot to tell you that we are on the same team."


    Nik showed the token of the Order of the Griffin to Lux, making the Half-Elf understand why the middle-aged Dwarf addressed him in a familiar manner.


    "Sir, may I know your name?" Lux asked.<sub> </sub>


    "Nik," Nik replied. "Nik Einstein. I am a C-Ranker, and specialize in closebat and Earth Magic."


    Nik had a smug expression on his face as he looked at Lux. He thought that the Half-Elf would be surprised with his deration, but thetter only said, "Oh", and gave a brief nod of understanding.


    What Nik didn''t know was that Lux had been living with a C-Ranker for most of his life, so he wasn''t too surprised about the middle-aged Dwarf''s statement.


    Although his Grandma Vera looked like a friendly old granny on the surface, she could be quite scary whenever someone crossed her bottom line. Lux had seen that side a few times during his childhood.


    "Sir Nik, I can bring that Monster down from the sky. However, you will only have one window of opportunity to deal it a devastating blow that will prevent it from flying ever again."


    "Rx. As long as that little kittyes within my strike range, it is as good as dead."


    Lux could feel the confidence of a Ranker oozing from Nik''s words, so he decided to thicken his face and use this as an opportunity to get some benefits.


    "I can do this for you, Sir Nik, but it will not be for free," Luxmented. "I want the Monster''s corpse as well as its Beast Core."


    "That''s it?" Nik chuckled as he patted Lux''s shoulder. "Such a trivial thing. Okay, you can have it. Consider it a gift from one of your seniors."


    "Thank you very much!"


    "Don''t thank me yet. Let''s bring down that kitty cat first."


    Lux didn''t expect the negotiations to go so smoothly. However, he didn''t realize that the Beast Core of a Deimos Monster, as well as its corpse, although good, was no longer appealing to a Dwarf of Nik''s rank.


    C-Rankers often hunted Argonaut-Ranked Monsters and even Dreadnaught-Ranked Beasts in order to increase their rank, gather monster parts, and gain Beast Cores.


    Also, Niks specialized innd battles. None of the Flying Tiger''s body parts or skills interested him.


    "Let''s go, Rookie!" Nik pounded his two fists together activating his personal buffs to increase his defense, and attack to the next stage. "Show me what you''re made of!"


    None of the members of the Order of the Griffin were useless. Although not all of them were fighters like Nik, each of them had a specialty that allowed them to rise above the others.


    Although Nik didn''t know what Lux''s specialty was, he believed that the King wouldn''t recruit someone, especially not a Half-Elf, to his personal Elite Unit that safeguarded the peace of the Kingdom of Gweliven, if there wasn''t some skill present.


    "It''s time to shine!" Lux shouted while pointing at the Flying Tiger in the air. "Bring it down, Orion!"


    Lux''s fourth Named Creature, the Rock Golem Orion, appeared behind the Half-Elf and roared towards the sky.


    Immediately, as if a kite was being pulled towards the ground, the Flying Tiger''s body made a sharp turn in the sky and descended towards the ground with a frustrated roar.


    Nik grinned evilly as he concentrated his strength in his right arm.


    "Come to daddy!" Nik shouted as he stomped his left foot forward, preparing to unleash his strongest attack. The moment the Flying Tiger appeared within his ability''s strike range, the middle-aged Dwarf blinked in front of the Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster and unleashed a deadly punch that could shatter boulders into hundreds of pieces.


    "Earth Dragon Smash!"


    Immediately, a cry of pain reverberated in the surroundings before the ground trembled violently.


    The Flying Tiger that terrorized the Dwarven Army was smashed towards the ground, creating a hundred-wide crater.


    "Amazing!" Lux stared in awe at the middle-aged Dwarf who was now standing on the body of the Deimos Monster that suffered from serious injuries with just a single punch from the C-Ranked Dwarf.


    Although Nik was less than five feet tall, the power that was radiating from his small body was the same power that Lux had coveted all his life.


    The Half-Elf had always wanted to be a Ranker, like his Grandma Vera. Now that he was fighting alongside someone whom he had aspired to be, Lux felt that the dream that he had in the past, was slowly, but surely, bing a reality.

 Chapter 213 A Gift From A Senior [Part 2]

    The ground trembled, as Nik unleashed a barrage of punches that buried the Flying Tiger deeper into the ground with every punch that he unleashed.


    Several earth spikes had jutted out of the ground and shredded the Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster''s wings, preventing it from flying away.


    The monster was unable to mount any counterattack and was forced to endure Nik''s one-sided blows that brought it closer to death.


    "Die!" Nik shouted as his right hand shed for a brief moment before he smashed it into the Flying Tiger''s head, shattering its skull.


    The monster gave onest unwilling roar of frustration before itpletely stopped moving.


    Nik faced Lux and gave him a thumbs up, which the Half-Elf returned with a thumbs up of his own. A momentter, the giant body of the Flying Tiger disappeared.


    The middle-aged Dwarf looked down on a baby, blue Slime that was jumping happily on the ground, looking very pleased.


    After Eiko took the body of the Deimos Monster using the Enchanted Beast Ring in her possession, she hurried back to her Papa, and crawled up on his body, until she was snugly perched on top of his head.


    "Eiko, you''re too excited," Lux said softly. "The monster was already ours. It was not going anywhere."


    "Pa." Eiko nodded her head in understanding.


    "The Beast Core is yours, but the monster parts are mine, okay?"


    "Pa!"


    "Good."


    Nik watched the exchange between Lux and the baby Slime with great interest. At first nce, the baby Slime was just an ordinary Slime that could be seen anywhere in the Kingdom of Gweliven. But, he believed that Eiko was different from the other Slimes that he had seen in the past.


    As someone who had achieved his rank, he trusted his gut instincts very much. And his gut was telling him that the baby Slime that was perched on the Halff-Elf''s head was a creature that could perhaps one day, rival a dragon.


    "Thanks for your help, Rookie," Nik said as he walked towards Lux. "Although the Flying Tiger had been dealt with, the battle is far from over. You can return to the ramparts, but be wary of the Monster that leads the horde. It is something that even I will not be able to fight alone."


    Lux could sense the trace of concern in Nik''s voice which had surprised him. If a C-Ranker was feeling weary, it only meant that the opponent was stronger than him.


    "An Argonaut Ranked Monster?" Lux inquired in a voice so low that only Nik was able to hear.


    Nik nodded. "Close, but not quite. The Monster leading the Horde is an Alpha-Ranked Argonaut Monster that is known to us Rankers as a Lesser Demogorgon. If this was a full-fledged Demogorgon, I would have already ran away because that monster is simply too powerful for someone like me to handle.<sub> </sub>


    "But, even though I say it''s a Lesser Demogorgon, it is still a Demogorgon. Only Holy, Life, and Divine Magic can pierce its defenses. Right now, we don''t have someone like that here in the city. The best thing I can do is fight it to a stalemate and prevent it from advancing towards the city."


    Lux could see the worry on Nik''s face, which told him that the monster was not as simple as he described it to be. Even so, this was something that was far from his reach.


    Deep inside, he wondered if Keoza was stronger than the Lesser Demogorgon that the middle-aged Dwarf told him about. He could only summon the Crystal Dragon two more times, and it was his life saving trump card.


    Unless he was pushed in a corner, Lux wouldn''t use the Dragon Token to fight against the Lesser Demogorgon if he could help it.


    "Don''t worry, even though I can''t beat it, I am confident that I can keep it at bay," Niks said after seeing the trace of anxiousness in the Half-Elf''s face. "Also, it is the only Argonaut-Ranked Monster in this Beast Tide. all the other threats haVE been dealt with, so as long as we endure thISst wave of attacks, we can count this as a victory."


    Lux nodded his head in agreement. Thinking about these things that were outside of his control was just a waste of time. If push came to shove, he would just retreat alongside his friends, as well as the Eternal Guild.


    "I''m going back to my friends, Sir Nik," Lux stated.


    "Go," Nik replied. "Leave the troublesome things to the adults. We are old enough to handle these things."


    Lux gave the middle-aged Dwarf a brief nod before heading towards the City Walls.


    Nik watched him go with a sigh before looking towards the sky.


    "I should have asked his Majesty to bring one more ranker with me," Nik said with resignation. "If there are two of us here, we might find a way to beat the Lesser Demogorgon."


    What Nik didn''t tell Lux was that the Demogorgons were not only as strong as dragons themselves, but were capable of casting magic, in addition to being able to fight in closebat. It was proficient at both, and deadly on both fronts.


    Having two heads, one that specialize in magic casting, and one in physical fighting, it is one of the opponents that even Rankers like him found to be too troublesome to fight.


    Nik had fought one in the past, but he wasn''t alone. There were two more rankers with him, but even with the three of thembined, the only thing that they managed to do was to make the monster flee.


    It was simply too powerful for C-Rankers to handle, and only A-Rankers and above could effectively deal with these beasts that hade from the Abyss.


    "I just hope it goes away on its own," Nik muttered as he made his way back to the Mayor''s side, who was also on the ramparts,manding the city guards. "If not, may the Gods help us all."


    ��-

 Chapter 214 Visitor From The Abyss

    Three hours had passed ever since the start of the defensive battle of Whitebridge City.


    The defenders were about to get tired in fighting against the seemingly unending horde of monsters that were now doing their best to climb up the city walls, even if it meant using each other as a stepping stone to breakthrough the line of defense, which all the Dwarves were painstakingly trying to maintain.


    Aina panted, catching her breath, as she swung her sword to cut off a monster''s w, sending it falling from the wall, crushing itsrades down below.


    Although her guild, Eternal, had now taken the lead in the rankings, the doll-like beauty was more concerned about the welfare of her guild members.


    The mages were exhausted after continuously casting spell, after spell, after spell. The archers had already run out of arrows, and those who could use their own magical energy to create elemental arrows, were suffering from mana exhaustion just like the mages.


    The warriors, who boasted great physical strength, could only barely lift the weapons in their hands and swing them at the enemies that were now scaling the walls of the city.


    There was also the issue of flying monsters that would harass them from the sky. It wasn''t easy for the archers and the mages to shoot them down. However, after running out of ammunition and mana, the hundreds of flying monsters that remained posed a serious risk to the struggling defenders, who were now on the verge of copse.


    ''Not good,'' Aina thought as she swung her sword to save one of her Shield Warriors who could no longer lift his shield to defend himself from a wolf-type monster that had jumped over the wall.


    Just after Aina sessfully blocked the wolf''s attack, a six-meter-long serpent appeared behind her and lunged at her blindspot.


    "Sister!" Colette shouted as she smashed her mace against the underside of the serpent''s jaw, giving it an uppercut, and changing the trajectory of its attack.


    The Serpent was a Rank 3 Monster called Blue-Scaled Mamba, so the only thing that Colette had done was make it angrier. When the monster was about tounch another attack against the two Dwarf girls, an energy ballposed of light and dark magic smashed into its head, which pushed its serpentine body off the wall, making it fall down on the other side of the wall.


    "Thank you, Whitey, ckie!" Colette shouted as the Angel and Devil Slime flew above their heads to continue helping the defenders fend off the monster army.


    "To those who are no longer able to fight, retreat to the za of the city!" Aina ordered. "Those who can still wield their weapons and cast spells, rally to me!"


    ""Yes!""


    Aina''s call was answered by her loyal guild members. Those who were unable to fight any longer had to force themselves to follow the order because they knew that they would just burden their Guild Master, who had already stepped up many times to save their lives.


    Those who could still fight, gritted their teeth as they fought with everything they had.


    ''Everyone is nearing their limit,'' Lux frowned as he scanned the surroundings.


    He had already summoned Ishtar, and his Skeleton Grand Archers to attack the flying monsters that were doing sneak attacks from the sky.


    The Skeleton Fighters were assisting the retreating members of the Eternal Guild, and protecting them from harm.


    In order to lessen the burden that the Eternal Guild was facing, he even ordered Diablo to stand directly under the wall where Aina''s Guild was defending. Unfortunately, the other guilds didn''t have the inexhaustible Undead Warriors to help them protect their stations, which were now being overrun by monsters.


    ''Scarlet, are you sure that no Reapers are left in Whitebridge City?,'' Lux asked through telepathy. All the creatures under hismand could be talked to in this matter, as long as they were within a two-mile radius from Lux.


    ''I am not entirely sure,'' Scarlet replied. ''But, I already killed four Reapers. I don''t think they would send more of them, knowing that Sid and I are the ones that are supposed to kill you.''


    Lux could only take a gamble right now because he needed all the help he could get at the moment.


    ''Scarlet, for now, continue to monitor if there are any Reapers around,'' Lux ordered. ''Also, your priority is to protect Aina. As for you, Sid, stop defending Aina and just focus on eliminating as many monsters as you can in this location.''


    ''I understand, Master,'' Sid replied. ''I will do my best.''


    The two Assassins were Initiates, so they were more than capable when it came to dealing with small fries that were scaling the walls. However, since there was still a threat of assasination, he could only order Sid to go deal with the offense, leaving Scarlet with the defense.


    Just as Lux was about to summon Orion to help with the defense, he heard a loud shoute from behind him.<sub> </sub>


    "Everyone, brace yourselves for impact!" Nik shouted.


    As soon as this warning reached everyone''s ears, a loud explosion took ce, sending Aina and her guild members, who were near her, flying off the wall of the city.


    Lux, who was dozens of meters away from the point of impact, could only gasp in shock upon seeing a three-meter-tall hole on the wall where Aina and her defenders stood a minute ago.


    The Half-Elf''s sixth sense screamed for him to get off the wall as soon as he could, so he immediately jumped off the wall, just in time for a second explosion that hit where he was standing just a few seconds ago.


    A rocky hand reached out and caught the Half-Elf as he was about to fall on the ground.


    "Thank you, Orion," Lux said as he nced at the ramparts that were now partially destroyed due to the explosion.


    A minuteter, he saw a long tentacle-like arm grab hold of the rampart. What happened next made the Half-Elf shudder.


    A creature, which he was seeing for the first time, appeared in front of his eyes. It had a humanoid appearance, with the exception of its two heads, which didn''t even look like heads. They were more like one of those carnivorous nts with razor sharp teeth in its maw. However, instead of one head, there were two of them, making Lux subconsciously shudder.


    Out of reflex, Lux activated his Elysium Compendium to appraise the monster above him. The information before his eyes made him draw cold breath.


    ��-


    < Lesser Demogorgon >


    �C Abomination from the Abyss


    �C Wandering Field Boss


    �C Alpha-Ranked Argonaut Monster


    Health: 70,000,000 / 70,000,000


    Mana: 17,500,000 / 17,500,000


    Strength: ?????


    Intelligence: ?????


    Vitality: ?????


    Agility: ????


    Dexterity:????


    �C A Lesser Demogorgon is a monster born from the abyss. It has incredible strength, and is proficient in close and magicalbat. Anyone below the rank of a Rankers are just prey to this beast. If you happen to see one during your journeys, it will be best to run as far away as you can before it sets its sights on you.


    �C If you stare into the abyss the abyss will stare back at you.


    ��---


    "S-Sh*t." Lux could feel the color draining from his face as he stared at the Monster that hade from the abyss.


    He had long heard about these Abyssal Monsters from his Grandma, and she said that they were the natural enemies of both Elysians and Sians alike. Now that he was staring at one of them, he now understood why they were considered a universal threat to every living creature in the world.

 Chapter 215 This Is Payback. Enjoy Your Trip To Hell

    "Everyone get back!"


    Nik''s shout reverberated in the city before a giant hand, made up of rock, smashed into the Lesser Demogorgon''s body, sending it flying back out of the city.


    However, the middle-aged Dwarf didn''t end his counterattack there. Nik raised his hands and several earth spikes jutted upwards from the ramparts of the city wall, annihting all the monsters on top of it.


    These spikes then moved like a saw, continuously shredding the rest of the monsters that were still climbing over the city walls.


    "Are you alright?" Lux ran towards Aina, who was currently being supported by Colette.


    Aina shook her head, "I just sprained my ankle. But I already applied healing magic on it. It will recover in a minute or two, but I''m very exhausted and can no longer fight."


    "Looking at your expressionless face, I find it hard to believe that you are exhausted," Luxmented.


    "How rude. I get tired like everyone else."


    "Well, I guess you do have a point. Let''s retreat for now. Sir Nik will handle the rest."


    Lux then summoned his Skeleton Fighters and Skeleton Grand Archers. He then ordered them to pick up Aina, Colette, and the rest of the Dwarves that had fallen from the explosion earlier.


    The Skeletons had only taken a dozen steps when Lux suddenly frowned before looking at the walls of the city. As if waiting for him to do that, Diablo''s body was hurled over the walls, crashing a few meters away from where Lux was standing.


    A few secondster, the Skeleton Rider turned into particles of light. Diablo''s attack and defense had increased to over three hundred thousand, and yet, the Lesser Demogorgon was able to defeat him easily due to one of its unique Skills called "Abyss Touch".


    Simr to Diablo''s Ethereal Damage, this ability ignored all defenses, and dealt true damage to the Lesser Demogorgon''s enemy.


    Without batting an eye, Lux once again summoned Diablo. The earlier boosts in attack and defense that he had umted had been reset. But, the effect of Bloody Fervor started to activate once again, increasing Diablo''s damage and defense at a rapid pace.


    "Fall back!" Nik shouted. "I will not be able to block it for long!"


    Lux, Aina, and Colette knew that they would only hinder Nik if they stayed, so they immediately evacuated the scene, leaving the Ranker to deal with the Monster from the Abyss alone.


    Suddenly, a loud explosion took ce. When the dust settled, the city gates of Whitebridge Cityy in rubble, and the Lesser Demogorgon walked past it, with an intimidating aura.


    Nik pressed his hands together before mming it full force on the ground. A few secondster, a thirty-meter tall boulder materialized in front of him and was hurled at the Abyssal Creature, whose body had turned a shade darker.


    The Lesser Demogorgon let out an ear-piercing shriek before using its tentacle-like hand to cut the boulder in half.


    Nik clicked his  tongue when he saw that his attack didn''t work. Just as he was about to follow up his attack, a giant wind de descended from the sky, which cut off the tentacle arm of the Abyssal Monster, making it shriek in pain.


    "What took you so long?!" Nik shouted. "If you didn''te sooner, I might have died, you know?"


    "Hahaha, sorry," a Dwarf who looked to be in his early twenties with silver-white hair said in a carefree manner. "I didn''t know that you couldn''t even handle a weak Lesser Gorgon by yourself."


    "Bastard, give me a hundred more years and I''ll wipe the floor with that Lesser Gorgon and you at the same time!"


    "Tsk. If I knew that you would be this ungrateful, then I wouldn''t havee. Okay, fine. I''ll leave. You handle this yourself."


    Nik almost choked after hearing the Dwarf''s words. He knew that if hisrade left now, he would be hard pressed to resist the Lesser Demogorgon on his own.


    "I was just joking, you know?" Nikughed in a carefree manner. "I''ll treat you to a mug of your favorite drink in the Capital. Can you help me deal with this rascal first?"


    "Well, since you begged me nicely, I guess I have no choice," the silver-haired Dwarf said with a smile. "But, I want two mugs, okay?"


    "Just one mug!"


    "Ohh�� I no longer feel motivated to fight. Only three cups of my favorite drink will restore my mood."


    "Y-You bastard! Are you nning to take my entire month''s sry in one sitting?"


    The silver-haired Dwarf gave Nik the "if you don''t like it then I''ll leave" gaze, which made thetter feel his liver ache from frustration and anger.


    "Fine! Three mugs then!"


    "Now we''re talking!"


    The silver-haired Dwarf was about to say more, but the Lesser Demogorgon had unleashed a giant fireball in his direction, making the Dwarf frown.


    "Don''t interrupt us, fiend," the silver-haired Dwarf waved his hand in a casual manner and dispersed the fireball using his wind magic.<sub> </sub>


    The Dwarf then red at the screaming monster, who was conjuring another spell on its left hand.


    "I guess you''re eager to be put in your ce that badly," the silver-haired Dwarf stated. "Fine, I''ll y with you for a bit. I just hope that you won''t break that easily."


    ��--


    On that day, Lux and the other defenders of Whitebridge City witnessed a scene which made them feel both fear and excitement at the same time.


    Fear, because an Elder Wind Elemental appeared above Whitebridge City and conjured three Living Hurricanes which were strong enough to wipe them all from the face of the world.


    Excitement, because the Elder Wind Elemental was fighting on their side, andmanded his Summons to suck up all the Monsters in the vicinity, and shred them to bits.


    The Lesser Demogorgon roared in anger as the Elder Wind Elemental trapped it in a whirlwind, allowing the silver-haired Dwarf to attack it without any means to defend itself.


    "Time to end this," the silver-haired Dwarf said as he raised his hand forming a gigantic crackling spear made up of the element of wind and lightning.


    "Ultima Spear!"


    The wind howled as the spear flew straight towards its target, who had erected a barrier to protect itself. However, this barriersted only for a few seconds before it broke apart, allowing the Ultima Spear to pierce through its body, disintegrating it until only its Beast Core was left.


    The silver-haired Dwarf waved his hand, and the Beast Core flew in his direction.


    "Say, Nik, that is the rumored Half-Elf, right?" the silver-haired Dwarf asked before ncing at the Half-Elf who was looking at him in awe. "Ourtest member?"


    "Aye, that he is," Nik replied.


    The silver-haired Dwarf hummed before ying with the obsidian colored Beast-Core in his hand.


    "Here," the silver-haired Dwarf said as he tossed the Argonaut-Ranked Beast Core towards Nik. "Tell him that this is a gift from one of his seniors."


    Nik caught the Beast Core. He grumpily looked at the silver-haired Dwarf who was also the strongest member of the Order of the Griffon. "Why don''t you give it to him yourself?"


    "Now is not the right time," the silver-haired Dwarf answered. "If he bes strong enough to travel to the Capital City, then I will personally meet him. But now, he''s still not ready."


    Nik snorted, but he could also understand what their leader was saying. "Fine. I''ll give this to himter."


    The silver-haired Dwarf nodded. "Don''t forget your promise. I will wait for your return to the Capital."


    Without saying another word, the silver-haired Dwarf flew upwards and disappeared in a matter of seconds. He couldn''t leave the Capital City for long, sinc his duty was to always be by the King''s side.


    He only came to Whitebridge City because Nik had sent him an urgent request for help. As the leader of the Order of the Griffin, he just couldn''t ignore the request of one of the pirs that ensured the safety of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    After the great battle ended, cheers rang out from the city as all the Dwarves celebrated their victory. Now that the Beast Tide was over, everyone could only feel happy that they had survived such a cmity.


    "Big Brother, let''s eat dinner together!" Colette said with a smile. "My treat!"


    "Very well," Lux replied. "I''ll be happy to have dinn�C"


    Colette, who was standing in front of her Big Brother screamed when he saw a de pierce through the Half-Elf''s chest.


    A secondter, the de was pulled out and a hooded figure immediately ran away, leaving the Half-Elf, clutching his chest that was now soaked with his blood. Everything happened so fast that no one was able to react to the assant, who had chosen the moment, when they had rxed their guard because the battle was over, to attack.


    "Big Brother!"


    "Pa!"


    "I-I''m alri��" Lux wasn''t able to finish his words before he copsed on the ground.


    Soon, the za suddenly became chaotic as the Dwarves, who were celebrating with Lux only minutes ago, scrambled to help the fallen Half-Elf, as well as pursue the attacker that had stabbed him in the back.


    Before Lux''s vision failed him, the words that the assassin had said to him reyed inside his mind.


    "This is payback. Enjoy your trip to hell."


    That was thest thing that the Half-Elf thought before Colette''s and Eiko''s screams were silenced by the darkness that came crashing over him without any shred of mercy.

 Chapter 216 This Is What You Get For Going Against Twilight Rain

    "Big Brother!"


    "Paaaaaaaaaa!"


    Colette and Eiko held onto Lux as Aina and the Clerics of her guild tried to heal his injury.


    "Guild Master, the de that the attacker used missed his heart by a centimeter," One of the Cleric reported. "However, it has a very potent poison. As we speak, it is rapidly spreading inside his body. At this rate, he won''tst for more than a few minutes."


    "Do you have the antidote or any mean to stop the spread of the poison?" Aina asked. Her expression remained the same, but her eyes betrayed the anxiety in her heart.


    The Cleric and herrades shook their heads. "This is a new type of poison, and I''ve only seen for the first time today. I''m afraid��"


    "Pa!"  Eiko''s body glowed as she used her skill "Cure" to cure the poison that was spreading inside her Papa''s body.


    "Pa!"


    "Pa!"


    "Pa!"


    Eiko repeatedly used her ability as her tears streamed down the side of her face. However, the only thing she was able to do was dy the spread of the poison for a few seconds before it continued its invasion on the Half-Elf''s body.


    "Wuwuwu." Eiko knew that her skill wasn''t working, but she still desperately continued using her Cure ability over and over again.


    "Can I have a look at him?" a dwarf who was wearing a noble''s robe knelt down beside the Half-Elf whose face was slowly growing pale. "I have knowledge about medicine. Maybe I can help him."


    "You are��" Aina frowned after recognizing the man. "The personal bodyguard of the Head of the Merchant Guild, Ferron."


    "It is an honor to be recognized by the Warrior Princess," Ferron replied with a smile. "Is it possible for me to check his condition?"


    "Yes," Aina nodded. "Please, help him."


    "I will do my best." Ferron ced his hand over the injury on Lux''s chest and activated his diagnostic skill.


    He didn''t lie when he said that he was proficient when it came to medicine because he was an alchemist that dabbled in the use of drugs and poisons. However, his hand shook when he saw the poison that was spreading inside the Half-Elf''s body because he had instantly recognized it.


    "Jade World Dragon!" Ferron eximed. "The poison is from the blood of the Jade World Dragon!"


    Aina''s body shuddered after hearing Ferron''s words. The Jade World Dragon was an Empyrean Ranked creature, which was two ranks higher than an Argonaut-Ranked Monster.


    It was a monster that could only be found at the Jade Forest, which even High-Rankers dare not explore. That was how dangerous the forest was. There were few asions when the blood of the Jade World Dragon was ced on auction houses, and, every time, its final price was astronomical due to how rare it was.


    The blood of this type of dragon could cure almost any kind of poisons, as well as other serious illnesses that couldn''t be cured through the use of abilities. However, if the blood of this dragon was mixed with the blood of a Hydra, it would create a poison that could only be cured using the untainted blood of the Jade World Dragon.


    ? "Guild Master, I''m sorry," Ferron shook his head. "There''s nothing more that I can do."


    "No! That can''t be!" Colette held Lux''s hand and squeezed it tightly. "Big Brother! You promised that we will still go on adventures together! Please! Don''t die!"


    "Paaaa!" Eiko nudged her head on Lux''s cheeks, who had grown as pale as a candle. "Wuwuwuwu!"


    Aina looked at the Half-Elf with aplicated look on her face before closing her eyes. She was clenching her fist so hard, that if it weren''t for the gauntlets she was wearing, she would have already drawn blood on the palm of her hands.


    Ferron stood up and nced at his Employer before shaking his head. The Head of the Merchant Guild nodded his head in understanding before ncing at the Half-Elf who was as good as dead.


    A minuteter, a long and deep sigh escaped Lux''s lips as his heart finally stopped beating.


    Sid, who was standing not far away, turned into particles of light.<sub> </sub>


    Scarlet, who had hidden herself inside a house, looked at her hands that were slowly turning into particles of light. A sigh then escaped her lips before her entire body shattered into hundreds of glowing orbs that disappeared a few secondster.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Orion, as well as the other Skeletons under Lux''smand, turned to ashes, and disintegratedpletely.


    Such was the fate of summoned creatures when their Master died. It was aw that no summoned creature could escape from.


    "Paaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Eiko''s sad shout reverberated in the za when she felt that her Papa''s heart had stopped beating.


    The Clerics beside Lux shook their heads as they made the sign of the Goddess of Life over Lux''s body to give him their blessings for his journey to the afterlife.


    "Make way!" Nik shouted as he rushed towards Lux, who had breathed hisst.


    After cing his hand on the Half-Elf''s neck the C-Ranker closed his eyes with a regretful look on his face.


    "Is there anyone here his rtive?" Nik asked. "Is there anyone here who can take him back to his hometown?"


    Usually, when Foreigners die, those who live in the same hometown would take their bodies back to Sis to be buried. That had been the custom since the Sians gained the means to travel to Elysium.


    "Big Brother came here in Elysium alone," Colette answered as she fought the tears that were falling from her eyes. "He doesn''t have anyone to bring him back home."


    "... What a pity." Nik sighed. "Very well. In behalf of the bravery that he had presented today, I will ask his Majesty to bury him in this kingdom. Although he is a foreigner, he fought for us with everything he had. This is the only thing we can do for him."


    Nik picked up the Half-Elf from the ground, and looked at the Baby Slime who was still crying her heart out.


    "I will now take my leave," Nik dered. "Take care, everyone."


    Colette wanted to go with Nik to give Lux her final farewell, but Aina held onto her and prevented her from following them. Even though Colette tried to escape from her hold, her sister''s hand wouldn''t budge.


    Aina even ordered her Officers to ensure that Matty, as well as Colette''s other friends, wouldn''t follow Nik and create a scene.


    Just as Nik was about to arrive at the Teleportation Gate, he saw a dwarf wearing very expensive clothing blocking his way.


    "Is there something you need, Sir Lucius?" Nik asked. "I didn''t know that the Head of the Merchant Guild of Whitebridge City is interested in the dead?"


    "Sir Nik, it has been a while since we saw each other," Lucius replied as he walked towards the C-Ranker who was carrying the Half-Elf in his arms. "I just came to give my final respect to one of the unsung heroes of our kingdom. It''s truly a pity, the one and only Half-Elf in the Dwarven Kingdom had died tragically."


    Lucius didn''t hesitate to ce his hand over Lux''s hand that was resting over his chest. A momentter, he pulled his hand back and gave an exaggerated sigh that grated on Nik''s ears.


    "Truly a pity," Lucius said. "I hope his majesty gives him a proper burial. That is the least that we can do for him."


    "You don''t have to tell me that," Nik snorted. "That is what I am nning to do."


    Without another word, Nik entered the Teleportation Gate, leaving Lucius, who was looking at his back with a sneer.


    ''This is what you get for going against Twilight Rain,'' Lucius gloated inside his heart. ''No matter how strong an Apostle is, it is still an Apostle. I''m sure that the Guild Master will be pleased after hearing this news. Scarlet had done well.''


    Although the red-haired assassin was wearing a robe, Lucius had been able to get a glimpse of the long red hair that she was well-known for.


    The Head of the Merchant Guild chuckled as he thought of the profits that he would make by offering his services to help the city rebuild.


    For him, this was a great day. Not only was the pest that almost shut down his operation in Whitebridge City dead, but he would also be able to profit from the Gweliven Kingdom.


    For a merchant like him, this was a win-win situation that benefited him in more ways than one.

 Chapter 217 I Hope You Return This Favor In The Future

    After taking an exclusive Teleportation Gate that would instantly send him to the Capital City of the Dwarven Kingdom, Nik headed to the Headquarters of the Order of the Griffin under the cover of darkness.


    "Wuwuwu."


    "Don''t cry, little one. Just wait a little bit longer."


    Eiko''s tears had already covered Lux''s face as she kept on nudging the Half-Elf''s forehead with her own. The baby Slime was heartbroken due to Lux''s sudden death, and she couldn''t stop herself from crying.


    Nik sighed as he looked at the baby Slime, who influenced him to also feel depressed. He never thought that he would be affected by a Monster crying for its Master, just like the baby Blue Slime did for Lux.


    After entering a mansion at the outskirts of the capital, Nik used his right foot to open the secret passage that led underground.


    Several minutes passed as he walked down the secret path that led directly to their Headquarters.


    The moment he opened the door, four Dwarves turned their heads to look at him.


    "So you''re finally here," Nevreal said as he nced at the dead Half-Elf in Nik''s arms. "Lay him down on the table."


    Nik nodded and gentlyid Lux''s body on the table that the others had prepared for him.


    "Charles, do the honors," Nevreal made a gesture for one of hisrades whom he had forced to be one of their coborators in the Whitebridge City''s operation.


    Charles nodded and took out a metal syringe from his storage ring. Inside it was a purplish liquid that he had created a year ago.


    "All this trouble for a rookie," Charles grumbled. "I just hope he doesn''t disappoint us."


    As soon as the serum waspletely injected inside Lux''s body, the Half-Elf''s body jolted as if it was given an electric shock.


    A momentter, the Half-Elf inhaled deeply as if taking his first breath in the world.


    "Still, I can''t believe that someone was able to gain an immunity against the Jade World Dragon''s Poison," Charles muttered as he ced his fingers over the Half-Elf''s wrist to check his condition. "I''m very tempted to open him up and study what makes him tick."


    "Don''t do that," Nik said. "That Baby Slime had been crying non-stop since he died. It is best to limit yourself to the prisoners we captured from Twilight Rain."


    Charles snorted. "Fine."


    Eiko, who had been crying earlier, suddenly stopped crying when she felt her Papa''s heart start beating again. To make sure that she wasn''t hearing things, she crawled towards Lux''s chest and closed her eyes in order to feel, and hear, his heartbeat.


    When she confirmed that Lux''s heart had indeed started beating again, the Baby Slime was overjoyed and hastily crawled back to Lux''s forehead. After that, she spat a blob of water on the Half-Elf''s face, which made thetter open his eyes in shock.


    "E-Eiko?"


    "Wuwuwu!"


    The Half-Elf struggled to raise his hand to lightly pat the crying baby Elime on his forehead. He had already told Eiko about the n, and even made sure that she understood that Scarlet would assassinate him in front of everyone, so the news of his death would reach the ears of Twilight Rain as soon as possible.


    What he didn''t know was that Eiko thought that he was just joking.


    When he died in front of her, the Baby Slime hadpletely forgotten what Lux had told her a day ago and felt heartbroken by his death.


    In truth, Lux didn''t die from the Poison of the Jade World Dragon. He "died" from a different kind of poison, which would temporarily stop his heartbeat and make him appear to be dead. As long as he was given the antidote within the next 24 hours, he would wake up instantly.


    If not, then he would remain dead forever.


    This was a poison that Charles had invented just in case some of the members of the Order of the Griffin needed to y dead for a short period of time.


    The funny thing about this poison was that when a diagnostic spell was used, it would appear as if the victim had been poisoned by the blood of the Empyrean Dragon, whose blood could fetch a price into the tens of millions.


    "I hate to interrupt your reunion. But, now that you are dead, what do you n to do next?" Nevreal said as he walked beside Lux who was coaxing the baby slime to stop spitting water on his head.


    Eiko was relieved but also very angry at Lux for doing something so reckless, so she kept on spitting water on him as payback for making her cry.


    Lux held the baby slime with both of his hands and ced her on his chest, so that he could talk to the middle-aged Dwarf who had set this whole n into motion.


    "I will return to my hometown and will stay there for two to three months," Lux replied. "That way, Twilight Rain will not doubt that I am dead."


    Nevreal nodded his head in understanding. "What about your friends? Those kids are sure to be feeling depressed right now."


    Lux sighed as he thought of Colette and her friends, who were sure to be devastated because of his death. Even so, he made sure that Aina would handle the rest and tell them that he was safe and sound.


    "Truth be told, I''m a little scared to meet them right now," Lux said before a blob of waternded on his face, making him wince.


    After shaking his head side to side like a dog, Eiko giggled in his hands, which allowed Lux to continue the things he wanted to say to Nevreal.


    "If Eiko is already reacting like this, I''m sure they will want to have a piece of me when I appear in front of them," Lux stated. "It will be best if I lie low for a bit."


    Nevreal nodded. "We will assign an Initiate to serve as a bodyguard to the Guild Master of Eternal. I don''t know if they will send Reapers to end her life, just as they did for you, but it is in the Kingdom''s interest that she remains alive to serve as Whitebridge City''s Protector."


    "That is for the best. Thank you, Sir Nevreal."


    "You owe us a lot from this, boy. I hope you return this favor in the future."<sub> </sub>


    The fourth Dwarf inside the room turned around and left without another word. It was too soon for him to talk to Lux, and he only stayed because he wanted to make sure that he was fine.


    Nik then approached Lux and gave him the Beast Core of the Lesser Demogorgon which instantly caught Eiko''s eye.


    However, to his surprise, Eiko only crawled towards the Beast Core in Lux''s hand before reluctantly giving it a lick.


    As if having tasted something extremely bitter, the Baby Slime''s started to spit water on the floor as if trying to cleanse her mouth from something very foul.


    Nik chuckled after seeing this scene before ncing at Lux.


    "Beast Cores extracted from Abyssal Monsters are usually not liked by other Monsters," Nik stated. "However, they contain very potent skills that are exclusive to Abyss Type Monsters. I hope that you get lucky and get a decent Skill from it. Who knows? It mighte in handy in the future."


    Lux gazed at the ck Beast Core in his hand before giving the middle-aged dwarf a grateful look. "Thank you, Sir Nik. I will not forget this favor."


    "No." Nik shook his head. "That Beast Core didn''te from me, but from our Leader. When you get stronger, you will have the opportunity to meet him in the future. You can thank him then."


    Lux smiled as he once again looked at the ck Beast Core in his hand. He would never forget his encounter with the Lesser Demogorgon.


    ''That monster was stronger than Keoza,'' Lux mused as he gazed at the Beast Core in his hand. ''If that silver-haired Dwarf hadn''te to our rescue, we might have all died in Whitebridge City.''


    While Lux was deep in thought, Nik, and Charles left the room, leaving only Nevreal behind.


    "There is something important that I need to take care of in the next couple of months," Nevreal stated. "It might be possible that you will not be able to contact me, or any member of the Order of the Griffin at that time. Just in case that happens, do not do anything remotely dangerous like you did today. You only have one life. Make sure that you treasure it."


    Lux nodded and thanked Nevreal.


    After giving him a few more reminders, Nevreal left the room and proceeded to return to the Royal Pce.


    Since Lux could return to Sis with the power of the Arondight Ring in his hand, he didn''t need to leave their Headquarters to go to the Teleportation Gate in the Capital City.


    Several agents of Twilight Rain were stationed in the city and it would be very easy for them to identify Lux since he was the only Half-Elf in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Great lengths had been taken in order to orchestrate his death, and he was not stupid enough to put all of those efforts to waste.


    "Aina, I hope that you exin it properly to Colette and the others," Lux muttered as he ced the still pouting Eiko on top of his head. "I will apologize to them the next time we see each other. Although it pains me to part in this manner, it is the only way that I can protect them as well."


    Lux took a deep breath as he stood in the center of the room.


    "Sid, Scarlet,e," Lux ordered as he summoned the Coffin that housed his two loyal subordinates.


    "Wee back, Master," Sid bowed respectfully.


    "Since you are alive, it means that we have seeded," Scarletmented from the side.


    Lux smiled as he looked at the two assassins that were now serving under him. Although they tried to hide it, he was able to trace the anxiety in their voice.


    As long as Lux was alive, they could live.


    If Lux died, they would be sealed in the coffin for eternity.


    "Sid, I will be away for a few months," Lux said as he looked at the Dhampir who was looking at him with a serious expression on his face. "You can stay with your sisters in Leaf Vige for a month. Emma is going to stay in Whitebridge City and work with Aina in order to be stronger.


    "Until I return, you are free to do whatever you want so you won''t feel left behind by Scarlet, who is now going to be a yer Candidate."


    Sid nodded his head in understanding. "As youmand, Master."


    Lux then shifted his attention to Scarlet, who was looking at him with anticipation.


    "Return to Twilight Rain," Lux ordered. "Do not make contact with me and just focus on bing a Ranker. I don''t care how long it takes, but the moment you be a Ranker, you wille to find me. That is an order."


    "Very well," Scarlet replied. "I will do my end of the bargain."


    "Both of you may go. I hope that next time we meet, both of you will be stronger than ever before."


    "Yes! Master!"


    "That''s a given."


    Lux waved his hand and sent the two Assassins on the Save Point he had created using the ckfire Coffin in Oakwood Town. This was to ensure that the location of their Headquarters would remain a secret.


    Even though he trusted his two subordinates, it was still better to keep the location a secret to ensure the safety of the other members of the order.


    "Are you ready to go, Eiko?"


    "Pa!"


    Lux then ced his right hand over his chest. He had already done everything he needed to do in Elysium, and it was now time to go back home and focus on the tournament that was about to take ce.


    "Open! Heaven''s Gate!"

 Chapter 218 Those Who Dwell In The Abyss

    "Eiko, hey�� Eiko, look! It''s your favorite Beast Core," Lux shook a Rank 4 Beast Core in front of the pouting baby Slime, but Eiko just ignored him.


    After returning to Sis, the baby Slime stuck herself to Great Grandma Vera''s side like glue, refusing to take even a single step away from thetter,pletely ignoring her Papa.


    Vera could only smile at the baby Slime''s antics, because she knew why Eiko was acting this way.


    Lux had told her about everything that had transpired in Elysium, and even the mild mannered Vera hadn''t been able to stop herself from flicking her beloved grandson''s forehead for doing what he did.


    Although the n worked, and he hadpletely hoodwinked the organization known as Twilight Rain, Lux had hurt many people''s feelings in the process.


    Vera understood that what her grandson did was the best solution he could think of, and even she found that��during the time that her adoptive grandson had been in Elysium��he had be quite resourceful.


    "When you return to Elysium after the tournament, make sure to apologize to those poor kids properly. I''m sure that they felt heartbroken after your fake death, and they might hate you for doing such a thing." That was what Vera had told him a day ago, after he had finished telling her everything that he had done in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.


    The Half-Elf already nned on doing just that when he returned. However, he decided to bring some souvenirs to his little brothers and sisters, with the hope that it would lessen their anger towards him.


    ''If Eiko is already like this, I wonder how Colette will react when I return,'' Lux thought as he kept on sharking the Beast Core in front of the baby Slime who was ignoring his existence.


    Vera lightly patted Eiko''s head as she looked at her grandson''s attempts to pacify his daughter.


    "Lux, I was unable to tell you this yesterday because I knew you were tired, and I decided to let you rest," Vera said. "However, since you are rested now, it''s time to talk to you about the monsters from the Abyss."


    When Vera heard that Lux had fought against an Abyssal Being, a deep frown appeared on her face, and she immediately used a diagnostic spell to check Lux''s and Eiko''s bodies for signs of corruption.


    After making sure that the two of them were okay, she decided to tell them everything she knew about the Abyssal Beasts to ensure that her grandson and her great granddaughter were aware of what they were fighting against.


    "When the Sins first ventured into Elysium, we tried to adapt to the simr yet unique world that we found ourselves in," Vera exined. "Over the years, some managed to form partnerships with the ruling families of thend, while others looked for unexplorednds and built their home there.


    "After living in Elysium for several years, we had learned from the Elysians, as well as from personal experience, about the existence of creatures that hade from the Abyss. Hence, we have given them the name Abyssal Monsters."


    Vera paused to make sure that Lux and Eiko were listening to her exnation before she continued her tale.


    "These Abyssal Creatures are more powerful than the creatures in both Sis and Elysium. For example, a Deimos-Ranked Dragon will always be stronger than another Deimos-Ranked creature because of their superior race, and bloodline. The Abyssal Monsters are the same. In fact, if the Dragons and an Abyssal Monster of the same rank fought, more often than not, it will be the Abyssal Creature that will be victorious. The reason why they are able to beat even the strongest of Beasts is their race''s specialties which are the Abyss Touch, Abyss Charm, and Abyss Corruption."


    "Abyss Touch ignores any kind of defense, allowing Abyssal Creatures to deal True Damage to their enemies. This means that even the sturdiest of Dragon Scales is only as good as a sheet of paper to them. In their eyes, we are just defenseless creatures that they can kill easily."


    Very''s expression became serious as she mentioned the Abyssal Creature''s next ability.


    "Their next ability is the Abyss Charm," Vera replied. "This ability works in almost all kinds of Monsters. Even Dragons can fall prey to this ability, making them mere puppets of the Abyssal Creature. The Beast Tide that you encountered, might have been orchestrated by this Abyssal Beast, making them the embodiment of mass destruction."


    Lux''s and Eiko''s expressions also became serious as they listened to Vera''s exnation. This was the first time they heard about these things, and it made them realize how terrible these monsters were.


    "Last, but not the least, is their Abyss Corruption," Vera stated. "Some Abyssal Monsters have the inherent ability to corrupt anything they touch. Those who are infected by their miasma must be purified as soon as possible in order to stop the corruption from spreadingpletely. If the infected person isn''t able to get treatment after four to five days, the miasma will drive them crazy."


    "They will no longer be able to tell friend from foe and will attack any living creature within their sight. The scary part about this was, once they have been taken over by the miasma, they be carriers of corruption. Meaning, they can infect other creatures and spread the corruption like wildfire."


    "Several settlements have been destroyed because those who have been infected kept their situation a secret until it was toote. Only High-Ranking ss Priests, Clerics, and other simr professions would be able to purify the miasma from the bodies of the infected. For this same reason, parties that were formed to fight against these creatures would always have a High-Ranking Cleric, or Priest, to prevent such a scenario from happening."


    Vera lightly patted Eiko''s head as she stared at Lux.


    "If you ever got infected by an Abyssal Creature, return here at once," Vera ordered. "Natasha is a High-Ranking Cleric. She will be able to help purify the miasma in your body."


    "Manma!"


    "Of course, Eiko. If you get infected, you must return here at once as well."


    "Mmm!"


    Lux scratched his head before taking out the Abyssal Beast Core that was given to him by Nik.


    Vera froze after seeing the Obsidian-colored Beast Core in her grandson''s hand, and looked at him askance.


    "This was given to me by Sir Nik," Lux replied. "Should I use it, Grandma?"


    "... You can," Vera replied after a brief internal struggle. "There have been Rankers who managed to gain the skills of Abyssal Creatures and used them to fight against them. However, once you gain an Abyssal Ability, you will be required to register this skill with the Adventurer''s Guild.


    "After that, you will be given a ck Adventurer''s Card, which is given only to those who possessed an Abyssal Skill. The holders of these ck Cards will be given priority when ites to missions or quests involving Abyssal Beings."


    "Will I also gain an Abyssal yer title after getting the ck Card?"


    "Silly boy." Vera gave Lux a disapproving look. "Once you personally kill an Abyssal, you will gain that title automatically in your Soul Book."


    Lux took a deep breath before focusing his attention on the Abyssal Beast Core in his hand.


    "I''m going to use it now, Grandma," Lux said.


    Vera nodded. "Tell me if you gain any kind of skill afterward."


    Lux summoned his Soul Book and checked his stats.


    ��--


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: Grade A Apostle


    Health: 33,000 / 33,000


    Mana: 22,500 / 22,500


    Strength: 200


    Intelligence: 250


    Vitality: 260<sub> </sub>


    Agility: 200


    Dexterity: 150


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX], Item Transmutation [EX], Warrior''s Luck [EX], Doppelganger [EX], Air Strider [EX], Dragon''s Fear [EX], Elemental Shield [EX], Guardian''s Call


    Special Body Constitution: Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy


    Summoning Skills. Summon Diablo, Summon Ishtar, Summon Pazuzu, Summon Orion, Summon Skeleton Fighters, Summon Skeleton Grand Archers.


    Active Skills: Power Shot, Dark Arrow, Void Arrow, Fury sh, Double Fury sh, Battle Cry,  Improved Jade Body (Mass Buff), Spinning des, Bone Wall, Barbed Bones, Sky-High Rush, Gale Storm.


    Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude, Expert Parry, Tempest Fury, Last Stand, Sticky Foot, Very Tough


    Title: Apprentice cksmith, Negotiator, Outbreak Survivor, Eternal Guardian


    ��--


    Lux held the Beast Core in his hands as several rows of text appeared in front of him.


    < Do you wish to consume Argonaut-Ranked Abyssal Beast Core? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��--


    Lux chose Yes and two more options appeared in front of him.


    ��--


    < Upgrade Stat Points >


    < Upgrade Skills>


    ��-


    Lux decisively chose to upgrade Stat Points and a series of notifications appeared in front of him.


    ��--


    Obtained 100 Free Stats Points


    Obtained 100 Body Constitution Points


    You have learned the Passive Skill, Abyss Touch


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    The skill, Abyss Touch, is a Passive Skill, it will be automatically upgraded into Abyss Touch [EX].


    ��--


    < Abyss Touch [EX] >


    �C The touch of the Abyss ignores all kinds of defenses whether it be physical or magical.


    �C Any attack you deal to your foes will deal True Damage, regardless if it is physical, or magical in nature.


    �C This ability allows you to deal 200% Bonus True Damage against Abyssal Creatures of any Rank.


    �C This skill has a very small chance to inflict Abyss Charm on any monster (including Abyssal monsters) that is simr to your Rank or Below. The condition that must be met in order to trigger this skill is that your target must have less than 10% of its Max Health remaining.


    �C Charmed creatures will obey your everymand for thirty minutes, regardless of what it is. Once the Charm effect''s duration has ended, you will be unable to charm that creature again.


    �C This skill has a very small chance to inflict Fear Status on your opponent.


    �C This skill has a very small chance to inflict Paralyze Status on your opponent.


    �C This skill has a very small chance to inflict Diseased Status on your opponent.


    �C This skill has a very small chance to inflict Weakened Status on your opponent.


    ��--


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock after reading the information of his newly acquired passive skill. He then passed his Soul Book to his Grandma to allow her to read it. Surprisingly, Vera also had the same reaction as the Half-Elf, which made Eiko look at the grandmother and grandson pair with amusement.


    "Lux."


    "Grandma?"


    "I think you should not register this skill in the Adventurer''s Guild for the time being," Vera replied. "I''m afraid that once my son finds out about this, your cover will be blown."


    Lux scratched his head because he felt that this skill would indeed cause his Step-Father to be suspicious of his abilities. He wanted to give Alexander a surprise, so keeping this a secret for now was the best option at this point in time.


    "Understood," Lux replied. "Let''s keep this as a secret for now, Grandma."


    Vera nodded. "This is for the best. It is good to have the Element of Surprise on your side."


    Vera looked at her grandson with aplicated gaze. Now that Lux had also be a Grade A Apostle, as well as having acquired an Abyssal Skill, it wouldn''t be long before he surpassed his friends who had gone to Elysium years before him.


    ''Alex, I can''t wait to see the look on your face after Lux wins the tournament,'' Vera smiled as she thought of her son who had orchestrated the tournament to look for her granddaughter''s fiance. ''By then, you will have no choice but to acknowledge him.''


    Vera knew that, although Alexander didn''t hate Lux, he still thought of the Half-Elf as someonecking due to his weak constitution when he was very young. In Alexander''s eyes, the young man was not worthy of his daughter''s love and affection.


    Right now, Vera couldn''t wait for the tournament to start. She was looking forward to seeing her grandson shine on the stage that he had been dreaming about all of his life.

 Chapter 219 Return To Barbatos Academy

    Two weeks had passed ever since Lux''s return from Elysium.


    He and his Grandma Vera left Wildgarde Stronghold, so the Half-Elf could undertake an intense training session which pushed him to the limits.


    With her granddaughter''s happiness at stake, Vera had been very strict with the training. It was because she loved Lux with all of her heart that she didn''t show him any mercy during their sparring sessions.


    It made the Half-Elf understand that even though the kind, olddy, who had raised him since he was a baby, had lowered her rank to match him, his battle experience wascking, so much that he wasn''t able to even touch a strand of her hair.


    During the first week, Vera made sure to drill the weaknesses he possessed into him, allowing the Half-Elf to understand his shorings better.


    Eiko was also undergoing training with Vera. It was not only Lux who wanted to be stronger. As usual, the Baby Slime''s motivation was to defeat her archenemy, the Unicorn, Astra, who had defeated her in theirst rematch.


    Although Lux thought that it was still too early for Eiko to beat Astra, he allowed her to do as she pleased since he understood that having a rival allowed someone to push themselves to the limit.


    On the thirteenth day, Vera and Lux stopped their training to allow the Half-Elf to rest properly. Although their training session was rather short, Vera was still quite pleased with how strong Lux had bepared to how he was a year ago.


    "Are you ready?" Vera asked as she nced at her grandson, who was staring at the Academy that was slowly getting closer with each passing minute.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Thank you, Grandma, for everything."


    "No need to thank me. I just want you and Iris to be happy."


    "Mmm."


    As Sophie climbed the banks of the river, a youngdy with long, light blue hair, that was fluttering in the breeze, was waving at them from a distance.


    Right beside her was a mature beauty, who also served as the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy''s personal secretary.


    Bothdies had been waiting for Vera''s and Lux''s arrival. The moment Iris'' Guardian Beast had sensed the Half-Elf''s presence, it immediately notified its master, who in turn hurried towards the Riverbank to meet them.


    If it weren''t for the fact that Alicia was walking down the hallway, inadvertently noticing Iris'' happy expression, she wouldn''t have known that Vera and Lux had entered the territory of Barbatos Academy.


    "Grandma, Big Brother, Eiko!" Iris shouted as she ran towards them. "I missed the three of you."


    "Ma!"


    Eiko immediately perked up after seeing Iris, and happily jumped off of Lux''s head, and used her skill, Air Strider [EX], to fly towards her.


    Vera chuckled after she saw this scene, while Lux only sighed helplessly as he watched the mother and daughter pair finally reunite, showering each other with kisses.


    "It''s good to see you look happy and healthy, Iris," Vera said as she hugged her beloved granddaughter in a warm embrace. "Is your father well?"


    Iris nodded. "Father has been busy, making sure that nothing would go wrong with the tournament. Even so, he is still a Saint, so this amount of work is nothing to him."


    "Indeed, but don''t forget that Saints are still people who get tired. My son is just a bit stubborn, but he truly loves you, Iris."


    "I know, Grandma, but he''s so strict at times. If he really loves me, then he wouldn''te up with the idea of using this tournament to look for my fiance. I already have Big Brother, I don''t need anyone else!"<sub> </sub>


    Alicia, who was standing a few meters away from Iris, could only smile bitterly as the young beauty scolded her father behind his back.


    Her boss, Alexander, had indeed been quite busy as ofte that he didn''t even have time to spare to eat meals together with Iris. Because of this, the youngdy, who was treated by everyone as the princess of Barbatos Academy, was not in a good mood.


    While she was looking at the Grandma and Granddaughter pair who were still stuck to each other like glue, she turned her head to the Half-Elf who was just smiling from the side. Using her ability as a ranker, she tried to gauge Lux''s strength, but to her surprise, she was unable to appraise how strong the red-headed teenager was.


    As if sensing her gaze, Lux shifted his attention to her and smiled.


    "Have you been well, Alicia?" Lux asked. "If you don''t take care of yourself, you will not be able to get married even after you be 40 years old."


    "Lux, it seems that you''ve grown quite bold since thest time we saw each other," Alicia replied as she locked the Half-Elf''s head into a headlock. "Don''t worry, this Big Sister will make sure that you won''t die during the tournament."


    Lux, whose face was now buried in Alicia''s voluptuous chest, felt embarrassed. Clearly, the mature beauty didn''t think of him as a man, but as a boy who was still unaware of the intricacies of a woman''s body.


    Iris, who saw this scene immediately pulled Lux away from Alicia, and wiped his face using her handkerchief. She was doing her best to remove any trace of Alicia''s scent from her beloved brother''s face, whom she hadn''t seen for more than a month.


    "Big Brother, you''re too careless," Iris said in a reprimanding tone. "Do you let girls grab your head like that? If you have that kind of fetish, I am more than willing to do it for you. So,e!"


    The beautiful youngdy spread her arms wide in an inviting gesture. Although Iris was only sixteen years old, her body was already showing great promise, which made almost all the boys in the academy look at her with infatuated gazes.


    ''Unbelievable, she''s only sixteen and she''s almost a C-Cup,'' Lux thought. ''A year or two from now, she will definitely be one of the most outstandingdies in the Eastern Lands.''


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, Lux didn''t want another young man to be Iris'' fiance. This was why he decided to join the tournament and ensure that his step-sister would be able to continue living her life the way she wanted to.


    "Big Brother, the tournament will begin in three days," Iris said as she walked towards the red-headed teenager and gave him a hug. "Please, do your best."


    Lux patted Iris'' head and assured her that she had nothing to worry about.


    "Don''t worry, no one will beat me," Lux replied in a firm tone. "I am afraid that Eiko will drench me with water everyday if I lose the tournament. Do you know how cheeky she has be since west saw each other? Iris, our daughter has entered her rebellious phase.


    "Pa?" Eiko, who was perched on Iris'' head, tilted her head in confusion. She didn''t understand what a rebellious phase was, so she decided to just not think about it!


    "Big Brother, let''s go," Iris said as she held Lux''s hand firmly. "Tell me about the things that happened to you in the time we haven''t seen each other."


    "Ma!"


    "Of course, you tell me your story as well, Eiko."


    "Ma!"


    As the blue-haired youngdy pulled the smiling Half-Elf towards Barbatos Academy, a pair of eyes looked at them from a distance.


    Alexander had his arms behind his back as he gazed at the Half-Elf who was going to participate in the tournament. A few momentster, he disappeared from where he stood, leaving only a fleeting breeze that also disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter 220 Past And Present Grudges

    Teenagers from all over the six Kingdoms, as well as the adjacentnds, made their way to Barbatos Academy in order to join the tournament whose name had spread far and wide.


    It was none other than the Lionheart''s Tournament.


    The rewards for the tournament were simply too good, that even those above the age of twenty were tempted to join. Unfortunately, an age limit was set, and only those who were aged twenty-two or below were allowed to participate in the tournament.


    "Is he already here?" Nero asked one of his subordinates who was also a student in Barbatos Academy.


    "I saw him walking hand in hand with Lady Iris yesterday in the gardens," a blonde-haired boy said in a ttering tone. "I don''t know if he registered in the tournament or not, but I didn''t see his name in the official roster."


    "Understood," Nero replied. "Continue to keep your eyes and ears open. I will give you your rewards in Elysium."


    "Thank you very much!"


    "No need to thank me. As long as you remain loyal to me, I will take care of you in Elysium."


    After the blonde-haired boy left Nero''s room, thetter clenched his fist in anger.


    "Walking hand in hand?" Nero muttered. "You are really pushing your luck, you worthless piece of trash!"


    Lightning crackled on Nero''s closed fist as he did his best to reign in his anger. A few minutester, he finally regained his calm as he stared at the mirror in front of him.


    "Aside from the Four Kings and Five Overlords, no one else will reach the Semi-Finals." Nero gazed at his reflection on the mirror. "I''ve worked hard over the past few years and sacrificed many things in order to reach what I am today. I will not allow a spoiled Half-Elf, who only got lucky to be picked up by a Ranker in the river, step over my head."


    Nero''s gaze sharpened as the image of the beautiful youngdy with long blue hair, and eyes as beautiful as sapphires, shed across his mind.


    "Lady Iris is only the beginning," Nero stated. "Soon, I will be known by everyone as the Champion of this tournament. Everyone will know my name, and I will no longer be ridiculed because of my lowlymoner''s background."


    As if Fate was ying a trick on him, the moment he looked outside the window of the room he was staying at inside the Academy, he saw the Half-Elf walking alone, headed towards the Training Grounds.


    Nero sneered at the red-headed teenager whom he had hated all his life inside his head.


    "I hope you joined the tournament," Nero said with ridicule. "You''re fortunate that I am willing to waste my precious time to watch your face get beaten to a pulp by one of the participants in the tournament."


    Nero, as well as the Four Kings, and the other Four Overlords of the Young Generation were treated as Seeded Contestants, who no longer needed to join the early elimination rounds.


    They would instantly be among the top thirty-two contestants, who would battle it out until eight of them remained. Those eight would then battle and the victors would proceed into the semi-finals, where the final four would be chosen.<sub> </sub>


    Aside from the recognized geniuses of the young generation, Nero didn''t fear anyone. For him, as long as he used the Trump Cards in his possession, bing the Champion had a high possibility.


    "Just you wait, Lux Von Kaizer," Nero pledged. "I will take away the things that are important to you, and you will understand that you only achieved the things that you have right now because you got lucky in life.


    "Someone like you doesn''t deserve to live a happy life.


    "Someone like you�� does not deserve to be Lady Iris'' partner for life."


    Nero gave the Half-Elf onest re before closing the window of his room. He then stared at his rough hands that had been stained by blood and clenched them tightly.


    No matter what happened, he would be the one to win the tournament, and, above all else, prove to the world that his lowly background would not hinder him from soaring high in the sky like a dragon in flight.


    ��--


    ''Not bad,'' Lux thought as he looked at the countless young men and women who hade to participate in the most prestigious tournament that happened once every four years.


    The Gathering of Heroes.


    This was what this grand gathering was called.


    The young heroes from all over the Six Kingdoms, as well as the surrounding territories, would send the strongest members of the young generation to participate in the Lionsheart Tournament that wouldmence in two days'' time.


    Lux had seen the previous tournament, and he vowed to himself that the next time it was hosted, he would participate and show how strong he was to everyone.


    Although he was now about to realize his aspiration, the method he was going to use to join the tournament was different from the one he envisioned. Even so, he had already decided to join the tournament on his own terms, and stand on the stage that he had dreamed about in the past.


    It was not only the brown-haired teenager that held a strong grudge against the Half-Elf. Lux also held a grudge against him too.


    Both of them wanted to face each other in the tournament. However, Nero was unaware that Lux had joined the tournament using a different persona.


    The Half-Elf needed to win the qualifying rounds without losing once in order to reach the top 32 participants, where the Four Kings and the Five Overlords were waiting for him.


    ''Lionsheart Tournament,'' Lux recalled with a smile. ''Don''t lose before I face you, Nero. I will make you understand that the useless Half-Elf, who you disdain so much, is going to use your face to sweep the arena of the tournament.''


    The Half-Elf chuckled internally because he believed that, as long as he took the battles seriously, it was very hard for him to not reach the Semi-Finals where the true monsters of the young generation were waiting for him.

 Chapter 221 Lionheart Tournament Qualifying Matches [Part 1]

    "Grandma, Iris, Eiko, I''m going," Lux said after he finished giving each of his family members a kiss on the cheek.


    "Do your best, Lux," Vera said as she rested her hand on Lux''s shoulder.


    "Goodluck, Big Brother!" Iris said before kissing Lux''s right cheek with a blush on her face.


    "Pa!" Eiko jumped on Lux''s left shoulder and kissed his left cheek as a way to wish him good luck.


    <o>,m A smile was on Lux''s face as he gave Iris and Eiko onest hug before leaving the room to head towards the Grand Coliseum where the qualifying matches would be held.</o>


    Alicia was already waiting for him in the secret passage that led to an area near the venue of the tournament without being seen by anyone.


    "I''ve already made the necessary preparations," Alicia said as she gave Lux a badge. "Just show this to the organizer, and he will already know what to do."


    "Thank you, Alicia," Lux replied as he epted the badge and entered the passageway alone. Alicia was not going to apany him in order to prevent anyone from bing suspicious of his identity.


    Everyone in the academy knew that Alicia was Alexander''s secretary. They also knew that she had a good rtionship with Lux, so if there was someone being personally escorted by her, it would immediately catch the attention of the influential people who were staying in Barbatos Academy for the duration of the tournament.


    The moment the door of the passageway closed, Lux steadily walked in the dimly lit corridor.


    He took a mask out of his storage ring and ced it over his face. A momentter, the color of his hair changed to ck. His lean and toned body became chubby, and the handsome face that Lux had always been proud of became less good looking.


    Right now, he didn''t look like Lux the Half-Elf.


    He looked like Lucien. The chubby boy who was chosen to participate in the Heaven''s Gate Project to save a dying world from destruction.


    A few minutester, he arrived at the end of the passageway. Without any dys, he pulled on the torch that hung beside the wall.


    Suddenly, a grating sound was heard and the stone wall in front of him parted, opening just enough space for a single person to pass through.


    Lux squeezed himself in that narrow passage, and safely arrived at a room that was also one of the storage areas in Barbatos Academy.


    Patting the dust off his clothes, the chubby boy walked towards the door with a hint of anticipation in his light-brown eyes. Now that the tournament was about to start, he could feel his blood boiling inside his veins as he opened the door that would lead him to the new battlefield that he was about to face.


    ��--


    "Show me your ticket number."


    "Okay, head to Arena 4. Next!"


    "You go to Arena 5. Next person please!"


    The organizers of the event were busy sending the contestants to their respective arenas where the grand qualifying matches were about to take ce.


    More than fifty thousand applicants had wanted to join this year''s tournament, and the staggering numbers made the organizers busy as hell. As this was happening, a chubby boy quietly queued in one of the lines, specifically the one that led to the organizer that Alicia had told him about.


    Lux was also familiar with the person who was going to be in charge of him since the other party was one of Alicia''s personal subordinates that handled the logistics of the supplies of Barbatos Academy.


    His name was Bruno and was one of the people who were assigned to ensure that Lux didn''t die in the tournament.


    The organizer was over six feet tall, and he had blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked like a pro wrestler with his bulging muscles that could be seen under his sleeveless shirt. Although Lux couldn''t see his rank, he assumed that the man in front of him was a Ranker.


    "Go to Arena number 2. Next please!" Bruno said after sending the person in front of Lux to the arena where he belonged.


    Lux handed the badge over to Bruno and thetter''s reaction after seeing the badge almost made himugh out loud.


    "Um, Sir, please go to Arena 4," Bruno said in a respectful tone. "Oi! Please bring thisd to Arena 4. Make sure he doesn''t get lost or I''ll ensure that you will lose your job, got it?"


    "Yes Sir!" Bruno''s subordinate replied as he looked at the chubby boy in front of him. "Sir, please follow me."


    Lux just nodded his head as he followed the guard towards one of the pathways that led to the fourth of the five arenas that were prepared for the tournament.


    As the two of them walked, the guard would nce at his side to appraise the chubby boy walking beside him


    ''This might be the son of some Big Shot,'' the Guard thought. ''I better not mess this up or I might get kicked out of the academy.''


    Surprisingly, It only took them four minutes to arrive at their destination. After safely leading Lux to the right arena, the guard bowed respectfully before leaving, which caught the attention of some of the participants who were already standing inside Arena 4.<sub> </sub>


    Some of the contestants chuckled, while some eyed Lux with great curiosity.


    ''Interesting. An Oriental is participating in this match,'' one of the contestants thought. ''Still, he looks like a spoiled brat. I wonder if his family secretly brought in some people to help him pass the qualifiers.''


    ''I bet this guy will be targeted by everyone. He looks like someone that is easy to bully.''


    ''Pfft! This fatso sure knows how to make an entrance. Does he really think that he will be able to pass the qualifiers? Many people here hate those that used the backdoor to enter. I''m sure that he will be kicked out as soon as the battle starts.''


    ''Just another weakling to add to the loser groupter. This ce sure has a lot of wannabees.''


    Lux may not have the ability to read the minds of the people that looked at him, but he had a vague idea about what they were thinking.


    ''So many people,'' Lux thought as he walked at the farthest corner of the arena. ''I have a hunch that the method they will use to thin the numbers of the participants is a Royal Rumble with only a few people passing through the next qualifying rounds.''


    With over fifty thousand participants, it was a no-brainer to use this strategy to reduce the numbers in a short amount of time.


    The giant floating numbers that hung at the center of the arena showed the number "892", and it was still continuously rising with every passing minute.


    Lux assumed that this was the number of people present in Arena 4.


    Of course, it was not only Lux who thought of the possibility of a Royal Rumble. These people had also ced themselves at the far end of the arena, hoping that they wouldn''t get caught up in the initial sh that would happen once the battle officially started.


    When the number of people reached 1,283, the barriers of the arena activated, and a loud booming voice spread in the surroundings.


    "Good day everyone! My name is Bruno, and I will be the one officiating the Qualifying Matches," Bruno''s words reverberated in the arena as he used an artifact to magnify the volume of his voice. "Before anything else, I would like to Wee all of you to the Lionheart Tournament!"


    Cheers rose up from the contestants as well as those who were watching them from the stands.


    "I will now exin the rules of the Qualifying rounds," Bruno said in a steady voice. "Right now, there are 1,283 contestants inside Arena 4. Because of this, we decided to hold a Royal Rumble match, and thest twenty people standing until the end will move on to the second round of the qualifying matches!


    "Take note that there is a time limit of one hour. After an hour has passed, if the number still exceeds the quota of the qualifiers, we will release an Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster inside the arena. The monster will remain in the arena until the numbers reach our target.


    "Killing in any form will not be allowed. Those who are caught doing it will immediately be disqualified from the tournament. However, you are allowed to seriously injure or incapacitate your opponents if you like to make them surrender."


    "Feel free to cut their limbs as well, but refrain from damaging the body parts, so that it can be reattachedter. Don''t worry, we have High-Ranking Clerics that are on standby to patch you up and return you to good health."


    Bruno''s gaze lingered on Lux''s location for a brief moment before continuing his speech.


    "If you wish to surrender, just shout ''I concede'', and the mages monitoring the battleground will immediately teleport you out of the arena. Lastly, I wish all of you good luck! We will be starting the tournament in exactly thirty seconds. Everybody, make your final preparations!"


    After he finished talking, a giant timer appeared at the center of the arena, disying the countdown which had begun.


    Those at the center warily looked at each other. Some even backed away as they unsheathed the weapons to wards of any potential attackers in their surroundings.


    Lux remained calm as he stared at the timer. He had already made his preparations the moment he entered the arena, so there was no need for him to do anything but wait.


    The crowd began to shout as the final seconds of the countdown took ce.


    "Five!"


    "Four!"


    "Three!"


    "Two!''


    "One!"


    "Battle Start!"


    As soon as the start of the battle was announced, the sounds of explosions spread inside the arena.


    "Good luck, Big Brother!" Iris, who was watching the battle inside her room through a projection, clenched her fist tightly. Her gaze never left the chubby boy, who was calmly observing the battles that were happening around him with a confident smile on his face.

 Chapter 222 Lionheart Tournament Qualifying Matches [Part 2]

    Just as everyone expected, the most intense battles were happening in the center of the Arena.


    With no ce to run or hide, they had no choice but to wipe out the people around them to ensure that no one would stab them in the back.


    Lux arched an eyebrow when he noticed several people forming groups, fighting as a united front. He assumed that while some of them teamed up because they knew each other, there were also others who formed teams on the spot.


    The chubby boy thought that this was a very sensible idea since the battle would end only when twenty people were left in the arena. As the number of participants dwindled, some groups started to target those that were staying on the sidelines.


    They weren''t stupid and knew that those who were on the sides were just waiting for everyone to get tired or destroy each other before fishing in troubled waters. Because of this, the groups were able to reduce the number of their  rivals, one at a time, as they swept the edges of the battlefield, while others continued to fight at the center.


    Among the contestants in Arena 4, a skinny young man caught Lux''s eye.


    The contestant wore ragged clothing, and the only thing that looked new in his possession was the bamboo straw hat covering his head.


    He was standing at the very center of the arena with several young men and women lying on the ground around him, their limbs cut off from their bodies.


    p The Mages who were standing outside of the arena deemed that everyone that the young man had attacked was no longer capable of fighting, so they decisively teleported them out along with their body parts, so that they could receive medical attention as soon as possible.</anda>


    ''This person is dangerous,'' Lux thought as he eyed the skinny young man in the distance.


    To his surprise, the skinny young man turned his head to look in his direction.


    Lux and the young man held each other''s gaze for a few seconds before giving each other a brief nod of acknowledgement.


    The skinny young man then closed his eyes as he remained standing at the center of the arena. No one dared to approach him after they had seen him dismember a group of ten people who assumed that they could beat the young man easily using their numbers.


    Suddenly, a loud shout reached Lux''s ears, which made him frown.


    "Get rid of that chubby pig!"


    Lux thought that the people were referring to him, but to his surprise, they were not talking about him but an actual pig!


    A two-meter tall Boar had appeared in the arena, and it was busy charging at everyone it had set its sights on.


    Lux immediately appraised the Boar using his Elysium Compendium but the information that he received surprised him.


    ��--


    The target creature is Shape Shifter. Its information cannot be appraised.


    ��--


    ''I see, so that Boar is a shapeshifter. Makes sense.'' Lux knew that his Elysium Compendium could not see the stats of people.


    It could only see the stats and information of the Monsters that could be seen or had appeared in Elysium.


    Suddenly the Boar stopped running and shifted its attention to the person that said get rid of that chubby pig!<sub> </sub>


    "Who are you calling a pig?!" the Boar roared in anger. "You dare call me a Pig? I''ll kill you!"


    "What''s wrong with calling a pig a pig?!" The person that had called out to the Boar didn''t cower and raised his weapon high. "I''m going to roast you!"


    The reason why he didn''t back down was because he was with a group of exactly twenty people. He believed that with their numbers, defeating the Boar that was charging at them with bloodshot eyes could be done easily.


    The group shed with the Boar, and an intense battle broke out. Shouts of anger, pain, and the Boar''s squealing reverberated in the arena as blood sttered in the surroundings.


    The Boar''s body was bleeding heavily from the numerous stabs and shes it had received from its opponents.


    However, the Boar''s opponents weren''t doing well either. Five of them had already suffered fatal injuries, and were immediately ejected from the arena to receive emergency treatment. The others had also received varying levels of injury ranging from minor ones to serious ones.


    "Die!" the young man, who had called out to the Boar earlier, yelled as he smashed his steel hammer on the side of the Boar''s body, sending it skidding across the ground.


    Everyone moved out of the way as the Boar''s body skidded until it reached the edges of the arena. It only stopped moving when it was about to hit Lux, who had stepped aside to prevent himself from getting hit.


    The Boar''s snout was bleeding, and gave off a deep, and heavy snorting sound as it tried to catch its breath.


    It tried to prop itself up, but the injuries it received had taken its toll on its body and depleted most of its stamina.


    "I can''t�� lose here��," the Boar mumbled as it struggled to stand up. "Everyone�� everyone is waiting for me�� back in the vige. I can''t�� lose here."


    It made huffing and squealing sounds as it repeatedly tried to stand up, but it fell each and every time. The group that it had fought earlier were drinking health potions to recover their injuries while theyughed at the struggling Boar, who seemed to have run out of steam.


    There were no rules that forbade the use of Health and Mana Potions during the qualifying matches, so the referees observing the battle from the side didn''t say anything and merely continued to monitor the battles around them.


    After falling back on its side for the umpteenth time, the Boar stopped trying to stand up and just panted for breath. A pool of blood had already dyed half of its body red, and made it look like a bloody Monster that hade from a horror story.


    Just as the Boar was starting to feel that its legs were starting to go numb, it felt something cool and refreshing wash over its body.


    A chubby boy, who was standing by its side was pouring two health potions on its body.


    The Boar looked at the ck-haired boy in surprise, because it didn''t expect that someone would help it during its time of need.


    "Drink up," Lux said as he ced a potion near the snout of the boar.


    "Why?" the Boar asked as it looked at Lux. "Why are you helping me?"


    "For my own self satisfaction," Lux replied. "Don''t worry. You don''t owe me anything. I just feel like helping you this once."


    Lux didn''t want to admit it, but he somehow saw his old self in the struggling Boar that was lying in a pool of its own blood on the ground.


    His old, weak, and pitiful self which no person even bothered to help during hisst moments on Earth. Even though he had no obligation to help anyone in the tournament, the determination, and unwillingness in the Boar''s eyes, and voice, reached his heart.


    Because of this, he decided to do the unthinkable and lend aid to aplete stranger, who was also doing their best to struggle until the bitter end.

 Chapter 223 Lionheart Tournament Qualifying Matches [Part 3]

    "Oi! What do you think you''re doing?!" The young man who had smashed the Boar with his hammer shouted in anger after seeing Lux''s actions. "Do you want us to target you as well?"


    "Very funny," Lux replied. "You''re talking as if we are friends. Also, do you think I can''t count? Your group had twenty people in the beginning, but five were eliminated. Now that all of you have drunk your potions, you think you can just resume eliminating all of us, right?"


    The young man was unable to refute Lux''s words since what thetter said was the truth. Several other solo yers warily looked in their direction since they had noticed how this particr group had picked off contestants without any groups or backings one by one.


    After drinking the two bottles of Health Potion that Lux had given it, the Boar finally regained its strength and stood up from the ground.


    "I''ll remember this favor," the Boar said. "What is your name?"


    "I told you that you don''t need to repay this favor," Lux replied. "As for my name, you will know it eventually once you seed in passing the Qualifying Rounds."


    "Very well. I''ll just remember your face."


    "Suit yourself."


    Lux nced towards the direction of the group of people who was now eyeing him and the Boar with hateful res. He didn''t n on fighting at the start, but since he had extended his help on an underdog, rather, an underboar, he had now be a target of the group that was aiming to eliminate it.


    "Get them!" the young man wielding the hammer shouted as he charged at Lux, alongside his teammates.


    The Boar squealed as its eyes turned crimson red. It had activated its Berserk Skill, making his strength grow by leaps and bounds.


    "Wild Charge!" The boar stomped its right hoof, embedding itself deep on the ground before shooting towards its opponents like a speeding truck.


    "Evade hi�C" the young man wielding the hammer wasn''t able to finish his words as he felt a tremendous pressure wash over his entire body, making it freeze in ce.


    Lux''s eyes glowed faintly as he looked at his opponents, releasing the power of his Dragon''s Fear [EX], immobilizing his opponents in ce.


    p They were like helpless bowling pins that were waiting for the bowling ball to send them flying.</anda>


    The bowling ball, in the form of a raging Boar, bulldozed its way towards the center of the arena, sending its opponents flying in several directions. The referees immediately took them out of the arena as they all suffered critical injuries after being impaled by the boar''s mighty tusks.


    Lux immediately deactivated Dragon''s Fear to prevent others from knowing about it. Fortunately, almost everyone''s attention was on the berserked Boar, so they weren''t able to see the subtle change in the color of Lux''s eyes.


    Of course, there was one exception and that was none other than the skinny young man who was standing at the center of the arena wearing a bamboo straw hat.


    After eliminating its targets from the arena, the Boar returned to Lux''s side and panted for breath. It had deactivated its Berserk Skill and was currently at a weakened state.


    "Why did you return here?" Lux asked as he eyed the panting Boar beside him.


    "Um, so you can protect me until I recover," the Boar replied.


    "Wow. Your face sure is thick."


    "I get that a lot."


    Lux shook his head as he sighed internally. Right now, the battles around the arena had paused for a bit after the Boar had shown its strength to everyone.


    The contestants eyed Lux and the Boar warily, but they still believed that they could defeat the two of them.


    Only the skinny young man at the center of the arena remained undisturbed by the other contestants who were eyeing each other with a wary gaze. None of them wanted to have their limbs cut off from their bodies, so they made sure to not antagonize the young man who didn''t hesitate to slice people up.


    "T-The Boar is not a threat anymore, but if we let it recover we will have problemster," a brown-haired teenager shouted. "I suggest we dispose of them first before we decide who the final twenty will be, what do you guys think?"


    "I agree! If we don''t eliminate that boar now, we will lose our chance after it recovers."


    "I second this proposal!"<sub> </sub>


    "Me, too!"


    "I also agree."


    Lux smiled as dozens of people encircled him and the Boar that was panting by his side. At first, he wanted to hide his strength as long as he could, but it was impossible to do that.


    ''I guess I need to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys,'' Lux thought. ''Well, I guess it''s time to let them know who they are dealing with.''


    "Attack!" the brown-haired teenager shouted as he summoned several mences and hurled it at Lux and the boar beside me.


    To Lux''s surprise, the Boar stood in front of him and used its body to shield him from the iing magical attacks, despite its weakened state.


    "Do you want to be a roasted pig that badly?"


    "My Grandpa said that boys should act cool to impress thedies. It''s not like I''m doing this to return the earlier favor, don''t get the wrong idea."


    Lux grinned before patting the side of the boar''s body as he stepped forward.


    "I appreciate the intention," Lux replied. "But, I can handle these guys. You just rest there and recover your strength."


    When the mingnces were only two meters away from the chubby boy, a rocky hand jutted off the ground and blocked it.


    "Clean up the trash for me, Orion," Lux ordered as he ced his hands behind his back like a Martial Arts Master. "Don''t hold back."


    Immediately the ground shook, catching everyone in the arena off guard.


    A momentter a four-meter-tall Rock Golem, jumped off of the ground andnded a few meters away from the brown-haired magician who had cast firences at his Master.


    "It''s Clobberin Time!" Orion roared as he smashed his fists against the ground, creating a powerful shockwave, sending giant rocks and dirt flying in every direction, causing those that got caught up in the attack scream in pain.


    The skinny young man lightly pulled his sword out of its sheath creating a clinking sound.


    Immediately, the giant boulders that were flying in his direction were cut in half, passing harmlessly by his sides, andnding on the people behind his back.


    Orion thrust his right hand into the ground. A momentter, he lifted it back up, but this time, he was lifting a giant boulder above his head.


    "Rock throw!" Orion roared as he threw the boulder in his hands towards the group of people that had gathered together in one spot.


    "I surrender!"


    "I concede!"


    "I don''t want to die!"


    The people that had surrendered were instantly taken out of the arena by the mages who were keeping a close eye on the chaotic battlefield where a Rock Golem was performing a one-sided pounding.


    "W-Wow!" the Boar eximed. "You are a summoner?!"


    "Um, something like that," Lux replied. ''Still, Orion can be quite devastating when he just attacks recklessly like this.''


    The Half-Elf had long decided that in this tournament, he would only summon Orion to fight for him. He had decided to wear the mask of a "Summoner," hiding his identity as a "Necromancer" to conceal his true abilities from people.


    This would make his opponents have a false estimate of his capabilities, so that when they decided to target him instead of the Rock Golem, he could give them a nasty surprise that would make them regret their decision.

 Chapter 224 Lionheart Tournament Qualifying Matches [Part 4]

    "That''s enough," Lux ordered. "Return."


    Orion nodded as he walked towards his Master and stood right in front of him with an intimidating stance.


    After seeing his performance, the remaining contestants, which only numbered less than two hundred now, nced at each other with fearful looks on their faces.


    Now, there were three people they couldn''t afford to mess with inside the Arena. First, there was just the skinny young man. Now, there was the Boar, as well as the Chubby boy whomanded a Rank 3 Rock Golem that had a feisty personality.


    The standoffsted for several minutes and it was only broken after Bruno announced an update.


    "Last 30 minutes!" Bruno said through the artifact that magnified his voice. "If the remaining number of participants exceeds the quota, we will release an Alpha-Ranked Deimos Monster inside the arena. Goodluck to all of you!"


    As if injected by chickenblood, the remaining participants with the exception of Lux, the Boar, and the skinny young man, fought against each other in order to decrease the number of people in the arena.


    Lux watched this scene with a calm expression on his face. With Orion standing in front of him, only exceptionally strong Apostles would be able to break past his defenses.


    In just fifteen minutes, the number of contestants had dwindled to fifty.


    Ten minutester, this number went down to thirty.


    With five minute remaining on the clock, thest thirty participants eyed each other warily.


    The other contestants had varying stages of injury, preventing them from fighting each other, in fear that others would use this opportunity to eliminate them.


    Just as everyone was thinking of what to do next, a crisp, clinking sound reached everyone''s ears.


    Suddenly, screams of pain erupted in the arena as ten people copsed on the ground. Their legs had been cleanly sliced in half, and none of them had been able to see how this happened.


    The mages promptly ejected them off the arena, and the Countdown Timer disappeared because they had reached their quota.


    "Congrattions to the survivors of Arena 4!" Bruno''s voice spread across the arena. "All of you are going to the next round of the tournament!"


    The people watching the battle from the audience seats cheered and apuded the young men and women who were going to the next Qualifying Round.


    Iris hugged Vera after seeing that Lux had safely passed the first hurdle of the tournament. Even Eiko was quite happy as she joined her Mama in hugging the olddy who had a very satisfied smile on her face.


    "Well, it is good to be happy, but this is just the beginning," Vera said as she tried to calm the beautiful youngdy and the baby slime who were in a festive mood. "The Qualifying matchessts for three days. We can celebrate after Lux has seeded in passing the Qualifying Rounds."


    While the three people that loved Lux very much huddled inside Iris'' Room, Alicia, who was watching the battles in Arena 4, was still in shock after witnessing the battle that had just transpired.


    It never crossed her mind that Lux would be a Summoner, during the time that they hadn''t seen each other. In fact, the moment the mage had hurled firences in Lux''s direction, she felt as if her heart was being squeezed inside her chest.


    If not for the fact that Bruno was there to ensure Lux''s safety, she might have already rushed to the arena in order to forcefully eject the chubby young man from the arena to save his life.


    ''Goodness, is this really the Lux I know?'' Alicia mused as she watched the chubby teenager walk out of the arena while waving at the audience with a smile on his face. ''So this must be the reason why Lady Vera was confident that he would do well in the tournament.''


    Alicia smiled, but a secondter that smile disappeared as she shook her head.


    ''Although he is a Summoner, and that Rock Golem looks strong, it will not be enough to win this tournament,'' Alicia thought. ''The Four Kings and Five Overlords could easily defeat Lux and his golem even if they fought together. At most, he will be lucky to win the Qualifying rounds."


    Alicia might like Lux, but she was someone who always thought realistically. Knowing how strong the opponents the Half-Elf was going to face, she already knew that his journey woulde at an abrupt end the moment he faced one of those prodigies.


    ��


    In Arena 4��.<sub> </sub>


    While Lux was walking towards the exit, he sensed a presence appear behind his back.


    "You did something unnecessary."


    Lux turned his head and arched an eyebrow at the skinny young man who had caught up to him from behind. The chubby teenager didn''t say anything because he felt that the mysterious young man still had something to tell him.


    "Do you think that helping the Boar earlier was the right thing to do?" the skinny young man asked. "No, you just prolonged his suffering. He just got lucky because you decided to help him, but, in the end, isn''t he still unqualified to get far in this tournament."


    "So?" Lux asked back. He didn''t feel any killing intent from the young man in front of him, but he still raised his guard to protect himself just in case the person talking to him had evil intentions.


    "Like I said, you did something unnecessary."


    "What I do is none of your business."


    The skinny young man was about to say more, but seeing Lux''s firm expression, he decided that it was not worth it.


    "Unnecessary kindness doesn''t help anyone," the skinny young man stated as he walked past Lux. "Goodluck in the tournament."


    Lux watched the back of the mysterious teenager as he walked away from him. He admired the young man''s steady steps, as well as the raw confidence that emanated from his skinny body. The moment the Half-Elfid his eyes on the swordsman, he knew right away that thetter was a very powerful individual.


    ''I''m sure there will be more people like him in the tournament,'' Lux thought as he resumed walking towards the exit. ''Even so, it doesn''t matter.''


    The Half-Elf clenched his fist as he reigned in the blood boiling inside his chest. This feeling of wanting to give everything he had was something he rarely felt. In the past, he had only fought against Monsters and the Dwarves that belonged to Twilight Rain.


    But now, he was fighting against Humans and other Demihumans that were of simr age to him.


    ''Just how many prodigies will I meet in this tournament?'' Lux mused as he reached the exit of the arena. ''Well, I guess I''ll find out soon enough.''


    The Half-Elf chuckled internally as he headed straight to the amodations that were prepared for the contestants that had won the first round.


    He had decided not to meet his Grandma, Iris, and Eiko, for the duration of the tournament so that no one would be suspicious of his identity.


    The three of them had been informed about Lux''s n beforehand, and they all supported his n.


    Right now, Nero was looking through the names of the contestants that had won the first round. Something was telling him that Lux had joined the tournament, so he was trying to look up the names of people that the Half-Elf might have used as his Alias.


    Several unique names popped up, so he listed them down one by one. He nned to watch the matches of these individuals to see whether or not Lux was one of them.


    He was more than willing to bribe a few strong contestants to ensure that the Half-Elf received a good beating inside the arena. However, before he could put this n to motion, he must first know Lux''s new persona.


    ''I think I need to borrow THAT artifact from the Guild Treasury,'' Nero thought as he looked at the names that he had listed down. There were over a hundred of them, and it would be difficult to watch their battles one by one.


    Since that was the case, he would need to use an artifact that allowed him to see through disguises to find the Half-Elf that was hiding among the contestants.


    ''Just you wait you slippery little Half-Elf.'' Nero sneered. ''I will make sure that your pitiful journeyes to an untimely end.''


    What Nero didn''t know was that there were other individuals who were doing the same thing. Since their goal was to be Iris'' fiance, they knew that the first person they needed to get rid of was none other than the Half-Elf whom the blue-haired beauty kissed in front of everyone several months ago.


    This news had spread far and wide into the Six Kingdoms, making Iris'' suitors seethe in anger. Lux was unaware of the diabolical ns that these people were concocting on the side. For him, it didn''t matter who his opponent was.


    As long as they stood in the way of his step-sister''s happiness, he would beat the crap out of them until they decided to surrender and no longer aimed to be with the blue-haired beauty, who loved him with all of her heart.

 Chapter 225 The Biggest Threats In The Second Round Of The Tournament

    Nine people were gathered in a VIP room which overlooked the arena.


    They were believed to be the nine strongest members of the young generation and were also known as the Four Kings and the Five Overlords.


    Naturally, all nine of them were vying to be the Champion to let their prestige spread far and wide. Although not all of them were head over heels with the blue-haired beauty who was hailed as the Princess of Barbatos Academy, bing her fiance would allow them to form connections with her father, who was one of the handful of Saints in the Eastern Region of Sis.


    "That skinny teenager wearing a bamboo hat in Arena 4 wasn''t half bad," a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes said with a smile. He had sharp features, which made it hard to say whether he was good looking or not.


    Although a smile was on his face, an intimidating presence leaked out of his body, which could make any Apostle below Grade C shudder.


    "What about the Summoner?" a ck-haired teenager asked. "What do you think about him?"


    "Him? I don''t think he is a big deal. Even though his Rock Golem is strong, I can easily knock him out without any problem."


    Nero, who was part of this group of prodigies nodded his head in agreement. Although the creatures under a Summoner''s control were strong, all of them would disappear the moment their Master was taken out.


    "There were other interesting individuals in the other arena as well," a green-haired boy with pointy ears said with a smirk on his face. "It seems like this year''s tournament won''t be as boring as I originally thought it would be."


    "Still, I didn''t see Iris'' step-brother''s name in the list of participants," a young man with gray hair, who was around two-meters tall, said as he crossed his arms over his chest. His muscles were bulging on his body, making him look like the Barbarian he really was. "I was hoping to see him fight so I couldugh at him when he gets eliminated."


    "That Half-Elf?" the green-haired teenager snorted. "Pathetic half-bloods who only rely on our Elven ancestry to look a little bit decent, but that doesn''t change the fact that they are born defective. ording to an insider, Alicia might have made arrangements to register him in the tournament under a different name."


    "Oh? So, he''s wearing a disguise?" the gray-haired barbarian asked. "Hmph! He must be afraid to show his face. I''m sure that he didn''t want to look pathetic in front of Iris."


    The blonde-haired young man with sharp features shifted his attention to Nero, who was looking at a list of names that he had acquired not long ago.


    "Nero, do you have any news as to that Half-Elf''s identity?" the blonde-haired teenager asked. "Why don''t you share the information you have with the rest of us? I''m sure that you already have your suspicions, right?"


    Nero raised his head as he nced at the Prince of the strongest kingdom that supported Barbatos Academy. In his eyes, this Prince was his greatest rival in the tournament, so had made every effort to know more about his fighting style and habits.


    "I have some names in mind, but they number over a hundred," Nero replied. "I believe that he''s wearing some kind of disguise. I don''t mind sharing the list with all of you, but you have to promise that once you find him, you will share the news with everyone."


    "Hmph! No matter what kind of disguise he wears, his pathetic self will show up the moment he faces someone stronger than him." the Barbarian scoffed. "Still, it will help narrow down the suspects if we have a list in our hands."


    Nero already knew that his peers had influential backgrounds,pared to him who was born as amoner. This was why he would sometimes feel inferior when he was around them.


    "Let me look at that list," the green-haired teenager said. "I will create copies for everyone."


    Nero nodded as he handed the list of names of those he thought to be suspicious contestants in the tournament that the Half-Elf might have used to hide his identity.


    The Elf boy chanted as he held the scroll in his hand. A momentter, several scrolls appeared in the air and flew in the direction of the other people inside the room.


    The Elf then returned the scroll to Nero as he took his own copy so he could read the names written on it.


    "As expected of you, Nero," the blonde-haired teenager said. "This list is quiteprehensive. How about we divide these people among ourselves to make the task of identifying him easier?"


    "I have no objections."


    "I agree with this proposal."


    "This will save us a lot of time."


    "Good thing I have one of my family''s artifacts with me. This should help me find out if that bastard Lux is hiding among these names."


    The nine teenagers nced at each other before deciding which of the contestants would be assigned to them.


    While this was happening, Lux was resting inside his room and absorbing the Beast Cores in his storage ring. Although he knew that he would end up using most of the cores in his possession, he decided to upgrade his Special Body Constitution once.<sub> </sub>


    Due to their battle earlier, he was able to get a rough estimate of the average strength of the contestants that he would be meeting in the next round of the Qualifying Matches. Although he believed that he could fight them without problems, he decided to upgrade his Body Constitution to give him an edge in the next set of matches that he would be participating in.


    Just as he was about to absorb another Beast Core, the Half-Elf nced at the wall of his room. Immediately, he hid the Beast Core back inside his storage ring as he looked on the wall with anticipation.


    A momentter the wall parted, revealing the mature beauty, Alicia, who was smiling at him.


    "You surprised me earlier," Alicia said as she walked towards the Half-Elf who was seated on the couch. "Now I know why you decided to join the tournament."


    "Haha, I was just lucky that my opponents are weak," Lux replied. "Did you visit me just to congratte me, Alicia?"


    "Of course not," Alicia stated. "I am not that free. I only came here to give you this."


    Alicia handed Lux a scroll, and the Half-Elf epted it with a confused look on his face. However, his confusion disappeared as soon as she saw the information that was written on the scroll.


    Lux read the scroll quietly, While Alicia sat on the couch beside him. The mature beauty allowed the Half-Elf to digest the information that she had given him for his next match in the tournament.


    "This is indeed very helpful," Lux said in a grateful voice. "Thank you, Alicia."


    "No need to thank me," Aliciamented. "Do you have any questions? About your opponents tomorrow? I listed all of their skills and special abilities that they have used during the tournament. With this, you will be able to prepare for your next match, and see the people who you need to be wary of."


    Lux stayed silent for a minute as he once again looked at the names on the scroll before shifting his gaze to the alluring woman beside him.


    "In your opinion, who is the biggest threat on this list?" Lux asked with a serious expression on his face.


    Alicia pondered for a bit before pointing at two names in the list.


    "Rol Mordosk," Alicia said. "He is the younger brother of one of the Four Kings among the young generation. He is a Barbarian, and some say that his strength is almost equal to the strength of his brother. If possible, do not have a direct confrontation with him in the early stages."


    Alicia''s finger then moved to the second name in the list.


    "Gerhart Cenele," Alicia stated. "The Headmaster sent an invitation to him to enroll at Barbatos Academy because of his amazing control over the element of wind. During the Qualifying matches, he created a hurricane that almost eliminated all the participants in Arena 2. He is a force to be reckoned with, so you should be on your guard against him."


    "There are a few more notable contestants on this list, but none of them are as dangerous as these two young men. Just like your earlier battle, this will be another Royal Rumble and only twenty participants will remain. As long as you y your cards right, you can easily be one of those who will proceed to the next round."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding before thanking Alicia for sharing her thoughts on the matter. After seeing the information inside the scroll, he knew that the woman who had taken good care of him and Iris in Barbatos Academy was doing her best to help Lux in any way that she could.


    "Although tomorrow is going to be a very busy day, I''lle and see you again if I have the time," Alicia said as she walked towards the part of the wall that was left open. "Goodluck in your next matches."


    "Thank you," Lux replied. "I will do my best."


    Alicia gave Lux a smile before walking back through the passage. A momentter, the wall sealed itself shut, returning to its previous state.


    Lux didn''t initially know that the room that was reserved for him had a secret passage known only to Alicia. In the end, he could only admire the secretary''s thoroughness in her effort to help him.


    "I''m d that Alicia is on my side," Lux muttered as he shifted his attention back to the scroll in his hands. "Rol Mordosk, Gerhart Cenele�� I wonder how I will fare against these two."


    Lux read over the information that was written on the scroll one more time, andmitted it into his memory. Since Alicia had made an effort to pass the scroll to him, the least he could do was return the favor by winning the second round of the tournament.


    ''I wonder if Nero and his gang are already looking for my whereabouts,'' Lux mused after cing the scroll inside his storage ring. ''Well, goodluck to them. Let this little game of hide and seekmence!''


    Lux chuckled as he took a Beast Core out of his storage ring. For now, he would just focus on upgrading his Special Body Constitution to prepare for his match tomorrow. Whether his identity would be exposed or not, he nned to just leave it to Fate.


    The only thing that mattered to him was passing the final Qualifying Round in order to have the opportunity to fight the strongest members of the young generation. That way, he would be able to measure just how much he had improved ever since he had the opportunity to enter the wonderful, yet dangerous world of Elysium.

 Chapter 226 I Hate You

    "Brother, hurry up!"


    "We''re going to leave you if you''re slow!"


    "Alright, just calm down. I''ming," Sid said as he let his two sisters pull both of his hands. They were going to head to Aspiration ins to pick the herbs Grandma Annie needed to make potions.


    It had been several days since Sid returned to Leaf Vige, wanting to stay with his sisters for a little while before he embarked on a journey to strengthen himself.


    His Master, Lux, had told him that he would be gone for several months in order to fool Twilight Rain into thinking that he was really out of the picture, and allow Scarlet to gain the full support of the Dark Guild in order to be one of their yer Candidates, and eventually a Ranker.


    Sid thought that his n was excellent. If Lux were to be seen by the Dark Guild in Elysium while Scarlet was in the middle of acquiring her resources, things might get a bitplicated. In order to prevent this from happening, the Half-Elf even nned to go to the territories where Wildgarde Stronghold was in Elysium first to get a better understanding of what it was like to stay in those territories.


    Of course, he would only go there after the Tournament of Barbatos Academy, because Iris'' happiness was at stake.


    ''Master, I think you have started an unusual trend here in Leaf Vige,'' Sid thought as he gazed at the two baby slimes that were perched on top of his sisters'' heads.


    Ever since Lux had been recognized as the Eternal Guardian and Hero of Leaf Vige, most of the Dwarves and foreigners who arrived there from Sis had decided to raise Slimes as their Beast Companions.


    His sisters were no exception and, for the most part, he could only allow them to follow this unique tradition.


    "Ei!" The slime on Laura''s head, whom she had given the name, Cora, suddenly made a sound, alerting its Master that it was sensing the herb that they were looking for.


    "You already found a herb? You are amazing, Cora!" Laura said in a happy tone. "Where is it?"


    The baby slime jumped off Laura''s head and immediately crawled in the direction where she sensed the herb that they were looking for.


    Sid''s little sister ran off to follow the baby slime in a good mood. Not wanting to lose to her twin, Livia ran behind her, leaving Sid to watch the two of them go, a smile forming on his face.


    The handsome Dhampir had noticed that both of his sisters had be more lively after they arrived in Leaf Vige. In fact, not only were they full of life, they were even healthier than before.


    Unlike the Orphanage where the little girls had very little to eat, Grandma Annie made sure that Laura and Livia were eating enough and properly. Also, she would give them plenty of snacks whenever the two helped her with the chores and looked after the shop whenever she was busy concocting pills and potions for the vigers.


    The appearance of the two girls brought color to Grandma Annie''s lonely life, so the Old Lady had poured her love out on the twins, spoiling thempletely.


    "Ah! That horned rabbit stole our herb!" Laura eximed when a Horned Rabbit suddenly appeared, detached the herb from its roots, and ran off with it before she could pick it. "Cora! Punish it!"


    "Nora, don''t let it get away!" Livia also ordered her baby Slime to help her twin catch the Horned Rabbit.


    "Your baby Slimes won''t be able to catch that Horned Rabbi�C." Sid wasn''t able to finish his words because he saw the two baby Slimes fired a stone and water bullet at the same time, hitting the Horned Rabbit, and making it copse on the ground twitching.


    "Bad Rabbit!" Laura took the herb that the Horned Rabbit had dropped and put it inside her basket.


    "You shouldn''t do that, you know?" Livia admonished the Horned Rabbit who was still in a daze after getting hit by the two magical attacks. "Stealing is bad."


    When the Horned Rabbit recovered its senses, it gave the two girls a re before running away. Clearly, it didn''t intend to listen to their words, and returned to its usual routine in the Aspiration ins.


    "Cora, good job!"


    "Nora, that was great!"


    ""Ei!""


    The two baby Slimes lightly jumped off the ground after hearing their Master''s praise. The twins happily picked up their Beast Companions and kissed their cheeks, making the baby Slimes'' jelly-like bodies jiggle in happiness.


    Sid, who was standing not far away from the two, could only scratch his head in disbelief.<sub> </sub>


    "I guess the Slimes here in Leaf Vige are built differently," Sid muttered. He had no choice but to admit that the Slimes that were being raised in Leaf Vige were not like themon Slimes he had seen in the past.


    The Dhampir then remembered the baby Slime that was always perched on his Master''s head and pondered if Eiko had something to do with why the Slimes in Leaf Vige were different from the rest of the Slimes in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    ''It might just be coincidence,'' Sid thought. ''Yeah. This is just a coincidence. How can ordinary Slimes be that powerful?''


    This was the same question that would gue the adventurers in the other viges, towns, and cities of the Kingdom of Gweliven, when the young Dwarves from Leaf Vige went to other ces after bing Apostles.


    ��--


    Meanwhile somewhere in the Kingdom of Gweliven��


    "You did well, Scarlet," the Elder, who was also the red-headed Dwarf''s grandfather, said with a smile. "With this, you are now officially a yer Candidate. You''ve made me and our n very proud."


    "I''m d to have be of great service to you, Grandfather, and to our guild," Scarlet replied with a respectful bow.


    "The Guild Master had tasked me to bring you to the yer Training Camp tomorrow," the Elder stated. "You will also gain resources there. I hope that, after a year, you will be able to show me great improvements in your strength. There are very few Rankers in our family, so having a future Ranker like you gives us hope. Continue to excel, and climb the ranks of Twilight Rain."


    "Everything will be done ording to your will, Grandfather," Scarlet vowed.


    A few minutester, Scarlet returned to her room to rest. After making sure that the door was locked, the red-haired Dwarfid down on the bed and looked at the ceiling.


    "Climb the ranks of Twilight Rain��," Scarlet muttered. "Just as that Half-Elf expected, things are proceeding smoothly on my end."


    Scarlet sighed in her heart as she thought of her Master, who had promised that he would make himself scarce for half a year to allow her to train and umte the resources promised to her that would allow her to be a Ranker in a short period of time.


    There was no doubt that she hated Lux, but it was also a fact that she couldn''t disobey him. Her life was in the Half-Elf''s hands, and if thetter thought that she was no longer useful, he could make her disappear with just a thought.


    Although Scarlet thought that it was humiliating, she had no choice but to ept her current circumstances and follow Lux''s orders to the best of her abilities.


    "At least he kept his promise to make me a yer Candidate," Scarlet muttered as she closed her eyes. "I just hope he won''t order me around like a ve and ask me to perform unreasonable requests."


    Scarlet had just turned neen years old, and her future as an assassin was very bright. She was hailed as the greatest prodigy that their n had produced, and she took great pride in this fact. If not for the fact that Lux had turned the tables on her, iming her life, she might have been able to live her life the way she wanted to.


    However, that was no longer possible. She lived and died for Lux now. This was the sad reality she found herself in.


    ''Maybe I can negotiate with him to buy my freedom back,'' Scarlet thought as sheid on her side, looking at the dagger that she had embedded in the table in her room. ''I guess I''ll have to wait until he returns in order to talk to him about this matter.''


    For Scarlet, her freedom was just as important as her life. When Lux died then, she felt her body slowly disperse into particles of light, making her feel anxious.


    It made her realize that she could no longer live the way she wanted to, because if anything untoward happened to Lux, she would disappear into nothingness, and everything she had worked had for would disappear without a trace.


    This was a very scary thought for her, but there was nothing she could do about it.


    "Lux Von Kaizer," Scarlet said softly. "I hate you."


    Yes. She hated her new Master, but also feared and admired him at the same time. That night, Scarlet slept and dreamed of the day she regained her freedom.


    In that dream, she saw herself standing on the peak of a mountain and staring down on all of creation.


    She felt so alive, so fulfilled, and so happy, that for a brief moment, she felt that bing Lux''s subordinate wasn''t as bad as she originally thought it to be.

 Chapter 227 Hey, Are You Lux Von Kaizer?

    "Grandma, will Big Brother be fine?" Iris asked with an anxious tone. "I saw the list of contestants who will be in the same arena as him, and several of them are no pushovers."


    "Don''t worry, Lux will be fine." Vera assured her anxious granddaughter who had a worried look on her face.


    "Pa!" Eiko, who was perched on Iris'' shoulder, said with a confident tone.


    Clearly, the baby Slime had full faith in her Papa, who she thought would easily win the tournament if he went all out.


    What Eiko didn''t know was that Lux didn''t n on summoning Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and his skeleton minions to fight with him for the duration of the tournament. The Half-Elf only let Orion out because he nned to be recognized as a Summoner, and not a Necromancer by hispetitors.


    "I''m still a bit worried," Iris looked at the chubby young man who was now standing inside the arena alongside the contestants that would participate in the second round of the Qualifying Matches. "Grandma, how strong is Big Brother, currently?"


    Vera chuckled after hearing her granddaughter''s question. Seeing how anxious she was, the olddy decided to answer her question as honestly as she could.


    "Right now, I can say that Lux is on par with the Four Kings, and Five Overlords," Vera replied.


    "Really?!"


    "Yes. However, he is cing certain restrictions on himself. But, even if that is the case, knowing Lux, he will not allow himself to be at a disadvantage. Have more faith in him, Iris. He will be fine."


    "Pa." Eiko nodded, agreeing with her great grandma''s words. Lux had taken more than half of the Beast Cores that Eiko''s slimes had collected in order to strengthen his Body Constitution.


    After experimenting a bit, Lux had found that he could increase the number of points he could gain from a Beast Core if he just focused on adding points to his Body Constitution.


    Usually, when Lux absorbed Beast Cores he would gain a specific number of points.


    ��----


    Rank 1 Beast Cores = 10 Points in Stats, 10 Points in Body Constitution.


    ? Rank 2 Beast Cores = 20 Points in Stats, 20 Points in Body Constitution.


    Rank 3 Beast Cores = 30 Points in Stats, 30 Points in Body Constitution.


    Rank 4 Beast Cores = 40 Points in Stats, 40 Points in Body Constitution.


    Rank 5 Beast Cores = 50 Points in Stats, 50 Points in Body Constitution


    ��--


    The Beast Cores of Alpha Monsters'' had double stats. For example, a Beast Core that came from a Carbuncle, a Rank 2 Alpha Beast, would give 40 points in Stats and Body Constitution instead of the typical 20 points in stats and 20 points in Body Constitution.


    Some might say that this point distribution was unfair, especially for Rank 3 monsters and above. However, what the higher-leveled Monsterscked in points, they made up for with the Skills that one could learn from them once they have absorbed their Beast Cores.


    For most people, the Skills that they could gain from the Beast Core were more important than the Stats.


    The stronger the skills were, the better their offensive and defensive capabilities would be.


    In Lux''s case, he had recently discovered that he could convert Skill Points into Constitution Points.


    For example, if Lux used a Rank 2 Beast Core that gave him 20 Stats points and 20 points for Constitution Points, he could just convert the 20 Stats points and pool them with his Constitution Points, raising the overall points to 40, instead of 20.


    This tradeoff was something that Lux was able to discover because the rewards he had gained from raising his Body Constitution had helped him increase not only his strength, but his abilities as well.


    The Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy was truly one of a kind, allowing Lux to wield the power of Dragons. He believed that if he was able to upgrade his Body''s Constitution rank to the next level, a new set of amazing rewards would be waiting for him.


    Iris giggled after hearing Eiko''sint about her Papa borrowing her Beast Cores. Because of this, Iris gave Eiko a hundred low-ranked Cores, so that she would stop pouting.


    Eiko was naturally happy with these unexpected gains. For her, the more Beast Cores she had, the better.


    "The battle is about to start," Vera said as she looked at the timer that was disyed in the center of the arena.


    Iris and Eiko focused their attention on the projection that was disyed on the wall of Iris'' room.


    Even if the Half-Elf were to lose, as long as he was safe, Iris would still be happy no matter the result. She had grown up with him and knew how weak his body had been in the past. Even with the new changes she had seen in his Soul Book, Iris was still worried that her step-brother''s previous illness would return at some point during his battles in the arena.


    "Brother, goodluck," Iris pressed her hands together in front of her chest and prayed for Lux''s victory. Deep inside, the only thing she wished for was that Lux wouldn''t be hurt in the tournament.<sub> </sub>


    ��--


    Five minutes before the timer started in Arena 4��


    Rol Mordosk, the younger brother of one of the Four Kings, nced in the direction of the chubby boy standing in one of the corners of the arena.


    Her brother had told him that there was a possibility that his love rival had disguised himself as one of the participants in the tournament. The chubby boy''s name was one of the people suspected to be Lux''s hidden persona, so his older brother had asked him to give the chubby boy a beating.


    Although the chances of the Summoner being Lux were small, he was still considered as one of the threats in Arena 4, so it went without saying that Rol Mordosk would eliminate him as soon as possible, even without his Older Brother''s reminder.


    "Hey, are you Lux Von Kaizer?" Rol asked as he gazed down at the chubby boy whose head only reached his chest.


    "Lux who?" the chubby boy replied. "Is he famous?"


    "More like infamous for being a weakling. So, are you him?"


    "Huh? Do I look like a weakling? Do you want me to clobber youter?"


    Rol snorted after hearing the chubby boy''s reply. He had seen that weak and pathetic Half-Elf several times when he had visited Barbatos Academy in the past, because his older brother was one of Iris'' suitors.


    For him, the Half-Elf was trash, especially since thetter couldn''t even enter Elysium, making him theughingstock of those who were pursuing the blue-haired beauty of Barbatos Academy.


    "Good, at least you have gutspared to that weakling," Rol stated. "If you beg meter, and vow to be my subordinate, I will only beat you half dead. If you refuse, I will beat you until you''re just a step away from dying. Make sure to choose wisely."


    Instead of answering, the chubby boy chuckled as he looked up at the Barbarian teenager whose bulging muscles reminded him of the body builders back on Earth. In his mind, if he couldn''t even beat the little brother of one of the Four Kings that represented the young generation then he should just pack up and leave the tournament.


    Rol frowned after seeing the chubby boy''s response and decided to give the other party a light push. However, before he could even do that, Bruno appeared and held Rol''s wrist, preventing him from hurting the chubby boy.


    "Do you want to get disqualified?" Bruno asked. "It is stated in the rules that fighting before the countdown starts is foul y. Tell me, should I call the guards and escort you out of the arena for breaking the rules?"


    Rol shook Bruno''s hands off before giving the chubby boy a re. He then walked away to return to where he was standing a short while ago and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed.


    Clearly, getting disqualified was not part of his n. If he were to get really kicked out of the tournament because of something petty, his Older Brother, as well as his family, would be disappointed in him.


    This was something Rol didn''t want to happen, so he decided to hold himself back until the timer started. Smashing the chubby boy''s face in as punishment for being cocky could wait.


    Bruno snorted before flying upwards. He then nced at the contestants who were paying attention to the tension that was happening inside the arena.


    "Rulebreakers will be punished!" Bruno dered. "I don''t care who you are, where you are from, and who your daddy, grandpa, or great grand daddy is. If you break the rules of the tournament, you will be punished ordingly!"


    Bruno scoffed before flying towards the raised tform that acted as the Judge''s seat of honor. Since he was the presiding judge over Arena 4, he had been given full authority to dish out punishments at any given time.


    This was why Alicia had made sure that Bruno knew that the chubby boy was a VIP. As long as Bruno was the one overseeing the battle, Lux''s safety was assured.


    "Make yourst minute preparations," Bruno stated. "The battle will begin in two minutes!"


    As if waiting for that cue, the countdown timer appeared in the center of the arena. The contestants immediately formed groups, while solo fighters backed into the far corners of the arena.


    They already knew that this would be another Royal Rumble, so they couldn''t take any chances.


    Lux crossed his arms over his chest, as Orion, and one more Rock Golem appeared on his other side, defending him from anyone who wished to harm him.


    Rol nced at the two Rock Golems with ridicule. He was confident that he would be able to smash his fist into the chubby boy''s face before his summons could even react to him.


    What Rol didn''t know was that, aside from him, one more person was paying close attention to Lux, and it was none other than Gerhart Cenele.


    He was the other person that Alicia had warned him about. The clothes of the young man who held the power to control the wind element, started to flutter as he slowly released the power inside his body.


    His gaze never left the chubby boy, as those who were beside him backed away in a hurry. A powerful gust of wind swirled around Gerhart''s body, making him look like a human tornado that was about to unleash a natural disaster on those around him.


    Bruno looked at this scene with a calm expression on his face. Although he was told to ensure that Lux wouldn''t die in the tournament, he wouldn''t act until the veryst moment to save the chubby teenager''s life.


    His reason for this kind of mindset was due to the subtle pressure that Lux was emanating from his body.


    As a Ranker, he could tell that the chubby teenager wasn''t someone simple. He was looking forward to seeing what the young man, and his summons, could do against other participants whose abilities were said to be nearing the level of the Four Kings and Five Overlords, who stood above the warriors of the young generation.

 Chapter 228 Next Time We Meet, I Will Show You No Mercy

    "Battle Start!"


    Bruno''s shout, after the timer hit zero, sounded across Arena 4 and the contestants inside it instantly took action.


    The most high-handed of them all was none other than Rol, who decided to attack Lux the moment the timer hit zero, ignoring everyone around him. The Barbarian was confident that he could take out the summoner in just two minutes, eliminating one of the candidates that were preventing his brother from winning the tournament.


    "Time to die, chubby boy!" Rol roared as he summoned a War Axe and brandished it towards Lux, who had his arms crossed over his chest.


    Lux smirked at the approaching Barbarian, who he expected to single him out the moment the countdown ended.


    "How about, No?" Lux replied as he sneered at the young Barbarian whose eyes were locked on his body.


    However, before Rol could even activate one of his powerful abilities, he suddenly found himself moving against his will. The next thing he knew, he was face to face with a rocky fist, which faintly glowed as a sign of a skill''s activation.


    "Jackhammer!" Orion shouted as he mmed his fist into the Barbarian that was nning to hurt his Master.


    Rol hurriedly used one of his life saving skills which allowed him to endure one blow that could potentially end his life once a day.


    Although he believed that the Rock Golem''s attack couldn''t potentially kill him, getting seriously injured at the start of the match was something he didn''t want to happen. Not only would it reduce his chances of winning, the other yers might decide to attack him while he was injured, giving him a lethal injury in the process.


    A mini-shockwave erupted where Rol stood as Orion''s fist smashed into his chest, sending him hurtling through the air like a kite that had its strings cut.


    Einar Mordosk, Rol''s older brother, clicked his tongue as he watched the battle from his VIP Seat. Seeing that his Brother had used his life saving ability so early in the tournament made him feel disappointed. However, because of this incident, he now knew that the chubby boy''s Rock Golem had a skill which could force people to exchange blows with it.


    ''ording to the list Nero gave me, this guy is one of the participants that could be that Half-Elf in disguise,'' Einar thought as he looked at the chubby boy in the distance. ''Although I highly doubt it, there''s no harm in eliminating him early in the tournament.''


    Aside from his younger brother, there were two other people that Einar knew in Arena 4. He had tasked them to support his brother during the fight to ensure that he would pass through the next round safely.


    Although Rol was only a half-brother, who was born from a different mother, he was still close to the other person and wanted the younger Barbarian to at least reach the semi-finals of the tournament.


    As Einar gazed at the battlefield, the battle between the participants intensified. After seeing the Rock Golem''s incredible might, the other contestants stayed away from Lux and focused on the other participants.


    Orion''s punch had sent Rol hundreds of meters away from Lux,nding where the battle for survival was particrly intense. Because of this, Rol had no choice but to defend himself from the blows that wereing from his left, right, front, and back, giving him no room to advance to where Lux was currently standing.


    Suddenly, a group of six people unleashed a barrage of ranged attacks towards Lux''s direction, forcing Orion, and the other Rock Golem to step forward and use their bodies to tank the attacks aimed at their Master.


    It was also at that moment when three individuals charged at Lux from the side. Two of them were wielding swords, while thest one held two daggers in his hands. They were part of the group that attacked Lux, and their goal was to eliminate the Summoner as soon as possible in order to decrease the number of strong fighters in the arena.


    Lux, who saw this, summoned the sword Blood Moon, as well as its new counterpart, Blood Shield.


    Blood Shield was a Unique Weapon that Lux had crafted personally. He had used a small portion of the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis'' exoskeleton, as well as Mithiril and Steel, to create the best equipment that Lux had crafted to date.


    ��-----


    (A/N: Just in case you guys forgot the ranking for equipment, here are the rarity ratings. Common weapon, Rare Weapon, Unique Weapon, Mythical Weapon, Legendary Weapon, Demigod Weapon, Divine Weapon.)


    ��-----


    Blood Shield had two passive Skills which Lux believed were perfect for All-Rounder fighters.


    One of them was Shield Boomerang. This was simr to Shield Throw, except this Skill had an additional advantage which would make the shield automatically return to its owner after it hits its target or reach its maximum flight range.


    This Skill had a high chance of stunning its target if the attack hit the target''s head.


    The second Skill of Blood Shield was called Shield Retaliation.


    This ability was a charging type skill that stored 5% of the overall damage that was dealt in a single blow.


    Meaning, if the shield bearer sessfully blocked an attack, the shield would absorb 5% of the total damage of the blow and store it. The stored damage could be stacked up to 20x, which could then be unleashed as a form of AOE energy attack that had a range of five-meters around the shield bearer.<sub> </sub>


    Originally, Lux nned to let either Diablo or Pazuzu wield the shield since both summons used shields when they fought. But since he couldn''t summon his two Named Creatures in the tournament, he decided to use the shield for the time being.


    Just us Lux was about to engage the three attackers in closebat. Several wind des descended from the air, catching them by surprise.


    Cries of pain escaped their lips as they were hit by the razor-sharp wind des that attacked them from their blindspot.


    A momentter, a powerful gust of wind lifted the three warriors in the air before smashing them against the barrier of the arena. The deadlybination knocked them unconscious, which forced the Mages, who were monitoring the battle, to teleport them outside of the arena.


    Lux stared at the green-haired teenager who was floating in the air. He recognized thetter as Gerhart Cenele, one of the two people that Alicia had warned him about.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know why Gerhart had helped him, but before he could even call out to him, the green-haired teenager spun around, creating a hurricane in the very center of the arena.


    Soon, shouts and curses of panic and frustration could be heard in Arena 4 as several contestants were sucked up by the hurricane which was getting bigger with each passing second.


    Orion, and the other Rock Golem, stood firmly beside Lux, acting as his support, preventing him from being sucked up by the fierce winds that had grown to an unbelievable size.


    Rol, who was near the center of the arena, decisively threw his War Axe to the far end of the battleground. A few secondster, he disappeared from where he stood, and reappeared where he had thrown his Axe.


    The young Barbarian then smashed his Axe into the ground, using it as an anchor to prevent himself from getting sucked by the hurricane.


    The audience, as well as those seated in the VIP rooms, watching the spectacle, could only admire the deadly hurricane that single-handedly sucked up almost all of the contestants in the arena. Those that were sucked up by the hurricane found themselves at the mercy of nature as the winds shredded their armor, as well as parts of their bodies with every passing second.


    The mages who were carefully monitoring the condition of the contestants were frantically using mass teleportation spells to save the individuals who they deemed were in mortal danger.


    Ten minutester, the hurricane stopped.


    Gerhart nced down at the ground and saw that Lux and Rol were the only survivors in Arena 4.


    He had eliminated all other contestants, leaving only the other two behind.


    Rol stared at the floating youth in the air with a hateful expression before shifting her re to the chubby boy who was clinging to his Rock Golem''s leg.


    p His mission was to eliminate the chubby boy, but after his failed attempt, he no longer had the opportunity to carry out the task assigned to him.</anda>


    "Lucky Bastard," Rol muttered as he red at the Half-Elf. "Next time, I will make sure you get eliminated!"


    Without another word, Rol left the arena without even giving Lux a second nce. Now that only three of them remained, it was impossible for him to attack the chubby teenager because the battle was now over.


    Gerhart was about to go as well, but a call from the ground stopped him in his tracks.


    "Why?" Lux asked as he looked up at the green-haired teenager who had stopped the attacks that were aiming for him.


    "The boar you saved is one of my Sworn Brothers," Gerhart replied. "Now, I have repaid his debt in full. The next time we meet on the battlefield, I will not show you any mercy."


    After saying those words, Gerhart flew out of the arena under the cheers of the people who watched the battle.


    Lux could only scratch his head. He didn''t even need any help to deal with the people who attacked him. In the end, he decided to just let it go and treat it as his good karma for the good deed he had done the other day.


    As he walked towards the exit of the arena, he felt several appraising gazes pass over his body. The Half-Elf ignored them and just walked as casually as he could, while waving at the audience like a wrestler who had just won his wrestling match.


    "It''s not him," Nero muttered as he looked at the chubby teenager using a monocle that was capable of seeing through disguises. "Just where is that sted Half-Elf hiding?"


    Although Nero had handed the list to his other acquaintances, he was a very thorough person. He believed that if he wanted things done right, he should do them himself.


    Because of this, he personally scouted the people in the list he had made. By now, he had gone over a fifth of them. Nero left Arena 4, feeling disappointed, because he strongly believed that the chubby boy was Lux in disguise.


    Now that the person he suspected as Lux had been cleared from his suspicions, he decided to visit the other arenas, and see if the other people in his list would be the Half-Elf that he was itching to give a beating to.

 Chapter 229 Lux’s Next Opponent

    On the third day, thest Qualifying Matches were held and, to Vera''s and Iris'' relief, Lux had sessfully made it onto the list of thest 32 contestants, which included the Four Kings and Five Overlords.


    These 32 contestants would now fight one-on-one battles which would allow them to reach the semi-finals and get the opportunity to be hailed the Champion of the Lionheart''s Tournament


    The victor would also gain amazing treasures that were personally prepared by the Six Kings, as well as the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy.


    Alexander had already dered that the Champion of the tournament would gain the privilege of bing his daughter''s fiance, which had caused Iris'' countless suitors to take the tournament seriously in order to get the chance to marry the blue-haired beauty that was also referred to as the Princess of Barbatos Academy.


    Lux looked at the Big Magical Board where the names of the Four Kings and Five Overlords were separated in different brackets. This was to ensure that none of them would fight each other early, which made those that had passed the Qualifiers cry foul.


    However, since this was the will of the organizers, there was nothing they could do about it.


    The final groupings were divided into four. Each group had 8 contestants inside it. The Nine Prodigies who stood above the rest were arranged in a manner that they could only fight each other after fighting two times.


    Meaning, the organizers had arranged for the final battle in each Division to be the Kings and the Overlords fighting against each other.


    At least, that was what they assumed would happen when they made this setup. They didn''t believe that those who passed the Qualifying Matches would be able to beat the best prodigies of the young generation.


    ''Well, I guess this also works to my advantage,'' Lux thought as he gazed at the groupings on the giant board. ''Nero is in Group A, while I am in Group C. It seems that we won''t get a chance to fight each other until the Semi-Finals. Assuming that he doesn''t lose his matches.''


    Lux rubbed his chin as he looked at the matchups for tomorrow.


    ''The Boar will be fighting against Rol, while Gerhart will be fighting against one of the Four Kings, who also specializes in the Wind Element,'' Lux mused. ''What a setup, Barbarian versus his prey, and Wind User versus another Wind User. If I remember correctly the so-called young King is a Prince from an Elven Kingdom.


    ''I guess those who bear the title of King are members of Royalty, while Overlords are those with noble backgrounds or lower, like Nero.''


    Lux looked at his opponent in the Rank C tournament and saw a familiar name, which made him chuckle.


    ''Looks like I''m up against that Barbarian who has been courting Iris for years,'' Lux thought. ''Einar Mordosk, neen years old, Middle Grade-A Apostle. Stat wise, he is stronger than me. He is a purebat fighter that specializes in swords, and axes. He also has the Rage Skill, which is simr to Berserk, but with no side-effects. He is going to be one tough cookie to crack.''


    Lux had to admit that his first opponent was quite a powerhouse.


    Einar was one of the Four Kings of the younger generation, and was the second eldest son of the Barbarian King, Amastan Mordosk.


    When people think of Barbarians, they immediately imagine brutish warriors who only had brawn and no brains.


    Unfortunately, this was not the case with the Barbarian King. He was a very wise ruler, and had ushered in a new era for his people, making them one of the most powerful Kingdoms within the Eastern Regions of Sis.


    His Son, Einar, may not be as wise as his father, but he could be considered as someone who had a good head on his shoulders. Some even said that he was one of the top 3 strongest individuals who represented the younger generation.


    ? As for whether he was really in the top three, top two, or top one, no one really knew.


    All they knew was that he was someone they couldn''t afford to mess with because Einar was someone that didn''t show mercy to his enemies.


    While Lux was about to check who Nero''s opponent was, a shadow fell upon his body.


    Lux casually looked behind him to see who was blocking the sunlight and saw a man who was over two-meters tall and looking down on him with a calm expression on his face.


    It was none other than Einar, who was also Lux''s next opponent.


    "So, you are my opponent in the next match," Einar said as he looked down at the chubby teenager, who was shorter than him. "I already saw through your disguise, Lux Von Kaizer. I will make sure that I cripple you for good in our battle."


    "You''re not the first person to call me by that name," Lux frowned as he looked at the man that towered over him. "There have already been three others aside from you, and I am starting to wonder if you guys have a crush on this Lux Von Kaizer or something."


    Instead of answering, Einar grabbed Lux''s face and scratched the side of his face with his fingers. It was as if he was trying to remove a mask or something, but his attempts didn''t yield any results.


    "Just what do you think you''re doing?!" Lux shouted as he pried the Barbarian''s hand away from his face. "Are you trying to injure me before our fight has even started? Is this how you Barbarians do things?!"


    His loud shout caught the attention of people in the arena, which made them look in their direction. Bruno, who was paying close attention to Lux, started to walk in their direction. Seeing that one of the officials of the tournament wasing their way, Einar scoffed before leaving.


    He had attempted to see if he could remove the mask that the chubby teenager was wearing to confirm whether he was really the Half-Elf they were looking for.


    In truth, Einar just said that he had seen through the chubby teenager''s disguise in an attempt to see his reaction. However, contrary to his expectations, Lux only gave him a fed up look, which made him execute his n B, which was to forcefully remove any disguise he might be wearing.


    Lux watched the Barbarian go, while sneering in his heart. No one could remove the Mask of a Thousand Faces unless the one whom it was bound to removed it themself.


    This artifact was also immune to other artifacts that could see through disguises. The maker of the Mask had made specific adjustments when crafting it to prevent any type of discernment, and identification spells from prating through his disguise.<sub> </sub>


    This was why the Mask could only record two faces at a time, because adding more would make its anti-detection skills weaken.


    With this mask on his face, Lux was confident that no one would be able to know his identity. He had also practiced not reacting to people calling him Lux, while wearing the mask, which had foiled the ns of the Iris'' suitors to try and learn his true identity.


    "Are you alright?" Bruno asked as he stopped beside Lux. "Your next opponent is very strong. If you feel that you can''t keep up with him, make sure to surrender as soon as possible. The mages will immediately take you out of the arena."


    Lux smiled and gave Bruno a nod of acknowledgement. "Thank you. I will keep that in mind."


    The chubby teenager then shifted his attention to the board to see who Nero''s opponent was.


    ''An unfamiliar name,'' Lux thought. ''Well, not that it matters. I''ll just watch his battle before mine tomorrow.''


    Everyday there would be four matches held in the Grand Arena of the Coliseum. The betting system would also open, which was something that Lux intended to capitalize on in order to gain money, and of course, Beast Cores, which would help him increase his strength for future matches.


    He had upgraded his Special Body Constitution to Grade D, and the rewards he received were worth all the Beast Core he had sacrificed for his upgrade.


    Although he didn''t know exactly how strong Einar was, he believed that with the Trump Cards he possessed, he would be able to give the Barbarian Prince a run for his money.


    ��--


    "Oh no, Big Brother''s next opponent is Einar!" Iris, who had just seen thetest match ups, eximed. "This is terrible. Big Brother might not win against him!"


    Vera, who was handfeeding Eiko a meatbun, nced at her panicking granddaughter who was walking back and forth inside the room.


    "Calm down, Iris," Vera said. "Lux entered thepetition knowing that he would be facing strong opponents. It makes no difference if he faced Einar sooner orter. In the end, only the strong will be the champion of this tournament."


    Iris sat beside her Grandma and leaned her head on the olddy''s shoulder, acting spoiled.


    "I know, Grandma, but I can''t help but worry," Iris replied. "I love Big Brother so much that thinking of him getting hurt because of me makes my heart ache. Maybe the two of us should just elope and hide somewhere in Elysium. What do you think, Grandma?"


    "Believe in him, Iris," Veramented as she wrapped her right arm around her granddaughter to give her a hug. "Lux is strong. Perhaps stronger than both of us think."


    "Do you really think so, Grandma?"


    "Of course. I was the one that took care of him since he was a baby. Naturally, I know how determined he can be when faced with adversities. I know that you are worried because you haven''t seen Lux fight, but I have."


    Vera pressed the side of her head against the top of her granddaughter''s as if trying to make a point.


    "Lux no longer needs my protection," Vera said softly. There was a trace of sadness in it, but her words also contained a sense of pride. "I believe that someday, he will be the one protecting others instead."


    "Including me, Grandma?"


    "Of course."


    "Ma!" Eikomented after she finished eating the meatbun in Vera''s hand. "Protect Ma!"


    Iris giggled as she picked up the baby Slime who had just said that she would protect her.


    "Okay, protect me too, Eiko. Make sure that your Papa and I live a happy life together."


    "Ma!"


    The Baby Slime nodded her head in affirmation. Eiko gave Iris a confident smile, which made thetter smirk and made Eiko''s cheeks jiggle when she rubbed her hands on them.


    Vera watched this scene with a smile as she thought of the future where she would hold her great grandchildren in her arms.


    Lux had already opened up to the idea, and the only one that was blocking her happiness was none other than her son, Alexander, who was also the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy.


    ''As long as Lux wins this tournament, Alex will have no choice but to abide by his own words,'' Vera mused as she looked at the mother and daughter pair who was fooling around together.


    The reason why Vera was not making her move was because she believed that Lux would win the tournament.


    By doing so, it would remove all kinds of obstacles, including his son''s opposition, which would pave the way for her, and her granddaughter''s, happiness.

 Chapter 230 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Part 1]

    The day that those that had passed through the Qualifying Rounds would begin their one-on-one battles had arrived.


    The Coliseum was packed with people, and when the countdown for the start of the tournament ended, the lights inside the Coliseum disappeared, leaving everyone inplete darkness.


    However, before everyone could panic, a booming voice spread in the surroundings, and a spotlight was shot towards the floating tform that hovered at the right-side edge of the arena.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you foring to the Lionheart Tournament!" Bruno''s voice spread across the entire Coliseum. "Are you ready to see some exciting battles?!"


    ""We''re ready!""


    "I can''t hear you!"


    ""We''re ready!!!""


    Bruno smiled as he raised his hand to tell everyone to allow him to continue his speech.


    "Today, we are going to witness the strongest warriors of the young generation," Bruno said. "First of all, let me introduce the referee that will facilitate today''s battles. Everyone, give a round of apuse to Judge Dredd!"


    Suddenly, a giant fireball materialized at the center of the venue, making everyone gasp in surprise. A momentter, the fireball transformed into a phoenix that flew around the Coliseum, making the crowd cheer, and p their hands in delight.


    With a resounding screech, the Phoenix dove down at the center of the arena, exploding into a shower or sparks.


    It didn''t take long before a good looking, chubby man, who seemed to be in his early thirties, appeared in front of everyone. He was wearing a red robe, and yet he looked so fine, and dandy that some of the youngerdies giggled after seeing him.


    """Judge Dredd!"""


    """Judge Dredd!"""


    """Judge Dredd!"""


    """Judge Dredd!"""


    Judge Dredd smiled and bowed at the audience, making them give him another thunderous round of apuse.


    "Everyone, it is my great honor to serve as the judge for today''s contestants," Judge Dredd said in a light-hearted tone. "Well then, without further dy, let me introduce the two contestants that will fight for supremacy. On my right corner, the Barbarian Prince of the Vado Kingdom, and one of the Four Kings that represents the Young Generation,dies and gentlemen, please wee��


    "Einar Mordosk!"


    The lights of the arena then focused on the young man who was two-meters tall, and was wearing nothing on the upper part of his body, leaving the tattoo of what seemed like Tiger with its maws opened wide, bare for all to see.


    Everyone saw the bulging muscles of his body and was awed by the intimidating presence he was radiating.


    He was none other than Einar Mordosk. The second son of the Barbarian King, as well as one of the strongest members of the young generation. Many had tried to dethrone him from his position, and im his title, but all of them had failed, almost losing their lives at the hands of the man who could break boulders with a single punch.


    After stepping into the arena, Einar pointed at one of the VIP tforms in the Coliseum.


    There, an olddy, a blue-haired beauty, and a red-headed teenager sat.


    "I dedicate my first victory to you, Iris!" Einar shouted. "When this tournament is over, you will be my wife!"


    Iris, who had be the center of everyone''s attention, only hugged the red-headed teenager beside her, and thetter hugged her back.


    Seeing the familiar Half-Elf sticking close to the youngdy he had been courting for many years, Einar could only smirk in ridicule because Lux was no longer a threat to him. Since a Saint had made a deration, he was certain that even if the red-headed teenager cried a river in protest, Alexander''s words would remain firm.


    "Wow! What a chad!" Bruno shouted after hearing Einar''s deration. "The Barbarian Prince had already dered that he is going to be victorious in his first match. Since that is the case, Judge Dredd, please, introduce his opponent!"


    The chubby judge nodded his head and pointed his finger towards the right side of the arena and read the card in his hand that contained the information of the challenger who would fight Einar.<sub> </sub>


    "Hailing from the Southern Regions of Sis, our contender has managed to pass through the Qualifying Matches with flying colors and show everyone, including me, that he is a force to reckon with.


    "No matter how high the mountains, or how deep the sea, this man will cross it and gain victory! Everyone, please wee�� My Daddy!"


    The crowds that were about to apud the next contestant nced at the referee in the arena with disdain.


    All of them knew that this was a battle for the younger generation, and yet, the Judge who facilitated the match had chosen to call his daddy to fight teenagers?


    How shameless!


    ""Boooooo!""


    ""Boooooo!""


    ""Boooooo!""


    The sounds of booing spread across the Coliseum as everyone, as a bbergasted Judge Dredd double checked the card in his hand to make sure that he didn''t read wrongly.


    p Iris, who sat at the topmost VIP room giggled and hugged "Lux", while Vera could only shake her head helplessly.</anda>


    When Lux was choosing a name that he would use for the tournament, he wanted to y a prank on everyone. Because of this, the name he chose was someone that would be remembered by anyone that heard it.


    "Um, I''m not talking about My Daddy," Judge Dredd said as he tried to pacify the crowd who was booing at him. "The name of the contestant is none other than My Daddy, I am not making this up!"


    Suddenly the spotlight shifted to the right side of the arena, highlighting a chubby boy that was standing with his hands behind his back.


    His robes fluttered in the breeze as if he was an expert warrior who had seen the peak of the world, and had endured thousands of tribtions.


    Orion, whose head appeared above the ground, was blowing air towards his Master, in order to make him look cool. Since the head of the Rock Golem was not being hit by the spotlight, it created the perfect illusion that the chubby boy was someone quite intimidating.


    Bruno, Judge Dredd, as well as the other Rankers in the arena, including the powerful officials of the Six Kingdoms, couldn''t stop their lips from twitching because they could clearly see the shenanigans that were happening in the background.


    In the end, they didn''t say anything because they were thinking that this was the chubby teenager''sst hurrah. Since he wanted to show off before his defeat, they would just turn a blind eye on it for the sake of everyone''s entertainment.


    A minuteter, Lux stepped forward, and Orion rose up from the ground to meet him. The chubby boy then sat on the shoulder of the four-meter tall Rock Golem, and allowed himself to be carried into the arena where his opponent was waiting for him.


    The Rock Golem continued to walk until he was standing only a meter away from Einar, who looked up to the chubby boy that was seated on the Golem''s shoulders.


    "That''s right, look up to me," Lux said as he looked down at the Barbarian who towered over him a day ago. "Take a good look at the true victor of this first match. When this match is over, I''ll let you have the honor of calling me Daddy as well."


    Lux was doing this as payback for what Einar had done to him the other day. Since the Barbarian had looked down on him, it was now his time to look down on him by sitting on the shoulder of a giant.


    """Whoa!"""


    The audience cheered after hearing Lux''s deration. They didn''t think that someone would be daring enough to tell Einar that he was going to lose to his face.


    Einar sneered after hearing the chubby boy''s words. For him, this match was already a done deal.


    The only thing he needed to do was smash his fists into the chubby boy''s face, teaching him that in the face of absolute strength, all tricks were meaningless.


    Just like two boxers that were about to fight, both fighters sneered at each other. This faceoff made the crowd cheer in excitement because both fighters seemed hell-bent to win.


    What the crowd didn''t know was that Lux and Einar were thinking the same thing, and that was that, at the end of the battle, the one that would stand victorious in the arena was none other than him.

 Chapter 231 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Part 2]

    "Before we start the duel, let me tell you the rules," Judge Dredd said as he stood beside the two fighters, who were still gazing at each other.


    "Both of you had signed a waiver that even if you die, the other party will not be at fault," Judge Dredd stated. "However, we would like to prevent anyone from dying as much as possible, so when your opponent surrenders, or loses consciousness, the battle wille to an end."


    "Also, I have the right to interfere when I think that the other party is no longer able to fight. As much as possible, I will hold back in exercising this right, but if I see that continuing the battle is pointless, I will stop it with the authority I have as a judge."


    "Lastly, I and everyone here today wants to see a good fight. I hope that the two of you will not break our expectations."


    Lux, who was seated on the Golem''s shoulder, smirked.


    "As long as my opponent doesn''t croak early then you guys can expect a good fight," Lux said with confidence. "You won''t croak that easily, right?"


    The chubby boy sneered at the Barbarian who was also sneering back at him.


    "Weaker dogs bark more," Einar replied in a voice filled with ridicule. "Make sure to not die from a single punch."


    Lux snorted. "How can I die from a punching from you? Just look at your body. You look so skinny that my grandma can easily p you silly."


    Judge Dredd, Bruno, as well as a few of the audience couldn''t help but nce in the chubby boy''s direction in disbelief.


    ''Bruh, are you blind? Can''t you see how buffed up this guy is and you call him skinny?''


    That was the collective thought of everyone in the Coliseum, with the exception of Iris, who was holding her belly with her left hand and covering her lips with her right. Unfortunately, she could not prevent her entire body from shaking no matter how she desperately tried to stop herself fromughing out loud.


    A loudughter echoed from the stands, as the Barbarian King, Amastan Mordosk,ughed without a care in the world.


    "Good!" Amastan shouted. "I like this kid. He has guts."


    "Father, he is brother''s opponent," a youngdy, who seemed to be around seventeen years old, gave her father a disapproving gaze. "We came here to support Brother, not to praise his opponents."


    Amastan chuckled as he looked at his beloved daughter, Fiora, who was his pride and joy.


    "I believe that your brother is strong, but he''s not necessarily the strongest," Amastan said in a firm voice. "There will always be someone stronger, a mountain above a mountain, and a heaven beyond the heavens. Such is the way of life."


    "Father, who do you think is Big Brother''s greatest threat in this tournament?"


    "Threats? I am looking at one of them right now."


    Amastan''s gaze never left the chubby boy who was seated on top of his Rock Golem.


    As a High-Ranker, it was fairly easy for him to discern the boy''s strength. A single nce was enough for him to know that although his son, Einar, was stronger than his opponent, the presence of the chubby teenager surpassed his son.


    As the Barbarian King, he had faced many strong opponents and had ovee adversities through sheer strength. Because of this, his intuition had been developed to such a high degree that he could tell that his son''s foe was not as harmless as he looked.


    ''Einar, be careful,'' Amastan said in his heart. ''This boy might be masquerading as a pig so that he can eat the tiger.''


    ��---


    After Bruno''s exnation, both fighters backed away until they were dozens of meters away from each other.<sub> </sub>


    ? Everyone watched with bated breath as both fighters took a fighting stance and waited for Judge Dredd''s signal to start their battle.


    "Battle Start!"


    The moment the signal for the battle began, Einar summoned two throwing axes and threw them in Lux''s direction.


    Orion was about to step forward to block it, but Lux ordered him to stand down and summoned another Rock Golem to block the two axes instead.


    When the Rock Golem appeared and attempted to block the two projectile weapons, the axes swerved,pletely evading the Rock Golem and continued to head in Lux''s direction.


    Orion no longer hesitated and attempted to swat the two throwing axes with his rocky hands. However, as if expecting his action, the two axes re-positioned themselves and slipped through Orion''s fingers, before they continued to head towards the Chubby boy, who had a calm expression on his face.


    The moment the two des were about to hit him. Several spinning des materialized out of nowhere and collided with the two throwing axes, stopping their advance.


    Having been repelled sessfully, the two flying axes flew back in Einar''s direction where the young Barbarian caught them in a firm grip.


    ''For a barbarian, he sure uses his head well,'' Lux thought.


    In the beginning, the Half-Elf assumed that Einar woulde charging at him like what his younger brother, Rol, did in his fight against him. It seemed that Einar had observed Lux''s match with his younger brother, and no longer treated him as an ordinary opponent.


    ''He''s probing my abilities and my Golem''s reaction speed.'' Lux thought, assuming that this was the Barbarians''s ns. He believed that he wasn''t wrong in his assumptions.


    Einar, once again, threw the throwing axes, but this time, they were faster than before. Lux already knew that there must be some kind of hidden trick in the thrown axes, but he was unable to ascertain them at this point in time.


    Instead of defending, he ordered Orion and the other Rock Golem to charge in Einar''s direction and engage him in closebat.


    With one mighty roar, Orion charged as he activated his Duel [EX] to force his opponent to exchange a blow with him.


    While this was happening, Lux stepped forward and summoned Blood Moon and Blood Shield to deflect and block the throwing axes that were flying in his direction. To his surprise, the axes were properly dealt with, and both of them fell on the ground motionless.


    The Half-Elf was now assuming that Einar was remotely controlling the two axes, so he decided to do an experiment. After the Barbarian was forced to face Orion, his connection to the two throwing axes were cut, leaving them unable to perform the maneuvers they did earlier.


    "Jackhammer!" Orion shouted as he smashed his fist on the Barbarian''s body with the intention of turning him into meat paste.


    However, to everyone''s surprise, Einar didn''t back down and also threw his punch towards the Rock Golem''s rocky fist, facing it head-on.


    Contrary to what everyone expected, it was Orion who was sent flying by the exchange of blows, which made even Lux''s eyes widen in surprise.


    After dealing with the opponent in front of him, Einar unleashed another punch at the other rock golem,pletely obliterating its sturdy arm in the process.


    Without missing a beat, the young barbarian spun his body around and delivered a spinning kick, hitting the rock golem''s waist, its body instantly shattering in half.


    The crowd cheered loudly after seeing such a spectacle, but Einar didn''t pay any attention to their cheers.


    With one powerful stomp of his right foot, he lunged at Lux and roared like a tiger. The young barbarian''s hands slowly transformed until it became the ws of a tiger, with its sharp nails extended in full.


    "Tiger w!" Einar roared as he extended his hands in a wing position with the intention of ripping off the chubby boy''s head from his body, and put an end to the enemy who dared to look down on him, once and for all.

 Chapter 232 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Part 3]

    "It''s over," Fiora muttered when she saw her brother lunge at his opponent with the ferocity of a wild tiger.


    Amastan, who was paying close attention to the match, didn''t reply. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and waited for the chubby teenager''s next move that would decide whether he would keep his head on his body.


    He could tell that his son was serious in ending thetter''s life. As Einar''s father, he knew that once his son had decided on something, he would not stop until he seeded in his endeavor.


    Judge Dredd, and Bruno, had raised their senses to the limit. Just like Amastan, they also understood Einar''s intention. However, their hands were tied.


    They didn''t know if Lux was able or unable to fend off the attack. If they blocked Einar''s attack, they would have no choice but to dere him as the winner. On the other hand, if the match was stopped in this manner, Lux might tell them that their help was unneeded, so both of them were in a pinch.


    Alicia had given both of them an order to protect Lux''s life no matter the cost. But they were unable to decide if the one they needed to protect needed their help or not.


    Fortunately, before the two judges could decide, Lux made a move.


    Instead of dodging, or running away, what thetter did surprised both judges.


    Lux stomped his right foot forward, and also lunged at his enemy with his own ws extended.


    "Dragon w!"


    Lux''s hands transformed into red Dragon ws, and shed with Einar''s Tiger''s w, creating a powerful shockwave that sent strong gusts of wind blowing away from their bodies.


    With both hands firmly gripping each other, the two raised their knees and kneed their opponent at the same time.


    Due to the height differences, Einar''s blow hit Lux''s chest, causing the chubby teenager to feel a stinging pain on his chest from the blow''s powerful impact.


    The chubby teenager, on the other hand, was shorter than the barbarian, so his knee directly hit Einar''s balls, making thetter grunt.


    (A/N: Lux hit Einar''s Family Jewels. If you still don''t know what the Half-Elf hit then you need to return to your anatomy lessons, my friend.)


    Both repeated their attacks over and over again. The first one to break free was Einar, who jumped back andnded several meters away from Lux.


    As soon as both of his feet touched the ground, he immediately crouched down. He was biting his lips so hard that blood already started to stream down his chin. Clearly, the injury he received was not something he could brush off like if it was nothing.


    Lux, who was kneeling on the ground and clutching his chest, spat a mouthful of blood. Einar didn''t hold back and delivered blow after blow of punishment to his chest, breaking two of his ribs.


    If not for the fact that he had upgraded his Body Constitution and acquired the passive skill, Dragon Scales [EX], and Dragon''s Heart [EX], he might have suffered fatal injuries and would have also been forced to surrender to his opponent.


    ��---


    < Dragon Scale [EX] >


    �C Makes your skin as hard as dragon scales.


    �C Greatly Increase Physical and Magical defense as if you are wearing a set of armor that covers your entire body.


    �C Reduces Physical and Magical damage by 50%


    ��---


    < Dragon''s Heart [EX] >


    �C Increase your Health by 30,000 Points<sub> </sub>


    �C Increase Health and Stamina regeneration by 100%


    �C When facing an opponent stronger than you, Health and Stamina regeneration will be boosted to 200% Health and Stamina regeneration.


    �C Gain Selective Lesser Immunity passive ability. You may only choose one Lesser Immunity Passive. Once you do, you can no longer change the passive immunity that you have chosen.


    ��-


    < Selective Lesser Immunity >


    �C Greatly gain increased resistance to chosen Lesser Immunity.


    �C Chosen Lesser Immunity will automatically decrease the damage you will receive from the chosen option by 30%


    < Chosen Lesser Immunity: Physical Attacks >


    �C All damage acquired from physical attacks will automatically be decreased by 30%


    ��---


    Thanks to these two skills, Lux was able to survive the punishment that he received from Einar''s merciless attacks that could have ended his life if it had been a few days ago.


    Although Lux was notpletely immune to Physical Attacks, his passive abilities allowed him to mitigate a great deal of damage, making him a decent meat shield against physical fighters like Einar.


    ''Sh*t that hurts,'' Lux thought as he gritted his teeth. ''Still, I''m sure that he is hurting more than me.''


    Lux didn''t hold back and repeatedly kneed Einar''s balls silly, making the Barbarian unable to sire any children if he didn''t receive medical treatment as soon as possible.


    "Bastard!" Einar shouted as he tried to stand up, but the damage he received to his family jewels prevented him from doing so. "I''ll kill you!"


    "You already tried," Lux replied with a sneer. "But you failed."


    Although he could taste his blood inside his mouth, and was suffering from pain, the Half-Elf felt great because, even if Einar''s balls weren''t crushed after receiving his beating, it was definitely on its way to bing a scrambled egg.


    Einar''s eyes turned bloodshot as his body grew bigger. Thick fur covered his entirety before he transformed into a giant White Tiger, with a pair of white wings behind his back.


    His current form was simr to the four-meter tall flying tiger that he had seen in the Beast Tide during their defense on Whitebridge City.


    The only difference was that the Flying Tiger in front of him was a White Tiger, who was known to be a Legendary Creature, and was well-known as one of the most ferocious tigers in the world.


    An emblem appeared on the White Tiger''s forehead, which was recognized by everyone as the word for "King".


    This was also one of the reasons why Einar was one of the Four Kings, who stood at the peak of the prodigies in the younger generation.


    "I can''t believe it," Fiora muttered as she looked at her brother''s Beast Form. "Brother actually used his Trump Card before the semi-finals."


    Fiora knew that this was her brother''s ultimate ability. He would only use this when he was facing a strong opponent as ast resort.


    Seeing the Flying White Tiger in front of her, the youngdy, who was also the Barbarian King''s only daughter, finally understood that her brother had been backed to a corner and was left with no other choice but to go all out against a stranger that she had only seen and heard for the first time in her life.

 Chapter 233 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Part 4]

    ''Looks like holding back is no longer possible,'' Lux sighed internally as he looked at the four-meter tall flying tiger that was eyeing him with a ferocious gaze. Clearly, he had pushed Einar to the edge, after having his balls crushed by him.


    He was very tempted to drink a healing potion, but potions were no longer allowed for use in this stage of the tournament. They were only allowed to use them after the battle was over, or get one of the clerics to heal their injuries.


    Just like Einar, Lux didn''t think that he would be showing his trump cards so early in the tournament. Even so, he was up against one of the Four Kings, who stood above all the other geniuses in the current generation.


    Lux simply had no choice but to fight with everything he had for a chance to advance in the tournament.


    ''I only have one shot at this,'' Lux forcefully swallowed the blood that was rising in his throat, as he stood up to prepare for one final attack.


    Orion stepped in front of Lux, allowing his Master to lean on him.


    "Doppelganger," Lux said through gritted teeth.


    Immediately two clones that looked exactly like the chubby teenager appeared beside him.


    Both clones held onto Lux''s shoulder, supporting him, while Orion positioned himself behind the three and took a fighting stance.


    Einar, might have taken the form of a Flying White Tiger, but the injury he received from Lux was still there, making it extremely hard for him to move, he was only using the strength of his Bestial Form to stand straight, as he prepared to unleash his strongest attack.


    The Giant White Tiger opened its mouth wide and a silver orb of light appeared in front of it. Einar was gathering a huge amount of magical energy before unleashing his special ability, Hyper st, which was just as powerful as a Dragon''s Breath.


    This was a trump card that Einar was saving for the final match, but was forced to use it now as ast resort.


    "Enjoy your stay in the afterlife!" Einar shouted via telepathy as he unleashed his strongest attack. "Hyper st!"


    The powerful silver beam of light shot out towards the three chubby teenagers, who had also opened up their mouths and were preparing to unleash their strongest attack as well. In truth, Lux could have ordered Orion to use his Duel [EX] to cancel the Barbarian''s attack.


    However, a part of him wanted to face Einar''s attack head-on, proving that he was no longer the weakling he once was in the past.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    Three red beams met the silver beam that Einar had unleashed and a sight that had never before seen in the tournament shed in front of everyone''s eyes.


    As the two colors of light pushed against each other, the barriers that surrounded the arena started to crack.


    Alexander, who sat on the main seat of honor, stood up and pointed his finger to the arena.


    Immediately the cracks disappeared, and severalyers of barrier reinforced the existing barrier, preventing it from falling apart.


    Slowy, but surely, the silver light was starting to get pushed back by the three red beams that were ganging up on him.


    With one ferocious roar, Einar unleashed all of his magical energy at once, trying to push back the attack that was nearing his location.


    In the end, a loud explosion took ce as the energy beams reached their limit and detonated against each other. The arena trembled, but the shields protecting the audience held firm, preventing any magical energy from leaking out.


    When the dust cloud cleared, Einar, who was still in his Flying Tiger form, could be seen at the edge of the arena in a very sorry state.


    Lux, and his clones, on the other hand, were all caught up by Orion. The Rock Golem had used his body to prevent his Master, as well as his clones, from being blown away.


    Judge Dredd, who had created a barrier for himself was fine, but his clothes were now all covered up in dirt, making him look like a beggar.


    "Orion, finish him," Lux ordered.


    With a loud shout, Orion charged at the Flying White Tiger who was struggling to prop himself up from the ground.<sub> </sub>


    The Rock Golem pulled his hand back, making the ground tremble under his feet. When he was only a dozen meters away from his target, Orion leapt up to the air and prepared to unleash his strongest move.


    "Gaia Smash!"


    Einar looked up at the Rock Golem with unwillingness in his eyes. He no longer had the strength to dodge, or block the attack that wasing straight at him from above.


    However, before the Rock Golem could unleash his full-powered blow, a hand held his wrist, preventing him frompleting the punch.


    The one who stopped Orion was none other than Judge Dredd, who was still covered in dirt.


    "This battle is over," Judge Dredd. "Winner! My Daddy!"


    Fiora, who was seated in the VIP Room reserved for their family, stood up from the couch in shock as she stared at her brother''s sorry state. Although the Flying White Tiger stood tall and proud, its eyes had already zed over.


    Einar had lost consciousness while standing up, prompting Judge Dredd to stop the match before the young Barbarian received more injuries from his opponent, who had decided to deliver the Coup de Grace.


    A few secondster, a deafening cheer erupted from the audience as those who watched the battle apuded the two fighters for showing them an unforgettable match.


    The Clerics, as well as other Medical personnel, rushed towards the young Barbarian who had now reverted to his original form.


    Blood could be seen staining his pants, and the Clerics focused their healing abilities in that area because they knew that this was where Einar was injured the most.


    As for Lux, only a single Cleric went to check his condition.


    "That was an amazing fight," the Cleric said before cing his hand on Lux''s chest in order to stabilize the injury. Only a High-Ranking Cleric was able to mend, or reattach damaged bones, but they were currently too busy gathering Dragon Balls for Einar in order to create a miracle.


    (A/N: Gathering Dragon Balls to make a wish for Einar to regain his balls kekeke.)


    Right now, the young Barbarian no longer had the balls to continue because they were literally crushed during his exchange with Lux. if not for the presence of a High-Ranker Cleric, he would have been damaged for life.


    Fortunately, it didn''t end in the worst case scenario or else the Mordosk Family might have dered a Blood Feud against the chubby teenager, making him their public enemy number one.


    The next match was dyed for half an hour so they could ensure that Einar''s condition was stable.


    The young Barbarian was a Prince, so they didn''t have the leisure of treating him as an ordinary contestant, or else, things might get messy with the Barbarian Kingdom who backed him up.


    As Lux was carried away from the Arena, the remaining three kings, and the Five Overlords, watched him from afar.


    However, they were not the only ones that paid close attention to Lux. The other influential factions, noble families, as well as the Royal Families of the Six Kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy were also watching.


    These powerful individuals had immediately ordered their subordinates to investigate the chubby teenager''s background.


    If they were to make such a promising youth their subordinate then they were willing to pay any price to bring him under their wing.


    Nero, who had a frown on his face, once again used the monocle to look at the chubby teenager.


    ''The results are the same,'' Nero thought with disappointment. ''He is not Lux.''


    He then shifted his attention to the VIP tform where Iris was seated. There he found her hugging the red-headed Half-Elf as she jumped alongside him, creating a weird, yet funny, scene.


    As if sensing his gaze, the Half-Elf that was hugging Iris, nced in Nero''s direction and gave him a mischievous grin.


    It was a grin filled with many hidden meanings, and one of them was contempt, which Eiko felt for those who were aiming for her Mama''s hand in marriage, which she didn''t, and would never approve of.

 Chapter 234 The Pride Of An Elf [Part 1]

    While Lux was recuperating from his injury, news of his performance spread throughout the other Six Kingdoms like wildfire.


    The various Information Guilds, Merchant Guilds, as well as the Underworld Guilds, scrambled to put an identity with the chubby boy''s face, who had appeared out of nowhere, and won against one of the Four Kings of the young generation.


    The high officials of the Six Kingdoms that backed Barbatos Academy had decided to recruit the young man to their side by giving him the most tempting offer. Naturally, in order to do that, they must first know his background.


    This was the first step to understanding who this person was, and what his goals were. As long as they were able to provide those for him, the possibility of gaining a future powerhouse was already in the bag.


    The Four Princes, and the Five Overlords had been recognized by everyone as the strongest among the young generations. Anyone who was able to beat any of them would naturally gain poprity because it also meant that the bnce that had long been held in ce had now been shaken.


    Themoners, nobles, high-ranking nobles, as well as the members of the Royal Family no longer looked down on the remaining contestants, who had stepped into the top 32 of the Lionheart Tournament.


    If one more rough gem could be unearthed from this group of people, they would certainly profit immensely if they were able to bring them to their Domain and make them one of their loyal subordinates.


    Iris wanted to visit Lux so badly, but Vera told her that going there would only raise suspicions. Now that Lux was no longer an ordinary chubby teenager, all of his movements, including those who visited him would be scrutinized by those who were trying to discern his identity.


    One wrong move and the Half-Elf''s n would be ruined, so the blue-haired beauty had no choice but to remain in her VIP seat, and watch the next three battles that would also take ce in the Main Arena.


    Rol, who was devastated by his brother''s loss, had gone all out in his match. But, since he wasn''t in the right state of mind during his battle, the Boar, who was his opponent, didn''t miss the opportunity and won the match by a very small margin.


    Amastan, and Fiora, sighed in disappointment at Rol''s performance. Both of them knew that if the young Barbarian had calmly dealt with his opponent, the victor of the battle would have been him, instead of the boar who was feeling very smug at the moment.


    "Father, you should let Rol take the Trial of the Ancestors when we return home," Fiora said. "He can still participate in the next tournament, so we can just treat this one as a minor setback."


    Amastan smiled. As the Barbarian King, he knew that losing wasn''t something to be depressed about. As long as you learned from your mistake and strived to be better, a better and improved warrior would be born from the ashes.


    Unfortunately, Einar and Rol still didn''t know this fact.


    The Barbarian King wanted to know just how far his sons'' determination was. If they were not able to recover from this setback then it meant that they were never meant to do grander things, which required many hardships, and could only be aplished through sheer determination.


    ''Fortunately, they are still young,'' Amastan thought. ''There is still plenty of time to correct their mindset. Still, that boy, My Daddy, is quite an interesting fellow.''


    When Amastan thought that he was calling a teenage boy his daddy, he forgot what he was thinking about andughed, which made the youngdy beside him think that he wasughing at the failure of her brothers, making her pout.


    "Father!"


    "Calm down, Fiora. I know. When we return, I''ll take good care of your brothers, okay?"


    Fiora nodded her head and shifted her attention to the next battle. Now that her brothers were no longer in the tournament, her interest in it had waned greatly. However, the next match rekindled the mes of curiosity in her heart after two fighters, who both specialized in the Wind Element, faced each other in the arena.


    "Enlil Neifion, the sixth Elven Prince of the Elswyth Kingdom, as well as one of the young Kings of this generation," Fiora muttered as she gazed at the handsome, green-haired elf who was smiling with great confidence as he waved at the audiences that hade to watch him.


    Since her brother, Einar, was of the same ranking as the Elven Prince, there had been plenty of opportunities for her to meet with the Elf, who looked down on the other races, except his own, and with good reason.


    Elves were superior when it came to wielding the power of the Elements. They also excelled as Rangers, Magicians, Bards, Beast Tamers, Druids, as well as other professions that had something to do with nature.


    They were also long-lived, which allowed them to learn more than the other races, as well as steadily gain strength throughout their long lifespan.


    "His opponent is Gerhart Cenele," Fiora stated. "A wandering Half-Elf that cut ties with the Elswyth Kingdom, and has lived among the Nomadic Rowan Tribe that moves along with the seasons. Both of them use the Wind Element. In this battle, the one with the higher Mastery of the Element will win. Isn''t that right, Father?"


    "Yes." Amastan rubbed his chin with great interest. "But, I believe that the one whose determination is the strongest will win this battle."


    "What makes you say that, father?"


    "Just a hunch."


    Fiora quieted down as she shifted her attention back to the arena where the two fighters were facing each other.<sub> </sub>


    Gerhart had a serious expression on his face, while Enlil had a rxed smile stered on his face. Clearly, the Elven Prince didn''t take his opponent seriously, even though the two of them were Wind Elementalists.


    "Half-Elf, I admire your luck foring this far, but this is where your luck ends," Enlil stated. "A defective creature like you is a stain in thispetition. I will make sure that your journey ends right here, right now."


    Gerhart didn''t reply and simply removed the cloak that covered his body. Pointy ears that were simr to a Human''s framed his face. His green-hair wasn''t as green, or as lustrous, as Enlil''s, but his eyes, which were as clear as the blue skies, stared at his opponent fearlessly.


    The girls looked at the two handsome young men in the arena and giggled, while the boys wished that both fighters would kill each other in the match, so the world will have two less handsome boys that might be their rivals when it came to wooing the women''s hearts.


    Just before the match was about to begin, Lux appeared on one of the tforms reserved for the contestants of the arena. He had wanted to watch Rol''s and the Boars'' fight earlier on, but his broken ribs took some time to get patched up.


    "Gerhart!" Lux shouted. "Defeat him using the strategy we talked about earlier!"


    Gerhart nced up at the stands and gave Lux a brief nod. However, deep inside, he was saying "What strategy? I didn''t talk to you earlier. We''re not even friends!"


    The smile on Enlil''s face disappeared as he gave Lux a side-long nce before shifting his attention back to his opponent.


    Although he half doubted the chubby teenager''s words, Lux was still someone that managed to defeat his acquaintance, Einar.


    This meant that he needed to be careful when fighting against opponents who might have coborated with each other in order to make a strategy that worked against him.


    ''I can''t lose here,'' Enlil vowed in his heart. ''I can''t ruin the reputation of the Four Kings, just like that dumb Barbarian did.''


    The contestants who were also in the same tform as Lux, looked up at him with admiration. Although they didn''t want to admit it, they aspired to be like him and defeat one of the Four Kings and Five Overlords, who had long lorded above their heads for the past few years.


    It was at that moment when two people stood on Lux''s left and right side.


    One of them was a blonde teenager, with blue eyes and sharp features.


    The other was a good looking boy, with light-brown hair and eyes.


    The one that stood on his left side was Gilmore Faisal, the Third Prince of the Axton Kingdom, and one of the Four Kings.


    The one on his right was none other than Nero, who carried a strong grudge against Lux, because he had everything he ever wanted in life.


    "Who do you think will win?" Gilmore asked while looking at the two fighters in the arena.


    "Do you even need to ask?" Lux answered without even bothering to look at the blonde Prince, who suddenly decided to stand beside him. "The one who will win this tournament is me. All of you can just fight for second ce."


    The contestants who heard Lux''s deration sucked in deep breaths. Clearly, the question that Gilmore asked was who would win between Gerhart and Enlil. However, the chubby teenager didn''t care and simply dered that he will be the one winning the tournament and everyone can just fight for the second spot.


    "Interesting," Gilmore stated. "I think the one who will win THIS match is Enlil. After all, ants who think too highly of themselves are easily crushed by someone simply stepping on them."


    "You must be talking aboutmon ants," Lux replied. "I know a few ants in Elysium that can easily step on a king and turn him to meat paste.  Hah~ ignorance is truly bliss."


    Nero, who had kept his silence on the side, suddenly spoke out loud. He felt irritated about the chubby teenager''s wittyments, which reminded him of the Half-Elf whom he hated with every fiber of his being.


    "You are quite eloquent with your words," Neromented. "It reminds me of a certain pathetic Half-Elf who got lucky in life."


    The ridicule in Nero''s tone was quite scathing, but instead of getting annoyed, Lux found his words very funny.


    "Well, I don''t know who that Half-Elf is, but it''s not his fault you got born with a baboon''s butt for a face," Lux chuckled. "Better luck in your next lifetime. Make sure to do good deeds so that you will have good karma in life. Maybe, just maybe, you will be reborn and, just like that pathetic Half-Elf, get lucky in your next life."


    Gilmore and Nero suddenly had the strong urge to p the chubby teenager at the same time for turning their words against them.


    Both of them were already starting to regret their decision to stand beside the chubby teenager, whose tongue was sharper than both of theirsbined.

 Chapter 235 The Pride Of An Elf [Part 2]

    "Battle Start!"


    Enlil smirked as he rose up from the ground and high to the air.


    As a Wind Elementalist, he nned to use his ability to the fullest and show everyone that was watching that his "King" title was not just for show.


    Gerhart hovered above the ground as well and flew high in the air to face the Elven Prince, who looked down on Half-breeds like him.


    The two stared at each other for a few seconds before both of them unleashed a barrage of wind des.


    Their attacks met mid-air and canceled each other out, showing that they were almost equal in strength.


    Well, almost equal in strength.


    A momentter Enlil sneered as he summoned a few more wind des, and Gerhart did the same. However, when the wind des they unleashed met each other, Gerhart''s Wind des dispersed, as they were ovee by Enlil''s attack.


    Gerhart had no choice but to dodge the attacks that were flying in his direction, but as if reading his thoughts. The Elven Prince whistled and summoned a Giant Eagle in the arena.


    With a resounding screech, the eagle unleashed a gust of wind that held Gerhart in ce, preventing him from dodging the Wind des that were headed in his direction.


    Left with no other choice, Gerhart summoned a Wind Barrier in order to protect himself from the iing Wind des that were all as sharp as razors.


    Enlil, who was standing from far away, wasn''t idle either. He summoned a luminous green bow and pulled on the string. Immediately, a green arrow, that was radiating a green light, materialized out of thin air and its radiance grew brighter the more Enlil pulled on it.


    "Exterminate!" Enlil dered as he released the string to unleash one of his strongest attacks.


    "Wind Reaver!"


    A green arrow that shone in radiant light flew straight and true towards Gerhart, who was being besieged on all sides.


    Enlil had timed the attack perfectly, leaving his opponent no time to block his killer move, which he had shot to end the Half-Elf''s life. He wasn''t someone like Einar, who liked to take chances. If there was a way to defeat his opponent as swiftly, and elegantly as possible, he would execute it without fail.


    Gerhart, who had known Enlil for quite some time understood what thetter was trying to do, so he decided to go all out in order to protect himself from the impending death that was now shing right in front of his eyes.


    In a desperate attempt, Gerhart took out what seemed to be an ornamental dagger from his storage ring and raised it above his head. A momentter he spun around like a top, creating a tornado that rose towards the sky.


    Putting his life on the line, he charged at the barrage of Wind des, dispersing them with the power of his own attack.


    The tip of the tornado was shining in a silver light, as the dagger that was firmly held by Gerhart pierced through the attacks like a knife cutting through butter.


    When the green arrow and the tornado collided, an ear rending screech that was simr to nails scratching a ckboard spread inside the Coliseum, making the audience, as well as the other contestants, cover their ears.


    Lux, whose hearing was sharper than most, gritted his teeth as he covered his ears with both hands. Even though he felt great difort, his eyes focused on the tornado that was fighting Enlil''s attack head on.


    After several seconds, the green arrow lost its luster and exploded in a shower of green sparks, which were absorbed by Gerhart''s tornado, turning it into a luminous green tornado that was now headed towards the Elven Prince, whose expression contorted in rage.


    "Bastard!" Enlil shouted as he mounted the back of his Giant Eagle in an attempt to escape the green tornado that was flying straight towards him. "Why do you have Kinyer?!"


    When he saw the dagger in Gerhart''s hands, he thought that he was just seeing things. But after it had sessfully diffused and absorbed his skill, Wind Reaver, Enlil finally confirmed his suspicions.<sub> </sub>


    The ornamental dagger, Kinyer, wasn''t just an ordinary dagger but a Heirloom of the second King of the Kingdom of Elswyth.


    Just as the name implied, it was a dagger that was used to kill the First King of the Elven Kingdom, which ended his rule thousands of years ago. The de had remained in the safekeeping of the Royal Family, and was said to have been sealed in an unknown location to prevent it from being used to endanger the lives of the current members of the Royal Family.


    Because this was part of their history, all the members of the Royal Family had seen the replica of the dagger, which hung in one of the rooms of the pce that was reserved for the artifacts that could only be viewed by the Royal Family.


    Gerhart didn''t answer Enlil''s question and just continued to approach his target, like a hunter going for the kill.


    Enlil urged his Giant Eagle to fly high in the air beforemanding it to descend towards the green tornado, creating a tornado of its own.


    "Sky Fury!" Enlil shouted as he imbued his Beast Companion with the power of the Wind Element.


    The two tornadoes collided like two green dragons fighting for supremacy. Sparks of lightning erupted at the center where the two tornadoes were confronting each other.


    "Pierce through!" Gerhart roared. "Kinyer!"


    The de of the dagger in his hand turned crimson red. Not long after, the luminous green tornado turned into a crimson tornado, making it look more deadly and intimidating.


    Slowly, but surely, the green tornado was being pushed back, as the power of the dagger that killed the Elven King showed its might.


    A resounding cry of pain spread in the surroundings as the red tornado pushed through the green tornado, dispersing itpletely.


    A giant, severed wing fell on the ground, which was followed by a second pained cry as the rest of the Giant Eagle crashed on the ground.


    Enlil nimbly jumped off his Beast Companion before it fell. He was unscathed because he had used his Beast to take the brunt of the attack, allowing him to avoid a direct hit.


    The Elven Prince looked up at the Crimson Tornado as it slowly decreased in size until it disappearedpletely.


    "I don''t know how you got Kinyer, but that de doesn''t belong to you," Enlil said in a voice that reeked with venom. "I will give you two choices, concede and return the artifact to me and I will no longer pursue this matter. Or��"


    "Or you can just shut the f*ck up," Gerhart shouted as blood dripped off the tip of his de. The blood didn''te from the Giant Eagle that he had almost in, but his own blood.


    Kinyer required its user to pay the price of using it, and that was to feed it with the user''s blood.


    Several steel spikes had emerged from the handle of the de, piercing the palm of Gerhart''s hand, drawing blood, which also gave the de its Crimson color.


    The Elves who were watching the battle red at Gerhart andbeled him a thief who had stolen something from the Royal Family.


    The Elves that belonged to the Kingdom of Elswyth didn''t know that, in the hands of others, Kinyer was only an ornamental dagger.


    However, in the hands of the members of the Royal Family, this de could unleash a power that threatened those who shared the same blood as them.


    Enlil knew this, but he chose not to recognize the identity of the opponent in front of him.


    Because by doing so, he would be forced to acknowledge that the Half-Elf in front of him was a member of the Royal Family, whose blood was just as royal as his own.

 Chapter 236 The Pride Of An Elf [Part 3]

    Gerhart could feel himself getting dizzy because Kinyer required a lot of his blood in order to activate. That also meant that he needed to end the battle as soon as he could, or else he would faint due to loss of blood.


    Taking a fighting stance in mid-air, Gerhart pointed the tip of the dagger towards the Elven Prince who was ring back at him.


    "Sigil of Wind," Gerhart said softly as he imbued his entire body with the power of the Wind Element.


    "Blood Rage."


    The de in Gerhart''s hands glowed eerily as red mists rose up from its de.


    "Blood Rite."


    The sharp spikes that had dug deep into his palms grew longer, piercing right through the skin in his hands, drawing more blood as it increased the potency of Gerhart''s final blow.


    "Blood Mist."


    This time, red mist rose from Gerhart''s entire body, making him look like a red Demon that was out to seek vengeance.


    "Life Break!" Gerhart roared as he descended towards the ground like a redet, trailing a deadly red trail in its wake.


    Seeing the redet descending towards the ground. Judge Dredd knew that even he, a Ranker, was in grave danger.


    "Get me out of here!" Judge Dredd''s voice spread in the surroundings. "I don''t want to die!"


    Immediately, one of the Mages forcefully teleported the referee outside of the arena as per his request.


    Enlil, who was the target of Gerhart''s attack, took out his own Ornamental Dagger and stabbed his chest where his heart was located, drawing blood.


    "Mark my words, I will hunt you down!" Enlil pledged as blood flowed out from his body. "This isn''t over!"


    Enlil''s body was immediately covered with a red light, before it disappearedpletely from existence. He didn''t ask to be teleported away by the Mage because Kinyer would attack its target without fail as long as it was within a mile-wide radius.


    Since Gerhart had designated him as a target, he needed to get as far away as he could in order to prevent himself from losing his life. The ornamental dagger he used was a life-saving item that would teleport him back to the Elven Capital back in the Elswyth Kingdom.


    Just like Kinyer, the ornamental dagger that Enlil used required his Heart''s Blood, in order to fully activate.


    A secondter, a redet descended on the ce where Enlil was standing and exploded.


    "Brace!" Bruno shouted as he raised his hands to reinforce the barrier.


    The other mages also did the same, and castyer uponyer of barriers around the arena.<sub> </sub>


    One by one, these barriers broke apart, proving how strong Gerhart''s kamikaze attack was. In the end, Alexander was forced to take action as he, along with the other high-rankers, personally ensured the safety of the people.


    Red mes that seemed to devour everything could be seen through the transparent shield that Alexander had summoned to contain the destructive power of Gerhart''s attack.


    This was no longer an attack that belonged to an Apostle Grade warrior. It was an attack that was capable of killing a high-ranker.


    Five minutester, the mes subsided.


    When the barrier was removed, the arena was no more, and a giant crater that was dozens of meters deep appeared in front of everyone.


    At the center of it, a person, who looked like a dried up husk while holding a dagger in his hand, could be seen.


    "Take him to the Intensive Care Facility," Alexander ordered. "Alicia, make sure to ce High-Rankers to guard the boy. He cannot be killed on the grounds of the Academy."


    "Yes, Sir," Alicia nodded as she contacted the High-Rankers of Barbatos Academy to take Gerhart into custody. This matter was an issue between Gerhart and the Elven Royal Family, and Barbatos Academy had no interest in involving themselves in their dispute.


    After the Rankers had taken custody of Gerhart, who was still holding Kinyer firmly in his hand, an announcement was made by the Academy.


    The next match would be moved the next day, so they had time to repair the damages that were caused by the battle between the two warriors.


    The audience left the arena with disappointed looks on their faces. Even so, they understood that the next match couldn''t be held with the current state of the Coliseum.


    However, as soon as they left the venue, word spread about the exciting battles that had happened during the first day, which instantly sparked the interest of those who hadn''t watched the battles in the arena.


    Although Lux''s and the Boar''s battles were overshadowed by Gerhart''s suicide attack, their names were still mentioned from time to time, especially Lux who had also defeated one of the Kings in the tournament.


    Although Enlil didn''t experience a crushing defeat, he was forced to teleport away from the arena. A loss was still a loss. Gerhart had staked his life to take the Elven Prince''s life, and thetter chose to preserve his life, rather than risk it to fight the Half-Breed he hated with every fiber of his being.


    Now that two of the Kings had been defeated, the invincibility they projected towards the younger generation had shattered. The awe and respect vanished, and all that remained was a shadow of their former glory.


    If they were mentioned and talked about in reverence in the past, they were now treated asmon prodigies who were slightly better than most.


    This new realization of the masses made the two remaining Kings, as well as the Five Overlords, feel like their reputation had been tarnished.


    Even so, they couldn''t refute the fact that Einar was defeated by the chubby teenager, My Daddy, and Gerhart had unleashed an attack that was capable of killing even a High-Ranker, forcing Enlil to escape.


    With two losses under their belt, the prestige that had been built around their identities, had crumbled just like a sand castle that was swept away by a wave, forcing everything to revert to how it once was.

 Chapter 237 League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen

    "What do you mean he''s not here?" an High-Ranking Elf Official asked after he was stopped at the infirmary where Gerhart was taken after the battle. "If you don''t give me that brat, I promise you that you will not like it.


    "You can''t get what we don''t have," Alicia replied. "If you really are so adamant in looking for him, I will not stop you, but, know this, angering three Saints is not a good idea. Next time, be careful with your words in case you are unable to take them back."


    Alicia''s words made the Elven Official''s face be pale. Due to what happened in the tournament, he hadpletely forgotten that Barbatos Academy didn''t only have one Saint, but two.


    Also, the Nomadic Rowan Tribe, that traveled all over the Six Kingdoms, was led by a Saint.


    In the Western Regions, where the Six Kingdoms, and Barbatos Academy were located, there were only five Saints remaining. Most of the powerhouses in the region were killed during the Hundred-Year War, which greatly weakened the military power of the Six Kingdoms.


    Two of those Five Saints were in Barbatos Academy, and the third one belonged to the Nomadic Rowan Tribe.


    The two remaining Saints were Hermits, who preferred to live alone and not mingle with the political framework of the region. Because of this, the Saint that was more active within the six kingdoms was none other than Alexander, who was the current Headmaster of Barbatos Academy.


    "Forgive me, Lady Alicia," the Elf Official apologized for his rash actions. "I got too emotional after knowing that someone had stolen one of the Relics of our Kingdom."


    Alicia nodded. "I will turn a blind eye to your outburst this once. Go and see for yourself if the person you are looking for is there, but I warn you to not disturb the other patients in the infirmary."


    "Of course," the Elf Official promised before he was escorted, along with his entourage, inside the Infirmary where several contestants of the past Qualifying Rounds of the Lionheart Tournament were still recovering.


    As Alicia looked at the back of the Elven Delegation, a frown appeared on her beautiful face.


    ''This is going to be a bitplicated,'' Alicia thought. ''To think that Gerhart has such a background. Looks like the Elf Royal Family of Elswyth will have no choice but to post a bounty on his head in order to reim their Sacred Relic.''


    When Gerhart was brought to the Infirmary to receive treatment, the Ornamental Dagger in his hand, Kinyer, suddenly shot up towards the sky and flew towards West. A momentter, Gerhart''s almost dried up body vanished without a trace, leaving the Clerics, as well as the other medical personnel, in shock and disbelief.


    Clearly, Gerhart had made preparations before the battle, should he ever use the power of Kinyer. Since he would be exposing himself to the world, he made a n that would instantly allow him to leave Barbatos Academy, to prevent himself from getting captured by the Elf Royal Family.


    Several minutester, the Elf Envoys left the infirmity in haste. They nned to return to the Elven Capital and share the news of what happened in the tournament.


    What they didn''t know was that the moment Enlil teleported away from the Arena, he had escaped to the Inner Pce of the Elven Kingdom, where members of the Royal Family would appear once they used the life-saving artifacts that were given to them by their family.


    After having his injuries treated, Enlil narrated everything that had happened in the tournament, including Gerhart who now possessed Kinyer.


    The Elf King, who heard this, had a calm expression on his face and told Enlil that he would handle the rest, and the Prince should just rest and recover from his injury.


    On that same day, the different Elite Forces of the Elswyth Kingdom departed from the Elven Capital with two goals.


    One was to visit the Rowan Tribe, and negotiate for Gerhart''s surrender to them.


    The other was to look for traces of the artifact in the off chance that Gerhart didn''t return to the Rowan Tribe to seek asylum.


    While this was happening, the arena was being repaired for the next battle that would be held the following day. After a first day of exciting battles, the audience was quite excited for what would be waiting for them when morning came.


    "It seems that your sworn brother is on the run right now," Lux said to the Boar who refused to return to his original form, and kept his transformation up all the time.


    "Hmph! Those pointy-eared elves will not be able to catch Gerhart even if they mobilize their entire army." The Boar snorted.


    "Oh? You sound so confident."


    "Of course I am confident. No matter how arrogant they are, they will not do anything to annoy Grandfather. If that old man got angry, even the Elven King would have no choice but to get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness."


    Lux gave the smug-faced Boar a side-long nce before looking at the arena that was being repaired by Earth Mages.


    "I forgot to say congrattions for beating Rol," Lux said. "Although I wasn''t able to watch it, some said that it was a close match."


    "I admit he got me in the first half," the Boar replied. "But, that was because I was taking things easy. If I unleashed my full powers, I would have killed him with just a single re, you know?"


    "Really? I didn''t know you were that powerful. Last time we fought together, you were almost turned into Boar Stew during the Qualifiers."


    "That is because I don''t think it was worth it to show my trump cards so early in the battle. I am saving them for the final match."


    Lux nced at the delusional boar with an amused look on his face. "Has anyone told you that you have thick skin?"


    "Yeah," the Boar replied. "My Sworn brothers and Grandfather always tell me that, but they also know that when I go all out, even Saints will have to run for their lives. I am that good."<sub> </sub>


    Lux turned around and left the Boar to his fantasies. He was afraid that if he stayed longer, the Boar''s delusional tendencies would rub off on him.


    "Oi, where are you going?" the Boar asked as it hurriedly followed the chubby teenager who was leaving him behind. "Isn''t this the part where you will say ''Oh! You''re so amazing! Please make me your sworn brother!''. Fortunately, I like you, so I don''t mind making you my sworn brother. How about we share some good food and wine as we pledge our brotherhood?"


    "Not interested," Lux replied without even bothering to look at the boar, who was walking by his side and doing its best to convince him like a door-to-door salesman.


    "Howe? Don''t you want to be part of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? If you join now, I will share with you the recording of Lady Iris when she performed a ritualistic dance when she visited our Tribe a year ago."


    "... You, do you want me to turn you into roast pork? Why do you even have Iris'' dance performance?"


    The Boar thought that Lux was just being shy, so it decided to continue trying to make him a member of the group that he had established alongside Gerhart.


    "Are you interested now?" the Boar said with a smug-look on its boarish face. "Unfortunately, the recording crystal is a prized possession of our organization. If you want to see Lady Iris dancing in her Celestial Robes, you need to join us first and be my sworn brothe�Cargh!"


    The Boar wasn''t able to finish its words because Lux started to beat the crap out of it until it squealed like a pig being ughtered. The arrogant boar begged for forgiveness over and over again, and was only released from its suffering after it had surrendered the recording crystal that had the video of Iris dancing.


    After taking the crystal from the boar, Lux gave it onest kick in its belly, sending it rolling across the ground while crying "murderer!" and "fatty boy".


    Since the battle wouldn''t start until the next day, Lux decided to return to his room to rest.


    "I haven''t been around Iris much for the past two years because I was busy training for the entrance test for Elysium," Lux muttered as he yed with the recording crystal in his hand. "I rememberst year, Grandma asked me if I wanted to apany Iris in the Rowan Tribe for their annual celebration. I guess this is where the Boar got this recording from."


    Lux decided to activate the crystal to see Iris dance.


    The crystal shone and transmitted a projection in front of him. In the projection, Iris was wearing a colorful dress that seemed to be a traditional attire of the priestess of the Rowan Tribe.


    As the tribaldies yed their musical instruments, Iris spun slowly as if addressing everyone before she started to dance.


    Her graceful movements, apanied by her beauty was enough to mesmerize those whoid their eyes on her.


    For Lux, Iris was a symbol of Luck.


    He believed that her Luck Stat was so high that if she stood in the center of a group of people, and bird poop rained down from the sky, everyone else, aside from her, would get hit by it.


    ''Perhaps this was why she was invited to their annual festival,'' Lux thought. ''The Tribe Chief might have thought that if she were there, she would bless their tribe with her Luck, allowing them safe travels because of their Nomadic Lifestyle.''


    When the dance ended, Lux felt refreshed as if he had just been given a buff for rity of mind and a cure for minor injuries.


    Iris'' performance was simply that good, that he couldn''t help but feel happy, and regret at the same time.


    Happy because he was able to see her sweet smile as she danced. Clearly, she was enjoying what she was doing, which also brought happiness to those who were watching her.


    Regret that he wasn''t there to apany him and watch the performance live, alongside the Rowan Tribe, that had been blessed by her luck.


    "I hope that Eiko is behaving herself properly," Lux muttered. The day before, Eiko had taken his form and appeared beside Iris to make those who were looking for Lux think that the chubby boy and him weren''t rted.


    Also, it might also make them think that he had lost in the Qualifying Matches, allowing them to lower their guard. For them, Lux was their greatest Love Rival, because Iris had kissed him in front of everyone in the past.


    News of this had spread like wildfire making those who wanted to make the blue-haired beauty their fiance, wish that they could strangle the red-headed teenager, and feed his remains to the fishes.


    ''Tomorrow it will be Nero''s turn to fight,'' Lux mused. ''I bet that he will take this battle seriously and defeat his opponent in a spectacr manner in order to regain the dignity of the Four Kings and Five Overlords. Unfortunately for him, this will be a useless endeavor.''


    Lux knew that, even if Nero won in a shy way, the prestige they once enjoyed was a thing of the past now.


    Only if one of the Kings or one of the Five Overlords were to win the tournament then and only then would they be able to salvage their reputation.


    ''I hope his opponent is strong,'' Lux thought. ''That way, I will be able to see some of the aces that he has been hiding.''


    For the Half-Elf, the brown-haired teenager was someone he would like to meet personally in the arena. However, he was not delusional enough to think that fighting Nero would be easy.


    Lux understood Nero, probably more than anyone else.


    He knew that Nero would keep his aces close to his sleeves, and only use them at the right time, to turn the situation around, making him a tricky opponent even for the Half-Elf who had gone above and beyond all means, to fight the person who coveted the blue-haired beauty that loved him so much.

 Chapter 238 Nothing Personal, Okay?

    The next day, the crowd gathered in the arena once again.


    The coliseum was filled to the brim, to the point that those who were unable to get in had no choice but to watch the battle on the projectors that were ced in various ces of Barbatos Academy, so that everyone could watch the battles unfold in real time.


    Nero stood in the arena as he faced his opponent. A confident look was disyed across his face. The battle should''ve been yesterday, but because of what had happened during Gerhart''s and Enlil''s battle, his match was postponed and moved to the next day.


    As soon as Judge Dredd gave the signal to start the fight, Nero and his opponent charged towards each other.


    A momentter, his opponent copsed on the ground, unconscious.


    "Winner Nero!"


    The audience wasn''t able to react in time, not expecting the battle to end so quickly. All it took was a single exchange for the good-looking brown-haired boy to win his match, without even breaking a sweat.


    Nero turned around and walked steadily out of the arena. He was projecting an expert''s attitude, which made the audience remember that he was one of the Five Overlords, who wouldn''t just lose to anyone.


    ''Well yed, Nero,'' Gilmore, one of thest two Kings, mused. ''We definitely gained a bit of our dignity back after this quick win.''


    Yesterday, the two remaining Kings and the Five Overlords had met and discussed a strategy for how to regain the dignity that they had lost.


    It was Nero who proposed that they should end their battles as quickly as possible so there would be no room for doubt that they were truly the strongest members of the young generation.


    His proposal gained the agreement of everyone present, so all of them decided to end their matches as quickly as they could.


    As Gilmore was thinking that they had regained a bit of their fame, a gloatingughter that was magnified by a special artifact spread in the surroundings.


    "Hahaha! He managed to win so fast because he was facing a weakling!" the Boar said with arrogance. "If I was the one who faced him in battle, that brown-haired wannabe wouldn''t evenst five seconds!"


    "Hah? What crap are you talking about?" a chubby teenager asked. "If that was me, before the match can even start, I would have immediately kicked him out of the arena!"


    Judge Dredd, who was standing in the arena, red at the two clowns that were saying a bunch of bullcrap in his presence.


    Beat Nero in five seconds? You barely passed the Qualifiers, yet you, stupid Boar, dare to say that you can beat Nero in five seconds?


    Utter nonsense!


    Kick him out of the arena before the match even started?


    Do you want to get disqualified? That''s foul!


    Do I look like a joke to you?


    Just as Judge Dredd was about to tell the two to shut up, the stupid Boar raised its voice and made a stupid deration.


    "Hmph! Remember this, members of the Four Monkeys and Five Baboons!" the Boar dered. "The moment you face me in the arena is the day that all of you will know what true strength is!"


    "Um, I apud your boldness, but you made a mistake. It''s not Four Monkeys and Five Baboons. It''s Four Clowns and Five Buffoons. Please apologize to all the Monkeys and Baboons in the world. Having thempared to those weaklings brings shame upon their good names."


    "You''re right! Um, sorry dear Monkeys and Baboons. I didn''t intend to bring shame to your good names! Please forgive my ignorance."


    As if waiting for that cue, a Monkey Beastkin stood up from the audience and shouted.


    "On behalf of all the Monkeys in the world, I ept your apology," the Monkey Beastkin said. "Make sure to not make the same mistake again."


    "I also ept your apology." A Baboon Beastkin stood up and made his presence known. "Beingpared to them brings shame upon our race. Can''t you see how handsome we are? We''re the ones losing out from beingpared to them."<sub> </sub>


    "That''s right!" the Monkey Beastkin nodded his head in agreement. "They just can''tpare to our awesomeness!"


    The Boar and chubby teenager praised the two Beastkins who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Clearly, this was not part of the script. This unexpectedbo attack almost made Nero slip as he walked towards the exit of the arena.


    A secondter, the boar''s neck and the chubby teenager''s neck were grabbed by Bruno whose face had already turned beet red due to anger.


    "Are you two going to shut up first, or should I shut you up personally?" Bruno asked.


    The Boar nervously chuckled as he handed the artifact that magnified its voice to Bruno who took it with a grumpy look on his face.


    "I''m watching both of you," Bruno stated before releasing the two troublemakers, making both of themnd on their bums.


    The audience roared inughter after seeing the two''sedic act, and hadpletely forgotten Nero''s dominating performance. The prestige that they had tried so hard to regain turned into a joke, which made the Boar and the chubby teenager Public Enemies Number One and Two for the two remaining Kings and Five Overlords, who were still in thepetition.


    "You''re up, Norman," Gilmore said while facing one of the Five Overlords. "End the battle as fast as you can."


    "You don''t have to tell me; I know what to do," Norman snorted as he jumped towards the arena from the contestants tform like a Mad.


    His next opponent was none other than the skinny swordsman, who had been with Lux and the Boar during the Qualifying Matches.


    The skinny teenager calmly walked towards the arena, while Norman looked down on him with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "I don''t know who you are, or where you are from, but I will end you quickly," Norman dered as soon as the skinny teenager walked up in the arena. "Nothing personal, okay?"


    The skinny teenager nodded his head and stood in ce, waiting for Judge Dredd to start the match.


    "Are both of you ready?"


    Norman raised his hand with confidence. "I was born ready!"


    "Yes," the skinny teenager replied.


    "Battle Start!"


    As soon as the battle started, a soft, yet resounding clinking sound spread in the arena.


    A momentter, a cry of pain, followed by a shower of blood was heard and seen in the ce where Norman stood.


    His arms, and legs were cut off from his body. The young man, who was one of the Five Overlords, found himself lying helpless on the ground, with blood spurting from the severed limbs of his body.


    "Nothing personal, okay?" the skinny teenager said before turning around to leave the arena under the dumbfounded gaze of the audience who couldn''t believe what they just saw.


    The skinny teenager didn''t even bother to wait for Judge Dredd''s deration of his victory. In his eyes, his opponent was simply too weak for him to consider him as a serious opponent.


    "Nice!" the Boar said with a smug-look on its face before turning to the chubby teenager beside it. "Do you think we can invite him into the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? He has what it takes to be my sworn brother!"


    Lux rolled his eyes at the shameless, thick-headed boar, who would pester strong people for them to join its organization.


    He had long known that the skinny swordsman wasn''t simple.


    His performance alone was enough to shut up all opposition, leaving Gilmore''s and Nero''s group of elite prodigies, unable to stop themselves from treating the mysterious swordsman as a seriouspetitor in the tournament.

 Chapter 239 You Dare To Chop Me?

    "Are you sure that guy isn''t Lux in disguise?" One of the Five Overlords asked Nero and Gilmore who both had serious expressions on their faces.


    The skinny teenager who wore a bamboo hat was one of the suspicious people that Nero had listed as a possible candidate for Lux''s hidden identity.


    "I have double checked and that''s not him," Nero replied with a frown.


    Gilmore also nodded his head. "I also used an artifact just after the match ended, and it is certainly not him."


    "Then could Lux possibly be that boar? Just looking at it irritates me."


    "Yeah! That boar deserves a good beating. I''ll make sure to turn him into a pork chop when we fight."


    Nero and Gilmore weren''t paying too much attention to the discussion as they''re still bothered that they couldn''t assess how strong the swordsman truly was.


    Both of them were Grade A Disciples in the middle-ranks, so they had a hunch that the skinny teenager was about the same as them, making the other party a serious opponent that they couldn''t afford to ignore.


    "He is in group B," Nero said as he nced at Gilmore. "If nothing unexpected happens, the two of you will be fighting each other at the final match of your division."


    Gilmore nodded. "I will watch his next matches in order to better understand his abilities."


    Deep inside, Nero was thankful that he wouldn''t be facing the skinny swordsman in his division. He was certain that the mysterious swordsman had the ability to force him to bring out his trump cards, which he only nned to use in the Final Match.


    ''I''ll also better take a look at his matchester,'' Nero thought. ''Right now, he is the biggest threat in the tournament, next to that chubby teenager.''


    After theirtest loss, the Elite Prodigies were no longer in the mood to discuss other things with each other. The only thing they wanted to do was to ensure that they would win their next fights in order to avoid bingughing stocks.


    The high-ranking officials of the six kingdoms also took note of the mysterious swordsman and immediatelyunched an investigation. Right now, Lux''s and the skinny teenager''s backgrounds were being dug up, so the officials could better understand their identities.


    The next three matches were also quite entertaining to watch. Gilmore, as well as two of the Five Overlords defeated their opponents without too much problem, leaving a decent impression on those who were watching the tournament.


    ---


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Academy...


    "Stop following me, you''re annoying," the skinny teenager wearing a bamboo hat said to the Boar who was chatting beside him as if the two of them had known each other since they were kids.


    "I will stop following you if you join the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," the Boar said. "If you join, I will be your sworn brother. With me by your side, you can walk unhindered anywhere."


    "I already said no. Stop being persistent."


    "Is that a Yes?"<sub> </sub>


    <o>,m "Are you deaf? I said no."</o>


    "Yes, right? Great! Now you just need to sign this contract and we''re good to go."


    "... I''ll chop you."


    The Boar snorted and raised its chin arrogantly. "You dare to chop me? Fine. I will stand here. I dare you to chop me! Let''s see if you can live peacefully afterward!"


    The skinny teenager was really tempted to slice the boar into pieces. If not for the fact that he would be disqualified from the tournament and be a wanted criminal, he would have done it already, even disposing the body as sneakily as possible.


    "So, are you going to join?" the boar asked as it continued to walk beside the irritated teenager. "We have freebies as well. Do you know the legendary sword called Excalibur? I have it in my room. If you join, I''ll give it to you as a freebie."


    "Not interested," the skinny teenager replied as calmly as he could. However, the trace of frustration and annoyance was clear in his voice.


    He was nearing his limit, and if he didn''t get to his room soon, he was afraid that he would really throw caution into the wind and hack the annoying boar into pieces.


    "Oh, then how about Gram? This sword also goes by the name Balmung. Are you interested?"


    "No."


    "I also have Arondight, Durandal, Harpe, Kusanagi, Caliburn, and many other swords. I''ll give one of them to you for free if you join my group."


    "I said no!" The Skinny Teenager finally entered his room and mmed the door in the Boar''s face. He had done his best to prevent himself from using violence because his Master had told him that violence wouldn''t solve anything.


    The skinny teenager signed in relief. Now that he had finally entered his sanctuary, he thought that the Boar would leave him alone.


    Unfortunately for him, a knock on his door shattered this hope, which almost made him take out his sword from its sheath to hack the boar into pieces.


    "Hello? What kind of sword do you want?" the Boar''s annoying voice, which resembled a persistent salesman, reached his ears as it continued to knock on his door. "Just name it, and I''ll give it to you. Have you heard of Cdbolg, Dainsleif, and Ascalon?


    "If you join now, I''ll give you not one, not two, but three swords free of charge. I''m so generous, right? Do you want to join now? Hey! Are you there? Knock knock! Um... if you join within the next five minutes..."


    On that day, one of the strongestpetitors in the tournament conceded and joined the Boar''s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in fear that he would develop aneurysm if the Boar kept on knocking on his door until he was driven crazy.


    The Boar left and happily hummed as it walked in the hallway after managing to add one more member to his group.


    It was still doing its best to add Lux to its group, but the chubby teenager was someone who didn''t bat an eye, not scared of using violence against it, forcing the Boar to beg for forgiveness after receiving a one-sided beating and escape with its tail tucked between its legs.

 Chapter 240 The Boar That Gets On Everyone’s Nerves

    The Lionheart Tournament continued with four matches being held everyday.


    On the fifth day, only four participants of each Division remained and they would fight until only two remained.


    On the sixth day, the final two would fight, and on the Seventh Day the remaining participant would enter the Semi-Finals.


    A one day break would be held before the Semi Finals to allow the participants to fully recover their strength before their final matches.


    The next day, the Elite Four would fight until only two remained, who would then fight in the Final match.


    The winner would of course be the Champion of the Lionheart Tournament and receive the prizes that would make him the envy of every member of the young generation. Of course, the Second ce opponent would also receive some decent rewards, but it was nothingpared to the Grand Prize, where Iris'' happiness was at stake.


    Today was the Fifth Day of the Tournament and Lux easily defeated his opponent without breaking a sweat.


    The Boar got lucky and managed to defeat an opponent who received a terrible injury during his previous match and had entered aatose state. Because of this, it won by default, allowing it to proceed to its next match without even lifting its hoof.


    The skinny swordsman also won his match. If one of the two Kings, Gilmore, didn''t make any blunders, the mysterious swordsman and him would fight at the Final Division Match. This was a match up that everyone was looking forward to watching.


    Nero had also sessfully won his battle, and would face thest member of the Four Kings. If he managed to ovee this obstacle, he would be the Division Winner, and advance to the Semi-Finals, alongside the other Semi-Finalists.


    "You know, havinge this far, I realized one thing," the boar said as it ate some bacon. "If we all win our respective matches, we will enter the Semi-Finals and fight each other. If one of us bes the Champion, then that means that it is still the win of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen! I''m so excited."


    "I''m not a member of your League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," Lux replied in an irritated tone as he watched the boar eat the bacon that he had ordered for himself. "Also, why are you here? Can''t you let people eat in peace?"


    "One moment, I''m still eating," the Boar replied. "It''s not all the time I get to eat free food paid for by others. But, when I do, I make sure to eat everything."


    "Excuse me? I didn''t give you permission to eat my food."


    "Please don''t disturb me while I eat. Didn''t you learn good manners and proper conduct?"


    Lux sighed as he waved for the waitress to get another order.


    "Can I have another bowl of bacon?" Lux asked. "And one bowl of stir fried noodles."


    "I''d like to have some pork chops please,'''' the Boar said to the waitress. "Also, add some ham on the side, thank you."


    The waitress smiled and bowed her head before leaving the two alone.


    "Swordy will definitely beat that wimpy blondie and be the Division Winner," the Boar said as it waited for its order to arrive. "I''m worried about you. It is certain that the winner of tomorrow''s match will be one of the Five Overlords. That means that you will have to face someone strong before you be the Division Winner."


    "Just worry about yourself, okay?" Lux snapped. "You just got lucky that your opponent was in aa. If not, you wouldn''t even be standing here right now."


    The Boar chuckled before wagging its hoof at the chubby teenager, who was fighting the strong urge to stab the boar''s nose with a fork.


    "He got lucky," the Boar stated. "If he fought me, he might not even be able to keep his life. So this is a blessing for him."


    Lux rolled his eyes at the shameless boar, who he was certain would immediately be defeated after it faced the winner of tomorrow''s match for its Division.


    Right now, there were two matches that he would like to see, and they was none other than Nero''s fight with a King of the young generation, as well as the mysterious swordsman''s battle with Gilmore, who was the Prince of the Axton Kingdom, and was said to be the strongest member of the Four Kings.


    It was at that moment when Nero, Gilmore, as well as the rest of their Elite Group entered the restaurant that was reserved for the contestants of the tournament.


    The moment they saw the chubby teenager and the Boar eating together, they decided to walk in their direction to give the two a greeting, and a bit of intimidation.


    "Well, well, well, look who''s here, it''s the chubby gang," Gilmore said in a teasing tone. "Having yourst meals before you lose in your next matches?"


    The Boar gave the blondie a side-long nce before shifting its attention to Lux.


    "The loser of tomorrow''s battle is talking to me," the Boar said. "What should I do? Should I give him my autograph so that he can keep it as a memento after he loses to Little Swordy?"<sub> </sub>


    "Good idea," Lux replied. "I''m sure that he will treasure it and make it his family heirloom. After all, it was signed by one of the Final Four that will enter the Semi-Finals."


    Although Lux knew in his heart that the Boar couldn''t possibly enter the final four, he couldn''t possibly ignore it after their rivals were talking smack about them.


    "Good idea," the Boar took a small scroll from its storage ring and ced it on top of the table.


    There were some words written on it, but Lux wasn''t too interested to take a look at it. The Boar then dipped its hoof in one of the sauces that Lux had ordered beforehand and stamped it on the scroll.


    "Here you go," the Boar said as it handed the scroll with its hoof print to the blondie whose expression was simr to someone that had eaten a fly. "I don''t mind if you make this your family heirloom. You should be honored that I even took the effort to give you my autograph."


    Gilmore didn''t ept the scroll that the Boar was offering to him. Instead, his pupils changed color for a brief moment.


    Immediately, the scroll on the boar''s hooves burst into purple mes, which made thetter squeal in shock.


    "You''re lucky that you''re not in my division," Gilmore stated. "Otherwise, I would have already turned you into roast pork."


    "Stick and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," the Boar replied after it had regained itsposure.


    Before Gilmore could even retort, Bruno, the High-Ranking judge of the tournament entered the restaurant.


    When he saw the Boar, he immediately approached it with a scowl on his face.


    "Oi! Where is the scroll that the Headmaster gave you?" Bruno asked. "Didn''t he tell you that it was something that was supposed to be passed to me before the match began because it was something important?"


    The Boar suddenly said "Ah!" before it rummaged through its storage ring.


    Giimore suddenly had a bad premonition, so he decided to walk away while he still could. However, Bruno saw a part of the burnt up scroll on the floor and his face became extremely serious.


    The stamp of the Headmaster could still be seen at the corner of the remaining part of the scroll, which made Bruno''s face turn livid.


    "You burned the official document of the academy?" Bruno said in a tone that reeked of bad vibes. "You dare?!"


    "Um, it wasn''t me that burned it," the Boar pointed at Blondie who was almost outside the door of the restaurant. "It was him that burned it."


    Bruno turned around and saw the Prince of the Axton Kingdom casually walking out of the restaurant as if he was just taking a stroll.


    Before Gilmore could even take a step outside of the restaurant, arge hand rested on his shoulder, holding him in ce.


    "Gilmore Axton, how about you and I have a little talk?" Bruno asked. "Don''t worry. We will settle this matter before your match tomorrow. Come with me to the Headmaster''s office."


    Bruno didn''t even give Gilmore a chance to exin his side of the matter before he teleported both of them out of the restaurant.


    Nero and the other members of their Elite Group made themselves scarce and left the Boar and the chubby teenager alone.


    They had a feeling that if they remained longer, the Boar might do something stupid again and involve them in the mess that it created.


    Lux chuckled when he saw Nero and hisrades retreat far from their location. Even though the Boar was irritating, it managed to bring trouble to their opponents, which was a plus in his book.


    In truth, he sensed that Nero and Gilmore were using some kind of appraising tool to check his, and the Boar''s bodies. Naturally, he knew that they were trying to confirm whether he was the "Half-Elf" they were looking for or not.


    Fortunately, the Mask of a Thousand Faces wasn''t a simple artifact and no matter how many times they tried to use their anti-illusion artifacts, the results would always be the same.


    "Here''s your order," the waitress arrived a few minutester and delivered their orders.


    Lux ate his meal in a casual manner, while the Boar ate like a pig, leaving nothing behind. After it finished eating, it immediately left without saying a word, which left the Half-Elf dumbstruck.


    It was only after Lux was about to pay for the meal that he realized what the Boar had done. Clearly, the Boar was a Dine-and-Dash type of creature, which made the Half-Elf wish that the one he would be facing in the next match, was the chubby Boar that was quite good at getting on everyone''s nerves.

 Chapter 241 I Just Want Peace

    "Keane, someday, you will find your reason for living," an old man wearing a robe that had seen better days said. It was old and ragged, and yet, it couldn''t hide the majesty of the person wearing it. "Right now, you just live, for the sake of living. Life shouldn''t be lived like that."


    "Master, isn''t being alive enough?'' the skinny teenager replied. "I eat when I''m hungry. I drink when I''m thirsty, and sleep when I''m sleepy. I am content with what I have right now, I don''t want anything else."


    "Keane, contentment leads to stagnation," the old manmented as he stroked his beard while eyeing the young man in front of him. "Just like a sword that is forever inside a sheath, it is unable to show its true potential. It is merely a decoration, having lost its true value."


    "But, Master, isn''t being a decoration enough?" Keane inquired. "Wouldn''t peace be better than war?"


    "Peace is always better than war, but have you ever thought that in order to keep the peace, someone must have the strength to prevent it from copsing? If bandits were to descend on a peaceful vige to steal their livestock, money, and women, what could being peaceful do?


    "If Beast Tides were about to trample on everyone, and everything you hold dear, does living peacefully make them go away? The answer is No. Only those with power can protect the peace of the world. A decoration may look pretty, but that is all it is. A decoration. It cannot carry the sky when it falls down on your head. Remember this Keane, and remember this well.


    "Only those who have the power to protect the peace, are the one that keep the peace and safeguard the people from their suffering."


    The skinny teenager didn''t reply right away as if pondering something inside his head. A momentter, he looked up at his Master and said.


    "Master, I have no desire to argue with anyone," Keane stated. "I choose to walk away because I just want peace."


    The old man smiled and nodded his head in understanding.


    "Keane, travel the world, and see with your own eyes if you can find the peace you are looking for," the old man replied. "Also, I have signed you up for the Lionheart Tournament that will be held in Barbatos Academy. Maybe, by interacting with people the same age as you, you will see things you have never seen before. Experience feelings, you have never felt before."


    ��--


    A young man sat in the lotus position with his sword resting on hisp. He was breathing steadily as he meditated in order to cleanse his mind before his match that would be happening in two hours.


    He didn''t know who his opponent was, nor did he care. His Master had told him to see the world, and his first stop was Barbatos Academy. Even though he didn''t want to admit it, he felt as if he had glimpsed the meaning of his Master''s words, about the true meaning of peace.


    Suddenly a loud knocking sound was heard from his door. A familiar voice, which made Keane''s heart tremble and his skin crawl, reached his ears.


    "Hey! Little Swordy, are you awake? Your fight will begin in a few hours!" the Boar''s voice shouted from outside the door. "Have you eaten? Did you go to thefort room? Want me to help you bring your breakfast? Ah, they are havingmb chops for breakfast, should I order two of them? I don''t mind eating with you because you always look lonely��"


    Keane opened his eyes and exhaled deeply.


    "Master, the outside world isn''t peaceful at all," Keanemented. "I want to go back to the mountain."


    Unfortunately, his Master wasn''t there, so Keane had no choice but to fend for himself, and try to settle the matter with the annoying Boar that was knocking on his door in a peaceful manner.


    ��--<sub> </sub>


    "Listen, Little Swordy, your opponent today might be weaker than me, but you mustn''t underestimate him," the Boar said as it walked beside the skinny teenager and escorted him to the waiting area of the Coliseum. "He is one of the Four Clowns and Five Buffoons. Although they are a bunch of d*cks, they are still stronger than most."


    "I understand. I will not underestimate him," Keane replied.


    "Good. as one of the members of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, you mustn''t lose to him and uphold our honor."


    "I understand. I will do my best."


    "This is what I like about you, Little Swordy," the Boar said as it nced at the skinny swordsman with satisfaction. "You''re very easy to talk to."


    "Thank  you," Keane replied.


    Right now, he was just talking automatically like an answering machine. He had long understood that the Boar would just prolong his suffering if he denied, or disagreed with its words.


    "Well then, this is as far as I go," the Boar patted Keane''s waist with its hoof. "Go break a leg. Rather, go slice a leg."


    "Okay." Keanne nodded as he went to the hallway that would lead him to the arena.


    As soon as he appeared, the cheers and apuse of the audience descended on him like a tide. He was one of the crowd favorites to win because of his mysterious identity, as well as his one move, insta-wins.


    In truth, many of the young warriors who were watching the matches in the arena had aspired to be just like him. Even the youngdies found his unique style quite intriguing, making them want to know more about him.


    They just couldn''t understand how he managed to do it. The moment a clinking sound was heard in the arena, his opponents arms, and legs, would be cut off, preventing them from continuing to battle.


    He was using the Sword Art that his Master had created and its name was "Grand Void".


    His attacks were so sharp, that the severed limbs could easily be reattached and healed without problem.


    It was a Sword Art that only the most powerful individuals within the Six Kingdoms were aware of. Without even fully drawing the sword, one could effectively slice a mountain in half.


    ? Keane''s Master jokingly said that when Keane was able to draw the sword out of its sheath and execute the final form of the Grand Void Sword Art, he would be able to slice the void, which would allow him to travel through the void, where space and time flowed differently.


    The moment he stepped into the arena, Keane was finally able to see his opponent. One nce alone was enough to tell him that the blonde teenager in front of him was not like those people that he had defeated in the past.


    ''He''s the real deal,'' Keane thought as he rested his left thumb on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike as soon as the referee gave the signal to start the match.


    The skinny young man hoped that after this match was over, he would be one step closer to the peace he desired, so he could return to the mountains where his Master was patiently waiting for him.

 Chapter 242 Peace Will Never Be An Option [Part 1]

    Gilmore looked at his opponent with a serious expression on his face.


    His casual smile could not be seen anywhere, and it was reced by a solemn look that he rarely showed to anyone.


    This just proved that the person standing in front of him was someone that he couldn''t afford to look down on, or he would suffer a terrible defeat at the mysterious swordsman''s hands.


    After watching the skinny teenager''s battle, Gilmore had finally understood how the Swordsman was able to execute those deadly attacks that were able to slice off his opponent''s limbs in an instant.


    GIlmore was also a Swordsman. As a Prince of the Royal Family, he had been trained by only the best swordsmen of thend. Some even said that he was the next candidate in line to be able to bear the title "Sword Saint" when he grew up, but Gilmore knew that he was still far from achieving this prestigious title.


    He might be arrogant, but he wasn''t delusional. Gilmore knew that he was meant for greatness, but it would take him a long time before he could finally reach that peak where the Masters of the Worlds stood, looking down upon the mortalnds like Gods from their heavenly thrones.


    "Are both of you ready?" Judge Dredd''s question broke Gilmore out from his daze, as he refocused on the opponent in front of him.


    "Yes," Gilmore replied, as he unsheathed the sword in his scabbard.


    He knew that if he didn''t take out his weapon now, he wouldn''t have a chanceter on.


    The skinny teenager, on the other hand, nodded his head, signaling to their referee that he was ready to fight as well.


    Judge Dredd nodded and raised both of his hands high in the air.


    "Battle Start!"


    As soon as the signal for the start of the battle was announced, Gilmore disappeared from where he stood and reappeared two meters away from the skinny Swordsman.


    He had used the skill "sh Step", which was simr to a blink ability that allowed Swordsmen like him to close the distance to deliver an attack against their opponent.


    Gilmore''s sword strike was like a blur that struck his opponent, but the skinny teenager was prepared to meet his attack as well.


    A metallic ring reverberated inside the arena as two swords shed against each other. Both Swordsmen had calm expressions on their faces as if they had already expected this oue.


    Gilmore knew that he couldn''t distance himself from his opponent because his one-slice-attack was a long-ranged one. As long as he engaged him in closebat, the skinny teenager wouldn''t be able to use the technique that had allowed him to progress this far in the tournament.


    As they continued to exchange blows with each other, they got a better understanding of their opponent''s abilities.


    The audience roared and cheered for both fighters, despite the fact that they could only see two blurs moving around in the arena.


    All the contestants were paying close attention to the battle, especially Lux, Nero, and the Boar, who stood beside the Half-Elf.


    "Little Swordy is at a disadvantage against his opponent," the Boarmented. "If he can''t gain enough distance to execute his attack, he will lose in a prolonged battle."


    Lux continued to look at the battle with great focus. He didn''t affirm or deny the Boar''s words. The Half-Elf didn''t know the skinny Swordsman enough to judge whether he could fight a prolonged battle or not.


    All he knew was that a single mistake from either fighter would end this match in a heartbeat, and he was waiting for that small gap to better understand his future opponents.


    Lux arched an eyebrow when he noticed something peculiar in the battle.


    Whenever Gilmore executed a sh, the Half-Elf could see two shes instead of one. The shes happen in very quick sessions, making him understand how deadly Gilmore''s attack was.


    It was like a hammer, hitting a nail twice. These attacks done in quick session would greatly sap his opponent''s stamina due to the power of two blowsbined.


    This was a passive skill that Gilmore had learned in Elysium which was called "Double sh", allowing him to do double damage with a single sh.


    However, the skinny Swordsman''s counter to this ability was more interesting. After blocking Gilmore''s attack for the first time, he would skid his sword downwards until it reached the handle of Gilmore''s sword, before using the momentum to counterattack by moving his sword in a hacking motion, forcing his de to descend on Gilmore''s shoulder.<sub> </sub>


    Whenever this happened, Gilmore would take a step to move to his right, in order to allow the de to pass briefly by his side, dodging itpletely.


    A minuteter, both of their swords started to shine, infusing their magical abilities to them, making them sharper and increasing the power of each blow they delivered.


    Lux was also a Swordsman, but he had to admit thatpared to the two fighters, his sword skills were mediocre. If he didn''t have his crippling disability when he was young, he might have mastered the Kaizer Family''s Sword Art, allowing him to stand toe to toe with the young Swordsmen of his generation whose way with the sword had surpassed most of their peers.


    "Omnish."


    As soon as the name of this skill left Gilmore''s lips, his body blurred which made the skinny Swordsman lose sight of him for a brief moment.


    A secondter, he felt a stinging pain in his back as Gilmore hacked him from behind. A momentter, another sh was delivered to his left shoulder.


    If not for the fact that he had somehow managed to take a step back, Gilmore''s sword strike might have severed his shoulderpletely. Even so, a centimeter deep cut still ran down from his shoulder to his elbow, causing Keane to grit his teeth, as he blocked the consecutive attacks that followed afterward.


    All in all, Gilmore delivered six attacks that were too fast, even for Keane to follow. Only his instincts as a Swordsman allowed him to barely block the third up to the sixth blow, avoiding serious injuries to his body.


    When the blonde Swordsman finished delivering his devastating attack, he reappeared in front of Keane and delivered a sword thrust aimed on the skinny teenager''s chest.


    A metallic ringing sound spread throughout the surroundings as Keane''s sword deflected Gilmore''s attack, forcing the de to pierce his left shoulder instead.


    The blonde Swordsman was nning to deliver another deadly thrust but his instincts screamed at him to put some distance between them.


    Gilmore immediately stepped to his right and backed away in a hurry.


    A secondter, a three-meter deep cut sliced the arena in half and made the Boar, who was watching from the stands, gasp in shock.


    Gilmore, as well as the audience, stared at the Swordsman, who was standing straight and holding his sword in his right hand. Its tip was pointed at the ground, right where the deep cut started.


    His left arm was a bloody mess, but his gaze was still as calm as the surface of theke, untouched by the elements of the world.


    For some reason, everyone looking at the skinny teenager felt as if his aura had changed. Right now, the presence that Keane was radiating was so sharp that everyone looking at him could feel their skin tingle.


    Gilmore gave the deep cut on the ground a side-long nce before shifting his attention to his opponent. He had already known that his opponent was strong, but he never expected that the skinny swordsman''s mastery of the sword to be able to cut the arena cleanly in half.


    "So, you finally decided to get serious," Gilmore stated.


    Keane shifted his attention to him as a bitter smile appeared on his face. He had done his best to hold back, but doing that against an opponent as strong as Gilmore was a stupid thing to do.


    "I guess ending this battle peacefully was never an option," Keane replied. "I still have a long way to go before I reach my ideal."


    Keane sighed in his heart as he pointed his sword towards his opponent.


    ''Forgive me, Master,'' Keane thought as he prepared to fight with the Sword Skills that had been engraved in his body through constant training he had received his Master since he was young.


    ''It seems that I still have many things to learn about how the outside world works.'' Keane mused as another sigh escaped his lips. "I need to find my version of peace, and in order to do that I must first sweep away the obstacles that block my way. That''s right, I need to start with you first."


    "You''re being quite talkative for a duel to the death," Gilmore replied. "Didn''t your Master ever tell you not to do that?"


    The blonde Swordsman took a step and reappeared in front of Keane, who moved his sword to meet his attack as if he had predicted where GIlmore would strike him.


    "You''re right," Keane replied as he gazed at his opponent who was hell-bent on striking him down. "My Master taught me a lot of things, and one of them was�� in the face of someone who wants you dead, Peace will never be an option. Since that is the case, I will no longer try to settle this matter peacefully."


    Yes. He no longer wanted to settle this match peacefully. Since his opponent was someone who was determined to win, he could only answer his determination with his own, and teach him that even someone as peace-loving as him, knew how to draw his sword with the intent to kill.

 Chapter 243 Peace Will Never Be An Option [Part 2]

    Grand Void.


    This was the sword skill that Keane''s Master had perfected over the years.


    The first form of this skill was called Splitting Trees. The moment that his thumb pushed the hilt of his sword up, and allowed his de to peek out of its sheath, trees would be split apart in half.


    The Second Form of this sword skill was called Splitting the Land.


    When the de left its sheath, a deep gash, that ran dozens of meters in length and several meters deep, would appear in the ground in front of him.


    The Third Form was Splitting The River. With a single, quick sh, the raging water of the river would be cut in half, creating a passage that would allow anyone to traverse it.


    The Fourth Form was Splitting a Hill, this attack would effectively slice a hill in half, in any way he''d like to have it cut.


    These were the four Basic Forms of the Grand Void Sword Style. What followed next were the advance forms namely, Splitting the Clouds, Splitting the Mountains, Splitting the Sea, Splitting the Firmament, Splitting the World, andstly, Splitting the Void.


    Keane''s Master could do all of these, which had allowed him to walk thends unhindered, even though he was only a High-Ranker and not a Saint.


    His Master had also earned a title among the High-Rankers. His peers called him "The Void", out of respect and fear for his insane sword skills.


    When this powerful individual chose Keane to be his disciple, he was amazed because not only was the boy a genius in the way of the sword, he was also capable of analyzing any sword art and fusing it to his own.


    Keane had even formed his own sword style which he called "Universal Peace."


    Keane said, with as much seriousness as a seventeen-year-old could muster, that the moment he perfected this Sword Style, a Universal Peace would fall upon the world.


    Keane''s Master had no doubt that his disciple would surpass him in the future. A part of him was even looking forward to thepletion of this Sword Style, which would usher in a new era of peace upon the territories that were under Keane''s protection.


    "Let me give you a warning," Gilmore said. "My sword has the chaotic attribute. I know that you are now feeling its effects, which dampens the cirction of your mana and blood flow. Even though it''s not life threatening, it can still put you out ofmission for several months if you have a weak constitution.


    "So, if you n to go all out, now is the right time for it. In a few minutes, I will assure you that you will be unable to raise that sword that you wield in your dominant hand."


    In all honesty, Gilmore didn''t have any obligation to tell Keane one of the attributes of his Pseudo-Legendary Weapon. The reason he told his opponent this was because he had recognized Keane as a Master Swordsman.


    <o>,m As someone who was also treading the path to be a Sword Saint, Gilmore didn''t want his opponent to think that he used dirty tactics to win against him. A sword was just a sword. It was a means to an end, and it was a weapon bestowed upon him by his father, the King, on his eighteen birthday, as recognition of his strength and abilities.</o>


    "Thank you," Keane replied. "I will also give you fair warning. I am going to get serious. I will apologize in advance if I identally kill you."<sub> </sub>


    Gilmore smiled and nodded his head. He knew that Keane wasn''t lying. This was another reason why he recognized him as an opponent that he wanted to defeat using all of his might.


    Keane''s vision was starting to be blurry because of the chaotic mana flow and blood flow that was rampaging over his body. He was hurting all over, and he understood that he needed to end the battle in one swift strike that would defeat the strong opponent in front of him.


    The skinny teenager returned his sword inside its sheathe in a quick, and elegant manner, like he had done countless times in the past. His aura surged around his body, making the ground under his feet shatter, causing dirt, and rocks to rise upwards.


    Gilbert held his sword with both of his hands and took a striking pose. He also unleashed his aura and prepared for onest strike that would end this battle.


    The blonde Swordsman''s sword style was called the Azure Sky Sword Style. It was a sword style that relied on quick and deadly attacks to end his opponent. Seeing that his opponent wanted to end the battle with his finishing move, Gilmore decided to pit his own finishing move against Keane''s, to prove to himself that he was stronger than him.


    The audience quieted down as tension filled the air. No one dared to disturb the two fighters who were about to end the battle any moment from now.


    Even the chatty boar had closed its lips as it focused its eyes on the skinny Swordsman, whom it called Little Swordy.


    Judge Dredd, Bruno, as well as the other Rankers and High-Rankers in the Coliseum watched with great interest for the final oue of the battle between two peak Swordsmen of the young generation.


    Lux took out a coin from his pocket and flicked it towards the arena. For some reason, he felt like the two swordsmen were waiting for a signal to unleash their attacks at the same time, so he decided to be the one to give them what they wanted.


    As soon as the coin fell on the ground, Keane unsheathed his sword, while Gilmore shed down.


    "Brilliance!"


    "Spectral sh!"


    The moment these two attacks were unleashed, the entire arena was covered in a blinding light, forcing those whose Ranks weren''t high enough to see through the radiance to cover their eyes.


    The Boar and Lux reluctantly covered their eyes because the brilliance was too piercing, even for them. Both of them felt that if they continued to look, even a moment longer, a sword would stab their eyes and make them go blind due to how sharp and powerful the two attacks were.


    When the light receded, only one young man stood in the arena, while the other was on the ground, lying in a pool of blood.


    With a silent victorious roar, the young man raised his sword towards the heavens, as if dering his victory.


    On that day, two swordsmen fought, and only one emerged as the winner. It was a battle that would be remembered as one of the greatest highlights of the Lionheart Tournament for many years toe.

 Chapter 244 Easy Peasy

    Judge Dredd approached the young man who had raised his sword towards the heavens to dere his victory.


    "Winner! Keane!"


    Cheers rang out from the stadium while the skinny young man released a deep sigh before copsing in Judge Dredd''s arms.


    The Clerics who were waiting at the scene immediately rushed to treat the two Swordsmen who had awed everyone with their superb swordsmanship.


    Even those who thought badly of the Four Kings didn''t say anything bad towards Gilmore, whoid unconscious on the ground. He had fought wonderfully as one of the strongest members of the young generation, and no one would fault him for losing in such an amazing match.


    "I''m so proud," the Boar wiped the tears in its eyes. "I was the one who raised Little Swordy since he was young. This fight makes me very satisfied as a parent."


    The contestants who heard the shameless Boar''s statements couldn''t stop their lips from twitching. Clearly, someone was taking credit for something it obviously didn''t do, making everyone who heard it despise the Boar, who imed that it was the one who raised the Mysterious Swordsman, who had sessfully be one of the Elite Four that would enter the Semifinals.


    Today was thest day of the intra-division battles, and whoever won their matches today would immediately advance to the Semifinals.


    "My match is next," the Boar said in an arrogant tone. "Watch me win this match easy peasy."


    "I will light a candle for you and put a flower on your grave," Lux replied as he watched the Boar walk down the tform that led towards the arena.


    The Boar didn''t even bother to turn its head because it didn''t want to hear any bullsh*t before its match.


    The audienceughed when they saw the Boaring up on the stage. In truth, none of the audience expected this creature to advance to the Final Division Battle due to itsckluster performance.


    Its opponent was one of the Five Overlords, but it looked at its adversary fearlessly with the "Never Say Die, and Never Surrender" expression on its face.


    Judge Dredd nced at the two fighters, and asked them if both of them were ready.


    "I was born ready!" the Boar dered as it arrogantly raised its snout towards the sky.


    Judge Dredd nodded his head before looking at the Boar''s opponent.


    "How about you?" Judge Dredd inquired. "Are you ready?"


    "I concede this match," the young man who had several tattoos stered on his body said with a firm and steady voice.


    The audience, who was waiting for a good fight, thought that they were mishearing things. This match was important since the winner would immediately be one of the Elite Four, yet one of the Five Overlords, who was one of the seeded participants, conceded to the Boar, who was clearly no match for him.


    "Um, are you sure?" Judge Dredd asked just to be sure. "Since the fight hasn''t started, you can still change your mind."


    "I will not change my mind," the young man replied. "I will concede this match."


    Without another word, the young man turned around and left, leaving a dumbfounded Judge Dredd behind.


    The Boar, who had just won its match because its opponent conceded, sighed.


    "He understood that he didn''t stand a chance against me, so he decided to concede as soon as he could," the Boar said with a smug look on his face. "Such an admirable warrior. I''m sure that the heavens will bless him. Um, referee�� can you dere my win now? I mean, there are still other matches, right? I don''t want to get med by dying their fights��"<sub> </sub>


    Judge Dredd nced at the Boar before shifting his gaze at Bruno who was seated in the Supervisor''s seat of honor.


    Bruno could only shrug, which meant that he didn''t see anything wrong with the fighter''s decision to concede.


    "The winner for this match is Cai!" Judge Dredd announced, making the Boar walk out of the arena with its snout raised high.


    Lux, who was standing on the tform with the other contestants, was just as confused as everyone else. He didn''t know why one of the Five Overlords would forfeit his match against the annoying Boar, whose only redeeming points were its appetite and chatty mouth.


    A few minutester, the said Boar returned to the viewing tform with a smug expression on its face.


    "Maaaaan, I told you I would win my match easy peasy," the Boar bragged as soon as it stood beside Lux. "I''m so amazing, right?"


    "Right," Lux replied as he nced at the chubby boar, who was humming happily beside him. "Did you bribe your opponent? Did you threaten his family? What kind of ck magic did you use against him?"


    All the contestants'' ears perked up after hearing Lux''s questions. They also felt that the oue of the match was very suspicious, so they decided to eavesdrop on the two chubbyrades who were seen together all the time.


    "Bribe? Threatened? Used Dark Magic?" the Boar asked with disdain. "Do you really think I''m that rich, intimidating, and magically blessed to make my opponent concede without even fighting me? Just who do you think I am?"


    "A thick-headed, shameless pig, who only knows how to eat pork dishes."


    "Absolute nder. Isn''t that cannibalism? Hey, I''m a vegetarian. I only eat healthy foods like vegetables and potatoes. Clearly, my opponent knew that I was superior to him, so instead of being hurt and humiliated by me, he decided to cut his losses short and admit defeat. This is a very noble thing to do, and I can understand his hesitation to fight me. I mean, I''m that awesome, you know?"


    Lux rolled his eyes at the shameless braggart beside him and just focused his attention on the next match.


    It was Nero''s turn to fight, and Lux had always been interested in seeing how his rival fought, so he could observe his fighting styles and abilities.


    ''He is going to fight thest King that belongs to their group of elites,'' Lux thought. ''I hope that I will see some of his trump cards before we sh in the Semifinals.''


    Lux firmly believed that Nero would not lose his match, even if he was fighting against one of the Kings of the younger generation. That was how highly the Half-Elf thought of his opponent, who had looked down on him ever since they had gotten to know each other.


    As if waiting for that moment, Nero entered the arena, bathing in the cheers of the people that hade to watch him fight.


    His walk was calm and steady, and he was radiating a confident aura from his body. Clearly, he was sure that he would emerge victorious from this battle. After stepping to the center of the arena, he raised his head to look at the tform where Iris was currently seated.


    He didn''t say anything and simply stared in the youngdy''s direction for half a minute before shifting his gaze to his opponent who had entered the arena.


    The brown-haired boy who hade from amoner''s household now stood on the greatest stage meant for the strongest individuals in the six kingdoms. This was the thing that he had strived for the past few years of his life so, now that he was here, he had no intention of letting others take the spotlight.


    "Showoff," Lux muttered as he narrowed his eyes on the young man, who was trying to score brownie points with his step-sister, who only had eyes for her step-brother.


    Lux knew that no matter what happened, he must win against the young man who now had everyone''s attention.


    He would fight and win not only for the blue-haired beauty whom he cared deeply for, but also for his past self, who had long longed to stand on the same stage as the brown-haired young man that stood before him.

 Chapter 245 Overlord Versus King

    Nero looked at the young man with curly dark-brown hair and green eyes, who was also looking at him with a calm expression.


    He was none other than thest King of the younger generation, Ackley, who was proficient in using the Earth Element.


    Just like Gilmore, he was also a member of a Royal Family that belonged to one of the Six Kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy.


    "The moment I saw your name on the list in my Division, I knew that the two of us would meet in the final match," Ackley said.


    "I had the same thought," Nero replied. "I knew that you would be myst opponent before I stepped into the Semifinals."


    "You''re that confident in winning, eh?"


    "But of course."


    Ackley smiled because he had known Nero for a very long time. He knew that the young man in front of him had the qualifications to be arrogant, even if he was up against a Prince from one of the Six Kingdoms.


    "Well, then, I hope you will give me a good fight," Ackley stated.


    Nero didn''t reply and only smirked. Words no longer mattered, and only their fists would do the talking.


    Judge Dredd, who was officiating the match, nced at the two fighters who seemed to have finished their little chat.


    "Are both of you ready?" Judge Dredd asked.


    "Yes."


    "I am."


    Judge Dredd nodded and raised his arms. "Battle Start!"


    Ackley stomped his right foot on the ground and immediately, his entire body was covered in a rocky armor that increased his defense many fold.


    Nero, on the other hand, mmed his fists together, creating a powerful spark that enveloped his entire body. A momentter, a silver-blue armor set with tendrils of lightning crawling all over its surface could be seen on his body.


    Ackley stomped the ground a second time and several rocks, the size of an adult''s head, flew towards Nero.


    Judge Dredd, who was watching the match from the side, sighed internally.


    ''Why do you kids always have to destroy the arena? Don''t you know how much it costs to always repair it every time your battles are over?''


    In the earlier match, the Earth Mages had to work together in order to fix the stage that had been cut in half by Keane''s sword sh. Fortunately, the cut was quite clean, so the mages only needed to fill the gap with Earth Magic, and reinforce it several times, before it got Bruno''s, who was the final decision maker of the matches, approval to be used again.


    Despite Judge Dredd woes, his gaze was still fixed on the two fighters who were fighting inside the arena.


    Nero was moving around, evading Ackley''s attacks, while thetter stood firmly in ce, unleashing a barrage of Earth Magic at his opponent.


    Several lightning bolts descended upon the Earth Magician, but thetter only summoned rocky pirs to block the barrage of long-ranged attacks that Nero was hurling at him.


    "Earth has very strong defensive properties, while Lightning has a very strong offensive power," Lux muttered. ''Right now, Ackley has the advantage, but his attacks aren''t able to touch Nero due to his quick movements.''


    Nero tried several times to get close to Ackley, but whenever he did, several three-meter Earth Spikes would shoot up from the ground, stopping him in his tracks.<sub> </sub>


    ncing at his surroundings, Nero started to increase his speed, going around Ackley and trying to look for his blindspot.


    Ackley knew what Nero was doing, so he decided to use one of his Trump Cards called "One with the Earth".


    The young man that was covered with rocky armor merged with the arena until he disappearedpletely. At that exact moment, a giant hand made up of rock materialized in the air and swatted down on Nero from his blindspot.


    As if sensing the attack behind his back, Nero cloaked himself with lightning and shot towards the sky like an arrow in flight,pletely evading the giant hand behind him.


    Nero hovered dozens of meters above the ground and raised both of his arms. Dark clouds appeared and blocked the clear, blue sky from view. Clearly, he had summoned a lightning cloud to aid him in his battle.


    The High-Rankers, who were observing the battle, frowned when they realized that the lightning they saw shing amidst the dark clouds was ck. This was no ordinary lightning, and those who had seen it in the past looked at Nero with a nod of satisfaction.


    A momentter, a loud thunder p reverberated in the surroundings before several ck lightning bolts descended upon Nero''s body.


    "Abyss Lightning Bolt!" Nero roared and a giant ck lightning bolt descended on one specific point in the arena.


    A few secondster, Ackley emerged from the ground. With a nce, everyone could tell that  parts of his armor were destroyed, and his left shoulder had a big, ck burn mark on it.


    The smell of burning flesh reached Judge Dredd''s senses, making him frown.


    ''Abyss Lightning from the Abyss Monsters,'' Judge Dredd thought. ''That is one nasty ability.''


    Most Abyss skills could prate through the hardest defenses and deal significant damage to their foes. While Nero''s ck lightning bolt could bypass any defensive abilities, the damage that it could deal to its target would be reduced by half.


    Even so, he could easily rain ck lightning bolts on his opponent until they were burned to a crisp with his long-ranged attacks.


    Lux, who had experienced how strong Abyssal Monsters were, now had a serious expression on his face. Since Nero had acquired this Abyssal ability, it also meant that he had fought against one of them.


    The Half-Elf was right in his assumption. During one of Nero''s expeditions, he had stumbled upon a Rank 4 Abyssal Creature who specialized in casting long-ranged lightning bolts.


    After much hardship, his guild managed to defeat it and acquire its Beast Core, which was prized for the amazing skills that one could acquire from them.


    Since Nero was the Guild Master, he was able to get the Beast Core without too much resistance from his guild mates, allowing him to learn the skill, ck Lightning, whichplimented his other lightning based attacks.


    Lux observed the battle with a critical eye and paid extra attention to the intervals at which Nero could fire his lightning bolts consecutively. He was looking for any kind of loophole that he could exploit, but after five minutes of observation, he wasn''t able to see anything that he could use to his advantage.


    After the match had dragged out for another twenty minutes, Ackley finally surrendered after being repeatedly attacked by the ck Lightning, which rendered his defense useless.


    Neronded on the ground and gave a salute towards Iris'' VIP tform before leaving the arena.


    The crowd cheered and apuded the winner of the battle, and some of the girls even giggled after seeing the good-looking-teenager''s performance of saluting the youngdy, who was hugging the handsome Half-Elf beside her.


    In terms of looks, Lux was clearly superior, but when it came to fighting prowess, Nero reigned supreme. At least, this was what Alicia thought as she nced in the chubby boy''s direction, who was going to fight in the arena next.


    Keane, Cai, and Nero, had now entered the Semifinals.


    Only one spot remained, and Lux would be able to im thatst spot, only if he won his match against thest of the Five Overlords, who was said to be as strong as Nero.

 Chapter 246 Deadly Beauty [Part 1]

    Lux gazed at the blue-haired teenager who was not as handsome as him.


    Although he was fairly good looking, the Half-Elf felt that his opponent was a bit of a narcissist because he kept on admiring himself in the mirror, whilebing his hair in the middle of the arena.


    "Um, can we start?" Judge Dredd asked the blue-haired teenager with an impatient look on his face.


    "Just another minute," the blue-haired teenager said with a smile. "I''m almost done."


    Judge Dredd sighed, as he gave Lux a nce. The blue-haired teenager had beenbing his hair for five minutes, and some of the people were starting to get impatient because of this.


    Lux only shrugged after seeing Judge Dredd''s gaze, which meant that he didn''t mind even if his opponent took a little longer to prepare his hair before they started to fight.


    Vaki Meitar, Vall for short.


    This was the name of Lux''s opponent, and one of the Five Overlords. He had seen his battle once, and Lux assumed that Vall''s battlestyle was somewhat simr to his Grandma Vera''s.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting," Vall said as he faced Lux with a confident smile on his face. "We can start the battle now."


    Lux nodded, and Judge Dredd raised both of his hands to dere the start of the battle.


    "Battle Start!"


    When the order for the battle started, Lux summoned his two golems, Orion and another Rock Golem, at the same time.


    A momentter, the second Rock Golem charged at Vall, while Orion pressed his hand over the arena to make the ground shake fiercely.


    Vall calmly observed this as if he was just a spectator and not a contestant fighting inside the arena.


    Even though the arena was shaking badly, he remained standing as if his feet had been nailed on the ground, preventing him from losing his bnce.


    When the Golem was only a few meters away from him, Vall waved his hand and the Rock Golem came to aplete halt.


    Silver strings had wrapped around the Golem''s body, restricting its movements and preventing it from moving.


    "Ugly things are not worth my time," Vall dered. A momentter he made a cutting motion with his right hand, and the Rock Golem was sliced up into dozens of pieces by the silver strings that were as sharp as adamantium swords.


    Vall then smirked before running towards Lux and Orion, who was still manipting the arena to make it shake.


    As if he was skating on ice, Vall traversed the arena with ease, waving his hands fluidly and elegantly, like a maestro directing an orchestra to y a masterpiece.


    "I have been paying close attention to you, My Daddy," Vall said as he circled around Lux and Orion with a smile stered on his handsome face. "Even after disying several powerful abilities, I have a feeling that you still have many aces under your sleeve. Care to show them to me?"


    Lux didn''t answer, and ordered Orion to smash his fist on the arena, causing Earth Spikes to jut out of the ground, forcing Vall to distance himself from them.


    "How rude, I was just asking questions," Vallmented in a teasing tone. "No matter. I will see it for myself, isn''t that right, Mr. Orion?"


    Lux, who was paying close attention to Vall''s movements, suddenly jumped to his right side and rolled on the ground.


    A secondter, a loud smashing sound reached his ears, as his Named Creature, Orion, tried to smash him with his fist.


    Before Lux could even take a breather, the Rock Golem roared as it tried to stop himself from attacking his Master, but his body wasn''t cooperating with him.


    "Nice set of skills you have here, Mr. Orion," Vall stated. "Now, let him have a taste of your Gaia Smash!"


    <o>,m Orion jumped into the air and prepared to unleash his strongest attack on his own Master, who was looking at the blue-haired teenager with a serious expression on his face.</o>


    When the Rock Golem''s fist was about to hit the chubby teenager, he instantly vanished in the air as he was forcefully unsummoned by his Master.


    Now that the Rock Golem was gone, Vall could no longer manipte anything to attack Lux, or so he thought.


    Without any warning, Lux''s right hand moved by itself and punched his face, making him grimace in pain.


    Vall chuckled as he waved his arms left and right, controlling Lux''s left and right hands as he manipted them to continuously punch their own body''s face.<sub> </sub>


    "How does it feel to get punched by your own two hands?" Vall inquired as he continued to manipte Lux to give himself a beating. "Are you enjoying it?"


    Lux didn''t answer, instead he kept on punching himself repeatedly, making Vall chuckle in amusement.


    However, the smile on Vall''s face disappeared when he felt that something was amiss. Lux just kept on punching himself repeatedly, and yet, thetter hadn''t uttered a single word since the battle had started.


    Vall''s ability was to conjure strings. He could extend them for several miles, and use them to shred, slice, hack, bind, and even manipte his opponents as long as the right conditions were met.


    Even Nero was very wary of Vall''s ability because once he started to infuse his mana into his strings, they turned invisible, preventing anyone from seeing them.


    One could even say that Vall was every Summoner''s, or Beast Tamer''s, nightmare. Once he had attached his strings to their creatures, their Masters could only helplessly watch as their own creatures would attack them without any mercy.


    It was at that moment when a rocky hand grabbed Vall''s leg from the ground and held it in a vice grip.


    The blue-haired teenager didn''t panic and simply waved his hand in a slicing motion, cutting off the rocky arm with the strings in his hands.


    A secondter, he felt himself moving uncontrobly towards his right, where Orion had materialized.


    The Rock Golem had used its taunting skill, Duel [EX], to force Vall to exchange a blow with him. Naturally, the Rock Golem nned to use one of his strongest attacks, and it was none other than the Jackhammer, that could easily smash giant boulders with ease.


    "Impertinent creature!" Vall shouted as he made a crisscrossing gesture with his hands.


    Orion''s hand was cut off from its body, preventing it from dealing a devastating blow to his opponent. But, before Vall could even celebrate, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end as a powerful Dragon Breath collided with his back, which mmed him against the barrier of the arena and held him there until the duration of the attack ended.


    Lux emerged from the ground, with smoke rising up from his mouth. He had timed his attack perfectly, hoping that it would put an end to his opponent, but it was not enough to defeat the blue-haired teenager, who had wrapped his body with the silky threads that were as tough as the strongest armors.


    "You almost got me there, chubby boy," Vall said as he wiped away the blood that had seeped out of the corner of his lips. "Good thing, I prepared my String Armor just for you."


    The smell of strings burning permeated the arena, as Vall endured the pain on his back. Although he had survived Lux''s sneak attack from behind, the armor that he had weaved a day ago was burned to a crisp.


    Fortunately for him, he was also wearing additional armor that mitigated most of the damage he received from Lux''s Dragon Breath.


    "I see, so that one is only a clone," Vallmented as he looked at the clone that was still punching its face left and right. "Well yed. But, you have wasted your only opportunity to defeat me."


    Vall raised both of his hands, and the entire arena was covered in a dome made of strings that looked just like a spiderweb.


    The handsome teenager''s face started to contort before his entire body was wrapped up in a silver cocoon.


    A few secondster, the cocoon broke apart and a giant, Alpha-Ranked Elegant Golden Jumping Spider, appeared in front of Lux.


    The three-meter tall Alpha Spider emitted an ear-piercing shriek which showed how much the chubby teenager had infuriated it.


    The handsome-blue haired teenager was gone, and what had reced him was a monstrosity, which would give anyone a nightmare the moment theyid their eyes on it.


    Vaki Meitar.


    One of the Five Overlords, and was said to be just as strong as Nero, had finally shown his true colors.


    The Boar, who was watching from the tform, shuddered as it looked at the colorful, yet deadly, Jumping Spider, which was a Rank 4 Alpha Monster.


    It was a creature that had long been recognized as something that a Grade A Apostle couldn''t possibly fight on his own.


    Nero, who was watching from the contestants tform, sneered as he looked at the chubby teenager who was facing death directly in the face.


    The brown-haired boy admitted that if he was the one fighting Vall, he would have no choice but to use everything in his power to beat him in his spider form.


    ''You should have defeated him while you still had the chance,'' Nero chuckled internally as he looked at the giant Jumping Spider encircling the chubby boy, while spewing silky spider threads in the surroundings.


    He knew that unless Lux had a way to overpower his opponent, his chances of beating Vall once hepleted his ughter Domain was as good as zero.


    That was how powerful Vall was in his Beast Form, and even the Kings of the Younger Generation, didn''t want to mess with him and left the narcissistic, and handsome, blue-haired teenager alone.

 Chapter 247 Deadly Beauty [Part 2]

    After getting hit by Lux''s Dragon Breath, Vall immediately took on his Arachnid Form in order to recover faster from the injuries that he had received.


    The Half-Elf gazed at his opponent with a serious expression on his face, somewhat regretting turning off the effect of his newly acquired skill, Abyss Touch.


    As much as possible, Lux didn''t want to kill anyone in the tournament, so he hesitated using strong attacks like Dragon Breath, while under the effect of Abyss Touch.


    If this ability of his had been active, there was a high chance that Vall would suffer grievous injuries or, in the worst case scenario, die due to hisst attack.


    ''I guess it''s time to get serious as well,'' Lux thought.


    Immediately, Lux''s body was covered from head to foot with dark-green armor. It was none other than the Favonius Legacy, which had been bestowed upon him by Cedwyn before he left Leaf Vige.


    ��--


    < Favonius Legacy, The Heirloom of the West >


    (Degraded Pseudo-Demigod Armor)


    Rarity: Mythical (Degraded)


    Requirements: Must gain the recognition of Favonius'' Will.


    �C This armor was once worn by a Saint. However, due to the passing of hundreds of years, the armor has degraded to the Mythical Rank.


    �C After its rank degraded, the stats of this armor also degraded. In order to restore the armor to its former glory, you will need the help of a Saint-Ranked cksmith.


    �C Only those that had been recognized by the will of Favonius can wield this armor set.


    �C This armor is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C This armor can be worn by any Creature under yourmand.


    +20 to all stats


    +300 to Defense.


    �C 50% Resistant to Wind Element


    �C While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to fly.


    �C While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to use the skill "Sky-High Rush".


    �C While this armor is equipped, the wearer will gain the ability to use the skill "Gale Storm."


    Active Skills: Razor Wind, eleration Charge.


    p Passive Skills: Levitation, Auto Fit</anda>


    Title: Favored by the Wind.


    ��-


    < Razor Wind >


    (10 Mana)


    �C Send razor-sharp wind des at your target that deals +100 Wind Elemental Damage.


    ��----


    < eleration Charge >


    �C Increase flying speed by 100%


    ��----


    < Levitation >


    �C The wearer of this armor can hover up to two meters above the ground.


    �C This passive skill can be turned on and off.


    ��----


    < Favored by the Wind >


    �C The effect of Wind Elemental Damage, or skills, will increase by 20%


    �C Thrice a day, you may cast the skill, Healing Wind.


    ��----<sub> </sub>


    < Healing Wind >


    �C Restores 20% of the Maximum Health Points of everyone that is within a two-hundred meter radius of the wearer of this armor.


    ��--


    ''This is not enough,'' Lux thought as he turned on his passive skill, Tempest Fury, that he had disabled before the start of the battle.


    ��---


    < Tempest Fury >


    (Can be switched On and Off at any given time)


    �C Any weapon that the user wields will be enchanted by the wind element, making it sharper, and able to deal additional Wind Elemental Damage.


    �C This Skill is applied to unarmedbat as well. Punches and kicks will be imbued by the power of wind, and deal additional Wind Elemental Damage.


    �C This Skill is also applied to ranged attacks, including arrows, throwing knives, throwing axes, darts, or any projectile weapons that the user wields.


    �C Adds +100 Wind Elemental Damage to all attacks by the user.


    ��--


    A gust of wind blew around Lux''s body as invisible threads of wind swirled around his arms and legs.


    The High-Rankers amongst the audience in the coliseum could faintly see something simr to small tornadoes swirling around Lux''s arms and legs,


    This passive skill was a perfect pair with the Favonius Legacy Set because anything with the Wind Element was empowered by the Mythical Armor.


    The Boar, Nero, as well as the other contestants, looked at the chubby boy''s armor that they were seeing for the first time.


    "So, you still have a few tricks under your sleeves," Nero muttered. "But will that be enough against your opponent? I highly doubt it."


    Vall, who was paying close attention to Lux''s movements, was unfazed by his armor. Although he could tell that it wasn''t something simple, he firmly believed that no one could overpower him inside the arena as long as he was in his Arachnid Form.


    The Giant Jumping Spider then began to jump around the Arena, as it weaved a silky web of death around the chubby teenager who had dared to hurt him earlier.


    The near-invisible threads criss-crossed against each other before descending upon Lux. Seeing that his opponent was hell-bent on cutting him into ribbons, he hastily levitated above the ground, barely evading them by a hair''s breadth.


    The razor-sharp threads then sliced up the ground around the chubby teenager, turning it into cubes, making those who saw it gasp in shock.


    "eleration Charge," Lux stated and his flying speed increased, allowing him to evade the countless silky threads that were being weaved around him by the Jumping Spider, whose movements had also increased dramatically.


    Left with no choice, Lux flew towards the sky in the hope to evade Vall''s dogged attacks.


    Suddenly, Lux felt something tug at his foot, preventing him from flying higher.


    When one of Vall''s silky threads managed to grab hold of the chubby boy''s foot, he used this opportunity to drag the other party back towards the ground with a vengeance.


    "Razor Wind!" Lux made a shing motion with his hand, and a wind de cut off the thread that bound his leg, allowing him to break free from Vall''s hold.


    After distancing himself from his opponent, Lux was nning to unleash a barrage of Wind des towards the persistent spider when he noticed something bizarre.


    The Jumping Spider was jumping in the air, using the silky threads as a means to propel himself higher. Clearly, he didn''t want to let Lux have the advantage in aerialbat. Vall lunged at Lux with his jaws open wide.


    His movement was almost like a blur, but thanks to the power of the Wind Element, Lux was able to predict where Vall was going to hit him, so he managed to evade the attack just in time.


    Unknown to him, this was part of Vall''s n in order to gain a higher altitude than Lux so he could initiate one of his Trump Cards.


    After emitting another ear-piercing shriek, the Giant Spider unleashed a torrent of silver threads, encapsting the entirety of the arena in a dome-like structure. This special ability was something that Vall used to permanently trap his opponent, so he could slowly whittle them to death.


    Only people who had stepped into the Initiate Rank could break past the deadly dome that he just created. The threads covering the entire arena were more than capable of slicing anything that went through it like knife cutting through butter.


    Vall stood at the very top of the spider''s web, while looking down on the chubby, flying insect, who was doing his best to not get tangled up in his spider webs.


    Nero, who was watching Lux''s futile struggle,ughed in his heart, knowing that this was the same move that almost defeated him when he fought against Vall several months ago because of a conflict in Elysium.


    The only reason he managed to escape was due to his inherent lightning abilities that allowed him to flee the moment he realized that he was about to be put inside a silky cage, whose owner was known for his narcissistic and sadistic tendencies.


    As the minutes ticked by, Lux finally understood that the more he dyed the battle, the thicker the cage became. Right now, the audience was having a hard time seeing what was happening inside the arena because of the thick webs that blocked their view.


    ''Fine, since you are so adamant on going all out, I''ll do the same,'' Lux thought as he stood at the center of the arena.


    A faint crackling sound spread in the arena as Lux activated the skill, Abyss Touch [EX].


    Since his opponent was doing its best to keep him inside the cage, then he would just attack the cage and its Master at the same time with one of the most deadly attacks in his arsenal infused with the Abyss Touch skill.


    "Dragon War Art Ninth Form!" Lux roared as an image of a Red Dragon appeared above him. "Draco-Meteor!"

 Chapter 248 Deadly Beauty [Part 3]

    "Dragon War Art Ninth Form!" Lux roared as an image of a Red Dragon appeared above him. "Draco-Meteor!"


    The Giant Spider, that was resting on the top of the Spider Web, felt the hairs on its entire body stand on end. A momentter, several fireballs materialized from above, then descended upon its silky home.


    The moment the fireballs made contact with the spider threads, they were immediately ignited, and the red mes started to spread like wildfire.


    A pain-filled shriek reverberated in the arena as the mes reached the Giant Spider''s Body, breaking past its defenses, and burning it from within.


    The smell of burning flesh and threads reached everyone''s nose, as thick smoke spread across the coliseum, covering everyone''s sight.


    Alexander, who was standing at the highest seat of honor, stood up and waved his hand.


    Immediately, the smoke dispersed, and everyone was able to see the giant spider, whose entire body was burning like crazy. Its shriek, which was filled with pain, anger, frustration, and unwillingness, was like music to Lux''s ears.


    The mes that were burning its body, as well as its spider web, were made up of mes infused with the power of the Abyss Touch. After a minute, its giant body crashed down to the ground like a burning meteor.


    Judge Dredd and Bruno, who were the official judges of the battle, immediately appeared in the arena and extinguished the mes on the Giant Spider''s body.


    "Medics!" Bruno shouted. "Emergency Aid, now!"


    As if finally broken out of their daze, the Clerics, as well as the other healers of Barbatos Academy, rushed towards the arena and simultaneously cast their healing spells on the twitching spider, who seemed to be just a step away from going to the afterlife.


    Lux, who was responsible for this scene, could feel the beads of sweat that were forming on his forehead. He didn''t expect the Giant Jumping Spider, who was as strong as an Rank 4 Alpha Monster, to almost turn into a barbecued spider, after receiving one of Lux''s strongest Draconic Attacks.


    ''The Abyss Touch is something that I should use in moderation,'' Lux thought as he stared at the spider who was being treated by all the Clerics and Life Mages that belonged to Barbatos Academy.


    Judge Dredd and Bruno nced at each other before shifting their gaze at the chubby teenager who was still covered in his dark-green armor.


    Neither of them could believe that someone had been able to deal this much damage against Vall who clearly had the advantage in the match. As High-Rankers, they were familiar with the skill, Dragon Meteor, because it was an ability that Elder Dragons, especially Red Dragons, used whenever powerful trespassers entered their Domain.


    ''Is he a Dragonborn?'' Judge Dredd asked Bruno using an artifact that allowed them to talk via telepathy.


    ''I don''t know, but whoever he is, he will definitely be in everyone''s crosshairs from this moment onwards,'' Bruno replied. ''Dredd, it is time to announce the winner of this match.''


    Judge Dredd nodded and walked towards Lux who was standing not far from them.


    "Winner! My Daddy!"


    Right after Judge Dredd announced the winner of the battle, the audience stood from their seats and apuded with all of their might. Their resounding cheers descended upon the arena, causing Lux to break out from his daze.


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    The audience chanted Lux''s alias repeatedly, making Iris and Eiko, who was currently imitating the Half-Elf, join the chant as well.


    The Boar''s eyes sparkled as it looked at the chubby teenger on the arena. In truth, it had decided that Lux had lost the moment the entire stadium was covered with spider threads.


    It didn''t expect that those same spider threads that had trapped its friend would only serve as the fuel to barbecue the Giant Spider, who had now reverted to his original form.


    The Clerics immediately carried the unconscious, and naked boy, who had suddenly turned bald after being exposed to the searing mes that burned his entire body, away from the arena.


    Nero, who was watching this scene, clicked his tongue in annoyance. Just like the boar, he had alsobeled Lux as the loser of the match. However, beyond his wildest dreams, thetter was able to reverse the situation to his advantage and win the battle, advancing to the Semi-Finals.<sub> </sub>


    ''No matter,'' Nero thought as he gave Lux onest nce before leaving the arena. ''I will crush anyone that gets in my way. The champion of this tournament will be no one but me.''


    ��---


    Half an hour after Lux''s victory in the arena��


    "You didn''t disappoint my faith in you," the Boar said as it patted Lux''s waist. "It didn''t cross my mind for even a second that you would lose the match. As a member of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the three of us did well."


    "How many times must I tell you that I am not a member of your League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," Lux retorted as he walked towards the restaurant to have an early dinner.


    "What are you talking about? We''re friends, right? Since we''re buddies, it is only natural that you are now part of my organization."


    "What kind of logic is that? I have human rights, you know?"


    The Boar chuckled, walking beside Lux as if it was thetter''s best friend. The other contestants that were in the hallway, stepped aside to allow the two of them to pass.


    Although it didn''t look strong, the Boar had still managed to be one of the Elite 4, who would fight in the Semi-Finals.


    Nero, Keane, Cai, and My Daddy.


    These four individuals were now hailed as the four strongest members of the young generation, whose prestige now exceeded the previous Four Kings, and Five Overlords.


    In Sis, the strong were revered, while the losers were forgotten. Such was the way of the world, and now, these four individuals were now under heavy scrutiny by the high-ranking officials, nobles, and ruling families of the Six Kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy.


    "Too bad, Little Swordy is still unconscious," the Boar stated. "Otherwise, the three of us could celebrate together."


    Lux had given up on trying to break free from the Boar who wouldn''t stop acting chummy with him. He understood that this was its personality and the more someone tried to push it away, the more it would stick to that person like glue.


    Since that was the case, he no longer bothered and epted its chattypany.


    "Fortunately, we have been given a one-day break to recover," the Boar said as it sat on the ground, while Lux sat on a chair. "I hope that he wakes up after a day. I''d hate it if he ended up sleeping until the Final Round."


    "You should worry about yourself," Lux stated. "Tomorrow, we will be drawing ballots. You already know that, regardless of who your opponent will be, you''re not their match, right?"


    "Huh? You''re looking down on me?" the Boar asked as it tapped the top of the table with its hoof. "You really think I''m a pushover, huh? Just you wait. Make sure to pray that I will not be your opponent in your next match, or else you will understand how to spell the word Defeat."


    "... Just where are you getting your confidence from?"


    "Hehehe. That''s a trade secret. Only members of my Secret Organization are able to learn this secret skill of mine."


    Lux scoffed at the thick-skinned boar, who had called for a waitress and ordered pork chops and baby back ribs. It was nning to order more, but it stopped after receiving Lux''s re.


    "I''m not going to pay for your meals likest time, okay?" Lux said. "If you Dine and Dash again, I wille find you and beat you up."


    "... Um, Waitress, you can forget my order of extra fries, and chicken nuggets," the Boar stated. "Just pork chops and baby back ribs will do."


    The waitresses had already gotten used to the Boar''s tendency to order meat dishes, especially pork, whenever it was in the restaurant.


    "Understood," the Waitress replied. "How about you, Sir?"


    Lux was about to tell the waitress his order when his gazended on Nero, who had also entered the restaurant to eat. The two of them held each other''s gaze for a brief moment before minding their own business.


    They knew that this was not the ce to settle their disputes. Whatever grievances or grudges they held against each other would be settled in the arena in two days time.

 Chapter 249 I’ll See You In The Arena

    "Little Swordy, don''t die on me," the Boar said as it looked at the sleeping skinny teenager in the infirmary room. "I''m still waiting for you to treat me to food at the restaurant after you wake up. I''m out of money now and can no longer eat pork chops and baby back ribs. I have to settle for steak instead. Oh, the horror~"


    "Um, excuse me, but can you not be too noisy inside the infirmary," a Clericmented. "You might disturb the other patients."


    "Oh. Sorry~"


    "It''s fine. As long as you understand~"


    Lux helplessly shook his head after seeing the Boar get reprimanded by the Cleric inside the infirmary. The Boar had been pestering him to apany it to visit Keane, A.K.A Little Swordy, to check his condition.


    The doctor said that most of his physical injuries had already recovered and there was no danger to his life. It was just that he had overexerted himself in the previous battle and he was emotionally and spiritually exhausted to the point of copse.


    However, the Head Cleric had already given him some rejuvenation potions to help him recover faster. ording to the one assigned to look after Keane, his vital signs were improving at a rapid pace and he should wake up tomorrow before the match starts, making the Boar quite happy.


    "Let''s go," Lux said after giving the skinny swordsman onest nce. "We still need to head to the arena for the drawing of ballots."


    "Right," the Boar replied. "I almost forgot about this. I hope that I can fight that Nero boy, so I don''t have to fight against my friends. I''m sure that I can send him flying."


    The Half-Elf could onlyugh in his heart after hearing the Boar''s words. If Cai really ended up fighting against Nero, it was certain that the Boar would leave the arena as a roasted Boar once the brown-haired teenager was done with it.


    Lux gave the Boar, who was humming beside him, a side-long nce. Clearly, he didn''t have much hope of the Boar winning any of its matches. Still, being in the Elite Four had given it the confidence to brag at the other contestants whom it acted chummy with.


    Surprisingly, although it could get annoying at times, the Boar was well liked by the other contestants that were eliminated in thepetition. Some of them even encouraged it to do its best in the Semifinals, which boosted Cai''s determination to win.


    Several minutester, Lux and Cai arrived at the Arena.


    Nero was already there with his arms crossed over his chest. Cai snorted in his direction andpletely ignored him.


    Clearly, the Boar didn''t like Nero that much due to the times when thetter and his gang ridiculed it during the Qualifying Matches.


    "Good, all of you are now here," Judge Dredd said as Bruno walked beside him, carrying a box with both hands.


    "In truth, we only need one of you to be here, but for the sake of transparency, we decided to let the three of you see the result of the drawing of ballots," Bruno exined. "Now, I need one volunteer from the three of you. All you need to do is draw one ball from this box. The name written there will be your next opponent. The other two contestants will then be paired against each other. Easy enough to understand, right?"


    Lux, Cai, and Nero nodded their heads.


    Just like Bruno said, only one of them was needed to draw the ballot to determine who would be paired up against who in the Semifinal Matches.


    "I don''t care who I fight," Nero stated. "So, I''ll give them the opportunity to draw from the ballot box."


    Lux smirked after hearing Nero''s words. He then nced at Bruno and made his thoughts known as well.


    "I also don''t have any problem with who I will be paired up with," Luxmented. "Cai, you can draw from the box, so we can go back and eat."


    p The Boar raised its snout in arrogance because it didn''t want to lose to Lux and Nero who had dered that they didn''t want to draw ballots. Since the two of them didn''t draw, why should it draw?</anda>


    It also didn''t care who it was going to be paired up with!


    "I also don''t care who I will be facing in the finals," Cai dered with arrogance. "They can kiss my foot for all I care, so I am not going to draw any ballots!"


    Judge Dredd and Bruno suddenly had the strong urge to spit at the Boar who had a smug look on its face.


    ''If no one wants to draw, then how can we proceed with the match ups?!''


    That was the thought that the two judges had. Seeing their dilemma, Lux decided to take the initiative to settle this issue peacefully.


    "How about this?" Lux said with a smile. "Sir Dredd and Sir Bruno should just draw one ballot each. That would solve the problem, right?"<sub> </sub>


    Judge Dredd and Bruno nodded their heads because this was indeed the best course of action.


    "Are you fine with us doing this?" Judge Dredd. "If you are, then we can both promise that we will not do anything underhanded in choosing the matchups for the Semifinals."


    "I have no problem with it," Nero replied.


    "No worries here," Luxmented.


    "I trust the two of you!" Cai stated. "Let Fate decide who fights against who!"


    Judge Dredd and Bruno nced at each other and nodded their heads at the same time. Since the contestants had no problems with this arrangement, they could draw the ballots without any problems.


    Bruno was the one that drew first, and Judge Dredd was the one that drewst.


    Half a minuteter, both of them showed the colored balls in their hands, and the names of two contestants that would fight against each other.


    ��--


    Nero.


    My Daddy.


    ��--


    As soon as they saw their names, Nero and Lux nced at each other.


    ''So, it finally happened,'' Lux thought as he stared at the brown-haired boy, whom he held a grudge against for a long time.


    Naturally, Nero also held grudges against Lux, which made both of them fated enemies in the tournament.


    Cai, who was standing beside Lux, sighed internally.


    ''Um, good thing I am not fighting against these two monsters,'' Cai thought. ''Little Swordy is my opponent, but he is currently bedridden. Should I sneakily let him drinkxatives before the match started? I still have some of the potions Grandma gave me that are strong enough to make Mammoths fart like there''s no tomorrow��''


    While the Boar was still thinking of something diabolical inside his head, sparks were already flying between Lux and Nero, who had just learned that they would fight the first match the next day.


    "I''ll see you in the arena," Nero said. "I hope you don''t disappoint me. I disdain weaklings."


    "The match hadn''t started, and I already know that I''m going to win," Lux replied. "I''m so lucky that I''ll be fighting the weakest among the bunch. You better prepare your coffin before tomorrow''s match, since I might identally kill you like Spider Boy."


    Judge Dredd and Bruno calmly watched the two teenagers trade barbed words with each other. In reality, both of them were quite excited about this matchup and were looking forward to seeing who among the two young prodigies would triumph over the other.


    Judge Dredd and Bruno had already asked Alicia about the chubby boy''s true identity. Unfortunately, thetter''s lips were as tight as a chaste maiden who hadn''t known any men. The only thing they got from her was a good nagging, telling them that they should just mind their own business and not pry into other people''s privacy!


    Alicia, who was standing on top of the tform, looked down at the three contestants with her arms crossed over her chest.


    Now that Lux had sessfully entered the Semifinals, she wanted to know how the sickly Half-Elf, whom she had known for most of his life, had suddenly be so powerful in just the span of a year.


    ''Just what kind of serum did you drink to havee this far?'' Alicia thought as a gentle breeze made her hair flutter behind her. ''Still, will you be able to ovee the one whom everyone favors to be the champion of this tournament?''


    Alicia didn''t know the answer to this question. Even so, she hoped that after the tournament was over, Lux''s rtionship with his step-father, Alexander, would have a little bit of improvement.


    ''I wonder what his Excellency would think if he discovered that My Daddy is actually his step-son before this is over?'' Alicia mused with a smile. ''Goodluck, Lux. I''ll look forward to your performance tomorrow.''


    The beautiful woman gave the chubby teenager onest nce before returning to her duties. Now that the Semifinals were about to start, she had to ensure that the security in Barbatos Academy wouldn''t bepromised on such an important day.

 Chapter 250 Only One Would Have Eternal Glory!

    The next day...


    "... What do you think you''re doing?" Keane asked as he stared at the Boar whom he caught holding a small kettle over his mouth.


    He had been sleeping peacefully a while ago, but after sensing a malicious presence approaching him, he woke up to face the danger he was in.


    However, when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a boar who was about to pour something inside his mouth using the kettle in its grasp.


    "Oh? Did you finally wake up?" the Boar said after it lowered the kettle to the ground. "I was just worried that you are getting dehydrated, so I decided to bring you something to drink."


    "... I am indeed feeling a bit thirsty," Keane replied.


    "What a coincidence! I brewed this special tea just for you. Now, drink up! Hydrating yourself is important, you know? It keeps your joints lubricated, prevents infections, delivers nutrients to cells, and keeps organs functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood. So, make sure to drink a lot, okay?"


    "Okay," Keane said as he epted the kettle that the Boar had handed to him.


    Cai then produced a wooden cup that the skinny swordsman could use in order to drink from the kettle.


    After pouring himself a cup, Keane looked at the murky "tea" that the Boar had prepared for him. His instincts were telling him that something was wrong with it, so he decided to do something about it.


    He subtly started channeling his aura into the cup to purify whatever diabolical things the Boar had prepared for him. His master was also an expert when it came to alchemy, and had taught Keane plenty of methods to purify poisons, as well as other forms of hazards that could deal serious ailments to his body.


    After making sure that the tea had been fully purified, Keane drank it slowly until the cup was emptied.


    It was at that moment when a big smile appeared on the Boar''s face as it looked at Keane with the "good boy, now prepare to get your anus rekd" gaze.


    "It''s good, can I have another one?"


    "Of course! Please drink as much as you want. Fufufu! This will cleanse your colons and ensure that your body is well and healthy."


    A mischievous glint could be seen within the boar''s pupils as it poured more tea into Keane''s cup. In its eyes, the skinny swordsman''s butt cheeks were as good as pped, and he no longer needed to worry about their match in a few hours.


    After emptying the Kettle, the Boar happily left the Infirmary to have breakfast. It even happily greeted everyone it met with a "Good Morning", showing how good its mood was.


    ''... Master, the outside world is a scary ce,'' Keane thought as he drank thest cup of tea in his hands. ''Still, Cai is not as bad as it looked. Even though it tried to take advantage of me, there was still hesitation in its eyes. I''ll make sure to not hurt it so much during our match today.''


    The skinny teenager sighed as he looked outside of the window. His Master had told him to see the outside world and discover the meaning of the peace he was looking for. After experiencing many ups and downs in Barbatos Academy, Keane finally understood that in a world where the only one you could trust was yourself, being strong was a necessity.


    ''I wonder who will win between Nero and My Daddy,'' Keane thought as he ced the cup on the desk beside his bed. ''This is a match that I can''t afford to miss.''


    ----


    Lux slowly exhaled while sitting down in Lotus position.


    He had woken up quite early and started to meditate in order to clear any negative thoughts in his head.<sub> </sub>


    His Grandma Vera had taught him this special meditation technique which he used whenever he was feeling faint back when he wasn''t cured of his unstable body constitution yet.


    This breathing method had allowed him to rx his nerves, and stabilize the flow of blood inside his body. After using the breathing method for half an hour, Lux finally opened his eyes. A faint golden glow spread inside his pupils for a brief second before disappearingpletely.


    "Grandma, I''ve made it," Lux muttered before standing up. "After all these years, I am finally able to stand on this stage."


    Vera had brought Lux to watch the previous tournament that was held in Barbatos Academy. He had been in awe of the powerful warriors that had participated during the previous battle.


    Nero had also participated back then and had reached the Qualifying Matches.


    At the time, Nero was only fourteen years old, so he stood out and everyone became aware of his existence.


    It was also due to this battle that the Elders in Wildgarde Stronghold decided to nurture him and made him the Guild Master of their Branch Guild in Elysium.


    Lux envied him back then.


    Nero had everything he wanted.


    ? A strong body, powerful techniques, the recognition of the people around him, as well as the ambition to reach greater heights.


    Ironically, Nero also thought that Lux had everything he ever wanted.


    A caring family, a powerful background, strong connections with influential people, as well as having a beautiful step-sister like Iris always by his side.


    Both of them envied each other, and now, the thing they both wanted was just a step away from bing a reality.


    If they became the Champion, everything that they wanted would finally be a reality.


    If they became the Champion, they could finally shed their past selves like a caterpir that was about to be a butterfly.


    As Lux walked towards the arena, everyone that he met along the way stepped aside to allow him to pass. This was not because he was intimidating them or anything, but because of the awe and respect that he had garnered after reaching this far in the tournament.


    Lux smiled as he looked at the arena in the distance. He was just waiting for Judge Dredd to call out his name so he could make his appearance.


    Nero had already been called, and was showered by the shouts of the people that supported him from the background.


    Now, it was now his time to step on the same stage as him, and end this decade long grudge between the two of them.


    Only one of them could im victory.


    Only one of them could have Eternal Glory!

 Chapter ?251 One Of A Kind, My Daddy!

    Chapter ?251 One Of A Kind, My Daddy!


    Within the darkness, the light shone upon Judge Dredd, who was standing at the center of the Arena.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you foring to the Semifinals of the Lionheart Tournament!"


    Cheers and apuse resounded all over the Coliseum as Judge Dredd announced the start of the Semifinals.


    They had all witnessed the amazing battles so far, and, among all of the battles, they wanted to watch Nero fight against My Daddy in the arena.


    Now that their wish was realized, everyone''s mood was at its peak as they waited for Judge Dredd to call out the two teenagers who would fight each other for the right to enter the Final Match.


    "Our first contender is someone who hails from Wildgarde Stronghold," Judge Dredd stated. "He is someone born from humble origins, and, yet, he has shown everyone that he can stand on this stage today because of his hard work and perseverance."


    "An amazing young man, who had earned enough merits to turn his Bronze-Ranked Guild into a Silver-Ranked Guild just a few months ago. Ladies and gentlemen, let''s wee the Guild Master of the Silver-Ranked Guild in Elysium, Storm Dragon."


    "Please, give a round of apuse to�� Nero!"


    Several spotlightsnded on the left side of the arena where the path which led to the arena could be seen. A momentter, a young man appeared with a confident smile on his face.


    A thunderous apuse and cheering broke out inside the Coliseum as Nero walked towards the center of the arena with his right fist raised high in the air.


    His steps were steady, and his stance was quite obvious for everyone to see.


    ''I will win!''


    That was how everyone who saw Nero that day interpreted his confident entrance in the arena under the ever watchful stares of countless pairs of eyes.


    """Nero!"""


    """Nero!"""


    """Nero!"""


    """Nero!"""


    The crowd chanted his name, as they looked at the young man who was one of the crowd favorites to win the tournament.


    Nero''s guild officers and guild members had alsoe to support their Guild Master in his fight. Although he and Lux were like oil and water, the brown-haired teenager was well loved by his Guild because of hispetent management as well as his outstanding leadership qualities.


    Even the Elders of Wildgarde Stronghold, including Vera, had noints about his way of managing things. Through him, the young members of Wildgarde Stronghold had achieved many things, and this pushed the Storm Dragon Guilds to be one of the highly respected guilds in Elysium.


    This was simr to how Aina''s Guild, Eternal, was treated in the Gweliven Kingdom, who even gained the trust of the Royal Family in the Kingdom where their Guild Headquarters were stationed.


    "Nero, would you like to say a few words to everyone before your match starts?" Judge Dredd asked as he handed the artifact that magnified a person''s voice to the brown-haired teenager whose presence had wowed everyone in the coliseum.


    epting the artifact, Nero''s gazended on the tform where Iris was seated.


    "Everyone, thank you foring here today to watch the Semifinal Matches of the Lionheart Tournament," Nero said. "I feel very privileged and happy, being able to stand on this stage today and show everyone a good fight. To everyone that supported me, especially my Guild Members, thank you. I will do my best to not let everyone down."


    Right after Nero finished his speech, another round of cheers and apuse reverberated inside the arena. He didn''t mention Iris in his speech, but it was clear to everyone who knew him that the young man had decided to let his actions speak for themselves, rather than saying anything. As long as he became the Champion, everything he wanted to say would be conveyed in full.


    """Nero!"""


    """Nero!"""


    """Nero!"""


    """Nero!"""


    Nero''s Guild Officers, and Members, shouted with all of their might as they cheered for their Guildmaster.


    Judge Dredd smiled and allowed the chanting to continue for half a minute before he raised his hand and asked for everyone to calm their tits.


    "Now, let me introduce to you the other contestant that will be fighting here today," Judge Dredd said. "We don''t know much about him, and his background is shrouded in mystery. When I first saw him, I even thought that he was just a harmless individual, but, in this case, I was proved wrong."


    "He has fought his way up from the Qualifying Matches to the Semifinals and performed well in all of them. All of you have seen him, and I''m sure that no one here today would dare say that he doesn''t have the right to stand on this stage today."


    "No matter how high the mountains or how deep the sea, this man will cross it and gain victory! Everyone, please wee, the one and only! My Daddy!"


    Suddenly, the song, Natural yboy, from Bust a Groove! yed in the background as the spotlightsnded on the right side of the arena.


    ��--


    "All the people everywhere,


    Everybody wants to hear My Daddy philosophy��


    ''Cause I look like a star when I''m smoking'' my cigar


    They wanna be just like me.''


    ��---


    A chubby teenager moonwalked out of the waiting area as the music yed in the background.


    When he was still living on Earth, Lux had a knack with ying musical instruments, so he decided to do a recording, and sang one of the songs from one of the games he yed in the past.


    The upbeat rhythm, and groovy music, as well as the chubby teenager''s moonwalking made the crowdugh, and cheer for him.


    Iris, on the other hand, covered her face in embarrassment upon seeing her step-brother''s antics, while Vera, on the other hand, simply shook her head. She knew that Lux had the tendency to do the unexpected, so she easily epted the fact that the Half-Elf had done what he felt like doing.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Iris'' head, giggled as she swayed from side to side, feeling giddy due to the upbeat music that was ying in the background.


    ��--


    "In the Taverns or on the streets, everybody that I meet


    wants to learn and y my game��


    And they watch the way I move, from my head to my shoes


    And all the girls know my name~"


    ��--


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    The girls who were listening to the song cheered louder, so the chubby teenager waved in their direction. Even the men in the audience couldn''t stop themselves fromughing as they watched My Daddy''s unusual entrance before his match.


    ��-


    "I know in their hearts they wish and dream


    That they could be like me��


    But if they want to know the truth, it''s true!"


    ��--


    The spotlights changed color and several colorful fireworks exploded in the arena, making Bruno''s and Judge Dredd''s lips twitch. Clearly, this wasn''t part of the script, but they had no choice but to bear with it and watch the chubby teenager point upwards, hyping everyone before the match.


    ��--


    "I''m the natural My Daddy of town,


    And I''m blowin'' every mind


    ''Cause I''m one of a kind.


    And I''m the coolest daddy around.


    The lights are shining down on me


    So everyone can see


    Their natural My Daddy."


    ��--


    Lux finished his performance with a dabbing pose, as several fireworks exploded around him.


    The crowd went wild and chanted his name over, and over again, resounding all over the coliseum, and beyond its walls.


    "... Dafuk is this sh*t?" Judge Dredd muttered as he looked at the chubby teenager who was still in a dabbing pose, and being bathed by the loud cheering of the audience, making him scratch his head in helplessness.


    Even Nero had no words to say, and he only looked at My Daddy with a calm gaze. Just like everyone, he didn''t know that his opponent would make such a grand entrance before the two of them fought against each other.


    High above the main seat of honor, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy, Alexander, sighed before pinching the bridge of his nose.


    "You brat. To think that you would create a scene like this," Alexander said softly.


    Alicia, who was standing beside him, felt beads of sweat start to form on her forehead.


    Although she hadn''t said anything to Alexander in respect to Vera''s request, she had a feeling that the Headmaster had discovered who "My Daddy" really was after observing his matches over the past few days.


    The moment Lux stepped into the arena, he felt as if he had lost several years of his life due to shame and embarrassment. Fortunately, he was using a different face to hide his real identity, so no one could judge him.


    Just a day ago, he decided to do one of the things that he hadn''t been able to do in his past life, and that was to sing and dance in front of an audience.


    Thinking that today was a good opportunity to fulfill that life-long wish, he decided to give it a try, which led to what had just transpired.


    ''I''m never doing this sh*t again,'' Lux thought as he gazed at Nero with a calm expression on his face, but deep inside, he wanted to dig a hole and bury himself inside it. ''Still, that felt good.''


    Bruno, who was still trying to get over Lux''s performance, nced at the two fighters, and asked if they were ready to start the match.


    Nero and Lux simply nodded their heads before both of their bodies were covered with the sets of armor that they would be using in today''s battle.


    Nero held a blue de, which crackled with tendrils of lightning, as he took a fighting stance, pointing the sword in Lux''s direction.


    Orion stood behind Lux with his arms spread wide in a protective stance. The chubby teenager, on the other hand, had also taken a fighting stance as he waited for Judge Dredd''s signal to start the battle.


    Seeing that both fighters were finally ready, he raised his hand and shouted.


    "Battle Start!"

 Chapter 252 My Wish [Part 1]

    Chapter 252 My Wish [Part 1]


    "Battle Start!"


    As soon as Judge Dredd gave the signal, Nero used his skill, Lightning Step, and immediately appeared in front of Lux, shing him with his sword.


    He already knew that the Rock Golem standing beside the chubby teenager had a skill that could forcefully taunt people into attacking it, allowing Lux to use that opportunity to unleash an attack of his own, just as he had done to Vall.


    Nero didn''t know the exact mechanics of this ability, but having his freedom taken away from him for a brief moment was something that he didn''t want to happen, so he decided to take the initiative to fight Lux in close quarters.


    Summoners, in general, were weak when it came to closebat, so he believed that he could overwhelm the other party as long as he went toe to toe with him the first opportunity he got.


    Lightning sparks flew in every direction as Nero''s swordnded on Lux''s body.


    Everyone thought that the match would be instantly over, but to their surprise, Nero''s de was met with Lux''s right hand that had transformed into the ws of a dragon, sending sparks flying in every direction.


    Nero frowned, because that single blow alone was enough to tell him that he had greatly underestimated his opponent. He wasn''t just fighting against a Summoner, but against someone who also specialized in closebat!


    "You have hidden yourself quite deep," Nero said as he backed away a safe distance away from Lux. "As expected of someone that has entered the Semifinals."


    "You''re faster than I thought," Lux replied as gazed at his opponent in the distance.


    Lux''s entire body was covered by a blue set of armor, which was different from the dark-green one that he had worn in his previous battle against Vall.


    He had equipped the specialized armor that he had prepared specifically for his fight against Nero, gaining increased resistance against the Lightning Element.


    ��---


    < Lux''s Dragon Regalia >


    (Lightning Awakened Form)


    Rating: Pseudo-Legendary


    Requirements: Apostle Grade D


    �C An armor that was forged for the sake of protecting someone that was important to him.


    +50 to all Stats


    +500 to Defense


    �C 50% Resistance to the element of Lightning


    �C Has a moderate chance to nullify any lightning based damage that the wearer of this armor will receive.


    �C This armor can absorb lightning damage and use it to coat its entirety with lightning that deals damage to anyone within two meters of its wearer.


    �C This Armor is bound to Lux Von Kaizer


    Active Skills: Lightning sh, Lightning Strider, Lightning Body


    Passive Skills: Improved Lightning Reflexes, Improved Concentration, Beast Bane, Improved Elemental Resistance, Absorb Lightning, Indestructible, Auto Fit


    < Lightning sh >


    �C Create a dazzling radiance that has a high chance of temporarily blinding your enemies.


    ��--


    < Lightning Strider >


    �C Teleport anywhere within a twenty meter square radius.


    ��-


    < Lightning Body >


    �C Coat your body with the power of lightning that deals damage to anyone within two meters of you.


    ��--


    < Improved Concentration >


    �C Raises all of your stats by 10 points each.


    ��


    < Improved Lightning Reflexes >


    �C Your awareness is raised to a higher level, giving you the ability to dodge blows, as well as execute maneuvers that require fast movement.


    ��-


    < Beast Bane >


    �C When fighting against Beast Type Monsters, increase physical and magical damage by 20%


    ��-


    < Improved Elemental Resistance >


    �C Decrease all Elemental Damage by 20%


    ��---


    "Let''s dance," Lux dered before using the skill, Lightning Strider, to instantly teleport in front of Nero and deliver a punch to thetter''s face.


    Nero''s fast reflexes allowed him to dodge Lux''s attack andunch a counter-attack of his own, which the Half-Elf blocked with his wed hands.


    The Lightning Strider skill was a skill that was highly effective in closebat. It was quite different from Lightning Steps, which allowed someone to move extremely fast in any direction they wanted.


    Although both fighters seemed to be teleporting all over the arena, it was only Lux who was using the teleport skill, while Nero was using his Lightning Step to the fullest.


    "I thought My Daddy was a Summoner?"


    "He also specializes in closebat? I''ve never heard of Summoners like this!"


    "Such crazy talent. He moves so fast despite the fact that he''s quite chubby. His speed isn''t any slower than Nero''s!"


    It was a verymon knowledge in Sis and Elysium that most Summoners weren''t proficient in closebat. This was why when people fought against them, they would first target the Summoner, instead of their Summons in order to end the battle.


    Of course, there were exceptions to this rule.


    Iris, who was a Beast Tamer, could also be considered a Summoner in her own right. However, because she had practiced the Kaizer Sword Arts, alongside Lux, ever since they were little, she was proficient in meleebat as well.


    However, no one knew this. Iris'' Summons were always there to protect her, so everyone thought that she didn''t practice any form of martial arts.


    Lux had only been a Necromancer for a little more than a year, but during his childhood, he had trained as a warrior under Vera''s tutge.


    Although he wasn''t able to put these powerful techniques into practice due to his weak constitution, their forms and executions had been ingrained in his body, waiting to be unleashed at the right moment.


    Two blurs shed against each other repeatedly, sending sparks all over the arena.


    Orion simply stood and watched the battle unfold without interfering in it. Lux had ordered him to not take any action unless he specifically told him to move.


    The Half-Elf had spent a lot of time studying the Dragon War Arts that he had learned through the rewards that Keoza had given him. He even subtly modified them to work alongside the Kaizer War Art that he was more ustomed with, creating a new style that worked only for him.


    Lux called this new style Kaizer Dragon War Art, which he was now using against the brown-haired teenager, whose true strength he was experiencing for the first time.


    "Dragon w!"


    "Lightning sh!"


    The ground burst apart, sending dirt, and rubble flying in every direction, as the two powerful attacks collided in the center of the arena.


    Lux was about to follow up his attack, but his sixth sense warned him that he should distance himself from his opponent.


    The Half-Elf had experienced many life and death scenarios in Elysium, and had learned to take heed to the warning of his senses, so he immediately teleported away.


    A secondter, ck lightning bolts emerged from Nero''s sword, decimating the ce where he stood just a minute ago.


    "Abyss Lightning Bolt," Lux muttered as hended several meters away from the brown-haired teenager, whose sword had been enshrouded by ck lightning.


    Crackling sounds spread in the arena as the ck lightning bolt from Nero''s sword spread into the armor covering his body.


    "Abyss Lightning Body," Nero said as lightning crackled around him like living snakes that were looking for something to bury their poisonous fangs on.


    Lux took a deep breath as he took a fighting stance. His Abyss Touch [EX] wasn''t active because he didn''t want to alert Nero of this ability of his from the get go.


    He knew how cautious Nero would be once he perceived that Lux had an ability that could get past his defenses. The Half-Elf was looking for the perfect opportunity to activate this skill alongside a powerful attack that would catch his opponent by surprise.


    "Tempest Fury," Lux chanted as the wind element circled around his body, bestowing the power of Wind Elements to his attack.


    The two fighters gazed at each other before disappearing from where they stood. A few secondster, loud explosions spread across the entire arena as both fighters unleashed their ranged, and closebat skills against each other, trying to get the upper hand, in a battle that was getting more intense, with every passing minute.

 Chapter ?253 My Wish [Part 2]

    Chapter ?253 My Wish [Part 2]


    "This My Daddy is better than I thought," Natasha, the High-Cleric of Wildgarde Stronghold, as well as Vera''s good friend, muttered. "Summoners that can fight in closebat are very rare."


    Gerald, the Leader of Wildgarde Stronghold, and the one who made the important decisions nodded his head in agreement. "Just what kind of rock did this chubby boy hide under until now? With his skills, he certainly doesn''t have a simple background."


    Nero''s Master, Rainer, who was also one of the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold like Vera, also reluctantly nodded his head.


    As someone who had been guiding the brown-haired teenager until the young man achieved his current strength, he couldn''t help but be impressed by the tenacity that the chubby teenager was showing.


    "The young will surpass the old," Rainermented. "A few years from now, these two teenagers will surely be the new leaders of the young generation."


    "I don''t know why, but for some reason, I feel like I have met this boy somewhere in the past," Natasha rubbed her chin as she gazed at the chubby teenager who was fighting Nero in closebat. "Don''t you guys feel the same?"


    "Hmm, now that you mention it, I also have this faint feeling that I know him as well," Gerald scratched his head. "But, I don''t recall meeting him before."


    "Maybe the two of you are just overthinking things," Rainer replied. "I have a very good memory, and I can tell both of you with certainty that this My Daddy isn''t one of the children from our stronghold nor the neighboring viges and town."


    Just like the Stronghold of Norria, the Wildgarde Stronghold was the Overlord of a region. It was the protector of several viges and towns that paid them a yearly tribute. Also, any outstanding children from these towns were brought to the Wildgarde Stronghold in order to be nurtured by the Guardians before they entered Elysium.


    Rainer was one of the people that supervised the yearly recruitment, so he was certain that this was the first time he was seeing the chubby teenager that went by the name My Daddy.


    "Maybe you''re right," Natasha shrugged. "Maybe I''m just overthinking things."


    "True," Geraldmented. "If someone like My Daddy has been within our domain all along, we definitely wouldn''t let a talent escape our eyes."


    Rainer nodded before shifting his gaze back at the arena where the two fighters were currently engaged in an intense battle for supremacy.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, he also felt the same way as Natasha. However, due to his strong memory, he was certain that he hadn''t met someone like My Daddy inside the Wildgarde Stronghold and its surrounding territories.


    ----


    As someone who was in possession of the skill Abyss Touch [EX], Lux fully understood how the powers of the Abyss worked.


    Because of this, whenever Nero attacked using his ck lightning, he would either dodge it, or meet it with an attack of his own, preventing it fromnding directly on his body.


    Fortunately, he was someone blessed with the Dragon Scale [EX] and Dragon Heart [EX] passive abilities, so he was able to resist the ck Lightning''s effect to a certain extent.


    Still, Lux knew that he needed to be careful or else, he would end up like Nero''s previous opponent, Ackley, who got seriously injured by the ck Lightning that belonged to the Abyss.


    The young man was still in the infirmary and was in aa. Although his life wasn''t in any kind of danger, ording to the High-Cleric, it might take Ackley a week or two to regain consciousness.


    Nero who had been continuously attacking Lux didn''t relent in his attacks and kept on unleashing a barrage of ck lightning bolts both in close and long range.


    Perhaps the brown-haired teenager had realized that Lux didn''t n on asking the Rock Golem for help in their match, so he no longer worried about its "Taunt Skill" that would force him to exchange blows with it.


    After getting used to Lux''s speed, and attack patterns, Nero made a feint, which caught the Half-Elf by surprise, allowing Nero to get behind his back with his fist pulled back and ck lightning swirling all round it.


    "Thunder Punch!"


    Nero''s blownded perfectly on Lux''s back, which sent thetter flying towards the barrier at the edge of the arena. However, Nero had no intention of letting his opponent get off scot free after managing to hit him once.


    The brown-haired teenager used his lightning step to reappear a few meters away from Lux with both of his fists posed to stroke. "Thunder Assault!"


    Lux, who was momentarily stunned by Nero''s Thunder Punch finally regained his senses and immediately took control of his body to unleash a counter attack.


    "Dragon Wart Art Second Form," Lux shouted. "Dragon''s Roar!"


    A powerful dragon roar erupted from Lux''s lips, disrupting Nero''s assault and leaving him open for Lux''s counter attack.


    "Dragon''s w!"


    Lux didn''t hold back and activated the skill, Abyss Touch [EX], and smashed his fist into Nero''s chest, sending thetter crashing towards the ground.


    But before his body could even hit the Arena Floor, Nero righted himself, allowing his two feet tond on the arena, and skidded on the ground for a few meters beforeing to a stop.


    His right hand clutched his chest as he looked at Lux with a serious expression on his face. Blood seeped at the corner of his lips, which showed that he had received some internal injuries after getting hit by Lux''s blow.


    If one were to look closely, the armor on Nero''s chest was a bit dented, and the mark of Lux''s wed hand could be seen on its surface.


    Unlike Lux, Nero didn''t have the Dragon Physique that could make his body more sturdy and powerful. This was also why, even though Lux got hit by Nero''s attack, the damage he received was nothingpared to what the brown-haired boy had suffered from the Half-Elf''s counterattack.


    "You are also touched by the Abyss," Nero said as he slowly stood up with his gaze firmly locked on the chubby teenager''s body.


    It wasn''t a question, but a statement. All those who fought against Abyssal Beings could tell if the attacks they received were infused by the power of the Abyss.


    Lux didn''t answer but simply teleported to the ground taking a fighting pose. Now that the secret was out in the open, the battle between the two of them was bound to rise to the next level.

 Chapter 254 My Wish [Part 3]

    Chapter 254 My Wish [Part 3]


    After hearing Nero''s statements, a murmur started to spread through the audience area of the Coliseum.


    Abyssal Creatures were popr in stories among those who had entered Elysium, because they sometimes appeared as World Bosses that wander around the world.


    Although many people knew they existed, not everyone had the chance to encounter these diabolical monsters. The experience points gained in fighting them was quite abysmal, even if you were to fight against an Argonaut or Dreadnaught Rank Abyssal Monster.


    The only true prize in defeating one were their Beast Cores, which contained Abyssal Skills, which were far frommon in the world of Elysium.


    However, today, two teenagers possessing the Powers of the Abyss were facing each other in the Semifinals of the Lionheart Tournament. For an ordinary person, they wouldn''t think too much about it.


    But, to those in the know, the significance of this discovery allowed them to take a second nce at the mysterious chubby teenager, whose background had eluded all the information guilds, merchant guilds, as well as the other people that specialized in information gathering.


    Any person who possesses an Abyssal Skill wasn''t an ordinary person.


    They were someone who had faced the Abyss and survived to tell the tale.


    "Grandma��" Iris nced at her grandmother, and thetter only nodded her head to confirm Nero''s words in the arena.


    "He met the Abyssal Beast while protecting a city from a Beast Tide," Vera said softly. "If I''m not mistaken, it was an Argonaut-Ranked Abyssal Beast, and the one who defeated it wasn''t Lux, but a High-Ranker in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.


    "I guess the High-Ranker gave the Beast Core to Lux, and allowed him to wield the power of the Abyss. As for what his reason was for doing so, we can ask your brother when the tournament is over."


    Iris nodded her head in understanding. She understood that this wasn''t the right time to ask her step-brother this question, so she one again shifted her attention to the chubby teenager, whose aura had suddenly changed after activating the power he had kept a secret in his previous matches.


    Nero took a deep breath before the armor he had equipped on his body disappeared. A few secondster, it was reced by a pure ck armor that made Lux arch an eyebrow.


    ''An armor made from an Abyss Monster''s body part,'' Lux thought as he appraised Nero''s new armor with a critical gaze. ''Does it have Abyssal properties as well?''


    Very few cksmiths were able to work with the body parts of Abyssal Monsters. Lux''s Master, Randolph, was someone who didn''t have the ability to forge equipment from these monsters. But, within Wildgarde Stronghold, there was one person who could.


    ''It must be Sir Rainer who forged Nero''s armor,'' Lux thought.


    Rainer was a Grand Master cksmith who was rumored to be only a step away from bing a Zen Master cksmith. Lux knew that Rainer was Nero''s Master, so it was only normal for the Guardian of Wildgarde Stronghold to forge an armor for his Disciple.


    This was simr to how Lux''s armors were crafted by his own Master, Randolph, who had made it in ordance with his needs.


    Rainer, who was watching the battle from the audience area, sighed after seeing the ck armor that was covering his Disciple''s body.


    ''So your hand is forced,'' Rainer thought. ''It doesn''t matter. Now that the Abyss Armor has made its appearance, this battle is as good as over.''


    At least, that was what Rainer, and Nero, thought at that time.


    "I apologize, but I can''t afford to lose this match," Nero said as he summoned two ck swords in his hand. "There is something that I wish to achieve, and I will use everything in my power to grasp it in my hands."


    Lux smirked as he looked at his opponent.


    "There is nothing to apologize for," Lux replied. "I also have a wish as well, and for that to be a reality, I must defeat you here."


    "Good." Nero smiled before the visor on his helmet closed. "May the best man win."


    The two both took a fighting stance, while the audience waited with bated breath on what would happen next.


    "Go win, My Daddy!"


    Cai, who was looking at the battle from the contestant''s tform, shouted.


    "Bring home the bacon!" Cai shouted. "Pork chop is fine too!"


    Just as soon as the chatty boar finished its shout, Lux and Nero charged at each other at the same time.


    Lux''s Dragon ws, grabbed hold of the two ck swords that had descended upon him with a vengeance, creating sparks of ck lightning that shouted out wildly around them, destroying the ground where itnded.


    "Lightning Descent!" Nero shouted and a ck lightning bolt descended upon him causing his entire armor to crackle with the power of lightning.


    Lux, who was holding onto Nero''s swords, felt a stinging pain on his body as tendrils of ck lightning that wereing from Nero''s armor attacked him.


    "Spinning des!" Lux roared as razor sharp des circled around him, hitting Nero''s armor, sending sparks flying in every direction.


    All of Lux''s attacks were imbued with the power of the Abyss Touch, while Nero''s attacks were powered by Abyss Lightning.


    Both of them were losing Health Points at a rapid pace because neither of them was backing down. It was as if they had set an unwritten rule that whoever stepped back from this head-on confrontation would be the loser of this match.


    Nero shouted as he kneed Lux''s stomach because both of his hands were upied, dealing lightning damage to his opponent.


    Lux didn''t stand idly and counter attacked with his own knee as well.


    Nero''s armor allowed him to resist the power of Abyssal attacks by a huge percentage, which was the reason why he and Rainer had the confidence to think that he would be able to triumph over Lux in this head-on battle.


    However, what they didn''t know was that Lux''s Abyssal Skill wasn''t an ordinary abyssal skill.


    It was an Abyssal Skill that had evolved, which made it more powerful than its counterparts.


    ��-


    < Abyss Touch [EX] >


    �C The touch of the Abyss ignores all kinds of defenses whether it be physical or magical.


    �C Any attack you deal to your foes will deal True Damage, regardless if it is physical, or magical in nature.


    �C This ability allows you to deal 200% Bonus True Damage against Abyssal Creatures of any Rank.


    �C This skill has a very small chance to inflict Abyss Charm on any monster (including Abyssal monsters) that is simr to your Rank or Below. The condition that must be met in order to trigger this skill is that your target must have less than 10% of its Max Health remaining.


    �C Charmed creatures will obey your everymand for thirty minutes, regardless of what it is. Once the Charm effect''s duration has ended, you will be unable to charm that creature again.


    �C This skill has a very small chance to inflict Fear Status on your opponent.


    �C This skill has a very small chance to inflict Paralyze Status on your opponent.


    �C This skill has a very small chance to inflict Diseased Status on your opponent.


    �C This skill has a very small chance to inflict Weakened Status on your opponent.


    ��-


    On Lux''s eighth blow on Nero''s body, the Weakened Status took effect.


    This effect decreased all resistances, as well as all defenses of the inflicted target by 50%.


    After Nero''s resistance had decreased by Half, the other status effects that had a small chance to activate, suddenly activated, hindering the brown-haired teenager''s continuous blows.


    With a shout, Lux gave his opponent a headbutt, inflicting the Disease Status to Nero.


    This status effect made Nero feel fatigued, and he found his movements started to turn sluggish.


    Seeing that his opponent''s strength had waned by a good margin, Lux pried the ck swords out of Nero''s hands and tossed them away.


    After that, he gave the brown-haired teenager a punch on the face, making thetter take two steps back. However, Nero was someone who had no intention of backing down ,so after getting punched, he immediately counterattacked with a Thunder Punch, making Lux take three steps back in return.


    A momentter, the two continued to exchange blows with each other. Neither of them dodged each other''s attack. They either blocked, deflected, or got hit by the blows that they unleashed against each other.


    Nero''s ck Lightning was simr to Abyssal Touch in a sense that it ignored all defenses and dealt half of its original damage to its target. Despite the damage only being half, this waspensated by the lightning''s quick and swift attacks, causing its target to be stunned for a second, or two, allowing another attack to hit its mark.


    Lux''s attack, on the other hand, was infused by the Abyssal Touch, which dealt not only crippling status effects, but also dealt increased damage to Abyssal Creatures of any rank.


    Since Nero was wearing an Abyssal Armor, the skill treated the brown-haired teenager as an Abyssal Monster, therefore nullifying the resistance it had against Abyssal based attacks.


    All of Lux''s blows dealt the same damage as when Nero wasn''t wearing any armor, making thetter stagger with every punch and kick thatnded on his body.


    Lux wasn''t faring well either since Nero''s attacks were quite fast, and the ck lightning would render him numb from time to time.


    Suddenly, Nero held Lux in a bear hug as the lightning in his armor intensified, electrocuting the Half-Elf, making him scream in pain.


    "Lightning Annihtion!"


    Iris, who was watching the scene, covered her lips with a hand because he could feel the genuine pain from Lux''s scream that reverberated inside the Coliseum.


    Half a minuteter, Lux gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and wrapped his arms around his opponent, holding him in a vice grip.


    "Have it your way!" Lux roared as he opened his mouth wide. Since it hade to this, he also decided to go all out and throw caution to the wind.


    Two clones appeared beside Lux, and both of them held onto Nero''s body on his left and right side, making it impossible for thetter to escape.


    Magical energy then started to gather inside their mouths as they prepared to unleash their strongest attack at point nk range, no longer caring about the consequences that would happen afterward.


    Alexander stood up from his seat of honor as his gaze locked on to the two individuals that were hell-bent on winning this match at all cost.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    A loud explosion shook the entire arena, making the barriers around it break one by one. Lux''s attack was something that ignored defenses, which also included the barriers that were protecting the audiences from any stray spells and attacksing from the twobatants.


    "Brace!"


    The Sorcerer, who was also the leader of the Mages in the arena shouted.


    "Don''t let the attack reach the civilians!" the Sorcerer ordered. "All hands, reinforce the barrier!"


    Bruno and Judge Dredd were a step faster and focused on reinforcing thest barrier that also served as thest line of defense against stray attacks.


    Due to the unexpected effect of Lux''s ability, the first four barriers broke easily, while thest barrier showed several cracks on its surface.


    However, with all the magicians, as well as other High-Rankers who specialized in creating barriers, the worst case scenario was avoided.


    A momentter, everyone tensely looked at the dust-filled arena, waiting for the dust to clear up. They wanted to know the aftermath of the two teenagers'' desperate attacks and see who among them triumphed over the other.


    As the dust cloud slowly dispersed, they saw the silhouette of a person who was lying down at the center of the destroyed arena.


    His armor was in tatters, and blood flowed from almost every part of his body, including his nose, ears, and mouth.


    Those who saw him all sucked in deep breaths because the aftermath was more severe than they had expected.


    A loud scream of horror and pain came from one of the VIP rooms in the Coliseum, which broke everyone out of their daze.


    The Clerics who were stationed outside of the arena immediately rushed towards the young man, who seemed to have stopped breathing, whose bodyy in the center of a smoldering, hundred-meter-wide crater.


    The mask he wore slid down the side of his face, as the power that kept it in ce disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter ?255 The Winner Of This Match Is…

    Chapter ?255 The Winner Of This Match Is��


    (A/N: Did you feel your heart being squeezed inside your chest just now after reading the title? Kekeke).


    As the Clerics rushed to the smoldering crater where Lux''s body was lying, the Sorcerer, Garric, who was also the one responsible for preventing the loss of life in the tournament, sighed.


    Lying beside his feet was Nero, whose armor was also in shambles. When Lux unleashed three Dragon Breaths, the Sorcerer heightened all of his senses to estimate whether the Guild Master of the Storm Dragon Guild would be able to take it or not.


    However, just half a second after Lux''s full-powered attack was unleashed, Garric had no choice but to teleport Nero out of the arena as soon as he could to save the other party''s life.


    ncing at the youth who was at the center of the crater, Garric had aplicated look on his face. For the sake of victory, Lux had gone all out, even endangering himself in the process in order to beat his opponent.


    Life and death battles were a norm in Elysium, so as much as possible, they wanted to prevent the loss of such talented youth in the tournament.


    Garric had assumed that Lux would be able to handle the bacsh, so he didn''t teleport him out of the arena. He didn''t know why, but for some reason, he felt as if teleporting the chubby teenager out of the arena was a bad thing to do, so he stayed his hand.


    "He''s still breathing," the Head Cleric that had arrived beside Lux said with relief. "But, he''s not out of danger yet. Everyone, I''ll focus on treating the serious injuries. You handle the rest."


    ""Yes Sir!""


    While Lux was being treated by the Clerics, Bruno waved his hand, making the mask lying on the ground fly towards him.


    ''So, this is the reason why you had repeatedly told me that I should make sure that this brat doesn''t die,'' Bruno thought as he nced at Alicia, who was standing beside Alexander.


    The beautiful woman noticed Bruno''s gaze, and gave thetter a brief nod before shifting her attention back to the Half-Elf, whose identity was revealed for everyone to see.


    "L-Lux?!" Gerald, who was the Leader of Wildgarde Stronghold stood up from his chair in shock and disbelief. "He''s My Daddy?!"


    "Impossible!" Natasha, who was the Wildgarde Stronghold''s High-Cleric, and the person who spent the most time among the Guardians checking Lux''s condition, gasped in shock.


    She couldn''t believe her eyes. The Lux who was currently being treated by the Clerics of Barbatos Academy was very different from the Lux that she had watched grow up.


    "It''s not impossible," Rainer, who was also Nero''s Master,mented. "The proof is already right in front of your eyes."


    Rainer had been there when Lux took the previous entrance exam that would allow him to enter Elysium. As someone responsible for managing the newly recruited members of the young generation, he wanted to know if Vera''s adopted grandchild was capable of surviving in that harsh world.


    Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer, had seen it when Lux didn''t hold back during the examination and ended up fainting before even catching the Horned Rabbit. The Lux back then, and the Lux that had taken the persona of the chubby teenager in the tournament, was likeparing a hill to a mountain.


    The difference was that obvious, and although they didn''t believe it, they had no choice but to believe it.


    "Rainer..." Gilbert nced at the old cksmith of Wildgarde Stronghold with aplicated look on his face.


    "Let''s talk about it after the tournament," Rainer replied. "I''m sure that Vera will exin this to us at ater time. Perhaps she can even tell us how that sickly Lux managed to stand up against the strongest members of the young generation in just the span of a year."


    Gilbert and Natasha nodded their heads in agreement. Although they had plenty of questions, no matter how much they tried to think of the answer, the only one who could give them an answer was not with them at the moment.


    Vera, who was seated beside her granddaughter, firmly held Iris'' hand. She was afraid that if she let her granddaughter escape her sights, thetter would immediately go to where Lux was, and this was something that she didn''t want to have happen at this point in time.


    "Don''t worry about him," Vera said after confirming that Lux was safe. "The Clerics are taking good care of him. He''ll be patched up in no time."


    Iris nodded, but she couldn''t stop herself from worrying. Eiko, who was perched on top of her Mama''s head, remained silent.


    Just like Iris, she was also worried about her Papa, but as Lux''s Beast Companion, her connection with Lux was very strong.


    Earlier, she felt Lux''s heart stop beating for half a minute. As she was about to fly towards the arena, the Half-Elf''s heart suddenly pulsed inside his chest, beating strongly, proving that he was fine.


    Eiko also faintly heard a roar of a Dragon from within Lux''s body, as if it had awakened from a baptism of fire. Because of this, the baby Slime knew that her Papa was going to be fine. Even so, she couldn''t help but feel worried as she focused her attention in the arena that had been reduced to a giant crater.


    Ten minutester, the High-Cleric waved at Judge Dredd and Bruno, signaling them that Lux''s life was no longer in danger, and that they would be moving him to the infirmary.


    The other Clerics who had been freed of their job went to check on Nero''s condition, and started to heal him as well.


    Bruno then raised his hand and dered the victor of the match.


    "The winner for this match is My Da..."


    "No."


    A weak, yet firm voice reached Bruno''s ears, stopping him frompleting his announcement.


    "That''s not my name," Lux said as he struggled to keep his consciousness. "Say my name."


    Bruno smirked before giving the Half-Elf, who was now like a candle that was about to lose its light, a thumbs up in his heart.


    "The winner of this match is none other than Lux Von Kaizer!"


    Suddenly, a pping sound was heard high above the coliseum.


    Iris was pping her hands while tears streamed down the side of her face.


    Vera joined her and pped her hands as well. A sweet smile could be seen on her old face, showing how proud she was of her grandson''s achievement.


    Their pping brought everyone out of their daze as the audience gave Lux a thunderous apuse, while others cheered and shouted his name.


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    Lux, who heard the chants of the crowd, couldn''t stop himself from sighing in his heart.


    "I said my name is Lux..."


    That was thest thing the red-headed teenager muttered before he lost consciousness. Although he looked fine on the surface, the power of the Abyss was still rampaging inside his body.


    Nero''s ck Lightning wasn''t something simple, and it had sapped Lux''s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual strength, making him sumb to his exhaustion.


    The Head-Cleric personally escorted him to the infirmary under everyone''s eyes. Even after the Half-Elf could no longer be seen in the arena, the crowd still shouted his alias, which they had grown to love and that was none other than...


    My Daddy!

 Chapter ?256 I’ll Stay With You Forever

    Chapter ?256 I��ll Stay With You Forever


    "The match will be dyed for a few hours since they still have to fix the arena," the Cleric notified Keane who was seated in a wooden wheelchair. "For now, please stay here and wait for your next match."


    "Thank you," Keane replied.


    The Cleric nodded his head and left the room, leaving the skinny swordsman alone to meditate.


    Keane''s injuries had healed, but the damage he received from his battle with Gilbert was not of the flesh but of the soul.


    Gilbert''s final attack had rendered him unable to gather internal energy, which prevented him from using his technique to the fullest.


    The irony of it all was after he had purified the insidious tea that was filled withxative that Cai had given him, Keane had used up most of what little of the Internal Energy had remained inside his body.


    Although the Boar''s n to make the skinny teenager spend the entire day inside the bathroom failed, it still managed to cripple his opponent in a manner that even that chatty boar didn''t expect.


    ''I only have enough strength for one blow,'' Keane thought as he circted what little internal energy he had left. ''It is all or nothing in my next match.''


    In order to prevent the Boar from further sabotaging him before their match started, Keane asked the officials to bring him to the waiting area located on the right side of the arena. He even didn''t go and watch Lux''s battle because he didn''t want to get distracted, and simply meditated, while waiting for his next match.


    He had even requested the staff to not ept any visitors, especially the shameless, and thick-skinned boar, whose mere voice was enough to trigger a PTSD reaction from him.


    For the sake of his inner peace, he had made sure that the boar wouldn''t be able toe near him before their match started.


    While Keane was meditating, his heightened senses heard a disgruntled voice in the hallway leading to his room.


    "I''m Little Swordy''s best friend! Why am I not allowed to see him?"


    "Contestant Cai, you are not allowed to enter the waiting room. Your opponent is currently meditating and asked not to be disturbed."


    "Impossible! I was the one who raised Little Swordy since he was a child. Hey! Don''t push me! I said don''t push me! Little Swordy! It''s me! Hey stop pushing meeeeeeeeeeeeee!"


    Disgruntled squealing sounds sounded from the hallway as the staff members, who ensured that the Lionheart Tournament wouldn''t encounter any mishaps, forcibly kicked the Boar away from Keane''s waiting room.


    Keane had to cover his ears with his hands because Cai''s screaming loud enough to wake up the dead.


    Fortunately, after five minutes, the squealing stopped and peace once again settled inside the waiting room.


    Two hourster, one of the officials of the tournament informed Keane that the battle was about to start.


    Keane took a deep breath as the official pushed his wheelchair towards the arena, where his opponent was waiting for him.


    ��----


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, we deeply apologize for the dy," Judge Dredd said using the artifact that magnified his voice. "Now that the stage has been fixed and new barriers are in ce, we will now continue with thest match for the Semifinals! Whoever wins this round will proceed to the Final Round, which will be held tomorrow!"


    The crowd cheered as they waited for Judge Dredd to announce the two contestants that had also reached the Semifinals.


    "Hailing from the Nomadic Rowan Tribe, and standing four meters tall, our next contestant had miraculously reached the Semifinal rounds," Judge Dredd announced. "In truth, I never thought that it would make it this far in the tournament because no matter how I look at it, this contestant simply got lucky!


    "This contestant likes to eat pork chops, baby back ribs, pork stew, steak, and pork barbecue! Ladies and gentlemen, make way for the one, and only��. Cai!"


    The crowdughed and pped after hearing Judge Dredd''s teasing voice. Some hadbeled Cai as the mascot of the tournament because the Boar didn''t look that strong. Just like the referee of the tournament said, they felt that Cai just got lucky in the tournament.


    His strongest opponent had conceded before their match even started, allowing Cai to reach the Semifinals without problems. Although many suspected foul y, and ckmail, no evidence that the Boar''s opponent had been threatened or bribed in any way, making the officials who did the investigation decide to drop the case altogether.


    The Boar arrogantly entered the arena with its snout raised high, as if everyone around it were mere peasants, and undeserving of its attention.


    After climbing the stage, Judge Dredd decided to interview the boar in order to liven up the atmosphere before the match.


    "Cai, do you have something to say to our audience?" Judge Dredd asked before cing the artifact near the Boar''s snout.


    "Two tigers cannot share the same mountain," Cai said with a voice that seemed that it hade from a hermit who had seen the ways of the world. "Although it breaks my heart to fight my friend, this is something that must be done. I just hope that after this match is over, Little Swordy and I can remain friends and continue to face the challenges of the world with our heads raised high."


    The audience looked at the Boar as if they were seeing its true colors for the first time. Even Judge Dredd was almost conned by Cai''s eloquent words. If not for the fact that he had seen how shameless the Boar was behind closed doors, he would be just like the audience that looked at Cai with admiration and respect.


    Not wanting to hear anymore of the boar''s nonsense, Judge Dredd walked back to the center of the arena and announced Cai''s opponent.


    "We don''t know much about our next contestant because he likes to keep to himself most of the time," Judge Dredd said. "All we know is that he is an excellent swordsman, and that he is deserving of his spot in the Semifinal rounds. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the mysterious swordsman, Keane!"


    Another round of apuse and cheering resounded in the arena as the crowd favorite appeared in front of their eyes.


    Keane was seated in a wooden wheelchair, being pushed by one of the staff members that had been assigned to him.


    Garric pointed his finger at Keane''s direction, making the skinny swordsman disappear from the wheelchair, and reappear in the arena.


    Keane stood tall, with his thumb resting at the hilt of his sword. This was the pose he had taken in every match, and everyone was already ustomed by it.


    As a mysterious contestant, Keane had piqued the interest of the audience, as well as several high-ranking officials, and nobles, of the Six Kingdoms. They were doing their best in order to scout the young swordsman to serve their kingdom, but thetter evaded their approach by requesting the help of Barbatos Academy.


    "Do you have anything to say to the audience, Keane?" Judge Dredd asked as he handed the artifact to the swordsman who looked pleasing to his eyes.


    "Thank you for having me in the tournament," Keane replied. "I wish everyone a good day."


    After saying these words Keane returned the artifact to Judge Dredd making the referee of the match chuckle.


    "Well then, are both fighters ready?" Judge Dredd asked as he nced at the two contestants.


    Keane nodded his head. "I''m ready."


    Judge Dredd then shifted his attention to the Boar who was looking at Keane with the "Never say Die, and Never Surrender Gaze."


    "Before we start this match, I have something to say to Keane first," Cai said.


    Judge Dredd nodded his head, and Keane looked at the boar who had forced him to join its organization.


    "First and foremost, I apud you for havinge this far," Cai stated. "As a member of your Secret Organization, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, you have made me proud by standing on the same stage as me."


    The corner of Judge Dredd''s and Keane''s lips twitched after hearing Cai''s words.


    What secret organization?


    You just announced it in front of everyone as if you are advertising it!


    "Keane, I just want you to know that if I lose this match. I will apany you all your life. I will wake you up every morning, and greet you a good day everyday. During lunch time, I will apany you to eat pork chops. Um, steak is fine too.


    "Whenever you go to thefort room, I will follow you as well. I will ensure that you can take a dump peacefully without being bothered by anyone.


    "At night, I will tell you stories, and cover you with a nket when you fall asleep. I will repeat these things on the next day until you grow old and be decrepit. I''m sure that both of us will have a wonderful and fulfilling life ahead of us. That is all I want to say."


    As soon as Cai finished its speech, several images shed in front of Keane''s eyes.


    ''Rise and shine Keane! Um, can you wake up? I''m already hungry. What''s for breakfast?''


    ''What are we having for lunch? Do you want to hunt wild boars in the mountains? I want to eat some pork chops.''


    ''Keane, where are we going next? Let''s visit the next town!''


    ''Um, are you going to the bathroom? Perfect, I feel like going there as well.''


    ''Keane, are you going to sleep? Let me tell you a story first about this old bandit named James. This old coot is so shameless that even I feel inferior to how thick his skin is��''


    ''Keane, I''ll stay with you forever.''


    ''Forever��"


    ''Forever..''


    ''Forever.''


    The images in Keane''s head caused the remaining internal force inside his body to disperse as if they were a pile of leaves being swept away by a broom, resulting in him vomiting blood, staining the floor red.


    Due to his unstable state of mind, he wasn''t able to hear Judge Dredd''s deration to start the battle.


    ''Living everyday in torment is not worth it,'' Keane thought as muddy images emerged in his head. Just thinking of spending the rest of his life with the shameless boar by his side day and night broke what little resolve he had of winning the tournament.


    While Keane was still in a daze, the Boar had already charged in his direction using its Wild Charge, colliding with the skinny swordsman who seemed to have lost the will to live.


    A momentter, Keane''s body was sent flying towards the barrier, before falling towards the ground unmoving.


    Cai didn''t follow up his attack, and simply stared at its "friend" who seemed to have lost consciousness.


    "I wish there was another way," Cai said as a single crocodile tear slid from the side of its face, making it look like it had been forced to hurt its friend. "I didn''t want to hurt you too much, so I only used 1% of my strength. Keane, please forgive me. I am simply too strong for you."


    Judge Dredd crouched down beside Keane''s body to check if thetter was alright. After seeing that the skinny teenager had only lost consciousness, he stood up and announced the shameless victor of the match.


    "Winner Cai!" Judge Dredd said with a helpless look on his face. He had seen how Keane had lost the will to fight after hearing Cai''s words, but there was nothing he could do about it because the Boar didn''t break any rules.


    "Hahaha!" Caiughed as it arrogantly raised its snout to the heavens. It was feeling so good right now as if it had just won the lottery. "Final match, here Ie!"


    The Boar''s unrestrainedughter reverberated in the arena, while the audience cheered and called out its name.


    Even though thest battle for the Semifinal match ended in a manner that no one expected, the only thing they could do was apud the shameless, and thick-skinned Boar, who had broken his opponent''s fighting spirit, before the battle even started.

 Chapter 257 Cai’s Late Night Expedition

    Chapter 257 Cai��s Late Night Expedition


    The night after the Semifinal Matches ended��


    A foot-tall boar sneakily made its way to the infirmary where Lux was currently resting. So far, it had evaded


    the detection of the Clerics who were busy treating the other contestants that got injured during the tournament.


    ''I''m sure that it is around here somewhere��,'' Cai thought as it slowly wandered around the hallway. ''Oh, I guess I''ll visit Little Swordy after I''ve paid My Daddy a visit.''


    After their match, Keane was taken to the intensive care unit. His soul was a bit unstable to begin with, and his fight with Cai had caused what little internal energy he had left to disperse. Even so, his life was in no danger and the High-Cleric said that he would just need a week of rest before he regained his strength.


    As the "Little Boar" made its way inside the infirmary, it came across an unusual creature standing in the middle of the hallway.


    ''What is this?'' Cai thought as it approached the jelly-like creature that was looking back at it with an UwU expression on its face.


    "Aw! How adorable!" Cai said as it looked at the baby Slime who looked back up to it with a smile on its face. "Hello, little one."


    "Hello!" Eiko returned Cai''s greeting.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Eiko!"


    "That''s a very cute name," Caimented before lightly patting the baby Slime''s head with its hoof, making thetter giggle.


    Cai had seen many kinds of Slimes since it belonged to a Nomadic Tribe that migrated on a seasonal basis. At first look, Eiko looked like an ordinary blue slime, but Cai could tell that she wasn''t like any of the Slimes it had met in the past.


    "Um, do you happen to know where My Daddy''s room is?" Cai asked.


    "Pa?" Eiko tilted her head to the side.


    "Not Pa. My Daddy."


    "No." Eiko shook her head. "My Daddy!"


    "Eh? We''re not talking about Your Daddy," Cai replied. "We''re talking about My Daddy."


    "Pa!"


    "Like I said, not Pa. My Daddy."


    The Little Boar and the Baby Slime exchanged words for a bit, but after realizing that the conversation was going nowhere. Cai decided to check the room that Eiko seemed to be guarding.


    Seeing that the Little Boar was nning to enter the room, Eiko moved to block its way with a disgruntled look on her face.


    "No!" Eiko said as she stood between Cai and the door.


    "Um, I''m just going to take a peek." Cai looked down on the baby Slime who seemed to be hell-bent to prevent anyone from entering the room.


    "No."


    "I''m just going to check who is resting inside. I told you didn''t I? I''m looking for My Daddy."


    "Not your Daddy!" Eiko stated. "My Daddy!"


    "Right, I''m looking for My Daddy."


    "No! My Daddy!"


    "... Um, I believe we already had this discussion a while back," Cai said with a sigh as it looked at the unmoving baby Slime that was ring at it. "Fine. I''ll go check other rooms. See youter, Eiko."


    "Bye bye," Eiko no longer red at Cai as she watched it leave peacefully. She resumed her duty of guarding "Her Daddy''s" room, preventing anyone from sneaking past her.


    Inside the room, Iris and Vera were looking after the recovering Lux, who was in deep sleep. The side effects of the ck Lightning that held the power of the Abyss was no joking matter. Despite Lux''s strong constitution, the damage he received during his fight with Nero had taken a toll on his body.


    There was even a possibility that he wouldn''t be able to wake up until a few dayster, ording to the High-Cleric''s words.


    "Grandma, tomorrow is the Final Match," Iris said as she caressed the side of Lux''s face. "Will he wake up by then?"


    Vera, who was looking at the door, didn''t answer right away. She had sensed that someone had approached Eiko outside the door and was chatting with the baby Slime.


    The room where they were at was a private room, and no one, other than the Clerics assigned to Lux, were allowed to enter this part of the Infirmary. After making sure that her great-granddaughter wasn''t in any trouble, she shifted her attention back to the worried Iris, who was busy caressing the side of Lux''s face.


    "I don''t know if he''ll wake up tomorrow," Vera replied. "But, I''d like to believe that he will."


    "Grandma, how about we turn Cai into pork stew? If we do it right now, no one will notice."


    "Hahaha. That will be a bit troublesome. Aren''t the two of you close friends? Besides, it will be too suspicious if the contestant that is going to fight in the Final Match suddenly disappears before the match starts."


    Iris chuckled as she thought of the shameless Boar who had entered the Tournament without telling her.


    In truth, the blue-haired beauty had a nagging feeling that Cai only joined the tournament because of the decree that her father had made. She had briefly mentioned this matter to Cai when she visited the Rowan Tribe to participate in their Annual Festival, where she danced one of their folk songs.


    Clearly, the Boar wanted to help Iris and prevent her from getting married to someone she didn''t like. This was why the Boar had traveled all the way from its Nomadic Tribe to Barbatos Academy to join the Lionheart Tournament.


    "Now that I think about it, Gerhart might have been forced by Cai to join this tournament as well," Iris smiled because she knew what kind of attitude her close friend had.


    Cai was the type of person who wouldn''t hesitate to use foul means, whether it was bribery or ckmail to get what it wanted.


    "The Rowan Tribe and the Elswyth Kingdom might have started a diplomatic dialogue with each other in regards to the incident in the tournament." Vera nodded her head in agreement. "I just hope they settled it peacefully in the end."


    Iris sighed for the second time as she looked at her beloved step-brother who had gotten injured for her sake.


    "Any news from Wildgarde Stronghold?" Iris asked after a few minutes had passed. "I''m sure that they are still reeling from the shock after discovering how strong Brother is."


    This time, it was Vera''s turn to chuckle.


    After the tournament, Gilbert, Natasha, and Rainer came to find her to ask her what was going on. The only thing that Vera told them was that Lux was cured by a mysterious medicine man and had undergone physical therapy under his tutge.


    Although they were quite doubtful of her story, they didn''t pry any further and just epted the fact that the Half-Elf, who had repeatedly failed to enter Elysium for the past four years of his life, had now defeated Nero, who was the youngest prodigy that belonged to their faction.


    "Go and rest, Iris," Vera said as she lightly brushed her granddaughter''s hair. "I''ll look after Lux to ensure that nothing will happen to him."


    "...Un." Iris nodded before lowering her head to give Lux''s left cheek a kiss.


    A minuteter, she left the room to rest. She knew that even if she were to stay, it wouldn''t change anything, so, for the time being, she decided to follow her grandma''s advice and rest.


    "Ma!" Eiko greeted Iris as soon as thetter exited the door.


    The youngdy picked up the baby Slime and patted her head.


    "Good Job in guarding your Papa''s room," Iris said softly. "Did anyone suspicious appear?"


    Eiko shook her head. For her, Cai wasn''t someone suspicious because she had seen the Boar apany her Papa throughout the duration of the tournament.


    "Good." Iris smiled. "Grandma is going to watch over your Papa for a while. We will go back to our room to sleep and watch him fight in the tournament tomorrow."


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded.


    In truth, Eiko wanted to fight alongside Lux during the tournament, but because Lux had to hide his identity, she was told to stay with Iris in order to prevent anyone from discovering who My Daddy really was.


    Five minutes after Iris and Eiko left the room, Cai once again returned to the hallway. It had already checked all the rooms in the infirmary except for the one that Eiko was guarding.


    Because of this, the Boar was confident that My Daddy was resting in thest room that she still hadn''t checked.


    It had even visited Little Swordy''s room earlier to check on his condition. The Boar was even kind enough to cover the skinny teenager with a nket, tucking him properly, to ensure that he had afortable sleep before leaving.


    When the Boar saw that the baby Slime was no longer guarding the door, it breathed a sigh of relief before sneakily making its way towards it.


    When it arrived at its destination, it ced its hoof on the door, and activated an unlocking spell that allowed it to enter any ce even though it was locked using Physical and Magical means.


    The moment Cai opened the door, it came face to face with an olddy who was looking down on it with a calm expression on her face.


    Vera had her hands behind her back, as she stared at thete-night-visitor that had decided to pay her grandson a visit.


    Just a nce was enough to tell Cai that the person in front of it was a Ranker, making its baby fats tremble.


    "Um�� sorry, wrong room," Cai said as it gave the olddy a forced smile before making a hasty retreat with its tail tucked between its legs.


    The Boar had a feeling that if it stayed a second longer inside the room, the olddy would slice it to pieces, and add it to the infirmary''s menu when morning came.

 Chapter ?258 Eriol’s Condition

    Chapter ?258 Eriol��s Condition


    "You''vee so far, Lux. I am proud of your achievements. As expected of the person that Max chose for his Heaven''s Gate Project."


    "If you really feel that way, can you just treat the corruption of the Abyss inside me, so I can fight to my fullest tomorrow."


    Eriol chuckled after hearing Lux''s request. Right now, the two of them were talking in Eriol''s God Domain.


    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself in what seems to be an elegant garden located on a floating ind.


    At the center of it was a small gazebo, where a young boy with short, dark-blue hair, and gray eyes, who seemed to be only around the age of ten, sat.


    Lux naturally knew he was because it was the same person that had yed a major role in allowing him to take that first step to realize his goal.


    It was none other than the God of Games, Eriol.


    "I can''t do that, you know," Eriol said in a teasing tone as he moved a pawn forward. "As a God, I must be impartial."


    "Impartial my foot," Lux grumpily replied as he moved the knight to make an offensive move. "I''m just asking for my Abyss Corruption to be treated. It''s not like I''m asking you to help me win my match in the next few hours."


    The two had been ying chess for several hours already, but out of the ten games they yed, Lux hadn''t even won once.


    "I can''t heal your injuries because that will be breaking the rules," Eriol stated as he moved his Queen right in front of Lux''s King. "People think that Gods are omnipotent, but there are things that even we cannot do, like saving a dying world. Okay, checkmate."


    Lux sighed as he looked at the chessboard looking for a way out. Seeing that there was none, he leaned back and scratched his head in frustration.


    Eriol chuckled after seeing the frustrated look on the Half-Elf''s face, making thetter re at him hatefully.


    "Let''s put aside the Abyss Corruption talks for now," Eriol said. "Can you tell me what your short term goals are for the time being?"


    "Short term goals?" Lux crossed his arms over his chest. "I''ve been too busy thinking about the tournament, that I shut out anything else from my mind. You can even say that my short term goal is winning the tournament. After that I will return to Elysium and continue my journey."


    "I see��" Eriol smiled as he eyed the red-headed teenager in front of him that was quite different from the one he had met several months ago.


    The Lux back then was on the verge of giving up, but now, he was filled with determination in winning the tournament and going to Elysium to continue his adventure.


    "Say, Lux, after this tournament, Gilbert and the Elders of the Wildgarde Stronghold will definitely change their opinion about you," Eriol stated. "There is a chance that you will join the Storm Dragon Guild and be Nero''s subordinate after the tournament ends."


    Lux vehemently shook his head. "No way. I don''t n on bing Nero''s subordinate. The reason why I joined the tournament was to beat him and��"


    "And you did it splendidly. But, this tournament is just a turning point in your life. After this, you will be ced in the spotlight and would be forced to take on some responsibilities, befitting of your achievements. That''s not so bad, right?"


    "Indeed. That ain''t so bad."


    Eriol smirked and gave Lux a knowing nce.


    "However, the power of a single individual is not enough to save the world, Lux," Eriolmented. "If it were that easy, Max wouldn''t have taken a gamble and founded the Heaven''s Gate Project with me, alongside another God.


    "The three of us formed the Trinity that bound Sis and Elysium together. Since Max is currently recuperating and out of the picture, only two Gods carry the sky over our shoulders and are preventing it from copsing."


    Eriol paused as he lifted the Pawn Chess Piece before looking at the Half-Elf in front of him.


    "Because we are busy trying to ensure that Sis won''t copse in a short period of time, our hands are tied," Eriol exined. "This is why we need Pawns, like you, to be our foot soldiers in the fight to save Sis, by finding the solution in Elysium."


    "Being called a pawn right in front of my face hurts a bit, you know?" Lux smiled bitterly. "Can''t you sugarcoat it a bit to make it less depressing?"


    "This is why we decided to choose a handsome, and dependable guy, like you, to help us save a dying world from destruction."


    "That''s much better."


    Lux smiled as he nodded his head in satisfaction, making Eriol look at him in disdain.


    "There is a question I''ve been meaning to ask you guys for a while now," Lux stared at the God of Games with a serious expression on his face. "Why don''t you choose more people to participate in the Heaven''s Gate Project? To be honest, I don''t think I am able to handle this responsibility alone."


    Eriol shook his head after hearing Lux''s words. "It''s not that we didn''t want to add more people, it''s because we can''t. The more people we bring into this world, the faster its death progresses. Also, having more people doesn''t necessarily mean that it will be better. If by chance, the people we summoned were to onlyplicate things, rather than fixing them, then they would just make things worse."


    "Yes�� just like the Hundred-Year-War. A war that was brought by the very same people whom we thought would save the world."


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock after hearing Eriol''s words. If he were to interpret God''s words correctly, it meant that they had already summoned people in the past, but they failed to meet the Gods'' expectations.


    "There are other people aside from me?" Lux asked. "Where are they now?"


    "Dead is what I''d like to say, but in reality it''s different," Eriol replied with a sigh. "When they first arrived, things were fine at the beginning. However, since they were given the so-called ''cheats'', they abused their powers and started to make others submit to them. Those who refused would be subjugated by force, which had sparked the Hundred-Year-War in Sis.


    "It also advanced the progress of the death of the world, which forced me to bind Elysium to it, in an attempt to slow the progress of its destruction."


    Lux didn''t interrupt Eriol''s exnation and listened to it with full concentration. ording to the God of Games, Sis was on the verge of bing a dying world after the Hundred-Year-War took ce, plunging the entire world into chaos.


    Out of the twelve people that were summoned and were responsible for instigating the war, nine died, while three remained. These three tried to reverse the situation, but still failed in the end.


    As ast resort, the world under Eriol''s control, Elysium, bound itself to Sis, allowing thetter to get a breather.


    The three people that remained had gone to Elysium in order to recuperate and regain their powers.


    But, one of those three people had fallen prey to something that she had identally summoned to Elysium, and that was none other than the Abyssal Creatures.


    They were the alien-like Monsters whose sole mission was to cause destruction to the world. Fortunately, after Sis and Elysium merged, the warriors of both worlds worked together to repel the Abyssal Armies, forcing them to return to the Abyss where they belonged.


    However, since the pathway to the Abyss had already been opened, Abyssal Monsters would appear in Elysium from time to time, spreading havoc wherever they went.


    "Although the Abyssal Corruption is a pain to deal with, most of the time, it doesn''t lead to deaths when treated immediately,," Eriol stated. "But, those afflicted by it must rest for several days to fully recover. That is the only way to deal with the abyssal dregs that are still inside your body. So, just rest for now, okay?"


    "You already know that I can''t do that, right?" Lux shrugged. "If I don''t fight in a few hours, Iris will be forced to marry someone she doesn''t want to marry. I don''t want that to happen, so I need to find a way to regain consciousness."


    Eriol wagged his finger at Lux and gave him a mischievous smile. "If it''s just regaining consciousness, I can do that. However, even if you regain your consciousness, the exhaustion your body feels will make you so drowsy that the moment you close your eyes, you will be off to Dreand."


    Lux blinked once then twice as he gazed at the God of Games, who had a yful smile on his face.


    "Can you make me regain consciousness?" Lux asked.


    "Of course, but I doubt that you will be able to stay awake for long," Eriol replied. "But, doing this feels like cheating. So, you''ll have to do something for me when you return to Elysium."


    "I knew it," Luxmented with a fed up look on his face. "There''s no free lunch in this world."


    "Exactly."


    "So, what is it that you want me to do for you? As long as I am able to fight tomorrow''s match, even for a brief moment, I will do as you say."


    Eriol chuckled after hearing Lux''s fed up statement.


    "Since we already have an agreement I need you to do two things for me," Eriol said. "The first thing that you need to do is��"

 Chapter 259 Without Both Of You, My World Is Just Filled With Darkness

    Chapter 259 Without Both Of You, My World Is Just Filled With Darkness


    An hour before sunrise, Lux slowly opened his eyes. After finding himself in an unfamiliar room, his gazended on the olddy that was resting on a chair beside him.


    "Grandma," Lux muttered.


    Vera, who was half-asleep, and half-awake, opened her eyes to look at her Grandson.


    "Good morning, Lux," Vera said before cing her hand over the Half-Elf''s forehead, and neck. "It seems that you have developed the Abyss Fever. You should rest for a while longer."


    Lux shook his head. "Grandma, if I close my eyes now to sleep, I will sleep for a long time. Please, help me stand up."


    Vera frowned but after seeing Lux''s determined gaze, she had no choice but to help him stand up.


    "What are you nning to do?" Vera inquired. "In your current state, it will be hard for you to fight in the tournament."


    "It''s fine, Grandma," Lux answered. "I can do it. I will win for sure."


    "Maybe Iris is right. I should have cooked pork stewst night."


    "Pork stew? That sounds delicious. Let''s eat it with Iris after I win the tournament."


    Vera shook her head helplessly and gave her grandson a bitter smile. Seeing that the red-headed teenager had no intention of backing down, the olddy made a few hand seals, and summoned a wooden doll to carry Lux in a princess carry.


    "This brings back memories, Grandma," Lux said softly as he allowed himself to be carried by the wooden doll. "Back then, Woody would pick me up whenever I fainted. It was like yesterday��"


    Lux looked up at the wooden doll with nostalgia. He had many sad, yet fond memories, with the doll he had nicknamed Woody, who had been one of his guardians while he was growing up.


    "Now, you''re already so big and strong," Veramented as she walked beside the wooden doll in the hallway of the infirmary. "Perhaps this will be thest time that Woody will carry you like this."


    "I hope so," Lux chuckled. "It has been a while since I felt this helpless."


    The two then walked in silence for several minutes until they reached the Coliseum. When the wooden doll stepped on the arena, it was still dark.


    In truth, Lux was doing his best to fight off sleep because he knew that the moment he closed his eyes to rest for a bit, he would fall into deep sleep, unable to wake up for several days. By then, the tournament would be over, making him lose by default in the Final Match.


    Eriol told him that if he didn''t wake up now, he wouldn''t be waking up anytime soon because his body was truly exhausted and needed to rest badly. However, since he made a deal with Lux, he had forcefully awakened his consciousness, to make him open his eyes a few hours before the match began.


    "Thank you, Grandma."


    "Mmm."


    Vera stared at his grandson long and hard before sighing. She knew that the Half-Elf would not back down once he had made a decision, and as his grandma, she wanted to support him as well.


    "At least, drink this," Vera said as he gave Lux a vial with a purple serum inside it. "This will help with the Abyss Fever. You need to drink it every four hours."


    Lux obediently drank the Serum, which made him feel sofortable that he almost fell asleep then and there. Fortunately, he managed to catch himself just in time and gave himself a pinch on the waist, waking him up instantly.


    Seeing his antics, Vera couldn''t help but chuckle. It reminded her of the days when Lux was still young and did silly things around the house.


    "You''vee so far, Lux," Vera stated. "Just hang on for a little while longer."


    "I know, Grandma," Lux replied. "How many hours are left before the match begins?"


    "Mmm�� around three to five more hours."


    "That long?"


    Lux yawned before rubbing his eyes. He really wanted to sleep so badly, but doing so would just waste everything that he had aplished.


    "I wish morning woulde faster," Luxined. "Waiting will tire me out."


    "That''s just how it is." Vera patted her grandson''s shoulders before summoning a nket to cover his fever-infested body. "A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."


    Lux allowed himself to be pampered by his Grandma because it had truly been a while since Vera had tucked him in for the night.


    "Grandma, when was thest time we watched the sunrise together?" Lux inquired when Vera had finished wrapping him up with the nket.


    "More than a year ago if I remember correctly," Vera answered. "You were too busy with your training, and when you gained the opportunity to go to Elysium, you just stayed home for a few days before going back."


    Lux remained silent because his grandma was right. After he gained ess to Elysium, he would go back for only a few days before returning. He didn''t have the opportunity to do things with his grandma, like watching the sunrise like they did more than a year ago.


    "I''m sorry, Grandma," Lux said softly. "I have been too busy as ofte. One of these days, let''s take Eiko and Iris to have a pic somewhere together."


    "Sounds good," Veramented. "It has been a while since we went to a pic together."


    Lux gazed at the sky which was still dark. Vera, on the other hand, waved her hand, from time to time, sending a silvery string across the opposing ends of the Coliseum. This continued for a few minutes before Woody suddenly started to walk towards the olddy who seemed to have finished her preparations.


    A momentter, she, along with the wooden doll carrying Lux, slowly floated towards the sky. At least, this was what those who were observing the two would think.


    Lux, on the other hand, knew what was going on. Vera''s ability was simr to Vall, whom he had fought. Both of them had the ability to conjure and manipte strings.


    A minuteter, the two hovered above the Coliseum, while looking at the East, where the sky was slowly brightening.


    "Lux, I don''t really care even if we don''t view the sunrise together like we did when you were younger," Vera said firmly. "What I care about is that you keep yourself safe and return to me on a regr basis. For me, you and Iris are the sun in my life. Without both of you, my world is just filled with darkness, never hoping to see a sunrise ever again."


    Lux smiled before nodding his head in understanding.


    "I understand, Grandma," Lux replied. "I will do my best to survive both in Elysium and Sis."


    "You do that," Vera said as she continued to gaze at the East. "We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness."


    As soon as Vera finished talking, the first rays of the sun peeked beyond the horizon, bathing the world with the promise of a new day.


    Lux sighed as he pulled the nkets closer to him. A new day has finally begun, and the Final Match that would decide his step-sister''s fate, was only a few hours away.


    He just hoped that, when it was time for the match to officially start, he would still be awake, so he could fulfill the promise he made in his heart.


    This would allow the beautiful blue-haireddy, who was hailed as the Princess of Barbatos Academy, to regain her freedom, and live her life the way she wanted to live it, without being used as a political tool by her father.

 Chapter ?260 I Too Have Someone I Have To Protect!

    Chapter ?260 I Too Have Someone I Have To Protect!


    "Oh, isn''t that�� My Daddy?"


    "It is, My Daddy."


    "Is he too excited to fight that he''s already here before the Coliseum has already opened?"


    "Well, it doesn''t matter. We know that this Final Match is just for formalities. There is no way that Cai will be able to defeat him."


    "Yes. That Boar just got lucky he was able to enter the Final Match."


    "Luck? That may be true, but since Cai already got this far by luck, wouldn''t it be lucky this time around as well?"


    "Hahaha. That''s impossible, right?"


    As the people entered the Coliseum to watch the Final Match of the Lionheart Tournament, Lux leaned on Orion''s chest, while sitting on his left hand.


    His Grandma Vera had just left a few minutes before the gates of the Coliseum were opened to allow the people to enter. Although she was very worried about Lux, there was nothing more she could do because this battle was not hers, but her grandson''s.


    "We''vee this far, Orion," Lux said softly while he used the Kaizer Breathing Technique that Vera had taught him long ago to keep himself awake. "Just one more fight and we can rest for a few days."


    "Mmm." Orion nodded as he held Lux as if he was a precious object that would shatter at the faintest touch.


    Lux sighed. "It''s fine for me to go all out, right?"


    "Yes," Orion replied.


    "I wish they would just hurry up with the preparations," Luxined. "Staying awake really hurts."


    Lux could no longer feel his legs, and arms as if they had be numb. Every minute that passed brought him closer to falling into a deep sleep, and only his undying determination barely kept him awake.


    A few minutester, Judge Dredd walked up to the arena and headed towards Lux to do some small talk.


    "I thought that you would not be here today," Judge Dredd said with a solemn look on his face. "Thank you foring."


    He could tell that Lux was barely hanging on, and admired his tenacity. Any injury regarding an Abyssal Power would require a few days of rest to fully recover. However, Judge Dredd knew that Lux knew what was at stake, so he refused to just close his eyes and let it end in this manner.


    "Judge Dredd, I have a question in regards to the rules of the tournament," Lux stated. "Is it possible to continue the match even if��"


    Judge Dredd listened to Lux''s words with a serious expression. A momentter, he gave him the answer he was looking for.


    "It''s in the gray area," Judge Dredd replied. "But, since I am the Judge of this tournament, I will allow it."


    "Thank you," Lux sighed in relief.


    For a brief moment, he almost fell asleep then and there due to the relief he felt. Pinching himself would no longer do any good because he could no longer move his hands. Also, even if he did, the numbness in his body would prevent any feeling of pain.


    "When will the match start?"


    "It will start in less than an hour. Will you be able to hold on until then?"


    "I will."


    Lux didn''t even mention the word, I will try, because he didn''t want to try. He would do it no matter what it took.


    Every second that passed felt like hours��


    Every minute that passed felt like days��


    Finally, when the Coliseum was filled to the brim, and the guests of honors had all arrived, Bruno raised his hand to signal Judge Dredd that the Final Match could start.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, today is the day when history will be made," Judge Dredd announced. "Today, two warriors among tens of thousands will stand here before you to fight in the Final Match of the Lionheart Tournament!"


    The crowds cheered as Judge Dredd hyped the Final Match that would bring an end to the tournament.


    Gilmore Faisal, one of the Four Kings that remained to watch the rest of the tournament, stood on the viewing tform reserved for the contestants with his arms crossed over his chest. His gaze was locked on the Half-Elf whose head was bobbing up and down, as he desperately tried to stay awake.


    A momentter, he heard the sound of wheels rolling behind him, but he didn''t turn his head to look. There was no need to do it because there was only one person who would dare to approach him in the spot where he stood.


    "I thought you''ll be sleeping for a while longer," Gilmore said without even looking at the brown-haired teenager who was sitting in a wooden wheelchair.


    "How can I possibly sleep at this point in time?" Nero answered. "I want to see the ending of this tournament with my own eyes."


    Nero had asked one of the Clerics in the infirmary to bring him to the Coliseum to watch the final match. Although the Cleric was reluctant, he still agreed to Nero''s request and took him to the viewing tform to watch the final battle unfold.


    "Who do you think will win?" Gilbert asked.


    "You and I both know the answer to that question." Nero snorted. "He will win even if it''s thest thing he did."


    Gilbert nodded. "True."


    The two then stopped talking and just focused their attention on the arena. They knew that the Half-Elf would try to end this battle as quickly as he could due to his condition.


    "Let me introduce the contestants for the final match!" Judge Dredd shouted. "On the right corner and sitting on his Rock Golem is none other than the one, and only, My Daddy!"


    "Hey�� It''s Lux," Lux grumbled. "Get it right, Old Man."


    The crowd gave a thunderous apuse and chanted Lux''s alias, which made him feel helpless.


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    """My Daddy!"""


    It seemed that regardless of what he said, the People would always refer to him as "My Daddy" from this point onwards, which made the Half-Elf think that his future prospects were dim.


    "And now, our next finalist is someone that you, me, and everyone else didn''t expect to be here!" Judge Dredd shouted. "I don''t want to say that he reached this point in the tournament due to Luck, because Luck is also part of someone''s strength.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, please wee, the one and only�� Cai!"


    The spotlights all focused on a Boar who walked towards the arena with arrogance. Although they wouldn''t admit it, everyone had be fond of the Boar whom they treated as the mascot of the tournament.


    The shouts, cheers, and apuse given to Cai was louderpared to the one given to Lux.


    """Cai!"""


    """Cai!"""


    """Cai!"""


    """Cai!"""


    """Cai!"""


    After Cai stepped on the arena it eyed Lux with all the smugness that it could muster.


    "I apud you foring this far, My Daddy," Cai said. "I didn''t make a mistake when I invited you to join my secret organization which is called the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I expect great things from you. Um, I still have many things to say, so let me just take out this scroll I prepared beforehand��"


    Cai unrolled a scroll that rolled up to the edge of the arena. Every part of it had words written on it which made the corner of Judge Dredd''s lips twitch, and Lux almost coughing a mouthful of blood.


    The Half-Elf knew that if he allowed Cai to read the scroll he had prepared, he would definitely fall asleep half-way through it so he decided to take drastic measures.


    "Judge Dredd, let''s start this battle," Lux pleaded.


    "Okay," Judge Dredd replied. There was simply no way he would allow Cai to finish reading such a long speech and immediately raised his hand to catch everyone''s attention.


    "Since both fighters are now ready, I, the referee of this match��"


    "Oi! I''m still not finished with my speeeeeeeeeech!"


    "Hereby dere the start of this battle. Battle Start!"


    As soon as the signal to start the battle was given, Orion rushed towards Cai and smashed his fist towards the boar in order to end the match as soon as possible.


    "First Gear, Immovable Mountain."


    A resounding p reverberated in the surroundings as Orion''s fist, met with Cai''s tusk, stopping the Rock Golem''s blowpletely.


    Cai''s hooves crushed the ground underneath its feet, but it was mostly unharmed as its size increased to four meters tall.


    "I know that everyone doesn''t have a high opinion of me," Cai said as it raised its tusk to repel the Rock Golem''s fist. "They think that I will lose as soon as the fight starts."


    Cai then eyed the Half-Elf that was sitting on the Rock Golem''s left hand with determination.


    "But, just like everyone else who joined this tournament, I too have a goal," Cai dered. "I too have someone I have to protect! Even if I face an opponent stronger than me, I will not yield! I will fight, and stand my ground! My Dad�� no. Lux Von Kaizer, even if you are a member of my secret organization I will not show you any mercy."


    The color of the Boar''s fur suddenly changed from light-brown to ck, with golden streaks forming lightning patterns on both sides of its body. Several sharp spikes protruded on its back making it look more fearsome and intimidating.


    "Second Gear," Cai said as steam oozed out of its nose. "Hildisv��ni!"


    Judge Dredd who was standing not far away from the two gazed at Cai that had undergone a transformation.


    "Rank 4 Mutated Field Boss, Hildivisni," Judge Dredd muttered. "Looks like this Final Match will not end the way everyone thought it was supposed to end."


    A mighty roar spread across the arena as Cai finished its transformation.


    "Come, Lux," Cai stated. "Let''s rumble!"

 Chapter ?261 Souls That Burned Brightly [Part 1]

    Chapter ?261 Souls That Burned Brightly [Part 1]


    "Wow! What an unexpected turn!" adymentator who went by the name, Violet, said with excitement.


    She had been personally invited by Bruno to be thementator for the final match, but due to the fact that they feared the battle would be over in an instant, she was ced on standby.


    Now that something unexpected happened, Bruno had given her the signal to do her job and hype the crowd that was watching the Final Match of the Lionheart Tournament.


    "All of us thought that this will be an instant victory for Lux�� I mean, My Daddy, but lo and behold, Cai has given us an unexpected surprise! Now, let''s see what My Daddy will do to counter this change in the flow of battle!"


    Lux stared at the four-meter tall Boar, who had taken an entirely different form from the one he was used to seeing.


    Cai now looked more ferocious and intimidating like never before and the presence it radiated was that of a Rank 4 Field Monster that was capable of annihting an entire adventurer partyposed of Grade A Apostles if they were not careful with their approach.


    "I know that you''re still suffering from the bacsh against your fight against Nero, but I will not show you any mercy," Cai dered. "Surrender now or face my might!"


    Instead of answering, Lux summoned another Rock Golem by his side.


    Orion, who was holding Lux, gently passed the Half-Elf to the other Rock Golem so he could fight against Cai with all of its strength.


    When it came to individual strength, Orion was the strongest unit under Lux''smand, if we were talking about pure raw power.


    However, even the rock golem''s strength was not enough to contend against a Mutated Rank 4 Field Monster alone.


    With a resounding roar, Orion charged towards the Spiked Boar, who just snorted and charged at the Golem who dared to challenge its might.


    Once again, Orion''s hard fist collided with Cai''s tusk, but this time, Orion was pushed back after exchanging blows with Cai.


    It was clear for everyone to see that the Boar had surpassed the Golem in strength, and used it to its advantage.


    "Giga m!" Cai roared as he smashed his tusk into Orion''s body, sending the Rock Golem skidding a few meters away.


    In response, Orion smashed the ground, creating Earth Spikes to jut off the ground, but Cai held his ground.


    The Earth Spikes tried to pierce through Cai''s tough fur, but it was of no use.


    The form that Cai had taken was the Field Boss, Hildisv��ni.


    It was a monster that had a tough exterior, allowing it to shrug off most attacks below the Initiate Rank. Since the Rock Golem wasn''t of the Initiate Rank, and neither was Lux, Cai was confident that it could beat them even if Lux were to summon two more Orions to fight it.


    "Did you see that?!" Violet eximed. "I''ve fought against Hildisvini once back when I was still starting in Elysium, and I can tell you that even two parties of Rank A Apostles wouldn''t be able to beat it easily.


    "When our guild fought against it, we needed at least a hundred-men party to fight the Field Monster before we managed to bring it down. However, during that battle, more than half of us were grievously injured, which proved just how strong this Boar-Type monster is!"


    Cai roared as it once again charged, only this time, it ignored Orion and headed straight for the Half-Elf, who was currently being protected by the second Rock Golem under hismand.


    However, before he could even arrive a dozen meters away from its target, Cai''s body swerved all of a sudden as its charge changed direction. Instead of the Half-Elf, it was now headed towards Orion whose rocky hands were faintly glowing.


    "Gaia Smash!" Orion used his strongest skill in order to blow the Boar, who tried to attack its Master, away and give it a good beating.


    Unfortunately for him, Cai was not a pushover that everyone originally thought it would be.


    "You''re so annoying!" Cai roared as it also used one of its strongest skills in order to teach the Rock Golem a lesson. "Giga Impact!"


    A resounding p spread across the arena as the two attacks met. A momentter, Orion''s arm exploded into rocky bits as Cai''s attack continued its trajectory, smashing into the Rock Golem''s chest.


    With a triumphant Roar, Cai smashed the rock golem in half. But it didn''t stop there.


    "Grand m!" Cai raised both of its hooves at the same time and mmed it towards Orion''s upper body, smashing it into pieces.


    Everyone who was watching the battle cheered for they never expected Cai to be this strong. Even Judge Dredd, Bruno, and to a certain extent, Violet, couldn''t believe that the Boar had hidden this Trump Card for so long.


    "It''s over," Gilbert, who was watching from the contestants tform, said. "Lux is going to lose."


    His words carried a tone of finality, which even Nero couldn''t refute.


    The brown-haired boy, who hated Lux with vengeance, simply stared at the Half-Elf who had lost its subordinate and was left with no choice but to face Cai alone.


    "Mumumumu!" Eiko, who was perched on Iris'' head, gritted her teeth. In truth, she badly wanted to enter the arena to help Lux fight his opponent, but Vera had told her not to do it.


    Eiko was Lux''s Beast Companion, so by rights, she had the qualifications to aid Lux in battle. However, the Half-Elf had told the baby Slime that under no circumstances must she interfere with his battle because this was something he wanted to do on his own.


    "I''ll tell you onest time. Surrender!" Cai shouted as it red at the Half-Elf who was being protected by the Rock Golem.


    "No," Lux replied. "If you want to win then you have to beat me thoroughly first."


    "So be it," Caimented. "I gave you plenty of chances to surrender. Let''s end this!"


    Cai stomped its foot on the ground and charged towards Lux with steaming out of its body.


    "Grand Charge!"


    The Rock Golem pulled its arm back then smashed its fist towards the Boar who was only a few meters away from it. However, before doing so, it tossed Lux to the air, to prevent him from getting hurt from the collision.


    A loud sound of a boulder being smashed to pieces spread in the arena, as Caipletely obliterated the Rock Golem with a single strike.


    It then looked up at the Half-Elf who was falling from the sky, and prepared to swat him away like a bug to end the battle.


    The Sorcerer, Garric, who was charged with preventing anyone from dying in the tournament, was paying very close attention to the falling Half-Elf. If he deemed that Lux''s life was in danger, he would not hesitate to teleport him away, even if the red-headed teenager would hate him for life.


    When the Half-Elf was only dozens of meters away from the ground, a pair of strong, and chubby arms caught him mid-air, preventing him from falling.


    Pazuzu, Lux''s Demonic Defender had made his appearance to answer his Master''s call to fight.


    "W-What is happening?!" Violet stuttered after seeing the Demonic Defender''s face, who was scary enough to make children cry if they saw him. "Did someone suddenly interfere with the match?"


    Bruno, who was seated beside her, shook his head.


    "That is a summon," Bruno stated. "It is a creature Lux summoned just now to aid him in battle."


    Cai snorted before it crouched down, aiming its spikes towards the flying Demonic Defender who was holding the person that it wanted to defeat.


    "Fury Attack!"


    A barrage of sharp spikes flew towards the direction of the Demonic Defender with the intention of blowing holes on its body. Cai knew that this was its opponent''sst hurrah, so it decided to end the battle without holding back.


    Before the sharp spikes were to even touch Pazuzu''s body, a blue Tower Shield appeared in front of it, and blocked the iing projectiles that were about to hit his body.


    Several secondster, the Blue Tower shield started to crack, which showed just how powerful Cai''s attack was.


    Fortunately, only after thest sharp spike collided with his shield did the blue Tower Shield shatterpletely.


    Cai smirked because it could already smell its victory. But just as it was about to attack again, a ringing sound simr to two metal weapons shing against each other reverberated in the arena.


    "Huh?" Cai nced to its side and saw several Skeleton Fighters, who were wearing armor attacking the side of its body.


    A momentter, several arrows descended from the sky, creating clinking sounds, as they bounced off Cai''s tough exterior.


    "T-This��" Violet''s eyes widened in shock when she saw another unexpected scene inside the arena.


    Thirty five Skeleton Fighters, thirty Skeleton Grand Archers, and a Skeletal Rider, who was riding on top of a Nightmare made its appearance in the arena.


    Lux had finally decided to use his full powers to fight his opponent, which made everyone, who was fooled into thinking that he was a Summoner, finally realize what his true profession was.


    "Necromancer," the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy, Alexander, muttered as he looked at the skeletons that Lux had summoned to fight for him.


    He then shifted his gaze towards his mother, who was seated beside Iris. Alexander had paid close attention to Lux for the past sixteen years of his life, and never once did he find out that his mother''s adoptive grandson was hiding this kind of secret.


    Sensing his gaze, Vera gazed back at him with a mischievous smile. Although she knew that Lux''s opponent was very strong, her faith never wavered.


    In her eyes, her grandson was the best, and she looked forward to how the Half-Elf, who was barely able to keep his eyes open, would fight against his opponent whose strength far surpassed the creatures under hismand.

 Chapter 262 Souls That Burned Brightly [Part 2]

    Chapter 262 Souls That Burned Brightly [Part 2]


    "A Necromancer?" Cai narrowed its eyes as it gazed at the group of Skeleton Fighters that were attacking its tough hide with their steel swords.


    Due to its tough fur, the Skeleton fighters'' attacks were at most tickling Cai''s body, making the Boar snort in contempt. With a simple swipe of its tusks, the skeletons around him were sent flying, losing a third of their lives in the process.


    "Is this all you got?" Cai asked. "I can do this all day."


    Lux didn''t answer Cai''s taunt and simply used his skills to buff his Skeleton fighters.


    "Improved Jade Body."


    "Barbed Bones."


    "Undying Fervor."


    "Decaying Touch."


    ��-


    When Lux upgraded his body constitution, the Immortal Dragon Conqueror Legacy, he gained several powerful skills alongside Dragon Scale and Dragon Heart, which were Undying Fervor, Corpse Explosion, and Decaying Touch.


    ��-


    Undying Fervor [EX]


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of any Undying Creature under yourmand by 100%


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Defense of any Undying Creature under yourmand by 100%


    �C Increase Health and Mana regeneration of any Undying Creature under yourmand by 100%


    ��-


    Decaying Touch [EX]


    �C Has a 20% chance to inflict Decay on your target with every strike.


    �C Has a 10% chance to inflict Weakness on your target with every strike.


    �C Has a 10% chance to inflict Disease on your target with every strike.


    Decay �C Deals 100 True Damage every 3 seconds for 12 seconds.


    Weakness - reduce your target''s Physical and Magical defense by 20%.


    Disease - decrease your target''s attack speed, movement speed, mana regeneration, health regeneration, and evasion by 20%


    �C If Disease skill is active, increase Decay''s True Damage by 200 every 3 seconds for 15 seconds.


    ��--


    After receiving Lux''s buffs, the Skeleton units under hismand turned incredibly menacing.


    The Skeletons grew barbed spikes on their bodies made up of bones. These spikes dealt 10 Piercing True Damage to anyone that attacked them.


    Although 10 damage seemed like an insignificant number, the amount would still stack up every time any of them got hit, making them very thorny opponents.


    Also, l their attacks were infused with Decaying Touch, which allowed their blows to ignore defense and deal true damage once it activated.


    Just as Cai was feeling the pricklyness of its opponents, several ice arrowsnded on its body, making it feel a chilling cold.


    Ishtar, Lux''s Skeleton Hunter, had finally arrived on the scene. Her appearance made the Boar''s life extremely more difficult because. As a Skeleton Hunter, her abilities were perfect for hunting. Slowing the prey down before going in for the kill.


    "Dammit!" Cai, who was being attacked on all sides, was starting to get angry. Although the damage that was being dealt to it was small, it didn''t change the fact that the Skeletons were quite aggressive in their attacks, targeting the Boar in ces that made it infuriated, like its eyes, ears, and nostrils.


    "You won''t beat me even with this much!" Cai shouted as it trampled, smashed, bashed, stomped, and bit the Skeletons that were attacking it on all sides, making them shatter into a pile of bones.


    However, before the Boar could feel better about its aplishments, Lux resummoned his minions again, causing Cai to roar in anger.


    Summoning his ordinary minions didn''t have any cooldown time, so it was fairly easy for Lux to continuously revive the ones that had been killed.


    As for his Named Creatures, all of them had a five-minute cooldown, but this cooldown would start the moment they were summoned. Meaning, if Diablo were to be killed after his skill finished its cooldown, the Skeleton Rider could be resummoned again for a second time without any problems.


    Seeing that there was no end to the Skeleton''s madness, Cai decided to ignore them and just focused on attacking Lux.


    The problem was that Lux was in the air, and aside from the Fury Attack, it only had one more ability that could hit targets that were out of reach. The only drawback was that this attack had a five minute cooldown time.


    Cai was reluctant to use it because the possibility of Lux evading it was high, making its Trump Card useless.


    "If you''ve got gutse down here and fight me!" Cai roared in a challenging tone.


    Lux only smiled as if he found Cai''s words funny.


    Necromancers didn''t usually engage in closebat. They would usually hide behind their Skeleton Armies and let the Skeletons do the fighting for them. The Half-Elf was an exception since he had been trained as a warrior long before he became a Necromancer, making him proficient in closebat and group warfare.


    As if ridiculing Cai''s attempt to force him to go down on the ground, two clones appeared on Pazuzu''s shoulders and sat there.


    A secondter, the number of Skeletons that Cai was fighting at the same time tripled, but this time around, three more Rock Golems joined the fray, making the Boar almost spit blood in frustration.


    "Damn it all!" Cai shouted when the Skeleton army charged at its body and hacked it with all of their might. A small hill made up of bones could be seen at the center of the arena, as the Skeleton Fighters covered the Boar''s body, while repeatedly stabbing it with their swords.


    "Don''t underestimate me!"


    A shockwave sted away all the skeletons that had piled on top of the Boar whose body had turnedpletely red.


    "Hyper st!


    A silver beam of magical energy shot out of Cai''s mouth and flew towards Pazuzu, who was hovering above the arena. The Boar had waited for the perfect opportunity to strike, while it was being gangbanged by the Skeletons that totaled to almost two hundred.


    Seeing the beam of light approaching him, Pazuzu didn''t even bother to use his shield to block. Instead, he used his skill, Mad Rush, to fly as fast as he could to evade Cai''s attack that was filled with its hate and frustration.


    The beam passed a meter away from the Demonic Defender and easily destroyed the barrier that was set up in the arena.


    Fortunately, the beam was shot upwards, so there was no danger of the audience getting hit.


    After the attack ended, the boar was once again covered by countless Skeletons that relentlessly hacked it without fear of dying.


    The glowing embers in their eyes grew in intensity, as if they were souls that burned brightly, which made Cai, who looked down on them earlier, start feeling intimidated by their dauntless attacks. Was it because they didn''t fear death?


    The clones that sat on Pazuzu''s shoulders weren''t being idle either. They used their range spells, Void Arrows, as well as Spinning des to make Cai''s life more difficult.


    Only the boar''s angry squealing reverberated in the arena as its strength, health, will, and determination slowly deteriorated.


    Nero, who was watching this battle, clenched his fist in anger. He had thought that Lux had fought against him using his full power, but the scene reflected in his eyes proved otherwise.


    Even Gilbert, who thought that the battle was as good as over, sucked in a cold breath as the Skeletons relentless attacks overwhelmed the Rank 4 Field Monster, who could only be defeated by a hundred-men team that specialized in taking down Boss Monsters.


    "I don''t know about any of you, but I certainly don''t want to be in the same arena as those Skeletons," Violetmented as Cai''s desperate squealing reached everyone''s ears. "I really hate fighting the Undead. Sometimes, it takes more than killing them to kill them permanently."


    Gilbert, Natasha, Rainer, as well as the other Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold, who hade to watch the tournament in Barbatos Academy, all had solemn expressions on their faces.


    In their eyes, Lux was simr to a Raid Team that could take down high level Dungeons in order to gain resources, as well as kill the Boss Monsters��whose materials were sought after by merchants, cksmiths, and even collectors, who would then buy them at a high price.


    They didn''t dare to think about what Lux could be if he became a Ranker in Elysium.


    A Necromancer that had be a Ranker was a terrible opponent because they could summon hundreds, and even thousands, of Undead in battle.


    The scary part was that those who died fighting them, would suddenly rise up from the dead and attack their formerrades, repeating the process over and over again.


    There were still a few famous Necromancers in Elysium, and all of them held vast swaths of territories.


    No one dared to fight them because they understood that before they could reach the Necromancer, they would have to face their Skeleton Summons, whose ferocity was far greater than the ferocity that Lux''s skeletons were exuding right now.

 Chapter ?263 Glory He So Rightfully Deserved

    Chapter ?263 Glory He So Rightfully Deserved


    Cai annoyance had long surpassed its limit. If in the past, it only felt tickled when it was being hacked by the Skeletons or pelted by their arrows, now, it was suffering for real.


    The buffs Lux activated had turned his Skeletons into very thorny and nasty opponents, inflicting true damage, decay, and other status debuffs to the Boar, who was now losing its health points at a rapid pace.


    The two enemies it was most wary of were none other than Diablo and Ishtar, two among Lux''s Named Creatures whose strength had far surpassed those of his ordinary Summons. They hade to answer their Master''s call and fight for his and his step-sister''s happiness.


    Diablo''s attacks ignored defense, giving the Boar a world of pain each time the Skeleton Rider shed his body. All of his attacks were infused with the Ethereal Element, making it ignore any kind of defenses.


    Ishtar, on the other hand, would rain arrow after arrow to slow Cai''s movements with the power of ice. The constant barrage was making it difficult for the Boar to have any breathing space, while it was being hacked, and shot at from all sides.


    "Get off me, you damned Skeletons!" Cai shouted as it used its entire body to blow away the skeletons that were swarming it.


    Some of them shattered, and some of them stood back up and continued to fight. With every Skeleton that died, Lux would summon another, making Cai feel as if it was facing a hopeless situation.


    The worse matter that made it weep bitter tears was that with each Skeleton''s death, it could feel Diablo''s attacks getting stronger.


    Diablo was wearing the ckrock Legacy Set Armor, which gave him and his allies a massive boost in their overall offensive power. Cai had be hard-pressed enduring their attacks, which were now starting to take a toll on its body.


    ��--


    < Warlord''s Warcry >


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of all allied creatures by 200 Points.


    < Warlord''s Presence >


    Your presence in the battlefield inspires your allies and makes them do well in battle.


    �C 10% Increase to Physical and Magical attack to the Warlord and its allies.


    < Bloody Fervor >


    Your physical and defensive abilities increase with each in creature in the battlefield.


    �C For every in creature in the battlefield, your attack and defense points will increase by five.


    ��--


    Warlord''s Warcy, Warlord''s Presence, and Bloody Fervor.


    These three abilities that came along with the prided armor of the ckrock n truly shone on the battlefield.


    Diablo, whomanded the Undead Army, faced Cai head-on from time to time whenever it would use a powerful attack.


    His Duel [EX] Skill kept interrupting the Boar from casting its hard-hitting spells, further infuriating it.


    Even Iris, who wanted her step-brother to win, found Cai''s current situation truly pitiful.


    The Boar''s curses, shouts, and squeals of pain were the only consistent things in the arena, as well as the one-sided beating that the Skeletons were giving it.


    Five minutester, Cai''s misery intensified when Lux had once again summoned Orion, who was out for vengeance.


    The Rock Golem was a Revenger. Once he was killed by an enemy, the next time he appeared, he would gain a massive boost in his stats, making those who killed him regret their decision.


    ��-


    < Revenger >


    �C Regardless of what happens in the future, this Named Creature will be forever loyal to you.


    �C All attacks made by Orion will deal extra damage as his health decreases.


    100% Health = Normal Damage


    80% Health = Increase damage by 25%


    60% Health = Increase Damage by 50%


    40% Health = Increase Damage by 75%


    20% Health - Increase Damage by 200%


    �C When Orion is killed by an enemy, he will add the name of that creature to his Revenge List. The next time he faces the same enemy, all of his stats will increase by 200%


    �C The Revenger ability will apply to all types of monster. For example, if he was killed by a Red Dragon, the next time he faces a Red Dragon, his overall stats would increase by 200% upon meeting the creature on his revenge list.


    �C If Orion is killed by the same creature again, he would gain an additional 10% stacking bonus to the overall increase of his Stat Points, whenever he faces the same enemy.


    Note: Vengeance is always an option!


    ��--


    Cai''s massive body skidded several meters away when the Rock Golem charged at it and gave it a mighty kick.


    The Boar cried out of pain, as it was helplessly swarmed once more by the Skeletons who were like Soldier Ants, storming the prey that they had targeted.


    "You forced me!" Cai roared as it used its tusk to blow away the Skeletons that were swarming it.


    Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind enveloped its body, preventing any skeletons from approaching it.


    "Third Gea�C."


    Before Cai could use its ultimate Trump Card, it felt its body surged forward. Orion had engaged it in a duel.


    The Rock Golem clearly felt the threat that Cai was about to unleash, so before it could do anything, he decided to cancel the Boar''s third transformation, preventing it from bing more formidable than it already was.


    At the same time, the two clones that were sitting on top of Pazuzu''s shoulders opened their mouths as two orbs of magical energy appeared in front of it.


    ""Dragon''s Breath!""


    "Gaia Smash!"


    "Bone Spear!"


    "Tempest Arrow!"


    Lux''s clones, as well as his Named Creatures unleashed their attacks at the same time, converging on the Boar''s body as it helplessly charged towards its doom.


    A powerful explosion shook the entire arena, as Cai''s body was blown away from the impact of thebined assault of Lux''s Summons.


    The blow was so strong that the Boar''s entire body smashed through the barriers until it fell out of the arena, rolling a few times on the ground beforeing to aplete stop.


    The giant boar''s body was smoking, as the Clerics immediately went to its rescue.


    The crowd all stood up and cheered, as they gave the Half-Elf a thunderous apuse that seemed loud enough to make the entire Coliseum tremble.


    "The Champion of the Lionheart Tournament is none other than Lux Von Kaizer!" Judge Dredd shouted as he pointed at the Half-Elf that was being carried by the Demonic Defender in the air.


    Lux''s gaze never wavered as he stared in the distance. However, those who were paying close attention to him already knew that he had lost consciousness some time ago, long before the battle had ended.


    Summoning Orion was thest thing he did before he finally sumbed to the effect of the Abyss Corruption inside his body.


    His sheer determination to see the battle through to the end kept his eyes open, despite the fact that he could no longer see anything.


    As the crowd cheered his name, the Half-Elf remained motionless, unmoved by anything and everything around him.


    Iris had tears in her eyes as she looked at the red-headed teenager, whom she had loved since she was young, as her grandmother wrapped her arms around her in a gentle and warm embrace.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Iris'' head, looked at her Papa with pride. She had always believed in him, even though the hearts of others wavered after seeing the near-hopeless situation the Half-Elf found himself in.


    High above the stands, Gilbert and Nero clenched their fists with burning determination. Right now, the only thing in their minds was to surpass the Half-Elf, who was currently basking in everyone''s cheers and adoration.


    They hoped that someday, they would stand in the same ce as him.


    High above the Coliseum, Alexander stood with his arms crossed behind his back. He gazed at his unconscious step-son with a calm expression on his face.


    Alicia, who was standing beside him, didn''t know what the Headmaster was thinking, but deep inside, she was happy that the Half-Elf had proven himself in front of Iris'' father. Thetter cared for the young man in his own way, despite the harsh facade he wore whenever the two of them met in the academy.


    With the light shining upon him, Pazuzu gently raised one of Lux''s hands high up in the air. Although his Master couldn''t hear the thunderous cheers around him, he felt like this was the appropriate thing to do.


    Seeing this gesture, the cheers and the apuse became louder. Everyone who hade to watch the Lionheart Tournament and witnessed Lux''s undying determination, paid their tribute to the Champion and showered him with the glory he so rightfully deserved.

 Chapter ?264 Cai’s Plan

    Chapter ?264 Cai��s n


    A week has passed since the Lionheart Tournament finished, and countless members of the young generation, who had witnessed and participated in the tournament, brought the news of the exciting matches that they had seen throughout the duration of their stay home.


    The funny thing was that the Champion''s real name was set aside, and his alias, My Daddy, was spread far and wide. From the highest slope of the northern regions, to the farthest desert of the West, My Daddy''s name resounded as it was sung by the bards, who wanted to share his story and achievement to the world.


    Instead of a handsome red-headed Half-Elf, the Barbs told the tale of a chubby teenager with hair as ck as the night, and light-brown eyes that could captivate those who stared into them.


    The chubby people who heard this felt proud, thinking that one of them took one for the team and showed those with great bodies that even fatties like them could do great things when given the chance.


    As his fame spread to distantnds, not just in Sis, but also in Elysium, the Half-Elf was still soundly asleep inside Iris'' room and still hadn''t woken up from hisatose state.


    Natasha, who was Wildgarde Stronghold''s High-Cleric, had diagnosed that Lux would only wake up anywhere between seven to fifteen days, as his body had to take its time to recover from the bacsh of forcing himself to remain awake despite the fact that he was already suffering from the Abyssal Corruption inside his body.


    Eriol had also warned him that he might enter aatose state for more than a month if he forced himself in the tournament, but Lux didn''t back down, willing to pay the price in order to protect his step-sister''s happiness.


    Against all odds, he had seeded. In truth, before the match started, he made a request to Judge Dredd to not stop the match even if he lost consciousness.


    The referee agreed on the condition that he would not stop the match as long as he deemed that Lux''s summons could still fight. However, Judge Dredd made it clear that the moment he judged that Lux was not in any condition to defend himself, he would end the match and dere Cai as the Champion.


    Lux agreed to this condition because this was already the bestpromise that he could make with the referee of the tournament.


    Fortunately, before he lost consciousness, the match was nearing its end, allowing him to be the Champion with everyone''s blessings.


    Alexander had only visited him once in the past week to check his condition. Aside from that single visit, he no longer went to check on the Half-Elf, even allowing him to stay inside Iris'' room, so his daughter could take care of him.


    The blue-haired beauty was more than happy to take care of the Half-Elf, even going as far as to wiping his body to make sure he was squeaky clean.


    Eiko, who had witnessed her Papa''s performance, spent her days munching on the Beast Cores that they had acquired from defending Whitebridge City against the Beast Tide. Naturally, this wasn''t enough to give her a full upgrade, but Iris was more than happy to feed her more Cores, allowing her to Rank Up.


    Just like Lux, Cai had also entered aatose state because of the power of the Half-Elf''s Abyss Touch.


    However, to the High-Cleric''s surprise, the Boar''s regeneration and recovery rate far surpassed anything that they had seen, leaving Lux in the dust.


    It was like the Abyss Corruption didn''t want to linger in its body and left it after three days.


    After recovering from its injuries, the Boar didn''t leave right away and stayed in Barbatos Academy to look after Little Swordy, who was still unconscious. It also wanted to wait for Lux to wake up in order to properly congratte him for winning the Lionheart Tournament.


    "Um, one more te of bacon please. And another serving of pork chops," Cai said to the waitress. "Put it on My Daddy''s Tab, thank you."


    The waitress smiled and nodded her head. The boar kept eating like there''s no tomorrow, so they had to consult the Headmaster, Alexander, whether they should allow it to continue eating the way it did everyday or not.


    Alexander''s answer was crisp and firm.


    "Put it on My Daddy''s Tab."


    After getting the go signal, the restaurant inside the academy treated Cai like a VIP, making thetter extremely happy to be able to eat for free.


    In truth, they were also happy to host the First Runner Up of the tournament. Cai had not only be a mascot of the Lionheart Tournament, but also a celebrity. As the first runner up, the Boar had fought with everything it had, surpassing everyone''s expectations.


    "Cai, can I please have your autograph?" a prettydy with blonde hair and green eyes asked the Boar who was munching on some bacon strips.


    "Of course," Cai replied as it dipped its hoof on one of the sauces in the table and pressed it on the scroll that the pretty girl was holding.


    "Thank you very much!"


    "No problems. I love all of my fans."


    The pretty girl giggled before kissing the Boar''s cheek, leaving the restaurant with a smile. Half an hourter, Cai left the restaurant looking very satisfied as it strolled around the academy unhindered.


    The students who saw it greeted it, and Cai returned their greetings with a polite greeting of its own.


    ''I wonder when Little Swordy and My Daddy will wake up,'' Cai mused as it walked towards the training area of Barbatos Academy. ''I n to invite them to the Rowan Tribe to see my Grandpa, so that they can get permission to enter the secret Dungeon that belongs to our faction in Elysium.''


    ''The slots are limited, so I need to bring strong fighters with me in order to clear it. I need to make sure that those other guilds from the six kingdoms will not be able to get the good stuff.''


    One of the prizes given by the Tournament was a special badge that allowed the Champion to enter a special Dungeon that opened once a year in Elysium.


    This Dungeon was controlled by the Six Kingdoms that supported Barbatos Academy, and they could only send a limited number of people inside it every year.


    Usually, only the strongest Guilds that were loyal to them would be able to enter, but this year, they made a special exception for the Champion, and would allow him to bring an entire party inside the Dungeon that would open in exactly two weeks.


    The Rowan Tribe was also given a limited number of slots to enter the Dungeon. Their quota was twelve people, and Cai wanted to drag Little Swordy and My Daddy onto its team, making its faction a powerhouse that could challenge the other Guilds that would also enter it alongside them.


    ''With Little Swordy and My Daddy, I''m sure that we can challenge the Hell-Mode of that Dungeon that no one has conquered in the past,'' Cai thought.


    When the Secret Dungeon was discovered, the Six Kingdoms found out that it would only allow Grade A Apostles and below to enter it. Because of this, they only sent their best candidates to challenge it, but up till now, no one had managed to clear the Hell-Mode of the dungeon located inside the Special Domain.


    Even clearing Normal Mode required a great sacrifice. More than 98% of the Guild members who attempted to clear it would not reach its end, making it an extremely difficult Dungeon to deal with.


    However, Cai hadplete faith in its two unconsciousrades. In its eyes, even if it were to face the Four Kings and the Five Overlords in the Special Domain this year, it would have nothing to fear.


    After all, with two powerful friends by its side, it could walk in the Special Domain with a smug look on its shameless face.

 Chapter ?265 It’s Her First Time, So Be Gentle With Her

    Chapter ?265 It��s Her First Time, So Be Gentle With Her


    The chirping of the birds could be heard in the background as Lux slowly opened his eyes.


    Nine days had passed since the tournament''s conclusion, but only now had he regained his consciousness after his battle with Cai.


    The first thing the Half-Elf saw was a blue-haired beauty sleeping soundly beside him. Iris was hugging him like a body pillow, and her soft, sound asleep breathing reached his ears.


    Lux looked at his step-sister''s sleeping face that he hadn''t seen for quite some time. At that moment, a thought passed through the red-headed teenager''s mind, and that was none other than that he wouldn''t like anyone else to see this side of her, wanting to monopolize it for himself.


    As Lux''s gaze wandered down his body, he noticed his baby Slime, Eiko, was sleeping on his chest.


    As if sensing that her Papa was awake, Eiko sleepily opened her eyes then looked at Lux once before yawning and closing them again.


    Clearly, she was still sleepy that even seeing her Papa recovered and awake didn''t deter her from going back to sleep.


    The Half-Elf smiled after seeing this and lightly patted the baby Slime''s head, which made thetter subconsciously rub her head against his hand.


    After petting the baby Slime for a while, Lux nced at the ceiling and tried to piece together the memories he had during the battle.


    Thest thing he remembered was summoning Orion to help Diablo and the others fight against Cai.


    He had no memories after that, making him feel a cold chill run down his spine.


    ''Did I lose?'' Lux thought as a tinge of anxiety started to grow inside his heart. ''Should I kidnap Cai and roast it in an open fire?''


    Various thoughts about different methods of silently erasing the Boar from the world formed inside his mind. Although he didn''t have any grudge against it, for Iris'' sake, he was willing to dirty his hand and feed the boar to the fishes if he had to.


    Just as these thoughts were starting to form, he felt a soft, delicate hand caress the side of his face and gave it a light pinch.


    "Good morning, Lux," Iris said softly.


    The youngdy''s gentle touch, as well as her voice filled with happiness, made Lux''s heart skip a beat.


    This was not the first time that Iris had called him Lux instead of brother, and yet, this time around, the way she said it felt different to him. It was as if there was another meaning behind it, instead of the usual yful endearment that Iris often used in order to get his attention.


    "Iris, who won the tournament?" Lux asked. His heart was beating wildly inside his chest in both anticipation and fear of the answer that she would give him.


    Originally, Iris nned to tease the Half-Elf and tell him that Cai had won the tournament, but after seeing how serious he was, she decided to not give thetter more worry as she moved closer to kiss his cheek.


    "You won," Iris replied after she nted a kiss on Lux''s right cheek. "You are the Champion of the Lionheart Tournament."


    At that moment, Lux felt that a stone had disappeared from his chest. The anxiety he initially felt vanished without a trace. He then hugged the youngdy in front of him, making the baby slime who was sleeping on his chest, fall off, and get sandwiched between him and her mama, who was also hugging Lux back.


    "Ma!"


    "Pa!"


    Eiko said as she squeezed herself upwards to appear between Lux''s and Iris''s faces, making the two giggle.


    As if thinking of the same thing, Lux and Iris kissed Eiko''s left and right cheeks, making the baby slime giggle.


    "I''m d you woke up today, Lux," Iris said, no longer calling the red-headed teenager in front of her Brother, like she used to. "This is the best birthday gift ever."


    After hearing her words, the Half-Elf opened his eyes wide. He had no idea what day it was because he didn''t know how long it had been since he fell unconscious. The realization that he was able to wake up on the same day as Iris birthday made him thank his lucky stars.


    "Happy Birthday," Lux said as he caressed her face. "I''m sorry, I haven''t prepared anything for your birthday. What would you like to have as a gift?"


    Iris smiled happily after seeing that Lux had taken the initiative to make a gesture of intimacy with her.


    Lux had also done this several times to her in the past, but this time felt different. This simple act of touching her face allowed her to feel his rugged hands, which had grown hard through training. It warmed her heart and made her happy.


    "You already gave me the best present by winning the tournament," Iris replied. "But, if you really want to know what I want then��"


    Iris moved closer to whisper something in Lux''s ear, making thetter''s face turn as red as his hair.


    The blue-haired beauty found this reaction quite funny, so she looked at him with a smile on her face.


    "Okay," Lux replied half a minuteter. "Let''s do it tonight."


    Iris'' face reddened after hearing Lux''s reply. The moment someone turned sixteen in Sis and Elysium, they were already considered young adults, which meant they were eligible to marry.


    Both worlds were filled with danger, so the minimum age for marriage was lowered in order to prevent the poption from declining. Naturally, this rule wasn''t set in stone. Anyone could marry even if they were in their 20''s and even 30''s, but no one would give a hoot to anyone marrying each other as long as they hade of age, which was sixteen years old.


    Lux and Iris stared at each other with passionate gazes.


    The baby Slime, who stood between them, subconsciously thought that her parents were nning to do something intimate, so she crawled on top of the bed canopy, looking down at two with a curious look on her face.


    "Let''s have Grandma look after Eiko tonight," Iris said as she moved closer to Lux.


    "Good idea," Lux replied, as he too moved closer to the young beauty who had already wrapped her arms around him.


    The two fondly stared at each other for a few seconds before Iris closed her eyes.


    Lux knew that, as the man, he should be the one to take the initiative, so he closed their distance and pressed his lips against her soft, pink lips, giving iris a short, yet passionate kiss that made her heart skip a beat.


    When their kiss ended, the two gazed at each other for a while and smiled.


    "One more time?" Lux asked.


    This was the first time he kissed Iris'' lips, and for some reason, he felt the urge to give her another one.


    "Un," Iris shyly nodded her head in reply.


    Just as the two were about to kiss each other for the second time, a knock came from the door, almost making the two of them jump off the bed in shock.


    "Iris, good morning," Vera said as soon as she entered the bedroom. "Breakfast is ready, do you want to��"


    The olddy wasn''t able to finish his words due to the scene in front of her.


    Lux was halfway off the bed, with his head already touching the floor. Iris, on the other hand, was hugging his body, clinging to his waist as if trying to prevent him from falling.


    The two had flushed expressions on their faces, and one of the strings on Iris''s one-piece night-wear had slid off from her shoulders, creating a scene that could easily create a misunderstanding.


    "Breakfast can wait," Vera said with a sweet smile on her face. "The two of you take your time. I''ll make sure that no one will disturb you. Eiko,e, let''s have breakfast together."


    "Nanma!"


    The Slime happily jumped off the bed canopy andnded on Vera''s hand with a look of anticipation on her face. The food served in the academy tasted good, so even though they were not Beast Cores, Eiko still loved eating it.


    "Lux, this is Iris'' first time so be gentle with her." Vera reminded the red-headed teenager. "I''ll look forward to meeting my great grandchildren a year from now."


    Vera then gave the two teenagers a wink before slowly closing the door. For some reason, the lock that was supposed to only be essible inside the room turned by itself, locking the doorpletely.


    Clearly, Vera didn''t mind if her two grandkids tumbled on the sheets for a few hours. She was even eagerly anticipating holding her great grandchildren a year or two from now.


    Lux and Iris, who had been staring at the locked door for a few seconds, shifted their gaze to each other and smiled helplessly.


    Both of them knew that their Grandma had misunderstood the situation, which was why she left the two of them alone to continue whatever they were doing.


    As if losing the tension on their bodies, Iris'' grip on Lux''s waist loosened, making the Half-Elf slide off of the bedpletely.


    The two then stared at each other before chuckling at this unexpected turn of events.


    "Today is a busy day, and I know that the preparations for my birthday party are well on their way," Iris said as she stepped down from the bed and crouched beside the Half-Elf, who was still lying on the carpeted floor. "I''m sure that Father would like to see me at the breakfast table to talk to me about a few things in regards to the festivities that will be heldter tonight."


    "Yes," Lux replied as he reached out to ce his hand behind Iris'' head to slowly pull her closer to him. "We still have time for one more kiss before you go, right?"


    Iris nodded. "Un."


    The two then kissed each other for the second time before Lux reluctantly left the room to let the blue-haired beauty change her clothes.


    Although he had now been officially recognized by Alexander as Iris'' fiance, he still found it inappropriate to stay inside her room while she changed her clothes.


    After leaving Iris'' room, Lux walked down the hallway and headed towards his room.


    Today was his step-sister''s�� no, Fiance''s birthday, so he decided to spend the rest of the day looking for an appropriate gift for her.


    Although Lux was still adapting to the sudden change in their rtionship, he was looking forward to the future when the two of them would be officially married. Afterall, they had already received the blessing of Iris'' father, Alexander, whose opinion of Lux had changed after he became the Champion of the Tournament that was held in Barbatos Academy.

 Chapter ?266 There Are No If’s In This World

    Chapter ?266 There Are No If��s In This World


    Lux had just left Iris'' residence in the Academy when a Boar "identally" met him when he was about to look for a gift for the blue-haired beauty, who was going to celebrate her birthday today.


    "Oh, there you are, My Daddy," Cai said with a smile. "What a coincidence, I was looking for you."


    Lux blinked as he looked at the Boar, who seemed to have gotten chunkier since he hadst seen it. Little did the Half-Elf know, the prize money, which he had won as the Champion of the Tournament, was being used to pay for the food that the Boar had kept adding on his tab.


    "Where are you going?" the Boar asked. "Are you nning to visit Little Swordy? He just regained consciousness this morning as well."


    "Uhh�� why not?" Lux thought that it wouldn''t be a bad idea to visit the skinny swordsman, who he considered as an acquaintance after spending some time together during the tournament.


    The Boar chatted non-stop with Lux all the way to the infirmary, telling him about a particr Dungeon that bordered the territories where the factions of the Six Kingdoms belonged in Elysium, which would open in a few days.


    ording to the Boar, the entry to the Dungeon was highly restricted, so only the guilds that had received the approval of the Six Kingdoms would be allowed to enter its Domain.


    "So, I was wondering if you and Little Swordy can join our Rowan Tribe in conquering the Hell-Mode of the Dungeon," Cai said. "Naturally, it will not be for free. If you do this for me, my Grandpa, who is a Saint, will owe you one favor."


    Lux''s curiosity was piqued after hearing Cai''s words. Aside from Alexander, the Rowan Tribe Elder was one of the remaining Saints in the territories that belonged to the Six Kingdoms.


    This was why the Rowan Tribe held great prestige, allowing them to move unhindered to the various territories that belonged to these nations.


    Seeing that Lux seemed to favor the idea, the Boar decided to throw one more bone at the Half-Elf to make him agree to its request.


    "Um, are you perhaps looking for a gift for Iris?" Cai asked. "Actually, I have the perfect gift with me. I was nning to give it to her after I became the Champion of the tournament. But since I didn''t manage to win, I''ll hand this gift over to you. Trust me when I say that this gift can never be bought with any currency in the world. It is one of a kind, and you will not see anything like it ever again."


    Lux could tell that Cai wasn''t making things up in order to bring him over to its side. After careful consideration, getting the favor of a Saint was already a wonderful thing. Although Alexander was his step-father, they weren''t particrly close, so he didn''t have the guts to ask the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy for any favors.


    The Elder of the Rowan Tribe, on the other hand, was said to have a very good personality. Because of this, even Alexander allowed Iris to visit the Rowan Tribe in order to participate in their annual celebration as the representative of the Academy.


    The gift that Cai had wanted to give to Iris if it won the tournament would surely be something special. Because of this, the Half-Elf was quite tempted to bite into the offer that was being dangled right in front of him.


    "I''ll decide after I see this gift of yours," Lux replied after thinking things over. "If it''s good then I will join your team in exploring the Hell-Mode of the Dungeon."


    "Alright! Make sure not to break your promise, okay?" Before the Boar could say other things, its body trembled, making its face look pale.


    "Um, you go and visit Little Swordy first," Cai said. "Visit me in my roomter. I need to do something first."


    Cai didn''t even bother to wait for the Half-Elf''s reply and briskly strutted away, not even looking back at the bewildered Half-Elf, who looked at the retreating Boar in confusion.


    ''I guess I''ll visit Keane first,'' Lux thought before heading straight towards the Infirmary where the Skinny Swordsman was said to be staying.


    ��---


    "How are you, Keane?" Lux asked as soon as he entered the room.


    "Better since Cai is not here," Keane replied. "I swear that pig will be the end of me."


    Lux chuckled as he dragged a chair to sit beside the swordsman''s bed, giving him an appraising look.


    "Congrattions on bing the Champion," Keane said with a smile. "When I first saw you in the Qualifying Matches, I never thought that you would actually be thest one standing in this tournament."


    "Thank you," Luxmented. "If you hadn''t been weakened to the point of near-copse, I''m sure that you would have been a strong contender for first ce."


    "There are no if''s in this world," Keane said firmly. "Cai was meant to be your opponent in the final match. Although I didn''t want to say this, there was a high chance that even if I wasn''t injured that badly, Cai might have still won against me if it used its Trump Cards without holding back."


    Lux nodded his head in agreement.


    Even he didn''t expect Cai to be so formidable. Perhaps if itsst trump card had fully activated, Lux, as well as its summons, might not have been able to stand up against its Third Form.


    "What are your ns after this?" Lux asked the skinny swordsman, who��in his eyes��was quite mysterious.


    "The first thing I want to do is escape as far away from Cai as possible so I can attain true peace."


    "Goodluck with that."


    The two warriors gave each other a knowing smile before giving each other a bitter smile.


    "You are going with Cai to the Dungeon?" Lux asked.


    Keane nodded. "I just want peace. I can''t attain it if I''m going to be stuck with it for life. How about you? Are you going?"


    "Yes," Lux answered in a heartbeat.


    "With you around, I think it is now possible for us to clear the Dungeon," Keane stated. "I''d also love to see how you fight in your peak. I wasn''t able to get the opportunity because I was out cold."


    Lux smiled, but still gave the mysterious swordsman assurance that he would do everything in his power to clear the Hell-Mode of the Dungeon, which was widely known to have crushed the Six Kingdoms'' hopes when it came to being able to explore the secrets hidden inside its depths.

 Chapter ?267 Forever By Your Side

    Chapter ?267 Forever By Your Side


    "I think it is somewhere around here..." Lux muttered as he walked down the hallways, heading towards Cai''s room in the academy.


    He had been talking to Keane for half an hour, but the Boar still hadn''t returned, prompting the Half-Elf to look for it.


    Keane had told him which area its room was, as well as Cai''s room number, so Lux decided to go and find the Boar himself to ask for it to show him the gift it had been talking about earlier.


    "Ah, this must be it," Lux nced at the room with the number sixty-nine on it and opened the door without even bothering to knock.


    Since the Boar was an annoying character, he nned to annoy it as well.


    The moment the Half-Elf entered the room, he came face to face with a naked, beautiful youngdy, with long brown hair who was brushing her hair at the moment.


    She had sun-kissed skin that was radiating youth and life, and Lux''s gazended on her well-shaped breasts for a brief moment before forcefully shifting his gaze back to the beautiful youngdy''s face, which wouldn''t lose to his step-sister, who was now his fiance, Iris.


    "S-Sorry! Wrong room!" Lux hastily closed the door and backed down the hallway.


    A few secondster, he looked at the room number again to make sure that he hadn''t made a mistake. After seeing that the number of the room was indeed sixty-nine, the Half-Elf took a deep breath before knocking on the door to make sure that he wasn''t just hallucinating on things.


    "Cai? Are you there?" Lux asked.


    "Um, just a minute." Cai''s irritating voice replied from the other side of the door, making Lux breathe a sigh of relief.


    Half a minuteter, the door opened revealing the chatty Boar with brown fur, and hazel colored eyes.


    "Cai, are you living with a youngdy in this room?" Lux asked as the Boar weed him inside its room without any fuss.


    "Youngdy? There''s not one," Cai answered. "I''m the only one staying in this room. Ah, but let''s not talk about that for now."


    Cai then summoned an ornate box out of thin air and presented it to Lux.


    "If you join my faction for the uing dungeon expedition, I''ll give you this as an added bonus to my Grandpa''s favor," Cai said with a smug look on its face.


    Lux took the ornate box from its hands and opened it.


    Inside the box, golden rings with runes written on their surface appeared. Their craftsmanship was amazing, and even if Lux was training to be a cksmith and not a Jewelsmith, he could clearly tell that a master had made this set of rings with utmost care and devotion.


    "Beautiful..." Lux muttered as he stared at the rings before shifting his attention to the smug-looking pig, who acted as if he was the one that made the rings itself.


    "But of course!" Cai replied. "I begged my grandfather to have these rings crafted for me so that when I married Iris, I could present these to her as my wedding gift. Amazing, right?"


    "Yeah. Your grandfather is amazing." Lux nodded his head in agreement. "So you made these rings because you thought that you were going to win the tournament from the very beginning. What a cheeky and chunky pig you are."


    "Pig? Excuse me! I''m a Boar," Cai snorted. "You uncultured swine. Also, I was confident that I would win the tournament, so I had these wedding rings prepared in advance. So, what do you think? Will you join our faction when we do our dungeon expedition?"


    Lux didn''t answer right away. He then picked up one of the rings and took a closer look at it. Although he didn''t know whatnguage had been used to transcribe the runes, inside his head, several words appeared as if automatically deciphering the meaning of the runic texts.


    "Forever by your side."


    The words were cheesy, but for some reason, Lux didn''t dislike them. In fact, it even held some kind of binding power that made the Half-Elf feel that these rings weren''t that simple.


    "Do these rings have any special properties?" Lux asked. He had tried to use his appraisal skill, but the only information he saw on the ring was a bunch of question marks.


    Lux wasn''t unfamiliar with this experience. There had been several times when he was unable to appraise the stats of strong monsters who were more formidable than he was.


    "Of course, they have," Cai replied "My grandpa does jewelsmithing as a hobby, and he is very proficient with it. Listen here, okay? Those rings have three special attributes.


    "The two people that wear those two rings are able to talk with each other as long as they are in the same ne of existence. Meaning, if you and Iris were both on the same continent, you can talk whenever you like. The same can be said with Elysium. As long as both of you are on the same continent, talking to each other is not a problem.


    "The second ability of the rings is to know exactly where the other person is. Regardless of where they are in the world, you will be able to find them with the help of this ring.


    "Thest ability of the rings is quite unique. They prevent any kind of mind-affecting spells--Charm, Fear, Confusion, or other effects that could affect the state of mind--to take hold of them. It also gives a small resistance against the power of Abyssal Corruption, and slows its effects from spreading inside the body.


    "Just so you know, very few items are able to effectively mitigate the effect of Abyssal Corruption. This ring is one of them. Ah, my grandfather said in passing that as long as you wear this ring, you can also enter ces with dense miasma without worrying about getting harmed by it. Quite amazing, right?"


    Lux nodded his head in agreement. This item was like the cellphone from Earth that allowed people to talk over long distances, as well as find their location through GPS tracking.


    The immunity against mind-affecting spells, slow down Abyssal Corruption, as well asplete resistance to Miasma, were simply too good to be true.


    ''As expected of a Saint,'' Lux thought as he returned the ring inside the ornate box. ''Whatever they make is truly formidable.''


    Cai, who could tell that Lux was quite satisfied with the gift it had prepared for Iris, felt happy inside its heart. In truth, the reason why it was able to give Lux the ornate box without a second thought was due to the fact that it knew how Iris felt about the red-headed teenager in front of it.


    To a certain extent, Cai was Iris'' best friend. Perhaps, it was the only real friend thetter had aside from the Beast Companions that protected her at all times.


    This was also why, when Cai learned about Alexander''s decree to marry off Iris to whoever became the Champion of the Tournament, the Boar made a deration in front of its Grandpa in the Rowan Tribe.


    "I won''t let Iris marry someone she doesn''t love!" Cai had shouted back then. "If ites to this, I''d rather marry her myself than let another person make her life miserable!"


    Cai''s grandfather repeatedly told the Boar that it would be dangerous for it to enter the tournament, but the Boar was dead-set on leaving, with or without its Grandpa''s permission.


    Because of this, the Saint of the Rowan Tribe had no choice but to help the Boar assimte the power of strong Monsters to add to her "Gear Art".


    Cai''s Grandpa scoured the regions of the Six Kingdoms to find a suitable upgrade to Cai''s Beast Form, and happened to meet two powerful creatures by chance.


    One of them is the Mutated Field Monster, Hildivisni, and the other was an Initiate Ranked World Boss, which proved how much the Saint doted on the cheeky Boar, who wouldn''t take no for an answer.


    After gaining these two powerful forms, Cai''s confidence soared to the heavens, making it ask its Grandpa to forge wedding rings for it and Iris after it became the Champion of the Tournament.


    "Okay, I will join your faction for the dungeon expedition," Lux said after closing the ornate box in his hand. "When do we leave?"


    "Um, I just contacted Grandpa a little earlier, and he said that due to some kind of phenomenon, the opening of the Domain has been dyed to two weeks from now. However, the Guilds chosen to be the representatives of the Six Kingdoms are already making their way to the Hidden Domain''s location.


    "I think it will be best if we leave four days from now and head to my tribe, so you can talk to my Grandfather about the favor you want from him after we clear the Hell-Mode."


    Lux smiled because the Boar was talking as if they already had the Dungeon in the bag. If the other guilds of the Six Kingdoms, as well as the guild that represented Barbatos Academy, couldn''t clear it, then it meant that its difficulty rating was quite high.


    Even so, Lux had to admit that the prospect of challenging such a Dungeon was quite tempting for him.


    After talking with Cai for a bit more about their journey to the Rowan Tribe, Lux left the room to prepare for the evening celebration party that would be held in the Event Hall of Barbatos Academy.

 Chapter ?268 Either We Go Hell Mode, Or We Go Home!

    Chapter ?268 Either We Go Hell Mode, Or We Go Home!


    After putting on the expensive clothes that Vera had left in his room, Lux looked in the mirror and sighed.


    In front of him was a handsome Half-Elf with short red hair and green eyes, who would easily pass as a celebrity back on Earth. Sometimes, Lux wondered how differently things would have ended in his past life if his looks had been as good as this.


    Truth be told, Lux would sometimes think that he was in a dream. There had been more than one asion when he said to himself that if everything was a dream, then he didn''t want to wake up.


    Fortunately, he was clear that this was his new reality, and he had decided to live this life to the fullest.


    Just as he finished brushing his hair, a knock was heard from the door, and his Grandma Vera looked at him with a smile on her face.


    "My grandson is really handsome," Veraplimented as she walked towards Lux to take a closer look at him. "Are you almost done?"


    "Yes, Grandma," Lux replied. "I can go anytime."


    "Good. Iris will take a while before she can finish her preparations, so go ahead and go to the Event Hall."


    "You''re noting with me, Grandma?"


    Vera shook her head. "I''m going with Irister. You''re the Champion of the Tournament, so there are many people who want to meet you. If I were to go with you, wouldn''t they think that I''m a third wheel or something?"


    Vera''s teasing tone made Lux smile. He knew that his grandma didn''t like mingling with strangers that much and preferred thepany of those she knew, like the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold and her family in Barbatos Academy.


    "I''ll see youter," Vera said as she fixed the non-existent creases in Lux''s robes. "Severaldies might approach youter. Although you are already Iris'' fiance, having more grandchildren is best."


    Vera gave Lux a wink before leaving the room. The Half-Elf knew that his grandma wasn''t joking when she said that she wanted more grandchildren. Although he now had Iris, having more than one wife was very normal in Sis and Elysium.


    This was especially true for High-Ranking nobles, as well as people who had a very high status in society.


    A few minutester, the Half-Elf walked through the spacious hallways that led to the Event Hall. Along the way, he met several people, and most of them gave him greetings as he walked past them.


    Lux also returned their greetings because it was the polite thing to do. Now that he was known as the strongest youth in his generation, he had to set a good example in order to not tarnish his and his Grandma Vera''s reputation.


    When Lux entered therge doors of the Event Hall, the Master of Ceremonies shouted his name, causing countless eyes to nce in his direction.


    The Half-Elf just smiled as he walked with confidence. After encountering so many hardships in Elysium, as well as fighting in the Lionheart Tournament, he didn''t feel any pressure even with thousands of people looking at him.


    Some looked at him in respect, awe, and admiration.


    Others, jealousy and envy.


    There were people who looked at him with contempt, but they were merely outliers. Lux didn''t mind because their thoughts didn''t matter to him.


    He was the Champion of the Tournament, and he didn''t need to prove himself to anyone in the Event Hall.


    While Lux was scanning his surroundings, he inadvertently saw Cai pushing a trolley into the buffet area. The Boar was taking a bit of every meat dish it came across, whilepletely ignoring the vegetable dishes.


    Not far from it was Keane, who held a small te filled with vegetables and fruits.


    Unlike Cai who liked meat, Keane preferred fruits and vegetables. Although the mysterious swordsman could eat meat as well, he would choose to eat fruits and vegetables as long as they were avable.


    "Ah, My Daddy. Come here and join us," Cai said as soon as it saw Lux, who was already walking in their direction. "You look good in that suit. As expected of someone who is a member of our Secret Organization, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."


    Lux wanted to say that he was not a part of its not-so-secret organization, but he knew that Cai wouldpletely ignore any words of rebuttal, so he decided to not waste any of his breath trying to correct the Boar, who had taken Second ce in the Tournament.


    "Can you eat all of that?" Lux asked as he gazed at the piled up meat dishes on Cai''s food trolley. "You really are a pig."


    "Shut up," Cai replied. "I''m a growing Boar, so this is only normal. Just look at Little Swordy. All he''s eating is fruits and vegetables. That''s probably why he looks so skinny. I''ve been pestering him to eat some meat, but he just tells me to mind my own business."


    "That''s right," Keane said. "Mind your own business."


    Cai snorted. "See? How stubborn. You should talk some sense into him, My Daddy."


    "It''s Lux," Luxmented. "Stop calling me My Daddy."


    "But you are My Daddy, no?"


    "I am not your daddy."


    "Tsk."


    Lux felt really helpless because Cai was not the only one who referred to him as My Daddy. Even the people who had greeted him earlier called out to him as "My Daddy," instead of his real name, Lux, which made the Half-Elf regret choosing that name to hide his identity.


    Just as the three of them were about to go to the table that was reserved for the Elite 4 of the Tournament, Gilmore, as well as a few of his cohorts walked up to Lux, Cai, and Keane, who held tes filled with food.


    "All three of you are going to the Sacred Dungeon, right?" Gilmore, one of the Four Kings, asked in a tone that was only audible for those who were close to his vicinity.


    "Yes," Cai answered before Lux and Keane could even reply to Gilbert''s question. "They areing with the Rowan Tribe''s delegation."


    Since Lux and Keane had already agreed to join its Faction in the Dungeon Expedition, it made sure to tell Gilmore that the Blondie Swordsman couldn''t poach its two VIP guests from its team.


    "I see," Gilbert said in a slightly disappointed tone. However, the other party''s disappointment didn''tst long and was quickly reced with determination. "It seems that all of us will bepeting in the fastest clear in the Normal Difficulty. Let me make things clear, I will catch up to the three of you soon. In the next tournament, the one who will win will be me."


    After saying his words, Gilmore and his entourage left, leaving a confused looking Lux and Keane behind.


    Seeing their reactions, Cai could only chuckle.


    "No one knows what we are nning to do," Cai exined in hushed tones. "The Normal Difficulty is already hard to clear, and not many are even able to clear it."


    "In the ten years since the Sacred Dungeon was discovered, the Normal Difficulty has been cleared only two times, and only a handful of warriors were left each time that happened. We''re not like those weaklings. Either we go Hell Mode, or we go home!"


    The Boar had a serious expression on its face, which was very different from its happy-go-lucky attitude.


    "But, why do we need to go clear the Hell Mode instead of the Normal Mode?" Lux asked. He didn''t mind going to Hell Mode because he already promised to go, but he was curious why the Boar was so adamant in challenging the hardest difficulty setting of the Sacred Dungeon.


    Cai didn''t answer right away, but its expression turned extremely sad for some reason. Only after the three of them were seated at their table did it start to talk about the reason why it wanted to challenge the Hell Mode of the Sacred Grove.


    "It''s because ording to an ancient text, a certain flower blooms inside the Hell Mode of the Sacred Domain," Cai exined. "That flower can cure many illnesses, including the Purple gue."


    Lux and Keane both looked at the Boar in disbelief because they knew that the Purple gue was the gue that erupted more than a hundred years ago during the Hundred-Year-War.


    It was a gue that wiped out entire kingdoms, and was said to still have no cure, even to this day.

 Chapter ?269 I Wish This Moment Can Last Forever

    Chapter ?269 I Wish This Moment Can Last Forever


    "A cure for the Purple gue," Keane muttered.


    The Purple gue, as the name suggests, changed the skin color of its victims to purple. Its victims wouldn''t get a quick and easy death, but a slow and excruciating one.


    If someone was afflicted by this disease, they would immediately be killed, and their bodies would be burned to prevent the disease from spreading. It was said that only Saints were immune to this disease, which meant that the chances of surviving it were extremely low.


    "Your Grandma has the Purple gue?" Lux asked with concern. "Is that the reason why you wanted to challenge the Hard Mode that badly?"


    Cai nodded. "That''s right. Normal Mode doesn''t have this flower, so I can only go to Hell Mode in order to find it. Challenging the Normal Mode is just a waste of time and resources. The Rowan Tribe has pooled everything we have for this uing event, so we wanted to bring as many strong warriors as we could with us to ensure our expedition''s sess."


    Lux remained silent for a few moments because he knew that if it had been Vera or Iris infected with the Purple gue, he would also go to hell and back in order to find the cure for them.


    It didn''t matter how dangerous it was. He would certainly go all out to make sure that both of his loved ones were cured of their diseases.


    "Okay." Lux nodded. "I will help you."


    "Count me in as well," Keanemented from the side.


    Cai bowed its head respectfully at its tworades. "Thank you. It doesn''t matter if we don''t clear the Dungeon. All we need to do is find the flower and the Rowan Tribe will forever be grateful for your help. My Grandpa will certainly do his best to amodate any of your requests as long as it is within his ability."


    Lux and Keane nodded. If what Cai said to them was true, then the Rowan Tribe, especially Cai''s Grandpa, would be truly grateful to them and gain his favor.


    The favor of a Saint was an extremely precious thing, and since Cai only wanted to retrieve the flower that would cure its Grandma, and not clear the Dungeon, the difficulty of the mission was decreased by a good margin.


    As long as they found the flower, they could leave the Dungeon using a special item that the Six Kingdoms had made to help ensure that their talented warriors didn''t lose their stats, should they face the threat of being killed by the Bosses that they would face within the Sacred Domain.


    After telling its friends the true reason why it was desperately asking for their help, Cai felt as if all the pressure it was feeling suddenly disappeared. Because of this, its appetite doubled as it ate all the dishes it got from the buffet area with renewed vigor.


    Half an hourter, the lights inside the event Hall dimmed, until the light disappearedpletely.


    A momentter, the soothing voice of ady reverberated within the darkness as she introduced theing of the birthday celebrant, Iris.


    The lights illuminated the right stairs of the Event Hall, where Iris would be appearing shortly.


    A mellow music started to y in the background as the Academy''s Orchestra yed the opening tune for Iris'' entrance.


    Half a minuteter, a youngdy, who wore a pure white dress, appeared at the top of the stairs.


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock when he saw the blue-haired beauty walking down the stairs with an angelic smile on her face.


    Her long blue hair was tied up into a princess braid, and the pure-white clothes made her look pure and innocent. She was so gorgeous that all the men couldn''t stop themselves from staring at her.


    Deep in their hearts, they envied Lux for snagging this angelic beauty for himself and making her his fiance.


    Nero, who was looking at her from the distance, clenched his fist tightly. From the first time he saw Iris, he had already fallen in love with her, and this was one of the reasons why he hated Lux with a vengeance.


    Even after losing to the Half-Elf, his love for the blue-haired beauty remained. His only regret was that he wasn''t the one who would be marrying her in the future, but the red-headed teenager, who had won against him during their battle in the Semi-Finals.


    Nero acknowledged that he lost to Lux in a battle of strength, but that didn''t prevent him from keeping his feelings towards the youngdy who was now celebrating her sixteenth birthday.


    An age in which mostdies among the noble families were engaged to other nobles, strengthening rtionships and bringing about a cooperation that benefited both sides of the family.


    Iris had everything in the world��a loving grandmother, a doting father, as well as a dependable fiance, who had won the Tournament for her sake.


    It would not be an exaggeration to call her the happiest youngdy within the Six Kingdoms at this moment because she would be able to marry the person that she had loved the past few years of her life.


    As Iris walked down the stairs, the light followed her every step.


    "May we please call upon My Daddy to give the birthday celebrant the first dance of the night."


    When Lux heard what he was called, he scratched his cheeks within the darkness before walking towards the light, where the beautiful youngdy waited for him.


    The moment Lux stepped into the spotlight, he knelt in front of Iris and kissed the back of her hand like a knight in shining armor. Countless girls couldn''t help but sigh in their hearts.


    When the handsome Half-Elf, and the blue-haired beauty stood side by side, the words, "a match made in heaven" appeared inside their minds.


    "May I have this first dance, My Lady?" Lux asked. Although the announcer had already said that he would be her first dance, he still decided to do things formally and asked Iris'' permission to dance.


    "It will be my pleasure," Iris replied with a smile so sweet that it could rot anyone''s teeth.


    The two started to dance to the slow and romantic music ying in the background. Countless eyes watched as the two of them gracefully stepped across the dance floor.


    In truth, Iris and Lux had danced to this song countless times in the past. They could dance it even if they had their eyes closed, but tonight was a special night, so both of them gazed at each other lovingly, making the young men and women, who were watching them, feel the urge to have a lover of their own.


    "Are you happy right now?" Lux whispered in Iris'' ears when the song was about to finish.


    "Very happy," Iris replied. "I wish this moment couldst forever."


    Lux smiled after hearing her words. In truth, he felt the same, but the two of them knew that this was not possible.


    Even so, at this moment in time, they held each other''s hand and gave each other a knowing nce. Both knew that when the party was over, they could no longer go back to their old rtionship as step-siblings because they decided to move forward together.


    Iris lightly squeezed Lux''s hand, and thetter returned her gesture, making her giggle. In her heart, no one could rece the handsome Half-Elf, who would soon make her his woman for life.

 Chapter ?270 This Is Not A Dream

    Chapter ?270 This Is Not A Dream


    The party dragged on for the rest of the night. Lux and Iris found themselves talking to a lot of people because of their statuses.


    Lux was the Champion of the Tournament, so it was normal that many people would want to talk to him to form connections.


    Iris was the princess of Barbatos Academy and her father was a Saint, so befriending her could make anyone feel that they had a pir to lean on to.


    Surprisingly, Cai and even Keane, also found themselves being talked to by many people, including many high ranking nobles.


    The Skinny Swordsman found himself hard-pressed because he was surrounded by many beautifuldies, asking where he lived or what his hobbies were.


    Lux and Cai watched this scene from the side with amused expressions on their faces. Clearly, Keane had no idea how to mingle with the opposite sex, seeing that he looked like he was having an anxiety attack, just by simply talking to thedies who found his mysterious identity quite attractive.


    "I''m so proud," Cai said while munching on some steak. "Our little Keane has grown so much. The time I spent raising him wasn''t in vain. Um~ I''m going back to the buffet area. I ran out of food to eat."


    Lux smiled at his twopanions, whom he had met in the tournament. He didn''t enter the Tournament to make friends, but in the end, the persistent Boar still managed to stick to him through thick and thin, while dragging Little Swordy along the way, like a kite flying on a string.


    Nero, who was also meant to sit on their table, stayed with his Guild Members for the duration of the party.


    Vera stayed with Iris most of the time, but she also mingled with her friends in Wildgarde Stronghold. Gilbert, Natasha, and Rainer talked to her about a lot of things, but the important matters were kept on hold.


    All of them knew that this was not the ce to discuss such matters, and they would talk in private when they returned to Wildgarde Stronghold.


    Alexander, Iris'' father, talked to the dignitaries, high-ranking nobles, as well as members of the Royal Families from the Six Kingdoms.


    As the Saint who sat at the head of Barbatos Academy, he was often sought out by these influential and powerful people, keeping him busy all throughout the party.


    Finally, midnight struck, and thest dance for the night was about tomence.


    Lux stood up and walked steadily towards Iris'' table to ask her to dance. The two of them had already agreed that he would be Iris'' first andst dance for the night.


    The moment the two stepped onto the dance floor, the other guests followed with their partners.


    Thest song was a very slow and romantic one, allowing couples to take it easy and dance in a more intimate manner.


    Iris rested her head on Lux''s shoulder, while both of them swayed slowly for thest song of the night.


    "I feel like I''m in a dream," Iris said in a voice that was only loud enough for Lux to hear. "This is not a dream. Right, Lux?"


    "No," Lux replied before sneakily nting a kiss on her head, making it look like he was just whispering something in her ear. "This is not a dream."


    "I''m d."


    "Mmm."


    As the two danced in each other''s embrace, Vera, Alexander, and Alicia watched from a distance.


    "Iris looks so happy," Veramented as she gazed at her two grandchildren. "So, when will the marriage ceremony be held?"


    Alexander didn''tment, and simply kept on looking at his daughter who was dancing with Lux. Naturally, Lux''s sneaky kiss didn''t escape his eyes, but he didn''t say anything about it. His step-son had proven himself worthy of his daughter, and he had already decreed that whoever became the Champion would be Iris'' fiance.


    Since that was the case, what was the point in getting in the way of their love?


    Alicia, who stood behind Vera and Alexander, was smiling. As someone who handled Lux''s registration in the tournament from the shadows, she was quite satisfied with how things worked out.


    Of course, there were times when she doubted Lux''s ability to win the tournament, but after the event was over, she felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.


    "I know that Iris is still young, so you are worried about her," Vera stated without even turning her head to look at her son. "Don''t worry, although I want to hold my great grandchildren right away, I know that childbirth isn''t an easy thing. I''ll wait until Iris turns eighteen for that. I worry for her health as well, you know?"


    Alexander briefly nodded his head in agreement. He didn''t have a problem with this arrangement and decided to leave things in his mother''s hands.


    "Give this ring to Lux," Alexander said as he handed a ring with a red gem embedded in its center. "Make sure he puts it on before he retires for the night."


    Alexander didn''t wait for Vera''s reply and went back to his seat, with Alicia following close behind him.


    Vera chuckled as she watched her son go before looking at the ring in her hands. She knew what this ring was because it was a ring mostly used by members of the Royal Family. Its main function was to prevent the user from siring children with women whom their family didn''t approve of.


    In short, this ring was an artifact that acted as a contraceptive, preventing Lux from getting Iris, or any other youngdy pregnant.


    "Well, I guess this will have to do for the time being," Vera muttered, "But I have a better one prepared for this asion."


    Vera ced the ring inside her storage bag, and took out another. This ring almost looked exactly the same as the ring Alexander had given her, but with one major difference.


    It was the color of the gem embedded in its center. The one Alexander had given her was red, but the color of the gem in Vera''s hand was purple.


    This was a special artifact that their family had kept as an Heirloom, and was passed down the male line of the family.


    This ring was called Evesting.


    This also had the contraceptive property, but had one unique feature added into it.


    Anydy who received the seed of the man wearing this ring, would only be able to give birth to that person''s child. This ring was one of a kind, and there was no other ring like it in the World of Sris.


    Alexander had used it at one point in time, and now, it was Lux''s turn to inherit it.


    ''I wonder how Alex will react if he sees this tomorrow,'' Vera mused. She was already looking forward to what her son would say the moment he saw the ring on Lux''s hand, which previously belonged to him.


    After thest dance ended, Iris headed to the tform meant for making announcements and thanked everyone who hade to celebrate her birthday with her.


    Alexander also took this opportunity to officially inform everyone that Lux was now Iris'' fiance, and they would get married as soon as his daughter turned eighteen, which was still two years away.


    All thedies cheered and pped their hands before ncing at the Half-Elf who was called up to the stage to stand beside Iris.


    The young men, on the other hand, felt so envious of Lux. Some even cursed him and hoped that he would be unable to get it up, preventing him from making a move on thedy of their dreams.


    Naturally, Lux didn''t know what these bastards were thinking. If he knew, he would definitely send Orion after them, so that the Rock Golem could give all of them a good beating.


    Half an hourter, the guests left the Event Hall one by one.


    Lux and Iris left using the secret passage that was meant for this asion, preventing them from having to deal with the crowd when they were supposed to leave.


    When they had finally left the venue, the two walked hand in hand through the hallways of Barbatos Academy and headed straight towards Iris'' private residence, which was in the inner and most protected area of the academy.


    As the two walked, Iris could feel her heart beating wildly inside her chest. She was feeling very nervous and excited at the same time.


    Tonight will be a special night for the both of them, and the emotions swirling inside her chest made her think that her heart was beating loud enough for the Half-Elf who was walking beside her to hear.


    What she didn''t know was that Lux was feeling the same.


    The red-headed teenager didn''t have any experience when it came to making love with women, but he had watched enough of those kinds of contents back on Earth to get an idea about what to do on their first night together.


    When the two arrived in front of Iris'' room, the youngdy summoned one of her guardians, the White Tiger, Hanz, to guard the door that led to their room.


    Lux chuckled after seeing this scene, making the blue-haireddy blush. Clearly, Iris didn''t want to be disturbed on her special night, so she decided to make preparations.


    Eiko was staying with Vera for the night, so there would be no one to disturb the two of them.


    When the two entered the bedroom, Iris turned around to give Lux a hug. The Half-Elf hugged her back, and the two of them stared at each other.


    A minuteter, Lux lowered his head to give Iris a passionate kiss on the lips. Only the sound of kissing could be heard inside the room, marking the beginning of an unforgettable night that they would share together.

 Chapter ?271 Filling Iris Heart And Womb With His Love [Part - 1] (R-18)

    Chapter ?271 Filling Iris Heart And Womb With His Love [Part - 1] (R-18)


    (Disimer: You guys have watched enough H and P to know where this is going. Anyone who dislikes reading these scenes can skip this chapter).


    After their kiss ended, Lux affectionately looked at Iris as he lightly caressed the side of her face.


    "Are you sure about this, Iris?" Lux asked.


    Iris smiled and nodded her head. "Yes. Please, make me yours, Lux."


    The Half-Elf stared at the blue-haired beauty in front of him. She wore a white dress that enhanced her angelic beauty. Soon, his hand slithered behind her back and undid the buttons that held her dress in ce.


    A rustling sound followed as the dress that covered her young and beautiful body fell on the floor. Only her white undergarments remained, and this sight made Lux feel as if a fire was starting to burn in his chest.


    "You''re very beautiful," Lux whispered as he nted a kiss on Iris'' cheek, who was already beet-red from embarrassment.


    "Thank you," Iris shyly responded as she did her best to keep a calm expression on her face.


    Lux held her and gentlyid her down on the bed, kissing her lips as he did it. For some reason, he enjoyed kissing her, probably because this was the first time in both of his lifetimes that he had done it, and it was even with ady as beautiful as Iris.


    In between the kisses, a rustling sound was heard as Lux removed his upper clothes and tossed it aside. A soft moan escaped Iris'' lips as Lux kissed her neck, making his way towards her corbone.


    His kisses trailed downwards, until they reached her right breast, which Iris reflexively covered with her hand.


    Lux smiled as he looked up at the blue-haired beauty''s face, which had turned a shade redder, leaving a stark contrast to her white skin that looked so pure and soft to the touch.


    Without much effort, the Half-Elf peeled her delicate hand from her bosom before kissing and suckling the aching pink tip that started to be firm inside his mouth.


    Lux kissed, licked, and bit it, marking it as his.


    His other hand moved to cup her left breast before kneading it gently.


    ''So soft,'' Lux thought as he groped Iris'' breast that perfectly fit his hand. He then started to lightly pinch, flick, and press down on her pink tip, making it hard under his touch.


    Right now, the blue-haired beauty, who was hailed as the Princess of Barbatos Academy,y on the bed tugging the sheets, as she surrendered her chaste body to her beloved.


    After showering her breasts with kisses and love, Lux started to make his way downwards, until he came face to face with the white lingerie that covered Iris'' secret garden.


    Feeling a bit mischievous, Lux ran his finger over it, moving up and down, teasing that small crack that would open up to him in a few minutes.


    Finally, his ministrations started to take effect as he saw a wet stain start to appear on the white undergarment, proving that she was now ready for more loving.


    Lux finally took it offpletely and spread his beloved''s legs to take a better look at it.


    "Please, don''t stare at it that much," Iris said with a voice filled with embarrassment and shame, which did nothing but stroke the inner fire that had started to burn in Lux''s chest.


    The Half-Elf then lowered his head and kissed it before using his tongue to make her feel good. A minuteter, soft gasps of pleasure escaped Iris'' lips, as Lux did his best to ensure that her first time wouldn''t hurt as much as it would.


    Only when Iris'' body shuddered did Lux stop. Clearly, she had experienced her first climax, making her pant for breath afterwards.


    Looking down at her, Lux was finally unable to hold back and removed his pants, making the blue-haired beauty see the thing that would soon take away her chastity. The Half-Elf rubbed it at her entrance, making its tip wet.


    ''It''s bigger than I thought,'' Iris stared at Lux''s member with both nervousness and anticipation. ''Will that really fit in me?''


    This question was soon answered the moment Lux lowered his hips, making Iris'' body arch due to the foreign object that suddenly entered her body.


    Iris'' breath became rugged as tears formed in her eyes. The red-headed teenager didn''t move right away. Instead, she kissed Iris'' cheeks, and patted her head in order to calm her down.


    Only when she whispered to him that he could continue to make love to her did Lux start to move his hips, pushing deeper inside her.


    The pain that Iris felt didn''tst long, and soon she was starting to feel a tingle in her lower body, which turned into pleasure, making her grip the sheets tight.


    The white sheets were now stained with faint traces of her innocence, proving that she had now be Lux''s woman.


    Lux was doing his best to avoid thrusting too roughly because it was her first time, but her pleasure-filled sighs and the way she called his name made the Half-Elf feel like his chest was about to burst from happiness and love.


    Still, he endured and made love to Iris to the best of his ability, sending her to the peak of pleasure.


    Soon, a grunt escaped Lux''s lips as he released his seed inside her.


    His release was so strong that it was painful. He even thought that a part of his soul had been released inside Iris'' innocent womb as well, which had just tasted the essence of a man for the first time.


    As both of them panted for breath, the ring on Lux''s finger glowed faintly.


    This ring was called Evesting, and once it was used, its effect wouldst for three years. In those three years, only he would be able to make thedy, who made love with him, pregnant.


    After three years, the effect of the artifact''s ability would expire.


    Only when he made love with her again would the artifact''s ability activate, extending its effects for another three years.


    As Lux and Iris enjoyed the afterglow of their love making, the feelings of love for each other only grew. Soon, the two began kissing once again as they renewed their vows of love with each other.


    Dawn was still far from sight, and till then, Lux would pour his overflowing feelings inside of her, filling Iris'' heart, and womb, with his love.

 Chapter ?272 Filling Iris Heart And Womb With His Love [Part - 2] (R-18)

    Chapter ?272 Filling Iris Heart And Womb With His Love [Part - 2] (R-18)


    The sound of water echoed inside the bathroom as Lux washed Iris'' body gently after they made love with each other several times.


    The blue-haired beauty didn''t resist Lux''s attempts to clean her up, and even enjoyed the care that he was giving her.


    After doing it twice, he wanted to stop to allow Iris to recover because it was her first time, but the blue-haired beauty told him that she wasn''t as delicate as he thought she was. Because of this, the two went on for two more rounds before Lux decided to stop.


    He didn''t want to put too much strain on Iris'' body because she was just a virgin just a few hours ago, and he cared for her very much. Although she looked fine on the surface, he didn''t want to risk it and simply held himself back.


    Several minutester, the two entered the bathtub. The beautiful youngdy leaned her back against her beloved, enjoying the feeling of his body against her.


    The Half-Elf''s hands held Iris'' waist, holding her in ce.


    "Are you feeling better?" Lux asked. "Does it still hurt? I''m sorry. I was a bit rough in the end."


    "I''m fine, Lux," Iris replied as she rested her hands over his, giving him assurance that she was fine. In truth, the pain had already subsided, and what reced it was a fullness, making her feel as if Lux was still inside of her.


    Naturally, she didn''t voice this out loud because it would be embarrassing to talk about it.


    Lux''s hand then moved towards her lower abdomen and used his fingers to draw circles on it, making Iris'' feel ticklish.


    Vera had exined to him the ability of the ring he was wearing, and for the most part, he was very satisfied with it. He was not in a hurry to have a baby with Iris since she was still too young to be a mother, and there were still some things he needed to do in Elysium.


    He was now officially her fiance, and although they weren''t married, it was already a done deal. The thought of embracing Iris again made Little Lux hard again, making him feel as if he had awakened a side of him that he didn''t know existed.


    "... Lux, it''s starting to get hard again."


    "I''m sorry."


    "It''s fine," Iris said softly. She could feel his hardness pressing on her back, and since the water in the bathtub wasn''t hot, she could feel the heat radiating from Lux''s strong member. "Knowing that you are feeling like that because of me makes me happy."


    As soon as those words escaped Iris'' lips, Lux felt as if the string holding back his patience snapped.


    His hands moved up and lightly groped Iris'' breasts, making thetter gasp in surprise. As Lux yed with her tender breasts, Lux knew that he was reaching his limit, but he also didn''t want to push her past the point of exhaustion. Still, he pulled the plug of the bathtub draining the water inside it.


    While the water was draining from the tub, Iris took the initiative to face Lux and kissed his lips. She then held his hard, and throbbing member and started to slid it inside of her. She stopped and broke their kiss, right as Lux grabbed her hand.


    "Wait a little longer," he whispered huskily against her lips.


    Iris nodded then kissed him again as Lux''s hand released hers so both of them could fondle her breasts. His kisses started to move down her neck now that the water was no longer around their hips. Lux smiled at the heat that radiated from Iris'' cheeks.


    He shifted beneath her ever so slightly, so she knew she could take him in now if she wanted. Iris shifted her hips forward, bringing him inside her. She brought his head back up and kissed him deeply as she enjoyed feeling his fullness inside of her.


    When their kiss ended, Iris slowly moved her hips up and down, allowing the pleasure to build up inside of her.


    Lux''s hands moved up to cup her breasts, before sucking on them alternately. He enjoyed their softness, making the blue-haireddy moan as the Half-Elf''s gentle and persistent attacks stirred the tingling sensation in the ce where the two of them were connected.


    A few minutester, the blue-haired beauty''s body shuddered as she felt something hot shoot inside her womb. She felt like her insides were melting, further intensifying the climax that washed over her body, causing her mind to go nk for a few seconds due to how good it felt.


    As the two panted to catch their breath, their eyes gazed at each other with affectionate gazes.


    A momentter, the two shared a long, soft, and gentle kiss, signaling the end to their lovemaking.


    After that, both of them washed up before sleeping in each other''s arms on the bed.


    The two of them woke up around noon, just in time for lunch, which they shared with Vera.


    Alexander was nowhere to be found, which made Lux think that his step-father, now his father-inw, was purposely avoiding him.


    Vera looked at her granddaughter, whose smile indicated her happiness, making her feel happy as well.


    Eiko, who hadn''t seen her Papa and Mama for the entire night, was acting like a spoiled child because she wanted their attention.


    Because of this, the two teenagers pampered the baby Slime by hand feeding her alternately, making Eiko very happy.


    After lunch ended, Iris took Eiko to stroll around the academy, while Vera took Lux to a ce where they could talk privately.


    "Alex said that you and Iris can get married when she turns eighteen," Vera said with a smile. "I would like to hold my great grandchild after that, so you better do your best. Do you understand, Lux?"


    "Yes, Grandma," Lux replied with a serious look on his face. "I will do my best to give you many great grandchildren."


    "As much as I''d love that, remember that moderation is key," Veramented as she rested her hands on Lux''s shoulders. "You and Iris are important to me. As long as both of you are happy, and healthy, I''ll be fine with a dozen great grandkids."


    Lux chuckled because his grandma''s words and her intentions were contradicting each other. How can having a dozen kids be called "doing things in moderation?"


    After talking for a while, Lux asked Vera if she knew about the Sacred Dungeon that could be found in the Hidden Domain that was jointly controlled by the Six Kingdoms and Barbatos Academy.


    "Actually, this is also something that Gilbert wanted to discuss with you," Vera said. "He was hoping that you would temporarily join the Storm Dragon''s guild in order to fight for the resources inside the Sacred Dungeon."


    "Grandma, sorry, but I don''t want to be on the same team as Nero," Lux replied. "I owe a lot to the Wildgarde Stronghold, but putting Nero and I on the same team is not adding 1+1 = 2, but 1-1 = 0. It will just create problems for both sides, so it will be best if we both act separately.


    "Also, I have already promised Cai that I will join the Rowan Tribe''s expedition team to explore the Dungeon. I''m really sorry, but can you tell Sir Gilbert about this?"


    "The Rowan Tribe?" Vera arched an eyebrow. "If this is the case then Gilbert and the others will have no objections. In fact, we are also teaming up with the Rowan Tribe to challenge Hell Mode. Are you also going there to get the cure for the Purple gue?"


    Lux nodded, which confirmed Vera''s suspicion.


    "Good. Since both of our objectives are the same, there won''t be any problems," Veramented. "I''m not sure if you know, but the Saint''s Wife is Gilbert''s older sister. This is why the Rowan Tribe and Wildgarde Stronghold have a very good rtionship with each other. Gilbert has ordered Nero to find the flower which is supposedly the key to curing the Purple gue. If we seed in this expedition then aside from Cai''s Grandmother, the entirety of the Six Kingdoms will benefit from this as well."


    Lux''s interest was piqued, so he asked his grandma more questions, allowing him to have a better understanding about the Nomadic Tribe that could move unhindered across the Six Kingdoms without anyone daring to stop their way.

 Chapter ?273 Change Of Plans

    Chapter ?273 Change Of ns


    When Iris opened her eyes, she found herself inside a warm and protective embrace.


    It felt sofortable, and nice, that she didn''t want to leave, but there were some things she needed to do today, so she couldn''t stay in her beloved''s embrace for hours on end.


    After propping herself up, she gazed at Lux''s peaceful sleeping face and smiled. The mere thought of spending the rest of her life with him was a wish that had be reality. Her gaze then wandered over his strong, and lean body, appreciating every part of it.


    When her eyesnded on Lux''s lower half, she felt her cheeks burning because the little guy was standing tall so early in the morning, despite the fact that it had worked hardst night to make her feel incredibly good, making her almost faint from the pleasure it brought her.


    Leaving the bed, she went to face the full body mirror that was located in the corner of her room.


    A blue-haired beauty stared back at her, and several kiss marks could be seen on her white and youthful body.


    On her neck, on her corbone, around her breasts, near her belly button, and even on her lower abdomen.


    ''Maybe I shouldn''t have teased him so muchst night,'' Iris mused as she lightly touched the ces where Lux had left his mark. ''He was a little rough on mest night, but it felt incredibly good��''


    After losing her maidenhood, Iris had be quite active when it came to love making, even taking the initiative to push Lux down on the bed, so she could embrace him.


    Even she was surprised at how bold she was, but in the end, she thought that she was only able to do such things because she truly loved Lux, and had wanted to be with him for several years.


    Turning around, the blush on her face became redder when she saw more kiss marks on her backside, making her feel ashamed.


    ''I should tell him not to kiss me there next time,'' Iris thought as she shook her head helplessly.


    After admiring and checking her body for two more minutes, she then walked towards the window of her room and nced at the scenery.


    She had seen this view countless times in the past, but now, it held a different meaning to her. Because she was no longer alone. She had a fiance, whom she would marry in two-years-time.


    ''Maybe I should thank my father for what he did,'' Iris mused.


    In more ways than one, Alexander had indeed spurred Lux to push himself to the limit in order to reach a certain standard that would allow him to triumph over his rivals in the tournament.


    This included Nero, who had a crush on Iris and was someone who didn''t have a good rtionship with him.


    As she was gazing in the distance, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her body, and pulled her towards a strong, and lean chest, making her sigh in happiness.


    "Good morning," Lux whispered in her ears before nting a kiss on her cheek. "Did you rest well?"


    "I did," Iris replied as she returned Lux''s kiss. "What are your ns for today?"


    Lux didn''t answer right away as he pondered the question inside his head.


    "I will be leaving in two days time to go to the Rowan Tribe," Lux answered. "Cai said that I need to meet with its grandfather, and discuss the ns for the expedition in the Sacred Dungeon. You will be going with the Elite Members of Barbatos Academy, right?"


    Iris nodded. Just like the Rowan Tribe and the Six Kingdoms, the Barbatos Academy was also sending an elite team in order to gather resources inside the Hidden Domain, where the Sacred Dungeon was located.


    "Be careful, okay?" Iris said softly before turning around to look up at her fiance''s clear, green eyes, that she loved so much. "As much as I want to go with you, I need to ensure that Barbatos Academy gets some gains in this expedition."


    "I will," Lux promised. "You guys will be challenging the Normal Mode, right?"


    "Yes. Last time, we didn''t clear it, but we did gain some good things inside. This year, our goal is to actually clear it so that the morale of the Guild will soar."


    "Goodluck to you."


    Iris smiled. She knew that Lux nned to go to the Hell Mode of the Sacred Dungeon in order to help Cai look for a special flower that was said to cure most diseases. ording to eyewitnesses reports, they were able to see this flower inside the Sacred Dungeon, when they first challenged the Hell Mode of the Dungeon.


    Unfortunately, this flower grew on the back of what seemed to be and turtle, who was a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster


    (A/N: Rank 5 is equivalent to the Initiate Rank of Mortal Standards).


    Cai''s n was simple. It would distract the monster, while Lux and Keane found a way to take the flower from the monster''s back. Once they seeded, they would immediately escape and no longer engage the Field Boss Monster, whose rank well surpassed their own.


    After some hugs, and kisses, Iris went to the bathroom alone, and forbade Lux toe in with her. She knew that if she and the Half-Elf were to bathe together, the two of them would end up making love again, which would prevent her from doing the things she needed to for the day.


    The Half-Elf understood that Iris had many responsibilities, so he didn''t insist on going in the bathroom with her.


    After tasting the forbidden fruit, both teenagers had be addicted to it. This was why they were doing their best to do things in moderation, because too much of something was not good.


    ��-


    Fifteen minutester, Iris had arrived at the Conference Room of Barbatos Academy where the high-ranking members of the Silver-Ranked Guild, Serenity, were going to meet.


    Iris was one of the three Vice-Guild Masters of Serenity, and had her own personal army that ensured her safety during guild expeditions and went by the name, White Rose.


    Serenity was a guild that was made up of talented students from Barbatos Academy. They were the cream of the crop, which allowed them to gain a high-standing among their peers, gaining the respect of everyone in Barbatos Academy.


    One can even say that every student, especially themoners, that managed to pass the entrance exam of the Academy dreamt of being part of this Guild, which represented the faction of Barbatos Academy in Elysium.


    "You''rete, Iris. Is My Daddy that good in bed that you forgot we had an important meeting today?" a beautifuldy asked in a teasing tone, which made the blue-haired beauty blush as she walked towards her seat.


    The one that called out to Iris was none other than the Guild Master of Serenity, Henrietta Vi Fallon. A gorgeousdy with long purple hair, and eyes that were extremely rare within the Six Kingdoms.


    This hair and eye color was unique within the Fallon Family, and only one child with this trait would be born every two hundred years.


    Because Henrietta stood out from the crowd, many people, especially her family, had great expectations on her. Fortunately, she had a good head on her shoulders, and didn''t feel any pressure from the expectations that everyone had of her.


    She believed that she could live her life the way she wanted, and even her family couldn''t stop her from doing what she had set out to do.


    Henrietta had be the Guild Master of Serenity not because of her looks, but her ability. Even Iris, whom everyone treated like a VIP, only had respect for her Guild Master, who was also her best friend.


    After Iris had sat on her chair, Henrietta no longer dyed their meeting and started the discussion.


    The first words that came out of her lips shocked everyone, making even Iris look at her in surprise.


    "This year, we will not go and challenge the Normal Mode of the Sacred Dungeon," Henrietta dered. "All of us will challenge Hell Mode, and our goal will be the Sacred White Lotus, which is said to cure almost all kinds of diseases, including the Purple gue, which is still wide-spread within the borders of the Six Kingdoms."

 Chapter ?274 To The Rowan Tribe!

    Chapter ?274 To The Rowan Tribe!


    "My greatest regret is not being able to win the tournament, and be your fiance," Cai said as it pressed its forehead against Iris'', making thetter giggle. "But because I know that you love your step-brother, I decided to take it easy on him and let him win, without making myself look bad."


    "Thank you for letting him win, Cai," Iris replied. "Also, thank you for doing your best for me. I really appreciate it."


    If Lux was there, he would have definitely pped the shameless boar''s bum for being thick-skinned. Clearly, it had fought with everything it had during the tournament, and still lost to Lux, even though thetter had fallen unconscious near the end of their battle.


    "Um, will youe to our festival again next year?" Cai asked. "I''d like to see you dance again. Your step-brother stole my precious recording crystal. Next year, I promise that I will get a dozen copies of your dance, and treat it as my family''s treasure."


    Iris nodded "Okay. I will alsoe next year."


    "Great! I look forward to apanying you next year. Um, you can also bring My Daddy, we won''t mind."


    "Thank you."


    Iris and Cai met in private because thetter wanted to talk to Iris without being interrupted before it returned to the Rowan Tribe. It had traveled all the way to Barbatos Academy in order to protect its friend''s freedom from her own father, who decreed that she would be the fiance of the Champion of the Tournament.


    After chatting for a few minutes, Iris suddenly remembered the letter that Cai''s Grandpa had sent to her when the Boar decided to join the tournament. Cai''s position in the Rowan Tribe was special, so there were several restrictions ced on it, preventing the boar from doing things that it must never do, while away from home.


    "By the way Cai, did you make sure that no one saw your true form while you were participating in the tournament?" Iris asked while yfully rubbing the boar''s face. "Grandpa Rowan gave you this restriction before you left the tribe, right?"


    "... Of course! Hahaha!" Cai replied after a brief pause. "How can I possibly let someone see my true form? Wouldn''t I be taking a loss if that happened? I still want to get married, you know?"


    "That''s good to know. I don''t know what Grandpa Rowan would do if someone really saw your real body."


    "I know, right?"


    Caiughed along with Iris, but if one was to pay close attention, they would find out that the boar wasughing nervously.


    It had forgotten to lock the door when its transformation was about to be undone due to its haste, which allowed Lux to see its true form when the Half-Elf visited its room to look for it.


    ��---


    An hourter, Lux, Cai, and Keane, stood at the gates of Barbatos Academy.


    Eiko was perched on top of her Papa''s head just like always. In fact, the slime was very excited to set off on a new adventure with Lux. Ever since the tournament ended, the Baby Slime was raring to return to Elysium in order to train, and gather more Beast Cores so that it could be stronger.


    The tournament only pushed Eiko''s desire to be stronger so she could beat her rival, the Unicorn Astra, in their next rematch.


    "Make sure to help your Papa at all times, okay?"


    "Ma!"


    "Always eat on time, okay?"


    "Ma!"


    "Tell me all the names of thedies who try to flirt with your Papa, okay?"


    Eiko nodded her head, while perched on top of Lux''s head, making the Half-Elf give Iris a bitter smile.


    The blue-haired beauty then smiled mischievously before nting a kiss on Lux''s lips, in front of everyone, who were also gathered in the gate of the academy, making the boys look at Lux in envy and jealousy.


    "Be careful and don''t push yourself too hard," Iris said as she cupped the Half-Elf''s face. "Juste back to me safely."


    "I will," Lux answered before kissing Iris'' lips in front of everyone.


    When their kiss ended, Cai lightly snorted and gave the two a disapproving look, voicing everyone''s thoughts.


    "You two should just get a room," Cai stated. "What are you two, exhibitionists? Are we a joke to you?"


    Lux and Iris gave the boar a side-long nce before grinning at each other. Iris had kissed the red-headed teenager to let everyone know that she now belonged to him, making those who still had thoughts about her stoppletely.


    Lux, on the other hand, understood what she was doing, so he decided to y along and kiss her as well in front of everyone, to show them that the blue-haired beauty now belonged to him, so they should look for other fishes in the sea.


    After sharing one more kiss that made Cai almost vomit sugar, the trio finally left the academy, leaving Iris and Vera behind.


    Lux''s Grandma had talked to Lux in private, at the same time that Cai was talking to Iris. They both said their farewells to each other, and Vera told him that she would return to the Wildgarde Stronghold and wait for his return.


    Right now, Barbatos Academy, the Rowan Tribe, the Six Kingdoms, as well as other prominent families were all gearing up to challenge the Hidden Domain that only opened once a year.


    "Let''s go," Cai dered as it faced the West. "To the Rowan Tribe!"


    As if waiting for that moment, a giant Manta Ray descended from the sky. It was the mount that Cai had used to travel to Barbatos Academy, and it would be the same beast that would carry it back to where the Rowan Tribe was currently settled, which was near the outskirts of the Hidden Domain that would be opening in a few days.


    Lux and Keane followed behind Cai as the Boar mounted the Flying Manta Ray, which was a beast that the two of them were seeing for the first time.


    The Half-Elf had only heard stories of the Nomadic Rowan Tribe from his Grandmother, and most of her stories told him how hospitable this tribe was even when interacting with strangers.


    However, Vera warned Lux about one thing and one thing only.


    "Rowan is known to spoil his only granddaughter very much," Vera said to him before they parted ways. "As long as you do not disrespect her, you will be able to leave the tribe in one piece."


    Vera had said these words in a teasing manner, so Lux didn''t know if his grandma was only joking when she gave him this warning.


    Even so, he decided to not take chances and make sure to be on his best behavior during his visit. That way, he would get a better understanding of what kind of person the Chief of the Rowan Tribe was, and find a way to form a good rtionship with him, so he would gain a backer that had the strength of a Saint.


    As the Giant Manta Ray flew towards the West, the corner of Iris'' lips curled up with a smile.


    ''I wonder what Lux will think when he finds out that I am also challenging the Hell Mode of the Sacred Dungeon,'' Iris mused. Although she didn''t look like it, she was a verypetitive individual.


    She believed that this time around, Serenity would be able to get the Sacred Lotus Flower back from the dungeon, and help the people that were inflicted with the Purple gue, which had left many people��including Cai''s grandmother��encased in a block of ice, waiting for the day that the cure for it would finally be found.

 Chapter 275 May Your Reign Be Long And Prosperous!

    Chapter 275 May Your Reign Be Long And Prosperous!


    The giant Manta Ray steadily flew across the sky as it continued its flight path toward the West.


    During the journey, Lux asked Cai questions about the Rowan Tribe, to which the Boar more than happily answered .


    Clearly, Cai loved its tribe so much that whenever it talked about it, one could feel the pride in its voice.


    "We don''t like conflicts, but we are not afraid of it," Cai said with a serious expression on its face. "We are the only tribe within the Six Kingdoms that travels from ce to ce. Where we went depended on the season and the mood of my grandfather.


    "Because of this, most of the men and women in our tribe are battle-hardened warriors. We also carry a portable gateway that leads us to Elysium, so it doesn''t matter where we go. This is one of the reasons why we do not feel the need to travel to the other kingdoms in order to borrow their gates, and can remain with the tribe for most of our lives.


    "Granted, there are those who leave for various reasons, but we don''t hold them back. The only oath they had to take was that when they leave the tribe, they would make a solemn oath not to do anything to harm its interest, wherever they may go. After that, they can leave with our Tribe''s blessing."


    Lux and Keane simply listened as the Boar spoke about the pros and cons of traveling from ce to ce. Naturally the pros are you would be able to see many different sceneries, meet new people, and explore new ces.


    There were of course cons as well.


    The mostmon was parting with the friends and family members who decided to stay in the ces they visited, as well as saying goodbyes to the new friends that had been made along your journey.


    They also didn''t have what they could call a "permanent home"��a ce where they could settle down and grow as amunity, making their own mark on the world.


    "Perhaps because of this, our faction in Elysium decided to have a ce we could call our home," Cai stated. "Right now, our faction has built a small town in a ce where different paths converged. In short, the ce we chose is like a hub for those who also like to travel. Visitors can use it as a ce to trade, rest, and to a certain extent, stay for extended periods of time.


    "What we don''t have here in Sis, we have in Elysium. So we are thankful for the opportunity to have a ce we can call home, in a world that is simr, yet different, from this world we live in."


    Keane, who had been silent for a long time suddenly spoke up.


    "What is this Elysium you speak of?" Keane asked. "What new world are you talking about?"


    Lux and Cai stared at the skinny swordsman with confusion.


    "... You don''t know what Elysium is?" Lux asked in disbelief.


    "Is that some kind of big city?" Keane asked back. "I''ve lived on the mountains all my life. I don''t know about this ce you call Elysium."


    Lux and Cai exchanged nces because they could tell that Keane wasn''t lying. The mysterious swordsman had really not gone to Elysium, so the two of them were at a loss about how to exin it to him.


    "Um, just what kind of rock have you been hiding under all this time?" Cai inquired. "You said you have a Master, right? Why didn''t he tell you about Elysium?"


    Keane frowned as he remembered his no-good-master who only drank rice wine and ate barbecue all day and night. However, even if his Master was like that, he was still the person that saved their vige when it was attacked by bandits when Keane was only eight years old.


    Unfortunately, Keane''s parents died protecting him, and he became an orphan. Because of this, his Master decided to raise him as his Disciple, and the two of them had lived in the mountains while Keane studied the Grand Void Sword Style.


    ''Maybe this is why my Master said that I should travel the world and find my own version of peace,'' Keane thought. ''Does he perhaps think that I am now qualified to enter this world called Elysium?''


    Lux on the other hand looked at Keane with admiration. Based on strength alone, he could tell that Keane had already reached the rank of a Grade-A Apostle, without even going to Elysium.


    This meant that, whoever his Master was, had taken great care of him and didn''t allow him to get left behind by his peers in terms of strength.


    "Basically Elysium is very much like Sis, but there are differences as well," Lux said as he tried to exin things about Elysium to the skinny swordsman.


    Cai would alsoment from time to time in order to fill the gaps that Lux left about Elysium, allowing Keane to have a better understanding of the world that he was about to go to alongside Lux and Keane.


    "For now, I think it will be best if you join the Faction of the Rowan Tribe," Lux advised. "They are a neutral faction, and you will be able to let you gain a better understanding of how the world of Elysium works. Also, experience is the best teacher. As long as you are able to visit it a couple of times, you will eventually adapt to your new environment."


    Keane nodded his head in understanding. He felt very curious about this new world that Lux and Cai were talking about. Something inside him was telling him that the version of peace he was looking for might be found in Elysium.


    "We''re here," Cai informed as it looked in the distance with a smile. "We have arrived in the current settlement of the Rowan Tribe."


    Lux and Keane followed Cai''s gaze and saw many fluttering banners that bore the insignia of the Rowan Tribe.


    The Half-Elf was surprised to see that the emblem of the Rowan Tribe was a ck boar with red eyes that would make anyone who had seen it feel intimidated.


    The Giant Manta Ray let out a soft humming sound as it slowly descended from the sky.


    Perhaps, noticing its arrival, a loud horn sounded from within the settlement, and several flying Manta Rays rose up in the air to meet them.


    "Wee back, High Priestess�Cack!"


    One of the teenagers who came to greet Cai, suddenly found himself falling off his mount when the Giant Manta Ray, which Cai was riding, shot out a blob of water that sent him flying.


    Fortunately, the teenager''s mount was quick and hurriedly caught its rider with ease, preventing him from falling to the ground. Clearly, this wasn''t the first time that this happened, and all of the flying riders of the Rowan Tribe and their mounts had long known how to handle such incidents.


    The other teenagers who saw this immediately understood what they needed to do and simply pressed their hands together and bowed their heads in respect.


    ""We greet the Great Boar of the Rowan Tribe. May your reign be long and prosperous!""


    Cai briefly nodded its head in order to acknowledge their greeting.


    "Um, did anything of interest happen while I was away?" Cai asked.


    "The emissaries from the Elven Kingdom of Elswyth came. They had a discussion with the Great Chief, but no one knew the details of their conversation."


    A handsome teenager who was riding a golden Manta Ray spoke, and the others parted to make way for his arrival. His body was covered with tattoos, and his strong and overbearing presence made anyone who saw him feel as if they were facing a strong adversary.


    "I greet the Great Boar of the Rowan Tribe. May your reign be long and prosperous!"


    The teenager bowed respectfully towards Cai, and thetter briefly nodded its head to acknowledge his greeting.


    Lux recognized who the teenager was and finally connected the dots.


    During the tournament, when Cai was about to face one of the Five Overlords, his opponent conceded before the fighting even began.


    "I see. So you are from the Rowan Tribe," Luxmented.


    "Yes," the handsome teenager nced at Lux and gave him a nod of recognition. "I didn''t get the opportunity to fight you during the tournament. Perhaps you can give me the opportunity to spar with you after our expedition through the Sacred Dungeon is over?"


    "Sure."


    "Thank you."


    After this brief greeting, the flying Manta Rays escorted Cai and its mount as it descended towards the Rowan Tribe, where the people had already gathered to celebrate its return.


    It was only at this moment that Lux and Keane realized that the Boar that many had ridiculed, teased, andughed at during the Lionheart Tournament, was actually an important personage in the only Nomadic Tribe within the Six Kingdoms that even made the rulers dare not to offend.

 Chapter ?276 Meeting The Saint Of The Rowan Tribe [Part 1]

    Chapter ?276 Meeting The Saint Of The Rowan Tribe [Part 1]


    Maximilian Rowan was the Chief of the Rowan Tribe and a powerhouse in his own right.


    Right now, only Five Saints remain within the territories of the Six Kingdoms.


    Two of them were from Barbatos Academy, while two others had shunned the world and lived the life of hermits, not caring about the petty squabbles the Six Kingdoms had over their territories.


    Last but not the least was Maximilian.


    He was known as the ck Boar of the ins, and those who had witnessed his might during the Hundred-Year-War could attest that he wasn''t someone that should be provoked no matter the cost.


    Although the Chief of the Rowan Tribe was a pacifist at heart, he was the most aggressive of all the Saints when it came to using force to settle disputes.


    This contradictory behavior of his made him a very unpredictable person, so those who dealt with the Rowan Tribe, especially when it came to political affairs, tread on a tightrope.


    The delegation of the Elven Kingdom of Elswyth was proof of this. They hade to "politely ask" the Saint to handover Gerhart, as well as the Elven Treasure, Kinyer, in exchange for rare resources that could only be gained from the Elven Kingdom.


    However, after Maximilian told the Elves that Gerhart was his Disciple, they immediately changed their stance and simply asked that the Kinyer be returned to them. They were even willing to make an oath that the Royal Family was willing to turn a blind eye to the incident that happened in the Lionheart Tournament and no longer pursue Gerhart in exchange for the Kinyer.


    To this, Maximilian nodded his head.


    He said that as long as he acquired a blood pledge from the Elven Royal Family that they would no longer seek trouble for his Disciple, he would hand over the Kinyer. However, until the pledge was in his hands, the Kinyer would remain in his possession.


    Hearing this, the Elven Delegation immediately returned to the Elven Kingdom in order to have the Royal Family procure the blood pledge, making them cease all hostilities against Gerhart, whom Maximilian had recognized as his disciple.


    When Lux, Cai, and Keane arrived at the Rowan Tribe and heard this piece of news, the Boar snorted but didn''t say anything.


    Clearly, it didn''t like anyone hurting its sworn brother, Gerhart, and found its Grandpa''s demands quite satisfactory.


    "Hmph! They are lucky that Grandpa was willing to negotiate about giving the Kinyer back," Cai said. "If it had been me, I would have demanded a lot of things from them until they spit blood."


    The Boar grumbled as it walked towards the Main Hall of the Great Chief, where guests were received by the Saint directly. Cai''s current size was that of a meter-tall-boar, making it look like a house pet, but everyone that it passed along the way bowed their heads respectfully to it.


    "Gramps! I''m back!" Cai shouted as soon as it arrived at the Great Hall, making its presence known.


    "Cai, wee home," a middle-aged man whose body was simr to that of a body builder smiled as soon as he saw the boar, who didn''t hesitate to run and jump into the Chieftain''s arms.


    "I missed you, Grandpa."


    "Not as much as I missed you."


    The middle-aged man kissed the boar''s cheeks and patted its head several times, making Cai close its eyes in contentment as itid down on Maximilian''sp, allowing its grandpa to spoil it.


    "You must be Cai''s friends," Maximilian said as he shifted his attention to Lux and Keane who remained standing inside the Main Hall. "Please, sit. Both of you are guests. Feel free to treat this ce as your home."


    Gaining permission from the host, the two teenagers sat on the sitting cushions that wereid out in front of them.


    On the surface, Maximilian gazed at them with a fond smile, but deep inside, he was assessing the two teenagers who apanied Cai back from the Lionheart Tournament, in order to join their faction in the uing expedition inside the Hidden Domain.


    "I''ve heard many things about the two of you from Xander," Maximilian said.


    Xander was the name of the handsome teenager with tattoos all over his body and one of the Five Overlords. He was also the same person who conceded in his match against Cai in the tournament, which allowed the Boar to proceed to the Semi-Finals.


    "On behalf of the Rowan Tribe, let me thank you foring," Maximilian added and gave the two boys a brief nod. "If this expedition seeds, I will owe both of you a favor. If it doesn''t seed, I will still give both of you properpensation for joining our faction for the duration of the exploration of the Sacred Dungeon.


    "All I ask is that you do everything in your power to find the Sacred White Lotus that can help save my wife, as well as those who had been inflicted by the Purple gue for the past few decades. Can I expect that the two of you will do your best, regardless of the results of this mission?"


    Lux and Keane both nodded their heads at the same time. Since they were already here, they would do their utmost to make this mission a sess.


    "You did well, Cai," Maximilian stated. "Both of these boys are good seedlings."


    "But of course," Cai replied. "I made sure to only pick the best. Those Four Kings and the other Overlords, except Xander, are all no good. They''re not worth soliciting."


    Maximilianughed as he patted Cai''s head, who had a smug expression on its face.


    "Well then, why don''t you take Keane to the temporary lodging that we prepared for him during his stay?" Maximilian asked. "I want to discuss something with the Champion of the tournament in private."


    "Okay," Cai replied. "Little Swordy, follow me. I''ll show you to your room."


    Cai obeyed its Grandpa and didn''t even bother to stay and listen to the conversation between Maximilian and Lux.


    Since its grandpa didn''t want it to hear their discussion, it meant that it wasn''t meant for its ears, so the Boar didn''t insist on staying.


    Lux could tell the trust between Maximilian and Cai wasplete, and it reminded him of the trust he had with his grandma. Even though there were times when Lux was curious about what his Grandma was discussing with other people in private, he never asked her questions about them and simply waited for Vera to open up.


    If she didn''t say anything, it meant that the matter didn''t concern Lux, so there was no need to talk about it.


    A few minutes after Cai and Keane left the Main Hall, Maximilian waved his hand, creating a soundproof dome around him and Lux.


    Clearly, the middle-aged man wanted to make sure that their discussion wouldn''t reach anyone else''s ears, which made Lux very curious about what Maximilian would say to him.


    "Should I call you, Lux or My Daddy?" Maximilian asked with a smile.


    "Just Lux, Your Excellency," Lux replied. "My Daddy is just an alias I used during the tournament."


    "But, your Alias is more popr than your real name. It seems that almost everyone will be calling you My Daddy from now on."


    "..."


    Lux only hung his head in resignation, making Cai''s grandpaugh again. Clearly, he found the Half-Elf''s dilemma quite amusing, so he felt the urge to tease the red-headed teenager and make him feelfortable before he breached the real issue of why he asked him to stay.


    Five minutester, the smile disappeared on Maximilian''s face, and was reced by a solemn one.


    "Tell me, Lux," Maximilian said as he gazed steadily at the Half-Elf in front of him. "You saw my granddaughter''s real form, right?"

 Chapter ?277 Meeting The Saint Of The Rowan Tribe [Part 2]

    Chapter ?277 Meeting The Saint Of The Rowan Tribe [Part 2]


    "You saw my granddaughter''s real form, right?"


    A pin-drop silence descended inside the room after Maximilian asked his question.


    Lux''s first thought was to deny it, but he knew that lying to a Saint was very risky. In the end, he decided toe clean and tell Maximilian everything that happened.


    "I should have knocked when I went to Cai''s room," Lux started. "I saw her real form by ident."


    "Good," Maximilianmented. "If you lied just now, I would have pped you silly, but since you admitted your wrongdoing, and it was truly an ident, I will forgive you."


    A yful smile appeared on Maximilian''s face as he eyed Lux with satisfaction.


    "You see, my granddaughter has disliked wearing clothes since she was little," Maximilian exined. "When she was still very young, it was fine. But as she grew older, we knew that things needed to be done in order to protect her reputation. The blood of the Rowan Family flows in her veins. Because of this, she was able to learn the art of Therianthropy fairly easily."


    "But she can only shapeshift to be a boar. Perhaps, it was due to her admiration of me since she was young, so she wanted to be like me as well."


    Lux nodded in understanding. When Maximilian got angry, he would transform into a hellish, giant, ck Boar, whose capacity for destruction was second to none.


    Cai had grown up hearing her grandfather''s bragging, and because of it, she had unknowingly imprinted to her inner core that bing a boar would make her just as amazing as her Grandpa.


    Since she didn''t like to wear clothes, she would just transform into a boar. Although her way of thinking was unconventional, it still gave her family a sense of relief, knowing that Cai wouldn''t be walking around naked all the time, letting everyone see her youthful beauty.


    The only problem was that, at least once every three days, she would return to her original form for half an hour to an hour. During this time, Cai would lock herself inside her room, preventing anyone except her family from seeing her.


    Maximilian had also ced a spell on her body, which would allow him to know if anyone saw her true form and who that person was. In the Saint''s eyes, all those who hadid their eyes on his granddaughter would have a reddish aura that surrounded their bodies, allowing the Saint to know who they were.


    "I promise that I will not divulge this secret to anyone," Lux said with seriousness.


    "Well, I will believe you for now," Maximilian replied. "Cai and Iris are very close friends, and your grandma and I are close friends as well. You might not remember it, but Vera brought you to me when you were only two years old."


    "Grandma did?"


    "Yes. She wanted me to take a look at your body in order to find the reason behind your abnormal disease that causes you to faint. That is when I discovered that your soul was damaged. However, looking at you now, it seems like you have fully recovered. You even won the tournament and proved that you''re the strongest member of the young generation. You really surprised me!"


    Maximilianughed heartily because he was truly surprised when he found out that the sickly boy that he thought would remain crippled for life had suddenly bounced back and even won the tournament where the strongest youngsters from all over the Six Kingdoms gathered to prove their worth.


    A momentter, Maximilians'' gazended on the three rings on Lux''s hands, which made him arch his eyebrow in surprise.


    "So Cai gave you the ring I made for her," Maximilianmented. "Does Iris have the pair to this ring?"


    "Yes," Lux answered. "I''m sorry. Cai gave them to me in the spur of the moment. I can return them if you want."


    "Hahaha. No need. Just treat it as a congrattory gift to your engagement with Iris. All I ask is that you treasure them because I made them with great care. If you get married in the future, feel free to look for me. I will personally craft your brides'' wedding rings."


    "Thank you very much!"


    "You sure are something. You didn''t flinch when I said brides and not bride," Maximilianmented. "So, do you n on having more than one wife? Is Iris fine with that?"


    "Um, I am not actually looking for more wives," Lux replied. "But, Iris said that she is fine with me having more wives. All I need to do is tell her, so that she can meet them and see if they are worthy of me or not."


    "What an understanding youngdy. Maybe I should let Cai be your second wife?"


    "Hahaha."


    Luxughed because he thought that Maximilian was just joking. The Saint alsoughed making it look like he was just teasing Lux as well. However, only Maximilian knew the truth of whether he was just joking or not.


    Half an hourter, Lux was escorted to his room by one of the servants working for the Chief of their tribe.


    When Lux arrived at the Rowan Tribe, he was kind of expecting to see all of them living in tents, just like the other tribes near the borders of the Six Kingdoms.


    However, what he saw wererge huts made from animal bones and skins that could easily fit a family of eight.


    The servant that was escorting him exined that all of the houses of the Rowan Tribe were artifacts made by the Great Chief himself.


    Whenever they traveled, the houses would turn into fist sized balls, made from animal bone, that they could pack in their belongings, making them very easy to carry.


    They would then ride their mounted beasts, and migrate to a different location, while keeping their houses with them at all times.


    Lux was quite interested in this portable home, and he decided to ask the Saint to give him one as a reward after their expedition in the Sacred Dungeon.


    Elysium was a very big world, and there would be times that he would need to camp out in the open as he traversed thends, going from one ce to the other.


    Having a portable house would easily solve his problem and allow him to live infort, despite being away from viges, towns, and cities, for long periods of time.


    That night, Lux and Keane were invited to join the Rowan Family for dinner, which the two gratefully epted.


    There were three more days before the Hidden Domain opened, which was plenty of time to get to know the members that would be joining their expedition. Lux had already known how strong Keane was, but he was not aware of how strong Xander and the other warriors of the Rowan Tribe were.


    Because of this, he decided to have a sparring match with them to better understand their abilities.


    Maximilian had assigned Lux to be the Captain of their expedition, making him the final decision maker of the team.


    Although he was the Champion of the Tournament, the teenagers of the Rowan Tribe were itching to spar with him to see how strong he really was.


    Lux thought that this was a good idea. As long as his temporary teammates were convinced of his strength, it would allow him tomand them without any resistance to his orders.


    During Dungeon expeditions, teamwork was the key and Lux had no intention of working with people who didn''t trust him.


    He would rather go Solo, or take just Cai and Keane with him, rather than lead a group who didn''t see him as their leader.


    When the warriors of the Rowan Tribe heard that Lux nned to duel with the people apanying him to the Sacred Dungeon, all of them gathered to challenge him one by one, which the Half-Elf was more than happy to oblige.

 Chapter ?278 Can The Two Of You Not Show Your PDA Here?

    Chapter ?278 Can The Two Of You Not Show Your PDA Here?


    A few dayster��


    "Grandpa, I promise that when I return, I will have the Sacred White Lotus to help cure Grandma," Cai said in a serious manner. "I will not let you down."


    "I know, but also be careful," Maximilian replied. "The Sacred Dungeon is not easy to conquer. If it was, it had already been cleared several times already."


    "Rx, we already got this in the bag."


    "Hah�� you never change do you?"


    Maximilian helplessly shook his head before shifting his attention to Lux, who was standing not far from them.


    "Make sure that Cai doesn''t do anything reckless," Maximilian stated. "I will leave her, and my tribe''s youngsters, in your hands."


    Lux nodded. "I will do my best."


    After Lux had fought with all the teenagers of the Rowan Tribe, including Xander, they finally realized how strong the Half-Elf was. Because of this, they no longer had any problems with him bing their leader, and promised to obey his orders for the sake of their Tribal Chieftain.


    "Let''s go and conquer the Sacred Dungeon!" Cai dered.


    ""Yes!""


    The Giant tform at the center of the settlement started to glow faintly. This was the portable Warp Gate of the Rowan Tribe that allowed them to go to Elysium.


    One by one, the teenagers entered the portal with Lux enteringst. This was the first time he was entering Elysium through a Warp Gate and wondered if there was any difference between it and the Ring of Arondight that Eriol had given him.


    A bright sh of light enveloped Lux''s body, forcing him to cover his eyes.


    When the light receded, he found himself in what seemed to be a settlement inside a jungle with trees that were several meters tall.


    Several tree-houses could be seen in the distance, and those who dwelled in them were teenagers, making Lux understand that this was one of the Rowan Tribe''s settlements inside the world of Elysium.


    "The Hidden Domain is an hour away from here," Cai said. "Let us make haste. I''m sure that the other guilds are also there."


    As if waiting for that moment, the Giant Manta Ray that Lux had seen in Barbatos Academy materialized above Cai''s head.


    Several other Manta Rays appeared as the members of the Rowan Tribe summoned their Beast Companions.


    The Rowan Tribe was a Nomadic n, and they traveled overnd, air, and sea. Because of this, all of them had Manta Rays as their first Beast Companions, allowing them to travel wherever they needed to go.


    Lux and Keane mounted Cai''s Manta Ray because they didn''t have a flying mount of their own.


    Keane, who was learning things about the world, wondered if he could also have a Beast Companion simr to Cai''s Manta Ray and Lux''s baby slime, Eiko.


    "Of course you can have a Beast Companion of your own," Cai replied as she lightly nudged her Manta Ray to take off towards the direction of the Hidden Domain. "After this expedition is over, I can help you look for one if you like. The Manta Rays are our Tribe''s exclusive mounts, so if you want one, I can ask Grandpa to give you one as a reward for helping me in this expedition."


    Keane''s interest was piqued after hearing Cai''s words. For him, having a flying transport was great because it would allow him to go anywhere he wanted.


    Preferably somewhere far away from the chatty Boar, who was making the peace he was looking for in life slip away from his fingertips.


    As for Lux, he already had Jed. After taking in the blood of the Mutated Thunder Wolf King, it had evolved into a Rank 4 Thunder Warg King, which also allowed it to use Lightning Steps, allowing it fast movements on the ground, butcking the ability to fly in the air.


    Lux nned to look for a Beast Core that had the ability of flight, simr to Air Steps, which would allow the Half-Elf''s mount to also traverse in the air.


    As the small fleet of Manta Rays flew Northwards, Keane looked around him with a serious gaze. He was trying to look for differences between Sis and Elysium, but so far, he hadn''t seen anything that stood out between the two.


    "Just wait until we arrive at the Hidden Domain," Cai said with confidence. "It will be your first initiation here in Elysium, so you better do your best, Little Swordy."


    "... How many times should I tell you not to call me Little Swordy?" Keane sighed because he had already given up on making the Boar call him by his name.


    Now he had understood what Lux had felt when everyone kept on calling him My Daddy, instead of his real name, making him feel depressed.


    "You''ll get used to it," Luxmented as he tapped Keane''s shoulder, making thetter mutter that he didn''t want to get used to it.


    Almost an hourter, they finally arrived at a canyon, with a deep gorge at its center.


    "Is the Hidden Domain inside it?" Lux asked with a frown.


    Cai nodded. "It was identally discovered when one of the students of Barbatos Academy fell on it and discovered the existence of the Hidden Domain. Knowing that the Academy didn''t have the manpower to gather as many resources from the Domain, Sir Alexander decided to share the news to the Six Kingdoms and the Rowan Tribe.


    "In return, the academy will get 10% of any resources that the other Factions gain whenever they enter the Hidden Domain. The Kings and my grandfather signed the agreement, and since then, the Six Kingdoms, Barbatos Academy, and the Rowan Tribe have ensured that the Hidden Domain would remain hidden from the other factions in Elysium. Also, this ce is a neutral area, and no adjacent kingdoms can own it."


    "No adjacent kingdoms can own it?" Lux tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"


    "Um, I don''t really understand. But my Grandpa said that the God of this World created several Neutral Areas in Elysium, preventing anyone from staking their im on it," Cai replied. "No settlements can be built in it because anyone who''s tried has suddenly found themselves attacked by Argonaut and Dreadnaught Ranked Field Monsters.


    "Also, the strongest mortals that can enter this area are Initiates. They simply don''t have the strength to fight against Monsters of such rank, so the Elysians have left thisnd alone, giving us the opportunity to take advantage of it."


    While Cai chatted with Lux and Keane, its Giant Manta Ray took the lead to enter the deep gorge, with the other manta rays trailing behind it.


    After fifteen minutes of darkness, Lux saw faint blue lights at the bottom,


    "Those are the lights of glow worms," Cai exined. "It means that we are near it."


    True to her words, a path appeared at the bottom of the gorge that was spacious enough for two mammoths to easily walk side by side on.


    The path was glowing with a blue light due to the countless glow worms that were sticking to the walls of the gorge, illuminating the path in front of them.


    A momentter, they arrived at a very spacious clearing that was the size of three football fields merged together. At the far end of this spacious clearing was a giant silver gate that was shut tight.


    Waiting outside of it were hundreds of teenagers, who belonged to the Six Kingdoms and Barbatos Academy.


    As soon as Cai''s Giant Manta Raynded, countless eyes nced in their direction.


    Lux, Cai, and Keane were members of the Elite Four that had survived the Lionheart Tournament.


    Everyone present on the scene instantly recognized them. However, no one dared to approach them, with the exception of one person.


    "You''re finally here, Lux," Iris said as she walked towards the Giant Manta Ray with a smile.


    "I''m here, Iris," Lux replied as he jumped off the Manta Ray and opened his arms wide so he could embrace his fiance in his arms.


    However, just as the two were about to hug each other, they found themselves hugging the body of a Boar, who stepped between the two of them at thest second.


    "Um, can the two of you not show your PDA here?" Cai asked as she pushed Lux away with her snout, before nuzzling Iris, making thetter giggle. "Have some delicacy. We didn''te here to watch the two of you make out. You can do it when the two of you are alone, okay?"


    Lux, who had been pushed aside, sighed in his heart as he looked at the boar who had given him a very strong urge to spank her.


    Iris on the other hand, covered her lips as she suppressed a chuckle, while listening to Cai''sints about how she and Lux should conduct themselves in public.


    The Half-Elf could only roll its eyes at Cai''s shamelessness before pushing it aside to give his fiance a hug.


    Iris hugged him back, making those who were watching the two of them click their tongues in irritation. Several of the young men had a crush on Iris, including the members of her own guild who were about to apany her inside the Sacred Domain.


    Although they had long epted that the apple of their eyes had already been eaten by someone else, the lingering feelings they had for her still remained.


    This was especially true for Nero, who was looking at the two of them from afar.


    Although he had a calm expression on the surface, inside his heart was a fire that threatened to engulf everything that belonged to the red-headed teenager who was currently hugging the youngdy of his dreams in a tight embrace.

 Chapter ?279 Dangers That Lurks Inside The Hidden Domain [Part 1]

    Chapter ?279 Dangers That Lurks Inside The Hidden Domain [Part 1]


    "The power of the Abyss is not something that can easily be controlled, or subjugated," Rainer said with a solemn look on his face. "If your will isn''t strong enough, it will take over your senses and its seed will bury itself in your heart, giving birth to a monster with a human face.


    "Nero. No matter what happens, you must strengthen your will, and not allow the power of the Abyss to take root in your heart. Many have already fallen victim to its whispers filled with temptation and promise of power. Do not let yourself be one of them. Do not let the Power of the Abyss control you. You must always be the one in control, do you understand?"


    "Yes, Master," Nero answered. "I will keep your teachings in my heart."


    ��---


    "Guild Master, the gate is showing signs of opening," one of Nero''s Guild Members informed him. "If everything goes ording to schedule, it will open in less than an hour from now."


    "Understood," Nero nodded. "Thank you for your report. I will be there shortly."


    The Guild Member respectfully bowed his head before leaving the makeshift tent that served as Nero''s personal quarters while waiting for the Gate of the Hidden Domain to open.


    The Hidden Domain was a treasure-trove of resources, and the Sacred Dungeon was only one of them. Unfortunately, many strong monsters guarded the locations where extremely rare herbs, fruits, and flowers��that were highly sought out by alchemists, and pharmacists��could be collected.


    Several attempts had already been made in the past, but this only led to countless deaths, which made the various factions reconsider their strategy.


    Any deaths in the Hidden Domain were permanent. Meaning if they died while collecting treasures inside, they could not be resurrected. Only those that died in the Sacred Dungeon would respawn outside of the Hidden Domain, in front of the Silver Gates.


    Because of this, all the Apostles from Grade C to Grade A were strictly ordered to not wander around the Hidden Domain, and simply focus on challenging the Sacred Dungeon.


    That way, even if they died, they would just be kicked out of the Domain, and keep their lives intact.


    Nero took several deep breaths in order to calm himself before looking at the mirror.


    "Nero, you''re strong," Nero said firmly as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. "A single loss doesn''t mean anything. It is just a way to remind you that you still have room to grow. Just continue to work hard, and strive to be the best. One of these days, everyone will know that you are the strongest person among your peers."


    After lightly pping his face with both of his hands. Nero once again took a deep breath before leaving the tent.


    He was the Guild Master of the Silver-Ranked Guild, Storm Dragons.


    His Guild Members looked up to him, and respected him. He had already proven himself to be a capable leader and, with him at the helm, he would lead the faction of the Wildgarde Stronghold andplete their mission without fail.


    ��--


    "Can you feel it?" Keane asked Lux who was standing beside him with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "The Gate is about to open."


    Keane shook his head. "I am not talking about the gate. I am talking about the people gathered here. Do you feel it?"


    Lux scanned his surroundings, and looked up at the people around him.


    As his gazended on Iris, the blue-haired beauty waved at him with a smile. She was currently with her Guild, Serenity, and the purple-haired beauty that was standing beside her gave Lux a challenging gaze, as if she wanted to challenge him to a duel.


    Lux ignored her and nced at the other teenagers that had gathered to explore the Hidden Domain together.


    The Four Kings and the Five Overlords were present, each leading their own Guilds. The presences they were radiating were very different from the ones they had during the Lionheart Tournament, which made Lux wonder if all of them had increased in rank during the time he hadn''t seen them.


    "Now, do you feel it?"


    Keane''s inquiry broke Lux out of his daze, making the Half-Elf nod his head.


    "There is this kind of tension that is hard to exin," Lux frowned because he finally understood what Keane was talking about. "It''s like everyone here is heading to war, making the air around us heavy."F


    Keane nodded because his senses were extremely sharp. When the Silver Gate had shown signs that it was about to open, the auras of everyone, including the members of their group, had suddenly red up.


    Even the usually chatty Cai was silent, and the hairs on the back of its body were standing on end.


    Iris, too, had a solemn look on her face as she gazed at the Silver Gate whose radiance was getting stronger with each passing minute.


    Only Lux and Keane had rxed expressions on their faces, making them feel out of ce.


    The reason why the two could still remain calm was quite simple. This was their first time entering the Hidden Domain, while the others had entered it a year ago.


    They had already experienced firsthand, what kind of terrory beyond the Silver Gate, and knew that, the moment they entered it, their lives would be in danger.


    The Sacred Dungeon was located at the center of the Hidden Domain. This meant that they had to travel for at least an hour before they could reach it.


    They couldn''t use any flying mounts, because this was a very risky move. It might make the local beasts inside the Domain attack them because they felt that their territory was being challenged by a neer.


    In the past, all the Guilds would travel towards the Sacred Dungeon separately, however after losing more than half of their members before they even reached their destination, the decision makers of Barbatos Academy, the Six Kingdoms, and the Rowan Tribe decided that all factions must work together to reach the Sacred Dungeon.


    With such arge force that was made up of Hundreds of Apostles, even Deimos and Argonaut Ranked Monsters needed to think twice before they engaged them in battle.


    The Hidden Domain was a ce where the "Survival of the Fittest" was always in effect. The Beasts here were very intelligent. They would not hesitate to kill the other local beasts to eat their meat and beast cores, once an opportunity presented itself.


    This was why no Beast would take the initiative to attack arge group of Apostles, in fear that another one would attack its back the moment it received a serious injury from the foreigners that entered their Domain.


    Suddenly, a creaking sound was heard as the Silver Gate that had been shut tight earlier, opened wide, showing a purple portal at its center.


    "Storm Dragon, Follow me!" Nero ordered.


    "Serenity, by my side!" Henrietta shouted.


    "Saber Kings, lead the charge!" Ackley, the Barbarian whom Lux had fought in the tournament, roared.


    "Silent Forest, keep your eyes open," Vall, the Spider Boy, stated.


    "Noblesse, with me!" the Elf Prince, as well as the one that Gerhart fought during the tournament, Enlil hovered in the air as he led the Elves to enter the portal.


    One by one, the Guilds that represented the various powers that gathered to challenge the Hidden Domain entered the portal.


    "Let''s go," Lux ordered.


    The Rowan Faction was thest guild that entered the portal. Before the Silver Gate fully opened, the leaders of each guild had gathered to talk about the roles they would y in the journey to the Sacred Dungeon.


    The Barbarian Guild, Saber Kings, and Nero''s Guild��the Storm Dragons��would be the Vanguard.


    The Silent Forest, led by Vall, and Noblesse, led by Enlil, would be the scouts.


    Serenity would be at the center, that would immediately support the Vanguard or the Scouts if they were attacked along their journey.


    Lux''s Guild served as the rear guard to prevent any Monsters from sneaking up behind them andunching a surprise attack.


    As the hundreds of teenagers marched towards their destination, various shrieks, roars, and chirping sounds were heard in the forest that surrounded them.


    Everyone braced themselves for the first phase of their journey, where death was permanent, and their safetyy at the whims of the Monsters that inhabit the Hidden Domain that had been around for thousands of years.

 Chapter ?280 Dangers That Lurks Inside The Hidden Domain [Part 2]

    Chapter ?280 Dangers That Lurks Inside The Hidden Domain [Part 2]


    As the different guilds made their way toward the Sacred Dungeon, which was located at the center of the Hidden Domain, they kept their guard up in order to prepare for any contingencies.


    Even Lux had summoned Diablo and Pazuzu, and they were currently walking by his side to ensure that they would be able to react if their Master was in any kind of danger.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, looked left and right with curiosity. She was able to rank up after eating the Beast Cores, which were the remaining spoils of war from the defending Whitebridge City.


    Of course, these Beast Cores weren''t enough, but after knowing the baby slimes dilemma, Iris used her stash of Beast Cores to allow Eiko to increase her strength before the expedition in the Hidden Domain.


    Because of this, the Baby Slime gained many new abilities, including adding two more summons to her squad of slimes, who she named Saber and Cloud.


    ��--


    < Eiko >


    "The world is my oyster!"


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Rating: C


    �C Progress ( 0 / 20,000)


    Health: 7,600 / 7,600


    Mana: 32,500 / 32,500


    Strength: 92


    Intelligence: 650


    Vitality: 152


    Agility: 92


    Dexterity: 92


    Special Abilities: Mimicry [EX], Regeneration [EX], Family Bond [EX], Speech [EX], Dig [EX], Storage [EX], Poison Immunity [EX], True Sight [EX], Stealth [EX]


    Summon Skills: Summon ckie (Devil Slime), Summon Whitey (Angel Slime), Summon Rocky (Earth Slime), Summon Maya (Water Slime), Summon Saber (Saber Slime), Summon Cloud (Aero Slime).


    Active Skill: Water Bullet, Hydro Ball. Fire Bullet, Fire Bolt, Wind Bullet, Aero Ball, Stone Bullet, Stone Spike, Shadow Bullet, Shadow Ball, Blink, Teleport, Cure, Cure-All, Mad Sprint, Moon st, Elemental Shields, sh, Heavy sh, Scorching Ray, Fire Wall, Entangling Vines, Locate Flora or Fauna, Sticky Web


    Passive Skill: Uncanny Dodge, Very Tough, Guts


    Titles: Mama''s and Papa''s Girl, Treasure Hunter,


    Note: This Baby Slime is the real Protagonist!


    ��-


    < Storage [EX] >


    �C Eiko can devour items and store them inside her body.


    �C Maximum weight of items that can be stored inside her body is ten tons.


    �C Can Store Living Creatures for a short period of time.


    �C Maximum number of creatures that can be stored inside the body is three.


    �C Maximum duration of storing living creatures inside the body is three hours.


    ��--


    < True Sight [EX] >


    �C Eiko can see invisible creatures, hidden passages, as well as other creatures, ces, or things that wouldn''t be normally seen through normal eyesight.


    ��--


    < Treasure Hunter >


    Eiko can detect the presence of nearby treasures around her with great uracy.


    ��----


    "Mumumumu!" Eiko grumbled on top of Lux''s head because she could detect plenty of treasures that were spread out within the Hidden Domain.


    Unfortunately, she could also sense strong monsters guarding these treasures, so she was unable to get them.


    Her Papa also told her that she shouldn''t do any reckless actions because the ce they were currently at was very dangerous. Because of this, she just stayed put on the Half-Elf''s head.


    ''Don''t worry, Eiko,'' Lux said through telepathy. ''When we get stronger, we can always return here using the special Teleport Scrolls I acquired long ago.''


    ''Pa!''


    After Luxpleted the quest Birth Of An Abomination, he was given several rewards, and among them was the option to choose one among four special rewards that was given to him as a bonus.


    These four choices were the Hell Horse, Golden Token of Gweliven, a Monster Egg, and four Teleport Scrolls that allowed him to directly teleport to any ces he had visited, regardless of restrictions that were set in ce.


    Meaning, since he had already entered the Hidden Domain, he coulde back to it at any given time in the future.


    This would allow him to explore and gather resources inside it, even if it remain closed to the outside world. For Lux, this was one of the reasons why he epted Cai''s invitation to join her faction ining inside the Hidden Domain.


    Suddenly, several buzzing sounds were heard around them and the trees in the forest started to shake.


    Lux had encountered a simr scenario back in the Figaro Gardens, and he immediately summoned Ishtar, as well as a dozen Skeleton Grand Archers to intercept the approaching threat that wasing their way.


    "Mosquitoes!" Enlil shouted as he hovered above everyone''s heads, and spread his arms to create powerful gusts of winds that blew outwards to prevent the thousands of mosquitoes that were flying in their direction to advance.


    These were not regr mosquitoes but Rank 3 Mosquitoes that were called Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes.


    Just like their name suggests, their bites could inject poison to their targets, paralyzing their entire bodies, which would allow the mosquitoes to suck on their bloods, while their victims watch helplessly as they turn into dried up husks, deprived of blood.


    Vall immediately transformed into an Alpha-Ranked Elegant Golden Jumping Spider, and spat webs around them to create a deathtrap to the mosquitoes that had managed to evade Enlil''s attacks.


    Although a single mosquito was not a threat to them, a swarm of mosquitoes that numbered in the thousands was not something they could easily fend off.


    Among these mosquito swarms were hundreds of Rank 4 Mosquitoes, which were called Horned Harlequin Mosquitoes. But that was not all. At the swarm''s very core was a Rank 5 Field Monster, which was notorious for destroying entire viges and towns, whilemanding its massive mosquito army.


    Its name was the Diabolical Doom Mosquito, whose body was covered in red and ck stripes, making it look incredibly deadly.


    Lux eyed the four-meter tall flying mosquito in the distance as he used his Elysium Compendium to check its information.


    ��---


    < Diabolical Doom Mosquito >


    �C Terror Mosquito


    �C Rank 5 Field Boss Monster


    Health: 900,000 / 900,000


    Mana: 250,000 / 250,000


    Strength: 300


    Intelligence: 500


    Vitality: 900


    Agility: 1000


    Dexterity: 1000


    Active Skills: Poison Sting, Increase Agility, Fury Attack, Poison Spray, Sky Assault, Sting Drill, Hyper st, Increase Evasion,


    Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude, Doom Fervor, Lifesteal, Tactician.


    Title: Swarm Overlord


    ��--


    < Swarm Overlord >


    �C Increase the attack and defense of the swarm under itsmand by 20%


    < Doom Fervor >


    �C When the monster''s Health goes below fifty percent, its attack damage would increase by 50%.


    ��---


    The Diabolical Doom Mosquito didn''t personallyunch an attack at the Apostles, whose rich blood had attracted them from far away. It used its aerial superiority, as well as its numbers, to attack the humans that werepletely outnumbered five to one.


    Despite Enlil''s and Vall''s effort to deter and keep the mosquitoes at bay, the power of the swarm descended upon them nevertheless.


    All of the teenagers that hade to enter the domain were the elites of their respective guilds. The majority of them had already fought against Beast Tides, so they already knew what to do when dealing with beasts whose numbers far exceeded their own.


    Unfortunately, even with their experience, several of them were still pierced by the mosquitoes needle-like mouths, causing them to get poisoned and paralyzed.


    As the corpses of countless mosquitoes surrounded them, their fighting space became smaller, which made the defenders'' movements quite sluggish and, in turn, giving the mosquitoes several opportunities to deliver a deadly bite on their blindspots, which caused their defenses to crumble.


    Dozens of crippled young men and women were helplessly carried off by the mosquitoes, as their blood was sucked mid-air.


    This hellish scene continued for several minutes until more than half of the mosquito swarm were eliminated due to everyone''s outrage after seeing their friends andrades being killed in front of them.


    Diablo, whose strength rose by leaps and bounds due to the number of dead creatures around him, created a killing zone that instantly felled any mosquito that came within his range.


    Two of the members of the Rowan Tribe had been caught off guard by the mosquitoes and was carried away during the skirmish.


    There was nothing that Lux could do to save them, so he just focused on preventing the rest of his team from getting killed.


    Cai had already used her Second Gear and transformed into Hildisv��ni, whose tough hide prevented any of the mosquito bites from prating deep in its defenses.


    Several clinking sounds were heard as Keane repeatedly flicked the handle of his sword, splitting the mosquitoes into two halves, killing them instantly.


    Eiko had already summoned all of its Slimes as they created a protective perimeter around her surroundings.


    Iris had already summoned her Five Beast Companions that ensured that not even a strand of her hair would be touched by the mosquito swarm that came to them en masse.


    This gave Lux some peace of mind as he focused on eliminating as many mosquitoes as possible.


    He, as well as the strong members of the expedition, was paying close attention to the Diabolical Doom Mosquito that was simply hovering in the sky. They knew that it was only waiting for a perfect opportunity to strike and eliminate the strong fighters that were making it difficult for its swarm to truly gain the upperhand.


    Enlil, who kept on creating powerful tornadoes that sucked the mosquitoes mid-air and shredded them into pieces, was the swarm''s greatest threat in the battlefield.


    However, none of them could approach him because the Elf was a true Master of manipting the Wind Element. As flying creatures, they needed the wind to navigate in the air, but the Elf had effectively created a protective zone around him that could repel any mosquito that came within a hundred meter distance away from him.


    Vall was also another pain in the ass that made the mosquitoes incredibly frustrated. The Spider Boy had created a dome of sticky web around the trees, effectively trapping them, and binding them in ce.


    He was also very nimble in his spider form, so any mosquito that attempted to approach it would only find themselves cut into pieces by the invisible strings that he had prepared beforehand, making them wary of approaching him.


    When the mosquitoes realized that the defenders had already found the right way on how to deal with them, the Diabolical Doom Mosquito screeched and ordered a retreat.


    The reason why it retreated was not because it couldn''t overpower the teenagers on the ground.


    It retreated because the other monsters in the forest had been attracted to the smell of blood and corpses in the battlefield, which made them leave their dwellings to join the fray.


    "Sh*t! Everyone, head to the Sacred Dungeon in haste!" Einar, the Barbarian, roared. "Other beasts areing! If we stay here, we will get sandwiched from all sides! Run now while you still can!"


    As soon as they heard the Barbarian''s warning, everyone immediately ran towards the direction of the Sacred Dungeon. More than a hundred of them were already killed during the fight against mosquitoes, and more would die if they stayed behind.


    Although everyone was running, they made sure that their formation was as closely packed as possible.


    The Rowan Tribe, whose role was to guard the rear had no choice but to carry the stragglers, whose stamina wasn''t that high to begin with. Most of these people were magic casters and healers, who specialized in the magical arts but didn''t excel in physical training.


    Fortunately, Lux could summon skeletons and golems. Because of this, their advance wasn''t impeded as the skeletons carried those who were unable to run anymore, making them look at the Half-Elf with grateful gazes.


    Lux would nce behind him from time to time, because he could feel that several predatory gazes had locked onto his body. Sensing the threating from their backs, Orion positioned himself directly behind the Half-Elf, effectively blocking his body from being seen from behind.


    A momentter, several roars, shrieks, and growls, were heard from the distance as some of the Beasts in the forests feasted on the corpses of the mosquitoes, as well as the dried up husks of the young men and women, who would never be seen again.

 Chapter ?281 Standoff Against A Juggernaut

    Chapter ?281 Standoff Against A Juggernaut


    "I think I finally understand that feeling of tension that everyone was exuding before we entered the Hidden Domain," Keane said as he ran beside Lux and with the rest of the members of the Rowan Tribe.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "They knew that the moment they entered the portal, their lives would be in great danger. This is probably why all the Guilds banded together at the very beginning in order to advance as a single unit.


    "If we had all headed towards the Sacred Dungeon by ourselves, we would have been easily killed off one by one by the Monsters that lurk within this forest."


    Cai didn''t say anything and simply carried the members of the Rowan Tribe who were injured on her back. This was the first time she had entered the Hidden Domain, but everytime her grandfather sent an expedition to challenge the Sacred Dungeon, more than half of the teenagers he sent didn''t return.


    This was also why going to the Hidden Dungeon wasn''t apulsory order. Everyone had the right to reject him. Even so, more than twenty people answered his call, and apanied Cai to one of the most dangerous ces in Elysium, which had already imed countless lives.


    Out of the thirty members of the Rowan Tribe Faction, five had died, and four more were injured during their retreat.


    The other guilds had also suffered several casualties, but now was now the time to assess how many members they had remaining. What mattered was reaching the Sacred Dungeon as soon as possible.


    As soon as they were able to enter it, even if they died inside the dungeon, they would just be teleported outside the Gates of the Hidden Domain, allowing them to live another day.


    Countless roars, growls, and shrieks could be heard behind them, but no Beasts followed their retreat.


    They were busy devouring the corpses of the Mosquitoes, as well as their Beast Cores, like opportunistic hyenas enjoying the hardship of others.


    Half an hourter, the long march ended as they all entered a spacious cave.


    A collective sigh of relief was heard from around them because they had finally entered the path towards the Sacred Dungeon.


    But this relief was fleeting once they saw the ten-meter-tall creature that was barring their way.


    "An Adamantite Golem," Henrietta said with a grim look on her face. "This is bad. The pigmentation on its body shows that it is nearing the Deimos Rank."


    For some reason, an Adamantite Golem stood at the path that would lead them to the Sacred Dungeon.


    This Golem was incredibly sturdy and has a very high resistance against physical and magical attacks. Usually, it would take a thousand-men team to defeat a Golem of this rank, which was considered a Rank 5 World Boss.


    ��---


    < Adamantite Golem >


    �C Ancient Construct


    �C Pseudo-Deimos Ranked World Boss


    Health: 6,000,000 / 6,000,000


    Mana: 100,000 / 100,000


    Strength: 4,500


    Intelligence: 200


    Vitality: 4,000


    Agility: 400


    Dexterity: 400


    Active Skills: Smash, Body m, Earthshaker, Gaia Smash, Rock Throw, Piledriver, Stone Edge, Jack Hammer.


    Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude, Guts, Adamantium Body


    Title: Unstoppable Juggernaut


    ��--


    < Unstoppable Juggernaut >


    �C During battle, the Adamantite''s Golem attack and defense would increase by 10% every time its health was reduced by 10%.


    �C When it initiates a charging attack, anything that gets hit by it would be instantly stunned, and knocked back without fail.


    ��--


    None of the members of the various guild dared to step forward and even utter a sound. They were afraid that the Adamantite Golem would take their movements as a sign of aggression and immediately initiate an attack.


    If in the past, they would wee such a Boss Monster as an opponent, now it was different. Many of theirrades were injured, and they still had to challenge the Sacred Dungeon.


    They couldn''t afford to have any more casualties, so they didn''t do anything that might provoke the towering Giant that was staring at them from a distance.


    The standoffsted for exactly ten minutes before the Adamantite Golem walked away. Only when it had disappeared from their sight did everyone manage to regain theirposure.


    Not all monsters inside the Hidden Domain were aggressive. Some, like the Golems, preferred solidarity. Since the teenagers didn''t do anything to provoke it, the giant construct didn''tbel them as its enemies, and left the cave to look for another ce to rest.


    "Damn, I almost peed when the Golem looked at me," Cai said with shaky legs. "I don''t think I''d survive if I got punched by that thing directly."


    Lux and Keane nodded their heads in agreement. A Pseudo-Deimos Ranked World Boss was definitely bad news, so not engaging it in battle was the best option they had.


    "Let''s go," Einar said as he led his guild members to march forward. His guild served as the Vanguard, so he and his men walked at the front of the formation.


    Everyone followed suit. Finally after half an hour of walking, they finally reached a ce that looked like a Mausoleum for the dead.


    It looked very creepy, but at its center was a red portal that glowed faintly amidst the dim light that surrounded it.


    "We will rest here for an hour before we set out to fulfill our own missions," Enlil said. "From here onwards, everyone is on their own."


    The heads of each guild, and factions all nodded their heads in understanding. All of them had been ordered by their respective kingdoms, and factions to gather resources in the Sacred Dungeon.


    As to what level of difficulty they would choose, only the high-ranking members of their guilds and teams knew.


    During that hour-long break. The guilds that had healing sses like Clerics, Priests, and Life Mages, tended to the injured.


    This included the injured members of the other guilds who had apanied them along the way. This was the agreement that everyone continued to agree to anytime the Hidden Domain was challenged.


    This was done to ensure that the next time the Hidden Domain opened, all the next participants would still perform their duties, in order to ensure the sess of the missions that were entrusted to them.

 Chapter ?282 Just What Is Nero Scheming Now?

    Chapter ?282 Just What Is Nero Scheming Now?


    "Lux, are you okay?" Iris asked in a worried tone as he lightly patted Lux''s body to look for any injuries that he might have received during their battles on the way to the Sacred Dungeon.


    "I''m fine," Lux replied. "My summons and Eiko protected me."


    "Pa!"


    "Good job, Eiko."


    "Ma!"


    The baby Slime smiled happily as Iris patted her head. Astra, who was standing beside Iris, snorted at the baby Slime who was once again being pampered by his Master.


    Eiko, on the other hand, ignored the Unicorn. She still hadn''t won against Astra during theirst rematch, and still treated the unicorn as its rival.


    "How many people did the Academy lose?" Lux asked.


    "Fifteen," Iris replied sadly. "Ten more are injured, but they are now being treated. Out of the forty members of our Guild, almost half of them died along the way. I pity our Guildmaster, Henrietta. She will have to write letters about the deaths of our Guild Members and send them to their parents. I''m sure that she will fall into a depression again once we return to the Academy."


    Lux could only sigh in his heart after hearing Iris'' words. Although he had just be the temporary leader of the members of the Rowan Tribe for this expedition, there had been people who died under his watch.


    Cai said that he didn''t need to worry about what happened because she would be the one to personally tell the news to her Grandfather.


    The Boar''s only regret was that she wasn''t able to bring their bodies back to the Rowan Tribe, so that they would be given a proper burial.


    "What level of difficulty will you and your group challengeter?" Lux whispered in Iris'' ear.


    "Hell Mode," Iris whispered back. "However, we will have to wait for Henrietta''s decision as to whether we will continue ording to what we discussed beforehand or not. Three of our five healers were killed, so the difficulty of conquering the Dungeon has increased."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    "How about webine our forces and challenge the Hell-Mode difficulty together?" Lux proposed. "When ites tomand, your Guildmaster can just focus onmanding your members, while Imand the members of the Rowan Tribe. Do you think that will work?"


    Iris pondered Lux''s suggestion for a bit before ncing at her Guild Master. She didn''t know if Henrietta would agree to Lux''s suggestion, but she thought that it wouldn''t hurt to ask if she would agree to this proposal or not.


    "I''ll ask her first," Iris replied. "However, I can''t promise you that she will agree."


    Lux nodded. "I understand. I''ll wait for her reply."


    Iris smiled before walking in the direction of her Guildmaster to pass on Lux''s proposal to work together.


    While this was happening, several guilds were also talking about coborating with each other. The only problem was on how the resources of the Dungeon would be divided among them.


    Ten minutester, Henrietta approached Lux''s group, alongside Iris and her other officers.


    "Iris mentioned that you want to coborate with our guild," Henrietta said with her arms crossed over her chest. "I saw how you fought in the Lionheart Tournament, so having you around, in addition to other members of the Elite Four, is very reassuring.


    "However, be that as it may, having two teams will definitely mess up the chain ofmand. How about you and the members of the Rowan Tribe follow mymands instead? That way, we will be one unified unit, and will be able to clear this Dungeon smoothly."


    Before Lux could even reply, Cai snorted as she looked at the purple-haired beauty who was looking at them with a smile.


    "You wish!" Cai replied. "The Rowan Tribe will only follow My Daddy. Although our two factions have a very wonderful friendship, in regards to this matter, we will not yield."


    The other members of the Rowan Tribe, including Xander, nodded their heads to agree with Cai''s words. They only recognized the strong, and Lux had proven to them that he was strong during their sparring matches.


    "Is that so?" Henrietta arched an eyebrow. "Then in that case we should just��"


    "Wait a moment," Lux interjected before Henrietta could finish her words. "If the information that has been passed to me is correct, you will be asked to choose one of four paths once you reach the middle-point of the Dungeon in Hell Mode. Is this true?"


    Henrietta nodded. "It is true."


    "Then how about wepete?" Lux proposed. "Each of our teams will choose one of the four paths at the beginning. Whoever clears their chosen route first will be the temporary leader of both teams. How does that sound?"


    Henrietta pondered for a bit before nodding her head. "I can agree to this condition. Whoever manages to clear one of the paths first will definitely have the capability to lead ourbined forces. Very well, let''s do this."


    The purple-haired beauty then extended her hand for a handshake in order to close the deal.


    "Thispetition sounds fun. Can I also join it?"


    Just as Lux was about to shake hands with Henrietta, a confident voice sounded from their side, making the two of them nce towards where the voice hade from at the same time.


    Nero walked towards Lux and Henrietta with a smile as he decided to join theirpetition in order to conquer the Hell Mode of the Sacred Dungeon.


    "I overheard your discussion and thought that it is not a bad idea," Nero stated. "We only brought twenty five members on this expedition, and we lost six of them. Because of this, I am thinking of merging with Serenity for the duration of this mission and giving the role of temporary leader to Lady Henrietta.


    "All I ask is that the resources be divided equally between our two guilds. As long as you can promise me that, we will dly obey your orders. I think this is a better option than having two groups with separate leaders. This will only break the chain ofmand, and prevent our merged units from performing to the best of their abilities."


    Henrieta nodded her head in satisfaction before ncing in Lux''s direction.


    "It seems that we do not need topete any longer," Henrietta said before facing Nero. "As the Guild Master of Serenity, I happily wee the Storm Dragons to join our team for this Dungeon exploration. Let''s talk about how the shares will be divided in our temporary camp. Is that fine with you?"


    "Of course," Nero replied with a smile. "I believe in Lady Henrietta''s leadership, and I know that me and my members will be in good hands. As long as you don''t betray our trust, we will be able to agree on many things."


    "Very well. Let''s negotiate over there."


    "Ladies first."


    Lux watched as the two Guild Masters moved to the corner of the cave and started to negotiate with each other.


    The Half-Elf frowned but didn''t say anything because it was Henrietta''s choice whether to ept his offer or not.


    However, for some reason, he had a nagging feeling at the back of his head as he looked at the brown-haired boy, whom he had defeated in the tournament not too long ago.


    "Pa!"


    "You feel it too, Eiko?"


    "Pa!"


    Lux rubbed his chin as he tried to understand this ufortable feeling that he was getting from Nero. He didn''t know why his love rival suddenly decided to surrender the control of his guild members to Henrietta and join Serenity on their Dungeon expedition.


    All he knew was that it didn''t feel right, so he decided to let Eiko stay with Iris as Serenity challenged the Hell Mode of the dungeon.


    Although not having the Baby Slime around would decrease hisbat potential, he still decided to let Eiko apany Iris in order to ensure that no harm woulde to her.


    ''Just what is Nero scheming now?'' Lux thought as he eyed the brown-haired boy. ''Whatever it is, I don''t like it.''


    As if sensing his gaze, Nero nced in his direction and gave him a smirk. For a brief moment, a look of ridicule shed through his eyes.


    Nero had gotten over his loss to Lux after a week had passed. All that was in his head right now was to show everyone howpetent he was, and prove that a single loss was not enough to tarnish the reputation he had built over the years through the hardships that he had encountered in Elysium.

 Chapter ?283 Entering The Sacred Dungeon

    Chapter ?283 Entering The Sacred Dungeon


    After the break, several of the Guilds that had lost a lot of members decided to temporarily merge with each other in order to challenge the Sacred Dungeon.


    Since Henrietta and Nero had already agreed on merging their guilds together, she politely declined Lux''s offer and led Serenity towards the entrance of the Sacred Dungeon.


    Eiko was currently perched on top of Iris'' head. Lux had a nagging feeling in his guts and felt like something might happen during the blue-haired beauty''s dungeon expedition.


    So in order to add anotheryer of protection, he asked the baby Slime to go and protect her Mama from the unforeseen dangers that she might encounter inside the Sacred Dungeon.


    "Be careful, okay?" Lux whispered in Iris'' ears. "Be extra careful around Nero, too. I feel something off about him."


    "Okay," Iris replied before nting a kiss on Lux''s cheeks. "Take care as well. I''ll see youter."


    Lux nodded before sending Iris back to her guild members.


    Just as he was about to gather the members of the Rowan Tribe, so they could start challenging the Dungeon, two young men, whom Lux had fought in thepetition, approached him.


    "What level of difficulty are you nning to challenge?" Einar Mordosk, the Barbarian Prince whom Lux had fought during the Qualifier Matches, asked.


    "Hell Mode," Lux replied.


    "What a coincidence, we are also challenging Hell Mode," Vall, the Spider Boy,mented. "Do you want to join forces?"


    Lux arched an eyebrow as he gazed at the two teenagers that were part of the Four Kings and Five Overlords. He had no doubt that both of them were strong because he had already experienced their strength.


    However, he didn''t understand why both of them were asking him to coborate with them in challenging the Hell Mode of the Sacred Dungeon.


    "May I ask why the two of you decided to team up with me?" Lux asked. "There are Guilds that have more members than the Rowan Faction. Wouldn''t it be better to join them instead?"


    "I only recognize strong people," Einar answered. "Since you have already proven your strength, having you watch my back will give me some peace of mind."


    "He''s right. I also feel the same way," Vallmented. "As long as we can agree to the division of the spoils, I''m sure that we will be able to loot more gains than any of the other factions aiming to challenge the Sacred Dungeon."


    Lux nced at Cai in askance, but thetter simply shrugged. Their main goal was to get the Sacred White Lotus inside the dungeon. If Einar and Vall agreed that their faction would be the one getting the flower, there would be room for cooperation.


    "We came here for the Sacred White Lotus," Lux stated. "You can have the majority of the resources we''ll gain inside the Dungeon, but this flower must be handed over to us."


    "Ah. The Flower that is said to cure the Purple gue? Sure. I don''t mind," Einar casually waved his hand. "It doesn''t matter who gets it. The cure will be shared with everyone within the Six Kingdoms after it is made after all."


    Vall nodded his head in agreement. "I also don''t have a problem with this arrangement. How about this? You get the flower, as well as 20% of the overall spoils in the dungeon. Einar and I will have 40% each. How does that sound?"


    "I agree to this condition," Lux replied and extended his hand for a handshake. "Pleasure working with the two of you."


    Einar and Vall smiled as they shook the Half-Elf''s hand one after the other. No one had been able to clear the Hell Mode of the Dungeon.


    In fact, no one fully understood how this mode worked because most challengers were wiped out after just a few minutes of entering it.


    They had only heard that the weakest monsters that were inside the dungeon were at least Rank 3, and it was suspected that the Boss Monsters in Hell Mode were either Pseudo-Deimos Ranked or Argonaut Ranked, but either way, they were extremely hard to kill.


    Since no one had seen these bosses for themselves, only spections of their rank served as basis.


    However, the teenagers wanted to believe that the one that they would be fighting against was simr to the Adamantite Golem that they had met along the way to the Sacred Dungeon.


    Even so, the thought of fighting such a monster was something they wanted to avoid as much as possible.


    The Half-Elf nced at Diablo, who was seated on Nightmare. Right now, Diablo''s attack and defense stats had returned to normal because there were no dead monsters nearby.


    It seemed that the boost on attack and defense given by the Blood Fervor Skill would disappear after an hour of staying idle orck of corpses around the Skeleton Rider.


    Even so, Lux wasn''t worried. If Einar and Vall would indeed work alongside him to challenge the Dungeon, the chances of getting the flower was higher.


    After finalizing the division of spoils, the three factions agreed that each of them would bemanding their own troops in battle.


    Although this had a con of not being a cohesive unit as a whole, its advantage was flexibility. Each team could execute their attacks and defense, without worrying about the other guild that they were allied with.


    ��---


    < You have Chosen Hell Mode >


    ��--


    The mechanical voice sounded inside Lux''s head before his group, as well as the guilds that had joined his party, disappeared from where they stood in front of the entrance of the Dungeon.


    By the time they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a spacious hallway, enough for ten of Lux''s Rock golems to walk side by side.


    Those who had challenged the Hell Dungeon in the past reported that they were teleported in this very same hallway, before facing groups of Rank 4 Monsters that numbered in the dozens, led by an Alpha Monster of the same rank.


    This was the reason why most of those who challenged this dungeon hadn''t been able to go far. Monsters with that quantity and quality were simply hard to fight with less than thirty members in a party.


    The maximum number of people that could enter the Instance Dungeon was a hundred.


    Instance Dungeons were special areas, typically a Dungeon that could generate a new copy of the same location for each group, or for a certain number of yers that entered the area.


    Even if all the members of the expedition were to challenge the Sacred Dungeon at the same time, they would still be sent to different copies of the dungeon, unless they were in the same party.


    "Everyone, raise your guard," Einar shouted. "We don''t know what lies before us, so make sure to always keep your attention on your surroundings."


    Just like their set up on the way to the Dungeon, Einar''s group took the lead as the Vanguard, Vall''s team served as scouts, while Lux''s team served as reinforcements that guarded all sides.


    After walking two hundred steps, the ground under their feet trembled.


    Lux, who had experienced something simr in the Bronze Crypt, immediately issuedmands to his teammates.


    "Monsters mighte out of the ground," Lux announced. "Everyone, brace yourselves!"


    Cai immediately transformed into her Second Form and nced at the ground under her feet.


    As if waiting for that cue, several bony hands rose up to hold onto her hooves, but the Boar was one step ahead of them, and used her tusks to shatter the hands that dared to try to bind her in ce.


    The other members of the Rowan tribe did the same, but they were still surprised when they found themselves surrounded by hundreds of High-Level Undead that rose up from the ground underneath their feet.


    "Do not panic!" Vall ordered his guild members, who had almost broken their formation. "Stand your ground! Protect the healers!"


    Not far from them, the Barbarians handled the Skeletons calmly as they smashed their war axes into their bodies, cleaving their body parts.


    The Undead were actually very weak, at most Rank 2 Monsters, but instead of being relieved, a frown appeared on Lux''s, Vall''s, and Einar''s faces.


    The information they received told them that the weakest monsters in the Hell Mode of the Dungeon were Rank 4 Monsters, so they couldn''t help but wonder where these weak monsters wereing from.


    As soon as they finished decimating the Undead around them, they heard a hollowed cackling sound, as if someone found their act very funny.


    Half a minuteter, the bones lying on the ground rose up in the air andbined together, forming a dozen ck Bone Golems.


    "Rank 4 Grim Terror Bone Golems," Einar muttered as he held the War Axe firmly in his hand.


    Lux, who had a strong connection with the Undead was still feeling wary of the cackling sound he''d heard earlier.


    Although the dozen Rank 4 Bone Golems were quite difficult to handle, he was sure that whoeverughed at them earlier, posed a much higher threat than the monsters that were currently towering above their heads.

 Chapter 284 Show Him The Power Of The Real King

    Chapter 284 Show Him The Power Of The Real King


    The Rank 4 Grim Terror Bone Golems were no ordinary Rank 4 Monsters.


    They were Rank 4 Alpha Monsters.


    Even as a group with less than a hundred members, fighting against a dozen Rank 4 Alpha Monster was doable. But what concerned Lux, Einar, and Vall, the respective leaders of the three factions that had allied together to challenge the Sacred Dungeon, was not these high-level monsters, but the monster who was pulling the strings from the shadows.


    "We''ll take down four each," Lux shouted. "The first one to finish their targets would assist the other two groups."


    "Sounds like a n," Einarmented.


    Vall smiled without saying anything. Instead, he once again transformed into the Elegant Golden Jumping Spider, whose strength was just slightly stronger than one of the Grim Terror Bone Golems that they were fighting right now.


    Immediately, a battle erupted as the teenagers divided the monster into three groups.


    Lux had summoned his minions, letting Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion deal with two of the Bone Golems, while Cai, Keane, and the rest of the other teenagers of the Rowan Tribe dealt with the other two.


    Naturally, Lux fought with the assistance of his summons in order to speed up the process. Although the battle was fierce, all the teenagers were able to kill their opponents one by one.


    The first one to finish their enemies was none other than Lux''s group. After that, they immediately helped Vall''s team, andstly, Einar''s.


    When thest of the Giant Bone Golems copsed on the ground, their whole group cheered for having won a hard battle. However, there were four people who weren''t smiling, and simply nced at the shattered bones around them.


    Lux, Einar, Vall, and Keane, didn''t let their guard down.


    It was as if they already knew what was going to happen next, and all of them were preparing to unleash their strongest attack at a moment''s notice.


    Suddenly, another cacklingughter echoed within the hallways.


    A momentter, the bones that were lying on the ground, floated in the air and converged together, as if forming into something. The teenagers that had watched this scene felt a shiver run down their spine.


    In just a minute, a giant Skeleton with obsidian bones, wearing a ck crown on its head, roared in front of them.


    Lux narrowed his eyes as the information of their new opponent appeared before him.


    -----


    < Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King >


    a��� Skeleton King


    a��� Rank 5 Field Boss Monster


    Health: 3,750,000 / 3,750,000


    Mana: 250,000 / 250,000


    Strength: 1500


    Intelligence: 500


    Vitality: 2500


    Agility: 600


    Dexterity: 600


    ----


    As soon as the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King took a fighting stance, the unholy cackling spread in the hallways, as if mocking the teenager''s futile struggle for survival.


    "Let me handle this," Cai stepped forward as it red at the Field Boss Monster in front of it. "Third Gear..."


    However, before it could even activate it''s Trump Card that it wasn''t able to use in the tournament, Lux raised his hand sideways in order to stop the Boar from continuing its next transformation.


    "Leave it to me," Lux replied. "None of you interfere."


    As a Necromancer, he felt as if the oneughing somewhere in the dungeon was mocking him. This was something that he couldn''t stand and he decided to make it choke on itsughter by activating histest Trump Card.


    After the tournament ended, Alexander had passed to him a golden ring where the rewards for the Champion were stored. When Lux received the ring, he wasn''t able to believe what he saw because the rewards were simply too good to be true.


    Six Argonaut Ranked Beast Cores


    Twelve Deimos Ranked Beast Cores.


    A hundred Rank 5 Beast Cores


    A thousand Rank 4 Beast Cores


    Two thousand Rank 3 Beast Cores


    Three thousand Rank 2 Beast Cores


    Five thousand Rank 1 Beast Cores.


    A million gold coins.


    There were also several weapons, armors, and artifacts, which Lux nned to use during the dungeon expedition.


    Lux had used all of his Rank 1 Beast Cores and nearly exhausted his Rank 2 Beast Cores in order to unlock another ally that would make his Undead Legion''s strength increase drastically.


    ------


    "Asmodeus, shut his trap," Lux ordered. "Show him the power of the real King."


    Immediately, a magic circle appeared beside Lux, and his newest Named Creature made his presence known to all.


    ------


    < Asmodeus >


    "I stopped fighting my inner demons. We are on the same side now."


    a��� Named Skeleton Mage


    a��� Lich Lord


    a��� Rating: A


    a��� Progress ( 0 / 40,000)


    Health: 10,000 / 10,000


    Mana: 140,000 / 140,000


    Strength: 105


    Intelligence: 700


    Vitality: 200


    Agility: 105


    Dexterity: 105


    Active Skills: Tame Undead, Bone Prison, Death Coil, Life Drain, Summon Deathscythe, Poison Dagger, Summon me Skulls, All of Lux''s Active Skills.


    Passive Skills: Mana Regeneration, Health Regeneration, All of Lux''s Passive Skills.


    Title: Lord''s Equal


    -----


    a��� Asmodeus is your fifth Named Creature and has been bestowed the title of Lord''s Equal.


    a��� This Named Creature has gained the ability to evolve.


    < Lord''s Equal >


    a��� Regardless of what happens in the future, this Named Creature will be forever loyal to you.


    a��� As his Lord''s Equal, Asmodeus would be able to summon the exact same number of minions that his Master can summon, with the exceptions of Named Creatures.


    a��� As his Lord''s Equal, Asmodeus would be able to use all the Necromantic Spells that his Master currently has.


    a��� As his Lord''s Equal, Asmodeus will gain ess to all of his Master''s skills, with the exception of Blood-line abilities.


    a��� When fighting alongside his Master, all of Asmodeus Stats will increase by 50%


    Note: The devil is and always will be a gentleman.


    -----


    < Tame Undead >


    a��� You will be able to tame any undead creatures that are two ranks higher than you.


    a��� Maximum number of Tamed Creatures is one.


    a��� If you tame another Undead Creature while you own another, the first Undead Creature will disappear and be reced by the new one.


    ------


    A lich, who wore kingly robes and a bejeweled golden crown on his head, appeared beside Lux and looked up at the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King.


    "This hallway isn''t big enough for two kings," Asmodeus said with a trace of amusement in its cold voice. "But I''ll make an exception if you be my servant."


    As if feeling that its dignity had just been challenged, the Skeleton King red at the Lich Lord, who dared to think of making it his servant, and raised its obsidian sword in preparation to strike the lich down.


    "So the answer is no?" Asmodeus raised his finger and pointed it at the Skeleton King''s head. "What you think doesn''t really matter. The one who gets to decide your fate is me, not you."


    The Skeleton King had enough of the Lich''s bullsh*t and decided to erase its existence from the world.


    "Tame Undead."


    The Giant Obsidian Sword stopped a foot away from Asmodeus'' head. Cai, Keane, Einar, and Vall had already distanced themselves away from the Giant Skeleton King, thinking that it would instantly annihte Lux''s newest Named Creature and attack them all afterwards.


    However, the scene they were expecting didn''t happen. Instead, their eyes widened in shock at the unexpected turn of events that happened in front of them.


    The Giant Obsidian Skeleton King raised its sword once again and knelt like a knight in front of Asmodeus, swearing its fealty to its new lord.


    Suddenly, a roar of anger reverberated within the hallway. Clearly, it wasn''t pleased with what had happened to its servant.


    "What''s wrong?" Lux sneered at the end of the hallway. "No longerughing?"


    A wrath-filled roar followed suit, but after that, the entire hallway suddenly became quiet.


    The only thing that could be heard was the ragged breathing of everyone, who was still in disbelief of what just happened in front of them.


    "D-Did he just tame a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster?" Cai stuttered in disbelief.


    "Yes," Keane, who was standing not far from her, replied.


    Einar and Vall both had their lips tightly shut as they nced at Lux who had his arms crossed over his chest. They thought that they had already seen the extent of his power during the tournament. However, what they saw now was simply unbelievable. If they didn''t witness it personally, they wouldn''t believe it even if it was said to them by someone they trusted.


    Just before everyone coulde to terms with what just transpired, the Giant Skeleton King reached out its palm towards Asmodeus.


    A secondter, the Giant Skeleton King ced the Lich Lord on its shoulders before standing up.


    With a wave of his hand, Asmodeus summoned thirty-five Skeleton fighters, thirty skeleton Grand Archers, and two Rock Golems.


    Having the Title, Lord''s Equal, he had the exact same skills as Lux had, with the exception of his Dragon War Arts that could only be used by the power of the Dragon Bloodline.


    This was also the reason why Lux didn''t bat an eye when he asked Eiko to look after Iris. Asmodeus had the exact same powers as him, making him a true powerhouse among Lux''s Named Creatures.


    "Let''s go," Lux ordered. "Asmodeus, lead the way."


    "As you wish," Asmodeus gave Lux a respectful nod while seated on the shoulder of the Giant Obsidian Skeleton King.


    He then led the way, while Lux and his skeletons followed behind. It took half a minute for the others to snap out of their daze and follow behind the Half-Elf, who made them realize that the Champion of the Tournament was more formidable than what they had seen during the tournament. they thought he would be.

 Chapter 285 Into The Valley Of Death [Part 1]

    Chapter 285 Into The Valley Of Death [Part 1]


    "Um, is that Rank 5 Field Monster now a pet of yours?" Cai asked as it walked beside Lux.


    "Not my pet," Lux answered. "It''s Asmodeus'' pet."


    "But isn''t that the same thing?"


    "Well, in a way, yes."


    For an Apostle, having a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster as a pet was something unthinkable. As far as Cai knew, only the powerful high-ranking nobles and the nobility in Elysium had the luxury of having one as their bodyguard, but for Sians, having a Rank 5 Field Monster at their beck and call was truly unbelievable.


    In fact, Lux should be the only Apostle-Grade teenager within the Six Kingdoms that had such a powerful "Pawn" by his side, which made them feel that clearing the Sacred Dungeon had now be a lot easier.


    But, contrary to what everyone thought, Lux didn''t feel the same way. If a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster was present at the very starting point of the Dungeon, it only meant that the one manipting it earlier was a creature that far surpassed the Rank 5 threshold.


    ''Either Pseudo-Deimos or Deimos-Ranked,'' Lux thought as he walked towards the end of the hallway. ''The worst case scenario is that the bosses in this Dungeon are Argonaut-Ranked.''


    Although Lux had the Golden Dragon Token, which allowed him to summon Keoza, he was very reluctant to use it unless necessary. It was one of his life-saving Trump Cards, and it could only be used two more times.


    He was prepared to use one of those opportunities when he entered the Sacred Dungeon because of the things he had heard about it. Even so, he only nned to use it as ast resort.


    ''I''ll cross the bridge when I get there," Lux thought. ''If my life is in danger, I will not hesitate to use the token.''


    Although dying inside the Dungeon would only reduce his stat points, this was something that Lux didn''t want to happen. Even with the Beast Cores in his possession that could propel him to the Initiate Rank, he deemed that it was best to just use them to improve the quality of his Skeleton Summons first by staying in the areas that were exclusive for Apostles.


    Also, he still hadn''t met with Colette, Matty, and the others. The Half-Elf personally wanted to give them an apology for not telling them about the n he had made in order to hoodwink Twilight Rain.


    He had thought that the less people that knew about the n, the safer they would be. Lux had gotten in the way of the Secret Organization many times, and they had even dispatched Initiates to deal with him.


    If they found out that he had close ties with Colette and the others, the chances of them being targeted as well was high. This was why Lux decided to "die" as soon as possible. He hoped that the animosity of Twilight Rain would end with his death, and they would no longer target the people that were important to him in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    ''I wonder if they are still mad at me��'' Lux could only sigh in his heart as he neared the end of the Hallway. He knew that right now, he needed to focus on the task at hand, so he decided to set aside the topic of their reunion.


    After exiting the hallway, they found themselves staring at a spacious hall with five closed gates with different colors.


    Lux frowned as he walked at the golden gate that stood at the very center of the hallway and read the letters that glistened on its surface out loud for everyone to hear.


    ��-----


    "Four horsemen of the Apocalypse,


    Conquest, War, Famine, and Death.


    These fourughed at the folly of humanity,


    and watch mankind take its final breath."


    �C The First Rider feeds desperate ces,


    His white coat brings false hope.


    For him, peace has two faces,


    Strife that ends hanging on a bloody rope.


    �C The Second Rider brings carnage like a mad hound,


    His red eyes filled with burning desire,


    Dire screams fill the air when the trumpets sound,


    War that ends deep in a sinister mire.


    �C The Third Rider never felt any reason to mourn,


    His ck soulughs when others slowly decay.


    People wish that they were never born,


    Famine that ends in an uncontrolled dismay.


    �C The Fourth Rider is poisoned with wrath,


    His pale skin breaks every heart filling it with fear.


    Corpsesying on his traveled path,


    Death that ends in a timeless tear.


    �C He who seeks to release these Devils upon the world.


    Do you know what monsters you n to let loose of your own ord?


    Someone who''s weak-willed must never even try,


    For the consequences of their actions will make many people die.


    ��----


    (A/N: The author of the poem is named Niels. I just added a few things, but the poem belongs to him. There''s no other information I can get aside from the fact that he is 31 years old and lives in the Nethends. All credit belongs to him.)


    ��----


    After reading the words written on the golden gate, Lux nced at the four other gates located on his left and right sides.


    On each of the colored gates, the words Conquest, War, Famine, and Death were written respectively. ording to what limited information they had, the Sacred White Lotus was seen on the gate that represented Death.


    "So, which gate are we taking?" Einar, the Barbarian Prince asked.


    Lux pointed at the ck Gate. "We''re going to the Gate that represents Death."


    "Sounds ominous," Vallmented from the side. "But, since we''re already here, why not?"


    Both Einar and Vall knew that Lux hade for the Sacred White Lotus. In fact, it was not only them. The majority of those that entered the Hidden Dungeon this time all changed their goals from challenging the Normal Mode into Hell Mode.


    The reason for this was simple.


    The Purple gue was starting to be active again along the borders of the Six Kingdoms. Although proper steps were being taken to "freeze" all of those who were infected by the disease, they understood that this was merely a stop-gap measure, and not a cure for the problem at hand.


    Because of this, the Six Kingdoms had ordered their elite candidates to acquire the Sacred White Lotus no matter the cost. Even if they had to ally themselves with other guilds to do it.


    The Six Kingdoms, Barbatos Academy, and the Rowan Tribe had an unwritten agreement that whoever gets the Sacred White Lotus, its benefits would be shared to all of them.


    ��--


    Wee to the Valley of Death.


    ��--


    The monotonous voice spread in the surroundings, as if confirming that they had really entered the Gate of Death.


    Lux and the rest scanned their surroundings first to check for any hidden dangers that might be present in it.


    Just like the name suggested, they had appeared in a valley, where countless bones littered the ground.


    Several banners fluttered in the breeze, and each of them represented the armies that had fought to the death, covering the valley with the air of death and destruction.


    Lux paid close attention to Diablo''s stats to see if the dead bodies in the surroundings were boosting his Blood Fervor passive skill. Unfortunately, nothing changed. This meant that the dead bodies that littered the ground didn''t trigger the passive skill''s effects, and were merely there as props or for something sinister that they would have to faceter on.


    "Everyone, be careful," Einar shouted. "You already know what happened earlier. Stick together and do not wander around aimlessly. Also, don''t touch anythi��"


    Einar wasn''t able to finish his sentence because Cai had already gone to the battlefield, picking up the swords that littered the ground.


    "Hahaha! So many swords!" Cai said as it happily tossed the swords inside its storage bag. "Grandpa will be very pleased after I bring these back to him. Oh�� this one is of high quality, not bad."


    The corner of Einar''s lips twitched. He shifted his attention to Lux and gave him the "Bro, can''t you even take care of your own subordinates?" look.


    Before Lux could even shout and tell Cai to return, the Boar suddenly shouted and uttered a curse.


    As it was picking up a sword that it fancied, the hand that was holding the sword held it firmly, not wanting to let go.


    "Damn, you''re already dead and you still don''t want to let go of this sword?" Cai cursed as it stomped on the Skeleton''s arm with the intention of breaking it to pieces. "Let go!"


    However, no matter how hard it stomped on the bony hand that held the ornate sword in a firm grip, it didn''t shatter.


    Just as Cai was about to unleash a barrage of stomps to show the Skeleton who was the boss, the ground under their feet trembled.


    The Skeleton''s other bony hand rose up to catch Cai''s hoof and stopped it from descending on its sword arm, making the Boar squeal in shock.


    A momentter, it propped itself up from the ground and pushed Cai''s hoof with a force that sent thetter flying away like a cannonball.


    Suddenly, the sounds of countless rattling bones reverberated in the surroundings. The noise was so loud that Lux was forced to cover his ears because he had very sensitive hearing.


    "I knew it," Vall said in a helpless tone.


    Everyone stood in shock as countless Skeletons rose up from where theyy, and raised their weapons towards the sky.


    Lux immediately activated his appraisal skill and the information he saw made him understand that staying on the battlefield was an option that they couldn''t afford to take.


    "Run!" Lux shouted, as he ran straight towards the South East, with the intention of scaling the side of the mountains in order to escape the vast Skeleton army. Every single Skeleton within it were all Rank 4, making it impossible for any of them to stand up against them.


    The only option was to escape and hope that the Skeletons would slow down on the uphill climb.


    As everyone was running for their lives, Cai, who had been busy cursing at the Skeleton earlier, was running away from a chariot that was being manned by several Undead Warriors, which seemed to be keen on hunting her down.


    In an attempt to escape its pursuers, it immediately transformed into its Second Form, Hildivisni, and charged like a mad towards the Southeast in order to put as much distance as possible between her and her pursuers.


    Everyone knew that if any of them were caught up by the Skeleton Legion, only death awaited them. This was why they ran with everything they had towards their destination because their lives depended on it.

 Chapter ?286 Into The Valley Of Death [Part 2]

    Chapter ?286 Into The Valley Of Death [Part 2]


    When the teenagers scaled the cliffs beside the valley, the Skeleton Legion stopped pursuing them.


    Instead they all returned to the battlefield and once againid on the ground, as if nothing had happened.


    Lux, Einar, and Vall gathered together to have a meeting as to what their next course of action would be.


    "There is no information that we can use in exploring this Dungeon," Einar said. "From here on out, we just need to keep a close eye on our surroundings. We don''t want to find ourselves surrounded by that massive Undead Army. There''s simply no way out of that thing."


    Lux and Vall nodded their heads. They were of the same opinion.


    "I have a feeling that this Dungeon floor is just one big area with the Undead Army at its core," Vallmented. "It is possible that we need to reach its center in order to clear it. But, that is clearly suicide.


    "Unless we really understand how this Dungeon works, it is best that we spend some time scouting the ce. It will take a lot of time, but it will be safer to check the outskirts first than fight that Undead Army head-on."


    Lux rubbed his chin as he pondered his next move. In truth, after they had run away from the Undead Army, he received a quest notification that exined how the Death Valley came to be.


    ��---


    < The Flower of Death >


    Mission Rating: S


    �C In the distant past, two warring kingdoms fought for supremacy within the Valley of Death. The battle was so fierce, that countless lives were lost during the conflict.


    �C However, just before the battle was about to reach a conclusion, a third party arrived and decimated the bulk of the two armies, forcing them to make a hasty retreat from the battlefield.


    �C Since then, no one has dared to enter the valley in fear that the countless people that died inside it would drag all of them to join them in the afterlife. Your Mission is to eliminate the third party that hides within the Valley of Death, and ensure that their tyranny ends once and for all.


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Kill the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant.


    < Quest Rewards >


    +10 to Skeleton Summoning Skills


    +10 to Skeleton Archer Summoning Skills


    +2 to Golem Summoning Skills


    +2 to Skeleton Mage Summoning Skills


    +5,000 Body Cultivation Points


    �C 500,000 Gold Coins


    �C Beholder''s Legacy


    �C The Flower of Death


    ��--


    The quest rewards were pretty straight forward with the exception of the Beholder''s Legacy, as well as the Flower of Death.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know if the Flower of Death and the Sacred White Lotus were one and the same, but he had a feeling that it was no ordinary flower.


    His only concern was how to inform his allies about the scary opponent that they would face, and how he managed to stumble upon such important information when this was his first time entering the Sacred Dungeon.


    Perhaps, noticing his silence, Cai, who had always done everything at its own pace, poked his back with its hoof.


    "What''s wrong?" Cai asked. "Don''t tell me those Skeletons scared you. You''re supposed to be a Necromancer, right? Why don''t you just let your Undead units fight them head-on. Also, you have the Obsidian Skeleton King as ackey. Although it would only survive for ten minutes fighting that Undead Army, it will still be able to hold them off for a period of time."


    Lux gave the Boar a side-long nce before shifting his gaze towards Einar, and Vall, who were waiting for his opinion about the problem that they were facing.


    "Before I left the Academy, someone sent me an anonymous letter about the monster that we would be facing if we challenged the gate that had the word ''Death'' written on it," Lux said with a calm expression on his face. "Included in the letter was the name of the enemy that we would have to face if we chose to enter this route."


    The Half-Elf was trying to bullsh*t his way through this problem by using an anonymous letter as a base. Although it sounded suspicious, it was still a good alternative to prevent others from bing overly suspicious about what he was about to say.


    "An anonymous letter?" Cai asked. "What did it say?"


    "It said, if you were to challenge the Gate of Death where the Sacred White Lotus can be found, be careful of the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant thatmands the Undead. It will be your greatest foe, and few have survived its deathly gaze and lived to tell the tale.


    "W-What did you say?!" Einar couldn''t believe what he had just heard and grabbed Lux''s robes and lifted him in the air. "Oi. tell me that you''re joking. You''re telling us that the monster we are about to face is a Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant?! Do you have any idea what that is?!"


    Even Vall, who was usually the mostposed person in their group paled after hearing that the enemy they would be facing was a Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant.


    This monster was often seen in High-Level Undead Dungeons, with a challenge Rating of A and above.


    Simply put, the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant was a Pseudo-Deimos-Ranked World Boss, which was simr to the Adamantite Golem that they saw on the way to the Sacred Dungeon. It was not an easy opponent to face and all recovery, and healing abilities didn''t work under its gaze.


    The worst part was that anyone that died would be raised up as an Undead, and would be its ve for life. The only way to free them from this unholy servitude was to kill the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant.


    Death Tyrants, in general, were former Beholders. These were giant, sphere-like monsters with tentacle-like protrusions (sometimes called eye-stalks) on their bodies that contained eyes, and one giant central eye at the center of its main body.


    They were truly horrifying existences, and no one wanted to face such creatures whenever they exploredbyrinths, or any other ancient ruins, because of how nefarious they were.


    It was almost impossible to ambush a beholder because its many eyes could see in every angle. Also, all of them contained an ability of their own. A Beholder''s eyes could petrify, charm, instill fear, slow, paralyze, blind, and instantly kill their enemies.


    There were asions when all of these abilities were used all at once, in order to finish off their enemies in one fell swoop. They were also very resistant to magic because the central eye emitted an Anti-Magic Field, preventing anyone from harming it with magic.


    A Death Tyrant was a Beholder who had dreamt itself to exist beyond death, or something or someone had been turned into one due to outside interference. Either way, it had retained its intelligence, and gained a few other abilities that would put all living creatures under its mercy.


    "Now, I fully understand why no one was able to conquer the Hell Dungeon," Xander, one of the Five Overlords and member of the Rowan Tribe,mented.


    "If the four gates that represent Conquest, War, Famine, and Death, each have a Pseudo-Deimos Monster as its boss, it could only mean that the Golden Gate at its center��which I believe would open once the four gate had been conquered��would have a Deimos-Ranked Monster, or possibly even a Pseudo-Argonaut Monster inside it."


    Those who heard Xander''s words shuddered at the nearly impossible mission that they were facing.


    For some reason, the Sacred Dungeon could only hold five-hundred people at any given time. This included those who were challenging the dungeon separately from the rest. Because of this, the Six Kingdoms, the Barbatos Academy, and Rowan Tribe, could only send a limited number of individuals each time the Hidden Domain opened.


    Because of greed, and their own pursuit for power, they had never considered forming a five-hundred man team to challenge the Dungeon as a group, and instead settled for smaller parties, in the hope that the gains they would get would outweigh the dangers that their limited numbers would be facing.


    Lux, who was still being raised high up in the air by Einar, lightly tapped the Barbarian''s wrist with his hand.


    "Regardless of what we are facing, we have no choice but to face it," Lux replied. "You came here knowing the dangers that we are going to face. You, me, and everyone here, all of us have no choice but to continue moving forward. Or are you saying that you are giving up? If you are then feel free to leave this ce in a manner of your choosing."


    Einar snorted but he lowered Lux and allowed him to stand on his two feet once again. He didn''t have any intention of hurting the Half-Elf. It was just that his body moved on its own and before he knew it, he was already holding the Half-Elf in his hands.


    Just like the Half-Elf had said, he came here knowing the dangers he would face. He was just surprised that the opponent they would be facing right off the bat would be something so sinister that he wanted to confirm if the information Lux was sharing with them was true.


    "Let''s rest here for an hour," the Half-Elf said as he nced at the distant battlefield in the center of the valley. "After that, we will split into teams and scout the surrounding areas. If we really don''t find anything else, prepare yourselves for an uphill battle. We will definitely have a tough time from this moment onwards."

 Chapter 287 Staring Into The Eyes Of Death [Part 1]

    Chapter 287 Staring Into The Eyes Of Death [Part 1]


    The Valley of Death''s terrain was much moreplicated than Lux had originally expected. It had marsnds, forests, and uneven terrains, which made it difficult to navigate.


    Since they already had an idea about what they were going to face, the three factions that were led by Lux, Einar, and Vall scoured the surrounding areas to check its every nook and cranny.


    Several hourster, they met at the make-shift camp they had set up and told each other their findings.


    "Just as we expected, there are no animals or any other forms of life aside from the flora in the surroundings," Einar said as he used a branch to draw on the ground. "In the Northeast, there is a marsnd. Some of the areas are rtively deep, but at most, it would only reach up to our chests."


    Vall, who also held a branch in his hand, drew something on the Southwest corner of the map.


    "I traveled to the outskirts of the Valley of Death to check if I would incite any reactions from the Undead," Vall stated. "However, the Skeleton Army didn''t make a move to intercept me, and simply stayed where they were. Thanks to that, I was able to travel to the other side and see whaty beyond that point."


    "Unfortunately, just as Einar said earlier, I only saw a forest, a marsnd, and uneven terrain. I didn''t see any living creatures. Even the buzzing of insects was non-existent."


    Lux sighed in his heart. Since there was nothing that could be found along the outskirts of the Dungeon, it meant that they had no choice but to head towards the center, which was protected by hordes of Undead whose weakest Monster was Rank 4.


    Einar and Vall both had frowns on their faces. They just couldn''t think of a way to deal with the vast hordes of Undead to get to the center of the Valley of Death, where they believed the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant was hiding.


    "So, what''s the n?" Einar asked.


    "Should you even be asking that?" Vall snorted. "Since there is no other way but to go forward, we will have no choice but to go forward."


    Lux, who was still staring at the map drawn on the ground, remained calm, which surprised the two teenagers who were with him.


    "Actually, this isn''t as bad as you think it is," Lux said after a few minutes of silence. "Although it will take us a long time to achieve it, I believe that we will be able to ovee the Hordes of Monsters. However, in order for that to happen, I will need both of your full cooperation."


    Einar arched an eyebrow as he gazed at the Half-Elf, who seemed to have formted a n in his head.


    "You have my attention," Vallmented. "As for my cooperation, let me hear you out first."


    Einar nodded his head in agreement. Although he didn''t mind charging into a horde of Undead to directly smash them to pieces, he needed to know if his effort would pay off in the end.


    "Trust me," Lux said. "Even if it takes a day, or two, as long as we reach a certain milestone, even if we faced the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, I have the confidence to kill it."


    Einar and Vall nced at Lux. The Half-Elf''s words sounded quite confident that they were persuaded to feel like he might be able to make it a reality.


    The appearance of Asmodeus, who had managed to tame a Rank 5 Field Monster, made everyone view the red-headed teenager in a new light.


    Since they had alreadye this far, they decided that they would first see if Lux could back up his words. Naturally, the Half-Elf knew what Einar and Vall were thinking.


    He decided not to say anything and let his actions do the talking for him.


    "Okay, now, let us start our strategy meeting for clearing this dungeon floor," Lux said with a serious expression on his face.


    A few hourster.


    The Valley of Death trembled as countless Undead rose up from their slumber and attacked Orion, as well as four Rock Golems that were supporting it.


    The Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King had also joined the fray, decimating any Undead that was withing its Obsidian Sword''s range.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Asmodeus, the Skeleton Fighters, and Skeleton Grand Archers fought with everything they had, which contrasted against Lux, who was cooking stew on the cliff, as he overlooked the battle.


    The Barbarians led by Einar, and the warriors led by Vall, also joined the battle.


    Cai and Keane led the members of the Rowan Tribe to join the fight.


    Their strategy was like this: the Rock Golems would lure the Monsters to the outskirts of the battlefield, where they would be gangbanged by everyone. Lux''s role was to stay at the highest vantage point of the battlefield, so he could immediately warn everyone if the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant appeared.


    Lux didn''t divulge the secret of Diablo''s skills to anyone. He had tested it out earlier, and he was pleased to learn that, when the Rank 4 Skeletons died, the passive skill in Diablo''s armor activated and increased his attack and defense by five.


    The Half-Elf nned a long and gruesome battle, allowing Diablo''s attack to reach a level where even a Pseudo-Deimos Ranked Monster would feel a sh*t load of pain every time it received even a single blow from his Named Creature.


    Diablo''s attacks had the Ethereal Element, which meant that it would deal true damage to anything it hit, regardless of how high its defense was. Back then, Lux thought that this was a pretty nice thing because he didn''t fully understand how this skill worked.


    However, after fighting strong Bosses, he finally realized how deadly Diablo''s attacks were because they ignored all kinds of defenses and allowed him to deal a severe blow to his enemies once his attack and defense reached a certain threshold.


    If Diablo''s attack reached six digits, even an opponent with Millions of HP would not be able to brush off the Skeleton Rider''s attacks, which was one of Lux''s trump cards in battle.


    ''I''m sure that they will also realize itter,'' Lux thought. ''But as long as I don''t say anything, Einar''s and Vall''s suspicions will just remain as suspicions.''


    Blood Fervor was a broken ability, so Lux didn''t n to tell anyone that his Skeleton Rider possessed it. As long as he kept mum, even if someone asked, they would just leave with more questions instead of less.


    Just as the Half-Elf expected, the Undead ultimately overwhelmed the defenders, forcing them to retreat. Orion and the Rock Golems covered the retreat of the teenagers before shattering into rubble.


    The Skeleton Fighters also died in battle, and only Diablo remained on the battlefield with half of its Health Points still intact. Its lifesteal ability wasn''t working, so it was unable to regain its Health Points in a prolonged battle.


    This proved that the Death Tyrant was monitoring the battle as well. This monster had the power to negate any healing and recovery abilities, which made it a very tough opponent to fight during expeditions.


    Lux had already expected this oue, so he wasn''t worried. He just ordered Diablo to retreat to the farthest ce in the map, near the Forest. The moment his Health Points started regenerating, it meant that he had gotten out of the range of the Death Tyrant''s abilities.


    Whenever Diablo''s health fully recovered, the Half-Elf would once again summon his minions for another round of battle.


    An hour passed��


    Two hours passed��


    More hours passed��


    Einar had been hacking their enemies non-stop and his shoulders had started to turn numb. The War Axe in his hand also became very heavy, making him exert more effort with every strike.


    Even Vall had taken on his human form because he couldn''t keep up his transformation for long periods of time. They had already been fighting for several hours, and they were nearing their limit.


    Fighting a Rank 4 Monster wasn''t an easy thing. Although the Rock Golems were only luring dozens at a time, it still took a toll on their bodies.


    In the end, the teenagers left the battlefieldpletely, to let all of them rest and recover their strength. Only the Undead remained, and they continued to attack their enemies one by one, further increasing Diablo''s attack power.


    Suddenly, Lux saw something red sh at the center of the Valley of Death.


    "So, you finally aren''t able to keep still, huh?" Lux sneered at the Giant Skull whose deadly eyes were now gazing in his direction.


    Although the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant had made its appearance, it didn''t move from where it hovered. Instead, it kept on summoning more Undead Soldiers to fight for it, making the sneer on the Half-Elf''s face widen.


    Lux knew that if the Death Tyrant didn''t make a move soon, Diablo''s strength would finally reach six digits, making him a formidable foe to both the living and the dead.

 Chapter ?288 Staring Into The Eyes Of Death [Part 2]

    ?288 Staring Into The Eyes Of Death [Part 2]


    If given enough time, Lux was confident that Diablo''s damage would reach a staggering level.


    Right now, the Skeleton Rider''s bonus damage and defense had already surpassed ten thousand, which was considered immensely powerful.


    Rank 4 Monsters weren''t easy opponents, so even after many hours in battle, they only managed to kill a little more than two thousand of them.


    If Diablo had only been fighting Rank 1 and 2 Monsters, perhaps his damage might have already surpassed over fifty thousand by now.


    The Half-Elf already expected that this would be a long and drawn out battle. Their strategy was luring dozens of skeletons by batches because fighting over a hundred Rank 4 Monsters with their ranks would be too dangerous.


    Healing abilities didn''t work because the Death Tyrant was actively using its ability that prevented any restorative and healing skills from taking effect. Because of this, the Clerics and other Jobs, who were tasked to heal their allies, felt frustrated.


    In the end, Lux couldn''t do anything but let the injured pull back from the battlefield and towards the very rear of their temporary camp, so that the healers could tend to them.


    Just as the Half-Elf thought that the Boss Monster wouldn''t move from its location, it started to head towards their direction. However, for some reason, Lux thought that something was very off with the opponent that he was about to face.


    When looking at it with his appraisal skill, the stats of the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant wouldn''t show. Even its name was made up of weird characters, and only its health was visible. But even then, something still felt off, yet he still couldn''t put his finger on what was wrong with it.


    ��-


    < %#%@&#^% >


    Health: 1,238,987 / 1,238,987


    Mana: ?????


    Strength: ????


    Intelligence: ????


    Vitality: ????


    Agility: ????


    Dexterity: ????


    ��-----


    ''Is this some kind of bug?'' Lux wondered.


    There had been several times when thependium wasn''t able to determine the strength of the enemy, and only had question marks for the stats of the monster. However, this time it was different.


    This time, even the name of the monster couldn''t be essed, which perplexed the Half-Elf.


    "So the boss has decided to enter the fray," Einar said as he gazed at the approaching monster with a solemn look on his face. "What do we do now?"


    "We retreat," Lux said decisively. "We are still unable to beat that thing. We need more time."


    Vall frowned but didn''t say anything. The skeletons that they had killed didn''t drop any Beast Cores. However, that was not the main issue.


    The problem was the shattered skeleton bones that could reattach themselves after half an hour, making the teenagers fighting them feel helpless.


    Lux had told them that they would need to spend at least a few days in order to beat the Boss Monster, so they already expected that the battle wouldn''t be ending soon. But knowing that they had to retreat once the Boss Monster personally made a move on the battlefield still frustrated them.


    "Everyone pull back!" Cai ordered as it ran back to the area where the three leaders were located. "I may not be good at fighting, but I am very good at running away! Come after me if you dare, you overgrown eyeball!"


    The Death Tyrant suddenly stopped hovering and aimed all of its eyes at the Boar who had taunted it. A few secondster, all of its eyes emitted death rays, which were aimed at the Boar''s direction, making Cai squeal in panic and run like there''s no tomorrow.


    The ground that the dark rays hit instantly turnedpletely ck, making the other teenagers feel the hairs at the back of their necks stand on end.


    All of them ran with all of their might, only leaving Lux''s undead minions to cover their retreat.


    The Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King raised its Bone Shield and blocked the Death Tyrant''s second barrage of Death Rays, shielding the teenagerspletely from this deadly attack.


    ''Strange, if I remember correctly, each of the Beholder''s eyes have a different ability,'' Lux thought as he backed away just like everyone else. ''But all of the Death Tyrant''s eyes can shoot Death Rays. Is this some kind of mutated species? Is that the reason why its name can''t be read?''


    Lux didn''t know the answer to these questions right now because the Death Tyrant was still emitting Death Rays, which were being blocked by the Giant Skeleton King, who was quite resistant to it.


    These ray attacks were especially deadly to living creatures, but it wouldn''t deal much damage against the Undead. The Skeleton King would receive greater damage against the Skeleton Army, than fighting against the Death Tyrant, who seemed to only know how to use Death Rays.


    "Orion, do it!" Lux ordered.


    The Rock Golem roared as it charged towards the Death Tyrant with the intention of smashing its giant eye with its rocky fist.


    Just as Orion was nearing its target, the Death Tyrant''s giant eye shed once, instantly making Orion''s running speede to aplete crawl.


    After Orion''s speed drastically slowed down, it was swarmed by the Undead Legion, and it was forced to defend itself by bashing and punching its enemies left and right.


    The Death Tyrant wasn''t being idle and once again shot Death Rays towards Orion. Unlike the Skeleton King, who was very resistant to the attack, Orion, although not instantly killed, received a lot of damage.


    Little by little, its health dropped until it shattered into rubble.


    Lux summoned his Soulbook and immediately checked Orion''s Page. The first thing he looked at was the Rock Golem''s revenge list and true enough, the gibberish name appeared on it.


    ��--


    < Revenge List >


    1. < %#%@&#^% >


    Number of Deaths: 1


    ��---


    Lux suddenly had an idea as he retreated to a safe ce. Five minutester, he once again summoned Orion, allowing the Rock Golem to attack the Death Tyrant for the second time.


    Orion was a Revenger


    When Orion is killed by an enemy, he will add the name of that creature in his Revenge List. The next time he faced the same enemy, all of his stats will increase by 200%.


    Everytime he was killed by the same creature a 10% stacking bonus would be added to his increased stats.


    Simply put, Orion could fight the enemy over and over again, until it reached a point where its stats would overwhelm its enemy, making them unable to kill it anymore.


    In truth, this was Lux''s n B.


    If Diablo''s increased attack and defense didn''t reach the six digits before the Boss Monster''s arrival, he would send Orion to confront it repeatedly.


    By doing so, Orion would gain a massive increase in its stats after its repeated deaths, allowing it to get his revenge on the Monster that was making things difficult for them.


    Even though Einar and Vall didn''t know what Lux''s summons were capable of doing, they weren''t dumb.


    They understood that the Half-Elf had a reason for repeatedly sending his Rock Golem to die against the Death Tyrant, who had been lured away from the horde of Skeletons that had stopped their pursuit and returned to the center of the Valley.


    Over and over, Orion died. However, each time he was re-summoned, he would survive a little longer than before.


    In the end, as if getting tired of fighting against the Rock Golem, the Death Tyrant blinked away several times until it had returned at the center of the ins, where the army of the dead protected it.


    ''Only 260%.'' Lux sighed in his heart. ''This will be a long battle indeed.''


    The Half-Elf then nced at the members of the Rowan Tribe, the Barbarians, as well as Vall''s guild, who were all currently resting.


    All of them had done their best, and Lux had noints whatsoever. In the end, only his tireless Undead Army was left fighting. They used Ishtar''s long range attack to attract a few skeletons towards them.


    Although this was a pitiful attempt to raise Diablo''s bonuses, Lux decided to leave the rest to his subordinates and take a rest as well.


    Although he simply observed the battlefield, he felt drained because he kept on summoning the Skeletons, as well as the Rock Golems that were continuously dying.


    In the end, he let Asmodeus take his ce, as he went to sleep with the others. Since the Lich Lord could summon the same number of Skeletons that he could, there was no problem in keeping the battle going even if he wasn''t monitoring the battlefield.


    The teenagers had assigned watchers to keep a look out for any changes in the battlefield. Lux heavily emphasized that if the Death Tyrant appeared again, they should wake him up as soon as possible.


    He nned to make Diablo and Orion his hard hitters during this battle, and he would make sure that their pesky enemy would finally be blown away by the counterattack that would happen once the Skeleton Rider and the Rock Golem gain enough power to conquer the Valley of Death, once and for all.

 Chapter 289 The Start Of A Nightmare

    289 The Start Of A Nightmare


    Lux woke up to the sound of fighting.


    It was still dark, and most of the people were still sleeping. However, the sound of weapons shing could be heard in the distance.


    The Half-Elf wasn''t too worried because his subordinates didn''t personallye to wake him up to let him know that they were in danger. He had given them the orders that if something was wrong, they should wake him up as soon as possible.


    Since he was able to sleep without being disturbed it just means that there had been no situation when his life was in immediate danger.


    After stifling a yawn, Lux nced in the direction where his Skeletons were still fighting with their own kind. Diablo and the others were fighting only around six Rank 4 Skeletons at once, and killing them repeatedly as soon as they rebuilt themselves.


    After looking at Diablo''s damage, he discovered that only around two thousand points had been added to his Named Creature''s attack and defense.


    It wasn''t an explosive increase, but it was a decent one. Lux already understood that he couldn''t take his opponents lightly, so he prepared himself for a very long campaign.


    After checking the conditions of the teenagers around him, he noticed that they were still feeling exhausted, so he didn''t force them to fight at this point in time.


    The enemy they were facing had the ability to prevent health, stamina, and any forms of recovery. So the teenagers feeling sluggish was a given since they couldn''t recover naturally.


    Only Einar, and Vall, seemed to be better than the rest, but he could tell that both of them were quite exhausted as well.


    This battlefield gave the Undead an enormous advantage. Fortunately, Lux was also a Necromancer so he could allow his minions to fight non-stop, which allowed Diablo to increase his damage consistently.


    "Are you sure we can really kill that thing?" Einar asked as he pointed at something that was glowing red in the distance.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "But we need several days in order to do it. However, believe me when I say that once we reach that point, we will be able to deal with it without any problems, or without sacrificing anyone from this group."


    "That''s good to hear," Vallmented. "I don''t have any intention of using my guild members as your cannon fodders."


    Lux could only smile at Vall''sment because thetter''s sarcasm was quite obvious for anyone to see.


    "But, can you give me an estimate as to how long we need to stay in this dungeon before we can get the Sacred White Lotus?" Vall asked.


    "The soonest will be in three days," Lux replied. "A week at the longest."


    "I see." Vall rubbed his chin. "A week at the longest��"


    Those who had gone to the Sacred Dungeon knew that the longer they stayed inside the dungeon, the more progress that they would gain from it. However, it was more of a matter of survival.


    They were able to stay inside the dungeon for a long time due to the fact that they were afraid of charging into a head-on confrontation against a Boss Monster that was way beyond their capabilities.


    Usually, fighting against Pseudo-Deimos Monsters required at least two-hundred up to five-hundred men teams to fight. It couldn''t be won by a rag-tag group who had been grouped together just for the sake of adding 1+1+1 = 3.


    A guild is more organized because only one person takes the helm tomand everyone, allowing them to fight as a united front.


    Although having three leaders like Lux, Einar, and Vall was more flexible, in the bigger picture, their efficiency wasn''t that great inrge-scale battles.


    If not for the fact that Lux was a Necromancer that allowed him to have over a hundred minions, they would have no way of dealing with the countless Undead that was guarding the center of the Valley of Death.


    ��--


    Second Day��


    "Damn! Why do you always target meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!" Cai squealed as it ran away with all of its might.


    Everytime the Boar entered the outskirts of the valley, the Death Tyrant would appear and attack it with Death Rays.


    This discovery allowed Lux to let Orion fight against the Boss Monster with the intention of increasing its Vengeance Stats everytime they faced each other.


    Because of this, Lux would send the Boar out everytime the Death Tyrant returned to the center of the valley in order to lure it out again.


    This happened several times and when the day was over, Orion''s Vengeance meter had reached 700%, which made Lux extremely happy.


    Each time the Rock Golem fought against the Death Tyrant, their battle wouldst a little longer than the one before that, allowing Lux to gauge how strong the Death Tyrant was.


    When he saw that everyone was exhausted to the point that they couldn''t even lift their finger anymore, he would order the skeletons to carry them back to the camp.


    Diablo has already grown to the point that Ishtar could lure a few Skeletons over and the Skeleton Rider could dispose of them all by himself.


    It meant that the teenagers no longer had to fight because Diablo had reached a stage where he could finish off the Rank 4 Skeletons with greater ease.


    "Forty Thousand Bonus Attack," Lux muttered. "Not bad."


    Diablo just needed to use his skill five times in order to destroy a Rank 4 Skeletons. When it ran out of Mana, it would just sh its enemies at least a dozen times before they died.


    With the other Skeletons aiding him, Diablo was constantly getting stronger.


    Orion was also not that far behind. Being able to increase his stats while dealing with the Death Tyrant allowed Lux to feel more confident that they would be able to ovee the Boss they were fighting, but even so, he couldn''t shake off the nagging feeling at the back of his mind.


    He felt as if something was terribly wrong, but he couldn''t put his finger on it.


    This feeling continued until they reached the fourth day.


    Loud cheering erupted in the surroundings as Orion and Diablo worked together to attack the Death Tyrant on both sides. They had reached a staggering amount of attack power that the Death Tyrant''s screams were like music to their ears.


    The moment Orion dealt the finishing blow to the Death Tyrant, the teenagers around him all glowed, showing that they had all leveled up after the Boss Monster had died.


    Lux didn''t gain experience from killing monsters. He could only gain additional stat points from absorbing the Beast Core that the monster dropped.


    The Half-Elf''s uneasy feeling red up the moment the Death Tyrant fell on the ground, and dispersed like a cloud of ashes.or


    It didn''t leave anything behind, including a Beast Core, which made everyone who was looking forward to seeing the Pseudo-Deimos Ranked Beast Core scratch their heads in confusion.


    However, their confusion didn''tst long. Cai, who was paying close attention at the center of the Valley of Death froze, its entire body shaking in fear and panic.


    Keane, who was standing beside Cai, noticed the strangeness of the Boar''s behavior so he followed its gaze, and what he saw made him draw his sword fully from its scabbard.


    Lux, Einar, and Vall finally realized that something was terribly wrong and immediately nced in the direction where Cai and Keane were looking.


    A second after that, Lux immediately shouted, catching everyone''s attention.


    "Run!" Lux shouted, and everyone ran as fast as they could in order to escape the nightmare that was materializing right behind them.


    Over a dozen Death Tyrants appeared out of nowhere, and at the very center was a truly Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, that was at least four timesrger than the other Death Tyrant''s that surrounded it.


    "Orion, Asmodeus, block them!" Lux ordered as he retreated alongside the teenagers who were literally being carried or dragged by the Skeleton soldiers, because they no longer had the strength to flee.


    The Rock Golem as well as the Obsidian Skeleton King immediately stood behind the young teenagers and used their bodies to block the attacks that were aimed in their direction.


    Hundreds of ray attacks of different colors descended upon the two giants, whose sole purpose was to tank the damage that would otherwise hit the fleeing teenagers that they were protecting.


    Orion onlysted for half a minute before exploding in shower of rubble. The Obsidian Skeleton King''s Health Points was shaved a third after taking the full brunt of the next wave of ray attacks after Orion was destroyed.


    Lux gave the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, that was bigger than the others, an appraising nce and gritted his teeth.


    ��---


    < Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant >


    �C Sphere of Death


    �C Pseudo-Deimos Ranked World Boss


    Health: 6,300,000 / 6,300,000


    Mana: 2,000,000 / 2,000,000


    Strength: ?????


    Intelligence: ????


    Vitality: ????


    Agility: ????


    Dexterity: ????


    ��----


    This time, Lux was seeing the name and other information of the Boss Monster, which told him that this was the real deal.


    The monster that they had killed earlier was nothing more than a bug. A Monster that was a much weaker version of the Boss Monster that had finally made its appearance.


    In front of thirteen Death Tyrants, Lux knew that this had gone beyond what he could handle. The only thing they could do was make a strategic retreat against so many Death Tyrants, that could wipe all of them with one re from the hundreds of eyes that showed extreme hostility towards the people who had killed one of their brethren.

 Chapter ?290 Return Of The Kings

    ?290 Return Of The Kings


    "Sh*t!" Lux muttered as he ran alongside the teenagers that had gone to the forest in order to hide from the Death Tyrants.


    The horrifying monsters had chased them off from the Valley of Death, and followed them even in their hiding ce. The Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King had only managed to buy them a few minutes before it disintegrated from thebined attacks of thirteen Death Tyrants.


    Even though it was quite resistant to the Death Rays, getting hit by a constant barrage of them was not something he could tank for an extended period of time.


    After that, the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, led the other smaller Death Tyrant''s in hunting them down.


    Just as Lux was about to summon Keoza, which was hisst resort to deal with this hopeless situation, a rain of arrows descended upon the Death Tyrantsing from the North East, making the floating Spheres of Death to shift their attention elsewhere.


    At that exact moment, Lux received a notification from his Soul Book that a new quest had activated. He wasn''t expecting something like this would happen, so he hastily read the new batch of information that appeared, while holding the Golden Dragon Token tightly in his hand.


    ��------


    < Return of the Kings >


    Mission Rating: S


    �C After their defeat at the Valley of Death and the death of their Kings, vassals, and soldiers, the Crown Prince of both Kingdoms decided to drop the old grudge they had with each other and strived for peace.


    �C A decade passed and both Kingdoms prospered, but recent sightings of the Death Tyrants awakening from their slumber had made them feel wary.


    In order to put an end to the sleeping threats in their borders, as well as avenge those that had fallen in battle, they decided to make a joint expedition and fight against the horrors that might destroy the peace that they had built with so much hardship.


    �C Rally your own forces and fight alongside the Two Kings and destroy the enemy before you!


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Kill the true Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant


    �C Quest Duration 24 hours.


    �C Quest will automatically end in failure if you as well as your entire faction died in battle.


    �C Quest will automatically end in failure if you fail to kill your target within 24 hours.


    < Rewards >


    �C Rewards for the mission will depend on your performance in battle.


    �C The greater role you y, the greater the rewards.


    ��-----


    As soon as Lux finished reading the information that had appeared in his Soul Book, two people, who were riding ck and white horses respectively, appeared before him with their elite retinue not far behind them.


    "I am Tarquin, Son of Harlequin, and King of the Kingdom of Gedge. I greet you warriors of unknown origin, and I wish to ask for your help to y these monsters who threaten ournds."


    "I am Terence, Son of Norris, and King of the Kingdom of Lockridge. Great rewards will befall upon all of you if you are to help us y these abominations and put an end to this nightmare once and for all."


    "Will you help us?" Tarquin asked.


    "We won''t force you," Terence stated. "However, you must decide now whether you will fight or flee from these monsters before you!"


    ��--


    < Do you wish to aid the two Kings in battle? Choose swiftly! >


    < Yes / No >


    ��--


    The answer to this question was a no-brainer. They came here to get the Sacred White Lotus, and they would be damned if they didn''t take this opportunity to mount a counterattack!


    "We will help you," Lux answered. "But, what exactly must we do in this battle?"


    Tarquin and Terence exchanged nces with each other before shifting their gaze back to the Half-Elf, who seemed to be the leader of the group of teenagers whom they found in the forest.


    Einar and Vall didn''t say anything because they didn''t think it was necessary. They couldn''t care less whether the Kings talked to Lux or the two of them.


    They only wanted to know how to get out of this mess and emerge victorious against the Death Tyrants, who had made their lives miserable.


    "We have brought with us all the warriors we can muster from both of our kingdoms, but the most we can do is fight the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant''s minions," Tarquinn stated.


    "Although it is shameless for us to ask you of this, we need you to deal with the biggest one among the Death Tyrants," Terencemented. "Only by defeating it will this crusade end. We can only rely on you, young men and women, to be the sword that will pierce through the darkness."


    Tarquinn then raised his sword towards the heavens.


    "I, Tarquinn, King of Gedge, will promise with my life, as well as the lives of my men, that we will not allow any of the Death Tyrant''s minions to get in the way of your battle against it."


    Terence did the same and made his pledge as well.


    "I, Terence, King of Lockridge, make a pledge today that even if I lose my life, I, and my people will protect you from outside interference. Let the heavens be witness to my oath!"


    ��--


    < You have epted the S-Ranked Mission, Return of the Kings. >


    < Quest Duration: 23:59:59 >


    ��--


    Lux took a deep breath as he gazed at the Death Tyrants who were being besieged on all sides by thebined armies of the two kingdoms.


    However, the Death Tyrants weren''t simple monsters and could summon zombies on arge scale. Unlike Necromancers, which could summon Undeads in the hundreds and perhaps even thousands until their Mana runs out, a Death Tyrant could summon as many as it pleased.


    In short, Death Tyrants could summon an infinite number of Zombies to fight for its side, as well as raise those who had died in battle while fighting against them. They might not be Undead Liches, but Death Tyrants were truly monsters that were capable of making even experienced warriors want to flee due to how unreasonable they were.


    Being unable to use healing magic and recover from their injuries meant that they had no choice but to flee or die fighting in the battlefield when facing these monsters.


    Looking at the teenagers, who were already at their limits, Lux knew that they couldn''t count on them.


    ''Should I use the Token and end this battle once and for all?'' Lux thought as he gripped the golden token in his hand.


    If not for the appearance of the two kings, he might have already summoned Keoza to fight against the monsters, but even if an Argonaut Crystal Dragon was strong, he was still wary of the Death Tyrants'' eyes that might affect it in battle, making it difficult for Keoza to fight against thirteen Death Tyrants at once.


    While Lux was pondering on what to do, he felt a bony hand rest on his shoulder.


    ncing to his right, he saw Diablo whose glowing eye sockets looked at him with determination.


    "Can you do it?" Lux asked.


    "Alone, no," Diablo replied. "But, I am never alone."


    Suddenly,rge rocky hands wrapped around Lux''s body before lifting him high up in the air. A momentter, he found himself sitting on the shoulder of the Rock Golem, Orion, and overlooking the battlefield through the eyes of a giant.


    Scanning his surroundings, he saw Ishtar, Pazuzu, Asmodeus, his skeletons, as well as Einar, and Vall, who was exhausted, but still had a determined look on their faces.


    Even the other teenagers who were reaching their limits, forced themselves to stand up. Clearly, they didn''t n on just sitting on the sidelines and watching as theirrades die in battle.


    "I''m sorry, I forgot that I don''t need to fight this battle alone," Lux said. "You can now put me down, Orion. I know what to do."


    The Rock Golem followed Lux''s orders and waited for his Master''s orders.


    "Vall, I know you are already exhausted, but can you still transform?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Vall replied. "At most, I can stay in my Spider Form for an hour. After that, I''d be too exhausted to even lift a finger."


    Lux nodded. "Einar, how do you feel about suicide missions?"


    Einarughed out loud after hearing Lux''s words.


    "Suicide Missions? Are you kidding me?" Einar replied. "Barbarians love suicide missions."


    Lux chuckled at Einar''s bold words. The Barbarians who were also standing behind their leader were also smiling. From the very start since they entered the Hidden Domain, the Barbarians were at the forefront of the formation.


    This meant that they had already been risking their lives from the start, so this wasn''t a big deal for them.


    "Vall, I know that this is shameless for me to ask, but we need you to be my and Einar''s mount during this battle," Lux said with a solemn expression on his face. He knew that Vall was a prideful individual, and it was close to impossible for him to let anyone use him in a degrading manner.


    "Me? A mount?" Vall gave Lux a deadly smile filled with killing intent. "You sure are pushing your limit, Half-Elf. I''ve never been insulted like this in my life."


    "Will you do it?" Lux asked as he gazed straight into Vall''s eyes, making the other party understand that he was serious.


    Vall was silent for half a minute, as if fighting an internal battle against himself. He had never thought that a day woulde when he would be used in such a degrading manner, and to be perfectly honest, he would rather die than have someone ride on his back.


    This humiliation would hunt him for the rest of his life, and it might even make him develop some inner demons, which might stunt his growth in Elysium.


    "Very well, but I have a condition," Vall said after careful consideration. "You were given Argonaut Beast Cores when you won the Championship. I want one of them, and I will be given free reign to choose any of it."


    "Very well I agree," Lux answered in a heartbeat, which made Vall, and Einar, change their opinion of Lux for the third time.


    They didn''t expect that Lux would agree to Vall''s condition so easily, making them feel as if he didn''t care about some Argonaut Beast Core, which was a prized item even in Silver and Gold-Ranked Guilds.


    "It won''t be fair if only Vall''s get one Argonaut Beast Core," Einar suddenly interjected as he rested his entire shoulder into Lux''s neck. "Give me one too."


    "Okay." Lux nodded. "One Argonaut Beast Core for each of you."


    "Great!" Einar chuckled. "I''m starting to like you."


    Five minutester, Lux had finished informing everyone about the strategy that they would be using against their enemy. Although this wasn''t a very detailed strategy, everyone had agreed to it because it was very simple.


    All they were told to do was go all out and do whatever they could to attack the Boss Monster to the best of their abilities!


    Lux, Vall, and Einar would lead the charge, like a sword cutting through the enemy''s ranks, while the other teenagers would ride on horses that were given to them by the Two Kings, and follow behind them.


    Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Asmodeus were now mounted on Wargs that Lux had decided to use in the battle against the Death Tyrant. Their role was to offer support and ensure that they would be able to react to whatever incident would arise in battle.


    Diablo, Orion, as well as the other skeletons and Rock Golem''s roles, would be protecting the teenagers from both sides, shielding them from the zombies that were blocking the way.


    Vall transformed into an Alpha-Ranked Elegant Golden Jumping Spider. A momentter, Lux, and Einar jumped on his back, and grabbed the spidery silk that Vall had made for them, in order to not fall off his back when he moved at full speed.


    "Let''s go," Lux dered. "Let''s bring this Death Tyrant down and go home."


    "Hahaha! I''ll make sure to take a souvenir back home, so I can brag at my Dad for aplishing something he wasn''t able to do."


    Vall gave a shriek, as if agreeing to the two of them. This was hisst chance to use his transformation, so he would make it count and go all out.


    Three of the most powerful members of the Young Generation, as well as their guild membership and subordinates, had teamed up to take down a foe that was several times stronger than them.


    Everyone''s blood boiled with determination as they faced the countless enemies before them. Instead of being afraid, they were feeling raring to go to battle.


    Although they were exhausted, they could feel their blood warming every fiber of their being, giving them strength for thest hurrah that could end their lives at any moment.


    For the first time since they had entered the Sacred Dungeon, the Barbarians, Vall''s Guild members, as well as the members of the Rowan Tribe, felt as if their ragtag group of warriors were finally about to fight as one!

 Chapter 291 Pride Of Solaris [Part 1]

    291 Pride Of Sris [Part 1]


    "Kill!" Tarquin pointed his sword towards the smaller Death Tyrants as his right hand man raised the banner of his kingdom high in the air.


    ""Kill!""


    The King of the Kingdom of Gedge charged bravely towards the right side of the battlefield, as his army pierced through the zombie horde like a hot knife cutting through butter.


    "For the Alliance!" Terence roared as he pointed his sword towards the left nk of the battlefield. "Charge!"


    ""Charge!""


    The King of the Kingdom of Lockridge bravely stood at the forefront of their formation as his warhorse trampled everything that stood in his way.


    "I know that all of you are exhausted to the point that you find it hard to even stand," Lux said as he addressed the three factions that were now working together as one. "Many have tried to conquer the Sacred Dungeon and failed, but today is different. Today, we stand as one.


    "Today we stand not as the members of the Rowan Tribe.


    "Today we stand not as the Barbarian Tribe.


    "Today we stand not as a Guild.


    "Today, we stand as Sians!"


    Lux pointed at the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant who floated at the center of the enemy formation, deep in the horde of zombies that were still increasing in numbers.


    "Today, is the day we make history!" Lux roared. "Today, we make our stand!"


    Lux''s charismatic voice made everyone feel something warm coursing through their bodies as all of their passive abilities stacked with each other.


    They had all formed a single party, allowing those with certain abilities that affect groups to boost everyone''s stats.


    This increase included attack and defense, as well as other status increases and resistances, making everyone feel as if they were being embraced by a gentle sunlight, while a soothing breeze passed through their exhausted bodies.


    "Warriors of Sris!" Lux shouted as he buffed everyone with all of his active skills, which were also being done by the other members that were in their party. "Today we fight! For Honor!"


    ""For Honor!""


    "For Country!"


    ""For Country!""


    "For Glory!"


    ""For Glory!""


    Einar held his War Axe firmly in his hands, Vall had already crouched down in preparation to charge at the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, and Lux covered his body entirely with the Favonius Legacy Armor.


    This was the armor that was worn by the first founder of Leaf Vige, and it bestowed upon its user the power of the Wind Element.


    Lux created a dome of air in front of Vall in order to allow the Elegant Golden Jumping Spider to run faster, without worrying about air resistance.


    Everyone else, who was mounted on their horses, held their reins tightly. Cai was already in its Hildivisni form, and ready to charge the moment Lux gave the signal.


    "Solians!" Lux roared as he imbued the power of wind to everyone in their party to increase their speed, and wind resistance. "Kill!"


    ""Kill!""


    The Elegant Golden Jumping Spider sprang towards the Monstrous Death Tyrant like a rocket, leaving behind the rest of their group.


    Diablo took the helm of the charge, while riding on its Nightmare Horse, taking the ce Lux had assigned him.


    Lux''s n was to distract the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant before their main force came in. He wasn''t worried about the others because Diablo''s attack power was increasing at a rapid pace.


    Due to how many zombies were dying in the surroundings, as well as the soldiers that came from the two kingdoms that hade to assist them in battle, it would only be a matter of time before Diablo''s damage reached the six digits.


    When that time came, Lux''s Skeleton Rider, as well as the Rock Golem, Orion, would help Lux deal the damage that was needed to bring their opponent down.


    Vall didn''t even bother fighting against the zombies that were blocking their way. He just jumped, and crushed anything where hended on as he moved forward at a rapid pace.


    When they were only hundreds of meters away from their target, the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant locked its eyes on them and shot several different colored rays at the approaching Giant Spider.


    Fortunately, Vall was moving very fast, allowing him to evade the Death Rays with ease.


    When Lux fought Vall, he had already acknowledged thetter''s speed, which was why he asked him to be the mount that would allow him, and Einar, to deal damage to the Death Tyrant while constantly on the move.


    With the power of the Wind helping them increase their speeds, the Elegant Golden Jumping Spider''s speed rose to the next level.


    Death Tyrants didn''t really have any blindspots because of the ten, red, glowing orbs that freely moved around it, and one big central eye that allowed it to use its other special ability which prevented anyone from regenerating on the battlefield.


    However, being able to see everything and being able to react on time were two separate things.


    As if to prove this point, Vall lunged at the back of the Death Tyrant and unleashed a venomous bite on its head.


    Einar activated his Rage ability, simr to Berserk, which allowed him to deal more damage to his enemies for a brief period of time.


    Swinging his War Axe with all the strength he could muster, the Barbarian was able to deal two Fury sh before Vall leapt away to evade the Death Rays that were shot at them at point nk range.


    Lux, on the other hand, didn''t let the opportunity slide and unleashed two Dragon ws, tearing off parts of the Beholder''s skull, making it scream in pain.


    The Power of the Abyss was a foreign power that wasn''t exclusive in the world of Elysium. Because of this, it dealt true damage to anything it touched, with the exception of the Apex Creatures in the world like Dragons, Phoenixes, and other creatures that stood at the very top of the food chain.


    The angry Death Tyrant fixed all of its eyes on the fast moving giant spider and unleashed several rays of light, with the intention of slowing it down. However, Vall had already anticipated this would happen, so he had already spun several silky threads on the surroundings, allowing him to make evasive maneuvers in the blink of an eye.


    For two minutes, the Death Tyrant received a one-sided beating before it decided that enough was enough.


    As if sensing that the Death Tyrant was about to unleash a devastating attack, Vall crouched its body low on the ground, and lunged under the Death Tyrant''s body, as soon as he saw the giant red eye on its white Skull glow eerily.


    At the same time, the Death Tyrant unleashed a cone of negative energy in front of it, turning thend in front of itpletely ck. Its eyes had also fired the multi-colored lights, two of which were Death Rays.


    Thisbination attack was very scary because not only did it affect a wide area, those who were unlucky enough to die under this cone of deathly energy would instantly turn into zombies, bing the Death Tyrant''s servants.


    After missing its target, the Death Tyrant turned its body and looked down on the ground, where the Giant Spider was crouched down.


    Its eyes saw three Half-Elves, and one Barbarian, who were in the midst of unleashing their strongest attacks.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    "Primal sh!"


    Golden mes, tinged with a reddish glow mmed into the giant eye of the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, making it scream in pain.


    The other eyes didn''t stand idle, and once again shot their Death Rays at the Giant Spider, but as soon as Lux and Einar unleashed their attacks, Vall had already jumped away, evading the Death Tyrant''s counter attack.


    It was at this moment when the ground under their feet trembled. Lux''s Avenger, Orion, had arrived and gave a mighty roar before jumping up to the air with his right arm pulled back in preparation to unleash one of his strongest attacks against the hated enemy that had killed it repeatedly over the past several days.


    "Gaia Smash!"


    An otherworldly scream rang out of the Valley of Death as Lux''s reinforcements had finally arrived to help them attack the Boss Monster, whose deathly-red-eyes were looking at them with undisguised fury.


    "Hellfire Annihtion sh!"


    Diablo''s Nightmare horse leapt through the air, allowing the Skeleton Rider to unleash its strongest attack against the Death Tyrant, who was still reeling from the blow it took from the Rock Golem that had timed its attack to make contact right after his the Half-Elf''s Dragon''s Breath.


    Hellish mes erupted from the tip of Diablo''s sword, piercing the Death Tyrant''s eye, dealing very high damage that had reached the six digits.


    The floating eyes glowed brightly as they aimed at the Skeleton Rider, who was unable to dodge theirbined attacks mid-air.


    However, before these eyes could evenunch their Ray Attacks at one of the greatest threats in their existence, the Death Tyrant''s massive body suddenly moved forward, canceling the ray attacks that were just about to be unleashed in Diablo''s direction.


    Lux''s Demonic Defender, Pazuzu, stood in the distance holding his Silver Shield in front of it. Since the skill, Duel [EX], forced its enemy to exchange one blow with him, the Death Tyrant charged towards Pazuzu with its giant mouth open.


    "Wild Rush!"


    Cai fearlessly charged at the Death Tyrant and mmed its tusk into its body and embedded them into the giant white skull, which knocked it back for a few meters.


    Right after that, several magical spells descended from the sky, and exploded on the Death Tyrant''s face, pushing it back for several more meters.


    The young men and women, who had apanied Diablo to break through the zombie horde, had finally reached the main battlefield.


    Although they knew that the help they could give their leaders was limited, none of them decided to back away.


    They were making theirst stand, and as long as they still drew breath, they would use everything in their power to end the battle they started and defeat the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, that stood in their way.

 Chapter ?292 Pride Of Solaris [Part 2]

    ?292 Pride Of Sris [Part 2]


    The battlefield had be a chaotic mess as the Sians, as well as the army of the two Kingdoms, waged an all out war against the Death Tyrants who were putting up a good fight.


    Diablo, who grew stronger as he was surrounded by the dead, was the greatest damage dealer in the group, followed closely by Orion, Lux, and Einar.


    Vall no longer attacked the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant because he was conserving his stamina. He just focused on evading the ray attacks that were being fired in his direction, while marveling at the outstanding coordination between Lux and his summoned Creatures.


    Einar was also paying close attention to the Half-Elf''s Named Creatures, who were standing beside him. He felt a little bitter because when Lux had fought with him, he didn''t summon his Undead Legion, unlike his fight against Cai in the Finals.


    ''I need to get stronger,'' Einar thought. ''That way, I can challenge Lux to a rematch. When that timees, I will make him use everything in his arsenal. But first, we will need to beat this monster before us.''


    Einar had a verypetitive spirit, which allowed him to surpass his limits. As long as he could set a goal for himself, he would be able to keep on going, despite how hurt, or injured he became from the rigorous training that he did for himself.


    "Guillotine Throw!"


    Making a full swing, and letting go of his War Axe, Einar''s weapon smashed against the side of the Death Tyrant''s head, pushing it a meter away from where it hovered,


    The Axe then returned to Einar''s hand like a boomerang. As he once again eyed the Monster, whose eyes were shooting in every direction.


    Now that it had been surrounded by the Sians, it could no longer focus on a single target and was firing colorful rays nonstop.


    Some of the rays managed to hit their targets, slowing them down or turning them into stone.


    Others became paralyzed, and some were imbued with fear so strong, their friends had no choice but to knock them out in fear that they would run straight towards the zombie horde and get mobbedpletely.


    The Death Tyrant was strong, but it wasn''t as strong when fighting arge number of enemies. This was why it would summon several zombies to fight for it, in order to herd its enemies into a ce where it could unleash its Negative Energy Cone and deal great damage to them in a single blow.


    Anyone below the Apostle Grade would be insta-killed by this attack. Those who survived this skill would be unable to use healing spells, abilities, as well as health potions to recover their health, making a fight against a Death Tyrant a battle of attrition.


    Its giant mouth would immediately bite at anything within its range, so most people kept a safe distance from it.


    However, the moment they distanced themselves, they would have to deal with its Ray Attacks, which made them feel helpless.


    The battle had been going on for nearly half an hour and the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant''s Health had been decreased to around 70%.


    Most of the damage it received came from Diablo, Orion, Lux, Einar, Cai, and Keane.


    Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Asmodeus, yed a supporting role for the teenagers that were fighting against the Death Tyrant, often using their abilities to cancel the Death Rays, or hit the floating red eyes that were targeting those who were vulnerable to their attacks.


    Vall gave a screech as it dodged a Death Ray that was fired in its direction by a hair''s breadth.


    "This thing''s reaction time is getting faster," Lux said. As he, and his clones, bombarded the Death Tyrant with their ranged skills, Void Arrow, and Spinning des.


    "Indeed," Einarmented as his War Axe flew back to his hand. "Either it is getting ustomed to our attack patterns, or Vall is moving slower."


    Vall uttered a shriek filled with bitterness. Truthfully, he wasn''t used to being used as a mount, and he was finding it hard to adjust to their current situation.


    He had to constantly reapply silken threads to Lux''s and Einar''s feet, in order to keep them mounted on its back, while dodging the Death Tyrant who was treating them as an eyesore.


    Also, his stamina was also running out. He had estimated that he would be able to keep his transformation for at least an hour, but due to how intense the battle was, he was burning more stamina than he originally intended.


    Although Lux and Einar didn''t say anything, they knew of the great burden that Vall was carrying on his shoulders, so they just focused on dishing out as much damage as they could.


    Lux wasn''t able to use his other skill, Draco Meteor, because this was an AOE attack that didn''t discriminate between allies from foes.


    The members of the Rowan Tribe, the Barbarians, as well as Vall''s Guild, were already gritting their teeth as they hurled spells at their enemies, while evading the attacks that were aimed at them.


    Since they weren''t as fast as Vall, most of them had been hit by the Ray Attacks, making them suffer some status conditions.


    Those who had been petrified simply remained where they were. Fortunately, there were a handful of Individuals in theirbined party that could cast restoration. Although they couldn''t heal their allies, they were able to remove the debuffs that they were afflicted with.


    Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Asmodeus, paid close attention to these individuals, prioritizing on saving their lives whenever one, or two, of the Death Tyrant''s many eyes, targeted them.


    "Hero''s Charge!"


    Diablo once again unleashed a devastating attack, making the Beholder scream another otherworldly pain. All of its eyes, including the giant eye at the center of its head, focused their attention on Diablo with the intention of ending the annoying Skeleton once and for all.


    All of its eyes glowed with power as they were about to unleash their full-powered attack to finally put an end to their hated enemy.


    However, as if waiting for that cue, Orion had used its Duel [EX], canceling the Death Tyrant''s attack, and shifting its attention to the Rock Golem, whose rocky fist was only a few meters away from its central eye.


    "Rampage!"


    Orion unleashed a barrage of punches, and kicks at his opponent, tanking the Ray Attacks that were hitting its body-nonstop.


    The Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant''s gaping jaw, bit on the Rock Golem''s body, crushing it with all the strength it could muster.


    Half of the Rock Golem''s body was inside the Death Tyrant''s mouth, but Orion wasn''t fazed and continued to hammer the monster''s face, using his free arm.


    A minuteter, the Rock Golem''s body crumbled into a pile of stones, as it once again died under the Death Tyrant''s deadlybination.


    "Dragon w!"


    "Primal sh!"


    "Giga m!"


    *Clink*


    Lux, Einar, Cai, as well as Keane, unleashed their short-ranged attacks, while the Death Tyrant''s attention was focused on Orion.


    Since the start of the battle against the Boss Monster, Orion had already died twice. Lux would have to wait for five minutes in order to summon him again.


    After Orion had been upgraded, the time needed to summon him had also be longer. Lux believed that the same would happen to Diablo, and his other Named Creatures as their ranks increased.


    However, for him, this was a good thing because it meant that his subordinates were getting stronger.


    "Cai, Orion is now dead," Lux shouted. "It''s your turn to tank the boss!"


    The Boar pretended not to hear Lux''s words as it ran in zigzags to evade the Death Ray that was targeted in its direction.


    Tank that thing? Are you nuts?


    Sorry. I don''t have any intention of dying!


    Although Cai knew that it was tough, it also understood that if the Death Tyrant was able to bite its body, holding it in ce then it would be over for it.


    Just like what happened to Orion, all of its eyes would focus its attention on the trapped prey in the Death Tyrant''s mouth, and bombard it with Death Rays, until nothing was left.


    Cai didn''t want to die, so it vehemently ignored Lux''s orders and only used hit and run tactics against the Death Tyrant that had permanently designated one of its floating red eyes to the Boar who was shamelessly attacking it at every opportunity it got.


    Seeing that Cai didn''t want to take the risk, Lux decided to change his tactics in order to beat their opponent as soon as possible.


    Vall''s movement was starting to get slower, and he could tell that he was preserving his strength to keep his transformation longer. The Half-Elf knew that once the Giant Spider they were riding lost its transformation, they would be hard pressed to evade the attacks that would be aimed in their direction.


    "Cai! I know you have a Third Gear," Lux shouted. "This is not the time to hold back! We need to kill this monster before it is toote!"


    Cai nced at the Half-Elf for a brief moment before shifting its attention at the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant who had killed almost half of their forces.


    Despite the efforts of everyone, dealing with a Boss Monster, who had no blindspots, and could attack in all directions, was truly a nightmare.


    The teenagers were already exhausted, so they had be easy pickings for the red-glowing eyes that hovered around the Death Tyrant, shooting beams left and right at their targets.


    Although only three of its Ray Attacks dealt damage, the rest of its attacks were as deadly.


    Getting petrified, slowed, charmed, put to sleep, and being inflicted by fear, made things a lot harder for them.


    The rays that dealt damage were the Disintegration Ray, Enervation Ray, and finally the Death Ray.


    It also had one very annoying ability called the Telekic Ray, which gave Cai a fright when it was first hit by it.


    This ray attack would instantly teleport any targeted creature right in front of the Death Tyrant''s gaping mouth.


    Fortunately, Pazuzu, and Orion were there to prevent the Boar from being bitten to death by the Boss Monster, allowing it to keep its life by a hair''s breadth.


    "Fine," Cai shouted. "Give me a minute. I need time to prepare!"


    The Boar then undid its Hildivisni form and became a meter-tall boar, whose body started to glow white.


    Lux, Einar, and Keane, attacked the Death Tyrant''s central eye repeatedly, in order to catch its attention.


    However, the Death Tyrant''s floating, red eye, that had been designated to focus its attention on Cai, wasn''t fazed, and glowed brightly.


    It then fired a disintegration ray at the boar who had been immobilized by its transformation.


    At that exact moment, a Blue Tower Shield rose up in front of Cai, as Pazuzu descended from the sky, standing between the Death Tyrant''s floating eyeball, and Cai.


    The disintegration beam collided with the Tower Shield, making several cracks appear on its surface.


    The floating red eye continued its relentless attacks at its target, firing Death Rays, Enervation Ray, and Disintegration Ray, consecutively.


    Just as Pazuzu''s Shield Wall broke, a great presence erupted in the battlefield, as Cai''s triumphant roar spread in the surroundings.


    "Third Gear," Cai roared. "Ysgithyrwyn!"


    Everyone nced in the direction of where the Boar was, and marveled at its new, and more powerful form.


    "Initiate Rank," Einar muttered as he nced at the three-meter white boar, with massive, and deadly tusks. "So that is Cai''s trump card."


    Everyone in the Apostle Grade longed for the Initiate Rank.


    This rank was considered to be the gateway they needed to pass through before they became true Rankers.


    Of course, Cai wasn''t really an Initiate. Her transformation only allowed her to step into this realm for a period of time, allowing it to be the strongest existence among those that had challenged the Sacred Dungeon.


    "I''m Charging!" Cai roared as its right hoof stomped on the ground, creating a small crater, allowing it to propel itself forward for its devastating attack. Its tusk glowed faintly with magical powers, deflecting the ray attacks that were headed in its direction.


    It was just like an unstoppable Juggernaut whose goal was to ram itself at the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, whose central eye had shifted in its direction.


    As all of its eyes unleashed a barrage of colorful rays at the approaching boar, Cai''s entire body shone pure white, as its attack, defense, as well as its resistances to all status ailments rose dramatically.


    The attack that it was going to unleash was its most powerful move, and it ced a lot of strain in its body.


    The good part about this move was it almost made Cai Invulnerable to any form of attack, and crippling effects, for a few seconds, allowing it to unleash its powerful attack without slowing down.


    "Demolition Crash!"


    The moment Cai''s deadly tusk pierced through the Death Tyrant''s skull, a powerful shockwave erupted, pushing those who were fighting a hundred meters away from the point of impact backwards for several meters.


    What followed next was an explosion like no other, making the ground under their feet tremble, as dust, and rubble, rose towards the sky, apanied by an ear-piercing shriek that almost ruptured Lux''s ear-drums with how intense it was.


    Clearly, Cai''s attack dealt devastating damage towards their enemy, which was currently within the dust cloud, and writhing in pain from the deadly tusks that were firmly embedded in its Central Eye, destroying itpletely.

 Chapter 293 Pride Of Solaris [Part 3]

    293 Pride Of Sris [Part 3]


    Upon hearing their leader''s scream of pain, all of the Death Tyrants tried to rush to its aid.


    However, the armies of the two kingdoms had no ns to allow them to do as they pleased, pushing them back to allow the Sians to continue their onught against their enemy''s leader.


    Cai, whose tusks were still embedded in the Death Tyrant''s eye, immediately found itself surrounded by the glowing red-eyes that originally hovered around the other party''s main body.


    But instead of feeling afraid, the boar ignored them and simply smashed the main body of the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant into the ground, as it continued its charge, using the monster''s body to sweep the ground.


    A Death Tyrant''s eye had the ability to prevent any kind of regeneration magic from working on the battlefield. However, before it became a Death Tyrant, it was once a Beholder.


    Instead of preventing others from regenerating and regaining their health, the main eye of a Beholder could create an anti-magic field with the range of a small cone that was 150 feet in length.


    When Cai used its Third Form, its tusks radiated the same kind of anti-magic cone around it, preventing magical damage from working against it.


    In short, the Boar''s third form was an anti-magic form, allowing it to be resistant to anyone that specialized with magical attacks, which wasplementary to Hildivisni, who was capable of enduring high amounts of physical damage.


    The reason why Cai didn''t use its Third Gear right away was due to the fact that it could only maintain this form for ten minutes. Once the ten minutes was up, the boar would enter a weakened state, simr to creatures that had lost the effect of their Berserk Skill.


    The different colored-rays that rained on its body disappeared without a trace as soon as they collided with its skin that was as white as snow.


    After seeing this sudden turn of events, the remaining teenagers felt revitalized. They joined Cai in dealing damage to the helpless Death Tyrant, who was being dragged around by Cai, who had taken its third form.


    "Hold him steady for us, Cai!" Lux ordered, while he was atop Vall, who was lunging towards the Death Tyrant''s giant body with the intention to deliver a powerful bite.


    The Spider firmly embedded its mandibles on the Death Tyrant''s skull, while Lux, and Einar, dished out their Dragon ws and Primal shes non-stop.


    Diablo, Orion, Ishtar, Asmodeus, as well as the other teenagers didn''t miss this opportunity either, pummeling the Boss Monster with everything they had.


    Five minutester, Cai smashed the Death Tyrant against the ground again, and used its hooves to repeatedly smash the giant eye at the center of its body.


    Although the Death Tyrant''s eye had beenpletely destroyed by Cai''s attacks, that didn''t stop it from attacking Cai out of vengeance. Two minutester, Cai stomped its right hoof on the ground and delivered another strong attack because it felt that its transformation was about to be undone.


    "Giga Crush!"


    Ramming the giant skull with its tusk, Cai sent it rolling several meters across the ground, allowing the other teenagers to attack it in its crippled state.


    "Handle the rest!" Cai shouted as it charged towards the outskirts of the battlefield. "I''m outta here!"


    All the zombies that blocked its way were torn to bits by its powerful charge and its deadly tusks which were at least three-meters long.


    Lux almost fell off Vall''s back after seeing the shameless boar escape just because its transformation was about to run out of juice. However, since Cai had already done a wonderful job, he decided to turn a blind eye to its retreat, and simply used everything he had to deal as much damage as it could to the Boss Monster, whose health had decreased by more than half.


    "Stay strong!" Einar roared. "It''s almost dead!"


    After encouraging everyone to hang on for as long as they could, the Barbarian threw his War Axe at the heavily battered Death Tyrant, whose ferocity had significantly died down after getting its central eye destroyed.


    Losing their main target, the floating eyes once again targeted the teenagers and attacked as if they were in a berserked state. The Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant also became more active in biting everyone that came within its range.


    There were even times when it would teleport and bite one of the teenagers, who would instantly turn into particles of light after having their bodies cut in half by the Death Tyrant''s monstrous jaws.


    A few minutester, only Lux, Einar, Vall, Xander, Lux''s Named Creatures, and Skeleton Subordinates remained on the battlefield.


    They were thest ones standing, since the rest had been eliminated by the Death Tyrant''s rampage.


    "Evade!" Lux shouted as four of the ten eyes that circled around the Death Tyrant fired colorful rays at Vall at point nk range.


    Just as Vall was about to evade, its body stiffened, allowing the colorful rays to hit its body directly. Fortunately, the rays that hit him were the Petrification Ray, Slow Ray, and Fear Ray.


    Vall''s resistance against these things were high, and he was also wearing a special artifact that made him immune to petrification. Even so, those rays were like thest nail in the coffin, causing him to revert from his spider form.


    The three of them crashed to the ground and rolled for several meters beforeing to aplete stop.


    Seeing that a perfect opportunity had presented itself in front of it, nine of the eyes of the Death Tyrants locked onto their position. Lux immediately used the power of wind to evade the attack by flying sideways across the ground.


    Einar''s body was hit by two rays, while the third was blocked by his War Axe.


    The War Axe in the teenager''s hand instantly turned into stone, while his leg and arm were hit by paralyzing rays, preventing him from moving.


    Vall, who didn''t have any more strength left, had escaped this predicament because Diablo rushed towards his direction and picked him up from the ground, evading the rays that were fired in his direction.


    Finding that its prey had escaped, all nine eyes decided to focus on the fleeing Skeleton Rider, but this n was immediately canceled due to the powerful taunt skill, Duel [EX], that forced it to move towards the newly summoned Rock Golem, whose stats had once again risen due to its Avenger Ability.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    Lux and his clones didn''t miss this opportunity, and the fiery ze hit the back of the Death Tyrant''s head, pushing it across the battlefield with a vengeance.


    "Quick!" Einar shouted. "It only has a fifth of its life remaining!"


    Lux''s attack, which was imbued by the Touch of the Abyss, had dealt true damage to the Boss Monster, chipping off a huge chunk of its Health with one attack.


    Diablo, who was still carrying Vall, decided to toss the teenager towards Pazuzu, before rushing towards the Death Tyrant, attempting to deal a powerful blow that would further decrease its remaining Health Points.


    But before the Skeleton Rider could approach his target, the ground under his Nighmare''s feet trembled, and a five-meter tall ck turtle appeared on the battlefield. Lux cursed out loud due to the unexpected appearance of another strong monster, which was also a Pseudo-Deimos Ranked World Boss.


    Einar and Vall, who saw the new opponent before them, immediately grimaced because they were on theirst legs. Even Lux, who believed that they were only a blow away from winning, felt as if an imprable wall had suddenly appeared before them.


    ��---


    < Dark Spite Snapping Turtle >


    �C Snapping Turtle Golem


    �C Pseudo-Deimos Ranked World Boss


    Health: 7,500,000 / 7,500,000


    Mana: 50,000 / 50,000


    Strength: 4,000


    Intelligence: 100


    Vitality: 5,000


    Agility: 200


    Dexterity: 200


    ��----


    The Spite Snapping Turtle waspletely ck, save for a flower on the top of its head, which was not more than a foot-tall that fluttered in the breeze.


    "Sacred White Lotus!" Xander gasped in shock. "That''s the thing that we need!"


    With a mighty roar, the Turtle, who was simr to the Adamantite Golem that they met on the way to the Sacred Dungeon, red at Lux and the others.


    "You''ve�� got to be�� kidding me," Lux said while panting for breath. "Can''t you give us a break?"


    The Monstrous Death Tyrant was on its death throes, and only a few more blows from Diablo and Orion would finally finish it off.


    However, the ck Snapping Turtle stood in front of them, preventing anyone fromnding the finishing blow.


    Before Einar, Vall, and Xander could despair at the unfair turn of events that just happened in front of them, several flying spears descended upon the ck turtle''s head, which just bounced off from its body.


    Shifting its gaze towards the neers, Lux, and the others feel that a lump had appeared in their throats, making it hard for them to breathe.


    No one would fault them from reacting that way because what they saw made them feel that they were having trouble breathing.


    Hundreds��


    Thousands��


    Tens of thousands��


    Hundreds of Thousands��


    The skeletons that hadin dormant in the center of the Valley of Death, had left their resting ce and traveled towards its outskirts.


    Just as Lux was thinking that they had miserably failed their mission, the Rank 4 Skeletons, who were from the forefront of the formation, threw their spears towards the Dark Spite Snapping Turtle.


    In the beginning, the teenagers'' thought that the Skeletons were just missing their targets, which were supposed to be them.


    However, after a minute had passed, they had realized that the Undead Legion weren''t targeting them, but the Giant ck Turtle that was keeping the Death Tyrant safe.


    The ground trembled as countless Undeads marched towards the Turtle with their eyes burning blighty within their hollow eye sockets.


    "I, Farandir, the first King of the Kingdom of Gedge, havee to settle old scores!" a Death Knight wearing a golden crown on its head, stepped forward in the Undead formation holding a golden sword in its hand.


    "I, Laurence, the King of the Kingdom of Lockridge, thank you, for freeing us from the Death Tyrant''s control," another Death Knight, who was also wearing a crown raised its ck halberd towards the sky.


    Both of the Death Knight''s voices were hoarse, but they contained a determination that couldn''t be ignored.


    "Warriors of the Middle Kingdoms who have fallen in battle, now is the time to redeem ourselves!" Farandir roared as he raised his tattered g high up in the air. "For Hearth and Home!"


    Laurence also raised the banner that contained the Insignia of the Royal Family high up in the air.


    "For Honor and Country!" Laurence dered. "To all of us, who were buried within the sands of time, raise your weapons once more!"


    All the Rank 4 Skeletons that had given Lux and hispanions a lot of trouble in the past few days, all raised their weapons towards the sky, as if to salute their kings, while waiting for their orders.


    Farandir and Lawrence pointed their banners at the Giant ck Turtle at the same time.


    "Send this foul beast to the afterlife!" Farandir ordered.


    "Show it the wrath of the Middle Kingdom!" Laurence stepped forward before running towards the Giant ck Turtle, while holding the banner of his kingdom.


    "For the Alliance!"


    ""For the Alliance!""


    "Kill!"


    ""Kill!""


    In an unexpected turn of events, countless high-ranked Undead, led by two Death Knights wearing their crowns, led the charge to deal with the ck Turtle, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    This gave Lux, and the rest an opportunity to slip past the ck Turtle''s defenses, running towards the Death Tyrant, which was currently hovering at the brink of death.


    "Everyone, this is the final push!" Lux shouted. "Charge!"


    Einar and Vall, dragged their aching bodies as they ran towards the Death Tyrant, who was now left unprotected by the Giant ck Turtle.


    This was the moment of truth and, although they felt as if they would copse at any point in time, they persevered as they closed the distance between them and the Boss Monster to deliver the final blows that would end the chaotic battle once and for all.

 Chapter ?294 Pride Of Solaris [Part 4]

    ?294 Pride Of Sris [Part 4]


    Because of the appearance of the Undead Legion, the Giant Snapping Turtle left the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant unprotected.


    Lux, Einar, Vall, Keane, and Xander were the only survivors near it, so they tenaciously moved their aching bodies forward, intending to end the battle that they started.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, and Asmodeus had already taken the lead, attacking the Boss Monster and protecting the remaining teenagers with everything they had.


    Little by little, they tore away its Health, summing up into a huge chunk. The Boss Monster let out an otherworldly scream that echoed across the battlefield.


    When the Death Tyrant''s health was almost gone, its entire body turned blood-red.


    Lux and hispanions gazed at the giant, red skull, which glowed brightly within the Valley of Death, like a miniature sun.


    "Foreigners, kill it quickly!" King Laurence shouted. "It''s about to self-destruct! If it seeds, all of us here will be buried alongside it! Kill it now!"


    Simultaneous with the King''s warning, Lux, Einar, Vall, Keane, and Xander, as well as the Half-Elf''s Skeleton army, were about to deal the final blow.


    But all of a sudden, the Giant Snapping Turtle turned to their direction and roared.


    A powerful shockwave blew them away for dozens of meters, preventing them from getting close to the Boss Monster, whose floating eyes shone with an intense luster, signaling that it was about to self-destruct at any second.


    Just when everyone was about to lose hope, a three-meter tall boar mmed its tusk into the back of the Death Tyrant''s head, sending it crashing towards the ground.


    "I''m Charging!" Cai''s resounding voice reverberated within the battlefield as it fearlessly crashed against the Death Tyrant, which was about to self destruct.


    Cai, who just recovered from her weakened state, had once again taken its Hildivisni Form and returned to the battlefield, dealing thest killing blow to the Boss Monster.


    Immediately, ringing sounds followed by rows of text appeared in front of Lux, informing him that the Boss Monster had finally died, and the crisis was averted.


    Cai, who had dealt the finishing blow, glowed several times, alongside Einar, Vall, Keane, and Xander, who had "leveled-up", and increased their stats after the battle came to a conclusion.


    Seeing that the Death Tyrant was dead, the Giant Snapping Turtle decided that enough was enough and immediately burrowed towards the ground, leaving the battlefield behind.


    "Wait! Don''t let it get away!" Cai shouted. "The Flower! We need to get the Flower!"


    After hearing Cai''s shout, Lux, as well as the others, broke out of their daze and remembered the reason why they hade to challenge the Gate of Death.


    As they were about to run after the turtle underground, one of the Death Knights, who was a former King of his Kingdom, blocked their path.


    "You said you were looking for a flower," Farandir stated as he raised his hand, which held a beautiful white lotus. "Is this the flower you are looking for?"


    Cai immediately ran towards the Death Knight so that it could double-check if it was indeed the flower they were looking for.


    Lux had already used his appraisal skill earlier, so it was unnecessary for him to give it a second nce. It was indeed the Sacred White Lotus that they were looking for. After going through so many hardships, their group had finally acquired it.


    "Yes! This is the flower we are looking for," Cai said happily as it took the Sacred White Lotus and ced it in a special container, before storing it carefully in a storage ring that was personally prepared by its grandpa.


    "Thank you very much," Cai stated.


    The Death Knight only waved its hand as if to tell Cai that it wasn''t a big deal.


    "It fell before the Giant Turtle escaped underground," Farandirmented. "I''m d that we are able to somewhat repay you for the help that you''ve given us all."


    Laurence, the other Death Knight, nodded his head before ncing at his son, Terence, who had inherited his Kingdom of Lockridge after he passed away.


    Farandir did the same, as his son, Tarquinn, walked up to him and gave him a tight hug.


    "You''ve done well, son," Farandir said as he patted Tarquinn''s back. "You''ve made me proud."


    Tarquinn didn''t reply and only hugged his father, who had already turned into a Death Knight, tighter.


    "Strangers from another world, I thank you for timely assistance during our time of great need," Laurence stated. "I have already died, so I have nothing more to offer you. However, seeing that you are a Necromancer, you might be able to put these Skill Books to good use."


    Laurence handed Lux two ancient tomes, which were part of the rewards that Lux gained after epting the mission, Return of the Kings.


    Farandir, who had finished talking to his son, walked towards Einar and Vall, who were now seated on the ground due to exhaustion.


    "We will be forever grateful to your deeds, even in the afterlife," Farandir said. "However, it would be tasteless if I departed without giving both of you a token of my gratitude."


    Raising his hand, a ck Battle Axe, with several gems embedded in the center of its de, glowed faintly.


    "Barbarian, you have earned the right to wield zefury, the War Axe of the Forsaken." Farandir handed the two-meter tall War Axe to Einar. The axe was nearly the same size as thetter''s body, and its sharp de was a meter long and as wide as the Barbarian''s arm.


    "It''s quite heavy," Einarmented after testing his new weapon''s weight. "I like it."


    Farandir chuckled after hearing Einar''s words. "Only you will be able to wield it in battle. The moment you activate the gems embedded in its de, it will be as light as a feather, allowing you to rampage to your heart''s content."


    Lux appraised the War Axe in Einar''s hand, and his jaw almost dropped after seeing its information.


    ��----


    < zefury >


    �C Might of the Forsaken.


    Weapon Rating; Pseudo-Legendary


    ��----


    Farandir ignored Lux''s surprise and shifted his gaze towards Vall, who was looking up at him with a calm expression on his face. However, deep inside, the Spider Boy was quite excited about the reward that would be bestowed upon him by the Death Knight.


    "You have done an amazing job in ensuring your allies to deal great damage to the monster that threatened the peace of our two kingdoms. For that, I bestow upon you this armor," Farandir said as he gave a silver chainmail to Vall.


    Vall took the armor and nodded his head in satisfaction. It was not only Lux that had the ability to appraise things. There were some professions and special artifacts that were able to gauge the rarity and information of items, as long as it didn''t surpass the rarity that it was capable of deciphering.


    Vall had one of those artifacts in his possession, and it allowed him to read the information of the armor that he had just acquired from the Death Knight.


    ��----


    < Silverglow >


    �C Chainmail of Heroes


    Armor Rating: Pseudo-Legendary.


    ��----


    The two current Kings, who led the army of the two Kingdoms to assist Lux and the others to fight against the Death Tyrant, approached Cai, and Keane.


    Both of them also received Pseudo-Legendary items that made Lux swallow his saliva out of envy.


    Cai received winged boots that would allow it to run in air, while Keane received a flute that would allow him to summon a random High-Ranking Elemental Spirit to aid him in battle.


    ��----


    < Spire >


    �C Winged Boots.


    Armor Rating: Pseudo-Legendary


    ��-----


    < Enigma >


    �C Flute of Heroes


    Artifact Rating: Pseudo-Legendary


    ��----


    The Monstrous Death Tyrant had left a Pseudo-Deimos Ranked Beast Core, alongside its ten eyes that had floated around its body during the entirety of the battle.


    Asmodeus nonchntly picked up the Beast Core, leaving the Death Tyrant''s eyes on the ground.


    "Master, we can put this Beast Core to good use," Asmodeus whispered in Lux''s ears. "Although the eyes of the Death Tyrants have its uses, it will be best if you divide them among the Barbarians, the Rowan Tribe, as well as Vall''s guild. We can''t be too greedy."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. Since he already had the Beast Core, it was only natural to give the other Monster Drops to the other people who had apanied them till the bitter end.


    Also, he could somehow understand why Asmodeus secured the Death Tyrant''s Beast Core for their own. The two Skill Books that were given to Lux by the Death Knights were Animate Undead and Skeleton Make.


    The Skeleton Make Skill was a unique skill, which Lux had only heard about for the first time. He nned to experiment with this skillter to understand its uses in battle better.


    After giving their gifts to the teenagers, who had saved them from a cmity, the two Death Knights stood at the forefront of their Undead Army and gave the young heroes a salute.


    All the Undead also raised their weapons as a way of saluting and thanking Lux and hispanions, for freeing them from the envement of the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant.


    "Strangers that came from another world��" Laurence wasn''t able to finish whatever he was going to say next because Lux interjected in the middle of his speech.


    "Sians," Lux said. "We came from the World of Sis. We are Sians."


    Cai, Einar, Vall, Keane, and Xander, stood tall as they gazed at the Death Knight, who gave them an understanding gaze.


    "We bid you goodbye, Sians," Laurence said with a smile. "Carry that pride with you wherever you go, and like a torch in the darkness, give hope to those who could see it."


    Lux and the others nodded their heads, as they gave the two Death Knights, as well as their Undead Subordinates, a salute meant for heroes.


    "May good fortune smile upon all of you." Farandir nodded his head in satisfaction before closing his eyes. "Finally�� we can rest in peace."


    The entire Undead Legion, which once guarded the Valley of Death to protect the Death Tyrant, turned to ashes. The wind carried them away, as if helping them to embark on their new journey in the afterlife.


    Lux and his friends suddenly found themselves glowing faintly, as the words, "Dungeon Cleared", reached their ears.


    They only had enough time to nce at each other with a smile before they disappeared, turning into particles of light.


    A momentter, all of them were teleported outside the Gate of Death, making them the first individuals to ever clear one of the Gates in the Sacred Dungeon in Hell Mode Difficulty.


    This was an achievement that would not be easy to replicate, given how difficult the battle they fought was, which they had only managed to aplish due to everyone''s determination and the people who led them to victory.

 Chapter 295 The Greater The Danger, The Greater The Reward

    295 The Greater The Danger, The Greater The Reward


    Right after they were teleported back to the entrance of the Death Gate, Lux, Cai, Keane, Einar, Vall, and Xander, decided to rest for the time being.


    All of them had received great rewards from the battle, and they needed to sort them out first, before nning on what to do next.


    Out of all of them, Lux was the one that gained the most. The reason? Because he was not the only one who received rewards from the Dungeon. All of his Named Creatures, as well as his Summoning Spells, had gained a boost after clearing the Gate of Death.


    ��----


    < Your Named Creature, Diablo, is now ready for promotion. Please choose one from the list of professions presented to you. >


    �C Upgrade to Death Knight.


    �C Upgrade to Undead Pdin


    �C Upgrade to Doom Knight


    ��-----


    < Your Named Creature, Ishtar, is now ready for promotion. Please choose one from the list of professions presented to you. >


    �C Upgrade to Nightstalker


    �C Upgrade to Arcane Hunter


    �C Upgrade to Beast Master


    �C Upgrade to Horizon Walker


    ��----


    < Your Named Creature, Pazuzu, is now ready for promotion. Please choose one from the list of professions presented to you. >


    �C Upgrade to Fortress Defender


    �C Upgrade to Crusader


    �C Upgrade to Knight Temr


    ��----


    < Your Named Creature, Orion, is now ready for promotion. Please choose one from the list of professions presented to you. >


    �C Upgrade to Blood Golem


    �C Upgrade to Jade Golem


    �C Upgrade to Steel Golem


    ��----


    < Your Named Creature, Asmodeus, is now ready for promotion. Please choose one from the list of professions presented to you. >


    �C Upgrade to Demilich


    �C Upgrade to Archlich


    ��--


    Aside from unlocking his Named Creatures'' profession upgrades, the number of each type of Skeleton minion that Lux could summon increased by ten.


    This meant that he was now able to summon 45 Skeleton Fighters, 40 Skeleton Grand Archers, and 10 Skeleton Mages.


    Not only that, he also acquired two Necromancer skills, namely "Animate Undead", and the unique skill "Skeleton Make".


    "The saying ''The greater the danger, the greater the reward'' is true,'' Lux thought. ''Not only did we get the Sacred White Lotus, we also got some great bonuses as well.''


    Lux had received two quests when he entered the Sacred Dungeon.


    The first one was the mission, Flower of Death, and the second one was the mission, Return of the Kings.


    The Half-Elf had gotten generous rewards after clearing these two missions. For now, he decided to focus on the current agenda and upgrade his Named Creatures in order to make them stronger.


    "Death Knight, Undead Pdin, and Doom Knight," Lux muttered as he gazed at the information of the three upgrades for his first Named Creature, Diablo.


    Death Knights were powerful Undeads that were very efficient in fighting alone, ormanding an army of skeleton warriors, Liches, Banshees, and other types of Undead. One of its special skills was the ability to heal itself during battle, which made it a very annoying foe to fight.


    They could also ride Nightmares in battle, making them look like an emissary that came from the deepest part of Hell to bring ruin to the world of the living.


    In short, Death Knights were quite bnced sses because of their all-rounder set of skills and abilities, which allowed them to fight both alone or with groups, making them a tough opponent to face on the battlefield.


    Undead Pdins, on the other hand, were supposed to be Pdins that died in battle. However, due to their unwavering faith, some of them rose up from the dead and became Undead Pdins. They were different from those who were forcefully revived and were left to serve as an Undying Warrior for powerful creatures such as Liches.


    An Undead Pdin was a force to reckon with on the battlefield not only because they were able to fight proficiently, but also because they had the ability to heal their allies using Negative Energy.


    Also, if the Pdin was a true devotee when he was still alive, the God he served would still allow them to use the Divine Powers within their body to smite their foes, whether they be the living or the dead.


    Lastly, the Doom Knight.


    If the Death Knight was an all rounder��an Undead Pdin and a Healer Warrior��the Doom Knight was a profession that was only made for one thing, and that was to kill.


    Their sole purpose was to inflict fear and death to their foes as they used brute force to trample anything and everything that stood in their way.


    The Doom Knights were proficient in both might and magic, allowing them to wield their weapons effectively in battle and use spells that would weaken, cripple, or even drain the essence of their enemies, over a period of time.


    All three choices were good, but Lux was leaning more on the Death Knight because he had always thought of Diablo as his right-hand-man, who wouldmand his mighty Undead Army to battle.


    After several more minutes, Lux made up his mind and chose Death Knight as Diablo''s next profession, giving his first Named Creature, a major boost in his stats.


    ��---


    �C Your Named Creature, Diablo, has sessfully changed its profession to Death Knight.


    �C Your Named Creature, Diablo, has learned the skills Death Coil, Life Drain, Control Undead, Necrotic Shield, Rune Enchant, Rune Strike, and False Life.


    �C Your Named Creature, Diablo, has learned the passive skill, Unholy Aura.


    �C Your Named Creature, Diablo, acquired the Title, Lord of the Dead.


    ��----


    < Unholy Aura >


    Increase the Movement Speed, Health, and Mana Regeneration of all allies.


    ��-----


    < Lord of the Dead >


    �C Increase Health, Attack, Defense, Movement Speed, Attack Speed, and Resistance on Status Ailments, by 10% for every 100 Undead Minions under Diablo''smand.


    �C for every 100 Undead Minions under Diablo''smand, all of his stats will increase by 5%


    ��------


    < Diablo >


    "Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Death Knight


    �C Rating: S


    �C Progress ( 0 / 20,000)


    Health: 38,400 / 38,400


    Mana: 16,200 / 16,200


    Strength: 173 (+21)


    Intelligence: 142 (+20)


    Vitality: 171 (+22)


    Agility: 185 (+22)


    Dexterity: 152 (+22)


    Title: Firstborn, Squad Captain, Relentless Charger, Lord of the Dead.


    Active Skills: sh, Heavy sh, Bone Spear, Duel [EX], Whirlwind sh, Leap, Hero''s Charge, Warlord''s War Cry, Wild Charge, True Thrust, Hellfire Annihtion sh, Cross sh, Death Coil, Life Drain, Control Undead, Necrotic Shield, Rune Enchant, Rune Strike, False Life.


    Passive Skills: Parry, Tactician, Improved Dodge, Union of Man and Beast, Enhanced Fortitude, Expert Trainer, Warlord''s Presence, Bloody Fervor, Tough, Unholy Aura


    Note: Forgiveness is a concern of the living.


    ��----


    Lux sighed after seeing the increase in Diablo''s stats. He was reminded that he hade really far in his journey in Elysium.


    The weak and always fainting Half-Elf back then was now gone. He was reced by the Champion of the Lionheart Tournament and a Necromancer that reigned over a hundred Undead, who would fight with a singlemand from his lips.


    ''This is only the beginning,'' Lux mused as he flipped the page of his Soul Book to look at his second Named Creature, Ishtar. ''Let''s all get stronger, everyone. Our journey in this world is far from over.''


    With a determined look on his face, Lux chose the professions which he believed were the best choices for his current line-up.


    The Half-Elf busied himself in updating his Soul Book, unaware that outside of the Sacred Dungeon, his name, along with the names of hisrades, were being broadcasted for everyone to hear.


    ��---


    < Field Announcement! >


    < The Gate of Death (Hell Mode) has been conquered! >


    < One of the Five Gates has been sessfully conquered! >


    < The Conquerors will be allowed to freely enter the Domain of the Fallen for an entire year at any given time, as their right as the First Conquerors! >


    < Announcing the names of the Conquerors of the Sacred Dungeon in no particr order! >


    < Cai�� >


    < Keane�� >


    < Xander�� >


    < Einar Mordosk >


    < Vaki Meitar >


    < Lux Von Kaizer >


    ��---


    Lux was unaware that their names had also been engraved on the Gate that led to the Hidden Domain, whose real name was Domain of the Fallen, and were all shining in golden lettering that would be immortalized for eternity.


    The Barbarians, the members of the Rowan Tribe, and Vall''s Guild Members, who had all respawned outside of the Giant Gate of the Hidden Domain, all cheered as they shouted and hugged each other in happiness.


    Those who were not part of their group and had also died inside the Sacred Dungeon, looked at the faces of the members of the three factions with respect and admiration.


    Naturally, there was also envy and jealousy mixed in, but in general, they felt reinvigorated.


    Now that one of the Gates of the Sacred Dungeon had been captured, everyone believed that it was only a matter of time before the other Gates were conquered as well�� or so they thought.

 Chapter ?296 I Will Take Your Words To Heart, My Lord

    ?296 I Will Take Your Words To Heart, My Lord


    Lux, who was still inside the Sacred Dungeon, was busy strengthening his Undead Army.


    Ishtar had be a Nightstalker.


    Pazuzu had be a Fortress Defender.


    Orion had be a Jade Golem.


    Last, but not the least, Asmodeus had be an ArchLich.


    The red-headed teenager had thought long and hard on the roles that each of his Named Creatures yed on his team. As long as they were able to work together, he believed that his Undead Army would soar to even greater heights.


    Diablo was the Undead Commander whose role was to lead Lux''s skeleton army into battle.


    Ishtar, was the opportunistic damage dealer who wouldunch deadly sneak attacks, at any point in the battlefield.


    Pazuzu was the Main Tank of Lux''s army, so making him the bulkiest and toughest meat shield was the only way to go. Now that he was a Fortress Defender, he could y his role betterpared to how he had performed in the past.


    Orion was another heavyweight damage dealer in Lux''s army. The Jade Golem served as an offensive and defensive behemoth, capable of attacking and defending, depending on the situation.


    After getting a new upgrade, Orion has gained an incredibly high resistance against magical attacks, making him able to shrug off most attacks that were aimed at him. Another great feature about being a Jade Golem was that he gained the ability to heal himself in battle.


    With his body, and fists harder than before, Orion was definitely one of the most fearsome units under hismand.


    Lastly, Asmodeus had be an ArcLich.


    Among the Half-Elf''s Named Creatures, Asmodeus was probably the most fearsome of the bunch in the long run. With his title as "Lord''s Equal", he would gain all of Lux''s abilities, with the exception of bloodline abilities, such as the Dragon War Arts and the Kaizer War Arts that Lux used in battle.


    But, this didn''t diminish the infinite growth that Asmodeus held. As Lux continued to be stronger, so would the ArchLich, whose role in his army was a tactician, who would support Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion to battle, making them a more cohesive unit.


    ��----


    < Ishtar >


    "Let the living beware."


    �C Nightstalker


    �C Rating: S


    �C Mana: 10


    �C Progress (0 / 20,000)


    Health: 36,000 / 36,000


    Mana: 16,500 / 16,500


    Attack Type: Ranged Ice Damage


    Strength: 160


    Intelligence: 165


    Vitality: 180


    Agility: 165


    Dexterity: 225


    Title: The Forgotten Queen


    ��----


    < Pazuzu >


    "Have no fear! Pazuzu is here!"


    �C Fortress Defender


    �C Rating: S


    �C Progress (0 / 20,000)


    Health: 183,0000 / 183,000


    Mana: 10,000 /10,000


    Attack Type: Bludgeon-Type Damage


    Strength: 100


    Intelligence: 100


    Vitality: 610


    Agility: 100


    Dexterity: 100


    Title: Demonic Defender


    ��----


    < Orion >


    "Where there is no struggle, there is no Strength."


    �C Jade Golem


    �C Rating: S


    �C Progress (0 / 40,000)


    Health: 160,000 / 160,000


    Mana: 10,000 / 10,000


    Attack Type: Earth Elemental Damage


    Strength: 400


    Intelligence: 100


    Vitality: 400


    Agility: 100


    Dexterity: 150


    Title: Avenger


    ��---


    < Asmodeus >


    "I stopped fighting my inner demons. We are on the same side now."


    �C Named Skeleton Mage


    �C ArchLich


    �C Rating: S


    �C Progress (0 / 50,000)


    Health: 22,000 / 22,000


    Mana: 320,000 / 320,000


    Attack Type: Necrotic Elemental Damage


    Strength: 125


    Intelligence: 800


    Vitality: 220


    Agility: 125


    Dexterity: 125


    Title: Lord''s Equal


    ��-----


    "Finally, I''m done," Lux stretched his neck left and right, while Ishtar gave his shoulders a massage. "Thank you, Ishtar.


    "Thank you for your hard work, My Lord," Ishtar replied.


    "Can you apply more pressure on my right shoulder?"


    "Certainly."


    "Ah�� that''s it. It feels so nice."


    While having his shoulders massaged, Lux took the two Ancient Tomes out of his storage ring and looked at them with a serious expression on his face. This ancient tomes were given to him by the Deathknight, Laurance, as a reward for helping them defeat the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant.


    Each of hisrades had gotten a Pseudo-Legendary item, but he didn''t receive anything like that. The only things he got were the tomes which were perfect for Necromancers.


    ��--


    < Animate Undead >


    �C Raise a corpse from the battlefield. The strength of the monster that you will raise will always be a rank weaker than its original form.


    �C You can only summon skeletons or zombies from corpses.


    �C If trying to reanimate a creature whose rank surpassed the caster by two ranks or more, their rank will be decreased, equaling to the rank of the caster.


    �C Maximum Number of Animated Undead at any given time is twenty.


    �C You can upgrade your Animated Creatures, simr to your Named Creatures by feeding them Beast Cores.


    �C Any Animated Creature will remain as part of your Undead Legion until they are destroyedpletely.


    �C If you wish to revive them, you must pay the corresponding amount of Beast Cores to summon them once again.


    �C You can summon your Animated Army anytime you use the skill, Summon Undead.


    Number of Animated Undead: (0 / 20)


    ��--


    Lux had never raised a corpse of a dead person, or creature in the past. Diablo, and the rest of his Skeleton Army could be summoned out of thin air, as long as he had the mana to summon them.


    However, this time it was different. He could now raise the dead, and make them fight for his side.


    In truth, Lux would be able to learn the skill, Animate Undead, automatically once he stepped into the Initiate Rank. However, that was still far away from his current strength, so having the skill early was a very good thing for him.


    "Okay, time to learn this skill," Lux muttered as he activated the power of the Skill Book, making it turn into particles of light before flying towards his chest, bing one with his strength.


    ��--


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    �C Since the skill, Animate Undead, is not learned from a Beast Core, it will automatically be upgraded to Animate Undead [EX].


    ��--


    < Animate Undead [EX] >


    �C Raise a corpse from the battlefield. The strength of the monster that you will raise will always be a rank weaker than its original form.


    �C Your Animated Creatures are not limited to Skeletons and Zombies. You can now summon Higher-Ranked Undead depending on the quality of the corpse, as well as its rank when it was still alive.


    �C You are now able to choose what form your Animated Undead will be if you are willing to pay the adequate number of Beast Cores for them. If you don''t want to turn them into specific creatures, you can just go ahead with the revival, making their new formspletely random.


    �C Animating Monsters doesn''t need a corpse. If you have their Beast Cores, the likelihood of summoning an Undead Version of them is high. Their Rank wil always be a Rank lower when they were alive.


    �C If trying to reanimate a Creature whose rank surpassed the caster by two ranks or more. Their rank will be decreased, equaling to the rank of the caster.


    �C Maximum Number of Animated Undead at any given time is fifty.


    �C You can upgrade your Animated Creatures, simr to your Named Creatures by feeding them Beast Cores.


    �C Any Animated Creature will remain as part of your Undead Legion until they are destroyedpletely.


    �C If you wish to revive them, you must pay the corresponding amount of Beast Cores to summon them once again.


    �C You can summon your Animated Army anytime you use the skill, Summon Undead.


    �C You can set a Commander among your Animated Units, to let them lead the rest of your Animated Units to battle.


    �C This skill will automatically upgrade everytime you raise your Rank.


    �C Next Upgrade: Initiate Rank


    Number of Animated Undead: (0 / 50)


    ��--


    ''So, this is the reason why you decided to take the Death Tyrant''s Beast Core, right, Asmodeus?'' Lux inquired through telepathy.


    ''Yes, My Lord,'' Asmodeus replied. ''If we can have a Death Tyrant among our Animated Creatures, we will have the upper hand in any battle.''


    The Archlich knelt in front of the Half-Elf as he offered the Beast Core of the Pseudo-Deimos Monster, Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, to him.


    Lux smiled, but he shook his head.


    ''Your strength is my strength,'' Lux said. ''Since I acquired the Animate Undead [EX] skill, you also obtained it, right?''


    Asmodeus nodded. ''Yes, My Lord.''


    ''Then you use that Beast Core and make it your first Animated Creature.''


    ''... Are you really fine with this?''


    Lux smiled. ''Yes. Right now, we have a limited number of slots for our Animated Creatures. I want to choose the Monsters that I will add to my own retinue. Also, there will be asions when we will have to separate in order tomand our own individual armies.


    ''Having a Death Tyrant with you will give me some form of assurance. After all, they''re nasty buggers when fighting with the living.''


    The embers that glowed inside Asmodeus'' eye sockets burned brighter, as he lowered his head respectfully towards his Master.


    ''I will take your words to heart, My Lord,'' Asmodeus stated. ''I am quite fortunate to have someone like you as my Master.''


    A momentter the Beast Core in Asmodeus'' hand turned into particles of light, and above them, a meter-tall Death Tyrant appeared.


    It was the mini-version of the Boss Monster they had fought, and it was only a Rank 4 Monster. Even so, Lux was certain that Asmodeus would transform this Animated Monster into a True Monster that would wreak havoc to his foes in the not so distant future.


    "Master, this Death Tyrant has gained the ability to evolve," Asmodeus said as he lightly patted the Death Tyrant''s head, making the white skull''s jaw chatter non-stop. "I would be honored if you personally bestow a name on this Creature."


    Lux rubbed his chin as he gazed at the little Death Tyrant whose eyes were all looking at him with anticipation.


    "Morpheus," Lux said softly as he patted the Death Tyrant''s skull, making thetter narrow its big central eyes in happiness.


    ��--


    < Morpheus >


    "My dreaming ends. Your nightmare begins!"


    �C Death Tyrant


    �C Rank 4 Monster


    ��----


    The Death Tyrant''s otherworldlyughter echoed in the Sacred Dungeon, making Cai, who was about to ask Lux on what they would do next, almost jump up in fright after seeing the little guy who was currently nudging its skull-like head against Lux, like a dog wanting to get petted by its owner.


    "I havee to ask what we will do next," Cai said after realizing that the Death Tyrant that was hovering beside Lux was not an enemy, but one of his Undead Minions. "Are we going to challenge the other gates or��"


    Lux shook his head before Cai could even finish its words.


    "We''re going back," Lux stated. "We have already gotten the flower, so there is no use continuing to explore the other Gates."


    Lux nced at the other Four Gates that had been left unconquered. Even though he had gained a massive boost in strength due to the upgrades of his Named Creatures, he was very exhausted.


    Cai, Keane, Einar, Vall, and Xander were also the same. They were just meditating at the side and using Health Potions in order to recover their health and mana just in case Lux wanted to challenge the other Gates that would lead them to the unknown.


    "Just give me thirty more minutes," Lux said as he nced at the rewards that he still hadn''t sorted out from his Soulbook. "After that, we will exit the Sacred Dungeon, and head to the Rowan Tribe to deliver the Sacred White Lotus."


    Cai nodded its head happily because it was already very exhausted. After using its Third Gear, it would not be able to use it again for a full day, rendering one of its Trump Cards useless.


    After the Boar left Lux to pass his message to the others, the Half-Elf opened his Soul Book and rubbed his hands together.


    "Now, let''s see what kind of precious things I gained from this adventure," Lux muttered as the corner of his lips curled up into a smirk.


    Clearly, he was itching to take a look at the goodies he had gained from his mission.


    Rewards that would make anyone, even the current rulers of the Six Kingdoms, and perhaps Alexander and Cai''s grandpa, Maximilian, covet the items that Lux currently held in his possession.

 Chapter 297 The Key Of Agartha

    297 The Key Of Agartha


    < Congrattions youpleted the Quest: Flower of Death! >


    < Flower of Death >


    Mission Rating: S


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Kill the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant.


    < Quest Rewards >


    +10 to Skeleton Summoning Skills


    +10 to Skeleton Archer Summoning Skills


    +2 to Golem Summoning Skills


    +2 to Skeleton Mage Summoning Skills


    +5,000 Body Cultivation Points


    �C 500,000 Gold Coins


    �C Beholder''s Legacy


    �C The Flower of Death


    ��--


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C Sacred White Lotus


    +10 to Summon Skeleton Fighters


    +10 to Summon Skeleton Grand Archers


    +5 to Summon Skeleton Mage


    + 1 to Summon Rock Golem


    5,000 Body Constitution Points


    ��----


    Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy


    Rating: D


    Progress: (5,000 /16,000)


    ��----


    ''I acquired another Sacred White Lotus?'' Lux wondered upon seeing the flower that was currently inside his inventory. He didn''t take it out and simply observed it.


    However, he only needed a single nce to see that the flower rewarded by the questpletion was highly simr to the flower that Cai had received from the Death Knight. This unexpected boon made Lux smile inside his heart because it only meant one thing.


    He hit the jackpot!


    Originally, Lux thought that the "Flower of Death" that was meant as a reward was the flower that they were looking for. But it turned out that it waspletely different.


    ''... So, this is the Flower of Death,'' Lux mused as he gazed at a flower that greatly resembled that Sacred White Lotus.


    They only differed in color because this one waspletely ck, with faint crimson colors along the edges of each petal. Unlike the Sacred White Lotus that emitted life, this one emitted death and decay. As a Necromancer, Lux was quite sensitive to these things, so it was easy for him to know that this flower was truly associated with death.


    ��---


    < Flower of Death >


    �C Together with the Sacred White Lotus, this flower is the key to create a Panacea that can cure all diseases and injuries in the world.


    �C If used alone, as long as any dying creature still has a single breath in them, they will be saved from death. However, they will enter aatose state for a month. By the time the month ends, they will have a body that ispletely immune to poison.


    Their vitality will also increase, allowing them to live for decades toe. There are also rare urrences when those who had consumed this flower would revert to their youthful selves, allowing them to recover the strength of their younger days.


    �C Be warned. Only dying or near death creatures can ingest the Flower of Death and gain its effects. If a person is healthy and ingests this flower, they will die within a minute.


    ��---


    A cold hiss escaped from Lux''s lips as he read the information of the Flower of Death. This was simply a very powerful consumable item that couldpletely reverse the death of a dying person or creature.


    Lux knew that he couldn''t let anyone know, aside from his Grandma, about the ck flower in his possession. This was simply something that would be coveted by those who were in a position of power. Letting the world know of its existence would bring him more trouble than harm.


    ''Now, what rewards did I get from my other mission��,'' Lux flipped the page of his Soulbook after he had regained his calm.


    But after reading the information about his rewards, the Half-Elf''s hands, which were holding the Soulbook, shook, almost causing him to drop it.


    ��--


    < Congrattions! You have finished the mission: Return of the Kings! >


    < Return of the Kings >


    Mission Rating: S


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Kill the true Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant


    �C Quest Duration 24 hours.


    �C Quest will automatically end in failure if you, as well as your entire faction, die in battle.


    �C Quest will automatically end in failure if you fail to kill your target within 24 hours.


    < Rewards >


    �C Key to the Legendary Kingdom of Agartha


    +100 Reputation Points with the Kingdom of Agartha


    ��--


    < Key of Agartha >


    �C Legendary Item


    �C Once a week, you will be able to instantly teleport to the Kingdom of Agartha by using the Key.


    �C You may return to where you came from anytime by using the Key a second time.


    �C This Item is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer


    ��--


    ''Key of Agartha?'' Lux scratched his head in confusion. "Kingdom of Agartha?"


    His surprise initially came from seeing that the key he received was a Legendary Item. However, after his shock passed, he was baffled because he had never heard of a Kingdom named Agartha before.


    Vera wasn''t stingy when she taught Lux about history and even the geography of the region that they belonged in. However, the Half-Elf couldn''t recall hearing about the Kingdom of Agartha, causing him to frown.


    It was then when he was hit by a realization that he had an item that could give him the answer to his question.


    ''Good thing I have the Elysium Compendium.'' Lux smirked as he used its search function to look for the keyword, Agartha.


    A minuteter, the smirk on Lux''s face gradually faded and was reced by disbelief. He didn''t expect that the Key in his hands would lead him to a ce that was beyond his wildest dreams.


    ��---


    < Kingdom of Agartha >


    Kingdom Rank: SSS


    �C The Kingdom of Agartha is found near the core of the World of Elysium. For thousands of years, its existence has remained a mystery to those who live on its surface. However, regr expeditions were made to the surface to better understand the world that they lived in.


    On several asions, this Mysterious Kingdom also lent its hand to help dealing with cmities that befell upon the world. While themon folk have never heard of them, many Kings, Emperors, and other powerhouses in the world, treat them as Untouchables.


    �C Only those lucky enough to acquire the Three Keys that led to this Legendary Kingdom are permitted to stay for long periods of time.


    �C The Key of Agartha can only be activated when you reach the Initiate Rank.


    ��---


    ''... Damn!'' Lux cursed internally because he had acquired a priceless treasure. ''Are you for real?!''


    When the Half-Elf saw the Kingdom Rank of Agartha, his jaw almost dropped from surprise.


    The Six Kingdoms that belonged to their region were only Rank A Kingdoms. Even so, their rule had been unshakeable over the past hundred years, and no invaders had been able to breach their capital cities.


    Simply put, a Kingdom''s Rank was based on its strength. His Grandma Vera had told him in the past that outside the borders of the Six Kingdoms, there were several other Kingdoms, as well as Empires, that were S-Ranked.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t even fathom how powerful a SSS-Ranked Kingdom was. He was also very curious about what kind of things he would see in the mysterious city.


    ''Do they perhaps sell Legendary Weapons, Armors, or Artifacts?'' Lux''s imagination started to paint pictures of shops selling Legendary items in Bulk, which made him wish he could go to Agartha right away.


    ''As soon as I step into the Initiate Rank, I''ll go there right away,'' Lux vowed in his heart before closing his Soulbook.


    He then took deep breaths in order to calm his overflowing emotions from seeing the things he gained from the Dungeon Expedition. A few minutester, he looked at hisrades who had also recovered their strength and were just waiting for him to finish whatever he was doing.


    "Let''s go back," Lux said. "Our job here is done."


    Cai, Keane, Einar, Vall, and Xander, nodded their heads. Deep down, they felt relieved that they didn''t need to challenge the other gates, whose difficulty level was simr, or even greater than the Gate of Death that they had just conquered.


    Everyone followed Lux as he headed towards the Teleportation Portal that was located behind the Five Gates, which would instantly teleport them back to the entrance of the Hidden Domain.


    They were not aware that as one of the handful of people who managed to clear the Dungeon, they gained the right to enter and leave the Hidden Domain whenever they pleased.


    ��---


    Entrance of the Hidden Domain��


    The moment Lux opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar ce, where several young men and women were gathered.


    The members of the Rowan Tribe, who had died in fighting against the Death Tyrant, all ran towards Lux, Cai, and Xander, to ask them how they won against the Boss Monster that had killed them all.


    The same thing happened to the Barbarians who immediately went to Einar and Vall''s Guild Members, who all had smiles on their faces.


    For them, their leaders'' victory was their victory, and they had a share in their glory. No one had been able to clear the Hell Mode of the Sacred Dungeon before, but now that it had been cleared, they gained the bragging rights to tell everyone that they had done what others had failed to do.


    Lux allowed Cai and Xander to tell the story of the battle to the members of the Rowan Tribe.


    "I was the one that killed it!" Cai raised its snout in an arrogant manner. "If it wasn''t for me, all of us would have been wiped out! I''m the MVP! Isn''t that right, My Daddy?!"


    "Yes." Lux nodded. "You are indeed the MVP."


    Cai nced at the members of the Rowan Tribe with the "See? I told you so!" gaze, making them cheer in happiness.


    The Half-Elf didn''t want to ruin Cai''s exaggerated story because even though the Boar had made it seem like it had been the one who single-handedly defeated the Monstrous Terror Death Tyrant, it wasn''t an exaggeration that it yed a crucial role in the battle.


    Destroying the central eye of the Death Tyrant, as well as delivering the final blow to the back of its head, when no one had been able to, allowed the Boar to feel good about itself.


    Even the proud Barbarian, Einar, and the narcissistic, Vall, didn''t say anything, and just shrugged when asked if the Boar''s ims were true.


    Looking up at the gate that led to the Hidden Domain, Lux saw his name, alongside hispanions, glittering in the darkness. It was proof that they had left their mark on history.


    It was proof that humanity had managed to conquer the unknown, and lived to tell the tale of the dangers that lurked within the Four Gates that represented Conquest, War, Famine, and Death.


    "Four horsemen of the Apocalypse, Conquest, War, Famine, and Death," Lux said softly. "These fourughed at the folly of humanity, and watched mankind take its final breath."


    Staring at the gate in front of him, Lux wondered what diabolical monstersy behind the fifth and final gate that was inside the Sacred Dungeon.


    Although he didn''t say it out loud, he had a hunch that whatevery beyond that tightly shut door��


    Had something to do with the Abyss.

 Chapter ?298 Subjugating Bandits Is A Noble Deed

    ?298 Subjugating Bandits Is A Noble Deed


    "This is impossible," Henrietta muttered as she looked back at the fourteen Monstrous Death Tyrants that were running after their group.


    Unlike Lux and the others, who had received the help of the two Kings after defeating the first Death Tyrant, the three guilds that joined together didn''t trigger this special event.


    Henrietta, Iris, and the Guild Serenity.


    Nero and the Storm Dragons.


    Enlil and the Elves.


    These three factions merged together in order to challenge the Death Gate together, and had made good progress together.


    In fact, their progress was so good that they thought that they could just steamroll the Undead Army, and head straight towards the center of the Valley of Death, and clear it in one go.


    Although they were facing Rank 4 Undead Monsters, thebined might of the three forces had surpassed Lux''s ragtag group of fighters. But, this also led to their downfall.


    They were so confident of their prowess, that they didn''t know that those who went deeper into the Valley would find themselves trapped on all sides by the Death Tyrants that were buried under the ground.


    When they found out about the true nature of their enemies it was already toote.


    Due to thebined bombardment of the Death Tyrants, half of their forces were killed in less than five minutes.


    In the end, only over a dozen people managed to break through the encirclement, but all of them had suffered various injuries. Enlil''s left arm had turned into stone, Nero''s legs were broken by the bite of one of the lesser Death Tyrants shortly after a telekic ray hit him.


    If not for the fact that Iris had saved him from his predicament, allowing Astra to help Teleport Nero out of the Death Tyrant''s jaws, he might have been eliminated already.


    The only thing he was relying on was his ability to move fast in quick bursts using the power of lightning, allowing him to keep pace with the others.


    Henrietta''s Mythical Armor had been destroyed due to how intense the battle was.


    The only one that wasn''t injured throughout the sh was Iris because she was heavily protected by her Guardians, as well as Eiko, who was perched firmly on her head.


    "Ma!" Eiko urged as she looked at the Death Tyrants that were pursuing them as they made their escape towards the outskirts of the valley.


    ''I know, Eiko,'' Iris replied via telepathy. ''But the others are injured, so this is as fast as we can go.''


    The blue-haired beauty was riding on top of the Unicorn, Astra, who was the fastest among her Guardians.


    The Blue Dragon, Valerie.


    The White Tiger, Hanz.


    And the Red Phoenix, Zoe, were all beside her, keeping her at the center of the formation.


    Myrtle, the ck Tortoise was at the rear, protecting Iris from the Ray Attacks of the Death Tyrants that were headed in her direction.


    Eiko was copying Iris'' guardians'' abilities, especially Myrtle, in order to resist the rays that made it past her defenses. Her summons, ckie, Whitey, and Cloud (Air Slime), were flying above her head, ready to block any attacks that Eiko wasn''t able to stoppletely.


    Just as they were nearing the safety of the cliffs, the ground underneath their feet rose up, sending dust flying in every direction.


    In front of them, a Giant ck Tortoise roared, creating a shockwave that blew all of them backwards.


    Due to the unexpected sneak attack by another Pseudo-Deimos World Boss, the formation��that was barely able to keep those that remained alive��instantly crumbled, allowing the several Death Rays that had been fired by the Death Tyrants to descend without resistance upon the remaining survivors.


    One by one, all of them turned into particles of light. The only one that survived the barrage was Iris because her Guardians had blocked the attacks that were aimed at her body.


    "Ma!" Eiko shouted as she gazed at the Death Tyrants that was about to unleash another barrage of attacks on her Mama. Her Guardiansy beside her, unable to move because all of them had sustained grievous injuries.


    No healing magic worked in the Valley of Death because the Death Tyrants'' passive skills prevented any type of regeneration, or healing ability, from working and ensured that anyone who stepped inside the domain would have no way of surviving a battle of attrition against them.


    "I guess this is it," Iris muttered as she gripped a purple crystal in her hand. "We''re leaving!"


    "Ma!" Eiko supported her Mama''s decision.


    A momentter, Iris Guardians'' turned into beams of light and flew towards her body. She had recalled all of them before activating the purple crystal that had been given to her by her father, in the case that she was about to perish inside the Dungeon.


    Although she could recover the lost stat points that would be deducted after her death, Alexander didn''t want his daughter to suffer such a fate, so he just gave her the most expensive Teleportation Crystal he had, which allowed anyone to teleport out of any kind of Dungeon.


    A secondter, after she disappeared from the Sacred Dungeon, dozens of multicolored rays descended upon the location where she stood, sending dust clouds flying in every direction.


    ��--


    The next time Iris opened her eyes, she found herself outside of the Hidden Domain where those that had died inside the Sacred Dungeon respawned.


    She immediately ran towards Henrietta, who was in the middle of applying healing magic to her guild members, who had been injured inside the Dungeon.


    Although no one would die if they perished inside the Dungeon, the injuries they received before they died would remain with them until they received proper treatment.


    Enlil, whose arm had turned into stone, had already been treated, as well as Nero, whose legs were broken.


    As Serenity''s Vice Guild Master, Iris had to help treat their wounded members and ensure that they would recover in the shortest time possible. While treating her guild members, she noticed Lux standing several meters away from her with his arms crossed over his chest.


    He didn''t disturb her and simply allowed his fiance to do her duties, as the Vice Guild Master of her Guild.


    Half an hourter, Iris walked towards Lux and gave him a hug.


    "We failed in our mission," Iris said sadly. "The Hell Mode of the Gate of Death is too hard."


    "I know," Lux replied as he patted her head. "We experienced it as well."


    Iris looked at Lux''s clothes and gave them a critical look. Clearly, she was looking for any injuries that the Half-Elf might have acquired during his Dungeon expedition.


    Seeing that the clothes he was wearing weren''t torn up or anything, Iris was able to breathe easy before shifting her gaze back to Lux''s handsome face.


    "Were you able to get any gains from the Dungeon?" Iris asked.


    Although her group didn''t manage to get the Sacred White Lotus, they were able to get high-grade weapons and armors that were all Pseudo-Mythical Ranked.


    These things weren''t easy toe by, especially for normal people. However, they were the types of items that could be given to their Guild Members whocked proper gear.


    Henrietta had already decided to split the gains between Serenity, the Storm Dragons, and the Elves, ensuring that no one went home empty handed.


    "Yes, we were able to get some good stuff," Lux said with a smile.


    "Oh? What did you get?"


    "The Sacred White Lotus."


    Iris giggled after hearing Lux''x reply. She then lightly pinched her fiance''s cheeks because she thought that he was just teasing her.


    However, seeing the devilish smile on Lux''s face, as she pinched his cheeks, made her eyes widen in disbelief.


    "... you''re joking, right?" Iris asked.


    "Who said I was joking?" Lux replied as he lightly pinched Iris'' cheeks back. "You dare doubt your fiance? Looks like I need to punish you thoroughly when we get back."


    Iris'' cheeks immediately began to burn with embarrassment because Lux was giving her the "You''re not getting any sleep tonight" gaze.


    Lux knew that Iris still didn''t believe him, so he decided to move closer and whisper something in her ears.


    "If you don''t believe me, why don''t you look at the Gate of the Hidden Domain?" Lux whispered. "That will prove that I am not lying."


    Iris turned her head to the side to look at the massive gate. Her eyes slowly moved upwards and stopped at a row of names, which weren''t there before they entered the Hidden Domain.


    Iris'' lips formed an O, as she read the words written on the gate.


    ��---


    < The First Conquerors of the Gate of Death (Hell Mode) >


    < Cai�� >


    < Keane�� >


    < Xander�� >


    < Einar Mordosk >


    < Vaki Meitar >


    < Lux Von Kaizer >


    ��----


    "Impossible��," the proud Prince of the Elves muttered as he gazed upon the Gate. "This is impossible!"


    As an Elf, he had very sensitive hearing. The moment Lux and Iris started talking, he had focused his senses on the two of them so he could eavesdrop on their conversation. At first, he found their chat cheesy because they were just flirting with each other.


    However, after hearing that Lux had gotten the Sacred White Lotus from the Gate of Death, he felt as if his heart had skipped a beat.


    Naturally, he didn''t believe the words that he had hearde out of the Half-Elf''s mouth. He wasn''t there when Lux had won the Championship, and Enlil believed that if he had been the one to fight against Lux, he would have definitely won his match against him.


    This was why he didn''t think much of the news of Lux bing the Champion when it reached the Elven Kingdom.


    In his eyes, the Half-Elf simply got lucky because he didn''t get to face him in the Tournament.


    But, right now, he was starting to think that he had greatly underestimated Iris'' current fiance, whose name had already reached the far corners of the Six Kingdoms.


    Nero and Henrietta noticed the sudden change in their surroundings as Enlil and the Elves stared at the Gate of the Hidden Domain in disbelief.


    The two Guild Masters followed their gazes and looked up at the Gate of the Hidden Domain. A momentter, both of them shuddered because of the things that were written on top of it.


    "Impossi��" Henrietta stopped herself midway as she forced her lips shut.


    When they had failed their Dungeon Expedition, she believed that no one else would be able to conquer the Gate of Death. Their forces were truly quite powerful, and one could even say that their lineup was among the best within the members of the young generation.


    But, they were still unable to clear the Hell Mode difficulty of the Gate of Death, making her feel bitter inside.


    Nero clenched his fists tightly as he looked up at the golden names that glowed faintly in the darkness.


    He wasn''t aware that the seed of the Abyss in his heart had started to grow bigger, allowing a small sapling to appear.


    Shifting his gaze at the Half-Elf who was holding the blue-haired beauty whom he loved in his arms, a strand of ck lightning flickered in the very depths of his eyes.


    A storm was starting to form, but none of the teenagers present at the entrance of the Hidden Domain noticed the danger that was in their midst.


    ��--


    "Are you sure that this is the ce?" a young man with blonde hair asked the aide that was standing beside him.


    "Yes, Your Highness. The artifact that detects living people is pointing in this direction. Also, their numbers are over a hundred." the man, who seemed to be in his early forties, replied. "If our guess is right, down this cliff is the entrance to the Domain of the Fallen."


    The blonde prince nodded. "Good. Fortunately we were close by when he heard the Divine Message. Although this ce isn''t part of our Kingdom, it is still a Neutral Territory. Anything that can be found here is up for grabs, right? Especially when they are taken from the hands of bandits."


    "Yes, your Majesty," the man nodded his head in understanding. "Subjugating bandits is a noble deed."


    "I know, right?" the blonde princeughed before pointing down at the cliff. "Let''s go. We mustn''t let any of these bandits escape."


    "As you wish, Your Excellency," the man bowed his head.


    Immediately, over a thousand elite soldiers descended on the cliff with determined looks on their faces. The Domain of the Fallen was considered a fable to them because no one had been able to find its entrance, until just a few years ago.


    The Six Kingdoms had been incredibly secretive about their discovery. They had done so to make sure that none of the surrounding territories knew that they hade across the entrance of the Hidden Domain by ident.


    If not for the fact that the Princes'' hunting party was nearby, they wouldn''t have known that the Hidden Domain was near them, allowing them to change their ns, and take advantage of the situation that had unknowingly fallen into theirps.

 Chapter 299 The Fourth Prince Of The Ashina Kingdom [Part 1]

    299 The Fourth Prince Of The Ashina Kingdom [Part 1]


    "Y-You�� Did you really conquer the Gate of Death?" Henrietta asked as she walked towards Lux in disbelief. "You''ve managed to beast the thirteen Monstrous Terror Death Tyrants?"


    "I didn''t beat them myself," Lux replied. "I beat them with Einar, Vall, their guild members, and the Rowan Tribe. It was us who fought those Death Tyrants and won against them."


    "Impossible!" Enlil shouted. "Don''t f*cking joke with me you Half-blood! How can you possibly win against those monsters?!"


    Before Lux could even answer, Cai stepped forward with her snout raised up to the air in arrogance.


    "How did we win against those monsters?" Cai snorted. "Isn''t it obvious? It is because I am there! Ask Einar, and Spidey Boy. They will tell you that I am the MVP!"


    Enlil nced at Einar and thetter just shrugged.


    Vall, on the other hand, red at Cai.


    "I''m not Spidey Boy, you filthy boar," Vall replied in annoyance.


    "Um, I forgot t o ask, are you interested in bing part of my secret organization?" Cai inquired. "Although you are a little shabby, you are qualified to join the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."


    "Like hell I want to join your stupid organization."


    "A, I didn''t know you wanted to join this badly. Fine, I''ll make a special exception and allow you to join. Congrattions! You are now one of us!"


    "Don''t stop me!" Vall roared in anger as he was held back by his guild members with everything they had, preventing him from shredding Cai, who had gotten into his nerves, to pieces. "I''m going to beat up this pig!"


    "Please, don''t! The Saint of the Rowan Tribe will find trouble for all of us!"


    "Young Master, please, stay your hand. Staining your hand with this filthy boar''s blood is not worth it. Besides, its Grandpa would definitelye looking for us after this. It''s just not worth it."


    "Please reconsider, Guild Master!"


    While Vall was getting held back by the members of his guild, Einar, who had his arms crossed over his chest, wanted tough out loud. He had never seen the handsome narcissist, so enraged, making him have a good impression of the boar, who had nced in his direction."


    "Um, Sorry, Einar," Cai said as he looked at the Barbarian with an apologetic look. "You''re not handsome enough to join my organization. I''m sorry, but let''s just stay as friends, okay?"


    "Who the f*ck wants to be your friend, you bastard?!" Einar shouted.


    Whatever good feelings he had for Cai earlierpletely disappeared after thetter ridiculed his looks.


    The Boar ignored the Barbarian who was also being held back by hisrades in order to prevent Einar from chopping the annoying boar into pork chops.


    "The reason why all of you failed to clear the Hell Mode of the Sacred Dungeon is because you don''t have the Great Me on your teams!" Cai dered. "Next time, make sure to politely ask me for help. Maybe, just maybe, I will lend my assistance to you guys because I am such a magnanimous person."


    After saying these words, the Boarughed arrogantly as if belittling everyone for being unable to beat the Gate of Death like they did.


    ''Damn Cai, you really know how to annoy people don''t you?''


    This was the thought that came to Lux''s and Keane''s minds as they listened to the shameless boar''sughter which irritated those who heard it, friend and foe alike.


    "Do you have to deal with this everyday?" Lux asked Xander who was looking at Cai with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Yes," Xander. "You don''t have any idea how much we''ve suffered keeping Cai safe from those who want to mob h�� it."


    Lux and Keane both patted Xander''s shoulders in understanding. If they were in his shoes, they would have surely kicked the Boar''s bum in order to teach it a lesson for being annoying.


    One by one, several more people respawned at the entrance of the Hidden Domain. Just like the others, they had failed in their missions, but they were able to gather some resources during their expedition.


    Not everyone who went into the Sacred Dungeon targeted the Gate of Death. Some went to the Gates of Conquest, War, and Famine, bringing with them resources that were exclusive in those dungeons.


    The rulers of the Six Kingdoms knew that the possibility of getting the Sacred White Lotus was small, so they didn''t want to use all of their forces on a suicide mission. Instead, they asked half of their forces to scout the other Gates and gather as much information as they could.


    They nned to use the data they gathered for the next expedition that they wouldunch when the Hidden Domain opened once again.


    While the Guild Masters of each Guild were treating their injured, and checking the inventory of the resources they acquired, a faint rumbling sound was heard in the distance.


    Soon, the sound became louder, and the ground under their feet started to tremble.


    Lux, and Enlil, whose eyes could see clearly, even though the end of the passage was barely visible due to how dark it was, saw an unknown group of armed individuals headed in their direction.


    "Battle formations!" Enlil shouted. "We havepany!"


    At first, the guilds were surprised after hearing the Elf''s announcement, but soon, all of them were gripping their weapons and had formed ranks ording to their respective Guild Master''s orders.


    The Six Kingdom knew that the possibility of being discovered while they were tackling the Hidden Domain existed. Because of this, they had already drilled into their representatives that, if such a case happened, they should do their best to work hand in hand in order to repel, or even subjugate, the forces that hade across the entrance of the Hidden Domain.


    Lux stood in front of the Rowan Tribe, with his Named Creatures standing by his side.


    Iris had returned to her Guild, Serenity, and assumed her role as the support and Vice Guild Master of her guild.


    All of them stared at over a thousand Apostles mounted on Forest Wolves, whose ranks were all at the Apostle Grade.


    "Well, well, well��," a yful voice said. "What do we have here? I see familiar and unfamiliar faces. It seems that we hit the jackpot this time."''


    A handsome teenager with short blonde hair and blue eyes scanned the surroundings atop his Forest Wolf.


    After a while, his eyesnded on Henrietta before shifting her attention to the blue-haired beauty behind her.


    "Henrietta, Iris, fancy meeting both of you here," the blonde teenager said. "Hah, that annoying Nero is here too. Good. This certainly is a big haul."


    Henrietta and Iris who saw the face of the blonde teenager immediately became grim because both of them recognized who he was.


    "What brings you here, Prince Lowell?" Henrietta asked. "This is quite a distance from the Ashina Kingdom."


    "My dear Henrietta, would you believe me if I said that I smelled your and Iris'' fragrances from far away and followed you here?" the Fourth Prince of the Kingdom of Ashina, Prince Lowell replied with a smile.


    "Gross." Henrietta almost spat on the ground after hearing the Prince''s words.


    Among the members of the Ashina Royal Family, Prince Lowell was known to be the most debauche among them. The King had almost given up on this son of his, so he kept him away from the capital city to prevent him from sullying their family name.


    Because of this, Lowell had no choice but to wander around the neutral territories, meeting the Sians that belonged to the Six Kingdoms.


    As someone who liked beautifuldies, there had been more than one asion when he had tried to court Henrietta, Iris, and some of the beautifuldies from the other guilds as well. However, they didn''t like his advances, making him resort to a different kind of tactic, which involved the use of brute force.


    Some of thesedies had fallen into his hands due to schemes, and ambushes made in the neutral areas. Unfortunately, he didn''t have a chance to find a good opportunity to target the beautiful Guild Master and Vice Guild Master of Serenity because they rarely wandered too far from the territories that belonged to the Six Kingdoms.


    Even so, the stories of Prince Lowell''s viiny had reached their ears, making them hate him to the bone.


    "Sir, I have checked all of the people here," one of Prince Lowell''s aids whispered in his ear. "Although there are a few strong ones, none of them threaten our army."


    The smile on the blonde prince''s face widened after hearing his subordinates'' report.


    ''Finally, something good came about on this trip.'' Prince Lowell smirked as he gazed at thedies whom he had his eyes on for a very long time. It was not only Henrietta and Iris whom the prince wanted to capture.


    He wanted to capture all thedies in front of him, so his men could enjoy themselves while he picked the most beautiful among the bunch.


    "Meeting all of you here must be fate," Prince Lowellmented. "May I invite all thedies here to have dinner with our group? Don''t worry. All of us are gentlemen, isn''t that right, everyone?"


    The soldiers apanying the prince allughed and cheered at the same time. It had been a while since they had been to the city, and most of them were already feeling bored. Seeing a couple of beauties among the hundreds of teenagers in front of them was enough to make the sinister thoughts in their heartse to the surface.


    "Who would want to go with you?!" one of thedies who knew Prince Lowell shouted. "A close friend of mine was captured by you a few months ago. After you had your way with her, you just tossed her aside and let your men ravage her. She''s now pregnant and has no idea who the father of her child is! I''ll kill you, you bastard!"


    "Oh dear, did such a thing happen?" Prince Lowell rubbed his chin. "Well, don''t worry. Since you are a beauty, I will take you as my personal bed warmer. If you get pregnant, at least you will know who the father is. Aren''t you d?"


    "You scoundrel! I''ll kill you!"


    "Come down, youngdy. The one doing the stabbing will be me, and I will assure you that you will not be disappointed."


    Prince Lionell then shifted his attention to Henrietta and Iris, and licked their bodies with his eyes, as if savoring the prize that was hidden under their clothes.


    "Henrietta, Iris,e with me and I promise that both of you will not get hurt," Prince Lowell said. "I will treat you properly as my wives, and give you the happiness you deserve. You no longer need to risk your lives going into dangerous Dungeons, and clearing missions from the Adventurer''s Guild.


    "Isn''t this the life that alldies should aspire to? I am willing to give this life to the two of you, as well as the otherdies who are smart enough to understand�� that the only way to leave this ce alive is toe with me peacefully."


    Lux frowned after hearing the Prince''s words. Clearly they hade across a hateful character, and they werepletely outnumbered in terms of numbers. There was also one thing that bothered him.


    Among the Princes'' entourage, there were five people worth noting.


    Four of them were of the Initiate Rank, while one of them was a Ranker.


    These were Prince Lowell''s personal bodyguards that ensured his safety. As long as they were around the Prince, he could get away with his wanton acts, using force to get his way if he had to.


    "This is bad, like seriously bad," Cai muttered as it gazed upon the five people that Lux was paying close attention to. It knew that if those five made their move, none of the people who''d joined the alliance of the Six Kingdoms would be able to stop them.


    It was not only Cai who had this thought. In fact, all the teenagers belonging to the Six Kingdoms were thinking the same thing.


    If they didn''t do something soon, all of them, with the exception of thedies in their guilds, would be killed to ensure no witnesses were left to reveal Princes Lowell''s bastardly act.


    They were no longer inside the Sacred Dungeon, which meant that if they died fighting against the elite army of soldiers in front of them, their deaths would be permanent, which was something that they wanted to avoid at all cost.

 Chapter ?300 The Heart Of The Abyss [Part 1]

    ?300 The Heart Of The Abyss [Part 1]


    ''The heavens truly are smiling upon me today,'' Prince Lowell mused as he looked at the hundreds of teenagers that had grouped up together in order to defend themselves from his personal army.


    Aside from Henrietta and Iris, there were otherdies whom he had tried to seduce in the past, but all of them ignored his advances. He could not do anything about it because he was afraid that the factions backing them up would strike back at their kingdom, so he held himself back.


    However, right now, with his army blocking the only path of escape, and a Ranker by his side, he could just make sure that there were no witnesses that could expose the thing that he was about to do.


    "All thedies, step forward," Prince Lowell ordered. "I am giving you one chance at survival. Me and my men promise to take good care of all of you. Resist, and we will make sure to break your limbs and drag you away by force. Either way, you will be leaving with us whether you like it or not."


    The youngdies who belonged to the Six Kingdoms gritted their teeth in anger after hearing Prince Lowell''s threat. They had already heard how debauche the blonde prince was. Even if he didn''t take them for himself, the men serving under him would take them by force, making them their ythings.


    "A-And the men?" a teenage boy with light-brown hair asked. "What about the men?"


    Prince Lowell smirked as he shifted his gaze to the person that spoke up.


    "The men? Of course we will let you guys go," Prince Lowell replied. "But, that will be on the condition that all thediese with us peacefully. If they resist, we will have no choice but to use force�� and kill all the men. Surely, you girls don''t want that to happen, right?"


    "Cut the crap!" Henrietta shouted. "Don''t listen to him! He doesn''t have any intention of letting any of you guys leave this ce alive! He won''t allow any witnesses to bring news back to our factions!"


    Prince Lowell chuckled. Henrietta was right. He didn''t really have any intention of letting any of the men leave this ce. He just wanted to give them false hope in order to have his way, but due to the Purple-haired beauty''s wakeup call, the teenagers whose faith was wavering returned to their senses.


    "Dear me, do you need me to help you handle thesemoners, Your Highness?"


    Esmond, the D-Ranker who was assigned as Prince Lowell''s personal bodyguard, stepped forward. His mere presence made the teenagers take a step back due to how powerful the aura he was releasing to suppress all of them was.


    He had auburn hair, and seemed to look like someone in his early forties.


    "Just make sure that none of thedies are hurt," Prince Lowell said. "Especially Iris and Henrietta. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Of course, Your Majesty." Esmond bowed respectfully before shifting his gaze to the two beautifuldies that his Master had set his eyes on.


    The members of the Serenity Guild all stepped forward in order to protect their Guild Master, and Vice Guild Master from the Ranker who was eyeing all of them with ridicule.


    They knew that they had no hope in defending the two importantdies of their Guild, but since they were going to die anyway, they would rather die fighting.


    Esmond took slow, steady steps, making the defenders feel their heart tremble inside their chest. The Ranker was clearly taking his time to savor the helplessness and despair of the teenagers.


    He wasn''t a talented individual, but he was very loyal to Prince Lowell. Because of this, the Prince rewarded him and pooled his resources in order to make him a Ranker. Since then, he had taken part in doing the dirty jobs to ensure that the blonde Prince would be able to have his way with the women he had set his eyes on.


    However, just as he was about to massacre the members of the Serenity Guild, he disappeared from where he stood and directly appeared in front of Prince Lowell.


    """Dragon''s Breath"""


    Lux knew that the Ranker''s first priority was to defend the Prince who was mounted snugly on top of his Forest Wolf. Because of this, he decided to aim his deadly attack in the Prince''s direction with the intention of killing him.


    "Impudent!" Esmond shouted as he blocked the attack using a barrier.


    The beam attack tried to push him away, but Esmond didn''t budge from where he stood. The Power of a Ranker wasn''t something that could be overwhelmed so easily, which made the teenagers who saw this grit their teeth in frustration.


    A momentter, the Dragon breath ended, leaving the ground nothing but moltenva in front of Esmond.


    "Y-You dare to kill me!" the Prince shouted as he pointed his finger towards Lux in anger. "Esmond. Cut off his arms and legs but don''t kill him! I will personally torture himter!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Esmond shouted. "Boy, you should have just stood and watched. I would have given all of you a quick and painless death because I don''t like bullying children, but since you dared to hurt, His Highness, I will make you pay for your insolence!"


    Without another word, Esmond took a step forward and reappeared a few meters away from Lux.


    Summoning a spear in hand, the Ranker shed towards Lux''s arm. Although there were two clones standing beside the Half-Elf, Esmond was able to tell which one was real, making him focus on the red-headed teenager''s body, targeting his right arm.


    A resounding crack reverberated in the cavern as Edmond''s spear delivered a powerful blow.


    Lux, who was the target of Esmond''s wrath, stood rooted to the ground as a familiar puppet stood in front of him, taking the brunt of the Ranker''s attack.


    "You don''t like bullying children?" an aged voice filled with anger said. "A Ranker targeting children? What a joke. I''ve seen many people like you, and all of them have suffered the same fate."


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock as he looked at the olddy standing beside Iris.


    "G-Grandma?" Lux stuttered.


    Vera smiled as her fingers moved in an erratic manner. Behind her, two puppets charged towards Esmond and delivered two powerful attacks that sent the Ranker flying.


    "You old hag! Who are you?!" Prince Lowell asked. "Do you not know who I am? How dare you stand in my way!"


    Vera ignored the Prince and nced in the direction of her grandson.


    "Lux, protect Iris," Vera ordered. "I''ll take it from here."


    Lux, who had mostly recovered from his shock, nodded his head and ran towards his fiance, standing in front of her. He summoned all of his Named Creatures, as well as his Skeleton Army,so they were ready to fight at a moment''s notice.


    Esmond, who received Vera''s blows, frowned because in that single exchange, he was able to know that his opponent was weaker than him. But, aside from that, he had also understood what he was facing.


    "You''re just an Avatar," Esmond stated. "Your real body is not here."


    Vera smiled and nodded her head. "That''s right. But, what about it?"


    "It means that I will destroy you, and ensure that none of these children leave here alive."


    "Oh? Aren''t you worried that the Six Kingdoms will find trouble for your Kingdom after I return?"


    Esmond snorted. "Since it has alreadye to this, do you really think we have the option of turning back? Besides, once my Master has yed with all the girls and gotten them pregnant, the Six Kingdoms will have no choice but to settle this incident with apromise.


    "That girl over there is the daughter of a Saint. Unless he doesn''t care for her life, he will not do anything reckless."


    Vera narrowed her eyes because her enemy had guessed correctly that she was merely using one of her puppets to protect Iris remotely from Sis.


    "Even if I''m just an Avatar, you will not be able to defeat me so easily," Vera replied as more puppets appeared behind her. "Also, my granddaughter is too good for the likes of your scummy Prince. After I''m done with you, I''ll castrate him and feed his body to the fishes."


    Prince Lowell red hatefully at the old woman who was getting in the way of his n to turn thedies into his s*x ves.


    "Shut up, you old hag!" Prince Lowell shouted. "Esmond, kill her! The rest of you, kill all the men, and capture the women! I don''t mind if they are injured, just make sure that none of them are killed!"


    "As you wish, Your Majesty," Esmond replied before charging at Vera with his weapon radiating a deadly glint. Clearly, he wanted to finish the Avatar right away, so that he could help his men in ensuring that none of the teenagers got away.


    "Lux, I''ll leave the rest to you," Vera said before shing with Esmond. Her goal was to keep the Ranker away from the teenagers and allow them to mount a counter attack.


    A momentter, a free for allmenced between Prince Lowell''s army, and thebined forces of the Six Kingdoms.


    The teenagers werepletely outnumbered, and there were also two Initiates among the soldiers that were attacking them.


    Screams of pain, anger, and frustration spread inside the cavern as the teenagers were cut down one by one.


    They had no problem fighting against the Apostle-Ranked Soldiers, but the two Initiates were taking advantage of the situation to kill the weakest links in the teenager''s defensive formation, breaking itpletely.


    "Too easy!" one of the Grade-A Soldiers shouted to taunt the helpless teenagers who were getting pushed back. "Is this the best that you can do, you bra��argh!"


    A sharp de pierced through the back of his neck, creating a bloody hole, ending his life in a heartbeat.


    A few secondster, six more soldiers fell on the ground dead, without knowing how they died.


    Beside Lux, an opened ck coffin floated, radiating a crimson glow.


    ''You''re not the only ones with Initiates,'' Lux sneered in his mind.


    During the chaos, he had summoned his two strongest fighters in order to backstab their opponents. Sid and Scarlet were both assassins, so it was quite easy for them to take advantage of the messy situations in order to thin out the enemies that were overpowering the teenagers who hadn''t fully recovered from their dungeon expeditions.


    Asmodeus and Lux also used their Skill, Animate Undead, raising those who had died in the battle to fight for their side.


    "Necromancer!" one of the Soldiers shouted before his deadrade grabbed his leg, preventing him from moving.


    *Clink*


    After a resounding clink, the soldier''s head fell off his body, as Keane delivered his one-hit attack with great precision.


    With the Undead using themselves as the meat shields in the conflict, the teenagers who had almost lost all hope, were slowly, but surely, able to stand their ground, and resist the enemies that outnumbered them in both quantity and quality.


    ��---

 Chapter 301 The Heart Of The Abyss [Part 2]

    301 The Heart Of The Abyss [Part 2]


    Vera and Esmond were having a heated battle with each other.


    Earlier, the Ranker was confident that he could overpower the Avatar, but as their battle progressed, even though his opponent''s strength only seemed to be at the E-Rank category, her battle experience far exceeded his own.


    As a D-Ranker, Esmond had his fair share of battles, but he found his great strength unable to break past the olddy''s defenses, because his full powered blows weren''t blocked, but deflected, minimizing the power of his blows.


    "I guess being old has its merits," Esmond teased.


    Vera didn''t bother to reply as she used her full concentration in order to keep the Ranker at bay. Just as Esmond had said earlier, this was only her Avatar.


    Currently, her real body was seated in a lotus position back in Sris. When Iris had left to the Hidden Domain, Vera had given her a gem that would allow her to summon Vera''s Avatar if her life was in grave danger.


    The Rankers of Sris couldn''t casually enter the territories that were off limits to them. The world of Elysium had rules, and they could only enter the higher-ranked territories, where people of simr strength gathered.


    This restriction didn''t apply to Elysians. They were free to travel wherever they wanted, which had led to the bullying of the members of the younger generation of Sris. Naturally, the powerful people of the Six Kingdoms didn''t take this lying down.


    With Alexander as the head, theyunched attacks against these kingdoms who dared to send Rankers to kill and even cripple their prodigies, decreasing their military strength.


    These battles were bloody, even annihting entire cities from the face of the world. Because of this, the other Kingdoms had stopped these acts of aggression, knowing that the Seniors of the children they bullied would fight them to the death.


    Although there were still times when these incidents happened, they were kept to a bare minimum because they knew that the leaders of the Factions supporting the Srian Guilds wouldn''t take things lying down.


    These were how the Avatars were created.


    They were thest resort of the children that belonged to a very influential family. Even if they were in the Beginning, Intermediate, and Expert Areas, these Avatars could be summoned in order to save their lives.


    However, there was a drawback. Once this was used, the Strength of the Ranker in Sris would decrease by an entire Rank. Also, any damage they received in their Avatar Forms would directly damage their real bodies.


    This was why even though Alexander loved his daughter, he couldn''t give her an Avatar of himself, because he would fall from his Rank of a Saint.


    Once that happened, the fragile bnce of power within the Six Kingdoms, The Rowan Tribe, and the Barbatos Academy would crumble, and might lead to consequences that no one wanted to see.


    In the end, Vera decided to sacrifice her Rank, as well as risk her life, in order to protect her granddaughter from harm.


    While the two Rankers were fighting, Esmond noticed a subtle shift in the battlefield. The Elite Soldiers who had the upper hand at the beginning, were slowly being pushed back by the teenagers who seemed to have gotten a second wind.


    ''What''s going on?'' Esmond thought as he scanned the surroundings.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t able to continue what he was doing because Vera''s continuous attacks didn''t allow him to take his eyes off her, making him unable to determine the cause of the sudden turn around in their side''s current circumstance.


    ''Sid, Scarlet, take down those Initiates first!'' Lux ordered, ''I''ll handle the Apostle Grades, you need to eliminate at least two of them as soon as possible.''


    ''What a ve driver you are,'' Scarletined as she melded with the shadows. Even so, she wouldn''t disobey Lux''s orders because she understood that dealing with the Initiates first was the right thing to do.


    ''As youmand, Master,'' Sid replied as soon as he pulled his de out of the chest of one of the Grade-A Apostles belonging to Prince Lowell''s Army.


    The moment the Peak-Grade-Apostle died, his body suddenly shuddered before standing up from the ground. He had be a Rank 3��Grade B Apostle��Draugr, which was a type of Undead simr to a zombie, but it retained most of its strength.


    "Mumumumu!" Eiko shouted as she used the skill, Animate Undead, which she had copied from her Papa to raise the Elite Soldiers that had died in battle.


    Lux was doing the same. He was constantly raising the dead soldiers to fight for their side. He couldn''t bear to summon the dead Sins to fight in battle, so he opted to just raise the Soldiers that Scarlet and Sid were killing.


    ''Master, you''re still too soft,'' Asmodeus said. ''But, that''s fine. You can stay the way you are, I will do the dirty things for you.''


    Asmodeus had no qualms in raising the dead Sins, using his intellect to use them to fight as a team, greatly increasing their effectiveness in battle.


    One of the Barbarians that Asmodeus had raised after he died, grabbed a corpse of a Soldier from the ground and threw it towards a ce where the majority of their enemies had gathered.


    As soon as the corpsended on the ground, the Archlich, Asmodeus, pointed his finger on the dead body and sneered.


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    Immediately, pained shouts reverberated in the battlefield as those that were twenty-meters around the corpse found themselves hit by Necrotic Damage, dulling their actions.


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    Asmodeus grinned as his "grenades" made the chaotic battlefield more chaotic, allowing the teenagers to finally gain a foothold where they could fight without holding anything back.


    "Gaia Smash!" Orion roared as he jumped in the air like a wrestler and smashed his Jade Fist in front of him, sending soldiers flying in every direction.


    "One shot," Ishtar said as she appeared right above one of the soldiers that were blown away by Orion''s punch, and fired her arrow into the soldier''s forehead ending his life. "One kill."


    A momentter, the Nightstalker vanished in a cloud of ck mist, appearing a few meters away, holding a ck dagger coated with poison in her right hand, and shing the neck of the soldiers beside her.


    After doing this, she once again turns into ck mist, reappearing to where the teenagers were having trouble and backstabbed the soldiers they were facing.


    Diablo charged at the Soldiers and brandished his sword, dealing Ethereal Damage that bypassed their armor, making them feel extreme pain that harmed their soul.


    One of the Initiates, who saw this, frowned and decided to attack one of the greatest threats to their faction. However, when he saw a little girl with red hair, wearing a ck robe, a sinister glint appeared in his eyes as he shifted his focus to her.


    "I like killing little girls," the Initiate said as she stood in front of his target. "Their flesh is so tender that my de just passes through them so easily. I like killing them the most!"


    Without another word, the Initiate swung his sword to split the girl''s body into two. However, to his surprise, the little girl swayed her body to the side, dodging his attackpletely.


    "You like killing little girls?" the girl with red hair asked as her short sword pierced through the Initiate''s stomach. "Trash like you doesn''t deserve to live."


    With a twist of her hand, a bloody hole appeared on the Initiate''s stomach. However, she wasn''t finished yet.


    With a strength unbefitting of her looks, and height, the little girl with red hair, shed upwards, splitting the Initiate''s body in half.


    Scarlet nced down at the dead Initiate with a look of contempt before once again joining the fray.


    This was the first time she had fought against humans, which made her realize that the Dwarven Kingdom was just a small part of a bigger world.


    A world that she was just about to experience for the first time.


    A few seconds after Scarlet left, the Initiate''s body morphed into something hideous, transforming into a Rank 4, Skeleton Berserker, whose deathly howl rang out in its surroundings.


    ''Such a waste,'' Asmodeus grumbled. ''I nned to use the body for an experiment, but since it is already damaged beyond repair, I guess I''ll settle for another.''


    The Archlich''s glowing eyes scanned the surroundings, and saw another "little boy" who had snuck behind one of the Initiates who were trying to target Vera from behind.


    ''Oh? This one is good,'' Asmodeus thought. ''My Master certainly has a good eye on people.''


    The Archlich narrowed his eyes the moment that Sid''s speed suddenly increased, allowing him to deliver his own sneak attack on the Initiate that nned to sneak attack Vera from behind.


    A silver line streaked within the darkness as Sid''s Silver de cut off the initiate''s arm.


    Vera was too focused on her enemy that she wasn''t aware of the Initiate that was poised to attack her from behind, which would allow Esmond tthe opportunity to deliver a killing blow.


    Sid knew that he was unable to instantly kill his target, so he decided to just cut off the enemy''s arm first, stopping him from throwing the ck dagger towards the Old Woman, who was also his Master''s grandmother.


    A look of surprise and disbelief shed across the Initiate''s face when he felt a stinging pain in his arm. However, that expression didn''tst long as a silver de shed his head from his body, making it roll on the ground.


    ''Excellent,'' Asmodeus apuded Sid in his heart as he looked at the Dwarf Assassin who had hidden himself in the ongoing chaos around him. However, the Archlich noticed the direction that Sid was going and it made him chuckle in his heart.


    When Lux had left his Dhamphir Assassin in Leaf Vige, he also gave him an order to go and visit the Kobold Draconian, Cadmus.


    Cadmus had once told Lux in passing that he was nning to leave the Beginner''s Area and head deeper into the Monster''s Domain to the west of the Kobold Territories.


    In that ce, Goblins, Orcs, Trolls, and many other fearsome creatures roamed.


    Unlike Scarlet, who received the full backing of Twilight Rain in order to be the next yer Candidate, Sid only relied on his own hard work to make himself stronger.


    His path had always been a path of blood and thorns, but he didn''t mind. Now that his sisters were in a good ce, he could focus on making himself stronger, slowly advancing to be a Ranker, in order to repay and serve his Master, who had given him, and her sisters, a new lease in life.


    Just like Asmodeus, Lux also saw where Sid was going and approved his n without a second thought.


    Now that they had eliminated two of the Initiates in the battlefield, the tide of battle had finally tilted in their direction.

 Chapter ?302 The Heart Of The Abyss [Part 3]

    ?302 The Heart Of The Abyss [Part 3]


    "Your Highness, make sure to not leave my side," a young man with silver hair said. "The enemy is stronger than we expected."


    "Indeed," another young man who looked exactly like the one with silver hairmented. The only difference between the two of them was the color of his hair, which was dark blue. "A Ranker Avatar, two Initiates, a Necromancer, and an Arclich. Dear me, he also has a Death Tyrant. Maybe we bullied the wrong group."


    Prince Lowell clicked his tongue in annoyance as he gazed at his right-hand man who was battling against the olddy who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    "Esmond! Kill that old hag right away!" Prince Lowell ordered. "What''s taking you so long?!"


    Esmond, who had swatted one of Vera''s puppets away, backed off as he gave the Prince a side-long nce.


    "My apologies, Your Highness," Esmond replied. "This old ginger is still spicy. It will take some time to subdue her."


    "Just hurry up!"


    "As youmand, Your Highness."


    Esmond once again shed with Vera, only this time, he started to strengthen the force behind his blows, pushing her puppets back and sending them flying.


    Vera narrowed her eyes but didn''t panic. She simply waved her hands as more puppets materialized behind her, continuing his fight against the Ranker who was a rank higher than her Avatar Form.


    Iris, Cai, Keane, Nero, Einar, Vall, Enlil, Henrietta, and the other members of the Four Kings and Five Overlords took the Vanguard as they fought alongside their subordinates. With the Undead serving as their shields, they unleashed a barrage of attacks that made the enemy soldiers, who thought they already had this one in the bag, grit their teeth in frustration.


    But, that was not the real problem.


    Lux, Eiko, and Asmodeus had been Animating the Dead people around them, and using them to fight against their formerrades, which caused great mental pressure on Prince Lowell''s private army.


    They were also extremely wary of the Archlich whose deviousness knew no bounds. Commanding his Undead to throw corpses to ces where the majority of the enemy soldiers congregated, Asmodeus would then detonate them using Corpse Explosion, sending shrapnel made of bone and Necrotic damage flying in every direction.


    Truth be told, even the teenagers, who knew that the Undead were on their side, felt difort due to the fact that even their ownrades, who had died, once again picked their weapons and lunged at their enemies.


    Fortunately, even though Asmodeus didn''t bat an eye at using the dead teenagers as his soldiers, he didn''t use them as grenades to be used for his skill, Corpse Explosion.


    The Archlich knew that his Master would frown upon this act, so he just settled for using the enemy''s bodies as his weapons.


    Fifty five Skeleton Fighters.


    Fifty Skeleton Grand Archers.


    Seven Skeleton Mages.


    If onebined Lux''s Skeleton army, it would easily surpass a hundred. Although they were only Rank 2 Monsters, and weaker than the enemies, they were more than enough to threaten their enemies.


    However, that number was now multiplied by three due to Eiko, and Asmodeus, who could use Lux''s ability as well.


    With over three hundred skeletons, being led by the Death Knight, Diablo, they were a force that was capable of turning to the of battle in their favor.


    "Dammit! Where did this Death Knighte from?!" one of the soldiers screamed as Diablo''s Nightmare leapt into the center of their formation.


    As someone who was able to increase his attack and defense depending on the number of the dead in his surroundings, Diablo''s bonus damage had now stepped into the thousands. With one swing of his sword, the soldiers screamed because their prided armor was useless against his Ethereal Damage that easily passed through their defenses.


    "We got this!" Lux clenched his fist when he saw that they were gaining the upper hand in the skirmish between both sides.


    He had been buffing his party members, as well as summoning the Undead tomand them in battle. Right beside him, Pazuzu stood at the ready. Both of them were protecting Iris alongside her Guardian Beasts.


    Just as Lux was about to raise the soldiers that had died in the battle, something silver appeared at the corner of his vision.


    A momentter, a sword shed against Pazuzu''s shield, blocking a powerful blow that made the Demonic Protector take a step back.


    "Oh? You managed to block that?" the silver-haired young man who was right beside Prince Lowell ago said. "Impressive. But, I''m not the only one you should focusing on, you know?"


    Lux''s sixth sense suddenly kicked in, making him transform his right arm into the arm of a red dragon and swung it behind him.


    A resounding sh of two weapons hitting each other spread beside him, as a young man with dark-blue hair sneered.


    "You blocked my blow�� but so what?" the young man with dark-blue hair sneered.


    Right after finishing his words, he pushed Lux back with all of his might, which sent thetter flying several meters away.


    "Lux!" Iris shouted.


    But, before she could even run to his direction, the young man with dark blue hair smacked the back of her head with the pommel of his sword, making the blue-haired beauty lose consciousness.


    "Ma!" Eiko jumped off Iris'' head and used Moonst at point nk range, forcing the young man to dodge and back away.


    A secondter, the baby Slime blinked right beside Iris and used her ability to copy Pazuzu''s Shield Wall, creating a blue dome around her and Iris.


    Lux was able to breathe a sigh of relief after seeing this. But, at that moment, a voice filled with annoyance reached his ears.


    "Annoying monster."


    Suddenly, a silver spear collided with Eiko''s Shield Wall, piercing through it and hitting the baby Slime, who had beenpletely caught by surprise.


    "Pa��"


    Those were thest words that Eiko said before her body blew up, sttering everywhere.


    The blue dome shattered into a hundred pieces, and all the Skeletons that Eiko had summoned crumbled into dust.


    For a brief moment, time seemed to stop as Lux stared at the remains of the baby Slime who had been with him for a goodly portion of his journey in Elysium.


    "E-Eiko��" Lux was in a state of shock because everything happened so quickly. He was finding it hard to process everything that had happened. One moment Eiko had just saved Iris from the young man who knocked her unconscious.


    The next moment, a silver spear pierced her body, killing her in front of his very eyes.


    "Eikoooooooo!" Lux screamed as time once again started to move, showing him that what he saw wasn''t a dream, but a reality that was akin to a nightmare.


    The silver spear then flew back in the air and returned to Esmond''s hand.


    "So many annoying insects getting in our way," Esmond stated.


    Vera was clutching her chest as blood spilled from it. Her opponent had used the opportunity to attack her when her attention shifted to Lux and Iris, who were attacked by the two Initiates that served the Prince.


    "I''ll be taking this beauty with me now," the young man with dark-blue hairmented as he picked up the unconscious youngdy in his arms. "The Prince will surely reward me for this servic�C"


    The young man with dark-blue hair suddenly found himself rooted in ce as if something had grasped his entire body, holding him in ce.


    "You�� bastard," Lux said in a hoarse voice. "I''ll kill�� you!"


    Within his heart, a ck seed sprouted. Those who held the power of the Abyss could draw upon its power anytime, but a price had to be paid. Depending on the user''s need, the Abyssal Corruption in their body could take hold of their senses, making them transform into an Abyssal Creature, multiplying their power tenfold.


    ck dragon scales covered Lux''s entire body, and a pair of horns grew into his head. Eyes, as red as blood, stared at the young man holding his fiance, making the Initiate unable to move a muscle.


    "Dragon''s Fear��," Cai muttered as she gritted her teeth to fight against the pressure that was descending on them all. "No good. The Heart of the Abyss is taking hold of his senses!"


    Neroughed internally as he looked at his love rival.


    ''It''s over for you now, Lux,'' Nero sneered. ''Once the Heart of the Abyss transforms your body into an Abyssal Creature, there is no turning back for you.''


    Nero also knew that one day, his fate could be just like Lux''s. This was why those who had gained the power of the Abyss had to have a strong will, or they would be consumed by the power and the temptations it brought.


    "Lux��," Vera paled after seeing her grandson transform into a demi-dragon.


    Lux''s entire body was now covered in dragon scales, including his face. The two ck horns on his head, and the two ck wings on his back oozed a ck mist that spread across his entire body, making him look like an Abyssal Creature whom both the Elysians and Sians hate.


    With a roar filled with anger, Lux stomped his right foot on the ground, and shot towards the young man with dark-blue hair like a cannonball.


    "N-No!" the young man shouted because his body wasn''t able to move.


    Lux''s skill, Dragon''s Fear, paralyzed anyone whose rank was lower than him. Right now, his strength was at the peak of the Initiate Rank, just a step away from being a Ranker.


    The sound of metals shing against each other spread in the surroundings as Esmond appeared between Lux and his subordinate, blocking the demi-dragon''s attack.


    "Run!" Esmond shouted. "Take the girl and run. As long as we have her, we can turn this situation around!"


    "Y-Yes!" the young man suddenly came to his senses as he immediately turned around to run in the direction of the Prince.


    But, before he could even do that, two ck, demi-dragons appeared in front of him to block his way.


    How could Lux possibly allow them to take Iris away without a fight?


    The two clones roared and released their own Dragon Fear, stacking up with Lux''s own making everyone gasp for breath. It was as if the air itself became heavy, that breathing normally was deemed impossible.


    ''Not good,'' Esmond thought even he, a Ranker, was being affected by thebined power of the three ck, demi-dragons, making him feel as if a mountain was ced on his shoulders.


    "Die, fiend!" Esmond shouted as he pushed Lux''s w to the side before channeling his strongest attack to pierce through the demi-dragon''s chest.


    "Like hell I''d allow you to kill another family member of mine!" Vera jumped between Lux and Esmond, using her body to block the spear that was aimed at her grandson''s heart.


    A puppet stood in front of her, but Esmond''s full-powered blow was so strong that it pierced right through it, embedding itself in her chest, which sent her flying alongside Lux who caught her in his arms.


    "Retreat!" Esmond shouted. "Protect the prince and run!"


    Just as he was about to turn away, he heard a cold chuckle behind him, which made all the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.


    "Run?" an aged old voice asked. "Can you do it, Mortal?"


    Esmond looked behind him and his face immediately became grim.


    The ck mists that were oozing from Lux''s body gathered together in one spot. The Half-Elf''s demi-dragon transformation was being undone at a very fast rate, and the Abyssal corruption flew towards a golden token that floated in the air.


    "I thought that it would still take some time for the Abyssal Corruption in his heart to mature, but fortunately I was wrong."


    The ck mists that had gathered around the golden token condensed and formed a crystal body that towered above the Ranker whose face had be as pale as a candle.


    "Do you know?" the Crystal Dragon, Keoza, asked in a teasing tone. "What I like to eat the most is Abyssal Corruption."


    An amused expression could be seen on its draconic face, which made Prince Lowell''s private army''s heart shudder.


    Lux didn''t summon him, but the Crystal Dragon had used the power of the Abyss, that had gone berserk in his heart, as an energy source to materialize in the world.


    "Well then��" Keoza scanned the Half-Elf''s enemies with a sinister glint in its eyes. "How do you all want to die?"


    Keoza released its own Dragon Fear that far surpassed Lux''s.


    If Lux''s Dragon''s fear was like a candle light, Keoza''s Dragon Fear was like a bonfire. Forcing everyone below his rank to kneel in his presence.


    For the first time since he approached the entrance of the Hidden Domain, Prince Lowell regretted his decision to attack the teenagers that belonged to the Six Kingdoms. If he hadn''t done that then perhaps��


    Perhaps he wouldn''t be staring at the image of Death, whose gaping jaws had now opened wide, to release a Dragon''s Breath that would turn him, and his subordinates, into crystal sculptures.

 Chapter 303 It Is Only Natural To Bully Them Back, Right?

    303 It Is Only Natural To Bully Them Back, Right?


    ''Sh*t!''


    Esmond cursed internally as he activated the strongest defensive artifact in his possession, blocking the brunt of the Crystal Dragon''s attack.


    This was his life saving item, and it could only be used once before it disappearedpletely. He knew that right now was the time, so he didn''t bat an eye and endured the powerful blow that had turned the other soldiers, who were not behind him into crystal statues.


    "Stop! Don''t you care if the daughter of the Saint dies?!" Esmond asked as soon as the Crystal Dragon finished its breath attack.


    "As a matter of fact�� No," Keoza replied. "I don''t care about her."


    The Crystal Dragon''s reply made Esmond''s blood turn cold because he didn''t expect that creature before him didn''t care whether their hostage lived or died.


    "Y-You!" Esmond gritted his teeth as he tried to think of a way in order to get out of this situation. "Treasures! That''s right! I will give you treasures! My Master is a Prince. He can give you the treasures you want!"


    Using his quick-wittedness he decided to use something that worked on the majority of dragons as a way to preserve his life, as well as the members of the Prince''s entourage.


    "Oh?" the corner of the Crystal Dragon''s mouth curled up. "Treasures you say? I am indeed very fond of treasures�� so, what treasures do you have?"


    "What do you want?"


    "Everything you, that prince, and his subordinates have. If you don''t give me what I want, I will end all of you, right here, right now."


    Keoza took a step forward and the ground trembled. He then lowered his head until it was mere inches away from Esmond''s face.


    "I''ll count to ten. If I don''t have all the treasures in your possessions, I will kill all of you," Keoza dered. "One�� Two��"


    "Give him everything you have!" Esmond roared. "Don''t even think about hiding any valuable items in your possession! A dragon is very sensitive to treasure. Even if it''s inside storage items, they can tell if there is a treasure inside!"


    "Oh my, how perceptive of you, Human��:" Keoza chuckled. "Three�� Four��"


    The young man with dark-blue hair, who was about to lower Iris on the ground, found himself staring into the glowing eyes of a Death Knight.


    "Give her to me," Diablo ordered. "Or else��"


    A poisoned de rested on the young man''s neck, as Ishtar positioned herself behind him.


    The young man knew that he was stronger than the Death Knight, and the Nightstalker behind him, but the Crystal Dragon in front of him was something he couldn''t fight at this point in time.


    He begrudgingly handed the blue-haired beauty in his arms to the Death Knight who checked her condition before turning away to return to his Master''s side.


    Lux was awake, but he couldn''t even move a finger. It was as if all of his anger, strength, and stamina had been sucked out of him, rendering him unable to avenge the baby slime, who the Ranker had killed right in front of his eyes.


    The sound of trinkets falling on the ground echoed in the surroundings as Esmond, the Initiates, as well as all the soldiers, threw their storage rings, weapons, and even armors, at the growing pile in front of the Crystal Dragon.


    "Your Highness, please, don''t make things difficult for us," Esmond pleaded. "Surely, the things in your possession are not more precious than your life, right?"


    "Kuh!" Prince Lowell red at the Crystal Dragon, and thetter red back at him, making him experience the full power of a Dragon''s Fear in its concentrated form.


    "Akh��Kah��"


    Gurgling sounds escaped the Prince''s lips as foam oozed out of his mouth. Esmond hurriedly grabbed the storage rings on Prince Lowell''s fingers and threw them onto the stockpile in front of the Crystal Dragon before grabbing him and running away.


    He didn''t know if Keoza would abide by his words, so he decided to run away as fast as he could before the dragon changed his mind.


    "Take it all," Keoza said to Diablo.


    The Death Knight nodded and used its own storage space to take the storage rings, and storage bags that littered the floor.


    As for the weapons that the army had thrown as well, the Skeletons under Lux''smand took them into their personal storage to upgrade their own weapon and armor sets.


    Keoza shifted his gaze to the Half-Elf who met his own gaze steadily. The two stared at each other for a while before the Crystal Dragon chuckled. The truth was, the power of the Abyss he gathered from Lux couldn''t sustain him for long.


    If he did attack the enemies using his full power, his body would dissipate in less than ten seconds, which would be detrimental if he the Ranker has another life saving item to endure an all out attack from him.


    Also, he didn''t decide to finish off Lux''s enemies for one reason.


    He wanted the Half-Elf to take vengeance using his own hands. Relying on him to do things would only hinder the red-headed teenager''s growth, so he wanted thetter to have a goal that he could pursue with every fiber of his being.


    "This is just a one time thing, Lux," Keoza said. "Know how to control the Power of the Abyss in your heart, and don''t let it control you. If you fail, you will not only hurt those around you, but those who are important to you as well."


    Lux nodded. "Thank you, Keoza. I owe you one."F


    Keoza then lowered its head to whisper something in Lux''s ears. The amusement in its expression disappeared and was reced by a solemn one.


    "If you don''t do something soon, your grandma is going to die," Keoza whispered. "Because she is a ranker, her body is able to resist the poison that coated the Ranker''s spear. However, I''m afraid that she only has a day to live."


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock as he hurriedly nced at his side.


    His grandma was no longer there, and only a pool of blood remained.


    "Diablo! Take Iris!" Lux ordered. "We''re going back! Asmodeus collect all of Eiko''s��"


    "Already done, My Lord," Asmodeus replied as he held a vial in his hand. "I collected everything."


    Inside the transparent vial was a blue liquid, which were Eiko''s remains when she exploded after getting hit by Esmond''s spear.


    Lux gritted his teeth as he remembered the Ranker''s face, which made his heart burn in anger. However, right now, he knew where his prioritiesy.


    Once he was done with it, he would make Prince Lowell and his entourage pay for what he did to his family members.


    "Rowan Tribe, we''re going back!" Lux shouted. "Everyone, move out!"


    ��--


    Barbatos Academy��


    "No good, this is a poison we have never seen before," the High-Cleric said as she tried to use her ability to help cure Vera''s injuries. "Based on its rarity, I''m guessing that it is a new poison especially made to fight against Rankers. If this keeps up, I''m afraid Lady Vera will not see the sunrise tomorrow."


    Alexander stood beside the bed with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Do whatever you can for her," Alexander said coldly before turning around to leave the room. "When I return, I only want to hear good news. Do I make myself clear?"


    "But, Headmaster, the poison��"


    "... Don''t make me repeat myself."


    Without another word, Alexander left the treatment room and closed the door behind him.


    As soon as no one was around him, he clenched his fist so hard that the air around him started to crack. He stood still for a two-full minutes before walking towards the exit of the Infirmary.


    Vera had told him everything that happened before she copsed and lost consciousness due to her injuries.


    ''Mother, don''t worry,'' Alexander vowed after leaving the Infirmary. ''I will make them pay. Since they dared to hurt our family, I will make them regret it from the bottom of their hearts.''


    Several minutester, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy appeared in Elysium. He only had one thing in mind and that was to go to the Ashina Kingdom, and make them understand the consequences of their action.


    After entering dozens of Teleportation Gates, he walked towards the peak of a mountain top overlooking the Ashina Kingdom.


    There, an old man stood with his back facing Alexander.


    Maximilian, the Chief of the Rowan Tribe stared down at the borders of the Ashina Kingdom with his arms behind his back.


    "I thought you weren''ting," Maximilian said without turning around to look at Alexander.


    "What are you doing here, old man?" Alexander replied as he stood beside Maximilian, staring at the territory of the Ashina Kingdom from on top of the mountain.


    "Someone bullied my granddaughter, as well as the kids of my Tribe," Maximilian replied. "It is only natural to bully them back, right?"


    Alexander narrowed his eyes in the direction of the capital of the Ashina Kingdom.


    "The Ashina Kingdom has one Saint protecting it," Alexander stated.


    "What a coincidence," Maximilian sneered. "There''s two of us. You take care of the Saint, while I destroy their capital city. Sounds fair, right?"


    "Good. Let''s go."


    "Don''t drag me down, boy."


    The two Saints disappeared from the mountain top as they made their way towards the capital city.


    On that same day, news spread that the Capital City and Royal Pce of the Ashina Kingdom, were razed to the ground by two Angry Saints, whose might had surpassed the boundary of humanity.

 Chapter ?304 I Trust You

    ?304 I Trust You


    "Grandma!" Iris hugged Vera who was lying on the bed. Her tears seeped through the old woman''s robes, and her wail of sadness echoed inside the room.


    "Why are you crying?" Vera asked. "I''m just a bit injured from the fight. Just give me a few days and I''ll be back up to normal."


    "Grandma, the High-Cleric already told me," Iris replied as she held her grandma tight. "I swear I will kill that Ranker! He''ll pay for this!"


    "...Child, it will be best if you forget about him for the time being," Vera stated as she patted Iris back in order to calm her down. "Everyone dies. Some just die sooner than others. You''re still young and still have a long life ahead of you. I don''t mind if you avenge me, but only do it when you are strong enough. Do you understand?"


    Iris nodded her head as she cried her heart out. Right now, she just wanted to stay with her grandma while she was still alive. She would set aside everything else, including her revenge, as well as her responsibilities with her guild, Serenity.


    Lux stood beside the bed and allowed his fiance to vent out all the frustration and pain she was feeling. After the Seed of the Abyss had taken root inside his heart, all the negative emotions that he had felt during the battle were turned into the Power of the Abyss, resulting in his Abyssal Transformation.


    If it hadn''t been for Keoza absorbing the Abyssal Powers that had run amok inside his body, he might have been corruptedpletely, turning into an Abyssal Monster that would bring ruin to those around him.


    Now that all of these negative emotions were sucked up by the Golden Token, Lux was able to think more clearly, allowing him to make the necessary preparations to save his Grandma''s life.


    He had a chat with Asmodeus on their way towards the settlement of the Rowan Tribe, and thetter gave him some advice on how to utilize the Flower of Death to its fullest potential.


    What the Archlich told him then made the Half-Elf shudder. His first reaction was to reject Asmodeus'' proposalpletely, but after the Archlich pointed out the pros of the "experiment" that he had suggested Lux to do, the red-headed teenager found out that it might actually benefit Vera in the long run.


    However, there were still risks involved, and even the Archlich had to agree that his proposal was only based on theories that had never been tested.


    Because of this, Lux decided to consult his grandma about this procedure and ask her opinion about it.


    "Grandma, I have a way to prevent you from dying," Lux said softly as he sat on the bed and held one of Vera''s wrinkled hands that had protected and guided him for more than a decade.


    Iris, who had been crying, raised her head and looked at Lux in horror because she thought that the Half-Elf was nning to revive her grandma into an Undead.


    As if sensing her concern, Lux shook his head before shifting his gaze back to the olddy who was looking at him with a tender gaze.


    "You don''t have to force yourself, Lux," Vera replied. "I am fine. Even without me, I am sure that you will be able to be a wonderful person."


    "Grandma, there are still many things that you need to teach me. It''s too early for you to go. You still haven''t held my and Iris'' babies."


    "...Yes. This will be my greatest regret in this lifetime. I knew I should have ced an aphrodisiac in your meal when you turned sixteen. That way, I would have been able to hold my great grandchild before passing away."


    Lux pretended to not hear his grandma''s words and continued to talk to her about his n.


    "Grandma, during the Dungeon Expedition, I managed to get an item that has never been heard of before," Lux said as he summoned the Flower of Death. "This is the Flower of Death. It can allow someone to escape the jaws of death, as long as they still drew breath. However, after ingesting it, you will enter aatose state for a month, as your body regains its vitality, giving you a new chance at life."


    Iris'' eyes widened in shock as she stared at the ck flower that was floating above the palm of Lux''s hand. Just as the Half-Elf had said, this was the first time she was seeing such a thing, and it made her feel hopeful.


    "Quick! Let grandma consume it!" Iris said as if her very life depended on it. However, Lux only shook his head because he still wasn''t finished with his exnation yet.


    A momentter, a ck coffin appeared behind Lux.


    "Come out," Lux ordered.


    Immediately, the ck coffin opened and two beams of light shot out from inside of it,nding on Lux''s left and right sides.


    Sid and Scarlet appeared before Iris and Vera and bowed their heads respectfully.


    "They are�� the two children that helped us earlier, right?" Iris said after taking a good look at the two "children" that hade out of the ck coffin.


    "They are not children. They are Dwarves. Long story short, these two tried to kill me back in Elysium," Lux replied before cing his left hand on the young Dwarf beside him. "But they got killed instead, so now, both of them are my subordinates."


    "This is Sid. He is very hardworking and very loyal. I have high hopes for him."


    Lux introduced the handsome Dwarf who bowed respectfully to Iris and Vera.


    "My name is Sid, and thanks to my Master''s kindness, I was given a second chance to live my life to the fullest. It is my great honor to see you, Master''s Wife, Master''s Grandma."


    Iris immediately got a good impression of Sid after bing called Lux''s wife, making her smile at the skilled assassin who once tried to kill her fiance.


    Vera also smiled faintly as she acknowledged Sid''s greeting. Clearly, she liked the dwarf who was now her grandson''s subordinate.


    Lux smiled as he patted Sid''s shoulder. "Right now, he is a Dhampir, and he''s working hard to be a Ranker. Unlike someone who is being spoon fed with resources��"


    Scarlet, who was standing beside Lux, clicked her tongue before averting her gaze. Clearly, she didn''t like the way her Master was going to introduce her, so she decided to just ignore the Half-Elfpletely.


    "This feistydy here is Scarlet. After her revival, she turned into a Cambion," Lux said as he used his thumb to point at the Dwarf, whose arms were crossed over her chest and was looking off to her right side. "Don''t judge her by her looks, she is one talented assassin and although I have revived her, she''s not as obedient as Sid. Truly a troublesome girl."


    Scarlet snorted before ncing at Lux.


    "I can''t stay here for long," Scarlet said. "The Elder might look for me soon. I have already wasted a lot of timeing to your aid, so can I go now?"


    "See? Look at how ungrateful she is." Lux sighed, but still nodded his head. "Make sure to be a Ranker as soon as you can. I will need your help very soon."


    "...Fine," Scarlet replied before walking towards the ck Coffin. "Only call me when it''s truly important. If you want someone to run your errands for you, Sid will be more than enough."


    After saying what she wanted to say, she turned into a beam of light and flew towards the Coffin, returning to the world of Elysium.


    "Sid, you can go as well," Lux stated. "I''m sure that you''re doing your best, so you won''t get left behind by Scarlet. Make sure to show her what hard work can do!"


    Sid respectfully bowed towards Lux. "As you wish, Master."


    A secondter, he turned into a beam of light and flew towards the ck coffin.


    Vera had an amused expression on her pale face after seeing Lux''s two subordinates. She had seen how strong the two Initiates were in the battle, and it made her feel relieved, knowing that her grandson still had some trump cards that he could summon to save his life.


    "Grandma, the name of this coffin is ckfire," Lux exined. "It has the ability to store Dead and Near Death creatures inside it. Using its ability, one can��"


    Lux exined ckfire''s functions to Vera. Iris, who was holding her Grandma''s hand, listened seriously to the Half-Elf''s words as if dissecting it from the inside out.


    "Since grandma will be in aatose state for a month, it will be best if you stayed inside ckfire," Lux said. "With the Flower of Death as an offering, you will definitely recover. Also, there is a possibility that you will gain a strong, new body, just like Sid, who has turned into a Dhampir, and Scarlet, who has be a Cambion.


    "But since you will be using the Flower of Death as an offering, you will not turn into an Undead Creature."


    Iris, who had been listening quietly on the side, voiced her opinion. "Lux, ording to your exnation, everyone that you revive using ckfire will be loyal to you. Will they lose their free will?"


    Lux smirked after hearing his fiance''s worry.


    "DId you not see and hear Scarlet earlier?" Lux asked. "Does that look and sound like someone who has lost their free will? Also, I don''t n to make Grandma my subordinate. As soon as the revival procedure is over, I will release her from ckfire''s hold."


    The Half-Elf then looked at his grandma who seemed to be deep in thought.


    "Of course, if Grandma doesn''t like it, you can just consume the Flower of Death," Lux stated. "I will abide by your decision. But you have to decide soon, Grandma."


    ckfire, which was floating beside Lux, radiated a crimson glow. It meant that someone around it was about to die, which had activated its ability to store near-death creatures.


    Vera could also feel her body slowly turning cold with every passing second, and she understood that she didn''t have much time left.


    "Lux, I trust you." Vera gazed at her grandson with a tender gaze. She knew that Lux wouldn''t do anything to harm her, so she decided to put her life in his hands. "Do what you think will be best for me."


    The red-headed teenager clenched his first before nodding his head.


    "Grandma, I''ll see you in a month''s time," Lux said softly. "ckfire, please take her."


    The ck Coffin opened wide as a ck mist escaped from within its depths. The ck mist covered Vera''s body entirely, and she turned into a ck mist, floating towards the coffin whose crimson radiance had be intense.


    When thest trace of mist was sucked up inside it, the ck coffin closed and hovered beside Lux.


    Holding the Flower of Death in his hand, Lux stretched his arm and ced the flower over the coffin as an offering. A few secondster, the ck flower turned into particles of light, merging with the ck coffin.


    Lux didn''t know whether he made the right decision or not.


    All he knew was that he would find the answer as soon as the ck Coffin released one of the most important people to him, who had cared for him for the past sixteen years of his life.

 Chapter 305 Eiko’s Revival

    305 Eiko��s Revival


    "Lux, will grandma really be fine?"


    "Yes. Don''t worry. She will be with us again before you know it."


    Lux assured Iris, who was wrapped up in his protective embrace.


    Since Alexander was not in Barbatos Academy, Lux decided to wait for him to return before leaving the Academy.


    He was the one who had taken custody of Vera, so he at least wanted the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy to know what had happened while he was away.


    The two teenagers hugged each other until Iris had no tears left to cry. She was still very upset about what had happened to her grandma, as well as her baby slime, Eiko.


    Right now, the blue-haired beauty felt nothing in her heart but hate towards Prince Lowell, as well as the Ranker, Esmond, who had killed her family members.


    "Don''t worry," Lux said as he patted her head. "I promise you that I''ll kill them. They will not get away from what they have done to our family."


    Iris nodded her head as she clutched the vial that contained Eiko''s remains. Her beloved little slime, who would kiss her before she slept, had turned into a lifeless pile of goo after she had done her best to save her Mama from harm.


    "Are you ready?" Lux asked Iris who seemed to have already calmed down.


    "Yes," Iris replied. "We need to bring her back, Lux."


    "I know. Let''s begin."


    "Un."


    Lux took out a small blue vial from his storage ring. Inside it was a piece of Eiko''s body, which he had taken as insurance before they went to Elysium.


    Slimes were one of the weakest, if not the weakest, monsters in the world. Because of this, Lux made sure that he would have a way to revive Eiko by using the small part of her body that she had entrusted to him.


    Summoning a crystal bowl, Iris poured the vial of Eiko''s remains inside it. When the vial was emptied, Lux then ced the small part of Eiko''s body in the crystal bowl. He didn''t really know how Eiko was going to be revived.


    Her ability''s description only told them that as long as a small piece of her body remained, she would be able to regenerate until she regained her true form.


    Lux and Iris watched the crystal bowl, waiting for something to happen.


    However, after an hour had passed, there was still no movement that could be seen in the crystal bowl, making both of them worried.


    "Let me try this," Lux took out one of the Argonaut Ranked Beast Cores in his possession.


    When he saw this among the prizes that he received from winning the tournament, he thought that one of the rulers of the Six Kingdoms probably gave it to him as a joke.


    Upon seeing this Beast Core then, he had been tempted to give the middle finger to whoever added this to the prize pool.


    The reason for it was simple.


    The Beast Core could only be used by Slimes!


    ording to the Elysium Compendium, the Beast Core came from a Queen Slime that once terrorized a Kingdom in Elysium.


    Because of this, a crusade wasunched against it, but the oue was a pyrrhic victory. Only 5% of the expedition team returned alive, giving a devastating blow to the Kingdom''s prestige.


    To make matters worse, the Argonaut-Ranked Beast Core was a Slime-exclusive Beast Core, preventing others from using it for themselves.


    In the end, the Beast Core was auctioned for a very low price, which was bought by one of the members of the Royal Family of the Six Kingdoms.


    Perhaps wanting to use it to annoy the Champion, they added it to the prize pool.


    Now, that same Beast Core was in Lux''s hand, and he nned to use it to revive the baby Slime that had taken her ce in his heart.


    cing the Beast Core inside the crystal bowl, the two waited for what would happen next.


    Suddenly, a small ripple appeared in the crystal bowl, as if something had moved inside it. A momentter, more ripples appeared. Iris let out an udy-like squeal before hugging Lux, while staring at the crystal bowl with bated breath.


    Lux could also feel his breathing turn ragged as he held Iris in his arms. Both of their attentions were focused inside the crystal bowl, wanting to ensure that nothing escaped their eyes.


    Five minutester, the blue goo in the crystal bowl suddenly rose up to coat the Beast Core that was ced in its center. When the entire Beast Core was covered up, it started to glow. A few minutester, the light started to pulse, just like a heartbeat, which made Lux and Iris feel their hearts skip a beat.


    Ten minutester, the Beast Core was gone, and it was reced by a blue egg with a flower design on its surface.


    Iris slowly untangled herself from Lux''s embrace before moving closer to the crystal bowl.


    Her hands reached out to hold it and bring it close to her face. A momentter, she pressed her forehead over the egg''s surface, as if verifying if her hunch was right.


    After what seemed to be forever, Iris hugged the blue egg to her chest and turned around to look at her fiance with teary eyes.


    "She''s alive." Iris sobbed. "Eiko is alive. But she will need some time to fully recover. She wille out of the egg on her own once she regains her strength."


    Lux breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Iris'' words. All this time, he felt as if a lump was stuck in his throat, but after hearing the good news, the anxiety he felt disappearedpletely.


    "Here, hold her," Iris said as she passed the blue egg to Lux, who held it as if it was a priceless treasure.


    "Can you feel it?" Iris smiled as she rested her hand on top of the egg''s surface. "It''s very warm right?"


    Lux nodded. "Warm, and full of life."


    He and Iris shared a strong connection with Eiko, and even though the baby slime had reverted into an egg, that connection remained as strong as ever. Now that their two loved ones were recovering, Lux and Iris were finally able to rx a little.


    The stress that had built up as they hurried to Barbatos Academy from the Rowan Tribe''s main camp had taken a toll on them. Even so, they still pushed through. Only after everything was over did exhaustion take over their bodies, making the both of them unable to move.


    Lux stored the blue egg inside his Enchanted Beast Ring, which allowed its owner to store dead Monsters, as well as Monster eggs.


    After their grueling experience, Lux and Irisid on the bed holding each other. They were too tired to do anything, so they simply slept.


    They weren''t aware that while they were desperately trying to revive Vera and Eiko, a political storm was raging in Elysium.


    The news of the destruction of the Capital City and the Royal Pce of the Ashina Kingdom had reached the adjacent territories, prompting them to hold a council meeting.


    The factions belonging to Barbatos Academy and the Rowan Tribe were called upon to attend an emergency meeting, so that the leaders of the various kingdoms could understand what caused the two Saints go on a rampage, and attack one of the Kingdoms in Elysium, which was part of their alliance.


    Saints were the strongest mortals that everyone aspired to be. Above them were Supreme, who were individuals who had broken away from the path of mortality and had stepped into Immortality.


    The number of individuals that had stepped into the Supreme Rank in the Western Regions of Elysium could only be counted on one hand.


    Saints, although still rare, far exceeded that number, making them the Apex Beings that lorded above the mortal realm.


    Two Saints working together was a very scary thing because they had the ability to wipe out entire cities and even Kingdoms if they wished for it.


    This was why Alexander''s and Maximilian''s actions made everyone nervous. No matter what happened, this incident must reach a proper conclusion, or there would be war.


    A war that not only involved the alliances of many kingdoms, but a war that would involve other Saints, which could lead to the loss of countless lives, and the destruction of the geopolitical bnce that had been around for hundreds of years.

 Chapter ?306 Do You Dare To Go To War?

    ?306 Do You Dare To Go To War?


    "So the two of you attacked the Ashina Kingdom because their rankers bullied your family members?" one of the Kings, who belonged to the alliance that the Ashina Kingdom was part of, asked.


    "Gentlemen, this is a serious vition of the pact between Saints. You should have dealt with the person responsible, and not the Kingdom they belonged to. This is a very childish act of revenge, don''t you think so?"


    Maximilian, who had just finished drinking his tea, ced it on the top of the table and eyed the King, who was seated across from him.


    "So, in short, you want us to destroy your ce as well?" Maximilian asked.


    The King mmed his hand against the table and red at the Saint who just threatened to attack his domain.


    "I''m telling you that what you did was wrong!" the King shouted. "If all of us attacked others just because one of our family members was hurt, wars would break out innumerably, resulting in the loss of countless lives. Are you taking wars lightly?"


    Maximilian rested his chin over the palm of his hand as he stared at the King with contempt.


    "I don''t give a hoot about this Pact between Saints," Maximilianmented. "I didn''t sign it, so I''m not a part of it. Anyone who hurts my granddaughter will die alongside his kingdom. If you don''t want to be destroyed, make sure to tell your children not to touch those they shouldn''t touch. If you want war, I''ll give you war."


    The King was angered further and shakingly pointed his finger at the old man whom he wanted to p so badly, but couldn''t due to the disparity in strength. "Why, you��!"


    "Enough!"


    A powerful voice stopped the argument by force.


    "Are you sure you want to take this path, Sir Maximilian?" the Emperor of the Vahan Empire, Emperor Andreas, asked. "Once we decide to go to war, there is no turning back."


    Emperor Andreas was the leader of the Four Kingdoms and one Empire Alliance that matched the strength of the Six Kingdom in Sis.


    His Empire also had two Saints in it, so he wasn''t afraid of Alexander and Maximilian wreaking havoc in his domain.


    "Yeah," Maximilian replied nonchntly. "Do you dare to go to war?"


    Emperor Andreas smiled before shifting his gaze to Alexander, who was just listening to the side.


    "How about you, Sir Alexander?" Emperor Andreas asked. "Are you sure you want to go to war?"


    Alexander held Emperor Andreas'' gaze and answered in a calm manner.


    "I only have four family members," Alexander said. "One of them is on her deathbed, and my only daughter was almost kidnapped and raped. I have nothing to lose, but you do. So let me ask you�� Do you dare go to war?"


    Alexander narrowed his eyes as he stared at the Emperor, who was the true leader of the Alliance that was opposing their own. Maximilian and he only cared for their family members, so they couldn''t care less about what happened to other people.


    Neither of them cared if countless people would lose their lives. If their daughter and granddaughter died, they would ensure that an entire Kingdom would be buried alongside them.


    Emperor Andreas snorted before leaning back in his chair.


    The other kings, who had remained silent throughout the discussion, waited for the decision of the Two Saints, as well as the Emperor, who would dictate if a war would happen between their factions.


    "It''s annoying to talk to people who have nothing to lose," Emperor Andreasmented after several minutes had passed. "Fine. We will turn a blind-eye on this incident, but neither of you are allowed to attack any of the other kingdoms belonging to my faction. Since this is a battle between the young generation, let them settle it themselves."


    "Your Majesty! Please reconsider!" the King of the Ashina Kingdom stood as he gazed at the leader of their alliance. "My Capital CIty and Royal Pce have been destroyed. How can we possibly not ask them forpensation!"


    Emperor Andreas nced at the King of the Ashina Kingdom with an ice-cold expression.


    "You dare question my decision?" Emperor Andreas asked.


    "N-No. I am just asking why aren''t we asking forpensation?" the King of the Ashina Kingdom replied.


    "That is the price you must pay for raising a stupid son," Emperor Andreas snorted. "This is your problem, so deal with it on your own. Don''t drag us in to clean up your mess.


    "Ah, before I forget. From now on, the Domain of the Fallen will also be open to members of our faction. We can let our representatives settle the quota for each Kingdom to prevent any conflicts in the future. That is all. Once again, adults are now forbidden to get in the way of the conflicts of the young generation. If this thing happens again then��"


    Emperor Andreas scanned the faces of the Kings of the opposing faction and sneered.


    "Then we will go to war. This is not a bluff."


    Emperor Andreas stood up and left the room with a smile on his face. Although he said that he would turn a blind eye on the incident that just transpired, that didn''t mean that he wouldn''t make things difficult for the factions that belonged to Barbatos Academy, the Rowan Tribe, as well as the Six Kingdoms, who dared to attack a territory that belonged under his umbre.


    "Domain of the Fallen," Emperor Andreas muttered. "I finally found your location."


    Unknown to everyone, the Domain of the Fallen was something that the Vahan Empire had been searching for a long time. Their founding Emperor had passed down a message which said that one of the gates inside the Sacred Dungeon held a golden key that would lead to the Holy City of the Draconic Race that floated in the sky.


    Anyone who was able to reach that ce would gain treasures beyond anyone''s wildest dreams.


    Now that the location of the mysterious Dungeon was found, Emperor Andreas was confident that he would be able to secure the key for himself and allow the Vahan Empire to gain ess to the Holy City. He believed that in the future, they would have power to expand their territories and be the true Overlord of the Western Regions of Elysium.

 Chapter 307 Now Is Not The Time To Be Happy

    307 Now Is Not The Time To Be Happy


    "I see��" Alexander muttered. "You did well, Lux. Thank you."


    When Alexander returned to Barbatos Academy, he had already steeled himself for the news of his mother''s passing. However, instead of her death, a possible rebirth awaited her.


    This news alone made Alexander, who didn''t usually praise Lux,plimented the teenager and thanked him for keeping one of their important family members from death.


    Lux shook his head. "I owe my life to Grandma. Without her, I would have long been gone from this world. This is but a small thing for everything she has done for me."


    A fleeting smile appeared on Alexander''s lips, which the Half-Elf managed to catch before it disappeared.


    "What are your ns for the future?" Alexander asked.


    The Headmaster of Barbatos Academy and the red-headed teenager were currently inside his office, and there were only two of them.


    Lux had told Iris that he wanted to talk to her father alone, and she respected his decision, so she stayed inside her room to wait for his return.


    The Half-Elf used to be terrified of staying in the same room as Alexander because he felt like a useless person whenever he was around the other party. Now, it was different. Lux had already broken free from the shackles that bound him, allowing him to stand side-by-side with the strongest members of the young generation.


    He had gained everyone''s recognition after winning the Lionheart Tournament that even his step-father, who had very high standards, had no choice but to acknowledge his achievement.


    Right now, Lux was able to look Alexander straight in the eyes and talk to him without stuttering like he used to in the past.


    "Revenge," Lux replied. "Prince Lowell and his entourage are still atrge. I want to personally make all of them pay for what they have done to my family."


    Alexander nodded his head in understanding. If possible, he also wanted to personally deal with thescivious prince and the Ranker who bullied his daughter, but after the meeting with Emperor Andreas, he was forced to stay his hand.


    The other Kingdoms didn''t want to go on a war against the Allied Kingdoms under Emperor Andreas, and Alexander knew that if he forced the issue, the rtionship between the Sians and the Elysians would be strained.


    Because of this, he and Maximilian agreed to let the members of the young generation settle their dispute by themselves. Whatever the oue would be, none of the adults was allowed to interfere in the struggles between teenagers.


    The whereabouts of the Domain of the Fallen had also be known to everyone. Because of this, the Alliance of the Six Kingdoms, Barbatos Academy, as well as the Rowan Tribe, was left with no choice but to give half the quota to the other Kingdoms, in order to settle the cost of the destruction that Alexander and Maximilian had done to the Ashina Kingdom in a peaceful manner.


    "Prince Lowell has a Ranker as his personal bodyguard," Alexandermented. "Unless you reach that rank, it will be difficult for you to kill him."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    "For now, my n is to stay in the territories that belong to our Faction in order to gather resources to be stronger," Lux replied. "I already talked to Iris and declined her offer to join the Serenity Guild. I still have things to settle with the Wildgarde Stronghold, and I''m sure that I''ll receive an earful when I return. But after thinking it through, I decided to form my own Guild."


    Alexander once again nodded his head.


    Lux was raised in Wildgarde Stronghold, so he had a responsibility to help it grow. He was not shameless enough to ignore the people that cared and supported him all these years. The only problem was that he didn''t intend to join Nero''s Guild, the Storm Dragons, and wanted to form his own Guild, so that he could have his own faction within Elysium.


    "Founding a guild is not easy," Alexander stated. "You must first receive the approval of three Guildmasters from any branch of the Adventurer''s Guild. Once that is done, you will need to take a test in order to gain the Token of Leadership, which would allow you to formally register your guild in Elysium as a Bronze-Ranked Guild.


    "However, before you are able to register your guild, you will need to gather thirty people to serve as your guild members. Finally, you need to think of the name of the Guild. Then, and only then, will your guild be truly recognized as an official guild by the people of Elysium."


    Alexander eyed the red-headed teenager in front of him and arched his eyebrow.


    "Can you do that?" Alexander inquired. "Or do you need my assistance in order to establish your guild?"


    Lux shook his head. "I want to create a guild with my own hands. Although it is not going to be easy, I am prepared to take on this challenge."


    "Good. I look forward to thepletion of your guild."


    "Thank you, Father."


    Alexander''s body stiffened when he heard what Lux called him. Lux was technically his step-son because Vera had registered the young man under his name, but he had always kept his adopted son at arm''s length, making Lux afraid to call him father.


    But it was different now. The Half-Elf who once shied away at his mere presence was now seated in front of him, without showing any signs of fear or anxiety.


    "You have truly grown, Lux," Alexandermented before standing from his chair. He then circled around his table and stood beside Lux, looking down on him. "May fortune smile upon you."


    The Headmaster of Barbatos Academy then patted Lux''s shoulder twice before leaving the room.


    The Half-Elf''s eyes followed Alexander''s retreating figure with clenched fists, not because of anger, but happiness. His step-father''s gesture had told him many things, and one of them was that Alexander had finally approved of him from the bottom of his heart.


    This alone made Lux feel like jumping in joy, but he reigned in this impulse.


    ''Now is not the time to be happy,'' Lux thought as he rose from his seat. ''I still have things to do.''


    Now that he had talked to Alexander, it was time for him to return to Elysium. But before that, he would need to return to Wildgarde Stronghold in order to talk to the Elders who had long been waiting for his return.


    ��----

 Chapter ?308 Weather The Storms Of The World Using My Own Strength

    ?308 Weather The Storms Of The World Using My Own Strength


    "You want to create your own Guild?" Gerald, the High-Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold asked. "Are you sure of this, Lux?"


    "Yes, Sir," Lux replied. "I want to create my own guild in Elysium."


    Three days after his talk with Alexander, Lux finally returned to Wildgarde Stronghold in order to meet with the Elders, who were also the Guardians of the Fortress City where he grew up.


    "I have expected this to happen sooner orter," Natasha, the High-Cleric of the strongholdmented. "Is your dispute with Nero so bad that there is no room for reconciliation?"


    "I don''t want to work under someone who doesn''t like me," Lux replied. "Even if he treats me fairly like his other guild members, I will always think that he is just paying lip service because he doesn''t want to look bad in your eyes. Also, there is always a small chance that he will intentionally make things difficult for me, and even send me to harm if an opportunity presents itself."


    Rainer, who was Nero''s Master, looked down on Lux from his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. He bore no grudges against the Half-Elf, and even thought that it was a waste not to have Lux in their Guild.


    With someone of the Half-Elf''s caliber joining their subsidiary guild, he believed that the Storm Dragon''s Guild would truly spread its wings and soar to the sky.


    The Guardians exchanged nces with each other and sighed. All of them had been briefed about what happened to Vera and were quite worried about her condition. Alexander''s official response only said that Vera was taken to an intensive care unit deep within Barbatos Academy to prevent the poison in her body from spreading.


    No one was allowed to visit her, so they didn''t know what her condition truly was. However, the witnesses who had participated in the battle had attested that the olddy had been grievously injured from her fight against the Ranker that belonged to Prince Lowell''s entourage.


    "Creating a guild is not an easy task, Lux," Gerald stated. "Do you need to use our connections? That should make things easier for you. In regards to the Guild Members, we will give you free reign to choose among the talented individuals within the stronghold as well as the territories under our protection. What do you think?"


    Lux smiled as he respectfully bowed his head towards Gerald.


    "Sir, your offer is very tempting, but I must decline," Lux replied.


    The atmosphere inside the room immediately turned tense after Lux responded to Gerald''s proposal.


    "So are you saying that you are going to break off from the strongholdpletely?" Rainer broke his silence as he nced at the Half-Elf, who just turned away the olive branch that they offered to him. "Has your victory in the tournament made you confident enough to throw us aside after all that we have done for you?"


    Lux pressed his right fist over his chest as he looked at Rainer, who was also Nero''s Master.


    "I will forever be a member of the Wildgarde Stronghold," Lux replied. "If someone tries to invade it, I will stand as the vanguard in order to protect it with my life. That is how much I owe to the ce that has helped me weather the storms of my childhood."


    "My decision to form a new guild is not because I want to break free from this ce. No, far from it. What I want is to help this stronghold grow, but I will not be able to do that if I join the Storm Dragons for reasons all of you already know.


    "As for helping me create the guild by using the stronghold''s connections and resources, my reason for rejecting it is because of one simple reason, and that is�� I wish to stand on my own two feet, and weather the storms of the world using my own strength."


    "All of you bore witness to the hardships I faced when my body was still frail and riddled with sickness. Now, I stand before you, not as a cripple, but as a changed person. I know that this is a selfish decision on my part, but I want to see just how far I can go in a world where the only ones I can rely on are myself and the people that supported me with their own free will."


    The tension in the room disappeared, and it was reced by a profound silence that made Lux wonder if his message had made its intended effect.


    A few minutester, Natasha smiled as she looked down on Lux.


    "As expected of the boy that I raised since childhood," Natasha said. "You inherited my boldness!"


    "I was the one that changed his diapers when Vera was away," Geraldmented from the side. "Clearly, he got all of his good traits from me."


    "I was the one who instructed him on stamina training��"


    "I was the one who taught him history!"


    "So what? I was the one that taught him manners. You plebs don''t know a thing."


    "I was the one that taught him archery!"


    "Um, hello? Did you forget? On his first day, he shot an arrow into your butt, so you banned him from entering the archery range."


    "Nonsense! Don''t nder me. I was giving him secret lessons when no one was looking!"


    The Guardians one by one imed to have yed an important role to help shape Lux to bing what he was today. In their eyes, Lux was proof that their teachings were correct, and was quite happy with his achievements, because his achievements were their achievements.


    The Half-Elf could only scratch his head at the unexpected turn of events that were happening in front of him. He had thought that his Elders would think that he had grown too arrogant when he became the champion of the tournament, but looking at their reactions, his worries were unfounded.


    Only Rainer kept his cool the entire time and once again asked Lux the most important question of all.


    "Can you do it?" Rainer asked. "Can you create a guild by yourself?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes."


    "Then prove it. We will consider this as youring of age quest. You have exactly one month to create a guild, which is equivalent to two months in Elysium. Within that set amount of time, you must finish this quest. If you fail, you will be exiled from Wildgarde Stronghold for five years, never to step inside its territories again during your time of exile. Do you ept this condition?"


    The two Guardians, who had been rowdy earlier, all mmed up as they stared at Rainer with solemn expressions on their faces.


    Lux had been exempted from the Coming of Age quest because of his weak constitution, which was a tradition among those that had be sixteen-years old.


    Usually, the Coming of Age Quest required an individual to either kill a certain monster, or collect a certain herb. There were other quests that were more forgiving for those who didn''t excel in fighting, and weren''t confident enough to travel to far away ces.


    Because of the minor quests that had been approved over the years, the Coming of Age Ceremony wasn''t as demanding as it used to be, allowing anyone to pass it without problems.


    "Rainer, isn''t the hurdle too high?" Natasha asked. "Surely, there must be another way."


    "Of course, there is another way," Rainer replied. "If Lux fails to meet the conditions, then he must join the Storm Dragon Guild, and make peace with Nero. What do you guys think?"


    "Oh! This is a good idea. Definitely better than exile."


    "I agree with this condition."


    "Hah~ you sly fox. Still, I like it! Very well, I also approve of this."


    Gerald and Natasha were surprised at first, but after careful consideration, they thought that Rainer''s condition was brilliant. Exiling such a talented youth was simply a waste, so it would be best to keep him under their subsidiary guild for the benefit of everyone.


    Lux was very tempted to tell them that he would rather be exiled than make peace with Nero, but after seeing everyone''s eager eyes on him, he decided to just smile and agree to the conditions presented to him.


    "Great!" Gerald pped his hands. "As the High-Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold, I hereby dere the start of your Coming of Age Ceremony. Within a month, you must create a guild without fail. If you are unable to achieve this goal, you will join the Storm Dragon''s Guild, and make peace with Nero. Do you ept this condition?"


    "I do," Lux replied.


    Gerald smiled. "Good. Your one month will start tomorrow. I look forward to the surprise you will give all of us one month from now."


    ��---


    Inside Vera''s Residence��


    Lux busied himself with cleaning Vera''s room, his room, as well as the other rooms in the house. He would be away for a month, and his grandma was currently in aatose state, so no one would be in their residence for nearly a month.


    While doing chores, he was already formting the things that he needed to do once he entered Elysium.


    The factions of Wildgarde Stronghold were based in the Azrael Kingdom, while the faction of Barbatos Academy was stationed in the Regulus Empire.


    Both of these nations were neighbors and had a good rtionship with each other. Lux nned to visit the Adventurer Guilds in the Azrael Kingdom first, and convince three of its Guildmasters to allow him to take the Trial of Leadership.


    ''The hardest part is convincing the Guildmasters,'' Lux thought. ''Usually, they would prioritize individuals who have managed to be Gold-Ranked Adventurers��"


    There were eight Adventurer Guild Ranks, and they were Bronze, Iron, Silver, Gold, tinum, Mithril, Orihalcum, and Adamantite.


    Lux took out his Guild Card and checked the information written there.


    ��-----


    < Guild Card >


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: Gold Rank.


    Registered in Leaf Vige


    ��------


    After saving Leaf Vige many times, as well as helping the other viges within the territories of the Stronghold of Norria, Lux was able to raise his Adventurer Rank to Gold Rank.


    The Half-Elf believed that with his current Rank, he would be able to at least talk to the Guildmasters of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Azrael Kingdom, and ask them for rmendations, so that he could start the trial that would allow him to create a guild.


    This would be Lux''s first time visiting a Human Kingdom, since he had spent most of his time in Elysium inside the Dwarf Kingdom of Gweliven.


    ''I miss them,'' Lux mused as he thought of Colette and his friends, who were probably off to an adventure somewhere in Elysium.


    He hadn''t been able to give them a proper goodbye because he didn''t want to involve them in his conflict with Twilight Rain.


    ''I''ll make it up to them the next time we meet,'' Lux thought as he finished cleaning his Grandma''s room.


    His reunion with his Dwarf friends would still have to wait because he still had things to do and ces to visit.


    Even so, he believed that the next time he would see Colette and the others, all of them would have be more formidable and ready to take on greater challenges in the world outside the borders of the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.

 Chapter 309 Everything Has A Price

    309 Everything Has A Price


    Town of Everton, Azrael Kingdom��


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t rmend you to take the Trial of Leadership," the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Town of Everton said. "Try the other towns. Perhaps one of the Guildmasters there can give you a rmendation letter."


    "Sir, this is already the third town I''ve visited," Lux stated. "I still don''t understand why you''re not allowing me to get a rmendation letter. I can still understand being rejected once or twice, but thrice is a bit too much.


    "The other Guildmasters also didn''t tell me the reason why they don''t want to write me rmendation letters. They only told me to go to other towns instead. Am I cklisted or something? Can you please tell me the reason?"


    Omer, the Guildmaster of the Everton Adventurer''s Guild, sighed before making a gesture for Lux to sit.


    "I also don''t know the reason, but the higher ups have passed a decree that no Adventurer''s Guild in the Kingdom of Azrael is to give a rmendation letter to someone named Lux Von Kaiser," Omer exined.


    "Usually, this happens when the individual is a top criminal with a bounty on their heads. I already checked the information on your Guild Card, and although I don''t know where this Leaf Vige is, you have clearly met all the requirements to be a Gold-Ranked Adventurer. There are also no records about you being a criminal or anything, which baffles me. Kid, did you mess with a bigshot or something?"


    Lux frowned. After almost a week of trying to get a rmendation letter, only now did he understand why not a single branch of the Adventurer''s Guild agreed to give him a rmendation for the Trial of Leadership.


    It seemed that someone from the higher echelons of the Adventurer Guilds in the Azrael Kingdom was getting in the way of his Guild Creation.


    "Sir Omer, is it possible to know which Kingdoms and Empires I am currently cklisted in?" Lux inquired.


    Omer, who was carefully observing the Half-Elf in front of him, closed his eyes.


    "Recently, there was an incident in a Neutral Area bordering the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact. Because of that incident, the rtionship between these two factions has be strained," Omer stated.


    "In order to settle the disputes, certain individuals have been cklisted from being able to ept Quests in the Adventurer Guilds of all the Kingdoms involved in the Incident. Now that I think about it, your name is at the top of that list. Unless the higher-ups clear your name from our cklist, your rights as an Adventurer within all the Kingdoms and Empires that have signed the memorandum will be revoked."


    The frown on Lux''s face deepened after hearing Omer''s exnation. If all the territories around him had his name cklisted, didn''t that mean that he was as good as f*cked?


    ''... Don''t tell me Sir Rainer knew that my name had been cklisted in the Adventurer''s Guild in the various Kingdoms,'' Lux thought as he remembered the sly fox who was also Nero''s Master. ''This is bad. If this is true then doesn''t that mean that I will have no choice but to join Nero''s Guild?''


    Lux''s face darkened after learning about this revtion. He would rather get exiled than rub shoulders with the brown-haired boy who treated him like trash in the past.


    "Is there really no other way?" Lux asked. "Maybe there is a loophole that I can use?"


    Omer opened his eyes and stared at the Half-Elf for half a minute beforeughing out loud.


    "You sure have guts, boy," Omer said after he finishedughing. "You''re right. There are ways to have your name erased from our cklist."


    "Really?!"


    "Yes. Do you want to know how?"


    Lux nodded. If there was really a way to gain the letters of rmendation to take the test then he would grab it no matter what it was.


    "Since you want to know, I will tell you how." Omer smiled and raised his hand.


    Lux watched closely as Omer opened his palm and slowly connected his thumb and index finger together, forming the money hand gesture.


    "At the end of the day, anything has a price," Omer said. "The only question is, can you pay that price?"


    "How much?" Lux inquired.


    "Ten."


    "Ten thousand gold coins?"


    "Ten Million Gold Coins."


    Lux gave Omer the "are you f*cking kidding me?" gaze making the Guildmaster smile.


    "Take note, this amount is only enough to pay for your rmendation letter from this guild branch," Omermented. "You will have to pay the same amount in the other branches, which means you need a total amount of thirty million gold coins."


    Lux almost puked blood after hearing that outrageous amount. After winning the Lionheart Tournament, he was only awarded a million gold coins as his cash prize. It was nowhere near enough the ten million bribe that was needed for Omer to give him a rmendation letter.


    After that, he would also have to procure an additional twenty million gold coins to bribe two more Guildmasters of the Adventurer''s Guild for their rmendation letters.


    "...Is there no other way?" Lux asked with a sigh. "This method is impossible for me."


    Omer rubbed his chin. He found the Half-Elf quite interesting. Even though this kid was fighting an uphill battle, he was still looking for loopholes in order to reach his goal.


    "A feat that will make all the branches of the Adventurers Guild recognize you," Omer answered after a minute. "One that will give us no choice but to acknowledge you as an Adventurer whose potential surpasses the norms. As long as you are able to do this, then all opposition blocking your way in creating your Guild will disappear."


    Lux scratched his head. "A feat that will make all of you recognize me? What do I have to do? y an Elder Abyssal Creature?"


    "Something like that."


    "...You guys want me to die that badly?"


    Elder Abyssal Monsters were all at the Dreadnaught-Rank. This was the next rank after the Argonaut Rank, and just hearing it made Lux feel his heart tremble. Even if he summoned Keoza to help him fight it, the chances of them winning were non-existent.


    That was how powerful Dreadnaught Ranked Monsters were. They could only be challenged by a team of Rankers that specialized in hunting them.


    After thanking Omer for telling him everything he knew, Lux left the Adventurer''s Guild and went to a tavern in order to have lunch.


    Just as he was about to ce his order, a skinny young man entered the tavern carrying a boar on his shoulders. All of its limbs were tied up, making it unable to escape its captor.


    Lux, who was seated in the far corner of the tavern, almost fell off his chair after seeing the two neers.


    "Shop Owner, can you prepare a feast using this boar? The skinny young man asked. "I don''t mind if it''s roasted, or boiled. Just make sure to cook it well. I am originally a vegetarian, but just this once, I will partake in eating meat."


    "Damn you, Little Swordy!" The Boar struggled to free itself from being bound. "How dare you ask someone to cook me?! Why are you so petty? It''s just money, you know? We can make aeback after I make a killing in the gambling den!"


    "Petty?" Keane asked back. "You took our money while I was sleeping and went to gamble it all, and you dare say that you can make aeback by gambling again? That''s what all gamblers say!"


    "Little Swordy, the ball really stopped on the number that I chose earlier," Cai exined. "I didn''t know how it happened, but it suddenly moved to the next slot, a second before the wheel stopped turning. I''m sure that I have been cheated!"


    "Fool! That''s exactly why going to the gambling den is a stupid thing to do! All of them are there to take your money. You should have seen thising!"


    "Little Swordy, calm down and take deep breaths. We can talk this out like civil people. Um�� Shop Owner, why are you pulling out that kitchen knife? Oi! Why are youing closer?! Oi stop! Don''t skin meeeeeeeeee!"


    The boar''s squeal made everyone in the tavern startughing because it was quite funny to see it plead for its life.


    Lux, on the other hand, rose from his seat and walked towards his acquaintances, who had somehow appeared in the town he was in, while he was thinking of ways to secure rmendation letters from the Guildmasters of the Azrael Kingdom.

 Chapter ?310 A Double-Edged Sword

    ?310 A Double-Edged Sword


    "My Daddy, can you believe it?" Cai asked as it sprinkled ground ck pepper on the pork chops it was about to eat. "Little Swordy actually dared to sell me for some petty cash. Tsk, if my grandpa hears about this, he will definitely give him a good spanking."


    "Shut up," Little Swordy red at the boar as he spooned apple sauce onto his sd te. "I didn''t ask you to apany me in Elysium. You just apanied me without any invitation."


    "Hmph! I''m just worried about you." Cai red back. "This is the first time you are visiting a ce with many people in Elysium. What will you do if you get scammed? I apanied you out of the goodness of my heart to ensure that you won''t get tricked by people because you are gullible!"


    "I''d rather be tricked than have an annoying, pesky, irritating, and chatty travelingpanion like you!"


    "This is the problem with people who have lived in the mountains all their lives. They just don''t understand how the world works. Um, My Daddy, can you pass me the soy sauce, please?"


    Lux handed the bottle of soy sauce to the boar, who then poured a generous amount of sauce in its saucer.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know what happened after he separated from his friends because he was too frantic to return to Barbatos Academy after hearing Vera''s condition.


    Now that he thought about it, he still hadn''t returned to the Rowan Tribe to im the rewards that would be given to him by Maximilian, who was Cai''s grandfather and Rowan Tribe''s leader.


    "What happened to the Sacred White Lotus?" Lux asked. "Did your grandpa already use it to create a medicine to cure the Purple gue?"


    Cai nodded while chewing the pork chop inside its mouth.


    "The Saint has locked himself up in his room and told everyone to not disturb him," Keanemented. "The Six Kingdoms have already sent delegations to the Rowan Tribe, and they are currently waiting for him toe out. They know that he is busy creating the cure for the Purple gue, so none of them dare to disturb him."


    Cai, who had just finished eating the pork chop in its mouth, joined the conversation and gave Lux a juicy bit of information.


    "Do you know? Einar, Vall, and Xander, are being pestered by the envoys of the Six Kingdoms because they want them to return to the Sacred Dungeon and clear the other gates there? This is also why Little Swordy and I decided to leave the Rowan Tribe. Grandpa is busy, so there''s no one who can stop the envoys from soliciting my and Little Swordy''s favors."


    "I''m not going to lie, My Daddy, they are getting on my nerves. What made them think that bribing me with money and artifacts is enough to sway me to return to that ce again? Excuse me, I don''t want to die, you know?"


    "Oh? Such a thing is happening?" Lux arched an eyebrow as he bit into his ham sandwich.


    "Yes," Keane replied. "Do they really think that we are going to help them out after they cklisted us from the Adventurer''s Guilds, Merchant''s Guilds, Hunter''s Guilds, as well as the Information Guilds? They must be out of their mind."


    "Eh? You two are cklisted too?" Lux already had a hunch that the other people that had been cklisted were those that had managed to clear the Gate of Death. But, after Keane confirmed his suspicions things were starting to fall in ce.


    "I see�� so, they are doing this to force us to agree to their conditions," Lux muttered. "It all fits."


    "Damn right you are!" Cai grumbled. "Einar and Vall are also very pissed since they are unable to im missions not only for themselves, but for their entire guilds. Those bastard kings really did us dirty."


    Lux tapped his finger on top of the table as he formed a n in his mind.


    "I''ve heard from Iris that all of us were freed from the restrictions ced on those that want to enter the Hidden Domain," Lux said. "It means that while others need to wait for an entire year, the six of us can enter anytime we want."


    "Right! But, that''s not all, My Daddy," Cai interjected. "Each of us can bring five people with us, forming a party. Because of this everyone wants a piece of the action. Um, ording to Xander, he was also approached by an envoy of the Vahan Empire."


    "It seems that their Emperor wanted to bribe him to bring their elite members to the Dungeon in order to gather some resources. I don''t know if they approached Einar and Vall as well, but the likelihood of that happening is very high."


    Lux frowned. His step-father, Alexander, warned him about Emperor Andreas of the Vahan Empire before he left Barbatos Academy.


    ording to him, Emperor Andreas had long wanted to annex the territories that bordered his Empire. However, because of him and Maximilian, the Xynnar War Pact had a surplus of two saints, which made him scrap this n altogether.


    In the past, the Skystead Alliance, in which Emperor Andreas was the chairman, had an advantage when it came to military power. If Alexander and Maximilian were taken out of the picture, he would have longunched a crusade against his neighbors, and his chances of winning were quite high.


    This was why, even though Alexander and Maximilian had rampaged in the Ashina Kingdom, the Kings and the Saints that backed up the Xynnar War Pact had sided with them.


    The King of the Ashina Kingdom had no choice but to swallow his anger because he knew that he could only rely on Emperor Andreas to keep his rule over his domain.


    "That''s it!" Lux suddenly had a eureka moment. Because of Cai''s and Keane''s exnation, he finally found a way out of their predicament, and to clear their names from the cklist.


    After telling Cai and Keane about his n, the three headed towards the Adventurer''s Guild to talk to its Guildmaster, Omer.


    "You again?" Omer sighed after seeing Lux for the second time. "Didn''t I already tell you that you can''t get a rmendation letter from me unless you pay me ten million? Don''t tell me you already have the money with you?"


    Lux shook his head before gazing at Omer with a determined look on his face.


    "Can the Adventurer''s Guild pass messages to the territories of the Xynnar War Pact?" Lux inquired.


    "We can, but since you, and these two are cklisted, you do not have this privilege," Omer replied.


    "Well, why don''t you listen to what I''m about to say first?" Lux asked with a smile. "If you deem that it is not important enough, you can ignore my request."


    Omer crossed his arms over his chest before reluctantly nodding his head.


    "Fine," Omer replied. "I''ll hear you out this once. If I don''t like what you are going to tell me, I will ban you from entering this branch of the Adventurer''s Guild."


    The smile on Lux''s face widened because he was confident that his n was going to work. Since the Kingdoms in Elysium were making it hard for him to get what he wanted, he would also make it hard for them!


    "Tell the members of the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact that we are auctioning fifteen slots for the Sacred Dungeon located in the Domain of the Fallen," Lux stated.


    "Only one will win the auction, and among the conditions listed, is to have our names cleared off the cklists of the Adventurer''s Guilds, Merchant''s Guilds, and Information Guilds. Naturally, this is just one of the conditions. If they want to get in, they still have to pay the price. The one with the highest bid will win."


    Omer''s expression became serious after hearing Lux''s deration. Earlier, he admired the Half-Elf because he had guts, but now, he felt as if he had underestimated how gutsy the red-headed teenager really was.


    On that day, news spread within the Western Regions of Elysium about Lux''s deration. All the Kings as well as the Emperors of both sides immediately called for an emergency meeting on how to best deal with the current situation that had been thrown in their faces.


    ��---


    Wildgarde Stronghold��


    "Haha! Lux really knows how to make waves." Geraldughed after hearing the news from his subordinate. "Looks like your n backfired, Rainer."


    Nero''s Master calmly sipped his tea, pretending that he didn''t hear Gerald''s teasing tone. Only after he finished drinking did he ce the cup on top of the table and voice his opinion.


    "What he did is a double-edged sword," Rainer stated. "On one hand, he will be able to gain the support of either the Skystead Alliance or the Xynnar War Pact. However, the one who will lose this bidding will treat them as an eyesore."


    "If he chooses the Skystead Alliance, then he will be exiled from the territories that belongs to our Faction in Elysium. I just hope that the boy makes the right decision and gives us face."


    Gerald sighed before nodding his head.


    "I hope for that as well, but knowing that brat�� he might just choose the opposing side just to antagonize us," Gerald said with a bitter smile on his face.


    Rainer shrugged. "Whatever decision he will make, we will find out before this week is over. After all, his Quest ends in three weeks. We can afford to wait, but he doesn''t have this option."


    Rainer nced in the direction of the North where Barbatos Academy was located. Now that Lux had thrown the dice, it was now up to the rulers of the various kingdoms whether they would take his bait or not.


    ��----

 Chapter 311 Return To The Domain Of The Fallen [Part 1]

    311 Return To The Domain Of The Fallen [Part 1]


    Four days after Lux made his deration��


    "The Six Kingdoms and our allied factions in Elysium are very annoyed at how this matter escted so quickly," Alicia reported. "I''m afraid that Lux will have a hard time staying within our faction''s territories after he has made his decision."


    Alexander took a sip of his coffee before signing one of the documents thatid on top of the table. When he heard Lux''s deration, he couldn''t help but shake his head because he understood that the Half-Elf wanted to retaliate for the bad treatment he''d received as ofte.


    This was a daring move on his part, and Alexander ordered Alicia to keep him up to date on what the result of the "auction" would be.


    In the end, the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact had no choice but to meet with Lux and negotiate. The Domain of the Fallen was an ideal ce for gathering unique resources that wouldn''t be found anywhere else in Elysium.


    Also, all of them were curious about the kind of rewards that conquerors would gain after conquering another gate. They didn''t think much of the Pseudo-Legendary Items that Lux and hisrades acquired after clearing the dungeon.


    For them, the Sacred White Lotus was the real prize in the Gate of Death, which allowed them to create a medicine that would cure the Purple gue that had been ravishing the borders of their territories.


    No amount of treasure could cure the gue, and even High-Rankers were not safe from its deadly grasp. Now that the Sacred White Lotus had been acquired and was currently in the hands of Maximilian for him to create a cure for the Purple gue, the Kingdoms and Empires set their eyes on exploring the Domain of the Fallen, as well as the Sacred Dungeon, once more.


    Due to the strength of the Monsters inside the Domain, no one had a chance to explore it. However, those with keen abilities or artifacts that could detect very rare artifacts, herbs, fruits, and other consumables that would grant great benefits to whoever acquired them, had sensed their presence within the Domain.


    The Sacred Dungeon was just one of the many things that the Domain of the Fallen possessed, and this was why the Skystead Alliance, who had onlye to learn about its existence recently, was adamant to send their own representatives inside it.


    The only thing that was preventing them from doing so was the restriction that they could only enter it once a year, during a specific time.


    Now that there were slots within their reach that would allow them to enter it at will, they would definitely jump at the chance to do it.


    Lux understood this as well. The Law of Supply and Demand allowed him to get the upper hand in the negotiation.


    "I''m sure that Lux knows that the Skystead Alliance will go all out to acquire these precious slots to enter the Domain of the Fallen," Alexander said as he ced the document he just signed to the side. "He sure is making things difficult for everyone."


    Alicia could only smile bitterly because "made things difficult for everyone" was an understatement.


    The Six Kingdoms of Sis, as well as the Kingdoms where their factions thrived in Elysium, were very displeased that the Half-Elf chose the offer of the Skystead Alliance.


    They thought that since Lux belonged to the faction of the Barbatos Academy and Wildgarde Stronghold, he would surely choose their side, so their offers weren''t as lucrative as the other side.


    That was their mistake because Lux was someone who had already figured the delicate geopolitical bnce of power in the region where these kingdoms were at.


    "Cai is untouchable because Maximilian is a powder keg that can explode anytime, making the Kings'' unable to find fault in its decision, in fear that a Saint will jump ship," Alexandermented.


    "Lux, on the other hand, understood that they cannot be too unreasonable with him as well because he is under my umbre. That brat really knows how to make trouble, taking advantage of the fact that no one would dare to make things difficult for me."


    Alicia covered her lips as she suppressed a smile.


    "Even so, he still nned things meticulously and dragged Einar, Vall, and Xander into his ns," Aliciamented. "If it wasn''t for that, he might have be the Xynnar War Pact''s public enemy number one."


    Alexander sighed because the entire situation was a really close call for the Half-Elf who had decided to stick to his deration that the one with the highest bid would win.


    Just like Alicia said, Lux had met with Einar, Vall and Xander to discuss how to market their limited slots to gain maximum profit.


    In the end, this was what happened.


    Lux, Cai, and Keane sold their slots to the Skystead Alliance because they were the highest bidder in the auction.


    This made the Xynnar War Pact scramble for the remaining slots, and raise their offers as well.


    In truth, even if they didn''t raise their offers, Einar, Vall, and Xander would still sell their slots to the Xynnar War Pact.


    Lux knew that Einar''s and Vall''s area of operation was within the regions of their faction''s territories, so they couldn''t really antagonize them.


    The Rowan Tribe didn''t have this problem because they were a Nomadic Tribe. They didn''t have a fixed settlement, and would pack up and leave whenever they felt like it, making them immune to the restrictions of geography.


    But since Lux didn''t want to offend the Six Kingdoms too much, he asked Xander to agree selling his slots to their faction''s side, in order to bnce things out.


    In the end, fifteen slots went to the Skystead Alliance, and fifteen slots went to the Xynnar War Pact.


    Lux, Cai, and Keane won big time in the auction, while Einar, Vall, and Xander, received a decent payout after the Half-Elf''s shenanigans, forcing their factions to take them seriously.


    "They should be there right now," Alexander nced at the window of his office. "The Skystead Alliance had taken this matter seriously and had sent the Elite Members of each of their Kingdoms to explore the Domain of the Fallen."


    Alicia nodded. "From what our intelligence gathered, they sent their best Pseudo-Initiates under the age of twenty five as their representatives. Because of this, our side also did the same thing. All Pseudo-Initiates from our faction were filtered until only the best were chosen to participate in the expedition."


    "So everyone is finally taking this seriously."


    "Yes, Sir. Lux and the others conquering the Gate of Death was like a wake up call to everyone. They didn''t want to fall behind theirpetitors."


    Alexander closed his eyes. Now that Vera''s life was no longer in danger, and Iris was currently inside Barbatos Academy, two of his family members were safe. The only problem was the Half-Elf, who would once again venture inside a dangerous ce, in order to finish his Coming of Age Quest, jsut so he could create a guild of his own.


    ��-----


    Entrance of the Domain of the Fallen��


    "So, this is the fabled Hidden Domain," a teenage boy with dark-blue hair and eyes eyed the door in front of him.


    He let out an indignant snort when he saw the letters inscribed on its surface. He believed that if they had been the ones to find out its existence, the first conquerors would have been his team, and no one else.


    He was Malcolm Robles, the son of the Grand General thatmanded the army of the Vahan Empire. He was neen years old this year, and was forced by his father to wear a Sealing Bracelet, which prevented him from stepping into the Initiate Rank since his eighteenth birthday.


    Malcolm was a true prodigy, and because of this, his father was afraid that his arrogance would make his head too big, so he sealed his progress to make him "a little more humble". Unfortunately, this didn''t do anything to lower the prodigy''s arrogance.


    The Sealing Bracelet only prevented him from breaking into the rank of a Grade-A Apostle. However, that didn''t stop him from acquiring stats that he could freely distribute as soon as his seal was undone.


    In a stroke of luck, the whereabouts of the Domain of the Fallen was discovered, and Malcolm immediately volunteered to be one of the people that would explore the new domain for the kingdom.


    He thought that this was a perfect way to gain more merits, as well as to force his father to break his seal once he had sessfully aplished his mission.


    Emperor Andreas had long known how talented Malcolm was, so he agreed to his request. He even made the teenager the leader of the expedition forces, as a way to encourage him to do better.


    Malcolm was also the Guild Master of the SIlver-Ranked Guild, Chaos Oath, which was one of the Top Three Guilds in the Vahan Empire.


    "ording to the agreement, once you guide us to the Sacred Dungeon, we will go our separate ways," Malcolm said. "You better not drag us down."


    Lux ignored Malcolm''s taunt because he had already gotten used to it. The first thing that Malcolm did when his team arrived at the entrance of the Hidden Domain was to challenge Lux to a fight, which the Half-Elf rejected.


    Several Rankers from the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact were present to prevent any trouble from breaking out.


    They were all treating this expedition seriously, so even Malcolm couldn''t force Lux to fight him. After all, thetter was the one who called the shots as to who would be going inside the Hidden Domain.


    Einar, Vall, and Xander were standing on Lux''s opposite side.


    Behind them were the representatives of the Xynnar War Pact who would venture inside the Hidden Domain for the first time.


    The Sians, with the exception of Lux and hisrades, weren''t allowed to join the expedition. The Kingdoms in Elysium adamantly demanded that the expedition party must only beposed of their members, since the Foreigners had monopolized the Domain of the Fallen for several years.


    In the end, the Six Kingdomspromised. Einar''s, Vall''s, and Xander''s role was to only be the guides in the expedition, allowing their faction to reach the entrance of the Sacred Dungeon.


    "Since everyone is ready, let''s go," Lux said as he walked towards the giant gate that would lead them inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    He and hisrades had made ns beforehand, so he didn''t give a hoot about what happened to the representatives that wereing with them.


    Since they would go their separate ways once they arrived at the Sacred Dungeon, he didn''t have to worry about other people getting in the way of his own Dungeon exploration.

 Chapter 312 Return To The Domain Of The Fallen [Part 2]

    As soon as the representatives of the different kingdoms got inside the Domain of the Fallen, their confidence disappeared, leaving only solemn expressions on their faces..


    All of them were Pseudo-Initiates, which meant that they only needed around a hundred stat points before they reached the Initiate Rank. Because of this, their senses were more acutepared to others, and their senses were telling them that this Domain was teeming with creatures of greater might than themselves.


    "I don''t know what kind of orders you received from your superiors," Lux said as he faced the thirty people that they would guide towards the entrance of the Sacred Dungeon. "But if any of you don''t want to die, you will have no choice but to cooperate with each other if you want to reach our destination."


    "Starting from here, the Monsters you need to deal with ranges from Rank 5 Monsters up to the Deimos Rank, excluding theirckeys. However, there is a possibility that a Pseudo-Argonaut or an Argonaut-Ranked Monster exists. If we happen to bump into one of those, everyone better start running. We are just insects in the eyes of such beasts."


    The Leader of the Xynnar War Pact''s representatives, Ellis Roth, stepped forward to voice her opinion.


    "I''ve heard about your exploits, Foreigner, and I am looking forward to working with you," Ellis said. "However, I would greatly appreciate it if you take us down the shortest route to the Sacred Dungeon. This ce is�� crawling with monsters whose rank surpasses ours. I don''t think that staying in this ce is a good idea."


    Lux nodded. "That''s the n. But know this, even the journey towards the Sacred Dungeon is very perilous. On ourst expedition, we lost over a hundred lives just to get to its entrance. So prepare yourselves."


    Ellis smiled. Although she wasn''t breathtakingly beautiful, she was still attractive enough to make the boys look at her with interest. She was in her early twenties and, just like Malcolm, she was also wearing a Sealing Bracelet.


    Lux didn''t know what was stopping her from breaking through the Initiate Rank, but since it was none of his business, he decided not to pry.


    "Just stick close to us," Lux said before he started walking. "As long as we work together, we can minimize the number of casualties we have along the way."


    Lux summoned a dozen Skeleton Fighters to act as Scouts, and another dozen to act as Vanguards.


    There were only thirty-six of them, so splitting up was not an option. Back then, they had traveled towards the entrance of the Sacred Dungeon numbering in the hundreds, and all of them had to work together in order to not be overwhelmed by the Diabolical Doom Mosquito, which was a Rank 5 Field Boss, and its cronies.


    The long and tension-filled journey ended after two hours.


    Lux''s Skeletons had encountered several powerful monsters that left the Half-Elf no choice but to halt their advance in order to find other routes to take to evade these beastspletely.


    Thanks to his cautiousness, they were able to reach their destination safely without losing any lives along the way.


    Malcolm, who had been silent the entire trip, breathed a sigh of relief in his heart because he had truly underestimated the Domain of the Fallen which Emperor Andreas coveted.


    He had been given strict orders to challenge the Gate of Conquest, and gather any treasures that could be found inside it.


    The young man didn''t know why the Emperor specifically chose that particr gate to enter. But since it was the order of his Liege, he had no choice but to obey it no matter what.


    "This is where we part," Ellis said as she pressed her palm and fist together as a sign of gratitude. "Thank you for bringing us here safely. Let us talk more after we''ve finished our mission."


    "Of course," Lux replied with a smile. "Be careful and may fortune smile upon you."


    Ellis smiled back before leading her team to the entrance of the Sacred Dungeon to choose a gate.


    All of them hade to know what the Gate of Death was like, and none of them wanted to deal with thirteen Death Tyrants at the same time. Although the Sacred White Lotus was a tempting prize, the Kings of the other Kingdoms were more interested to know what could be found beyond the other gates as well.


    Ellis and her team chose the Gate of Famine in Normal Difficulty.


    Their superiors nned to take things at a steady pace, so they weren''t in a hurry to jump into Hell Mode right away. Ellis'' mission was to analyze what kind of teams would be needed in order to clear the Gate of Famine, so the next time they returned to the Domain of the Fallen, they would be more prepared to conquer it.


    Malcolm gave Lux a side-long nce before he led his team to the Gate of Conquest.


    Unlike Ellis who had been ordered to challenge the Normal Difficulty, the son of the general was ordered to pick Hell Mode.<sub> </sub>


    Emperor Andreas believed that the Key that would lead to the Legendary Empire of the Dragons could be found behind the Gate of Conquest. Although the records kept by the first founder of the Vahan Empire were vague, the word Conquest had been mentioned several times in his biography.


    After the thirty people had disappeared, Einar, Vall, and Xander approached Lux, who was standing beside Cai and Keane.


    "Should we get going as well?" Einar asked.


    "Okay." Lux nodded. "So, who wants the honors of choosing a gate for us?"


    "Me! Me!" Cai shouted. "Let me choose!"


    Lux nced at Keane, asking for his opinion, but thetter just shrugged. Einar, Vall, and Xander did the same. For them, it didn''t really matter which gate to enter because none of them knew whaty behind the four remaining doors of the Sacred Dungeon.


    Cai pointed its hoof towards the three doors while singing.


    "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,


    Catch a tiger by the toe.


    If he hollers, let him go,


    Eeny, meeny, miny, moe."


    Einar, whose transformation turned him into a Tiger, was very tempted to kick the annoying Boar who had used a nursery song to choose the Gate that would decide their fate.


    Knowing what the Barbarian was thinking,  Lux chuckled, but he didn''t stop Cai from ying its little game.


    "Okay. I choose this one!" Cai pointed at the Red Gate that bore the Runes "War" on it. "Let''s go!"


    The Boar excitedly walked towards the Gate of War, while Lux and the others followed behind it.


    All of them decided that whatever door they chose to go to, they would only choose Hell Mode and clear it to the best of their abilities.


    ��--


    Outside the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen.


    All the Rankers, as well as the other influential people of each Kingdom, had gathered to watch the expedition of their representatives.


    The artifacts that were given to Malcolm and Ellis allowed everyone outside the dungeon see what was happening inside the Sacred Dungeon in real time.


    Jeers sounded from the side of the Skystead Alliance when they saw that Ellis chose the Normal Mode of the Gate of Famine. For them, this was a cowardly act, which made the side of the Xynnar War Pact re at them with hostility.


    But deep inside, they had to agree that the Skystead Alliance''s bold move to challenge the Hell Mode of the Gate of Conquest was more intriguing than the one that their faction had chosen.


    None of them even bothered to think about what happened to the six individuals that were left outside the Dungeon. Since their attention was all focused on their own representatives, they were not aware that Lux and hisrades had also entered one of the Gates of the Sacred Dungeon.


    A Gate that would teach them that the concept of War was bloodier than they originally thought it would be.

 Chapter 313 The Warring Kingdoms

    The sounds of warcries, screams of pain, and shing of weapons were the first thing that Lux and hisrades heard as soon as they were teleported inside the Dungeon.


    "W-What''s going on here?!" Cai, who almost got hit by a fireball, squealed as it hurriedly jumped to the side, just in time to dodge the fireball by a few inches.


    A loud explosion took ce, sending everyone flying in different directions, followed by a rain of spells all around them.


    It wasplete and utter pandemonium as they found themselves at the center of two warring kingdoms, who were going all out against each other.


    "Everyone, regroup!" Lux shouted after propping himself back up. "We need to get out of this ce. Now!"


    Everyone had the same thought, so they hurriedly regrouped and tried to run away from the battlefield.


    Unfortunately for them, they were smacked in the middle of the frontlines, sandwiched on all sides by two armies, who had now noticed their arrival.


    "Which Kingdom are you affiliated with?!" a Knight wearing ck armor asked as he and his subordinates pointed their weapons at Lux and his party.


    "We are not affiliated with anyone!" Cai replied. "Someone tell us what is going on here!"


    "Hah! You think we will fall for that? Nice try, Yn scum!" a Knight wearing white armor shouted. "Men! Kill these Yn coborators! Show them no mercy!"


    Einar fearlessly grinned as he immediately blocked a sword strike from their rear. As a Barbarian who was no stranger to war, being in the battlefield was second nature to him.


    "I guess we don''t have to worry who we are affiliated with for now." Vall sneered. "Just kill those who try to kill us first!"


    Lux, Cai, Keane, and Xander all nodded their heads and immediately turned around to fight the Knights wearing white armor who had all ganged up to them.


    They were clueless about whatever was happening around them, but the current situation didn''t give them enough time to assess their situation. They were left with no other options but to either fight or die, and their choice was obvious.


    As soon as they decided to take action, Lux immediately summoned Orion and Pazuzu. The Jade Golem attacked those around them, while Pazuzu shielded them from harm.


    Although they were being targeted by the Knights wearing white armor, Lux was still in the right state of mind and did not summon Diablo and the rest of his Skeleton Minions.


    The reason was simple.


    He didn''t want to affect the on-going war too drastically without knowing who was the defender and who was the aggressor between the two armies. If they helped the invaders get the upper hand, then the Defenders would surely find it difficult to hold their ground.


    Perhaps, the others also understood this logic, so they only attacked those who were attacking them, and just hid behind Orion and Pazuzu after they had finished off their respective targets.


    After seeing the Jade Golem''s might, the White Knights no longer took the initiative to attack Lux''s and his party. They only focused on attacking the ck Knights who were suddenly inspired by the Half-Elf''s appearance.


    Ten minutester, a horn sounded in the distance, and the White Knights all retreated like a tide.


    The ck Knights didn''t follow them and simply raised their weapons high up in the air, while cheering for their victory.


    "Is it over?" Cai, whose furry body had been littered with arrows, asked.


    "For now," Lux replied. "Let''s get out of here while we still can."


    Nodding their heads, everyone followed Lux as they ran towards the side of the battlefield. The ck Knights didn''t stop them because, in their eyes, the Half-Elf''s party had fought for their side earlier.


    If not for that, they might have stopped them, thinking that they were their enemies'' hired mercenary group, whom they paid to fight their war for them.


    After running for nearly half an hour, Lux and hisrades finally found a hill overlooking the battlefield. Both armies had returned to their main camps, and it seemed that the fighting for the day was already over.


    Suddenly, as if waiting for that moment, Lux heard a familiar notification sound as rows of text appeared in front of him.


    ��---


    < The Warring Kingdoms >


    Mission Rating: S


    �C The Yn Kingdom and the Ammar Kingdom have been at war with each other for the past four hundred years. Because of this, constant wars break out between the two kingdoms, but this time it is different.


    Both Kingdoms have invited third parties as mercenaries in this fight for supremacy. Choose a side and reap great rewards that are exclusive to each of the Kingdoms!


    < Main Quest Objective >


    �C Choose which Kingdom you want to support in this war.


    �C Kill the General of the opposing army.<sub> </sub>


    < Subquest Objective >


    �C Capture the Main g of the opposing army.


    �C Kill the Mercenaries that have been hired by the opposing party.


    �C Quest Duration: 1 week


    �C Quest will automatically fail if you fail toplete the quest and kill the opposing army''s General.


    �C Quest will automatically fail once your entire party has all been killed.


    < Rewards >


    �C Rewards will be calcted depending on your performance. The greater your merits, the greater the rewards.


    �C If you manage toplete the two side quests before the quest is finished, you will gain the maximum rewards avable for this quest.


    < Choose the Kingdom you wish to ally yourself with! >


    Option 1: Yn Kingdom


    �C This Kingdom specializes in gnome technologies. All of their soldiers are equipped with inventions that are exclusively made by Expert Gnome Inventors.


    Option 2: Ammar Kingdom


    �C This Kingdom is supported by Dwarven cksmiths. All of their weapons, and armors are crafted by the finest Dwarven cksmiths in thend.


    ��------


    "Um? What is this Warring Kingdom Quest?" Cai tilted its head in confusion. "Where the heck did thise from?"


    Lux, who was standing beside Cai, had to do a double take because the boar''s sudden announcement surprised him.


    "You got it, too?" Einar asked. "Weird. This is my first time seeing something like this. Maybe it is a Dungeon-exclusive thing?"


    "Could be," Vallmented. "I''ve entered many Dungeons in the past, but this is the first time I''m seeing something like this. Hey, do you think this has something to do with us clearing the Gate of Death first?"


    Xander nodded. "That''s highly likely. I mean, the people who cleared the Gate of Death are all here. Maybe this is something exclusive to us. Also, I''m quite curious about the rewards. Will we get some Pseudo-Legendary items again like what we did in the Gate of Death?"


    Having no opinion about the matter, Keane simply stood with his arms crossed over his chest. He was still trying to get used to how things worked in Elysium, so almost felt so new and exciting at the same time.


    Lux had always received this kind of mission in the past, so he was already used to it. After listening to what hisrades were saying, he thought that maybe it did have something to do with the Gate of Death.


    Since all of them were granted special privileges as the Sacred Dungeon''s first conquerors, this kind of setup might also be included in the mechanics of the Sacred Dungeon.


    ''I guess I need to verify if they can get the same quests that I do in the future,'' Lux mused. ''Maybe they are only getting it because we are in the same party. I will have to do some experiments after we leave the Gate of War.''


    After finally organizing his thoughts, the Half-Elf nced at hisrades and asked them the most important question.


    "So, which side do you guys want to join?" Lux asked.


    He knew that if they truly wanted to seed in the mission, they must all choose the same side. Otherwise, they would end up fighting amongst themselves, and that was thest thing that all of them wanted to happen.


    "I''ll join My Daddy''s side," Cai replied.


    "Me, too," Keane stated.


    "I''ll go wherever Cai goes," Xandermented.


    Einar and Vall nced at each other and smirked.


    "I''ll let you decide this one, Lux." Einar crossed his arms over his chest. "I''m fine with either Kingdom."


    "All for one and one for all, is what I''d like to say, but since everyone has chosen to let you decide our fate, I''ll go along with the flow," Vall smiled. "Afterall, I''d hate to kill all of you when I join the opposing side."


    Lux closed his eyes as he weighed the Pros and Cons of the two choices before him. Finally, after ten minutes, he raised his head and nced at the battlefield with a determined look on his face.


    "I choose to join the Kingdom of��"

 Chapter 314 I’ll Show Them The Might Of The Skystead Alliance.

    "Wee to the Yn Army."


    A two-meter tall bald man who looked like a pro wrestler said with a smile.


    "I am the General who oversees this battle, and I go by the name Watson Reid," Bruce said. "Just refer to me as General Watson. So, you guys are the mercenaries that are nning to fight against those invading Ammarians? Mmm, you kids don''t look too shabby. What do you think, Sherlock?"


    A gnome who was nearly four feet tall adjusted the sses on his face and gave Lux and the others a side-long nce.


    "Tell me, mercenaries," the Gnome named Sherlock raised his chin in arrogance. "What is better? Dwarven Armor or Gnome Technology?"


    "Do you even need to ask?" Cai replied. "Naturally it''s Dwar�Cmph!!"


    Lux transformed his arms into that of a dragon and shut Cai''s snout tightly, so it couldn''t say another word.


    "Gnome Technology is superior," Lux answered. "With the gnomes helping the Yn Kingdom defend its territories, victory is assured."


    The Gnome once again adjusted his sses before giving Lux a nod of satisfaction.


    "There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact," Sherlock replied with a smile. "Wee to the winning side."


    "Thank you. I look forward to working with you."


    "I like you. Here, I made a Pseudo-Legendary Item a day ago, you can have it."


    Cai, who was struggling to break free of Lux''s hold earlier, froze when the Gnome casually handed the Half-Elf a metallic ball, after thetter had mentioned that the item was a Pseudo-Legendary weapon.


    Lux examined the ball firmly in his hand as he released Cai''s snout and his partial dragon transformation, then he tossed it to his other hand. It was around 2 kilos in weight, and if one were to observe it closely, it just looked like an ordinary metallic ball, with no redeeming features whatsoever.


    However, after using the Elysium Compendium to appraise it, Lux''s jaw almost dropped because of the information that was written on it.


    ��---


    < Map Projector >


    Rating: Pseudo-Legendary


    �C Once activated, this artifact projects a map of the area that is three miles from where the user is standing.


    �C This artifact will detect friendly and enemy forces within the map, key locations, as well asndmarks that might be useful.


    �C Can be upgraded to Treasure Map Projector once the requirements are met.


    < Treasure Map Projector >


    �C Shows locations of treasures on the map that are no further than a mile from the user.


    (Requirements to Upgrade)


    �C Beholder''s Eye (0/1)


    �C Cyclop''s Eye (0/1)


    �C Arimaspi Eye (0/1)


    �C Balor''s Eye (0/1)


    �C Likho''s Eye (0/1)


    �C Snallygaster''s Eye (0/1)


    �C This artifact is Soul Bound to Lux Von Kaizer.


    ��---


    ''Wow!'' Lux thought when he saw the information of the Map Projector in his hands.


    Unlike other people, Lux had a special map of his own. However, its range was only up to five hundred meters. It was nothingpared to the Pseudo-Legendary weapon in his hands, that were casually given to him by the gnome named Sherlock.


    "Master, I also think that Gnomes are better than Dwarves." Cai scooted next to Sherlock and tried to butter him up with praises. After seeing the Pseudo-Legendary artifact in the Half-Elf''s hands, the shameless and thick-skinned Boar decided to try its uck and sang praises for the Gnomes until its spit was flying all over the ce.


    "Those smelly Dwarves are no good. From the start, they didn''t stand a chance in this war. How can they be so delusional? Gnomes are the best! Gnomes are amazing! Viva Gnomes!"


    Lux was about to tell Cai that it was pushing its luck. Frankly, he felt embarrassed by how the Boar was acting, who originally wanted to say that Dwarven goods were better than the Gnomes'' Technology.<sub> </sub>


    However, to his surprise, Sherlock chuckled and gave the Boar a nod of approval and handed it a red metallic ball.


    "I like honest people and beasts," Sherlock said. "Here is the Pseudo-Legendary Artifact I made two days ago. You can have it."


    "Yay!" Cai immediately stored the red metallic ball inside its storage ring before Lux could even blink. "Don''t worry, Sir Sherlock. As long as I, Cai, am here, this war is already in the bag."


    "Hahaha. I look forward to your performance, Cai."


    "Leave it to me, Sir! I''ll smash them good!"


    Keane, Einar, Vall, and Xander, were also tempted to follow the shameless Boar''s example, but they were too prideful to do it. In the end, they bit their tongues and nced at Cai who was still buttering Sherlock with words in the hope that it could get another freebie.


    Watsonughed before pping his hands together.


    "Well then, let''s get down to business first," Watson said as he made a gesture for everyone to follow him to the giant table, where the map of the battlefield wasid out.


    Several markers, and wooden figures could be seen on top of the map, representing the armies, as well as the position of the generals of the Yn Kingdom.


    "To tell you the truth, we are hard-pressed to win this war," Watson stated. "After the sh earlier, we have estimated that a good chunk of our army was in by our enemies. Right now, we have a little over four-hundred thousand troops, while the enemy has more than six-hundred thousand. Also, ording to our scouts, they have recruited a group of strong individuals who might turn the tide in their favor."


    Watson sighed before pointing to key locations in the enemy''s main camp.


    "We have the territorial advantage, so we can hold out for a while. But, with a strong army, strong weaponry, and strong mercenaries helping them in this war, it is only a matter of time before they overwhelm us with their forces."


    Sherlock nodded in agreement before voicing his opinion.


    "In this war, brawn will not be enough to overturn our obvious disadvantages," Sherlock stated. "We need to use brains, and every trick in the book to turn the tide in our favor. Also, we have a time limit��"


    The Gnome sighed before pointing at a location on the map that was marked with a wooden structure.


    "The Ammarians are currently in the midst of casting a high level spell that can instantly obliterate our soldiers into meat paste," Sherlock exined. "However, they need exactly a week in order to gather the needed magical energy to unleash their grand magic.


    "There is no point in targeting that location because that ce is heavily guarded by Rankers. So, our priority is to kill their army''s general to lower their morale. Once we have taken their general''s head, all of our forces can decimate their army, allowing our own Rankers to engage the Rankers of the opposing side."


    Watson then tapped the location of the Main Headquarters of the enemy to show their allies how difficult it was to Assassinate the enemy''s general.


    "Both sides have sent their best assassins in order to take the life of themanding general, but it was all in vain," Watsonmented. "I can''t count the number of times that I was attacked by Assassins while I was taking a dump. Those dirty bastards, can''t they leave me alone when I''m sh*tting?"


    Everyone ignored Watson''s grumbling and returned their attention on theyout of the map. The battlefield they were fighting on was quite diverse.


    There was a in, a forest, mountainous regions, and even a marsnd.


    Since it was arge-scale battle, every part of the map could be used to tilt the battle in their favor.


    While Lux and hisrades were discussing their strategy with Watson and Sherlock, three wagons arrived at the Main Camp of the Ammarian Kingdom.


    "This quest sure is interesting."


    "I know right? We are actually being sent to war and our side is the invading party. Feels good."


    "I can''t wait to go all out tomorrow. ording to our quest, the more people we kill, the more Merits we gain."


    "Yes. The items we can exchange for those Merit Points are insane! There are even Pseudo-Legendary weapons, artifacts, and armor in the list. The only problem is that I need to kill at least a thousand of them in order to buy one of those items."


    Malcolm, the leader of the representatives of the Skystead Alliance, looked in the direction of the Yn Camp with his arms crossed over his chest.


    Right after they chose the Gate of Conquest, they found themselves in one of the border cities of the Ammarian Kingdom. There, they received a quest allowing them to exchange Merit Points for valuable items, and one of those items was a golden key, with a Draconic design on it.


    The Merit Points required for it was a whopping One Million Merit Points, and he could only gain that amount once they had cleared the mission with flying colors.


    "Everyone, rest properly," Malcolm ordered before turning around to go to the temporary tent that had been made for their arrival. "When morninges, we will start our conquest of this Dungeon."


    ""Yes!""


    Malcolm and the members of his team were confident of their strength. They believed that as long as they all worked together, the mission they''d been given would be as easy as a walk in the park.


    ''Just wait for me, Father, Your Majesty,'' Malcolm thought as he looked at the map of the battlefield that was given to him by one of the general''s aides before they arrived at the main camp.


    "I will definitely conquer this Dungeon for our Empire," Malcolm vowed as he ced an "X" mark on the enemy''s camp, where Watson, themanding general of the Yn Kingdom was stationed.


    "I''ll show them the might of the Skystead Alliance."

 Chapter 315 Divide And Conquer [Part 1]

    When the sun was rising to the East, the armies of the two kingdoms started to stir.


    Another day of fighting was about to begin, but things were about to change drastically due to the appearance of the two mercenary groups on each side.


    <o>,m Malcolm and his team had entered the Gate of Conquest, while Lux and hisrades had entered the Gate of War.</o>


    The meaning behind these two words were almost the same, but there were major differences between them.


    The Sacred Dungeon was a special Dungeon that allowed the other Gates to link with each other during special circumstances. Meaning that Famine and Death could interlink, and so could Conquest and War.


    But, this would only happen if both parties chose "Hell Mode". Also, there could only be one group entering each of the gates at almost the same time in order for this phenomenon to happen.


    "Make sure you do your job well, Mercenaries," the General of the Ammar Kingdom, General Moriarty said coldly. "Any means are allowed. This is a War. Only the victors have the right to write the pages of history."


    The General of the Ammar Kingdom was an extremely tall and thin, clean-shaven, pale, and ascetic-looking man, whose mere presence was enough to make even the most experienced of soldiers feel intimidated.


    "What a coincidence," Malcolm replied. "I think the same way. Don''t worry, General. My members are all Elites. We will move freely throughout the battlefield and slowly chip away their ranks, eliminating the captains and themanders along the way."


    "We''ll see if you are really capable of doing that, Human," a Dwarf wearing a Mithril temented. "I''ve seen people like you who are all bark and no bite."


    Henry, the Dwarf Crusader, snorted. He was Moriarty''s right-hand man andmanded a legion of Heavily Armored Dwarven Riders who were known to break any kind of defensive formation with their overwhelming charge.


    Malcolm smiled and no longer bothered to reply to the dwarf because he understood that no matter what he said, the other person would just find ways to ridicule him.


    ''I''ll just let my actions do the talking,'' Malcolm thought before giving General Moriarty a respectful bow before leaving the tent.


    When they were no longer in the vicinity of the main camp, Malcolm crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the mountain in front of him. T


    ''Although it will be a bit difficult breaking into their stronghold, it is not impossible,'' Malcolm mused. ''I just need a good opportunity and this will end in no time."


    ��------


    Meanwhile in the Yn Camp��


    "We just need a good opportunity and this will end in no time!" Cai said as it aimed its re at the distance where the Ammar Kingdom''s army congregated. "Um, I''ll ask for another Pseudo-Legendary Item after we win this war. If only I knew that getting rare items was this easy, I would have entered the Hidden Domain two years ago as well."


    "If you hade, you''d probably be dead by now," Lux replied. "Get serious, Cai. We are up against an organized army and not a ragtag mob of fighters."


    Cai raised its hoof and moved it left to right as if to make a point.


    "I am always serious, My Daddy!" Cai stated. "I promise you that I''m gonna smash them like crazyter. But, before that, let''s have breakfast first. I''m hungry. Oh�� they have roasted pork. Very nice!"<sub> </sub>


    Lux sighed internally as he watched the Boar lined up alongside the soldiers for breakfast. They had already discussed the strategy that they were going to execute today.


    Since they didn''t know how strong their enemies were, Lux decided to use the strategy divide and conquer by summoning his skeletons in the middle of the night, and sending them to travel to the destinations he had marked on the artifact he had been given by the Gnome, Sherlock.


    Keane, who was standing not far from Lux, suddenly voiced his opinion, which made Einar, Vall, and Xander nce in his direction.


    "Everyone, please be careful," Keanemented. "I have this very bad feeling at the back of my mind. Whenever I get this, my life will always be in danger. Right now, it is telling me to be extra careful, like a premonition about what is toe."


    "Actually, I also feel the same way," Einar scratched his head. "Yesterday, when we were surrounded and suddenly attacked by the soldiers, I didn''t feel anything dangerous. But now, it seems that my instincts are telling me that the chance of dying today is very high. I just can''t exin it. I just know that something bad is going to happen."


    Lux, Vall, and Xander frowned after hearing Einar''s exnation. If it was only Keane who was feeling anxious, they could still shrug it off as something that was normal. But, even if the battle junky Einar was telling them that something bad was going to happen, they were forced to seriously heed their warning.


    "At the start of the battle, I propose that you guys don''t join the initial sh," Lux proposed. "Just observe the battlefield for now and take note of anything that looks suspicious."


    Keane and Einar nodded their heads in understanding. All of them had nominated Lux to be the temporary leader of this mission because they knew that it would be hard if they acted separately.


    Also, during the battle in the Gate of Death, Lux had gained Einar''s, Vall''s, and Xander''s recognition, making them feel that it wouldn''t be bad if the Half-Elf was the one that called the shots.


    Although they were rivals during the Lionheart Tournament, they''d berades in a battle of life and death, making them share the same sentiment with each other.


    "My Daddy, are you sure that you don''t need someone to go with you on your mission?" Cai inquired. "Spider Boy here moves fast. As long as you use him as a mount, you will be able to perform your mission perfectly."


    Lux and Vall had already given up in reprimanding Cai to call them by their names instead of My Daddy and Spider Boy. Since the annoying Boar had no intention of changing the way it addressed them, the two teenagers decided to ept their fate to prevent friction from happening in the group.


    "I will be more at ease knowing that Vall is with you guys to hold the fort," Lux replied. "Also, I will be more mobile if I travel alone. I can just summon my minions to fight for me if I encounter any difficulties."


    Lux hadn''t told anyone that he had the Teleportation Boots, which allowed him to teleport to the location of an ally on the map.


    This was why he had ordered the Skeletons to spread out across the map, in the middle of the night, and go to the ces that he had asked them to go.


    The Half-Elf was nning to use his Minions as ry stations to teleport to in order to more effectively backstab his enemies.


    The element of surprise yed a crucial role on the battlefield, and Lux was nning to harass the Army of the Ammar Kingdom, by sneaking past their defenses. Naturally, he could also retreat at any time as long as the cooldown time of the Teleportation Boots ended.


    Since Sherlock said that they were already at a disadvantage at the start then Lux nned to hit his enemies where they least expected it, and summon his Skeleton Minions, to deliver a decisive blow to their enemies.


    This was the beginning of a battle of schemes between Malcolm and Lux, who were both unaware that the other, as well as theirrades, were about to face off against each other in a battle that was being observed by the High-Ranking officials of the Skystead Alliance.

 Chapter 316 Divide And Conquer [Part 2]

    "It already started," Lux said as the two armies shed with each other. "I already told Sherlock that we''ll move independently during the battle. However, since we need to have a temporary Vice-Leader, I''d like to appoint Xander as the Vice-Leader of our Party, so he can lead while I''m away. Is that fine with everyone?"


    Einar and Vall frowned upon hearing Lux''s words. They only recognized the Half-Elf as their temporary leader because of his performance during the battle at the Gate of Death. Both of them were very proud individuals, and they didn''t want others ordering them around.


    "Xander, it''s not that I don''t trust you, but I just don''t feel like following any of your orders," Einar said. "I hope you don''t take offense."


    "Same for me," Vallmented. "No offense."


    "None taken," Xander replied.


    He and Lux had already expected this to happen during their secret talk the night before. Both of them knew that the other two teenagers might not agree to listen to Xander''s orders, so the Half-Elf prepared a n B just in case.


    "Very well. If that is how you feel then I will respect both of your decisions." Lux smiled before raising his hand. "Come out, Asmodeus."


    The Archlich appeared beside Lux with an amused expression on his face.


    "I''ve intended to keep this a secret from everyone, but since we need to clear this mission, I wille out clean," Lux stated. "The truth is, I have a very strong connection with my Named Creatures. Whatever they see in their surroundings, I can see all of it as well.


    "I''m sure that all of you are already familiar with my Archlich, Asmodeus. I will leave him here so I can observe the battlefield and give orders through my connection with him. Is that eptable to both of you?"


    Einar and Vall both nodded their heads. They had heard tales about Necromancers having a strong connection with the Higher-Undead. Although they were still a bit doubtful, they''d rather obey Asmodeus'' orders than obey Xander''s.


    "Diablo, obey Asmodeus'' orders as if they were from me, okay?" Lux said to Diablo, whom he had summoned earlier. "You are much needed here in the main camp because the power of the Dead will serve you greatly."


    "Understood." Diablo nodded. "Be careful, Master."


    "Don''t worry. I have Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion with me." Lux patted the Death Knight''s shoulder to give him some form of assurance. "Make sure to perform your duty well."


    "As youmand, Master!"


    "Mmm."


    Lux then took out the Map Projector that was given to him by Sherlock and observed it for two minutes, looking for a good ce to start his ambush. However, while looking at the map, he noticed that there was a group of people that had detached themselves from the enemy camp''s main force, and was heading towards the Southwest.


    "Strange, there are over a dozen individuals that broke away from their main camp and are traversing the forest in order to reach our rear," Luxmented as he pointed at the map where over a dozen blinking red dots were moving in an organized formation.


    Cai, who was chewing on some beef jerky, nced at the map and voiced its opinion.


    "Maybe they are assassins?" Cai stated. "Sherlock mentioned that both sides would send assassins at each other in order to target themanding officers."


    Vall, who was also observing the suspicious group of individuals in Lux''s map, pointed at the path that they were taking.


    "Look," Vall said. "They are now about to engage the sentries that are positioned in the forest to ensure that they will be able to take the main camp by surprise."


    When Lux''srades saw the function of the Pseudo-Legendary Item that was given to him by the Gnome, Sherlock, all of them became green with envy, with the exception of Keane.


    Such an artifact was priceless inrge scale wars because it allowed its user to spy on the movements of their enemies in real time.


    However, there was a drawback. The map''s fuel was High-Grade Beast Cores.


    A Deimos Beast Core would allow it to remain active for an hour.


    An Argonaut-Ranked Beast Core allowed it to function for four hours.


    And an Empyrean-Ranked Beast Core would allow it to work for half a day.


    It was truly a core-consuming artifact, but its effect was second to none. Fortunately, Sherlock had already charged it with an Empyrean-Ranked Beast Core before giving it to Lux, allowing him to use it for half a day.


    Everyone looked at the over twenty green lights that represented their allies on the map. Lux and hisrades thought that as soon as the red lights discovered that there were defenders guarding the path, they would immediately retreat.


    However, they were wrong.


    Once the two forces engaged each other, the green lights representing their allies disappeared from the map one by one, until none were left.<sub> </sub>


    "All of them are elites," Keane muttered as the red dots continued their advance deeper into their side of the forest.


    "One of my skeletons is there," Lux immediately sat cross legged in Lotus Position in preparation to connect with his Skeleton Fighter that was currently on standby nearby the route that their enemies were taking. "Give me a moment."


    ��----


    ''Commanding an elite unit surely is truly different frommanding deadweights,'' Malcolm mused as he ran in front of the formation. ''Those defenders didn''t even know what hit them.''


    The forces of the Yn Kingdom that they had taken down were all Grade B Apostles, which were led by a Grade A Apostle.


    For Malcolm and his allies, who were at the peak of Grade A Apostles, dispatching their enemies was not anything difficult. They were only a step away from the Initiate Rank, and all of them were battle-hardened individuals.


    They were personally handpicked by the Kingdoms and the Vahan Empire, both of which belonged to the Skystead Alliance. Naturally, they sent only the best in order to ensure that the sess of their mission was guaranteed.


    As they were passing through the trees, they saw a dismembered skeleton along the way, but they paid it no mind. They thought that it was just part of the setting of the dungeon, so they didn''t stop their advance and continued at a steady pace.


    Meanwhile, back at the Yn Main Camp��


    "Impossible!" Lux gasped after breaking his connection with his Skeleton Soldier. "Why are they here?!"


    "Who''s here?" Cai asked before throwing thest piece of beef jerky inside its mouth.


    "Malcolm."


    "Malcolm who?"


    Keane, who was standing beside the Boar, jabbed his elbow into the side of Cai''s body, making thetter squeal in pain.


    "Little Swordy, you bastard!" Cai red at the skinny swordsman. "What do you think you''re doing?!"


    "Shut up, Idiot!" Keane red back. "You don''t even know the name of the leader of the representative of the Skystead Alliance?"


    "Leader? Are you talking about that annoying blondie who challenged My Daddy earlier?"


    "Yes. That''s him."


    It took Cai roughly half a minute in order to connect the dots before its eyes widened in shock.


    "F*ck!" Cai cursed loudly. "I-Isn''t that bad? Aren''t they supposed to be in the Gate of Conquest? What are they doing here?!"


    Einar, Vall, and Xander, all had grim expressions on their faces. As much as they wanted to say that Malcolm''s group was no big deal, the reality was different.


    They were a BIG DEAL!


    "Calm down," Lux said as he assessed their situation. "They still don''t know of our existence. We have the element of surprise on our side. If we y our cards right, we can hit them where it hurts and stop their advance."


    "Then what about your earlier n?" Keane asked. "Are you going to abandon it?"


    Lux shook his head. "I''m not going to abandon it. I''ll just put it on hold until we repel Malcolm''s forces. However, if we are going to do this, we can''t let our identities be known by them."


    "Um, why?" Cai asked. "Shouldn''t we tell them who beat them up to a pulp?"


    Lux nced at the clueless Boar with a fed-up expression on his face.


    "Do you really want the Skystead Alliance to know that you attacked their representatives while they were doing their mission?" Luxmented. "Don''t forget. We just got our names removed from the cklist of their Kingdoms. Do you want to get cklisted again?"


    "I have an idea," Einar, who had been keeping his silence since earlier, voiced his opinion. "It will be best if we all wear masks, or anything that can cover our faces. Also, the Boar has to stay here. It is impossible to hide such an obnoxious creature, and although our fighting force will go down by a bit, it will be safer if we kept our identities anonymous."


    Everyone nodded in agreement to Einar''s n with the exception of Cai, who felt as if it was being singled out of the group.


    Still, Cai wasn''tpletely stupid and grumpily agreed to the n to remain inside the camp. A few minutester, they went to the Main Tent to tell Sherlock and Watson about the danger that was slowly making their way to the rear of their encampment.

 Chapter 317 Let’s Catch Ourselves A Field Boss

    Malcolm and his group, who were traversing the forest, suddenly came to aplete stop.


    The reason for this was that the Oracle in their party, who had the gift of irvoyance, suddenly told them to stop their advance.


    Oracle was a rare profession, simr to Lux''s Necromancer, that branched out from the Cleric profession. They were blessed with great foresight, which allowed them to sense dangers that were personally targeted at them.


    "They know we areing, and they are currently setting up an ambush ahead," the Oracle warned. "They have over fifty Individuals, and six of them have the ability to threaten us. If we don''t change our n, we will definitely fall into their trap."


    Malcolm and hisrades hesitated, wondering whether they should continue their assault or not. Although they were confident in their strength, fifty individuals with six of them able to threaten them was a risk they didn''t want to take.


    All of them were behind enemy lines, and if they weren''t careful, they could be surrounded with no path of escape.


    "What do you propose?" Malcolm asked. "Should we retreat?"


    "Yes," the Oracle replied in a heartbeat. "We can only aplish our mission if we have the element of surprise. Once that advantage is taken out of the picture, our group will have a hard time escaping if they manage to surround uspletely."


    Malcolm nodded his head in agreement. "Everyone, fall back. We will resume our mission at ater time."


    Without another word, Malcolm''s group retreated. They didn''t have any intention of sacrificing any of theirrades in a battle if it was not favorable to them.


    Lux, who was watching their enemies head back to their Main Camp, clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    He had asked Sherlock to lend him some of his elite soldiers to help them ambush Malcolm and his group, but due to the current state of the battlefield, the Gnome only managed to gather over forty veterans to apany them in their mission.


    Unfortunately, for some unexpected reason, their enemies decided to turn back, leaving the ambush that Lux had prepared just for them useless.


    In the end, Lux was forced to return the men back to the Main Camp and leave the Map Projector to Asmodeus.


    Although it was quite inconvenient to rely on the eyes of his skeleton minions that had been spread over the different parts of the battlefield, the possibility of Malcolm''s group returning was high.


    This was why he didn''t have a choice but to leave the Map Projector to Asmodeus and ordered the Archlich to activate the map once every ten minutes, and only use it for a minute every time to check the locations of their enemies on the map.


    ��-----


    "This ce is boring," an Ammarian Soldier wearing his white armor said. "I wish I was on the battlefield. I could have been killing hundreds of Yn Soldiers out there, but I''m stuck here doing guard duty."


    "Shut up," the soldiermented. "Can''t you just focus on your mission? We still have a job to do, so no more whining!"


    The soldiers manning their post resumed the observation of their surroundings. They were the sentries stationed on the outskirts of the battlefield, and their main role was to light a smoke signal to inform their General if there were enemies attacking their outpost.


    From within the shadow of a tree, a Nighstalker emerged.


    Ishtar carefully observed the camp in front of her and memorized theyout of their defenses. A minuteter, she disappeared, turning into a ck mist that flew in the direction of her Master.


    Lux was currently hiding under the cover of several trees in order to prevent the sentries from seeing him.


    "There are over fifty of them, and a surprise attack is not going to work," Ishtar reported. "Shall we proceed, Master?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Since we can''t take them by surprise, let us just take them head-on."


    Lux summoned Pazuzu, and Orion as well as his Skeleton Grand Archers.


    After sharing his connection with Asmodeus, the Half-Elf was aware of the current situation of the ongoing war.


    He wanted to have the enemy think that a detached force was attacking them from the side, and send some of their manpower in his direction in order to divert some of their attention away from the main battlefield.


    The Sentries on duty suddenly found themselves staring at what seemed to be a very chubby Knight who was flying in their direction.


    Seeing that the Knight wore silver armor, they initially thought that it was someone from their side. However, once the lone knight came closer, they could instantly tell that he wasn''t one of their allies.


    "Mad Rush!" Pazuzu roared as he flew towards the outpost like a cannonball, smashing the small watchtower with his shield.


    "Enemy attack!" the Captain of the outpost shouted. "Light the signal pyre! Everyone, with me��ack!"<sub> </sub>


    A dark de, coated with deadly poison, pierced through the captain''s throat before he could finish hismand. Ishtar, who had been lying in wait to take down the leader of the soldiers, immediately went for the kill right after the man made his presence known, leaving his subordinates without a leader.


    At that moment, the ground trembled as Orion broke through their encampment, thrashing everyone that stood in his way.


    Lux didn''t join the battle and simplymanded his troops from afar. He was currently wearing a ck robe and a mask to hide his identity.


    He didn''t know if the Skystead Alliance knew about his abilities, which was his primary concern. However, since there was no turning back for him and his group, they really had no choice but to fight against Malcolm and hisrades if they wished to clear this mission.


    Rains of arrows descended upon the soldiers as the Skeleton Grand Archers fired volley after volley. Ishtar, Orion, and Pazuzu, yed their roles well and scattered the enemy''s forces, making them flee like wild ducks that had heard a gunshot.


    Lux and his forces didn''t even bother to extinguish the mes that had started to burn brightly, creating smoke that acted as a signal, alerting the main army that their outposts were under attack.


    When the Half-Elf became convinced that they had caused enough mayhem, he decided to teleport to the next location and bring down another outpost to cause confusion in the Ammarians'' strategy.


    An hourter, Lux had managed to destroy three outposts of different locations, tricking Moriarty into thinking that the Yn Army had managed to slip through their defenses. Because of this, he ordered the main force to retreat, while he sent a detached force to scour the forest and marsnds that were within their line of defense.


    ��-----


    In one of the outposts that Lux had destroyed��


    "What is it?" Malcolm asked as one of hisrades examined the destroyed camp with a critical eye.


    "Wait," a young man with sharp features replied. "I need to confirm something."


    Picking up one of the arrows on the ground, he used his nose to sniff its tail feather. A momentter, he pointed towards the East side of the forest.


    "The scent ising from that direction," the young man said. "Follow me."


    Malcolm nodded his head and the rest of the group followed the young man as he tried to understand what kind of enemies took down three of the outposts that were deep within their line of defense.


    "Here, there are footprints," the young mah pointed to the ground. "Archers, all of them. Although faint, there are footprints that were headed in this direction. But this is where the trail ends. None of them moved past this point. Also, I smell the stench of the Undead��"


    At the mention of the word Undead, a frown appeared in Malcolm''s face.


    "What do you think?" Malcolm nced at the Oracle who had also crouched down on the ground, chanting something that was barely audible to the ears.


    "What he said is true, I can sense traces of Necrotic Magic in the surroundings," the Oracle replied. "It is possible that we are fighting against a Lich, or a Necromancer, both of which could summon the Undead."


    A moment of silence descended upon the group as they assessed the mysterious enemy that they didn''t expect to encounter in their mission.


    "What do you suggest that we do?" Malcolm asked the Oracle.


    The Oracle smiled as Divine Energy surged in his hands. "What else? We just need to find it and kill it. Who knows? This might be a Wandering Field Boss that the dungeon has created for us. We faced something simr to this in the Assyrian Catbs. Have you forgotten? That monster even dropped a Pseudo-Legendary Item that is now in my hands."


    The Oracle summoned a golden staff with a crimson skull adorning its tip.


    "I don''t take this out casually because I am an Oracle," the Oracle replied. "It is not�� something an Oracle can use in public, right?"


    Malcolm smiled after seeing the golden staff in the Oracle''s hands.


    "Indeed." Malcolm smirked. "I guess we now need to hunt the wandering Field Boss. Who knows? It might just drop another Pseudo-Legendary Item if we kill it."


    Malcolm''srades chuckled after his deration.


    The Oracle smiled and chanted an incantation. A momentter, a purple beam of light escaped the crimson skull that adorned his golden staff and flew towards the East.


    "He''s there," the Oracle said after finishing his tracking incantation. "Let''s catch ourselves a Field Boss."


    Malcolm and the rest of his members no longer wasted their time and traversed Eastward through the forest.


    All of them had greedy looks on their faces, as if the precious loot that the "Boss Monster" would drop was already in the bag.

 Chapter 318 The Art Of War [Part 1]

    Lux hadpletely destroyed another outpost within the defensive lines of the Ammar Kingdom.


    This was the fifth outpost that he had destroyed, giving the defenders of the Yn Kingdom a breather because their enemies retreated in order to deal with the hidden forces that had managed to infiltrate the territory they upied.


    Just as Lux was about to head to another outpost, a purple beam of light suddenly descended from the sky and hit his body.


    At first, Lux thought that this was an offensive spell, so he immediately took a defensive stance, with Pazuzu, and Orion, shielding him from all sides.


    However, nothing happened.


    Lux immediately checked his Soul Book to better understand what just happened to him. After checking his status page, he read something that made him frown.


    "Tracking Spell Active," read Lux aloud. "I''m�� being tracked?"


    Lux was well-aware that there were many kinds of tracking spells used to locate certain targets. Just like his Nightstalker, Ishtar, who had the ability called Hunter''s Mark, there were other professions, which specialized in tracking targets, like Rangers, Hound Masters, and Druids.


    After making sure that there was no harm done to his body, he immediately contacted Asmodeus and ordered him to check the Map Projector and see if any forces were headed in his direction.


    ''Master, over a dozen red dots are heading straight towards you from the West,'' Asmodeus reported. ''Based on their movement speed, they will reach your location in about half an hour if you don''t retreat now. I have reason to believe that this is the group led by Malcolm.''


    The frown on Lux''s face deepened as he summoned his mount, Jed, to take him back to the main camp of the Yn Kingdom. He could have just simply teleported to where Asmodeus was, but he didn''t do it for a simple reason.


    He didn''t want his enemies to know that he could teleport anywhere on the map.


    ''Monitor them for five more minutes,'' Lux ordered. ''If they are still following me after five minutes, I will summon you to my location.''


    ''Understood, Master,'' Asmodeus replied.


    Since the tracker that was marked in Lux''s body was spell-based, it would only work for a short period of time and within a specific range. Right now, he wanted to know just how far their tracking ability could reach, and how long the spell wouldst.


    If Malcolm''s group could repeatedly track his movements, then it would be hard for him to continue infiltrating the enemy''s outposts as he was doing a while ago.


    ''Not even a day has passed and I am already a target,'' Lux sighed in his heart as his mount, Jed, increased its speed, wanting to take his Master to safety as soon as possible. ''We need a change of ns.''


    ��-----


    "He is moving," the Oracle reported. "He is retreating and seems to be heading to the Yn Kingdom Camp."


    Malcolm raised his hand signaling that they would stop their pursuit of their target.


    "I guess our enemy is not stupid," Malcolmmented.


    "What now?" the Oracle asked.


    "What else?" Malcolm turned around. "Let''s go back to the Main Camp and report our findings, maybe Moriarty can help usy a trap for this wandering Field Boss."


    ��------


    "How can we kill theirmanding general, Moriarty, in six days?" Watsonughed. "You''re such a joker, Lux. If we knew the answer to that, then we would have done it already! That person is protected by an elite team of soldiers. Why do you think our assassins failed to assassinate him?"


    "His Elite Team is allposed of Initiates?" Lux answered.


    "Exactly. It''s almost impossible to kill him even with sneak attacks unless we also send an elite team to handle his guards."


    "But aren''t you and Sherlock also protected by Elite Soldiers? This is why their assassination attempts have failed as well, right?"


    Watson smiled and nodded his head. "In this regard, the strength of our security personnel is equal. Why do you think we recruited mercenaries to help us fight? The stronger our allies, the stronger we be. I don''t want to say this, Lux, but in the end, the oue of this war might be decided by the quality and quantity of the mercenaries we hired in this war."


    Watson''s usually happy-go-lucky expression turned serious as he rested his hand on Lux''s shoulders.


    "We''re counting on you and yourrades to break the stalemate," Watson replied. "If there is something we can do to help, as long as it is not excessive, we are willing to do what we can. As for troops�� since we are greatly at a disadvantage, the maximum number of soldiers I can assign to you is three hundred. Do you wish to be a Company Commander?"<sub> </sub>


    ��---


    < Watson has deemed that it is necessary for you to increase the number of personnel under yourmand in order to aplish your mission. Will you ept his offer? >


    ( Yes / No )


    ��--


    "I ept," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "Can you make all of them Initiates?"


    "Hahaha! Of course not." Watsonughed. "But, I assure you that all of them will be Grade B Apostles. I will even allow you to choose them personally."


    "Can I choose them now?"


    "Of course. Follow me."


    "Also, General, there is something that I want to talk to you about," Lux said. "It''s about our strategy tomorrow."


    Watson smirked before using his thumb to point at Sherlock who was looking on the map of the table with a solemn gaze.


    "I don''t make the strategies," Watson stated because he already knew what Lux wanted to talk about. "I just execute them. If you want to talk about strategies, that is the person you should talk to. As long as Sherlock approves of it then I''m in."


    ��----


    Ammar Kingdom Main Camp��


    "Malcolm, I will assign you to be a Battalion Commander in charge of a thousand men," Moriarty stated. "I don''t care what methods you use in order to achieve your goal. What I want is results. Can you make that happen?"


    "I can," Malcolm replied and bowed his head politely. "Thank you for your trust."


    Moriarty rested the side of his face over his closed fist as he eyed the young man with dark blue hair. He was quite satisfied with Malcolm''s performance at the start of the war. Knowing that a Necromancer or a Lich was currently causing havoc on the left and right nks of his army, he decided to take the initiative and create a task force that would get rid of it as soon as possible.


    "Earlier, our opponents suddenly decided to be a turtle and focused on defending," Moriartymented. "Although I am confident in the might of my army, I still find their strategy quite troublesome. If you were in my ce, what would you have done?"


    Malcolm didn''t answer right away, and instead pondered about what was the best thing to do. His father was the Great General of the Vahan Empire and was responsible for leading his men to battle.


    There had been more than one asion when he had taken Malcolm to war to serve as his aide, so that his son would learn all about military tactics at an early age. Because of this, the young man learned a thing or two about tactics, and a few ways for how to bring down a fortress and the people that manned it, who only specialized in defending.


    "I have an idea, but I don''t know if the General is willing to ept it," Malcolm replied.


    "Well, the most I can do is hear you out first," Moriarty replied. "If it''s decent, I will consider it."


    "General, what I want the army to do tomorrow is��"


    Moriarty listened to Malcolm''s exnation with a calm gaze. However, after hearing the entirety of the strategy, even the Great General of the Ammar Kingdom found it to be an ingenious move.


    "Good." Moriarty grinned. "If this strategy of yours worked, then I will reward you handsomely."


    That night, both camps made their own moves under the cover of darkness in order to gain the upper hand in the battle that would happen the next day. Both sides wanted to gain the upper hand against the other, and tilt the battle in their favor.


    Just as Watson had said earlier, the oue of the war could tilt based on the performance of each mercenary group that the two Kingdoms had hired.


    The Yn Kingdom had Lux and hisrades.


    The Ammar Kingdom had Malcolm and the Elites of the Skystead Alliance.


    These two teams, alongside their newly acquired troops, would determine whose side was going to win before the duration of the quest was over.

 Chapter 319 The Art Of War [Part 2]

    The next day, just before sunrise, the war drums of the Ammar Kingdom reverberated across the battlefield.


    Tens of thousands of troops steadily advanced towards the Mountain Fortress of the Yn Kingdom with the intention of breaking their defenses apart.


    "Archers, aim!" Watson ordered.


    Tens of thousands of archers all nocked an arrow on their bows and aimed upwards. Their enemies were still outside of their firing range, so they all held their arrows steady and didn''t shoot any of their arrows.


    ''This is bad. The wind is blowing towards us,'' Watson frowned. ''This will reduce the effectiveness of our ranged attacks. I need to wait until they are close enough to order the attack.''


    But, to Watson''s dismay, the army of the Ammar Kingdom stopped just before they entered the range of his archers. It was as if they knew exactly where the safe spot was, and stopped before their formation could suffer a rain of arrows that would have taken countless lives.


    "Prepare to start the operation," Moriarty ordered from his raised tform. "Mages, wait for my signal!"


    Immediately, the soldiers that were at the front of their formation parted, and several people wearing white robes with magical staffs and wands in their hands stepped forward.


    The soldiers once again parted as severalrge wooden wagons were carried to the very front of the formation. When all of them had been positioned properly, Moriarty gave an order that took the Yn Kingdom by surprise.


    "Light them all!" Moriarty ordered. "Mages, you already know what to do!"


    As soon as the soldiers threw their torches inside the wooden wagons, the grass, as well as wooden branches in them started to burn.


    The Mages then chanted and used their wind magic to blow the smoke towards the mountain where the Yn Kingdom''s first line of defense was stationed.


    Immediately, the entirety of the army of the Ammar Kingdom disappeared from view due to the thick smoke that was flying in the direction of the mountain.


    Lux, who had watched many documentaries in his past life, remembered something after seeing the smoke that was being sent in their direction.


    His face immediately paled after thinking of that possibility.


    "Sir Watson! Order everyone in the front lines to retreat!" Lux shouted. "That smoke might be poisonous! Tell everyone not to breathe in too much as they run away!"


    Watson was startled because he never thought that their enemies would use this kind of strategy in order to force them out from their advantageous position


    He immediately ryed Lux''s orders to the rest of his army, while sending a few of his Elite Soldiers to take Sherlock away.


    Unfortunately, the orders weren''t ryed fast enough, and the thick smoke reached the location of the first line of defenders.


    Half a minuteter, screams spread in the surroundings as the soldiers on the front lines writhed in pain after being immersed in the thick smoke for half a minute. Their eyes, and skin started to itch at first then the burning sensation followed.


    It was already toote when they realized that they could no longer escape the thick smoke due to zero visibility. Their condition worsened overtime, and soon, some of them became blindpletely.


    Others started to cough and wheeze heavily due to the irritation that was caused by inhaling the smoke through their noses.


    Some of the Mages, who specialized in using Wind Element started to summon gusts of wind to blow the smoke back, which let them seed in saving the lives of theirrades. However, some locations weren''t lucky, and many people died because they weren''t able to escape fast enough.


    "Excellent," Moriartymented as he watched the entire mountain slowly being covered by smoke. "Killing thousands without sacrificing any of our men. This is indeed a good n. You did well, Malcolm."


    "This is but a simple trick, General," Malcolm replied. "It is not worthy of such praise."


    "Don''t belittle your efforts, Malcolm," Moriarty crossed his arms over his chest as he listened to the screams that wereing from the mountain. "Because of you, none of my soldiers have died. This is aplete victory on our side."


    Malcolm smiled and didn''tment any further. He wanted to say that this strategy was quitemon during the wars between the Vahan Empire and its enemies. His father made sure that he understood how these methods were used in the past wars, and the ways to increase their effectiveness during critical moments.


    An hourter, the fires in the wagons stopped burning, and only wisps of smoke emerged from it. The mages used water magic topletely drench the remains of the wagons to ensure that none of their own troops would be subjected to the same horrors that their enemies had encountered.<sub> </sub>


    "Let''s wait for two more hours before climbing the mountains," Malcolm proposed after using a telescope to check the mountain. "By then, most of the smoke will have already dispersed, and we can take over the enemy camp that is bereft of defenders."


    Just as he expected, the only thing he saw were countless dead bodies that littered the entirety of the mountain.


    Two hourster, Moriartymanded his army to traverse the mountain. Without the defenders stopping their advance, their climb was smooth and unhindered.


    Some of the soldiers of the Ammar Kingdom even spat on the dead bodies that they discovered along the way, while others started to loot their possessions.


    Moriarty and Malcolm turned a blind eye to these barbaric acts because this was the privilege of the victors.


    As they went higher up the mountain, they were astounded to see just how much death their smokescreen had caused to the Yen Kingdom.


    "With this, we have struck a decisive blow to their army''s morale," Moriarty said with a very pleased look on his face. "I think we managed to take down a quarter, or even a third of their army. It is only a matter of time before they surrender."


    ��---


    Meanwhile, at the base of the mountain, located at the rear of the Ammarian Army.


    Lux teleported to one of his skeletons that had buried itself among the piles of the dead soldiers.


    A momentter, the Half-Elf summoned his Archlich beside him, who stood straight and looked at the one-sided genocide that transpired not too long ago.


    "This is quite an unfortunate turn of events for the Yn Kingdom," Asmodeus replied. "But it also created an opportunity for us, Master."


    "Indeed," Luxmented as he stood beside his Archlich. "I believe that the one who thought of this strategy is Malcolm. He even seeded without even breaking a sweat."


    "Yes," Asmodeus smiled. "He is an interesting specimen. Unfortunately, I will not get a chance to dissect him. At least�� not yet."


    Lux smiled wryly at his Archlich''sment.


    "Let''s start, Asmodeus," Lux stated as he raised his hand to channel his Necrotic Powers. "Let''s use the gift that Malcolm had given us to the fullest."


    "Humans have a way of fighting against Humans, and us Necromancers have our own way of fighting against the living." Asmodeus chuckled as he raised both of his hands high up in the air. "In Death, we find opportunities. I think it''s about time they understand that it is not only them who can use schemes to perform a one-sided massacre."


    The Archlich grinned as he channeled the necrotic energy in his hands.


    "I''m ready when you are, Master," Asmodeus said after he finished his preparations.


    "Understood." Lux sneered. "It''s time to give them a taste of their own medicine. Happy Deathday to all of you!"


    ""Corpse Explosion [EX]!""


    The entire mountain trembled as the corpses exploded one after the other, creating a chain reaction that detonated right under the Ammarian Soldiers'' noses.


    Shouts of pain, surprise, anger, and disbelief spread throughout the surroundings as another one-sided massacre took ce.


    Malcolm and Moriarty, who were at the center of the formation, no longer looked smug after everything around them started to blow up, sending bone shrapnel, blood, and pieces of flesh flying in every direction.


    Those who were already dead killed the living, and those who died because of them killed more people. This unstoppable cycle was simr to a burning match that was dropped into a chest of fireworks.


    A single spark was all it needed in order to set off an explosion that rocked the entire mountain, making Malcolm and Moriarty''s faces pale from fright.

 Chapter 320 The Art Of War [Part 3]

    < Corpse Explosion [EX] >


    �C Detonate a corpse, or corpses, dealing AOE damage to everyone within a forty-meter radius.


    �C Deals 2,000 Necrotic Damage to enemies within range per corpse.


    �C You will have the option to detonate any corpses within a thirty-meter radius of the first body that you detonate, forming a chain effect of explosions, dealing greater damage.


    �C If you detonate a corpse within a 20 second interval of each other, the damage will increase by 50% per corpse.  This effect stacks, and the maximum damage that could be dealt by the corpse explosion skill is 2,000%. Damage dealt can''t go any higher than this for single corpse explosions.


    �C If you detonate 10 corpses at the same time, damage will increase by 500%


    �C If you detonate 20 corpses at the same time, damage will increase by 1,000%


    �C If you detonate 50 corpses at the same time, damage will increase by 2,000%


    �C If you detonate 100 corpses at the same time, damage will increase by 3,000%


    �C If you detonate 200 corpses at the same time, damage will increase by 4,000%


    �C If you detonate 500 corpses  at the same time, damage will increase by 5,000%


    The maximum damage dealt by Chain Corpse Explosion [EX] can''t go higher than 5,000% stacked damage increase.


    Note: If you use this skill in the battlefield, the chances of wiping out entire armies is high. The only problem is that this ability doesn''t recognize friend from foe. Make sure that your allies have retreated a good distance away to prevent them from getting wiped out by this skill as well!


    ��-----


    This was the skill Lux and Asmodeus unleashed at the same time, creating a devastation that even they didn''t expect.


    Lux knew that using Animate Undead to revive the dead soldiers of the Yn Empire would be futile.


    The Ammarian Army had sent around four hundred thousand of their soldiers to scale up the abandoned Yn Encampment, leaving only two hundred thousand of their men to guard their main camp.


    Over a hundred thousand Yn Soldiers had died in the Poisonous Smoke Warfare that Malcolm had used.


    But this was a tragedy that no one could have predicted beforehand, forcing Watson to order a hasty retreat, leaving their encampment behind along with their supplies.


    Before leaving earlier, Asmodeus told Half-Elf to send his skeleton fighters to descend down the mountain while the smoke was still active. Although Lux didn''t know what the Archlich was nning at that time, he still decided to do what his Named Creature asked of him.


    Now that the enemies were making their escape, the Archlich finally told the Half-Elf about his n, which made Lux feel as if a pale of cold water was spilled on top of his head.


    It was such a nefarious n, no less than what Malcolm had done. Just like Asmodeus had mentioned earlier, Humans had a way to fight against Humans, and Necromancers had their own way of fighting against the living.


    The entire mountain shook as if it was being bombarded by cannonballs from a distance. Clouds of red mist, carrying the scent of blood, erupted over the entire mountain, drenching it in crimson color.


    Lux had detonated the corpses at the rear of the army, while Asmodeus detonated the ones in the front. These simultaneous explosions created a chain reaction that sandwiched the Ammarian Army, leaving them nowhere to escape.


    The Chain Corpse Explosions was truly horrifying, making Lux understand that this wasn''t something that can be used lightly. If he used this ability when two warring kingdoms were duking it out with each other in closebat, the consequences would be an all out genocide of friend and foe alike.


    "Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Charge!" Lux ordered and his named creatures began to scale up the base of the mountain.


    Diablo''s entire body glowed crimson red, due to the overpowering boost that he was getting from Bloody Fervor.


    This skill was one meant for war, and whoever had it would gain an incredible advantage on the battlefield the longer it was. Now that the number of the dead had climbed up to more than two hundred thousand, the Death Knight''s damage had reached a staggering one million.<sub> </sub>


    Although this was not enough to one-shot Pseudo-Deimos Ranked Monsters, anything below that Rank would be easily annihted!


    "You guys join as well!" Lux summoned all of his skeleton minions, including his golems, in order to scale up the mountain. "Find the enemy''s general! Once you see him, notify me at once!"


    Asmodeus chuckled as he, too, summoned his Undying Army.


    "This has gotten quite exciting, hasn''t it, Master?" Asmodeusmented as he continued to use Corpse Explosion to trap the Ammarian Soldiers, who had nowhere to go.


    "Indeed!" Lux agreed. "We just need to find the enemy''s general and end this once and for all!"


    While Lux and Asmodeus were busy detonating corpse after corpse and sending their minions to look for General Moriarty, Malcolm and hisrades were trying to look for a safe ce to hide.


    Explosions surrounded them, and the screams of the dying reverberated in the surroundings.


    Moriarty, who was being protected by his Elite Soldiers, was also looking for an escape route, but Lux and Asmodeus'' strategy to encircle them with detonating corpses, ensured that there was no ce for them to run into.


    "General, we need to get out of here and fast!" Malcolm, who was nearing the end of his rope, yelled as he approached the Ammarian General, hoping thetter could think of a solution to their problems.


    "Thank you for stating the obvious, Malcolm," Moriarty replied. "But that is easier said than done, however, we are not out of options just yet. All mages, aim your spells at the ground in front of us and create a big, and deep enough hole for us to hide in."


    Malcolm and hisrades, who hadn''t even thought about that solution, immediately sprang into action and bombarded the ground in front of them, creating an ever expanding hole, which was theirst resort.


    ��---


    Entrance of the Domain of the Fallen��


    "Malcolm is still too green," one of the high-ranking officials of the Skystead Alliancemented as they watched the war that was happening in real time.


    "Indeed." amander nodded his head in agreement. "Still, if it weren''t for that Lich or Necromancer, this battle should have been won already. Him using smoke tactics was brilliant."


    "Well, I can''t refute that. Perhaps this war would allow him to grow to new heights. Are we perhaps witnessing the birth of yet another great general?"


    "The youngins really carry the hope of our nation."


    The members of the Xynnar War Pact and representatives of the Six Kingdoms from Sis all had solemn expressions on their faces as they snuck nces at the projection on the wall by their rivals.


    They were also surprised when Malcolm had used such a strategy to thin out the forces of the Yn Kingdom, which made them feel that he was a threat that must be disposed of while he was still young.


    Unfortunately, they wouldn''t be able to do that anytime soon because, if any of the representatives of the Skystead Alliance died after during this joint exercise, an all-out-war would start, which was something that their side wasn''t too keen to see happen.


    Among the representatives of the Six Kingdoms was a High-Ranker that belonged to the Rowan Tribe.


    He was none other than Xander''s father, Hector, and he hade to ensure that his son would return home safely.


    While he observed the Corpse Explosions that caused the entire mountain shake, the image of the Half-Elf with red hair suddenly appeared inside his mind.


    He knew that it was impossible for Lux to be there, but for some reason, he couldn''t remove this idea from his mind.


    ''I''m just overthinking things,'' Hector thought. ''That boy, Lux, couldn''t possibly be in the same Instance Dungeon as Malcolm, right?''


    The reason why no one thought of this possibility was because Instance Dungeons, as the name suggested, were created on a different ne. Meaning, even if people were to enter the same Dungeon, they would not see each other because they would be brought to different "replicas" of the dungeon.


    However, the Sacred Dungeon was different. It followed its own rules, and right now, it had made it possible for Lux''s party and Malcolm''s party to face each other in a war that was getting more intense with each passing minute.

 Chapter 321 It Will Take More Than Killing Me To Kill Me

    Diablo''s sword swept the battlefield, killing those who were unlucky enough to stand in his path.


    Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion, were also busy dealing with the remaining survivors, but they were visibly having a harder timepared to the Death Knight, whose might had reached staggering levels.


    "Have you found him?" Diablo asked Ishtar who had appeared beside him.


    "No," Ishtar replied. "I will check the North West. I''ll notify you right away once I find them."


    Without another word, the Nightstalker melded with the shadows. She, along with Diablo, were the most mobile among Lux''s named creatures, so it was mostly up to them to find themanding general of the Ammarian Army in order to end his life.


    The explosions were starting to fade away because most of the people within the vicinity were dead.


    Out of the four hundred thousand people that had climbed up the mountains, only around thirty thousand were left, and all of them were scattered all over the ce, looking for a safe ce to hide.


    Malcolm and Moriarty still had around five thousand soldiers with them, making them a sizable force.


    These soldiers had created temporary trenches using magical spells, allowing them to survive the explosions that were happening around them.


    When everything started to quiet down, Moriarty stood up from his hiding ce and scanned the surroundings.


    "Everyone, prepare to descend the mountain." Moriarty ordered. "No matter what happens, pay close attention to your surroundings. Do not go near any of the corpses at all costs. We don''t want a repeat of what just happened."


    His voice wasn''t too loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. No one was talking because they were hoping that the explosions around them would start to die down, so they were able to hear their General''s orders clearly.


    "Form Ranks." Moriarty raised his hand, making the soldiers take a battle formation with him at its center.


    Time was crucial, and he knew that he needed to return to their Main Camp as soon as possible before their enemy could regroup andunch a counterattack while they were still in the mountains.


    His worries were on point because one of Lux''s Skeletons raised a red g at the top of the mountain, telling the Yn Army that all was clear.


    "The g is raised, what now?" Watson asked Sherlock who was mounted on top of a mountain goat.


    "Elementary, my Dear Watson," Sherlock said as he loaded a metallic ball into his flintlock. "Raise our banner and order the men to go for the kill!"


    Watson immediately hoisted the banner while riding on his own Mountain Goat.


    "You heard the Man, I mean, Gnome!" Watson roared. "Everyone, charge! Avenge our brothers!"


    ""Kill!""


    ��---


    Moriarty and Malcolm heard the war cries that sounded in the distance and knew that they didn''t have much time to spare.


    "Everyone, hasten your pace!" Moriarty ordered. "We mustn''t let them catch us!"


    With their general urging them to hurry, the soldiers started to increase their pace. They had already been jogging down the mountain path, but now, they were almost running.


    Moriarty, along with his officers and elite protectors were mounted on War Horses.


    Malcolm and hisrades had also summoned their Forest Wolves, and were moving at the right side of the General.


    They had two mission goals. One was to defeat the Yn Army, and the other was to protect Moriarty''s life. Due to the heavy security that guarded the General, Malcolm and hisrades were able to focus their attention to finding ways to weaken the Yn Army.


    However, they, including their target of protection, were currently in a precarious situation. In order to seed in their mission, they prioritized escorting the General back to the Main Camp and ensuring that he wouldn''t be killed along the way.


    Suddenly, a loud whistle spread in the surroundings, making all the soldiers at the front of the formation take a defensive stance.


    A momentter, everyone felt a powerful presence approaching their position from the right side, making everyone face in that direction.


    A Death Knight, mounted on a Nightmare, was charging in their direction. Flying beside him was a chubby knight, whose whole body was covered in armor.


    "Protect the General!" Malcolm shouted as he, as well as hisrades, positioned themselves in front of Moriarty, with their weapons drawn.


    "Archers and Mages, fire at will!" Moriarty ordered.


    Immediately, a rain of arrows and spells headed towards the charging Death Knight, but thetter didn''t slow its advance. Instead, it even increased, making the glowing embers in Diablo''s eyes grow brightly.<sub> </sub>


    "Shield Wall!" Pazuzu flew in front of Diablo and activated his strongest defensive ability.


    Immediately a six-meter-tall, blue Tower Shield appeared in front of him, deflecting the arrows and absorbing the spells that were aimed in his direction.


    Pazuzu knew that his shield wouldn''t hold for long, so he once again activated his other skill, Mad Rush, and bulldozed his way forward.


    "Block him!" Moriarty ordered. "Phnx Formation!"


    Following their General''s orders, the soldiers in front of their formation all raised their shields, and pointed the tip of their spears forward to intercept the Fortress Defender whose blue tower shield was filled with cracks.


    A momentter, the blue tower shield shattered, revealing the charging juggernaut, who was now relying on his own Silver Shield, as well as its armor, to block the attacks aimed in his direction.


    When Pazuzu was only a dozen of meters away from the soldiers of the Ammarian Kingdom, he roared and activated one of his skills with the intention of smashing the defenders that were blocking his way.


    "Shield Bash!"


    Just like a bowling ball hitting a set of bowling pins, everyone in front of the formation was blown away by Pazuzu''sst hurrah.


    Less than ten secondster, Pazuzu''s health got depleted due to thebined attacks that were aimed in his direction, and he turned into particles of light.


    However, as soon as the particles of light disappeared, the image of a Death Knight took its ce.


    "Whirlwind sh!"


    Right after Diablo entered the gap that Pazuzu had created for him, the bodies of the soldiers around him were split in half, sending blood flying in every direction.


    This gruesome scene made Malcolm, who was right in front of Moriarty, subconsciously shudder. At that moment, he knew that the moment the Death Knight reached their location, there was nothing that could stop it from killing Moriarty.


    "Turn Undead!"


    The Oracle, who was part of Malcolm''s army, pointed the golden staff with a skull on its tip towards the Death Knight who was swinging its weapon like the God of Death, reaping the lives of the soldiers as if he was just cutting grass.


    When the spell hit Diablo, the Death Knight was momentarily pushed back, but the spell wasn''t enough to instantly kill it.


    "What are you waiting for?!" the Oracle shouted. "Kill the Wandering Field Boss! Kill him now!"


    The Oracle''s shout broke the soldiers around Diablo out of their daze, and they once again swarmed the Undead with their weapons drawn high.


    "Futile," Diablo replied as he swung his sword, killing dozens of men in a single swing. "It will take more than killing me to kill me."


    The health that he had lost after he was hit by the Turn Undead skill was instantly restored due to the Life Steal ability of his weapon, Blood Moon.


    The Oracle clicked his tongue in annoyance when he saw that his spell didn''t work the way he wanted. This skill had a small chance of instantly killing a High-Ranking Undead as long as they were not Boss Monsters.


    Although the Oracle hadbeled Diablo as the Wandering Field Boss they were looking for, he still decided to give it a try, just in case a miracle happened.


    Little did the Oracle know that this one spell of his could''ve ended Diablo''s life, had he been lucky enough to trigger the spell''s One-Hit-KO probability against the Undead.


    If he had only used this skill two to three more times, perhaps the Death Knight would have died due to that small probability.


    Sadly, he didn''t use it again, which allowed Diablo to break their formation and continue to advance towards the Great General, whose death would spell the end of Malcolm''s mission.


    "Kill it," Moriarty ordered his elite guards who were all of the Initiate Rank. "Make it quick."


    Immediately, a dozen soldiers wearing red capes on their backs charged at the Death Knight, who created a trail of blood behind him.


    When the Initiates neared him, Diablo did the unthinkable, making Moriarty and Malcolm open their eyes wide.


    The Death Knight jumped on its mount''s back in order to gain a foothold and used its Leap Attack, aiming towards Moriarty''s location.


    "Hellfire Annihtion sh!"


    That was thest thing that Malcolm and hisrades heard before the mes of hell descended upon them, and burned their bodies into particles of light.

 Chapter 322 Shut Up, Uncle! Just Go Die Already! [Part 1]

    Malcolm''s entire group, with the exception of the Oracle, were instantly killed by Diablo''s AOE attack.


    The Oracle only managed to escape because he had used a blink ability, taking him out of harm''s way and teleporting him behind the Death Knight whose skill had annihted everyone that was in front of him.


    Surprisingly, Moriarty hadn''t died from Diablo''s attack, and no damage whatsoever could be seen on his body. Only his War Horse, which he had been riding earlier, had died from the Death Knight''s attack.


    ��---


    < One of the Opposing General''s Protective Charms was destroyed. >


    < Remaining Protective Charms ( 2 / 3) >


    ��---


    When Lux heard this notification inside his head, he couldn''t help getting surprised. He thought that the battle would already be over with Diablo''s attack, but it seemed that his mission wasn''t as easy as he originally thought it would be.


    ''Still, we have the upperhand. Diablo, finish him!'' Lux ordered as he directed all of his summoned creatures to help the Death Knightnd the finishing blows on the General, who was one of his primary objectives.


    Diablo once again shed at Moriarty, not giving the General time to recover, but thetter raised his bastard sword to parry the Death Knight''s blow and even counterattacked.


    The blow was strong, causing Diablo to skid across the ground for a few meters beforeing to a halt.


    Moriarty was a Pseudo-Ranker, so he was quite strong. Although Diablo''s damage reached over a million, as long as he doesn''tnd a hit, it would be useless.


    Time and time again, the two shed, but Moriarty seemed to be an expert in parrying. In fact, Diablo had the Expert Parry Skill, and yet, he was unable tond a hit on the General and, in turn, couldn''t break the two remaining Protective Charms that protected him.


    ''Maybe he has Extreme Parry or God-like Parry,'' Lux thought as he observed the battle from Diablo''s perspective. ''Well, no one said that it has to be a one-on-one battle.''


    Suddenly, a dark arrow shot from nowhere and flew towards Moriarty''s back.


    However, before the arrow could evennd on its target, Moriarty did a backswing, using the t of his de as a shield to block the iing threat from behind.


    "Protect the General!" one of the soldiers broke out of his daze and shouted. "Men! Protect the general!"


    Immediately, several magic spellsnded on Diablo''s body, pushing him away from his opponent.


    While this was happening, Ishtar appeared a few meters away from Moriarty and used twin des to attack him at close range. However, as if already expecting an attack from behind, the General calmly side-stepped, allowing Ishtar''s blow to pass harmlessly by his side.


    Losing her bnce, the Nightstalker wasn''t able to block the follow up kick that Moriarty had aimed from behind her, which sent her crashing towards a tree several meters away.


    "Jackhammer!"


    Orion''s thunderous roar spread in the surroundings as the Jade Golem smashed his fist towards the General, who didn''t even flinch at the sight of a four-meter-tall Jade Golem, whose terrifying fist was descending in his direction.


    "Perfect Counter," Moriarty muttered as he blocked the Golem''s attack with his sword, preventing any damage to his body.


    ? Orion was about to exert more strength to his fist in order to smash the General to the ground, but before he could do that, something unbelievable happened.


    The four-meter-tall golem was sent flying by Moriarty, destroying the trees that blocked his way.


    At that exact moment, the corpses around Moriarty exploded at the same time, dealing sharp shrapnels, as well as a cloud of necrotic damage towards the General.


    A momentter, a notification sound was heard inside Lux''s head, making him clench his fist tightly.<sub> </sub>


    ��---


    < One of the Opposing General''s Protective Charms was destroyed. >


    < Remaining Protective Charms ( 1 / 3) >


    ��---


    "Yes!" Lux was unable to stop himself from shouting and doing a fist pump. "Just one more!"


    Lux was so focused on observing the battle through Diablo''s eyes that he didn''t notice the spell that was about to hit his body from his left side.


    "me Strike!"


    The Half-Elf''s body instantlybusted into mes, destroying the robe and mask that he was wearing.


    Fortunately, after his body constitution was upgraded to Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy, Lux''s body had be immune to fire.


    Also, he was wearing armor underneath his robes, so only the robes and the ordinary mask he received from Sherlock were destroyed.


    After blinking away from Diablo, the Oracle knew that he couldn''t stay on the mountains and decided to use his blink ability to descend the mountain. While he was going down, he noticed two suspicious robed figures with their hands raised in the air as if performing a long-distance spell.


    Afternding his hit, the Oracle cast the tracing spell that he had used to find the "Wandering Field Boss" because his instincts were screaming at him to do it.


    To his surprise, the purple beam of lightnded on the person that was currently being bathed by zing mes.


    "It''s you!" the Oracle shouted after seeing Lux''s face that was no longer disguised by a mask. "What are you doing here?! Are you the Necromancer controlling that Death Knight?!"


    Lux didn''t answer. Instead, he stomped his right foot on the ground and turned into a streak of lightning, heading towards the Oracle.


    Now that his secret was blown, there was only one thing left to do and that was to kill his enemy, and get it over with.


    The Oracle was about to blink away and almost seeded. But to his dismay, instead of getting away from his enemy, he was now standing two meters away from the Half-Elf whose hands had already transformed into dragon ws.


    "Stop!" the Oracle shouted while looking at the Half-Elf whose eyes had turned purple.


    "Dragon w!" Lux ignored the Oracle''s plea and shed his chest using his ws.


    "Ack!" the Oracle shouted as the power of Lux''s passive ability, Touch of the Abyss, rioted inside his body, making him writhe in pain.


    Giving his enemy no mercy, the Half-Elf used his free hand to use another Dragon w. this time it was aimed at his opponent''s face, sending blood flying in the air.


    "Dragon Rend!"


    Both of Lux''s ws were covered in dragon mes, making the Oracle shout in fear and desperation.


    Without holding back, Lux''s right hand shed down on the Oracle''s hand, which was holding a golden staff, and cut itpletely from his body.


    Lux''s left hand, pierced through the Oracle''s body, making himbust from within, and turn into particles of light.

 Chapter 323 Shut Up, Uncle! Just Go Die Already! [Part 2]

    The faces of Malcolm and the High-Ranking officials of the Skystead Alliance, who were observing the battle from the projection on the wall, were all contorted in anger. They had gotten a clear view of the Half-Elf''s face when he was about to kill the Oracle, making them cry out in anger.


    The image on the wall disappeared as soon as thest surviving member of Malcolm''s team was killed, which also signified that their mission to conquer the Gate of Conquest had ended in failure.


    "Just what is going on here?!" the Ambassador of the Vahan Empire shouted as he pointed his finger at the members of the Xynnar War Pact. "Is this part of your ploy?! You dare scheme against us?!"


    "Preposterous!" one of the High Ranking Nobles of the Six Kingdoms shouted back. "We have no idea what you are talking about! Also, I don''t see anything wrong with what happened. Your kids are fighting against our kids and lost. Or are you saying that you bastards can''t ept a loss, huh?!"


    "What did you say, you bastard?!"


    "Hah! Are you deaf?! I''m saying that your kids are weaklings! What? Do you have a problem? Come and bite me!"


    Tension started to spread outside the gates of the Domain of the Fallen as both parties unsheathed their weapons. Clearly, all it needed was one more push before a scuffle started.


    "Everyone, sheathe your weapons!" Xander''s Father, Hector, shouted to calm everyone down. "We still have no idea what is happening, so it will be best if we wait until Lux and hisradese out of the dungeon. Once they are out, we can all ask them what happened."


    "Ask them?" the Ambassador of the Vahan Empire sneered. "Why is there a need to ask them? We''re not blind. Clearly, they are sabotaging our empire''s representatives even after we paid the price to gain the slots to enter the Sacred Dungeon!"


    "That''s right! You double crossers!"


    "How dare you cheat us?! Do you think we are soft persimmons?!"


    "Do you really think that we will take this lying down? If you want to fight, let''s fight!"


    Hector crossed his arms over his chests and emitted a Lion''s Roar, which drowned out theints of the Skystead Alliance.


    "I''m telling you to wait!" Hector shouted. "This needs to be investigated properly. The Sacred Dungeon is an Instance Dungeon. It is unusual for two parties to exist on the same ne! We have entered other Dungeons of the same kind for several years already, and this has never happened before. We must know what triggered it to prevent something simr from happening in the future!"


    Hector didn''t want to fight because he knew that if he made his move, the Rankers of the Skystead Alliance would also make their move.


    If Rankers started to fight each other, a bloodbath would ensue, which would cause the loss of many lives. Although the Skystead Alliance was their rival, they weren''t their enemy, at least not yet.


    In order to prevent the worse case scenario, he needed to use the voice of reason in order to calm everyone down.


    Fortunately, he seeded, making the members of the Skystead Alliance question their counterparts if such a thing really hadn''t happened in the past.


    "It''s true, this is the first time this has happened," one of the Rankers from Barbatos Academymented. "Just like Hector said, the Sacred Dungeon is an Instance Dungeon. It is impossible for two teams to be present in the same Dungeon at the same time. This has never happened before!"


    There were Dungeons in Elysium which they referred to as Open World Dungeons and Boss Raid Dungeons.


    These Dungeons allowed many people to challenge it all at the same time, and everyone would be fighting on the same ne of existence. It was different from Instance Dungeons which would separate the challengers into different copies of the Dungeon, and allow them to challenge it on a team by team basis.


    Malcolm and hisrades were forced to rein in their anger because this matter was simply unheard of. Also, they had fought against Lux''s team and lost. If they whined about it, they would simply be theughing stock of everyone.


    Losing in a Dungeon Raid simply meant that they didn''t have the skills to win, or luck wasn''t on their side.


    Malcolm and the other representatives of the younger generation didn''t want to make it look like they couldn''t take a loss. However, that didn''t mean that they weren''t angry about it.


    ''Bastards, let''s see how you face the wrath of our Emperor when youe out of that dungeon!'' Malcolm cursed internally.


    He knew that Emperor Andreas was someone who carried a grudge. The price the Skystead Alliance had to pay to obtain the fifteen slots from Lux wasn''t really a big deal.


    The problem was that they had "paid" for the entrance to the Sacred Dungeon, but the one who received their payment was the same person that killed them inside it.


    It''s like paying a Bandit Leader for protection money to allow them to pass, but after receiving the payment, the Bandit Leader still decided to kill them, making them feel aggrieved.


    While the tension outside of the Domain of the Fallen had somewhat gotten under control, Lux and his skeleton soldiers were going all out to try and deal thest blow to Moriarty, who was defending perfectly against all of their attacks.


    Suddenly, the ground trembled as the warriors of the Yn Empire appeared with Watson leading the charge.


    "Hah! Moriarty we finally meet!" Watson shouted as he made a beeline towards the General of the opposing army. "Your head is mine!"


    It was not only Watson whose eyes had turned Bloodshot. All of the soldiers of the Yn Army shouted as they urged their mounts to strike the General who was fighting a desperate battle on his own.


    "Watson, do you dare to fight me in a duel?!" Moriarty shouted. "Or are you telling me that the General of the Yn Kingdom is a cowardly dog who only knows how to hide behind his army''s back?!"


    "Desperate cries from a desperate person!" Watson replied. "But sure, I will humor you! Men, do not interfere!"


    Jumping down from his mount, Watson held a great sword in his hands and engaged Moriarty in a duel.


    As if watching a cut-scene from a game, Lux watched as the two repeatedly shed their weapons against each other without backing away.


    Moriarty looked exhausted, which was probably because of the battle he''d had with Lux''s forces. But the determination in his eyes gave him strength and allowed him to stand up against Watson, who was at the peak of his prime.


    Blow after blow, the ground under their feet crumbled as their attacks, which carried the might of their respective armies, shed against each other.


    Then it happened.


    Moriarty saw an opportunity and managed to sessfully trick Watson with his feint, allowing him to stab his bastard sword on his opponent''s shoulder, breaking his form.


    "Die Watson!" Moriarty''s frenzied gaze was filled with killing intent as he pulled his sword from Watson''s shoulder to deliver a killing blow to the Yn General''s neck, to chop it offpletely from Watson''s body.


    But before his de couldnd on his target, a mighty, and defearning roar reached his ears.


    "I''m Charging!"


    Caught off guard, Moriarty wasn''t able to dodge the deadly tusks that pierced through his armor.


    ��-


    < The Opposing General''s protective charms are allpletely destroyed. You may now directly attack his body and deal damage! >


    ��---


    Cai, who had also heard the notification, was currently mming Moriarty''s body into the trees that were blocking its way. Its tusks were firmly embedded on the General''s body, making thetter unable to break free from it.


    "I''M CHAAAAAAAAAARGING!"<sub> </sub>


    Cai, who only knew how to charge, did what it did best and simply dragged the General on a ride of non-stop suffering.


    The Boar smashed the aggrieved General into everything avable��trees, boulders, trees, boulders, across the ground, more trees, more boulders, and anything else that it could use to inflict pain on the enemy, whose bloody lips were repeatedly releasing curses.


    "Filthy coward!" Moriarty spat a mouthful of blood on Cai''s face. "How dare you get in the way of a duel?!"


    "Shut up, Uncle!" Cai shook its head side to side, and mmed Moriarty''s body on the ground repeatedly. "Just go die already!"


    Finally, after a couple agonizing minutes, a notification sound reached Lux, as well as hisrades'' ears, signaling that the Great General of the Ammarian Kingdom, Moriarty, finally died in Cai''s hands.


    ��-----


    < Congrattions! You have finished the mission: The Warring Kingdoms! >


    Mission Rating: S


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Kill the General of the opposing army.


    < Subquest Objective >


    �C Capture the Main g of the opposing army.


    �C Kill the Mercenaries that have been hired by the opposing party.


    �C Quest Duration: 1 week


    ��--------


    Suddenly, rows of text appeared in front of everyone, stating that the mission was only partiallypleted.


    ��--------


    < Important Notice! >


    Although the Mission has reached its Main Objective, the Subquest, Capture the Main g of The Opposing Army, is still unfinished. If you wish to get the maximum reward for this mission, you must finish all the quest objectives.


    < Would you like to continue the Quest, The Warring Kingdoms? >


    ( Yes / No )


    If you choose No, the mission will be graded on the respective contributions of each Party member.


    ��---


    Contribution Ranking List


    Lux Von Kaiser


    Cai��


    Einar Mordosk


    Vaki Meitar


    Keane��


    Xander��


    ��--------


    Einar, and the others who saw the rankings almost spat blood after seeing that Cai was listed as the second. The Boar did nothing but simply "Kill Steal" the Army''s general, yet it was second in the rankings from that mere contribution.


    "Let''s charge at the main camp and capture the g!" Einar shouted! "Vall, let''s go!


    This time, Vall didn''t hesitate and transformed into a giant spider. However, instead of allowing the Barbarian to jump on its back, it spat a mouthful of sticky on Einar''s body, pinning the barbarian on a tree.


    A momentter the Alpha-Ranked Elegant Golden Jumping Spider descended the mountain in a mad rush. Clearly, its aim was to capture the enemy''s g in order to gain some merit points and get higher in the rankings.


    "Vall you traitor!" Einar roared in anger. "I''ll get you for thissssssssssss!"


    Cai, who saw this scene, simply snorted and raised its chin arrogantly.


    "Peasants fighting for a few coins," Cai said, making the Barbarian re at it in anger. "Bitter much? Better luck next time, Brah."


    Keane and Xander nced at each other and just shook their heads helplessly. Although they didn''t contribute much to the mission''spletion, they were still satisfied that it was finally over.


    In truth, the chances of the Yn Army losing was quite high. If Lux wasn''t a Necromancer, their loss would have already been assured.


    "Corpse Explosion�� such a frightening thing," Xander muttered. "I can never look at a corpse the same way ever again."


    Keane nodded his head in agreement. If Lux truly had used this ability without care for morals, then the oue would be truly devastating.


    Both teenagers didn''t dare to think about what would happen if Lux decided to use this ability outside of a dungeon.


    Once again, the two teenagers felt relieved that Lux was on their side.


    If he was their opponent, then they would have to seriously consider eliminating him first, given the high level of threat that he could bring on the battlefield.


    Fortunately, they were good friends, so they didn''t have to worry about this. Even Einar, who had treated Lux as his rival, decided to not be on bad terms with the Necromancer, whose abilities had far exceeded his expectations.


    These teenagers were not aware that the moment they left the Gate of War, a new kind of War would be waiting for them in the real world.


    A war that would not be fought with weapons, or words, but a cold war, that would make the Half-Elf the center of everyone''s attention.

 Chapter 324 Mission Rewards [Part 1]

    < Congrattions! You have finished the Main Quest and Subquest of the mission: The Warring Kingdoms! >


    Contribution Ranking List


    Lux Von Kaiser


    Cai��


    Vaki Meitar


    Einar Mordosk


    Keane��


    Xander��.


    < Calcting Rewards. Please, standby! >


    ��----


    "Mwahahahaha! Easy win!" Caiughed with its snout raised up to the heavens. "Is this Hell Mode? More like Easy Mode! I can do this all day!"


    Lux, Keane, Einar, and Xander ignored the shameless Boar''sugh which sounded like it had won the lottery.


    The notification of the mission beingpleted showed up as soon as Vall arrived at the Main Camp of the Ammar Kingdom and captured their Main g.


    The giant spider ignored all the defenders and just focused on grabbing the g with its superior speed and agility. This allowed him to get third ce in the rankings, leaving Einar behind by one Rank.


    As for Keane and Xander, they were just happy that the mission was over, even though they didn''t do much to help clear it.


    < Rewards calcted! Please check your inventories! >


    Rows upon rows of words appeared in front of Lux as he checked the rewards that were given to him.


    ��------


    < Rewards >


    1,000,000 Gold Coins


    15,000 Body Constitution Points


    1,000 Free Stat Points


    +10 to all Summon Skeleton Skills


    + 2 to all Summon Golem Skills


    �C All Skeleton Summon Ratings will be upgraded to S-Rating. This upgrade doesn''t include Named Creatures.


    �C All Summon Golem Ratings will be upgraded to S-Rating. This upgrade doesn''t include Named Creatures.


    �C Key to the Legendary Kingdom of Espoir Frieden


    +100 Reputation Points with the Kingdom of Espoir Friden


    ��----


    Before Lux could even jump in joy from seeing the rewards he received from his quest, another round of notifications appeared in front of him.


    ��---


    < Your Skeleton Fighters have reached the S-Rating and are ready to be upgraded to their next profession! Please, choose one among the three choices for their next upgrade! >


    Skeleton Rider �C A mobile warrior who specializes in mountedbat. Able to tame creatures to be used as mounts.


    < Job Profession Bonuses >


    Passive Skill: Union of Man and Beast, Cavalry Charge, Light, Medium, and Heavy Armor Proficiency.


    Gains 100% increase to attack, and defense when mounted.


    �C Each Skeleton Rider will be summoned riding their own Skeleton Horse Mounts.


    +5,000 Health


    +100 Attack<sub> </sub>


    Note: It''s not about what you Ride, It''s about HOW you Ride. I am Speed!


    ��-------


    Skeleton Swashbuckler �C A swaggering Warrior who can battle onnd and on the sea. Often mistaken for Pirates because of their unruly behavior, these Warriors excel in singlebat, and can fight with two weapons, or with a shield, while safely darting away, or parrying the attacks of their opponent.


    They may not be knights in shining armor, but their undying attitude makes up for it.


    < Job Profession Bonuses >


    Passive Skill: Fancy Footwork, Master Duelist


    Gains 100% increase to attack, and defense when fighting in sea.


    Gains 200% increase to attack, and defense, when fighting alongside a beautifuldy.


    +5,000 Health


    +200 Attack


    Note: My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled. What a coincidence! I am DYING to help you!


    ��-------


    Skeleton Gang Banger�C The first requirement to bing a Skeleton Gang Banger is to�� well, be a skeleton. Once you meet this requirement, you will be able to use this unbelievable profession that would even make Pazuzu blush in shame.


    If the Skeleton Shield Warriors are the Masochists of the Skeletal Race, the Skeleton Gang Banger holds second ce! These fearsome warriors don''t use any shields to block their enemy''s attacks.


    Using their strong and sturdy bodies, they exchange blows against their opponents without backing away, making them one of the most terrifying Mads on the battlefield.


    Although they could fight one-on-one battles with their enemies, their specialty is targeting a single enemy and grouping up to beat it up until it dies. Sometimes, this single-mindedness of theirs could turn the situation around because they would not stop until they got the job done.


    < Job Profession Bonuses >


    Passive Skill: Vengeful Berserker, Retaliate Expert, United In Death, Gang Bang Expert


    �C Gains 5% increase in attack when an ally Skeleton Gang Banger dies on the battlefield. This ability can stack up to 500%. Bonus damage will disappear once the Skeleton Berserker is killed.


    +20,000 Health


    +300 Attack


    Note: Peace is never an option! Prepare to get Gang Banged!


    ��------


    Reading the description of the upgrade options for his Skeleton Fighters, Lux felt as if there was an itch in his back that he couldn''t scratch.


    All of the choices were good. Even the Skeleton Gang Banger, which made the Half-Elf chuckle after reading its information, was a very tempting option for him. However, in the end, Lux decided to choose the most optimum choice for the Skeleton Fighter''s next upgrade.


    After the war they had just experienced, the red-headed teenager knew that he needed to choose the most optimum job ss for his Summons, so that they would be able to y the role that he needed them to.


    < You have chosen Skeleton Gang Banger as the next upgrade for your Skeleton Fighters. Are you sure about this? >


    ( Yes / No )


    ��------


    Lux firmly clicked Yes in order to upgrade his Skeleton Fighters to their next profession. Originally, he wanted to choose the Skeleton Rider Job ss. However, there were ces where mountedbat wouldn''t work.


    Indoor battles, Siege battles, as well as other instances where mounts would not y a role would greatly limit the Skeleton Rider''s effectiveness.


    He already had Pazuzu, Orion, and the Rock Golems to act as defensive units if he had to. What he needed right now was an explosive force that would wreak havoc the moment they were summoned to the battlefield.


    "Hmm�� the Skeleton Grand Archers need to be upgraded to the SS Rating before they can get their next profession," Lux rubbed his chin as he looked at the ratings needed to upgrade his skeleton summons.


    "The Rock Golem and the Skeleton Mages need to be upgraded to the SSS Rating in order to gain their Job Professions. Hah�� it sure takes a lot of resources to fully upgrade all of them."


    The Half-Elf scratched his head, knowing that this was the fate of any profession that could summon Creatures or Beast Companions as their main fighting force.


    It simply ate up too many resources, making it hard to even upgrade their own stats in order to advance.


    Fortunately, Lux didn''t have this problem. The Quest Rewards frompleting his missions allowed him to gain Free Stats and upgrade his Body Constitution for free!

 Chapter 325 Mission Rewards [Part 2]

    Lux''s special body constitution, the Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy, also received an upgrade. This upgrade of his might not have many rewards, but he instead gained something better that he didn''t expect, and that was�� Dragon Wings!


    "Three times a day, I can conjure Dragon Wings on my back to allow me to fly," Lux muttered as he read the information in his Soul Book. "The wingsst for an hour, which means I can use them for a total of 3 hours. Not bad."


    Aside from that, Lux''s ability to use Dragon''s Breath increased to six times a day from the usual three. He also gained an additional 20,000 points to his Health, making him sturdier.


    ��-----


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: Grade A Apostle


    Health: 113,000 / 113,000


    Mana: 32,500 / 32,500


    Strength: 450


    Intelligence: 450


    Vitality: 460


    Agility: 400


    Dexterity: 400


    ��---


    In order to break through the Initiate Rank, one must have 5,000bined stat points.


    Lux was almost halfway there because of the rewards he gained from clearing the mission. However, instead of prioritizing a single stat, the Half-Elf decided to spread them out because he was more of an All-Rounder.


    He was not a pure Necromancer, but a fighter as well. Because of this, he needed to add stats to his other attributes, allowing him to fend for himself, if ever there were threats that managed to break past his Summoned Creatures.


    After looking at his Soul Book, he then nced at the information on the Key he had obtained from the mission.


    When he cleared the Gate of Death, he received the Key to Agartha.


    Now, he received another key, and the Half-Elf was very curious on what this key was capable of doing.


    ��------


    < Key of Espoir Frieden >


    �C Legendary Item


    �C Once a week, you will be able to instantly teleport to the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden by using the Key.


    �C You may return to where you came from anytime by using the Key a second time.


    �C This Item is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer


    ��----


    < Kingdom of Espoir Frieden >


    Kingdom Rank: SSS


    �C The Kingdom of Espoir Frieden is the legendary kingdom of the High Elves, who stood alongside Agartha when the world was created. They were an ancient race of Elves believed to have been born from the seeds of the very first World Tree that has long since perished.


    �C The other Elven races, that was born after that era, treat them with great respect, and often ask them for counsel and mediation whenever there are conflicts between the other Elven ns, such as the Moon Elves, Sun Elves, Wood Elves, and the other Elven races that are currently in Elysium.


    �C Any other races, aside from the Elves, are not allowed to enter the Elven Kingdom. However, its first founder made an exception and created a single key that would allow any race to enter their Kingdom if Fate willed it.


    �C The Key of Espoir Frieden can only be activated when you be a Ranker.


    ��----


    "Hiss��"


    Lux couldn''t help but draw in a deep breath after reading the information of the key that he gained from his Quest.


    ''First it was the Kingdom of Agartha, now it''s the Kingdom of the High Elves,'' Lux thought. ''Just what exactly is this ce to have so many keys that lead to SSS-Ranked Kingdoms?''


    The Domain of the Fallen was still a mystery, even to the Six Kingdoms who had first discovered it. They didn''t know what kind of ce it was, and merely thought that it was another one of those hidden dungeons that could be found anywhere.


    However, they were wrong.


    It was a very dangerous ce where the members of the Young Generations could die at the whims of the monsters that lived in it. The journey to the Sacred Dungeon was filled with dangers and, usually, the price of death must be paid by many in order for the others to reach their destination.


    Also, only five hundred people could enter the Domain of the Fallen at a time. Because of this, the slots allocated inside the Domain were quite limited.


    These already limited slots had decreased by more than half, now that they had to split the slots between the Six Kingdoms, the Skystead Alliance, as well as the Xynnar War Pact.


    ording to the negotiations, the Skystead Alliance would gain 200 Slots, while the Six Kingdoms and the Xynnar War Pact gained 150 each.


    The good news was that Lux''s and hisrades'' bonus slots were not counted in the 500 Limit number, which allowed them to bring in thirty more people without any problems.


    Although thirty additional slots seemed like a very small number, every slot counted, making these limited slots all the more valuable in the eyes of many people.


    "Ah, there you are, Lux," Sherlock said as he walked towards the Half-Elf who seemed to be deep in thought.


    "Lord Sherlock, congrattions on your victory," Lux replied with a smile.<sub> </sub>


    The Gnome fixed the sses on his face before giving Lux a nod of satisfaction.


    "We only won because of the great efforts you and yourrades have made for us," Sherlock stated. "We might have won this war, but this is just the beginning. As long as the Ammarian Kingdom covets ournds, this war would never end, but let''s not talk about that. Here, take this."


    The Gnome threw Lux a golden bracer, and thetter caught it by reflex.


    "That Bracer is called the Warrior''s Might," Sherlock said. "It is thetest invention of the Gnome Race. Unfortunately, we were only able to craft six of them. Now, these six bracers belong to you and your friends. May they help you in your future endeavors."


    ��---


    < Warrior''s Might >


    Rating: Pseudo-Legendary


    �C Increase Attack, Defense, Health Regeneration, Mana Regeneration, and Mobility by 100% for five minutes.


    �C This artifact is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer


    ��----


    "Thank you very much for your gift, Lord Sherlock." Lux bowed his head. "I will treasure it."


    Sherlock smiled as he nced towards the camp of the Ammar Kingdom which was now burning in the distance.


    "Lux, I have a feeling that this will not be ourst meeting," Sherlock stated. "Until then, I look forward to the next time we will meet on the battlefield. I just hope that when we do, we will still be on the same side, and not fighting against each other as enemies."


    The Half-Elf''s eyes widened in shock after hearing the Gnomes'' words.


    "Lord Sherlock, please, don''t raise a g."


    "g? What g? We have many gs raised already. What are you talking about?"


    The red-headed teenager could only smile bitterly because the Gnomes'' words were like a prophecy about what was going to happen in the future.


    "Well then, Lux, I''ll be going now," Sherlock said as he turned around to walk in the direction of the Command Center of the Yn Kingdom. "Let''s meet again under better circumstances."


    The Gnome no longer looked back and continued to walk away, leaving Lux behind to ponder his words.


    "My Daddy, are you ready to go?" Cai, who had also just finished sorting out its rewards, walked towards the Half-Elf with a smile. "Vall is back, so we can leave anytime."


    As if waiting for that cue, Einar, Vall, Keane, and Xander all appeared and gathered around the Half-Elf, whom they had treated as their temporary leader inside the Gate of War.


    "Okay, let''s go," Lux said before epting thepletion of the quest in his Soul Book. "Let''s go back to Elysium."


    ��---


    < Field Announcement! >


    < The Gate of War (Hell Mode) Has been Conquered! >


    < Two of the Gates have been sessfully Conquered! >


    < The Conquerors will be allowed to freely enter the Domain of the Fallen for two years at any given time. This is their reward for conquering the Two Gates of the Apocalypse! >


    < Announcing the names of the Conquerors of the Sacred Dungeon in no particr order! >


    < Cai�� >


    < Keane�� >


    < Xander�� >


    < Einar Mordosk >


    < Vaki Meitar >


    < Lux Von Kaizer >


    ��---


    Lux''s as well as hisrades'' names were engraved on the Gate of War, which was now glowing brightly after it was cleared.


    The Field Announcement was also heard by the people outside of the Domain of the Fallen which surprised them as well.


    "They cleared the Gate of War and not the Gate of Conquest?" asked the Ambassador of the Vahan Empire to the Ranker that was standing next to his side who served as his protector. "Did I hear that correctly?"


    "Yes," the Ranker replied. "The announcement said that the Gate of War has been cleared and not the Gate of Conquest."


    Malcolm, who was standing not far from the ambassador, frowned after hearing the announcement.


    All of them thought that Lux had also entered the Gate of Conquest and somehow ended up in the same Instance Dungeon as them. However, ording to the announcement, they had entered a different Gate, which made the members of the Skystead Alliance speechless.


    "See?" Hector, Xander''s father sneered. "All of you are too quick to judge. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, do you still believe that our side purposely sabotaged your representatives?"


    The Ambassador snorted, but he couldn''t refute Hector''s words. On the main gate of the Domain of the Fallen, several golden letters appeared with thebel, Conquerors of the Gate of War.


    A momentter, Lux''s names, as well as hisrades'' appeared on it. This was the tant proof that none of them had misheard the announcement, and their earlier assumption of Lux purposely sabotaging their mission was proven to be false.


    Even so, they still felt bitter about it.


    Suddenly, a sh of light appeared beside the gate.


    Lux, Cai, Keane, Einar, Vall, and Xander, who had just exited the Sacred Dungeon, gathered the attention of everyone in the cavern.


    No ps, cheers, or shouts of admiration could be heard in the surroundings. Instead, what they were weed with was awkward silence from the people who had wrongly used them, and were currently thinking about how to deal with them after the incident that happened inside the Sacred Dungeon.

 Chapter 326 A Very Thorny Road To Take

    "You did well, High Priestess�CI mean, Cai," Hector coughed lightly. "You too, Xander. Great job."


    "Hahaha! Hector, my man, you should have seen how awesome I was! What Pseudo-Initiates? PITUI! I spit on them! " Cai gloated, making Malcolm as well as hisrades feel irritated. "I was the one who killed General Moriarty. I''m the MVP!"


    "No you''re not," Keane jabbed the side of the Boar, causing thetter to squeal in pain. "You just kill stealed. Your skin is as thick as usual."


    Hector and Xander who saw Keane jabbing Cai with his shoulder almost couldn''t stop themselves from pping the skinny swordsman silly. Fortunately, the two of them had great self control and just watched as the Boar started to nag at the skinny swordsman for being bitter.


    "Hmph! It''s not my fault that I''m good, Little Swordy," Cai pressed its forehead against the skinny swordsman. "If I didn''t do what I did, Moriarty might have killed Watson! That is what you call reacting in time before it''s toote. This is why you lost to me, Little Swordy. You''re not resourceful enough!"


    Keane was itching to rebuke the Boar, but after spending some time with Cai, he knew well how stubborn it was. Since that was the case, he just snorted and walked away, leaving the Boar to continue bragging about itstest aplishment in the Gate of War.


    While Cai was telling Hector everything that happened while tweaking the story a little to make sure it sounded good, Einar and Vall were also busy talking to the adults from their respective factions about what happened in the Gate of War.


    Lux, who was the center of attention, was also giving Alicia a report of what happened. The Ambassador of the Vahan Empire was there to better understand how he appeared in the same Instance Dungeon as Malcolm and the others.


    As the one who personally gave Lux the resources for the bid they made to obtain the slots to enter the Domain of the Fallen, he demanded that he be briefed of what happened as well.


    "So there''s a chance that two parties that enter different gates can end up on the same ne as the other," Aliciamented. "If this is true, then we must test it a few times to understand what the determining factor triggers the merging of two dungeon instances."


    <o>,m The Ambassador didn''t say anything from start to finish, but he didn''t look pleased about the oue of the mission that was entrusted to him.</o>


    "I understand that it is not entirely your fault that the merging of the Dungeon Instances happened," the Ambassador said after Lux finished his exnation. "But this doesn''t change the fact that you got in the way of our representatives being able to clear their missions.


    "You and your friends can enter the Dungeon anytime you want. However, we must bid for the next opportunity to im the spots that you and your friends possessed.


    "Isn''t this extortion? We have paid a good amount of resources for this mission, but what happened? The person who brought our representatives inside the Dungeon was also the one responsible for killing them."


    The Ambassador was indeed an Ambassador. He had a way with words, which made Lux unable to refute. Truth be told, even Lux would be annoyed if the same thing happened to him, so he could understand where the man wasing from.


    However, what was done was done. There was nothing he could do about it. Also, the resources they paid for his, Cai''s, and Keane''s slot was only a one time thing. They had agreed that their slots would always be put on auction, so that they could earn by selling the slots in their possessions.


    "Um, I can''t speak for Cai and Keane, but I''m willing to let you guys have my slots for free the next time you want to enter the Domain of the Fallen," Lux decided that it would be better to pacify the Ambassador, since he didn''t want to get cklisted again.


    He could only create a guild in the territory of the Skystead Alliance because the Xynnar War Pact still hadn''t lifted the ban on his, Cai''s, and Keane''s names.


    This meant that their field of operation would center in the Skystead Alliance for some time. Angering the Kings of the Kingdoms they were supposed to get missions from would be a very bad thing.


    "At least you have morals," the Ambassador replied. "However, His Majesty will still be disheartened by what happened today. You better make up for it next time!"<sub> </sub>


    Without another word, the Ambassador of the Vahan Empire left with a disgruntled expression on his face.


    Alicia could only smile wryly at the attitude of the man, but there was nothing she could do about it.


    Politics was a veryplicated thing. To prevent war andrge scale conflicts from happening,promises must be made for the greater good.


    "So what are your ns?" Alicia asked. "Will you return to Wildgarde Stronghold or would you rather stay in Barbatos Academy?"


    Lux shook his head. "I still need to create a guild because the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold gave this mission to me. If I don''tplete it, they might exile me."


    Alicia was very tempted to say, "So let them exile you. We will adopt you in Barbatos Academy!" but she couldn''t say that.


    Lux owed Wildgarde Stronghold a lot for raising him with love and care, alongside his Grandma. He couldn''t possibly allow himself to get exiled before he could even repay them for what they had done for him from when he was young.


    "Okay, so you will be going to the Vahan Empire toplete your Guild Creation quest first?" Alicia inquired.


    Lux nodded before whispering in Alicia''s ear. "Yes. After that, I will rest for a bit to wait for Grandma and Eiko to revive."


    Alicia smiled because she was also hoping to see the olddy, who was very supportive of her pursuing her son, Alexander, alive again.


    As for Eiko, Alicia was also very fond of the baby Slime, whom Iris treated as her and Lux''s daughter.


    "Just be careful, okay?" Alicia said as he patted Lux''s shoulders. "Emperor Andreas is a schemer. He might nod and forgive you on the surface, but deep inside, he will bear a grudge. Make sure you are always on your toes when you visit the Vahan Empire for your Guild Quest."


    "Thank you, Alicia," Lux replied. "I will be careful."


    Lux then nced in the direction of the representatives of the Skystead Alliance who were all ring at him.


    From their faces alone, he could already tell that his trip to the Vahan Empire would be a very thorny one, filled with hidden dangers that would be waiting for him to step on.


    ''Well, I just hope they don''t make things too difficult for me,'' Lux sighed in his heart.


    Even though it would be awkward, he was nning to travel with the representatives of the Vahan Empire on their return trip back home.


    This was also the first time he would be going to thends that were off limits to the members of the Xynnar War Pact. Although Lux didn''t want to admit it, he was also feeling very excited inside.


    He was looking forward to the new adventures he would go on in the Empire that was hailed as the Empire of the Sun.

 Chapter 327 The Guildmaster’s Quest [Part 1]

    Royal Pce of the Vahan Empire��


    "Such a thing happened?" Emperor Andreas asked while his brush glided on the canvas. "Talk about bad luck. Still, I didn''t expect our elite kids to lose to that Half-Elf brat. Did Malcolm fail as a leader? I expected good things from him."


    "With all due respect, Your Majesty, it was not Malcolm''s fault," the Ambassadormented. "His leadership was good, and the tactics he used was outstanding. If he knew that he was dealing with a Necromancer who can cause corpse explosions, he might have��"


    A ttering sound could be heard as Emperor Andreas dropped the brush in his hand on top of the table.


    "There is no IF," Emperor Andreas said coldly. "IF doesn''t write history. Only the winners do. Since Malcolm lost, it means that he still has many things to learn. Tell him that, on the next mission, he will be the Vice Leader. Someone else will lead our representatives in the dungeon."


    "U-Understood, Your Majesty," the Ambassador replied.


    He could feel cold sweat starting to trickle down his face from Emperor Andreas'' look that made him feel like the Grimreaper of Death was standing right behind him with its scythe resting against his neck.


    "Where is the Half-Elf?" Emperor Andreas inquired. "I believe he wanted to create a guild, right?"


    "The Half-Elf was seen entering Brookwest Town," the Ambassador replied. "ording to my estimate, he would visit the three towns leading towards our capital city. Since the Trial of Leadership is hosted here, he will arrive here within a week or two."


    The corner of Emperor Andreas'' lips curled up. The Ambassador who saw this smirk instantly knew that his Emperor was scheming something.


    He had long known that Emperor Andreas was someone who didn''t like being taken advantage of. This made the Ambassador pity the Half-Elf because the young man would get a taste of what it was like to be on the Emperor''s bad side.


    "Call Murray," Emperor Andreas ordered. "It''s about time for the two of us to have a talk."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." The Ambassador bowed respectfully before leaving the room.


    After walking down the hallway for a few minutes, the Ambassador took a handkerchief from his pocket and started to wipe the sweat on his forehead. Being alone with Emperor Andreas, especially when he was in a bad mood, was enough to give him an anxiety attack.


    Fortunately, the Emperor didn''t make things difficult for him and sent him away to call the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Capital City of the Vahan Empire.


    ��---


    Brookwest Town��


    "Ah, so you are the one who is asking for the Rmendation Letter in order toplete the Trial of Leadership," the Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild of Brookwest Town, Cobie, said. "Understood. But you already know that you must still perform a quest to prove that you have the ability to get the rmendation letter, right?"


    Lux nodded. "I am willing to take the test in order to acquire the Rmendation Letter."<sub> </sub>


    The Half-Elf looked up at the two-meter-tall man, who closely resembled a gori in terms of body and face. However, since he didn''t want to hurt the feelings of others, he made sure to notment on his looks and simply stated what he came for.


    "Good. I like people who get to the point." Cobie smiled. "Then, your quest will be very simple. You see, there is ady I like and I want to marry her. Your quest will be to help me convince her to marry me."


    "..."


    Lux was astounded. The quest was so random that he didn''t know how to reply. Also, the thought of any girl marrying Cobie made the Half-Elf shudder.


    Seeing his reaction, Cobieughed and patted the Half-Elf''s shoulder. He thought that the red-headed teenager was awed by his overflowing awesomeness, so he decided to lower the tension inside the room.


    "Just joking," Cobie stated. "It''s not like I am in love with thedy named Diana, who works in Starfleet Tavern as a waitress. Trust me, I don''t like her. Um, maybe I like her a little, but not that much, okay?"


    "...Okay?" Lux didn''t want to deal with this business, so he just nodded and allowed Cobie to state the real quest he wanted.


    "In Maplewood Forest, there is this herb called Passion Blossom," Cobie said. "It is a very powerful aphrodisia�Cerr medicine to helpdies during their menstrual periods. I want you to retrieve this flower for me.


    "Once you aplish this mission, I will give you the Rmendation Letter. Just make sure that you pass the flower to me discreetly. Make sure that no onees to know about our transaction or you''ll be sorry. Do you understand?"


    Lux nodded his head like a hen pecking rice. Cobie''s grip on his arm was getting stronger, so he decided to just nod his head to get this over with.


    "Great!" Cobie stated. "If only everyone is like you, then this world will be a better ce to live in. Here is the portrait of the flower. It''s usually guarded by Rank 4 Alpha Monsters or Rank 4 Field Bosses. Anyway, since you are here, that must mean that you already have members for your guild, right? Work with them to get this flower and we can all part on good terms. Bye bye, and have a good day!"


    The door mmed right in front of Lux''s face, causing the Half-Elf to subconsciously take a step back.


    "I feel like I''ve be an aplice to a crime that is about to happen," Lux muttered as he left the branch of the Adventurers Guild in Brookwest Town. "Still, I can''t afford to fail. I need those three rmendation letters. I only have two weeks before time is up."


    Gerald and Rainer had given Lux an ultimatum of one month to finish his Guild Creation. If he failed, he would either let himself be exiled or join Nero''s Guild, the Storm Dragons, as the oue of his quest.


    Neither was an option he liked, so he had resolved himself to do his best to finish the Rmendation Letter quests as well as the Trial of Leadership as soon as possible.


    That was the only way for him to remain in Wildgarde Stronghold and have the Guardians of the Fortress ept his wish to be independent with the intention of helping the Stronghold gather resources in Elysium.


    ''One step at a time,'' Lux thought as he walked in the direction of Maplewood Forest. ''I''ll finish this mission no matter what.''

 Chapter 328 The Guildmaster’s Quest [Part 2]

    Maple Forest��


    Lux went deeper inside the forest to look for the Passion Blossom, which the Guildmaster asked him to look for as his quest in order to be granted a rmendation letter.


    For the one hour Lux had spent inside the forest, he noticed that, although there were many people along the outskirts, very few could be seen in the ce where he was heading to.


    Out of curiosity, he stopped one of the teenagers he came across to ask him a few questions.


    "Uhh�� the Guildmaster is at it again?" The teenager, who seemed to be in histe teens, had a disgusted look on his face after he heard the reason why Lux came inside Maple Forest.


    "Again?" Lux asked back in confusion.


    The teenager nodded. "The Guildmaster''s Rmendation Quest has be the biggest joke of Brookwest Town. Everytime someone asks for a rmendation letter, he will always ask the person to find the Passion Blossom, which he would use to make an aphrodisiac to make Diana go into heat. Seriously, the Guildmaster has a few screws loose in his head, but I guess everyone has their kinks.


    "But whatever. He is the reason why people go to other towns for Rmendation Letters if they are nning to create a guild. It''s not just because the intention behind the quest is bonkers, but also because the Field Boss guarding the Passion Blossom is simply too broken for a Rmendation Letter Quest."


    "Simply too broken?"


    "You''ll understand when you see it. No one will risk their life fighting such a beast for a silly quest like getting the Passion Blossom."


    The teenager was kind enough to point Lux to the right direction, and even told him a little bit about the Guardian that guarded the flower.


    Half an hourter, Lux finally arrived at his destination and finally understood why the teenager said that the Monster he had to face was broken.


    ��----


    < Crimson Wanderer Living Armor >


    �C Living Armor


    �C Rank 4 Field Boss


    Health: 2,400,000 / 2,400,000


    Mana: 40,000 / 40,000


    Strength: 1,500


    Intelligence: 100


    Vitality: 1,500


    Agility: 450


    Dexterity: 450


    Special Ability: Invincible Body


    ��-----


    < Invincible Body >


    �C Only attacks that deal the right Elemental Damage can deal damage to this monster.


    ��-----


    "...This Field Boss is indeed broken," Lux muttered as he stared at the three-meter tall Crimson Knight with burning yellow eyes in its sockets.


    The reason why the Crimson Wanderer Living Armor was famous in Brookwest Town was because, to this day, no one knew what element was its weakness.


    Vera had once told him that there were special monsters in Elysium that possessed Special Abilities. Some of these abilities gave these monsters an advantage in battle, and some were so broken that people just stayed away from them as much as they possibly could.


    These special abilities weren''t too rare. ording to Vera, one out of every hundred monsters would possess a special ability, but very few people had the skill, Monster Appraisal, to know whether the monster they were fighting had any special abilities or not.


    Vera added that Boss Monsters above Rank 4 usually had Special Abilities, so Lux must be very careful when dealing with them.


    Fortunately for Lux, he had the Elysium Compendium which had the information he needed.


    "Let''s see�� Crimson Wanderer Living Armor," Lux muttered as he searched for the Monster''s name in his Bestiary Compendium, which was another feature of the Elysium Compendium.


    It didn''t take him long to find the Monster''s weakness, but to his surprise, he finally understood why no one had been able to figure out the Monster''s elemental weakness till now.<sub> </sub>


    "Necrotic Elemental Damage, Divine Magic."


    Divine Magic was an ability used by high level High Priests, Battle Clerics, Oracles. Only Pdins were able to use this magic at the very beginning, but the Pdin Profession was a rare profession that could only be obtained through a trial made by their Order.


    In short, unless one knew any of the Pdin Organizations, it would be almost impossible to gain this profession at the beginning. Most Elysians, as well as Sians, would only get the basic Job sses at the beginning like Swordsman, Fighter, Mage, Cleric, Archer, Thief, Monk, Spearman, Priest, etc.


    Of course, even if there was someone in the team that could deal Divine Magic to the Living Armor, it would take at least a dozen Pdins, or other sses with Divine Abilities to beat the Crimson Wanderer Living Armor.


    As for Lux, he could only deal direct Necrotic Damage to his enemies using Corpse Explosion.


    Diablo and Asmodeus both had the Death Coil skill, which was capable of dealing Necrotic Damage, but aside from that, they had no other ways to damage the Field Boss Monster.


    ''Even Abyss Touch is useless against this one huh��'' Lux scratched his head. ''I guess I have no choice but to chip away at its health little by little.''


    There was simply no other way to defeat the Monster, so Lux prepared himself for a drawn-out battle. After making up his mind, he immediately summoned his Named Creatures and discussed the information about the enemy they were about to face.


    As Lux was about to summon his Skeleton Minions, Asmodeus stopped him and looked at the Living Armor as if it was looking at a new toy to y with.


    "Master, let me get this straight. You said you need to defeat that Monster in order to get the herb it is guarding, correct?" Asmodeus asked as he pointed at the Monster in the distance.


    "Yes." Lux nodded.


    "... Then, why fight it when we can tame it instead?"


    "Eh?"


    Lux blinked once then twice before he finally understood what the Archlich was talking about.


    Asmodeus chuckled. "Master, you forgot that Living Armors are also Undead Creatures. Rx, I got this."


    The Archlich casually strolled towards the Living Armor while humming. When they entered the Sacred Dungeon for the first time, they faced several Undead Skeletons that had merged together to form the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King, which was a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster.


    Unfortunately, the Skeleton King died in the battle against the Death Tyrants when it used its body to block the Ray Attacks that were aimed at the fleeing teenagers. Lux had been saddened after losing such a strong Monster as an ally, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    Tamed Creatures were not Summoned Creatures.


    Although they could be summoned anytime Asmodeus pleased, once they died, they were dead for good, unless Lux decided to pay a ridiculous high amount of Beast Cores to revive them.


    (A/N: In order to revive a Tamed Creature, Lux must pay ten times the price of their original cores. For example, the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King was a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster. It meant that in order to revive it, Lux must pay 10 Rank 5 Field Boss Monster Cores.)


    Right now, he was short of high-level cores, so he couldn''t give any of them to the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King at the moment.


    As if sensing the approaching enemy, the Living Armor let out an unholy roar before summoning several spinning des around its body. However, before it could even attack, Asmodeus pointed his bony finger at it and shouted��


    "Tame Undead!"


    As if hit by an invisible attack, the Crimson Knight paused in its charge and its body started to shake.


    "Oh? Are you resisting me?" Asmodeus narrowed his eyes. "Good. This just proves that taming you is worth it."


    As if to shrug off the attempt to tame it, the Living Armor continued its charge towards the Archlich who was waiting for its skill to cool down.


    "Shield Bash!"


    Pazuzu suddenly appeared out of nowhere and mmed his shield towards the Crimson Knight, causing it to take three steps back from the collision.


    "How long is the skill cooldown?" Lux asked the Archlich as he summoned his Skeleton Soldiers to help stall the Field Boss, who had resisted Asmodeus'' Tame Undead Skill.


    "Master, this skill has a fifteen minute cooldown," Asmodeus replied apologetically.


    The red-headed teenager felt the trace of embarrassment in his Archlich''s voice for failing with his first attempt to tame the Living Armor.


    "It''s fine," Lux said. "We will try again once your skill''s cooldown is over. For the time being, everyone, attack!"


    Lux summoned all of his Skeleton Soldiers and Golems to fight against the Crimson Armor, but it took no damage from theirbined attacks.


    Even True Damage didn''t work, which proved how broken the Armor really was. This also made it more precious in Lux''s and Asmodeus'' eyes, making them use everything in their arsenal to buy some time for the Archlich''s skill to finish its cooldown.

 Chapter 329 Even The Dead Have Someone To Protect [Part 1]

    An hourter��


    "..."


    "..."


    Lux and Asmodeus didn''t know if they shouldugh, or cry, because all of their attempts to tame the Living Armor had failed.


    Suddenly, Ishtar appeared beside Lux, telling him that the battle had attracted the few adventurer parties that were doing their quest deep inside Maple Forest.


    Because of the heated battle that was taking ce in front of him, The Half-Elf had asked Ishtar to scout the surroundings and report to him if people were headed in their direction. He didn''t want others to know the full extent of his abilities, so he had decided to retreat if people were headed in his direction.


    "It can''t be helped," Lux sighed before summoning Jed to run away from the scene.


    A momentter, he unsummoned all of his minions, leaving only the Crimson Wanderer Living Armor behind.


    After getting to a safe area, he once again summoned his Named Creatures to discuss the next stage of their n.


    "Ishtar, when we were fighting, you didn''t see the Passion Blossom anywhere?" Lux asked. "It should be around the area where the Field Boss Monster is."


    Ishtar shook her head. "I searched everywhere, Master, but I didn''t see it. Maybe it was already taken by someone before we arrived?"


    Lux scratched his head because he couldn''t rule out this possibility. There might be others desperate enough to get Cobie''s Rmendation Letter, and decided to take the flower while the Living Armor was distracted.


    "Master, we should get the Living Armor before we leave," Asmodeus insisted. "It is a very rare specimen, and I believe that it will serve us well in the future."


    Lux nodded. He understood how precious the Living Armor was. If they were to fight against strong monsters in the future, its presence in the battlefield would be priceless since it couldn''t be damaged by any kind of attacks except for Necrotic and Divine Elemental Magic.


    "Too bad it isn''t a Rank 5 Field Monster like the Skeleton King," Lux muttered. "If we seed in capturing it, we will have to spend a lot of cores to upgrade it to its next Rank."


    The Half-Elf started to feel depressed. He had too many creatures to upgrade, and so little resources to do so. If not for the fact that the Gate of War had allowed him to get free upgrades for his Skeleton Fighters, he would have had to hoard lots of Beast Cores to upgrade all of them to the next level.


    Asmodeus chuckled. "The payoff will be worth it in the future, Master. Although it will be troublesome at the beginning, once we reach a certain threshold, everything will be smooth sailing."


    Lux only smiled at Asmodeus'' words. He remembered when Iris was first raising her Four Guardian Beasts.


    With a Saint as her backer, the resources she needed to raise their Ranks were readily avable to her. Naturally, Alexander didn''t spoil her too much because he knew that if all of her guardians reached the S-Rating, Iris would have a false sense of security, making her unable to experience hardships while exploring Elysium.


    This would be detrimental to her training, so Alexander only raised them up to the C-Rank, and left Iris to handle the rest.


    Now, all of Iris'' Guardian Beasts'' Ratings had stepped into the A-Rank, making them as strong as Rank 4 Monsters.


    Lux''s Skeletons had a lower rating. Although their Ratings were now S-Ranked, their strength was only at the early stages of Rank 3 Monsters.


    Undeads were rtively weaker by one gradepared to their living counterparts. The only advantage that the Undead had was that they could be summoned again and again, and they wouldn''t get exhausted nor get hurt because they were already dead.


    The Skeleton Gang Bangers were Rank 3 Monsters at the Early Stages.


    The Skeleton Grand Archers were Rank 2 Monsters at the Early Stages.


    The Skeleton Mages were Rank 2 Monsters at the Early Stages


    The Rock Golems were Rank 3 Monsters, and Lux could only summon six of them at their current rank.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, and Asmodeus, were Rank 4 Monsters in their own right, and were Lux''s main attack force.<sub> </sub>


    "Ishtar, take a look to see if those people have left already," Lux ordered. "We will change our strategy and only engage the Living Armor whenever Asmodeus'' Tame Undead skill is active again. If he fails to tame it, we will explore this area and look for the Passion Blossom. If possible, do not let other people see any of you."


    Lux''s Named Creatures nodded their heads in agreement. Ishtar then disappeared from where she stood, melding with the shadows.


    After getting the signal from his Nightstalker, Lux and Asmodeus returned to the ce where the Crimson Knight was standing, and tried to tame it.


    s, their attempt once again failed, forcing them to retreat and look for the whereabouts of the flower for the time being.


    It was at that moment when he heard a scream in the distance. A loud roar followed, causing the entire forest to tremble.


    Lux was confident that the scream didn''te from a Monster, but from a person.


    Because of this, the Half-Elf hurried towards the ce where the voice came from, and was surprised to see the Crimson Knight fighting against another Monster, while protecting a little girl, who seemed to be no older than ten years old and was carrying a basket of herbs in her hands.


    "Sh*t!" Lux cursed loudly after seeing the monster that the Crimson Knight was fighting against in order to protect the little girl behind it.


    ��-----


    < Barb-Tailed Tyrannosaurus >


    �C Dinosaur Monster


    �C Rank 5 World Boss


    Health: 10,000,000


    Mana: 250,000 / 250,000


    Strength: 3,000


    Intelligence: 500


    Vitality: 2,000


    Agility: 1,500


    Dexterity: 1,000


    Special Ability: Steel Body


    ��----


    < Steel Body >


    �C This monster''s body is as hard as steel.


    ��------


    The difference in Ranks was quite obvious, and the Living Armor was only able to stand up against its enemy because thetter didn''t have any Elemental Attacks that could deal the Living Armor any damage.


    However, that didn''t stop the World Boss from sending the Living Armor flying after it used its barbed tail tosh against its body, sending it crashing towards the trees in a straight line.


    After temporarily dealing with the annoyance in front of it, the World Boss nced down at the trembling girl in front of it and opened its mouth to eat the girl, along with the basket filled with precious herbs that had nourishing properties that could further strengthen its body.

 Chapter 330 Even The Dead Have Someone To Protect [Part 2]

    The little girl screamed as the gaping jaw of the monster drew closer, about to eat her whole.


    Suddenly, Ishtar appeared beside the child and threw her in the direction of the Nightstalker''s Master, turning the prey into herself. When the Tyrannosaurus bit the Nightstalker''s body with its razor sharp teeth, she instantly snapped into half.


    The Half-Elf hurriedly caught the girl with his arms, while his Skeleton Army and Rock Golems confronted the Monster to buy them both of them time to escape.


    Lux could have fought the World Boss if he really wanted to, but he carried the little girl away, prioritizing the girl''s safety.


    "Jed!" Lux shouted and the Thunder Warg King appeared to allow his Master to ride on his back.


    Without looking behind, Jed sprinted away. The entire forest was filled with the echoes of the World Boss'' roars, making those who heard it also run away in fear. Truly terrified of the Monster that had almost eaten her, the girl in Lux''s arms kept on crying.


    Although the Half-Elf didn''t know how a girl like her could casually take a stroll deep inside the forest alone and pick herbs, this was not the right time to ask her questions. He put his focus on retaining vignce at everything that was in front of him and urging Jed to run as fast as it could.


    Half an hourter, they were finally able to leave the forest due to Jed''s full sprint towards the exit. Only when Lux was sure that they were safe did he ask his mount to stop.


    "Don''t worry, we''re safe now," Lux said to the crying girl in his arms. "What''s your name?"


    The girl looked up and wiped the tears in her eyes. "Heidi�� *hic*."


    "What a cute name," Luxmented as he wiped away her tears using his handkerchief. "Where do you live? I''ll escort you back. Your parents must be worried about you."


    Instead of answering Lux''s question, Heidi looked in the direction of the forest with an anxious look on her face.


    "Will Uncle Knight be okay?" Heidi asked. "That is a very big monster. He might get eaten by it."


    "Uncle Knight?" Lux blinked in confusion. "Are you talking about that Living Armo�C I mean, that Crimson Knight in the forest?"


    Heidi nodded her head. "Uncle Knight always helps me look for herbs in the forest, so I can sell them to the Adventurer''s Guild. Mother is sick and I need to buy medicine for her. Uncle Knight is a very good person."


    "...Yes. He is a good person. Your Uncle Knight is a good person."


    "Un!"


    After Heidi gave him directions, Lux arrived at a small hut that was still a good distance away from the outskirts of Brookwest Town.


    The Half-Elf was also worried about the condition of Heidi''s mother, so he decided to see if he could help her in any way.


    "Mama! I''m back!" Heidi shouted before pushing the door. "Big Brother, pleasee in. I can give you some water."


    "Thank you," Lux replied and entered the house.


    In the right corner of the room was a bed that was big enough for two people toy side by side. Sleeping on top of it was a woman who looked very pale and seemed to be suffering from a fever.


    Lux knew a little bit about medicine because Vera had taught him the basics in preparation for his journey in Elysium.


    After checking the vital signs of Heidi''s Mama, the Half-Elf was relieved. Although she was suffering from a fever, her life wasn''t in danger.


    "I''ll mix some medicines for your Mama," Lux said. "Are you hungry? I have some apple pies with me."


    "I love apple pie!" Heidi eximed. "But aren''t apple pies expensive? I don''t have any money with me."


    "It''s fine. I''ll give it to you for free."


    "Mama said that I should be wary of strangers who give me food for free. She said that they can''t be trusted, but I''ll believe you, Big Brother. I trust you!"


    Lux smiled, infected by Heidi''s liveliness. He watched as the girl happily took a bite of the apple pie he gave her. Seeing the look of satisfaction on her face as she ate like a little hamster, Lux took out more food from his storage ring, which was supposed to be his snacks on his journey.


    "Eat up, I still have a lot of food, Heidi."


    "Wow! Big Brother, you are the best!"


    "I know, right?"


    Lux chuckled and gave the little girl a pat on the head before he started mixing fever medicine for her mother.


    Since the herbs in his storage ring were already prepared and only needed to be mixed together, the medicine was finished within ten minutes.


    ''I guess I''ll cook something first,'' Lux thought. ''This medicine is a bit strong and cannot be taken in an empty stomach.''


    Lux left the house for a bit and summoned Ishtar.<sub> </sub>


    "I know I shouldn''t ask this but, did it hurt when the Monster bit down on you?" Lux asked out of curiosity.


    "A bit," Ishtar replied. "Why have you summoned me, Master?"


    "Can you hunt some fowl in the forest for me? Two will be fine."


    "Understood"


    But before Ishtar could even carry out her task, she and Lux felt a powerful presence hiding behind a tree that was only dozens of meters away from the small hut where Heidi and her sick Mama stayed.


    "Who''s there?!" Ishtar shouted as she took out twin des and stood in front of Lux in a defensive stance.


    As if waiting for that cue, a tall figure emerged from behind the tree and looked at Lux and the Nightstalker with its glowing yellow eyes. In its hands were three pheasants that looked very plump.


    Lux didn''t feel any hostilitying from the Living Armor, so he didn''t summon any of his minions and simply stared back at it.


    The two stared at each other for a full minute before the Crimson Knight ced the three plump pheasants on the ground. It then took something out of its armor and ced it on the ground beside the pheasants before turning away.


    Lux watched as the Crimson Knight headed towards the forest and disappeared from view.


    Clearly, it only came to deliver the pheasants to Heidi and, perhaps, also a gift for Lux, who had rescued the little girl from the jaws of death.


    "Go take it, Ishtar," Lux ordered.


    The Nightstalker turned into ck mist and reappeared beside the pheasants, which had been cleanly killed with one strike. However, Ishtar''s eyes widened in shock after seeing the item that the Living Armor had ced beside the pheasants.


    Ishtar hurriedly picked up the pheasants and the item that was left by the Living Armor and returned to her Master''s side.


    "Master, is this the flower we are looking for?" Ishtar asked as she handed the flower to Lux.


    Lux nodded as he held the flower with great care.


    "This is indeed the Passion Blossom that we are looking for," Lux replied. "Just�� why?"


    Lux was still in doubt about why the Crimson Knight cared for the little girl, Heidi, and why it would even bother to give him a thank you gift for saving her.


    For the time being, he set these thoughts aside and entered the house again to cook food for the mother and daughter pair.


    Several hourster��


    "Thank you for taking care of my daughter," Heidi''s Mama, Lilia, said with gratitude. "Heidi likes to pick herbs on the outskirts of the forest because there are no dangerous animals there.


    "Even though I tried to stop her many times, she still goes there on her own, and when she returns home, she will always have a basket filled with herbs. By any chance, did you meet her in the outskirts of the forest earlier?"


    Lux was about to say that he met Heidi deep in the forest and was almost eaten by a Rank 4 World Boss, but the words he was about to say were stuck in his mouth when he saw the little girl, who was standing behind her mother,  pressed her hands together in a pleading gesture.


    Her teary-eyed expression was enough to make Lux understand that her mother, Lilia, would be angry and get worried sick if she knew what her child had done in order to get some medicine for her.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "I saw her looking for herbs along the outskirts and decided to bring her back home because it is too dangerous for a little girl to stroll around the forest alone."


    Lilia nodded her head. "I''m sorry for the inconvenience she caused you. Heidi, please thank Sir Lux for helping you. He is even kind enough to cook for us and give me medicine."


    Heidi heaved a sigh of relief and gave Lux a sweet smile because the Half-Elf didn''t expose her near-death-experience to her mother.


    "Thank you, Big Brother," Heidi said as she gave Lux a polite bow. "I promise not to go deep in the forest again."


    "Again?" Lilia nced at her daughter with a confused expression. "Did you go deep in the forest?"


    "No! I mean, I promise I won''t go deep inside the forest. I didn''t say I went inside the forest."


    "Good."


    Lilia nodded her head in understanding. It didn''t cross her mind that her daughter had gone to the depths of the forest on her own because that would be akin to inviting the wild beasts inside it to a free meal.


    When Lilia went back to sleep in order to recover from her fever, Lux took Heidi to the Adventurers Guild to help her sell the herbs that she had collected.


    After everything that happened, Lux was very reluctant to let the little girl wander alone on her own.


    Because of this he decided to tag along, and ensure that no monsters, not even amon one, would hurt the little girl, who braved the dangers of the forest in order to save her mother''s life.

 Chapter 331 Even The Dead Have Someone To Protect [Part 3]

    On the way to the Adventurer''s Guild, Lux asked Heidi more about her Uncle Knight, who seemed to have taken a liking to her.


    "Uncle Knight is a good person. That is why he helps me gather herbs," Heidi said with a smile. "He rarely talks, but whenever he does, he would always tell me that I should listen to my Mama and not venture deep inside the forest.


    "I meet him everyday in the outskirts, and we look for herbs together. Although there were some monsters from time to time, Uncle Knight makes sure to protect me every time."


    Lux held Heidi''s basket in his hand and listened to her story.


    ording to her, the first time she met her Uncle Knight was when her mother went to town to buy some food.


    Heidi was just ying outside of the house when the Crimson Knight appeared and left a traveler''s bag right in front of their doorstep.


    Little girls were filled with curiosity, so instead of running away, she approached the Knight and started to ask him questions.


    The Crimson Knight didn''t answer any of them and simply crouched down in front of her to pat her head.


    After that incident, Heidi would often spot the Crimson Knight observing her and her Mama from a distance. Whenever the little girl told her Mama about her Uncle Knight, Lilia would think that her daughter had made up an imaginary friend due to loneliness.


    How could Lilia possibly believe that a Knight wearing crimson armor with glowing yellow eyes would y hide and seek with a little girl from a poor family?


    Knights didn''t have that much free time!


    Lilia knew this for a fact because her husband was almost always away from home as a Knight of the Vahan Kingdom.


    However, due to his righteousness, he had made many enemies. So in order to escape their line of sight, he took Lilia and his daughter, Heidi, to the outskirts of Brookwest Town, far away from the Northern Regions of the Vahan Empire, where the people who had a beef with him ruled.


    Once a month, her husband would send her letters, telling her that he was fine. However, she hadn''t received a letter from him for more than two years already.


    Lilia knew that something might have happened to him, but since she had no other ce to go, she and her daughter remained in the small hut that her husband had built for their family.


    "Uncle Knight also gives me many fruits!" Heidi said as she hopped along the road. "When I told him that I wanted to go look for rare herbs in the forest to buy medicine because Mama was sick, he agreed to help me. And then... that big bad monster appeared. After that, I met Big Brother!"


    Lux smiled. "Your Uncle Knight is really a good person. It''s nice to know that he is looking after you and your Mother."


    Heidi returned Lux''s smile with a big smile of her own and nodded her head.


    Clearly, this was the very smile that the Living Armor, who was being controlled by the spirit of the dead, strived hard to protect.


    -----------


    After they arrived at the Adventurer''s Guild, Lux made sure that the little girl would get a fair price for the herbs that she had collected, especially after almost dying inside the forest.


    Fortunately, the clerks of the guild didn''t try to short-change the girl, which made Heidi very happy. It was a lot for her, especially since she no longer needed to buy her Mama medicine because her Big Brother had already made it for her.


    With money in hand, the little girl went to the Baker to buy two loaves of bread.


    Heidi said that because they didn''t have much money, her Mama would only buy her bread when there was a special asion.


    Because of this, Lux bought the little girl some Jelly Tarts, which made Heidi jump in joy.


    That night, after tucking the little girl on the bed with her Mama, Lux went outside of the house. In the distance, he could see two glowing yellow orbs of light, watching him from a distance.


    Lux was only surprised for a brief moment, but he still walked in the direction of the lights. When he was only dozens of meters away from Heidi''s "Uncle Knight," the Living Armor made a gesture for him to follow him inside the forest.


    The two walked without talking to each other until they arrived at a clearing. There was no moon in the sky, and only the stars illuminated the night.


    Even so, the Half-Elf could see as clearly as if it was day due to his Dark Vision, which he had inherited from his Elven Ancestry.


    "I... have a favor... to ask," the Living Armor said. "Earlier... you tried... to make me your... subordinate. If... you do this... favor. I... will... serve you."<sub> </sub>


    "It''s about Heidi and her Mama, right?" Lux asked. "You are her..."


    The Living Armor turned around and shed his sword towards the Half-Elf without any warning.


    Lux didn''t have his guard up because the Living Armor didn''t have any hostility directed at him. That was why when the other party made a move, he had been unable to react in time, allowing the sword that the Living Armor held to rest at the side of his neck.


    "Do... not... mention it... again," the Living Armor was three-meters tall and its glowing eyes burned brightly within the socket of its armor. "Are... you going to... do me a... favor or not?"


    Lux transformed his right hand into the ws of a dragon and pushed away the sword that rested against his neck.


    The Crimson Knight didn''t make things difficult for him and pulled the de away from his neck.


    "I''ll hear it first," Lux replied. "I''ll decide if I am capable of doing this favor of yours or not."


    The Living Armor nodded its head. As an Undead, it felt a very strong connection to those who could wield the power of Necromancy.


    For two whole years, he had traveled from the Northern Regions of the Vahan Empire to return to Brookwest Town. Only his strong resolve to return to the ce where the important people in his life were waiting for him, kept him going.


    The battles he fought weren''t easy, and he had fought many monsters along the way. From a Rank E Living Armor, he slowly made his way up, consuming the Beast Cores of the Monsters that blocked his path home.


    In those two years, he managed to be a Rank 4 Wandering Field Boss due to the curse that had been ced upon him before he drew hisst breath.


    He never killed any Humans and only injured them enough to prevent them from following him. The only creatures he killed were Beasts, so he could consume their cores and have the chance to see Lilia and Heidi again.


    But he was reaching his limit.


    His memories of the past were getting hazy, and he knew that it wouldn''t take long before the sword that protected the little girl from harm might one day take her life.


    It scared him, making him want to leave, but he felt very reluctant to do so.


    How could he possibly go when Lilia and Heidi were fending for themselves, just the two of them with no one else to support them?


    After hearing the Living Armor''s request, Lux didn''t answer right away. It was not because he didn''t want to help, but because he didn''t know how to help. Aside from that, he was still working on his quest to create a guild.


    After pondering for a few minutes, Lux gazed at the Crimson Knight in front of him and raised his two fingers.


    "Two weeks," Lux stated. "I will return here in two weeks. By then, my mission will be finished. I will help you then."


    The Living Armor made a long and hoarse sigh. Lux didn''t know if it was due to disappointment or relief. Perhaps, it was even both.


    Even so, the Living Armor nodded his head in understanding.


    "Very well... I will wait... for you," the Living Armor said. "Two weeks... keep your word... Half-Elf."


    The Crimson Knight then turned around to walk towards the forest.


    Lux watched as the Living Armor disappeared from his sight before sighing.


    "Even in death you still have things to protect," Lux said softly. "I would love to have someone like you as myrade."


    This was the first time that an Undead Creature had purposely asked him for a favor in exchange for bing his servant.


    Lux was touched by the Living Armor''s determination to keep Lilia and Heidi safe, even safeguarding them from a distance...


    Like he had always done when he was still alive and living by their side.

 Chapter 332 Bro, You Are My Bro From This Day Onwards

    "Big Brother, you''ll visit us again, right?"


    "Of course, I will. The next time we meet, I''ll bring apple pies for you."


    "Yay!"


    A day after Lux talked with the Living Armor, Lilia''s fever went down, and herplexion looked a lot better than before. The Half-Elf had bought them enough food supplies from Brookwest Town that wouldst them a week, so Lilia could take it easy until she was fully recovered.


    "Lux, I can''t take this money," said Lilia in rejection to the small pouch containing 50 gold coins Lux offered to her. "We are already indebted to you for helping us out, so you don''t have to do this."


    "It''s fine, Aunty Lilia," Lux replied. "This much is at most pocket change for me. Just use this to buy some new sets of clothes for Heidi, as well as more food to put on the table."


    The Half-Elf wasn''t lying when he said that 50 gold coins were just like change for him. He had over two million gold coins in his possession, which he earned from his quests, in addition to the reward for winning the Lionheart Tournament.


    Lilia was persuaded when the red-headed teenager mentioned that she could use it to buy clothes for her daughter, whose clothes were already worn out from constant washing.


    "Thank you, Lux." Lilia looked at the Half-Elf with gratitude. "Please, have a safe trip to the capital."


    Lux smiled and nodded his head. Although he had been dyed from his mission by a day for taking care of Lilia and Heidi, he never thought that what he did was a waste of time. If he wasn''t pressed for time, he would have stayed for a few more days. After bidding his farewells, he once again returned to Brookwest Town.


    Instead of heading straight towards the Adventurers Guild to hand the Passion Blossom to the Guildmaster, Cobie, he first visited the Starfleet Tavern where the waitress, Diana, was working.


    He was pretty sure that Cobie would use the Passion Flower as an ingredient for an aphrodisiac to do XXX and XXX to the waitress, so he decided to see her first and find out if he would feel guilty about handing the flower to Cobie.


    "Wee to Starfleet Cavern!" As soon as Lux entered the shop, Lux was greeted by a pretty blonde waitress. "Will you be dining today, Sir?"


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    "Please follow me. I will take you to your table."


    "Thank you."


    As the waitress led Lux towards the table at the very back of the tavern, the Half-Elf scanned the surroundings and noticed that all the waitresses were quite pretty. Any of them would definitely be wanted by any able-bodied man, so he kind of understood why Cobie wanted to marry one of them.


    After taking his order, the blonde waitress left with a smile before heading towards the kitchen.


    Ten minutester, Lux''s food arrived, and he was surprised at how delicious it was. While the Half-Elf was enjoying his meal, a two-meter tall man who resembled a gori entered the tavern.


    "Hello Patricia. You''re looking more beautiful than you looked yesterday," Cobie, the Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild praised the blonde waitress that had greeted Lux earlier.


    "Thank you Guildmaster," Patricia answered in a professional manner, but if one looked closely enough, one would notice the corner of her lips rise by a fraction after seeing Cobie enter their establishment.


    Lux ate his sandwich while staring at the Guildmaster who was led to a table not far from him to order some food.


    "What will your order for today be?" Patricia asked.


    "The usual," Cobie replied.


    "Okay," Patricia smirked before heading towards the Kitchen. "Guildmaster Cobie is here, and he ordered the usual!"


    As soon as everyone in the tavern heard Patricia''s words, they all startedughing and cheering for Cobie, who seemed to be in a very good mood.


    ''It seems like he is well liked by everyone here,'' Lux mused.


    As the Guildmaster of the branch of the Adventurers Guild in Brookwest Town, Cobie was definitely not as simple as he looked.


    No one would be able to attain such a position with just luck since all the candidates were screened and tested to check if they were at least capable of leading one of the branches of the Adventurers Guild.


    Lux had just finished his meal and was drinking his tea when someone emerged from the kitchen.


    She swayed her hips from side to side, while holding a tray in her hands. The waitress walked towards the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild with such grace, making thetter smile from ear to ear.


    The moment she appeared, everyone in the tavern started whistling and cheering.


    "You brute, just go eat your food and leave," the two-meter-tall woman said. "Aren''t you tired of causing amotion day in and day out? Why don''t you give up already?"


    "Others may give up, but that others isn''t me," Cobie said with confidence. "The one who will XXX you will be me, Diana."<sub> </sub>


    Lux spat the tea he was drinking because he didn''t expect that Cobie had this kind of kink. The waitress named Diana was none other than a two-meter-tall Gori-Kin.


    She was one of the Beastkin Races that could be found both in Sis and Elysium. Although Lux had seen Cat-Kins in Barbatos Academy, this was the first time he was seeing a Gori-kin, so it clearly made an impression on him.


    Diana gave Cobie a p after hearing the man''s bold words. It sounded loud, but the force applied to it wasn''t that strong. Clearly, the waitress, Diana, didn''t want to hurt Cobie too much.


    "You brute, just give it up," Diana replied. "Looking at you doesn''t make me go in heat. It''s impossible."


    "Impossible is just another word for possible," Cobie said with the "never surrender" attitude. "You''ll be marrying me soon enough, and we will create a bunch of kids that look just like us."


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched because he couldn''t find the right words to describe his feeling right now.


    A Gori-looking-man wooing a Gori-Kin was like a match made in heaven. It was quite clear that Cobie was serious about Diana, and the waitress seemed to be fond of the Guildmaster as well.


    Because of this, Lux stood up from his seat and approached Cobie''s table.


    Sensing his gaze, Cobie nced in his direction and immediately stood up from his chair. He then moved between Lux and Diana, ring at the handsome Half-Elf as if looking at a mortal enemy.


    "Your name is Lux, right?" Cobie stated. "I guess you came here to find out what Diana looks like after I gave you that quest for your Rmendation Letter. But sorry, I''m not handing her to any good-looking men like you. She''s too good for a Half-Elf, so give it up, kid. There are many fishes in the sea, but Diana is the only one for me."


    Lux was very tempted to spit on the Guildmaster''s face for even saying such a thing. He already had a beautiful and loveable fiance, whom he would be marrying in two years. Why would he even bother to XXX a Gori?


    "Boys, please, don''t fight over me," Diana said. "You shouldn''t disturb the other customers. Cobie, go back to your seat."


    "No! I will not. Every man has something to protect, and I am here to protect your smile, Diana."


    "Are you going to sit, or should I have you cklisted from entering this tavern again?"


    Without another word, Cobie obediently sat while ring daggers at the Half-Elf, who was already regrettinging to the Starfleet Cavern because he was concerned for the waitress that Cobie was in love with.


    Sighing inside his heart, Lux walked towards Cobie''s table and took out a storage ring from his pocket. He then passed it to the Guildmaster, who took it with a doubtful look on his face.


    However, as soon as he saw what was inside the storage ring, a look of surprise and shock appeared on his face, before it was reced with a dazzling smile that would make the toothpaste models on earth cover their faces in shame.


    "Bro. You are my bro from this day onwards," Cobie said before giving Lux a bearhug that almost broke his bones.


    "Sorry, I''ll pass on being your bro," Lux replied as he tapped the Gori-like man''s arm to tell him to release him.


    Cobie released Lux andughed so loud that everyone in the tavern thought he had gone mad.


    "Everyone, drink up!" Cobie shouted. "The tab is on me! We''re getting drunk today!"


    Although no one knew what happened, all of them raised their mugs and cheered. Free drinks was something they wouldn''t turn down, so they cheered for Cobie''s generosity.


    "Here is the Rmendation Letter," Cobie handed a scroll with his seal attached to it. "You have earned it. When I marry Diana and have kids, I''ll make you their Godfather!"


    "...I''ll think about it." Lux was starting to sweat buckets seeing Cobie look at him as if he was his lord and savior.


    After a round of drinking, Lux was finally able to leave the Starfleet Tavern.


    "Let''s go, Jed," Lux said as he summoned his Thunder Warg King. "Let''s head to our next destination."


    Jed gave a growl of agreement before sprinting to the North Entrance of Brookwest Town.


    "There are really so many kinds of people in the world," Lux muttered with a helpless smile. "I guess love has many forms as well."


    The Half-Elf fondly remembered the scene in the tavern where Cobie started to dance with Diana after getting the Passion Blossom from Lux.


    Perhaps, unable to turn Cobie down, who was brimming with happiness, the waitress agreed to dance with him, while the customers who had musical instruments with them yed music for them. The tavern immediately had a festive atmosphere, making the Half-Elf momentarily forget his worries about getting his Rmendation Letters, as well as passing the Trial of Leadership.


    Jed left the town in a steady sprint with its Master looking forward to the next adventure that he would face.


    It was just past noon, and the sun was still at its zenith. However, Lux had a feeling that when night came, Cobie would finally be able to make his wish a reality, and tumble on the bed with the woman of his dreams.

 Chapter 333 You’re Going To Bradford Town Next, Right?

    After traveling non-stop for a day, Lux finally reached Aeston Town, where he would attempt to get his second Rmendation Letter from its local Adventurers Guildmaster.


    Although tired from his journey, the Half-Elf still headed straight to the Adventurer''s Guild and asked for an audience with its Guildmaster.


    It took several minutes before the Guild Receptionist brought Lux to the Headmaster''s office, where its Guildmaster, Guthram, waited for him.


    "You must be Lux," said Guthram as soon as the Half-Elf took a seat in front of his table. "I''ve heard many things about you."


    "I pray that they were all good things," Lux replied with a smile.


    "Hahaha. Well, it''s mixed, so there are good things and bad things. Even so, I''m d I was finally able to see the Half-Elf who has been making a lot of trouble for the Vahan Empire."


    Guthram was a middle-aged man, who wore a monocle over his right eye. He had this calm presence in him that made others feel at ease around him.


    But this was why Lux raised his guard to its fullest. Vera had warned him that this kind of people was the hardest to deal with because one never knew if they were scheming something behind your back.


    "Good," Guthrammented after sensing that Lux was being wary of him. "Only those who have passed a certain threshold in life experience would be cautious around me. It seems like you have your fair share of life and death battles."


    Lux didn''tment, since Vera had also warned him that these sly foxes would tter people as well in order to make them lower their guard.


    "Sir Guthram, I am here for a Rmendation Letter," Lux stated.


    Guthram nodded his head and opened the drawer at the side of his table. He then took out a scroll with a seal attached in it and passed it over to Lux.


    "Here is the Rmendation Letter," Guthram said.


    Lux blinked in confusion because he didn''t expect that the rmendation letter would be handed to him in such a casual manner.


    He thought that he would be given a quest, just like what Cobie had given him before he received the rmendation letter with the Guildmaster''s seal in it.


    "What''s wrong?" Guthram asked. "You don''t want it?"


    "Of course I want it," Lux said as he carefully took the scroll from Guthram''s hand.


    Guthram smiled as he eyed the Half-Elf who carefully stored his letter of rmendation inside his storage ring. He found the red-headed teenager''s reaction quite funny, making him want to tease him.


    "The Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact has always been at odds with each other," Guthram stated. "However, the Adventurer''s Guild is a neutral party, which allows us to have branches all over the world.


    "But, this is what only themon folks believe. In truth, even an organization as big as ours isn''t free from corruption. We still need to protect our own interests, so if we have to cklist a handful of people in order to continue serving millions of them, this choice is one that we will easily take.<sub> </sub>


    "You are a good example of this improper procedure. In order to create a guild, you have no choice but to travel to the rival empire of your faction just to secure Rmendation Letters and take the Trial of Leadership. Do you know why this happened?"


    Lux nodded. "To prevent a war from taking ce."


    Guthram smiled. "You''re only half right. It''s all about politics and keeping the interest of each kingdom. No one wants to see a war start, or at least, most of the rulers don''t. But, Emperor Andreas is an exception.


    "What puzzles me is that he didn''t use what happened in the Domain of the Fallen, as well as the attack on the Ashina Kingdom, as a righteous cause to dere war on the Xynnar War Pact."


    Lux offered his own opinion on the matter. "Isn''t it just because the Xynnar War Pact has two more Saints on their side, making Emperor Andreas reconsider dering war?"


    Guthram smirked. "While Saints are indeed beings that have a deterrence effect, you have to understand that Emperor Andreas also has aces up his sleeve. It has been five years since the Emperor, who likes to expand his territory, stopped sending his army across his Empire''s borders to wage war on his neighbors. The only reason I can think of is that he is busy with other things."


    Lux frowned because this talk about conspiracy theories was something he wasn''t fond of. For him, they were just conjectures, and worrying about something that had no solid evidence backing it up was just a waste of time.


    "Oh, forgive me, it seems like my tale has bored you," Guthram chuckled. "Well then, since your purpose foring here is over, you will head to Bradford Town next, right?"


    "Actually, I haven''t decided where to go yet," Lux replied. "There are a couple of other towns that I can visit before going to a major city to use their teleportation gate to reach the Capital City of Dainsleif."


    Guthram pressed his hands together and eyed the Half-Elf with a solemn expression on his face.


    "You''re going to Bradford Town next, right?"


    "I still haven''t decided..."


    "Understood. You''re going to Bradford Town. Since that is the case, can you pass this letter to my colleague there?" Guthram stuffed a letter into Lux''s hands without even asking for his opinion. "Since you will be visiting Bradford Town to get a Rmendation Letter, you might as well deliver this letter to my friend, who also happens to be the Branch Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild. His name is Boris and we go way back."


    "...Okay." Lux could only ept the letter from Guthram because thetter was insisting that he go to Bradford Town next.


    "Excellent. I knew that you were an amazing person the moment you walked through the door. Now, if you will excuse me, I still have many things to do," Guthram stood from his chair and shook hands with Lux, before firmly escorting him outside of his office. "Safe travels and may you arrive in Bradford Town before it is toote."


    Without another word, the Guildmaster closed the door leaving a dumbstruck Half-Elf who still couldn''t understand what just happened.


    ''I guess I''ll know when I arrive in Bradford Town.'' Lux scratched his head as he looked at the letter in his hands. ''Also, what did he mean when he said before it''s toote?''


    The Half-Elf had a feeling that this matter wasn''t so simple, so he decided to rest for a few hours. When the clock struck midnight, he would then travel to Bradford Town.


    -----

 Chapter 334 You Got The Short End Of The Stick, Boy

    After resting for a few hours, Lux traveled to the Town of Bradford in the middle of the night.


    It didn''t really matter whether he traveled during the day or night, because either way, he could clearly see everything.


    However, after getting some proper rest, the Half-Elf pondered why Guthram insisted that he traveled to the Town of Bradford. He had expected that he would be given some kind of quest in order to get a Rmendation Letter, but the Guildmaster gave him none.


    But in return, the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild made sure that Lux would only choose the Town of Bradford as his next destination.


    ''Is there something going on in Bradford Town?'' Lux mused.


    Using the Elysium Compendium, the Half-Elf mapped out the shortest route to reach his destination. Due to Jed''s enhanced movement speed after bing a Thunder Warg King, Lux arrived at the outskirts of Bradford Town just before sunrise.


    Upon arrival, instead of being happy, a grim expression formed on the Half-Elf''s face. The outskirts were littered with the dead bodies of Rat Monsters, as well as Humans.


    A single nce was enough to tell him that something was terribly wrong, so he immediately summoned Diablo to prepare for any unexpected surprises.


    "These bodies haven''t been dead for long, Master," Diablomented. "At most, they have been dead for two to three hours."


    The Death Knight, whose strength had increased after absorbing the power of the dead, paid close attention to the surroundings, just in case a monster appeared out of nowhere and attacked the Half-Elf who was riding by his side.


    "Diablo, wear this cloak," Lux ordered as he tossed a cloak to his Named Creature. "Also, dismount from Airon. I want you to ride one of the Wargs for the time being. I don''t know what''s going on, but it will be best if you''re not seen as a monster. The Humans we''ll encounter along the way might take you for an enemy, and we don''t want to be attacked by them.."


    (A/N: Airon is the name of Diablo''s Nightmare Horse.)


    Diablo obeyed and donned the cloak on his body, covering his facepletely.


    The stench of blood was getting thicker, which caused the frown on Lux''s face to deepen. After ten minutes, they finally reached the entrance of Bradford Town, which was shut tightly.


    "Halt!" A man holding a crossbow on top of the town''s walls aimed his weapon towards the Half-Elf. "What are you doing here in Bradford? State your business!"


    There were other men holding crossbows in their hands, and all of them were pointing it at him and Diablo with bloodshot eyes.


    Lux raised both of his hands to show that he meant no harm in order to pacify the anxious looking guards who were aiming at them with their crossbows. His gesture reduced the tension in the air, preventing the guards from identally shooting him due to their nerves being stretched to the limit.


    "My name is Lux, and I havee to Bradford Town to pass a letter that came from the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild in Aeston Town, Sir Guthram. He said that I should personally hand the letter to his friend, Sir Boris, who is the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild in this town."


    The men lowered the crossbows in their hand, but they were still giving Lux suspicious nces.


    "Someone tell the Guildmaster that someone is looking for him," the man who seemed to be the captain of the defenders ordered one of his subordinates.


    The subordinate left in a hurry, causing Lux to heave a sigh of relief.


    Just by looking at the defenders on the walls, he could tell that he came at a very bad time. But after careful consideration, he realized that he might have been sent here by Guthram on purpose precisely because it was a very bad time, which made the Half-Elf silently curse the sly fox who set him up.


    ''Isn''t this the same as giving me a quest?'' Lux scratched his head. ''Why must he make thingsplicated?''


    Several minutester, a man with sharp features, who seemed to be in his early forties, appeared on top of the town walls and gazed down on the Half-Elf with a frown.


    "I am Boris," Boris stated. "You said that you have been sent by Guthram to deliver a letter to me?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes. Sir Guthram told me to bring the letter here after I asked him for a Rmendation Letter in order to create a Guild."


    The Half-Elf decided to state his real purpose foring in order to make Boris understand that he wasn''t an enemy. He thought by doing so, the Guildmaster would lower his guard and tell everyone to let him go inside the city.


    "A Rmendation Letter?" Guthram crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you just making an excuse so we will let you enter the town? Boy, I didn''t be the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild because I am stupid. Do you really think that we will allow you to enter with that Monster beside you?"


    The guards gasped before shifting their gaze towards the robed figure that was mounted on the Warg beside Lux. All of them once again raised their crossbows and aimed their bolts in Diablo''s direction.


    "Wait! Don''t shoot!" Lux shouted. "He is my Summon. I am a Necromancer! I saw several dead bodies along the way and decided to summon my servant to be my escort on the journey."


    "Necromancer? So young and already ying with the dead," one of the men holding a crossbow in his handmented.


    "Do you think he is in cahoots with those monsters that are attacking our town?"<sub> </sub>


    "It''s possible. Maybe he wanted to destroy our defenses from within so we will be overwhelmed on their next attack."


    "Hiss�� these dark practitioners cannot be trusted. He may have already raised an army of the dead and is waiting for the right moment to strike us!"


    Boris eyed Lux with a serious expression, while the guards around him debated whether they should shoot the robed figure or not.


    "If you don''t want me to enter the town, that''s fine," Lux shouted at the guards who were inching their fingers at the trigger of their crossbows. "It''s not like I came here to help you guys defend this town or anything. Don''t get the wrong idea, okay?"


    The Half-Elf then shifted his gaze towards Boris who still hadn''t said anything since he dered his purpose foring.


    "Here is Sir Guthram''s letter," Lux said. "Will someone take it, or should I just leave it on the ground?"


    All the guards nced at Boris, waiting for his instructions.


    "Fine, let him in," Boris ordered. "But don''t make any stupid moves. If you summon Undead Monsters inside the town, we will treat you as our enemy."


    Lux nodded his head and unsummoned Diablo. Since apromise had been reached, he decided that he should just recall his Death Knight. This way, the trigger-happy guards would have no reason to shoot him with their crossbows.


    As soon as the red-headed teenager entered the town, the gate behind him closed with a heavy thud.


    ''This is worse than I thought,'' Lux mused as he gazed at the town that looked like it had barely survived a bandit attack.


    Many houses were destroyed or burnt, and the ground had several dark stains, which the Half-Elf believed to be blood that had already dried up.


    While Lux was assessing the situation around him, Boris hade down from the town walls and walked in his direction. He was followed by four more adventurers and, judging by their posture, Lux knew that all of them were at least of the Initiate Rank.


    "The letter?" Boris asked.


    Lux didn''t even bother to reply and simply handed the sealed scroll to the Guildmaster, whose sharp features reminded him of a bird of prey.


    Boris broke the seal and read the contents of the letter with a calm expression on his face. When he was done, he nced at Lux and gave him a pitiful gaze.


    "You got the short end of the stick, Boy," Boris said. "Sorry for doubting you earlier."


    The Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild handed the letter back to Lux and told him to read it.


    Boris had known Guthram for a long time, and understood that his friend would not hesitate to lend his help to him. Since he had sent someone to deliver a letter to him and didn''te in person, it just meant that the situation in Aeston Town, where Guthram was stationed, was slowly starting to deteriorate as well.


    Curious about the contents of the letter, the red-headed teenager read it carefully to ensure that he wouldn''t miss anything.


    ��---------


    Dear Boris,


    I have received your letter asking for aid, but I am unable to leave Aeston Town at this time. We have also received reports that the Goblins in our area are behaving erratically, and it is quite possible that we could be facing the same problem you are facing right now.


    But don''t worry. There will always be someone trying to gain favors from me. If I meet such an individual, I will send him to you right away. Treat it as my way of helping you.


    Hoping to see you again, your dear colleague, Guthram.


    P.S


    Before you die, can you pay the two thousand gold coins you owe me? I''d hate it if I have to collect your loan from your family members.


    ��---------


    The Half-Elf scratched his head after reading the letter.


    "I already had a feeling that this was the case," Luxmented. "So Sir Boris, can you tell me what is going on here? Maybe I can offer you some assistance."


    Since he was already there, then he might as well see what was going on. Perhaps by helping Boris a bit, he would get a Letter of Rmendation which would bring him one step closer to his goal to take the Trial of Leadership.

 Chapter 335 Skeleton Make [EX]

    "A Monster Outbreak?"


    "Yes. A Monster Outbreak, but not a natural one. This one is clearly premeditated, and the strength of the Monsters far surpassed their normal strength."


    Boris took Lux to his Guild office to exin to him the current problem they were facing.


    "It all started a week ago," Boris exined. "At first, the adventurers had sighted Stone wed Rats more than usual roaming around the forests from the North. We didn''t think much of this back then because the Northern Forest was their natural habitat. However, four days ago, things changed.


    "On the night of the New Moon, the Rat Monsters attacked us, which caught uspletely by surprise. They only numbered around three hundred at most, but all of them had the strength of Rank 4 Monsters, which waspletely unheard of.


    "At most, Stone wed Rats are only rank 2 Monsters, so they aren''t much of a threat to adventurers. But the ones we faced were of a different breed. Glowing red veins covered their entire bodies, giving them strength that far surpassed their normal strength.


    "We didn''t have that many Grade A Apostles in town, but we did have ten Initiates, including myself, so we managed to fend them off. After we killed all the Monsters, we thought that it was thest of them. Unfortunately, we were wrong.


    "Everyday, we were attacked by Stone wed Rats, and with every wave, their numbers have grown. Two of our Initiates died a day ago, and two more were injured. I am afraid that if those Monster Rats attack us tonight... Bradford Town is finished."


    After hearing his tale, Lux now understood why Boris gave him a pitiful gaze after reading Guthram''s letter. Clearly, the Half-Elf had indeed gotten the short end of the stick, and was involved in a very big problem that he didn''t ask for.


    "So, what''s the n?" Lux asked.


    He had traveled all through the night, and frankly, he was still exhausted from his journey. However, after hearing that he might be facing thousands of Rank 4 Rat Monsters, who could easily scale the town''s wall due to their exceptional agility and dexterity, his desire to rest disappearedpletely.


    "It is impossible to defeat them," Boris replied. "So, we have decided to evacuate everyone, and head to Aeston Town. The sun has just risen, so it is a good time to travel.


    "However, traveling with over ten thousand people will be a great challenge. I''m afraid that we won''t reach our destination before sunset. Although the Rat Monsters have been attacking us an hour after sunset, that is not a guarantee that they will not attack during the day."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding, but he and Boris both knew that there was nothing that could be done except to flee from Bradford Town and seek help from Aeston Town.


    "We will be leaving in an hour," Boris stated. "I know that you came here for a Letter of Rmendation, so let''s do it this way. Help us evacuate the people to Aeston, and I will give you the letter you want. Do we have a deal?"


    "Okay," Lux replied.


    The Half-Elf understood that he wouldn''t be getting his Rmendation Letter for free, so he decided to just help with the evacuation.


    Exactly an hourter, the gates of Bradford Town opened. Thousands of people started their march, carrying their belongings on their backs, in their carts, and on their mounts.


    There were many old people, as well as little children, who weregging behind on the march, but there was nothing that anyone could do about it. There were not enough carts in the town to carry them all, so they had no choice but to travel on foot.


    Lux felt pity for these people, so he decided to use the skill that he had received after he defeated the Death Tyrant in the Gate of Death.


    He didn''t have the chance to use it until now because this skill was quite unique. A single use of this skill required a whopping 8,000 Mana Points, and Lux could only use it three times with full mana.


    But since he usually spent a great deal of his Mana Pool in summoning his Skeleton minions, he could only use this skill once in battle, making it the most draining skill he currently possessed.


    This skill was none other than his Skeleton Make [EX], which he hadn''t used until today.


    -------


    < Skeleton Make [EX] >


    a��� Summon 200 Skeletons to form anything the user wants to make.


    a��� This skill can only form physical objects.


    a��� Caster must have a clear picture of what he wants to form in his mind to make this skill work properly.


    a��� This skill will automatically upgrade after the caster raises his current rank.


    a��� Aside from the 200 Skeletons that will be summoned by this skill, the user can also use the other summoned Skeletons under hismand, to merge with this skill, and further empower it.


    a��� Each Skeleton that is summoned by this skill will consume 40 Mana Points.


    a��� Summoned Skeletons using this skill willst for approximately twelve hours, or until they are destroyed.<sub> </sub>


    a��� There can only be three active Skeleton Make creations at a time.


    a��� More active creations will be unlocked once the Caster''s rank increases.


    a��� Skeleton Make in use (0/3)


    -----


    Lux took a deep breath as he raised both of his hands.


    "Skeleton Make..." Lux shouted as hundreds of skeletons appeared in front of him, waiting for the form that they would take.


    "Bone Wagon!"


    The Half-Elf immediately felt the great drain in his Mana, which made his legs almost turn to jelly. However, he endured it and his summoned Skeletons formed the Bone Wagon in his mind.


    Several children screamed after seeing the horrifying Bone Wagon that was at least 15 meters long, while some of them ran to their mothers crying because they were so afraid of the weird object that appeared out of nowhere, and made up of bones.


    It took Lux nearly half an hour to coax everyone that the Bone Wagon was safe, and it wouldn''t hurt them.


    In the beginning, no one wanted to ride it, so Lux thought of a n to make them less afraid of the Bone Wagon he had created.


    What the Half-Elf did was to ask everyone, especially the elderly to drop their luggage on the Bone Wagon, so they didn''t have to carry them on their backs, allowing them to feel less burdened in their journey.


    Although they were quite reluctant to do it, a few old people who really couldn''t carry their possessions for the long trip epted Lux''s offer, and ced their luggage on the Bone Wagon, which followed behind the exodus of people headed towards the Town of Aeston.


    His n worked perfectly, and almost everyone that was at the very end of the procession had ced their belongings on the Bone Wagon, giving them the freedom to travel lightly.


    The kids then became curious, and some of the braver ones decided to climb on it. Finally, two hourster, the Bone Wagon was filled to the brim with children and their mothers, who seemed to enjoy the free ride.


    After seeing that everyone had warmed up to the idea of riding on the Bone Wagon, Lux created two more before chugging down a bottle of Mana Potion.


    Asmodeus, who was also able to use all of Lux''s skills, summoned three more Bone Wagons, allowing more of the women, children, and the old people to ride in them.


    "Master, this skill is quite amazing," Asmodeusmented as he rode on top of a Warg that Lux had summoned for him. "How about we try merging our Skeleton Summons to make these Bone Wagons longer?"


    Lux pondered for a bit before nodding his head. "Okay. Let''s do that."


    In truth, the Half-Elf was curious about what would happen if his Skeleton Soldiers merged with the Skeleton Make Skeletons.


    The oue was just like Lux envisioned. The 15 meter long wagons all became 20 meters long, and even gained a roof, made up of bones. This protected the people riding in the wagons from the sun, allowing them to have a morefortable ride towards their destination.


    "It''s a pity that we can only use it three times," Asmodeusmented. "Master, I look forward to how you will be able to use this ability in battle."


    Lux only smiled, and didn''tment. In truth, he was also thinking about how to use the Skeleton Make Skill in battle.


    He already had several ideas in mind, and was itching to try them, to see what would work and what would not.


    When it was almost noon time, Lux received a message from Ishtar, whom he had left in Bradford Town to monitor the surroundings.


    "Master, there is a dust clouding from the North West," Ishtar reported. "I''m afraid that these are the Rat Monsters that should only be attacking Bradford during the night."


    After hearing Ishtar''s report, Lux closed his eyes and used his connection to his Named Creature to see what she was seeing.


    Half a minuteter, Lux saw the dust cloud in the distance, that was headed in the direction of Bradford Town. The Half-Elf''s expression became grim when he saw the number of Monsters that were headed in their direction.


    "This can already be called a Pseudo-Beast Tide," Lux said through gritted teeth before cutting off his connection with the Night Stalker.


    He needed to tell Boris that the Guildmaster''s worst fears had be a reality.


    Over three thousand Rank 4 Rat Monsters were headed towards Bradford Town, and if the Monsters found out that not a single soul was inside it, they might track them down, which would spell doom to the people who were fleeing their hometown in search of a safe ce to hide from the Monsters that were about to reach the town that they called home.

 Chapter 336 A Little Rat Managed To Escape

    In a conference room, several ck-robed figures sat and were currently discussing thetest breakthrough in their research.


    "How is the ning along?"


    "Very good, if I say so myself. The experiment on strengthening weak monsters and controlling them from a distance is showing desirable results."


    "Excellent. Have you sent thetest batch to Bradford?"


    "They are already on their way."


    "How about the Goblins targeting Aeston?"


    "We''re still working on that part, but we have gained sufficient data from the Rat Monsters to take control of the Goblins as well."


    "The Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild, Guthram, is quite an intuitive fellow. He dispatched elite Adventurers to go and wipe out entire Goblin Encampments and Nests before we were able to gather a sizable force to attack Aeston Town."


    "Well, it doesn''t matter. We have already seeded if we look at the grand scheme of things."


    "Who is in charge of the attack in Bradford Town?"


    "It''s the Pied Piper."


    "Ah�� that guy. Well, I guess news of an entire town being destroyed will spread throughout the entire Empire when morninges."


    "Congrattions, everyone. We are now one step closer to our goals."


    "All Hail Twilight Dynasty!"


    """All Hail Twilight Dynasty!"""


    �C��----


    Somewhere between Bradford Town and Aeston Town��


    Lux was no stranger to Monster Outbreaks, and had even participated in the defense against a Beast Tide in Whitebridge City back in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    If he was fighting alone, he was confident that he would be able to escape unscathed.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t alone, and was helping the Guildmaster, Boris, evacuate over ten thousand people to the town of Aeston before the Rat Monsters overtook them along the way.


    "How credible is this information?" Boris'' face immediately became grim upon hearing Lux''s report about the approaching danger from the rear.


    Although they had made good progress in their travels, it was highly possible that the Monsters would run after them if they discovered that no one was inside Bradford Town.


    "I left one of my subordinates there to inform me if Rat Monsters appeared," Lux replied. "It won''t be long before the Monsters arrive in Bradford Town."


    "Do you think they will follow us?" Boris asked.


    Lux shook his head. "I don''t know, but the possibility exists. If they don''t follow us, that would be for the best."


    "But what if they follow us?"


    "You already know the answer to that question, Sir."


    Boris sighed, knowing that Lux was correct. If the Monsters did follow them, it was possible for them to catch up in just two to three hours. Although they had made good progress, the Monsters'' speed was far greater than their own.<sub> </sub>


    They couldn''t possibly outrun them unless they were willing to leave some people behind.


    "Right now, we only have a little over two hundred Apostles and eight Initiates," Boris stated. "The majority of those Apostles are Grade D and C. They will be unable to block thousands of Rank 4 Monsters even if we were able to double that number."


    "Then what''s the n?" Lux inquired. Right now, only Boris and he knew of the approaching danger from behind, so the march was still proceeding steadily.


    If anyone were to tell them that monsters were headed in their direction, the people might start to panic, which would be bad for everyone.


    "We will tell everyone to hasten the pace," Boris answered. "Is it possible for you to conjure more of those Bone Wagons?"


    Lux shook his head. "I am already at my limit. I can''t add more than what we currently have."


    If Lux could have his way, he would certainly summon more Bone Wagons, but his skill, Skeleton Make [EX], had a limit.


    There were still many old people and children who required assistance, but there was simply nothing he could do about it. All the space in the Bone Wagons was already taken, and there was no more room for more people inside it.


    "Let''s just do what we can," Boris finally answered after a few minutes of silence. "Remember this, Lux, we can''t save everyone. If therees a time when you have to escape to save yourself, don''t think twice and just do it."


    Boris then took out a sealed letter from his storage ring, and gave it to Lux.


    "I nned to give this to you once we reach Aeston Town," Boris said after handing his Letter of Rmendation to Lux. "But I can''t, in good conscience, allow you to risk your life to do more, especially when you have already done a lot for us.


    "I hate to say this, but my life is also important. I will not die here as a hero, nor will I act as a martyr. I have responsibilities, so if I think that there is nothing that can be done, I will flee by myself and head to Aeston Town. I will tell the other Defenders about this news, but I won''t tell anyone else. We don''t want people trampling over the other in their panic to escape with their lives."


    Boris patted Lux''s shoulder before he turned around to leave.


    Gazing at his steady pace, Lux understood that although Boris would feel bad about leaving the people behind to save his life, he would not change his decision.


    This was a decision of a man who had lived through many battlefields and became a Branch Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild.


    Lux nced behind him, in the direction of Bradford Town, where Ishtar was left to monitor the current situation.


    ''I hope that the Monsters just remain in the town,'' Lux thought. ''May the Gods have mercy on these people.''


    Unfortunately, no Gods heard Lux''s prayer.


    When the Monsters arrived in Bradford Town, they easily scaled over the town''s wall and swarmed the town like a gue of locusts.


    After seeing that there were no humans around the vicinity, the Rat Monsters wandered around the town, entering houses to make sure that no Humans were hiding anywhere. Afterpleting their rounds of every nook and cranny of the town, the sound of a flute spread in the surroundings, alerting all of the Rat Monsters of their new orders.


    Ishtar, who was hiding in the shadows, heard the flute and nced in the direction that it wasing from. Lux already had some suspicions that someone was controlling the Monsters and giving them orders, but this had just been a hunch.


    Now that the ringleader had appeared, the Nighstalker decided to scout their target, and learn more about them.


    But, before she could even see the flute yer, her hiding ce was attacked by over a dozen Rat Monsters, forcing her to flee and escape into the shadows.


    "A little rat managed to escape," a ckrobed man said after he finished ying his flute. "No matter. This will not change the oue of this mission. Everyone, follow the tracks of the townspeople. Leave no one alive!"


    ""Squeak!""


    Thousands of Rat Monsters obeyed their Master''s call and followed the tracks that were left by the people that had decided to leave their hometown.


    Ishtar, who had just escaped from the enemy''s pursuit, ryed the bad news to Lux, informing him of the approaching danger from behind.

 Chapter 337 Master, You’re Too Kind For A Necromancer

    The pace of the march had increased, which allowed the townspeople of Bradford to have a three hour lead ahead of their pursuers.


    Unfortunately, they still needed to travel fifteen more hours to reach their destination. No matter how Lux and Boris looked at it, the monsters would be upon them before they even arrived anywhere near the Town of Aeston.


    Lux had already informed Boris of the worst case scenario, making the Guildmaster sigh.


    "It is now clear that there is someone controlling the Monsters'' actions," Boris said. "Now, we have two choices. Tell everyone of the approaching danger, and have those with the capacity to escape to run for their lives, or we tell everyone, and work together in order to find a solution to this problem."


    Lux gazed straight into Boris'' eyes and shared his opinion.


    "We should tell the people about the Monsters running after us," Lux said. "Although it will cause them great worry, and some might even panic, that is still better than leaving them behind as we run for our lives."


    Boris nodded. "You''re right. I will gather my staff and have them spread the news of the Monster Army''s arrival. Do you have anything to add that might make them less anxious about our impending doom?"


    Lux thought for a while before nodding his head. "Ask them if they know of a ce where we can hide, or at least, give the old people, women, and children a chance of survival. The rest can escape if they are confident in their abilities.


    "Also, if you have a way to contact the Adventurer''s Guild in Aeston, please do it. Even if there is no hope to ask for reinforcements, doing nothing will just be waiting for our deaths."


    Boris smiled after hearing Lux''s words. "Okay. I''ll inform everyone. I just hope that we will be able to weather this storm."


    Lux nodded before urging Jed to run towards the rear of the formation.


    After arriving at his destination, the Half-Elf ventured farther until he reached a high vantage point to scan the surrounding area, looking for anything that might help him dy the monster army.


    Asmodeus, who had followed behind Lux, stood behind his back, and waited for the Half-Elf to make a decision.


    ? "Asmodeus, what do you think we should do?" Lux asked after pondering things through.


    "Master, you''re too kind for a Necromancer. If I was in your shoes, I would have said good riddance to these people and made my escape already," Asmodeus replied. "But, then again, I don''t mind serving a kind Master like you."


    "Um, thank you?"


    "Hahaha."


    Lux didn''t expect that he would be given a pep talk by the Archlich whom he believed was the best strategist among his Named Creatures. He watched as Asmodeus rubbed his chin with his bony hands, as the glowing embers in his eyes danced with amusement.


    "Right now, we have less than three hours headstart from our enemy," Asmodeus stated. "If we want to dy them, there is only one way and that is by using Gueri Tactics. I propose that you leave a golem behind here, so you can travel back using the Boots of Teleportation in case you get cornered by the enemy. Although we would do our best to protect you, having insurance is better than having none."


    Lux nodded in agreement. By doing this, he would be able to escape safely due to the Boots of Teleportation that he received from Keoza.


    "Master, just know that if we are going to do this, you are not allowed to use the Dragon Token," Asmodeus said in a serious tone. "That is a life saving artifact and you can only use it two more times. Using it in this situation would be a waste.


    "We do not owe these people anything, and using the token for their sake will not sit well with me. I''m sorry for being blunt, but it will truly be a waste to use it to saveplete strangers. Um, have I said how wasteful it is to use the Dragon Token? Truly it is a waste. It will be best if you use it when you find yourself facing a situation simr to what happened in the past, when your fiance and grandmother got injured. "<sub> </sub>


    The Archlich said the word waste several times to ensure that Lux wouldn''t use the Dragon Token in this situation no matter what. Fortunately, the Half-Elf understood what his Strategist was trying to say, and nodded his head in agreement.


    "Well then, since everything is settled, here is the n," Asmodeus smiled. "First, we need to take back our Skeleton Summons, including all of our Bone Wagons. The Skeleton Make skill is quite profound, and I believe we will be able to use it effectively in the battlefield as well."


    "Okay," Lux readily agreed with Asmodeus'' suggestion.


    In his mind, it didn''t matter if the refugees were to suffer some difficulties when the Bone Wagons were gone for a chance of survival. No matter howfortable they were on their journey while riding the Bone Wagons, they wouldn''t enjoy it for long once the Monster Army overtook their march.


    "Now, herees the fun part," Asmodeus gave Lux a devilish smile, which made the Half-Elf wonder what the Archlich was cooking up. "Here is what we are going to do, Master."


    The Archlich whispered something in Lux''s ears, making the Half-Elf shudder. He had never thought of this method of fighting before, and it made him realize that there were indeed many things that he still needed to learn when it came torge scale battles.


    "Good," Lux replied before urging Jed to run in the direction of Bradford Town. "Let''s go, Asmodeus. Time to kill some Rats."


    The Archlich chuckled before following behind his Master. Clearly, his n made the red-headed teenager find hope amidst the desperate situation.


    ��----


    "Um, Little Swordy, are you sure My Daddy went over to that town called Bradford?" Cai asked as it walked beside the Skinny Swordsman that was mounted on top of a Warg.


    Lux had given Keane a mount of his own after the battle in the Gate of War because the swordsman had realized that traveling on foot was a very tiresome thing to do.


    "Yes," Keane replied. "Sir Guthram said that it is so."


    "Hmm�� for some reason, I am having a bad premonition about the direction we are headed."


    "Really?"


    Cai nodded. "I can''t exin it. It''s like my animal instincts are telling me that following this road is a bad idea. Are you sure this is where My Daddy went?"


    "You''ve asked me this question a dozen times already in different variations," Keane replied with a fed up gaze. "If you don''t stop talking, I''ll leave you behind."


    "... Fine. I just really feel really apprehensive for some reason," Caimented. "I just hope I''m overthinking things."


    Cai had a very keen sense of danger. She had felt these several times when they were inside the Sacred Dungeon, but strangely enough, she didn''t feel worried whenever she was with Lux.


    Perhaps, as someone that had been defeated by him, Cai had recognized the red-headed teenager''s strength, and felt much more secure around him. One could even call this a sense of deep rooted trust after everything they had been through.


    As the two followed the path that would lead them to reunite with the Half-Elf, they were not aware that the person they were looking for was on his way to fight arge Monster Army with his own Undead Army, not only for his own survival, but for those from Bradford who wanted to survive as well.

 Chapter 338 Just Who Is Getting In My Way?! [Part 1]

    "Did they really think that they could escape from death?" A man wearing a ck robe on top of a Giant Rat Monster chuckled. "Well, this is at most a prey''s struggle for life before the hunter takes its life. This is also a form of entertainment."


    After finding out that the entire town of Bradford had been abandoned, the man didn''t even bother ordering the monsters to loot whatever that was left. Instead, he ordered them to pursue the townspeople to the closest town possible.


    What he came here to do was cause a massacre. He needed to do it to spread fear and anxiety to the surrounding towns and viges in the Southern Regions of the Empire.


    Judging by the scent that still lingered by the roadside, he could tell that the people had left not too long ago. Traveling with plenty of people would greatly slow down the pace of the journey, so the ck-robed man was confident that he would be able to overtake them in just a few hours.


    It had been an hour since his Monster Army left Bradford Town. They traveled with a steady pace, with the ck-robed man riding a mile behind his minions.


    Their Organization''s n was to make the vige''s annihtion look like a Monster Outbreak, so his identity couldn''t be discovered no matter what.


    His ability allowed him to control Rat Type Monsters to a certain extent, which had earned him the title of "Pied Piper".


    "Still, the Organization''s growth serum did wonders," the Pied Piper muttered. "Who would have thought that Rank 2 Monsters could turn berserk permanently, and increase their strength to Rank 4? Unfortunately, they could only live for a week at most, so raising an army to conquer the empire''snds is still impossible. It also takes a lot of manpower to capture these Monsters."


    The Pied Piper sighed as he nced at his formidable army that was more than enough to raze viges and towns.


    The main cities of the Empire were heavily guarded, so the Organization''s experiments could only be conducted in the countryside, allowing them to try out their Monster Armies on the viges and towns with weaker defenses.


    ''I can''t wait to see the look of despair on the townspeople''s faces when they see my army behind them,'' the Pied Piper mused. ''Boris, you had this oneing. I still haven''t settled my scores with you yet!''


    The Pied Piper sneered at the thought of personally cutting off the head of the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild, who had gotten in the way of his promotion in the past. In order to seek vengeance, he joined the guild Twilight Dynasty to bring down the Guildmaster, as well as those who had ridiculed him in the past.


    While the Pied Piper was relishing his uing victory, he heard a loud explosion somewhere in the distance.


    A momentter, another explosion urred, and shrieks of pain from his Monster Army reverberated in the surroundings.


    The Pied Piper was downhill when the first explosion happened, so he wasn''t able to see clearly what happened. However, the moment he reached the top of the hill, his eyes widened in shock. When he got there, he witnessed a scene that he never expected to see.


    His Monster Army had started to disperse, and dozens of the Rat Monsters, who had copsed on the ground, were writhing in pain as various parts of their body were missing. Although none of the Monsters had died, the ones that were injured were close to dying, so it didn''t really matter whether they were still alive or not.


    They had stopped running and were looking around their surroundings for the hidden enemies that hade to ambush them.


    "What in the world happene�C"


    The Pied Piper wasn''t able to finish his sentence because he was silenced by another incredible scene that he was seeing for the first time.


    A three-meter-tall ming Skull that left a zing trail in the sky was about to descend on his Monster Army


    "Scatter!" the Pied Piper ordered.


    The Monsters did as they were told, but some were unable to escape in time.<sub> </sub>


    The Fiery Skull descended on a dense cluster of monsters and exploded. Fiery bony shrapnel flew in different directions, injuring hundreds of Rat Monsters, making them shriek in pain.


    Before the Pied Piper could even react to the devastation that happened, another ming Skull descended upon the Monster army, and this time, it killed the seriously injured monsters who barely survived the first two bombardments.


    Over two hundred Rat Monsters had died after the three ming Skulls crashed into them.


    The rest of the Monsters had safely escaped and had backed away a considerable distance from the ce where the Fiery Skulls had previouslynded, all of which were still covered in ck smoke.


    The Pied Piper ordered the Rat Army retreat while trying to understand what just happened.


    While the ringleader of the Monster Attack was trying to assess the damage his army had taken, Lux was crouching on all fours and panting for breath.


    "How do you feel, Master?" Asmodeus asked as he crouched down beside the Half-Elf, whose drool was already spilling from his mouth due to exhaustion.


    "I feel like dying," Lux replied as he tried to catch his breath. "Did we get them?"


    Asmodeus nodded. "Congrattions, Master. It is a sess. This new skill of yours is truly wonderful. The only downside is that whenever you use it, it drains almost all of your Mana, leaving you exhausted."


    Lux wiped the drool from his mouth and took out a mana potion. He then chugged it all down, and only then did he feel a bit better from the aftermath of his and Asmodeus'' experiment.


    "Let''s go, Master," Asmodeus said as he extended his hand to help Lux stand up. "At most, we bought ourselves a few minutes. We need to head to the next location."


    "Uhhh��"


    Lux felt nauseated because his head was hurting so badly. This was the first time he experienced Mana Deprivation, and he didn''t like it.


    Not one bit.


    Seeing that Lux was unable to stand by himself, Asmodeus supported his Master''s body and helped him mount Jed''s back, so that they could go to their next destination.


    Since the Half-Elf and the Archlich knew that someone wasmanding the Rat Army, they were confident that thetter would hesitate to continue the pursuit after experiencing an unexpected attack that killed over two hundred of his Rat Monsters.


    ''It''s a shame that the monsters scattered and moved away from the corpses,'' Asmodeus thought as he mounted the Warg that was assigned to him by Lux. ''If they hadn''t, I could have killed more using Corpse Explosion. What a pity.''


    The Archlich''s mana had also taken a beating, but since his mana was higher than Lux''s and he was an Undead, he didn''t suffer too much of a bacsh after using the skill, Skeleton Make, to attack their enemy from great distances.


    As Lux and Asmodeus made their hasty retreat, the Pied Piper was still wary about letting his Army advance. Since there were unknown enemies hiding around them, he dispatched dozens of Rat Monsters to scout the surroundings.


    Although he still had many Monsters under hismand, he didn''t want a repeat of what just happened earlier.


    This gave Lux and Asmodeus precious time to reach their destination and prepare for another round of bombardment.

 Chapter 339 Just Who Is Getting In My Way?! [Part 2]

    Even from far away, the loud explosions that were caused by Lux''s and Asmodeus'' attempt to stop the Monster Army were heard by the refugees, who were making their way toward Aeston Town.


    Boris nced at the smoke rising in the distance and frowned.


    When Lux had told him that he would try to dy the approaching monsters, Boris wasn''t informed of the methods that the Half-Elf would use to do it.


    Judging from the loud explosions earlier, he at least assumed that the Half-Elf had seeded in his mission.


    What they needed right now was an opportunity to increase the distance between them, and thanks to Lux''s interference, the Monster Army had momentarily stopped their pursuit.


    "Guthram, you sent me one hell of a helper," Boris muttered.


    When he saw Lux for the first time, he didn''t think much of the teenager. However, right now, it was the Half-Elf who was doing the job that he should have be doing--ensuring the safety of the people that had entrusted their lives to him.


    -----


    The Rat Monsters came back from their scouting trip and found no enemies in the surroundings.


    Because of this, the Pied Piper decided to send dozens of scouts ahead of the army, in order to detect hidden dangers.


    Just to be on the safe side, the Pied Piper also changed the formation of the Rat Army so that there were only a hundred Monsters per group. Each group would travel several dozens of meters apart from each other, so that he could order them to escape if he saw another ming Skull descending from the sky.


    At the beginning, the Monster''s Army''s pace was slower than before because the Pied Piper was being cautious. However, after an hour of not encountering any incidents, he ordered the Monsters to increase their pace once again.


    The Pied Piper was a local of the Southern Regions of the Vahan Empire. Because of this, he was highly familiar with the topography, so he decided to take a shortcut by getting off the main road and traveling through the forest in order to recover the time he had lost earlier.


    The Rat Monsters dexterously traveled the forest as they followed themand of their master.


    The other beasts that dwelled in the forest were either massacred by the Rat Army, or had escaped the moment they sensed that a great danger was approaching. Even the Rank 5 and Pseudo-Deimos Ranked Monsters were not a match to over a thousand Rank 4 Monsters, so they chose to make their escape before the Monster Army arrived near their location.


    While this was happening, Ishtar, who was perched on top of a tree, observed the approaching army with a sneer on her face.


    ''Master, they havee within range,'' Ishtar reported.


    ''Thank you, Ishtar. You can return to my side now,'' Lux ordered before taking a deep breath. All members of his Skeleton Army, as well as his Named Creatures, were gathered around him.


    "Diablo, carry meter like a sack of rice if you have to," Lux said. "I don''t think I''ll still be able to ride properly this time."


    Diablo nodded with a hint of amusement on his deathly face. "Understood, Master."


    Lux took another deep breath before raising his right hand to start to use histest skill once again.


    "Skeleton Make!"<sub> </sub>


    Hundreds of Skeletons merged together behind the Half-Elf forming a thirteen-meter-long cannon with a barrel that was four-meters-wide.


    Asmodeus didn''t stand idly and did the same, forming a cannon of the simr size as Lux''s and aimed it at the forest that was right in front of them.


    "Grand Cannon!" Lux roared.


    Immediately, the two cannons unleashed two three-meter-tall ming Skulls that was headed towards the center of the forest.


    A loud explosion ensued, creating a fiery ze that started to burn the trees in the surrounding areas.


    The Vanguard of the Monster Army was caught in the explosion and, although they were moving in groups, the trees around them that had been hit by magical mes started to burn, which spread like wildfire.


    Two more explosions were heard in the distance as Lux and Asmodeus once again fired another round of bombardment. However, this time, it was aimed hundreds of meters in front of the Giant Rats, who had broken through the zing mes only to find themselves facing two more ming Skulls of destruction.


    "Fire!"


    Lux ordered, and a third round of bombardement ensued, whichnded in the center of the Monster formation.


    After testing the cannon''s maximum range earlier, they found out that it could hit targets three miles away.


    Because of this, Lux was able to attack their enemy at great distances, making it so they were unable tounch a counterattack against him in a short period of time.


    The Pied Piper gnashed his teeth in anger as he ordered his Army to retreat. Monsters were inherently afraid of fire, and even though he was forcefully controlling them using his ability, their animal instinct was kicking in, subconsciously causing them to flee even without his orders.


    "Dammit!" the Pied Piper cursed. "Actually setting an entire forest aze just so that I can''t pursue them. Just who is getting in my way?!"


    The Pied Piper couldn''t see beyond the sea of mes and smoke that had spread in the surroundings.


    Lux was currently riding with Diablo on top of the Nightmare, as they made their escape from the scene of carnage.


    Only Orion, Ishtar, and Pazuzu, were left behind to deal with any stragglers that managed to escape the zing forest that had been around for hundreds of years.


    Hundreds of Monsters fled from their homes and charged towards the Rat Army like crazed Beasts. In their minds, the Rat Monsters were the ones that had started the fire, so all the Monsters ganged up to fight against them, making the Pied Piper gnash his teeth in anger.


    "Master, make sure to put the me on our pursuer for the destruction of the Forest," Asmodeus teased as he rode beside Diablo.


    "Huff... right... it''s their fault... Hup," Lux replied through heavy breaths, as dark smoke rose up from the sky that could be seen for miles on end.


    He had a feeling that once the local Nobles, who owned thends between the territories of Bradford Town and Aeston Town, found out that their favorite hunting ground was set on fire, they would immediately put a bounty on Lux''s head, and ask Mercenaries and Bounty Hunters to hunt him down and feed his remains to the fishes.

 Chapter 340 It’s Gang Bang Time! [Part 1]

    The Pied Piper gritted his teeth as he looked at the sea of mes that burned brightly in front of him.


    Some of the Monsters in his army hadpletely lost their senses and broke free from his control due to their primal fear of fire. Because of this, the Rat Monsters under his control now numbered less than two thousand, which made the ck-robed man curse internally.


    ''I might get punished because of thister,'' the Pied Piper hatefully thought as he watched the forest burn without any signs of dying.


    The reason they built their base in the countryside in the first ce was due to the fact that they could hunt Monsters in the wild to use for experiments. However, if the Monsters'' home was destroyed, it would be hard to capture them without alerting the authorities that managed thends of the nobles.


    But that was the least of his worries. The ck smoke that rose from the forest fire was so eye-catching that it would be impossible for anyone to not see it unless they were blind. He knew that mounted knights would be sent to investigate the cause of the ze, including those with flying mounts.


    When that happens, he would be discovered by them and possibly get tracked down, making it hard for him to escapeter on.


    Right now, the Pied Piper was left with two choices. Go back in shame and face the wrath of his superiors, or order his Monsters to circle back to the original route to continue their pursuit of the townspeople while he reported back to their headquarters.


    Although he wouldn''t be there tomand the Rat Army, giving them two simple orders was enough for them to get the job done.


    ''They won''t be able to live past a week anyway, so retreating with them is a waste of resources,'' the Pied Piper thought.


    With no other alternative, the Pied Piper ordered his Rat Army to return to the main road and continue their pursuit of the townspeople, while he made his escape.


    Whatever would happen from now on was up to Fate, but at least his identity and their organization''s identity wouldn''t be discovered.


    ��-----


    Lux felt better after an hour of riding.


    Although he still felt nauseous, he was at least able to ride on his own without Diablo''s support.


    ording to Ishtar''s report, the Rat Army initially retreated, but they ended up returning to the original route to continue their pursuit.


    "They are still over a thousand strong, Master," Ishtar reported. "Although we managed to increase the distance between them and the townspeople, they will catch up to them in about five hours."


    Five hours.


    It might sound like a lot of time, but in truth, it was not. After Lux had taken the Bone Wagons back, the speed of the march  dropped considerably, and based on Boris'' calction, they still needed twelve hours to reach their destination.


    When Lux traveled towards Bradford Town, he passed along a canyon along the way. The path was only wide enough for three wagons to travel side by side. If the Half-Elf was to choose onest opportunity to deal damage to their enemies, this was the most ideal ce toy out an ambush.


    The refugees still hadn''t reached the canyon, but ording to his rough estimate, the Rat Monsters would catch up to them when the townspeople were halfway through the narrow canyon.


    "I guess we have no choice but to stake everything in that one chance," Lux muttered.


    The Half-Elf knew that Boris was right. He couldn''t save everybody.<sub> </sub>


    When Iris almost got captured, he was unable to save her.


    When Eiko tried to protect her, she died, and Lux had been unable to do anything then as well.


    The Half-Elf knew that there was no way that he could save every person that he saw. But that didn''t mean that it would stop him from doing what he thought was right.


    "Master, you''re too kind for a Necromancer."


    This was what Asmodeus had told him. The thing was, Lux wasn''t only a Necromancer. He was raised as a warrior by Vera, and he only be a Necromancer recently. His experiences in Elysium, and the friends he met along the way, helped shape him to what he was now.


    ''I''m d that Leaf Vige became my starting point,'' Lux thought as he rode Jed in order to reach the canyon and set up thest line of defense to at least slow down the Monsters that had resumed their pursuit.


    If he had started in the Human viges, he might not have experienced what it was like to be truly epted by people whose race was very different from him.


    A Half-Elf was a race shunned by Elves because their blood wasn''t pure.


    On the contrary, they might be a race that fascinated Humans because of their aesthetic beauty, but was still not epted as one of their own. For Humans, Half-Elves were only good because of their looks due to their Elven Heritage. The nobles thought of them as stud horses, broodmares, or ves that only served to heighten their own influence for owning such aesthetic creatures.


    In Leaf Vige, Lux gained recognition due to his efforts, and even became its Eternal Guardian.


    His statue, which was erected at the center of the Vige, was proof that everyone there treated him as their hero, and spread his tale far and wide within the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    ��--


    Just as the Pied Piper had predicted, the thick and dense ck smoke that rose up in the air could be seen for miles, alerting the nobles of the area that was near Bradford and Aestown Towns.


    Sending their Elite Forces to investigate, hundreds of mounted Knights traveled in haste to see what caused such arge forest fire, which was happening for the first time.


    Guthram gazed at the smoke rising up in the air with his arms crossed over his chest.


    ''While it is near Bradford Town, the distance isn''t quite right,'' Guthram mused. ''I guess it is best if I go there personally to investigate.''


    Guthram had already met with the Mayor of Aeston Town and gained his approval to close the gates and mobilize all the guards and adventurers, so they were ready for any kind of invasion.


    After talking with the Captain of the Guards, who was responsible for the defense of the city, Guthram mounted his Hippogriff and took off towards the sky.


    Although he didn''t want to leave the Aeston Town behind, his gut feeling was telling him that he needed to go no matter what.


    "Boris, just make sure you are still alive when I get there," Guthram muttered as he urged his flying mount to increase its speed and head in the direction where the thick, ck smoke was rising up in the air.

 Chapter 341 It’s Gang Bang Time! [Part 2]

    Four and a half hourster...


    Lux stood on top of the canyon and watched the procession of the refugees from above.


    He then shifted his attention to the dust cloud that could be seen in the distance and knew that they had less than an hour before the Rat Army caught up with the townspeople, who had also discovered the Monster Army that was behind their back.


    However, thanks to Boris, the Guards, as well as the Adventurers, a stampede caused by panic was averted.


    They had all assured the townspeople that they had everything under control, and that none of them would be harmed.


    Even Boris, who told Lux that he would run away when he felt that his life was in danger, stayed and became the pir that supported everyone.


    "Those Monsters will not be able to get past our defenses," Boris shouted. "All of you should just increase your pace and pass through this canyon as fast as possible. We haveid a trap for the Monsters, and we will stop their advance here. Do not be afraid! We will prevail!"


    Boris'' speech boosted everyone''s spirit and made them strive to increase their speed as they traveled the narrow pathway.


    In truth, the Guildmaster had a one-time use artifact that would allow him to instantly teleport to one of the major cities of the Vahan Empire. This was one of his life saving trump cards that he wasn''t supposed to use.


    However, Lux''s bravery had inspired him to try a little harder and remain until the bitter end.


    ''I can''t believe I ampeting with a teenager at my age,'' Boris thought as he nced at the dust cloud that was getting close with each passing second. ''I just hope that his n works, or else, I''m out of here.''


    Boris didn''t n on dying anytime soon. It was just that he changed his n a bit, so he would only leave when he deemed that it was impossible to win.


    The Guildmaster looked up at the top of the canyon where the Half-Elf was looking at the approaching Monster Army with a fearless gaze. His Named Creatures stood by his side, like Generals waiting for their King''s orders.


    "Get ready, everyone," Lux said. "Let''s do this."


    As soon as he gave the order, the Skeleton Gangbangers, who were standing at the rear of the procession of the refugees, all took a fighting stance, blocking the only path that led to the townspeople who were fleeing for their lives.


    The Skeleton Mages and Skeleton Grand Archers lined up along the ridge of the canyon and took aim.


    All of Lux''s Skeleton Summonsbined with Asmodeus'' own summons numbered above 350.


    This reminded him of the movie he watched back on Earth where a bunch of Spartans held back an army numbering in the hundreds of thousands with only 300 people.


    Even though Lux was only facing a Monster Army that was less than two thousand strong, all of them were Rank 4 Monsters and were being led by a Rank 5 Field Boss that was called the Vicious Horned me Rat.


    This Rat Monster was four-meters tall and its paws zed as if they were on fire. Its body had crimson streaks on it and looked very intimidating.


    If the Field Monster that was leading an army of Rank 4 Monsters had been the one that attacked Leaf Vige in the past, the chances of the Vige beingpletely destroyed was quite high.


    Although it was far weaker than the Mutated Thunder Wolf King, the army under itsmand was of higher quality, and it was more than enough to raze any of the viges and smaller towns to the ground.


    A few minutester, the ground started to tremble as thousands of rats neared the canyon. It sounded simr to a raging avnche that was about to swallow everything in its path, which made the townspeople who were at the very rear of the procession cry out in fear.


    "Don''t panic!" Boris shouted. "Just walk in an organized manner! We''re here to protect your backs. You will be safe!"


    Boris'' timely shout calmed the people and prevented them from running in panic, which would have crushed those who were in front of them.


    Even though the Guildmaster looked calm on the surface, he was already holding a blue crystal in his hand, ready to break it at a moment''s notice.


    When the Vanguard of the Rat Army entered the canyon, they noticed that several Monster carcasses littered the ground. Most of them weremon Monsters like horned rabbits, beetles, monkeys, and other Monsters that were native within the Southern Regions of the Vahan Empire.


    The Rat Monster ignored these dead animals since their true target was the people whom their Master ordered them to kill.


    When over a hundred monsters had run past the dead bodies on the ground, Asmodeus pointed his finger on the dead bodies and shouted.


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    Immediately, hundreds of Rat Monsters were thrown up in the air as powerful explosions sent dirt and rocks flying.


    Monstrous shrieks of pain and anger reverberated within the canyon as hundreds of Rats got injured from the sudden explosion that happened under their feet.


    Lux had ordered his Skeleton Army to hunt any Monsters they could find in order to use them as fuel for the Corpse Explosion skill that he would use within the cramped space of the canyon.<sub> </sub>


    With great effort, Lux''s Skeleton Army still managed to hunt a few hundred during the limited time they had. It was not enough to instantly kill Rank 4 Monsters, but it was sufficient to deal serious injuries, lowering their health past the halfway point.


    "Skeleton Make Boulder!"


    Hundreds of Skeletons merged together, forming a giant boulder made up of bones which floated in front of Lux.


    The Half-Elf then jumped in the air and transformed his legs to that of a dragon and kicked the bone boulder with all of his might like it was a ser ball, aiming for the horde of monsters that were advancing at the narrow canyon.


    "Power Shot!" Lux roared as he kicked the ball that flew towards his target like a giant cannonball of death.


    ----


    < Power Shot >


    a��� Increase Skill uracy by 30% and damage by 30%


    a��� Has a 5% chance to deal critical damage when using Power Shot Skill.


    -----


    The attack was not only infused by the Abyss Touch Skill that ignored all defenses, but also by the passive skill, Tempest Fury, which coated the bone boulder with the power of the Wind Element, increasing its speed and striking power.


    Just like a bowling ball hitting bowling pins, the giant boulder rammed into the vanguard of the Rat Army and sent them flying. However, it didn''t end there. Due to the force behind the attack, the Monsters which were already injured by the corpse explosion also died, which made Asmodeus''s eyes ze with excitement.


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    A chain reaction simr to fireworks being lit together ensued, devastating the Monsters that were caught in the explosion. Due to the narrow space, the Monster Army had no choice but to suffer through the explosions that dealt necrotic damage to them, giving them all fatal injuries.


    "Squeaaaaaaaaaaaak!"


    The Vicious Horned me Rat screeched, and the Rat Monsters started to climb up the side of the rock canyons, heading towards Lux, who was responsible for killing theirrades.


    The Half-Elf knew that Rats were good climbers, so he had already expected this to happen.


    "Orion! Bury them alive!" Lux ordered.


    The Jade Golem, as well as the other Rock Golems all smashed their fists against the ground in front of them.


    Earlier, Lux had ordered them to loosen up the rocks by punching it repeatedly, in preparation for the attack that would bury their foes in the ground.


    With one final punch, which came from Orion, the side of the canyon gave way, falling down on the climbing rats that didn''t expect their footholds to crumble under their feet.


    An avnche urred, crushing the hundreds of Monsters that had climbed up the side of the canyon in order to deal with Lux.


    Unfortunately, the Vicious Horned me Rat was quite agile, so it managed to jump off its foothold to the other side of the canyon, allowing it to survive the cmity that befell its subordinates.


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    "Hahaha! Corpse Explosion!"


    Asmodeusughed as he detonated all the Rat Monsters that had died, killing a few more in the process.


    "It''s Gangbang Time!"


    One of the Skeleton Gang Bangers shouted, which was like a spark that made its brethren charge at the injured Rat Monsters like crazed Beasts that were injected with chicken blood.


    The moment these Mads reached their injured targets, a one-sided gangbanging session began, which made the Rats who were at death''s door spit out mouthfuls of blood, mainly because of the Skeleton Gang Bangers skewering their backsides with their long, and thick, bastard swords.


    The other Rat Monsters, including the Vicious Horned me Rat Field Boss, who saw their brethren''s fate, couldn''t help but shudder.


    Although they were far stronger than the Skeleton Gang Bangers, they couldn''t help but feel fear in their hearts because their animal instincts were telling them that they, too, were about to get gangbanged as well.

 Chapter 342 Tipping Point [Part 1]

    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "...As expected of Master. You deliberately chose to upgrade the Skeleton Fighters to Skeleton Gang Bangers to get this effect. I daresay that although this�� gang bang team is a bit crude, it does the job perfectly!"


    Lux, Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion, were quite speechless upon seeing how the Skeleton Gang Bangers attacked their foes like berserked homies that had just taken 5000 mg of Viagra. Their might was so profound that even Monsters far stronger than them felt intimidated.


    Only Asmodeus was able toment on their effectiveness, and surprisingly, no one was able to refute him.


    This was the first time that Lux had used the Skeleton Gang Bangers in battle. Despite their questionable fighting style, the most important thing was they were able to get the job done with flying colors.


    But this was not enough to tip the battlepletely in their favor. Lux might have been able to kill hundreds of their enemies, but the Rat Army still numbered around a thousand strong.


    A thousand Rank 4 Monsters with a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster was still a force that could easily destroy a vige or a small town with ease.


    With that said, Lux didn''t put his guard down and used the momentum that the Skeleton Gang Bangers had provided to push their enemy back, preventing them from attacking the townspeople, who were still traversing the canyon.


    "Orion, Diablo, Pazuzu, help the Skeleton Gang Bangers and block the pathway of the canyon," Lux ordered. "Asmodeus, bring out Morpheus, and let him be our bodyguard for the time being."


    "As youmand, Master," Asmodeus replied and summoned the Death Tyrant, who let out a bone-chilling chuckle the moment it was summoned to the battlefield.


    Although the Death Tyrant was simr to the Rank 4 Rat Monsters, it was far stronger than them.


    From the top of the canyon, Morpheus fired colorful rays at the Rat Monsters on the ground, alongside the Skeleton Grand Archers and Skeleton Mages.


    The Vicious Horned me Rat had managed to rally the rest of its subordinates and ordered them to break past the Skeletons in order to aplish their mission.


    Due to their huge number, several Rat Monsters were able to break through the blockade by climbing up the sides of the canyon,pletely ignoring Lux''s Army.


    "Sh*t!" Lux cursed as he used his Doppelganger ability to summon his clones.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    Three Dragon''s Breaths were unleashed at the same time, hitting the Monsters, and in turn, the ground around them, causing the sides of the canyon to copse. While some of the Rat Monsters were buried under the rubble, dozens of them were still able to continue their advance despite their injuries.


    Just as these dozens of monsters neared the townspeople, a screech could be hearding from the sky.


    "Fireball!"


    Arge fireball sted the lead monster that was heading towards the townspeople.


    Guthram, who had decided to check the cause of the mes, had noticed the battle from the sky and decided to help.


    He was an Initiate, simr to Boris, and his might was more than enough to deal with a few Rank 4 Monsters who were already injured from Lux''s earlier attack.


    Seeing his friend, Borisughed out loud as he raised his sword to rally the Adventurers under hismand.


    "Kill!" Boris shouted before charging towards the Rat Monsters with his subordinates right behind him.


    Now that those that had broken past their defenses were being dealt with, Lux and his clones focused on dealing with the Field Monster that was leading the horde.


    "Diablo, Pazuzu, Orion, attack the Boss!" Lux ordered. "Ishtar, provide backup!"<sub> </sub>


    Lux''s four Named Creatures followed their Master''smand and engaged the Boss to prevent it from issuing any moremands to the Rat Army.


    A very chaotic battle took ce as each of Lux''s clone summoned their own minions, boosting the numbers of the Half-Elf''s Army.


    The red-headed teenager and Asmodeus could no longer use the Corpse Explosion skill despite the fact that there were now many dead monsters in the battlefield. They didn''t want to cause friendly fire and break the current state of the battle.


    Although Skeleton Gang Bangers and Rock Golems were dying left and right, Lux, his clones, and Asmodeus, had no problems re-summoning them.


    "We''re finally seeing it, right, Master?" Asmodeus asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    The Skeleton Gang Banger was simr to Diablo in a way that, when their fellow Skeleton Gang Banger died, they would get a significant boost in their attacks, which made them stronger.


    ��---


    �C Gains 5% increase in attack when an ally Skeleton Gang Banger dies on the battlefield. This ability can stack up to 500%. Bonus damage will disappear once the Skeleton Berserker is killed.


    ��---


    Some of these Skeletons had even reached the 500% Damage Increase Mark, and were able to fight against a Rat Monster in a one-on-one battle.


    "We need one more push," Lux muttered. "We need something topletely overwhelm them."


    Asmodeus nodded.


    Despite the fact that Guthram had arrived, and Boris had started to participate in the battle, it had only ended in a stalemate. None of the Monsters were able to break past their defenses, but they were also having a hard time pushing them backpletely.


    Lux had been chugging one Mana Bottle after the other because he was summoning Skeletons and Rock Golems to hold the line.


    It had now be a battle of attrition, and the side that weakened first would lose the battle.


    Because everyone was fighting at close range, the attacks from the Skeleton Grand Archers and Skeleton Mages ceased because they were afraid that they might hit the Adventurers who had arrived at the front lines.


    Just as Lux was thinking of ways to tilt the momentum to their favor, a loud, and familiar roar was heard from the other side of the canyon.


    "I''m charging!"


    Cai, who had taken its Hildivisni Form, appeared with Keane standing on its back. The duo that hade to look for Lux in the Vahan Empire had hastened their pace after seeing the dense ck smoke in the distance.


    They had met with one of the adventurer''s that was rushing towards Aeston Town to ask for reinforcements. When they asked about the current situation, they found out that Lux was among the people who were escorting the townspeople to safety, so they decided to help.


    The Boar was running across the top of the canyon in order to gain momentum before jumping into the densely packed monsters, crushing them under its feet.


    The adventurers cheered after seeing the arrival of another formidable ally, who even crushed a few of their enemies into meat paste after falling from such a height.


    Cai raised its snout arrogantly towards the heavens. It looked so imposing, so majestic, and so cool, that it boosted everyone''s morale, allowing them to push their enemies back with renewed vigor.


    The battlefield had be so chaotic that no one noticed the single tear that streamed down the side of the Boar''s face as it continued to stand in the middle of the battlefield postured like a Boss.


    ''... It hurts!'' Cai weeped internally. ''I think I broke my legs. Wuwuwu. It hurts!"


    Even Keane didn''t know that Cai was suffering from its stupid attempt to look cool because he had jumped off its back the moment itnded, and started to slice the limbs off of the Monsters, who were around them.


    Lux, who saw his two friends appear on the battlefield, was overjoyed. Not only was the stalemate finally broken, the fight was also tilted in their favor.

 Chapter 343 Tipping Point [Part 2]

    "...Next time, don''t try to act cool, okay?" Lux nagged at the Boar, who was currently unable to move due to its broken legs.


    He noticed that something was wrong with Cai because it stopped moving after it jumped off the canyon to join the battle. When he asked what was wrong with it, thetter replied that it broke its legs, making Lux want to p it silly for doing something stupid.


    A minuteter, the Half-Elf busied himself with pouring healing potions on the Boar''s legs, helping it recover faster from its injuries. Although Cai was a bit pitiful, its appearance had helped them greatly, so it was the least he could do.


    Lux''s clones had also descended into the canyon, fighting side by side with the defenders to keep the upper hand they had gained. Momentum was important in battles, so he didn''t want to waste the opportunity that Cai and Keane had presented to them.


    When only a few hundred monsters were left, the Vicious Horned me Rat thought that enough was enough and ordered a retreat.


    Unfortunately for it, Lux had no intention of letting it go.


    Why would he let a Rank 5 Field Monster leave? Wouldn''t it be a shame if he didn''t harvest its Beast Core?


    After hearing their leader''s order, the Rat Monsters pulled back in haste.


    Lux had waited for the opportune moment before ordering Pazuzu to use his Duel [EX] Skill to force the Boss Monster to return.


    The Vicious Horned me Rat shrieked in frustration as its body moved on its own to attack the Chubby Fortress Defender, who was surrounded by Hundreds of Skeleton Gang Bangers, who were eyeing the Field Monster with excitement.


    "Gang Bang Time!" Pazuzu shouted, making the Skeletons charge at the approaching boss like mad men out for ughter.


    Lux, Diablo, Ishtar, Orion, and Asmodeus meaningfully stared at the Fortress Defender, whose face was as thick as the armor he was wearing.


    "I just wanted to say it once," Pazuzu tried to exin himself after getting weird stares from his Master andrades at arms.


    Surprisingly, everyone nodded their heads in understanding. Deep inside, they wanted to say it too, but they thought it was too embarrassing to shout such thing in front of everyone.


    When the boss was only dozens of meters away from Pazuzu, Orion ran forward with its arm pulled back, ready to deliver its most powerful strike.


    "Gaia Smash!"


    The Field Monster skidded a few meters back as Orion''s punch hit it squarely in the face. However, it was still a Boss-Level monster, so it would take more than just that to bring it down.


    Fortunately, Orion wasn''t alone and the Vicious Horned me Rat found itself being attacked without mercy from every direction, making it unable to retreat even if it wanted to.


    Diablo, who was the main damage dealer of the group, dealt massive damage to the enemy, shavingrge portions of its health with every strike.


    Orion who in second ce pounded the Field Monster with devastating blows one after another that made everyone''s teeth itch due to how painful it looked.


    Isthar used her Ice Arrows to slow the monster''s movements, buying time for everyone to encircle itpletely.


    Keane darted in and out of the battle as he used his Sword Style, Grand Void, to attack the Rat Boss Monster in its blind spot.


    Finally, after nearly twenty minutes, the Boss Monster finally copsed on the ground before drawing itsst breath.


    Cheers spread in the canyon as everyone celebrated their victory over such an overwhelming foe.


    Of course, there had also been casualties, especially on the side of the Adventurers. More than fifty Adventurers had died to defend the path of the canyon, making Boris sigh in his heart.


    As the Guildmaster who hadmissioned them to help defend the townspeople, it would be his dutyter to send the news to their families and ensure that all of them would be properlypensated by the Vahan Empire for their sacrifice.


    Guthram, who had also joined the battle from the sky, nodded his head in satisfaction when the battle ended.


    A smile appeared on the Guildmaster''s face not because they had won, but because he was looking forward to how the Emperor would react after hearing about the destruction that had taken ce in the Southern Regions of the Empire.


    The Standeen Forest, which spanned a total of several miles and was used as the general hunting grounds of several High-Ranking nobles, had been burnt to the ground. This would certainly raise a lot ofmotion in court, and the Emperor would be forced to conduct an investigation.


    Naturally, the Adventurer''s Guild would not say anything about the matter because they owed Lux a debt.


    Even so, Emperor Andreas had many ways of finding the answers to his question, and once he did, it would certainly make things more difficult for the Half-Elf, who had already secured three Letters of Rmendations from three Guildmasters, which would allow him to take the Trial of Leadership.


    ''This boy really knows how to stir up trouble.'' Guthram chuckled internally as he eyed the Half-Elf who was busy collecting the Beast Cores of the Monsters as his spoils of war.


    No one, not even the Adventurers, took part in the collection of Beast Cores because they all agreed that Lux deserved to have them all.


    To the Half-Elf''s disappointment, the Beast Cores of the Rat Monsters he got were still Rank 2 Beast Cores. It seemed that forcibly raising the rank of the monster to Rank 4 didn''t affect the quality of its Beast Core, making it remain the same.


    The only true prize was the Vicious Horned me Rat''s Beast Core, which was a bonafide Field Boss, making Lux feel a little better about his effort.


    Just as Lux was about to take the core of the Field Boss Monster, Cai beat him to it and dug the Monster''s Core from its chest.<sub> </sub>


    But, before the Boar could even ce the Beast Core inside its storage ring, Orion''s hand rested on its back, holding it in ce.


    "Um? Sir Orion, what''s wrong?" Cai asked as he looked at the four-meter-tall Jade Golem, who was the same size as the boar in its Hildivisni Form.


    Orion smiled and simply presented its open palm to the Boar as he looked at Cai with the "give it to me" stare.


    Cai nced at the Jade Golem''s palm before shifting her gaze to Orion''s face before once again looking at his palm.


    "Great job!" Cai shouted as it smacked its hoof on the Jade Golem''s palm, giving it a high five. "Our teamwork is the best!"


    A momentter, a squeal filled with fear and pain could be heard as Orion tied up the boar''s hooves, hanging it over the barbecue pit that Lux had made using his skill, Skeleton Make.


    Stacks of firewood were ced under the Boar''s body and they were ignited by one of the Skeleton Mages to start their barbecue.


    It didn''t take long before Cai begged for forgiveness and returned the Beast Cores that it had sneakily stolen earlier.


    "You never learn," Keane sighed as he gave Cai a fed up gaze while the Boar shed crocodile tears over having its fur slightly burned by the mes of the fire pit that Lux had created earlier.


    Cai was too sad and depressed to reply, so it just cried as if its life fortune had been stolen from it.


    "What are you two doing here?" Lux was finally able to ask the question that was on his mind since his two friends appeared to help him.


    "Well, Cai was bored, so it decided to follow you here to the Vahan Empire," Keane replied. "We are also still cklisted in the regions of the Xynnar War Pact, soing here to explore a bit is not a bad idea. Since you are already here, we decided to look for you and travel together."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding because this was indeed the case.


    "Thank you foring," Lux said. "You helped us a lot."


    "So, where are you going next? Did you already get your Letters of Rmendation?"


    "Yes. I already got the letters. My next stop will be the capital city, Dainsleif, so I can take the Trial of Leadership and finally make my own guild."


    After Keane left the mountains, he came to learn a bit about guilds in Elysium. He didn''t have any intention of creating one since it was too much trouble. However, he was quite interested in joining one.


    Although the Rowan Tribe had been good to him, he didn''t have any sense of belonging with them. He also didn''t want to join any random guild because he didn''t want to be around strangers who had never fought side by side with him in life and death battles.


    The skinny swordsman then stared at the Half-Elf with a serious expression before making up his mind.


    "Can I join your guild when it is made?" Keane asked. "Of course, if you don''t want me to, it''s fine as well."


    "I''d love to have you in it!" Lux readily agreed to make Keane one of his guild members. "Do you want to be one of its Vice-Guild Leaders?"


    "No. Too much work."


    "Alright, a Squad Captain then."


    Keane thought about it before nodding his head. Since a Squad Captain only managed around a dozen people, he didn''t mind epting the position that Lux offered to give him.


    "Then it is settled," Lux smiled. "Just wait for me to create the guild."


    Keane nodded and smiled back at Lux. "Okay."


    Suddenly, Cai squeezed itself between the two and nudged Lux with its tusks.


    "How about me?" Cai asked. "I want in as well!"


    "...Aren''t you already in the Rowan Tribe''s Guild?" Lux asked.


    "Yes! But there is no rule that says that I can''t guild hop, right? Guild hopping sounds fun, don''t you think?"


    "..."


    Lux ignored the shameless boar and went to talk to Boris and Guthram about his next course of action. Since the crisis was already averted, he wanted to tell them that he would leave as soon as he had finished escorting the townspeople to Aeston Town to head to the capital city of the Vahan Empire.


    The journey there would take some time because he would need to travel to several different cities in order to use their Teleportation Gates to reach his destination.


    With Cai and Keane to apany him, the Half-Elf was certain that his journey would be more fun because he had friends to travel with to the capital city of the Empire, which was known to be the most lively city in the entirety of the Skystead Alliance.

 Chapter 344 Do All Of You Want To Die That Badly?

    Two days after Lux''s battle against the Rat Monsters, a high-level meeting was held within the throneroom of the Vahan Empire.


    "Your Majesty, the reports of our investigation have arrived," a high-ranking noble who bordered the Standeen Forest spoke up. "Two days ago, we noticed dense ck smoke rising near the territories of Bradford and Aeston Towns. I Immediately sent my knightsalongside a Wyvern Rider to investigate the incident.


    "ording to the Wyvern Rider who was first to arrive at the scene, he found a long procession of refugees headed for Aeston Town. When he asked one of the townspeople what happened, he was informed that Stone wed Rats numbering in the thousands attacked Bradford Town.


    "Now, as you may already know, these Monsters'' strength is around the initial stages of Rank 2 Monsters. But ording to the guards, as well as the Adventurers who escorted the townspeople, they were different from the usual Stone wed Rats. They were all in a berserk state, and their strength had reached the Initial Stages of Rank 4 Monsters."


    Murmurs started to spread among the nobles that were present at the meeting, unable to believe what they had heard. Only major cities in the Empire could resist an invasion of thousands of Rank 4 Monsters, which exined why the people of Bradford Town chose to flee instead of staying to defend their hometown.


    "ording to the refugees and several eyewitnesses, the one who boldly tried to dy the pursuit of Monsters and stop them from reaching the townspeople was a red-headed Half-Elf," the high-ranking noble exined.


    "However, when my Wyvern Knight asked the Adventurer''s Guild Masters, Boris and Guthram��who were present at the scene��who the Half-Elf was, they said that they had no idea, and insisted that the red-headed teenager just happen to arrive at the scene, while being apanied by a Boar and a swordsman of unknown origins."


    The corner of Emperor Andreas'' lips rose ever so slightly because, even if the two Guild Masters didn''t say who the Half-Elf was, the shrewd Emperor already knew the identity of the Half-Elf in question.


    "The townspeople of Bradford Town hailed the Half-Elf a hero, and I will not say that what he did wasn''t heroic," the high-ranking noble stated. "However, we have every reason to believe that in order to stop the Monsters'' advance, this Half-Elf razed the Standeen Forest to the ground, without care for its importance to the Empire."


    "That''s right!"


    "What he did is a crime!"


    "We lost countless resources because of him!"


    "Execute him!"


    "Your Majesty, please, give us justice!"


    Several nobles, whose territories bordered the Standeen Forest and who used it to hunt monsters for sports and even going as far as making them their servants, voiced their anger. Clearly, they were very unhappy about what happened.


    For them, the loss of the Forest was a greater blow than losing Bradford Town and its people. In their eyes, profit was more important than the lives ofmoners whose only purpose was to pay them taxes.


    Emperor Andreas listened to the nobles and closed his eyes in order to give his verdict.


    While he sympathized with the townspeople of Bradford Town, he agreed that losing the Standeen Forest was a great blow to the nobles of the Southern Regions of his Empire. But be that as it may, the fact that Lux saved a lot of people was a fact.


    If he were to punish him for such an act, this news would spread across thend, making themon folk feel disgruntled about his decision. The one who understoodmoners the most were their fellowmoners.


    If they heard that people of their status were not important in the Emperor''s eyes, then a seed of rebellion would bloom in their hearts.


    Also, Emperor Andreas'' secret agents had also reported that although there was no clear evidence that was found on the scene, they believed that the Dark Guild, Twilight Dynasty, had a role to y in this incident.<sub> </sub>


    If Emperor Andreas was to punish Lux, he believed that the Dark Guild would use this opportunity to fan the mes and make themoners stand up and rebel against him.


    Commoners and Noble Families. These were the two factions that supported his empire. Emperor Andreas was confident  that if this wasn''t handled properly, things could get ugly real quickly.


    ''Still, this isn''t the first time that the Half-Elf has made things difficult for me,'' Emperor Andreas mused.


    The Emperor of the Vahan Empire was quite annoyed with what happened to the Sacred Dungeon. Although he acted calm on the surface, he felt cheated by what Lux had done to his representatives.


    His goal was to conquer the Gate of Conquest in order to gain a key that would allow him to make contact with the Dragon Empire whose whereabouts were unknown.


    Emperor Andreas believed that if he were able to make them his ally, then his wish to expand his borders would be a reality.


    The incident was still fresh in his mind, yet this time, another incident involving the Half-Elf happened. As someone who bore grudges, he felt the need to punish Lux in order to teach him a lesson without dirtying his hands.


    "I understand your concern but I also sympathize with the townspeople of Bradford Town," Emperor Andreas said after organizing his thoughts. "But someone as young as him risked his life to help other people, so he should not be punished by death. Also, his identity is quite special.


    "If any of you make a move to kill him, a Saint, perhaps even two of them, will cross our borders and erase your existence from the face of the world. Do all of you want to die that badly?"


    The moment a Saint was mentioned, all the nobles that were asking for Lux''s execution all shut up. It was not long ago since the capital city, as well as the Royal Pce of the Ashina Kingdom had been razed to the ground.


    Fortunately, the two Saints weren''t heartless and didn''t kill any of the people that resided in it. They just destroyed structures that were void of people in order to cause panic, while giving the people time to evacuate before they started their rampage.


    Even so, this incident reminded everyone that there were people who they couldn''t afford to mess with, prompting them to be more careful with their words and actions.


    "But�� are we just going to turn a blind eye on this, Your Majesty?" the high-ranking noble asked.


    Clearly, he was very unwilling to let this incident slide because it was a great loss for his territory.


    The other nobles felt the same, and they wanted to at least punish the Half-Elf in a way that would make him suffer.


    "Don''t worry," Emperor Andreas assured the nobles that he was also on their side. "The Half-Elf will arrive here in the capital city in two to three days. His purpose foring here is to take the Trial of Leadership in order to form his own guild.


    "I will allow all of you to choose the manner of his trial, but let me make this clear. None of you are allowed to kill him. If you do, I will offer your head, as well as the heads of your entire family''s bloodline to his Step-Father, who is a Saint, in order to appease his anger. With that said, I believe that all of you gentlemen will not do anything over the top, right?"


    "Understood, Your Majesty," the high-ranking noble replied through gritted teeth.


    Although the high-ranking noble was still reluctant to let the Half-Elf go with such a light punishment, he had no choice but to obey the order of his Emperor.


    Since that was the case, he decided to make the red-headed teenager suffer in his Trial of Leadership that will teach him a lesson he would never forget.

 Chapter 345 Arrival In The Capital City Of Dainsleif

    "So this is the capital city of Dainsleif?" Cai looked at the magnificent city in the distance. "Not too shabby."


    Keane had not stayed in Elysium for long, but even he was amazed at how impressive the city was.


    Lux had to admit that among the ces that he had seen in his current lifetime, the Capital City of the Vahan Empire was the most spectacr of all.


    No one was able to teleport directly into the capital city aside from the Royal Family. Because of this, it took Lux and his friends several days to arrive at their destination. He still had seven days left until his deadline to create a guild came, so he was quite happy that he had made it to the capital city without too many problems.


    "Let''s go," Lux said. He really wanted to finish his quest as soon as possible, so he could return triumphantly back to Sis.


    Unlike the people who had to line up in the long queue, Lux was able to enter the city using the passage reserved for the staff of the Adventurer''s Guild.


    Boris and Guthram both gave him letters of introduction to the Guildmaster of the Vahan Empire, giving him the ability to act as their messenger of sorts which also gave him the qualifications to use the privileges reserved for high-ranking members of the Adventurer''s Guild.


    As soon as Lux entered the city, he headed straight to the Main Branch of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Vahan Empire.


    ording to Boris and Guthram, the Guildmaster''s name was stor.


    He was the highest ranking officer of the Adventurer''s Guild within the Vahan Empire, and all the Branch Guild Masters reported to him.


    To Lux''s surprise, stor was already waiting for him in the lobby of the Adventurer''s Guild and personally escorted the Half-Elf to his office. Keane and Cai had to wait for him in the lobby because the only one who had business with stor was the Half-Elf.


    "I know your purpose foring, and your Trial has already been approved, but there is a catch," stor said with a solemn expression on his face. "The ones conducting your Trial are the high-ranking nobles of the Vahan Empire, and I can tell you with certainty that they are up to no good. I''m guessing that it has something to do with�� an entire forest being burned to the ground?"


    Lux coughed lightly after hearing stor''s words. In hindsight, he had already expected that something like this was going to happen. If it had been the forest bordering the Wildgarde Stronghold that gotpletely burned, the Guardians would definitely raise havoc and look for the culprit with blood-shot eyes.


    He had already expected a simr response, but he didn''t expect that the nobles would use his Trial to get back at him.


    ".. Can I get a Trial in other cities?" Lux inquired. "You know, a ce where there are no angry nobles that will do everything they can to make me fail? Although not being able to create a guild isn''t a life and death scenario for me, I am on a tight deadline."


    "Hahaha, you are still trying to worm your way out of this mess?" stor chuckled as he eyed the Half-Elf who fully understood his current situation. "Unfortunately, the Emperor has decreed that you will only be able to create a guild in this city.


    "I''ve already ryed his orders to all of the Adventurer''s Guild in the entire Empire. I''m sorry, but there are politics involved. We may be a neutral organization, but the Vahan Empire has every right to kick us out of theirnds, as well as the territories of the Skystead Alliance if the Emperor wants it so.


    "That is how much influence he possessed, and in order to prevent countless lives from losing their livelihood, I have no choice but to sacrifice you for the majority.  I''m sorry that I am unable to help you in regards to this matter."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. If the Adventurer''s Guild disappeared, the Adventurers would lose their main sources of ie, and they would have to go to other regions in order to continue their profession.


    If sacrificing one person meant that countless people would be able to continue living their everyday lives as usual, then stor would harden his heart and turn a blind eye to the high-ranking nobles'' pettiness.<sub> </sub>


    "What are the chances of me actually passing their trial?" Lux asked. He was still hoping that there was a slim chance that everything would still work out in the end.


    "Zero," stor replied. "If you agree to continue the trial despite the overwhelming odds, then tomorrow at noon, you will have a duel in the arena.


    "I don''t know who they are going to send as their representative, but they n to use this opportunity to humiliate you in front of everyone and make you theughing stock of the Vahan Empire. If I were you, I''d go back to your faction''s territories and beg to be allowed to create a guild there."


    Lux sighed because what stor asked of him was impossible at this point in time.


    "So are you still going to ept the Trial?" stor asked. "If you are, be prepared to be at a great disadvantage. It is highly possible that they will force you to fight a World Boss or something simr for everyone''s entertainment."


    Lux pondered for a bit before nodding his head. He didn''t know what kind of enemy he was about to face, but the least he could do was check to see if there was a chance of winning. If not, then he would just concede and look for other ways to reach his goal.


    "Okay, I will inform them that you have agreed," stor sighed and patted Lux''s shoulder. "On behalf of all the Adventurers in the Vahan Empire, I thank you for doing your best to save thousands of lives to the best of your abilities. Also, I hope that you realize your goal in one form or the other."


    Unlike Lux, stor wasn''t hopeful about the Half-Elf''s chances in the Trial. He had been dealing with the high-ranking nobles of the Vahan Empire for a long time and understood how petty they were.


    No matter how small the grievance, these nobles would carry a grudge and stab you when you least expected it. If possible, stor wanted to help Lux and give him a letter to the adjunctive Kingdom of the Vahan Empire, so that he could take his Trial there.


    Unfortunately, Lux was running short on time, and even if he epted stor''s help, the duration of his quest would end before he could create a guild in another Kingdom.


    After leaving the Adventurer''s Guild, Lux and his friends went to find an inn to stay for the night. The Trial would be held the next day, so he wanted to rest in order to reach his maximum potential during his duel.


    "Those scummy nobles!" Cai snorted. "They always make things difficult for everyone. Even our settlement in Elysium has been harassed from time to time. If my Grandpa hadn''t personally punched their faces and sent them flying, they would still be scheming behind our backs!"


    Cai was really annoyed because her tribe had suffered a lot when they were just starting to create their own faction in Elysium. The Rowan Tribe was a Nomadic Tribe, but they were unable to travel thends of Elysium the same way they could in Sis.


    Even as a Saint, there were ces that Cai''s grandfather, Maximilian, couldn''t go. Because of this, the members of the young generation, as well as the adults, made two permanent settlements in the forests that were within the territories of the Xynnar War Pact.


    Since the teenagers and the adults were separated, the one who took the helm as the leader of the young generation was Cai''s older brother, Callum.


    "It seems that they are hell-bent on making you suffer tomorrow," Keanemented. "Will you still go?"


    Lux nodded. "If it''s not too unreasonable, I might still have a chance. If not, I''ll just concede and call it a day."


    The Half-Elf was unwilling to give up because he was already so close to his goal. As long as there was a slim chance of victory, he would take it, and fight with everything he had in the duel that would decide whether he could stay in the Vahan Empire or not.

 Chapter 346 Tell Me, Arrogant Weakling. Would You Like To Try Dying Once? [Part 1]

    346 Tell Me, Arrogant Weakling. Would You Like To Try Dying Once? [Part 1]


    "I will guide you to the arena grounds," a prettydy said after meeting Lux in the lobby of the Coliseum.


    Lux nodded and followed thedy to the challenger''s waiting room where he''d prepare for his battle.


    Before going to the Arena Grounds, Lux had already told Cai and Keane what to do if something unexpected happened. He didn''t know what the high-ranking nobles were nning, so the chances of him winning were very slim.


    That was good in its own way, but the problem would be what might happen to himter. There was a chance that he would be taken somewhere without his approval, so he instructed Cai and Keane to leave the city as fast as they could and send the news to his step-father in Barbatos Academy.


    Lux''s two friends agreed to his request, so they made sure to secure seats near the exit of the arena. In case that Lux was right, they could leave in a moment''s notice right after the duel ended.


    Today, there were three battles that wouldmence in the arena��and Lux''s battle was thest. The first two were also taking the Trial of Leadership, which was always an event that most people wanted to see.


    When the challenger, who was a Grade A Apostle, entered the scene, he was surprised to see that his opponent was a Ranker.


    Even the audience, who had watched simr events in the past, didn''t expect this kind of trial for the person who was about to take the Trial of Leadership.


    "Don''t worry, boy," the Ranker said to the challenger. "This trial will test how courageous you are in facing opponents far stronger than you. In order to pass this trial, you just need to break this bottle."


    The Ranker ced the ss bottle in the center of the arena and smiled.


    "You may use any method in order to break this bottle," the Ranker stated. "My goal is to prevent you from breaking it. Of course, I will also attack you, but rest assured, I will be holding back. Let us enjoy your trial, shall we?"


    After that short introduction, the Trial started.


    Contrary to what people expected, the battle was quite entertaining to watch. The Ranker used some shy skills that didn''t contain much power behind them. In the end, it looked like a Mentor teaching a student some lessons, making the crowd cheer and encourage the challenger to break the bottle.


    Finally, after thirty minutes of an exciting exchange of abilities, the bottle broke, allowing the teenager to pass his trial.


    The audience loved the spectacle because the Ranker knew how to entertain others with his performance.


    A few minutester, the second challenger came and another round of fighting began. He faced a different Ranker this time, but their exchange was just as exciting as the first. In fact, even Cai and Keane were moved by the battle, and before they knew it, both of them were cheering for the challenger.


    High above the VIP seats, Emperor Andreas smiled.


    "They sure know how to entertain the masses," Emperor Andreas said.


    A man who stood behind him nodded his head in agreement. His name was Aron, and he was the strongest High-Ranker in the Vahan Empire. He served as Emperor Andreas'' bodyguard and right-hand man, and had alsoe to watch the duel.


    "They''ve put on this borate disy in order to prepare for the main event," Aronmented. "Those nobles sure know how to put on a show. Unfortunately, thest one will be a farce."


    Emperor Andreasughed, knowing that this was indeed the case. Although he wasn''t aware of what the nobles had nned for Lux, they had surprised him with the pretext of holding a Trial of Leadership against Rankers.


    Since Rankers were simply too powerful for the members of the Young Generation, they needed toe up with a scheme to allow the challenger to win, but also entertain the masses that hade to watch the trial.


    "Well, this is also a good opportunity to see the ability of the person that defeated Malcolm''s team." Emperor Andreas leaned back on his chair. "I''ve only heard rumors about his strength, but rumors are just rumors. I''d like to see what he is really capable of with my own eyes."


    Aron nodded in understanding and no longer said anything. He also wanted to see just how strong the rumored Half-Elf was, who managed to deter the Ranker who served the Prince of the Ashina Kingdom.


    Half an hourter, the second battle ended with the challenger breaking the bottle at the center of the arena.


    Finally, it was Lux''s turn to enter.


    He didn''t know what kind of challenge he was going to face because all the challengers weren''t briefed on what was toe. The Half-Elf had already prepared for the worst, but he was shocked when he saw that he was going to fight against a Ranker.


    "The first two challengers before you have cleared their trial," the Ranker that was facing Lux said with a smirk. "They have also faced Rankers, like me, and seeded in their challenge. This trial is all about facing someone who is far stronger than you and oveing them. Let me exin the rules, so you will not cry when you fail."


    The audienceughed, but they, too, cheered for Lux. After seeing the previous two battles, all of them were hyped up for the main event.


    This was the perfect n that the nobles hade up with in order to trick the audience into thinking that Lux was just incapable of clearing the trial. Since the first two challengers seeded, the audience were fooled to think that the Rankers wouldn''t go all out, and were giving the challengers a handicap.


    Doing it this way would not make it look like something underhanded was being done, which might give the nobles, who had organized the event, a bad reputation.


    "The trial is really simple," the Ranker said as he ced a bottle at the center of the arena. "All you need to do is break this. You may use whatever method is avable to you. The trial will end if you break the bottle or when you give up. Sounds simple enough?"


    Lux nodded. "I understand."


    The Ranker smirked as he ced the bottle down on the ground.


    "Ready when you are," the Ranker stated with his arms crossed over his chest. "Give it your best shot."


    The Half-Elf summoned Pazuzu and Ishtar and ordered them through telepathy.


    Pazuzu flew high up in the air, while Ishtar turned into a ck mist, disappearing from sight. The Ranker who was facing Lux still had a confident smile on his face, seemingly unbothered by whatever the Half-Elf was scheming.


    A momentter, a surprised expression appeared on the Ranker''s face when he felt his body move on its own.


    ''A taunt ability?!'' The Ranker''s expression immediately changed as he gathered his willpower to release his aura.


    As someone who had stepped past the limits of Mortals, Rankers had the innate ability to resist certain skills that were impossible for those who still hadn''t reached their current rank.


    This was why after taking just four steps, the Ranker was able topletely break free from Pazuzu''s Taunt Skill, which surprised the Half-Elf because it had never failed him in the past.


    But those precious seconds when the Ranker had momentarily shifted his attention to Pazuzu weren''t in vain.


    Ishtar, who had disappeared earlier, reappeared from the Shadow of the Ranker and immediately kicked the bottle to destroy it.


    The audience gasped because they thought that the battle had already ended. However, the bottle didn''t break and was instead sent flying towards Lux, who had already anticipated that the bottle had been rigged from the start.


    When Pazuzu had taunted the Ranker, the first thing he did was to charge towards the bottle standing beside his opponent.


    When Ishtar kicked the bottle to break it, she just didn''t kick it in any direction. She had kicked it towards Lux, which was part of their n, just in case the bottle didn''t break on their first attempt.


    "Dragon w!" Lux roared as he transformed his right arm into that of a dragon and swung it towards the bottle with all the strength he could muster.

 Chapter 347 Tell Me, Arrogant Weakling. Would You Like To Try Dying Once? [Part 2]

    347 Tell Me, Arrogant Weakling. Would You Like To Try Dying Once? [Part 2]


    Everyone in the coliseum watched with bated breath as Lux''s Dragon w shed the bottle mid-air.


    Emperor Andreas and Aron who were watching the Trial from the VIP seat also didn''t expect this sudden turn of events.


    ''As expected, he isn''t someone simple,'' Emperor Andreas thought. ''Too bad it is futile.''


    As if confirming his thoughts, the bottle, which received Lux''s full powered attack, didn''t break, and only crashed on the ground with a resounding thud.


    The Ranker who saw everything that happened, immediately threw a punch in Lux''s direction, sending a shockwave attack that sent the Half-Elf flying towards the other side of the arena. Naturally, he held back because he was strictly ordered to not kill the Half-Elf, or he would risk having their entire bloodline erased from the world.


    The audience watching the battle was confused by the sudden turn of events. They were already expecting the bottle to break after receiving Lux''s attacks, but it didn''t, which made them wonder what had happened.


    "I used my ability to coat the bottle with my aura to prevent it from breaking," the Ranker said as he looked at Lux with contempt. "Nice try, kid, but you will not pass this trial so easily."


    Of course, this wasn''t the truth. Although there were Rankers who were able to pass their Auras to certain objects to strengthen or empower them, the Ranker fighting Lux didn''t have that ability.


    His statement might have made the audience understand why the bottle didn''t break. However, it didn''t sit well with them.


    "Booooooo!" Cai booed at the Ranker. "You cheater! What''s the point of this trial if you do something like that!"


    Keane was also disappointed and started booing.


    Soon, more boos came from the audience, with some of them even cursing the Ranker for his shamelessness.


    "You''re already a Ranker, yet you''re still bullying a child?! Shame on you!"


    "Are you really a Ranker? Why are you going so far as to cheat? You make me sick!"


    "Your name is Mason, right? I looked up to you in the past, but now, I feel ashamed of even treating you as my role model. You cheater!"


    ""Cheater!""


    ""Cheater!""


    ""Cheater!""


    The crowd went wild as they chanted together. They came to watch a good show, so seeing Mason''s disappointing performance riled them up. Because of this, all of them started to show their discontent by shouting and cursing at the Ranker who was gripping the bottle tightly in his hands.


    The nobles who were in charge of the event started to panic because they weren''t aware of Lux''s abilities. All they knew was that he was a Necromancer, but they also didn''t fully research the abilities of his Summoned Creatures.


    "Oh, dear. I wonder how they will wrap this up?" Emperor Andreas chuckled.


    "Sir, wouldn''t it be a good idea to intervene?" Aron asked.


    Emperor Andreas shook his head. "I came here in secret, Aron. I''m just here to watch, and not do anything. Whatever happens, it will be the nobles who will take the brunt of the popce''s dissatisfaction."


    "Such a roundabout way of doing things," Aronmented.


    "That is politics." Emperor Andreas shrugged. "They have enjoyed too much freedom as ofte, and I need a good reason to punish them. This is a good opportunity to do that, and it is about time for them to be brought down a peg. However, I have a feeling that things are going to get ugly from this point onwards. Aron, make sure the Half-Elf doesn''t die. I don''t want to start a war before I find the key that I am looking for."


    "Understood, Your Majesty." Aron bowed.


    ��----


    Lux spat out a mouthful of blood before propping himself up from the ground. Even with his strong body constitution, the Ranker''s attack still managed to break three of his ribs and injure some of his internal organs.


    Mason was a C-Ranker. He was as strong as Lux''s grandma, Vera. Even if he held back, his attack was simply too powerful for Apostles to receive straight on.


    If it were an ordinary Grade A Apostle that got hit by such an attack, they would have suffered more damage, or in the worst case scenario, die.


    "My bad," Mason chuckled as he ced the bottle on the ground, shrugging off the boos that wereing from the audience. "I shouldn''t have done that. Let''s try again, shall we? This time, I promise that I won''t use my Aura to shield the bottle from attacks. Since I dampened the mood, how about I make up for it? Healers, please heal our outstanding challenger. We will continue the Trial after he is healed."


    The clerics hurriedly rushed to Lux''s side and started to heal his injuries. They were in cahoots with the High-Ranking nobles who had organized the event, and they were also paid an adequate sum to ignore Lux''s injuries.


    However, the current situation didn''t give them that leeway, so they did their supposed jobs and patched the Half-Elf properly until all of his injuries were recovered.


    "Well then, now that you are healed, let''s start Round 2," Mason said. "This time, I will not use my hands to fight you. This is enough of a handicap for cheating earlier, right?"


    Lux who had already seen through Mason''s farceughed out loud. Earlier he thought that the bottle was just an ordinary bottle, so he didn''t put much attention to it.


    However, after failing to break it, he used his Appraisal Skill which was tied up to the Elysium Compendium in order to appraise the bottle. The description he saw made him so angry.


    "What''s so funny?" Mason asked. "Do you think that my handicap is not enough? How about I only use one leg to fight you? How about it?"


    Lux looked at the Ranker with contempt as he pointed at the bottle on the ground.


    "How about this? Go and break that bottle yourself," Lux sneered. "If you are unable to break it within ten seconds I win."


    "What nonsense are you talking about, Half-Elf?" Mason asked. "Did the healers perhaps fail to heal your head? Did you receive some brain injuries?"


    "I''ll count from one to ten," Lux stated. "If you still haven''t broken that bottle after I''ve counted to ten, I win. Everyone, please bear witness to this challenge. If the Ranker fails to break the bottle after I finished counting, that means that it is impossible to break it. From the start, this whole Trial is a farce!"


    The audience was still doubtful of Lux''s words, but once again, Cai shouted from the audience.


    "Okay! I agree to this condition!" Cai shouted. "If that Ranker isn''t able to break that bottle after I count to ten, this means that this Trial is rigged! Everyone count with me! I didn''t pay the entrance fee to watch a farce! One! Two!"


    "Three!"


    "Four!"


    Soon the audience joined in the counting making Mason grit his teeth in frustration.


    ""Five!""


    ""Six!""


    ""Seven!""


    Suddenly, Mason made his move. Instead of breaking the bottle, he appeared right in front of Lux and punched his chest, which sent the Half-Elf crashing towards the barrier of the Coliseum.


    The audience who saw this scene cried out in shock as the Half-Elf copsed on the ground coughing blood.


    "You think you''re so smart, aren''t you?" Mason said as he stepped on Lux''s hand, slowly applying pressure on it until his bones started to break, making the Half-Elf scream in pain. "Boy, I don''t care about your squabbles with the nobles, but there is one thing that you shouldn''t do and that is to never annoy someone stronger than you."


    After breaking Lux''s right hand, Mason stomped on his left hand as well, making the Half-Elf cry out in pain.


    "I was told not to kill you, but that doesn''t mean that I can''t cut off a limb or two, right?" Masonughed as he took out a sword from his storage ring.


    Aron, who was standing beside Emperor Andreas, nced at the man sitting beside him. He was waiting for the Emperor''s orders to stop Mason from cutting off Lux''s limbs, but the Emperor didn''t give that order.


    Instead, Emperor Andreas smiled and said.


    "We can always reattach an arm or a leg," Emperor Andreas stated. "It will be best if I appear at thest minute to save the Half-Elf. That way, the people''s hearts will be moved and that boy will be indebted to me as well."


    Aron sighed in his heart, but he no longer said anything. He simply watched and readied himself to protect the Half-Elf just in case Mason aimed to take his life, instead of a limb from the red-headed teenager''s body.


    Mason spat on the Half-Elf before raising the sword in his hand. "If you want someone to me, me yourself for being weak!"


    The Ranker then shed to cut off Lux''s right arm in order to teach the Half-Elf a lesson. He knew that his reputation would take a blow for harming a junior, but he was prepared to take the infamy.


    As a Ranker of the Empire, the Emperor wouldn''t punish him too harshly and might just send him to the outskirts of the Empire in order to help expand the territories. He could return after a few years when the people had forgotten what he had done and, by then, everything would be back to normal.


    In front of everyone, an arm fell on the ground, and blood sprayed in the air.


    A scream of pain reverberated in the surroundings as Mason pressed his left hand over the stump on his right, where his right arm used to be.


    Hovering behind Lux, a ck coffin which radiated a crimson glow could be seen. The cover of its lid was open slightly, and a silvery thread could be seening from inside it.


    Soon, the coffin''s cover slowly opened, revealing a silver-haireddy, who seemed to be in herte twenties.


    Her blue eyes, which were as clear as the sky, looked at the screaming Ranker coldly as she stepped out from the coffin.


    Without even saying anything, she raised her index finger, and a silvery thread appeared from it.


    A momentter, another scream of pain was heard as Mason''s left arm was cut off from his body. Now that both of his arms were cut off, the blood that sprayed out of the stumps of his arms dyed the ground red.


    "If you want someone to me, then me yourself for being weak," Vera said in a voice that was colder than ice. "Tell me, arrogant weakling. Would you like to try 13:39


    dying once?"


    Vera, who loved Lux more than anyone in the world, looked at the Ranker in front of her with the intention to kill.


    In truth, her transformation inside the coffin was still unfinished.


    But, after sensing that her grandson''s life was in danger, she had forcefully awakened from her slumber and attacked Mason.


    The arrogant Ranker backed away in fear and pain as he looked at the silver-haired beauty, whose eyes were filled with killing intent, making him regret epting the bribes of the nobles to hurt the Half-Elf, whose Grandma had now appeared to avenge him.

 Chapter 348 I Don’t Need Anyone’s Permission To Do As I Please

    "Tell me, arrogant weakling. Would you like to try dying once?"


    A pin drop silence descended in the Coliseum as the silver-haireddy made her appearance. Even the Ranker, who had lost both of his arms and was still in pain, found it hard to make any sound in the face of the woman in front of him.


    He had a feeling that if he let out even just a single sound, his head would be chopped off from his body, just like what happened to both of his arms.


    "What are you doing?!"


    "Who are you, and why are you getting in the way of the Trial?!"


    The two Rankers, who fought the first two challengers before Lux appeared in the Coliseum,nded beside the Ranker whose blood had dyed the ground red with his blood.


    "What am I doing?" Vera asked back. "Isn''t it obvious? I''m here to end this farce. How about you two? Where were you when yourrade was bullying my grandson? Don''t you have any pride as Rankers? It seems like I have overestimated the Rankers of the Vahan Empire. What a joke. The only people you can defeat are mere Apostles."


    "You bastard, how dare you!" roared one of the Rankers as he summoned his sword.


    The other Ranker summoned a War Axe and held it firmly with his hands.


    "Did you think you can barge in on our capital city and do what you want?!" the other Ranker shouted before charging towards Vera with his weapon at the ready. "Do you think we''ll allow you to do as you please?!"


    His fellow Ranker followed suit as they nked the silver-haireddy from both sides with the intention to kill her.


    "I don''t need anyone''s permission to do as I please," Vera replied as the fingers in her hands moved, creating faint ripples in the air. "If you want to stop me, you''ll need to bring stronger Rankers. Just the two of you alone will not be enough."


    The two rankers ignored Vera''s words and shed their weapon towards her with all their might. A momentter, two screams of pain reverberated in the coliseum as both of the Rankers'' arms were cut off from their bodies.


    But the thing that surprised everyone who was watching the scene was that the one that cut off the arms of the two Rankers wasn''t Vera, but each other.


    "What is happening?! My body is moving on its own!"


    "Damn it! What have you done to us?!"


    Vera didn''t answer as she once again moved her fingers.


    A momentter, the two Rankers punched each other''s face repeatedly, until both of their teeth had fallen off. This continued for two minutes before the two Rankers lost their consciousness and copsed on the ground.


    Just like the Ranker that attacked Lux earlier, both of the Rankers who ganged up on Vera were C-Rankers. They were as strong as Vera of the past, and the olddy would have found it difficult to deal with two Rankers at the same time.


    But now, things were different.


    The silver-haireddy was no longer a C-Ranker, but an A-Ranker.


    Due to the powerful effects of the Flower of Death, not only were Vera''s injuries fully healed, but her body also regained its vitality. This allowed her to use a fraction of her full power from when she was at her prime.


    Now that the two obstacles were gone, Vera once again shifted his attention to the Ranker named Mason, who bullied her grandson. However, before she could cut off the Ranker''s legs, a man appeared beside him with his arms behind his back.


    "I apologize for the injustice that happened just a moment ago," Aron said. "I know that this isn''t much of apensation, but I dere that Lux Von Kaiser has seeded in his Trial of Leadership."


    Aron then made a slicing gesture of his hand, and the bottle that Lux had failed to break was sliced in half.


    An S-Ranker like him felt quite ashamed of what had happened earlier, but since the Emperor didn''t say anything, he had only prepared to save Lux at the veryst moment.


    Vera, who had sensed how strong the Ranker in front of her was, just snorted. She was currently an A-Ranker, and her opponent was an S-Ranker, which was also called a High-Ranker. The difference in their abilities was evident, but the silver-haireddy didn''t have any intention of backing down.


    Because she had wanted to save Lux earlier, she broke free from ckfire''s control and ended her transformation before it waspleted.


    If she had remained inside ckfire for a couple more days then her Rank would be the same as the man that was currently standing in front of her.


    ��-----


    (A/N: The Rank of Rankers are E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS. Rank S up to SSS are called High-Rankers. The Ranks above High-Rankers are Saint, and Supreme.)


    ��------


    "That''s it?" Vera asked. "Your Rankers attacked my grandson, and the only thing you are going to say is that he passed the Trial of Leadership? Very funny."


    "You have already punished him enough," Aron stated. "Please don''t forget where you are. This is not your backyard."


    Vera eyed Aron coolly, but she no longer said anything. She understood that she was in the Capital of the Vahan Empire, which meant that it was the headquarters of the Rankers, as well as the Saint that protected the Empire.


    "Let''s go, Lux," Vera said as she walked towards her grandson and helped him stand up. "Making a guild in this Empire is not worth it. You will only stain your record if you register in this ce."


    "Yes, Grandma," Lux replied as he allowed the silver-haireddy to support him. "I''ll do as you say."


    Vera smiled before giving Aron a side-long nce. A secondter, she jumped up in the air, carrying Lux.


    The Half-Elf understood that his grandma was only making a bold front, but as ckfire''s owner, he knew that Vera still hadn''tpleted her transformation.


    Once they were safely out of the capital, the Half-Elf urged Vera to enter the coffin again to recover. Right now, there was a danger that her Rank would regress due to her iplete transformation, and this was something that Lux didn''t want to have happen.


    "Be careful," Vera said as he patted Lux''s head. "I''ll be sleeping again for a while. I will not be able to help you if something bad happens again.


    "Leave the Vahan Empire as soon as you can and return to our Faction''s territories. Don''t worry, once I recover, I will beat up Gerald for you, and make the other Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold agree to allow you to retake your quest."


    Lux chuckled when he imagined the leader of Wildgarde Stronghold, Gerald, being beaten up by his Grandma using a broom in order to punish him for bullying her grandson while she was away.


    "Don''t worry, Grandma," Lux replied. "Everything will be fine. I know what to do."


    Vera nodded. "Okay. I trust you. But leave this ce as soon as possible. I''m sure that the Rankers of this Kingdom will hold a grudge against you for what happened."


    "Understood, Grandma." Lux smiled. "Now please return inside ckfire."


    The ck Coffin appeared beside Lux and opened its lid. Vera didn''t resist and allowed herself to be transformed into particles of light that flew towards it. She really needed to rest andplete her transformation.


    Although she wouldn''t be able to be an S-Ranker because of what happened, she would at least be able to retain her current Rank and get stronger in the future.


    Lux sighed before looking at the magnificent city in the distance. After everything that happened, he still failed to create a guild in the Vahan Empire.


    "I guess I have no choice but to do it," Lux summoned the Dragon Token in his hand and held it firmly.


    Now that his back was pressed against the wall, he had no other choice but to use hisst resort.

 Chapter 349 Who Are The Bastards That Are Cutting Onions Near My Eyes?

    Lux didn''t leave the Vahan Empire right away.


    After leaving the capital city, he camped out on the meeting ce that he had agreed upon with Cai and Keane, just in case they all got separated from each other.


    Fortunately, he didn''t have to wait for long because the two arrived at their meeting point an hour after the incident ended.


    "Hahaha! You should have seen it, My Daddy!" Cai said with a smug expression on his face. "After you left, the Emperor arrived and punished the nobles who were responsible for rigging your Trial.


    "Several other Rankers also arrived at the scene, and all their High-Clerics were busy re-attaching the limbs that were cut off from those bastards. Um, who is that silver-haired beauty that protected you earlier? She doesn''t look familiar, but she feels familiar. I have a feeling that I''ve met her somewhere before, I just can''t remember where."


    Lux nced at the Boar who was walking by his side and casually told it the identity of thedy that appeared to save him.


    "She''s my Grandma," Lux replied.


    "Hahaha! Nice joke! I almost fell for it."


    "I''m not joking though."


    Caiughed and once again ignored Lux''s reply. How could the silver-haired beauty that saved Lux be his grandma? The Boar couldn''t possibly believe that ady who could easily pass as Alice''s older sister was Lux''s grandma.


    Keane, who was mounted on the warg that was also traveling beside Lux, asked a question.


    "Where do you n to go now?" Keane inquired. "Are you going back to the Xynnar War Pact''s territory?"


    Lux shook his head. "No. I made a promise earlier, so I have to do that first. I will go to Brookwest Town first."


    "Brookwest Town? I vaguely remember passing that ce��" Cai frowned as she tried to remember where Brookwest Town was.


    "It''s the ce where the Gori-like Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild is stationed," Keanemented. "If I remember correctly, he said he would be marrying the Gori-kin named Diana in a week''s time. Ah. He also mentioned that since we are your friend, we should invite you to their wedding. The Guildmaster insisted that you be his best man for making the marriage possible."


    Lux almost fell off Jed''s back after hearing Keane''s words. He didn''t expect the Guildmaster, Cobie, to be sessful in his attempt to ask Diana for marriage.


    ''I guess the Passion Blossom''s effect is more powerful than I expected,'' Lux thought with aplicated look on his face. As for bing Cobie''s best man for his marriage, he would have to pass.


    He didn''t have a lot of spare time. The Half-Elf only wanted to visit Heid and her mother, Lilia, and finish the favor that the Crimson Knight had asked of him.


    Their journey towards Brookwest Town took them four days, leaving only two days until Lux''s deadline.


    Since he was short on time, he immediately went to meet up with the Crimson Knight, which surprised Cai and Keane. The two almost assumed a fighting stance against the Rank 4 Field Boss Monster, but Lux stopped them before a misunderstanding could ur.


    "Wear this," Lux said as he handed his Mask of Thousand Faces to the Crimson Knight. "I don''t know if it will work on you, but with this mask, you will be able to transform into your previous self. You need to convince your family to trust me, so I can take them somewhere safe, where they won''t be attacked by the people who have targeted you."


    The Crimson Knight nced at the mask in the Half-Elf''s hand for a minute before taking it.


    "Do you remember what you looked like in the past?" Lux inquired.


    It was very important for the wearer of the mask to hold the image they wanted to change into inside their mind in order for it to be registered in the Mask of a Thousand Faces.


    "Although I have forgotten many things, I still remember my face when I was still alive," the Crimson Knight answered.


    "Good." Lux nodded. "Now envision that image and put the mask on. I don''t know if it works for Undead Monsters, but there is no harm in trying."


    After instructing the Living Armor what to do, it ced the mask over his helmet.


    In truth, Lux had a n B if his n A didn''t work. However, it would require him to make Lilia believe that the living armor was none other than her lost husband, whom she hadn''t seen for two years.


    A few minutes passed but nothing happened. The Living Armor didn''t change its appearance, just like what happened to him when he chose to transform into his previous life''s form, in order to join the Lionheart Tournament.


    ''I guess it only works for living creatures,'' Lux thought.


    Just as he was about to retrieve the mask, something unexpected happened. The Living Armor''s body glowed faintly before its color changed to silver. A momentter, the helmet disappeared, and was reced by a human head.


    A man with short blonde hair, and blue eyes appeared in front of Lux. Although he hated to admit it, the person standing in front of him was only slightly less handsome than him.


    "Um, it''s quite unfortunate that you are too old and already dead," Cai said as he looked at the handsome Knight standing in front of it. "If you were still alive and several years younger, I would have invited you to join the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."


    Lux and Keane nced at the thick-skinned boar who was tantly staring at the hunk in shining armor.


    "Did�� we seed?" the blonde-haired man asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "See for yourself."


    Lux summoned a full body mirror, allowing the Living Armor to look at the temporary shell that he was using. His hands moved up to lightly touch his face, but he couldn''t feel anything. This was understandable because he was already dead.


    Even so, he was quite happy that he had the opportunity to talk to his loved ones again after being separated for two years.


    "I haven''t asked for your name, but I think now is a good time to ask it," Lux stated. "Can you tell me your name, Sir Knight?"


    The blonde-haired man shifted his gaze from the mirror to the Half-Elf who was looking at him with a smile.


    When he first saw the young Necromancer, he decided to take a gamble. He had promised Lux that he would serve him if he did him a favor. However, he didn''t expect that the red-headed teenager would use this method to make his wish a reality.


    "Bedivere. That was my name when I was still alive," Bedivere replied.


    Lux nodded. "Well then, Sir Bedivere. Let''s go. I don''t have much time left, and I would appreciate it if we could hurry to fulfill your request. All you need to do is��"


    An hourter, Lux, Bedivere, Cai, and Keane, arrived at the small hut on the outskirts of Brookwest Town.


    When they neared the hut, they saw Heidi and Lilia reading a book in the distance.


    Although the Living Armor no longer had a heart, but a Beast Core instead, he felt as if his chest was aching. Perhaps, it was his current human form that was affecting his emotions, but he couldn''t stop but feel a great deal of both sadness and happiness for getting the opportunity to talk to his loved ones again.


    As if sensing that they were no longer alone, Lilia shifted her gaze in Lux''s direction. When her gazended on the man who was wearing silver armor beside the Half-Elf, she dropped the book in her hands, and immediately started running.


    "Bedivere!" Lilia shouted as tears streamed down her eyes.


    Heidi, who also saw her father after such a long time, also shouted "Daddy!" and ran towards him crying.


    Lux, Cai, and Keane gave way to the family reunion, and simply watched from the side.


    The Boar started crying as well, and tears streamed down from its face. Cai was a sucker for happy endings, and just looking at the happy family in front of it made its heart ache.


    "Wuwuwuwu! Who are the bastards that are cutting onions near my eyes?" Cai asked. "Get away from me dammit!"


    Cai wasn''t the only one that was feeling emotional due to the happy scene in front of them. Even Lux, who had orchestrated this brief moment of happiness for the family, felt an ache in his heart.


    Bedivere was already dead, and yet, he did all he could to meet with his family onest time. Perhaps, this was the strong will that prevented him from getting tamed by Asmodeus when they tried to subdue him almost two weeks ago.


    As a Necromancer, this was the first time Lux had encountered such a strong soul, refusing to leave the mortal realm. Clearly, Bedivere still had lingering attachments to the world of the living, so his soul refused to pass on.


    This allowed him to transform into a Living Armor, in order to anchor himself to the mortal ne, but he was already nearing his limit.


    The people who killed Bedivere had also sent people to kill his family. But the Living Armor had foiled their ns time and time again, killing all the mercenaries that went after his family''s life.


    Unfortunately, he was starting to lose his memories as time passed by. Bedivere was afraid that when the time dide when all of his memories of the two most important people in his life were gone, he would no longer be there to protect them when the subordinates of the nobles that had killed him came to Brookwest Town to look for them.


    This was why, when he saw Lux, the Living Armor pledged that he was willing to be his servant if he would do him a favor.


    All for the sake of the two people, whom he cherished with all of his heart, even after he had breathed hisst.

 Chapter 350 A Chance To Get A Happy Ending

    "Bedivere, I missed you so much!" Lilia hugged her husband tightly.


    "I missed you just as much, my love," Bedivere replied as he hugged her back with his right hand, while patting the head of his daughter, Heidi, with the left. The little girl was bawling her eyes out as she clung to her father''s body. "You too, Heidi."


    "Daddy! Wuwuwu!" Heidi cried because it had been so long since shest saw her father. Just like her Mommy, she missed him terribly.


    "I know that the two of you have a lot of questions, but there is no time," Bedivere said as he pulled back to look at his two family members. "We need to leave this ce right now."


    Lilia, who had been with Bedivere for many years, nodded her head in understanding. She already knew that her husband had offended powerful nobles in the past, which was the reason why they fled to Brookwest Town.


    "I''ll pack our things," Lilia stated. "Look after our daughter."


    She gave Bedivere a kiss on the lips and then hurried towards the hut.


    ''Strange, why are his lips so cold?'' Lilia thought as she entered the house to pack their belongings.


    While Lilia busied herself with packing, Bedivere coaxed the crying Heidi until she stopped.


    "Daddy, will you not leave us again?" Heidi asked. "Mommy and I want you to stay with us."


    "...I can''t stay for long," Bedivere replied. "I have an important mission that I must finish."


    "Then will youe back after you finish your mission?" Heidi inquired.


    "...Yes." Bedivere forced himself to smile after assuring Heidi that he woulde back and see her again. "So be good and always listen to your mother, okay?"


    "Un!"


    "Good girl."


    Cai, who was watching this scene, cried even harder. Since it knew that Bedivere was already dead, the white lies he told his daughter to assure her that he woulde back made it feel heartbroken.


    Lux could only sigh in his heart as he looked at the father and daughter pair. Unlike the two assassins, Sid and Scarlet, who he had resurrected, Bedivere no longer had a body.


    As a Living Armor, he no longer had a mortal body. In ce of his body was a suit of armor, which had been dyed crimson by the blood of the monsters and people that he had in over the past two years.


    ''If I reanimate his Beast Core, will it change things?'' Lux pondered. ''As for ckfire�� it only epts dead bodies and near-death bodies. But I don''t know if it can ept a soul��''


    Lux opened his Soul Book and checked the description of his skill, Animate Undead [EX], to see if it was possible to give Bedivere a mortal body.


    ��------


    < Animate Undead [EX] >


    �C You are now able to choose what form your Animated Undead will be if you are willing to pay the adequate number of Beast Cores for them. If you don''t want to turn them into specific creatures, you can just go ahead with the revival, making their new formspletely random.


    �C Animating Monsters doesn''t need a corpse. If you have their Beast Cores, the likelihood of summoning an Undead Version of them is high. Their Rank will always be a Rank lower when they were alive.


    ��-------


    Lux frowned. In truth, he wanted to have Bedivere as the Living Armor who was immune to almost everything, with the exception of Necrotic Damage and Divine Magic.


    There was also the fact that he was a Rank 4 Field Boss Monster, making him a high-ranking Undead, even surpassing his Named Creatures in strength.


    If he were to use Animate Undead to give him a mortal body, he might lose his ability, Invincible Body, which made the Half-Elf want to tame him in the first ce.


    ��-----


    < Invincible Body >


    �C Only attacks that deal the right Elemental Damage can deal damage to this monster.


    ��-----


    The Half-Elf was then faced with a dilemma between choosing what was right and what was convenient. If he chose to give the family a happy ending, he might no longer have the Living Armor he wanted. Not only that, Bedivere''s rank would regress to match Lux.


    Instead of a Rank 4 Field Boss Monster, Bedivere''s new form would demote him to a Rank 4 Monster, simr to Diablo and his other Named Creatures.


    ''There''s also the need to offer Beast Cores in order to give him the desired form once he is reanimated,'' Lux scratched his head. ''I don''t have too many Beast Cores in my possession at the moment��''


    Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the Forest, which was not far from the hut where everyone was staying.


    Bedivere, who was hugging Heidi immediately froze because he recognized the owner of the roar that they just heard. It was the same Monster that had tried to attack Heidi when he was escorting her to look for rare herbs inside the forest to sell to the town in order to buy medicine for her mother.


    "It''s worth a try," Lux gazed in the direction of the forest where several trees were flying in different directions.


    Although it was a bit troublesome, the Half-Elf decided to take on the Rank 5 World Boss, Barb-Tailed Tyrannosaurus, in order to get the Beast Core he needed to give the family of three a chance to have a happy ending.


    "Sir Bedivere, let''s go hunt a World Boss," Lux said to the Living Armor who held Heidi in a protective embrace. "If we are lucky, you might be able to stay with your family for a long time. Would you like to give it a try?"


    Bedivere looked at the Half-Elf with surprise etched on his face. However, the surprise didn''tst long before he stood up and nodded his head.


    If there was really a chance to be together with his family, he would grasp it with both of his hands.


    He didn''t care even if he needed to fight the entire world to do it. As long as the possibility existed, he was willing to put his trust in the Half-Elf, whose fearless smile made him feel as though his hopes and dreams were not lost just yet.

 Chapter 351 Dealing With The Uninvited Guest [Part 1]

    "Let''s do this!" Cai was so hyped as Lux exined his reason for attacking the World Boss out of the blue. "I''m going to ensure that Heidi will be able to stay with her Daddy!"


    The Boar was raring to go and ready to charge at the Rank 5 World Boss that would give it a world of pain. But the reality wasn''t that simple. The enemy was an eight-meter-tall dinosaur, and even the four-meter-tall Cai in its Hildivisni form would be easily sent flying with its long and powerful tail that was as hard as steel.


    "Calm down and let Bedivere aggro it first," Lux ordered. "We will hit it in its blindspots, so make sure you don''t charge in recklessly."


    "Got it!" Cai, who was brimming with determination, listened to Lux''s orders, which surprised the Half-Elf.


    Usually, the Boar didn''t follow instructions whenever they entered battle, charging willy-nilly as it liked. But right now, it was willing to listen to Lux''s orders for the sake of the little girl who missed her daddy.


    "Keane, focus on attacking the Monster''s legs, but be careful," Lux ordered the skinny swordsman who was riding beside him. "That thing is a hard hitter."


    "Got it," Keane replied.


    Bedivere, who had reverted to his Crimson Knight form, was at the front of the formation. He had his crimson sword drawn at the ready.


    The n was simple.


    Bedivere would tank the World Boss, while Lux, his Summons, Cai, and Keane would be the damage dealers.


    As they drew closer to the loud roars deep in the forest, they felt the ground shaking under their feet. Whatever was happening, the battle was truly an intense one, making Lux wonder just what kind of Monster was able to fight against the Barb-Tailed Tyrannosaurus, which was the World Boss of the Forest.


    Finally, the four arrived at the scene of the carnage.


    "Sh*t!" Lux cursed when he saw the monster that the Tyrannosaurus Monster was facing against.


    Now he finally understood why it was having trouble fighting its opponent, and with valid reason.


    "Abyssal Monster!" Cai gasped in shock as it looked at the Shadowy Monster, whose entire body emitted dark mists, marking it as one of the Terrifying Monsters that hade to Elysium from the Void.


    During the defense of Whitebridge City in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, Lux came face to face with the Lesser Demogorgon, which was an Alpha-Ranked Argonaut Monster.


    It was incredibly powerful, and it alone could have destroyed the entire city if not for the fact that two Rankers had been there to protect the city. Now that he was faced with a simr monster, Lux could feel the Abyssal Power inside his body stir, as if being awakened by its brethren who had appeared in front of its new Master.


    ��-----


    < Grim Butcher Nightwalker >


    �C Giant Nightshade from the Abyss


    �C Wandering Field Boss


    �C Rank 5 World Boss Monster


    Health: 24,258,130 / 25,000,000


    Mana: 3,450,180 / 3,500,000


    Strength: ?????


    Intelligence: ?????


    Vitality: ?????


    Agility: ????


    Dexterity:????


    ��-----


    "Change of ns!" Lux shouted. "We are going to help the World Boss defeat the Abyssal Monster first! Sir Bedivere, I''m counting on you to tank it!"


    The Crimson Knight nodded its head before heading towards the battle between the two Behemoths.


    Lux gritted his teeth, knowing that their opponent was truly a handful. Not only was its health double that of the Tyrannosaurus World Boss, but its Abyss Touch Attack also bypassed the World Boss'' steely body, making it lose one of its advantages in battle.


    The moment the Crimson Knight struck the legs of the Giant Nightshade that was as tall as the Tyrannosaurus Monster, several elemental attacks alsonded on its body.


    Lux didn''t hold back and used his Doppelganger skill, which allowed him to summon his two clones, who then summoned their entire Army of Undead and Golems to fight against the Abyssal Monster that threatened the safety of Brookwest Town.


    Lux''s entire army had finally surpassed the six hundred mark, making him a force to be reckoned with.


    "Battle Cry!"


    "War Cry!"


    "Barbed Bones!"


    "Decaying Touch!"


    "Improved Jade Body (Mass Buff)"


    Lux buffed all of his Summons, making them more powerful than ever before.


    Seeing that it was surrounded by monsters, the Grim Butcher Nightwalker roared and went on a rampage. A single swipe of its shadowy arms insta-killed the Skeletons that hade to swarm it from all sides.


    Bedivere was also blown away from the attack, and to Lux''s surprise, the Living Armor''s Health decreased after receiving the Nightwalker''s brutal blow. Fortunately, the damage wasn''t that high, so the Living Armor was mostly safe.


    However, if Bedivere received a dozen more blows of the same intensity, even with his near-invincible state, he would crumble before the power of the Abyss.


    ''Abyss Touch is really a bug,'' Luxined in his heart. ''Pazuzu! Get its aggro for now!''


    The Fortress Defender immediately pointed its mace at the monster before banging his shield with it.


    A momentter, the giant Nightwalker shifted its attention to Pazuzu and ran in his direction.


    "You''re not the only one who has the power of the Abyss!" Lux roared.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    An otherworldly roar escaped from the Nightwalker''s mouth as three Dragon Breaths sted it away. The Tyrannosaurus Monster didn''t miss the opportunity and used its tail to smash the monster''s body, while it was down on the ground.


    Although the Boss Monster and Lux weren''t allies, both sides suddenly had an unspoken agreement that they would first deal with the guest that hade into the world uninvited and unannounced.


    Since all of Lux''s attacks were empowered with the Abyss Touch, the damage it dealt to Abyssal Monsters was doubled, making them feel a world of pain.


    However, the Nightwalker was a very sturdy creature, and Lux''s attack only managed to shave off a million of its Health Points.


    Even so, Lux wasn''t disheartened by the oue. He already knew how tenacious these monsters were, and he decided to fight it in a battle of attrition.


    Although the Half-Elf didn''t know if he would be able to defeat the monster before him, he believed that as long as he was able to hold on long enough, an opportunity would present itself, allowing him and his allies to gain the upper hand in the battle.

 Chapter 352 Dealing With The Uninvited Guest [Part 2]

    ''This is bad,'' Lux thought.


    This was not the first time for his Skeleton Summons to be destroyed from a single hit by a monster.


    It had happened a lot back when he was still weak, and when his Summons couldn''t even put up a fight against opponents whose ranks were higher than theirs.


    However, now was different.


    His Skeletons were stronger, and his Named Creatures were all Rank 4 Monsters. But in the face of overwhelming strength, they were no different from the monsters that Diablo had killed after gaining a massive bonus attack from Blood Fervor.


    While it was true that Diablo''s attack power was rising at a steady pace, it was not enough to ovee the Abyssal Monster, whose ability was out of this world.


    "Sh*t!" Lux cursed as Diablo died for the second time.


    The Abyssal Monster he was fighting was a very smart creature. It targeted Lux several times, forcing his Summons and Named Creatures to sacrifice their lives in order to save him.


    Pazuzu and Orion were his tankiest units, yet in the face of the Monster in front of them whose attack bypassed defenses, they died after only getting hit twice.


    Diablo''s Blood Fervor also didn''t matter to their opponent because no matter how high Diablo''s defenses became, it was useless. One direct attack was enough for his first Named Creature to turn into a pile of shattered bones.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    Lux''s attack made the Grim Butcher Nightwalker skid dozens of meters on the ground, but that was all.


    During the battle of Whitebridge City, it had been the Rankers who fought against the Abyssal Monsters and defeated them with their strength.


    Now that he was fighting against a Rank 5 Abyssal World Boss by himself, he finally understood how different they were from the Boss Monsters that he had faced in the past.


    After reaching their current Rank, Lux''s Named Creatures needed five minutes before they could be summoned again.


    Right now, only Ishtar and Asmodeus remained to assist Lux in holding back the Monster in front of him.


    After fighting against the Abyssal Monster for half an hour, they only managed to shave three million of its Health.


    The problem they were facing was that it still had over twenty million of its Health left, making Lux clench his fists in frustration.


    ''This is impossible,'' Lux thought as smoke escaped from his lips after unleashing his Dragon''s Breath for the third time.


    Suddenly, Lux heard a familiar voice in his head. At the same time, ckfire, Lux''s ck coffin appeared beside him.


    "Should I help?" Vera, who was still inside the coffin asked.


    "No. Grandma," Lux replied through telepathy. "If youe out now, you will receive a bacsh. You already forced yourself by helping me earlier. We can''t risk having your condition deteriorate any further."


    Vera didn''t reply right away as if she was deep in thought.


    The battle continued for ten more minutes, as Lux used the Tyrannosaurus as a meat shield in order to attack the Abyssal Monster on its blindspots.


    "I finally found it."


    Vera''s voice suddenly rang out in Lux''s head.


    "All Abyssal Monsters have a weak spot. If you attack this ce, your damage will be multiplied several times. The weakness of this Abyssal Monster is at the nape of its neck. Look for the faint symbol of a hexagram on its back."


    "Nape of its neck?" Lux muttered. "Understood."


    A pair of dragon wings sprouted behind Lux''s back as he took off towards the sky. His clones did the same because they could use all of his abilities perfectly.


    Just as Vera had said earlier, there was really a faint, crimson-colored, hexagram on the back of the Abyssal Monster''s neck, which was supposed to be its weakness.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    A blood curdling scream reverberated inside the forest as the Abyssal Monster writhed in pain after getting its weak spot attacked.


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock when he saw that he had dealt over three million damage to the monster whom he thought was impossible to beat.


    "Because of how powerful they are, Abyssal Monsters suffer a penalty when they spawn in Elysium," Vera exined. "A mark will appear on their bodies once they cross over from the void. We, Rankers, always look for these marks because it is the only way we can defeat them in the shortest time possible.


    "Fortunately, it is not hidden on the bottom of their feet or on the palms of their hands. As long as you can consistently hit its weak points, you will be able to defeat this monster."


    Just as Lux was about to deliver another Dragon''s Breath, the Abyssal Monster did something unexpected, which made Lux almost choke on the Dragon''s Breath that he was about to unleash.


    The Grim Butcher Nightwalker used its left hand to cover the nape of its neck, as it used its right arm to punch the Tyrannosaurus monster, sending it crashing towards the trees behind it.


    It then shifted its attention to the flying Half-Elves in the sky and unleashed a breath attack of its own, forcing Lux to evade, while cursing the shameless Monster for not ying fair since it had covered its neck using its left hand, shielding its weak spot from further attacks.


    "Oi, Sir Tyrannosaurus, can''t you do better?!" Lux shouted at the World Boss who just propped itself up from the ground. "Your enemy is fighting you one-handed. Can''t you see it is belittling you?!"


    Perhaps angered by Lux''s taunt, the Dinosaur Monster roared and once again charged at the Abyssal Monster. However, before its foe could even properly defend itself, theTyrannosaurus swung its tail and mmed it against the legs of the Abyssal Monster, making it fall on the ground.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    Not wasting the opportunity he was given, three Dragon Breaths'' descended at the fallen Abyssal Monster, targeting its weak spot.


    This once again shaved a huge chunk of its Health, revitalizing Lux and hisrades.


    "I''m Charging!"


    Cai, who was known as the most opportunistic of them all, once again charged and mmed its tusks into the back of the Abyssal Monster''s head, as it propped itself to stand up. Because of this, its giant body once again crashed to the ground, allowing Bedivere and Keane to deliver their own blows at it.


    The Abyssal Monster roared, and tried to stand back up, but it was not given this opportunity.


    The Tyrannosaurus Monster stomped on the Nightwalker''s head, and pinned it against the ground, preventing it from standing up. It then used its massive jaws to bite its opponent''s neck, holding it in ce like a vice grip.


    Enraged and in pain, the Nightwalker recklessly attacked the Tyrannosaurus Monster with its wed hands, digging deep in the monster''s flesh. However, the World Boss endured the pain and didn''t let go.


    On the contrary, it dug its razor sharp teeth deeper while using its wed hands to scratch the Abyssal Monster''s body, dealing further damage to it.


    Lux was unable to use his Dragon''s Breath because he would be a fool to do so. He was afraid that he would hit the Tyrannosaurus Monster, so he descended from the sky and used Dragon ws to relentlessly attack the Nightwalker, which was currently being besieged from all sides.

 Chapter 353 Dealing With The Uninvited Guest [Part 3]

    Perhaps, knowing that it wouldn''t be able to get away��not until it first killed the Tyrannosaurus Monster, the Grim Butcher Nightwalker decided to take some drastic measures.


    It gathered Abyss Energy inside its mouth and fired it at the Dinosaur at point nk range, not caring if it would also get caught in the attack or not.


    Blood and flesh scattered from the chest of the Tyrannosaurus Monster, but its jaws remained mped on its prey, sinking its teeth even deeper as it exerted all of its strength to bite the Nightwalker''s head off.


    Over and over again, the Nightwalker would unleash a barrage of breath attacks at its captor. But thetter ignored everything and continued to hold firm. Perhaps, the Dinosaur knew that once its grip on the Abyssal Monster weakened, it would not have the opportunity to do it again.


    "Diablo! Do it!" Lux roared as he summoned Diablo to join them on the battlefield.


    The Death Knight''s sword zed in unholy mes as it swung it at the Night Walker''s body repeatedly.


    Orion used leg-lock on the legs of the Nightwalker, preventing it from standing up.


    Cai, on the other hand, buried its tusk on the side of the Abyssal Monster''s body, holding it in ce, so that everyone could attack it as much as they wanted.


    With its neck, body, and legs pinned in ce, the Abyssal Monster was unable to break free and was swarmed by the Skeleton Gang Bangers, who relentlessly stabbed it with their swords.


    Lux''s buff, Decaying Touch, was the true bread and butter of the Skeleton Army. It allowed them to inflict status effects on their enemies in order to greatly weaken them, as well as deal True Damage to their foes, ignoring their defenses.


    ��-------


    Decaying Touch [EX]


    �C Has a 20% chance to inflict Decay on your target with every strike.


    �C Has a 10% chance to inflict Weakness on your target with every strike.


    �C Has a 10% chance to inflict Disease on your target with every strike.


    Decay �C Deals 100 True Damage every 3 seconds for 12 seconds.


    Weakness - reduce your target''s Physical and Magical defense by 20%.


    Disease - decrease your target''s attack speed, movement speed, mana regeneration, health regeneration, and evasion by 20%


    �C If Disease skill is active, increase Decay''s True Damage by 200 every 3 seconds for 15 seconds.


    ��-------


    Hundreds of skeletons mercilessly assaulted the helpless Nightwalker, causing it to suffer great damage over time.


    Lux, his clones, and Diablo, who dealt Abyss and Ethereal damage to their enemies, hacked and shed like there was no tomorrow.


    Bedivere also yed an active role by swinging his sword at the Abyssal Monster''s head, using the opportunity to kill it once and for all.


    Finally after what seemed like eternity, the Abyssal Monster''s body turned into ck mist, dispersingpletely.


    The only thing it left behind was a ck Beast Core the size of a bowling ball which shone ominously from the reflection of the sunlight.


    "We did it!" Cai shouted. "We beat it using the power of Love and Friendship! Isn''t that right? Sir Tyrannosaurus?!"


    It was at that moment when the Dinosaur''s body crashed on the ground. The injuries it received were fatal, and there was no hope of it surviving. The only thing that allowed it to hold on was due to the fact that it wouldn''t allow itself to die against a monster that invaded its territory.


    This was the pride of a World Boss, and it fought until the bitter end.


    Lux approached the World Boss and gazed at its reptilian eyes, who was gazing straight at him.


    "I will not lie, we came here to kill you," Lux said, which made Cai, who was standing beside him gasp in shock.


    "Oi! You shouldn''t say that to Mr. Dinosaur!" Cai nagged. "Can''t you see he helped us? How can you be so cruel? Didn''t we win because of the power of Love and Friendship?"


    The Half-Elf ignored Cai and continued to look at the dying monster, whose eyes continued to stare at him. They hade to the forest to kill it, but in the end, it fought alongside them to defeat the invader that came from another world.


    Fate truly had a way of toying with people, and Lux experienced an oue that was far from what he originally thought.


    "Thank you," Lux said. "I will take good care of your Beast Core, as well as your body. Rest in peace."


    The Tyrannosaurus gave a low growl before closing its eyes. Half a minuteter it breathed itsst, making the Boar beside it wail as it hugged the monster, whom Cai originally wanted to kill earlier to help Heidi reunite with her father.


    "Master, here is the Beast Core," Asmodeus handed the Abyssal Beast Core to Lux with both of his hands in a respectful gesture.


    Lux received it and gazed at the prize that he didn''t expect woulde to him.


    "Asmodeus, what are your thoughts?" Lux asked as he nced at the Archlich, who seemed to have an amused expression on its bony face.


    "Master, you already know the answer to that question, right?" Asmodeus replied.


    "Hah�� don''t answer my question with a question."


    "Hahaha. Very well. Since Master doesn''t want to say it, I''ll do it for you."


    The Archlich nced at the Beast Core in Lux''s hands before making his thoughts known.


    "Master, I know that the main purpose of the Abyssal Core is to get the skills of an Abyssal Creature," Asmodeus stated. "However, the Abyss Touch is enough. Master doesn''t need any more skills from the Abyss."


    Lux nodded because this was also what he was thinking.


    "Since that is the case, using this Beast Core for Abyssal Skills will be a waste, no?" Asmodeus smirked. "This core should serve a better purpose, yes? I don''t know if it''s possible, but a Nightwalker is an Undead Creature. Although it is tainted by the Abyss, the fact still remains that it is an Undead. Why not try to see if we can Re-animate it? I''m very curious. Will we be able to have our own Abyssal Creature as well?"


    The Archlich could already tell that this was what Lux had thought of doing after receiving the core. What the Half-Elf needed from him is only an assurance that the possibility of having an Abyssal Monster under hismand was possible.


    "I don''t want to disturb your discussion, but the battle we just had will definitely attract some people from the town to investigate," Bedivere said. "How about we move to a different ce first?"


    To Lux''s surprise, the Living Armor was already holding the Beast Core of the Barb-Tailed Tyrannosaurus.


    Lux had told him that this might allow him to have a proper reunion with his wife, so it was a very important thing for him.


    Seeing Bedivere''s resolve, the Half-Elf nodded his head and used his Enchanted Beast Ring to store the body of the Boss Monster. He then ordered the Skeletons to erase their tracks as they moved deeper inside the forest to perform the act of turning the Living Armor into one of the Half-Elf''s Undead Legion.

 Chapter 354 Even If I Am Defeated, My Loyalty Will Not Fade [Part 1]

    Chapter 354 Even If I Am Defeated, My Loyalty Will Not Fade [Part 1]


    After heading deep inside the forest, Lux finally had time to settle the matter with Bedivere.


    Frankly, he didn''t know how to proceed with the matter. The easiest way to fix his problem was to get his Beast Core and use Animate Undead on him so that he would be reborn into a different kind of Undead with a new body.


    But Lux was reluctant to do this.


    An Undead was still an Undead. If he wanted to allow him to return to his family, he should be simr to Sid and Scarlet, who had turned into a Damphir and a Cambion, or like his Grandma Vera, who was still undergoing her transformation.


    Since that was the case, using Animate Undead was not an option, so he could only use ckfire, the ck Coffin, which had the power to transform the dead and near-dead creatures into other creatures.


    But before he could even do that, a sudden notification appeared in front of him, which made his eyes widen in shock.


    ��----


    A High-Ranking Undead wishes to swear his allegiance to you.


    The Crimson Wanderer Living Armor, Bedivere, wishes to serve you as a Loyal Knight.


    Do you wish to ept?


    < Yes / No >


    ��----


    Lux casually chose Yes, because Bedivere had already agreed to be his subordinate earlier in order to be together with his family.


    However, what showed up in front of him next made the Half-Elf realize that there were still some abilities of the Necromancer ss that he didn''t know.


    ��----


    < You have chosen to make the Crimson Wanderer Living Armor, Bedivere, your Knight. >


    < Since a High-Ranking Undead chose to serve you on its own ord, a special feature of the Necromancer Job ss is unlocked! >


    < Special feature, Necromancer''s Covenant, has been unlocked! >


    < Necromancer''s Covenant >


    "Till death do us part."


    �C As a Necromancer, you hold dominion over the Undead. Because of this, some Undead Creatures will be attracted to you and would wish to serve by your side.


    �C Up to thirteen creatures can be epted through the Necromancer''s Covenant, but this is not limited to Undead Creatures. Even if it is a living creature, as long as they vow to serve you faithfully till death, it will be part of the Necromancer''s Covenant.


    �C Any creature who joins the Necromancer''s Covenant will be forever loyal to the Necromancer.


    �C The Rank of all creatures joining the Necromancer''s Covenant will always be equal to the rank of their Master. It doesn''t matter if their Ranks are Higher or Lower than the Necromancer they serve. Once they be part of the Covenant, their Ranks will always match their Master''s Rank.


    �C The creatures under the Covenant cannot have their Ranks upgraded by any means. They will grow as their Master grows and weaken when their Master weakens.


    �C Each of the thirteen creatures serving the Necromancer will be called Knight of the Covenant, and are allowed to have subordinates of their own. It doesn''t matter if these subordinates are living or dead. However, there will be a limit to the number of subordinates they can have.


    �C Each Knight can make Monsters forcefully submit to them if they wish. Any method is eptable!


    �C Once the contract is established, these minions can only be summoned by the Knights that subjugated them. The Necromancer doesn''t have the ability to summon the subordinates of his Knights.


    �C The minimum number of subordinates each Knight can have is twelve. This number will increase as their Rank increases.


    Initiate Rank = 30 Subordinates


    E-Ranker = 100 Subordinates


    D-Ranker = 200 Subordinates


    C-Ranker = 500 Subordinates


    B-Ranker = 1,000 Subordinates


    A-Ranker = 5,000 Subordinates


    S-Ranker = 50,000 Subordinates


    SS-Ranker = 100,000 Subordinates


    Saint = 1,000,000 Subordinates


    ��------


    (A/N: These are the Rankings for the Mortal Practitioners. Monsters have a different ranking. They all start from Common Monsters to Rank 1-5. The next stage after Rank 5 is Deimos (E-Ranker), Argonaut (D-Ranker, and C-Ranker), Dreadnought (B-Ranker, and A-Ranker), Empyrean (S-Ranker and SS-Ranker), Cmity (Saint), Demigod (Supreme).)


    ��-----


    �C If a Knight dies, they can be revived by paying an adequate number of Beast Cores.


    �C You may choose to give your Knight a different form by sacrificing Beast Cores or Monster Parts to get their ideal profession. The rarer the profession is, the greater the sacrifice needed.


    �C A Knight can undergo transformation more than once. You will be able to customize them ording to your desire. It doesn''t matter if they have a hundred arms or legs. As long as you are able to provide the necessary materials, anything is possible!


    �C All materials used in the transformation are non-refundable. Once they are used, they are gone, so choose your Knight''s transformation wisely!


    ��---


    < Knight Bedivere has been epted as part of the Necromancer''s Covenant. >


    < Would you like to customize Knight Bedivere? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��-----


    Lux''s body shook in excitement because he never expected that the feature, Necromancer''s Covenant, would be unlocked if a High-Ranking Undead chose to serve him with their own free will.


    Since it had alreadye to this, he no longer hesitated. It didn''t matter even if Bedivere lost the special abilities of his Living Armor form anymore. Lux would just make up for it using the transformation that was avable to him!


    ''Okay, let''s see what options are avable in the custom settings,'' Lux excitedly checked the Bedivere''s Page that had appeared in his Soul Book.


    ��-----


    < Bedivere >


    �C The percentages that are shown are thepatibility rating of the transformation. If you wish to create or customize a form that is not avable in the options, please supply the necessary Beast Cores or Monster Parts.


    �C If you choose to transform your Knight into a particr form with a low rating, take note that the transformation is highly likely to fail. The materials used to transform the monster will also disappear.


    �C If you want to increase the chances of the percentage of the profession you fancy, add more Beast Cores or Monster Parts befitting that profession in order to increase its percentage rating!


    �C Take note that there is a chance that the items you sacrifice could cause a mutation and be part of whatever form your Knight is going to transform into.


    �C An 80% chance is guaranteed that the Knight''s custom transformation will be sessful.


    �C The Knight Bedivere can only gain a mortal body if you don''t choose any option belonging to the Living Armor category. But even then, he would still be a Half-Living Armor and Half-Mortal.


    ��---


    Transformation Customization.


    Living Armor = 100%


    Doom Knight = 1%


    Steel-Wing Knight = 1%


    XXX��


    XXX��


    XXX��


    ��---


    "Okay, let''s test this," Lux muttered as he added the Rank-5, Barb-Tailed Tyrannosaurus Beast Core, to the material tab.


    ��---


    Spiked Living Armor = 100%


    Dino Rider = 40%


    Steel-Wing Knight = 25%


    Steel Baron = 25%


    Steel Lancer = 25%


    Dragoon = 20%


    XXX��


    XXX��


    XXX��


    Dragon Knight = 1%


    ��---


    "So this is how it works�� interesting," Lux muttered as he looked at his options.


    The thing that instantly caught his eye was, of course, the Rare Job, Dragon Knight. Lux didn''t know if the Barb-Tailed Tyrannosaurus had Dragon''s blood in it that allowed the Dragon Knight Profession to appear in the choices.


    It was the best one among the options presented to him, but the abysmal chance of seeding was something that made his teeth itch.


    ''Okay, how about this?'' Lux mused as he added the Body of the Barb-Tailed Tyrannosaurus Monster to the material list.


    ��----


    Spiked Living Armor = 100%


    Dino Rider = 100%


    Dragoon = 60%


    Steel-Wing Knight = 25%


    Steel Baron = 25%


    Steel Lancer = 25%


    XXX��


    XXX��


    XXX��


    Dragon Knight = 10%


    ��----


    ''10%... still not enough,'' Lux mused as he looked at his inventory for things to add. ''How about I use the Barb-Tailed Tyrannosaurus body to increase the percentage of the Dragon Knight instead of using it as transformation material?''


    Lux took the monster''s body and added it to the Dragon Rider Job ss as an offering.


    ��----


    Dragon Knight = 20%


    ��----


    The Half-Elf scratched his head. 20% was still too big of a gamble for him to take. After careful consideration, the Half-Elf rummaged through the items he had in possession to see if there was anything he could use to increase the chances of letting Bedivere transform into one of the most formidable Job sses in Elysium.


    "Faunus Battle Regalia�� I forgot about you," Lux muttered as he looked at the set of Mythical Armor that he had collected from all the viges that were around the Stronghold of Norria. They were the replica of the Favonius Set, which belonged to Favonius, who was the founder of Leaf Vige and the one who bestowed his armor and weapon to Lux, as his way of acknowledging everything he had done for Leaf Vige.


    ��------


    "In Leaf Vige, a special armor is made, its toughness is as resilient as adamantium.


    In Lindow Vige, a shield stands proud, waiting for the day its new owner arrives.


    In Sunflower Vige, where the sun rises in the east, a de that has in a dragon is hidden.


    Lastly, in Millwood Vige, where secrets are kept, a mask with many faces smiles at the ignorant."


    Four Viges,


    Four Battle Regalias that made up the Mythical Faunus Set.


    ��-----


    Among these items, Lux only used the Mask of the Thousand Faces. He hadpletely set aside the Faunus Battle Regalia because the armor currently used was way better than the Mythical Set of the Beginner Viges.


    "What if��" Lux narrowed his eyes as a daring thought appeared inside his head. He then added the Faunus Armor, Shield, and Sword, to the materials to be used for raising the chances of acquiring the Dragon Knight Job ss and the result was��

 Chapter 355 Even If I Am Defeated, My Loyalty Will Not Fade [Part 2]

    ��-----


    Dragon Knight = 50%


    ��-----


    Lux stared long and hard at the percentage bar, but no matter what he did, the percentage didn''t move upwards.


    He couldn''t believe that even after using a Rank 5 World Boss Beast Core, a Rank 5 World Boss Monster Body, and a Mythical Set of Armor, Sword, and Shield, the percentage of the Dragon Knight Job ss only peaked at 50%


    "Sir Bedivere, I have a question for you," Lux said softly. "Right now, I am able to give you an opportunity to remodel your body in order to give you a mortal form. But, there is a catch. These are the professions that are avable to you. I will let you decide what profession you would like to have."


    The Half-Elf showed his Soul Book to Bedivere and exined to him how the Necromancer''s Covenant worked.


    The light flickering in the Living Armor''s eyes zed brightly as if he was making a very hard decision. If Bedivere wished to only have a mortal form, choosing the Dino-Rider Transformation was ideal.


    However, since his rank was going to regress to match Lux''s current Rank, the Living Armor was very tempted to choose the Dragon Knight Job ss.


    But the chance of sess was only 50%.


    Bedivere spent a few minutes in silence as he made a tough decision that would affect his second chance at life.


    "In the past�� I have always wanted to be�� a Dragon Knight," said Bedivere with a hoarse voice. "But�� I never got the opportunity. If this is to fail�� what would happen�� to me?"


    "Nothing," Lux replied. "You will stay the way you are. However, we will need to acquire high-level Beast Cores and Monster Parts in order for you to take another shot at your transformation."


    Lux still had several Beast Cores in his possession, which he had gotten from winning the Lionheart Tournament. However, he had been saving them to increase Eiko''s Rank after she revived, so he couldn''t use them to help Bedivere increase the percentage of the Dragon Knight profession.


    A few more minutes passed before Bedivere finally clenched his fists as he made his decision.


    "Let''s take�� the chance," Bedivere stated.


    Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    He then took a deep breath before taking a dagger to give his palm a shallow cut, allowing blood to drip from his hand.


    Immediately, a red magic circle formed under his feet, starting the ritual of the Necromancer''s Covenant, allowing Bedivere to undertake his baptism and transformation.


    "Be it known to all men that I, Lux Von Kaizer, hereby ept Bedivere as one of the Knights of my Covenant," Lux said as a magic circle formed under Bedivere''s feet. "Do you swear and acknowledge me to be your true andwful Liege?"


    "I do swear," Bedivere answered.


    "Do you also swear to defend, and obey me, until death shall take you?"


    "I do swear."


    "Make your pledge of Loyalty."


    Bedivere knelt down in front of Lux. He had been bestowed knightship in the past, so he already knew what he was going to say. However, as if helping him form his oath, several rows of words appeared before him, which he read faithfully.


    "I, Bedivere, Son of Bedwyr, hereby solemnly swear and pledge my sword to Lux Von Kaizer, my Master and Liege, to defend and obey him until his soul departs this world and uphold the honor of knighthood. If I fail, death shall take me."


    Suddenly, a sword, as ck as night with runic carvings, materialized in front of Lux, which he held as part of the ceremony of the Covenant.


    "As for my part, I do swear to defend and honor Sir Bedivere," Lux stated. "As befits a true Knight of my Covenant."


    He then lightly tapped Bedivere''s left and right shoulder with the ck sword in his hand.


    "Rise, Sir Bedivere, and may your glory be my glory."


    Lux took a few steps back to allow Bedivere to stand up andplete the ceremony.


    At that exact moment, Bedivere''s body was enveloped by a green tornado.


    Several rows of text appeared in front of Lux, notifying him that the transformation was about to start.


    ��--


    < Attempting transformation�� >


    ��--


    Lux clenched his fist as the glow of the green tornado in front of him pulsed like the beating of the heart.


    He and Bedivere had taken a gamble with a 50% chance of seeding. It was simr to flipping a coin, and if they got unlucky, then they would get nothing from the sacrifices he had made.


    Suddenly, a loud draconic roar spread in the surroundings as two green wings emerged from the tornado, dispersing itpletely.


    ��------


    < Congrattions! The transformation was sessful! >


    ��------


    < Bedivere >


    "Even if I am defeated, My loyalty will not fade."


    �C Knight of the Covenant


    �C Dragon Knight


    �C Rank: Grade A Apostle


    Special Ability: Wonder Guard


    ��------


    < Wonder Guard >


    �C All kinds of damage received by Bedivere and his mount, including Abyssal Damage, will be decreased by 60%


    ��------


    The Half-Elf took a deep breath as he gazed at a three-meter-tall green dragon with a knight riding on its back.


    Bedivere was wrapped up in a very familiar armor, which made Lux''s eyes widen in shock.


    "The Faunus Battle Regalia��," Lux muttered as he gazed at the armor that he had worked hard to collect during his time in the Beginner Viges. Now, it was worn by the first Knight of his Covenant, who had be one of the strongest fighters in Lux''s Army.


    "Thank you, Master," Bedivere said as he bowed his head, alongside his dragon, who spread its wings and bowed its head respectfully to Lux as a sign of its fealty.


    "How are you feeling?" Lux asked after he recovered from his shock. "Do you feel anything strange with your body?"


    Bedivere smiled, which was enough to make all the singledies blush if they had seen his handsome features.


    "I feel so alive," Bedivere replied. "Also, I can tell that my body is strongerpared to when I was still alive. Although my Rank has regressed, my friend here will make up for it. Isn''t that right, partner?"


    Bedivere lightly patted the body of the Green Dragon, who replied with a low growl, agreeing with the Dragon Knight''s words.


    Lux looked at the handsome knight, who didn''t notice that tears were streaming down the sides of his face from happiness. He was quite happy that everything turned out well, and that the materials he used weren''t wasted.


    Now that he now had a powerful Dragon Knight by his side, and his matters with the Vahan Empire had ended, it was now time to finally move to the next phase of his n, and go to the one ce that would never forsake him.


    "Let''s go, Sir Bedivere," Lux said with a smile. "Let''s take Heidi and Lilia to the ce that will be their new home."


    Bedivere nodded his head. Right now, he was feeling incredibly grateful to Lux. He had already made an oath to serve his new Liege with everything he had.


    Deep inside, Bedivere was feeling excited. It was as if the time that had stopped two years ago finally started moving once again.


    He nced at the Half-Elf, to whom he owed his life, and wondered just how far his new Master would go in the world of Elysium.


    But he already understood that no matter where the red-headed teenager went, he would be by his side, fighting whoever dared to hurt the person to whom he owed his second chance at life.

 Chapter 356 Oh! My Long Lost Friend! It’s You!

    "Daddy, where are we going?" Heidi, who was currently riding on Bedivere''s shoulders, asked.


    "Actually, I am not sure," Bedivere replied. "But since my Maste�C I mean, Lux, said that it is a wonderful ce, I trust that it is so."


    "Will I have lots of friends there?"


    "Of course! My Heidi is so kind and sweet. It''s impossible for my daughter to not have any friends."


    Heidi giggled after hearing her father''s praise. Lilia watched her husband and daughter''s interaction with eyes filled with tenderness and love. She couldn''t stop herself from tearing up.


    She had been waiting for years for Bedivere''s return, so their family would beplete once again. Now that he was here, she felt as if all of her suffering and hardships for the past two years were paid in full.


    "Is everyone ready?" Lux asked as he sent a party invitation to everyone around him. "We''re going now, so I hope that all of you can ept my party invitation."


    Several rows of text appeared in front of Cai, Keane, Heidi, and Lilia, asking them if they wanted to join Lux''s party.


    A Normal Party could only have a maximum number of seven people. Raid parties consisted of anywhere from fifty to a hundred people, but this was only avable to people who belonged to a Guild.


    But this was enough. The Half-Elf didn''t know if his n was going to work in the first ce, and he was just hoping that his theory would work.


    "I will tell you in advance. We are going to a ce that is very far from Human territories," Lux stated. "Also, thews there are quite different from ourws. It will take some time getting used to, but I''m sure that all of you will be just fine�� maybe."


    "Maybe?" Cai asked. "What do you mean, maybe?"


    Lux ignored Cai''s question and put on the Mask of a Thousand Faces before opening his Soul Book. In the eyes of the dwarves, he was supposed to be dead already. Only the high-ranking members of the Leaf Vige, the Stronghold of Norria, as well as the Kingdom of Gweliven, knew that he wasn''t really dead.


    However, in order to allow Scarlet to be a yer Candidate and break through the ranks of a Ranker, he still needed to lie low for a while until things were wrapped up properly.


    Also, there was no point in answering the Boar''s question because he still wasn''t sure if he would be able to take them there by adding them to his party.


    In truth, Lux was still debating whether he should bring Cai and Keane with him on his journey. But after everything the three of them had gone through together, he decided to trust that his twopanions would be able to keep his secret.


    Going to his ability page, Lux took a deep breath as he prepared to activate the skill called��


    Eternal Guardian.


    This was the skill that would allow Lux to return to Leaf Vige anytime he wanted. Since he could no longer create a guild in the Human territories, he decided to take a chance and make a guild in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    "Everyone, get ready," Lux announced. "We will go in 3�� 2�� 1!"


    Lux, as well as Cai, Keane, Bedivere, Heidi, and Lilia, were bathed in white light. A secondter, all of them disappeared, leaving the Vahan Empire behind.


    ��----


    za of Leaf Vige��


    A brilliant sh of light spread in the surroundings, catching the attention of the nearby dwarves in the za.


    When the light receded, they saw a couple of Humans and a Boar, standing beside the Statue of the Eternal Guardian, which everyone in Leaf Vige treated as their main attraction.


    "Where are we?" Cai asked.


    The Boar could instinctively feel that they were no longer in the Human territories because the scent and feel of the surroundings were a bit different from what it was used to.


    "Dwarves?" Bedivere nced at the people that had gathered around them and instantly recognized that they were Dwarves.


    Even in the Western Regions of Elysium, other races such as Elves, Beastkin, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Half-lings could be found.


    Bedivere had interacted with some of them in the past, making him familiar with the Dwarven Race, who were notorious for their passion for strong alcoholic drinks and stubbornness that put Humans to shame.


    "Wow!" Heidi pped her hands as she looked at the people around them. "Look! Little People!"


    "Heidi, they are not little people. They are Dwarves," Lilia immediately corrected her daughter because she was afraid that the Dwarves would take offense and get a bad impression of them.


    Just like Lilia had thought, the Dwarves who heard Heidi call them Little People frowned. In order to correct this, Lilia used her eloquent skills to salvage the situation.


    "Heidi, remember this," Lilia said. "Dwarves are very kind and gentle people. They are very hard-working and very dependable people. They say that if you have a Dwarf as your friend, you will have nothing to fear because they will stick with you through thick and thin."


    The Dwarves who heard Lilia all nodded their heads in agreement, giving the pretty woman a thumbs up in their hearts for being a woman of culture.


    In the past, the local Dwarves of Leaf Vige might have panicked after seeing so many Humans in their Vige, but after being around Lux for quite some time, their tolerance for seeing other races had increased.


    Still, some of them looked at the new arrivals with wary gazes. Even though they had already gotten used to seeing a Half-Elf, Humans were still a different race from the hero that saved their Vige.


    "Everyone, please step aside."


    A voice filled with authority said, and the people parted to allow an old Dwarf to pass through.


    "My name is Cedwyn, and I am the Head of Leaf Vige," Cedwyn stated. "Please state your names, and how did you arrive here in Leaf Vige?"


    Several Dwarven Guards, as well as Riders of Norria, also appeared in the za. They were the defenders of Leaf Vige, so they wanted to know if the people that had suddenly appeared in their vige were friends or foes.


    Lux immediately recognized Aron, who was the captain of the Guards of Leaf Vige, and Boreas, the Captain of the Riders of Norria, which also served as the representatives of the Stronghold of Norria in Leaf Vige.


    "Vige Head, it is me," Lux said as he stepped forward. "There are some matters that I need to discuss with you, and I would appreciate it if we could talk in private."


    Cedwyn nced at the chubby boy that he was seeing for the first time and frowned.


    "You seem to know me, but I don''t know who you are," Cedwyn replied. "What qualifications do you have to ask me to talk to you in private?"


    "Um, I still remember you telling me that when you were young, you sneakily took Grandma Annie''s pan��"


    "Oh! My long lost friend! It''s you!"


    The Old Dwarf immediately grabbed hold of the chubby boy''s hand and shook it vigorously, preventing Lux from continuing what he was about to say.


    "I didn''t recognize you right away because you''ve gained some weight." Cedyn was sweating buckets, especially when he noticed Grandma Annie arriving at the scene with the two little girls, Laura and Livia, who were Sid''s little sisters, by her side.


    "Come. You must be tired from your journey. Let''s go to my house so we can catch up with the old times." Cedwyn didn''t even wait for Lux''s reply and dragged him away. "Everyone, settle down. This is my friend��"


    "Lucien," Lux said in a volume that only Cedwyn would be able to hear.


    "Right! This is my friend Lucien," Cedwyn announced. "We go a long way back to when I was still an adventurer. Everything is fine. I can vouch for their identities. Everyone, please step aside. We''reing through."


    The vige head brute forced his way out of the encirclement, dragging Lux towards his house. Cai, Keane, Bedivere, Heidi, and Lilia followed behind because if they lost sight of Lux, things might getplicated when the other Dwarves start asking them questions.


    "Should we follow them?" Aron asked Boreas who was standing beside him. "They look suspicious to me."


    "It seems that Cedwyn knows him, but just to be sure, let''s follow them," Boreas replied. "Just don''t bring too many guards, so it won''t cause amotion."


    To the surprise of the two Dwarves, Grandma Annie started to walk towards Cedwyn''s house with the twin sisters in tow.


    She had already suspected that the one that Cedwyn dragged away was Lux, who was wearing a disguise, so she decided to follow in order to confirm her suspicions.


    It was not only her that started to move, Randolph, as well as the Elders of Leaf Vige, were also walking towards the Vige Head''s house.


    Just like Grandma Annie, they all had their suspicions as well.


    Some of them even felt their blood boiling inside their chest in excitement because they had a feeling that the person that had saved their Vige, whom they hadn''t seen for several months, had finally returned to visit them.


    Randolph, in particr, was more excited than the rest.


    His heart was beating wildly inside his chest because, even though he didn''t want to admit it, he had missed his one and only Disciple.


    Lux had promised him that he would visit Leaf Vige from time to time, but after not seeing him for several months, the old cksmith thought that the Half-Elf had forgotten them.


    Now that he was back, he was looking forward to hearing his tales of farawaynds and the adventures that he had taken part in during the time that he was away from the vige, which the Half-Elf had already considered to be his second home.

 Chapter 357 So You’re Making A Guild? This Sounds Interesting

    "Hahaha! Drink up, my boy!" Randolphughed as he refilled Lux''s cup with mead. "You really took your time to visit us. I really thought you forgot your Master."


    "How could I possibly forget you, Master?" Lux replied. "There were just many things happening at the same time, and I didn''t have the opportunity to visit everyone here in Leaf Vige. How are you? And what have you been doing as ofte?"


    Randolph drank from his own mug and let out a loud burp before answering Lux''s question.


    "As you can see, I''m doing fine." Randolph smiled. "The kids these days are so motivated to be adventurers that they kept on visiting my shop to have their weapons repaired. Um, by the way, where is Little Eiko? Is she hiding somewhere?"


    The smile on Lux''s face disappeared, making Randolph, who was in a good mood earlier, feel as if he had stepped on andmine.


    "Eiko died protecting her Mama from someone who wanted to possess her," Lux replied. "But don''t worry. She will be revived soon. Actually, I think she will revive in a few days."


    Lux took out the Blue Egg from the special storage ring that Iris had given to him to store Monster eggs.


    Randolph patted his chest as he looked at the Blue Egg in front of him. Everyone in the Vige, especially the young Dwarves, idolized Eiko because she had apanied Lux on his adventures.


    This was the same reason why almost all of the Dwarves, including the Sians who had arrived in Leaf Vige, chose to have a Slime as their first Beast Companion after hearing the story about the Leaf Vige''s Hero and Guardian.


    "Oh dear, can you tell us what happened?" Grandma Annie frowned. She was quite fond of Eiko, and hearing about the little slime''s death made her heart ache.


    Laura and Livia, who also had slimes of their own, wanted to know what happened. In fact, the two Slimes that belonged to the two girls had already climbed up on Lux''s body and were currently looking at the monster egg in his hands with great curiosity.


    Both of them could feel that the monster inside the egg had this kind of royal presence, so the two Slimes acted like paying their respect to their Princess, who was still not born.


    Lux nodded and told everyone the story of what happened while he was away from Leaf Vige. After finishing his tale, a collective sigh reverberated inside the room as everyone gazed at the egg in Lux''s hands.


    "Eiko is a good child," Grandma Annie said softly. "Even though she''s still young, she did her best to protect her Mama, which is very noble of her."


    Laura and Livia nodded as they hugged their own Slimes. Both girls felt sad about what happened to Lux. The two girls knew how fragile Slimes could be, so they never allowed their contracted monsters to fight monsters stronger than them.


    "Yes, she is." Lux smiled. "But I''ll make sure that she gets stronger this time around, and that no one will be able to bully her that easily again."


    Randolph chuckled and jokingly told Lux that he would create an armor specially designed for Eiko, which made both of themugh.


    Lux had never heard of a slime wearing armor before, so he didn''t know if his Master was joking or not.


    A whileter, Cedwyn told Lux that he would personally handle the building of the house meant for Heidi and her mother, Lilia. Although they were Humans, he was sure that the Dwarves in the Vige would get along well with their two new residents because he trusted that Lux wouldn''t bring anyone with a bad character to Leaf Vige.


    "Sir Cedwyn, about the Rmendation Letters for making a Guild��" Lux broached the real topic of why he returned to Leaf Vige. He exined to Cedwyn and the other Elders about his difficulty.


    "Guild Creation? Is that all?" Cedwynughed. "Don''t worry, just head straight to the Stronghold of Norria and register there. Do you need a Guild Token? I think I still have a silver token somewhere in this house."


    "Um, what about the Rmendation Letters from the Guildmasters of the Adventurer''s Guild?" Lux asked. "After that, I still need to take the Trial of Leadership��"


    "Rmendation Letters? You don''t need them," Cedwyn replied and brushed off Lux''s worries about collecting Rmendation Letters. "As for the Trial of Leadership, you don''t need to do that either. Just go to the Stronghold of Norria and find Sir Thoram.


    "As the Commander of the Riders of Norria, he can vouch that you don''t need to undertake the Trial of Leadership. That is only a test to see if the person applying to create a Guild has the capabilities to lead it. You, my boy, are more than capable of doing that."


    Lux blinked as he processed everything that Cedwyn had told him.


    "You mean, I don''t have to go through all that to create a Guild?" Lux asked just to be sure.


    "Nope," Cedwyn answered. "Ah. But there is one thing you should do. In order to create a Guild, you must have at least Twenty Members. You are supposed to be given twenty Member Tokens after you sessfully clear your Trial of Leadership.


    "You will then give those Member Tokens to the people who have agreed to join your guild. Once all of them receive the token, they will automatically be registered as your Guild Member candidates, allowing you to use a Guild Token to create your own Guild."


    Cedwyn then rummaged through his storage ring and took out twenty Red Tokens, which were simr to Casino Chips.


    "Back then, I wished to establish a guild of my own, but a lot of things happened��" Cedwyn exined before ncing at Grandma Annie and Randolph, who pretended to not hear Cedwyn''s words and continued to drink the mugs of mead in their hands.


    Seeing that the two intended to ignore him until the end, Cedwyn sighed as he handed the Member Tokens to the Half-Elf.


    "Lux, inherit our dreams and wishes," Cedwyn said. "Create a guild, and make sure that it will be the best guild in the world. I will not settle for anything less, do you understand?"


    "Thank you, Vige Head," Lux replied as he gratefully epted the member tokens.


    "So do you have any guild members in mind?" Randolph asked. "You said that you only have a few days before the duration of your quest ends. If you don''t hurry, you will not be able to reach the necessary quota."


    Lux smiled as he handed one of the Member Tokens to his Master, Randolph.


    "Master, please be my guild member," Lux said with a smile. "We will need your expertise as a cksmith."


    "Excuse me?" Randolph tilted his head in confusion. "You want me to be your Guild Member?"


    "Yes."


    "Are you serious?"


    Lux nodded. "Dead serious."


    "Well�� I guess you only want to reach the quota as soon as possible." Randolph shrugged as he epted the Red Token that was handed to him by his Disciple. "Sure, I''ll help you out. It''s not like I''m doing this because I want to be part of your Guild, okay? Don''t get the wrong idea."


    Lux chuckled because he knew what Randolph was thinking. He was sure that his Master thought that he would leave as soon as the Guild was created, but Lux didn''t want to let his Master go.


    After all, expert cksmiths who were able to craft Mythical Armors weren''t cabbages that could be plucked from just about anywhere. He would love to have Randolph in his Guild, so that the Dwarf could help him create some weapons and armor sets that would benefit his Guild Members.


    "Grandma Annie, please join my guild as well," Lux said as he offered a Red Token to the olddy who would always be on the front lines whenever Leaf Vige was under attack by Monster Outbreaks.


    "I''m too old for this, Lux," Grandma Annie replied. "I will just hold you back."


    "Nonsense." Lux shook his head. "Grandma Annie is an alchemist. Having someone like you around to create pills and medicines for the Guild will greatly boost its strength."


    "Fine." Grandma Annie smiled as she epted the Red Token. "I can''t believe that at my age, I will be joining a Guild. I''ll just babysit the young ones for you, okay? I won''t go charging off to the battlefield for your sake."


    "That''s fine. I don''t want Grandma Annie to get hurt either."


    "Mmm. At least you know that my old bones can''t take a beating."


    Laura and Livia nced at each other before raising their hands together.


    "We want to join too!" Laura shouted.


    "Me too!" Livia seconded.


    "Um�� this." Lux scratched his head. "I don''t think your Brother will agree if I let both of you join the Guild."


    "It''s fine!" Laura stated. "Big Brother said that there wille a time when the Vige Hero will need our help. We will join the Guild to help you."


    "Yes!" Livia nodded. "You are Big Brother''s benefactor, so you are also our benefactor. Please, let us repay you for helping our Big Brother, and bringing us to this wonderful Vige."


    Lux was still on the fence about allowing the two little Dwarves to join his Guild. He didn''t know if Sid would agree to this because the Dhampir was overprotective of his little sisters and didn''t want them toe to any harm.


    The door of the house opened and Sid entered as he said, "Please let them join your Guild, Master. This is my wish as well."


    Laura and Livia cheered in happiness when they saw their brother, then they ran toward him to give their Big Brother a hug.


    The doting brother hugged his sisters back before patting their heads. Just as Sid was about to ask if they had been good girls while he was away, a shadow fell upon his body.


    "So you''re making a Guild? This sounds interesting."


    From behind the Dhampir, someone whom Lux hadn''t seen for a while had appeared.


    It was none other than the Draconic Kobold, Cadmus, who was the Half-Elf''s enemy when he had just started his journey in the world of Elysium.

 Chapter 358 Guild Recruitment

    When Lux first arrived in Elysium, there was one creature that was like an insurmountable mountain for him��that was none other than Cadmus.


    When he first met the Draconic Kobold, thetter was a Rank 4 Alpha Monster, which was something that he had no hope of defeating at that time.


    However, that was all in the past. After checking Cadmus'' Rank, the Half-Elf found out that the Draconic Kobold was now a Rank 5 Alpha Monster. He was still stronger than Lux, but that was only if they fought one on one.


    Now that he had his Undead Legion, and his first Knight of the Covenant, Bedivere, with him, he was confident that he could defeat Cadmus if the two of them were to fight. Fortunately, the two had gotten over their dispute with each other, and had even be friends after visiting Keoza''s dungeon.


    "It has been a while, Cadmus," Lux smiled as he fist bumped the Draconic Kobold, who mutually returned the gesture.


    "Indeed," Cadmus replied. "And you have grown a lot stronger since west saw each other."


    "Hahaha. A lot of things happened. Almost died a couple of times as well."


    "Sounds fun. Sid and I also suffered a few close calls, especially on ourst expedition."


    In order to reach the rank of a Ranker, Sid went with Cadmus on his exploration beyond the boundaries of the territories under the protection of the Stronghold of Norria.


    The Stronghold was located on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Gweliven, and beyond it was a ce they called the Savage Lands.


    It was apletely uncharted territory, and because of the truce between the Kobolds and the Dwarves, Cadmus was able to undertake Quest Missions as a registered Adventurer in the Adventurer''s Guild.


    Since everything around the territory of Norria was no longer enough to challenge him, Cadmus decided to talk to Thoram, the Commander of the Stronghold of Norria, and asked the Dwarf tomission him to explore the Savage Lands.


    Thoram thought that this was a good idea, and with the backing of the Royal Family, he formally assigned Cadmus as the Exploration Captain in charge of mapping out the Savage Lands.


    Naturally, Sid apanied him, and together, they went on an adventure, alongside a dozen Rank 3 Kobolds, to explore the unknown.


    "You came at a good time," Lux smirked. "How about you join my Guild?"


    "Joining a Guild��" Cadmus rubbed his chin. "I never considered joining a Guild before."


    "Come on. It will be fun. I''ll even make you one of my Officers, how about it?"


    "Mmm�� I''ll think about it."


    Lux smirked. "Okay, you can think about it while holding this Member Token. Just help me meet the minimum requirement to create my guild first, okay?"


    Cadmus snorted as he epted the red token that was handed to him. "You and your schemes. Fine, I''ll help you out with this once."


    The token merged with Cadmus'' palm, which was a sign that he had epted to be one of Lux''s Guild Members.


    The Half-Elf then gave Sid another token.


    As one of his strongest subordinates, it was only normal for Sid to be part of his guild. As for Scarlet, it would be best if she stayed with Twilight Rain. That way, she could leech off of their resources, as well as supply him with valuable intel straight from the ho''s nest.


    "Sir Lux, me, too!" Laura raised her hands to ask for a token.


    "I want one as well, Sir Lux," Livia said.


    Sid gave his Master a nod of affirmation, which meant that he didn''t find anything wrong with his twin sisters joining Lux''s guild.


    "Okay," Lux relented and handed two red tokens to the two girls. "The two of you will assist Grandma Annie."


    ""Yes!"" the two girls happily showed Sid their red tokens, and thetter patted their heads with affection.


    "Here is a Token for you, Keane," Lux said. "Thank you for being willing to join my Guild."


    Keane shrugged as he replied, "I figured that since I am free, I might as well help you out."


    "Oh! Me, too!" Cai also approached Lux. "Hand the token over."


    Lux eyed the Boar with a critical gaze. "Aren''t you already in the Rowan Tribe Guild? Your Grandpa might get angry if you suddenly leave without asking for permission."


    "It''s fine!" Cai replied. "I''m just going to Guild Hop for a bit. Consider it as my way of helping you as well."


    "... Are you sure we won''t get in trouble with your grandpater?"


    "No worries. My Grandpa spoils me, so it''s fine! Um. Let me leave my guild first."


    Cai opened its Soul Book and went to its Guild Page. It then stated its reason for leaving the Guild, and half a minuteter, the Boar sessfully left its guild, leaving Lux, as well as Keane, speechless.


    ��------


    Rowan Tribe in Elysium��


    While Xander was busy managing the affairs of the guild, several rows of text appeared in front of him.


    "Hi Xander! I am leaving the Guild for a while! Rx, I''ll be backter. I''ll just Hop to My Daddy''s Guild for a while thene back at ater time.


    P.S - Don''t tell my Grandpa! I''ll be back soon!"


    A momentter, after reading the reason why Cai left the guild, he pinched the bridge of his nose, pondering how he would exin it to their Great Chieftain after returning to Sis.


    "I guess I''ll tell everyone to keep mum about this for a few days," Xander thought as he scratched his head in helplessness. "High Priestess, you''re making things difficult for me."


    ��------


    Back in Leaf VIge��


    "Okay. I left my Guild!" Cai stated. "Give me the token, My Daddy."


    Lux sighed before handing the Token to the Boar, which melded with its hoof, proving that Cai had epted bing one of the Half-Elf''s Guild Member Candidates.


    With eight Member Tokens disposed of, Lux only had twelve more to hand out before he could make his guild.


    "Well, I guess I''ll look for other members now," Lux muttered, which was heard by the Vige Head who was patiently waiting to be given a token as well.


    However, it seemed that the Half-Elf was oblivious of Cedwyn''s thoughts. Just as Lux was about to leave the house, Cedwyn cleared his throat, which caught everyone''s attention.


    "Lux, my Boy, aren''t you forgetting something important?" Cedwyn asked.


    "Have I?" Lux blinked. "What did I forget?"


    Grandma Annie and Randolph, who could tell what Cedwyn wanted, only smirked after seeing Lux''s clueless expression.


    Clearly, the Head of Leaf Vige wanted to join his guild because Grandma Annie, and Randolph had already agreed to join him. Since the three of them had been good friends when they were still Adventurers, he didn''t want to be left behind.


    "Lux, why don''t you give Cedwyn one of those tokens," Randolph said in a teasing manner. "It seems the old coot wants to join, so might as well let him join. He can handle the members who will jointer on."


    "That''s right," Grandma Anniemented. "Cedwyn is good with administrative duties. Make him one of your Vice Guild Masters, so he can actively recruit here in Leaf Vige."


    After hearing Grandma Annie''s words, Lux''s body trembled as if he was hit by a lightning bolt.


    Making Cedwyn a Vice Guild Master was a brilliant idea!


    If he really made the Vige Head one of his Guild Members, wouldn''t that mean that he would get an endless supply of new recruits from Leaf Vige?


    It was Capitalism at its finest!


    With such a wonderful arrangement presented to him, Lux didn''t even bat an eye and handed Cedwyn a Token of Membership, which would make Leaf Vige the Centerpoint of the Kingdom of Gweliven several years in the future.

 Chapter 359 The Birth Of Lux’s Guild

    "Vige Head, having you as my future Vice Guild Master is a blessing," Lux said with respect. "Please, take this token as well."


    "Mmm. Since you asked so nicely, I guess I can work these old bones of mine a bit," Cedwyn replied as he took the red token, making Randolph snort and Grandma Annie smile.


    "Heidi will join as well!" Heidi eximed.


    "Uh�� maybe next time." Lux chuckled as he patted the head of the little girl who was feelingpetitive with Laura and Livia, who was around the same age as her.


    The other Elders of Leaf Vige just exchanged nces with each other and shrugged. They felt like joining a guild at their age wasn''t a worthwhile thing to do, so they didn''t ask Lux to give them red tokens.


    Half an hourter, Lux left the Vige Head''s house and went around Leaf Vige to ask some people to join his guild.


    "You want me to join your Guild?!" the Innkeeper, who owned the inn and tavern that Lux used to stay in while in Leaf Vige, asked with excitement. "Of course I''ll join. But I will just stay here in Leaf Vige and look after the new members, okay?"


    "That''s fine, Mr. Jones," Lux replied. "Thank you for your help."


    Mr. Jones was the innkeeper that asked Lux for his signature and treated it like a family heirloom. Of course, the Innkeeper didn''t recognize the Half-Elf because he was wearing a disguise, but after a private talk and exposing his true identity, the Innkeeper happily agreed to join Lux''s Guild.


    "Me? Join your Guild?" Aron, the Captain of the Guards in Leaf Vige, yed with his beard as if deep in thought.


    He was surprised to know that the true identity of the chubby boy was Lux, but after connecting the dots, he realized that the only one that could return to Leaf Vige after stepping into the Apostle Grade was none other than their Eternal Guardian.


    "Okay, but I won''t be going anywhere," Aron replied. "My duty is here in Leaf Vige. As long as you are fine with that, I don''t see a problem joining."


    "There''s no problem, thank you, Mr. Aron," Lux smiled as he handed a member token to the Dwarf.


    Just like what happened to Cadmus and the others, the token merged with the palm of his hand, signaling that he had now be his temporary Guild Member.


    Lux had now gathered eleven guild members, and he just needed nine more to finish the quota needed to make a guild before he traveled to the Stronghold of Norria.


    He wasn''t just randomly inviting people��everyone he had tried to recruit were people whom he thought would y a crucial role in his guild.


    The Innkeeper''s role would be to give his guild members good amodations and discounts whenever they decided to stay inside his inn.


    This would give his guild members a feeling of exclusivity, which would entice the factionless Sians who would appear in Leaf Vige as their starting point in Elysium.


    Aron was the Head of the Guards, whom people usually ask for help whenever a problem arose. If the Guard Captain was part of their guild, wouldn''t that mean that they already knew a big shot from the beginning?


    He also wanted to recruit the Captain of the Riders of Norria, Boreas, but they were directly under the management of the Stronghold of Norria, which was under themand of the Royal Family.


    Lux thought that it might be taken as something offensive if he tried to recruit any of the Riders of Norria to join his guild, so he didn''t look for Boreas while he was searching for guild members.


    To his surprise, it was Boreas himself who came to find him and ask to be his Guild Member.


    "Don''t think too much about it," Boreas stated after taking the red token from Lux. "We will leave after you establish your guild. Think of this as a repayment for helping us deal with the Mutated Thunder Wolf King. If you didn''t help us back then, I, as well as my men, might have all been buried six feet under by now, or worse, turned into monster poop. Isn''t that right, boys?"


    "That''s right, Captain!"


    "This is but a small matter. Just think of it as returning the favor."


    "Compared to our lives, such a simple thing isn''t even worth mentioning."


    The Riders of Norriaughed as they told Lux of how much morefortable their life had be since the barrier around Leaf Vige appeared.


    No more Monster Outbreaks befell the small vige with the power of the Guardian Crystal.


    This gave the Riders plenty of free time, and since they had nothing to do, they decided to escort Lux to the Stronghold of Norria to create his guild.


    The journey towards the Stronghold wasn''t long. Using the paths that were only known to the Riders of Norria, they were able to arrive at their destination in less than two hours.


    They passed several checkpoints along the way, but since Boreas was escorting Lux and his friends, they were able to pass without too many problems.


    After several more checkpoints, they finally made it to the Stronghold of Norria, and the first thing Boreas did was report to Commander Thoram that Lux had returned to Leaf Vige, prompting the Commander of the Riders of Norria toe and meet the Half-Elf and even escort him towards the Adventurer''s Guild in order to back him up.


    "Thoram, you must hold this Human in high regards since you personally tagged along," the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Stronghold of Norria, Ken, said with a smile.


    "Well, Lucien and I go way back," Thoram gave the chubby teenager a side-long nce before shifting his attention back to his acquaintance. "Can you help himplete his guild registration?"


    Ken grinned. "Since you havee to vouch for him, even without rmendation letters and the badge that indicates he haspleted the Trial of Leadership, I guess I have no choice but to agree to your request."


    "Good. I will forget about the drink you owe me from a month ago."


    "What a petty Commander. You''re still keeping tabs of such a simple thing?"


    Kenughed as he guided Lux to the Altar Area where Guilds were created.


    "Just ce your Guild Token on top of the Altar and register the name of your Guild," Ken exined. "Depending on the Rank of your Token, the Rank of your Guild will rise ordingly."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. He then took out the Dragon Token, which was also the token that he used to summon Keoza, and ced it on the altar.


    The Dragon Token glowed faintly and hovered a meter above the altar, proving that it was a legitimate Token, approved by their organization.


    "A Dragon Token?" Ken rubbed his beard. "This is the first time I''ve seen a Dragon Token used to register a Guild. Maybe he will jump to a Silver-Ranked Guild from the get go."


    "Well, I wouldn''t be surprised even if it jumps to a Gold-Ranked Guild," Thorammented. "The design of the token is quite unique. Maybe he found it in some ancient ruins after he left Leaf Vige."


    ��-------


    (A/N In case you guys forgot, the known guild rankings in Elysium are Bronze, Iron, Silver, Gold, tinum, Mithril, Orihalcum, and Adamantite.)


    ��-------


    The Guildmaster and the Commander of Norria made some small talk as Lux started to register his guild.


    All he needed to do was write the name of the Guild on the altar, and the registration process would beplete.


    As soon as Lux finished writing the name of his guild, a loud tolling of a bell reverberated in the surroundings, which made Ken and Thoram wonder what was going on.


    ��-------


    Wildgarde Stronghold��


    "A bell?" Gerald nced at the Bell of their Stronghold in the distance. It wasn''t moving in the slightest, so he wondered where the sound he was hearing wasing from.


    "Is someone casting a spell or something?" Natasha, who was with Gerald, and Rainer, who was performing their routine patrols around the Stronghold, frowned. "This prank isn''t funny."


    Rainer closed his eyes as he extended his senses throughout the entire stronghold. He was the one who had created the defensive mechanisms protecting their city, so he could easily detect if someone was using any spell that was making the sound of the bell that they were hearing.


    "No one is casting a spell," Rainer stated. "This sound is noting from inside our Stronghold."


    The three Guardians were not the only ones who heard the sound. Several people inside the Stronghold were also looking around to see where the sound wasing from. But no matter where they looked, they were unable to see the person responsible for the tolling of the bell that they were hearing.


    ��----


    Barbatos Academy��


    "What''s that sound?" Alexander asked. "Do you have an event nned for today?"


    "No, Headmaster," Alicia replied. "There are no scheduled events for today."


    Iris, who was also inside the Headmaster''s office, walked toward the balcony to see if someone was ying a prank on them. However, she saw no one in the immediate vicinity, which made her wonder what was happening.


    As a Saint, it was very easy for Alexander to detect where the sound wasing from as long as he focused his mind on it, and the result of his investigation made him frown.


    ''It''sing from the sky?'' Alexander thought as he gazed to the heavens. ''Just what is going on?''


    ��----


    Kingdom of Agartha found near the core of the Earth��


    A pink-haired youngdy, who was bound by several chains, raised her head to look at the ceiling above her head.


    She didn''t know where the sound wasing from, but the moment she heard it, she felt as if the power inside her chest was starting to fluctuate.


    It was as if something from beyond the darkness of her prison was calling out to her, and it made her feel things that she had long discarded after being locked up for thest few years of her life.


    "A change ising," the pink-haired girl muttered as she slowly stood up to raise her hands towards the ceiling, making her chains give out clinking sounds. "A change that will sweep this world by storm."


    ��----


    Kingdom of Espoir Frieden, the Holy Land of the High-Elves��


    A beautiful elf narrowed her eyes to look towards the South. The moment she heard the tolling of the bell, her heart started to beat wildly inside her chest.


    She didn''t know what was happening, but she knew that whatever it was, it would also have an effect on all the Elven Kingdoms, including the Holy Kingdom of the High Elves.


    ��----


    High Above the Skies of Elysium, the floating Ind City of the Draconians, Karshvar Draconis��


    The current Dragon King opened its eyes as the loud tolling of a bell reached his ears.


    "Keoza��" the Dragon King muttered. "After hundreds of years, you have finally made your choice. Good. I look forward to seeing the person you have acknowledged.


    ��----


    The tolling of the bell could be heard in every part of Sis and Elysium. Every creature under the Heavens raised their heads in confusion as they tried to figure out where the sound they were hearing wasing from.


    Seated on top of the highest peak of Elysium was the God of Games, Eriol.


    A smile could be seen on his face, as he waited for the announcement to the world to be given.


    ��-----


    < Worldwide Announcement! >


    < Let it be known that on the 13th day of the Month of Death, in the year of the Crow, the first ever Mythical Guild in the World was created! >


    < Spread the news far and wide, and wee theing of the Guild that will be known from this day onwards as�� >


    < Heaven''s Gate! >


    ��-----

 Chapter 360 Mythical Guild, Heaven’s Gate [Part 1]

    < Spread the news far and wide, and wee theing of the Guild that will be known from this day onwards as... >


    < Heaven''s Gate! >


    ------


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Lux, Thoram, and Ken stood rooted to their spot when they heard the Worldwide Announcement.


    Right in front of the three of them were two words, floating in the air, which spelled out the name of Lux''s Guild.


    Heaven''s Gate.


    Boreas, who was standing a few meters away from the three, looked at the name of the Guild that hovered in the air. It turned out that he wasn''t just seeing things.


    However, just to be sure, he opened his Soul Book and went to the Guild Page to confirm whether everything he had heard and seen was real.


    --------


    < Heaven''s Gate >


    "Last Stand At World''s End."


    Guild Rank: Mythical


    Guild Member Name: Boreas...


    Profession: Captain of the Riders of Norria


    Rank: Grade B Apostle.


    < Active Guild Buffs >


    300% Health Regeneration


    300% Mana Regeneration


    300% Stamina Regeneration


    100% Chance to learn skills from Beast Cores


    100% Immunity to Charm Skill


    100% Increase in Experience Points when killing Monsters


    25% Chance of getting better Monster Drops


    25% Chance of resisting Status Ailments


    20% Increase in Physical and Magical Attacks


    20% Increase in Physical and Magical Defense


    20% Bonus Sess Rate in Crafting items


    < Guild Facilities >


    a��� Requirements not met. Please build a Guild Headquarters first and install corresponding facilities.


    a��� You can only build your Main Guild Headquarters on the floating ind, Karshvar Draconis.


    a��� The Guildmaster may use the Token of Bahamut to go to Karshvar Draconis once every three days.


    a��� Once the Guild Headquarters is built, all Guild Members will be able to teleport to the Guild Base once every three days.


    < Guild Bestiary >


    a��� Not installed


    Guild Mount: Not Avable


    ----------


    "Hyeok!"


    Boreas almost choked on his saliva after reading the guild information in his Soul Book. He didn''t expect that the Guild that he casually joined would be the first ever Mythical Guild in the whole world.


    Originally, he nned to leave Lux''s Guild as soon as it was created. Now, even if Lux were to kick him out of the guild, he would cry and hug the Half-Elf''s thighs, begging to let him stay in his guild.


    With so many benefits just by being part of Heaven''s Gate, Boreas wouldn''t leave it even if Lux insisted to get him out.


    Leave the only Mythical Guild in the World?


    Hah! Only dumb people would do that! I''m not dumb!


    Thoram and Ken, who finally regained their wits, looked up at the Half-Elf beside them in disbelief. If not for the fact that they were inside the Guild Creation room, and had watched Lux register his guild properly, they would still be doubting if they were right in the head or not.


    "Lux, my boy, it seems like you made some of my Riders your Guild Members just to reach the quota for guild creation," Thoram cleared his throat. "Do you know what you have done?"


    Lux snapped out of his daze and looked at the Commander of the Stronghold with an apologetic expression on his face.


    "I''m sorry, Sir Thoram," Lux replied. "It was a bit selfish of me to ask your men to join me in order to reach the quota for creating the guild."


    "Right." Thoram nodded. "But that is not the problem here. You invited my Riders to your Guild, but you forgot to invite me. Lux, my boy, it seems that you skipped some steps. Shouldn''t you have invited me in as well?"


    "Yes. I am very sorry that Ia���Um?" Lux, who was about to apologize again, caught himself right in time after hearing Thoram''s words. He thought that the Commander was nagging at him for asking his Riders to join his guild without his permission.


    "Sir Thoram, could you please repeat what you said? I think I didn''t hear you right the first time."


    "You''re so young, and you already have trouble hearing? Well, you''re in luck, boy. Since I can help you handle some of the guild affairs if you make me one of the officers of your Guild. Rx, I have plenty of experience managing people. My Commander title isn''t just for show, you know?"


    Ken, who was just listening to the conversation, also cleared his throat.


    "Being the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild, I have a keen eye on people. Hey~ the moment I saw you enter my Guild Branch, I knew right away that your future is bright," Kenmented. "But I can tell that you don''t specialize in handling human resources. Fortunately, the Adventurer''s Guild is a free organization and doesn''t keep their Guildmembers in a tight leash.


    "We are able to join or form guilds of our own as we wish as long as it doesn''t get in the way of our duties. I also have plenty of connections, so why don''t you let me handle information gathering and the other small stuff? Thoram here can handle the rest. What do you say? I''m sure you will need someone like me in your Guild as well."


    The two Dwarves nked the Half-Elf and looked at him as if they were looking at a golden goose that they wouldn''t allow to escape.


    Thoram even gave Boreas a subtle gesture to make sure that the door was properly secured so that no one coulde in or out of the Guild Creation Altar room and discover what was happening inside of it.


    Thoram and Ken were no fools. For the time being, the identity of Lux''s Guild must be kept secret for as long as possible.


    No one knew what a Mythical Guild was capable of, and even the Highest Ranked Guilds, which were Adamantite-Rank that had millions of members, didn''t have the same perks and Guild Buffs that Lux''s Guild currently had.


    Actually, Adamantite Rank Guild only had the Guild Buffs, 100% Health, Mana, and Stamina Regeneration.


    Compared to the special buffs that Lux''s Guild possessed, the highest ranking guilds in the world looked like second rate guilds!


    "Boy, what are you waiting for?" Thoram patted Lux''s arm. "Invite us already."


    "Hey~ I might change my mind, you know?" Ken said while ying with his beard. "It is best to make me a guild member before I turn you down."


    The two Dwarves were releasing auras that made Lux feel that they wouldn''t ept no as an answer. So in order to get out of this tricky situation, he did what he had to do and added Thoram and Ken as members of his guild. He immediately promoted them into Guild Elders.


    Just like Boreas, Thoram and Ken were surprised to see the amazing Guild Buffs that were avable to the members of Lux''s Guild.


    Aside from the very high Health, Mana, and Stamina Regeneration, the thing that captured their attention the most was the increased experience points, as well as the 100% Chance to learn Skills from Beast Cores.


    In truth, there was only a 30% Chance that you could learn a skill from a Beast Core, so learning High-Level skills from Deimos, Argonaut, Dreadnought, and Empyrean Ranked Beast Cores was a very costly thing to do.


    With the Guild Buffs avable to them, they no longer had to worry about such a thing.


    But it didn''t end there. For Manager and Commander Ranked People like Ken and Thoram, the 100% Immunity to Charm and 20% Bonus Sess Rate in Crafting items was something that made them look at their Soul Books in disbelief.


    Although rare, there were a few people that had very powerful Charm Skills in the world. Once you were charmed by them, you would be unable to resist their orders, so people seated in high positions were prime targets to be charmed.


    The 20% Sess Rate was also something that was much coveted by craftsmen like cksmiths, Alchemists, and other artisans who relied on luck to create anything with a rank above Mythical Rank.


    "Lux, we need to talk about some serious issues concerning our guild," said Thoram, who clearly understood the consequences of such guild buffs. He knew that if word of this got out, Lux would be the target of people''s envy and jealousy.


    It might even put the young man''s life in danger because some would aim for his life in order to erase his existence. His guild members wouldn''t be spared either because the enemies'' main goal would be to prevent Heaven''s Gate from bing strong.


    In order to avoid such situations, Thoram and Ken wanted to make sure that the Half-Elf fully understood the ups and downs of being the Guildmaster of the only Mythical Rank Guild in the world.


    An hourter, Lux once again put on the Mask of Thousand Faces before leaving the Stronghold of Norria, alongside the dumbfounded Cai and Keane, who were looking at their Soul Books in disbelief.

 Chapter 361 Mythical Guild, Heaven’s Gate [Part 2]

    Lux was personally escorted back to Leaf Vige by Boreas and his men. All of them had been briefed by Thoram to keep their identities as Guild Members of Heaven''s Gate a secret.


    Naturally, all of them epted their Commander''s orders, knowing that now was not the time to make themselves known to the world.


    Lux''s Guild was still in its infancy stage, and his Guild Members were still weak.


    Cadmus, Sid, Cai, Keane, Thoram, and Ken were the strongest fighters at the moment. The rest of Lux''s Guild Members were Grade B Apostles and below, which was decent, but not strong enough to protect their Guild from the bullying of long established guilds in Elysium.


    It was highly possible for Lux to be captured and be forced to hand over the Guild ownership of Heaven''s Gate. That was something that they didn''t want to happen. With this in mind, keeping a low profile��despite their Guild being the hottest topic of discussion across the entire world��was the best option they had.


    "Don''t worry, My Daddy!" Cai said as it ran beside Lux''s mount, Jed, with a smile on its face. "I won''t tell anyone about this! You can count on me."


    "Good." Lux replied. "I know that I can count on you, Cai."


    "Hahaha. But of course, um. I''ll just brag to my Gramps that I''m a member of the only Mythical Guild in the world. Hahahaha! I''m sure that he will lose his marbles once I let him see my Soul Book. Xander too. I''m sure that he is very troubled right now because I left the Guild. I''m sure that he will understand why I left after letting him see my Soul Book as well."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Boreas nced at Lux and gave his Guild Master the "Can I roast this boar, please?" look, which the Half-Elf was almost tempted to approve of.


    He was now regretting his decision to add the chatterbox Cai to his Guild, and wondered if he should really eliminate the Boar that might cause his downfall.


    Cai, who felt something was wrong, nced at the Riders of Norria who had already drawn their weapons and were looking at it as if they were going to skin it alive, making its heart tremble.


    "Hahaha! I was just joking!" Cai said as beads of sweat appeared on its forehead. "You guys are too serious. Can''t you see that I am just joking? Of course I am going to keep this a secret. I mean, I''m very good at keeping secrets~"


    "Cai, please keep this a secret," Lux said. "We''re not strong enough to protect our Guild. I hope you understand that this Guild is very important to me. You can brag about it in the future, I''m sure that everyone will look at you with admiration and even idolize you by then."


    The Boar''s pupils shook as it imagined itself standing on top of piles of gold coins and other treasures, as people worshipped it as one of the founders of Heaven''s Gate.


    "Don''t worry, My Daddy," Cai said as if it was a general that was about to go to battle. "I''ll keep this as a secret and surprise my Gramps when I be a Ranker. I''m sure that I''ll be strong enough by then."


    "Okay," Lux nodded. "You can tell your Grandpa after you be a Ranker."


    Being a Ranker was the bare minimum when it came to having the power to protect oneself in Elysium. Anyone below that Rank, including Initiates, were just little kids in the eyes of adults and were simply asking for a beating.


    "Man~ I can''t believe that creating a Mythical Guild is this easy," Caimented. "Maybe I should create a guild of my own. Knowing me, I''m sure that it will also be Mythical. Perhaps, even Legendary!"


    "Just tell me when you want to resign from your position, okay?"


    "Hahaha. This is still far in the future, okay? We still don''t even have a Guild Base. Um? Why can''t we build our Guild Headquarters in other ces? Why is there a restriction?"


    Cai was quite excited to see what their Guild Headquarters would be like. Usually, Guild Headquarters were built in Major Cities in order to have the opportunity to be the City''s Protector, allowing them to gain great benefits throughout the duration of their term.


    This was simr to thepetition that was held in Whitebridge City, where the Guild that ranked the highest in the defense of the city would be its City''s Protector.


    Lux also didn''t know where Karshvar Draconis was located. Fortunately, the Dragon Token, whose true name was the Token of Bahamut, was capable of bringing him to that ce once every three days.


    The Half-Elf was very tempted to go, but he still had some loose ends to tie up in Leaf Vige. He also wanted to ensure that his Guild Members, especially his Master, Randolph, who was known as a braggart, would keep mum about the identity of their Guild.


    It didn''t take long before they arrived in Leaf Vige, and the first thing that Lux did was gather his Guild Members and have their first Guild meeting.


    Lux exined the things that Thoram and Ken had told him, and asked everyone to not mention anything about the Guild for the time being.


    After hearing the Half-Elf''s exnation, Cedwyn put his n on hold for the time being.


    Originally, he wanted to open a Guild Branch in Leaf Vige and directly recruit the Foreigners (Sians) who had just arrived in their vige. But since Lux had asked them to keep their Guild a secret for the time being, the Vige Head postponed his ns and decided to focus on doing the groundwork for the future.


    "We will do our best to hasten increasing our Rank so that we can walk proudly under the sun," Lux stated. "But until then, we need to lie low or else we risk being nipped in the bud before we can even fully grow."


    Everyone agreed with Lux''s words and, after an hour, their meeting ended.


    Cadmus chatted with Lux before he left Leaf Vige. He nned on adding the elite members of the Kobolds in the Guild, so that all of them could benefit in the Guilds Buffs, especially the 100% Increase in Experience Points.


    Unlike Lux, who could only increase his stats by consuming Beast Cores, the Elysians and Sians could only level up by killing monsters.


    Because of this, the Experience Buff was a very important buff that the Draconic Kobold didn''t want to waste.


    The Half-Elf agreed with Cadmus'' n to let the Kobold n enter the guild. With Cadmus as their leader, he believed that the Kobolds would grow faster and be one of the staunchest vanguards of his Guild.


    Sid nned to stay in Leaf Vige for a week to spend some time with his sisters. He would rejoin Cadmus in the Savage Lands after his short vacation in order to get stronger.


    Heidi''s mother, Lilia, also went to have a private talk with Lux, asking if Bedivere could stay with her for a short while.


    "You see, Heidi has been pestering me to let her have a little sister and little brother," Lilia said with a beet-red face. "I know that my husband had already pledged his sword to be your knight, but can you give him a few days off? I haven''t seen him for years."


    "Of course," Lux replied with a smile. "I''ll give him a week''s vacation. Please use that time to give Heidi a little brother or sister."


    The blush on Lilia''s face turned a red shader after hearing Lux''s answer. In truth, she was worried that her husband would go with Lux right away after only being reunited for a short period of time. Now that she had gotten the Half-Elf''s approval, she felt relieved. Bedivere would finally be able to spend some time with them and catch up on what had happened over the two years that he hadn''t been home.


    The next day, Lux, Cai, and Keane bid goodbye to everyone and embarked on their new journey.


    Now that his Guild was created, it was now time for him to go back home to Sis. However, he didn''t n on going to Wildgarde Stronghold right away.


    Right now, he was a hot potato, so he needed to talk to his Step-Father, Alexander, about the status of his Guild. He also needer to send a letter to Gerald, who was the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold, to meet with Lux in private within Barbatos Academy.


    Since the matter of his Guild was quite delicate, he only wanted to inform the people he trusted, so that his secret would not spread in the world before he became strong enough to stand on his own.

 Chapter 362 Finding A Reliable Ally

    "Lux!" Iris jumped into the Half-Elf''s arms and hugged him tight.


    "I''m back, Iris." Lux returned a hug to the youngdy who jumped into his arms. After half a minute of holding each other, the blue-haired beauty took the initiative to give the Half-Elf a kiss on the cheek.


    Cai cleared its throat because it couldn''t endure the PDA that the two forcefully fed it.


    The Boar only volunteered to apany Lux to Barbatos academy because it also wanted to see Iris. It had been a while since it hadst seen her.


    (A/N: PDA stands for Public Disy of Affection.)


    "Can''t you wait until the sun goes down before the two of you tangle yourselves with each other like snakes?" Cai made its displeasure known, making Iris giggle.


    "Wee to Barbatos Academy, Cai," Iris said as she gave the jealous boar a hug. "I''m d that you''re here as well."


    "This hug alone is worth the triping here," Cai replied, enjoying Iris'' hug.


    A momentter, the two started chatting with each other like old friends who hadn''t seen each other for a long time.


    Cai started to brag about its adventure in Elysium, which portrayed the scene of the Boar fearlessly charging towards thousands of Rank 4 Rat Monsters, in order to save Lux from dying.


    Lux rolled his eyes at the Boar, who kept outrageously bragging non-stop. He decided to initiate a conversation with Alicia, who was standing not far away from them.


    "Is the Headmaster busy right now?" Lux asked. "There is something important that I need to consult him about."


    Alicia smiled as she looked at the Half-Elf who seemed to have grown a little taller since thest time she saw him.


    "The Headmaster is always busy," Alicia smiled, "but he will always make time for you since you are his family."


    Lux didn''t know how to react to Alicia''s words because he found out that this statement was indeed true. As the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy and one of the most active Saints within the territories of the Six Kingdoms, Alexander was always busy.


    However, he always made time to talk to Lux despite his busy schedule.


    "Is he in his office?" Lux asked.


    Alicia nodded. "Shall I guide you there?"


    "No need. Please prepare a room for Cai and Keane. We will be staying here for a few days."


    "Understood."


    Lux bid goodbye to Iris, Cai, and Keane before heading straight towards the Headmaster''s office.


    There were only a handful of people whom Lux trusted with his life in Sis, and Alexander was definitely one of them.


    ��----


    Inside the Headmaster''s Office��


    Alexander calmly looked at Lux''s Soul Book, reading the information about the Guild that he had created.


    It was the Half-Elf that took the initiative to present his Soul Book to his step-father, so that thetter could better understand the guild that the Half-Elf had created.


    A few minutester, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy sighed before ncing at the red-headed teenager who was looking at him with an anxious gaze.


    "To think that the Guildmaster of the Mythical Guild that was announced to every corner of the World is my own step-son. It makes me feel as though Fate is ying a prank on me," Alexandermented. "Do you realize that the Six Kingdoms, as well as our neighboring kingdoms, are scrambling to look for any information regarding your guild?


    "Of course, it is not only them. This announcement was also heard in Elysium. The Xynnar War Pact and the Skystead Alliance are doing everything in their power to find the identity of the Guildmaster who founded Heaven''s Gate. The moment they find him, they will probably offer him lucrative deals or force him to submit to their rule."


    Lux nodded. "I am aware. This is why I came to find you, Father. This matter needs to be handled discreetly. I would appreciate it if you don''t mention this to Alicia for the time being."


    "How about Iris?" Alexander inquired.


    "She''s family," Lux answered. "I n to tell her after I discuss the matter of the guild with you."


    Alexander nodded his head in satisfaction.


    "Are you nning to inform the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold as well?" Alexander asked.


    "Actually, this is the reason why I came here first, Father," Lux replied. "I need your help to invite Sir Gerald here to Barbatos Academy, so we can have a private talk. I also need your help in forming a binding contract to prevent Sir Gerald from spreading the news."


    Alexander lightly tapped his armrest before giving his reply. "Okay, I''ll help you. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"


    Lux took a deep breath before nodding his head.


    "Actually, there is one more matter that I need to talk to you about," Lux stated. "I was given the opportunity to enter Elysium before the Tournament was held in Barbatos Academy."


    Alexander arched an eyebrow after hearing Lux''s reply. He had already heard from Alicia that Lux hadn''t been able to pass the test that was given to him by the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold, barring him from entering Elysium through their Stronghold''s teleportation gate.


    The Half-Elf then narrated his adventures in the Kingdom of Gweliven and also told him about the people he had met along the way. He also mentioned Eriol, but he made sure that he introduced the God of Games as a wandering healer who happened to appear in Wildgarde Stronghold and helped him with his condition.


    When the tale ended, Alexander took some time to digest everything he had heard before voicing out his thoughts.


    "I already had my suspicions, but I didn''t expect that you would jump from zero to hero in just a few months by going to Elysium," Alexandermented. "Many who havee before you weren''t able to aplish the things you have. Even Iris, who had been in Elysium since she was twelve, is just in the middle stages of the Grade A Apostle.


    "You, on the other hand, have almost overtaken her in just a short period of time. Not only that, you were able to defeat the strongest members of the young generation from the Six Kingdoms. Just what kind of juice have you been drinking? Make sure to give Iris some of that as well."


    Lux almost chuckled after hearing his father''s teasing remark. He almost joked that he would give Iris some juiceter tonight, but he knew that if he really said that, Alexander might p him silly, losing several of his teeth in the process.


    "Still, I think that staying in the Dwarven Kingdom is a good idea," Alexander said with a very interested look on his face. "The Dwarven Kingdoms don''t usually allow other races within theirnds.


    "This is a good opportunity to open connections, as well as initiate trade between our factions. However, this is something we will discuss further in the future when you are strong enough to protect your Guild, your Guild Members, and your Guild''s interest.


    "For now, focus on getting stronger. Learn your lesson from what happened with your fight with the Prince of the Kingdom of Ashina. Until you be a Ranker, make sure to keep the identity of your Guild a secret. Do you understand?"


    Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    Now that he''d had a proper talk with his Step-father, confessing his adventures in the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, he felt a lot lighter. He finally found a reliable ally that would keep his Guild a secret and also help him clean up, just in case something unexpected were to happen in the future.

 Chapter 363 Lux’s Secret [Part 1]

    Since Alexander had decided to fully support Lux, he took it upon himself to make the necessary arrangements to invite Gerald to Barbatos Academy in the fastest time possible.


    Just hours after he had a heart to heart talk with the Half-Elf, the Commander of Wildgarde, Stronghold, Gerald, as well as the two High-Elders, Natasha and Rainer, arrived in Barbatos Academy, using the teleportation gate of the Academy.


    Alicia led them to the Headmaster''s office, where Lux and Alexander were already waiting for them.


    "Lux, it''s good to see you again," Gerald greeted with a smile. "Alexander, I apologize because I was not able toe alone as you mentioned in the letter. I had a feeling that the talk was going to be very important, so I decided to bring Natasha and Rainer with me. As you may already know, even if I am the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold, the decision making doesn''ty on my hands alone.


    "I had a feeling that this matter concerns Lux, so I decided to have the two of them apany me as witnesses, so the others won''t say that I am showing favoritism to him. This is about his Guild, right? Did you ask your step-father to negotiate with me because you failed to meet the deadline? Is this how badly you don''t want to join Nero''s Guild?"


    Gerald gave Lux a teasing smile that says "You little critter. You think I don''t know what you''re thinking? You''re still too green, boy."


    Natasha smirked because she came with Gerald to see how Lux would try to squeeze himself out of this predicament.


    Rainer, on the other hand, remained calm and simply sat on one of the chairs and listened to the conversation with a faint smile on his face.


    "I don''t mind, Gerald," Alexander replied. "Also, I thank the three of you foring in such short notice. I have already asked Alicia to prepare a sumptuous dinner for all of uster."


    "Hahaha! I look forward to it!" Geraldughed as he patted Lux''s shoulder, who had his head lowered.


    He thought that the Half-Elf was already feeling down because he wasn''t able to aplish his mission, and had no choice but to join the Storm Dragons and make peace with Nero. What he didn''t know was that Lux was doing his best to keep his face straight, as he waited to see Gerald''s reaction when he knew the real reason he was asked to visit Barbatos Academy.


    Alexander nodded his head before diving into the main issue at hand.


    "You are right," Alexander replied. "I am here in order to negotiate on behalf of Lux, concerning his Guild."


    "Um, I''m just going to say this, okay? I am a very righteous person, you won''t be able to bribe me," Gerald said. "Although I feel bad about forcing Lux to join Nero''s guild, both of them are young and they can still settle their differences civilly. If Vera was here, she might disagree with me, but for the sake of a united front in Elysium, past grudges must be resolved in a peaceful manner."


    Alexander nodded. "Before we start, I would like for the three of you to sign this binding contract. The contract states that whatever we would talk about in this room, stays in this room. If any of you divulge this secret to others, I will immediately take control of Wildgarde Stronghold, and bring it under my faction''s umbre."


    When Gerrald, Natasha, and Rainer, heard Alexander''s words, all three of them immediately frowned because they weren''t expecting the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy to act in such a bold and domineering manner.


    "Aren''t you over exaggerating, Alex?" Natasha asked. "This is just a simple matter, why are you acting like a bandit?"


    "I''m afraid that this isn''t as ''simple'' a matter as you think, Natasha," Alexander replied. "This concerns Lux''s safety, and my daughter''s safety."


    "Your daughter''s safety?" Gerald asked. "What do you mean?"


    Alexander passed the contract to the three adults before answering Gerald''s question.


    "My daughter is Lux''s fiance," Alexander replied. "Since the two of them are bound to get married in the future, I don''t want my daughter to suddenly be a widow because some people aren''t able to keep a secret."


    Rainer nced at the contents of the contract, and just like Alexander said, all that was stated in it was that they would have to keep everything they would hear a secret.


    "Boy, it seems that I have underestimated your thick skin." Gerald ruffled Lux''s hair as he tried to organize his emotions. "This is too high-handed. I will not agree to sign this."


    The Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold returned the contract to the top of the table and crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Our two factions have been good allies both in Sis and Elysium," Gerald stated. "I can''t believe that you would go as far as to use your status as Saint to make us submit, Alexander. I really didn''t see thising when I came here to meet you. Everyone, let''s go. We''re going back to the Stronghold. As for you, Lux, don''t let me see you anywhere. Even if Vera is around, I''ll give you a good spanking!"


    Gerald was quite angry because he had a bottom line.


    He would not allow others to make him forcefully submit, and even if his opponent was a Saint, he would not lower his head, and would fight till the bitter end.


    That was his principle in life, and not even Alexander''s Rank would change his mind.


    Natasha also stood because she supported Gerald''s opinion. Deep inside, she felt betrayed because she had taken good care of Lux when he was young. She didn''t expect that the kindness they had given him, while he stayed inside Wildgarde Stronghold, would be repaid in this manner.


    Rainer, on the other hand, casually took out his Quill Pen from his storage ring and signed the contract.


    "Will this do?" Rainer asked as he passed the contract to Alexander.


    After signing the contract, the white paper glowed faintly, which proved that the binding agreement had now taken in ce.


    This contract was made by a Saint, so the moment Rainer broke his word, Alexander would know it right away.


    "What''s the meaning of this, Rainer?" Gerald asked. "Are you mad?"


    He couldn''t believe that Nero''s Master, who was always stern with Lux, would sign the contract as if it was nothing.


    That was a binding contract made by a Saint. If Rainer broke it, a tracker would be ced on his body, making it impossible for him to escape, even if he ran to the ends of the world.

 Chapter 364 Lux’s Secret [Part 2]

    "Calm down, Gerald," Rainer replied as he eyed the Half-Elf who still had his head lowered and was looking on the carpeted floor. "Do you really think that Alexander is so petty as to use this method to force us to cancel our agreement with Lux to join Nero''s Guild? I highly doubt it. This matter must be quite serious for him to go as far as to make a binding contract.


    "I am very interested to hear his reason, so if the two of you aren''t going to sign, please leave the room immediately. I want to know why a Saint would intervene with our agreement with Lux and take this matter into his own hands."


    Gerald frowned, not expecting that Rainer would decide to take a gamble that ced him in a great disadvantage.


    "Oi, boy, tell me the truth," Gerald said as he looked at Lux. "This is not about your conflict with Nero, right?"


    Lux, who had his head lowered, finally raised his head and looked at Gerald with a determined gaze.


    "No," Lux answered. "This is not about me and Nero."


    "Is this something that might affect Wildgarde Stronghold?"


    "In a way, yes. But, if no one says anything, everything will be fine."


    "On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how serious is this matter that you and your step-father wanted to talk about?" Gerald inquired.


    After learning that this meeting was not due to Lux''s conflict with Nero, he felt as if his curiosity was piqued due to how seriously Alexander was handling this issue.


    Lux spread his two hands and showed Gerald all ten of his fingers, causing thetter''s brows to furrow.


    Half a minuteter, the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold scratched his head as he pulled the contract on the table and signed it with a huff.


    "Okay, there." Gerald handed the contract to Alexander before sitting with his arms crossed. "This better be good!"


    Natasha sighed and signed the contract as well. Since Gerald and Rainer had already epted the agreement, she had no other choice but to follow suit. Also, she was quite curious about what the big secret was all about, which made the atmosphere inside the room very tense.


    The High-Cleric noticed that Alexander''s secretary, Alicia had left the room after Rainer signed the contract. It seemed that this matter was highly confidential that even the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy refused to have his trusted secretary participate in the discussion.


    After all three contracts were signed, Alexander waved his hand, and the white papers turned into particles of light, flying towards Gerald''s, Natasha''s, and Rainer''s chest. This was the proof that the discussion was about to start.


    "Everyone, please don''t be surprised by what you are about to see," Alexander said before ncing at Lux. "Show them."


    Lux nodded and summoned his Soul Book. He then opened it and flipped to the Guild Page of his Soul Book and gave Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer permission to view it.


    The moment the three of them saw what was written in Lux''s Soul Book, a curse escaped Gerald''s lips from surprise.


    Natasha hadpletely lost her calm and her mouth hung wide open, making her unable to close it due to shock.


    Rainer, who was the most curious of them all earlier, felt cold sweat forming on his forehead. He had already suspected that Lux and Alexander were about to show them something big. But, he didn''t expect it to be THAT big.


    "Dear God," Natasha muttered after she finally regained a bit of her senses. "J-Just how did this happen?"


    Natasha felt scared for the Half-Elf because this matter was simply too heavy to ignore. As people who held influence among others, she knew more than anyone else the significance of having a secret this big.


    "It hasn''t even been a day since we heard the announcement," Gerald said weakly as he stared at the red-headed teenager, who was looking at him with a smug expression on his face. "You little critter. What kind of token did you use to create your guild?"


    Lux didn''t hesitate and took out the token that he received from Keoza. He passed it to the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold.


    The token was now Soul Bound to him. All he needed was a single thought for it to instantly return to his hands. It couldn''t be stolen no matter what, so it didn''t matter if he allowed someone to hold it.


    Rainer, who was observing the token in Gerald''s hand, gasped after recognizing some of the runes written in it.


    "Draconian Runes!" Rainer eximed. "This token was made by a Dragon!"


    As a craftsman who specialize in armor, weapon, and essory crafting, Rainer was well-versed in runes. Depending on the quality and power of the rune embedded on a piece of equipment, their ranks and power would be increased.


    Because of this, he had studied many ancientnguages, as well as the runic inscriptions that they had inscribed in their items. One of thenguages that Rainer studied was Draconian, allowing him to recognize the runes that were inscribed on the token''s surface.


    "Where did you get this?" Rainer asked Lux with bloodshot eyes. "How did youe to possess this item?"


    Lux and Alexander had already discussed this matter beforehand, and hade up with a fool-proof excuse to exin the Dragon Token''s existence.


    "I found it on the Gate of War," Lux replied. "It is one of the items that the army general dropped when we were fighting him."


    "You found it in the Sacred Dungeon?" Rainer heaved a deep sigh before shaking his head. "To think that something so precious could be gained inside the Domain of the Fallen. I thought that the Sacred White Lotus was the only prize that could be found there. We have truly underestimated the dungeon''s significance."


    Rainer felt regret that the representatives they had sent to explore the Sacred Dungeon returned with so little resources. Compared to what Lux gained after clearing the two Dungeons, the gains of the Storm Dragon Guild lost its significance.

 Chapter 365 Lux’s Secret [Part 3]

    "Now that our quota has been reduced because of the agreement between the Six Kingdoms, Xynnar War Pact, and the Skystead Alliance, the chances of forming a sizable force to challenge the three remaining gates is practically nil," Natashamented. "Lux, I guess we will have to rely on you to help gather resources for the Stronghold."


    Gerald rubbed his chin as he nced at the Guild Buffs that were enabled in Lux''s Guild. The more he looked at it, the more he felt his liver itch.


    If not for the fact that he was the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold, he might have asked the Half-Elf to let him join his Guild as well!


    In fact, it was not only Gerald who was thinking about this matter. As a craftsman, the buffs inside Lux''s Guild were simply too good to be true.


    Anyone who had a profession would be willing to pay a hefty price for the opportunity to use the 20% Bonus Sess Rate in Crafting items that was avable in Lux''s guild.


    ? "Hahaha! That''s my boy." Gerald said as he patted Lux''s shoulder with a big smile on his face that made the Half-Elf shudder. "The times when I had to change your loincloth when you were young weren''t in vain. Um, you know, our Stronghold is suffering difficulties as ofte. Could you perhaps help gather these��"


    Gerald gave Lux a list of items that the Stronghold was currently in short supply. Some of them could be taken from Dungeons, while some could only be bought in Elysium.


    Seeing that the list wasn''t that excessive, the Half-Elf agreed to keep an eye out for the items and hand some of them to the Stronghold as his way of repaying the kindness they had given to him since he was young.


    "Now I understand why you went to such great lengths, Alexander," Gerald said after talking with Lux. "Don''t worry. I promise that I will keep this a secret."


    "I will keep this a secret as well," Natasha replied.


    Rainer looked at Lux with a serious expression on his face before voicing his thoughts.


    "I have signed the contract, so I n to keep this secret as well," Rainer stated. "However, Lux, you already know that I am a craftsman. If therees a time when I need your Guild Buffs to craft an item, will you allow me to join your Guild to increase my chances of sess?"


    Lux nodded. "Of course. Sir Rainer, although Nero and I have our conflict, you never intervened and allowed us to settle it amongst ourselves. Also, your role in the Stronghold as our cksmith and Craftsman is a very important position. I am very happy to let you join my Guild, and contribute to the Stronghold in this manner."


    Geraldughed after hearing Lux''s magnanimous deration. However, deep inside, he was very tempted to jump ship. If not for the fact that he needed to keep his reputation, he would have used his thick skin and asked Lux to allow him to transfer all of the members of their Guild, into Heaven''s Gate.


    Their meetingsted for two more hours as they discussed the manner of the cooperation they would have with Lux''s Guild. Overall, the meeting went quite smoothly, and all sides were quite happy with the arrangements they had created.


    After that, they all went to have dinner together.


    Iris and Cai couldn''t help but stare at Gerald, whose smile almost reached his ears, as he talked to Lux in a very friendly manner.


    Alicia, who was excluded in the meeting, could feel that Gerald''s, Natasha''s and Rainer''s attitudes towards Lux were no longer that of adults dealing with a child. In her eyes, it seemed that the three Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold were treating Lux as their equal instead of someone that was under theirmand.


    The dinner ended without too much fuss, and everyone went to the rooms that had been prepared for them. Naturally, Lux went to Iris'' bedroom, as they talked about everything that happened that day.


    Just like Lux had promised to Alexander, he told Iris everything. Contrary to what he expected, Iris remained calm during his narration, which made the Half-Elf wonder if he didn''t exin it properly.


    Seeing his confusion, Iris just smiled and kissed his cheeks.


    "I am indeed very surprised with the story that you have told me," Iris exined. "But, when the announcement was made, I had a feeling that it was somehow connected to you. I didn''t know where this confidence of mine wasing from, but I knew then and there that the one who created Heaven''s Gate was no one else but you."


    Lux gazed at the blue-haired beauty beside him and lightly squeezed her hand. He felt very blessed to have a smart, loving fiance like Iris, who made him feel like he was the luckiest man in the world.


    A minuteter, he moved closer to her and kissed her lips, making the beautifuldy close her eyes and cling to his body.


    Soon, the sound of rustling clothes echoed inside the room, as Lux undressed his fiance, who was eager for his love.


    After another round of kissing and sensual touching, sighs of pleasure escaped Iris'' lips, fanning the burning desire that had ignited inside Lux''s chest.


    When he finally reached the limit of his patience and endurance, he spread Iris legs and lowered his hips to be one with her.


    Although she was quite wet and ready to receive him due to his ministrations, her tightness almost made Lux release his seed as soon as he entered her.


    Both of them missed each other terribly, and it could clearly be felt through the burning desire that was spreading in their bodies like a me that couldn''t be put out, unless it found the release they were looking for.


    Waves upon waves of pleasure washed over Iris'' body, until finally, her body arched like a bow, as her heart and womb were filled to the brim with Lux''s love.


    As the blue-haireddy panted for breath, she looked up at the man whom she loved dearly.


    "I love you, Lux," Iris said as she reached out to cup his face. "I''ve loved you for a very long time."


    "I love you too, Iris," Lux replied as he lowered his head to kiss her lips. "More than you''ll ever know."


    The two of them shared one more kiss before Lux once again moved his hips to start their second round.


    Lux had a very strong body and a lot of stamina, giving Iris the sweet taste of passion that she had missed during the time when they were away from each other.


    The two only stopped making love when Lux felt that Iris finally reached her limit.


    Not wanting to put too much strain on her young, soft, delicate body, the Half-Elf decided to stop after doing it five times.


    He gently carried her to the bathroom and washed her properly. The Half-Elf did his best to resist the temptation of making love to her again then and there as he held her waist to hold her in ce inside the bathtub.


    "Will you stay with me for a while before returning to Elysium?" Iris asked.


    She wanted to spend more time with Lux because she believed that he would be incredibly busy once he returned to Elysium��especially now that her fiance was the Guildmaster of a Mythical Guild, which was the first of its kind in Sis and Elysium.


    "I will stay for a week," Lux replied as he yfully drew circles on Iris'' lower abdomen. "I have a feeling that Grandma or Eiko will return to us by then, so I want to stay here and ensure that there is nothing wrong with them before returning to Elysium."


    Iris smiled. "I miss them both."


    "I miss them, too," Luxmented.


    "Let''s go on a pic��just the four of us, after they''ve revived," Iris proposed.


    Lux chuckled and nodded his head. "Sounds good."


    The Half-Elf wanted to treasure the precious moments he had together with his loved ones. Although he was a Necromancer, he didn''t want to see any of them dying anytime soon.


    He could still remember how happy Heidi and Lilia were after being reunited with Bedivere. Deep inside, he was d that he was able to give the family of three a happy reunion.


    Lux wanted everyone to have a happy ending, which is why he made another vow  that he would do everything in his power to save Sis from destruction, so that the future generations, including those of his future children, would be able to live in a world that was not headed down the path of ruin.

 Chapter 366 The Name Of Lux’s Guild

    Two days had passed since Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer had a meeting with Lux and Alexander in Barbatos Academy.


    After resting for a night, the three returned to Wildgarde Stronghold and had a high-level meeting with the other Guardians.


    The agenda of their meeting was on what they must do in order to maximize the benefits they could reap once the Hidden Domain opened again next year.


    After seeing the rewards, and resources that the conquerors managed to bring back home after their adventure, the rulers of the various kingdoms was now very eager to explore the secrets of the Domain of the Fallen, as well as conquer the Sacred Dungeon.


    Since Lux, Cai, Keane, Xander, Einar, and Vall, were the only people who could ess the Sacred Dungeon at any point in time, the slots in their possession were very valuable.


    All of these teenagers had managed to gain a lot after they sold their slots to both Skystead Alliance and Xynnar War Pact.


    Due to the delicate bnce of rtions in Elysium, the Six Kingdoms had no choice but to let the Xynnar War Pact monopolize the 15 slots that belonged to Xander, Einar, and Vall.


    Cai and Keane didn''t particrly care about their slots, but they had already jumped on Lux''s ship. Whatever the Half-Elf wished to do, the two would follow along and do the same.


    Due to what happened between Lux and the Vahan Empire, the Half-Elf decided to leave the Skystead Alliance and focus on his Guild for the time being.


    Emperor Andreas was quite displeased about how things turned out in Lux''s Trial of Leadership. He had already prepared a stage where he woulde to save the Half-Elf at thest minute and offer him the opportunity to create a Guild as apensation.


    However, before he could even do that, Vera appeared and made short work of the Rankers that bullied her grandson. The Emperor of the Vahan Empire didn''t even have time to properly talk to Lux and work things out because the Half-Elf disappeared without a trace.


    Because of this, only the Xynnar War Pact would be able to explore the Sacred Dungeon, while the Skystead Alliance had no choice but to wait for Lux to appear in Elysium, so that they could negotiate and reach apromise.


    Lux, on the other hand, had other ns for the slots avable to him, Cai, and Keane.


    What he did was to offer the 15 slots to the Six Kingdoms, so they could create an elite party to challenge the Sacred Dungeon. However, he didn''t allow Iris to participate in this dangerous mission.


    Alexander didn''t reject this proposal because he doted on his daughter quite a lot.


    The Guild that represented Barbatos Academy in Elysium, Serenity, would send two representatives to participate in the mission.


    One was the Guildmaster, Henrietta, and the other was the guild''s strongest Shield Warrior.


    The other members would consist of two elite members from each of the Six Kingdom, while thest slot was given to Nero.


    "Nero, do your utmost to the best of your capacity," Rainer said as he patted his Disciple''s shoulder. "This trip to the Sacred Dungeon will be a joint effort by everyone in the Six Kingdoms, so the leader of the expedition will also be decided by the Six Kingdoms. No matter the oue, obey their orders without fail."


    "I understand, Master," Nero replied. "But, if you don''t mind, can I ask a question?"


    "Okay."


    "Did Lux really manage to create a guild? How did he do it?"


    The brown-haired teenager was paying close attention to the news regarding Lux''s quest to create a guild in Vahan Empire. Thest thing he heard was the battle in the Coliseum, which ended in a battle between Rankers.


    He hadn''t heard if Lux was allowed to create a Guild after that, but after Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer returned to the Stronghold, they announced that Lux had sessfully created a Guild within the time frame allocated to him.


    Although the other Guardians had their doubts, they still epted Gerald''s exnation.


    The Half-Elf knew that the other Guardians would act this way, so he threw something to them as a bonus.


    Lux promised Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer that he would allow the Storm Dragon''s Guild to have fifteen slots in order to enter the Sacred dungeon, a month after the joint expedition between the Six Kingdoms was over.


    This news made the Guardians quite satisfied, so they no longer bothered to check whether Lux had really made a guild or not. However, just for the sake of appearances, they still asked what the name of Lux''s guild was, and it was none other than��


    "Twilight Rain. That is the name of Lux''s guild," Rainer replied. "As for how he did it, he had his ways. If you''re still doubting whether it exists, you can just ask the Adventurer''s Guild to check their records."


    All the Guilds in Elysium were managed by the Adventurer''s Guild. Once a Guild Name was created, it could never be used again.


    No one could gather information on who the Guildmaster of a Guild was, the rank of the guild, nor the number of its members.


    All of this information was confidential.


    Perhaps, the only one who could ess this information was the founder of the Adventurer''s Guild, whom no one had seen since the first Guild Branch was created.


    "Twilight Rain," Nero muttered. "Master, where does Lux n to build his Guild Headquarters? Will the Wildgarde Stronghold provide him with a good location?"


    Rainer shook his head. "The Guild has just been founded. Lux is still looking for a good ce to build his Guild Headquarters. Also, stop worrying about him. Worry about your own guild, do you understand?"


    Nero nodded. "Of course, Master. I won''t let you down."


    Rainer smiled and once again patted Nero''s shoulder before heading towards the Conference Room. The Guardians still had other matters to address.


    He just asked for a short break in order to leave some reminders for Nero since thetter was going to participate in the joint expedition with the Six Kingdoms and Barbatos Academy.


    After seeing his Master disappear from the hallway, Nero frowned.


    ''I''ll ask the Information and Merchant Guilds in Elysium to collect as much information as they can about Twilight Rain,'' Nero thought.


    After losing to Lux in the tournament, the brown-haired boy no longer underestimated the Half-Elf and treated him as a real rival.


    Nero was confident that no matter what the Half-Elf did, he wouldn''t be able to aplish the things he managed to do with the Storm Dragon''s Guild, which he had upgraded to a Silver-Rank Guild with his own efforts.


    What he didn''t know was that no matter who he asked, he would get no information on the whereabouts of Lux''s Guild.


    After all, Twilight Rain was the Dark Guild that belonged to the organization that wanted to overthrow the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Since the distance between the territories were tens of thousands of miles apart, Lux wasn''t worried in the slightest even if all the Kings and Emperors in the Eastern Regions of Elysium were to use everything in their power to look for traces of the Guild he was using as a cover.


    ��-----


    Barbatos Academy��


    Iris hummed as she held Eiko''s egg that was resting on herp.


    As a Monster Breeder and Tamer, she was quite sensitive to when an egg was about to hatch.


    Right now, she could sense that the baby Slime was about to hatch from her egg at any time, so she decided to wait until Eiko revived again.


    Lux was also in the room with her, but he was busymunicating with his Guild Members through a guild chat that was only avable to them.


    The Half-Elf''s guild was the only guild in Elysium that had this function. When Cai found out about this function, she became addicted to chatting with Laura and Livia, who were Sid''s sisters that resided back in Leaf Vige.


    The two little Dwarf girls were quite happy because they had someone to talk to aside from Grandma Annie and their friends in Leaf Vige.


    The only downside was that if people saw the Boar talking alone to itself, they would think that it had gone crazy because it wasughing about something without anyone around it.

 Chapter 367 The Birth Of The Fairy Princess

    "I''m very tempted to join your Guild, Lux, just for the fact that we canmunicate even though we are miles apart," Iris said as she looked at the Half-Elf who was experimenting with the functions of the Guild chat.


    "I also want you to join my Guild, but if I were to do that, Henrietta will kill me," Lux replied helplessly. "She''s quite overprotective of you."


    "She''s not my best friend for nothing."


    "Mmm."


    Lux and Henrietta were friends as well, but their rtionship wasn''t as close whenpared to how she treated Iris.


    "Hey, My Daddy! When are we going to return to Leaf Vige?" Cai asked using the Guild''s chat function. "I want to y with Laura and Livia."


    "Do you want to stay in Leaf Vige for a bit?"


    "Can I?"


    "Why not?" Lux replied. As he sent Cai a telepathic message. "Come to the Academy in two hours. Keane, do you want to apany Cai in Leaf Vige?"


    "No. I''d rather stay here where it is nice and quiet."


    Lux heard Keane''s uninterested reply inside his head and couldn''t help but chuckle internally.


    After experimenting with the chat function, the Half-Elf was surprised when he discovered that there were two modes ofmunication avable to them.


    One was to talk out loud, just like what Cai was doing with Laura and Livia, and the other was talking through thought.


    The second method was more convenient, but there was a catch.


    Talking to the Guild members through thought consumed mana. After experimenting a bit, Lux found out that every word that was said using this function consumed 5 Mana.


    If used properly, this function would allow them tomunicate simr to telepathy, allowing them to coordinate without letting anyone know what they were talking about in public.


    Suddenly, the egg on Iris''sp started to shake.


    The Half-Elf and the blue-haired beauty nced at each other before they shifted their attention to the blue egg that was shaking left and right on Iris''p.


    The two waited with bated breaths as the egg continued to shake. A momentter, a small cracking sound was heard.


    The side of the egg broke, and something peeked at them from the inside. A momentter, a giggle could be heard from the egg, which remained motionless after a minute had passed.


    "Someone is being naughty," Iris said with a smile.


    "Mmm." Lux agreed. "She wants to y hide and seek."


    Another giggle was heard inside the egg. However, this time, Iris lifted the cracked shell and exposed the baby slime, who was looking up at her with a smug look on her face.


    "Ma!" Eiko shouted before jumping on Iris''s shoulder and moving close to her cheeks, giving her a kiss.


    Lux looked at the baby Slime with a smile before using his appraisal skill to check Eiko''s stats.


    He was already prepared to see all of Eiko''s stats and  reset back to square one because ording to the records of the Monsters who had a simr rebirth ability, they would start from scratch after they were revived.


    One of Iris''s Guardians was a Phoenix, and because of this, she studied a lot about Monster species that had the ability to resurrect themselves even after their former body had died.


    However, when Lux looked at the stats of the baby Slime, he almost choked on his saliva because the changes in Eiko''s Status Page was something he didn''t expect.


    ��------


    < Eiko >


    "The world is my oyster!"


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Princess Slime


    �C Rating: E


    �C Progress ( 0 / 30,000)


    Health: 17,600 / 17,600


    Mana: 32,500 / 32,500


    Strength: 92


    Intelligence: 650


    Vitality: 152


    Agility: 92


    Dexterity: 92


    Special Abilities: Mimicry [EX], Regeneration [EX], Family Bond [EX], Speech [EX], Dig [EX], Storage [EX], Poison Immunity [EX],  True Sight [EX], Stealth [EX]


    Summon Skills: Summon ckie (Devil Slime), Summon Whitey (Angel Slime), Summon Rocky (Earth Slime), Summon Maya (Water Slime), Summon Saber (Saber Slime), Summon Cloud (Aero Slime).


    Active Skill: Water Bullet, Hydro Ball. Fire Bullet, Fire Bolt, Wind Bullet, Aero Ball, Stone Bullet, Stone Spike, Shadow Bullet, Shadow Ball, Blink, Teleport, Cure, Cure-All, Mad Sprint, Moon st, Elemental Shields, sh, Heavy sh, Scorching Ray, Fire Wall, Entangling Vines, Locate Flora or Fauna, Sticky Web.


    Passive Skill: Uncanny Dodge, Very Tough, Guts, Queen''s Majesty, Ten Thousand Promise


    Titles: Mama''s and Papa''s Girl, Treasure Hunter, Fairy Princess


    Note: Rimuru is that you?


    ��-----------


    < Queen''s Majesty >


    �C All slimes below Eiko''s Rank would obey hermand without fail.


    �C Any slime above Eiko''s rank would treat her favorably.


    ��-----------


    < Ten Thousand Promise >


    �C Grants additional 10,000 points to Eiko''s health. These ten thousand health points will not be affected by debuffs or any health decreasing ability.


    ��----------


    < Fairy Princess >


    �C As a Fairy Princess, Eiko is immune to any kind of attacks that would cause instant death.


    After taking any type of damage that could possibly kill her, her health will not decrease past 1 Health Point, and she will gain an invincibility buff that would protect her from any further damage for the duration of ten seconds.


    �C Eiko would gainplete immunity to any kind of status ailments, including petrify, and simr debilitating conditions.


    �C Any Fairy Type Creature, including Elves, will treat Eiko in a favorable manner.


    ��----------


    Eiko''s Rank had indeed returned to scratch, however, her stats remained the same.


    Also, she gained some additional passive skills, as well as a new title that made Lux wonder if it was influenced by the Beast Core of the Queen Slime that he had given Eiko, as a catalyst to help her recover faster.


    ''Either way, these skills will help Eiko be stronger,'' Lux thought as he gazed at the changes in Eiko''s Status Page. ''The only downside is that her rating progression has increased again. Still, I''m d that she''s back.''


    Lux assumed that the higher rating progression was due to the changes to Eiko''s identity.


    Back then, she was just a regr blue Slime, but now, she was a Slime Princess. An ordinary person and a Princess had different status, which exined why the rating progression suddenly went up.


    "Pa!" Eiko happily jumped on Lux''s head and even yfully ruffled his hair, as if taking advantage of the fact that she would not be scolded for doing so.


    Iris giggled from the side because Eiko had turned Lux''s hair into a bird''s nest, making the mother and daughter pair giggle again at the same time.


    Lux raised his hands to grab the mischievous little slime and tickled her body, making her squirm.


    "How is her status?" Iris inquired after she finishedughing. "Did everything reset?"


    "See for yourself." Lux smirked as he passed his Soul Book to Iris so that she could check Eiko''s Status Page.


    Iris still had a rxed expression before she took a nce at Eiko''s status.


    The corner of Lux''s lips rose as he watched her expression change from being rxed, to serious, to disbelief.


    Iris knew that it was impossible to fake Eiko''s status inside Lux''s Soul Book, so she didn''t bother asking if what she saw was real or not.


    She had no choice but to ept it as reality, which made her look at the giggling slime on top of the Half-Elf''s head in shock.


    Iris knew that although Eiko looked harmless right now, there woulde a time when she would be a force to reckon with, as shemanded a legion of Slime Monsters that were willing to do her bidding.

 Chapter 368 He’s Not My Friend

    After regaining herposure, Iris read Eiko''s information in Lux''s Soul Book one more time to make sure that she didn''t miss anything.


    A few minutester, she returned the Half-Elf''s Soul Book to him before grabbing the baby Slime who had fallen asleep in the bird''s nest, which she had made and ced on top of Lux''s head.


    Eiko didn''t even open her eyes when Iris held her. Clearly, she knew that she was safe in her Mama''s hands, so she continued to rest.


    She had just been born, and she still had to adjust for a few days so she could fully adapt to her new body. Although she still looked like an ordinary baby Slime on the surface, her status information was beyond ordinary.


    Suddenly, a loud knock was heard on the door followed by Cai''s voice inside Lux''s head.


    "My Daddy, can I go now?" Cai asked. "Laura and Livia said that they are nning to pick up some herbs. I n to go with them!"


    The Half-Elf smiled as he opened the door, allowing Cai, who had shrunk to a meter-tall boar, enter Iris room.


    The moment Cai spotted the sleeping Eiko in Iris'' hands, the Boar immediately went over to look at the adorable Slime, whom it had met in the past.


    "Did she revive just now?" Cai asked. "Aw. She''s still as cute as ever."


    "Don''t be too loud, Cai," Iris said softly. "You''ll wake her up."


    As if to prove that she was right, Eiko yawned before opening her eyes to look at the Boar with a sleepy gaze.


    "Cai?" Eiko asked.


    "Yes!" Cai answered. "It''s me, Eiko! I''m very happy that you are revived again! I''m going to Leaf Vige now. Do you want toe?"


    Eiko shook her head before closing her eyes to sleep again. Right now, she wanted to be with Iris, so she didn''t n to go anywhere for the time being.


    "I''ll be out for a bit," Lux said to Iris, who only nodded her head in understanding. "Are you ready, Cai?"


    "Of course I am ready. Let''s go!"


    "Okay."


    Lux pressed his fist over his chest as he activated the power of the Arondight Ring in his finger.


    "Open! Heaven''s Gate!"


    ��----------


    Leaf Vige��


    Lux and Cai appeared at the za where the statue of the Eternal Guardian was located. As soon as they arrived, both of them were immediately weed by Laura and Livia.


    However, there was one more person waiting for them, and it was none other than Heidi, whom the twins had also invited to go to the ins with them.


    Just like the two Dwarves, it didn''t take long for Heidi to follow the newest tradition in Leaf Vige��having a Slime as a Beast Companion.


    Heidi''s baby Slime was pink, and she named it Pink as well. Caiughed when she heard about it, making the golden-haired little girl go pink in embarrassment.


    For some reason, the baby Slimes liked to perch on top of their Master''s head, imitating the baby Slime in the statue, who had helped Lux defend the vige from the Monster Outbreak that almost wiped it off from the map.


    "I''m tempted to get a baby Slime too��," Cai looked wistfully at the cute Creatures on top of the little girl''s heads.


    "That''s a good idea!" Laura said. "Come, let''s go to the Slime Paradise, so we can pick a Slime for you. Follow the Leaf Vige''s tradition."


    "It''s decided then," Livia stated. "Cai is now one of us. Let''s go!"


    "I''m also curious to know what kind of Slime would fit Cai''s personality," Heidimented. "It''s still early, and we have plenty of time to look for herbs. Let''s go to Slime Paradise first."


    Seeing that its three new friends decided to invite it to the Slime Paradise, where baby Slimes were being raised, Cai didn''t resist and happily went with them.


    Lux on the other hand, stared at the Boar, who was happily chatting with the three little girls. For some reason, he felt like Cai was a lonely person. He didn''t know where this feeling came from because it was hard for him to believe that the chatty Boar would ever be lonely.


    ''I might just be imagining things,'' Lux thought before returning to Sis.


    He had promised Iris that he would stay with her for a week, so he returned as soon as he could.


    As soon as the Half-Elf left Leaf Vige, a in carriage, which was escorted by several Riders of Norria, arrived at its entrance.


    "It''s been a while since I''ve been here," Robin muttered as he disembarked from the carriage and looked at the rustic Vige that was located on the very outskirts of the Kingdom of Gweliven. "Are you sure that he is here, Nevreal?"


    The middle-aged Dwarf, who always apanied Robin whenever he wasn''t doing any field work, nodded his head.


    "He is here," Nevreal replied. "Thoram would not lie to me."


    Robin frowned. "We need to find him as soon as we can. We don''t have much time left."


    "Understood." Nevreal nodded as he led Robin towards the Vige Head''s house.


    Their purpose foring to Leaf Vige was to talk to Lux. Although the Half-Elf was currently hiding his identity, the Riders of Norria, as well as the Order of the Griffin, had worked together to keep his identity hidden, preventing the Dark Guild, Twilight Dynasty, from getting suspicious.


    Now that more Humans had appeared in Leaf Vige, the Order of the Griffin was sent by the Kingdom to determine whether they were friends or foes.


    "I sure hope they will not be a threat to our kingdom," Robin stated. "If they are friends with him, then we can give them preferential treatment."


    Nevreal nodded his head in agreement. "Naturally, we still have to test them and see if they are trustworthy. Our friend no longer needs to be tested, but his acquaintances are a different matter. Also, the Young Master needs to gain more allies. We''ve already talked to the Eternal Guild, but Aina''s stance remains the same. She doesn''t n on joining the kingdom''s politics."


    "That''s fine," Robin replied. "I don''t really want to drag Colette and my other friends in this mess."


    "You''re fine not dragging them, but you want to drag him into your family''s struggle?"


    "Why not? He''s not my friend."


    Nevreal chuckled after hearing Robin''s reply.


    ''I almost feel sorry for Lux now,'' Nevreal mused as he looked at his Young Master''s back, who was determined to beat his brothers in a battle of wits, in order to achieve his goal of making the Kingdom of Gweliven the mightiest kingdom in the Southern Regions of Elysium.

 Chapter 369 Can I Meet With Your Master?

    "He''s not here?" Robin frowned. "Where is he?"


    "He returned to Sis," Cedwyn replied. "He said that he has some important matters to attend to."


    "When will he be back?"


    "I''m not really sure. However, his subordinate is currently staying here in the vige. We have given them one of the non-upied houses that we built after the vige was destroyed by the Monster Outbreak."


    The frown on Robin''s face deepened, but he knew that there was no point in making things difficult for Cedwyn, who had no way of contacting the Half-Elf that he was looking for.


    "Understood," Robin felt relieved after knowing that he could at least talk to Lux''s subordinate. As long as the message would be passed along, his trip to Leaf Vige wouldn''t be in vain.


    He had traveled in secrecy just to prevent his brothers from knowing where he was. Since he couldn''t stay for long, he wished that he would be able to personally talk to the Half-Elf, but since it was not possible, his subordinate would have to make do.


    "By the way, I noticed that almost all the Dwarves here in Leaf Vige have Slimes apanying them," Robinmented. "Is this some kind of trend?"


    Cedwyn chuckled. "At first, we decided to raise slimes for fun after seeing how Eiko apanied Lux. We even asked Commander Thoram to help us catch them, since Slimes are not native to this region.


    "But, to our surprise, after catching a dozen of them, the slimes multiplied at a rapid pace. Also, we discovered something interesting. These Slimes are somehow evolved. Perhaps, this is the side effect of the Guardian Crystal, allowing them to be stronger than regr Slimes."


    Nevreal tilted his head in confusion. "Slimes are just Slimes. They''re one of the weakest monsters out there. Are you sure you want the vigers to have Slimes as their first Beast Companion?"


    Cedwyn only smiled at Nevreal and nced outside the window of his house. From there, he could see the statue in the distance, which had be the main attraction of their old rustic vige in the countryside.


    "You''re forgetting that Eiko is also a Slime," Cedwyn replied. "Have you seen her unleash a Dragon''s Breath? I have. It was the most surreal thing I''ve witnessed in my lifetime."


    The Vige Head of Leaf Vige could still remember the Monster Outbreak as if it was just yesterday.


    Even though he and Grandma Annie had retreated to a safe distance, they were still able to witness the battle that made his blood boil in excitement, allowing him to regain the feelings that he had forgotten due to his old age.


    "Also, all of the Slimes that are born in our Vige can use magic." Cedwyn turned around to look at Nevreal and Robin with a smug look on his face. "I''m sure that one day, our vige will be known throughout the Kingdom of Gweliven for fostering the future heroes of the world."


    Robin and Nevreal exchanged a nce before shaking their heads helplessly. They didn''t want to say that Cedwyn was being delusional because they didn''t want to hurt his feelings.


    What they didn''t know was that someday, what the Vige Head had said would be a reality.


    The young Dwarves, alongside their Slimes, who had started their adventures in Leaf Vige, would rise up to protect the Dwarven Kingdom, and their legacy would be immortalized for centuries toe.


    Of course, this was a story for another time.


    Cedwyn led Robin, Nevreal, and their bodyguards to the house where Bedivere, Lilia, and Heidi, were staying.


    Bedivere, who was at the side of the house and chopping firewood, noticed Cedwyn approaching him and stopped his work.


    He was quite grateful for the amodations that were given to him and his family by the Elders of Leaf Vige. Because of this, he told them that if there woulde a time that they would need his help, he would dly lend it without asking for any repayment.


    "Bedivere, I brought some guests who are looking for your Master," Cedwyn said with a smile. "This person is Sir Nevreal, and he had helped your Master a couple of times in the past. This young Dwarf, on the other hand, is Robin. He came here because he wanted to discuss something important with your Master. Do you know when he will be back in Leaf Vige?"


    "Is it important?" Bedivere didn''t answer when Lux would be back to Leaf Vige because the Half-Elf coulde anytime. However, he was not willing to pass on just any kind of information to his Master and disturb the red-headed teenager''s quality time with his fiance.


    As a married person, Bedivere knew how important it was to spend some time with your lover. He would not allow anyone to pester his Master, unless it was a very pressing matter.


    "It is important," Robin replied. "Can I meet with your Master?"


    Bedivere nced at Robin before shifting his gaze to the bodyguards that were escorting him.


    Ten of them were Grade A Apostles, while two of them were Initiates.


    In his peak, Bedivere had been a Ranker. Even though he had regressed to a Grade A Apostle to match Lux''s current Rank, he was confident that he could take out half of Robin''s bodyguards before they could overpower him using their numbers.


    Naturally, this was only referring to his own strength without asking for his partner''s help, which was a Wind Dragon, whose rank was the same as him.


    A Rank 4 Dragon was very different from a Rank 4 Horned Rabbit. If the two were to fight, the rabbit would be the dragon''s lunch with plenty of energy to spare.


    "Tell me the details," Bedivere replied. "If it is important enough, I''ll let him know. But, it will be up to my Master whether he wille here or not. He is a very busy person, and there are many things that he is handling at the moment."


    Robin nced at Nevreal because he didn''t know if it was fine to tell Bedivere why they hade to Leaf Vige.


    After pondering for a minute, Nevreal found an easy solution to their problem.


    "Tell your Master that Nevreal is looking for him so we can have a serious discussion," Nevreal said. "We will only be staying here in Leaf Vige for two days, so I hope that I can talk to him before we leave."


    Bedivere nodded. "Okay. I will send the message to my Master. Where can he find you?"


    "We''ll be at the Prancing Pony Inn," Nevreal replied. "Please pass the message along as soon as possible."


    "Okay." Bedivere smiled.


    In truth, he had already passed the message��that Nevreal was looking for him, to Lux. As a seasoned veteran, Bedivere could faintly feel that Nevreal and Robin were troubled by something.


    He just didn''t know what it was nor did he care about it. If Lux wanted to help them, then he would go and help them.


    As one of the Half-Elf''s Knights, he would be there to lend his hand, even if it meant that he would fight in a foreignnd, where no one knew who he was and what kind of past he carried.

 Chapter 370 Eiko’s Upgrade

    When Lux heard Bedivere''s report, a frown appeared on his face.


    The middle-aged dwarf was his middle-man between the Order of the Griffin, who once helped him evade the eyes of Twilight Dynasty, as well as some high-ranking officials in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    His rtionship with Nevreal was simr to that of a business partner. Both of them benefitted when the two of them coborated, so Lux was quite curious why the Dwarf Official was looking for him.


    Also, a name that he hadn''t seen for a long time had popped up, which made his curiosity increase even further.


    ''Robin,'' Lux thought. ''He is a friend of Colette and the others. I already have a suspicion that the kid isn''t someone simple...''


    The Half-Elf wasn''t naive. Now that Nevreal came to find him, even though the Half-Elf was supposed to keep a low profile, it meant that something important had happened.


    "Inform them that I''ll meet them tomorrow," Lux said to Bedivere using their Guild Chat Function.


    "Understood, Master," Bedivere replied.


    Lux could have met Nevreal and his entourage right away. But, he didn''t want the middle-aged Dwarf to think that he would rush to his side, if the Dwarf called for him at any given time.


    He wasn''t Nevreal''s subordinate, nor was the Dwarf his employer. The two of them worked together on mutual benefits, so it would look bad if he had the wrong impression of him.


    "Did something happen in Elysium?" Iris, who saw the frown on Lux''s face, asked.


    Lux nodded and exined to her what just happened. After hearing everything that Lux had to say, the blue-haired beauty nodded her head in understanding.


    "It seems that your vacation will be cut off short," Iris said as she finished feeding Eiko a Beast Core.


    Lux had left her his stash of Beast Core from the tournament to ensure that Eiko would rank up at least once.


    He was quite curious about what kind of abilities she would gain after an upgrade. Also, the Beast Cores she had eaten were from high-ranking Monsters, allowing the baby Slime to learn nearly 50 new skills, which made Lux, and Iris quite happy.


    ------------


    (A/N: I don''t want to flood this chapter with Eiko''s skills, so I will just go over them as we continue the story.)


    ------------


    < Eiko >


    "The world is my oyster!"


    a��� Named Slime Monster


    a��� Princess Slime


    a��� Rating: E+


    a��� Progress ( 0 / 40,000)


    Health: 19,100 / 19,100


    Mana: 40,000 / 40,000


    Strength: 122


    Intelligence: 800


    Vitality: 182


    Agility: 122


    Dexterity: 122


    Passive Skill: Uncanny Dodge, Very Tough, Guts, Queen''s Majesty, Ten Thousand Promise,


    Titles: Mama''s and Papa''s Girl, Treasure Hunter, Fairy Princess,


    ------------


    ''The changes are evident,'' Lux mused. ''All of her stats, with the exception of Intelligence, rose by 30 points. She has also gained an additional 150 points in Intelligence, which is a big dealpared to her previous self. It seems that being a Princess Slime allows her to gain massive benefits. The only downside is that every upgrade needs a lot of resources, but the trade off is worth it.''


    Eiko''s monster rating was E+. However, her current stats made her a Rank 4 Monster, which was very strong for a newly born Slime.


    Clearly, the baby slime who was in a good mood after eating so many Beast Cores was a cut above the rest of her peers.


    Eiko''s upgrade did not affect her stats alone. Lux was currently looking at the rows of words that notified him of the options that he could choose from, toplete her upgrade.


    Back then, Lux chose to give her the ability to summon Slimes, as well as some life saving skills that gave her the ability to keep herself safe.


    If not for the fact that she had protected Iris during the battle at the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen, it would be very hard to kill the baby Slime, who could dig underground, and teleport a short distance away from her enemies.


    -----------


    ''Perhaps, this is also a blessing in disguise,'' Lux mused as he looked at the options that were avable to Eiko. ''If this was a novel, Eiko would be the real protagonist instead of me."


    ----------


    < Please choose one of the Special Abilities avable here. Once you have made your decision, it will be final, so make sure to choose wisely! >


    a��� Elemental Affinity.


    If you choose this passive skill, Eiko will gain the ability to be unharmed by that particr element. For example, if you chose the Elemental Affinity of Fire, Eiko will be able to y and swim in a pool of Lava without suffering any damage.


    a��� Slime Party Festival


    For every slime under Eiko''smand, she would gain a 1% increase to her physical and magical attacks. Physical and Magical damage increases will not go over 1,000%


    a��� Wonder Guard


    Decrease all damage taken by Eiko by 60%


    a��� Shadow Tag


    Eiko will be able to travel through the shadows of her allies within a mile radius around her.


    a��� Cute Charm


    Wild Monsters up to 3 ranks above Eiko''s Rank would not attack her, unless she attacks them first.


    ------------


    Some Creatures were born with Special Abilities, simr to Bedivere''s Wonder Guard after he became a Dragon Rider.


    When the handsome Knight was still a Living Armor, he had a unique special ability called Invincible Body, which made him practically invincible unless he was hit by the elemental weakness associated with it.


    ''Basing on previous upgrades in the past, no matter which of these options I choose, the possibility of them popping up again in the future is high,'' Lux thought as he gazed at the passive skills in front of him.


    ''We will not be traveling with many Slimes, so the Slime Party Festival is not ideal at this point in time. Perhaps, this is an End Game special ability, but Eiko won''t get a significant boost with it if I choose it now.''


    If Lux just wanted to make things simple, he would just choose Elemental Affinity, and allow Eiko to be invincible in one particr element.


    However, itcked the flexibility that the other special abilities had.


    Wonder Guard is a no-brainer, and was a good choice if anyone wanted to decrease any kind of iing damage, including Abyssal Damage.


    Shadow Tag on the other hand is an all around ability, allowing Eiko to slip into the shadows of  her allies, allowing her to pop anywhere in the battlefield. This could also be another life saving skill for the baby Slime, whom they didn''t want to see die for the second time.


    ''I guess I''ll go with Shadow Tag,'' Lux thought as he chose the Shadow Tag option to be Eiko''s Special Ability.


    Special Abilities were simr to Passive skills. Some Creatures had more than one Special Ability, while others had many more.


    Dragons were said to even have dozens of them, with Wonder Guard as one of their permanent abilities, allowing them to fight against Abyssal Monsters on equal footing.


    < Special Ability Shadow Tag has been chosen. >


    < Congrattions! Eiko now has Shadow Tag as her Special Ability! >


    < Adding bonus skills as part of Eiko''s Rank up! >


    < Eiko''s Skill, Mimicry [EX], can now copy up to six skills. >


    < Eiko''s skill, Storage [EX], can now store items and living creatures. Up to six living creatures can be stored inside it for the duration of a day. >


    a��� Maximum weight of items that can be stored inside her body is ten tons.


    < Eiko''s Treasure Hunter skill is now upgraded to Treasure Hunter [EX] >


    a��� Eiko can now detect treasures in a mile-wide radius around her.


    < Upgrade Completed! >


    ---------


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    a��� Since the skill Shadow Tag is not learned from a Beast Core, it will automatically be upgraded to Shadow Tag [EX].


    ---------


    < Shadow Tag [EX] >


    Eiko will be able to travel through the shadows of her allies within a two-mile radius around her.


    ---------


    Lux sighed internally because Eiko''s Rank Upgrade was finallypleted. The baby Slime had gained many benefits after her upgrade, making her a lot stronger than before.


    It was not an exaggeration to say that the Half-Elf was looking forward to the baby slime''s next upgrade with anticipation.


    Naturally, Lux shared his Soul Book to Iris, allowing her to see the upgrades that Eiko had received after she ranked up.


    "Maybe I should stop being surprised when I look at Eiko''s stats in your Soul Book," Iris could only smile bitterly after seeing the skills that the baby Slime had gained.


    Although her Guardians would also receive amazing abilities every time they ranked up, she had a feeling that Eiko would surpass them easily after her Monster Rating reached Astra''s current Rating, which was B+.

 Chapter 371 I Look Forward To A Jolly Cooperation!

    The next day, Lux returned to Leaf Vige and went to look for Nevreal and Robin in the inn they were staying at.


    He still wore a disguise, of course, and Cedwyn had already informed Nevreal about this matter.


    "It''s good to see you again, Lux," Nevreal said with a smile. "It has been several months since west saw each other."


    "Indeed, Sir Nevreal," Lux replied. "Let''s get down to business. Why have youe to look for me?"


    The Half-Elf didn''t want to make small talk and decided to take the initiative to get straight to the point. This way, he would have a better understanding of the real reason why the middle-aged Dwarf was looking for him.


    "Getting straight to the point as soon as we meet." Nevreal smirked after hearing Lux''s words. "Well, I don''t really mind. But, before that, allow me to introduce you to Robin. He is my current employer, and we need your help in order to do a few things for us. Naturally, the rewards will be sufficient, so you don''t have to worry about the properpensation for your services."


    Lux gave Robin a side-long nce before shifting his attention back to the middle-aged dwarf.


    "Can''t you just ask the ''Order'' about it?" Lux asked.


    Nevreal shook his head. "The Order of the Griffin answers only to the King. No one canmand them except him."


    Lux blinked as he pointed at his face. "Um, are you forgetting that I am also part of the Order?"


    "It''s fine, you are still considered a Trainee." Nevreal waved his hand, as if to brush away Lux''s im as one of the official members of the Order of the Griffon. "You''re still not a full-fledged member of the Order. Do you really think it''s that easy to be one of them?


    "Only when all the members have agreed that you have met the necessary qualifications would you be able to meet the King and officially take an oath of loyalty. Then and only then will you be an official member of the Order."


    Lux pondered before nodding his head in agreement. Since the Order of the Griffon was the Dwarf King''s personal secret forces, it was only natural to swear an oath of loyalty to him before officially bing one of its members.


    ''Well, it''s not like I''m keen on swearing an oath of loyalty to the Dwarf King,'' Lux thought. ''I guess being a trainee is good enough.''


    After settling this issue aside, Nevreal then told Lux why he came to find him.


    "Right now, Robin''s father is looking for the one who will inherit his position as an official in the future," Nevreal exined. "Because of this, he set up a Merit System for his four sons and two daughters. All of them are eligible to inherit his position as long as the aplishments they make benefits the Kingdom of Gweliven as a whole. Do you follow me so far?"


    Lux nodded to acknowledge Nevreal''s question.


    "Because of this Merit System, Robin''s siblings have set out to the various parts of the Kingdom in order to umte Merit Points. Unfortunately, the Young Master is currently inst ce because he has not been able to rack up achievements during this period of time."


    The Half-Elf nced at Robin and gave him the "Bruh, why are you so useless?" stare, which the brown-haired Dwarf ignored.


    Robin just looked at Lux, as if trying to check whether the Half-Elf was really capable of getting him sufficient Merit Points to stay in the game.


    Lux rubbed his chin as he pondered whether he should ept Nevreal''s proposal or not.


    In truth, what Lux wanted to do at the moment was to go to Karshvar Draconis and start the construction of his Guild Headquarters, as well as add the other guild facilities like a Smith, Bestiary, etc. He had only set this agenda aside for now because he promised Iris that he would stay with her for a week while waiting for Eiko and Vera''s revivals.


    "I''ll think about it," Lux replied after pondering for a few minutes. "I am currently dealing with important things on my side, so I can''t agree to your request right away."


    Robin, who had expected Lux to ept Nevreal''s offer right away, looked disgruntled after hearing the words "I''ll think about it".


    For the brown-haired Dwarf, this was as good as telling him "I''m not interested", making him feel that he had wasted his timeing to Leaf Vige.


    "I see." Nevreal yed with his beard as he observed the Half-Elf who looked disinterested in his proposal. "How about I throw in another bonus for you? You just made a guild, right? How about I give you enough funds to help build your Guild Headquarters? How does that sound?"


    This time, Lux''s interest was piqued. In truth, building a Guild Headquarters required a lot of money.


    As of the moment, Lux only had a little over 2 million gold coins in his possession. This was a high amount of money, enough for him to go to auctions to buy a few Mythical Grade Items. However, this amount of money wouldn''t be enough to support a big guild, especially if he were to hire workers to install facilities like the Smith and Bestiary.


    ? After checking his Elysium Compendium to know the cost of building one of those facilities, Lux''s wallet itched.


    500,000 gold coins.


    That was the price for building a Smith or a Bestiary.


    The Guild Headquarters, on the other hand, could be made from cheap materials, making it less expensive. Even so, the cheapest was 500,000 Gold Coins, and it was just made of wood!


    Lux could afford it, but he owned a Mythical Guild.


    If there came a day when the members of other guilds visited his headquarters, they might find his cheap headquartersughable.


    Colette''s sister, Aina, who was the Guild Master of Eternal, had their headquarters built in marble, which cost her around 3 million gold coins.


    Such expenditure wouldn''t have been possible if Aina didn''t have a strong backing, indirectly showing how prominent her family was.


    Nero''s Headquarters, on the other hand, was made from bricks. Although it was the second cheapest option avable, it still showed that he had the capability to gather enough funds on his own without asking the Guardians for help.


    This also earned him the recognition of his Guild Members, as well as the Elders of Wildgarde Stronghold.


    Lux didn''t treat Nero as his rival, so he didn''t mind using the funds of others to build his Guild Headquarters. Since Nevreal had presented him with such a juicy option, why would he reject his offer?


    "It''s a deal!" Lux grabbed hold of Nevreal''s hand and shook it. "I look forward to our jolly cooperation!"


    "I knew you were a very sensibled," Nevreal smiled as he shook Lux''s hand. "Let''s discuss the price for the construction of your Guild Headquarters after you finish the mission that I will ask of you first. As long as you manage to do this, I''ll shoulder the construction of your Guild Headquarters."


    If the middle-aged Dwarf only knew that Lux would demand almost half of his fortune, he would definitely crush the hand of the Half-Elf that he was shaking right now, and spit on Lux''s face for trying to scam him in broad daylight.


    Fortunately, he didn''t know, preventing a blood bath from happening in Leaf Vige at that point in time.

 Chapter 372 Not All Treasures Are Silver And Gold

    After finalizing the details of Nevreal''s proposal, the Half-Elf went to look for Cai.


    He had left the Boar to stay in Leaf Vige because it was getting bored of Barbatos Academy. The Boar didn''t like to be confined indoors and preferred being out on the fields, enjoying the sights and sounds of the scenery around her.


    Since a day had already passed in Elysium, the Half-Elf deemed that it was time to check on whatever Cai was doing and ensure that it wasn''t causing trouble for the vigers.


    Fortunately, Lux didn''t need much effort to search for the Boar. He could hear itsughter from miles away.


    "Just what have you been up to, Cai?" Lux asked as soon as he saw the Boar, who was currently surrounded by several Dwarf children.


    "My Daddy! You came at the right time," Cai said as it made a gesture for Lux to hurry up. "Come! Look at her. Isn''t she the most adorable creature ever?"


    The Boar lowered its head and showed Lux the sleeping baby slime who rested on top of the Boar''s head.


    ''A Gold Slime?'' Lux blinked once then twice before shifting his gaze back to Cai. "Where did you steal this child? There are no Gold Slimes in Leaf Vige."


    "Hehehe!" Cai lifted its chin up, almost making the baby Gold Slime, who was sleeping on its head, fall off. It was quite obvious that it was feeling very happy about itstestpanion.


    "What you say is true," Cai said with a smug look on its face. "There has never been a golden slime in Leaf Vige. However, all of that changed today! Fei Fei was just born, and it just so happened that she was born from the egg that I chose! This must be fate at work. I''m destined to be rich!"


    Lux just smiled at Cai''s bragging before appraising the golden slime. He was quite curious about what its ability was because this was the first time he was seeing one.


    ��-----


    < Fei Fei >


    "Not all treasures are silver and gold."


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Golden Slime


    �C Rating E


    Progress ( 0 / 1000 )


    Health: 500 / 500


    Mana: 500 / 500


    Strength: 3


    Intelligence: 10


    Vitality: 10


    Agility: 3


    Dexterity: 3


    Special Abilities: Treasure Hunter [EX]


    Active Skill: Dig, Payday


    Passive Skill: Golden Body


    Title: Golden Girl


    Note: Do you know Da Wae?


    ��-----


    < Payday >


    �C Fires a golden coin at a target, dealing +100 physical damage.


    �C If the target is carrying gold coins, Fei Fei would steal a random amount between one gold coin to a hundred gold coins.


    ��-----


    < Golden Body >


    �C Gives Fei Fei immunity to Status Ailments.


    ��-----


    < Golden Girl >


    �C Doubles the experience gained when eating a Beast Core


    ��-----


    Lux, who had just finished reading Fei Fei''s information, felt that the golden slime was literally born as a money making creature.


    ''For some reason, I feel that she fits Cai perfectly,'' Lux mused.


    Cai liked to collect treasures, and even went as far as to shamelessly ask others to give it items, just like what it did to the gnome, Sherlock, when they challenged the Gate of War in the Sacred Dungeon.


    "Isn''t she so adorable?" Cai asked. "I''m sure that Eiko and her will be the best of friends. Just like me and Iris, who are the bestest friends ever."


    Lux just smiled and didn''t make anyments. Deep inside his heart, he also wished that Eiko and Fei Fei would be good friends. After all, Cai was part of his guild and would be traveling with him most of the time.


    "By the way, Cai, there is someone whomissioned me to go on a quest," Lux said. "Do you want toe?"


    "Um? Amission?" Cai''s interest was piqued. It had long wanted to explore the Kingdom of the Dwarves, but it didn''t want to go alone.


    The Boar was too embarrassed to trouble Lux to give it a tour of the Dwarven Kingdom. Because of this, it wanted to look for a traveling buddy, but unfortunately, they were few and far in between.


    Cai wanted to drag Keane with it, but the skinny swordsman preferred to stay in a peaceful and quiet ces to meditate, in pursuit of the peace he was looking for.


    Now that an opportunity had presented itself in front of it, Cai readily epted Lux''s invitation without batting an eye.


    "So, where are we going?" Cai inquired. "Fei Fei, we are going treasure hunting. Time for you to wake up."


    The Gold Slime opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings before yawning.


    "Da Wae?" Fei Fei asked.


    "Yes! We are going treasure hunting!" Cai replied. "We''re going to look for treasures!"


    Once again, the Gold Slime looked around her. Seeing that there were no treasures around, she once again closed her eyes to sleep.


    Lux, who saw the sleeping baby Slime, chuckled.


    "Fei Fei has just been born," Lux said. "Give her a few more days to adjust before you go treasure hunting."


    The Half-Elf had already experienced taking care of a sleepy Eiko when she was just hatched from her egg, so he was more than happy to impart his knowledge to the Boar, who was trying to coax the sleeping Slime to wake up.


    "Fine." Cai sighed. "So, when do we leave?"


    "We leave in three days. That will be enough time to make the necessary preparations.


    "Three days? Got it! I''ll stay here in Leaf Vige for three days."


    "Okay." Lux smiled. "I''ll go back to Barbatos Academy and ask Keane if he wants to apany us."


    The Boar nodded. "Make sure to drag Little Swordy with us. That guy hasn''t gotten much sunshine these past few days."


    Lux chuckled. He was amused to see Cai treating Keane like some kind of nt that it was taking care of.


    Before Lux left the vige, he turned around to look at Cai in the distance, who was now surrounded by Dwarf children who wanted to ride its back.


    Cai had fallen in love with the small Dwarf vige and had gotten chummy with a few of its residents.


    Perhaps the Dwarves also felt that Cai didn''t mean any harm, so they epted this strange and chatty Creature into their vige, allowing it to freely roam wherever it pleased.

 Chapter 373 The Fairy Princess Of Leaf Village

    "Grandma still hasn''te out of the coffin," Iris said while resting her head on Lux''s chest.


    Lux tilted his chin down and kissed the blue-haireddy''s head before wrapping his arms around her.


    "Perhaps, she needs more time," Lux replied. "She forcefully broke her recovery to help me against the Ranker who bullied me. It would be best if she rested more in order to recover as much as possible."


    Iris nodded and allowed Lux''s warmth to wrap her in a loving embrace.


    The two of them had just finished making love with each other, and both were still naked. Iris felt a bit sad because she knew that when morning came, Lux would have to return to Elysium again in order to carry out his responsibilities as a Guild Master.


    Although she would miss him, she understood that this was something that the Half-Elf needed to do.


    Eiko slept peacefully in the basket that they had ced on the table beside the bed.


    At first, Lux and Iris only wanted to kiss and cuddle with each other. But, before they knew it, their clothes were already strewn on the floor. The two sought each other''s warmth and love, and Iris had to cover her lips, not wanting to wake the baby Slime by her pleasure-filled moans that were about to escape her lips.


    "When do you n to return here to Barbatos Academy?" Iris inquired.


    Lux pondered for a bit before answering Iris'' question. He didn''t really have any specific timeline in mind, but in order to give his fiance some peace of mind, he decided to set a schedule of when he could visit her in Barbatos Academy.


    "A month from now," Lux answered after making a rough estimate inside his head. "I will first deal with the mission that Nevreal has given me. After that, I will create my Guild Headquarters. This will take a lot of time, so I won''t be able to return right away."


    Iris hummed as she lightly patted Lux''s chest with her soft and delicate hand.


    "To think that you would be able to be a Guildmaster in just a short period of time," Iris said softly. "I''m very proud of you, Lux."


    Lux sighed before thanking Iris for her praise.


    He, too,didn''t think that he would be able to be a Guild Master of his own guild. However, his guild wasn''t just an ordinary guild, but the one and only Mythical Guild in the world.


    The Half-Elf then moved his hand to caress Iris'' back, moving downwards as if to trace her young and beautiful body that belonged only to him.


    "Since we won''t be seeing each other for a month, shall we��"


    Lux smiled mischievously as he gave Iris'' backside a light squeeze, making the blue haireddy raise her head to look at him with a face filled with injustice.


    ? "What are you going to do if Eiko wakes up?" Iris lightly pounded Lux''s chest, but deep inside, she was very tempted to say yes to her fiance''s invitation.


    "Then I guess you will just have to do your best to not wake her up," Lux whispered directly to her ears.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to plug both of your lips, so Eiko won''t hear a thing," added Lux, his forehead against hers.


    Iris sighed in her heart before raising her head to offer her soft lips to the man she loved.


    A secondter, the Half-Elf pressed his lips over hers. While making sure that Iris upper lips were upied with his own, he lifted her leg with his right hand and slipped his�� inside of her.


    Soon, muffled sounds escaped Iris'' lips. Fortunately, it was not loud enough to awaken the sleeping baby Slime.


    The two continued to make love under the nket, doing their best to enjoy theirst night to the fullest, while hiding from Eiko''s gaze, who was resting peacefully inside her basket.


    ��------


    "Well then, I''m off," Lux said while hugging Iris. "Don''t miss me too much, okay?"


    "I''ll try not to," Iris replied with a smile. "You too, Eiko. Take care of yourself, okay?"


    "Ma!"


    Iris kissed the baby Slime''s cheek, to which thetter returned with a big smile on her face.


    "Keane is waiting for me in his room," Lux patted Iris'' head like he used to do every time he left. "I promise to return as soon as I can. I''m sure that the next time you see me, Grandma is already back."


    Iris nodded. "That is for the best. When that happens, we can have that pic we have in mind."


    "Sounds like a n."


    "Mmm."


    After giving his fiance onest kiss, Lux reluctantly left her room and went to look for Keane, whom he had informed beforehand that they would be leaving today.


    Eiko, who had finally adapted to her body after a few days of being born, was quite excited to go back to Elysium.


    Although she would miss her Mama, the baby Slime wanted to be stronger than ever. In order to do that, she must go with her Papa to Elysium and get as many Beast Cores as she could. With her own strength, she would take revenge on the Ranker that killed her, while protecting one of the most important people in her life.


    ��--------


    Just like always, Lux, Eiko, and Keane, arrived at the za of Leaf Vige.


    The sun had just risen, and the faint smell of freshly baked bread could be smelled in the air.


    "Pa!"


    Eiko happily looked around from the top of Lux''s head. This was her first time in Leaf Vige after a few months.


    She gazed at her statue, which was also perched on the head of Lux''s statue, making her feel giddy.


    Since Eiko was in a good mood, she started to sway from left to right on top of Lux''s head while singing a song.


    "La~ Lla~ Llla~"


    The Half-Elf chuckled as he walked towards Grandma Annie''s house, which he assumed to be the ce where Cai was currently at.


    Along the way, several Slimes poked their heads out of the houses along the way and looked at the blue Slime on top of Lux''s head.


    All of them were the Slimes that were born in Leaf Vige, and they could vaguely feel a sense of majesty radiating from Eiko''s body, who was still singing on top of Lux''s head.


    A momentter, the sound of singing resounded in Leaf Vige as the baby Slimes, who heard Eiko''s singing, started to sing as well.

 Chapter 374 Do You Know Da Wae?

    "La~ Lla~ Llla~"


    """La~ Lla~ Llla~"""


    """La~ Lla~ Llla~"""


    Everyone inside Leaf Vige was quite surprised that all the Slimes started singing.


    It was simr to listening to a choir singing at the same time. This was the first time they saw and heard the baby Slimes singing together, so it made everyone wonder what was happening.


    After hearing the Slimes singing along, Eiko giggled as she jumped up and down Lux''s head. She didn''t expect the other Slimes to sing with her, and this made her very happy.


    Lux, on the other hand, already had a suspicion on what caused that to happen, but he kept it inside his heart. It would not be good to expose Eiko''s current ability to anyone because it might cause chaos inside the Vige. He would keep his lips shut tight and act oblivious to what was happening around them.


    When they neared Grandma Annie''s house, the singing stopped, making the vigers think that the Slimes were just in the mood to sing together, and left it at that.


    After entering the candy store, the Half-Elf immediately heard Cai''s words that were filled with excitement.


    "Um? Why did you stop singing Fei Fei?" Cai asked. "Go on. Sing more. I''d love to hear you sing again. You too, Cora, Nora, sing together with Fei Fei! The more the merrier!"


    The three baby Slimes giggled together as if they found Cai''s words very funny.


    Laura and Livia, who were also in the store, picked up their Slimes and urged them to sing as well. However, Cora and Nora simply smiled at their Masters and swayed their bodies left and right, as if they were dancing, making the two little Dwarves giggle.


    Because the three were too upied talking to their Slimes, they didn''t notice that Lux, Eiko, and Keane had already entered the store.


    "Good morning everyone," Lux said. "It''s fine weather to go on an adventure, isn''t it?"


    "Good morning, Sir Lux," Laura greeted the Half-Elf with a smile. "Are you nning to go on an adventure today?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "I might also take your Big Brother with me, so if he doesn''te back anytime soon, you and your sister shouldn''t worry too much, okay?"


    "Un!" Laura nodded her head in understanding.


    Livia, who was paying close attention to the discussion on the side, also nodded her head.


    The Half-Elf was their benefactor, so the two girls trusted him unconditionally.


    "Eiko! Allow me to introduce you to my new friend," Cai said with a smile. "This is Fei Fei. Say hi to your big sister, Eiko."


    The golden slime looked up at Eiko that was perched on top of Lux''s head. Cai usually minimized its size whenever it was indoors, so it was only around a meter tall at the moment, making it shorter than Lux.


    The blue slime and the golden slime stared at each other for a few seconds before Eiko took the initiative to greet Fei Fei.


    "Hello!" Eiko said.


    Fei Fei, who felt Eiko''s special characteristics, smiled and greeted her back.


    "Sis!" Fei Fei replied.


    Cora and Nora, who were also seeing Eiko for the first time, greeted the Fairy Princess as well.


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    Eiko giggled as she also replied to the two Slimes with an "Eyah!"


    Soon, the sounds of "Eyah! Eyah!" was heard inside the Candy Shop as the baby Slimes chatted with each other.


    (A/N: Eyah is the universalnguage of babies.)


    "I don''t really know what they''re talking about, but since they look happy, it''s fine!" Cai, who was closely observing the adorable Slimes, wanted to join the conversation, but since it couldn''t speak babynguage, it only listened to the happy chatter between them.


    "Well then, it''s time to go," Lux said after giving the Slimes a few minutes to talk. "Say goodbye to your new friends, Eiko."


    Eiko nodded and looked at Cora and Nora with a smile. "Bye bye!"


    "Bye Bye!"


    "Bye Bye!"


    The two Slimes also bid their farewell to their new friend. Although Eiko wanted to talk to them more, she was also excited to start her adventure with her Papa.


    "Let''s go, Fei Fei," Cai said as it urged the golden slime to perch on top of its head.


    Fei Fei nodded and crawled up, until it was perched on Cai''s head.


    Several minutester, the group finally left Leaf Vige before heading North East to visit the Barony of Wolfpine.


    ording to Nevreal, this location was currently suffering from an unnatural drought. It had been a year since itst rained, and the ponds and rivers had all dried up, affecting not only the farmers, but also the people who lived in the barony as well.


    The middle-aged man insisted that if the matter was not handled soon, the people would have no choice but to migrate and look for another settlement, leaving the Baron who ruled thends behind.


    Lux wasn''t an expert in this stuff, but since the funds of his Guild Headquarters were at stake, he decided to give it a try.


    Nevreal had a suspicion that someone was manipting things from behind, making the people of the Barony of Wolfpine suffer.


    The Half-Elf''s job was not to only investigate the cause, but to also capture anyone who might be responsible for making such a thing happen.


    Since he was holding the Emblem of the Order of the Griffin, the red-headed teenager had the authority to ask the Baron to allow him tomand the guards that kept thew and order of the city that was currently facing a challenging decline.


    "Let''s go, everyone!" Cai shouted excitedly as it took the lead. "We''re off to another adventure. Right, Fei Fei?"


    The Golden Slime pondered for a bit before voicing out her thoughts to her Master.


    "Do you know Da Wae?" Fei Fei asked.


    This was the only phrase that it could say at the moment, but it was more than enough to make Cai''s body stiffen.


    "Actually, I don''t know Da Wae," Cai replied as it scooted back beside Lux, who was seated on top of his Thunder Warg King, Jed. "Do you know Da Wae?"


    "Of course." Lux smirked.


    With the Elysium Compendium in his possession, he could even know the shortest route to arrive at their destination.


    Even so, ording to his estimate, it would still take them two days before they arrived at Wolfpine Barony since the nearest Teleportation Gate avable to them was a dozen miles away from the drought-stricken town.


    They had no choice but to travel on their mounts until they arrived at the nearest city after using the Stronghold of Norria''s teleportation gate.

 Chapter 375 Whisper Of Ruin [Part 1]

    Two dayster, Lux and his friends arrived at the Wolfpine Barony, where they were tasked to help with the investigation of the cause of the drought, which Nevreal believed was an unnatural one.


    On their journey, Lux and Keane received suspicious stares from the Dwarves they met on the way.


    Since Lux was wearing the Mask of Thousand Faces, he looked like a chubby Human teenager. As for Keane, he was simply Human, which was quite rare within the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.


    In the Dwarves'' eyes, Lux and Keane were like rare creatures that they were seeing for the first time. This was also why, on their way to the Wolfpine Barony, the patrolling guards of viges and towns they had to pass through would stop them almost every time.


    Fortunately, Thoram and Ken had given them letters of identification, simr to passports, allowing them to pass through the territories along the way.


    To the Half-Elf''s surprise, none of the Dwarves thought that the talking Boar that was traveling with them was strange. It seemed that for the Dwarves, a talking Boar was more normal than two Humans on a sight-seeing tour within the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    "We finally arrived," Cai said as it looked at a city from atop a cliff. "That''s the Wolfpine Barony, right?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes."


    "It''s a lot worse than I expected," Keanemented.


    Cai and Lux both agreed with Keane''s statement. When they neared the Barony, the ground was so dry that cracks could be seen everywhere.


    It was as if they were looking at a vast expanse of wastnd. Clearly, none of them believed that anybody would be able to live in such conditions.


    ording to Nevreal, the Wolfpine Barony used to be a very beautiful ce. It was a city that had many rivers, ponds, and lush greenery. But now, all of those had dried up.


    "Let''s go," Lux said as he urged Jed to run towards their destination. "Let''s get to the bottom of this."


    It didn''t take long for them to arrive at the entrance of the walled city. Just as they expected, all of them were stopped at the entrance by the City Guards, who found them suspicious.


    However, after seeing the rmendation letter and knowing that they, the Humans, hade to investigate the source of the drought, the Dwarves reluctantly allowed them to pass through the gate to meet with their Baron.


    "What can these Humans do?" one of the Dwarf Guards asked as they looked at Lux from atop the city ramparts. "The Mages from the Capital have alreadye here and conducted an investigation, yet none of them found anything suspicious and dered this drought to be a natural phenomenon."


    "Just let them do what they came here to do," another Guardmented. "We won''t lose anything by having people investigate. Who knows? These Humans might be able to do something that our Mages weren''t able to aplish."


    "Do you really think that''s possible? Those are royal court Magicians. If they can''t do anything about this drought, no one can."


    "Well, the moment those Mages weren''t able to do anything about this drought, I stopped thinking of them as a big deal."


    "Shhh... did you forget that they left four of those Mages here to constantly replenish our water supply with Water Magic? Be more cautious about what you say."


    "You have a point. It will not happen again."


    Lux, who had a good sense of hearing, was able to hear the conversation of the guards on the ramparts.


    ''I see, that is smart,'' Lux thought. ''Replenishing the water supply with the help of four magicians is good. Now I understand why they have been able to survive this long.''


    Due to the currentck of water, each family was given a quota of water that they could use everyday. They would line up every morning carrying wooden buckets, while the Royal Mages filled the fountain in the za with water, allowing the Dwarves to take a few buckets back home.


    This was not a long-term solution for the problem, but it was enough to allow those who chose to stay in the Barony to survive until the Mages returned to the capital city to resume their duties.


    After entering the city, the three didn''t go straight to the Baron''s residence, but instead, went to the Adventurer Guild first.


    Ken had asked Lux to pass a letter to his acquaintance in the Wolfpine Barony. The Dwarf told the Half-Elf that it would make things easier for thetter''s group to gain the support of the Adventurer''s Guild since they knew more about the surrounding territories than they did.


    "So, your names are Lucien, Keane, and Cai. Well then, since Ken sent you guys, I guess you''re capable enough to not die here, right?"


    Lux, Keane, and Cai, looked up at the Bearkin that towered above them.


    "I''m sure that Ken had already mentioned my name to you guys, but allow me to introduce myself formally," the Bearkin said with a smile. "My name is Pan De Monium. Since it is a mouthful, just call me Boss."


    "Okay, Boss," Cai replied. "Boss, can you tell us what happened here? Even rumors are fine too."


    "Hah! Feeling chummy with me from the get go?" Boss gave Cai a thumbs up. "I like! Okay everyone, please sit. This will be a long story."


    Perhaps due to the fact that he barely had anything to do, especially since most of the adventurers had left the Barony to go to more prosperous locations, the Bearkin happily engaged Lux and his friends in conversation.


    "Actually, before this drought started, there was an incident in the city that I think is rted to the current dilemma we are facing," Boss said with a serious expression on his face. "It was said that a pregnant Dwarf came to the city to look for the Baron''s second son to ask him to take responsibility for getting her pregnant. The Baron''s son denied it and even used thedy that she was just spouting nonsense.


    "When the pregnantdy was forcefully dragged away from the property, she had a miscarriage which caused quite a stir in the city back then. The next day, thedy went to the za to make a deration. She said that since the Baron''s son killed her child, she would make sure that this Barony would cease to exist.


    "After that, no one saw her again. Some say that the Baron''s son hired mercenaries to kill her, while others said that she wasst seen in the Dark ins, directly North from here. That ce is said to be a cursednd, and everyone who had gone there never returned again. I don''t know whether these rumors were true, but thedy losing her child was a fact, and her cursing this Barony was real as well."


    Cai, who was listening to the story, ground its teeth in irritation.


    "What a scum," Cai scoffed. "I don''t feel like helping this Barony anymore. Come, Let''s go back to Leaf Vige."


    Lux was tempted to say yes to Cai''s deration, but he had a job to do, so he coaxed the angry Boar to wait until the Bearkin finished his story.


    Clearly, this story was still not finished, so he wanted to know everything before he made a decision.

 Chapter 376 Whispers Of Ruin [Part 2]

    "Well, I do understand that this is not a good story, but there is more to it," Boss stated after seeing the reaction of his guests.


    "When the rivers and ponds within the territory started drying up, the people of the Barony feared that a curse had befallen thend. Although the people weren''t superstitious, everything was going south, so they started putting me on the Baron''s second son, forcing the Baron to take the matter in his own hand.


    "He ordered his son to go to the Temple to confess all of his sins to the Clerics and be cleansed from his filth. However, all the rivers and other sources of water continued to dry up. Things started to be chaotic then.


    "The fields became barren, and even if Water Magic was used, thend remained dry and cracked. The forest surrounding the barony slowly lost its lushness, until the trees have turned into dry husks.


    "The way things happened was very unnatural. Even if there was a drought, the trees wouldn''t die like that. The animals migrated, leaving nothing for the people to hunt. With no food and water to sustain the Barony, many people decided to leave.


    "All of them cursed the Baron''s second son for what was happening, making thetter unable to step foot outside their residence in fear that he would be mobbed by the townspeople. Even the Guards turned a blindeye whenever the Baron''s son was getting attacked. Truth be told, the respect that people had for the Baron is gone. Even I don''t give a damn if their entire family were to suddenly kick the bucket."


    Cai, who had been keeping quiet, stomped its foot in excitement. It was very tempted to charge at the Baron''s Residence to demand justice, but after hearing the story, it felt a bit better knowing that the Baron had lost everyone''s respect.


    "This is what you call Karma!" Cai stated. "This is what you call Divine Retribution! Hah! Serves them right. Those bastards deserve to get mobbed!"


    Just as Lux was about to voice out his opinion, a series of words appeared in front of him, making him hold back the words that he was about to say.


    ��---


    < Emergency Quest! >


    < Whisper of Ruin >


    Mission Rating: SSS


    �C A bereaved mother left the Wolfpine Barony to take revenge on the people that killed her child. She knew that she was powerless to do anything on her own, so she decided to seek the help of a powerful Warlock who lives in the Dark Stepes, located in the Dark ins.


    �C The Warlock agreed to her request. But, in return, she has to help him break the seals that bound a creature that had been locked away for centuries.


    �C You and the members of your group that have entered the Wolfpine Barony are now under the influence of the Curse of Ruin. Until you clear this mission, this Curse will follow you until death.


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Find the Baron''s second son and stop him from leaving Wolfpine Barony within the next 72 hours.


    �C Do not attack the Creature of Ruin. The quest will automatically fail if you, or any of your members, harmed the creature in any way possible.


    ��----


    < Mission Rewards >


    �C The Curse of Ruin will be lifted.


    �C Your lives will be spared.


    ��----


    < Curse of Ruin >


    �C An unnatural drought will follow you wherever you go.


    �C You will not be able to sire any children for life.


    �C You will be fated to die a dog''s death.


    ��----


    < Will you ept this Quest? >


    < Yes / Yes >


    < P.S  If you don''t ept this, you will die, so Yes is chosen as the default answer. >


    ��---


    "...Sh*t," Lux muttered as he looked at the unreasonable quest that was in front of him.


    "That''s right!" Cai nodded its head because it thought that the Half-Elf was agreeing with its statement earlier. "The Baron''s second son is sh*t! Um? Why did your face suddenly be pale? Are you okay?"


    Lux used both of his hands to rub his face in order to calm himself. This was his first time receiving an SSS-Rating quest, which meant that this was a very serious mission, which also meant that this was a matter of life and death.


    He had faced many close calls in the past, but nothingpared to this one. Each mission gave him the option to reject it. But, this time around, refusal meant death.


    How could he possibly choose death?


    Lux ignored Cai''s question as he spent a few minutes regaining hisposure. When he felt that he was calm enough to talk, he gazed at the Bearkin in front of him and asked him the one question that mattered the most.


    "Boss, do you know a monster called the Creature of Ruin?" Lux asked.


    The Bearkin''s body stiffened when he heard Lux''s inquiry.


    "Creature of Ruin? Isn''t that just a fairy tale?" Boss replied, but if one were paying close attention to his words, a trace of anxiety could be heard in them. "It''s just a story to scare little kids when they''re not listening to what their parents say."


    Lux smiled bitterly after hearing the Bearkin''s reply.


    ''What Fairy Tale? That creature will soone here!''


    The Half-Elf was very tempted to shout out loud, but he grit his teeth and endured the urge.


    "By the way, where did you hear about this Creature of Ruin?" Boss asked. He no longer had an easy-going attitude and it had been reced by a solemn expression that made Cai feel as if the Bearkin would suddenly attack them without warning.


    Lux could tell that the Bearkin was hiding something, so he started to weigh the pros and cons of whether he should share with him the information he just received from the quest.


    "Boss, let me ask you a hypothetical question," Lux replied.


    "Oh? I like hypothetical questions," Boss stated while showing his canines. "Go on. I promise to give you a hypothetical answer as well."


    The Half-Elf stared at the Bearkin, whose eyes had locked unto his body, waiting for him to ask his question.


    "What if I tell you that the Creature of Ruin is real?" Lux asked. "And if we don''t do something, you, I, and probably all of the people in this Barony will die. My question is this, will you help me keep this cmity from happening?"


    Bossughed after hearing Lux''s question. A momentter, he reappeared in front of the Half-Elf and grabbed his robe before raising him high up in the air.


    The Bearkin pulled Lux closer to him until their faces were only inches apart from each other.


    A bestial growl escaped Boss'' lips before he bared his fangs at the red-headed teeanger, who was struggling from his grasp.


    "Who are you, and how do you know about the creature of Ruin?" Boss asked with bloodshot eyes. "Did HE send you?"


    The Half-Elf didn''t know if he made the right decision by telling the Guildmaster about the Creature of Ruin. However, one thing was sure.


    The Bearkin knew something about the Creature of Ruin, and he needed to pry the answers from the Guildmaster''s mouth, before he faced the monster, who was about to bring ruin, not only to him, but to the entirety of the Wolfpine Barony.

 Chapter 377 Curse Of Ruin [Part 1]

    The Bearkin''s grip on Lux''s clothes was so tight that no matter how much he struggled, he couldn''t break free.


    Eiko, who was perched on Lux''s head, red at the Bearkin and then spat a Water Ball on the Bearkin''s face, making thetter lose his bnce which, in turn, allowed Lux to drop on the ground, coughing.


    "Oi! What do you think you''re doing?!" Cai, who had been frozen due to shock earlier, finally regained its senses and stomped its feet in anger. "If you want to fight, let''s fight!"


    Keane frowned and remained on his spot, but his hand was now gripping the handle of his sword. If the Bearkin attacked any of them again, then he would no longer hold back and draw his de.


    Boss growled, but Cai and Keane didn''t back down. Eiko was already ring daggers at the Bearkin, and tendrils of crimson mes escaped her lips. She was on the verge of unleashing a Dragon''s Breath, not caring whether the Adventurer''s Guild would be destroyed by her attack.


    "Everyone, please calm down," Lux stated after he regained his breath. "Boss, I think we should all sit down and discuss this in a civil manner. If you don''t want to cooperate, that''s fine. But, I would appreciate it if you don''t get in our wayter. "


    The Bearkin''s rank was that of an Initiate. Although he was stronger than Lux and the others, the Half-Elf and all of hisrades were not afraid of a showdown.


    After all, Lux could easily summon two Initiate Assassins of his own, and when that happened, even the Bearkin would find it hard to defend against their all out assault.


    Boss then took a deep breath before taking the chair that was blown away and sat down on it. His table had been destroyed when Eiko sted his face with a Water Ball since his body crashed on top of it.


    "First tell me, Did HE send you?" Boss asked. His gaze never left Lux''s face, looking for the slightest change in his expression.


    "First, who is this HE?" Lux asked. "I was sent here by Sir Nevreal to investigate the cause of the drought. I don''t know if he''s the one you are referring to, but I''m here because of his request."


    The Bearkin heaved a sigh of relief after hearing the Half-Elf''s reply. He was referring to a different person. If that person was the one that sent Lux, then the Bearkin would definitely start packing and flee the Wolfpine Barony in haste.


    "Then, how did you know about the Creature of Ruin?" Boss inquired.


    Lux crossed his arms over his chest before he held the Bearkin''s inquiring gaze.


    "I''m a Foreigner, we have records of this stuff," Lux replied.


    Cai, who was listening by the side, nced at Lux in surprise.


    "We do?" Cai asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "You''re just toozy to ask your Elders for information."


    Cai pondered for a moment before nodding its head. It was toozy to read any information regarding Elysium and preferred to just explore at its own pace.


    The Half-Elf was just b*llsh*tting his way through this because he just wanted to get this mission over with. But, deep inside, he wanted to p his pig teammate who didn''t know how to support the people on its own side!


    The Bearkin still looked at Lux with suspicion, but since he didn''t know much about Foreigners, he decided to put the matter aside for now.


    "Okay, what do you know about the Creature of Ruin?" Boss asked.


    Lux shook his head. "I don''t know anything about it. However, I have a feeling that it is an incredibly strong creature."


    "Hahaha. Incredibly strong creature?" Bossughed out loud after hearing Lux''s reply. "You have no idea how strong this creature is. There''s a reason why it is sealed in the first ce in the Dark ia���"


    The Bearkin immediately shut his mouth because this was an information that he didn''t n to say. He just got carried away when he found out that Lux thought that they were just dealing with an ordinary strong monster, like a World Boss.


    Lux knew that the Bearkin still held a lot of information, so he tried to try a bluff to make thetter spill the beans.


    "I already know that the Creature of Ruin is sealed in the Dark ins," Lux replied as if it wasn''t a big deal. "Actually, the seals have already been destroyed. The Monster is even on his way to this town as we speak. However, even if we leave, we are already under the Curse of Ruin, so even if we run to the ends of the world, nothing can save us. However, the situation can still be salvaged if you cooperate with us."


    The Bearkin''s face became extremely pale after he heard the words "Curse of Ruin".


    He immediately took something out of his storage ring and held it in the palm of his hand. The thing he took out was a purple orb and, at first, there was no immediate change on its surface, but several secondster, a golden eye appeared in its depths, and started to look around, making the Bearkin drop it in shock.


    "It''s true!" the Bearkin eximed as the purple ball rolled on the floor until it hit Lux''s foot. "I am cursed!"


    The Bearkin covered his face with both of his hands, as he started to mutter something very quickly in anguage that Lux was unable to understand.


    Although he had no idea what the Bearkin was saying, he felt like it was a prayer to protect him from harm.


    A few minutester, the Bearkin sighed before looking at Lux with a fearful gaze.


    "Is there a way to break this curse?" Boss asked.


    Clearly, he knew from the start what this curse was about, and he wanted to break free from it as soon as possible.


    "I know how to break it," Lux answered. "But, before that, tell me everything you know about the Creature of Ruin. make sure to not miss a single detail, or none of us will be able to make it out of this alive."


    The Bearkin clenched his fists as if he was fighting a great internal struggle inside his heart.


    However, thissted only for a few minutes before he finally unclenched his fists with a sigh.


    Now that he had confirmed that he had indeed been cursed, he had no choice but to believe the Half-Elf''s words, or else, he would risk receiving the entire condemnation of his n for failing to do his duty as the Guardian of the Seals of Ruin within the territory of the Wolfpine Barony.

 Chapter 378 Curse Of Ruin [Part 2]

    "First, the Creature of Ruin is one of the Four Cmities in the Arondight Territory," Boss replied. "My n is in charge of protecting the seal in the Dark ins. However, a year ago, there was this weird Dwarf that suddenly appeared in the Dark Stepes.


    "He seemed pretty harmless and just stayed quietly in his hut, so I didn''t bother him much. However, after the incident with the pregnant Dwarf, things started to change for the worse. I thought that it was because of the seal, so I went there to check on each of their locations.


    "The seals were still in ce, but I could vaguely feel that the Creature of Ruin was starting to wake up from its slumber. If that thing really broke free, then we have no ce to hide in this world.


    "Perhaps you foreigners can escape, but we can''t. This is why this Monster was sealed hundreds of years ago by my ancestors. The monster was that destructive. It can suck the life force out of thend it walks on, leaving only a vast wastnd where nothing can grow."


    Lux who was listening to the Bearkin''s narration frowned.


    "If such a creature did exist, why seal it when you can just kill it?" Lux inquired. "I find it hard to believe that this kingdom didn''t have the means to kill a monster of that Rank."


    ? Boss shook his head before telling Lux why the Kingdom of Gweliven couldn''t send anyone to fight it.


    "This Creature of Ruin''s Rank is on the Cmity Level," Boss exined. "You need at least a dozen Saints in order to beat it. And even if it is defeated, all those who fought against it would be cursed, making them unable to sire any children and an eternal drought would follow them wherever they go.


    "But, that is not the worst part. The worst part is that this creature is able to revive itself after three years. Once it revives, it would appear randomly within the Arondight Territory. Only one creature of its kind can exist at a time, so once it is killed, a new Creature of Ruin will take its ce.


    "This is why, although it can be defeated, it can never be killed. That is why everyone decided to seal it, along with the three other Creatures of Ruin, using the full might of the Kingdoms within the Arondight Domain. Now that one of them has been freed, the Kingdom of Gweliven and its allies must mobilize their Saints, in order to seal it once again."


    Lux finally understood why the mission rating for the quest was SSS.


    ''The quest rewards said that if I managed to fulfill the requirements, the Curse would be lifted and my life would be spared,'' Lux thought. ''I am fighting against a Cmity-Rank Monster, and even if the Saints of the Kingdom of Gweliven mobilized, it was still a creature that even they didn''t dare to kill no matter what.''


    The other warning on the quest about not attacking the monster in any way, now made sense.


    If one dared to attack a Cmity Ranked Monster, a cmity would fall upon their heads, in a literal manner.


    "Boss, I have a n, but you will not like it," Lux said as a primer before telling the Bearkin what they should do in order to lift the curse that had been ced on their bodies.


    Just as he expected, hesitation appeared on the Bearkin''s face after hearing the thing that they must do.


    "Kidnapping or killing the Noble of a Kingdom is a very serious offense," Boss stated. "Even if we seed in capturing the Baron''s second son, we will be butting heads with the Nobility, and this will definitely not end well."


    Lux nodded his head because he had already expected something like this to happen. However, he also knew that the Bearkin would agree to his n in the end.


    When one''s own life was threatened, they would definitely prioritize their own. Also, if they told the aristocrats that all that was needed to appease the Creature of Ruin and prevent it from destroying the entire Kingdom of Gweliven was to hand over the Baron''s second son whomitted a crime in the first ce, would they object?


    The Half-Elf was sure that if the King were to choose between his Kingdom and the life of one scum, he would definitely choose the former and ensure that his citizens wouldn''t have to worry about the Creature of Ruin that was currently headed to the Wolfpine Barony.


    While Lux was trying to convince the Guildmaster to cooperate with him, several carriages, which were escorted by mounted guards, entered the gates of the city.


    The emblem embedded on the side of the carriage held the crest of the Royal Family of Gweliven.


    "Did we finally arrive?" a youngdy with light-brown hair and green eyes asked.


    One of her maids nodded her head in affirmation.


    "We have arrived, Your Highness," the Maid replied. "This is the city that belongs to the Baron of the Wolfpine Territory."


    "Well, it''s about time. My brothers are already racking up achievements, and I need to catch up no matter what."


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness. We have brought experts in the field and hired the best Adventurer Party in the kingdom. With their help, we might be able to solve the drought problem, allowing you to gain favor in His Majesty''s eyes."


    The pretty princess smiled like a flower because she felt as if she had gotten her second wind. She was one of her father''s favorites, which was why she was allowed to participate in the battle for session.


    Now that a golden opportunity had arrived, she would be a fool to not take the chance to get ahead of his brothers, who were currentlypeting with each other.


    "Send a rider to the Baron''s Residence," the pretty Princess ordered. "Inform them of our arrival. Make sure to tell them who I am, so that they will prepare the wee I deserve."


    The maid bowed respectfully before replying to her Master''s orders. "Yes, Your Highness."

 Chapter 379 A Variable Has Appeared [Part 1]

    "As an individual, I would like to help you kidnap the Baron''s second son. Unfortunately, I can''t do that," Boss stated. "I am a Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild, and I can''t ruin my organization''s reputation because of my personal desires. But, that doesn''t mean that I can''t help you in other ways."


    The Bearkin knew how serious the situation was, so he had already thought of a way to help Lux without jeopardizing the organization he belonged to.


    "I promise that I and the other adventurers remaining in this city will not get in your way," Boss said. "Also, if the Baron ever asks us to pursue you, we will ept his orders on the surface, but we will not act on it."


    Lux nodded. "That''s fine. As long as the Adventurer''s Guild doesn''t get in our way, then that is already a big help  to make it easier for us to reach our goal."


    The Bearkin rubbed his chin as he looked at the Half-Elf. Now that they had both exchanged information, all that was left to do was to decide on what both of them would be doing next.


    "All we need to do is keep the Baron''s second son here in the Wolpine Barony for three days, right?" Boss inquired.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "It is my guess that if he leaves Wolfpine Vige during those three days, the Creature of Ruin would chase him, and in turn, it would pass through viges, towns, and even cities, leaving a trail of destruction behind. We must not allow such a thing to happen."


    Boss sighed as he nodded his head in agreement. The Kingdom of Gweliven only had two Saints at the moment.


    These two Saints had lived their lives away from politics, and didn''t meddle with the affairs of the Kingdom of Gweliven, but during times of need they would appear to lend their hand.


    However, even if they worked together, just the two of them would not be enough to stop the Creature of Ruin that had only been sealed by thebined might of all the Kingdoms within the Arondight Territory.


    "I will also inform the Main Headquarters of the Adventurer''s Guild in the capital city," Boss stated. "They will be the one to ry this information to the King''s ears, allowing him to act ordingly. But, I just want to confirm one thing. Are you sure that the Creature of Ruin has broken the seals that bound him?"


    "I''ll be perfectly honest, I''m not really sure," Lux replied. "But I assume that it is so."


    He only assumed that the Creature of Ruin had broken free due to the information about the quest that was avable to him.


    Boss frowned as he contemted whether he should send word to the capital or not. He had only met Luxtely, and he didn''t know if he could be trusted. Nevertheless, this news was simply too big to ignore, so he decided to only send a message to the capital after he personally checked if the seals were really broken or not.


    "Okay, I will take my men to check the seals in the Dark ins," Boss said. "This will also be a good excuse so that the Baron won''t be able to contact me."


    "Sounds like a n. We will be staying at the White House Inn," Luxmented. "If the seals are broken, make sure to inform us as soon as possible."


    "Okay. That sounds reasonable."


    "Thank you."


    After reaching an agreement, Lux and his friends went to the White House Inn to book three rooms.


    Since they needed to stay for three days in the Wolfpine Barony, that also meant that they had plenty of time to investigate and snoop around the Baron''s Residence to look for the whereabouts of the Baron''s second son.


    When Lux was in the privacy of his own room, he summoned Ishtar to give her an order.


    "Ishtar, scout the Baron''s Residence and check how many guards they have," Lux ordered. "Make sure to include detailed information about how strong they are. Look for possible escape routes while you''re at it. We will need this information if we are to sneak in inside their residence and kidnap the Baron''s second son."


    "Understood, Master," Ishtar replied before opening the window of the room.


    A momentter, she turned into a ck mist and disappearedpletely.


    This was the first time that Lux and his friends had been to Dunspear City, so after two hours of rest, they went out to explore the city to get a better understanding of the current situation of the people that lived there.


    "As a Nomadic Tribe, we''ve seen many ces," Cai said as it walked beside Lux. "But, I''ve never seen something as tragic as this."


    Lux agreed with Cai''s statement because everyone in the city was currently living pitiful lives. No matter where they went, they could only see the exhausted faces of the people that lived in the city.


    No smiles could be seen and noughter could be heard anywhere.


    Simply put, the Wolfpine Barony was simply surviving due to the support of the Royal Family.


    There were food supplies that were transported to the Barony from the nearby territories, but it was not enough to allow the people living here to eat properly.


    Even the Tavern where they stayed didn''t give out nor sold any food. The only way to eat was to hunt, but hunting was also extremely hard due to the current circumstances.


    After strolling for a few hours, the three returned to their tavern to rest. They brought plenty of supplies with them, so they weren''t worried about food and water.


    Just as they entered the Tavern of the Inn, they heard people chatting with each other while eating peanuts.


    "Have you heard? A Royal seems to have arrived in the city today."


    "Really? Do they have that much free time to visit this deste ce?"


    "It''s true. I saw their carriages earlier and they were headed to the Baron''s Residence."


    "Weird. I don''t see any good reason why a member of the Royal Family would visit that bastard Baron who raised a scummy son."


    "Hush... you already know what happened to the people that opposed the Baron''s son. If you don''t want to disappear mysteriously, you will keep your opinion inside your head and deal with it ordingly."


    Lux frowned after his ears picked up the gist of the conversation.


    ''A variable has appeared,'' Lux thought as he made a gesture for Cai and Keane to sit at a table near the Dwarves, who were happily chatting about the new arrivals in their city. ''This is bad. If a member of the Royal Family had arrived, that meant that they brought Elite Guards with them.''


    Lux had to consider this matter carefully because the appearance of a member of the Royal Family could ruin the n he had in mind.


    As if proving that his thoughts were right, the connection he had with Ishtar suddenly broke, making the Half-Elf''s face turn pale.


    Before his Nightstalker died, Ishtar was still able to say a few words to him, and those words made Lux curse internally.


    "Master, be careful. A Ranker is here!"


    Those were thest words that Ishtar said to him before their connection was cut. Clearly, it spelt bad news to the Half-Elf, who didn''t expect that someone that powerful would suddenly arrive in the city, before he could think of a way to kidnap the Baron''s second son.


    ''Great, how else could this possibly get worse?'' Lux sighed in his heart.


    It was at that moment when the door of the Tavern suddenly opened. A Dwarf with green hair and red eyes, who could be considered a mature beauty, walked up to Lux''s table and pressed a hand on his shoulder.


    "I just killed an Undead earlier, and I followed the faint connection it had with its Master," the green-haired Dwarf said as the grip she had on Lux''s shoulder tightened, holding him in a vice grip.


    She then lowered her head and whispered in a voice that only Lux could hear.


    "Give me one good reason why I shouldn''t tell the Baron that a Necromancer is snooping around his residence," the green-haired Dwarf said. "If I don''t like your answer, I will break your limbs and drag you to Baron, so he can personally punish you for trespassing on his private property."

 Chapter 380 A Variable Has Appeared [Part 2]

    Murphy''sw states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.


    When people think that things couldn''t possibly get any worse, it would get worse.


    Lux wanted to p himself silly for raising a g for himself, which happened just minutes after Ishtar died.


    The rowdy Tavern descended into silence the moment the Dwarf appeared.


    The green-haired Dwarf was wearing the coat of arms of the Gweliven Royal Family, indicating that she was one of the personal guards of the Royal.


    For most people, this was the highest form of honor, and to some, their uniform was a symbol of power and prestige because only the best would be able to wear the uniform that the green-haired Dwarf was wearing.


    "Um, I think you have misunderstood something here," Lux replied. "I am not a suspicious person."


    "That is what suspicious people always say," the green-haired Dwarfmented. "Also, even though I''ve had the opportunity to see Humans in the past, I''ve never seen one that has ventured this far within our Kingdom. In my eyes, you are the most suspicious people that I havee across, so you better stop spouting nonsense and answer my question."


    The Dwarves in the Tavern looked at Lux and his friends with vignce. Just like the green-haired Dwarf said, having Humans this deep in their territory was not amon urrence.


    Although they didn''t make it too obvious earlier, they were quite wary of Lux, and his friends, because they were all Foreigners.


    (A/N: Just in case you all forgot, Foreigners is the term Elysians used to describe Sians.)


    Just as Lux was about to take something out of his storage ring, the green-haireddy''s grip on his shoulder tightened, making Lux cry out in pain.


    "Don''t do anything stupid," the green-haired Dwarf said icily. "This is yourst warning. If you do something suspicious I''ll snap your neck."


    Lux wanted to rebuke the Dwarfdy, but since she was a Ranker, he decided to y it safe and just use the lifeline that was avable to him.


    "I am going to take a golden locket out of my storage ring," Lux said. "After you see it, you will know who I am. So, do you mind if I take it out to show you?"


    The green-haired Dwarf pondered for a bit before nodding her head. However, her grip on Lux''s shoulder remained firm.


    The Half-Elf took out the Golden Locket of the Griffin, and showed it to the green-haireddy, who immediately frowned after seeing it.


    Without asking for permission, she took the locket from Lux''s hands and observed it with a critical gaze. She rolled it over in her hands, opened it, and looked at it from different angles.


    After confirming that the locket was authentic, she handed it back to Lux and removed her grip from his shoulder.


    "Let''s talk outside," the green-haired Dwarf ordered as she made a gesture for the red-headed teenager to stand and follow her.


    "Stay here," Lux said to his friends. "I''ll be fine."


    Cai and Keane nodded their heads. They had already sensed how strong the green-haireddy was, so they didn''t do anything reckless when Lux was being held in a vice grip.


    The two knew that even if they worked together alongside Lux, it would be impossible for them to beat the Ranker, who seemed to be employed by the Royal Family.


    As soon as Lux stepped outside of the Tavern, a strong gust of wind blew over him, wrapped him up securely, which prevented him from moving. A secondter, he found himself flying through the air at great speeds.


    "Good, let''s talk here," the green-haired Dwarf said after finding a suitable ce to talk that was far away from the city. "First, I don''t believe that you are a member of the Order of the Griffin. I''ve met all of their members, so I am sure that you are not one of them.


    "Also, I highly doubt that His Majesty would make a Human, especially a Foreigner, part of his private force. You made one mistake, Human. Not all Dwarves, especially those who sit in high positions in this nation, know the existence of the Order of the Griffin. You can''t just sh your golden locket thinking that anyone who saw it would recognize it right away."


    "E-Eh? But I was told that I should just show it to the guards and members of the military if I ever needed their assistance when dealing with a difficult mission," Lux replied with a face filled with injustice.


    "Fool, you are supposed to show your emblem to the secret service that would then contact the authorities to get the support you need," the green-haired Dwarf replied in an annoyed manner. "Didn''t they even tell you something so basic?! Who was the one that gave you the golden locket? Was it Galileo? Was it that bastard Charles? Or that snot-faced Nevreal?"


    Lux, who had been called a fool, wasn''t able to defend himself from the one-sided nagging that was being hurled in his direction.


    "Miss, can you calm down first?" Lux asked. "How about we talk like civilized people? Also, why are you so familiar with how the Order of the Griffin works? Are you one of its members?"


    The green-haireddy suddenly stopped talking as she red at Lux, making thetter feel that he was being stared down by a giant, when in fact, he was the one who was taller than the Dwarf, whose ring red eyes made him feel as if he had stepped on andmine.


    A minuteter, the green-haired Dwarf snorted.


    "I am not a member of the Order," the green-haired dwarf replied. "But my Master is one of them. This is why I know how they do things from the shadows."


    Lux had a feeling that the green-haired Dwarf wanted to be part of the Order, butcked the qualifications to get the role. He didn''t know how the King decided who got to be one of the members of his private organization, so the Half-Elf had no idea why a Ranker like the green-haired Dwarf wasn''t one of its members.


    "I see." Lux narrowed his gaze. He didn''t know if what he was about to do was going to work, but it was worth giving it a try. "Then, since you know of my identity, isn''t it about time that you release me? I am on a very important mission, you know? Your interference is making it hard for me to do my job properly."


    The green-haired Dwarf once again snorted after she heard Lux''s words.


    "Like I said earlier, I don''t recognize you as one of the members of the Order," the green-haired dwarf replied. "Now, tell me why you are here in the Wolfpine Barony, or else, I''ll take you to the Mayor''s Residence tied up like the pig you are."


    "Sorry, but I can''t tell you that. If you want to know why I am here, you should get in touch with Nevreal. He is the one that requested that Ie to this ce."


    "Nevreal? So it''s that snot-nosed old man who doesn''t know when to call it quits. I see... so this is about the merit system. Now I understand your purpose foring."


    The green-haired Dwarf then smiled evilly as she approached Lux.


    "You are here to get in the way of Her Highness'' ascension," the green-haired Dwarf said coldly. "Since that is the case, I should deal with you right here, right now."

 Chapter 381 Whatever Means Necessary Without Breaking The Law

    "You are here to get in the way of Her Highness'' ascension. Since that is the case, I should deal with you right here, right now."


    The green-haired Dwarf smiled evilly as she grabbed hold of the Half-Elf''s robe. Of course, she was just scaring him, so that he would back away and leave the Wolfpine Barony. Her purpose was to make sure that the Princess she served would be able to focus on the task at hand, without thinking of variables outside of her control.


    Unfortunately for her, there was someone that didn''t like her bluff, and she made her opinion known in a rather unexpected manner.


    The body of the green-haired Dwarf who had just grabbed hold of Lux''s robe immediately stiffened and then hurriedly backed away, putting a good distance between herself and the Half-Elf.


    Behind Lux, a ck coffin radiating a crimson aura hovered in the air. Although the coffin was closed, there was a presence inside it that told the green-haired Dwarf to not push her luck, or else she would regret it.


    ''As expected of someone that was recognized by the members of the Order of the Griffon,'' the green-haired Dwarf thought. ''He has some tricks hidden in his sleeve.''


    The wind that was holding Lux in ce disappeared, allowing the Half-Elf to have full control of his body once again. At first, the Half-Elf wasn''t sure what happened, but after seeing the hovering ck coffin behind him, an "Oh!" escaped his lips, making him understand what had just transpired.


    This time, it was Lux''s turn to look at the green-haired Dwarf with a devilish smile stered on his face.


    "Hehehe, looks like the tables have turned, missy~" Lux said in a teasing tone. "Since you n to get in my way, I guess I should deal with you right here, right no�Couch!"


    The ck coffin behind the Half-Elf lightly knocked his head as if reprimanding him, making the red-headed teenager rub his head in helplessness.


    Clearly, Vera didn''t like Lux using her as a means to bully others, which made the Half-Elf toss his n to give the green-haired Dwarf a punishment for what she had done to him aside.


    "I am here on an important mission," Lux replied. "I don''t care who you are helping in order to gain some points, but I would appreciate it if you don''t get in my way. Something sinister is going to arrive in this city soon, so it would be best if you and your master left as soon as possible."


    Lux nced in the direction of Dunspear City before summoning his Thunder Warg King, Jed, to bring him back to the city.


    Fortunately, the green-haired Dwarf hadn''t taken him that far, so he easily reunited with his friends in just a few minutes.


    The Dwarf, who was left behind, stared at Lux''s back with a contemtive look as she headed back to the city.


    ''What does he mean by saying that something sinister will soon arrive in the city?'' the green-haired Dwarf thought. ''I must inform the princess right away.''


    A gust of wind blew, as the Dwarf flew back in haste to the Baron''s Residence to tell the Princess what just happened.


    ��----


    Back at the White House Inn��


    "Hmph! It''s a good thing that Little Swordy stopped me earlier," Cai said. "If not, I would have pped that green-haired Dwarf silly and sent her flying. How dare she bully us? Tsk! She''s lucky that I am a pacifist. I like to talk things out first before charging head-first to battle. Isn''t that right, Fei~ Fei~"


    "Da Wae?" Fei Fei tilted its head in confusion.


    Clearly, the baby Gold Slime didn''t believe that its Master had what it takes to follow through with what it was saying.


    The Half-Elf rolled his eyes on the ''pacifist'' Boar''s words. Cai was someone who liked to bully the weak and fear the strong. If it really went to fight with the green-haired Dwarf, the one who would be pped and sent flying would be none other than the Boar, who was lying through its thick skin.


    "Don''t worry, for the most part, I don''t think that she will hinder us again," Lux stated. "But, I can''t say the same for the Master she is serving. If I didn''t mishear her words, her employer is a member of the Royal Family of this Kingdom. Best not to cross swords and words with them, or we might find ourselves being treated as an eyesore by the Kingdom."


    Keane, who was clearing his sword with a piece of oiled cloth raised his head to look in their direction.


    "So, what are our ns?" Keane asked. "Since they are now keeping tabs on us, do we still kidnap the Baron''s second son, knowing that they are staying in the same residence?"


    Actually, this was the new problem that Lux had to deal with. He didn''t know how to handle this matter effectively because he was quite confident that the green-haired Dwarf would get in his way if he attempted to kidnap the Baron''s second son by force.


    "Our mission is simple," Lux stated. "We need to keep the Baron''s second son here in the city for three days. We don''t have to kidnap him, we just need him to remain here. As long as this condition is met, we will be safe�� probably."


    Cai and Keane nced at each other before nodding their heads. Lux had explicitly told them that they shouldn''t attack the Creature of Ruin no matter what.


    Now that they knew that it was a Cmity-Ranked Monster, they would do their best to not provoke it in any way possible. Even a dozen Saints hadn''t been able to defeat itpletely and had no choice but to seal it.


    A couple of Grade A Apostles simply didn''t stand a chance against a Monster of that rank.


    "So, how are we going to monitor the Baron''s second son?" Cai asked. "Do we just take turns watching their residence?"


    Lux firmly shook his head "That won''t work. Since a member of the Royal Family is staying there, the Elite Guards that escorted her here will be guarding the perimeter, not allowing any potential threats to get near her. We already met one Ranker, it''s quite possible that there are more."


    The room descended into silence because they were stuck on what to do next.


    "If my Grandpa was here, we wouldn''t have to worry about anything," Cai grumbled. "We could just walk in through the front door and demand that they treat us as VIP guests."


    Lux, who was wracking his brains about what he should do to enter the Baron''s Residence, looked at the Boar as if it was a freaking genius.


    "That''s it!" Lux suddenly got an idea for what he should do next. "You''re a genius, Cai!"


    "I am?" the Boar tilted its head in confusion. "Oh right! I am a genius. Hahaha! Um, why am I a genius again?"


    Lux smirked before stepping out of the room in haste.


    He didn''t answer Cai because he wasn''t sure if what he thought would work.


    However, after summoning his Soul Book and using the Map Function of the Elysium Compendium, he was able to find the location of the secret service of the Order of the Griffon that was stationed in Dunspear City.


    Galileo had mentioned in passing that they had their agents in every city in the Kingdom of Gweliven. Since that was the case, all that Lux needed to do was find them using the map function of the Elysium Compendium that was able to pinpoint allies and neutral people on the map.


    Since he was a member of the Order of the Griffon, his allies would naturally turn green on the map, which meant that he could go directly to them and ask for their help in letting him enter the Baron''s Residence through whatever means necessary without breaking thew.

 Chapter 382 Everyone Has A Price

    Baron''s Residence��


    "A member of the Order is here?" the Princess asked. "Is father taking this matter into his own hands? Were you aware of this, Millie?"


    The green-haired Dwarf shook her head.


    "Your Highness, I am not aware of how the Order operates because they only take orders from the King," Millie replied. "However, I am very doubtful whether that Human is really under the order of His Majesty or not.  After all, he mentioned that the one that sent him here was Nevreal."


    "Nevreal? That old man really doesn''t know when to just mind his own business." The Princess wrinkled her nose after hearing Nevreal''s name. "I see. So, that person is here on behalf of my dear brother. Looks like we have somepetition in our hands, Millie."


    "It is as you say, Your Highness."


    "Heh~ now this has suddenly be interesting. Millie, find that Human and tell him that I want to talk to him in private."


    Millie thought that she had heard the Princess wrong, but knowing what kind of person the third Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven was, she already had a hunch about what the Princess was up to.


    "You want to bribe him to join our side?" Millie asked with a doubtful expression on her face.


    The Princess looked at the green-haired Dwarf with a devilish smile before nodding her head.


    "Everyone has a price, Millie," the Princess said. "No matter what amount of wealth or favor my brother promised him, tell him that I will double it. Naturally, there will be some conditions attached. However, I''m sure that we can smooth the details out once we meet."


    Millie groaned internally. Just because the third Princess had been spoiled by His Majesty, the King, she thought that she could get away with everything she wanted using her father''s backing.


    The Princess had just turned fifteen this year, and she had already gained a lot of favors from possible suitors. This is quite understandable because she was someone who could easily make people like her with her irresistible charm.


    Her long brown hair and hazel eyes had already won the hearts of many young nobles, who wished for her to be the Crown Princess of the Kingdom.


    This also boosted her confidence, making her think that she was the one favored by the heavens to rule thend.


    "As you wish, Your Highness," Millie reluctantly agreed to the Princess'' orders.


    Although she didn''t like working with others, as long as the one she served became the monarch of the Dwarven Kingdom, she wouldn''t mind turning a blind eye.


    "I look forward to the good news, Millie."


    "I will do my best, Your Highness."


    Just as Millie was about to leave the Baron''s Residence to look for Lux, she heard amotion outside, which made her frown.


    "It seems that we have some unexpected guests, Your Highness," Millie said as she stood up to walk towards the window.


    The Princess'' interest was piqued, so she also went to the window to look at what was happening outside.


    A ck carriage had arrived at the Baron''s Residence, bearing no insignia whatsoever.


    But, the thing that surprised Millie and the Princess the most was that two of the four Water Mages, who had been supplying the water supply of the city, emerged from the carriage.


    A momentter, a chubby teenage Human came out of the carriage, which made Millie''s body stiffen. It was none other than the Human that she had talked to an hour ago, making her wonder what the chubby young man was up to.


    "Is that him?" the Princess asked as she looked at the chubby boy in the distance. "This is the first time I''m seeing a Human. Do all Humans look like him?"


    Millie firmly shook her head. "No."


    "Well, isn''t this great?" the Princess smiled sweetly. "He saved us the trouble of looking for him."


    Millie didn''t make anyments and just simply nodded her head. Now that the one she was supposed to look for was already here, it was now up to the Princess to make the chubby human join her side.


    The two watched from the window of their room, and they saw the Barone out to personally meet the Human, who was said to be a supervisor sent by the King, to see if there were any changes in the drought that was guing his Barony.


    "You must have had a long journey, Your Grace," the baron said with a ttering smile. "Please,e inside so that you can rest. We don''t have much to offer, but we will do our best to make your stay asfortable as possible."


    Lux nodded his head like the important person he was and allowed the Baron to escort him inside the Residence.


    Lux was the one who would be keeping an eye on the Baron''s second son, while Cai and Keane were left at the inn because he needed them to handle a few things.


    True to his word, the Baron made sure that Lux was treated like a VIP guest. He was introduced to the members of the Baron''s family, allowing him to see the person he was looking for.


    ''Dark-brown hair and green eyes,'' Lux thought. ''He does fit the description that Boss gave me.''


    The Baron''s second son was quite a handsome fellow. His good looks and curly hair had a certain appeal that could make anydy look at him fondly.


    ''But, that doesn''t change the fact that he''s a scum.'' Lux picked up his tea cup and took a sip.


    Since he had confirmed that the Baron''s second son was indeed inside their residence, he didn''t need to do anything reckless but simply ensure that he stayed inside the Wolfpine Barony for the duration of his mission.


    ��------


    Mission Time: 67: 24: 08


    ��------


    ''This is going to be a long wait,'' Lux thought as he contemted what he should do during his stay.


    Just as the Half-Elf was about to ce his cup back on the table, his eyesnded on a youngdy who was walking down the stairs of the mansion.


    Thedy''s aesthetics bordered between being adorable and being beautiful, which made the Half-Elf wonder how old she was.


    However, after seeing the green-haired Dwarf that was walking a few steps behind the youngdy, the Half-Elf immediately realized who this person was.


    "Good day to you, Inspector," the youngdy said with a smile. "This is the first time that we''ve met, so please, allow me to introduce myself."


    The adorable Dwarf did a curtsy, before saying her name.


    "My name is Anastasia Von Gweliven," Anastasia said while keeping the angelic smile on her face. "The third Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven."

 Chapter 383 A New Kind Of Thrill

    "What an adorable Slime! Is that perhaps your pet, Sir Lucien?" Anastasia asked after she and Lux had greeted each other, and gotten to know each other''s names.


    She had seen many Slimes before, but for some reason, the blue Slime that was perched on top of the chubby human''s head, made her feel like it was very different from the regr Slimes that she had seen in the past.


    "She''s not my pet, Your Highness." Lux replied. "She''s my daughter, Eiko. Eiko, say hello to Her Highness."


    Eiko looked down at the adorable Dwarf from the top of her Papa''s head and smiled.


    "Hello!"


    "Hello to you, too, Eiko. It''s nice to meet you."


    "Un!"


    Eiko giggled as she continued to look at the adorable Dwarf, who was looking at her and her Papa with a critical gaze. In her eyes, the Princess was no different from Heidi, Laura, and Livia, so she greeted Anastasia like she did other people.


    While the baby Slime was observing the Princess from the top of her Papa''s head, Anastasia''s thoughts wandered, thinking about the mysterious organization that directly served her father.


    Of course, she had already seen a few of its members and even had the opportunity to chat with them.


    However, there was one thing that the Princess understood while talking to these people��it was that they hid themselves deeply.


    All of them were Dwarves and had different traits and attitudes, but they shared the same goal��ensuring that the Kingdom of Gweliven would continue to prosper and grow as a powerful nation.


    She didn''t understand why her father would allow a Human to be part of the Order of the Griffin, who served as his personal sword and shield.


    ''Why did Father ask this Human to join the order?'' Anastasia mused. ''Maybe he has some hidden abilities that caught father''s fancy?''


    Lux, who was under the Princess'' scrutiny, decided to take the initiative to gauge the Princess'' character, in order to get a better understanding of her.


    He really didn''t care about the members of the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Gweliven, but since Anastasia was already here, he thought that it wouldn''t be bad for him to form some connections.


    Perhaps this meeting would help him in the future, so he decided to get to know the adorable Princess, whose gaze never left his face.


    "For you toe to this deste ce is proof that you care for the suffering people of your Kingdom, Your Highness," Lux said. "This Kingdom is very lucky to have a Princess such as you."


    The Baron, who was standing not far away, smiled from ear to ear because he also didn''t expect that a member of the Royal Family would pay him a visit.


    Although Anastasia''s arrival was unannounced, he still found this a good opportunity to tter the spoiled Princess of the Royal Family and gain her favor.


    "You overestimate me, Your Grace," Anastasia replied. "I am simply here to offer whatever aid I can give. My strength is limited, so I don''t know if I will be able to do it on my own. Perhaps, if His Grace decided to cooperate with me, then we might be able to restore the Wolfpine Barony to its former glory."


    "A cooperation?" Lux arched an eyebrow. He didn''t know what the Princess was hinting at, but he had a feeling that this proposal would be advantageous to his goal. "Can you tell me more, Your Highness?"


    Anastasia''s smile bloomed like a flower, making everyone inside the living room of the Baron''s Mansion look at her with fondness.


    "Of course!" Anastasia replied. "How about we talk about it in great detail inside my room? I don''t want to get in the way of the Baron''s work, so it might be better for us to talk in private."


    Lux nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a good n."


    The Half-Elf followed the Princess back to her room, leaving the Baron''s family behind. Because all of them had their backs to the Baron''s second son, they didn''t notice the faint smirk that appeared on his face.


    His green eyes followed the Princess as she walked up the stairs, not because of her budding beauty, but because of the opportunity she presented to him.


    He had long wished to leave the Wolfpine Barony because ever since the incident with thedy, whom he had identally gotten pregnant, came to light, his family had restricted his movements, to the point of even banning him from leaving the house without several guards to supervise his actions.


    In the past, he was able to get away scot-free with his actions because he had always carried some medicine with him to prevent the girls whom he made love with from getting pregnant.


    It was truly an unfortunate incident that he had gotten someone pregnant on the day that he had forgotten to take his medicine from home.


    For him, getting chaste maidens to lift their skirt for him was like a game. He enjoyed the thrill of plucking their innocence and making them sigh in pleasure as he plowed their fertile fields with his seed, leaving his mark inside their most important ce.


    He would then spend a few weeks with them, as he trained them to bedies that suited his taste. Only when he got bored of them would he toss them aside, leaving them with a few hundred coins to allow them to live their lifefortably, while he looked for new prey to feast on.


    ''Perhaps I can ask the Princess to take me with her when she returns to the capital city,'' the Baron''s second son thought. ''It''s quite unfortunate that she''s still too young. Perhaps, I can do it with her sister. It would be a great challenge to seduce a Princess of this kingdom.''


    The Baron''s second son smiled as he thought of pinning Anastasia''s older sister on his bed, and making her moan like the prostitutes that served in the brothels.


    ''If only that girl hadn''t gotten pregnant,'' the Baron''s second son frowned. He had been used by the people in the Barony for bringing the drought into their city, and he had even gotten mobbed at one point in time due to the people''s increasing frustration about their current hardships.


    Fortunately, the hired guards he always brought along with him were all strong, and they managed to fend off the angry mob, allowing the Baron''s second son to escape unharmed.


    Since then, he had been put under house arrest by his Father, preventing him from leaving the house unless over a dozen guards were to act as his escort.


    ''I guess I''ll talk to her tonight,'' the Baron''s second son mused. ''I still have a bag of that special incense that I acquired from the ck Market. I''m sure that my negotiation with the Princess will go more smoothly if she has taken a whiff of that special drug.''


    The Baron''s second son chuckled internally as he hatched a n inside his head. As long as he was able to get the Princess agree to sneak him out of the Barony, he was confident that his father would be unable to stop him.


    After all, who would defy a member of the Royal Family, especially the spoiled Princess whom the King loved dearly?


    No matter how brave his father was, he would have no choice but to take a step back and allow his problematic son to leave his Domain. For that to happen, he would first need to get under the Princess'' umbre. This would serve as his key to the capital city, where a new kind of hunt was waiting for him.

 Chapter 384 You’re Telling Me To Leave?

    As soon as Lux was properly seated inside the Princess'' room, the brown-haired princess immediately got down to business.


    "How much did my brother offer to pay for your services?" Anastasia asked. "If you work for me, I promise to double it."


    The Half-Elf blinked once, then twice, before finally understanding what the Princess had just said to him. In short, Anastasia wasn''t bribing him��she was poaching him.


    "Really?" Lux was moved because doubling the required coins to build his Guild was a very tempting offer.


    A day after his Guild was created, his Elysium Compendium received an update, and it notified Lux that more information was now avable about his Mythical Guild.


    There, he saw the required number of gold coins needed to build his Guild Headquarters, Bestiary, Alchemist Shop, Smithy, and other facilities.


    Lux almost felt sorry for Nevreal when he saw that building his Guild Headquarters alone required him to pay ten million gold coins.


    Of course, his pity for the middle-aged Dwarf onlysted for a few seconds before it was reced by relief, knowing that the Dwarf would be shouldering the expenses of building his Guild Headquarters.


    Lux and Nevreal had both signed a contract that was managed by the Will of Elysium.


    This contract was simr to how duels were initiated, requiring the agreement of both parties before it was approved.


    Since the Will of Elysium was supervising the agreement, Nevreal would have no choice but to pay for the exact cost of the creation of the Half-Elf''s Guild Headquarters, even if the Half-Elf didn''t seed in solving the problem of the Wolfpine Barony.


    "Let me get this straight," Lux said as he eyed the Dwarf Princess as if he was looking at a golden goose that was about toy a golden egg. "You are going to double the amount that Nevreal promised to me?"


    Anastasia nodded. "Not only will I double it, but I will also give you more benefits. For example, I can allow you to lick my feet as a reward for doing a good job."


    "I see." Lux smiled. "So does that mean you''re willing to give me twenty million gold coins? Okay, I agree to this deal."


    He pretended not to hear the part about licking the Princess'' feet as a reward because he didn''t have that kind of hobby. The only thing that mattered to him was the funds, so he happily epted the Princess'' generosity with open arms.


    As for his deal with Nevreal?


    He would just break it!


    The red-headed teenager didn''t really care if Robin, his brothers, or sisters, became the Crown Prince or Crown Princess. But, while he had already known that Robin was someone with a big background, he didn''t expect him to be part of the Royal Family.


    He only managed to piece together the clues after his meeting with the green-haired Dwarf, as well as Princess Anastasia''s opening remark. Now that he knew that this Merit System imposed by Anastasia''s father was his way of deciding who had the right of session, he might as well join the side of the one with the deepest pockets!


    "Good. It seems that you are very sensible. I will immediately send you twenty millio�C" Anastasia wasn''t able to finish her sentence before her eyes widened in shock.


    "D-Did you say twenty million?" Anastasia asked because she thought that she had misheard Lux''s words.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Nevreal is offering me ten million to solve the problem in this town. Since you n to double that amount then you will be giving me twenty million, right?"


    "Twenty million is a bit��"


    "What? You can''t even afford twenty million? What kind of Princess are you? Even that old fart, Nevreal, has more money than you."


    Anastasia was speechless because she wasn''t expecting the chubby teenager and Nevreal to have this kind of deal.


    Even if she was a Princess, she didn''t have that much money in her personal ount. At most, she only had two million, and even then, she thought that this was already a very big amount.


    People usually did what she wanted, so she never had a need for money. Even the funds for this expedition, her escorts, as well as her other necessities, were paid for by her father.


    "Can we settle this in some other matter?" The Princess was doing her best to act calmly in order to salvage the situation. "How about I give you a Knight Title? You can be my own personal Knight if you want?"


    Lux snorted after hearing the Princess'' statement.


    Knight Title? Would that pay for his Guild Headquarters?


    Thanks but no thanks!


    "Okay, let''s put the matter of you trying to poach me aside for the time being," Lux said. "Actually, I have something very important to tell you in regards to this drought that this Barony is experiencing."


    Princess Anastasia''s and Millie''s interest were piqued because the chubby teenager took the initiative to tell them about his findings.


    "I have every reason to believe that this is not a natural phenomenon," Lux stated.


    Princess Anastasia nodded. She also thought that there was something unnatural about the drought, which was the reason why she hade here. She nned to solve the mystery and gain her father''s praise in the process.


    "Have you heard about the scandal of the Baron''s second son?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Princess Anastasia replied while wrinkling her nose. "A very tragic story, but are you telling me that this drought is linked to the curse that the pregnantdy announced before leaving the city?"


    Lux nodded. "I''d like to tell you more, but I''m afraid that you will think that I am crazy if you heard everything."


    Princess Anastasia frowned because the person in front of her spoke in a very confident tone. It was as if he had already figured out the true cause of the drought, and it was only a matter of time before he shared this information with her brother, allowing thetter to gain the Merit Points for solving the mystery.


    "I''ll pay you a million gold coins if you share the information you know about this drought," Princess Anastasia said with a solemn expression on her face. She hade this far in order to solve the problem with the Wolfpine Barony because this was the most pressing matter of the kingdom as of this moment.


    Lux almost smiled after hearing the Princess offer, but he caught himself before the grin appeared on his face.


    ''Should I really coborate with her in order to make this mission easier?'' Lux pondered. ''Boss wasn''t too keen on sharing this information with anyone because he knew that no one would believe him. Should I take a gamble here?''


    Lux knew that if he were to really tell Anastasia about the Creature of Ruin, the Princess would definitely not believe him. Even the Bearkin, Boss, who was responsible for maintaining the seals in the Dark ins, was very doubtful of his im that the sealed monstrosity had broken free from its shackles.


    "You don''t need to pay me anything, Your Highness," Lux said after organizing his thoughts. "Because, even after knowing the cause of the drought, there is still nothing I can do about it. However, let me give you a piece of advice. You should leave the Wolfpine Barony as soon as you can."


    Princess Anastasia arched an eyebrow. "You''re telling me to leave?"


    "Yes. It is for your own safety."


    "Very funny. Why would you worry about my safety when I have Rankers protecting me?"


    Lux picked up the word Rankers because it hinted that the green-haired Dwarf beside the Princess was not the only Ranker under Princess Anastasia''s envoy. This also meant that she had enough manpower on her side to keep her safe against normal circumstances.


    Unfortunately, what they were dealing with was beyond the norm, and he knew that even Saints found it hard to contain what they faced.

 Chapter 385 Princess, What Is The Capital City Like?

    Lux sat on top of his bed as he recalled the discussion he had with the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    The Half-Elf didn''t trust them enough to impart the information he currently had. Also, he was waiting for Boss to arrive after his investigation in the Dark ins.


    Lux wanted to confirm first whether the seals that were shackling the Creature of Ruins for many years were truly gone.


    Even so, his goal didn''t change. His mission was to keep the Baron''s second son, Clyde, from leaving the Barony. As long as he was able to do that, everything was going to be fine.


    ''It sounds easy, but will things really be that simple?'' Lux thought. ''I doubt it.''


    The Half-Elf didn''t want any variables to get in the way, so he wanted to kidnap Clyde and hide him somewhere safe until the timer of the mission expired.


    But now, a Princess had arrived in the Baron''s Residence and even had two Rankers apanying her.


    If Lux were to truly kidnap the Baron''s second son, the Princess would jump at the opportunity to score some Merit Points by having her Rankers capture him.


    Not only would this make him an enemy of the nobility, but it might also get him kicked out of the Order of the Griffin.


    While Lux was deep in thought, the Baron''s second son, Clyde, was currently in front of the Princess'' room, carrying an ornate box with him.


    "Your Highness, can I please have an audience with you?" Clyde asked in a respectful manner.


    "Enter."


    Anastasia''s reply came from the other side of the door, making Clyde smile in his heart. He had brought the incense that would allow him to imnt subconscious suggestions into the Princess'' mind once she had a good whiff of the special incense that was bought from an auction in the ck Market.


    "Thank you for allowing me to have an audience with you, Your Highness," Clyde said as he humbly presented himself to one of the Princesses of the kingdom.


    "I am the one that is enjoying your family''s hospitality and generosity," Princess Anastasia replied with a smile. "Please, take a seat."


    Clyde slightly bowed his head before he sat facing the charming Princess.


    "May I know why you came to visit me today, Sir Clyde?" Princess Anastasia asked. Truth be told, she didn''t really want to interact with the Baron''s second son because of the scandal he had.


    The Third Princess made sure to carefully handpick the people serving her. She always ensured that none of them had shady backgrounds and were capable enough to meet her requirements.


    Clearly, Clyde didn''t fit the bill, so Princess Anastasia didn''t want the Baron''s second son to keep herpany. However, since she was being hosted by their family, the minimum etiquette expected of the Royal Family must be shown at all times.


    "I''ve heard that the Princess likes incense, so I thought that I should share with you a rare incense I acquired not long ago," Clyde exined.


    Princess Anastasia''s face lit up after hearing that Clyde was going to give her a rare incense. This hobby of hers started from her mother.


    Whenever she entered her mother''s room, a soothing fragrance could be smelled right away, allowing her to rx and sleep peacefully.


    As the Queen who was supporting the King of a Nation, she would also feel stressed from time to time. This was where incense came to y, allowing the Queen to enjoy a peaceful rest.


    Since then, Anastasia would purchase incense from all over the Kingdom of Gweliven to use for herself, as well as a gift to her mother, whenever she found something unique and fragrant smelling.


    Clyde then ced the ornate box on top of the table and opened it slowly.


    A faint tinkling sound was heard afterwards, surprising Princess Anastasia. The sounds of soothing music yed for half a minute beforeing to aplete stop.


    The Princess smiled when she saw a dancing Dwarf girl that was made from an orange gem, which she believed to be ga. The gem caught the faint light of the sunlight that entered the room, which created a dazzling disy, showing small lights hovering around the music box as she danced around.


    "This is a custom made incense burner with a music box," Clyde exined. "You can make it y by using this windup key and inserting it in this ce."


    Clyde demonstrated how to wind up the music box before allowing it to y the music again.


    While the music box was ying, the Baron''s Second Son opened anotherpartment inside the box, showing the ce where incense could be burned.


    The music box was made up of metal, so there was no danger of it burning.


    "This is the pouch that contains the incense, Your Highness," Clyde said as he took out a pouch from his storage ring and ced it beside the incense burner. "Should I light some for you?"


    Princess Anastasia nodded. "Yes, please."


    Clyde obeyed and carefully ced an incense stick in the burner, and used a little bit of fire magic to light it.


    It didn''t take long before a fragrant scent wafted inside the room, making Princess Anastasia''s mood a little better.


    After her discussion with Lux, she felt a bit frustrated because she felt that her brother had managed to take the lead when it came to solving the drought in the Wolfpine Barony.


    As the incense burned, and filled the room with an aromatic smell, Clyde dutifully wound up the music box, so that his n could finallye into motion.


    Thebination of the music and the incense would create a gap inside a person''s subconscious mind, allowing him to use his eloquence to make the Princess take him away from his birthce that had long lost its value in his eyes.


    "Princess, what is the capital city like?" Clyde asked. "I''ve been here in Wolfpine Barony all my life, and I am curious what the capital city of our kingdom is like."


    "The capital city?" Princess Anastasia thought of the ce where her father and mother were waiting for her with a smile on her face. "It is a good ce. Always bustling with life, and there is always something new going on everyday."


    "The Princess must be feeling homesick being this far away from the capital city."


    "Just a little. I n to return as soon as I finish helping this Barony return to what it once was."


    Clyde sighed. "I wish I could see the capital city at least once in my lifetime. However, I am always stuck here in the countryside."


    "That''s quite unfortunate," Princess Anastasia replied. "The Wolfpine Barony is a good ce to rx because it is surrounded by greenery, rivers, andkes. In the Capital City, only the residences of the Royal Family are surrounded by nature."


    Clyde continued to chat with Princess Anastasia giving subtle suggestions here, and there about allowing him to apany her to the capital city once she returned.


    As the two continued to talk, there were instances when the Princess'' beautiful hazel eyes would ze over for a brief second before they returned to normal.


    The Baron''s second son knew that the effect of the incense wouldn''t show right away, so he bid farewell to the Princess after chatting for half an hour.


    Now that he had nted the suggestions in her mind, all he needed to do was visit her again tomorrow.


    He was certain that the Princess would burn another stick of incense before going to sleep, which would help in solidifying the foundations that he had built inside her subconscious mind.

 Chapter 386 Unexpected Turn Of Events

    To Lux''s surprise, two days passed in the blink of an eye.


    The Baron''s second son was still under house arrest, and he was still not allowed to leave the residence, which made the Half-Elf''s job a little easier.


    However, on the third day, the Bearkin, Boss, and the other Adventurers, returned to the city with grim expressions on their faces.


    Cai immediately informed Lux of the Bearkin''s arrival using their Guild Chat, and the red-headed teenager rushed to the Adventurer''s Guild, wanting to know what they found out on their expedition to the Dark ins as soon as possible.


    "The seals are all destroyed," Boss stated as soon as Lux entered the room. "But, that is not the only bad news. We saw it! But it was very different from what I imagined."


    Lux''s face became solemn because he understood what the Bearkin was trying to say. However, his curiosity was also piqued as he had no idea about what the Monster of Ruin looked like.


    "What does it look like?"


    "It''s a giant Seven-Headed Dog Monster that my ancestors called Teju Jagua."


    "So, where is it now?" Lux asked.


    Boss gave a bitter expression before answering Lux''s question. "If my assumption is correct, and I believe it is, the Monster of Ruin is now headed in this direction. But, its movement is a bit sluggish, so it might take at least half a day before reaching the city. What about the Baron''s second son? Is he still here?"


    The Bearkin was feeling anxious because if Clyde somehow managed to leave the city before the monster arrived, the curse on his body might remain with him for life.


    Lux nodded. "Before I left, he was still in the Baron''s Residence."


    Boss breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Lux''s confirmation. They needed Clyde to still be in the city in order to prevent the worse case scenario from happening.


    "Good. For now, go back," Boss said. "I will contact you again if the Monster is near the city. No matter what, do not let the Baron''s second son leave at all cost. I will order my men to prepare to evacuate the people, so that they won''t be involved if the Monster suddenly decides to destroy the city."


    Lux sighed in his heart after hearing the news.


    The past two days were so peaceful that it was hard to imagine that all hell would break loose on the third day.


    Now that the Monster of Ruin was headed to the city, he needed to ensure that Clyde couldn''t leave no matter what.


    The Half-Elf then faced Cai and Keane, who were also inside the room. Just in case the two had forgotten, the red-headed teenager decided to remind them once again that they shouldn''t attack the monster no matter what.


    "Don''t worry!" Cai said. "I only bully the weak and fear the strong. I will not touch that monster with a hundred-foot pole!"


    Lux and Keane looked at the Boar in disdain when it admitted that it could only bully the weak, and flee for its life when facing strong opponents.


    "I know what to do," Keanemented. "I''ll just knock this stupid boar unconscious if it turns crazy due to fear and decides to charge at the Cmity-Ranked Monster."


    The Half-Elf patted the skinny swordsman''s shoulder because he knew that he could count on Keane to ensure that Cai wouldn''t do something stupid.


    "I''ll go back to the residence and keep an eye on our target," Lux said before bidding farewell to his two friends.


    A few minutester, Lux arrived at the gates of the Baron''s Residence.


    As soon as he entered, he noticed that the Princess'' carriages were all lined up together, and her entourage seemed to be in the process of preparing their departure.


    ''Good, she''s finally leaving,'' Lux mused as he walked past the carriages which seemed to only be waiting for the Princess'' arrival.


    In truth, Lux didn''t dislike the Princess. During the two days that they had been together, Princess Anastasia had been a wonderful conversation partner. Through her, Lux learned many things about the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, except for the background of the Royal Family.


    Surprisingly, Clyde would often appear to join them during their talks.


    Just like the yboy he was, the handsome Dwarf was a master on how to make the conversation lively and interesting, often causing Lux to almost forget that he was the source of the Wolfpine Barony''s eminent ruin.


    Judging by how the Princess treated Clyde, it seemed that the two got along pretty well.


    In Lux''s eyes, the two were like two best friends who seemed to have known each other for years, which surprised him.


    He could tell that Clyde wasn''t giving out any romantic signals to the Princess, and Princess Anastasia wasn''t showing any hint that she fancied the handsome boy, who was currently under house arrest.


    "Ah, there you are, Sir Lucien," Princess Anastasia said with a smile. "I was hoping to see you before I return to the Capital City. During the short time that we have been together, I really enjoyed yourpany. If you change your mind, and decide to join my faction, feel free to find me in the Capital CIty. My doors will always be open for you."


    Lux politely bowed his head before answering. "I also enjoyed Her Highness''pany, and if there is another opportunity, let us meet again."


    Princess Anastasia extended her hand towards Lux and the Half-Elf knelt down to receive it before kissing the back of her hand.


    "...I was only going to shake your hand," Princess Anastasia said with a cramped smile on her face. "But, this is fine as well. Consider this as a reward for keeping mepany."


    Lux gave an awkward chuckle before standing up again. He had read and watched many stories about how to interact with the members of the Royal Family, and he thought that what he did was the normal thing to do.


    ''Well, I guess I took a loss this time,'' Lux thought as he took a step back to allow the Princess to pass.


    "Safe travels, Your Highness," the Baron said. "The domain of Wolfpine Barony will always wee you with open arms, should you wish to return."


    Princess Anastasia gave the Baron a brief nod and gave him a sweet smile. She needed supporters to help her be the Crown Princess of the Kingdom. Even though the Wolfpine Barony was suffering hardships at the moment, it wouldn''t change the fact that it was still a Barony, and thus, its Lord was a member of the nobility.


    "I had a wonderful stay, Sir Edgar," Princess Anastasia replied. "I will definitely visit again, and I hope that when I return, the drought of Wolfpine Barony will have ended.


    "Although I am going back to the capital city, know that I will leave some capable people behind to help you investigate the cause of the drought. I''m sure that, with their help, you will be able to get to the bottom of this problem right away."


    The Baron respectfully bowed his head to show his gratitude to the only member of the Royal Family who visited hisnds during its time of crisis.


    "Well then, the sun is almost at its Zenith, and it is now time to leave," Princess Anastasia stated. Just as she was about to leave the door, someone called out to her, which made the Baron''s face frown.


    "I have finished packing, Your Highness," Clyde said as he walked towards Princess Anastasia with a calm expression on his face.


    However, no matter how much he tried to hide it, his eyes were filled with excitement, which made Lux, as well as the Baron, look at him in confusion.


    "Clyde, you''re being disrespectful to Her Highness," Baron Edgar snapped at his son for talking to the Princess in a casual manner. He didn''t want the Princess'' retainers to get the wrong idea that he didn''t raise his son properly.


    "It''s fine, Sir Edgar," Princess Anastasiamented. "I felt sorry for Clyde for always being stuck inside the house, so I decided to take him back to the capital for a vacation. You won''t mind, do you?"


    The Baron''s face became weird as he nced at his son before shifting his attention back to the Princess, who seemed to be perfectly fine with having his son aspany.


    "A vacation?" the Baron inquired. "Is this a short one or a long one?"


    "Just a short one," Princess Anastasia replied. "Probably a month or two."


    Lux, who was listening at the side, felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. The moment the Princess said that she was taking the Baron''s second son to the capital city, he felt like he had just misheard things.


    But, after the Princess confirmed her intentions, he finally realized that she was serious.


    He had thought of many scenarios that Clyde woulde up with so he would be able to leave the city undetected, but he never expected that the handsome Dwarf would be able to hitch a ride on the Princess'' personal carriage.


    This was something that was outside of his calctions, which made him feel as if his insides were churning.


    ''This is bad,'' Lux thought. ''Really bad.''


    Right now, the Half-Elf''s brain was going into overdrive as he thought of ways and excuses to keep Clyde inside the Wolfpine Barony before the timer was up.


    Now that the Princess decided to take him back to the capital city with her, the red-headed teenager needed toe up with a good excuse to detain the handsome Dwarf, and ensure his mission''s sessfulpletion.

 Chapter 387 The Proof You Are Looking For Is There

    When Princess Anastasia and Clyde were about to board the carriage, Lux suddenly grabbed hold of the Baron''s second son and transformed his right hand into dragon ws.


    "Nobody move!" Lux shouted as he ced the tip of his ws on Clyde''s neck. "I''m taking him with me, and if any of you does anything stupid, I''ll kill him."


    Everyone at the scene looked at the chubby teenager in surprise. They didn''t know why he suddenly attacked Clyde and was now using him as a hostage.


    "What do you think you are doing?" Princess Anastasia asked coldly. "Are you mad? You dare to raise your hand against a noble of this kingdom? Do you want to be hanged?"


    "I also don''t want to do this, but you left me with no choice," Lux replied. "The Kingdom of Gweliven is going to be destroyed if I don''t take him into my custody. So, if you don''t want that to happen, just behave like the good girl you are and go back home."


    Princess Anastasia narrowed her eyes before snapping her finger.


    "Millie, do it."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Before Lux could even react, the green-haired Dwarf had already delivered a blow to his head, making him copse on the ground.


    Just as the Half-Elf was about to lose his consciousness, he heard the Princess'' words, which made him feel cold.


    "It''s a shame, but I really thought that you were a good person. Millie, be sure to lock him up in the prison in the capital. Make sure that he will never be able to see the sun ever again."


    "Yes, Your Highness".


    ��-----


    Lux''s heart shuddered as he suddenly thought of this bad ending.


    At first, he nned to forcefully take Clyde hostage, but after seeing that scene, he was forced to think of another way to deal with the situation.


    ''Then, should I try to take Princess Anastasia as hostage?'' Lux thought. ''No. I don''t want to die.''


    Taking a noble as a hostage was one thing, but taking the princess of a Kingdom hostage? That was just asking for you to be killed.


    Even if Lux seeded, and the Princess'' escorts felt threatened enough to not do anything stupid, the Half-Elf would still suffer a lot of hardships in the longrun.


    Lese Majeste wasn''t a simple crime. The punishment for it would be lifetime imprisonment if you were lucky, and a one-way trip to the guillotine if you were unlucky.


    Just as the Half-Elf was still desperately trying to think of a way on how to detain Clyde in the Wolfpine Barony, an idea popped into his head.


    "Lady Millie, there is something important that I need to discuss with you," Lux said as he blocked the Ranker''s path. "This has something to do with the Order. Can we talk in private?"


    Millie frowned because she didn''t expect someone would stop her as she escorted the Princess to the carriage. However, the phrase "something to do with the Order" caught her attention.


    Her Master was one of the members of the Order of the Griffon, and she was very proud of her. The green-haired Dwarf''s dream was to be part of this organization, but it had very strict requirements, and only the King had the ability to recruit members.


    This was why she was very upset when she saw the golden locket in Lux''s hands, making her feel like the goal she had set for herself had been snatched away by a random stranger.


    "Something to do with the Order?" Millie asked back. "Why are you telling me this now? Can''t you see that we are about to depart for the capital."


    Lux sighed. If possible, he didn''t want to resort to this method as well, but he no longer had any leeway to take things in a casual manner.


    "If you don''te with me, the Kingdom of Gweliven will suffer a cmity," Lux stated. "You are the only one that can help prevent this disaster from happening. So, please,e with me."


    The green-haired Dwarf looked up at the Human who had a very solemn expression on his face. She could tell that something was wrong, but she was hesitant to follow him because she only took orders from the Princess.


    "Your Highness, Sir Lucien wants to tell me something in private," Millie said as she looked at the Princess who was waiting for her to board the carriage. "Can you give me a few minutes?"


    "Take your time, Millie," Princess Anastasia replied. "I have Megan with me, so you can just catch up when your talk with Sir Lucien is over."


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    "Mmm."


    Lux had sent Cai and Keane a message through their Guild Chat, informing them of the sudden turn of events at the Baron''s Residence. He asked them to do everything in their power to dy the Princess'' trip back home. The Half-Elf added that they should also inform the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild, Boss, to help them stop the Princess from leaving.


    Since his life was on the line, Lux knew that Boss would think of something. He was first going to deal with Millie, who might be the key to solve this problem once and for all.


    ��---


    "You asked me to bring you here, so what is this important matter regarding the Order?" Millie asked as he took Lux to the same ce where she had dragged him a few days ago to know his identity.


    The red-headed teenager knew that the time hade toe clean, so he decided to use facts in order to convince the green-haired Dwarf of the real danger they were facing.


    "Do you know about the Monster of Ruin?" Lux asked.


    Millie pondered for a bit because the term sounded familiar. She was someone who had been trained by her Master to read history books, so she was well educated when it came to stories about the past.


    "Is that the Monster that was sealed away by the Saints of the Arondight Territory?" Millied asked back. "A tale that mothers use to scare their children when they are misbehaving."


    "No. This isn''t a made up story," Lux replied. "It is real, and this monster is heading towards this location even as we speak."


    Millie stared at Lux with a doubtful look on her face.


    Seeing that she was showing an expression of disbelief, Lux decided to bluff his way out in order to convince the dwarf to believe him.


    "How about I give you this locket as a wager?" Lux said as he took out the golden locket of the Order of the Griffon. "If what I said was false, this locket that is given only to the members of the Order will be yours."


    Millie''s eyes widened in shock because she didn''t expect that Lux would use the token, which she coveted all her life, as a wager for her to believe him.


    "You''re serious?"


    "I am very serious. Millie, believe me when I say that you are the only one that can help me prevent this Kingdom''s destruction. If you leave now, everything you hold sacred maye to ruin."


    The green-haired Dwarf was still half-doubtful whether she could believe Lux''s words or not. However, seeing how desperate he was to convince her, even going as far as to offer the Locket of the Griffon, she felt that she needed to give him the benefit of the doubt before making the final decision.


    "I need proof." Millie demanded. "Proof that you''re not lying to me."


    Lux sighed internally because this was the exact scenario that he was hoping to achieve. As long as Millie gave him a chance to prove that his im was true, he had half won the battle.


    "Understood," Lux said as he handed the golden locket to Millie before pointing in the direction of the Dark ins. "Let''s go to the Dark ins. The proof you are looking for is there."


    Millie nodded. She waved her hand, and a gust of wind enveloped her and Lux, allowing the two of them to soar towards the sky in the direction of the Dark ins. The green-haired Dwarf was an expert in Wind Magic, and her forte was speed.


    Because of this, the speed at which they traveled was quite fast, and ording to Lux''s estimate, it would only take them half an hour before they arrived at their destination.


    If what the Half-Elf said was true, then Millie would do everything in her power to prevent a cmity from befalling her kingdom. She would do this, not only to save the people that she deemed important in her life, but for the sake of her homnd, which her Master tried so hard to protect.

 Chapter 388 When Twilight Falls [Part 1]

    It didn''t take long before Lux and Millie arrived in the Dark ins, and even from a distance, they could tell that something was wrong.


    Dark clouds covered the horizon, and lightning snaked in the heavens like living snakes, waiting to strike at the unwary.


    The low rumbling of thunder reached their ears, as if it was waiting for something before it roared in full, making everyone in Wolfpine Barony realize that something very sinister was now headed in their direction.


    Several more minutes passed, and then, they finally saw it


    "...By the Earth Goddess," Millie sharply inhaled cold air when she saw the 40-meter tall Monstrosity that was sluggishly walking towards their location.


    "Cerberus can''t hold a candle to this guy," Lux muttered as his face became grim.


    The Bearkin, Boss, had already told him what the Monster of Ruin looked like. However, being told and seeing it personally were two different things.


    The sheer size of the Monster, along with its seven dog heads, which looked very simr to that of a husky, was enough to make Lux want to go back to Sis and call it a day.


    However, since he, his friends, and the people of the Wolfpine Barony were under the Curse of Ruin, he just couldn''t pack up and leave.


    "Is that the Monster of Ruin?" Millie asked as she used her power to hastily back away because she felt that if she were to go near the monster''s strike range, it wouldn''t hesitate to attack her.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "That''s none other than Teju Jagua, the Monster that required a dozen Saints in order to seal it due to how powerful it was."


    Seeing was believing. Millie, who had personally seen the evidence right in front of her had no choice but to admit that Lux was telling the truth.


    "Tell me, how do we stop this thing?" Millie asked. "Should I go back to the capital and inform his Majesty of this threat? Should we mobilize all the Rankers and ask the help of the Saints in order to defeat this thing?"


    Lux shook his head. "Right now, that is not our priority. This monster is after the Baron''s second son, Clyde. No matter what happens, he must remain in Wolfpine Barony in order to prevent the drought from spreading to other parts of the Kingdom.


    "If we let him go, the monster will just follow him and destroy every vige, town, and city along its path. You can take the Princess back to the capital, but Clyde must remain no matter what."


    Millie nodded and no longer asked any questions. She just flew as fast as she could in order to catch up to the carriages that were departing for the capital city.


    Lux turned around to give the Cmity-Ranked Monster onest nce before shifting his attention to what was in front of him.


    Now that he had Millie on his side, he should finally be able to convince the Princess to let the Baron''s second son remain inside Wolfpine Barony for the sake of her Kingdom.


    Half an hourter, the two finally arrived in Wolpine Barony. They then followed the road that the carriages had taken in order to go back to the capital.


    A few minutester, they finally caught up, but this wasn''t the scene that the two of them were expecting.


    The carriages were all destroyed, and several of the escortsy on the ground with heavy injuries, while some were dead.


    ''My God! Did Cai and Keane do this?'' Lux couldn''t believe that his two friends were capable of such merciless destruction. ''No. They wouldn''t resort to killing people.''


    The Half-Elf knew that no matter how obnoxious the Boar was, it would never kill anyone unless it was thest resort. Keane might not bat an eye in chopping off people''s limbs, but he wouldn''t go as far as killing people.


    Also, Lux believed that there was one more Ranker protecting the Princess. This was why Princess Anastasia was confident that she could travel back to the capital, even if Millie was away from her side.


    The green-haired Dwarf''s face had turned ashen as she called out for the Princess'' name, as she searched for her among the wreckage.


    Lux did the same, and to his surprise, he saw someone whom he didn''t expect to see.


    "Fei Fei?" Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, looked at the golden slime who was hiding under one of the carriages that were partially destroyed.


    "Wuwuwu Sis!" Fei Fei started to cry as soon as she saw Eiko, making the blue slime jump towards her and give her a hug.


    "Eiko, ask her what happened." Lux felt his blood turn cold as a realization hit him.


    The Boar would never leave Fei Fei behind unless something incredibly serious happened. After some coaxing, Eiko was able to get the gist of the story from the golden slime, who was pushed to the wreckage by Cai before it was captured by the people who ambushed the Princess on her trip back to the capital city.


    The golden slime''s narration wasn''t very clear, but Lux was able to get the gist of it. Cai and Keane decided to block the path of the carriages using trees in order to dy their journey. However, before they could do so, several people wearing ck robes attacked the carriages.


    Cai and Keane went to help, but both of them were overpowered by their enemies and were captured as well.


    Before the Boar came to assist the Princess, it told Fei Fei to hide first. The golden slime had just been born, and it was not really a slime meant for battle. Because of this, Fei Fei hid in one of the destroyed carriages and watched the battle unfold.


    When Cai was subjugated, Fei Fei wanted to go out, but the Boar sent her a message through their contract, telling her to keep on hiding and wait for Lux''s and Eiko''s arrival.


    "Don''t worry, Fei Fei," Lux held the golden slime in his arms and patted her head. "We will find them. I will do my best to find them."


    Millie, who had confirmed that the Princess had been kidnapped while she was away, felt that everything was her fault. If she had only remained then this thing wouldn''t have happened, making her feel regretful.


    "It''s not your fault, Millie," the other ranker, who served as Princess Anastasia''s escort, Megan, said while cradled in Millie''s arms. "There were too many of them, and they had four rankers in their group. Even if you had been here, the end result would still be the same."


    "Even so! I should have been here and fought alongside you," Millie replied as tears streamed down the side of her face. "Maybe we would have stood a chance if we were together."


    The green-haired Dwarf was busy applying healing potions to the injuries that Megan had suffered during the sh against the other Rankers.


    If not for the fact that Princess Anastasia threatened tomit suicide if they didn''t stop killing her people, the robed figures would have made sure that no witnesses remained behind.


    "Who was it?" Millie asked as she poured thest healing potion in her possession to help her friend recover from the serious injuries that she sustained during the battle.


    "Twilight Rain." Megan held on to Millie''s robes firmly as she used her remaining strength to answer her question. "They are from Twilight Rain."


    As soon as Megan spoke those words, she finally lost consciousness, and Millie''s roar of anger reverberated in the surroundings, making Lux, who had realized who the perpetrators were, feel that the difficulty of the mission he was trying to aplish, suddenly went up several notches.

 Chapter 389 When Twilight Falls [Part 2]

    After taking care of the wounded, Millie took them back to the Baron''s Residence to let them fully recover from their injuries.


    The Baron was rmed after hearing the news, and wanted to send his personal army to help with the rescue of the Princess and his son.


    However, after hearing that the ones who kidnapped the Princess were a group with four rankers, the Baron copsed on the ground as he was aware that this was something that he was unable to handle with his current strength.


    "I need to find them," Millie said with determination as he looked at Lux. "Even if it''s just me, I need to save the Princess."


    Lux frowned. Clearly, Millie wasn''t able to think properly because the person she had sworn to protect was kidnapped while she was away.


    Just as the Half-Elf was about to tell the green-haired Dwarf that she shouldn''t do anything reckless, rows of words appeared in front of him, making his body stiffen.


    ��----------


    < Optional Quest! >


    < Rescue the Princess of Gweliven! >


    Mision Rating: S


    �C The Third Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven was kidnapped by the members of Twilight Rain. It is up to you to decide whether to save her or not!


    < Rewards >


    �C ????


    ��----------


    Lux didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry about the timing of the quest. In truth, he had already decided to rescue the Princess since Cai and Keane were captured along with her.


    He couldn''t possibly leave the two of them behind, especially when the members of Twilight Rain had them in their custody.


    "Listen, even if you want to look for the Princess, do you know where to go?" Lux asked.


    "It doesn''t matter. I need to do something. I can''t just stay here and do nothing."


    "Calm down. I have a way to find them."


    Millie, who seemed to be grasping for straws looked at Lux with a hopeful gaze. After the wager she had with the chubby teenager and seeing the Monster of Ruin with her own eyes, she learned to trust him more.


    "If you travel at full speed, how long will it take you to reach the nearest city with a teleportation gate that connects to the capital?" Lux asked.


    He wasn''t quite familiar with the geography of the Kingdom of Gweliven, so he was hoping that Millie would be able to fill in the gaps for what he didn''t know.


    "If I travel at my full speed, it will still take me almost five hours to reach a city with a teleportation gate that connects to the capital," she replied.


    Lux nodded his head in understanding before ncing at the timer on his Soul Book.


    ��------


    Mission Time: 21: 14: 25


    ��------


    ''Five hours to reach a city with a teleportation gate, and a few more hours to get reinforcements,'' Lux thought. ''Give and take, the fastest time that reinforcements can arrive is in twelve to fifteen hours�� that is cutting it way too close to the arrival of the Monster of Ruin.''


    Lux''s silence made Millie feel quite anxious. When she said that she could arrive at a city with a teleportation gate in five hours, she meant that she could do that if she pushed herself to the very limit.


    ording to her estimate, it might even take her six to seven hours. However, if she was willing to go all out and sacrifice a few things, she could reach her destination in five hours.


    After pondering things for a very long time, Lux decided to ask Millie if she had a way to contact her Master, who was one of the members of the Order of the Griffon.


    "I have an artifact that I use to contact Master, but it has a very limited range," Millie replied in a somewhat embarrassed tone. "It will only activate if the receiver is within a six mile-wide radius. Beyond that range, I am unable to contact him."


    Lux sighed. It seems that he really needed to use everything he had in order to even get a chance to seed in his mission.


    "Stay here," Lux ordered. "I will contact some people. Make sure that you don''t leave the Baron''s Residence. We will go and look for the Princess as soon as I finish finding help."


    Millie wanted to grab hold of Lux and tell him to not leave her. After losing the Princess, the green-haired Dwarf felt as if she had lost the ability to think clearly, and was now only clinging to the faint hope that the chubby teenager had presented to her.


    Seeing her anxious gaze, Lux decided to give her some assurance that everything would be alright.


    "Listen. Although they are not Rankers, my friends are very capable people," Lux said. "Since they are with the Princess, I am certain that they will do everything in their power to ensure her safety."


    "Is that true?"


    "Yes. They are brave and resourceful individuals. Even in the face of adversity, they will be able to think calmly and face the dangers with a calm attitude. I''m sure that even now, they are looking for ways to deal with their current circumstances."


    Millie felt a little better after hearing Lux''s words. If his friends were truly capable individuals and were able to deal with their current predicament calmly, then there was a small chance for them to escape their captors.


    The green-haired Dwarf wondered what kind of friends Lux had. If they were truly as brave and courageous as the chubby teenager portrayed them to be, then she would like to form connections with them as well.


    ��---


    "Nooooooooooooo!"


    Cai''s squeal reverberated inside the cavern, where the members of Twilight Rain had taken them after ambushing the princess'' entourage.


    "My meat doesn''t taste good," Cai wailed. "I don''t eat healthy foods. If you eat me, all of you will have Swine Disease. It has a 100% mortality rate! No one has ever survived it. Even Rankers are no exception!"


    Cai, who was currently tied up on a log, was currently being roasted over an open fire. It kept on squealing out of fear and anxiety.


    The Ranker who was spinning the log was quite amused with the Boar''s antics. Originally, they didn''t n to take anyone with them, but after seeing Keane, who was a Human��a race rarely seen in the Kingdom of Gweliven, they decided to take him into custody along with his "pet", who was now being roasted alive.


    "You bastards! Do you know who I am?" Cai squealed as the ranker threw more firewood on the bonfire, making the mes grow bigger. "I am a member of the strongest guild in the world! When my Guildmaster finds out what you''re doing to me, he will hunt you down until none of you are left!"


    The Rankerughed after hearing Cai''s threats. He was quite curious to know what Guild the Boar belonged to, so he decided to ask, just for fun, while making the boar suffer hardships while it was being roasted alive.


    "You''re a member of the strongest guild in the world? That''s very scary," the Dwarven Ranker, who had reddish-brown hair, said in a teasing tone. "Pray tell, what is the name of this strong Guild? I want to know so I can run away when I meet your Guild Master."


    Cai gritted its teeth before shouting with all of its might.


    "Listen well, you bastard!" Cai roared. "My Guild is called Twilight Rain! It''s a very powerful guild��so powerful that we don''t speak how powerful it is. Only those who are in high positions are aware of our existence! If you don''t want to get hurt, release us now before my Guild Master personally strangles all of you!"


    The Ranker with reddish-brown hair, as well as the rest of the people inside the Cavern all shifted their attention on the Boar that was desperately struggling against the metallic chains that bound it to the log.


    A momentter, all the kidnappersughed at the same time, making Keane, who had been knocked unconscious earlier, regain his consciousness.


    "Did you hear that? It said that it''s a member of Twilight Rain!"


    "Hahaha! This Boar is quite funny. I like it!"


    "I have heard of this Twilight Rain before. It is indeed the most powerful guild in the world. Oh no! We kicked a steel te! We are doomed!"


    "I think it is best that we kneel and ask for forgiveness. If we do that, perhaps the Guild Master of Twilight Rain will forgive us."


    Cai, who seemed to have caught a second wind, decided to go all in, so that the kidnappers would free it from the chains that bound it.


    "Hah! Now you realize who you are dealing with?!" Cai shouted. "My grandfather is a Saint! The moment he finds out that I am kidnapped, he would scour thends looking for all of you and turn you all into meat paste! Release me and I will forget that this incident even happened. If you know what is good for all of you, you better apologize to me right here, right now!"


    The members of Twilight Rain quieted down for a few seconds beforeughing once more. They found the Boar to be quite an amusing beast.


    When Cai said that it was a member of Twilight Rain, all of them found it extremely funny because it was basically threatening them with their very own guild.


    Then, it said that its grandfather was a Saint, and if they didn''t release it, the Saint would turn them into meat paste.


    How could they possibly believe such a story?


    The Ranker lifted Cai off the bonfire and set it aside on the ground. In truth, they really didn''t need to cook it since they had already bought food beforehand.


    The dwarf with reddish-brown hair just thought that it would be entertaining to roast the boar alive and watch it beg him to spare its life while they waited for theirrades to return from their scouting trip.


    But, after hearing Cai''s antics, the Ranker felt that it would be a shame to roast such an amusing pet, so he decided to take the Boar back to their Guild Headquarters and make it an official member of their Dark Guild, for the sake of his own amusement.

 Chapter 390 When Twilight Falls [Part 3]

    The Boar, who had been spared, wept on the ground in relief because it thought that it was really going to be roasted alive. Fortunately, that didn''t happen. It decided to behave for now while desperately calling out to Lux through their Guild Chat.


    Cai had noticed that Keane and Lux were already talking to each other and exchanging information.


    "Cai and Keane, don''t worry. I can pinpoint your location on the map using my Soul Book," Lux said calmly. "I have already contacted Commander Thoram and Guildmaster Ken to start calling our backup. Once we regroup, we will save the two of you without fail."


    "Wuwuwuwu! They almost roasted me alive," Cai wept bitterly in the Guild Chat, making Laura, and Livia, who were in Leaf Vige, do their best tofort the Boar who was still in pain from its recent experience.


    "Hang on, Cai! Help is already on the way!" Laura said.


    "Big Brother Lux has already called out to everyone, including Vige Head, Cedwyn," Liviamented. "Just endure for now. We will avenge your death!"


    "Um, I''m nowhere near death, Livia," Cai replied. "You little devil. Wait till I get out of this mess and I''ll squish you to oblivion!"


    Wolfpine Barony...


    Lux felt relieved after knowing that both Cai and Keane were safe.


    The first one he contacted as soon as he left Millie''s side was Commander Thoram of the Stronghold of Norria.


    He reported that the Princess had been kidnapped, which made the Commander take this case seriously.


    Lux asked the Dwarf Commander to get in touch with Nevreal as soon as possible, and report the events that had happened in the city. He added that the members of the Order of the Griffin should be mobilized for this operation because they were dealing with several powerful Rankers from Twilight Rain.


    The next one he contacted was the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild inside the Stronghold of Norria, Ken, who had a vast informationwork.


    He requested that if there were any avable Rankers in the Adventurer''s Guild who were willing to join the rescue operation to save the Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven, they should send them directly to the borders between the Wolfpine Barony and the Earldom of Draycott.


    Judging from Cai and Keane''s current location, the kidnappers seemed to be nning to go to the Draycott Earldom, which was located South West of the Wolfpine Barony.


    The Domain that belonged to Earl Aeston was a seaport town, famous for trade among the adjacent territories, who use the port as a hub to buy and sell specialty products that were exclusive to certain domains within the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    A few minutester, Ken informed Lux through the Guild Chat that he had made contact with the Guildmaster who was in charge of the Earldom of Draycott, as well as the other branches of the Adventurer''s Guild in adjacent territories that had some Rankers that were currently on standby.


    Ken himself would go to the Earldom in order to takemand of the situation. Since Lux could tell them where Cai and Keane were, all he needed to do was guide him, and he would position his allies ordingly.


    Lux was awed by how efficient Ken''s performance was that he felt immensely thankful that thetter had joined his guild back then.


    Five minutester, Thoram joined the chat, and told Lux that Nevreal was already on the way to meet the King to inform thetter about the incident that had happened in Wolfpine Vige.


    This was the first time that Lux had mobilized his guild members in order to deal with a serious incident, and it proved that he had dependable allies that would help him whenever he needed it.


    Lux was even tempted to have Guild Members in all the cities of the Kingdom of Gweliven. However, he knew that this was not possible at this point in time.


    He couldn''t just randomly invite people because it would endanger his Guild, which was still in its infancy.


    Suddenly, Lux had an idea, so he immediately opened his connection with Scarlet, who was currently with Twilight Rain.


    ''Where are you right now?'' Lux asked. ''There is a matter that I need your help with.''


    Lux didn''t have to wait long before he received Scarlet''s reply, telling him that she was currently on an important mission, and wouldn''t be able toe to his aid at the moment.


    ''You''re on a mission?'' Lux inquired. "Are you perhaps part of the team that kidnapped Princess Anastasia?''


    ''... How did you know that the Princess was kidnapped?'' Scarlet asked with a doubtful tone. ''This is supposed to be a secret operation.''


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock because he didn''t expect that his mole inside Twilight Rain was part of the group that had kidnapped the Princess. He only thought that he would ask Scarlet to help him get some inside information on what the group was nning.


    However, since Scarlet was already part of the group, this allowed Lux to have more leeway with the things he could do with the rescue operation.


    ''I was in the Wolfpine Barony when you guys ambushed the Princess,'' Lux exined. ''Also, the Boar, and the Human Swordsman that you guys kidnapped alongside the Princess are my friends.''


    Scarlet, who had been resurrected by Lux to be a Cambion, was loyal to him. Although she grudgingly obeyed his orders, it didn''t change the fact that he allowed her to have a second chance at life in exchange of bing his subordinate.


    Lux then told Scarlet his n, so the yer Candidate could help him in subtle ways without blowing her cover.


    After finalizing a few more things with Scarlet, the Half-Elf finally went back to look for Millie.


    Not long after, both of them left the Wolfpine Barony in haste.


    Lux was pressed for time since he needed to save the Princess and return Clyde back to the Wolfpine Barony before the Monster of Ruin arrived.

 Chapter 391 Running Out Of Options [Part 1]

    Millie and Lux soared in the sky, with one slime perched on the Half-Elf''s head, and another on his right shoulder.


    Fei Fei was Cai''s Beast Companion, and shared a strong connection with the Boar.


    This was the excuse that Lux had given Millie to give the green-haired Dwarf some hope that they would be able to pinpoint the Princess whereabouts using Fei Fei as a detector.


    However, for the time being, he asked Millie to take him to the Port City of Watford, which was also the main city of the Earldom of Draycott.


    This city didn''t have any teleportation gates, but it was a hub of activity because many merchant ships frequented this port in order to sell, trade, and buy some products that they would sell in other ces.


    The journey took nearly five hours. When Lux and Millie arrived, it was around two in the afternoon.


    During their trip, Lux was keeping in close contact with Commander Thoram and Guildmaster Ken, so he knew about the progress being made on their side.


    Ken, and the reinforcements that he had called for, had already arrived in the adjacent territory of the Earldom of Draycott. All they needed to do was travel towards the sea-port town and meet up with Lux, which would take a minimum of two more hours.


    The other thing that concerned the Half-Elf was the Order of the Griffon. He had no way of contacting them, so he didn''t know whether they were already on their way, or were still waiting for each other before they headed to the meeting area.


    Millie had an artifact that allowed her to talk with her Master. However, due to its limited range, he couldn''t determine if the Rankers that would serve as their backup would be enough to deal with the Rankers of Twilight Rain.


    ''I hope that they''re already on their way,'' Lux thought. ''Right now, the kidnappers aren''t moving, and Cai and Keane assured me that the Princess is safe, but, that can change at any given time. There is also the issue with the Monster of Ruin�� I simply don''t have much time left before the mission ends."


    ��------


    Mission Time: 15: 48: 36


    ��-------


    Lux sighed internally. If he had one more day, he wouldn''t feel this anxious.


    Since they were fighting with Rankers, he had no choice but to wait for their side''s Rankers to arrive.


    ''ording to Scarlet, the force that Twilight Rain dispatched in this mission was made up of Six Rankers and 10 Initiates, including her,'' Lux mused. ''Unless we are able to have the same number of Rankers and Initiates on our side, we didn''t stand a chance in rescuing her. Good thing, Scarlet is there to give me some inside information. If she hadn''t given me a heads up, we might have been takenpletely by surprise.''


    Since she was a yer Candidate, the Guildmaster of Twilight Rain thought that it was a good idea to let her join this important mission, so that she could gain some experience.


    Scarlet was an Assassin, and didn''t have much experience in moving as part of a group.


    Because of this, the Guildmaster decided to let her be part of an Elite Unit, so she would develop some sense of teamwork with her other guild members, when carrying out important missions for the Dark Guild.


    Each member of the Royal Family carried an artifact that would inform the King that they were in danger. Only the members of the Royal Family knew of this, and even Nevreal, who had faithfully served the kingdom, had no idea that such artifacts existed.


    This was why, before Nevreal had received the news from Lux that the Princess had been kidnapped, the King had already informed the members of the Order of the Griffon to mobilize.


    Unfortunately, Twilight Rain expected the Princess to be carrying some sort of tracking artifact on their person.


    One of the Rankers that was brought on this operation had a special appraisal ability that allowed him to detect the use of such items. Because of this, the pendant that hung on Princess Anastasia''s neck had been taken by them, and tied on the talon of a random bird in the forest.


    The members of Twilight Rain believed that this would send their pursuers on a wild goose chase, allowing them to escape to the Port City of Watford and take the boat that their Organization had prepared beforehand.


    "What''s taking them so long?" Millie muttered as she paced back and forth inside the Guildmaster''s Office in the Adventurer''s Guild. "Aren''t they here yet?"


    Lux could only smile wryly because Millie had asked this question ten times already. He understood that she wanted to rescue Princess Anastasia right away. But, the two of them were not strong enough to save anyone without help.


    "Calm down, the reinforcements from the Adventurer''s Guild are already on the way," Lux replied. "Also, Fei Fei is able to detect when Cai is near. Since she is not reacting, it means that the members of Twilight Rain have not yet arrived here in the city."


    In truth, Lux had seen that the members of Twilight Rain had started to move on his map. However, it would still take them two to three hours at most to arrive at their location, while traveling on mounts.


    Ken had managed to get in touch with two Rankers, as well as twenty Initiates during the five hours that Lux, and Millie were flying in the sky.


    Sadly, the other Rankers that had a connection with the Adventurer''s Guild were all out on missions, so Ken wasn''t able to call them back.


    ''We''re still four Rankers short,'' Lux nced at the green-haired Dwarf who was pacing back and forth inside the room.


    Millie had already activated her artifact, so the moment her Master came within range, she would be able to talk to her right away. Seeing that the artifact wasn''t making any sound, it only meant that one of the members of Rankers of the Order of the Griffon was still not within their range.


    Suddenly, the movement of Cai''s, and Keane''s markers on the map increased their speed, catching the Half-Elf by surprise.


    ''What happened, Cai?'' Lux asked the Boar through their Guild Chat. ''Your traveling speed is faster than it was a minute ago.''


    It didn''t take long before Cai replied to Lux, and its reply made the Half-Elf''s face turn grim.


    ''My Daddy, it''s crazy!'' the Boar almost shouted its reply. ''This guy came and he is riding on this big colorful bird that can carry a lot of people. We are currently riding on its back, and it flies pretty fast!''


    Lux almost cursed internally because he could see on the map that it would now take the members of Twilight Rain less than half an hour to arrive in the Port City of Watford.


    Their reinforcements from the Adventurer''s Guild were still an hour away from their location, and the Half-Elf estimated that by the time they got here, the Princess, and his friends, might be loaded on a ship, and taken to a ce they wouldn''t be able to reach in a short period of time.

 Chapter 392 Running Out Of Options [Part 2]

    ''What do I do?'' Lux thought as he paced back and forth inside the room. ''This is no good. I am out of options.''


    Earlier, it was Millie that was pacing anxiously, but now, it was him.


    The green-haired Dwarf even felt more anxious because Lux was the one she was counting on to find the Princess. Seeing how pale his face was, she could tell that something was terribly wrong, and it made her feel her stomach churn in anxiety.


    "Did something happen?" Millie asked in a worried tone. "You don''t look good."


    Lux sighed before he sat on one of the chairs and rubbed his face with both hands.


    "The members of Twilight Rain will be arriving in this ce soon," Lux answered. "They have Six Rankers, and Ten Initiates. Their n is to get on a boat, and take the Princess somewhere far away, to avoid the detection of those who are attempting to rescue her."


    Millie gasped in shock after hearing the bad news. She didn''t even bother to ask Lux how he knew about these things, and just believed him unconditionally.


    "... what are we going to do now?" Millie asked helplessly.


    She was willing toy down her life to save the Princess, but the way things were, she would just die a dog''s death if she attempted to rescue her alone.


    Millie didn''t even consider Lux apanying her to save the Princess because, in her eyes, the Human was just a Grade A Apostle.


    In the eyes of Rankers, Grade A Apostles were not a threat, so it wouldn''t be a big deal even if there were hundreds of them. Knowing what the Dark Guild was nning to do, the green-haired Dwarf suddenly had an idea that would be frowned upon by anyone who heard it.


    "They will travel by boat, right?" Millie asked. "What if we destroy all the boats in the Port? If we do that, they will need to think about other options, right?"


    The Half-Elf shuddered because he could tell that the green-haired Dwarf was dead serious.


    There were dozens of boats that were currently docked at the port, and if she were to destroy them all, it would be simr to poking a ho''s nest.


    They would undoubtedly be the Public Enemy of all the Merchants within the city, as well as the Earl who ruled the Earldom of Draycott.


    Lux was desperate, but he wasn''t that desperate!


    "Calm down, Millie," Lux said as he pressed his hands on the Dwarf''s shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "I know that the Princess is important to you. My friends are important to me as well, but involving the innocent is not good. We don''t know what the consequences of destroying the ships in the Port would be. If we are going to destroy a ship, it would be Twilight Rain''s ship and no one else''s!"


    Millie recovered a bit of herposure after hearing Lux''s reply.


    "So, we can still destroy their ship, right?" Millie asked.


    Lux nodded. "Yes. You can destroy it as much as you like."


    Even Lux felt that this was the only option avable to them, so that they could dy Twilight Rain''s n to take the Princess far from their reach.


    Fortunately, Scarlet had now be Princess Anastasia''s bodyguard This gave Lux a sliver of hope that an opportunity would present itself to him, while he waited for his allies to arrive.


    "Let''s go to the Port," Lux proposed. "Perhaps we can identify what ship they will be using. We can destroy it subtly, while they are still not here."


    Millie agreed to this n, so the two left the Guildmaster''s Office and headed to the Port in order to check all the ships one by one.


    Lux currently looked like a chubby human teenager, which caught the attention of several Dwarves along the way. The Kingdom of Gweliven was very strict in keeping the other races away from their borders, so seeing Lux appear in front of them was like seeing a rare animal in the zoo for the first time.


    The Half-Elf ignored these stares as he used his Soul Book to appraise every ship that was docked in the port.


    He didn''t know if he could use his appraisal ability in this manner, but he still decided to try since he was out of options.


    ��-----


    < ck Pearl >


    Captain''s Name: Jack Spawow


    �C This is the day you will always remember as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Spawow!


    ��-----


    < Flying Dutchman >


    Captain''s Name: Hendrick Van Der Decken


    �C The Dutchman sails as the captainmands!


    ��-----


    < The Dying Gull >


    Captain''s Name: Josh Amie Gibbs


    �C Dead Gulls tell no tales.


    ��-----


    Lux went past several ships and appraised them one by one. Some of them had been sailing for many years, while others were newly built. Right now, he was desperate to look for any clue that would help them dy the members of Twilight Rain from leaving the Port before their reinforcements arrived


    ��-----


    < Twilight >


    Captain''s Name: Brytman


    �C No. I am not Batman. This isn''t Twilight Rain''s ship. We are not members of a Dark Guild. We just happen to know some of their members. We''re not suspicious people.


    ��-----


    Lux almost slipped while walking on the dock as he walked past the ship named Twilight. This was the ship that was at the very end of the port and, from all looks and angles, it looked like a decent merchant ship that was just here to trade some goods.


    Suddenly, an ingenious idea popped up inside his head. It was a very risky idea, but if it worked, he would be able to save the Princess, his friends, and even get Clyde off the ship under the Ranker''s noses.


    But, the Half-Elf was very conflicted about doing it. This n involved Eiko going inside the ship, which would put her at great risk.


    She had already died once, and the red-headed teenager wasn''t too keen on having the baby Slime die a second time.


    As if sensing his thoughts, Eiko crawled down from Lux''s head and sat on his shoulder. She then poked Lux''s cheek, making him turn to look at her.


    "Pa!"


    The baby Slime looked at Lux with a smile because she and him shared a strong connection, allowing her to vaguely understand what he was feeling and thinking.


    Of course, Lux and Iris had made sure that both of them had a piece of Eiko''s body with them as insurance if ever they needed to revive her again. Even so, they didn''t want her to do dangerous missions just because they had the ability to revive her.


    "Pa!"


    Seeing that Lux wasn''t answering her, Eiko pouted and gave her Papa a face filled with injustice.


    In the end, the Half-Elf sighed and told the baby slime what she needed to do.


    Eiko nodded her head in understanding and gave Lux a very reassuring smile.


    "If something bad happens, abandon the mission and teleport to me immediately, do you understand?" Lux said as he held the baby Slime on the palm of his hands.


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded before jumping off Lux''s hands and sneakily entering the Merchant Ship, which they believed to be the ship that Twilight Rain was going to use to escape their pursuers.


    ''Be safe, Eiko,'' Lux said to the baby slime via telepathy before leaving the dock with Millie, who didn''t know what the baby Slime and the Half-Elf discussed before parting ways.


    Even so, she understood that Lux wasn''t doing things at random, and decided to just keep quiet for the time being.


    Ten minutester, the members of Twilight Rain entered the Port City of Watford, and just like Lux had expected, they headed straight to the Merchant Ship, where Eiko was currently hiding.

 Chapter 393 Battle At The Port City [Part 1]

    "As long as you follow the n, we have a chance to save them," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "However, this also means that the risk that you are going to take is the highest between the two of us. It is highly possible that you will be facing off against six Rankers on your own. But, remember, your role is not to fight them. You just need to make them take notice of you then run away."


    Millie nodded her head. "Even if I have to risk my life, I will do my duty without fail. Just promise me that you will save the Princess no matter what."


    "... Hello? Your mission is just to show yourself, hurl some Wind des at the ship from a distance, and fly away," Lux stated. "I didn''t tell you to fight them. Your role is to harass them, and force them to shift their attention to you, while Eiko is carrying out her mission inside the ship.


    "Depending on how the situation turns out, you will still need to assist in the rescue operation, so don''t talk about this dying nonsense. I need you alive just in case things turn south."


    The Half-Elf and the green-haired Dwarf were currently in a warehouse overlooking the port. They were paying close attention to the ship where the Princess Anastasia, Cai, Keane, and Clyde were taken.


    Eiko was currently hiding at the Hold of the ship, where the majority of their supplies were being kept. She was just waiting for Lux to give the signal to start the operation before she made her move.


    Compared to Millie, the baby Slime was ying a more dangerous role. Just thinking of the danger that Eiko would be facing was enough to make the Half-Elf''s stomach churn. But, since she had given Lux the "please believe in me, Pa!" gaze, the red-headed teenager decided to believe in her as she tried her best to save her friends.


    "They are almost finished loading their shipment into their ship," Milliemented. "Should we start the operation now?"


    Lux nodded. "We need to strike now before they even leave the port. Even if parts of the port are destroyed, it''s fine. Those can be rebuilt, but try not to hit the other ships. This will prevent unnecessary trouble in the future. Be sure to wait for my signal before you start harassing them."


    Millie gave Lux a brief nod before putting on a hooded ck robe to hide her identity.


    Cai, and Keane had stopped giving him messages in the guild chat, but Lux wasn''t too worried.


    ording to Scarlet, they had just been put to sleep by a powerful sleeping spell, and loaded inside wooden containers that were then carried onto the ship. This was done to prevent the hostages from making any noise, while entering the port city of Watford.


    ''Are you ready on your side?'' Lux asked.


    ''Yes, Master,'' Asmodeus replied. "We are ready to start anytime.''


    ''Wait until Millie has caught the attention of the enemy Rankers,'' Lux ordered. ''Be sure not to hit the area where Cai and the others are currently held.''


    ''Understood,'' Asmodeus replied. ''Please be careful as well, Master.''


    ''Okay. Go all out, Asmodeus.''


    ''As you wish, Master.''


    Lux put on a ck robe also, simr to what Millie had donned earlier and activated his Doppelganger skill. He then left the warehouse in haste and positioned himself in the most ideal ce to take a better view of the soon-to-be-battlefield.


    "Diablo, Pazuzu, to my side," Lux said as he summoned his Named Creatures to help him with the operation that he was about to do. After seeing his two trustedpanions, the Half-Elfmunicated with his Nightstalker, whom he had entrusted with a different kind of mission.


    ''Ishtar, are you in position?'' Lux asked.


    ''Yes, Master,'' Ishtar replied as she took a Siege Stance, summoning a two-meter long crossbow at the seabed, directly under the Twilight Ship.


    Lux felt relieved because it seemed that the members of Twilight Rain didn''t detect Ishtar''s presence since she was an Undead.


    As a Nightstalker, she gained the ability to be more stealthy in her actions, preventing others from noticing her, unless she made a sudden move.


    ��----


    Inside the Twilight Ship��


    "Man, this box sure is heavy," one of the sailors that was carrying Cai''s boxined. "Just what did they load into this thing?"


    "Stopining!" the Quartermaster shouted. "Just do what you are supposed to do and carry that thing under the deck!"


    The sailor grumbled, but still did his work properly. The people that hade onto their ship were scary folks. ording to their Captain, they were the high-ranking officers of their Guild and should be treated as VIP guests.


    All the crew members on the Twilight Ship were of course members of Twilight Rain. They were the undercover agents that used the cover of merchants to deliver the Dark Guild''s supplies to the various ces of the archipgo, located in the Northwestern Regions of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    After loading the three boxes into the ship''s main holdingpartment, the Sailors finally left, and returned to the deck to oversee the preparatory work before they departed from the port.


    The cabin fell into a stilled silence for a few minutes, before a slight movement happened at the corner of the holdingpartment.


    Eiko, who wasmunicating with Lux through the connection they shared, poked her head up from a sack of beans and nced at her surroundings. Seeing that the coast was clear, the baby Slime jumped off the sack and crawled towards the three wooden crates where Cai, Keane, and Clyde were being held.


    The baby Slime then pressed its body against the crate and listened for any signs of sounds and movements. A few secondster, it climbed up the crate, and was about to make a hole in it when a presence suddenly appeared behind her.


    "Well, well, well�� what do we have here?" The Dwarf with reddish-brown hair, who had also tried to roast Cai a few hours ago, picked up the baby Slime, who immediately struggled from his grasp.

 Chapter 394 Battle At The Port City [Part 2]

    "A Slime?" the Dwarf gazed at the slime on his hand with great interest. Although thepartment area was rather dark, he didn''t have any problem seeing because, thanks to his ability, thepartment looked as bright as it would have in daylight. "Just where did those fools pick up this thing?"


    Slimes weremon monsters and could be found almost anywhere. There had been more than one asion when Slimes ended up inside a cargo ship, especially water Slimes, since they could swim in the water.


    "Well, I wonder what I should do with you?" the Dwarf asked in a teasing tone as he held the Slime firmly in his grip, preventing it from escaping his grasp. He had coated his hand with an aura that prevented the Slime from slipping out of his hand, despite how much it struggled.


    While the Dwarf was deep in thought, a sudden explosion was heard on the deck of the ship, which made his eyes widen in shock.


    "How?" the Dwarf muttered as more explosions sounded around the ship. "We should have been safely out to sea before they found out about our whereabouts."


    The Dwarf with the reddish-brown hair was the leader of the Elite Group that had been assigned to kidnap Princess Anastasia, while she was in the Wolfpine Barony. The spy that they had carefully nted within the Princess'' entourage two years ago had tipped them off that the Princess was going to the Wolfpine Barony to look into why the drought was still persisting.


    Because of this, the Guild Leader of Twilight Rain didn''t miss this chance and ordered the Dwarf, who went by the name, Harrus, to oversee the operation.


    Harrus couldn''t believe that his carefully thought out n would be discovered so easily.


    ''Does the Princess have other things in her possession that would allow others to find her location?'' Harrus frowned. However, he shook his head and immediately dismissed the idea. He had the ability to immediately detect, and appraise, if someone had any magical artifacts in their possession.


    Aside from the Princess'' ne that he had away with a bird, she didn''t have any other tools that could help their pursuers to track their location. Just to be safe, he even took off her earrings, rings, storage ring, storage bags, and any other items that were on her person.


    He even asked Scarlet to strip her of her clothes, and help the Princess put on a new set of clothes, which had an enchantment that prevented her presence from being detected by special artifacts that used blood to track anyone with that bloodline.


    They had prepared thoroughly to ensure that everything would go smoothly, so he didn''t believe that the King of Edelweiss had discovered their location so easily.


    ''Could it be the boar and those two boys I picked up on a whim?'' Harrus thought. Once again, he denied this idea.


    Just like the Princess, he had already confiscated everything they had, including their clothes. The two boys were currently wearing robes that ves wore as theyy in the wooden crates fast asleep.


    As for the Boar, it was an animal so it didn''t have any artifacts or storage devices in its possession.


    But, this was far from the truth. Cai had a minor ability when it came to manipting space, so it could store anything, and pull it out of thin air whenever it needed something.


    Originally, Lux, and Keane thought that Cai had some sort of storage ring, but after paying close attention to how it took stuff out of the blue, they noticed that the Boar had the ability to manipte space, which made them look at her in a new light.


    More explosions sounded on the deck of the ship, which made Harrus click his tongue in irritation.


    He then squashed the Slime in his hands, killing it instantly before going up to the deck to see what the hell was going on.


    A few minutester, more movement was heard in one of the corners of the storagepartment. A little Slime poked its head from a sack of corn and nced in the direction where Harrus had left.


    After dying once, Eiko had be more cautious, especially when Lux wasn''t with her. She had summoned her two Doppelgangers and hid them within the ship, using them as scouts to check if the coast was clear.


    Seeing that the coast was clear, the Doppelganger jumped off of the sack, and hurriedly crawled towards the wooden crates where the others were sleeping.


    Then it did something unexpected. It opened its mouth, and sucked up all three crates, including the people inside them.


    Eiko had gained this ability long ago, but it was strengthened to the next level after her revival. She was able to store living things inside their body, as long as they didn''t resist her.


    Since the three were asleep, the Doppelganger had no problem taking them inside its body before passing them to the real Eiko, who was hiding in yet another sack inside the storagepartment.


    ''Pa!'' Eiko immediately informed the Half-Elf that she had retrieved Cai, Keane, and Clyde.


    ''Good job, Eiko!'' Lux praised the baby Slime for a job well done. ''Now we only need to find the princess.''


    The baby Slime nodded in understanding, so she immediately summoned her personal Slime army to help her look for the princess'' whereabouts, alongside her remaining Doppelganger.


    ckie (Devil Slime), Whitey (Angel Slime), Rocky (Earth Slime), Maya (Water Slime), Saber (Saber Slime), and Cloud (Aero Slime).


    They were Eiko''s personal Slime regiment that served as her personal bodyguards. She tasked some of them to head straight to the location of the Princess, while the two slimes, Rocky and Saber, were tasked to remain in the Hold Compartment, and start creating ces of weakness in the hull that would allow the water to enter the ship when it started to sail.


    They didn''t want to sink the ship right away, but only made preparations to make it happen.


    Lux''s n was to let the ship wander out into the water first, before water started flowing inside it, slowing its progress, until its interior was finally flooded.


    The Half-Elf knew where the Princess was, but to get there was not an easy task. They would have to pass through the security that was protecting her, which consisted of Scarlet, and two more Rankers that were in the same room with her.


    She was their VIP guest, so Rankers were always assigned to keep watch over her, just in case something unexpected happened.


    The Slimes under Eiko''smand weren''t ordered to engage the Rankers. Their goal was to hide near the room where the Princess was staying and wait for an opportunity to rescue her.


    ��----------


    On the deck of the Ship��.


    "What are you doing?!" Harrus asked hisrade as soon as he arrived on the deck of the ship. "Shoot that bastard down, Garnus!"


    "Shut it!" the Dwarf named Garnus snapped back at Harrus as he hurled several Fireballs towards the Wind des that were flying in their direction.


    He had already tried to shoot down the ck-robed Ranker in the distance, but thetter was moving too quickly, making it very hard for his fire-based attacks to hit.


    Also, their opponent was a Wind Elementalist, making it very easy to evade Garnus'' attacks, while counter attacking with a Wind de.


    Suddenly, one of the other Rankers that belonged to Twilight Rain roared and materialized a boulder in thin air, before throwing it at the projectile that was headed towards the right side of their ship.


    The boulder and the Bone Cannonball collided, creating a loud explosion that spread across the entire port.


    Originally, when Millie had started to rain down Wind des at the Twilight Ship, the people at the port didn''t notice it right away. However, when Garnus, the Fire Mage Ranker that belonged to Twilight Rain, blocked her attacks, the explosion that followed had rmed the people of the battle that was happening within the city''s Port.


    "As expected of a Ranker," Asmodeus said before raising his hand. "Prepare to fire!"


    Three bone cannons aimed their muzzles at the distant Merchant ship and waited for Asmodeus'' orders to fire.


    Just like Lux, Asmodeus had summoned its own Doppelgangers, allowing them tomand three Grand Cannons made from the Skeleton Make Skill.


    "Load the special ammunition!" Several Skeleton Gang Bangers entered the cannon and positioned themselves snugly inside it.


    "Open Fire!" Asmodeus ordered, and as soon as he gave the signal, three Skeleton Gang Bangers shot towards the flying ship like Cannon Balls.


    After the first round was fired, another followed


    The Skeleton Cannons fired non-stop as the Skeleton Gang Bangers entered them one by one, allowing them to be shot like projectiles towards the Merchant Ship.


    Their purpose was not to destroy the ship because they knew that it wouldn''t do anything to the Rankers, who were leagues above their current rank. Their purpose was to only cause a distraction, making the Rankers think that they were dealing with many enemies at once.


    Lux, who deemed that the time was right, immediately ordered his two Doppelgangers to join the fray, raising the chaos to the next level.


    Harrus and the three Rankers who were on top of the deck, who were bing annoyed by the sudden attacks that were being hurled in their direction, sensed a concentration of magical power in the distance, making them shift their attention to the roofs of two houses in the distance.


    Lux''s Doppelgangers unleashed their attacks at the same time, aimed at the hull of the Merchant Ship, in an attempt to destroy it.


    ""Dragon''s Breath!""


    A few secondster, a loud explosion ensued, destroying parts of the city''s port, and sending the onlookers who were near the ship scrambling away in fear for their lives.

 Chapter 395 I Hate Dealing With These Abyss Touched Bastards!

    "What?! There''s a battle taking ce at the Port?!" the Earl of Draycott gasped in shock. "Where are the Guards? Why aren''t they interfering?!"


    "My Lord, the members of the Adventurer''s Guild talked to the Guard Captain to ask for permission for him and his men to encircle the perimeter of the Port, but they were told not to interfere."


    The Earl of Draycott mmed his fist on the table before shouting at the top of his lungs.


    "Why are they listening to the Adventurer''s Guild?!" the Earl roared in anger. "This is my Domain, and I order the Guards to arrest those who dared to disrupt the peace of my city!"


    The aide of the Earl had a conflicted look on his face before stating why the Adventurer''s Guild had intervened.


    "The Adventurer''s Guild has beenmissioned by the King to assist in the rescue of Princess Anastasia, who is currently being held by Rankers of a terrorist organization," the aide replied. "The Rankers of the Kingdom are also headed to your Earldom, My Lord, and they have been given explicit orders to take fullmand of the situation.


    "ording to the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild, all the cost for the repair of the Port will be shouldered by his Majesty. So, in order to protect the citizens of the city, the Guard Captain was ordered to evacuate everyone near the Port, so that there wouldn''t be additional casualties from the sh between the Rankers of both sides."


    The Earl almost slipped off his chair after hearing that Rankers were involved in the battle. The strongest fighters in his Domain were Initiates, and they were in no position to fight against those that had stepped among the powerhouses of the realm.


    But, that was not the biggest issue of all.


    "Princess Anastasia is kidnapped?" the Earl asked. "Are you sure that it is Princess Anastasia that is kidnapped?"


    "Yes, My Lord," the Aide replied. "It is indeed the Princess."


    The Earl slowly sat down on his chair after realization had hit him. He was one of Princess Anastasia''s supporters, and for him, the Princess'' safety was very important.


    "Understood," The Earl replied. "Call the leader of my Elite Guards. I will ask them to coordinate with the Adventurer''s Guild, as well as the envoys from the Royal Pce."


    "Yes, My Lord."


    ��---------


    ""Dragon''s Breath!""


    Two Dragon Breaths headed towards the hull of the ship in an attempt to destroy it.


    However, before they could even arrive at their intended target, a Dwarf with reddish-brown hair jumped off the ship and blocked them both with his bare fists.


    The Dragon Breaths that looked so powerful in the distance were dispelled easily, as if it was just a low-level spell that didn''t have much destructive power.


    However, after the Ranker had stopped the attack, he felt a pin-pricking pain that seemed to puncture his soul, which made him arch an eyebrow.


    "Abyss Touch," Harrus muttered. "It seems that someone is asking for an early death."


    The Ranker stomped his foot on the ground, and instantly hurled himself towards one of the houses where the ck-robed figures were.


    He had a sneer on his face because he found it quiteughable that a mere Grade A Apostle had dared to attack a boat where several Rankers were stationed.


    Seeing that the Ranker was approaching, one of Lux''s Doppelgangers immediately jumped off the house, down where a Rock Golem was waiting to catch him.


    A momentter, the Doppelganger was thrown away by the Rock Golem to a safe location, just before its entire body was smashed to pieces by the Ranker.


    "Petty tricks," Harrus sneered as he once again stomped his foot to lunge at the ck-robed attacker.


    Due to his speed, he managed to close the gap in mere seconds and unleashed his fist to smash the ck-robed individual without holding back.


    But just before the moment of impact, corpses of several horned rabbits and other low-leveled monsters were released from the Doppelganger''s storage ring, hovering around the Doppelganger, as well as the Ranker that was about to smash his body into meat paste.


    The other Doppelganger, who was standing on one of the houses near the Port, pointed his finger at the corpses in the distance and detonated them.


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    Just like a lit matchstick that was thrown into a box of fireworks, several explosions filled the sky, creating a dust cloud that blocked everyone''s view.


    "Well yed. That felt quite a bit ticklish."


    The smoke parted and Harrus appeared with minor blood stains on his clothes. The corpse explosion had detonated the corpses that Lux had prepared beforehand in an attempt to hurt their opponent, but he hadn''t been able to gather a lot of dead monsters because they were in a hurry.


    Because of this, the full power of the Chain Explosion wasn''t realized. But, that was enough. It allowed the Half-Elf to gauge the effect of his attacks against a Ranker without holding back.


    ''As expected, Rankers are tough nuts to crack,'' Lux thought as he watched the battle from a distance. ''Still, I doubt that you got out of that unscathed.''


    A sneer appeared on Lux''s face as he looked at the seemingly unaffected Ranker, who had dispersed the smoke that blocked his view.


    Abyss Touch was an attack that directly targeted the soul. No matter how tough your defenses were, it was something that couldn''t be brushed off so easily.


    This was what made Abyssal Monsters very difficult to kill. Only those that could resist their soul-based attacks would be able to endure their relentless assault, just like the Dragon Race and other Mythical Races that had a high resistance against the attacks from the Abyss.


    Just as Lux had assumed, Harrus did indeed suffer a bit due to the Corpse Explosion. Although he said that it was ticklish, in truth, he wasn''t asposed deep inside.


    ''I hate dealing with these Abyss Touched bastards!'' Harrus cursed internally.


    It was not only Lux and Nero that had gained the power of the Abyss by absorbing the Beast Cores of Abyssal Monsters. There were many of them, and they were the bane of Rankers who specialized in defenses.


    Harrus was an offensive fighter and preferred to destroy Abyss Touched opponents before they could hurt him. But, right now, he was feeling a little annoyed because the one that he was facing wasn''t even a Ranker, but a mere Apostle, whose attacks were now getting on his nerves.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" Harrus asked as he looked at the robed-figure who was still standing on the roof.


    The moment he had disposed of one of the two Doppelgangers, he realized that his opponent was just using clones against him, ticking him off even further.


    Hearing no answer from the Apostle, Harrus clicked his tongue and took a fighting pose. A momentter, he unleashed a single punch.


    The punch didn''t look like much and even looked as if someone was casually just throwing a punch just for the sake of it.


    However, what happened next made Lux realize that he wasn''t just fighting a Ranker, but a High-Ranker.


    The house, as well as every other structure that was dozens of meters around it were instantly decimated as if they had been hit by a giant cannonball.


    Naturally, Lux''s clone was destroyed before it could even use one of the tricks that he had prepared beforehand.


    Seeing that his two Doppelgangers had been destroyed, Lux sneakily made his escape in order to not catch the Ranker''s attention.


    ''Asmodeus, n B,'' Lux said as he made his getaway.


    ''Understood, Master,'' Asmodeus replied.


    The Archlich raised his hand, and the attacks of the cannons stopped firing.


    Asmodeus'' Doppelgangers stood behind the original one, and the three of them raised their hands at the same time.


    "Skeleton Make��"


    ��-------


    Inside the Twilight Ship��.


    "SkeletoMake��" Eiko said softly. "Bone Bomb!"


    A momentter, a round Bone ball appeared in front of Eiko, and thetter rolled it on the hullpartment of the ship, in a ce where it couldn''t be seen right away.


    "Skeleton Make�� Bone Bomb!"


    "Skeleton Make�� Bone Bomb!"


    "Skeleton Make�� Bone Bomb!"


    "Skeleton Make�� Bone Bomb!"


    The baby Slime, as well as her two helpers, Rocky (Earth Slime) and Saber (Saber Slime), all rolled the Bone Bombs into the key locations within the ship.


    Eiko could detonate these balls anytime as long as she was within a two-mile radius of the ship, flooding its Hold Compartment within seconds.


    Lux and Millie were attacking the ship relentlessly to cause a diversion, allowing Eiko and her Slimes to carry out their missions.


    Now that the First Phase of the n had been carried out, which was to secure Cai, Keane, and Clyde, the Second Phase of the n was about to start.


    After nting as many Skeleton Bombs as possible, Eiko double checked her work for thest time before using her teleportation skill to instantly teleport to Lux''s location, marking the sess of her mission to rescue her friends, as well as the Baron''s Second Son.


    "Good job, Eiko," Lux praised the baby Slime who had appeared beside him. "Let''s go to a safe ce first before you unload them, okay?"


    "Pa!" The baby Slime nodded in understanding.


    As the Half-Elf and the baby Slime made their way to the center of the city, where it was safe, Asmodeus had given Millie the signal that the First Phase of their operation was a sess.


    Although she was reluctant to leave because the Princess was still not saved, the green-haired Dwarf retreated because Lux had promised her that he would do everything in his power to help rescue Princess Anastasia, once their reinforcements had finally arrived.

 Chapter 396 We’re Moving As Planned Master

    "Ugh! My head hurts!" Cai shook its head in an attempt to shake off the sleeping spell that was cast over it.


    Keane, on the other hand, calmly put on the set of robes that Lux had provided him.


    "I''m sorry about your sword," Lux said to the skinny swordsman. "I left it in Wolfpine Barony to have it repaired."


    Keane nodded and said his thanks to Lux. During their battle against the members of Twilight Rain, his sword broke when he shed against Harrus.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t believe that his friend would have the guts to point his sword at a Ranker, but knowing that Keane was not the type to turn a blind eye to those who were suffering made the red-headed teenager have a better opinion of him.


    "That sword is just a cheap sword that my Master randomly picked up in a junk shop," Keane stated. "I was also nning to get a new one, but my funds kept on decreasing because a certain chatty boar made me pay for the food bill in all the ces we visited."


    Cai, who heard Keane''s exnation which sounded more like aint, sneakily walked away, causing the Half-Elf to look at it in disdain.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll get you a better sword in the future," Lux said before taking out the sword he had used when he had started his journey in Elysium. "Use this for now."


    Lux handed the de, Oathbreaker, to Keane, and thetter''s eyes softened after unsheathing the sword in his hand.


    It was just slightly shorter than his original sword, and the de was a little thicker, but after he swung it around a few times, he found that it was much more convenient to use than his previous sword.


    ��----


    < Oathbreaker, Dark de of Eternity >


    Rarity: Unique


    (One Handed Sword)


    Requirement: 100 Combined Stats


    �C Attack: 100-145 Dark Damage


    �C Physical skills deal 20% more damage.


    �C Has a 10% chance to trigger double damage with each attack. This ability works with skills as well.


    ��----


    Although it was only a Unique Weapon, and not a Mythical one, it was still a good weapon, and the 10% chance to trigger double damage was a wee addition to Keane''s deadly one-hit strikes.


    "Thank you, I''ll put it to good use," Keane said.


    "You''re wee," Lux replied.


    Millie, who was standing not far from the two of them, had her arms crossed over her chest. It had only been half an hour since their attack on the Twilight Ship ended, but the members of Twilight Rain had already decided to set sail before any more problems arose.


    "Can we really rescue the Princess this way?" Millie asked anxiously as she stared at Lux who looked quite calm after saving his friends.


    The Half-Elf nodded. "Now that the other hostages are gone, they will only have the Princess with them. That will make them feel anxious and increase her security to make sure that no one will be able to save her."


    Millie who heard Lux''s reply suddenly wanted to p the Half-Elf silly.


    Instead of raising their chances of rescuing the princess, their rescue operation only made things a lot harder. If they discovered that the other hostages were gone, it would be highly probable that more Rankers would guard the Princess to keep an eye on her.


    "Isn''t this counterproductive?" Millie asked. "With more security guarding Her Highness, it would be nearly impossible to get her off of the ship!"


    Lux smiled because he could understand what the green-haired Dwarf was thinking. However, having more guards guarding the Princess meant less people paying attention to what was happening outside and inside the ship.


    If Lux had his way, he hoped that at least three to four Rankers stood guard with Princess Anastasia. Two rankers were easier to deal with than four, and it also allowed plenty of opportunities for his own undercover agent, Scarlet, to do things without raising any suspicions.


    The Dwarf Assassin''s loyalty belonged to him. After being reborn as a Cambion, Scarlet knew that as long as Lux willed it, she would obey him without fail.


    This was her fate after her defeat, and because of that, she decided to use anything to her advantage to be stronger, including using the Dark Guild she was part of to be a Ranker.


    Of course, the red-headed teenager wouldn''t disclose his mole inside Twilight Rain to anyone. With such a capable Assassin under hismand, he could easily create opportunities for the Princess to be saved, as long as the right conditions were met.


    Five minutester, the sound of arge group of mounted people finally arrived in the Port City to takemand of the situation.


    Ken was among them, and the first person he looked for was not the Earl of Draycott, but the Half-Elf, who was waiting for his arrival.


    "What''s the situation?" Ken asked. "Have they left the Port?"


    Lux nodded. "Around half an hour ago. They are headed North West. I''m not familiar with the inds in that direction, but I assume that they are headed to one of their strongholds."


    Ken frowned because this was definitely bad news. Right now, he only had two Rankers and twenty Initiates. If Millie were to join their ranks, that would only add one more Ranker to the group, and it was still three less than the Rankers of Twilight Rain.


    "We can''t let them reach their stronghold," Ken stated. "Who knows how many Rankers they have stationed there?"


    Lux agreed. However, he wasn''t too worried about the Twilight Ship getting far out to sea. They had departed the Port only half an hour ago, which meant that they hadn''t gone far.


    As long as they moved now, they would be able to catch up to them after Eiko detonated the Bone Bombs that had been nted inside the ship.


    "What about the reinforcements from the Royal Family?" Ken asked. "Even if we manage to intercept them, they still outnumber us."


    Lux nced in Millie''s direction, and thetter just shook her head. There was still no reply from the artifact that allowed her to contact her Master, which proved that thetter was not within the artifact''s range.


    Ken sighed after seeing Millie''s reaction. Their Grand Guildmaster who was stationed in the Capital City of the Kingdom of Gweliven agreed to his proposal to mobilize all avable manpower in order to save the Princess.


    This would make the Royal Family owe the Adventurer''s Guild for mobilizing their own troops in order to save the Princess from her kidnappers.


    Lux understood that this was also a political move, but he didn''t concern himself with such things. Right now, he was pressed on time, so he asked Ken to order his men to board the Earl''s personal battleship, which would be used to pursue the members of Twilight Rain.


    ��-----


    Mission Time: 13: 56: 22


    ��-----


    Lux sighed internally after seeing his precious time tick by.


    It would take him five hours to return to Wolfpine Barony in order toplete his mission. If possible, he would like the battle to end sooner, but since they were fighting against Rankers, they needed to n things out properly.


    ''I only have one chance to save her,'' Lux mused as he thought of Eiko''s Doppelganger, as well as the other Slimes that were still inside the enemy''s ship. ''Asmodeus, how are the things on your side?''


    ''We''re moving as nned, Master,'' Asmodeus replied. ''It seems that they can''t detect us from this distance.''


    Lux felt relieved after knowing that his Undead Army was moving ording to schedule. With them hounding the ship from behind, the members of Twilight Rain wouldn''t know what hit them until it was toote.

 Chapter 397 Not Following The Script

    Ken, Millie, and the rest of the members that were tasked to rescue the Princess, boarded the Battleship of the Earldom of Draycott which was named Starlight.


    ording to the Captain, the Earl made the decision of making his own Battleship in order to protect his territory from Pirates while looking at a star-studded sky. Because of this, he had given the ship the name Starlight, so that even on the darkest nights, the stars would guide the battleship back home.


    Lux, on the other hand, didn''t board the battleship. Instead, he rented another ship docked at the Port to act as his own transport during the battle that would be waged on the high seas.


    Since Ken was in charge of the operation, it would limit Lux''s own actions when it came to ordering his Undead Army, so he decided to ride a separate ship, which would let them use a pincer attack against their target out in the open sea.


    "Captain Spawow, I heard you are one of the most dishonest Dwarfs to have sailed the Seven Seas," Lux said as he shook hands with the Captain of the Ship that he had rented to help him save Princess Anastasia.


    "I''m dishonest, and a dishonest Dwarf you can always trust to be dishonest," Jack Spawow replied. "Honestly. It''s the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they''re going to do something incredibly�� stupid."


    Lux smirked because the more he looked at the Dwarf, the more he liked his personality.


    "Unfurl the sails," Jack Spawowmanded. "Raise the anchor, and hoist the Colours!"


    (A/N: Bloody Hell, before any of youin, Colours is intentionally written in this way, Mate.)


    The crew of the ckship began to move, as the ck Pearl prepared to sail to pursue the Twilight Ship.


    A g which bore a skull with two swords crossed underneath it was soon flying in the breeze.


    "Um, are you sure we are on the right ship?" Cai asked as it looked at the g. "Isn''t this a pirate ship?"


    Lux grinned before turning his head to look at the Captain who was standing behind the steering wheel of the ship.


    "Captain, Cai said that this is a pirate ship," Lux shouted. "What do you have to say to that?"


    The crew, who was busy finishing the preparations for departure, paused for a few seconds before roaring inughter. The Captain alsoughed alongside his crew before looking at Cai who was wondering why everyone around her suddenly startedughing.


    "I''ll leave the answer to your imagination, My Dear Friend." Jack Spawow winked before steering the ship toward the sea where a new adventure awaited them.


    ��--


    An hourter��


    "Eiko, stir it like you mean it, Sweetheart," Jack Spawow said as he looked at the baby Slime who was having fun jumping all over the steering wheel, making it spin.


    "Aye!" Eiko replied as she jumped over the steering wheel to make the ship turn Westwards.


    The ship was quite a bit faster than Lux expected.


    It was like the ship was gliding across the waters as it enjoyed the steering of the baby Slime who was giggling non-stop after she found herself a new "toy" to y with.


    Behind them, Starlightgged behind, which made its Captain, and the sailors of the battleship, feel a bit embarrassed��they thought that their ship was the fastest ship within the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Suddenly, a green-haired Dwarf descended from the cabin, which made the pirate�Cerr sailors��draw their swords and point their flintlocks in her direction.


    "Calm down everyone. Thess is on our side," Captain Jack Spawow said. "Aren''t you, Darling?"


    "I''m not your darling," Millie replied before walking towards Lux, making the sailors erupt in cheers because their Captain got ignored by the green-haired Dwarf, who was more fiery than some of the women they met at sea.


    "How far are they?" Millie asked.


    "Not far," Lux answered with a smile. "You can even see them now if you look properly."


    The Half-Elf pointed towards the horizon, making Millie squint her eyes. A momentter, she found a small ck speck in the distance, which made her heart skip a beat.


    Millie clenched her fist in both excitement and anxiety.


    She was happy that they were finally closing the gap between them and the kidnappers, but also anxious because she didn''t know if she would be able to save the Princess once they started their naval battle.


    "Tell Ken to prepare for battle," Lux stated. "We will be engaging them soon enough."


    "What''s the n?" Millie asked, making the Half-Elf smile.


    There was another reason why Lux decided to take a separate ship instead of joining the battleship.


    "The n is to defend your ship with all of your might," Lux replied. "Soon, they will being after you guys, so you better do your best to hold out until the Princess is rescued."


    Millie didn''t understand what Lux was hinting at, but she still decided to do what he said.


    The green-haired Dwarf left the ship and flew towards Starlight and passed the Captain and Ken the exact words that Lux had told her.


    Cai had once told him that one of the Rankers had a giant bird that they could ride in order to get to the Earldom of Draycott faster.


    In truth, the flying mount was the greatest threat in this rescue operation, but Lux had already prepared a n to counter it.


    As long as they were able to bring it down, the Rankers wouldn''t have any other choice but to try to capture one of their two ships once Eiko had detonated the Bone Bombs that would sink the ship, making the members of Twilight Rain desperate.


    Lux had seen firsthand how the Ranker made his strongest attacks look like child''s y. Because of this, he knew that the only way to beat them was by using the element of surprise, allowing him to rescue Princess Anastasia while everyone was fighting over the ownership of the battleship, Starlight.


    However, before they could even start their n, a giant bird appeared over the horizon and flew in their direction.


    Soon, giant fireballs descended upon the ck Pearl, which made the Half-Elf curse internally because the members of Twilight Rain weren''t following the script that he had borately prepared for them.

 Chapter 398 Twilight Rain’s Mistake [Part 1]

    "All hands, prepare to battle!" Captain Jack Spawow shouted as he took over the steering wheel from Eiko and held it steadily.


    The ship was too slow to evade the fireballs, but the Pirate Captain had an amused expression on his face as he gave the zing balls of fire, that were about to descend on his ship, a side-long nce before shifting his gaze back to the ship they were chasing beyond the horizon.


    The crew wasn''t asposed as their Captain, but they still began loading their cannons, which were on the deck, and prepared for battle.


    Lux had already summoned his two Doppelgangers and was about tounch three Dragon Breaths in an attempt to repel the fireballs, but before he could do that, several Wind des collided with them, making them explode mid-air.


    Millie had flown from the other ship and began to engage the enemy in an Aerial Battle.


    As a Ranker who wielded the Wind Element, she was very capable of fighting on all kinds of battlefields.


    The Half-Elf breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that the green-haired Dwarf hade to their rescue. Now that their backup had arrived, the opportunity to eliminate their greatest threat had be a reality.


    ''I was nning to deal with that flying mountter, but since it is already here it''s about time to get it out of the picture,'' Lux thought. ''Asmodeus, prepare for Operation Dead Bird!''


    ''Understood, Master,'' Asmodeus replied.


    ��----


    Under the Sea, a ship made up of skeletons was wading under the waters.


    Asmodeus stood at the steering wheel and looked up above him where bright shes of light could be seen. Slowly, but surely, the Skeleton Ship rose up from the deep waters.


    The Archlich had no intention of taking the Skeleton Ship up to the surface, because that was not part of their n. He only wanted to get within range, so that they could target the flying mount from under the sea, rendering it immobile.


    "Are you ready, Orion?" Asmodeus asked the Jade Golem who was standing in the center of the Skeleton Ship.


    "Yes," Orion replied. "We''re still out of range, so we need to get a little higher."


    Asmodeus nodded as he controlled the Flying Ship to rise a little higher from the depths until Orion gave him the signal that they were now within range.


    A chuckle escaped the Archlich''s lips as he summoned the Skeleton Gangbangers, whose hollow eyes burned brightly, even under the waters.


    ''Master, we are in position,'' Asmodeus reported. ''We can begin the operation anytime.''


    ��-----


    After hearing Asmodeus'' report, Lux narrowed his eyes to look at the battle that was happening in the sky.


    There were two Rankers who were riding on the flying bird in the sky, which, in his opinion, was perfect for their operation.


    One of the Rankers that was on the Battleship was a Ranker that specialized in Water Magic, who had jumped off the ship and joined the battle, while riding on a Water Dragon.


    Right now, he had the geographical advantage, manipting the surrounding waters around him into an infinite supply of water spears that shot towards the Flying Mount from below, while Millie rained down Wind des from above.


    The two Rankers from Twilight Rain were hard pressed to resist thisbination attack and were forced to be on the defensive.


    Malkhalm, the Ranker from Twilight Rain who specialized in Fire Magic cursed as heunched fire balls, and fire spears to repel the Wind des, while hispanion, Khezmod, who used Earth Magic, summoned a Dome of Rock, that acted as a barrier to shield themselves from the Wind des that managed to break through their defensive barrage.


    The Flying Mount, on the other hand, fired crystal shards to deflect the water balls, and water spears being fired at it from the sea, while evading those that it couldn''t blockpletely.


    They could have resisted thebined attacks of Millie and the Water Mage well, but there was one more problem that they didn''t expect to face.


    A Third Ranker, who was part of the Adventurer''s Group, was a Sniper who specialized in long distancebat.


    Even from the deck of the Battleship, his arrows flew straight and true, hitting the flying Mount repeatedly, making thetter cry out in pain.


    If not for the fact that the Flying Mount''s was a Deimos-Ranked Monster, it would have already been shot dead by the Ranker whose deadly attacks were always aimed at its eyes, heart, and neck.


    "No good, we won''t hold out long," Khazmod stated. "Let''s go back to the ship. I thought they only had one Ranker with them. It seems that they managed to recruit another one on short notice."


    "Dammit!" Malkhalm cursed but he understood that they had underestimated their opponents.


    He was the one that proposed that they should eliminate their pursuers and sink their ships, so that they would not follow them to their secret Stronghold, while they were massing their pirate fleet, in order to attack the merchant fleet from the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Another reason why he proposed tounch a preemptive strike at their pursuers was because he thought that they only had a Wind Mage by their side.


    Now that two additional rankers had joined the battle, they were clearly at a major disadvantage.


    "Return to the ship, Hermeas!" Khazmod ordered.


    The Giant Bird screeched as it acknowledged its Master''s order. It shot the Sniper in the distance with a hateful re before turning around to return to their ship.


    However, just before it could fly away, its body stiffened for a brief second before it took a nosedive towards the sea, which made Khazmod and Malkhalm eyes widen in shock.


    "Dumb bird! Go back to the ship!" Maklhalm screamed. "What do you think you''re doing?!"


    "Hermeas! Go up!"  Khazmod ordered. "Go up I say!"


    Hermes gave a helpless screech because it couldn''t control its body. It was about to return to the ship when it found itself being pulled towards the sea, unable to stir itself to fly back up.


    "Millie and Sir Ranker! Attack them now!" Lux shouted. "I will take care of the Giant Bird, you deal with the two Rankers!"


    Millie and the Water Mage, who went by the name Favian, were surprised at the sudden turn of events, but after hearing Lux''s shout, both of them charged at the falling bird, andunched a deadly barrage of Wind des and Water Spears without mercy.


    Malkhalm''s and Khazmod''s faces became pale because they didn''t know what kind of sorcery the Half-Elf had used to make their flying mount descend towards the sea head-first.


    If their Flying Mount was gone, they would be hard pressed to escape the pursuit of the two Rankers, and their chances of getting back to their ship were zero.


    For a brief moment, time seemed to havee to a standstill as the Two Rankers from Twilight Rain looked in the direction of the ck Pearl.


    There, they saw a red-headed teenager looking at them with a sneer, which made their blood turn cold.


    That was thest thing they saw before a loud ssh of water erupted in every direction, as the Giant Bird, Hermes, dove into the sea, in pursuit of the opponent that had forced it to duel them under the waters.

 Chapter 399 Twilight Rain’s Mistake [Part 2]

    Five minutes before the Giant Bird crashed into the sea��


    ''Master, we are in position,'' Asmodeus reported. ''We can begin the operation anytime.''


    ''Good,'' Lux replied. ''Orion, wait for my signal.''


    ''Yes, Master.''


    The Jade Golem positioned itself on the side of the Skeleton Ship, preparing to jump off as soon as Lux gave it the signal.


    From the start, the Half-Elf was worried that the members of Twilight Rain would use their flying mount to escape their pursuit if their ship was destroyed during the naval warfare.


    This was why he still hadn''t given Eiko the order to detonate the Bone Bombs that she had left on the Twilight Ship because they could still escape if they wanted to.


    Now that the greatest threat hade willingly to him, the Half-Elf would be a fool to let this opportunity escape his grasp.


    Seeing that the time was right, Lux gave the order to start the Operation Dead Bird, which would eliminate the Flying Mount once and for all.


    "Duel [EX]!" Orion roared as he targeted the Giant Bird that was flying above the waters. After making sure that his skill had taken effect, the Jade Golem jumped off the Skeleton Ship and descended towards the sea floor.


    The Skeleton Ship, on the other hand, immediately backed away, as soon as Orion had jumped off because they didn''t want to be in the immediate area when the underwater battle began.


    Over a hundred Skeleton Gangbangers stood at the deck of the ship, waiting to attack the prey that would soon serve itself on a silver tter.


    Less than a minuteter, a giant bird broke through the water''s surface, and dove towards the bottom of the sea, following the Jade Golem whose role was to keep it under water and drown it.


    Several wind des pierced through the water in pursuit of the giant bird, hitting it from behind.


    The Water Mage had also dove underwater and was having the time of his life as he sent countless water spears at his helpless targets, who were still sinking towards the bottom of the sea.


    Above the waters, Lux had summoned Pazuzu and Diablo to his side.


    "Go down and ensure that none of them escape alive!" Lux ordered.


    The two acknowledged their Master''s order and immediately jumped off the Pirate Ship to join theirrades, who were about to initiate the underwater battle against the two Rankers, as well as their Flying Mount, which was currently holding its breath for as long as it could.


    Millie didn''t hesitate to dive down into the sea as well, encapsting herself in a bubble of air, allowing her to breathe underwater.


    "Looks like our opponents made a grave mistake." Captain Spawow chuckled. "Boys, make sure to get those cannons at the ready. I like to hit people when they''re down."


    ""Aye captain!""


    The crew of the ck Pearl were all excited to join the fight. As Pirates they liked to be on the winning side, and judging at the current circumstances, they are indeed on the winning side.


    Lux shared his connection with Asmodeus, as well as Orion, to pinpoint the exact location of their enemies.


    "Captain, can you move the boat closer to that location?" Lux asked as he pointed in the distance.


    Jack Spawow nodded and did as the Half-Elf requested. He didn''t need to ask why the red-headed teenager wanted to move the ship closer since he believed that the boy had a n.


    Deep inside, he was also looking forward to what the Half-Elf was nning to do.


    When they neared the location, Lux, and his two clones summoned a Rock Golem each, and ordered them to jump into the water.


    They summoned five more each, making eighteen Rock Golems in total, that had descended into the sea.


    Eiko had also done the same and summoned six Rock Golems to join in the fun. She didn''t know what her Papa was thinking, but she decided to do it as well because her Papa knew best!


    As the Twenty Four Rock Golems descended into the sea the first thing they saw was the backside of the Giant Bird, which had now almost reached the sea floor, where the Jade Golem, Orion, was waiting for it with its strongest attack.


    Asmodeus, who was navigating the Skeleton Ship, deemed that it was now safe for them to approach their target, and summoned Rock Golems of his own.


    "Go!" Asmodeus ordered. "Drown that bird!"


    Asmodeus clones had also summoned their Rock Golems, totaling eighteen, that had all jumped off the Skeleton Ship as well.


    Millie and the Water Mage, Favian, who saw these Rock Golems didn''t understand what they were nning to do. However, they finally understood their purpose the moment a strong surge of water erupted at the bottom of the sea.


    Orion and the Giant Bird had finally shed, and the Jade Golem made sure to punch the Bird''s Beak with his Gaia Smash, making it cry out in pain, which allowed seawater to enter its throat.


    Khezmod mmed his fists together, creating several Earth Spikes to pierce the Jade Golem''s body.


    However, since Orion had the Guts ability, it didn''t die right away, allowing it to summon his own Earth Spike which pierced through one of the Giant Bird''s eyes before an angered Khezmod smashed him to pieces.


    Blood started to spread into the sea as the bird struggled to go back up to the surface.


    Unfortunately, at this moment, several Rock Golems crashed on its body from above, and clung to it, preventing it from moving upwards.


    To make matters worse, hundreds of Skeleton Gang Bangers also arrived at the scene, and started hacking at the Giant Bird with their bony swords.


    Malkhalm and Khezmod didn''t remain idle and started sting the Rock Golems, and the Skeleton Gang Bangers, off their Flying Mount''s body.


    However, Millie and Favian had also arrived at the scene, and attacked the two Rankers, forcing them to defend themselves.


    The two Rankers from Twilight Rain knew that they had no chance of winning the Underwater Battle, so they immediately took two crystals from their storage rings and activated them.


    A momentter, two shes of light erupted on the seafloor.


    The two Rankers had used their Teleportation Crystals that would send them to the Stronghold where they nned to take Princess Anastasia.


    Everyone that was involved in the mission had been given one as a life saving item, in case they were overpowered by their enemies. These crystals were specially made to only activate if it was used by a member of Twilight Rain, to prevent outsiders from teleporting to their main headquarters, and attack them from within.


    Truth be told, none of them expected that they would be using these crystals because their n was perfect. They had predicted that it would take the Royal Family at least a day or two to discover that the Princess was gone before they tasked people to find her.


    By then, they would have already arrived safely in their Stronghold, allowing their Master to negotiate with the King of Gweliven for his daughter''s release.


    The only mistake they made was to bring Cai and Keane with them. Since they were part of Lux''s Guild, he was able to find their location on the map, using his Elysium Compendium.


    This also allowed the Half-Elf to rally some people in the quickest time possible to help with the rescue operation.


    After the two Rankers were done, the Giant Bird was as good as dead after its body was pinned to the sea floor by the golems, despite its struggling.


    Pazuzu and Diablo had also arrived at the scene and didn''t hesitate to start hacking at the Giant Bird''s head, while the Rock Golems held it down to drown it.


    Soon, the Giant Bird gave itsst unwilling screech as it tried to draw in itsst breath.


    It was at this moment when several giant creatures, who had sensed the blood spilling out of the Giant Bird''s body, arrived at the scene.


    Diablo no longer tarried and used the Enchanted Beast Ring to store the Flying Mount''s body before the other Sea Monsters took a bite out of it.


    Millie and Favian hurriedly went up to the surface because there were several Sea Monsters whose Rank was at the peak of the Deimos Rank, making them as strong as E-Rankers.


    They still needed to rescue the Princess, and thest thing they wanted was to entangle themselves with such beasts.


    Seeing that their prey had disappeared, the Sea Monsters lost interest and swam away. They had no appetite for skeletons, much less Rock Golems. Although they could attack the two ships above them, they refrained from doing so because they sensed that three Rankers were guarding them.


    Since that was the case, they would just find weaker prey elsewhere, and no longer trouble themselves with something that might endanger their lives.


    ''Master, the mission was aplete sess,'' Asmodeus reported.


    ''Good job, everyone,'' Lux said to all of his subordinates who were still under the water. ''But, our true mission is still not done. We will resume the rescue operation, so make sure to position yourselves ordingly.''


    """Yes, Master!"""


    Now that two of the enemy Rankers were gone, and their Flying Mount was out of the picture, Lux and his allies felt emboldened by their victory, and pursued the Twilight Ship in the distance with renewed vigor.


    Millie, who was skeptical about their chances of winning, nced at the red-headed teenager who was on the deck of the pirate ship, and finally understood why the King had deemed him worthy to be part of his Elite Unit, whose qualifications she still failed to reach.

 Chapter 400 I Don’t Have Any Interest In The Opinions Of Weaklings

    Harrus, who was standing on the deck, narrowed his eyes as he looked at the battle using a telescope.


    The moment he saw that Khezmod''s flying mount suddenly took a nosedive towards the sea, he felt that something was wrong.


    He waited for a minute, two minutes, and then three. However, no matter how long he waited, the Flying Mount never resurfaced.


    Harrus could see the bubbles that were rising up to the surface, but that was all that he saw. Several minutester, he saw two beams of light shoot up towards the sky and fly North West.


    It was at that moment when he realized what had happened.


    "Those two useless fools!" Harrus'' grip suddenly tightened, destroying the telescope in his hands. "Useless!"


    The Dwarf roared as he threw the broken telescope to the sea. He no longer needed it because he knew that their pursuers were hot on their tail, and it was only a matter of time before they were overtaken.


    "How can this happen?!" Harrus muttered. Even now, he still didn''t understand how the Kingdom was able to mobilize a rescue team on such short notice, even being able to chase them to the Port of Draycott, where they nned to take a Merchant Ship to reach their stronghold in the scattered inds that were outside the control of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    The Dwarf with reddish-brown hair could understand if they were able to mobilize a sizable force in order to pursue them. What he couldn''t understand was how their opponent knew where they were going.


    The artifact that had a tracking spell that the Princess owned was tied to a random bird they found in the forest, which they had sent flying in the opposite direction, so it was impossible for anyone to find out where they were headed.


    But still, they were found. This made Harrus, who was the leader of the kidnapping operation, seethe in anger.


    ''It no longer matters,'' Harrus thought. ''Since it has alreadye to this, a fight is inevitable. We will just use the hostages as ast resort if we are outmatched.''


    Now that two of the Rankers on their side were gone, only four remained.


    Harrus didn''t know how many Rankers were on the two ships that were following them, but ording to his estimate, three Rankers were needed in order to defeat hisrades, who had been forced to use their teleportation crystals to escape.


    "Floyd, Eric,e!" Harrus shouted. "We gotpany!"


    Three Rankers guarded the room that Princess Anastasia was in, in order to prevent her from escaping. However, two of them were called to the deck in order to prepare for a naval battle.


    Thest remaining Ranker, who was a woman, frowned, but didn''t say anything because it was Harrus who led their group in this operation.


    Her name was Carol, and her specialty was Dark Magic.


    She was supposed to be the leader of this operation, but their Guild Master suddenly added Harrus to the team, making him the temporary leader of their group.


    Carol had concerns about making Harrus their leader because she believed that the Brawler was all brawn and no brains. Still, to her surprise, the Brawler had made very logical decisions for the entirety of their mission.


    The only mistake he had made was to agree to Malkahm''s proposal to destroy their pursuers and burn the two ships in the sea.


    Truth be told, if she were in Harrus'' position, she would have also agreed to their proposal, so she couldn''t find fault with it. The only problem now was that they would have no choice but to fight with their pursuers, who were closing the gap with each passing minute.


    While Carol was deep in thought, Scarlet suddenly stood up and headed towards the door of the cabin.


    "Where are you going?" Carol asked.


    "Toilet," Scarlet replied. "I''ve been holding it since an hour ago. Now that there is an imminent battle approaching, I thought that now is the best time to do it, while I still have the chance."


    Carol wrinkled her nose, but she still nodded her head.


    "Go, but be quick about it," Carol ordered.


    Scarlet nodded and left the cabin, where Carol, and five other Initiates, stayed to guard the Princess.


    The moment the yer Candidate left the room, one of the Initiates snorted.


    "So much for a yer Candidate," ady Dwarf said. "She can''t even hold it in during a mission, and she''s supposed to be a top-ss assassin? Isn''t that funny?"


    "You say that now, but you lost to her during the mock battle three days ago," a Dwarf who was in his early twentiesmented. "If you''re that brave, why don''t youin when she is around, and not when she''s not?"


    "Shut up!" thedy Dwarf red at the Dwarf that chastised her. "What''s this? Don''t tell me you have a crush on her? Hah~ you just want to score some brownie points."


    "It is you who should shut up. Just looking at you makes me puke."


    "Oh? Then how about we have a mock battle when we return? I''m going to wipe the floor with your face!"


    Carol didn''t do anything and allowed the Initiates to quarrel among themselves. Rivalry was encouraged within the Dark Guild because itpelled their members to strive harder in order to surpass their rivals.


    Also, just watching over the Princess was getting boring, so listening to the banter between the two Dwarfs served as her entertainment.


    Princess Anastasia, on the other hand, sat on top of the bed.


    Her hands, and feet were shackled with steel chains that prevented her from using any kind of magic. They had already researched the Princess'' ability and found out that she had an aptitude for Life Magic and Wood Magic, allowing her to heal others, as well as manipte the power trees and nts to do her bidding.


    Despite her young age, she was already a Grade B Apostle, butpared to her guards, who were Initiates and Rankers, her rank was of no use.


    In the end, she decided to remain silent and wait for her rescuers to arrive.


    ''Millie must havee with reinforcements,'' Princess Anastasia thought. ''Judging by how the enemy has divided their forces, they must have lost two of their Rankers in battle. This is good news.''


    She did her best to prevent a smile from appearing on her face because she knew that it would only agitate her captors. For the time being, she decided to just observe the people around her and try to understand their characteristics.


    Although the chance was small, it might allow her to use it to her advantage in order to escape.


    ��---


    Scarlet entered the washroom and locked the door, she then looked up at the ceiling and saw a blue slime at the corner of the cramped room.


    ''The slime is indeed here,'' Scarlet reported to Lux. ''Now what?''


    ''Can you bring the Princess to the washroom?'' Lux replied. ''That way, we can drag her away without too much effort.''


    ''Impossible. Even if she begged, Carol would not allow her to leave the room. Also, bringing the slime to the cabin will arouse suspicion, so I can''t take it with me.''


    ''True. very well, we will be arriving soon and once that happens, there will be explosions inside your ship. I''m sure that the Ranker will keep a closer eye on the Princess when that happens, but if an opportunity arises, make sure to take her with you.''


    ''Understood,'' Scarlet gave the blue slime onest nce before leaving the washroom. ''I will keep in touch.''


    ''Okay.''


    Lux''s voice faded from her head, making the yer Candidate sigh internally. She knew that the moment the fighting started, it would be next to impossible for her to get the Princess away from Carol.


    However, many things could happen when the fighting began, so she was already thinking of ways, and excuses that she could use the moment the Princess suddenly disappeared from the Merchant Ship.


    When Scarlet returned to the cabin, one of thedy Dwarfs red in her direction which made her arc an eyebrow. She remembered shoving her face into the floor because she kept on saying that she just got lucky because the target she assassinated was a weakling.


    Naturally, Scarlet couldn''t say that the "weakling" that the Initiate spoke off was the same person that killed her and Sid, who were the two highest ranked Assassins among the Initiates that were part of the Assassination Squad called the Reapers, which were considered to be the group of Assassin Candidates that were trained to join the yers, which were Twilight Rain''s main Assassination group that specialized in killing high profile targets.


    All of the members of the yers were Rankers, so the moment Scarlet became a Ranker, she would immediately be added to this group, which all of the members of Reapers aspired to be.


    "Did something happen?" Scarlet asked the boy, whom she knew had a crush on her. She didn''t mind being adored by others. In fact, she would find it iprehensible if she was not admired by her peers.


    She had beauty, strength, and connections.


    One could say that she had everything from birth, so it was very easy for her to stand above others. Even so, everyone understood that her bing a yer Candidate was due to the fact that she had been tasked to assassinate a Half-Elf, who had somehow appeared in their Kingdom.


    "She was saying things behind your back," the Dwarf replied. "As for what she was saying while you were gone, you can ask her yourself."


    "Oh?" Scarlet gave thedy dwarf a side-long nce before yawning. "Sorry. I don''t have any interest in the opinions of weaklings."


    Scarlet then sat beside Princess Anastasia and leaned on its headboard. Right now, she wasn''t thinking about the Initiate who was ring daggers at the guy that tattled on her.


    She only managed to make the situation more vtile, allowing her to think of ways she could make the princess meet Eiko''s clone, who was currently crawling somewhere in the Merchant Ship, waiting for the opportunity that Lux and Scarlet would prepare for it.

 Chapter 401 The Decisive Battle [Part 1]

    Soon enough, the gap between the two ships shortened.


    What used to be a speck in the horizon was now big enough for everyone to see.


    The distance between the ck Pearl and the Twilight Ship was less than a mile, and everyone was preparing for the battle that was only minutes away from happening.


    Millie was currently on the ck Pearl, while the two Rankers of the Adventurer''s Guild were on the Battleship, Starlight.


    "Steadyds," Captain Spawow said. "You can light those cannons when we get closer, but for now, stay your hands."


    Rows upon rows of cannons were ced at the deck of the ship, pointing out its left side. Naval warfares were much simpler thannd battles. The only thing that either side needed to do was to st the opponent''s ship to oblivion until it sank.


    As for the survivors, they would be under the mercy of the victors.


    Lux, who was looking at the enemy ship using a set of binocrs, could see that three of the remaining four Rankers had arrived on the deck.


    ''The numbers are even now,'' Lux thought. ''We now have a chance to beat them. But, rescuing the Princess is still an issue.''


    The Half-Elf knew that if their opponent became desperate, they would definitely use Princess Anastasia as a hostage. What he must do is to create a situation where the Princess would be able to meet with Eiko''s Doppelganger, allowing the former to be devoured by it.


    "Millie, listen to me," Lux said as he pointed at the Merchant Ship. "Do you see that small window over there on the side of the ship?"


    Millie squinted her eyes to look in the direction where Lux was pointing at and nodded her head.


    "The Princess is kept in that location," Lux exined. "Don''t worry. The Princess is seated on the bed, and it is far from the window. Even if you st that part of the ship, she will still be safe."


    "Are you telling me to attack that spot of the ship?" Millie asked. She could tell that the reason why the chubby teenager was telling her this information was because he wanted her to attack that location in order to free the Princess.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "You are to ignore the other Rankers on the ship, and just focus on that location. Just be warned that there is a Ranker that specializes in Dark Magic guarding her. Aside from her, there are five other Initiates. Whatever you doter, don''t kill thedy with scarlet hair. You can injure her, but make sure that it is not fatal. Do you understand?"


    Millie wasn''t dumb, so she was able to piece together the information that Lux had given her. She had long wondered how the chubby teenager was able to know the location of the Princess, as well as gauge the strength of their enemies.


    The only reason she could think of was that he had an aplice, and this scarlet-haireddy was the one who was sharing the kidnappers'' information with him.


    "Understood," Millie replied.


    Lux smiled. "Also, your goal is to not rescue the princess. Your goal is to engage the Ranker in a battle, forcing her away from the Princess. I will handle the rest."


    Millie nodded "Okay."


    "Go back to the battleship for a moment and inform them that I will now cripple the enemy ship," Lux stated. "Tell them to focus their attacks on the Rankers on the deck, and leave the saving of the Princess to us."


    Millie gave the Hal-Elf a brief nod before flying towards the battleship, Starlight.


    Cai''s and Keane''s expressions became serious because they knew that it was now time to give a payback to their kidnappers, finally putting an end to their criminal act.


    "Pazuzu,e!" Lux summoned his Demonic Defender because Pazuzu would y an important role in the battle.


    "I am here," Pazuzu announced as soon as he appeared.


    "Listen, when Millie attacks the ship, I want you to��"


    The Half-Elf exined in detail what the Demonic Defender would do as soon as Millie had infiltrated the ship and engaged the Ranker in a battle. Although the Ranker would be gone, the remaining Initiates were still a threat to Pazuzu.


    However, Pazuzu''s role was not to engage their enemies, but to only hold them off for a short period of time.


    As long as he was able to hold out long enough, an opportunity would arise, and the Half-Elf would use that opportunity to hit his enemies with a surprise attack from a ce that they wouldn''t expect.


    "Eiko, detonate the bombs," Lux ordered.


    The baby Slime that was perched on top of his head, nodded.


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Eiko shouted as it jumped in ce on top of Lux''s head


    Suddenly, loud explosions rocked the storagepartment of the ship, making those who were inside the cabin, as well as those in the deck, to grab hold of something, so that they wouldn''t be thrown off the ship.


    Seawater started to flood the Hold of the ship, making its crew panic.


    Captain Jack Spawow smirked as he swung the steering wheel to the right, making the ck Pearl make a right turn, allowing its cannons to face the target that was now within firing range.


    "Lads! Time to make a few things go Boom," Captain Spawow shouted. "Open Fire!"


    As soon as the order was given, the cannons on the deck of the ck Pearl roared to life. The Rankers on the Merchant Ship immediately stepped into action as they deflected the cannon balls from further damaging their ship.


    Unfortunately, they couldn''t deflect all of them because the Battleship had alsoe within firing range and joined the barrage, making sure to not hit the location that Millie had told them was where the Princess was currently being held.


    "Millie, go now!" Lux ordered.


    The green-haired Dwarf shot towards the sky, using the distraction of the cannons and the ck smoke that was rising in the air, tounch her own sneak attack towards the enemy.


    Pazuzu also flew behind her in order to initiate the n that his Master had devised.


    Deep in the sea, the Skeleton Ship also started to rise to the surface.


    Asmodeus, Orion, and Diablo, prepared to join the battle as well.


    Ishtar, who had boarded the Skeleton Ship upon Lux''s orders, had taken a siege stance on the deck of the Skeleton Ship, and aimed her crossbow at the Merchant ship above them.


    The moment they came in range, the Night Stalker pulled the trigger, allowing the bolt that had a rope tied in it to shoot upwards.


    Several rock golems held onto the rope, keeping it in ce. Preventing the Merchant ship from going anywhere.


    "Advance!" Asmodeus ordered.


    Soon hundreds of skeletons started to climb up the rope.


    This was an all out attack from above, and underneath, the water. Both sides knew that the decisive battle hade.


    However, even though the members of Twilight Rain were at a disadvantage, no one knew for certain who the final victors of the battle would be.


    One wrong move and things could get ugly, leading to consequences that Lux, as well as those who wished to rescue the princess, didn''t want to have happen.

 Chapter 402 The Decisive Battle [Part 2]

    As several volleys of cannonballs rained on the ship non-stop, the Rankers of Twilight Rain, as well as some of the Initiates onboard, deflected them with everything they had.


    The boat was no longer moving, and its storagepartment was being flooded with seawater at a very fast rate, making them unable to go anywhere.


    Harrus, who was on the deck of the Merchant Ship, had bloodshot eyes as he punched one of the cannonballs that flew in his direction, sending it back to the battleship in the distance.


    However, before the cannonball could hit the ship, an arrow pierced it, destroying it mid-air.


    The Sniper, who belonged to the Adventurer''s Guild, fired another arrow at the Dwarf with reddish-brown hair, forcing thetter to evade it.


    A cannon ball shot by a cannon was different from an arrow shot by a Ranker. Even if the Brawler was confident in his skills, he didn''t dare try to meet the attack head-on.


    ''I guess there''s no other way,'' Harrus gritted his teeth. ''We must use the Princess as leverage in order to escape this predicament.''


    Harrus knew that they were already out of options. They had been backed into a dead-end, and the only way to escape it was to capture one of the ships belonging to their enemy, or force them to negotiate using the Princess as a hostage.


    The Brawler wanted to use the first option, but the enemy ships were attacking them from a safe distance. Although he could jump to where they were, the Rankers stationed on both ships would not watch idly as they tried to capture it.


    As Harrus was thinking about how they would use the Princess as a hostage to reverse their current circumstances, a green-haired Dwarf flew past their ship and suddenly unleashed a barrage of Wind des on the side of the ship, making the Brawler gasp in shock.


    The part of the hull that the Wind des destroyed was the room where Princess was being kept, making the faces of the three Rankers on the deck turn pale in fright.


    "Oi! Aren''t you afraid that you will identally kill the Princess?!" Harris shouted as he immediately tried to go to the cabin of the ship where the Princess was being held.


    However, before he could do that, he saw a water dragon spell that was about to smash the deck of the Merchant Ship, forcing him and the two Rankers with him to block the attack, otherwise, their merchant ship would be split apart.


    ''Dammit, why are these people attacking so crazily?!'' Harrus cursed internally. ''Aren''t they afraid of identally killing our hostage? Just where is their confidenceing from? Don''t tell me they n to kill everyone in the ship including the Princess, so that there won''t be any witnesses?!''


    Harrus thought that this idea was too crazy, so he forced himself to focus on the task at hand, instead of being distracted by some random thoughts.


    The smoke that covered the Merchant Ship grew in intensity as more cannonballs found their marks, inching the battered merchant ship closer and closer toplete destruction.


    Suddenly, the green-haired Dwarf, who had unleashed a barrage of Wind des, made a nose dive towards the ship, entering the gap she had created.


    As soon as Millie entered the ship, she came face to face with Carol, who wielded a dark whip in her right hand. The Dark Magician thenshed her whip at the green-haired Dwarf, making her weapon attack her target like a living snake about to sink its fangs into its prey.


    However, Millie was no push over. She was a bonafide Ranker and had experienced many hardships before she reached her rank. As soon as the dark whip approached her, she summoned a sword made of wind, and deflected it to the side before unleashing a gust of air, pushing everyone inside the room backwards.


    She had already seen the Princess in the corner of her vision.


    Scarlet, who was closest to the Princess, grabbed Princess Anastasia and pushed her to the corner of the room, shielding her from the attack.


    Carol approved of the yer Candidate''s action because as long as the Princess was safe, she could focus on exterminating the pesky Ranker, who dared to get in the way of their ns.


    Millie was so tempted to grab the Princess and escape, but she knew that the Ranker she was facing wouldn''t just stand idly and let that happen.


    Since Lux had already told her that the scarlet-haired girl was on their side, she endured her impulse and attacked the Dark Magician, destroying portions of the room in the process.


    Seeing that an opportunity appeared, Scarlet grabbed Princess Anastasia and made a run towards the door.


    The other Initiates followed her because they knew that they would just get in the way of their superior.


    There was no ce for them in a battle between Rankers. If they chose to stay, the chances of them dying by ident was very high, so they didn''t think twice and followed Scarlet without looking back.


    As soon as the Initiates entered the hallway, they found themselves face to face with several skeletons, who were wielding weapons in their hands.


    Scarlet used her dagger and shed at those who blocked her way, splitting the Skeletons apart with a single strike. Instead of going to the deck, where the other Rankers were fighting, the yer Candidate ran towards the very back of the ship, where it was "safe".


    What she was doing was simply distancing herself from the deck of the ship, in order to prevent her superiors from being able to use the Princess as a hostage.


    As she was running down the hallway, she ran past three Skeletons that were quite different from the others.


    Diablo, Ishtar, and Asmodeus had boarded the ship, serving as Scarlet''s backup, and effectively separated her from the rest of the Initiates, who were following behind her.


    "Morpheus,e!" Asmodeus ordered and the Death Tyrant materialized in front of him.


    Without being given an order, Morpheus immediately began shooting colorful rays at the Initiates, forcing them to dodge to the side.


    "I-Isn''t that a Death Tyrant?!" thedy who didn''t like Scarlet gasped in shock. "What is it doing inside the ship?!"


    The other Initiates were also surprised at first, but after seeing Skeletons appear inside the ship, they assumed that they were summoned by the Death Tyrant, which was known to be a very powerful Undead Creature.


    "Fortunately, Scarlet was able to run past them," the young man who had a crush on the yer Candidate said. "But, we must support her at once, or else she might get surrounded."


    Thedy who didn''t like Scarlet suddenly thought of a good idea. This was a perfect opportunity to rid them of a rival, so she immediately nced at herrades, who shared the same opinion as her.


    "Let''s not do that," thedy Dwarf said. "Can''t you see what is blocking our way? That''s a Deathknight and a Death Tyrant. As for those other Skeletons beside them, I don''t know what they are, but they don''t look like some random mob we can kill easily."


    The young man frowned, but he had no choice but to agree with hisrades'' assessment. Although he wanted to help Scarlet, the Skeletons in front of him were giving him a bad feeling, making him hesitate.


    Scarlet, who had gotten rid of herrades, didn''t let her guard down and continued to run. She could already see the blue slime in front of her, which was her goal.


    It wouldn''t even take her ten seconds to cross the distance between them and finish the mission that was assigned to her.


    However, before she could even deliver her baggage, the floorboards in front of her exploded, and Harrus appeared in front of her with bloodshot eyes.


    "Hahaha! Scarlet, you did well!" Harrusughed as soon as he saw the yer Candidate carrying the Princess.


    The Brawler had intended to enter the cabin earlier to retrieve the Princess, but the Water Elemntalist and the Sniper prevented him from doing so.


    Because of this, he smashed the deck of the ship with a punch and entered through that gap. To his surprise, he found dozens of Undead in the Storage Area, which was now flooded with seawater.


    Since he was in a hurry, he ignored them and just ran in the direction where he thought the cabin was.


    To his surprise, he immediately saw Scarlet carrying the Princess as soon as he entered the hallway, making himugh out loud. Now that the Princess was in his hands, he would be able to use her as a hostage to prevent their enemies from annihting all of them.


    Scarlet smiled as she handed the Princess to the Brawler''s hands. She couldn''t afford to blow her cover, and she could only me the Princess for being unlucky.


    Eiko''s Doppelganger hid itself in the corner of the hallway as soon as Harrus broke through the floor.


    It knew what the Ranker had done to the other clone, so it didn''t n to take any reckless actions that might get itself killed before it could finish its mission.


    Just as the Ranker was about to grab hold of Princess Anastasia, a hand that looked like it was made out of exquisite jade broke through the floor underneath Harrus'' feet, and dragged him down, making Harrus roar in anger because there was someone, or something, that was always getting in the way of his ns.

 Chapter 403 How About You Take A Nice Long Swim Instead? [Part 1]

    "Let me go, you bastard!" Harrus roared before he was dragged down into the water by the Jade Golem, who had grabbed hold of his foot.


    With one powerful kick, he managed to break free from the Golem''s hold and send it crashing towards the seabed.


    As a B-Ranker, he didn''t even recognize a Rank 4 Jade Golem as a threat. For the Dwarf, it was just a mob character that could easily be crushed with his hands.


    With one kick, he easily broke the arm that grabbed his foot and sent it speeding towards the bottom of the sea. However, just as he was about to swim back up, a powerful pulling force pulled him to the bottom, which made Harrus'' rage burn to its limit.


    Back on the ship, Scarlet peeked down into the hole that was in front of her and waited for a few seconds. After sensing that Harrus wouldn''t be back anytime soon, she jumped across the hole onto the other side where Eiko''s Doppelganger was waiting for her.


    "If you want to escape, listen closely to what I am going to tell you and listen well," Scarlet whispered to the Princess as she ran towards the Doppelganger. "You will be devoured by the slime, but don''t resist. My Master is waiting on the other side."


    "Who is your Master?" Princess Anastasia inquired as she looked at the scarlet-haired girl with a critical gaze.


    "You''ll meet him soon enough," Scarlet replied as she tossed the Princess towards the blue slime who had already opened its mouth to swallow the Princess whole. "Make sure to tell him that he shouldn''t order me to do anything unreasonable in the future."


    Although Princess Anastasia was scared, she didn''t resist or struggle when the slime devoured her whole.


    Eiko could store living creatures, but there was a condition. They must not resist her, because if they did, she would be unable to swallow them whole.


    Cai, Keane, and Clyde, were all unconscious when all of them were swallowed, so it wasn''t a problem back then.


    However, the Princess was conscious, so Lux thought that Princess Anastasia would struggle if she felt threatened by the Slime. Because of this, he ordered Scarlet to tell the Princess that she had nothing to worry about and that she should simply allow herself to be devoured, so that she could be rescued without a hitch.


    After devouring the Princess, Eiko''s Doppelganger didn''t teleport right away. Instead, it once again opened its mouth and unleashed a Dragon''s Breath, pushing Scarlet back and sending her crashing towards the wooden floor.


    ''He could have at least chosen the least painful method,'' Scarletined in her heart before hitting a wall, anding to aplete stop with bruises and wounds on her entire body.


    She didn''t bother to block the attack and allowed herself to be injured, so that she wouldn''t be suspected of betraying her guild.


    Scarlet still needed them to provide her with resources so that she could be a Ranker. Until then, she didn''t n on leaving Twilight Rain to apany Lux as he traveled around Elysium.


    After seeing that it had aplished its mission, the Doppelganger glowed briefly before disappearing from its ce.


    When it reappeared, it was now in front of the chubby teenager, who was in the process of unleashing a Dragon''s Breath towards the enemy ship, sinking it for good.


    "Dragon''s Breath!"


    Lux roared and the powerful breath attack flew towards the flying ship, hitting its side and making it explode.


    "Now, Captain!" Lux shouted.


    "All hands, grab onto something!" Jack Spawow ordered as he maneuvered ck Pearl for a speedy retreat.


    The Doppelganger was already at its limit, so it jumped towards Lux and released the Princess before it turned into particles of light.


    The chubby teenager caught the Princess safely in his arms, making thetter raise her head to take a good look at him.


    One moment, she found herself surrounded by darkness, the next second, she found herself wrapped in the arms of the Human, whom she had only met a few days ago.


    "S-Sir Lucien," Princess Anastasia stuttered. "Thana���"


    "Let''s talkter, Princess," Lux stopped the Princess from thanking him because they were not out of danger yet.


    The n was for the Doppelganger to release the Princess when they had retreated a safe distance in order to prevent the enemy Rankers from seeing her.


    However, since the Doppelganger had also received damage due to the indiscriminate attack on the ship, it had reached its limit and could no longer maintain its form.


    At thest moment, it decided to release the Princess before disappearing, allowing some of the members of Twilight Rain to spot her from a distance.


    "They got the Princess!" one of the Sailors shouted as she pointed at Princess Anastasia who was now in Lux''s arms.


    The two Rankers on the deck of the ship immediately shifted their attention to the Princess and were already nning to jump off their own ship in order to retrieve her, but the Water Elementalist and the Sniper naturally wouldn''t let them have their way and unleashed a barrage of attacks, forcing the Rankers from Twilight Rain to defend themselves.


    Just as the ck Pearl was gaining some distance away from the enemy ship, a tower of water erupted beside the ship and, from there, Harrus appeared.


    He had just smashed the Jade Golem to pieces before rushing towards the surface in order to capture one of the ships that belonged to their pursuers.


    However, to his surprise, when he emerged, he saw Princess Anastasia being carried by a Human, whom he had already met in the past.


    "It''s you!" Harrus shouted as he looked at the chubby teenager who was holding Princess Anastasia with bloodshot eyes. "You''re the one responsible for all of this mess!"


    The Brawler then stomped his foot in the air, as if using it as a foothold to propel himself onto the Pirate Ship that was trying to make a run for it.


    A momentter, he shot towards Lux like a cannonball with his arms pulled back in preparation to punch the human for getting in the way of his ns and smash him into a pulp.


    He had recognized Lux as the owner of the two clones that he had fought in the Port City of Watford.


    With all the pent up rage in his chest, the Dwarf prepared to unleash an attack that was strong enough to destroy an entire city wall.


    "Die!" Harrus shouted. His enraged face was only a meter away from Lux, and his right fist was just a foot away from the chubby teenager''s cheeks.


    Harrus specialized in burst attacks that allowed him to travel at great speeds, and deliver powerful blows that left his enemies hopeless.


    Lux, whose face was about to get smacked by a Ranker, was still calm, and met Harrus'' gaze head-on.


    Just as the deadly fist was about to hit its target, the Brawler''s body froze, and his attack stopped mid-air.


    "Y-You Bastard!" Harrus said through gritted teeth as he forced his right fist to kill the Half-Elf who had gotten in the way of his ns.


    However, instead of moving forward, the fist continued to remain in its ce, as Harrus'' feet slowly skidded backwards.


    "I will not lose to this petty trick!" Harrus roared. As he tried to fight the powerful pulling forceing from behind him.


    The Ranker took a step forward in an effort to get near Lux. However, after just taking a single step to approach the chubby teenager, his feet once again slowly skidded backwards, unable to fight the strong pull that was preventing him from killing the chubby teenager who was holding the Princess.


    "Your name, Boy?!" Harrus shouted.


    He knew that he would be unable to fight the strong pull that was holding him back, so he wanted to at least ask for the name of the person that he nned to kill in the future.


    "Randolph," Lux replied. "My name is Randolph."


    Lux had no intention of saying his name, so he decided to use an alias.


    However, the first name that came to his mind was the name of his Master, Randolph, who was happily drinking a mug of mead, back in Leaf Vige, without a care in the world.

 Chapter 404 How About You Take A Nice Long Swim Instead? [Part 2]

    Leaf Vige��


    "Achooo!" Randolph sneezed before raising his fist high up in the air and roared in anger.


    "You unfilial bastard, Lux! I''m guessing you''re using my name as a scapegoat! Unfilial disciple! Do you n to get me killed?!"


    Lux had no idea that Randolph had a special ability that would give him a warning whenever someone was nning to kill him.


    This ability worked no matter the distance.


    As long as the other party was seriously nning to kill him, Randolph would be able to know the attacker''s name, age, Rank, as well as their current location.


    After seeing that a B-Ranker had vowed to kill him, the cksmith almost choked on the mead that he had been drinking.


    This was one of the few reasons why he had managed to live so long in his life��he always made sure to run away from those who wished him ill, and secluded himself as he learned the arts of cksmithing.


    ��-----


    Back in the Naval Battle��


    "Randolph? Good!" Harrus growled in anger. "I''ll remember you! The next time we meet, you''re dead!"


    The Dwarf then hatefully turned around to look at the Fortress Defender, who was floating high in the air, and looking down on him with disdain.


    Lux had specifically ordered Pazuzu to lock onto the Dwarf with reddish-brown hair because Harrus was the strongest Ranker and the one in charge of the kidnapping operation.


    The Half-Elf''s intention was clear. He wanted Harrus to be unable to help anyone by forcing him to fight against Pazuzu who was hovering in the sky.


    The Dwarf hatefully stomped on the floor of the Pirate Ship and shot toward the sky in order to deal with the Fortress Defender who had forced him to duel.


    Using that opportunity, Jack Spawow maneuvered the ck Pearl to escape the messy battle and fled by leveraging the wind to gain as much distance as possible.


    Pazuzu, whose role was to ensure that his Master could escape, flew away, forcing Harrus to use the Twilight Ship as a springboard to jump towards the Fortress Defender''s location at a speed that was impossible to evade.


    Having lost their hostage, the Rankers that belonged to Twilight Rain started to fight desperately.


    At first, they thought of taking over the Battleship, Starlight, to pursue the fleeting ck Pearl.


    But after the battleship had also retreated to a safe distance while keeping their bombardment active, the Rankers had no choice but to shelve this n.


    "Looks like you won," Carol hatefully spat on the ground before ring at the green-haired Dwarf that had kept her busy all-throughout Lux''s rescue operation.


    "Yes," Millie replied. "You lost."


    Carol snorted, but she didn''t refute Millie''s words.


    The green-haired Dwarf smirked before flying out of the Merchant Ship that was now teetering on the brink of total copse.


    Carol watched her go for a few seconds before looking at her surroundings. The walls had been destroyed, and the Initiates, who were with her not long ago, were all lying on the ground, suffering from several injuries due to the stray attacks from Millie and the powerful bombardment of attacks that came from the Water Elementalist and the Sniper.


    Some of them were unconscious, which made Carol click her tongue in annoyance. However, since they were the new blood of their organization, it was impossible for her to leave them to die.


    Using her Dark Magic, she procured dark whips and grabbed hold of their bodies one by one.


    When she found the unconscious and badly wounded Scarlet at the back of the ship, Carol lightly tapped on thetter''s cheeks.


    A few secondster, Scarlet woke up and looked up at the Dark Magician, who had the expression of a person who had eaten a fly.


    "Take out your teleportation crystal and leave this ce," Carol ordered. "The mission failed. We are returning to base."


    Scarlet weakly nodded her head and took out a teleportation crystal from her storage ring and activated it. A momentter, her body turned into particles of light, disappearing from where shey a few seconds ago.


    The other Initiates had already left, and it was only Scarlet that was left on the ship.


    The two Rankers met up with Carol, and both of them had furious looks on their faces. However, there was nothing they could do.


    Just before the three could activate their own teleportation crystals, Harrusnded beside them. Compared to the three Rankers, their leader''s face was so contorted that it was scary enough to make little children start crying.


    "Return to the Stronghold," Harrus ordered. "We will get them next time."


    The three Rankers nodded their heads and no longer hesitated. When the three of them disappeared, Harrus nced in the direction of the ck Pearl, which was now nothing more than a small ck dot in the distance.


    "Randolph, I''ll make sure to repay you in full," Harrus clenched his fist in anger before taking out the teleportation crystal from his storage ring. "I''ll chase you, even to the end of the world!"


    Just as he was about to activate the teleportation crystal in his hand, a teasing voice reached his ears.


    "Really? How about you take a nice long swim instead?"


    The Brawler turned his head to the right and stared at the Archlich who had his arms crossed over his chest.


    Before the Ranker could even act to kill the Archlich, he felt another strong pull that wasing from the bottom of the boat, making him howl in anger.


    Suddenly, Ishtar appeared beside him and kicked the flying crystal that he was carrying away. A momentter, the Night Stalker turned into ck mists, and reappeared some distance away, catching the teleportation crystal.


    Harrus, who was already overwhelmed by anger, irritation, and grief, roared, destroying the entire ship.


    "Looks like we pushed him to the limit," Isthar said as she stood in the air, using two of Morpheus'' floating eyeballs as a foothold.


    "Well, since he is already our enemy, it doesn''t really matter if he gets angrier," Asmodeus replied as he stood on top of Morpheus'' head.


    Ishtar nodded because this was indeed the case.


    "Let''s go," Asmodeus replied. "Diablo wanted to give that Ranker a piece of his mind, so let''s leave the aftermath to him."


    "Okay," Ishtar replied.


    Soon, the Named Creatures, as well as the Death Tyrant, turned into particles of light and returned to their Master''s side, who had seeded in rescuing the Princess with the limited time he had.


    ��-----


    Under the Sea��.


    Diablo stood on the deck of the Skeleton Ship and looked up above him.


    Harrus was already swimming in his direction, which made Lux''s first Named Creature sneer.


    He knew that it was impossible for him to defeat a Ranker of Harrus'' rank, but that was not important.


    The Death Knight could have just returned to Lux''s side and called it a day, but after seeing Harrus'' strong hostility and killing intent directed towards his Master, the Death Knight decided to use his strongest attack to give the Ranker a little bit of pain before dying.


    Holding the Mythical Sword in his Hand, Diablo''s eyes glowed brightly from under the water as he brandished his weapon with all the strength he could muster.


    "Hellfire Annihtion sh!" Diablo shouted as his sword was covered with Hellish mes, making the water around him instantly boil due to the powerful mes he produced.


    Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted under the sea, creating a tower of water to rise up to the surface.


    A minuteter, Harrus emerged from the water, and clung to one of the floating parts of the merchant ship that had now beenpletely destroyed.


    This was Diablo''s, Ishtar''s, and Asmodeus''st gift to the Ranker, who had almost seeded in killing their Master.


    Now that the Teleportation Crystal was gone, he had no choice but to swim to the nearest ind if he hoped to survive. Harrus felt bitter, but there was nothing he could do about it.

 Chapter 405 A Human’s Touch [Part 1]

    If someone were to ask me if I felt blessed, the answer would be yes.


    Out of the millions of Dwarfs in the world, I was born as the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven and was loved by my father and three mothers.


    I said three mothers because my father married three women.


    My birth mother was his second wife. But, even so, all three of my mothers loved us all, just as much as they loved their own children, making me feel lucky that I was born into the Royal Family.


    Perhaps because I was born on the same day as my father, he spoiled me more than the others.


    But that didn''t mean that he loved the others less.


    My mother said that fathers usually loved their daughters more, while mothers loved their sons more. I didn''t really know if this was true or not, but perhaps it was true because my father loved all of his daughters and spoiled us rotten, more than he did my brothers.


    Even so, my sisters and I didn''t take his love for granted and worked hard for the betterment of this Kingdom to the best of our abilities. No matter how small it was and no matter how short our reach extended, we all took pride that we were born as members of the Royal Family.


    As I grew older, I realized that there were many more things that I wanted to do in order to help the kingdom. However, with the power I currently had, I was unable to do them.


    The Dwarven Kingdom had always been ruled by a King.


    There had been no instance when a Queen had sat on the throne and ruled the Kingdom of Gweliven since the day it was founded.


    Because of this, I wanted to be the first.


    The first to be crowned as its Queen, and make it so that everyone in my kingdom could live better and more prosperous lives.


    When I asked my father if it was possible for me to be the one to take his position, heughed, patted my head, and said in a gentle tone. "You can easily carry the crown on my head with a single hand. But, the moment you put it on your head, a burden, which is heavier than a mountain, will press on your shoulders. Do you think you will be able to carry its weight?"


    The me back then was still naive and said with confidence.


    "I can do it! I will be a Queen that will make our kingdom prosper!"


    ? My father chuckled and rested his right hand on my shoulder before giving his reply.


    "Very well, Anastasia. See with your own eyes, hear with your own ears, taste with your own lips, and feel with your own skin everything this kingdom has to offer. Compete with your brothers, and see for yourself if you are able to take this burden off my shoulders in the future."


    "Un!"


    Oh�� how naive I was.


    Bolstered with confidence, I began to rally people and started to build my own faction. My older brothers didn''t mind having additionalpetition because that was how the Crown Prince of this Kingdom was chosen.


    Only through great deeds, not words.


    Only through actions, not words.


    Only through merits, not words.


    Only through great feats, not words.


    The Royal Family of Gweliven wasn''t only talk.


    They must prove their words with action as well.


    And so, my father decided to add me, along with my other sisters, as candidates who could have the right of session.


    Three Years.


    In three years, the one who would be able to obtain the most merits would be hailed as the next Crown Prince or Crown Princess.


    My father was still at the prime of his life and would probably still rule the kingdom for a decade or two.


    Dwarves may not be as long-lived as the Elves, but their lifespan was still longer than that of Humans''.


    If a Dwarf didn''t choose to cultivate and raise their rank, they would be able to live up to three hundred years. However, those who chose to go to Elysium and raise their ranks could increase their lifespan fifty to a hundred years more.


    Rankers, in general, gained an additional fifty years in their lifespan with every breakthrough they made.


    At least, that was what people believed.


    It had never been proven, but Rankers, especially High-Rankers and Saints were long-lived people.


    My father was a High Ranker. Because of this, he would be able to live for a long time.


    I couldn''t speak for my brothers, but for me, I was content to let him rule for as long as he could because, through him, our kingdom had grown stronger and better than before.


    If not for the fact that there was a Dark Guild that constantly hindered our development, our Kingdom would have already expanded and grown to new heights.


    I hated this Dark Guild.


    I hated it with a passion.


    Because of them, many of our citizens were suffering. Many of them were hurt, and some of them had even died. Their merciless acts of violence in order to get what they wanted was something that I, my brothers, and my father, would never approve of.


    Although I had already considered myself to be a target of this Terrorist Organization, I never thought that they would really go for it.


    I had always thought that my guards and the two Rankers, who served by my side, were more than enough to protect me.


    But, in the end, my assumptions were all wrong.


    Although I, myself, didn''t know why I decided to go back to the Capital to check on my family and bring the Baron''s Second Son with me, I thought that seeing my parents wasn''t a bad idea, so I cut short my visit in the Wolfpine Barony and returned home.


    It happened so suddenly and without any warning.


    One moment I was riding on my carriage, the next, I was at the center of a life and death battle.


    My guards were murdered one by one, and the Ranker, who was also one of my trusted confidants, used her body as a shield to protect me against the Rankers of this terrorist organization.


    In the end, I decided to go with them with the promise that they would no longer hurt or kill any of my people.


    Much blood had already been shed, and I didn''t want the survivors to die a meaningless death.


    "Well, since her Royal Highness wished for it, then we will stop, but on one condition��you must kneel and beg us to take you," teasingly said by the Ranker, who wielded the power of mes and was stepping on my protector, Megan. A mingnce was pressed against her neck, and I knew that if I didn''t do as he asked, one of the people that had always supported me would perish right in front of my eyes.


    A member of the Royal Family wouldn''t kneel to their enemies, but at that time, I tossed my dignity and honor aside and knelt.


    I begged them to take me and spare the lives of my people.


    The Ranker who had reddish-brown hair, who I believed was called Harrus, grabbed the pendant on my neck before knocking me unconscious.


    However, just before I lost my consciousness, I heard him tell me that he would honor the promise and leave my people alone.


    I remembered the faces of my father, mothers, and siblings, who were waiting for me back in the capital.


    ''I''m sorry.''


    Those were thest words I spoke in my heart before I closed my eyes.


    A secondter, my world, which was filled with color and happiness just a few minutes ago, was reced byplete and utter darkness.

 Chapter 406 A Human’s Touch [Part 2]

    My memory became a blur after that.


    I was ced in a wooden crate, and when I opened my eyes, I was in a cabin, which I believed was inside a ship.


    Then, another battle began.


    I could hear explosions around me. I felt hopeful because I thought that my rescuers had arrived.


    For a brief moment, I thought I heard Millie''s voice. But several minutester, the fighting ended.


    My hope waned as we journeyed far out to the sea.


    I knew that with every hour that passed, the lower the chances of me being saved became. There was even a time when I thought that I would never see my family again, but it didn''tst because I was aware that I was a valuable hostage and my father would pay a great price for my return.


    I felt ashamed of myself when the image of my proud, honorable, and loving father bowing his head to terrorists for my sake, filled my mind.


    I hated it.


    I HATED IT!


    Then suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the entire ship.


    Two of the Rankers that were guarding me left the room and ran to the deck of the ship. Several minutester, the sound of cannons being fired reverberated in the surroundings.


    Everything was in chaos, and the only thing I could hear were the sounds of explosions being set off all around us.


    Then it happened.


    The wall of my room exploded and several Wind des passed before my eyes.


    There was only one person that I knew who would risk her life to save me, and that was none other than Millie. She was my Protector, who was always with me no matter how difficult the situation was.


    Half a minuteter, I saw her enter the room through the destroyed wall and fight against the Ranker who was guarding me.


    One of their Dark Faction''s members, a Dwarfdy who seemed to be in her early twenties, grabbed me and took me into the hallway.


    The entire ship was shaking due to the relentless attacks that were hitting it from all sides.


    "If you want to escape, listen closely to what I am going to tell you and listen well. You will be devoured by a Slime, but don''t resist. My Master is waiting on the other side."


    That was what the scarlet-haireddy said to me as she carried me in her arms.


    "Who is your Master?" I asked because I was genuinely curious about who that person was.


    "You''ll meet him soon enough. Make sure to tell him that he shouldn''t order me to do anything unreasonable in the future."


    Then, the Harrus named Ranker appeared, and for a brief moment, my heart skipped a beat. I thought that I would be used as a hostage to force those who wished to rescue me topromise.


    Just as I wasmenting my bad luck, the Ranker was pulled down towards the bottom of the ship, disappearing right before my eyes.


    After a moment of hesitation, the scarlet-haireddy then jumped over the hole that the Ranker created, and tossed me towards the baby Slime that I yed with back at the Baron''s house.


    Yes. This was the Slime that belonged to Sir Lucien. The one who Millie had said was a probationary member of the Order of the Griffin.


    An organization that belonged solely to the King and carried out his will without fail.


    Just as the scarlet-haireddy had instructed me, I didn''t resist when the Slime devoured me. It was then when I found myself in pitch-ck darkness.


    It was so dark that I couldn''t help but feel fear. However, the darkness didn''tst long.


    One moment I was in total darkness, the next moment I found myself being cradled by two strong arms.


    When I raised my head to look at the person carrying me, I saw the man who went by the name Lucien.


    At least, that was what he said his name was. However, Millie and I both knew that this wasn''t his real name.


    Then, the realization hit me.


    I was saved.


    And the one who saved me was none other than this chubby human, whose strong arms that were carrying me made me feel safe.


    ? Suddenly, I heard an explosion not far from me, and a tower of water erupted from the sea.


    Then, I saw him.


    The Ranker named Harrus, and he was looking at Sir Lucien with bloodshot eyes.


    "It is you! You''re the one responsible for all of this mess!"


    For a brief moment, I felt Sir Lucien''s body stiffen, but this stiffness immediately went away as he gazed at the Ranker whose killing intent was oozing out of his body.


    "Die!"


    The Ranker named Harrus charged at us back then. I subconsciously closed my eyes and buried my head into Sir Lucien''s chest. I knew that the one holding me in his arms right now was only an Apostle.


    An Apostle had no chance of winning against a Ranker.


    I feared that the next time I opened my eyes, the one who tried to save me would be dead.


    "Y-You Bastard!"


    Hearing Harrus'' voice filled with surprise and hatred, I opened my eyes and looked up just in time to see the sneer on Sir Lucien''s face.


    "I will not lose to this petty trick!"


    Harrus shouted, and took a step forward. He seeded, but it onlysted for a second as his body slowly backed away as if he was being pulled by something.


    "Your name, Boy?!"


    The Ranker asked, and I could tell that he nned to engrave Sir Lucien''s name to his memory, so that he could kill him at ater time.


    ''No! You mustn''t tell him your name!''


    That was the thought that passed through my head at that moment. However, before I could form my thoughts into words, Sir Lucien opened his lips and gave him an answer.


    "Randolph. My name is Randolph."


    Randolph? I almostughed out loud after hearing such a silly name. I almost felt sorry for this person because I knew that the Ranker with reddish-brown hair would look for him, thinking that he was Sir Lucien.


    ''I see,'' I thought. ''He has this childish side to him.''


    "Randolph? Good!" Harrus growled in anger. "I''ll remember you! The next time we meet, you''re dead!"


    Oh, Mr. Ranker, do you still not realize that Sir Lucien is merely teasing you? I was tempted to say this out loud, but in order to protect my savior, I decided to cover my lips, just in case Iughed out loud due to my savior''s shamelessness.


    Again, I uttered a silent prayer in my heart to whoever this Randolph was. Sir Lucien also had this mean side to him.


    No good�� for some reason, I find myself strongly attracted to his daring personality.


    Several minutes after that incident, the ship I was on finally left the scene.


    I had been sessfully rescued and was currently being carried by two strong arms, which made me feel as if they could carry me all my life.


    Unfortunately, this blissful moment didn''tst because Sir Lucien handed me over to Millie, whose face was covered in tears.


    Although I was happy that my loyal retainer hade to save me, I wished that she could have waited for five�� no, two more minutes before she made her appearance.


    That way, I would still be held by those two strong arms and be close enough to hear the heartbeat of the person who had devised a n to save me from my captors.


    All my life, I had seen many handsome young men among the ones that tried to ask for my hand in marriage.


    Even though the person who I reluctantly parted with wasn''t good looking, was fat, and was a Human, I felt that it wouldn''t be so bad to have him by my side, so that he could keep me in his embrace forever.


    No matter what he looked like, no matter what his race was, it would not change the fact that he was there when I needed him the most.


    He was none other than��


    The first person who truly made her heart skip a beat, not out of fear, but a feeling that made her long for a human''s touch.

 Chapter 407 Return To Wolfpine Barony [Part 1]

    "Millie, I must go now," Lux said. "You already know the reason why. Please, take the Princess back to the Capital City to keep her safe. I must return to the Wolfpine Barony as soon as possible and deal with the unfinished business waiting for me there."


    Millie nodded her head in understanding. "Be careful. I will also ask his Majesty to send some help."


    The moment ck Pearl returned to the damaged port of the City of Watford, Lux bid goodbye to the green-haired Dwarf and Princess Anastasia.


    Now that the princess had been sessfully rescued, the Adventurer''s Guild would personally escort her back to the Capital City to reunite with her family.


    Princess Anastasia had already thanked Lux for saving her life and was reluctant to see him go.


    In truth, she wanted to invite the chubby teenager back to the Royal Pce so that her father could reward him personally, but ording to Millie, her savior still had something very important to do in Wolfpine Barony that needed his immediate attention.


    The Princess watched as Lux summoned his mount, Jed, and left the City of Watford alongside Cai and Keane.


    "Millie, is the reason why Sir Lucien rejected my invitation to go back to the Capital City of Aeronwen that important?" Princess Anastasia asked. "Is it more important than meeting the King and getting his rewards for saving me?"


    "Yes, Princess," Millie replied. "Actually, I am not supposed to tell you this, but Lucien is doing something in order to help save our kingdom. In fact, the thing he is going to face in the Wolfpine of Barony would make all the Rankers of Twilight Rain that kidnapped you look like a joke."


    Princess Anastasia''s eyes widened in shock after hearing Millie''s reply. Since her sworn protectors had sworn their loyalty to her, she believed the green-haired Dwarf was telling her the truth.


    "Tell me. What is happening in the Wolfpine Barony aside from the drought?" Princess Anastasia inquired. "Tell me everything that you know and make sure to not leave out even the smallest of details."


    Millie felt conflicted, but knowing how serious her Princess was, she decided to tell her what Lux had told her, as well as what she had seen in the Dark ins.


    While this was happening, Lux had just left the city gates and was traveling in haste to return to the Wolfpine Barony, where the Monster of Ruin was currently headed.


    ��-------


    < Optional Quest COMPLETED! >


    < Rescue the Princess of Gweliven! >


    Mision Rating: S


    < Rewards >


    +200 Free Stat Points


    +5,000 Points to Body Constitution


    100,000 Gold Coins


    < Additional Rewards >


    +1,000 Reputation Points to the Kingdom of Gweliven


    �C A gift personally given by the King of the Kingdom of Gweliven


    ��-----


    ''Not bad,'' Lux thought when he saw the rewards he gained after saving the Princess from the members of Twilight Rain.


    ''For the time being, I''ll just pump the 200 Free Stat Points to Intelligence. The skill, Skeleton Make, is a very flexible skill, but it requires a lot of Mana. I still need to conduct experiments on how else I can use it in the future.''


    After experiencing what the skill, Skeleton Make, could do, Lux decided to conjure possiblebinations, like the Skeleton Grand Cannon which he could use as a long distance attack that could deal devastating damage.


    There was also the Skeleton Ship that they had used to follow the Merchant Ship under the sea, which proved to be a very good decision.


    The Half-Elf then opened his status page, as well as his Body Constitution Page to check his progress.


    ��-----


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: Grade A Apostle


    Health: 113,000 / 113,000


    Mana: 42,500 / 42,500


    Strength: 450


    Intelligence: 650


    Vitality: 460


    Agility: 400


    Dexterity: 400


    ��-----


    < Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: D+


    Progress: (6,000 / 40,000)


    ��-----


    Back then, Lux''s stats looked extremely pitiful. But now, all of his parameters had reached the 400 mark, making him an inch closer to the next Rank, which was Initiate.


    The Initiate rank required a minimum of 5,000bined Stat Points to reach it, which many considered as the wall that blocked them from bing a Ranker.


    Not everyone could step into the Realm of Rankers because, once you became an Initiate, experience points could only be gained from Rank 4 and above Beast Cores.


    Any Beast Core whose rank was lower than Rank 4 would only give 1 EXP at most and was only useful in learning skills.


    This was why many had a hard time advancing in order to be a Ranker because hunting Rank 4 Beasts wasn''t an easy task, even for someone that had stepped into the Initiate Rank.


    Beasts were inherently stronger than humans, and a Rank 4 Beast would require a team of Grade A Apostles in order to be defeated safely.


    ''I''m halfway there,'' Lux thought as he looked at his stats. ''After this mission in the Wolfpine Barony is over, I''ll visit the floating ind, Karshvar Draconis, and build my Guild Headquarters. Sir Nevreal will be the one paying for its construction, so I could choose the second to the most expensive option��''


    The second most expensive option, which cost ten million gold coins, would allow Lux to build a Guild Headquarters made of marble.


    The most expensive option was a hundred million gold coins, and the Half-Elf knew that if he asked the middle-aged dwarf to give him this amount of money, there was a high chance that Nevreal would go berserk and hack him to pieces.


    Ten million gold coins was already an astronomical sum for the Half-Elf, so he couldn''t possibly ask for more�� at least, for the time being.


    The Half-Elf also nced at the remaining time he had to return Clyde to the Wolfpine Barony toplete his most important mission.


    The Baron''s Second Son was currently tied up and was riding with Keane on his Warg.


    Clyde was still sleeping because the Half-Elf didn''t dispel the sleeping spell that was cast on him by the Rankers of Twilight Rain.


    To keep it safe, the Half-Elf decided to keep the Dwarf asleep until they returned to the Wolfpine Barony.


    ��-----


    Mission Time: 8: 24: 10


    ��-----


    ''With the time remaining, we will barely arrive at the Border of the Barony,'' Lux thought. ''Maybe I should have asked Millie to carry us instead.''


    As the Half-Elf thought about the green-haired Dwarf, he felt a strong gust of wind from above his head, making him look up.


    "Millie and Princess Anastasia?" Lux frowned. "What are the two of you doing here?"


    Princess Anastasia looked at the chubby teenager before shifting her gaze to Clyde, who was still tied up with a rope.


    After hearing the full details from Millie, the Princess almost cursed herself for bringing the Baron''s Second Son to the Capital City, which would ultimately make the Creature of Ruin follow him.


    As a member of the Royal Family, she was well-aware of the history of the Kingdom, especially about the Monsters of Ruin that were scattered around the Arondight Territory.


    Within the Kingdom of Gweliven, the giant Seven-Headed Dog, Teju Jagua, which was one of the four Monsters of Ruin, had the ability to suck up the life of thend around it, turning it into a wastnd.


    If such a Beast were allowed to wander freely across the Kingdom of Gweliven, the Princess knew that her people would suffer unprecedented hardship if she didn''t do anything to help stop its advance.


    "We are going to take you to the Wolfpine Barony as fast as we can, Sir Lucien," Princess Anastasia said as she hovered in the air with the help of Millie''s power. Unfortunately, we can''t bring all of you there. However, since time is of the essence, Sir Lucien and Clyde wille with me.


    "With Millie''s help, we will be able to reach our destination in time, and still have room to spare before the Creature of Ruin arrives."


    Lux nodded after hearing the Princess'' words. That was indeed the fastest mean they could use to return to the barony.


    "Cai, Keane, I''ll go on ahead," Lux said. "I''ll wait for you in the Barony, so please, do your best to arrive in time."


    Cai and Keane nodded in understanding.


    Traveling onnd took too much time, so it would be a lot faster if Lux traveled in the air with Millie and the Princess.


    Without another word, the chubby teenager grabbed the sleeping Clyde and signaled Millie that he was ready.


    "Bye bye!" Eiko waved at Cai, Keane, and Fei Fei on the ground as she and her Papa floated in the air.


    "Bye bye!" Fei Fei replied as she jumped in ce on top of Cai''s head.


    A momentter, the Half-Elf, Eiko, Clyde, Millie, and Princess Anastasia soared into the sky, headed towards the Wolfpine Barony.

 Chapter 408 Return To Wolfpine Barony [Part 2]

    Because Millie was still tired from the battle, they weren''t able to fly at a very fast rate. However, it was swift enough.


    Lux believed that, within the eight remaining hours, they would arrive at Dunspear City, where the Baron''s Residence was located, in time.


    Seeing the Half-Elf carrying the sleeping Clyde in his arms made Princess Anastasia frown a bit.


    Right now, she was being carried by Millie in a princess carry as they soared across the sky headed towards the Baron''s territory.


    In truth, the Princess wanted to propose that she swap ces with Clyde, allowing herself to be carried by the chubby teenager.


    But, knowing the crisis that her Kingdom was about to face, she decided to set this selfish thought aside.


    ''There will be plenty of opportunities in the future,'' Princess Anastasia thought.


    Since she was a Princess of the Kingdom, she would just use her authority to create opportunities for him to pamper her.


    Due to the urgency of the situation, none of them had the chance to talk as they continued their journey.


    Princess Anastasia had asked the Adventurers from the Adventurer''s Guild to head to Wolfpine Barony in order to serve as reinforcements, just in case something out of the ordinary happened.


    Afterpleting their mission, Ken and hisrades were about to disband and return to their own hometowns, but after hearing the Princess'' request, they decided to take a detour, and assist her one more time.


    Ken, who had already been informed by Lux about the Creature of Ruin, decided to convince his people to do as the Princess asked.


    However, he insisted that they should be given additionalpensation because they would treat the Princess'' orders as a directmission to the Adventurer''s Guild.


    Princess Anastasia didn''t bat an eye and agreed to their request. It wasn''t her money that would be used to pay the Adventurer''s Guild, so she was fine with that. She would just collect the payment from the Baron, or from her father, and cite that this was an emergency request that concerned the safety of the Kingdom.


    If what Millie told her was real, then the Adventurers would not hesitate to help them because once the Monster of Ruin rampaged across thend, their livelihoods would be affected as well.


    Seven and a half hourster, an exhausted Milliended on the outskirts of Dunspear City at Lux''s request.


    He knew that bringing Clyde back to the Baron''s house was a bad idea, so they agreed to just hide him somewhere for the time being until the Monster of Ruin arrived.


    The Half-Elf passed the sleeping Clyde to Eiko, who unceremoniously devoured him for safekeeping.


    The Half-Elf then rented a big room in an inn, while Millie and Princess Anastasia put on robes with hoods to cover their faces.


    Only after they were safely inside the room did the two Dwarves take them off.


    "Let''s rest for now," Lux proposed before ncing at the remaining time on his mission. "We don''t know what will happenter. There is still an hour left before the Monster of Ruin arrives."


    ��-----


    Mission Time: 1: 14: 37


    ��-----


    The Half-Elf opened the window and stared towards the North.


    He could see the dark clouds in the distance, which meant that the monster of Ruin was close.


    "Sir Lucien, I have something to ask," Princess Anastasia said as she sat on top of the bed. "Millie told me that her Master said that thetest member of the Order of the Griffon was a Half-Elf and not a Human. Are you perhaps hiding your true identity?"


    Lux nced at the adorable Princess before nodding his head.


    "Yes," Lux answered. "I am indeed hiding my true identity."


    After receiving Millie''s help, Lux felt that it was fine to share this bit of information with them since they were currently temporary allies.


    The green-haired Dwarf was the disciple of one of the members of the Order, so it was only natural for her to know some information about him.


    "Then, are you using some kind of artifact to hide your true looks?" Princess Anastasia asked. "If possible, I want to see what you really look like."


    "Is there even a need for that?" Lux asked back. "Also, Twilight Rain is looking for me. It will be best if I don''t show my true appearance right now."


    Princess Anastasia pouted.


    "We are not members of Twilight Rain, and you are my benefactor," Princess Anastasia insisted. "Your secret is safe with me."


    Lux sighed before ncing in Millie''s direction.


    After seeing that Lux was asking for her opinion, the green-haired Dwarf nodded her head.


    "Although your employer and her Highness are currentlypeting, it doesn''t change the fact that we owe you a great debt," Millie stated. "We will not do anything to jeopardize your identity. Also, I am very curious about what you truly looked like. Just this once, I want to see the real face of the person who helped save Her Highness, so I can repay this favor in the future. I won''t be able to do that if I didn''t know your real face, right?"


    Lux couldn''te up with any reason to refute the green-haired Dwarf because she had indeed helped him a lot on this mission.


    Also, he didn''t know what would happen in the future, and having a Ranker be indebted to him wasn''t a bad idea.


    "Okay," Lux finally agreed. "But, you have to promise me one thing. No matter what happens, you will not spread my information to other people. Right now, Twilight Rain thinks that I am dead. It should stay that way until I am strong enough to let them know that I am still alive and kicking."


    Princess Anastasia and Millie nodded their heads and promised Lux to not divulge his information.


    "Actually, my true name is not Lucien, but Lux," Lux said as he took off his mask, undoing his current transformation. "And this is what I truly looked like."


    Princess Anastasia''s face turned beet red after seeing the handsome Half-Elf look at her with a smile. Even Millie, who didn''t expect Lux to be a good looking teenager, blinked a few times just to confirm that she wasn''t seeing things.


    ''He looks like a Prince,'' Princess Anastasia thought as she looked at the Half-Elf with a flushed face. ''Although our race is different, I think I can convince my father to��''


    The Princess started to get lost in her fantasy as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf, who was responsible for devising a n to save her.


    Millie, on the other hand, just nodded her head before telling Lux that he could put his mask on again.


    "Thank you for your trust," Millie said. "In the future, if you ever need my help, just ask. I will not hesitate to offer you my assistance in order to repay the debt that I owe you."


    "I''ll take you up on that offer," Lux replied. "I always find myself in situations simr to this, so having a Ranker''s help is greatly appreciated."


    The corner of Millie''s lips twitched when he heard that Lux always found himself in tricky situations such as this.


    "...Do you always attract Cmity-Ranked Disasters?" Millie asked. If someone were to listen closely to the tone of her voice, they would hear the faint traces of anxiety and regret in her voice.


    "Not always," Lux replied as he put on his Mask of Thousand Faces. He was so close to answering Yes to Millie''s question. Fortunately, he managed to stop himself at thest minute, making Millie breathe a sigh of relief.


    For the green-haired Dwarf, the Princess'' kidnapping on top of the Cmity-Ranked Monster of Ruin was already a very big deal.


    If Lux were to admit that he often found himself in trouble, Millie might take her offer back, making him lose a dependable ally in the future.


    Half an hourter, a thunderous roar reverberated in the skies above Dunspear City, making Princess Anastasia jump up from the bed in fright and run towards Lux, clinging onto him.


    At first, Lux wanted to pry the Princess'' hands from his robes, but after he saw that her body was trembling, he had no choice but to pat her head and assure her that everything was going to be fine.


    Millie walked towards where Lux was standing before looking out of the window.


    Strong gusts of wind were blowing in the surroundings, and thunder and lightning rampaged in the sky, forcing the people outdoors to seek shelter.


    "Is it here?" Millie asked Lux with a voice that was almost akin to a whisper. She still couldn''t forget the instinctive fear that she felt when she saw the seven-headed dog monster, making her subconsciously clench her fist due to anxiety.


    Lux narrowed his eyes as he nced at the blurry figure that seemed to be covered by a thick mist that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, shrouding the entire city.


    The Half-Elf might not be able to see the seven-headed dog, but he could hear its steady steps in the distance. He knew that it was only a matter of time before it arrived.


    Princess Anastasia had never seen the Monster of Ruin before, but due to the nature of her powers, she was quite sensitive to everything that was dangerous to living things.


    She couldn''t stop her body from shuddering as she buried her face in Lux''s waist, hoping that her savior would be able to deal with the current situation and stop the Monster of Ruin from turning her Kingdom into a wastnd.

 Chapter 409 Seven-Headed Calamity [Part 1]

    "Listen to me, and listen very closely," Lux said as he stared at the ominous scene outside the window while gently patting Princess Anastasia''s head. "No matter what happens, you mustn''t attack the Creature of Ruin. Do you understand, Your Highness, Millie?"


    Princess Anastasia, who had buried her head in Lux''s waist, nodded her head in understanding.


    Millie also replied with a brief nod to indicate that she understood. As a Disciple of one of the members of the Order of the Griffin, she had the opportunity to meet one of the two Saints of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    She had felt how strong a Saint was back then, but after seeing the Monster of Ruin, she felt like she would rather offend a Saint than offend a creature like that.


    ''Cai, Keane, where are you guys?'' Lux asked using the guild chat function.


    Now that the timer of his mission was less than half an hour, he assumed that Cai and Keane should have already entered the border of the Wolfpine Barony.


    ''It will take us at least an hour to reach the city,'' Cai replied. ''But, I can see dark clouds in the distance. Also, my instincts are telling me that I should stay away no matter what.''


    ''I also sense something very powerful in the distance,'' Keane replied. ''Are you sure we are going to be fine?''


    Lux wanted to tell them that everything was going to be fine, but even he was feeling that he should run away as far as he could.


    If not for the fact that his life depended on it, he would have already escaped the Wolfpine Barony alongside his friends and the Princess, who was shivering non-stop while holding onto him.


    ''The two of you are still cursed, so it is best that youe here as fast as you could for the curse to be lifted,'' Lux exined. ''Also, remember what we talked about earlier. No matter what happens, do not attack the Monster. Keane, if Cai does anything stupid due to panic, just knock it unconscious, okay?''


    ''How barbaric!'' Cai eximed. ''Do you really think I''m stupid? I already told you that I only bully the weak and fear the strong. Something like that creature who is stronger than my Gramps is way out of my league!''


    ''Okay, I''ll knock this pig out if it does something stupid,'' Keane replied.


    ''Hello? Little Swordy. I''m a Boar, not a Pig! Get your facts straight.''


    ''Okay, Pig.''


    ''Kuh! I made sure that you are well-fed, yet you still developed the gall to talk back to me!''


    ''Huh? I think you''re reversing the situation. Who do you think always pays when we go to restaurants? You''re the one that is well-fed, you leech.''


    ''I''m a Boar, okay?''


    ''Just shut up.''


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but smile when he heard the bickering of his friends. It somehow took his mind off the approaching cmity in front of him, giving him an opportunity to regain hisposure.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of his head, was shivering as well, just like Princess Anastasia.


    Clearly, she could tell how powerful the beast was because of her own Monster instincts.


    "Eiko, release Clyde," Lux ordered.


    Eiko nodded and spat out the Baron''s second son, who was still tied up by a rope. Now that there was less than half an hour remaining, there was no way in hell that the Dwarf yboy would be able to run away.


    ��---------


    < Emergency Quest! >


    < Whisper of Ruin >


    Mission Rating: SSS


    < Quest Objective >


    �C Find the Baron''s second son and stop him from leaving Wolfpine Barony within the next 72 hours.


    �C Do not attack the Creature of Ruin. The quest will automatically fail if you or any of your members harm the creature in any way possible.


    ��----


    < Mission Rewards >


    �C The Curse of Ruin will be lifted.


    �C Your lives will be spared.


    ��---------


    Mission Time: 00: 18: 21


    ��---------


    Suddenly, a loud roar spread in the surroundings, causing the gust of wind that was blowing down on the city to intensify.


    It was at that moment when Lux finally saw it.


    Amidst the Dark Mists that grew thicker every passing minute, he saw several glowing orbs, which he believed were the eyes of the seven-headed dog monster, Teju Jagua.


    "Millie, take care of the Princess," Lux said as he coaxed the Princess who was clinging to him as if her life depended on it. "Princess, stay with Millie. You will be safer with her. I still have things I need to do."


    "Princess, Lux is right," Millie stated. "Please,e here."


    Without waiting for Princess Anastasia''s reply, the green-haired Dwarf pried the princess'' hands away from Lux and pulled her back towards the bed.


    Lux then gave Millie a brief nod before grabbing the tied up Dwarf and jumping out of the window.


    The Half-Elf then equipped his Favonius Battle Regalia, which he had inherited from the founder of Leaf Vige, Favonius.


    Eiko remained on top of Lux''s head, fighting off the fear she was feeling, as the Half-Elf flew in the direction where the glowing eyes were located.


    "Hoh�� What''s this? A Half-Elf?"


    A voice filled with amusement spread in the surroundings.


    Perhaps, knowing that Lux was heading in its direction, the ck mists that covered the surroundings thinned, allowing the Half-Elf to see the monster of Ruin whose seven heads were looking on his body as if he was something delicious.


    "It has been a while since I''ve seen a Half-Elf."


    "It has been hundreds of years since I ate one. I wonder if this one tastes the same as the one we ate in the past."


    "Do you even have time to taste them? As far as I know, you just devour them whole."


    "Hahaha! You got that part right. They are so small that I can''t even taste them properly."


    Four of the Seven Heads were talking among themselves, while the three heads looked at him with a sleepy gaze.


    ''It seems like this monster is still not fully awake,'' Lux thought as hended on the rampart of the City Wall.


    He didn''t know if the Monster of Ruin would break through the city''s protective wall in order to get Clyde, but to ensure that no other people would get hurt, the Half-Elf decided to meet it halfway, as he held the dwarf in his hands firmly.


    "I brought the person you are looking for," Lux said as he held his ground, showing Clyde''s face to the Seven-headed Dog whose heads were talking among themselves.


    "Oh?"


    One of the Giant Dog''s heads took a closer look to see the Dwarf in Lux''s hands.


    "Well, he matches the description that our new Master gave us. Is this the boy we are looking for?"


    "There''s no rush. The Master is almost here," one of the heads replied. "We will know once he gets here."


    As if waiting for that cue, a giant ck eagle descended from the sky. Mounted on its back were two people.


    One was covered with a ck robe, preventing Lux from seeing what they looked like, and the other was a female Dwarf, whom Lux believed to be in her early twenties.


    The moment she saw the tied up Clyde, an expression of hate, tinted with excitement, appeared on her pretty face, making the Half-Elf shudder subconsciously. He instinctively felt something ominous about the Dwarfdy, whose gaze had locked on to the Dwarf in his hands.


    "I told you I''d be back, didn''t I, Clyde?" thedy dwarf said with a smile that was borderline crazy. However, her smile disappeared when she realized that the tied up dwarf wasn''t conscious.


    "What did you do to him?!" thedy dwarf shouted hatefully at Lux. "Did you kill him?!"


    "Calm down, young miss," the ck-robed man spoke. "He is not dead. Just under a sleeping spell."


    The ck-robed man snapped his finger, creating a crisp and clear sound that woke up Clyde, who had been sleeping all this time.


    "Wher�CHiiii!" Clyde nced at his surroundings, but immediately froze in ce after seeing the Giant Seven-Headed Dog in front of him.


    "Clyde, you''re finally awake!" thedy Dwarf said. "Did you miss me? Because I''ve missed you a lot!"


    "D-Dora�� No!" shouted Clyde, who recognized the Dwarfdy who had been exiled from the Barony due to her im of getting pregnant with his child.


    She reappeared in front of him, however, unlike before, the Dwarfdy had a crazed smile on her face, making Clyde regret taking advantage of her when she was still innocent and ignorant with the ways of the world and love.

 Chapter 410 Seven-Headed Calamity [Part 2]

    "No? What are you talking about, Clyde?" Dora asked. "Are you saying that you didn''t miss me?"


    "I-I missed you!" Clyde replied because he had a feeling that if he replied otherwise, he would die a very miserable death.


    "Really?"


    "Yes! I missed you very much. In fact, I am regretting my decision to toss you aside. If only I took responsibility after getting you pregnant, then the three of us, along with our child, would have lived very happy lives."


    The crazed smile disappeared on Dora''s face as she stared at the Baron''s second son with a serene gaze.


    For some reason, Lux could feel that the current Dora is more dangerous than the one that he had seen before. It was as if the crazed smile earlier was just a facade of something more sinister that hid within the depths of her heart.


    "Did you regret that time when we lost our child?" Dora asked calmly.


    Clyde nodded desperately as if it was hisst chance to appeal to that innocent teenage girl, whom he had tricked to spend the night with him a few years ago.


    "Of course!" Clyde answered. "That was my child. How could I possibly not regret its death?"


    "But you are the reason why he is dead, you know? You were the one that killed our firstborn son."


    "I am truly sorry for what happened. Please, allow me to make it up to you! I will do anything. I swear that I will love you, and only you!"


    Lux then saw a smile appear on Dora''s face.


    Although the pretty Dwarf was smiling, it gave him a feeling of sadness and heartache.


    It was the smile of someone who had lost someone very important to them. And this was true for her, as she lost the child she had protected inside her body for several months.


    This was the first time that Lux had seen such a smile, and for a brief moment, he could see the true feelings inside Dora''s heart, which no one had seen since she had disappeared from Wolfpine Barony.


    "Words are cheap, Clyde," Dora said calmly. "But, don''t worry. I forgive you."


    "R-Really?" Clyde looked at the pretty Dwarf with a hopeful gaze, as if he had been spared from the death penalty.


    As long as he could survive his current predicament, he was willing to say anything, do anything, even tell her words that he didn''t really mean.


    The Baron''s second son would, of course, abandon Dora as soon as the Monster with seven heads, who was looking at him with amusement, disappeared from his sight.


    "Yes, I will forgive you," Dora said as she once again gave Clyde a very sweet smile that made the hairs on the back of Lux''s neck stand on end.


    "Thank you!" Clyde shouted. "I promise this time I will do it right! We will live as a happy family. As for the child we lost, don''t worry! I can give you as many children as you want. We can build a big family together!"


    "...Right." Dora nodded. "Since you want to be with me so badly, then I guess I have no choice but to ept it, right?"


    One of the heads of the Seven-Headed Dogughed.


    Suddenly, Clyde''s body froze in ce before it slowly rose up from the ground.


    Clyde wanted to scream, but no voice came out of his mouth. He flew helplessly towards the head thatughed at him, unable to close his eyes even if he wanted to.


    When Clyde''s and the Dog''s eyes met, the dwarf''s body shuddered once before a calm and infatuated look appeared on his face.


    The ropes that bound him split apart, and the Baron''s second son shifted his gaze to Dora, who was looking at him with a smile on her face.


    "My love," Clyde said. "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry. I''ve hurt you very much."


    Clyde''s green eyes had turned purple, and he looked lovingly at the youngdy whom he had tossed aside almost a year ago.


    "Mmm, don''t worry, I forgive you," Dora said as he reached out to the Baron''s second son, who would now live and die for her sake. "Since you wanted to be with me so much, I guess I have no choice but to ept you, right?"


    "I''m sorry, my Love. I promise to dedicate everything to you from this day onwards."


    "I''m sure you will�� I''m sure you will."


    Lux clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palms in order to keep himself sane as he watched the scene in front of his eyes.


    He knew that Clyde had been stripped of his freedom and will for the rest of his life, due to whatever the monster had done to him.


    "I love happy endings," One of the monster''s heads said before ncing down at Lux with its crimson eyes. "Don''t you agree, Half-Elf?"


    Lux forced himself to nod, and agree to the monster''s words. He was afraid that if he didn''t, he would suffer the same fate as Clyde, who would now live and die ording to Dora''s will.


    Dora, who was now hugging the Baron''s second son, shifted her gaze to the Half-Elf, who was ready to flee at any moment.


    "You are the one that brought Clyde to me," Dora said. "What reward do you want?"


    Thedy dwarf smiled at Lux, but it never reached her eyes. It was as if she was just promising him a reward, when in fact, she didn''t n on giving him anything.


    Even so, Lux forced himself to talk. He knew that if he didn''t, he would regret not saying anything at ater time.


    "My life," Lux said through gritted teeth. "As well as the life of my friends, and the people of this city."


    Dora''s eyes widened in surprise after hearing Lux''s words. However, this surprise didn''tst for long before a chuckle escaped her lips.


    A momentter, this chuckle turned intoughter.


    A crazyughter that spread across the entire city, making the blood of those who heard it turn cold.


    "I think that is an appropriate reward," Dora replied with a smile. "What are the names of your friends?"


    Lux then said Cai''s, Keane''s, Princess Anastasia''s, Millie''s, and the Adventurer Guildmaster''s name. He wanted to say more names, but Dora''s face was telling him that adding more would make her make her promise null and void.


    "Very well, the names of the people you said will be spared," Dora stated. "As for the rest��"


    Four of the seven dog heads opened their mouths and unleashed a breath attack that instantly obliterated everything it touched.


    In just a span of a second, half of the city was already destroyed and turned into ruins.


    Screams, cries for help, curses, and wailing reverberated in the surroundings as the smile on Dora''s face widened. It was as if she was enjoying the death and destruction around her, making her pretty face contort into something hideous.


    "All of you will apany my child to the Underworld!" Dora shouted as the four Heads once again unleashed a breath attack, destroying the parts of the town that had survived its earlier strike.


    At that moment, a green-haired Dwarf soared towards the skies, holding the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven in her arms.


    One of the Dogs shifted its gaze on Millie and Princess Anastasia, and was about to unleash an attack to kill them. But, the ck-robed man spoke out, preventing it from doing what it was supposed to do.


    "Don''t kill those two," the ck-robed man said. "They are two of the people that he mentioned earlier."


    The Dog Head clicked its tongue before shifting its gaze on the part of the city that hadn''t been destroyed yet.


    From the very start, they had no intention of letting anyone in Dunspear City survive for it was the promise they made to Dora, who had helped them unlock the seals that bound their main body.


    ��---------


    < Emergency Quest - Completed! >


    < Whisper of Ruin >


    Mission Rating: SSS


    < Rewards >


    �C The Curse of Ruin will be lifted.


    �C Your lives will be spared.


    ��---------


    Lux felt conflicted after seeing thepletion of the mission.


    He, Millie, and Princess Anastasia had survived, but everyone in the city had been killed without mercy by the Monster of Ruin, which was known as a walking Cmity.


    The Half-Elf pondered if there was another way he could have salvaged the situation, but after everything that happened, he knew that there was really nothing he could do aside from plead for his life, his friends'' lives, as well as the lives of Princess Anastasia and Millie.


    Suddenly, a series of words appeared in front of Lux, which made him bite his lip due to helpness and frustration.


    He didn''t expect that things would turn out this way, but after seeing the next quest that appeared in front of him, he felt as if he had lost the ability to breathe for a brief moment.


    ��---------


    < Optional Quest Activated! >


    < Destroy One Of The Head of Ruin! >


    Mission Rating: SSS


    �C Now that it has been revived, the Creature of Ruin will hide for the time being to fully recover its powers.


    �C While it is still in its weakened state, destroy one of its heads in order to dy itsplete revival.


    �C This quest is optional. You have the right to ept or reject it.


    < Rewards >


    +10,000 Free Stat Points


    +500,000 Body Constitution Points


    +100,000 Kingdom of Gweliven Reputation points.


    �C 200,000,000 Gold Coins


    �C Gaining 100,000 Reputation Points in one territory will give you the status of "Reverence," making your influence, and authority, second only to the ruler of that territory.


    ��---------


    < Will you ept this quest? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��---------

 Chapter 411 The Day Of Ruin

    The Half-Elf firmly chose No after he had regained hisposure. Although it might be possible for him to injure and possibly destroy one of the heads of the Monster of Ruin, he didn''t dare to take the risk.


    A Cmity-Ranked Monster that couldn''t even be defeated by a dozen Saints working together was something he didn''t want to antagonize.


    Although the rewards were great, the possibility of being hunted down by such a creature would be his living nightmare.


    He would rather not offend such a monster, and be thankful that his life was spared. However, he still felt that the tragedy that was happening around him could have been avoided if he only had the courage to speak his mind.


    Just as the Half-Elf was feeling depressed, a surprisingly kind and understanding voice reached his ears.


    "Don''t me yourself, boy," the ck-robed dwarf said. "The moment Teju Jagua''s seals were broken, this was this Barony''s inevitable fate. No one could have saved them. Especially not a little Apostle like you, nor the Two Saints that stand at the pinnacle of this Kingdom. Also, don''t feel sad. The people of this town didn''t die for naught. Their deaths will serve a grander purpose."


    The ck-robed man snapped his fingers a second time.


    The ze that had engulfed the entire city suddenly disappeared, leaving only ck smoke rising up in the air.


    Suddenly, the sound of something crumbling and chattering reached Lux''s ears, making him look behind him at the city, which had now been charred to ruins.


    At first, he wasn''t able to see anything due to the ck smoke in his surroundings. But after several minutes, he felt them.


    Lux felt his entire body tingle, as if he was being electrocuted because he didn''t expect to see something like this in his life.


    Skeletons�� that numbered in the hundreds of thousands, rose up from the rubble.


    Skeletons of adults, skeletons of children, and even skeletons that were so small that Lux could only think of them as the skeletons of babies all started to rise up from where they died, as they answered their new Master''s summons.


    "N-Necromancer," Lux stuttered as he stared at the Skeleton Army that had risen up from the ashes of Dunspear City.


    "Right," the ck-robed man replied in a teasing tone. "A Necromancer, just like you, boy."


    Lux slowly turned his head to look at the ck-robed man, whose face was still hidden by the ck robe he was wearing.


    He hadn''t been able to notice it right away because the Seven-Headed Dog''s presence was too overwhelming that he couldn''t focus on anything else.


    But now that things had calmed down a bit, he was able to observe the ck-robed person more, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.


    "Saint��" Lux muttered. "You are a Saint."


    A gust of wind blew away the hood covering the Necromancer''s face, showing Lux a middle-aged Dwarf with silver hair, and eyes that were as red as blood.


    Lux knew that there were other Necromancers in the World, but never in his wildest dreams did he expect that the first Necromancer that he would meet in his life was a bonafide Saint, whose eyes looked down on him with great interest, making the Half-Elf''s heart beat wildly inside his chest.


    Fear slowly started to rise from the very depths of his soul.


    "Since we''ve already met, how about you tell me your name?" the middle-aged Dwarf said. "But, before you do that, take off that mask covering your face. I want to see what you really look like. A while ago, Teju Jagua said that you are a Half-Elf, but all I see is a chubby Human.


    "I''m sure you have your reasons for hiding your identity, but you don''t have to worry anymore. Aside from you, us, and those two dwarfs over there, there will be no one else who could see you. Now, take it off."


    Lux was very tempted to retort with, "What if I don''t want to do it?" but he didn''t dare to do such a thing.


    In front of overwhelming strength, the only thing he could do was try his best to avoid provoking them.


    The Half-Elf took off the Mask of the Thousand Faces, allowing the middle-aged Dwarf, Dora, as well as the Seven-Headed Dog, to see what he really looked like.


    "My name is Lux," Lux said. "Lux Von Kaizer."


    The thought of using his Master''s name crossed his mind again, but he had a feeling that the Saint in front of him could tell if he was lying or not, so he answered truthfully.


    "Hmmm. Judging by your looks, you are still in your mid-teens�� maybe around sixteen to eighteen, but not more than twenty," the middle-aged Dwarf said as he rubbed his chin. "Very well. I''ll allow you to live, Lux. Also��"


    The middle-aged Dwarf shifted his gaze at Millie who was holding Princess Anastasia in her arms.


    "You are the Third Princess of this Kingdom?" the middle-aged Dwarf asked.


    Princess Anastasia''s body shuddered uncontrobly as the Necromancer shifted his gaze to her. After personally witnessing how the entirety of Dunspear City was wiped out in a matter of seconds, she finally understood why the Cmity-Ranked Monster was sealed��it was because of its destructive capabilities.


    "Poor child, you''re too scared to answer me?" the middle-aged Dwarf said softly. "Very well. When you see your father, tell him this, Memento Mori will be taking the Creature of Ruin. However, he doesn''t have to worry about his kingdom being destroyed. Even though we are Necromancers, we value life more than others."


    The middle-aged Dwarf then smiled before continuing his deration. "Our goal is for both the living and the dead to live in peace. So, make sure to tell your father to forget this incident, and we can part ways without any hard feelings. Do you understand?"


    Princess Anastasia forced herself to nod her head. Although she didn''t know if the Necromancer was telling the truth or not, this was not for her to decide, but for her father.


    Seeing the adorable Dwarf nod her head in understanding, the Necromancer chuckled before patting the back of his ck Eagle.


    "If Fate wills it, we''ll meet again Lux," the middle-aged dwarf said. "Until then, make sure you be an outstanding Necromancer. I look forward to seeing how much you''ve grown the next time we meet. Let''s go, Teju Jagua."


    """Yes, Master."""


    The ck Eagle rose to the sky, and the giant Seven-Headed Monster of Ruin walked away.


    Right behind it, the Skeletons that numbered in hundreds of thousands followed, making Princess Anastasia bury her face in Millie''s chest, unable to handle the gruesome sight.


    Cai and Keane had also seen the incident from a distance and decided to stay away from the city until the Monster of Ruin left for their own safety.


    In the end, those who were at the scene were taken to the capital city of Aeronwen by the members of the Order of the Griffin, who werete to arrive.


    The members of the Order, including Millie''s Master, were tasked to track the Princess down using an artifact that could locate the Princess'' Pendant.


    But after realizing that they were tricked by their opponents, they hurried towards Dunspear City. They believed that they could find clues about the Princess''s whereabouts along the way.


    When they saw the dense ck smoke that was rising in the distance, they knew that something had gone terribly wrong. Unfortunately, it was already toote when they arrived.


    The Necromancer was long gone, and the Monster of Ruin was nowhere in sight.


    A dayter, news of Dunspear City being destroyed spread throughout the surroundingnds. However, no one knew what caused it.


    In the end, the Dwarf King, Uther Von Gweliven, mobilized his secret agents to erase all traces of the Teju Jagua''s footprints from the scene, preventing anyone from knowing what had happened.


    The official statement of the King was that a meteor had fallen from the sky andnded on Dunspear City.


    Naturally, the members of the Griffin worked hand in hand to create the scenario that the King had announced, making the popce calm down.


    Aside from a select number of people, no one was told what truly happened, burying the real story of the tragedy that went down in the history books as the Day of Ruin.

 Chapter 412 You Forgot Or You Wanted To Forget

    Princess Anastasia woke up early and impatiently walked down the hallways of the Royal Pce.


    "Princess, it''s still too early," Millie yawned as she followed behind the Princess who hadn''t had breakfast yet. "I think he is still sleeping."


    "Millie, remember this," Princess Anastasia said as she walked briskly in the hallway. "The early bird gets the early worm. If I don''t act now, the worm might get snatched from me."


    "Uhh�� I don''t really understand, but if Her Highness says so, then it must be true," Millie stifled another yawn as she followed behind the adorable Dwarf who was so energetic early in the morning.


    After returning to the Capital, the five of them went to meet with the King, who was very happy to see that his daughter was safe. However, since there were other people around, he acted like how a King should act and listened to Lux''s tale about how the Princess was saved and what caused the destruction of Dunspear City.


    Aside from the King, there were six more people inside the room who listened to his narration.


    After his report ended, the King once again thanked him for saving the Princess and promised to give him an adequate reward.


    Lux was exhausted both physically and emotionally, so he excused himself to get proper rest.


    The chase to save the princess, as well as the pressure he endured when he faced the Seven-Headed Dog and the Necromancer, took a toll on his body.


    If not for the fact that the King had personally called for him, he would have gone to sleep the moment he arrived at the Royal Pce.


    "Good morning, Sir Lucien!" Princess Anastasia greeted as she unceremoniously opened the door without even knocking.


    Seeing that no one was in the living room, she headed straight to the bedroom, where Lux slept soundly.


    The Half-Elf was sleeping face down, still wearing the clothes he had on yesterday. The funny thing was that he was still wearing his shoes, which made Princess Anastasia and Millie assume that, the moment Lux entered the bedroom, he went to sleep right away.


    He must be so tired that he could not even be bothered to change his clothes or remove his shoes.


    Eiko was also sleeping on the pillow beside Lux''s head.


    Just like her Papa, she was also very exhausted and didn''t even stir when Princess Anastasia barged inside their room.


    To Millie''s surprise, the first thing that Princess Anastasia did was take Lux''s shoes off of his feet before sitting down on the bed to look at the Half-Elf''s face.


    The Princess didn''t like touching dirty things, yet she didn''t even hesitate to remove Lux''s shoes which were quite dirty.


    "His sleeping face is quite handsome, don''t you think so, Millie?"


    "M-Maybe a little?"


    "Poor thing, he looks really exhausted," Princess Anastasia said softly as she brushed away a lock of hair that covered the Half-Elf''s face. "I must give him a proper reward for saving me."


    Millie blinked once then twice before a realization hit her.


    ''C-Could it be?!'' Millie wasn''t a dense person, but she didn''t know if what she was thinking was correct.


    (A/N: M-Masaka?!)


    The fact that Princess Anastasia seemed to be quite interested in Lux didn''t surprise her. However, she only thought that the Princess only wanted to make the Half-Elf one of her retainers, just like her.


    However, after seeing her affectionate gaze, the green-haired Dwarf finally connected the dots, making her look at the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven in disbelief.


    "Princess, do you like Lux?" Millie asked.


    Princess Anastasia didn''t answer right and continued to look at the Half-Elf''s sleeping face.


    A few minutester, she shifted her gaze toward her loyal retainer and nodded her head.


    "Yes," Princess Anastasia replied. "I like him."


    Millie pinched the bridge of her nose before asking the Princess another question.


    "You like him��as in you want to poach him to be your retainer, right?" Millie inquired.


    The princess shook her head before giving the sleeping Half-Elf a side-long nce.


    "Although I would be happy if he bes my retainer, I don''t think he will ept my invitation," Princess Anastasia said with a smile. "Yes. Millie. I like him. If possible, I want to make him my fiance."


    The corner of the green-haired Dwarf''s lips twitched after hearing Princess Anastasia''s reply. For a brief moment, she imagined Lux being tied to a chair with a gagged mouth as the Princess dragged him to a temple to have a shotgun marriage.


    As if reading Millie''s thoughts, Princess Anastasia puffed her cheeks in annoyance.


    "How rude," Princess Anastasia pouted. "I''m not that kind ofdy. Do you think that I would force someone to marry me by tying them up with a rope? Just what kind of Princess do you think I am?"


    "The type that will use any means within her power to get what she wants?" Millie replied without batting an eye.


    "Is that what I am like in your mind?"


    "A little."


    Princess Anastasia once again pouted before looking at the sleeping Half-Elf beside her.


    "I know that it is next to impossible," Princess Anastasia stated. "I''m sure that father will not allow it. But, even so, I can''t lie about my own feelings."


    Millie walked towards the Princess and crossed her arms over her chest.


    "But you only met him a few days ago," Milliemented. "You don''t even know what he is like."


    Princess Anastasia smiled and nodded her head.


    "You are right, but can''t you see that baby Slime over there?" Princess Anastasia asked as she pointed at the sleeping Eiko beside Lux. "For him to care about this little one means he is inherently a good person. Even if he does bad things, I believe that he will have a good reason to do so."


    "Princess, I didn''t believe this phrase before, but I believe it now. Love is blind."


    "Perhaps."


    Princess Anastasia didn''t deny or affirm Millie''s statement because she understood that what she might be feeling right now was gratitude instead of love.


    However, she believed that if she was given more time and got to know Lux a little more, then the feelings that had started to grow inside her heart would definitely bear fruit in the not-so-distant future.


    ��-----


    "I can''t believe that we fell for Twilight Rain''s trick," a Dwarf with silver hair said as he gnashed his teeth in anger.


    "Albert, it''s not your fault," Nik stated. "The enemy is just too shrewd with their methods, preventing us from knowing right away that we were sent on a wild goose chase."


    "Fortunately, that boy, Lux was there," Galileomented. "Isn''t that right, Charles?"


    The Dwarf, who was wearing spectacles, snorted. "At least he didn''t waste the blood of the Jade World Dragon that I procured to fake his death."


    The four men who were in the same room with the King of Gweliven were none other than four of the members of the Order of the Griffin.


    The silver-haired dwarf who seemed to be in his early twenties was Albert Te.


    He was an S-Ranker and held the second highest authority within the Order that served directly under the King.


    Albert was also Millie''s Master, and he arrived in Dunspear City after it was destroyed by the Monster of Ruin.


    (A/N: I''m sure that the majority of you have already forgotten these characters. In order to refresh your memories, feel free to re-read Chapter 189 up to Chapter 217.)


    Uther Von Gweliven, the King of the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, sighed as he pressed his hands together.


    "I am truly grateful for Lux''s help in saving my daughter," Uther said. "And I will reward him handsomely for it. However, we have bigger problems at the moment. After hearing Millie''s report, I fear that the peace we now have will shatter once that Monster of Ruin makes its move."


    A profound silence descended inside the room because all of them knew the severity of the situation.


    "If we can believe the Necromancer''s words, then our Kingdom might be spared from the cmity," Nikmented. "Memento Mori hasn''t made any moves over the past decade. I almost forgot that they existed."


    Charles snorted after hearing Nik''sment. "You forgot or you wanted to forget? Those Necromancers might have been busy amassing their Undead Army in the years that they didn''t make their appearance."


    Albert nodded his agreement and made his opinion known as well.


    "I believe that it is only a matter of time before we hear from them again," Albert said. "For now, we should inform Those TWO, just in case. Also, Twilight Rain is still active. We shouldn''t let our guard down."


    King Uther nodded his head because he too agreed with Albert''s view.


    "For now, cover all the traces left behind by the Monster of Ruin," Uther ordered. "Since those who know of its existence are currently with us, Twilight Rain will also be in the dark about what happened. Be sure to be discreet and leave nothing behind."


    The members of the Order all bowed to the King before leaving the room to carry out the mission that their King had given them.


    When he was the only one left in the room, King Uther sighed before closing his eyes.


    "The first Mythical Guild in the World has appeared, and now, the Monster of Ruin has been released from its imprisonment," King Uther muttered. "Could this be a coincidence?"


    The king didn''t know the answer to this question, but he hoped beyond hope that, whatever ns the organization, Memento Mori, was going to execute, they would do it far from his kingdom and allow his people, who had suffered over the years, to regain a semnce of peace that they rightfully deserved.

 Chapter 413 I Feel Like I’m Forgetting Something

    "Uh�� what are the two of you doing?" Lux asked the Princess, who was tugging on his pants with the help of her retainer, Millie.


    Truth be told, he had just woken up a moment ago because he instinctively felt that something wasn''t right.


    The moment he opened his eyes, he found the adorable Princess and Millie holding his pants, which had been pulled down to his knees.


    "T-This is now what you think, Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia stuttered. "Y-You fell asleep while wearing your clothes, so I was just helping you remove them so you could sleepfortably! E-Exin it to him properly, Millie!"


    The green-haired Dwarf sighed before ring at the Half-Elf.


    "Oi, the princess was very worried that you were notfortable wearing these rugged clothes in your sleep, so she decided to remove them," Millie said. "Don''t get the wrong idea, okay? We''re just helping you because you helped us back in Dunspear City."


    Lux blinked once then twice before the memories of what happened several hours ago started to y in his head.


    He vaguely remembered entering his room andnding face first on the bed to sleep due to how tired he was.


    "Ah�� I see. So that''s what happened," Lux finally connected the dots before looking at the blushing Princess, whose eyes were glued at the lower half of his body.


    In truth, the reason she tried to remove the red-headed teenager''s clothes was out of curiosity.


    She wanted to know what the difference between Half-Elves and Dwarves was, but before she could seed in her mission, the Half-Elf woke up, preventing her from taking a good look at his body.


    ''Are Dwarves really this daring?'' Lux thought as he pulled his pants back up. ''Fortunately, I was wearing swim shorts underneath. If not, the princess might have gotten the shock of her life.''


    Since he didn''t have the time to change clothes after rescuing the Princess from the Rankers of Twilight Rain, Lux was still wearing the same clothes he wore back then.


    After considering the possibility of a sea battle, the Half-Elf put on swimming shorts in advance, allowing him to maneuver in the water better should the need arise.


    "What time is it?" Lux asked as he stifled a yawn. "I still feel exhausted."


    Princess Anastasia, who had now recovered a bit of herposure, answered with a flushed face.


    "It''s just past seven, Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia replied. "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"


    The Princess had a hopeful look on her face, which made Millie, who was standing beside her, sigh in her heart. Clearly, the Princess wanted to spend more time with the Half-Elf, who might leave the capital city at any given moment.


    "If possible, I''d like to take a bath first," Lux said.


    Now that he thought about it, he''d actually gone to meet the king in his traveler''s clothes, which were covered with filth.


    "T-Then you can use the Royal Bathhouse!" Princess Anastasia proposed. "Should I send maidservants to help you take a bath? They are very good at scrubbing bodies."


    "Thank you, but I''ll pass," Lux replied. "Does this room have a private bathtub? I''d like to soak my body in the water for a while."


    Millie nodded. "The guest room is equipped with the best amenities. Please, enjoy your bath. Princess, let''s go. I''m sure that His Majesty would like to have breakfast with you."


    Princess Anastasia gave the Half-Elf onest nce before nodding her head. However, before she left the room, she made Lux promise that he would eat lunch with her.


    Since there was nothing wrong with her offer, the Half-Elf agreed, making the adorable Princess'' mood lighten once again.


    Half a minuteter, Lux sighed in pleasure as he soaked his body in the bathtub.


    Eiko was happily swimming in the water because the bathtub was spacious enough to fit three people.


    After Princess Anastasia left the room, the baby Slime also woke up and joined her Papa in taking a bath.


    She had mostly recovered from the fright she experienced after facing the Creature of Ruin several hours ago.


    Her Papa didn''t know that while he was talking with the middle-aged Necromancer, the baby Slime''s body was frozen stiff, paralyzed with fear, unable to move or even utter a word.


    She had faced many strong Monsters and people in the past, but the Monster of Ruin was on a whole new level, making her instincts as a Monster rise to the surface.


    Lux only found out what happened to Eikoter on, and he spent some time coaxing the baby Slime until she calmed down.


    "Are you feeling better now, Eiko?" Lux asked the baby Slime that was swimming in circles in front of him.


    "Pa!" Eiko replied.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Pa!"


    Lux knew that Eiko had a strong personality, but he was still worried that the Monster of Ruin had left a mark in her heart, traumatizing her for life.


    Seeing that she was back to her lively self, the Half-Elf was able to breathe a sigh of relief before closing his eyes to recall the face of the middle-aged Necromancer.


    For some reason, he had a very strong feeling that he would meet him again sometime in the future.


    "Memento Mori and the Monster of Ruin," Lux muttered. "I hope that I don''t see them anytime soon."


    Now that the Half-Elf was able to lift the Curse of Ruin from his body, he could focus on building his Guild Headquarters using the money that Nevreal had promised him.


    Having a base for his guild was a crucial step for its expansion, so Lux wanted to finish that first before he reunited with Colette and the others.


    When they meet, he would apologize for not telling them about his n of faking his death to prevent the Dark Guild, Twilight Rain, from targeting him repeatedly.


    "I feel like I''m forgetting something," Lux crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to find the source of the uneasy feeling that was nagging at the back of his mind.


    Half a minuteter, he opened his eyes because he remembered that he and Eiko were not the only ones brought to the Royal Pce.


    Cai and Keane were brought there as well, and knowing how much of a troublemaker the Boar was, Lux felt that he had to prevent it from saying something that might offend the Royal Family that would have it cklisted from the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.

 Chapter 414 Can I Ask For Anything?

    Royal Dining Area��


    "Even though they were powerful, I didn''t back away and faced those powerful Rankers from Twilight Rain with a fearless gaze�� Um, are you not eating that pancake? If so, can I have it?"


    Cai, who was narrating its story of bravery, was currently dining with the Dwarf King, Queen, his other wives, and his children, who were currently in the Royal Pce.


    "Of course, Cai," Princess Anastasia replied with a smile. "You can have it."


    The Dwarf Princess unceremoniously handed her te of pancakes to the Boar that was eating across from her.


    The corner of the Dwarf King''s lips twitched because he was half-regretting inviting the boar to join them for breakfast as a way to repay it for its help in saving his daughter.


    Cai ate with gusto before continuing its tale.


    "Where was I? Oh yeah! I was facing off against that Ranker with reddish-brown hair, who had taken the Princess captive," Cai said with a solemn look on its face. "Truth be told, I was so scared that I wanted to run away, but in that situation, I just couldn''t leave the princess behind and escape. I thought that since the Dwarves took great care of me in Leaf Vige, I needed to repay the favor.


    "Unfortunately, I was too weak. Instead of saving the Princess, I was beaten ck and blue by those Rankers, and was kidnapped by them as well. Fortunately, My Daddy saved me and the rest is history. Um�� are there any more pancakes? I got so engrossed in my story that I didn''t notice that I ate them all."


    Keane, who was seated beside Cai, kept his silence and pretended that he didn''t know who the shameless Boar was.


    He found it quite surprising that the Boar treated the Royal Family so casually as it fearlessly chatted with them as though they were its long time friends.


    Robin, who was also present at the dining table, also pretended that he didn''t know the boar and ate with an elegance befitting a member of the Royal Family.


    After hearing Nevreal''s report, Robin felt worried about his sister''s safety and tasked his retainer to do everything in his power to help with the rescue operations.


    Although they were allpetitors for the position of Crown Prince or Crown Princess, that didn''t change the fact that the members of the Royal Family truly cared for each other.


    "On behalf of my family, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to you, Cai and Keane," King Uther said. "Without your help, the Dark Guild might have seeded in their evil ns. Tell me, what do you want as a reward? As long as it is within my ability, I will grant it without fail."


    Cai quieted down and looked at King Uther with sparkling eyes.


    Keane, who knew how shameless that Boar could be, immediately tensed because he had a feeling that Cai would ask for something very unreasonable.


    "Can I ask for anything?" Cai inquired.


    "Yes," King Uther replied. "As long as I can grant it, I will give it to you."


    Cai, who felt that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, decided to go all out. However, before it could voice its wish, Lux arrived at the scene and cut it off with his words.


    "Ten Million Gold Coins!"


    The King, as well as the rest of the Royal Family, shifted their attention to the Half-Elf who was panting for breath. His hair was still wet, and it was quite obvious that he had just gotten out of the bath.


    After remembering that the troublemaker, Cai, was also in the Royal Pce, the Half-Elf hurriedly left the room and sprinted toward the Dining Area to prevent it from doing something that would put them all in jeopardy.


    However, when he realized that the King was asking Cai what it for a reward, the Half-Elf immediately shouted the first thing that came to his mind, to prevent the Boar from speaking up.


    "Okay," King Uther nodded. "As a reward for everything you have done for the Kingdom, I will reward you with ten million gold coins."


    Cai, who had lost the opportunity to tell the Dwarf King that it wanted a Legendary Item, stood rooted in ce.


    Lux sent the Boar a message using their Guild Chat, telling it not to say anything or he would kick it out of the Guild.


    Fearing that its future prospects were on the line, the shameless Boar had no choice but to cry crocodile tears and bid its wish for a Legendary Item goodbye.


    ��----


    "How shameless can you get?" Keane looked at the boar who was still crying crocodile tears in the corner of the room in disdain. "You actually wanted to ask for a Legendary Item? Don''t you know that those are like National Treasures?"


    "But, Little Swordy, he told me that I can ask for anything I wanted," Cai replied.


    "That''s because the King was being polite and considerate. That doesn''t mean that you can get away with asking for just anything!"


    "Booo hooo! If only I''d known that the King of this country was a cheapskate, I would have asked for money instead!"


    While Keane was nagging at the Boar for being shameless, they heard a knock on the door, which made them stop their conversation.


    "It is me, Robin," Robin announced his presence. "Can Ie in?"


    Lux gave Cai a warning gaze before opening the door to let his employer enter the room.


    Just like he expected, Nevreal came with Robin. The middle-aged dwarf smiled and patted Lux in the waist and told him that even though what happened to the Wolfpine Barony was regrettable, Robin still managed to get some Merit Points because Lux was temporarily under his employ when the incident happened.


    "You''ve done well," Nevreal said. "As promised, I will pay for the creation of your Guild Headquarters. How much is it?"


    Lux smiled and whispered the amount that he needed in the middle-aged Dwarf''s ear.


    A momentter, loud noises, the sound of several things breaking, and profane curses were heard inside the guest room, making the guards that were stationed outside its doors wonder what was currently happening inside.


    The Royal Guards weren''t aware that Robin, Cai, and Keane were all doing their best to hold the middle-aged Dwarf in order to keep him from chopping the shameless Half-Elf to pieces with the War Axe that he was currently holding with both hands.

 Chapter 415 It’s Just Puppy Love

    "Please keep my identity a secret," Robin said after he opened the door, about to leave the guest''s bedroom that Lux was currently staying in. "I don''t want Colette and the others to know."


    Lux nodded. "Very well. Just make sure that you don''t involve them in your schemes, or else��"


    The Half-Elf gave Robin the "I''ll beat the crap out of you" gaze, which made thetter smile.


    "I admit that when I first approached them, I had ulterior motives," Robin stated. "But after spending some time with them, I know that they are good people. Don''t worry, I''ll do things in moderation."


    Robin didn''t wait for Lux''s reply before leaving the room.


    Nevreal, who was escorting Robin, gave Lux onest re before closing the door behind him.


    Due to the agreement that he had with the Half-Elf, the poor dwarf had no choice but to fork over ten million gold coins, which was almost half of his entire life savings.


    In order to pacify the middle-aged Dwarf, Lux promised that he would assist Robin one more time, free of charge, as long as the request wasn''t unreasonable.


    Only after the Half-Elf had made his promise did Nevreal calm down.


    While ten million gold coins was nothing in the eyes of the Royal Family, for Nevreal who had lived a frugal life, he felt as if he had been robbed in broad daylight.


    Even so, after hearing Millie''s report, Nevreal knew that Lux''s help would be beneficial in the future.


    "Are you sure he won''t hack you to pieces while you are sleeping?" Cai wondered after Nevreal and Robin left the room. "I can tell that he''s holding a grudge against you."


    Lux shrugged because he knew that Nevreal wouldn''t really hurt him. Although he felt a bit guilty for not being specific about the amount he wanted from him, it was still the Dwarf''s fault for not asking how much it would cost him to build the Half-Elf''s Guild Headquarters.


    "Still, twenty million gold coins�� that''s a lot," Cai said as it scooted beside Lux and nudged his body with its head. "Mind if I borrow a few million? I promise I will put them to good use."


    Lux ignored the shameless Boar as he sat on the couch. He then opened his Soul Book to look at the facilities that he could buy with the extra ten million gold that he got from King Uther, which he would receive when morning came.


    ''I don''t have enough money on hand,'' Lux sighed internally after seeing the cost of the Smithy, the Bestiary, the Alchemy Shop, as well as the other facilities that could be installed inside his Guild Headquarters.


    ��---------


    < Guild Facilities >


    Smithy - 5,000,000 Gold Coins


    Bestiary - 5,000,000 Gold Coins


    Alchemy Shop - 5,000,000 Gold Coins


    XXX - XXX


    XXX - XXX


    XXX - XXX


    XXX - XXX


    XXX - XXX


    Teleportation Gate - 10,000,000 Gold Coins


    ��---------


    If possible, Lux wanted to have the Smithy, Bestiary, Alchemy Shop, as well as the Teleportation Gate, installed in his Guild Headquarters. However, with the limited funds he had, it was simply impossible.


    Because of this, Lux was deliberating whether he should build the Smithy or the Bestiary first. If he built the Smithy first, his Master, Randolph, could start crafting his guild members'' weapons, armor, and other misceneous items that they might need.


    The Bestiary, on the other hand, would allow his guild to tame Mounts that each member could use.


    For the time being, Lux didn''t have much of a problem when it came to mounts. He already had Jed, as well as the other Wargs he received from the Dungeon of Dominion. The reason he was tempted to get the Bestiary was that he wanted to tame Beasts that could fly.


    Bedivere was a Dragon Knight, so he had the ability to tame flying beasts, especially young Dragons. If Lux''s members all had Dragons as their mounts, wouldn''t that be awesome?


    There were three types of Dragon Species.


    They were the Dragons, like the one Bedivere used as a mount.


    There were also Elder Dragons, which were more powerful than regr dragons. The weakest Rank of an Elder Dragon was the Argonaut Rank.


    Lastly, there were the Ancient Dragons, whose numbers were very few, but all of them were Cmity Rank.


    Of course, there was one more Dragon, and it was none other than the Dragon King.


    The Supreme leader of all Dragons, whose Rank stood at the highest rank in the world of Elysium.


    Even amongst Demigods, there were only a handful of individuals who could match its strength.


    Truth be told, Lux was feeling anxious. He could only build his Guild Headquarters in the floating city of Karshvar Draconis.


    After checking its information in the Elysium Compendium, the Half-Elf found out that a race that was half dragon and half human called DragonBorns also lived on that floating ind.


    The majority of them had bodies entirely covered with dragon scales, while others only had scales on some parts of their bodies.


    There were also several who didn''t have any scales on their bodies, and the only distinguishing features that made them recognizable as Dragon Borns were the two dragon horns on their heads and the Dragon Wings on their backs.


    They were a proud race, but they never shied away from meeting people of other races. They were extremely powerful and, simr to Lux, they could use Dragon Breath anytime they wanted.


    ''The Dragon King is also there,'' Lux scratched his head due to anxiety. ''I wonder what kind of treatment we will get if we suddenly appear unannounced in their Domain? Would they immediately think we are hostile individuals and attack us?''


    The Half-Elf shuddered at the thought of being surrounded and attacked simultaneously by Dragon Borns, Dragons, Elder Dragons, and Ancient Dragons.


    "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Lux said through gritted teeth. "I''ll just wing it when I get there."


    Cai, who was lying on the carpet, nced at Lux with a confused look on its face.


    "Wing what?" Cai asked. "Are you going somewhere?"


    Keane, who was seated on the couch opposite Lux''s and cleaning his sword, nced at the Boar in disdain.


    "Didn''t you know that he''s going to look for a ce to build our Guild Headquarters tomorrow?" Keane asked. "Or were you not listening when he said it?"


    Cai''s eyes sparkled after hearing that their Guild Headquarters was finally going to be built. It began to pester Lux, repeatedly asking if it coulde with him to see the Floating Ind of Karshvar Draconis.


    Although they knew the location where their Guild would be stationed, they had no idea what kind of ce it was.


    The only thing that Lux''s Guild Members knew was that it was a floating ind, and it was floating somewhere in the skies of Elysium.


    "Once the Guild is built, you guys can go there as well," Lux pushed the Boar''s face away from him. "Also, Cai, when you go there, be sure to behave, okay? We don''t know what kind of reception we will get from its inhabitants."


    "What do you think of me? Some kind of problem child?" Cai replied. "Rx, I''m sure that I''ll get along with the people on that floating ind just fine."


    ""I doubt it.""


    Lux and Keane spoke up at the same time, making the two of them chuckle because both of them knew what Cai was like.


    The Boar, who was oblivious to what its two friends were thinking, was already looking forward to seeing their Guild Headquarters.


    It was very tempted to return to Sis and brag to its Grandpa about its new Guild, but after being repeatedly warned by Lux and Keane, the Boar reluctantly pushed aside its n for the time being.


    ��------


    The next day��


    "Lux, once again, I sincerely thank you for your timely rescue of my daughter, not as a king, but as a father," King Uther said. "If not for you, I''m sure that Twilight Rain would have asked for an exorbitant ransom for her safe return��one that might take them one step closer to causing strife to my kingdom."


    Princess Anastasia, who was also in the throne room, gazed at Lux with a smile on her face. After everything that happened, she realized that the Kingdom of Gweliven was really not as peaceful as it looked on the surface.


    Terrorists organizations were moving in the shadows, causing strife among its popce, in addition to the hidden dangers, like the Monster of Ruin, whose whereabouts were still unknown.


    The Princess learned a lot from her experience, and because of this, she decided to dedicate more time studying how to be a better ruler and remain in the capital for the time being.


    "Sir Lux, if you ever need my help, feel free toe and visit me," Princess Anastasia stated. "The favor for saving my life, I will always remember it. No matter what situation or dangers you are facing, as long as I can lend you my assistance, do not hesitate to look for me at any given time."


    Lux smiled at the adorable Princess whose face turned a rosy shade after seeing his smile.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty and Your Highness for the rewards and favors that you bestow upon me." Lux bowed his head respectfully. "Although I was not born in the Kingdom of Gweliven, I treat this Kingdom as my second home. If therees a time when its safety is in danger, I will be there to lend my hand and ensure that thisnd would not fall into the wrong hands."


    King Uther nodded his head in satisfaction because he liked the subtle promise that was contained in Lux''s message.


    "Safe journey, Lux Von Kaizer, and may the Earth Goddess always hold you in her bosom," King Uther said. "Anastasia, please escort Lux to the Royal Teleportation Gate."


    "Yes, Father! I mean, Yes, Your Majesty," Princess Anastasia hastily corrected herself after hearing her father''s order.


    She then boldly walked towards Lux and grabbed his hand, dragging him away from the throne room, making the King of the Dwarves chuckle despite himself.


    "Dear, you''re being mischievous," the Queen, who was seated beside King Uther said with a smile. "You already know that she somehow developed a crush on her Savior, and yet you still tease her like this."


    Uther nced at his wife and rested his hand over hers. "It''s just puppy love. It will go away as she gets older."


    The Queen rolled her eyes at her husband, but she didn''t make anyments.


    How could she possibly tell the King that he was also her puppy love?


    Yet the two of them ended up getting married and were blessed with children, whose fates would help shape the Dwarven Kingdom in ways that neither of them could imagine.

 Chapter 416 The Greatest Problem Of Heaven’s Gate

    The Teleportation Gate inside the Royal Pce had ess to all the teleportation Gates located in the territories of the Kingdom.


    Because of this, Lux, Cai, and Keane were able to instantly teleport to the Stronghold of Norria, and their arrival surprised itsmander, Thoram.


    "What a tragedy��" Thoram sighed after hearing Lux''s story about what had happened in the Wolfpine Barony. "If not for you, I would still be in the dark about what happened in Dunspear City. The Royal Family must have given a gag order, preventing those who knew about the incident from speaking about it."


    Lux nodded. "The King didn''t mention anything to me, so I guess he might have forgotten about it. Even so, I would appreciate it if you didn''t spread the news, Commander. Right now, the public is not ready to know about the existence of the Creature of Ruin."


    Thoram wholeheartedly agreed with Lux and promised to keep the information to himself. A momentter, the Dwarf Commander chuckled before giving the Half-Elf a thumbs up.


    "Yesterday, Nevreal talked to me and said that you robbed him of his money." Thoram smirked. "Is this true?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "But, I''ll make it up to him in the future. The funds that I got from him and His Majesty is barely enough to build our Headquarters and add a few other guild facilities. In this regard, I would like to have a second opinion about what you think would be the better option for our guild."


    Lux told Thoram about his n, and the Dwarf Commander listened without interrupting him. Only after the Half-Elf finished his exnation did the Dwarf give his opinion on the matter.


    "Right now, we''re not in a hurry to gather Guild Members," Thoram stated. "The fewer who know about this secret, the better. Naturally, you have the right to recruit whoever you want to recruit, and I am confident that you will take great care to only bring trustworthy people into our guild. As for the Guild Facilities you want to build, may I offer a suggestion?"


    Lux nodded his head and waited for Thoram to give his expert opinion on the matter.


    "First, as much as I want to have a Dragon Mount, it will be best if we put this on hold," Thoram said as he raised his index finger.


    "The moment we are seen with these powerful mounts, people will wonder where and how we got them. Dragons are very rare in the Kingdom of Gweliven. In fact, there are only two people who have Dragon Mounts in this kingdom. One is a Saint, and the other is the General of the Armed Forces.


    "If we add Bedivere in the equation, then we have three. Now, do you understand what will happen if a sudden influx of Dragon Riders appears out of nowhere? This is simply asking for trouble. Sure, we might look good on our Dragon Mounts, but we won''t be able to enjoy it for long, especially if the King orders an investigation."


    Cai, who was also in the room, was heartbroken. It also wanted to have a Dragon Mount so badly. Now that Thoram had said that adding the Bestiary would spell trouble, the Boar bitterly wept at the corner of the room. It could no longer have a Dragon that it could use to brag to its family and friends.


    Thoram then raised a second finger, voicing his second suggestion.


    "Having a smithy is good and all because it gives us good weapons and armor. However, it is far too early for us to even need that," Thoram exined. "I''m sure that when the smithy is built, you will ask Randolph to manage it, right?"


    Lux nodded because that was his initial n.


    "Randolph is good and can even craft Mythical Level Equipments, but that takes a lot of time and resources," Thoram continued his exnation. "Also, a cksmith can only work if he has something to work on. We will need to gather a lot of resources if we want to create high quality weapons and armors that can be used by our members.


    "But, like I said, since we are keeping our Guild a secret for the time being, there is no immediate need to craft a lot of weapons and armors. Besides, Randolph is busy repairing and crafting weapons for the Elysians and Foreigners thate to Leaf Vige. A single cksmith is simply not enough to work on manymissions at once."


    The Half-Elf felt as if his horizons had been broadened after hearing the Commander''s words. Right now, the majority of the weapons and armors that they owned could be found in dungeons and treasure chests.


    Boss Monsters usually dropped these rare items, so it would just be easier to hunt them, rather than have Randolph craft a weapon for them. Also, even if he didn''t build the Guild Smithy, Randolph could still work in his own Smithy for the time being, while their members were still so few.


    Thoram nodded his head in satisfaction because he could see that Lux could now see the bigger picture. Because of this, he decided to give his rmendation for which Guild Facility that the Half-Elf needed to build in order to enhance the quality of life of his Guild Members.


    "Lux, what is the greatest problem in our Guild right now?" Thoram asked. "What is the thing that limits us from building the things we want?"


    Lux didn''t bat an eye and answered Thoram''s question without skipping a beat. "It''s money."


    The Half-Elf added, "If we have money, we won''t even have a problem in choosing which guild facilities to build."


    Thoram nodded. "That''s right. So, sinceck of money is our problem, what is the solution?"


    The Dwarf Commander smiled as he looked at the red-headed teenager whose eyes widened in shock.


    "We need to make money," Lux answered. "A lot of money."


    "That''s right," Thoram stated. "I don''t know what kind of ce Karshvar Draconis is, but if we want our Guild to expand, we need money. I suggest you build the Alchemy Shop first and buy an Advanced Alchemy Recipe Book, and give it to Annie. Laura and Livia are now her Disciples, and they are learning the art of Alchemy.


    "Compared to Randolph who only has you as his Apprentice, Annie has it better because she has two more people helping her. Also, Bedivere''s wife, Lilia, has some background in making medicines. If Heidi also joins, then we have one Master Alchemist, One Veteran Alchemist, and three Apprentices.


    "As long as they study hard, Annie can advance to Grandmaster Alchemist, allowing her to craft powerful pills, potions, and medicines that we can sell to earn money. You already know that pills, potions, and medicines are all consumables, right? It means that it doesn''t matter how many we make. People will buy them because of demand. So, I suggest you build the Alchemy Shop first and buy an Advanced Alchemy Recipe Book."


    Thoram paused for a bit before rummaging through his drawer. After grabbing an old scroll, he then handed it to Lux, which thetter epted with great curiosity.


    "That is a deed for a small lot in the capital city," Thoram exined. "It may not be much, but that is thend that my parents gave to me before they retired to the countryside. My dad was a baker, so he bought a piece ofnd on the third busiest street in the capital using his life savings.


    "We were able to livefortably back in the day, but after I joined the military, and became a Commander, I told them that they no longer need to work and that they should live a quiet and peaceful life in our hometown. They agreed, so they left me the deed of ournd, but since I''m too busy here, I have no time to use that plot ofnd for business."


    Lux opened the scroll and read its contents before shifting his gaze back to Thoram, who seemed to be reminiscing about his childhood.


    "Thank you, Commander," Lux said before giving Thoram a respectful bow.


    "Don''t thank me. This is for our guild. Make sure to hire a good manager who has a knack for business. Let them deal with these things, so you can focus on other stuff."


    "Mmm."


    Now that the first of the guild facilities had been decided on, Thoram then raised a third finger, to tell Lux the best way to use the remaining funds they had.


    "For now, we will use the remaining gold for investment," Thoram stated. "If we can find another good source of ie, we can invest in that. Talk to Ken before you leave for Karshvar Draconis. That person is more business-minded than I am. Ask him to help you find good locations to open up a store.


    "We can use the money to open up more store branches. The beginning phase is going to require us to fork out some money, but once we gain customers, the money wille back to us tenfold. If we are lucky, it might not even take us a year to build the other guild facilities with the funds we will gain through our Guild Stores."


    Thoram and Lux discussed a lot of things before the Half-Elf went to look for the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild, Ken, who was more than happy to assist Lux in making money for their Guild.


    After the rescue operation with the Princess, Ken, as well as the Adventurers who joined the rescue mission, were handsomely rewarded by the King. Because of this, Ken gained a good reputation among his peers.


    The two Rankers that had assisted Lux and Millie in fighting against Twilight Rain also voiced their willingness to work with them again in the future.


    For Ken, building up hiswork allowed him to gain some leverage in other things, which was quite useful for the expansion of their uing business.


    After everything had been settled, Lux, Cai, and Keane traveled to Leaf Vige to rest for a day.


    The Half-Elf was the only one that could travel to the Floating Ind at the moment, so the others would have to wait until their Guild Headquarters had been built before they could see for themselves just what kind of ce the Floating Ind, which was ruled by the Dragon King himself, was like.

 Chapter 417 The Stuff Of Legends

    ? "You bastard! You gave my name to a Ranker that was out to kill you!" Randolph hollered as soon as he saw Luxe inside his Smithy.


    The Half-Elf had no choice but to apologize to the raging Dwarf who already raised his Adamantium Hammer, which he used to forge weapons and armor, and was about to smack his shameless Disciple silly with it.


    "Sorry, Master," Lux said with an apologetic look. "I was facing off against a Ranker. How could I possibly use my name? What if he looked for me just to kill me?"


    "You damned brat! If that''s the case, then why did you give him my name? Did you even think about the fact that the Ranker could search for my name ande to kill me?"


    "Rx, Master. I already have everything figured out. Even if he found you, how can a Ranker mistake you for a chubby Human? My Master is so handsome and so awesome that a Ranker would even apologize to you for mistaken identity."


    "... You do have a point." Randolph had no choice but to ept Lux''s logic because he really wouldn''t pass as a chubby Human teenager.


    With his good looks, wouldn''t it be an injustice for him to be mistaken for Lux''s chubby persona?


    After calming his Master, Lux asked him toe with him to the Vige Head''s house to discuss the ns he had for their Guild.


    When everyone was gathered, he mentioned Thoram''s proposal to first open a General Store and sell consumable items like pills, potions, and medicines to the public in order to raise funds for building their Guild Facilities.


    Grandma Annie''s ears perked up when she heard that Lux would buy an Advanced Alchemist Recipe Book so that she could craft higher quality pills, potions, and medicines that they could sell. Also, Ken had promised to look for suppliers that would provide her with the raw materials for her work.


    The remaining funds in Lux''s possession would be used to purchase the raw materials because the General Store would need capital before it could take off.


    "This is a good n," Cedwyn said as he rubbed his beard. "It will also raise the quality of the items that we can sell in our vige. As you may already know, Leaf Vige is on the very outskirts of the Kingdom of Gweliven. You can even say that it is its farthest outpost in the Southern end of the Kingdom.


    "The vige was founded to be used as a base for Dwarves sent to explore the Savage Lands farther South. If we can raise the quality of goods we sell here, it is not impossible for our Vige to send our own expedition team to explore the Savage Lands. Right now, the only active explorers in those parts are Cadmus (Draconian Kobold) and Sid.


    "Since the vige is now a safe haven from Monsters thanks to the Guardian Crystal, this is also a good opportunity to venture Southwards, and maybe, this will also pave the path for our Vige to be a Town."


    The Elders of Leaf Vige nodded their heads in agreement because they also wanted to see their Vige grow and prosper. Since they couldn''t actively recruit members for their Guild at the moment, that didn''t mean that they couldn''t expand their scope of operations, allowing their brand to be known throughout the Kingdom.


    "Everyone, I will now go to Karshvar Draconis to build our Guild Headquarters," Lux said. "When it is finished, all of you will be able to instantly teleport there once every three days, but I have something very important to tell all of you."


    Everyone inside the Vige Head''s house were members of his Guild, so he didn''t hold back and told them everything he had learned about the floating Ind.


    When they heard that it was actually the Legendary City where the Dragon King himself lived, Cedwyn, and the Elders of the Leaf Vige, felt their legs turn into jelly, making it hard for them to remain standing.


    "The Dragon King��" Randolph''s eyes twinkled. "It is said that weapons and armor that are forged with Dragon Fire would have a Mythical Rank at its bare minimum. I wonder if I can go there to train as an apprentice to one of their cksmiths��"


    "That is a good idea," Grandma Annie said. "The highest Rank a craftsman can attain in this Kingdom is the Grandmaster Rank. There were rumors that there were Mythical Ranked and Legendary Ranked Alchemists that existed in the past, but since no one has seen them, they just became the stuff of legends."


    Randolph and Grandma Annie could feel their blood boiling at the possibility of advancing their rank to the next stage after studying in the Legendary City of the Dragon King.


    "Since we will be visiting an unknownnd, it will be wise for us to be on our best behavior," Lux stated. "First impressionsst, so we must make them look at us favorably when we go there."


    Cai, who was also inside the room, narrowed its eyes as it gazed at the red-headed teenager.


    "That''s right. You should make sure that they look at us favorably," Cai said. "If it was me, I''m sure that I''d be best buddies with them in less than a minute. It''s quite unfortunate that only you can go there."


    Lux rolled his eyes at the Boar who was talking a bunch of nonsense. The only way that it would be best buddies with the Dragons was when they saw the Boar as food.


    Since Lux would be gone for a few days, Cai and Keane decided to return to Sis for the time being and return to the Rowan Tribe.


    Cai wanted to know if its Grandpa had seeded in creating a cure using the White Lotus that would be used to treat those who were infected with the Purple gue.


    Holding the Dragon Token in his hand, Lux and Eiko bid everyone goodbye before they were bathed in a radiant light.


    A secondter, the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime appeared in what seemed to be a temple that was overlooking a majestic city where Dragons flew in the sky, making the Half-Elf take a deep breath due to how surreal it was.


    "So, this is Karshvar Draconis," Lux muttered as he gazed at the Legendary City, where his Guild''s first steps would finally begin.

 Chapter 418 Troublemaker Meets Troublemaker [Part 1]

    "So, this is Karshvar Draconis."


    Lux couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    A floating city in the sky, and all of its inhabitants had dragon blood flowing in their veins. Lux knew that being able to step into an SSS-Ranked Kingdom wasn''t a simple task.


    Usually, these Kingdoms didn''t allow just any random stranger to enter their Domain, but due to the Half-Elf''s circumstances, he was able to reach the fabled city of the Dragons through the power of the Dragon Token that Keoza had given him.


    "It has been hundreds of years since Ist saw this ce."


    A familiar voice reached Lux''s ears, as the Dragon Token in his hand glowed faintly.


    "Keoza?" The Half-Elf took a closer look at the Dragon Token in his hand. "There are a lot of things I want to ask you."


    After the Crystal Dragon gave him the Dragon Token, the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian was destroyedpletely, leaving nothing behind.


    The Half-Elf thought that he wouldn''t see the Crystal Dragon again, but to his surprise, the Dragon that he could summon using the Dragon Token was none other than Keoza itself.


    Also, there was an incident where Keoza materialized by itself without being summoned when Lux''s Abyssal Powers had gone out of control.


    Lastly, the Dragon Token, which he used to create a Guild, had unknowingly given him an unexpected surprise, granting him the one and only Mythical Guild in the world.


    "I''m sure you have a lot of questions, but I don''t n on answering any of them," Keoza replied. "If you want your questions to be answered, do your best to meet the Dragon King. Depending on his mood, he might answer your questions or�� you can be his lunch."


    Keoza chuckled and not long after that, the Dragon Token stopped glowing.


    No matter how much Lux called out to the Crystal Dragon, no one answered him, making him sigh helplessly.


    "Well, I guess I''ll go to the city first," Lux muttered as he gazed at the city in the distance.


    However, before he could even take three steps from where he stood, dozens of Dragons roared in the sky and flew in his direction, making the Half-Elf wonder if they came to wee him to their city.


    Unfortunately, the warm wee he envisioned didn''t happen and, soon, the Half-Elf found himself surrounded by not only Dragons, but DragonBorns, who wielded spears that were pointed in his direction.


    "Who are you and how did youe to the Sacred Land of the Dragons?" a DragonBorn, whose entire body was covered in blue Dragon Scales, asked.


    Lux observed the DragonBorn, and almost choked when he appraised the blue armor that thetter was wearing.


    ��----------


    < Frozen me >


    Dragon-Forged Armor


    Rarity: Legendary


    �C An Armor made from the scales of an Elder Blue Dragon that grants the wearer immunity to extreme cold, and cold weather conditions.


    +500 to all stats


    100% Resistance to Ice Element


    100% Mana Regeneration


    100% Health Regeneration


    100% Stamina Regeneration


    30% Magical Resistance to all kinds of Magic.


    ��----------


    This was the first time he had seen Legendary Armor and he almost started to drool after seeing the information that appeared in front of him.


    The Half-Elf was gazing so intently at the DragonBorn Captain, which made the Dragons, including the DragonBorn Captain, look at Lux in a weird manner.


    "Are you deaf, Half-Elf?" the Dragon Born Captain shouted. "Answer my question!"


    The loud shout broke Lux out of his daze and he remembered that he was in a very delicate situation.


    "My name is Lux Von Kaizer, and I was brought here by this token," Lux replied as he showed the Dragon Token in his hand to the DragonBorn Captain, who seemed to be the one inmand of the dozens of Dragons, and DragonBorns, who currently encircled him.


    The Captain frowned as he approached Lux and snatched the Dragon Token in his hand to give it a better look. However, after he saw the runes embedded on its surface, as well as the faint imprint left in it, the DragonBorn Captain almost dropped the token in his hand.


    "I-Impossible!" the DragonBorn Captain gasped as he scrutinized the Dragon Token in his hand. After taking a second look and confirming that he wasn''t seeing wrongly, the DragonBorn Captain signaled his guards toe closer.


    "Take this suspicious person to the barracks, while I go to the Pce," the DragonBorn Captain ordered before ring at Lux. "If I find out that you stole this thing, I will make sure that you will rot in our prison, Half-Elf. Men, take him away!"


    At first, Lux wanted to resist but after realizing that the dozens of DragonBorns surrounding him were all Rankers, all attempts of resistance vanished without a trace.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, red at the DragonBorns as they tied up her Papa.


    The DragonBorns ignored her because, in their eyes, a lowly Slime wasn''t a threat. Because of this, Eiko wasn''t separated from the Half-Elf and both of them were taken to the barracks, located inside the city, to await the Dragon Born Captain''s return to decide their fate.


    ��----------


    Dragon King''s Royal Pce��


    The King of all Dragons, who had taken a humanoid form, sat on his golden throne, as he listened to the report of the Captain of the Guards that he had stationed near the Temple.


    "Where is this Half-Elf?" the Dragon King asked with an amused expression on his face.


    "Your Majesty, he is currently being detained in the Barracks," the Guard Captain reported. "Should we imprison him for stealing His Majesty''s Token, or should we execute him right away?"


    The Dragon King nced at the Dragon Token in his hand and flipped it over, and over again, as if wondering what orders he should give the Guard Captain.


    The token was the personal insignia of the Dragon King, and it was the emblem he created after seeding the throne from the previous Dragon King.


    ''Keoza, even now you refuse to show yourself in front of me,'' The Dragon King held the token firmly in his hand as if willing the Crystal Dragon, to exin why he made such a decision.


    Several minutes of silence passed, as the Dragon King pondered what to do with the Half-Elf that had inherited Keoza''s will.


    He already expected that the one that was bestowed the Dragon Token would appear sooner orter, so he sent a special unit to watch over the Temple''s location.


    The Dragon King had given them strict orders not to kill whoever appeared in the temple, regardless of their race, and capture them alive.


    The Guard Captain remained kneeling on the ground as he waited for the Dragon King''s orders. For them, being in the presence of the Dragon King was an honor, so he didn''t mind waiting, until the Half-Elf''s fate was decided.


    "Cethus,e," the Dragon King ordered.


    Immediately, a DragonBorn with ck scales covering his entire body appeared and knelt before him.


    "Return this token to the Half-Elf, and take him to the Outer Reaches. He is here to build a Guild Headquarters, so let him do as he wishes," the Dragon King said. "From now on, your job is to supervise him. Do not interfere with what he does, and simply report it to me. However, if he does anything suspicious, you are free to apprehend him, and punish him in any way that you please. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Cethus replied. "I will not let you down!"


    The Guard Captain who was kneeling behind Cetus was surprised that the Dragon King had assigned the most notorious member of the Royal Guard to supervise the Half-Elf in their custody.


    The Guard Captain almost pitied the Half-Elf because Cethus was like a ticking time bomb. If not for the fact that Cethus'' grandmother had faithfully served the Dragon King when he was still fighting for the right of session, the arrogant troublemaker would have long been kicked out of Arshvar Draconis, and banished to the mortalnds forever.


    ''Although you made your choice, that doesn''t mean that I will agree with it,'' the Dragon King said telepathically to the Dragon Token before tossing it towards the ck-scaled DragonBorn, who caught it with one hand. ''Unless he earns the right to stand in my presence, he will forever stay in the Outer Reaches. Let''s see if Fate smiles favorably upon him.''


    Cethus bowed to the Dragon King and left the throne room alongside the Guard Captain who had ordered Lux''s detainment.


    However, before the two DragonBorns exited the throne room, Keoza''s faint voice reached the Dragon King''s ears.


    ''He doesn''t need your eptance. In time, you will understand that as well.''


    After giving those parting words, the gates of the throne room closed, leaving the Dragon King with a solemn expression, which had not appeared on his face for thest several hundred years.

 Chapter 419 Troublemaker Meets Troublemaker [Part 2]

    "Pa!"


    "It''s fine, Eiko. Nothing bad will happen to us."


    "Pa!"


    Lux assured the baby Slime, who was now on his shoulder, that everything was going to be fine. After they were taken to the barracks, he was locked inside a room with two DragonBorns watching over him.


    The Half-Elf tried to ask the two guards several questions, but they didn''t answer him.


    They just looked at him in disdain, which angered Eiko, making her call the two Guards "F*ckers" which amused Lux. However, since he was teaching the baby Slime to not use curse words, he reprimanded her and asked her to apologize to their Guards.


    However, instead of apologizing, Eiko only stuck out her tongue to the two Guards, and red back at them.


    Lux had already thought of the possibility of something like this happening. The Elysium Compendium had informed him that the Dragons and the DragonBorn were very proud individuals.


    Although not all of them look down on other races, they still thought of themselves as superior, and those who lived on thend below were not their equals.


    Again, not all DragonBorns thought like this, but the majority of them did, making the Half-Elf sigh in his heart.


    After waiting for more than an hour, the door finally opened and the Captain of the Guards, whom Lux had met before, appeared.


    "Unchain him," the Captain ordered.


    Immediately, one of the Guards moved to remove the chains that bound Lux''s hands and backed away obediently.


    "So, this is the Half-Elf who will be under my supervision from now on."


    An arrogant voice reached Lux''s ears, making him shift his attention to the ck-scaled DragonBorn that had followed the Guard Captain inside the room where he was detained.


    "As expected of a Half-breed, you are ugly," Cethus said with a smug expression on his face.


    Lux, who had just been called ugly, didn''t react because he knew that this wasn''t true.


    A quarter of thedies his age in Wildgarde Stronghold had a crush on him, so why would he believe the words of an ugly lizard, who told him that he doesn''t look good?


    Eiko, on the other hand, wasn''t pleased with having her Papa called ugly, so she immediately spat a blob of water at the DragonBorn''s face, soaking itpletely.


    The Guard Captain and the two Guards, who knew of Cethus'' background almostughed out loud, but thanks to their discipline, they managed to reign it in.


    However, Cethus, who was quite sensitive about how others viewed him, was angered by the baby Slime''s disrespect, and was about to p it to oblivion when the Dragon Token in his hand suddenly became too hot to hold, making him cry out in shock before he dropped it on the ground.


    The Dragon Token then rolled harmlessly towards Lux''s feet, stopping only when it hit his shoe.


    Since the token belonged to him, the Half-Elf picked it up and stored it inside his personal storage before shifting his gaze to the ck-scaled DragonBorn, who was ring at him.


    "Listen well, Half-Elf. I am the Great Cethus," Cethus dered. "The Dragon King has assigned me to be your supervisor. If you even do anything funny, I have been given full authority to give you any punishment that I see fit."


    The "Great" Cethus, whose rank was only in the middle of the Initiate Rank, pounded his chest proudly before looking at Lux smugly.


    "Do you have any questions?" Cethus asked.


    Lux nodded and asked the question that was on his mind. "What is going to happen to me? Did the Dragon King say anything?"


    "Good question." Cethus smiled. "For now, nothing will happen to you, so you can thank the Dragon King''s benevolence for it. As for what His Majesty said, I am to take you to the Outer Reaches, where Humans, and other races, are allowed to live side by side with Dragonkind. They are the people who have been granted special privileges by the Dragon King himself, so make sure to get along with them."


    Cethus then smirked before saying the rest of his speech.


    "After all, lowly birds of the same feather, always flock together."


    The ck-scaled DragonBornughed loudly as he ced his hands over his waist. The guards on the other hand just looked at him with a fed up expression, informing Lux that Cethus wasn''t well liked by everyone.


    "Ugly F*cke�C"


    Eiko wasn''t able to finish her words because Lux immediately covered her lips.


    For some reason, the ck-scaled DragonBorn was annoying the baby slime, which rarely happened because Eiko was someone who liked to get along with others.


    Perhaps, she sensed that Cethus was a bad egg, so she didn''t want to be around him that much.


    Cethus, who was oblivious of the baby slime''s contempt, waved his hand and asked Lux to follow him.


    Since he had no other choice, the Half-Elf decided to just follow for now, and see what kind of ce the Outer Reaches was.


    He just hoped that wherever that ce was, it would still be on the Floating Ind. His Guild Headquarters could only be built in Karshvar Draconis, so anywhere else was bad news for him.


    "Ah, before I forget, can you fly?" Cethus asked as he eyed the Half-Elf with a teasing gaze. "If not then I can have one of the Dragons carry you if you ask nicely."


    Lux smiled before equipping the Favonius Legacy, which allowed him to fly in the sky.


    Cethus was surprised when he saw that the Half-Elf was covered in green armor. However, after sensing that the armor''s rank was only at the Mythical Rank the ck-scaled DragonBorn chuckled internally.


    In his eyes, Mythical Ranked Gear was as good as trash. His armor and weapon, that he had inherited from his Grandmother, were all Legendary Ranked. Because of this, he had long disdained Mythical Equipment, which those who lived onnd treated as their family heirlooms.


    "Follow me," Cethus said as he spread the Dragon Wings behind his back proudly. "Make sure to not get left behind."


    Without another word, Cethus pped his wings and immediately shot into the air like a cannonball.


    He then nced behind him, thinking that the Half-Elf would be unable to match his speed, but to his surprise, Lux was only a few meters away from him, despite the fact that he was flying faster than usual.


    "Not bad, Half-Elf," Cethus said.


    The DragonBorn could still increase his speed, but he decided to not show his full strength to the Half-Elf, whom he decided to turn into ackey.


    For DragonBorns, having subordinates of their own showed that they had the ability to lead people.


    Among the members of the Royal Guard, which Cethus was part of, he was the only one who didn''t have subordinates serving him.


    Since he was notorious in the Dragon Capital, no one wanted to work under him, making him a disgrace among those who served the Dragon King.


    However, Cethus believed that, as long as he could do something good, he would earn the Dragon King''s approval, and the people''s opinion of him would change.


    Because of this, he was quite happy that he was given the opportunity to carry out a mission for his King.


    After seeing Lux, he decided to make the Half-Elf his first underling. He thought that as long as he showed the red-headed teenager how strong, and awesome he was, the Half-Elf woulde to admire him.


    What he didn''t know was that the person he wanted to be an Underling, was someone that didn''t want to be bossed around by other people as well.


    If Cethus was a bonafide troublemaker then Lux was someone who attracted trouble wherever he went. In short, the Half-Elf was a troublemaker in his own way.


    The Dragon King initially thought that making Cethus Lux''s supervisor would make the Half-Elf suffer and force him to leave the Dragon Kingdom on his own ord.


    However, he didn''t know that the Half-Elf was born a different kind of breed.


    This meeting of the two troublemakers, who were currently being treated as an eyesore in their own Domains, would give birth to a series of consequences that even the Dragon King wasn''t able to foresee.


    Although the future was uncertain, Lux was still quite optimistic, even with the challenges ahead.


    After all, no matter where the ck-scaled DragonBorn was going to take him, he had people who believed in him, and people that would help him deal with the problems that Cethus, and the other DragonBorns, would throw in his direction.

 Chapter 420 Mom, Just What Kind Of Madman Is This?!

    Lux thought that the Floating Ind, Karshvar Draconis, was just a single floating ind that was as big as a city.


    However, after he and Cethus used several teleportation gates in order to reach the Outer Reaches, he realized that he was greatly mistaken.


    ? Karshvar Draconis wasn''t just a single ind.


    It was a group of floating Inds, and whenbined together, they were asrge as a Kingdom.


    The Floating Ind, which was located at the center of the formation, was the Main Ind where the Dragon King lived.


    The name of the Capital City of the Dragon King was called Rex Lapis, and it was where the majority of the DragonBorns, Elder Dragons, as well as a few Ancient Dragons lived.


    The floating inds surrounding it were categorized by the type of Dragon that lived in each of them.


    Blue Dragons, Red Dragons, Green Dragons, Earth Dragons, ck Dragons, and the other Dragon Species, which some mortals were unable to see due to how rare they were.


    If one were to describe Karshvar Draconis as a whole, it was like a Kingdom that stood above the world, overseeing the affairs of those who lived onnd.


    Finally, after several hours of travel, Lux and Cethus arrived at the Outer Reaches.


    To the Half-Elf''s surprise, the Outer Reaches was a thriving city filled with people of different races.


    Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, Elves, Beastkins, Demons, as well as other races that Lux hadn''t seen before.


    The Outer Reaches wereposed of three Floating Inds. The middle ind, the biggest of the three, was the center ofmerce. This was where the people of other races actively traded with the DragonBorns, as well as the Dragons.


    Seeing the look of amazement on the Half-Elf''s face, Cethus smirked, thinking that Lux was a country bumpkin who was seeing a thriving city for the first time.


    "This is the Outer Reaches, and the Dragon King said that you will be staying here for the time being," Cethus exined. "If I heard correctly, you are going to build your Guild Headquarters, right? I was given the deed to thend where you will be building your base of operations. Come and follow me."


    Cethus pped his wings as he flew to the third ind, which was the smallest of the three and seemed deserted.


    He exined that the Floating Ind was simply referred to as "The Pit", which confused the Half-Elf.


    Lux thought that he would be able to build his Headquarters in the Main City of the Outer Reaches which was called Pygmalion. However, Cethus was flying in a different direction, which gave him a very bad feeling.


    A few minutester, the ck-scaled Dragon Bornnded on a deste mountainside.


    There was nothing special about it aside from the fact that there was a mile-wide crater in the center of the mountains, as if they had been punched by the wed fist of a gigantic dragon.


    The thing that made Lux frown was the smell that wasing from the crater.


    One nce was enough for him to know that the crater was used as the dump site for the trash, as well as other wastes, of the City of Pygmalion.


    He finally understood why the third ind was simply referred to as The Pit.


    It was literally a pit where garbage was thrown until it piled up like a mountain.


    "Here is the deed granted by the Dragon King," Cethus said as he tossed a scroll towards Lux, which thetter caught with both hands. "From now on, this mountain range belongs to you. You are free to do as you wish with it. However, you are not allowed to build anything outside of it."


    The ck-scaled Dragon Born wasughing inside his heart because Lux''s expression was priceless.


    When he first heard the Dragon King''s orders, he thought that his King was being generous by giving the Half-Elf a piece ofnd where he could build his Guild Headquarters. However, after finding out the exact location of where thatnd was located, Cethus roared inughter because thend that had been awarded to Lux was simr to a cesspool.


    Cethus was even looking forward to seeing what the Half-Elf would do to deal with the garbage that had piled up in the crater, which smelled of rotten eggs and manure.


    The longer Lux looked at the crater, the deeper the frown on his face became. Finally, after ten minutes, he nced at the ck-scaled DragonBorn to confirm whether this was really the ce that was awarded to him by the Dragon King.


    "The Dragon King''s orders are absolute," Cethus replied. "Even I cannot defy them. Since he has given thisnd to you, everything in it belongs to you as well. Well, if you ask me, it is a very fitting arrangement. Isn''t it only natural for garbage to be thrown into the same ce?"


    The ck-scaled DragonBornughed out loud, giving Lux the strong urge to smack him. However, since thetter was stronger than him, he had no choice but to bottle up his anger as he stared at thend that was bestowed upon him by the Dragon King.


    As if to make matters worse, a dozen dragons flew past them, dropping more garbage into the crater before flying back to the City of Pygmalion.


    They even gave a side-long nce at Lux and Cethus, wondering what the two of them were doing at the garbage dump together.


    "Earlier, you said that this Mountain Range now belongs to me, right?" Lux asked.


    Cethus nodded. "Yes. Everything in it belongs to you as well."


    "That trash also belongs to me, right?" Lux pointed at the crater that almost made him want to puke.


    Cethus smirked. "Yes."


    "Okay." Lux nodded before flying towards the City of Pygmalion.


    Cethus thought that Lux had been heartbroken due to the circumstances he found himself in. As the Half-Elf''s supervisor, it was his task to give the Dragon King a regr report on what the Half-Elf was doing, so he wondered if Lux was nning to give up and leave the Outer Reaches and go back to the Lower Realm.


    (A/N: starting today, I will refer to thends below the sky as the Lower Realm for now. This is also the term used by the DragonBorn to refer to thend under their Domain.)


    It didn''t take long before the Half-Elfnded on the City Wall of the City of Pygmalion.


    The first thing he did was summon his Doppelgangers and pressed his hands together. He also asked Eiko to help her, and the baby slime also summoned her two Doppelgangers and coordinated with her Papa.


    "Skeleton Make��," Lux said. "Megaphone!"


    Cethus'' eyes widened when he saw the weird looking thing that appeared in front of him. He had never seen a Megaphone before and wondered what it was for.


    However, his question was answered right away as soon as Lux shouted on it, magnifying his voice hundreds of times.


    "I came here to announce a Decree from the Dragon King!" Lux shouted.


    His voice spread across the entire city, making its citizens pause whatever they were doing. A Decree from the Dragon King was the ultimate Law in Karshvar Draconis, and no one in their right mind would dare to defy it.


    "My name is Lux and, starting today, The Pit belongs to me!" Lux announced. "Anyone who throws their garbage in here will be fined one hundred thousand gold coins. It doesn''t matter if it''s just fish bones, egg shells, or anything else. The moment you throw something, you will be breaking the decree of the Dragon King. Not only will you be paying a fine, you will also be subjected to Capital Punishment!"


    The citizens who heard it were shocked silly because this was the first time they were hearing such a decree.


    Even Cethus, who was standing beside Lux, was looking at the Half-Elf while the corner of his lips twitched like crazy.


    He didn''t expect that the Half-Elf would make such a deration, and even used the name of the Dragon King to send an ultimatum to the City of Pygmalion.


    ''Mom, just what kind of madman is this?!'' Cethus thought as he stared at the Mad who was threatening the entire City of Pygmalion using the Dragon King''s order as a base.


    However, although the Half-Elf sounded silly, his words were facts and were irrefutable.


    The Dragon King had decreed that from this day onwards, The Pit belonged to the Half-Elf, and he was free to do whatever he wanted with it.


    After speaking a bunch of threats and bullsh*t, the Half-Elf packed up and left the City of Pygmalion to return to the mountainside that was now under his name.


    After hearing Lux''s deration, the Mayor of Pygmalion hastily went to the Capital City in order to ask the Dragon King for an audience in order to confirm if he really sent out a decree that would punish anyone that threw their garbage in the mountainous region that now belonged to Lux.


    ��---


    Dragon King Royal Pce��


    "Your Majesty, is it true?" a red-scaled DragonBorn asked while kneeling before the throne of the Dragon King. "Did you really send out such a decree?"


    The corner of the Dragon King''s lips twitched after hearing the Mayor''s report. At first, he wanted to refute it, but after remembering the exact words that he had given Cethus, he finally understood that the Half-Elf had twisted his deration in a way that would benefit him.


    ''How bold of you, Half-Elf,'' the Dragon King thought as he contemted what to do with the current situation. ''But, since you dared to use my name in this manner, I need to make you understand how silly you are into thinking that you can get away with this farce.''


    The Dragon King smiled evilly as a n appeared inside his head. Since Lux dared to use his name lightly, he would make sure that the Half-Elf would pay dearly for his wrongdoing.

 Chapter 421 You Think You Have The Authority To Order Me Around?

    The next day��


    "... What the F*ck?" Lux muttered as he looked at the base of the mountain that was now littered with trash.


    After confirming with the Dragon King that only the Mountain Range belonged to the Half-Elf, not the entire floating ind, the residents of the City of Pygmalion started dumping their trash at the base of the mountain, as if to mock Lux for trying to fool them.


    Not only did he have to deal with the mountains of garbage inside the crater, now, he also had to deal with the waste that encircled his entire territory.


    "You had thising," Cethusmented from the side. "Now, you have made the entire City of Pygmalion your enemy."


    The ck-scaled Dragon Born witnessed how the Mayor of Pygmalion came to look for Lux and handed him a scroll, informing him that he was now banned from entering the City of Pygmalion.


    If the Half-Elf were to even step foot anywhere inside the city, he would be captured by the guards and locked up in jail for Capital Offense.


    The Half-Elf looked at the Dragons who were happily throwing garbage at the base of the mountain while sneering at him. Clearly, they were mocking him for his futile attempt to make them stop their dumping activities on the floating ind they had treated as, The Pit.


    ''I wanted to resolve this peacefully, but since you guys want to y dirty, there''s no need for me to hold back,'' Lux thought as he discussed with his guildmates the problem they were facing.


    ��-----


    Heaven''s Gate Guild Chat��


    "Um? Are you sure that thend given to us by the Dragon King is a garbage dump?" Cai asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "It''s so smelly that it is enough to wake up the dead. Do you guys have any solution to this problem?"


    Cedwyn, who was the Vige Head of Leaf Vige voiced his opinion.


    "It seems that we are facing a big problem right from the beginning of being able to found our Guild," Cedwynmented. "However, I believe that there is a way to resolve this. Are you sure that there is no room for negotiation?"


    "I don''t think this is negotiable," Lux replied. "They have long regarded this ind as their garbage dump. Also, the Mayor banned me from stepping foot on the City of Pygmalion. Even if I asked to talk with him, I believe that they will just ignore me."


    "Why should we negotiate?" Cai interjected. "Since they want to throw filth at us, we should throw filth at them as well!"


    "That''s right!" Thoram, who was the Dwarf Commander of Norria, agreed with Cai''s bold words. "How about you burn it? Trash and Manure burn easily. It will be even better if the wind takes the smoke to that damnable city, so that they will breathe in sh*t!"


    "Yes! Burn them!"


    "Make them breathe sh*t!"


    "Show them who''s boss!"


    "For the Horde!"


    After getting a unanimous decision from his Guild Members to counterattack, Lux decided to proceed with the operation they had named, Operation Deep Sh*t!


    Lux hovered above the massive crater with his arms crossed over his chest.


    He had been waiting for hours for the wind to blow in his favor. Finally, just before sunset, the wind picked up and blew towards the direction of the City of Pygmalion.


    Cethus, who was wondering what Lux was up to, simply watched from a safe distance, far away from the stench that filled the mountainside.


    Suddenly, the Half-Elf as well as the baby slime on his forehead opened their mouths and fired two Dragon Breaths at the center of the crater, igniting a ze that caused an eruption simr to a volcano.


    The floating ind shook as the waste materials inside the craterbusted, raising mes and ck smoke that extended for hundreds of meters upwards.


    Those who were in the city also heard the loud explosion and felt curious about what was happening to the Pit, which was now emitting a dense ck smoke that was now headed in their direction.


    Due to the strong winds, the ck smoke traveled quickly, allowing the smoke to travel faster than usual.


    Several minutester, the smell of something foul and rancid washed over the city, making everyone''s eyes water and their throats burn.


    The Mayor immediately ordered those who specialized in Wind Magic to deflect the smoke that was being blown in the direction of their city before summoning the City Guards to follow him to the floating ind where the dense smoke wasing from.


    "What in the zes is happening?!" the Mayor shouted as he looked at the burning crater, which was spreading the filthy smoke in their direction.


    "Those who know water spells, extinguish those mes right now!" the Mayor ordered.


    However, before his orders were carried out, Lux appeared in front of them and blocked their path.


    "This mountain range belongs to me," Lux said with his arms crossed over his chest. "All of you are trespassing my private property."


    "You bastard! It was you who caused this, right?!" the Mayor shouted as he pointed his wed fingers at the Half-Elf who was covered in green armor.


    "Cause of what?" Lux replied. "Are you talking about this sweet fragrance that I am sharing with you guys? Don''t worry. I''m not going to charge you anything, you can all smell it for free."


    The Mayor wanted to p the Half-Elf silly for even saying something so ridiculous. Who in their right mind would want to smell burning trash and manure, even if it was for free?


    "Look, you are causing problems to other people," the Mayor said icily. "If you don''t get out of the way, I will order my guards to capture you and lock you in prison for life!"


    "Well, you can do that, but I will send a petition to the Dragon King, saying that you trespassed on my territory," Lux replied with a sneer as he showed the deed with the insignia of the Dragon King. "Are you going to vite the Dragon King''s orders? If you want me to step aside, then I will.


    "However, I will immediately report this to the Dragon King and tell him that you infringed upon my rights. I will also ask forpensation because you are interfering with the renovation that I am working on right now."


    Lux even stepped aside and made a gesture for the Mayor and his Guards to extinguish the mes he started.


    In his previous life, he watched a documentary about a mountain of manure that had once caught fire and how it burned for weeks. Even the firefighters hadn''t able to fully extinguish the mes due to how powerful the ze was.


    Of course, the people of this world were powerful so they could easily summon powerful Water Spells in order to douse the mes inside the crater. However, what Lux needed was only an excuse to file aint to the Dragon King.


    This was also his way of telling the King of Dragons that if he wanted to y dirty, he could y dirty as well.


    The Mayor almost gagged after hearing Lux''s threat. He was really tempted to order his Guards to capture the Half-Elf and lock him up in prison. However, if he did that, he would have to face the Dragon King ande up with a good excuse for his action.


    Although he was confident that the Dragon King would side with him due to the current situation, there was still a chance that he would be punished for interfering with the new owner of the mountainous region that they had been treating as their garbage dump for years.


    "What do you want?" the Mayor asked.


    "A truce," Lux replied. "From now on, you are not allowed to dump garbage anywhere on this floating ind. Although I only own the mountainous area, I dislike smelling garbage that has been ced right in front of my doorstep."


    The Mayor red at the red-headed teenager while making cracking sounds with his wed hands. "You really think you have the authority to order me around, Half-Elf?"


    "Well, you really think you have the authority to order me around?" Lux replied. "You might be the Mayor of Pygmalion, But I am the owner of the Pit. This is my homecourt, and you are the one trespassing on it."


    The Guards who were escorting the Mayor found this whole conversation silly. If they had their way, they would have instantly knocked the Half-Elf unconscious, bound him in chains, and taken to their prison without even bothering to talk to him.


    However, Cethus, who was Lux''s supervisor, stood not far away from the Half-Elf with his arms crossed over his chest.


    The Half-Elf was his responsibility, and if anything happened to him, the Dragon King might punish him for not doing his job properly.


    The Mayor and the Guards might be able to deal with the Half-Elf, but they couldn''t possibly attack Cethus, who was notorious in their Domain for being spoiled by his Grandmother, who was one of the Dragon King''s most steadfast supporters.


    Right now, they were in a pinch, not knowing how to proceed.


    The standoffsted for several minutes as both sides red at each other.


    Cethus, who originally didn''t know what the Half-Elf was thinking, gloated in his heart. Although he disliked the Half-Elf, he also disliked the Mayor of Pygmalion because there was a time when thetter chastised him for not living up to the name of his family, shaming their family''s history.


    ''Damn, I don''t really know how this is going to turn out, but this Half-Elf sure has guts,'' Cethus thought as he looked at Lux who stood alone, facing hundreds of DragonBorns that belonged to Pygmalion''s City Guards.


    Soon, more DragonBorns and Dragons showed up on the third ind because the Wind Mages were about to reach their limit.


    They wanted to know what the Mayor was doing because the smoke wasn''t receding in the slightest. In fact, it was bing denser, turning the Wind Mages'' efforts to keep the smoke from entering the city a city-wide concern.


    "Guards! Capture this bastard!" the Mayor shouted. "Don''t worry. I''ll take all the responsibility. Extinguish those mes now!"


    The weakest among the Guards of Pygmalion were Initiates, but there were dozens of Rankers mixed in with them. Knowing that he was at a disadvantage, Lux didn''t have any intention to resist.


    However, something unexpected happened.


    The Dragon Token suddenly shot out of Lux''s Storage Ring and emitted a beam of light towards the heavens.


    The sun had just set, so the brilliant radiance could be seen even from miles away.


    A momentter, a loud dragon roar, filled with rage, reverberated in the sky.


    Keoza''s visage that was nearly a hundred meters tall appeared behind Lux, eyeing the Dragon Borns with great hostility.


    He had seen how the Dragon King treated the person he chose, and he was very dissatisfied with the arrangement the King made for Lux.


    However, he didn''t say anything and let the Half-Elf to think of a way to manage the situation himself. Keoza thought that Lux had resolved to let himself be bullied, but he was wrong.


    After seeing the Half-Elf''s defiance against those who wished to trample on his right, the Crystal Dragon decided that enough was enough and made his appearance.


    Although he couldn''t materialize his entire body and could only appear as an apparition, he still decided to make an appearance. He felt that it was not only Lux''s right that was being trampled, but also his own dignity as an Elder Dragon.


    ��----


    Capital City of Rex Lapis��


    The Dragon King heard a Dragon Roar in the distance and shifted his gaze towards the East.


    The nostalgic roar filled with defiance resonated inside his head as his gaze moved through his castle walls until he saw the stand off in the Outer Reaches.


    As the Dragon King, he could see everything inside his Domain if he wanted to.


    The moment Keoza''s visage appeared in the sky, the King of all Dragons narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the Crystal Dragon who had gotten into a huge argument with him hundreds of years ago.


    ''Now you show yourself,'' the Dragon King snorted before standing on his throne. ''Keoza, you don''t have the courage to show your face to me, but you appear so easily when that mortal is being threatened. Looks like you really don''t have the guts to face me.''


    A momentter, the Dragon King disappeared from his throne.


    Since the Dragon that he had been waiting for had finally made his appearance, he decided toe and see him, so that the two of them could have a proper talk.


    Although hundreds of years had passed, the Dragon King still wanted to see and talk to the Crystal Dragon, who had given up the right for session for the throne of the Dragon King.

 Chapter 422 Do You Dare?

    Keoza''s visage stood behind Lux with his wings spread wide.


    His angry features looked down on the Dragon Borns, who were about to capture the Half-Elf, intimidating them into stopping their actions.


    "A Crystal Dragon?" the Mayor frowned as he looked up at the giant apparition. "Wait, you look a little familiar."


    As the Mayor was trying to recall where he had seen Keoza''s form before, a gust of wind suddenly blew from behind him.


    "It''s been hundreds of years, Keoza. Have you been well?"


    A humanoid golden dragon with golden eyes gazed at the Crystal Dragon with a smile.


    "Y-Your Majesty!" The Mayor, as well as the other Dragon Borns, all knelt down as they paid tribute to their High King.


    Keoza ignored the Dragon King and simply red at the Mayor of the City of Pygmalion, making thetter flinch due to the concentrated anger and hostility that the Crystal Dragon directed at him.


    Seeing that the Crystal Dragon was ignoring him, the Dragon King nced at the zing crater in the distance, as well as the ck smoke rising up in the air, before frowning.


    "Cethus, what happened here?" the Dragon King asked.


    Cethus respectfully pressed his hands together as he narrated exactly how the events transpired. As a member of the Royal Guards, he had sworn an oath not to lie to the Dragon King, so he reported everything, without missing a single detail.


    The Dragon King listened to Cethus'' full report before shifting his gaze to the red-headed teenager who had caused the incident. He never thought that the one that Keoza chose would be so bold as to openly cause hardship for the city that turned his territory a garbage dump.


    The Mayor listened to Cethus'' report and frowned. However, he wasn''t too worried. It was the Dragon King that had told him that it was fine to throw garbage on the third floating ind, as long as it wasn''t on the mountainous region that belonged to Lux.


    Since that was the case, the Mayor ordered that all the wastes of their city be dumped at the foot of the mountain, surrounding the Half-Elf''s domain with filth.


    However, he didn''t expect Lux to retaliate in a manner that would cause a city-wide pollution outbreak and make his citizens suffer.


    "This is our first meeting," the Dragon King said to the red-headed teenager who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest. "So, why aren''t you kneeling?"


    As if making his point, he released a pressure that forced the Half-Elf to kneel, making Lux''s head touch the floor.


    "You''re still the same. Whenever you don''t get your way, you don''t hesitate to use force to make others submit. How childish."


    Keoza snorted as he gazed at the Dragon King, whose lips rose slightly after hearing the Crystal Dragon''s words.


    "Feel like talking to me now?" the Dragon King asked.


    "Your attempt is quiteughable," Keoza replied. "Wouldn''t it stain your reputation if rumors start to spread that the King of All Dragons visited a garbage dump to take a piss?"


    The Mayor and the Dragon Born were surprised because the Crystal Dragon seemed to not have a single shred of respect for the Dragon King. However, what surprised them more was that the Dragon King didn''t seem to be offended by how the Crystal Dragon treated him.


    In fact, from their perspective, the Dragon King even seemed amused that the Crystal Dragon was mocking him.


    "It pains me to look at you, dear Brother," the Dragon King stated. "The undisputed genius of Dragonkind, reduced to a spirit without a real body. It seems that Fate wasn''t kind to you."


    "It also pains me to look at you." Keoza sneered. "The reigning Dragon King and still needed to y these childish games to get my attention. What''s wrong? Your wife doesn''t pay attention to you and makes you sleep on the floor? Wait, don''t tell me�� you can''t get it up anymore? How pitiful. This is what you get for being vain."


    The Dragon Borns at the scene almost choked after hearing the Crystal Dragon''s reply. No one in Karshvar Draconis would dare ridicule the Dragon King because this would result in capital punishment.


    Although the Dragon King was very strict and ruled with an iron fist, he also made their kingdom prosper, preventing anyone from breaking the order of the Dragonkind.


    "You still speak brazenly without considering the consequences," the Dragon King''s tone was still calm, but his gaze became sharp like a sword about to decapitate his foe. "Did it ever cross your mind that I might punish this Half-Elf in your stead? It has been a while since we had a public execution. Maybe you want tomemorate this day with his head getting chopped off?"


    Keoza chuckled before giving the Dragon King a look of ridicule.


    "A public execution?" Keoza smirked. "Do you dare?"


    The question "Do you dare?" reverberated in the surroundings, making all the Dragon Borns feel a chill run down their spine. They knew that their King didn''t like to be challenged in an arrogant manner, and those who had dared to do so in the past found themselves dying before they even knew what hit them.


    ''This Half-Elf is dead.''


    That was the general consensus of the Dragon Borns and the Dragons who were at the scene.


    The Dragon King and Keoza stared at each other with contemptuous gazes thatsted for several minutes. Everyone remained silent. They didn''t know the consequences of making a sound, disturbing them and suddenly creating a spark that would light a bomb.


    Finally, after several minutes, it was the Dragon King who broke the silence first.


    "Can we not really talk in a civilized manner like we did hundreds of years ago?" the Dragon King asked. "If you wish, I can help you gain a new body that will restore your former glory."


    "We have nothing more to talk about," Keoza replied. "As for a new body? I don''t need your charity. Also, onest thing��"


    The Crystal Dragon gave the Mayor a side-long nce before shifting his gaze back to the Dragon King who was waiting for him to continue his words. He could tell that the golden dragon who ruled the Dragon Kingdom didn''t think much of Lux, but he didn''t care.


    In time, he will understand. But, that time was not now.


    "If you think you can bully this child, then I hate to disappoint you, but he''s not the type that takes things lying down," Keoza stated. "He''s the same as me. I won''t take things lying down. If you don''t want your precious city to fall from the sky, make sure to handle this properly."


    The Crystal Dragon''s body turned into particles of light before returning to the Dragon Token that was now lying on the ground beside Lux.


    The Half-Elf was still subjected to a powerful pressure, so he remained in a kneeling position, with his head touching the ground.


    The Dragon King remained silent and stared at the Half-Elf, as if trying to understand what Keoza saw in him, making the Crystal Dragon defend him so much.


    "Y-Your Majesty," the Mayor said a minute after the Crystal Dragon disappeared. "In what manner should we handle this situation?"


    The Dragon King nced at the zing crater that was still spewing mes high up in the air, as well as the dense ck smoke that was rising towards the sky.


    "Handle this matter peacefully," the Dragon King replied. "I believe that you have what it takes to resolve this simple issue, yes?"


    "O-Of course, Your Majesty."


    "Good."


    The Dragon King then shifted his gaze to Cethus, making thetter very nervous.


    "After this incident is resolved, return to the capital to give me a full report," the Dragon King ordered. "You are to continue to supervise him, and make sure that this incident does not happen again, understood?"


    Cethus patted his chest resolutely before giving his answer.


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Cethus vowed. "I will not let you down!"


    The Dragon King nodded and gave Lux onest nce before disappearing from where he stood. Since Keoza refused to have a proper discussion, he would wait until the Crystal Dragon''s rage was pacified.


    For now, he decided to pay a little more attention to the Half-Elf that the Crystal Dragon was nurturing. He wanted to know what Lux was truly capable of.


    As soon as the Dragon King disappeared, the pressure that pressed on Lux''s body also vanished without a trace.


    "Are you okay, Eiko?" Lux asked the baby Slime, who had hidden herself inside Lux''s robes the moment the Dragon King appeared.


    "Pa!" Eiko replied as she crawled out of Lux''s robe and returned to her rightful position, which was on top of the red-headed teenager''s head.


    The Half-Elf then casually dusted off his forehead and pants to remove the dirt that stuck to them after he had been forced to kneel.


    A momentter, a sigh reached Lux''s ears as the Mayor of the City of Pygmalion approached him with a serious expression on his face.


    "We need to talk," the Mayor said.


    Since the Dragon King ordered him to resolve this matter peacefully, he had no choice but to converse with the Half-Elf, whose true origins were not known.


    If possible, he wanted to restart their rtionship from scratch.


    After seeing the Crystal Dragon up close, the Mayor finally remembered who he was.


    The Crystal Dragon, Keoza.


    The one who should have been crowned Dragon King but vanished before the coronation, leaving the throne to his older brother, who now sat on the golden throne and ruled the entirety of Karshvar Draconis.

 Chapter 423 You Must Be Kidding Me…

    Four days after the incident��


    The mes that raged non-stop and devoured all the filth inside the crater finally came to a stop.


    Lux and the Mayor had a talk and, upon the Half-Elf''s request, the mes were not extinguished so that all the wastes inside the crater that had piled up for hundreds of years, would be burnedpletely, leaving nothing behind but ash.


    Those who specialized in Wind and Earth magic worked together in order to create a wall, preventing the smoke from reaching the City of Pygmalion.


    Fortunately, the direction of the wind changed after several hours, easing the hardship of the citizens of the city.


    After realizing that their new neighbor was bat-sh*t-crazy, they decided to not antagonize him anymore and settled with creating a big crater in the wastnd of the lower realm, to dump their trash into.


    The filth that had been dumped at the base of the mountain was also cleared out, making the Half-Elf sigh in relief. When everything was over, he then shared this news with his Guild Members, who celebrated after hearing that the issue was finally resolved.


    "Hahaha!" Caiughed. "I knew it! It was right to let them eat sh*t!"


    "Lux, we might have won today, but make sure not to do anything reckless in the future," Cedwyn said. "Use negotiations first, but if negotiations fail, only then can we start blowing things up. It wouldn''t be toote to do it then."


    "It''s good to know that we can finally have our headquarters built without worrying about filth and our neighbors," Thoram replied. "I''m itching to visit the Outer Reaches and see how they manage the order of their city."


    "I''m also very curious as well," Kenmented. "Do they also have an Adventurer''s Guild? I''m dying to form connections with its Guildmaster!"


    All in all, the replies of his Guild Members were positive. Lux was also very eager to start building his Guild Headquarters. However, even though the fire had been extinguished, the crater was still spewing out white smoke, so it was impossible to start the construction right away.


    The Half-Elf would have to wait another day or two before he could look for a good location for his Guild Headquarters to be built.


    Cethus, who was Lux''s supervisor, temporarily left the Half-Elf to report to the Dragon King in the Capital City of Rex Lapis. Since Lux wasn''t doing anything at the moment, the ck-scaled Dragon Born decided to visit home. He proceeded to tell his grandmother about the crazy guy that he was in charge of supervising after his meeting with the Dragon King was over.


    Eiko, who was humming on top of Lux''s head and swaying side to side while the Half-Elf cooked their lunch, suddenly paused and gazed at the crater that was still spewing white smoke.


    The baby slime blinked a couple of times before jumping up and down on Lux''s head in excitement.


    "Pa!"


    "Don''t worry. Lunch will be cooked soon."


    "Pa!"


    "The Mountain? What''s wrong with the mountain?"


    "Pa!"


    The Half-Elf was confused because Eiko kept on telling him to go inside the giant crater to take a look.


    "What is inside the mountain?" Lux asked as he picked up the baby slime, who was jumping up and down his head, to have a better understanding of what she was trying to say.


    "Pa�� Pa.. Pa��"


    Eiko then told Lux that she could sense some treasures inside the crater, making the Half-Elf''s eyes widen in shock.


    The baby slime had the Treasure Hunter Title, which allowed Eiko to sense if there were any treasures near her location.


    It didn''t have a definitive range, so Lux didn''t know how far this treasure detecting ability reached.


    Perhaps, due to the filth that had been piled up like a mountain, the baby Slime hadn''t been able to detect anything at first. However, now that the trash was reduced to ashes, the baby Slime was now able to pick up the faint traces of treasures that had been buried under garbage for hundreds of years.


    Since Eiko was adamant that they go to the crater, Lux decided to put their lunch on hold and do as she said.


    Wearing the Favonius Legacy, the Half-Elf flew towards the crater and used the power of wind to create a dome of air around him, shielding him from the smoke that would make his eyes water and throat itch.


    Since there was nearly zero visibility, Lux''s descent was very slow. The heat didn''t affect him much because he was immune to mes, just like Red Dragons.


    Eiko, on the other hand, was surprisingly resistant to heat as well, as she sat on top of Lux''s head with a determined look on her face.


    Finally, after several minutes, Lux''s feet finallynded on the bottom of the crater. He looked around, but the white smoke was quite dense, preventing him from seeing past a meter in front of him.


    Only the dome of air that surrounded his body kept the white smoke at bay, allowing the Half-Elf to breathe easily.


    "Where do you sense it, Eiko?" Lux asked.


    "Pa!" Eiko summoned a small ball of fire that hovered in front of Lux. A momentter, the small me started to fly away slowly as if telling the Half-Elf to follow it.


    Understanding what Eiko was trying to tell him, Lux followed the small me and waded into the smoke-infested crater.


    Ten minutester, the mended on the ground in front of the Half-Elf.


    Using the power of wind, Lux sted the dense smoke away to better see what was on the ground.


    There, he found a small purple gemstone the size of a fist that glowed faintly.


    Out of curiosity, the Half-Elf picked it up and used his appraisal skill to identify it. However, after seeing the information that appeared in front of him, the red-headed teenager almost dropped the purple gemstone in his hand, which was actually not a gemstone, but a kind of extremely rare metal that would make the cksmith''s, Randolph''s, eyes turn bloodshot if he saw it.


    ��---------


    < Draconium Ore >


    Type: Metal


    Metal Rank: S


    �C This purplish ore that resembles a gemstone is very sturdy and is said to be as hard as dragon scales, making it impossible to melt unless a special kind of me is used.


    �C If a small portion of this ore is used as a crafting ingredient, the minimum rating of a sessful finished product is of the Mythical Rank.


    �C ording to researchers, this type of metal can only be found in ces where Dragons live. No one knows how this metal came to be.


    ��---------


    The cold hiss escaped Lux''s lips as he nced at the information in front of him. However, before he could regain hisposure, the baby slime on top of his head drew in a breath of air then blew it outwards, creating a gust of wind, making the white smoke in front of them disperse for several meters.


    "You must be kidding me��," Lux muttered in disbelief as he looked at the ground in front of him.


    Dozens of purple ores, simr to what he was holding, glowed faintly on the ground.


    The extremely rare metal, which was said to be as hard as dragon scales and could create Mythical Ranked equipment at the bare minimum, were scattered in front of him.


    Lux had a feeling that what he was seeing now was only a pitiful amountpared to what was still hidden behind the white smoke that covered his vision.


    ''Good thing, Cai isn''t here,'' Lux thought as he looked at the glowing ore in his hand.


    He was sure that if the shameless boar was with him, thetter would no doubt go crazy and fight with him to collect the ores, which he was seeing for the first time in his life.

 Chapter 424 Cadmus’ Proposal

    "What did you say?! Did you say Draconium?!"


    Randolph, who saw Lux''s report in the Guild Chat, immediately went bonkers after hearing that the Half-Elf had found a dozen of the extremely rare ore that was said to be as hard as Dragon scales.


    Not even self-respecting cksmiths would be able to remain calm after knowing that there was a chance for them to get their hands on the fabled ore that could only be found in ces where Dragons made their nests.


    "Yes, Master," Lux replied. "I see dozens of them. But, I am certain that there are probably hundreds, even thousands of them lying in this crater. The smoke is just simply too thick, so the visibility is very poor. I just reported it here to let you know that I''ll get as many as I can and give some of them to you once the Guild Headquarters is finished."


    Randolph couldn''t sit still after hearing Lux''s reply. If not for the fact that he couldn''t teleport to where the Half-Elf was currently at, he might have already left everything behind in order to help him collect the precious ores, which was something every cksmith would fight for.


    Cai, who liked every kind of treasure, was also unable to keep still.


    Its grandfather, Maximilian, was a cksmith and a Jewelsmith. He was very fond of rare ores, and he would often go to auction houses to bid for these rare metals. Cai knew that if its grandfather heard that its Guildmaster was in possession of hundreds, perhaps thousands of rare ores, the Saint would definitely go to where Lux was currently at without a second thought.


    "My Daddy! Remember to give me some of them as well!" Cai pleaded. "I will give them to my grandpa, and I''m sure that he will be very happy to receive them. No need to give me a hundred ores, a thousand will do."


    Lux, who just read Cai''s shameless message, chose to ignore itpletely. At first, he thought that the Boar wanted to only ask for a few dozens because it didn''t want hundreds of them. However, after seeing that it wanted thousands of the rare metal, the Half-Elf decided to pretend that he didn''t see its message.


    "Draconium�� I smell good business, Lux," Kenmented. "You mentioned that you are low on funds, but do you know how much a pound of Draconium costs on the ckmarket?"


    "No. How much does it cost, Master Ken?"


    "A million gold coins at the minimum, and three at the maximum. If you sell it in an auction house, the price might go even higher."


    "What?!" Cai cried out loud after seeing the message on its status page, which made the member of the Rowan Tribe look at it in confusion.


    The Boar was currently back in its Tribe, along with Keane, because it was feeling a bit homesick.


    Also, it wanted to know if its grandpa had finished preparing the medicine for those that were suffering from the Purple gue, but unfortunately, its grandpa was still in his special domain and hadn''te out since it received the Sacred White Lotus from Cai.


    "Hehehe�� don''t mind me," Cai said as it gazed at the people around it. "I just dozed off and daydreamed a bit."


    The people around it nodded their heads in understanding and continued to barbecue pork chops for it. They knew that Cai loved pork chops, and the members of the Rowan Tribe were more than happy to satisfy the Boar''s every wish.


    Keane, who was seated at the side, remained silent as he read the heated exchange that was happening inside the Guild Chat.


    As someone who was raised in the mountains, he had no idea how significant or precious the Draconium Ore was. Only after seeing Ken''s message, which said that the price it could fetch was millions of gold coins, did the skinny swordsman finally understand what kind of good fortune Lux had stumbled upon.


    Suddenly, someone whom Lux didn''t expect to join the conversation joined, making the other members look at his message in surprise.


    "Draconium Ore? If you need help mining them, the Kobolds will be more than happy to help you mine for them," Cadmus said.


    The Draconian Kobold was currently with Sid in the Savage Lands and doing some exploration. However, after finding out that Lux had found some Draconian Ore, his racial memory kicked in, allowing him to better understand the situation.


    "If I remember correctly, Draconium can be used to create extremely sturdy armor and powerful weapons," Cadmusmented. "The records of our race said that those who were proficient in crafting them would be able to make Mythical and even Legendary Weapons as long as their proficiency reached a certain threshold."


    Cai, who was reading the message, ignored the Mythical part and just focused on the word Legendary. If earlier it only felt as though it was unable to sit down properly, now, it was pacing back and forth, unable to keep itself calm.


    "My Daddy! Is there really no other way for us to be there? I will definitely get everythin��I mean, I will help you pick up everything and divide it evenly amongst our Members. Um, don''t you have the skill, Guild Summon or something to summon all of your Guild Members beside you? How about you summon us right now? We will definitely help you gather those treasures!"


    "Cai, I can see your greed all the way from here," Lux replied to the shameless Boar who was currently itching to get its hooves on the precious Draconium Ore.


    Even so, Lux felt that the Boar''s proposal wasn''t a bad idea. If he had more hands to help him, gathering all the precious ore wouldn''t take too much time.


    Just like Cai had said, Lux had a special privilege as the Guild Master of the only Mythical Guild in the world to summon all of his Guild Members to his side.


    This ability could be used in various ways, allowing Lux to instantly call forth powerful fighters when the right condition was met.


    Because of this, Lux nced at his Skill Book to look at the Guild Summon skill that was avable to him.


    ��-----------


    < Heaven''s Call >


    �C This skill can be used once a day to summon all of your Guild Members to instantly be right beside you.


    < Requirements for using Heaven''s Call >


    �C The Guild Master must be standing inside a vige, town or city.


    �C The Guild Master must be standing inside his own Guild Headquarters.


    �C Members have the right to ept, or reject the summoning of their Guild Master.


    �C Those who reject the summons will remain where they are.


    ��-----------


    After reading the information, Lux pondered for a bit if it was really a good idea to summon his Guild Members in the City of Pygmalion so that they could help him harvest the Draconium Ore while Cethus wasn''t around to supervise him.


    "Cadmus, I think your proposal is good. How long will it take you to recruit the Kobolds that are proficient in mining?" Lux asked.


    "At least half a day," Cadmus replied. "Sid and I are currently in the Savage Lands, but if we use the teleportation scroll we have in our possession, we can immediately arrive at the Stronghold of Norria. From there, it will take me a few hours to reach our nest. However, once I have invited them to our guild, there will no longer be a problem in their transportation because you can summon them instantly."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. Right now, the Kobolds and him shared a very beneficial rtionship, and he had no problem recruiting them to his Guild.


    Unlike people, Kobolds usually stayed inside their nest and expanded it by digging in the ground. Since they didn''t have much interaction with other races, Lux''s secret would be kept without any problems.


    Also, aftering to know about the benefits of his guild, most of the Kobolds, who wanted to be strong, had already told Cadmus their intention of joining Lux''s guild.


    Currently, there were over fifty Kobolds who had joined Heaven''s Gate and were helping Cadmus explore the Savage Lands alongside Sid.


    These Kobolds were Rank 3 and Rank 4 Monsters, and they were getting stronger by the day thanks to the special buffs that increased their Health, Mana, and Stamina regeneration, as well as the boost in experience points, allowing them to gain stat points faster.


    "Very well," Lux stated. "Inform me as soon as you have gathered all of your brethren. For the time being, I will collect as much as I can before others discover this great boon that fell on our heads."


    Cadmus agreed and told Lux that he would message him as soon as he returned to his nest to recruit the other Kobolds.


    "Well then, Eiko. Let''s get to work," Lux said.


    "Pa!"


    The Baby Slime jumped towards the ground and immediately crawled away, devouring all the Draconium Ore she came across.


    The white smoke didn''t affect her much, and she didn''t have any problems breathing. Also, her Treasure Hunter ability allowed her to pinpoint the exact locations of the ore, so despite the thick white smoke, she was able to collect the Draconium Ore without too much hardship.


    Lux, on the other hand, summoned his Skeleton Army to help him collect the ores lying on the ground. Since they didn''t need to breathe and could faintly grasp the location of things imbued with heat and magic, the Undead had no problem wading around in the thick smoke as they picked up the ore along the way.


    The Half-Elf didn''t stand idle either and assisted them in collecting as much ore as possible.


    This work continued for two hours, until Lux and Eiko left the crater to have lunch.


    Both of them were quite hungry, so they left the Undead to handle the collection of the Draconium Ore while they ate and waited for the Kobolds to join their ranks.

 Chapter 425 Dragon Borns And Kobolds [Part 1]

    The sun was just about to set when Lux received Cadmus'' message, informing him that all of the Kobolds who were willing to join his Guild had been sessfully recruited.


    Since time was of the essence, the Half-Elf immediately flew toward the City of Pygmalion in order to summon them using his Guild Skill, Heaven''s Call.


    After the incident, the Mayor and Lux hade to a truce. Both sides would no longer do anything to harm each other''s interest and would cooperate with each other during times of need.


    Because Lux had the backing of Keoza, the Mayor of Pygmalion thought that it would be in his benefit to give the Half-Elf an opportunity to grow and develop his Guild. After all, whether he liked it or not, the two of them were neighbors now.


    Since that was the case, it would be in their best interest to form a friendly partnership as no one knew what the future held.


    Of course, the Mayor''s opinion was not shared by the majority of the Dragon Borns, as well as citizens of Pygmalion. For them, Lux was an eyesore and should be banned from entering their city.


    But, since the Mayor had already said that the Dragon King wanted this matter to be settled peacefully, no one dared to voice their opposition out loud.


    Lux went straight to the Mayor''s house to inform him that he would be summoning his Guild Members inside the city and asked for his permission.


    The Mayor, whose name was Jorinn, agreed to Lux''s request and gave him permission to summon his Guild members in the za, where the teleportation gate that allowed the citizens of Pygmalion to return and arrive from the Lower Realm was located.


    Since the city was a hub for people of different races to mingle with each other, a teleportation gate was created to allow those that had been given permission by the Dragon King to travel from the Lower Realm to the Outer Reaches of Karshvar Draconis.


    The other races were also not allowed to leave the Outer Reaches unless they were summoned by the Dragon King or given official permission to travel to the other parts of Karshvar Draconis.


    Although Lux''s Guild Members hadn''t receive the permission of the Dragon King to enter the Outer Reaches, Jorinn decided to give them temporary gate passes to enter and leave his city, but warned Lux that he should tell his Guild Members that they were forbidden to go anywhere outside of the Outer Reaches.


    Lux promised to obey this rule, and he was escorted by some of Jorinn''s Personal Guards to the za.


    The Mayor did this because of one simple reason. He was very curious to know what kind of people Lux''s Guild Members were like, but he didn''t want to appear to be overly curious, so he decided to let his guards apany the Half-Elf with the order to report everything when they returned to his residence.


    After arriving at the za, Lux chose a ce that wasn''t too crowded and pressed his closed fist over his chest.


    "Heaven''s Call!"


    Several shes of light illuminated the surroundings as Lux''s Guild Members appeared in the za one by one.


    "Is this the Legendary City of Dragons?" Cai asked as it looked around with great curiosity. "Fei Fei do you sense any treasure around? Just whisper it to me quietly so we can get it when no one is looking!"


    "..."


    Fei Fei scanned her surroundings before shaking her head. Clearly, she didn''t detect any treasures nearby, which made Cai slightly disappointed.


    Aside from Cai, there were also others who decided to ept the invite toe sightsee for the time being.


    Randolph, Ken, Keane, Cadmus, and his Kobold brethren all looked around their surroundings with great curiosity.


    The others also wanted toe, but since they had responsibilities to attend to, they decided to put their visit on hold until the Guild Headquarters was built.


    Suddenly, amotion started as soon as the Dragon Borns around them noticed the Kobolds that had arrived in their city.


    "What are these pieces of trash doing here in our city?!" a Dragon Born shouted. "You filthy Kobolds are not wee here. Go back to where you came from and stay there!"


    The Kobolds, who had been called pieces of trash, red at the Dragon Born and shouted back.


    "Yuck! What is this? A wannabe Dragon?!" one of the Kobold Warriors shouted.


    "Do they really think that just because you have dragon scales, dragon horns, and dragon wings, you are dragons?" another Koboldmented. "What a bunch of fakes!"


    "Calm down, brother. This is why they are Dragon Wannabes not Dragon Borns."


    "Um, you make sense brother. These pieces of sh*t should just smash their heads on a rock or boulder and get it over with."


    As if a spark had been ignited, the Dragon Borns and the Kobolds started to hurl insults at each other, making Lux blink his eyes in confusion.


    "I forgot to tell you, we don''t like Dragon Borns much," Cadmusmented as he red at the Dragon Borns who were talking crap about his brethren. "Kobolds worship Dragons, but for us, Dragon Borns are just fakes. Naturally, Dragon Borns think of us as lowly creatures because we are born weak and aspire to be Dragons. This is why we don''t get along well."


    "I see," Lux nodded his head in understanding. Thinking that the situation might get worse and end up in a fistfight, the Half-Elf asked Cadmus to pacify his brethren and make them stop hurling insults at the Dragon Borns.


    Right now, they were only visitors to the city, so they should not antagonize the people that lived in it.


    Cadmus did his best to pacify the Kobolds, and since their Guild Master and Leader had spoken, they did their best to reign in their anger and endure the insults that the Dragon Borns were still shouting in their direction.


    Even the Mayor''s Guards, who hade to escort Lux, were looking at the Kobolds in disdain, making Lux shake his head helplessly.


    "Let''s go," Lux ordered as he led the way outside of the city. "The sooner we leave, the better."


    Due to themotion, many spectators gathered at the scene to see what was happening.


    However, after seeing that the source of the problem was Kobolds, they joined the Dragon Borns in making fun of them, thinking that they would get into their good graces in the process.


    Cadmus red hatefully at these people who just couldn''t keep their mouths shut but didn''t do anything aside from that.


    Lux was right. They were the visitors to the city, so it was only natural that they behaved themselves if they didn''t want to risk being kicked out or, worse, exiled from the Outer Reaches.


    After leaving the City Gates, the Kobolds finally managed to breathe a sigh of relief.


    However, just as Lux was thinking about how to get the Kobolds to fly towards the third ind, several dragonsnded in front of them.


    "Wow! A real dragon!"


    "God! My prayers have been answered. I am not worthy!"


    "Your Excellencies, we are not worthy of standing in your presence. Please, allow us to kneel and pay tribute to all of you!"


    One by one all the Kobolds prostrated themselves in front of the Dragons, making the corner of Cai''s lips twitch.


    However, to Lux''s surprise, even Cadmus was looking at the Dragons with great respect and adoration, which reminded the Half-Elf of how much Kobolds worshiped dragons.


    "These little ones are funny," one of the Dragonsughed as they looked at the prostrating Kobolds who did their best to tter them.


    "It''s been a while since we''ve been treated in this manner," another Dragonmented. "Such novelty."


    In Karshvar Draconis, although Dragons were revered, no one would go so far as to treat them the way Kobolds did. Because of this, they looked at the Kobolds fondly and thought that having them around wasn''t such a bad idea.


    "This is the first time I am seeing Kobolds in the City of Pygmalion," a Wind Dragon approached the Kobolds with a smile. "Speak. What is your purpose foring here?"


    The Dragons were talking to them using telepathy, which was the special blessing bestowed upon them by the God of the world, allowing them tomunicate with all of the creatures regardless of their race, gender, andnguage.


    This was simr to Eiko''s speech ability. As long as they were talking to sentient creatures that were able tomunicate, having a conversation was not a problem.


    Judging by the tone of its voice, the Half-Elf assumed that the Wind Dragon was the leader of the young dragons, all of whom were just as big as Bedivere''s Dragon Mount.


    "Great One, we came here due to the summons of our Guild Master," Cadmus replied to the Wind Dragon''s question. "We are nning to build a Guild Headquarters on the third floating ind of the Outer Reaches."


    "Ah. So it was you," the Wind Dragon shifted its attention to the Half-Elf, who was one of the people that weren''t kneeling in front of them. "I heard that there was a bold Half-Elf that had made The Pit his new home. It seems that you n to build your Guild Headquarters there, how interesting."


    The Wind Dragon then nced at the prostrating Kobolds on the ground then back at Lux.


    "Well then, how are you nning on bringing these little ones to the third floating ind?" the Wind Dragon asked. "Aside from that Draconian Kobold, none of them can fly."


    Lux scratched his head because this was the problem he was facing.


    "Your Excellency, truth be told, I haven''t thought that far," Lux replied. "I needed a lot of help, so I thought that bringing them here wasn''t a bad idea. But, now that they are here, I am having trouble thinking of ways to bring them to the third ind."


    The Wind Dragon chuckled before looking down on the Kobolds who were still bowing their heads in worship.


    "Well then, since we are in a good mood today, how about we offer you guys a little help?" the Wind Dragon said before it pped its wings, summoning a gust of air, making the Kobolds who were kneeling in the ground float.


    "Your help is greatly appreciated, Your Excellency," Lux bowed respectfully to the Wind Dragon. "Once our Guild Headquarters areplete, feel free to visit us. We will do our best to provide you with our best hospitality."


    "Hoh�� very well. I''lle and visit one of these days." the Wind Dragon smirked before ncing at itsrades.


    Half an hourter, all the Kobolds, as well as Lux''s other guild members were transferred to the third floating ind with the help of the Wind Dragons.


    Allowing them to see the ce where their Guild Headquarters would be born.

 Chapter 426 Dragon Borns And Kobolds [Part 2]

    Even after the Dragons left, the Kobolds were still giddy from the shock of being able to meet Dragons for the first time.


    They were simr to the fans of idols who had just been given the opportunity to shake their idols'' hands, still stuck in L Land.


    Even Cadmus, whom Lux had thought to be the most stable of the bunch, wasn''t able to stop himself from grinning, showing just how happy he was.


    ''If they are acting like this just by meeting Dragons, I wonder if they will all faint once they get the chance to see the Dragon King,'' Lux mused as he looked at the bunch of happy Kobolds.


    However, just as he was about to tell them to snap out of their daze, he faintly heard the sound of running, making him turn his head to the direction it wasing from.


    "We''re rich!" Cai shouted as it ran full speed toward the crater. "Fei Fei. Just tell me where the treasures are, okay? I''ll grab them as soon as I can!"


    "Da Wae!" Fei Fei replied positively as she pointed in the direction of the crater.


    After arriving near the crater, the baby golden slime started to sense the treasures that were present inside the crater. Because of this, it informed Cai about its discovery, prompting the Boar to run full speed in an attempt to grab as many treasures as it could before the Kobolds got to them.


    "Cadmus, take care of THAT please," Lux said in a fed-up tone as he pointed at the boar who was making a mad dash towards the crater.


    Truth be told, he didn''t want to invite Cai toe, but since the Guild Summon affected all of his Guild Members, the boar decided toe along and look for treasures as well.


    Soon the loud squealing of a pig being ughtered resounded in the surroundings as Cadmus grabbed hold of Cai''s body to prevent it from going inside the crater.


    "Cadmus, keep watch over that troublemaker." Lux gave the Boar a disdainful nce before ordering the Kobolds to enter the crater to start their mining operations.


    "Noooooo! I want treasures too!" Cai wailed as it was held down by Cadmus, whose current strength was at the peak of Rank 5 Alpha Monster.


    Lux was sure that it was only a matter of time before the Draconian Kobold became a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster, bing the strongest fighter in his Guild.


    Cai had no chance in hell to beat Cadmus, even if it took on its Hildivisni Form or even if it activated its Third Gear, which specialized in countering Magical Attacks.


    "Calm down, Cai," Lux said. "I''ll give you a share of the Ores when it''s all collected. I know that your grandpa is a Grandmaster cksmith and a Jewelsmith. I also owe him a favor, so I will not be stingy when ites to him."


    "Oh, then in that case, can I look for treasures in other parts of this ind?" Cai asked in relief after knowing that its grandpa would also get some Draconium Ores that he could use to craft items for it. "I promise that I won''t go inside the crater."


    Lux pondered a bit before reluctantly nodding his head. Only the mountainous regions of the third floating Ind belonged to him. If Cai were to look for treasures away from the mountains, the Half-Elf didn''t mind allowing it to go treasure hunting.


    "Okay, but make sure not to go near the crater, okay?"


    "You can count on me! Fei Fei, let''s go!"


    Cai, who had regained its freedom, ran in the opposite direction of the crater, with the golden slime perched on its head.


    Now that it had secured its grandpa''s share of the ore, it decided to just go look for treasures somewhere else, giving Lux some peace of mind as well.


    The Kobolds worked alongside the Skeletons who were also inside the crater and carried out their roles well.


    The majority of Kobolds that joined Lux''s guild were already Rank 3 and Rank 4 Monsters. Those that had apanied Cadmus and Sid to explore the Savage Lands had the highest levels among the bunch because they had their share of battling stronger monsters alongside Cadmus and Sid.


    What Lux didn''t know was that his guild was quite special. In truth, monsters like Kobolds couldn''t be members of just any Guild.


    It only worked in his Guild because its rank was Mythical, allowing even monsters to be Guild Members.


    The mining operationsted all through the night until morning came.


    When the first rays of sunlight appeared over the horizon, thest traces of white smoke inside the crater disappeared.


    Lux almost didn''t believe his eyes when he saw the amount of ore that had been collected from inside the crater.


    There were over a hundred thousand Draconium Ores in the temporary Guild Storage, which the Kobolds had made as a ce to dump the Ores they had collected.


    The inventory slots of all the Skeletons were also full, allowing Lux to see 99 stacks of Draconium Ore in their inventories.


    Each Skeleton was only able to carry a hundred Draconium Ores, which was a very pitiful number. But, if the fact that this precious metal was worth a million gold coins per pound was taken into consideration, each Skeleton was like a walking treasury overflowing with gold coins. The Half-Elf smiled at that thought.


    ''143,879 Draconium Ores. Not bad,'' Lux thought as he got the final total of the ore that was taken from the crater.


    Also, the Kobolds informed him that they could sense other precious ores and gemstones buried underneath the mountain range, making the Half-Elf consider moving Cadmus'' entire Kobold Nest to the floating ind.


    Four hourster, when the sun was almost at its Zenith, a ck-scaled Dragon Born descended near the crater.


    It was none other than Cethus, who had just returned from the capital city of the Dragon Race.


    He was Lux''s supervisor, so he couldn''t stay away for a long time due to the order given to him by the Dragon King. However, as soon as hended near the crater, he saw over a hundred Kobolds, roasting meat over bonfires.


    ''Kobolds? Just what are these lowly creatures doing here?'' Cethus frowned after seeing the Kobolds on the third ind of the Outer Reaches. ''This must be that Half-Elf''s doing.''


    Just like the other Dragon Borns, he had an inherent dislike for the Kobolds. For their race, Kobolds were just delusional creatures who aspired to be Dragons even though they were just a bunch of lowly monsters.


    Without wasting any more time, the Dragon Born went to find the Half-Elf, who was currently discussing the possibility of having more Kobolds join his guild with Cadmus in order to help mine the mountains to look for resources.


    Cadmus thought that this idea was good because it would allow his race to be close to the Dragon Race whom they worshiped.


    Also, now that Lux could sell the Draconium Ore for a hefty price, he could build a Teleportation Gate that would give him ess to Leaf Vige, as well as the underground Nest, where the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian had been located.


    That was also where Lux had met Keoza, and where he received the Dragon Token from him.


    Just as the two were about to decide how many more Kobolds would join the Guild, Cethus appeared in front of them with a displeased expression on his face.


    "Oi, Lux. Why are there filthy Kobolds in the Outer Reaches?" Cethus asked. "Just what were you thinking? Don''t you know that we hate these lowly monsters second only to Abyssal Monsters?"


    The Dragon Born didn''t even bother to hide his contempt even though a Draconian Kobold was sitting right beside Lux.


    In his eyes, it didn''t matter if a Kobold grew horns and wings. Kobolds were still Kobolds, no matter how much they tried to aspire to be a part of the Dragon race.


    "This is?" Cadmus frowned as he pointed at the Dragon Born who was starting to annoy him.


    Lux scratched his head before introducing Cethus to him.


    "Cadmus this is Cethus," Lux said. "He is the supervisor assigned by the Dragon King to ensure that I don''t do anything troublesome in the Outer Reaches."


    The Half-Elf then paused and made a gesture to Cethus. "Cethus, this is Cadmus. He is the leader of the Kobolds that are part of my Guild. I hope the two of you can get along we�C"


    "I refuse."


    "I don''t like Wannabes."


    Cethus and Cadmus red at each other, which made the Half-Elf sigh in his heart.


    "Okay, I don''t mind if the two of you don''t get along, but just try not to get in each other''s way," Lux gave up trying to patch up the rtionship between the Dragon Born and the Draconian Kobold because they were like water and oil.


    "Lux, let me remind you that I am your supervisor," Cethus stated icily. "I am here to ensure that you don''t do anything troublesome and jeopardize the safety of Karshvar Draconis as a whole. You bringing these�� lowly insects to ournd is like bringing a stain to our dignity. I want you to expel them at once from this ind and never allow them to set their measly foot in it ever again!"


    Lux frowned before he stood up and stared at the Dragon Born with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Let me remind you that this Mountain Range is my domain, and I have every right to allow anyone to step foot in it," Lux replied. "If you have a problem with it, go and report me to the Dragon King. Your words alone are not enough for me to change my mind."


    "Very well. I hope you''re ready for the consequences!" Cadmus sneered before flying away.


    Although he had just arrived at the Outer Reaches, he didn''t mind going back to the Capital City of Rex Lapis to report thetest fiasco that the Half-Elf had caused.


    "Are you not worried that you will be punished by the Dragon King?" Cadmus asked.


    Even though he hated Dragon Borns, the Dragon King was an existence that was like a God to them. They would obey hismand even if thatmand was for them to be exiled from the Outer Reaches.


    "It''s fine." Lux shrugged. "I''m sure the Dragon King wouldn''t mind having a few Kobolds around."


    Kobolds usually served Dragons, and Dragons were quite aware of this as well. Unlike the Dragon Borns who hated Kobolds, the Dragons treated the little Monsters as servants who would do misceneous things for them.


    Lux wasn''t too worried about the Dragon King''s decision on this matter because he nned to keep the Kobolds inside the Mountain Range. If the DragonBorns didn''t want to see them, all they needed to do was avoid the third Ind, and there would be no problem at all.


    "Forget about him," Lux waved his hand as if to end the matter with Cethus. "Let''s look for a ce to build our Guild Headquarters."


    Cadmus nodded and followed behind Lux.


    Now that the crater of the mountain had been cleared, it was time to build their Guild Headquarters and officially start the activities of their guild.

 Chapter 427 Are All Of You Ready To Hear My Performance?

    "Y-Your Majesty, are you sure about this?" Cethus asked in disbelief after hearing the Dragon King''s reply.


    He had traveled as fast as he could to return to the Capital City of Rex Lapis in order to inform him about what was happening on the Third Ind of the Outer Reaches, but the answer that the Dragon King gave him wasn''t the answer he was hoping to hear.


    "Let him do as he wishes."


    That was what the Dragon King told the ck-scaled Dragon Born, which shocked not only him, but the Dragon Borns that were serving as his Ministers in the throne room.


    Just as Lux expected, the Dragon King didn''t really care if he brought some Kobolds inside his Domain. For Dragons, Kobolds were simr to cute pets that followed their every order. As long as the Kobolds belonging to Lux''s faction wouldn''t do anything to cause harm to his Kingdom, he was willing to give them permission to stay in the Outer Reaches.


    "W-Won''t you reconsider, Your Majesty?" One of the Ministers asked. "If the Kobolds are here, there will be unrest within the Kingdom."


    The Dragon King shifted his attention to the minister he spoke up, making thetter flinch.


    "Are you defying my order?" the Dragon King asked in an icy tone.


    "N-No! Of course not, Your Majesty!"


    "Then shut your trap."


    The Dragon King''s words resounded inside the throneroom making all the Dragon Borns, as well as Dragons inside it, bow their heads in submission. Due to their innate hate for the Kobolds, they had forgotten that the person who was sitting on the golden throne was the King of all Dragons.


    His words werew, and no one in Arshvar Draconis had the right to question his orders.


    "This is why Kobolds are better than you lot," the Dragon King snorted. "At least they know their ce. It seems that all of you have gotten toofortable in the positions you hold at the moment. Should I weed out those who are not willing to carry out my orders?"


    "Please forgive us, Your Majesty!"


    "W-We have erred. Please, have mercy on us."


    ""Have mercy on us!""


    The Dragon King smirked before giving his orders. "Return to your duties, and don''t question my orders a second time!"


    """Yes! Your Majesty!"""


    All the ministers left the throne room as if they had been given the Royal Pardon. Even Cethus hurriedly left because he was afraid that if he stayed for a second longer, the Dragon King would ask him to remain in the throne room and punish him for reporting something so petty.


    When the Dragon King was left all alone in the throne room, a door appeared behind the throne, revealing a secret passage that was only known to the Royal Family.


    The Dragon King smiled because he already knew the identity of the person that came to see him.


    "Father, did I pick the wrong time to visit you?"


    A youngdy, whose skin was as white as cream, and eyes as red as rubies asked.


    Her long purple hair that rested behind her back swayed faintly as she sat on her father''sp and looked up at him with an apologetic look on her face.


    "You can visit me anytime, love." The Dragon King looked fondly at his daughter as he yfully poked the two small, golden dragon horns that were only an inch tall on her head. "What brings you here?"


    She was his pride and treasure, and very few individuals had managed to gaze upon her beauty because the Dragon King was overprotective of her.


    "Mother asked me to tell you to visit her soon," the youngdy said with a smile. "My little brother is about to be born, and she wants you to be there when he hatches from his egg."


    The Dragon King''s eyes widened because he thought that it would still take a week before histest child would hatch from his egg. Even so, his surprise didn''tst long before a chuckle escaped his lips.


    "Looks like our family has grown a little bigger," the Dragon King said softly. "Valerie, make sure to take good care off your little brother, okay?"


    "Un! I''m so excited to y with him!" Valerie nodded her head.


    "Alright. Since I finished my work early, let''s go see your mother, okay?"


    "Yes!"


    The purple-haired beauty happily grabbed hold of her father''s right hand and dragged him towards the secret passage. Now that her little brother was about to hatch, their family of six, would soon be a family of seven.


    ��---------


    Third Ind of the Outer Reaches��


    "Hmm�� I think it will be best that we build our Guild Headquarters on that mountain over there," Kenmented. "The height is just right and it overlooks the crater."


    "That''s a good idea." Randolph rubbed his beard in agreement. "The crater can be used as the training ground, or we can also build a town there in the future. Since we can also construct our own Teleportation Gate, we don''t need to go to the City of Pygmalion for transportation."


    Ken nodded. "If the town grows big enough, we can even start trading with the other cities of Karshvar Draconis. I think we''ll need to revise our marketing strategy in the future."


    Lux crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at the mountain that was ideal to build his Guild Headquarters on.


    Suddenly, an image appeared inside his head of a white marble castle, overlooking a prosperous city that even surpassed the City of Pygmalion.


    ''I''m just building a Guild, and not a Kingdom,'' The Half-Elf mused as he set aside the image that appeared inside his head. ''One step at a time, Lux. There''s no need to bite off more than you can chew.''


    Grabbing the waists of the two dwarves, the Half-Elf carried them towards the mountain where they would be building their Guild Headquarters.


    A few minutester, they safelynded on the ground and gazed down at the crater, taking in the view in front of them.


    "Not bad." Ken nodded. "This ce is perfect."


    "By the way, how are we going to build our Guild Headquarters?" Randolph asked. "Don''t tell me that we will be the ones to do it? That''s impossible!"


    Lux blinked once then twice before Randolph''s words sank into him.


    He had never built a Guild Headquarters before and had no idea how to build one from scratch.


    "In the case of other Guilds, they''ve usually hired one of those Merchant Guilds to build their Guild Headquarters for them," Ken said as he shared his knowledge. "Have you already asked the Mayor of Pygmalion to rmend some Merchant Guilds to you?"


    Lux shook his head before opening his Soul Book. ording to the new information that was added to his Elysium Compendium, the Guildmaster of a Mythical Guild can simply choose a location, and pay the necessary gold for the Guild Headquarters to be built.


    "Let me try something first," Lux said as he clicked the Build Guild Headquarters option in his Soul Book.


    A momentter, several rows of text appeared in front of him, which Ken and Randolph also saw, making theme closer to take a better look.


    ��-----------


    < You are now one step away from building your Guild Headquarters! >


    < Please, select one of the Merchant Guilds listed here tomission the construction of your Guild Headquarters. Take note that they don''t ept credits. All transactions must be paid in full before the constructions starts! >


    (Leading Merchant Guilds of Elysium)


    �C Do It Yourself Merchant Guild


    �C Ama-Soon Merchant Guild


    �C E-Bae Merchant Guild


    �C Zawarudo Merchant Guild


    �C ZAPOS Merchant Guild


    �C One Peace Merchant Guild


    �C My Hero Merchant Guild


    �C Full Metal Merchant Guild


    �C Faith Stay Merchant Guild


    �C Gunslinger Merchant Guild


    �C League of Ley-gends Merchant Guild


    �C Kanpai Collection Merchant Guild


    �C Game-shin Impact Merchant Guild


    �C XXXXXX


    �C XXXXXX


    �C XXXXXX


    �C XXXXXX


    �C XXXXXX


    ��----------


    Nearly fifty Merchant Guilds appeared on the list, making Lux, Randolph, and Ken ponder which Merchant Guild to pick from the choices listed in front of them.


    Regardless of which one they chose, they would need to pay ten million gold coins for the building of their Guild Headquarters. However, since they haven''t heard any of the names listed on the list, they were not sure which ones were the best in the industry.


    "It''s all up to you, Lux," Ken said. "I haven''t heard of these names before. Perhaps they are Merchant Guilds outside of the Kingdom of Gweliven."


    Randolph also nodded his head. Someone like him, who hadn''t even seen the entirety of the Dwarven Kingdom, couldn''tpare to Ken, whose connections far surpassed him.


    After several minutes of pondering, Lux chose one of the Merchant Guilds that was on the list.


    ��---------


    < You have chosen Game-shin Impact Merchant Guild >


    < Are you sure about your choice? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��---------


    Lux chose yes, and the name of the Merchant Guild he chose glowed faintly before disappearing in front of him.


    A momentter, a loud roar reverberated in the sky.


    The wind picked up, and ck clouds appeared in the skies above the Outer Reaches.


    Suddenly, a giant blue dragon with four wings protruding from its back appeared in the distance, flying towards the mountain where Lux, Randolph, and Ken were currently standing.


    The Giant Blue Dragon circled the mountain twice beforending several meters away from the Half-Elf and the two Dwarves.


    The sound of a lyre ying spread in the surroundings as a young man wearing a green robe, and green feathered cap stood on the head of the Dragon, and gazed down on Lux with a smile.


    "Give me a moment topose myself," the young man said with a smile as the green cape on his back fluttered in the breeze. "My name is Bentley. Are all of you ready to hear my performance?"


    Lux, Randolph, and Ken nced at each other in dismay.


    They were looking for someone to build their Guild Headquarters, and not a performer who would y an instrument for them.


    However, Bentley, who was still standing on top of the Giant Blue Dragon merely chuckled, and happily strummed the strings of his lyre, creating a beautiful melody that chased away the dark clouds in the sky.

 Chapter 428 Game-Shin Impact Merchant Guild

    "Allow me to formally introduce myself again," Bentley bowed respectfully. "My name is Bentley and I am the Vice-Guild Master of Game-shin Impact Merchant Guild. Pleased to meet your acquaintance."


    "Nice to meet you too," Lux replied as he looked at the Vice Guild Master who looked like a tone-deaf-bard, wandering thend looking for the best alcoholic drinks avable.


    Bentley smiled before nodding his head. "Since we have made our introductions, let''s get down to business. You want your Guild Headquarters built on top of this mountain, right?"


    "Yes," Lux nodded. "I''d like it to be built over there."


    Lux pointed at the ideal spot where he wanted to have his Guild Headquarters built.


    Bentley looked at the location and rubbed his chin.


    "You will have to pay additional fees for the creation of a clearing on that mountain peak," Bentley stated. "As you may already know, we can''t possibly just build your headquarters on that spot without a proper foundation, so we need to do some demolition."


    "How much will it cost?"


    "You will need to add 500,000 Gold Coins to the original price. So the total will be 10,500,000 Gold Coins."


    "That''s fine."


    If it was before, Lux would try to bargain with Bentley to lower the price of the demolition services, but since he was now rich, he didn''t bother to bargain.


    "But, I have a condition," Ken, who was standing beside Lux, started. "during the demolition, any precious metals, ores, or gemstones that are unearthed will belong to us."


    Bentley chuckled after hearing Ken''s condition. "I have no problem with that. Well then, you will be paying us upfront, yes?"


    "Of course," Lux said as he tossed Bentley a storage ring containing 10,500,000 Gold Coins.


    He had already prepared 10,000,000 Gold Coins in the ring in advance, but since they needed to pay more, he added the remaining bnce before giving it to Bentley.


    After seeing that the payment was paid in full, Bentley snapped his fingers and a portal, simr to a wormhole, appeared behind his back.


    "Glee, Keh, and the rest of you guys,e here," Bentley said. "Time for some Boom Boom Bakugan Remodeling."


    A little girl with pink hair, wearing little red riding hood clothes, popped out of the wormhole, followed by a silver-haired teenager with crimson eyes. Several other figures appeared before them, wearing fashionable clothes, and, with a nce, the Half-Elf could tell that they were strong.


    "Hello, I am Glee," the little girl with the red riding-hood said. "I''m really good at fixing things!"


    "Uhh, are you an Elf?" Lux asked. "You look like a child. Isn''t this childbor?"


    "Huh? What do you mean childbor?" Glee tilted her head innocently. "What even is childbor? Does that mean I can''t help?"


    Bentley chuckled as he patted Glee''s head. "Don''t worry. Although she looks young, she''s actually a Knight. Knights are allowed to work, so it''s not childbor."


    "... Well, okay. I look forward to a job well done, Glee."


    "Un! You can count on me! So, where is the ce that needs to be demolished? I like demolishing things!"


    Bentley then pointed at the mountain in front of them, making the little Elf jump happily.


    "Wow! So big! This is going to be fun!" Glee said as she ran towards the location that Bentley pointed at.


    "Keh, look after her okay?" Bentley said. "Make sure to not let her get carried away."


    The silver-haired teenager gave a thumbs up before raising his fist high up in the air.


    ? "Keh''s Adventure Team, assemble!"


    Several of the people that apanied Keh and Glee posed beside Keh, putting the Power Rangers to shame. This scene also made Lux wonder if he had chosen the right people to do the job.


    "Rx, we might be an easy-going guild, but we will get the job done," Bentley assured Lux who seemed to be having doubts about their abilities.


    Before the Half-Elf could even reply, a powerful explosion sounded in the distance, making everyone in the vicinity look in the direction where Glee had run off to.


    "Boom Boom Bakugan!"


    The little-red-riding hood threw some red bombs on the mountain peak, creating powerful explosions that shocked not only Lux, but Randolph and Ken as well.


    "T-That little girl is a Ranker?" Randolph''s mouth hung open in disbelief. "J-Just how?"


    Originally, they couldn''t figure out how Glee would be able to demolish an entire mountain peak on her own. However, after seeing how powerful her bombs were, Lux''s, as well as the two Dwarfs'', impression of the little girl took a ny degree turn.


    "Boom Boom!" Eiko happily jumped up and down on Lux''s head as she watched the powerful explosions in front of her.


    Ever since she nted the Bone Bombs inside the Twilight Ship, the little Slime developed a fondness for making things explode.


    The entire peak was covered with dense smoke as consecutive explosions were heard in the background.


    Lux had already informed his guild about what was happening in the Guild Chat, preventing them from thinking that they were under enemy attack.


    Half an hourter, the explosion stopped, and the smoke that lingered on the mountain top was dispersed by the wind.


    "Looks like Glee''s done with her demolition work," Bentleymented. "Let''s go and see the fruits of herbor."


    With Bentley leading the way, Lux and the others followed behind him.


    When they arrived at their destination, they saw a very satisfied Glee, whose face was covered in soot but with a very sweet smile on her face.


    "Guild Master, Mission Complete!" Glee saluted Bentley who saluted her back.


    "Good job, Glee," Bentley said as he took a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the soot off the little Elf''s face.


    Lux looked at his surroundings, and nodded his head in satisfaction. The entire Mountain Peak was destroyed properly, and they only needed to level the ground to make it even.


    "Everyone stand back!" Keh shouted as he jumped high in the air and pulled back his arm. "Teamwork is dreamwork!"


    The silver-haired teenager punched the ground, creating a shockwave that was imbued with the power of mes.


    The rough surface of the mountain peak became somewhat even, as if it was an asphalt road paved by a Road Roller.


    "By the Earth Goddess! Another Ranker," Ken gasped. "Is this really a Merchant Guild that specializes in construction projects?"


    Bentley, who heard Ken''sment, patted his chest with confidence before boasting about his Guild''s specialty.


    "All of my guild members are experts in the field of construction," Bentleymented. "They even have licenses to prove it."


    "Umm�� that is not what I''m trying to say." Ken chuckled, but decided to not voice what was really inside his head. ''All of you are Rankers and you guys are doing construction work? All of you must be very bored.''


    "Well then, now is the fun part," Bentley said as he handed Lux several scrolls for the design of their Guild Headquarters. "What design do you want your Guild Headquarters to be modeled after?"


    Lux epted the scrolls and checked them one by one.


    Randolph and Ken did the same and voiced their opinion on the matter. Several minutester, Lux gave Bentley the design that he chose for their Guild Headquarters.


    After seeing the design that Lux chose, a smile appeared on Bentley''s face, making him give a side-long nce at the Half-Elf.


    "You''re quite ambitious huh?" Bentleymented. "Very well, but this design will cost more than the others. Originally, your budget is 10,000,000 gold coins, but if you choose this design, it will be doubled."


    "I don''t mind, but do you ept other currencies aside from gold coins?"


    "Of course. There are times when our clients don''t have enough cash on hand, so they settle the rest using their valuables like gemstones, etc."


    Lux smiled as he took out a Draconium Ore from his storage ring and handed it to Bentley, making the eyes of the tone-deaf-bard widen.


    "Well, well, well�� I didn''t expect you to trade something like this," Bentley took a closer look at the Draconium Ore in order to confirm if it was authentic. "Draconium Ore, and it is of high quality! You are one big customer, My Friend."


    "Will that be enough?" Lux asked.


    "No, but if you give me four more of these, it will be enough."


    "Okay, we have a deal."


    Lux didn''t bat an eye as he took out four more Draconium Ores, all of the same size as the first one he gave the other party, and handed them to him.


    Parting with five pieces of Draconium Ore didn''t hurt him one bit because he still had over a hundred thousand of them in his storage. As long as the design he chose was built properly, he was sure that it would create a greatmotion, making those who lived in the Outer Reaches change their opinion of his Guild.

 Chapter 429 The Name Of Our Guild Is…

    The construction of Lux''s Guild Headquarters would bepleted in ten days, so Randolph and Ken decided to return to the Kingdom of Gweliven for the time being.


    Cai, who was busy hunting treasures with Fei Fei, was busy touring the floating ind, while the Kobolds were starting to build a temporary nest inside the crater of the Mountain Range.


    Cethus, who only returned to the floating Ind three dayster, was surprised to see that the construction of Lux''s Guild Headquarters had already started.


    Although he had a great dislike for the Kobolds, he had no choice but to endure his irritation as he observed the construction of Lux''s guild.


    Several Dragon Borns, as well as Dragons, who were also curious about what was happening on the third floating Ind also visited from time to time.


    The days passed slowly, and Lux''s Guild Headquarters was starting to take shape.


    Thousands of Guild Members of Game-Shin Impact hade using Bentley''s wormhole on the first day and worked hand in hand to speed up the construction work.


    Even the Blue Dragon could be seen carrying big bs of white marble and cing them in the right ces, doing the heavy lifting by itself.


    While all of this was happening, Bentley just drank cider with Lux, as he told the Half-Elf the tale of his adventures across the many distant ces in Elysium.


    "Our Guild Headquarters can be found at least eight-thousand miles away from Karshvar Draconis," Bentley exined as he lightly shook the bottle of cider in his hand. "Fortunately, I had visited Pygmalion City once before, and saved its coordinates using my ability. As a Merchant Guild, we travel to different ces, so it is always good to have many waypoints in the various cities that will allow us to travel faster."


    "I see." Lux drank a cup of tea as he watched Eiko and Glee y tag in the distance.


    Since Glee''s specialty is destroying things, she wasn''t allowed near the construction site in order to prevent anything from being destroyed.


    "But, seriously, I never thought that the one and only Mythical Guild in the world would hire us to make their Guild Headquarters," Bentleymented. "You grant us a great honor. Too bad, I can''t add your Guild''s name to our Portfolio."


    Lux, who wasn''t paying too much attention to what Bentley was saying, almost choked on his tea because he never told Bentley the name of his Guild.


    While the Half-Elf was having a coughing fit, Bentley just smiled as he gazed at the construction work in the distance.


    "Why are you so surprised?" Bentley asked in a teasing manner. "We are a Merchant Guild. Naturally, when I ept amission to build a Guild Headquarters, I am able to see what the name of the Guild is. I guess you should be thankful that you chose us to build your Guild Headquarters. I am someone who knows how to keep a secret."


    Lux looked at the young man with gratitude. He didn''t n on divulging the name of his Guild for the time being to anyone, so having Bentley keep it a secret for him was a good thing.


    "After your Guild Headquarters is built, you will be building some other guild facilities, right?" Bentley shifted his gaze to the Half-Elf with a businessman look on his face. "Make sure to call us again when you have the funds to pay for the construction work. Of course, we will ept Draconium Ores as well."


    "Good. I did think of hiring you guys again to build other guild facilities when you''ve finished our Guild Headquarters," Lux stated.


    Bentley then asked what other Guild Facilities Lux wanted to be built, and the Half-Elf voiced his thoughts.


    A whileter, the bard gave the Half-Elf a few more scrolls so that he could choose the design of the Guild Facilities that he wanted to be built.


    Now that he had the Draconium Ores to fund his construction projects, the Half-Elf decided to build four things first.


    The Alchemy Shop, the Smithy, the Bestiary, andstly, the Teleportation Gate.


    "Bentley, you have a dragon with you," Lux said as he looked at the design of the Bestiary. "Do you think it is a good idea to have Dragons as a mount for my Guild Members?"


    "No," Bentley replied firmly. "One, two, or even a dozen dragons will be fine, but having hundreds of them will not only give you a headache, but it might also make Karshvar Draconis your enemy."


    The bard then drained the bottle of cider in his hand before giving out a loud burp.


    "In the North of Elysium, there is an empire covered in snow all year round," Bentley exined. "They have captured several Ice Dragons and forced them to very. The moment the eggs wereid, they would be moved to a different facility where they would be trained to be mounts of their Dragon Rider Cavalry.


    Their Emperor ruled hisnds with an iron fist, and his Dragon Riders were his ultimate trump card against the other nations that surrounded his borders.


    "His circumstances are different from yours. Since your Headquarters is located in thends of Dragons, making Dragons your mounts will make you an eyesore to the Dragon Borns, as well as the Dragon King. If you want to live long, don''t ever n on taming Dragons to be mounts for your Guild Members."


    Lux sighed in his heart because his n to create a Dragon Cavalry was not possible.


    "Then, do you have other suggestions?" Lux asked. "I''d like to have mounts that are able to fly, and can fight when needed."


    "Well, you can get Wyverns, Griffins, Rocs, Cockatri, Pegasi, Qilins, etc, or you can build flying mounts like Gargoyles," Bentley replied. "If you''re not too picky, giant insects will also do��like Giant Wasps and Butterflies. There are so many options to choose from, but don''t tame Dragons in the Kingdom of Dragons. That is just asking for a beating, so make sure to not make that mistake."


    A grunt reached Lux''s ears, which he believed came from Keoza, whose spirit resided inside the Dragon Token in his possession. Clearly, the Crystal Dragon was voicing his opinion that Bentley was right.


    "Your guild is still in its infancy stage, and you don''t have any Rankers in your guild," Bentley continued his exnation. "It will be best if you do your best to lie low for a while and focus on strengthening yourselves.


    "Also, I don''t rmend training or gaining experience in the territories around Karshvar Draconis and thends under these floating inds. There are many roaming Deimos, Argonaut, and Dreadnaught Monsters in thesends, and Apostles like you will easily be their snack. You can explore this region once you be a Ranker. Before that, you should choose the ces where you do your exploration with care."


    Bentley shared his knowledge with the Half-Elf, allowing Lux to learn a lot of things about the world of Rankers, which he was very grateful for.


    After ten days, his Guild Headquarters was finally built, allowing his guild members to finally step foot in the Outer Reaches and see the ce that would be their base of operations.


    "Wow! A Castle!" Heidi pped her hands as she looked at the castle that was perched on top of the mountain.


    "Lux, My Boy, I thought you were only nning to build a Guild Headquarters," Cedwynmented. "Are you nning to build a Kingdom instead?"


    "A Kingdom? That''s too much work," Lux replied with a smile. "I just want our Guild Headquarters to look good, and a castle has enough space to house our other Guild Facilities, making it the perfect option."


    "You have outdone yourself again,d," Thoram nodded his head in satisfaction. "With this, we can say that we have finally made our mark on the world. We are no longer homeless vagabonds."


    Cethus, who was listening to their conversation from the side, snorted.


    "By the way, Lux, what is the name of this Guild of yours?" Cethus asked. "I''ve been with you for nearly two weeks, and I still don''t know the name of your guild."


    The Half-Elf smiled as he gave his Guild Members a knowing nce before shifting his gaze to the ck-scaled Dragon Born, whom the Dragon King had assigned to supervise him.


    "Remember this Cethus, and remember it well," Lux said with a devilish smile on his face. "The name of our guild is�� Ars Goetia."

 Chapter 430 A Fantastic Specimen [Part 1]

    Ars Goetia.


    Also known as the 72 Pirs of Hell,prised of 72 High-Ranking Demons whomanded legions of lesser demons that would obey their every order without fail.


    This was the Pseudo-Guild Name that Lux had decided to use to hide his Mythical Guild''s true name, Heaven''s Gate.


    In order to make it official, Ken sneakily registered this Guild in the Adventurer''s Guild, using Lux''s Dragon Rider, Bedivere, as its Guild Master.


    Since Bedivere was under Lux''smand, it wasn''t an issue to make him the proxy Guild Master of Ars Goetia.


    The Half-Elf even went as far as to create Guild Badges of his Pseudo-Guild as a disguise to fool the eyes of the public.


    Seven dayster, the other Guild Facilities were also built.


    Since the Teleportation Gate required fine tuning, it took the Game-Shin Impact Merchant Guild more time to run a few tests to ensure that the transfer of the gate was working properly.


    After a round of discussion, Lux decided to build one more teleportation gate at the very center of the crater.


    Although he didn''t n to do so in the beginning, the thought of building a town inside the crater started to sprout inside his head, making him think of future possibilities.


    The teleportation gate at their castle would be exclusive to the Guild Members, while the teleportation gate in the crater would be for their future guests.


    "This has been a very profitable business." Bentley shook hands with Lux with a smile. "If you want things to be built again in the future, just contact us. We will be there as soon as we can."


    "Thank you. I will call for you guys when we need to build more guild facilities," Lux replied.


    Not far from the two of them, Glee and Eiko were having a tearful parting.


    "Wuwuwu, Eiko, I will miss you," Glee said as she tearfully held the baby Slime, whose face was rubbing on her cheeks. "We had a lot of fun making things explode while we were together."


    "Wuwuwuwu." The baby slime also cried because the red-riding-hood Elf had be a very good friend to her.


    Since Glee wasn''t allowed anywhere near the construction projects, she and Eiko would go outside the Mountain Range to y, casually throwing bombs at random things together.


    At some point, Lux even felt worried that Glee might be a bad influence to his baby Slime. He was afraid that if the baby Slime stayed with the little Elf for a long period of time, Eiko might be an arsonist in the future.


    "You guys are amazing," Keh said as he shook hands with Cadmus and the Kobolds. "Let''s go on an adventure together sometime."


    "Sure," Cadmus replied with a smile. "When I be a Deimos Ranked monster, let''s go on an adventure together."


    After spending some time with the members of the Game-Shin Impact Merchant Guild, the members of Lux''s guild learned a lot of things from the experiences they shared.


    "If you have time, feel free to visit our City of Monstead," Bentley said before giving Lux a graceful bow. "I''ll treat you all to some good food and drinks. Bye for now, my Dear Friends!"


    "Goodbye everyone!"


    "Nice working with you guys!"


    "We''re off to our new adventure!"


    "Goodbye Eiko! I''lle visit sometime! We can throw bombs at the City of Pygmalion if you like!"


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, waved with teary eyes at Glee, who was thest to enter the portal. If not for the fact that Lux and Bentley managed to catch the two troublemakers in time, the pair would have definitely started throwing bombs at the City of Pygmalion while riding Glee''s small flying ship.


    "Things will be a bit quiet now that they are gone," Keanemented as he gazed at the teleportation gate with his arms crossed over his chest.


    Lux nodded. "Yes. But I seem to be forgetting something��"


    The Half-Elf frowned because he really felt like forgetting something.


    "Are you talking about Cai?" Keane asked. "I haven''t seen that boar since the day our Guild Headquarters started to get built."


    "That''s right!" Lux lightly thumped his fist over his palm because he hadpletely forgotten about the shameless boar that went treasure hunting.


    However, as if waiting for that cue, a loudughter spread across the entire mountain as Cai made its appearance.


    "I have returned!" Cai dered.


    "Da Wae!" Fei Fei also made her presence known from on top of its Master that had spent many days treasure hunting.


    Lux, and Keane looked at the two with amused expressions because the two seemed to be in a very good mood.


    "So, did you manage to get a lot of treasures?" Lux asked.


    For him, as long as the treasures that belonged to the mountain range weren''t taken, he was fine with it, even if Cai robbed the entire Floating Ind of its riches. Anyway, it was outside his territory.


    "Well, we didn''t get a lot of treasures, but we had fun. Isn''t that right, Fei Fei?"


    "Yes!" Fei Fei replied.


    The Boar then approached Lux before whispering something in his ear.


    "We found arge dead Dragon inside a cave located in a valley, west of here," Cai whispered. "You''re a Necromancer, right? Can you revive it?"


    Lux''s interest was piqued because he never thought that he would actually find a dead Dragon lying somewhere on the floating ind.


    Cethus had once told him that there was an Ind located on the Eastern Side of Karshvar Draconis which they call the Dragon''s Graveyard.


    This was the ce where Dragons went when they felt that their time of death was near. The majority of Dragons that had gone to the Dragon''s Graveyard were Young and Elder Dragons.


    As for Ancient Dragons and above, Cethus told him that those powerful dragons would travel the world to find an uninhabited region to die.


    Resurrection Magic didn''t work on Dragons, but Animate Undead did.


    Because of this, they did their best to ensure that their bodies would not be easily found by people, especially Necromancers, who could use their corpse to summon an Undead Dragon that could bring harm to the living.


    Naturally, they could also choose to stay in Karshvar Draconis where a special ind was dedicated just for them. This ind was heavily protected, not only by Dragon Borns, but also Elder Dragons, to ensure that the Ancient Ones would get their eternal rest without worrying about being used as weapons of destruction.


    However, most Ancient Dragons lived solitary lives. They were truly powerful individuals and could move unhindered across thend.


    "Bring me there," Lux said firmly.


    Cai nodded its head and led the way. After nearly four hours of traveling, they finally arrived at their destination.


    Just like Cai had said, the cave was located in a valley, and its entrance was well hidden. Actually, it was almost impossible to spot unless one looked at it from a certain angle.


    Whoever made the cave had made it so that nobody would be able to find it, unless it was discovered by ident.


    Lux and Cai had the ability to see even if it was dark, while both Eiko and Fei Fei could generally sense their surroundings without any problems.


    However, since Keane was with them, Lux took out a glowing crystal that people used when they explored dark caves or Dungeons that did not have any kind of lighting.


    In the distance, several glowing eyes stared at them, but Cai had said that they were only fruit bats and weren''t aggressive Monsters.


    However, these fruit bats were nearly four feet tall, and their wingspan reached up to three meters in length.


    As they went deeper inside the cave, the Dragon Token that was hidden inside Lux''s storage ring came out and hovered beside Lux.


    Keoza felt something very familiar, so he decided to take a look as well.


    Soon, they stepped into a veryrge and spacious cavern that was the size of a football stadium.


    At the center of it was a giant figure, who seemed to only be sleeping.


    "Unbelievable," Keane muttered as he looked at the dragon which he estimated to be at least twenty meters in length. "Is this an Elder Dragon?"


    Lux looked at the dead Dragon which seemed to have been frozen in time. Although he was very certain that the Dragon was dead due to his Necromantic Powers, its corpse was so well preserved that it looked like it was only sleeping, waiting for someone to wake it up from its long slumber.

 Chapter 431 A Fantastic Specimen [Part 2]

    The dragon''s head rested on its front ws with its eyes firmly shut. The golden scales gleamed faintly as it reflected the light on the glowing stone in the Half-Elf''s hand.


    Although there were signs of rot here and there, the body was mostly intact, making Lux unable to determine how long the Dragon had been dead.


    "This is an Ancient Golden Dragon." Keoza''s confident voice echoed faintly inside the cavern. "If I have to make an estimate, it has been dead for only two to three hundred years."


    "Do you know him?" Lux asked.


    "No," Keoza replied. "I have been away from Karshvar Draconis for hundreds of years, and yet, I don''t know who this dragon is despite the fact that he is older than me. Perhaps, he is a vagabond who chose to return to this ce in order to look for his final resting ce."


    Keoza''s words were solemn as if he was paying tribute to the dead Dragon, whose name he didn''t know.


    "So, what are you going to do, Lux?" Keoza asked. "Are you going to turn him into an Undead Dragon?"


    Lux nced at the floating Dragon Token beside him with a troubled face. A part of him wanted to say yes, but the other half was afraid that if he said yes, Keoza would think badly of him.


    As if sensing his worries, Keoza chuckled and gave his opinion about the matter.


    "I believe this is Fate," Keoza stated. "Just like how you met me, I believe this is also a fateful encounter. I would be offended if other Necromancers took advantage of this Dragon''s body, but if it is you, I can ept it."


    "You won''t get mad?"


    "If this was a Crystal Dragon, then yes. However, it is a Golden Dragon, and he reminds me of that standoffish brother of mine. I''m sure that he would be pissed as hell if he ever saw youmanding an Undead Golden Dragon."


    "Um, wouldn''t that be bad?" Cai, who was listening to their conversation,mented.


    Although it still hadn''t seen the Dragon King, basing on how he treated Lux, the Boar was sure that the Half-Elf would be in trouble once the Undead Golden Dragon''s existence was discovered.


    Keoza once again chuckled before saying in an evil tone.


    "He doesn''t need to know, and even if he doese to know, there is nothing he can do about it," Keoza replied. "Just don''t go wagging this dead Dragon in his face, and he can still turn a blind eye to it.


    "Since it is an Ancient Dragon, you can just say that you found it somewhere while exploring thends of Elysium. Our kind is free to go wherever we wish, after all. Even the Dragon King cannotmand us to stay in Karshvar Draconis for eternity."


    Lux nodded his head before summoning Asmodeus by his side.


    "What a fantastic specimen!" the Archlich eximed as soon as he saw the dead Dragon in front of him. "You found a great treasure, Master. However, may I offer some advice?"


    "Speak your mind, Asmodeus," Lux replied. "The reason I summoned you is because I want to discuss how we should handle this Dragon corpse."


    The Archlich smiled as his bony hands caressed the head of the golden dragon, as if trying to better understand its history.


    "Frankly speaking, we have three methods we can use in order to utilize this Dragon corpse to our maximum advantage," Asmodeus stated. "The first one is to fuse Keoza''s soul with it, allowing this Dragon to gain a fraction of its power. If we''re lucky, the Undead Dragon will be revived with Dreadnaught Rank. If not, the lowest it can go is still Argonaut."


    The Arclich paused and gave the Dragon Token a side-long nce before shifting his attention back to his Master.


    "The second option is to, of course, turn it into an Undead Dragon, and make it a part of your Undead Legion," Asmodeus stated. "It is a shame, but you can''t make it part of your Necromancer''s Covenant because only sentient Undead Creatures or newly revived Undead that haven''t been dead for more than a month can be part of it.


    "This Dragon has been dead for hundreds of years now, and the most you can do is to revive it and make it the Commander of your Animated Undead Legion. But, doing so will be doing great disservice to this magnificent creature.


    "Master, right now, you are only a Grade A Apostle, and not even an Initiate. If you revive this Monster, its strength would only match yours, which isn''t a good thing. Also, knowing you, you''d probably spend a lot of Beast Cores to raise its rank, which is a very normal thing to do, but that is not very cost effective.


    "It will be much better if you just upgrade us with those Beast Cores, rather than spend it on this thing."


    The Archlich chuckled before leaning on the dead dragon''s body with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Thest option is to, of course, store this dragon''s body inside ckfire. Although you cannot revive it using its powers, ckfire can easily store any dead creatures inside it, simr to an enchanted Beast Ring.


    "I suggest that you wait until you be a Ranker before you raise it as an Undead Dragon. That way, this Dragon corpse will not be wasted and will be put to good use once you reach that threshold."


    After hearing the Arclich''s exnation, Lux nced at the floating Dragon Token beside him.


    "No need to concern yourself with me," Keoza said. "I am not interested in having a physical body right now."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding before looking at the Giant Corpse in front of him.


    "ckfire, swallow it," Lux ordered.


    Immediately, a ck coffin materialized behind Lux''s back and sucked the Dragon''s corpse into itself by turning it into particles of light.


    The Half-Elf knew that Asmodeus'' words were right. Currently, he had neither the rank nor the ability to maximize the Dragon corpse to its fullest potential.


    Since that was the case, he would just wait until he became a Ranker before summoning one of the strongest Undead Creatures that every necromancer wished to have under theirmand.

 Chapter 432 The Path Of Myths [Part 1]

    After retrieving the corpse of the Golden Dragon, Lux, Cai, and Keane all returned to their Guild Headquarters using teleportation magic.


    Since their Guild Headquarters had finished construction, the members of Heaven''s Gate could freely teleport to it once a day.


    There were, of course, other methods. As long as they entered any kind of teleportation gate, they could teleport to their Guild Headquarters as often as they wished.


    "Since this is a special asion, I personally gave Boreas and his men a day off, so they could alsoe here to celebrate the construction of our Guild Headquarters," Thoram said with a smile. "They will be here in a while. I asked them to get some good booze and food from the Stronghold."


    "Aron is doing the same," Cedwyn said. "All the Guards that are part of the Guild will be bringing foods and drinks here as well."


    "Hahaha! Good. It''s been a while since I had a good drink. I usually have too much work."


    "Indeed. Having a day off once or twice a month is good for our health."


    The Commander of the Stronghold of Norria as well as the Vige Head of Leaf Vigeughed together as they temporarily escaped from their duties for a day.


    "We''re here!" Laura shouted as she approached, carrying a basket of sandwiches.


    Livia, her twin, was also carrying a simr basket as she followed behind her sister.


    "Be careful, both of you," Sid said with a helpless smile as he looked at his two little sisters fondly.


    He returned to Leaf Vige temporarily to look after his sisters since Cadmus and the Kobolds had gone to help Lux in Karshvar Draconis.


    Bedivere, Heidi, and her mother, Lilia, also arrived because they were also registered as members of Heaven''s Gate.


    Two hourster, all of the members of Heaven''s Gate had appeared in the Guild Headquarters to take part in the grand celebration of the construction of their Guild Headquarters.


    "Everyone, thank you foring on such short notice," Lux said. "Constructing our Guild Headquarters is merely the beginning of our journey. In time, we will rise and make a name for ourselves, cing our mark in the history books! Everyone, I ask you to do your utmost to increase your abilities in order to help our guild grow."


    Lux then raised the mug of fruit juice in his hands before breaking into a smile.


    "For the Guild!"


    """For the Guild!"""


    Cethus, who was also holding a mug of mead in his hands, looked at the rowdy bunch with disdain.


    ''cing your mark in the history books?'' Cethusughed internally. ''What a delusional bunch.''


    The ck-scaled Dragon Born didn''t think much of Lux. In his eyes, a castle made of marble wasn''t that impressive.


    The pce of the Dragon King was more impressive, so even though he was a little surprised that Lux decided to build a castle in the region that was given to him, he still looked down on him and his guild. For him, they were nothing but people from the lower realm.


    Lux and his guild members, who were not aware of the Dragon Born''s disdain for them, all drank happily.


    However, after only taking a few sips, all of them froze as they heard the sound of a notification inside their heads.


    A momentter, several rows of text appeared in front of them, making all the members of Heaven''s Gate gasp in shock.


    ��--------


    < The Path of Myths >


    < Mythical Guild, Hidden Quest Completed! >


    < Building your Guild Headquarters and Guild Facilities! >


    < This is a chain quest. As you continue to grow your guild, you will continue to receive bonuses and great rewards! >


    < Reward >


    +1,000 Free Stat Points


    �C The Bonus Stat Points will also apply to all Beast Companions, Summons, and Mounts that belong to the Guild Members!


    �C Guild members who join in the future will also receive this reward. If they leave the guild, this reward will disappear.


    ��--------


    Lux blinked once then twice as he read the information in front of him.


    He didn''t expect anything like this to happen. However, the unexpected reward was something that put a smile on his face.


    Without further dy, the Half-Elf added the free stats points to his Soul Book, allowing him to step a little closer to the Initiate Rank.


    ��-----------


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: Grade A Apostle


    Health: 123,000 / 123,000


    Mana: 49,000 / 49,000


    Strength: 650


    Intelligence: 850


    Vitality: 660


    Agility: 600


    Dexterity: 600


    Special Abilities: Skill Evolution [EX], Mana Drain [EX], Item Transmutation [EX], Warrior''s Luck [EX], Doppelganger [EX], Air Strider [EX], Dragon''s Fear [EX], Elemental Shield [EX], Abyss Touch [EX], Guardian''s Call, Dragon''s Heart [EX], Dragon''s Scale [EX], Corpse Explosion [EX], Undying Fervor [EX], Decaying Touch [EX], Animate Undead [EX], Skeleton Make [EX]


    Special Body Constitution: Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy


    Summoning Skills. Summon Diablo, Summon Ishtar, Summon Pazuzu, Summon Orion, Summon Asmodeus, Summon Skeleton Gang Bangers, Summon Skeleton Grand Archers.


    Necromancer''s Covenant


    �C Dragon Knight Bedivere


    Active Skills: Power Shot, Dark Arrow, Void Arrow, Fury sh, Double Fury sh, Battle Cry,  Improved Jade Body (Mass Buff), Spinning des, Bone Wall, Barbed Bones, Sky-High Rush, Gale Storm,


    Passive Skills: Enhanced Fortitude, Expert Parry, Tempest Fury, Last Stand, Sticky Foot, Very Tough.


    Title: Apprentice cksmith, Negotiator, Outbreak Survivor, Eternal Guardian, Princess Knight


    ��-----------


    To reach the Initiate Rank, one had to have abined stat points of 5,000.


    Right now, Lux''sbined stats had surpassed 3,000, inching closer to the goal he wanted to reach.


    ording to Thoram, once someone stepped into the Initiate Rank, they would be given the opportunity to upgrade their Profession to its next advanced grade.


    Currently, Lux was a Necromancer. Once he upgraded his Job Profession, he would be able to gain more skills, stats, and abilities that would make him stronger.


    His Thunder Warg King, Jed, had also been upgraded to a Rank 4 Monster, alongside the other wargs that were currently serving Lux.


    The Half-Elf also checked the stats of his Skeleton Army, as well as his Named Creatures, and found out that all of them had received the additional stat points as well.


    The most surprising part was Eiko''s personal page in Lux''s Soul Book. The baby Slime''s rank didn''t change, even though she had received a great boost in status points.


    ��----


    < Eiko >


    "The world is my oyster!"


    �C Named Slime Monster


    �C Princess Slime


    �C Rating: E+


    �C Progress ( 0 / 40,000)


    Health: 29,100 / 29,100


    Mana: 55,000 / 55,000


    Strength: 322


    Intelligence: 1,100


    Vitality: 382


    Agility: 322


    Dexterity: 322


    ��---------


    < Diablo >


    "Finally a worthy opponent. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    �C Named Skeleton


    �C Death Knight


    �C Rating: S


    �C Progress ( 0 / 20,000)


    Health: 72,400 / 72,400


    Mana: 36,200  / 36,200


    Attack Type: Ethereal Damage


    Strength: 363 (+21)


    Intelligence: 342 (+20)


    Vitality: 371 (+22)


    Agility: 375 (+22)


    Dexterity: 342(+22)


    ��-----------


    < Pazuzu >


    "Have no fear! Pazuzu is here!"


    �C Fortress Defender


    �C Rating: S


    �C Progress ( 0 / 20,000)


    Health: 243,000 / 243,000


    Mana: 30,000 / 30,000


    Attack Type: Bludgeoning Physical Damage


    Strength: 300


    Intelligence: 300


    Vitality: 810


    Agility: 300


    Dexterity: 300


    ��-------


    < Ishtar >


    "Let the living beware."


    �C Nightstalker


    �C Rating: S


    �C Progress (0 / 20,000)


    Health: 76,000 / 76,000


    Mana: 36,500 / 36,500


    Attack Type: Ranged Ice Damage


    ? Strength: 360


    Intelligence: 365


    Vitality: 380


    Agility: 365


    Dexterity: 325


    ��-------


    < Orion >


    "Where there is no struggle, there is no Strength."


    �C Named Golem


    �C Jade Golem


    �C Rating: S


    �C Mana 100


    �C Progress ( 0 / 20,000)


    Health: 350,000 / 350,000


    Mana: 25,000  /  25,000


    Attack Type: Earth Elemental Damage


    Strength: 500


    Intelligence: 250


    Vitality: 500


    Agility: 250


    Dexterity: 300


    ��--------


    < Asmodeus >


    "I stopped fighting my inner demons. We are on the same side now."


    �C Named Skeleton Mage


    �C Archlich


    �C Rating: S


    �C Progress ( 0 / 40,000)


    Attack Type: Necrotic Damage


    Health: 42,000 / 42,000


    Mana: 440,000 / 440,000


    Strength: 325


    Intelligence: 1,100


    Vitality: 420


    Agility: 325


    Dexterity: 325


    ��--------


    Aside from the great boost that his baby Slime, as well as his Named Creatures received, Lux was also extremely happy that his Skeleton Gangbangers, Skeleton Grand Archers, Skeleton Mages, and Rock Golems had now be Rank 4 Monsters, making them quite formidable.


    Naturally, it was not only Lux who received this grand upgrade. All of the members of Heaven''s Gate received it as well, making the old Dwarves Cedwyn, Randolph, and Grandma Annie feel like they had been given a new lease on life.

 Chapter 433 The Path Of Myths [Part 2]

    "Oh My God! My Fei Fei is now stronger than ever!" Cai praised the baby golden Slime that was perched on its head, Fei Fei also felt happy since her stats was now equal with a Rank 4 Monster''s, despite the fact that she had been born not long ago.


    "Da Wae!" Fei Fei shouted, making its Master, Cai, continue praising her.


    Not far from them, Laura and Livia looked at Sid in surprise, and their dependable older brother only smiled and patted their heads.


    "Just because the two of you have gotten a little stronger doesn''t mean that you girls can be careless when you go on adventures around Leaf Vige," Sid said with a serious look on his face. "Since both of you are apprentice Alchemists, make sure to listen to Grandma Annie so that you will be able to wield these newfound powers. This reminder also applies to your Beast Companions, Cora and Nora."


    Laura''s and Livia''s Slimes had also be Rank 4 Monsters thanks to the unexpected upgrade that they received.


    "Wow!" Cora, who was Laura''s baby slime, eximed.


    "Yay!" Nora, who belonged to Livia, jumped happily beside her Master.


    "Cora, you can now talk properly!" Laura picked up her baby Slime and spun her round and round.


    "Nora, good job," Livia also picked up Nora and patted her head, making the baby Slime smile.


    Bedivere was part of Lux''s Covenant, and his Master''s strength was his strength. The higher Lux''s personal stats were, the higher his stats would be as well.


    Heidi and Lilia were just as shocked as Laura and Livia because they didn''t expect that they would also receive a status upgrade, but after Lux gave everyone a reminder that Cethus was observing them, they decided to talk using the Guild Chats special function, which was through telepathy.


    "Cedie, you''ve be stronger as well," Heidi said as she picked up her baby Slime, whom she had chosen on the same day that Cai had chosen Fei Fei as her own Beast Companion.


    "Un!" the baby Slime nodded, rejoicing the fact that it had grown stronger.


    Cethus, who was observing them from the side, frowned.


    He felt a sudden surge of power thatsted for a few seconds, and yet, something seemed to have instantly changed with the members of Lux''s Guild, making him wonder if he was just overthinking things.


    ''Must be my imagination,'' Cethus thought as he sipped the mead on his mug and continued observing the Guild that belonged to the Half-Elf.


    The partysted all through the night, but the children retired early. Since the castle had plenty of rooms, Lilia took Laura, Livia, and Heidi to a room where the three of them could sleep together.


    While the children slept, the adults gathered and discussed the next course of action for their guild.


    "There is a very dangerous Domain that I want to visit," Lux said through the guild chat, informing his guild members. "It is called the Domain of the Fallen. Its location is far from the Kingdom of Gweliven, so I can''t take all of you with me."


    Lux paused as he looked at Cai, Keane, and Sid, which were the only ones he could bring with him to his journey to challenge the Domain that was coveted by the Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, as well as the Xynnar War Pact.


    This three-way power struggle had be a problem as ofte, but for Lux, it wasn''t a problem.


    As one of the people who could freely enter the Domain at any given time, the restrictions that were imposed on the others didn''t affect him.


    "This Domain has a Dungeon, which we call the Sacred Dungeon," Lux continued his exnation. "There are five gates in it, and each of them is respectively marked with the words Death, Famine, War, and Conquest. So far, we have conquered two of them, which were Death and Conquest."


    Lux''s guild members listened seriously to him because they had a feeling that there was a reason why the Half-Elf was telling this information to them.


    "Everytime I conquer one of the dungeons, I receive a key that will allow me to go to an SSS-Ranked Kingdom," Lux stated. "Currently, I have two of these keys that would allow me to visit two of these Legendary Kingdoms. Do any of you know about the Kingdom of Agartha and the Elven Kingdom of Espoir Frieden?"


    Cedwyn, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Thoram, Ken, Boreas, and Aron, looked at the Half-Elf in shock.


    "D-Did you just say Kingdom of Agartha?" Cedwyn''s body shuddered from the surprise and excitement that he was feeling at the moment.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Do you know of it, Sir Cedwyn?"


    "Of course we know of it!" Randolph interjected in the discussion. "Agartha is the legendary kingdom that was said to be located near this world''s core that has stood since time immemorial. For us, dwarves, it is the Holy City that we would never see in our lifetime. Are you sure that we are talking about the same Agartha?!"


    Lux nodded his head firmly, making the Dwarves look at him as if he was Santa us, who hade to give them presents.


    "Due to various restrictions, I can only visit Agartha after reaching the Initiate Rank," Lux exined. "As for the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden, I can only go to it after I be a Ranker."


    Grandma Annie, who was chewing on fried peanuts, raised her head to ask Lux a question.


    "ording to what I know about the Kingdom of Agartha, this is a kingdom that was founded in order to protect this World''s Core from danger," Grandma Annie stated. "It will not be an exaggeration to say that its inhabitants are incredibly strong. Perhaps, just as strong as those who live in the capital city of Karshvar Draconis, which is under the protection of the Dragon King."


    Lux nodded his head in agreement. When he just arrived in Rex Lapis, all of the guards that encircled him were Rankers.


    This meant that the military might of the Dragon Kingdom was very high, dwarfing the power of the Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, as well as Xynnar War Pactbined.


    Simply put, they were Kingdoms which must not be offended no matter what, or one would risk their own nation''s annihtion should any of these SSS-Ranked Kingdoms decide to retaliate.


    "Us, Dwarves, know of its existence, but we don''t know where it is," Kenmented. "You know, I once told myself that if I can see the walls of Agartha, I can die happily afterwards. I guess I''ll just have to wait until you be an Initiate, right?"


    Ken chuckled, making the other Dwarfs smile. If they could hitch a ride with Lux to see this fabled kingdom, they would definitely jump at the opportunity once it presented itself.


    "I can''t make any promises, but if it is possible, I''ll take you guys with me," Lux said with a smile.


    After talking for a bit more, the Half-Elf didn''t gain much information about Espoir Frieden.


    The Dwarves had interacted with elves, but they had never seen High-Elves. Also, they didn''t really care much about the Kingdom of the Elves because, for them, they had no reasons to visit the Elves and appreciate their culture.


    "If you are going to challenge those three remaining Dungeons in the Domain of the fallen, make sure to take extra care," Thorammented. "ording to what you told us, the members of the Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, and Xynnar War Pact are desperately trying to clear the dungeons themselves. This means that the slots that you, Cai, and Keane possess are something that they would fight for, which will cause a lot of strife, possibly endangering the three of you as well."


    Cedwyn nodded. "I advise that you no longer hold an auction for them. Just let them enter the dungeon for free and get it over with."


    "Eh? But getting free resources is good!" Caimented. "Isn''t that right, Fei Fei?"


    "Right," Fei Fei replied.


    After getting her stat boost, all the Slimes'' ability to talk was upgraded as well. They were now able to form words properly, but Fei Fei would still say "Da Wae!" from time to time.


    "Right now, we need to grow and not make enemies," Ken said. "Also, politics is a nasty thing. It is best that we stay clear from it for now."


    Lux agreed with what his guild members were saying. There was also an issue with letting the members of the Storm Dragons enter the Sacred Dungeon in order to pay back the Wildgarde Stronghold for taking care of Lux when he was young.


    He didn''t mind doing this because he owed them a lot. The only reason why he didn''t want to cooperate at the beginning was due to his grudge against Nero, but he had already decided to not let this affect his decision when it came to the stronghold''s growth as a whole.


    "Understood," Lux stated. "For now, I will leave the matters of the Ars General Store to you, Sir Ken."


    The Half-Elf then nced at his Master, Randolph, and gave him a thumbs up. "Master, the smithy is ready for you to use anytime. I will be gone for a month or two, so I will not be able to be here in the Guild Headquarters during my expedition in the Dungeon.


    "Grandma Annie, the Alchemy Room is also ready and waiting for you. I already bought an Advanced Alchemy Recipe Book and ced it on the bookshelf of the Alchemy Room."


    "Thank you, Lux," Grandma Annie replied. "I will do my best."


    Since Lux was nning to take Bedivere with him on the Dungeon Expedition, he would not be able to put the Bestiary to good use. For now, he decided to ask Cethus if he could find him a Beast Breeder or Beast Tamer who could help him look for flying beasts in the areas surrounding Karshvar Draconis.


    He hoped that when he returned, the flying mounts of the Guild would be ready, waiting to be used by his Guild Members.

 Chapter 434 Mischievous Little Bombardiers

    In a ce where the adults weren''t looking, several baby Slimes huddled together.


    Eiko looked at her friends with a smile as she took out several red Beast Cores from her storage bag.


    Fei Fei, Cora, Nora, and Cedie looked at the cores in front of them with curious gazes.


    "This?" Fei Fei asked as she looked at the Beast Cores that Eiko wanted to give them.


    "Boom Boom!" Eiko replied with a mischievous smile.


    "Boom?" Cora asked.


    "Boom Boom?" Nora tilted her head.


    "Boom��" Cedie blinked in confusion.


    Eiko nodded. "Boom Boom Boom!"


    While their Guild Headquarters was under construction, Eiko spent her time ying with the Bomb Lover, Glee.


    The two hit it off right away because Eiko had also developed a fondness for things that exploded. As if finding her soulmate, Glee decided to share dozens of Beast Cores with Eiko, which were all from the same Monster.


    The name of the Monster was the Bombardier Gori.


    The Gori was a Rank 4 Monster and lived in mountainous regions, especially near volcanoes.


    The thing that made this Monster dangerous was its ability called "st Bombs", which was its one and only skill.


    This Monster hurled red metallic balls at its enemies which exploded upon impact. These red balls could also be detonated remotely, allowing the Bombardier Gori to ambush unwary adventurers and prey, who traveled deep inside its territory.


    Wanting to share her hobby, Glee was always on the lookout for like-minded people who had a passion for destroying things using bombs. Because of this, she hunted Bombardier Goris on a regr basis, taking their Beast Core, in the hope that she would be able to spread the skill "st Bombs" to the people who shared the same hobbies.


    Eiko knew that the baby Slimes didn''t have any powerful skills that they could use to attack other Monsters.


    That was why she decided to share with her friends some of the Beast Cores that were given to her by Glee, which Eiko nned to share with the other Slimes in Leaf Vige as well.


    Fei Fei, who had long wanted to acquire a strong attacking ability, didn''t hesitate and swallowed the Beast Core before chewing it like it was a piece of candy.


    After seeing Fei Fei eat the Beast Core, the other Slimes no longer hesitated and ate the Beast Core in front of them.


    Since they were the Beast Companions of the members of Heaven''s Gate, all of them benefited from the 100% chance to acquire skills through consuming Beast Cores.


    While the baby Slimes were chewing the Beast Cores, a shadow descended upon them, which made them all raise their heads at the same time.


    "What are you little ones doing?" Cai asked in curiosity. "What are you guys eating?"


    "Boom Boom!" Eiko said as she took out a Red Beast Core and rolled it over to Cai''s hoof.


    "Boom Boom?" Cai tilted its head before looking down on the Beast Core in front of it.


    "Un!" Eiko nodded her head.


    Cai, who still didn''t know what Boom Boom meant, decided to absorb the Beast Core in front of it.


    Although the Boar didn''t know what Eiko meant, she knew that absorbing the Beast Core wouldn''t bring it any harm.


    < You have acquired the skill st Bombs. >


    Out of curiosity, Cai looked at the information of the skill in its Soul Book.


    A momentter, loud explosions were heard near the crater, making everyone, who wasn''t aware of what was happening,e out of their Guild Headquarters with their weapons drawn.


    "What''s wrong?! Are we under attack?!" Randolph was one of the first people to emerge from the castle, carrying his war hammer, ready to smash anyone that dared to invade their headquarters.


    Lux had also arrived at the scene and was about to summon his Skeleton Army when he noticed that Cai, as well as the baby Slimes, having fun throwing exploding bombs, while riding on top of the shameless boar.


    "False rm, everyone." Lux sighed in relief as he ced his arms over his waist as he looked at theughing Boar, who was running around the crater while carrying the baby Slimes on its back, who were like small terrorists, throwing bombs in their surroundings and setting off consecutive explosions.


    It was the day after the party, and all of them were about to return to their respective duties, leaving only some of the Kobolds behind to mine the mountains around their Guild Headquarters.


    Lux, Cai, and Keane would return to Sis and head straight to Wildgarde Stronghold, while Thoram and Ken would return to the Stronghold of Norria.


    Cedwyn, Grandma Annie, the Elders, Bedivere, Lilia, Heidi, Laura, and Livia, would return to Leaf Vige as well.


    As for Randolph, he decided to stay at the Guild Headquarters to experiment with forging the Draconium Ore that Lux had given him.


    The Dwarf said that he wouldn''t be able to sit still unless he tried to craft using the rare ore at least once, so Lux decided to let him do as he pleased.


    "Cai, we''re leaving!" Lux shouted to catch the Boar''s attention.


    Knowing that their y time was now over, the little Bombardiers that sat on the Boar''s back stopped throwing bombs and looked innocently at their owners as if nothing had happened.


    Lux knew that this was Eiko''s doing because he had seen the baby Slime use the same skill when she was still ying with Glee.


    However, since no harm was done, he decided to turn a blind eye to Eiko''s mischief and talk to her at ater time about the proper use of explosives.


    "Everyone, I''ll inform you if something unexpected happens," Lux said as he faced his Guild Members. "If therees a time that I need everyone''s help once again, I will not hesitate to ask."


    "Hahaha! As long as we are able to, then we will certainly help," Thoram said. "It has been a while since I gained some stats. Doing office work has made me a little rusty."


    "Indeed," Kenmented. "Handling the paperwork without stretching our muscles is not good in the long run."


    Grandma Annie smiled. "As long as it will not break my old bones, I am willing to lend a hand."


    "Me as well," Cedwyn dered as if he had regained a second wind, allowing him to return to his youthful glory. "Right now, I feel like I can even fight Dragon Borns."


    "Oh really?" Cethus, who was standing not far away, arched an eyebrow. "How about we put your words to the test?"


    "It was just a joke, Sir Dragon Born. Doesn''t your race have some sense of humor?"


    "Tch!"


    Cethus clicked his tongue at the old Dwarf and decided to ignore him. When Lux told him that he would be leaving Karshvar Draconis for a month or two, he didn''t believe it right away.


    Because of this, he decided to keep watch and see for himself if the Half-Elf was really going to leave for a long time, or if he would sneak back inside his Guild Headquarters when the Dragon Born wasn''t around.


    Since he was tasked to be Lux''s observer, he would not allow the Half-Elf to sneak past him. If the red-headed teenager were to cause trouble somewhere in the Dragon Kingdom, the one who would carry the me was none other than him!


    Lux, who was unaware of what Cethus was thinking, bid his goodbye to everyone and stepped into the portal.


    His destination was none other than Wildgarde Stronghold, whose coordinates had already been registered in the Teleportation Gate of his Guild Headquarters.

 Chapter 435 If They Want A Fight, They Will Have A Fight!

    After Lux had disappeared from Wildgarde Stronghold, his friends and the elderly that had a good rtionship with him and Vera had be quite worried about the two of them.


    Vera''s disappearance had caused a great stir, since even her fellow Guardians didn''t know her current condition, except for Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer, who had been told by Alexander that his mother was in critical condition and was in an intensive care unit that forbade any visits from anyone who wanted to see her.


    The moment the Half-Elf stepped out of the Teleportation Gate with Cai and Keane, news of his arrival traveled all over the entire Stronghold like wildfire.


    It didn''t even take ten minutes before Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer came to look for him to ask about Vera''s current condition.


    "Grandma is recovering well," Lux replied. "I''m sure that the next time you see her, all of you will be very surprised."


    The trace of mischievousness in the Half-Elf''s tone didn''t escape the three Rankers, which made them breathe a sigh of relief.


    If Lux was able to joke about his grandma''s condition, it meant that Vera was no longer in danger and would soon return to the Stronghold.


    Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer, followed Lux back to his home because they still had a lot of sensitive questions to ask, which were not meant to be heard by the public.


    A few minutester, the three Guardians, along with Cai and Keane, entered Lux''s home.


    There they sat in the living room, while Lux prepared to serve them some snacks and tea. When the preparations were done, the Half-Elf also sat and waited for his seniors to ask him the question that had been bugging them for quite some time.


    "After you founded your Guild, you left to go to Elysium again, but no one knew where you were," Gerald said. "The Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact have been looking not only for you, but for Cai and Keane as well. The three of you hold the precious slots to enter the Domain of the Fallen, and they badly want to negotiate with you for the opportunity to enter it once more.


    "Emperor Andreas had even sent his Ambassador to formally apologize for what happened in their territory when you were still doing your Trial of Leadership."


    Lux snorted after hearing Gerald''s words.


    If it weren''t for his Grandma, he would have been seriously injured in the City of Dainsleif, which belonged to the Vahan Empire.


    To this day, Lux still held a grudge against Emperor Andreas for setting up a farce just to teach him a lesson.


    Vera was still recuperating inside ckfire because she had forced herself to appear despite the fact that she still hadn''t fully recovered.


    Although Lux wasn''t too worried about her Rank going down, he still didn''t want his Grandma to suffer because of him. For him, Vera and Iris were his only family in the world, and he would kill anyone who dared to hurt them.


    As for Alexander, the Half-Elf didn''t have to worry about his safety because his Stepfather was a Saint.


    He would be more worried about the people who were foolish enough to get on his bad side.


    "Einar, Val, and Xander must be feeling pretty anxious right now." Lux chuckled. "Sucks to be them."


    Natasha shook her head. "You have no idea. Those three are at their wit''s ends because they didn''t want to offend anyone. Right now, they have implemented a rotation system where the Six Kingdoms, the Skystead Alliance, and the Xynnar War Pact would take their turns exploring the Domain of the Fallen and Sacred Dungeon, one after the other.


    "This is working at the moment, but I''m sure that all of them are getting impatient by theck of opportunities to explore the Dungeon in full. It will still take at least seven or eight months before the Domain reopens for everyone, and when that happens, everyone would definitely fight for the quotas to enter it."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. "If I remember correctly, only 500 slots are avable each time the Domain of the Fallen opens to the public, right?"


    "Right," Gerald replied. "By then, everyone might get a better chance to explore freely, but now, it is only you kids who hold the key to enter the Domain of the Fallen. All of you are like hot potatoes that everyone wants to take a bite out of."


    Lux smiled because he understood that what Gerald was saying was true, however, he had other ns for the time being.


    "I came here because I n to go to the Domain of the Fallen with Cai and Keane," Lux stated. "Also, I n to keep my promise to the Stronghold about sending fifteen members of the Storm Dragon Guild to explore it."


    Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer looked at the Half-Elf as if he was an ancestor who hade back to life to give them gifts for being good boys and girls.


    "This is indeed good news, but I''m afraid that the Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, and Xynnar War Pact wouldn''t like it," Rainer said as he rubbed his chin. "The entrance to the Domain is being managed by thebined forces of the three factions, and no one would be able to go inside without their approval."


    Lux arched an eyebrow after hearing this development. However, he already had a n in mind to pacify the three factions.


    "Tell the Ambassador of each faction that I n to let them use our slots for free after Wildgarde Stronghold has had their turn," Lux stated. "We will no longer hold an auction for the limited slots and allow everyone in each faction to enter it once a month.


    "We will go with the rotation system that Einar, Val, and Xander are implementing right now. If we follow this format, each faction will be able to send thirty of their members inside the Dungeon, which is a sizable force, allowing them to clear one of the gates in Hell Mode. I''m sure they would like this offer very much."


    Gerald, Natasha, and Rainer nced at each other before nodding their heads in agreement.


    "Very well, we will go with this n," Gerald said as he stood up from his seat. "I will contact their people right now and discuss the conditions that you have presented. What should I say if they try to impose other conditions before they agree to your proposal?"


    Lux smirked as he gazed at themander of Wildgarde Stronghold, who was unable to sit still knowing that their own force would be able to monopolize the Domain of the Fallen for a time.


    "Simple," Lux replied. "Just tell them that the deal is off. If they want to block our way then we can always ask Cai''s Grandpa and my Stepfather to escort us to the entrance of the Domain. That way, even if they want to say something, they will have no choice but to hold their tongue. Cai''s Grandpa is notorious for being a hot-head, and I''m sure that not even the Skystead Alliance wants to be on his bad side."


    "Ahem!" Cai raised its snout proudly because, for it, its Grandpa was its idol. "Those little sh*ts won''t dare to say anything once my grandpa is there. If they want a fight, they will have a fight!"


    Keane, who was calmly drinking his tea on the side, was quite impressed by the Boar''s unwavering confidence to its grandfather.


    Gerald also thought that this was a good countermeasure in case the other parties decide to ask for something unreasonable.


    After finalizing the details with Lux, the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold went to Elysium to have a meeting with the Ambassadors of all sides.


    Meanwhile, Natasha and Rainer summoned Nero to tell him the details of the expedition to the Domain of the Fallen.


    Now that Lux had decided to let their Stronghold take the spotlight, they must do everything in their power to ensure that they would return home with as many gains as possible by the time their expedition was over.


    After the three adults left, the Half-Elf told Cai and Keane to rest for the time being because they would be going to the Domain of the Fallen the following day.


    Back then, they had entered the Gate of War, while the representatives of the Vahan Empire entered the Gate of Conquest.


    The Half-Elf was very curious whether he would meet Watson and Sherlock again if he entered the Gate of Conquest this time around.


    ''I hope I see them there again,'' Lux thought as the image of the two leading figures of the Gnome Kingdom appeared inside his head.


    If his hunch proved to be true, then it might allow him to gain a better understanding about how the Gates of the Sacred Dungeon worked, and the possibility of predicting what would happen the next time they enter its doors.

 Chapter 436 The Vahan Empire’s Proposal

    Gerald, the Ambassadors of the Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, as well as the Xynnar War Pact, met at the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen to discuss the contents of Lux''s proposal.


    "So, in exchange for allowing your own faction''s brats to explore the Domain of the Fallen, and challenge the Sacred Dungeon, we no longer have to pay for the slots of that Half-Elf and his twockeys, right?" the Ambassador from the Vahan Empire asked.


    "Yes," Gerald answered. "That is what Lux told me."


    "Hoh�� this sure is a tempting offer, but it doesn''t sit well with me," the Ambassador from the Xynnar War Pact said. "Since the Wildgarde Stronghold are our allies, wouldn''t it be better if you just give those slots to us instead? That way the rtionship between us and the Six Kingdoms will remain strong. Isn''t that right, my friend?"


    The Ambassador of the Xynnar War Pact nced in the direction of the Ambasador of the Six Kingdoms, which wasposed of the Kingdoms that belonged in Sis.


    "Hahaha, our rtionship has always been good," the Ambassador of the Six Kingdoms replied. "This is why I believe that you should allow us to explore the Domain first. Also, need I remind everyone here that we have alreadypromised a lot when we gave therger portion of our quota to both of your factions?"


    Although the Ambassador of the Six Kingdoms didn''t like the fact that the Wildgarde Stronghold would monopolize Lux''s slots to enter the Domain of the Fallen, he simply couldn''t allow the two other factions to always get their way.


    "Out of the 500 slots that were allowed to enter the Domain of the Fallen, the Six Kingdoms only took 100, giving 200 each to the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact," the Ambassador continued. "With this, you guys have the advantage in numbers when the Domain opens for everyone in seven months time.


    "Didn''t you hear the Half-Elf''s proposal? The Wildgarde Stronghold''s monopoly will only be a one time thing, and the next sessions will be given to all of us in rotation for free. I say that this is a good opportunity to increase the number of explorers that we can send into the Dungeon. After all, the monsters inside it are very strong."


    The Ambassador made sure that he said thest words firmly, reminding the two factions that they had already lost a significant number of elite teenagers inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    While it was true that dying inside the Sacred Dungeon wasn''t a permanent death, the trip to reach the Dungeon was a dangerous one.


    In fact, it was so dangerous that sometimes, more than half of the people they sent were killed before they even reached the location of the Sacred Dungeon, and their deaths were a permanent one.


    There were no second chances.


    There were no Redos.


    Each Faction had already lost dozens of promising members of the young generation, making them understand how merciless the Domain of the Fallen was.


    A brief silence descended upon the meeting as the other Ambassadors digested the words that were said by their colleague.


    "Tell me, will that Half-Elf also enter the Sacred Dungeon and try to conquer one of its gates?" one of the Rankers asked.


    "... You''re Aron, right?" Gerald asked the Ranker who also served as Emperor Andreas'' right-hand man.


    He was also the High-Ranker who had faced Vera in the Coliseum when Lux''s Grandma was about to deal with the Ranker that tried to harm her grandson.


    "Yes," Aron replied. "I was sent here by His Majesty to supervise the negotiations. So, will that boy, Lux, once again challenge one of the Gates in the Sacred Dungeon?"


    Gerald nodded. "That is his intention."


    "Good then how about we do it like this," Aron stated. "Currently, Xander, Einar Mordosk, and Vaki Meitar are scheduled to bring our people to the Sacred Dungeon in a week''s time. Why don''t we bring five people from the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms, to apany Lux to clear the Dungeon he ns to challenge? That way, not only will it be easier, the chances of clearing it will also be higher, right?"


    The Ambassadors and the Rankers of the other Kingdoms, who were also present in the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen all realized what Aron was suggesting.


    Lux, as well as his friends, were the only people that had managed to clear two of the five gates of the Sacred Dungeon.


    Since he was going to challenge them a third time, Aron believed that the Half-Elf had the confidence that he would be able to clear it.


    If the Half-Elf managed to clear it with their own elites working alongside him, they would also gain the recognition of the Sacred Dungeon, allowing them to bring their own people inside it, simr to what Lux, and his friends were doing right now.


    Of course, if Aron only said that only the members of the Skystead Alliance would enter alongside Lux, he would be facing harsh opposition from their counterparts.


    However, since he said that they would each send five of their members to apany Lux, that meant that all of them would gain five people that could potentially bring their own faction inside the Domain of the Fallen, without needing to wait for the Half-Elf to bring them inside.


    Of course, this would only work if the Dungeon was cleared. But, Aron believed that Lux would be able to do it.


    This was also the opinion of the others, making Gerald reconsider sending the Storm Dragons to explore on their own.


    ''If Nero''s Guild also apanied Lux, and they managed to clear one of the dungeons, that would mean that the people on our side could gain the authority to bring more people from our faction inside in the future,'' Gerald thought. ''This Aron is very devious, trying to gain an advantage even in this situation, but his idea isn''t bad. If everyone were to work together to clear a dungeon, I believe that our chances of sess would indeed be higher.''


    All the Ambassadors were smart individuals, so they already grasped what Aron was hinting at.


    "I agree with this proposal." The Ambassador of the Skystead Alliance nodded. "How about the rest of you?"


    "I have no objections," the Ambassador of the Xynnar War Pact replied.


    "No objections from me as well," the Ambassador of the Six Kingdoms smiled, agreeing with this arrangement.


    "Good, it''s settled then," Aron said as he shifted his gaze towards Gerald, who was the Commander of the Stronghold that Lux was currently living in. "Tell Lux that we ept his proposal. Also, Emperor Andreas felt truly sorry for what happened back in our Empire. He told me that he was willing topensate Lux for his traumatic experience, and give him a Silver Token that would allow him to make a Silver-Ranked Guild.


    "We will also shoulder the expenses of building his Guild Headquarters, and are more than happy to have it built in one of the best locations in our Empire. Please, pass this message to him, won''t you?"


    Gerald smiled and nodded his head. "I will pass your message to him."


    "Thank you."


    "It''s not a big deal."


    Gerald was doing his best to keep the sneer on his face from appearing.


    ''A Silver Token so he can make a Silver-Ranked Guild? What a bunch of Fools,'' Gerald mused. ''If you only knew what rank Lux''s Guild was, you''d probably regret the farce you put on in your Empire.''


    A Guild could only raise its rank if the Kingdom where the Guild was founded recognized that their performance had reached a standard where they could be promoted.


    This was simr to Aina''s Silver-Ranked Guild, Eternal, where Colette, Matty, and the other Dwarfs who had be Lux''s friends were staying.


    The Storm Dragon Guild, which Nero led, also fell under this category. They had achieved feats that gained the approval of the Kingdom that they belonged in, allowing them to get promoted.


    Simply put, it was the Kings and Emperors of the World that decided whether a Guild could be promoted or not. Those they favored could be promoted without encountering any hardships, allowing them to rise above their peers in a heartbeat.


    The Old Lux might have jumped at the opportunity to own a Silver-Ranked Guild, but now, the Half-Elf would only spit at the offer of the Vahan Empire.


    Naturally, Gerald wouldn''t say these things and only kept the friendly smile on his face as he, and the other Ambassadors wrapped up their discussions.


    Three hourster, Gerald returned to the Wildgarde Stronghold and informed the Half-Elf of the agreement that all parties had decided to make for the next Dungeon expedition.


    "Oh? So they n to hitch a ride?" Lux arched an eyebrow after hearing the oue of the negotiations. ''They also want to give me a Silver Token to create a Silver-Ranked Guild? It seems that Emperor Andreas thinks that I am very desperate to create a Guild. Good, maybe I can use this to my advantage.''


    The Half-Elf didn''t expect Aron to give such a daring proposal. However, since he was growing tired of dealing with the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, as well as the Six Kingdoms, he decided to go along with what they suggested, so that they would leave him alone.


    Although he could go to the Gweliven Kingdom, and Karshvar Draconis to do some exploration, he felt very restricted because he couldn''t explore the ces in his own backyard, which was the territory of the Xynnar War Pact in Elysium.


    Vera had told him in the past that there were some interesting ces to be found there, and Lux nned to check them out.


    However, after getting on the bad side of the different factions, he was banned from spreading his wings in the Human kingdoms, causing him to resort to flying back to the Dwarves, where he was forced to face the Monster of Ruin, whose strength made him shudder every time he thought about it.


    ''This is just a one time thing,'' Lux thought as he contemted his next course of action. ''This will not change what I needed to do. But, if they think that they can leech off me, they have another thinging to them.''


    The Half-Elf wasn''t someone who let others take advantage of him, so he decided to squeeze the leeches for what they were worth until they puked blood, making them understand that he wasn''t a soft persimmon that they could pinch anytime they wanted.


    He had already decided to enter the Gate of Conquest, which the members of the Vahan Empires had challengedst time.


    If his hunch was right, he might be thrown onto the same battlefield asst time, allowing him to meet Sherlock and Watson, giving him some advantage for whatever the Dungeon would throw at him.

 Chapter 437 Hello, Villager A. Nice To Meet You

    One weekter��


    Lux, Cai, and Keane, stood at the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen with the members of the Storm Dragon Guild.


    Nero had already been briefed of his mission to support Lux.


    The handsome young man didn''t show any signs of dissatisfaction on the surface, but deep inside, he didn''t like the idea of teaming up with Lux.


    However, since this was the order of the higher-ups he had no choice but to nod his head and agree to obey his orders without fail.


    "I haven''t seen the three of you in ages," Einar said as he walked towards Lux with a smile.


    In the past, the proud Barbarian Prince had fought with the Half-Elf, who had disguised himself as a chubby Human teenager in the tournament.


    After fighting side by side with Lux in the Gate of Death, the Barbarian finally threw his grudges to the side and epted Lux as one of the strongest members of the young generation, whom he had set as his goal to defeat.


    Also, after conquering two Gates with the Half-Elf, the Barbarian had subconsciously made a decision in his heart to always go with Lux whenever he was going to challenge one of the Gates in the Sacred Dungeon.


    "Yo, are you guys ready to conquer the third Dungeon?" Val said as he approached the Half-Elf and his friends. "This will be another walk in the park, right?"


    "You bastard! What walk in the park?" Einar lightly pounded Val''s chest in mock anger. "I still haven''t forgotten what you did to mest time."


    Val patted his chest before ring at the Barbarian.


    "It''s not my fault you are weak," Val replied. "Next time, do better, and don''t me others for your shorings."


    Einar only shrugged after hearing Val''s futile attempt to taunt him.


    Xander shook his head as he looked at everyone who was going to conquer another Dungeon. Their small group wouldn''t be entering alone this time.


    "We meet again, Half-Elf," Malcolm, who was the party leader that led the elite members of the Vahan Empire on thest expedition, said in a teasing tone. "Have you grown a little stronger since thest time we met?"


    Lux nced at the arrogant, young man with dark-blue hair and eyes.


    "Who are you?" Lux asked.


    "Surely you jest?" Malcolm asked back. "How can you forget someone like me?"


    "Cai, do you know who this is?" Lux asked the Boar who was busy talking to Laura and Livia in the Guild Chat.


    Cai frowned before shifting its attention to the Initiate that was standing in front of them.


    "Sorry, I don''t know the name of Cannon Fodders," Cai replied. "How about we call him Viger A for now?"


    "Sounds good." Lux nodded. "Hello, Viger A. Nice to meet you."


    Malcolmughed, but hisughter was filled with irritation. He could still remember the time when the Half-Elf had thwarted his ns.


    If not for the fact that Lux had used such a diabolical skill to wipeout the army he was serving during the war, he would have been one of the most important figures in the young generation after conquering the Gate of Conquest, and have his name ced among the conquerors who managed to beat the Dungeon.


    After his defeat, Malcolm had trained very hard and raised his Rank by a small margin. Even though he was already an Initiate, he wanted to be a Ranker as soon as possible in order to gain a higher position in the Vahan Empire, where his father served as its Great General.


    "We''ll see who''s the Viger Ater," Malcolm replied before taking a few steps back. He knew that this was an important mission for his Empire, so he didn''t want to cause any problems before they entered the Domain.


    He only nned to give Lux a greeting and a warning that he wasn''t the same person that the Half-Elf had fought in the past.


    Malcolm was confident that if he and the Half-Elf met again on opposing sides, the one who would lose this time would be Lux and his friends.


    Half an hourter, all of the members for the expedition had arrived. However, before anyone started, Lux decided to take the initiative to tell everyone what he had in mind.


    "I will be the one to lead this expedition, so I want everyone to listen to my orders," Lux announced. "If you cannot listen to my orders then you should back away. I don''t have time to deal with deadweights, and those who just n to leech off of me.


    "All of you are carrying observer crystals so your superiors can see what you''re doing inside the dungeon. Don''t me meter if you get killed inside for not following orders. I have no use for useless people."


    Nero frowned but he didn''t say anything. Since he had already agreed with Gerald''s orders, he would cater to the Half-Elf''s whims for the duration of the expedition.


    As for the members of the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, as well as Six Kingdoms, they wanted toin, but after getting a re from their superiors, all of them held back their words, and simply red back at the Half-Elf who was standing at the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen with his arms crossed over his chest.


    The reason why Lux was confident in challenging the Domain was due to his Summons getting an upgrade.


    All of his units were now Rank 4 Monsters. In short, Lux could summon forces that could easily match a Bronze Guild in terms of quality and quantity. Because of this, he was confident that he could challenge the Gate of Conquest even if he only brought Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, and Xander with him.


    This was something that the other factions didn''t know, so they were still underestimating his abilities.


    Depending on how the situation turned out, the Half-Elf would not hesitate to leave everyone behind, bringing only those who had fought alongside him to conquer the Gate of Death and the Gate of War a few months ago, with him.

 Chapter 438 The Expedition’s Temporary Leader [Part 1]

    "Look at you, acting like a big shot," Henrietta, the Guildmaster of Serenity, which represented Barbatos Academy said as she elbowed the Half-Elf''s side yfully. "To think that the sickly caterpir whom Iris loved would emerge into a handsome butterfly. You''ve surely made her proud."


    Lux smiled as he looked at Henrietta, who served as one of Iris'' close confidants in Barbatos Academy.


    He didn''t expect Henrietta to be one of the five members that would represent the Six Kingdoms on this Dungeon expedition.


    "What made youe here?" Lux asked. "Aren''t you supposed to be doing a mission somewhere?"


    Henrietta covered her lips and chuckled before giving Lux the "I knew you''d say that" gaze.


    "The Headmaster told me to keep an eye on you and make sure that you didn''t do anything stupid," Henrietta replied. "Also, I wasn''t present at the tournament, so I didn''t see how awesome you were. This time, show me a bit of that awesomeness, okay?"


    Henrietta gave Lux a yful wink, making the Half-Elf roll his eyes. For him, Henrietta was that Big Sister he never had, always protecting Iris and him from those who said bad things about them.


    "Okay, Sister," Lux replied. "I will show you how awesome I am. Just make sure you don''t fall in love with me, okay?"


    "Fool. Did you forget that I already have a fiance? Even if you are stronger than my man, I will not exchange him for you. Otherwise, Iris would definitely give me a good nagging."


    "Speaking of your fiance, where is Hector?" Lux asked.


    "Managing the Guild in my ce."


    "I already knew that he is going to be a henpecked husband, but hearing it from your own lips confirms my guess."


    The two exchanged several yful jabs at each other while the Half-Elf gave the other representatives of the Six Kingdoms a side-long nce.


    The Prince of the Elves, Enlil Neifion, who had escaped during the tournament in fear of his life, was there to represent the Elves.


    Gilmore Faisal, the young sword prodigy, who had fought against Keane in the tournament, was there to represent the Axton Kingdom.


    Two other teenagers, whom Lux didn''t recognize, were also there to represent the rest of the Six Kingdoms. ording to Henrietta, both of them were also prodigies, who were known in their circle as Brett and Rhett.


    The two of them were twins, and both had short ck hair. The only difference between them was the color of their eyes. Brett had blue eyes, while Rhett had green, allowing others to tell who was who.


    As for the representatives of the Xynnar War Pact and Skystead Alliance, Lux didn''t really care who they were.


    "Let''s go," Lux said. "Remember, follow my orders. Those who don''t want to obey can just solo the Dungeon on their own."


    The Half-Elf, alongside Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, and Xander, ced their hands and hoof on the Gate of the Domain, allowing them and their party members to enter the Domain of the Fallen.


    The people that apanied Lux had all entered the Domain at least once, making them very familiar with their surroundings.


    Everyone knew that the hardest part of the journey was the trek to the entrance of the Sacred Dungeon.


    Several powerful Monsters that were Deimos-Ranked and above wandered in the vicinity, always on the lookout for the flesh and blood of the weaker teenagers, who were starting to be a regr part of their diet.


    Lux, who was paying attention to his Soul Book that was hovering beside him, frowned.


    Right now, his Soul Book was invisible to everyone because the owner of the book had the option to only allow those whom they trusted to see it and keep it hidden from those whom they didn''t trust.


    ''This is bad,'' Lux thought. ''The moment we entered, the monsters positioned themselves to ambush us along the way.''


    While the Half-Elf was deep in thought, Malcolm and his group had started to walk in the direction of the Sacred Dungeon without waiting for Lux''s orders.


    "Aren''t we going to follow them?" Henrietta, who stood beside Lux, asked as she tapped his shoulder.


    "If they want to die so badly then let them die," Lux replied. "I''m not here to babysit them. They''ve been inside this Domain numerous times already, and they still don''t know the basic rule that there is safety in numbers. Maybe they think that the five of them can beat an Argonaut Ranked Beast by themselves."


    After entering the dungeon, Einar, Val, and Xander didn''t move from their spot and waited for Lux to give his orders.


    Although they were the leaders of their own Guilds, they already treated Lux as their temporary leader whenever they entered the Domain of the Fallen.


    The members of the Six Kingdoms, as well as the Xynnar War Pact, also stood by his side. Although they didn''t know what the Half-Elf was waiting for, they had been given strict orders to follow him whether they liked it or not.


    Malcolm, who was leading the representatives of the Skystead Alliance, nced behind him and frowned.


    "What are you all waiting for?" Malcolm asked. "Do you n to stay there for the entire day? Hey, Leader, what''s wrong? Did you suddenly get cold feet?"


    The members of the Skystead Alliance allughed after hearing Malcolm''s words.


    They were already very annoyed by the fact that they had to follow the Half-Elf''s orders, but now that Lux wasn''t moving from his spot, their annoyance turned to irritation.


    "Let''s go," Lux said as he walked in a different direction, stepping away from the established route that those who entered the Domain of the Fallen had always used to head towards the Sacred Dungeon, catching everyone by surprise.


    Cai and Keane followed behind Lux, as did Einar, Val, and Xander.


    They hadplete trust in the Half-Elf, so even though they weren''t sure where he was going, they still followed him due to their previous experiences when they fought alongside him.


    ''This is interesting,'' Henrietta thought as she followed behind Lux.


    She was sent there by the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy to keep an eye on Lux, so she would do as she wasmanded.


    Enlil clicked his tongue, but he also followed behind the Half-Elf despite his innate hate for filthy half-bloods.


    Gilmore also followed, not because he trusted Lux, but because he trusted the judgment of the person whom he deemed as his rival, which was Keane.


    He believed that the mysterious swordsman could make sound decisions, so he decided to follow his hunch and tagged along.


    One by one, the representatives of the different factions followed the Half-Elf, leaving Malcolm and his group staring at them from a distance.


    "Captain, what should we do?" one of Malcolm''s subordinates asked.


    Malcolm narrowed his eyes before making a gesture that they should follow Lux.


    Since they were all wearing artifacts that allowed their superiors to observe what was happening inside the Domain, they couldn''t defy Lux''s orders, or they would be punished if their mission ended early due to their stubbornness.


    As the teenagers took a detour, the Monsters that nned to ambush them remained. They were not aware that the Humans were already heading in a different direction instead of following the path they had always taken whenever they entered the Domain of the Fallen.

 Chapter 439 The Expedition’s Temporary Leader [Part 2]

    Each time people entered the Domain of the Fallen, the Monsters inside it would sense a faint ripple in the air.


    This told them that the Humans had once again returned, and it was time to take a bite out of some of them once more.


    All the monsters inside the Domain of the Fallen had their own agendas, and they were not allied with each other. All of them were hunters and preyed on each other, which meant that they mustn''t engage in a drawn out battle and injure themselves, or else, their rivals would prey upon them.


    Everytime the teenagers entered, the Monsters would hide in different ces along the route they normally took to ambush them.


    Also, they made sure to stay a fair distance from each other, preventing the other monsters from taking advantage of them.


    Lux had a serious look on his face as he led the teenagers on a path that was void of Monsters. Since the majority of them had decided to ambush them, some ces were left wide open, allowing the Half-Elf to exploit them.


    "Hey, when are we goin�C" Malcolm wasn''t able to finish his words because the Half-Elf red at him, making him flinch.


    "We are deep in the Monsters'' territories," Lux stated. "Unless you want to announce our location to them, feel free to talk, but we''re kicking you out of the team."


    The Half-Elf no longer bothered with Ma, despite thetter being an Initiate, and thus, stronger than him.


    Nero, who was observing this exchange, kept a calm look on his face, but made sure to take note that Malcolm and Lux didn''t get along.


    ��------


    Outside of the Sacred Dungeon��


    "If this mission fails, it will be the fault of the Skystead Alliance," a Ranker of the Xynnar War Pact said with a smile. "Damn bastard doesn''t know when to shut up."


    The Rankers and Ambassadors that belonged to the Skystead Alliance red at the Ranker who spoke up, but they didn''t say anything in return.


    They were also very displeased with how Malcolm was conducting himself, making them reconsider whether he was fit to lead their representatives the next time they entered the Dungeon.


    Aron, who was King Andreas'' right hand man, simply observed the teenagers for now.


    Although the only thing he could see was the Half-Elf''s back, the earlier exchange allowed him to glimpse Lux''s serious expression, making him understand that the red-headed teenager wasn''t fooling around when he chose to take a different route.


    ��-------


    Back at the Domain of the Fallen��


    The Half-Elf suddenly raised a hand, stopping everyone from moving.


    He then turned around to ce a finger on his lips, and motioned for everyone to crouch down.


    He then pointed at their left side and made a gesture of slicing his neck, telling them that there was a Monster on their left side that could potentially kill them.


    The Half-Elf then crouched beside a nearby tree and made a hand signal for everyone to hide.


    Everyone followed his orders because they had also sensed a strong presence in the surroundings.


    All of them were Grade A Apostles and Initiates. They were at the rank when their perceptions of their surroundings had reached a certain threshold, allowing them to instinctively feel if danger was near.


    Soon, the ground started to shake as heavy footsteps were heard in the distance. Everyone used their skills to make their presence as small and as unnoticeable as possible.


    Some slowed their heart rate, some used a spell to remove their scents, while others used artifacts to blend in with their surroundings.


    Eiko hid inside Lux''s robes, and Fei Fei huddled with Cai.


    The Boar had decreased its size, making it difficult for anyone to spot it.


    Soon, the footsteps came to aplete stop as the Argonaut-Ranked Gori looked around.


    A minuteter, it caught the presence of a weaker Monster, whom it deemed perfect for a snack, and headed in that direction.


    Only when the Gori left did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.


    However, Lux still had his hand raised in a stopping motion, telling everyone to hold their position.


    Only when the Argonaut Monster had distanced itself from their location did the Half-Elf motion for everyone to follow him.


    After that incident, everyone had be more obedient to the Half-Elf and silently followed him as they waded through uncharted territories, in a jungle that was infested with Monsters stronger than them.


    Six agonizing hourster, they finally arrived at their destination without losing a single member.


    A special barrier surrounded the Sacred Dungeon, repelling the monsters around it.


    It was also considered a "Safe Zone", giving the teenagers an opportunity to catch their breath and rest.


    "We''ll stay here for a few hours to rest," Lux ordered. "Until then, all of you are free to do whatever you want, just as long as you don''t wander far from the barrier."


    Malcolm walked away as soon as Lux had given that order. He was quite exhausted from the long trek, and even though he was one of the strongest members in their group, the close encounters along the way still took a toll on his physical and emotional state.


    After the Argonaut Ranked Gori, Lux and the others had encountered six more Monsters of the same rank, making them fear for their life each time it happened.


    Fortunately, the Half-Elf was able to warn them in advance, allowing them to hide and erase their presence and preventing the Monster from detecting them.


    Just as he expected, the members of the Xynnar War Pact, Skystead Alliance, Six Kingdoms, as well as the Storm Dragon Guild, all went to different locations to rest, with the exception of Henrietta, who decided to stay with Lux''s group.


    "How were you able to know where we were going?" Henrietta asked. "We have never seen anyone take that route before, so how did you do it?"


    Lux looked at the beautifuldy in front of him with a serious expression on his face before giving his answer.


    "Half-Elf''s intuition," Lux replied, which made Henrietta shake her head bitterly.


    Unlike Iris, who treated her as her confidant, Lux kept his secrets close to his heart, only telling those whom he deemed to be trustworthy.


    Although he trusted Henrietta to a certain extent, his trust in her wasn''t as strong as the trust he had with Iris and his grandmother, Vera.


    On top of that, everyone had the artifacts that allowed those who were outside the Domain to see and hear what they were talking about, making it impossible for the Half-Elf to tell anyone the truth.


    "Still, to think that all of you could get along is something new to me," Henrietta nced at the Barbarian Prince, Einar, the Spiderboy, Val, and Xander, who was also one of the most outstanding members of the young generation.


    She had noticed that all of them always took Lux''s words to heart, making her sense that they had developed some kind of bond that was hard to exin.


    "It''s normal to have a little faith in the people who have shared life and death battles with you," Einar, who was sharpening his Great Axe,mented when he heard Henrietta''s words.


    "We have conquered two of the Gates of this Dungeon together, so isn''t it normal for us to stick together?" Val stated. "We have witnessed how capable everyone is, so we''d rather be with them than those who are stronger butck the attitude to conquer the challenges of the Dungeon together. Even that pig over there is better than the Initiates of the Vahan Empire."


    Cai, who heard Val''s words, red at the pale-faced boy who seemed to be suffering from ack of sunlight.


    "Oi! I''m a Boar not a Pig!" Cai shouted. "Spiderboy, you better correct your attitude towards me, or I''ll not help you in the Dungeonter."


    "Who needs your help?" Val arched an eyebrow. "The only thing you are good at is taking advantage of opportunities."


    "Ahem! Taking advantage of opportunities is a good trait to have," Cai replied. "It is that one small opening that separates winners from losers. I am a winner, unlike you Spiderboy, who lost to My Daddy in the tournament."


    "Stop calling me Spiderboy," Val red at the boar. "Didn''t you lose as well? You are one to talk!"


    "At least, I was second ce," Cai replied with a smug look on its face. "Unlike you who lost before even getting into the Finals."


    "You want a piece of me, Pig?"


    "Hah! Bring it on, Spidey! I eat Spiders like you for breakfast!"


    Henrietta watched the two bicker with an amused expression on her face. Originally, she thought that everyone in Lux''s party got along, but after seeing Cai''s and Val''s exchange, she felt like her assumptions were a bit off the mark.


    Even so, for now, she had determined that Lux was qualified to be the temporary leader of their group.


    ''I will observe him more for now, so I can give a proper report when I get back,'' Henrietta thought. ''Iris, I thought that I knew Lux well, but it seems that the image of the sickly boy in my head is no longer an appropriate way to describe your fiance.''


    Just like everyone else, Henrietta was carrying an artifact that allowed Alexander to see what was happening inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    Iris and Alicia were also in the Headmaster''s office, watching the expedition in real time.


    In truth, Alexander wanted to see how much Lux had grown since the tournament. Because of this, he assigned Henrietta to stick close to him so that he would be able to observe what other secrets the Half-Elf was hiding from him.

 Chapter 440 Ars Goetia Mercenary Group [Part 1]

    Lux and his entourage rested for a full six hours before finally regrouping to challenge the Gate of Conquest.


    This particr gate was strongly requested by the Vahan Empire, which made Lux wonder if the gate had something inside that Emperor Andreas wanted.


    Since his original target was also the Gate of Conquest, he had no problems with their request.


    However, he made it look like he was very reluctant to agree to their condition, which forced Aron, who was Emperor Andreas'' right-hand man, to talk to him in private.


    The High-Ranker secretly passed a storage ring to the Half-Elf, which contained a silver token, half a million gold coins, as well as a deed of a plot ofnd that was located near the capital of the Vahan Empire.


    Aron told him that Emperor Andreas wanted to fix their shaky rtionship and promised the Half-Elf that, if he built his Guild Headquarters in the Vahan Empire, he would get the Emperor''s full support.


    Lux thanked Aron and even showed interest in the n to build a Guild Headquarters in the Vahan Empire. Of course, this was only on the surface. Deep inside, Lux was sneering at them for their futile attempts to butter him up after what they had done to him in their capital city of Dainsleif.


    "We are going to challenge the Gate of Conquest this time," Lux said as he looked at the people around him. "I''m sure you have already experienced what it was like to challenge the Hell Mode of the Sacred Dungeon. I don''t have to remind you all how hard it is. With that said, I want everyone to listen to my orders, no matter how weird it may seem."


    Seeing that all of them still had a reluctant look on their faces, the Half-Elf decided to brag a little bit to make them step up their game.


    "As someone that had conquered two of the Gates of the Sacred Dungeon, I already know what I''m talking about," Lux stated. "None of you have done it, despite the fact that some of you are stronger than me. Clearing a dungeon doesn''t only require having a high rank. It also requires everyone to work together to achieve amon goal, just like I, and myrades here, have achieved.


    "If you don''t choose to cooperate, that is fine with me. However, don''t forget that you are now being watched. If this expedition fails then, hehehe��"


    The Half-Elf gave the Factions of the Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, and Xynnar Warpact a devilish smile, making all of their livers itch.


    Even those who were watching them from the outside could feel the pressure because their counterparts were observing their representatives as well.


    If the mission truly failed, everyone would know who was to me, and that would put them at a disadvantage when future negotiations for the exploration of the Domain of the Fallen, as well as the Sacred Dungeon, were held again.


    Malcolm knew that if he f*cked this up, he would lose Emperor Andreas'' support, making him unable to climb up in the ranks of nobility because of hisckluster performance.


    Although he didn''t like Lux, he would hate it if his future prospects became dim because of a personal grudge against him. So, for the time being, Malcolm made a vow to himself to do what he was ordered to do, even if it meant obeying the Half-Elf''s orders to the dot.


    Seeing that his point had been carried across to everyone, the Half-Elf nodded and pressed his right hand over the Gate of Conquest.


    Everyone on the expedition was now in his party, so they would apany him as members of his group.


    A momentter, all of theme bathed in a radiant light, momentarily blinding them.


    Not long after, they found themselves standing at a hill, overlooking a fortress.


    "That''s the g of the Ammar Kingdom," Malcolm stated as he pointed at the gs that were fluttering on the ramparts of the fortress. "There is no mistake about it. This is a fortress that belongs to the Ammar Kingdom."


    Several months ago, Malcolm and his team entered the Gate of Conquest, while Lux, and his friends entered the Gate of War.


    Malcolm''s team joined the Ammar Kingdom, which was backed by Dwarven Technology.


    Lux''s team, on the other hand, joined the Yn Kingdom, which was supported by Gnome Technology.


    That was also when Lux was given the Pseudo-Legendary Item, Map Projector, which he had merged with his Soul Book, allowing him to see friends and foes within a three-mile radius around him.


    For some unknown reason, the two teams found themselves on the same battlefield but on different sides and were forced to fight against each other, with Lux and his team emerging victorious.


    Since then, Malcolm had suffered many setbacks every time he tried to reim his honor.


    Unfortunately, his recent expeditions hadn''t been sessful, and now, this was probably thest chance he had to redeem himself.


    ''Just as I expected, we are still brought to this ce,'' Lux thought.


    Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, and Xander, who fought against the Ammar Kingdom in the past all had frowns on their faces because they had alreadybeled the enemy of the Yn Kingdom as their enemy.


    "Let''s go to the Fortress," Lux said after pondering for a minute. "If someone asks, tell them we are a Mercenary Group called Ars Goetia. I''ll do the talking, so make sure to not say anything out of ce. Do you understand, Cai?"


    Lux smiled as he patted the Boar''s head, making thetter shudder.


    "O-Of course! Hahaha! You know me, I''m very tight-lipped!" Cai replied. "You can count on me!"


    "Fei!" Fei Fei, who was perched on top of Cai''s head, looked at Lux with a pout.


    The Half-Elf chuckled and also patted the baby Slime''s head, making thetter smile.


    "Follow me," Lux ordered as he walked towards the Fortress.


    After what happened in the Domain of the Fallen, everyone followed his orders to the dot, as if afraid that some random Argonaut-Ranked Monster would appear and gobble them whole.

 Chapter 441 Ars Goetia Mercenary Group [Part 2]

    "Ars Goetia Mercenary Group?" the Commander of the Fortress frowned as he looked at the smiling Half-Elf, who was seated across his table. "I''ve never heard of you guys."


    "Well, there''s a first time for everything," Lux replied. "Now, you have heard of us."


    The Commander narrowed his eyes but didn''tment. He had already had a good look at the Half-Elf''s entourage, and although they were all in their teenage years, all of them were already Grade A Apostles and above, which was already considered decent for members of a Mercenary Group.


    "So, you wish to offer your services to us for a good amount of money, right?" the Commander asked.


    "Of course." Lux nodded. "Everyone needs money, especially a Mercenary Group. We need to eat and buy equipment, after all."


    The Commander agreed with Lux''s words and took out a scroll to form a contract. "Hmm�� very well. Let''s talk about the price. If you are able to take out the enemy''smanders, all of you will receive a hundred thousand gold coins. How about it?"


    Lux leaned back on his chair before crossing his arms over his chest.


    "200,000 Gold coins," Lux replied.


    "150,000," the Commander proposed.


    "Okay, that is eptable," Lux nodded. "You have a deal."


    Themander then made a draft and made Lux sign it.


    Naturally, the Half-Elf didn''t sign it right away. He made sure to read every word to make sure that he understood the content of the contract before signing it.


    ording to the contract, Lux and his Mercenary Group would only get their rewards after the Commanders were killed, or they had won the campaign against the Yn Army.


    Those were the two conditions written there, and seeing that the conditions were eptable, the Half-Elf signed it before passing it back to the Commander.


    Suddenly, Lux heard a notification sound. A secondter, several rows of text appeared in front of him, informing him about his mission.


    ��---------------


    < Ding! >


    < The Mission, War of Lions has been epted! >


    < War of the Lions >


    Mission Rating: S


    The war between the Ammar Kingdom and the Yn Kingdom has escted after the Ammar Kingdom''s defeat a year ago.


    After failing to conquer the adjacent Kingdom, the Gnomes'' and their allies'' morale had been boosted, prompting them to mount a counterattack. Due to their momentum, they were able to push the Ammar Kingdom back and even managed to conquer a few border towns along the way.


    The Ammar Kingdom had always been the conquerors, so theirtest defeat forced their King to issue a draft order to summon every able-bodied man to fight for their kingdom.


    The Dwarves have also amassed a great number of weapons and armors for the battle that could break out at any moment.


    < Mission Objectives >


    �C Kill the Two Yn Army Generals, Watson and Sherlock.


    �C Destroy the Yn Main Headquarters and capture their g.


    < Rewards >


    �C Each member will receive 150,000 Gold Coins


    �C Each member will receive one random Mythical Equipment


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C Bonus rewards can be obtained depending on your performance on the battlefield. Great rewards await those who managed to excel in this military campaign.


    ��---------------


    ''So this time, we are their enemies,'' Lux thought as he looked at the information of the mission in front of him.


    After shaking hands with the Commander, Lux and his group were immediately ordered to march to the front lines.


    Since they were a Mercenary Group, they were given free reign as to how they would fight on the battlefield. The only condition the Commander asked, which both sides agreed upon, was that Lux''s Mercenary group would not do anything to get in the army''s way.


    "Did you guys also receive a quest after I passed the contract to the Commander?" Lux asked when his group was a good distance away from the fortress.


    "Yes!" Cai replied in a heartbeat. "Do we really have to kill Watson and Sherlock? Those guys are good people. I don''t want to hurt them."


    Lux sighed because he shared the same opinion as Cai. He then nced at Keane, who also nodded his head, informing him that he received the quest as well.


    "How about you, Malcolm?" Lux asked. "Did you get the quest?"


    Malcolm nodded, which confirmed the Half-Elf''s suspicion.


    Anyone that is in the same party as me gets a quest. It seems that this wasn''t just my imagination.


    "This is weird. I''ve never gotten this kind of quest before," Henriettamented. "Usually, I only get quests from the Adventurer''s Guild. This is the first time I''ve received a quest in this manner. Nero, have you ever gotten something like this in the past?"


    "Just once," Nero replied. "It was when I fought against an Abyssal Creature."


    Henrietta suddenly remembered the conversation he had with one of her older brothers about quest notifications that would appear at random times.


    Although it wasn''t unheard of, it was quite rare, which made her wonder what conditions triggered such events.


    "This is my third time receiving something like this." Malcolm decided to share some information regarding the special quest that had appeared in front of him. "I received the first quest when my father took me to an A-Ranked Dungeon to teach me how to fight one of the Bosses there.


    "Since then, I''ve been looking for ways to trigger a simr event because the rewards from the mission would go directly inside your personal inventory."


    Everyone that had a Soul Book had their own personal inventory inside it.


    The space wasn''t that big, only allowing up to twenty items to be stored, but it was decent enough storage if one didn''t have the money to buy storage bags or storage rings.


    "Is that so��" Henrietta nodded her head in understanding. "It seems like we got lucky this time. Not only will we get 150,000 Gold Coins, we will also get a Mythical Equipment. The Bonus Rewards depending on our performance is also good. I wonder what we will get when we finish this mission?"


    Due to the conversation, Lux realized that he was not the only one who received these random quests from time to time. However,pared to others, his chance of triggering them was higher because he didn''t have the Leveling Feature that Elysians and Sians had.


    Lux rented six wooden wagons to amodate his Mercenary Group, which wasposed of less than forty members.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, he was a little excited aboutmanding a sizable force, which wasprised of elite members from the young generation.


    All of the people with him were talented individuals in their own right, and Lux believed that if he were to know what they were capable of, he would be able to assign them to various tasks, which would make the mission easier.


    ''I need to have a talk with them once we arrive at our destination,'' Lux thought. ''Although they might be reluctant to tell me what their abilities are, I can use the fact that we are being observed to make themply.''


    The Half-Elf closed his eyes and began to ponder what his next move should be. Right now, he had epted the quest to kill the two Generals who had a connection with him in the past.


    Truth be told, he wasn''t looking forward to doing the job, so he nned to see what the current situation of the war was before making his final decision.

 Chapter 442 Fine, You’re The Boss

    Three dayster, Lux''s group finally arrived at the forefront of the battlefield.


    The first thing they did was to report to the Grand General who was in charge of the campaign in order to drive the Yn Army off its borders, and reim thends that had been taken from them.


    Truth be told, this was the greatest humiliation that the Ammar Kingdom had suffered ever since it had conquered two of its neighbors some years past.


    The King of the Ammar Kingdom even vowed that as soon as the Yn Kingdom fell into his hands, he would dere the birth of the Ammar Empire, uniting all thends that surrounded its borders.


    "So, you are a Mercenary Group," the Great General, who seemed to be in his early forties, scanned the faces of the teenagers in front of him and snorted. "All of you still smell like breast milk. Are you sure you are qualified to be on the battlefield? How about youds just be part of our Logistic Team and help us carry the supplies on the battlefield.


    "Thedies on the other hand can be the bed warmers of the other Generals to ensure that they are in top condition. Of course, if you''d like to warm my bed, I would be more than happy to receive you girls."


    Henrietta, as well as the five otherdies that belonged to the Storm Dragon Guild, Skystead Alliance, and Xynnar War Pact, all frowned after hearing the General''s words.


    They could tell that the Great General was very serious, which proved that he wasn''t taking them seriously.


    Lux understood why the General was acting as arrogant as he was, because the man talking to them now was a High-Ranker.


    ''At least Rank A or Rank S,'' Lux mused as he gazed at the silver-eyed man with tinum blonde hair in front of him.


    Standing behind the Great General were also two other Rankers, who seemed to be his close aides. Although their rank was lower than the Great General, the Half-Elf assumed that their ranks were somewhere between Rank C and Rank A, making them very formidable fighters.


    "Your offer is good, but I am afraid we have to pass," Lux replied with a smile. "We are mercenaries, so if we die on the battlefield, that only means that weck the abilities to survive. I would appreciate it if you didn''t mock our resolve to fight in this war."


    The Great General snorted, but judging with how he looked at the Half-Elf, he seemed to be satisfied with Lux''s answer.


    "Very well." The Great General who goes by the name, Rafael Watts, gave the members of Lux''s Mercenary Group a side-long nce before shifting his attention back to the Half-Elf. "Since you want to prove yourselves in battle, I will give you a chance."


    The Great General made a gesture for the Half-Elf and his group to follow him at therge table where the map of the battlefield wasid out.


    Several wooden pieces, representing the various units of the Ammar and Yn Armies, were scattered in different ces.


    "Right now, we have four battlefields," Great General Rafael said. "The battle in the Forest, which was led by General Revon, the Mountain battlefield led by General Herodes, the battle in the ins led by General Gideon, and the Marsnd Battle led by General Phobus."


    The Great General pointed at the different ces on the map and told the Half-Elf about the number of soldiers, as well as the number of mercenary groups that had joined each battlefield.


    "As you may already know, the Ammar Kingdom is bigger than the Yn Kingdom," Great General Rafael stated. "Because of this, we decided to fight them on four fronts, thinning out their manpower, and allowing us to break past their defenses. However, these bastards have proved to be quite tenacious, and managed to hold their strongholds against our relentless assault.


    "Right now, this is a battle of attrition, so every small victory on the battlefield is important. They have the geographical advantage, but we have the advantage in numbers. As long as one of our Generals is able to break past their defenses, their entire formation will crumble, and all of them will be routed out."


    Lux didn''t say anything and simply listened to what the Great General was saying.


    He wanted to know everything about the battlefield, so hemitted all the information that was shared to him and his Mercenary Group to memory.


    "Do you have any questions?" Great General Rafael asked.


    Lux nodded as he scanned the different battlefields on the map.


    "Among these locations, which one has the highest chance of a breakthrough?" Lux asked, which made the corner of Great General Rafael''s lips rise slightly.


    "Here," Great General Rafael replied as he pointed at the Marsnds. "Unlike the other battlefields, they don''t have as firm a foothold in the marshes, and the fog that rises up during the early morning, andte evening reduces the visibility by a good margin. It will be very easy for a small elite unit to navigate in the marsnd, taking them by surprise."


    Lux narrowed his eyes as he looked at the estimated number of troops of the Yn Empire in the marshes.


    ording to the report, the Yn Kingdom has ced at least 50,000 to 100,000 troops in the Marsnds to defend against the Ammar Kingdom''s advance.


    The Ammar Army stationed there, which was led by General Phobus, was 60,000 strong, posing a great danger to the defenders due to the extremely low visibility during certain times of the day.


    "Understood." Lux looked at the Marsnd with a determined gaze. "We will go to this battlefield."


    Great General Rafael nodded his head as he took out a letter of rmendation from his drawer, and wrote the name of Lux''s Mercenary group, Ars Goetia, in it before stamping it with his seal.


    This scroll would serve as Lux''s and his Mercenary Group''s documents, allowing them to pass through the several checkpoints along the way.


    When they were a good distance away from the Main Headquarters of the Ammar Kingdom, Henrietta patted Lux''s shoulder and gave him a curious gaze.


    "Why did you choose the Marsnd?" Henrietta asked. "The numbers that the Great General gave us weren''t verified, so there might be more enemy troops stationed there. Fighting in the marsnd is also difficult because it would slow our advance. Did you decide to choose this because the Great General subtly urged you to choose this location?"


    Lux smiled after hearing Henrietta''s inquiry. What she asked were all valid questions, but for now, he didn''t have any intention of telling her anything.


    In the end, the Half-Elf only told her that it would be a surprise, which made Henrietta shake her head helplessly.


    "Fine, you''re the boss," Henrietta said. "I''ll just wait and see this ''surprise'' that you are talking about."


    The red-headed teenager only chuckled as he looked at the scenery, while they rode the wagons headed towards the Marsnd.


    There was something he wanted to try, and he didn''t know if it would seed. However, if it did, he might be able to break the current stalemate of the war, and help his "Allies" win one of the battlefields that was currently suffering from a stalemate.


    Half a dayter, they arrived at their destination, just in time to hear the sound of explosions caused by the spells that were being unleashed across the battlefield.


    "Both sides are just using long range attacks," Einar said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess I can understand why they are doing this. The one who crosses the marsnd will be at a disadvantage and will be sitting ducks."


    Lux nodded in agreement to Einar''s words. The marsnd did pose a hurdle againstnd units who would be susceptible to spells, arrows, and cannon fire from the opposing party.


    "Strange, why aren''t they using flying mounts to attack from the sky?" Henrietta mused as she looked at the dozens of hippogriffs that werezing around on the Ammar Army''s Main Camp in the Marsnds.


    "Maybe they are afraid that they will be shot down from the air?" Cai answered with a doubtful expression.


    Lux ordered everyone to just observe the battle for the time being. He didn''t want to approach the General inmand while the skirmish was happening, because he was afraid that it would leave a bad impression.


    Since that was the case, he just opened his Soul Book and checked the map, and examined it properly.


    He was looking for possible routes that he could take in order to cross to the other side, and scout the true number of troops that the Yn Army had.


    Right now, he needed all the information he could get.


    He had a hunch that Watson''s and Sherlock''s Ranks were no different from the Great General''s, whom they had just met, which would prove to be vital in the n that was slowly hatching inside his head.

 Chapter 443 Big Game Hunters

    Three hourster, the battle finally stopped as both armies retreated to their respective strongholds in order to rest.


    The Half-Elf waited for one more hour before he, and the others reported to General Phobus, telling him of their intention to join the war.


    "Rafael sent all of you here?" General Phobux asked as he eyed Lux while eating his meal.


    "Yes, General," Lux replied.


    Lux was about to say more, but stopped because he saw the sudden change in General Phobus'' expression, which made the words he was about to say stay inside his chest.


    "That bastard! He is belittling me!"


    General Phobus cursed out loud, which made Lux and the others feel as if General Phobus was displeased that more people had been sent to him by the Great General in order to help him fight his war.


    "Fine, since you''re already here, make yourselves useful," General Phobus said before cing the fork and knife in his hands aside. "Hunt some game for the army. Having more people means more mouths to feed. Go, and make sure that you, and your mercenary group, earn your keep."


    The General shooed Lux and his group away with his hands, making them leave the General''s tent while wishing that the General would choke on the food he was eating.


    "That bastard! How dare he treat us like this?!" Malcolm said through gritted teeth. Clearly, he was very annoyed about how they were being treated by the General, who was currently having no sess in his campaign.


    "Calm down," Lux said as his finger poked something in the air, making everyone hear a familiar notification sound inside their head.


    ��-------


    < Ding! >


    < You have epted the Sub-Quest Big Game Hunters! >


    < Big Game Hunters >


    Rating: B


    �C The War between The Ammar Kingdom and Yn Kingdom is being fought on four battlefields. Currently, the supplies of the Marsnd front are dwindling at a rapid pace because of the reinforcements that Great General Rafael has been sending to support General Phobus'' campaign.


    �C In the eyes of others, this may seem like a responsible superior sending aid to his subordinate. However, is that really the case?


    General Phobus believes that Great General Raphael was purposely sabotaging his campaign by making things difficult for him. However, since he has no proof about his assumptions, he is forced to endure and not voice his irritation to theirmanding General.


    �C Help General Phobus by replenishing the food supplies of his army. Take note that the bigger the size of the game you bring to the camp, the better the rewards you will receive.


    < Rewards >


    �C Dependent upon the quality, quantity, and size of the Beasts that you bring back to the Camp.


    ��--------


    "Did you all receive it?" Lux asked after he finished reading the information of the quest.


    Earlier, when the General ordered them to bring some game to their camp, the Half-Elf heard a notification in his head, as several rows of text appeared in front of him, asking him if he would ept the mission called Big Game Hunters.


    Since he didn''t know if the others would receive it, he decided to wait until they had exited the General''s tent before epting the quest.


    Everyone looked at Lux in surprise, which confirmed his guess that everyone in his team would receive the same quest he had as long as they were in the same party as him.


    "For now, we should take this opportunity to get some rewards," Lux stated. "The leaders of each faction will lead their members to hunt. However, we are not familiar with the beasts that roam thesends. Make sure to take caution, and don''t fight Monsters that surpass your current ranks. I want to finish this mission with as many members as possible."


    Everyone nodded their heads and began to discuss where they would hunt their prey. For a brief moment, Lux thought that he could see a bit of excitement in their faces because the unknown rewards they would get frompleting this mission had piqued their curiosity.


    Naturally, Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, and Xander, didn''t leave Lux''s side and waited for him to give his orders.


    The Half-Elf herded his group to a corner of the camp, while looking at the map in his Soul Book.


    Currently, there were green, red, and yellow dots on his map. The green ones were allies, the red ones were enemies, and the yellow dots were neutral entities.


    Seeing that some of these yellow dots were alone, or traveled in groups, the Half-Elf assumed that they were Monsters.


    This discovery actually surprised Lux because he thought that all the Monsters in the area would have already escaped due to the war that was being held in their territories.


    After taking a closer look, the Half-Elf discovered that some of the yellow dots on the map were located in the rivers, which meant that they were River Monsters, who used the waterways to travel around the marsnds.


    But, since they were close to the battlefield, their numbers were quite few.


    ''Maybe these Monsters are Rank 5 Alpha Monsters or above,'' Lux thought. ''They could even be Field or Wandering World Bosses.''


    Lux looked at the sun above the sky and calcted how many hours it would take before it set. Since it was still early, he decided to hunt some monsters first andplete the Sub-Quest, while waiting for the opportune moment to initiate his n.


    ��--------


    Outside of the Domain of the Fallen��


    ''Not bad, this Half-Elf is more capable than we thought,'' Aron mused after seeing Lux''s current performance.


    Unlike the other factions, Lux, Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, and Xander, refused the artifacts that would allow others to see what was happening in their surroundings.


    For them, this wasn''tpulsory, and it also breached their privacy. They also didn''t want others to see how they operated alongside Lux, which made the Half-Elf apud them in his heart.


    However, since the other factions were being ordered by their superiors, they had no choice but to wear the artifacts, and allow all of their actions to be scrutinized by the people watching the projections in the outside world.


    Lux understood this, so he assigned the different factions to hunt their own game, which the other teenagers believed to be a sound decision.


    What they didn''t know was that the Half-Elf had nned this all along, so he could do things without worrying about the others minding his business.


    ��--------


    Back in the Marsnds��


    When Lux and his friends were safely far from the Army Camp, as well as the other members of his "Mercenary Group", the Half-Elf summoned Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Asmodeus.


    He also summoned a dozen of his Skeleton Gang Bangers and told them the n he had in mind.


    After hearing his n, his Named Creatures, as well as his Skeleton Summons moved into action.


    Cai chuckled after hearing Lux''s true motive, which made it give the Half-Elf two thumbs up in its heart.


    Truth be told, Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, and Xander, were quite worried about the details of their main mission, but they didn''t voice it out loud because it might make the other factions look down on them.


    Now that they understood that Lux was on the same page as them, they were able to breathe a little easier knowing that the Half-Elf already had a n in mind.


    "Let''s go hunt us some Big Game," Lux said with a smile. "I want to see what kind of rewards this mission will give us."


    Everyone nodded their heads enthusiastically as they climbed onto their mounts and followed the Half-Elf.


    They didn''t n to hunt near the Marsnds because they didn''t want to provoke the Yn Army, who was guarding the border, and start a misunderstanding that they didn''t want to happen.

 Chapter 444 Shared Rewards

    General Phobus nodded his head in satisfaction as he looked at the monsters that Lux''s Mercenary group had dumped near the warehouse, waiting to be dismantled.


    They were running out of food to be rationed to the army, and most of the time, he had to send his men to look for beasts to kill in the surroundings to serve as their food supply.


    "At least you proved that you''re qualified to be here," General Phobus said as he looked at the Deimos-Ranked Monster Alligator that Malcolm''s party had shown him.


    All of them were Initiates and were given the best equipment by their Kingdom, which allowed them to fight against any Deimos-Ranked Monsters they encountered on the expedition.


    The beast was at least six-meters long, and its skin was quite popr among adventurers because of its toughness, which was used by cksmiths to craft light-weight leather armor.


    Henrietta''s Team, on the other hand, (Six Kingdom Faction), managed to defeat a Rank 5 Field Boss Monster known as the Rainbow-Colored Anaconda, which was seven-meters long.


    Just like the alligator skin, the Anaconda''s skin was quite popr to merchants due to its exquisite coloration and quality.


    The members of the Xynnar War Pact brought back a Rank 5 Alpha Monster that was called Crowned Egret.


    Although its rank was lower than what the Skystead Alliance and Six Kingdoms brought to the encampment, General Phobus and the dismantlers were very happy to see the dead creature.


    Aside from its white feathers, which could be used to make fashionable cloaks, its meat was the most delicious among the Monsters within the Marsnds.


    Unfortunately, it could fly, which made hunting it very difficult.


    Nero''s team brought down two Ruthless Minks which were Rank 5 Alpha Monsters, making them the only team that brought two Monsters back to the camp.


    Lux''s party on the other hand, presented a Rank 5 Alpha Diving Beetle, which made General Phobus, the dismantlers and Malcolm look at him in disdain.


    Henrietta, on the other hand, hid behind the Half-Elf, finding bugspletely disgusting.


    Truth be told, the meat of the Diving Beetle was edible. However, its taste wasn''t the best. Some of the soldiers in the camp even jokingly said that they would only eat the meat of Diving Beetles as ast resort.


    "... Good work all of you," General Phobus said as he looked at the monsters that Lux''s Mercenary group had brought him. "I now officially acknowledge all of you as part of my campaign''s mercenary troops. Go and rest. I will discuss more with all of you tomorrow."


    General Phobus left the dismantling area and returned to his tent, leaving Lux and the others behind.


    A momentter, all of them received a notification inside their heads as rows of text appeared in front of them.


    ��-------


    < Ding! >


    < Sub-Quest Big Game Hunters Completed! >


    < Rewards >


    �C You have acquired ck-scaled Terror Alligator Beast Core (Deimos Rank)


    �C You have acquired Rainbow-Colored Anaconda Beast Core (Rank 5 Field Boss)


    �C You have acquired Mad Eager Beaver Beast Core (Rank 5 Field Boss)


    �C You have acquired Giant Dread Roon Beast Core (Rank 5 Field Boss)


    �C You have acquired Crowned Egret Beast Core (Rank 5 Alpha Monster)


    �C You have acquired two Ruthless Mink Beast Cores (Rank 5 Alpha Monster)


    �C You have acquired Bramble Diving Beetle Beast Core (Rank 5 Alpha Monster)


    ��-------


    ''Cai, and Keane, what did the two of you get?'' Lux asked through their Guild Chat because he wanted to know if everyone got the same rewards when their mission waspleted.


    The Boar, and Swordsman gave their report, which confirmed Lux''s suspicion.


    ''I had a feeling that it would be like this,'' Lux thought. ''But the simrities were only in the Sub Quests. They didn''t get the same rewards as I did when we did the Main Quest in the previous two Dungeons.''


    After clearing the Gate of Death and Gate of War, Lux received the keys that would allow him to go to the Legendary Kingdoms of Agartha and Espoir Frieden.


    When he received these rewards, Cai and the others were in the same party as he was, but neither of them had gotten the keys that were directly sent to his inventory.


    While the Half-Elf was deep in thought, the other members of his Mercenary Guild looked at their rewards in shock, not expecting to receive the Beast Cores of the Monsters that everyone else had killed as a reward.


    Truth be told, none of them had removed the Beast Cores from the Monsters they had in because this was what Lux had ordered them to do before they went their separate ways. He did this to see how General Phobus would react to the Monsters that they had caught with their Beast Cores still intact inside their bodies.


    Seeing that the General was satisfied with their offerings, Lux assumed that he did the right thing, which left a good impression on the General whomanded the Marsnd Campaign.


    Malcolm approached Lux and asked him the question that was in everyone''s mind.


    "Did you��" Malcolm didn''t need to continue the sentence, fearing that it might be overheard by the people in the camp.


    However, it was enough for Lux to understand what he was going to ask.


    "Yes," Lux said with a mischievous smile. "Keep it as our secret, okay?"


    Everyone, except Lux''s team members, gave the Half-Elf aplicated look. Originally, they ridiculed him because the only thing his group defeated was a Diving Beetle, which didn''t hold much value.


    However, after seeing the rewards from their quest, they saw other entries that weren''t supposed to be there.


    All of them were prodigies of the young generation, so they instantly understood that the Half-Elf didn''t present all the Monsters that his group had hunted down in the Marsnds.


    The Mad Eager Beaver as well as the Giant Dread Roon were both Rank 5 Field Boss Monsters. If they were to add the Bramble Diving Beetle, which was a Rank 5 Monster, Lux''s group had hunted three Monsters, and two of them were Field Bosses!


    Although they felt like they had been cheated, they were more than happy to receive the Beast Cores of the Monster that everyone hunted.


    For them, this kind of reward was very rare because high-ranking Beast Cores were immediately sent to their Guilds'' Treasuries, which could then be used as a reward for outstanding members who had made great contributions to their guild.


    Everyone thought of the same thing, and that was to keep the rewards for themselves.


    Lux''s team, on the other hand, didn''t have a problem because, for them, these rewards naturally belonged to them.

 Chapter 445 The Path Of Ascension [Part 1]

    Several hourster, Lux went back to his tent to rest after he finished eating dinner.


    The day had been quite exhausting, but he was still satisfied with the result.


    He took the eight Beast Cores that he received out of his inventory and put seven of them on the ground.


    Eiko didn''t approach them and simply gnawed on the eighth Beast Core that was now inside her mouth.


    The Half-Elf had told the baby slime that he nned to absorb the seven Beast Cores for himself so that he could gain new skills.


    Eiko didn''t have a problem with this because she had the ability to copy her Papa''s skills anytime she wanted.


    Since Nero''s team had captured two Ruthless Minks, he didn''t mind giving Eiko the other one, allowing thetter to also gain something from their earlier expedition.


    Also, with the help of the Mythical Guild''s Guild Buffs, which allowed a 100% chance to learn skills from a Beast Core, Lux was quite excited to get new skills after not absorbing any Beast Cores for a long time.


    The ck-Scaled Terror Alligator gave Lux the skill Water Ball, which could be upgraded to the skill, Hydro Ball.


    The Rainbow-Colored Anaconda gave him the skill Water Steps, which could be upgraded to Water Strider.


    The Mad Eager Beaver Beast Core gave him the skill Water st, which could be upgraded to Aqua st.


    The Giant Dread Roon gave him the unique title Scavenger, which was immediately upgraded to Elite Scavenger because it was a passive skill instead of an active skill.


    The Crowned Egret Beast Core gave him the skill Improved Vision, which could be upgraded to Perfect Vision.


    The Ruthless Mink gave him the skill, Ruthless Pounce, which could be upgraded to Ruthless Assault.


    Lastly, the Bramble Diving Beetle gave him the skill, Dive, which could be upgraded to Long Dive.


    The Half-Elf was quite satisfied with the skills that he gained after consuming the Beast Core, while increasing his stats at the same time.


    Then something unexpected happened. The Half-Elf''s heartbeat rose as a surge of power washed over his body.


    The Free Stat Points he received after absorbing the Beast Core was 2,000, pushing hisbined stats to 5,090, allowing him to break through to the Initiate Rank.


    Just as the Half-Elf was enjoying the afterglow of the warm feeling that washed over his body, he heard the sound of a notification inside his head, as rows of text appeared in front of him.


    ��---------


    < Congrattions! You have now reached the Initiate Rank! >


    < Necromancer Job ss is now ready for an upgrade! >


    < Choose one of the three options for your Job ss Upgrade! >


    �C Summoner of the Abyss


    �C Lord of the Dead


    �C Blight Monarch


    ��-------------


    The Half-Elf''s eyes widened in shock. He didn''t anticipate getting a job upgrade as soon as he stepped into the Initiate Rank.


    He thought that his Job ss would only reach the next stage after bing a Ranker, which was the normal standard for the job professions in Sis and Elysium.


    However, since he could feel the pain in his waist after pinching himself, the Half-Elf was sure that he wasn''t dreaming.


    He then read the information of the three Job sses to better understand them, so that he could make a better decision in choosing his next Job Upgrade.


    ��--------------


    < Summoner of the Abyss >


    "Battle not with monsters, lest ye be a monster. And if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."


    �C Able to tap into the power of the void and summon Abyssal Creatures.


    �C The Rank of Abyssal Monsters summoned will always be equal to the rank of the Summoner.


    �C In extremely rare cases, the Summoner might summon an Abyssal Creature whose rank surpasses him by a grade. If this happens, there is a very high chance that the Abyssal Monster he summoned will not listen to him.


    �C Any Abyssal Monsters that answer your summons will not have a Beast Core, so you won''t get anything from killing them.


    ��--------------


    < Lord of the Dead >


    "When there''s no more room in Hell, the Dead will walk the earth."


    �C A Necromancer that specializes in summoning Undead, as well as taking control of other types of Undead.


    �C Strengthens any Undead minion that belongs to your army and raises their capabilities to their Max Potential.


    �C Will gain a plethora of curses that weaken foes by draining their health, mana, and stamina.


    �C Has a very high chance of being able to Tame any Undead Creature equal to, or lower than, your current Rank. You may choose to make them a member of your Necromancer Covenant or make them a Commander of your Animated Undead Legion.


    ��---------


    < Blight Monarch >


    "Let chaos storm! Let cloud shapes swarm! I wait for form!"


    �C A Necromancer that focuses on curses, inflicting ailments, diseases, as well as summoning a contagion of Blight insects and gue Rats that spread diseases to everything they bite.


    �C Blight Monarchs can Tame deadly Insects equal to or lower than their current Rank.


    �C It is possible to tame the Queen of a Colony, but the chance of this happening is very low, with the exception of you having two or three Ranks above it.


    �C The Blight Monarch can transform his entire body into a swarm of blight insects and attack. Any insects that die will regenerate after a time.


    �C It is said that the only way to kill a Blight Monarch is to kill all of the insects that appear when his body transforms into a swarm. If even one of these insects lives, the Blight Necromancer will be able to revive himself again after he has built his own colony, forming a new swarm.


    �C This profession ovees their foes through sheer numbers and is the bane of all those who specialize in Martial Combat.


    �C Only elemental spells with a wide area of effect can effectively destroy the swarm summoned by the Blight Monarch.


    ��--------------


    The Half-Elf''s expression was serious as he read the three professions that were avable to him. He had to choose carefully.


    All of them had their own special attributes, making the red-headed teenager think thoroughly about what path he wished to take for his ascension.

 Chapter 446 Guardian Of Souls [Part 1]

    ''Summoner of the Abyss�� I might have gotten this profession because I acquired the skill, Abyss Touch,'' Lux mused as he read the description of the Job Professions that had be avable to him for the second time.


    ''As for Blight Monarch, I have no idea how this profession became avable to me,'' Lux thought as he looked at the third profession that was presented to him. ''Is it because I spent some time with the ants and mosquitoes back in Leaf Vige?''


    The Half-Elf knew that both of these Job sses had their own unique specialties, but after giving it some thought, he found more cons in them than pros.


    First off, the Summoner of the Abyss allowed him to summon Monsters from the Abyss.


    Although these Monsters would only be of the same Rank as him, they were still Abyssal Monsters, and they had powerful skills that ignored the defenses of their enemies.


    But the chance of summoning a higher-ranked Abyssal Monster was a gamble. There was a chance that the Monster wouldn''t listen to him and might even attack him.


    The only time Lux saw Abyssal Monsters was when they fought one to defend Whitebridge City, and when he fought alongside Bedivere and the Dinosaur Monster. During that time, he felt so powerless against it because its stats were way off the charts.


    Because of that experience, Lux was able to understand why everyone took the matters rted to Abyssal Monsters seriously. They were a threat that could easily wipe out entire towns if left unchecked.


    The other factor that made Lux very hesitant to choose the Abyssal Summoner was due to how the people around him would react.


    Abyssal Monsters weren''t seen on a positive note, and if people knew that he could summon them anytime and anywhere, they might treat Lux as a threat to the peace, sending experts to eliminate him before he could cause future trouble.


    As for Blight Monarch, just looking at the description made his skin itchy. Just imagining his body suddenly turning into a swarm of insects while making love to Iris made him shudder.


    Also, he felt that he would lose something very important to him if he chose this Job ss, which made him even more hesitant to choose itpared to the Abyssal Summoner.


    Although he could see how dominating this Job ss could be when raised to the next stage, he knew that he would not choose it unless it was ast resort.


    "I guess Lord of the Dead is the safest choice," Lux muttered as he looked at the second listed profession that was avable to him.


    After reading its information several times, the Half-Elf was sure that this Job ss was the most appropriate for him to use at this point in time.


    Not only did it increase the overall strength of his Undead Army, it would also allow him to Tame Undead Monsters that were not part of his army.


    The Necromancer Job ss was a rare profession, and not many people had it. Even though not many thought highly of it, it was a profession that was epted by many.


    Vera even told Lux that in one of the Kingdoms she had traveled through in Elysium, they had a Necromancer as their Guardian, protecting them from the invasion of their neighboring kingdoms, who were eyeing their Domain.


    After making his decision, the Half-Elf chose the Lord of the Dead Job ss.


    ��-------


    < You have chosen to upgrade your Job ss to Lord of the Dead. >


    < Are you sure of your choice? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��-------


    Lux decisively chose Yes, making several rows of text appear in front of him.


    < Congrattions! >


    < Your Job ss has been upgraded to Lord of the Dead! >


    < Job Specific Skills Unlocked! >


    ��-------------


    �C You learned the skill, Tame Undead.


    �C Due to the effect of Skill Evolution [EX], Tame Undead has been upgraded to "Tame Undead [EX]".


    ��-------------


    �C You learned the skill, Death Ward.


    �C Due to the effect of Skill Evolution [EX], Death Ward has been upgraded to "Death Turret".


    ��-------------


    �C You learned the skill Turn Undead.


    �C Due to the effect of Skill Evolution [EX], Turn Undead has been upgraded to "Turn Undead [EX]".


    ��-------------


    �C You learned the skill, Summon me Skull


    �C Due to the effect of Skill Evolution [EX], Summon me Skull has been upgraded to a Named Creature.


    �C Please choose a name for your me Skull.


    ��-------------


    "me Skull?" Lux blinked as he saw the new Summon he received after changing his profession to the Lord of the Dead.


    Using his Elysium Compendium, he searched for the monster''s name and read its information.


    ��-------------


    < me Skull >


    �C A very rare type of Undead that is born from a spellcaster''s dead body.


    �C These fiery, human-sized skulls float in the air and illuminate their surroundings like that of a torch.


    �C Unlike a Lich or a Skeleton Mage, whose entire body has been reanimated, me Skulls only retain their heads. But don''t be deceived by their appearance, these ming skulls are very proficient spell casters and can teleport short distances during battle.


    �C Depending on the color of the me, the me Skull can generate different kinds of elemental magic.


    �C The mostmon color of the me emitted by me Skulls is reddish orange. These me Skulls specialize in Fire Spells, like Fire Balls, Fire Lance, Fire Wall, Fire Shield, and Fire Spray.


    �C It is possible to acquire me Skulls that specialize in two or more Elemental Affinities, making them versatile and deadly spellcasters that serve their Master.


    ��-------------


    After understanding what me Skulls were, Lux began to think of a good name that he could give it.


    For him, giving names to his Named Creatures was a very important thing. He had seen many instances where children disliked the names that were given to them by their parents due to their whims because it made them suffer for the rest of their life.


    Although his Summons were Undead, that didn''t mean that he could just randomly choose a name for them.


    ''Skully might be a good name?'' Lux thought. ''No. It''s too generic. Also, does it have a gender? Ishtar is a girl, and the rest of my Summons are all guys. Should I pick a gender neutral name instead just to be on the safe side?''


    After thinking for a long time, Lux couldn''t think of a good name for his me Skull, so he decided to ask for a second opinion.


    "Eiko, help me pick a name for our new friend," Lux said as he exined what a me Skull was to his baby slime.


    The baby slime was a very intelligent creature, so Lux was feeling quite hopeful about the name that she would think of.


    ''Come to think about it, this is the first time I asked Eiko to help me pick a name,'' Lux mused as he looked at the baby slime, who seemed to be deep in thought.


    Eiko closed her eyes as she pondered what a good name might be. Thissted for half a minute before the baby slime looked at her Papa with a smile on her face.


    "Boom Boom!"


    "..."


    "Let''s think of a better name, okay?"


    "Pa!"


    The Half-Elf could only smile bitterly at his baby slime''s name rmendation. Clearly, Glee had be a bad influence to Eiko, which led thetter to share her explosive hobby with her friends.

 Chapter 447 Guardian Of Souls [Part 2]

    An hour passed as the Half-Elf kept on thinking about what name to give his me Skull, but no matter what he did, no fitting name came to him.


    "Welp, there''s no harm in giving this a try," Lux thought. "Summon me Skull!"


    Immediately a Skull immting blue mes appeared in front of him.


    "Um, this might be a bit sudden, but can you talk?" Lux asked.


    The me Skull moved closer to the Half-Elf before looking at him in disdain.


    "Duh!" the me Skull replied. "Of course I can talk. Do you think I''m one of those lowly Undead that have Low IQ? Why did you summon me, Master? Are we going to burn things?"


    "No burning," Lux ordered. "Also, I summoned you because I am having a hard time thinking of a name for you. Do you have any rmendations?"


    The me Skull tilted itself to the right as if Lux''s question jogged a faint memory inside his head.


    "Weird, I believe I had a name once��, but I can''t seem to remember it," the me Skull muttered as it hovered in the air. "Well, I guess since I forgot about it, it isn''t important. Let''s see, a name huh�� Hmmm��"


    After several minutes, the me Skull approached Lux as if trying to fight off something inside its head.


    "T-There is a name that seems to always appear in my head when I think of a name for myself," the me Skull said. "The word is notplete and I can only think of the word Laz."


    "A name with Laz?" Lux rubbed his chin as he pondered the words that the me Skull told him. ''Should I call him Legz? But that won''t fit him because he isn''t carrying a bow��''


    The me Skull simply hovered a meter away from Lux as it waited for its Master to give it a name.


    "I got it!" Lux said as he eyed the me Skull who seemed to be deep in thought. "I will name you Lazarus."


    "Laz��Lazarus," the me Skull muttered. "Yes�� this is fine."


    The me Skull suddenly glowed brightly as the blue mes covering him burned brighter, emitting a light simr to a light-bulb instead of a torch.


    (Editor Notes: Tch! you missed the chance to name it Lazada!)


    ��-------------


    < Lazarus >


    "I''m Half Alive, but I feel mostly Dead."


    �C Named Great me Skull


    �C Guardian of Souls


    �C Rating: S


    �C Progress ( 0 / 20,000)


    Health: 50,000 / 50,000


    Mana: 300,000 / 300,000


    Strength: 100


    Intelligence: 1,000


    Vitality: 500


    Agility: 450


    Dexterity: 450


    Unique Spell: Cold mes - Ray attack of Fire and Ice Magic


    �C Lazarus can use this spell even if he doesn''t have any Mana.


    Fire Spells: Fireball, Fire Shield, Firebolt, Fire Wall, Scorching Ray, Fire Spray, Fire Storm, and Light


    Ice Spells: Ray of Frost, Icicle Spear, Ice Wall, Cone of Cold, Ice Shield, Ice Storm, and Ice Prison


    Active Skill: Blink, Invisibility


    Passive Skill: Levitate


    Special Ability: Cold Fire


    �C Increases resistance to Fire and Ice Spells by 80%.


    ��-------------


    �C Lazarus is your sixth Named Creature and has been bestowed the title of Guardian of Souls.


    �C This Named Creature has gained the ability to evolve.


    < Guardian of Souls >


    �C Regardless of what happens in the future, this Named Creature will be forever loyal to you.


    �C All attacks made by Lazarus will deal Cold me damage over time.


    �C Enemies under the effect of Cold me will have their resistances to fire and ice spells decreased by 30%.


    �C As someone who bears the title, Guardian of Souls, Lazarus canmunicate with soul-type Monsters, including Wraiths, Banshees, Specters and Ghosts.


    �C When you use Beast Cores to upgrade your Named Creature, its effects will be multiplied by 50%.


    ��----------


    "I look forward to working with you from now on, Lazarus," Lux said as he looked at the Great me Skull, who had evolved after being named.


    "Same here, Master," Lazarus replied. "Same here��"


    Eiko, who finally saw her Papa''s new friend, greeted Lazarus with a smile.


    "A baby Slime, huh? And quite a powerful one," Lazarus stated as he flew beside Eiko, who fearlessly approached it and nudged the Great me Skull''s head with her own.


    "And bold as well," Lazarusmented as he nudged Eiko back with his head, making the baby Slime giggle.


    Although the mes that burned around his skull could harm others, those whom Lux treated as allies would not be burned by Lazarus'' mes.


    Eiko instinctively knew that she wouldn''t get hurt by the mes that coated the Great me Skull''s head, so she fearlessly decided to try touching Lazarus to understand what he was like.


    "Boom Boom!"


    "Oh? So you also like burning things? Great! I have arade who understands how to enjoy life."


    "Boom!"


    "Yes, little one. Boom!"


    Lux scratched his head. It seemed that even if Glee was away, Eiko had found anotherrade who shared her new hobby.


    "It''s gettingte. I''m going to sleep now," Lux said before yawning. "Let''s sleep, Eiko."


    "Pa!" Eiko happilyid on the soft pillow right beside Lux''s head and yawned.


    "Master, I''ll keep watch for tonight," Lazarus proposed. "Don''t worry, I can make myself turn invisible as long as I don''t move. I''m very good at guarding stuff�� I think I was guarding something when I died��"


    The Half-Elf pretended that he didn''t hear what Lazarus had just said. Someone saying that he would guard him but died during a guard duty didn''t make him feel safe.


    Even so, since they were inside the Army Camp, he believed that he didn''t have to worry about his safety.


    Lazarus was a Rank 4 Monster, so even though he died in the past during guard duty, his ability as a Great me Skull was the real deal.


    Even if an Initiate were to enter his tent, they would find themselves faced with a monster, whose sneak attack and spell casting abilities were enough to make them feel a world of pain if they were caught unprepared.


    Several minutester, the glowing embers in Lazarus'' eyes intensified for a brief moment as he looked at the sleeping Half-Elf who had be his Master.


    Although his memories of the past were vague, he had a feeling that as long as he traveled with Lux, these faint images inside his burning head would eventually find their missing pieces, allowing everything to fall into ce.


    "Goodnight, Master," Lazarus said softly before turning invisible.


    Although he no longer had a body, he could still dream.


    Dreams of his past life about a career that ended sooner than nned because of the betrayal of hisrades, whom he had trusted with his life.

 Chapter 448 Tampering With The Quest Objectives

    While the Half-Elf slept, his Named Creatures were hard at work,pleting the mission that he had entrusted to them.


    Diablo, Ishtar, and Asmodeus waded across the marsnds under the cover of darkness.


    The glowing embers of their eyes within their eye sockets were the only things that anyone could see.


    As per their Master''s orders, they positioned themselves between the Ammar Kingdom''s Encampment and where the Yn Army had built their defenses.


    The Half-Elf ordered them to make their way to the Yn Camp two hours before midnight to allow the darkness of the night to hide their movement.


    When they were only a thousand meters from their destination, they no longer hid themselves and walked leisurely towards the Yn Camp.


    All three of them were wearing a ck robe with a hood in order to hide their faces. As Undeads, they didn''t need much light to see in their surroundings. They could clearly see the heat that emanated from the living, even from afar, allowing them to pinpoint their location even in the darkness.


    Diablo held a white g in his hand, and raised it high in the air. The one thing they didn''t want was to make the Yn Soldiers start a bombardment of magical spells, forcing them to leave before they could finish their mission.


    When they were only five hundred meters from their destination, they heard a humming sound, and immediately stopped walking.


    A few secondster, an arrow embedded itself on the ground, just a meter away from Diablo''s feet.


    "They have finally decided to greet us," Ishtar said as she looked at the arrow on the ground.


    Truth be told, she was tempted to take the arrow, and fire it back at the one who shot it. But, she knew that doing so would just make thingsplicated, so she stayed her hand, and behaved like her Master ordered her to.


    Diablo kept the white g raised in the air and didn''t move from his spot. He simply waited for someone from the Yn Camp to meet them because they didn''t want to create any misunderstandings.


    Ten minutester, they saw dozens of soldiers on horseback, running in their direction.


    All of them were carrying weapons and, ording to Diablo''s estimate, half of them were Initiates, while the other half were Grade C to Grade A Apostles.


    The one riding at the center gave a more powerful vibe, which made Diablo assume that he was someone important because he was giving off the aura of a Ranker.


    "Are you guests, or are you pests?" the Ranker who sat on horseback asked after he, and his troops, stopped a dozen meters away from the three ck-robed individuals that came to visit their camp thiste at night.


    "Friends," Diablo replied. "I came here on behalf of my Master. I don''t know if you know of him, but his name is Lux Von Kaizer."


    "Lux Von Kaizer?" the middle-aged man on horseback arched an eyebrow after hearing Lux''s name. "I have heard of him, but most of the things I heard are not good. ording to the reports, he is a Necromancer that used Corpse Explosion to annihte the Ammarian Bastards who dared to invade our Western Borders. Are you saying that he sent you here to meet me?"


    "Yes, and No," Diablo replied. "I came here to meet with the Commanding Officer of the Yn Army stationed in this part, hoping that the one in charge was either Watson or Sherlock."


    "I am the General stationed here. The two you seek are the Great Generals who aremanding the army at the Central ins," the General of the Yn Army replied. "If you n to meet them then you came to the wrong ce."


    The General''s words were calm and collected, which made Lux''s three Named Creatures have a good impression of him.


    "Then, can you pass this letter to one of them?" Diablo asked as he took a sealed letter out of his storage ring. "This letter contains important information, and if possible, I want to hear their reply as soon as possible."


    Diablo made a gesture of "Please take it" to the General, and thetter ordered one of his men to take the letter from Diablo''s hand.


    After using some special magic to check if the letter was rigged with any kind of dangerous spells, chemicals, or form of poison, the soldier then handed the letter to his General, which thetter epted.


    "Before I consider taking this letter to our Great Generals, would the three of you remove the hoods covering your heads?" the General asked. "I want to get a better look at your faces."


    Diablo nodded and took off the hood covering his head.


    ? The Yn Soldiers gasped when they saw the Death Knight''s true form. They had heard about Lux from the stories that were passed around by their fellow soldiers, but they didn''t have the opportunity to see him or his Skeletons up close and personal.


    Ishtar and Asmodeus also removed their hoods, showing their true forms to the General who wanted to confirm if they were telling the truth or not.


    "Your names?" the General asked.


    "Diablo."


    "Ishtar."


    "Asmodeus."


    The General nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    "Your names match the Named Creatures serving under the one who calls himself Lux Von Kaizer," the General stated. "As for whether I will believe you will depend on your answer to my questions. For now, follow me."


    "G-General? Are we taking them to our camp?" the General''s close aide asked in disbelief.


    "Don''t worry," the General replied. "If they do anything stupid, I''ll immediately dispose of them. There''s no need to be rmed. Also�� I am very curious to know more about the Half-Elf that helped Watson and Sherlock drive the Ammarians off ournds."


    For Diablo, Ishtar, and Asmodeus, this was the ideal situation. If they could talk more with themanding officer of the camp, and have their letter sent to Watson and Sherlock, the chances of keeping the worst case scenario from happening was high.


    If possible, Lux didn''t want to fight against his oldrades, despite the mission that was given to him.


    He was trying to experiment with something, and if it worked then he would have more leeway in the future when it came to the sudden quests that appeared out of nowhere.


    ��------


    Morning the next day��


    Lux woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy.


    The first thing he did was to wash his face before lightly rubbing Eiko''s head, telling her to wake up.


    The baby Slime sleepily opened her eyes before yawning. In the end, the Half-Elf picked Eiko up and ced her on the top of his head, allowing her to continue to sleep, while he looked for something to eat.


    However, before leaving the tent, Lazarus suddenly appeared in front of his face, almost giving the Half-Elf a heart attack.


    "D-Don''t do that, Lazarus," Lux said as he patted his chest in order to calm his heart. "Do you n to give me a heart attack?"


    "I''m sorry, Master," Lazarus replied. "I''ll keep that in mind next time. I came here to give you a report about what happened while you slept."


    "Okay," Lux replied after regaining hisposure. "Did something happenst night?"


    Lazarus nodded. "There were several people who peeked through the tent to check if you were sleeping or not. One was Cai, the other was Henrietta, and the third one was Malcolm. They just peered at you from a distance then, after seeing that you were asleep, they left without doing anything else."


    Lux blinked because he didn''t expect that people woulde looking for him in the middle of the night.


    "Thank you," Lux stated. "I''ll talk to themter and ask them if they need me for anything. Thank you for your hard work."


    "I live to serve you, Master," Lazarus replied. "Should I continue to guard here, or should I follow you around? I can remain invisible, while I''m with you."


    Lux firmly shook his head because he thought that this was a bad idea. Although ordinary people wouldn''t be able to see Lazarus, the General Phobus might.


    The Generals of the Ammar Kingdom had heard news from the survivors that the one who attacked them was a Necromancer. If General Phobus saw Lazarus, he might connect the dots and be suspicious of Lux, jeopardizing their mission.


    Lux exined his worries to Lazarus, and the Great me Skull nodded his head in understanding.


    "I understand," Lazarus stated. "Just call me again if you need me, Master."


    "Thank you, Lazarus. I''ll ask you to guard me again tonight."


    "It will be my pleasure."


    The Half-Elf unsummoned Lazarus just before he left the tent in order to look for something to eat.


    An hourter, the Half-Elf received some good news from Diablo, stating that his letter was now on its way to the Central ins where Watson and Sherlock were stationed.


    ''I just hope my assumptions are correct,'' Lux thought as he sighed in his heart.


    He didn''t know if the quests he received could be tampered with, but if the possibility existed, he was more than willing to give it a try in order to not burn the bridges that he had built some time ago.


    While he was deep in thought, he saw Cai, Keane, Xander, and Henrietta eating together, so the Half-Elf headed in their direction.


    To his surprise, Cai, Keane, Xander, and Henrietta had also broken through the Initiate Rank, just like him, which proved that they had also absorbed the Beast Cores that they received as rewards from theirst mission.


    ''Finally, I have two more strong fighters in my Guild,'' Lux thought as he greeted the four people with a smile.


    He hoped that his other Guild Members would be able to raise their ranks also, so that all of them could work together in order to protect their Guild from those who would try to overturn it in the future.

 Chapter 449 A Fake General [Part 1]

    Explosions could be heard everywhere in the Marsnds as the two parties unleashed a barrage of spells against each other.


    Lux and his Mercenary Group didn''t participate and only observed the battle from a distance using telescopes.


    General Phobus had told the Half-Elf that he could act in any manner that he liked as long as it didn''t jeopardize their military operation.


    In order to better understand how the skirmish was being conducted in the Marsnds, Lux decided to observe for now.


    The Ammarian Soldiers were assembled into a unique formation where those who specialized in creating barriers served as the Vanguard.


    They would hold their shields up for an extended period of time while the other spellcasters would hold their spells at the ready.


    The moment a side didn''t have any magical spells flying towards them, the barrier would be taken down, and it would be their turn to unleash a barrage of spells on the Yn Defenders.


    Lux wasn''t familiar with this kind of fighting style, but seeing that the Ammar Army was able to advance little by little towards the Yn Camp, he could tell that this strategy had its merits.


    Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but that all changed when the Ammarian Soldiers were less than 500 meters away from the Yn Camp.


    When half of the army had managed to pass through a certain point, loud explosions erupted from the ground, taking the Ammarian Soldiers by surprise.


    Panic immediately spread among the soldiers, destroying their formation.


    It was at this moment when the Half-Elf heard a rumbling sound in the distance.


    Thousands of light cavalry from the Yn Army charged towards the Ammarian Army Soldiers, who had fallen into disorder, and started a massacre.


    While this was happening, spells flew over these mounted soldiers andnded at the very rear of the Ammarian Formation, killing those who tried to flee.


    "They got them good," Lux muttered as he looked at the ughter that was happening on the battlefield.


    He wasn''t too proficient with war, and this exchange between the two armies taught him a lot. Fortunately, General Phobus'' Vice General was quick to act, and immediately ordered their cavalry to advance, engaging the Yn Cavalry with their superior force, while their infantry retreated.


    Thousands of soldiers died that day, but the Yn Army still managed to kill more than the Ammarians did.


    It was a brutal sh, dyeing the water that flowed in the marsnd red with the blood of the people that died.


    After half an hour, both sides pulled their soldiers back, only leaving the thousands of dead bodies behind.


    "With that many corpses, you can easily wipe out the Yn Army using that same trick you did back then," Malcolmmented as he gave Lux a sidelong nce. "Why don''t we ask General Phobus to gather the bodies, so that you can use themter on?"


    The others who heard Malcolm''s words didn''t understand what he was talking about.


    However, Lux''s friends fully understood what the leader of the Skystead Alliance meant.


    If Lux used his skill, Corpse Explosion [EX], and detonated all the dead people, a chain reaction would ur, which could easily wipe out thousands of soldiers in a matter of seconds.


    Lux only shook his head after hearing Malcolm''s proposal.


    "Now is not the right time," Lux replied. "I''m still waiting for something to happen."


    "Something to happen?" Malcolm arched an eyebrow. "Like what?"


    "Sorry, but I''ll keep it a secret for now," Lux stated. "However, the General on the side of the Yn Army is good. Who would have thought that he had ced remote mines under the marsnds. This must be some kind of Gnome Technology."


    There was also one thing that surprised Lux. He thought that Eiko would look excited after seeing the Remote Mines exploding in the battlefield.


    However, the baby Slime''s expression was calm, as she had recently learned how to properly use the st Bomb [EX] skill that she currently possessed.


    Eiko could freely detonate the st Bombs or make them detonate upon impact. This gave this skill a certain degree of flexibility, allowing the baby Slime to attack and set a trap for her enemies at will.


    An hourter, an angry General Phobus chastised his captains for their inability to react in time when the Yn Army charged at them during their moment of confusion.


    If not for the fact that he had sent reinforcements right away, the ten-thousand strong Vanguard would have been wiped outpletely.


    Out of the ten thousand soldiers, only a third of them remained.


    Although this skirmishsted for only about an hour, the Ammarian Army still suffered a great loss of manpower, which made General Phobus very furious.


    The next day, the General thought of another strategy, but each and every time, he was thwarted by the opposing General, lowering the morale of his army, and making Lux understand why the Great General of the Ammarian Kingdom, General Rafael Watts, had sent them to reinforce the Marsnd Camp in order to replenish the troops that were constantly being lost in the territorial battle.


    ''ording to Diablo, the General of the Yn Army stationed in this part of the battlefield is a middle-aged man named, Fahad Durnham,'' Lux thought as he watched the retreating Ammarian Army, who had suffered another loss from the Yn General''s hand. ''It seems that he is winning this battle of attrition.''


    After three days of consecutive defeats, General Phobus summoned Lux to his tent and asked the Half-Elf a very important question.


    "Why aren''t you participating in the battle?!" General Phobus growled as soon as Lux entered his tent. "Aren''t you supposed to be a Mercenary Group working for us? Why are you and your group cking off? If you just came here to spectate, all of you should just pack up and go home!"


    The Half-Elf had already expected that he would receive this kind of greeting, so he ordered everyone to not apany him and remain at their temporary amodations inside the Ammarian Encampment.


    Lux knew that the Ambassadors and other representatives of the other Factions, who were watching the progress through their scrying artifacts in the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen were also getting impatient about theck of progress in their mission.


    For the past three days, Lux had simply observed and done nothing, making Malcolm, Nero, and Enlil, the Elven Prince, feel as if they were just wasting their time.


    Lux looked at the angry General in front of him and smiled internally.


    "We have participated in many campaigns before, but this is the first time we are fighting in the Marsnds," Lux replied in a calm manner. "As you can see, our numbers are few, so I don''t want them to participate in the skirmish without sufficient understanding of the terrain as well as the capabilities of our enemies. After observing the battle for three days, I''vee to realize that the opposing General is a very formidable foe."


    "Are you telling me that I''m inferior to him?" General Phobus asked, and his voice reeked of killing intent.


    Lux knew that if he gave the wrong answer, the General might attack him in order to vent out his frustration.


    having considered this, he made sure to choose his words wisely, so that the person in front of him would not strangle him to death.

 Chapter 450 A Fake General [Part 2]

    "You''re not inferior to him, Sir," Lux replied. "He was just able to take advantage of the terrain and set traps beforehand. His style of fighting is very cowardly. Because of this, your army has suffered great losses."


    "That''s right!" General Phobus mmed his fist on the table, breaking it apart. "The bastard only relies on these dirty tricks in order to chip away my forces! If he faced me head-on like a real man, the one who would be getting trashed would be him!"


    "It is as you say, General. The Enemy is simply ying dirty like a street rat. This kind of strategy in my eyes is simply pathetic."


    "Right! That''s right! Finally, someone who understands me!"


    Lux once againughed in his heart as he looked at the General in front of him.


    After observing for three days, he finally understood what kind of person General Phobus was, and it made him want to leave the Ammarian Camp as soon as possible.


    In Sis and Elysium, they called Rankers with High Ranks and no substance Fake Rankers.


    These were people who only relied on their family background to raise their ranks by buying Beast Cores to boost their stats.


    This practice was quitemon among the nobility, as well as the members of the Royal Family.


    Such practice was frowned upon in Wildgarde Stronghold, and other ces in the Six Kingdoms.


    This was also why Gerald had set a rule that parents and rtives of the children, who had passed the Trial to enter Elysium, were not allowed to give the children Beast Cores to temporarily raise their ranks.


    The reason was because this would give them a mindset that as long as their rank was high, they could easily overpower the Monsters around them as long as they had higher stats.


    This kind of thinking prevented the children from honing their skills at an early age and simply rely on the stat boosts they receive from Beast Cores, making it so theycked true battle experience.


    Even if they became Rankers, they would be the first to die if they were to fight people of the same Rank as them.


    In Lux''s eyes, not only was General Phobus a Fake Ranker, he was also a fake General.


    After having casual chats with the soldiers in the Ammarian Camp, the Half-Elf found out that General Phobus was born into a family of Generals that served the Ammar Kingdom since it was founded.


    Because of this, they would always have one General on active duty and, this time, it was General Phobus'' turn to represent their family.


    Perhaps, understanding that the General, who was still in his early thirties,cked the aptitude, his family sent him an aide that was proficient in warfare, who acted as his adviser and right hand man.


    This man was the one who advised General Phobus about the military strategies that he used in the previous battles like setting up barriers as they advanced. However, as soon as something went wrong, the General would immediately lose hisposure and issue the wrongmands.


    If not for the fact that the Vice General whom his family had ordered to apany him had been there, the losses they would have gained would have be much higher than the ones they had now.


    "General, I propose that we let our soldiers rest tomorrow so that they can recover their strength," Lux proposed. "The Morale of the army is low due to the underhanded tactics that the enemy is using. Letting them fight in this condition will just increase our losses."


    General Phobus nodded. "I know that even if you don''t tell me. Just make sure that you and your Mercenary Group participate the next time my army advances to the enemy camp."


    "Yes, Sir!" Lux replied as he pressed his right fist over his chest as a sign of acknowledgement.


    When the Half-Elf exited the tent, he noticed that the Vice General, who was busy talking to some of their military officers, nced in his direction.


    A few secondster, the Vice General gave Lux a brief nod, and the Half-Elf returned the greeting.


    After that, Lux walked back to his camp where his members were waiting for him.


    As he walked away, he could feel the man''s gaze on his back, but Lux didn''t make any attempts to let the other party know that he had sensed his scrutinizing gaze.


    ''He''s starting to take notice of me,'' Lux thought. ''Although I managed to dy the next battle for a day, I just hope that I receive a reply before we are ordered to join the assault on the Yn Camp.''


    Although he was given free reign to do whatever he wanted to do on the battlefield, this freedom could easily be revoked if General Phobus gave them the order to join them in their next battle.


    At that point, Lux would have to show some impressive results, or else General Phobus would really do something reckless, like attacking him or his Mercenary Group because he deemed them to be useless.


    Even though General Phobus was a Fake Ranker, his Vice General was the real deal.


    One wrong move and the careful n that he had set in motion would burn to ashes.


    Fortunately, an hour before midnight, Lux received a report from Diablo, telling him that he shoulde to the Yn Camp and personally talk to themanding general.


    Because of this, the Half-Elf left the camp under the cover of Darkness and used the Boots of Teleportation to teleport directly to where Diablo was.


    The Boots of Teleportation was a Pseudo-Legendary artifact and was one of the rewards he obtained in Keoza''s Dungeon.


    This artifact allowed him to teleport directly to an ally, up to five miles from his location.


    Since the Death Knight had told him that he coulde, it meant that there was a positive response to the letter that he had sent to his two acquaintances, who weremanding the Main Army of the Yen Kingdom, in the Great ins.

 Chapter 451 The Penalty For Breaking A Contract [Part 1]

    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself inside a tent with Diablo, Ishtar, and Asmodeus standing beside him.


    After acknowledging his Named Creature''s greetings, the Half-Elf shifted his gaze to three other people inside the room, who were wearing military uniforms.


    Judging from their looks, Lux assumed that one of the two older Military Officers was the one calling the shots in the defense against General Phobus'' offensive in the Marsnds.


    Aside from them, there was also a young man, whom Lux believed to be in histe teens, and serving as one of the assistants of the older military officers in front of him.


    ''Two Rankers and one Initiate,'' Lux thought. ''It seems that the distribution of power between the high-rankingbatants of both sides are almost equal.''


    While the Half-Elf was observing the three people in front of him, the three people were also appraising him.


    It was Diablo who broke the silence and introduced the three Military Officers to his Master.


    "Master, let me introduce to you General Fahad Durnham," Diablo said as he made a gesture to introduce the middle-aged man with blonde hair and blue eyes who stood in the middle of the three people standing in front of him. "He is the highestmanding officer in this camp, and is the one responsible for keeping the Ammarian Army at bay."


    Lux smiled before giving the General a brief nod in greeting.


    "I am awed by your tactics on the battlefield, General Durnham," Lux stated. "Because of you, the soldiers in the Ammarian Camp are always feeling anxious, fearing that theirmanding officer, General Phobus, might order them to hang themselves due to his frustration for the sessive losses he''s had over the past few days."


    The corner of General Fahad''s lips rose ever slightly after hearing that his opponent was having a bad time as ofte.


    "Likewise, Sir Lux. I am also awed by the aplishment you made for the defense of our Kingdom many months ago," General Fahad said. "Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock had nothing but praise for you. Because of this, I was quite interested in meeting you face to face and, after seeing you in the flesh, I find that you are younger than I expected. Please, just call me Fahad, or General Fahad."


    The young man beside General Fahad was surprised after hearing his words. He didn''t expect one of the most fearsome Generals of the Yn Kingdom to treat the Half-Elf in a courteous manner, making him feel a little jealous.


    Because of this, he stared at Lux as if he was seeing his Rival for the first time, which the Half-Elfpletely missed because his attention was focused on the General in front of him.


    "The circumstances back then were quite dire, General Fahad," Lux replied. "I only managed to turn the tide by sacrificing the bodies of those who have died in battle, leaving nothing behind to give them even a proper burial."


    The corpses that were detonated using his skill, Corpse Explosion [EX], would explode simr to a grenade, dealing Necrotic Damage, as well as sending their body parts flying like shrapnel, injuring and potentially killing those around them.


    "I''m sure that our brave men and women who died back then would have been more than happy to have their bodies used for a greater cause," General Fahad stated. "The soldiers of the Yn Kingdom are prepared to die in battle, so do not think that their sacrifices were in vain. In fact, what you had done saved countless lives. Meeting you here today is truly a great honor."


    Lux was quite impressed by how eloquent General Fahad was. The middle-aged man was a true example of those that were expert in the way of the de, as well as in the way of words, using both of them to their advantage on the battlefield.


    "As much as I''d like to have a proper chat with you General, I can''t stay for long," Lux said. "I only snuck out of the Ammarian Camp and if they realize that I am gone, they might find trouble for meter on."


    General Fahad nodded in understanding.


    "Before we start our talk, I want to introduce my right-hand man, Sir Benjamin Olsen," General Fahad said as he patted the shoulder of the man standing on his right.


    "Pleasure to meet you, Sir, Olsen."


    "Benjamin is fine. We''re all friends here."


    Lux and Benjamin exchanged courteous greetings before General Fahad rested his hand on the shoulder of the teenager boy by his side, who had features simr to him.


    The only difference was the color of the young man''s eyes which were green, instead of blue.


    "This is my second son, Leo." General Fahad smiled. "He''s here serving as my aide in addition to getting some field training."


    Leo took a step forward and reached out his right hand towards Lux for a handshake.


    Naturally, the Half-Elf epted the gesture and shook the young man''s hand twice before letting go.


    ''How childish,'' Lux mused as he felt the slight pain in his hand after being squeezed by the Initiate in front of him.


    Clearly, Leo''s strength stat was higher than his, allowing thetter to have more gripping power.


    Leo''s mood became a bit better as he looked at the Half-Elf with a smug look on his face.


    For a brief moment, Lux was tempted to summon his Jade Golem, Orion, and have thetter smack the blonde-boy silly for trying to crush his hand.


    However, this thoughtsted for only a brief moment because something else happened.


    Eiko, who saw what Leo did to her Papa, red at the blondie with annoyance before summoning a st mine.


    If not for the fact that Diablo had reacted quickly and snatched the bomb from Eiko''s hand, things might have escted quickly, and a misunderstanding might have urred.


    "Eiko, calm down," Lux said through telepathy as he tried to pacify the baby Slime who summoned another st mine that she was nning to throw at Leo. "I''m not hurt, okay?"


    "Mumumumu!" Eiko replied through telepathy, which showed how annoyed she was after seeing someone hurt her Papa.


    In the end, Lux was able to pacify the baby Slime, but Eiko continued to re at Leo, which thetter ignoredpletely.


    General Fahad gave an awkward chuckle as he tried to salvage the situation. He saw what his son did to Lux, but it was toote for him to stop it.


    Also, seeing how Lux reacted, he understood that the Half-Elf didn''t want to make a big deal of it, so he decided to set this matter aside for the time being and chastise his son after his meeting with their guest had ended.


    "Let''s get down to business, Sir Lux," General Fahad said as he took out a box from his storage ring.


    He then ced it on top of the table and opened it.


    Inside the box was a purple gem, which was the size of an adult fist.


    General Fahad chanted in anguage that Lux wasn''t familiar with and the purple gem glowed faintly.


    A momentter, a projection appeared in front of the Half-Elf, showing two familiar faces, who looked at him with amused expressions on their faces.


    "Long time no see, Lux," Watson said with a smile. "We''ve read your letter and found it quite interesting."


    "Indeed," Sherlockmented from the side. "So, have you decided to kill the two of us in return for fame and glory? If so, you''re selling your services dirt cheap, my boy."


    Sherlock smirked at the Half-Elf who also had a smile on his face.


    Lux''s mission was to kill Watson and Sherlock.


    Depending on the oue of their negotiation, he might have to fight against his two acquaintances in order to clear his mission.

 Chapter 452 The Penalty For Breaking A Contract [Part 2]

    Lux looked at his mission objectives in his Soul Book before ncing back at the two people that were currently looking at him with a challenging nce.


    Clearly, Watson and Sherlock found this whole situation quite amusing, so they decided to have a talk with Lux to know what he wanted to talk about.


    When they received the letter that was sent by General Fahad through a Fast Rider, the two Great Generals almost didn''t believe their eyes.


    The same person who allowed them to win the previous war had now established a Mercenary Group and joined the Ammarian Kingdom''s side.


    The two Great Generals decided to treat this matter seriously, so they sent their own Fast Rider, carrying a letter and the wooden box, back to General Fahad with their reply to Lux''s letter.


    After reading the two Great General''s coded messages, General Fahad went to look for Diablo, who had be their temporary guests in the camp, and told him that the two Great Generals wished to have a chat with his Master, Lux.


    "I sent the details of the contract, as well as the rewards that they have promised me," Lux said as he looked at his two acquaintances with a calm expression. "What I want to know is how you both feel about me fighting against the two of you. Right now, we stand on different sides. Although I consider both of you as friends, business is business, and there is nothing I can do about it."


    "Ohh? Business is it?" Sherlock arched an eyebrow.


    The Gnome looked at Lux with half-lidded eyes, as if trying to discern the Half-Elf''s true intention.


    Watson, on the other hand, only shrugged and waited for Sherlock''s decision. Between the two of them, Watson��who was a two-meter-tall human��served as the brawns, while the Gnome was the brains.


    Together, they had managed to defend against the Ammarian Kingdom''s invasion andunch a counterattack, allowing them to conquer some of the Ammarian Kingdom''snds.


    They were not afraid to face anyone, but knowing that Lux was on the opposite side of the field didn''t sit well with them.


    The fact that he could use the skill, Corpse Explosion, was enough to make the Two Great Generals feel a little wary in their hearts.


    Silence descended inside the tent as both sides waited for Sherlock to make a decision.


    Lux checked his quest to see if there were any changes in it, but to his dismay, it remained the same.


    ��---------


    < War of the Lions >


    Mission Rating: S


    < Mission Objectives >


    �C Kill the Two Yn Army Great Generals, Watson, and Sherlock.


    �C Destroy the Yn Main Headquarters and capture their g


    < Rewards >


    �C Each member will receive 150,000 Gold Coins


    �C Each member will receive one random Mythical Equipment


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C Bonus rewards can be obtained depending on your performance on the battlefield. Great rewards await those who managed to excel in this military campaign.


    ��---------


    Ten minutester, Sherlock sighed before closing his eyes.


    Suddenly, his shoulders started to shake whichsted for a few seconds before he roared inughter.


    "I see. So this is what you''re after, Little Lux," Sherlock said after he finishedughing. "Business, is it? Very well. Let''s conduct business. Let''s see�� ording to your contract, you and each member of your mercenary group will receive 150,000 Gold Coins as well as Mythical Equipment�� What do you think of this, Watson?"


    "Utter garbage," Watson replied in a heartbeat. "Our heads are only worth 150,000 Gold Coins and a measly Mythical Weapon? It seems that either the Ammarian Kingdom''s war funds are so pitifully low at the moment, or their Great General, Rafael, is treating Lux and his Mercenary Group like ordinary swords for hire."


    Sherlock nodded his head in agreement.


    "Tell you what, Lux, how about the two of us make a deal?" Sherlock said. "For every General you and your Mercenary Group kill, I will give you 1 Million Gold Coins and one Pseudo-Legendary Equipment of your choice.


    "If you manage to kill Great General Rafael, I will give your Mercenary Group an Additional 1 Million Gold Each, and two Pseudo-Legendary Equipment of your choice. How does that sound?"


    Before Lux could answer, he heard a notification sound inside his head, and rows of text appeared in front of him.


    ��--------


    < Ding! >


    <  Sherlock had given you an offer to change your allegiance in the War of Lions >


    < Will you ept his conditions? >


    < Yes / No >


    < Important Notice! >


    �C Once you have chosen to ept this Quest, the Ammarian Kingdom will immediately be hostile with your Mercenary Group.


    �C If you ept this Quest, you will no longer have the chance to switch sides between the two Kingdoms.


    �C The Ammarian Kingdom will always be hostile to you, and treat you and your group as Public Enemy Number One.


    �C You will also receive a Penalty for breaking the contract.


    < Penalty >


    �C You and your Mercenary Group will lose 2,000 Stat Points immediately, which will be evenly taken out of your current stats.


    �C You and your Mercenary Group will each lose 1,000,000 Gold Coins for breaking your contract.


    ��--------


    ''Sh*t��'' Lux cursed internally after seeing the information in front of him.


    Originally, he thought that Sherlock''s offer was simply too good to be true.


    And he was right. His joy immediately disappeared after seeing the penalty that woulde if they broke their contract with the Ammarian Kingdom.


    Right now, Lux was in a dilemma. For him, he didn''t mind losing a million gold coins, because he had the Draconium Ore.


    However, a million gold coins was simply too big of an amount for ordinary teenagers like them. Cai and Keane certainly didn''t have this amount of money.


    Einar, Val, Xander, Henrietta, and Enlil (the Elven Prince), might be able to shoulder this amount, but, even then, they would be very irritated about it.


    Lux knew that he could pacify them by giving them one or two Draconium Crystal, which they could auction for money.


    The problem was the Xynnar War Pact, Skystead Alliance, the Six Kingdom Faction, and the Storm Dragons.


    Lux didn''t believe that they all had the money to pay for the penalty. But, that wasn''t his biggest concern.


    It was the stats.


    2,000 Free Stat Points was a very big deal.


    After hunting all of those Monsters for their quest, Big Game Hunters, Lux had finally been able to increase his stats and break through to the Initiate Rank.


    If he epted this quest, his Rank would drop back to Grade A Apostle, making his earlier progress disappear.


    Of course, his skills that he gained after upgrading his profession to Lord of the Dead would remain. However, the loss of stats would definitely be very painful, not only for him, but for his guild members as well.


    Watson and Sherlock noticed that Lux''s face had suddenly be pale and they thought that their offer wasn''t big enough.


    However, they had no intention of raising the rewards they had just offered because they also had a budget in their military spending.


    The only reason they offered such high rewards was due to Lux''s previous performance against the Ammarian Kingdom.


    "I can''t give you an answer right now because I need to talk to my members first." Lux decided to put the quest on hold until he had a proper talk with the others. "Tomorrow, the Ammarian Camp may notunch any attacks because their morale is quite low. I will use that opportunity to take your offer into consideration."


    Sherlock nodded. "Very well. We will wait for your decision for two days. If you didn''t give us a reply within that time frame, we will assume that you''ve decided to side with the Ammarian Kingdom. At that time, we really will be enemies."


    Watson crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at the Half-Elf with a steely gaze.


    "Lux, I don''t want to meet you on the battlefield because we have fought together," Watson stated. "But, I have to consider the lives of our people, so if you choose to stand against us, I will show you no mercy the next time we meet each other."


    Lux sighed in his heart because this decision was simply too great for him to decide alone.


    After saying his parting words to Watson, Sherlock, and General Fahad, the Half-Elf teleported back to his tent, where Lazarus was waiting for him.


    The Great SKull me told his Master that some of the Guards under the Vice-General''smand had peeked inside his tent a couple of times to see if he was there or not.


    This information made the Half-Elf feel a little anxious because he now knew that the second highestmander of the Ammarian Camp had finally set his eyes on him.

 Chapter 453 Unexpected Turn Of Events [Part 1]

    The next day��


    Lux asked to bring his entire Mercenary Group with him to look for "food supplies" and left the Ammarian Encampment after breakfast.


    Once they were two miles away from the camp, the Half-Elf told everyone that he had something very important to tell them.


    When everyone was properly seated and ready to listen to him, he told them about his attempt to contact the Yn Encampment, which surprised everyone including Lux''s circle of friends.


    The red-headed teenager then told them that the two Great Generals of the Yn Army gave him a very generous offer to switch their allegiance and jump to their side of the battlefield.


    When Lux showed everyone the bounties and the rewards that they would get once theypleted their mission, all of them were ecstatic.


    Some of them never imagined that they would get a Pseudo-Legendary Weapon just by doing a quest, and it made them look at the Half-Elf as if he was an idiot for not epting such a generous offer right away.


    Lux knew that now was the time to tell them the bad news, and just as it did to him, the bad news wiped the smiles and excitement from everyone''s faces.


    ��-----


    < Penalty >


    �C You and your Mercenary Group will lose 2,000 Stat Points immediately, which will be evenly taken out of your current stats.


    �C You and your Mercenary Group will each lose 1,000,000 Gold Coins for breaking your contract.


    ��-----


    "One million gold coins just for breaking the contract�� this�� isn''t this too much?"


    "I don''t even have 100,000 gold coins. How can I possibly pay that penalty?"


    "Hiss��. 2,000 stat points. This is so brutal."


    Just as Lux expected, after seeing the penalty, everyone felt very conflicted about whether they should switch sides or not.


    Nero, Malcolm, Henrietta, as well as the leader of the representatives of the Xynnar War Pact named, Jasper, felt that this was simply too much.


    "I will not force you guys to switch sides because I understand that the penalty is simply too much," Lux said after several minutes had passed. "However, I''ve decided to switch sides to the Yn Camp because I''ve fought with them once. Also, there is one more reason, aside from my personal bias, why I want to switch sides. They are very generous when ites to rewards."


    The members of the different factions couldn''t refute Lux''s words when it came to the rewards, their offer was truly too good to be true. If not for the penalty, they would have been begging him to ept the quest of switching allegiance at once.


    "I''d like to switch sides, but the penalty is simply too much for me. I only have 150,000 Gold Coins in my storage," a member of Nero''s Guild said with a pained expression. "I can''t pay for the penalty."


    Lux nodded in understanding before crossing his arms over his chest.


    "You know, I''ve been thinking about this problem all night, and I havee to one solution," Lux stated. "I decided to make my Father, Alexander Von Kaizer, shoulder the gold penalty for the Storm Dragon''s Guild, as well as my friends Henrietta, Cai, Keane, Einar, Val and Xander."


    After hearing this news, the members of the Storm Dragon Guild looked at the Half-Elf as if he was an angel.


    As for Cai and Keane, they couldn''t stop the corner of their lips from twitching because they knew how filthy rich the Half-Elf was due to his hoard of Draconium Ore. And yet, he still used his own Step-Father to pay for the penalty for them.


    ��--------------


    Barbatos Academy��


    Alexander calmly set his teacup on top of the table as he looked at the projection in front of him.


    If one were to look closely, they would be able to see that the corner of his lips was twitching a bit.


    Iris, on the other hand, covered her lips as her whole body trembled. She was doing her best to notugh out loud at how bold her fiance''s action was.


    Even Alicia, who was always on Lux''s side, couldn''t help but pinch the bride of her nose because of the Half-Elf''s deration


    Pay the gold penalty of the Storm Dragon''s Guild and Lux''s friends?


    That was twenty-one million gold coins!


    Although Alexander could afford it, that didn''t mean that he would simply take out that amount of money just because Lux said that he would shoulder it.


    "S-Sir�� you don''t have to�C," Alicia was about to say that the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy didn''t need to agree to Lux''s shameless deration.


    However, before she could finish her words, the Saint raised his right hand, and gestured for her to stop whatever she was going to say next.


    "It''s fine," Alexander replied. "I''ll shoulder the penalty."


    Alexander looked at the Half-Elf with a critical gaze.


    Lux had never been willful in the past and never dared to ask him for anything. Since the Half-Elf decided to use him to pay the penalty, it meant that thetter was confident that he could pay him back for the money that he would lend him.


    Iris looked at her father with a smile of satisfaction. Just like Alexander, Iris also knew that her fiance wouldn''t do something so shameless unless he had something of equal value to exchange.


    For now, they just continued to watch the projection and see how the discussion with the rest of the group would y out.


    ��--------------


    "What about us?" Malcolm asked. "Can''t you pay the penalty for us?"


    "Don''t worry, I also thought of a good way for you guys to bypass the gold penalty issue," Lux replied with a smile. "Actually, this is not really a problem. You''ll just need to ask Emperor Andreas to pay for your share. Simple, right?"


    "W-What did you say?!" Malcolm''s face immediately became pale after hearing the Half-Elf''s words. "A-Are you insane? That''s Emperor Andreas. He''s not some kind of generous merchant that will throw away five million gold coins for the likes of us!"


    Lux nodded in agreement because he also believed that the Emperor of the Vahan Empire wasn''t that generous.


    However, the Emperor was ambitious.


    Lux knew that what had happened in the Vahan Empire was something that Emperor Andreas had staged in order to make things difficult for him.


    Although it was not the Emperor who had ordered the farce to take ce in the Coliseum, he gave it his silent approval, making him guilty in Lux''s books.


    Because they cornered him to the point that he almost got seriously injured, Vera was forced to show up despite the fact that she was still recovering from her injury in order to save Lux. Because of this, she suffered from a bacsh and had to rest for an indefinite period of time.


    "Don''t worry," Lux said. "If your Emperor is given the choice between failing this mission or getting a higher chance of sess, then five million gold coins is nothing to him. My Father is going to toss twenty-one million gold coins for my sake, and your Emperor can''t even take out a measly five million? Is he that much of a cheapskate?"


    Malcolm and the other representatives of the Skystead Alliance looked at the Half-Elf as if he was suicidal. They were wearing artifacts that allowed the outside world to hear and see what they were hearing and seeing.


    They were sure that at this very moment, everyone outside the Domain of the Fallen had heard the Half-Elf''s words by now.


    "The same can also be said for the Xynnar War Pact and the Six Kingdoms," Lux stated. "If they can''t even shoulder one million gold coins then you guys can stay in the Ammarian Camp and dere that your Mercenary Leader decided to switch sides.


    "Naturally, although you remain on their side, they might treat you as spies, and you will always be under suspicion for every wrong thing that happens in the camp. I''m sure that General Phobus will be more than happy to use you as target practice for his throwing knives."


    Everytime quieted down after hearing the Half-Elf''s words.


    After the sessive losses of the Ammarian Camp, General Phobus was like a ticking time bomb. No one wanted to be around him, and the only one that could stay by his side was the Vice-General, who had been sent by his family to aid him in the war.


    Nero then cleared his throat to catch Lux''s attention, and thetter nced in his direction, telling the Guild Master of the Storm Dragon n that he had his attention.


    "Now that the million gold coins are resolved, how do you n to settle the 2,000 stat points decrease?" Nero asked. "Most of us stepped through the Initiate Rank after absorbing the Beast Cores we gained from the mission. Once we switch sides, we will lose those points and regress to being Apostles. How do you n to deal with this problem?"


    Everyone also perked their ears as they looked at the Half-Elf who still had a calm expression on his face.


    "Actually, the answer to that is simple. All we need to do is��"

 Chapter 454 Unexpected Turn Of Events [Part 2]

    "Actually, the answer to that is simple. All we need to do is... do nothing."


    If the members of the Storm Dragon Guild had been looking at Lux as if he was an Angel earlier, now they all looked at him as if he had gone crazy.


    "What do you mean do nothing?" Nero asked. "That is 2,000 Stat Points. You can''t just get those points just because you want to. Do you know how much effort it will take for every person here to regain the stat points that they will lose if we switch sides today?"


    Everyone nodded their heads to support Nero''s statement. Even if they started hunting Monsters, it would take a lot of effort to collect that many Beast Cores at once. Also, there was a possibility that not everyone would receive their fair share of Beast Cores before the main mission was over.


    Even during Guild Dungeon Expeditions, they could only get one to three high-level Beast Cores at most. These Beast Cores would then be sent to the Guild Treasury and would only be awarded to Guild Members that had made great contributions to the guild.


    This was why when they got the 2,000+ Free Stat Points due to the Beast Cores they gained from the Big Game Hunter Quest, all of them were ecstatic because those Beast Cores belonged entirely to them without needing to share them with others.


    "Isn''t it just 2,000 Stat Points?" Lux asked. "All of you should just ask your respective Factions topensate you for the loss of your stat points. I''m sure that Sir Gerald will be more than happy to give all fifteen of you the Beast Cores that will allow you to regain the stats you lost today.


    -----------


    Outside of the Domain of the Fallen...


    Gerald almost spat blood then and there after hearing Lux''s shameless words.


    Rainer, who was by his side, shook his head, while Natasha chuckled.


    "I guess he is still holding a grudge about the Guild Creation Quest we imposed on him," Natasha said. "What do you think, Rainer?"


    Rainer nodded. "He is definitely holding a grudge. I guess we should loosen our treasury a bit andpensate our juniors this time around. What do you say, Commander?"


    "I say we grab that little brat when he gets back, hang him upside down in the za of Wildgarde Stronghold, and beat him up with a wooden stick!" Gerald wanted to curse the Half-Elf so badly, but due to the fact that they were surrounded by the various representatives of the various Kingdoms, he lowered his voice, so that only his twopanions could hear it.


    The Rankers of the Xynnar War Pack, Skystead Alliance, and Six Kingdoms all gave Gerald smiling nces, which made the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold give all of them the middle finger in his heart.


    ''What are you bastardsughing at?'' Gerald sneered. ''Just you bastards wait! If Lux has decided to make things difficult for me, he will certainly do the same thing to you guys as well!''


    -----------


    As if confirming Gerald''s words, the Half-Elf then nced at the rest of the group and gave them a devilish smile.


    "The same can be said for everyone here. You can let your Elders, or your Kingdoms,pensate you by having them give you Beast Cores. All of them are Rankers, right? Can''t they give you a few Rank 5 Beast Cores from Alpha, Field, and World Bosses to raise your stats again? I find it hard to believe that a Ranker can''t even handle those small fries."


    "You''re insane!" one of the members of the Xynnar War Pact eximed. "We''re not allowed to get special treatment from our Elders!"


    "That''s right!" A youngdy from the Skystead Alliance red at Lux. "Emperor Andreas will notpensate us with Beast Cores unless we seed in this mission!"


    Lux wagged his finger at the youngdy from the Skystead Alliance and smirked.


    "Then, did youe here to fail?" Lux inquired.


    "O-Of course not!" the youngdy replied. "We came here to clear the mission and return victorious!"


    "Then what''s the problem? All we need to do isplete our mission, then all of you will get your stats back. Everyone will be happy, right?"


    "T-This..."


    After thinking all night, Lux couldn''t find a good way on how topensate everyone for the massive loss of their stat points.


    Even if they started hunting Monsters and shared the Beast Cores equally among them, it would still take a lot of effort in order to return everyone''s stats.


    He simply didn''t have the time to do this, and it would just prolong their current mission. After realizing that he had hit a dead end, the Half-Elf decided to stop caring and toss the problem to other people!


    That was the solution he came up with. Since he didn''t want to deal with the problem, let others solve it instead.


    --------------


    Domain of the Fallen...


    An awkward silence descended inside the Domain of the Fallen as all the Rankers, Ambassadors, and other representatives of the various Factions nced at each other in dismay.


    This silence was broken when one of the representatives of the Kingdoms muttered the words that everyone was thinking at that moment.


    "Is this Half-Elf crazy?"


    Gerald, who heard this, had a calm expression on his face, but deep inside he was gloating at everyone inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    He was one of the people that raised the Half-Elf in Wildgarde Stronghold, and one of the things that he both loved and hated about Lux was the fact that, when he decided on something, he would be quite stubborn about it.


    Since the Half-Elf decided to switch sides, he would definitely switch sides regardless of what others thought.


    "The Skystead Alliance willpensate our representatives for their loss in this mission," Aron said.


    He was the right-hand man of Emperor Andreas and had the authority to decide things on the spot. A few lowly Beast Cores didn''t matter to him, and he would dly use his own funds to cover the gold loss of their representatives as long as they had a higher chance of seeding in their mission.


    Because Aron had already made his deration, the other Factions voiced their agreement as well.


    However, deep in their hearts, they were cursing at the Half-Elf for doing something high-handed.


    Naturally, the Half-Elf and the other teenagers inside the Sacred Dungeon weren''t aware that all of their Superiors had grudgingly agreed topensate them for their losses.


    Since they were not aware, they were still feeling anxious as they contemted whether to switch sides or not.


    ----------------


    Lux looked at everyone in front of him with a determined expression.


    He had already made up his mind to join the Yn Camp, so even if the others didn''te with him, and decided to stay with the Ammarian Kingdom, he would just go alone and that was final.


    "Make your decision now," Lux stated. "Those who want to join me in switching sides to the Yn Camp,e to my side."


    As soon as the Half-Elf said these words, Cai immediately walked towards Lux and stood by his side.


    "I''m always on the winning side, so I''ll go there," Caimented.


    Keane and Cai moved at the same time, but the Boar was first to stand beside the Half-Elf, making him the second.


    He hadplete trust in Lux''s decision, so he didn''t mind joining his side. As a member of the only Mythical Guild in the world, it was only normal for him to join his Guildmaster.


    Xander was the third to go. Whatever side Cai joined, he would also join that side.


    Einar was the fourth.


    Val was the fifth.


    And thest was none other than Henrietta.


    Aside from the fact that she was ordered to remain by Lux''s side, she also had a nagging feeling that joining the Half-Elf was the right decision to take, despite the fact that the losses she might gain from this mission would make her Rank deteriorate.


    Seeing that no one else was nning to join them, the Half-Elf nodded.


    "From now on, all of you are freed from the Ars Goetia Mercenary Group," Lux stated. "Whatever side wins this war, no hard feelings, okay?"


    Just as Lux was about to leave, he heard a shout from an unexpected person.


    "Wait!"


    Malcolm clenched his fists tightly as he walked towards the Half-Elf.


    "I am going with you," Malcolm stated which shocked hisrades from the Skystead Alliance.


    "M-Malcolm are you sure about this?" the youngdy who made an outburst earlier asked. "If you fail this mission, you might miss the chance to get promoted to a higher position in the Vahan Empire. Are you really willing to take that gamble?"


    "Yes," Malcolm stated through gritted teeth.


    The only reason why he was joining Lux''s team was because thetter had managed to defeat him in their battle several months ago.


    Malcolm originally thought that the Half-Elf had managed to win by sheer luck, but after hearing his exnation about switching their allegiance, he understood how bold a decision it was.


    Although the chances of sess were uncertain, he decided to take a gamble and join Lux. If he failed the mission, then he would just leave the Vahan Empire in order to not stain his father''s reputation.


    "Are you really sure about this?" Lux asked Malcolm who was looking at him with bloodshot eyes.


    "No, but I already made a decision. All we need to do is to win, right?"


    "Yes. All we need to do is win."


    The Half-Elf smiled as he took a second nce at the fuming young man in front of him who was older than him by several years.


    "Okay, so this is where we all part," Lux said as he looked at the people who decided to stay behind. "May the best side win."


    Half-Elf turned around in order to walk in the direction of the Yn Camp, but his step froze when he saw someone standing a few meters in front of him.


    "You''re right," the Vice-General of the Ammarian Camp, who everyone referred to as "Second", said as he looked at the Half-Elf and his group with a sinister smile. "May the best side win."


    Before the Half-Elf could even react, the Vice-General''s sword pierced his chest, killing him instantly.


    Thest thing Lux saw before his world descended into darkness was the Vice-General''s sneering face, which made him realize that he had truly underestimated the man who was the true General thatmanded the Ammarian Army in the Marsnds.


    -----------


    Iris, who was watching the projection through Henrietta''s artifact, almost screamed out loud when Lux was killed in front of her.


    However, it didn''t end there.


    The one next to die was Cai, followed by Keane.


    Henrietta, Einar, Val, Xander, and Malcolm tried to defend themselves from the attacker, but they were simply no match against a Ranker.


    They were like newly hatched birds that were strangled by an adult human''s hand, ending their lives before they could even grow and spread their wings to fly.

 Chapter 455 The Real Battle Starts Here!

    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself staring at the ceiling of a cavern.


    A momentter, the face of a baby slime appeared in his vision, and the two looked at each other for a few seconds before a bitter smile appeared on the Half-Elf''s face.


    "We died, right?"


    "Pa!"


    After hearing Eiko''s confirmation, the Half-Elf sighed before propping himself up in a seating position. This was the first time he died in a Dungeon, and frankly speaking, it wasn''t a very nice experience.


    Around him, Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, Xander, Henrietta, and Malcolm also started to stir.


    "Are you alright, Fei Fei?" Cai asked the teary-eyed golden slime who immediately buried her face in Cai''s neck, crying her heart out.


    That was the first time Fae Fae witnessed her Master die, so she didn''t know what to do. Fortunately, when Cai died, Fei Fei was also teleported out of the Dungeon because she was the Boar''s Contracted Beast.


    Cai coaxed the baby slime, and told her that it was going to be fine. The Boar then opened its Soul Book and half a minuteter, it started to cry as well, making Fei Fei cry louder.


    "My 2,000 Stat Points!" Cai wailed. "My one million gold coins! Gone! All gone!"


    "Weeiiiiiiiiiii!" Fei Fei also wailed because Cai''s raw emotions were affecting her as well.


    Upon hearing Cai''s words, everyone also opened their Soul Books and found out that they had also lost 2,000 Stat Points and a million gold coins.


    The funny thing was that Keane''s current gold coin count was in the negative. Meaning, every gold coin he would gainter would automatically disappear as payment for his debt.


    Einar, Val, Xander, and Henrietta were also in the same boat. As for Malcolm, he was quite well off, so his gold didn''t go in the negative. Even so, the loss of both stats and gold coins made him feel depressed.


    After seeing that nothing else was lost after his death, the Half-Elf checked his quest log and saw that its information had now changed.


    ��----------


    < Your Contract with the Ammarian Kingdom is now terminated. >


    < From this moment onwards, you and the Ammarian Kingdom would be hostile to each other. >


    < 2,000 Stat Points have been deducted from your current stats >


    < 1,000,000 Gold Coins have been deducted from your inventory. >


    < If you enter the Gate of Conquest again, you will immediately be teleported to the Yn Army Main Headquarters. >


    < If you wish to continue the mission, the "War of Lions", you will need to ept a new quest from the Great Generals of the Yn Kingdom. >


    ��----------


    ''I see, so that was the penalty?'' Lux thought as he connected the dots together. ''But I still hadn''t epted the quest to switch sides with the Yn Army.''


    Originally, Lux nned to only ept the quest when he had reached the Yn Camp, so that he wouldn''t be immediately hunted down by the Ammarian Kingdom.


    He just didn''t expect that the Second in Command of the Ammarian Camp in the Marsnds would appear while he was having a meeting with the members of his Mercenary Group.


    After a few minutes had passed, everyone had managed to regain their calmness and think objectively. Just like Lux, they thought that this was the penalty of switching sides to the Yn Camp, which made sense because the stats and gold coins they lost were exactly the same as the penalty for breaking the contract.


    Malcolm confirmed his suspicions as well.


    "The Sacred Dungeon is quite different from the other Dungeons we have visited in the past," Malcolm exined. "Usually, when we die in other Dungeons, we will receive a penalty simr to what we have experienced now. There was a time that my rank dropped down to the Apostle Grade after bing an Initiate because I was killed by a boss during a Dungeon Raid.


    "However, this Dungeon is different. Even if we die inside, we won''t get a penalty. After discussing this with my Guild Members, we all agreed that this was this Domain''s way ofpensating those who risked their lives to journey towards the entrance of the Sacred Dungeon.


    "Since the trip to reach this ce is perilous, and the chance of dying is high, the one who made this Domain probably thought that it would be too unfair if the punishment for failing the Dungeon is too high also. After all, if we were to die on our trip to this ce, it would be a permanent one, and there would be no second chances."


    After hearing this exnation, Lux, and his friends, who hadn''t died inside the Sacred Dungeon before nodded their heads in understanding.


    Henrietta only smiled bitterly because she had died inside the dungeon more than once in their attempt to clear it.


    After hearing this exnation, Lux gazed at the Gate of Conquest with a solemn expression on his face.


    He could still remember the sneer on the Vice-General''s face after thetter gave him the killing blow.


    ''Rankers are truly scary,'' Lux mused as he subconsciously rubbed his chest, where the sword had pierced him earlier.


    "What now?" Henrietta asked. "Are we going to leave the Dungeon?"


    Malcolm bit his lip as he looked at the back of the Half-Elf who was still staring at the Gate of Conquest. He wanted to say that they should just go back, but the image of Emperor Andreas looking at him as if he was a failure made the words he was about to say stuck in his throat.


    At that moment, the Half-Elf turned around and looked at Malcolm with a determined look on his face.


    "We''re going to challenge the Dungeon again," Lux said. "Of course, if you do not wish to go, I will not force anyone. So, who wants to go with me?"


    "I will go!" Cai said with the "never say die" attitude. "That bastard. I won''t be able to rest easy until I pierce my tusks into his gut!"


    "Da Waeeeeee!" Fei Fei also shouted. Clearly, she also wanted to get revenge on the one that killed her Master.


    "I''m going too," Keane said calmly, but his gaze carried a sharpness that could cut through steel.


    "I won''t be able to sleep soundly tonight if I back out now," Einar shrugged. "Besides, we only got the penalty we deserved for breaking the contract. The real battle starts here!"


    Xander, Val, and Henrietta all nodded their heads in agreement. Right now, the only thing they wanted to do was to take revenge on the Vice General who killed them without mercy.


    "I''m going as well," Malcolm dered as he stared at the Half-Elf with a re. "You said that all we need to do is win, right? Do you feel the same way? Can we win?"


    Lux nodded. "We can."


    The Half-Elf then turned around as he walked towards the Gate of Conquest and pressed his right palm over it.


    "Let''s go back and kill that bastard," Lux stated.


    A momentter, all the teenagers disappeared as they stepped into the Gate of Conquest once again with renewed determination and resolve to get their vengeance, not only to the Vice General, but to the entirety of the Ammarian Kingdom.

 Chapter 456 I Accept This Mission

    Outside of the Domain of the Fallen��


    ''That kid sure has guts,'' Aron thought as he looked at Lux''s back from Malcolm''s artifact.


    He was not the only one that had this thought as almost everyone, who had seen how Lux and his team were killed by the Vice General, looked at their group with solemn gazes.


    When Lux died, everyone was shocked at first.


    ? However, after the shock receded, all of them started gloating because they felt that the Half-Elf deserved to be knocked off his high horse for a change, to make him more humble.


    Gerald, Rainer, and Natasha had the opposite opinion because they knew what kind of person Lux was.


    He was someone who persistently tried to challenge the trial in order to gain the right to enter Elysium.


    In the past, the Half-Elf would always be seen training alone in order to increase his stamina, endurance, as well as his willpower in order to pass the test every year despite his weak body.


    Now that he had stepped on the same ying field with his peers, his growth had not only shocked them, but also made them wonder how Lux changed from a zero to a hero.


    "Gerald, it seems that your boy still thinks he can turn this situation around," one of the Rankers that belonged to the Six Kingdom said in a teasing tone.


    "Oh? You think he can''t do it?" Gerald asked in a challenging tone.


    "What if I said that he can''t do it?" the Ranker asked back. "What are you gonna do?"


    "How about we start a wager?" Gerald proposed. "Twenty-one million gold coins. I will bet on my boy clearing the Gate of Conquest, do you dare to wager against me?"


    "Hah! Who''s scared of whom? Twenty-one million? How about we raise the stakes 50 million!"


    "Okay. Let''s ask that pointy-eared Elf over there to be our guarantor, and everyone else here to be a witness. We will pass the money to him."


    The Rankerughed because he thought that Gerald was just trying to save face due to the mishap that had happened to the Half-Elf.


    The "Pointy-Eared Elf" that Gerald referred to was the Ambassador of the Elswyth Kingdom.


    He and Gerald had known each other for a long time and could be considered good friends. Because of this, he didn''t take offense at his friend''s words and happily collected the gold coins from both sides.


    Although he was skeptical about Lux''s chances of winning, he decided to stay neutral and wait to see how things would y out.


    "I also want to bet fifty million gold coins," Rainer dered. "Who wants to bet against me? Naturally, I will side with Lux."


    "Hahaha! I will not reject free money," one of the Rankers of the Skystead Alliance said and agreed to take on Rainer''s offer.


    This time, Rainer chose Aron to be a Guarantor because he was a big name in the Vahan Empire. The Ranker of the Skystead Alliance had no objection and agreed that the right-hand man of Emperor Andreas would hold their wager.


    Simr bets started, prompting even the always calm Natasha to bet on Lux''s side.


    If only Lux knew that the adults were making a wager against each other, he would have definitely joined in the fun and wagered the remaining gold coins in his possessions as well.


    ��----------


    Yn Army Headquarters��


    "How did you manage to pass the sentries around our camp?" Watson asked Lux, who was calmly drinking some tea in front of him.


    "Business secrets," Lux replied after cing his tea cup on top of the table. "So, will you allow us to join your campaign, General Watson?"


    "Before we answer that, what happened to the rest of your Mercenary Group?" Sherlock interjected as he stared at Lux with narrowed eyes. "I believe that this isn''t even half of your force, am I right?"


    The Half-Elf lightly cleared his throat before answering Sherlock''s question.


    "Actually, it is embarrassing to say this, but they decided to stay with the Ammarians," Lux replied.


    "Oh? Why did they stay?" Sherlock arched an eyebrow after hearing Lux''s answer.


    "Let''s just say that they think that joining you will make them lose more than the rewards you promised them."


    "I see. Truly unfortunate."


    The Gnome Great General smiled at the Half-Elf as if weighing his words. A few minutester, Sherlock took out a scroll in his hand and passed it over to Lux.


    As soon as the Half-Elf touched the scroll, a series of notifications appeared in front of him.


    ��-----------


    < Ding! >


    < Do you want to retake the Quest, War of the Lions? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��-----------


    Lux chose yes in a decisive manner as he unfurled the scroll in his hands, prompting more text to appear in front of him.


    ��---------


    < War of the Lions >


    Mission Rating: SS


    Although the Yn Army had managed to thwart the repeated attempts of the Ammarian Army to retake their territories, the Generals of the Yn Kingdom had a feeling that this battle of attrition would not go in their favor if the fighting was prolonged.


    Because of this, they were trying to find ways to strike a decisive blow to their enemies, preventing them from increasing the number of their troops on the frontlines.


    ��---------


    < Mission Objectives >


    �C Help the Yn Kingdom break the stalemate and allow them to get the upper hand in this war.


    < Rewards >


    �C Rewards will depend on your performance on the battlefield.


    ��---------


    < Secondary Quest >


    �C Killing Lions


    < Killing Lions >


    �C For every General you and your Mercenary Group kill, you will be awarded with 1 Million Gold Coin Each and 1 Pseudo-Legendary Equipment of your choice.


    �C If you and your Mercenary Group kill Great General Rafael of the Ammarian Kingdom, all of you will be awarded an additional 1 million Gold Coin Each, and 2 Pseudo-Legendary Equipment of your choice.


    < Secondary Quest Additional Rewards >


    �C Rewards will depend on the contribution you made in killing the Generals of the Ammarian Kingdom.


    ��---------


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C Depending on your overall performance in the war. You will receive an exclusive reward just for you.


    ��---------


    Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, Xander, Henrietta, and Malcolm''s eyes widened in shock after seeing the information that appeared before them.


    Compared to the rewards of the quest they had epted for the Ammarian Camp, the Yn Quest was much better.


    However, they also noticed something different in it as well.


    The first one they took notice of was the Mission Rating.


    The Quest from the Ammarian Kingdom had a Mission Rating of S, while the Yn Kingdom had a Mission Rating of SS.


    The Mission Rating showed how hard a mission was, with SSS as the hardest of them all.


    After personally dying in the hands of the Vice Commander, all of them understood that this mission was not going to be a walk in the park.


    "I ept this mission," Lux said as he signed the contract that was given to him by General Sherlock.


    "Good!" Watsonughed. "Having you around puts my heart at ease, Lux."


    "I feel the same way as well," Sherlock smiled before making a gesture for Lux to follow him to the table where the map of the battlefield was spread out.


    Now that Lux and his team were on their side, it was only normal for them to be briefed about the overall situation on the battlefield.


    The information made Lux, and the others, realize how hard their current mission was going to be.

 Chapter 457 Borderline Madness

    A few hours before sunrise, Lux was woken up by Keane in his temporary tent within the Yn Main Headquarters.


    The face of the skinny swordsman was quite grave, which chased away the drowsiness that Lux was still feeling at that moment.


    "What happened?" Lux asked.


    "The Camp of General Fahad in the Marsnds has been overrun," Keane replied. "Go to the Main Tent. All themanders are being gathered right now. Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock asked me to wake you up. Go. I''ll wake up Cai and the others."


    Lux nodded and hurriedly ran to the Commander''s Tent to get a better understanding of what just transpired.


    They had just epted the Mission to support the Yn Kingdom a few hours ago, and now, the situation had suddenly escted to something that caught the Half-Elfpletely by surprise.


    Five minutester, Cai and the others also arrived in the Commander''s tent. Just like Lux, all of them had grim expressions on their faces because they didn''t expect the circumstances of the Yn Kingdom to change overnight.


    "Everyone, I''m sorry for waking you up, but I received a report that the Marsnds'' first line of defense has been breached," Watson said in a calm manner. "Because of the rapid development, General Fahad was forced to abandon their headquarters and regroup at the second defensive line, ten miles away from their Main Camp.


    "If the Ammarian Kingdom manages to break past their second defensive line, then they can easily reach the Town of Larnwick, which is only an hour away by horseback. ording to General Fahad''s report, it is estimated that the enemy had mobilized over 80,000 troops when they assaulted their camp.


    "Many of our soldiers sacrificed their lives in order to allow ourrades to escape. Currently, General Fahad only has a little more than 30,000 troops defending our Eastern nk."


    Gasps of shock were heard inside the tent, and some of the Commanders'' faces became pale aftering to understand how dire their current situation was.


    Right now, the Yn Kingdom was fighting on four battlefields.


    The Marsnds, the Forests, the Great ins, and the Mountain Regions.


    The Great ins, which had easy ess towards the territories that were being conquered, were being guarded by Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock. They were the heroes of the previous war, and because of this, they were assigned the hardest ce to defend.


    The Marsnds were their eastern front, and if over fifty thousand soldiers managed to break past their defenses, they could easily attack the defenders that were guarding the second battlefield, which was the Forest Area.


    "General Carran who is the General in charge of defending the Glouswell Forest has already sent ten thousand of his men to help General Fahad hold their position," Great General Sherlock stated. "However, this is exactly what the Ammarian Generals are hoping for. We are already stretched thin, and the more men we send to reinforce General Fahad, the less we have to defend our own strongholds.


    "I assume that their reinforcements are the soldiers that have just finished training after their recent recruitment campaign. My only fear is that more areing, and once that happens, our defensive lines will be thinner from the repeated attacks until our weakest link breaks apart. By then, we will have no choice but to order a full retreat and return to the Fortresses along the borders of our Kingdom."


    The Gnome Great General paused before heaving a sigh.


    "I''m afraid that once they have retaken theirnds, they will regroup andunch an all out attack against our Kingdom," Great General Sherlock said. "With our morale at an all time low, it is possible that they will be able to win this time around. Everyone, we can''t let this happen. We must find a way to turn this situation around."


    A deafening silence descended inside the tent as everyone looked at each other, hoping that someone had a good idea for how to turn the situation around.


    The silence continued, until the Half-Elf raised his hand to offer a suggestion.


    "I have a n, but it is not an honorable one," Lux said. "It is rather a deplorable one. If you can ept this method, then there might be a way to turn the current situation to our favor."


    "What do you have in mind?" Sherlock asked. "If it doesn''t go below our bottom line, we can consider it."


    Lux nodded and told the Great Generals the n that he had thought of.


    Immediately, themanders inside the tent looked at the Half-Elf as if he was a cold blooded monster who didn''t care what methods were used as long as he won.


    "Y-You! Don''t you even know the meaning of remorse?" one of the Commanders red at the Half-Elf who had proposed such a nefarious n.


    "This is borderline madness! Uneptable!" anothermander shouted. "How can you even propose such a thing!"


    "Great Generals, please tell this brat that what he said is madness!" one of Watson''s closest Aides pleaded. "Even if we win this war, the cost is something that our King and our people will not be able to ept."


    Watson and Sherlock exchanged a nce before shifting their attention back to the Half-Elf who was looking at the two of them with a solemn expression on his face.


    "We will carefully consider your proposal, Lux," Sherlock stated. "Do you have other ideas?"


    The Half-Elf nodded. "My Mercenary Group and I will go to the Marsnds and help General Fahad defend their camp. Also, I will leave my subordinates Diablo and Asmodeus in your care. Allow them to act freely in your camp and in the battlefield. Please, don''t restrict their movements because they will y a crucial role in this war."


    "I ept this proposal," Sherlock nodded.


    "You heard that, right?" Watson asked the Commanders inside the tent who were ring at Lux. "Don''t touch his subordinates in the camp. Believe me when I say that you don''t want to get on the bad side of these peop�C I mean, persons."


    ? Watson and Sherlock knew what Lux was capable of. If they were to really throw their morality and pride into the gutters then the Half-Elf could really reverse their current situation.


    However, just as their Commanders had said, they might win the battles, but they would lose the war.


    Their King, and their people, would not ept such an oue.

 Chapter 458 Wars Didn’t Prove Who Was Right Or Wrong

    "You are free to pass," one of the guards that was managing the checkpoints said. "All of you be careful, the skirmishes happening in the Glouswell Forest are just as intense as the battle that is happening in the Marsnds at the moment."


    "How long will it take us to arrive at the Second Defensive Line of the Marsnds from here?" Lux asked.


    The guard pondered for a while before answering Lux''s question. "Two to three days, give or take, if you travel without taking too many breaks."


    "Thank you."


    "You''re wee. All of you are still too young to be on the battlefield. If things turn for the worse, don''t hesitate to escape. You kids still have bright futures ahead of you."


    After bidding farewell to the guards at the checkpoint, Lux and his Mercenary Group once again continued their journey, following the shortest route that his Elysium Compendium had picked for them.


    Henrietta, who was present when Lux made his proposal, couldn''t believe that the sickly Half-Elf, whom everyone treated as a kind-hearted person, would even think of doing such a thing.


    It was as if the Lux that she had known long ago was very different from the red-headed teenager who was currently leading their group to reinforce General Fahad''s army in the Marsnds.


    And Henrietta was not the only one who was shocked by Lux''s proposal back in the Yn Main Camp.


    Even Gerald, Rainer, and Natasha, who were watching the projection near the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen, felt that this new "Lux" was quite different from the one they raised in Wildgarde Stronghold.


    As for Lux''s original team, they had been with him ever since the battle in the Gate of War and had witnessed how the Half-Elf decimated nearly half of the Ammarian Kingdom Army when Malcolm''s teammitted Biological Warfare against the Yn Kingdom.


    He used the dead bodies of the Yn Soldiers as bombs in order to kill people, and the result hadpletely exceeded everyone''s expectation.


    Naturally, this way of fighting was looked down by others because the corpses that he would use for his Corpse Explosion skill would almost disappearpletely, leaving only bits and pieces of flesh without any way to identify who they were, so they could be given a proper burial.


    Malcolm, who had experienced this firsthand in the past, remained silent during the entirety of their journey.


    shbacks of what happened back then still appeared in his dreams, and he would wake up in the middle of the night at least once or twice a week, drenched in sweat and shaking all over.


    Perhaps, this was also one of the reasons why he subconsciously chose to side with Lux.


    If possible, he didn''t want to be on the opposite battlefield as the Half-Elf when he used this genocidal ability of his.


    Several hourster, Lux asked everyone to rest for the night.


    They had been traveling non-stop in order to reach their destination as fast as possible, but the Half-Elf knew that if they kept their current pace, the others would be exhausted before they could even arrive at General Fahad''s new Outpost.


    "I''ll go and hunt," Einar said after doing a few stretches. "What do you guys want to eat?"


    "Roasted Mountain Boar!" Cai replied. "I brought a lot of spices with me. Xander, you handle the seasoningter, okay?"


    Xander nodded his head. "Understood."


    The Barbarian closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. He was standing so still, making Cai wonder about what he was doing.


    Two minutester, Einar opened his eyes and sprinted towards the North East.


    Lux nced at the Map in his Elysium Compendium and saw the green dot that was representing Einar, running towards a gray dot on the map.


    ''Interesting, he has some kind of high-level detection spell," Lux mused as he looked at the green and gray dot colliding against each other in the map. Less than a minuteter, the gray dot disappeared.


    Lux assumed that the Barbarian had already killed his target, so he decided to set up the fire pit where the Boar would be roasted.


    An hourter, the fragrance of roasted boar permeated the surroundings, making Cai salivate.


    Xander was the one handling the cooking, and one could tell that he was very experienced in cooking freshly hunted beasts.


    Another hour passed before the boar was properly cooked, and everyone had dinner together.


    Just as everyone had almost finished eating, they heard the sounds of explosions in the distance.


    Lux nced in the direction the sounds wereing from and confirmed that it was at least several miles away from their location.


    "We will rest for four hours before we continue our journey," Lux said. "Don''t worry about the watch duty. I already have that covered."


    Lux summoned Ishtar and a dozen Skeleton Gang Bangers, who immediately left their camp and spread out in every direction.


    After making sure that his Undead Sentries had positioned themselves, the Half-Elf looked around to look for a ce to sleep.


    The Half-Elf yawned before taking out a thick nket from his storage ring and ced it on the ground. He then took out a smaller nket, rolled it up and used it as a pillow.


    "Let''s sleep, Eiko," Lux called out to the baby Slime who was having a chat with Fei Fei on the log near the campfire.


    "Pa!" Eiko said. "Night Night Fei Fei."


    "Night Night Eiko." Fei Fei said.


    Eiko then crawled towards her Papa and snuck herself inside his robe, around the chest area.


    ? Soon, the two of them fell asleep, despite the fact that the sound of explosions reverberated in the dark night.


    "Let''s also sleep, Fei Fei," Cai said as sheid on the ground.


    "Yes!" Fei Fei nodded and positioned herself near Cai''s neck, and closed her eyes to sleep.


    A momentter, the loud snoring of the Boar spread in the campsite, making Henrietta sigh helplessly.


    "You guys sure don''t feel the tension," Henrietta muttered before she took out her improvised bedroll from her storage ring, and tried to sleep.


    Surprisingly, she fell asleep just a few seconds after her head touched her rolled up nket, proving how tired she really was from their journey.


    One by one, everyone in the camp also took out their sleeping gear to rest.


    Lux said that they would resume their journey in four hours, so they nned to get as much rest as they could.


    When everyone inside the camp was asleep, Lux opened his eyes and summoned two of his Doppelgangers. They immediately went deeper in the forest, heading in the direction of the battle that was happening between the Ammarian Army and the Yn Army.


    The Half-Elf fully understood that they wouldn''t win the war using conventional means, so he decided to prepare for the inevitable sh that would sweep through the Yn Camp like a tide.


    As for what was wrong or what was right, Lux didn''t think in ck and white.


    He had learned from his past life that although wars were limited in certain parts of Earth, only those who had the ability to wipe out entire nations with a push of a button could dictate what was right or wrong.


    Simply put, wars didn''t prove who was right or wrong.


    It only showed who was left.

 Chapter 459 A Lesson They Would Never Forget [Part 1]

    After getting their short rest, the group once again resumed their journey.


    They came across anxious soldiers manning the checkpoints, and there were times when they were almost attacked due to how tense they were.


    If not for the fact that they were carrying the banner of Generals Watson and Sherlock, whom everyone recognized as their Great Generals in this war, these sentries would have definitely attacked first and askedter, due to the intense skirmish that happened a few hours ago.


    ''Not good,'' Lux thought. ''It looks like after the Generalmanding this forest sent several of their men to reinforce the Marsnds, their defenses have grown weaker, leaving these soldiers feeling jittery.''


    Although the Yn Army guarding the forest area managed to fend off their enemies, that didn''t mean that there wasn''t a possibility that they would be breached when the Ammarian Army attacked again.


    All the sentries were on high alert, and if they saw anything suspicious, the rm for battle would immediately be sounded. A dy in warning could result in their entire camp being overrun by their enemies, so there was no room for error.


    Finally, a dayter, Lux and his team arrived at the new camp of General Fahad.


    Only a few days had passed since he saw the General, but his looks and temperament had bepletely different from the first time that Lux had met him.


    The general looked exhausted, but his eyes were still sharp, as if he could fight at any given second.


    General Fahad''s son, Leo, had dark circles under his eyes and looked less smug than thest time Lux saw him.


    Clearly, the Marsnd Defenders had their backs against the wall and needed all the help they could get.


    Seeing that they were busy, Lux just asked the question that mattered to him.


    "When was thest time you fought against them?" Lux asked.


    "Half a day ago," General Fahad replied. "We managed to fend them off, but it came at a steep price. Almost three thousand men died, and even with the reinforcements, it is only a matter of time before they manage to whittle our manpower away until none remain."


    Lux nodded. "Did they take their dead bodies back to their camp? Or did they just leave them there?"


    General Fahad looked at Lux before a dawn of understanding came upon him.


    "Actually, they didn''t. They are still down there," General Fahad pointed at the base of the cliff where they were at, which made Leo look at his father with a doubtful gaze.


    ''Why are they talking about dead bodies?'' Leo frowned as he looked at the Half-Elf who had a relieved expression on his face.


    "Can I have them?" Lux asked.


    General Fahad nodded. "I don''t mind. We already took our dead from among them. Everyone down there are all Ammarians."


    The more Leo heard, the more he didn''t understand what was happening, which made him wonder what was so special about the dead bodies under the cliff.


    Just as he was pondering these thoughts, Lux addressed his team members and asked them to get a proper rest.


    They had been traveling for a very long time, and they were already at their limit.


    The Half-Elf on the other hand, didn''t rest.


    He simply summoned his Skeleton Army and his Rock Golems, ordering them to bury the dead bodies in the ground.


    The soldiers of the Yn Camp didn''t see anything wrong with this. In fact, they weed it. Dead corpses could attract insects, as well as other beasts, that might attack their camp if they were not careful.


    Having someone do the dirty work for them gave them some peace of mind.


    Naturally, they weren''t aware that Lux was not burying the dead soldiers out of respect. For him, they were valuable resources that he could use in a pinch to overturn their current situation.


    Two hourster, Ishtar appeared beside Lux and whispered something in his ears.


    The Half-Elf frowned after hearing the news, but he still nodded his head to tell his Nightstalker to continue her mission of monitoring the movements of the Ammarian Army.


    ''They might try another night attack if my hunch is right,'' Lux thought. ''But this is also good. They won''t see what is going to hit them.''


    After finalizing his n, Lux raised his hand and called upon two of his most trusted subordinates to join him in this battle.


    "Honor your Oath as part of my Covenant!" Lux ordered and a magic circle appeared on the ground in front of him. "Come forth, Bedivere!"


    The magic circle glowed brightly and half a minuteter, Lux''s Dragon Knight appeared in front of him.


    "I havee, My Liege," Bedivere said as he and his Dragon Mount bowed respectfully to their Master.


    Lux gave them a brief nod before summoning ckfire, the Coffin where his Grandma Vera was currently resting.


    "Sid, I need your expertise," Lux stated. "Hear my call!"


    The lid of the coffin opened and a secondter, the Dwarf Assassin appeared on bended knees, paying tribute to his Master.


    "My de is yours, My Master," Sid said respectfully.


    Lux also gave Sid a brief nod, acknowledging his allegiance.


    "I have work for the two of you." Lux looked at his Dragon Knight and Assassin with a solemn expression on his face. "Right now, we are fighting arge-scale war. What I want the two of you to do is��"


    Bedivere and Sid listened carefully to Lux''s words. After their master finished speaking, both of them nodded their heads in understanding.


    "Lazarus,e," Lux ordered.


    A momentter, a burning skull appeared in front of the Half-Elf, surprising the Dragon Knight, as well as Sid.


    "This is my newrade, Lazarus," Lux introduced the ming skull to the Dragon Knight as well as the Dwarf Assassin. "He will be participating with you guys in this operation. The three of you are to coordinate with Ishtar and carry out this mission without fail. Do I make myself clear?"


    """Yes, Master!"""


    Lux nodded. "Go. I will wait for the good news."


    The three bowed their heads to the Half-Elf once again before all three of them climbed onto Bedivere''s Dragon Mount and descended from the cliff.


    Afternding safely, Sid and Lazarus moved together onnd, while Bedivere and his mount, once again took off towards the sky.


    Behind Lux, Eiko, her Doppelgangers, and Fei Fei were busy creating one Bone Bomb and st Bomb after the other until their Mana ran out.


    The Skeleton Bombs couldst for a day or two as long as Eiko didn''t use the Skeleton Make skill to form other things.


    However, she could only create 200 of them at a time.


    Because of this, she needed to summon her Doppelgangers to add 200 more Skeleton Bombs in order to increase their stockpile.


    st Bombs, on the other hand,sted for only four hours, but that was enough.


    Eiko happily made one bomb after the other as she chugged on some mana potions that Lux had ced beside her.


    The Yn Soldiers just watched this scene with amused expressions on their faces. They never thought that the Slimes would be capable of bomb creation.


    After the two baby Slimes finished their job, Lux ced all of the finished bombs inside his storage ring.


    He then flew down the cliff and hid them in ces which he deemed would be the best ce to hide them.


    Now, all he needed to do was wait for the Ammarian Army to attack. He was sure that when this night was over, their enemies would have learned a lesson they would never forget.

 Chapter 460 A Lesson They Would Never Forget [Part 2]

    When the Yn Army made their retreat, they had positioned themselves on top of a cliff overlooking a Woond, which had countless trees that the Ammarian Army had used as cover during their night battles.


    Since their original camp was stationed in the Marshes, they had only made a temporary camp at the rear of the woonds.


    A tenth of the Ammarian Army was busy taking down their former camp as per General Phobus orders and was currently on the way to their new one in order to bring along their resources and food supply.


    Because of this, scouts were sent out to look for food for the army as well as to keep surveince on their enemies.


    Since the Yn Army was short on manpower, they didn''t dare to send their scouts to the woonds and only assigned some soldiers to keep watch to make sure that they would be able to sound a timely warning if their enemy chose to attack.


    In the area located between the camps of the two armies, several Ammarian Scouts noticed a dragon flying above the trees.


    "A young dragon. But it looks like it has a rider..." the leader of the scouting party muttered.


    "Should we shoot it down?" one of his subordinates asked.


    "Let''s do it!" Another one of his subordinates insisted on the idea because this was a good chance to show off to their peers. "The General might reward us if we give him the Dragon as a gift. We might even get promoted!"


    "That sounds like a good idea!" The Leader nodded his head in agreement. "Let''s spread out and try to shoot it down."


    Everyone in the army could get promoted depending on their contribution on the battlefield. A young dragon was a very rare creature and, if they were able to catch it alive, they would certainly get great rewards from their General, whose mood had improved after their recent victory.


    The Leader of the Scouting Party had a greedy look on his face as he eyed the creature from the shade of the trees.


    He then crouched down and knocked his bow with an arrow, prepared to shoot the young Dragon down when it passed overhead.


    However, before he could do that, a hand covered his mouth, and a dagger pierced him in the back.


    Everything happened so fast that the Leader of the scouting party died not knowing how he died.


    Sid carefully stored the body of the dead scout inside his Bounty Ring, which Bounty Hunters used to store the bodies of their dead targets in order to present them to their clients.


    Unfortunately, the ring had a limit and it could only store twenty dead bodies at most.


    Even so, it was enough as Sid went to look for his otherrades who were sneakily killing the other members of the Ammarian Army''s scouting party, using Bedivere''s Dragon Mount as bait.


    Sid had only taken five steps, when Ishtar appeared in front of him with a finger over her lips.


    "Master''s formerrades are headed in this direction," Ishtar said. "Retreat for now. All of them are of the Initiate Rank. Even if you can kill five of them, the others will get you. It''s not worth it."


    Sid nodded his head in understanding and stealthily retreated, leaving not even a footstep behind.


    "Bedivere, they are almost here," Lazarus warned hisrade through telepathy. "Fly to the western side of the valley. Master said that we shouldn''t fight them right now."


    "Understood," Bedivere replied as hemanded his Dragon to change their flight path.


    They had already killed three scouting parties and had their corpses with them. Their goal was to cause confusion among the ranks of the Ammarian Army and make them feel uneasy at the disappearance of their scouts.


    Although this wouldn''t affect their morale by a longshot, it was enough to make General Phobus and his Second In Command rethink their earlier assumption that the Yn Army was not bold enough to send their soldiers down into the valley to fight them.


    Nero and the members of his Storm Dragon Guild arrived at the location where Sid had just killed the Scout Leader.


    However, since nothing looked out of ce, they continued to walk forward, constantly monitoring their surroundings for enemies, as well as Beasts, so that they could hunt for food.


    "I''ve been thinking a lottely," one of Nero''s subordinates said as they walked past the trees where the members of the Scouting Party died. "After bing an Initiate due to the rewards we got from that quest, I realized that I am lucky to be part of this expedition. However, I have this nagging feeling that we might have chosen the wrong side."


    One of the girls in their team red at her friend who had spoken negatively about the side where they were currently on.


    "If you had chosen to side with Lux, you probably would have died just like him and the others who joined him," the youngdy stated. "I don''t have any ill feelings for Lux. In fact, I am very happy with his achievement, but after seeing how he died, I realized that every decision we make can easily end our life if we are unlucky."


    The young man who spoke earlier sighed because he also liked Lux. If not for the fact that their Guildmaster, Nero, decided not to join the Half-Elf in his n to switch sides, they might have died alongside him.


    "I know that," the young man replied. "But, are they really dead? What if they decided to challenge the Dungeon again? Will they respawn in the same field as us?"


    The youngdy who chastised her friend didn''t know how to answer this question. Unlike them, Lux and his party could enter the Domain of the Fallen at any given time.


    It was highly possible that they returned and reentered the Gate of Conquest and were currently in the same field as them.


    But, this time, they were no longer allies but enemies.


    "It doesn''t matter," Neromented as he continued to walk. "Even if they challenge the Dungeon again, our goal doesn''t change. We will kill anyone that stands in our way and clear this Dungeon once and for all."


    Everyone in the Storm Dragon Guild looked at their Leader and agreed with him in their hearts. Since they could no longer go back, all they could do was move forward andplete their current mission.


    What they didn''t know was that on one of the branches of the tree, Lazarus saw and heard their discussion.


    He even shared his senses with Lux, allowing the Half-Elf to hear their conversation.


    "You''re right, Nero," Lux muttered as he looked in the direction where the members of the Storm Dragon Guild were currently at. "I will also kill anyone that stands in my way of clearing this Dungeon. Since you and I are now enemies, you are one of my targets as well."


    Lux didn''t know whether he and Nero were truly fated to be enemies or not.


    He thought that the two of them would be allies in this mission until the Dungeon was cleared. Unfortunately, they didn''t share the same vision.


    Lux chose the Yn Army because he had fought with them once, while Nero chose the Ammarian Kingdom because they had the advantage in the war.


    Both of them believed that they had done the right thing, and the oue of the battle would prove who made the right decision that day.


    Just as the sun was about to set, the Ammarian Camp started gearing up for another night raid.


    None of them knew, aside from themanding officers, that all of their scouting parties had been killed several hours ago.


    General Phobus rode a Tiger in the center of the formation.


    His Vice-General, who went by the name Second, was right beside him, seated on a warhorse.


    As they made their way near to the Yn Camp, all the soldiers formed their ranks in preparation for the battle.


    "Tonight is the night that we will annihte this side of the battlefield," General Phobus said. "I can''t wait to see Rafael''s face once he finds out that I was the first among the Generals of the Ammarian Kingdom to break through the final defensive line of the Yn Army, allowing our forces to attack their main force from behind."


    Second nodded. "It is as you say, General. I''m sure that your Grandfather will be proud of this achievement. If we win this war, you will be the one who will get the highest merit."


    General Phobus smirked after hearing his Vice-General''s words.


    "Is everyone in position?" General Phobus asked his Aide at his side.


    "Yes, Sir!" the Aide replied. "We are simply waiting for your orders to advance."


    General Phobus raised his right arm as he gave the order to attack.


    "Kill!" General Phobusmanded. "Show these lowly Ynians no mercy!"


    Currently, he had over 80,000 troops because more reinforcements were sent to their camp earlier that day after the higher-ups heard that he had made significant progress in his campaign.


    Because of this, he was confident that he would be able to overwhelm their enemies with sheer numbers.


    The moment the Ammarians broke through the cover of the trees, the battle began. Both sides exchanged spells and ranged attacks, breaking the quiet of the night.


    The Ammarians advanced steadily as their barriers resisted the barrage that came from the top of the cliff.


    After breaking past their first hurdle, the Ammarian Soldiers started to scale the cliff, while those with flying mounts baited the Yn Soldiers into targeting them instead.


    Eiko and Fei Fei, who were perched on top of Lux''s and Cai''s heads, watched the chaotic battle from on top of the cliff with calm expressions on their faces.


    "Do we do it now?" Cai asked.


    "Not yet," Lux said. "Let them get in deeper first."


    Lux''s eyes were calm like a viper''s, waiting for his prey toe within his striking range.


    The moment when most of the Ammarian Soldiers had scaled halfway up the cliff, Lux finally gave the two baby Slimes the go signal to start making things blow up.


    "Boom Boom Boom!" Eiko shouted as she red at the Soldiers who had stepped on the st Bombs that Lux had buried earlier.


    "Boom Boom!" Fei Fei also shouted along with Eiko, as she also activated the st Bombs that belonged to her.


    Suddenly, the ground under the Vanguard of the Ammarian Army, who was responsible for keeping the barriers in ce, suddenly exploded, taking them by surprise and causing them to lose their concentration, dispersing the barrier that was keeping the rest of the Army safe.


    The st Bombs weren''t strong enough to kill, but they were able to injure most of the Soldiers on the front lines. However, something happened that made General Phobus, and his Vice-General gasp in surprise.


    The cliff gave way and an avnche of rock and rubble crashed down upon the Ammarian Soldiers, burying them alive.


    The Yn Camp had already been informed about this part of Lux''s strategy, so the moment the Half-Elf gave the signal, all of the range fighters and magicians hastily retreated from their posts and ran a good distance away from the edge of the cliff.


    At the same time, they prepared the deadly bombardment they would unleash the moment the Ammarian Formation went into disarray.


    "Open Fire!" General Fahad ordered a deadly rain of spells and arrows to descend from the sky, whichnded on the retreating Ammarians who had escaped being buried alive by the avnche.


    As the dead bodies piled up, Lux spread his arms as he channeled his spell throughout the entire battlefield.


    He was like a mastermind that grasped the entire battlefield on the palm of his hands, and it was time for him to show the Yn Army, as well as the Ammarian Army, just what he was capable of.


    "Corpse�� Explosion!"


    As soon as these words left the Half-Elf''s lips, a nightmarish scene took ce.


    All the dead bodies that he had buried earlier exploded under the Ammarian Army''s feet, sending flesh and bone fragments flying in every direction.


    This deadly chain reaction killed people, and those who died killed more people, creating a cycle of carnage that only a Necromancer was capable of creating on the battlefield.


    General Phobus looked at this scene with horror as his subordinate''s bodies exploded like grenades one after the other.


    "Retreat!" Second ordered. "All forces, fall back!"


    After hearing their Vice-General''s orders, all the Ammarian Soldiers ran back towards their camp as if their lives depended on it.


    Lux, who was watching this development from on top of the cliff, slowly curled his fingers into his palms as he looked at the retreating tide of people.


    "Who gave you all the permission to leave?" Lux asked once his hands had finished closing into fists.


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    The bodies that had been buried at the rear of the Ammarian Army started to explode, instantly killing those that were the first to retreat�� including some of the members of the Storm Dragon Guild, who were immediately sent back to the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen.


    All of them gasped for air as theyy on the ground and tried to calm themselves from the nightmarish experience that they just encountered.


    The young man and the youngdy who were chatting in the forest earlier raised their heads and looked at the projection that most of the people were looking at.


    In that projection, they saw the back of the red-headed teenager, who had his arms spread wide as if embracing the entire world, and killing all of those who stood in his way.

 Chapter 461 It’s Now Or Never, You Won’t Get A Second Chance!

    One of the professions that Rankers, and even Saints, didn''t want to see in wars where each side numbered in the tens of thousands, was not a Sorcerer or a Wizard who could cast High-Ranking Spells that could decimate entire armies.


    No. Each Kingdom had their own powerful mages that could do these things and more.


    The profession that they were afraid to face off the most was none other than a Necromancer.


    Especially Necromancers that didn''t care whether they were killing friends or foes. In the end, it didn''t matter to them. The only thing that they trusted was the Undead, and the more people that died, the more advantageous the battle was to them.


    Necromancers that had be High-Rankers were true menaces to fight.


    Saint-Ranked Necromancers were walking Cmities.


    They specialized in curses, diseases, and other otherworldly spells that made even their fellow Saints didn''t want to mess with them inrge-scales wars unless it was ast resort.


    But, that wasn''t the most threatening thing about them.


    The thing that made Necromancers, who had be Rankers, scary were their abilities to Raise the Dead.


    Fighting against your formerrades at arms or family members could be the most traumatizing experience on the battlefield.


    That was why, if there was a war, and they were fighting against a Necromancer, all the High-Ranking fighters of the opposing side would eliminate them first, or else the war wouldn''t end until everyone had been turned into the walking dead.


    Unfortunately, Lux still hadn''t reached that Rank.


    From an Initiate, his rank had degraded to that of an Apostle. Even if he had the Animate Undead Skill, the most it could do was revive 50 Undead.


    When he became an Initiate, he could raise 200 Undead Warriors.


    When he became an E-Ranker, he would be able to revive 2,000 of them.


    Every sessive rank would multiply the numbers of Undead he could raise by two.


    The scary part about this was that he had the Doppelganger skill, as well as Asmodeus, who also had the Doppelganger skill.


    The moment Lux became a Ranker, he would be able tomand a horde of Undead to fight for him.


    However, right now, he was an Apostle that was fighting against Rankers, whose strength, and power, outssed him by several folds.


    Raising the Dead would not be enough to tilt the tide of battle in his favor, so he did the only thing that he could do and that was��


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    The Half-Elf detonated the corpses that he had buried in strategic locations in the ground. He did that to ensure that he would be able to maximize the effect of his skill and kill as many Ammarian Soldiers as he could.


    The battle had started less than an hour ago, yet the Half-Elf had already killed thousands of soldiers, but he wasn''t satisfied with mere grunts.


    His target was not General Phobus, who was the highestmanding officer of the Ammarian Army in the territory that they were fighting in.


    No. He was after the bigger fish, and the same person that killed him and his friends a few days ago.


    "Found you��" Lux narrowed his eyes as his Great me Skull, Lazarus, who was hidden near the top of a tree in the Woond, locked his eyes on the retreating Ranker, who was making sure that General Phobus wouldn''t be killed by the explosions that were happening around them.


    "General Fahad, if you want to win this war, order your men to pursue them," Lux said as he pointed in the direction where the two Rankers of the Ammarian Kingdom were. "It''s now or never, you won''t get a second chance!"


    General Fahad knew that Lux was right. This was the perfect opportunity to strike, so he immediately ordered his cavalry to apany him in pursuit of the two Generals that had managed to capture their previous headquarters.


    "All men, rally to me!" General Fahad shouted as he climbed on top of his Warhorse. "Kill them all!"


    General Fahad led the charge, and the others immediately followed.


    "Go with them, but stick together!" Lux ordered. "Your goal is not to target the Rankers, but eliminate the soldiers. Also, keep a lookout for our ''Dear Friends''. If you see them, don''t hesitate to kill them. We are standing on opposing sides. Mercy will only get you killed."


    All of hisrades nodded their heads in agreement to Lux''s words. Even Malcolm and Henrietta, who still had reservations about killing their acquaintances, steeled themselves for the inevitable possibility of shing des with each other.


    "Bedivere!" Lux shouted.


    A dragon roar answered his call and the Dragon Knightnded by his side.


    "Cai, I''m taking Fei Fei with me," Lux stated. "She will be staying with Bedivere and observing the battle from the sky. That way, you can fight without worrying about her safety."


    "Thank you!" Cai felt relieved because it didn''t really want to take Fei Fei onto the chaotic battlefield because there was a possibility that it would be facing off against stronger enemies.


    If it was alone, the Boar was confident that it could retreat safely out of harm''s way at any given time.


    Fei Fei understood Lux''s and Cai''s intentions, so she jumped on the Half-Elf''s shoulder, as thetter sat on the back of Bedivere''s Dragon.


    "Whatever happens, prioritize your safety," Lux said. "We will clear this dungeon together. Let General Fahad and his deputy deal with General Phobus and Second. We''ll think of a way to kill them when they''ve been weakened. Let''s go, Bedivere."


    The dragon pped its wings and soared towards the sky.


    Although Lux had Night Vision, what he could see from on top of the cliff was still limited, so he decided to view the battle from above.


    That way, he would be able to make appropriate decisions, and deal with the enemy in real time.


    As the Dragon Knightmanded his mount to go to the direction where Lux wanted to go, the situation on the ground had changed once again as the Yn Light Cavalry caught up with the retreating Ammarian Soldiers and started a massacre.


    "Don''t let him out of our sights," Lux ordered Bedivere, who was eyeing the two escaping Ammarian Generals on the ground


    "Yes, My Lord," Bedivere replied. "It''s a shame that we can''t use Dragon Breath to ignite the entire woonds to block their path of escape. The wind is blowing against us, and I''m afraid that the dense smoke will hinder the Light Cavalry in their pursuit."


    Lux nodded in agreement. "Don''t worry. We made ample preparations beforehand."


    There was another reason why Lux decided to hunt down the scouts that were tasked to monitor the movements of the Yn Camp.


    He wanted to nt Eiko''s Bone Bombs in the middle of the Woonds, so he could detonate it when the enemies made their escape.


    "Go Eiko!" Lux said as the Ammarian Soldiers finally reached the location where the bombs were nted.


    "Boom Boom Bakugan!" Eiko shouted from on top of Lux''s head.


    Immediately, loud booming sounds reverberated in the Woonds as rock, dirt, flesh, and blood, sttered throughout the surroundings.


    Screams of pain, frustration, and disbelief echoed in the dark night as Lux once again activated his ability, which was responsible for making the Ammarian Army turn in full retreat.


    "Corpse Explosion!"


    A new round of pain, suffering, and death, spread across the battlefield as the bodies of the fallen exploded, dealing Necrotic Damage and sending shrapnel of sharp bones to the terrified soldiers, who were trying their best to outrun the person that was in front of them, in order to have a higher chance of survival.


    Running was the only thing they could think of at the moment, and they hoped that if they ran fast enough, they would be able to wake up from the nightmare that took the lives of their friends, and acquaintances, leaving nothing except their dying screams behind.

 Chapter 462 I Don’t Know The Meaning Of Fear!

    The representatives of each Faction, who were watching the battle unfold from the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen, all had solemn expressions on their faces.


    When the Ammarian Army had overrun the Yn Camp a few days ago, all of them cheered because their teenagers were part of the sessful raid that transpired.


    They didn''t care about Lux back then because he had been sent to the Central ins, and it was quite a distance away from where their young members were fighting.


    However, after days of traveling, the Half-Elf finally arrived at the Eastern Front and immediately showed them what he was capable of.


    And what they saw�� was something they didn''t want to see.


    Suddenly, a sh of light appeared at the entrance of the Gate of the Fallen, which caused some of the representatives to sigh.


    Gerald also felt very bitter inside because, among the fifteen people that belonged to their subsidiary guild, Storm Dragons, six had already died in the battle, leaving only nine behind.


    As the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold, he knew that what Lux was doing was the right thing to do.


    Even he would do the same, so although his heart was weeping, he epted the fact that the Storm Dragons Guild and the factions of the Skystead Alliance, the Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms were currently the Half-Elf''s enemies.


    "If only Nero had decided to join Lux, this oue might have been avoided." Natasha sighed.


    "I think this is better," Rainermented. "Since we don''t know which side will win in the end, having eggs in different baskets bnces things out."


    Gerald and Natasha could only nod at Rainer''s words. No matter what they said right now, it would not change anything.


    The six members of the Storm Dragons Guild stood by their side and looked at the battle that was happening through the eyes of those that were still alive within the Sacred Dungeon.


    Although they didn''t want to admit it, they were starting to regret that they didn''t choose to follow Lux when thetter decided to switch sides to the Yn Army.


    ��--------


    A member of the Skystead Alliance panted for breath as he ran away with all of his might.


    There were cuts that were still dripping blood on his face, shoulders, and legs, due to the bone shrapnel that flew towards him when all of the Soldiers near him exploded right in front of his eyes.


    Because of the chaos that was happening around them, he and his team members had been separated from each other.


    He didn''t even know if they were still alive because bodies were exploding all over the ce, and nowhere was safe.


    It was at that moment when he heard a faint clicking sound behind him.


    The next moment, he found himself falling face first on the ground, which surprised him.


    His vision spun until it came to aplete stop, making him look at his own body, which no longer had a head.


    The moment he realized what happened, was also when the light faded from his eyes.


    His body, which was standing just half a minute ago, fell to the ground and disappeared into particles of light.


    More clinking sounds were heard in the darkness, as more heads rolled across the Woond floor.


    This continued for a time before the sound stoppedpletely.


    "It''s quite unfortunate, but this is life," Keane said softly as he walked away, melding with the darkness. "Next time, make the right choice when choosing a side."


    On another part of the battlefield, something simr was happening as soldiers found themselves being cut apart by nearly invisible threads that were as sharp as a sword de.


    Val stood on top of a tree branch and spun silky spider threads in his surroundings, creating a lethal trap for the Soldiers who had lost their sense of direction.


    A man who was running at full speed was sliced in half upon unknowingly meeting the deathtrap that was created by one of the most narcissistic young men from the Six Kingdoms.


    If not for the fact that he could transform into an abominable Spider Monster, girls would definitely flock to him due to how handsome he was.


    Unfortunately, upon seeing his true form at the Tournament, all of them realized that Val might eat them for lunch if they annoyed him by ident.


    The sound of trees falling to the ground spread in the surroundings as two war axes mowed down the soldiers that were running away.


    These war axes were like boomerangs that returned to the hands of the Barbarian Prince, who had a fearless smile on his face.


    "It''s been a while since I felt this way," Einar grinned. "I knew that joining Lux was a good idea."


    Currently, the Barbarian was riding on top of a Saber Tooth Tiger, which was one of the four mounts he could summon.


    "Let''s go, we need to get more merit points in order to get better rewards," Einar urged his mount to pursue the fleeting Soldiers who had lost their chain ofmand.


    Not far from him, panicked screams were heard as Soldiers from the Ammarian Army tried to zigzag through the trees in order to slow down the four-meter-tall Boar that was chasing after them without mercy.


    "Stop! We''re on the same side!" a teenage girl whose robes were stained with blood shouted as she tried to reason with the Boar who was charging straight at her. "I am one of Malcolm''s Team members! Did you forget me?"


    "No. I didn''t forget you!" Cai shouted as it increased its speed. "It''s because I know you that I''m taking you down first!"


    "W-Why won''t you understand our reason?! My superiors are watching you right now. Don''t you fear their retribution?"


    "I don''t know the meaning of fear!" Cai shouted as it impaled the youngdy''s body with its tusk. "All I know is that all of you stand in my way, so Die!"


    The youngdy from the Skystead Alliance didn''t die right away and suffered a very painful death as Cai continued its relentless charge, impaling the fleeing Soldiers who had lost their will to fight.


    "I''m Charging!" Cai roared as it continued to pick off the stragglers who had been left behind by theirrades.


    ��----------


    From above the sky of the Woonds��


    "Boom Boom Boom!"


    "Boom Boom!"


    Eiko and Fei Fei were throwing st Bombs from the sky. They weren''t aiming at anything in particr but simply throwing st Bombs everywhere because Lux had ordered them to do so.


    The Half-Elf, on the other hand, was also using his skill, Corpse Explosion, and detonating the corpses that Sid, and his Undead Minions had buried earlier.


    Although General Phobus, and Second, had their share of Lux''s destructive ability, they were wearing protective artifacts that mitigated the damage they received, so they only suffered very minor injuries.


    Although Lux was a bit disappointed about this oue, he also understood that he had already done his best.


    ''I''ll just dy their retreat so that General Fahad can catch up to them,'' Lux thought. ''They''re also almost out of the woonds. That is where the real battle will start.''


    Bedivere navigated his mount to soar higher in the sky as they prepared to intercept General Phobus and Second the moment they left the woonds.


    Although their opponents were Rankers, they couldn''t do anything to them if they were outside their strike range.


    Lux, Bedivere, Eiko, and Fei Fei, on the other hand, had skills that could harass them from the sky.


    He had ordered his team to not fight against General Phobus and Second because the Vice-General could easily kill them without giving them a chance to fight back.


    Because of this, the others just focused on the Ammarian Soldiers, as well as the members of the different Factions that had initially entered the Sacred Dungeon with them.


    Lux had assigned Sid to look after Henrietta and assigned Ishtar to look after Cai.


    He was worried that the two would get carried away, despite the fact that their Ranks had degraded back to Grade A Apostle, just to make sure that the two would not identally die, he ordered his two subordinates to keep track of their actions.


    The Great me Skull, Lazarus, also had a role and that was to support Keane, Einar, and Val, if they needed it.


    But for the most part, he kept himself well hidden, as he blinked from tree to tree, waiting for the right time to strike to lend them his assistance.


    Lux had prepared other Trump Cards beforehand, and he was only waiting for the right opportunity to use them.


    He believed that if he allowed General Phobus and Second to escape tonight, the opportunity to kill the two of them would slip away from his hands for good.

 Chapter 463 This Time, I Won’t Lose To You

    "Just what is happening, Second?!" General Phobus asked as he urged his mount to retreat as fast as he could. "Aren''t the Woonds under our control?!"


    After capturing the Yn Army''s headquarters during their night raid several days ago, General Phobus'' confidence reached its peak. He was certain that before the week was over, he would finally be able to get rid of the Yn Army and reim one of the towns that used to belong to their nation.


    He could already imagine getting the most merits in the war. General Phobus was sure that his family would shower him with praises, and his achievement would allow their n to rise above the rest and to be given des from the Royal Family.


    Unfortunately, this dream was shattered a few minutes ago when explosions started to erupt all around them, breaking their formation, as well as forcing them to give the order to retreat.


    As much as General Phobus and Second wanted to regainw and order, it was simply not possible due to the fact that anyone who stood a few meters from another, would be caught up in the corpse explosions, further expanding the destruction and death that was sweeping through the Woonds.


    Before everyone went to full retreat, Second only gave one order and that was to scatter!


    That was the only order that everyone followed, because it was the only thing they could do. To a certain extent, it worked.


    However, Lux had also anticipated this move, so he detonated the corpses that had been buried all over the woonds, killing as many people as possible, and expanding the "Corpse Explosion" area of effect.


    "I have heard about this strategy before," Second replied. "This was how General Moriarty was defeated in the Kingdom''s previous campaign. I didn''t think that it would reappear on our battlefield."


    General Phobus'' face paled because he finally remembered what his father had said about Moriarty''stest defeat. ording to the few survivors that managed to escape that horrifying ordeal, the Yn Army detonated the corpses of their own men in order to wipe out General Moriarty''s army.


    The soldiers doubted the credibility of this news, but the generals of the Ammarian Kingdom took it seriously.


    Because of this, they had added several powerful Clerics to the ranks of the battlefield at the Great ins, allowing them to study the real method that the Yn Army had used back then.


    However, the technique that the Yn Army had used to defeat General Moriarty never appeared again, causing them to almost forget it.


    General Phobus finally understood what they were up against, and it made him hold the reins of his mount tighter.


    "Necromancer," General Phobus hissed.


    Second nodded. "For now, our priority is to escape. As long as we can make it back to our Main Camp, we will be able to reorganize our troops."


    "We are almost out of the Woonds now," General Phobus said. "Just a little more."


    A minuteter, General Phobus'' and Second''s mounts broke through the Woonds, allowing them to run in an open field.


    However, before the General could feel relieved, his Second in Command pushed him off of his mount, making him fall to the ground.


    Before General Phobus could even curse at his right-hand man and ask him what the hell he was doing, three Dragon Breaths descended from the sky and incinerated his mount, making the Great Tiger roar in pain.


    The Great Tiger was a Rank 5 Alpha Monster, so it didn''t die from the three Dragon Breaths. However, it was seriously injured, making it roar angrily towards the sky.


    If its attackers were only within its strike range, it would have already attacked them without holding back.


    "Master, you are amazing," Bedivere said. "You ordered us to aim at the Mount because you anticipated that General Phobus would be saved by his subordinate, right?"


    "... Not reall�C I mean, yes, It is all part of the n," Lux replied as he gazed at the ground. ''I just thought that General Phobus might be wearing protective charms just like General Moriarty had been back then, preventing us fromnding a killing blow. Since that was the case, dealing with the mount was the best way to dy his escape, allowing General Fahad to catch up to them.''


    Second narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the sky.


    He specialized in closebat, and although he had a ranged ability, their enemy was outside of his strike range.


    Lux looked down on the Vice-General who had killed him with a solemn expression on his face. There were times when he would remember that moment of dying so vividly that he would recreate it over and over in his head, trying to think of a way to prevent it from happening.


    However, no matter what countermeasures he thought of, they were not enough to surpass the difference in rank, as well as the Vice-General''s uncanny speed, which had given him no time to react whatsoever.


    Because of this, he was very wary of Second and only dared to fight him in a way that his sword would fail to reach him.


    "Eiko, Fei Fei, Do it!" Lux ordered.


    Immediately, the two baby Slimes started throwing their st Bombs.


    Just like Lux''s earlier order, it didn''t matter if they hit their targets or not. What they need to do is create a sense of tension, dying General Phobus'', as well as Second''s escape.


    From the sky, the Half-Elf could see General Fahad''s elite cavalry unit closing in on the two Generals.


    ording to their earlier agreement, Lux would stall General Phobus'' and Second''s escape, while General Fahad and his men would send an elite unit to pursue them, leaving the retreating Ammarian Soldiers to the othermanders of his army.


    Their goal was to capture or kill the General and Vice General, in order to finally end the battle on the Eastern Front.


    Just as Bedivere was about to circle in the sky to make another attempt for a Dragon''s Breath, a ck lightning bolt shot out from the woond, almost hitting his dragon mount.


    Fortunately, the Dragon Knight''s sixth sense was able to warn him of the sneak attack from behind, allowing him to maneuver his mount at thest second in order to evade it.


    Lux shifted his gaze in the direction where the ck lightning bolt came from and narrowed his eyes.


    "Nero��," Lux muttered when he saw the Guild Master of the Storm Dragon''s Guild.


    Thest time they fought was during the tournament, and the two of them had not had any interactions with each other, save thest time they''de to the Dungeon.


    Lux had been busy creating his Guild, while Nero had dedicated himself to getting stronger.


    "So, you''re still alive," Nero said as ck lightning bolts snaked around his hands, and arms. "This time, I won''t lose to you."


    The strongest member of the young generation from Wildgarde Stronghold, who used to look down on Lux, was now looking up at him.


    To this day, he didn''t know how the sickly Half-Elf was able to be strong and beat him in the tournament.


    However, that was no longer important to him.


    Now that an opportunity hade for him to legitimately fight him again, the proud Guild Master of the Storm Dragon''s Guild decided to personally kill the Half-Elf, and end his heart''s demon once and for all.

 Chapter 464 I’ll Just Leave The Rest To Them

    "Master, what are we going to do?" Bedivere asked. "That kid means business."


    Lux frowned. He knew that Nero could potentially make them fall from the sky with his long range attacks.


    The Touch of the Abyss could be resisted by Dragons to a certain extent, but Bedivere was riding on a young Dragon, and he didn''t know if the flying mount could withstand a full powered lightning bolt that came from an Initiate.


    "Go higher," Lux ordered. "Our goal is not to fight him. I''ll deal with his lightning bolts, so you continue harassing the Generals.


    Bedivere heeded his Master''s orders and urged his Dragon Mount to fly higher in the sky. Seeing that Lux had no intention to fight him, Nero fired consecutive lightning bolts at the Dragon in an attempt to hit its wings to make it fall to the ground.


    However, Lux countered his lightning bolts with his Elemental Shield, as well as Spinning des.


    Just as Nero was about to fire another lightning bolt at the Dragon in the sky, he suddenly stopped his attack and jumped to the side.


    It was at that moment when a zing arrownded on the ce where he once stood and exploded.


    However, it was not over yet. While Nero was in mid-air, he saw a Great me Skull appear in front of him with its mouth wide open.


    A momentter, a st of freezing air erupted in the surroundings sending ice crystals everywhere.


    However, Nero had transformed his body into a ck lightning bolt, and barely evaded the surprise attack that came out of nowhere.


    Seeing that his attack had missed his target, Lazarus blinked away, while Ishtar merged with the shadows.


    They would not allow anyone to get in the way of their Master, so the two decided to team up and bring Nero down for good.


    Seeing that he was unable to continue attacking the Half-Elf, Nero decisively left the scene to escape.


    The Guild Master of the Storm Dragon''s Guild had sensed that a powerful ranker was approaching him from behind and guessed that it was the enemy''s General that was heading in his direction.


    Since that was the case, he prioritized escaping over attacking the Half-Elf.


    He had seen how Lux was killed by the Vice General and vowed to himself that he wouldn''t die in the same manner.


    However, before he left, he gave the Half-Elf onest nce, and to his surprise, the Half-Elf was also looking straight at him.


    "Next time," Nero said before turning into a ck lightning bolt and escaping far away.


    Lux nced in the direction Nero had escaped to and nodded his head.


    "Next time, you will not be able to escape," Lux said before shifting his attention to General Phobus, who was now riding Second''s warhorse.


    The Vice-General was simply running beside the mount, using his speed to keep up with it.


    "Such a loyal person," Bedivere said. "That trait is very rare even among the retainers of High-Ranking nobles in the Vahan Empire."


    "Is it?" Lux asked with curiosity.


    "Yes," Bedivere replied. "I was once like him, but in the end, I was betrayed by my own Liege. I''m guessing he is born ofmon birth, or his family is a retainer of Phobus'' family. That is the only reason I can think of why a man of his caliber is sticking with that failure of a General."


    "I n to kill him though."


    "That will be better, Master. If you can make him part of your covenant, you will have another strategist aside from Asmodeus."


    "... I''ll consider it."


    Lux had indeed wanted to kill Second, but he never thought of adding him to his Necromancer Covenant. Now that Bedivere had brought it up, the Half-Elf was starting to think that it was not a bad idea.


    Eiko, who was on top of Lux''s head, narrowed her gaze as she looked at the Vice General, who was running alongside the warhorse that was carrying General Phobus.


    She could still remember how Second killed her Papa, and it made her very distraught. Although she fared better than Fei Fei, deep inside, Eiko carried a deep seated grudge against the person that killed one of the most important people in her life.


    "Master, if this continues, I think they will be able to escape," Bedivere frowned as they pursued the fleeting general.


    "Don''t worry," Lux said as he summoned Pazuzu and Orion. "He won''t be going anywhere."


    The Jade Golem descended from the sky and crashed towards the ground like a meteor.


    Pazuzu on the other hand, dove down from the sky and pointed his spiked mace at General Phobus who was riding on top of the warhorse.


    "Duel [EX]!"


    General Phobus suddenly felt a strong pulling from behind him. Although his hands were firmly holding the reins of his mount, he could feel his body sliding off the horse''s body.


    Finally, as if his body had a mind of its own, the Great General slid off the horse''s back before turning around to run in Pazuzu''s direction.


    "You bastard!" General Phobus summoned hisnce and swung it against the Fortress Defenders, who had activated his Shield Wall ability.


    The giant blue tower shield shed against General Phobus'' strike and shattered like a wine ss getting hit by a baseball bat. The momentum of the strike didn''t pause and smashed against the shield in Pazuzu''s hand, sending the Fortress Defender flying.


    The Fortress Defender''s body didn''t even manage tond on the ground before turning into particles of light.


    Although General Phobus was a Fake Ranker, he was still a Ranker, and his stats easily overwhelmed the Demonic Defender, who served as the Tanker in Lux''s Undead Army.


    ''Sorry Pazuzu,'' Lux said in his heart. ''I thought that only Second was a threat, but I guess General Phobus'' stats are simr or even higher than him.''


    Orion, who saw one of hisrades dying with a single strike, remained firm as he prepared his strongest attack.


    "Duel [EX]!"


    Lux''s Jade Golemn also activated his taunt skill, forcing General Phobus to exchange one blow with him.


    "You puny insects!" General Phobus roared in anger as he once again swung hisnce with his full power. "Stop messing with me!"


    Orion didn''t back away and unleashed his strongest attack without holding back.


    "Gaia Smash!" Orion shouted.


    A momentter, thence, and the giant jade fist collided with each other, sending a shockwave in their surroundings.


    General Phobus grunted as he was forced to take one step back due to the force behind Orion''s blow.


    Orion''s right hand and arm broke apart, but thetter ignored it and raised his left fist to punch General Phobus'' face.


    But, before he could do that, Second appeared in front of him and shed his sword down.


    Lux''s expression became grim when he saw Orion''s body cut cleanly in half by the Vice General, who hade to his Lord''s aid.


    Two of his Named Creatures died so easily, showing him how powerful Rankers truly were.


    Fortunately, although Pazuzu and Orion died, they were able toplete their mission.


    Bedivere''s Dragon Mount had unleashed a Dragon Breath, and burned the Warhorse that the General was using as his mount.


    Now that their means of travel was dead, their escape would be significantly slowed down.


    Suddenly, the sound of dozens of hooves galloping from the Woonds was heard.


    "Finally, they''re here," Lux said with relief as General Fahad and his Elite unit emerged from the Woonds, making General Phobus'' expression be extremely pale.


    "We finally met, Phobus!" General Fahad roared as he and his soldiers charged towards the flustered General.


    "Get behind me, My Lord," Second said as he stood in front of General Phobus with a fearless expression on his face. "Since the enemy General has delivered himself to us, this is a good opportunity for us to take his head."


    "Hah! Take it if you can!" General Fahad sneered. "Benjamin, you take care of Phobus. I''ll handle this man."


    "Yes, General," His right-hand man, Benjamin replied.


    General Fahad could sense that the man protecting General Phobus was very strong, so he decided to take him on himself.


    Lux, who had done his part, summoned his Soul Book.


    The Half-Elf had merged his Map Projector with his Elysium Compendium, and merged thependium with his Soul Book.


    Although the Compendium had a built-in map, the Map Projector which was a Pseudo-Legendary Item that Sherlock had given him in the past had a wider range.


    Lux had marked Nero in his Map, and could see that thetter was slowly circling his way back to the battlefield.


    The Half-Elf knew what thetter was nning and that was tounch a sneak attack on General Fahad or his Aid, Benjamin, in order to give General Phobus and Second an advantage.


    If one of the Rankers of the Yn Army was taken down, the other Ranker would die not long after.


    This development would overturn all the efforts they had made in the war, and it was something that Lux wouldn''t allow.


    "What a troublesome opponent," Lux thought as he asked Bedivere to fly in Nero''s direction.


    He would personally deal with this variable first and prevent anyone from changing the oue of the war.


    As for whether General Fahad would be able to beat Second, or whether Benjamin would be able to beat General Phobus, this was no longer in his hands.


    ''They''re still out there, so I''ll just leave the rest to them,'' Lux thought as he gazed in the direction where Nero was hiding.


    He was not fighting this war alone.


    He hadrades who were very capable individuals.


    Although their ranks had degraded back to the Apostle Grade, he believed that Cai, Keane, and the others would not let the chance of getting thest hit on General Phobus slip through their fingers.


    After all, the rewards they would gain for defeating a General was something that would allow them to regain what they had lost after being killed by the Vice General, who was currently exchanging deadly blows with the General of the Yn Army.

 Chapter 465 Because You’re Not Me

    "Is that the ability that allowed you to conquer the other gates as well?" Nero asked as he looked at the Dragon that was hovering above his head.


    "Who knows?" Lux replied as he jumped off the Dragon''s back andnded several meters away from Nero.


    Nero grabbed the artifact that allowed others to see the things he saw and heard from his chest, and crushed it. This was to ensure that no one would see what was going to happen next.


    "I''ve always hated you, Lux. You were only able to reach your current rank because you were born lucky," Nero stated. "Your grandma fished you out of the river, and brought you back to Wildgarde Stronghold to raise. Despite the fact that you were a cripple, she still loved you and treated you like family.


    "If you weren''t there in the tournament, Iris'' fiance would have definitely been me. I would have be the Saint''s son-inw and my future would have been limitless. Having beauty, power, and influence by my side, my rise was guaranteed�� and yet, all of that disappeared because of your existence."


    Lux smirked and pped his hands after hearing Nero''s words.


    "Salty much?" Lux asked after pping a few times.


    "You bastard Half-Elf. You have no idea on what it''s like to be born amoner." Nero clenched his fists making crackling sounds as he red at the Half-Elf in front of him. "You do not know how many times I had to bow my head just to get the chance to enter Elysium. Someone as lucky as you won''t understand my hardships. If only you didn''t exist! Everything you have now should have been mine!"


    Dark mists surrounded Nero''s body as the power of Abyss took hold of his heart.


    Lux knew full well what it was like to be consumed by such power because he had experienced it firsthand in the past. If not for the fact that Keoza had appeared to save him, he might have already lost his mind and became an Abyssal Monster who only wanted to destroy everything around him.


    But, although Nero was tapping into the Power of the Abyss, he didn''t allow himself to be consumed by itpletely.


    After being defeated by Lux, the Guildmaster of the Storm Dragon''s Guild, trained tirelessly to control his Abyssal Powers, allowing him to only draw the power he needed, without falling into corruption.


    ''It seems that Sir Rainer taught him to control his Abyssal Powers well,'' Lux thought as he looked at Nero whose strength had drastically increased. ''This is going to be a bit troublesome.''


    Those who chose to wield the power of the Abyss knew the risk of gaining such a power. Because of this, they would train themselves to resist falling into temptation, and only draw out the power they needed.


    Although the seed of the Abyss had taken root deep in Nero''s heart, he still hadn''t forgotten his ambitions to be the strongest among the young generation.


    And for that to happen, he would have to y the Half-Elf in front of him, in order to break free of his heart''s demon.


    "Before I kill you, tell me one thing." Nero growled. "When you died, did your Rank deteriorate?"


    "Yes," Lux replied as he coated his body with his personal Battle Regalia that he had used when he fought against Nero in the tournament. "This will be enough of a handicap to fight against you."


    "Don''t think I''ll show you mercy just because you are weaker than me."


    "Weaker? What a joke. If you want to fight then let''s fight."


    Lux didn''t care if his rank was now a realm lower than Nero.


    He wasn''t the same Half-Elf that would always faint just because his body had reached its limit. Things had changed since he entered Elysium, and right now, although Nero''s Rank was higher than him, that didn''t mean that the brown-haired boy could overpower him.


    Afterall, his profession was a Necromancer, and his body constitution was the Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy.


    "Master, do you need help?" Bedivere asked.


    "No," Lux replied. "Just keep a lookout in the surroundings and prevent anyone from interfering with our battle."


    Bedivere nodded. "Understood."


    Lux and Nero stared at each other for nearly half a minute before both of them took a step forward, and charged at each other.


    Nero transformed into a ck lightning bolt and reappeared in front of Lux, delivering a punch d with lightning to the Half-Elf''s chest.


    Lux didn''t back away and transformed his hands into dragon ws, and punched Nero as well.


    Two resounding thuds spread in the surroundings as both of their attacks connected with each other''s bodies.


    Both of them could have dodged each other''s attacks if they wanted to, but  both of them wanted to prove something and that was they were not afraid to take a hit from the person they wanted to defeat.


    Both took a step back, but soon recovered to strike against their enemy a second time.


    Nero, who thought that Lux would suffer tremendous damage from his attack, was surprised that the Half-Elf was still standing, and managed to strike back at him as well.


    Both of them had the power of the Abyss, and their attacks could easily bypass almost all defenses, dealing direct damage to the soul.


    As the two exchanged several more blows without even bothering to block or evade them, their bodies started to umte damage over time.


    However, in the end, it was Nero who broke away first as he distanced himself from Lux as he clutched his chest with a hand.


    "H-How?" Nero asked as blood spilled from the corner of his lips. "You''re only at the Apostle Rank, and I''m at the Initiate Rank. How are you able to endure my attacks?!"


    Lux wiped the blood that had also spilled from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand as he looked at his adversary who had a shocked expression on his face.


    "Because you''re not Me," Lux replied. "Lucky? Yes. I consider myself lucky. I was raised with love despite my weak body constitution. Do you know how much I envied you back then? You were the strongest teenager in Wildgarde Stronghold and everyone looked up to you.


    "There were days when I wished I was you, but I never felt salty about it. All I did was constantly train myself, so that one day, I would also get a chance to visit Elysium, and make my grandma proud of me."


    Lux wanted to say that he and Nero were different not because his rank was higher than his, but because their constitution was different from each other.


    An Initiate was equivalent to a Rank 5 Monster. However, even among monsters of the same Rank, there were vast differences between them, especially when it came to the type of Monster they were.


    A Rank 5 Dragon was very different from a Human that had achieved the Initiate Rank. Although they were of the same Rank, the Dragon was still superior because of its race.


    Also, Dragons, and other mythical creatures were very resistant to the attack of the Abyss. Not to mention, Lux''s Health and defense was higher than Nero''s because of the boosts he got from his Passive Skills, Dragon''s Heart [EX], and Dragon Scale [EX].


    ��-----------


    < Dragon Scale [EX] >


    �C Makes your skin as hard as dragon scales.


    �C Greatly Increase Physical and Magical defense as if you are wearing a set of armor that covers your entire body.


    �C Reduces Physical and Magical damage by 50%


    ��---


    < Dragon''s Heart [EX] >


    �C Increase your Health by 30,000 Points


    �C Increase Health and Stamina regeneration by 100%


    �C When facing an opponent stronger than you, Health and Stamina regeneration will be boosted to 200% Health and Stamina regeneration.


    �C Gain Selective Lesser Immunity passive ability. You may only choose one Lesser Immunity Passive. Once you do, you can no longer change the passive immunity that you have chosen.


    ��-


    < Selective Lesser Immunity >


    �C Greatly gain increased resistance to chosen Lesser Immunity.


    �C Chosen Lesser Immunity will automatically decrease the damage you will receive from the chosen option by 30%


    < Chosen Lesser Immunity: Physical Attacks >


    �C All damage acquired from physical attacks will automatically be decreased by 30%


    ��----------


    Even if the two of them were to fight a slugfest, Lux''s Abyss Touch dealt more damage to Nero because thetter had no way of countering its effects.


    If Lux''s remaining Health Points were in the 100''s, Nero''s Health was down to the 30''s.


    This was the difference in their body constitution, allowing Lux to have the upper hand in closebat.

 Chapter 466 Those Who Carry A Grudge

    In truth, Lux was happy that Nero destroyed the artifact on his chest because this was something that he didn''t want others to see. As a Necromancer, everyone thought that they could easily take them out if they managed to iste him away from his Summons.


    What they didn''t know was that Lux was just as deadly as his Summons because he wasn''t a frail mage that would die just because someone punched him in the gut.


    Even now, Lux''s regeneration abilities were doing wonders to his body since the opponent he was facing had a higher rank than him.


    Nero couldn''t believe that, since his Rank was higher than Lux''s, thetter was able tost longer than him.


    "You still want to continue?" Lux asked in a teasing tone. "I can do this all day."


    Although the Half-Elf was smiling, his body was wracked with pain. However, seeing the disbelief on Nero''s face was enough for him to break into a smile despite his suffering.


    "You and I now stand at opposite sides," Nero replied. "We have nothing to talk about. Only one side can win, and that will be me!"


    Nero unleashed a powerful aura, which made Lux take a fighting stance in order to counter it. However, just as he thought that Nero was going to attack him, thetter decisively ran away, leaving him behind.


    "..."


    When Nero escaped the first time, Lux didn''t think much about it because General Fahad had almost arrived in his location.


    However, this time, his enemy decisively left the battlefield until he could no longer see Nero''s blinking dot on the map of his Soul Book.


    "I guess the damage to his soul is significant enough for him to retreat," Lux muttered. "Our ability to control the Power of the Abyss depends on our mood, as well as the state of our body. Since he took all my blows head-on, his soul must have been seriously injured, making him unable to keep the Power of the Abyss from overwhelming his senses.


    "He decisively chose to retreat instead of continuing to fight me because he was afraid he would lose control and fall into Abyssal Corruption. It seems that he also received injury from my Corpse Explosion and was already suffering from internal injuries before our battle."


    In truth, Lux was surprised because Nero''s blows earlier weren''t as strong as he expected. His movements were also a bit sluggish and he onlypensated them by using the power of the Abyss, allowing him to fight despite his injuries.


    "... I should have used Duel [EX]." Lux scratched his head at the unexpected oue of his battle with Nero.


    "Master, are you alright?" Bedivere asked as soon as his Dragon mountnded on the ground.


    "Pa!" Eiko shouted before jumping on top of Lux''s head, making sure that he was alright.


    "I''m fine," Lux replied. "Let''s go back to the battlefield, I want to see how everyone is doin�C"


    ��-------


    < Ding! >


    < Cai has managed to deal the finishing blow to General Phobus. >


    < Secondary Quest >


    �C Killing Lions


    Number of Enemy Generals Killed: 1


    < Rewards >


    �C 1 Million Gold Coins - (Sent Directly to your Inventory)


    �C One Pseudo-Legendary Equipment of your choice - (Go and look for Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock to receive your rewards.)


    ��-------


    "... Good job Cai."


    For some reason, Lux wasn''t surprised that Cai was the one that managed to deal the killing blow to General Phobus.


    He always thought that the Boar''s luck was only a rank or two, lower than Iris'', allowing it to gain many great opportunities whenever the two of them were together.


    However, General Phobus was not Lux''s major concern.


    It was none other than the Vice General, who was the true mastermind behind the campaign on the Eastern Front.


    As long as Second wasn''t killed, the Half-Elf wouldn''t be able to rest easy, so he hurriedly jumped on the Dragon''s back, and urged Bedivere to fly back to where they left General Fahad and the others.


    He might have allowed Nero to escape, but there was no way in hell that he would allow the Vice General to see tomorrow''s sunrise.


    His only regret was that he was unable to pinpoint the Vice General''s location on the map, which was filled with red blinking dots regardless of where he looked.


    ��--------


    Several minutes before Lux and Nero fought against each other��


    "Surrender, Phobus," Benjamin, who served as General Fahad''s second inmand said after he and General Phobus exchanged blows.


    On the first strike alone, Benjamin already understood that although General Phobus was a Ranker, he was no match against him.


    "Surrender?" General Phobus sneered. "I am Phobus of the Farbridge Family! I will never surrender!"


    "Is that so?" Benjamin returned General Phobus'' sneer with his own. "Very well, I will ept your head with gratitude. Now die!"


    Benjamin was an expert Spear Master that had fought countless campaigns against the Vahan Empire.


    For him, dealing with General Phobus wasn''t a difficult thing. At least, that was what he thought at the beginning.


    However, the longer they fought, the more Benjamin realized that his opponent had many powerful artifacts, protecting him from getting fatally injured.


    In fact, due to General Phobus knowing that he would be able to withstand his enemy''s killing blows, he allowed Benjamin to hit him, while he counterattacked using his Halberd, drawing blood each time he traded blows with the Spear Master.


    "Despicable," Benjamin said as he backed away, while his right shoulder bled after being grazed by General Phobus counterattack.


    Second, who was paying close attention to General Phobus'' battle was almost blown away by General Fahad''s strike due to not focusing on his own battle.


    "Interesting, you still find the leeway to worry about your General despite the fact that you are fighting me," General Fahad said as he gripped his sword tightly. "I don''t know if that is because you''re that confident in your skill, or you think too lowly of me."


    Second didn''t reply and simply delivered a deadly strike to his opponent, forcing thetter to block it.


    General Fahad was confident in his strength, but his opponent excelled in speed, making it difficult for him tond a decisive blow each time the two of them shed.


    The General of the Yn Army didn''t want to admit it, but his opponent was slightly stronger than him, giving him a very hard time.


    While all of this was happening, a certain boar��that was only two-feet tall��was sneakily making its way behind General Phobus, using the shrubs in the surroundings as cover.


    It knew that if it charged recklessly at its target, it would probably be sliced in half, and end up getting kicked out of the Dungeon, losing the opportunity to make aeback.


    Cai nted its front legs firmly on the ground and waited for the right opportunity to strike.


    On the outside, many people thought that Cai was annoying, shameless, obnoxious, thick skinned, as well as an idiot. But that was only the persona it used to hide its true self.


    However, if that was what it truly was, it would have never be one of Iris'' best friends.


    As the boar gazed at the battle waiting for an opportunity to strike, it was also paying close attention to General Phobus'' reaction time.


    The way he fought, as well as the smallest mannerism that even General Phobus wasn''t aware he had, Cai was able to see it as clear as day, allowing it to make a detailed n in its mind where tond a decisive strike on its target.


    "Keane, strike on my signal," Cai said through their guild chat, informing the skinny swordsman that was hiding in the distance to prepare his strongest attack.


    "Okay," Keane replied as he took a deep breath and lowered his body into a stance that would allow him to draw his sword in one fluid motion.


    He could only use this attack once a day because it not only drained all of his stamina, it also exerted a great toll on his muscles, leaving his entire body feeling as heavy as lead.


    All the noise in his surroundings disappeared, as if he was the only being in existence. His eyes locked onto General Phobus'' body, as he waited for Cai''s signal to strike.


    He, as well as the others, knew that interfering with the battle between the Generals wasn''t the right thing to do.


    However, they weren''t there to be honorable.


    What they wanted was to win and, although they would gain infamy for what they were about to do, they were fine with it as long as they achieved their goal.


    "Die Mongrel!" General Phobus shouted as he delivered a killing blow towards Benjamin, who had decided to take a gamble in order to overpower the protective artifacts the General Phobus was wearing on his body, with his strongest attack.


    Just as the two was about to sh, a faint yet confident voice, reached their ears, changing the oue of the battle.


    "Grand Void, First Ultimate Form��," Keane said softly as his thumb rested on the handle of his sword. "Splitting the Clouds!"


    The skinny swordsman drew his sword so fast, that an invisible de of air that was as fast as the speed of sound, sliced the trees in front of him in half, and traveled towards General Phobus, hitting his halberd, and making the Ranker lose his bnce.


    Benjamin, who had already thrust his spear towards his enemy, no longer had the leeway to pull back and simply continued his strike, with the intention of ending his enemy''s life.


    However, just as his attack hit General Phobus'' chest, a metallic ring reverberated in the air, as one of the General''s artifacts, shattered, saving his life from Benjamin''s killing blow.


    Even so, General Phobus still shouted in pain because even if his artifact blocked Benjamin''s deadly strike, it failed topletely mitigate the force behind the attackpletely.


    Second, who saw all of this was about to go to General Phobus'' aid when General Fahad blocked his path.


    Just as the Vice General was about to force his way through his opponent to help his Lord, he saw something out of the corner of his eye that made his face turn pale.


    A four-meter-tall White Boar, emerged from the bushes and impaled General Phobus'' back with its deadly tusk, making thetter gasp in pain, and surprise, from the sudden attack that came from his blindspot.


    Unfortunately, the General''s Enchanted Armor was very tough, preventing Cai from embedding its tusk deep within the Ranker''s body. However, it was enough.


    After sessfully sneak attacking its opponent, Cai tossed the General to the side and ran back towards the bushes in order to hide.


    The General not dying from its attack was part of its calction. But, Cai wasn''t betting on its attack to kill General Phobus.


    No, it had prepared a different tool to kill the General and that was none other than poison.


    Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian, was very good at making medicine. However, the Saint also had other hobbies aside from crafting jewelry, weapons, and armor, and one of them was concocting poisons.


    After giving the Sacred White Lotus to Maximilian, in order to make a cure for the Purple gue that ravished the borders of the Six Kingdoms, the Saint gave Cai a poison that was effective against a Ranker.


    However, it was only a miniscule amount. What it did was slowly paralyze the Ranker''s body, preventing them from even lifting a finger.


    Although it wasn''t fatal, it was very effective.


    General Phobus, who was preparing to continue his fight against Benjamin, noticed that his movements were starting to be sluggish.


    A minuteter, he was having trouble lifting his weapon because his hands were no longer listening to him.


    Finally, General Phobus grunted as he fell face first to the ground, unable to ovee the paralysis that had spread throughout his entire body.


    Cai, who was watching this scene from its hiding ce, didn''t do anything reckless, and simply applied the remaining poison on its tusk.


    Just like Lux, it knew that General Phobus wasn''t the greatest threat in the battle.


    Now that one of their opponents was down for the count, it locked its eyes on the Vice General, who had killed it, and made its baby Slime, Fei Fei, cry.


    If there was one area where Cai and Lux were alike, it was that they both carried grudges.


    And Cai would definitely not be able to sleep properly, until it had managed to have its revenge on the enemy who made it lose its stats and money.

 Chapter 467 Any Last Words?

    With General Phobus incapacitated, General Fahad and Benjamin focused all their attention to the Vice General of the Ammarian Army.


    Everyone knew that as long as Second was killed, the campaign on the Eastern Front would finally end.


    "Surrender now, or prepare to fight us both," Benjamin said.


    "That''s right," General Fahad stated. "The oue is already decided. There''s no need for you to die."


    Second gave General Phobus'' body a side-long nce before shifting his attention to the two Rankers who were in front and behind him.


    He knew that if he said no, the two Rankers would attack him at the same time in an attempt to kill him.


    However, instead of feeling anxious, the Vice General of the Ammarian Army chuckled as if he found the situation funny.


    "If you think you can kill me, then go ahead and try," Second replied. "I''d like to see how the two of you can put me down together."


    "Arrogant fool!" Benjamin shouted. "Since you''re courting death, then we will give it to you!"


    General Fahad and Benjamin exchanged nces, and both of them charged at Second at the same time.


    Brandishing their weapons together, they nned to use a coordinated attack to leave Second with no room to evade, allowing them to cut him down.


    However, something unexpected happened.


    Their attacks missed their target because Second jumped high up in the air. The Vice General of the Ammarian Army then held his sword with both hands before swinging it down with his full power.


    "Rend my foes to oblivion!" Second roared. "de of the Forsaken!"


    The sword in Second''s hand turned crimson just before he swung it towards the two Rankers on the ground, unleashing several crimson wind des that could instantly cut Rank 5 Monsters to shreds.


    Benjamin and General Fahad had no choice but to take a defensive stance and block the iing strikes, or else both of them would be seriously injured.


    As soon as Secondnded on the ground, he dashed in the direction where General Phobusy helpless, only to find that his Lord''s body had suddenly vanished.


    Benjamin and General Fahad, who managed to block Second''s attack, had noticed what their enemy was nning to do. However, just like the Vice General, both of them were surprised to see General Phobus'' body no longer in the ce where heid earlier.


    ��---------


    Over a hundred meters away from where Second and the two Rankers were fighting.


    General Phobus hatefully red at the teenagers who had bound his hands and legs with spider webs.


    His mouth was also sealed shut by a thick web, preventing him from making any sound.


    "Xander, take all of his artifacts," Cai ordered. "Make sure to not leave anything behind. We will split it evenlyter."


    "Understood," Xander obediently took away all valuable items belonging to the Ammarian General including his clothes, leaving him with only his pants.


    The General''s entire body was paralyzed, so even though he wanted to strangle the weaklings who were taking away all of his valuables, he couldn''t do anything to them.


    "So, who wants to kill him?" Cai asked. "It doesn''t matter whonds the final blow. We all get the same rewards anyway."


    The teenagers nced at each other before looking at Cai.


    "It is beneath me to kill someone who is incapable of defending themselves," Keane stated.


    In truth, he said that to cover the fact that he could not use his sword arm for the remainder of the day as a consequence for using an attack that exceeded his current strength. Right now, his arm was numb and a bit swollen.


    If Keane were to force himself to attack, it was possible that his bones would break, making him unable to wield his sword again for a very long time.


    "I am a Barbarian, I like a good fight," Einar replied. "But this? Although he is my enemy, I don''t like to bring dishonor to my family name."


    Val, who was currently in his Giant Spider Form, raised his front legs and made an X gesture, informing Cai that he didn''t want to do it either.


    Cai then nced at Henrietta and Malcolm, but both of them shook their heads.


    Clearly, they also didn''t want to deal the final blow to General Phobus, who couldn''t even lift a finger to stop them.


    "Fine, I''ll do it," Cai said as its body started to grow bigger. "Second Gear��"


    "Hildisv��ni!"


    A four-meter tall ck boar with silvery tusks and crimson eyes appeared in front of everyone.


    Val manipted his webs so that General Phobus'' body would rise to the ground and hang in front of Cai, whose deadly tusks were coated with the Poison that was meant to cripple Rankers.


    "Anyst words?" Cai asked.


    General Phobus red at the annoying Boar before shouting with all of his might.


    However, due to the web covering his lips, the Ranker could only let out undecipherable muffled words, which made Cai nod its head in understanding.


    "I gave you a chance to say yourst words, and yet you didn''t use it well," Cai stated. "Pathetic."


    The spider web covering the General''s lips became red as thetter vomited blood due to Cai''s insult. He had tried to say something, but since his mouth was covered, his message couldn''t be conveyed to anyone.


    However, despite knowing all of this, the Boar still said that he was pathetic?


    These words made the Proud General of the Ammarian Army vomit blood. Cai''s antics were simply aggravating.


    When he was given the opportunity to say hisst words, he wanted to say that he would double whatever rewards the Yn Army promised them as long as they spared his life.


    Cai moved several meters away from the hanging general before turning around and prepared to charge.


    "Goodbye, General Phobus," Cai said as it stomped its hoof to the ground and charged towards the helpless General whose eyes had already turned bloodshot. "May you find peace in the afterlife."


    "I''m Charging!"


    Cai impaled its tusk on the General''s body, but due to his high stats, the first strike didn''t kill him. The Boar wasn''t fazed and continued to gorge his body over and over again.


    Keane and the others frowned because they wanted to give General Phobus a quick death. However, since his rank was higher than them, their attacks were not strong enough to kill him in one strike.


    They understood that Cai was doing its best to end the general''s life as soon as possible and not to torture him to death, but since they were dealing with a Ranker, whose body had already been refined above the standards of mortals, it still took the Boar several strikes before it was able to pierce the general''s heart, and finally put him out of his misery.


    Even the Rankers who were watching this scene from the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen winced, because they had imagined themselves to be in the same position as the General who finally took hisst breath.


    Xander''s father, Hector, sighed in his heart as he looked at the Boar whose tusks were now covered in fresh blood.


    None of them had wanted their High Priestess, who was loved by everyone in their tribe, to dirty her hands in such a manner.


    But, this was the path that Cai chose, and their Chieftain had agreed to it.


    Since that was the case, the only thing he could do was watch, and see with his own eyes, how far Cai would be able to go down the road she had chosen.


    He wished with all of his heart that, at the end of Cai''s journey, she would find the thing that she was looking for��the thing that would allow her to grow not only as an individual, but as the High-Priestess of their tribe that everyone could be proud of.

 Chapter 468 I Won’t Die

    Second gritted his teeth as he was slowly being pushed back by the two Rankers that were now going all out to kill him.


    With every exchange was new injuries. The two Rankers weren''t faring any better due to his sharp and precise strikes that drew blood whenever he counterattacked.


    The elite soldiers who had apanied General Fahad, and Benjamin in battle now focused their attention on the Ammarian Soldiers, who had now managed to break free from the woonds, and were currently trying to regroup and reform their ranks.


    The Ammarian Army had the advantage in numbers, so letting them regroup was something that they couldn''t allow no matter what. Fortunately, Lux''s one-sided ughter managed to bite arge chunk out of their forces, allowing the Ynians to gain the upper hand as they killed the panicking soldiers who were in disarray after losing theirmanding officers.


    A few minutester, Lux arrived at the scene and saw the intense battle that was happening on the ground.


    As much as he wanted to help General Fahad and Benjamin to fight against Second, he decided that it was best for him to not intervene.


    Right now, all three Rankers were going all out.


    Aware that even a stray attack could instantly kill an Apostle like him, he decided to just watch the battle from above while checking the whereabouts of Cai and the others with his Soul Book.


    After locating them, Lux immediately messaged Cai and Keane through their Guild Chat and asked how Cai managed to kill General Phobus.


    The Boar immediately replied and exaggerated the events that happened, making it look like she had fought a dozen General Phobuses single handedly.


    It was at that moment when Lux realized that he had asked the wrong person.


    "Keane, what happened?" Lux asked.


    "Cai used some kind of poison that has the ability to paralyze Rankers," Keane answered. "When General Phobus lost the strength to move, Benjamin and General Fahad shed with Second. Since their attention was on each other, we used that opportunity to snatch General Phobus under their noses.


    "It was Val who dragged him with his spider web, and we took him away from the battlefield, so that Second and General Fahad would not discover us. Cai was the one who gave General Phobus the killing blow and ended his life, allowing us to get the gold rewards from our subquest."


    Lux was quite amused about how things turned out, but the thing that caught his attention was the poison that could paralyze Rankers.


    "Do you have more of that poison, Cai?" Lux asked.


    "There''s only a little bit left," Cai replied. "Do you n to catch Second? Our quest only grants us rewards in killing Generals. I don''t think we will get anything from killing him."


    "It''s fine. I only want his corpse. Do you still have General Phobus'' corpse?"


    "Yes. I stored it in my Bounty Ring. I know that you''ll want to get his body since he is a Ranker."


    Lux nodded his head in satisfaction after seeing Cai''s reply. "Good job. All of you, return to the battlefield. We''ll see if we can help General Fahad and Benjamin kill Second."


    The Half-Elf narrowed his eyes as he looked at the battle that was still on-going below him.


    Although Second was at a disadvantage, the two Ynian Rankers didn''t underestimate him because he was truly a strong fighter.


    Lux and the others also didn''t underestimate him because he was the one that ughtered them without even breaking a sweat.


    "Cai, I have a n," Lux stated. "However, it will be very risky. Since you have already coated your tusks with the poison, you are the only one that can cripple Second. If you fail, you will die and be kicked out of the Sacred Dungeon. Are you willing to take the risk?"


    The Boar didn''t reply right away as if weighing the pros and cons. A minuteter, Cai finally made its decision and sent a message to the guild chat.


    "Tell me about your n first," Cai said. "I''ll decide if I will ept it or not after hearing the details."


    Lux didn''t hold back and told Cai the details of the n he had in mind. Keane, who was able to participate in their discussion frowned because the n the Half-Elf proposed was indeed quite risky.


    However, he had to admit that the chances of the n seeding was quite high.


    "If you die, I promise to share half of whatever rewards I gain in this dungeon with you when the campaign is over," Lux promised.


    "There''s no need to share anything," Cai replied. "Because I won''t die."


    The Boar had analyzed Lux''s n step by step and saw nothing wrong with it.


    Yes, there was risk involved, but the Boar was confident that it would be able to execute the n perfectly.


    "Feel free to stop if ever you feel that your life is in danger," Lux stated. "We can always start over, but losing you this early will be a big blow to our manpower."


    "Rx," Caimented. "I got this."


    After finalizing their n, Cai and the rest positioned themselves at the very edge of the woonds, using the trees as cover.


    Einar, Val, Xander, Henrietta, and Malcolm were spread out around Cai and Keane, who should be defended in this strategy.


    Right now, the Swordsman could no longer fight, and Cai was the one that needed to deal the final blow.


    Because of this, they were at the center of the formation, protected from all sides by theirrades, who had also been briefed on the n that they were going to execute.


    Lux once again shifted his attention to the battle that was happening on the ground.


    What they nned to do was let General Fahad and Benjamin exhaust Second first, so that the Vice General wouldn''t be able to react on time once they started their operation.


    They couldn''t afford tomit a single mistake. Because of this, everyone focused on the role they were going to y and ensure that Cai would be able to deliver the blow they needed, in order to incapacitate the Vice General, whose strength exceeded everyone on the battlefield.

 Chapter 469 One Who Carried Grudges

    After shing with General Fahad and Benjamin for a few minutes, Second realized that he was at a great disadvantage.


    Even though he was slightly stronger than General Fahad, it was impossible for him to defeat two Rankers at the same time.


    The only reason why he was able tost when up against two opponents was because of his speed that allowed him to avoid most of their attacks by a hair''s breadth.


    Even so, he still sustained some injuries because General Fahad and Benjamin realized that he was truly a threat that they needed to put down to prevent future problems from arising.


    ''I should just escape,'' Second thought. ''Since Phobus'' whereabouts are unknown, there is no reason for me to stay here anymore.''


    Second assumed that because of Phobus'' rank and position within the Ammarian Kingdom, the Yn Army would spare him. Captured Generals during wartime were usually used as bargaining chips or used for ransom.


    He hoped that the Yn Army just took General Phobus'' body away while he was distracted to prevent him from rescuing his Master.


    Just as he was about to make his escape, he felt a powerful force pulling him towards the Jade Golem who had suddenly appeared dozens of meters away from the two Rankers, whom he wanted to escape from.


    It was at that moment that a metallic ring reverberated in the surroundings as Second was forced to summon a shield in his left hand to block Benjamin''s attack while parrying General Fahad''s attack with his sword.


    Lux had realized that some Rankers were able to resist the power of Duel [EX] to a certain extent, but in the end, they would still be forced to exchange blows with the one that cast the skill at them.


    The Half-Elf was creating an opportunity for General Fahad and Benjamin to give Second grievous injuries while thetter was being distracted by his summons.


    With an angry roar, Second unleashed a powerful aura, repelling the two Rankers who were still not aware of what was happening to their enemy.


    The Vice General of the Ammarian Army realized that this was probably the same thing that happened to General Phobus earlier, which made him grit his teeth in anger.


    "Damn you!" Second roared as he charged towards Orion, with the intention of cutting the Jade Golem in half.


    The Jade Golem took one step backwards as he pulled his arm back in order to meet the Ranker using his strongest attack.


    Lux, who was observing this battle in the air, sneered at the Ranker who was just a few meters away from Orion.


    The Half-Elf knew that Orion would only be able tost for a short time after he and Second shed. Because of this, Lux had decided to make the sacrifice of his Jade Golem count and ced a deadly trap for the Ranker whom they wanted to kill with every fiber of their being.


    Beside the Jade Golem''s feet, several Bone Bombs, as well as st bombs were ready, waiting to st the Vice General of the Ammarian Army to oblivion.


    "Eiko, Fei Fei, let''s do it!" Lux ordered.


    The two slimes activated their skills, synchronizing with the Half-Elf''s order.


    """Boom Boom Boom!"""


    Just before Second and Orion were about to sh, a powerful explosion that shook the battlefield erupted right under the Vice General''s feet, making thetter suffer from serious injuries.


    However, it didn''t end there. Because his stance was disrupted by the explosions that happened under his feet, Orion''s jade fist, smashed onto the side of Second''s face, sending him flying.


    Blood spilled from Second''s lips as he flew backwards from the force of Orion''s punch.


    Just as he was about tond on the ground, he saw a White Boar charging in his direction from the corner of his eye.


    ''I won''t let you!'' Second''s eyes turned bloodshot as he forcefully moved his right hand to slice the opportunistic Boar in half with his sword. However, his sword arm paused mid-air as he felt another strong attractioning from his side.


    Pazuzu had activated his Duel [EX], making Second pause in his attempt to strike the white Boar, who was charging straight at him while he was unable to move his body.


    "I''m charging!" Cai roared as it collided with the Ranker''s body, piercing its tusk through Second''s armor and embedding it two inches deep inside the Vice General''s body.


    Cai tossed the Ranker upwards and continued to charge towards the Woonds. It had already aplished its goal, and it only needed to wait a short while for the poison to take effect.


    ''Sh*t!'' Second thought, realizing that this was the exact same thing that had happened to General Phobus earlier.


    However, what happened to General Phobus was nothingpared to what happened to him next.


    While Second was still in mid-air, a spear flew in his direction and pierced his back, making him cry out in pain.


    He knew that if he didn''t escape now, he would not have a chance to live another day.


    As soon as his body crashed towards the ground, the Vice General immediately used his life saving artifact and disappeared from where hey, making General Fahad, Benjamin, and Lux''srades, curse the near-dead Ranker in their hearts.


    """The bastard managed to escape!"""


    Lux opened up his Soul Book and tried to search for Second''s whereabouts, but the map of the battlefield was too chaotic, showing red and green dots everywhere, making him unable to pinpoint the Vice-General''s location.


    "What a slippery opponent," Bedivere muttered as he circled in the air, hoping to catch a glimpse of their enemy who had vanished without a trace. "Master, your orders?"


    Lux frowned before heaving a sigh.


    "Let''s eliminate the small fries for now," Lux replied. "Although their generals are no longer around, they are still a threat to the Yn Army."


    "Understood, My Lord." Bedivere nodded before maneuvering the Dragon towards the Woonds where the most heated battle between the two forces were still underway.


    General Fahad and Benjamin nced at each other before heading the direction that Lux was going. Their men had sacrificed a lot in order for them to break through the enemy''s formation, so they needed to help them eliminate as many enemies as they could in order to end the war on the Eastern Front of the Battlefield.


    ��-------


    A thousand meters under the earth��


    The Vice General of the Ammarian Army coughed up blood as the effect of the poison started to take ce.


    His life saving artifact allowed him to forcefully teleport him underground by creating a small space big enough for his entire body to fit in.


    Secondid on his back, in pitch ck darkness, as the poison paralyzed his entire body.


    ''As soon as the paralysis in my body wears off, I will immediately leave this ce,'' Second thought. ''It has been a while since I got seriously injured in a campaign.''


    This was not the first time that Second had used this strategy in order to hide from his opponents. When he was still serving General Phobus'' Grandfather as his aide, there had been several close calls when he was forced to escape in order to preserve his life.


    He had managed to survive each and every time, and he believed that he would be able to persevere this time as well.


    Suddenly, Second felt something falling onto the side of his face.


    ''Soil? Is the battle happening on the surface that intense?'' Second thought as the loosened earth continued to fall on his cheeks, forehead, nose, and mouth.


    A few secondster, the soil stopped falling on his head.


    However, just before Second thought that everything was over, a faint light appeared in front of him, illuminating the dark space where he was in.


    Second''s pupil shrank, and a feeling of anxiety rose in his chest when he saw something that he thought he would never see in his life.


    Right above his head, a baby Slime was looking down on him with a calm expression on her face.


    The two stared at each other, and with every second that passed, the Vice General''s heartbeat became faster and faster.


    Eiko then summoned a red-steel-ball in her hand as she gazed at the Ranker who killed her Papa in the past.


    "N-Nnnnh!" Second tried to shout ''no,''but since he could no longer move his lips, only muffled sounds managed to escape his lips.


    If he could still move, it would be very easy for him to kill such a weak monster, but right now, his fate was dependent on the baby slime''s mood, making him realize that he no longer had control over his fate.


    Eiko still had a calm expression when she unceremoniously dropped the st Bomb on Second''s face.


    At that moment, time seemed to move in slow motion, making Second see the st Bomb slowly falling towards him.


    However, just as the st Bomb was about to hit his face, he saw the baby Slime open her lips to say something.


    Although no sound came out of her mouth, the Ranker was able to read her lips, understanding the word that she had said to him.


    "F*cker."


    That was the word that the baby Slime said and thest thing Second saw before the red-steel-ballnded on his face and exploded at point-nk-range.


    Deep under the earth, an explosion erupted.


    However, since it was so deep in the ground, no one on the surface heard Second''s muffled scream. The Baby Slime mercilessly tossed several bombs at the person who was responsible for killing one of the most important people in her life.


    It was not only Lux and Cai who carried grudges.


    Eiko was the same, and just like them, she wouldn''t stop until she saw the person whom she wanted to kill��


    Die in front of her very eyes.

 Chapter 470 You Guys Won’t Have Any Issues With That, Right?

    An hourter, the remnants of the Ammarian Army that managed to escape ran as if their lives depended on it.


    As much as General Fahad and Benjamin wanted to kill them all, they simply didn''t have enough manpower to do so.


    Their side had also suffered quite a few casualties, as well as serious injuries, but the morale of the Yn Army was at an all time high as they shouted their cries of triumph, making the fleeting Ammarians hear their victorious shouts as they escaped from the jaws of death.


    There were also hundreds of soldiers who had surrendered. All of them were herded to the side, while General Fahad and Benjamin listened to the reports of theirmanders, tallying the numbers of injured and dead in the battle that just ended.


    Lux''s team, with the exception of Cai, Keane, and Xander, had joined the Yn Army in the fighting against the Ammarian Soldiers.


    Cai and Keane had pushed themselves too much in the battle and were no longer in condition to join the fight.


    Xander, Fei Fei, Ishtar, and Lazarus stayed with them in order to guard them to prevent anyone from taking advantage of their weakened state.


    While the others were resting, Lux was looking for Eiko who had suddenly disappeared without his notice.


    "Eiko!" Lux shouted. "Where are you, Eiko?!"


    The Half-Elf shouted for the Baby Slime''s name over and over again for nearly half an hour before he heard Eiko''s reply inside his mind.


    "Pa!"


    Lux immediately locked on the direction where he sensed Eiko''s presence and urged Bedivere to fly in that direction.


    A few minutester, they found the Baby Slime perched on top of a tree, waiting for Lux to pick her up.


    "Pa!"


    Eiko happily jumped towards Lux, and the Half-Elf caught the Baby Slime with both of his hands.


    "Where did you go, Eiko?" Lux asked. "I was worried about you."


    "Pa!" Eiko replied as she told Lux where she went and what she did.


    The Baby Slime was like an obedient child who nonchntly confessed all the bad things she had done to her parents, and the things she said made the Half-Elf break into cold sweat.


    "You did what?!" Lux eximed as soon as Eiko finished her tale. "Eiko, don''t do something like that again without telling me. That was very dangerous!"


    Eiko blinked once then twice, before nodding her head in understanding.


    "Pa!"


    "Promise me you won''t do something dangerous again without my approval. You already died once. Iris and I definitely don''t want to see you die a second time."


    Eiko became a bit teary-eyed as she nodded her head in acknowledgement of Lux''s words. So, she made a promise to not do anything dangerous again without her Papa''s consent.


    "Pa!"


    "Good girl. For now, keep Second''s body. We will tell General Fahad and Benjamin in private that we managed to kill the two highestmanding officers of the Ammarian Army. I''m sure that they will be very happy to hear the news."


    Eiko nodded. "Un!"


    The Half-Elf then ced Eiko back on top of his head as he made his way towards the ce where Cai, Keane, Xander, and Fei Fei were currently resting.


    It had been a long night, and the Half-Elf could feel that his body was starting to feel as heavy as lead.


    After the adrenaline rush ended and seeing that Eiko was safe and sound, the Half-Elf just wanted to go back to his tent to sleep.


    He and the others hadn''t had much rest for the past few days, and he was looking forward to sleeping for ten to twelve hours, in order to rest his tired and aching body.


    When Lux appeared in the small clearing, he saw Cai lying sideways on the ground, snoring like there was no tomorrow.


    Fei Fei, who was lying on the side of Cai''s face,  was also sound asleep. It seemed that even Cai''s loud snoring wasn''t enough to wake her up, which proved how exhausted the Golden Slime was after her first campaign with her Master.


    Keane, on the other hand, was seated while leaning against a tree. His sword rested on hisp, allowing the skinny swordsman to draw it as soon as danger appeared in front of them.


    Although his entire right arm felt numb, he would rather break his bones than die helplessly under the de of their enemies.


    "Is everything alright?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Xander replied. "The battle has ended. Einar, Val, Henrietta, and Malcolm went to see the people that surrendered to check if some of our ''acquaintances'' are mixed in among them."


    Lux sighed in his heart before sitting beside a tree, using it as a support to hold his exhausted body.


    ''We came together as allies,'' Lux thought. ''Now, we stand on opposing sides.''


    Seeing that the Half-Elf was deep in thought, Xander approached him to ask the question that mattered to him.


    "If we do see our acquaintances, what do we do with them?" Xander asked.


    Lux didn''t answer right away. Instead, he lightly patted Eiko''s head who was now resting on hisp.


    A few minutes of silence descended on the clearing as Lux pondered about what to do with them.


    As the leader of the group, he knew that it was up to him to decide their fate.


    Whether they would receive mercy or not was entirely up to him.


    "Let''s discuss it after the others return," Lux said after organizing his thoughts.


    Xander no longer insisted on getting a definite answer from Lux.


    He knew that this was not an easy decision to make because it would affect the Half-Elf''s rtionship with the factions waiting for them outside the Domain of the Fallen.


    Half an hourter, Einar, Val, Henrietta, and Malcolm returned, and all of them had solemn expressions on their faces.


    "How many?" Lux asked without even raising his head.


    Although he didn''t ask a specific question, Einar and the others understood what he was talking about.


    "Six," Einar replied. "Two from Skystead Alliance, two from the Xynnar War Pact, one from the Storm Dragon''s Guild, and one from the Six Kingdoms."


    Lux sighed internally after hearing Einar''s reply.


    "Six��," Lux muttered.


    If only the representatives of the Six Kingdoms weren''t able to view what was happening inside the Dungeon, Lux would definitely not bat an eye and execute them without fail.


    Unfortunately, his rtionships with the other factions were already strained.


    It was one thing for their representatives to die in the midst of battle. No one would find fault with that because this was a battle between two warring nations, and it was only natural for people to die on the battlefield.


    However, the fighting had stopped, and they had already surrendered.


    If Lux were to kill them now, he would definitely cross the bottom line of the factions that were watching through the eyes of their representatives.


    "What should we do with them?" Einar asked.


    Even the Barbarian Prince knew the political consequences of Lux''s decision. In truth, he was quite happy that he wasn''t the one making the hard decision.


    If it was him, he would definitely not make a move that would anger the different factions, who could definitely make his life difficult in both Sis and Elysium.


    "I''ll ask General Fahad to send them to prison and ensure that they will no longer get in the way of our mission," Lux replied as he scanned the faces of the people around him. "You guys won''t have any issues with that, right?"


    Lux''s question wasn''t only directed to his teammates, but to those who were watching them from the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen.


    This was war, so his actions were in line with the rules of war, and no one can find fault in it.


    Although the different factions whose representatives had been captured didn''t like the current situation, they had no choice but to begrudgingly ept Lux''s decision.


    If they were to find fault with how things reached this point, they could only me their people for not choosing to side with Lux when he had given them a chance to switch sides to the Yn Army.


    Einar, Val, Xander, Henrietta, and Malcolm were relieved because Lux didn''t choose the option that would burn bridges between them and the different factions that belonged to Sis and Elysium.


    As long as they didn''t cross the other parties'' bottom line, they could still work together in the future.


    Two hourster, the dead bodies of the Yn Army were taken by theirrades in order to be given a proper burial.


    Lux, on the other hand, asked General Fahad to leave the dead bodies of the Ammarians because he still had a need for them.


    The General stared at the Half-Elf with a solemn expression and was on the verge of telling him something.


    But, in the end, General Fahad decided to hold back the words he wanted to say and just reluctantly nodded his head at the Half-Elf''s request.


    Although he didn''t like how the battle progressed a few hours ago, he had to admit that if the Half-Elf didn''t y the viin, their chances of winning were non-existent.


    Lux and the others returned to the Yn Camp, leaving the Half-Elf''s Undead Army and Golems working together to strip the dead Ammarian Soldiers of their belongings.


    Their storage rings, weapons, and armor were all taken from them and given to General Fahad.


    Although Lux liked treasures, he didn''t feel like looting the dead bodies of the people that he had killed so viciously.


    Even Cai didn''t raise any protest about the Half-Elf''s decision. The Boar who would shamelessly collect weapons and armors didn''t even want to touch a single piece of equipment from the bodies of the dead Ammarian Soldiers.


    The only thing it took was General Phobus'' equipment and storage rings because they belonged to it by right.


    Cai was the one that made it possible for the General to be crippled, and no one had the right to take its hard earned treasures from it.


    Lux didn''t tell them about what happened to Second because he didn''t want the other factions to know that the Vice General was also dead.


    He nned to revive the Vice-General and make him one of the members of his Covenant. Although it was regrettable that Second''s Rank would deteriorate, Lux knew that adding the deadly strategist to his Undead Army would increase hisbat prowess drastically.


    For the time being, all of them rested without worry because they knew that the Eastern Battlefield was won.


    However, this was just the beginning.


    Even though they managed to win against their enemies, the Yn Army had suffered countless losses, making them unable to reinforce the other battlefields because their remaining army needed to defend the territory they fought so hard to protect.

 Chapter 471 Taking Care Of Future Problems

    Just a little over twenty thousand soldiers.


    That was the number of soldiers that General Fahad had under hismand, including those that had been injured during the battle that happened a few hours ago.


    They might have won, but the losses they suffered were truly high, and they barely had enough men to defend their territory.


    Because of this, they asked for the Main Camp to send some soldiers their way in order to take the prisoners back to the Main Yn Headquarters, where they would be imprisoned.


    Lux and his friends took this opportunity to get their well-deserved rest, and all of them woke up just past noon time.


    Before resting, the Half-Elf had told General Fahad in private that General Phobus and his Vice General were dead, which made the Yn General breathe a little easier.


    As long as he and Benjamin were there to defend the Eastern Quarter, they would be able to hold it��but that was also as long as the enemy didn''t send any other Generals with Rankers to their side.


    When General Fahad asked if it was possible for Lux to give General Phobus'' and Second''s bodies to them as trophies of the war, the Half-Elf firmly rejected their request.


    Naturally, the Yn General tried to bribe him with great rewards, but the red-headed teenager was adamant in keeping the dead bodies of the two Rankers with him, so General Fahad could only give up in the end.


    As a Necromancer, he had a lot of uses for the corpses of the two Rankers, allowing him to bolster his forces for the next campaigns against the Ammarian Army.


    When Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock heard of the great achievement that Lux and General Fahad had made in the Eastern Battlefield, the two of them praised them to the high heavens.


    They also immediately mobilized over 5,000 troops to march towards the Eastern Front to take the Prisoners, in addition to sending necessary supplies to the Eastern Encampment, which had suffered greatly from the war.


    "Three more battlefields remain," Lux looked at the information that was avable to him.


    ��---------


    Forest Campaign Ammarian General - Revon


    Mountain Campaign Ammarian General - Herodes


    ins Campaign Ammarian General - Gideon


    ��---------


    On their way to the Marsnds, they hade across some border guards that were fighting in the Glouswell Forest that belonged to General Carran of the Yn Kingdom.


    His opponent on that battlefield was General Revon of the Ammarian Army, and based on the provided information, the Ammarian General was a seasoned warrior in his early fifties.


    Unlike General Phobus, General Revon was said to be an Instinctual General, and was known for his ability to foil any strategies that were aimed at him.


    Because of this, the General that Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock had ced to contend against him was the fiercest General of the Yn Kingdom, and that was none other than General Carran.


    ording to the information that General Fahad shared with Lux, General Carran was the strongest warrior in the Yn Kingdom and had never been defeated in the past.


    Supposedly, General Carran should have been the one stationed at the Great ins, facing off against the Main Army of the Ammarian Kingdom.


    However, the General strongly requested that he be pitted against General Revon. He believed that he was the only one who could counter the unpredictable and powerful General, who was hailed as the strongest Warrior of the Ammarian Kingdom.


    It was a battle between two Great Warriors who had risen to their position through many campaigns, earning them the right and reputation to lead tens of thousands of troops in battle, who idolized them.


    "Lux, we can''t afford to leave this ce right now," General Fahad said. "Please, reinforce General Carran and help him defeat General Revon. Right now, the two of them are in a stalemate, but just like what happened here, the Ammarian Army had greater numbers.


    "Also, the remnant troops that belonged to General Phobus will definitely go to General Revon, further increasing the army hemands. You are the only one that I can ask to tilt the battle in our favor."


    General Fahad bowed his head towards the Half-Elf, who had allowed them to ovee the crisis that they were facing.


    "Understood, General," Lux replied. "Please ensure that the people I told you about will not be able to escape from their imprisonment. Although they are my formerrades, we are at war right now. Don''t show them any leniency because, believe me, if you give them an opportunity, you will regret it." General Fahad nodded. "I will guarantee that they will not be able to return to the battlefield again. Even now, I ced powerful shackles on their bodies, preventing them from using any of their abilities. Even a Ranker will not be able to break those shackles easily, so you don''t have to worry about them anymore.


    "Still, if you think that they will cause future problems, I can dispose of them for you. Don''t worry, I promise to be discreet and hide their bodies in a ce where it can''t be discovered."


    Lux shook his head, knowing that if General Fahad really did this, he would suffer a headache when he left the Sacred Dungeonter on.


    "You don''t have to kill them, General," Lux replied. "They have already surrendered. Although we are on different sides right now, they were still once myrades, so I will not be able to sleep peacefully at night knowing that they died after they have alreadyid down their arms."


    General Fahad looked at the Half-Elf with renewed appreciation because he never thought that Lux would still care for the men that turned their backs on him.


    Naturally, the Yn Commander didn''t know the full story, so he was able to think in this manner.


    Also, on the way to the Marsnds, Lux had already started to prepare for the battle in the forest.


    He knew that if they lost the battle in the Marsnds, the Ammarian Army led by General Phobus, and Second, would target the Yn Army in Glouswell Forest.


    Because of this, he left his two Doppelgangers to handle things for him, in preparation for the possible pincer attack by the two armies.


    Fortunately, the worst case scenario didn''t happen, which gave Lux the opportunity to use the n he thought out a few days ago.


    ''My Doppelgangers have alreadyid down the foundations,'' Lux mused. ''All I need to do is use them at the right moment. Although I''m not sure how I will fare against this Instinctual General, it will be a great learning experience, especially since I''ll be facing Rankers who specializes inrge-scale battles.''


    As a Necromancer, Lux knew that there woulde a time when he wouldmand vast hordes of Undead to fight against his foes.


    He knew that he wasn''t a good General, so he decided to learn from them in order to better understand how others fought on different battlefields.


    He believed that his Named Creatures, the members of his Covenant, as well as his Animated Undead Legion, which he still hadn''t started, could act as his Commanders in his future battles.


    This way, he would be able to wield a force that could threaten not only his enemies, but entire Kingdoms, if they ever tried to step on him using their military might.

 Chapter 472 Child, Do You Wish For Power?

    Right now, Lux was being suppressed by the Skystead Alliance, the Xynnar Warpact, as well as the Six Kingdoms.


    He had been sidelined and cklisted when it came to taking quests in those territories due to the circumstances that happened in the past.


    Because of this, he had no choice but to return to the Kingdom of Gweliven in order toplete quests that would allow him to be stronger.


    If not for the Arondight Ring, Lux might have been unable to upgrade his Rank to the next level because none of the territories in the Human Lands weed his presence.


    ''Just you guys wait,'' Lux thought. ''Once I be stronger, there is no ce I can''t go.''


    Truth be told, he wanted to be like the Nomadic Rowan Tribe that could move unhindered no matter where they went.


    Since the one leading them was a Saint, none of the factions dared to make things difficult for them and allowed them safe passage through theirnds.


    Lux wanted to have that same power and influence, letting others know that he wasn''t a soft persimmon that they could pinch and that attempting so would make him their enemy.


    Also, there was the precedent of Memento Mori.


    ording to the Elysium Compendium, this was an organization that consisted of only powerful Necromancers.


    This group had been around for hundreds of years, and no one in their right mind would dare antagonize this group because doing so would be simr to courting death.


    ''I wonder where that old man is right now,'' Lux mused as he thought of the old man that had subjugated the Creature of Ruin and ordered it to obliterate the Wolfpine Barony.


    It was a scene that he could never forget. On that day, he had discovered a person that wielded powers, surpassing even his step-father, who was one of the strongest people the Half-Elf hade to know in his life.


    For someone to be able tomand the Creature of Ruin, which even a dozen Saints couldn''t kill, allowed Lux to get a glimpse of whaty beyond the Saint Rank.


    Among Monsters, the Rank after the Cmity Rank was called Demigod.


    Among Mortals, the Rank after the Saint Rank was called Supreme.


    These were the pinnacle existences in the world, and although the Old Man that Lux saw was still not a Supreme, he could feel that thetter was still stronger than his stepfather, Alexander, whom he believed was somewhere in the middle of the Saint Rank.


    "Supreme��'' Lux sighed. ''I wonder if I will be able to reach that Rank.''


    Right now, the Half-Elf''s Rank had degraded to the Apostle Rank, which was a great distance away from the Rank that stood at the pinnacle of the world and could decide the fate of entire nations, depending on their whim.


    While he was deep in his thoughts, his team had already finished their preparations.


    "We''re ready to go anytime, Lux," Einar said.


    Lux smiled and gazed at his team members who had chosen to side with him despite the awareness that they would suffer penalties by changing their allegiances in the war.


    "Good," Lux replied as he gazed in the direction of the Great Forest. "Let''s go to our next battlefield. Remember, none of you are allowed to die until we finish our mission. If you die�� welp, you will still be in debt, so remember that, okay?"


    Lux smirked before summoning his Thunder Warg King, who was now a Rank 4 Monster.


    The other members of his team also summoned their mounts, with the exception of Cai, who was proficient in running long distances.


    "Forward," Lux ordered as he led his Mercenary Group to their next destination.


    None of them knew what kind of battlefield was waiting for them, but one thing was certain��


    They would do everything in their power to clear their mission and conquer the Gate of Conquest, once and for all.


    ��--------


    Nero, who had escaped from Lux several hours ago, panted for breath as he leaned his body on a boulder.


    Tendrils of ck mists oozed around him as he did his best to prevent the Seed of the Abyss from taking hold of his senses.


    He knew that if he allowed the Corruption of the Abyss to progress, he would turn into a monster, simr to what happened to Lux when Eiko was killed by the Ranker who had ambushed them at the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen.


    Back then, he secretly cheered in his heart because he knew that Lux was done for and wouldn''t be able to return to his senses.


    However, the Crystal Dragon, Keoza, materialized and absorbed the power of the Abyss, giving the Half-Elf an opportunity to regain his reason.


    Now, that same predicament was happening to Nero, and he was doing his damn best to prevent himself from turning into the monster that the Half-Elf had once be.


    ''Do not let this setback break you, Nero,'' Nero encouraged himself as he desperately tried to control the Abyssal Corruption to keep it from spreading further inside his body. ''This is just a phase for you to reach your goal. As long as you can ovee this ordeal, you will be more powerful, and will be able to realize your dreams.''


    The Guildmaster of the Storm Dragon''s Guild, gritted his teeth as he forcefully suppressed the corruption that was spreading in his body.


    He was having a hard time doing it because he wasn''t in his optimal state.


    Even though the injuries he received from his battle with Lux had already healed thanks to the high-quality potions he took, the damage in his soul was something that couldn''t be fixed by drinking potions.


    It could only recover gradually over time by getting plenty of rest.


    Unfortunately, Nero didn''t have the leisure to rest as the power that had allowed him to suppress the other prodigies of the same generation threatened to take over his heart, body, and soul.


    Just as the Guildmaster of the Storm Dragon''s Guild was at his wit''s end, trying to find ways to ovee his current predicament, a crimson mist spread in his surroundings.


    "Child, do you wish for power?"


    A man with silver hair, and crimson eyes, asked as he looked at the brown-haired boy, who was on the verge of turning into an Abyssal Monster.


    Nero looked at the neer, and his eyes lingered on the two crimson horns on the silver-haired man''s head, making him subconsciously shudder.


    Seeing his reaction, the silver-haired man smiled.


    He was someone who shouldn''t have appeared in the Gate of Conquest because his Domain could only be explored once the Gate of Conquest, Gate of War, Gate of Famine, and Gate of Death, had all been conquered.


    He was the Being that ruled the Domain of the Fallen, and for him, ying with the lives of mortals was simply a pastime.


    A way of entertaining himself from his thousands of years of imprisonment.


    He had started paying attention to Lux the moment he and hisrades had conquered the Gate of Death.


    After the Half-Elf conquered the Gate of War, the Final Boss of the Sacred Dungeon''s interest was piqued, making him have the strong urge to see just how far the red-headed teenager could go.


    He had realized that Nero bore a strong grudge against Lux, and he thought that this was a good opportunity to use a good tool, which was about to be consumed by the Seed of the Abyss in his heart.


    Since he wanted to be entertained, he decided to use a pawn in order to join the war that was currently taking ce, and perhaps, find a way for his main body to escape the prison that had bound him for thousands of years.

 Chapter 473 Survivors From The Different Factions

    "Hah! That spoiled buffoon got himself captured and his troops decimated?" General Revonughed after receiving the report of his Vice General, who had interviewed the thousands of Ammarian Soldiers who had fled to their Domain due to their defeat in the hands of General Fahad and the Yn Army.


    "General, this is noughing matter," General Revon''s Aide, Ronan, said with a frown. "Our defeat in the Marsnds meant that we have lost one of the battlefields crucial for regaining the territories we have lost."


    General Revon snorted before opening a bottle of rum, and drinking it without a care in the world.


    Half a minuteter, he gave a loud burp before shifting his attention to his Vice General who had a fed up expression on his face.


    "Our losses in the Eastern Territories isn''t that big of a deal," General Revon replied. "As long as we win our campaign, we can easily attack General Fahad''s camp from behind, leaving them no ce to escape.


    "Although they won their campaign, I doubt they have many soldiers left in their ranks. At the very least, they can simply hold their territory. They don''t have the ability to reinforce the other battlefields."


    General Revon took another chug of his rum until the bottle was empty. He then ced the bottle on top of the table and gave another loud burp before picking up a roasted chicken leg and eating it with gusto.


    Ronan frowned, but he no longer said anything. Just as General Revon said, all they needed to do was win their own campaign. When that was over, they could deal with General Fahad as much as they wanted.


    But, this would only be a reality if they won their campaign.


    ''We have had several shes with General Carran, and he is just as formidable as his reputation,'' Vice General Ronan thought. ''When General Revon and him fought a one-on-one battle, their duel ended in a draw with neither side going all out.


    ''Still, the added manpower that came from the remnants of General Phobus'' army is a wee addition to our own troops. This might just help us tilt the battle in our favor in our next sh against the part of the Yn Army guarding the Glouswell Forest.''


    Three dayster, over twenty thousand troops from General Phobus'' army joined with General Revon''s sixty-thousand soldiers, forcing the Yn Army��belonging to General Carran��to take defensive formations everytime they shed.


    Among the soldiers that joined with General Revon''s Army were the survivors of the Storm Dragon''s Guild, Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and Six Kingdoms.


    Only five members from the Storm Dragon''s Guild survived, and they had no idea what happened to their Guildmaster, Nero, because he suddenly disappeared during the battle.


    The Skystead Alliance only had one member remaining, while the Xynnar War Pact had two, including Jasper, who served as their leader.


    As for the Six Kingdoms, only the Elven Prince, Enlil managed to escape unscathed because he could fly, which allowed him to avoid Lux''s deadly traps in the woonds with ease. All in all, nine people from the different factions remained, not including Nero, whose whereabouts were unknown.


    All of these survivors decided to stick together and chose a temporary leader to lead them for the time being. They knew that there was no point in fighting against each other because all of them were on the same boat.


    After taking a vote, Jasper, the leader of the Xynnar War Pact became the Temporary Leader of their Alliance.


    The blonde-haired teenage boy was a very popr prodigy within the Xynnar War Pact. Since the Six Kingdoms, and the Storm Dragon Guild''s main area of operation was within the Xynnar War Pact''s territory, they had heard and seen Jasper several times in the past, and had worked with him in handling high-leveled Dungeons in the past.


    "First of all, let''s talk about what happened a few days ago," Jasper said after he and hisrades finished eating their lunch. "All of us thought that General Phobus had a very high chance of winning the campaign because of what happened during the previous battle between the Ammarian Army and the Yn Army.


    "However, that all changed overnight when we marched to the ce where they were making theirst stand. I can be wrong, but I strongly believe that the skill used against us that day was the Necromancer Skill, Corpse Explosion. Now, we need to look at the details we received about the identity of that Necromancer.


    "Based on what you guys are telling me, there is a high chance that it was the Half-Elf, whom Vice General Second killed several days ago, who was the culprit for the sudden change in the battlefield, correct?"


    The five members of the Storm Dragon Guild nodded their heads in affirmation.


    "Aside from him, I know no other Necromancers who could have used such a skill," Enlil replied. "I thought that they were already out of thepetition, but here we are, facing off against each other and all of us got the short end of the stick."


    One of the Storm Dragon Guild voiced his opinion for everyone to hear.


    "I saw the Boar that always hangs around Lux a few days ago in the Woonds," the teenage boy said. "Although it is the only one I saw, there is a high possibility that everyone that Vice General Second killed several days ago has returned to fight for the Yn Army."


    An annoyed expression appeared on Enlil''s face after hearing the words of his teammate. Lux was bad enough, but if Cai, Keane, Einar, Val, Xander, Henrietta, and Malcolm were still alive as well then it could spell a big deal of trouble for them.


    "Okay, I got a n," Jasper said after a few minutes of silence. "There is a high chance that he managed toplete the mission of killing General Phobus. If we follow this train of thought then he will definitely appear in the battle of Glouswell Forest.


    "He could also use the same strategy again, so it is best if we stay at the rear of the formation and always keep a lookout in our surroundings. The moment something unexpected happens, all of us will retreat.


    "Our numbers are already few to begin with, and we needed toplete this mission for our respective Factions. Failure is not an option."


    The remaining member of Skyteam Alliance, which was once led by Malcolm, raised his head to look at their blond-haired leader with a solemn expression.


    "What will we do if we meet the Half-Elf on the battlefield?" the teenage boy asked.


    Jasper didn''t answer right away, because he was weighing the pros and cons of engaging Lux in battle.


    "If there is a chance to kill him then we will go for the kill," Jasper replied after he finished organizing his thoughts. "If we take him out then we don''t have to worry about corpses blowing up in our faces. Once is enough. Twice, no thank you."


    Everyone nodded their heads in agreement to their temporary leader''s orders.


    If they could really kill Lux then all was good. If not, then they would just prioritize their retreat in order to keep themselves alive.


    All of them had been briefed by their superiors about how important this mission was. They were even told that they were free to take whatever actions they deemed necessary, and no one would find fault in it.


    "By the way, have any of you seen Nero?" Jasper asked. "If he is still alive, he will be a good asset to our cause."


    Among the members of the young Generation, Jasper recognized Nero''s strength. If he were able to rope in the brown-haired teenager into being his underling, he would have a higher chance of clearing the mission entrusted to him.


    "No," one of the members of the Storm Dragon Guild replied. "We haven''t seen Guildmaster because the battlefield became too chaotic to stick together."


    When the explosions started, everyone was forced to scatter because the closer they were to each other, the higher the chances were of all of them dying together.


    This was why they weren''t able to say whether Nero had died or not. They simply believed that someone as strong as their Guildmaster wouldn''t sumb to Lux''s underhanded move, and was still somewhere out there, nning his next move.


    What they didn''t know was that Nero was indeed still alive.


    However, as for whether he was in a good condition or not, this was something that they would only know when the War between the Ammarian Army as well as the Yn Army, had reached its climax.

 Chapter 474 How To Face A Charging Boar

    "So, you were the Necromancer that helped General Fahad win his campaign," General Carran said coolly as he stared at the red-headed teenager, who was standing in front of him. "Your name is Lux, right?"


    "Yes, General," Lux replied.


    "Let me just say this. I hate Necromancers, which means I hate you as well."


    "... I see."


    General Carran didn''t even bother to hide the displeasure on his face as he stared at the Half-Elf, making thetter wonder if the Yn General knew any Necromancers in the past.


    "Putting my dislike for Necromancers to the side, you did well in helping us achieve a victory against the Ammarian Army," General Carran stated. "The gging morale of my army has changed overnight, and now all of them are raring to kill some of the Ammarian Bastards who have made things difficult for us for the past few days."


    The Yn General ced his hands behind his back as he looked at the map where several wooden figurines stood that represented the different units that were fighting in the Glouswell Forest.


    "Our scouts have confirmed that General Phobus'' remaining troops have merged with General Revon''s army, boosting their numbers by a good margin," General Carran exined. "Their numbers now are almost double the size of our army. Currently, I have fifty thousand troops under mymand. We were able to fight to a stalemate with the enemy, but now, the numbers are in their favor."


    The General then gave Lux a side-long nce.


    "I will allow you to move as you please in my Domain, but you are not allowed to use my men as cannon fodder." General Carran''s voice was firm and would not take no for an answer. "If you do, I promise you that I will personally cut you down and put your head on a spike. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, General," Lux replied.


    General Carran nodded. "Go, and make sure that you don''t get in my way."


    Lux left General Carran''s tent with a helpless look on his face as he went to see hisrades, who were currently resting after traveling nearly non-stop to reach the Yn Encampment in the Glouswell Forest as fast as they could.


    General Fahad had already told Lux that General Carran didn''t look at Necromancers favorably for reasons that were unknown even to him.


    The only advice he gave Lux was to simply operate separately from the Yn General''s Army, and support them from the side.


    As soon as they saw Lux, his team members gave him the "What happened?" gaze, which made the Half-Elf shake his head helplessly.


    "General Carran said that we can do what we want as long as we don''t stand in his way," Lux stated. "This means that we can move separately from the main army and chip away at the soldiers that belong to General Revon."


    Cai, who was chatty most of the time, was surprisingly quiet, as it looked in the direction where the Ammarian Camp was located.


    Lux, who also noticed this, approached the Boar and asked what was in its mind.


    "The Enemy General this time isn''t like General Phobus, and Second," Cai said as it continued to stare at the North. "I can feel my bestial instincts telling me that he is bad news. This feeling reminds me of my Grandpa whenever he gets angry, and I don''t like it."


    Lux frowned when he heard Cai''s words.


    He knew that the Boar idolized its Grandpa very much, and for it to put General Revon and the Saint of the Rowan Tribe, Maximilian, on the same page, meant that they might have a very tough battle ahead of them.


    "Do you have any ideas on how we can ovee this obstacle?" Lux asked.


    Cai gave the Half-Elf a side-long nce before shifting its gaze back to the North, as if lost in thought.


    "What do you do when you are facing a charging boar, which is several meters taller than you?" Cai asked after two minutes had passed.


    "You dodge to the side and evade it," Lux replied.


    Anyone withmon sense would do the same, and even Cai nodded its head to agree to Lux''s words.


    "That is what we need to do in this battle," Caimented. "Wherever General Revon is, we stay away from that ce. Although our mission is to kill the Generals in order to gain more rewards, this is one general that I don''t want to face head-on. Also, I no longer have any of the poison with me. Our chances of winning against him is close to zero."


    Lux crossed his arms over his chest and turned to look to the North where the Boar continued to look.


    "You said close to zero, but not zero, right?" Lux inquired.


    "Yes," Cai replied. "Certainly, the possibility exists. However, what price are you willing to pay in order to take General Revon''s head? I know that you intend to pit General Carran against General Revon and look for an opportunity to go for the kill, just as we did with General Phobus and Second. "However, there is still a high chance that we will lose several of our members in the attempt. I for one didn''t want to throw my life away. I want to see this mission through to the end without dying. That is the only way I can get all the rewards, and brag about it to my Grandpa when I return to the Rowan tribe."


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched after hearing Cai''s words. He thought that the shameless Boar had changed a bit and became more mature after what it had experienced in the previous battle.


    However, after hearing that the Boar nned to get all the rewards and brag after it returned to the Rowan Tribe made the Half-Elf chuckle internally.


    Truth be told, fighting against a Ranker was a very risky thing to do.


    If not for the amazing rewards that Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson were willing to exchange for them, none of them would dare to fight one again in their lives.


    "Okay, we''ll try your suggestion first," Lux said after a few minutes passed. "We will not confront General Revon directly, and simply decrease the number of his troops. As long as he has no soldiers tomand, he will have no choice but to retreat. We''ll just ask Watson and Sherlock to give us morepensationter."


    Cai chuckled after hearing Lux''s proposal. Although it was afraid of facing the Ammarian General head-on, it didn''t shy away from bullying General Revon''s soldiers, in order to gain more rewards from Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock.


    "Sounds like a n." Cai nodded. "I''m in."


    "I''m also up for great rewards with half the effort," Einarmented as he stood beside Lux with his arms crossed over his chest.


    One by one, Lux''s team members including Henrietta, and Malcolm voiced their willingness to not confront General Revon head-on.


    They had already died in the hands of a Ranker once, and they still hadn''t forgotten that feeling of helplessness as they died in the hands of a person, who had treated them like they were ants that he could trample any time he wanted.

 Chapter 475 A Way For Two Sides To Fight As Allies [Part 1]

    Lux and his friends wanted to see just what kind of battle was taking ce inside the Glouswell Forest, so they observed the battle from a distance.


    General Fahad told him that General Revon of the Ammarian Army was a seasoned warrior, as well as an Instinctive General who followed his gut feeling in every situation.


    Because of this, it was difficult to predict his next moves, and even the most famous strategists of the Yn Kingdom, like Sherlock, were unable to set an effective trap for him over the past few years.


    Because of this, General Carran, who was also a seasoned warrior and excelled in strategy, decided to face him in this important battle between the two Kingdoms.


    With the faith of his Kingdom hanging in the bnce, the Yn General employed effective tactics in order to prevent the Ammarian Army from breaking through their defensive lines.


    General Revon''s strategy was quite simple, and that was to personally lead his men to battle. Unlike other Generals in the Ammarian Army, General Revon always stood on the front lines and would be the first to stab his weapon across enemy lines.


    Most people looked down on his daredevil way of fighting because once he died, his army would fall apart and would be left at the mercy of his enemies.


    For twenty long years, General Revon had used this strategy time and time again, and to this day, he was still alive and kicking, proving how formidable he was on the battlefield.


    In fact, he had earned the reputation of being the most deadly General on the battlefield, and no one wanted to fight him head-on in any campaign he participated in.


    "He is very different from General Phobus, who onlymanded from the rear," Einarmented. "But, it''s a shame that I can''t see his technique clearly. The trees are blocking my view."


    It was not only Einar who felt disappointed due to theck of visual opportunities, which would allow them to have a better grasp of their enemy''s strategy.


    However, the most disappointed of them all was Lux, who had a frown on his face as he looked at the current spread of the forces on the battlefield.


    When they were passing through the Glouswell Forest, he had summoned his two Doppelgangers and tasked them to collect the dead bodies of the Ammarian Soldiers and bury them in the ground, to be used as nd mines" in the future, just in case they needed to retreat to the Glouswell Forest after being defeated in the marsnds.


    However, the traps that he had prepared beforehand, weren''t able to be put to good use because, for some reason, the Ammarian Soldiers steered clear from it.


    ''I''m sure that General Revon has been told about what happened to General Phobus'' army, but for arge army, to be able to evade my trapspletely is simply impossible,'' Lux thought. ''Does he have some kind of ability to see the dead bodies I buried underground?''


    Lux didn''t know if this was part of General Revon''s instinctive abilities or not, but he was starting to feel that the General could tell where the traps wereid out, and ordered his men to stay away from those locations.


    Two hourster, the battle ended and both armies retreating to their respective sides.


    General Carran and General Revon had shed with each other, but just like their usual fights, their battle ended in a draw.


    Lux and his friends could only catch glimpses of the great battle between the two Generals because the trees blocked the majority of the fighting from their vantage point.


    They only knew that the two Generals had engaged the other when several trees were uprooted at once.


    But, as if not wanting either side to get a detailed glimpse of their fighting abilities, both of them would dart back inside the forest and continue their battle there, to the disappointment of everyone looking for a good show to watch.


    "Ishtar, Lazarus, you already know what to do," Lux said as soon as he summoned his two Named Creatures.


    "Yes, Master."


    "I will do as youmand, Master."


    Ishtar and Lazarus then moved towards the forest in order to start their mission of hunting down the scouting parties of the Ammarian Army, which was responsible for gathering information on the location, as well as cement of the troops of the Yn Army.


    "Orion, Pazuzu, both of you do the usual," Lux ordered as he summoned the Jade Golem, as well as the Fortress Defender, to do the dirty work for the Half-Elf.


    "Understood, Master." Orion replied.


    "By your will, Master," Pazuzu stated.


    Apanying the two of them were the Undead Army and the Rock Golems whose role was to gather and bury the dead bodies of the Ammarian Soldiers and bury them underground to be used at ater time for Lux''s Corpse Explosion skill.


    This was the only thing that the Half-Elf could do at this point in time because he didn''t want to go anywhere near the Instinctive General that made even Cai feel threatened.


    Suddenly, something moved at the corner of Lux''s eyes, which made him arch his eyebrow.


    A familiar person rose up from the ground, dozens of meters away from the Half-Elf, and held a white g in his hands.


    It was none other than Jasper, the temporary leader of the survivors of the Factions that belonged to the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, Six Kingdoms, and Storm Dragon Guild.


    "Can we talk?" Jasper asked with a smile as he stood dozens of meters away from Lux.


    "Okay," Lux replied as he and his friends shifted their gaze to the Initiate who was standing a good distance away from them.


    Jasper wanted to confirm if all the members of Lux''s team had returned to the Sacred Dungeon to challenge the Gate of Conquest.


    After seeing that all of them were there, he decided to talk to them for a bit in order to get a better understanding of their future course of action.


    "Is there really no way for both of our sides to cooperate?" Jasper asked. "We came here to clear the Dungeon of Conquest together, but here we are, standing on opposite sides of the battlefield. No matter how I look at it, this is a lose-lose situation for all of us."


    In truth, Jasper wanted to know if Lux and the others, with the exception of Henrietta and Malcolm, could enter the Gate of Conquest a third time after dying twice.


    He had a feeling that this special privilege was only awarded to those who had cleared the other gates of the Sacred Dungeon, and if this was true, then they could enter the dungeon repeatedly despite dying many times.


    Naturally, he didn''t think that this was possible. But, if the possibility existed, then fighting against Lux, and the five others who had apanied him in the previous gates, was a losing battle.


    In truth, Lux believed that if they died again inside the Gate of Conquest, they would be immediately kicked out of the Sacred Dungeon, and would be forced to return from outside the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen.

 Chapter 476 A Way For Two Sides To Fight As Allies [Part 2]

    Returning on the same dungeon after dying twice was not something that Lux and his friends wanted to experience.


    The Half-Elf had a feeling that if they were to force themselves to return, they would be taken to a different Instance Dungeon that was separate to the one where the other factions were fighting.


    "So, you want to change sides?" Cai snorted. "Isn''t it a bit toote for that?"


    "I''m just asking if the possibility existed," Jasper replied. "I mean, look, I admit that none of us wanted to have a debt of a million gold coins, in addition to losing 2,000 of our stat points. Do you know how hard it is to get that many points in Elysium?


    "Even I can''t get that many stat points after raiding dozens of Dungeons because the resources are shared in the Guild. But, it happened here, and it made me think that even if I fail to finish the Gate of Conquest, I''ve already gained a lot from this expedition.


    "Although it is a selfish way of looking at things, I will have no regrets whatsoever�� is what I''d like to say, but after seeing you guys, I''m starting to regret my decision to y it safe. So, I''ll ask again, is there any way for us to fight on the same battlefield again, not as enemies but as allies?"


    Cai and the others didn''t reply to Jasper''s words because they didn''t have the authority to do that.


    Right now, Lux was their leader, and whatever decision he made, they would follow them for the duration of their mission.


    Lux pondered for a bit before giving his reply.


    "I don''t know if it''s possible, but if it is, I will let you know my reply in two days," Lux replied. "In order to prevent the Ammarian and Yn Armies from misunderstanding, I will just send a skeleton to deliver my reply to your proposal in this location in two days.


    "If you don''t see any of my Undead Minions here with a letter, it means that I wasn''t able to find a way to allow you to change your allegiance. However, if there is a way, rest assured that I will do my best to let you know as soon as possible.


    "Just remember, you may still lose a million gold coins, as well as 2,000 stat points once you change your allegiance. There is also a possibility that the penalty will be more this time because you already passed the opportunity once."


    Jasper nodded his head in acknowledgement of Lux''s words because he already thought of this possibility.


    "Very well, I will monitor this ce for two days," Jasper said as his body slowly merged with the Earth under his feet. "I hope that I will receive good news the next time we see each other."


    After saying those parting words, Jasper disappearedpletely from view.


    If not for the fact that the blinking yellow dot on the screen showed his location, the Half-Elf wouldn''t know where the prodigy of the Xynnar War Pact had disappeared to.


    ''I don''t know if it is possible for them to switch to our sides or not,'' Lux thought. ''But, making the other factions indebted to me is not a bad thing.''


    Lux had wanted to explore the Human territories in Elysium for quite some time because his Grandma Vera had told him about interesting ces and Dungeons he could visit that would benefit him a lot.


    As long as he was cklisted from being able to operate in the Human territories belonging to the Skystead Alliance, as well as the Xynnar War Pact in Elysium, the Half-Elf had no choice but to remain in the Kingdom of Gweliven and explore the Dwarven Kingdom, looking for opportunities to help increase his Rank.


    ��---------


    Yn Army Camp��


    "I''ll be perfectly honest with you," General Carran said after hearing Lux''s inquiry about letting the members of the Half-Elf''s former mercenary group to join their side. "I don''t like to have people who easily switch sides under my wing. I am able to tolerate you and the people you have in your team because you had helped us keep the Ammarian Army from invading ournds in the past.


    "Also, you yed a crucial role in defeating General Phobus'' army, allowing General Fahad to regain control of the Marsnd Area. If your friends had sided with you before General Phobus was defeated, I might have considered your request. However, it is simply toote now. They are only asking to change sides because they feel that the wind has blown in our favor.


    "But, what if the wind starts to blow in the other direction? Will they switch sides again just because the other side has the upper hand? You know, I hate these people. I''d rather kill them than have them work under me just because I have the advantage in this battle.


    "The only way for me to ept their allegiance is if Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock order me to. But, even then, I will not think highly of them because those who can easily betray others can betray you just as easily. Thest thing I want is to have a sword stabbed into my back by my own men, whom I thought were fighting with the same ideals as me."


    After saying what he wanted to say, the General ordered Lux to get out of his tent without even bothering to listen to his reply or counter argument.


    ''He is truly a stubborn person,'' Lux thought. ''But, I guess his way of life had allowed him to reach where he is now. I can''t me him for his distrust of my formerrades. After all, I''m also finding it hard to trust them after what happenedst time.''


    However, Lux had given his promise that he would at least try to find a way to make Jasper''s request possible.


    This left Lux no choice but to try and ask Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock, who were currently fighting with the bulk of the Ammarian Army at the Great ins with the hope of preventing them from regaining the territories that the Yn Army had captured as their own.


    ''Good thing I left Diablo and Asmodeus at the Main Headquarters of the Yn Army in the Great ins,'' Lux mused. ''I knew that I could use this as a convenient way tomunicate over great distances.''


    The other reason why the Half-Elf also left Diablo and Asmodeus in the Great ins was to allow him to instantly teleport to their location using the Teleportation Boots if the need arose.


    Now that General Carran had denied his request, he decided to let his Named Creatures talk to the two Great Generals to see if they were willing to hear Lux''s proposal and find out if it was possible to make somest minute changes to the current situation of the battlefield.

 Chapter 477 Don’t Let Those Skeletons Land!

    "Hmm�� I don''t know, Lux," Watson said as he rubbed his chin. "I don''t like this idea."


    "It''s quite shameful to switch sides when the war has progressed to this point," Sherlockmented. "Also, I don''t think I will be able topletely trust them if they switched to our side. It''s like having to always watch your back, so you won''t get stabbed when you least expect it."


    The two Great Generals of the Yn Army looked at Diablo, who was currently sharing his senses with Lux, allowing the Half-Elf to see and hear Watson and Sherlock.


    "I see," Lux muttered. "Thank you. I will pass this message to them."


    Diablo repeated Lux''s words and passed the message to the two Great Generals, who were currently resting after a skirmish with the Ammarian Army in the Great ins.


    After doing what he could, Lux bade the two Great Generals goodbye before giving a few orders to Diablo and Asmodeus. When he was done, he returned his senses to his body that was currently inside his tent at General Carran''s camp.


    "As expected, it''s no longer possible," Lux muttered as he looked at the Quest details inside his Soul Book.


    When they were given the choice to switch their allegiance for the first time, the information said that they would not be able to switch sides after their decision was made.


    In short, all of them were locked in their respective Kingdoms, and no one could go to the other side if things got dicey on their end.


    Lux sighed before writing a letter and summoning Ishtar to his side.


    "Give this letter to Jasper, and tell him that I have done what I could," Lux ordered. "Also, tell him that the next time we meet, we will be enemies."


    Ishtar nodded. "Yes, Master."


    After giving Lux a brief bow, the Nightstalker vanished without a trace and headed to the location where Jasper was waiting for his reply.


    At the very start of their expedition, he didn''t think that he would be fighting against the representatives that were sent by the other factions.


    Their purpose was to clear the Gate of Conquest together, but due to a difference in opinion, they all went their separate ways and chose the side that they thought was most likely to win the war.


    The main reason why Lux and his teammates, with the exception of Henrietta and Malcolm, wished to join the Yn Army was due to their previous experiences with them. It would be mentally challenging for them to fight against the army whom they supported during the war.


    Also, Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock were very generous individuals, giving them great rewards when they conquered the Gate of War.


    Compared to the measly rewards that they could get by helping the Ammarian Army win, they opted to go to the side with high risk rewards.


    "I just need to do what I need to do," Lux said softly as he gazed outside of his tent. "Nothing else matters."


    The Half-Elf knew that there was nothing he could do about the current situation of his formerrades.


    Since it was not possible for them to stand on the same side, they would sooner orter face each other on the battlefield.


    ��-------------


    "So, it hase to this," Jasper said as he read the handwritten letter that was given to him by Ishtar. "Tell your Master that I understand. If we ever face each other on the battlefield, tell him that we will show him no mercy."


    Ishtar gave Jasper a brief nod of acknowledgement before disappearing from sight.


    The temporary leader of the different Factions that now belonged to the Ammarian Army sighed a second time before merging with the earth.


    Now that he had received Lux''s reply, he had to share it with the others, so they could resolve themselves to fight against the Half-Elf and his team to the bitter end.


    ��-------------


    Back at the Yn Camp��


    Lux gathered his teammates and told them the result of his proposal to Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock for their formerrades to join their side.


    After hearing that the two Great Generals rejected the idea, a conflicted expression appeared on Henrietta''s and Malcolm''s faces, while the others simply took this news in stride.


    Simply put, aside from Henrietta and Malcolm, none of the others cared whether the other Factions joined their side or not.


    "Do you know how many of them remain?" Malcolm asked.


    Lux shook his head. Jasper didn''t say anything about their numbers, which was actually a smart thing to do.


    "So, we have no choice but to fight them." Henrietta sighed before shaking her head helplessly.


    If she wasn''t strictly ordered to follow Lux, she might still be on the Ammarian Army''s side and facing the same dilemma that Jasper and hisrades were having right now.


    Although she was somewhat grateful for following Lux, she was still unsure about how the oue of the war would proceed from here.


    They might have won one of the four campaigns, but three remained, and based on what Lux was telling them right now, the Yn Army was simply outmatched in terms of numbers of soldiers.


    Even now, the forces under General Revon had swelled after it had absorbed the remnants of General Phobus'' Army, forcing General Carran to not meet them in ces where they didn''t have the geographical advantage.


    ''I just hope that I''m overthinking,'' Henrietta thought. ''If Lux can ovee the disparity in numbers with his skills, we might be able to win this battlefield, just like we were able to win the Marsnds.''


    Although Henrietta tried to assure herself that everything was going to be okay, she was still worried because the General they were facing was very different from General Phobus and his Vice General, who fought them in the Marsnds.


    Military men with both brain and brawn were rare, but if one were to rise to the rank of General, this made them exceptionally dangerous, especially when they weremanding tens of thousands of men.


    Henrietta''s fears were proven true two dayster when General Carran lost over five thousand of his troops in the surprise attack that General Revon hadunched against them.


    Due to their superiority in numbers, they were able to push the Yn Army all the way back to their main camp, where the fighting had be extremely fierce.


    Because everyone was fighting in close quarters, Lux wasn''t able to use his skill, Corpse Explosion. If he ever decided to use his Trump Card, it was possible for him to identally wipe out more than a third of the soldiers belonging to the Yn Army.


    This forced him to use Corpse Explosion remotely, injuring soldiers here and there, but the damage they received wasn''t enough to kill thempletely.


    Out of desperation, the Half-Elf was forced to use another one of his Trump Cards in order to deter the enemy.


    "Skeleton Make�� Catapult!" Lux and Eiko summoned their doppelgangers and created six Giant Catapults.


    However, the ammunition they used weren''t rocks, but the Skeleton Gangbangers, who were holding a corpse in their arms.


    Each catapult could hold up to six Skeletons each, and all of these skeletons huddled together, as if they were a football team preparing to make a touchdown.


    "Fire!" Lux ordered and all six catapults threw their payloads in the air, which fell in the middle formation of the Ammarian Army.


    Even before his Skeleton Gang Bangers touched the ground, Lux had already cast his Skill, which he had been waiting to unleash since the beginning of the battle.


    "Corpse Explosion!" Lux shouted and a chain of explosions erupted within the center of the Ammarian Formation.


    Screams of pain reverberated in the surroundings as Lux''s deadly attack started to spread among the Ammarian Army''s ranks.


    However, before Lux''s skill could spread like wildfire, several barriers appeared in the area where the skill was starting to expand, cutting off its advance before it could reach the other soldiers, preventing the Half-Elf from wiping out countless soldiers, like he did with General Phobus'' army.


    In that short span of time, Lux had been able to kill dozens of soldiers, but the numbers that he had in didn''t even surpass three hundred, making the Half-Elf order another barrage of Skeleton Gang Bangers to be hurled onto the enemy''s ranks.


    "Don''t let those Skeletonsnd!" General Roven shouted.


    Although he was told that the Necromancer they were facing was only at the Apostle Grade, the Ammarian General didn''t underestimate Lux.


    When it came to Necromancers, their Ranks didn''t matter much.


    As long as the Necromancer had the ability to use the skill, Corpse Explosion, they became a menace that needed to be purged as soon as possible.

 Chapter 478 He Has The Devil’s Luck

    Immediately, several Clerics within his army chanted as they pointed their hands and staffs at the Skeletons that were falling from the sky.


    """Turn Undead!"""


    One by one, Lux''s skeletons exploded mid-air and turned to ashes as one of the abilities that specialized in killing undead creatures was used against them.


    This scene made the Half-Elf curse under his breath, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    Just like he was able to raise the dead because of his profession, there were professions that countered his abilities.


    One of those professions was Clerics, who were blessed by the power of Holy Magic, allowing them to banish and annihte any Undead creatures from their sight.


    Those that survived the Clerics'' counterattack were obliterated by the spells that the magic casters had cast to prevent them from repeating their earlier suicide attack.


    Still, Lux persisted and, this time, he simply used the corpses as ammunition. Although the oue didn''t reach the magnitude of his earlier attack, it still gave the Ammarian Army cause for concern.


    Lux didn''t stop using every trick in his book to try to deter the Ammarian Soldiers from pushing through their defensive line.


    "Animate Undead!" Lux roared as he finally used the Necromancer Powers he gained long ago.


    He raised the dead Ammarian Soldiers and forced them to fight against their formerrades, affecting their morale.


    Right now, Lux could only revive 50 dead people, but since he had summoned his Clones and had Eiko with him, he was able tomand 300 Undead Warriors, who fearlessly attacked theirrades without care.


    The Rank of the Undead Zombies that he had revived were only Rank 3 Monsters, but it was enough to cause amotion in the area of the battlefield that he was fighting on. The Ammarian Soldiers hacked their Undeadrades through gritted teeth, cutting off their heads and putting an end to their misery.


    However, since Lux could raise new dead people every time an Undead was down, this scene repeated over and over again, making even the fiercest of warriors lose theirposure because they were attacking their former friends andrades at arms.


    "Take out the Necromancer first!" General Revon shouted as he pointed at Lux, who was standing beside the Bone Catapults in the distance.


    One of General Revon''s trusted subordinates, who specialized in long range attacks, nocked an arrow on his bow and aimed at the Half-Elf from a distance.


    After making sure that his aim was true, he released the arrow, which flew towards the Half-Elf with great speed.


    A few secondster, the arrow hit the Half-Elf''s forehead, making blood spurt from the wound.


    Jasper, as well as the other members of the different Factions who saw this, inwardly cheered because the Half-Elf, who was the greatest threat in the battlefield, was now dead.


    However, their happiness didn''tst for long when they saw the dead Half-Elf turn into particles of light.


    One of the Bone Catapults also shattered, but the others remained.


    This meant that the one they had killed was only a clone, while the original was still alive somewhere, waiting to detonate a series of Corpse Explosions on their heads.


    Lux wasn''t stupid. He knew that he would be targeted as soon as they deemed him the greater threat on the battlefield.


    This was why, after summoning his clones, he and Eiko hid somewhere safe andmanded the clones remotely.


    He also revived the dead from a safe distance, helping the battle in any way that they could.


    Einar and the others didn''t participate on the battlefield as per Lux''s order.


    All of them were protecting the Half-Elf as he remotely attacked their enemies.


    It was at this moment when the Half-Elf realized that there was one more thing that he could do to even out the odds of this battle.


    After reviving an Undead Zombie, he ordered them to throw the corpses near them at the back of the enemy ranks, allowing Lux to detonate them.


    This strategy was quite effective because the injured soldiers at the back caused chaos, preventing those behind them to reinforce those at the front in fear that they would be caught up in the chain of explosions that might follow.


    This allowed the Yn Soldiers to get a second wind, as they pushed their enemies back with renewed vigor.


    Seeing that his n worked, Lux then summoned his Skeleton Army, as well as his Rock Golems, to join his Zombies in throwing the dead bodies behind the Vanguard of the Ammarian Army.


    Since these corpses weren''t Undead Creatures, the Clerics couldn''t use Turn Undead on them.


    Also, the soldiers that were near the path of falling corpses, immediately spread out in fear that it would explode in their faces.


    As more soldiers tried to evade the corpse bombardment that was happening around them, the Ammarian Army started to gain more losses in the war.


    Knowing that their momentum had been lost, General Revon nced in the direction where one of the Half-Elf''s clones was standing and ordered his subordinate to kill it.


    Only after the second clone had turned into particles of light did the Ammarian General order his troops to retreat.


    Continuing to fight while his troops'' morale was failing wasn''t a good idea, so he immediately cut his losses while he still could.


    "He has the devil''s luck." Jasper hissed before backing away from the frontlines of the battlefield. "We will retreat for now. Prince Enlil, please cover our retreat!"


    His team listened to his orders, and Enlil, the Elven Prince, summoned gusts of wind to blow away the corpses that were flying in their direction.


    They understood that this battle was lost, so they could only retreat as fast as they could in order to fight another day.


    Seeing that their enemies were retreating, the Yn Army cheered and General Carran snorted.


    He then gave a side-long nce in the direction where the Half-Elf was hiding before shifting his attention back to the fleeing enemies.


    The Yn General didn''t order his soldiers to pursue them because he knew that it would only work in their enemy''s favor.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, the one that deterred the enemy wasn''t him, but the Necromancer, who had the ability to cause a one-sided genocide if the right conditions were met.


    Lux, who had seen the retreat of the Ammarian Army, sighed in relief before chugging a bottle of mana potion.


    Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, as he felt slightly nauseous after exhausting his mana twice over in the span of an hour.


    Magic Casters who relied on their mana to fight usually didn''t deplete their mana reserves because it would cause a bacsh if they pushed themselves to their limit.


    Eiko was faring slightly better than Lux, but the downside was that she was feeling very drowsy. The baby Slime was having trouble keeping her eyes open, and because of this, the one that fed her a mana potion was Fei Fei, who was tasked to take care of Eiko, while the others kept watch on their surroundings.


    While the two drank potions in order to recover their strength, the Yn Army started to take the dead bodies of theirrades away from the battlefield. On the other hand, Lux''s Undead Army collected the corpses of their enemies in preparation for the next battle.


    Now that General Carran had seen first hand how deadly Lux was on the battlefield, he decided to assign a few of his strong subordinates to act as the Half-Elf''s bodyguards to ensure his safety in the battles ahead.


    Although he could be stubborn at times, the war had progressed to the point where he couldn''t be picky about the methods that were used.


    Since the Half-Elf had the ability to deter their foes, he was willing to give him preferential treatment, allowing him to fight safely at the back of their formation.

 Chapter 479 This Smells Like A Trap

    "Now I understand why General Phobus lost his campaign," General Revon''s second inmand, Ronan, said with annoyance. "If not for the fact that we made preparations beforehand, we could have greatly suffered under that Necromancer brat''s hands."


    "To think that a mere Grade A Apostle can threaten my entire army," General Revon chuckled. "Now I understand why Carran hates Necromancers."


    bGeneral Carran of the Yn Army had told Lux that he hated Necromancers when they met. Even so, knowing that the teenager was responsible for reversing the tide in the Marsnds, he decided to allow him to join his campaign, as long as the Half-Elf didn''t get in his way.


    Fortunately, he did just that and Lux managed to help repel the Ammarian Army, whose number of soldiers surpassed the defenders of the Yn Army.


    "We need to take him out as soon as possible, or else, we will have a hard time reiming ournds. Our soldiers were already traumatized by today''s battle, and we can''t let it worsen," Ronan stated before shifting his attention to the blonde-haired teenager, who told them that he had a way of knowing the Half-Elf''s exact location, allowing them to send assassins to kill him.


    If not for the fact that Jasper had introduced himself as one of the members of Lux''s Mercenary Group, the two high-ranking officers wouldn''t have even bothered to listen to him.


    "Yes," Jasper replied. "One of my members has a peculiar ability that allows her to send messages to a specific person, as long as she has an item that her target has used in the past."


    The blonde-teenager didn''t mention the fact that he utilized that ability to contact Lux in an attempt to switch sides to the Yn Army.


    Using the Half-Elf''s handwritten letter as a medium to send messages to him, Jasper would be able to ask Lux to meet him in a ce away from the eyes of the Yn Army.


    "Are you sure that he will meet up with you if you send him a message?" Ronan asked.


    He was quite doubtful that Jasper would be able to seed in luring the Half-Elf away from the Yn Camp so easily.


    "As long as the possibility exists, it''s worth a try," Jasper replied. "Besides, we won''t lose anything by trying."


    What he wanted right now was to distinguish himself to General Revon, so that he could gain some influence and possibly trigger better rewards if they happen to win against General Carran and the Yn Army.


    General Revon rubbed his chin as he looked at Jasper''s confident expression.


    "Very well. Let''s try it," General Revon stated. "Once we sessfully kill the Necromancer, I promise to reward you generously for your contribution in this war."


    Jasper smiled. "I will do my best to convince him. Once I get his reply, I will report back to you, General Revon, so we can n his death."


    General Revon nodded, and Jasper bade his farewell. Since the General of the Ammarian Army had decided to work with him to kill Lux, the only thing he should worry about was whether the Half-Elf would ept his invitation or not.


    ��---------


    Inside the Yn Camp��


    Lux had almost recovered from his Mana Exhaustion and was looking a lot betterpared to how he looked an hour ago.


    Eiko, on the other hand, was sleeping peacefully on top of his head. Even though she had already drunk mana potions, the Baby Slime was still exhausted, so she decided to sleep to recover her strength.


    Currently, Lux was in a meeting with his team members and discussing their next course of action when, suddenly, the Half-Elf heard the voice of a girl inside his head.


    "Sir Lux, can you hear me?"


    Lux immediately thought that he was just tired and hearing things. But after hearing the same thing for the third time, he finally understood that someone was talking to him through telepathy.


    The Half-Elf then raised his right hand to catch the attention of his team members before cing a finger over his lips, telling them to stop talking.


    When everyone inside his tent quieted down, the Half-Elf replied to the one talking to him using his thoughts.


    "Who are you?" Lux asked.


    "Finally, I am able to talk to you, Sir Lux," the voice of a girl replied with relief. "My name is Jenna, and I am one of the representatives of the Xynnar War Pact."


    "Okay." Lux frowned. "What do you want?"


    "Sir Lux, there is an important matter that our leader, Jasper, wants to talk to you about," Jenna replied. "I know that you said that the next time that we meet, we will be enemies, but our leader wants you to hear him out onest time. He said that if youe, he will find a way to convince the higher-ups of the Xynnar War Pact to allow you to explore the Kingdoms that belonged to our Alliance.


    "Also, he will ensure that the members of the Wildgarde Stronghold will gain special privileges, like ess to Dungeons regted by the Kingdoms belonging to the Xynnar War Pact."


    Lux didn''t reply right away and weighed the pros and cons of Jasper''s proposal. After thinking for a few minutes, he agreed to meet up with the blonde-haired teenager in the same ce where they had metst time.


    "Thank you, Sir Lux." Jenna''s voice that was filled with respect and admiration reached his ears. "Our Guildmaster will meet up with you an hour before sunset."


    After Jenna finished her message, the Half-Elf decided to tell his team members exactly what had just transpired between him and Jenna, who was part of Jasper''s Faction.


    "This smells like a trap," Cai replied. "Jasper asking you to meet with him just hours after our skirmish with the Ammarian Army has ended is very fishy."


    "I know a little about Jasper," Henriettamented. "And what I can say about him is that aside from his fighting ability, he is also a shrewd Guildmaster. Just like Cai mentioned earlier, this smells like a trap. I''m guessing that they want to catch you alone or eliminate you because of what happened earlier."


    "I agree with Henrietta." Malcolm nodded. "After witnessing your abilities, I''m sure that the higher ups of the Ammarian Army want to kill you badly. It''s highly possible that they willy an ambush for you. Also, I wouldn''t be surprised if they send Rankers to deal with you this time. As long as you die, they will be able to overrun this camp without problems."


    Now that he and Lux were in the same boat, Malcolm no longer held back and finally recognized the Half-Elf as his team leader for the duration of the mission.


    Since he and the others could no longer switch sides, he needed the Half-Elf alive in order to have a higher chance of being able to clear the dungeon.


    Keane, Einar, Val, and Xander had simr opinions, and they urged Lux to not honor his agreement with Jasper, who was currently leading the remnants of the other factions that survived their previous battle.


    "I also feel that this is a trap," Lux stated. "But, this can also be an opportunity. I may not get this chance again, so it will be best to just meet with Jasper onest time."


    Since the Half-Elf assured everyone to leave everything to him, they no longer insisted on letting Jasper wait forever at the meeting ce that he, and Lux, had agreed to meet, an hour before the sun set.

 Chapter 480 You Can No Longer Hide From Me

    Jasper leaned against a tree as he waited for the Half-Elf to arrive.


    The sun was about to set, and he was feeling a little anxious about whether or not Lux would really appear to meet up with him.


    Finally, after nearly two hours of waiting, he saw the Half-Elf walking in his direction.


    Just as he expected, Lux came alone, not bringing even a single bodyguards with him.


    "You came," Jasper greeted with a smile.


    "Of course," Lux replied. "You promised to give Wildgarde Stronghold special privileges, so I came."


    Jasper arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that the only reason you came? What will you do if I break my word?"


    Lux shrugged. "Nothing. I''m just making sure that those watching this conversation understand that you promised me some privileges to make this meeting happen. If you break it, then you will have to worry about the repercussions when we leave this ce. Do you really think that Commander Gerald is someone that you can bully?"


    Gerald and the other Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold had truly cared for him while he was growing up inside the Fortress City.


    ? Although he held a grudge against them, that didn''t mean that he didn''t have their best interest at heart. If there was something he could do to allow his hometown to gain benefits, he would dly do it, even stepping foot into a trap in order to make it happen.


    Jasper chuckled before pping his hands together.


    "Of course, I will keep my promise," Jasper said. "I said that I will find a way to convince the higher-ups to grant special privileges to Wildgarde Stronghold. However, if I don''t manage to convince them, then it isn''t my fault. After all, even though I can be considered as a Prodigy, I''m just one of their many underlings."


    Lux smirked because he had a feeling that it woulde to this. However, he wasn''t worried. Since he was already here, he decided to enjoy this farce until the end.


    "So, what did you want to talk about?" Lux asked.


    "I''m not the one who wants to talk to you," Jasper replied. "It is General Revon who wants to talk to you."


    As if waiting for that cue, the General of the Ammarian Army stepped out from the trees in a very casual manner as if he was just taking a stroll in the forest. He then walked towards Lux, eyeing the Half-Elf from head to foot.


    "I don''t see any fear in your eyes, which means this thing in front of us is one of your clones," General Revon said.


    "I''m quite honored to see that General Revon hase personally to deal with me," Lux stated.


    General Revon chuckled as he patted Lux''s shoulder.


    "I was very impressed with what you did earlier," General Revonmented as he poked the Baby Slime that was on top of Lux''s head. "I was wondering if I could convince you to work for me. Whatever promises the Yn Army gave you, I n to double them all. The treasury of the Ammarian Army is bigger than that of the Yn Kingdom. I''m sure that you will not be disappointed if you work for us."


    Eiko''s clone, who was being poked by the enemy General, spat a blob of water at General Revon''s head, which thetter evaded with ease.


    "Quite a feisty pet you have there." General Revon chuckled. "I''ve seen many people tame powerful beasts, but this is the first time I''ve seen someone tame an ordinary Blue Slime."


    Eiko''s clone then summoned a red-steel-ball and tossed it at the enemy general, who was making fun of her.


    General Revon casually flicked the st Bomb with his finger and obliterated it before it could even explode.


    "So, how about it, Lux?" General Revon pressed both of his hands over the Half-Elf''s shoulder and stared at him straight in the eyes. "Want to join my side?"


    "No," Lux replied firmly. "I''ve already made my choice. I''ll stick with it till the end."


    General Revon sighed before shaking his head helplessly.


    "What a shame." General Revon then raised his hand, pressing his thumb and middle finger together. "Don''t regret your choice, okay?"


    The Ammarian General then snapped his fingers, making a loud and crisp sound.


    A momentter, the Half-Elf''s body exploded in a shower of blood, making Jasper wince.


    "Ah, I almost forgot about you," General Revon said as he raised his foot to step on the baby slime, who had fallen on the puddle of blood and flesh.


    A secondter, his foot came down and crushed Eiko''s clone, killing it instantly.


    After making sure that his targets were all eliminated, General Revon smirked as he raised his hand.


    "Now, you can run, but you can''t hide from me." General Revon sneered.


    The Ammarian General had the ability to locate the people that he had touched.


    Although the one he talked to and touched was Lux''s clone, it was a perfect replica of the Half-Elf, allowing General Revon to pinpoint the red-headed teenager''s location.


    The General had also poked Eiko''s clone, which also allowed him to locate where the baby slime was currently.


    After confirming that his ability had locked onto his targets, the Ammarian General smiled before returning to his camp.


    The purpose of meeting with Lux was for him to use his ability to track his location. Once the battle started, he would order his Assassins to eliminate Lux as soon as possible to prevent him from continuing to be a threat to their mission.


    Jasper gave the puddle of blood on the ground a side-long nce before following behind the Ammarian General.


    He had aplished his mission and would gain the rewards that the General had promised him for helping him put a tracker on the Half-Elf''s original body.


    ��---------


    Yn Army Camp��


    "Mumumumu!" Eiko jumped angrily in ce, on top of Lux''s head, as soon as her Papa''s clone, and her own clone were killed.


    Clearly, the Baby Slime didn''t like seeing Lux get killed even if it was just a clone, making her very angry.


    "It''s fine, Eiko," Lux caught the jumping Baby Slime with both hands before coaxing her to calm down.


    "Did it work?" Lux asked Eiko, who was still in a bad mood.


    "Pa!" Eiko replied.


    A devilish smile appeared on Lux''s face after hearing Eiko''s reply.


    "Good." Lux patted the Baby Slime''s head, which allowed Eiko to calm down a bit more.


    After Eiko had secretly killed Second, who was hiding thousands of meters under the ground, the Half-Elf checked the Baby Slime''s information in his Soul Book once again.


    There, he found that Eiko had somehow acquired a Unique Skill called Fairy Princess'' Grudge Domain [EX].


    ��----


    < Fairy Princess'' Grudge Domain [EX] >


    �C When Eiko has a grudge on someone, and treats them as an enemy with the intention of harming and even killing them, she will be able to detect their exact location as long as they are within a ten-mile radius of her location.


    �C It doesn''t matter if the target is in the sky, at the bottom of the sea, or beneath the earth. Those who bear the Fairy Princess'' Grudge cannot escape her sights as long as they are within Eiko''s Grudge Domain.


    ��----


    "Jasper and General Revon, you can no longer hide from me," the Half-Elf said as he opened his map, allowing Eiko''s ability to fuse with it.


    Since Eiko was his Beast Companion, he was able to pinpoint the location of the people whom she held a grudge with on his map, even if he didn''t have her Unique Skill.


    Neither side knew that they could now pinpoint each other''s location anytime they wanted.


    While both sides were thinking that they managed to get an advantage during their little meet-up earlier, the one who would truly benefit from it would be known a few dayster, once both armies shed again and performed their respective roles on the battlefield.

 Chapter 481 Lux’s Proposed Strategy

    A day after his meeting with Jasper and General Revon, Lux told General Carran that he had found a way to pinpoint the location of two important people in the Ammarian Army, with one of them being the Ammarian General himself.


    General Carran knew that this information was very critical. Having ess to the enemy General''s location at any given time was crucial to their victory.


    But, there was one problem.


    Only Lux was able to pinpoint General Revon''s location, but only General Carran had the strength to face off against the enemy General.


    The Yn General knew how important Lux was in the war, so he couldn''t bring him to the frontlines. He was well-aware that General Revon would definitely do his best to kill the Half-Elf at all costs.


    Because of this, General Carran decided to assign a fast rider to always apany Lux so that he would be updated on where General Revon was on the battlefield.


    However, Lux had a better idea and tasked Ishtar to apany the Yn General to ry General Revon''s location to the General in real time.


    "This is a good idea." General Carran agreed. "Very well. I will leave four of my most seasoned men to protect you at all times. I''d like to give you more, but weck manpower at the moment. Make sure to stay at the rear and update me of any changes happening on the battlefield."


    "Understood, General," Lux replied. "I will make sure to always keep you updated during the battle."


    After finishing his report, Lux once again gathered his teammates to tell them the strategy he had in mind.


    "I''m sure that all of you want to participate in the war, and I will not hold you back from doing so," Lux replied. "However, I will choose what side of the battlefield you guys will be fighting on. Right now, I can pinpoint General Revon''s and Jasper''s location, so I''ll make sure that all of you won''t be fighting anywhere near them."


    Lux knew that his teammates were strong, so fighting against ordinary soldiers wasn''t a problem. Although their ranks had degraded everyone, except Malcolm who had kept his Initiate Rank, were still Grade A Apostles.


    The ordinary soldiers that belonged to the Ammarian Army consisted of Grade C to A Apostles, so they should be more than capable to handle them. There were Initiate Ranked Soldiers, but Malcolm would be there to protect the others if the former were to appear and attack them.


    Lux also assigned Lazarus to guard and ry his orders to his friends, giving them added protection.


    Orion''s role would be to guard him and keep him safe while he controlled his clones remotely on the battlefield.


    "This is a good n," Cai replied. "But I am worried about you, so Fei Fei and I will stay with you. Isn''t that right, Fei Fei?"


    "Wae!" Fei Fei replied.


    Lux didn''t mind if Cai stayed with him, so he nodded his head in agreement.


    Xander sighed after hearing Cai''s words because he really didn''t want her anywhere near the battlefield, especially if there was a chance that a Ranker would suddenly appear in front of them.


    The others also didn''t have any objection to Lux''s strategy.


    "I also asked General Carran to give you guys the armor used by the Yn Army," Lux stated. "This will allow you guys to blend in perfectly, preventing our former teammates from recognizing right away. From now on, Lazarus would be the one telling you guys where to go, so be sure to stick together.


    "As for you Val, I''m sorry, but you are not allowed to use your Spider Form. you can only use it as ast resort. The moment you use that form, Jasper and the rest will know your identity and might send several Initiates your way.


    "In order to fool them, I will send Pazuzu and one of my clones on the opposite side of where you guys are fighting to fool them into focusing on that location. I believe that everyone in the Ammarian Army wants to kill me, so they will swarm that ce like flies."


    The Barbarian Prince, Einar, smiled after hearing Lux''s detailed n. He was even touched that the Half-Elf was doing his best to prevent a repeat of what happened with the Vice General back in the Marsnds, where they were killed without having the power to even defend themselves.


    "I have no objections with this n," Einar replied. "How about you guys?"


    "I have no objection," Keane replied.


    "No objections here," Val stated.


    Xander, Henrietta, and Malcolm all shook their heads, telling the Barbarian Prince that they didn''t have any problems with the n.


    Lux nodded and ended the meeting. He still had things he needed to do before the next battle started, so he left the camp and looked for an ideal ce where he could observe the battle from a safe distance.


    After nearly two hours of looking, the Hal-Elf found a cave that was well hidden due to the vines that covered its entrance.


    It had good elevation, allowing Lux to have a scenic view of the forest.


    "Eiko, I will need your help," Lux said as he lightly patted the baby slime on top of his head and told her what he wanted her to do.


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded in understanding and immediately did what her Papa asked of her.


    While the baby slime was working, the Half-Elf opened his Soul Book once again to check the location of the purple dots that represented Jasper and General Revon.


    Naturally, he didn''t believe General Revon''s excuse of asking him to join their side when Jasper asked to meet with him. Since he knew that their meeting might be a trap, he sent his clones instead of his original body.


    The Half-Elf was sure that Jasper and General Revon knew that he would do this, so he believed that they had another agenda when they had set a trap for him.


    As to what that agenda was, Lux had no idea. However, he had this nagging feeling that wouldn''t go away no matter how much he tried to ignore it.


    ''There''s no use of thinking about these things,'' Lux thought as he gazed in the distance where the Ammarian Army camp was located. ''Whatever they nned to do, I''ll be ready for it.''


    Even though he was feeling slightly anxious because his instincts were telling him that something was wrong, he had no other option but to keep his calm and continue with the n he had in mind.


    Right now, he only needed to win.


    Nothing else mattered.


    Deep inside, Lux was very curious about what kind of rewards he would gain once he cleared the Gate of Conquest.


    He already acquired two keys that would allow him to go to two SSS-Ranked Kingdoms after clearing the Gates of Death and War.


    If the third reward was also a key that would send him to another SSS-Ranked Kingdom, Lux would need to revise his thoughts about the Sacred Dungeon.


    A Dungeon that was able to give such rewards couldn''t be a simple dungeon, which might be the reason why only those of the Initiate Rank and below could enter it, preventing Rankers and those stronger than them from uncovering the secrets that hid behind the Gates that represented the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

 Chapter 482 The Longest Fifteen Minutes Of My Life [Part 1]

    For two days, the Ammarian Army didn''t try to attack the Yn Encampment, and because of this, an uneasy peace settled inside the Glouswell Forest.


    Lux had been paying attention to Jasper''s and General Revon''s markers on the map, but aside from always seeing them together in the same area, there was nothing else that looked out of ce.


    Even so, the persistent feeling of dread he felt never eased up, making him wonder if he was just feeling stressed due to the current situation of the war.


    ording to Diablo''s and Asmodeus'' report, the Mountain Battlefield that was located on the Western Front of the battlefield was experiencing intense battles, which worried not only Lux, but also Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock.


    General Hubert, the General of the Yn Army who was tasked to hold the fort on the mountainous area, reported that they were slowly being pushed back, despite their geographical advantage.


    This was bad news for the Yn Army, but only the higher-ups were aware of it.


    Great General Sherlock dispatched 5,000 soldiers to reinforce their Mountain Defenses in hopes that it would help them out in the battle that was being waged at their Western Front.


    Naturally, General Carran had also been told of this news by Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock. However, there was nothing he could do about it.


    Even he was having a lot of problems dealing with General Revon, whose army had swelled considerably after absorbing the remnants of General Phobus'' men.


    One mistake and it was possible for them to be overwhelmed by the Instinctive General''s tactics, which were quite unpredictable.


    While Lux and General Carran were pondering how they would be able to reverse their current situation, the Ammarian Army finally made its move.


    "Report to me if General Revon made any sudden movements," General Carran said.


    "I will," Lux replied. "Be careful, General. Something feels amiss. I don''t know what it is, but I''m sure that our enemies didn''t just sit idly on their camp these past few days."


    General Carran nodded. He then ordered his four elite soldiers to never leave Lux''s side and keep him safe.


    While the General prepared to intercept General Revon''s troops, the Half-Elf turned to his friends and asked them to go to the left nk of the battlefield, which was the furthest battlefield from where General Revon and Jasper were located.


    "All of you be careful," Lux ordered. "Our priority is to clear this mission. If your lives are in danger, do not hesitate to retreat. Did I make myself clear?"


    Everyone nodded their heads in understanding.


    "Go," Lux said as he pressed his fist and palm together. "May fortune shine upon all of you."


    The others returned his gesture before departing to join the battle.


    Cai, who was standing beside Lux, raised its head towards the sky and frowned. Dark clouds started to gather in the sky, bringing in strong gusts of wind blowing in their direction.


    "The spirits are restless," Cai muttered. "This is not a good sign."


    Fei Fei, who was on top of Cai''s head, also looked up at the sky and tilted her head to the side. She didn''t know what her Master meant when it said that the spirits were restless.


    Lux, who had strong hearing, heard the Boar''s words and nced in Cai''s direction.


    "Do you sense anything bad, Cai?" Lux inquired.


    Cai nodded. "The Spirits are telling me that if I want to live, I should stay where I am right now. They added that following you is dangerous at the moment because you have been marked."


    "I''ve been marked?" Lux asked with a serious expression on his face. "What do you mean that I''ve been marked?"


    Cai took a deep breath before shifting its attention to the Half-Elf, who was waiting for its answer.


    It then spoke in a solemn voice, different from its usual snarkyments that could irritate even a monk that was meditating to reach enlightenment.


    "I can sense faint traces of a mark on your shoulder," Cai said as it narrowed its eyes. "There is also a faint mark on Eiko''s forehead. Both of you have been marked, and I see the omens of death hovering over the two of you. If not for the fact that the Spirits of the Forest are gathering around me right now, I wouldn''t have noticed it at all."


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock. He finally understood why he was feeling a sense of dread that wouldn''t go away even after the passing of a few days.


    "So, this was what they nned to do from the start," Lux muttered as he connected the dots together. "Thank you, Cai. Now I know what I need to do. For the time being, you stay here. Since the Spirits are telling you that you shouldn''t move from this spot, then don''t move from this spot, okay?"


    Cai nodded its head in understanding. "Be careful, Lux. I''m sorry I can''t apany you right now."


    "It''s fine. You''ve already saved me big time," Lux replied before he shifted his gaze towards his four bodyguards who were all at the Initiate Rank. "The four of you, stay with Cai as well. I have to go somewhere."


    The Captain of the four soldiers stepped forward and shook his head.


    "The General has ordered us to apany you," the Captain stated.


    "But it will be very dangerous toe with me," Lux insisted. "Don''t worry, I have plenty of life saving abilities that will keep me safe."


    "The answer is still no. Even if we die, we will follow the General''s order without fail."


    "You''re all so stubborn."


    Lux crossed his arms over his chest. His four bodyguards were all Initiates, but if what Cai said was true, then the one who woulde after him was none other than General Revon, who was a skilled Ranker.


    The Ammarian General wouldn''t even break a sweat when it came to killing four Initiates. His bodyguards would just lose their lives needlessly.


    The Half-Elf didn''t want this to happen, so he tried to convince the four soldiers to let him go alone. However, they didn''t budge and insisted on going.


    "Fine, since you don''t want to follow my orders then have it your way," Lux said before activating his Boots of Teleportation.


    The Half-Elf and the Baby Slime on top of his head were bathed in a silvery light for a few seconds before disappearing in front of everyone''s eyes.


    It took the Captain a few seconds to realize what just happened before cursing out loud.


    "Find him!" the Captain ordered. "The General will have our heads if something bad happens to that Half-Elf!"


    The four soldiers immediately spread in different directions to look for Lux, who had teleported to the cave he had discovered a few days ago.


    Cai, who saw this scene, only smirked before turning its head in the direction that Lux had gone.


    The lingering traces of death were still active, so the Boar was able to tell the general direction of where the Half-Elf was.


    "Be careful, Lux," Cai said softly. "The shadow of Death creeps closer to you with each passing second."


    ��---------


    "We''re finally here," Lux said as he nced at the Skeleton Mages that gathered around him.


    Before he had left the cave a few days ago, he summoned his Skeleton Mages to keep watch over it, just in case it turned out to be a nest of a Beast that had left to look for something to hunt in the forest.


    However, as the days passed, no creature entered the hidden cave, making Lux assume that it had no owner.


    Since his four bodyguards were adamant about staying with him, he had no choice but to use his teleportation boots to reach his secret hiding spot.


    ''It''s a bit of a shame that the teleportation ability of the Boots of Teleportation is now on cooldown,'' Lux thought. ''Fortunately, I just have to wait for fifteen minutes before I can use it again.''


    Fifteen minutes might seem like a short time, but in a war, a lot of things could happen in fifteen minutes.


    The first thing that Lux did was open his Elysium Compendium to see the current state of the battlefield.


    A momentter, he noticed that one of the purple dots on the map, apanied by over a dozen red dots, started to move in his direction.


    Lux''s face immediately became grim because he was able to confirm his suspicion that Cai''s words were correct. The Ammarian General had indeed put a mark on him, allowing thetter to locate his current position on the battlefield.


    "This is probably going to be the longest fifteen minutes of my life," Lux muttered as he gazed at the approaching dots that were headed in his direction.


    Although he had other life saving artifacts, he didn''t want to use them at the moment. Because of this, he decided to do what he could as he waited for General Revon to make his way to his hiding ce.


    ''Fortunately, I prepared for something like this to happen,'' Lux thought as he patted Eiko''s head, who was now on his shoulder and looking at the map that the Half-Elf had projected in front of them.


    "Eiko, we have work to do," Lux said.


    "Pa!" Eiko replied.


    Even though a Ranker wasing after them, the two of them were still calm because they had made modifications to the inside of the cave beforehand.


    Since General Revon was firm in his decision to end their lives, the Half-Elf would be more than happy to return the favor.


    Although he wasn''t confident that he would be able to kill the Ammarian General, the Half-Elf was certain that he could at least send the General''s subordinates to the afterlife.

 Chapter 483 The Longest Fifteen Minutes Of My Life [Part 2]

    General Revon was paying close attention to Lux''s whereabouts even before he ordered the attack on the Ammarian Camp.


    He knew that as long as the Half-Elf wasn''t eliminated, the chances of mutual destruction on both sides was high if the Yn Army found itself driven into a corner.


    Although he might win the battle, the loss of manpower was something he preferably wanted to avoid, so his purpose in this battle was to assassinate the Half-Elf using his elite subordinate who specialized in eliminating high-ranking officials in the battlefield


    He was prepared to send these men deep inside the Yn Army in order to reach the Half-Elf, but to his surprise, his senses told him that his target had moved away from the Yn Camp, far away from where the fighting was taking ce.


    General Revon knew that this was a great opportunity, so instead of simply ordering his subordinates to head in Lux''s direction, he took the initiative to personally deal with the Half-Elf, bringing his subordinates along.


    As long as Lux was killed, he was confident that he could win against General Carran in a war of attrition. The Ammarian forces were more numerouspared to the defenders, who were desperately trying to hold their position, preventing the Ammarian Army from breaking past their defenses.


    Since he was such a high profile character, General Revon made sure to use the dense forest as his cover, while he headed towards the Half-Elf who had isted himself on the Western Outskirts of the Battlefield.


    Suddenly, without warning, the Ammarian General raised his sword and shed in front of him, creating a wind de that sliced everything in front of it, including the giant Skeleton Cannonball that was aimed in their direction.


    The Skeleton Cannonball was sliced in half and fell harmlessly on the ground, shattering into hundreds of pieces.


    ''I see, so you are aware that I am headed in your direction,'' General Revon thought. ''Interesting. It''s a shame that you refuse to join my side.''


    General Revon could truly tell how dangerous the Half-Elf was, and this discovery amazed him. This was the first time that a Grade A Apostle had been able to throw a wrench in his grand n, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to kill Lux and make sure that he wouldn''t be able to live another day.


    It was at this moment that the Ammarian General and his subordinates saw another Giant Skeleton Cannonball headed in their direction.


    "It''s useless." General Revon sneered as he sliced the iing skeleton cannonball into two halves.


    Just like he intended, his target was cut perfectly in half.


    However, something else happened.


    When the skeleton cannonball was cut in half, dozens of red-steel-balls burst out from inside its center and descended upon the General and his subordinates.


    A momentter, a powerful explosion erupted within the forest, making the Half-Elf who was sitting in a meditative position clench his fist tightly because his attack managed to have the oue he was aiming for.


    Right now, he was sharing his senses with his Doppelganger, who was doing his best to dy the approach of the Ammarian General, allowing the cooldown of the Boots of Teleportation to finish.


    ��-------


    < Boots of Teleportation >


    Cooldown: 00:12:16


    ��-------


    Twelve minutes still remained, but the distance that the Ammarian General needed to travel in order to reach him was less than three kilometers.


    Even so, with his mount, General Revon could easily reach Lux''s position in around five minutes, giving the Half-Elf no time to flee using his Boots of Teleportation.


    However, before Lux could even celebrate, the General''s mount, as well as a few of his subordinates'', passed through the cloud of smoke that was caused by the explosion of the st Bombs that he and Eiko had prepared for the Ammarian General and his entourage.


    ''As expected, it is not easy to deal with a Ranker,'' Lux thought. ''Also, I only managed to take out three of his subordinates.''


    Although he had already expected General Revon to easily survive his attack, he was still disappointed that he hadn''t been able to wipe out the General''s subordinates, who were riding behind him.


    ''Let''s go with n B then.'' Lux immediately ordered his clone, and Eiko''s Doppelgangers, to proceed with their next n. Right now, it was a race against time, and he would do everything in his power to halt General Revon''s advance.


    ��--------


    "Stick close to me!" General Revon ordered as he led his men in the direction where he could sense the Half-Elf.


    If not for the fact that he acted quick enough and used his sword to create a gust of wind to blow away the st Bombs that were in front of him, his men would have already suffered under the Half-Elf''s schemes.


    However, even though he was a Ranker, he still wasn''t able to save everyone, so three of his people died in the process.


    General Revon looked calm on the surface, but deep inside, he was quite annoyed that he had lost three of the Initiates that he had personally trained to be Assassins.


    They specialized in sneak attacking people, and weren''t good in face-to-facebat. Also, the amount of st Bombs that exploded in front of them numbered in the hundreds, which was more than enough to kill an Initiate.


    Eiko and her clones, as well as Lux, made the st Bombs with the intention of wiping out General Revon''s subordinates'' using the second Skeleton Cannonball as a surprise attack.


    Unfortunately, they didn''t seed, so they proceeded with the second phase of their n.


    Several bone arrows, as well as dozens of elemental bullets, descended upon General Revon and his entourage, but the powerful Ranker simply used his Sword Aura to create strong gusts of wind, repelling these attacks with ease.


    It didn''t take long before General Revon saw hundreds of Undead Creatures, as well as Rock Golems blocking their path.


    The Ammarian General was about to sh his sword to cut them all in half, but before he could even do that, he suddenly felt a powerful attraction pulling him towards his left side.


    ''This might be that taunting ability that Jasper had warned me about,'' General Revon thought. ''The one that managed to bring down General Phobus.''


    When he first heard about this ability, he only thought that General Phobus'' willpower wasn''t strong enough to resist it, so he didn''t think too much about it.


    Now that it was being used against him, he finally understood why this skill was something that he should be wary of because even though he was using his will power to break free from the invisible shackles that bound him, it was of no use.


    Shifting his gaze to his right side, he saw a Giant Jade Golem in the distance whose finger was pointing in his direction.


    With an angry roar, General Revon steered his ck Panther to face off against Orion, who used the skill, Duel [EX], to force the General to fight him.


    His subordinates were surprised by the General''s sudden action, which left them unable to react to the volley of bone arrows, elemental magic, in addition to another Giant Skeleton Cannonball that headed in their direction.


    Knowing that this was a matter of life and death, the Assassins unleashed a barrage of their most powerful spells, and abilities, in order to defend themselves.


    General Revon could only hear a series of loud explosions behind him, but there was nothing he could do about it. He could only grit his teeth as he charged at the Jade Golem, whom he wanted to crush with his own two hands.


    Orion took a fighting stance, knowing full well that he could only survive two blows from his opponent.


    The Jade Golem had the Guts skill, which allowed him to survive an attack that could otherwise kill him instantly. However, this wouldn''t save him from the next blow from the Ranker, whom he was sure wouldn''t show him any mercy.


    Even so, the Jade Golem had no intention of backing down because his Master''s life was on the line.


    "Come!" Orion dered as he pulled back his arm in preparation to unleash his strongest attack.


    When General Revon was only a few meters away from the Jade Golem, he suddenly felt four powerful energy sources headed in his direction.


    However, since he was forced to duel with the Jade Golem, the only thing he could do was to summon a barrier around his body in order to protect himself from the attacks that had been timed perfectly to coincide with Orion''s Duel [Ex].


    As Orion and General Revon were about to exchange blows with each other, Four Dragon Breaths collided with the General''s barrier.


    At the exact same time, the Skeleton Bombs that Lux''s and Eiko''s clones created, that were buried in front of Orion, detonated as well, creating an earth shaking explosion that shook the entirety of Glouswell Forest.

 Chapter 484 The Longest Fifteen Minutes Of My Life [Part 3]

    ��-------


    < Boots of Teleportation >


    Cooldown: 00:09:32


    ��-------


    The explosion was so powerful that even the soldiers fighting way off in the distance noticed it, making them wonder what was happening in a ce that was devoid of any of their soldiers.


    However, since they were currently neck to neck with each other, they pulled their attention back to their enemy and fought with everything they had.


    The Ammarian Army didn''t know that their General was currently dealing with a threat greater than General Carran at the moment, while the Yn Soldiers weren''t aware that their Trump Card was currently dealing with the greatest threat in the Glouswell Forest.


    ��----------


    At the center of a crater that was hundreds of meters wide, dense white smoke rose towards the sky, blocking anyone from seeing anything past it.


    A momentter, the smoke was dispersed and the Ammarian General roared in anger.


    The clothes in his body were covered in soot, and he received very minor injuries. However, his mount, the ck Panther, didn''t survive Lux''s devastating attack.


    Although the ck Panther was a peak Rank 5 Field Boss Monster, it wasn''t able to survive Lux''s devastating attacks that were imbued by the Power of the Abyss. The Touch of the Abyss directly targeted the soul, so even if someone had strong defenses, they wouldn''t be able to block itpletely.


    Even General Revon''s wasn''t an exception, and he sustained some injuries to his soul. However, that kind of injury wouldn''t stop the Ammarian General from killing the Half-Elf who had already broken past his bottom line.


    After finally deciding that he would no longer y games with his target, General Revon stomped his right foot on the ground, and was about to run at full speed to where the Half-Elf was when he felt another strong pulling from behind him.


    General Revon growled fiercely before turning his head to look at the person who dared to stop him from killing the person he wanted to kill.


    There, he saw Lux''s clone sneering at him and making the e over here" gesture with his hands, making something inside the Ammarian General snap.


    "You bastard!" General Revon growled before lunging at the Half-Elf''s clone, who was looking at him with disdain.


    "Do you think I''ll just allow you to kill me so easily?" Lux asked with a sneer. "My life isn''t cheap. Even if I am fighting against a Ranker, I will struggle to the bitter end."


    "I''ll seal your soul and torture you for a hundred years!" General Revon shouted as he swung his sword to end the clone''s life. "I will not stop even if you beg me to kill you!"


    "Whether you will be able to seal my soul or not is still uncertain," Lux replied. "Don''t think too highly of yourself just because you are a Ranker."


    Lux''s clone then pressed his closed fists together, casting his strongest attack at him.


    "Draco Meteor!"


    Immediately, giant fireballs descended from the sky and fell toward where the Half-Elf was standing. Any ability that Lux used was empowered by the Touch of the Abyss. No matter how minor it was, any injury to the soul was harder to healpared to the injuries of the flesh.


    The fireballs descended from the sky, creating another round of explosions, but General Revon''s furious roar overpowered the noise of the explosions, showing just how much he hated the Half-Elf who kept on dying his inevitable death by his hands.


    Half a minuteter, General Revon emerged from the devastated forest and ran towards the red-headed teenager, who had made him suffer more than General Carran whom he had faced repeatedly inside the Glouswell Forest.


    He had already noticed that the injuries he received to his body were all minor injuries, and that he didn''t even need to bother with them. However, the injuries he received to his soul were something that he couldn''t turn a blind eye to, so with this, he nned to capture the Half-Elf and return to his camp to start the recovery of his soul.


    ��------


    < Cooldown: 00:08:08 >


    ��------


    Lux, who was inside his hiding ce, raised his hand and summoned Pazuzu in front of him.


    "Pazuzu, buy as much time as you can," Lux ordered. "I still have one clone to hold him off, and Eiko''s two clones are also moving to intercept him. You are myst line of defense. Please, hold him off for as long as you can."


    Pazuzu knelt like a knight and pressed his right fist over his chest. "The only time General Revon will be able to get past me is over my dead body, Master. I will do everything in my power to hold him back."


    "I know," Lux nodded.


    The Half-Elf then stood up and tapped Pazuzu''s shoulder, signaling his Fortress Defender to  stand up.


    After doing that, he walked towards the entrance of the cave and summoned his Dragon Knight, Bedivere.


    "Bedivere, help Pazuzu fend off General Revon to the best of your abilities," Lux stated.


    "I will, Master," Bedivere replied as he pressed his fist over his chest, while mounted on the back of his wind dragon. "I will fight to the death for your sake."


    Lux nodded. "ckfire,e!"


    A momentter, a ck coffin appeared behind Lux. Its lid opened, and two ck mists surged out from inside it.


    Sid and Scarlet stood in front of Lux with different expressions on their faces.


    The Dhamphir Assassin knelt and bowed his head with respect, while Scarlet only gave Lux a brief nod of acknowledgement.


    "Sid, Scarlet, I call upon you now to protect me," Lux stated. "You are facing a Ranker, so don''t hold back and attack with everything you have. I have managed to damage his soul, so he isn''t at his peak. If you are lucky, you might be able to give him a scratch. Just make sure that the des you use are coated with poison."


    "Yes, Master," Sid replied.


    "If I die from this, you better revive me," Scarlet said through gritted teeth. "I still have many goals in this lifetime, and I want to achieve them all."


    Lux red at the beautiful scarlet-haired Dwarf in annoyance. "I am doing my best to not raise any death gs, yet you casually jinx us. Girl, you need to learn how to choose your words."


    Scarlet snorted, but she no longer said anything else. Lux was her Master, so she couldn''t be too rude to him, so she decided to just shut up and do what he asked of her.


    If Lux died, she would also die. Although dying in the Dungeon wasn''t a permanent death, she knew that if she allowed the Half-Elf to die right now, thetter would lose more stats, making his rank regress.


    And, if his Rank regressed again, wouldn''t that make him weaker?


    If Lux was weak, he might identally die if he was pped by a monster while he was exploring Elysium.


    If Lux died outside of the Dungeon, she would die for real as well. This was a fact, so no matter what would happen, she would not allow the Half-Elf to die.


    His death would also be the end of her ambitions.


    "Don''t worry," Lux said as if to assure Scarlet. "If you die, I will make sure to revive you, okay?"


    Scarlet nodded in relief after hearing Lux''s assurance. Unlike Lux''s Named Creatures, Sid, Scarlet, and Bedivere couldn''t be summoned back to life so easily.


    Once they died, the Half-Elf had to use Beast Cores in order to revive them, chipping away at valuable resources, which Lux could use to increase his strength instead.


    The Half-Elf then nced to the North and saw a dust cloud heading in his direction.


    "Our guest is finally here," Lux stated. "Make sure to let him know that I am not someone he can kill just because he has the strength to. Let him know that even a rat will bite back once it is cornered."


    """Yes, Master!"""


    Pazuzu, Bedivere, Sid, and Scarlet, all went to intercept the Ammarian General who nned to kill their Master.


    Now that the Half-Elf''s life was on the line, the four of them would do everything in their power to stop the General in his tracks, even if they had to sacrifice their own lives to make it happen.


    Lux stared at his subordinates as they faced the enemy Ranker in battle.


    He then took out the Dragon Token and held it firmly in his hand.


    He didn''t really want to use it until it was absolutely necessary. But, he wouldn''t be shy when it came to using one of his Trump Cards in order to save his life.


    Additionally, the Half-Elf was waiting for something else to happen.


    He didn''t just randomly decide toe to this cave in order to lure General Revon out to attack him.


    If he genuinely wanted to y it safe, he would just have stayed in the Yn Camp where he was heavily protected.


    "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity," Lux said softly as he stared in the direction where the Ammarian Army and Yn Army were fighting against each other. "Whether you use this opportunity or not is for you to decide."


    The Half-Elf stepped back inside the cave and sat in meditation. The seconds that passed felt like days, and the minutes felt like years.


    Now that the final minutes of the clock were ticking down, it was only a matter of time before the conclusion to Lux''s gamble woulde to pass.

 Chapter 485 I Have Come To Take Your Head

    Never in his life had General Revon suffered under the hands of a mere Apostle.


    As someone of his Rank, he could easily crush hundreds of Apostles if he wished for it. But, the Half-Elf he was fighting against was using tactics that he never thought was possible.


    Although the attacks that he received only made him suffer minor injuries, the damage in his soul was getting worse with each time he was exposed to Lux''s Abyssal Touch, which could pass through any defenses, attacking his soul directly.


    "You brat, don''t let me get my hands on you!" General Revon said through gritted teeth as he neared the location of the hidden cave where Lux was currently staying.


    However, just as he was getting near his destination, he felt a familiar strong pull once again, forcing him to veer off his path.


    "Damn you!" General Revon red to his right side and saw a familiar baby Blue Slime, which he had poked a few days ago. Back then, he thought that this particr Slime was harmless and would be of no threat to him.


    But now, after experiencing Lux''s annoying dying tactics, the General was no longer in the mood to show any mercy to a low-ranked Monster, even if it was a baby.


    General Revon''s eyes turned bloodshot because right in front of the Baby Slime, dozens of red-steel balls were scattered, making him curse out loud.


    "I''ll kill you!" General Revon''s blood-curdling roar was simr to that of a beast''s that was about to annihte everything in its path.


    Even so, Eiko''s clone held her ground and even spat a bone bomb in front of her, in addition to tossing another red-steel ball it had just created, adding to the number of bombs that were lying in wait for the Ranker, whose lips were already bleeding from viciously biting them out of anger.


    "Boom Boom Bakugan!" Eiko''s clone shouted as General Revon swung his sword down to obliterate itpletely.


    Just like what happened before, another explosion erupted, and this time, General Revon staggered a bit because he suffered another injury to his soul, making his vision spin for a brief moment.


    Just before the Ranker was able to regain his senses, three Dragon Breaths hit him from three different directions.


    One was from the sky, and the other two were from his left and right sides, making him unable to dodge them.


    Clearly, these attacks were synchronized to hit him just as soon as he was engulfed in the explosions from the st Bombs and Skeleton Bombs that Eiko''s clone had created.


    General Revon skidded a few meters away from where he stood. Currently, his arms were crossed in front of his body in a defensive position, shielding his chest and head from the Dragon Breaths that had just hit him.


    A momentter, blood spilled at the corner of the General''s lips. For the first time, he had received a serious injury from thebined assault on his body.


    Due to his soul being injured, he was unable to raise his barrier in time and got hit directly by the three Dragon Breaths, which further damaged his soul.


    Suddenly, General Revon swung his sword backwards, deflecting two throwing knives that were hurled at his back.


    After the Ammarian General deflected the throwing knives, he jumped away from where he stood and evaded a blood spray that came from above his head.


    The ce where he initially stood melted as if it was corroded by a strong acid, causing white smoke to rise from its surface.


    Sid immediately pped his wings and flew away as his bleeding palm healed at a very fast rate.


    When he was reborn as a Dhamphir, Sid gained many new abilities like Superhuman Strength, Superhuman Speed, Flight, Enhanced Senses, Eidetic Memory, Superhuman Stamina, Fast Regeneration, and a few other things that made him several times stronger than his past self before he died in Lux''s hands.


    But, among Sid''s new abilities was Blood Magic.


    He could use his blood to empower a spell, transform into a weapon, as well as other Blood Arts that would make an Anemic Person shake their head in disgust just by looking at him.


    The reason why he was able to apany the Draconian Kobold, Cadmus, in the Savage Lands, was due to his unique ability that allowed him to match the explosive abilities of an E-Ranker.


    General Revon was a C Ranker, which meant that he was many times stronger than Sid. However, after suffering several Soul Injuries, the General''s reaction time had significantly slowed, allowing Sid to use sneak attacks against the weakened General.


    However, even though he was confident that he was currently faster than his target, he still didn''t dare to linger close to General Revon. He knew that one sword strike from a C-Ranker was enough to cut him in half, no matter how sturdy and durable his body was.


    "You annoying insects!" General Revon roared as he raised his sword high up in the air. "Die!"


    Suddenly, a powerful gust of air spun around the General, creating a powerful tornado, uprooting all the trees that were hundreds of meters around him.


    Scarlet transformed herself into her Cambion Form and flew away to prevent herself from getting sucked up by the giant tornado that was slowly getting bigger and bigger.


    "Pull back!" Bedivere shouted as he ordered his mount, who was desperately pping its wings to escape the powerful suction that was pulling it towards the tornado.


    "None of you will escape!" General Revon''s roar reverberated in the surroundings as the tornado''s size increased drastically.


    Truth be told, the General was having difficulty moving his body, so he decided to create a tornado as a means to defend and attack the annoying insects that wereing at him from all sides.


    He was beyond angry right now and was already going all-out to ensure that the pesky flies buzzing around him would be torn to shreds.


    Just as he expected, Lux''s and Eiko''sst remaining clones were slowly being pulled towards the tornado.


    The Half-Elf''s clone had summoned a Skeleton Sword, and dug it on the ground to prevent himself from being sucked in, but it was only a matter of time before he and Eiko''s clone would be torn to shreds by the powerful winds that were as sharp as knives.


    Bedivere, Sid, and Scarlet were also unable to fly away from the vicinity and slowly lost their ground with each passing second.


    Just as all of them were about to reach their limits, a Giant Skeleton Cannonball flew towards the tornado, and behind it were two Dragon Breaths, pushing it from behind, and increasing its speed.


    A momentter, the tornado twisted erratically before swelling in size. It didn''t take long before an explosion was heard from within its center, and the tornado was dispersedpletely, allowing Lux''s subordinates to break free from its pull.


    "Now, I finally know where you are hiding," General Revon spat a mouthful of blood as he narrowed his eyes in the direction where the two Dragon Breaths hade from.


    His vision zoomed in on the Half-Elf and the blue baby slime, whose mouths were currently smoking due to attacks that they had just unleashed.


    Since General Revon was unable to properly move his body, the only thing he could do was channel his strength andunch a concentrated long distance attack, in order to kill the Half-Elf where he stood.


    "Time for you to die," General Revon muttered as he summoned a spear in his hands.


    Wind magic started to gather from its tip as he prepared to unleash his strongest attack, which he originally nned to use against General Carran should an opportunity present itself.


    However, right now, he wanted nothing more than to kill the Half-Elf, so he threw caution to the wind and prepared to throw his spear at the Necromancer who made him suffer repeatedly.


    Just as he was about to unleash his attack, his sixth sense kicked in, telling him that a danger that could potentially end his life wasing from behind him.


    General Revon''s body moved subconsciously and used the spear in his hand to deflect a blue spear that was only two meters away from hitting his back.


    A metallic ring spread in the surroundings, as the Ammarian General''s skidded a few meters from where he stood.


    The spear that had attacked him from behind flew towards the air and returned to its owner, which made General Revon''s face turn grim.


    "So, you''re finally here," General Revon wiped the bloodstain at the corner of his lips as he looked at the Yn General who was charging in his direction, mounted on the back of a Giant ck Bear.


    "Yes," General Carran replied. "I havee to take your head and end your tyranny once and for all."

 Chapter 486 If I Survive This, You’d Better Compensate Me

    Lux sighed after seeing that General Carran had finally arrived at the scene.


    However, he didn''t order his subordinates to leave. Instead, he ordered them to look for an opportunity to give the killing blow to the Ammarian General, whose injuries were more serious than the injuries that could be seen by the naked eye.


    ---------


    < Boots of Teleportation >


    Cooldown: 00:04:19


    ---------


    Although his reinforcements had arrived, the Half-Elf didn''t drop his guard because he knew that he wasn''t out of danger just yet.


    If not for the fact that General Carran had forced General Revon to deflect the spear that he had thrown at his enemy''s back, the Ammarian General might have already killed the Half-Elf, ejecting him out of the Dungeon, and preventing him from rejoining the war.


    The two Generals stared at each other for a brief moment before General Revon held the spear in his hands firmly, and gathered a great amount of wind magic in its tip, creating strong gusts of winds that blew towards him.


    General Carran knew that his enemy understood that there was no way for him to escape, so he assumed that General Revon nned to end their faceoff with a single killing blow that would decide the oue of the war.


    "So be it!" General Carran also held the spear in his hand, and channeled his own unique magic in it.


    General Carran''s specialty was Metal Magic. This allowed him to manipte any kind of metal, to a certain extent, as well as empower his weapon, and armor beyond its limit.


    ck mists rose up from the ground and gathered on the tip of General Carran''s Spear as he activated his Trump Card to face off against General Revon''s own final gambit.


    The ck mists that were flying in his direction weren''t actually gas, but iron filings, and other metals that were in his immediate surroundings.


    General Carran condensed them together, increasing the size of his spear, making it harder, sharper, and countless times more deadly.


    There was a time when General Carrran had made a gigantic spear that easily pierced through the barriers of the Ammarian Army, and broke through the walls of their fortress, allowing the Yn Army to capture one of their main strongholds, which allowed them to capture thends belonging to the Ammarian Kingdom.


    Lux knew that there was a very high possibility that he would be caught in the aftermath of the two General''s confrontation, so he was paying close attention to the cooldown of his Boots of Teleportation.


    As soon as the cooldown finished, he would immediately teleport away, and recall his Subordinates.


    Although he felt regretful that he wouldn''t be able tond the killing blow at the General, his life was more important than the rewards he would gain if he remained on the battlefield.


    ---------


    < Boots of Teleportation >


    Cooldown: 00:02:23


    ---------


    Beads of sweat formed on top of Lux''s head, as he continually shifted his attention between the battle that was about to start, as well as the cooldown of his life saving artifact.


    Due to his constant ncing at his Soul Book, he noticed a green dot appear on the map, and it was currently speeding towards his direction.


    Unlike the other green dots on the map, this particr green dot had a name, which meant that they were one of Lux''s party members.


    A quick nce was enough to tell him who it was, but before the Half-Elf could even tell the thick-skinned boar to stay away from the battlefield, Cai''s voice reached Lux''s ears.


    "Lux, don''t move from where you are!" Cai shouted.


    The Half-Elf only understood what Cai had meant when it told him to not move from his spot when he heard General Revon''s crisp and overbearing roar.


    "Rend my foes to shreds!" General Revon roared. "Requiem of the Storm Winds!"


    "Annihte!" General Carran shouted as he pulled back his arm to throw the giant spear towards his enemy. "Florance, Spear of Giant ying!"


    Both Generals threw their weapons at the same time, but to General Carran''s surprise, General Revon didn''t throw his spear in his direction, but towards the Half-Elf, whose eyes had widened in shock.


    The wind hummed as the spear containing the full might of a C-Ranker headed towards the Half-Elf, whose body was frozen in ce.


    General Revon''s attack had an added ability, and that was to immobilize his targets, preventing them from escaping his killing blow.


    This was why General Revon was a feared enemy by the Yn Generals because he had in many of theirrades in the same manner. Only General Carran was confident enough to face off against him, so he was the one that was assigned to fight against the strongest among the Ammarian Generals.


    Although he knew that it was futile, Lux still decided to summon severalyers of Bone Walls in front of him, in an attempt to decrease the force behind the General''s attack, giving him a chance of survival.


    However, before he could even do that, he heard Cai''s shout, which seemed to suppress all sounds in his surroundings.


    "Fourth Gear!"


    At that moment, a boar that was over five meters tall appeared in front of the Half-Elf, standing in the path of the destructive spear that was strong enough to obliterate an entire town.


    "Twrch Trwyth!" Cai roared as she used her tusks to create a barrier and block the iing spear that was meant to take the Half-Elf''s life.


    After the incident at the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen, her Grandfather, Maximilian, had given her two things.


    The first one was the poison that could paralyze a Ranker.


    The second one was the spirit of a powerful Boar who had reached the Argonaut Rank.


    This was Cai''s Fourth Form and Trump Card, allowing her to gain the strength of a Ranker temporarily.


    Even so, the disparity between an E-Ranker, and a C-Ranker was immense, making Cai''s hooves skid across the ground.


    Due to his strong sense of hearing, the Half-Elf heard a faint cracking sound in front of him, making him feel as if he had lost all the breath in his body.


    Cracks started to form on the surface of Cai''s tusks, but the Boar held its ground as the power behind the spear decreased with each passing second.


    "Lux, I apologize for the things I did to you in the past," Cai said as the cracks in its tusks widened. "Originally, I didn''t want toe because the spirits were telling me that doing so would be extremely dangerous."


    Cai''s tusks began to splinter, as it resisted the pressure that was simr to a mountain pressing on top of it, with every fiber of its being.


    "But, if something happens to you, Iris will be sad," Cai stated as bits and pieces of its tusks broke apart. "Iris is my first best friend, and I want her to be the happiest girl in the world. Which means that I can''t just stand idly as you face someone that can end your life so easily. That''s why... I decided toe.


    "And Lux, if I survive this, you''d betterpensate me."


    A grunt escaped Cai''s lips as one of its tusks shattered. Cracks immediately appeared in the barrier, making creaking sounds, alerting the Boar and the Half-Elf that it could shatter at any given moment.


    "Iris... I''m sorry."


    Cai''s words, filled with unwillingness, spread in the surroundings as itsst tusk broke apart, making the barrier in front of it shatter.


    The Boar then decisively used its body to shield the Half-Elf behind its back.


    General Revon''s spear embedded itself halfway in the Giant Boar''s body, which sent Cai flying.


    Lux, who was behind the Giant Boar, was pushed away by Pazuzu, preventing Cai''s body from colliding against his Master.


    The Fortress Defender then activated his Shield Wall in an attempt to slow down the speed at which Cai was pushed back by the momentum of General Revon''s attack, making his body smash against the trees behind him.


    As much as possible, he didn''t want the already seriously injured Cai to suffer more injuries as he used his body to break its fall.


    After being pushed for hundreds of meters, Cai''s body finally copsed on the ground, while Pazuzu''s body slowly turned into particles of light.


    He had done his best to protect the Boar, who had saved his Master''s life, from further injury. Pazuzu hoped that the next time Lux summoned him, he would still be able to see the annoying Boar, whose vocal antics could even force the dead to rise up from their grave, in order to p it.


    Lux, who had been pushed aside by his Fortress Defender, propped himself off the ground and immediately looked at the wreckage behind him.


    Blood drained from his face when he saw the Boar''s current circumstance, making him feel as if a stake had been stabbed in his heart.


    "Cai!" Lux shouted as he flew towards the Boar, whose body glowed faintly.


    Just as the Half-Elfnded beside Cai, the Boar''s body shattered like a crystal ss that had fallen on the floor.


    These shattered pieces soon dissolved into particles of light, revealing a naked beauty lying on the ground. A puddle of blood could be seen under her body, and her face was devoid of any colors.


    Even so, a sad, yet beautiful smile could be seen on her face, despite the fact that her body was covered with her own blood, and all the warmth she currently had was slowly slipping away, like the sand inside an hourss, whose time was about to run out.

 Chapter 487 To Damnation And Beyond

    "Why?" General Carran asked as he looked at the Ammarian General who had been mortally wounded by his attack.


    General Revon spat a mouthful of blood as hey on the ground, dying. Instead of throwing his spear towards the Yn General, he threw it towards Lux in an attempt to end thetter''s life once and for all.


    This move shocked General Carran and made him wonder why the Ammarian General did such a thing.


    "Why?" General Revon asked back hoarsely. "Do you really not know the answer, or are you just pretending to be ignorant?"


    The Yn General narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the dying General on the ground.


    "Tell me," General Carran insisted. "I want to hear it from your own lips."


    Although he was hurting, General Revon managed to chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. Even he didn''t think that at thest second, he would choose to target the Half-Elf instead of the Yn General who fought against him.


    However, he was sure that if he could turn back time and given the same choices, he would repeat what he had done today.


    General Revon chuckled as blood dripped from the corner of his lips.


    "I�� have heard how formidable you are�� and wanted to know if the stories were true," General Revon said with ragged breaths. "You are�� indeed strong, but�� not strong enough to tip the oue in favor�� of the Yn Kingdom."


    General Revon then coughed a few times before shifting his gaze in the direction where the Half-Elf was.


    "It is not you�� or me who will decide the oue of this war��" General Revon closed his fists. As he tried to prop himself up. "The greatest�� threat on this battlefield�� is him."


    He forced himself to stand because, as a General, he wanted to die standing on his two feet, instead of lying on the ground and waiting for death to take him.


    General Carran didn''t do anything and simply allowed the enemy general to do as he pleased. He had recognized the Ammarian General as a fearsome foe, so the least he could do was allow him to die in a way fitting of his rank.


    "If he only chose my side�� the one who would be dying would have been you," General Revon stated as he fixed his fading vision on the Half-Elf, who was desperately pouring bottles of healing potions on the body of the youngdy, who risked her life to save him.


    "You should�� know what�� Necromancers�� are capable of doing," General Revon coughed once more as his body slowly but surely neared its limit. "After all�� you also lost to one�� right?"


    General Carran didn''t refute the Ammarian General''s words. There was one time when he had identallye across a vagabond Necromancer, who was performing an unholy ritual on the border of the Yn Kingdom.


    The Necromancer was also a Ranker, and although he was a realm weaker than the Yn General, that disparity was ovee by the hordes of Undead that obeyed hismand.


    General Carran had lost many of his trusted and loyal subordinates in that battle, and since then, he hated Necromancers with a vengeance.


    If not for the fact that Lux had helped them out in the Marsnd Campaign, he would have definitely ended the Half-Elf''s life because of the grudge he''d held for the past few years.


    "You�� should be�� careful, Carran," General Revon said as he faced the Yn General. "Necromancers are�� willful beings. You might be�� his ally now�� but who knows what will�� happen tomorrow. It will be�� best if you dispose of�� him now�� while you still ca�Ckreuk!"


    The Ammarian General wasn''t able to finish his words because a dagger had pierced through his neck, surprising even General Carran, who was only several meters away from General Revon.


    "You talk too much," Sid stated. "Just go to hell where you belong."


    The Dhamphir then twisted his knife, creating a gaping hole on General Revon''s neck.


    A momentter, the Dwarf Assassin casually pushed the general''s body, making it fall on the ground, before making a shing motion to his side, removing the blood that stained his dagger.


    "Y-You!" General Carran shouted in both surprise and anger. "Why?! He''s already dying!"


    Sid shifted his gaze from the fallen General beside his feet to the Yn General who was looking at him with bloodshot eyes.


    "If he''s still dying, then it means that he is not dead yet," Sid replied with a shrug. "My Master wants him dead, and I also want him dead. Because of this, he needs to die. Simple as that. Also, before you spout more rubbish, let me just say that you were only able to kill him because we had already worn him down.


    "You heard what he said earlier. The one whom he thinks is the greatest threat to their Army in this war is not you, but my Master. So, if you want to win, don''t make my Master your enemy. Even if he cannot kill you, he can certainly kill a lot of people."


    Sid then shifted his gaze on his Master, who was still desperately pouring bottles of Health Potion over Cai''s body.


    "My master is too kind to be a Necromancer," Sid added. "If he wasn''t, my sisters might be suffering right now and only the Gods know what might have happened to them. Fortunately, he isn''t a bad person and allowed me to reunite with them. That is why��"


    Sid then fearlessly pointed his dagger to General Carran, and looked at him with a steady gaze.


    "Even if you are stronger than me, the moment you harm my Master will be the day that this de will end your life," Sid dered.


    The Dhamphir then pped the wings behind his back and flew towards the sky. Although the battle had now ended, there was still the possibility that Ammarian Reinforcements woulde to see what had happened on this side of the battlefield.


    Sid would dly risk his life to eliminate anyone who would dare to harm his Master, as well as make his little sisters cry.


    He didn''t care how strong they were, or how high their position was.


    Assassins didn''t care for such trivialities.


    As long as that person must die, he would make sure that they died, not caring what methods he used to make it happen.


    For him, his second life was precious, but his little sisters'' happiness was more precious.


    To that end, Sid would ensure that Lux remained alive, even if it meant that he, himself, would go to Damnation and Beyond.

 Chapter 488 Unexpected News

    Inside the cave, a gentle refreshing breeze circted around Lux and Cai as he used the skill, Healing Wind.


    He had already poured all of his healing potions over her body, and right now, he was doing his best to stabilize Cai, whose heartbeat had be extremely faint.


    Eiko, her Water Slime, and her Angel Slime were the ones that helped with removing the blood on Cai''s body using gentle methods, as well as applying their own healing abilities to help the Half-Elf save the youngdy, whose life hung by a thin thread.


    After her body was cleaned up, Lux used a nket to cover her as he focused his undivided attention on healing her.


    Hours passed as Lux continued to use healing magic over and over again.


    He had ordered all of his subordinates to prevent anyone from entering the hidden cave. Right now, no one knew about Cai''s true form, and he intended to let it stay that way.


    However, he ordered Ishtar to inform Xander about the current situation because he knew that the young man was loyal to Cai and served as one of her retainers.


    Xander hurriedly came to where Cai was, but was stopped at the entrance of the cave. Only when Lux gave his permission was the young man let inside the cave to look at the situation of their Tribe''s High Priestess.


    He didn''t interrupt Lux and the Slimes who were using Healing Magic to stabilize Cai''s condition and sat a meter away from her, looking at her pale face that was as white as a candle.


    Xander didn''t have any healing abilities, so he did what he could do and stayed seated, waiting for the High Priestess of their n to ovee her current situation.


    Unlike the other representatives, Xander didn''t have the artifact that allowed people to see what he could see. This was to ensure that their tribe''s secrets would remain a secret and not be divulged to the outside world.


    Finally, just a little past midnight, a sigh escaped Lux lips.


    "She will live," Lux said with exhaustion.


    After hearing these words, Xander also breathed a sigh of relief before giving Lux a respectful bow.


    He then left the cave to stand guard and prevent anyone from trespassing.


    Now that their High Priestess'' safety was confirmed, he would now do everything in his power to protect her identity from theirrades, who were still unaware of the current situation.


    Lux closed his eyes for a brief moment in order to recover a bit of his strength. When he opened them again, he looked at Cai''s face, which had now regained a little bit of color.


    Although she still looked pale, it was way better than herplexion a few hours ago.


    "Iris, you have a good friend," Lux said softly.


    Whenever he and his fiance were together, they would often talk to each other about random things. One of the main topics of their discussion was Cai.


    Lux knew about Cai''s true form, and Iris had confirmed this as well during one of their pillow talks.


    This was why he wasn''t too surprised when Cai returned to her original form.


    "Thank you, Cai," Luxmented as he gave the sleeping youngdy a bow of gratitude. "I will make sure topensate you properly after this mission ends."


    The Half-Elf then lightly patted Fei Fei, who was resting on top of Cai''s chest. The Golden Slime had just finished crying a few hours ago and had fallen asleep due to exhaustion.


    After making sure that Fei Fei was fine, he stood up and called for Ishtar to enter the cave.


    "I will go and rest," Lux said. "Look after her and Fei Fei while I sleep. Wake me up when she regains consciousness."


    "Yes, Master," Ishtar replied.


    Lux went outside the cave to look at his subordinates, who had also stayed vigil while he was healing Cai.


    Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, Sid, and Bedivere.


    Scarlet couldn''t stay any longer because her absence wouldplicate things, so she returned to the Kingdom of Gweliven once the battle was over.


    Lux patted Xander''s shoulder before using his boots of Teleportation to return to his tent, where he left a single Skeleton Mage as an anchor point.


    When he arrived, the sound of merrymaking could be heard all around the camp.


    He didn''t know what happened after he had ordered Sid to kill General Revon. The Half-Elf had dedicated all of his attention to keeping Cai alive, in order to prevent her from getting kicked out of the dungeon.


    Although the youngdy wouldn''t really die, her identity would be exposed, which might cause the Rowan Tribe to suffer some hardships.


    He didn''t know why Cai hid her true form under the guise of a thick-headed and shameless Boar, but something was telling him that her identity must not be exposed no matter what.


    This was why he didn''t bat an eye and used every resource at his disposal to keep her alive.


    As Lux got out of his tent, he saw the merry soldiers drinking, eating, and some were even dancing near the bonfire, which proved how happy they were that they had won the fight against the Ammarian Army.


    After asking a few soldiers, the Half-Elf found out that General Carranunched an all-out assault and killed countless Ammarian Soldiers as they fled in droves after seeing General Revon''s body tied up on a pole for everyone to see.


    Now that their General, and one of their most formidable Rankers, was dead, the Ammarian Soldiers had lost the will to fight, and no matter what the othermanders ordered, none of them listened, allowing the brunt of the Yn Army to break through their defensive lines.


    Blood dyed thend as General Carran and his elite soldiers cut through the enemy''s ranks like a hot knife through butter. He knew that an opportunity like this wouldn''t present itself again, so he used his powers to drain the iron from the blood of the in Soldiers, and transformed it into countless Blood Spears that rained upon the Ammarian Army without any mercy.


    General Carran wouldn''t allow the survivors to regroup and make an exodus towards the Great ins, further increasing the bulk of the main army of the Ammarian Kingdom.


    However, no matter how hard he tried, it was impossible for General Carran to kill everyone.


    Thousands of soldiers managed to escape, and he and his men were already too exhausted to chase them for miles.


    In the end, General Carran returned to the main camp and dered that they were victorious, which was happily met with cheers by the Yn Soldiers who had fought long and hard all throughout the campaign.


    However, just as General Carran was sharing drinks with his soldiers and toasting them for their hard work, a messenger arrived at the camp, and hurriedly passed him a news that made the smile on his face disappearpletely.


    Their army protecting the Mountainous Region from the Ammarian Army was defeated, and General Hubert, who was stationed to protect their Western nk, had been killed in battle.


    The survivors of the battle fled the Mountains and went to the Great ins where Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock received the news of theirrade''s passing.


    Both Generals were devastated at the loss of one of their Generals, as well as more than half of the army that had been guarding the Mountains.


    Now that one of their defensive lines had been breached, it was only a matter of time before the Yn Main Camp was attacked from two sides, making it difficult for them to feel happy about the two victories that they gained from the Eastern Front, where they had just defeated the enemy Generals whom they were contending with.

 Chapter 489 One Last Push

    A day before Lux had fought against General Revon��


    "So�� this is my true power," Nero muttered to himself as he looked down upon the mountain that was blown in half.


    Several dead bodies that belonged to the Yn Soldiers that guarded it were torn to bits, and all of them had died a very painful death.


    A man with silver hair, crimson eyes, and horns protruding on his head hovered beside him with a smile.


    "That''s right," the silver-haired manmented. "Wonderful, isn''t it?"


    Nero smirked as the wings behind his back pped lightly. Just like the silver-haired man, there were two crimson horns protruding on top of his head, and his eyes that were as red as blood glowed faintly.


    "With this�� I will be able to kill him," Nero stated. "I will finally put an end to the person that denied me my true destiny."


    The silver-haired man chuckled before pointing at the Yn General, who had just arrived with the rest of his army to defend their territory.


    "Well, the big fish has finally arrived." the silver-haired man smirked. "What are you nning to do?"


    Nero snorted. "Nothing. I have already done my part. It is now their turn to earn their keep."


    On the ground behind him, tens of thousands of Ammarian Soldiers rushed up to meet the Yn Army in order to take advantage of the opening that Nero created.


    General Herodes, the Ammarian General in charge of the Mountain Campaign, led his men to fight against General Hubert of the Yn Army.


    Nero watched this battle with a sneer as he crossed his arms over his chest. Now that he had eliminated nearly a third of the Yn Army, he no longer needed to do anything. The Ammarian Forces could brute force their way using the momentum he created for them and their numbers.


    On that day, General Herodes took General Hubert''s head and raised it up high, marking their victory in the Mountain Campaign. Now that the Western nk of the Yn Defenses were open, it was now time for them to advance, and finally put an end to this war.


    ��--------------


    Glouswell Forest��


    After receiving the emergency report, General Fahad from the Marsnds traveled a whole day without rest in order to reach the Glouswell Forest.


    He only brought four men with him, and left his right-hand man to defend the Marsnds while he was away.


    There was still a possibility that the Ammarian Army might send another army to break through their Eastern nk, so the Yn General decided to leave the bulk of his army behind.


    When he arrived at the Glouswell Forest, he immediately went to see General Carran, who was also making preparations to move a third of his army to reinforce the Great ins, where the most important battle would be fought.


    They knew that time was crucial, so they were making preparations in haste. While this was happening, Lux gathered his team and discussed with them the next course of action they''d take.


    "Einar, you will be the temporary leader of our team," Lux said. "I have sent Cai on a secret mission, and I am still waiting for it to return. Xander will remain with me, for the time being. All of you will travel with General Carran and reinforce the main camp at the Great ins.


    "Diablo and Asmodeus are there, and you can talk to them if you want to pass a message to me directly. Do you have any questions?"


    Henrietta was the first to voice out her opinion, and her words were something that didn''t surprise Lux.


    "I''m staying with you," Henrietta replied. "I was tasked to follow you around, so you''re not getting away this time. The battle that just ended was an exception. Please, don''t make things difficult for me, okay?"


    Lux was about to turn her down, but he then suddenly remembered that since Henrietta was a girl, it would be best if she could be the one that took care of Cai while thetter was unconscious.


    Henrietta had already told him that the only person who could see what she was doing was the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy, Alexander.


    Lux knew that the other people, who might see the world through Henrietta''s eyes, were none other than Iris and Alicia, who were also at Barbatos Academy.


    They were the three people that the Half-Elf trusted the most, aside from his Grandma, and he had a feeling that all of them had already been aware of Cai''s true identity from the start. As for Henrietta, he would force her to make an oath that she would not divulge Cai''s secret to anyone.


    Since there were people around, he decided to put this matter aside and simply nodded his head to agree to Henrietta''s proposal.


    "Okay, you can stay with me," Lux stated. "But, you will follow my orders, okay?"


    Henrietta nodded her head in acknowledgement, which made Lux sigh in his heart.


    "We will meet up with you guys as soon as Cai has returned," Lux said as he looked at hisrades. "Until then, do your best to not kick the bucket. We are almost finished with this mission. We just need onest push."


    Keane reluctantly nodded his head. In truth, he was morefortable staying with Lux or Cai.


    Although he had already considered Einar, Val, and Xander his friends, he had always been with the Half-Elf and the annoying, and thick-skinned, Boar. Without them around, he felt a bit ufortable.


    It was as if he had forgotten his mission of pursuing the true meaning of peace. Even so, he believed that Lux and Cai would not miss this opportunity, and would be there when the battle was in full swing.


    Einar, Val, and Malcolm acknowledged Lux''s orders and promised to do their best while he was away.


    After their talks ended, Lux took Henrietta with him, while the others prepared for their trip toward the Great ins.


    Along the way, he told Henrietta of what had happened, and the true reason why Cai and Xander were absent in their meeting.


    Naturally, the Guildmaster of Serenity, which was the main guild of Barbatos Academy, was surprised by Lux''s confession.


    Iris, who was listening to their conversation from inside the Headmaster''s office, almost dropped the tea cup in her hand after hearing that her best friend had almost died after protecting Lux from General Revon''s killing blow.


    ''Cai, I hope that you are safe.'' Iris pressed her hands together as she prayed in her heart.


    Cai was one of the people she trusted the most in her life. Knowing that she had almost suffered a fatal injury in order to save the man she loved was enough to make her worry.


    Alicia was just as shocked after hearing the news. The Rowan Tribe was the Barbatos Academy''s most staunch ally, and Cai and Xander were their two representatives in the expedition.


    Alexander, on the other hand, still wore a calm expression on his face, but deep inside, he was already thinking about how serious Cai''s injury was.


    Even if someone didn''t die in the dungeon, the injuries they received from it could remain even after they left it.


    The only time they would be ejected from the Dungeon was after they had been dealt the killing blow.


    If one of their arms or legs were cut off before they died, there was a high possibility that they would return to the real world without their arm and leg intact.


    Iris, Alexander, and Alicia knew how high Cai''s position was in the Rowan Tribe. If something really bad happened to her, the rtionships between their two factions could be strained in the future.


    The Chieftain of the Rowan Tribe was a Saint. Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian, was a ticking time bomb. Alexander was sure that if Maximilian found out that Cai returned to Sis with a permanent injury because of Lux, the chances that the ck Boar going on a rampage to hunt the Half-Elf were high.


    ''I just hope that her injuries can be treated,'' Alexander thought. ''If not, I might need to find other ways to pacify Maximilian and prevent him from hurting Lux in his anger.''


    Alexander knew full well that if Iris were in a simr situation as Cai, he would certainly start killing people. And the first one he would kill would be none other than the cause of her injuries.


    Although they still hadn''t seen Cai''s condition, the Half-Elf''s expression was telling them that it was very serious, which made Iris feel as if a rock was weighing on her heart.

 Chapter 490 Youre A Real Bro

    When they arrived at the location of the hidden cave, Henrietta saw Xander, as well as Lux''s summons, guarding the entrance of the cave.


    The Half-Elf gave Xander a brief nod before entering the cave, with Henrietta following close behind him.


    There, Henrietta saw Cai lying down on a makeshift bed, covered with a nket.


    Lux knelt beside the youngdy and ced his palm over her forehead to check her temperature.


    He was worried that Cai would get a fever, but fortunately, her temperature was normal. After getting half a day''s rest, herplexion had turned for the better, but there were still no signs of her waking up.


    "Do you have any spare clothes with you?" Lux asked Henrietta after checking up on the beautiful youngdy, who was sleeping with steady breaths.


    "I do," Henrietta replied.


    She understood what Lux was trying to say, so she took out a in looking dress from her storage ring and moved towards Cai.


    The Half-Elf then left the cave to allow Henrietta to take care of the Rowan Tribe''s High Priestess, while he talked to Xander about the events that had happened while he was standing vigil outside the cave.


    "I see," Xandermented after Lux finished his exnation, but his expression didn''t change even after knowing that one of the Yn Bases had fallen.


    The Half-Elf could tell Xander ced more importance in Cai''s well being than the oue of the war. He didn''t find fault in this because he knew how loyal the young man was to their High Priestess.


    He simply sat beside him in order to organize his own thoughts.


    "Xander, can you answer my question honestly?"


    "Okay."


    Lux smiled bitterly before asking the young man the question that he had been thinking about for most of the night.


    "If Cai doesn''t wake up, do you think that Sir Maximilian would kill me?" Lux asked.


    After hearing Lux''s question, Xander turned his head to look at the Half-Elf and chuckled. However, although the young man wasughing, his eyes weren''t smiling.


    "You don''t have to worry about the Chief wanting to kill you first," Xander replied. "If our High Priestess doesn''t wake up, the entire Rowan Tribe will have hunted you down before the Saint can even grab hold of you."


    The young man then rested his hand on Lux''s shoulders and held it in a firm grip.


    "I will be the first to hunt you down if that happens," Xander said in a teasing tone, but the Half-Elf knew that he wasn''t really teasing him.


    Xander was merely stating a fact, which made Lux nod his head in understanding.


    "Thank you," Luxmented as he pried Xander''s hand over his shoulder. "You''re a real bro."


    Xander only smirked before closing his eyes to rest for a bit. He hadn''t rested since he started to guard the entrance of the cave because he was afraid that someone might find their hiding ce and attack Cai in her sleep.


    Now that the Half-Elf had returned, he could finally take some rest.


    Xander knew that as long as Lux was around, he wouldn''t allow anyone to hurt the unconscious beauty, who had jumped into the fray to save his life.


    ��-------


    Great ins Ammarian Main Camp��


    "You did well, Nero," Great General Gideon said with a smile. "With this, we have been able to reverse our previous losses in this war. Although it is quite unfortunate that General Phobus and General Revon have lost their lives, the defeat in the Mountain Area finally allowed us to put an end to this war."


    Nero returned Great General Gideon''s smile with a smile of his own and briefly nodded his head in acknowledgement of the praise given to him.


    "It is only natural to help my ally," Nero replied. "As long as you keep your promise, I will continue helping you."


    Nero had already returned to his human form as he casually chatted with the Great General of the Ammarian Army, who had personally invited him to have dinner in his tent.


    "It is only a small thing," Great General Gideon stated. "Still, for you to ask us to not interfere in your fight against your former Mercenary Leader�� you must really hate him so."


    Nero smirked after hearing the Great General''s words. He did hate the Half-Elf, and he would not be able to rest easy until he personally crushed his head with his own hands.


    For that, he epted the silver-haired man''s offer and gained the power to temporarily be a Ranker for the duration of his mission inside the Sacred Dungeon.


    Although he took a shortcut to achieve it, his hatred for the Half-Elf knew no bounds. As long as he would be able to end thetter''s life, the demon that had grown inside his heart would finally disappear, allowing him to fully master the power that had been bestowed upon him.


    Nero didn''t know who the silver-haired man was, or what the man wanted to achieve by helping him.


    However, he didn''t mind being used as a pawn just this once, as long as he would be able to see the desperation on the Half-Elf''s face, and make him understand that going against him was the worst mistake he had made in his life.


    ''This war is just the beginning,'' Nero thought. ''After I return to Sis, my conquest will finally begin.''


    From somewhere inside the Sacred Dungeon, the silver-haired man chuckled after hearing Nero''s thoughts.


    Since he had found a very willing pawn to help him escape the prison he was in, he would dly offer him his assistance until he broke free from the chains that bound him.


    After that, he would return to Elysium and take revenge against the descendants of those that had imprisoned him inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    For that to happen, he needed to let Nero get his revenge first, so he could further corrupt his heart and soul until he could bend to his will.


    "Ah�� the passion of youth," the silver-haired man muttered as he nced to the East and focused his attention on the red-headed teenager, whom Nero wanted to defeat no matter what. "Such raw feelings of hatred is the perfect nourishment for my soul."


    The silver-haired man chuckled as he watched the armies of the two Kingdoms gather at the main battlefield for onest battle that would decide the oue of the war.


    For him, the oue of the war wasn''t important.


    In his eyes, people killing each other was just a form of entertainment.


    The only battle he wanted to see was the fight between Nero and the foul-smelling Necromancer that had already conquered two of the gates of the Sacred Dungeon.


    Once the Four Gates of the Apocalypse had been conquered, the Fifth Gate would open, and they would finally enter the world where he resided.


    He had been waiting for that moment for hundreds of years, but he didn''t want Lux to be the one to break his seal.


    No.


    He wanted someone he could manipte and control, and the person he chose was none other than Nero.


    "Little children, do beware," the silver-haired said with a devilish smile on his face as he imagined the faces of Nero''s acquaintances when they met the young man again at the Great ins.


    "All of you are in for a scare."

 Chapter 491 Just Who Do You Think I Am?

    Two days had passed since General Carran killed General Revon, and now, he was headed for battle once again, bringing five thousand of his men.


    That was the number of men that apanied General Fahad and General Carran to the Great ins to reinforce their main camp from the pincer attack of the Ammarian Army that would being from the Mountain Regions at their side as well as the Army stationed in the Great ins.


    Even though they had won two campaigns, they would all be in vain if the Yn Main Camp was defeated by their enemies.


    This was why the two Generals made haste and left with as many men as they could. Although five thousand men was a pitiful number, it was all that they could take right now.


    Both armies had lost many men during their previous campaigns, and they needed to leave arge enough force to defend the territories they left behind.


    Lux watched them leave from a distance and wished he could go with them. However, since Cai''s condition still hadn''t stabilized, he decided to remain with her until she woke up.


    The good news was that Cai seemed to be recovering well.


    ording to Henrietta, aside from the faint scar that could be seen on Cai''s chest, there were no other injuries that could be seen on the surface of her body.


    What Lux was worried about was her internal injuries.


    He had used every potion in his disposal, and Eiko''s slimes had also done their part and healed her, but he had no way to determine whether Cai still had some internal injuries that they were not aware of.


    Lux wasn''t proficient in healing magic, and the Lady Cleric that he had asked to help him from the Yn Camp said that Cai was recovering well.


    However, the Cleric also said that the injuries Cai received from the attack of the Ranker would take at least a month or two to fully heal. She advised Lux to not let the unconscious youngdy participate in any more battles in the future because she had just escaped death by a hair''s breadth.


    If Lux hadn''t immediately fed her the healing potions he had and received healing magic from the Slimes, Cai would have died within minutes of taking General Revon''s full powered attack.


    "Tomorrow," Lux said softly. "If tomorrow, she still hasn''t woken up. I will ask Bedivere to carry her until we reach an area near the Great ins."


    The Half-Elf knew that he couldn''t wait any longer than that because Diablo had told him that the Ammarian Army was already on the move.


    ording to his estimate, the final battle might start three to four days from now, and the journey to the Yn Main Camp from Glouswell Forest was a day and a half when mounted.


    Naturally, not all the troops that apanied General Fahad and General Carran had mounts. Because of this, the two Generals, and those with mounts went ahead first, while the foot soldiers would do their best to arrive in time for the great battle.


    The Half-Elf had his Thunder Warg King, Jed, and his mount had the ability to fly. This was also true for Xander''s mount, which was a flying Manta Ray.


    Bedivere could take Cai and Henrietta with him as they flew in the sky with his dragon mount, so their travel time would be significantly faster than the rest of General Carran''s troops.


    "I just hope she wakes up tomorrow," Lux muttered as he returned to the hidden cave to check Cai''s condition.


    Henrietta, who had be Cai''s personal attendant, reported that there were no significant changes in the youngdy''s condition. Her breathing was stable, and from what Henrietta could tell, Cai''s life was no longer in any danger.


    "I think she is just physically, mentally, magically, and spiritually exhausted," Henriettamented. "This is a verymon thing, especially when diving into high-ranked Dungeons. It would be best if we just let her rest for now."


    Lux agreed with Henrietta''s words and told her his n.


    The Guildmaster of Serenity listened and nodded her head in agreement to Lux''s words.


    "Let''s just sneak her inside the Yn Camp and have one of your Named Creatures guard her," Henrietta proposed. "As long as you, I, and Xander don''t say anything, no one will know about Cai''s true identity. You''re also quite close to Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock. I''m sure they will be willing to amodate her if you request it."


    The Half-Elf nodded because Henrietta''s proposal would solve most of their problems in the case that Cai didn''t regain her consciousness when morning came.


    ��------


    The next day, just when the sun was about to rise from the East��


    "Make sure you don''t drop her, okay?" Lux said in a teasing tone as he tied Cai to Henrietta''s waist with a rope.


    He did this to ensure that the sleeping beauty wouldn''t identally fall from the sky whenever Bedivere was forced to make some evasive maneuvers during an emergency.


    Henrietta didn''t reply and simply arched her eyebrow as if telling the Half-Elf "Just who do you think I am?"


    After making sure that Cai was securely tied in ce, Lux gave Bedivere a nod to tell him that everything was ready.


    Bedivere returned his Master''s nod before lightly tapping his partner''s back, signaling to the Dragon that it was time to go.


    The Dragon pped its wings twice as if testing the weight on its back. It nned to fly at a speed that wouldn''t harm the sleepingdy on its back because it knew that she was a very important person to its Master.


    The Dragon then pped its wings for the third time and soared towards the sky.


    Seeing that Cai was firmly secured on its back, it started to circle around Lux, waiting for its Master to join it in the skies.


    "Let''s go," Lux summoned Jed.


    The Thunder Warg King let out a growl of acknowledgement as Lux mounted its back.


    Xander also summoned his Manta Ray, which was the Rowan Tribe''s personal mount. He urged the Manta Ray to fly closer to Bedivere''s Wind Dragon in order to protect his High Priestess in case they encountered any danger in their travels.


    Lux then lightly tapped Jed''s back, and the Thunder Warg King dashed on the ground before jumping high in the air.


    Within moments, it was running several meters above the ground using air steps.


    With Lux in the lead, all of them traveled towards the Yn Main Camp, unaware that someone was observing them from a great distance, wishing that he could travel faster, so that he could watch a good show.

 Chapter 492 Don’t Tell Me It Died?

    The trip from the Glouswell Forest to the Great ins wasn''t a smooth ride.


    Due to the uing battle, Lux and his friends encountered several of the Ammarian Army''s flying scouts and engaged them in a dogfight.


    Fortunately, the number of the enemies they faced only came in threes and fours, so Lux and Xander were more than enough to handle them.


    The mounts of the Ammarian Kingdom were Griffins, which were Rank 4 Monsters. Although they were wary of the dragon, when they saw that there was only one knight apanying a few teenagers, they thought that it would be fine if they attacked and eliminated them before they could regroup with the Yn Main Camp.


    They wanted to weaken the Yn Army as much as possible right now, and having a Dragon Knight join their ranks was something that the Ammarian Aerial Scouts weren''t willing to ignore.


    But, that was their biggest mistake.


    Although Xander was an Earth Mage, he was quite proficient in aerialbat as well. The thing that surprised the Ammarian Scouts, as well as Lux and Bedivere, was Xander''s Mount.


    The Manta Ray was surprisingly fast, moving like a fish in the water even though it was flying in the skies.


    As if feeling a bit of Rivalry, Jed also performed extremely well, making incrediblest second turns in the air, allowing Lux to kill the Ammarian Soldiers mounted on the Griffins'' backs.


    Bedivere had told him that, if given time, he would be able to tame the Griffins in order for them to be their allies.


    Just like Diablo, who had the ability to tame Land Beasts, Bedivere was able to tame Flying Beasts because of his profession.


    A Dragon Knight who could tame Dragons had a high chance of taming aerial Monsters weaker than him.


    Bedivere''s Rank would always be the same as Lux., meaning, if Lux regressed, the Dragon Knight''s Rank would also regress to the Apostle Rank.


    However, this was not a problem because Griffins were Rank 4 Monsters, which was almost the same rank as him.


    Beasts were inherently stronger than Humans, so even if they were equal in Rank, it would still take two to three Humans to subdue a Rank 4 Monster on their own, unless these Humans had very high fighting abilities that could easily overpower the difference in strength.


    Since they were in a hurry, Bedivere didn''t have the leisure of using normal means to tame the Griffins.


    Instead, Lux simply killed one of the Griffins, and used his skill, Animate Undead, to revive it, striking fear in the hearts of the Flying Beasts that they had captured.


    Those who were too prideful to be subjugated were beaten up until they could no longer move.


    Eiko then swallowed them up, making the other Griffins think that the Baby Slime had eaten their allies whole, making them more willing to ept the mark that Bedivere ced on their foreheads.


    Since their former Masters were now dead, their contract with them had expired as well, allowing Bedivere to create a new contract and allowing them to be their new allies.


    ''Having Griffins as mounts for the guild isn''t a bad idea,'' Lux thought. ''After this expedition is over, I will ask Cethus back in the Outer Reaches if there are any Griffin territories around.''


    In order to lure more Griffins to them to be subjugated, Lux and Xander put on the clothes of the dead Ammarian Scouts and rode their mounts.


    They then followed behind Bedivere, making the other Scouts that they came across think that the two Griffins were pursuing the Dragon, who was carrying Yn Soldiers on its back.


    The Griffins that had been subjugated could only look at theirrades, who had fallen into Lux''s trap, in pity because they knew what fate awaited them next.


    A dayter, a dozen Griffins were flying in the sky, in pursuit of the Wind Dragon, inciting more Scouts to join the fray.


    Lux had revived the dead Scouts and ordered them to ride their mounts, making it look like they were in hot pursuit of a single Dragon.


    By the time Lux arrived near the Yn Main Camp, the Aerial Knights of the Yn Army, which were riding Hipogriffs, immediately prepared to engage them inbat, thinking that the Ammarian Army hadunched a sneak attack from behind.


    Lux had managed to capture twenty Griffins on their trip, which was enough to make the Yn Defenders think that the Ammarian Army had sent an elite unit of Aerial Knights tounch a preemptive strike at their camp.


    After the anxious Hippogriff Riders confirmed that Lux was on their side, they allowed them to continue to their Main Camp, which surprised Einar, Keane, Val, and Malcolm, who had only arrived half a day earlier.


    Lux had summoned his clone to talk to hisrades, while his real body talked to the two Great Generals, asking them if they could give Cai a personal tent.


    Bediverended at the very rear of the Yn Camp in order to hide Cai from the eyes of Lux''srades, who carried artifacts that allowed those who were waiting outside the Domain of the Fallen see and hear what they were seeing and hearing.


    "This is not a problem," Great General Watson said with a smile. "Cai has done a wonderful job and should be treated as a VIP."


    After hearing Lux''s report on how he managed to weaken General Revon, which allowed General Carran to deal the killing blow, the two Great General''s impressions of Lux rose by a few notches.


    For an Apostle to be able to stall an enemy General, who was a Ranker, was a great achievement, which was enough to reward the Half-Elf with military medals.


    However, due to their current situation, they were unable to hold such a ceremony. They still had to prepare for the Ammarian Army that was about to attack them on two fronts.


    "We will also dedicate one of our Lady Clerics to attend to her while she is unconscious," Great General Sherlock said. "She had already done her part in this battle. The rest is up to us."


    Lux nodded her head in agreement.


    He couldn''t always be with Cai, so having someone to look after her would be a good thing.


    Although Henrietta could check up on her from time to time, she couldn''t be with her all the time because it would raise suspicions.


    Keane, who treated Cai as a close friend, waited for everyone to disperse before meeting with Lux in private.


    "Please answer me honestly. Where is Cai?" Keane asked. "Don''t tell me it died?"


    Although Keane found Cai to be very irritating at times, he also acknowledged the Boar as one of his trustedpanions who had fought life and death battles by his side.


    Aside from Lux, Cai was the only one that interacted with Keane a lot in the tournament and even invited him to their Tribe when he had no ce to go.


    Lux sighed because he knew that lying to Keane would only sour their rtionship with each other. Just like Cai, he treated Keane as a close friend, so he couldn''t treat him the way he treated Einar and the others.


    "Come with me," Lux replied and guided Keane to the rear of the Yn Camp where Cai''s tent was located.


    As soon as they entered the tent, Keane immediately saw a meter-long-boar that was sleeping sideways on some soft bedding and snoring like a pig.


    Lux was taken aback because he didn''t expect Cai to have returned to her Boar form after he left her to check on the rest of theirrades.


    "Oi, stop sleeping like a pig," Keane said as he lifted his hand to smack Cai''s head, but before he could do anything else, Lux hurriedly grabbed the skinny Swordsman''s wrist, preventing him from hurting the sleeping boar.


    "Da waaaaaaaaaaaaae!" Fei Fei red at Keane and even summoned a st Bomb in her hand, ready to throw it at the skinny Swordsman who was about to smack her Master.


    "Calm down, Fei Fei," Lux hurriedly pacified the Baby Golden Slime, who had stayed by Cai''s side while she remained unconscious. "Keane doesn''t know that Cai is hurt. If he knew, he would never hurt it."


    Keane''s body stiffened after hearing Lux''s words, which made him look at the snoring boar in shock.


    "Cai is hurt?" Keane asked. "How?"


    "It''s a long story," Lux replied. "Let''s talk about itter. Just know that Cai has been seriously injured because it saved my life when General Revon was about to kill me. I didn''t tell you guys anything because I was worried that your moods would be affected. Because of this, I waited until Cai had recovered enough to travel. I''m sorry for keeping this a secret from you."


    Keane didn''t speak for a few seconds as he digested the things that Lux had told him.


    In the end, Keane sighed and knelt beside the Boar and apologized to the disgruntled Fei Fei, who was still holding the st Bomb in her hands.


    "I''m sorry, Fei Fei," Keane said softly. "I didn''t know. You must have been very worried about it."


    Fei Fei pouted before making the st Bomb in her hands disappear. She knew that Keane was one of her Master''s closest friends, and he would never do anything to hurt her.


    However, the Golden Slime was still a baby, so she still couldn''t fully control her emotions.


    Right now, anyone who wanted to hurt Cai was her enemy, so even if Keane was her Master''s friend, she would not hesitate to attack in order to protect her Master from further harm.


    After getting Fei Fei''s forgiveness, Keane sat cross-legged beside Cai as if wanting to keep watch, while he waited until the Boar woke up.


    ''I wonder how Keane would react if he knew that Cai was actually a girl,'' Lux mused. ''I''m sure that he will be very shocked.''


    The Half-Elf didn''t have the right to divulge Cai''s secret to others, especially Keane, whom the Boar treated as a very close friend.


    Henrietta was an exception because he needed someone to take care of Cai. Although he and Cai were close, he didn''t want to do her wrong by doing things like cleaning her body while she was unconscious.


    The Half-Elf had made an exception and pushed this responsibility to Henrietta. Since Serenity was a Guild that belonged to Barbatos Academy, and their main ally in Elysium was the Wildgarde Stronghold and the Rowan Tribe, he deemed that it was safer for her to learn about Cai''s real identity than anyone else.


    This way, she could also help protect Cai''s identity from being exposed in the future.


    Now that one of Lux''s worries had been settled, he decided to send Ishtar and Lazarus to do a bit of scouting and watch the movement of their enemies, who were preparing tounch a decisive battle against them, pushing them out of their territories, so the Ammarians could reim thends that rightfully belonged to them.

 Chapter 493 Identity Of The Unknown Ranker

    ? The air inside the Main Commander''s Tent was tense as all the high-ranking officers of the Yn Army had gathered to discuss their strategy.


    Great General Sherlock had invited Lux to join them. He believed that the Half-Elf had the right to participate in their meeting.


    Lux felt quite ttered when he received an invite, but he didn''t actively participate in the discussion. He just stood in a spot where he could see the map of the battlefield on the table, where several wooden figures were ced.


    The Generals all had grim expressions on their faces when their scouts reported the estimate of how many soldiers they would be facing when morning arrived.


    "The Army led by their Great General, Gideon, should have no less than 200,000 men," The Captain of the Yn Scouts, who had risked his life and the lives of his men in order to observe the Ammarian Main Camp, reported.


    He paused for a bit before continuing his report to ensure that everyone was taking his words seriously.


    "My subordinates, who I ordered to check the Army led by General Herodes, reported that his troops numbered around 70,000. Right now, they have cut off our routes of escape, leaving us no choice but to fight them here in the Great ins or retreat to the Glouswell Forest, where we can take the narrow path that would allow us to return to the borders of our Kingdom."


    All the Generals inside the room frowned, aware of the fact that they only had 150,000 soldiers in their army.


    Even though the Ammarian Army was 200,000 men strong, they could still fend them off even despite having fewer men.


    However, since their Western nk had been breached, and an army that was estimated to number around 70,000 had blocked their path of escape to the mountains, they were in a rtively more difficult position.


    Just like the Scout Captain said, they could choose to retreat to the Glouswell Forest and withdrawpletely from the Ammarian Lands, or they could try to fight both armies, who were going to attack them from two sides.


    "If we retreat now, they will take this as an opportunity tounch a direct attack on our Kingdom," General Fahad said. "I say we stop them here and kill as many of them as possible, preventing them from eyeing our homnd for a period of time."


    General Carran looked at the map of the battlefield as he checked the position of the enemy troops, as well as their own troops.


    They had always fought against the Ammarian Army, and every time, they were outnumbered, but this time around, something different had happened.


    An unknown Ranker had joined the Ammarian Army and used a devastating attack to blow away the fortification that had been erected in the Mountains to protect their Western nk.


    In fact, they were so confident that General Hubert would be able to easily hold the line because he specialized in defense and fortress sieges. His death was truly a surprise to them because they believed that as long as the Yn General was holding their western post, the enemy could only dream of breaching their defenses.


    And yet, General Hubert was killed, and only a quarter of his army managed to escape. This made Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock very wary of the unknown Ranker who had appeared out of nowhere.


    "ording to the reports of the survivors, the one responsible for destroying most of the fortifications made by General Hubert was a Ranker who shoots ck lightning bolts from his fingers," Great General Sherlock said.


    "Also, this same Ranker had the ability to create a giant Shadow Ball, capable of mass destruction. ording to the survivors, this attack was strong enough to create a giant hole in the mountain, killing our defenders with one blow."


    When Lux heard that the opponent Ranker was able to shoot ck lightning bolts with his fingers, the image of Nero popped up inside his head.


    However, he immediately dismissed this because Nero had just be an Initiate Rank. It was impossible for him to be a Ranker in a short period of time.


    "When I asked the survivors to describe the Ranker, they said that he had long, dark-brown hair, and two bat-like wings protruding behind his back," Great General Sherlock added. "He also had two crimson horns on his head, which were the same colors as his eyes.


    "The Ranker was also wearing ck ted armor, covering most of his body, which they hadn''t seen before. I''m guessing that he just recently joined the Ammarian Army because we have no records of such a powerful individual on their side."


    The Generals as well as the Commanders nced at each other with worried looks on their faces.


    Just like their Great Generals, they had never seen someone that matched the description of the survivors who had fled the mountain to escape.


    It was at this moment when Great General Sherlock shifted his attention to the Half-Elf who had remained silent during their discussion.


    "Do you perhaps know who this person is, Lux?" Great General Sherlock asked. "Is he perhaps one of your former mercenary members?"


    Lux was about to shake his head, but the part about their enemy being able to shoot ck lightning from his fingers made him have a nagging feeling at the back of his mind.


    After organizing his thoughts, the Half-Elf held Great General Sherlock''s gaze before giving him an answer.


    "None of my previous members were Rankers," Lux replied. "However, I do know someone that can shoot ck lightning bolts from his finger. However, the rank doesn''t match. He is still of the Initiate Rank. I think he might not be the one that you are referring to."


    Great General Watson who had his arms crossed over his chest, lightly cleared his throat to catch everyone''s attention.


    "Maybe he came across a miraculous encounter," Great General Watson said. "Although it is still uncertain that he is the person you have in your mind right now, it will be better if you tell us his abilities, so that we can prepare countermeasures just in case your hunch is right.


    "Getting information about our new opponent is vital in this war. As long as we know who we are fighting against, we will not be caught by surprise, which is what happened to General Hubert."


    All the Generals shifted their attention to the Half-Elf, and thetter nodded his head, agreeing to share Nero''s information with them.


    Although he was still doubtful that the identity of the unknown Ranker was the teenager with dark-brown hair, he still couldn''t refute Great General Watson''sment about Nero having a miraculous encounter, allowing him to temporarily raise his rank to be a Ranker.


    ''If he really is capable of temporarily boosting his strength to the level of a Ranker, I''m sure that the first one he will target in the battle will be none other than me,'' Lux thought. ''I better make preparations for the worst case scenario.''


    After facing off against General Revon in the Glouswell Forest, Lux had gained insight for how he could fight against stronger enemies using all of the abilities he had at his disposal.

 Chapter 494 Do You Dare To Fight Me One On One?

    "They''re finally here," Einar said as he looked at the two massive armiesing toward them from their left and right sides.


    Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock had decided to use a tactic that would allow them to fight and retreat at the same time, killing as many Ammarian Soldiers as possible.


    Lux, who was looking at his map, frowned at the sight of countless red dots that were headed towards them like a giant wave that would wash away everything in their path.


    The Half-Elf then raised his head to look at the actual army that was represented by those dots and took a deep breath.


    Countless Griffins were flying in the sky, and War Beasts of every size marched towards their camp at a steady pace.


    Clearly, the Ammarian Army intended to use everything in their power to crush their opponents and make the Yn Kingdom understand that conquering theirnds had been a very big mistake.


    The Ammarian Kingdom had always been the conquerors.


    They had never been the defenders, and for them, wiping the Yn Army from theirnds was a way to remove the stain and humiliation of being conquered by a kingdom that was a few times smaller than theirs.


    "Are you guys ready to die?" Val asked in a teasing tone.


    Einar snorted as he looked at the Spider Boy with disdain.


    "The only one dying here will be you," Einar stated.


    Val smirked as he looked at the Barbarian Prince who seemed unfazed by the armies that were now making their way to their location.


    "Wanna make a bet?" Val inquired. "The first one to die will pay the other one million gold coins."


    "Sounds good," Einar replied with a sneer. "Since you want to give me your money so badly, I will dly ept your donation."


    "Prepare to cry, Barbarian Boy."


    "Prepare to die, Spider Boy."


    Malcolm nced at the two teenagers who were younger than him by a year with disdain. He didn''t know where their confidence wasing from, but he could tell that surviving this battle would be difficult if they fought on the front lines.


    "By the way, where is Xander?" Henrietta asked because she couldn''t see the young man anywhere.


    "He''s looking after Cai," Keane replied. "The Pig isn''t feeling well, so he decided to guard it just in case some of the others decided to cook it for lunch."


    The corner of Henrietta''s lips twitched as she looked at the skinny swordsman, whose gaze was directed at the approaching armies.


    Lux, on the other hand, couldn''t help but smile when he heard Keane''s words.


    He had forced the skinny swordsman to get a few hours of rest and let Xander look after Cai for the time being.


    The Half-Elf knew that Xander would do better, knowing he would prioritize protecting Cai''s life instead of participating in the war.


    This was how loyal the Rowan Tribe was to their Tribe Chief, as well as their High Priestess. Even if they failed their mission, Xander wouldn''t bat an eye and remain by Cai''s side until the bitter end.


    "Although it is not confirmed, there is a possibility that Nero might have found a way to temporarily be a Ranker," Lux said as he faced his team members. "I''m sure that all of you know that I am on the top of his Kill List, and you guys are in second. Jasper and the others might still be alive, and there is a high possibility that all of them are working with Nero to eliminate us.


    "Your role is to eliminate Jasper and his cohorts while I fend off Nero. Before you guys say anything, I will tell you now that I won''t be able to fight him for a long time.


    "I don''t know how high his Rank is, but if he is just as strong as Second or General Revon, then I will definitely die in his hands. So, make sure to eliminate Jasper and his team thene help me right away. Do I make myself clear?"


    Keane, Einar, Val, Henrietta, and Malcolm all nodded their heads to acknowledge Lux''s order.


    "Now this is the n. I will use myself as bait and drag Nero to..."


    Lux gave his detailed n to his teammates, and told them about the things that they should watch out for.


    Jasper had the ability to merge with the ground and move undetected, which made him a very slippery opponent.


    Since Lux would be fighting against Nero, the Half-Elf decided to leave one of his clones with Keane and the others to help them locate Jasper, should thetter and his cohorts decide to sneak attack them.


    After knowing that there was a possibility that Nero might be the one who had a hand in destroying the fortifications in the Mountain Stronghold, the Half-Elf had snuck outside of the Yn Camp and set up a battlefield that would ensure his survival under Nero''s assault while he waited for his friends to dispose of Jasper and his cohorts.


    Just as Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock were about to give their orders to prepare for battle, something unexpected happened.


    A lone person with bat-like wings fearlessly flew toward the Yn Camp and stopped hundreds of meters away from their first defensive lines.


    After taking a closer look, they noticed that it was only a teenager with long dark-brown hair that fluttered in the breeze.


    The first thing they noticed aside from his bat-like wings were the two crimson horns protruding from his head, as well as his eyes that glowed blood red.


    "Lux Von Kaizer! Come out!" Nero shouted.


    Lux didn''t recognize him right away because of the drastic changes in his appearance. However, after hearing his voice, he confirmed that the devil-like person hovering in the sky was none other than Nero, who had a grudge against him.


    Lux coated his entire body with the Favonius Legacy, which allowed him to fly, and flew above the Yn Camp, facing Nero who now reeked with the smell of Abyssal Monsters.


    "So you fell into the corruption of the Abyss," Lux said before crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"


    Nero calmly gazed at the person whom he wanted to kill the most. With his current strength, he could easily crush the Half-Elf in an instant, but he didn''t do that because he wanted to see despair on the Half-Elf''s face before he gave him the killing blow.


    Also, he knew that Henrietta had an artifact that allowed the Headmaster of Barbatos to see and hear what she was seeing and hearing. Since that was the case, he was confident that Iris was also able to view the war through Henrietta''s eyes.


    He wanted her to witness the moment when he crushed the Half-Elf''s heart and tore Lux''s head from his body. Because of this, he was able to endure the strong urge to attack the Half-Elf this instant.


    "When the war starts, do you dare to fight me one on one?" Nero asked with a sneer. "Or do you n to hide behind those Rankers down there to protect you?"


    Lux was tempted to give Nero the middle finger because of how shameless he was. Right now, the Guildmaster of the Storm Dragon''s Guild was a Ranker, yet he was challenging the Half-Elf whose rank had degraded to that of an Apostle.


    "I guess your shame also disappeared the moment you lost to the seed of corruption in your heart," Lux replied.


    Nero shrugged off Lux''s words because, for him, it didn''t really matter whether the Half-Elf epted his challenge or not. He just wanted everyone to see that he was no longer the same person who had lost to Lux in the Tournament that was held a few months ago.


    "So, do you dare to ept or not?" Nero asked again. "It doesn''t really matter what your answer will be. I''ll crush you and the Yn Army together if that is what you want."


    Right now, he was oozing with confidence. Even though he was only hundreds of meters away from the Yn Camp, he showed no fear because he had the ability to escape anytime he wanted.


    "You''ve already lost to me twice," Lux replied in a teasing tone. "First in the tournament, and second in the Marsnds. You were an Initiate and yet you ran away after fighting me, an apostle, in a fistfight. Since you can''t beat me in the Initiate Rank, you are hoping that you can beat me as a Ranker. Nero, do you even have the face to show yourself to the people of the Six Kingdoms?"


    Contrary to his expectations, Nero didn''t have an angry reaction. In fact, the devil-like young man even chuckled after hearing Lux''s words.


    "True, I lost to you twice." Nero nodded to acknowledge Lux''s words. "But, what of it? In the end, thest one standing is King. When this battle ends, the only thing that everyone will remember is that I am the winner, and you are the loser."


    "You talk too much," Lux stated. "If you want to fight then let''s fight. Since you are the one that challenged me, I will choose the time and ce where we will fight. Are you fine with that?"


    Nero nodded. "I don''t mind. Consider it as me being generous to you."


    "Good, when the sun is at its peak, meet me over there." Lux pointed in the direction that was a distance away from where the two armies were going to fight. "We will have our duel there."


    Nero shifted his gaze in the direction where the Half-Elf was pointing before giving Lux a brief nod.


    "Very well," Nero replied. "Let''s use the first sh of both armies as a warm up for our duel. Make sure that you don''t die before I kill you."


    Nero turned around to fly in the direction of the Ammarian Camp.


    Since the Half-Elf had already agreed to duel with him, he would just kill some time by watching the battle between the two sides.


    Even if he didn''t lend his hand, Nero was sure that the Ammarian Army still had the advantage in the battle. Now that he had the power to tilt the tide of battle in his favor, he believed that everything was within the palm of his hands.


    That included the Half-Elf, whom he thought was stupid for epting his one-sided proposal despite the vast difference between their ranks.

 Chapter 495 What A Disgusting Strategy [Part 1]

    "Everyone, prepare for battle!" General Fahadmanded.


    In a moment, they would be facing off against General Herodes'' Army, which would attack them from the rear.


    Since their manpower was limited, Great General Sherlock could only give him 30,000 men to face off against General Herodes'' 70,000 army.


    The remaining 120,000 soldiers of the Yn Army would face off against the Ammarian Main Army, which numbered a little over 200,000 soldiers.


    After Nero''s challenge, Lux came looking for Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock to propose a strategy that he thought would be the best way to deal massive damage to the Ammarian Army.


    In truth, the two highestmanding officers of the Yn Army had already made a strategy against their enemies. However, after hearing Lux''s proposal, both of them thought that this was indeed a brilliant n, and although the price they had to pay was high, they immediately called for an emergency strategy meeting, summoning all of themanding officers of the Yn Army.


    After hearing Lux''s proposal the other Generals, Commanders, and Captains, had bitter expressions on their faces, but understood that this was all for the greater good. Since they were fighting a war where the fate of their Nation hung in the bnce, they couldn''t be too picky with the methods used for the battle.


    Truth be told, Lux didn''t have any intention of using this strategy at the beginning, but since Nero wanted to fight, and the Ammarian Army wouldn''t show them any mercy, he decided to go all out and devastate his enemies.


    He would show them that even though he was only an Apostle, he was an Apostle that could make the impossible happen.


    Also, the Half-Elf wasn''t really that scared of his duel with Nero because of one simple reason.


    Right now, Nero had fallen into the corruption of the Abyss, and that meant...


    ''We''ll see if you can still act cockyter,'' Lux sneered at Nero, who was hovering above the Ammarian Army, as if he was the one leading them to battle.


    Great General Gideon, who wasmanding the Main Army, looked at the Ynians who had taken a defensive stance and raised his arm.


    "Advance!" Great General Gideonmanded and the Ammarian Army moved as one.


    Nero, who was hovering above them, simply crossed his arms over his chest. He nned to watch the battle from above, like a nobleman looking down on a circus troupe that was there to entertain him.


    "Steady!" Great General Watson ordered when he finally saw the enemy army move.


    The archers had nocked their arrows on their bows, while the magicians started chanting.


    General Carran, who was mounted on a giant ck bear, was at the very front of the Yn Army, raising their morale, and driving away the fear in their hearts.


    The strongest General of the Yn Army looked at the approaching Ammarians with a calm expression on his face. After hearing Lux''s n, he couldn''t help butugh in his heart because their enemies would definitely be surprised at the gift that he prepared just for them.


    The Generals knew that sacrifices were needed to win this war, so they no longer hesitated and agreed to Lux''s n, even though it went against their morals.


    "I''m sure they will understand," General Carran muttered. "This is for the good of the Yn Kingdom."


    When the Main army started moving, General Herodes'' army also moved in order to attack the rear of the Yn Army.


    "Kill them!" General Herodes shouted as he pointed his sword in front of him. "Show them the might of the Ammarian Kingdom!"


    ""Kill!""


    ""Kill!""


    ""Kill!""


    The loud chants of the Ammarian Army reverberated in the battlefield as they marched onwards, boosting their morale, and making the ground tremble under their feet.


    Great General Sherlock and General Fahad narrowed their eyes as their enemies came within firing range.


    However, they still didn''t order their archers and mages to attack. Both of them deemed that it was still too early to attack, and doing so would not give them the oue that they were looking for.


    Only when the Ammarian Army was five hundred meters away from them did the two Generals give the order to attack.


    "Open Fire!" Great General Sherlock shouted.


    "Kill!" General Fahad ordered.


    Immediately after that, countless arrows and spells rained down the Ammarian Army, who had deployed their barriers to protect themselves from the deadly barrage that was meant to decrease their numbers.


    While this was happening, the Griffins and Hippogriff Riders shed in the sky, making a different kind of rain fall towards the ground, dyeing it with the color of blood.


    The attacks continued, but the Ammarian Army only suffered minimal casualties, as some of the barriers protecting them broke apart after repeated bombardment.


    Second had used a simr tactic back in the Marsnds, and seeing that the Yn Generals were unfazed about what was happening, Lux assumed that this was a standard strategy of the Ammarian Army.


    As the enemies inched closer to their front lines, General Carran raised his spear high up in the air, and the archers immediately retreated.


    The men behind them stepped forward and nted their giant shields firmly on the ground, while their spears pointed outwards.


    This formation was called the Phnx Formation.


    It was an ancient battle formation back on Earth, but here in Elysium, it was a standard military formation, allowing both attack and defense at the same time.


    "Brace!" General Carran ordered as the heavy cavalry of the Ammarian Army advanced towards them.


    Just like a wave hitting a cliff, the Ynians held strong as the mounts of their enemies were stabbed by their sharp spears, making their riders fall forward face-first into the wall of sharp spears that were waiting for them.


    The first, second, and third wave of soldiers was easily dealt with, but not the fourth wave.


    Using the corpses of their inrades as stepping stones, the Ammarian Army was able to break past the blockade, and engaged the Yn Army in closebat.


    General Carran found himself facing off against two Rankers, who were hell-bent on preventing him from helping his men.


    "It will be my honor to take your head today, General Carran," one of the two Ammarian Rankers said. "I will disy it in our family''s residence as a trophy and keep it as our family heirloom."


    "That is if you kill him first," the second Ranker said. "If I kill him, I will be keeping his head."


    "Fine. May the best man win."


    "Make sure you don''t change your mindter."


    General Carran remained silent as he looked at his two opponents with a calm expression on his face.


    Unlike his two opponents, he had no time for nonsense and was simply waiting for their next course of action.


    Fifteen minutes after the two sides shed, the sound of a horn spread across the battlefield. This was the retreat signal from the Yn Army.


    "Retreat!" General Carran ordered before using a powerful attack to blow away the two Rankers that were facing off against him.


    He then immediately retreated alongside his men to initiate the second phase of their n.


    After seeing the Vanguard of the Yn Army retreat, the Ammarians shouted their war cries and chased after them. However, a barrage of arrows rained down on them, forcing them to defend themselves, stopping them in their tracks.


    As General Carran and the Vanguards retreated, they ran past several clerics, who were busy chanting a spell.


    When thest Yn Soldier went past them, the Clerics immediately summoned barriers in front of them, preventing the Ammarian Army from continuing their pursuit.


    "Mages, destroy it," General Herodes raised his hand and countless mages hurled their powerful spells against the barriers, who were getting in their way.


    Just like other soldiers, the Clerics also retreated after summoning their barriers. The barriers they put up were only a temporary one, and weren''t meant tost.


    Its purpose was only to give their side precious minutes to regroup with their main army as it slowly retreated towards the East, just as they nned earlier.


    As the barriers broke one by one, the Ammarian Army surged forward like a swarm of locusts, who had no intention of letting the Yn Army escape them.


    It was at this moment when Lux, and Eiko, alongside their clones, activated their trump card at the same time.


    """Corpse Explosion!"""


    """Boom Boom!"""


    Immediately a shower of blood erupted from everywhere in the battlefield as Lux''s deadly skill started its one-sided massacre.


    Great General Gideon who saw this, immediately ordered the spell casters to erect barriers to prevent the deadly corpse explosions from spreading.


    However, they were simply too far from the vanguard, and by the time the barriers were erected, thousands of their men had already been killed in the span of half a minute.


    The two Rankers then found themselves isted from their main army, because all of the men behind them had perished due to the surprise attack that Lux hadunched.


    This time, the Half-Elf didn''t hesitate and detonated the dead bodies of the Ammarians, as well the Yn Soldiers, who fought bravely to protect their kingdom.


    Great General Gideon, as well as the other Generals were well aware of Lux''s ability. They just didn''t expect that he would use it in this manner.


    The two Rankers exchanged a nce at each other and were about to run back to their Main Army when they felt a very powerful force pull them towards the Yn Army in the distance.


    Nero, who was paying close attention to the war, arched an eyebrow after seeing this scene.


    He knew that Lux had this kind of ability, and found it very annoying. Depending on the circumstances, this skill could easily break the momentum of the Half-Elf''s enemy, allowing the red-headed teenager to take advantage of his enemies'' "taunted" state.

 Chapter 496 What A Disgusting Strategy [Part 2]

    "Sh*t!" one of the Rankres said through gritted teeth as his feet skidded on the ground, trying to fight the strong pull that had taken hold of his body.


    Even so, the force was simply too powerful to resist.


    With their Main Army erecting barriers to prevent the spread of the Corpse Explosion Skill, no reinforcements woulde to save the two of them.


    The two Rankers red angrily at Lux''s Fortress Defender and Jade Golem who stood in the distance.


    "Damn you!" one of the Rankers shouted as he turned into a fireball and charged in Orion''s direction, who had already taken a fighting pose to receive his attack.


    The other Ranker did the same, but he headed towards Pazuzu.


    After mastering the art of Duel [EX], and dying several times because of it, the Fortress Defender and the Jade Golem had created a strategy that would prevent them from dying, which they had shared with their Master, Lux.


    As soon as the two Rankers exchanged blows with the Half-Elf''s two Named Creatures, Lux immediately summoned the two of them to his side, preventing them from dying.


    Pazuzu and Orion both had the skill, Guts, which prevented them from dying from a single attack.


    As soon as their health started to decrease rapidly, the Half-Elf summoned them to his side, and initiated the second part of his n, which made the two Rankers cough up blood due to how shameless it was.


    Lux''s two Clones also activated Duel [EX] forcing the two Rankers to charge at them, while they were standing in front of the Yn Army.


    "T-Time out!" one of the Rankers shouted in fear when he saw Great General Watson and General Carran move to intercept the two of them at the same time.


    The other Ranker also shouted in desperation, but unlike hisrade, thetter tried to use a life saving artifact that could allow him to escape this deadly sh.


    But, before he could activate it, Asmodeus'' Death Tyrant, Morpheus, shot a Petrification Ray at the Ranker''s hand, turning it to stone.


    "Nice one, Morpheus," Lazarus, said as he hovered beside the Death Tyrant who was very pleased with himself.


    Both of them were floating Skulls, and the two were like kindred brothers-in-arms who immediately hit it off as soon as they met each other.


    Morpheus gave an eerie chuckle, which was enough to give the Vanguard of the Yn Army goosebumps due to how unworldly itsughter was.


    The two Rankers did their best to defend themselves, but since their bodies weren''t cooperating with them, Great General Watson''s sword and General Carran''s spear found their marks.


    The Great General managed to cut off one of the Ranker''s arms, which was holding his life saving artifact that had turned to stone.


    General Carran, on the other hand, managed to stab his spear through the other Ranker''s chest, making thetter cough up blood.


    What surprised Great General Watson, and General Carran was the fact that after the two received serious injuries, they didn''t stop to charge towards the clones of the Half-Elf, who were being protected by two more Rankers, who served as Great General Sherlock''s bodyguard.


    Two blood curdling screams filled with unwillingness spread along the side of the Yn Army as the two Rankers were attacked by the powerful fighters of the Yn Army, who made sure that both of them wouldn''t be able to leave alive.


    "What a shame," Asmodeus said with a sigh. "Those were two fine specimens. These Yn punks don''t know when to hold back."


    The Archlich liked to collect the bodies of strong individuals to experiment on.


    Although he could use Animate Undead to turn them into his minions, he wanted to have their bodies intact as much as possible.


    Half a minuteter, the two Rankers dead bodies, which had been mutted by their attackers, dropped on the ground.


    Asmodeus reluctantly collected their bodies before joining the retreat of the Yn Army, who had managed to distance themselves from their enemies, who were too anxious to pursue them.


    There were still many dead bodies that were blocking their way, and they were afraid that if they went near them, the Half-Elf would detonate them, starting a new wave of terror that already gripped their hearts.


    Meanwhile, General Fahad, who had lost nearly five thousand soldiers, also retreated. He did his best to fend off General Herodes'' Army for as long as he could, allowing Lux to carry out his n.


    Although he had lost many men, his opponents also suffered the same in order to prevent the Main Army from getting attacked from behind, while they retreated after fending off General Herodes'' Army for as long as he could.


    Asmodeus'' two clones, who were stationed on his side, also used the skill, Corpse Explosion, which killed a quarter of the Ammarian Army, forcing General Herodes to give an order to stop their pursuit of the fleeing Ynians, who had created a strategy that would grant mutual destruction to both sides.


    "What a disgusting strategy." Great General Gideon spat on the ground as he looked at the retreating army in the distance. "Mages, burn those bodies until nothing is left!"


    "G-General?" The Commander of the Mages in the Army looked at their Great General in shock. "B-But our soldiers'' bodies are mixed up with them. Can we spare them?"


    "No," Great General Gideon replied firmly. "It is better that we dispose of them using our own means, than have those bodies explode right under our noses."


    "B-But, General��" the Commander of the Mages wasn''t able to finish his words because his body froze when Great General Gideon''s eyes, filled with killing intent,nded on his body.


    Great General Gideon narrowed his eyes as he stared down the Commander who dared to oppose his orders.


    "Obey your orders, Soldier," Great General Gideon growled in a voice that was as cold as ice. "Or else, I will let your body burn alongside the dead. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Y-Yes, General!" The Commander immediately moved into action and ordered his subordinates to set the dead bodies in front of them aze, until only ashes were left.


    Nero, who watched the battle from start to finish frowned. Although he hadn''t joined the battle earlier, he had seen first hand what the Half-Elf was capable of doing.


    "What do you think? Will you need help in dealing with that pesky Half-Elf?"


    A yful voice reached Nero''s ears, and thetter''s frown deepened.


    "No need," Nero replied. "I can take care of him myself."


    "Are you sure about that?" the silver-haired man''s voice asked inside Nero''s head. "The way I see it, he will give you a lot of trouble in your duel."


    "They are just petty tricks," Nero replied. "In the face of absolute strength, all of his schemes are meaningless."


    Augh filled with amusement echoed inside Nero''s head for a few seconds before disappearingpletely.


    For some reason, the brown-haired teenager sensed a faint tone of ridicule in his benefactor''sughter, which made him subconsciously clench his fist because the Half-Elf he wanted to duel with had once again shown that he was someone that shouldn''t be underestimated.

 Chapter 497 Do You Have A Chance Of Victory?

    The Yn Army knew that if they stayed any longer on the Great ins, they would end up cornered sooner orter, so they had decided to retreat from the very start.


    Aware that they wouldn''t be able to retrieve the bodies of their countrymen once they did that, they decided to follow through with Lux''s ns to use their corpses as fuel for his Corpse Explosion.


    Although this was something they didn''t want to see happen, they believed that their countrymen would be happy if their remains had been used to protect their Kingdom.


    "As expected, they had no ns to pursue us right away," Great General Sherlock said as he gazed in the distance.


    "They''re busy burning the bodies of the dead from a safe distance as a precaution against Lux''s ability," Great General Watsonmented. "Still, it won''t be long before they make their move."


    Great General Sherlock nodded.


    They had already prepared for this oue.


    Before the war started, he had sent two thousand of his men to build a makeshift camp that they would retreat to, which was only five miles away from the Great ins.


    At least, with this arrangement, they wouldn''t have someone attacking them from behind, and they could use all of their forces to face the Ammarian Army head-on.


    After arriving at the make-shift camp, the rest of the Yn Army immediately helped to finish the temporary fortifications for the uing sh against their enemies.


    "We''ve lost around 15,000 men," Great General Watson stated as the Generals, Commanders, and Captains of their army met up to discuss the next stage of their n. "The Ammarians lost three times more than that, but they still outnumber us almost two to one."


    Great General Sherlock nodded. "Now that they know what Lux is truly capable of, they will do their best to prevent it from happening again."


    The two Great Generals as well as the othermanding officers, nced at the Half-Elf who was standing in the corner of the tent. Because of him, they were able to retreat safely and deal a bitter blow to their enemies.


    "If it was me leading the Ammarian Army, I would definitely eliminate Lux first," General Carran said while giving the Half-Elf a steady gaze. ''I hate to admit it, but General Revon made the right decision when he tried to kill Lux back then. This brat is more of a threat than me on the battlefield.''


    General Carran had asked General Revon back then why he chose Lux over him, and the General''s response was...


    "Do you really not know the answer, or are you just pretending not to know?"


    Even as he was dying, General Revon was firm that the one who would decide the oue of the war was not the Great Generals, but an Apostle Necromancer, who had the power over the dead.


    "If I was Great General Gideon, I would simply wait for Lux to be defeated by that devil-like Ranker who issued him a challenge," General Fahadmented. "Lux, I hate to say this, but right now, you are our main deterrence against the Ammarian Army. If possible, I ask you to not honor that unfair duel.


    "I didn''t know what fortuitous encounter your ex-mercenary member had when he left your side, but right now, he is an E-Ranker, who has fighting ability that matches a D-Ranker''s. It is simply impossible for you to win against him."


    Lux smiled after hearing General Fahad''s words.


    The Yn General was a D-Ranker at its peak, which was slightly weaker than Second, who was a C-Ranker in its initial Stages.


    Even he, who was a D-Ranker, acknowledged Nero''s current strength, who had challenged Lux to a one-on-one duel.


    "I agree with General Fahad," General Carran stated. "No one here will judge you if you chose to not honor your duel with that brat named Nero. I''m sure that even the enemy Generals don''t expect you to show up. Right now, they all want to see you dead, and this is a good opportunity to do that. As long as you die in the hands of that devil, nothing will stop them from reiming theirnds."


    General Carran knew that if the Ammarian Army decided to advance straight to the Yn Kingdom''s borders, they would be hard-pressed to defend it.


    "While it is true that not honoring the agreement will keep me somewhat safe, it will not solve our problems," Lux replied in a firm voice. "The reason why we were able to retreat safely is because Nero didn''t join the battle. ording to the reports of the survivors under themand of General Hubert, Nero yed a crucial role in destroying their fortifications, and allowing the Ammarian Army to advance.


    "If I don''t face him, he will certainly join the battle and we will be hard pressed to fight against a Ranker who can fly in the sky. I have fought against him twice, and I can tell you that he is not only strong, but very cunning as well. Right now, his confidence is at its peak because of his current Rank.


    "I believe that he will not kill me instantly, but slowly torture me to get revenge for the defeats he suffered from me in the past. That mentality of his is perfect for what I have in mind. Believe me when I say that although it is difficult, the one who will have thestugh between us is not yet set in stone."


    Great General Watson frowned after hearing Lux''s words. He could hear a certain amount of confidence from the Half-Elf''s tone, which made him wonder if it was really possible for a Grade-A Apostle to fight against an E-Ranker, whose fighting strength was equal to that of a D-Ranker.


    "Lux, my boy, let me ask you this question," Great General Sherlock crossed his arms together and gave the Half-Elf a solemn gaze. "Do you have a chance of victory?"


    Lux didn''t hesitate and nodded his head.


    "I do," Lux replied. "I have already made preparations. Nero''s current strength will be the source of his own downfall."


    A sigh escaped the Gnome''s lips because he could tell that Lux was very serious about fighting against Nero.


    "Very well." Great General Sherlock nodded. "If you defeat him, and we win this war, I will give you a Legendary Item."


    The Half-Elf''s body stiffened after hearing General Sherlock''s words. He didn''t expect that the Great General of the Yn Kingdom would offer him a Legendary Item as a reward if he won against the bastard who had hated him since they had met in Wildgarde Stronghold many years ago.


    "I will do my best," Lux replied.


    A few hourster, the Ammarian Army and the Yn Army once again faced each other, but this time, Great General Gideon didn''t give his men the order to attack.


    Instead, Nero, who didn''t join the battle earlier, hovered between the two armies and called out to Lux to start their battle at an earlier time.


    "No need to wait for noon to arrive," Nero stated. "Let''s fight now, Lux. Or are you going to tell me that you''re backing out?"


    Lux rose up from the Yn Army and stared at Nero, who had transformed into a devil under the corruption of the Seed of the Abyss.


    "Why would I back out?" Lux asked. "It''s not everyday that I''m given an opportunity to use a Ranker''s face to wipe the floor. If you want to fight, then let''s fight."


    "Good," Nero replied. "But, I have one more condition. Bring Henrietta with you. No, bring all of your allies with you. I don''t mind if all of you work together to fight against me."


    "Sure," Lux replied. "But, bring yourckeys with you as well. It''s about time we end this once and for all."


    The corner of Nero''s lips rose before ncing in the direction where Jasper and the other survivors of the different factions were.


    "You heard him," Nero stated. "All of you are going to follow us as well."


    For him, this was the perfect opportunity to let all of the Factions watching outside the Domain of the Fallen to see how formidable he was. He didn''t care if they would think badly of him for bullying a Grade A Apostle when he was already a Ranker.


    What he wanted from them was recognition of his strength, which would open up new opportunities for him in the future.


    Nero also wanted Iris to see Lux''s desperation, as well as his sorry state after her beloved Half-Elf suffered under his hands. This was his revenge for everything that had happened back in the tournament, and he would make sure that the Half-Elf would have a very slow and painful death.


    After both sides had stated their conditions, the Half-Elf flew Eastwards.


    Nero and hisckeys all followed him, while Keane and the others weren''t far behind.


    After many twists and turns, the Factions that were originally meant to work with each other to clear the dungeon, were now at each other''s throats.


    Although their reunion was something that none of them wanted, all of them understood that it was time to eliminate their rivals as soon as possible.

 Chapter 498 I’m A Necromancer. We Don’t Do One-On-One [Part 1]

    Nero''s Master, Rainer, had been wearing a frown on his face after he first saw his Disciple ever since thetter broke the artifact that allowed them to see and hear whatever he was seeing and hearing.


    Thest time they saw Nero was when he was about to face off against Lux.


    Everyone in Wildgarde Stronghold was now fully aware about the bad blood between him and the Half-Elf, who was currently in the limelight.


    Truth be told, Rainer was long worried that the pent up jealousy, envy, and hate that Nero held towards Lux would hasten the growth of the Seed of the Abyss in his heart, which would lead to the corruption of his mind.


    However, a nce was enough to tell him that although Nero had fully embraced the Seed of the Abyss in his heart, he was still sane and was able to make rational decisions.


    This was very different from the time that Lux had lost control over the power of the Abyss in his heart when Eiko was killed. Back then, the Half-Elf had lost all sense of reason, and the only thing on his mind was to kill those who dared to kill the Baby Slime, who had treated him as her Papa.


    ''Nero, just what happened to you?'' Rainer didn''t know if he should be happy or not after seeing his disciple''s current form.


    Although Nero was still in control of his body and seemed to be thinking properly, he was still worried that this might just be a temporary thing.


    If Nero had truly transformed into an Abyssal Creature, then he would no longer be treated as a Human, but an enemy that they would have to deal with when he returned from the Sacred Dungeon.


    Gerald and Natasha also hadplicated looks on their faces. Nero was a prodigy that belonged to their Faction, and seeing him like this made them feel bitter inside.


    ''In the end, you still kept your grudge against Lux,'' Gerald thought. ''As for what happens next, we will just wait until this mission ends.''


    Natasha, who served as the healer of Wildgarde Stronghold, understood that it would be extremely hard to revert Nero back to what he was before the Seed of the Abyss had taken hold of his body.


    Although there were cases where people had managed to ovee the power of the Seed of Darkness, those that had seeded could only be counted with the fingers of one hand. That was how difficult it was to remove the hold of the Abyss on a person''s heart once the Seed had fully grown.


    The other Factions whose representatives were on Nero''s side were feeling hopeful that they might be able to win the war. They didn''t really care what happened to Nero afterwards as long as their representatives cleared their mission.


    Aron, who was the right-hand man of Emperor Andreas, looked at the devil-like teenager with great curiosity.


    He could tell that Nero was an ambitious person, and this was someone that he would like to pull to their side if possible, if not for the fact that the youth had now transformed into an Abyssal Creature.


    ''Unfortunately, he had been corrupted by the Abyss.'' Aron sighed in his heart. ''Such a waste.''


    Truth be told, the main reason why Aron felt a strong urge to get Nero to their side was his hatred towards Lux.


    Just like the devil-like teenager, Emperor Andreas had also started to think that it was better if the Half-Elf was disposed of in order to nip the bud of a future hindrance and keep it from growing. Aron had the same thought, and this desire to eliminate the Half-Elf had only grown stronger after seeing how formidable thetter was inrge-scale battles.


    Wars weren''t fought in one-on-one battles like tournaments. It was a fight between armies, and Lux''s Corpse Explosion skill was a very disgusting ability that each side would want to have.


    A few minutester, everyone outside the Domain of the Fallen saw the Half-Elfnding on the ground, which was the location that he had chosen to fight against Nero.


    Neronded hundreds of meters away from the Half-Elf with his arms crossed over his chest.


    The two only stared at each other, and waited for their allies to arrive.


    The Half-Elf wasn''tfortable facing off against Nero when Jasper and the others were there to potentially "sneak attack him", while he was busy fighting against a Ranker.


    In order to prevent that from happening, he needed Keane and the others to protect his back, while he focused all of his attention on the Abyssal Monster in front of him.


    Several minutester, Jasper and his team arrived. They didn''t stand beside Nero and simply went to a ce where they would not be hit by stray attacks that could potentially harm or even kill them.


    Keane and the others arrived shortly after, and just like Jasper and the others, they also looked for a ce where they could watch the battle safely.


    Einar and Jasper gave each other a brief nce before shifting their gaze back to Lux and Nero.


    The two temporary leaders didn''t intend on simply watching Lux and Nero fight.


    They wanted to eliminate each other as well, so that they would have the upper hand in the war when it resumedter.


    "Everyone''s here," Nero said. "Let''s start. Are you now ready to die, Lux?"


    The Half-Elf didn''t reply and simply covered his arms with dragon scales and took a fighting stance.


    Seeing that he didn''t n on replying, Nero smirked and pped his wings to fly high in the sky. A momentter, the devil-like teenager dove toward the ground with a sneer as he pulled his arm back to punch the Half-Elf, and break the bones in his body.


    Lux remained standing, and didn''t move from his position.


    When Nero was only a few meters away from him, his body stiffened because he suddenly felt a strong pulling forceing from his right side.


    This brief pause was enough for Lux to take action, so he immediately crossed the gap between them and delivered a punch to his enemy''s face.


    Nero forced himself to dodge to the side, while fighting the effect of the Duel [EX] that Pazuzu had cast on his body.


    Lux''s punch grazed Nero''s face, but he had already prepared for such a scenario.


    A momentter, a Dragon Breath mmed against Nero''s body, making thetter grunt and skid on the ground for several meters beforeing to aplete stop.


    At that moment, the effect of Duel [EX] suddenly disappeared, and Nero once again regained control of his body, which surprised Lux who had orchestrated the attack.


    This was the first time it happened, and it made the Half-Elf wonder if an Abyssal Creature had a certain resistance to his tried and tested taunting skill that had helped him face off against strong opponents in the past.


    "Such a troublesome skill." The silver-haired man who was watching the battle from a great distance chuckled. "We can''t have that, can we now?"


    Earlier, he had snapped his fingers to break the effect of Pazuzu''s taunt skill, which he deemed was a very troublesome ability in one-on-one battles.


    Naturally, Nero and Lux weren''t aware that someone was interfering in their battles, and both teenagers thought that the Seed of the Abyss was the one responsible for negating the effects of Pazuzu''s Duel [EX].


    Nero, who had been hit by the Dragon Breath of Eiko''s clone, hurriedly pped his wings to distance himself from the Half-Elf who had sessfully dealt the first strike in his body.


    He was too confident in his strength that he thought that he could brush away all the Half-Elf''s attacks with ease.


    But, the Dragon Breath that he had managed to barely block earlier left a sting in his soul, which made him remember that he wasn''t the only one on the battlefield who had the power of the Abyss, which resided at the deepest part of their heart.

 Chapter 499 I’m A Necromancer. We Don’t Do One-On-One [Part 2]

    "Does it hurt?" Lux asked with a sneer. "It hurts, right?"


    "Not as much as the pain you will feel after I''m done with you," Nero replied in a heartbeat.


    The devil-like teenager then hurled several ck lightning bolts at the Half-Elf, who immediately summoned several Bone Walls to block its path.


    These bone walls immediately shattered to pieces, but the lightning bolts failed to hit their target because the Half-Elf was no longer in the ce where he originally stood.


    Lux had changed his armor to the armor that he had prepared for the tournament when he fought against Nero in the past.


    It was none other than Lux''s Dragon Regalia, which allowed him to use the skills, Lightning Strider, that would allow him to instantly teleport to any ce within a twenty-meter radius around him, and Improved Lightning Reflexes, which enhanced the speed of his movements, allowing him to dodge and execute maneuvers that required fast movement.


    His armor and these two skills allowed him to go toe-to-toe with the young man who had the power to control ck lightning bolts at will.


    "Coward, fight me one-on-one if you dare!" Nero shouted.


    "Yeah, no," Lux replied while giving Nero the middle finger. "I''m a Necromancer. We don''t do one-on-one."


    When the Half-Elf summoned the Bone Walls earlier, he had also summoned his other Named Creatures at the same time, allowing them to position themselves throughout the battlefield.


    Orion pointed his finger at Nero, and used his skill Duel [EX], prompting thetter to attack him.


    This time around, the skill connected, and Nero used his incredible speed to reappear in front of the Jade Golem to deliver a powerful blow on its body.


    But, at that exact moment, a devilish smirk appeared on Eiko''s face, whose head was barely poking out of the ground.


    A momentter, the ground under Nero''s feet cracked as countless st Bombs exploded at the same time, engulfing him in a fiery ze.


    When Lux had summoned the Bone Walls earlier, he ordered Eiko to go hide underground.


    The Baby Slime obeyed and used her Dig skill, so that she wouldn''t be killed by their opponent.


    Eiko''s other clones were also underground and were creating small tunnels, allowing them to travel from one point to another without much difficulty.


    It was Eiko''s clone that had used a Dragon Breath earlier to hit Nero.


    Although Nero seemed well on the surface, he wasn''t unscathed from the Dragon Breath that collided with his body, despite having managed to block it at thest second.


    The reason behind this was simple.


    Eiko was able to copy Lux''s abilities, and among the skills she copied was her Papa''s Abyss''s Touch [EX].


    This skill dealt 200% more damage against Abyssal Monsters, which made Lux very confident that he would be able to fight against Nero because all of his attacks were "super effective" against his enemy.


    A momentter, Lux heard a pained shout, which was like music to his ears.


    He had already summoned Orion to his side to prevent the Jade Golem from dying. Although his Named Creature was a Revenger, he didn''t like to see him die every time he appeared on the battlefield.


    Besides, Orion could help him better if he was alive rather than if he was dead.


    After seeing that her n had worked, the Baby Slime hid underground once more and, with her two clones, began to create several st Bombs in order to prepare for their next attack on the very cocky Ranker, who was about to experience a world of pain from the power of Lux''s Abyssal Touch [EX].


    The silver-haired man who saw this from far away pinched the bridge of his nose because he didn''t know whether he should continue to interfere with the battle or not.


    He had already helped Nero once, which was something he shouldn''t have done in a one-on-one duel.


    Nero was already a Ranker, and his opponent was an Apostle, but the Half-Elf''s way of fighting had improved by leaps and bounds after gambling with his life in a fight against General Revon.


    It was during that battle when Lux truly felt the power of the Necromancer ss, which allowed him to fight with everything he had.


    "This isn''t a one-on-one battle," Jasper stated as he looked at Nero who had flown up into the sky after suffering an injury from the trap that Lux hadid out for him.


    "It definitely isn''t," Einar replied as he took out his War Axe from his storage ring in preparation to fight against Jasper and his team, along with his own teammates. "The moment Nero challenged Lux to a one-on-one battle, he should have taken this into ount. A Necromancer doesn''t fight alone. It has been one against many from the very start."


    Jasper nodded his head in agreement as he took two swords out of his storage ring.


    "Well then, shall we start?" Jasper asked as he pointed his sword towards Einar.


    It was now time for them to settle their differences with each other as well.


    "Let''s," Einar replied with a fearless smirk. "Right now, I feel like I can beat an Initiate."


    Jasper snorted. "Dream on, you''re not Lux."


    "That, I''m not," Einar took a step forward as he held the War Axe Firmly in his hands. "I''m more handsome than him."


    Diablo, who was standing beside the Barbarian Prince, gave Einar a side-long nce before shifting his gaze back to his Master.


    The Death Knight was very tempted to tell the Barbarian that he should take a good look in the mirror before saying that he was more handsome than his Master.


    However, since both of them were on the same side, he would just pretend that he didn''t hear Einar''s words, and simply focused his attention on the battle that was happening in the distance.


    Lux had a reason why he didn''t ask Diablo to participate in the battle.


    His Death Knight had a more important duty to do, and he would do it to ensure that his Master woulde out of his battle victorious.

 Chapter 500 Time For Round Two. Come Here, You Bastard! [Part 1]

    Jasper''s team and Einar''s team started to duke it out with each other, which made the Factions who were watching outside the gate of Domain of the Fallen sigh in dissatisfaction.


    Originally, all of them wanted to have the teenagers work together andplete the mission as one team, but due to a conflict of interest, all of them were at each other''s throats now.


    Even those who initially believed that Nero would allow their representatives to breeze through the final battle found themselves dumbfounded about the fact that an Apostle could fight against a Ranker, even able to push thetter back.


    This was something that never happened in the past, and they didn''t think it was possible.


    "This is why those idiots from noble families fall short. They''ve only attained their Ranks through the use of their family''s resources," one of the Representatives from the Xynnar War Pactined. "When faced with a person of equal rank, they are simply cannon fodders who can''t even do anything!"


    "True. But, he is now a Ranker and, this time, his opponent is just an Apostle," a member of the Skystead Alliance. "Is he that ipetent? I mean, I can understand if his opponent was also a Ranker. But an Apostle? You gotta be kidding me."


    The member of the Skystead Alliance then nced in the direction of Gerald, Rainer, and Anastasia and sneered.


    "This is the result of bad upbringing," the member of the Skystead Alliance stated. "In the end, a paper tiger is no match against a true tiger."


    Several of the people around him nodded their heads in agreement. They also nced in the direction of the three Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold, who were watching the projections.


    Gerald was seething in anger, but he kept his rage in his heart. He didn''t want to bicker with anyone because it might only worsen the situation.


    His greatest regret was seeing Lux and Nero, who both belonged to their faction, fight against each other with the intention to kill.


    Rainer and Anastasia also remained silent and simply watched the glimpse of the battle between the two rivals.


    After careful thought, all of them came to the collective opinion that since Nero''s strength was just forcefully upgraded to a Ranker, the prodigy from the Wildgarde Stronghold didn''t have the battle experience to handle his newfound powers.


    This conjecture of theirs was partly true because Nero wasn''t truly in full control and mastery of the power of the Abyss that he had just gained, but what others didn''t know was that if it were other people who were fighting against Nero, they would find themselves being pushed back because of thetter''s current strength.


    They didn''t know that Lux was only able to make Nero suffer due to his passive ability, Abyss Touch [EX], which was specially designed to fight against Abyssal Creatures.


    Also, there was the fact that Lux, Eiko, and the Half-Elf''s Named Creatures had the ability, Duel [EX], which forced anyone to exchange a single attack with the one that cast it.


    These two skillsbined allowed the red-headed teenager to deal consecutive attacks against Nero, who was being repeatedly affected by the taunting spell.


    The silver-haired man who was watching the battle had aplicated look on his face as he watched the battle unfold between the two.


    On one hand, he wanted Lux to lose against Nero because the teenager he had chosen would y an important role for him.


    On the other hand, he could sense something in Lux''s possession that had the power to threaten his life should he make an appearance on the battlefield.


    Because of this, he decided to observe the battle for now without interfering, just to better understand what was making him feel a little anxious in his heart.


    ''I wish I could see more of the battle between Lux and Nero,'' Aron thought with regret.


    Since most of the representatives inside the Sacred Dungeon were fighting against each other, those outside were only able to see glimpses of the battle between the Half-Elf and the Devil-like creature, who were the leaders of each Faction.


    ��-------


    Nero unleashed a barrage of ck lightning bolts from his position in the sky towards the Half-Elf on the ground.


    ck blood seeped out from the corner of his lips as he red hatefully at the red-headed teenager on the ground who was doing his best to avoid the long-range attack that he was unleashing from the sky.


    After being repeatedly taunted by Lux''s summons, Nero had suffered a lot of damage, not only to his body but also to his soul.


    The damage he received grew increasingly more serious every time he came within range of the Half-Elf''s minions, who had the power to forcefully taunt him from a distance, causing him to suffer injuries and grievances each time.


    "Come down and fight here, coward!" Lux shouted in disdain. "What''s wrong? Are you afraid of a weak Apostle like me?"


    If Lux wanted, he could fly in the sky and engage Nero in Aerial Combat.


    However, if he did that, it would be a bit hard to synchronize his attacks with his allies because most of them couldn''t fly.


    Also, while fighting with Nero, he couldn''t shake off the feeling that someone was observing him closely.


    Whoever that someone was, Lux knew that they were a powerful being, whose strength surpassed the Abyssal Monster he was currently facing.


    Because of this, the Half-Elf decided to y safe for the time being, just in case someone was nning to ambush him while he was engaged in a duel against Nero.


    ''Is it perhaps a Ranker from the Ammarian Kingdom?'' Lux thought as he continued to taunt Nero with his words. ''I might get killed if they suddenly sneak attack me, so it is better if I just fight here on the ground.''


    Right now, Lux''s forces had positioned themselves in key locations around him, ready to intervene if a Ranker from the Ammarian Army decided to use this opportunity to eliminate Lux.


    They always had two individuals who could cast Duel [EX] at any given time in case of emergencies.


    Naturally, Nero also tried to target Lux''s Summons, but the Half-Elf would just summon these Monsters to his side, evading Nero''s attacks with ease.


    Nero endured Lux''s hateful taunts because he knew that if he came within range of the Half-Elf''s ability, he would experience another round of suffering once again.


    The stalemate between the twosted for nearly ten minutes before something unexpected happened on the battlefield.


    A silver-haired man appeared in the sky between the two fighters.


    Lux and Nero looked at this neer with varying expressions on their faces.


    In Nero''s case, he felt a little intimidated because the silver-haired man, who was his benefactor, had a disappointed look on his face.


    Lux, on the other hand, found himself feeling angry because the silver-haired man didn''t appear alone. Hovering beside him was a meter-long Boar, who was still unconscious.


    "Who are you?" Lux asked as he tried to reign in the anger in his heart. "What are you nning to do with Cai?"


    The silver-haired man smiled after seeing the Half-Elf''s seething expression. After watching the battle for so long, he knew that he had to intervene, or else, his chosen candidate was going to lose in the long run.


    Even though he felt that Lux possessed something that could endanger his life, he thought that as long as he had a hostage and yed his card right, he had nothing to fear against the hidden danger that threatened him.


    "I''ve grown bored of watching this battle," the silver-haired man replied. "So, let''s do it this way. You are going to fight Nero without using that disgusting taunting skill of yours. If you use that skill again, I will kill this Boar. Easy to understand, right?"


    The silver-haired man summoned a silver sword and ced it over Cai''s neck, and made a chopping gesture, which made Lux seethe in anger.


    The Boar was currently in a weakened state because she had done everything in her power to keep Lux alive.


    Seeing that Cai had been captured, the Half-Elf knew that Xander, who was duty-bound to protect her, might have been incapacitated by the unknown enemy that appeared in front of him.


    Now that the enemy was using Cai as a hostage against him, he felt as if something inside him had snappedpletely.

 Chapter 501 Time For Round Two. Come Here You Bastard! [Part 2]

    "Bastard!" Lux shouted. "Let go of Cai!"


    The silver-haired man chuckled and wagged a finger at the Half-Elf on the ground. "Sorry, but it''s not happening. Now, go on. Fight fairly, and I will let this Boar live."


    Nero''s Benefactor then nced in the direction of his chosen candidate and smiled.


    "Nero, if you still can''t defeat him with this handicap in ce, it means that this is only as far as you can go," the silver-haired man stated. "Do not disappoint me. I hate being disappointed."


    The silver-haired man''s eyes glowed crimson red, which made Nero feel a great pain in his chest, making him pant for breath.


    "Go," the silver-haired man ordered. "I will not repeat my order a second time."


    Nero growled in frustration but he obeyed his benefactor''s orders.


    This time, he dove straight towards Lux with the intention of carrying out the silver-haired man''smand.


    The silver-haired man was the one who had given him the power to realize his ambition. If he lost the other party''s support now, he would also lose the power to control the Seed of Corruption that had fully bloomed inside his heart.


    Lux roared in anger as he transformed his right arm into Dragon ws and punched in front of him.


    The Half-Elf''s scaled fist collided with Nero''s own, creating a shockwave that sent the Half-Elf flying backwards.


    If not for the fact that he had transformed his right arm into that of a dragon''s, it might have been torn apart in the exchange just now.


    ''Dammit!'' Lux thought hatefully as he felt a stinging pain in his right arm.


    Due to his anger and the unfairness of the situation, he had temporarily lost control of his emotions and decided to vent out his frustration by punching Nero with everything he had.


    Unfortunately, he was fighting against a Ranker, and because of that, his right arm got bent in an unnatural angle due to the disparity in strength.


    Nero didn''t follow up with the attack and simply stared at the Half-Elf who was ring at him.


    He had felt Lux''s hatred within that punch, which was something he had never felt in the past.


    Whenever they fought, the Half-Elf would just fight him, but there was no shred of hate in his attack. Only killing intent.


    This time, it was different.


    For the first time, Nero felt Lux''s anger and hatred directed towards him, which made him feel as if he had achieved something he hadn''t done before.


    "Yes, that''s it," Nero said as he looked at his opponent. "Hate me! Hate me just as much as I hate you!"


    For some reason, Nero felt a great joy in his heart after he felt Lux''s great anger and hatred towards him.


    This was something that Nero had not felt in a long time, and it made him want to make Lux feel the same hatred he felt, when the Half-Elf stole everything away from him.


    Nero then stomped his right foot on the ground and reappeared beside Lux in order to deliver a punch to his chest.


    However, this time, the Half-Elf teleported a short distance away from him, and summoned several spinning des that attacked his opponent from his blindspot.


    Unfortunately, Nero transformed himself into a ck lightning bolt and evaded Lux''s attack with ease.


    "Bravo!" the silver-haired man pped his hands in amusement. "Now, this is a fight I want to see!"


    Due to the difference in Ranks, Nero had now full advantage of the battle and attacked Lux relentlessly, sending the Half-Elf flying each time one of his attacks connected.


    Orion, who couldn''t bear to see his Master suffer, attacked at the same time Pazuzu did. However, both of them were too slow to hit Nero, and the Ranker didn''t have any trouble dodging their attacks.


    "Annoying insects. You should just disappear!" Nero smashed Orion''s head with his foot, after hitting the Jade Golem several times, breaking off its limbs one by one.


    "You too," Nero sneered as he applied pressure on Pazuzu''s head with his hand, which he had forced to kneel in front of him. "Go to the afterlife with your friend!"


    Increasing his grip strength, Nero twisted Pazuzu''s head, making a cracking sound. A momentter, the Fortress Defender''s body turned into particles of light and disappeared from the battlefield.


    Just as Nero was about to walk towards the Half-Elf, who was currently lying on the ground after receiving a kick from him, the ground under his feet cracked and three Dragon Breaths erupted under his feet.


    Eiko, who was no longer able to tolerate the hateful devil continuously injuring her Papa, finally unleashed a synchronized attack with her clones, attacking Nero at point-nk range.


    Due to the timing of the attack, Nero was unable to dodge itpletely, and was engulfed by the zing mes that the Baby Slime unleashed to avenge her Papa.


    "I almost forgot about you," Nero red hatefully at the Baby Slime, who was also ring back at him.


    However, a secondter, Eiko dug underground because she knew that she wasn''t a match against Nero with her current strength.


    "I won''t let you get away!" Nero shouted as he dove down from the sky with the intention of punching the ground, killing the Baby Slime that was hiding under it.


    However, at this exact moment, a draconic tail smashed against Nero''s body which sent him flying for hundreds of meters through the air until he finally crashed on the ground.


    "y time''s over," Lux growled as he held the Dragon Token firmly in his left hand.


    He could still tolerate the beating that Nero was giving him, but Eiko was one of his reverse scales.


    The Baby Slime had already died once in the past, and her death had caused his fiance, Iris, grief beyond words, making him vow that he wouldn''t let the same thing happen again.


    After seeing that Cai was being used as a hostage and his Baby Slime was about to be killed in front of his eyes, the Half-Elf no longer cared about the consequences and used one of his Trump Cards.


    A Crystal Dragon hovered above the Half-Elf, and its gazended on the silver-haired man in the distance, whose eyes widened in shock.


    Earlier, he sensed that there was something in the Dungeon that could threaten his life, but because ofck of evidence, he decided to kidnap Cai and force Lux to fight against Nero with a handicap.


    Now that the Half-Elf had summoned the Crystal Dragon, who for some reason, had transformed into an Argonaut Rank World Boss, the silver-haired man finally understood where the feeling of dread wasing from.


    "Keoza, I''ll let you deal with him," Lux ordered. "But, before that, save Cai first."


    "Very well," Keoza replied.


    The Crystal Dragon made a rune in the air with its Dragon ws, and Cai''s body immediately turned into a crystal statue.


    The silver-haired man, who saw this, immediately shed down on the Crystal Boar with the intention of cutting it to pieces. But when his sword collided with the Boar''s crystalized body, a metallic ring reverberated in the surroundings, making the silver-haired man look at his sword in disbelief.


    A secondter, Keoza drew another rune and Cai''s crystal statue turned into a beam of light, flying toward the Crystal Dragon''s chest.


    "I''ll keep Cai safe," Keoza said before spreading his wings wide in preparation to fly in the sky. "You don''t have to worry about this Devil. I won''t let it escape. Do whatever you need to do."


    Without another word, the Crystal Dragon flew into the sky and engaged the silver-haired man who had bullied Lux earlier.


    Now that one of his problems had been dealt with, the Half-Elf''s burning gazended on Nero, who had recovered from Keoza''s attack.


    Earlier, Nero had toyed around with him.


    The Abyssal Creature made sure that each of his punches were not fatal but strong enough to hurt the Half-Elf''s body, giving thetter great pain and allowing himself to enjoy every second of his opponent''s suffering.


    Now that he was no longer bound by the handicap ced to him by the silver-haired man, who was currently engaging Keoza in a dogfight in the sky, the Half-Elf no longer hesitated and decided to repay the hateful bastard for everything that he had done to him, tenfold.


    "Time for round two," Lux said as he took a step forward and pointed his finger at the person who attempted to kill his Baby Slime for the second time. "Come here, you bastard!"


    "Duel [EX]!"

 Chapter 502 Don’t Even Think About It

    The enraged Lux didn''t hesitate to take the initiative to use Duel [EX] against Nero, who had just been hit by Keoza''s Dragon Tail.


    Now that the silver-haired man was busy dealing with the Crystal Dragon, he was unable to cancel Lux''s skill to prevent Nero from being affected by it.


    The brown-haired teenager thought that Lux was still clouded with anger and couldn''t think properly, so he decided to turn into a ck lightning bolt to attack the Half-Elf just like he liked.


    However, something he didn''t expect happened.


    Lux had summoned his two clones by his side, and together, the three of them opened their mouths and unleashed three Dragon Breaths in his direction, which made Nero''s heart shudder.


    He didn''t think that despite Lux''s seething anger, thetter was still able to think properly and use his rage to fuel the zing mes that he unleashed from his mouth as he imbued them with the power of the Abyss!


    The ck lightning bolt and the three Dragon Breaths collided, and thetter eventually pushed the ck lightning bolt back dozens of meters away before it exploded.


    Nero threw up a mouthful of ck blood as his body crashed towards the ground after receiving Lux''s devastating attack head-on.


    However, before he could even prop himself up from the ground, he felt another strong attraction forcing him to exchange blows with the Half-Elf, who was now preparing to fire another Dragon Breath in his direction.


    However, it was not only three Dragon Breaths--it was six.


    Eiko and her clones appeared beside her Papa and opened their mouths wide.


    The Baby Slime had really wanted to punish Nero for hurting her Papa, so after Lux had fired the first shot, she decided to join him and ordered one of her clones to activate the skill, Duel [EX], as soon as possible.


    ''N-No!'' Nero screamed internally as his body moved against his will.


    However, he was only able to take a few steps forward before the Six Dragon Breaths collided against him, which made him feel as if he had been run over by a truck.


    Although he was now a Ranker, and Lux was a Grade A Apostle, the difference in Ranks didn''t hold that much of an advantage against the Half-Elf because he had the ability to force his opponents to attack him, or his allies, whenever he wanted.


    One can even say that when it came to one-on-one battles, Lux was a very despicable and downright disgusting opponent.


    Just as he dered earlier, a Necromancer didn''t fight one-on-one battles. They fought with Legions of Undead under theirmand.


    Nero''s entire body was now covered with wounds after getting hit by nine Dragon Breaths, which not only ignored his defenses, but was also super effective against him because he was now an Abyssal Creature.


    But, the greatest damage he received was not to his body, but his very soul.


    The silver-haired man noticed that Nero''s state was now at a critical point, so he decided to save him from further harm. However, that was easier said than done.


    Truth be told, the body that the silver-haired man was using was only an avatar.


    Before Keoza appeared, he was the strongest presence in the Sacred Dungeon because his avatar had the strength of a B-Ranker. His original body was behind the Fifth Gate, and it would only open once the other four Gates were conquered, so when the Crystal Dragon made his appearance, he found himself hard-pressed to overpower the Argonaut-Ranked World Boss Dragon.


    Monsters were inherently stronger than other creatures, especially if that monster was a Dragon, a creature considered as one of the mythical creatures that stood on top of the food chain in Elysium.


    If Keoza were to be based on mortal standards, it would take at least six A-Rankers to defeat him, which was something that a measly B-Ranker wasn''t capable of doing.


    Truth be told, the Crystal Dragon could easily defeat the silver-haired man, but he wasn''t doing that.


    The reason was simple.


    He wanted to see if the Abyssal Creature had other tricks up his sleeves or perhaps other allies that still hadn''t made their appearance known yet.


    Keoza wanted to know if Nero was the only one that the silver-haired man had corrupted among the teenagers that hade to the Sacred Dungeon to challenge it.


    Of course, he had other reasons, but they were mostly out of curiosity. He had been with Lux for quite some time now, and he wanted to see how the Half-Elf would deal with the hateful Human who had now fallen under the corruption of the Abyss.


    "Don''t even think about it." Keoza growled as he pped the silver-haired man who was about to interfere with the battle between their chosen candidates.


    The silver-haired man cried out in pain before he helplessly mmed into the ground face-first.


    Keoza then sealed the surroundings, trapping the silver-haired man in a dome, giving the Abyssal Creature no ce to run and hide from him.


    "How did you arrive in this ce?" Keoza asked the silver-haired man through telepathy. "From what I can tell, you are a noble from the Abyss. Did you perhaps get sealed inside the Domain of the Fallen?"


    "I have nothing to say to you, Dragon," the silver-haired man replied hatefully. "If you want to kill me then kill me! This is just an avatar. My real body is out of your reach!"


    "Don''t worry, I don''t n on killing you. At least not yet, not until I get the answers I want."


    "You won''t get any answers from me, you pitiful Dragon Soul who has lost your body!"


    Keoza narrowed his eyes and shed his tail at the Abyssal Creature, who was crushed under its weight.


    The sound of something breaking was heard, but the damage that he had given the Avatar wasn''t enough to break itpletely.


    "I can easily guess where your true body is, so you don''t have to be impatient," Keoza said in a teasing tone. "Knowing Lux, we will arrive there sooner orter, and when we do... you will have nowhere to hide from me."


    The Crystal Dragon then emitted a pressure that made the silver-haired man lose his earlier arrogance. He regretted his decision of kidnapping Cai in order to use her as a hostage to force Lux to give himself a handicap while fighting against his chosen candidate.


    Now that the Half-Elf had summoned the Crystal Dragon to deal with him, the teenager that he had chosen would have no choice but to face the Half-Elf''s anger, who was hell-bent to obliterate the corrupted teenager with his Dragon Breaths.

 Chapter 503 A Very Painful Way To Die

    Lux wasn''t aware of Keoza''s on-going nice chat with the silver-haired man that kidnapped Cai because he was busy giving Nero a piece of his mind.


    Each time the Abyssal Teenager was hit by several Dragon Breaths, the Half-Elf would once again order his clones or Eiko''s clones to activate Duel [EX], giving Nero no time to recover or catch his breath.


    Currently, the recognized prodigy of Wildgarde Stronghold was feeling pain beyond the threshold that he could endure, and he screamed as he bathed in the zing mes that were once again fired in his direction.


    Lux looked at this scene without any shred of mercy in his eyes. Anyone who would dare to hurt or attempt to kill any of his family members was his enemy.


    "S-Stop!" Nero pleaded as he tried to prop himself up from the ground, with blood gushing out of his lips. "I give up! I surrender! You win!"


    Nero knew that if the Half-Elf''s attack continued, his soul would be damaged beyond repair, making him unable to retain his control over his body.


    "We belong in the same faction!" Nero shouted. "Both of us are from the Wildgarde Stronghold! How about we talk this out properly, and wipe out all our grievances with each other? What do you say?"


    Lux looked at his enemy who was on all fours after getting hit by fifteen Dragon Breaths after he had summoned Keoza to deal with the silver-haired man, who had used Cai as a hostage.


    Nero''s body was covered with ck blood due to the countless injuries he received from Lux''s devastating attacks.


    His armor had been torn off in several ces, and the earlier arrogance he disyed was nowhere to be seen.


    "I say��," Lux replied while smoke oozed out from his mouth. "F*ck you!"


    Nero immediately tried to fly up in the sky in order to gain distance away from the Half-Elf and escape his one-sided punishment, but it was already toote.


    One of Lux''s clones had used Duel [EX] once again, and Nero couldn''t do anything but shout in anger, regret, and frustration, knowing what was about toe next.


    However, before the Half-Elf could unleash his attack, the ground behind him rose up, and Jasper, the temporary leader of the opposing team, shed his sword to cut off the Half-Elf''s head from behind.


    Jasper knew that Nero''s existence was important to overturn the situation of the war, and he couldn''t allow him to die at this point in time.


    So, after kicking Einar away, the prodigy from the Xynnar War Pact, merged with the ground in order to travel towards Lux''s location.


    Since Einar couldn''t detect where his enemy was headed, he warned his teammates to be careful about any possible sneak attacks from the ground.


    Since Lux was a good distance away from where they were fighting, he didn''t expect that someone woulde and sneak attack him from behind in order to save Nero, who was about to die in Lux''s hands.


    However, there was someone who was paying close attention to the changes in the battlefield, and it was none other than Asmodeus, whom Lux had assigned to assist him, just in case something simr to what Jasper was nning to do happened.


    Just as Jasper''s de was about to hack the Half-Elf''s neck, his body stiffened, and his sword de paused mid-swing.


    A momentter, he found himself being pulled towards an eager crowd of Skeleton Gangbangers who were holding their sharp and sturdy swords, ready to punish the person who dared to sneak attack their Master from behind.


    Since Asmodeus was capable of using all the skills that Lux had, with the exception of his Draconic Powers, he was easily able to use the skill, Duel [EX], to force Jasper to attack him.


    The blonde-haired teenager''s face immediately became grim when he understood what had just happened to him.


    Asmodeus stood with his arms crossed over his chest, while Morpheus (Death Tyrant) and Lazarus (Great me Skull) hovered beside him, eyeing the fear-stricken teenager with contempt.


    "Gangbang Time!" one of the Skeleton Gangbangers shouted before charging towards Jasper with his sword raised high.


    The hundreds of Skeleton Gangbangers, who were simr to Rugby yers who were dead-set on pinning down the person that was holding the ball, followed.


    "N-Noooooooooo!" a blood curdling scream escaped Jasper''s lips as he tried to protect himself from the hundreds of Rank 4 Skeleton Gangbangers, who were about to screw him a hundred times over!


    (A/N: Kekeke pun intended).


    As an Initiate, he was several times stronger than the Skeletons that had charged towards him en masse. Unfortunately, he didn''t have full control of his body, and helplessly ran towards Asmodeus, who was at the very rear of the formation.


    Although the blonde-haired teenager was able to hack, and dismantle dozens of Undead Warriors, there were simply too many for him to fight, which resulted in him being overwhelmed by their numbers.


    After getting pinned to the ground, Jasper was stabbed repeatedly by countless swords, making him cry out in pain.


    Even so, the Skeleton Gangbangers didn''t show him any mercy and gave the pitiful teenager a taste of what it was like to fight against hundreds of Undead all by himself.


    "Maaaaaan, that looks sick," Lazarusmented after seeing Jasper''s pitiful state. "And very painful as well. Dear God, the poor boy''s backside is nothing more than a tenderized piece of meat. What a very painful way to die."


    Asmodeus nodded before rubbing his chin. "The Skeleton Gangbangers are a different breed of Undead. In fact, I think Master is the only Necromancer in Elysium and Sis who has Skeleton Gangbangers under hismand.


    "I''m afraid that when that child returns to Elysium, he will awaken with a different kind of fetish due to this experience. Welp. That''s what he gets for trying to kill our Master. I think he got the easy way out, don''t you think so?"


    Lazarus and Morpheus both nodded their heads in agreement.


    However, the representatives of the different factions, who were watching Jasper''s current situation from outside the Domain of the Fallen, hadplicated expressions on their faces.


    The teenagers, on the other hand, subconsciously covered their backside with their hands as they looked at the projection of the distressed prodigy from the Xynnar War Pact.


    If it were them, they would have alreadymitted suicide in order to escape such a punishment that could potentially haunt them for the rest of their lives.


    On that day, all the teenagers vowed to never, ever, antagonize Lux again.


    After seeing what the Half-Elf was capable of doing, they decided that, whatever would happen in the future, they would stick with him, even if he kicked them out of his party the next time they challenged the Hell Difficulty of the Sacred Dungeon.


    After two agonizing minutes, Jasper reappeared outside the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen.


    His body was covered with wounds, but his life was not in danger.


    The Elders of his Faction immediately poured high-quality healing potions over his body, especially over his backside, which had received a lot of punishment.


    Although the damage his body received wasn''t as serious as the damage he had taken inside the Dungeon, Jasper''s current mental state was unstable after the experience that he had been through.


    To his credit, no one among those who witnessed his plight made anyments, allowing the prodigy of the Xynnar War Pact to retain a shred of his dignity.


    Even the members of the Skystead Alliance, who were always at odds with the Xynnar War Pact, couldn''t bring themselves to tease the blond-haired teenager, who was forced to drink a sleeping potion, so that his immediate superior could wipe the memory of what happened from his mind.


    They were afraid that the experience the teenager suffered would hinder his growth, so they resolved themselves to erase a part of his memory in order to protect his future.


    "Such brutal Undead," Natashamented as she made a sign of the Goddess in front of her. "I think I should have a little talk with Lux when he gets back. Some things must never be done to other people, especially to the members of the Factions of the Xynnar War Pact, who can be considered as our allies in Elysium."


    Gerald and Rainer nodded their heads in agreement.


    Although they knew that they couldn''t me Lux for what just happened to Jasper, they were still worried that there would be a repeat of this incident in the future, which might make the rtionship between the different Factions and the Half-Elf turn sour, creating more troubles for him after this expedition in the Sacred Dungeon came to an end.

 Chapter 504 Keoza’s Proposal

    Too focused on fighting against Nero, Lux didn''t even notice that Jasper had appeared behind him, about tounch a sneak attack.


    However, even if he noticed, he wouldn''t care because he wasn''t fighting alone.


    There was a reason Asmodeus and Diablo weren''t joining his fight, and that was because they were on the lookout for any potential threats that would take advantage of him as he fought against a Ranker, whose strength surpassed his own.


    The Half-Elf knew that his Named Creatures were always watching his back and wouldn''t allow anyone to hurt him as long as they lived.


    This was why Orion and Pazuzu engaged with Nero even though they had no chance of winning. It was all to give Lux an opportunity to catch his breath from the continuous one-sided beating that he received from the teenage boy who had been corrupted by the power of the Abyss.


    Now, the Ranker who had beaten him a few minutes ago, was pleading for him to stop, but the Half-Elf had no intention of doing so.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    For the umpteenth time, Nero was once again bathed in Dragon mes.


    By now, he was already hoarse from screaming in pain as smoke oozed from his entire body.


    He was like a ssical vampire whose body started to burn up the moment they were hit by sunlight.


    The smell of burning flesh was so strong that even the teenagers who were fighting in the distance could smell it.


    Nero had nowpletely lost his mind and was no longer in control of his body. Unfortunately for him, that didn''t matter to Lux.


    The Half-Elf roared in anger as he charged towards the unmoving Abyssal Creature with his left fist raised high.


    A momentter, his fist smashed Nero''s face, making thetter take a step back.


    Lux''s right arm was broken, so he could only use his left fist to repeatedly to smack Nero''s face over and over again, until thetter copsed on the ground.


    The Half-Elf knew that his opponent was already a spent candle and no longer had the power to resist him.


    Truth be told, Lux was also at his limit, and the only thing that was sustaining him was his rage. Just like a beast acting only on his instinct, the Half-Elf pummeled Nero''s face repeatedly until his fists were covered not only with Nero''s blood, but also with his own blood.


    "Die!" Lux pulled back his arm to give Nero onest smack on the head using all of his strength.


    However, before he could bring his fist down to finally bring an end to the hateful bastard''s life, a bony hand held his arm, stopping him from delivering the final blow.


    "Killing him will not solve anything, Master," Asmodeus said as he held Lux''s hand. "Besides, he will not die for real even if you kill him here in the dungeon. He will just reappear outside of the Domain of the Fallen and be treated by the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold."


    Lux panted for breath as he listened to the Archlich''s words.


    Asmodeus was the wisest among his Named Creatures, and his words carried a lot of weight.


    The Half-Elf knew that his Named Creature''s words were correct. Killing Nero in the Sacred Dungeon would only temporarily satisfy his anger, but it wouldn''t solve anything. Also, he had to think about the reactions of the Guardians of the Wildarde Stronghold.


    ''Speak your mind,'' Lux said through telepathy. ''Since you stopped me, you have already thought of a way to deal with this, right?''


    Asmodeus nodded before letting go of Lux''s arm. ''Yes, Master. Right now, the root of Nero''s power is the Seed of the Abyss that had taken control of his body. If we can take it out, not only will he lose one of his powers, we can also gain something from it.''


    ''You''re quite ambitious, Asmodeus. Do you have a way to do what you are proposing?''


    ''I don''t. But, there might be someone who will be able to help us.''


    The Archlich then shifted his gaze on the Crystal Dragon, who was crushing the silver-haired man with his wed hand, making thetter scream in pain.


    As if sensing his gaze, Keoza nced in Lux''s direction and gave the Half-Elf a mischievous smirk.


    ''I overheard your talk a moment ago,'' Keoza said, which made Lux''s, and Asmodeus'' bodies stiffen. ''Don''t worry. We''re all on the same side, so it''s fine even if I eavesdrop in your conversation every now and then.''


    Lux and Asmodeus were very tempted to say "it isn''t fine!", but since they were going to ask Keoza for a favor, they kept their mouths shut and just waited for the Crystal Dragon to continue speaking.


    ''I can indeed take out the Seed of the Abyss from that brat,'' Keoza stated. ''However, the seed that has fully bloomed in a person''s heart will immediately die after it had been taken from the body of its host. For me, this is such a waste. So, I have a proposal to make.''


    The Crystal Dragon thenpletely crushed the silver-haired man in his wed hand, making thetter turn into particles of light.


    After that he descended from the sky andnded beside Lux, and the unconscious Nero.


    ''My proposal is to transfer the Seed of the Abyss to a new host,'' Keoza stated. ''And I have the perfect candidate for it.''


    Lux and Asmodeus exchanged a nce at each other before shifting their attention back to the Crystal Dragon who had a devilish smile on his face.


    ''Who is that candidate?'' Lux asked.


    Keoza chuckled before pointing at the baby slime who had just crawled up on the top of Lux''s head, where she belonged.


    ''No!'' Lux shook his head firmly. ''I refuse to transfer the seed of the Abyss to Eiko. I''d rather destroy it before that happens.''


    ''Calm down and don''t jump to conclusions,'' Keoza said as he gave Lux a mischievous gaze. ''I''m not saying that we''ll transfer the Seed of the Abyss to Eiko''s body. I''m saying that Eiko has someone that could use the power of the Abyss to its fullest potential.''


    The first one to realize what Keoza was referring to was none other than Eiko, who immediately spat a corpse out of her mouth.


    Lux and Asmodeus looked down on Second''s Body, whose upper body, especially the face, had suffered from third degree burns.


    He didn''t look like someone who had a quick and painless death. Even his pained expression was still etched on his face, proving how excruciating his death was.


    When Eiko stored Second''s body inside of her, the Vice-General had just died, so the corpse was still quite fresh��warm even.


    Just like Lux''s coffin, ckfire, which could store dead and near-dead humanoid creatures inside of it, the baby slime''s "spacial storage" worked the same way. She could even store living bodies inside of her, as long as thetter agreed to be swallowed up by her or was unable to resist being swallowed by her.


    ''I''m sure you will reanimate him sooner orter, so why not do it now?'' Keoza said as the tip of his draconic w pricked Nero''s chest, making thetter''s body start twitching.


    A few secondster, the Crystal Dragon raised its w and sticking to it was a ck gem. If one looked closely, they would be able to see a faint crimson glow at its center, pulsing like a heartbeat.


    Keoza then unceremoniously pricked Second''s chest, embedding the Seed of the Abyss in the dead body''s heart.


    As if sensing that it only had one option in order to live, the ck gem hurriedly turned into a ck liquid, and merged with Second''s heart.


    The dead man''s heart then turned ck as ink as the power of the Abyss tookplete control over it.


    ''Make him your subordinate before the Seed of the Abyss takes full control of his body,'' Keoza stated. ''As long as you do that, you will be able to gain another powerful underling who will have the same power Nero had before his power was taken away from him.''


    Lux nodded and began to use his skill, Animate Undead, on Second''s body.


    The Crystal Dragon was right. He already nned on turning Second as one of his subordinates, but he was thinking of waiting until he reached the Initiate Rank before doing so. However, since an opportunity presented itself, he thought that it would truly be a waste if he didn''t take this chance to get a strong subordinate that had the power of the Abyss.


    Several rows of text appeared in front of Lux, which made the Half-Elf pause for a bit. This was the first time that he had seen this prompt, and found it quite to his liking.


    ��----------


    < You are attempting to revive a dead body that has a high chance of evolving into a Unique Creature >


    < Choose which group you n to register this Unique Creature >


    Choice 1: Necromancer''s Covenant


    Choice 2: Make the Unique Creature the Commander of your Animate Undead Legion.

 Chapter 505 Light Is Easy To Love, Show Me Your Darkness

    Lux didn''t bat an eye and chose the first option.


    From the very start, he had already decided to make Second a part of his Necromancer Covenant.


    Right now, he didn''t have an Animated Undead Legion because he had only used the skill, Animate Undead, to revive the dead soldiers of the Ammarian Kingdom, so they could be used as cannon fodder.


    Although he had the option to revive those killed Animated Creatures using Beast Cores, Lux had no n to do that. He would rather revive other dead Creatures than spend his resources on reviving mere cannon fodders.


    Of course, he only thought this way because he had be very picky when it came to choosing his subordinates.


    Besides, Lux already had a candidate to be the Commander of his Animate Undead Legion, and it was none other than General Revon, who had tried to kill him in the past.


    After choosing the option of adding Second to his Necromancer''s Covenant, a magic circle appeared under the Vice-General''s dead body.


    Second''s body then floated into the air before it was wrapped up in a ck and white cocoon that gave it a very sinister presence.


    Two minutester, the cocoon cracked, and a Creature that Lux had never seen before in his life emerged.


    It looked very much like a devil with two crimson hornsing out of the top of his head, but the most distinguishing feature of this Creature was the crescent de-like weapons protruding from his arms.


    Just a nce was enough to tell him that these two des were attached to the Creature''s body, making it known that this was a Creature that specialized in closebat.


    Also, another unique trait of this Creature was that half of its body��from head to toe��was ck, and the other half was white. The two eagle-like wings on its back were the same color as their respective side of the body.


    It reminded Lux of the concept of Yin and Yang back in his old world. His interest was piqued, making him look at this Creature with great curiosity.


    As soon as the Creature''s feetnded on the ground, it immediately knelt down like a knight and bowed his head respectfully towards his Master.


    "Please bestow a name upon me, Master," the Creature said in a calm and respectful manner.


    Lux looked at the information of the newly born Creature in his Soul Book, but all he could see in it was countless "????", which made him scratch his head in confusion.


    "A name��," Lux thought as he ced his hands over his waist as he looked at the horned creature kneeling in front of him.


    Truth be told, he was very tempted to call him "Second", just like the Creature''s previous name, but giving a number as a person''s name was not something that Lux wasfortable with.


    Because of this, he decided to think long and hard on what name he would give to the new member of his Covenant, so that thetter wouldn''t hate him in the future, just like the children who hated their parents for giving them trashy names.


    "Zagan," Lux said. "From now on, your name will be Zagan."


    Immediately after that, several rows of text appeared in front of him as the information about Zagan was updated in his Soul Book.


    All the "????" he had seen earlier disappearedpletely.


    ��-------


    < Zagan >


    "Light is easy to love, show me your Darkness."


    �C Named High-Ranking Demon


    �C Strategist of the Covenant


    �C Rating: S


    �C Progress ( 0 / 20,000)


    Health: 50,000 / 50,000


    Mana: 150,000 / 150,000


    Strength: 500


    Intelligence: 500


    Vitality: 250


    Agility: 1000


    Dexterity: 250


    Unique Skill: Shield Breaker [EX], Yin-Yang sh [EX], Duel [EX]


    Active Skill: Summon Blood Golem, ck Lightning Bolts, Lightning Steps, Blink Teleport, Lightning sh, Double Fury sh, Sky-High Rush.


    Passive Skill: Lightning Reflexes, Levitate.


    Unique Ability: Counterfeiter


    < Counterfeiter >


    �C Able to turn water into wine, and wine into water.


    �C Can transform any metal into coins, and coins into metal.


    (Example: turning gold into a gold coin, and reverting a gold coin to gold in its natural form).


    ��-------


    < Shield Breaker [EX] >


    �C Able to break any kind of barrier, whether it be physical or magical in nature, without fail.


    ��-------


    < Yin-Yang sh [EX] >


    �C A Powerful attack using the Power of Yin and Yang. This attack is especially effective when fighting against Demons and Abyssal Creatures.


    ��-------


    < Summon Blood Golem >


    �C When fighting in the battlefield, one can merge the blood of the dead to form a Blood Golem.


    �C Zagan can only summon one Blood Golem at a time, and its size and strength depends on the amount of blood that was used to summon it.


    �C The Blood Golem can also continuously absorb the blood in the surroundings, increasing its size and strength.


    �C Blood Golem''s maximum height is 100 meters tall.


    �C The Blood Golem''s size will increase by ten meters for every thousand dead Creatures in its surroundings.


    ��-------


    A sigh escaped Lux''s lips after reading through the information of the newest member of his Necromancer''s Covenant twice.


    He finally understood what the High-Ranking Demon was capable of doing.


    Zagan''s highest stat was his agility, and his skills were mostly lightning based. Lux immediately understood that he was a fighter that excelled in quick attacks and long range magical warfare.


    He wasn''t a ss cannon, which was a term used for someone, or something, that had strong offensive capabilities, but weak defensive capabilities.


    Zagan was a Blitz Attacker that specialized in hit and run tactics when facing strong foes, and eliminating weaker foes before they could even understand what killed them.


    When it came to the total ofbined stats, Lazarus'' and Zagan''s stats were higher whenpared to Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion.


    The reason for this was that Lux''s Named Creatures weren''t in their final evolutions.


    Lazarus was in its fully evolved state, which was a Great me Skull, and Zagan was a Unique Creature that had been birthed through the power of the Abyss, making him stronger than ordinary Monsters and putting him on par with Dragons.


    "Thank you for the name, Master," Zagan said. "I will treasure it for eternity."


    Lux nodded his head before shifting his gaze to Nero, who had reverted to his Human form, now that the Seed of the Abyss had been removed.


    He didn''t care if the Guildmaster of the Storm Dragon''s Guild would hate him more once he found out that his powers had been taken away from him.


    "The next time you get in my way, I will kill you for real," Lux said. "I''ve already given you enough chances to live. You are only alive now because of the care that was given to me by the people of Wildgarde Stronghold. There won''t be a next time."


    Lux then turned around to walk away.


    Zagan then used the de protruding from his arm to stab Nero''s chest, piercing his heart and killing the brown-haired teenager once and for all.


    As Nero''s body turned into particles of light behind his back, Lux raised his hand and summoned his Undead Army, including Pazuzu and Orion, who had died protecting him earlier.


    "Kill the remnants of Jasper''s team," Lux ordered. "Leave none alive."


    Lux''s subordinates then spread out to assist Einar and the others, who were fighting against the Initiates from Jasper''s team.


    Keoza, who had already aplished his mission, chuckled and returned to the Dragon Token in Lux''s possession.


    He had no intention of joining the war because he was confident that Lux could handle everything on his own.


    Just like how the silver-haired man had chosen Nero to be his candidate, Keoza had chosen Lux to be his candidate.


    In order to let him grow and reach greater heights, he didn''t want the Half-Elf to rely on his strength too much when facing difficult challenges.


    Also, Lux could only summon him one more time.


    Until then, Keoza would remain inside the Dragon Token and watch the Half-Elf''s adventures before he dealt with the loose ends that he had left behind in the Draconic Kingdom of Karshvar Draconis.

 Chapter 506 It’s Quite Unfortunate That I Didn’t Meet You Sooner

    A sh of light appeared, and Nero''s body materialized at the entrance of the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen.


    Rainer immediately ran to his side and checked his condition. He had been very anxious ever since he saw that Nero had fallen into the corruption of the Abyss, and had been wracking his mind to think of all possible ways he might be able to help thetter reverse his condition.


    He knew that there was a high possibility that Nero would be captured alive or, worse, executed the moment he left the Domain of the Fallen because Abyssal Creatures were the mortal enemies of Elysians.


    Natasha also appeared by his side to help diagnose Nero''s current situation.


    After some initial checks, the two were surprised because they couldn''t find a single trace of Abyssal Powers inside Nero''s body, which made the two of them breathe a sigh of relief.


    Thest thing they saw was Lux fighting against Nero. What happened afterwards was unclear because the other representatives of the different factions were engaged in a fight against each other, preventing them from seeing what was happening between the Half-Elf and the Abyssal Teenager who had challenged him to a duel.


    ''Fortunately, the worst case scenario didn''t happen,'' Natasha patted her chest after double-checking Nero''s condition.


    Although the teenage boy was unconscious and had suffered some serious injuries, his life wasn''t in danger.


    Gerald, on the other hand, stood beside the two with his arms crossed over his chest, standing in the way of the members of the Xynnar War Pact and the Skystead Alliance, who also wanted to check on Nero''s condition.


    "Step aside, Commander Gerald," one of the Rankers that belonged to the Skystead Alliance said. "Although this kid belongs to your Faction, Abyssal Creatures must be dealt with as soon as possible."


    "And if I refuse?" Gerald asked back.


    "Hah! Do you even need to ask?" the Ranker from the Skystead Alliance sneered. However, before he could even do anything, a hand rested on his shoulder, holding him in ce.


    "Calm down, friend," Aron, who was the highest Commanding Officer at the site, said with a smile. "There''s no need to be violent. I''m sure that Commander Gerald also understands our concern. Let them check Nero''s condition first. We can inspect him after his superiors have gotten a good look at him."


    "O-Of course, Sir Aron," the Ranker stuttered. "We will do as you say."


    The Vahan Empire was the leader of the Skystead Alliance, so no one would dare to disobey the order of Emperor Andreas'' right-hand man.


    Truth be told, all the Rankers at the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen had already spread their senses towards the unconscious boy that was lying on the ground, but they couldn''t detect any Abyssal Powering from his body.


    Fifteen minutester, Rainer tapped Gerald''s shoulder and gave him a brief nod.


    Gerald then nced behind him to look at Nero, who was undergoing a healing treatment by Natasha. Seeing that the Guildmaster of their subsidiary guild seemed to have returned to his normal self, Gerald moved aside and allowed the other Rankers to check Nero''s condition.


    A few minutester, all of them returned to the only two projections remaining on the wall, which was being shared by Einar, the Barbarian Prince, and Malcolm of the Vahan Empire.


    The defeated teenagers weren''t berated by their superiors, but the disappointment on their Elder''s faces was enough to make them feel ashamed with the oue of their mission.


    They knew that they would be getting a harsh and long nagging when they returned to their respective kingdoms, but for now, they stared at the projections with solemn expressions on their faces.


    They wanted to see the oue of the war, and whether Lux and his team would emerge triumphant.


    Truth be told, none of them want to see Lux and his teammates win. They were also hoping that the Rankers of the Ammarian Army would kill them all, so the Gate of Conquest would remain unconquered.


    But they all had a feeling that what they were hoping for was just wishful thinking.


    ��---------------


    At the Great ins inside the Gate of Conquest��


    "That''s about all of them, I think," Einar said after killing thest member of Jasper''s team with his Axe.


    Lux checked his Soul Book and used its map function to confirm if there were any nearby hostile enemies around them, but he saw nothing suspicious.


    "I think so too," Lux replied as he nced at his allies who had suffered different levels of injuries.


    Right now, they were only Apostles, with the exception of Val, who could transform into an Alpha Giant Spider, and Malcolm, who had been an Initiate from the start.


    Keane, Einar, and Henrietta had several wounds on their bodies and were currently treating themselves with potions.


    Eiko had summoned her Angel and Water Slime to help heal their teammates, which the three injured people happily epted.


    They were still at war, so the sooner they could return to their peak the better.


    "Keane and Val, I need a favor," Lux said after the two had recovered a bit after getting their treatment. "I didn''t know if you noticed it earlier, but a silver-haired B-Ranker appeared when I was fighting with Nero. He took Cai as hostage in order to force me to not fight with my full power against Nero.


    "Since he managed to sessfully kidnap Cai, I''m afraid that Xander might have suffered serious injuries. Can you return to the Yn Camp first and check if he is fine? You can take Whitey (Angel Slime) and Mara (Water Slime) with you. Both of them have the power to heal, so if the injury isn''t too serious, they will be able to patch Xander up in no time."


    Keane nced at the Boar, who was currently being carried by Orion, before shifting his gaze back to Lux and nodding his head.


    "Okay," Keane replied. "We''ll see what we can do."


    "Thank you." Lux nodded.


    All of them knew that there was a possibility that Xander had died under the hands of the B-Ranker that captured Cai, but none of them said this out loud because they didn''t want to think negatively.


    "Rejoin us once you have checked his condition," Lux stated before looking in the distance where several spells were raining down from the sky and various explosions were erupting in the background. "We will be joining the war for now."


    Keane and Val nodded their heads and summoned their mounts.


    Val had exhausted himself from helping his teammates survive the sh against the Initiates, so he couldn''t transform into his Spider Form for the time being.


    If not for him, Keane, Val, and Henrietta might have already been eliminated by their opponents, whose Ranks and power surpassed their own.


    All of the representatives that the different Factions had sent on this mission were prodigies of their respective kingdoms. They were not pushovers, and their skills were the real deal. The mere fact that none of Lux''s original members were killed was already a miracle, and it was only thanks to their teamwork that they were able to emerge victorious against their enemies.


    "Let''s go," Lux said as he summoned Jed to return to the frontlines of the war. "Let''s finish what we started."


    "Finally!" Einar said as he also summoned his Sabertooth Tiger. "Let''s conquer this Dungeon as well!"


    "Just make sure you don''t kick the bucket," Malcolm chided. "Who knows? You might be the first to die."


    Einar just chuckled after hearing Malcolm''s remark. The Barbarian Prince knew that although Malcolm had be their enemy in the past, thest representative of the Vahan Empire was more serious about clearing this dungeon than any of them.


    This was Malcolm''sst chance in order to leave a good impression on Emperor Andreas, as well as save the reputation of his father, because of the shorings he experienced in the past.


    More than anyone else, Malcolm was willing to go above and beyond his limits in order to ensure that he would survive and his team would clear the dungeon, allowing him to return home victorious.


    Henrietta only shook her head helplessly as she looked at the two boys before shifting her gaze to the Half-Elf whose body was covered with dried blood stains.


    Lux didn''t even bother to clean himself up after his battle with Nero and simply ordered his mount, Jed, to return to the frontlines as soon as possible.


    ''Iris, I can now understand why you like him very much,'' Henrietta thought as she followed behind Lux. ''You chose your partner well.''


    Even though Lux''s body wasn''t as big and sturdy like Einar''s, who was the Barbarian Prince, the Guildmaster of Serenity felt that Lux''s back was very broad from behind and gave her a feeling of security that she hadn''t felt in a long time.


    As the Guildmaster of the Guild that belonged to Barbatos Academy, it had always been her who stood at the frontlines of every battle. She was the one carrying the burden of the responsibilities that were expected of her, and protected her Guild Members from any harm.


    Seeing someone take this role made her realize how important the part she had yed in the past was.


    ''I wonder, did Iris and my guildmates feel this way when they looked at my back whenever we did dangerous missions together?'' Henrietta mused as she urged her four-tailed Fox Mount to follow their temporary leader in this expedition.


    ''It''s quite unfortunate that I didn''t meet you sooner,'' Henrietta sighed in her heart.


    She had already been engaged by her family to one of the most outstanding young men of their generation. Because of this, she could no longer entertain the fancy of sharing that strong and broad back with her close friend, Iris, who had be Lux''s fiance.


    For the time being, Henrietta set this matter aside because there were more important issues to attend to.


    The war was nearing its conclusion, and she wanted to be there to see if she and her teammates could conquer the Gate of Conquest and gain the rewards that were promised to all of them.

 Chapter 507 Kill In Our Master’s Name!

    When Lux and Nero left to fight their duel, the Ammarian Army took this opportunity to attack the Yn Army.


    Their main concern was Lux''s Corpse Explosion Skill, which gave them a sort of invisible pressure that weighed on their hearts. They even hoped that Nero would be able to kill the Half-Elf, so they would no longer need to worry about him.


    Since they were all busy fighting against each other, they could not spare any of their attention on the duel between the two teenagers. For them, the enemy in front of them posed more danger than the fight between the teenagers.


    Just as expected, the Yn Army was at a great disadvantage when it came to numbers.


    The size of the Yn Kingdom was only a third of the Ammarian Kingdom, which gave them the disadvantage in manpower. Even though the Ammarian Army had lost two Generals and several Rankers, their military might was still stronger than the Yn Army.


    As the fight went on, the brave warriors of the Yn Kingdom were slowly being pushed back. The battle between the two armies was so fierce that thousands of people died every minute.


    Great General Watson, General Carran, and General Fahad were all fighting on the front lines, helping boost the morale of their troops with their mere presence.


    Although they were slowly being pushed back, the Yn Army fought tooth and nail with their enemies, making the Vanguard of the Ammarian Army feel as if they were facing an army of people who weren''t afraid to die.


    "Impressive," Great General Gideon said as he watched the ongoing battle from on top of his mount. "But, how long will you be able tost?"


    Great General Sherlock, who was watching the battle from the top of his elevated tform, narrowed his eyes because he understood that the Ammarian Army''s advance was slowly gaining momentum.


    ''Should I give the order to retreat?'' Great General Sherlock thought.


    Just as he had made up his mind to order a retreat, he saw something out of the corner of his eye.


    A dust cloud could be seen in the distance, and from its size, he could tell that there were at least a few hundred riders headed in their direction.


    Great General Gideon also noticed this sudden change in the battlefield and frowned.


    ''It''sing from the direction where Nero and that Half-Elf had their duel,'' Great General Gideon mused. ''Is their fight over already?''


    Great General Gideon was very confident that the one who would emerge victorious in the duel was none other than Nero. After all, thetter was a Ranker, and his opponent was a mere Grade A Apostle.


    Even so, his sixth sense was telling him that the approaching dust cloud was very suspicious, so he ordered the soldiers on the leftmost nk of their army to take a defensive position.


    When the dust cloud neared their location, Great General Gideonnand Great General Sherlock were finally able to see what kind of riders were approaching their ongoing battle.


    ""Skeleton Riders!""


    Both Great Generals gasped, but for different reasons.


    One was out of delight, the other was out of surprise.


    Great General Sherlock chuckled after seeing the Skeleton Riders because there was only one Necromancer on the battlefield, and he was fighting on their side.


    Lux and Eiko, along with their clones, used the skill Skeleton Make to create Skeleton Horses for their Skeleton Gangbangers.


    Behind these Skeleton Riders were hundreds of Zombies that Diablo and Asmodeus had painstakingly collected whenever there was a battle in the Great ins.


    Originally, they were meant to be used as cannon fodder for Lux''s Corpse Explosion Skill, but since Great General Watson and Great General Sherlock had agreed to use the bodies of their fallen soldiers to activate the devastating skill, the Half-Elf no longer needed to hold back and revived the dead to attack the left nk of the Ammarian Army.


    Diablo and Einar led the charge, with Diablo at the front, holding a shield and blocking any iing attacks toward the Barbarian Prince, who had an important role to y.


    Einar rode alongside Lux''s first Named Creature and raised his War Axe high as he gathered all the strength he could muster. When they were only dozens of meters away from the Ammarian Army''s defensive line, Diablo moved to the side, giving Einar space to unleash his strongest attack.


    "Storm Breaker!" Einar roared as he threw his War Axe, which was imbued by the power of mes, into his enemies.


    The War Axe flew so fast like a cannonball and headed straight towards the Ammarian Defenders, who had all raised their shields to block the iing attack.


    When the Axe collided with the shield of the Defenders, it created a powerful explosion, sending everyone at the front flying backwards and pushing the rest to the side, due to the power behind the force in Einar''s attack.


    Before the Ammarian Soldiers could even close the gap that was left open by their injuredrades, the cavalry of Undead, led by Diablo, arrived in front of them, and tore through their ranks like a bowling ball hitting several bowling pins.


    ''I almost forgot that all of these Skeleton Gangbangers are Rank 4 Monsters,'' Einar mused as he raised his hand to call his Axe back to him. ''Also, that Death Knight is not so simple. Fortunately, I am on the same side as them.''


    After helping Diablo and the Skeleton Riders break through the Ammarian Defenses, Einar returned to where Lux was observing the battlefield.


    He was confident in his strength, and he believed that as long as he wasn''t fighting against a Ranker, he would be able to fight anyone without suffering a loss. However, war wasn''t a one-on-one battle.


    Einar understood that charging alone towards tens of thousands of soldiers was suicide.


    Only Lux''s Undead Army would not hesitate to perform such a suicidal method because they had no life to lose.


    "Whirlwind sh!" Diablo swung the Mythical Sword, Blood Moon, which was Randolph''s prized weapon.


    He had given this sword to Lux, to help the Half-Elf handle the tough challenges he was going to face after leaving Leaf Vige.


    In the hands of ordinary warriors, Blood Moon was an exceptional weapon.


    However, in the hands of Diablo, whose attack drastically increased with the number of the dead people in his surroundings, Blood Moon was like a weapon of mass destruction that allowed the Death Knight to regain the health he had lost because of the sword''s "Lifesteal" ability.


    It only took Diablo a single swing of his sword to annihte dozens of the Ammarian Soldiers in front of him.


    Right now, his attack stats had already stepped into the hundreds of thousands, making him a threat to everyone, including the Rankers among the Ammarian Army.


    However, before Great General Gideon could even give an order to one of his Commanders to eliminate the Death Knight, a blood-curdling roar erupted at the frontline of the battlefield, where the bloodiest battle was being fought.


    Without any warning, a giant bloody hand emerged from the ground and swiped at the soldiers that the Yn Soldiers were fighting against.


    A momentter, a twenty-meter tall Blood Golem rose up from the blood-soaked battlefield and roared towards the sky.


    "What in the heavens��" General Herodes who was also fighting in the front lines muttered when he saw the towering creature that he was only seeing for the first time in his life.


    "Go," Zagan ordered the Blood Golem as he pointed at the Ammarian Army. "Kill in our Master''s name!"


    The Blood Golem let out another roar before charging towards the enemy soldiers like a berserk bull on steroids.


    Blood oozed out from its body with each move it made, but this blood loss was immediately replenished by the blood of the people that died in its wake.

 Chapter 508 A Convenient Tool

    "This strategy is even better than I expected," Asmodeusmented after seeing the carnage that was happening in the battlefield. "That Blood Golem is one fascinating creature. Maybe I can artificially make one with Zagan''s help."


    "Just ask him about itter," Luxmented before shifting his gaze to where Diablo and the Skeleton Gangbangers were fighting.


    Diablo had led the charge and over four hundred Skeleton Gangbangers, mounted on Skeleton Horses, that had apanied him in battle.


    Now that a foothold had been made, the Death Knight did what it was best at and used his AOE skills to kill as many soldiers as he could from the get go.


    As Rank 4 Monsters, the Skeleton Gang Bangers were not an easy opponent to defeat, and with Diablo leading them, they became even more of a threat.


    "The Zombies are not too shabby either," Lazarus said as the revived Undead Soldiers, who were all Rank 3 Monsters, joined the Skeleton Riders in wreaking havoc throughout the enemy''s left nk.


    Although they weren''t as strong as the Skeleton Gangbangers, their presence in the battlefield had a demoralizing effect on the Soldiers, who were left with no other choice but to fight the walking corpses of their inrades.


    Suddenly, something caught Lux''s attention, so he immediately raised his hand, and summoned Diablo back to his side.


    At the exact same time, one of the Commanders of the Ammarian Army arrived at the scene with his elite units and immediately engaged the Skeleton Army to battle.


    Although the Skeleton Gang Bangers fought bravely, the enemy they were fighting against was still a Ranker, so their numbers decreased very quickly as the minutes passed by.


    "Let''s do it, Asmodeus," Lux ordered as he activated the skill that the Ammarian Army had grown to hate.


    ""Corpse Explosion!""


    A momentter, a bloody explosion erupted in the Ammarian Army''s left nk, which made the Commander, who hade to deal with the Skeleton Army, hastily retreat.


    Lux''s Corpse Explosion skill was noughing matter, and the moment it spread, only scattered pieces of flesh would remain.


    The other Ammarian Soldiers did the same, and all of them retreated like a tide. They didn''t need anyone to tell them to run because they had already seen what would happen to them if they got caught in the deadly chain reaction of corpses exploding in front of their faces.


    Of course, even if they knew about this, some were not fortunate enough to escape in time, so all of them died, screaming in pain as Lux''s horrifying ability decimated their ranks, sending flesh, and bones flying in every direction.


    Blood mists formed in the surroundings, which immediately flew in the direction of the Blood Golem, increasing its size by another twenty meters.


    The horrifying creature was now over forty-meters tall, and even the attacks from Rankers were only enough to disperse its body for a few seconds before it reformed fully once again.


    It was then that they realized that the Blood Golem would not be defeated as long as the blood of the soldiers on the battlefield flowed like a river.


    However, there was nothing they could do about it.


    As the two sides fought, more people died, and the stronger the Blood Golem became. Lux finally understood why only one Blood Golem could remain active on the battlefield.


    Having more than one didn''t necessarily mean that it would be more effective on the battlefield. In fact, more Blood Golems would only split the amount of blood in the battlefield and slow the rate they could grow into their fullest potential.


    "It is quite unfortunate that we can only summon a Blood Golem inrge scale wars," Lux said. "Summoning it in normal battles would not have the same effect as it is having now."


    Asmodeus nodded his head in agreement to his Master''s words.


    "Still, having one is better than not having any," Zagan stated as hended beside Lux. "Master, the way I see it, we will need to use more drastic measures in order to tilt the battle in our favor. We may have stalled the Ammarian Army by a bit, but after they regain theirposure, the Yn Army will be pushed back again.


    "While they are still reeling from our show of force, we need to concentrate our forces on one side and distract their high-level fighters, giving the Yn Army time to breathe."


    Lux nodded before summoning his Soul Book.


    Right now, Diablo''s attack boost was a little over three hundred thousand, giving him enough strength to make a Ranker reel in pain if they are hit by his attack.


    "Let''s use a different strategy," Lux stated. "Asmodeus, Zagan, do any of you have any good ideas?"


    The Archlich and the High-Ranking Demon nced at each other before nodding their heads at the same time.


    ""Leave it to us, Master.""


    ��------------


    Outside the Domain of the Fallen��


    All the Rankers of the different Factions looked at the projections with a solemn gaze. Time and time again, they were surprised by the things that Lux had shown to them.


    The Blood Golem in particr made them very wary.


    Unlike ordinary Monsters, Blood Golems gain strength by the quantity and quality of the blood that they absorb in battle.


    Right now, Lux''s Blood Golem had grown into a Deimos-Ranked World Boss, which could only be defeated by a team of Rankers or an Army that numbered in the tens of thousands.


    The problem with this arrangement was that the Yn Army would not allow any of the Rankers to team up and destroy the Giant Abomination that was fighting for them.


    Great General Watson, General Carran, and General Fahad were guarding the Blood Golem closely, thwarting any attempts by the enemy Rankers to disperse itpletely.


    The only thing they could do was to unleash long-range attacks that would blow the Golem''s body parts off. However, these destroyed parts would reform again as more people died on the battlefield.


    Perhaps, the only time a Blood Golem could be stopped was when the two armies stopped fighting and allowed one side to attack the Golem freely, giving it no opportunity to replenish the blood that it had lost.


    ''Perhaps we should have killed this brat in the Vahan Empire when we still had the chance,'' Aron frowned after seeing Lux''s performance in the Gate of Conquest. ''Letting him grow might get in the way of my Emperor''s ambition.''


    In the past, they tried to y a trick to make Lux indebted to them, but this n backfired when Lux''s grandma, Vera, appeared to save him.


    Now that Lux and the Vahan Empire were at odds with each other, they felt that the Half-Elf might be a hindrance in the future.


    The High-Ranker of the Vahan Empire then nced in the direction of the unconscious Nero, who was lying on a bedroll not far from him.


    ''... I guess it''s worth a try,'' Aron thought as he gazed at the teenager who hated the Half-Elf very much.


    If he dealt with the Half-Elf personally, there might be dire consequences that even he couldn''t infer. Dealing with an angry Saint was never an easy matter, so he needed to use a tool in order to carry out the n in his mind.


    And what better tool to use than someone who already had a deep-seated hatred towards the Half-Elf, who had taken everything away from him.

 Chapter 509 Clemence, The Chalice Of Reversal [Part 1]

    Lux, Asmodeus, and their clones summoned Skeleton Warriors left and right, and would, from time to time, use Corpse Explosions to deter the Ammarian Army from going all out against the Yn Army, who were now starting to gain momentum.


    "I''m starting to hate Necromancers now," Great General Gideon muttered as he raised his hand to issue an order to one of his Aides. "Send a message to General Herodes to reinforce our right nk. Also, tell the Clerics to focus on setting up barriers to contain the spread of the Corpse Explosions."


    "Yes, Great General!" The Aide bowed his head respectfully before carrying out the orders given to him.


    Aside from the Skeleton Gangbangers, Skeleton Grand Archers, and Skeleton Mages, the Rock Golems had also joined the battle.


    The Rock Golems'' main role wasn''t to join the vanguard in battle, but to throw big boulders behind the enemy lines tp break the formation of the Ammarian Army.


    Although they weren''t as numerous as the Skeleton Army, which numbered in the hundreds, they were still sixty golems strong.


    These mobile catapults that kept on using the skill Rock Throw were formidable in their own right, and the Ammarian Army couldn''t do anything about it.


    Lux had positioned these Rock Golems behind the Blood Golem, who had now breached the enemy''s formation.


    The Ammarian Army was forced to choose between the Abomination in front of them and the Rock Golems that were throwing giant rocks over their heads.


    Making a decision was simple. The Blood Golem was the immediate threat that towered above them and was also easier to attackpared to the Rock Golems that were throwing rocks from a safe distance away.


    General Herodes, who had been ordered to send most of the bulk of his army to contend against the Blood Golem, was having a difficult time because the strongest General of the Yn Kingdom, General Carran, was preventing him from attacking the Blood Golem directly.


    "Get out of my way, you punk!" General Herodes roared as he swung his polearm towards the Yn General who calmly blocked his attack with ease.


    Instead of giving a reply, General Carran unleashed a powerful attack that pushed the Ammarian General back, making thetter curse out loud.


    "The Blood Golem proved to be a very good distraction," Asmodeus said with a smile. "Unfortunately, it will take some time before the preparations for our n B are done."


    Lux nodded. "We just need to be patient until Eiko is done with her task."


    Just as Lux was about to summon more Skeleton Gangbangers to replenish his Undead Army, Keane and Val finally arrived at the frontlines, alongside a pale-faced Xander, who seemed to have suffered from a serious injury.


    "Xander, you don''t need to join the battle right away," Lux said as he looked at the young man who was barely standing on top of his Flying Manta Ray. "Just meditate and try to recover as much as you can. Cai is currently up there with Bedivere, so you don''t have to worry about her safety."


    Xander raised his head to look at the Wind Dragon who was hovering at the rear of the Yn Army. Not far away from Bedivere, the Griffin Riders of the Ammarian Army as well as the Hippogriff Riders of the Yn Army were having a bloodbath in the skies of the battlefield.


    Lux had ordered Bedivere to stay at the back of the formation, so that they wouldn''t be targeted by the Griffin Brigade and be put in danger.


    As an extra precaution, Ishtar, who was currently riding a Griffin that Lux had stolen from the Ammarian Army, was by their side and keeping watch for anyone foolish enough to head in their direction.


    "Keane, Val, you can go and assist Einar and Malcolm at the frontlines," Lux stated. "Make sure that those two don''t kick the bucket."


    Keane and Val smirked, knowing that Lux was just joking. As long as Einar and Malcolm didn''t find themselves facing off against a Ranker, the two of them would not die so easily.


    Even so, since they were itching to join the battle, the two didn''t hesitate and regrouped with their teammates.


    "How about you?" Lux asked Henrietta, who was standing beside him. "Aren''t you going to join the battle?"


    The corner of Henrietta''s lips rose before replying to Lux''s question.


    "My mission is to keep watch over you," Henrietta replied. "It is the Headmaster''s orders, so I can''t leave even if I wanted to."


    Lux scratched his head because Henrietta''s answer was fool proof. Right now, Iris, Alexander, and Alicia were probably watching him, so he decided to just let Henrietta do what she wanted.


    Also, he didn''t mind letting the purple-haired beauty stay by his side. The battle was getting more fierce with each passing minute, and he didn''t want her to die identally due to any unexpected twists and turns.


    As for the others?


    Lux believed that they wouldn''t allow themselves to die, especially now that they were so close inpleting their mission.


    "What are you thinking right now?"


    The sudden question that came from behind him broke Lux out of his daze.


    "A lot of things," Lux replied. "But, I''m sure that Great General Sherlock is thinking more than I am."


    The Gnome smiled after hearing Lux''s reply. He was very happy that Lux had decided to join their faction. The mere thought of facing the Half-Elf''s undead army was enough to give the Great General a headache that he didn''t want to experience.


    "Is there anything you need from me, Great General?" Lux asked.


    Now that the battle was at its most intense phase, the Great General of the Gnomes should be at the center of the army and giving out orders, instead of having a casual chat with him.


    "Yes," Great General Sherlock replied. "I noticed that Eiko is not with you right now. Are you nning something that I don''t know?"


    The Half-Elf smiled before nodding his head.


    "Yes. I am preparing a surprise for the Ammarian Army, and Eiko is busy setting up the stage for it."


    "Oh? I love surprises. Can you tell me what this surprise is?"


    The Half-Elf trusted Great General Sherlock, so he didn''t mind sharing his n with him. After hearing the Half-Elf''s strategy, the Gnome chuckled before narrowing his eyes to look in the direction where the Main g of the Ammarian Army was located.


    "What a bold move," Great General Sherlock stated. "But, it is the thing we need to break this stalemate. Although the Blood Golem is truly powerful, Great General Gideon has a powerful artifact in his possession that can be used to destroy itpletely.


    "The only reason why he isn''t using it right now is because it can only be used at a limited number of times. He understands that you can summon another Blood Golem, so wasting the artifact against it is useless."


    Henrietta, who was listening to the conversation at the side, frowned before voicing out her thoughts.


    "Great General, wouldn''t they lose more soldiers if they allowed the Blood Golem to be stronger?" Henrietta inquired. "What will they do if it reaches Argonaut Rank?"


    "Good question!" Great General Sherlock sighed. Truth be told, he came to talk to Lux and tell him that the artifact was in General Gideon''s possession.


    Aside from its ability to instantly kill strong Monsters, it had another ability, and that was taking control over them.


    In fact, Great General Sherlock believed that Great General Gideon was only waiting for the Blood Golem to be an Argonaut-Ranked World Boss before forcefully taking control of it and making it do his bidding.

 Chapter 510 Clemence, The Chalice Of Reversal [Part 2]

    A frown appeared on Lux''s face after hearing the Gnome''s words. If Great General Gideon really had an artifact that could forcefully take away Zagan''s control over the Blood Golem, then they would face aplete reversal of the momentum they had right now.


    "Zagan,e," Lux ordered.


    Immediately, the High-Ranking Demon descended from the sky andnded beside him.


    "I heard what Great General Sherlock said, and all I can say is that the possibility exists, Master," Zagan stated. "The Blood Golem isn''t that smart. At most, it can understand basicmands like ''kill the enemy'' or ''defend your allies''.


    Lux thought long and hard after hearing that even Zagan thought that there was a possibility of having the Blood Golem be controlled by others.


    "Change of ns," Lux said after organizing his thoughts. "Unsummon the Blood Golem, now!"


    Zagan nodded and immediately unsummoned the Blood Golem.


    At the exact same moment, a blue beam of light shot out from the center of the Ammarian Army, and headed towards the Blood Golem, who had suddenly stopped moving.


    Lux, Henrietta, and Great General Sherlock felt as if their hearts were being squeezed inside their chest.


    They were just talking about the possibility of the Ammarian Great General taking over their strongest fighter on the battlefield, and Great General Gideon had done just that.


    Making them feel as if Fate was ying games with them.


    The Blood Golem, which had stopped moving earlier, turned its head to look at the Yn Army before giving a deafening roar.


    It then raised its leg to take a step forward towards Lux''s direction, but it suddenly lost its bnce, and fell on its back, crushing the Ammarian Soldiers that weren''t able to escape in time.


    A giant wave of blood pushed everyone away, as the Blood Golem''s body disappeared without a trace.


    Lux, Henrietta, and Great General Sherlock, ced their hands over their chests and sighed in relief after seeing this scene.


    ''That was too close!'' Lux thought as he tried to regain his calm after seeing how Great General Gideon seeded wrestling their control over their Blood Golem and making it one of hisckeys.


    Zagan looked at this scene with a calm look on his face, but deep inside, he was feeling a bit annoyed. After all, someone had tried to manipte his own Summon into fighting against his allies. Because of that, he was now holding a personal grudge against the Great General of the opposing army.


    "Fortunately you were able to unsummon it in time." Great General Sherlock wiped the cold sweat that appeared on his forehead after almost seeing aplete reversal of the situation on the battlefield.


    Lux, Henrietta, and Asmodeus shared his thoughts because this was indeed a close call.


    Dealing with an Argonaut Ranked World Boss, especially a Blood Golem that could regenerate endlessly, as long as it was on the battlefield, was a nightmare.


    ��----


    Meanwhile on the Ammarian Army''s Side��.


    "Dammit!" Great General Gideon cursed as his grip tightened over the golden chalice in his hand. "What happened?!"


    He had patiently waited for the Blood Golem to reach the rank he wanted before activating their Kingdom''s National Treasure, which had a very high chance of taking control of any kind of Monster that was Argonaut Ranked and below.


    Great General Gideon nned to give Lux, as well as the Yn Army, a lesson they wouldn''t forget, so he waited and endured the loss of the lives of his men in order to reverse their current situation.


    The Golden Chalice, which was also called Clemence, the Chalice of Reversal, could only be used a limited number of times.


    Having failed his attempt to take control of the Blood Golem, the artifact had lost one of its precious charges, leaving only two behind.


    This also meant that Clemence could only be used two more times to take control of any Argonaut-Ranked Creature before it was destroyedpletely.


    Before Great General Gideon could even vent out his frustration, the ground underneath their feet shook.


    The soldiers at the center of the Ammarian Army''s formation did their best to remain standing and keep their bnce.


    A few secondster, the ground under their feet copsed, creating a giant sinkhole, making the soldiers, who were standing on solid ground a minute ago, fall helplessly without even understanding what happened.


    Great General Gideon was also caught up by the sudden turn of events, and his mount fell into the giant hole that suddenly appeared under their feet.


    Due to the suddenness of the situation, the Great General''s grip on the artifact loosened, making him drop their Kingdom''s National Treasure.


    ''Oh, no!'' Great General Gideon hurriedly stretched out his arm to grab the Golden Chalice that had fallen from his grip.


    However, at that exact moment, something almost round and golden swallowed the Golden Chalice in front of him.


    Before the Great General could even process what had just happened, the Golden Baby Slime, Fei Fei, used a skill called Sr re, emitting a sh of light, which momentarily blinded the Ammarian Great General.


    "Fei Fei!" Eiko shouted before using her skill, Entangling Vines, to summon several vines that Fei Fei could use as a foothold, in order to run in her direction.


    Truth be told, Fei Fei had moved subconsciously after sensing a Legendary Artifact that she could steal for her Master, Cai, nearby. When the Golden Baby Slime came to her senses, she had already eaten the Golden Chalice, and was looking straight at the Great General of the Ammarian Army.


    Fei Fei immediately used Sr re in desperation because she knew that this was the only skill that would allow her to gain a few precious seconds to escape.


    Eiko''s voice reached her just in time, so she was able to use the vines as footholds to escape as fast as she could.


    Knowing that her best friend was still not out of danger, Eiko ordered her two clones toe and help Fei Fei buy some time to reach safety.


    The Baby Slime''s two clones then appeared behind Fei Fei and mimicked the Golden Slime''s skill, Sr re, emitting a blinding radiance that turned the surroundings white.


    "Dig!" Eiko shouted as soon as Fei Fei reached her location, and together, the two Slimes burrowed on the ground and headed straight to where Lux was waiting for them, leaving the enemy Great General behind, who was now roaring in anger after their Kingdom''s National Treasure was snatched before his very eyes.

 Chapter 511 I Will Laugh At All Of You From The Pits Of Hell!

    The sudden explosion in the center of their formation caused wide-spread confusion within the ranks of the Ammarian Army.


    Great General Gideon, wasn''t the only one that fell on the sinkhole.


    The Great Banner of the Ammarian Kingdom, who represented their Army''s might, fell along with him, which caused a subtle ripple within the subconscious minds of the Soldiers who saw the unexpected turn of events from a distance.


    During wars, the g of the Army held a significant meaning.


    As long as it stood, it gave their Army some kind of morale support, and the moment it fell, it meant that their Great General had been defeated, or killed, signaling that the battle was already lost.


    "Do it now!" Lux shouted as he raised his hands in front of him.


    Zagan turned into a ck lightning bolt and flew past the fighting Griffins and Hippogriffs in the sky, in order to reach deep behind the enemy ranks.


    Due to what happened to their Great General, a gap in concentration, focus, and momentum appeared within the Ammarian Army, which allowed Zagan to break through their defenses in a heartbeat.


    The High-Ranking Demon then descended where the highest concentration of Soldiers were, and returned to his original form.


    Diablo, who had hitched a ride on Zagan''s back, jumped off with his sword, Blood Moon, raised high.


    The Death Knight, who was Lux''s firstborn was weaker than Zagan when it came to theirbined stats, but due to the Armor set he was wearing, his attack power far surpassed any of Lux''s summons in the battlefield.


    Right now, Diablo''s attack power was almost half a million, which meant that a single strike from him could��


    "Whirlwind sh!" Diablo shouted as he swung his sword, creating powerful gusts of wind that instantly annihted all the soldiers around the ce where hended.


    Fountains of blood erupted in the air as the Death Knight fixed his burning eyes on the enemies that were looking at him in shock and horror.


    Before anyone could even do anything, Diablo stomped his foot on the ground and leapt through the air to deliver another attack that would kill more people.


    "Hellfire Annihtion sh!" Diablo roared as he shed his sword forward, creating an attack that was bathed with the mes of Hell.


    A column of Raging mes erupted within the Ranks of the Ammarian Army and traveled in a straight line, turning everything it touched to ashes.


    While this was happening, two Griffins flew above Diablo''s head, which made the surrounding soldiers hopeful that their Aerial Cavalry hade to save them.


    However, Diablo''s powerful attacks had created gusts of wind that blew the ck hoods that covered the head of the riders of the two Griffins off.


    Instead of their brave men, the Soldiers only saw two Archliches whose deathly gaze looked down upon all of them as if they were already dead people.


    Diablo immediately leapt into the air, and was caught by Zagan, who was waiting for their backup to arrive. This was the opportunity that they were waiting for, and now that it had finally been realized, it was time to give their enemies a very painful and tragic death.


    ""Corpse Explosion!""


    Asmodeus'' two clones activated the most devastating skill in Lux''s possession, deep within the ranks of the Ammarian Army.


    Lux didn''t know if the scream he heard in the distance was because the soldiers saw the two Archliches and knew what they were about to do, or if they screamed because of the pain that hit them when the person in front of them exploded, sending blood, flesh, and bone, flying in every direction.


    As the notorious skill started to exterminate everyone in sight, like a wave of death expanding outwards, Zagan pointed at the ground and created a Nightmare that they would remember until their veryst moments.


    "Blood Golem!"


    The blood that had dyed the ground red, all rose up in the air and merged together to form an abomination that could be summoned using the blood of thousands of dead people.


    When the sixty-meter tall Blood Golem, that was now an Argonaut-Ranked World Boss, appeared in the center of the battlefield, the Soldiers that were still alive finally lost theirposure, and ran away with all of their might.


    Just like the receding waves going back to sea, the rear of the Ammarian Army retreated as fast as they could, leaving their right, and left nk behind.


    The vanguard, who were fighting with the bulk of the Yn Army, found themselves isted from theirrades.


    General Herodes'' expression became grim when he finally understood the situation they were in.


    Even the Griffin Cavalry in the sky stopped fighting their opponents and hastily retreated after losing their main chain ofmand, leaving the vanguard to fend for themselves.


    "Show no mercy!" Great General Watson roared as he and General Carran worked hand in hand to attack General Herodes who had no path of retreat.


    "Damn you!" General Herodes cursed loudly as he fought against the two Rankers with every ounce of strength that he could muster.


    The thought of surrendering momentarily shed inside his head, but seeing how his two opponents were going all out to kill him, he had a feeling that they wouldn''t show him any mercy even if he surrendered.


    Since that was the case, he would just fight till the bitter end!


    The remaining Ammarian Soldiers who were fighting alongside their General, probably realized this as well. So, instead of retreating, they fought with the intention of bringing their enemies to the afterlife with them.


    The Yn Army weren''t fazed by their temporary boost in determination. All of them were already prepared to die from the start, so nothing had changed when their enemies became slightly more ferocious in the way they fought.


    With the two sides out for each other''s blood, the battle continued for nearly half an hour before Great General Watson''s halberd tore General Herodes'' left arm from his body.


    General Carran didn''t let up on his attacks either and followed up with an attack that sliced off the Ammarian General''s dominant right hand that was wielding his weapon.


    "Kill me!" General Herodes shouted as blood flowed from his severed arms. "You Yn Scums! Even if I die here, the Ammarian Kingdom will prevail! We will conquer yournds and make your people our ves! I willugh at all of you from the pits of Hell!"


    Great General Watson snorted, but he didn''t give the killing blow to the Ammarian General who was currently in a very pitiful state.


    "You''re wrong, Herodes," General Carran replied. "The Tyranny of your Kingdom is about to meet its end. This battle is only the beginning. Do you think that the Kingdoms that you once vanquished in the past have forgotten how you treated their people?"


    The strongest General of the Yn Army sneered at their enemy, who until hisst moments believed that they would still be triumphant in their conquest of the Yn Kingdom.


    "You can go to Hell and watch how your beloved kingdom is torn apart by those you have enved," Great General Watson said. "I''m sure it will be a show worth watching."


    "Damn you, Watson!" General Herodes roared as he charged at the Great General of the Yn Army with the intention of biting him until he drew hisst breath.


    Unfortunately, this n was never going to work.


    With a kick from Watson, the Ammarian General was sent flying before crashing face first on the ground.


    "You want death, but unfortunately, we have promised someone that all of your heads belong to him, and his Mercenary Group," General Carran stated. "So, even if you die, you will not die by our hands."


    As if waiting for that moment, a Dwarf Assassin appeared beside the fallen General. "Your friends are waiting for you in Hell," Sid said before he stabbed his poisoned de into the back of General Herodes'' neck.


    "You shouldn''t keep them waiting." Sid twisted his de, breaking the Ammarian General''s neck and severing his spinal cord.


    The Dwarf Assassin yanked his dagger out then swung it to his side, removing the bloodstains on its surface before sheathing the dagger behind his back.


    Great General Watson and General Carran watched as Lux''s subordinate stored the General Herodes'' corpse inside his Bounty Ring, which Bounty Hunters used to store the dead bodies of their targets.


    Since they needed proof of their kill, they would bring the dead body to their clients in order toplete their mission. Also, Asmodeus loved to get his hands on the bodies of Rankers for his experiments.


    Lux didn''t mind giving the Archlich the bodies of a few Rankers because whatever Asmodeus did would benefit him as well.


    Besides, he already had imed Second''s and General Revon''s bodies for himself, and that was enough.


    He wanted Second because his potential to be a strategist like Asmodeus was very high.


    As for General Revon, Lux wanted the body of the Ranker who had almost seeded in killing him so he could be the Commander of his Animated Undead Army.


    As for the other Rankers? Asmodeus could have them. The Half-Elf didn''t have enough resources to create many powerful Undeads at the moment.


    Keoza had helped him transfer the Seed of the Abyss to Second''s body, allowing thetter to evolve into a High-Ranking Demon, whose abilities far exceeded Lux''s expectations.


    As for General Revon, he still had some Beast Cores from the Tournament that he could use to transform his body into a powerful Creature that would serve him faithfully in the future.


    "Watson, we''ve finally done it," General Carran said as he looked at the retreating Ammarian Army in the distance.


    "Yes," Great General Watson replied. "But, there''s still one thing we need to do."


    General Carran nodded before summoning his mount.


    Great General Watson also summoned his mount, and together, the two High-Ranking Officers of the Yn Army, charged in the direction of the giant sinkhole.


    The Blood Golem was still rampaging in the distance, so this was a perfect opportunity to see if the Great General of the Ammarian Army was still alive or not.


    They had made an agreement with Lux that, if possible, they would capture Great General Gideon alive, to be surrendered to the Yn Kingdom as a hostage.


    Lux agreed because he didn''t want to be too greedy.


    The Half-Elf knew that the moment the Great General of the Ammarian Kingdom was captured, it would also mark the end of the bloody war that had imed countless lives from both armies.


    "Master, we won," Asmodeus said as he pressed both of his hands together and bowed to the Half-Elf by his side.


    Lux smiled as he patted the heads of the two Baby Slimes that he was currently holding in his arms.


    "Both of you did well, Eiko, Fei Fei," Lux praised the two Baby Slimes who looked exhausted, but very satisfied with the praise they were getting.


    The Half-Elf then shifted his gaze towards the battlefield before ordering his Undead Army to carry out the cleanup operation.


    Their mission was still notpleted, so they still had things to do. Even so, Lux was confident that before the day was over, the Quest they received when they entered the Gate of Conquest would finallye to an end.

 Chapter 512 Hah! You Think I’m Scared Of You?!

    As the Vanguards of the Ammarian Army died one by one, the scattered survivors ran towards the South, hoping that they would be able to escape the pursuit of the Yn Army.


    Fortunately for them, Great General Sherlock called off the pursuit after making sure that the scattered enemies had lost the will to continue the war against them. ording to his estimate, nearly thirty thousand troops of the Ammarian Army had managed to escape, but he was fine with that.


    The survivors would return to their Kingdom and tell their King that fighting against the Yn Army was a stupid thing to do, which would probably give both Kingdoms a few years of peace before the start of another war.


    "Thank you for everything, Lux," Great General Sherlock said as he gave the Half-Elf a respectful bow. "I am certain that we wouldn''t have won without your help."


    "Thank you for believing in us." Lux returned the Gnome''s bow with a bow of his own. "I just pray that the next time we meet, it will be a more peaceful time, free of war and suffering."


    Great General Sherlock chuckled after hearing Lux''s words. The Gnome knew that peace between the Ammarian Kingdom and the Yn Kingdom wouldn''t be happening anytime soon, but for now, he was happy that the current war had ended.


    Just as Lux and Great General Sherlock were about to continue their conversation, loud cheers erupted from the Yn Camp, which made the Half-Elf Lux nce in the direction where everyone was looking.


    Tied up on a steel pole and paraded in front of the soldiers was none other than the Great General of the Ammarian Kingdom, Gideon.


    The highestmanding officer of their enemy had several wounds on his body and a defeated expression on his face.


    The opposite was true for Great General Watson, who had a big smile on his face as he waved at the soldiers, whose cheers grew louder.


    Walking beside him was General Carran, who had a calm expression on his face. However, if one were to look closely, they could see that the corner of his lips were raised slightly, proving that he was in a very good mood.


    "Lux, my boy. We finally did it!" Great General Watson shouted. "We won!"


    The Half-Elf smiled and pressed his right fist against his palm before giving Great General Watson a brief bow.


    "Fortune smiled upon you, Great General," Lux dered. "May you and the Yn Army continue to prosper!"


    This deration made the Yn Soldiers cheer the Half-Elf''s name, making Great General Watson roar inughter.


    "It''s you!" Great General Gideon red at the Half-Elf who had caused their army''s defeat. "You traitor! How can you switch sides like this?!"


    "How?" The corner of Lux''s lips rose as he looked at the enemy Great General. "I was never on your side to begin with. Also, the rewards you offered me were stingy. Do you think I''m that cheap?"


    Great General Gideon wanted to say more, but his words were drowned out by a loud shout that wasing from the side of the Yn Army.


    "I''M CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGING!"


    Cai, who had somehow regained consciousness after the battle ended, suddenly felt the strong urge to Kill Steal err�� give the killing blow to the Great General because she was out ofmission for the entire battle.


    Seeing that the highestmanding officer of the enemy army was right in front of her eyes, she decided to deliver the Coup de Grace in order to get more rewards from their quest.


    Fortunately, Zagan''s Blood Golem, which was now 70 meters tall, was still active.


    With a single order from Lux, the Blood Golem grabbed the greedy boar with both hands and held it in ce.


    "Let go of me!" Cai shouted. "Don''t get in the way of my money treeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"


    Lux covered his face with his left hand because Cai had returned to her greedy escapades.


    ''I still prefer her in a human form.'' Lux scratched his head as he looked at the squealing pig that was struggling to escape the Blood Golem''s grip. ''She''s cuter that way.''


    Iris had told him that Cai''s attitude when she was a Boar was very different when she was in human form. She added that the girl Cai is actually a very shy person, who would sometimes stutter when approached by someone she wasn''t close with.


    Lux chuckled when he heard Iris'' confession and linked Cai to an online keyboard warrior who liked to troll on social sites but was actually a quiet person in real life.


    ''I hope I will be able to see that shy Cai in the future,'' Lux mused.


    Seeing that Cai had regained consciousness, Fei Fei immediately ran towards her Master and jumped on the Blood Golem''s hand.


    "Fei Fei! Help me!" Cai said as soon as she saw her Baby Slime whom she hadn''t seen when she woke up.


    "Waeeee!" Fei Fei replied before spitting up a Golden Chalice, which made Cai cease all actions.


    The Boar''s body shuddered when she saw the National Treasure of the Ammarian Kingdom. Just like Fei Fei, Cai had a very keen sense when it came to treasures. One nce was enough to tell her that the Golden Chalice in front of her was a Legendary Item.


    "Oh, Fei Fei! I love you!" Cai shouted as she nuzzled the Golden Baby Slime, who giggled and nuzzled her back.


    Seeing the Golden Chalice that had been stolen from him, Great General Gideon roared at the Boar and the Baby Slime with hatred.


    "You bastards! Don''t think that you can get away with stealing our Kingdom''s National Treasure!" Great General Gideon shouted. "Our Kingdom will hunt you down until the end of the world if that''s what it takes to get Clemence back! If you value your lives, return it to my King immediately! A peace treaty is even possible if you do as I say!"


    Cai, who heard Great General GIdeon''s words, immediately stored the Golden Chalice inside her spatial storage.


    Giving a Legendary Item back?


    Not a chance!


    "Hah! You think I''m scared of you?!" Cai shouted back. "Chase me until the end of the world? Go ahead! I dare you! Do you think you can bully me? My Grandpa will p anyone who dares to hurt me, you know? We''ll see who''s afraid of who!"


    "Da Waaaaaaaaaaaae!" Fei Fei also shouted back and red at the Great General who nned to take back the Legendary Treasure that she had stolen for her Master.


    Great General Gideon continued to re at the shameless Boar before shifting his gaze to Great General Watson who was standing by his side.


    "Return the Chalice to our Kingdom and a peace treaty can be negotiated," Great General Gideon stated. "If you don''t return the Chalice to our King, he will definitely mobilize all the manpower in our kingdom andunch an all-out assault on your homnd!"


    Great General Watson snorted after hearing the defeated General''s threat.


    "You''ve already tried to invade our Kingdom many times," Great General Watson scoffed. "Do you think we can trust your words or the words of your King? If you want to fight, then let''s fight! We will meet you all on the battlefield!"


    The Yn Soldiers all cheered as they supported their Great General''s words.


    "Fools! You don''t know what you''re talking about!" Great General Gideon shouted. "Do you really think that Clemence is a simple artifact? It is an artifact that allows someone to��"


    The Great General suddenly realized that he almost spilled a state secret, so he immediately shut his mouth tight to prevent him from speaking any more words that might bring light to the true usage of the Golden Chalice that was currently in the Boar''s hands.


    Great General Watson and General Carran arched an eyebrow as they looked at the Great General who suddenly stopped talking.


    Lux, who was very curious on Clemence''s true abilities used his Soul Book, to appraise the artifact using the power of the Elysium Compendium.


    ��--------


    < Clemence, The Chalice Of Reversal >


    Rarity: Legendary Artifact


    Main Ability: Locked


    Secondary Ability: Able to unleash a single target attack that is equal to a full-powered strike from an Argonaut-Ranked World Boss.


    �C Number of uses (2/2)


    Third Ability: Able to tame any creature up to the Argonaut Rank and make them your loyal subordinate.


    �C Number of uses (2/2)


    < Important Notice >


    �C Take note that the Second and Third Ability''s usage are one and the same. Using one of the abilities will consume the quota of the other.


    �C The Second and Third Ability of the Chalice of Reversal can only be used two more times.


    ��--------


    The Half-Elf sighed after reading the information of the Golden Chalice that was currently in Cai''s possession. It was indeed a Chalice of Reversal because its two abilities could definitely create aplete reversal when used at the right moment.

 Chapter 513 War Of Lions Mission Completion!

    While the Yn Army was celebrating, Lux and his teammates were currently in the Commanding Tent of the Yn Army, where Great General Watson, Great General Sherlock, and the other high-ranking officers of the Yn Kingdom had gathered.


    "While we may have defeated Great General Gideon here in the Great ins, the Ammarian Kingdom still has one more Great Generalmanding their army," Great General Sherlock said with a smile. "He is none other than Great General Rafael. He''s the person who first hired your Mercenary Group, Lux."


    The Half-Elf nodded. Originally, he thought that Great General Rafael would join the battle. However, the most he did was send manpower to the four battlefields, who were fighting against the Yn Army.


    "As long as he is still alive, the Ammarian Kingdom is still a threat," General Carranmented. "Even so, we will not lose to him."


    The two Great Generals, as well as the othermanding officers inside the tent nodded their heads in agreement.


    Great General Sherlock chuckled in order to decrease the tension inside the tent.


    "Let''s not worry about these things for now," Great General Sherlock said. "We have won the war, so we shouldn''t have grim faces now, should we?"


    "That''s right!" Great General Watsonughed. "All of us are here because we decided to hand out great rewards to those that have helped us win this war. Now, Lux and the rest of you,e here."


    Great General Watson made a gesture for the teenagers to follow him on the table where the map of the battlefield wasid out.


    "We have promised you that for every General you defeat, we will pay you one million gold coins and give you a Pseudo-Legendary Equipment of your choice," Great General Watson said. "We also promised you that if you killed Great General Gideon, we will give you an additional one million gold coins each, and two Pseudo-Legendary Equipment of your choice."


    Cai looked at Great General Watson with a disappointed look on her face before shifting her gaze to the tied up General, who had been knocked unconscious and sat slumped in the corner of the tent.


    "I can still kill him...," Cai muttered. "That is still an extra million, and two Pseudo-Legendary Items. I can do this--all I need is a distraction. Fae Fae, you cast Sr re, while I stab that bastard dead while no one is looking."


    Fei Fei resolutely nodded her head. As long as she would be able to help Cai, she was willing to follow her orders.


    "O-Oi, we can hear you, you know?" Great General Watson''s lips twitched after hearing the Boar''s attempt to kill the Great General whom they had painstakingly captured. "Don''t worry. Even if he is alive, we will still give you the rewards that were meant for his head."


    Cai suddenly looked at Watson as if he was the most considerate man she had seen in her life, so she decided to set aside her attempt to kill the enemy Great General, who was unaware that the Boar had still not given up on taking his life.


    "Now, here is the list of equipment we currently have," Great General Watson ced three scrolls on top of the table, to allow Lux and hisrades to browse its contents. "Feel free to check them, and pick out the ones you like. Take note that we only have one piece of each equipment, so if two of you fancy the same thing, you just talk it out among yourselves, okay?"


    "Hahaha! Now we''re talking!" Cai was the first to check the list of the Pseudo-Legendary Equipment, and looked at it with a solemn gaze as if her life depended on it.


    Lux and the others didn''t bother to fight with the shameless Boar, and just waited for their turn.


    "These rings contain four million gold coins each," General Carran said as he handed several rings to Lux and hisrades as if they were candies.


    Keane, who never had so much money before, didn''t know what he was going to do with the sudden fortune that he received on the mission. He originally nned to give the money to Lux to help with their Guild Funds, but the Half-Elf turned him down.


    "Just keep it," Lux stated. "You are no longer in the mountains where you grew up all your life. In order to explore this world, you will need money. Maybe you can even buy a better sword, or hire a cksmith to craft you one when you have the chance."


    After hearing Lux''s exnation, the skinny swordsman looked at the ring on the palm of his hand and decided to wear it.


    His reason for leaving the mountains was to find the peace he was looking for. He had forgotten his goal because many things were happening around him, and he found himself being carried by the flow.


    Einar was a Barbarian Prince, so he wasn''t too shocked about getting millions of gold coins. The same could be said for Henrietta, Val, and Malcolm. All of them were Guildmasters, so holding this much money was second nature to them.


    As for Xander, he wasn''t as calm as hisrades after receiving such a fortune.


    He was the Guildmaster of the subsidiary Guild of the Rowan Tribe. Since the Rowan Tribe was a Nomadic Tribe who traveled from ce to ce, they didn''t have many funds.


    They thrived by hunting and peddling their wares in the towns they visited along the way. One could even say that being frugal had been their way of living, so getting this much gold coins at once made Xander suffer from brain freeze.


    As the High Priestess of her Tribe, Cai also felt that she needed to contribute more to her people in order to make their lives morefortable.


    This was why, whenever she was in her Boar Form, she acted like a greedy pig and always looked for treasures.


    She wasn''t doing this for herself but for her people, who loved and cared for her since birth.


    Her transformation into her Boar Form allowed her to be courageous and shameless, which was the exact opposite of her personality in her Human form.


    "I''m done choosing!" Cai said as she used her hoof to point at two of the items on the list. "Um, I want this Endless Bag of Gold that gives 100 gold coins per day, and this Endless Sack of Gold that gives 200 gold coins per day."


    "Okay," Great General Watson nodded as he gave Cai the two Pseudo-Legendary Items without batting an eye. "You can still choose two more. Have you already decided what to get?"


    Cai then shifted her hoof to the second scroll and said her two other choices. "I want this Bag of Metals that produces two kilos of one random metal everyday, and this Bag of Pills that produces one random high-grade pill everyday."


    "Good choices," Great General Watson gave the boar a thumbs up before handing the two other items to her.


    Cai had chosen the items that would allow her Tribe to have a steady flow of money and resources everyday, which almost moved Xander to tears.


    "...I should have been the one to look at that list," Einar scratched his head after hearing the names of the items that Cai had picked first.


    As a Guildmaster, resources were very important because it allowed their Guild to be fully equipped and battle ready to hunt monsters, as well as dive into high-ranking Dungeons.


    "She got us good." Val also clicked his tongue after Cai happily walked away to allow others to take their pick.


    This time, it was him and Einar that moved towards the Scrolls and scrutinized them with a critical gaze.


    "Xander, I''ll leave this stuff to you," Cai said as she handed the things she collected to one of her retainers. "Make sure to use it well, understand?"


    "Yes, Higha�" Cai!" Xander caught himself just in time and bowed respectfully towards the smug-faced Boar, who seemed to be very satisfied with her aplishments.


    "Um, I''m keeping my gold coins, okay?" Cai whispered to Xander. "Don''t tell Gramps."


    "Understood!" Xander replied and gave Cai the "my lips are sealed" gaze, which made the Boar pat the young man''s shoulders.


    Lux found this whole exchange funny, but he didn''t do or say anything. He simply looked at Cai with his arms crossed over his chest.


    Suddenly, a thought came to him so he walked towards the Boar and handed her the ring that contained the four million gold coins that was given to him.


    "You saved my life, so this is a smallpensation for it," Lux stated. "Don''t worry. My life isn''t worth a mere four million gold coins. I will also try to repay you in other ways in the future."


    "Oh, you~ we''re friends. You don''t have to repay me for saving you," Cai replied as she grabbed the ring from Lux''s hand and handed it to Xander. "Um, but since you insist, I will take the four million gold coins and look forward to how much you pay for the rest in the future."


    Lux smiled and nodded his head.


    What Cai didn''t know was that Lux had arge supply of Draconium Ores in his possession, which he assumed to be worth billions of gold coins. A mere four million was nothing to him, so he was more than happy to give it to Cai, who was collecting riches for the sake of her people.


    As for how he would repay her for saving his life, he would think of it slowly in the future!


    Suddenly, Lux heard the sound of notification in his head as several rows of text appeared in front of him.


    Cai and the others received the same notifications as well, which made them pause whatever they were doing and stare at the space in front of them to read the additional rewards they gained frompleting their mission.


    ----------------


    < War of the Lions (Completed!) >


    Mission Rating: SS


    < Team Completion Rewards >


    a�" 3,000 Free Stat Points


    a�" 10 Random Deimos-Ranked Beast Cores


    < Bonus Rewards >


    +20 to all Summon Skeleton Skills


    +5 to All Summon Golem Skills


    a�" You received the Key of EL Dorado


    < Skeleton Grand Archers can now be evolved to a Stronger ss>


    < Animate Undead [EX] Skill received a minor upgrade. Instead of reviving 200 Undead Creatures at the Initiate Rank, you will now be able to revive 300 Creatures. >


    a�"The Commander of the Animated Undead Legion will always be equal in strength to its Master.


    < You have unlocked the Unique Necromancer Skill, Skeleton Generator. >


    ----------


    (Note: Each individual will receive a different type of Bonus Reward depending on the contribution they made in the mission. While it is possible for everyone to receive simr rewards, the majority of the rewards will be exclusive to their respective professions.)


    ----------


    < Key of EL Dorado >


    a�" Legendary Item


    a�" Once a week, you will be able to instantly teleport to the Kingdom of El Dorado by using the Key.


    a�" You may return to where you came from anytime by using the Key a second time.


    a�" This Item can only be used by a D-Ranker


    a�" Information of this key will be unlocked once the user has be a D-Ranker.


    a�" This Item is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer


    ----------


    < Skeleton Generator [EX] >


    a�" When using this skill, the user will be given an option to fuse any kind of resources to create Random Skeleton sses. The rarer the items, the rarer the Skeleton ss that can be summoned.


    a�" Examples of resources that can be used are Beast Cores, Monster Parts, Weapons, Armors, Items, Artifacts.


    a�" Misceneous items can also be used, which might create an idental Fusion.


    (Due to the effect of the Skill Evolution [EX] Skill, Skeleton Generator has automatically been upgraded to Skeleton Generator [EX]).


    -------------


    The Half-Elf then allocated his Free Stat Points inside his Soul Book and checked his information with a smile.


    ---------


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16


    Race: Half-Elf


    Profession: Lord of the Dead


    Rank: Initiate


    Health: 196,000 / 196,000


    Mana: 430,000 / 430,000


    Strength: 1250


    Intelligence: 2050


    Vitality: 1060


    Agility: 1000


    Dexterity: 1000


    ---------------


    ''Very nice!'' Lux nodded his head in satisfaction.


    After he was killed by Second, he lost two thousand stat points, and he had been wondering how he would be able to regain the points he had lost after he finished his mission.


    Fortunately, the mission rewards gave him 3,000 Free Stat Points, which caught himpletely by surprise.


    Cai and the others also had very happy expressions on their faces. They, too, received the Team Rewards, which allowed them to step into the Initiate Rank once again.


    Malcolm was also very happy because the boost in stats pushed him a little closer to bing an E-Ranker.


    However, the rewards didn''t end there. Each of them received separate Bonus Rewards depending on their contribution to thepletion of the mission.


    Lux''s Rewards made him smile from ear to ear.


    He was very eager to use the Skeleton Generator ability, but he endured this impulse because now was not the right time to do that.


    ''I''ll wait until I return to Barbatos Academy before I attempt to use this skill,'' Lux thought as he gazed at the happy faces of his team members, who seemed to have struck gold, just like him.


    Aside from the rewards he gained from the mission, he could still pick four Pseudo-Legendary Items from the list provided by the Yn Army, which was a nice bonus to all the hardship that he had been through in order to clear the Gate of Conquest.


    ''I also need to have a talk with Keoza about that silver-haired man.'' Lux sighed internally. ''Something is telling me that this will not be thest time I''d see him.''


    Because he had been busy with his duel with Nero and monitoring the current status of the war, the Half-Elf didn''t have time to ask the Crystal Dragon about the identity of the enemy that he had fought.


    There was still one more gate that needed to be conquered to unlock the final gate of the Sacred Dungeon, and if his gut instinct was right, he would definitelye across that Abyssal Creature again, who posed a great threat to his survival.

 Chapter 514 The Sooner, The Better

    "Thank you, Lux, for everything." Great General Watson shook Lux''s hand after the Half-Elf finished picking the four Pseudo-Legendary Items he wanted from their list.


    "May these items serve you well," Great General Sherlock added as he handed Lux a storage ring containing all the equipment that he had asked for.


    The Half-Elf took the ring gratefully and also shook the Gnome''s hand before thanking them as well.


    At that moment, General Carran patted Lux''s shoulder, making thetter look at the General who had fought alongside him during the previous battles in the Glouswell Forest.


    "I hate Necromancers to this day, and I still do," General Carran stated. "In the future, if we meet again, but you are standing against the Yn Kingdom, I swear to finish what General Revon failed to do and kill you."


    General Carran''s rugged hand rested on Lux''s shoulder, but he didn''t hold the Half-Elf in a firm grip. It simply rested there, as if implying that, for now, they were still not enemies.


    "I, too, hope that there will note a day when I will stand opposite the Yn Kingdom," Lux replied. "I''m sure that fighting against you guys will leave a bitter taste in my mouth if that were to happen."


    General Carran snorted before taking his hand away from the Half-Elf''s shoulder.


    "Are you all leaving now?" Great General Watson asked.


    Lux nodded. "We have other battles to fight."


    The Half-Elf didn''t mention that there was a countdown timer that was ticking in front of him, and a nce was enough to tell him that they had only twenty more minutes before they were forcefully kicked out of the Gate of Conquest.


    After bidding their final goodbyes, Lux and his team summoned their mounts and left the Yn Army.


    The soldiers who watched them leave all cheered, viewing them as heroes.


    The friendly Eiko waved back at them, and told them, "Bye Bye!"


    Everyone, including Malcolm, had smiles on their faces as they left the Yn Camp and headed in the direction of the mountains.


    When the countdown timer was up, all of them turned into particles of light and were teleported back to the entrance of the Gate of Conquest, which now had their names in it, written in bold letters to signify that they were the first ones to clear the dungeon in Hell Mode, which countless had failed.


    Henrietta and Malcolm both received a notice that they were now able to enter the Domain of the Fallen anytime they wanted, and they were also allowed to bring five people inside the Domain with them.


    This piece of good news made the two quite happy Having more quotas meant that they could now bring a bigger party to conquer the Fourth Gate, which in turn would help unlock the Fifth Gate that required all the other four Gates conquered.


    "Let''s go back," Lux said with a smile. "I want to take a month or two vacation from all of these Dungeon expeditions."


    Everyone nced at the Half-Elf because they understood that this was his subtle way of telling them that he didn''t n on returning to the Domain of the Fallen anytime soon.


    "Sounds good," Caimented. "I also have many other things to do. But before that, I''ll go drop by Barbatos Academy to see Iris. Xander, you tell gramps that I''ll be back after a week, okay?"


    Xander nodded his head in understanding. Cai''s words were as good as their Chief''s words, and the only one that could overturn them was Maximilian, who was almost finished with the experiments he was doing for the time being.


    Lux then nced at Malcolm, who was also looking at him with a serious expression on his face.


    "We might have started on the wrong foot, but this time, allow me to thank you for everything," Malcolm stated. "I don''t know what the future has in store for the both of us, but I hope that even when we face each other on opposing sides, make sure to take it easy on me, okay?"


    Malcolm was a lot stronger than Lux, and he used to think that he could easily defeat the Half-Elf if they fought one-on-one.


    But, now, he wouldn''t be challenging Lux to a duel anytime soon.


    The reason was simple.


    Necromancers didn''t do one-on-one battles, and he didn''t want to suffer a one-sided beating from the Half-Elf''s Undead Army, which had now be stronger than ever.


    Lux smirked after hearing Malcolm''s words. "I''ll think about it."


    Just like Malcolm, he didn''t know if he would stand against the Vahan Empire and the Skystead Alliance in the future.


    After what had happened in the Vahan Empire, the Half-Elf had a very bad impression of Emperor Andreas and his right-hand man, Aron. If possible, he didn''t want to deal with them anytime soon.


    ''I''ll wait until I be a Ranker,'' Lux thought as he scanned the faces of everyone around him before giving all of them a thumbs up. "Let''s go home."


    ��---------


    In front of the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen��


    Several shes of light illuminated the gate of the Domain of the Fallen, and from that light, the victors of the Gate of Conquest appeared in front of everyone, who were waiting for their return.


    "You did well, Lux," Gerald said as he happily patted the Half-Elf''s shoulder before guiding him straight to where Natasha and Rainer were.


    The Commander of the Wildgarde Stronghold knew that the other factions held a grudge against the Half-Elf, so in order to keep the Half-Elf out of harm''s way, he immediately dragged Lux to their faction, preventing the others from calling out to him.


    Cai and Keane followed behind because the Rowan Tribe''s Faction stood next to the Wildgarde Stronghold''s Faction.


    Only Malcolm returned to the Skystead Alliance victorious, and the other representatives gazed at him with envy and jealousy, contrary to Aron, the right-hand man of Emperor Andreas, who patted his shoulder and praised him for making their Empire proud.


    "You did well, Malcolm," Aron said as he looked at thest remaining representative of the Skystead Alliance who managed to clear the Gate of Conquest. "I''m sure our Emperor and your Father will be very proud of your achievements."


    "Thank you, Your Excellency," Malcolm replied with a smile.


    Aron then nced in the direction of the Wildgarde Stronghold Faction. His gaze lingered on Lux for a while before he shifted it to Nero, who was still unconscious.


    A few secondster, Aron made a gesture for everyone belonging to his Faction to follow him.


    "Let''s go back to the Vahan Empire," Aron ordered. "We still have many things to do, and so little time to aplish them."


    He still needed to make aplete report of what happened inside the Gate of Conquest to his Emperor and ask Malcolm if he received a key after clearing the Dungeon.


    A key that would allow them to realize their Empire''s long cherished wish to expand their borders and make others submit to their rule.


    Lux stared at Aron''s retreating back from a distance and clenched his fist tightly.


    He had sensed Aron''s gaze upon him, and for a brief moment, he had felt the High-Ranker''s killing intent.


    ''It seems that I really can''t lower my guard against the Vahan Empire,'' Lux thought. ''I better hurry up and be stronger. The sooner, the better.''

 Chapter 515 Eiko’s Little Experiment [Part 1]

    After leaving Elysium, Lux, Cai, Keane, and Henriettta, headed back to Barbatos Academy, where an excited Iris waited for them at the entrance.


    Naturally, the first one to get hugged by the blue-haired beauty was none other than Cai, who immediately charged forward as soon as she saw Iris waving at them from a distance.


    "It seems that she missed you very much," Henrietta whispered in Lux''s ears. "She couldn''t even wait for us to enter the gates and met us outside of it instead. Go easy on her tonight, okay?"


    Lux pretended that he didn''t hear Henrietta''sst words and simply walked towards his fiance with a smile on his face.


    Eiko had already jumped off Lux''s head and ran towards Iris, jumping into her Mama''s open arms.


    "I missed you so much, Eiko," Iris said before kissing the baby slime, who happily kissed her back. "Did you miss me too?"


    "Ma!" Eiko replied before nuzzling Iris, which made thetter giggle.


    Lux, who didn''t want to get in the way of Eiko''s reunion with Iris, walked towards Alicia and asked her a few questions, especially if they had seen everything that had happened inside the Sacred Dungeon through Henrietta''s eyes.


    "You did well," Alicia stated. "I didn''t know that you were hiding so many secrets. For a moment, I thought I was looking at a different person."


    "Keep those secrets as secrets," Lux reminded the beautiful Secretary. "This Dungeon expedition was incredibly difficult, so I was forced to show a few of my Trump Cards."


    Alicia nodded in understanding. Although it was only for a brief moment, she saw the Crystal Dragon appear on the skies of the battlefield.


    If not for the fact that Henrietta was being attacked and had no time to look at Lux''s ongoing battle with Nero, they might have witnessed more things that they hadn''t seen before.


    In fact, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy was very curious about how Lux fought against a Ranker despite being a mere Grade A Apostle, surviving the ordeal unscathed.


    He was also very curious about how the Half-Elf fought against Nero, who for some unknown reason had managed to temporarily be a Ranker, and still managed to win.


    Henrietta wasn''t there when the Half-Elf fought against General Revon and only knew about itter when Lux went to look for Henrietta to ask thetter to take care of Cai in his stead.


    The Guildmaster of the Serenity Guild only saw Keoza''s appearance when Lux had summoned the Crystal Dragon because he had finally decided that enough was enough.


    "The Headmaster knows that you will be busy today, so he ordered me to tell you to go find him tomorrow," Alicia said before walking towards Henrietta in order to discuss a few important things that happened in her Guild, Serenity, while she was away.


    Serenity was the subsidiary guild of Barbatos Academy in Elysium, and only the elite members of the Academy were able to join it.


    Lux then felt a longing gaze, piercing him from the side, so he turned his head to look at his beautiful fiance, who was now pouting.


    "I''m back, Iris," Lux said before heading towards his fiance with a mischievous smile on his face. "Did you miss me?"


    "I missed Eiko more than I missed you," Iris replied.


    The Half-Elf smirked before moving closer to whisper something in Iris'' ear.


    "I''ll make sure you don''t get any sleep tonight," Lux whispered.


    Immediately, a faint blush appeared on Iris'' face before she yfully pounded on the Half-Elf''s chest to vent out her frustration.


    "Um, can you put aside the PDA for now?" Cai said with a snort. "It''s still bright, and people are looking at us. Wait until both of you are in a room, okay?"


    The Boar''s reminder made the blush on Iris'' face deepen, leading to her pushing Lux away before inviting Cai to enter the gates of the Academy.


    Lux, who had been pushed away, only chuckled because he found Iris'' reaction quite cute. For the time being, he decided to stop teasing his fiance out in broad daylight.


    He would just wait until the two of them were alone together before showering her with his love.


    Iris led Lux, Cai, and Keane to her private residence inside the Academy where only a select few people could enter.


    Henrietta apanied Alicia to report to the Headmaster''s Office, so she wasn''t able to be with everyone for the time being. She had many responsibilities and reporting her impression of what happened inside the Sacred Dungeon to the Headmaster was one of them.


    When they entered Iris'' personal residence in Barbatos Academy, Lux and Keane sat on the sofa, while Iris took Cai to her bedroom to talk about a few things.


    Eiko and Fei Fei stayed behind because Iris wanted to talk to Cai in private.


    Eiko, who was left with her Papa, suddenly got an idea and crawled up on Lux''s leg to ask him for a few things.


    "Pa!" Eiko said as she looked at the Half-Elf with a sweet smile on her face.


    Lux smiled and patted Eiko''s head, making thetter giggle. Both of them shared a strong connection with each other, so the Baby Slime was able to transmit her thoughts to the Half-Elf without saying anything.


    "You want some Beast Cores?" Lux asked.


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded. "Deimos!"


    "Deimos Ranked Beast Cores?" Lux blinked as he looked at the Baby Slime who nodded her head firmly.


    After giving it some thought, Lux nodded his head and took out the ten Deimos Cores that he received as a reward from the "War of the Lions" Quest inside the Gate of Conquest.


    Ten Beast Cores, which were all as big as Eiko, were ced on the carpeted floor, making the Baby Slime very happy.


    "You can choose only one, okay?" Lux said. "I will use the others for my experiments."


    "Pa!" Eiko replied, and immediately looked at the Beast Cores one by one, as if reading their information.


    Lux didn''t know whether Eiko was able to read the information of each Beast Core, but since the Baby Slime had a serious expression on her face, he became curious about what Eiko was nning to do.


    Several minutester, Eiko chose a bright-red Beast Core among the ten, leaving the others behind.


    As Lux retrieved the remaining Beast Cores, the Baby Slime did something that he hadn''t seen before.


    A skeleton bowl, which was at least two-meters wide, appeared in front of Eiko.


    Suddenly, a voice, whose gender couldn''t be identified by Lux, spoke inside the room.


    ��----------


    < Greetings! Do you wish to Generate a Random Skeleton Creature? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��--------


    "Un!" Eiko replied as she crawled up the edge of the Skeleton Bowl, overlooking the pitch-ck darkness at its center with a smile.


    It didn''t take long for Lux to realize that Eiko had copied his skill, Skeleton Generator [EX] and had decided to y with it.


    ��--------


    < In order to create a Random Skeleton Specie, you will have to sacrifice materials for fusion. Take note that none of the items you are going to use can be refunded. Do you ept this condition? >


    "Yes!" Eiko answered.


    < A minimum of two materials can be used for fusion. The Maximum number of materials you can add to the Skeleton Generator is a hundred materials. Do you wish to create your Skeleton now? >


    "Un!" Eiko nodded.


    < Take note that there is a possibility of having an ident while fusing. Sometimes, the Skeleton Specie that you will generate from this ident is exceptionally weak or could be exceptionally strong. >


    < You can now throw the materials inside the Skeleton Bowl to start the fusion! >


    "Okay!" Eiko then tossed the red Deimos-Ranked Beast Core inside the Skeleton Bowl as the first fusion material.


    A secondter, she took out another red Beast Core, which was smaller than the first one she had, and threw it inside the Skeleton Bowl, which had now started to give off a faint light.


    The second Beast Core that Eiko threw was none other than the Beast Core from the Bombardier Gori, which had been given to her by Glee, which allowed the baby slime to learn the skill, st Bomb [EX].


    After throwing the two Beast Cores in, Eiko summoned a red-steel ball and happily tossed it inside the Skeleton Bowl as a fusion material.


    Fei Fei, who was watching her best friend, found this amusing, so she joined Eiko in throwing st Bombs inside the Bowl, making Lux''s expression look like he was constipated.


    Soon, the two Baby Slimes were giggling as they tossed bomb after bomb into the bowl as if they were ying some kind of game.


    Keane, on the other hand, found this scene quite amusing. He quietly watched the two Baby Slimes who seemed to be having a lot of fun.


    Eiko paused for a bit because she suddenly had an idea. Instead of creating more st Bombs, she created several Skeleton Bombs, using the skill Skeleton Make.


    After making her first Skeleton Bomb, she then tossed it inside the bowl, making the light shining at its center grow brighter.


    The Baby Slime found this amusing and kept on tossing more Skeleton Bombs, while Fei Fei kept on throwing in st Bombs.


    Several minutester, the voice spoke once again, making the two Baby Slimes stop throwing more stuff inside the bowl.


    < The Skeleton Generator had reached the maximum number of materials for fusion. >


    < Do you wish to start the fusion? >


    < Yes / No >


    "Yes!" Eiko replied happily, confirming that she wanted the fusion to begin.


    A momentter, several red lights danced inside the Skeleton Bowl.


    Lux had no idea what woulde out from his Baby Slime''s diabolic concoction, but he had to admit that he was also very curious about what kind of Creature would emerge from the Skeleton Generator Skill.


    This was the first time this skill was being used, so he was looking forward to the surprise that was waiting for them once the fusion wasplete.

 Chapter 516 Eiko’s Little Experiment [Part 2]

    Eiko and Fei Fei looked at the center of the bowl, which was now sparkling like fireworks.


    A momentter, a red orb of light floated upwards from the center of the Skeleton Bowl and hovered in the air for a few seconds before moving a few meters away from the two Baby Slimes, who were looking at it with great expectations.


    When the red orb of light had floated to a safe distance away from everyone, it suddenly expanded until it became a two-meter tall Creature that looked more like a crystal than a skeleton.


    ��-------


    < Congrattions! >


    < You have sessfully created the Crimson Monkey Kong Skeleton Bombardier! >


    < The stats of this Monster will always be equal to the stats of the one who summoned it. >


    < Only one Crimson Monkey Kong Skeleton Bombardier can be summoned at any given time. >


    < Please bestow a name to your newly created Skeleton! >


    ��-------


    Eiko blinked after hearing the voice that asked her to give a name to the two-meter tall Crimson Monkey Kong Skeleton Bombardier, whose entire skeletal body seemed to be made up of rubies.


    "Boom�� er?" Eiko tilted her head after giving a name filled with uncertainty.


    It seemed like the Monkey Kong Skeleton liked the name that Eiko had given it, given how hard it thumped its chest with its bony hands and how loud it made gori-like noises.


    ��---------


    < Congrattions! Boomer will now serve you as your loyal summoned Creature from this day forward! >


    ��-----------


    < Boomer >


    "Need a Light?"


    �C Fused Skeleton Creature


    �C Crimson Monkey Kong Skeleton Bombardier


    �C Rating: S


    Health: 124,800 / 124,800


    Mana: 124,800 / 124,800


    Strength: 624


    Intelligence: 624


    Vitality: 400


    Agility: 400


    Dexterity: 400


    Active Skills: st Bomb [EX], Dynamite Punch, Dynamite Kick, Dynamite Body m, Leap


    Passive Skills: Crystal Body


    Special Ability: Bomb Specialist


    ��----------


    < Crystal Body >


    �C Gives 20% Resistance to Physical and Magical Attacks


    ��-----------


    < Bomb Specialist >


    �C Has a 25% chance to deal 200% more damage when using st Bombs, or any Exploding Abilities.


    �C Has a 10% chance to deal 300% more damage when using st Bombs, or any Exploding Abilities.


    �C Has a 5% chance to deal 400% more damage when using st Bombs, or any Exploding Abilities.


    ��-----------


    < Boomer has been automatically assigned to be Eiko''s Animated Undead Army Commander. >


    < Thank you for using Skeleton Generator, your one-stop generator for anything Skeleton Rted! >


    < Skill will now go into a week-long cooldown. >


    < Skill Cooldown Timer: 168.59.58 >


    ��---------


    "Thank you, too!" Eiko replied as she waved at the Skeleton Bowl which was shrinking in front of her.


    Fifteen secondster, the bowl had shrinked into nothingness, leaving the two Baby Slimes who were looking at the Monkey Kong Skeleton with sparkling eyes.


    "Yay!" Eiko happily jumped towards the Monkey Kong Skeleton who caught her easily with its bony hands.


    Fei Fei, who also participated in Boomer''s creation, joined Eiko, and soon, the two Baby Slimes were jumping on the Monkey Kong Skeleton''s body as if it was some kind of ride in an amusement park.


    "Unbelievable," Keane muttered before ncing in Lux''s direction. "Just how many surprises does Eiko have?"


    Lux only gave his friend a mysterious smile as a way to prevent his own surprise from showing on his face.


    He didn''t expect Eiko to actually seed in creating a Skeleton of her own through the fusion of two Beast Cores, dozens of st Bombs, and dozens of Skeleton Bombs.


    The Half-Elf then opened the Skill Book and looked closely at the information about the Skeleton Generator [EX] Skill to get a better understanding of how it worked.


    ��------


    < Skeleton Generator [EX] >


    �C When using this skill, the user will be given an option to fuse any kind of resources to create Random Skeleton sses. The rarer the items, the rarer the Skeleton ss that can be summoned.


    �C Examples of resources that can be used are Beast Cores, Monster Parts, Weapons, Armors, Items, and Artifacts.


    �C Misceneous items can also be used, which might create an idental Fusion.


    �C Materials used in creating Skeletons are non-refundable.


    �C Not all fusions can be sessful. There is a 20% chance for the creation process to fail, which would put all your resources to waste.


    �C There is also a chance of creating powerful Skeleton Monsters, which you cannot control given your current Rank. When this happens, the created Creature will be locked inside the Skeleton Bestiary, waiting for you to reach the required Rank in order to summon them to serve you.


    �C Using more resources doesn''t necessarily mean better results. It is possible to optimize the Skeleton Generator Skill by fusing materials that match the creature you are looking for, but take note that no one knows what the end result will be.


    �C All sessfully created Skeletons will automatically be added to the Animate Undead Army, unless you specify them as part of your Necromancer''s Covenant.


    �C Not all Skeleton Generated Creatures are equal. Depending on their type, they can be stronger or weaker than the one that summoned them.


    ��------


    ''I better ask Asmoedus to experiment using this ability a littleter,'' Lux thought. ''Although the one week cooldown is a pain, adding powerful Undead to our Army is always a good thing. The newly created Skeleton Creature is also automatically added to the Animated Undead Army unless I make them part of my Covenant��''


    The Half-Elf crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at Eiko''s new summon, who had the same number ofbined stat points as her.


    A quick nce was enough to tell that Boomer was an All-Rounder. It had ranged attacks, as well as closebat attacks. Although Lux felt that Eiko might be the leader of a terrorist organization in the future, he could only support his Baby Slime, who stood by him in the face of great dangers.


    As if waiting for that moment, Iris'' Unicorn, Astra, walked inside the room.


    The Unicorn didn''t want to see Eiko at first because he knew that the Baby Slime would challenge him to a duel as soon as she saw him.


    However, the Unicorn wouldn''t feel at ease if he wasn''t around Iris because he would keep worrying about her safety. This was why, even though he knew that Eiko would definitely challenge him, he still decided to appear. Anyway, he was confident that the Baby Slime was no match against him.


    Just as he expected, the moment Eiko saw him, the Baby Slime''s fighting spirit was immediately ignited.


    "Fight!" Eiko shouted.


    Astra snorted and ignored the Baby Slime''s words. Right now, he wasn''t in the mood to fight, so he strutted inside the room like the arrogant Unicorn he was.


    Boomer, who was allowing the two baby slimes to jump all over its body, shifted its gaze to the Unicorn whom its Master wanted to fight.


    Astra then shifted his gaze at Boomer and gave the Monkey Kong Skeleton the "what are you looking at?" re, which made the Monkey Kong Skeleton roar in the Unicorns'' direction.


    Lux, who saw this scene, scratched his head and decided to intervene. They had just returned from the Gate of Conquest, and he didn''t want to have any conflicts for the time being.


    However, just as he was about to tell Eiko to give Astra a break, Iris and Cai emerged from the blue-haired beauty''s bedroom and looked at Boomer in surprise.


    Eiko, who had seen her Mama, forgot about the Unicorn and immediately jumped towards Iris, so that her Mama could pamper her.


    Astra was already used to Eiko acting spoiled whenever she was with Iris and had already epted that there was nothing he could do about it.


    However, a glint of mischief shed in the Unicorn''s eyes as he looked at the Monkey Kong Skeleton.


    Iris had told him not to fight against the Baby Slime, but that didn''t mean that he couldn''t fight against the Baby Slime''s minions.


    Having found this loophole, the Unicorn arrogantly raised his head at the Monkey Kong Skeleton and neighed at it.


    Clearly, the Unicorn wanted someone to bully, and what better candidate than the weird-looking-monster that had appeared before him for the first time in his life.


    Boomer understood what Astra wanted to do, but it didn''t matter. Although it had just been born, it was already a strong monster.


    Because of this, the Monkey Kong walked towards the Unicorn and looked down on him with contempt.


    Eiko, who shared a connection with Boomer, immediately felt her Summon''s desire to fight her Rival.


    Because of this, she jumped out of Iris'' embrace and teleported on the Monkey Kong Skeleton''s head before looking down on the Unicorn that she still hadn''t beaten yet.


    "Fight!" Eiko shouted.


    While this was happening, Lux and Iris nced at each other and sighed at the same time. It seemed that their Baby Slime really was a battle junkie.


    Since both sides seemed to really want to have a go with each other, they moved to the training area to provide a proper ce for the Baby Slime and her Summon''s fight against the Unicorn, who wanted nothing more but to teach Eiko a lesson that would let her know that he was a wall that the Baby Slime wouldn''t be able to break so easily.

 Chapter 517 I’ll Take The Lead For The First Round

    "Wuwuwuwu!" Eiko cried sadly in Iris'' arms after Astra had beaten her and Boomer at the same time.


    To be perfectly honest, even Lux thought that the Unicorn would not be able to beat Eiko and Boomer''sbination, especially after what the Baby Slime had been through in the Gate of Conquest.


    However, to Lux''s and Eiko''s surprise, Astra had also acquired a Doppelganger Ability, allowing him to create not three, not four, but five copies of himself!


    Despite the fact that Eiko had used everything in her arsenal to put the smug-faced Unicorn in his ce, Astra had simply be more powerful than ever.


    Iris whispered in Lux''s ears that when Astra managed to gain the Doppelganger Skill, it had also be a Peak Rank 5 Alpha Monster, who could only be defeated by aplete party of Initiates.


    An Astra without a Doppelganger and an Astra with a Doppelganger were two different beasts, and coupled with the Unicorn''s speed and firepower, he was now the strongest fighter among Iris'' personal Guardians.


    In short, the Unicorn was now simr to Cadmus, the Draconian Kobold, whose strength allowed him to survive in the Savage Lands that were outside the borders of Leaf Vige.


    Eiko might have gained a lot of battle experience after fighting against Rankers, but Astra had long fought against Monsters that were far stronger than him in order to protect his Master, Iris, from any kind of harm.


    "There,  there. Don''t cry, Eiko," Iris coaxed the crying Baby Slime in her arms. "Don''t worry, someday, you will be more powerful than Astra. When that happens, you will definitely win."


    Eiko raised her head and looked at her Mama and nodded.


    "Un!" Eiko answered with tears in her eyes. "Eiko will win!"


    "That''s right. Eiko is strong. Eiko will win!"


    "Eiko will win!"


    Lux could only smile after seeing this lovable exchange between the two.


    The three of them were now inside Iris'' residence and just spending some time together before leaving for dinner in three hours.


    Cai and Keane were guided by Alicia to the rooms that were prepared for their stay in Barbatos Academy, and they decided to rest a while because they were still tired from their journey.


    Astra, who was very satisfied after he beat Eiko, went to his own den to rest. Although he didn''t want to admit it, the battle he had with Eiko and Boomer had exhausted him more than he expected.


    He knew that Eiko was growing at a very rapid pace, but he didn''t expect that the Baby Slime would use the terrain to her advantage, even digging under the ground to use sneak attacks against him.


    Eiko had also be more flexible and more patient when initiating attacks. If not for the fact that Astra could instantaneously blink a few meters away from his location, he would have suffered several close calls against the Baby Slime, whose Dragon''s Breaths only missed him by a hair''s breadth.


    When dinner came, Lux, Cai, and Keane, were surprised to see that the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy had joined them in the dining room.


    "All of you did well in conquering the Gate of Conquest," Alexander said as the food was being served at the table. "There were many close calls, but all of you were able to survive, and that is all that matters."


    Alexander then shifted his gaze to Lux, which made thetter look back at his Stepfather with a serious expression on his face.


    "There is onest gate remaining, and I''m sure that the different Factions will undoubtedly ask you to assist them in conquering thatst stage," Alexander added. "This time around, they will stick to you like glue. I don''t know how much they had seen during your battle with Nero, but the few glimpses that Henrietta managed to see were enough to tell me that you have a few Life Saving Trump Cards in your disposal.


    "The Vahan Empire is giving me mixed signals, and there is a chance that they will either try to woo you and make you their friend, or they will send people to eliminate you, so that you will not get the opportunity to reach a stage that can threaten them.


    "Fortunately, I doubt that they will do anything to you until all the gates have been opened. There is also the issue with the Fifth Gate that can only be unlocked after all the other four gates have been cleared. For now, focus on getting stronger and find ways to acquire life-saving artifacts that will help you survive an assassination from a Ranker."


    Lux nodded his head because he also felt that the Vahan Empire was plotting something against him. However, just like what Alexander said, they would probably not do anything until all the gates, including the Fifth Gate of the Sacred Dungeon, had been cleared.


    "I will do my best, Father," Lux said. "For the time being, I don''t n on going to the Sacred Dungeon for a month or two. I still have a lot of things to take care of in my Guild, and politics is not my cup of tea. If possible, I''d like to let the experts handle the talking for me."


    The corner of Alexander''s lips rose slightly because he could tell that the Half-Elf was subtly asking him to be his spokesperson for the time being.


    Everyone felt that they could talk down on Lux because he was still young and weak.


    However, the words of a Saint were different. There were only a handful of people that could talk to Alexander on equal terms, and those people are very few and far between.


    "Very well," Alexander replied. "I will tell them that I asked you to do a mission for the Academy to make them stop bugging you for a period of time. Use that time well, and prepare for the conquest of the Gate of Famine."


    Alexander then shifted his gaze to Cai and Keane and gave the two a brief nod.


    "Look after Lux when you guys are in the Dungeon," Alexander said. "As you know, this punk can be very reckless at times. Also, thank you Cai for saving him. What you did was very selfless and very brave."


    Cai, who had been praised by a Saint, looked so smug, making Lux very tempted to give her a spanking.


    However, since she really did save his life, he decided to be nicer to her and spank her at ater date.


    Alexander talked to them about other things, especially about thetest news rted to the Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, and Xynnar War Pact.


    He wanted to let the teenagers know that although they were united while clearing the Sacred Dungeon, they all had separate agendas in mind, and it would be best to not trust the otherspletely.


    After dinner, everyone retired to their rooms to rest for the night.


    Lux, Iris, and Eiko took a bath together before going to bed.


    The Baby Slime enjoyed being pampered and washed by her Mama inside the bathtub that could easily hold five people.


    The Half-Elf was well behaved and didn''t attempt to make any moves on Iris while they were in the bath. He simply allowed the blue-haired beauty to lean her back against his chest as he held her waist in ce.


    After the bath, the three went to the bedroom. Lux and Iris only wore bathrobes. Eiko was tired and would yawn from time to time.


    She had fought a long and hard battle against Astra, so after eating delicious food and having a rxing bath, the Baby Slime became too sleepy to keep her eyes open.


    Soon, Eiko had fallen soundly asleep inside her basket without a care in the world.


    Not far from her, Iris took the initiative to kiss Lux as the Half-Elf''s naughty hands started to fondle her soft breasts and yed with the pink tips that had be hard under his touch.


    "Mmh�� kiss��"


    Iris missed Lux terribly, so as soon as she was sure that Eiko was fast asleep, she pinned the Half-Elf on the bed and pressed her lips against his, fanning the mes of desire that both of them had been suppressing since the moment they had been reunited.


    "I love you, Lux," Iris said softly as soon as their kiss ended.


    "I love you too, Iris," Lux replied as he rested his hand at the back of Iris'' head before pulling her close to him, kissing her forehead.


    Iris then sat on Lux''s stomach before removing her bathrobe, letting the Half-Elf see her young, and seductive body that she would show to no other man but him.


    "I''ll take the lead for the first round," Iris stated.


    Lux nodded as he looked at his beautiful fiance''s face, whose soft right hand was yfully rubbing his hard and throbbing shaft on her petals, which were wet from the desire, lust, and love that she felt for him.


    Inch by painful inch, he slid inside her, making the Half-Elf feel as if he was going to die if Iris were to stop midway and deny him of the release that was threatening to fill her up and melt her from the inside out.

 Chapter 518 A Battle That He Had No Possibility Of Winning

    The sound of muffled moans could be heard inside the room as Iris used her hand to cover her lips to prevent her seductive voice from leaking out.


    Lux held her legs in ce as he increased the movements of his hips, making indecent sounds.


    This was their third round of making love with each other, and both of them enjoyed their long-awaited union after being apart from each other for a long period.


    A minuteter, Lux''s body shuddered as a grunt escaped his lips.


    Iris, who had also reached her limit, clenched the bed sheets as Lux''s essence seeped deep inside of her, basking in the afterglow of his warmth and love.


    After his long and sweet release ended, Lux panted for breath as he looked at his beautiful fiance.


    Iris'' face was flushed, and her hair was a mess. Her body glistened with sweat, and the reddish marks on her skin that Lux had nted when he kissed her body all over were truly a sight to behold.


    Iris had many admirers within the Six Kingdoms and even in the world of Elysium. If they could see her now, they would probably curse the Half-Elf to death for being rough with the youngdy of their dreams.


    "I love you, Iris," Lux said softly as he bent down to kiss her lips.


    The kiss wasn''t long and onlysted for a few seconds, but it was enough to convey his heartfelt love towards his fiance, who loved him just as much.


    "I love you too, Lux." Iris'' eyes were misty as she gave her beloved a loving smile. "You were a bit rougherpared tost time."


    Lux caressed Iris'' face as he looked at her with concern. "I''m sorry. Did I hurt you?"


    Iris shook her head before wrapping her arms around Lux''s body, pulling him close to whisper in his ears.


    "I''m not a delicate vase that easily breaks," Iris whispered. "You can be rough with me as much as you want. I guarantee that I can take it."


    Iris'' words were like the whispers of a devil, encouraging Lux to do bad things. However, the Half-Elf controlled himself and only gave her a brief smile. Heid beside his fiance, wrapping her in a loving embrace.


    "You little subus, don''t regret your words when I lose control one day," Lux said before lightly spanking Iris'' backside, making the blue-haired beauty giggle.


    "Let''s change the sheets first, then take a bath after," Iris proposed. "I don''t want Eiko to sense anything out of ce when she wakes up tomorrow morning."


    Lux nodded and helped Iris "clean" the crime scene, leaving no evidence behind. After recing the sheets, which had been covered with the traces of their lovemaking, the two went to take a bath together.


    However, due to Iris'' casual teasing inside the bathtub, the two engaged in another round of pleasure before calling it a night.


    ��--


    In the morning the next day��


    "Pa!"


    "Ma!"


    "Pa!"


    "Ma!"


    Eiko lightly tapped Lux''s and Iris'' cheeks to wake the two of them up.


    The Slime had woken up an hour ago, but she decided to crawl towards therge bed and sleep between her Papa and Mama.


    She only rested for another hour. Now that she was feeling more awake, she decided to rouse Lux and Iris so that the three of them could have breakfast together.


    Seeing her attempts fail, Eiko decided to focus on Lux and poke his nose repeatedly. Eventually, the Baby Slime found doing that fun and thought that it was like a game, so she continued ying with Lux''s nose while giggling.


    "Morning Eiko," Lux said as he sleepily gazed at the Baby Slime, who looked back at him with an innocent smile on her face.


    "Morning!" Eiko greeted Lux and nted a kiss on his nose.


    Perhaps, unable to hold back her strong urge, the Baby Slime poked her Papa''s nose once more before giggling. In response, the Half-Elf lightly poked the naughty baby''s forehead, which made her jump away while still giggling.


    Iris was already awake and giggled like Eiko after seeing what the Baby Slime had done to her fiance, who was shaking his head helplessly.


    "Let''s get some breakfast," Lux said as he eyed Iris and Eiko, who were still giggling at him.


    Iris nodded. She gave the mischievous Baby Slime a quick peck on the cheeks before walking towards her closet to change her one-piece nightgown.


    Half an hourter, the three went to have breakfast together, only to find that Cai and Keane had just finished theirs.


    "Ah! Good timing, My Daddy," Cai said as she was about to leave the dining area. "Alicia told me a while ago that Grandpa sent a message to the Headmaster, asking you toe with me to the Rowan Tribe in three days. He said that you and he have something very important to talk about. Oh! He also added that Iris cane as well."


    After passing on her Grandpa''s message, Cai chatted with Iris for a while before leaving the dining area in a good mood.


    Her Grandpa had been too busy as ofte to see her, so knowing that he had finally finished his experiments made the Boar look forward to going back home to spend some time with her family.


    Keane, on the other hand, bumped fists with Lux before leaving the dining area.


    Henrietta had asked the swordsman if he could spend some time sparring with her Guild Members to give them a better understanding of what it would take to be one of the representatives that woulde with her to conquer the Gate of Famine.


    The Guildmaster of Serenity didn''t dare to challenge it alone. She had a feeling that thest gate would probably be harder than the Gate of Conquest that they had just cleared.


    Besides, the journey toward the Sacred Dungeon after entering the Domain of the Fallen was lined with peril, and it would be too dangerous to go without a raiding party, which included the Half-Elf, who had led them to victory.


    Alexander had also made his intentions clear by telling Henrietta to ignore any invitations, which would likelye from the Factions, asking her to join their expedition to challenge the Gate of Famine.


    The Headmaster of Barbatos Academy didn''t want to lose the elite members of his organization by letting the other factions use their people as cannon fodders just to see what the Fourth Gate had in store for everyone.


    "I wonder why Sir Maximilian asked me to go to the Rowan Tribe to see him," Lux said as he added some honey to the pancake on Eiko''s te.


    "It must have to do with what happened to Cai in the Gate of Conquest," Iris replied before adding one moreyer of pancake to the Baby Slime''s te, making Eiko nod her head in satisfaction. "Maybe he is going to ask you to take responsibility for her."


    Iris gave the Half-Elf a mischievous wink, making thetter almost choke on the pancake he was eating.


    Although he felt like Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian, was an easy-going person, his fiance''s words made Lux suddenly feel as if he was about to head to a battle that he had no possibility of winning.

 Chapter 519 Creature Of The Cold White Silence

    After breakfast, Lux bid Iris goodbye and headed to his Fiance''s private training room near her personal residence in the Academy.


    Having seen Eiko fuse some materials and seed in creating Boomer, the Half-Elf thought that now would be a good time to also create a brand new Skeleton Creature of his own.


    However, before that, he nned to revive General Revon''s corpse first and turn him into the Commander of his Animate Undead Legion.


    The war inside the Gate of Conquest had allowed Lux to gain a lot of materials that he and Asmodeus could use for their experiments.


    In fact, aside from human soldiers, the Half-Elf had also taken dozens of dead Griffins and Hippogriffs with him, which he also nned to revive as part of his Animate Undead Army.


    Lux had also captured several live Griffins, which he nned to put under Bedivere''smand, allowing his Dragon Knight to create an Aerial Cavalry. He knew how important it was to have mounted flying fighters during wars because they were very mobile in the battlefield.


    "Should I try it first, Master?" Asmodeus asked after activating the Skeleton Generator Skill, which summoned the Skeleton Bowl in front of them.


    "Go ahead," Lux stated.


    ��---------


    "Come forth, Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King!" Asmodeus raised his hand, and the Rank 5 Field Boss, who hadn''t made an appearance since the fight against the Death Tyrant in the Gate of Death, had finally made its appearance.


    The giant Skeleton, which was made up of obsidian bones and wearing a ck crown on its head, appeared in front of them.


    Lux had given Asmodeus one of the Deimos Cores he had in his possession to allow him to revive the first Undead that his Archlich had tamed long ago.


    Asmodeus was only capable of taming one Undead Creature. If he tamed another, the first one would disappear, reced by the newest one.


    The Archlich felt that he might find another strong Undead in the future, so he decided to experiment if it was possible to use Undead Creatures as materials to create a new breed of Skeleton Creature that would fall under the Archlich''s Animate Undead Legion.


    ��-------


    "Can I use this Undead Monster as a material for fusion?" Asmodeus asked the Skeleton Bowl. It seemed to have a level of intelligence that could answer any question as long as it was rted to generating a new monster.


    ��----


    < Yes. In fact, fusing Undead Monsters together is highly rmended in order to give birth to more powerful varieties. Would you like to use the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King as a material for fusion? >


    ��----


    Asmodeus nodded.


    Although the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King was a powerful monster in its own right, the Archlich didn''t mind using it as an experiment material.


    Asmodeus believed that, in the future, he would have plenty of opportunities to tame more powerful Undead and make them his subordinate.


    The Giant Skeleton King was then sucked in by the Skeleton Bowl, which released a white mist that oozed over its surface.


    The Archlich then took out one of the two Rankers that he had collected during the battle in the Great ins, as well as the corpse of a Griffin. He tossed them into the bowl to be used as fusion materials.


    He then took out the white Deimos Core that he had asked Lux for earlier and added it as the final ingredient to his experiment.


    "I''m done," Asmodeus stated. "Continue the fusion."


    ��---------


    < Understood. Fusing Materials�� >


    < Fusion Rate�� 1% >


    < Fusion Rate�� 35% >


    < Fusion Rate�� 72% >


    < Fusion Rate�� 100% >


    ��---------


    The white mist that hung over the Skeleton Bowl thickened, greatly reducing the visibility within Iris'' personal training grounds.


    Lux and Asmodeus couldn''t see past a meter in front of them, but that was fine.


    The dancing white lights in front of them were enough to let them know that the creation of a new Skeleton Creature was nearing its end.


    A few minutester, the Half-Elf and Archlich both heard a ringing sound before the voice that came from the Skeleton Bowl informed them of the result of the fusion.


    ��----------


    < Congrattions! >


    < You have sessfully created an Ithaqua! >


    < The stats of this Monster will always be equal to the stats of the one that summoned it. >


    < Only one Ithaqua can be summoned at any given time. >


    < This Creature is a bit special, and its name cannot be changed whatsoever. >


    < If this Creature dies, you will need to sacrifice one Argonaut Ranked Beast Core to revive it! >


    ��----------


    The white mist in the surrounding dispersed, and a Skeleton Monster like no other appeared in front of Lux and Asmodeus.


    It was nearly eight meters tall, and it looked like a Wendigo, with deer-like bony horns on its head and glowing red eyes that could instill fear in its foes.


    Its body was as white as snow, and faint tendrils of cold mists oozed from its body. Perhaps, its most noticeable feature was its webbed feet and long, slender, bony hands that were like spears, able to pierce anyone with a single poke.


    ��-----


    < Ithaqua >


    "If you listen carefully on cold winter nights, you can hear me calling your name."


    �C Fused Skeleton Monster


    �C Creature of the Cold White Silence


    �C Creature Rating: SS


    Health: 400,000 / 400,000


    Mana: 20,000 / 20,000


    Strength: 700


    Intelligence: 200


    Vitality: 1000


    Agility: 200


    Dexterity: 400


    Active Skills: Summon Blizzard, Ice Punch, Ice Fang, Icicle Shards, cial Lance, Ice Wall.


    Passive Skills: Ice Body, Snow Cloak


    Special Ability: cial Madness


    ��------


    < Ice Body >


    �C Gains 100% resistance against Ice Attacks


    ��------


    < Snow Cloak >


    �C Gains the ability to move stealthily inside a Blizzard, making it nearly invisible. This allows it to attack its enemies when they least expect it.


    ��------


    < cial Madness >


    �C Increase Physical and Magical attacks by 100% when fighting in a Blizzard.


    �C Increase movement and attack speed by 300% when fighting in a Blizzard.


    ��------


    "Hiss�� this one is a tactical fighter," Lux said after reading the information about the newest member of Asmodeus Animated Undead Legion.


    Currently, the Ithaqua was not as strong as the Red-Eyed Obsidian Skeleton King, but since it was a creature that would grow as Asmodeus'' Rank increases, it was a worthy addition to the Archlich''s Undead Army.


    Also, its ability to summon a Blizzard, which would immediately give it a home-court advantage, greatly enhanced its fighting prowess by leaps and bounds.


    In addition, the Undead weren''t affected by the cold, which made blizzards the perfect cover for them to whittle the stamina and endurance of their enemies away until they dropped dead.


    "Ithaqua is a good monster," Asmodeus nodded his head in satisfaction. "I can already see him working hand in hand with Morpheus and using their enemies'' blind spots to strike them down with Death Rays."


    Lux chuckled hearing his Archlich already forming several battle simtions that would allow his Animated Undead Army to showcase their deadly might.


    While Asmodeus was pondering on how he could put Ithaqua to good use, the Skeleton Bowl slowly shrank before disappearing.


    Just like what happened with Eiko, Asmodeus'' Skeleton Generator Skill had entered a week-long cooldown, preventing the Archlich from continuing his experiments for the time being.


    "Now, it''s my turn," Lux said as he activated the Skeleton Generator Skill, so he could also create a new Skeleton Creature of his own.

 Chapter 520 Animate Undead [EX]

    "First things first, I''ll revive General Revon," Lux muttered as he took the General''s dead body out of his Bounty Ring.


    He gave the corpse a long and hard gaze before taking out a Deimos Rank Beast Core from his storage ring. A momentter, the Half-Elf activated his Animate Undead [EX] skill, and a prompt appeared in front of him.


    ��----------


    < You have chosen to revive a dead Humanoid Creature. >


    < Choose between the two options for the Revival of your Undead Creature >


    Choice 1: Revive the Creature as a Zombie


    Choice 2: Revive the Creature using Advance Customization


    ��----------


    During the war against the Ammarian Army, Lux had set the setting of the Animate Undead skill to choose the first option, so he could just raise the in Soldiers as ordinary Zombies. That was the most convenient choice. A Zombie might be weak, but it didn''t require him to use any resources.


    But General Revon wasn''t an ordinary soldier. Lux nned to create the Commander of his Animate Undead Legion, so he had to make sure that his new subordinate wouldn''t just be any "regr" Zombie that was meant to be used as cannon fodder.


    After choosing the Advance Customization option, several rows of text appeared in front of the Half-Elf, which made him rub his chin as he pondered his next move.


    ��----------


    < Take note that the choices here only show the type of Profession they can revive to. Their abilities and appearance are generated randomly. >


    < If you are going to choose a Profession that has a low percentage of sess, the chances of reviving the creature will decrease drastically. If the revival fails, the corpse, as well as the materials used for the Advance Customization method will disappear. >


    < To increase the chances of sess, select the Profession you like and pool in resources to increase its percentage! >


    <[Possible transformations of your Animated Undead]>


    Dread Warrior = 100%


    Doom Knight = 90%


    Revenant = 85%


    diator = 70%


    Weaponmaster = 50%


    Dragon yer = 26%


    Fallen Wargod = 5%


    ��----------


    The Half-Elf''s gaze locked onto the lowest option on the list, which was Fallen Wargod.


    Lux didn''t know what a Fallen Wargod was, but the name sounded cool, so he was itching to try. He looked for things that could increase the chances of sessfully reviving a powerful Undead.


    Simr to how he made Bedivere a Dragon Knight, Lux decided to rummage through his stockpile of items and take his chances.


    ''Right now, I have six Argonaut-Ranked Beast Cores, eighteen Deimos-Ranked Cores, and a hundred Rank 5 Beast Cores,'' Lux thought. ''I already used a Deimos-Ranked Core to activate this option, so using the rest is not a good idea. In that case, let''s use the Rank 5 Beast Cores for now.''


    The Half-Elf then selected the Fallen Wargod Profession and used ten Rank 5 Beast Cores to increase its percentage.


    When he checked the new sess rate, his jaw dropped in disbelief. This result wasn''t something he expected.


    ��----------


    Fallen Wargod = 15%


    ��----------


    ''You must be kidding me��'' Lux gasped in surprise after seeing the unfair exchange that was presented in front of him. ''I was nning to use the other Rank 5 Cores for the Skeleton Generator Skill, but it looks like I will have to change my n.''


    The Half-Elf thought that adding ten Rank 5 Beast Cores was already generous enough, so when he saw that it only managed to increase the sess rate by 10%, he felt like puking blood.


    ''Should I just settle for the other professions?'' Lux scratched his head in dismay. ''Why do all the Advanced Necromancer Skills require so many resources?''


    The Half-Elf stared long and hard at the rows of text in front of him before heaving a sigh. After strengthening his resolve, he added sixty more Rank 5 Beast Cores to the Fallen Wargod Profession, raising its percentage level to 75%


    Now, out of the hundred Rank 5 Beast Cores in his possession, only 30 remained.


    The Half-Elf felt very bitter about it, but since he already made his decision, he finally activated the skill to revive themander of his Animated Undead Legion with grit teeth.


    A loading bar then appeared in front of him, which would determine whether the revival would be sessful or not.


    ��-----


    < Attempting Revival�� >


    < Attempting Revival�� 10% >


    < Attempting Revival�� 30% >


    < Attempting Revival�� 50% >


    ��-----


    Lux almost stopped breathing when the loading bar slowed down at 50% and stayed in that position for ten seconds.


    Was it a failure?


    Fortunately, the bar started to move once again, making the Half-Elf pat his chest in relief.


    When the bar reached 100% the Half-Elf did a fist pump as several rows of texts appeared in front of him.


    ��-----


    < Congrattions! You have sessfully revived a Fallen Wargod! >


    < This creature will automatically be assigned as the Commander of your Animated Undead Legion. >


    < Do you wish to give the Fallen Wargod a name? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��-----


    The Half-Elf chose Yes without hesitation, and looked at the kneeling Wargod in front of him.


    The Fallen Wargod''s entire body was made up of silver steel, which gave him a look simr to a Living Armor. Eight long sharp des floated behind its back like wings, making him look like a Steel Archangel that had descended from the heavens to start a ughter.


    His golden eyes locked unto his Master''s body as he waited for thetter to give him his orders.


    "Rise, Revon!" Lux ordered.


    Revon, Lux''s Fallen Wargod, stood up and pressed his closed fist over his chest as he gazed at his Master, who had just summoned his Soul Book to check the information about him.


    ��-----


    < Revon >


    "Haven''t I Fallen far enough?"


    �C Fallen Wargod


    �C Rating: SSS


    Health: 206,000 / 206,000


    Mana: 100,000 / 100,000


    Strength: 1,500


    Intelligence: 1,000


    Vitality: 2,060


    Agility: 300


    Dexterity: 1,500


    Active Skills: Impaler''s Wrath, Sword Dance, Piercing Strike, Mighty Cleave, God''s Strength [EX]


    Passive Skills: Weapon Master [EX], Ambidextrous [EX], Auto Block [EX], Enduring Soul [EX]


    Special Ability: Destiny Bond [EX]


    ��------


    God''s Strength [EX]


    �C Increases the physical attack of the Fallen Wargod by 500% for one minute.


    ��------


    < Weapon Master [EX] >


    �C Able to wield any kind of Weapon with Great Mastery.


    ��------


    < Auto Block [EX] >


    �C If the Swords hovering behind the War God are not being used to attack his enemies, they will automatically parry any kind of physical attack that is about to hit the Fallen Wargod''s body.


    ��------


    < Enduring Soul [EX] >


    �C If the Fallen Wargod''s Health reaches zero, it will not die. Instead, it will regain all of its Health instantly, allowing it to fight at its peak for a second time.


    �C This ability can only be used once, every three days.


    ��------


    < Destiny Bond [EX] >


    �C The stats of this creature will always be equal to the stats of Lux Von Kaizer.


    ��------


    "Oh�� My�� God!" Lux shuddered after seeing Revon''s stats.


    He thought that Zagan and Ithaqua were already OP, but after seeing Revon''s information, he felt like he was still a frog in the well��ignorant about the ways of the world.


    After a few minutes, Lux finally calmed down a bit. He realized that although Revon had far outssed his other subordinates when it came to stats, Diablo and the rest had their own specialties, allowing them to beat opponents stronger than them.


    Diablo had the Ethereal Ability, which allowed all of his attacks to ignore any kind of defense and deal True Damage to his targets.


    With the current set of armor he wore, his damage would still outss Revon when the battle became a war of attrition.


    Ishtar specialized in freezing her opponents andunching long-range attacks that would make them feel pain before they could even get to her.


    Pazuzu didn''t deal a lot of damage, but his specialtyy in his defenses. He was the toughest among Lux''s Named Creatures, and he would continue to y a vital role as his Fortress Defender.


    Orion, on the other hand, was a Revenger. If he were to die in the hands of a ck Dragon 1000 times, his stats would increase drastically and allow him to beat the crap out of all ck Dragons in existence.


    Asmodeus could use all of Lux''s abilities, making him very versatile. The Half-Elf had no doubt that as long as he increased his Rank and gained more skills, his Archlich would be a one-man army of his own.


    Lazarus was the same. Its Stealth, in addition to its high-magic output, could make it a Magical Turret that could appear and disappear on the battlefield.


    The Half-Elf sighed a second time. Once again, he realized how much he was truly blessed by all of his subordinates, whose unique abilities make up for his shorings.


    Now, with Revon as an addition to his ever-growing army, the Half-Elf felt much more at ease. The stronger his subordinates were, the stronger he became.


    This was not as simple as 1+1 = 2.


    It was more like 1+1 = 11.


    That was how Necromancers grow their strength. They were not individuals that fought one-one-one battles.


    They fought with an army of Undead by their side.


    He might not be a match against High-Rankers right now, but he was confident that no Initiate or lower-end Ranker in the world would be able to survive the damage that he was able to unleash once he fought with everything he had, alongside his Undead Army.


    "There''s still onest thing to do," Lux said as he eyed the Skeleton Bowl that was patiently waiting for his attention.


    Taking out a Draconium Ore and a Deimos-Ranked Beast Core from his storage ring, the Half-Elf was finally ready to try his Skeleton Generator, which would allow him to create another powerful subordinate that would help him in the battles toe.

 Chapter 521 An Interesting Development

    When Lux stood in front of the Skeleton Generator Bowl, the same voice that spoke to Eiko and Asmodeus talked to him as well.


    < A minimum of two materials can be used for fusion. The maximum number of materials you can add to the Skeleton Generator is a hundred materials. Do you wish to create your Skeleton now? >


    ? "Yes," Lux replied.


    < Take note that there is a possibility of having an ident while fusing. Sometimes, the Skeleton Specie that you will generate from this ident is exceptionally weak or could be exceptionally strong. >


    < You can now throw the materials inside the Skeleton Bowl to start the fusion! >


    The first thing that Lux threw into the bowl was the Green Deimos-Ranked Beast Core, which belonged to an Alpha Green-Scaled Wyvern.


    Lux wanted to create a flying Undead Mount for Revon, who was now the Commander of his Animated Undead Army, and whom he was nning to strengthen for his future battles.


    Now that he was back in the Initiate Rank, his next breakthrough would allow him to be a Ranker. However, for that to happen, he would have to face a trial that would allow him to receive the blessing of the world.


    Rankers were individuals who had distinguished themselves among mortals and had stepped onto the path of power that many coveted.


    Although bing a Ranker was difficult, it was not impossible. There are countless Rankers in the world of Sis and Elysium, and all of them had undertaken trials that were unique to them before they gained the strength they currently possessed.


    As for Nero, Lux didn''t know if the former had undergone a trial when he became a Ranker. Perhaps Abyssal Creatures didn''t need to receive the blessings of the world when they reached a certain threshold.


    From the start, those creatures neither belonged in Sis nor Elysium. ording to the Elysium Compendium, these invaders came from the Abyss Realm, which was a separate dimension from the world that Lux was living in.


    After tossing the green Beast Core in, Lux threw a Draconium Ore inside the bowl next, reaching the minimum requirement to create a Skeleton. However, he felt like what he put in might not be enough, so he added two more Draconium Ores just to be on the safe side.


    ��----------


    < Do you wish to start the fusion? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��----------


    After Lux clicked yes, an eerie green light started to illuminate the center of the Skeleton Bowl.


    Suddenly, red beams of light shot out from the center of the bowl, and its surface started to boil, creating big bubbles. The eerie green light disappeared and was reced by a crimson color, making the Half-Elf frown.


    < Warning! Fusion ident has been detected! >


    < Warning! Fusion ident has been detected! >


    < Warning! Fusion ident has been detected! >


    Suddenly, a blinding crimson light erupted from the Skeleton Bowl, forcing Lux to cover his eyes. It was simply too bright for his eyes.


    Asmodeus on the other hand looked at the bowl with great anticipation. He didn''t expect something like this to happen.


    "Such an interesting development," Asmodeus muttered.


    His gazended on the center of the bowl and found two ferocious crimson eyes staring back at him.


    A powerful screech reverberated in the surroundings as the creature inside the bowl tried to force itself free from the confines of the Skeleton Bowl.


    ��-----


    < Warning! This Monster is too strong for your current Rank! >


    �C The monster will be forcefully sealed and will be made avable after you be a C-Ranker!


    �C You may unseal the Monster by activating the Skeleton Generator Skill, and choosing the option, Unseal Monsters.


    < Thank you for using Skeleton Generator, your one-stop generator for anything Skeleton Rted! >


    < Skill will now go into a week-long cooldown. >


    < Skill Cooldown Timer: 167.59.58 >


    ��-----


    Lux blinked once, then twice, as he watched the Skeleton Bowl shrink in front of him until it disappearedpletely.


    When the bowl was no longer in sight, he nced at Asmodeus, who was standing by his side, and asked him a question.


    "What in the world happened?" Lux inquired.


    The light was too intense earlier and didn''t see anything, so he had no idea what happened.


    "A very evil��no�� not evil, but a very malicious monster was summoned," Asmodeus replied. "I''m afraid that if that Creature had been able to escape the containment mechanism of the Skeleton Bowl, it might have attempted to attack and kill you, Master."


    "Really?" Lux knew that Asmodeus wouldn''t lie to him, but he still had to ask for confirmation because he didn''t think that something like this could happen when creating a Skeleton Monster.


    Boomer and Ithaqua weren''t aggressive monsters and simply stood obediently after they were summoned.


    "I need to be a C-Ranker to Unseal that monster?" Lux shuddered after looking at the information on the Skeleton Generator Page inside of his Soul Book.


    After clicking the Sealed Monster Page, he saw the creature that had tried to break free from his control earlier and eyed it critically.


    It was frozen in a block of transparent ice, preventing it from escaping.


    The sealed monster had four wings protruding from its back, and these wings wrapped around its body, preventing Lux from seeing what the creature looked like.


    However, a nce was enough to tell Lux that his monster was around seven to ten meters tall, based on the size of its body in its curled-up state.


    "Sorry, Revon," Lux said as he looked at his Animate Undead Commander. "Looks like you will have to wait for a week before I try to create a new subordinate for you."


    The Fallen Wargod gave a faint smile before nodding his head.


    "I''m not in a hurry, Master," Revon replied. "I don''t mind waiting."


    The Fallen Wargod''s eyes glowed golden for a few seconds before returning to their silver color. For some reason, the Half-Elf could sense that Revon found the entire incident quite amusing despite not showing many facial expressions.


    ''He really looks like Silver Surfer,'' Lux thought. ''The only difference is the des floating behind his back like wings.''


    Although the Half-Elf was a little bit shaken by what happened in his little experiment, he was still happy that Revon''s revival was aplete sess.


    As for the Sealed Monster that almost attacked him, he would deal with it once he became a C-Ranker and was strong enough to face whatever kind of creature it was. When that time came, he''d definitely teach it a lesson for trying to defy him.

 Chapter 522 He Might Even Arrange For You To Marry…

    After finishing the things he needed to do, Lux went to look for his father, Alexander, to talk about something important.


    Just like he assumed, Alexander was inside his office, dealing with some documents that needed his immediate attention.


    Standing beside him was Alicia, who was always ready to assist. Although the Half-Elf didn''t know if the beautiful secretary was able to gain some breakthroughs in her rtionship with his stepfather, Alicia had gained his, Vera''s, and Iris'' approval long ago.


    Alexander gave Lux a brief nce before shifting his attention back to the documents he was reading.


    "Do you need something?" Alexander asked as he continued to do his work.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "If possible, I was hoping that Father will forbid Iris from joining the future expedition for the Gate of Famine."


    "Okay," Alexander answered in a heartbeat, making Lux think that he had misheard him.


    Alicia, who saw the Half-Elf''s dumbfounded expression, suppressed a giggle before giving Lux a serious gaze.


    "Thest Gate that will unseal the Fifth and Final Gate of the Sacred Dungeon will undoubtedly be very difficult," Alicia stated. "Because of this, the Headmaster never had the intention to let Iris join, knowing how dangerous the expedition would be. Even if you didn''te here to make a request, Iris would still not be allowed to join the expedition to conquer the Gate of Famine."


    Lux breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that his father also knew how dangerous thest mission would be.


    The silver-haired man, whom Lux believed to be a High-Ranking Noble from the Abyssal World, was making him feel restless. The Half-Elf didn''t know if the Abyssal Noble would make an appearance again, so he deemed that thest gate should be off-limits to his fiance, whom he didn''t want to get hurt.


    "The rulers of the Six Kingdoms talked to me yesterday, and all of them wished to start the next expedition as soon as possible," Alexandermented as he took another document from the pile beside him.


    "I told them that you will take a break from going to the Sacred Dungeon for a month or two due to a mission that I have personally given you. It seems that all of them are getting itchy to clear thest dungeon with your help."


    Lux snorted because he had already expected this oue. After what happened in the Gate of Conquest, he was certain that all of the previous representatives had received a fair share of nagging from their superiors because they didn''t follow their orders to stick with Lux until the end.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t me them though. Having 2,000 Stats points deducted from their current stats was something that most people didn''t want to receive as a penalty.


    However, there was another problem that concerned him, and he needed his father''s influence in order to prevent any problems from escting.


    "Father, about the Vahan Empire," Lux said with a solemn look on his face. "I have a feeling that they will try to get rid of me after the Sacred Dungeon has been cleared."


    Alexander paused what he was doing to look at the Half-Elf, who was looking back at him with a steady gaze.


    "Emperor Andreas has always been an ambitious person," Alexander replied. "The Xynnar War Pact, as well as the Six Kingdoms, have prepared themselves for a full-scale war many years ago, but for some reason, the Skystead Alliance hasn''t made any moves. ording to the spies we have nted in the Vahan Empire, Emperor Andreas seemed to be looking for something... but to this day, they still have no idea what it is.


    "However, one thing is certain. They are using all of their resources to ensure that the Sacred Dungeon will be conquered. I have a feeling that when the seal of the Fifth Gate is opened, Rankers will be allowed to enter the Domain of the Fallen."


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock after hearing his stepfather''s words. The Domain of the Fallen was a trove filled with treasures that they still hadn''t had the chance to explore.


    The reason for this was simple. The Monsters that guarded these treasures were all Deimos and Argonaut Ranked Monsters.


    A Deimos-Ranked monster could only be defeated by a team of Rankers. Even Lux didn''t dare to fight Deimos-Ranked Monsters with the forces he currently had.


    This was why, when they entered the Domain of the Fallen, he had chosen the route that would allow them to steer clear of these powerful monsters, who would only treat them as bite-sized snacks.


    If Rankers were allowed to enter the Domain of the Fallen, then the treasures, Monsters, and other resources inside it would definitely be taken by the different Factions, who would treat the Domain as their exclusive farming area.


    "Two months," Alexander stated. "A week after your birthday, you will head inside the Domain of the Fallen to clear the Gate of Famine. I will not allow you to venture in until then. Do I make myself clear?"


    Lux blinked once then twice after hearing his father''s words. So many things were happening around him that he had already forgotten about his birthday.


    "Judging by the look on your face, it looks like you forgot about it," Aliciamented from the side and gave the Half-Elf a teasing smile. "That won''t do. Iris has been pestering me to prepare a birthday party for you, so you''d better not kick the bucket until after that, okay?"


    "Of course," Lux replied. "I''m still young. How can I possibly kick the bucket? I have many things that I need to do. There is also the issue with my Guild..."


    Alexander and Alicia looked at the Half-Elf who was currently the Guildmaster of the only Mythical Guild in the world.


    To this day, they still had no idea how Lux did it, but since he was part of the family, they would protect his secret to the grave.


    "There is also one thing I need to ask you," Alexander said with a frown. "Is there something wrong with Mother? It has been a long time since the incident back in the Vahan Empire. She should be better by now, no?"


    This time, it was Lux''s turn to sigh.


    He had also been feeling anxious as ofte because his grandma was still inside ckfire and was wrapped inside a silver cocoon.


    Lux would always check her condition, but for some reason, Vera seemed to be in a state of hibernation. In truth, the Half-Elf was worried that the bacsh she received when she saved him in the Vahan Empire was more serious than he thought.


    Because of this, he didn''t dare to forcefully awaken his Grandma because she might receive another bacsh, and this time, it might end her life for good.


    "Grandma is still inside ckfire," Lux replied. "As to when she will wake up. I don''t really know."


    Alexander lightly tapped his table with a finger as if deep in thought.


    Alicia, who was also on good terms with Vera, already considered the olddy to be her mother-inw. Because of this, she was also worried about her condition. But, seeing Lux''s helpless expression, she knew that there was nothing any of them could do aside from wait for Vera to awaken on her own.


    Alexander once again took a document from the side of his table and returned to do his duties as the Headmaster of the Academy.


    "You can leave now, Lux," Alexander stated. "Also, since you will be going to the Rowan Tribe with Cai and Iris, make sure to prepare a gift for Cai''s family members. Maximilian likes Rare Ores, so if you have some in your possess..."


    Alexander wasn''t able to finish his words because he sensed a subtle fluctuation of magical energy in front of him.


    When he raised his head, he saw the Half-Elf holding two Draconium Ores in each hand, which made him narrow his eyes.


    "How many do you have?" Alexander asked.


    "A lot," Lux replied.


    "I need a hundred."


    "Okay."


    Alicia''s body subconsciously shuddered after the exchange between the two because she was quite familiar with the Rare Metal in Lux''s hands.


    Draconium Ores could easily fetch millions in Auction Houses--that was how rare it was. In fact, it was so rare that it would only appear in auction houses once every six to ten years.


    Since Lux could easily give his Stepfather a hundred of them without batting an eye, it meant that he had more in his possession.


    "Give Maximilian a dozen, and I''m sure he''ll be over the moon for it," Alicia said with a sweet smile on her face. "Who knows? He might even arrange for you to marry..."


    Alicia didn''t finish what she was going to say and simply smirked at the Half-Elf, who suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body.


    Lux didn''t know what Alicia was thinking, but he had a feeling that it was certainly not good!

 Chapter 523 I Am No Cannon Fodder

    A few days passed, and the time to leave Barbatos Academy to head to the Rowan Tribe hade.


    In the distance, a giant flying Manta Ray, escorted by several smaller ones, steadily flew toward Barbatos Academy to pick up Cai, Lux, Iris, and Keane.


    The one leading this escort mission was none other than Xander''s father, Hector, who was a Ranker that belonged to the Rowan Tribe.


    After everything that happened inside the Sacred Dungeon, they decided that it would be best to escort their High Priestess back to the Rowan Tribe, instead of letting her travel back without people protecting her.


    The rtionship of the Rowan Tribe with the Six Kingdoms was rtively smooth on the surface, but Cai''s grandfather, Maximilian, didn''t want to take any chances and sent Hector as insurance.


    "It has been a while, Hector," Alexander said as soon as the Giant Manta Raynded at the gates of the Academy. "From what I''ve heard, you''ve been quite busy as ofte."


    "Indeed," Hector replied with a smile. "But my workload is nothingpared to the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy. I''m sure that I''d probably quit after a week of being in your shoes."


    A faint smile appeared on Alexander''s face as he chatted with one of Maximilian''s most trusted subordinates.


    "Is there any news from the Six Kingdoms?" Alexander wondered.


    Hector shook his head. "The only thing I''m sure of is that they are preparing to challenge the Gate of Famine. Of course, whether they can seed or not is another matter."


    "They are getting impatient."


    "Well, I can''t really me them. Their representatives made a lot of bad decisions in the previous campaign."


    Hector smirked before giving the Half-Elf a side-long nce.


    Cai and Keane had already decided to stick with Lux through thick and thin, so he was sure that the two would not participate in the exploration of the Gate of Famine unless the Half-Elf was going too.


    "Well then, I won''t keep you here for long," Alexander stated as he handed amunication crystal to Hector. "Make sure to get in touch when they make any unforeseen moves."


    Hector nodded and promised to keep Alexander updated if he discovered something amiss.


    "Come sit here next to me, Iris," Cai said as she summoned a seating cushion for her best friend, who would be apanying them back to her tribe.


    "Okay," Iris replied and sat beside the Boar. "I hope that Grandpa Maximilian is doing well."


    "Gramps is still hale and hearty," Caimented. "He won''t die even if he is killed."


    Iris giggled because she found Cai''s confidence in her grandpa quite amusing. However, she could understand what her best friend was talking about because she felt the same way toward her father, who was also a Saint.


    Lux and Keane sat a few meters away from Cai and Iris, giving the two girls some space to chat with each other.


    Joining them was none other than Xander, who had mostly recovered from the injuries he received from the Gate of Conquest.


    "When are you nning to go back to the Domain of the Fallen?" Xander inquired as he sat beside Lux and Keane.


    "A month or two from now," Lux replied. "Perhaps, I''ll take it easy and stretch it into two months."


    Xander nodded. "That might be for the best. Right now, you should strengthen yourself to the fullest. My father has also advised me to not participate in any expeditions for the time being."


    Keane, who was listening to his two friends, calmly sipped some water from his jug beforementing.


    "I feel sorry for Einar and Val," Keanemented. "Since they are the only ones left avable that can enter the Domain of the Fallen, they will surely be pestered by the Six Kingdoms."


    Lux and Xander exchanged a nce and gave each other knowing smiles. They were certain that Einar and Val would not be stupid enough to challenge the Fate of Famine on their own, especially after what they had experienced in the Gate of Conquest.


    Hector nced at the teenagers who were happily chatting with each other before signaling his mount to take flight.


    "We''ll take our leave, Alex," Hector said as he bid his farewell to the Saint, who was also their tribe''s mightiest ally. "I''ll keep an eye on your kids for you."


    "Good." Alex nodded. "Lux is a troublemaker, so I apologize in advance if he causes trouble for your tribe during his stay."


    Hectorughed after hearing Alex''s words. If the Half-Elf really did cause trouble for their tribe, the one who would deal with the red-headed teenager was not him, but their Tribe Chief, Maximilian, himself.


    "I will apud him if he has the guts to do that," Hectormented after he finished hisughter. "Farewell, Alex."


    "Farewell," Alexander replied. "See you at the conference."


    Hector gave the Headmaster of the Academy a thumbs up before urging his Mount to return to their tribe.


    The Giant Manta Ray then slowly rose to the air, and let out a soft hum before flying towards the West, where the Rowan Tribe was currently located.


    Alexander and Alicia watched them go and only returned inside the academy when the Rowan Tribe''s envoy was no longer in their sight.


    ��-----------


    Wildgarde Stronghold��


    "Are you sure about this, Nero?" Rainer asked his disciple with a solemn expression on his face.


    "Yes, Master," Nero replied. "I will resign from my position as Guildmaster and leave the Wildgarde Stronghold."


    "But why? Surely, you don''t have to do this, right?"


    "Master, I have already made my choice. Thank you for everything that you have done for me until now. If in the future, the Wildgarde Stronghold will face a danger that they can''t handle on their own, I will be sure to lend a hand. Goodbye, Master."


    Nero bowed his head respectfully towards Rainer before turning around to walk towards the portal that would send him to Elysium.


    There was nothing waiting for him in Sis anymore, so the only ce he could thrive was Elysium.


    Also, he had received a letter from Aron, inviting him to the Vahan Empire.


    Nero wasn''t stupid, so he knew what the High Ranker was nning. There was only one reason why Emperor Andreas'' right-hand man would extend an invitation to him, and the brown-haired teenager found this funny.


    ''You n to use me as a tool to fight against Lux,'' Nero mused as he stepped into the portal. ''Let''s see who will be using who. I am no cannon fodder.''


    The Prodigy of the Wildgarde Stronghold no longer had anything to lose.


    He lost his home, his pride, and his Abyssal Power when the Half-Elf defeated him in their duel.


    However, there was one thing that he didn''t lose, and that was his resolve to stand at the peak and look down upon the world that had tried to take everything from him.


    To his surprise, he felt as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders as soon as he appeared in Elysium.


    Now that he had left all of his attachments behind, including his grudge against Lux, he felt as if the world had started to look a little more beautiful in his eyes.

 Chapter 524 The Proper Way Of Sneaking Out

    Karshvar Draconis��


    "And then, that Half-Elf decided to burn the garbage dump, allowing the smoke to be carried by the wind towards the City of Pygmalion. No one in their right mind would do that, but he did! If not for the fact that His Majesty came to interfere, that Half-Elf might have died by now."


    "What an interesting person! I''d like to meet him one day."


    "Princess, it will be best if you don''t. Didn''t His Majesty tell you that if someone looked at your face long enough, you would get pregnant? That is why you must always wear that veil whenever you leave the Inner Pce."


    I couldn''t help but sigh as I stood up from the spring where I took my bath every day.


    Ever since I was born, there had been a few instances where I was able to leave the Inner Pce in secret, and each time I did, I would always bring my handmaidens, Ali and Ari, with me as my guides and protectors.


    As soon as I left the spring, my handmaidens immediately dried my body using bath towels that were very smooth andfortable to the touch.


    Sometimes, I wondered if I would be able to tell them apart if not for the color of their eyes. Ali and Ari were twins. Both of them were quite pretty with long blonde hair, and the only difference between them was the colors of their eyes.


    Ali''s eyes were blue, while Ari''s eyes were green. Both of them were two years older than me and had been with me since I turned ten years old.


    Because of this, I grew very fond of them. The only thing I disliked about them was their overprotectiveness.


    ''Do they really think I am a gullible child?'' I thought as I walked past them to check myself in the full-body mirror that had been gifted to me by my father on my fourteenth birthday.


    ''How can someone get pregnant just by being stared at by people? Perhaps they think that Mother didn''t tell me that girls get pregnant when someone holds their hands. Silly Ali and Ari, they must think that I''m ignorant!''


    The corner of my lips rose as I looked at my reflection in the mirror.


    I gazed at my long purple hair that was as smooth as silk, and eyes that were more beautiful than rubies. Two small golden dragon horns could be seen on top of my head, which identified me as a proud member of the Golden Dragon Tribe.


    My skin, which was as white as cream, was unblemished by anything. I didn''t know if this was a good or bad thing, but Ali and Ari always said that they were envious of my skin''splexion.


    Well, the two of them would praise me for everything, and always tell me how beautiful I was and whatsoever. There was even a time when I just yawned, and the two of them said that it was the cutest thing they saw in their life!


    At first, I was ttered by their praises, but as time went on, I wondered if what they were telling me was the truth, or if it was just a way to get on my good side.


    "... Have they grown a little bigger again?" I muttered as I lightly cupped my breasts which had entered a growth spurt a few months ago.


    I turned seventeen a few months ago and ever since then, my body started to show signs of maturing, which made me a little bit happy.


    Ali said that at the rate my body was maturing, I would reach C-Cup soon. I don''t really understand what C-Cup meant, but I decided to just nod my head as if I understood what she was talking about.


    ''Mother''s were bigger than mine,'' I thought as I looked in the mirror. ''Maybe I should ask her more about the changes happening to my body at ater date.''


    After admiring myself in the mirror for a few minutes, I allowed Ali and Ari to dress me up as usual. When they finished, I wore the veil covering my face and activated the magic that was imbued in it.


    A momentter, a in-looking girl was reflected on the mirror''s surface. Now that my disguise was ready, it was time for me to sneak out of the Inner Pce to explore our Domain.


    ''This time, I''ll go to the Outer Reaches,'' I thought with a smile. ''Um, I should inform my mother that I am going to sneak out of the Inner Pce. She always told me that the proper way of sneaking out was to always inform her where I was going. This way, I would be able to leave the pce without being discovered.''


    I made a gesture for my handmaidens to follow behind me as I paid a visit to my mother. She had been quite busy as ofte, taking care of my little brother that had just been born.


    Father, on the other hand, was always busy with the affairs of our Kingdom. But, that was fine. If they were always around, I would not be able to sneak outside without being discovered!


    "Let''s go, Ali, Ari," I said with excitement. "We''re going to the Outer Reaches this time."


    "Eh? You''re really going there, Your Highness?" Ali frowned. "Half-Elves are known for eating young Dragons, you know? What will you do if he eats you?"


    "That''s right, Your Highness," Arimented. "Please reconsider!"


    I gazed at my two handmaidens who were looking back at me with pleading gazes. For a brief moment, I hesitated when I heard that Half-Elves eat young Dragons. However, I was not someone that just anyone could bully!


    "If he dares to bite me, I will bite him back!" I said with confidence. "Besides, the only thing that has meat on my body is my chest. If he tries to bite them, I will definitely make him sorry. Now, enough chit-chat. Let''s go see Mother and inform her that I am on my way to the Outer Reaches."


    Ali and Ari exchanged a nce before nodding their heads at the same time.


    ""If that is your wish, Your Highness, then it shall be done.""


    "Good. Let''s go to the Outer Reaches!"


    ��--------


    "Dear, Valerie has just left," a beautifuldy with long purple hair said to the round mirror in her hand. "She''s headed to the Outer Reaches."


    "Understood," the Dragon King replied. "I''ll take care of it."


    A minuteter, hundreds of Rankers, apanied by a handful of High-Rankers, departed from the capital city of Karhsvar Draconis.


    Their mission was to ensure that the Dragon Princess, who had sessfully "snuck out" of the Inner Pce, would not encounter any danger along the way.


    This was already part of their regr routine��hiding their presence from the beautiful, yet gullible, princess who thought that informing her mother was the right thing to do whenever she nned to sneak out of the Inner Pce to y outside.


    Valerie was the beloved daughter of their King. If someone was stupid enough toy their hands on her, the Rankers, who were hiding their presence, would definitely make that person regret that they were even born into this world.

 Chapter 525 If You Refuse, He Will Castrate You

    Rowan Tribe��


    "I''m back, Gramps!" Cai shouted as soon as the Giant Manta Raynded on an open field, which was surrounded by tents of all sizes.


    The Rowan Tribe was a Nomadic Tribe, and they would move from ce to ce depending on the seasons, or if their Chief decided that it was time to go.


    After hearing Cai''s shout, her tribesmen gave her a warm wee, which made the shameless boar very giddy.


    "Iris, let''s go to my room," Cai said. "I''ll show you the treasures I collected in the Outer Reaches! Fei Fei helped me find them all."


    "Da Wei!" Fei Fei smiled from the top of Cai''s head, which made Iris giggle.


    "Sounds good. Eiko, are youing with me?" Iris asked as she patted the Baby Slime on her shoulder.


    Eiko nodded because she also wanted to stay with Iris for the time being.


    The Boar led Iris to the biggest tent, while Hector led Lux and Keane to one of the tents beside their Tribe Chief''s Main Residence.


    "Stay here for the time being," Hector said. "I will send someone to call for you once the preparation in the main residence is finished."


    Lux and Keane nodded their heads and went inside the tent as instructed. The first person they saw when they entered the tent was a handsome young man, who was sharpening a short sword with a whetstone.


    He had short green hair and eyes as blue as the sky. The Half-Elf gave Lux and Keane a brief nod of recognition before shifting his attention back to the short sword in his hands.


    ''Gerhart Cenele,'' Lux thought. ''I forgot that he was staying here in the Rowan Tribe.''


    They had seen this person in the tournament, and thetter had left asting impression on everyone who had witnessed his battle with the Sixth Elven Prince of the Elswyth Kingdom, Enlil Neifion.


    Keane also knew of Gerhart because he had seen him when Cai brought him to the Rowan Tribe to stay for a time.


    Although he didn''t talk much with Gerhart, he was certain that the green-haired Half-Elf was someone that he could get along with just fine.


    "Cai has returned?" Gerhart asked as he continued to sharpen his de.


    "Yes," Lux answered. "We just arrived a few minutes ago."


    Gerhart then raised the short sword in his hand and gave it a critical gaze. Seeing that everything looked fine, he used a cloth to wipe its surface before sheathing it in its scabbard.


    He then shifted his gaze to Lux and Keane, who were already sitting cross-legged in front of him.


    "I''ve heard that you''ve gained some poprity as ofte�� My Daddy," Gerhart said in a teasing tone. "Xander often tells me the things that are happening in Sis and Elysium. More often than not, your name will pop up whenever we have a discussion. It seems that you''ve ruffled the feathers of both Sians and Elysians alike."


    The green-haired Half-Elf gazed at the red-headed teenager, who looked back at him with a troubled expression on his face.


    "Just call me Lux, and I''ll call you Gerhart," Lux replied. "As for gaining some poprity, this is something that is outside of my control. I''m just being carried away by the flow."


    Gerhart chuckled. "Indeed. You are still too weak to fight the flow. Right now, you have no choice but to keep your head low, or else it will get hammered down by those who wish you ill."


    There was a tinge of bitterness in Gerhart''s words, and Lux had a feeling that the other party was talking from his own experience.


    Just like him, Gerhart was a Half-Elf, butpared to the life Lux had lived, the outcast of the Elven Kingdom of Elswyth had suffered terribly at the hands of the Elves who looked down on Half-Elves and treated them like a stain to their noble lineage.


    "I heard that you have founded a guild of your own," Gerhart said as if to change the topic of their discussion. "Also, for some reason, Cai decided to join it. Grandpa Maximilian was very furious when he heard that Cai left Xander''s Guild without giving a proper reason.


    "You''d better be careful when you meet himter. A few days ago, while we were having dinner, he mentioned in passing that he would make you take responsibility for what Cai did. He added that if you refuse, he will castrate you. Good luck, bro. Grandpa''s fuse has been a bit short as ofte."


    Lux immediately felt constipated after hearing Gerhart''s warning. After Cai had saved him, he was thinking of ways he could repay the Boar for what she did for him. In fact, he was prepared to give Cai the Legendary Artifact that Great General Sherlock had given him after he defeated Nero.


    The Half-Elf knew that the shameless boar liked treasures. He was hoping that a Legendary Item was enough to repay the favor that Cai had done for him. If it still wasn''t enough, he was willing to look for other treasures in order topensate her.


    This was what he had decided back in the Gate of Conquest. However, Gerhart''s words made him feel like a Legendary Item would not be enough to satisfy Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian.


    ''Fortunately, I have some Draconium Ore with me,'' Lux thought. ''Since Sir Maximilian is a cksmith and a Jewelsmith, I''m sure that he will be very happy to have some rare ore to y with.''


    Gerhart didn''t know what Lux was thinking, but after seeing how pale his face suddenly became, the green-haired Half-Elf felt as if he should stop teasing him for the time being.


    "Tell me more about your Guild," Gerhart said. "What kind of Guild is it? Is it Bronze or Silver?"


    "Neither," Lux replied.


    Lux, who was still in a daze, casually answered Gerhart''s inquiry. Fortunately, his subconscious mind kicked in at thest moment, and it helped him give a neutral answer.


    However, his answer made Gerhart raise an eyebrow because if it wasn''t Bronze of Silver, it could only mean one thing.


    "You have a Gold-Ranked Guild?" Gerhart looked at Lux in disbelief. "No wonder Cai didn''t want to leave. Xander''s Guild is only of the Silver Rank. Still�� You just founded a guild, and it''s already Gold-Ranked? Just how did you do it?"


    "Oh�� I just got lucky." Lux chuckled nervously as he tried to downy his casual answer.


    Seeing that he had no intention of spilling the beans, Gerhart just nodded his head in understanding.


    Everyone had their secrets, including him, so he didn''t want to pry for answers. Lux was Cai''s friend, and he didn''t want to make things difficult for him.


    It was at this moment when the p of the tent opened, and Xander came in.


    "The preparations are ready in the Tribe Chief''s Tent," Xander announced. "I came to bring the three of you with me as per our Tribe Chieftain''s orders. Are the three of you ready to go?"


    Lux, Keane, and Gerhart exchanged nces at each other before nodding their heads.


    The red-headed teenager had wanted to see Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian, because there were some questions that he needed to ask in regard to crafting Draconium Ore.


    ? His master, Randolph, said that Draconium Ores wouldn''t melt unless a special kind of fire was used.


    Since Maximilian was a Saint, as well as a cksmith and a Jewelsmith, the Half-Elf was hoping that the Tribe Chieftain of the Rowan Tribe would be able to give him the answers that he was looking for.

 Chapter 526 Should I Prepare A Grave That Is Six-Feet Deep For You?

    Rows upon rows of delicious food wereid on top of the table, which made Lux subconsciously gulp.


    Cai''s Grandpa had prepared a feast for them, and even Keane, who didn''t usually show much reaction to food, had an eager look in his eyes.


    "We are all gathered here today to celebrate Lux''s, Cai''s, Xander''s, and Keane''s amazing performance inside the Gate of Conquest," Maximilian said as he raised a wine goblet. "Cheers to the brave new heroes of the world!"


    """Cheers!"""


    After everyone drank from their winecups, the feast was officially in full swing.


    "Eat a lot, Fei Fei," Cai said as she filled up the baby Golden Slime''s te with pork chops.


    "Un!" Fei Fei happily nodded her head as she started to chew on one of the pork chops that were piled up on her te.


    Iris, who was seated beside Cai, also started to hand-feed Eiko with grapes, which the baby slime liked very much.


    Lux smiled as he looked at his beautiful fiancee, who acted very differently when surrounded by many people


    When it was just the two of them, Iris would act in a very casual manner, unlike now. Her current state was in full "etiquette mode", which she had learned from an early age.


    Even the way she fed grapes to Eiko looked so graceful and elegant that Lux was very tempted to tease her. However, he didn''t do that.


    Lux knew that Iris needed to maintain her image as the daughter of a Saint when she was with other people. Having known this, he wouldn''t do anything to distract her and simply enjoyed the food that was in front of him.


    He wasn''t aware that Maximilian was paying close attention to him as he tried the many delicious dishes that were exclusive to the Rowan Tribe.


    Two hourster, a very satisfied Lux patted his belly.


    Although he had eaten many delicious foods at Barbatos Academy, all of them were too ssy for his taste. The cooking of the Rowan Tribe had a more "homey" feel to it, which he enjoyed very much.


    When all the dishes had been cleared up, and refreshments were served, the members of the Rowan Tribe left one by one as if this was a pre-arranged setup.


    It didn''t take long before the only people remaining inside the dining area were Lux, Iris, Cai, Keane, Gerhart, and Maximilian.


    The Chief of the Rowan Tribe calmly sipped tea as he looked at the teenagers who would usher a new era to the world. After emptying his cup, he ced it on top of his table and shifted his gaze to the Boar, whose belly was bulging because she had eaten too much.


    Maximilian heaved a helpless sigh before shifting his gaze toward the red-haired Half-Elf, who had a satisfied look on his face. Since everyone seemed to be in a rxed state, Maximilian decided to break the ice in order to ask some questions.


    "Everyone here is not a stranger and is already aware of Cai''s true form," Maximilian said with a smile. "Before anything else, I would like to thank everyone for taking good care of her, as well as apologize for the hardships that all of you have suffered whenever she apanies you for a time."


    The Saint gave everyone a brief bow before getting into the crux of what he wanted to say.


    "Lux, my granddaughter joined your Guild without stating a proper reason for her departure," Maximilian said. "Since I know that she will not return obediently, can you kick her out of your guild?"


    Cai, who was feeling a little drowsy due to how full she was, immediately perked up after hearing her Grandpa''s words.


    "Grandpa, you can''t!" Cai shouted as she walked towards her Grandpa and sat beside him. "I can''t leave Lux''s Guild right now. It is very important that I stay!"


    "Silly girl, you''re just making things difficult for everyone," Maximilian replied sternly. "Do you know how everyone in the tribe reacted when you quit Xander''s Guild? They thought that someone in the guild offended you."


    "Eh? Such a thing happened?" Cai asked back. "Gramps, I''ll exin it to everyer. But, I can''t really leave Lux''s guild right now. My future depends on it!"


    Maximilian arched an eyebrow as he looked at his granddaughter before shifting his gaze to the Half-Elf, who was slowly, but surely, trying to stealthily sneak out of the Dining Area.


    "Lux, where are you going?" Maximilian asked in a calm manner.


    "A-Actually, I think that I ate too much, Sir Maximilian," Lux replied with a cramped smile on his face. "N-Nature is calling me."


    "Well, since Nature is calling you�� should I prepare a grave that is six feet deep for you?" Maximilian asked with an amused tone. "I''ll be more than happy to send you back to Mother Nature''s embrace."


    Lux subconsciously shuddered because, although Maximilian''s words were said in a calm manner, he felt as if he already had one foot in the grave.


    "O-On second thought, I think I''m good," Lux stated as he returned to where he had been sitting a moment ago.


    A faint smile appeared on Maximilian''s face as he gazed at the Half-Elf, whose smile was twitching every now and then.


    "Now, tell me, Lux," Maximilianmented. "What did you feed my granddaughter for her to be so adamant about staying in your guild? If you don''t give me a proper exnation, I will be forced to take drastic measures."


    Lux was unable to meet Maximilian''s stare, so he looked at Cai, who was looking back at him with a hopeful gaze.


    The Half-Elf sighed internally because he couldn''t possibly kick Cai out of the guild, especially after what she had done for him.


    Because of this, he decided to take a stand in order to repay the Boar who had sacrificed her life to save him.


    Iris, who understood what Lux was going to do, lowered her head so that her beloved wouldn''t be able to see the smirk on her face.


    She had known Cai''s Grandpa for a few years, and she understood that Maximilian had no bad intentions. The blue-haired beauty was sure that Maximilian was merely curious why his shameless Granddaughter was dead-set on staying in Lux''s Guild when he could provide her with anything that she wanted.


    Which only led to one answer.


    Lux''s Guild had something that couldn''t be found in Xander''s Silver-Ranked Guild.


    Maximilian continued to stare at the red-headed teenager for a few minutes without saying a word. He had already assumed that Lux was hiding a secret that he couldn''t reveal so easily.


    However, for the sake of his granddaughter, he had to know, and this was one of the reasons he invited the Half-Elf to the Rowan Tribe.


    A few minutester, a sigh escaped Lux''s lips as he summoned his Soul Book.


    He then opened it and went to the page where his Guild Information could be found.


    After giving it a long hard look, another sigh escaped his lips before making his Soul Book float towards Maximilian.


    Soul Books were private things, and only people who were given permission by their owner could see what was written inside of them.


    Maximilian grabbed Lux''s Soul Book and held it firmly in his hands. He then read the information that was written in it, so he could better understand what was making Cai unwilling to leave.


    Half a minuteter, after he had finished reading Lux''s Soul Book, the Saint''s body stiffened.


    He read it a second time to ensure that he didn''t misread the words written on it. However, after double-checking, he confirmed that he hadn''t made any mistakes.


    "Unbelievable��," Maximilian muttered as he raised his head to look at the Half-Elf, who was looking back at him with a steady gaze.


    It was at that moment when the Saint finally understood why Cai didn''t want to leave Lux''s Guild despite the fact that he could provide her with anything that she wanted.


    "Lux, we need to talk tonight in private," Maximilian stated. "I have some important things to tell you, so I hope that you will free up your schedule this evening."


    Lux nodded his head. "Of course, Your Excellency."


    Before leaving Barbatos Academy, Alexander had talked to Lux in private about the possibility of sharing the secret of his Guild with Maximilian.


    The Chief of the Rowan Tribe was Alexander''s most steadfast ally, so he hoped that Lux would inform the former about the secret of his Guild so that the short-tempered Saint of the Rowan Tribe would be one of Lux''s strongest supporters as well.


    Maximilian smiled as he looked at the Half-Elf who became more pleasing in his eyes.


    Since the red-headed teenager was the Guildmaster of the only Mythical Guild in the world, it was only right to make him a permanent ally of the Rowan Tribe.


    ''I guess I need to talk to Cai before I talk to Lux in private tonight,'' Maximilian thought as he rubbed his chin. ''After all, her future happiness is currently at stake here.''

 Chapter 527 What Do You Think Of My Granddaughter? [Part 1]

    "Grandpa, you called for me?" Cai asked as soon as she stepped foot into her Grandpa''s workshop.


    "Yes," Maximilian replied. "Sit down for a bit, Cai. There are a few things I''d like to ask you."


    Cai obeyed and sat in front of her Grandpa.


    Maximilian eyed his granddaughter who had taken her Human form.


    Cai''s long, light-brown hair was adorned by simple essories, and even though she wasn''t wearing any makeup, her beauty was enough to rival Iris'', who was considered the most beautiful youngdy in Barbatos Academy.


    Her hazel eyes held a tinge of mischief in them, but this side of herself would only be shown to her family members.


    In truth, Cai was a very shy person. Aside from her family, she would only show her true form during special asions in the Rowan Tribe, especially when they needed to make an offering to the Gods.


    As a High Priestess, this was her duty. If she wasn''t around, then her little sister, who was younger than her by two years, would temporarily take her ce and perform Cai''s duties. This was the case whenever the shameless Boar was exploring the world.


    Cai might be able to stay in her Boar Form for long periods of time, but she still needed to return to her Human form every now and then to allow her transformation ability to reset.


    If she continuously kept her Boar form for an entire week, there was a chance that her transformation would be undone when she least expected it.


    This was why whenever she was alone, or in a ce that she deemed safe enough, she would return to her Human form in order to ensure that her transformation wouldn''t be undone by ident.


    The Saint of the Rowan Tribe stood up and pressed his finger over Cai''s head to check her current condition. He didn''t have a chance to do this earlier because they were busy preparing to receive their guests, and Cai was keeping Irispany.


    A minuteter, Maximilian pulled his finger back and sighed.


    "The injuries you received this time are quite serious. It has also diminished a lot of your True Essence," Maximilian stated. "At most, you will need three months to fully recuperate. But during this time, you can only stay in your Boar Form for three days straight before reverting to your Human form."


    Cai nodded. "I know, Grandpa. Don''t worry. I promise that I will be careful."


    Maximilian nodded because he knew that Cai wouldn''t allow anyone to discover her true form by ident, aware that it would only endanger her.


    Her transformation was a way to hide her Special Body Constitution from the world. Those who sought to gain power using any means necessary would jump at the opportunity to kidnap her from the Rowan Tribe and use her to achieve their goals.


    This was something that Maximilian wouldn''t allow to happen, so he gave Cai several Life Saving artifacts that would protect her in case her secret was exposed.


    "Cai, what do you think of Lux?" Maximilian asked.


    "Lux?" Cai pondered for a bit before giving her answer. "A dependable friend, and a trustworthy person."


    "Oh? You think of him as a trustworthy person?"


    "Grandpa, I may not be the best when ites to judging a person''s character, but I believe Iris would not choose to love someone if they are a malicious person."


    Maximilian rubbed his chin before nodding his head.


    "Then, let me ask you a hypothetical question," Maximilian said before returning to his seat. "Do you find Lux eptable as a potential fiance candidate?"


    Cai frowned after hearing her Grandpa''s words.


    "I think Lux is a good person," Cai answered after half a minute had passed. "But, I don''t think that it will work out, Gramps."


    "And why?" Maximilian asked with an amused expression on his face.


    "...Lux has this mysterious destiny," Cai replied.


    "As a High Priestess, I can somewhat see that he is walking on an unpaved path filled with thorns. Gramps, you already know that my Body Constitution is enough to bring cmity upon the Rowan Tribe. If Lux bes my fiance, his already difficult path would just be more difficult. I don''t want to burden people with my curse."


    Maximilian shook his head before looking at his granddaughter with an affectionate gaze.


    "It is not a curse, Cai," Maximilian stated. "It simply means that the heavens have given you a heavy responsibility. Since you cannot carry its weight alone, you will need someone who will support you along the way. Besides��"


    The corner of Maximilian''s lips rose as he gave his granddaughter a mischievous smile.


    "Lux has already seen you naked twice," Maximilian said. "Didn''t you tell me in the past that the first person who saw you naked, aside from our family, would be your future husband?"


    "Gramps, I was eleven back then," Cai replied blushing. "That is just the ramblings of a naive child. You shouldn''t take it to heart."


    Maximilian chuckled after seeing how defensive his granddaughter had be.


    "So you don''t really like Lux?"


    "I like him as a friend. I can even think of him as a very close friend, but I have already decided that I will not marry in this lifetime. I don''t want to give my husband unnecessary worries."


    Maximilian knew that his granddaughter was serious when she said that she didn''t n to marry, but how could he possibly ept that decision? Cai was the treasure of their Family, and they wanted her to be happy.


    For that to happen, he needed a man, a strong man that would be able to protect and support her, keeping her safe from those who coveted her body. Because of this, Maximilian decided to give Cai onest push.


    "Do you like Iris?" Maximilian asked.


    "Of course, I like her," Cai replied in a heartbeat. "If I was a man, I would definitely marry her."


    "If you be Lux''s fiance, you will be able to stay with her forever," Maximilian said. "Also, you can help Lux��"


    Cai''s face blushed after she finished hearing her Grandpa''s full exnation.


    For a brief moment, she felt a strong temptation to agree to be Lux''s fiance. The more she thought about it, the more she was tempted by the idea of being with Iris. However, in the end, her wish to protect Lux from her curse made her return to reality, forcing her to set aside this happy illusion.


    "Gramps, I can''t." Cai sighed. "I want to, but I can''t."


    Seeing Cai''s troubled face, Maximilian also sighed before nodding his head in understanding.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to force you to do anything," Maximilian stated. "Just think about it for now, okay? Also, if you see any potential fiance candidate in the future, don''t hesitate to tell me about it."


    "Gramps�� I don''t n on marrying."


    "You''re still young. Perhaps you will change your mind in a year or two. Don''t worry. Whatever decision you make, the Rowan Tribe will always be behind your back."


    Cai looked at her grandfather, who was also looking at her with a knowing smile. The two stared at each other for half a minute before chuckling at the same time.


    "I''ll go back to my room now," Cai said as she stood up. "Iris and I will sleep together tonight. Fei Fei and Eiko will be with us as well."


    "Okay." Maximilian nodded. "Goodnight, Caitlin."


    "Goodnight, Grandpa," Cai replied before giving her Grandpa a respectful bow.


    A momentter, the beautiful youngdy left the room, leaving Maximilian behind.


    When he was sure that Cai was already a safe distance away, Maximilian waved his hand, and the ornate closet that was located at the corner of his room opened wide.


    Inside it, Lux stood with his arms crossed over his chest, and aplicated expression could be seen on his face.


    "Take a seat, Lux." Maximilian gestured with a smile. "I hope I didn''t keep you waiting for too long."


    Lux nodded and walked out of the closet to sit opposite the Saint of the Rowan Tribe.


    Maximilian thought that it would be a good idea to hide Lux inside his closet while he talked to his granddaughter. He believed that this would allow the Half-Elf to know what Cai honestly thought about him, without being influenced by other people.


    "Now, tell me, Lux," Maximilian said as he gazed at the red-headed teenager in front of him. "What do you think of my Granddaughter?"

 Chapter 528 What Do You Think Of My Granddaughter? [Part 2]

    "Now, tell me, Lux. What do you think of my Granddaughter?"


    Maximilian''s question made Lux frown. He didn''t know why the Saint had prepared such an borate setup in order for him to hear Cai''s thoughts about him.


    Also, Cai had appeared in her Human form. Although she didn''t go out of her way to make herself look beautiful, her beauty was something that Lux had known about long ago.


    "Cai is one of my closest friends," Lux replied. This was what he truly felt about Cai, and he was very grateful to have her as a friend.


    Maximilian nodded after hearing the Half-Elf''s reply. He had already deemed Lux to be a worthy fiance candidate for his granddaughter, not because he was Alexander''s Stepson, or because he was the Guildmaster of the only Mythical Guild in the world.


    The Saint of the Rowan Tribe had a very good impression of Lux because of his personality and strength. He had proven time and time again that he was capable of going above, and beyond everyone''s expectations.


    When he won the Lionheart Tournament, Maximilian thought of him as an interesting person. Also, since he knew that the Half-Elf had discovered Cai''s true form, the Chief of the Rowan Tribe had paid close attention to any news about him.


    When he managed to clear The Gate of Death inside the Sacred Dungeon and helped Cai bring back the White Lotus that allowed him to create the cure for the Purple gue, he felt truly grateful in his heart.


    The Purple gue had affected his wife, Isabe, whom he had frozen in a block of ice in order to prevent the gue from spreading inside her body.


    Currently, she was not in a stable condition, but he still kept her away from everyone in order to confirm that there were no side-effects of the medicine he made.


    Only when its potency was confirmed would he distribute the antidote to the Six Kingdoms, allowing them to cure those that had been affected by the gue that ravaged the borders of their Kingdom.


    "Lux, not only have you seen Cai''s naked body twice, but she also saved your life," Maximilian stated. "Do you not n to take responsibility for this?"


    The Half-Elf had already expected that Maximilian would ask this question to him, so he had prepared an answer beforehand.


    "I owe Cai my life. Because of her, I was able to clear the Gate of Conquest," Lux replied. "If therees a time when her life is in danger, I will not hesitate to go to her aid, and help her to the best of my abilities. This help also extends to the Rowan Tribe. If Sir Maximilian finds something very difficult for him to handle, and needs my assistance, you can call for me for help."


    Maximilian chuckled after hearing Lux''s answer. This was a very safe answer, and it would not break his ties with the Rowan Tribe in the future.


    However, there was one thing he found pretty amusing and that was the part where his Tribe would need his assistance, when he, a Saint, was already there to safeguard his tribe''s interest.


    "Tell me, my boy, is there something that a Saint like me cannot handle?" Maximilian asked in a teasing tone. "Do you really think that I will need help from someone who still isn''t a Ranker?"


    Maximilian wasn''t scared of anyone, and there were only a handful of individuals that could contend with his strength. For him, anything could be solved by using his fists. Because of this, the Rowan Tribe was able to move anywhere unhindered.


    He was expecting Lux to answer his question with a No, but to his surprise, the Half-Elf gave him the answer which made the smile on his face disappear.


    "Even a Saint cannot solve everything with his strength alone," Lux replied. "Your Excellency, you are undoubtedly very strong. One of the few that can make the Six Kingdoms tread carefully when ites to dealing with you and your tribe.


    "However, I have seen something in Elysium that not even a Saint, like you, will be able to handle on your own. If therees a time when the Cai, and the Rowan Tribe face such a threat, no matter how insignificant my Rank and strength is, I will not back down and offer my help."


    Lux then pressed his closed fist over his chest as he looked at the Saint of the Rowan Tribe, whom the rulers of the Six Kingdoms feared very much.


    "This is the promise I make to you," Lux dered. "This is how I will take responsibility for what Cai did for me."


    "Hoh�� your eyes are telling me that you''re not lying," Maximilian said after giving Lux a critical gaze. "Have you met a Supreme in Elysium?"


    If there was someone who could make Saints feel fearful, it was none other than Supremes.


    There was a saying that Saints could silence empires with a wave of their hand, and a Supreme could silence entire continents with a word.


    Lux shook his head. Although the Creature of Ruin was very strong, it was not a Supreme.


    At least, the one he saw wasn''t. He didn''t know if it could reach the Supreme Rank once all of its heads were awake.


    The Half-Elf shuddered at the thought of such a Beast being controlled by an organization that didn''t bat an eye in exterminating an entire Barony, just because of a woman''s hatred.


    If the creature of Ruin were to appear before the Rowan Tribe, he was certain that even if Maximilian fought to the death, the demise of their entire Tribe would have already been set in stone.


    "I saw a Peak-Cmity Monster," Lux replied. "A creature so strong that a dozen Saints can only hope to seal it in ce."


    Maximilian arched an eyebrow as he listened to Lux''s words. Although he found the Half-Elf''s story unbelievable, he was inclined to believe it because he could tell that Lux was telling him the truth.


    "Very well." Maximilian smirked. "Although I hope that such a day doesn''te, no one can tell what tomorrow will bring. Remember your promise boy, and remember it well. I will hold onto your words for now."


    "Thank you, Your Excellency," Lux felt relief inside his heart because he could tell that he had managed to convince Maximilian to no longer force the issue of him taking responsibility for Cai.


    However, before the Half-Elf could even thank his lucky stars, Maximilian threw him a curve ball, which almost made him choke on his saliva.


    "So, on a scale of 1 to 10, with ten being the highest, how would you rate my granddaughter''s naked body?" Maximilian said with a devilish smile on his face. "I''m sure you had a nice long look back then. Come on, don''t be shy, and speak your mind."


    Maximilian had subtly used an Intimidation Ability on the Half-Elf so he would tell him the truth.


    This ability also made Lux remember when he saw Cai''s naked body back in Barbatos Academy, where he was able to see everything clearly.


    "9 out of 10," Lux replied before he could even stop himself from replying. "The same as Iris."


    "One mark off, eh?" Maximilianughed after seeing the Half-Elf expression immediately be pale after answering his question. "She has the same rating as your fiance though? I guess she''s your type as well."


    The Saintughed again as Lux''s face became beet red after being teased by him.


    For Maximilian, Lux was the ideal candidate for his granddaughter, but since the two of them just thought of each other as friends, he decided to wait for now.


    ''Starting as friends is also good,'' Maximilian thought. ''It is better than falling in love instantly, and falling out of love the next day.''


    He experienced something simr when he was young, so he understood that true love wasn''t something that could be rushed.


    The Saint just hoped that if Cai would choose someone to help share the burden she was carrying, it would be none other than the Half-Elf, whose face was currently beet red, due to the small prank that he had pulled on him.


    He would rather have someone who truly cared for her granddaughter, than a womanizer whose only goal was to get under ady''s skirt.


    Cai was his beloved granddaughter, and anyone who dared to treat her as a tool in order to gain unimaginable power, would be crushed under his merciless hooves.

 Chapter 529 The Second Priestess Of The Rowan Tribe [Part 1]

    On the next day, Lux was woken up by a loud squeal from a pig that sounded like it was about to be ughtered.


    Originally, he nned to ignore it, but for some reason, the squeal sounded very familiar to him.


    "It''s not possible, right?" Lux muttered as he got up from bed and did a bit of stretching. However, the squeal only became louder as the minutes passed by, making him frown.


    Out of curiosity, Lux got out of his tent and went to where the squealing wasing from.


    It was then he saw an unexpected scene that made him wonder if he was still dreaming.


    Cai, the shameless boar, was tied up and hung upside down over an open fire. Standing in front of the bonfire was a youngdy, with hair that only extended down to her shoulders.


    Just like Cai''s human form, the youngdy had sun-kissed skin and was quite a beauty as well. Lux believed that given two to three more years, the youngdy would blossom into a charmingdy that would make the heads of any man turn to look at her.


    Currently, this youngdy, who seemed to be at least two years younger than Cai, had her arms crossed over her chest, as she looked at the squealing pig with a determined look on her face.


    "Xander, add more Rosewood to the fire," the youngdy ordered.


    "P-Priestess, I think you should calm down a bit and talk with Cai in a calm and civilized manner," Xander replied anxiously.


    "Are you going to do it, or should I also have you tied up, so you can be roasted alongside her?" The youngdy asked with a re.


    "How many should I add?" Xander''s attitude had aplete reversal after receiving the youngdy''s re, which made his heart tremble.


    The youngdy sneered after seeing Xander''s change of heart. "A dozen will do. Make sure to pick the ones that burn well!"


    Cai, who was still tied up on a stick, squealed louder as she hurled insults at Xander who betrayed her.


    "Xander, you traitor!" Cai roared. "I hope you grow bald in a year! I will pray and ask the Gods to make you impotent!"


    Xander, who had just been cursed by Cai, looked at the youngdy with a smile.


    "Priestess, a dozen won''t do," Xander stated. "How about we make it two dozen?"


    "Good!" the youngdy replied. "I want to see her burn!"


    The Half-Elf watched as Xander threw several logs of wood on the fire, making itrger. Lux couldn''t believe that Cai''s retainer, who would give his life to protect her, didn''t dare to provoke the youngdy, whose hands were now resting on her hips.


    ''Just what the hell is going on?'' Lux thought as he scanned the surroundings.


    The members of the Tribe were looking at the spectacle sneakily through the partitions of their tents. Those who were outside were pretending that they weren''t seeing anything as they went about their business.


    It was at that moment when Lux spotted a middle-aged man peeking through the tent of the main residence. Recognizing the other party, the Half-Elf looked at him in a dumbfounded manner.


    As if sensing Lux''s gaze, Maximilian hurriedly let go of the tent p as if nothing was happening.


    ''Even Sir Maximilian didn''t want to offend this youngdy?'' Lux thought. ''Just who is this girl?''


    Keane, who stood not far away, looked at the youngdy as if she was an angel. He had never seen anyone bully Cai so much that it made him wonder if he was still dreaming.


    Just like Lux, he hurried over after hearing Cai''s squealing. But, after seeing this scene and the reaction of the Rowan Tribe, he also assumed that the youngdy, who was wearing a priestess robe, wasn''t someone simple.


    Cai, whose entire body was now being licked by the orange mes, squealed louder and started to cry crocodile tears.


    "Don''t do this to me, Rose!" Cai pleaded. "How can you do this to your big sister? Where did my cute little sister go?!"


    "Shut up!" Rose replied. "While you were out ying, I was the one doing all of your responsibilities. You even missed our yearly migration ceremony. Grandpa has spoiled you so much. It''s time for you to know your ce!"


    Without another word, Rose took out a whip and was about to whip the tied-up boar, when a hand caught her wrist, preventing her from swinging her whip.


    "I think that''s enough. Don''t you think so?" Lux asked.


    Rose, whose wrist had been held by the Half-Elf, turned her head to look at Lux and red in his direction.


    "You must be that Half-Elf that my sister and Hector talk about," Rosemented as she looked at Lux from head to foot. "This is a family affair. I would appreciate it if you didn''t intervene."


    "I can''t do that," Lux replied firmly. "Cai saved my life, so I can''t watch her suffer."


    Cai, who heard Lux''s words, looked at the Half-Elf with a grateful expression.


    "That''s right, My Daddy!" Cai shouted. "You tell her who''s boss!"


    While Lux was confronting Rose, a Golden Baby Slime snuck out of the tent and hurried to where her Master was.


    Cai was tied up by metallic chains, preventing her from breaking free. Seeing that her Master was bound tightly, Fei Fei fearlessly jumped up toward Cai, despite the mes that were licking Boar''s entire body.


    Just as Fei Fefi was about to bite through the chains that bound her Master, a whip coiled around her body and pulled her away.


    "It seems that my sister had found a very loyal pet," Rose said as she held Fei Fei with her left hand, preventing the Baby Slime from breaking free. "Still, such loyalty is rare and must be rewarded."


    ? Rose then kissed Fei Fei''s forehead, making the golden slime stop struggling. A momentter, Fei Fei yawned and drowsily closed her eyes to sleep.


    "Rose! You monster!" Cai, who saw what Rose did to Fei Fei, started to struggle more than ever. "How dare you do that to Fei Fei?!"


    "Shut up," Rose replied before shifting her attention to Lux. "Can you let go of my hand now? I am doing a cleansing ceremony here and you are getting in the way. Grandpa, take this guy away, or else I won''t cook you dinnerter!"


    Maximilian then exited the tent and looked at his granddaughter with fawning eyes.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll exin everything to him," Maximilian stated as he grabbed hold of Lux. "Come, Lux. Let''s have a bit of a chat. Keane, do you want to join us?"


    "No," Keane replied. "I''ll stay here, Sir Maximilian."


    "Okay, just don''t get in the way of the ceremony. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    Maximilian then gave the swordsman a brief nod before dragging Lux to the Main Tent, which belonged to their family.


    Keane continued to stare at Rose, who was now chanting something as she whipped Cai every now and then, making the Boar wail pitifully.


    As someone that had been bullied by Cai almost every day, seeing someone bully her back made the skinny swordsman feel as if he was looking at an angel who hade to bring salvation to the world.


    Amidst Cai''s continuous, pitiful squealing, Keane suddenly achieved enlightenment.


    For a brief moment in time, it seemed that the peace that he had been looking for ever since he left the mountains, was finally within his reach.

 Chapter 530 The Second Priestess Of The Rowan Tribe [Part 2]

    "Cai has been neglecting her duties as ofte, and the one performing her work is none other than Roseline," Maximilian said as he served Lux a cup of tea.


    "She''s Cai''s sister and is two years younger than her. As you can see, Rose has a very strong and straightforward personality, but she is a very kind and loving girl. She''s not always in the tribe because she usually stays on our ancestral grounds, along with her parents. Their duty is to watch over the members of our tribe that had been infected by the purple gue and prevent their condition from worsening.


    "Rose is our Tribe''s Second Priestess and, just like Cai, she has very strong spiritual powers. You must have been surprised to see that no viger tried to help Cai despite the fact that everyone here treasures and loves her, right?"


    Lux nodded because he thought that anyone who tried to hurt Cai would receive the collective beating of the members of the Rowan Tribe. However, none of them stepped up to help her, which made him wonder earlier if he was still dreaming or not.


    "The Priestesses of the Rowan Tribe are our Spiritual Leaders," Maximilian stated. "Their status in the tribe is nearly equal to mine. Also, Rose setting Cai straight is a natural urrence, so everyone is already used to seeing this scene."


    Maximilian chuckled because it had been a while since he had seen his granddaughter, who liked to bully others, getting bullied back by her own little sister.


    "Just like Rose said earlier, what she was doing was a ceremony," Maximilian resumed his talk after having a goodugh. "It is a cleansing ceremony that will allow Cai to heal physically and spiritually. Since I have finished making the medicine for the Purple gue, and Cai has returned to the tribe, I''ve decided to call Rose back for the time being.


    "That way, she can take the medicine to our Ancestral Grounds, as well as perform the cleansing ceremony on Cai. This ritual will also heal the hidden injuries that Cai received during your expedition in the Gate of Conquest. You''re nning to take a break from going to the Sacred Dungeon for a month or two, right?"


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    "Good. Cai will stay here in the Rowan Tribe for a month to help with her recovery. If she tries to sneak away and go to you, make sure to send her back here. I hope that you take this request of mine seriously."


    "Yes, Sir. I will do as you ask."


    Maximilian smiled and patted Lux''s shoulder. "Good. Now, there is one more favor that I need to ask of you. You''re already acquainted with Gerhart, right?"


    "I''m not too familiar with him, but we talked a bit yesterday," Lux replied.


    "You see, he is still unsure of what to do with his life." Maximilian sighed as he poured himself some tea. "His grudge against the Elswyth Royal Family still burns in his heart, and I''m afraid that if he doesn''t do anything that will take his mind off things, he might do something reckless in the future. So, if possible, I want you to take him under your wing."


    Lux''s expression became serious after understanding what the Saint of the Rowan Tribe was trying to tell him.


    "You want him to join my Guild?" Lux inquired.


    Maximilian nodded. "He is a goodd, and I don''t want to ruin his future by letting him sink further into depression each passing day. Gerhart needs something to do. It can be anything. Since you won''t be bringing Cai with you for the time being, you can take him instead."


    Lux scratched his head for a while before agreeing to Maximilian''s request.


    He was currently in need of trustworthy Guild Members, and since the Saint of the Rowan Tribe rmended Gerhart, he was willing to give his fellow Half-Elf a chance to think of things aside from revenge.


    Cai''s squealing hadpletely died down in the background, and Maximilian thought that now was the right time to go out.


    When the two of them exited the tent, they saw Cai sleeping on the ground. Her dark-brown fur looked so glossy. It was as if she had just soaked in the hot springs. Lux couldn''t find any injuries on her body, and from the way the shameless boar was snoring peacefully, it seemed that she wasn''t in any pain at all.


    Maximilian unceremoniously picked Cai up and brought her inside the tent.


    Roseline, on the other hand, carried the sleeping Fei Fei and entered the tent behind her Grandfather.


    Xander, who had aided Rose in burning Cai earlier, invited the Half-Elf, Keane, and Gerhart, who had also arrived at the scene earlier to have breakfast in their tent.


    Lux and the others epted the offer because they felt that Maximilian, Cai, and Rose needed some family time together.


    To their surprise, Iris exited the Main Tent with Eiko on top of her head and walked towards Lux with a smile.


    "Can I also join you guys for breakfast?" Iris asked with a smile.


    "Sure," Xander replied as he led the way toward his tent.


    The blue-haired beauty linked her hands with her fiance and walked side by side with him.


    Eiko, who was on top of Iris'' head, happily jumped to her Papa''s head and giggled. Clearly, the Baby Slime had a good sleep and was in a yful mood.


    "I thought you would be there to save Cai earlier, but you weren''t around when your best friend was being burned alive," Lux teased his beautiful fiance, who seemed to have just finished bathing.


    "Rose came to find me earlier and asked me to not interfere while she conducts a cleansing ceremony for her sister," Iris replied.


    "You two know each other?"


    "Un. We met a couple of times in the past. She also visited Barbatos Academy a few times before my birthday."


    The Half-Elf smiled because it seemed that Cai''s sister, Roseline, had a good head on her shoulders. Knowing that Iris was here, she decided to talk to her first and ask her to not interfere as she dealt with her sister.


    Perhaps, the youngdy knew that only Iris would dare to get in her way if she performed the ceremony without informing her.


    The only person she didn''t expect to appear was Lux, whom she had seen for the first time in her life.


    Iris slowed down her pace in order to let Xander, Keane, and Gerhart walk ahead of them a little more before whispering in Lux''s ears.


    "Tell me what happenedst night after breakfast, okay? Cai didn''t tell me anythingst night, but she seemed a little dazed when she returned to our room to sleep."


    Suddenly, Lux remembered what Maximilian told Caist night, and couldn''t help but smile.


    "It seems that Cai really likes you," Lux whispered back to Iris. "If she was a guy, she would definitely ask for your hand in marriage."


    Iris giggled as she lightly squeezed Lux''s hand. "Well, if Cai were really a guy, I just might have epted his offer for marriage."


    "... You''re trying to make me jealous, right?"


    "Yes. Did it work?"


    A devilish smile appeared on Lux''s face as he lightly squeezed Iris'' hand and leaned a little closer to his fiance.


    "It did," Lux whispered. "I''ll punish you tonight for it."


    Iris blushed after hearing Lux''s threat, which she would happily wee anytime.


    However, they were currently away from Barbatos Academy, and she was afraid that she wouldn''t be able to keep her voice down when her beloved punished her young and delicate body with his sensual touch.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be sure to cover both of your lips so that no one but me will hear your voice," Lux said softly.


    Unknown to the two love birds, Xander and Gerhart heard their talk, making them want to tell Lux and Iris to go get a room.


    However, they kept it in and pretended that they didn''t hear anything. They even increased their pace to get away from the two lovers behind their backs, who were taking their sweet time talking about the things that they were going to do to each other inside Iris'' room.


    Only Keane, who was still thinking about Cai''s little sister, Rose, was unaware that the Half-Elf and the blue-haired beauty were nning to do something tonight, which would make Cai unable to go to join Iris in her room.

 Chapter 531 Plans To Make Heaven’s Gate Stronger Than Ever

    Lux held Iris in his arms and enjoyed the warmth of the blue-haired beauty''s body.


    Since Cai was still sleeping like a pig after the ceremony ended, the Half-Elf took advantage of her absence and monopolized his fiance.


    Both of them agreed that making love inside the Tribe Chieftain''s tent was a bad move, so they simply settled on sleeping together.


    The good thing about this setup was that Eiko was feeling clingy as well, so she slept between Lux and Iris, enjoying the warmth of her parents.


    The Baby Slime and the youngdy had fallen asleep quickly because they were tired from ying the entire day.


    Iris and Eiko had also chatted with Rose for a few hours, and the two youngdies enjoyed their exchange of news and rumors that were currently going around the Six Kingdoms.


    ''Girls can really talk a lot the moment they get to know each other,'' Lux thought as he looked at his sleeping fiance.


    In Lux''s eyes, the two were like gossipy Aunties who exchanged juicy tidbits about the members of the young generation who were making their names known in both Sis and Elysium.


    Of course, most of Roseline''s questions were about Lux, who had be a celebrity among the high-ranking officials of the Six Kingdoms, Xynnar War Pact, as well as Skystead Alliance.


    To his surprise, Iris told him that Roseline also asked a few things about Keane, which made the corner of Lux''s lips raise up a little bit.


    Earlier, he could tell that the youngdy had made an impact on the skinny swordsman, especially with how she dealt with the chatterbox Cai, who gave Keane no peace of mind.


    ''It''s still too early to tell,'' Lux mused as a faint smile appeared on his face. ''If this was a novel, the readers would definitely tell the Author that they couldn''t do their bro, Keane, dirty.''


    Well, as long as Keane was happy, Lux was fine with anything. So, for the time being, he set this matter aside and started pondering about what he would do for the next two months.


    Originally, he nned to return to Karshvar Draconis in order to handle a few matters regarding his Guild. Then after that, he would return to the Kingdom of Gweliven to look for Colette and the others and apologize for not telling them everything.


    He also needed to invite his Dwarf Secretary, Emma, whom he had freed from Twilight Rain''s Lycan Mutation Project, to join his Guild.


    She was able to fully transform into a Lycan now, which greatly boosts her speed, strength, and fighting prowess.


    ''I think Emma was also in the Initiate Rank,'' Lux thought. ''I wonder how strong she has be now.''


    Lux had ordered Emma to remain with Colette and the others to tell them about his fake death a few days after it happened.


    Also, he wanted her to better understand how a Guild was managed, so when she became his Guild Member, she could teach him some of the things that he was not aware of when it came to managing a Guild.


    ''I just hope Colette won''t smack me with her mace when she sees me.'' Lux sighed in his heart.


    The little Dwarves were the first friends he made in Elysium, and they held a special ce in his heart. In a Kingdom where he was considered an outsider because of his race, Lux thrived because of the friends he met along the way.


    ''It''s a shame that I can''t use my original face when I meet them,'' Lux thought. ''But, it won''t be long before Scarlet bes a Ranker. When that happens, I will no longer need to worry about hiding.''


    Lux was quite happy to see that Scarlet was nearing the threshold of a Ranker. However, she would still need to pass the World''s Trial in order to get its blessings.


    Each Ranker would face a different trial, and some of them even said that the moment they decided to take the test to be a Ranker, they were sent to a ce that was far from their homnd.


    Lux''s Grandma, Vera, had told him that her Ranker Test sent her to an ind filled with Beastkins. Her trial was to help them ovee a cmity, but as to what that cmity was, Vera didn''t exin it in full.


    She just said that she suffered hardships before bing a Ranker and, to this day, she still hadn''t forgotten the lessons she learned from that trial.


    Lux summoned his Soul Book and nced at his status page to see how many more stat points he needed in order to be a Ranker.


    ''6,360��'' Lux''s eyesnded on the number ofbined stats he currently had. ''I will need a total of 10,000bined stats to be an E-Ranker.''


    The Half-Elf then activated his Elysium Compendium and looked for information about the hierarchy of Rankings among Mortals.


    ��-------------


    Supreme - 1,000,000,000


    Saint - 200,000,000


    SSS Ranker - 50,000,000 - Pseudo Saint


    SS-Ranker - 10,000,000 - High Ranker


    S-Ranker - 3,000,000 - High Ranker


    A-Ranker - 600,000 - High Ranker


    B-Ranker - 300,000


    C-Ranker - 100,000


    D-Ranker - 30,000


    E-Ranker - 10,000


    Initiate - 5,000


    ��-------------


    Grade A Apostles - 800


    Grade B Apostles - 600


    Grade C Apostles - 400


    Grade D Apostles - 200


    ��-------------


    ''... Saints are amazing,'' Lux thought as he looked at thebined total stats of Powerhouses like his Stepfather, Alexander, as well as Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian. ''I wonder��will I be able to step into that rank as well?''


    Just looking at thebined stat points needed to be a Saint was enough to deter anyone from thinking about it.


    Even Lux, who was confident that he would soon be a Ranker, felt as if the hurdle of stepping into the Saint Rank was too hard to achieve.


    He didn''t even bother looking at the Supreme Rank, who were beings that were like the Demigods of the World. He hadn''t met one yet, but he had already met two Saints, which made them more realpared to the Mythical Supremes, who could make entire continents cower with a wave of their hand.


    ''One step at a time, Lux,'' Lux said in his heart. ''You don''t need to hurry. You will get there as long as you don''t lose your way.''


    After being a powerless Half-Elf for nearly sixteen years of his life, Lux was able to grow exponentially after meeting Eriol.


    In fact, he had already managed to catch up to and even surpass some of the prodigies, like the Four Kings of the Six Kingdoms, whom he had defeated in the Lionheart Tournament in the past.


    Even though he couldn''t gain any experience points from killing monsters, consuming Beast Cores directly allowed him to grow by leaps and bounds.


    His only concern was his Job Profession which was a Necromancer.


    A Necromancer wasn''t someone who relied on his strength alone, but relied on the power of his Undead Army. Compared to the other professions who only focused on their strength, Lux needed to split his resources in order to strengthen his Stats, his Body Constitution, and his Summons.


    With that said, he burned through resources really fast. Fortunately, the rewards he got from the previous quests boosted his Necromancy Skills without needing to use Beast Cores to upgrade each one of them separately.


    However, he knew well that he couldn''t always be lucky with the rewards.


    ''I should bring my Guild to explore a Dungeon for the time being,'' Lux thought. ''The Sacred Dungeon is too dangerous for now. I''ll just go ask around to see if there are any B-Ranked, or A-Ranked Dungeons that I can explore to farm Beast Cores. Even if I can''t be a Ranker in two months, I should at least upgrade my Body Constitution.''


    Whenever Lux upgraded his Body Constitution, not only did he get an overall increase in strength, but his Necromancer Abilities grew as well.


    ''Looks like I need to drag Sid along with me for the time being,'' Lux smiled. ''Just like Scarlet, he is also at the cusp of bing a Ranker. I wonder, who will be a Ranker first?''


    Scarlet was being supported by the resources from Twilight Rain, while Sid apanied the Draconic Kobold, Cadmus, to the Savage Lands.


    The Dhampir always put his life on the line in order to gain the Beast Cores that would allow him to grow faster, not only for Lux but for the sake of his little sisters who were now living in Leaf Vige.


    As someone who lived as an Assassin, Sid knew the importance of strength. Only by bing strong would he be able to protect the people important to him and prevent anyone from harming them.


    ''I''ll drop by Leaf Vige after I finish my tasks in Karshvar Draconis,'' Lux thought. ''I will bring Master Randolph and Grandma Annie with me in the Dungeon too. I want both of them to raise their Ranks in order to prolong their lifespan.''


    Randolph and Annie were already old, and Lux was worried for them. Although Dwarves lived longer than Humans, they could only live up to five hundred years at most.


    Lux believed that if his Master and the kind Grandma of Leaf Vige were to be Rankers, they would definitely make a major improvement on the overall growth of his Guild.


    Randolph was a cksmith, and Grandma Annie was an Alchemist. If the two of them were able to create High-Grade Equipment, Potions, and Pills, it would certainly give a boost to the performance of his Guild Members.


    ''I wonder�� if all the Elders of Leaf Vige be Rankers, will it still be considered a Beginner''s Vige?'' Lux couldn''t help but chuckle when he imagined this scene in his head.


    Due to the many things that were on his mind, the Half-Elf was only able to settle into sleep a few hours before dawn. However, he now had a general n in his head for how he would use the two months allotted to him, and make himself, and his Guild, stronger than ever before.

 Chapter 532 A Phoenix Among Phoenixes!

    "Come visit me from time to time, Iris,'' Cai said as she bid goodbye to her best friend, who was about to return to Barbatos Academy.


    "I will," Iris replied as she hugged Cai.


    After giving her best friend a hug, the blue-haired beauty also hugged Roseline, who was standing next to Cai. "Take care as well, Rose. I''ll see you when I have the opportunity."


    "I will look forward to it." Rose hugged Iris back. "Don''t worry. I will watch over my sister and make sure that she doesn''t do anything stupid for the next two months."


    Cai, who heard her sister''s words, immediately cowered because she could tell that Rose was serious about keeping a close watch on her. Because of this, she threw her ns of sneaking away to the winds and decided to behave for the time being.


    Not far from them, Lux was bidding his goodbye to Keane, who decided to stay in the Rowan Tribe for the time being.


    Truth be told, the Half-Elf thought that the skinny swordsman would apany him back to Karshvar Draconis, but Keane said that he needed to meditate and regain his peace after what happened in the Gate of Conquest.


    "I am growing too fast," Keane stated. "I need to consolidate my strength first, or else, the power I gained will be put to waste. I don''t want to be like those Rankers who have high stats, but don''t have the ability to put their strength to good use."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding because he could understand what his friend was talking about. This was the exact reason why Wildgarde Stronghold forbade parents from giving their children Beast Cores in order to boost their stats.


    Sometimes, having high stats would make people too confident in their abilities. Only when they were facing a monster or someone with a rank higher than theirs would they understand that battle experience and refining your skills were just as important as having a high rank.


    "I''ll see you in two months," Lux said as he fist-bumped Keane. "Make sure that you''re prepared to conquer the Gate of Famine by then."


    Keane nodded. "I will. Don''t worry. You also do your best to consolidate your strength. Although you managed to survive several fights against stronger opponents, you mustn''t let your victories go into your head.


    "The Six Kingdoms, Xynnar War Pact, and Skystead Alliance are gearing up for the Gate of Famine. I don''t know if they n to pull any weird tricks this time around, but it is better to be prepared for such an oue."


    Lux gave a grateful smile at the skinny swordsman before ncing at Rose, who was still having ast-minute chat with Iris.


    "Thanks for the reminder. Also, good luck to you too," Lux said in a teasing tone. "I''lle here to pick you up in two months. Make sure you have made some progress by then."


    Keane was unfazed by Lux''s ambiguous words and brought up a topic about their Guild in order to change the topic. Naturally, the Half-Elf yed along so that Keane wouldn''t get too embarrassed about his subtle hints.


    A few minutester, Maximilian emerged from his tent with Gerhart in tow.


    "Lux, make sure to look after Gerhart for me," Maximilian said as he patted Gerhart''s shoulder. "Gerhart, make sure to not cause trouble for Lux. Also, everything you see, hear, and experience, when you are with him must be kept a secret. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Grandpa," Gerhart replied.


    Although Gerhart didn''t understand why the Saint of the Rowan Tribe strictly asked him to keep things confidential, he decided to listen to his requests because Maximilian had taken good care of him throughout his stay in the Rowan Tribe.


    Maximilian didn''t tell Gerhart that he was about to be recruited in the one and only Mythical Guild in the world.


    He wanted the green-haired Half-Elf, whom he had helped for the past few years, to take his mind off revenge, and the best solution he had found was to let Gerhart apany Lux on his escapades to who knows where.


    Truth be told, Maximilian wanted to know where Lux was nning to go.


    Currently, the Six Kingdoms, the Xynnar War Pact, and the Skystead Alliance were looking for Lux because they wanted to challenge the Gate of Famine as soon as possible.


    However, the Half-Elf had other ns and didn''t want to return to the Domain of the Fallen for at least two months.


    Since his movements were being closely watched by the different factions, Maximilian wondered where Lux was going in order to make his preparations for the next two months.


    "Gerhart, just so you know, following me is a very dangerous thing," Lux replied. "I know you are strong, but the ces we are going to go to are very dangerous. I would appreciate it if you take responsibility for your own safety."


    Gerhart nodded. "Don''t worry. I don''t n on dying anytime soon. I still have scores to settle with the Elswyth Royal Family."


    Maximilian sighed internally after hearing Gerhart''s reply, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    At that moment, a Giant Manta Raynded in the za of the Rowan Tribe.


    "We can go anytime kids," Hector announced with his arms crossed over his chest. "I''ll apany all of you back to Barbatos Academy."


    Lux and Iris exchanged a nce with each other before nodding their heads.


    The time to return to Barbatos Academy hade, and with it, the start of a new adventure awaited.


    ��------------


    Outer Reaches in Karshvar Draconis��


    A in-looking girl, apanied by two beautiful maids, looked at the three floating inds in the distance.


    "Finally, we have arrived at the Outer Reaches!" Valerie said with a smile. "We managed to sessfully sneak out of the Inner Pce!"


    "Good job, Your Highness," Ali replied as she pped her hands. "You''re amazing."


    "As expected of Her Highness," Arimented. "As long as you put your mind to it, nothing is impossible!"


    Valerie''s smile widened after hearing thepliments of her two handmaidens.


    They made several stops along the way and ate many of the delicacies that belonged to the various cities and towns within her father''s Kingdom.


    There were several asions where a few rowdy thugs tried to flirt with Ali and Ari, but the two maidens instantly dispatched these annoying creatures with their punches and kicks.


    Of course, there were instances that they encountered stronger individuals, with some of them being Initiates and Rankers. However, for some reason, these hooligans suddenly pissed themselves, and ran away screaming after Valerie red at them.


    Whenever these things happened, Ali and Ari would praise her, saying that her re was so powerful that even Rankers had no choice but to flee.


    Naturally, it wasn''t Valerie''s re that scared these Rankers silly.


    It was due to the collective killing intent of hundreds of Rankers and High-Rankers, who were secretly protecting their Princess on her sight-seeing expedition.


    Of course, the Gullible and Extremely Beautiful Princess wasn''t aware of this. She just thought that those who had tried to stop her were just ordinary thugs that one would find anywhere in the streets.


    "I''m a bit hungry. Why don''t we go to the City of Pygmalion first?" Valerie proposed. "We can also ask about that mysterious Half-Elf while having lunch."


    "As expected of Her Highness, you are wise beyond words," Ali said with a smile.


    "Eating while gathering information? Truly a brilliant idea," Arimented. "Her Highness truly is a Phoenix among Phoenixes!"


    "But, Ari�� I''m a dragon?" Valerie blinked as she looked at her handmaiden who was fanning her to keep herself cool.


    "It''s just a metaphor, Your Highness," Ari replied. "I''m just saying that among Dragons, only you are able to hit two Phoenixes with one Dragon Breath."


    Valerie nodded her head because she found this answer quite logical.


    "Let''s go," Valerie ordered as she pointed her finger at the city in the distance. "Let''s start our expedition of the Outer Reaches!"

 Chapter 533 Father, Do You Plan To Become A King?

    Iris shuddered as her hands were wrapped around Lux''s head.


    Her ragged breaths permeated the room as she epted her fiance''s hot and passionate love deep inside her.


    "You are rougher than usual," Iris said as she looked down at the Half-Elf, whose hands were resting on her waist, holding her in ce. "Is it because we didn''t have the chance to do it back in the Rowan Tribe, or because you are leaving tomorrow?"


    "Both," Lux replied before nting a kiss on Iris'' neck, nibbling it to leave his mark.


    Iris didn''t resist and allowed her beloved to mark her inside and out. Lux would leave once again to go back to Elysium and handle the issues with his Guild, and they wouldn''t be able to see each other for a month or two.


    Perhaps, knowing that this was thest time that he would be able to make love with Iris for a while, the Half-Elf and the blue-haired beauty indulged each other''s love for each other by bing one.


    "You''re still hard��," Iris whimpered as Lux lightly bit her nipple, sending shivers down her spine. "Just how pent-up are you?"


    "This is your punishment for teasing me back in the Rowan Tribe," Lux replied before sucking the pink tip in his mouth, making Iris gasp.


    A minuteter, the room was filled with Iris'' seductive moans as Lux made love to her for the third time.


    Eiko was currently ying with Iris'' Guardian Beasts, allowing her parents to spend some quality time with each other.


    The two only stopped when Iris'' Red Phoenix, Zoe, informed Iris that Eiko was now on her way back to their bedroom, forcing Lux and her to cancel their 5th round of lovemaking.


    ��----


    Fifteen minutester��


    "Pa! Ma!"


    Eiko happily entered the room and jumped on Iris''p, who was busy drying her hair with a bath towel.


    "Wee back, Eiko," Iris said as she patted the Baby Slime''s head. "Did you have fun with the others?


    "Un!" Eiko nodded her head. "Fun!"


    "That''s good."


    "Yes!"


    The blue-haired beauty and the Baby Slime continued to chat with each other for a few minutes before Lux ced a set of clothes beside his fiance.


    He was now fully dressed and had a very satisfied smile on his face, which made Iris blush.


    The blue-haired beauty had several kiss marks on her body. Fortunately, only the one on her neck could be seen by people, while the rest were hidden under her clothes.


    "Are you hungry, Eiko?" Iris asked the Baby Slime who was looking at the kiss mark on Iris'' neck.


    "Ma!" Eiko replied before using the skill Cure on Iris'' neck, erasing the mark that was left by her Papa.


    Lux scratched his head when he saw what the Baby Slime did, but he didn''t say a word and only smiled.


    He understood that Eiko didn''t want to see her Mama hurt, so she used her Cure ability in order to heal the small mark on Iris'' neck.


    "Good girl!" Iris said as she patted Eiko''s head, making the Baby Slime giggle. She then gave Lux a teasing smile, which made thetter shake his head helplessly.


    Ten minutester, Lux, Iris, and Eiko went to the Dining Area to have dinner with Alexander and Gerhart.


    This was thest night he would spend with his fiance and stepfather before he returned to Elysium with the green-haired Half-Elf, who had been entrusted to him by Maximilian.


    When they arrived at the dining room table, the Headmaster of the Barbatos Academy and the green-haired Half-Elf were having a serious discussion about the current state of affairs within the Six Kingdoms.


    "The Barbarian King ns to expand his territory once the medicine for the Purple gue starts mass production," Gerhart stated. "The other Kingdoms are nning to do the same. I don''t know if getting the cure for the gue was a good or bad thing, but the status quo of the Six Kingdoms will certainly break once they start their expansions."


    Alexander nodded. "Of course getting the medicine for the Purple gue is a good thing. At one point in time, the Six Kingdoms were forced to exterminate entire cities, towns, and viges, to prevent the gue from spreading.


    "Now, only those who venture too far from the borders have the possibility of getting infected by the disease. Land remation is a tedious thing, and it will allow the Six Kingdoms to focus on something else, rather than always scheming behind each other''s back."


    The Headmaster of Barbatos Academy smirked because he also nned to send his elite subordinates to carve out a piece of territory for their Academy after their Alchemists had finished producing enough pills to prevent those he sent from being infected by the Purple gue.


    "Father, are you nning to join the Six Kingdoms in expanding the Academy''s influence?" Iris asked as she sat beside her father.


    "Yes," Alexander replied. "If we move too slowly, it will be toote for us to get anything. Besides, I want to be the first one to reach Arcadia."


    Lux frowned after hearing what his Stepfather was nning to do.


    Arcadia was the former capital of a once prosperous Kingdom that had fallen after the Hundred Year War that razed the world.


    Barbatos Academy was an Academy where anyone from the Six Kingdoms coulde if they wanted to make their mark in Elysium.


    Since most Guilds in the Six Kingdoms had their own factions, they only handpicked the best, leaving the others behind. Those who were not chosen would go to Barbatos Academy to try their luck.


    These students were trained in various courses like Martial Arts, Sorcery, Craftsmanship, and other courses that would allow them to learn skills that they couldn''t learn from their respective Kingdoms.


    Truth be told, the majority of the students in Barbatos Academy weremoners.


    Simr to Nero, there were gems among them, and these teenage boys and girls were then recruited into the Serenity Guild, which had be one of the most influential Guilds in Sis and Elysium.


    Because of the danger of the Purple gue, the Six Kingdoms and other factions stayed put.


    Alexander also didn''t bother looking for a piece ofnd to extend their influence to because of the danger the gue brought.


    But this would change now that Maximilian developed the cure for the Purple gue. With the capital of a once thriving Kingdom for the taking, the Saint of Barbatos Academy wouldn''t sit by and watch others take Arcadia for themselves!


    "Father, do you n to be a King?" Lux asked as he sat beside Iris.


    Alexander shook his head. "I n to im Arcadia so that there will be a ce for our family to call our home. Also, this is for the sake of the future generations."


    The Headmaster of Barbatos Academy gave Lux a meaningful gaze, which made thetter nod his head in understanding.


    Although Alexander skirted around the subject, the Half-Elf understood that his stepfather was preparing to build a kingdom for his and Iris'' future children.


    Lux knew that he had no intention of bing a King, so ruling Arcadia didn''t interest him. Besides, Alexander was more fit to be a monarch since he specialized inmanding an entire organization like the Barbatos Academy.


    "When you leave for Elysium, make sure to be as lowkey as possible, so the Six Kingdoms, the Xynnar War Pact, and the Skystead Alliance will not be able to sniff you out. They are currently trying to find excuses in order to force you to return to the Sacred Dungeon right away and help them conquer thest remaining gate."


    Lux nodded. "Don''t worry, Father. I am very good at being lowkey. No matter what the Six Kingdoms, Xynnar War Pact, and the Skystead Alliance do, they will not be able to find me."


    Lux gave Alexander a meaningful smile. He wasn''t too worried about his actions in Elysium being discovered by others.


    He was certain that no matter how influential these factions were, they had no way to travel to the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, much less the floating ind of Karshvar Draconis.


    Seeing how confident Lux was, Alexander felt more assured that the Half-Elf would not be bothered by the three factions, who had been trying to contact him non-stop for the past few days.


    "By the way, did you give the Ore to Maximilian?" Alexander asked before making a gesture for the maids to serve the food on their table.


    Lux nodded. "I left it with Keane and asked him to only give it to Sir Maximilian two days after we left the Rowan Tribe. I''m afraid that Cai''s Grandpa would pester me for more if I personally gave it to him, so I decided to use a middleman to prevent future troubles from arising."


    The corner of Alexander''s lips slightly rose because he approved of Lux''s decision.


    If Maximilian knew that Lux had more Draconium Ore in his possession, the Saint of the Rowan Tribe might have prevented the Half-Elf from leaving, until he had emptied Lux''s pockets of the precious Ore that was enough to make cksmiths and Jewel Smiths go crazy due to how rare it was.

 Chapter 534 An Ugly Duckling [Part 1]

    "Y-You gotta be kidding me," Gerhart gave Lux a dumbfounded look before shifting his attention back to the row of words that had appeared in front of him.


    -----------


    < You are invited to join the guild Heaven''s Gate >


    < Do you ept? >


    < Yes / No >


    -----------


    Gerhart had been staying in the Rowan Tribe ever since he had sustained serious injuries in the Lionheart Tournament when he faced Enil.


    However, that didn''t mean that he was unaware of what was happening around him. He could still clearly recall the day when a worldwide announcement was made, stating that a Mythical Guild had been founded.


    Back then, he thought that a Saint, or some kind of Powerhouse, had discovered the secret for how to create a Guild that surpassed the highest tier guild, Adamantite.


    The words that had appeared in front of him were proof that all of his assumptions were wrong, shocking him to his very core.


    "Now I understand why Cai doesn''t want to leave your guild," Gerhart said as he epted the invitation to join Lux''s guild.


    Before he could even say anything else, several more rows of text appeared in front of him, which made him question his sanity.


    -----------


    < You have sessfully joined Heaven''s Gate >


    < You gained +1000 Free Stat Points. Please distribute them ording to your preferences.  >


    -----------


    < Active Guild Buffs >


    300% Health Regeneration


    300% Mana Regeneration


    300% Stamina Regeneration


    100% Chance to learn skills from Beast Cores


    100% Immunity to Charm Skill


    100% Increase in Experience Points when killing Monsters


    25% Chance of getting better Monster Drops


    25% Chance of resisting Status Ailments


    20% Increase in Physical and Magical Attacks


    20% Increase in Physical and Magical Defense


    20% Bonus Sess Rate in Crafting items


    -----------


    Gerhart rubbed his eye before shifting his gaze back to the rows of text in front of him. No matter how many times he rubbed his eye, the information didn''t change, which made him look at Lux in disbelief.


    "Is this a prank?" Gerhart asked because he was starting to doubt whether what he was seeing was real or not.


    Lux smiled upon seeing his fellow Half-Elf''s priceless reaction.


    "Does it feel like a prank?" Lux asked back. "Why don''t you open your Soul Book and see if those buffs are active or not?"


    Gerhart did as he was told and summoned his Soul Book. Half a minuteter, his body stiffened because the buffs he had read earlier were currently present on the Status Page of his Soul Book.


    When he regained hisposure, he looked at Lux with a solemn expression on his face.


    "Are you really the Guildmaster of Heavens'' Gate?"


    "Yes."


    Gerhard quieted down after hearing Lux''s answer as if he was digesting everything that he had witnessed during this short period of time.


    The green-haired Half-Elf was still reeling from the shock of actually meeting the Guildmaster of the one and only Mythical Guild in the world. This was something that he didn''t expect to happen after the Saint of the Rowan Tribe, Maximilian, had asked him to apany Lux in his travels.


    Before they left the Rowan Tribe, Lux had told him that following him was a very dangerous thing. At first, he thought that the red-headed teenager was just joking. However, after seeing one of the secrets that Lux was hiding, Gerhart finally understood that every word that Lux had said was true.


    If someone powerful were to discover that the Half-Elf in front of him was the Guildmaster of the Mythical Guild, Heaven''s Gate, who knows what kind of diabolical ns they would make in order to force Lux to submit to their will?


    "Thank you, and I promise that I will keep this secret safe," Gerhart vowed.


    "That is all I ask," Lux replied. "Now, are you ready to go?"


    Lux and Eiko had already bid their goodbyes to Iris, Alexander, and Alicia, and had left Barbatos Academy an hour ago.


    Currently, he and Gerhart were in a secluded clearing in the forest near the academy. Lux didn''t want to enter Elysium inside Barbatos Academy because many people had seen hime in.


    If they didn''t see hime out, he was worried that unnecessary rumors and problems might arise in the future.


    Because of this, he decided to openly leave the Academy.


    Even if there were spies that belonged to the Six Kingdoms that were paying close attention to his whereabouts, they would know that he was no longer inside the Academy and think that he might be on his way back to Wildgarde Stronghold.


    "Before we go to our Guild Headquarters, make sure to keep the location of our base a secret," Lux stated. "As you may already know, we can''t openly dere our organization to the world, or else we might find ourselves in a lot of trouble. The name of the Guild we currently use is Ars Goetia. If anyone asks you in the future, this is the answer that you will give them, okay?"


    Gerhart nodded. "Understood. I will tell them that I am a member of the Guild Ars Goetia."


    Lux gave Gerhart a brief nod before telling him the password that would allow him to teleport to their Guild Headquarters.


    In order to make things simple, as well as make an excuse for his ability to travel anywhere, Lux used the same words that Eriol told him whenever he activated the Ring of Arondight, which sent him to the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven.


    "Open! Heaven''s Gate!" Lux dered.


    Gerhart said the same, and a momentter, both of them turned into particles of light as they began their journey and teleported to their Guild Headquarters that was currently stationed in the Outer Reaches of Karshvar Draconis.


    ------------


    Outer Reaches, Karshvar Draconis...


    "Who are you girls, and what are you doing here?" Cethus asked the threedies who had suddenly appeared in front of the white, marble pce that served as Lux''s headquarters.


    "Our mistress here came to meet the owner of this ce," Ali said as she fearlessly looked at the Dragon Born, who stood at the entrance of Lux''s Guild Headquarters, preventing the threedies from barging inside without permission.


    "Meet the owner of this ce?" Cethus snorted. "Lux is currently not here, so all of you can scram."


    "What do you mean he''s not here?" Ari inquired. "Our mistress has traveled a long way just to meet him. It would be best if you get in touch with him as soon as you can before our Mistress gets angry."


    The corner of the Dragon Born''s lips twitched when he heard Ari''s words. He didn''t know whether he was talking to country bumpkins because they seemed to not recognize the uniform that he was wearing.


    As one of the Royal Guards that served directly under the Dragon King, his position was enough tomand a degree of awe and respect from the residents of Karshvar Draconis.


    However, the threedies who were standing in front of him didn''t seem to know his position and Rank.


    "Listen, Country Bumpkins," Cethus said in a firm and resolute tone.


    "This is not a ce for sightseeing. Go back to where you havee from and leave this ce at once. Otherwise, I will arrest you for obstructing my duty. Can''t you see my uniform? I am one of the Royal Guards of his Majesty. If you three know what''s good for you, you better behave yourselves and leave while I''m still being nice."


    Ali and Ari looked at Cethus with contempt.


    So what if you are a Royal Guard? Do you know who we are?


    Do you know who my mistress is?


    Even the Dragon King doesn''t dare to offend our youngdy, and you dare call us Country Bumpkins?


    Ali and Ari were very tempted to say these words to Cethus, but they held their tongues. They understood that their Princess was supposed to be traveling in secret.


    Taking this into consideration, they couldn''t possibly expose her identity, especially in front of one of the Royal Guards that served the Dragon King.


    While the two maids were contemting on what to do, Valerie, who was disguised as a in-looking youngdy, took a step forward and ced her two hands on her waist.


    "Listen here, Mr. Royal Guard," Valerie said. "I am the second princess of Karshvar Draconis, Princess Valerie. Imand you to step aside so that we can explore this marble castle."


    Cethus looked down at the in-looking girl for a few seconds before roaring inughter.


    "Girl, that was a good one!" Cethusughed. "Just who do you think I am? I am Cethus, one of the most trusted subordinates of the Dragon King. Do you really think I don''t know what Princess Valerie looks like? Do you think that our beautiful princess looks like an ugly duckling like you?"


    Ali and Ari gasped after hearing Cethus teasing words. Both of the maids looked at the Dragon Born as if they were looking at a pig about to be ughtered.


    Hiding above the clouds of the Outer Reaches, an olddy sighed after hearing Cethus'' words.


    "Isn''t that your grandson?" one of the High-Rankers standing beside the olddy asked in a teasing tone. "It seems that he had be bolder after bing one of the Royal Guards."


    The olddy sighed for the second time before summoning a walking stick in her hand.


    Just as she was nning to descend from her hiding ce to whack her stupid grandson, two beams of lightnded in front of the entrance of the white marble castle.


    When the light receded, Lux, Eiko, and Gerhart materialized in front of Cethus and the threedies, which caught thempletely by surprise.


    "Long time no see, Cethus," Lux said with a smile. "Did anything happen to my guild while I was away?"


    The in-looking girl, who was standing behind the two beautiful maids, looked at the red-headed teenager who had appeared out of nowhere.


    As if sensing her gaze, the Half-Elf turned to look in her direction and gave Valerie a casual smile before shifting his gaze back to the Dragon Born, who seemed to be in conflict with the threedies, who were currently standing at the entrance of his Guild Headquarters.


    This was how Valerie met Lux and also the beginning of the Half-Elf''s hardships in the floating Kingdom of Karshvar Draconis.

 Chapter 535 An Ugly Duckling [Part 2]

    "About time you return," Cethus scoffed after hearing Lux''s inquiry. "Aside from your Kobold friends mining underground, nothing else has happened while you are gone. Only today have we gotten some pesky country bumpkins who do not know their ce."


    Cethus gave Valerie, as well as her two handmaidens, a sidelong nce before turning his attention back to the Half-Elf, who had just returned from who knows where.


    "You really should fix that high and mighty attitude of yours, Cethus." Lux sighed. "One day, you will get into trouble for looking down on everyone."


    "That day will note." Cethus scoffed. "I am a member of the Royal Guard. Who dares to challenge the authority of the Dragon King?"


    Lux shook his head helplessly before looking at the three guests that he had not met before now.


    "I apologize if Cethus has been rude to the three of you," Lux said with a smile. "His mother identally dropped him when he was still an egg, so he''s a little whacked in the head."


    To his surprise, the in-looking girl giggled after hearing his words. She then looked at Cethus with a pitying look as if she finally understood why the Dragon Born didn''t look so smart.


    "Well, I''m sure his mother didn''t mean to drop him when he was still an egg, so I''ll be the bigger person and forgive him for his trespass against me," Valerie said with her arms crossed over his chest.


    Ali and Ari, who were beside her, immediately praised her for being an understanding and magnanimous person.


    Cethus, who was listening to the side, snapped and grabbed the Half-Elf''s shoulder, gripping it tightly.


    "Oi! Just who was dropped when he was an egg?" Cethus asked with a re as he increased the power of his grip.


    He knew that Lux was just an Apostle, so he was nning to teach the Half-Elf a lesson that he shouldn''t mess with a Dragon Born like him.


    However, to his surprise, Lux just arched an eyebrow as his shoulder was grabbed by Cethus, who had the intention of breaking his arm.


    Although it couldn''t be seen on the surface, red dragon scales covered part of Lux''s arm, preventing the Dragon Born from using his strength to break it.


    "Are you done?" Lux asked after a minute had passed. He then unceremoniously pried the Dragon Born''s hand from his arm, making Cethus look at him in disbelief.


    "You''re now an Initiate?" Cethus looked at the Half-Elf with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    Cethus couldn''t believe that the red-headed teenager who was weaker than him had suddenly risen to his Rank in a short period of time.


    The Dragon Born was only in the middle of the Initiate Rank, but his position as a Royal Guard allowed him to move unhindered anywhere in Karshvar Draconis. Even Rankers didn''t dare to challenge his authority because of who he represented.


    However, Lux was different. He was someone that the Crystal Dragon, Keoza, had recognized, allowing him to have full control of the Ind granted to him by the Dragon King.


    Cethus might be able to bully him when he was still weaker than him, but now, things would change.


    Lux was no longer an Apostle, but an Initiate who was on his way to bing a Ranker!


    After getting his fill from looking at Cethus'' shocked expression, the Half-Elf nced at his three guests and made a gesture for them to enter his castle.


    "Since the three of you are our first guests in my Guild Headquarters, allow me to offer you some refreshments," Lux said with a friendly smile.


    "Can we also tour the castle?" Valerie asked.


    "Sure," Lux replied, "but there is nothing much to see right now. The castle has just been built and it doesn''t have any decorations inside. The most we have are a few tables, chairs, and beds for the Kobolds that are currently staying inside our headquarters."


    Valerie was slightly disappointed because she thought that the interior of the marble castle was just as majestic as its exterior. Even so, she was still thankful that Lux agreed to her request to tour the interior of the castle.


    "It is I who havee here without any announcement, so I will just enjoy the experience," Valeriemented. "By the way, my name is Vale... Valencia. These twodies here are my handmaidens, Ali and Ari."


    Valerie didn''t want others to know her real name, so she decided to use an alias. Her reason for visiting the Outer Reaches was to meet the Half-Elf, whose notoriety had traveled all the way to the capital of Karhsvar Draconis, making her very curious about him.


    "Ali thanks you for epting our Mistress'' requests," Ali said as she gave Lux a brief bow.


    "On behalf of my Mistress, Ari thanks you for your hospitality," Ari stated as she also gave Lux a brief bow.


    Lux bowed back and introduced himself to his three guests, who hade all the way to tour his guild headquarters.


    "My name is Lux Von Kaizer, and I am the Guildmaster of Ars Goetia," Lux announced. "This cute Slime on top of my head is my daughter, Eiko, and the Half-Elf beside me is Gerhart. As for Cethus... well, you already know him, so let''s skip his introduction."


    Cethus, who was treated as an extra, red at the Half-Elf, but he no longer made any moves to apprehend him.


    Earlier, he had used almost his full strength to break Lux''s arm, but the Half-Elf didn''t even budge, making him feel that the Half-Elf''s strength might have even surpassed his.


    Lux then took a step forward and ced both of his hands over the main entrance of his castle and pushed it open.


    The giant doors made of marble made rumbling sounds, but they parted, weing their Master as he returned to manage his Guild.


    ---------


    Half an hourter...


    "Uh... this tea tastes nd," Valerieined after sipping the tea that Lux had made for her. "You''re not good at preparing tea, aren''t you?"


    "No," Lux admitted. "But, I am confident about the taste of these cookies."


    Lux offered the cookies that were made by Rose from the Rowan Tribe.


    Valerie picked one and took a bite. A secondter, a very satisfied expression appeared on her face as she continued to eat the cookie that was offered to her.


    "This is indeed good," Valerie said. "Can I have another?"


    "Of course."


    "Thank you."


    After offering the in-lookingdy another cookie, the Half-Elf took one and offered it to Eiko, who had crawled down onto his shoulder.


    Eiko happily munched the cookie, making Valerie look at the baby slime with great interest. Even Ali and Ari found this interaction between Lux and Eiko very endearing to their eyes.


    "Um, I''d like to confirm something. You said Eiko a Slime?" Valerie inquired as she continued to look at the Baby Slime, who was about to eat another cookie.


    "She is a Slime," Lux answered. "Is this your first time seeing one?"


    "Yes." Valerie nodded. "There are no Slimes in Karshvar Draconis. C-Can I touch her?"


    Lux nced at Eiko, and thetter nodded her head. Since the Baby Slime didn''t mind getting touched by Valerie, the Half-Elf decided to grant the in-looking girl''s wish.


    "Don''t squish her, okay?" Lux warned as she presented Eiko to Valerie. "She might attack if you squish her too much."


    "Okay," Valerie replied as she used her finger to lightly poke Eiko''s cheeks, making the baby slime giggle. "She''s so soft... and jiggly."


    A few minutester, Eiko sat on Valerie''sp, while the youngdy patted her head to her heart''s content.


    She had never seen a Slime before, but she had heard many things about them. ording to the book she read, they were one of the weakest creatures in existence and were most often killed by the youngnd dwellers as part of their training.


    Because of this, she didn''t think much about them.


    However, after Valerie saw how well-behaved Eiko was and how the baby slime giggled every time she lightly squeezed her cheeks, she wondered if she could also get a Baby Slime as a pet that was just as cute as Eiko.


    Cethus, who had also entered the castle alongside Lux, observed the Half-Elf from a distance away.


    He was dying to ask Lux how he had gotten stronger in a short period of time, but his pride wouldn''t allow it.


    ''I''ll pay closer attention to you now that you''re here,'' Cethus thought. ''If you really have a secret for how to be stronger in a short period of time, I must find a way to learn it as well.''


    Cethus was the weakest member of the Royal Guards.


    Truth be told, all the members of the Royal Guards were A-Rankers and above.


    The only reason why he became a Royal Guard was due to his grandma''s outstanding merit and loyalty to the Dragon King. If it weren''t for that, Cethus wouldn''t have received an exception to enter the ranks of the King''s personal guards.


    Although many of the members of the Royal Guard weren''t too thrilled with their King''s decision, they still reluctantly epted it because the Dragon Born''s grandmother was truly an outstanding individual.


    She was one of the SSS-Rankers of Karshvar Draconis and had stayed with the Dragon King even before he was crowned the King of all Dragonkind.


    Cethus was painfully aware that his position and influence were all because of his Grandma''s efforts, so he didn''t want to disappoint her.


    However, even after bing a member of the Royal Guard, Cethus'' Rank stagnated.


    No matter how much he trained, he was unable to aplish the missions that members of the Royal Guard should be able to do.


    Just like all organizations, the Royal Guards had a merit system in which they could use points to exchange resources from the Royal Treasury.


    Because of how tough the missions were, Cethus was unable to gain any points. He was too proud to beg his grandma for resources and didn''t dare to ask for pity from the Dragon King.


    This was why, when he was assigned to be Lux''s observer, the Dragon Born decided that he would do his best to aplish his task.


    After all, he thought that observing the Half-Elf and his Guild was a very easy thing to do, allowing him to finally gain the merit points he would need to increase his rank.


    But now, Cethus hadpletely forgotten the merit point system as he eyed the Half-Elf who was talking to the in-looking girl that he had called an Ugly Duckling a while ago.


    ''Whatever secret you are hiding, I will be sure to discover it,'' Cethus thought. ''That way, I can show those who look down upon me that even I can be strong if I put my mind to it!''


    A faint smile appeared on the Dragon Born''s lips, as he imagined a bright future waiting for him.


    He wasn''t aware that high above the skies of the Outer Reaches, the Old Lady who had summoned a walking stick earlier was looking down at him with a calm expression on her face.


    She had already put her walking stick away, but her hands weren''t empty.


    The Old Lady, who earned the nickname the Bloody Berserker during her younger years, was lightly tapping the palm of her hand with the sandal she was holding.


    Everyone in the army was quite familiar with this sandal because aside from the walking stick that she used, this was the tool that made many Dragons and Dragon Borns weep bitter tears.


    There was even a rumor going around in the army that when the Dragon King was still young, the olddy had used the sandal to give him a good beating, making thetter fearful of her.


    Naturally, these were just rumors and the Dragon King neither denied nor admitted that such a thing had happened in the past.


    The High-Rankers, who were standing by her side, felt pity for the Dragon Born, who still didn''t know the hardship that awaited him. They were sure that when Cethus discovered whom he just called an Ugly Duckling, he would definitely drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness.


    After all, Princess Valerie was the spoiled daughter of the Dragon King.


    If the Golden Dragon, who sat upon the Draconian Throne, knew of what the Dragon Born had said to his daughter, Cethus would definitely wish that he could turn back time, so he could be a little nicer to the in-lookingdy, who had the power to make the Dragon Born kiss his bright future goodbye.

 Chapter 536 The Brighter The Light, The Deeper The Shadow

    Vahan Empire��


    "Wee, Nero," Aron said as he greeted the teenage boy, who had traveled all the way from the territory of the Xynnar War Pact to the capital city of the Vahan Empire.


    "Your Excellency," Nero bowed respectfully to Emperor Andreas'' right-hand man, who had invited him to be a member of their faction.


    Aron rested his hands on Nero''s shoulders as he looked at the tool he would use to increase the chances of their sess in clearing the Gate of Famine.


    "I''m sure you are tired from your journey," Aron said before making a gesture for Nero to follow him. "We have prepared the best amodations for you. Don''t worry. Leaving the Wildgarde Stronghold was the best decision you had made. Staying there would have only hindered your growth."


    Nero didn''t reply and simply followed behind the High-Ranker, who thought that he had acquired a convenient tool that he could boss around.


    The Wildgarde Stronghold had been kind to him, and if he was left with no other choice, he wouldn''t have gone here. But since he was already in the Vahan Empire, he would just use whatever means necessary to achieve his own goal during his stay.


    Aron was confident that he already had Nero in the palm of his hand.


    Since the brown-haired teenager had nowhere else to go and had even given up his position as the Guildmaster of the Storm Dragon''s Guild, there was no one else in the world that he could lean on aside from the Vahan Empire, who also led the Skystead Alliance.


    "Today, you should just rest," Aron said as he stopped in front of Nero''s Quarters, which was located inside the Royal Pce. "Tomorrow, you will meet Malcolm and the others. All of you will train together in preparation for the conquest of the Gate of Famine. I expect great things from you Nero. Don''t let me down."


    Nero bowed respectfully before giving his reply. "I will do my best, Your Excellency."


    "Good." Aron nodded in satisfaction. "I''ll have someone to fetch you tomorrow. Once again, wee to the Vahan Empire!"


    The High Ranker patted Nero''s back before walking away to meet with Emperor Andreas.


    Nero watched Aron go with a calm expression. However, his real emotions could be seen in the depths of his eyes, and none of them had the word "submission" written on them.


    ''Lux, it seems that the world is about to be your enemy,'' Nero mused before turning to open the door of his room. ''I wonder how you will be able to get out of this trap that the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact are nning behind your back.''


    Nero had already let go of his grudge against the Half-Elf, but that didn''t mean that he thought kindly of his rival.


    This time around, Nero only nned to be a spectator in order to watch how Lux would prevail against thebined efforts of the factions who were making their moves in the shadows.


    Nero opened the window of his room, and looked at the city in the distance. Now that he was in a new ce, he would have to learn the unwritten rules of the Vahan Empire, which would allow him to achieve his own goals.


    ''Perhaps, nothing will happen when we enter the Gate of Famine,'' Nero thought as he admired the scenery in front of him. ''But the fifth and final gate will surely be different.''


    Nero could still remember the words of the silver-haired man when he helped him ovee the Abyssal Corruption that was tearing his body and soul apart.


    "I am sealed in the Gate of the Apocalypse," the silver-haired man once said to Nero. "Free me, and I will grant you one wish."


    During that time, Nero''s only goal was to defeat Lux using the powers that had been bestowed upon him by the silver-haired man.


    Now that the Seed of the Abyss was no longer in his heart, he was now able to think properly and understand what kind of creature the silver-haired man was.


    "A High-Ranking Noble from the Abyss," Nero muttered. "I''d better think of a good excuse that would let me avoid entering the Gate of the Apocalypse. I have a feeling that meeting that silver-haired man again will not be a good thing."


    The devil-like man that Nero met in the Gate of Conquest was just an avatar. Judging by the strength he possessed during that time, the brown-haired teenager was certain that the High-Ranking Abyssal Noble''s true body was a High-Ranker.


    If that was the case, there was no way that mere Initiates would be able to deal with him once the Gate of the Apocalypse opened.


    ''Even if I be a Ranker, there is still no chance of winning against that person.'' Nero''s gaze hardened as the thought of meeting the silver-haired man again surfaced inside his head.


    Truth be told, Nero was thankful that the Seed of the Abyss was taken away from him.


    When the silver-haired man helped him stabilize his condition, the High-Ranking Abyssal Noble also left a spell inside his body, allowing him to control Nero remotely.


    As a proud person, Nero didn''t want others to treat him as cannon fodder, controlling his fate. Now that he was free from the hold of the devil, he didn''t want to be controlled a second time.


    Unlike Nero, the other factions thought that the appearance of the silver-haired man was just a one-time thing.


    The only thing that was on their minds was finding ways to effectively gather the resources inside the Domain of the Fallen and use those resources to strengthen their own Kingdoms.


    Watching the entire world off Elysium from the Heavens, the God of Games sighed.


    "The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow," Eriol said softly.


    "It is not the Beasts that prowl thends of Elysium or the Abyssal Creatures that came from the void that has pushed the world to the brink of ruin. It is the insatiable greed in each person''s heart that strips this world of its future. Max�� I hope you wake up soon. Your chosen candidate is treading in dangerous waters."


    The God of Games could only observe the world from the Heavens and keep his intervention to the bare minimum. Right now, their chosen candidate, Lux, was still not strong enough to face the true Powerhouses of the world.


    And yet, just like a moth to a me, the Half-Elf was flying dangerously near the center of an inferno.


    An Inferno that would annihte everything it touched.

 Chapter 537 Don’t Worry, Thats Just Fake News

    "This is the Smithy."


    "This is the Alchemy Shop."


    "This is the Bestiary."


    "This is��"


    Lux took Valerie and her two maids around to explore the entirety of his Guild Headquarters. Originally, he thought that his first three guests wouldn''t enjoy his guided tour. But, to his surprise, Valerie seemed to be genuinely satisfied with everything she saw.


    ''The Game-Shin Impact Merchant Guild''s meticulous designs paid off,'' Lux thought with a smile. He was truly lucky he hired them to build his Guild Headquarters.


    Although his castle didn''t have many furnishings, the walls were filled with carved out designs, making it an artistic marvel.


    Several beasts like Gryphons, Dragons, Hippogriffs, Wyverns, and other creatures both known and unknown to the Half-Elf were etched along the walls.


    The Main Guild Hall, which also served as the throne room, was located in the center of the castle. Inside it, a life-like Crystal Dragon painting with its wings spread wide could be seen behind the marble throne, overlooking anyone who faced the throne.


    Lux had requested Bentley to add this touch to the throne room as a tribute to Keoza. If it weren''t for the Dragon Token given to him by the Crystal Dragon, the Half-Elf wouldn''t have been able to found a Mythical Guild, much less step foot in the Legendary Kingdom of Karshvar Draconis.


    Valerie liked the design very much. Even Ali and Ari sang praises of it because of how magnificent it was.


    "My father told me that long ago, there was a Crystal Dragon who was supposed to be the next King of all Dragonkind," Valerie said in a respectful tone. "I can''t remember his full name, but I know his shortened name, and it was Keoza.


    "Long ago, the nations of the world were embroiled in a war. However, these wars came to an abrupt end when the creatures from the Void attacked. Only the Dragon King, who was the strongest creature in the world could stop their advance, but when the world needed him the most, he vanished.


    "A hundred years of fighting ensued, and during that time, the Dragons decided that it was time to elect a new Dragon King to help turn the tide of battle for the Elysians. But, just like the first Dragon King, Keoza vanished when the world needed him the most.


    "My father, who was next in line for session, performed the Dragon King''s Ceremony and gained the power of Supreme. He then helped the other races push the creatures of the Void back to where they came from, and thus, an uneasy peace befell the nations of the world."


    Valerie then looked in Lux''s direction with a faint smile.


    "Tell me, is the Crystal Dragon painted on that wall the same Dragon that I spoke of?" Valerie asked. "Or is it just a whim on your part?"


    When Lux was about to give her an answer, a firm, and authoritative voice echoed inside his head.


    ''Don''t tell her.''


    Three words. It was just three words, but the weight it carried influenced Lux into changing the answer he was originally about to say.


    "After I became an Apostle, I came across a very dangerous Dungeon," Lux said as he looked at the giant painting of the Crystal Dragon behind his throne. "The name of that Dungeon was the Grotto of the Forbidden Guardian. It was a very dangerous Dungeon, and inside it, I met a Crystal Dragon. That same dragon is the one you see here today."


    Valerie nodded her head in understanding as she gazed at the Crystal Dragon with a smile.


    "What kind of Dragon was it? Is it male or female?"


    "Male."


    "What was he like?"


    Valerie was genuinely curious about what kind of Crystal Dragon Lux had met when he was still an Apostle.


    "Well, for starters, he was a very sociable Dragon," Lux replied after organizing his thoughts. "It seemed he had been alone for such a very long time, because when he appeared in front of us, the first thing he did was initiate a conversation instead of attacking us."


    Lux then narrated the tale on how he fought against the Draconian Kobold, Cadmus along with the monster''s brethren when he was inside that Dungeon. He added that as a reward, the Crystal Dragon gave him the Dragon Token, which allowed him to appear in Karshvar Draconis to build his Guild Headquarters.


    "Amazing!" Valerie looked at Lux with sparkling eyes. "You met a Fairy God Dragon!"


    "A Fairy what?" Lux blinked in confusion.


    "A Fairy God Dragon!" Valerie repeated. "You know, the Dragon that turns a pumpkin into a carriage and mice into horses. Although I haven''t seen any horses in my life, some Dragons said that they taste good! I want to eat one someday!"


    Lux chuckled after hearing Valerie''s reply. He didn''t know if a Fairy God Dragon really existed, but one thing was for sure��Keoza wasn''t the one that Valerie was referring to.


    ''I''d better not add any horses to my Bestiary,'' Lux thought. ''If the Dragons see them, they might think that I''m raising them to be their snack.''


    A whileter, Valerie looked at the Half-Elf with a serious expression on her face once more.


    "Some say that Half-Elves eat dragons," Valerie stated. "Is this true?"


    "No," Lux answered in a heartbeat. "If there is a Half-Elf that can eat a Dragon, they must have balls of steel."


    Valerie sighed after hearing Lux''s reply.


    "Good!" Valerie said. "You know, I was really worried when I came here. I thought that when you saw me, you were going to take a bite of my chest or something."


    Lux''s gaze subconsciouslynded on Valerie''s chest, which was bigger than Iris'' and Cai''s. Although he wasn''t thinking of doing such a thing, now that the in-looking girl mentioned it, he couldn''t help but look at her "bountiful chest" that any man would love to take a bite of, even if they weren''t Half-Elves.


    "Don''t worry, that''s just fake news," Lux replied as he forcefully tore his gaze away from Valerie''s assets and looked at her in-looking face. "I don''t randomly bite the chest of strangers."


    Valerie''s eyes widened in shock after hearing Lux''s reply.


    "D-Does that mean that you bite the chest of people that you know?!" Valerie immediately took four steps back to distance herself away from the handsome Half-Elf, whose gaze had lingered on her chest for a brief moment. "You n to bite my chest too now that we are acquainted?!"


    Ali and Ari immediately stood in front of Valerie with their arms crossed over their chests.


    "I will not allow you to bite our mistress'' chest," Ali dered. "You will have to bite ours first!"


    "I know that this is just a misunderstanding, but since it sounds fun, I''ll y along!" Ari stated, making Lux almost choke on his saliva.


    Gerhart, who had been following Lux since they arrived in the Outer Reaches, decided to walk away.


    Now that Lux had finished guiding him around, he decided to check the entirety of the floating ind, leaving the Half-Elf to deal with his guests, whom he felt nned to stay in their Guild Headquarters for a day or two.

 Chapter 538 The Whereabouts Of A Transcendent Flame

    Just past midnight in the Outer Reaches��


    Lux went to talk to the Kobolds, who were currently digging a series of undergroundworks just below his Guild Headquarters.


    When the Half-Elf got over a thousand Draconium Ores from the mountain range that belonged to him, he knew instantly that he would find other resources within his territory.


    Since the Kobolds were part of his guild and they were the perfect race for the job, they had permission to do what they''ve always wanted while collecting treasures at the same time.


    "Guildmaster, you were right," Cadmus'' second inmand, Walter, said with a smile. "We discovered a few things that will definitely make you happy."


    Seeing how happy the Kobold was, Lux''s interest was piqued. He then followed Walter to the Central Cavern that they had designated as the treasury, where they would ce the things they had found underground.


    As soon as Lux entered the cavern, he saw countless Draconium Ores gathered together which made him gulp subconsciously. However, aside from the precious metal, the Kobolds also found other rare metals, which they had ced to the side of the small hill of Draconium Ore.


    "What metal is this?" Lux asked as he picked up the pitch-ck metal that was simr to an obsidian gemstone.


    "Actually, we were also surprised to see this metal here in the mountains," Walter replied with aplicated look on his face.


    "The name of this metal is Aenarium. It is a mutated form of Tungsten. Although Tungsten is a very strong metal, no sane cksmith will use it to create weapons and armors because it is also very brittle. It shatters upon impact, so it is not advisable to use it as it is."


    Lux tilted his head in confusion. "Wait. You just said that Tungsten is a strong metal, but it shatters upon impact? How can a metal be strong and be brittle at the same time?"


    Walter looked at Lux as if he was looking at an idiot. For Kobolds, it was perfectly normal for them to understand what metal was strong and what was not.


    But after realizing that their Guildmaster really didn''t know anything about metals, the Kobold decided to give the Half-Elf a crash course on how Tungsten was strong and brittle at the same time.


    After the Kobold''s exnation, the Half-Elf still didn''t understand about half what the Kobold was saying, but it was enough to tell him that Tungsten wouldn''t be of much use to their guild for the time being.


    "Guildmaster, I think you have a big misunderstanding here," Waltermented when he saw the disappointed look on the Half-Elf''s face. "I said that Tungsten alone is not a strong metal, but that metal has mutated into Aenarium. This metal can only be formed when Tungsten is exposed to Dragon''s Blood for a very long period of time��I am talking about decades long


    "Simply put, all of the Tungsten''s weaknesses are erased the moment it bes Aenarium. Although this metal is not as strong as Adamantite, it is strong enough to be forged into armor for our Guild Members. But there is one problem."


    Lux crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for Walter to finish his words. He was very curious about what the problem was, and if it could be fixed, then they would definitely be able to create a strong set of armor for his current Guild Members.


    "Aenarium has a simrity with Draconium Ores," Walter stated. "They cannot be forged under regr mes. Only Transcendent mes can mold them."


    Lux sighed after Walter finished his exnation.


    Transcendent mes were the mes that cksmiths and Jewelsmiths sought after because it was one of the requirements that allowed them to forge Legendary Equipment and above.


    The reason why his Master, Randolph, could only create Mythical Ranked Equipment, was not only due to hisck of skill, but also because he didn''t possess a Transcendent me.


    cksmiths and Jewelsmiths gained a lot of experience through forging things using rare metals that couldn''t be molded using ordinary mes. They needed something stronger that would allow them tobine the strongest and rarest of metals.


    Even Adamantite Equipment could only be forged by possessors of Transcendent mes.


    While a cksmith without a Transcendent me could reach the Grandmaster Rank, they would not be Transcendent cksmiths without the me that everyone in their profession wanted so badly.


    "Do you know where I can find a Transcendent me?" Lux inquired. He hoped that the Kobold would be able to tell him what he could go in order to get these mes that his Master needed.


    Walter shook his head. "I''m sorry, but I do not know where these mes are located. All I know is that these mes typically materialize in ces that are dense in magical or spiritual energy. ording to the books I read in the past, there is a Transcendent Miasma me that was born when an entire Kingdom was covered in Miasma.


    "As to whether this information is based on actual facts or merely hearsay, I cannot say for certain. You can even think of finding one as a fortuitous encounter, which is a miracle in itself."


    Lux scratched his head as he looked at the pile of Draconium Ore, as well as Aenarium in front of him. Without a Transcendent me, they were just precious metals that they could sell for a high price, but couldn''t be used for their own purposes.


    Just as the Half-Elf was feeling down due to his inability to use the resources in front of him, a familiar voice spoke inside his mind.


    ''If it is a Transcendent me, I might be able to know where to find one.''


    The Dragon Token, which was glowing faintly, floated beside the Half-Elf as Keoza''s voice spoke inside his head.


    ''Hundreds of years ago, when I was still roaming the World, I happened toe across a small Transcendent Spark," Keoza stated. "These small sparks are the makings of a Transcendent me that is about to be born. Back then, I knew that it would take at least a decade more before the me came into being.


    "It has been nearly a hundred years since then. I don''t know if the spark has grown or disappearedpletely as time has gone on. It is also highly possible that someone has found it and used its powers for themself."


    The Half-Elf felt hopeful because this was the only lead he currently had. As long as he was able to secure the Transcendent me for Randolph, he would definitely make a breakthrough in his profession, which would allow him to reach greater heights.


    "Where can I find the spark that you speak of?" Lux asked as he held the Dragon Token firmly in his hands.


    "It is in a ce called Dinas Affaraon," Keoza replied. "It is a sacred ce to the Druids of Affaraon and is often called the City of Higher Powers. If my memory serves me right�� it is in the Northern Regions of the Wanid Kingdom, which is jointly ruled by the Mountain Folk and the Forest Keepers.


    "This Kingdom is located on the Western Borders of the Kingdom of Gweliven. If you''re lucky, that spark has already turned into a Transcendent me and is still out there somewhere. If you''re unlucky�� well, at least you tried."


    The Dragon Token then lost its radiance and returned to its dormant state. Keoza had already done what he could, and the rest was up to Lux to figure out.


    ''I guess that settles it,'' Lux thought. ''Within two months, I need to find the Transcendent mes before I return to the Domain of the Fallen.''


    Lux wanted to make full preparations before facing the Gate of Famine. He didn''t know what kind of dangers he would face inside it, so he wanted to equip his subordinates to the teeth, and allow them to perform better the next time he entered the Sacred Dungeon.


    He could only summon Keoza onest time and, if possible, he didn''t want to use his ultimate Trump Card. This was why getting the Transcendent me was a must if Lux wanted to make his Undead Army a true force to be reckoned with.


    Just like Nero, the Half-Elf had a feeling that he hadn''t seen thest of the silver-haired man that had corrupted the brown-haired teenager and used him as a pawn to tilt the war to favor the Ammarian Kingdom.


    With such an unknown variable, which may or may not appear at any given time during the Dungeon Exploration, Lux knew that he needed all the help he could get in order toe out victorious.

 Chapter 539 All Of You Are Delusional Creatures

    "Delicious!" Lux said as he ate the food that Ali and Ari prepared. "You two are amazing."


    "I know, right?!" Valerie puffed her chest up as if she was the one who prepared the soup that they were currently eating for breakfast.


    For her, Ali''s and Ari''s achievements were also her achievements since the two of them were her handmaidens.


    "This soup is really good!" one of the Kobolds eximed as he happily drank the bowl of soup. "And the bread--it''s so soft! I''ve never eaten bread this soft before!"


    "Indeed! This is the best breakfast I''ve eaten in my life!"


    "I wish someone in the Kobold''s Nest would specialize in cooking. Eating grilled food everyday is getting boring."


    The Kobolds praised Ali and Ari, which made the two handmaidens smile from ear to ear. They had prepared arge pot of soup for everyone, so there was more than enough to go around.


    Even Gerhart, who had eaten many delicious things in the Rowan Tribe, agreed that the soup was indeed quite delicious. Perhaps the two handmaidens had used high-quality ingredients in order to bring out such a rich and yummy vor that suited his taste perfectly.


    After the sumptuous breakfast ended, all the Kobolds returned underground to resume working on their duties. Since Lux was nning to look for a Transcendent me, they decided to keep looking for rare ores and metals underground in order to prepare for the future.


    "Cethus, I''ll be leaving the Outer Reaches again," Lux stated. "Keep watch on my Guild Headquarters for me."


    The Dragon Born, who had just finished his meal, narrowed his eyes at the Half-Elf who was nning to leave again after staying for only a day.


    "I''m not here to watch your Guild Headquarters all day," Cethus replied. "The Dragon King has ordered me to watch over you--not your Guild."


    "Even if you say that, you can''te with me," Lux shook his head. "The ce I am going to go to is very far from Karshvar Draconis. If you wander off on your own, the possibility of you not being able to return here is very high."


    "Nonsense! Do you think I am a child that will easily get lost? I''m going with you and that''s final!"


    "..."


    The Half-Elf looked at the determined Dragon Born with a frown. It was not like he couldn''t bring Cethus with him to the Kingdom of Gweliven. As long as the Dragon Born was in his party, he could take him to the Dwarven Kingdom without any problems.


    That was how he brought Cai and Keane to Leaf Vige, but taking Cethus wasn''t the problem.


    The true problem was that he didn''t have any obligation or reason to bring the Dragon Born with him in the first ce.


    "If you don''t bring me with you, I will vandalize your Guild Headquarters!" Cethus stated.


    "... Are you a kid?" Lux sighed. "If you really vandalize this ce, I willin to the Dragon King and have you reced."


    Cethus was about to say more, but after hearing Lux''s words, the retort he was about to say became stuck in his throat. Even so, he wanted to go with Lux because he had a feeling that when the Half-Elf returned to the Outer Reaches, he would be stronger than he was now.


    The Dragon Born wanted to know how the Half-Elf increased his rank so fast, and for this reason, he wanted to apany him to raise his rank as well.


    "Don''t even try to sneak away without me." Cethus red. "I will make you regret it!"


    The Half-Elf crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at the Dragon Born from head to toe.


    Cethus was an Intermediate Ranked Initiate, so his fighting ability was decent.


    Lux was only at the Initial Stages of the Initiate Rank. If he waspared to Cethus on Rank alone, the Dragon Born was stronger than him. At least, that was true when it came to theirbined stats.


    However, if the two were to fight, the Half-Elf could wipe the floor with the Dragon Born''s face due to how disgusting he was in one-on-one battles.


    The reason? Necromancers don''t do one-on-one battles!


    "Bring him along," Gerhart, who was listening to the conversation at the sidemented. "I''m also curious to know how strong a Dragon Born is."


    The green-haired Half-Elf never thought that Lux would be bringing him to the Floating Kingdom of the Dragon Race. A day ago, he was shocked at this discovery, but now, he hade to terms with it.


    Lux had warned him to not offend the citizens of Karshvar Draconis because it might causeplicationster on. Gerhart knew that he still didn''t know the rules of the Dragon Race, so he decided to obey Lux''s orders.


    But, he was also very curious. He wanted to know how strong Dragon Borns were. He had heard about the Dragons, but the Dragon Borns was a new knowledge to him.


    Because of this, he wanted to gauge the difference in strength between him and Cethus.


    Cethus snorted and gave the green-haired Half-Elf a side-long nce.


    "You might be an Initiate like me, but the difference between a filthy mongrel and a Dragon Born is like Heaven and Earth." Cethus sneered. "This is why I dislike those thate from the Lower Realm. All of you are delusional creatures."


    Gerhart shrugged because he didn''t take Cethus'' words to heart. He didn''t believe that the Dragon Born would walk away unscathed if the two of them fought a life and death battle.


    It was at that moment when an idea popped up inside the Half-Elf''s head, which made himugh internally.


    For him, this was a good opportunity to bring Cethus'' arrogance down a peg, and it would also allow him to see what the Dragon Born was capable of.


    Since Cethus wanted to go with him so badly, then he would give a condition. And if the Dragon Born couldn''t meet the condition, then he won''t let Cethus go with him.


    "Cethus, you want to go with me, right?" Lux shed the Dragon Born a devilish smile, which made thetter feel that something wasn''t right.


    "Yes," Cethus replied despite the weird feeling he was getting from the Half-Elf.


    "Perfect! Since that is the case, how about you fight me?" Lux answered. "I am a Necromancer, and you are a Dragon Born. I only take strong individuals with me on my journey. If you can beat me then I will allow you to apany me, deal?"


    The Dragon Born narrowed his eyes after hearing Lux''s proposal. Truth be told, he also wanted to fight the Half-Elf to teach him a lesson.


    ''This is a good opportunity to make Lux more obedient to me.'' Cethus chuckled internally.


    ''This is a good opportunity to make Cethus obedient to me,'' Luxughed in his heart.


    The Half-Elf and the Dragon Born chuckled as they looked at each other, which made Valerie stare at the two of them as if they had a few screws loose in their heads.


    Gerhart, who heard Lux''s proposal, found this a very good opportunity to gauge Lux''s strength as well.


    He had suffered grievous injuries during the Lionheart Tournament and had to escape to the Rowan Tribe to recuperate.


    The green-haired Half-Elf heard a few weekster that a fellow Half-Elf had won the tournament, which made him very interested in Lux.


    Now that an opportunity had presented itself to the green-haired Half-Elf, he wouldn''t let it go. It wasn''t easy for him to personally witness his Guild Leader''s strength, so he would definitely watch Lux''s and Cethus'' battle without fail.

 Chapter 540 A Very Disgusting Necromancer [Part 1]

    "Let''s fight at the base of the mountain," Lux said.


    "Sure," Cethus replied. "Don''t regret challenging me after I beat you up, okay?"


    "Hahaha. I hope you bought life insurance," Lux stated. "I might identally kill you."


    "Kukuku, You''re funny Half-Elf."


    "I''d like to see if you will be able tough after our battle, Cethus."


    The two sneered at each other because both of them were confident in their own strength. Clearly, neither of them believed that their opponent had a chance of winning against them.


    ��---------


    Ten minutester��


    Lux and Cethus stared at each other as they prepared for their duel.


    They were a hundred meters away from each other, and Gerhart, whom they decided to be the judge of their battle, was at a safe distance.


    Eiko was currently sitting on Valerie''sp. The in-lookingdy and her two handmaidens had also decided to watch the battle.


    Truth be told, they didn''t believe that Lux could win against Cethus.


    Why? The reason was simple.


    It was because Cethus was a Dragon Born.


    Those who lived in the Floating Kingdom of Karshvar Draconis had an unwavering belief that they were a blessed race.


    They believed that the Gods had blessed them with the power to ensure the safety of the world, which allowed them to build a Floating Kingdom that looked down upon the Lower Realm from the sky.


    This was the mentality of the Dragons and Dragon Borns, who had never stepped foot outside Karshvar Draconis.


    Only the Dragons who liked to roam the world understood that the world was a big ce, and there were many powerful individuals that could threaten their existence.


    "Don''t worry, Lux," Cethus said. "I''ll take it easy on you."


    "Thank you?" Lux chuckled as he made ae-and-get-me gesture to the Dragon Born who was looking down on him.


    Not far away, Valerie lightly patted Eiko''s head as she asked the Baby Slime a question.


    "Eiko, who do you think will win?" Valerie asked.


    "Pa!" Eiko answered in a heartbeat.


    "Are you sure about that?"


    "Un!"


    Valerie smiled faintly because she could understand why Eiko would naturally be on her Papa''s side. She was just worried that the Baby Slime would be devastated once she saw her Papa get beaten up by Cethus.


    "Ali, Ari, make sure to stop the match if Cethus goes too far," Valerie ordered. "Dragon Borns shouldn''t bully those from the Lower Realm."


    "Yes, Mistress," Ali replied.


    "If the Dragon Born goes too far, I will definitely stop him, Mistress," Ari stated.


    The threedies were not aware that high above the clouds, hundreds of Rankers were also making bets on who would win the duel between Lux and Cethus.


    "Who do you think will win?" one of the High-Rankers asked the Old Lady, who was looking down on the twobatants, in a volume that only the olddy could hear.


    "The Half-Elf," the Old Lady replied.


    "Right," the High-Ranker replied. "Aren''t you worried for your grandson?"


    "No, actually. This is a good thing." The Old Lady smiled. "Cethus hasn''t gone to the Lower Realms, and his biased opinion about Dragon Borns needs to be corrected. Who knows? This lesson might save his life in the future. Also, this is a good opportunity for the new recruits to realize that even if we live above the Lower Realm, that doesn''t mean that we are superior to them."


    The High Ranker nodded. "Indeed. It will also be a good wake-up call for our own troops."


    The High-Ranker nced at the Dragon Borns who had apanied them to keep watch over their Princess'' escapades. Just like Cethus, they also had a biased opinion of their race, which made them look down on those who lived on thends below their kingdom.


    ''I wonder how they will react once they see the oue of this battle,'' the High Ranker thought.


    As someone who had fought many life and death battles, he could tell at a nce if someone was proficient in fighting.


    People who just trained and sparred with others wouldn''t understand the battle experience that could be gained when fighting with your life on the line. This was what separated beginners from veterans, and the Half-Elf that was about to fight Cethus had seen his share of fights that surpassed his current level of strength.


    "Ready!" Gerhart shouted as he raised his hand to signal the start of the battle. "Fight!"


    As soon as Gerhart gave the signal to fight, Cethus immediately pped his wings and flew up in the air.


    Dragon Borns were proficient in both closebat and ranged battles. However, since they could fly, the majority of them focused on using long-range attacks to decimate their opponents by using their air superiority.


    Those who specialized in closebat would find themselves at a great disadvantage against flying creatures because they were simply out of their strike range.


    However, Lux was different.


    He wasn''t just a closebat fighter, he was also a Necromancer.


    A very disgusting Necromancer.


    Lux raised his right hand as he stared at the Dragon Born in the sky with a sneer.


    "Arise!" Lux ordered.


    A momentter, his named Creatures, the members of his Covenants, as well as the hundreds of Undead under hismand materialized around him.


    Cethus was unperturbed as he opened his mouth to use his Dragon''s Breath.


    ''So what if you have many Undead under yourmand?'' Cethus thought as the zing mes gathered in front of his lips. ''All I need to do is st them all to ashes!''


    However, just as the Dragon Born was about to unleash the signature move of Dragons and Dragon Borns alike, a booming and powerful voice reached his ears.


    "Duel [EX]!" Orion roared as he pointed his finger at Cethus, locking him in ce.


    The Dragon Born immediately felt that something was wrong as the power he was gathering disappeared without a trace.


    A secondter, he found his body being pulled down from the sky, which made him panic.


    Pazuzu took a step forward and raised his spiked mace with a sneer on his face.


    The Skeleton Gang Bangers gathered beside him as they eyed the Dragon Born, who was desperately trying to resist the powerful taunt ability that would give Cethus nightmares.


    Asmodeus and Lazarus chuckled because they already knew what wasing next.


    "It''s Gang Bang Time!" Pazuzu shouted, and all the Skeleton Gang Bangers raised their swords and cheered.


    """HA-OOH!"""


    """HA-OOH!"""


    """HA-OOH!"""


    Nothing could have prepared Valerie, Gerhart, Ali, Ari, the Rankers, the High-Rankers, as well as Cethus'' Grandmother for the scene that they would witness that day.


    It was the day they came to understand that the Half-Elf, who had built his Guild Headquarters in the Outer Reaches, was someone that they shouldn''t provoke lightly.

 Chapter 541 A Very Disgusting Necromancer [Part 2]

    The proud Dragon Born was pulled down from the sky when Orion activated his Taunt Skill.


    When Cethus came within the strike range of the Lazarus, Zagan, Asmodeus, and the Skeleton Mages, he found himself being bombarded by spells and other magical attacks that made him curse internally.


    As an Initiate, and a member of the Royal Guard, it was only natural for him to have some abilities that would counter such devastating attacks.


    Before the spells could evennd on Cethus'' body, a golden barrier appeared in front of him, blocking the sudden bombardment that came in his direction. However, a few secondster, several cracks appeared in the barrier, making the Dragon Born''s face turn pale from fright.


    Suddenly, Cethus heard a humming sound. His enhanced senses allowed him to discover where the sound wasing from, and this discovery made him clench his teeth as he prepared to withstand four rotating silver des that were flying in his direction.


    "Impaler''s Wrath!" Revon shouted as hemanded four of the eight des that hovered behind him to shatter the barrier that was protecting the Dragon Born from their one-sided barrage.


    The moment the four des hit the barrier, the sound of crystal sses breaking reverberated in the surroundings.


    A secondter, several magical attacks, and spells, collided with Cethus'' body making him shout in pain.


    "Damn you!" Cethus roared. He then flew towards the Jade Golem with all of his might with the intention of shattering it to pieces.


    The only thing he could do right now was endure Lux''s attacks, because there was nothing he could do about it. However, when he saw the Half-Elf open his mouth, the Dragon Born knew that he was about to get f*cked.


    "Dragon''s Breath!"


    Lux unleashed the signature move of the Dragons and the Dragon Borns, making everyone that was watching the battle gasp in shock.


    "I-Impossible!" Valerie gasped in shock. "J-Just how?!"


    She wasn''t the only one who reacted this way. Ali, Ari, the Rankers, the High-Rankers, and even Cethus'' grandmother were all shocked by the Half-Elf''s powerful attack.


    The zing mes engulfed Cethus, and pushed him away from Orion, whose right hand was now glowing golden.


    After being pushed nearly two hundred meters away from the Jade Golem, an explosion happened, which sent the Dragon Born crashing towards the ground.


    Everything happened so fast that Cethus couldn''t understand what had happened to him just now.


    Unfortunately for him, Lux had no intention of giving him a breather. Before he could evennd on the ground, Ishtar materialized mid-air and gave the Dragon Born a powerful kick, sending him flying in Lux''s direction.


    "My turn!" Lazarus blinked in front of Cethus and activated his magic attack at pointa�"nk-range.


    "Cone of Cold!"


    The Great me Skull sprayed a cone of ice and snow at the pitiful Dragon Born, making thetter''s blood turn cold.


    The attack had made Cethus'' entire body rigid, as he received Lazarus'' passive ability, Cold mes. Any attack that the Great me Skull made was imbued by this power, which was simr to Diablo''s Ethereal ability.


    Lazarus didn''t linger long and blinked away because he had already done his part. There were still others who wanted to have their turn, and they were eagerly waiting to have a piece of the arrogant Dragon Born, who looked down on those that belonged to the so-called "Lower Realm".


    Before Cethus could even break free from the cold spell that nearly paralyzed him, the Jade Golem appeared in front of him with its arm pulled back and ready to smack him to oblivion.


    "Gaia Smash!" Orion shouted as he smashed his fist into Cethus'' chest, sending the Dragon Born spiraling to the ground.


    A loud booming sound was heard as the Cethus'' body collided with the ground, creating a crater that was dozens of meters wide.


    "Gwark!" Cethus grunted as blood spilled from the corner of his lips.


    If earlier he was just nearly paralyzed, now, he waspletely paralyzed.


    The Dragon Born couldn''t utter a single word, as his teeth started to chatter due to the cold mes that lingered on his body and the injuries he received from the attacks of Lux''s subordinates.


    Although Cethus couldn''t move, he could still use his other senses, mainly his sense of sight and hearing.


    Because of this, he heard the sound of rattling bones that were closing in on him, and for some reason, his sixth sense started to scream at him. Cethus knew that something very very veeeeeeeeeery dangerous was approaching him, but there was nothing he could do about it because he was paralyzed.


    Half a minuteter, the Dragon Born saw several Skeleton Gangbangers look down at him with keen interest.


    "S-St-Stoa�"p," Cethus barely managed to stutter, as he pushed himself to try and voice out his thoughts out loud.


    Naturally, the Skeleton Gang Bangers ignored him and proceeded to Gang Bang him!


    "Mistress, cover your eyes!" Ali shouted as she hurriedly covered Valerie''s eyes with both of her hands.


    "You too, Eiko, cover your eyes!" Ari said as she covered the baby slime''s eyes, making thetter tilt her head in confusion.


    After making sure that Valerie''s and Eiko''s eyes were covered properly, Ali and Ari shifted their gaze to the Dragon Born, who was being stabbed repeatedly in his backside.


    "Oh my, so Big!" Alimented.


    "Wow! Look at them go!" Ari stated.


    The two handmaidens continued to mutter and gasp as they watched Cethus, whom they didn''t like, get stabbed repeatedly without mercy.


    If not for the fact that the Dragon Born had called Valerie an ugly duckling, they might have pitied him, and even asked Lux to stop his minions from torturing the poor soul.


    However, since Cethus hadmitted a capital sin by mocking the Princess of Karshvar Draconis, they deemed that what was happening to the Dragon Born was an appropriate punishment for looking down on their mistress.


    High above the skies, the Rankers subconsciously put their hands on their backside, as if they were worried that they would suffer the same fate as Cethus.


    One of the High-Rankers lightly coughed as he nced at the Old Lady, who was looking down on her grandson with aplicated look on her face.


    "We will not report Cethus'' earlier disrespect to Her Royal Highness," she said. "I think this is enough punishment. Don''t you think so, everyone?"


    "Agreed," one of the High-Rankers replied.


    "My lips are sealed," another High-Rankermented. "You boys, make sure that whatever you see in Brokeback Mountain, stays in Brokeback Mountain, okay?"


    """Yes, Sir!"""


    Truth be told, the Rankers were very tempted to tell their Dragon King of what Cethus had said to their Princess. However, after seeing the horrifying scene on the ground, they thought that the Dragon Born had received the punishment he deserved, so they no longer wanted to find trouble for him.


    They only looked at him with pity because they knew that the Dragon Born would never be the same after this duel.


    -------------


    Ten agonizing minutester...


    "Everyone, stop," Lux ordered, and the Skeleton Gang Bangers immediately stopped what they were doing.


    The battle-hardened Undeads moved to the side as their Master walked past them.


    "Well then, Cethus, do you surrender, or do you want this to continue?" Lux asked. "I''m sure that my Skeletons Gang Bangers will be more than happy to begin Round 2."


    "I ... Con... cede," Cethus said through gritted teeth.


    Lux nodded to acknowledge the Dragon Born''s surrender.


    "Now, since you lost, you will stay here in the Guild Headquarters, okay?"


    "No... take me with you. Please, take... me with you!"


    Cethus tried to prop himself up from the ground, not caring about the injuries he received from Lux''s minions.


    Since Lux had no intention of killing him, the Skeleton Gang Bangers had held back, and only screwed the Dragon Born a little.


    Compared to what they did to Jasper, the Prodigy from the Xynnar War Pact, the Dragon Born got off easy.


    "You... want to go with me?" Lux arched an eyebrow as he looked at the Dragon Born who was struggling to stand up, but was unable to do so.


    "Yes!" Cethus replied as he clenched his fists. He was now on all fours, facing Lux, and the arrogance he had in the past could no longer be seen in his face.


    "Please, take... me... with you!" Cetus pleaded as he raised his head to look straight into Lux''s eyes. "I want... to be... strong too."


    Lux originally wanted to say no, but after seeing Cethus'' determined gaze, it reminded him of the time when he was still weak and powerless.


    The time when he could only watch in envy as the young boys and girls of Wildgarde Stronghold went to Elysium in order to explore that mysterious and amazing world, leaving him behind.

 Chapter 542 Make A Wish

    "Fine," Lux stated. "We will leave tomorrow. For now, recover as much as you can."


    The Half-Elf then nced in the direction of his Baby Slime and telepathically ordered Eiko to summon Whitey (Angel Slime), and Mara (Water Slime), to help heal Cethus'' injuries.


    Unknown to them, the Old Lady, who had seen her grandson''s pitiful state, looked at the Half-Elf with a grateful expression. Although she was a little angry about how the Half-Elf had tormented the grandson she had looked after since he was a child, she understood that Cethus needed a setback in order to realign him to the right path.


    "Arrogance without strength is not arrogance, but stupidity," the Old Lady muttered. "All of you remember this. Before you act high and mighty, make sure that you have the strength to back it up, or else you will just look like a fool. Do I make myself clear?"


    """Yes  Commander!"""


    The Old Lady briefly nodded to acknowledge her subordinates'' reply. She had cast a wide-area stealth, and sound-proofing spell, which prevented anyone from detecting their presence.


    Because of this, she wasn''t worried that they would be seen or heard by anyone on the ind.


    Only those that had be High-Rankers would be able to see past the illusion that she created.


    ''Lux Von Kaizer,'' the Old Lady mused. ''Why did Keoza bestow his token upon you? Is it because you are a Necromancer? No. I believe there is a deeper meaning in this. That child would not randomly choose a Half-Elf on a whim.''''


    The Old Lady pondered, but she couldn''te up with a good answer to exin the Crystal Dragon''s decision to allow Lux toe to Karhsvar Draconis, and build his Guild Headquarters in the Dragon Kingdom.


    ''Well, whatever reason that is, I will set it aside for now,'' the Old Lady thought. ''I just hope that my stupid grandson will be able to learn something by apanying you to whatever ce you want to go.''


    For her, letting Cethus leave Karshvar Draconis to explore the world was a good thing. She believed that it would allow her Grandson to see many ces, meet many people, and experience many different things, which would ultimately allow him to grow, not only in strength, but in character as well.


    For now, she prayed that Cethus losing to Lux would be a turning point, and allow the Dragon Born to realize that there would always be someone stronger than him in the world.


    That night, Lux sat on the roof of his castle, looking at the starry sky above his head. His original n was to leave during the day. But, since Cethus had managed to convince him to bring him along, he decided to let the Dragon Born recuperate for a night before they went to the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    "Pa!" Eiko said when she saw a shooting star trail across the horizon.


    "Make a wish, Eiko." Lux lightly patted the Baby Slime''s head. "Whenever you see a shooting star, you should make a wish. Who knows? The God of Games might just hear you and grant it."


    "Okay!" Eiko replied before closing her eyes to make a wish.


    Lux didn''t know what the Baby Slime wished for, and simply waited for her to finish.


    It was at this moment when he heard a familiar voice behind him.


    "I wish that I can sneak away next time as well! I also wish to have an obedient and cute Baby Slime, just like Eiko!"


    Valerie said her wishes with her hands sped together in prayer.


    Lux couldn''t help but smile after seeing the in-looking girl pray enthusiastically with her eyes closed.


    ''I guess I''ll pick a couple of eggs from the nursery in the Leaf Vige and bring them here,'' Lux thought.


    Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew past them.


    With a cry of shock, Valerie lost her bnce and slid down the roof due to how strong the wind was.


    Just as she was about to fall over to the edge, a hand reached out to grab her hand and pulled her back to safety.


    When Valerie came to her senses, she found herself being held by the red-headed teenager who had prevented her fall.


    "It''s fine, you''re safe now," Lux said as he tried to reassure the in-looking girl that had almost fallen off from the highest point of his Guild Headquarters.


    "T-Thank you," Valerie said. "You saved me."


    "You''re wee," Lux replied.


    Suddenly Valerie''s body stiffened when she finally regained herposure.


    "H-hand!" Valerie nearly shouted when she saw that her hand was still locked in Lux''s own hand.


    "Oh, did I grab you too tightly?" Lux asked as he slowly let go of Valerie''s hand.


    As soon as her hand was free, Valerie felt relief, as well as a small amount of loss that she couldn''t understand. However, she hastily put these thoughts aside as she hurriedly left the scene to return to the guest room.


    Lux didn''t understand why Valerie ran away, but he thought that it was just due to the fright she received from almost falling down from such a height.


    Of course, Valerie''s body wasn''t as fragile as it looked. Even if she fell from such a height, the most she would get is a light injury, which would easily be healed by a spell or two.


    ��------


    Inside the Guestroom of Lux''s Guild Headquarters��


    "Ali, Ari, we have to leave now!" Valerie shouted as soon as she pushed the door open. "Hurry, we need to leave before it''s toote!"


    Ali and Ari, who were busy preparing a bath for their mistress, looked at her with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.


    "Leave?" Ali asked back. "I thought you said that we will leave tomorrow when Lux and the others also left this ce?"


    "No! We need to leave now!" Valerie stated firmly. "If you don''t want to go, I''ll leave by myself!"


    As if to prove that she was serious, the in-looking girl turned around to run away, leaving Ali and Ari looking at each other in confusion.


    "Let''s go," Ali said as she stopped what she was doing. "We can''t let the princess leave by herself. I''ll follow her first, and you go to find Lux and tell him of our departure. Although it was short, he was a good host, so we can''t just leave without saying our goodbyes."


    Ari nodded her head in understanding and went to find the Half-Elf, who was still on the roof of the castle and watching the stars in the sky with Eiko.


    The two handmaidens didn''t know what happened for their Mistress to be this adamant about leaving the Outer Reaches during the night.


    They would only find out what truly happened a dayter, when the extremely beautiful, and extremely gullible, Princess of Karshvar Draconis, returned to the Capital City of the Dragon Race.

 Chapter 543 Everyone Needs A Baby Slime In Their Lives

    "Although our stay has been very short, our Mistress wanted to tell you that she enjoyed every minute of it," Ari said with a smile. "Thank you for your hospitality and generosity."


    "The pleasure is mine," Lux replied. "Tell Valencia that she is wee to visit the Guild Headquarters anytime. Unfortunately, I am not always around, but I''ll leave a message to the Kobolds and let them know to treat you as our VIP guests whenever you visit."


    After doing a bit more small talk, Ari finally left to catch up with Ali and her Mistress, Valerie, who was determined to return to the capital city as soon as possible.


    A few hourster, Lux went to his room to rest because when morning came, he would take Gerhart and Cethus to the Kingdom of Gweliven to meet his future Guild Secretary, Emma, as well as Collete and the others, whom he hadn''t seen for quite some time.


    He had dyed making contact with them for as long as he could, but since he was about to go visit another kingdom, he thought that now was the best time to see them again.


    ��-------


    Morning the next day��


    "Are the two of you ready to go?" Lux asked his twopanions, who seemed very eager to embark on a journey alongside him.


    "Although I don''t know where we are going, I have a feeling that we''ll find plenty of excitement along the way," Gerhartmented.


    Cethus only nodded his head and didn''t say anything.


    After being beaten one-sidedly by Lux, the arrogant Dragon Born had no choice but to admit that the Half-Elf was stronger than him. Because of this, he decided to no longer act high and mighty in front of Lux, and simply nodded his head to affirm his intention ofing with him.


    "ept my invitation," Lux ordered as he looked at Cethus, whom he nned to add to his party.


    Several rows of text appeared in front of Cethus, asking him if he wanted to join the "Ars Goetia Party", which he epted without a second thought.


    After confirming that the Dragon Born was a member of his party, Lux pressed his closed fist over his chest and shouted.


    "Open! Heaven''s Gate!"


    A secondter, Lux, Gerhart, and Cethus were bathed in white light before disappearing from thends of Karhsvar Draconis.


    High above the sky, a lone High Ranker hovered with her hands behind her back.


    This was none other than Cethus'' Grandmother, Faustina, who had stayed behind to see her grandson go with the Half-Elf whom she recognized as one of the elite members of the young generation.


    Faustina smiled as she muttered a few words to bless her grandson, who had decided to leave their homnd to find his true self.


    "May the friendships you make,


    Be those which endure,


    And all of your gray clouds


    Be small ones for sure.


    And trusting in Him


    To Whom we all pray,


    May a song fill your heart,


    Every step of the way."


    Faustina smiled before disappearing from the skies of the Outer Reaches. She hoped that the next time she saw her grandson, he would no longer be the arrogant Dragon Born, who knew nothing about the world he called the "Lower Realm".


    When Lux, Gerhart, and Cethus opened their eyes, they found themselves in the za of Leaf Vige.


    "Dwarves?" Cethus frowned. "And�� so many of them?"


    Gerhart, who heard Cethus'' words, looked at the "little people" with great interest.


    "This is the first time I''ve seen Dwarves," Gerhartmented. "They''re shorter than I thought."


    Lux could only chuckle after hearing Gerhart''sments. However, he didn''t forget to remind the green-haired Half-Elf to not call the Dwarves short to their faces.


    "They''re so weak," Cethus stated. "What kind of ce is this? The strongest I can see in this town are Grade-A Apostles. The majority of people living here aren''t even Apostles. Are you sure you didn''te to the wrong ce?"


    Cethus originally thought that Lux was going to go to a very dangerous ce in order to be stronger. However, after seeing that the inhabitants of the town were people that could drop dead if he punched them, the Dragon Born felt cheated.


    "This is called a Beginner''s Vige," Lux replied. "It is the ce where those who are aspiring to be Apostles gather."


    The Half-Elf then pointed to a group of Dwarves who were chatting happily as they walked. From what he could hear, they were talking about going to the Aspiration ins to hunt some Horned Rabbits.


    "As you can see, those are just Dwarf children," Lux exined. "Once they be Apostles, they will leave this ce to move on to the next town."


    Cethus, who listened to Lux''s exnation from start to end, snorted.


    "How primitive," Cethus replied. "But, then again, I wasn''t expecting much from Low Landers anyway."


    Just as the Half-Elf was about to retort to Cethus'' overbearing remark, two little Dwarf girls called out to Lux and Eiko in the distance, which made the Half-Elf stop whatever he was nning to say.


    "Laura, Livia," Lux said as soon as he saw Sid''s two little sisters, who were learning the art of Alchemy under Grandma Annie.


    "Big Brother Lux, have you been well since west saw each other?" Laura asked as she approached the Half-Elf with a smile.


    "Eiko! It has been a while," Livia greeted the Baby Slime who happily jumped into her hands. "How are you?"


    "I''m fine!" Eiko replied with a smile.


    Laura''s and Livia''s two Baby Slimes, Cora and Nora, waved at their Fairy Princess and greeted her excitedly.


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    Eiko giggled as she greeted them back as well.


    "Eyah!"


    While the three Slimes were having a nice chat with each other, Lux crouched down to look at the two girls at eye level.


    "I''ve been too busy as ofte and only found a bit of time to visit here before I leave again," Lux replied to Laura''s question. "Tell me, has anything interesting happened in Leaf Vige while I was away?"


    Laura and Livia exchanged a nce before nodding their heads.


    "The Vige Chief has been constantly telling Grandma Annie that it was time to expand and build more houses," Laura answered. "He said that it is time to make Leaf Vige a town, and he is asking everyone to help build more houses to amodate more people."


    "A town?" Lux rubbed his chin. ''I guess Sir Cedwyn is really determined to make Leaf Vige an important hub for the future. The Old Dwarf had already told Lux about his n, and the Half-Elf didn''t find anything wrong with it.


    The only thing that Lux had forbidden was the mention of his Guild''s true name publicly because it might cause unwarranted attention, which was very dangerous for them at this point in time.


    "What did Grandma Annie say about expanding Leaf Vige and making it a town?" Lux inquired.


    "Grandma Annie said that it''s fine as long as Uncle Cedwyn can handle managing a town," Livia replied. "The other Elders of Leaf Vige also like the idea, so they are nning to start building new houses at the end of this month."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. As long as the Vige Head, as well as the Elders, all agreed to the expansion, it would mean that Leaf Vige would turn into Leaf Town within a few months.


    "How is Slime Paradise?" Lux asked again. "Are the Slimes doing well?"


    "They are doing extremely well," Laura answered. "There are many new eggs as ofte. They are all waiting for their future Masters to hatch them."


    Lux smiled after hearing Laura''s answer. One of the reasons why he hade to Leaf Vige was to get a few eggs that he could bring to his Guild Headquarters in Karshvar Draconis.


    Valencia had mentioned in passing that she wanted to have a Baby Slime like Eiko, so Lux decided to bring a few eggs and have her hatch one of them.


    Although they hadn''t been around each other for very long, Lux felt that Valencia was a good person. Eiko also got along with the in-lookingdy, which meant that she had gotten the Baby Slime''s approval.


    By now, Gerhart and Cethus had noticed that almost all of the Dwarfs around them were carrying Baby Slimes on their heads or shoulders.


    Originally, they thought that Lux was weird for letting Eiko stay on top of his head. However, after seeing the Dwarves around them, they found that it might actually be a very normal thing in the Vige they were currently in.


    "Let''s go to Slime Paradise," Lux stated. "I need to get a few eggs for my friends."


    "Sounds like a good idea!" Laura pped.


    "Indeed!" Livia nodded. "Everyone needs a Baby Slime in their lives."


    The two little Dwarves then grabbed one of Lux''s hands and pulled him in the direction of the Nursery for the Slimes.


    Naturally, the Half-Elf didn''t resist and allowed the two little girls to pull him along.


    Gerhart and Cethus followed behind the Half-Elf while shaking their heads. Clearly, they weren''t too impressed with the Baby Slimes, which were very weak beasts in their eyes. For them, Slimes were just pets, who couldn''t do anything without their owners.


    Well, this kind of mentality toward one of the weakest Monsters in existence was a very normal thing. In fact, the Sians Dwarves, who had appeared in Leaf Vige, had been just like Gerhart and Cethus in the past.


    However, after seeing that these Slimes were very different from the ones they knew, they decided to raise one of their own and always took them on their adventures.


    If Gerhart and Cethus had seen Eiko in action, the two of them would certainly change their minds about Slimes. Unfortunately for them, the Baby Slime on Lux''s head didn''t participate in the Half-Elf''s duel with the Dragon Born, preventing them from understanding how strong Eiko really was.


    If only they knew, perhaps they would have taken this matter seriously and would also have started raising a Slime of their own, which had now be a tradition in Leaf Vige.

 Chapter 544 I Want One Too!

    A few minutester, the group arrived at Slime Paradise.


    The two little Dwarfs dragged Lux to the nursery where the eggs were located. Along the way, they saw several Dwarfs holding Baby Slimes that just hatched from the eggs with great care and happiness, making Eiko smile brightly.


    "I can''t believe this, they are just Slimes�� why the happy faces?" Cethus muttered. "It''s not like they hatched a Phoenix or something."


    Gerhart didn''t share the same thoughts as Cethus, but he was also wondering what was so good about Slimes.


    Cai also had a Baby Golden Slime with her, and from what the green-haired Half-Elf could see, the Priestess of the Rowan Tribe genuinely loved Fei Fei. Naturally, Fei Fei loved her as well, which made Gerhart wonder if there was more to the Slimes than what someone could see on the surface.


    "Eiko, can you pick a dozen eggs for me?" Lux asked. "We will bring them back to the Guild Headquarters."


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded.


    She then jumped off her Papa''s head and crawled toward the eggs in front of her. To Gerhart''s and Cethus'' surprise, the eggs came in different colors, like that of a rainbow. However, the mostmon color was blue, simr to Eiko''s color.


    There were eggs that had more than one color, and some even had four colors on them, which made Lux wonder if the coloring of the shells had a deeper meaning.


    But since he wasn''t a Slime expert, he just left the task to the expert, which was none other than Eiko.


    After pressing her forehead against the third egg, the Baby Slime nodded her head in satisfaction and swallowed it whole. She then proceeded to check the other eggs one by one, until she had stored a dozen eggs inside of her body.


    "Pa!"


    "All done? Good job, Eiko."


    "Un!"


    After getting a dozen eggs, they left Slime Paradise and visited Lux''s Master, Randolph.


    Just as the Half-Elf expected, the old Dwarf clung to him like a leech after being informed that he was going on a journey to get him a Transcendent me.


    "I knew that my eyes didn''t deceive me when I chose you as my Disciple," Randolph said as he wiped his snot and tears on Lux''s clothes. "Don''t worry. As long as I get the Transcendent mes, I''ll start crafting weapons and armor for our entire Guild. I''m sure that my old pals will die of jealousy once they learn that I acquired a Transcendent me before them!"


    "Master, I am just going to look," Lux replied helplessly. "There''s no guarantee that the Transcendent me is still there."


    Randolph understood what his Disciple was saying.


    However, deep inside, he hoped that the Transcendent me still hadn''t found a Master and had remained undiscovered since Keoza saw it.


    "Are you going there now?" Randolph asked. "Let me just close my shop. I will start packing as well."


    "Eh? You''reing with me, Master?"


    "Of course! A Transcendent me will only recognize one Master. I must be there to tame it if I want to make it mine."


    Lux tilted his head to the side when he heard the word tame.


    "Is the Transcendent me a monster?" Lux inquired.


    "Silly boy, of course not," Randolph replied. "It''s more of a spirit. A Transcendent Spirit! It will only acknowledge one Master throughout its lifetime. Once its partner dies, it will disappear and be reborn again a hundred yearster."


    "I see." Lux nodded. "Very well, Master. Make the necessary preparations. I will just talk to Grandma Annie and the Vige Chief to discuss a few things with them. When we''re done, we''ll leave right away."


    Randolph nodded. "Don''t worry. I won''t take long. Go and visit the others first."


    The old Dwarf hurriedly started packing his tools for the uing journey. For cksmiths like him, acquiring a Transcendent me was a dreame true.


    He would dly drop anything he was doing in order to apany Lux to find the elusive symbol of the Transcendent cksmiths who were able to forge Legendary Equipment.


    For him, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. The whereabouts of the Transcendent mes were just as elusive as a needle in a haystack. As long as there was a chance of finding one, all the craftsmen in the world, including Alchemists, would fight to get a Transcendent me.


    ��-----


    Grandma Annie''s Candy Shop��


    "What?!" Grandma Annie gasped in shock after hearing Lux''s story about the Transcendent me. "You''re going to look for a Transcendent me in the Wanid Kingdom?!"


    The Alchemist of Leaf Vige looked at the Half-Elf with bloodshot eyes.


    "Do you know the location of another Transcendent me?" Grandma Annie asked. "I want one too!"


    "Um��" Lux didn''t know how to answer Grandma Annie''s question because the one that had seen the Transcendent me was Keoza and not him.


    As the Half-Elf was thinking of a proper answer for the kind Grandma who had looked after him while he was in Leaf Vige, Keoza spoke directly inside his head.


    ''Bring her along,'' Keoza stated. ''I forgot to tell you that I didn''t see just one spark in the Wanid Kingdom��I saw two.''


    ''Eh? I thought Transcendent mes were rare?'' Lux replied. ''Howe two of them were born in the same Kingdom?''


    Keoza chuckled because the Half-Elf didn''t know the requirements for the birth of a Transcendent me.


    The Wanid Kingdom was a Kingdom loved by Spirits. Giving birth to one, two, or three Transcendent mes was highly possible for a Kingdom that had preserved its rtionships with the Spirits and had lived as one with nature.


    It was the Kingdom of Druids and Shamans, who used the power of Nature and the elements to protect their Kingdom against invaders.


    "A-Actually Grandma Annie, I also know the whereabouts of a second Transcendent me," Lux stuttered. "Do you want toe with us?"


    "I''m going!" Grandma Annie almost kissed the Half-Elf on the lips after telling her that he might know the location of another Transcendent me.


    Just like cksmiths, Alchemists also relied on the power of mes in order to craft pills, potions, and other consumables that helped those who took them in more ways than one.


    "Laura, Livia, both of you start packing as well," Grandma Annie said to the two little Dwarves who were feeding candies to their Baby Slimes. "You''reing with me."


    ""Yay!"" The two little girls pped happily because they initially thought that Grandma Annie would leave them behind.


    Laura and Livia headed to their rooms with excited expressions on their faces. This was the first time that they would go on an adventure outside the territory of Leaf Vige.


    They were Grandma Annie''s disciples and were also learning the arts of Alchemy. The kind olddy wanted the two of them to gain experience in the real world and not stay cooped up in Leaf Vige.


    Grandma Annie didn''t want to raise Laura and Livia to be like greenhouse flowers that didn''t know the danger around them.


    She believed that as long as the two little girls were able to ovee the hardships they would encounter as they grew older, the two of them would be able to surpass her as the new generation of Alchemists in Leaf Vige.

 Chapter 545 The Meaning Of Life

    A few hourster, Lux''s party of three, became a party of seven.


    Lux was extremely generous and gave his Master, Randolph, Grandpa Annie, Laura, and Livia one Griffin each.


    At first, the two old Dwarfs were reluctant to ept such High-Ranking mounts as their own, but after Lux said he had more, they no longer hesitated and thanked him for his generosity.


    As for Laura and Livia, although Lux had already given them two Wargs as theirnd mounts, since Sid had performed extremely well on their previous mission, he decided to give both of the girls a Griffin to serve as their air mounts and protectors as well.


    The two girls were extremely delighted by the gifts they received from Lux and promised to take good care of them. They were the only dwarves among the young generation in Leaf Vige to ever have such High-Ranking Mounts at their disposal.


    After bidding goodbye to Leaf Vige, the seven of them went to the Stronghold of Norria to use their teleportation gates in order to quicken their journey to reach the borders of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Since themander of Norria, Thoram, was one of Lux''s Guild Members, he gave them a letter stamped with his seal. This allowed the Half-Elf and his fellow Guild Members to use the gateways that were used exclusively by the High-Ranking Military officers of the Kingdom to make their travel faster.


    Several hourster, the group arrived at the Westernmost Town of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    All they needed to do was to cross the border, and they would finally step into the Wanid Kingdom, whom the Dwarves had a good rtionship with.


    "Wow, that''s a veryrge forest," Lux stated as he gazed at the sea of trees that stretched as far as his eyes could see.


    Currently, the Half-Elf was riding on top of his Thunder Warg King, Jed, and flying alongside the Griffins. However, even from high up in the air, the forest seemed unending, making him wonder about how enormous the forest was.


    Suddenly, Jed and the Griffins stopped flying forward and hovered in the air. Lux could feel that his mount was all tensed up, as if ready to run away at any given moment.


    Before he could even ask the Thunder Warg King what was happening, a gigantic Elder Elemental appeared before them.


    This Elemental was like a giant cloud that took the shape of a Dragon without wings. Its body crackled with lightning and exuded powerful gusts of winds that were strong enough to blow them away.


    "M-My God," Cethus stuttered. "An Elder Tempest. Everyone, don''t do anything rash, or we''re goners!"


    Lux immediately opened his Soul Book to better understand the monster that was growling at them and made no move to attack.


    ��-------


    < Tempest Elemental >


    �C Fusion Elemental Monster


    �C Argonaut-Ranked World Boss


    �C Forest of Beginnings Guardian Beast


    Health: ???????????/ ???????????


    Mana: ???????????/ ???????????


    Strength: ??????


    Intelligence: ??????


    Vitality: ??????


    Agility: ???????????


    Dexterity: ??????


    ��-------


    Lux''s expression turned grim after he saw the stats of the monster in front of him.


    There had only been a few instances when he was unable to check the stats of his enemies, and every time it happened, it meant that he was facing a monster that was way beyond his league.


    "If you wish to enter the Wanid Kingdom, you must do so onnd," the Elemental Tempest stated. "The next time you break this rule, I will not show you any mercy. Go, before I change my mind!"


    The Elemental Tempest roared, blowing away Lux''s Thunder Warg King, as well as the Griffins who were hovering beside him.


    Perhaps it was intended, but the moment everyone recovered their bearings, they were hovering just beyond the outskirts of the forest, with the Giant Elemental ring at them from thousands of meters away.


    "Go ahead andnd," Lux said as he patted his Thunder Warg King. "We''ll travel that way for the time being."


    Jed obeyed and descended to the ground. The other Griffins did the same because there was no telling what the Elemental Tempest would do if they tried to challenge its orders.


    "I guess we just have to follow the rules of this kingdom," Gerhartmented as he nced in Lux''s direction. "You said that following you was dangerous, but I didn''t expect that it would be THIS dangerous."


    Cethus also nced at the red-headed teenager with a calm expression. However, deep inside he was feeling extremely excited.


    ''This is what I''ve been looking for!'' Cethus thought as he clenched his fists. ''With this, I think I will be able to increase my rank again. I knew thating with him was the right choice.''


    The Dragon Born had been surprised by Lux''s explosive growth. Now that he had seen the Elemental Tempest, he was certain that he would uncover the secrets he needed in order to raise his Rank faster.


    ��-------


    Karhsvar Draconis��


    Valerie finally arrived at the Capital City of Rex Lapis.


    Ever since the incident back in the Outer Reaches, the Princess of the Dragon Race was filled with anxiety.


    ''I know that he only did that to help me, but he still held my hand,'' Valerie blushed as she remembered what it felt like to have Lux''s strong arm wrapped around her body, holding her in ce, while his hand locked with her own in a firm grip.


    Ali and Ari, who were walking behind their Mistress, were unaware of what happened to her and were busy preparing her bath for the night.


    The Royal Family used secret passageways within the city to navigate their way around, and only those that had been permitted by the Dragon King would be able to use them.


    Since Ali and Ari were given permission by Valerie to apany her, they were also able to use these passages any time they wanted to.


    "Your Highness, this is not the path going to the Inner Pce," Ali said as soon as she noticed that Valerie had veered off the path that they usually use to return to Valerie''s personal residence.


    "Ali, Ari, the two of you should wait for me in my room," Valerie replied without even bothering to turn her head to look at her handmaidens. "I have something to discuss with my Father."


    ""As youmand, Your Highness.""


    The two handmaidens bowed their heads respectfully before turning around to head back to the Inner Pce.


    Valerie, on the other hand, continued to walk the pathway that would lead her to her Father''s throne room without being detected by others.


    Knowing that her father usually had guests in the throne room, she first took a peek outside to check if her father was dealing with something.


    After seeing that the Dragon King was alone in the throne room, Valerie no longer hesitated and opened the pathway directly behind her Father''s throne.


    "Valerie. How are you, my daughter?" the Dragon King asked with a voice filled with affection as he gazed at his daughter who had bowed to him to show her respect.


    "Father, I have a very important thing to tell you," Valerie said with a solemn expression on her face.


    The Dragon King smiled and made a gesture for her to continue.


    "Go on," the Dragon King stated. "What is this important thing that you must tell me?"


    Valerie hesitated for a bit, but since this was something that had something to do with her future, she gritted her teeth as she made her confession.


    "Father, I am pregnant," Valerie dered. "I''m sorry, but it happened so suddenly that I didn''t have time to prevent it from happening."


    Dark clouds immediately covered the skies of Rex Lapis as the Dragon King''s killing intent rose towards the heavens. Naturally, this killing intent wasn''t felt by Valerie because the Dragon King made sure that his daughter wouldn''t be affected by his bad mood, which was strong enough to split the sky apart.


    "Who?" the Dragon King asked through gritted teeth. "Who did this to you?"


    Although he tried to ask these questions as calmly as possible, the roar of thunder reverberated in the heavens as lightning snaked across the skies.


    "Father, please spare him," Valerie pleaded. "For the sake of your future grandchildren, please spare him. He didn''t do it on purpose. I was shocked as well, but when I regained my senses, the deed had already been done."


    "... Who is it?" the Dragon King repeated his question. "Don''t worry. I will not do anything to him. I''ll just ask him to go fishing with me."


    Valerie sighed in relief after hearing her father''s words. Going to fish together wasn''t such a terrible thing. In fact, it was a very fun thing to do!


    "Father, the one who got me pregnant is the Half-Elf that built his Guild Headquarters in the Outer Reaches," Valerie replied. "He is none other than Lux Von Kaizer."


    Lightning descended from the sky, and thunder boomed ceaselessly as if heralding the end of the world.


    The Dragon King then extended his senses to search for the bastard Half-Elf who dared toy his hands on his treasured daughter. Unfortunately for him, Lux had already left the Outer Reaches and had just entered the Wanid Kingdom, where the power of the Spirits reigned.


    Even if the Dragon King was a Supreme Being, he was still unable to find the Half-Elf''s whereabouts because thetter was on the other side of the world.


    Because of this, he could only roar in his heart as he looked at his innocent daughter, who was stained by the Half-Elf that he had allowed to stay in his kingdom.


    While all Hell was breaking loose in Karshvar Draconis, the Dragon Token in Lux''s hand glowed faintly.


    A faint chuckle could be heard in the surroundings as the Crystal Dragonughed at the scene that was happening in Rex Lapis. Although he was far away from the Kingdom of Dragons, he was still able to see what was happening in the throne room.


    ''Lux, I knew you were good, but I didn''t expect you to be this good!'' Keoza said in a teasing tone. ''It seems that you will receive some good news when you return to Karhsvar Draconis.''


    ''Really, Sir Keoza?'' Lux asked.


    ''Yes, definitely,'' Keoza chuckled. ''In fact, the first thing you must do when you return to the Dragon Kingdom is visit the Dragon King. He ns to go fishing with you!''


    Lux didn''t understand what Keoza meant when he said that the Dragon King wanted to go fishing with him. However, if what the Crystal Dragon said was true, then the Half-Elf would be more than willing to apany the Dragon King, and talk with him about the meaning of life.


    A talk that would make him understand that the Dragon King''s definition of going fishing was very different from the fishing he had in his mind.

 Chapter 546 Creating A New Path Of Escape

    "Achoo!" Lux rubbed his nose.


    He and his party were currently traveling through the dense forest.


    ''A beautifuldy must be thinking about me, Eiko,'' Lux said telepathically to the Baby Slime perched on top of his head. ''Do you think it''s your Mama?


    ''Pa!''


    ''Mmm. I think you''re right.''


    After being blown away by the Elemental Tempest, none of them dared to use their flying mounts to travel in the sky.


    Even Cethus, who prided himself on his flight speed, had no choice but to travel on thend, while mounted on one of Lux''s Wargs.


    An hour had passed since they entered the forest, and so far, none had barred their path��at least, not at the moment.


    The exnation for this was simple. Lux had opened his Soul Book and was paying close attention to the map.


    Several red blinking dots and yellow dots could be seen everywhere, but the most eye-catching indicator among them was the BIG red dots. The Half-Elf assumed that they were Deimos-Ranked Monsters and above, and he also noticed that they seemed to be moving in their direction.


    Unfortunately for them, the Half-Elf could see their movements, so he guided his party into the forest with the intention of avoiding these powerful Monsters, who clearly disliked his party''s intrusion into their domain.


    Cethus and Gerhart were both on edge because they could feel the presence of these strong Monsters approaching their location.


    Although weaker than the two Initiates, Randolph and Grandma Annie could sense them as well. The only ones that were oblivious to the true danger they were facing were Laura and Livia, who were riding on the Wargs and following behind the olddy, their Master.


    Lux didn''t say anything except for the words "Go left" and "Go right."


    As they continued their journey, the Elemental Tempest, who was observing them somewhere within the Forest of the Beginnings narrowed its eyes.


    It didn''t know how Lux was effectively evading the dangers that were moving in their direction, but the fact that the Monsters were unable to corner them despite their ever-growing numbers remained.


    Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted in the forest as countless number of trees were destroyed in a straight line.


    White smoke escaped Lux''s lips after unleashing a Dragon''s Breath, which created a straight path in the dense forest.


    "Let''s go!" Lux shouted. "Increase the pace!"


    After looking at the map in his Soul Book, the Half-Elf came to the conclusion that if they continued to evade the monsters by repeatedly veering off course, they would still be encircled in the long run.


    Since that was the case, the only thing he could do was not follow the path that wasid out in front of him and create a new path to escape their current situation.


    Loud roars suddenly erupted within the forest as the High-Ranked Monsters began to head straight to the location where the explosion had erupted.


    "Laura, Livia, move to the center of our formation!" Lux ordered. "Cethus, Gerhart, protect our left side. Master, Grandma Annie, protect our right side.


    Eiko, who was on top of Lux''s head, opened up her mouth and unleashed a Dragon Breath of her own, destroying the trees in front of them, and creating a straight pathway through the denseyer of trees.


    A momentter, Lux summoned Diablo, Ishtar, Asmodeus, Lazarus, and Zagan.


    "Spread out and dy them," Lux dered as he, Eiko, and Asmodeus began to summon their Undead Army.


    Hundreds of Skeletons emerged around them, which Lux had summoned to block the path of the monsters headed in their direction.


    "Boomer!" Eiko shouted.


    Immediately, the Crimson Monkey Kong Skeleton Bombardier appeared and jumped to one of the trees in order to help the Skeletons create a diversion, giving them time to escape.


    Ishtar merged with the shadows of the forest and reappeared where the Deimos-Ranked monsters wereing from. She didn''t hesitate and unleashed a barrage of frost arrows, slowing their movement speed by a little bit, which greatly annoyed the Deimo-Ranked Alpha Monsters that were trying to encircle Lux and his party.


    Lazarus also appeared a short distance away and began to unleash a barrage of magical attacks. His main role was to act as a Magical Turret and deal as much damage as possible to their foes, pulling their attention onto him.


    Fortunately, it worked, and these Monsters began to target the two slippery Undead Creatures, who could appear, and disappear, at their leisure.


    "Ithaqua!" Asmodeus raised his hand and summoned the Creature of the Cold White Silence, who immediately conjured a blizzard when he made his appearance, decreasing the visibility in the surroundings.


    Due to its mastery over Ice and Snow, the newest member of Asmodeus'' Undead Army was able to manipte the blizzard so that it wouldn''t affect Lux and his party.


    Undeads were never affected by the extreme changes in temperature. Since they were Undead, they could care less if their surroundings were hot or cold.


    Unfortunately for their enemies, they cared, and after seeing that a blizzard had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, they lost track of the targets they were nning to attack.


    In a tunnel made of ice and snow, Lux and the others made their speedy retreat.


    As usual, Gerhart and Cethus were amazed by the Half-Elf''s ingenuity, making them wonder if they would be able to act just as calm if they were faced with the same situation.


    This game of Cat and Mouse went on for several hours until the monsters gave up and turned to hunt weaker foes that couldn''t use such underhanded means in order to stop them from being eaten by them.


    Also, they knew that Undead didn''t taste good, so they thought that the effort was not worth their time.


    When Lux finally deemed that they were now safe, he ordered everyone to stop and rest for an hour.


    The Wargs had overexerted themselves, and the two little girls, Laura and Livia, were also exhausted from the thrilling chase that they experienced just a few minutes ago.


    Randolph and Grandma Annie weren''t faring any better. The two of them had stayed in Leaf Vige and, aside from the asional Beast Outbreaks, they never had the chance to leave the Vige ande across near-death adventures like the one they had just now.


    Seeing that everyone was resting properly, Lux also sat down to lean against the tree in order to rest. He had exhausted himself mentally after formting the best method to evade the Monsters.


    If he had been traveling alone, he would have had plenty of ways to escape such a predicament. Unfortunately for him, he was with other people, so he had no choice but to use every means at his disposal to ensure their safety.


    ''Eiko, do you sense any treasures nearby?'' Lux asked the Baby Slime that was resting on top of his head.


    ''... Pa!''


    ''I see. They are being guarded by monsters. Let''s just return to collect them when we''re stronger.''


    ''Pa!''


    Lux had already anticipated that the forest that was being guarded by a Powerful Elemental was a treasure trove of resources. If not for the fact that there were strong monsters guarding them, Lux might have attempted to collect them along the way.


    However, since he didn''t know how the Elemental Tempest would react once he took these treasures, he decided to y it safe and not touch them for the time being.


    His priority was to get the Transcendent mes for his Master Randolph and Grandma Annie. As for the rest of the treasures�� he would juste back to get them when he became stronger.


    ''It will take us at least two to three days in order to break out of this forest,'' Lux thought as he looked at the map in his Soul Book. ''After that, we will reach the open ins. From there, it will take another four-day trip to reach the mountains, where the first city of the Wanid Kingdom can be found.''


    Lux sighed because there were very few teleportation gates in the Wanid Kingdom, and most of these were controlled by the Tribe Elders of each group. Meaning, no one could use the gates without their permission.


    ''I just hope that they let us use those teleportation gates when we arrive at the city,'' Lux sighed internally.


    He knew that if they were unable to use the Teleportation Gates, they would have to spend almost a month just to reach the location where one of the Transcendent mes could be found, ording to Keoza''s memory.

 Chapter 547 The Organization Of Transcendent Blacksmiths

    Two hourster, the group had finally recovered their bearings and were once again ready to continue their journey.


    Originally, Lux only wanted to let everyone rest for an hour. But, after seeing that there were no signs that the Monsters were targeting them, he decided to extend their rest by one more hour, so that everyone could fully recover.


    No one talked to Lux during the journey because they didn''t want to interrupt his concentration. They only followed behind him as he chose the best paths in the forest that would ensure their safety.


    An hour before sunset, Lux decided that they should rest for the night and continue their journey the next day. He didn''t know what kind of Monsters were on the prowl at night, so he nned to summon all of his Named Creatures, as well as Skeleton Soldiers, to guard the perimeter of their temporary campsite.


    Grandma Annie had bought a tent with her because she didn''t want her two disciples to freeze from the coldness of the night.


    Lux also had brought tents with him that he shared with Gerhart and Cethus. However, the Dragon Born didn''t know how to set up his tent, so Lux ordered the Skeleton Gang Bangers to do it for him.


    For some reason, Cethus flinched the moment the Skeletons approached him. Clearly, the memory of the one-sided beating he received from them was enough for Cethus to put them on his "must not provoke" list.


    "Thanks," Cethus replied after the Skeleton Gang Bangers finished fixing his tent, which earned him a brief nod from the Undead, whose sole purpose was to make their opponents feel as if they had been screwed a hundred times over.


    Randolph was staying inside Lux''s tent, so the old Dwarf did not need to set up a tent of his own.


    After dinner, everyone went back to their tents to rest, while the Undead Army guarded their camp from potential threats during the night.


    Eiko fell asleep as soon as sheid on top of the soft pillow that Iris had made just for her.


    Lux and Randolph, on the other hand, weren''t able to sleep right away. Because of this, the two decided to chat with each other about random things in order to kill some time.


    "There is this organization of cksmiths that called themselves, Hephaestus," Randolph said. "All of their members have Transcendent mes, and ording to the information I heard, there are only around twenty members in the group.


    "This organization isn''t bound by race, so the cksmiths from different cultures gather to share smithing techniques, as well as unique recipes with their members every three years. It is every cksmith''s dream to be part of this organization. I felt the same way in the past, but not anymore."


    "Oh? Why did you have a sudden change of heart, Master?" Lux asked.


    Randolph sighed as he told his disciple that this illustrious organization wasn''t the same one he idolized when he was younger.


    "They have be too greedy," Randolph replied. "Also, almost all of their members approve of their respective Kingdoms going to war, so they can gather more resources and increase their Ranks through forging.


    "It''s a heartless practice, and I for one didn''t want to forge Legendary Equipment for the sake of wars. True, I did make equipment for profit, but I will never stoop as low as them. I''m not fond of wars. Never was, never will be. Even if I grow old in a piss-poor vige, I would rather remain true to my ideals than let them be tainted by greed."


    Lux remained silent as he digested his Master''s Words. Right now, he had one Legendary Artifact, and this was given to him by Great General Sherlock after the war ended.


    The Artifact that Lux received was called the Elemental Heart.


    This Legendary Artifact had the ability to summon Greater Elementals.


    ��-----------------------


    (A/N: This is the Hierarchy of Elementals)


    �C Lesser Elemental


    �C Elemental


    �C Greater Elemental (Deimos)


    �C Elder Elementals (Argonaut)


    �C Ancient Elementals (Dreadnought)


    ��-----------------------


    The Tempest Elemental was a Fusion Elemental thatbined the powers of Lightning and Air. Its rank was an Elder Elemental, whose strength was at the Argonaut Rank.


    Lux''s artifact could summon a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Elemental of any of the elements he wanted. However, he could only summon one of them at any point in time.


    If the Half-Elf were to summon an ordinary Elemental, he could summon four Elementals at any given time.


    If Lux summoned a Lesser Elemental, the Half-Elf could summon eight of them at the same time.


    This artifact would enter a cooldown period of three days each time it was used, so it was more of a Trump Card that would allow the Half-Elf to reverse situations in a pinch.


    Of course, this artifact was crafted by a Transcendent Jewel Smith of the Highest Caliber. Great General Sherlock even told Lux that there was a possibility of upgrading the Legendary item into a Demigod-Ranked Item if he could fuse the hearts of Ten Argonaut-Ranked Elder Elementals to the Elemental Heart.


    The Elemental Tempest was one example of an Argonaut Ranked Elder Elemental, and with Lux''s current strength, defeating it was only a pipedream.


    "Don''t worry, Master," Lux said. "You don''t need to join such an organization. After all, our Guild is a hundred times better than them."


    Randolph chuckled after hearing Lux''s words.


    Indeed.


    His guild was the only Mythical Guild in the world, and whenpared to Hephaestus, the Transcendent Organization of cksmiths was nothing.


    Also, the Guild, Heaven''s Gate, had a 20% Bonus Sess Rate when crafting items. This meant that there was a higher chance for Randolph and Grandma Annie to create Legendary-Ranked Equipment, Pills, and Potions.


    "Lux, if therees a time when these Transcendent cksmiths wish to join our Guild, what will you do?" Randolph asked as he eyed his Disciple with a solemn gaze. "Adding them to our Guild will surely boost its strength by leaps and bounds.


    "I''m sure that they will do everything in their power to get into your good graces. When that happens, you don''t need to think about my opinion. You can ept them if you wish."


    Lux wanted to tell Randolph that the only cksmith he needed was him. However, the Dwarf''s strong and steady gaze made him feel that saying these words might not be the best reply that he could give to his Master.


    "I don''t mind letting them join," Lux replied after careful consideration. "However, they must first pass your approval, Master. If they are guilty of using their skills to instigate wars, then they have no ce in our Guild. Just like you, I am not fond of wars. Never was, and never will be."


    The corner of Randolph''s lips rose up after hearing Lux''s answer. Truth be told, he wanted his Disciple''s Guild to be powerful. Because of this, he didn''t shy away from the idea of having more than one Transcendent cksmith working to equip their Guild Members to the teeth.


    "Aye." Randolph nodded. "I''ll make sure to pick only those who meet our Guild''s requirements. Thank you, Lux. Because of your answer, I have ovee the bias in my heart."


    Randolph knew that not all Transcendent cksmiths wished for war to happen. If there were those within the group that shared the same ideology as him, he would definitely do his best to poach them from Hephaestus.


    As a crafter himself, he knew that the Guild Buffs were simply too good to be ignored. Also, the status of the one and only Mythical Guild in the world was more than enough to tempt anyone to jump ship if they were given a chance to hug Lux''s thigh.


    An hourter, Lux and Randolph finally went to sleep.


    Neither of them knew that the Elemental Tempest, who had observed them for the past few hours, was busymunicating with the other Guardians, who had protected the Wanid Kingdom from all outside interference for the past hundreds of years.

 Chapter 548 May The Spirits Of The Wanid Kingdom Watch Over All Of You

    "I thought we were going to get attackedst night, but nothing happened." Gerhart yawned. "Well, it''s why I got a good sleep, so I have noints."


    Lux smirked after hearing Gerhart''sment. In fact, he was thinking the same thing. Because of this, he was mostly in a half-asleep state, ready to wake up at a moment''s notice when danger arrived.


    Just as the red-headed teenager was about toment about the other Half Elf''s words, Ishtar and Lazarus warned him that there were people mounted on what seemed to be Reindeer, approaching their location at a leisurely pace.


    ''Master, the way I see it, it''s like they''re just taking a stroll in the forest,'' Ishtar reported. ''But there is no doubt that they are headed in your direction.''


    ''That''s not all,'' Lazarusmented. ''I''m pretty certain that they also detected Ishtar''s and my presence, but they don''t seem to mind it. One of them even yfully waved in my direction.''


    The awkwardness in Lazarus'' voice made the Half-Elf ponder.


    ''Continue observing them,'' Lux ordered. ''From what I can see, they are giving us plenty of time to prepare for their arrival. If they are not showing an aggressive attitude, maybe their purpose is to have a conversation with us. Also, I think they waited until we woke up before they marched to our camp. This alone is a sign that they are not hostile��at least, not on the surface.''


    Ishtar and Lazarus both agreed with Lux''sment and continued to monitor the mounted warriors who numbered more than a hundred.


    Lux, on the other hand, informed hisrades that they were about to make contact with people who seemed to live in the Forest and shared the description that Ishtar and Lazarus gave him.


    Half an hourter, several men and women, wearing dark green light-weight armor that gave them almost near-perfect camouge in the forest, appeared in front of Lux and his party.


    "Greetings, travelers," a pretty woman riding the biggest Reindeer said with a smile. "It is very rare for people to wander so deep inside the Forest of the Beginnings without going through the proper channels of our kingdom. Do you know? Emissaries from the Kingdom of Gweliven must first gain our approval before they are allowed to traverse our Domain?"


    Lux and the others couldn''t tell how old the woman was because, in their eyes, she seemed to be in herte twenties. However, the people of the Wanid Kingdom had long lives because they had all made contracts with the Spirits of their Kingdom.


    After thedy took a long hard look at Lux and hisrades, the corner of her lips rose up by a tiny margin.


    "Two Half-Elves, a Dragon Born, and four dwarves," the pretty woman said. "Such a strangebination, and yet, all of you are here standing before me. Tell me, strangers, what brings you to ournds?"


    Gerhart, Cethus, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia all looked at the red-headed teenager who was the leader of their party.


    "I came here to look for the Transcendent mes," Lux replied. "If the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom wish for it to happen, then it will happen ording to their wishes."


    "My my my�� you''re quite bold to say that you came here to look for Transcendent mes," the womanmented. "Do you think that we will allow you to do as you please?"


    The men and women behind their leader all unsheathed their weapons, ready to attack the moment their leader gave them the order.


    Gerhart, Cethus, Randolph, and Grandma Annie took a fighting stance, while Laura and Livia hid behind Grandma Annie''s back.


    Lux raised his right hand, signaling his party to not do anything rash.


    Although the people in front of them had drawn their weapons, he didn''t feel any kind of hostility from them, which made him wonder if they were only testing their reaction.


    Earlier, he nned to lie and tell them that they were merely sightseeing, but Keoza spoke to him first before he could answer the pretty woman''s question.


    ''The Forest and Mountain Dwellers hate liars the most,'' Keoza cautioned. ''Once you lie to them, they will not put their trust in you regardless of how good your intentions are. It is best that you state your true reason foring here. Although they might get confrontational, they won''t attack unless you take the initiative to attack first.''


    Lux decided to trust Keoza''s advice and told the Forest People their true reason for visiting their kingdom. However, that didn''t mean that he wasn''t prepared to strike back if they really wanted to harm their group.


    "I apologize that we didn''t use the proper channels and gain your permission to enter your Domain," Lux stated. "I know that ignorance of the rules is not an excuse, but we came here in good faith. If there is something that we can do to gain your trust, we will do it as long as it doesn''t touch our bottom lines."


    The pretty woman nodded her head as a gesture of acknowledging Lux''s statement.


    "It''s good to know that you are someone who doesn''t use ignorance as an excuse to break the rules of our Domain," the pretty woman replied. "However, the fact still remains that you broke it, so a punishment is in order."


    The pretty woman then closed her eyes as if she was pondering on what kind of punishment she would give Lux and his party for trespassing into their territory.


    A few minutester, the pretty woman opened her eyes and made a gesture for her subordinates to sheathe their weapons, which they all obeyed at the same time.


    "We will allow you to pass through the Forest of the Beginnings on one condition," the pretty woman raised a finger with a smile. "When you reach the Shaufell ins, you will help the inhabitants of the town of Abingdon with their dilemma. As for the specifics, it will be best if you meet the Town Mayor to better understand their situation.


    "Of course, you are also free to ignore this condition and continue your travels. However, I assure you that if you do that, you will regret it."


    The pretty woman''s smile widened, making Gerhart and Cethus subconsciously shudder. The veiled threat in the pretty woman''s words was like a sharp knife about to pierce their chest, stopping only a centimeter away from their hearts.


    "Understood," Lux replied. "This is our first time in the Wanid Kingdom, and we would greatly appreciate it if you can provide us with a map, so we can find Abingdon Town after leaving the forest."


    The womanughed when he heard Lux''s reply. "Interesting. You take a step back and then take two steps forward. Very well, I will be generous enough to give you a map of the Eastern Regions of our Kingdom. Consider this you taking advantage of me and seeding in the process."


    Without another word, the pretty woman took a scroll out of her storage ring and tossed it to Lux, who caught it with his right hand.


    "I don''t know if you are stupid, or brave for hoping to gain a Transcendent me from right under our noses," the pretty woman said. "However, the Spirits will be the ones to decide if you and your people are worthy of the miracles that you seek in our Domain. Go, and may the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom watch over all of you."


    After saying those words, the pretty woman and her entourage left without even looking back at them. Clearly, their purpose foring was to ascertain Lux and his party''s reason foring to their Kingdom.


    Now that they gained the answers they wanted, they would pass the message to their Mountain brethren, who would oversee the second phase of Lux''s journey within the mysterious Kingdom that had remained unconquered since time immemorial.

 Chapter 549 Underground Menace

    The sound of intense fighting reverberated inside the forest as a Pack of Rank 5 Gray Wolves attacked Lux and his party during their travel.


    The Half-Elf was always paying attention to the map, so when these red blinking dots approached them, he purposely didn''t change course and engaged them in battle.


    The reason he did this was simple.


    Deimos-Ranked Monsters and above were almost always alone. At most, there would be two to three of them together, signifying that they were a family or life-long partners.


    Having dozens of small, red blinking dots working together meant that they were monsters that moved in packs, which meant that they were inherently weaker.


    For Lux, he wasn''t afraid of facing Monsters below the Deimos Rank, so he didn''t evade them and even took the initiative to intercept them.


    "Kill them cleanly if possible," Lux ordered. "I will either use them as Fusion Materials or cannon fodder for my Necromancer Skills."


    Although Gerhart and Cethus didn''t know what Lux was talking about, they obeyed his orders and initiated one-hit kills that targeted the Gray Wolves'' hearts or heads, killing them in one blow.


    The two of them were Initiates, so Rank 5 Monsters weren''t that hard for them to deal with.


    Lux, on the other hand, didn''t attack and simply ordered his Named Creatures to engage the enemy. He was there to ensure that the Dwarves'' lives wouldn''t be in danger.


    As an added precaution, Lux summoned Pazuzu and Orion, who stood in front of Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia as their protectors just in case one of the wolves decided to target the weakest members of their party.


    After killing over a dozen wolves, the Alpha of the Pack decided that enough was enough, so it howled and ordered his brethren to make a hasty retreat.


    ''I should probably feed the Wargs some of the Gray Wolves'' meat and beast cores,'' Lux thought. ''They have stayed at Rank 3 long enough.''


    Aside from Jed, who was a Rank 4 Monster, the rest of the Wargs that Lux received as a reward in the Dungeon hadn''t made any progress in their Rank.


    Truth be told, the Half-Elf had neglected them and only used them as mounts for his Guild Members. Most of his resources were used in fusing and upgrading his Undead Army, so the Wargs'' growth came to a standstill.


    Even Jed, Lux''s Thunder Warg King, was still a Rank 4 Monster.


    Back then, it was the strongest Monster in his team. But now, it had been left behind by the others and was only summoned by Lux whenever he needed a ride.


    Having remembered this, the Half-Elf felt a bit guilty, so he decided to give the Wolf Cores to the Wargs aspensation for his negligence.


    After collecting the spoils of over thirty Wolves, the group continued their journey to leave the Forest of Beginnings.


    No Deimos-Ranked Monsters and above tried to block their path, and they were able to leave the Forest smoothly after three days of traveling.


    "Finally, we''re out of the forest." Cethus snorted as he unfurled his wings to fly. "I felt like I was a caged bird the whole time."


    The Dragon Born then soared toward the sky and did a few aerial maneuvers, as if he had just been freed from his cage.


    As a creature who was used to always flying in the sky, Cethus'' mood had always been stormy since they entered the forest.


    "Scout for us from above," Lux shouted. "Just make sure you don''t provoke any Deimos-Ranked Flying Monsters and lure it in our direction."


    "Do you think I''m stupid?" Cethus scoffed. "I would never do such an idiotic thing."


    Although Cethus'' words still sounded a bit arrogant, he still performed his duty well and looked down on his surroundings from the sky, making sure that his group wouldn''t find themselves walking into a herd of monsters in the ins.


    The Shaufell ins was a vast expanse ofnd that was almost double the size of the Forest of Beginnings.


    The Forest Folk had told them that they should head to Abingdon Town in order to help the residents deal with a serious problem. As for what that problem was, the Forest Folk only told Lux to talk to the Town''s Mayor to get a better idea of what was happening.


    "It will take us a day to reach Abingdon Town if we pace ourselves normally," Lux said as he guided his party in the Northwest direction where the town was located.


    After traveling for half a day, the Half-Elf ordered everyone to stop their advance, not because they were going to take a break, but because they could no longer take another step forward.


    Lux was frowning as he looked at the Map in his Soul Book.


    In front of him, thousands of red blinking dots were moving non-stop as if they were holding some kind of procession.


    However, he couldn''t see any monsters in front of him. While they were traveling, Lux saw herds of monsters grouped together, but they had stayed a good distance away from them.


    But now, he couldn''t see even a single monster, which made him feel that something wasn''t right.


    Cethus, who was in the sky, was wondering why his group stopped, so hended beside Lux to inquire what was happening.


    "What''s wrong?" Cethus asked. "There''s nothing but open ins in front of us. Why did you stop?"


    "Monsters," Lux replied. "Thousands of Monsters are in front of us."


    "Hah? What nonsense are you talking about?" Cethus frowned. "There''s no sign of monsters on thend and in the sky. Are you sure you didn''t just imagine things?"


    Lux shook his head firmly before summoning one of his Skeleton Gang Bangers.


    He then ordered the Skeleton to run ahead of them, which thetter did obediently.


    Everyone watched as the Skeleton Gangbanger ran for nearly four hundred meters before the ground under its feet erupted.


    A four-meter-long Iron Ant captured the Skeleton Gang Banger''s body in its mouth and dragged it under the ground, which made Laura and Livia cry out in shock.


    Cethus, who had just told Lux that there was no monster in sight, almost choked on his saliva after seeing such a scene.


    Although it was only a brief moment, the Half-Elf was able to identify the attacker, and it made his skin crawl.


    ��------------


    < Iron Tetramorium Ant >


    �C Colony Worker


    �C Rank 4 Monster


    Active Skills: Iron Bullet, Crunch, Acid Spray


    Passive Skills: Iron Body.


    Special Ability: One with the Colony.


    ��-----------


    < Iron Bullet >


    �C Spits an iron ball projectile, simr to a cannonball, at targets that are 500 meters away.


    ��-----------


    < Crunch >


    �C A bite that is strong enough to crush a human in half.


    ��-----------


    < Iron Body >


    �C The body of this creature is as hard as Iron.


    ��-----------


    < One with the Colony >


    �C A Tetramorium Ant canmunicate with its entire colony, and call for backup even though it is three miles away from its nest.


    �C The Queen Ant can also use its connection with its brood to see, hear, and order them, regardless of how far they are from the colony.


    ��------------


    "I think it''s time for us to fly," Lux stated after looking at the information of the monsters hiding underground. "Make sure to fly at least a thousand meters above the ground, so you won''t get hit by long-range attacks."


    The others all nodded their heads and felt grateful that they didn''t suffer the same fate as the Skeleton Gang Banger, who didn''t even stand a chance against the sneak attack that came from under its feet.


    This once again reminded them that they were no longer in the Kingdom of Gweliven, and they needed to be more aware of their surroundings, or else they would be easy prey for an entire Ant Colony.

 Chapter 550 Flying Terrors

    Originally, Lux just wanted to take it easy after they reached Abingdon Town.


    However after checking the map, he was surprised to know that the number of Tetramorium Ant far exceeded his expectations.


    There was no safe ce, and the only thing they could do was to continue to fly high in the sky to prevent themselves from getting sniped by the underground colony, whose numbers were enough to make Lux very wary of them.


    Finally after a few hours they finally arrived at their destination.


    "Halt! And state your business!" the Guard Captain that stood up on the town walls shouted. All of them had aimed their crossbows at the Griffins who were hovering two hundred meters away from them.


    "We are travelers that havee from the Forest of Beginnings," Lux replied. "The Forest Folk asked us toe here to meet with your Mayor. They said that you guys are having some kind of problem and are in need of assistance?"


    The Guards looked at their Captain, whose eyes locked in on the Half-Elf who answered his question.


    The Guard Captain replied right away as if he was having an internal battle inside his head. Five minutes passed before he finally opened his mouth to give his reply.


    "All of you may enter, but you guys will dismount and enter through the gate," the Guard Captain replied before telling one of his men to go to the Mayor to inform them of the visitors that hade to help them with their current circumstance.


    After gaining permission to enter the Town, Lux and the others entered through the Towns Gate, and what they saw made the red-headed teenager frown.


    There was no one on the streets, and people peeked through the windows of their houses to look at them. It was as if they were scared of something, and they only felt safe inside their homes.


    Laura and Livia, who hadn''t visited other towns outside of the Kingdom of Gweliven, held onto Grandma Annie''s hand as they looked around their surroundings. Clearly, the two little girls also felt that something was terribly wrong, and it made them feel anxious.


    "Grandma, why are all the people inside their homes?" Laura asked. "Are they scared of something?"


    "I''m not really sure," Grandma Annie. "We''ll probably find out the reason once we meet with the Mayor."


    However, just as Lux and the others reached the za, the sound of bells ringing reverberated in the surroundings.


    All the people watching them from the windows all disappeared as if they went somewhere to hide.


    A momentter, the sound of buzzing reached their ears, which made all of them turn around to see where it wasing from.


    It was at that moment when they saw over a dozen Red Giant Hos headed towards the town.


    "Peak Rank 5 Monsters," Cethus frowned after seeing the Hos that were approaching them.


    Peak Rank 5 Monsters, would require a party of Initiates to fight. Even the Dragon Born who prided himself of his fighting ability wouldn''t attack such dangerous opponents alone.


    Lux, who knew the danger they were in, immediately summoned his Doppelgangers. He then summoned his Named Creatures, as well as his Undead Army to give them time to find a safe ce to hide.


    Even from a distance away, they could see the Guards desperately firing their crossbows at their targets.


    Although some of their crossbow boltsnded on the Giant Ho''s bodies, it seemed that the damage the flying insects received was very minimal, and not enough to deter them from targeting the Guards as their food supply.


    Screams of pain, desperation, anger, and fear spread throughout the surroundings as the Giant Hos imed their first victims.


    While some feasted on the guards, the others flew past the town walls and headed straight to the town, looking for juicy morsels to eat.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    Suddenly, seven beams of zing red light collided with one of the Giant Hos, making it screech in pain before crashing towards the ground.


    A momentter, hundreds of Skeleton Gang Bangers swarmed over it like ants, preventing it from making aeback.


    Seeing that one of theirrades had fallen, Six of the Giant Red Hos emitted a resounding screech before flying in Lux''s and his party''s direction.


    The Half-Elf, Eiko, and their clones, both activated their skills, Skeleton Make, at the same time in order to intercept the flying insects which threatened their safety.


    "Skeleton Make... Skeleton Titan!"


    With a mighty roar of defiance, a Giant Skeleton that was over fifteen meters tall, appeared in front of Lux''s party and smashed its skeletal fist at the lead Giant Ho, sending it flying in the opposite direction.


    At the same time the Skeleton TItan was summoned, the Archlich, Asmodeus, raised his hand into the air.


    "Ithaqua!" he yelled, summoning the Creature of the Cold White Silence, which created a blizzard as soon as he appeared behind him on the battlefield.


    Asmodeus'' newest summon intensified the power of the blizzard, turning the visibility to zero.


    Lux and his party members weren''t affected by the sheer cold that buffeted the surroundings because Ithaqua had created a dome that was unaffected by the power of his blizzard, allowing the others to see their enemies, without being seen.


    It was this moment when Lux finally realized how impressive Ithaqua was in battle. Although he couldn''t see the Red Giant Hos, the Skeletons were very perceptive of body heat and any other signs of life within the blizzard.


    This allowed them to pinpoint their target''s location, even if there was nearly zero visibility around them.


    The Red Giant Hos that were caught inside the blizzard, hastily tried to flee, but since they lost their sense of direction, they didn''t know where to go.


    These insects thrived in both dry and humid environments like the ins. However, they would never survive in extremely cold temperatures.


    While the Giant Hos struggled to flee, the effect of the blizzard was starting to slow their movements, nearly paralyzing their bodies.


    It didn''t help that the Skeleton Archers, and Mages, were attacking them non-stop, making them suffer.


    The Skeleton Titan, Ithaqua, Ishtar, Asmodeus, Lazarus, and Zagan, didn''t hold back either and attacked their foes, using the blizzard to their advantage.


    A few minutester, the Giant Hos could no longer continue flying, and fell on the ground. The Skeleton Gang Bangers, the Rock Golems, Diablo, Pazuzu, Orion, and Revon, didn''t miss this opportunity to deal devastating blows to their targets.


    Although they were much stronger than them, the Red Giant Hos'' movement, and attack speed had decreased significantly. They werepletely outmatched by the Skeleton Army that swarmed them like ants, stabbing their eyes, their abdomens, and any other ce that they could think of.


    The Blizzard had also extended up to the Town''s Wall, which pushed the other Giant Hos back.


    Seeing that they could no longer advance, the Giant Hos retreated, carrying some of the guards they killed away as their prize.


    Only when thest ho had been dealt with did Ithaqua disperse his blizzard. Abingdon Town was covered in white snow, but the residents were protected from the cold that it brought due to Ithaqua''s control over his ice domain.


    "These are good specimens," Asmodeus said as he asked Lux for permission to take two of the Giant Hos to add to his collections.


    The Half-Elf readily agreed to his Archlich''s request, because there were six more Hos that they had killed in the battle that just ended.


    Lux had a feeling that sooner orter, Asmodeus would create a Chimera made from the bodies of the different monsters he was collecting. Although he didn''t know what diabolical creation his Archlich would create, a part of him was looking forward to the results of Asmodeus'' experiments.


    Just as the Half-Elf was collecting the dead bodies of the Giant Hos, a group of people mounted on horses approached their location.


    Just a nce was enough to tell Lux that the middle-aged man at the center of the guards'' formation was the most important person in Abingdon Town, the Mayor whom they nned to meet.


    "Friends that came from far away, I thank you for extending your hand to help our humble Town of Abingdon," the middle-aged man said. "My name is Pietro, and I am the Mayor of this town. Please, can I invite you all to my residence to talk? One of my men informed me that you nned to meet me, yes?"


    Lux smiled before nodding his head.


    "Well met, Sir Pietro," Lux replied. "We humbly ept your invitation."


    Pietro returned Lux''s smile as he made a gesture for the Half-Elf to follow him and his entourage back to their residence. After seeing how Lux dealt with the Red Giant Hos in order to help save his Town, Pietro''s first impression of them was extremely good.


    Because of this, he nned to give them the VIP treatment during their stay in his territory.


    Lux didn''t know if the Forest Folk was referring to the Red Giant Hos when they asked him, and hisrades, to go to Abingdon Town to see their Mayor.


    However, something was telling him that the town had more troubling concerns than the recent attack they faced just now.


    ''I just hope that it''s nothing too serious,'' Lux thought as he rode his Thunder Warg King, Jed, to follow the Mayor back to his residence.


    And Lux wasn''t the one that was thinking that way.


    Randolph, Grandma Annie, Gerhart, and Cethus were the same.


    Although they had managed to drive off the Red Giant Hos from the town, they weren''t too keen in fighting against an entire nest.


    Once that happened, although the Giant Hos would be at a great disadvantage with Ithaqua''s help, they were sure that those terrifying monsters would definitely fight them to the bitter end.


    Besides, they had just fought Rank 5 Monsters.


    It was highly possible that there were stronger hos inside the nest that could take them by surprise.


    Also, they had no doubt in their minds that the Queen, who stood above these flying terrors, was a Deimos-Ranked Beast that was way too dangerous for their current party to deal with.

 Chapter 551 Abingdon Town’s Dire Circumstances

    "It maye as a surprise to you, but the Red Giant Hos aren''t really the main reason why people refuse to leave their houses," the Mayor of Abingdon Town, Pietro, said with a bitter smile.


    "In fact, this is the first time that our town has been attacked by those Giant Hos. However, the fact remains that we have one more threat stacked against our ability to survive in this town."


    Pietro sighed before closing his eyes.


    "Truth be told, everything started four months ago when our former Mayor died of old age," Pietro stated. "When he was still alive, Abingdon Town prospered and thrived through trade. But after his death, the beasts in the Shaufell ins started wandering near our town on an increasing frequency.


    "At first, we didn''t see this as a problem because our Town''s Guards were able to repel them. However, as the weeks went by, their numbers grew and grew, which made things difficult for the travelers, as well as the Merchants from other towns in the Wanid Kingdom.


    "I don''t know if you encountered them along the way, but a colony of Tetramorium Ants has made their home in the ins and is terrorizing any unwary creature who is unfortunate enough toe across their nest.


    "Their underground tunnels are expanding by the day, and because of this, we are now cut off from the other towns��they no longer dare to travel the Shaufell ins in fear of getting ambushed by them."


    The Mayor paused for a bit before continuing his tale.


    "To make matters worse, a week ago, we were attacked by a Mosquito swarm, led by a Diabolical Doom Mosquito," Pietro stated. "It was the worst thing that happened to our town since it was founded. Hundreds of people died that day, including visitors from the nearby towns."


    Lux shuddered because he had a bad history with mosquitoes. When he was still in Leaf Vige, there was a Mosquito Outbreak that threatened not only the entirety of the Figaro Gardens but also the territories surrounding Leaf Vige.


    Fortunately, Lux was able to put a stop to them before the Abomination was sessfully born. If not, Leaf Vige wouldn''t be standing today, and all of its residents would have turned into dried husks, deprived of all the blood in their bodies.


    Unaware of Lux''s inner thoughts, Pietro continued his tale.


    "Before the former Mayor died, he left me some parting words," Pietro said. "He said that if the Town were toe into any great danger, we should send someone to go to the Isoptera Mountain in the West to ask an old friend of his to lend us a hand.


    "I don''t know who this old friend of his was because he never mentioned a name. However, he said that it was a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Beast, and it would lend our town aid once. We have already sent a contingent to go to the said mountain, but none of them have returned.


    "Just now, the Town''s Guards informed me that the Red Giant Hos came from the West. It is possible that my soldiers have fallen prey to this new threat. It is also highly possible that the Giant Hos followed the trail of my men and made their way to our town, which resulted in them attacking us."


    Lux and hisrades, who were listening to the Mayor''s story, felt sorry for them, but there was no way they could possibly challenge a ho''s nest on their own.


    Doing so would be suicide. The power of a Deimos-Ranked Queen Ho, which could range from an Alpha to a Field Boss Monster, was noughing matter. Even with Ithaqua summoning a blizzard, it was highly likely that it wouldn''t work.


    "Let me get this straight," Cethusmented after the Mayor finished his exnation. "The favor you want to ask of us is to go to Isoptera Mountain and meet with the friend of the now-deceased Mayor of this town, correct?"


    The Mayor nodded. "I know it is too much to ask, so I won''t force you to go. However, if you have the ability to do so, please, I beg of you to help us. We have no one else to turn to."


    The Mayor of Abingdon Town bowed his head until it touched the top of his office table.


    While Lux was in the middle ofing up with a reply to the Mayor''s desperate pleas for help, he and his party members heard a ringing sound inside their heads.


    A momentter, several rows of text appeared in front of them, informing them of a mission that made Gerhart''s, Cethus'', Randolph''s, Grandma Annie''s, Laura''s, and Livia''s eyes widen in shock.


    ��-----------------


    < Abingdon Town''s Great Escape >


    Mission Rating: SSS


    Several Insect-Type Beasts are slowly but surely taking over the entirety of the Shaufell ins. Because of this, Abingdon Town has been closed off from the outside world and is in dire need of help.


    The way things are, the only way for the people of Abingdon Town to survive is for them to evacuate. However, by doing so, there is a high chance that they would be attacked by the Insect-Type Beasts that have made the Shaufell ins their breeding grounds.


    Find a way for the residents of Abingdon Town to survive their current predicament, by leading the people to safety!


    ��---------


    < Abingdon Town''s Great Escape >


    �C 1,000 Residents of Abingdon Town must survive.


    �C Quest Duration: 13 days.


    �C Quest will automatically be cleared if the townspeople safely reached the Town of Broughton.


    �C Quest will automatically fail if the number of evacuees drops below 1,000.


    ��---------


    < Rewards >


    +200 Wanid Kingdom Reputation Points


    5,000,000 Gold Coins


    500 Free Stat Points.


    One Rank 5 Skill Book that matches your profession.


    You will obtain the Title: Insect yer


    ��---------


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C Bonus Rewards will be calcted depending on your performance in this mission. The bigger the role you y, the higher the rewards will be.


    ��---------


    < Insect yer >


    < Deals 100% increase damage against Insect-Type Monsters >


    ��---------


    < Will you ept this Mission? >


    < Yes / No >


    (Take Note that only the Party Leader can decide whether to ept this mission or not.)


    ��---------


    After reading the details of the mission, everyone in the room nced at the red-headed teenager who had a frown on his face.


    The rating of the mission was so high, so Lux was worried that the quest was too difficult for them to clear.


    However, after giving it some thought, he realized that the Forest Folk might have been aware of the threat that had befallen Abingdon Town. Because of this, they had tasked Lux to go there in order to help them survive their predicament.


    ''This is too much,'' Lux thought. ''It''s like they are sending us here to die.''


    The Half-Elf closed his eyes as he pondered whether he should ept the quest or not. Even Gerhart and Cethus, who were eager to fight strong opponents, hesitated after understanding the situation they found themselves in.


    Even though they were Initiates, fighting against a swarm of Mosquitoes, dozens of Red Giant Hos, and countless Ants was too high of a hurdle, even for them.


    Currently, they were thinking that they should just ditch Abingdon Town and continue their journey toward the center of the Wanid Kingdom.

 Chapter 552 Ants Are My Best Friends

    Although the Forest Folk warned them about the consequences of not doing the task they had assigned to them, Gerhart and Cethus didn''t give a f*ck and were even dying to give them all the middle finger for trying to send them to their deaths.


    After several minutes, a sigh escaped Lux''s lips before he opened his eyes to look at Pietro, who was looking at him with desperation.


    "I''ll go and see what I can do," Lux stated. "For the time being, tell the residents to prepare for an evacuation. Abingdon Town is no longer a safe ce to live in. Your safest bet is to migrate to the nearest town in order to survive the terrors that surround this town on all sides."


    Pietro nodded his head in understanding. In fact, he had already thought that staying in their town was no longer a possibility. He knew that if he waited for help to arrive, the insect colonies around them would just simply grow day by day.


    The Mayor was certain that if they dyed their evacuation, they would not have the chance to survive the inevitable cmity that was about to fall on their heads.


    ------------


    An hourter...


    Lux and Cethusnded on the ground.


    The Half-Elf decided to have a dialogue with the Tetramorium Ants because he was able to befriend the Ants in the Figaro Gardens back in Leaf Vige.


    "Are you sure you know what you''re doing?" Cethus asked with a frown.


    "Trust me. I got this," Lux answered with a confident smile. "Ants are my best friends."


    The Dragon Born crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Lux slowly approach the entrance of the Ant Nest, which two Rank 5 Alpha Steel-Tetramorium Ants were guarding.


    "My Friends, today is a good day, eh?" Lux said with a smile. "Do you mind if we all have a chat about the meaning of life?"


    The two Alpha Steel-Tetramorium Ants nced at each other before motioning for the Half-Elf toe closer to them.


    Lux turned his head to look at the Dragon-Born with a smug expression on his face before shifting his attention back to his new-found friends.


    However, the Half-Elf only managed to take six steps forward when the ground surrounding him and Cethus burst upwards, revealing dozens of Alpha Steel-Tetramorium Ants, who immediately proceeded to attack them with Acid Spray.


    Lux and Cethus immediately flew up in the sky, in order to avoid the sudden aggression from the Tetramorium Ants.


    After a desperate struggle to escape, the two finally managed to gain a good distance from the Ants who had started to attack them with their skills, Steel Bullet, which were the size of cannonballs.


    This forced Lux and Cethus to fly as high as they could until the lethal balls made of steel no longer posed a threat to them.


    "Didn''t you say you and the Ants are best friends?" Cethus sneered at the Half-Elf who had coated his entire body with the Favonius Legacy, allowing him the power of flight. "Howe your Best Friends attacked you?"


    "I did say that Ants are my best friends," Lux lightly coughed before giving his reply. "I didn''t say that all Ants are my best friends."


    Cethus snorted as he looked at the red-headed teenager in disdain. Clearly, he found the Half-Elf''s attempt at negotiation extremely silly and secretly ridiculed Lux in his heart.


    "Now what?" Cethus asked a few minutester as they headed back to Abingdon Town.


    Lux sighed as he looked at the Western Regions of the Shaufell ins.


    "I guess we should attempt visiting Isoptera Mountain to see the deceased Mayor''s friend," Lux replied. "Maybe that friend will honor his promise to help Abingdon Town once."


    Cethus narrowed his eyes as he also looked at the West. Judging by the distance of the mountain, it would take them an entire day for them to arrive at their destination.


    The others were going to stay in Abingdon Town in order to protect it. Lux even left Eiko, Orion, Asmodeus, Lazarus, Zagan, and Revon behind to protect the town while he was away.


    "Let''s go, Cethus," Lux ordered as he summoned Jed mid-air. "The sooner we arrive at our destination, the sooner we cane back."


    The Half-Elf didn''t wait for the Dragon Born''s reply as he urged his Thunder Warg King to fly towards the mountain where the deceased Mayor''s friend lived.


    The Dragon Born let out a light snort before pping his wings to follow behind his Party Leader, who was looking for ways to help clear the mission that he had epted not long ago.


    Cethus was aware that trying to help evacuate the townspeople to safety was a gargantuan undertaking.


    If they were attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes along the way, they were already lucky even if only hundreds of people managed to survive.


    Currently, Abingdon Town has three thousand people. Their mission only required them to ensure the survival of at least a thousand. However, the journey toward the nearest town, on foot, would take at least 10 days--this was an estimate that Pietro had made after careful calctions on the speed of their evacuation.


    Since their quest onlysted thirteen days, the Dragon Born believed that the mission required them to hasten their pace.


    ''I still think the odds are stacked against us,'' Cethus frowned as he flew behind the red-headed teenager, whom he had reluctantly epted as someone stronger than him. ''Anyway, I''ll just escape if it gets too dangerous. There''s no way I''m going to die while I''m away from Karshvar Draconis.''


    The Dragon Born had wanted to apany Lux in order to find out why he was able to increase his Rank at a rapid pace.


    Now that he had seen the appearance of this mysterious mission, which was something he was experiencing for the first time, he firmly believed that he had found the Half-Elf''s secret regarding how he was able to increase his Rank in such a short period of time.

 Chapter 553 Nameless Vagabond

    While Lux was away, Eiko, Laura, and Livia explored the town under Asmodeus'' and Zagan''s supervision.


    The state of the town was so deste and depressing that even the two cheerful little Dwarves found themselves unable to smile at the current state of things.


    Eiko had a frown on her face as she looked around from the top of Asmodeus'' head. Lux had asked her to stay and guard everyone. Since her abilities allowed her to copy the ability of his Papa''s Named Creatures, she was very flexible when it came to attack and defense.


    Asmodeus had summoned his Skeletons and sent them outside the town to explore the surroundings. Lazarus also personally went to scout the surrounding areas to check if there were any monster groups that could potentially attack Abingdon Town while his Master was away.


    An hourter, Eiko, Laura, Livia, Asmodeus, and Zagan returned to the Mayor''s Residence to rest.


    "Evacuation is the only way for the residents of this town to survive," Asmodeus said to Pietro. "Make sure to let everyone prepare for a long journey through monster-infested areas. Tell them that if they don''t want to leave, they can stay in this ce to die."


    The Archlich''s words were firm, and as cold as the dead. Clearly, he didn''t care whether the residents wanted to leave or not. Those who don''t feel like going could just die. His only regret was that he wouldn''t be able to collect their corpses to be used as fuel for his Corpse Explosion skill.


    "I''ve already talked to the guards and had them inform the residents about the nned evacuation," Pietro replied. "At most, we will need three days to prepare for this mass migration. I hope you can wait for us till then."


    Asmodeus reluctantly nodded his head because there was nothing he could do about it. If it were up to him, he would force Pietro to hasten the evacuation preparation to two days. However, knowing his Master, the Archlich knew that Lux would empathize with the townspeople and give them up to three days.


    ''Master is too kind,'' Asmodeus thought. ''Well, I guess I should make contingency ns for the worst-case scenario.''


    After learning how dire their situation was, Asmodeus was certain that within three days, they would face some kind of attack from one of the Insect-Type Beasts that had imed the Shaufell ins as their home.


    It was not only the Archlich who felt this way.


    Gerhart also shared the same sentiments as the Archlich. However, after witnessing Asmodeus'' Summoned Creature, Ithaqua, in action, he felt that they still stood a chance due to the Ice Giant''s control over the blizzard.


    Naturally, Asmodeus had long thought of this as well, but in the face of a Deimos-Ranked Creature, even Ithaqua''s territorial advantage would not be able to ovee the disparity in Rank.


    The only way they would be able to win was when their entire party wasplete. With Lux''s, Eiko''s, and Asmodeus'' Doppelgangers, they would easily bring the power of Nine Initiates into battle.


    If one were to add Lux''s Named Creatures, it would allow them to take control of the aggro of the Deimos Monster, allowing everyone to attack it without holding back.


    Of course, those were all in theory. Even if they had the firepower to deal serious injuries to a Deimos-Ranked Monster, there was one problem.


    The monsters that they would face fought in groups or swarms. If they were going to fight a Deimos-Ranked Monster with its minions acting as its bodyguards, it would be an uphill battle.


    Meanwhile, while Asmodeus was drawing up a battle n in his head, Lux and Cethus were busy trying to avoid monsters as they made their way to the Isoptera Mountain in the west of the Shaufell ins.


    To his surprise, the Nest of the Red Giant Hos was along the way, so they had to be extra careful not to provoke their ire.


    "This ce is infested with bugs," Cethus grumbled as he flew close to the Half-Elf, who was now riding on his Thunder Warg King, Jed. "Red Giant Hos, Tetramorium Ants, Mosquitoes, Beetles�� just how many bugs are in this ce?"


    "I have no idea, and I have no intention of finding out," Lux replied as he continued to monitor his map for Monsters that could ambush them from the air or under the ground.


    After what happened with the Tetramorium Ants, the Half-Elf had been extra careful in choosing his route towards the Isoptera Mountain because thest thing he wanted was to get encircled by a group of territorial insects that would attack them when given the chance.


    After several hours of traveling, they finally arrived at the base of the mountain. When they neared their destination, the Half-Elf noticed that there was not a single creature within a two-mile Radius of the Mountain, except for one.


    ''This is certainly a Deimos-Ranked Monster,'' Lux thought as he made a gesture for Cethus to slow down their advance.


    He didn''t know how the Monster would react to their intrusion into its territory, so he decided to y it safe and decrease their speed in order to give them enough leeway, just in case the Monster decided tounch a sneak attack on them.


    "That should be the ce where the monster is located,'' Cethus pointed at a giant cave in the middle of the mountain that could easily fit a fifteen-meter-tall beast.


    "Ishtar,e," Lux ordered as soon as hended near the entrance of the cave. "Take a look at what kind of monster it is."


    Ishtar bowed and immediately melded with the shadows in order to check what was inside the cave.


    A few minutester, the mountain trembled, making Lux and Cethus immediately rise into the sky to distance themselves from the entrance of the cave. Secondster, Ishtar, materialized in front of the entrance, before turning into a ck mist, headed towards her Master''s location.


    Suddenly, a loud and piercing screech reverberated in the surroundings as a ten-meter-tall monster emerged from the cave and locked its eyes on the Nightwalker who had intruded in its home.


    "An Ant?" Lux frowned as he summoned his Soul Book in order to better understand the Monster that had appeared in front of him.


    ��------------


    < Malevolent ze Coned Termite >


    �C Nameless Vagabond


    �C Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster


    �C The Last Member Of A Destroyed Colony


    Health: 16,200,000 / 16,200,000


    Mana: 8,400,000 / 8,400,000


    Strength: 500


    Intelligence: 7,000


    Vitality: 3,000


    Agility:  4,000


    Dexterity: 500


    Active Skills: methrower, Fireball, Firewall, Fire Storm, Dig, Fire Crunch


    Passive Skills: Thermal Vision, Lava Walk


    Special Ability: Immtion


    ��------------


    < Immtion >


    �C Coats its body with searing mes, burning those who make physical contact with it.


    ��------------


    "Not an Ant, but a Termite," Lux muttered.


    Its titles, Nameless Vagabond and The Last Member Of A Destroyed Colony, made the Half-Elf understand why the Termite was all alone in the mountain.


    While he was deep in thought about how to handle the current situation, the Termite on the ground opened its gigantic mandibles, which were now coated with mes.


    "Who are you, and why have youe to my Domain?"


    A sharp and intimidating voice sounded in Lux''s, Ishtar''s, and Cethus'' ears, making them realize that the monster was intelligent enough to know how tomunicate through telepathy.


    Sincemunication was possible, Lux decided to have a proper talk with the Deimos-Ranked Alpha Termite, and tell it why he hade to meet with him.


    "We came here from Abingdon Town upon the request of the current Mayor, Pietro," Lux replied. "It is currently being besieged by groups of Inse�C Monsters, and the people need to evacuate in order to survive.


    "Mr. Pietro said that the former Mayor told him on his deathbed that, if Abingdon Town were to need your help, you would offer your assistance once."


    The mes on the mandibles of the Giant Termite slowly vanished after hearing Lux''s words.


    It then lowered its head as if deep in thought. Lux didn''t disturb it because he could tell that it was no longer hostile to them. The proof of it was in his Soul Book. Instead of a big, red, blinking dot, the dot was now yellow, which meant that the Monster was now in a Neutral State.


    Neither an enemy nor a friend.


    "Go back," the Giant Termite stated. "My ties with humans died when my friend died."


    Just as the monster was about to turn around to head back to its nest, Lux immediately shouted to stop it in its tracks.


    "Please wait!" Lux shouted. "Would you really ignore the former Mayor''s hometown and its residents? You are the only one they can turn to during this time of hardship. Without your help, the evacuation will be filled with dangers."


    The Termite''s body remained still for an entire minute before continuing to crawl back inside its nest.


    "Leave," the Giant Termite replied. "Whatever fate awaits the residents of Abingdon Town is none of my concern. I never made a promise that I would help them if they were to face a threat that they are unable to ovee. I already told you that my ties with humans died the moment my friend died. Do not trouble me again or else I will attack you."


    The Giant Termite no longer bothered with the Half-Elf and went back inside its nest, leaving Lux, Ishtar, and Cethus to look at its retreating back until it blended with the shadows.


    "Now what?" Cethus asked the Half-Elf who was still looking at the entrance of the cave with a disappointed expression on his face.


    "We''ll do what we have to do," Lux sighed. "Let''s return to Abingdon Town."


    The Half-Elf patted Jed''s back, and thetter let out a low growl before turning back to return to the pitiful town that had been abandoned by the Former Mayor''s friend.


    When the Half-Elf and the Dragon Born were a good distance away from the Isoptera Mountain, the Giant Termite emerged from its nest once again to look at the East, where Abingdon Town was located.


    "Sorry, Drystan," the Giant Termite muttered softly. "I am unable to grant your dying wish. Forgive me, old friend."


    The Giant Termite lowered its head as if it was feeling very guilty about something.


    Even so, it still decided to not offer its help to the people, whom his closest friend loved with all of his heart.

 Chapter 554 Happy Days That Would No Longer Return [Part 1]

    It all started fifty years ago.


    In a region that was a good distance away from the Shaufell Valley, a colony of ze Coned Termites thrived.


    This particr colony was fairly young and only numbered tens of thousands.


    It was also the ce where I was born.


    The moment I hatched from the egg, my destiny had already beenid out for me. Unlike the Worker Termites, my role was to guard and protect our colony from any kind of threat.


    Our territory was near a volcano, so our bodies had evolved to adapt to it, making us very resistant to fire.


    As our numbers grew, myrades expanded our area of influence. Because of this, we encountered our fair share of powerful Beasts who mercilessly killed our kind.


    Of course, I''m not saying that we were free from fault because ze Coned Termites were very aggressive and very territorial. Every single encounter we faced automatically led to a confrontation.


    When Worker Termites died in the field, if their bodies were not consumed by the one that killed them, it would release a scent, informing us that one of ourrades had died.


    This in turn would signal soldiers, like me, to investigate what happened, and we would deal with whatever Creature dared to kill one of our brethren.


    Back then, I was only a newly born Rank 3 Monster, but since I was a Soldier Termite, I joined a scouting party to investigate the cause of death of one of our members that had traveled outside our borders.


    This was a verymon thing since our nest was expanding, and the Worker Termites were always looking for food and other resources to provide for the entire colony.


    Back then, I thought we were going to face some Fire Beetles, whom we usually found in our territory. These creatures were stronger than us, but we had the advantage when it came to numbers, so a battle between Quality and Quantity was a daily urrence.


    Unfortunately, what we found weren''t beetles��


    They were Ants��


    Fire Ants to be exact.


    Just like myrade who perished under their hands, they were also expanding their territories, and our workers just happened to meet each other, which led to a confrontation.


    I could still remember that day very clearly, for it was the day that everything that I cared for in the world�� perished.


    The moment our two sides met, war was inevitable.


    Ants and Termites simply couldn''t co-exist under the same sun. Unfortunately, our Nest was fairly young. The Ant Colony that took the initiative to attack us numbered in the Hundreds of Thousands, which put us at a great disadvantage.


    Our race heavily relied on Fire Attacks to incinerate our foes to ashes, but our opponents were resistant to fire just like us.


    The Fire Ants were too simr to us��they could also use Fire Attacks. However, they didn''t fight with that. Instead, they used brute force and numbers to overwhelm our Colony.


    Back then, our Sole Deimos-Rankedrade fought against three Deimos-Ranked Ants to death.


    I could still remember how he fought with everything he had, with his entire body burning like moltenva, illuminating that dark and nightmarish night.


    All of us fought bravely. Soldiers and Workers fought with everything we had to protect our Colony and our Queen.


    However, no matter how many of my brethren sacrificed their lives, we couldn''t change the inevitable.


    The moment our Deimos-Ranked Fighter fell, everything went downhill.


    Myrades died right before my eyes, and I was among those that fell, or at least that was what I thought at that time.


    I didn''t know what happened after I lost consciousness, but when I opened my eyes, our nest was already destroyed.


    Countless bodies of Ants and Termites were scattered across the ground. It was a scene ofplete and utter carnage.


    A scene that I will never forget till I draw myst breath.


    Originally, our bodies should have been collected by the victors and used as food to nourish their colonies. However, for some reason, it didn''t happen.


    It was then that I saw it��


    A fifteen-meter-tall Monster, whose mere presence was enough to make my body uncontrobly shudder.


    Back then, I didn''t know what it was. Later, my friend Drystan told me the name of the monster that was considered to be the Bane of the Ants'' and Termites'' existence.


    It was none other than an Adamantium-Scaled Anteater.


    Its powerful aura was said to reduce the strength of all Ants and Termites to only a tenth of their original strength, making them unable tounch an effective counterattack against it.


    Even the Ants, who emerged victorious in the war against us, were all in by it, making it the true winner of the war that we had fought against each other.


    Perhaps it was a sick joke from Fate, but I woke up at the moment when the monster was about to eat our Queen.


    The Spiritual Leader of our Colony whom we tried to protect with everything we had. As if sensing my gaze, the Anteater nced in my direction and looked at me with a teasing glint in its eyes.


    It then ate my helpless Queen in front of me, watching my anguished expression as it ate with relish.


    I had no choice but to watch it from beginning to end because I couldn''t move any part of my body. I was paralyzed by both fear and grief. Even if the Anteater had decided to kill me back then, I would have thought of it as a form of release.


    A release from the nightmare that I just witnessed.


    However, after eating my Queen, it didn''t eat me. It onlyughed.


    A sickening and maddeningugh that made me wish that it had killed me instead. But, it didn''t do that.


    Perhaps, in its eyes, a mere Rank 3 Monster like me wasn''t worthy of being eaten by an Argonaut Ranked Creature like him.


    After seeing my agony and pain, it finally left and headed in the direction of the Fire Ant Colony.


    Perhaps, it would feast on their Queen as well, just like it did to mine. But, I was beyond caring at that point.


    I didn''t know how long I stayed frozen in that spot. But since I was seriously injured, I couldn''t move even if I wanted to.


    That was when he appeared.


    A Human, and my one and only friend in the world. Drystan.


    "Fate has allowed you to live, so you must live."


    That was how the two of us met, and that was how I was given a second chance at life.

 Chapter 555 Happy Days That Would No Longer Return [Part 2]

    "Fate has allowed you to live, so you must live."


    Those were the words that he said to me back then, and without even caring that I was a Monster, he treated my injury.


    There were many times when I wished that he had just killed me and taken my Beast Core. The war that happened that night haunted me to the present day, always making me wonder why I lived when my entire colony perished.


    The first thing I did the day after I recovered was to scavenge the battlefield, looking for Beast Cores to eat.


    My Natural Instinct urged me to rummage through the countless dead, looking for the cores that would allow me to be stronger. Although tens of thousands of corpses were all over the ce, I was only able to get over a hundred cores in total.


    Whenever we killed a monster, the first thing we target is our opponent''s Beast Core, so we can eat it.


    Perhaps, the appearance of the Anteater forced the Ants to stop their feeding frenzy and make a hasty retreat back to their nest, to warn their Queen that their mortal enemy had arrived.


    So, I ate what cores were left and increased my Rank from Rank 3 to Rank 4.


    Drystan didn''t say anything back then and simply observed me from a distance. Since he was my savior, I didn''t attack him--was what I''d like to say.


    I knew that if I did attack him, the one who would end up dying was me.


    The man who saved me was an Initiate, and if he wished, he could have killed me anytime he wanted.


    But he wanted me to live, and so I did.


    "Your Colony is gone," Drystan said after I finished eating all the cores that I could find on the battlefield. "How about youe with me and follow me on my adventures?"


    As a Soldier Termite, the only thing I knew how to do was to fight, so I agreed to his proposal.


    He made me his Beast Companion, and he gave me a new purpose in life. Everything was fine and we both increased our Ranks exponentially during our travels.


    I became a Deimos-Ranked Monster, while he became a Ranker. Unfortunately, during one of our adventures, Drystan was heavily poisoned by a Poisonous Tree Frog. This poison didn''t have a cure, and he had only been able to suppress it for a short time because he was a Ranker.


    Even so, as the years passed, the poison''s effects gradually spread inside his body, making his Rank Degrade from Ranker, to Initiate, to Apostle.


    His once powerful body slowly weakened, but even in that state, he didn''t feel down.


    Drystan returned to his town and became a Mayor, using the remaining years of his life to make Abingdon Town the center ofmerce.


    For my part, I did my best to protect the town he had built from the shadows and eliminated anything that could pose a threat to it.


    I also made Isoptera Mountain my home.


    It was far enough from Abingdon Town so that people wouldn''t be threatened by my existence, but near enough to lend my aid if my dear friend needed it.


    Drystan would visit me from time to time every time he wasn''t busy with work and would stay with me for a few days to make sure that I was doing well.


    He was the only man I truly cared for, and perhaps, I even treated him as a member of my own Colony.


    The Humans call this term Family, and I''m sure that deep in his heart, Drystan also thought of me that way.


    But, just like how our nest was destroyed, the inevitable happened. My friend sumbed to the poison''s effect and died, leaving me and his beloved town behind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Perhaps, knowing that his time was near, he visited me onest time.


    Back then, I didn''t know how he was feeling because he wasughing and smiling despite the pain, and called me the Unsung Hero of Abingdon Town.


    The term Hero was new to me, so I asked him what a Hero was.


    "Heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary," Drystan answered. "A Hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."


    "But I''m a termite," I replied back then. "I''m not Human like you."


    "Termite, Ants, Monsters, Humans, Dwarves, Elves? What''s the difference? Anyone can be a Hero."


    "Can I really be a Hero too?"


    "Yes. You can be a Hero too."


    That was thest time I saw my friend, and I only knew he died because his contract with me disappeared on the day of his death.


    Since then, I stayed on Isoptera Mountain, waiting for the day when I would be reunited with him in the afterlife.


    On the day Drystan died, I didn''t only lose my one and only friend and family member, but also my reason for living.


    He was the one that saved me and gave meaning to my life. Without him, the hole that had been covered up in my heart opened once again, making me feel that life was no longer worth living.


    The days were long, and the nights were cold. There were times when I contemted whether I should just kill myself to end my suffering.


    But whenever this thought passed through my head, the words he told me when we first met would resonate inside my heart, forcing me to cancel my thoughts of self-harm.


    "Fate has allowed you to live, so you must live."


    I sighed as I looked at the setting sun in the distance.


    "It seems like Fate must really hate me then," I said softly. "How long do I have to wait until the end of my suffering?"


    After the Half-Elf and the Dragon Born left, I reminisced on the happy days of my life, just as I always did every day.


    My recollection would always end with thest time my friend visited me. The fleeting warmth and happiness that I would feel after that kept the thoughts of killing myself at bay, at least until the sun rose the next day.


    "Since you are no longer here, I stopped repelling the monsters that have started to thrive in the Shaufell ins," I said as I looked at the burning sun in the distance, which reminded me of the happy days that would no longer return.


    "An Abingdon Town without you will never be the same. I might be vain, selfish, and ungrateful, but since you left me all alone, I decided to abandon the town that you have built as well.


    "I''m sorry, Drystan. I guess not anyone can be a Hero like you said. I am no Hero. I am just thest survivor of a Colony that has long been buried by the sands of time, never to return again and will only linger as faint traces in my memory."


    I survived alone, and I will die alone. That was what I had already decided.


    Although this ending was not the one I envisioned when I became your Beast Companion, the years that I spent with you  were still the happiest years of my life.

 Chapter 556 Leaving Abingdon Town

    Chapter 556 Leaving Abingdon Town


    When Lux and Cethus returned to Abingdon Town, the townspeople were preparing for the uing evacuation.


    Naturally, some of them didn''t want to leave because the town was their birthce. However, the Guards said that if they didn''t want to leave, they would need to fend for themselves when the Monsters attacked.


    This argument easily convinced them to reconsider their decision to stay. In the end, those who didn''t want to leave reluctantly started packing their belongings.


    They knew that if they stayed in Abingdon Town, all of them would die without the protection of the Town''s Guards, whose numbers had decreased to less than half their original size before the Beast Attacks started.


    "Did the Deimos-Ranked Beast agree to help us?" Pietro asked as soon as Luxnded inside his residence.


    "No," Lux replied. "He said his ties with Humans died when the former Mayor died. We won''t be getting any assistance from him."


    Pietro was noticeably disappointed after hearing Lux''s reply. However, since the Beast refused to help them, there was nothing they could do about it. A Deimos-Ranked Monster wasn''t something that they dared to annoy.


    "Master, we will only be able to leave on the third day" Asmodeus reported. "The chances of us getting attacked during that time is very high."


    Lux nodded in understanding.


    Since Asmodeus was the one that took the initiative to talk to him, the Half-Elf was sure that his trusted strategist had already formted a n that would allow them to survive the attacks of the Insects that lived in the Shaufell ins.


    "It will be difficult, Master," Asmodeus said through telepathy. "Regardless of who we face, casualties are inevitable. I just want you to understand that you can''t save everyone."


    "I understand," Lux replied. "Tell me the n you have in mind for the evacuation."


    "Very well. But, it will be best if we add Pietro and the Captain of the Guards in the discussion, so we can coordinate our strategy effectively."


    "Good idea. Let''s make that happen."


    That night, Lux, Asmodeus, Pietro, and the Captain of the Guards, Marco, discussed the countermeasures that they will take when facing the Insect-Type Beasts.


    Only when they fully grasped the strategy in their mind did they end their meeting, and retired for the night.


    ��-----------


    The Next Day��


    Lux, and the others had a simple breakfast with Pietro. After it ended, the Half-Elf discussed with his group the battle n for the evacuation.


    Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia would stay in one group, and they would travel alongside the residents of Abingdon Town to evacuate.


    Lux and the others would position themselves at the front, the rear, and the middle of the formation, so that they could react right away if any threats were to target the residents during their evacuation.


    Randolph, and Grandma Annie both understood that the danger they were facing was greater than the one they had faced in Leaf Vige. They didn''t want to make things difficult for Lux and the others, so they didn''t have any objections to the n.


    "Regardless of who we face, Ithaqua''s role is indispensable," Gerhartmented. "So we need to protect it at all times."


    Cethus stated "I"ll y that role. Although I am not confident in fighting groups of monsters on my own, I will do my best to prevent any of the Monsters from killing Ithaqua."


    Lux gave Cethus a brief nod. They were simply stretched too thin to protect everyone. Asmodeus would be guarding the center of procession where Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia would be stationed.


    Gerhart would be guarding the rear of the formation, while Lux would be at the front. The Town Guards would move in groups, and position themselves ordingly to assist the defense of the Those who weren''t riding the wagons, marched alongside them, creating a long line of evacuees.


    16:43


    Regardless if they were ordinary people, Apostles, or Initiates, All the men and women who were people when the Monsters attacked.


    The rest of the third day passed smoothly, and the evacuation procedures were nearlypleted. That night, the residents all prayed to the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom to give them a safe journey to their next destination.


    They knew that when morning came, all of them would leave Abingdon Town behind. Even though they were reluctant to part, there was nothing they could do about it.


    Either stay and die, or leave and have a chance of survival.


    For most people, the choice was easy. As for the rest, they had no choice but to do it.


    Just as the sun was rising the following morning, the gates of Abingdon Town opened wide.


    "Forward!" Marco ordered.


    A dozen Guards apanied him at the lead of the formation to act as the Vanguard of the evacuation.


    Half a minuteter, wooden wagons, and carriages passed through the gates. The residents had spent the entirety of the second day creating as many wagons as possible for their evacuation.


    Of course, it was never enough for everyone, so only the women, children, those with disabilities, and the old people were allowed to ride them.


    Those who weren''t riding the wagons, marched alongside them, creating a long line of evacuees.


    Regardless if they were ordinary people, Apostles, or Initiates, All the men and women who were able to fight carried weapons, and prepared themselves for the battle that they would be fighting soon.


    None of them were delusional enough to think that they wouldn''t get attacked by the Monsters of the Shaufell ins, so they had already made peace with themselves that they had no choice but to fight.


    The first few hours of traveling put people on edge. The tension was at an all time high as they traveled the ins at a steady pace.


    Pietro had estimated that the journey would take ten days due to the sheer numbers of evacuees.


    Although he may look like an ordinary person in the eyes of others, the newly elected Mayor was actually a Battle Mage at the peak of the Initiate Rank.


    Battle Mages were proficient in wielding magic, as well as using Magic Staffs, Canes, and Quarterstaff as melee weapons.


    The Captain of the Guards, Marco, was a Magic Swordsman. Just like Pietro, he was a Peak Initiate.


    He mostly used his magical powers to enhance his strength, speed, stamina, and vitality, boosting his fighting abilities to the limits.


    Marco could also coat his sword with the magic of the different elements, allowing him to deal attacks that take advantage of his opponent''s elemental weakness.


    Finally, when the sun was at its peak, the first signs of trouble appeared on the horizon.


    "Giant Ground Beetles!" Pietro gasped after seeing over twenty ground beetles, who were all Rank 5 Monsters, headed in their direction. "Marco, intercept them!"


    Among the group of beetles, Lux noticed that one of them was slightly bigger than the rest, and had faint red stripes on its legs.


    "Field Boss Monster," Lux muttered as he raised his hand to summon his Named Creatures, and his Undead Army to fight alongside the Towns Guards, who had already prepared themselves for the worst case scenario.


    Lux knew that this was only the beginning of their journey, and if they couldn''t even survive these Giant Ground Beetles then they had no hope of surviving the rest of the Insect-Type Beasts they would encounter along the way.

 Chapter 557 Bug Wars [Part 1]

    < Viscous Carabus Ground Beetle >


    �C Giant Ground Beetle


    �C Rank 5 Field Boss Monster


    �C Hunter of the ins


    Health: 8,000,000 / 8,000,000


    Mana: 250,000 / 250,000


    Strength: 2,000


    p����d��-��?�ͨ���.�㨮�� Intelligence: 500


    Vitality: 4,000


    Agility: 1,000


    Dexterity: 1,000


    Active Skills: Earth Spikes, Earth Wall, Crunch, Deadly sh.


    Passive Skills: Health Regeneration, Mana Regeneration, Stamina Regeneration, Sturdy Body.


    Special Ability: Herculean Strength


    ��-----------


    < Herculean Strength >


    �C When engaging inbat, the strength of this monster is multiplied by 300%


    ��-----------


    Lux covered his body with the Favonius Legacy Armor and flew in the air. He would handle the Field Boss Monster, while his subordinates handled the rest.


    Summoning his Doppelgangers, he immediately unleashed a Dragon''s Breath with the intention of pushing the Giant Ground Beetle backwards.


    His priority was the safety of the people. For that to happen, he needed to prevent the Field Boss Monster from nearing the procession of evacuees, who had all stopped in their tracks with grim expressions on their faces.


    Eiko, who was sitting on top of Asmodeus'' head, wanted to head off into battle, but Lux had asked her to protect Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia alongside Asmodeus.


    The Baby Slime might be a battle junkie, but she cared for the kind grandma, and the two little girls who were taking good care of their own baby slimes, Cora and Nora.


    Eiko would not allow them to get hurt, so she simply cheered her Papa on from a distance.


    "Pa!"


    "Fight!"


    "Pa!"


    "Fight!"


    Asmodeus chuckled as the Baby Slime on top of his head jumped up and down, while calling out to his Master, who was taking on the Field Boss Monster by himself.


    With two Doppelgangers by his side, although the enemy was stronger, and more sturdy than he was, the Half-Elf was confident that he would be able to chip away its life little by little.


    Magical arrows rained down upon the Giant Ground Beetles, as Lux''s newly evolved, Skeleton Arcane Hunters, joined the fray.


    Upon clearing the Gate of Conquest, the Skeleton Grand Archers had gotten a free profession upgrade, which made Lux very happy.


    The unique abilities of the Skeleton Arcane Hunters was a wee addition to the Half-Elf''s growing Army.


    These ranged attackers had the power to imbue their arrows with elemental magic, which allowed them to increase their damage significantly. Not only that, they had the skill, Wild Focus, allowing them to imitate the abilities of certain creatures.


    For example, they could imitate the sharp sightedness of Eagles and Hawks, allowing them to see farther and clearer. They could also imitate the agility and dexterity of monkeys, giving them the ability to climb trees and mountains faster.


    Of course, these boosts in abilities weren''t permanent, and onlysted for half an hour. Even so, it was a great skill that allowed them to be more flexible on the battlefield.


    Also, the Skeleton Arcane Hunters could summon Skeleton Beast Companions to assist them in battle.


    Currently, they could only summon Skeleton Forest Wolves that served as Bodyguards, as well as Mounts, if necessary, making them very flexible fighters.


    With the Mythical Gauntlet in his hand, Orion smashed his fists against the Ground Beetle''s head, making it shriek in pain.


    Diablo was doing hit and run attacks, wielding his weapon with great mastery. Since his sword strikes were imbued with the Ethereal Element, it bypassed the sturdy defenses of the Ground Beetles, making them feel a world of pain.


    Pazuzu smashed his spiked mace on the head of one of the Ground Beetles who managed to break away from their defensive formation, making a sprint towards the residents of Abingdon Town with blood-shot eyes.


    After repeated attempts, the Fortress Defender''s passive ability activated, which paralyzed the Beetle for a short period of time. Naturally, the Town''s Guards, as well as the Skeleton Gang Bangers didn''t miss this opportunity and unleashed a concentrated attack on the Beetle''s head, targeting its eyes.


    Their efforts were not wasted as the Beetle uttered a pain-filled screech as it lost its vision in both eyes.


    Zagan, and Lazarus teamed up to devastate their foes with magical bombardments. The Strategist of Lux''s Necromancer Covenants called upon ck Lightning Bolts, imbued with the Power of the Abyss, against the Ground Beetles.


    Simr to Diablo''s ability, Abyss Touch bypassed defenses and dealt direct damage to the Soul. no matter how tough the Ground Beetles were, they weren''t able to endure the intense pain that coursed through every fiber of their being.


    Lazarus, on the other hand, had the Unique Ability Cold mes. All of his attacks lowered his enemies'' resistances to cold and fire attacks, making them feel the chilling cold of ice, and the burning sensation of zing mes.


    Long exposures to such attacks was enough to drive someone crazy, making the Great me Skull a menacing Magical Turret that could unleash deadly spells in quick intervals.


    Ishtar was also making things difficult for the Giant Ground Beetles by shooting arrows imbued by Ice Magic, decreasing their mobility and attack speed.


    Pietro, who was observing the battle from afar breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Fortunately they decided to help us," Pietro muttered. "If not, I don''t know how we would be able to live through this."


    The battle between the Field Boss Monster and Lux was getting more intense.


    Loud explosions reverberated in the surroundings as the Half-Elf unleashed his Draco Meteor Skill, giving the Viscous Carabus Ground Beetle no opportunity to mount an effective counter-offensive against him.


    Out of desperation, the Field Boss Monster erected walls of Earth in order to protect itself from Lux''s merciless bombardment.


    Layers upon Layers of Earth crumbled as Lux, and his clones, continued to unleash their strongest attacks in order to exterminate the Giant Ground Beetle as soon as possible.


    Because he was too focused on dealing with the monster in front of him, he didn''t notice the scouts of the various Insect-Type Beasts that were watching the battle from afar.


    All of them were paying close attention to the battle, as well as the thousands of Humans, who were valuable food resources in their eyes.

 Chapter 558 Bug Wars [Part 2]

    Gerhart and Cethus observed the ongoing battles in the distance and were quite surprised by how Lux, his Summons, and the Town''s Guards were keeping the Monsters at bay.


    Unlike the Half-Elf who was too focused on his battles, the two had sensed the presence of other creatures in the surroundings.


    Asmodeus had sensed them as well, but he didn''t tell Lux about his discovery right away because his Master was fighting against a dangerous opponent.


    Although the Field Boss was unable to effectively mount a counterattack, all of that would change once the Half-Elf concerned himself with the Monsters that were gathering near the evacuees.


    "Eiko, summon Boomer and your Slimes," Asmodeus said. "We gotpany."


    The Baby Slime nodded and summoned her subordinates in order to protect the people that they were escorting. Eiko would do everything in her power that was important to her and her Papa.


    Even though the scouts of the Ants, Giant Hos, Mosquitoes, and other Insect-Type Beasts were simply observing from afar, that didn''t mean that they were idle. Everything that was happening was reported to theirrades who were back in their respective colonies.


    Because of this, Asmodeus, Gerhart, Cethus, Marco, and Pietro prepared themselves for the worst-case scenario. They knew that things could go wrong at any given moment, but the only option left for them was to face these challenges with everything they had.


    The residents who were also capable of fighting were holding their weapons in their hands and were also preparing to engage any enemies that would dare to attack them.


    Randolph and Grandma Annie also took out their weapons in preparation for the inevitable.


    Behind the two little Dwarves, a ck coffin hovered above their heads. Lux had set it to automatically summon Sid and Scarlet if the Dwarves'' lives were being threatened as a safety precaution.


    As if waiting for that cue, a loud buzzing sound came from the North, which momentarily made Lux look away.


    The Field Boss didn''t miss this opportunity and executed a well-aimed Earth Spike, which sent the Half-Elf spiraling toward the ground after getting a direct hit.


    The Half-Elf clutched his chest with his right hand, enduring the pain as his vision locked on a dark swarm in the distance, which was all too familiar to him.


    "Asmodeus!" Lux roared as Asmodeus summoned Ithaqua, who immediately conjured a blizzard, coating the surroundings in snow and ice.


    Countless mosquitoes blotted the sky with their numbers, making the Half-Elf''s skin crawl.


    Regardless of Rank, all Mosquito Type Monsters had a passive ability to inflict poison, weakness, and paralysis on the people that they had bitten.


    However, if one were toe across a mosquito swarm, suffering status conditions was the least of their problems. It was highly possible that it would only take a few seconds for them to be a dried husk when the Mosquitoes were done sucking up all of their blood.


    Countless Obsidian Spite Mosquitoes (Rank 1), Iron-Scaled Torment Mosquitoes (Rank 2), Ruthless Venom Mosquitoes (Rank 3), and Horned Harlequin Mosquitoes (Rank 4) covered the sky like a thick nket, casting a shadow upon them.


    The scariest part about this formation was that three Diabolical Doom Mosquitos (Rank 5 Field Monster) weremanding this deadly army.


    Even after Ithaqua summoned a blizzard to cover everyone and to decrease the enemies'' field of vision, the Mosquitoes simply hovered outside the blizzard, looking for any gaps that they could break through.


    Although they liked to suck blood, Mosquitoes were cold-blooded creatures that didn''t like the cold because it made them lethargic. Their body functions slow down and, if they were to be exposed to extreme cold, they could die in a matter of minutes.


    Lux, who saw this, managed to breathe a sigh of relief. However, his expression immediately changed when he saw the three Diabolical Doom Mosquito''s eyes turned bright red, making the Half-Elf feel as if something bad was going to happen.


    Suddenly, the three Rank 5 Field Boss Monsters, unleashed a barrage of crimson crescent des, piercing through the cloak of snow and ice, and fly toward Ithaqua''s location.


    "Not on my watch!" Cethus shouted and immediately unleashed a Dragon Breath, which collided with the Crescent des that threatened their Trump Card''s life.


    The Dragon Breath managed to disperse a few of the Crescent des, but not all of them.


    """Breath!"""


    Eiko and her clones shouted, and unleashed three Dragon Breaths blocking the Field Boss Monster''s attack. However, the four Dragon Breath''s attacksbined, managed to temporarily disperse a portion of the blizzard, giving the Mosquito Swarm a path to worm their way in.


    "Sh*t!" Cethus cursed loudly as he prepared to unleash another Dragon''s Breath. However, firing consecutive Dragon Breaths wasn''t an easy matter. At most, he would still need a full minute to recover before he could unleash another wave of attacks.


    Just as the Dragon Born was thinking of ways to stop the Mosquito Swarm that had taken a gamble to take down the Creature of Cold White Silence, Ithaqua, a bombardment of Magical Spells and Elemental Imbued Arrows flew towards the iing Mosquitoes, decimating them at a rapid pace.


    The majority of the mosquitoes were Rank 1 and Rank 2 Monsters, so they easily died under the cover fire of the Skeleton Arcane Hunters and the Skeleton Mages which numbered in the hundreds.


    All of Lux''s and Asmodeus'' Skeleton Summons, as well as Rock Golems, were all Rank 4 Monsters, making them superior to the lower-ranking mosquitoes.


    However, there was one thing that the mosquitoes had that the Skeleton Army didn''t��that was their numbers.


    They were simply too many of them!


    The Mosquito swarm numbered in the millions, which made things difficult for the defenders.


    One of the Diabolical Doom Mosquitoes had also entered the gap in the blizzard and flew straight towards Ithaqua, using hisrades as shields to block all the iing attacks in front of it.


    Left with no other choice, Cethus gritted his teeth as he flew into the air in order to intercept the Rank 5 Field Boss Monster.


    "I will support you," Asmodeus stated as he conjured spinning des that flew around Cethus'' body, annihting all the lower-ranked Mosquitoes who tried to attack him.


    With one mighty roar, the Dragon Born opened his mouth and unleashed an acid spray, aiming at the Field Monster''s eyes in an attempt to blind it. However, his opponent had very high agility and dexterity, allowing it to dodge Cethus'' attack with rtive ease.


    Before the Dragon Born could even follow up with his attack, the Diabolical Doom Mosquito made a U-Turn and attempted to pierce the Dragon Born''s back with its needle-like mouth, aiming for its heart.


    However, before it could seed in its attempt, a crystallized monkey fist smashed the side of its face.


    A secondter, a loud explosion followed as the Diabolical Doom Mosquito''s attack narrowly missed Cethus'' body due to Boomer''s Dynamite Punch.


    "I owe you one, Monkey!" Cethus shouted as he kicked the air, using it as a stepping stone to unleash a dropkick on the Giant Mosquito''s head.


    His attack connected, but it didn''t deal as much damage as he intended. The difference in Ranks allowed the Diabolical Doom Mosquito to survive one of Cethus'' full-powered strikes with ease.


    As the battle between the Mosquitoes and Lux''s allies intensified, another round of collective buzzing sounded, and this time, it came from the West.


    Dozens of Red Giant Hos flew in a formation and were about to join the fray. They only came to the battlefield for one reason and one reason only and that was to capture as many Humans as possible.


    Their Queen had tasked them to collect as much food as they could so that she could birth more Red Giant Hos to further increase their numbers.


    Gerhart, who was at the rear of the formation, clicked his tongue as he unsheathed the dagger on his waist.


    The Giant Hos had decided to try their luck at the rear of the procession of evacuees, hoping that they would get less resistance if they did that.


    "Here goes nothing��," Gerhart muttered as he summoned a tornado to rotate around his body. The Snow and Ice fused with his attack, creating a tornado of extreme cold and sharpness that could easily shred any Monster that was unlucky enough to get trapped within one of his strongest special attacks.

 Chapter 559 Live A Great Life, And Die A Great Death [Part 1]

    "Freezing Tempest!" Gerhart roared as he unleashed a tornado imbued with ice in the direction of the Red Giant Hos that had entered his strike range.


    Immediately, the hos dispersed, but one of them was unlucky enough to get sucked by the spinning tornado of death, which shredded its entire body, leaving deep wounds on the insect''s body.


    Its wings were also damaged by Gerhart''s attack, making it unable to escape the cage of death that trapped itpletely.


    The green-haired Half-Elf clicked his tongue. He expected to deal greater casualties with his attack, but his opponents'' maneuverability exceeded his expectations.


    "Everyone, brace yourselves!" one of the Town''s Guards shouted as he positioned himself in front of the residents of Abingdon Town.


    The other Guards did the same and immediately engaged the Red Giant Wasps that forced themselves inside the blizzard in order toplete their mission of gathering food for their nest.


    These Giant Hos ignored the guards and simply grabbed as many people as they could before flying out of the blizzard as fast as their wings could take them.


    Just like the Mosquitoes, they were weak against the cold. However, their bodies were sturdier than the former, so they could withstand the blizzard for a short period of time.


    Screams of pain and fear emerged from the residents as their loved ones were taken away from them by force.


    Out of desperation, Gerhart unleashed countless Wind des at the Giant Hos, targeting their wings.


    He managed to hit some of them, which forced the hateful insects to crash to the ground and get mobbed by the Town''s Guards and the residents who had the ability to fight.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t save all of them, and dozens of Hos managed to escape, carrying their prize with them.


    Just like the Mosquitoes, the Red Giant Hos were also apanied by two Rank 5 Field Boss Monsters, which were called Supreme Dread Hos.


    These Hos were slightly bigger than the Red Giant Hos, and their bodies had purple metallic streaks on them, making them look extremely poisonous.


    Unlike the other hos, these two Field Boss Monsters were quite vicious and unleashed dozens of Needle-like spikes, which were coated with poison, at Gerhart, whom they found extremely annoying.


    The green-haired Half-Elf had no choice but to defend himself from thebined attack of two Field Bosses, making him unable to help the residents that were being kidnapped right in front of his eyes.


    Although all of them had already prepared for the possibility that they would get attacked by several Insects at the same time, they still felt bitter about it when it actually happened.


    They were simply stretched too thin!


    ''This is impossible!'' Gerhart cursed internally as he created a tornado in front of him to suck up the poisonous needle strikes that were being aimed at him by the Field Boss Monsters. He then sent them out of the blizzard, attacking the Red Giant Hos, which caused minimal damage to them.


    For some reason, these hos were immune to the poison of their own kind, so Gerhart''s n to use the enemy''s poison against them was rendered useless.


    Lux also understood the hardships that his allies were experiencing at the moment, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    After getting injured by the Field Boss Monster''s attack, the red-haired Half-Elf no longer worried about the other battlefields and ced all his focus on the enemy in front of him.


    He had already decided that even if the mission were to fail, he would make sure that his entire party would survive at all costs.


    Although he felt bad for the residents, that was just how things were.


    Lux could have summoned Keoza to turn the tide of battle in his favor, but he could only summon the Crystal Dragon onest time.


    Because of this, he decided to just use his abilities and save his Trump Card for when his life was truly in danger.


    Just as the Half-Elf had sessfully incinerated the Viscous Carabus Ground Beetle''s tough armor, making it screech in pain, something unexpected happened.


    The Blizzard that had covered the surroundings stoppedpletely, making the Half-Elf pause for a brief moment in the attack that he was about to unleash.


    The giant, Wendigo-like creature, who ensured that everyone would be protected from the Mosquito Warms, uttered a pained scream as it fell to the ground.


    Asmodeus, who was caught by surprise by the unexpected sneak attack that came from the East, immediately summoned several Bone Walls in order to protect his Summon from being finished off by the monsters that they had dreaded the most.


    Lux''s face immediately became grim as countless Tetramorium Ants made their appearance.


    To make matters worse, it seems that all the Insects had formed an unwritten rule that none of them would be hostile with each other and first target the Humans, whom all of them hadbeled as their food supply.


    When sardines grouped together, forming a school, they automatically became the greatest fish buffet in the sea.


    Several marine creatures such as sharks, seals, penguins, dolphins, and even birds worked together in order to contain these delectable creatures, giving everyone their fair share of food.


    That was the current situation in the Shaufell ins.


    Although all of the Insect-Type Monsters didn''t get along with each other, they were able to set aside their differences in order to devastate the defenders and further thin out their ranks.


    The monsters knew that this was the best way to enjoy the feast of thousands of people, who had left their town in order to escape from the same creatures that were now attacking them from all directions.


    The moment Ithaqua fell, the first line of defense against the Mosquito Swarm and the Giant Hos also crumbled.


    Laura and Livia screamed as countless Mosquitoes descended from the sky, heading in their direction.


    Grandma Annie immediately stood in front of her two Disciples and unleashed a Fireball, which instantly blew up the Mosquitoes that it hit.


    Unfortunately, the number she killed was not even worth mentioning as countless Mosquitoes dived down to drink the blood of the pitiful Humans and Dwarves, who had nowhere to run.


    Randolph and Grandma Annie hugged the two little girls and used their bodies in order to shield them from the Insects that were out for their blood.


    At that exact moment, a zing Fire Wall rose up to intercept the mosquitoes, making them allbust like moths attracted to the me.


    A giant shadow passed over the heads of the residents of Abingdon Town, which made all of them gasp in shock.


    A giant Termite thennded beside the wooden wagons where the women, children, and old people were. At first, the Guard was nning to attack the Giant Termite. However, Pietro immediately blocked their path and exined to them who the new arrival was.


    "Do not attack him!" Pietro shouted. "He is the former mayor''s Beast Companion!"


    After hearing his exnation, the Town''s Guards looked up at the Malevolent ze Coned Termite, who ignored thempletely.


    The Giant Termite had no time to worry about the residents because it was busy sizing up the three Deimos-Ranked Adamantine Tetramorium Ants that were apanied by lower-ranked Soldier and Worker Ants to feast on the Humans.


    Originally, it didn''t n on aiding the Humans because it knew that even if it helped, it would not be able to defeat the Ants, who were its kind''s mortal enemy.


    Even so, it still came despite knowing that it was a hopeless battle.


    Why? Because every time it tried to close its eyes, its friend''s final moments appeared inside its mind. Because of this, it was no longer able to sit still and decided to throw caution into the wind and fight thest battle of its life.


    "Watch me, Drystan," the Giant Termite said as it coated its entire body with zing mes. "I''ll show you that I can be a Hero, too!"


    The Giant Termite didn''t want to die, but why did it matter when it no longer had any reason for living? Because of this, he decided to honor his one and only friend''s final wish and risk its life in a battle that it had no chance of winning.


    "Come!" The Giant Termite emitted a resounding screech as it faced the countless Iron, Steel, and Adamantite Bullets that were asrge as cannonballs, to shield the residents of Abingdon Town, whom his friend, Drystan, had protected over thest few years that remained of his life.

 Chapter 560 Live A Great Life, And Die A Great Death [Part 2]

    Searing hot mes spewed out from the Giant Termite''s mouth, melting the attacks of the Ant Army that were aimed in his direction, as well as the residents of Abingdon Town.


    For the Ants, it didn''t really matter if the humans were dead, or alive when they took them back to their nest. This was why the Deimos-Ranked Adamantine Ants attacked Ithaqua first, dispelling the Blizzard that would slow their advance.


    Fortunately, Ithaqua didn''t die. However, it still received serious injuries that incapacitated it.


    Although the Iron, and Steel balls melted due to the Giant Termite''s attack, the three Adamantine Bullets didn''t meltpletely.


    Left with no choice, the Giant Termite used its body to block these three projectiles, protecting the Humans from further harm.


    The Giant Termite was more of a Spell Caster,pared to the Ants who were warriors. Although it''s health was high because of its rank, its defenses weren''t that strong.


    The three half-melted Adamantium Bullets collided with its body, creating loud thudding sounds, pushing the Giant Termite back a few meters before it came to aplete stop.


    Although it was hurt, it didn''t make any sound, and pretended to brush off the damage it received, making the Deimos-Ranked Ants think that their attacks did minimal damage to their nemesis.


    The Malevolent ze Coned Termite then raised its head to the sky, summoning a Fire Storm, which rained fireballs to the Ant Army.


    Due to the Ants'' numbers, the Giant Termite didn''t need to aim. It was sure that wherever a fireballnded, it would hit something!


    Just as it expected, all the Ants below the Deimos Rank were incinerated the moment the fireballsnded on their bodies. Only the Adamantium Ants resisted its attacks.


    While the Giant Termite brought down Hell on Earth, the three Deimos-Ranked Ants charged forward. They knew that they had to take out the greatest threat in the battlefield as soon as possible, or else their brethren would all be set on fire.


    Seeing his opponents approach it, the Giant Termite gave the Humans behind it a brief nce before opening its wings to fly in the sky.


    It couldn''t allow the Adamantium Ants to get near the residents of Abingdon Town, or else they would be caught up in the battle between Deimos-Ranked monsters.


    The Giant Termite knew that if it engaged the Ants in closebat, it would be the one to suffer. But at this point in time, it had no choice but to do it.


    The reason was simple. If the Ants couldn''t get to it, they would just target the Humans instead.


    The Giant Termite once again unleashed a Fire Breath on the Adamantine Ants before it dove to m its ming body against its opponents, just like a Phoenix in flight.


    As a Soldier Termite, it was also capable in closebat. However, it still specialized in firing Fire Spells at its opponents.


    Unlike the Fire Ants that its colony had faced in the past, the Tetramorium Ants, weren''t that resistant to fire. Even the Adamantium Ants, whose entire bodies were covered in Adamantine, weren''t too keen on being bathed in the Giant Termite''s searing mes.


    Shrieks of pain reverberated throughout the battlefield as the lower-ranked Ants blew up one by one.


    Left with no choice, they once again bombarded the Giant Termite with their powerful cannonball-like attacks, which created sparks the moment they hit the Giant Termite''s body.


    After suffering significant damage, the Giant Termite was forced tond on the ground.


    But, before that, it made sure to set the ground aze with another Fire Breath, creating a space and depriving the hateful Ants that outnumbered it a hundred thousand to one of more of their members.


    The Giant Termite created five-meter tall Fire Walls in every direction, blocking the path of the Tetramorium Ants, forcing them to face it head-on.


    "Come!" the Giant Termite screeched. "I''ll burn you all to a crisp!"


    Angered by its taunts, the Ants ignored the Humans and made a beeline towards their mortal enemy, who had already killed thousands of theirpanions.


    Lux and the others understood what the Giant Termite was trying to do, so they intensified their attacks on the opponents they were facing.


    Ithaqua, who was still lying on the ground, gave a hoarse, but defiant roar.


    A few secondster, a stronger, and more powerful blizzard buffeted the Mosquitoes who had momentarily lost their momentum after the Giant Termite appeared.


    "Ithaqua... you," Asmodeus said as he looked at the Creature of the Cold White Silence. "Very well, I will not waste your sacrifice. I will take one of the enemies'' Deimos-Ranked Cores to revive youter."


    Ithaqua gave a low chuckle before its body turned into particles of light.


    It had sacrificed its life in order to conjure a more powerful Blizzard that covered the battlefield, which shielded its allies from the flying insects, who had tried to take advantage of its injuries.


    Just as it had done earlier, a dome of air surrounded the residents, preventing them from getting affected by the abnormal weather change, which had reduced their visibility to zero.


    Although those who were riding on the wooden wagons felt anxious, and afraid, the blizzard that was blowing fiercely around them, gave them a sense of security.


    It also gave them a feeling of warmth, despite the chilling temperature that prevented the Red Giant Hos, and the Mosquito Swarm from taking their loved ones away from them.


    "Morpheus, make them pay," Asmodeus ordered as he, and his Doppelgangers summoned their Undead Army.


    The Death Tyrant''s dozen eyes glowed crimson as it released Death Rays, Petrifying Rays, as well as other ray attacks that caused crippling status effects to its enemies.


    In the face of a Death Tyrant, all kinds of healing magic and regeneration magic didn''t work. Although it had been with Ithaqua for only a short time, Morpheus got along well with the Giant Skeleton Wendigo, whom it considered as its first friend.


    While the Death Tyrant was bombarding the mosquitoes that were hovering outside of the blizzard, Asmodeus'' Undead Army made their move in order to take revenge for their fallenrade, who had passed the torch to their hands.

 Chapter 561 Live A Great Life, And Die A Great Death [Part 3]

    "The greatest blessing in this world is to live a great life, and die a great death."


    These were the words that Drystan once told the Giant Termite when they were adventuring together in the world of Elysium.


    "Not many people are able to do that," Drystan said with a smile. "Most people live mediocre lives, and die mediocre deaths. I pray that I will be able to do something significant in this world, so when I die, there will be people who will remember me."


    "I am not a Human, but I will never forget about you, Drystan."


    "And I will always remember you. Are you sure you don''t want me to give you a name? Termite isn''t really a name, you know? It''s just what we call your kind."


    "Just call me Termite. I don''t need a name. I just need a purpose to continue living this life."


    "Don''t worry, Termite. One day, you will find what you are looking for. When that happens, make sure to hold on to it with everything you have."


    ��-------


    One of the Deimos-Ranked Adamantium Ants screeched as the Giant Termite''s burning mandibles bit its neck.


    The other Deimos-Ranked Ants weren''t being idle, and also bit their enemy with great ferocity.


    One of them bit the Giant Termite''s burning body, while the other bit one of its legs, trying to pull it offpletely.


    The Giant Termite felt great pain, but it used this pain to fuel the mes that burned fiercely on its body.


    ''This is the same thing that happened to myrade back then,'' the Giant Termite thought.


    Back then, the one, and only Deimos-Ranked Soldier Termite was ganged up on by three Deimos-Ranked Fire Ants, tearing him apart.


    ''It will not be so easy this time!'' The Giant Termite''s mes burned brighter than ever before, shooting zing mes inside the mouths of the two Adamantium Ants that were biting its body.


    Their exterior might be hard and resistant to physical and magical attacks, but the insides of their body was a different thing.


    The Ant biting the Giant Termite''s body immediately let go as the mes dealt serious damage inside its mouth.


    Magma-like blood flowed from the bite marks that it had left on the Giant Termite''s body.


    The other Adamantine Ant, didn''t immediately let go of the Giant Termite''s leg, and pulled as hard as it could.


    A few secondster, one of the Giant Termite''s zing legs was torn off from its body, making magma-like blood spew from the severed part.


    The Ant that the Giant Termite was biting on used all of its strength, and used its head to smash the Ant Termite''s underside, making the termite lose its hold on its body.


    The next thing that the Ant did was to summon Adamantium Spikes from its body, piercing the Giant Termite''s chest, making it scream in pain.


    The two other Ants did the same, and gouged the Giant Termite''s body, with the Adamantium Spikes that they could use as freely as spears.


    They had received significant damage, and suffered internal injuries due to the Giant Termite''s mes, so they no longer wanted to bite its body, which made them feel a world of pain.


    """Skeleton Make Bazooka!"""


    Three Giant Skeleton Cannonballs descended upon the Adamantine Ants'' faces, which made them all screeched in anger.


    The Skeleton Cannonballs'' damage wasn''t what made the Ants stagger and screech in anger.


    It was the Abyss Touch that was imbued in Lux''s attacks that directly damaged their soul, which made them pull back the spikes that had embedded themselves in the Giant Termite''s body.


    The Giant Termite, who had just been freed, immediately summoned walls of mes to separate itself from his attackers. It had been enduring all this time, despite the serious injuries it received from fighting three Deimos-Ranked Monsters.


    Lux knew that the Giant Termite couldn''t fall at this point in time because if it did, no one would be able to fight the three Deimos-Ranked Adamantium Ants. They were already at their limit, and were trying desperately to protect everyone.


    Losing the strongest fighter on their side would definitely make them fail their mission, so the Half-Elf prioritized saving the Giant Termite, despite the hardships he was facing at the moment.


    Since they couldn''t see the people inside the blizzard, the other lower-ranked Ants started to shoot Iron Bullets and Steel Bullets inside the Blizzard. They really couldn''t see anything, so they decided to just shoot randomly out of frustration.


    Eiko, Asmodeus, and their clones, had erected Bone Walls to protect everyone from the bombardment. They kept on creating more, but they couldn''t protect everyone.


    Several of the Iron and Steel Bullets managed to hit people, and the wooden wagons, causing casualties and serious injuries to others.


    ��---------------


    < Remaining Number of Residents of Abingdon Town: 2,198 >


    ��---------------


    Lux''s frown deepened as the notification sounded inside his head. If the number of residents fell below 1,000, they would immediately fail their mission.


    They already had suffered many casualties already, and he knew that the number would only increase the longer the battles went on.


    Fortunately, although the Viscous Carabus Ground Beetle''s health was halfway gone, it''s movements had be incredibly sluggish due to the damage it soul had received from the power of the Abyss.


    This was why Abyssal Creatures were very hard to deal with because they didn''t need to kill anyone or anything in order to incapacitate them. All they needed to do was damage their target''s soul until they no longer had the ability to move their body.


    In short, most of the Abyssal Creature''s opponents entered aatose state due to the Soul Damage they received.


    The Vicious Carabus Ground Beetle was suffering the same Fate and, right now, it was nearly at its limit.


    Even so, Lux didn''t want to take any chances, so he and his clones continued to attack the Field Boss Monster until itpletely stopped moving.


    After making sure that the enemy was no longer a threat to him, and his allies, the Half-Elf didn''t bat an eye to leave it behind and attack the Ants, who were mercilessly killing the residents of the town that he wanted to save.

 Chapter 562 Terror Of The Plains [Part 1]

    "Everyone, rally to me!" Pietro shouted within the blizzard.


    Right now, the Town''s Guards, and Lux''s allies were trying to protect everyone. However, since the monsters were randomly firing a barrage of attacks at the blizzard, it was very hard for them to protect everyone.


    Because of this, Pietro decided to gather everyone into one spot, so that the defenders could effectively protect them. They had already suffered several losses and the cries of pain, sadness, and anger within the blizzard made his heart ache.


    The remaining residents were now less than two thousand people, and more died with every passing minute.


    All the residents gathered together after hearing their Mayor''s shout. Families huddled with each other, while others prayed to the Gods to save them from the Monsters that were out to kill them all.


    When all the remaining residents had merged together in one ce, Asmodeus, Eiko, and their clones synchronized their Skeleton Make Skill to create a Skeleton Dome to protect the people from further harm.


    For a brief moment, the people sighed in relief after they were enclosed by the protective dome made of bones. However, this relief disappeared when loud cracking sounds were heard as the Ants'' Iron and Steel Bullets collided with their shelter.


    The Mosquitoes also shot Wind des into the Blizzard, hitting the Skeleton Dome relentlessly. Little by little, parts of the dome shattered. But, these ces were immediately repaired as Asmodeus, and Eiko, continued to channel their mana to the skeletal structure that was keeping everyone safe.


    Outside the raging blizzard, Lux and his clones unleashed countless spinning des that shredded everything they came in contact with.


    His Skeleton Gang Bangers, and Rock Golems were dealing with the remaining Giant Ground Beetles, while his Skeleton Arcane Hunters and Skeleton Mages were helping their Master attack the Tetramorium Ants


    Just as everyone was being pushed to their limits, all of them heard a loud buzzing sounding from the South.


    "You have got to be kidding me��," Lux almost cursed out loud after seeing the new threat that was approaching them from behind.


    Hundreds of monsters that Lux was all too familiar with were approaching them at a rapid pace.


    They were none other than Red-Eyed Terror Mantises, which was one of the low-ranked Alpha Bosses of the Figaro Garden of Leaf Vige.


    Standing out among them were dozens of Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantises that had given Lux a scare of his life back then.


    But, these monsters were nothingpared to the lone, seven-meter tall, Red Mantis that reminded the Half-Elf of how the Red-Eyed Terror Mantis and the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis looked when they activated their Berserk Ability.


    Lux immediately summoned his Soul Book to identify the new arrivals, and this time, he didn''t hold back and cursed out loud.


    "F*ck!" The Half-Elf knew then and there that their chances of clearing their mission was now next to impossible.


    Just dealing with the current monsters around them already made things extremely difficult for them. Now that a new threat had arrived, he was very tempted to raise his middle finger to the world.


    ��--------


    < Crimson Berserker Mantis >


    �C Terror of the ins


    �C Deimos-Ranked World Boss Monster


    �C Berserked Hunter


    Health: 43,200,000 / 43,200,000


    Mana: 1,200,000 / 1,200,000


    Strength: 5,000


    Intelligence: 2,000


    Vitality: 4,000


    Agility: 4,000


    Dexterity: 4,000


    Active Skills: Crimson sh, Berserker Barrage, Hunter''s Mark, Cross sh, Sky Dive, Fury Cutter, Burst Speed.


    Passive Skills:  Blood Rage, Blood Lust, Blood Thirst


    Special Ability: Berserker Fervor


    ��------------


    < Berserker Fervor >


    �C This monster is always in Berserk Mode, giving it a permanent 300% increased Attack Damage.


    �C Any Mantises that were being led by this monster will also gain a 300% increased Attack Bonus.


    �C This monster is immune to any status debuffs.


    ��------------


    A World Boss Monster was on a different levelpared to an Alpha and a Field Boss Monster.


    These Monsters'' strength was at the peak of their respective Rankings, and it would take at least several Low-Rankers to defeat a Deimos-Ranked World Boss.


    Lux had the impression that the Ant Queen of the Tetramorium Ants, as well as the Queen of the Red Giant Hos might be World Bosses as well. But, these monsters weren''t really proficient in fighting.


    Their main purpose was to give birth to workers and soldiers, whose role was to provide her with food and protect her from harm.


    Although they were hard to kill, their fighting power wasn''t that great. They couldn''t bepared to the Crimson Berserker Mantis, who was an Apex Predator in the insect world.


    With an ear-piercing screech, the Crimson Mantis announced its presence, making all the Monsters shift their attention to it.


    Just as Lux was thinking about what to do next, something unexpected happened. The Mosquito Swarm and the Red Giant Hos immediately retreated.


    The Ants, on the other hand, didn''t back away and shifted their attention to the approaching Mantises and unleashed a barrage of Iron and Steel Bullets in their direction.


    The three Deimos-Ranked Adamantium Ants also stopped attacking the seriously injured Giant Termite, whose mes had grown significantly smaller and weaker after fighting against three Deimos-Ranked opponents at the same time.


    Two of the Giant Termite''s six legs, and its wings had been torn off from its body. Puddles of magma-like blood pooled under its body. Despite how seriously injured it was, its will to fight didn''t decrease, in fact it burned even brighter.


    However, its opponents'' attention had turned elsewhere, allowing it to catch its breath.


    Although the Deimos-Ranked Adamantium Ants managed to give the Giant Termite serious injuries, they weren''t unscathed and their bodies were filled with burn marks, despite how hard, and strong their defenses were.


    Two of the Adamantium Ants even had ck blood flowing out of their body from the bite marks of the Giant Termite, who fought them tooth and nail, despite being outnumbered.


    Although the Mosquito Swarm and the Red Giant Hos had left, and the Ants seemed to be keen on fighting the Mantises, something was telling Lux that they weren''t out of danger.


    In fact, his gut instincts were telling him that they were in more dangerpared to what they faced earlier.


    Just as the Half-Elf was thinking of ordering Asmodeus to tell the Mayor, Pietro, that they should use this opportunity to escape, the Crimson Berserker Mantis uttered another screech and shed its razor sharp ws in front of it, creating a Crimson Wind de that annihted anything it hit.


    The Adamantium Ants immediately attacked it with Steel Bullets, but the Giant Crimson Mantis easily avoided it due to its high agility and dexterity.


    Its movement was so fast that it managed to close the gap between it, and the three Deimos-Ranked Ants within seconds, catching the three by surprise.


    The Crimson Mantis flew past them before soaring towards the sky, flying towards the Red Giant Hos who had decided to escape from the battlefield.


    Suddenly, one of the Adamantium Ants, who were five-meters-tall, copsed on the ground.


    Two of its Adamantium-Coated legs were cut off from its body, spraying ck blood in the surroundings.


    Lux couldn''t believe what he saw because even his full powered strike wouldn''t be able to aplish such a thing.


    While the Half-Elf was still trying to understand what just happened, the Crimson Berserker Mantis had already caught up with the Red Giant Hos and started to cut them all in half.


    In just a span of a minute, all of the Red Giant Wasps were dead, including the people that they had carried away to bring back to their nest.


    After dealing with the Hos, the Giant Crimson Mantis made a U-Turn before unleashing dozens of Crimson des, which annihted the Giant Ground Beetles, Skeleton Gang Bangers, as well as the Rock Golems that had been fighting against each other since the battle started.


    While this was happening, the Red-Eyed Terror Mantises, and the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantises, engaged the Mosquito swarm and started a one-sided massacre.


    They were led by three Savage Hunter Mantises, which were Rank 5 Field Boss Monsters.


    Since the Crimson Berserk Mantis'' could bestow its Special Ability, Berserker Fervor, to its allies, all the Mantises'' attack power was boosted by 300%. This allowed them to slice through the mosquito swarm like a hot knife cutting through butter, decimating them without mercy.


    It was at that moment when Lux realized why his Sixth Sense was screaming for him to escape from the ce as far as he could.


    Clearly, the Mantises had no intention of letting anyone leave the battlefield. They were Apex Predators who killed for the sake of killing.


    As long as they decided to attack, they would not stop until their targets were sliced in half by their razor sharp ws, which were now stained by the blood of the insects that they had killed.

 Chapter 563 Terror Of The Plains [Part 2]

    Lux had fought many battles.


    Perhaps, two of the scariest encounters he had was the battle against the Abyssal Monster which had attacked White Bridge City in the Kingdom of Gweliven, as well as the Indus Death Worm that he had met in Keoza''s Dungeon.


    Both times, he felt as if he had no chance of winning against them, and his only option was to escape as fast as he could.


    Although the Elemental Tempest that was guarding the Forest of Beginnings was many times stronger than the Crimson Berserk Mantis that had just exterminated all the Red Giant Hos in the surroundings, Lux didn''t feel as if the Elemental Monster nned to kill him.


    However, this time, it was different. He knew, with every fiber of his being that the Giant Mantis had no intention of letting anyone leave the battlefield alive.


    Perhaps, the Ants knew this as well. So, instead of running away, they held their ground and simply took the initiative to attack the World Boss, whose deadly ws were capable of cutting the hard Adamantium Exoskeleton of the Deimos-Ranked Ants.


    "Sh*t...," Lux muttered as a grim expression appeared on his face.


    Suddenly, an idea appeared inside his head so he immediately acted on it, not caring if it would seed or not.


    The Half-Elf flew towards the Deimos-Ranked Ants who had taken defensive stances beside their brethren who had lost two of its legs.


    "Let''s have a ceasefire for now!" Lux shouted as soon as he neared the Ants.


    He then pointed at the Giant Crimson Mantis that was looking down at them with disdain from the sky, and made a proposal to the Ants.


    "Let''s all work together to fight that thing," Lux stated. "If you don''t kill it now, there''s a chance that it will attack your colonyter, and kill your Queen!"


    Lux knew that the Ants were loyal to their Queen, and would fight to defend her at all cost.


    When he was still in Leaf Vige, he identally came across Ants who were pacifists in nature. Because of that, he was able to visit their Ant Nest and interact with them on a regr basis.


    Although the Tetramorium Ants was a very aggressive species, he hoped that he could find a middle ground, so that all of them could work together.


    Unfortunately, for the Ants, the only one they trusted was their own kind. They understood what the Half-Elf was trying to say, but for them, they would never work together with other species to fight their battles for them.


    One of the Adamantium-Ranked Ants didn''t hesitate and fired an Adamantium Bullet in Lux''s direction, forcing the Half-Elf to evade and fly away.


    It was then when the telepathic voice of the Giant Termite reached his ears.


    "It''s no use talking to these Ants," the Giant Termite said. "What you should do is evacuate this ce as fast as you can. I know that you have the ability to do that. The residents of Abingdon Town can no longer be saved. I''m afraid that this is where they will all die."


    The Giant Termite then painstakingly tried to prop itself up from the ground as it rekindled the mes that had almost disappeared from its body.


    After losing two of its legs, and suffering many serious injuries, it could no longer move from its location. However, it could still unleash its powerful spells, which it hoped would be strong enough to burn the Giant Crimson Mantis'' body.


    The Giant Crimson Mantis then descended from the sky and flew straight towards the Giant Termite, whose mes covered its entire body.


    Knowing that the World Boss nned to get rid of it first, the Giant Termite faced his enemy fearlessly, as it gathered all of its magical energy, preparing to unleash all of its attack spells at the same time.


    Immediately, severalyers of Fire Wall appeared in front of the Giant Termite, and a giant magic circle appeared in the sky above its head.


    "Fire Storm!"


    Fireballs rained from the sky, making the temperature in the surroundings rise dramatically. However, the Crimson Berserk Mantis easily avoided these fireballs, as it made its way towards the Giant Termite, who was surrounded by zing mes.


    A few secondster, the Giant Termite spewed mes from its mouth, passing through the Fire Walls it created.


    Lux gasped in surprise because he knew that the Giant Termite had used its skill, methrower. However, the thing that surprised Lux was when the Fire Breath hit the Walls of Fire in front of it.


    The mes that the Giant Termite unleashed expanded, doubling its size. But, it didn''t end there. The methrower continued to be bigger, and stronger, until it finally hit the Giant Mantis'' body, making it screech in pain.


    The Giant Crimson Mantis didn''t see the attack right away until it was toote because its surroundings were covered in mes.


    Truth be told, the Fire Storm, and the Firewall were simply a smokescreen to create a trap that would allow the Giant Termite to hit the World Boss with its strongest attack in its arsenal.


    This was the Giant Termite''s Trump Card that it had developed over the years, harnessing the power of mes in its surroundings to fuel its attacks, increasing their attack power exponentially.


    Even the Deimos-Ranked World Boss wasn''t able to shrug off the zing mes that hit its body dead center.


    As if seeing the perfect opportunity to take revenge for their fallenrades, all of the Deimos-Ranked Ants unleashed a Spiked Adamantium Bullet the size of a wrecking ball.


    These deadly giant cannonballs, which were out for blood, flew straight and true at the screeching Giant Crimson Mantis.


    Their attacks connected which sent the World Boss skidding hundreds of meters across the ground while its body was still covered in mes.


    Just as the Ants were about to fire another round of Steel Bullets at the Giant Mantis, thetter did something unexpected, which made Lux cry out in shock.


    In a matter of seconds, the Giant Crimson Mantis disappeared from where it was before reappearing a hundred meters away from the Giant Termite, whose body had already returned to normal.


    It had used everything in thatst attack, and was already a spent candle. Because of this, its movement, and reaction abilities had almost slowed down to aplete halt, making it unable to defend itself.


    Time seemed to slow down as Lux used his Skeleton Make Skill to create a giant spear in an attempt to save the Giant Termite from the screeching Giant Mantis, whose razor sharp ws had turned a deadly crimson hue.


    The Giant Mantis had used its skill, Burst Speed, giving it a momentarily boost in speed, propelling it to travel short distances almost instantly for a short period of time.


    It was also why fighting against the Giant Mantis was very dangerous because it could appear in its opponent''s blindspot at any given time.


    Just as Lux was about to throw his Giant Skeletal Spear, the Crimson Berserker Mantis had once again disappeared from its spot, and reappeared a few meters away from the Giant Termite.


    With one quick sh of its ws, the Giant Termite''s body was cleanly cut in half, giving it no time to scream in pain.


    After delivering the attack, the Giant Mantis once again flew into the sky, as if waiting for its Speed Burst ability''s cooldown to end.


    The upper, and lower part of the Giant Termite''s body crashed on the ground, spilling molten blood that melted the ground under it.


    Surprisingly, the Giant Termite was not instantly killed by that attack, but the light in its eyes was slowly fading away.


    The Giant Mantis no longer paid the dying Giant Termite any attention as it shifted its gaze to the three Adamantium Ants, whom it considered the three creatures that could still threaten it on the battlefield.


    "Noooooooo!" Lux shouted as he dispersed the giant skeleton spear that he was about to throw at the Giant Mantis.


    Without even looking at the World Boss, the Half-Elf immediately flew towards the direction of the dying creature, who was at death''s door.


    He knew this was a futile effort on his part because no matter what he did, the Giant Termite''s death was assured.


    However, for some reason, somethingpelled him to go to the creature, who hade to lend its hand to them, even though it had already said that it was not going to help.


    It was as if someone had pushed him in the back, giving him a strong urge to talk to the Giant Termite onest time before it drew itsst breath, and join his one and only friend, Drystan, in the afterlife.

 Chapter 564 You Can Be A Hero Too [Part 1]

    The Giant Termitey on the ground, its massive body slowly convulsing in its final moments. Its eyes flickered, struggling to stay open, as it gazed up at the sky.


    It knew its time hade, and it epted its fate with stoic resignation.


    "So, this is where it ends��," the Giant Termite faintly muttered, feeling its life force trickling down like the sand in an hourss.


    Its zing eyes slowly lost their glow, and its body stopped convulsing. As its eyes slowly closed, a tear fell from them, evaporating even before it could hit the ground.


    In its final moments, it found itself in a ce he was all too familiar with.


    A volcano could be seen spewingva high up in the air in the distance, and thends around him were covered in a red tint.


    "I''m back," the Giant Termite said as it looked around. "This must be the afterlife��"


    Suddenly, a yful voice that he hadn''t heard for several months reached his ears.


    "Thank you for doing your best, old friend."


    The Giant Termite turned around and saw the person that had saved him in the past and given him a new purpose for living.


    "Drystan." The Giant Termite looked at his friend fondly. "Have youe to pick me up?"


    The former Mayor of Abingdon Town didn''t reply right away. Instead, he walked to his friend and hugged the Giant Termite''s head, and patted it as if it was the head of a small child.


    The Giant Termite didn''t resist and even enjoyed the familiar skinship that he shared with the Human, whom he had spent several decades with.


    "There''s something I''d like you to see, my friend," Drystan said as he backed away. "After that, you will need to make an important decision."


    Before the Giant Termite could even process what his friend was talking about, the scenery around them changed, showing a giant in the sky.


    The Giant Termite gazed at it, simr to how someone from space would gaze at the Earth, admiring the beautiful blue.


    Unfortunately, the the Giant Termite saw wasn''t beautiful.


    From its perspective, it looked like a rotting melon which was too gruesome to look at.


    "... This is?" the Giant Termite asked as it shifted its attention to its friend, who had his arms crossed over his chest.


    "It''s a dying world," Drystan replied. "A world that is about to meet its end in a few years."


    "Is this the world we were living in?"


    "No. It''s a different world. It''s the world the Foreigners came from."


    The Giant Termite nodded its head in understanding. It was all too familiar with the term Foreigners because he had seen thousands of them in the past.


    In fact, when he saw Lux, he knew that the Half-Elf was a Foreigner because their kind emitted a certain presence that was very different from the residents of Elysium.


    "The name of that world is Sis," Drystan stated. "Its demise is inevitable unless a miracle happens."


    "Why are you telling me this?" The Giant Termite inquired. "You know I couldn''t care less about these things."


    Drystan smiled and nodded his head. He knew that the Giant Termite wasn''t a creature who cared about anyone except him, which made him feel both happy and sad at the same time.


    If not for his request, the Giant Termite wouldn''t have even bothered to protect the residents of Abingdon Town, who had decided to evacuate the Shaufell ins in order to have a chance of survival.


    "Look closer, my friend," Drystan said as he pointed at the of Sis in the sky. "Do you see something else?"


    The Giant Termite squinted its eyes as it tried to look farther in order to see what Drystan was talking about.


    Its vision then zoomed in toward the, which was normally impossible, and saw several men, women, and creatures in various areas of the world, entering a meditative state and channeling their consciousness to wrap the world of Sis in a protectiveyer.


    Outside these protectiveyers, a ck blight, which had already spread across the entire, was being kept at bay.


    The ck blight was pulsing like a living creature, which the Giant Termite found repulsive. However, it didn''t end there.


    The Giant Termite''s vision once again zoomed in, and this time, its vision passed through the exterior of the, seeing another world inside the it had seen earlier.


    The was very beautiful, and it made the Giant Termite feel a strong connection to it. Although Drystan didn''t tell it anything, the Giant Termite was sure that he was looking at his own world, where it had been born.


    However, it noticed something that made it gasp in shock.


    In the western region of the, a small patch of ck blight could be seen. It was the same ck blight that it had seen in Sis, making the world look like a rotting melon from the outside.


    "The name of our world is Elysium," Drystan said after seeing the surprised expression on his friend''s face. "It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that our world and the world of Sis are joined at the hips.


    "Right now, our world is slowing down the death of Sis, but in return, the corruption of the Abyss has also taken root within it. If left unchecked, it will suffer the same fate as the dying world.


    "Although it may not happen tomorrow, or not even a year from now, somewhere along the line, our world will suffer the same fate as Sis."


    As Drystan exined these things, the Giant Termite saw several people, as well as creatures, who were doing the exact same thing as what the people of Sis were doing.


    They were coating the world of Elysium in a protective barrier, keeping the blight from spreading further.


    The surprising thing was that, aside from the living creatures on the of Elysium, he saw several Spirits of the Dead doing the same thing, which made ite to a realization.


    "Drystan, are you perhaps��" The Giant Termite looked at his friend, who looked back at him with a smile.


    "It is as you thought," Drystan replied. "I am one of the many that are protecting our world even in Death."

 Chapter 565 You Can Be A Hero Too [Part 2]

    "It is as you thought. I am one of the many that are protecting our world even in Death."


    The Giant Termite didn''t really understand how someone who had already died was still able to support their world even from the afterlife. However, it thought that since its friend was special, Drystan was able to do even the impossible things.


    Still, it didn''t understand why his friend would go that far.


    "... But why? Why must you go this far for this world?" the Giant Termite asked. "Is it because you are a Hero?"


    Drystan chuckled after hearing the Giant Termite''s words.


    "A Hero?" Drystan smirked. "You really think that I was a Hero?"


    The Giant Termite nodded its head. It had always believed that his friend was the best human in existence. Even now, he still thought that way.


    "In the past, you told me that Heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary," the Giant Termite stated. "A Hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. I can see that what you are doing is something bigger and grander. Are you perhaps here to tell me to apany you and also contribute to saving Elysium?"


    The Giant Termite didn''t really care about the world, but since his one and only friend was doing it, he intended to lend him a hand.


    "You know, ever since we met, you''ve always listened to what I say," Drystan said with a sad expression on his face. "After losing your colony, you have also lost your purpose in life. I know that you agreed to be my Beast Companion and followed me on my adventures because you are searching for something that would give your life a purpose.


    "You needed a reason to continue living, and frankly, I found you very pitiful. A puppet whose strings had been cut, unable to do anything, but wait for itself to rot away and disappear from the face of the world."


    For some reason, the Giant Termite felt incredibly hurt and angry at its friends'' words. It wanted to retort to Drystan that he was wrong and that it wasn''t a puppet. However, he couldn''t think of a goodeback for what his friend had said to him.


    Because of this, it grew very frustrated, which made it do something it had never done before.


    The Giant Termite screeched at his one-and-only friend, which it would have never done normally. It felt furious having been called pitiful by the one and only person it had truly cared about ever since its colony''s demise.


    "Hahaha. Now, this expression of yours is way better than what you always have," Drystan said as he tried to pat his friend''s head, but the Giant Termite swatted his friend''s hand away in anger because it still felt frustrated and, in a way, betrayed by his words.


    "I only tried to help save the people of Abingdon Town because of you!" the Giant Termite screeched. "I only did it because of you!"


    Drystan stoppedughing and looked at his friend with a solemn expression on his face.


    "I know," Drystan replied. "And what you did meant the world to me."


    The Giant Termite''s one and only friend,l deeply bowed his head as a way of thanking the Nameless Vagabond for honoring their friendship till the very end.


    Seeing Drystan bow his head, the Giant Termite''s anger decreased significantly. He knew how proud Drystan was and knew that the man would never bow his head so easily.


    "I''ve tried many times to give you a name, but you refused me each and every time," Drystan said as he raised his head. "You said it was because you wanted to keep the memory of your colony alive because you are itsst remaining member. But now that you have died, this responsibility is also over, right?"


    The Giant Termite reluctantly nodded its head because there was no refuting his friend''s words.


    "It''s just frustrating that even in the end, I failed to be a Hero just like you," the Giant Termite gave a long and sad sigh. "I wanted to be just like you, Drystan. Someone that people honored and remembered even after you died.


    "Unlike you, I won''t be remembered by anyone. I hadn''t done anything significant in my life, nor had I left a mark on the world. Not only did I fail to be a Hero, but I also failed to live a great life, and die a great death."


    Drystan looked at his friend long and hard before the corner of his lips rose by a slight margin.


    "What if I told you that you can still do that," Drystan replied. "What if I tell you that you can leave your mark on the world and make your name resound far and wide, allowing everyone to know your name."


    The Giant Termite looked at his friend incredulously. He didn''t want to look down on his friend, but even Drystan failed to make his name known far and wide.


    The only ce that honored his friend was none other than Abingdon Town, which was now on the verge of being wiped out by the Giant Mantis that had killed it.


    "Your gaze hurts a bit, you know?" Drystan chuckled as he looked at his friend who was looking at him with a pitiful gaze. "When did you gain the guts to look at me pitifully? You never did that in the past."


    "What? You are the one who started it!" The Giant Termite used one of its feet to slightly push his friend backward, making thetterugh out loud.


    It was at that moment when the Giant Termite heard words inside his head. They were very faint and incoherent that he couldn''t understand thempletely.


    It was simr to one of the shamans that they had met in the past that would chant several things while standing in front of a bonfire, calling upon the spirits of the world.


    The broken words it was hearing were like buzzing in its ears, but for some reason, it could tell that someone was calling out to him.


    "Termite, listen well," Drystan said as the world around them faded, returning to the Shaufell ins where the battle for survival was being waged.


    The Giant Termite looked at the red-headed teenager, whose hand was touching its head.


    Behind the Half-Elf, Drystan stood with his arms crossed over his chest, and a bright smile on his face.


    "Heroes have many things to protect. That''s why we can''t lose." Drystan said. "And, my friend, I know that you are someone who doesn''t want to lose."


    The Giant Termite looked at his friend and then at the Half-Elf, who was saying something to him.


    It was at that moment when it realized that the broken and intangible words that it was hearing in its head earlier wasing from the Half-Elf, who was releasing a certain kind of power that was preventing its body, and soul, from dyingpletely.


    "Now, you have an important choice to make, My Friend," Drystan said. "Do you want toe with me or stay and leave your mark in the world, so everyone will know that even a Nameless Termite who lost its entire colony... can be a Hero, too."

 Chapter 566 Rebirth Of The Future From The Ashes Of The Past [Part 1]

    After slicing the Giant Termite''s body in half, the Crimson Berserker Mantis shifted its attention to the three Deimos-Ranked Adamantium Ants, who were the next biggest threats on the battlefield


    It was confident that no one on the battlefield could fight it. However, since it didn''t want to take any chances, it nned to eliminate those that had the potential to deal damage to it before cleaning up the Humans, who would serve as food for its subordinates.


    Naturally, the three Deimos-Ranked Ants, including the one that had lost its legs, all screeched defiantly at the approaching Giant Mantis and unleashed a barrage of Spiked-Adamantium Bullets, forcing the World Boss to take evasive action.


    After half a minute of evading the three Ants'' continuous attack, the Giant Crimson Mantis decided to use ranged attacks in order to weaken and disorient its opponents as a way to close the gap and deliver a lethal blow to one of them.


    The Giant Crimson Mantis didn''t have to worry about its targets, because one of the Deimos-Ranked Ants was already crippled and unable to move.


    It then unleashed dozens of Crimson shes toward the immobile ant, forcing itspanions to summon Earth Walls in order to block its attacks.


    Unfortunately, this strategy backfired on the Ants because it made it easier for the Crimson Giant Mantis to close the gap between them since the Earth Walls blocked the Ants'' sight, preventing them from seeing their enemy.


    When they finally realized their mistake, it was already toote because the Giant Crimson Mantis was only a hundred meters away from them.


    With one mighty cleave of its razor-sharp ws, the Giant Mantis shed the Earth Wall in half and used its Burst Speed to instantly reappear beside the fallen Deimos-Ranked Ant.


    Before itsrades could evene to its rescue, the Giant Mantis had already used its skill, Berserker Barrage, leaving deep gashes in the Adamantium Ant''s body, and cutting off its remaining legs, rendering itpletely immobile.


    This all happened in the span of only a few seconds, giving the Adamantium Ant no opportunity to scream in pain.


    A secondter, the Giant Mantis flew upwards. Its Crimson Body reflected the light of the sun, temporarily blinding the two Ants that had moved to protect theirrade from the Giant Mantis'' killing blow.


    Seeing that its strategy worked, the sly World Boss used its skill, Sky Dive, to descend towards its target. It also used Speed Burst, which exponentially increased its speed, to deliver the coup de grace.


    When the two Deimos-Ranked Ants regained their vision, the first thing they saw was the head of theirrade rolling on the ground in front of them.


    As if guided by their natural instincts, the two Ants immediately unleashed Adamantium Spikes that sprouted from their bodies, preventing the Giant Crimson Mantis from following up with another sneak attack.


    The Giant Mantis knew that the two remaining Ants would keep the needle-like protrusions on their bodies in order to deter it from attacking them at close range.


    Because of this, it decided to shift its attention to the Lower-Ranked Ants and started a one-sided ughter. This act enraged the two Deimos-Ranked Ants, forcing them to charge at the hateful Giant Crimson Mantis, whose tactics took advantage of the Ants'' strong bond with the members of their colony.


    The battling Insects'' screeching and hissing spread throughout the battlefield as the Mantises fought against everyone in sight.


    Asmodeus, who was tasked to protect everyone, nced at his Master, who was currently standing in front of the Giant Termite who was on the brink of death.


    ''Master, it''s no use,'' Asmodeus said to Lux via telepathy. ''Even if you revive the Giant Termite, it is impossible for it to win against the Crimson Berserker Mantis. I hate to say this, but we have no choice but to take our people and leave while we still can!''


    Lux, whose hands were pressed over the Giant Termite''s head, was doing his best to preserve the body of the Giant Termite, as well as its soul.


    Just like Asmodeus, he understood that even if he were to make the Giant Termite a member of his Covenant or Animated Undead Legion, the result would still be the same.


    The Giant Mantis would ughter them all without mercy.


    ''Take Master Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, Livia, Gerhart, and Cethus away from here!'' Lux ordered. ''I have my ways to escape, so take them first!''


    Since his Master had already given a direct order, Asmodeus no longer hesitated and summoned his Skeleton Warriors to grab the Dwarves.


    "Gerhart, Cethus,e!" Asmodeus shouted, making the green-haired Half-Elf and the Dragon Born to look in the Archlich''s direction.


    Perhaps, the two understood that the battle was already lost, so they flew toward Asmodeus without asking any questions.


    When everyone had gathered, the Archlich used its skill, Skeleton Make, and created a Giant Cannon.


    A momentter, his two clones pressed their hands together and enveloped the Dwarves, the green-haired Half-Elf, as well as the Dragon Born in a Skeleton Cannonball, which was then loaded into the Giant Cannon.


    A resounding explosion reverberated across the ins as Lux''spanions were blown to safety.


    Before the red-headed teenager could heave a sigh of relief, he felt something lightnd on top of his head, which made him smile bitterly.


    "Pa!" Eiko angrily jumped up and down her Papa''s head because thetter had decided to let her escape, while he remained on the battlefield.


    Since the Baby Slime had the ability to instantly teleport herself to Lux''s and Iris'' locations, wherever they may be, she returned to her Papa''s side in order to fight with him until the end.


    ''Master, our people have been safely evacuated,'' Asmodeus said as he and Lux''s other Named Creatures guarded the residents of Abingdon Town.


    Pietro, who had witnessed what Lux had done, didn''t say anything and simply prepared himself for the worst-case scenario. He understood that their chances of survival were slim, so he didn''t look down on the Half-Elf for prioritizing the safety of his own people over theirs.


    Suddenly, a blood-curdling cry reached everyone''s ears as one of the Adamantium Ants'' chest was pierced by the Crimson Berserker Mantis'' deadly ws.


    Everyone who saw this wasn''t able to stop themselves from gasping in shock because they understood that when thest Adamantium Ant fell, it would be their turn to die.


    While all of this was happening, Lux had fallen into some kind of a trance while he was channeling his Necromantic Energy into the Giant Termite, whose eyes had already dimmedpletely.


    When he regained his senses, he found himself in the middle of a colony war between the Fire Ants and the zed Coned Termites.


    Everything around him burned in zing mes, which made him wonder if he had unknowingly died and had gone straight to hell.


    While he was still attempting to understand what was happening around him, he saw an old man casually walking in his direction despite the fact that the Fire Ants and the ze Coned Termites were fighting beside him.


    "What you are looking at right now, is the memory of my friend," the old man said with a solemn expression on his face. "A past that has haunted it every single day of its life."


    Lux stared at the old man until thetter stopped two meters away from him, giving the unfamiliar yet familiar person a critical gaze.


    "Sir Drystan?" Lux inquired.


    The old man smiled and gave the Half-Elf a brief nod of acknowledgment.


    Although Lux hadn''t met the old man before, he had a feeling that the one standing in front of him right now was the Giant Termite''s one and only friend, whom it cherished very much until the bitter end.

 Chapter 567 Rebirth Of The Future From The Ashes Of The Past [Part 2]

    "This is one of the Giant Termite''s memories?" Lux inquired.


    "Yes," Drystan replied. "This is the battle where it lost not only its entire colony but also its purpose for living."


    After giving his reply, Drystan made a gesture for the Half-Elf to continue watching the battle.


    As a Necromancer, Lux could tell that the one he was talking to wasn''t an illusion made by his imagination, but the soul of the Dead, who still had lingering attachments to the world and was unable to move on.


    Because of this, he decided to watch the battle that was happening in front of him to understand what the Former Mayor of Abingdon Town wanted to tell him.


    The battlested for a little more than an hour.


    Lux was surprised when he saw the appearance of the Argonaut-Ranked Anteater, who had eaten the Termite Queen right in front of thest Soldier Termite of their colony.


    For some reason, the Half-Elf could feel the Soldier Termite''s raw emotions of fear, anger, despair, and helplessness, and it resonated with Lux''s own experiences in both of his lifetimes.


    When the Argonaut-Ranked Anteater left, the Half-Elf looked at the lone Soldier Termite whose entire body shivered amidst the countless dead ants and termites around it.


    "My friend always said that I was the one who saved him," Drystan said. "But, truth be told, he was the one who saved me. When I first met him, I had already lost many important things in my life, so I was looking for a ce to die.


    "However, when I met him on that fateful day, I found someone who was suffering just like me and thought that, perhaps, helping him would make me feel better. Perhaps, helping him would allow me to move on from my own heartache.


    "In short, I befriended him for my own self-satisfaction, and you know what? His entire world revolved around me. He made me his reason for living."


    Drystan smiled bitterly as he looked at the lone-figure that was shivering in the distance.


    "In his eyes, I am a Hero," Drystan said softly. "But, in my eyes, he is the real Hero, and I want the world to know that. Half-Elf, I know what you are capable of doing, and I know what you''re nning to do. However, I will not allow you to use my friend as your pawn for your own selfish reasons.


    "The one who gets to decide what he wants will be him, and no one else. Even as a Spirit, I will fight you if you revive him as your minion against his will."


    Drystan''s eyes glowed green as he looked at the Half-Elf with a steady gaze. Clearly, he meant what he said, and Lux could tell how serious the former Mayor of Abingdon Town was.


    "Go," Drystand stated. "Ask him what he wants to do, and if he agrees, I will bestow upon him and you my blessing."


    Before Lux could even give a reply, the old man disappeared, leaving him and the shivering Soldier Termite alone.


    Lux took a deep breath before walking in the direction of the Soldier Termite, who seemed to have lost its will to live.


    Right now, he understood that the Giant Termite was watching its life sh before its eyes as its life force slowly faded away.


    The Half-Elf knew that the Giant Termite had less than ten minutes to live, and in that span of time, he must find a way to convince it to continue living.


    "Hello, Mr. Termite," Lux greeted as he stood beside the Soldier Termite who was looking in the direction where the Argonaut-Ranked Anteater had gone. "Can we perhaps have a prope�C"


    Before Lux could even finish his words, the Soldier Termite cut him off without even looking in his direction.


    "One reason," the Soldier Termite replied. "Give me one reason why I should help you."


    Lux knew that this was his one and only chance to convince the Soldier Termite to continue its desire to leave, so he didn''t answer right away.


    He thought of many things to say.


    Words of ttery.


    Words filled with promise.


    Words that might make the Soldier Termite empathize with him and help him in his plight.


    But after going through these half-baked words, these silly excuses, and these words meant to trick and give false hope to someone, the Half-Elf realized that he couldn''t use any of these words.


    These weren''t the words that the Soldier Termite needed.


    He had a feeling that whatever he said right now, the Soldier Termite would reject it.


    Lux could feel that the Soldier Termite no longer had any attachments in the world, and he could tell that it wasn''t in the mood to ept any promises from him either.


    As the precious minutes ticked by, the Soldier Termite''s life also trickled away, but it didn''t say anything and simply waited for Lux to give it an answer.


    Drystan had already confessed everything to the Giant Termite, including the reason why he decided to help it in the past.


    Because of this, the Giant Termite felt betrayed because everything it had believed for the past fifty years of life was simply a lie.


    Truth be told, it wished that Drystan had kept this information to himself until the end.


    It wished that it hadn''t been told the truth.


    It was willing to believe its friend until the end, but this same friend made it feel that everything it had done for the past fifty years of its life was all a lie.


    If it had only known it back then, it might have chosen to fight Monsters that were many times stronger than it, so that it could join itsrades in the afterlife.


    When the Giant Termite only had four minutes left to live, the Half-Elf finally opened his mouth to speak.


    "A little more than seventeen years ago, I was chosen by the God of Gamblers to save a dying world from destruction," Lux said as he looked in the distance. "He gave me an opportunity to live a life ording to my wishes. From the color of my hair to a race of my choosing, that God allowed me to have the perfect life and appearance that I wanted to have."


    Lux reminisced about the time he had met the God of Gamblers, Macuilxochitl, who was currently in a state of hibernation ording to the God of Games, Eriol.


    "Back then, I thought that all I needed to do was follow the path that was given to me, and I would be able to live the picture-perfect life that I''ve always dreamed of," Lux stated. "Unfortunately, things didn''t go ording to n. The perfect life I had envisioned for myself slipped from my fingers, and yet, I will never trade my current life for the perfect life that I had desperately wished for in the past."


    The Soldier Termite didn''t understand what Lux was telling him because the concepts of Gods and Reincarnation were beyond its understanding. However, for some reason, it could feel that the Half-Elf wasn''t lying to him, so it continued to listen.


    "I might still be young, but I finally understand that there is no such thing as a perfect life," Lux said softly. "Even if we try our best, life will find ways to f*ck us up and screw us a hundred times over.


    "Sir Termite, I tried to think of ways to win you over so that you can help me ovee this hurdle that I am facing right now, but I can''t think of anything that will move your heart.  So, tell me, is there something that you want to do? Do you have any wish that you want to be fulfilled?


    "I won''t say things like I will fulfill or grant them for you. All I can say is that if it is within my abilities, I will do it."


    The Half-Elf looked at the Soldier Termite and saw several light particles being released from its body. He could tell that it only had less than two minutes to live, and once its entire body became transparent, it would finally disappear from the world without a trace.


    "Tell me, what is a Hero?" the Soldier Termite asked. Earlier, it didn''t pay any attention to Lux. But this time, it turned its head to the side to look at the Half-Elf, who was standing beside it.


    Lux pondered for a few seconds before giving his answer.


    "A Hero is��"

 Chapter 568 I Am Here [Part 1]

    A resounding screech spread in the surroundings as the Crimson Berserker Mantis raised its head to announce its victory against thest Adamantium Ant, who nowy headless under its feet.


    Around it lie countless lower-ranked Ants, with their bodies sliced apart and piled up into a small hill. Although they had no chance of winning against the Giant Crimson Mantis, they still did their best to protect theirst remaining champion in order to keep it from dying under its ws.


    Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried, their efforts were futile under the World Boss'' domineering might.


    The Ant Survivors that now only numbered a few hundred unleashed a barrage of Iron and Steel Bullets at the World Boss, but thetter simply used its ws to block these attacks, making them bounce off its body.


    Suddenly, dark clouds covered the sky, and thunder roared in the heavens.


    Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the darkness that had suddenly covered thend without any warning.


    It was then that the World Boss saw it.


    In the distance, a giant fireball burned brightly like a miniature sun.


    In front of it was a red-headed teenager with his two hands pressed over it.


    At first, the Crimson Berserker Mantis nned to ignore this phenomenon and continue getting rid of the remaining Ants, but something moved in the corner of its eyesight.


    One of the dead Adamantium Ants suddenly rose into the air and flew towards the Giant Fireball as if it was being sucked into it.


    Soon, the second Adamantium Ant followed suit and flew in the direction where the Giant Fireball was.


    As if waiting for that cue, the dead Lower-Ranked Ants, Giant Ground Beetles, Red-Giant Hos, Countless Mosquitoes, as well as a few Mantises that had died in the battle, all rose into the air and were sucked up by the small, miniature sun, whose brightness was growing more intense with each passing second.


    The Giant Crimson Mantis emitted an ear-piercing shriek before opening its wings to fly towards the Giant Fireball with the intention to cut it, as well as the Half-Elf, who seemed to be responsible for its formation.


    Using its Speed Burst, the Giant Mantis crossed the distance in a matter of seconds and shed at the Half-Elf''s back without any mercy.


    However, before its attack could evennd, its body momentarily froze, stopping in mid-air.


    A momentter, it turned its head to look at the Jade Golem, whose golden gauntlets shone brilliantly in the darkness.


    With an irritated screech, the Giant Mantis flew toward Orion with its ws poised to strike.


    A sneer appeared on the Jade Golem''s face as he faced the Deimos-Ranked World Boss who was out to kill it.


    In a split second, the razor-sharp ws, and the golden gauntlets collided, creating a powerful shockwave that sent the Jade Golem, and even the Giant Crimson Mantis, flying backward.


    Pietro''s eyes widened after seeing this scene because he never expected Lux''s summoned creature to be able to take a blow from the World Boss, who had easily eliminated the Deimos-Ranked Monsters that ganged up on it earlier.


    As if it was hit by a racing truck, the Giant Mantis rolled and squirmed on the ground as its body convulsed from pain.


    Orion, on the other hand, slowly propped itself up from the ground and took a fighting stance.


    One of the Beast Cores in its golden gauntlets shattered because its effect had been used.


    The skill that Orion had used against the Giant Crimson Mantis, was the skill, Counter, which reflected any Physical Attack back to their owner, and multiplied it by 200%


    Orion''s and Pazuzu''s roles were to be the Tanks of Lux''s Army and because of this, there was a high chance that both of them would be the first casualties in any battle that the Half-Elf was going to fight.


    Knowing this, Lux gave both of them Pseudo-Legendary Items, which he had gotten from the Gnome, Great General Sherlock, when he conquered the Gate of Conquest.


    Orion''s golden gauntlets allowed him to equip Beast Cores in it and use their abilities until the Beast Core lost its effect.


    The Giant Crimson Mantis didn''t hold back in its attack against the Jade Golem, so it suffered from the bacsh of having its own attack reflected back at it, making it feel a world of pain.


    Just as the World Boss barely regained a bit of itsposure, it heard the sound of a bell, which came from the Giant Fireball in the distance.


    As a Creature that had achieved its Rank, its Bestial Instinct was very high. Because of this, it understood that whatever that Giant Fireball was, it was slowly bing more powerful and would soon be a threat to its existence.


    It was then that the Giant Mantis did something unexpected.


    It pped its wings strongly, creating a dust cloud in its surroundings, blocking it from view.


    Asmodeus, who saw this was immediately rmed because the skill, Deus [EX], required the caster to see its target before the skill would work.


    "No good!" Asmodeus shouted. "Ishtar, Lazarus, Zagan, block that Monster now!"


    The three Named Creatures of Lux''s army immediately made their move, but the Crimson Berserker Mantis was simply too fast for them.


    Using the dust cloud as a smoke screen, it flew towards the burning fireball in the distance like a railgun.


    It knew that if it waited any longer, the thing that the Half-Elf was doing would surely threaten its existence.


    Although Lux could sense the approaching danger from behind, he didn''t have the leeway to pay any attention to it and focused on channeling his mana into the Giant FIreball in front of him.


    "Screeeeeeeee!" The Crimson Berserker Mantis screeched as it used its skill, Cross sh, to hack the Half-Elf into pieces.


    Just as the deadly crimson ws were about tond on the Half-Elf''s back, two wed hands caught the razor-sharp des mid-air, stopping them in ce.


    Before the Crimson Berserker Mantis could even process what happened, a burning fist mmed into its chest, sending it skidding hundreds of meters away from the red-headed teenager, who had copsed on the ground, panting for breath.


    He had used all of his Mana and drained his physical, emotional, and spiritual strength in order to give birth to a miracle that would turn the tide of battle in their favor.


    The sound of a tolling bell came to aplete stop, and the Half-Elf opened his lips to make a deration.


    "Let it be known that on this day, you will no longer be a Nameless Termite," Lux said as he looked up at the over two-meter tall figure that stood in front of him. "On this day, see with your own eyes, hear with your own ears, and feel with your own skin, everything this world has to offer."


    Lux was fighting to keep his eyes open, as exhaustion sapped away his remaining strength.


    However, although he was dead tired, and on the brink of losing his consciousness, he still opened his lips to dere to everyone that they were now safe. Even though they were facing a Monster that could wipe them all from the face of the Shaufell ins, the Half-Elf no longer knew fear.


    Why?


    Because he was here.


    A Termite who aspired to be a Hero, despite not knowing what a Hero really was.


    "Rest. I will handle it from here," the figure in front of Lux said. "But, before you sleep, give me a name."


    An exhausted chuckle escaped Lux''s lips as he listened to the Creature''s domineering words. However, he didn''t feel bad and instead said the words that the newest member of his Covenant was waiting to hear.


    Since his new ally wanted a Heroic name, the Half-Elf would give him a Heroic Name!


    "Use that monster''s face to wipe the floor," Lux ordered as his eyes slowly closed. "Go get him...


    "ALL-MITE!"

 Chapter 569 I Am Here [Part 2]

    When the Crimson Berserker Mantis kicked up a dust cloud that blocked everyone''s sight, Asmodeus realized that it was about to target his Master.


    He immediately ordered his fastestrades to rescue their Lord, but the World Boss was too quick for them.


    At that time, Asmodeus thought it was all over.


    As one of Lux''s Named Creatures, he knew that if Lux died, he would cease to exist. He wasn''t afraid of death, but he was saddened because it meant that his adventures with his new Master woulde to an end.


    It was at that moment when he heard a shrill crying from the location of his Master. A few secondster, the body of the Crimson Berserker Mantis broke through the dust cloud and crashed on the ground hundreds of meters away from him and the residents of Abingdon Town.


    For a brief moment, everyone on the battlefield stopped whatever they were doing and disbelievingly looked at the Giant Crimson Mantis, whose pained shrieks reverberated in the surroundings.


    Suddenly, all of them heard a deep, and confident voice,ing from the dust cloud that was slowly dispersing.


    "Everyone, it is fine now."


    A two-meter tall creature, which looked almost exactly like Spiderm*n''s nemesis, Ven*m, appeared in front of everyone the moment the dust cloud faded away. Its entire body was as ck as the night, and its appearance was enough to give people nightmares.


    It had a permanent devilish grin stered on its face, and its golden eyes, which were simr to Lux''s Undead Creatures, burned brightly as it gazed at the residents of Abingdon Town, ignoring the writhing World Boss in the distance.


    Another unique feature of this creature was the two Antennae protruding from the top of its head, forming a V.


    Its buffed-up body looked simr to a pro wrestler. Also, instead of having two arms, it had four, making it look incredibly strong and menacing.


    (E/N: Mach*mp for you P*kemon fans)


    Slowly, but surely, the demi-creature raised one of its hands towards the people of Abingdon Town and gave them a thumbs up.


    Its mere presence exuded confidence that made everyone feel as if they no longer had anything to fear.


    Why?


    Because HE was here.


    "... ALL-MITE," Asmodeus muttered as he stared at his newrade whom his Master had poured his entirety into creating.


    Using all of his Mana, and all the dead creatures on the battlefield, including the dead Deimos-Ranked Adamantium Ants, Lux took a gamble in order to turn the tide of battle in their favor.


    Fortunately, his gamble paid off, giving birth to a Hero, whose name would resound far and wide in the worlds of Sis and Elysium in the not-so-distant future.


    Yes.


    His name was ALL-MITE!


    ��---------


    < ALL-MITE >


    "I Am Here!"


    �C Strongest Member of the Covenant


    �C From Zero to Hero


    �C Rating: SSR+


    Strength: 5,072


    Intelligence: 2,072


    Vitality: 3,072


    Agility: 3,072


    Dexterity: 3,072


    Active Skills: Smash [EX], Heaven''s Smash [EX], Sky-High Smash [EX], ze Tempest Smash [EX], United Nation Smash [EX], Hero''s Smash [EX], God''s Strength [EX]


    Passive Skills: Above Ten Thousand, Adamantium Body, Hero''s Presence.


    Unique Ability: Max Ultra [EX]


    ��------------


    < Above Ten Thousand >


    �C This Creature is immune to all Stat-Lowering Abilities.


    �C This Creature''s stats will always be ten thousand higher than Lux Von Kaizer''s.


    �C This Creature is immune to Charm, Petrification, Paralysis, and Poison.


    ��------------


    < Adamantium Body >


    �C This Creature''s Body is as hard as Adamantium.


    ��------------


    < Hero''s Presence >


    �C All Fear-Inducing Effects are nullified


    �C The Morale of all allies will be boosted by 500%


    ��------------


    < Max Ultra [EX] >


    �C Increase all stats by 500% for thirty minutes.


    �C When the effect of Max Ultra [EX] ends, this skill will undergo a month-long cooldown period.


    ------------


    The Strongest Member of Lux''s Necromancer Covenant, stood tall and proud, rekindling the hope that had almost disappeared due to despair.


    Suddenly, a powerful shockwave erupted from the location of the Crimson Berserker Mantis. Its Crimson body became a shade redder, making it look more intimidating.


    Although it was always in a Berserked State, it still had the power to activate its Berserk Ability, increasing its strength exponentially. However, the Giant Mantis rarely used this ability because it would lose all sense and reason and attack friend and foe alike.


    But, it no longer cared about anything else aside from killing everyone in sight.


    "I''ll handle him," ALL-MITE said as he started to walk towards the Crimson Berserker Mantis whose blood-shot eyes locked on his body. "You guys, handle the rest."


    p����d��-��?�ͨ�|���㨮�� The newest member of Lux''s Necromancer Covenant clenched its wed fists, setting them aze with mes that were strong enough to melt steel and concrete.


    ALL-MITE walked fearlessly toward his opponent with the intention of fighting with everything he had.


    This was the first battle that he would fight since he was reborn, and he wanted to know just how powerful he had be.


    Right now, his strength was that of a D-Ranker, while his opponent''s strength was a World Boss at the peak of the Deimos-Rank.


    Simply put, the Crimson Berserker Mantis was still stronger than ALL-MITE, but it didn''t matter.


    ALL-MITE still had several Trump Cards he could use, enough to allow him to fight the World Boss in front of him and give it a devastating blow.


    For nearly half a minute, the Crimson Berserker Mantis and ALL-MITE stared at each other unflinchingly.


    While this was happening, everyone was watching with bated breath because they knew that the oue of this battle would decide their fate.


    Then, as if they had made an unwritten agreement with each other, both fighters took a step forward and disappeared from where they stood.


    Powerful shockwaves erupted in the surroundings as the two collided at speeds that could barely be seen by the naked eye.


    Powerful gusts of winds were formed with each sh, almost blowing away the Humans who had now grouped together.


    Asmodeus and his clones constructed a Skeleton Dome, which they had used earlier to protect the residents from the winds that threatened to give them serious injuries.


    When the residents were safely protected by the Skeleton Dome, Lux''s Named Creatures watched the battle with critical gazes.


    They knew that they couldn''t help ALL-MITE because if they did, they would only get in his way. Although it was frustrating, they understood that the best thing they could do was simply watch from the side and wait for the oue of the battle.

 Chapter 570 Max Ultra!

    Diablo, Lux''s First Born, watched the battle with a calm expression on his face.


    All he wanted in life was to protect his Master, Lux, from harm and ensure that thetter would be able to do anything he wanted.


    However, as he followed the red-headed teenager on his journey, the Death Knight understood that his current strength was not enough to protect Luxpletely.


    His ability to excel onrge-scale battlefields was not due to his own strength, but because of the armor he was wearing. Diablo didn''t mind this at first, but after the battle in the Gate of Conquest, as well as their current situation, he understood that what he could offer was no longer enough.


    He was not the only one who felt this way.


    Ishtar, Pazuzu, and Orion felt the same way he did.


    They were Lux''s first protectors, and they were very happy to serve and protect their Master, who was too kind for a Necromancer.


    As more allies joined their Ranks, they felt as if their roles were being overshadowed by their peers. Of course, they didn''t find anything wrong with this. In fact, they even weed it because the stronger theirrades were, the safer their Master would be.


    But, that didn''t mean that they were satisfied with their current level of strength.


    It was at this moment that something took root inside their hearts. A determination to make themselves stronger.


    A determination to go above and beyond their abilities to ensure that Lux would be able to continue his mission to save a dying world from destruction.


    ''Oh, this is interesting,'' Asmodeus thought as he gave hisrades side-long nces. ''I guess I should hasten my experiments as well.''


    Although he didn''t look like it, the Archlich was in fact a verypetitive person. Just like hisrades, he had always sought to gain more power. Because of this, he wanted to get as many ingredients as possible to create an Undead Legion that would strike fear into those who were foolish enough to get in his Master''s way.


    Currently, Asmodeus only had Morpheus and Ithaqua serving under him because he wascking the materials he needed to create stronger Undead Monsters that would make up his own Undead Army.


    ''It''s a shame that all the dead insects have been swallowed up by ALL-MITE.'' Asmodeus sighed internally. ''But, that''s fine.''


    The Archlich then gave an order to Morpheus as well as his Undead Minions to attack the Mantises that were still alive. Of course, he knew that this was not enough, so he asked Zagan and Revon to help his Skeleton Army kill as many Mantises as they could.


    Although the battle between the Crimson Berserker Mantis and ALL-MITE was still ongoing, Asmodeus was certain that their newrade would emerge victorious over the World Boss.


    The Archlich nned to store the dead Insects in his storage rings before the Mantises decided to retreat from the battlefield.


    ''I just hope that he doesn''t damage the Monster''s body too much,'' Asmodeus thought as he gazed at the battle that was taking ce in the distance. ''I''m sure Master would prefer its corpse as intact as possible.''


    While the Archlich was busy giving out orders to his subordinates, the battle between the two strongest monsters on the battlefield became more violent and intense by the minute.


    "Smash [EX]!" ALL-MITE shouted, smashing his fist against the side of the Giant Mantis'' head, making it skid a few meters on the ground.


    After regaining its bnce, the Crimson Berserker Mantis created two Giant Crimson Wind des at nearly point-nk range to prevent its opponent from dodging.


    The well-timed attack forced ALL-MITE to take on a defensive stance using its arms to protect its body from one of the Giant Mantis''s strongest attacks.


    The moment the Crimson des collided with his body, the force behind it pushed him hundreds of meters backward, with his feet skidding on the ground in an attempt to resist the attack.


    Unfortunately for him, the Crimson Berserker Mantis had no intention of letting him recover and immediately sprang into action to deliver a lethal blow to ALL-MITE, who was still trying to mitigate the attack that was making his Adamantium Body emit sparks.


    Seeing that his opponent had finally decided to deal him the killing blow, ALL-MITE no longer hesitated and unleashed his Trump Cards as well.


    "God''s Strength [EX]!" ALL-MITE said through gritted teeth before forcefully shattering the two crimson des in front of him with his four arms.


    God''s Strength [EX] was a skill that increased his physical attacks by 500% for one minute. Among Lux''s subordinates, only he and Revon had this skill, allowing them to deal great damage to their foes for a short period of time.


    However, ALL-MITE was different. Aside from God''s Strength [EX], it still had its Unique Ability that would boost not only his Physical Attack, but all of his Stats by 500%.


    p����d�� ��?�ͨ�|,�㨰�� The mes on his clenched fists zed brighter than ever before as ALL-MITE prepared to meet his opponent''s strongest move, with his own strongest move!


    "Max Ultra [EX]!"


    ALL-MITE shouted and a surge of power spread inside his body, boosting his stats exponentially.


    God''s Strength [EX] might onlyst for a minute, but now that all of his stats have increased by 500%, the Physical Attack ALL-MITE currently possessed was enough to match his opponent''s current strength.


    "Hero''s Smash!" ALL-MITE roared as his burning fist connected with the Crimson Berserker Mantis'' Deadly ws.


    Sparks scattered throughout their surroundings as a powerful shockwave destroyed the ground under their feet, creating a crater that was hundreds of meters wide.


    ALL-MITE stomped on the ground with his right foot and momentarily raised the two razor-sharp ws of the Giant Mantis, giving him three arms to deliver the blows that he had been holding back.


    "ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"


    "ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"


    "ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"


    Unleashing devastating blows one after the other, the Crimson Berserker Mantis found itself unable to muster a counterattack.


    Because of this, it decided to retreat, but before it could do so, two strong wed hands grabbed the Giant Mantis'' razor-sharp ws in a vice-grip, preventing it from going away.


    "MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!"


    "MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!"


    "MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!"


    Just like it did earlier, ALL-MITE once again unleashed a barrage of attacks that made the Crimson Berserker Mantis puke blood.


    With one final blow, ALL-MITE gathered all of his strength as the effect of God''s Strength [EX], neared its end.


    "United Nation Smash [EX]!"


    ALL-MITE smashed his fist on the Crimson Berserker''s Mantis chest, which was imbued with his full power, delivering the killing blow to his opponent.


    A momentter, a shower of blood erupted behind the Giant Mantis'' body, alongside a fiery ze that rose up to the heavens, dispersing the dark clouds that had covered the sky.


    The sunlight brightened the Shaufell ins once again, chasing away the darkness that had wrapped itself in the people''s hearts.


    ALL-MITE''s strongest attack created a bloody hole in the Giant Mantis'' chest, destroying its heartpletely.


    The Crimson Berserker Mantis was still able to utter a dying screech before its Giant Body copsed to the ground, leaving only the victor standing on the battlefield.


    Asmodeus took this opportunity to disperse the Skeleton Dome that protected the residents from the powerful gusts of wind earlier, allowing them to see the oue of the battle.


    ALL-MITE looked at the Giant Mantis beside him and narrowed his eyes.


    After making sure that his opponent was truly dead, the Unsung Hero that protected Abingdon Town for many years raised his right fist high up in the air, signaling that the battle was over.


    Cheers resounded in the surroundings as the residents of Abingdon Town cried,ughed, shouted, and hugged each other because they were finally saved.


    Pietro, the Mayor of Abingdon Town, covered his face with his right hand and wept.


    He had already lost hope and had readied himself for not only his, but the entire town''s eventual demise, but after seeing the victorious pose of the Hero in front of him, he understood that he and his people would be able to leave the Shaufell ins.


    The children of Abingdon Town looked at the scary four-armed creature in the distance. However, if one were to look closely, none of them showed any fearful expressions on their faces.


    In fact, the way they looked at ALL-MITE was simr to looking at an idol.


    Yearster, stories of a Four-Armed Monster named All-Mite would spread across the entirety of the Wanid Kingdom.


    Bards would pick up his Heroic Tale, and spread it in the surrounding kingdoms and empires, further solidifying his legend.


    Because of this, everyone from all over the Arondight Territories understood that no matter what status they had in life, and no matter who it was, whether they were a Noble, a Commoner, a Spirit, or a Monster...


    All of them could be a Hero as well.

 Chapter 571 Lux’s Next Course Of Action

    Two days after the battle��


    "Big Brother Lux still hadn''t woken up," Laura said as she looked at the sleeping Half-Elf that had over-exhausted himself during thest battle.


    "It can''t be helped," Grandma Annie said as she fed Eiko some candy. "If he didn''t do what he did, perhaps everyone would have died back there."


    Livia nodded her head in agreement as she fed the other two Baby Slimes, Cora and Nora, some candies that Grandma Annie had taken out of her storage ring.


    Lux''s party, as well as the residents of Abingdon Town, continued their journey towards Broughton Town.


    Since they still hadn''t arrived at their destination, the quest was still active, and Lux''s Named Creatures were all guarding the evacuees, preventing anyone from being killed or kidnapped under their watch.


    ��---------------


    < Remaining Number of Residents of Abingdon Town: 1,829 >


    ��---------------


    Although many people had died, they had no choice but to move on for the sake of those that had perished two days ago.


    Pietro, who kept everyone''s spirits up during the long and arduous journey, hid the heartache he was feeling, and did his best to look calm and collected in front of his people.


    He knew that everyone was trying to cope with the losses of their loved ones, whom they had given a proper burial when the battle ended.


    Since no one wanted to bury the bodies of their dead in fear that the insects would just dig them up to eat them, they all decided to cremate them.


    Pietro oversaw the farewell ceremony, giving closure to those who had died, and those that were still living.


    Gerhart and Cethus had be rtively quiet during the past two days, as they continued with their duties of guarding the residents of Abingdon Town.


    When they were forcefully taken out of the battlefield, the two were very tempted to help Lux, and the residents, but they also understood that the red-headed teenager had given them the duty of protecting their party members.


    Because of this, they weren''t able to leave Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia behind.


    During that time, Grandma Annie had taken a golden mirror out from her storage ring, and used it to project what was happening on the battlefield.


    Even though their Skeleton Cannonballnded a great distance away from where the battle was taking ce, they were still able to see what was happening due to Grandma Annie''s Pseudo-Legendary Artifact called Viewing Mirror.


    It allowed Grandma Annie to see the current situation of people, and Creatures that she had deemed her allies, which made it possible for them to see what Lux and the others were doing.


    When they saw the battle between ALL-MITE and the Crimson Berserker Mantis, the green-haired Half-Elf and the Dragon Born clenched their fists as they cheered for the four-armed Monster in their hearts.


    Words couldn''t express what the two of them were feeling at that moment, especially when ALL-MITE dealt the killing blow to the Monster that had terrorized everyone when it made its appearance on the battlefield.


    Gerhart and Cethus knew that even if their entire party worked together, they would still be unable to beat the Deimos-Ranked World Boss like ALL-MITE did.


    Suddenly, Eiko suddenly jumped off Grandma Annie''sp andnded on Lux''s chest. The baby slime was looking intently at her Papa''s face with great anticipation.


    A momentter, Lux''s eyebrows furrowed, which made Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Pa!" Eiko said as she happily jumped up and down on Lux''s chest, making thetter abruptly open his eyes.


    "E-Eiko?" Lux drowsily looked at the excited Baby Slime, who had been feeling anxious the past few days.


    "Un!" Eiko replied as she crawled towards Lux''s cheek, giving it a kiss.


    Lux smiled as he lightly patted the Baby Slime who was butting his cheek with her head, making Laura and Livia giggle.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    "Did we win?" Lux asked as he shifted his attention to Grandma Annie, who had a smile on her face.


    "We did," Grandma Annie replied. "It''s all thanks to you and ALL-MITE."


    Lux smiled and decided to sleep a little more because he was still feeling drowsy. He awoke three hourster when the sun was about to set, and talked to Asmodeus so he had a rough idea of what happened while he was passed out.


    When Pietro finally decided to camp for the night, the Half-Elf gathered all of his Named Creatures to praise them for a job well done.


    "Thank you everyone for doing your best," Lux said as he looked at his Named Creatures with a smile. "If it weren''t for you guys, everyone might have died, including me."


    Lux then shifted his attention to ALL-MITE who had yed a crucial role in their survival. He had already seen the information of the newest member of his Covenant, and even he didn''t believe what he saw at first.


    Just like his Status Information said, ALL-MITE was indeed the strongest member of his covenant. He also had ten thousand more stat points than Lux, giving him the power of a Middle-Stage E-Ranker.


    With this, Lux had gotten his very first Ranker in his ever-growing-army, and he was quite happy about it.


    "Although the threat of the Insects has lessened considerably, we should never let our guard down," Lux stated. "We still have a few days to go until we reach the Town of Broughton, and I want everyone to remain vignt until we aplish our mission. Do I make myself clear?"


    """Yes!"""


    All of Lux''s Named Creatures gave a positive reply to their Master''s orders. A few minutester, they all returned to their guard duties, while Lux and Asmodeus had a strategic meeting.


    "Master, I need a Deimos-Ranked Core to revive Ithaqua," Asmodeus said. "I''m sure that we will still need his expertise as we look for the Transcendent mes in the Wanid Kingdom."


    Lux nodded and didn''t hesitate to hand over one of the Deimos Beast Cores in his collection to his Archlich in order to revive the Creature of the Cold White Silence.


    He still had a little more than fifteen Deimos-Ranked Cores remaining, so he wasn''t too stingy about giving Asmodeus that Beast Core he needed.


    "Master, what do you n to do with the Crimson Berserker Mantis?" Asmodeus asked. "Are you nning to revive it?"


    Lux didn''t answer right away but closed his eyes to ponder his next move. Truth be told, he didn''t intend to revive the Crimson Berserker Mantis because he had other ns for it.


    He wanted his Master, Randolph, to use its strong exoskeleton to craft a set of armor. Naturally, this would have to wait until they gained the Transcendent mes to get a higher chance of getting a Pseudo-Legendary, or a Legendary Equipment


    As for the Monster''s Beast Core, the Half-Elf nned to use it for himself.


    He nned to use the remaining cores he had to upgrade his special constitution, which was the Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy, in order to get stronger.


    The Half-Elf also deemed that it was about time for him to learn new skills that would increase his offensive and defensive abilities.


    He had already nned to upgrade his Body Constitution before entering thest gate of the Sacred Dungeon in the Domain of the Fallen.


    Also, he nned to give his Guild Members some of the Beast Cores that belonged to the   Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantises.


    Asmodeus knew how important these Beast Cores were, which was why he made sure to tell his allies to make sure that none of them escaped.


    The Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis had several great skills and the skill, Doppelganger, was one of them.


    He believed that if his Master, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, Livia, and Gerhart, were to gain this skill, the things they could do would greatly increase.


    Just thinking of having three Transcendent cksmiths, and Three Transcendent Alchemists was enough for Lux to give the two old Dwarfs priority over the precious Beast Cores.


    Although his Guild Buff allowed his members to gain a 100% chance to learn skills from Beast Cores, the skill that they would learn was still Random.


    There was simply no way that they could be as lucky as Lux, so he intended to let them consume as many Beast Cores as possible until they gained the Doppelganger Ability, which would allow the two old Dwarves to excel in more ways than one.

 Chapter 572 Party Upgrade

    After collecting all the precious Beast Cores from the monsters on the battlefield, Lux found out that he only had around twenty-two Beast Cores that belonged to the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantises.


    Because of this, he was forced to make an important decision.


    ''At the very least, I need to give Gerhart, Cethus, Laura, and Livia at least one Beast Core each,'' Lux thought. ''I also need to give Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, Zagan, Revon, and ALL-MITE, one Beast Core each.''


    The Half-Elf scratched his head because there were not enough Beast Cores to go around for everybody.


    Since twelve of the Beast Cores were already reserved for the others, it meant that his Master, Randolph, and Grandma Annie, could both have six Beast Cores each.


    If they were lucky, they could get the Doppelganger Skill without using all six Beast Cores, allowing Lux to give the remaining cores to the others to enhance their strength further.


    The only Monster on the battlefield that had the precious Doppelganger Skill was the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis. Even the World Boss didn''t have this skill, so it made this the most important Beast Core in Lux''s possession.


    The power of Doppelgangers was that special.


    Not only had it increased his flexibility in the battlefield, it also allowed him to stack up the effects of his skills, creating devastating attacks that consisted of three Dragon Breaths infused with the power of the Abyss.


    Anyone below Lux''s current rank, who were hit directly by these three breath attacks, would definitely feel a world of pain.


    Since they were still traveling, Lux waited until Pietro called for a break before he gathered his party members.


    "Each of you take one," Lux said as he handed over the Beast Cores of the Golden-Eyed Crimson Mantis. "This Beast Core is a bit special because it may have the skill, Doppelganger."


    After hearing Lux''s exnation, the eyes of his party members widened in shock. All of them had seen Lux fight with his clones, and they would be lying if they said that they didn''t wish to have the same ability as him.


    This was especially true for Gerhart and Cethus who wanted to be stronger.


    Because of this, they eagerly received the Beast Cores that were handed to them and immediately absorbed them to increase their stats, as well as have the chance to get the Doppelganger Skill, which was the one they were aiming for.


    Randolph sighed before shaking his head.


    "I got Hunter''s Mark," Randolph stated. "I knew that this was not going to be easy, but it''s still frustrating nevertheless."


    "It''s fine, Master," Luxmented as he handed another Beast Core to his Master. You still have five more chances."


    Randolph nodded as he once again took the Beast Core that was offered to him. However, the next skill he received was the skill, Air Steps, which made the old dwarf p his cheeks repeatedly for failing to get the skill he needed.


    "No luck here as well," Grandma Annie reported as she finished absorbing the second Beast Core.


    The skills that Grandma Annie got were the skills, Intimidate, and Coup de Grace, which were amazing skills if you have a profession that specialized in offense.


    However, Grandma Annie was an Alchemist. Although she had the ability to cast fireballs, and the likes, she was more of a craftsman than a battle junkie.


    "No worries, Grandma Annie," Lux replied as he gave the kind olddy a third Beast Core. "You will get it eventually."


    Fortunately, Grandma Annie did learn the Doppelganger Skill on her third attempt, which made her extremely happy.


    "Pa!" Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, felt left out by the group, so she also asked Lux to give her one Beast Core.


    The Half-Elf thought that it wouldn''t hurt to give the baby slime one Beast Core, so he agreed to Eiko''s request, making the baby slime giggle.


    To his surprise, Eiko got the Doppelganger Skill immediately, which evolved into Doppelganger [EX],


    Eiko was only able to create clones of herself whenever she was with Lux due to her skill, Mimicry [EX]. Now that she could create clones on her own, it allowed her to copy more skills from her Papa, which she could use temporarily.


    After using four Beast Cores, Randolph sessfully gained the skill Doppelganger, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.


    Unlike Lu and Eiko, who could summon two clones of themselves, Grandma Annie and Randolph could only summon one clone each. But, it was already a good thing because the clones would be able to help them increase the speed of their production whenever they crafted things.


    To Lux''s surprise, the twins, Laura, and Livia got the Doppelganger Skill on the first try, which made the two Dwarves extremely happy.


    "Cora, which one is the real me?" Laura asked her Baby Slime who was looking at her and her Doppelganger with a serious expression on her face.


    "Eyah!" Cora pointed at Laura, which made thetter smile.


    "How did you know?" Laura picked up her Baby Slime and gave it a kiss on its cheeks.


    "Know!" Cora replied, which made Laura giggle and kiss her beastpanion again.


    Livia had also summoned her clone and they began striking poses in front of each other.


    Gerhart only learned the skill, Hunter''s Mark, from his Beast Core which made him disappointed.


    However, the one that was most disappointed was none other than Cethus, who didn''t learn even one skill from the Beast Core!


    Usually, everyone had a 25% chance to gain a skill when they consumed Beast Cores. However, all the members of Heaven''s Gate had a 100% chance of learning a skill from one.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    Because of this, even though they didn''t get the skill they wanted, all of Lux''s Guild Members learned a skill, which made Cethus feel as if he was blessed with bad luck.


    The red-headed teenager also felt sorry for the Dragon Born, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    As for his Named Creatures, Lux also found the Skills they acquired to be quite interesting.


    Pazuzu and Orion both gained the Doppelganger Skill, which almost made the Half-Elfugh out loud.


    The two of them served as the Tanks of his Army, and having two Fortress Defenders and two Jade Golems who both had the most annoying skill, Duel [EX], was something that he was quite happy about.


    Ishtar received the skill, Coup de Grace, which Lux thought to be a perfect fit for her.


    -----------


    < Coup De Grace >


    a�" Deals 500% additional damage to any target that is in a helpless or incapacitated condition.


    a�" Targets who are knocked unconscious, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or in a crippled state, would be dealt with greater damage from this attack.


    a�" Any target under a negative status buff will also receive additional damage from this attack.


    Example: Fear from Intimidation.


    -----------


    Since Ishtar had the abilities to slow down, and freeze her opponents, she could abuse the skill Coup De Grace, dealing devastating damage to her targets.


    Asmodeus, Revon, and ALL-MITE gained the skill, Intimidate, which was also very useful to the three of them.


    The Archlich had the ability to tame Wild Undead, and having the Intimidate Skill would allow him to have a higher chance to tame a Monster that was a Rank higher than him.


    As for ALL-MITE, he was already intimidating in the first ce. Having the skill, Intimidate, would further boost his intimidating presence when facing off against enemies.


    Lux found thisbination quite funny because ALL-MITE had a skill that increased all of his allies'' Morale by 500%, while Intimidate would lower his enemies'' Morale.


    Although he still hadn''t seen how this would work in an actual battle, he knew how important Morale was especially duringrge-scale battles with massive armies fighting against each other.


    Revon on the other hand was the Commander of his Animated Undead Army. Having the Intimidate Skill would definitely make his opponents more fearful of him when they met on the battlefield.


    Lazarus, on the other hand, gained the skill, Razor Wind, which further increased his offensive capabilities by creating razor-sharp Wind des that could easily cut lower-ranked monsters in half.


    But, since all of Lazarus'' attacks were infused with his Unique Ability, Cold FLames, the Wind des would be infused by this ability as well.


    Zagan, another strategist that belonged to Lux''s Necromancer Covenant, gained the Berserk Ability, which Lux found to be both a blessing and a curse for his fast and furious heavy hitter.


    When it came to hit and run tactics, no one in Lux''s Army was better than Zagan.


    The Berserk Skill would double the stats of the user for fifteen minutes, allowing him to outrun and outgun his opponents, leaving them no choice but to endure Zagan''s one-sided magical bombardment, which were also empowered by Abyss Touch.


    Lastly, Diablo gained the skill Quick Assault.


    This skill allowed Diablo to increase his speed exponentially as he charged at his target to deliver a single strike.


    If they were fighting at nearly point nk range, this would allow him to instantly teleport to one of his opponent''s blind spots, and deliver a blow that was infused with the Ethereal Element, dealing true damage that ignored defenses.


    Originally, Lux thought that his Death Knight got the most crappy skill among the bunch. But, after careful consideration, he thought that this skill might also increase Diablo''s fighting prowess when put to the test.


    ''I guess I''ll see how effective this skill is in the future,'' Lux mused.


    There were still four more Beast Cores in Lux''s possession, but he decided to store them for now.


    He nned to give one Beast Core to Grandma Vera and Iris because the two of them were his important family members.


    He had also reserved one Beast Core for his trusted subordinate, Sid, who was nearly a Ranker.


    As for thest Beast Core, he was thinking of giving it to Cadmus, who was one of his Strongest Guild Members.


    Now that he was done giving his Guild Members the opportunity to grow a little stronger, the Half-Elf then shifted his attention to the most important matter at hand.


    ''It has been a while since I upgraded my Body Constitution,'' Lux thought. ''I wonder what special abilities I will receive on my next upgrade...''


    Lux had always benefited a lot whenever he upgraded his body constitution.


    Because of this, he was looking forward to the new skills he would gain that would help him in facing the challenges that were waiting for him as they continued their journey to search for the elusive Transcendent mes that would bring the strength of his Mythical Guild to the next level.

 Chapter 573 Immortal Dragon Conqueror’s Legacy Rank Upgrade [Part 1]

    Lux waited until night time to take out all the Beast Cores in his possession.


    He had 6 Argonaut-Ranked Beast Cores, 17 Deimos-Ranked Beast Cores, 36 Rank 5 Beast Cores, and 220 Rank 4 Beast Cores in his possession.


    In order to create a miracle, Lux sacrificed all the corpses of the Insects on the battlefield, in order to give birth to ALL-MITE.


    Because of this, the strongest member of Lux''s Necromancer Covenant had be a Ranker, which allowed them to overturn their helpless situation.


    As for the Rank 3 and below Beast Cores, Lux gave them to Pietro, so that the Mayor of Abingdon Town could exchange them for gold in order to help the survivors start anew. Many children had lost their parents, and had be orphans due to the incident that happened several days ago.


    Because of this, the Mayor badly needed money to support these children as they grew older. Knowing that the Beast Cores would not be enough, Lux also gave Pietro 1 Million Gold Coins to help ease his financial burden.


    The Half-Elf could have given him more, but he deemed that it would not be a good idea to showcase his wealth so openly in the Wanid Kingdom. A million gold coins might be a lot of money, but most high-ranking nobles had the leeway to carry this much money with them.


    Because of this, Pietro and his Aides only thought that Lux was the son of a High-Ranking Noble, who happened to travel to the Wanid Kingdom for some sightseeing.


    As the Half-Elf looked at the shining Beast Cores in front of him, he opened his Soul Book to check the status of his Special Body Constitution.


    ��------------


    Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy


    Rating: D+


    Progress: (3,000 / 40,000)


    ��------------


    "Let''s do this," Lux muttered as he gathered all the Rank 4, and Rank 5 Beast Cores and started to absorb them as fast as he could.


    Lux didn''t gain experience points like the Sians that go to Elysium. He could only gain stat points through Beast Core Absorption as well as doing the Quests that randomly appeared everytime the Half-Elf found himself in a difficult situation.


    Each Beast Core gave him a fixed number of stat points, and Lux looked at his Soul Book to better understand how many points he needed in order to upgrade his Special Body Constitution.


    ��------------


    Beast Cores Points Calction


    Rank 1 = 10


    Rank 2 = 20


    Rank 3 = 30


    Rank 4 = 40


    Rank 5 = 100


    Deimos = 1,000


    Argonaut = 5,000


    Dreadnaught = 10,000


    If Alpha Monster  x2


    If Field Boss x 3


    If World Boss x 5


    Note: When you be a Ranker, Rank 4 and below Beast Cores will only give you skills. You will no longer be able to gain Free Stat Points from lower-ranked Beast Cores when you step into the Realm of Rankers


    ��------------


    You have learned the skill, Heat Vision��


    You have learned the skill, Hunter''s Mark��


    You have learned the skill, Stinger Barrage��


    You have learned the skill, Acid Spray��


    You have learned the skill, Screech��


    You have learned the skill, Sturdy��


    You have learned the skill��


    You have learned the skill��


    You have learned the skill��


    ��------------


    Progress: (5,300 / 40,000)


    Progress: (9,200 / 40,000)


    Progress: (16,500 / 40,000)


    Progress: (20,800 / 40,000)


    Progress: (31,400 / 40,000)


    ��------------


    As Lux gained more points for his special body constitution, he also gained the skills that came from Insect-Type monsters. Since the majority of the Beast Cores came from the same species, the skills he could learn from them was quite limited, but he was fine with that.


    "I need 8,600 points to upgrade it to the next level." Lux sighed as he picked the Beast Core of the Crimson Berserker Mantis. "Deimos-Ranked Beast Cores give 1,000 Stat Points. But, since this core came from a World Boss, I will get 5,000 Points if I consume it."


    ��------------


    < You have learned the skill, Speed Burst. >


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Speed Burst will be upgraded to Speed Burst [EX], once the requirements have been met.


    < Speed Burst [EX] >


    �C Increase movement speed by 500% for 5 seconds.


    �C This skill can be used five consecutive times before entering a five-minute cooldown.


    �C Requirement to upgrade: Use the skill, Speed Burst 100x


    �C Progress ( 0 / 100 )<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    ��------------


    ''Not bad,'' Lux thought as he looked at the skill that the Crimson Berserker Mantis had used to give itself an advantage against its opponents on the battlefield.


    Suddenly increasing your speed for a short duration of time was enough to dodge an attack, or appear at the blindspot of your opponent to deal a lethal blow to them.


    ��------------


    Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy


    Rating: D+


    Progress: (36,400 / 40,000)


    ��------------


    ''I''m still short by a few thousand points.'' Lux rubbed his chin as he looked at the remaining Deimos-Ranked Cores in his collection. After making an important decision, he chose the Purple Beast Core that was as big as a Basketball Ball.


    This Beast Core also belonged to a Deimos-Ranked World Boss, which would allow him to finally upgrade his Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy to the next stage.


    Taking a deep breath, Lux absorbed the Deimos-Ranked Beast Core. A momentter, his body shuddered as he heard several notifications inside his head, and rows of texts appeared in front of him.


    ��--------


    < You have learned the skill, Dark Curse. >


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    Dark Curse will be upgraded to Dark Curse [EX], once the requirements have been met.


    ��------------


    < Dark Curse [EX] >


    �C This skill has a 100-meter radius Area of Effect, and deals Minor-Dark Magic to the targets. However, anyone hit by this skill is guaranteed to suffer one of the following status debuffs. The status debuff applied to the victim ispletely random.


    �C Blind


    �C Poison


    �C Weaken


    �C Slow


    �C This skill will not work on creatures that have immunity to the status debuff that would be applied to them.


    �C Only one status debuff can be applied at any given time. Each time you hit the enemy with this skill, the existing status debuff will be removed, and reced by another one.


    �C Requirement to upgrade: Use the skill, Dark Curse 100x


    �C Progress ( 0 / 100 )


    ��------------


    < Ding! >


    < Congrattions! You have sessfully upgraded your special body constitution, Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy! >


    ��------------


    < Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy >


    Rating: C


    Progress: (1,400 / 80,000)


    ��------------


    < Upgrade Rewards >


    +500 Free Stats Points


    �C You have acquired the passive skill, Dragon Conqueror''s Majesty, which will be automatically upgraded to Dragon Conqueror''s Majesty [EX] due to your Skill Evolution [EX] skill.


    �C You have acquired the passive skill, Peerless Dragon Strike, which will be automatically upgraded to Peerless Dragon Strike [EX] due to your Skill Evolution [EX] skill.


    �C You will be able to summon 120 Skeleton Gang Bangers instantly without needing to summon them one by one.


    �C You will be able to summon 120 Skeleton Arcane Hunter instantly without needing to summon them one by one.


    �C Your Skeleton Mages are now automatically upgraded to Liches that have the skill, Animate Undead.


    �C Each Lich can revive up to 50                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Undead Zombies that will always be a rank weaker than their current Rank. The number of Zombies that the Liches can revive will increase by 200, each time Lux Von Kaizer upgrades his Rank.


    �C You will be able to summon 50 Liches instantly without needing to summon them one by one.


    �C Rock Golems will now be automatically upgraded to Steel Golems with the skill Guts.


    �C You will be able to summon 20 Steel Golems instantly without needing to summon them one by one.


    �C You have unlocked one Exclusive Title of the Profession, Lord of the Dead.


    �C You have unlocked two Exclusive Skills of the Profession, Lord of the Dead.


    Exclusive Skill 1 - Summon gue Wing Gargoyles


    Exclusive Skills 2 - Death Sentence. This skill will automatically be upgraded to Death Sentence [EX]


    ��------------


    < Dragon Conqueror''s Majesty [EX] >


    �C Your Charisma is enough to make the proud Dragons and other Races, who would otherwise look down on you, treat you more favorably.


    �C Dragons will most likely not attack you, unless you attack them first.


    �C When fighting against Lesser-Dragon Type monsters like Wyverns, Draconian Kobolds, and Pseudo-Dragons, their stats will decrease by 30%


    �C There is a high chance that Dragons, Dragon Borns, and Lesser Dragons will help you if you ask for their assistance.


    More rows of text appeared in front of Lux as the details of his upgrade continued to sh before his eyes.


    He had expected that he would gain a lot of abilities once he upgraded his special body constitution, but nothing could prepare him for the information that was still waiting for him to see.

 Chapter 574 Immortal Dragon Conqueror’s Legacy Rank Upgrade [Part 2]

    Lux couldn''t take his eyes off at the rows of text in front of him because the flow of information kepting, making it hard for him to digest everything in one go.


    However, since he had encountered something simr in the past, he didn''t hurry reading everything and just read what was in front of him.


    He wanted to better understand the new skills that he had acquired, which made his eyes widen in shock.


    ��------------


    < Peerless Dragon Strike [EX] >


    �C Create the illusionary image of any type of Dragon behind your back and use one of their Signature Abilities.


    �C Each Dragon has their own Unique Skills which differentiates them from the rest of their kin. You can only use Peerless Dragon Strike [EX] once a day.


    �C If you choose an offensive ability when using Peerless Dragon Strike [EX], its effect will be one Rank higher than your current Rank.


    (Note: Lux is currently an Initiate. If he uses Peerless Dragon Strike [EX], he will be able to unleash a move that has the strength of an E-Ranker.)


    ��------------


    < Lord of Death''s Army >


    (Profession Exclusive Title)


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer''s Named Creatures by 100%


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer''s Necromancer Covenant by 100%


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer''s Summons by 50%


    �C All creatures under Lux Von Kaizer''s Command will have a 100% Increase in Defense.


    ��------------


    < Summon gue Wing Gargoyles >


    �C Heralds of the Army Of Death


    �C Monster Rating: S


    �C Max Summons: 30


    Health: 250,000 / 250,000


    Mana: 65,000 / 65,000


    Active Skill: Poison Smog, gue Bite, gue ws, Stone Bullets, Stone Spikes,


    Passive Skill: Stone Skin, Statue Impersonator


    Unique Ability: gue Bearer


    �C The number of Gargoyles will increase by 30 each time Lux Von Kaizer''s Rank increases


    ��-------------


    < Poison Smog >


    �C Unleash a breath of Poisonous Smog at your enemies.


    �C Has a medium chance to inflict poison or disease.


    < gue Bearer >


    �C All attacks of the gue Bearer have a chance to inflict poison or disease.


    < Statue Impersonator >


    �C These Gargoyles can remain immobile for long periods of time, looking simr to statues.


    �C These Gargoyles can shapeshift into other kinds of statues to match their environment.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    ��-------------


    Note: The Rank of these Monsters will always be one rank lower than Lux Von Kaizer''s.


    ��------------


    < Death Sentence [EX] >


    �C Harness all of your Mana and unleash a Necrotic Beam of Darkness.


    �C The Damage of this attack will be your current remaining mana multiplied by 20.


    �C This skill can only be used once a day.


    �C After using this skill, the Caster''s Mana will not regenerate for an hour, even when using Mana Potions, and other consumables that restore Mana.


    �C After using this skill, the Caster will enter a Lethargic State, simr to the bacsh of Berserk after using this skill, and all of his stats will be reduced by 50%


    ��------------


    "T-This is a serious upgrade," Lux muttered as he finished reading all the information that he received after upgrading his Special Body Constitution.


    Aside from the 500 Free Stat Points that he could freely distribute, he also received two skills that strengthened his Draconic Abilities.


    Dragon Conqueror''s Majesty [EX] may seem like a simple skill, but in truth it was not. It was a passive skill that almost guaranteed that he wouldn''t get attacked by any Dragons he met in the future.


    The Skill also allowed him to weaken Lesser-Dragons who were antagonistic towards him, giving him an advantage in battle.


    The Peerless Dragon Strike [EX] was also a game changer. Although he could only use it once, the potential for it was limitless.


    For example, he could use Keoza''s Crystal Dragon Breath, and turn weaker opponents into Crystal Statues.


    The Profession Exclusive Title, Lord of Death''s Army, also greatly increased the performance of all of his summons, making them more powerful than ever before.


    His new Summons, the gue Wing Gargoyles, were also a very pleasant addition to his forces.


    When he was still in Leaf Vige, he, along with Colette and the other Dwarves, challenged the Final Boss of the Bronze Crypt (Hell Mode). Inside that dungeon, they fought against the gue Monstrosity, which was a Rank 3 Boss Monster.


    This monster was very annoying to fight because whenever it attacked, it was almost guaranteed that you would be inflicted with status debuffs.


    He had a hard time fighting against this Monster back then, but now, he actually had subordinates who carried its Unique Ability, gue Bearer, making Lux understand how deadly they could be in battle.


    Basically, any Monster that wasn''t immune to poison or diseases, would find themselves crippled drastically, not being able to fight with their full potential.


    However, the one that stood out the most was thest Exclusive Skill of his profession, Death Sentence [EX].


    Using all of his Mana, he would be able to unleash a devastating attack that would surpass everything in his arsenal.


    The drawback was very obvious, which meant that he could only use this skill as ast resort. If he failed to deal the killing blow to his opponent with this attack, the one who would end up dying would certainly be him.


    Lux clenched his fists, and closed his eyes before taking a few deep breaths in order to calm himself down.


    He couldn''t help but remember when he was just starting his journey in Elysium, and was almost killed by Undead Monsters when Leaf Vige was attacked.


    Now, he was a Necromancer, who wielded the power of the Undead, which he found quite ironic.


    ''Life is indeed full of surprises,'' Lux thought before yawning.


    For some reason, he was feeling very sleepy after undergoing his upgrade. It was as if his body needed to rest in order to cope with the new powers that he had awakened.


    "Let''s sleep, Eiko," Lux said as heid on the bed. "We have a long day tomorrow."


    "Pa!" Eiko replied as she hurriedly ate the Rank 2 Beast Core that she was ying with, while waiting for her Papa to finish whatever he was doing.


    She could faintly feel that Lux had be stronger than ever before, which made her smile as she buried her head in the Half-Elf''s chest, which felt veryfortable and warm.


    A few minutester, the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime slept peacefully, dreaming of when they would be reunited with Iris.

 Chapter 575 Second Chance At Life

    "Thank you very much!" Pietro said as he held Lux''s hand tightly. "We would have never survived without your support!"


    The Mayor of Abingdon Town couldn''t express how grateful he was for Lux''s great effort in escorting them all the way to the Town of Broughton.


    Although Pietro didn''t know if they could return to Abingdon Town in the future, he was optimistic about the future.


    After all, they were still alive, and being alive held infinite possibilities.


    "You''re wee," Lux replied as he, too, firmly shook Pietro''s hand. "Please, take care of yourself, and everyone, Sir Pietro. If Fate wills it, our paths will cross again."


    Pietro nodded his head with a smile. "I pray for that as well, Lux. If we do meet again in the future, I''ll do my best to repay this favor you did for us."


    Lux returned Pietro''s smile before bidding goodbye to the Mayor, as well as the residents of Abingdon Town.


    "It''s time to go, ALL-MITE," Lux said with a smirk as he looked at the Champion that protected everyone on the journey.


    Currently, ALL-MITE was surrounded by the children, and a few of them were even sitting on his arms, whileughing.


    The children of Abingdon Town idolized him. Some even said that when they grew up, they also wanted to be as strong as him, which made ALL-MITEugh.


    "Alright, kids, time for me to go," ALL-MITE said as he crouched down to allow the children to safely dismount his arms.


    Although they were reluctant, the children obeyed. However, the next moment, all of them clung to ALL-MITE, telling him not to go.


    Seeing that the little kids, who resembled clingy Kos, had no intention of letting ALL-MITE leave them, the Half-Elf decided to give the Four-Armed Hero permission to y with them until nightfall.


    Truth be told, Lux and his party were also tired from the journey and wanted to rest for a day or two in Broughton Town before they resumed their journey to look for the Transcendent mes.


    His Master, Randolph and Grandma Annie didn''tin during the entirety of the journey, but the Half-Elf was sure that they were at their limit. Also, the two Dwarf girls, Laura and Livia looked very exhausted.


    Lux couldn''t bear to see how tired they looked, so he decided to let everyone take a proper rest.


    Truth be told, although everyone was tired due to the long journey, they were very happy with the rewards they received from their mission to help save the residents of Abingdon Town


    ��------------


    < Congrattions! You have finished the mission: Abingdon Town''s Great Escape >


    < Abingdon Town''s Great Escape >


    �C 1,000 Residents of Abingdon Town must survive.


    �C Quest Duration: 13 days.


    ��------------


    < Rewards >


    +200 Wanid Kingdom Reputation Points


    5,000,000 Gold Coins


    500 Free Stat Points.


    One Rank 5 Skill Book that matches your profession.


    You will obtain the Title: Insect yer


    ��---------


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C Bonus Rewards will be calcted depending on your performance in this mission. The bigger the role you y, the higher the rewards will be.


    ��---------


    < Insect yer >


    < Deals 100% increase damage against Insect-Type Monsters >


    ��------------


    Everyone got the basic rewards for the quest, which gave everyone an increase in their stats, Wanid Kingdom Reputation Points, 5,000,000 Gold Coins, as well as a Rank 5 Skill Book that matched their Profession.


    Rank 5 Skill Books were simr to Beast Cores of Rank 5 Monsters. Those that obtained them could freely choose what skill they wanted, regardless if the skill came from a Normal Monster, an Alpha, A Field Boss, or a World Boss.


    Even the always grumpy Cethus couldn''t remove the grin from his face when their mission waspleted.


    The Reputation Points for the Wanid Kingdom were extremely valuable. After helping the residents of Abingdon Town evacuate the Shaufell ins, news of Lux''s and his party''s heroism started to spread.


    This made the locals have a good impression of them, which would be beneficial as they continued their journey. Usually, the Wanid Kingdom was very wary of strangers. However, they weed those who had done good for their countrymen.


    In fact, after arriving in Broughton Town, the Innkeeper with the best amodations in Town, took the initiative to invite Lux and his party members to stay in their Inn for a few days, free of charge.


    The Half-Elf happily epted this offer to the delight of the Innkeeper. Clearly, thetter wanted to brag to his acquaintances that Lux and hisrades had stayed in his Inn.


    Back on Earth, whenever celebrities or famous actors visited a ce, the owner would usually take pictures of them, and disy them as amemoration of their stay. This enhanced the prestige of that establishment, inviting more customers to visit their establishments.


    But, the rewards didn''t end there.


    The Bonus Rewards which were based on their performance during the mission gave them all a surprise that they never thought possible.


    ''I wonder what the others got?'' Lux thought as he nced at his party members, whose good moods were oozing from their facial expressions.


    However, since he didn''t want to pry, he decided to not ask them any questions and took Eiko to his room to rest.


    ��-----------


    Cethus Room��


    "Amazing��," the Dragon Born muttered as he looked at the Bonus Rewards he gained from the quest. "I knew thating with him was the right decision. I''m sure that those uptight Royal Guards in Karhsvar Draconis will be jealous once they realize how much I''ve changed after leaving the Capital City."


    The Dragon Bornughed happily as he summoned an exquisite looking spear that hovered in front of him.


    "Not bad�� not bad indeed." Cethus smirked as he held the handle of the spear firmly in his hands, making it hum and acknowledge the Dragon Born as its new Master.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    ��-----------


    Gerhart''s Room��


    A light breeze blew inside the room as Gerhart fanned himself with a green fan that seemed to have been made by a great artisan.


    "I never thought I''d acquire a Pseudo-Legendary Item after finishing this mission," Gerhart said as he looked outside the window of his room. "Heaven''s Gate�� I look forward to the day when I no longer need to hide the name of my Guild, and can show everyone that I am one of its members."


    The green-haired Half-Elf silently thanked Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian, for looking after him and making Lux take him on his journey. Back then, the only thought on his mind was to avenge his mother''s death. He didn''t know what he would do after he finished his revenge, but now, it was different.


    He now had something to look forward to.


    A ce where he belonged.


    Gerhart was now looking forward to his future adventures with Lux, as he set a new goal, not only for himself, but for everyone who was part of the one and only Mythical Guild in the world.


    ��-----------


    Laura''s and Livia''s Room��


    "Cora, you''ve be stronger!" Laura praised her Baby Slime, who had gained a Unique Ability as part of the Bonus Rewards the little Dwarf received from the quest.


    "Yes!" Cora replied happily as Laura spun her round and round, while giggling.


    Livia was humming a happy tune, while holding her Baby Slime, Nora, in her hands. Just like her twin sister, she also received a Bonus Reward that allowed Nora to gain a Unique Ability.


    Although they weren''t sure how powerful these abilities were when put into action, the twins believed that their Baby Slimes would be able to aplish amazing things in the future.


    ��-----------


    Randolph''s Room��


    "I always thought that our adventuring days were over," Randolph said as he looked at Grandma Annie who was seated on the couch opposite him. "I''m just worried that our old bones will be unable to bear the burden of apanying these kids to unknownnds."


    "Well, you''re not wrong," Grandma Annie replied before drinking her tea. "Truth be told, I thought that my time hade when the Insects attacked us in the Shaufell ins. If not for the fact that Laura and Livia were with me, I would have probably gone to the frontlines to help Lux fight against those Insects."


    Randolph snorted after hearing Grandma Annie''s words.


    "What good would an olddy do on the battlefield?" Randolph asked. "Well, I guess the Insects wouldn''t bother to do anything with you because you don''t look appetizing to them."


    Instead of being angry, Grandma Annie just chuckled after hearing her friend''s sarcasm.


    "Say, do you really think we can make them submit?" Grandma Annie asked as she ced her tea cup on the table.


    Randolph shrugged as he crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Subduing Transcendent mes is not an easy thing," Randolph replied. "Many have died because the mes didn''t deem them worthy and burned them alive. Are you prepared to be burned alive?"


    "No," Grandma Annie replied while shaking her head. "If I die, no one will take care of Laura and Livia. Because of that, I have no intention of dying. How about you? Have you already prepared your coffin?"


    Randolph snorted, but didn''t give a reply to Grandma Annie''s inquiry.


    Both of them understood that making the Transcendent mes recognize them as their Masters wouldn''t be easy.


    Although it didn''t show in their expressions, both of them were extremely anxious and excited at the same time.


    Excited because there was a possibility of finding the elusive mes that all craftsmen longed for, and anxiousness due to the possibility that the mes that they were pursuing had already been taken by others.


    There was also a fact that they were worried that the Transcendent mes would reject them and burn them alive.


    "Annie, if I die, I just want you to know that I have always lo�C"


    "Hush�� let''s not talk about this anymore. It''s all in the past now. You''re just feeling sentimental because of the danger we are currently facing."


    Randolph sighed internally because he understood that Grandma Annie didn''t want to talk about the things that happened in the past.


    In the end, the two Dwarves drank tea in silence, while reminiscing about the days of their youth.


    Days where they were still strong, fit, and ready to face the challenges of the world. Although those days were already gone, the two felt as if they were given a new starting point in life.


    As long as they were able to subdue the Transcendent mes, their second chance at life would officially begin.


    ��----------


    Inside Lux''s Room��


    "..."


    The Half-Elf didn''t have time to look at his rewards earlier because several things were happening at once. However, after everything settled down and he finally had time to check his rewards, he found himself staring at his Soul Book in disbelief.


    "... This can''t be real, right?" Lux muttered after he regained hisposure.


    The Half-Elf stared at the projection in front of him, which disyed a giant map that epassed the entirety of the Wanid Kingdom.


    And on that map, he found a marked location, which showed the location of one of the Transcendent mes.


    This discovery was a pleasant surprise for the Half-Elf because finding the Transcendent mes was his reason foring to the Wanid Kingdom.


    However, the thing that surprised him the most was the location of the me.


    "ckrock n��," Lux said softly as he looked at the familiar emblem on the projection.


    When Lux was just starting his journey in Elysium, he came upon a hidden quest inside the dungeon of Norria.


    And in this quest, he came upon Barca, the Half-Orc, whom Lux had helped to be the Tribe Chieftain of the ckrock n.


    "Is this a coincidence?" Lux narrowed his eyes as he looked at the blinking location on the map. "I guess there is only one way to find out."


    The Half-Elf knew that second-guessing wouldn''t get him anywhere.


    But, one thing was for sure. If they wanted to get their first Transcendent me, they had no choice but to go to the ckrock Territory, and meet up with the Orcs, who were one of the pirs that protected the Wanid Kingdom.

 Chapter 576 Reunion With The Blackrock Clan [Part 1]

    "I''m sorry, but I have never been to the Orc Stronghold," Pietro said with a bitter smile.


    "Although I have traveled to many ces in my homnd, the ckrock n''s territory is off-limits to those who are not part of the Seven Spiritual Guardians of the Wanid Kingdom. Us ordinarymoners are not allowed to visit them without an important reason."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding because he had already expected this oue.


    Before he came to the Wanid Kingdom, Ken, the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild and also a member of the Stronghold of Norria, had provided him with some information about the Guardians that served as its protectors.


    The Witches of Moonbright


    The Druids of the Forest of Beginnings


    Temrs of Cassemere


    The ckrock Orcs


    Djinns of Valefor


    Dryads of East Haven


    The Harpies of Airedale


    The ckrock Orcs were located along the Western edges of the Wanid Kingdom.


    In a lush and rich valley, the Orcs had erected an imposing fortress, which protected the Wanid Kingdom from the advances of the Haca Dynasty.


    Simr to the Vahan Empire, the Haca Dynasty was a Kingdom that sought to expand its territory in order to enrich itself, and exert its dominance over its neighbors.


    Unfortunately, when theyunched their first campaign to conquer the mysterious Wanid Kingdom, the first to stop them had been the Orcs.


    If the Orcs in question had been ordinary, the army of the Haca Dynasty would have managed to defeat them without taking any major losses.


    Unfortunately, the one that led them was a Half-Orc, who was not only strong, but cunning as well.


    Because of this, the Haca Dynasty found themselves fighting against an organized army of Orcs, and not a bunch of riffraff that they could ovee with great numbers. After consecutive losses, the Great General of the Haca Dynasty was forced to order a retreat.


    It had been thirty years since theyst stepped into thends of the Wanid Kingdom, but the Orcs were certain that the Humans wouldunch another campaign to try and conquer theirnds after they regained the losses they had suffered in the past.


    "Well, this is where we part ways, Sir Pietro," Lux said as he shook the Mayor''s hand firmly. "I hope that the next time we meet, you and the rest of the residents of Abingdon Town will be in a much better situation."


    Pietro nodded as he returned Lux''s handshake with both hands. "I pray for that as well. May the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom watch over you."


    After bidding his farewell, Lux and his group traveled westward.


    Unlike the Kingdom of Gweliven, the Wanid Kingdom had very few teleportation gates. These gates were ced in strategic locations so that the Guardians could send their armies to reinforce their allies at any given time.


    They couldn''t be used by the general public, which meant that Lux and his group had no choice but to use the old-fashioned way of traveling, and that was by riding their mounts.


    ''The Wanid Kingdom is so big, and we may not have enough time before my two-month grace period is over,'' Lux thought. ''I also promised to celebrate my birthday with Iris.''


    Lux frowned as they continued their journey. He had spent ten days escorting the residents of Abingdon Town to Broughton Town, which was three days shorter than the deadline he was given by the quest.


    Even so, the red-headed teenager estimated that it would take them four to five days of travel before they reached the ckrock n''s territory.


    If that were true, they would''ve spent nearly a month in the Wanid Kingdom just by traveling to the location of the first Transcendent me.


    ''Look on the bright side,'' Keoza''s voice reached Lux''s ears as they continued to head West. ''Perhaps the Orcs discovered the Transcendent me and moved it to their stronghold. If that were the case, then we won''t need to head North, which would have made our journey longer.''


    Despite hearing the Crystal Dragon''s words of assurance, the Half-Elf still couldn''t stop himself from feeling anxious.


    ''What if they have already tamed the Transcendent me?'' Lux replied. ''Wouldn''t that mean that our journey was wasted?''


    ''Calm down,'' Keoza stated. ''The Transcendent me still doesn''t have an owner. I am sure of it.''


    ''Really?''


    ''Are you doubting me, you brat? Okay, listen up. Back then, I wanted to call dibs on the Transcendent mes, so I ced my mark on them. If someone seeded in subduing them, my mark would have disappeared. But, since it is still there, it means that they still don''t have any owners. Are you happy now?''<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    Lux was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief after hearing Keoza''s exnation. His greatest worry was toe home empty-handed. However, since the Crystal Dragon had affirmed that the Transcendent me in the ckrock Territory was still untamed, he could now put all of his energy into thepletion of their mission.


    ��---------


    Four dayster��


    "We would have arrived faster if we flew," Cethus grumbled. "If only that Tempest Elemental hadn''t threatened us��"


    The Dragon Born disliked traveling onnd because, for him, it was a very lowly thing to do. He would rather spread his wings and fly freely in the sky and use his natural-born abilities to eliminate anything that stood in his way.


    "Stop grumbling," Gerhartmented. "We''re already here, so make sure that you don''t annoy the Orcs. I don''t have any intention of helping you if you identally irk one of them."


    "Shut up, you green-haired Half-Elf," Cethus replied. "Don''t order me around. I only listen to the red-haired one."


    "Okay, it''s your funeral anyway." Gerhart no longer bothered with the uptight and arrogant Dragon Born, who still hadn''t learned the lesson he had been taught back in Karshvar Draconis.


    Lux, who heard their conversation, turned around to look at the Dragon Born with a serious expression on his face.


    "Cethus, if you create trouble here, I will kick you out of the party even if you beg me for forgiveness," Lux stated. "Do I make myself clear?"


    The Dragon Born snorted and looked away. Although the Dragon Born acted like this, Lux had a feeling that Cethus would listen to his words and not cause any problems while they were in the territory of the ckrock n.


    They had already noticed several Orcs eyeing them from a distance, but none of them took the initiative to attack Lux''s group.


    When he finished the Quest inside the Dungeon, Orc Dominion, Lux received 3,000 reputation points with the ckrock n. Back then, he didn''t think too much of it because he thought that the reputation points he gained back then would serve no use in the real world.


    But now that he was looking at the Orc Stronghold in front of him, he couldn''t help but wonder if the reputation points he currently had was the reason why the Orcs weren''t attacking him.


    Just as their group was about to arrive at the gate of the fortress, over a dozen Orcs walked up to them to stop their advance.


    "This is the first time I''ve seen your faces," an Orc that was over two meters tall said as he looked down on Lux and hispanions. "Why are you here in our territory?"


    Originally, the Guard Captain of the Orcs wanted to attack Lux and his party when their scouts found them traversing their Domain.


    However, they didn''t do that because, for some reason, they sensed that the red-headed teenager that was leading the group didn''t have any bad intentions toward them.


    "Actually, we came here to have a proper talk with your Tribe Chief to discuss some important matters," Lux replied.


    "What matters?" the Orc Captain asked back.


    "... something very important?" Lux answered.


    "And what is that very important matter you speak of?" the Orc Captain growled.


    Lux''s brain immediately went into overdrive as he thought of a good excuse to say. He was already thankful that the Orcs weren''t attacking him, so he was thinking of the best answer to give, to prevent hostilities from breaking out.


    "Actually, I am a Necro�C Summoner," Lux replied. "I have heard that the Great Baronar is the most powerful Orc Shaman in the Wanid Kingdom. Because of this, I traveled long distances to exchange pointers with him."


    "Hoh�� so, you have heard about our great Orc Shaman," the Orc Captain''s expression became a little less fierce after hearing Lux''s answer. "You said you were a Summoner, right? Show me one of your Summons."


    Lux knew that this was the turning point, so he immediately summoned his Fortress Defenders, Pazuzu.


    The two-meter-tall Orc Captain and Lux''s Demonic Defender held each other''s gaze for nearly half a minute before the Orc raised his fist.


    Pazuzu did the same.


    Lux''srades who saw this thought that the Orc Captain and the Fortress Defender were about to have a fistfight, and took a fighting stance.


    But Lux raised his hand to stop them from doing anything and simply watched Pazuzu and the Orc bumped their fists together as a sign of goodwill.


    "You smell like one of Lord Baronar''s Elite Orc Spirit Warriors," the Orc Captain stated as he shifted his attention to Lux. "Okay, I will believe you for now. Stay here while I inform Lord Baronar of your request to meet with him."


    The Orc Captain raised his hand, and one of his subordinates hurried back inside the Stronghold to use an artifact that was able tomunicate with another over long distances.


    While this was happening, the Orc Captain was eyeing Pazuzu with great interest. Clearly, the former was itching for a fight, and for some reason, the Fortress Defender seemed very keen to fight as well.

 Chapter 577 Reunion With The Blackrock Clan [Part 2]

    Cheers rang out from the gate of the Fortress as the Orcs shouted to support their Guard Captain in his battle against the Fortress Defender, who had a fearless grin stered on his monstrous face.


    Among Lux''s subordinates, it wasn''t ALL-MITE that looked the scariest��it was Pazuzu.


    The Demonic Defender had a very hideous appearance, which was meant to scare his opponents in battle. Pazuzu''s face was so scary, that Lux was afraid of summoning him near children because they might all cry simultaneously.


    Because of this reason, Pazuzu always wore a helmet whenever he was in town.


    But, on the battlefield, he did not need to hide anything, especially when he stood on the front lines, protecting his Master from any harm. As long as he was alive, he would be Lux''s strongest shield and would dly sacrifice his life in order to shield his Master and hisrades till his dying breath.


    "You''re so hard," the Guard Captain, whose name was Klog, said as he distanced himself from his opponent. "What do you usually eat?"


    "Attacks of Deimos Beasts," Pazuzu replied as he raised his mace with a smirk. "And Rankers."


    Klogughed out loud after hearing Pazuzu''s answer. Even the spectators joined their Captain inughter because they thought that the Fortress Defender was just joking.


    Pazuzu didn''t take the initiative to attack and simply waited for his opponent to stopughing.


    "Are you for real?" Klog asked. "Even I can''t take the attacks of a Deimos Beast head-on. As for a Ranker, I will be one very soon."


    Klog''s voice was filled with confidence as if him bing a Ranker was already a done deal.


    Lux, Pazuzu, Gerhart, and Cethus knew that the Orc Captain wasn''t lying. They could sense that the Orc was already at the peak of the Initiate Rank and was probably only waiting for the right opportunity to break through.


    Instead of giving an answer, Pazuzu used his spiked mace to beckon Klog to attack him. The Fortress Defender didn''t need to say anything to prove himself.


    Although he died almost all the time from facing opponents that were way above his rank, the Fortress Defender learned a lot from fighting them.


    As he and Klog shed, Lux noticed that Pazuzu was not blocking Klog''s attack directly with his shield.


    Instead, whenever the Orc Captain''s Axe was about to hit his shield, Pazuzu would move it at a certain angle to deflect the attack, and deliver a counterattack of his own.


    This fighting style was the perfect counter against Klog''s powerful and heavy-handed strikes.


    Pazuzu was more of a defensive fighter than an offensive one, but after Lux gained the title "Lord of Death''s Army", Pazuzu''s already high defenses and mediocre attack power doubled.


    This gave him the ability to effectively fight against opponents who weren''t Rankers or Deimos-Ranked Beasts.


    "Go, Uncle Pazuzu! Hit him!" Laura shouted.


    "Smack him! Whack him!" Livia cheered with her small fist raised high.


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    Laura, Livia, Eiko, Nora, and Cora, were cheering for Pazuzu, which amused Lux and Grandma Annie.


    Randolph, Gerhart, and Cethus were watching the match closely, as if they were trying to gain insights on how to fight in close quarters.


    Klog was faster than Pazuzu. Even so, he was feeling frustrated because it seemed like he was fighting against a snapping turtle who blocked his blows and delivered a very painful bite when given the right chance.


    Suddenly, Pazuzu''s spiked mace hit Klog''s right arm, making thetter grit his teeth in pain. However, the next second, the Orc Captain felt an overwhelming feeling of fear, which made him subconsciously take a step back.


    Pazuzu''s attack had a small chance to instill fear. However, after Lux gained several upgrades, the Fortress Defender''s attacks now had a small chance to inflict paralysis on those that were hit by his attacks.


    Since Klog had momentarily entered a state of fear, Pazuzu didn''t miss this opportunity and unleashed a barrage of attacks, which forced the Orc Captain to fight defensively.


    "It''s my win," Pazuzu said as his spiked mace hovered inches away from Klog''s head.


    The Orc Captain was kneeling on the ground because one of Pazuzu''s attacks had connected and the passive paralyzing effect activated.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yay! We won!" Laura happily pped her hands together.


    "You''re amazing, Uncle Pazuzu!" Livia also pped her hands in happiness after seeing that their side won.


    """Eyah!"""


    """Eyah!"""


    """Eyah!"""


    The three baby slimes also celebrated their victory, while jumping on top of their Masters'' heads.


    "That was a good fight."


    A voice filled with amusement reached everyone''s ears, which made them look all at the gate of the Stronghold at the same time.


    """We greet the Great Shaman.""" The Orcs who were watching the duel earlier all pressed their fists over their chests as they greeted one of the Commanders of the ckrock n.


    "I greet�� the great�� Shaman," Klog said through gritted teeth as he tried to fight off the effect of fear and paralysis that had spread over his body.


    Baronar smiled and waved his hand.


    Immediately, a soothing breeze blew in the surroundings, making everyone feel refreshed.


    A few secondster, a sigh of relief escaped Klog''s lips before he stood up.


    "That was a good fight," Klog pressed his closed fist over Pazuzu''s chest. "But, next time, I will win."


    "I''ll be waiting then," Pazuzu replied with confidence. He was quite happy with how the duel turned out because he had always wanted to test his newfound strength.


    Orc Warriors were stronger than Humans. An Orc who was at the Initiate Rank was stronger than a Human Initiate when it came to raw strength.


    Even the proud Barbarians had no choice but to admit that Orcs were naturally stronger than them. Pazuzu''s victory also allowed Lux to gain a better understanding of his Fortress Defender''s ability, which made him very happy as well.


    "So, you are the Summoner Friend who traveled from afar to meet me, right?" Baronar asked in a teasing tone.


    "Yes, Lord Baronar," Lux replied. "My name is Lux."


    The Half-Elf gave the Orc Shaman a respectful bow, which made the Orcs have a better impression of him.


    "Lux?" Baronar rubbed his chin as he narrowed his eyes to look at the red-headed teenager that he had seen for the first time. "Have we met before? For some reason, I felt like we have known each other for a long time. Also, your Summon feels simr to my Elite Orc Spirit Warriors�� fascinating."


    Lux smiled before answering Baronar''s question. "This is our first time meeting each other, Lord Baronar. However, the moment I saw you I also felt like we''ve been friends for a very long time."


    Baronar chuckled after hearing Lux''s reply. Pazuzu had only piqued his interest earlier, but now, he was very interested to have a proper talk with the red-headed teenager in front of him.


    As a powerful Orc Shaman, whomunicated with the spirits, he already knew that Lux only spoke a half-truth about being a Summoner.


    ''This is only the third time I''ve seen a Necromancer in my lifetime,'' Baronar thought as he eyed Lux with a critical gaze. ''Still, the Spirits are telling me that his Fate and the ckrock n''s Fate are bound together by an invisible string.''


    The Orc Shaman was quite thrilled to meet someone who had the power tomunicate with the Spirits of the Dead. He also had this ability, but it was nothingpared to the power of a true Necromancer.


    Baronar was hoping that after exchanging pointers with Lux, he would be able to know how to evolve his Elite Orc Spirit Warriors, just like the Half-Elf had done with his Demonic Defender, whose origin belonged to a spell that Baronar had painstakingly created many years ago.


    "Friends that came from distantnds, I wee you to Rogdul, one of the Strongholds of the ckrock n," Baronar said with open arms. "Please,e with me, so you can take a rest in the guest quarters."


    Lux epted Baronar''s invitation, and entered the Stronghold with him.


    Both of them had an agenda in mind, but neither of them was aware of what the other person was thinking.


    For now, they just walked side by side and made small talk, as they made their way towards the guest quarters, within one of the Strongholds of the ckrock n.

 Chapter 578 Accomplices In The Wish For Dominion [Part 1]

    Inside the room that was given to Lux as his temporary residence��


    "There''s only the two of us now, so why don''t you tell me the real reason why you''vee here?" Baronar asked with a smile. "Although you introduced yourself as a Summoner, both of us know that you only spoke half-truths. Isn''t that right, young Necromancer?"


    Lux returned Baronar''s smile because he already knew that it was impossible to hide his true profession from someone who had mastery over the Shamanic Arts.


    ��--------


    < Baronar >


    �C Orc Great Shaman


    �C Peak Argonaut-Ranked Alpha Monster


    Health: ????????? /  ?????????


    Mana:  ????????? /  ?????????


    Strength:  ?????????


    Intelligence:  ?????????


    Vitality:  ?????????


    Agility:  ?????????


    Dexterity:  ?????????


    ��--------


    Lux had attempted to check Baronar''s stats earlier because, unlike Humans, Orcs were Monsters.


    When Lux met Baronar for the first time in the Dungeon of Dominion, the Orc Shaman was only a Rank 4 Alpha Monster.


    Not only was the Orc in front of him an Argonaut Ranked Monster, but Baronar''s profession was also upgraded to Great Orc Shaman.


    ''I already expected this, but it seems that my assumptions were still a bit off from my estimate,'' Lux thought.


    As one of the Commanders of the Orc Tribe, it was impossible for Baronar to have a low Rank because their n was fighting against invaders that wereing from the Haca Dynasty.


    If the Great Orc Shaman''s Rank was simr to what he had back in the Dungeon, Orc Dominion, where Lux had met him, they would have long been wiped out by the Humans who tried to invade theirnds.


    However, what astounded Lux was that the ckrock n actually existed in the real world, which made him wonder how the dungeon of Orc Dominion came into being.


    Baronar, who had asked Lux his true reason for visiting theirnds, simply waited for the Half-Elf''s answer. He was more powerful than the Half-Elf, so he didn''t mind having a private chat with him.


    Besides, he was still trying to figure out why he was feeling a strange connection with the Half-Elf, whom he was meeting for the first time in his life.


    "The truth is, I came here to try my luck in taming the Transcendent mes," Lux replied.


    As someone whomunicated with Spirits, it was as easy as breathing for Baronar to tell whether he was lying or not. Since that was the case, there was no point in hiding the truth. Lying would only lead to suspicions and confrontation, which was something that Lux wanted to avoid at all costs.


    "Mmm, so you are one of them," Baronarmented. "One of the Fools who think that they can take our tribe''s me of Origin for their own. You people really don''t learn do you?"


    Baronar''s voice didn''t hold any semnce of anger. In fact, it was filled with amusement.


    Lux even thought that the reputation he had with the ckrock n would immediately decrease as soon as he mentioned anything about the Transcendent mes.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, he didn''t hear any notification sounds inside his head, which made him feel relieved internally.


    Baronar took out a jar of fruit juice, and two wooden cups from his storage ring, and put them on top of the table. He then unceremoniously poured Lux a cup and handed it to him with a smile.


    "Don''t worry, it''s not poisoned," Baronar stated with a fiendish smile. "It will be a great dishonor to poison a guest I had personally invited. Don''t worry, I have no quarrels with you right now. At least for the time being."


    Lux understood Baronar''s subtle hint, so he decided to just drink the fruit juice that was offered to him as a sign of goodwill.


    After emptying his cup, the Half-Elf immediately felt a surge of heat rise up from his chest as if his throat was on fire.


    Half a minuteter, he copsed on the floor unconscious.


    ��----------


    By the time Lux regained his senses, he found himself floating in space.


    His body felt as heavy as lead, but he still managed to stand and look around his surroundings.


    It was at that moment that he heard a familiar voice behind him.


    "Well, you recovered faster than I expected."


    Lux immediately turned around to look behind his back, and saw Baronar standing several meters away from him.


    "What did you make me drink?" Lux asked. "I thought you weren''t going to poison me?"


    Baronar chuckled as he wagged his finger at the Half-Elf, who still didn''t have full control of his body.


    "I didn''t lie," Baronar replied. "I didn''t poison you. What you drank was a concoction that I use whenever I want to travel in the Spirit World. It''s called Ayahuasca, and it''s a good drink to help increase the spiritual senses of a person."


    After answering Lux''s question, Baronar waved his hand and the scenery around them changed.


    The Half-Elf found himself staring at a familiar wooden cottage. A few secondster, he saw himself, Eiko, Colette, and the others walk towards the cottage and then open its door.


    ''Wait�� could this be?'' Lux''s eyes widened in shock because he finally understood what was happening.


    The Half-Elf once again shifted his attention back to the smiling Baronar, who winked back at him, making him subconsciously shudder.


    ''Sh*t!''


    That was the word that popped up inside Lux''s head the moment he realized what was happening.


    Just as he was about to ask the Great Orc Shaman his reason for reading his memories, a loud roar reached his ears, which made the Half-Elf smile bitterly.


    Heaving a sigh of helplessness, Lux turned around to find his previous self inside the wooden cottage.


    He then stared at the Half-Orc, who was looking at the Dwarf children with blood-shot eyes, holding a greatsword in his hands.


    ''Barca��'' Lux sighed for the second time as he gazed at the Half-Orc, who clearly didn''t look happy at seeing the uninvited guests who had trespassed inside his home.


    "Who are you lot, and what are you doing inside my cottage?!" the Half-Orc shouted as it threatened to brandish his sword towards the Dwarves, who had taken a defensive stance against it.


    This was how he, and his friends first met Barca, and also when they had helped the Half-Orc aplish his wish for Dominion.

 Chapter 579 Accomplices In The Wish For Dominion [Part 2]

    "Interesting��," Baronar muttered as he looked at his defeated image kneeling in front of Barca after he lost their duel. "Although there are some minor differences here and there, my fight with Barca decades ago had the same oue. The slow-acting mage poison was a nice touch.


    "That Baby Slime of yours was quite bold to add that to my drink. Now I no longer feel sorry for dragging you here in the Spirit World. At least I get to see something interesting."


    The Great Orc Shaman rubbed his chin as he watched the events unfold right before his eyes.


    Lux rolled his eyes at the shameless Orc who had drugged him against his will. The only saving grace was that his Baby Slime had not apanied him when he went to have a private chat with the Great Orc Shaman.


    ''Fortunately, I left Eiko with Grandma Annie,'' Lux thought. ''I don''t know what she would have done if she saw me lose consciousness after drinking that fruit juice.''


    Lux knew full well that no matter what he did, there was no stopping this trip down memoryne. So, he decided to give up and just watch everything unfold with his arms crossed over his chest.


    ''Watching all of this is very nostalgic,'' Lux thought. ''Back then, I had to employ every trick I could think of in order to defeat Baronar. I''vee a long way since then.''


    Baronar narrowed his eyes when he saw Lux summon Pazuzu for the very first time.


    Now, he vaguely understood why the Fortress Defender felt very simr to this Elite Orc Spirit Warriors.


    However, he didn''t say anything and simply watched as Barca continued his journey. The Great Orc Shaman wasn''t in a hurry to ask questions. He could ask them after this interesting tale had reached its conclusion.


    Baronar smirked when the young Barca arrived at Tanabur''s Camp.


    The Great Orc Shaman and the Orc Warlord Tanabur had never gotten along in the past, so he was very amused when the younger version of himself proposed that they attack Tanabur''s Camp right after he was defeated.


    A few minutester, Baronar roared inughter when he saw his rival, as well as the Orc Warg Riders, copsed on the ground and panted for breath, all thanks to Baronar''s special poison.


    ��------


    "Baronar, you filthy traitor!" Tanabur shouted in anger. "I knew you couldn''t be trusted!"


    Tanabur gnashed his teeth in anger as he red at the Orc Shaman,pletely ignoring the de that could cut his neck at any moment.


    "All of this is due to your stupidity, Tanabur," Baronar sneered. "I bet you wereughing when youmanded your subordinates to not send reinforcements to my camp. This is just the consequence of your shortsightedness!"


    "Bah! Shut up you weakling bone collector!"


    "At least I''m not an Orc who can only screw his Warg because women won''t look at him!"


    "Bastard! Fight me!"


    "Hah! Come! Who''s scared of who?!"


    ��------


    After having a goodugh, the scene once again changed, and this time Barca appeared in Morgazar''s Camp, who was also one of the Orc Warlords.


    This time, it was Tanabur who had devised the n in order to bring down the deadly Orc Hunter whose arrows could instantly kill those who were unable to sense his presence until it was toote.


    Lux watched the familiar scene with a nostalgic smile.


    "Orcs are a race that follows the strong," Baronar said as he stood beside the Half-Elf whom he found quite interesting. "We could care less if it was Barca or Orobak who will end up leading us. In the end, the one who remains standing at the end will be our King."


    Lux nodded because he already knew this back then. However, a question then appeared inside his head, which he immediately asked the Great Orc Shaman that was standing beside him.


    "Is Barca your current King?" Lux asked.


    "No," Baronar answered in a heartbeat. "He is not our current King."


    Lux''s face immediately became pale as soon as he heard Baronar''s reply. Inside the dungeon, he had helped Barca be the Orc Chieftain, and he seeded in doing that.


    However, Baronar just told him that their current King wasn''t Barca, which made the Half-Elf feel a lump in his throat.


    Even so, he still asked the question inside his head because he needed to know the answer.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Then�� is Orobak your King?" Lux inquired, while dreading the answer to his question.


    "No," Baronar replied.


    The corner of Great Orc Shaman''s lips rose a bit as he looked at the confused expression that appeared on Lux''s face.


    "If it''s not Barca or Orobak then who?"


    "You don''t have to worry about that. Let''s finish this entertaining show first."


    Baronar no longer said anything and shifted his gaze to the heated battle between Barca and Orobak.


    Judging from the Great Orc Shaman''s expression, it seemed that the battle between the two Powerhouses was different from what he had seen in the past.


    ��--------


    Barca spat a mouthful of blood after receiving Orobak''s powerful blow, which almost broke his defensive stance.


    "I see. So that is the armor that belonged to my Grandfather," Barca said as he looked at the ck armor that covered Orobak''s entire body. "The ckrock Legacy Set."


    "Indeed." Orobak sneered. "A fitting armor for me, isn''t it?"


    "The armor is good, but the one wearing it is trash," Barca replied. "If it could only talk, it would have already told you that you are garbage."


    Orobakughed. "A loser''sst words. Have you had enough? It''s time for you to die, Halfbreed."


    ��--------


    As Orobak was about to give the killing blow, a blue tower shield mmed against the side of his body, pushing him away.


    Baronar, who was watching this scene, frowned..


    "Don''t you know that Orc Duels are sacred?" Baronar asked the Half-Elf with a serious expression on his face. "Outsiders have no right to interfere!"


    However, before the Half-Elf could even give a reply, Barca''s words rang in Baronar''s ears, which almost made  the Great Orc Shaman choke on the words he was about to say next.


    ��--------


    "An Orc Battle is sacred, and is not a ce for outsiders to intervene," Barca said. "But, I''m fighting against trash, so it''s allowed."


    "Wow! Double standards much," Lux replied. "Can''t you just say that you can''t beat him and need our help?"


    "No. You''re just overthinking things."


    "Fine. Kill first, talkter."


    ��--------


    The red-headed teenager couldn''t help butugh after seeing the dumbfounded look on Baronar''s face.


    Clearly, the Great Orc Shaman didn''t witness this scene in the past. In the end, Baronar watched the rest of the battle with his lips twitching uncontrobly.


    It was very obvious that he didn''t approve of such a thing, but since this was Lux''s version of the story, there was nothing he could do about it.


    When everything ended, the Great Orc Shaman remained silent for a minute before heaving a sigh.


    "Okay, now I understand why I feel that connection with you," Baronar stated. "Let''s go back to the real world. We have many things to talk about."


    With a wave of Great Orc Shaman''s hand, Lux found himself feeling extremely drowsy.


    Half a minuteter, the Half-Elf disappeared from the Spirit World and returned to the Material ne, where Baronar was waiting for him.

 Chapter 580 The Blackrock Clan’s Transcendent Flames

    "That thing you''ve shown me was very interesting, Lux," Baronar said as he poured a cup of juice into his jug. "To think that our past struggles were shown inside a Dungeon, truly fascinating."


    The Half-Elf fished out a cup and a drink for himself from his storage ring. After what Baronar did, he was having trust issues in regard to whatever the Great Orc Shaman would give him.


    "I was also surprised when I found out that the ckrock n existed in the real world," Luxmented. "I never expected that we would have this kind of reunion in the Wanid Kingdom."


    Baronar nodded. Now that he had seen Lux''s past struggles and how thetter interacted with his n, his impression of the red-headed teenager changed considerably.


    "Still, I don''t understand how or why that dungeon came to be." Baronar rubbed his chin. "You said that if you challenge that dungeon normally, it will just be a typical dungeon with Orcs, right?"


    "Yes," Lux answered. "The Leader of the Stronghold of Norria, Commander Thoram, attested that what we experienced was very different from how the usual Dungeon operated. Also, after clearing the hidden quest, Barca never appeared in the Dungeon again."


    Baronar drained the content of the cup into his mouth and let out a loud burp before shifting his gaze back to the Half-Elf, who had also finished drinking.


    "Well, this matter is outside of our understanding, so let''s not dwell on it," Baronar stated. "Perhaps only the Gods know how this incident came to be. Now, let''s tackle your agenda by visiting our n. You want the Transcendent me, right?"


    Lux''s expression immediately turned serious after he heard Baronar''s words. The Transcendent me was the main reason why he visited the ckrock n. If possible, he wanted to acquire it before leaving the Wanid Kingdom.


    "That''s the only reason why we came to the Wanid Kingdom, Your Excellency," Lux replied.


    Baronar rubbed his chin as if he was mulling over something very important. Lux remained silent and waited for the Great Orc Shaman to give him a reply.


    A few minutester, Baronar fixed his gaze on the Half-Elf''s face and spoke.


    "Actually, our n has two Transcendent mes in our possession," Baronar exined. "But, the two of them can''t be separated because they are Twin mes."


    Lux''s jaw almost dropped after hearing Baronar''s exnation. He only came for one Transcendent me, and it so happened that the ones that the ckrock n kept were Twin mes.


    "Having the Twin mes is both a blessing and a curse," Baronar said with a sigh. "The good part about them is that, even though we haven''t made a contract with them, we are able to use a bit of their powers because they allow us to use them. Are you familiar with the rtionship between the Ants and Aphids?


    Lux nodded. "Aphids provide Ants with sugar-rich honeydew as a source of food, and in turn, the Ants protect the Aphids against various natural enemies and improve the hygiene of the Aphid colony."


    "Right," Baronar gave Lux a nod of acknowledgment. "In short, we are the Ants, and the Twin mes are the Aphids. We act as their protectors while harnessing a bit of their powers. Everything would have continued to be fine, but the Haca Dynasty heard about this and decided to take the Twin mes away from us.


    "It has been thirty years since then, and we''re seeing plenty of activity in the fortress they have built outside our borders. It is only a matter of time before they once again march into ournds, and when that happens, a bloodbath will take ce."


    Baronar''s solemn expression was more than enough to tell Lux how worried the shaman was about the uing war.


    "Why don''t you ask the other Guardians of the Wanid Kingdom for help?" Lux inquired. "Isn''t protecting your kingdom something that should be done by everyone?"


    Baronar snorted. "Of course, they will definitely help, especially those Upstarts who want to be part of the 7 Pirs of the Wanid Kingdom. But, they will onlye when we have suffered enough.


    "It''s not just the Haca Dynasty who''s greedy for our Twin mes. Sometimes, the enemy you should watch out for are the ones that call themselves your friends. You wouldn''t see theming until it is toote."


    The Great Orc Shaman''s ramblings made Lux frown. Originally, he thought that the Seven Pirs of the Wanid Kingdom were united and worked together to keep theirnds safe.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Greed is truly a sin,'' Lux thought. ''Just like every Kingdom, the Overlords that governed each of their respective territories were ying a political game.''


    Several years ago, Lux also thought that the Wildgarde Stronghold, the Rowan Tribe, the Six Kingdoms, and Barbatos Academy were all solid allies.


    But after he gained the right to enter Elysium, he discovered that the great alliance was formed based on each of their respective interests.


    Basically, they were only allies by convenience. Perhaps, the real alliance was only shared between the Rowan Tribe and the Barbatos Academy.


    As for Wildgarde Stronghold, it was a territory that happened to border the domain of Barbatos Academy.


    Two of the Six Kingdoms, who were adjacent to the Stronghold had once attempted to ask them to submit to them. However, Alexander intervened, and it took everyone by surprise.


    With Vera joining the Guardians of the Stronghold, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy, as well as one of the handful of Saints within the Six Kingdoms, dered that the Wildgarde Stronghold was a free territory, and no Kingdoms were allowed to annex it.


    Due to Alexander''s deration, the Six Kingdoms left the Wildgarde Stronghold alone. This allowed the Stronghold to grow independently and make its own mark within Sis and Elysium under Alexander''s protection.


    This was also why the Wildgarde Stronghold and Barbatos Academy had a deep friendship, allowing both of their guilds to work and coborate together in the world of Elysium.


    "There are two ways for you to get the Twin mes," Baronar raised two fingers as he looked at the red-headed teenager with a devilish grin stered on his face. "The first one is to beat Barca in a duel."


    "How strong is Barca?" Lux asked in a heartbeat.


    "Empyrean," Baronar replied with a smirk.


    The Half-Elf subconsciously took a deep breath after hearing Baronar''s reply.


    Above the Deimos Rank was the Argonaut Rank.


    Above the Argonaut Rank was the Dreadnaught Rank.


    Empyrean was the rank above that, and since Barca was a Half-Orc, he could be treated as an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster.


    In order to defeat such a powerful creature, it would need at least two to four SS-Ranked Rankers to subdue him in battle.


    "And the second?" Lux asked.


    He knew that beating Barca was impossible at this point in time, so he sought for the second option that might allow him to get a chance of getting the Twin mes that the ckrock n was protecting.


    Barca lowered one of the two fingers he was holding up, and wagged it in front of Lux.


    "The second option is for you to��"

 Chapter 581 March Towards Ludrar Bragh

    "Earn an achievement that will be recognized by the entire ckrock n?" Lux scratched his head. "Isn''t the hurdle too high?"


    Baronarughed as he patted the Half-Elf''s back, which almost made Lux spit blood due to how strong the Great Orc Shaman was.


    "Do you think Transcendent mes are cabbages that you can just pick up anywhere?" Baronar asked back. "Besides, the second option is much more realistic than fighting against Barca. Or do you think you have the chance of beating him, hmm?"


    The Half-Elf had noeback for the Great Orc Shaman''s question.


    Empyreans were considered to be Pseudo-Saints.


    Clearly, it was impossible for the current Lux to even withstand a single blow from an opponent of such magnitude, let alone beat it. Even if he had the help of Eiko, his Undead Army, the Elemental Heart, and the Dragon Token, beating Barca seemed like an impossible task.


    You see, Monsters, especially those of the Empyrean Ranks, had the power to destroy well-fortified cities single-handedly.


    Their abilities were so great that Lux was certain that even if he used the skill, Duel [EX], repeatedly, the damage they could give Barca would only be at most, superficial wounds.


    The only way he could beat Barca was if Alexander and Maximilian were there to tie him up and allow the Half-Elf to whack the Orc Chieftain silly until Barca forgot his own name.


    Of course, that wouldn''t be happening anytime soon, so the Half-Elf could only sigh in his heart and scratch his head.


    Baronar was about to make fun of the depressed Half-Elf when suddenly, a loud knock was heard on the door.


    "Great Orc Shaman, the Great Chieftain calls for an emergency meeting," an anxious voice said from behind the door. "Our Scouts have passed along a message and set fire to the Torch of War. The Haca Dynasty has finally made their move."


    Baronar hurriedly stood up and almost ran towards the door.


    "Sorry, but let''s talk another time, Lux," Baronar stated. "All of you behave and stay here. I''ll tell my subordinates to not make things difficult for you and yourrades."


    Lux knew that if he just listened to what Baronar was saying, he and his friends would have to stay in the Stronghold for an immeasurable number of days. Because of this, a n entered his mind, as he ran after the Great Orc Shaman, who had beenughing at him a moment ago.


    "Your Excellency, how about you take us with you?" Lux asked. "You''ve already seen what we''re capable of back in the Dungeon. Perhaps we can be of assistance to you?"


    Baronar momentarily stopped walking and turned around to look at the Half-Elf with a conflicted expression on his face.


    It seemed that he was having an internal battle inside his head, but in the end, he reluctantly nodded his head and agreed to Lux''s proposal.


    "Gather yourrades now," Baronar ordered. "Don''t me me if I leave you behind due to how slow you guys are."


    The Great Orc Shaman no longer said anything and hurried away. Lux, on the other hand, immediately informed everyone, except for Cethus through the Guild Chat about thetest development in the ckrock n.


    Five minutester, all of them gathered at the North Gate of the Stronghold.


    There, a teleportation gate stood.


    The inscribed runes on the structure were all glowing. This meant that the Teleportation Gate was active, and ready to transport anyone or anything that passed through it.


    "March!" Baronar dered. "To Ludrar Bragh!"


    The Orc Shamans, as well as the Orc Warriors all raised their weapons to acknowledge their Commander''s order, and walked behind him as Baronar entered the Teleportation Gate first.


    Lux and hisrades were at the very back of the formation because they didn''t want to get in the way of the Orcs, who had been mobilized for war.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It seems that being with you will not give me any time to rest," Gerhart said in a teasing tone. "I didn''t know that you lived a very fast-paced life."


    Cethus, who was standing beside the green-haired Half-Elf, agreed to what Gerhart had said. Although he had already expected that something big would happen once they entered the Orc Encampment, he didn''t expect that he would witness the beginning of a war.


    ''Bring it on!'' Cethus thought as he gazed at the red-headed teenager who was his temporary leader. ''I want to see what other interesting rewards I will get by following you on this mission.''


    The Dragon Born couldn''t stop himself from smirking. Not only did he get free stats points, gold coins, and other rewards, but he also managed to get a Pseudo-Legendary Weapon, whichplimented his abilities perfectly.


    For Cethus, this trip to the Wanid Kingdom had given him more rewardspared to the five years he had spent as one of the Royal Guards in the Capital City of Karshvar Draconis.


    Although his Grandma spoiled him, he had many other siblings, who were more talented than him. Because of this, most of their family''s resources were given to those people, leaving only scraps for Cethus.


    Being assigned as one of the Royal Guards due to his Grandma''s connections was the only silver lining in his life.


    Now that a perfect opportunity had presented itself in front of him to gain powers and riches that he never thought possible, the Dragon Born no longer had any hesitation in following the Half-Elf until he became a Ranker.


    If Lux could only read people''s minds, he would have certainlyughed at Cethus for his "simple-mindedness".


    For the Dragon Born, bing a Ranker was a necessity.


    For Lux, bing a Ranker was on par with his journey in Elysium.


    Being a Ranker wasn''t the end game for him. He was tasked to find a way to save Sis from destruction.


    In order for him to do that, he would need to search high and low, perhaps even going to the most dangerous ces in the world, with the hope that he would find a clue that would ultimately lead him to the goal he had in mind.


    "Let''s move out," Lux ordered as he lightly patted Jed''s back. "Stay close, everyone. We don''t know what we will find after we cross through the gate."


    Everyone nodded their heads in acknowledgement of Lux''s orders and followed behind him as they entered the gate that would take them to the capital city of the Orcs, Ludrar Bragh.


    The ce where the Half-Orc whom he had met inside a Dungeon many months ago was stationed.


    Baronar had hinted that Barca wasn''t the current Orc Chieftain, which perplexed the red-headed teenager. If Barca wasn''t the one true leader of the Orcs, then who could it possibly be?


    ��----------


    In the City of Ludrar Bragh��


    While the Orcs were preparing for war, Barca was busy writing letters to inform the other Pirs of the Wanid Kingdom that the Haca Dynasty had finally broken their thirty-year silence.


    As the sound of the war drums grew in volume and intensity in the background, the second inmand of the Orc Stronghold, Barca, finished writing his letters.


    War was knocking once more on their door, and the ckrock n, who was one of the Pirs of the Wanid Kingdom, must stand their ground until their reinforcements arrived.


    "I just hope that those bastardse early," Barca muttered as he summoned several Spirit Hawks to deliver his letters to the people who needed to read them. "Fly my friends, fly swiftly and inform everyone that war ising."


    The Spirit Hawks screeched in acknowledgment before flying high in the sky and turning into rays of light. It would take them an hour to reach their destination and, by that time, Baronar''s troops and  Lux''s party would also arrive in the Capital City of the Orcs, to answer the call of their Chieftain.

 Chapter 582 You Must Have A Death Wish, Yes?

    "So, that''s Ludrar Bragh."


    Lux and his party looked at the imposing fortress that seemed to be unconquerable in the distance.


    As the capital city of the Orcs, as well as its greatest stronghold, Ludrar Bragh''s fortifications wouldn''t lose to the fortifications of an S-Ranked Kingdom.


    Clearly, it would take an extremely strong army to break past its gates andy waste to the capital city of the Orcs.


    The Teleportation Gate had brought them to the nearest ry point, which was a kilometer away from the main Orc Fortress. Even so, it didn''t take long for Baronar and his entourage to arrive at the gates of the Stronghold.


    His banner fluttered in the wind, allowing the sentries to instantly recognize which force wasing to aid them in battle.


    "Open the gates!" shouted the Orc Hunter standing on the ramparts. "The Great Orc Shaman has arrived!"


    The massive gate, which seemed to be made from pure Adamantium, rose slowly to allow Baronar''s Army to enter.


    Just as the Great Orc Shaman said before they left, Lux would definitely stand out from the crowd, so it would be best that he and his group behave well, or else the Orcs would kick them out of the Stronghold.


    Baronar had left his men behind to meet with the Orc Chieftain, but before doing so, he ordered his right-hand man to handle Lux''s and his party''s amodations inside Ludrar Bragh.


    "Follow me, Half-Elf," an Orc Shaman, who was nearly two meters tall said softly. "Lord Baronar has asked me to take you to your temporary quarters. While all of you are there, make sure that you don''te out of your room unless you are called. Do you understand?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes."


    The Orc Shaman no longer said anything and took the Half-Elf and his party to the West Wing of the Stronghold.


    Along the way, almost all the Orcs they passed through nced in their direction as if looking at some exotic animals that they were seeing for the first time.


    Lux was already used to this treatment because he had experienced the same back in the Wildgarde Stronghold, as well as the Kingdom of Gweliven, in the past.


    Unfortunately, the others were not used to this kind of stare, especially Laura and Livia, who stuck close to Grandma Annie.


    Once they were safely inside their temporary quarters, Lux gathered everyone for a meeting. He could have easily done this through the Guild Chat, but since Cethus was not a member of their guild, he decided to just speak out loud, so that the Dragon Born could participate in the discussion as well.


    "I have some good news and some bad news for everyone," Lux said. "The good news is that the Orcs are in possession of a Transcendent me. However, this is no ordinary Transcendent me, but Twin mes."


    Randolph''s and Grandma Annie''s eyes widened in shock because they didn''t expect that they would have the chance to see a Twin me in their lifetime. However, Lux''s next words made them feel as if a ss of cold water had been poured over their heads.


    "As you may have already guessed, getting the Twin mes is a gargantuan task because it is protected by the Orcs," Lux continued his exnation. "ording to Lord Baronar, there are only two ways we can get it. The first one is to defeat the Vice Chieftain, Barca."


    Before Lux could even continue his exnation, Cethus cleared his throat before making his opinion known.


    "Then let''s fight Barca," Cethus stated. "If all of us worked together, I''m sure that we can beat him eas��"


    "Empyrean Rank," Lux interjected before Cethus could finish his words.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Cethus frowned after he was cut off from what he was about to say. "Excuse me?"


    "Barca is an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster," Lux replied in a teasing tone. "Do you really think that we have a chance of beating him?"


    Cethus immediately quieted down after hearing the red-headed teenager''s reply.


    After witnessing how strong ALL-MITE was, Cethus believed that if they all worked together, they would have a chance of beating the Orc named Barca and acquiring the Twin mes as easily as taking a walk in the park.


    However, he didn''t expect that the Vice Chieftain of the Orcs was incredibly strong, making him unable to make aeback.


    An awkward silence descended inside the room, which was only broken when Grandma Annie decided to ask a question.


    "Is that the bad news?" Grandma Annie asked.


    "Kinda," Lux replied with a bitter smile. "There is also another option, but it is just as hard as the first. In order to get the opportunity to tame the Twin mes, we need to create an achievement that will be recognized by the entire ckrock n. Then, and only then, will we get the chance to get the Twin mes."


    Although the second option didn''t sound as hard as fighting against an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster, it was still something that made everyone realize that they couldn''t just simply go and grab the Twin mes from its location.


    "Did we just waste our timeing here?"


    As always, Cethus was the first one to voice out his discontent.


    Even so, no one berated him because deep inside their hearts, they were thinking the same thing. They didn''t want to admit it, but if this was truly the case then getting the Twin mes was already next to impossible.


    "Can we just�� steal it?" Gerhart said with a serious expression on his face. "Right now, the Orcs are about to enter a state of war. Why don''t we take the opportunity to take the Twin mes, while everyone is fighting on the front lines?"


    Lux firmly shook his head after hearing Gerhart''s proposal. "We mustn''t do that. We might face extreme repercussions if we do that. Besides, what good will it bring to have the entire ckrock n as our enemy? We would just be wanted fugitives in the Wanid Kingdom."


    Randolph and Grandma Annie nodded their heads in agreement.


    The Wanid Kingdom was one of the neighbors of the Kingdom of Gweliven. If they really did something inappropriate, it would not be out of the question for the Wanid Kingdom to send emissaries toin to their King that they did something terribly wrong while visiting their Domain.


    "I think that Gerhart''s idea is good," Cethusmented with a smile. "I mean, all you need to do is go to Karshvar Draconis, and these lowly Orcs wouldn''t be able to touch any of you. Wait, why are you all looking at me like that?"


    Lux, and the others inside the room, weren''t really looking at the Dragon Born.


    They were looking at the person behind the Dragon Born.


    "Hoh�� so you want to steal our Twin mes?" A voice filled with ridicule whispered in Cethus'' ears. "I don''t know if you''re arrogant or just in stupid. But, since you are having thoughts of stealing one of our n''s Treasure, you must have a death wish, yes?"


    Cethus slowly turned his head to look behind him.


    There, he saw what seemed to be a teenage Half-Orc, who was looking back at him with a devilish smile across his face.

 Chapter 583 I Hate Smart People

    Everyone in the room froze, especially Lux.


    He was one of the strongest people in the room, yet he had not sensed the Half-Orc''s presence until the other party spoke.


    In fact, he didn''t even know how the Half-Orc got there in the first ce. All he knew was that they were in a very tricky situation, and one wrong move could make the entire ckrock n instantly turn hostile towards them.


    If that were to happen, the chances of them being able to leave the Stronghold safely would be extremely difficult.


    "And you are?" Cethus did his best to remain calm, but deep inside, he was feeling quite anxious.


    Now that he and the rest of the people had taken a good look at the Half-Orc, who was crouched down beside Dragon Born, they immediately knew that the uninvited guest was someone stronger than them.


    ''Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster,'' Lux''s face became grim as soon as his Soul Book identified the Rank of the Half-Orc whose devilish smile remained on his face.


    "My name?" The Half-Orc smirked. "I go by the name mma. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah��"


    The Half-Orc rested his hand over Cethus'' shoulder and held it in a vice grip. "You must have a death wish, yes?"


    The Dragon Born didn''t answer right away. Instead, he gave a very awkward chuckle before giving his reply.


    "I-It was just a joke," Cethus stuttered. "Everyone is feeling depressed, so I just thought of making it more lively."


    "HA. HA. HA," mma said in a voice filled with sarcasm. "Very funny. This is the second time I''ve seen a Dragon Born, and you are just as stupid as him."


    "Y-You''ve seen one of our kind before?"


    "Yes."


    "Where is he now?"


    "Dead."


    This time, it was mma''s turn to chuckle, and his chuckle made everyone inside the room shudder.


    After the Half-Orc finishedughing, he gave everyone a smile and said.


    "What are you guys looking at? I was just joking."


    Although mma said he was joking, no one inside the room believed him because of the look of ridicule in his eyes.


    "Your Excellency, I apologize on behalf of my party members," Lux said. "His mother identally dropped him when he was still an egg, so his brain has been a bit damaged since he was born."


    "Oh?" mma smirked. "Such a thing happened? Unfortunately, being stupid is not an excuse. Now, I ask all of you here, do you want me to spread this news to everyone, or should I keep it to myself?"


    Everyone nced at Lux, including Cethus, who was still being held by the Half-Orc.


    Although the Half-Orc was young, he was already a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster.


    Of course, mma wasn''t as strong as the Crimson Berserker Mantis that ALL-MITE had fought in the Shaufell ins.


    In fact, Lux was confident that he could beat him as long as he fought mma with his Undead Army. However, being able to beat him wasn''t the real problem.


    They were inside the Capital City of the Orcs, and if a fight broke out, they would immediately find themselves surrounded by mma''s nsmen.


    The red-headed teenager didn''t need to be a genius to know how he was going to answer mma''s question.


    "How can we keep this amongst ourselves, Your Excellency?" Lux inquired.


    "Hmm, you''re smart," mma gave Lux a gaze of approval. "I hate smart people."


    The corner of Grandma Annie''s lips twitched because she understood that the Half-Orc was simply toying with them.


    Although mma looked like someone that could easily be reasoned with, the scheming gaze the Half-Orc used to look at them made her want to p him with her slipper so badly.


    However, before Grandma Annie could entertain these thoughts, Lux posed a question that made the Half-Orc chuckle.


    "How about we settle this with a friendly spar?" Lux inquired. "I and Cethus will fight you one at a time. If either of us wins, you will pretend that you didn''t hear any of our discussion. Do we have a deal?"


    "Hahaha! This is a very Orcish way of settling things," mma chuckled. "Very well, I agree. You two will be my warmup before the war starts."<novelsnext>�Ѧ���d�� `n?��?| ��om</novelsnext>


    Without even waiting for Lux''s reply, the Half-Orc stood up and dragged Cethus out of the room with an excited expression on his face.


    His parents forbade him to join the war, and he was feeling very rebellious about it. Because of this, when he heard that there were some interesting guests that had appeared in their stronghold, he immediately went to look for them.


    It was at that moment when he heard their discussion, and it enraged him when he learned that they were nning to steal their Twin mes from right under their noses.


    Fortunately, Lux rejected the idea, which reduced mma''s anger. Even so, he wasn''t too happy with the Dragon Born, who kept insisting that their group steal the Twin mes while mma''s entire n was busy preparing to fight for the Wanid Kingdom.


    "Don''t worry, Dragon Born," mma said as he dragged the helpless Cethus with him. "I''ll only clobber you till you''re half-dead. After that, your leader will be next."


    Cethus could only grit his teeth as he endured the humiliation of being dragged away by the young Half-Orc, who was smaller than him by a head.


    Lux and the others quickly followed behind Cethus and mma because they couldn''t possibly leave their party member alone.


    While this was happening, a high-level meeting was happening inside the throne room of the Stronghold.


    Barca and the Four Orc Warlords knelt in front of a throne made of Monster Bones. They were paying their respect to the Orc Chieftain, who had gathered all of them in preparation for the War against the Haca Dynasty.


    "ording to my estimate, It will take their army at least five days to reach the outskirts of Lor Dhuga," Mogazar, the Orc Warlord who specialized in long-distance warfare reported. "Our scouts didn''t see anything unusual about their army, but I have a feeling that they are more prepared than they were thirty years ago."


    Half a minute of silence descended inside the throne room before the Orc Chieftain gave her reply.


    "It is only natural to feel that way," the Orc Chieftain replied. "Humans may be weaker than us, but they are very cunning. I''m sure that they have prepared a surprise or two for us, but it doesn''t matter."


    The Half-Orc Lady lightly tapped the armrest of the throne with her left hand, while she rested the side of her face on her right hand.


    "As always, we will go to war using every means necessary to win," the Orc Chieftain stated. "Do not expect help from the other Pirs because all of you know that they are eyeing our Twin mes. I''m sure that they will offer their assistance if we allow them to harness its power as well."


    Barca and the Orc Warlords nodded in agreement.


    For them, the Twin mes were both a blessing and a curse. Everyone wanted to have them, but only a few could actually possess them.


    Because of this, tensions between the other Pirs were at an all-time high because the ckrock n was very protective of one of their n''s treasures.


    "Baronar, I saw earlier that you brought outsiders to our city," the Orc Chieftain said as she shifted her gaze towards the Great Orc Shaman. "You must have a good reason for bringing them here, right?"


    Baronar had a conflicted look on his face after she looked at him with a steady gaze.


    "Just like everyone else, they came here for the Twin mes," Baronar replied.


    He had no intention of hiding Lux''s reason foring to the Orc Capital, so he might as well let everyone know so that they would not be too suspicious of the Half-Elf who shared a spiritual connection with them.


    "Hah�� they never learn," the Orc Chieftain sighed. "They aren''t the first, nor will they be thest, to ask for the Twin mes, but our answer will never change. If they can''t follow our rul�C"


    Before the Orc Chieftain could finish what she was going to say, a Raven flew inside the throne room through the window andnded beside the armrest of the throne.


    "mma is asking for permission to use the Arena," the Raven stated. "It seems that he has decided to spar with the neers."


    The Orc Chieftain''s lips curled up into a smirk after hearing the Raven''s report.


    "Barca, I swear that he inherited his hot-headedness from you," the Orc Chieftain said softly.


    Barca shook his head firmly before giving his reply. "Everyone here knows that he inherited that trait from you. You''ve spoiled him too much."


    The Half-Orc Lady giggled before lightly patting the Raven''s head with her finger.


    "Give him permission to use the arena," the Orc Chieftain ordered. "He''s being rebellious because he was not allowed to join this war. Also, I''d like to know why you brought them here, Baronar.


    "I''m sure that you of all people would not bring anyone who covets the Twin mes to our capital city. There must be more to this than meets the eye."


    Baronar didn''t reply and only smiled. However, deep inside he was cursing Lux.


    ''I told you to behave, didn''t I?'' Baronar sighed in his heart. ''Just what did you do in order to rile up that battle junkie? This is not going to end well.''


    The Great Orc Shaman knew how strong mma was. Although he had a good opinion of Lux, he didn''t believe that the Half-Elf was capable of defeating the Half-Orc, who was going to be the next leader of the ckrock n once his mother retired from her position.

 Chapter 584 A Seed Inside An Innocent Heart

    "N-No... Hah... don''t...bite it... Ngh!"


    Valerie clutched the bed sheets as her sweet voice escaped from her seductive lips.


    "Stop sucking... are you a baby? I said... stop... Mmm! N-No... I''m feeling... weird. S-Stop... don''t... pinch me... Hah!"


    The Dragon Princess'' young and beautiful body, that was void of any imperfections, glistened with sweat as she cried out helplessly against the merciless kisses that rained upon her voluptuous chest.


    "Even if you say stop, isn''t it toote for that?" the handsome Half-Elf said in a teasing tone before nibbling on the firm, pink tip that was aching for his touch.


    "W-Why are you doing this?" Valerie asked the red-headed teenager, who was making her feel things she had never felt before.


    "Why? Isn''t that obvious," the handsome Half-Elf replied as he raised his head to look at the beautiful Princess, whose flushed face could make any man lose their senses. "You''re already pregnant with my child. Which means that the two of us are now lovers, right? What we''re doing now is what lovers do."


    "L-Lovers?"


    "Mmm. Lovers."


    Valerie didn''t have any experience when it came to love. However, she had read many books about Knights, Princes, and Princesses, who became lovers after their fateful meeting.


    Also, Valerie''s mother would often tell her stories on how she met her father, and how the reigning Dragon King courted her.


    You can even say that, all of Valerie''s knowledge when it came to the opposite sex came from her mother, whom she loved and admired.


    With these thoughts swirling inside her head, the beautiful Dragon Princess was unable to stop the red-headed teenager''s advances.


    The only thing that she could do was shudder helplessly under his caress.


    After marking both of her breasts with kisses, the Half-Elf then kissed Valerie''s forehead, and her cheeks before finally iming her lips.


    They kissed, and kissed, and kissed some more, with each kiss growing in intensity.


    Only when Valerie felt the Half-Elf''s hand moving ever slowly downwards, from her breast, to her belly, to her lower abdomen, did the rm bells started to ring inside her head.


    "Stop!" Valerie cried out as she grabbed Lux''s hand, who was inches away from her...


    The Dragon Princess looked teary-eyed at the handsome Half-Elf and pleaded for him to stop.


    "You really can''t go any further," Valerie said hoarsely. "I will really get pregnant if you continue. Please, have mercy."


    The Half-Elf paused and gave Valerie a gaze filled with affection.


    "Aren''t you already pregnant?" Lux asked with a smile.


    "N-No," Valerie replied. "M-Mother said that it was just a misunderstanding. Holding hands doesn''t make Dragons pregnant. But, if you touch me there, I will really get pregnant."


    "Really? Is that what she said to you?"


    "Y-Yes. She said she got pregnant when father touched her there."


    The Half-Elf gave the Dragon Princess a devilish smile as his hand once again moved downwards, despite the fact that Valerie''s hand was holding onto his wrist.


    "Then get pregnant," Lux said softly as his hands finally reached the ce where he wanted to go. "Don''t worry, I''ll be gentle."<novelsnext>�Ѧ���d�� `n?��?| ��om</novelsnext>


    The moment Lux''s fingers pried her petals open, an electric shock washed over Valerie''s body. A momentter, the Half-Elf''s lips sucked her breast once again, while his fingers made the beautiful Dragon Princess lose all sense of reason.


    Valerie''s cries of pleasure that were tainted with helplessness echoed inside the room. She felt so weak that she couldn''t do anything, but ept the intoxicating pleasure that hadpletely taken over her senses.


    -----------


    "..."


    Valerie woke up with a jolt, and found herself covered in sweat.


    p��nd��`no��?1~��o�� The dream she had was still fresh in her mind, and it made her cheeks turn beet red.


    "I-It was just a dream?" Valerie muttered as she ced her hand over her chest to try to calm down her wildly beating heart.


    It was the first time that the naive, and gullible Princess experienced a wet dream, and she herself didn''t understand what just happened.


    What the Half-Elf did to her was something she knew nothing about, and only heard about in passing whenever her mother talked about her intimate moments with the Dragon King, as a way of educating Valerie about the opposite sex.


    Because of what happened recently, the Dragon Queen decided to tell Valerie the truth on how babies were made. This was to ensure that her daughter wouldn''t be too ignorant of the world, and understand when she was in real danger of getting pregnant.


    Perhaps, this conversation with her mother was the real reason why such a dream became a reality. All of Valerie''s questions, and frustrations, had been answered by the dream.


    It also made her feel like digging a hole, and burying herself inside of it out of embarrassment.


    She kept on telling herself that it was just a dream, over and over again, and yet her body felt hot due to the illusionary traces of Lux''s kisses and caress.


    "I''ll take a bath to cool myself down," Valerie muttered as she got up from her bed, and headed to the spring right next to her private residence.


    Her nightgown was already drenched with sweat, which stuck to her alluring figure that was still in the process of maturing.


    Perhaps, in a year or two, her growth phase would end, and by then, Valerie''s charm would reach unprecedented heights.


    This would surely force the Dragon King to increase the number of Rankers that apanied her everytime she snuck away from the Capital City of Rex Lapis.


    Of course, Valerie wasn''t aware that her parents had prepared such a contingency each time she left the Inner Pce.


    The only thing in her mind right now was her dream, as well as the affectionate and gentle Half-Elf, whose smile and touch made her heart flutter inside her chest.


    ''Should I tell mother about the dream I just had?'' Valerie thought as she removed the strings of her nightgown, making it fall beside her feet. ''Or, should I tell father about it first? He said that he will invite Sir Lux to go fishing with him when he returns to Karshvar Draconis. I wonder if I can be with them as well? Fishing sounds fun.''


    The Dragon Princess waded inside the spring, until only her head was visible. The spring waters washed over her sweat-stained body, helping her body cool down.


    "Sir Lux...," Valerie muttered as she thought of the red-headed teenager whose affectionate gaze, and gentle touch lingered inside her memory. "I guess Ali and Ari were right all along. Half-Elfs really do eat Dragons. I better be careful when Sir Lux returns. If I get carried away, I might get eaten by him. Just like he did in my dream."


    The Dragon Princess then lightly cupped her breasts that were submerged under the water, and remembered how the Half-Elf suckled and bit them like a baby.


    Although she was feeling a bit fearful about what just transpired in her dream, a small seed had already been nted inside her innocent heart.


    A seed that would be nourished with time, and grow to be a beautiful flower...


    Waiting for the day when a Prince woulde and make her innocent, and untamed, heart skip a beat.

 Chapter 585 Our Battle Will Be Legendary [Part 1]

    "Don''t worry, I''ll do my best not to kill you by ident," mma said as he stood facing Cethus in the Grand Arena used by the ckrock n.


    Cethus didn''t bother to give a reply and simply summoned the spear he had received as a reward afterpleting the quest of escorting the residents of Abingdon Town.


    After hearing that mma had challenged the neers into a duel, all of the Orcs who had finished their preparations for the war went to the Grand Arena to watch the battle.


    Of course, they knew that Cethus, who was only of the Initiate Rank, had no chance of winning against mma. But, it didn''t matter.


    They were there to support the son of their Orc Chieftain, and also to watch something entertaining before they headed off to the battlefield.


    "Are both fighters ready?" Baronar, who hade to the Grand Arena in a hurry to better understand what happened, decided to referee.


    He had no chance to ask questions because mma insisted on having the duel, and Cethus kept his silence.


    Because of this, the Great Orc Shaman had no choice but to facilitate the duel. The only thing he could do was to ensure that the Dragon Born wouldn''t die if the son of their Chieftain got carried away with his antics.


    "Start the battle!" Baronar shouted, and all the Orcs in the stands raised their weapons and cheered.


    The first thing that Cethus did was to fly upwards because there was no way he could battle a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster in close quarters. The Dragon Born understood that he needed to gain distance, as soon as possible, but mma had anticipated this move from the get go.


    "Fire Snakes!" mma roared as he unleashed two mes, which transformed into giant snakes.


    These Spirit Snakes flew towards Cethus, forcing the Dragon Born to distance himself from the enemy''s attacks.


    The spear in his hands hummed faintly, as if telling Cethus that all was well. With his sentient weapon telling him that the preparations were underway, the Dragon Born focused all of his attention on evading.


    mma chuckled after seeing Cethus'' desperate struggles. He had fought almost all of the Orcs in the ckrock n that was close to his age, and none of them even managed to deal a decisive blow on him.


    Part of this was because mma was born strong, and another was that he acquired several artifacts, and pieces of equipment, which were all Pseudo-Legendary in nature.


    In time, no one dared to challenge him again because he was simply too strong for the younger generation.


    "Maybe two Fire Snakes isn''t enough for you," mma said as he raised both of his hands. "How about four then?"


    Two more FIre Snakes materialized in the arena, and once again flew in Cethus'' direction. Everyone watching the battle, with the exception of Lux and his party, thought that the battle was already over, but what they saw next made their eyes widen in shock.


    "Gravity Domain!" Cethus roared as he pointed his spear towards the sky.


    Immediately, a ck dome encapsted the entire arena, increasing the gravity inside the domain by six times.


    The Fire Snakes, which were like fishes in the water earlier, fell to the floor of the arena, barely able to raise their heads.


    mma narrowed his eyes, as he stood unmoving from his spot. Although he seemed to bepletely fine, the truth was, his body felt as heavy as lead.


    ''I underestimated this Dragon Born,'' mma thought. ''I guess it''s time for me to get serious.''


    Baronar, who was outside of the arena, looked at the battle with his arms crossed over his chest. Just like everyone else, he didn''t expect Cethus to have a Trump Card that could make things difficult for mma.


    One of the rewards that Cethus acquired when he cleared the mission in the Shaufell ins was a Rank 5 Skill Book of his choice.


    The Skill Book he chose was something that he had always wanted to have, and that was none other than Gravity Domain.


    Cethus'' true powery in manipting gravity. However, he could only manipte the gravity of his equipment.


    For example he could make his weapon lighter, or heavier, depending on the situation.


    When attacking, he could decrease the gravity of his weapon to allow him to make it lighter, and instantly make it heavier at the point of impact.


    This would take his enemiespletely by surprise, and one of aces he kept up his sleeve. Only his Grandma knew about this ability of his, which he only used during life and death situations.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    During his duel with Lux, the Dragon Born wasn''t given the opportunity to highlight this ability because he got gang banged pretty early during their duel. However, right now, he felt as if he could do it, and that''s why he was now showcasing his might for everyone to see.


    The Gravity Domain skill perfectlyplimented his ability, making Cethus more deadly than ever before.


    "Pay for your arrogance, Half-Orc!" Cethus roared as he pulled back his arm in preparation to throw the spear in his hand.


    "Gravitas Dominion!"


    The moment Cethus threw his weapon, he activated his ability and nullified the gravity of the spear, making it travel at the speed of sound.


    When the spear was only a meter away from mma, the Dragon Born once again activated his ability, and increased the gravity of the spear by 10, making it extremely heavy.


    The weapon that Cethus received was a sentient spear, meaning that it had intelligence and the ability tomunicate with its Master.


    The spear was called Oblivion, the Impaler of the Forsaken, and now, this same weapon was only a meter away from the Half-Orc, who originally thought that he could defeat Cethus without breaking a sweat.


    Oblivion hit his mark, and embedded itself in mma''s shoulder. Since they were in the ckrock n''s territory, identally killing the son of the reigning Patriarch would certainly spell doom for everyone in Lux''s party.


    Because of this, Cethus had only aimed at the Half-Orc''s dominant shoulder. He believed that as long as his spear made contact with mma''s body, the match would be over in no time at all.


    A resounding p reverberated in the surroundings as Oblivion pierced through the Half-Orc''s shoulder. At least, this was what Cethus believed would happen.


    Unfortunately, the moment the spear hit the Half-Orc''s shoulder, it immediately bounced off as if it was a rubber ball, hitting a boulder.


    Before Cethus could even recover from his shock, mma created runic symbols with his fingers before pressing his hand over the arena.


    "Wind Break!"


    A momentter, Cethus found himself falling from the air as if he was a puppet whose strings had been cut off.


    As the Dragon Born struggled to regain bnce, he suddenly saw mma''s face, inches away from his own.


    "Nice try," mma said. "But not enough to beat me."


    Without even giving Cethus an opportunity to recover, mma mmed his clenched fist against the Dragon Born''s chest, smashing him towards the ground.


    The Dragon Born was only able to cough a mouthful of blood before passing outpletely.


    Almost all of his ribs had been broken, and if he didn''t get medical help soon, his condition would quickly deteriorate.


    Fortunately, Baronar was there and he immediately stopped the match before mma could get carried away and harm the unconscious Dragon Born further.


    The Great Orc Shaman had invited Lux and hisrades as his guests, and it would reflect badly on him if one of them died under his watch.


    "mma Wins!" Baronar shouted before summoning several Elite Orc Spirit Warriors to carry the unconscious Cethus to his side.


    Cheers erupted on the stands as the ckrock n shouted mma''s name, cheering him on his victory.


    """mma!"""


    """mma!"""


    """mma!"""


    Gerhart, who watched the battle from start to finish, looked at the fallen Dragon Born with a calm expression on his face. He had no love for Cethus, and he could care less if he lost the duel.


    However, after seeing how thetter was defeated, he realized that mma had used an ability that rendered him invincible for a short period of time. Because of this, he was worried that Lux might also get defeated in a simr manner, which might bring furtherplications to their mission.

 Chapter 586 Our Battle Will Be Legendary [Part 2]

    "Be careful," Gerhart said to the Half-Elf. "Don''t give him a chance to do anything."


    Lux nodded before walking towards the Arena where mma was waiting for him with arms crossed over his chest.


    When the Half-Elf stood facing mma in the Arena, the Orcs once again started to cheer and call out mma''s name.


    "Don''t worry," mma said with confidence. "I will not be as brutal to you as I was to your friend."


    "Thank you?" Lux replied. "Ah. by the way, there is one thing that I would like to say to you. You see, I''m a Summoner, so I need to summon Creatures in order to fight. Is that fine with you?"


    mma onlyughed after hearing Lux''s words. For him, it didn''t matter if Lux was a Summoner. Clearly, he was very confident of his strength.


    "It''s fine," mma stated. "Feel free to summon all of your Creatures. It won''t change the oue of this match."


    Unknown to mma, the Orc Chieftain, Barca, and the other Orc Warlords were watching the duel from their VIP seats in the Grand Arena.


    "I pity those neers," the Orc Raider, Tanaburmented. "They''re just like punching dummies for mma."


    Morgazar, the Orc Hunter, nodded his head in agreement. "mma should really stop bullying people."


    Only Barca and the Orc Chieftain looked at the Half-Elf with interest.


    "Do you feel it, Barca?" the Orc Chieftain asked.


    "Yes," Barca replied. "That Half-Elf is not simple. mma might hit his first roadblock today."


    The Orc Chieftain only smiled at the thought of her son''s arrogance getting brought down a peg.


    After making sure that Cethus was no longer in danger, Baronar once again walked toward the Arena to ask both fighters if they were ready to fight.


    Lux and mma nodded their heads, which made the Great Orc Shaman raise his hand and announce the start of the battle.


    Earlier, mma simply stood and allowed Cethus to gain distance from him. But now, he changed his mind.


    As soon as Baronar gave the signal to fight, he immediately charged in Lux''s direction with the intention of smashing his fist against the Half-Elf''s chest, to give him the same injury that Cethus had received from his strike.


    If not for the fact that he had an artifact that allowed him to be invincible for ten seconds, Cethus'' spear strike might have really pierced through his shoulder, making him feel a world of pain.


    mma wasn''t stupid. He was a warrior, and was capable of knowing if his opponent was strong or not.


    Lux might be weaker than him, but the Half-Elf looked like a veteran who had fought many life and death battles.


    The Half-Orc didn''t want to take any chances and decided to end the match before something unexpected happened.


    "Brutal Smash!" mma roared as he delivered a powerful punch that would send the Half-Elf flying towards the other side of the arena, where he would hit the stands.


    However, before the Half-Orc''s punch punch could evennd on the red-headed teenager''s body, a wed hand caught it securely in its grasp, preventing it from moving forward a single inch.


    "You call that a Smash?" Lux asked in a teasing tone. "ALL-MITE, show him what a true smash looks like."


    The Unsung Hero of Abingdon Town obeyed his Master''s orders and smashed his fist into the Half-Orc''s face, sending mma flying backwards.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A momentter, a pin-drop silence spread within the arena as everyone looked in disbelief at what just happened.


    The strongest member of their young generation struggled to prop himself up from the ground, while blood oozed from his nose.


    "Good!" mma growled as he wiped the blood off his nose. "It has been a while since someone has managed to hurt me. Your Summon is strong. Our battle will be Legendary!"


    "Okay," Lux replied.


    "Just a piece of advice, Half-Elf. I won''t be able to hold myself back anymore."


    "Okay."


    "Don''t me me if I identally killed you."


    "Okay."


    "Bastard, here Ie!" mma roared as he took out a Pseudo-Legendary War Axe in preparation to duke it out with Lux.


    However, just before he could charge at the Half-Elf, something he didn''t expect appeared in front of his eyes.


    "Arise!" Lux ordered.


    All of Lux''s Named Creatures, and all the members of his Covenant appeared in the Arena. Not only that, Lux had also used his Legendary Artifact, Elemental Heart, and summoned a Deimos-Ranked Wind Elemental, who sent powerful gusts of winds throughout their surroundings.


    This made the Orcs who were about to cheer on mma, once again fall into silence.


    Baronar, who was watching from the side of the Arena, couldn''t stop the corner of his lips from twitching.


    ''What in the Son Jinwoo is this sh*t?'' Baronar thought as he looked at Lux''s summons that were strong enough to screw mma ten times over.


    The Orc Warlords who were inside the VIP Room also almost choked on their saliva after seeing the unexpected turn of events.


    They had seen Summoners before, but they didn''t expect that someone as young as Lux could summon a force that was enough to make some of the members of the ckrock n feel as if their bum was about to get a beating.


    Lux and Cethus might not see eye to eye most of the time, but since the Dragon Born reminded the Half-Elf of when he himself was still struggling and wanted to be strong, he decided to take Cethus under his wing.


    After seeing the Dragon Born''s sorry state, the Half-Elf felt the strong urge to teach the Half-Orc a lesson that he shouldn''t bully those who were weaker than him.


    "Sorry, mma," Lux said as his two hands transformed into Dragon ws. "I don''t fight one-on-one battles. So, don''t me me if I identally kill you."


    "T-This is a sacred duel, you know," mma stuttered. "Fight me one-on-one!"


    "Okay," Lux replied as he pointed his finger at the silly Half-Orc who thought that he could bullsh*t his way out of this mess.


    "Bang his nuts!"


    As soon as the Half-Elf gave his orders, his subordinates moved as one and charged at the pitiful Half-Orc who would soon understand what it meant to be Gang Banged.

 Chapter 587 Our Battle Will Be Legendary [Part 3]

    mma had tasted losses several times in the past.


    However, these losses weren''t earned from those who were the same age as him.


    He would often spar with the Orc Warlords, on a regr basis in order to hone his fighting skills. Of course, sparring had its limitations because the Orc Warlords were not going all out because they were afraid that they might identally injure him during their sparring matches.


    Because of this, mma didn''t really understand what it means to really fight against strong opponents.


    The young Orcs that he had beaten, although strong, were still weaker than him. This made him feel unsatisfied most of the time.


    Fighting monsters was also an option, but since there were several people who were assigned to protect him, he hadn''t really encountered a situation where his life was truly on the line.


    He was equipped with Pseudo-Legendary and Legendary Equipment that had many ways to preserve his life, like the one he used against Cethus earlier.


    It was an earring given to him by his mother, the Orc Chieftain, that allowed him to be invincible for ten seconds. However, it had a cooldown time of twelve hours.


    With so many powerful pieces of equipment and artifacts at his disposal, he believed that he could win against anyone who was the same rank as him.


    When he faced Lux, he thought that he could easily beat the guy and get it over with, but he faced the wrong opponent.


    The one he fought was a very disgusting opponent.


    "... Argh!"


    A grunt escaped mma''s lips as ALL-MITE''s fist smashed against his face a second time, sending him flying in the opposite direction.


    However, before he could even regain his bnce, he found himself being pulled back towards the four-armed Hero due to the power of the Deimos-Ranked Wind Elemental, whose role was to ensure that mma wouldn''t be able to distance himself from Lux''s subordinates.


    "Don''t Underestimate me!" mma roared in anger as he prepared to hack ALL-MITE with his War Axe. "Brutal Swing!"


    Raising his War Axe above his head, the Half-Orc nned to use a full-powered blow in order to defeat the weird-looking-creature with four arms, once and for all.


    Unfortunately for him, ALL-MITE wasn''t the only opponent he had in the battlefield.


    Orion grabbed hold of mma''s leg and smashed him to the ground before he could hit ALL-MITE.


    A momentter, Diablo used his skill, Quick Assault, and stabbed mma''s bum with his sword, making the Half-Orc, half-groan and half moan.


    The Orcs who were watching the duel, especially the young Orcs, all covered their backsides with both hands, as if they were afraid that they would be next.


    Even Barca and the Orc Warlords winced after seeing what happened to mma.


    The only exception was the Orc Chieftain who hastily covered her lips in order to suppress theughter that was bubbling up inside her chest.


    mma roared in both anger and embarrassment before propping himself up and jumping upwards. He then hastily checked the surroundings looking for a single person.


    ''As long as I bring down the summoner first, these bastards will all disappear!'' mma thought as his gazended on the Half-Elf, who was at a good distance away from where they were fighting.


    "Fire Snake!" mma summoned a Fire Snake, which he used as a foothold in order to run towards Lux''s direction.


    The Half-Elf looked at him with a teasing smile on his face, which made the Half-Orc want to p Lux''s face so badly.


    "We''ll see if you can keep that smile on your face!" mma shouted as he jumped off from the Fire Snake''s body, shooting towards Lux''s like a Cannonball.


    The smile on Lux''s face widened as the Half-Orc closed the gap to only a few meters.


    However, just as he was about to reach the Half-Elf''s body, the red-headed teenager suddenly flew up into the sky.


    Unfazed by what Lux did, mma hastily stomped his feet on the ground with the intention of jumping after his target, but before he could do that, his body suddenly froze mid-jump.


    A momentter, mma found himself charging towards the Jade Golem, whose gauntleted hand was glowing brightly.


    With a roar filled with hatred, the Half-Orc shed the Jade Golem using every ounce of strength he could muster.


    A resounding cracking sound spread in the surroundings as the Orion''s Golden Gauntlet, and mma''s War Axe collided with each other.


    "Perfect Counter!" Orion shouted as he returned force behind mma''s strike back to the Half-Orc, which made thetter fly backwards like a kite whose strings had been cut.


    Red blood trailed in the air as mma momentarily lost consciousness.


    What Orion did was a perfect counter, which reflected the Half-Orc''s full powered blow back at him.


    After Lux had gotten an upgrade, most of his subordinates had acquired new skills and abilities, and the Jade Golem, as well as the Fortress Defender, benefited greatly from it.


    Aside from the Beast Cores that Orion could use to power up his gauntlet, he had also learned the skill, Counter.


    Pazuzu on the other hand, learned the skills Shield Reflect and Shield Counter, which were capable of storing the force behind magical and physical attacks, before unleashing them as an offensive counter to his enemies.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    mma''s temporary loss of consciousness was taken advantage of by Lux''s subordinates.


    Diablo and the rest didn''t hesitate, and unleashed a barrage of attacks that made Baronar''s teeth itch, just watching the battle.


    Lux, who was looking down on the Half-Orc from above the arena, crossed his arms over his chest.


    The Half-Elf was currently standing on the palm of the Deimos-Ranked Wind Elemental, which made Lux look so badass.


    Truth be told, Lux wasn''t only paying attention to mma who was getting gang banged in the arena. He was also observing the reaction of Baronar, as well as the other Orc Warlords, whose presence he had sensed when the battle started.


    Lux gave Barca a side-long nce.


    The Half-Orc was older than the one he had met in the Dungeon, and a scar could be seen etched on the right side of his face, reaching up to his eye, making him look hideous.


    Moving his gaze to Baronar''s right side, the Half-Elf saw an unfamiliar face, sitting on a make-shift throne.


    Although he was a good distance away, he could tell that he was looking at a Half-Orc.


    ''I guess I''ll introduce myselfter to them,'' Lux thought as he once again shifted his attention to mma, who could no longer tell which was left and right after the non-stop battering he was receiving from all sides.


    The reason why Lux decided to summon his Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, was to make a name for himself within the Capital City of the Orcs.


    This was why he suggested that mma duel with them, so that the ckrock n could see what he was capable of doing, allowing him to make a name for himself.


    Seeing that he had already received the effect that he wanted, Lux gave his subordinates a thumbs down giving them the order to finish the match.


    At that exact moment, mma suddenly did the unexpected and stomped his foot on the ground. A secondter, he was hurtling towards the Half-Elf, while shouting a war cry.


    "For the n!" mma shouted as four Fire Snakes materialized around him, shielding him from Lux''s subordinates who had given him a good beating.


    Lux smirked as he pointed his finger at the Half-Orc whose bloodshot eyes were locked on his body.


    "Death Sentence [EX]!"


    A powerful beam of darkness shot out from Lux''s fingertips which immediately expanded in size, engulfing the Half-Orc''s entire body.


    Currently, this skill was Lux''s strongest attack, and, whenever possible, he didn''t want to use it.


    If not for the fact that mma had managed to regain his senses at thest minute, the Half-Elf wouldn''t have resorted to using the skill that would cripple him temporarily.


    "Seriously, that hurts," Baronarined as he removed the Spirit Shield that was blocking his body. "To think that your attack can bypass even magical defenses. I am very impressed."


    The Orc Great Shaman decided to step in because he understood that mma would be seriously injured if he took on Lux''s powerful attack head-on.


    Using his right hand to block Lux''s attack, and using his left to restrain the nearly-unconscious Half-Orc, Baronar made sure that both parties wouldn''t havesting injuries from their duel.


    "Winner, Lux!" Baronar announced as he pointed at the red-headed teenager that was standing on the palm of his Deimos-Ranked Wind Elemental.


    mma groaned as he gazed up at the Half-Elf who was calmly looking back at him with a smile.


    "I lost," mma muttered.


    With a sigh of unwillingness, the Half-Orc closed his eyes because his body had reached his limit. The War Axe he was holding on tightly earlier now fell on the ground with a thud, signifying that the battle had trulye to an end.


    A few secondster, mma lost consciousness, which made Baronar shake his head helplessly.


    "Oi, carry your own son," Baronar said as he looked up at the VIP area where Barca and the others were watching. "Don''t make me clean up his mess."


    The Orcs, who were almost silent minutes ago began to raise their hands high up in the air and started cheering. Although mma had lost, Orcs didn''t find fault with Lux''s methods and apuded him.


    They were a race that respected the strong, and in their eyes, they acknowledged that Lux was strong despite his young age.


    "Barca, invite the Half-Elf and hispanions to dine with uster," the Orc Chieftain said with a smile.


    Barca nodded before jumping towards the Arena to carry his unconscious son away, who had gotten beaten so badly.


    "Your name is Lux, right?" Barca said as he took his son from Baronar''s hands.


    "Yes, Your Excellency," Lux replied.


    "Eat with uster," Barca stated before turning around to leave the arena. "Make sure youe hungry."


    Without another word, the Vice-Chieftain of the ckrock n carried his son away from the arena, while the members of his n were cheering for the Half-Elf, who showed them a heated battle that also lit the fire in their hearts.

 Chapter 588 I’m Still Alive, You Bastard!

    "The other creatures you summoned, I didn''t see them when I looked at your memories," Baronar said as he sat cross-legged opposite Lux.


    "Well, a lot of things happened," Lux replied as he drank a ss of fruit juice.


    Currently, he was in a weakened state after using the skill, Death Sentence [EX]. However, since the battle was over, he could rx a bit while waiting for his stats to return to normal.


    ''Fortunately, Death''s Sentence''s side-effect onlysts for an hour,'' Lux thought as he emptied his ss. ''I''ll be back to normal in time for dinner.''


    The Half-Elf and hispanions were back in their residence, celebrating Lux''s victory over mma.


    Randolph and Grandma Annie were both surprised because this was the first time that they had seen Lux fight since he saved their Leaf Vige from thest Monster Outbreak.


    Back then, a Mere Rank 5 World-Boss Monster threatened to wipe out their entire vige from the face of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    This catastrophe was only resolved when Lux appeared to save them.


    ''I can''t believe how strong he has be in the short time that I haven''t seen him fight,'' Grandma Annie mused as she looked at the Half-Elf who had looked so lost and lonely when he first arrived in Leaf Vige.


    She wasn''t the only one that was feeling nostalgic. Even Randolph looked at the red-headed teenager with pride in his eyes.


    ''You''ve grown so much, my boy,'' Randolph thought. ''I look forward to seeing how strong you will be in the future.''


    As Lux''s Master, Randolph felt truly happy for him. He knew that Lux had set a goal for himself, and although he didn''t ask his disciple what it was, he believed that as long as the Half-Elf was given the chance to grow, he would be able to aplish many things in life.


    Laura and Livia were also very impressed with Lux''s performance. They now understood why their Big Brother, Sid, chose to serve under him.


    "Livia, let''s get stronger too," Laura whispered to her sister.


    "Un!" Livia replied as she nodded her head.


    Their two Baby Slimes, Nora and Cora, were also talking to Eiko, and both of them said that they wanted to be as strong as her as well.


    "Eyah!" Eiko nodded her head in approval to Nora''s and Cora''s wishes because she was also constantly striving to get stronger.


    She still hadn''t won a duel against the Unicorn, Astra, whom the Baby Slime hadbeled her archenemy.


    Gerhart already had an idea of how strong Lux was, but seeing the Deimos-Ranked Wind Elemental that the Half-Elf had summoned in the Arena made him realize that the Half-Elf still had one more powerful fighter at his beck and call.


    ''He already summoned a powerful lineup, and yet, that was still not the extent of his full power,'' Gerhart gave the Half-Elf a side-long nce before emptying his ss of fruit juice. ''Although I''m a bit older than him, I can say with confidence that I don''t have any chances of defeating him at this point in time.''


    Originally, Gerhart believed that there were not many teenagers, who were about the same age as him, who could beat him in battle.


    But, after seeing what the Half-Elf was capable of doing, he realized that there was always someone stronger than you, somewhere out there.


    "If your purpose for doing what you did in the arena was to get our Orc Chieftain''s attention then you seeded," Baronar stated as he eyed the Half-Elf, whose hands were shaking a bit as he held a ss of fruit juice. "You''ve made a name for yourself, Lux.


    "Our mma hadn''t lost a single battle amongst his peers, and you are the first to make him taste the bitterness of defeat. Tell me, did you do that in order to avenge your friend whom he had bullied earlier?"


    Lux didn''t answer right away as he carefully ced his cup in front of him.


    "Yes, and no," Lux replied as he raised his head to look at the Great Orc Shaman in front of him. "Just like you mentioned earlier, your Excellency, my goal is to gain recognition from the ckrock n. I want them to know my name, and what I am capable of. However, it is also true that I was angry about what he did to Cethus. Because of that I went overboard a bit."


    "Well, all is good. I''m sure that no one will find fault in what you did."


    "Thank you, Your Excellency. I''m sure that Cethus will also be happy in the afterlife since I avenged him."


    "I''m still alive, you bastard!" Cethus shouted. "Don''t kill me off just yet. Damn you!"


    The Dragon Born was lying on a make-shift stretcher not far from everyone.


    Although Baronar had used his Shamanic Powers to repair Cethus'' broken ribs, it would still take him a few days to have aplete recovery.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Baronar chuckled after seeing the exchange between the Half-Elf and the Dragon Born. Clearly, the two really didn''t get along with each other much, but he could also tell that Cethus was feeling grateful that Lux taught mma a lesson.


    "This might be a bitte, but... you have the Power of the Abyss in you, right?" Baronar asked as he rubbed his chin. "I clearly felt its power when I blocked your attack. If I wasn''t a Great Shaman, who has strengthened my spiritual power to a higher realm, yourst attack might have caused injury to my soul."


    Lux nodded his head. "Yes. I do have the power of the Abyss in me."


    "I knew it!" Baronar pped his hands together. "Is there a chance that you carry with you an Abyssal Core? Truth be told, I''ve always wanted to acquire the power of the Abyss myself. However, I haven''t had the opportunity to face any Abyssal Monsters in my lifetime. No matter the price, I am willing to give it to you in exchange for an Abyssal Core."


    Lux closed his eyes for a bit as he pondered on how to answer Baronar''s request.


    Truth be told, he still had the body of the Grim Butcher Nightwalker, which was a Rank 5 World Boss Monster.


    This Abyssal Monster appeared during Bedivere''s reunion with his family. It was a very powerful monster, and if not for the help of the Tyrannosaurus Monster, they wouldn''t have been able to defeat it at all.


    Originally, Lux and Asmodeus wanted to reanimate the Abyssal Monster to make it one of theirpanions. But, they had yet to find the right opportunity to do so.


    Its Beast Core was also still intact because Lux didn''t n on absorbing it. Having more than one Abyssal Power was dangerous because it led to the fast corruption of one''s soul.


    The Abyss Touch that Lux possessed was already strong enough to make him lose his senses when his anger reached a certain threshold. Adding one more ability on top of that wasplete suicide.


    Also, after experiencing the power of the Abyss, Lux didn''t want any of his family members, and close friends to take the unnecessary risk of possibly being corrupted by the Abyss.


    A few minutester, Lux opened his eyes to look at the Great Orc Shaman who was looking at him with anticipation.


    "Very well, Your Excellency," Lux said with a smile of a businessman. "What are you willing to trade for the Beast Core of an Abyssal Monster?"


    The Half-Elf took out the Abyssal Core from his Storage Ring and held it firmly in his hands.


    Baronar gulped subconsciously as he looked at the item that he had always wanted before forcefully shifting his gaze back to the Half-Elf''s face, who were asking him what price he was willing to give.


    "What do you want?" Baronar asked. "I know that you came here for the Transcendent mes, but I cannot give them to you. The most I can do is support you when you ask for it, but aside from that, there is nothing I can do to help you."


    Lux shook his head because the Transcendent mes weren''t the things that he wanted to trade for the Beast Core. he understood that Baronar would never betray the ckrock n, so asking for him to give him the Twin mes was impossible.


    However, the Half-Elf had something else in mind, and for that to happen, he would need the expertise of the Great Orc Shaman who were very proficient in using Shamanic Arts, as well as several resources that were only exclusive in the territory of the ckrock n.


    "I will exchange the Beast Core with you if you give me two things," Lux said. "The first one is rather simple. All you need to do is give me as many Monster bones as you can. The ckrock n regrly hunts strong Monsters, right? I want as many of those bones as possible."


    Baronar didn''t even bat an eye as he nodded his head to ept Lux''s first request.


    "Our cksmiths use the Monster bones in order to forge weapons and armor for the n," Baronar stated. "Especially now, during this time when war is approaching, the warriors will hunt as many Monsters as they can so that their parts can be used as resources to arm our warriors to the teeth.


    "However, I have two Deimos, and two Argonaut-Ranked Monster bones in my possession. I can give those to you. I also have several Rank 5 Monster bones and below with me. I will give those to you as well."


    Lux was quite satisfied because Baronar had met his first condition easily.


    "Okay, now, the next condition is..." Lux exined to the Great Orc Shaman what he wanted to happen, and thetter listened to his exnation patiently.


    "That''s it?" Baronar asked. "You came to ask the right person. I am an expert in summoning Elite Spirit Monsters."


    Afterpleting the Dungeon of Dominion, Lux had managed to acquire Baronar''s ability to summon Elite Spirit Warriors. Because of that, Pazuzu was born.


    Since then, his skill of summoning Elite Spirit Warriors had not been used again, and he was hoping that Baronar could help him find a way to upgrade this skill, by giving him the skill books of Elite Spirit Summons that the Great Orc Shaman had mastered in the past.


    Lux had long wanted to have several Elite Spirit Shield Warriors to act as Tanks for his Undead army.


    As long as Baronar was able to help him with this task, trading the Abyssal Core was a small price to pay for the addition of powerful elite units that would make his Undead Legion a force to be reckoned with.

 Chapter 589 Both Quantity And Quality [Part 1]

    Baronar took out a scroll from his storage ring and wrote several intricate runes over it.


    "This scroll is the second Skill Scroll that I made when I was younger," Baronar exined as he continued to write more runes over the scroll''s surface. "However, I have learned many things since then. I have trained many Orc Shamans, and all of them are now able to create their own unique Spirit Warriors. Unfortunately, none of their Spirit Warriors coulde close to the level of what mine could do.


    "It''s quite funny that you were able to acquire my abilities inside a Dungeon. Perhaps it''s fate, or some other kind of power at y, but knowing that someone out there managed to inherit my legacy makes me somewhat happy."


    Baronar added thest rune to the scroll and pressed his palm against it as if marking it with his seal.


    "Here you go," Baronar said as he handed thepleted Skill Scroll to Lux. "Although I may not be your Master, and you are not my Disciple, I expect good things from you. After all, you have made my power your own, right?"


    Lux bowed gratefully to the Orc Shaman before epting the Skill Scroll with both hands. Only those who had mastered their arts to the peak could create something like this, and what he had in his hand was a very valuable consumable item that would go for millions of Gold in Auction Houses.


    Unlike Beast Cores which gave people a small chance to learn skills from them, Skill Books and Skill Scrolls were guaranteed to give you a skill. This was what made them much more valuable to other people, especially those that belonged to the Royal Families or other Influential ns.


    "Thank you, Your Excellency," Lux replied. "I will put it to good use. Here is the Abyssal Beast Core that you wanted."


    The Half-Elf offered the ck Abyssal Core to the Great Orc Shaman, who happily took it with a smile.


    "The trade is done," Baronar stated as he brought the Abyssal Core close to his eyes to give it a closer inspection. "I''ll give you the bonester tonight. Also, make sure to prepare a gift for the Orc Chieftain to get in her good graces. I''ll take my leave for now."


    After bidding his goodbye, the Great Orc Shaman left the room in order to return to his own quarters. He didn''t n on absorbing the Abyssal Core right away. For Baronar, this was the perfect opportunity to do some experiments in order to get a higher chance of acquiring a skill from the Beast Core he had acquired from Lux.


    "I''ll go to my room as well," Lux said to hispanions. "If there is something important, just call for me. Eiko, you can stay and y with Cora and Nora, but make sure that you guys don''t leave the residence, okay?"


    Eiko nodded her head. "Pa!"


    The Baby Slime was having fun talking to Cora and Nora, so Lux decided to let her stay with them for the time being. His priority right now was to go to his room and do two things.


    The first one was to use the Skill Scroll and gain a new powerful unit to enhance the performance of his Undead Legion.


    The second one was to summon Asmodeus and discuss what they should do with the Abyssal Monster Corpse in his possession, as well as the Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Beast Bones that Baronar would be giving themter.


    The cooldown for the Skeleton Generator Skill had finished, and it was about time for him to create another monster to join his army.


    After making sure that the door was firmly closed, Lux took a few deep breaths before sitting on top of the bed. He then activated the Skill Scroll in his hand in order to absorb its powers.


    ��------------


    < Your Skill, Summon Elite Spirit Warrior, has received an upgrade >


    < Choose one of the options toplete your upgrade >


    �C Elite Spirit Shield Warriors


    �C Elite Spirit Raiders


    �C Elite Spirit Skirmishers


    �C Elite Spirit Berserkers


    �C Elite Spirit Hunters


    Note: After choosing one of the options, that unit will evolve to be a stronger unit due to the effect of Baronar''s Legacy. Your choice is irreversible, so make sure to choose wisely!


    ��------------


    "Baronar really went all out on this one," Lux muttered. "That trade was worth it."


    Although there were several choices on the list, Lux had already made up his mind and chose Elite Spirit Shield Warriors.


    He didn''t need Spirit Berserkers because he already had the Skeleton Gang Bangers to y a simr role.


    He also didn''t need Spirit Hunters because the Skeleton Arcane Hunters and Liches were already potent enough for long-range attacks.


    What Lux really needed right now were Meat Shields.


    Lots of Meat Shields.


    After making his choice, he heard a ringing sound in his head confirming his choice.


    ��------------


    < You have chosen Elite Spirit Shield Warriors >


    < Undergoing Elite Spirit Evolution! >


    < Evolution Progress�� 1% >


    < Evolution Progress�� 15% ><novelsnext></novelsnext>


    < Evolution Progress�� 38% >


    ��------------


    Lux waited patiently until the progression bar hit 100%. He didn''t know what the Elite Spirit Shield Warriors would evolve into, but he was very optimistic about how they would turn out.


    Finally, after two minutes of waiting, the evolution progress waspleted.


    ��------------


    < Congrattions! >


    < Your Elite Spirit Shield Warriors have evolved into Elite Spirit Protectors >


    ��------------


    < Elite Spirit Protectors >


    "We Protect and Serve."


    �C Defenders of the Legion


    �C Monster Rating: S


    �C Max Summons: 50


    Health: 350,000 / 350,000


    Mana: 75,000 / 75,000


    Active Skill: Shield Bash, Shield Wall, Shield Throw, Mad Rush, Last Stand, Power Strike, Stone Skin, Taunt.


    Passive Skill: Guts, Very Tough, Equip Item, Auto Guard


    Unique Ability: United We Stand.


    Note: Every time Lux Von Kaizer''s Rank increases, the number of Elite Spirit Protectors that can be summoned will increase by 100.


    ��------------


    < United We Stand >


    �C When 10 or more Elite Spirit Protectors stand side-by-side in a defensive stance, each attack''s damage received will be shared equally by everyone. If the damage they received surpassed the limit of theirbined health, all of the Elite Spirit Protectors will die at the same time.


    < Taunt >


    �C Has a 50% chance of making the enemy target them specifically.


    ��------------


    "Finally, I have more tanks in my army," Lux said with a smile. "Come, Asmodeus."


    The Half-Elf summoned his trusted strategist, whom he''d ask for advice when it came to the expansion of his Undead Legion.


    Lux''s personal army was enough to defeat an E-Ranker, and even contend with D-Rankers to a certain extent.


    He would also have no trouble fighting against Deimos Ranked Beasts. As for Argonaut-Ranked Monsters, Lux wasn''t too confident of his chances.


    Even so, very few individuals around his age could match the Half-Elf in single or group battles due to the quantity and quality of his Summons.


    "Master, back then, I advised you to use the skill Animate Undead to transform the Abyssal Corpse into an Undead Monster," Asmodeus stated. "However, we have more choices now. Truth be told, aside from you, Diablo, and Zagan, no one else in our army has the ability to deal True Damage to our enemies, which can break past their defenses and target their souls.


    "Right now, we have three options. First, we can use the Skeleton Generator Skill, and use the Abyssal Corpse as an ingredient to get a Random Higher Undead Monster.


    "Our second option is to simply use the Animate Undead Skill, and choose among the options avable there like you did with Revon. That way, the new monster will be Revon''s subordinate.


    "Thest option is to make this creature a member of your Covenant. Simr to using the Animate Undead Skill, you can also choose what profession or form the new monster will take. Personally, I highly rmend that you choose the second or third option, Master."


    Lux rubbed his chin as he considered Asmodeus'' advice.


    "Indeed, the Skeleton Generator ispletely random," Lux replied. "Even if we somehow get an Abyssal Undead Monster, what wille of it is too unpredictable, and we have no control over it. However, if we used the Animate Undead Skill or make this monster a part of my Covenant, the profession it could get is within the scope of my control."


    "Exactly, Master." Asmodeus nodded. "We must have both quantity and quality in our army. Although we might not get another exceptionally strongrade like ALL-MITE, it is still possible to get a versatile unit like Ithaqua. What we need is diversity, so we will be able to make contingencies for any given situation."


    Lux wholeheartedly agreed with Asmodeus'' words. Because of this, he decided to think very carefully about how he would deal with the Abyssal Corpse in his possession, which had caused great trouble for him, Cai, and his Dragon Knight, Bedivere, several months ago.

 Chapter 590 Both Quantity And Quality [Part 2]

    "I''ll just use Animate Undead this time," Lux said after careful consideration.


    Currently, his Necromancer Covenant consisted of Bedivere, Zagan, and ALL-MITE.


    On the other hand, his Animated Undead Legion wasposed of Revon and the monster that was created through the power of his Skeleton Generator Skill.


    This monster had somehow be too strong for Lux to control, so he had no choice but to seal it. ording to the information, he would only be able to make it obey his will once he became a C-Ranker.


    It meant that the one he had managed to summon was a truly powerful Creature, which could potentially attack him if it was given the chance.


    "... What are the chances that this Monster will also be too strong for my current Rank?" Lux turned to ask his trusted strategist who only shed him a cheeky smile.


    "Master, I think the Animate Undead skill has this risk as well," Asmodeus replied. "Only us and the members of your Covenant will be around your level of strength. Even so, having stronger allies is a good thing. Of course, there''s a problem as well. If they are too strong, they may not obey you."


    Lux nodded. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let''s do this."


    The Half-Elf took out the body of the Grim Butcher Nightwalker and activated his Animate Undead Skill.


    ��----------------


    < You have chosen to revive a dead Abyssal Creature. >


    < Choose which group you n to register this Unique Creature under >


    Choice 1: Necromancer''s Covenant


    Choice 2: Make the Unique Creature a member of your Animate Undead Legion.


    ��----------------


    Lux chose the second option because he wanted to add the Abyssal Creature to his Animate Undead Legion.


    ��----------------


    < Choose between the two options for the Revival of your Undead Creature >


    Choice 1: Revive the Creature as a Specter


    Choice 2: Revive the Creature using Advance Customization


    ��----------------


    Lux once again chose the second option because he preferred to freely customize what profession the creature would have when it was revived.


    ��----------


    < You have chosen to use the Advance Customization option.


    < Take note that the choices here only show the types of Profession they can revive into. Their abilities and appearance are decided randomly >


    < If you are going to choose a Profession that has a low percentage of sess, the chances of reviving the creature will decrease drastically. If the revival fails, the corpse, as well as the materials used for the Advance Customization method will disappear. >


    < To increase the chances of sess, select the Profession you like and pool in resources to increase its percentage! >


    <[Possible transformations of your Animated Undead]>


    Abyss Walker - 100%


    Shadow Creature - 84%


    Returned Drifter - 77%


    Deathlock Wight - 52%


    Ebon Knight - 33%


    Grim Rider - 16%


    Shadow Lord - 4%


    ��----------


    "Hmm��" Lux rubbed his chin as he looked at the options in front of him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When it came to Beast Cores, he had used almost all of them to upgrade his body constitution.


    What was left were Deimos-Ranked and above Cores, which the Half-Elf didn''t n to use anytime soon.


    The only resources he had right now were the dead bodies of the insects that he had collected after the battle in the Shaufell ins.


    "What if��" Lux decided to do an experiment that could help him ovee the hurdle of having limited Beast Cores at his disposal.


    The first thing he did was to offer the corpse of a Red-Striped Mosquito as an ingredient to increase the Shadow Lord profession. He had never done this before, and he was wondering what the final oue would be.


    ��----------


    < You have offered a Red-Striped Mosquito as a resource to upgrade the rating of the Shadow Lord Profession. >


    < Checking Resource Value�� >


    < This is a Common Monster. It is not enough to raise the rating of your chosen profession. The Red-Striped Mosquito will now be destroyed. >


    ��----------


    "Oh? So it doesn''t eptmon monsters? Then how about Rank 1 Monsters?" Lux took out an Obsidian Spite Mosquito, which was a Rank 1 Monster, and offered it as a resource to raise the rating of the Shadow Lord Profession.


    ��--------


    < This is a Rank 1 Monster. It is not enough to raise the rating of your chosen profession. The Obsidian Spite Mosquito will now be destroyed. >


    ��--------


    Lux didn''t hesitate and threw another monster corpse. This time it was an Iron-Scaled Torment Mosquito which was a Rank 2 Monster.


    ��--------


    < This is a Rank 2 Monster. It is not enough to raise the rating of your chosen profession. The Iron-Scaled Mosquito will now be destroyed. >


    < Warning! You have attempted to use three lower-ranked Monsters in order to raise the rating of a Unique Profession. If you n to use Monster Corpses as offerings, you can only use Rank 4 Monsters and above >


    ��--------


    Lux scratched his head after reading the new information that appeared in front of him. He thought that he could use brute force to raise the rating of his Animated Undead Creature, but the price he had to pay was quite high.


    He had the corpses of several Rank 4 and Rank 5 Monsters, like the Horned Harlequin Mosquito and the Diabolical Doom Mosquito, which were very strong monsters.


    However, he had given these corpses to Asmodeus to allow the Archlich to conduct his experiments.


    The only ones he had on hand were low-ranking monsters that he nned to use as fodder for his Corpse Explosion Skill.


    Asmodeus wasn''t able to stop himself from chuckling after seeing his Master''s depressed expression, so he offered a suggestion.


    "Master, why don''t you wait until we receive the Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Bones from Baronar?" Asmodeus proposed. "He promised that he will give us Rank 5 and below Beast Bones as well. Perhaps that will help you increase the Shadow Lord''s rating."


    Lux sighed before reluctantly nodding his head. "I guess we have no choice but to do that."


    After choosing Unique Professions like Dragon Knight and Fallen Wargod, Lux was determined to choose the rarest profession for his subordinates.


    So far, he hadn''t been disappointed with his choices because his Dragon Knight and Fallen Wargod were both strong warriors.


    Although he didn''t know what a Shadow Lord was capable of doing, its name sounded badass, which made Lux even more determined to get it.


    For the time being, Lux put the Abyssal Monster''s revival on hold until he got the resources from Baronar.


    The Half-Elf would rather wait for a few hours than miss out on the chance of acquiring a powerful new subordinate under his wing.


    "Master, what are you nning to give the Orc Chieftain as a present for your first meeting?" Asmodeus asked in order to change the atmosphere inside the room.


    "Draconium Ore," Lux replied. "I''m sure that they would love to have this rare ore to craft some Legendary Equipment for the uing war."


    Right now, the Draconium Ore was the most precious material he possessed, and he nned to use it to gain the favor of powerful factions.


    Even Saints like his stepfather, Alexander, and Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian, were very interested in the Draconium Ore.


    Because of this, he decided to use a few of the ores to build closer ties with the ruler of the Orcs, and perhaps allow him to get one step closer to his ultimate goal of acquiring their Twin mes.

 Chapter 591 Calm Before The Storm

    "Everyone, please be in your best behavior," Lux said as he looked at hispanions. "We will be dining with the Orc Chieftain. Our purpose foring here in the ckrock n''s Main Stronghold is still not known to them.


    "Baronar said that he already mentioned our goal ofing here to their Orc Chieftain. I don''t know if they will be hostile or not, so be prepared to teleport to the Guild Headquarters at a moment''s notice. Do I make myself clear?"


    Everyone nodded their heads with the exception of Cethus, who would remain in the residence because of his injuries.


    "... Are you just going to leave me here?" Cethus asked after hearing the Half-Elf''s n.


    Lux shook his head. "I won''t leave you behind. I will be taking you with us."


    "How? I''m injured," Cethus replied.


    Lux smirked before pointing at the Baby Slime that was perched on top of his head.


    "Eiko can store you inside her body," Lux exined. "So, when she swallows you, make sure to not resist. This is the only way for you to apany us back to the Guild Headquarters in case of an emergency."


    Cethus frowned because the idea of being swallowed whole by the Baby Slime on Lux''s head didn''t sound like a good thing. However, being left behind in the Orc Encampment was worse.


    "F-Fine." Cethus reluctantly agreed. "But, are you sure it is safe?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "We have done it once in the past."


    When the red-headed teenager rescued the Dwarf Princess from the members of Twilight Rain, he made sure to bring the son of the Baron, Clyde, with him. Back then the Dwarf boy was unconscious so Eiko didn''t have any problem storing him inside her body.


    Of course, Lux didn''t know what it was like to be inside Eiko''s body because he never experienced it before. All he knew was that as long as Cethus was with his Baby Slime, they would be able to escape immediately if need be.


    "Eiko, go eat him up."


    "Pa!"


    The Baby Slime jumped off the Half-Elf''s head andnded beside Cethus. She then opened up her mouth widely, and sucked up the Dragon Born as if he was some kind of fruit juice.


    "Ohhhhh!"


    Laura and Livia were amazed after seeing such a scene. They didn''t know that Eiko was capable of such a feat, and wondered if their own Baby Slimes could do the same thing.


    "Cora, can you do that?" Laura asked her Baby Slime, and thetter shook her head firmly.


    "Nora, can you?" Livia patted her Baby Slime''s head, and Nora only shook her head as a reply.


    Afterpleting her mission, Eiko crawled back up to her Papa''s head and hummed happily. Clearly, she was very happy whenever she helped Lux with something.


    Five minutes after Cethus had been swallowed up by Eiko, Lux and his party heard a knock on the door of their residence.


    "I havee to pick you all up," the Orc Shaman who had escorted Lux and the others to their residence said through the door. "Let''s go. Her Excellency doesn''t like to be kept waiting."


    Lux exchanged nces with hisrades, and all of them nodded back at him. They had already made their preparations for the worst case scenario. Their only hope was that the ckrock n wouldn''t turn hostile, the moment they stated their purpose foring to the Capital City of the Orcs.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ��----------


    Inside the Main Hall of the Stronghold��


    "It is an honor to be invited to dine with you, Your Excellency," Lux said as he bowed respectfully to the Orc Chieftain of the ckrock n. "My name is Lux Von Kaizer, and these are mypanions. We thank you for your hospitality."


    "Raise your head, Lux Von Kaizer," the Orc Chieftain replied. "You are a guest, and we don''t want our guests to be bowing their heads excessively now do we?"


    Lux did as he was told and gazed at the Orc Chieftain, who was looking back at him with a smile.


    Barca sat on her right side, while mma sat on the left.


    The Half-Orc was looking at Lux with a determined gaze as if he wanted to bite the red-headed teenager''s head off.


    The other Orc Warlords were also in the room, and sat at the sides. Just like their Orc Chieftain, all of them were eyeing the Half-Elf with critical gazes as if they wanted to dissect him from head to foot, with the exception of Baronar who seemed to be in a very good mood.


    "Your performance earlier was noteworthy," the Orc Chieftain stated. "Although you still haven''t be a Ranker, your future is quite promising. Oh, where are my manners? I am the Orc Chieftain of the ckrock n. I will personally allow you to call me Lady Avyanna. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, young Lux."


    Lux was about to offer another bow, but stopped himself in time because he remembered the Orc Chieftain''s words earlier about bowing excessively.


    "Lady Avyanna, thank you for allowing us to dine in your presence," Lux replied.


    Lady Avyanna nodded and made a gesture for Lux and his friends to sit at the table that was prepared for them.


    As soon as everyone was properly seated, the Orc Chieftain pped her hands.


    A few secondster, several Orc Lady''s entered the room carrying food tters, which they ced on each table. It didn''t take long before everyone''s tables were filled with many Orc delicacies.


    There were several dishes that they had never seen before, but after using his Soul Book, the Half-Elf found out that all of them were safe to eat.


    The Orc Chieftain was being considerate and only gave them food that could be eaten by Humans, which were roasted fowl, and wild boar stew. Several sliced fruits were alsoid out for them, which made Laura and Livia very happy.


    "Humans and Dwarves have this tradition of toasting others during special asions," Lady Avyanna said as she raised her wine cup. "Since we rarely have guests, I call for a toast for everyone''s good health. Cheers!"


    """Cheers!"""


    Everyone also raised their cups and drank heartily. Naturally, Lux and the other youngsters didn''t drink wine.


    Only Randolph and Grandma Annie drank them because their tolerance for alcoholic beverages were quite high.


    Lady Avyanna officially dered the feast to begin, so everyone just ate for the time being.


    Lux felt as if this was the calm before the storm, so he made sure to enjoy the meal in front of him, as if it was hisst.

 Chapter 592 Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing

    When the feast was halfway done, Lady Avyanna ced her wine cup on top of the table and asked Lux the question that had been on her mind since Baronar brought them to the Orc Capital of Ludrar Bragh.


    "Tell me, Lux, was the duel between you and my son a setup that you made?" Lady Avyanna asked.


    mma, who was seated beside her, suddenly stiffened after hearing his mother''s question. The young Half-Orc then tried to recall the events after he appeared inside Lux''s temporary residence.


    His original goal foring to see their guests was to find out what they were like. Of course, he had also intended to see how strong they were, but he didn''t have a good excuse to have a sparring match with them.


    However, when he heard Cethus'' proposal of stealing the Twin mes of their n, he thought that he found the right opportunity to make his appearance, and force them to fight him.


    But, instead of him proposing the idea, it was the red-headed teenager who did it. Back then, he didn''t think much about it because it was his n all along.


    Now that he was thinking properly, he suddenly realized that the Half-Elf might have already nned to use this as an opportunity to make him a stepping stone in order to gain influence in the ckrock n.


    The sound of something breaking reached everyone''s ears as mma broke the wine cup in his hand due to the anger he felt after realizing that he had been used as a stepping stone by the Half-Elf, who was sitting across from him.


    "Yes," Lux replied without batting an eye. "When mma entered our residence unannounced, I knew that he came looking for trouble. I just gave him what he wanted, so the fault lies with him."


    "You basta�C!" mma was about to smash his fist on the table to vent out his anger, but suddenly caught himself just in time. He had almost forgotten where he was, and the people around him.


    Fortunately, he didn''t smash the table because his parents were also eating at the same table.


    If he weren''t able to stop himself, the one who would get smashed next would definitely be him.


    Because of this, he had no choice but to reign in his anger and red hatefully at the shameless Half-Elf, who even winked in his direction.


    "Baronar has already told me that you and your group havee here for the Twin mes," Lady Avyanna stated. "Many havee before you, and all of them left empty handed. Some of them weren''t even able to leave like that one arrogant Dragon Born that came here ten years ago.


    "The fool called us Low-Landers, and demanded that we surrendered the Twin mes to him or else the Dragons woulde down from their floating Kingdom and tear us apart. The fool had iting to him."


    Lady Avyanna then gave the Half-Elf a devilish smile, as she lightly tapped the armrest of her chair.


    "So, do you think you have what it takes to take our Twin mes from us, Lux?" Lady Avyanna asked.


    "As long as the possibility exists, we will strive to take the Twin mes," Lux replied. "Lord Baronar already told us the conditions for acquiring the Transcendent mes. The first one is to defeat His Excellency, Barca. However, it is impossible for any of us to aplish such a thing."


    Lady Avyanna nodded. "So, you n to do the second option, am I right?"


    "Yes, Lady Avyanna."


    "Good luck with that."


    The Orc Warlords, with the exception of Baronar all chuckled because they knew that it was impossible for Lux to gain an aplishment that would make the entirety of the ckrock n acknowledge him.


    A feat that would be as amazing as the Twin mes, which they had protected for more than half a century.


    Even mmeughed at the Half-Elf because he, too, didn''t believe that the one who defeated him was capable of doing such a thing.


    It was at that moment when Baronar spoke up, making hispanions look at him in a weird manner.


    "If these were ordinary times then yes, it is impossible for our guests to aplish such a task," Baronar stated. "But, these are not ordinary times."


    The Great Orc Shaman paused as he twirled the wine inside his winecup, catching everyone''s attention.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We are at war, and I have a feeling that in this war, the humans have prepared adequately in order to bypass our defenses," the Great Orc Shaman continued. "Also, our allies may use this opportunity to weaken our n considerably before theye in to help us. Right now, we have our backs against the wall.


    "On one side, we have the Haca Dynasty, on the other side, we have our allies, who didn''t wish for our n to grow stronger. Perhaps, they are afraid that we are going to expand our Domain in the Wanid kingdom when we reach a certain point."


    The other Orc Warlords stoppedughing, and their expressions became solemn after hearing Baronar''s words.


    They knew that their n was strong, but right now, it was not enough to single handedly resist the uing Human invasion, who greatly outnumbered them by a hundred to one.


    Barca and Lady Avyanna, who didn''t join the Orc Warlords in theirughter, only smiled. They were not fools.


    Both of them already made a contingency n if things went south. Their n was to evacuate the Orcs from the Western Border, and retreat deeper inside the Wanid Kingdom.


    Once the Human armies prated deep inside their territory, the other Pirs could no longer watch idly from the side, and would be forced to unite and repel the invaders back to their homnds.


    When everyone had quieted down, Lady Avyanna once again spoke in order to catch everyone''s attention.


    "Our Great Orc Shaman is right," Lady Avyannamented. "We used to live in peaceful times, so there was no opportunity for outsiders to do anything that could impress the entirety of the ckrock n. However, we are now at war. If he can do something that will earn everyone''s recognition then it will be possible for us to ''Loan'' them the Twin mes."


    Lux''s ears perked up when he heard the word "Loan".


    Clearly, the Orc Chieftain had no intention of fully relinquishing the Twin mes to outsiders. Although this arrangement wasn''t part of the n he had in mind, the Half-Elf could tell that this was the bestpromise that the ckrock n would be willing to give them.


    "We Orcs follow the Law of the Jungle," Barca stated. "Only the strong will prevail. If he can really do something in this war then we will consider his appeal. However, it must be truly something great. For example�� kidnapping the King of the Haca Dynasty and dragging him back here to Ludrar Bragh."


    "Wait! I have a better idea," the Orc Raider, Tanabur, said with a smirk. "If he can single-handedly wipe out the entirety of the Haca Dynasty''s army then I will acknowledge it as a great feat."


    "Oh! This is a good idea," Mogazarmented. "I will agree to this as well."


    "If he is able to aplish such a thing, he will get my acknowledgement," Oreg, the Orc Warlord Berserker, crossed his arms over his chest.


    Back in the Dungeon of Dominion, Oreg had died. However, in the true history of the ckrock n, he didn''t die, which allowed the ckrock n to retain the strength of its Orc Berserker Warriors.


    "I, too, will recognize him if he manages to aplish this grand undertaking," mma dered. "I will even call him Master and be his subordinate if that were to happen."


    Lux''spanions nced at their leader with worried gazes because they didn''t know how the Half-Elf would reply to the challenge given to him by the Orcs.


    The red-headed teenager simply remained silent, and allowed the Higher-Ups of the ckrock n to underestimate him.


    The only one who knew of his true Profession was Baronar.


    Everyone else just thought of the red-headed teenager as a Summoner that could summon slightly powerful creatures that allowed him to defeat Deimos-Ranked creatures and below.


    What they didn''t know was that the Half-Elf wasughing inside his heart.


    This wasn''t the first time that Lux fought in arge-scale war.


    After hisst battle in the Sacred Dungeon, the Half-Elf had fully understood what his Undead Legion was capable of doing. For now, he simply endured the ridicule that mma and the other Warlords were hurling in his direction.


    Only Barca, and Lady Avyanna felt the silent confidence that was oozing out of the Half-Elf''s body, which made them feel that they might have made the wrong decision, and unknowingly invited a wolf in sheep''s clothing to join them for dinner.

 Chapter 593 Asmodeus’ Proposal

    "I thought the Half-Elf would be intimidated upon hearing the others say that they would only recognize him if he managed to wipe out the entire army of the Haca Dynasty," Barca said as heid down on the huge bed. "But his reaction and his bodynguage earlier made me feel like such a requirement wasn''t a big deal to him."


    Lady Avyanna nodded as she looked outside the window of their room with her arms crossed over her chest.


    "That boy isn''t simple. The storage ring he offered to me as a gift earlier contained 10 Draconium Ores," Lady Avyanna stated. "This alone proves that he has a strong backing.


    "But I just can''t imagine him aplishing a feat that would make the entire n recognize his achievements. True, beating mma in the duel earned him some kind of recognition, as well as respect from the tribe.


    "However, that alone will not suffice for them to have a unanimous decision of giving away the Twin mes. I had a talk with mma earlier and asked him the real reason why he epted Lux''s proposal to the duel. He said that the Dragon Born, who suddenly disappeared this afternoon, had mentioned that they should just steal the Twin mes while we were fighting on the front lines."


    Barca arched an eyebrow after hearing his wife''s exnation.


    "The Draconium Ore is indeed a good thing. It can help us craft a few Legendary Items if the crafting process is sessful." Barca replied. "About stealing the Twin mes while we are on the front lines, even if they want to steal it, they will not be able to steal it. Many have tried and failed. All of them are now dead, and their remains have been burnt until only ashes were left."


    Lady Avyanna smiled as she walked towards the bed where her husband was lying down.


    Truth be told, Lady Avyanna was weaker than Barca. The only reason why she sat at the helm of the ckrock n was due to her being an exceptional strategist. It was because of her that the invasion by the Haca Dynasty many years ago failed miserably.


    It was then when the ckrock n and Barca fell in love with her and Barca married her. With the blessing of the entire n, they recognized her as the Orc Chieftain, which allowed her to attain her current position.


    "Let''s not talk about Lux for the time being," Lady Avyanna said. "We should just rest. We will depart for the front lines tomorrow before sunrise."


    "Avyanna, what do you think? Are we going to lose this time around?"


    "I won''t be able to answer this question until I see their forces for myself. But I have a feeling that our n will suffer a lot from this confrontation."


    The Orc Chieftainid beside her husband, and thetter hugged her close to him.


    "Let''s minimize the casualties to the bare minimum," Barca replied. "We can''t let the n weaken too much."


    "I understand." Lady Avyanna buried her head on her husband''s chest to seek the sense of security that she needed during these troubled times. "Even if the first Fortress gets overrun, they will have to pay a heavy price for it."


    While the husband and wifeforted each other, Lux and Baronar also finished their discussion.


    "So, will you be going with us to the front lines, while your otherpanions stay here in the capital city?" Baronar inquired.


    Lux nodded. "Yes, Your Excellency. Only I will go to the front lines with you tomorrow."


    "I see��" Baronar frowned. "Is this because of what happened during dinner? Don''t let their words get to you. They''re just feeling anxious about the uing war, so they are venting their frustrations on you."


    "Don''t worry, Your Excellency, I am not bothered by what mma and the other Orc Warlords said earlier," Lux replied. "I am just curious to know how the wars between two Kingdoms are conducted. This will be a good opportunity to watch two armies in action."


    Of course, Lux didn''t tell Baronar that he had already witnessedrge-scale battles between two Kingdoms. However, he didn''t lie when he said that he wanted to watch how the ckrock n and the Haca Dynasty would fight against each other.


    He wanted to know what weapons of war they would mobilize, or what strategy they would use during the war.


    He wanted to expand his knowledge when it came to warfare because with the forces he could summon right now, it was possible for him topletely subdue an entire vige, and a small town, if he set his mind to it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Of course, Lux had no intention of doing that. It was just that he had reached a certain level where he was capable enough to take over small territories if the need for it arose.


    "Rest as soon as you can," Baronar stated. "We will leave before sunrise. That will give us enough time to reach the Stronghold of Vuddun Akh before the army of the Haca Dynasty arrives."


    "Understood." Lux nodded. "Goodnight, Your Excellency, and thank you for the Beast Bones."


    "No. It is I who should thank you," Baronar replied. "Getting Beast Bones is easy, but getting my hands on an Abyssal Core is a matter of pure luck. Well then, see you in a few hours."


    The Great Orc Shaman left Lux''s residence to return to his own quarters. His subordinates had already prepared everything he would need for the journey, so he had more free time to master the new skill he acquired from the Abyssal Core that he had absorbed earlier.


    Lux, on the other hand, closed the door of his room and summoned Asmodeus. Earlier, they had paused the revival of the Undead Abyssal Creature due tock of resources.


    But after Baronar gave the Half-Elf a storage ring containing the Beast Bones he promised, the amount he received exceeded his expectations.


    80 Rank 4 Beast Bones


    50 Rank 5 Beast Bones


    2 Deimos-Ranked Beast Bones


    2 Argonaut-Ranked Beast Bones


    That was the number of resources that Baronar had given Lux in exchange for the Abyssal Core in his possession.


    "Master, let''s store the 2 Deimos-Ranked Beast Bones and the 2 Argonaut-Ranked Beast Bones for the time being," Asmodeus proposed. "It will be best if you use the skill Animate Undead to revive them when you be a Ranker. That way, most of their Rank will be preserved."


    "Sounds like a n." Lux agreed with the Archlich''s proposal.


    "I have another proposal for you, Master."


    "Speak."


    Asmodeus smirked. "How about you just revive all the Rank 5 Beast Bones so that your Animate Undead Legion will finally have a sizable force that you can summon at any given time? As for the Shadow Lord�� you can make him the newest member of your Covenant. How does that sound?"


    Lux pondered a bit before nodding his head.


    "This is also good. With this, we will truly have a sizable force under ourmand." Lux replied. "Right now, most of my Summons��like the Skeleton Gang Bangers��are Rank 4 Monsters. If we revive Rank 5 Monsters, their strength will degrade by a Rank, making them Rank 4 monsters as well.


    "As for making the Shadow Lord a new member of the Covenant�� I think this is good as well. Each member of the Covenant can have their own subordinates, and I have a feeling that our new ally would be able to demonstrate his true might if he canmand his own forces in battle. Very well, I will follow your advice, Asmodeus."


    Lux then once again summoned the corpse of the Grim Butcher Nightwalker in order to finish what he had started.


    With the resources that he acquired, it was now possible to summon another Unique Creature that would open new options on how Lux, and his Undead Legion, would fight inrge-scale battles.

 Chapter 594 While We Live, None Shall Defeat You!

    Lux stared at the option in front of him with a satisfied look on his face.


    After using all the Rank 4 Beast Bones in his possession, he finally achieved the goal he had in mind.


    In the past, he took a lot of chances. But now, he wanted a higher percentage rating to ensure that the chances of sess were higher.  This proved how serious Lux was into getting a Shadow Lord subordinate.


    ��----------


    <[Possible transformations of your Animated Undead]>


    Shadow Lord - 84%


    < Do you wish to start the revival? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��----------


    Lux took a deep breath before choosing the Yes option in order to start the revival of his new ally. Although he had done this process a few times already, he couldn''t help but feel anxious every time he did it.


    Suddenly the corpse of the Abyssal Creature disintegrated and formed a dark mist that hovered in front of Lux.


    ��----------


    < Revival progress�� 1% >


    < Revival progress�� 23% >


    < Revival progress�� 48% >


    < Revival progress�� 62% >


    < Revival progress�� 88% >


    < Revival progress�� 100% >


    < Congrattions! >


    < You have made the Shadow Lord a new member of your Covenant! >


    < Please give him a name. >


    ��----------


    A two-meter tall creature, whose face was hidden by the hood covering its face, stood in front of Lux.


    Dark mist oozed out of his body, making him look like one of those evil bosses in games that the hero encounters near the end of the story.


    "Draven," Lux said as he stared at the Shadow Lord, who had knelt like a knight in front of him. "From now on, your name is Draven."


    ��----------


    < Draven >


    "Are you afraid of the Dark?"


    �C Shadow Lord


    �C Nightmare Personified


    �C Rating: SSS


    Health: 216,000 / 216,000


    Mana: 470,000 / 470,000


    Strength: 1450


    Intelligence: 2250


    Vitality: 1360


    Agility: 1200


    Dexterity: 1200


    Unique Skill: Summon Shadow Warriors [EX], One With Shadows [EX], Shadow Steal [EX], Life Sense [EX], Shadow Armaments [EX], Shadow Swap [EX], Summon Shadow Demon [EX], Walking Nightmare [EX], Abyss Touch [EX]


    Active Skill: Summon Death Scythe, Shadow st, Shadow Bind, Armor of Shadows, Shadow Ray.


    Passive Skill: Night Vision, Heat Vision, Shadow Body, Shadow Flight.


    Unique Ability: Nightmare''s Shadow


    ��------


    < Shadow Bind >


    �C Once the Shadow Lord, a Shadow Warrior, or a Shadow Demon steps on a creature''s shadow, that creature''s movement and attack speed will decrease by 50%


    �C Once the Shadow Lord, a Shadow Warrior, or a Shadow Demon steps on a creature''s shadow, that creature''s Health, Mana, and Stamina Regeneration will decrease by 50%


    ��------


    < Nightmare''s Shadow >


    �C Draven''s stats will always be a perfect replica of Lux Von Kaizer''s stats.


    �C Draven can copy the appearance of Lux Von Kaizer.


    ��----------


    < Summon Shadow Warriors [EX] >


    �C Summon Shadow Warriors that are two Ranks lower than Draven.


    �C Maximum number of shadows that can be summoned is 50<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    �C Number of Shadows will increase by 50 each time Lux Von Kaizer''s Rank increases.


    ��----------


    < One With Shadows [EX] >


    �C Can travel through the shadows of allies and inanimate objects.


    ��----------


    Shadow Steal [EX]


    �C Draven can steal the shadow of the creature he has personally killed, acquiring that person''s memories and experiences.


    �C Draven can store up to 5 shadows at any given time.


    �C Draven can rece any of the shadows with a new one if he wishes.


    �C Draven will be able to transform into the appearance of the people or Creatures whose shadows he has in his possession.


    ��----------


    Life Sense [EX]


    �C Draven will be able to detect any kind of lifeform in its surroundings, even if that creature has used a skill like invisibility or has transformed into an inanimate object.


    ��----------


    Shadow Armaments [EX]


    �C Draven can use the power of Shadows to create any kind of weapon it wishes.


    �C This skill will be more effective when used alongside the skill, Shadow Steal [EX], allowing Draven to use the Weapon Mastery, and Weapon Expertise, of the Creatures whose shadows he has stolen.


    ��----------


    Shadow Swap [EX]


    �C Exchange ces with an Ally or Enemy within a range of 200 meters.


    ��----------


    Summon Shadow Demon [EX]


    �C Merge all the Shadow Warriors together to create an Alpha Monster whose Rank would be equivalent to Draven.


    �C Only one Shadow Demon can be created at any given time.


    ��----------


    < Walking Nightmare [EX] >


    �C has a 20% chance of inflicting Fear on any creature within a 300-meter radius around the Shadow Lord.


    �C Opponents under the effect of Fear will be unable to attack the Shadow Lord and his allies.


    ��------


    "T-This��," Lux stuttered after seeing the information about Draven in his Soul Book.


    Even Asmodeus was speechless after reading his new ally''s abilities. What he saw made him think that Draven was very simr to him.


    Asmodeus'' Unique Ability was to replicate all of Lux''s Skills, with the exception of using his Dragon War Arts.


    Draven''s, on the other hand, was to replicate Lux''s stats, giving him the same strength as the Half-Elf.


    Not only that, the Shadow Lord also possessed some amazing abilities that would make him perfect for espionage and spying missions.


    The ability to copy the appearance, memory, and weapon mastery of the creature whom he managed to steal a shadow from was simply terrifying. It had so many uses that Asmodeus couldn''t stop himself from formting scenarios for how it would prove useful for their faction.


    Draven, who had been bestowed a name by Lux, stood up and gave the Half-Elf a deep bow.


    As if waiting for that moment, the other member of Lux''s Covenant also appeared in front of him and bowed respectfully to their Master.


    Bedivere, Zagan, ALL-MITE, and Draven, all bowed their heads and spoke in unison.


    """We of the Covenant swear to protect you. While we live, none shall defeat you!"""


    Lux felt something warm spreading inside his chest because he could feel the intense determination of his Knights to carry out their sworn oath.


    Because of this, he nodded his head in acknowledgement and asked them to raise their heads.


    "My Knights, dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy. I am not perfect, and I am bound to make mistakes along the way. Even so, I ask all of you to stand by me, and protect me at all costs."


    """By your will, Master."""


    After making their Oaths, the members of Lux''s Covenant all turned into particles of light, with the exception of Draven.


    The Shadow Lord took a step forward and merged with Lux''s shadow. His role was to serve as Lux''s bodyguard 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


    "Pa!"


    Eiko, who had been quiet the whole time, jumped off Lux''s head andnded in front of him.


    The Baby Slime then looked up at his Papa with a smile and reminded him of something that made the Half-Elf chuckle.


    "Don''t worry, you will being with me tomorrow," Lux said as he crouched down to pick up the baby slime, who started to giggle in his hands. "We will see just what kind of tricks the Haca Dynasty have under their sleeve."


    "Un!" Eiko happily nodded her head.


    The baby slime was afraid that Lux would leave her with Grandma Annie and the others and go to the battlefield alone.


    As someone who was a battle junkie, Eiko didn''t want to miss this opportunity to apany her Papa on the frontlines, where arge-scale war was about to take ce.

 Chapter 595 Another Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure

    Eiko hummed while perched on top of Lux''s head.


    The Half-Elf was currently following the procession of the Orc Army from the rear.


    Before going, he asked Gerhart to look after Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, Livia, and Cethus at the capital city of the Orcs.


    If the ckrock n was able to repel the invaders, then that would be for the best. For the time being, his sole intention was to observe and learn a few things fromrge-scale wars.


    Lux had also expected that thest gate of the Sacred Dungeon, the Gate of Famine, would revolve around wars.


    Ever since he entered the Sacred Dungeon, it had always been Kingdoms fighting against each other. This gave everyone the impression that thest gate would throw them in the middle of another war, whose magnitude would be bigger than any that they had faced before.


    In order to prepare for this uing battle, Lux wanted to learn different strategies in order to cope with the ever-changing battle between tens of thousands of warriors on the battlefield.


    They had already been traveling for nearly four days, and ording to his estimate, they would soon arrive at the location of the Stronghold of the Orcs, which served as their first line of defense against the Haca Dynasty.


    Suddenly, the sound of a horn spread in the surroundings, making the Orcs hasten their advance. Lux didn''t know the meaning behind it, but the Orcs who were in front of him suddenly started to jog and then run at full speed.


    It was then that Lux saw it.


    In the distance, ck smoke was rising up the sky. It was so thick that it could only mean one thing.


    Something was burning, and that something was something very big.


    "Jed, let''s fly!" Lux ordered his Thunder Warg King, and thetter obeyed hismand.


    After rising in the air, Lux saw in the distance that the Stronghold of the Orcs was burning.


    Loud rumbling sounds of explosions reached his ears, proving that a battle was currently underway. Just based on the thick smoke that was rising from the fortress, the Half-Elf inferred that the battle had been going on for quite some time, and the one on the losing end was the Orcs.


    While the entire ckrock n was hurrying, several individuals had already charged up ahead in order to reach the Stronghold as quickly as possible.


    Barca was at the lead, followed closely by Lady Avyanna.


    The other Orc Warlords, namely Baronar (Great Orc Shaman), Tanabur (Orc Raider), Oreg (Orc Berserker), and Mogazar (Orc Hunter) were not far behind.


    "Catch up to them, Jed," Luxmanded.


    The Thunder Warg King growled in acknowledgment and activated its Lightning Steps, allowing it to travel faster.


    Five minutester, they arrived at their destination, and the sight that weed Lux''s eyes was the intense battle that was happening inside the Orc Fortress.


    The enemy had still not breached the gates, but they were fighting on the ramparts.


    Fireballs rained down from the sky, burning everything they hit. Bodies that were burned to a crisp littered the interior of the Fortress, which made Barca roar in anger.


    "Kill!" Barca ordered as soon as he entered the Fortress through the backdoor.


    The Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster leaped through the air andnded on the ramparts. With one swing of his battle axe, all of those who were scaling the walls were instantly sliced in half, dropping down on the ground, crushing those who were unlucky enough to be along their way.


    The other Orc Warlords also went on a killing spree and annihted every enemy that they had set their eyes on.


    Lux simply observed from the sky, but what he saw was enough to make him understand how strong Barca was.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "He''s really different from the Barca I once knew," Lux thought as he looked at the Half-Orc, whose blood-shot eyes thirsted for the blood of his enemies.


    As if waiting for that moment, several horns were blown, giving the signal for the Army of the Haca Dynasty to retreat.


    However, Barca, who was enraged by the death of his kinsmen, jumped off the ramparts in order to follow the retreating soldiers.


    However, as soon as he did that, several Battle Spirits wrapped their arms around his body and pulled him back to where he jumped off.


    "Get a hold of yourself, Barca!" Lady Avyanna shouted. "This is not the time to fall into the enemy''s trap!"


    The Orc Chieftain''s words stopped Barca from resisting and finally calmed him down. Only when she was sure that her husband was thinking straight did Lady Avyanna release him from her hold.


    Barca looked at the Army in front of him and noticed something different. ording to his estimate, the enemies in front of him only numbered around 50,000, which was a very small number for an invading army.


    When the Haca Dynasty previously tried to invade the Wanid Kingdom, they had sent over a million troops. Seeing this small number made Barca suspect that he was just seeing things.


    ''What''s going on here?'' Barca thought as he nced beside his wife, who also had a frown on her face.


    "We are expecting their main army to arrive in two days'' time," Lady Avyanna said softly. "If my assumption is correct, this is just the Vanguards, who are supposed to secure the location of their Main Camp. It seems that the one leading them is very eager to gain some merits, so he ordered them to attack the Fortress as soon as possible before their main army arrived."


    Barca snorted after hearing his wife''s exnation. "Wouldn''t now be the best time to wipe them out before their main force arrives? Why did you stop me?"


    "Calm down, Barca," Baronar said as soon as he arrived at the ramparts. "The years of peace have dulled your senses a bit. The one leading this force is also an Empyrean�� and, there are helpers with them who have simr strengths to us as well."


    "So you''re saying that they didn''t attack just because they felt like it, right?" Oreg, who had also climbed up the ramparts said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "If they really had an Empyrean and warriors as strong as us, why didn''t they attack and take over the Fortress on their own?"


    Just as the Orc Chieftain was about to reply, a loud, and confident voice reached their ears.


    "Because that would be boring!"


    Lady Avyanna, Barca, and the four Orc Warlords all shifted their gaze to the man standing in the very center of the enemy''s battle formation.


    He was wearing golden armor that really stood out from the rest as if he wanted people to see him among the masses of soldiers that were on the battlefield.


    "What we did was just a warm-up," the Commander of the Vanguard replied. "We are just killing time while we wait for the main army to arrive."


    "Killing time?" Barca scoffed. "Thousands of your soldiers died, and you call that killing time?"


    "Yes," the Commander of the Vanguard crossed his arms over his chest. "The men you killed were merely criminals and ves. Their purpose was to serve as cannon fodders. We promised them that if they were to perform well in the war, their crimes would be forgiven and they would be free again. Unfortunately, you killed them all, so the promise ended with their death. I guess I should thank you for cleaning up the trash. So, thank you?"


    The Commander of the Vanguard roared inughter. Hisughter was filled with ridicule, which grated Barca''s and the Orc Warlords'' ears. However, they didn''t bother to reply to the man''s provocation and simply assessed the damages that their Stronghold had received.


    "Tend to the wounded," Lady Avyanna ordered the Captain of the Orc Archers that hade to greet her. "Gather them all at the keep. Our Main Forces will arrive soon, so focus on helping our nsmen first."


    "Yes, Great Chieftain!" the Orc Archer replied and hurriedly barked orders to his subordinates to carry out their Great Chieftain''s orders.


    Lady Avyanna eyed the enemy Commander in the distance before turning her back to walk away.


    The enemy''s current forces were smaller than theirs, but something was telling her that she shouldn''t recklessly send Barca and the other Orc Warlords to wipe out their forces.

 Chapter 596 Oh My God! They’re So Cheesy!

    Although a portion of the Orc Fortress was destroyed during the sh, they could easily be fixed by the Earth Mages that would arrive soon.


    "Mogazar, you keep watch over our enemies for now," Lady Avyanna ordered. "Oreg, rece him after four hours. Tanabur will be the third to keep watch, then Barca. As for you, Baronar, erect a defensive barrier around the Fortress."


    Barca and the Four Orc Warlords nodded their heads and obeyed their Orc Chieftain''s orders.


    As Lady Avyanna walked away, the frown on her face deepened. The attack on the Stronghold wasn''t part of her calctions, which meant that their enemies were either very confident in their strength or just very stupid.


    ''I''d better prepare for the worst,'' Lady Avyanna thought. ''I''m afraid that our defenses will not hold for long.''


    While the Orc Chieftain was busy thinking of the next strategy they would use for the uing battle with the Haca Dynasty''s main army, a certain Half-Elf was looking at the dead bodies within the Fortress with a regretful look on his face.


    ''Maybe I can ask Baronar for help,'' Lux thought as he looked at the Human soldiers who had died under Barca''s and the Orc Warlord''s hateful counterattack. ''Leaving these dead bodies here is just so wasteful!''


    In the Orcs'' eyes, the value of Human corpses was limited to their armor and weapons that could be recycled to create new armor and weapons.


    For the Half-Elf, the dead bodies were precious resources that he could use to activate his Necromancer Skills


    This was the perfect example of the saying, one man''s trash is another man''s treasure.


    For Lux, gathering all the dead bodies on the battlefield was simply an opportunity that was too good to be true.


    After making up his mind, Lux hurriedly looked for Baronar in order to ask permission to collect the dead soldiers on the battlefield.


    Although he didn''t n to join the battle anytime soon, that didn''t mean that he couldn''t profit from the oue of the sh between the Haca Dynasty, and the ckrock n.


    ��-------------


    Rowan Tribe''s Camp��


    "Fei Fei, look over there. Isn''t that strange?"


    "Wei~"


    "Right? I''ve been with my little sister all my life, but this is the first time I''ve seen her like this!"


    "Wei~"


    Cai and Fei Fei were hiding in the shrubs as they looked at the unbelievable scene in the distance.


    Cai''s little sister, Rose, was busy reading a book with a smile on her face.


    If the young beauty was just reading a book, then Cai wouldn''t have reacted in this manner.


    But her notorious little sister, who had been bullying her ever since she returned to the Rowan Tribe, was currently reading a book while leaning her body against a young man!


    At that exact moment, the Second Priestess of the Rowan Tribe flipped the page of her book and sighed.


    "You should eat more," Rose said as she adjusted her sitting position to make herself morefortable. "You''re almost all skin and bones."


    The corner of Keane''s lips rose as his arms wrapped around the young beauty''s waist. He leaned down to whisper, "Alright. Let''s eat together, okay? You''re so light, a strong gust of wind could blow you away."


    "That won''t happen," Rose replied with a sweet smile as she flipped to the next page. "I know you won''t let me get blown away."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You''re right." Keane''s hold around her tightened. "Over my dead body.


    Currently, the skinny swordsman was sitting on a tree stump, while Rose sat on hisp, with her head resting on his shoulder.


    Cai wouldn''t go as far as to call them a match made in heaven, but seeing the two together created a very peaceful and romantic scene that made Cai weep helplessly.


    ''Oh my God! They''re so cheesy!'' Cai squealed internally as she looked at the two important people in her life. ''My little sister has grown a lot. She now found a close friend she can talk to, while Little Swordy finally learned how to smile. I''m so proud of them!''


    The more Cai looked at the two, the more she realized that Keane and Roseplimented each other.


    Truth be told, Rose wasn''t really a violentdy. She was strong-willed and did what she thought was right. Most of the time, she just wanted to read a good book in silence, letting the time fly past her.


    Keane, on the other hand, was someone who was in pursuit of inner peace. He would often meditate alone and be one with his surroundings in the hope that he would attain enlightenment in order to be a step closer to the peace he was looking for.


    Cai loved Rose very much, so she wanted to find thetter a good man.


    This was why she was actively recruiting members for the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Her goal was to find a suitable groom for her sister, who would love and take care of her for the rest of her life.


    ''Oh, what should I do? Should I tell Grandpa?'' Cai thought before shaking her head. ''No. This is a very sensitive topic. Gramps might kick Little Swordy out of the Rowan Tribe if he finds out. Um, I''ll just keep quiet for now and watch how things y out. Wait, maybe I should ask a friend in the Guild Chat. I wonder how they are doing right now?''


    After opening her Guild Chat, Cai immediately sent a message to Grandma Annie, asking her for advice.


    The kind Grandma of Leaf Vige listened to Cai''s exnation and offered some suggestions to her.


    "For now, simply observe them from afar" Grandma Annie replied after Cai finished her tale. "Sometimes, it is best to not intervene and let nature take its course."


    "Okay," Cai agreed with Grandma Annie''s advice. "How are you guys doing in the Wanid Kingdom? Last time, Laura and Livia told me that you got attacked by Insect Swarms. Are you guys really alright?"


    "We''re fine, Cai. Lux managed to create a miracle and saved us all. However, right now, we''re in a bit of a pinch."


    "What happened?"


    Grandma Annie exined their current situation like a gossipy Auntie to Cai, who liked to listen to gossip.


    "As expected of Lux," Caimented after Grandma Annie finished her story. "Well, I just hope that you guys will be able to aplish your mission in the Wanid Kingdom. We are preparing a birthday party for when Lux returns, so he bettere home in one piece, or else, Iris will kill him even if he is already dead."


    Truth be told, Cai had just celebrated her birthday a few days ago.


    Rose was sixteen, and Cai was eighteen. The Boar celebrated her birthday surrounded by family and friends.


    Iris even came to the Rowan Tribe in order to participate in the festivities. Cai had strictly forbidden everyone, especially the members of Lux''s Guild, to tell the Half-Elf about her birthday.


    The High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe understood that Lux had many things to do, and he simply didn''t have time to celebrate her birthday with her. However, Cai was fine with that.


    For some reason, she didn''t want to tell the Half-Elf that she had gotten a year older. Lux''s birthday wasing up, and he would be seventeen soon.


    She nned to prepare a nice present for the red-headed teenager, which would make the other party feel touched. In order to do that, she coborated with Iris and asked for the things that Lux liked.


    After getting her answer, the Boar rummaged through her Grandpa''s treasury to look for a gift for her Guild Master. Fortunately, her effort bore fruit and she got what she wanted.


    All she needed to do was wait for Lux to return so that she could celebrate his birthday alongside Iris, who was waiting patiently for her beloved to return to her arms.

 Chapter 597 My Worst Fears Have Come To Pass

    "You want the human corpses?" Baronar arched an eyebrow.


    "Yes!" Lux replied firmly. "I need them."


    The Great Orc Shaman crossed his arms over his chest as he pondered Lux''s request. Truth be told, the Orcs didn''t care about the dead Humans.


    There had been a time when the ckrock n ate Human meat, but those days were long over. Now, they would only eat Human meat as ast resort.


    They were much more interested in the armor and weapons that the humans were using versus their dead bodies.


    "I''ll ask the Orc Chieftain on your behalf," Baronar stated after pondering for a few minutes. "Until then, don''t intervene in the retrieval operation of my brethren. They might think that you are after our dead bodies as well."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    The thought of taking the dead bodies of the Orcs never crossed his mind. For him, the members of the ckrock n were like old-time friends, and he had no intention of desecrating the bodies of his old-time friends.


    An hourter, the Orc Chieftain approved of Lux''s request once Baronar revealed Lux''s real profession.


    Naturally, the Great Orc Shaman only revealed this information to his Orc Chieftain because he knew that their leader was someone who could see the bigger picture.


    Warriors like Barca, Tanabur, Oreg, and Mogazar would not be as amodating once they learned of Lux''s true profession.


    Although they hadn''t had the chance to fight against Necromancers in the past, they had plenty of opportunities to fight Undead Monsters in one of the Dungeons that was located within their territory.


    Fighting against the Undead was not only unprofitable but also gave them losses. The Undead were one of the most annoying Monsters in existence because one didn''t know if they were truly dead.


    There had been more than one asion when these Monsters yed dead and killed those who had been fooled into lowering their guard around them.


    Lux, who had gained the Orc Chieftain''s approval, started to store the dead bodies in his Bounty Rings, which could store up to twenty dead bodies.


    He even asked his Master, Randolph, to forge as many of these rings as possible so that his Skeleton Gangbangers could always carry as many corpses as possible with them at any given time.


    As long as they had sufficient corpses at their disposal, Lux would be able to use his skill, Corpse Explosion [EX], from a safe distance.


    "Take as many as you can," Lux ordered his Named Creatures to collect the dead bodies that had been stripped of their weapons and armor.


    The Orcs only gave the Half-Elf weird looks and wondered why he was collecting the dead bodies of the Humans.


    When one of them asked Lux what he was going to do with the dead bodies, the Half-Elf only said that he was going to give them a proper burial. This exnation was epted by the Orcs, and although the Humans were their enemies, they didn''t find anything wrong with giving warriors proper burials.


    ''I never thought I''d get to see the day when I would feel happy about collecting dead bodies,'' Lux thought wryly. ''My past self would definitely not even have the guts to poke a corpse with a 12-foot pole. I guess the harshness of this world has rubbed off on me.''


    It didn''t take long for the hundred Bounty Rings to be filled to the brim. The remaining Human corpses were then ced inrge wagons that ALL-MITE pulled out of the Fortress.


    Asmodeus apanied the strongest member of Lux''s Covenant in order to put the extra corpses to good use.


    What the Archlich was nning to do was to summon his Liches to revive the dead bodies to make them part of their army.


    Of course, doing this inside the Orc Fortress would cause amotion, so they intended to do it a good distance away from the watchful eyes of the ckrock n.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hours passed and the standoff between the Vanguard of the Haca Dynasty and the ckrock n was still in effect.


    The Warriors that had left the capital city of the Orcs were now all inside the Fortress and had taken their positions in preparation for the uing war.


    Mogazar, who was keeping close watch on their enemies, narrowed his eyes as he saw flickering lights on the horizon.


    The sun had just set, and darkness was slowly falling into thend. However, due to his ability to see great distances, the Orc Hunter of the ckrock n noticed a line of torches at the end of his vision, making him take a deep breath.


    "Call the Orc Chieftain!" Mogazar ordered. "The Main Army of the Haca Dynasty has arrived!"


    As soon as he gave the order, the Fortress immediately went on high alert as Lady Avyanna, Barca, Tanabur, Oreg, and Baronar, all came to the ramparts to see the approach of the enemy''s main force.


    "T-This��," Tanabur couldn''t help but stutter after seeing the countless lights in the distance, which made his face look grim.


    "By Macha''s name�� are we fighting all able-bodied men and women of the Haca Dynasty?" Oreg couldn''t help but call upon the name of their War God when he saw the sheer number of enemies they were going to face.


    In the war fifty years ago, the Haca Dynasty had sent out a little over a million Human soldiers to invade theirnds.


    However, right now, he was seeing at least ten times that number.


    Perhaps, even more.


    "My worst fears havee to pass," Lady Avyanna sighed. "It is possible that the Haca Dynasty conquered othernds within that fifty years, and used the resources and people of thosends to expand their military might. Now I understand why they dared to attack our camp even though they were just the Vanguard of their main army."


    The Orcs inside the Fortress all had grim expressions on their faces. They didn''t mind dying in battle, but at least, they wanted their deaths to be meaningful.


    Looking at the sheer number of enemies in front of them, they couldn''t help but feel as if their n was fighting alone against the entire world.


    Lux, who had also joined the others in the ramparts, drew a deep breath as his vision, which could see past through the darknessnded on the invading army.


    He once thought that the wars inside the Sacred Dungeon were bloody enough.


    He thought that there would be no other war that could surpass that magnitude.


    However, he was proven wrong.


    ''This is no longer a war,'' Lux thought as he gave Lady Avyanna a side-long nce. ''This will only be a one-sided massacre, in which the ckrock n will be wiped from the face of the Wanid Kingdom.''


    He knew that the Orcs were strong. They even had an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster like Barca and several Argonaut-Ranked Alpha Monsters like the Orc Warlords.


    These Orcs could trample entire cities if they wished, but against a force who had simr high-ranking warriors of their own, the number of low-ranked fighters would y a more crucial role than their superiors.


    That night, the Orcs had a high-level meeting as tensions inside the Fortress rose to unprecedented heights.


    While this was happening, Lux summoned his gue Wing Gargoyles and ordered them to scout the enemy''s forces under the cover of darkness.

 Chapter 598 I Will Carry Out The Will That You Have Left Behind

    Haca Dynasty Army Camp...


    "Commander, let me take my men to raid those Orcs in the middle of the night," a man with an eyepatch covering his left eye said with a smile. "I promise that their little Fortress will fall before sunrise."


    "You? Oh, please. We all know that you will just mess this up," a middle-ageddy snorted in disdain. "It will be best if I lead the night raid. Those Orcs will have no idea what hit them."


    "No! It will be me who will destroy their fortress and snap Barca''s head off!" the Commander of the Vanguard, who had given the order to attack the Fortress a few hours ago, dered. "If not for the Great General''s strict order that I could not personally attack the Fortress at that time, it might have already fallen by now."


    Several men and women scoffed at the Vanguard Commander, but they couldn''t refute his words. He was one of the High-Rankers of the Haca Dynasty and had proven his mettle through many campaigns over the past decade.


    "Calm down, Ronan," the Great General of the Haca Dynasty, Garret Ousborne stated. "Our men have traveled non-stop for a few days and need to take proper rest.


    "Besides, they need to see with their own eyes how the Orc Fortress will be destroyed. That way, our morale will increase as we head deeper inside the Wanid Kingdom."


    The Great General, who was only in his early thirties, didn''t look intimidating, but his calm demeanor was enough to make the arrogant Ronan, as well as the other Generals who wished to raze the Orc Fortress to the ground as soon as possible nod their heads in agreement.


    "If it is what the Great General wishes, then we will definitely obey," Ronanughed. "The Orcs are lucky. They get to have some rest before I bash their skulls in tomorrow after breakfast."


    Garret smiled before he raised his hand to call one of his trusted subordinates to attend to him.


    "Tell the Captains to order their men to eat, so they can rest early," Garret ordered. "You don''t have to worry about the watch duty because my personal guards will handle that. We will wage war three days from now, so tell everyone to make necessary preparations for the uing battle."


    "Yes, Sir!" Garret''s trusted Aide bowed his head as he carried out the orders of their Great General.


    Ronan eyed the blonde-haired man, who held the title of "Untouchable" in the Haca Dynasty.


    There were rumors that Garret''s eyes, which were as blue as the sky, could see several seconds into the future. Because of this, he could effectively dodge, block, and counter any attacks that were aimed in his direction.


    Just like Ronan, Garret was also a High-Ranker.


    They had dueled several times in the past, and Ronan had never won even once against the blonde-haired man, who was a few years younger than him. Because of this, he respected Garret very much and listened to whatever he said.


    "What strategy are we going to use in three days?" Ronan asked. "Earlier, I bluffed Barca to attack me, but their Orc Chieftain pulled him back in time. Truth be told, I almost wet my pants when he jumped off the Ramparts. Fortunately, my confident expression made their Chieftain feel guarded, so Barca ended up returning inside the Fortress."


    Garret gave Ronan a faint smile as he pointed at the emblem ring that was on Ronan''s finger.


    "Even if Barca attacked you, you could have protected yourself with our Kingdom''s National Treasure," Garret replied. "That will give you enough time to escape, so you''ll be fine. However, your troops would have been annihted if Barca hadn''t been held back by their leader.


    "If that really happened, you would have been demoted for sure, and that treasure would be given away to someone else. You got lucky this time."


    Ronan wasn''t able to refute Garret''s words and only chuckled due to how close he was to being demoted.


    "You still didn''t answer my question," Ronan said. "What is the strategy we are going to use tomorrow?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This time, Garret didn''t reply right away. Instead, he gazed at the Orc Fortress in the distance as if weighing his chances.


    Several minutes passed as the Great General of the Haca Dynasty stared in the distance.


    The High-Ranking Officers of the army didn''t say anything and simply waited for his reply. They were already used to Garret''s character, and they knew that their leader was thinking of ways to minimize the casualties of their army.


    Finally, after ten minutes, Garret shifted his gaze back to Ronan, who was still waiting for his answer.


    "This will be our first campaign against the Wanid Kingdom after fifty years, and we can''t afford to lose many of our men in the sh against the ckrock n," Garret stated. "In order to minimize our casualties, we will wait until our allies attack the North of the Wanid Kingdom.


    "While the six other Pirs are busy dealing with that threat, we will mobilize our secret weapon and destroy the fortress without having to lose too many of our men."


    Ronan arched an eyebrow after hearing their Great General''s reply.


    "Isn''t using it now a bit too early?" Ronan asked. "That is one of our Trump Cards. Shouldn''t we save it until we have entered deep into the Wanid Kingdom?"


    Garret shook his head. "You are underestimating the Orcs. Although we greatly outnumber them, Barca and his Orc Warlords could still annihte tens of thousands of our soldiers if they decide to go all out. Besides, we still have other trump cards, No?"


    Ronan and the other High-Rankers of the Haca Dynasty grinned.


    This war was something that they had nned for many years. Back then, they only wished to get the most valuable resources of the ckrock n, which were the Transcendent mes, as well as carve out a piece of the Wanid Kingdom for themselves.


    However, the Pirs of the Wanid Kingdom weren''t pushovers, so they had no choice but to make a hasty retreat after knowing that the war had been lost.


    This time, they had prepared a massive army that would not only fight against the Orcs but the entirety of the Wanid kingdom.


    The funny thing was that they were not the only Sovereign Nation that was nning to attack the mysteriousnds of the Spirits.


    With other nations supporting them from the North, the Pirs of the Wanid Kingdom would be too busy fighting on another front.


    This would prevent them from sending most of their reinforcements to help the ckrock n deal with the powerful army that threatened their entire race.


    ''Father, just you wait,'' Garret thought as he shifted his gaze to the Orc Fortress in the distance again. ''I will carry out the will that you left behind.''


    Fifty years ago, Garret''s father was themander of the Army that attacked the ckrock n.


    Although he had survived the war, he suffered grievous injuries and died a year after.


    Since then, Garret vowed that he would avenge his father and personally kill the Orc Chieftain that had orchestrated his father''s defeat and humiliation.


    With his ability to see a few seconds in the future, Garret was confident that he would be able to counter any trick that the hateful Orc Chieftain had under her sleeve.

 Chapter 599 Three-Pronged Attack

    "What is he doing here?" Oreg asked as he looked at the Half-Elf, who Baronar had brought with him to participate in their high-level meeting. "Have you forgotten that this is a meeting for the uing battle against the Humans? This is not a ce for a brat."


    Baronar just smiled at hisrade as he made a gesture for Lux to sit in one of the corners of the room, which the red-headed teenager obeyed.


    "Don''t be like that," Baronar replied. "Didn''t you make a deal with him that you will recognize him if he manages to subdue the enemy army? Since that is the case, I think it''s good for him to know a little more about the enemies that we will be facing in battle. Who knows? He might even save your life one day."


    Oreg snorted, but no longer said anything. He gave the Half-Elf a side-long nce before shifting his attention back on the table where the map of the battlefield was spread out.


    Clearly, he didn''t believe for a second that there woulde a time when Lux would save him. How can a puny Initiate save a Peak-Argonaut Alpha Beast like him in battle?


    Tanabur and Mogazar also gave the Half-Elf side-long nces before setting their sights on the map in front of them.


    It was at that moment when Lady Avyanna cleared her throat and started their meeting.


    "First, I have bad news to tell everyone," Lady Avyanna said with a solemn expression on her face. "ording to my contracted Spirits, the Human Armyprises nearly ten million soldiers. Five thousand of them are Rankers, and among those five thousand, a hundred of them are High-Rankers."


    The Orc Warlords'' faces became grim after hearing the report of their Orc Chieftain. None of them doubted her words because there was no need for her to lie to them.


    "We have brought almost all our able-bodied warriors to this battle, and we only number 200,000 in total," Barca stated. "Although we are stronger than the Humans, the number of their high-ranking warriors, as well as their lower-ranking warriors outnumber us fifty to one.


    "It seems they are really serious about their conquest of the Wanid Kingdom. We alone will not be able to hold them back this time. If we don''t get our reinforcements soon, I''m afraid��"


    Suddenly, several Spirit Hawks entered the windows of their keep andnded beside Lady Avyanna.


    The Orc Chieftain waved her hand, and several crystals floated in her direction. These crystals then transformed into projections, and soon, several men and women appeared inside their meeting room.


    "We have received your news of the Haca Dynasty''s movement, and we will send reinforcements, but I''m afraid the aid we can give you is very limited," ady with jet-ck hair, wearing a ck robe said with a bitter smile. "The Zulia Empire in the North, and the Lathia Kingdom in the North East have also mobilized their army to invade ournds.


    "It seems that all of them have coborated to do a three-pronged attack in order to split our forces, preventing us from mounting a concentrated defense on one side."


    Lady Avyanna''s face became extremely pale after hearing the words of the Scarlet Witch, who was the leader of the Witches of Moonbright.


    "The Druids from the Forest of the Beginnings have all moved to the North East in order to support the Temrs of Cassemere in battle," a middle-aged man with sharp features said. "They brought an army numbering over five million. Because of this, the Guardian of the Forest, the Elemental Tempest will be joining the battle to assist us in defending ournds. I''m afraid that we can''t send any help to the ckrock n at this point in time."


    It was then when a beautifuldy with green hair, and leaves covering her body spoke.


    "The Dryads of Easthaven have started to mobilize and travel towards the ckrock n''s territory," the Dryad Queen said softly. "Our kind doesn''t specialize in warfare, but we will do our best to help with the defense of your territories, as well as healing your wounded soldiers.


    "However, since we are also supporting the other Pirs in their defense, we can only send over twenty thousand Dryads. I''m afraid that this is the best that we can do, we are simply stretched too thin at the moment"


    Lady Avyanna gave the Dryad Queen a grateful bow. The Dryads could only fight in ces with lush forests and greenery. Although the ckrock n''s valley was very rich in flora and fauna, it was still nothingpared to East Haven, which was the hometurf of the Dryads.


    Suddenly, a creature with humanoid features, and blue skin spoke to tell his good friend some bad news.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Avyanna, I''m sorry but the Djinns of Valefor will not be able to offer you our assistance. "We are facing the Zulia Empire, who have also mobilized over five million troops. The Harpies of Airedale will assist us in battle, and even then, we will be hard pressed on defending ournds. Because of this, I cannot help you, my dear friend, Avyanna."


    The Orc Chieftain sighed as she gave her old friend a bitter smile.


    "These are difficult times, Xepan," Lady Avyanna replied. "I know that everyone has their difficulties, and I understand that you will not be able to send us reinforcements. But, know this, the ckrock n is facing an unprecedented army that numbers over ten million. I''m afraid that even with the help of the Dryads of East Haven we will not be able to hold them back for long."


    All the rulers of the Pirs of the Wanid Kingdom cried out in rm after hearing the Orc Chieftain''s words.


    "T-Ten million?!" The Scarlet Witch covered her lips with her delicate hand as she looked at Lady Avyanna in disbelief.


    The expression of the other Heads of the different Pirs'' also became grim after hearing the number of troops that the Haca Dynasty had mobilized to conquer theirnds.


    "Dammit!" Xepan, the head of the Djinns cursed. "How despicable! They really intend to wipe us off the map of the Arondight Territory!"


    "This�� is really bad news," the Champion of the Temrs of Cassemere said through gritted teeth.


    Although he and the other Pirs sometimes had conflicts with each other, none of them wanted one of the Pirs to bepletely extinguished because they represented the stability of the Wanid Kingdom.


    Now that the ckrock n was facing an army, whose numbers were almost twice of what they were facing, all of them understood how dire the ckrock n''s situation really was.


    "Can you hold them off?" the middle-aged man who was the Patriarch of the Druids of the Forest of Beginnings asked.


    Lady Avyanna shook her head. "We might be able to dy their advance, but we can''t hold them off. Our only chance of winning is if those ambitious ns, and families that were greedily eyeing our positions in the past, will extend their hand to help us. Aside from that, I''m afraid that our Western Borders will fall to the Haca Dynasty."


    The Pirs of the Wanid Kingdom all quieted down as they digested the information that Lady Avyanna shared with them.


    "I will send my representatives to talk to them," the Champion of the Temrs of Cassemere said. "If they don''t lend their aid then��"


    The Champion''s eyes glinted with killing intent, which all of his peers saw clearly.


    Although all of the Pirs were strong, they all agreed that the strongest fighter in the Wanid Kingdom was the Champion of the Temrs, whom even Barca couldn''t defeat in a one-on-one battle.


    "We will defend for as long as we can," Lady Avyanna said in a firm voice as he pressed her hands together. "So, use this time to send as many reinforcements to the West as possible. May the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom watch over all of you."


    The other Pirs also pressed their hands together as they repeated the custom of their Kingdom.


    """May the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom watch over all of you."""


    One by one, the projections disappeared, and the Spirit hawks screeched as the crystals returned to their possessions. They then soared out the window, and flew under the cover of darkness.


    War hade, attacking them from all sides, and the only thing they could hope for was that they would be able to weather the storm that was about to makendfall on their kingdom.

 Chapter 600 Accept Your Fate, Monsters! [Part 1]

    "It seems that aside from the Dryads from East Haven, we are on our own," Lady Avyanna said softly as she looked down on the map on the table.


    Barca, and the other Orc Warlords, also looked at the Map with critical eyes. This was a map that shows the entirety of the Western Region of the Wanid Kingdom.


    They were now all looking for possible ambush points that they could use in order to thin out the Human army, as soon as their Fortress fell.


    Yes, the Orcs were now nning how to decrease the manpower of their enemy as they made a strategic retreat deeper into the Wanid Kingdom.


    "As expected, ourst stand will be in our Capital City," Barca said as he rubbed his chin. "If it is going to fall, we will make them pay a heavy price for it."


    "They will pay a very dear price for it!" Oreg said as he gnashed his teeth in anger.


    Tanabur sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess we should start preparing our n for retreat after testing the abilities of our enemies. At the very least, we should kill several thousands of them before we abandon this fortress, right?"


    Mogazar nodded his head. "Leave it to me."


    As the Orc Warlord that specialized in long range attacks, Mogazar was confident that he could kill many enemies as soon as the battle started.


    Baronar, whose main role in the uing battle was to help maintain the magical shield of the Fortress, closed his eyes as if he was forming a strategy inside his head.


    The atmosphere inside the room was stifling, but Lux simply listened, and watched the reactions of the Orc Warlords as they discussed their strategy.


    In the end, the meeting ended with all of them agreeing on using the Fortress as a way to better understand their opponents, which Lux thought was the best thing that they could do at the moment.


    Although their enemies had the advantage in numbers, it would not be easy for them to scale the Orc Fortress, now that their strongest warriors were present.


    ��------


    To their surprise, the Haca Dynasty''s Army didn''tunch an attack on the next day, or the day after that.


    Even so, the Orcs remained vignt as they observed the greatest threat that they had ever faced in their lifetime.


    Finally on the third day, Mogazar noticed several war machines moving within their enemy''s formation. This was the first time he was seeing such weapons of war, and he deemed that these weapons had arrived just a few hours ago.


    ''Is this why they didn''t attack us right away?'' Mogazar thought as he took one arrow from his quiver and nocked it on his bow. ''I better destroy them while I still can.''


    Pulling back the string of his bow to the fullest, the Orc Hunter eyed one of the War Machines that were slowly making their way at the front of the enemy''s army.


    After making sure that his aim was true, the Orc Hunter released his arrow, creating a whistling sound.


    Suddenly, the Commander of the Vanguard Army, Ronan, jumped up in the air and blocked the speeding arrow with a golden shield.


    A metallic ring resounded in the surroundings as the metallic point of the arrow collided with the shield.


    Ronan was blown away by the impact, but he was able to regain his bnce mid-air beforending harmlessly on a floating silver shield that materialized out of nowhere.


    Mogazar snorted, as he took three arrows from his quiver and nocked them on his bow simultaneously. A momentter, he unleashed these arrows, targeting three war machines that were out of Ronan''s reach.


    Unfortunately, just like what happened earlier. Several High-Rankers blocked his attack, preventing them from destroying their weapons of war.


    Unfazed by his setbacks, Mogazar then chanted a few Orcish words, making a magical arrow appear in his hands.


    He nned to use his strongest Area-Wide attack, which he was sure would devastate his enemies, who was preventing him from destroying their War Machines.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Raining stars from the heavens above, Hit your mark now!" Mogazar channeled his magical energy as he shot his arrow high towards the sky.


    "Starfall Mirage!"


    The magical arrow exploded in the sky, and created countless rays of light that descended upon the Haca Dynasty''s army.


    The thousands or Rankers mobilized in order to block all the attacks, but the attack covered a very wide area, which made it impossible to block the attackpletely.


    Because of this, dozens of Rankers prioritized protecting their Magical Cannons, which they had prepared just for this battle.


    The corner of Mogazar''s lips curled up into a smile as hundreds of Human soldiers were annihted by his strongest attack.


    His only regret was that he was unable to destroy a single War Machine because the Rankers guarded them all with their lives.


    Garret, who stood at the very center of the Human Army''s formation, raised his hand.


    One of his aides then issued an order, and several soldiers started to blow the horns they were carrying.


    "Show these monsters that in the face of humanity, their only option is to submit," Garret stated as all the Magical Cannons started to gather energy.


    Mogazar, who was standing on top of the Ramparts became rmed because the Magical Cannons were still a mile away from their fortress.


    No one, aside from him, had the ability to attack their enemy from this distance, and it made him realize why the Rankers prioritized defending their War Machines instead of their soldiers.


    "Bastards!" Mogazar hatefully roared as a silhouette of bow and arrow appeared above his head.


    If Starfall Mirage was his strongest AOE attack, he was about to unleash his strongest, single-target attack that would obliterate anything it hit.


    "It''s useless," Garret sneered as he saw Mogazar gather magical energy in order to power up the arrow in his hand. "ept your fate, Monsters!"


    The twenty Magical Canons of the Haca Dynasty all fired at the same time.


    Mogazar''s eyes became bloodshot as he unleashed his strongest attack in order to destroy one of the cannons, as well as kill as many soldiers as possible.


    The Orc Hunter''s arrow met the magical cannon ball mid-air and instantly obliterated it. It then continued its trajectory towards one of the Magical Cannons at the speed of sound.


    Due to how fast it was, the Rankers failed to react in time, and the arrow hit the Magical Canon destroying itpletely.


    Mogazar''s attack was so strong, that the explosion also killed the soldiers that were manning the cannon.


    At that exact moment, the remaining 19 Magical Cannonballs collided with Baronar''s barrier.


    Before the Orc Hunter could even celebrate his sess in destroying one of their enemy''s weapon of war, the barrier protecting their Fortress cracked, which made Mogazar''s body stiffen.


    "Burst Fire!" Garret ordered, and the neen cannons fired another one of its magical cannonballs. However, instead of firing just once, the magical cannons fired twice in quick session before the Beast Core that powered the artifact shattered into several fragments.


    The moment the second batch of cannonballs hit Baronar''s Barrier, the sound of countless crystal sses breaking at the same time spread in the surroundings, which made Mogazar hastily order all Orc Hunters to jump off the ramparts to save their lives.


    A momentter, the ramparts exploded as the third volley of Magical Cannonballs hit their targets, and destroyed arge chunk of the defensive walls, making Baronar, and the Orc Shamans who were maintaining the barrier, cough out blood due to the bacsh they received from the enemy''s bombardment.

 Chapter 601 I Wish I Could See Your Face

    Everything happened so fast that no one was able to react in time.


    Mogazar, who was standing on top of the ramparts, was blown away by the impact of the magic cannonballs. Fortunately, Barca was there to catch and shield him from further damage, but he still ended up suffering mild injuries.


    Unfortunately, the Orc Hunter''s subordinates weren''t as lucky. Hundreds of them died, while others were seriously injured.


    A good portion of the Fortress walls was also destroyed by the magic cannon, forming a gaping hole in the Orc Fortress that had stood for decades.


    "Earth Mages, create an Earth Wall at once!" Lady Avyanna ordered, and the Orcs who specialized in Earth Magic worked hand in hand to create a dense wall of Earth that rose above the ground and positioned itself between the Orc Fortress and the Haca Dynasty''s Army.


    As soon as the walls were erected, the sound of cannons being fired spread in the surroundings.


    The Earthen Walls immediately shattered, and the magic cannonballs continued their trajectory, hitting the defensive walls of the Fortress and creating deep dents in them.


    Although the Earth Walls shattered, it still helped lessen the impact of the cannonballs, allowing the Fortress to withstand another bombardment.


    "This won''t do!" Baronar shouted to Lady Avyanna who was standing at a watchtower at the center of the Fortress, overlooking the battle. "They can hit us, but we can''t hit them back. Also, look at the sky!"


    The Great Orc Shaman pointed at the Giant Magic Circle that was slowly forming above the Orc Fortress, which made Lady Avyanna''s face turn grim.


    "A Grand Spell from that distance?!" Oreg gasped in shock as he looked at the runic symbols whose light was slowly bing more intense, signaling that the Spell was nearing itspletion. "By the Gods. How are we going to deal with this?!"


    Grand Spells were High-Ranking Spells that were used to destroy entire fortresses. However, this spell was veryplicated and needed tens of thousands of Mages to cast it simultaneously.


    Also, while the mages were performing this spell, none of them could move, which made them vulnerable to any attacks.


    Only when their safety was assured would they cast a spell of such magnitude to destroy their foes in a ze of glory.


    ''How can this be... our Fortress is about to fall without even shing with the enemy directly?'' Barca red hatefully at the giant Magic Circle above their heads.


    He initially thought that they could at least kill tens of thousands of the invaders before leaving their fortress behind. However, aside from the few hundred that Mogazar had killed earlier, the Haca Dynasty''s Army was still intact, making him feel very bitter.


    However, he didn''t have time to feel bitter for long because another side of the Fortress exploded after being repeatedly bombarded by the Magical Cannons, which were firing at them from a mile away.


    "Baronar, can you dy that Grand Spell from being unleashed?" Lady Avyanna asked.


    "I''ll try, but the most I can do is buy us a minute or two," Baronar replied as he began to chant something in the Orcish tongue.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lady Avyanna knew that there was no time to hesitate, so she immediately signaled to one of her Aides to blow the horn that would tell everyone in the Fortress to evacuate right now.


    "Everyone, evacuate!" Lady Avyanna ordered. "Head to the Mountains of Lorgakh Kur. We will use the mountains to mount a counterattack!"


    All the Orc Warriors gritted their teeth as they helped their injuredrades to retreat. Their Orc Chieftain''s order was absolute, and even though they wanted to fight their enemies, they were simply too far and too many for them to mount an effective counterattack.


    While the Orcs were busy dealing with the evacuation, the sound of horns erupted inside the Orc Fortress, which reached all the way to the Haca Dynasty''s Army.


    This made Rowan, who was standing beside one of the magic cannons, roar inughter.


    "What''s this? Over already?" Rowan guffawed as he looked at the crumbling Fortress in the distance. "Great General, why don''t we send our Heavy Cavalry to attack? I''m sure we can kill thousands of them if we go now."


    Great General Garret shook his head. "If we go there now, we will just lose our soldiers. The Orcs would risk their lives to kill as many of our soldiers as possible because in their culture, retreating without even being able to sh with their enemies is a very shameful thing.


    "If we were to do as you say, then I wouldn''t have used the Magic Cannons this early in the war. Just behave yourself for now and listen to my orders. You will have your chance to kill them when we go deeper into their territory."


    Ronan chuckled after hearing the Great General''s reply. He was really itching to fight against Barca, who was several times stronger than him. As a High-Ranker, he knew that he was no match against the Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster in a one-on-one battle.


    However, he wasn''t going to fight the Half-Orc alone.


    He had already handpicked a dozen High-Rankers who would assist him with the job. Because of this, he was confident that if he ever faced Barca on the battlefield, the one who would be dying would be none other than the Half-Orc.


    It was at this moment that they saw several spirits flying toward the sky in an attempt to disperse the giant Magic Circle above the fortress.


    Garret had already anticipated this move, but he didn''t do anything. The Spirits might be able to dy the Grand Spell, but they could only prevent it from activating for a short period of time. They wouldn''t be able to stop the inevitable.


    "How does it feel, Avyanna?" Great General Garret said softly. "Do you feel helpless? Do you feel unresigned? I wish I could see your face. Perhaps, it was the same face that my father made when you forced him to retreat back to the Haca Dynasty fifty years ago."


    The Great General''s eyes glowed faintly with power as he looked at the crumbling fortress in the distance.


    He was certain that within the hour, nothing would remain of the Orc Fortress but rubble.


    This would be the first official victory of their campaign and the beginning of their invasion into the territories of the Wanid Kingdom.

 Chapter 602 This Is What I Think Of Your Stupid Spirits!

    "Fascinating, truly fascinating," Asmodeus said as he casually summoned a Bone Wall to block a b of granite, which had been blown all the way from the Fortress Walls. "Master, I''d like to have one of those Magic Cannons to tinker with."


    "We''ll see if we can nab one or two of themter," Lux replied in a casual manner as he summoned his Thunder Warg King, Jed. "Draven, you already know what to do, right?"


    "Yes, Master," the Shadow Lord that hid inside Lux''s Shadow answered. "I hear and obey."


    A momentter, Lux''s shadow moved away in order to carry out his Master''s order.


    Lux smiled at the fleeting shadow and wished the newest member of his Covenant good luck in what he was about to do.


    "Let''s go, Asmodeus," Luxmanded. "This Fortress is done for."


    Asmodeus nodded his head before summoning a skeleton war horse that he could mount. The Archlich then gave the dead Orcs a side-long nce and sighed in his heart.


    If only he could have his way, he would definitely pick up some of the bodies to use for his experiments. However, Lux firmly told him not to because he didn''t want to sour his rtionship with the ckrock n due to the temptation of greed.


    "Ride!" Lady Avyannamanded as she led the retreat of the Orc Army. "To Lorgakh Kur!"


    The Orcs roared in acknowledgement. All of them hoped that when the Human armies entered the Mountains of their home turf, it would be their turn to make them suffer losses and retreat back to their own Kingdom.


    Perhaps, it was only Lux and Asmodeus who didn''t feel sad as they left the Fortress. For them, this wasn''t a big deal because they were merely there to observe the war between the two sides.


    Unknown to the tens of thousands of Orc who were making a hasty retreat, the red-headed teenager and the Archlich were busy discussing things that would give them casualties through telepathy.


    ''Our Skeleton Grand Cannons can reach their location, right?'' Lux asked his strategist as they followed behind the Orcs.


    ''Yes, Master,'' Asmodeus replied. ''However, it will be best if we don''t show this to our enemies right now. Although the Orcs have lost a fortress, their determination to fight is still burning. Perhaps, this me has now be a great bonfire due to the rage they are feeling in their hearts.''


    Before Lux could even reply, a loud explosion suddenly erupted behind them.


    The Grand Spell had finally activated and unleashed a giant fireball, simr to a small sun, which descended to the Orc Fortress, obliterating itpletely.


    "Nice fireworks," Asmodeus muttered subconsciously as he looked at the zing inferno behind him that created a giant mushroom cloud that rose toward the sky.


    This casualment of his earned him hateful growls and res from the Orc Warriors that were riding beside him.


    Instead of being afraid, the Archlich simply shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn''t a big deal. Clearly, the Archlich didn''t give a hoot about what the Orcs were feeling right now, which made Lux smile wryly.


    As the Orcs retreated, the Haca Dynasty''s Army celebrated their victory, raising their morale.


    "Hahaha! Those Orcs are nothing!"


    "Are these really the powerful Orcs of the ckrock n? More like the cowardly Orcs of the ckrock n."


    "Hahaha! What an easy win!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "The Great General really knows what he is doing. With this, we will be able to conquer thends of the Wanid Kingdom smoothly and without fail."


    All the soldiers were in a good mood, and even the High-Rankers couldn''t help but smile at the oue of their first campaign in the Wanid Kingdom.


    They had already expected this oue, but seeing it be a reality made them feel as if all of their preparations finally bore fruit.


    Three hourster, the Human army finally marched toward the giant crater where the Orc Fortress once stood.


    White smoke was still oozing off from the ground, but this was easily dispersed by the High-Rankers of the army.


    After passing through the giant crater, the soldiers finally stepped foot in the territory of the Wanid Kingdom, making them feel ted.


    They continued their march for half a day before Great General Garret signaled everyone to take a short rest.


    After giving his orders, the hunting parties began to forage for food supplies in the surroundings. It was at that moment that they came across several stone statues in the ces they passed.


    Great General Garret had already told them that these statues were verymon in the Wanid Kingdom. The locals made them as a tribute to the Spirits which could be found all over the mysterious kingdom.


    "Guardian Spirits?" one of the Scoutsughed as he looked at the statue in front of him. "This is what I think of your stupid spirits!"


    A momentter, the sound of water hitting stone was heard as the Scout pissed at the statue in front of him.


    The Scout hummed in a good mood because he was able to relieve himself and mock the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom at the same time.


    Just as he was about to finish emptying his dder, something ck appeared in his vision. A momentter, he felt a stinging pain in his chest. The Scout was unable to shout in pain because a shadowy hand blocked his lips.


    A minuteter, another Scout appeared in the area and saw hisrade adjusting his lightweight padded armor.


    "Is everything fine, brother?" the Scout asked hisrade who was standing in front of the statue that was wet with piss. "Are you done desecrating the Spirits of the Wanid Kingdom?"


    "You call this desecrating?" the Scout, who was adjusting his armor earlier, replied. "Wait till you see me stabbing an Orc in the face. You will see the true meaning of desecration."


    "Hahaha! We''ll have our chance, brother. Just hang tight until we catch up to those cowardly Orcs."


    "Aye. We will definitely catch up to them sooner orter."


    The two Scouts then left the scene, leaving the statue behind.


    A minuteter, the hand of the statue moved and wiped the piss from its face. Its sinister visage briefly appeared before turning back into a statue that could do no harm to anyone.


    While the Haca Dynasty was already preparing their men for a full-scale invasion of the Wanid Kingdom, a certain red-headed teenager was busyying down his chess pieces that would strike at the right moment and give Great General Garret a surprise he would never forget.

 Chapter 603 Am I Just Over Imagining Things?

    "Master, are you sure about this?" Asmodeus asked as he ordered his Steel Golems to dig into the ground. "Shouldn''t we help the ckrock n resist the Haca Dynasty''s Army?"


    Lux, who had summoned his Doppelgangers, who then summoned the Skeleton Gang Bangers and the Steel Golems, shook his head.


    "Even if we were with them, it would still be useless," Lux replied. "The Orcs are outgunned and outmatched by their opponents. Sooner orter, they are going to retreat back here to the Capital City. So, there is no use staying with them. We''ll just be wasting our time and effort there."


    The Half-Elf then looked at the ground where Eiko was sharing her senses with him.


    "Um, Eiko, can you and your clones dig a little deeper?"


    "Pa!"


    "Good Girl. Okay, that''s deep enough. You can hollow that ce and make sure that it is spacious enough."


    "Un!"


    When the Orcs retreated, Lux and Asmodeus didn''t bother stopping by the mountains of Lorgakh Kur, which the Orcs nned to use as a natural fortress to halt the advance of the Haca Dynasty''s army.


    Instead, he headed straight back to the capital city of the Orcs and began toy out a surprise for their enemies.


    Although Asmodeus acted as if he didn''t know what Lux was nning to do, he silently gave his Master two thumbs up in his heart.


    ''Master, you''re starting to think ahead,'' Asmodeus smiled as he ordered his own Undead Warriors to speed up their digging. ''This is good.''


    Truth be told, Asmodeus wanted to corner the ckrock n until they had no other choice but to rely on his Master for help. But without telling that to Lux, it seemed that the Half-Elf was thinking of the exact same thing.


    Both of them understood that the Orcs were very proud, and helping them right now would not allow them to feel as if the very existence of their n was threatened. Only when the Orcs knew true despair would they understand how the Half-Elf could tilt the tide of battle in their favor.


    While everyone was busy digging, the Half-Elf suddenly chuckled as if he heard something very funny.


    Asmodeus, who was paying close attention to what his Master did, walked towards him and inquired what the red-headed teenager found funny.


    "Draven seeded in infiltrating the ranks of the Haca Dynasty''s Army," Lux exined with a smile on his face. "If he manages to achieve the mission I assigned to him, then we will gain a lot of spoils in this war in more ways than one."


    "He is really amazing." Asmodeus praised their new ally. "His ability allows him to infiltrate any organization. As long as he doesn''t do anything to stand out, the enemy wouldn''t know that someone is spying on them under their noses."


    Lux nodded in agreement. "Also, there''s one more thing that I need to share with you."


    The Half-Elf was no longerughing, and a serious expression appeared on his face.


    "The Haca Dynasty has no intention of crossing the Mountains of Lorgakh Kur," Lux stated.


    Asmodeus frowned after hearing his Master''s words. "If they don''t n to cross it, are they nning to go around it?"


    The red-headed teenager shook his head, which made Asmodeus gasp in shock.


    "Y-You can''t mean that��"


    "Yes, Asmodeus. The Haca Dynasty ns to obliterate the mountains that are blocking their way with the Magic Cannons, as well as the Grand Spell."


    Fifty years ago, the Orcs used the Lorgakh Kur mountains to slowly kill the invading army of the Haca Dynasty. Because of this, they didn''t have enough force to mount a proper offensive against the entirety of the Wanid Kingdom and were forced to retreat.


    Great General Garret had no intention of repeating the mistakes that had been made in the past, so he decided to brute force his way through, even if he had to deal with an entire mountain range.


    "But how?" Asmodeus replied. "Although their Magic Cannons are strong, it is impossible for them to obliterate entire mountains, unless��"


    "Unless all of their High-Rankers who specialized in long-range attacks work alongside the Magic Cannons and the Grand Spell," Lux finished what his strategist was about to say with a bitter smile. "We should dig faster. I''m afraid that we only have two days at most to finish our preparations."


    Asmodeus nodded and urged his Undead Army to speed up their work. Their only saving grace was that they weremanding Legions of the Undead, who didn''t know the meaning of fatigue and exhaustion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ��------------


    Lorgakh Kur��


    "This is madness!" Tanabur smashed his fist on the ground as explosions erupted all around him. "They n to destroy the entire mountain range?!"


    Barca, Lady Avyanna, and Oreg were just as surprised as him as the Haca Dynastyunched a barrage of long-range attacks in order to destroy the mountain little by little.


    "The power of their Magic Cannons has increased exponentially," Lady Avyanna stated. "Before Lux left, he said that the quality of the Beast Cores used to power those weapons of war would determine their performance. I''m guessing that they are now using Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Cores in order to raise the firepower of their Magic Cannons, so they can obliterate this natural fortress that we rely on.


    "Bastards!" Oreg gnashed his teeth in anger. "We are like sitting ducks here and we can''t do anything but ept the bombardment they are firing at us!"


    Right now, only Mogazar and Baronar were able tounch a counter-offensive against their enemies.


    Simr to what the enemy was doing, Baronar was using high-ranking spells to cast elemental attacks against the far-away army.


    Mogazar was doing the same, but they were having very little sess with all of their attempts.


    The High-Rankers, who specialized in long-rangebat, were also attacking the mountains, making the ground under the Orcs'' feet tremble.


    Mogazar''s and Baronar''s attempts at a counterattack were easily blocked by their High-Ranking Enemies, who had already predicted what the Orcs were going to do next.


    "This doesn''t feel like we''re fighting Powerful Orcs but mere Apostles who are just starting to understand how to fight," Ronanmented as he blocked Mogazar''s long-ranged attack with his shield. "I wish all our campaigns were this easy."


    The other High-Rankers, whose tasks were to block Mogazar''s and Baronar''s attacks, nodded in agreement.


    Only their Great General Garret felt like something was amiss.


    Although the war was progressing smoothly, and they were able to overpower their enemies with very little resistance, his guts were telling him that something was off.


    ''Just where is this uneasy feelinging from?'' Great General Garret thought as he scanned his surroundings. ''Am I just over imagining things?''


    The Great General of the Haca Dynasty wasn''t paranoid. However, as someone who had managed to reach his Rank, his battle instincts had been refined over the countless campaigns that he had been a part of in the past.


    Whenever he had this nagging feeling at the back of his head, something would happen that would endanger his life.


    However, since he had the Unique Ability of Future Sight, these attempts on his life were easily thwarted.


    He had the ability to see a few seconds ahead in the future, but that didn''t mean that he knew everything that would happen in the war. His ability would only activate once he was being targeted by someone or something, granting him enough time to dodge, deflect, parry, or avoid the attackpletely.


    Because of this, he had gained the title Untouchable.


    No one was capable of defeating him in one-on-one battles because of this cheat-like ability.


    But, for some reason, the feeling of anxiety only grew the more the ckrock n was being cornered.


    ''Is this feeling because of the ckrock n''s desperatest struggle?'' Great General Garret thought as beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead. ''Will their final counterattack be that deadly?''


    The Great General of the Haca Dynasty didn''t know the answer to this question.


    However, hundreds of meters away from him, an Engineer was busy clearing out the shattered remains of a Beast Core from the power supply of a Magic Cannon, so that he could rece it with a new one.


    Since everyone was busy looking at the mountains that were already covered in thick, white smoke, no one noticed the shadowy glint inside his eyes.


    The Engineer then gave the smoke-filled mountain a sidelong nce, as the corner of his lips rose up into a smile.

 Chapter 604 Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

    A dayter, Lady Avyanna once again ordered a full retreat after seeing that their current situation was unsalvageable.


    The numb Orcs, who were now feeling unsure of their future, followed their Orc Chieftain as they left Lorgakh Kur behind.


    This was a very difficult decision on their part, knowing that once their enemies passed through the mountain range, it would only take them four to five days in order to reach their Capital City, Ludrar Bragh.


    All of them knew that they would have to once again face the difficult choice of either staying to fight or flee like what they had been doing ever since the Haca Dynasty''s Armyunched their invasion.


    For a proud race like the Orcs, each defeat weighed heavily on their hearts, leaving them feeling agitated.


    Lady Avyanna understood this full well, and she was afraid that when it was finally time to defend their Capital City from the invaders, Barca and the rest might initiate a suicide charge at their enemies in order to kill as many as they could before they drew theirst breath.


    Such a situation was something she didn''t want to see happen, but she had a feeling that even her orders wouldn''t be enough to stop the Orcs from trying to preserve what was left of their dignity and honor.


    ''What''s the use of honor and dignity when you''re dead?'' Lady Avyanna sighed in her heart as she led her people back to their Capital City. ''Is this really the end of our n?''


    Lady Avyanna was quite unwilling to ept such a fate. When the Haca Dynasty had mobilized their army to invade theirnds, she knew that the battle with them would be difficult.


    However, she never expected that they wouldn''t even have the chance to exchange blows with their enemies aside from the mock invasion that Ronan had initiated at the very start of the war in their First Stronghold.


    Barca''s eyes were bloodshot as he nced at the smoking mountain range behind them.


    Just like his wife had anticipated, Barca was nearing his limit. He was still able to force himself to flee because he knew that the Dryads of East Haven would be waiting for them in their Capital City.


    He hoped that they would be able to do something with the help of their reinforcements when they make theirst stand at their Capital City, which they had built with their blood, sweat, and tears.


    ��----------


    A mile outside the Capital City of Ludrar Bragh


    "So, it finally happened��" Lux sighed as he gazed in the direction of the Lorgakh Kur mountains.


    "Theysted a bit longer than expected," Asmodeus replied. "Master, we still need a day or two to finish our preparations. Do you think we can make it?"


    Lux pondered a bit before nodding his head. "Since Eiko, her clones, Nora, and Cora, are the only ones working on the underground tunnels, it''s only natural for them to take a while to finish them. However, I am confident that we will be able to make it in time."


    The Archlich nodded his head before looking up at the sky.


    Gerhart and Cethus were busy ttening thend using wind and gravity magic. They were doing their best to hide all traces of the digging that Lux and his subordinates had been doing for the past few days.


    Truth be told, they were shocked when Lux told them about the oue of the battle between the Haca Dynasty and the ckrock n. Although the red-headed teenager already exined how the battle took ce, they still couldn''tprehend just how devastating their enemy''s weapons of war were.


    ''Master, how is your work over there?'' Lux asked Randolph through their guild chat. ''Will you be able to reach the quota in two days?''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Two days is impossible. Give me two and a half, and I''ll do my best,'' Randolph replied grumpily.


    ''Okay, that''s fine,'' Luxmented. ''Grandma Annie. How is everything going on your side?''


    Grandma Annie''s reply came a few minutester. She was busy doing the task that Lux asked of her with the use of Alchemy, and because of this, she was unable to divert her attention away.


    ''We have enough ingredients for the production,'' Grandma Annie replied. ''This is the first time I''m making this. However, the recipe you gave me is simply amazing, but scary at the same time. If we continue our pace, we will be able to finish the quota in a day. The Doppelganger Skill has saved me a lot of time''


    ''Great!'' Lux said with satisfaction. ''I''m d that it is very helpful to you, Grandma.''


    After making sure that his Master, Randolph, and Grandma Annie were able to meet their deadline, the Half-Elf closed his eyes in order tomunicate with the gue Wing Gargoyles that he had ced in strategic positions within the territory of the ckrock n.


    Their main goal was to observe the enemy''s armies advance, as well as eliminate the enemy scouts, who decided to go solo on their missions.


    Their ability to ambush the unwary victims proved to be sessful, and all the scouts they targeted died without ever alerting the main army of their demise.


    Of course, the disappearances of these scouts didn''t go unnoticed. Because of this, the scouting parties were banned from going solo, decreasing the number of victims that fell prey to the "harmless statues" that would often change their location, depending on the situation.


    Finally, on the third day, Lady Avyanna and the Orcs returned to their Capital City.


    Those who had remained in the city looked at their returning warriors with anxiety.


    They didn''t greet their Orc Chieftain with shouts of victory or roars of triumph.


    A single nce at their brethren''s defeated faces was enough to tell them how their defense against the invading army ended, and it filled their hearts with fear.


    "The Spirits of East Haven greet you, Orc Chieftain," the Dryad Queen, Cornelia, greeted Lady Avyanna.


    "Cornelia, you came personally?" Lady Avyanna was touched in seeing the ruler of the Dryads in their Capital City.


    "Yes," Cornelia replied. "However, even with us here, I''m afraid that we might not be able to hold back the invaders. The Spirits told me what happened to Lorgakh Kur. Our foes are simply terrifying. It makes me think that simply staying in our territories has limited our growth, while the outside world has developed these strange, and powerful weapons of war, which makes my heart shudder.


    "Now I can understand why you resorted to recruiting a Necromancer into your ranks. Desperate times call for desperate measures."


    Lady Avyanna gave her friend a wry smile as her gazended on the red-headed teenager, who was happily eating a roasted chicken leg in the distance.


    With just a nce, they could tell that the Half-Elf wasn''t even feeling the least bit anxious like they were.


    Sensing that people were looking in his direction, Lux turned his head and smiled at them.


    He even waved his hand as if telling the Orc Chieftain and the Dryad Queen to join him for lunch, which gave the twodies a strong urge to kick him out of the fortress and make him disappear from their sight.

 Chapter 605 Don’t Worry, I Have No Intention Of Dying

    Two hours after the Orcs returned to their Capital City, Asmodeus asked his Master to talk in private.


    "Is there something wrong, Asmodeus?" Lux asked as soon as he closed the door of his room behind him.


    "Master, I have a bold proposal to make," Asmodeus replied as the embers on his eyes shone in a devilish glint. "I didn''t think of this before. but after seeing the depressed expressions of the Orcs who have returned to the city, a n suddenly formed inside my head. Forget about the Transcendent mes, if we can make this work then we will profit a lot from this war."


    Lux could feel the "evil" enthusiasm in Asmodeus'' voice, as if he was a kid about to y a prank on his friends.


    "Tell me what you have in mind," Lux said as he sat down on a chair.


    The Archlich nodded his head and excitedly told his Master about the n that he had just thought of an hour ago.


    Lux''s expression gradually changed as he listened to Asmodeus'' words. The Archlich was like a devil tempting the Half-Elf intomitting a sinful act, with the promise of great riches and rewards.


    After listening to his strategist''s n, the Half-Elf couldn''t stop himself from taking in a cold breath due to how bold it was.


    "What do you think, Master?" Asmodeus asked with a smile.


    "I think you are crazy," Lux replied as he clenched his fist. "But, I like this kind of crazy. The only problem is if it will work."


    "Master, timing is important. As long as we time it right, we can make it happen."


    "Has anyone ever told you that you are evil?"


    "Kukuku! Thanks for thepliment, Master. As long as it benefits you, I don''t mind being called evil."


    Inside the room, two people started tough as they discussed in detail on how to execute Asmodeus'' daring n that made the Half-Elf feel as if the payoff was worth the risk he was going to take.


    If they seed, they would no longer need to worry about the Transcendent mes, because both the Haca Dynasty and the ckrock n would make him the biggest winner in this war.


    ��-------


    Dozens of miles away from the capital city of the Orcs��


    "What do you think? Will the Orcsunch a suicide attack to defend their Capital City? Or run away like the dogs they are?" Ronan asked Great General Garret who was sat on the back of his War Horse as they continued their march deeper into the ckrock n''s territory


    Great General Garret didn''t reply right away. Instead he pondered the possibility of the Orcs betting everything they had in onest suicide charge against their army.


    "They might make theirst stand in their Capital City, or they might flee," Great General Garret replied after organizing his thoughts. "However, knowing the Orc''s mentality, they would rather die than run forever. Their pride won''t allow it."


    "Heh~ Pride is it?" Ronan smirked. "Well, I''ve been itching for a fight as well. It''s boring to just protect the Magic Cannons all day."


    "You shouldn''t underestimate the Orcs. we wouldn''t have lost 50 years ago if they were easy to defeat."


    "True. But, that won''t change the fact that they''re no match against us."


    Great General Garret didn''t refute Ronan''s words. Truth be told, even if they did a frontal sh with the Orcs, he was confident that they would win. However, the only thing he couldn''t guarantee was the number of casualties on their side if that were to happen.


    ''The nagging feeling in my head is still there,'' Great General Garret thought as he gazed in the direction of the Capital City of the Orcs. ''It has been steadily growing more intense as we near Ludrar Bragh.''


    The Great General tried to shrug off the feeling many times, but it didn''t want to leave him alone.


    ''Two more days,'' Great General Garret thought. ''We will reach their Capital City in two days.''


    Their march would have taken longer if they had trekked through the mountain range. However, since they destroyed it, they managed to cut their travel time by half.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His Army''s morale was also at its peak because they had won two consecutive campaigns without losing too manyrades.


    All of them shared Ronan''s wishes to sh against the Orcs, and finally get a piece of the action. But, Garret was hesitant to order a direct confrontation because the ckrock n weren''t the only enemies they were going to face.


    They would have to deal with the other factions that lived inside the Wanid Kingdom.


    ''Fortunately our allies are keeping the other Pirs busy,'' Great General Garret thought. ''Because of this, they were unable to send any reinforcements to the Orcs, allowing us to overpower them with our sheer numbers.''


    The Wanid Kingdom was one big pie that had long been coveted by their neighbors, with the exception of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Its rich, fertilends that were brimming with ancient power were simply too hard to resist, so because of this, an alliance of those who shared amon goal was formed.


    Their intention was to split up the Wanid Kingdom''s Pirs, to make it easier for them to conquer theirnds.


    However, since the Haca Dynasty had prepared for this invasion for years, their forces were much more prepared, and more well equipped than their allies, who jumped at the opportunity to join them in their massive invasion.


    ''Father, I will soon avenge you,'' Great General Garret thought as he held the amulet on his neck and rubbed his thumb over its surface. ''I''ll offer the Orc Chieftain''s head to your grave as a gift when I return from this war victorious.''


    ��--------


    Two dayster��


    The sound of war drums reverberated in the surroundings, as the Orcs prepared to defend their Capital City to the death.


    Lady Avyanna''s worst fears hade to pass, and there was no longer a way to stop Barca and the other Orc Warlords from initiating a suicide charge against their enemies.


    The Orc cksmiths had worked non-stop over the past two days, forging shields that would be supplied to each of their brethren who wouldy down their lives to preserve their n''s honor.


    Lux looked at these Orcs, who had surprisingly calm expressions on their faces. They were the faces that didn''t fear anything, even death, and it made him respect them more in his heart.


    As he was taking a stroll in the fortress, and watching all of the Orcs sharpening their weapons, he found Baronar standing on the Ramparts, and staring off in the distance.


    "Lux, when I die, don''t revive me, okay?" Baronar said as soon as he felt Lux''s presence behind him. "If you do, I''ll kill you."


    The Orc Great Shaman didn''t even bother to turn around to look at the Half-Elf and continued to gaze in the distance.


    At the edge of the horizon, the gs of the Haca Dynasty fluttered, signifying that it would only take them a few hours before they arrived in the Capital City of the Orcs.


    "Very well," Lux replied. "Are you going to join the suicide charge as well?"


    "Yes," Baronar replied. "I''ve been itching to try the new ability that I gained after I absorbed the Abyssal Core you traded to me. I''ll make sure to make them feel pain beyond their wildest dreams."


    A sinister smile appeared on Baronar''s face, as he gazed at the approaching army in the distance.


    "Don''t worry, I have no intention of dying," Baronar stated. "The Dryads are here and we have thought of a way to counter their Grand Spell. All we need to worry about is their Magic Cannons. If we can nullify their damage, that will force the enemy to fight us in close quarters. When that happens, we will show them what it means to fight against an Orc!"


    Lux crossed his arms over his chest as he, too, gazed at the approaching army in the distance.


    Unknown to Baronar, the Half-Elf was wishing the Haca Dynasty''s Army would hurry up and start their siege against the ckrock n.


    Only when the two forces shed would he be able to execute the n that he and Asmodeus had concocted, which would allow him to gain the ability to negotiate with the proud Orcs, who were eager to start a ughter.

 Chapter 606 Hey, Do You Guys Want To Win This War?

    The ground shook, as loud explosions spread in the surroundings.


    Just as they had done during their past two campaigns, the Haca Dynasty''s Army used their Magic Cannons to obliterate the walls of the Orc City.


    At least, that was what they nned, but it didn''t go as smoothly as their previous two battles.


    The Dryads Queen, and her elite sisters had joined the battle, and their Nature Magic created gigantic vines which wrapped around the Orc City, protecting it from the long-ranged  magical bombardment.


    Ronan, who was guarding one of the Magical Cannons clicked his tongue as he gazed at the Head Engineer, who was supervising the bombardement operation.


    "Why are the Magical Cannon''s attacks considerably weaker thanst time?" Ronanined. "They should have been able to st a hole in those giant vines by now. You''re even using Argonaut-Ranked Cores. Why is it taking so long?"


    The Head Engineer gave the High-Ranker an apologetic gaze as he exined the current situation of their long-ranged Weapons of War.


    "We overtaxed the Magical Cannons when we obliterated the Lorgakh Kur mountain range a few days ago," the Head Engineer replied. "Although I did maintenance on them, their performance has significantly decreased due to wear and tear. If you give me a few days, I will be able to make them return to their peak performance��"


    "I don''t want to hear your excuses!" Ronan shouted, which made the Head Engineer cower in fear. "You only had one job, and you can''t even do it right!"


    The other Engineers, who were responsible for operating the Magical Cannons could only lower their heads as they clenched their fists in frustration.


    Truth be told, they really didn''t know why their Magical Cannon''s Performance had significantly weakened.  They had done all necessary maintenance, and yet its performance was nowhere near its optimum condition when the war started.


    All of them were using Argonaut-Ranked Beast Cores, allowing them to create magical cannonballs, whose destructive power was simr to the full-powered blow of an Argonaut Ranked Beast.


    Argonaut-Ranked Monsters were extremely strong and their attacks could easily destroy a City''s Defensive Walls.


    Because of this, Ronan, and the other High-Rankers were very displeased with the current state of their war.


    "Argonaut-Ranked Cores aren''t cabbages," Ronan spat on the ground. "Switch back to Deimos-Ranked Cores!"


    "Y-Yes, Sir!" The Head Engineer quickly ordered his subordinates to remove the Argonaut Ranked Beast Cores from the Magical Cannons before they broke apart.


    Ronan scoffed before gazing at the sky where the Grand Spell was being formed.


    However, this tactic of theirs was also not going as smoothly as they intended because the Dryads were countering their Grand Spell, with their own Grand Spell that specialized in Magic Nullification.


    "Stop the Magical Bombardment," Great General Garret ordered. "Bring out the Destroyer."


    Ronan, who heard the Great General''s words frowned, but didn''t say any words of protest.


    ''It seems that we greatly underestimated the Orcs and their allies,'' Ronan thought as he watched the army move aside to create a path for the ten-meter tall War Machine to pass through them.


    The Destroyer was a special Weapon of War that could only be used thrice during the entirety of their campaign.


    This weapon was powered by an Empyrean-Ranked World Boss Core that they managed to get after some great hardships a decade ago.


    The Head Engineer gazed at the weapon that was made by the Wizards of the Magic Tower of the Haca Dynasty.


    It was a magic weapon that allowed them to gather their magical spells and amplify their effects, which could reach the power of a Grand Spell, before it was fired over a long distance.


    The Orcs, who were unaware of the newest threat to their lives, cheered as they watched the Haca Dynasty''s attempts to destroy their Capital City fail.


    "Hahaha! Serves these bastards right!" Oreg raised his fist high up in the air as he mocked the Haca Dynasty''s army. "Only relying on these cheap tricks to win. What a bunch of cowards!"


    Lux, who was also observing the battle from his vantage point, casually sipped some fruit juice.


    "Pa!"


    "You want some too, Eiko?"


    "Un!"


    "Okay."


    The Baby Slime happily drank from a straw as Lux continued to watch the battle with a smile on his face. His other party members were with him, and were busy ying cards, as if they weren''t in the middle of a war.


    Since the Orcs were in a good mood, they turned a blind eye to Lux''s and hispanion''s antics as they waited for the moment to strike.


    ''Master, the Haca Dynasty is about to use one of their Trump Cards,'' Draven reported. "If you are near the city walls, I suggest you go away as far as you can. This weapon looks very dangerous."


    ''Understood,'' Lux replied. ''We will retreat to the rear of the city.''


    Lux signaled for his people to leave and head to safety. However, he couldn''t bear to not tell the Orcs of the impending danger, so he hurriedly went to tell Baronar of the weapon that the Haca Dynasty had mobilized.


    The Orc Chieftain, as well as the other Orc Warlords were gathered on the same spot, so Lux took this opportunity to inform everyone of histest discovery.


    "The Haca Dynasty is about to use a Weapon of War called the Destroyer," Lux stated. "I don''t know how strong it is, but my spy within the enemy''s army told me that it could unleash an attack that is equivalent to a Grand Spell. It would be best if you order the Orcs who are near the walls to evacuate for the time being. It is possible that all of them will be annihted if they don''t leave their posts now."


    Oreg snorted after hearing Lux''s words.


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Oreg looked down on the Half-Elf who only reached his waist. "You have no authority here, Half-Elf. Don''t order us around."


    "I''m not ordering anyone," Lux replied calmly. "I''m just informing you of what is about toe. If you don''t want to believe me then so be it. I only warned all of you out of the goodness of my heart."


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, red at Oreg and opened her mouth to silently call him a "F*cker".


    Lux wasn''t able to see Eiko''s antics because he didn''t bother to wait for any of the Orcs to reply as he hastily left the scene.


    He considered the ckrock n to be his acquaintances because of the bonds they shared in the Dungeon of Dominion long ago. However, that didn''t mean that he would allow himself to be ridiculed by the Orcs he was trying to help.


    The Orc Chieftain and the Dryad Queen looked at the Half-Elf''s retreating back with calm expressions on their faces. Just like Oreg, they doubted the authenticity of Lux''s words.


    Suddenly, the Great Orc Shaman who had remained silent, made his opinion known.


    "Let''s listen to him," Baronar said. "If what he said is true then many of our brethren will die without knowing how they died."


    "Baronar, you''re going to believe that child''s nonsense?" Oreg red at the Great Orc Shaman. "Have you lost your mind?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Baronar shrugged off Oreg''sment as he shifted his gaze to his Orc Chieftain whomanded their forces.


    "Even if there is a small chance that what he said is true then we should consider it to preserve the lives of our brethren," Baronar stated. "Right now, the Magical Vines of the Dryads are shielding our City from their Magic Cannons.


    "Our forces standing on the ramparts have nothing to do but watch our enemies from a distance. We won''t lose anything by having them retreat until we confirm the authenticity of Lux''s words."


    Lady Avyanna stared long and hard at the Great Orc Shaman before asking him a question.


    "Are you willing to trust that Half-Elf with your life, Baronar?" Lady Avyanna inquired.


    "Yes," Baronar replied in a heartbeat. "I trust him with my life."


    mma, who was standing beside his mother, looked at the Great Orc Shaman whom he respected the most. Although he didn''t like Lux after suffering a loss, he had to acknowledge that the Half-Elf was able to defeat him in a duel he started.


    Also, he wanted to believe that the one who triumphed over him was telling the truth. Because of this, he decided to voice his opinion as well.


    "Mother, let''s trust that Half-Elf once," mmamented. "We won''t lose anything if we do."


    "Even you are on his side, mma?" Lady Avyanna asked with a frown.


    "Yes, Mother."


    "Fine. I''ll listen to you and Baronar just this once. Order all the warriors on the ramparts to pull back."


    After receiving the order, Baronar immediately summoned his Elite Spirit Warriors to inform everyone near the wall to back away to safety.


    Although everyone was surprised by their sudden orders, all of them obeyed without any questions.


    They had seen how the magical cannons had decimated their Fortress walls in the past, and this knowledge allowed them to heed their superior''s orders.


    Just as all the Orcs had abandoned the city walls, the Dryad Queen, who was standing beside Lady Avyanna, coughed out green blood.


    A secondter, a powerful explosion shook the entire city, creating a shockwave that obliterated their city walls and turned the Orcs who weren''t able to evacuate fast enough into meat paste.


    Lady Avyanna, Barca, mma, the Orc Warlords, and the Dryad Queen, along with her subordinates were also blown away by the impact, and crashed towards the houses within the city.


    Although injured, the Orc Chieftain raised her head and looked in horror at the destruction around her.


    Not only were their fortifications destroyed, but a part of their city had beenpletely obliterated from the destructive attack that came out of nowhere.


    "It''s over," Lady Avyanna muttered as she clenched her fist so hard that blood seeped out of her palm.


    Barca gate a hateful roar as he stood up from the ground. The other Orc Warlords, as well as the Orc Warriors answered his call.


    They would no longer run like cowards.


    Even in the face of death, they would fight till the bitter end.


    As the Orcs howled their warcries, a red-headed teenager walked up towards the Orcs who were nning to do a suicide charge.


    Baronar, who always paid close attention to Lux''s aura, turned his head to look at the Half-Elf who was walking in their direction.


    It was not only the Great Orc Shaman who turned around to look at the approaching Half-Elf, whose steady steps emitted a confidence that surpassed an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster.


    "Hey, do you guys want to win this war?" Lux asked as a magic cannonballnded dozens of meters away from him, setting the houses it hit on fire.


    More Magic cannonballs rained down upon them, setting the Capital City of the Orcs aze.


    Even so, Lux''s steps remained steady, as if he had everything under his control.


    Only when he reached Lady Avyanna, who was kneeling on the ground did he stop and offer his hand.


    "I have a way to win this war," Lux stated. "But, are you willing to pay the price for it?"


    The Orc Chieftain raised her head to look at the Half-Elf who was on the same eye-level as her.


    "Even at this time you want the Twin mes?" Lady Avyanna smiled bitterly. "Fine. You can have it. As long as you have a way that will turn this situation around, I will give it to you!"


    Barca and the other Orc Warlords looked at Lux with solemn expressions on their faces. Aside from Baronar, they never took Lux seriously because he was just an Initiate-Ranked Half-Elf, who would easily die from a single p of their hand.


    Contrary to what they were expecting, the Half-Elf only shook his head as he pointed his finger at Lady Avyanna, Barca, Baronar, Oreg, Tanabur, Mogazar, and mma.


    A momentter, several rows of text appeared in front of the Orcs, which made them gasp in shock.


    ��------------


    < Lux Von Kaizer has sent an invitation for you to join the Mythical Guild, Heaven''s Gate. >


    < Do you wish to ept? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��------------


    Lady Avyanna''s body shuddered as she looked at the notification in front of her before shifting her gaze to the Half-Elf, who was looking back at her with a confident smile on his face.


    "This is my condition for helping you in this war," Lux dered. "If you ept it, I promise to help you drive the invaders away from yournds."


    Asmodeus, who stood behind his Master,ughed internally.


    This was the bold n that he had proposed to Lux. The Archlich was well aware that what they were doing was a gamble. However, if they timed it right, their chances of making the Orcs agree would increase.


    Now that Lux had revealed his identity as the Guildmaster of the only Mythical Guild in the world to the higher-ups of the ckrock n, the turning point to change the oue of the war was about to begin.

 Chapter 607 For The Clan! [Part 1]

    Several months ago, the tolling of the bell echoed throughout every corner of Sis and Elysium, announcing the name of the first ever Mythical Guild to the world.


    Yes, the name of that guild is none other than��


    Heaven''s Gate.


    Days following the announcement, all the powers of the world were mobilized to uncover the identity of the Mythical Guild''s Guildmaster, locate any of its members, or discover the whereabouts of its headquarters.


    Despite their efforts, none of them seeded.


    Monthster, while the initial buzz around the Mythical Guild waned, its name still lingered in everyone''s mind.


    Even the ckrock n from the Wanid Kingdom had discussed this matter in the past, believing that whoever founded that Guild must be someone blessed by the Heavens.


    However, for Monsters like them, joining a Guild wasn''t a priority. They were the proud Orcs of the ckrock n, and they didn''t need to join any Guilds in the first ce.


    Truth be told, Monsters could not join Guilds.


    And Orcs were certainly Monsters.


    However, a Mythical Guild was different.


    Its Guildmaster had the power to invite anyone regardless of their race. It didn''t matter what their race was. Whether they be Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Kobolds, or Monsters, they could still join.


    And right now, the name of that Mythical Guild shed in front of the Orcs'' faces, rendering them speechless beyond words.


    "If you join my guild, I will assist you in winning this war," Lux said as the spells of their enemies descended upon the Capital City of the Orcs, engulfing everything they touched with zing mes.


    "So, do you want to win?" Lux asked as he scanned the faces of Lady Avyanna, Barca, mma, Baronar, Oreg, Tanabur, and Mogazar. "Or do you want to die in vain? You better decide quickly, or your n will cease to exist."


    Lady Avyanna slowly stood up as she gazed at the Half-Elf with a solemn expression on her face.


    "Is it possible for us to win if we join your Guild?" Lady Avyanna asked. "Do you have a way to turn this situation around?"


    Lux nodded. "I do."


    The Orc Chieftain surveyed her surroundings which were now covered in mes. The nonbatants of the Orc Race, including the elderly and the children, had been taken to a safe location away from the Capital City.


    All that remained were the Orcs who wished to fight for their homnd and make their enemy know that even in the face of death, they would die fighting.


    Lady Avyanna then turned around to look at his husband, and son, who was looking back at her with calm expressions on their faces.


    Even though explosions were happening around them, they stood their ground and simply waited for their Chieftain to make her decision.


    "Lux, if you''re lying to us, I swear that I will haunt you even after I die," Lady Avyanna dered as she raised her hand to press on the notification in front of her. "The ckrock n''s honor and dignity aren''t toys for you to y with."


    < Congrattions! You are now a member of the Guild Heaven''s Gate! >


    Lady Avyanna nodded at Barca, mma, and the four Orc Warlords as a way to tell them that she had epted Lux''s condition.


    Barca and mma epted the Guild Invitation without saying a word. They had nothing to lose at this point, so staking everything on onest gamble wouldn''t make any difference.


    "Brat, you''d better uphold your end of the bargain," Baronar said as he, too, epted the Guild Invitation. "I will haunt you for life if you lie to us."


    Oreg, Tanabur, and Mogazar, also epted the Guild Invitation because it was the will of their Orc Chieftain.


    Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Lux was about to tell them his strategy when he heard several notification sounds inside his head.


    A momentter, several rows of text appeared in front of him, which made the Half-Elf''s eyes widen in shock.


    ��-------------


    < The Path of Myths II >


    < Mythical Guild, Hidden Quest Completed! >


    < Quest: Recruiting High-Ranking Members into your Guildpleted!! >


    < This is a chain quest. As you continue to grow your guild, you will continue to receive bonuses and great rewards! >


    < Recruitment Bonus Rewards Unlocked! >


    �C New members that have been sessfully recruited into the Guild will gain a boost to their stat points depending on their current Rank.


    �C All new members, and those that joined long ago, will gain bonuses depending on their respective ranks.


    �C The Bonus Stat Points will also apply to all Beast Companions, and Mounts that belong to the Guild Members!


    �C If they leave the Guild, this reward will disappear.


    ��----------------


    Initiate Rank and Below = 2,000 Free Stats Points


    E-Rankers / Deimos Rank = 5,000 Free Stats Points


    D and C-Rankers / Argonaut Rank = 20,000 Free Stats Points


    B and A Rankers / Dreadnought Rank = 50,000 Free Stats Points


    S and SS Rankers / Empyrean Rank = 100,000 Free Stats Points


    SSS-Rankers and Saints / Cmity Rank = 1,000,000 Free Stats Points


    ��----------------


    < Bonus Rewards >


    The Guildmaster Special Skill, Heaven''s Call, will be upgraded to Heaven''s Call [EX]


    ��----------------


    < Heaven''s Call [EX] >


    �C This skill can be used once a day to summon all of your Guild Members to instantly be right beside you.


    < Requirements for using Heaven''s Call [EX] >


    �C The Guildmaster must be standing inside a vige, town or city.


    �C The Guildmaster must be standing inside his own Guild Headquarters.


    �C Members have the right to ept, or reject the summoning of their Guildmaster.


    �C Those who reject the summons will remain where they are.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    < Heaven''s Call [EX] Second Ability >


    �C Twice a month, the Guildmaster can summon all of his Guild Members to his side, regardless of his location.


    �C This skill will activate even if the Guildmaster isn''t inside a vige, town, or city.


    �C Members have the right to ept, or reject the summoning of their Guildmaster.


    �C Those who reject the summons will remain where they are.


    ��----------------


    < Exclusive Lord of the Dead Profession Bonus Rewards >


    �C Lux Von Kaizer had learned the Skill, Summon Corpse God.


    �C This Skill will automatically be upgraded to Summon Corpse God [EX] due to the Skill Evolution [EX] skill.


    ��----------------


    < Summon Corpse God [EX] >


    �C Summon a Corpse God whose stats will always be double that of Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C This Summon''s main purpose is to protect Lux Von Kaizer and act as his armor against any iing attack.


    �C As long as the Corpse God is alive, Lux Von Kaizer will not receive any kind of damage whatsoever.


    �C Corpse God will automatically appear if any attack or ability is about to hit Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C The Corpse God will also summon Ancient Mummies, whose Rank will always be two ranks below Lux Von Kaizer, on its own.


    Maximum Number of Ancient Mummies that can be summoned at any given time is 200.


    �C All attacks made by the Corpse God are infused with Abyssal Touch


    ��----------------


    Before Lux could evenprehend what just happened, his Guild Members, as well as his Named Creatures, immediately gained additional stats points, which boosted their strength drastically.


    Barca, who was an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Beast gasped in shock because he immediately felt the surge of strength that washed over his body.


    "By Macha''s name�� just what is going on?" Barca looked at his hands in amazement because he never felt as powerful as he did now. "Is this the effect of joining your Guild?!"


    It was not only Barca who was amazed at the immediate changes in their bodies. Lady Avyanna, mma, and the Orc Warlords couldn''t believe what had happened as soon as they joined Lux''s Guild.


    ''Is this the power of a Mythical Guild?!'' Lady Avyanna looked at the Half-Elf, who had the same shocked expression as her. ''Unbelievable!''


    Aside from the Bonus Stats, the Orcs also received the Guild Buffs that all the members of Heaven''s Gate were given.


    ��----------------


    < Active Guild Buffs >


    300% Health Regeneration


    300% Mana Regeneration


    300% Stamina Regeneration


    100% Chance to learn skills from Beast Cores


    100% Immunity to Charm Skill


    100% Increase in Experience Points when killing Monsters


    25% Chance of getting better Monster Drops


    25% Chance of resisting Status Ailments


    20% Increase in Physical and Magical Attacks


    20% Increase in Physical and Magical Defense


    20% Bonus Sess Rate in Crafting items


    ��----------------


    "Hahaha!" Oregughed and raised his clenched fists high up in the air. "We can now win!"


    The Orcs already had very strong regeneration abilities. But, after joining Heaven''s Gate, their regeneration abilities were boosted even further, allowing the injuries they received from the earlier explosion heal at a rapid pace.


    "Barca!" Lady Avyanna half-shouted as she looked at her husband.


    "I know," Barca nodded his head. "I understand."


    The Vice-Chieftain of the ckrock n pressed his arms together and gave a brief bow of respect to the Half-Elf before saying something that made Lux shudder.


    "Please temporarily invite the entire ckrock n to your guild," Barca pleaded.


    After gaining the unprecedented strength in his body, Barca finally understood what Lux meant when he said that he would help them win the war.


    Little did he know that Lux was as surprised as he was when the bonus stats appeared, and the Half-Elf simply had no choice but to act as if everything was under his control.


    "Very well," Lux nodded. "I will give Lady Avyanna the authority to recruit all of your brethren to my Guild."


    Lux no longer hesitated and tweaked the settings of his Guild, giving the Orc Chieftain the ability to recruit every member of the ckrock n.


    After receiving Lux''s blessing, Lady Avyanna raised her scepter high up in the air and shouted.


    "Listen to me, my people!" Lady Avyanna shouted, catching the attention of every Orc inside the Capital City. "I order all of you to ept the invitation that I am going to send to all of you! It is time for us tounch our counter-attack! It is time to show the Humans that they cannot defeat our n! Rally to me!"


    Immediately, rows of texts appeared in front of all the members of the ckrock n, which shocked all of them. However, after receiving their Orc Chieftain''s orders, they overcame their initial surprise and epted the Guild Invitation.


    Just like what happened earlier, all the Orcs received the blessings of the Guild, making them all shout their warcries.


    The Dryad Queen and her subordinates looked at the Orcs around them in astonishment. Not only had the members of the ckrock n been able to join the Half-Elf''s Guild, but a strong surge of aura had swept through their surroundings as each of them had epted the invitation.


    ''W-What?! All the Orcs have suddenly be stronger?!" one of the Dryads eximed.


    The Dryads were very sensitive to the flow of aura and magic. Because of this, they immediately felt the changes that came over the Orcs, who suddenly regained their will to fight.

 Chapter 608 For The Clan! [Part 2]

    Baronar patted Lux''s shoulder. "We''re counting on you," he said, ignoring the surprise written on the faces of the Dryad Queen and her subordinates. "Let''s do this!"


    The Half-Elf nodded as he raised his hand.


    "Everyone get ready," Lux stated as he summoned his Undead Legion in preparation for their counterattack. "It''s time to show the enemy who they are messing with!"


    Haca Dynasty Army''s Central Formation��


    "The Orcs are shouting their warcries," Ronan sneered. "I guess they have finally decided to make their suicide charge. Hahaha! Bring it on!"


    The other High-Rankers were also looking forward to the one-sided massacre that was about tomence, so they also prepared to meet the Orcs who were about to make theirst hurrah.


    The Capital City of the Orcs was covered in thick smoke, so they weren''t able to see what was happening inside. Even so, the Great General of the Haca Dynasty raised his voice and gave his orders to his subordinates.


    "Load Argonaut-Ranked Cores into the Magic Cannons, and wait for mymand!" Great General Garret shouted. "Archers and Mages, make your preparations and wait for my orders! Vanguard, hold your ground and protect the front line!"


    Immediately, the Vanguard soldiers raised their shields and pointed their spears forward. Although the Orcs were still inside their city, they could feel their war cries growing louder, which meant that the Orcs were about to charge at them.


    Great General Garret knew that this was bound to happen, so he had prepared the appropriate response in order to decimate the Orcs before they could even reach their front lines.


    Suddenly, something came out of the thick smoke, catching everyone''s attention.


    A scary looking creature, who looked very simr to an Orc, holding arge shield, and a spiked mace in his hand started to run forward.


    A momentter, several more figures, who shared the same features, ran beside him with their shields raised high.


    "Everyone, on my mark!" Pazuzu shouted as he and the Elite Spirit Protectors ran side by side, forming a V-shaped formation, with the Fortress Defender at its center.


    "Mad Rush!"


    """Mad Rush!"""


    Pazuzu and Lux''s Elite Spirit Protectors served as the Vanguard of the charge, knowing that they would face the brunt of the Haca Dynasty''s bombardment.


    However, they didn''t care.


    This was the order of their Master, and they would carry out this order till theirst breath.


    The Orc Warriors, led by Barca, ran behind Pazuzu and his Elite Spirit Protectors as fast as they could. Their goal was to reach the enemy''s main army, and they wouldn''t stop until they hacked the hateful Humans who had destroyed their Capital City, to pieces!


    "Magical Cannons Fire!" Great General Garret ordered, and the 19 Magical Cannons unleashed a barrage of magical cannonballs to obliterate the Orcs that wereing their way.


    "Shield Wall!" Pazuzu roared.


    """Shield Wall!"""<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Immediately, a Giant Blue Tower Shield materialized in front of the Orc Army.


    When the Magical Cannonballs hit the Tower Shields, several cracks appeared on their surface, but they didn''t shatter. Pazuzu and his brethren endured the attack with grace as blood spilled from the corner of their lips.


    "Second round, fire!" Great General Garret ordered and the magical cannons fired another lethal barrage against their targets.


    The Head Engineer clenched his fist as he looked at his allies who were desperately trying to reach their location.


    He had already done his best to sabotage the Magical Cannons, significantly decreasing their destructive power, which allowed Pazuzu to endure the first barrage.


    Unfortunately, even with the decreased impact, the Magical Cannonballs were powered by Argonaut-Ranked Beast Cores, which still had enough destructive force to decimate anything they hit.


    When the second round of Magical Cannonballs hit their targets, the Tower Shields shattered, and the Elite Spirit Protectors disintegrated into particles of light. Only Pazuzu was left, and he barely survived the onught.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, narrowed her eyes as she opened her mouth.


    They were still a good distance away from their enemies, but she gauged that this was the perfect time to unleash the surprise she had nted a few days ago.


    "Archers, and Mages, prepare to Fi�C" Great General Garret wasn''t able to finish his words because the ground under the Vanguard rose up, followed by a loud explosion that drowned the rest of his orders.


    "Boom Boom Boom!" Eiko shouted, and immediately, all the Skeleton Bombs and st Bombs [EX] that she had nted deep under the Earth detonated at the same time.


    Countless soldiers died in that powerful explosion, and countless more were swallowed by the ground, as they fell to their deaths.


    The dust cloud that was caused by the eruption also gave them zero visibility, making it hard for them to see what was in front of them.


    Complete chaos spread in the surroundings as no one knew what had just happened. All they knew was that, as they were about to unleash their arrows and spells on their enemies, their Vanguard was suddenly obliterated by the countless number of explosions that had been set off around them.


    It was at that moment when the rest of the Haca Dynasty''s Army felt the ground under their feet tremble, and the sound of countless galloping war beasts reached their ears.


    Great General Garret immediately waved his sword, creating a powerful gust of wind that blew the dust cloud away from his surroundings.


    As soon as the Dust Cloud disappeared, the Humans were finally able to see their surroundings.


    However, it was toote.


    "For the n!" Barca roared in anger as he leapt towards the Human army with his weapon raised high.


    Rowan, who had managed to survive the explosion earlier, gritted his teeth as he raised his shield to block Barca''s iing attack.


    The Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster locked on the enemy Commander, who had once taunted him in the past.


    With one powerful sh, the strongest member of the ckrock n  unleashed all the pent up rage he had endured in the past and sent the arrogant Human Commander flying like a golf ball being hit by a golf club. Hepletely annihted all those that stood in the path of his devastating attack, which cut thend in half.

 Chapter 609 The Real Threat [Part 1]

    """For the n!"""


    The thunderous roar of the Orcs, who had been waiting for this day toe, reverberated throughout the surroundings, striking fear into the hearts of those who heard it and sending a shudder inside their chest.


    Barca led the charge with a strike, and the Orc Raiders of the Orc Army led by Tanabur followed, also shing against the Human army. All of them were out for blood.


    Their Wargs leaped over the defenders holding the front line, andnded dozens of meters behind them, starting a massacre.


    Oreg and the Orc Berserkers shed against the Human formation with their weapons, hungering for the blood of their enemies.


    Complete chaos erupted within the Human army as their formation broke apart due to the ferocity of the Orc''s counterattack.


    "Hold your ground!" Great General Garret shouted to rally his troops and regain control of the situation as the army was now fighting in closebat with the ckrock n. "Follow the strategy we discussed! Rankers, attack your respective targets!"


    After giving out his orders, the High-Ranking fighters of the Haca Dynasty shed with the Orc Army and stopped their advance.


    All the high-profile targets like Barca, Lady Avyanna, and the four Orc Warlords had teams designated to contain them once the Orcs reached their formation.


    This was a well-detailed n that Great General Garret had made in order to ensure that they would prevail against their enemies.


    These teams were meticulously put together to counter the destructive power of the higher-ups of the ckrock n, and he was sure that it would only be a matter of time before their targets were in, or immobilized.


    However, contrary to his expectations, his perfect n started to crumble in the face of the Orcs, who for some reason were stronger than they initially expected.


    ''Dammit, the reports didn''t say that Barca was this strong!'' Ronan, who had tasted Barca''s full-powered strike, propped himself up from the ground and looked at his Legendary Shield that now had a big dent in it.


    A stinging pain was throbbing in his arm as he held the shield in his hand, which proved that even he was unable to escape Barca''s attack unscathed.


    ''He is truly a Monster,'' Ronan gritted his teeth as he ran to where the other High-Rankers were confronting Barca.


    It wasmon sense that the Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster was the greatest threat on the battlefield, so their goal was to eliminate him as soon as they could in order to lower the morale of their enemies.


    Just as Ronan was running towards the rampaging Barca, he noticed something that was happening on the battlefield, causing him to freeze on the spot.


    "U-Undead?!" Ronan gasped in shock. "I thought Baronar was an Orc Shaman and not a Necromancer. What is happening here?!"


    It was not only Ronan who was surprised at the sudden appearance of the Unholy Creatures on the battlefield.


    Orcs that had died in battle stood up on the battlefield once more to protect their brethren who were about to be killed by the Humans.


    The Orcs, who saw this scene, were surprised at first. But, after seeing that their fallen brethren were protecting them from getting killed by the Humans made them realize that even in death, they were fighting to protect their n.


    This sparked a burning determination in the hearts of all the Orcs, which made their attacks fiercer, and more devastating than ever before.


    ''Where are these Undeading from?'' Great General Garret narrowed his eyes as he scanned the battle at the front lines. ''I never heard news that the Wanid Kingdom had Necromancers among their ranks.''


    The Great General calmly raised his hand and gave an order to their Clerics to deal with the Undead, who were weak against Holy Magic.


    """Turn Undead!"""<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Several Clerics shouted in unison as they pointed at the Skeleton Gangbangers in the distance, who were mercilessly cutting through their defensive lines.


    A few secondster, the Skeleton Gangbangers that were targeted by the Clerics, all turned to dust, making those who were fighting against them feel relieved.


    However, before anyone could even celebrate, a chilling voice reached their ears.


    "So, that''s where you guys are hiding."


    ck Lightning Bolts rained down from the sky, targeting the Clerics that were dealing with the Undead.


    The Strategist of Lux''s Covenant unleashed a barrage of ck Lightning Bolts that were fueled by the Abyssal Touch to the archenemy of his Master''s army.


    Zagan managed to eliminate a few dozen of the Clerics before he was forced to retreat. His fortey in hit-and-run tactics, so he couldn''t stay for long, or else he would be taken down by the mages, who had started to aim at him from the ground.


    Great General Garret was about to issue anothermand when he suddenly paused and jumped off his warhorse in a hurry.


    A secondter, a Magic Cannonballnded on his location, killing his subordinates, who were responsible for carrying out his orders.


    Great General Garret red at the Head Engineer in the distance who had aimed the Magical Cannon in his direction.


    "You! What do you think you''re doing?!" Great General Garret shouted in anger as he looked at the man who was responsible for overseeing the operation of the Magic Cannons.


    "I guess the title of Untouchable is not just for show," the Head Engineer said with a smile. "I don''t know if you have irvoyance, Premonition, Intuition, or Future Sight, but it doesn''t matter. I will find out soon enough."


    The Head Engineer raised his hand, and several Shadow Warriors activated all 19 Magic Cannons at the same time.


    The Engineers that were manning them earlier were now all lying on the ground, dead. These pitiful nonbatants didn''t even know what killed them until it was toote.


    Dust clouds rose up in the sky as the Magical Bombardmentmenced. All the High-Ranking fighters, with the exception of Great General Garret, were on the front lines dealing with the Orcs.


    They didn''t expect that someone would attack them from the rear, so they were all taken by surprise.


    Just as Great General Garret was about to order his men to deal with the Head Engineer and the Shadow Warriors who were attacking them from behind, he momentarily froze before stomping on the ground tounch himself into the sky.


    A momentter, the dead bodies around him exploded, killing and injuring the Soldiers that were within the range of Lux''s deadly skill.


    From the sky, the Great General of the Haca Dynasty turned his head to the side and locked on the body of the red-headed teenager, who was looking back at him from the rear of the Orc Formation.


    His intuition which had been sharpened by the countless campaigns that he participated in the past allowed Great General Garret to understand who the greatest threat on the battlefield was.


    It was neither Barca nor the Orc Warlords that had tilted the bnce of the war.


    No.


    It was none other than the Initiate-Ranked Necromancer, who at this very moment was summoning his Legion of Undead, while making the dead bodies on the battlefield explode, creating more casualties among the men under the Great General''smand.

 Chapter 610 The Real Threat [Part 2]

    "Kill that red-headed boy over there!" Great General Garretmanded the Rankers that were on the front lines. "He is the Necromancer that is summoning the Undead. Kill him first!"


    The Great General''s thunderous shout shook the battlefield, informing those who were near the Half-Elf to eliminate him as soon as possible.


    "Looks like my cover is blown," Lux said with an amused smile.


    Beside him stood his trustedrades Pazuzu, Orion, ALL-MITE, and Revon. They were there to protect their Master from being targeted by the enemy.


    It was not only his trusted subordinates that were there to shield him from harm. Baronar was also present because he had been entrusted by Lady Avyanna to ensure Lux''s safety.


    "Get ready!" Baronar growled as he summoned his Elite Spirit Warriors that numbered almost a thousand to act as their bodyguards. "They''reing."


    More than twenty Rankers broke through the Orc''s Ranks in order to reach the Half-Elf who was at the rear of their enemies.


    Great General Garret wanted to personally eliminate the Necromancer, but he wasn''t in the position to do that as the Commanding Officer of the army.


    For the time being, he ordered his subordinates to also deal with the Magical Cannons, which had fallen into the hands of their enemies.


    Now that the Human Army was being attacked from the front and the back, they had no choice but to divide their attention in order to cope with the unexpected changes on the battlefield.


    Just as Great General Garret thought that all problems had been dealt with, he saw something from the corner of his eye that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.


    "Corpse Explosion!" Asmodeus shouted as he unleashed the devastating spell that had reaped countless lives on the battlefield.


    A few days ago, he and Lux had buried countless dead bodies under thend where they assumed the Haca Dynasty would mount their siege against the Orc Capital City.


    It was a gamble that they needed to try to gain the upper hand in the battle that would decide the fate of the ckrock n.


    Fortunately, the Army had positioned themselves just as they expected, allowing them to utilize the traps they had nted beforehand.


    Truth be told, they were worried about Great General Garret''s ability because ording to the ckrock n, the Great General had a knack for getting out of harm''s way before it even started.


    Because of this, they thought that their trap would be seen through. However, contrary to their expectations, the enemy even stood on top of them as if asking to be killed by Eiko''s bombs, as well as Lux''s Corpse Explosions.


    Just like the rumble of countless fireworks, all of the corpses that were buried under the ground were detonated, sending bones and pieces of flesh flying in every direction.


    The stench of death and destruction immediately spread across the battlefield, killing countless humans due to the stacking Necrotic Damage of the Corpse Explosion.


    Asmodeus made sure to only detonate the corpses that were far away from the Orcs, to prevent them from getting entangled in the spell that couldn''t differentiate friend from foe.


    Just as the Great General thought that things couldn''t get any worse, a Blood Golem towering twenty meters tall suddenly appeared on the battlefield.


    It wasted no time in delivering the killing blow to the nearby soldiers, who were initially lucky to survive the effects of the Corpse Explosion Spell.


    Unfortunately, the Blood Golem wasn''t able to kill to its heart''s content because it was split in half by the sword that the Great General wielded in his hands.


    Great General Garett was an SS-Ranker, which was only slightly weaker than the previous Barca.


    (A/N: Before Barca joined Heaven''s Gate).


    The Blood Golem had only reached the Deimos-Rank, so it was fairly easy for the Great General to eliminate the nearest threat before it could grow stronger.


    ''The Magical Cannons have been sessfully reimed,'' Great General Garret sighed as he nced at the rear of their formation. ''I can''t believe that the Head Engineer would betray us. Does he not fear the Dynasty''s Wrath?''


    The Great General couldn''t understand why one of their people would go out of their way to sabotage their campaign and backstab them from behind.


    He couldn''t think of any reason why the Head Engineer would side with the Orcs, especially when they had the upper hand in the war.


    With the threat at their rear taken care of, the Great General shifted his attention to the Orcs that were fighting fiercely at the front lines.


    Due to how greatly they underestimated Barca and his subordinates, the High Rankers had no other choice but to ask the other High Rankers to reinforce them in battle.


    This forced the High-Rankers to abandon their mission to kill the lower-ranked Orcs and wipe them out as soon as possible.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Although he wasn''t too happy with how the war progressed at the start, everything was now being handled properly, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.


    But as he gazed at his surroundings, he noticed that something was missing.


    Something very important to their Army.


    While the Great General was thinking about what that thing was, a loud shout reached his ears.


    "Everyone, back away!"


    Immediately, the Orcs who were fighting at the front lines retreated.


    Barca, Oreg, and Tanabur also didn''t hesitate to back away and return to where their army had gathered.


    All three of them were covered with wounds, but these injuries slowly regenerated as they distanced themselves from the High-Rankers who had been assigned to contain them.


    "Sh*t!" Ronan cursed out loud as he gazed at something that he never thought possible.


    The other High-Rankers also gasped upon the sight of the Weapon of War that was now aimed in their direction.


    "Erect the barrier on our right nk!" Great General Garret immediately ordered as the silhouette of a giant, Crystal Dragon appeared on the right side of their army.


    He had noticed that something was missing from their army, but he didn''t expect that the enemy had managed to snatch it while everyone was busy dealing with the mayhem around them.


    Great General Garret sent a sidelong nce at the red-headed teenager who had just been stabbed by one of the Rankers that he had ordered to eliminate the greatest threat on the battlefield.


    However, instead of being happy, a grim expression appeared on his face when the teenage boy suddenly turned to dust after getting stabbed in the chest.


    "A Clone."


    The Great General gritted his teeth before shifting his gaze at the fifty-meter-tall Crystal Dragon whose jaws were open wide in preparation tounch its signature breath attack.


    The High-Rankers of the human army all cursed internally as a very familiar-looking giant magic circle, that would amplify any magical attack by several folds, materialized in front of the Crystal Dragon.


    "Just how��" Great General Garret clenched his fists in frustration when he saw that one of their trump cards, The Destroyer, had fallen into their enemies'' hands without their knowledge.


    Lux, who was standing at the base of the magical artifact, roared as he unleashed the attack that would turn anything it hit into crystal statues, which was the Crystal Dragons'' ultimate attack.


    Since Lux was only an Initiate, the power of this Breath Attack only reached up to the full-powered strike of an E-Ranker.


    However, The Destroyer increased the devastating power of this multiple times until it reached the realm of a Grand Spell.


    No one among the high-ranking officers of the Haca Dynasty dreamed of having their own weapon turned against them.


    They never thought about a way to counter it, so all they could do now was pray that they would survive this attack that could obliterate entire mountains.


    "Crystal Dragon''s Breath!"


    The Crystal Dragon behind Lux unleashed a sparkling breath made up of countless crystals, which was amplified by the Magic Circle in front of it.


    All the Mages, Clerics, and Defenders of the Haca Dynasty activated their defensive spells to their maximum limit, creating an almost imprable shield that would protect them from even the strongest of spells.


    Unfortunately, a Grand Spell was different.


    It was a spell that could only be blocked by a force that was equal to or stronger than it.


    As soon as the Crystal Breath Attack and the barrier collided, the sound of countless crystals breaking spread across the battlefield.


    A few secondster, the barriers shattered allowing the Grand Spell to descend mercilessly upon the Human army, who didn''t even have time to scream before they turned into crystal statues, whose beauty would remain for eternity.

 Chapter 611 Let’s See Who Gets Killed First

    A little more than ten million.


    That was the number of soldiers that were mobilized by the Haca Dynasty to conquer the Wanid Kingdom.


    They had carefully nned this campaign over the years, and they had also acquired plenty of resources from thends they had conquered over the past fifty years. That was why they believed that they would finally stand a chance in their pursuit of annexing the Spirit Kingdom.


    In their eyes, the ckrock n was nothing. They were convinced that the Orcs only managed to make them retreat because the other Pirs were there to assist them.


    Having considered that, they initiated coboration with the other Kingdoms who were also eyeing the Wanid Kingdom and invited them into an alliance.


    Their n was to thinly spread the defenders of the Wanid Kingdom, giving them a higher sess rate of conquering it.


    Truth be told, the one with the highest chance of sess in winning the war was the Haca Dynasty.


    With so many trump cards in their possession, winning against the ckrock n was going to be a walk in the park. At least, that was what they believed after winning two campaigns.


    But now, their own weapon, The Destroyer, was being used by the enemy against them. The confidence they had umted from their past two victories, disappeared without a trace.


    "Crystal Dragon''s Breath!"


    As soon as Lux unleashed this devastating attack, Great General Garret hastily retreated to evade the iing attack.


    The High-Rankers and other Rankers immediately followed their Great General, knowing that as long as they followed him, all of them would be safe.


    When the barriers that had been erected by his subordinates shattered, a dazzling brilliance illuminated the surroundings, turning everything it touched into crystal statues.


    Out of the ten million soldiers that had been mobilized for the war, only a third managed to survive Lux''s devastating attack.


    "Damn you!" Ronan cursed at the Half-Elf upon seeing most of his own subordinates turn into crystal statues. "I''ll kill you!"


    The Half-Elf barely let his eyes rest on the High-Ranker before giving him the middle finger.


    "Let''s see who gets killed first," Lux sneered. "Orion, teach that bastard a lesson!"


    The Jade Golem, who had been protecting the "fake" Lux earlier, shifted his attention towards Ronan.


    "Duel [EX]!" Orion shouted as he pointed at the High Ranker who dared to threaten his Master''s life.


    Immediately, Ronan''s body shuddered as he subconsciously looked at the Jade Golem, who was standing next to Barca and Baronar.


    "... Sh*t!" Ronan cursed out loud as his body moved against his will and charged at the Jade Golem.


    "Ronan, are you mad?!" one of the High-Rankers shouted at hispanion who was running head-first into the Orcs without backup.


    The Commander of the Vanguard couldn''t even spare a second to reply to his friend, well aware of the consequences that he''d face if he didn''t focus on defending himself against his sh against the entire Orc Army. He would not be able to return to his Kingdom alive.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Although Barca and the other Orc Warlords didn''t understand what was happening, they didn''t let this opportunity slide and ran towards the lone High-Ranker with their weapons poised to strike.


    Ronan raised his golden shield that had been dented by Barca''s attack earlier in the hope that it would allow him to survive the Orcs''bined attack


    A golden barrier wrapped around Ronan''s body just before Barca''s War Axe descended on top of his head.


    Immediately a powerful shockwave erupted at the point of contact, and the ground under Ronan''s feet shattered, sending rocks and dirt flying in every direction.


    The golden-armored Commander kept his mouth shut tight, but that was unable to stop the blood from seeping out of the corner of his lips.


    His Legendary Shield had anotherrge dent on it now, which was the least of his worries. The golden barrier that he had erected was filled with cracks, and if another attack hit it, it would shatterpletely.


    Just as this thought passed Ronan''s head, Oreg''s gauntlet smashed into his shield, breaking it to pieces.


    Suddenly, four wed hands grabbed onto his golden shield and forcefully tore it away, leaving the Human Commander of the Vanguard defenseless.


    "Die!" Barca roared as he once again shed down to deliver the killing blow to the arrogant humanmander who in his eyes deserved to die the most.


    But just as his War Axe was about to decapitate the Human Commander, a ck whip wrapped around Ronan''s body and pulled him away, escaping Barca''s killing blow by a hair''s breadth.


    The High-Rankers had alle to save theirrade and immediately engaged Barca and the Orc Warlords in a heated battle.


    Many of their soldiers had turned into crystal statues, but they still had the advantage of numbers, so they decided to duke it out with the Orcs until they got the upper hand.


    While all this was happening, ALL-MITE sneakily gave the Golden Shield to Pazuzu, and thetter thanked the four-armed hero with a fist bump.


    The Fortress Defender had been eyeing Ronan''s Legendary Shield since the beginning of the battle, so when the opportunity presented itself, he immediately requested ALL-MITE to help snatch the golden shield from the pitiful High-Ranker who angered his Master.


    "ALL-MITE, Zagan, go to Master and ensure his safety," Asmodeus said to hisrades. "Although Draven is there, Master will need some time to store The Destroyer in the Guild''s Treasury. We must get that weapon at all costs."


    "Understood."


    "Very well."


    The Four-Armed Hero and the Strategist of the Covenant, immediately departed to reinforce Lux, who was in the middle of forcibly taking ownership of the Weapon of War and registering it as their Guild''s Property.


    If Lux had a storage ring that could store The Destroyer, he would have already used it to secure the deadly weapon of destruction.


    However, since he had none of those, the only thing he could do was to override its ownership, and make it the property of his Guild, so that he could teleport it to his Guild Treasury.


    This was one of the special privileges of having a Mythical Guild, and Lux would be an idiot if he let such an amazing weapon slip from his hands.

 Chapter 612 The Only Things I Regret In My Long Life Are The Decisions I Didn’t Make

    Great General Garret was currently facing a dilemma.


    He had to choose between continuing the war or calling for a strategic retreat.


    The army still had over three million soldiers left, but the morale of his army had fallen to its lowest point.


    If not for the High-Rankers and the Rankers fighting fiercely on the front lines, preventing the bulk of the Orc Army from attacking them, they might have suffered more casualties in the ongoing war.


    "It''s all your fault," Great General Garret muttered, ming the current situation on the Half-Elf. "Before anything else, I will kill you first!"


    With his sword shining brightly, the Great General of the Haca Dynasty descended from the sky.


    For him, allowing the Half-Elf to remain alive was a threat that he didn''t want to deal with, so he decided to personally end the Necromancer''s life once and for all.


    Out of thin air, a Great me Skull materialized and unleashed a Cone of Cold at the approaching Great General in order to protect his Master.


    However, Great General Garret wasn''t fazed by the sneak attack, and simply shed his sword forward, cutting through Lazarus'' attack and splitting the Great me Skull''s head in half.


    "I have already seen through this petty trick of yours," Great General Garret stated. "You won''t be able to escape me, Necromancer!"


    Lux''s hands remained fixed on the control panel of the Destroyer, and he paid no attention to the approaching General, continuing to overwrite ownership of Weapon of War to make it his own.


    At that moment, severalrge vines emerged from the ground, blocking the Great General''s advance and forcing him to stop.


    The reason why Lux was able to keep his calm even when facing the highest-ranking officer of the Haca Dynasty was due to the Dryad Queen''s protection.


    "I have always wanted to see how strong the famed Great General of the Haca Dynasty is," the Dryad Queen, Cornelia, said with a smile. "I think now is a good opportunity to put your title of being The Untouchable to the test."


    After sensing the incredible changes in the Orcs, the Dryad Queen became curious and directly asked Lady Avyanna what was happening.


    At first, the Orc Chieftain didn''t want to tell her anything, but after the red-headed teenager gave his nod of approval, Lady Avyanna whispered to her friend the true reason why they suddenly gained the power they currently had.


    Naturally, the Dryad Queen didn''t believe it at first, but after Lux personally sent her an invitation to join his guild, she had no choice but to believe what was happening.


    The Half-Elf and the Dryad Queen then negotiated a few terms before Cornelia agreed to join the guild.


    As per their agreement, Cornelia would only be an honorary member of Heaven''s Gate and would not participate in any of the wars or battles that Lux would wage in the future. Their race preferred peaceful coexistence and didn''t want to be part of any conflict.


    Had it not been for the war that threatened their homnd, the Dryads wouldn''t mobilize in such numbers to fight against the Humans greedily eyeing theirnds.


    In return for her help, Lux promised three things to Cornelia.


    Firstly, he would ensure that the war would end with their victory.


    Secondly, he would allow the Dryad Queen to use any of his Guild facilities and seek for assistance when crafting items.


    Lastly, he would grant the Dryad Queen the authority to invite her sisters to the guild, simr to the authority that had been bestowed upon Lady Avyanna, which gave her the power to recruit the members of the ckrock n to Lux''s Guild.


    Truth be told, it was Asmodeus that had suggested this proposal to the Dryad Queen.


    Of course, the Dryad Queen understood that Lux and his strategist were simply trying to tempt her into bing a permanent member of his Guild.


    Cornelia understood this well. However, she also understood that they had long been ignorant of what was happening in the world.


    Her desire was to use Lux''s Guild as a medium to gather information to ensure that her sisters would be able to live in peace and arm themselves in times of war.


    Although she knew that there was a possibility that she wouldn''t be the same again after tasting the forbidden fruit, this was something that she had to do in order to protect those that were important to her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You must be the Dryad Queen, Cornelia," Great General Garret said as he scanned the Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster in front of him. "I thought Dryads were pacifists, but it seems that my assumption was wrong."


    "You only have yourself to me for this, human," Cornelia replied. "If not for you, we wouldn''t be here right now. So why don''t you take your men and leave?"


    "Do you really think I have no way of defeating you, Lady Cornelia?"


    "I don''t like to fight, but I guarantee that you alone will not be able to defeat me."


    Great General Garret sneered as he held his sword with both hands. "We''ll see about that."


    Lady Cornelia chuckled as she summoned more vines, converting the battlefield into a thorny forest.


    "I know what your ability is, Great General," Cornelia stated as her eyes glowed golden. "You can see ten seconds in the future. However, this ability of yours only works if you are attacked directly or indirectly."


    Great General Garret narrowed his eyes because his opponent got it right. Before her, only two people knew the specifics of his ability.


    One was his king, and the other was the Great Wizard of the Haca Dynasty, who was always by the King''s side.


    "I see, so you have the ability to see the abilities of others," Great General Garret stated. "But, so what? Your attacks will never reach me."


    "Arrogant Human, who said that I am going to attack you?" Cornelia chuckled. "I will just defend, so you can attack me as much as you want. But, do you really have time to deal with someone like me?"


    The Dryad Queen pointed in the direction of the Human Soldiers, who had all huddled up together in a defensive formation.


    "Aren''t you going to save them from that?" Cornelia asked as she used her chin to point in the direction of the Undead Legion that numbered in the thousands, who was making a beeline towards the Haca Dynasty''s Army.


    Great General Garret was initially unconcerned by the Undead Soldiers that were about to collide with his army. There were only thousands of them, and his army was a million strong.


    However, his stance changed when a blizzard suddenly appeared out of nowhere, covering the battlefield in ice and snow.


    Immediately after that, the sound of screams spread in the surroundings, as the Undead Army, who wasn''t affected by the cold, bulldozed their way through their enemies.


    The weakest of Lux''s Summons were Rank 4 Monsters, and they had the advantage when fighting inside a blizzard.


    On the contrary, the Human army couldn''t see past a meter in front of them, making them unable to defend themselves properly from the foes who didn''t fear cold or death.


    Great General Garret knew that this couldn''t go on, so he decided to eliminate the Undead Army to save his men.


    However, before he could even do that, giant vines rose in front of him, blocking his path for the second time.


    "I changed my mind," Cornelia said with a smile. "I''m keeping you here."


    After joining Lux''s Mythical Guild, the Dryad Queen gained 100,000 Free Stats Points, making her more powerful than ever before.


    Although she didn''t like wars and conflicts, she was very eager to test her newfound strength and use it to prevent the Great General of the opposing army from going to the rescue of his men.


    "I will make you regret this, Dryad," Great General Garret. "You should have let me go."


    "The only things I regret in my long life are the decisions I didn''t make," Cornelia replied. "Now, I''ve decided to keep you here. As such, whether I will regret it or not will depend on your ability."


    The two powerful fighters stared at each other for half a minute before the Great General made his move.


    Since he had no choice but to fight the Dryad Queen in front of him, he would not hold back and use the National Treasures of the Haca Dynasty that had been entrusted to him by his King.

 Chapter 613 Don’t Even Think That Your Little Bird Is Enough To Beat Me

    While the Dryad Queen and the Great General were facing off against each other, the Undead were wreaking havoc on the enemy army.


    Diablo, who grew stronger the more dead people there were in the battlefield, was a force of nature that couldn''t be stopped.


    Since the Rankers were having trouble locating their enemies because of the blizzard that appeared out of nowhere, they were only able to fight against the Skeleton Gangbangers, and the zombies that had been revived by the Liches.


    The Death Knight, who could sense the presence of these strong fighters purposely evaded them as he performed a one-sided massacre, killing dozens of people with a single strike.


    Ishtar, on the other hand, was also a killing machine because of her special skill, Coup De Grace.


    Anyone who had a status condition, would receive massive damage from her attacks. When the blizzard appeared, all of the Human Soldiers received the Freezing Debuffs, which slowed their movement and attack speed.


    The Arondight Territories had never experienced snow, because they were in a tropical area.


    Because of this, very few soldiers had the ability to resist the sudden cold, making them unable to do anything in the blizzard.


    Although the Nightstalker couldn''t kill as fast as Diablo, she yed her role really well by singling out all the Initiate Ranked soldiers, killing them with her lethal strikes.


    This allowed the Undead Army, who were Rank 3 and Rank 4 Monsters to overpower their enemies.


    Gerhart and Cethus had also joined the battle because they had long been itching for a fight.


    Only Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura and Livia had remained in the Orc City because they weren''t really fighters, but crafters.


    Lux had summoned Sid to protect all of them, which made the twin girls very happy.


    "If this goes on, we will all perish!" one of the Captains of the Haca Dynasty shouted. "Everyone retreat!"


    No matter how many Undead they killed, they kept on reviving, which made the Humans feel as if they no longer had a chance of victory.


    "Retreat to where?! I can''t see anything around me!"


    "Dammit! What should we do now?!"


    "Just keep fighting! Since we can''t go anywhere, hold your ground and fight!"


    After losing their Great General, no one was able to takemand of the army. No matter how hard the Captains of other battalions tried to organize a proper defense, the cold, and their fear of death made the soldiers unable to think properly.


    As a leader herself, the Dryad Queen understood how important Great General Garret''s role was. Because of this, she had decided to prevent him from taking back themand of his army, allowing Lux''s Undead Legion to kill to their heart''s content.


    Suddenly, the cage of vines that the Dryad Queen had trapped the Great General in burst apart.


    Red mes rose up to the sky as a Red Phoenix opened up its majestic wings to utter a loud screech that spread throughout the battlefield.


    "No matter how strong you are, your vines are weak against Fire," Great General Garret said as he stood behind the giant Celestial Bird of Legends. "The next time we meet, I''ll make sure to burn you to ashes. Let''s go!"


    The Great Generalmanded the Phoenix to fly towards the blizzard in order to help his subordinates. However before the Phoenix could even follow hismand, several vines rose up in the air and wrapped themselves around the Phoenix''s body.


    "While it''s true that Fire is our weakness, do you really think that Phoenix mes are enough to stop me?" the Dryad Queen sneered. "I''ve lived long enough to know how to fight against Fire Type Monsters. Don''t even think that your little bird is enough to beat me."


    As if proving her point, the Phoenix was unable to break free from the green vines that had taken on a darker color. These dark-green vines were very resistant to mes because of the Legendary Treasure that the Dryad Queen had in her possession.


    She didn''t use this earlier because she didn''t want the enemy to know one of her trump cards. However, since her goal was to prevent the Great General from returning to his subordinates, she had no choice but to reveal her hand.


    The Dryad Queen made a slicing motion and a giant vine appeared behind her. This vine thenshed out at the Phoenix like a whip, forcing Great General Garret to dismount from its back.


    With a screech filled with pain, the Phoenix crashed to the ground, creating a zing crater. As if venting her frustration, Cornelia created a dozen more vines and started to whip the fallen Creature non-stop, with the intention of killing it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Soon, the Celestial Bird burst out into mes and shrank down until it became a red feather that shone like rubies.


    This red feather was one of the Legendary National Treasures of the Haca Dynasty, which was personally given to Great General Garret to ensure the sess of their campaign.


    The Golden Shield that ALL-MITE had snatched from Ronan was another National Treasure that was loaned to the High-Ranker by the Dynasty, so that he would be able to contain Barca in battle.


    At first, Great General Garret wanted to retrieve the Phoenix Feather, but after seeing a vision of the future, he could only grit his teeth and retreat towards his army as fast as he could.


    Cornelia frowned, but after pondering for a while, she decided to not follow the Great General.


    ''Gerhart and Cethus, retreat now!'' Lux ordered after seeing the oue of the battle between the Dryad Queen and Great General Garret. ''The Great General is on his way towards you guys. If you don''t want to go to the afterlife, leave now!''


    After hearing that the Big Boss was on his way to take control of the situation, Gerhart and Cethus no longer hesitated and retreated as soon as they could.


    Unlike the Undead Legion that Lux could summon anytime, the two of them were part of the living. Although they knew that there was a chance that the red-headed teenager would revive them if they died, they had no intention of taking that risk.


    As the two made their hasty retreat, ALL-MITE and Zagan sneakily tried to take the Phoenix Feather, but were captured instead by the vines of the Dryad Queen, who found the two bandits quite amusing.


    "Mine," Cornelia said as she wagged the Phoenix Feather in front of Lux''s two subordinates who were hanging upside down in front of her. "Understand?"


    "Yes," ALL-MITE replied.


    "Yes, Ma''am," Zagan answered.


    Cornelia giggled before releasing the two members of Lux''s Covenant, who immediately went to their Master''s side in order to protect him.


    Lux pretended that he didn''t see what his two subordinates did, and ordered Asmodeus to summon Ithaqua back to his side.


    The Creature of the Cold White Silence was not a Monster that would revive itself after it was killed. He needed to pay a Deimos-Ranked Core in order to revive it if it died, and he wanted to save his high-level cores as much as possible.


    Because of this, Ithaqua couldn''t die, so he asked Asmodeus to save it from dying.


    Lux also summoned Diablo and Ishtar to his side, leaving the Skeleton Gang Bangers, Steel Golems, and Liches to continue their rampage.


    Five minutester, a smile appeared on the Half-Elf''s face as he sessfully registered The Destroyer, as one of the Guild''s properties.


    Without even wasting any time, the red-headed teenager sent the Weapon of War to their Guild Treasury, which was located in their Main Guild Headquarters in the Outer Reaches.


    After taking his prize, Lux shifted his attention to the Magical Cannons in the distance and gave Cornelia a devilish smile.


    The corner of the Dryad Queen''s lips twitched, but seeing that she agreed to help Lux in the war against the Haca Dynasty, she reluctantly nodded her head and picked up the Half-Elf like a sack of rice before flying towards the Magical Cannons that the Half-Elf had also set his sights on.


    Great General Garret noticed where the Dryad Queen was going and almost puked out blood in frustration.


    Although he was strong, he would need four more High-Rankers in order to fight the Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster.


    Unfortunately, these strong fighters were busy fighting against Barca and the four Orc Warlords.


    With the Dryad Queen taking possession of their important War Machines, the Great General knew that they could no longer afford to continue the campaign, and ordered a full retreat.


    Naturally, the Orcs didn''t allow them to run away so easily, so they pursued the retreating army mercilessly.


    While all of this was happening, Lux busied himself with securing the Magical Cannons for his Guild, while his Undead Legion apanied the Orcs and chased away the Human army, which had suffered an unexpected loss against the Orc''s counterattack.

 Chapter 614 The Scariest Opponents Are Those Who Have Nothing To Lose

    "What are you doing?" mma asked the Half-Elf who was holding onto the Magical Cannon as if it was something very precious.


    "Taking my spoils," Lux replied. "What are you doing here? Aren''t you going to chase after the soldiers of the Haca Dynasty?"


    "Mother told me not to go."


    "Okay. Don''t disturb me."


    mma wanted to chat with Lux more, but after seeing that he was focusing all of his attention on taking control over the Magical Cannon, he decided to just watch him.


    Truth be told, when Lux defeated him during their duel, mma had started to recognize the Half-Elf''s strength. It was the first time that he had lost to someone in the same age group, so he paid close attention to whatever the Half-Elf was doing.


    This recognition grew exponentially after he discovered that Lux was actually the Guildmaster of the only Mythical Guild in the world.


    When the World Announcement was made, dering that the first Mythical Guild of the world was created, mma dreamed about bing one of its members.


    Orcs were Monsters, so they didn''t have a sense of belonging when it came to a Guild.


    Their n was their family, and that was their concept of belonging to a group. However, that didn''t mean that they were ignorant of the so-called Guilds that the Humans and other nations had.


    After joining Heaven''s Gate and suddenly gaining a boost in strength, as well as getting the Guild Buffs, mma thought that being in a Guild was really nice.


    ''I hope Mother wouldn''t order us to leave the Guild,'' mma thought. ''Also, what are these words appearing in front of me?''


    Since mma had nothing to do, he tried to better understand what being in a Guild was like. It was at that moment when he discovered the Guild Chat.


    Currently, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia, were informing the other members of Heaven''s Gate on what was happening on their mission to the Wanid Kingdom.


    ��------------------


    [ Guild Chat ]


    "What?! You''re getting treasures?!"


    Cai''s message shed in front of mma''s eyes, which surprised the Half-Orc.


    "I should have gone with you guys! I''m so jealous! Fei Fei, let''s go!"


    "Wei~"


    "Cai, I told Rose what you''re nning to do," Keane replied. "She said that you better behave yourself if you don''t want another beating."


    "Hahaha�� Um, what are you talking about? I''m not going anywhere, right Fei Fei?"


    "Wei~"


    ��------------------


    mma was quite amused after seeing the rows of text that were appearing in front of him. He still didn''t know how to use this function, so he simply read everything that was being discussed inside the Guild Chat.


    Lux gave the Half-Orc a side-long nce, and the corner of his lips rose up a bit. Truth be told, he didn''t know if he would be able to keep the majority of the ckrock n inside his Guild.


    But, he was fine with that.


    As long as Lady Avyanna, Barca, Baronar, Oreg, Tanabur, and Mogazar remained, Asmodeus'' n for getting strong members into his Guild worked.


    Also, the Dryad Queen, Cornelia, seemed to like the benefits that she could acquire by staying in Lux''s Guild.


    Although she was just an "honorary member", Lux believed that if the Dryad Queen stayed in his Guild long enough, he would gain another Empyrean-Ranked Fighter that he could call on in times of need.


    ''If I see that bastard Abyssal Creature try to bully me again in the Sacred Dungeon, I''ll give him a surprise he will never forget.''


    Lux had a feeling that he would encounter the fearsome enemy again when he challenged the Gate of Famine, so having Barca around would give him some peace of mind.


    He could only summon Keoza one more time, so he didn''t want to use the Dragon Token unless he was backed into a corner.


    It took the Half-Elf two hours to store all the Magical Cannons inside the Guild''s treasury.


    Draven had sabotaged them to decrease their firepower in order to prevent these weapons of war from destroying the Capital City of the Orcs.


    Of course, now that the Weapons of War belonged to Lux, the Shadow Lord only needed to ask Randolph and the Orc cksmiths to help him repair them.


    He could also draw the blueprint of the Magical Cannons, allowing them to create their own cannons in the future.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''It''s quite unfortunate that the one that made The Destroyer is the Sorcerer Tower of the Haca Dynasty,'' Lux sighed in his heart. ''If we could only get its blueprint, then we could mass produce it as well.''


    The Half-Elf nced at the millions of people that had been turned into crystal statues and wondered what he was going to do with them.


    What others didn''t know was that the people that had been turned into Crystal Statues were still alive.


    Crystal Dragons had the option of turning someone into a true crystal statue, meaning that they would die the moment their bodies turned into crystals.


    Lux chose the second option and simply encased the soldiers into nearly-unbreakable crystal statues.


    If the Half-Elf chose to release them, he could just undo their crystallization and they would return to life instantly.


    Lux might be a Necromancer, but he didn''t like to take the life of others unless it waspletely necessary.


    This was why he chose to summon a Crystal Dragon when he activated the skill,  Peerless Dragon Strike [EX], instead of choosing a Red Dragon whose Fire Breath would incinerate everything in sight.


    ''I guess I''ll put them in the Guild Treasury as well,'' Lux thought. ''I might put them to good use in the future.''


    Nearly six million Soldiers had been turned into Crystal Statues. This was an army that was enough to invade a Kingdom if the right conditions were met.


    Unlike the Weapons of War, the statues were now his property.


    They fell under the "spoils of war" category, so Lux didn''t need to do anything special in order to send them to his treasury.


    The only problem he faced was their sheer numbers. All in all, it took Lux until an hour before sunset to finish depositing all the statues inside his treasury.


    (E/N: Ooo, look! Lawn ornaments.)


    When it was over, the Orcs also returned triumphantly after chasing their enemies for a few hours.


    It seems that the Orcs had a lot of pent up anger after being forced to retreat, and having their Capital City destroyed.


    "All done?" Lux asked Barca who returned with a fearsome smile on his face.


    "All done," Barca replied. "But, I don''t know if they will retreat all the way back to their Dynasty or not. There is a possibility that they will risk everything to go all out and fight us to the death, so I didn''t want to push them into a corner."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. Even a cornered rat would bite if it became desperate enough.


    "The scariest opponents are those who have nothing to lose," Lux said. "I''ll send my Undead to scout their location and see if they are scheming something. Although they suffered a loss today, we can''t be too confident of our victory. Besides, the ckrock n also suffered many casualties."


    Barca sighed after Lux reminded him of the losses that their n had suffered.


    Although they managed to gain the upper hand in the battle a few hours ago, it didn''t change the fact that thousands of brave Orcs had also died in battle.


    Some of these Dead Orcs had turned into zombies, and continued to fight alongside them against the Human army with as much ferocity as they had when they were still alive.


    The Orcs felt conflicted about this turn of events, so they asked Lux that when the war ended, their brethren should be dismissed, so that they could pass peacefully to the afterlife.


    Lux didn''t reject this proposal, and agreed to the Orcs'' request.


    Baronar was also very happy with Lux''s reply, and volunteered to personally send their dead back into the embrace of the Earth Mother through a shamanic ritual.


    While the Orcs, and their allies celebrated their victory, the Haca Dynasty felt very bitter about the oue of the war.


    All the High-Rankers, Rankers and the officers of the Army gathered for a high-level meeting to discuss if they would continue to fight or return to the Haca Dynasty.


    Returning empty handed would be looked down upon by their King, but it was better than dying a senseless death on the battlefield.


    Everyone in the Commander''s Tent stared at their Great General and waited for his decision.


    They had already given their opinions, and it was time to let the Head of their Army decide what to do.


    Great General Garret sighed in his heart before making the decision that would affect the survivors of the war.


    He knew that after he gave his order, his men would follow regardless of what they thought. That was how the army worked, and that was the responsibility he had to carry on his shoulders.


    ''I wish that all of this was just a dream,'' Great General Garret thought as he closed his eyes to rest after everyone left the Commander''s Tent. ''Because if this is nothing more than a nightmare, I want someone to wake me up.''


    That night, the Great General of the Haca Dynasty wasn''t able to sleep a wink.


    He was afraid that if he allowed himself to fall into a deep slumber, the souls of his dead Soldiers would haunt him in his sleep, and drag him down to Hell, where all of them were waiting for him.

 Chapter 615 A Necromancer’s Sincerity [Part 1]

    Ishtar was one of the scouts that Lux had deployed to observe the movement of the Human Army that had retreated a good distance away from the capital city of the Orcs.


    The Humans looked depressed, no longer having the will to fight, at the moment. However, that didn''t mean that they were incapable of fighting.


    If the Great General Garret were to issue an order, all of them would be mobilized ording to his will.


    Suddenly, Ishtar felt something move behind her.


    Before she could even turn around, arge, rough hand grabbed onto her shoulder from behind, holding her in ce.


    "Help me pass a message to the Necromancer," Great General Garret whispered in Ishtar''s ears. "Tell him that I want to negotiate with him."


    As soon as the Great General finished speaking, he removed his hand, allowing Ishtar to regain her freedom.


    "Negotiate?" Ishtar asked as she eyed the man in front of her with suspicion. "What do you want to negotiate?"


    "The oue of this war," Great General Garret said.


    Ishtar pondered for a bit beforemunicating with Lux, informing him about Great General Garret''s proposal.


    "My Master said that he will speak with you through me," Ishtar said after a few minutes. "He said�C"


    "I won''t talk to you," Great General Garret interjected. "I will only talk to your Master. Tell him to personally meet me."


    Ishtar wanted to retort to the Great General, but since Lux was now connected to her, the Half-Elf momentarily took over her consciousness to talk to the enemy general.


    "Whether I meet you personally or not will depend on what you want to talk about," Lux said. "If you''re just going to spout a bunch of nonsense, then you should stop wasting my time."


    Ishtar crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for the Great General''s reply.


    They didn''t expect that the head of the enemy''s army would personallye to negotiate the terms of the war, so they couldn''t help but wonder why Great General Garret was doing this.


    "The reason why I want to talk to you personally is because��"


    ��------------


    Thirty minutester somewhere near the camp of the Haca Dynasty��


    "You''re finally here," Great General Garret said. "Have you epted my condition?"


    "I''ve heard what you have to say," Lux replied. "But how can I trust you? How about you let me kill you, so I can raise you as Undead? That way, I will trust everything you say."


    The corner of the Great General''s lips curled up after hearing Lux''s proposal.


    "A tempting offer, but I have to refuse," Great General Garret said. "There are still things that I need to do, and I can''t do them as an Undead."


    "What a shame. I even n to give you some freebies if you join my side."


    "Maybe in my next life."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lux rubbed his chin as he considered Great General''s Garret proposal. If he agreed, then the war would end in their favor. However, if this was a trap, then the entire ckrock n could be wiped out in a day.


    "I can''t risk the lives of the ckrock n," Lux stated. "If you want to settle this, let''s settle this between ourselves."


    "And you think you can do that by yourself?" Great General Garret scoffed. "Maybe you should have brought Barca with you. It seems like I overestimated your influence over the Orcs."


    Lux shrugged off the Great General''s words as if they weren''t important. For him, he could take responsibility for his own actions if he only moved the forces under hismand.


    However, the ckrock n was different. Although they were now part of his Guild, he didn''t want them to risk their lives on the gamble he was nning to make.


    Unlike the Undead under hismand which he could revive over and over again, he couldn''t take responsibility for the lives of the Orcs. Although he could revive them, a living Orc and an Undead Orc were two different Orcs.


    "I have a different proposal for you," Lux said after several minutes of silence. "Don''t worry, our interests will not have any conflict with each other. There is another way to meet your condition without the need to drag the Orcs to the negotiation table."


    "Oh?" Great General Garret arched an eyebrow. "Tell me, I''m all ears."


    Lux walked closer to the Great General to tell him his n.


    "This is what we''re going to do," Lux said.


    The Great General of the Haca Dynasty listened to his proposal with a frown on his face. However, he didn''t interject even once and simply listened to what Lux had to say.


    "So it is my turn to take a gamble, huh?" Great General Garret chuckled. "You''re making this difficult for the both of us, Necromancer. Just as you said earlier, how can I possibly trust you?"


    Lux smirked before snapping his fingers together, showing something to Great General Garret, which made thetter''s eyes widen in shock.


    "This is my sincerity, Great General," Lux said. "As for whether you wish to trust me or not, that decision lies in your hands."


    ��------------


    Just as the sun was rising from the East, the sounds of war drums echoed in the surroundings.


    "Everyone! The Orcs areing!" One of the Watchers shouted. He then rang the bell to alert everyone, especially those who were still asleep of the danger that was approaching their location.


    "Hateful monsters!" Ronan, who had lost his shield and suffered serious injuries from the previous battle, cursed as he propped himself up from the bed.


    His injuries had already been healed by magic, but his entire body was still sore and as heavy as lead.


    When the Vanguard Commander came out of his tent, he saw everyone in the camp scrambling to pick up their weapons and organize their battle formations.


    Great General Garret sat on top of his Warhorse as he gazed at the Orc Army in the distance.


    ''So it hase to this,'' Great General Garret thought.


    The Commander of the Haca Dynasty pulled out the sword from his scabbard and raised it high in the air.


    "Everyone, hear my orders!" Great General Garret shouted. "Full Retreat! We''re going back to the Dynasty!"

 Chapter 616 A Necromancer’s Sincerity [Part 2]

    "Full Retreat! We''re going back to the Dynasty!"


    As soon as the orders were given, the Vanguard raised their shields and formed a defensive line, while the other soldiers worked together to take down the tents and store everything that they could possibly carry.


    The Orcs were still a good distance away from them, so they had more than enough time to pack everything before they left their temporary camp.


    The High Rankers, all lined up at the front lines, were ring hatefully at the approaching Orcs. Truth be told, they weren''t afraid of fighting them in close quarters.


    However, they were very hesitant to do this because their enemies had managed to capture their Weapons of War.


    If the Orcs used the same tactics they had used against them in the past, then their chances of victory were very slim.


    As if proving their worst fearse to life, a magic cannonball descended from the sky andnded a hundred meters away from the front lines, sending rocks and dirt flying in every direction.


    "Activate the Barriers!" Great General Garret ordered as he rushed to the front lines in order to assist his men in protecting their retreating soldiers. "Don''t let any of those magical cannonballs get past us!"


    The Defenders activated their Shield Walls, shaping a wall of light in front of them that blocked all iing attacks.


    The rumbling noise of magical cannonballs hitting the barrier spread across the battlefield, but their defensive formation remained intact.


    A smoke cloud that was the result of the continuous bombardment covered everyone''s vision, preventing them from seeing what was in front of them.


    One of the High Rankers dispersed the dust cloud because he understood that not being able to see their enemy was a fatal mistake in war. When the Blizzard had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the Undead Army was able to ughter their men one-sidedly. They had suffered a lot due to that.


    As soon as the smoke cloud cleared, everyone saw the Orcs charging in their direction, which made everyone''s face turn grim.


    At the very front of the Orc Charge was Barca, followed closely by the Dryad Queen, Cornelia.


    Seeing this deadly pair, Great General Garret ordered everyone to retreat.


    Ronan, who had run a few meters ahead, turned his head and looked at their Great General in disbelief.


    "Garret, what do you think you''re doing?!" Ronan shouted in anger.


    "Go, Ronan," Great General Garret replied without even bothering to look at hisrade. "I''ll hold them off here."


    "Are you insane?! You can''t hold them on your own!"


    "Just go. I will hold them for as long as I can."


    Great General Garret then took out a token from his storage ring and raised it high up in the air.


    A momentter, an Aurora Borealis that was several kilometers long appeared before him. This was one of the National Treasures of the Haca Dynasty, and its main purpose was to create a barrier that could withstand any attack, even if the said attack came from a Saint.


    "Go now, Ronan," Great General Garret ordered. "You know that this barrier will notst for long. Go back and tell my family that I love them."


    "Garret... must you really do this?!" Ronan gritted his teeth in anger.


    "There is no other way," Great General Garret replied. "If you want to stay, you can stay. But know this--the moment this barrier disappears is also the moment you will lose your life."


    Knowing that the Great General''s words were true, Ronan clenched his fist tightly before running away.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll pass the message to your family!" Ronan shouted as he increased his speed, leaving hisrade behind to deal with the entirety of the Orc Army.


    The Soldiers of the Haca Dynasty were very relieved when their Great General ordered the retreat.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They no longer had the will to fight, and the only thing they wanted now was to return home safely.


    When the Aurora Borealis appeared, the Captains who served under the Great General understood that this was his way of buying time for their escape.


    The National Treasure, which was called the Token of the Northern Lights, was an artifact that drained its user''s mana and life force in return for a powerful barrier that could withstand the blows of a Saint.


    The one who activated it wouldn''t be able to move, keeping the barrier in ce until he was drained dry by the artifact.


    There was also no way to cancel its effects, so it was really a treasure that would trade a person''s life for the survival of others.


    "Great General..." One of the Captains who was leading his men to escape wept as he looked at the beautiful Aurora Borealis in the distance.


    He was not the only one who felt touched by the Great General''s sacrifice. Even the High Rankers couldn''t help but feel sorrow at the loss of one of the most talented individuals of the Haca Dynasty.


    When Ronan regrouped with the retreating soldiers, he gave the Aurora Borealis onest nce and sneered in his heart.


    ''Don''t worry, Garret,'' Ronanughed in his mind. ''I''ll take care of your family--especially your wife and daughters. I''ll make sure to treat them well."


    Ronan and Garret had been best friends since they were young. However, both of them fell in love with the samedy and courted her at the same time.


    Unfortunately for Ronan, thedy chose Garret as her husband. Since then, the Vanguard Commander had hated the Great General in his heart, despite keeping a smile on his face any time the two of them talked.


    During the war, he tried to look for an opportunity to eliminate the Great General and make it look like an ident.


    However, Garret had always stayed at the center of the army, surrounded by his close Aides, so it was impossible for Ronan to make a move and dispose of him.


    ''You saved me a lot of trouble,'' Ronan mused as he kept a sorrowful look on the surface. ''With this, I will surely be the next Great General of the Dynasty. It may take us years to rebuild our army, but when the timees, I will definitely lead the army to conquer the Wanid Kingdom. Farewell, you bastard. I''ll make sure to enjoy everything that belongs to you."


    While Ronan was gloating in his heart, the Orc Army finally reached the Aurora Borealis.


    Barca looked at the Great General, whose hair had already turned white.


    His strong and sturdy body, which had fought many battles, had shrunk considerably, and his strong hands had wrinkled, turning frail with each passing minute.


    Barca, Cornelia, and the Orcs didn''t say anything. They simply watched as the powerful Great General slowly withered away.


    Half an hourter, the Aurora Borealis disappeared, and all that remained was a wrinkled old man, whose eyes had clouded over, no longer able to see.


    "... Keep... your word... Necromancer," Great General Garret said hoarsely. "I... kept... mine."


    Lux nodded. "I will."


    The Great General breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps, due to having received the Half-Elf''s assurance his legs gave way. Just as he was about to fall over, a powerful hand caught him and prevented him from injuring himself further.


    "Take him away, ALL-MITE," Lux ordered.


    The four-armed hero nodded his head and carried the frail old man gently in his arms.


    The Half-Elf then looked in the direction of the retreating army and summoned his Named Creatures to his side.


    "Time to pay the Haca Dynasty a short visit," Lux said softly. "We have a promise to keep."

 Chapter 617 I Found A New Friend! [Part 1]

    The sound of shattering porcin echoed through the room, making the servants attending to their Mistress look up in surprise.


    "M-My Lady, is the tea too hot? Are you hurt?!" one of the servants asked as she looked at her Mistress'' hands to see if she had been burned by the tea she served earlier.


    "Don''t worry, Marie," the beautiful woman reassured her. "The cup simply slipped from my hands. Please, have someone clean it up."


    "At once, My Lady."


    Sarah Osbourne, the Mistress of the House, gazed solemnly at the broken tea cup on the floor.


    For a brief moment, she felt as if someone had gripped her heart, making her loosen the grip on the cup that she was about to drink from.


    ''Garret��,'' Sarah thought. ''I hope nothing happened to you.''


    It had been four days since the full retreat of the Human Army from the Wanid Kingdom.


    The Haca Dynasty was still unaware that their recent campaign ended up in failure as the retreating army was still on their way back to the border.


    As the wife of the Great General of their Dynasty, Sarah was treated in high regard, and many wanted to gain her favor.


    But she wasn''t the type who liked to mingle in politics. The only things she cared for were her husband and her three daughters, whom she loved very much.


    "Marie, do you know where my daughters are?" Sarah asked the maid that was busy collecting the broken pieces of the teacup that had shattered on the floor.


    "Mydy, your eldest is in her room and painting," Marie reported. "As for the other two, I believe that they are ying together in the garden."


    "I see��" Sarah couldn''t shake off the anxious feeling in her heart, so she decided to go to her eldest daughter''s room to chat with her for a bit until the uneasiness she was feeling disappeared.


    ��---------


    Meanwhile, outside the Ousborne Residence��


    "Master, are you sure about this?" Draven asked.


    "We''ve alreadye this far," Lux replied. "Besides, we don''t have much time left. If we don''t hurry, that Ronan guy might arrive here through the teleportation gate. When that happens, our mission will be more difficult."


    The Half-Elf then crouched down and patted Eiko''s head.


    "Eiko, I will leave the rest to you,"  Lux said softly. "Do your best, okay?"


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded her head with determination.


    "Draven, watch over her."


    "As youmand, Master."


    Eiko opened her mouth and swallowed her Papa whole. Draven looked at the Baby Slime with aplicated look on his face, but since his Master had given his orders, he had no option but to obey it.


    After storing her Papa inside her body, Eiko crawled on the wall with the intention of going to the other side.


    Draven merged with Eiko''s shadow because he was tasked to protect the Baby Slime from any harm.


    The Great General''s residence was heavily protected by many powerful fighters, so if Lux were to enter through the backdoor, they would definitely sense him.


    On the other hand, since Eiko was a Baby Slime, the guards might not see her as a threat, allowing her to explore the residence unhindered.


    ''Pa!'' Eiko talked to Lux via telepathy as soon as she jumped over the wall, andnded on a field of flowers.


    ''Very good, Eiko,'' Lux replied. ''Now, all we need to do is�C''


    Lux wasn''t able to finish whatever he was going to say because a shadow fell over Eiko''s body.


    The Baby Slime turned her head and saw a little girl, who seemed to be around five to six years old, looking at her with curiosity.


    "A Slime?'' The girl crouched down and looked at Eiko closely. "A Baby Slime?"


    "Hi!" Eiko said with a smile, which made the little girl cry out in surprise.


    Half a minuteter, the little girl regained herposure and lightly poked the Baby Slime that was as soft as jelly.


    "You can talk?" the little girl asked.


    Eiko nodded. "Un!"


    "My name is Leah, what''s your name?"


    "Eiko!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What a cute name! Nice to meet you, Eiko!"


    "Meet you!"


    Now that she was acquainted with the Baby Slime, Leah felt a lot braver and picked up Eiko from the ground.


    "What are you doing here, Eiko?" Leah asked. "Do you want to y with me?"


    "Un!" Eiko nodded. "But! Need to find Mama first!"


    "Your Mama?"


    "No! Your Mama!"


    "My Mama?"


    "Yes!"


    The Baby Slime nodded her head, which made Leah giggle.


    "Okay, I''ll take you to my Mama," Leah replied with a smile. "Let''s y after you meet her, okay?"


    "Un!"


    Having found a new friend, Leah ran towards the house carrying the Baby Slime in her hands. The first person she saw was Marie, who had juste out of the kitchen, carrying a tray of tea and desserts.


    "Marie! I found a new friend!" The little girl happily showed the Baby Slime to the Maid, which made thetter almost drop the tray in her hands.


    "Leah, where did you find this Monster?" Marie asked. "Don''t you know that you shouldn''t casually touch them? What if they attacked you? Get rid of that Slime right now!"


    "No!" Leah pulled her hand back close to her chest. "Eiko is my friend, she won''t hurt me!"


    "No hurt!" Eiko replied, which made the Maid scream and drop the tray she was holding on the floor.


    "S-Someone! Anyone! Save the youngdy from the Monster in her hands!" Marie shouted, which alerted the other servants in the house.


    Leah couldn''t understand why their Maid was so scared of Eiko even though she was so cute. The only thing she knew was that she couldn''t let anyone hurt her friend, so she immediately ran towards the stairs in order to find her Mama.


    Eiko, who was being carried by the little girl, found this event quite exciting.


    "Run, Leah!" Eiko said happily. "Run!"


    The Baby Slime thought that the two of them were ying, so she supported her new friend''s action and cheered for her.


    Leah, who was also emboldened by Eiko''s encouragement, giggled as she ran towards her mother''s room in order to find her.


    "Mama?" Marie asked as she opened the room. "Are you here?"


    "Hello?" Eiko said. "Here?"


    The two looked around together, but it didn''t take long for them to realize that Leah''s Mama wasn''t inside her room.


    "Let''s go to my sister''s room!" Leah said.


    "Un!" Eiko replied. "Go!"


    As soon as the two left Sarah''s room, the Maids, as well as a few Guards of the residence, appeared in the hallway and pointed in their direction.


    "There they are!" Marie shouted. "Don''t let that Monster harm our youngdy!"


    "Lady Leah, you''re safe now," one of the Guards said as he approached the little girl with a smile on his face. "Just give me that Baby Slime, and everything will be fine."


    Instead of obeying, Leah held Eiko close to her chest as if trying to protect her.


    "Don''te closer!" Leah shouted. "Eiko is my friend! Don''t take her away!"


    The Baby Slime red at the Guard who wanted to snatch her away from Leah''s hand. Truth be told, Eiko was itching to summon a st Bomb and throw it at the annoying Guard''s face.


    However, Lux, whom she was sharing her senses with, repeatedly reminded her to not hurt anyone in the residence.


    Just as things were about to get out of hand, Sarah appeared in the hallway, apanied by a teenage girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes.


    Now that Sarah was here, Leah felt more at ease because she knew that her Mama was always on her side.

 Chapter 618 I Found A New Friend! [Part 2]

    "What''s going on here?" Sarah asked. "Why are all of you here?"


    "M-Mydy, your daughter picked up a Monster and is calling it her friend," Marie reported. "We are just trying to take the Monster away from her, but she ran away. I had to call the Guards in order to help me deal with the Slime that is threatening the youngdy''s life."


    Sarah frowned and nced at the slime in Leah''s hands.


    When she saw that the Baby Slime wasn''t doing anything to hurt her daughter, the worry in her heart decreased. Also, a single nce was enough to tell that her youngest daughter was doing her best to shield the Monster from harm, so Sarah decided to handle this personally.


    "I''ll take over from here," Sarah stated as she walked towards Leah with steady steps. "All of you return to your duties."


    Although they were reluctant, the Maids and the Guards obeyed, and left together.


    When only Sarah, Leah, Eiko, and her eldest child, Alexa, were left, peace once again returned inside the Ousborne residence.


    "Leah, my love, where did you find your new friend?" Sarah crouched down and asked her daughter.


    "I found her in the garden," Leah replied. "Her name is Eiko. Isn''t she cute?"


    Leah no longer hid Eiko and showed her to her Mama with a big smile on her face.


    "Hi!" Eiko said, which made Sarah arch an eyebrow.


    This wasn''t the first time she had seen a talking Monster. In fact, her father and mother had raised a Great Wolf back in their Ancestral Residence and taught it how to talk.


    "Hello, Eiko. How are you?" Sarah asked.


    "I''m fine," Eiko replied. "Let''s talk!"


    "Oh? You want to talk to me?"


    "Yes!"


    "What do you want to talk about?"


    Eiko didn''t answer right away. Instead she spat something out, which Sarah caught by reflex.


    The beautiful woman''s eyes widened in shock after seeing the golden pendant in her hand. Its design was very familiar, and it made her heart start to beat rapidly inside her chest.


    Using her thumb, she deftly pried it open, and a projection appeared, showing her, and her daughters smiling back at her.


    This familiar image made Sarah''s heart skip a beat, and she looked at the Baby Slime on her daughter''s hands with a solemn expression on her face.


    "You said you want to talk, right?" Sarah gripped the pendant firmly in her hand.


    "Yes," Eiko replied. "Important talk!"


    Sarah closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths in order to calm herself down. When she finally regained herposure, she patted Leah''s head, and the little girl looked up at her in confusion.


    "Leah, I need to talk with Eiko for a while," Sarah said. "We need to talk in private. Are you fine with that?"


    "Can the two of us y after you finish talking?" Leah asked. Her blue eyes held a tinge of anxiety in it because she didn''t know if her Mama would hurt her new friend or not.


    "Of course you can. Isn''t that right, Eiko?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Un! y with Leahter!"


    Seeing that the Baby Slime had assured her that both of them would yter, Leah finally passed Eiko to her Mama, and took a step back.


    "Thank you, Leah," Sarah said as she stood up. "I''ll talk with Eiko for a bit. You go with your sister Alexa for the time being."


    Sarah didn''t even wait for her daughter''s reply and entered her room with Eiko without another word.


    After closing the door, she activated the sound proofing spell to prevent anyone from hearing her talk with Eiko.


    "Okay, Eiko, let''s talk," Sarah said as she ced the Baby Slime on top of the table. "What happened to my husband? Why do you have his pendant?"


    The baby slime looked up at the beautiful woman and nodded her head.


    "Wait!" Eiko replied. "Papa will talk to you!"


    Eiko didn''t bother to answer Sarah''s question because she had already decided to let her Papa handle the rest.


    The Baby Slime opened her mouth wide, and spat out a red-headed teenager, which made Sarah summon her sword in preparation to strike.


    "Wait!" Lux hurriedly said, raising both of his hands in surrender. "I came here because Great General Garret has an important message to tell you."


    Sarah''s sword was only a foot away from Lux''s face, and a simple thrust would be enough to pierce through his head.


    "Start talking," Sarah stated. "If I don''t like what you''re going to say, I''ll kill you."


    Although Sarah looked like a harmless housewife, she was in fact a warrior who had fought battles alongside her husband Garret.


    Lux was taken aback when he realized that the woman before him was actually a C-Ranker, several leagues stronger than him.


    Of course, if he were to fight seriously, he was confident that he would be able to gain the upper hand. However, he didn''t go to the Ousborne residence to fight.


    "Instead of me talking, it will be best if you let Garret talk to you personally," Lux replied while taking a round mirror out of his storage ring and holding it over his chest, reflecting Sarah''s face on its surface. "Sir Garret, your wife is here."


    As soon as Lux said those words, the surface of the mirror began to blur. A momentter, a wrinkled old man with clouded eyes appeared in the mirror.


    Sarah''s hand slowly rose up until it covered her lips.


    Although this was her first time seeing the old man, she was certain that it was none other than her beloved husband, whom she hadn''t seen for nearly two weeks.


    ��------------


    While this was happening, the teleportation gate of the capital city of the Haca Dynasty, Aspen, glowed brightly.


    A few secondster, a dozen men appeared, making those that were watching over the Teleportation Gate gasp in surprise.


    "Finally, I''m back," Ronan muttered as he nced at the Castle in the distance. "I''ll go first to see His Majesty. After that��"


    The Commander of the Vanguard shifted his attention to arge manor that was located within the firstyer of the Noble District.


    ''I''ve waited many years for this, Sarah,'' Ronan thought as the image of the woman he loved for a very long time appeared in his head. ''Finally, you will belong to me.''

 Chapter 619 Are We In Danger?

    "Garret, my love, what happened?" Sarah asked, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes, as she looked at the withered old man in front of her.


    Great General Garret let out a deep sigh before answering his wife''s question.


    "The campaign to conquer the Wanid Kingdom has failed," Great General Garret replied. "The one responsible for our loss is none other than the messenger I asked to talk to you right now.


    "His name is Lux Von Kaizer, and I pleaded with him to take you and our daughters away from the Haca Dynasty. Sarah, with the way I am now, I no longer hold any value to the King. It is only a matter of time before those who bear ill will toward me and my family make their move. I''m afraid that if you don''t evacuate quickly, it will be toote for all of you."


    Sarah carefully listened to her husband''s words and didn''t interrupt him. She knew that Great General Garret had many enemies, and they only stayed their hand because of the role that he yed in the Haca Dynasty.


    Now that he was gone, those who had been holding back their grudges would soon set their sights on their family, which was something she was aware of.


    Sarah''s gaze became sharp as she looked at the Half-Elf holding the mirror in his hand.


    The beautiful woman looked gentle on the outside, but she was in fact a C-Ranker who was a veteran on the battlefield.


    Her hands opened and closed as she fought the strong urge to break the Half-Elf''s neck for what happened to her husband, but after listening to Great General Garret''s exnation, she willed herself to not do anything and held her anger at bay.


    While Garret was talking to his wife, Draven appeared beside Lux and whispered something in his ear.


    ''Are you sure?'' Lux asked through telepathy.


    ''Yes, Master,'' Draven reported. ''The Shadow Warriors that I assigned near the Teleportation Gate have confirmed the arrival of several High-Rankers. One of them is the Vanguard Commander, Ronan.''


    ''Where are they headed?''


    ''In order to avoid being detected, the Shadow Warriors didn''t dare to move from their location. All they knew was that there were six of them, and all of them were High-Rankers.''


    Lux no longer hesitated and interjected in the conversation between Great General Garret and his wife.


    "I''m sorry, but Commander Ronan has just arrived here in the Capital," Lux reported his subordinates'' findings. "There are other High-Rankers with him. Lady Sarah, if possible, please gather your daughters. We can''t afford to wait."


    After hearing Lux''s report, Great General Garret''s expression became grim.


    "Sarah, take the kids with you," Great General Garret said. "Don''t bother taking the treasures out of the house. Just prioritize our daughters first. I''m afraid that Ronan still has feelings for you, and now that I can''t do anything, he might use this opportunity to make his move. My love, please, hurry. I will wait for you here in the Wanid Kingdom."


    As soon as he finished saying his farewell, the connection was cut and the mirror returned to its original state.


    "Your name is Lux, right?" Sarah asked as he stared at the Half-Elf with a solemn gaze. "Are you capable of taking us out of the Capital City?"


    Lux nodded. "Rest assured. I have already made my preparations."


    Sarah took a deep breath before leaving the room in haste.


    Her husband was dead in the eyes of his subordinates. Now that they had arrived, it wouldn''t take long for his enemies to get wind of the news.


    The first ce she went to was her eldest daughter''s room. She had asked Alexa to look after Leah, while she talked with the Baby Slime in private, who had summoned her Papa to personally talk to her.


    "Mother, are you done talking with Eiko?" Leah asked as soon as she saw her mother enter the room. "Can I y with her now?"


    "You can y with herter, sweetheart," Sarah replied. "For now, I need you to stay close to me. Alexa, do you know where Emily is?"


    Alexa vaguely sensed the anxiety on her mother''s face, so she answered her mother truthfully.


    "Emily said that she will go to the Marketce to buy something," Alexa replied. "Why, Mother? Did something happen?"


    Sarah''s face turned ashen after hearing her daughter''s reply. She couldn''t possibly leave her daughter behind, so she nned to look for Emily herself.


    "Pack some of your clothes," Sarah ordered. "Don''t take any fancy dresses. Take clothes that are meant for outdoor travel."


    "Mother, are we in danger?"


    "Don''t ask questions, My Dear. Just do what I say. I will exin itter once I find your sister. Make sure to pack clothes for Leah as well."


    Alexa nodded and did as she was told. She didn''t fail to notice the red-headed teenager standing by the doorway and had a Baby Slime perched on top of his head.


    Sarah approached Lux and asked him to protect her daughters, but the Half-Elf rejected her request.


    "Do you have a portrait of your daughter?" Lux asked. "I can find her faster. Just tell me where the Marketce is."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Great General Garret''s wife knew that Lux was as much in a hurry as her, so she didn''t hesitate and took out their family painting from her storage ring.


    "This is Emily," Sarah pointed at a girl who seemed to be around twelve to fourteen years old. "Please, find her."


    "Don''t worry," Lux replied. "Draven, go find her. We don''t have time, so just kidnap her. If she resists, I permit you to knock her unconscious."


    Draven bowed. "Yes, Master."


    When Sarah heard Lux and his Shadow Lord discuss using force to kidnap her daughter right in front of her, she almost used her fist to blow the pair''s head.


    But she understood that the situation called for it, and they couldn''t be too picky with their methods.


    "I''ll go pack my clothes," Sarah said. "But know this. I will not leave behind any of my family members. Do you understand?"


    "I understand." Lux nodded. "I''ll do my best."


    After getting Lux''s assurance, Sarah went straight to the Master''s Bedroom, where she and her husband slept together.


    Although Great General Garret said that she didn''t need to pack their treasures, she couldn''t possibly leave them behind.


    They were their family heirlooms, and it would be a waste to let others have them.


    Lux, who had been left in Alexa''s room, closed his eyes and leaned on the wall.


    Eiko was talking with Leah, while her sister finished packing her belongings. Just like Sarah, Alexa had important items in her possession that she had no intention of leaving behind.


    After making sure that everything important was stored in her storage ring, she held Leah''s hand and walked out of the room.


    Lux followed behind her because their safety was his top priority.


    ---------


    In the Capital City''s Marketce...


    "How much is this?" asked a pretty girl with blonde hair and blue eyes to the merchant in front of her.


    "You have good eyes, Young Miss," the Merchant replied with a smile. "That ne came from the Wanid Kingdom and is said to be blessed by the Spirits themselves. It is yours for a very cheap price of 500 gold coins."


    "500 Gold Coins?" the pretty girl frowned. "I''ll buy it for 100 Gold Coins."


    "My Lady, I can''t possibly sell it to you for that price. How about 450 gold coins?"


    "100 Gold Coins."


    "400 Gold Coins."


    "100 Gold Coins."


    "Hahaha, mydy, you really know how to bargain."


    While the Merchant was thinking about how he could negotiate with the pretty girl that was adamant about buying his ne for 100 Gold Coins, a man who was two meters tall appeared behind Emily.


    "Is that you Emily?" the man asked, making the girl look behind her.


    "Uncle Ronan?" Emily was surprised to see the kind Uncle who had always given her birthday presents on her birthday appear behind her. "What are you doing here? Did you finish conquering the Wanid Kingdom? Has my father already returned?"


    A devilish smile appeared on Ronan''s face as he crouched down to pat the pretty girl on the head.


    He was on his way to the Royal Pce in order to report to their king what happened on their campaign, but after seeing a familiar face in the Marketce, he decided to pass the responsibility of reporting to their King to hispanions.


    This also gave him the perfect excuse to go to the Ousborne Residence in order to see Great General Garret''s Wife, whom he was eager to meet after a long time.


    Emily''s Personal Guards, who were tasked to keep watch on their youngdy, followed behind Ronan''s Carriage. Since they were familiar with the Vanguard Commander, they allowed Emily to go with him.


    If only they knew that the kind Uncle had evil designs for their Master''s family, all of them would have risked their lives in order to rescue Emily and take her away from the man who wished to make her mother his woman.

 Chapter 620 Today, I Will Make You Mine!

    Emily''s face brightened at the thought of seeing her father again.


    Ronan, knowing the thoughts running through the little girl''s head, only smiled and looked at the Merchant, who was now sweating buckets after seeing Ronan.


    Everyone in the Haca Dynasty knew of him, and the way the pretty girl was interacting with him was enough to tell the Merchant that their rtionship was very close.


    "My Lady, you said you wanted to buy this for 100 Gold Coins right?" the Merchant asked as he anxiously rubbed his palms together. "Today is a good day, so I will sell it to you for 100 Gold Coins."


    "Really?" Emily smiled like a blooming flower. She thought that her bargaining skills had allowed her to save hundreds of gold coins, which made her very happy.


    "Yes. Please, take it for 100 Gold Coins."


    "Thank you. Here is the payment."


    After paying for the ne, the Merchant ced it inside an ornate box before respectfully passing it to Emily.


    There was no way that he could offend the Commander of the Haca Dynasty, so even if he had to suffer a loss, he wouldpromise for the sake of his future.


    "Uncle, I''m good at bargaining, right?" Emily looked at Ronan with a very proud look on her face.


    "Indeed," Ronan patted the pretty girl''s head with a smile. "I''m sure that after a few years, you will be better at bargaining. Do you n to buy anything else here? Or are you nning to go home now?"


    Emily pondered for a bit before shaking her head.


    "I''ve already bought a few things, Uncle Ronan," Emily replied. "I want to go back home and see Father."


    "Emily, your Father is still on the battlefield." Ronan lied. "He was worried about you girls, so he asked me to pass a message to your mother. That is the reason why I am here."


    "I see..." Emily looked disappointed, but she understood that her father had a lot of responsibilities to do.


    Perhaps among her sisters, she was the one who idolized their father the most, and this was why she was really looking forward to his return.


    "Since you''re going home, allow me to apany you," Ronan said as he offered his hand to Emily.


    "Thank you, Uncle," Emily replied as she offered her hand to her father''s right-hand man who had always treated her and her family very well.


    Ronan escorted Emily to his carriage before ordering the coachman to head towards the Ousborne Residence.


    A few minutes after they left the Marketce, Draven and his Shadow Warriors arrived and scouted the area. Lux had given them a very important mission, and they needed to find Emily as soon as possible.


    They had no idea that the one they were looking for was being apanied by the most dangerous person on their list.


    ------------


    Ousborne Mansion...


    "Is there still no news?" Sarah asked Lux, who was seated on the couch and calmly drinking a cup of tea.


    "My subordinates have nearly scouted the entire Marketce, and they still can''t find Emily," Lux replied. "Are there other ces that she might have gone to?"


    Sarah shook her head. Her second daughter always liked to explore the city, while being apanied by her personal guards.


    Since she always had guards with her, Sarah had given her daughter permission to leave the house anytime she wanted.


    Alexa and Leah were also in the room and waiting patiently for the arrival of their sister. Their mother had insisted that all of them stay together so that they could leave anytime.


    While Lux and Sarah were feeling a bit anxious about Emily''s whereabouts, they heard the sound of running footsteps in the hallway.


    "My Lady, Miss Emily has returned," Marie reported.


    However, before Lux and Sarah could breathe a sigh of relief, the Maid''s next words made their bodies stiffen.


    "She is not alone," Marie continued her report. "Commander Ronan escorted her back."


    Lux and Sarah exchanged a nce, and both of their faces didn''t look good.


    "Alexa, take Leah to your room," Sarah ordered. "I will meet with Commander Ronan first."


    Alexa nodded her head and hastily took Leah out of the room. As per Lux''s orders, Eiko apanied the two girls, while he remained with Sarah.


    "Go hide in the closet and erase your presence," Sarah said. "I will try to send Ronan away as soon as possible."


    "Be careful," Lux replied before going to the closet to hide.


    As soon as the closet door closed, Sarah waved her hand and removed all traces of smell in the room. She had also hidden the teacups and snacks that were on the table.


    Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door, which informed her that Ronan had arrived.


    "Come in," Sarah stated in a crisp and formal tone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The door opened and the Vanguard Commander of the Haca Dynasty walked in as if he owned the ce.


    "It has been a while since I saw you, Sarah," Ronan said. "You''re still as beautiful as always."


    "And you still like to tter me as usual," Sarah replied with a smile. Her gaze thennded on her daughter, who was holding hands with Ronan, which made her stomach churn on the inside. "Emily, your Uncle and I will talk for a while. Why don''t you go to Alexa''s room for a while? Leah is with her right now."


    "Okay," Emily nodded. "Uncle, I''ll see youter."


    "Okay." Ronan grinned as he let go of the pretty girl''s hand. "y nice with your sisters."


    As soon as Emily left the room, Ronan locked the door before walking towards Sarah, who was doing her best to keep herself calm.


    "Ronan, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked. "Where is my husband?"


    Instead of answering her, Ronan continued to walk towards her until their bodies were only a foot apart.


    "Sarah, do you know? I''ve always loved you," Ronan replied. "Ever since the moment Iid my eyes on you, you''ve always been in my mind. Garret didn''t deserve you. You should have married me instead of him."


    "R-Ronan, what are you talking about?" Sarah backed away, sensing that Ronan was starting to lose control of his emotions. "S-Stay back!"


    "Stay back?" Ronan chuckled as his gazended on Sarah''s voluptuous body. "I''ve been holding back for years. You don''t understand how painful it was to watch as you and Garret walk hand in hand together.


    "You don''t understand how much it drives me crazy every time I think that he has you in his embrace at night. The mere thought of him touching you is enough to make me want to kill people! No. Sarah, I will not stay back. Today, I will make you mine!"


    Sarah summoned her sword and immediately shed the crazed man who no longer cared about past friendships and simply wanted to make her his conquest.


    Ronan grabbed the de of the sword with his hand before forcefully tearing it out of Sarah''s grip.


    The Commander of the Vanguard was a High-Ranker, so he was several times stronger than the beautiful woman of his dreams. Sarah knew this as well and understood that she was at a great disadvantage.


    Ronan understood that Sarah had decided to fight him to the bitter end, but he had already anticipated this scenario and made preparations.


    Activating the ring on his finger, Ronan''s speed suddenly increased as he moved behind Sarah to deliver a chop to the back of her neck.


    The blow was enough to make the beautiful woman lose consciousness, but Ronan caught her before her body could even fall to the ground.


    "Finally, you''re mine, Sarah." Ronan kissed Sarah''s neck and greedily inhaled her scent. His right hand then moved to tear apart her dress, baring her breasts, which intensified the lust that was burning in his heart.


    Knowing that the beautiful woman wouldn''t be waking up anytime soon, Ronan carried her to the bed, so that she could fully see her naked beauty.


    The anticipation of corrupting another''s wife by taking her without her consent made the horrible man''s member be rock-hard.


    "Don''t worry, I promise to take good care of you and your daughters," Ronan said as he took off his own clothes. "I will make all of you my women. Alexa has alreadye of age and has grown as beautiful as you. I will make her my concubine and make you my main wife. That way, all of us can stay as a family."


    After taking off all of his clothes, Ronan was very keen to start his conquest and mark Sarah with his colors.


    (E/N: I want to cut off this bastard''s d*ck so bad. Yours is next if you don''t end this well.)


    (A/N: Kekeke.)


    Garret''s best friend then spread Sarah''s legs apart, about to start with the deed, but before he could even take action, a hand rested on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.


    "You fools can just have fun with the maids!" Ronan growled in anger as he shrugged off the hand that was holding onto his shoulder. "We already discussed this. I take Sarah and her daughters, while you bastards have fun with the servants!"


    Ronan turned around to re hatefully at the person that was trying to get in his way.


    However, instead of seeing a person, what he saw was arge fist that was only inches away from his face.


    A secondter, the High-Ranker''s body smashed against the wall, destroying itpletely.


    The force of the punch was so strong that it sent Ronan smashing through every wall in the Ousborne Residence.


    Before Ronan could even regain his bnce, he received another punch in his face, sending him flying out of the Noble District, and crashing into the Commoner''s District.


    "Should I finish him?" Barca asked as he looked at the Half-Elf who had covered Sarah''s naked body with a nket.


    "No," Lux replied. "We are in the Capital City of the Haca Dynasty. Let''s leave before their reinforcements arrive."


    The Half-Elf then carried the unconscious Sarah and ran toward Alexa''s room in order to start their evacuation n.


    Now that he had secured Great General Garret''s family members, all he needed to do was leave the Haca Dynasty as soon as possible and take them all to safety.


    -----------


    (A/N: Sorry to disappoint you r0cket =P )

 Chapter 621 To Think I Would Die To See This Day!

    "Mama!" Leah cried out in rm when she saw Lux enter the room carrying her unconscious Mama in a nket.


    "What happened?!" Alexa immediately checked her mother''s condition as soon as Luxid her down on the bed.


    "Ronan knocked her unconscious and tried to rape her," Lux replied. There was no time for him to sugarcoat things, so he bluntly told the truth.


    "Impossible!" Emily immediately rejected Lux''s words. "Uncle Ronan would never do such a thing!"


    The pretty girl was about to follow up on her deration, but when she saw Barca enter the room, a scream uncontrobly escaped her lips.


    This was the first time she saw a scary-looking Monster, and it made her faint.


    "Eiko, swallow her," Lux ordered.


    "Pa!" Eiko obeyed her Papa''s orders and swallowed the unconscious girl, which made Leah''s and Alexa''s eyes widen in shock.


    "Don''t worry, your sister is safe," Lux exined. "Eiko just stored her inside her body, and didn''t eat her."


    Leah, who treated Eiko as her new friend, picked up the Baby Slime and lightly shook her body.


    This act made Eiko giggle as her body jiggled due to Leah''s shaking.


    "Take this, Lux," Barca said as he took a purple potion bottle from his storage ring. "This will wake that woman."


    Lux didn''t hesitate and, with Alexa''s help, he gently poured the contents of the bottle inside Sarah''s lips.


    Half a minuteter, the beautiful woman''s eyes fluttered open as she regained consciousness.


    "Mother! Are you fine?" Alexa asked worriedly.


    "A-Alexa?" Sarah winced due to the sudden yet fleeting pain that she felt inside her head. Her mind felt groggy and she still couldn''t think properly. However, when the memories of what happened earlier came back to her, she almost bolted out of the bed to summon her weapon.


    Fortunately, instead of seeing Ronan, the first man he saw was Lux, which made her regain herposure.


    "Where is that bastard Ronan?" Sarah asked. "And who is he?"


    Sarah also noticed Barca at the corner of the room, which made her frown. But after sensing no hostility from the Half-Orc, she lowered her guard as she tried to assess their current situation.


    Even so, she could hear loud explosions going off in the surroundings as if they were currently in the middle of a battlefield.


    "Ronan has been dealt with temporarily, but he will most likely be back," Lux exined as calmly as he could. "We need to get out of here now before his reinforcements arrive. Your daughter, Emily, has already been swallowed by Eiko. She''s safe now. If we want to escape from here, all of you must cooperate with me and allow Eiko to swallow all of you."


    Sarah took a deep breath before looking at her eldest daughter with a solemn gaze.


    "Leah, Alexa, we need to leave our home to see your father," Sarah exined. "Right now, our family is facing difficult times, and I am afraid that without your father here, none of us will be safe."


    "I understand, Mother," Alexa nodded. "I will cooperate."


    "I will cooperate as well!" Leah said while still holding Eiko in her hand.


    Lux looked at Sarah''s two daughters and smiled. "Good. Don''t resist and allow Eiko to swallow the two of you. We need to leave at once."


    Half a minuteter, Alexa and Leah were stored inside Eiko''s body. The Baby Slime was about to swallow Sarah next, but unexpectedly, the Maid of the House, Marie, as well as the Ousborne Family''s other retainers, rushed into the room with anxious looks on their faces.


    "My Lady, Monsters have started to appear in the residence!" Marie reported as she tried to cover her torn dress with a towel.


    "Marie, what happened to you?" Sarah asked as her face distorted into rage.


    "Nothing happened, My Lady," Marie replied. "Monsters suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked the people that tried to�� that tried to."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Marie couldn''t bear to continue what she was going to say and simply burst into tears. The other Maids cried as well, while the injured soldiers looked down on the floor as if they were ashamed for not being able to protect their Master''s Residence from those who tried to defile it.


    More explosions reverberated in the surroundings, and this time, shouts of fear, anger, and surprise could be heard from outside of the residence.


    "Can we take them with us?" Sarah asked. "They''ve been loyal to our family for years. I can''t bear to leave them behind like this."


    Lux sighed before nodding his head. "Eiko, summon your clones."


    "Pa!"


    Sarah exined to their retainers to not resist as they got swallowed by the clones of the Baby Slime that would take them to safety.


    "You too, Lady Sarah," Lux stated. "Allow Eiko to swallow you as well."


    "Thank you, Lux," Sarah replied. "Good luck with your escape."


    Lux gave Sarah a reassuring smile, despite the fact that he was feeling very anxious about their current situation.


    Once Great General Garret''s wife was stored safely inside Eiko''s body, Lux finally nced at Barca and nodded his head.


    The Half-Elf jumped outside of the window and gazed at the smoke that was rising up from the Noble''s District due to the battle that was raging between the Four Orc Warlords, and the High-Rankers that apanied Ronan to the Ousborne Residence.


    "Arise!" Lux raised his hand and summoned his Undead Legion to his side. He also summoned his Clones, further increasing the number of fighters that would do his bidding.


    Eiko copied her Papa''s Skills, further increasing the number of Undead Warriors, Steel Golems, and gue Wing Gargoyles.


    "Hahaha! What a sight!" Asmodeus chuckled as he, too, summoned his clones and unleashed his own Undead Legion. "To think I would live to see this day. Um, I mean�� to think I would die to see this day!"


    Currently, Lux''s army numbered over a whopping 25,000 strong. Most of the Undead Army was summoned by the 50 Liches, who could revive 50 zombies each.


    Since Lux''s, Eiko''s, and Asmodeus'' clones could summon these Liches as well, the number of Undead in Lux''s Arsenal swelled to such a degree that he could destroy a town if he wanted.


    "If possible, avoid killing people," Lux ordered. "Our goal is to ruin Ronan''s reputation. I''ll leave this matter to you, Asmodeus."


    "Understood, Master," Asmodeus patted his chest with confidence. "Leave this to me. Please, escape the city as fast as you can."


    Lux gave the city onest nce before asking Eiko to swallow him.


    "Mistress, be careful," Asmodeus said softly. "Draven, protect them."


    "With my life," Draven replied as he merged with Eiko''s shadow.


    The three Baby Slimes, with Eiko as the lead, burrowed into the ground. There was a barrier protecting the city, but it didn''t cover the earth below. Because of this, Eiko managed to sneak past it, helping Lux to infiltrate the city.


    She was going to use the same method in order to escape it, and bring her Papa and the people inside her body to safety.


    Asmodeus, who had been given full control of Lux''s Undead Legion, used the skill Skeleton Make and created a Megaphone that would allow his voice to be heard through the entirety of the city.


    "Listen, Citizens of the Haca Dynasty!" Asmodeus shouted. "Today, our Great Commander, Ronan Asinus, deres a coup against the Royal Family! Those who have long wished to rece the Tyrant King should rise up and join our cause! All forces attack the castle!"


    The Undead Legion then rushed towards the Royal Pce, making those who were in the way scream and run to safety.


    The Unholy Army didn''t even give these people a second nce as they executed their mission.


    A mission that would go down in the history books, and would be retold countless times by historians in the years toe.

 Chapter 622 Praise The Sun!

    As per Lux''s orders, none of the Undead harmed the innocent and simply charged toward the castle gates.


    The soldiers tasked with protecting the castle began to fight against the Undead Legion, but they were simply too many. Not to mention that most of the skilled warriors had been drafted to go to the war, which meant that the Capital''s defenses weren''t that strong.


    Ronan, who heard Asmodeus'' deration, roared in anger and rushed toward the Undead Legion, wanting to decimate them all.


    However, a familiar Half-Orc appeared in front of him and smashed a fist into the side of Ronan''s face for a third time.


    Barca and the Orc Warlords had remained in order to deal with the High-Rankers, leaving no Elite Fighter avable to deal with the Undead Legion, who beat up all opposition.


    While all this was happening, Asmodeus was busy shouting his propaganda, rebranding Ronan''s name as the leader of the Rebel Army.


    The Skeleton Soldiers didn''t kill anyone��not even the enemy soldiers who were trying to stop them.


    Lux had made a promise to Great General Garret that he wouldn''t start a killing spree in the Capital City just in case their escape didn''t go ording to their n.


    For the most part, only the Noble District suffered major damage as the Orcs and the High-Rankers fought, leaving most of the Commoner''s District intact.


    Just as the Undead Legion reached the Castle Gates, a booming voice spread across the capital city of the Haca Dynasty.


    "Foul Creatures! You dare stain thisnd with your blight!"


    Holy mes descended from the sky, annihting nearly half of the Undead Legion with a single strike.


    "Barca, it''s time to go," Baronar said as he appeared beside their leader. "A Saint is nearing the city."


    Barca narrowed his eyes in the direction a powerful life force wasing from. He had long known that the Haca Dynasty had a Saint, and they had already added this variable in their rescue operation.


    "Let''s go," Barca ordered. "Let''s go back to the ckrock n."


    He, Baronar, and the other Orc Warlords turned into particles of light as they disappeared from where they stood.


    The effect of Heaven''s Call [EX] allowed Lux to summon any of his Guild Members to his location.


    However, his Guild Members could cancel this summoning effect anytime, allowing them to return to where they came from before they were summoned.


    This was simr to how Lux summoned Sid and Scarlet whenever he needed their help.


    Every time the summoning ended, the two Assassins would return to the ce where they had been summoned from.


    Asmodeus nced in the direction of the Orcs before scratching his head.


    "I need more reinforcements," Asmodeus muttered. "I guess I can''t be too picky. Hey, you lot, just summon everything you can summon over there!"


    The Liches looked in the direction where the Archlich was pointing and nodded their heads.


    ��----------


    Haca Dynasty''s Marketce��<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    While a great battle was taking ce in the Noble District and near the Castle Gates, most people simply watched from afar.


    None of them wanted to get entangled between the Rebel Forces, which were led by Commander Ronan, and the Royal Guards, who were doing their best to protect the Royal Family from those who tried to overthrow their rule.


    When they saw the Divine mes descending from the sky, all of them were awed due to how magnificent it looked.


    While this was happening, amotion suddenly erupted in the Marketce.


    "W-What is happening?!" a butcher eximed in fright as the meat he was selling suddenly came back to life, and merged together to form a Zombie Boar whose eyes glowed eerie red.


    The Zombie Boar gave the Butcher a sidelong nce before snatching its leg from the butcher''s hand with its snout, scaring thetter into screaming like a little girl.


    The Boar ignored the Butcher''s screaming as its leg reattached itself to its body, allowing it to move properly. With one mighty squeal, the Zombie Boar charged toward the pce to help its brethren in their time of need.


    Zombie Chickens, Ducks, Cattle, and other Beasts that were sold for their meat suddenly came back to life and made a beeline toward the pce, forcing all the bystanders to move aside to let them pass.


    The Liches, who were responsible for reviving these creatures, all covered their faces in embarrassment. Never in their unholy lives did they think that a day woulde when they had to rely on this strategy to help bolster their forces.


    Only Asmodeusughed when he saw their reinforcementsing to aid them in the fight against a Saint.


    Of course, he knew that they had no chance of winning, so he decided to go out with a bang.


    "Skeleton Make!" Asmodeus summoned a giant Bone Bazooka and aimed it at the Royal Pce.


    "Eiko and I have been saving this trump card, but I guess now is a good time to use it," Asmodeus summoned a Giant Skeleton Bomb and loaded it inside the Bone Bazooka.


    After making sure that the Royal Castle was within its strike range, the Archlich snapped his fingers, and the Bone Bazooka unleashed the destructive cannonball that was filled to the brim with Eiko''s st Bombs.


    "Praise the Sun!" Asmodeus said using the Bone Megaphone, while raising both of his hands in the air, in a gesture of wee.


    A momentter, a loud explosion shook the entire capital city of the Haca Dynasty.


    Half of the Royal Pce, which symbolized their Dynasty''s Sovereignty, was blown apart by Asmodeus'' parting shot.


    The Archlich made sure to aim at the area where he couldn''t feel any life force to ensure that he wouldn''t identally kill anyone.


    "It''s a pity," Asmodeus chuckled as he watched the Divine mes descend towards him from the sky. "If only my Master wasn''t soft-hearted, I would have exterminated the Royal Family with that single shot."


    Those were thest words that Asmodeus said before he, and the Liches that were standing by his side, turned to ashes.


    Although there was regret in his voice, he was still happy that he created as much destruction as possible before the Saint finally got rid of him.


    This incident would be known in the history of the Haca Dynasty as the day when the Living Dead rebelled against the reigning Royal Family.


    However, historians made sure to write only the facts about the incident and added a note in their records that no one, except the Undead, died on that fateful day.

 Chapter 623 Return To The Blackrock Clan [Part 1]

    The three Baby Slimes were unaware of what was happening above ground, as they took turns digging a path under the ground.


    Lux, who was inside Eiko''s body, was able tomunicate with her and guide her as they escaped the capital city of the Haca Dynasty, undetected by anyone.


    As Lux could share senses with Asmodeus, the Half-Elf witnessed the Archlich''s move in his final moments. He couldn''t help but be amazed at the boldness of his subordinate.


    Part of the teenager wanted to know how the Royal Family would react after this attack in their Capital City, which many believed was safe from any kind of retaliation from their enemies.


    However, since the Haca Dynasty had a Saint, he didn''t dare take the risk of traveling above ground in case that powerful being was keeping an eye out for any suspicious activities in his domain.


    After two days of traveling underground, Eiko and her clones unknowingly went past the returning Human Army, who was still not aware of what transpired in their Capital City.


    Although traveling underground was hard, it was far safer than being discovered above ground.


    Finally, on the third day, Lux deemed it safe and ordered Eiko to return to the surface so that the Baby Slime could rest.


    "You did well, Eiko," Lux said as he patted the exhausted Baby Slime, whose eyes were drooping due to drowsiness. "Sleep well. I''ll take over from here."


    "Pa��" Eiko replied before yawning and closing her eyes to sleep.


    Lux summoned Jed. The Thunder Warg King ran across the skies as fast as he could. After a day, they finally arrived at the border of the Wanid Kingdom, where the Orcs patiently waited for the Half-Elf''s arrival.


    A few hourster, Lux arrived at the Capital City of the Orcs, which was currently under reconstruction.


    The first thing he did was to see his Master, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, Livia, Gerhart, and Cethus.


    Hispanions were busy helping with the reconstruction, which made the Orcs have a very good impression of them.


    "You''re finally back, Lux," Randolph said as soon as the Thunder Warg Kingnded on the ground. "Was your sightseeing trip in the Haca Dynasty fun?"


    "Yes, Master," Lux replied. "I would have stayed longer if I didn''t fear losing my life."


    Randolph chuckled as he patted his disciple''s waist. He was very proud of his disciple and even thought that the Half-Elf was just as handsome as he was when he was in his teenage years.


    "I''m sure that the Orcs have already informed Lady Avyanna and Barca about your arrival," Randolph stated. "It is best to not keep them waiting."


    Lux nodded and bid hispanions farewell for the time being. There were more pressing matters waiting to be taken care of, so he immediately headed to the Orc Chieftain''s Residence where the Orcs and Great General Garret were waiting for him.


    "Wee back, Lux," Lady Avyanna greeted. "Barca has told me some of the things that happened in the Capital City of the Haca Dynasty, and I have to say, I wish you had summoned all of us. That way, we could have done more amazing things."


    The Orc Chieftain wasn''t able to hide the murderous glint in her eyes, which made Lux shudder.


    ''Fortunately, I only summoned Barca and the Orc Warlords to help me fend off the High-Rankers,'' Lux thought. ''If I had summoned the entire ckrock n, a bloodbath would have definitely happened.''


    In order to change the topic, the Half-Elf decided to ask how the Great General was doing, which made Lady Avyanna snort.


    "He is doing fairly well," Lady Avyanna replied. "Still, I didn''t expect that you would negotiate with the Dryad Queen for a vial of the Spring of Life in order to help him recover a bit of his vitality. You''re making a very big gamble, Half-Elf. Do you really think he will uphold his end of the bargain with you?"


    Lux didn''t answer right away because he really didn''t know if what he did was right. The only reason he decided to help the former Great General of the Haca Dynasty was because he wanted Garret to be part of his strength.


    "I''m indeed unsure of whether he will honor his word," Lux admitted. "But, at the very least, my conscience is clear."


    The Orc Chieftain shook her head helplessly before heaving a sigh.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You are not part of the ckrock n, so I cannot tell you what to do with your life," Lady Avyanna stated. "But, know this. If Garret wishes to threaten my n again, I will not hesitate to have him executed. I won''t care if you stand in my way. We will not spare his life a second time."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    "Worry not, Lady Avyanna," Lux replied. "When that dayes, I will not stand in your way. I will even help you kill him. He will make a fine addition to my Covenant."


    Lady Avyanna nodded. "Good. I''d hate it if you became my enemy, Lux. "


    ��----------------


    In one of the rooms inside the Orc Chieftain''s Residence��


    A man with short, white hair sat cross-legged on the floor in meditation. In the past, he looked as if he was only in his early thirties, but now, he looked as if he was in his early sixties.


    His current state was a far cry from his former self, but he was still in better conditionpared to the wrinkled old man with clouded eyes that his wife, Sarah, had seen a few days ago.


    Lux had negotiated with the Dryad Queen for a few precious drops that came from the Spring of Life, allowing the Great General to regain some of his lost vitality.


    Although the Great General''s rank had regressed from a High Ranker to that of a C-Ranker, Garret was very thankful that the one who managed to push him into a corner had shown him a great deal of mercy.


    Not only did Lux spare his subordinates, but the Half-Elf also helped his family escape from the Capital City of the Haca Dynasty and reunite with him in the Wanid Kingdom.


    When he had met up with Lux to negotiate how the war would end, the Half-Elf asked him to prove how sincere he was.


    Knowing that he might be imprisoned for life, or worse, executed for his failure when he returned to the Haca Dynasty, Garret promised to be Lux''s subordinate if he spared the survivors of the war, as well as save his family from the possible retaliation of his enemies.


    Lux had agreed to help him, but the Orcs wanted some assurance. After all, they had lost many of their brethren in the war.


    In order to settle this dispute, Garret agreed to surrender all of his Legendary Equipment, including the National Treasure of the Haca Dynasty to the Orcs aspensation for their losses during the war.


    But that was not enough.


    At the end of the day, Garret was still a High-Ranker, and he posed a significant threat to the people of the Wanid Kingdom.


    Even the Dryad Queen, Cornelia, was hesitant topromise. However, Lux convinced all of them to let the war end with apromise.


    "The Haca Dynasty lost over six million soldiers in the war," Lux stated. "They won''t risk starting another campaign anytime soon."


    Because of this, the Orcs and the Dryads reluctantly agreed to Lux''s conditions.


    Garret losing his Rank was part of thepromise, but since Lux had no need for a wrinkled old man who needed to be cared for, he asked the Dryad Queen to give the former Great General a few drops from the Spring of Life in order to regain some of his strength.


    Lux almost regretted his decision because the Dryad Queen was a very tough cookie to negotiate with.


    She demanded outrageous conditions such as��Lux should give her sisters a child each, making the Half-Elf start to sweat buckets.


    If he really were to do that, if Iris didn''t kill him, her Father, Alexander, certainly would, and this was a bad ending he didn''t want to be a reality.


    After many negotiations, the Dryad Queen finally relented and gave Lux what he needed in return for two favors that she would ask of him in the future.


    The Half-Elf, of course, negotiated that making babies could not be part of either favor. Thest thing he wanted to do was to be an irresponsible father who sowed his seeds on seedbeds that only wished to have strong members of their race.

 Chapter 624 Return To The Blackrock Clan [Part 2]

    Suddenly, Garret heard a knock on the door, breaking his meditation.


    "Come in," Garret said.


    When the door opened, the former Great General stood up and walked up to Lux with an anxious expression on his face.


    "Did you seed?" Garret asked. "Did you rescue my family?"


    Lux nodded. "I did. I also brought all of your servants and retainers with me."


    The Half-Elf lightly patted the three Baby Slimes that were sleeping on his head and shoulders, waking them up from their slumber.


    "Mmm�� Pa?" Eiko sleepily opened her eyes.


    "Eiko, release Leah and the others," Lux ordered.


    Eiko yawned for a bit before nodding her head.


    The three Baby Slimes then simultaneously opened their mouths wide and spit out the people that they had stored inside their bodies.


    Sarah was the first to recover and looked around her. When her gazended on the white-haired man who was looking at her with love and affection, she immediately cried out and ran to him with open arms.


    The next ones to regain their consciousness were Alexa, Emily, and Leah. At first, they were confused as to who their mother was hugging.


    However, after taking a good look at the white-haired man, they noticed that his face looked very familiar to them.


    "Papa?" Leah asked as she anxiously walked towards her mother and father. "Is that you?"


    "It is me, sweetheart," Garret replied as he reached out to pat her daughter''s head. "It is me."


    Leah then joined her Mama and hugged Garret.


    "Papa, what happened to your hair?" Leah asked like the innocent child that she was. "Why do you look a bit older?"


    "It''s a long story, but I will definitely tell youter," Garret replied before shifting his gaze to his other two daughters, who were looking at him with teary eyes. "Alexa, Emily, I missed the two of you very much."


    "Father," Alexa muttered as she walked towards her father to give him a hug as well.


    But, before she could do that, Emily ran past her and hugged her Papa while crying out loud.


    "Father, is it true that Uncle Ronan tried to harm our family?" Emily asked. "Did he really try to hurt Mother?"


    Garret didn''t reply right away. Instead, he nced at Lux, asking him with his eyes if his worst fears became a reality.


    Since he didn''t know what happened in the Haca Dynasty, he couldn''t answer her daughter''s question based on his assumption.


    Lux nodded and confirmed his suspicions. Only after getting the Half-Elf''s confirmation did Garret''s eyes turn slightly cold, making everyone in the room feel as if he had returned to the peak of his strength.


    "Yes, Emily," Garret replied. "He has loved your mother for many years. I had a feeling that he would definitely make his move after assuming that I was dead, so I asked Lux to bring all of you out of the Capital and reunite with me here in the Wanid Kingdom."


    "What your father said is true, Emily," Sarahmented. "When he and I talked in private, he tried to take advantage of me. Fortunately, Lux was there to help. If he wasn''t there I would have been��"


    Sarah wasn''t able to finish whatever she was going to say. The mere thought of what almost happened made her shudder in disgust.


    She had known that Ronan had feelings for her because he and Garret had confessed to her at almost the same time.


    Back then, she had chosen Garret instead of Ronan because she could faintly sense the dangerous possessive desire that hid in the Vanguard Commander''s kind smile.


    Garret made her feel safe and loved, while Ronan made her feel anxious. Because of this, the decision to marry Garret was very easy to make.


    Emily had always been spoiled by her Uncle Ronan, so in her heart, she thought that he was a good person. But after hearing what the evil man tried to do to her mother, all the good feelings she had for him disappearedpletely.


    The Maids and Retainers, who heard this revtion, all felt disgust and anger towards the person that they believed to be the Ousborne Family''s strongest ally.


    Never in their wildest dreams did they think that the second person they looked up to aside from Great General Garret turned out to be a madman who would lust over his best friend''s wife and daughters.


    "I''m sorry. Because of me, your peaceful lives have been turned upside down," Garret said to his family and to his retainers.


    "My loyalty will always be to the Ousborne Family," one of the retainers said. "Wherever you go Master, I will follow."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I feel the same way," the Head Maid, Marie, said with determination. "Wherever Lady Sarah goes, I will definitely be there to support her."


    "We shall stay with you, Great General. We are yours tomand!"


    The Maids and Servants made their determination known, which made Garret and Sarah feel very blessed to have them apany them as they started their lives all over again.


    "Everyone, please listen to me first," Garret said as he looked at the Half-Elf who had made his life a living Hell, yet also contrarily helped him regain his piece of Heaven in the world of Elysium.


    "I am no longer the Great General of the Haca Dynasty," Garret stated. "All of that is in the past. Right now, I have made an oath to serve a different Master."


    Sarah, Alexa, Emily, Leah, the Maids, as well as the other Retainers, all looked at the red-headed teenager, whom Garret had chosen to serve.


    "His name is Lux Von Kaizer," Garret said before shifting his gaze to the Maids and his Retainers. "He is my new Master and Lord. Everyone, I hope that you will serve him as loyally as you had served me in the past.


    "Don''t judge him because he looks young. If not for him, my Campaign against the ckrock n wouldn''t have failed. He is someone I believe is worth serving, and I''m sure that all of you will feel the same way as I do once you get to know him better."


    In front of everyone, Garret knelt like a Knight would do to pay homage to their Lord.


    "I have broken my oath once to my King by asking my enemy to spare the lives of my soldiers, as well as to save my family," Garret stated. "So, I will not make an oath to you. Instead, I will prove my loyalty through actions, which is what is expected from a Knight who has pledged his life to his Sovereign."


    Before Lux could even reply to Garret''s words, he heard several notification sounds in his head, making his eyes widen in shock as several rows of text appeared in front of him.


    ��-------------------


    < A Knight who had lost his honor had pledged his life to serve you. >


    < From this moment onwards, Garret Ousbrone will be part of your Necromancer Covenant. >


    < The Covenant doesn''t differentiate between the living and the dead. All of those who wish to sincerely serve Lux Von Kaizer with all of their hearts have the potential to be a member of his Covenant. >


    ��-------------------


    < The Hidden Quest, Saving The ckrock n, has beenpleted! >


    < Everyone that participated in the war will gain rewards depending on the contribution they have made. >


    ��-------------------


    < The Hidden Quest, Destroying a Castle, has beenpleted! >


    < Everyone that participated in the war will gain rewards depending on the contribution they have made. >


    (E/N: Bwahahahahaha)


    ��-------------------


    < The Hidden Quest, Praise the Sun, has beenpleted! >


    < Everyone that participated in the war will gain rewards depending on the contribution they have made. >


    (E/N: I''m dying! Kekeke)


    ��-------------------


    Rows upon rows of texts appeared in front of Lux Von Kaizer, stating the rewards that he had received from the quests that had beenpleted. At the very bottom of the list, a notification with glowing gold letters caught his eyes, which made the Half-Elf wonder if he was dreaming or not.


    ��-------------------


    < Lux Von Kaizer had reached the limit of the Initiate Rank. You are strongly advised to visit a Temple in order to receive a quest that would allow you to be a Ranker. >


    �C The Ranker quest can be taken at any given time.


    �C You cannot gain any more stat points than the current limit. Every other Free Stat Point you receive will automatically be converted into Gold Coins.


    ��-------------------


    For a long time, Lux stood rooted in ce as he tried to digest everything that was currently in his sight. Garret, looked at his new Master with an awkward expression on his face because thetter was looking nkly at him with his mouth agape. He couldn''t help but wonder if what he did made the Half-Elf''s brain stop working.

 Chapter 625 The Peak Of The Initiate Rank [Part 1]

    After epting Garret''s pledge, and asking the Orc Chieftain to give the former Great General''s Family, and Retainers temporary lodgings, Lux hurried to his own temporary residence and locked the door in his room.


    He then opened his Soul Book to double check the changes in his stats, as well as the rewards he received from the Hidden Missions that he had unknowingly cleared.


    ��--------------


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 16 (Almost 17)


    Race: Half-Elf


    Rank: Initiate [MAX]


    Health: 266,700 / 266,700


    Mana: 571,600 / 571,600


    Strength: 1,957


    Intelligence: 2,758


    Vitality: 1,867


    Agility: 1,707


    Dexterity: 1,707


    ��--------------


    The rewards Lux received afterpleting the Hidden Quests were additional stats that easily boosted him to the peak of the Initiate Rank.


    ��-------------------


    < The Hidden Quest, Saving The ckrock n, has beenpleted! >


    < Everyone that participated in the war will gain rewards depending on the contribution they have made. >


    < Rewards >


    2,000 Free Stat Points


    5,000 ckrock n Reputation Points


    500 Wanid Kingdom Reputation Points


    1,000,000 Gold Coins


    �C You have gained the right to have an audience with the Transcendent Twin mes of the ckrock n.


    Note: This reward is given to those that had participated in the war, including the members of your Guild.


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C You gained the title, Friend of the Orcs.


    �C You gained the title, Wanid Kingdom Honorary Knight


    �C You are able to choose one Orc Exclusive Skill Book that is Rank 5 and Below.


    ��-------------------


    < The Hidden Quest, Destroying a Castle, has beenpleted! >


    < Everyone that participated in the war will gain rewards depending on the contribution they have made. >


    < Rewards >


    �C Lux Von Kaizer, his Named Creatures, as well as Beast Companions had gained the title, Castle Destroyers.


    �C Your Notoriety Points in the Haca Dynasty have increased by 10,000 Points. Your name is now feared by everyone, including the Royal Family. As to whether this is a good or bad thing only the future can tell!


    < Castle Destroyers >


    �C When you are participating in a siege against a kingdom, all of your attacks are able to deal 500% more damage against Defensive Walls, Structures, and Pces.


    �C This ability is also effective against Construct Type Monsters (example: Golems) that serve as Guardians to protect their City or Kingdom.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ��-------------------


    < The Hidden Quest, Praise the Sun, has beenpleted! >


    �C You have gained the title, Jolly Cooperation.


    �C All explosive type spells, weapons, artifacts, or consumables will have their effectiveness increased by 200% when the sun is present in the sky.


    �C Lux Von Kaizer, his Named Creatures, and Beast Companions will have a 200% increase in Mana, Stamina, and Health Regeneration when the sun is present in the sky.


    (E/N: The members of Lux''s Necromancer Army have be nts)


    ��-------------------


    < Jolly Cooperation >


    �C When Asmodeus is present in the battlefield, he and other Lich Type Monsters will have their Animate Undead Quota increased to 100, instead of 50.


    �C The effects of this title will onlyst for a maximum of an hour each day.


    �C This ability can only be used when the sun is present in the sky.


    ��-------------------


    "Hahaha�� this is insane," Lux could only chuckle in disbelief after seeing the information in his Soul Book.


    The Half-Elf had already anticipated the possibility that Garret might be a member of his Covenant. But, he never expected that he would gain additional rewards now that the war with the Haca Dynasty was over.


    The bonus titles, Honorary Knight of the Wanid Kingdom, Castle Destroyers, and Jolly Cooperation were all very useful in their own right.


    As an Honorary Knight of the Wanid Kingdom, Lux would be able to traverse thends, and visit the other Pirs without feeling anxious that they would be attacked on their journey.


    Unlike other Kingdoms, there were very few Nobles in the Wanid Kingdom.


    In the ckrock n, only Lady Avyanna, Barca, and mma could be considered Nobles. Although the Four Orc Warlords yed an important role to maintain the stability of their territories, the Wanid Kingdom only recognized Lady Avyanna''s family as the Nobles governing the ckrock Territory.


    For the Dryads, the only one that held a Noble''s title was the Dryad Queen, Cornelia.


    Simply put, only the Heads of the Pirs and their immediate family were ssified as nobles. This was how few Nobles were in the Wanid Kingdom, and why many upstart Factions, and Families, wished to make their names known as well.


    Only by making their names known would they be recognized by the Pirs as Honorary Nobles, and granted considerable influence inside the Kingdom of the Spirits.


    Just as Lux was about to close his Soul Book, he heard a loud knocking on the door, followed by an excited call from his Master, Randolph.


    "Lux! I got this kind of notification informing me that I finished some kind of quest called, Saving The ckrock n," Randolph shouted as he knocked on the door. "I received gold coins, as well as this Reputation Points thing. My strength has also increased exponentially. Also, I feel more handsome than I was an hour ago. Did you also receive this notification?"


    Lux opened the door and looked at his Master with an amused expression on his face.


    Aside from the phrase "I feel more handsome than I was an hour ago", everything that Randolph had said earlier proved that his Guild Members who were present in the battle received the rewards as well.


    "Now that I''ve taken a good look at you, Master, you do look more handsome than when I saw you earlier," Lux replied with a smile. "It seems that you''re getting your second wind in life."


    "Hahaha! Stop praising me, my boy," Randolphughed while resting his hands on his waist. "I know that I was born handsome. You are almost as handsome as me when I was your age."


    Lux couldn''t help but shake his head helplessly at his Master''s over exaggeration. It seemed that the stats of Randolph''s Shameless Attribute had risen as well.


    ''Sid, did you also receive a boost in experience points?'' Lux asked his loyal Assassin, who had stayed in the ckrock n to protect the Dwarves, especially his sisters, from harm.


    ''Yes, Master,'' Sid replied. ''I have now reached the limit of the Initiate Rank. All I need to do is visit a Temple in order to be a full-fledged Ranker.''


    ''Congrattions. Now, you''re one step closer to bing more powerful.''


    ''All that I have is because of you, Master. I will use this newfound strength to serve you better.''


    Lux was very satisfied with Sid''s answer.


    Unlike Scarlet, who was only loyal to him because she had no choice, Sid waspletely loyal to him. Because of this, he gave the Dwarf Assassin preferential treatment, allowing him to gain experience points by apanying him on his quests.


    "By the way, mma came to find us earlier and said that we can visit the Ancestral Grounds of the ckrock n tomorrow." Randolph''s face became solemn after saying these words. "He said that we have gained the chance to speak with the Transcendent Twin mes. I just hope that nothing goes wrong tomorrow."


    Randolph''s voice held a tinge of anxiety, which was perfectly normal.


    For him, the Transcendent mes was the ultimate requirement in order for him to be a Grandmaster cksmith. They were the cksmiths that were able to craft Legendary Equipment with the help of the elusive Transcendent mes that only a handful possessed.

 Chapter 626 The Peak Of The Initiate Rank [Part 2]

    "Rx, Master," Lux said as he patted the shoulder of his Master. "I''m sure that all will be well tomorrow."


    Randolph sighed before nodding his head.


    "I hope you''re right,d," Randolphmented. "I hope you are right."


    Suddenly, Grandma Annie, Laura, Livia, and Sid arrived at Lux''s room with happy expressions on their faces.


    "Big Brother Lux! I am now stronger than before," Laura stated. "Is this because of you?"


    "Big Brother Lux, Nora and Cora have be stronger as well," Livia reported. "They worked hard, right?"


    Lux smiled as he patted the heads of the two adorable Dwarves.


    "All of you became stronger due to your own efforts," Lux replied. "Both of you worked hard to help the ckrock n with their reconstruction by giving them Stamina Potions that you personally crafted. Because of this, the Gods decided to give you rewards for being kind to others."


    "Really?" Laura asked with sparkling eyes. "Are you telling the truth, Big Brother Lux?"


    "Of course." Lux nodded. "You, Livia, Nora, and Cora helped the Orcs a lot. Although what you did may seem little in your eyes, for the Orcs, it was something that they appreciated from the bottom of their hearts."


    Laura and Livia hugged each other because they really did their best to help with the meager ability that they had. Even Nora and Cora, the two Baby Slimes, helped with the reconstruction by using Earth Magic to build the walls of the houses for the Orcs that had lost their homes in the war.


    "Lux, I have also reached the limit of the Initiate Rank," Gerhart said as he arrived in Lux''s room, eager to inform his temporary leader about the rewards he gained from the battle with the Orcs. "I knew that I was bound to be a Ranker sooner orter, but I didn''t expect it to be this fast.


    "By the way, Cethus has also reached the limit, but was too shy to say his thanks to you. Because of this, I''m saying ''thank you'' on his behalf."


    The green-haired Half-Elf nced to his side to see the Dragon Born, who was leaning on the wall with his eyes closed.


    Since Cethus didn''t say anything to refute Gerhart''s words, it meant that he wanted to thank Lux in his own way. However, his pride as a Dragon Born wouldn''t allow it.


    "Gerhart, although this might seem selfish on my part, don''tplete the Ranker Quest just yet," Lux replied. "You may visit the temple and get your quest, but it is very important for you to stay an Initiate. We still need to go into the Sacred Dungeon, and Rankers are not allowed to enter it."


    "Understood." Gerhart nodded.


    He had already decided to apany Lux and Cai into the Sacred Dungeon in order to challenge the Gate of Famine. Although he wanted to be a Ranker as fast as possible, he was someone who knew how to repay the favors that were given to him.


    The Rowan Tribe had served as his shield against the Elves who had exiled him in the past.


    Cethus'' ears perked up after hearing the words Sacred Dungeon. He didn''t have any idea what that Dungeon was, but since Lux and Gerhart were going to go, he wished to go as well!


    ''Originally, I nned to leave after I reached the peak of the Initiate Rank,'' Cethus thought. ''But, what if something amazing happens while they are in that dungeon? I''d be left out if that was the case. I can''t let this happen. I must go with them!''


    After seeing with his own eyes the adventures that Lux was having, the Dragon Born feltpelled to join him wherever he went.


    He had a feeling that if he missed this opportunity, Gerhart would surpass him and leave him in the dust.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The thing that Cethus loved the most were the rewards he received afterpleting a very hard quest.


    For him, being able to aplish such things meant that his growth had finally begun. Compared to the monotonous days he spent as a Royal Guard, being with Lux was a hundred times more exciting.


    "I am very interested in this Sacred Dungeon you speak of," Cethus stated without even opening his eyes to look at Lux and Gerhart. "Count me in."


    Lux and Gerhart exchanged a nce, and their eyes were saying the same thing.


    ''What is this Mofo talking about?''


    Currently, only those who had a quota to enter the Domain of the Fallen could enter it. Just because someone wanted to explore its mystery, they would not be able to because of the restrictions that had been set in ce.


    Lux could only take a handful of people inside, and Cethus wasn''t one of them.


    Of course, things would be different if Cethus was his guild member.


    The red-headed teenager looked at the Dragon Born as he rubbed his chin.


    "You want toe with us?" Lux inquired to make sure that the Dragon Born was certain of his decision. "It will be very dangerous, you know? You can lose your life at any moment."


    This time, Cethus opened his eyes and looked at Lux with eyes burning with determination.


    "I don''t care how dangerous it is," Cethus replied. "I''m going."


    Lux couldn''t help but scratch his head at the stubbornness of the Dragon Born, who had no idea what he was talking about.


    "We''ll talk about thister," Lux stated as he shifted his attention to his Master, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia. "Rest early tonight. Tomorrow, we will visit the Ancestral Grounds of the Orcs."


    Since Laura and Livia said that they received invitations, they would definitely apany them when they went to the sacred ce of the ckrock n.


    Gerhart and Cethus didn''t receive the invitation, so they wouldn''t being with them. This made Lux wonder if the Transcendent mes of the Orcs were choosy about the people whom they wanted to speak with.


    ''There''s no point in thinking about this now,'' Lux thought. ''I''ll find out tomorrow if my hunch is right or not.''


    For the time being, Lux advised hispanions to rest up, and prepare for their journey tomorrow.


    As for the other things, he would wait until their visit with the Transcendent mes was over.


    Lux wasn''t aware that as he, hispanions, and the Orcs were celebrating their victory, the war in the other parts of the Wanid Kingdom was growing in intensity.


    News of their victory had spread across thend and raised the morale of the other Pirs, giving them strength to push back the armies that hade to invade theirnds.


    This also allowed Lux''s name to be spread far and wide, making the powerful factions, and families of the Wanid Kingdom, as well as their enemies, hear his amazing tales, which were too  impressive to ignore.

 Chapter 627 I Will Protect Your Dignity And Honor

    mma coincidentally arrived right after Lux, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia finished their breakfast.


    He was the one assigned to fetch the five of them from their temporary residence and bring them to the Ancestral Grounds of the ckrock n because the other Orc Warlords were busy with the reconstruction of the Capital City.


    Actually, mma volunteered to be Lux''s guide. He was quite impressed by Lux''s performance during the war, so he decided to tag along while the Half-Elf was still within the ckrock n''s territory.


    "Before I take you to our Ancestral Grounds, I will give the five of you some advice," mma said as he looked at Lux and hispanions with arms crossed over his chest. "The Twin mes are sentient entities, so remember to treat them respectfully. If they don''t like you, they might burn you to a crisp. So, make sure not to annoy them."


    Randolph and Grandma Annie nodded their heads and took mma''s advice to heart. As craftsmen who used mes, they had heard tales of Transcendent mes who burned those who tried to acquire them to ashes until nothing was left.


    Laura and Livia both shuddered after hearing the Half-Orc''s words. They didn''t know why they were asked to go to the Ancestral Grounds, but since Grandma Annie told them that this was a good opportunity for the two of them, the twin decided to trust her.


    Lux only came to see what would happen and ensure that hispanions wouldn''te to any harm. After reading the information about the Transcendent mes in his Elysium Compendium, the Half-Elf decided to intervene if he sensed that any of his Guild Members was in danger.


    After making sure that they understood the danger they were about to face, the Half-Orc asked everyone to follow him.


    mma led them to a cave that had a maze-like interior. Several branching paths would appear from time to time, which were meant to give those who wanted to reach the ckrock n''s Ancestral Grounds a hard time.


    The journey to the ckrock n''s Ancestral Grounds took two hours, and by the time they got there, Laura and Livia were already exhausted from having to walk the whole way.


    Randolph and Grandma Annie weren''t faring too well either, and seeing this, mma decided to let everyone take a brief rest before letting them meet the Transcendent mes.


    "So, will you leave the ckrock n after you''re done with your business here?" mma asked Lux, who was feeding Eiko some red berries.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "I still have to make my preparations to explore a dangerous Dungeon when I get back."


    "Oh? How dangerous are we talking about?" mma inquired.


    Since they were having a break, the Half-Elf decided to tell mma, as well as his Guild Members, what the Sacred Dungeon was like.


    "My mother said that there are some Dungeons that have strict restrictions," mmamented. "But I have never experienced them myself. From what I can tell, that Domain of the Fallen is way out of your league. I am surprised that a bunch of Apostles and Initiates are able to traverse and filled with Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Monsters."


    "Well, many did die at the beginning," Lux stated. "It was only recently that we managed to reach the Dungeon''s entrance without anyone on our team dying."


    "Sounds like a good ce to explore." mma smirked. "The greater the danger, the greater the rewards."


    "I can''t refute that," Lux replied.


    After finishing the missions inside the Sacred Dungeon, the Half-Elf had gained many rewards, allowing his rank to increase by leaps and bounds.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He was nearly seventeen years old and was only a step away from bing a Ranker. Despiteing to Elysiumter than everyone else, he had surpassed his peers who were ahead of him in the past. The thought made him sigh in his heart.


    ''It wasn''t easy to get where I am right now,'' Lux thought. ''But, I''m d that I survived it all.''


    Back in the Kingdom of Gweliven, he had no choice but to fake his death because the Dark Guild, Twilight Rain, had sent assassins to kill him.


    While he was unscathed and had seeded in killing Sid and Scarlet before making them his subordinates, that had still been a very dangerous time for him.


    After experiencing many harsh battles, Lux was confident that even if he faced off against E- and D-Rankers with his current Rank, the one who would win would be him.


    Truth be told, he was excited about the thought of being a Ranker and unlocking the next upgrade of his Profession.


    ording to his Grandma, thest Profession would be unlocked once one became a C-Ranker.


    However, Lux was different. He acquired the Profession Lord of the Dead when he was still an Initiate even though he should have only acquired it after bing a Ranker.


    Since that was the case, the Half-Elf was hoping that once he finished the quest to be a Ranker, his final profession would be unlocked as well.


    An hourter, the group resumed their journey. It didn''t take long before they finally reached the location of the Twilight mes, which made the Dwarves very anxious.


    "Lux, if ever I turn to ashes, please, dispose of the stash under my bed," Randolph said with a solemn voice. "Burn them and make sure that no trace of them remains."


    "Understood, Master," Lux replied. "I will protect your dignity and honor."


    Randolph smiled after hearing Lux''s assurance. There were some things that he had kept hidden that if others were to discover them, it would make them look down on him as a person.


    Lux understood this part very well because he would have done the same, asking someone to reformat the hard drive of hisputer if he knew he was going to kick the bucket.


    His countless files of "cultured images and videos" were something that shouldn''t be seen by anyone.


    Fortunately, even before he died, his PC had a virus, so he was forced to delete them all, leaving nothing behind.


    "We''re here," mma said as the temperature in the surroundings became rtively hotter. "Once again, be careful of what you say. I don''t want to be held responsible if one of you dies on this trip."


    After saying those ominous words, the Half-Orc made a gesture for the guards, who were guarding the entrance of the clearing, to allow them to pass.


    This was the first time that Lux would see Transcendent mes, and he wondered if these sentient entities would allow hispanions to have a chance to tame them and gain the use of their powers.

 Chapter 628 The Twin Transcendent Flames Of The Blackrock Clan

    Lux subconsciously gulped as he gazed at the Twin mes that were purple and red in color.


    The mes were over three meters tall. Although they were standing two hundred meters away from them, they could still feel the raw power that the Twin mes possessed.


    "You havee, mma," the Purple Transcendent me stated. "Has the ware to an end?"


    Lux couldn''t determine if the me sounded like a man or a woman. It sounded somewhere in between, making him suddenly question whether the Transcendent mes had genders as well.


    "For now, Your Eminence," mma bowed respectfully. "We have pushed the invading army back to theirnds, and we believe that they will not try to invade us again for a few years."


    "Good," the Red me replied. "You have honored your promise to us, and as such, we will also honor our promise to the ckrock n"


    The Red Transcendent me paused before transforming into a beautiful woman bathed in red mes.


    The Purple Transcendent me also transformed, but this time, it changed into a man, who was bathed in purple mes.


    Lux subtly summoned his Soul Book and tried to appraise the two Transcendent mes who had taken a human form. He didn''t know if it would work, but he deemed that there was no harm in trying.


    ��----------


    < Primeval Twin Transcendent mes >


    Rank: SSR+++


    ��----------


    Aside from this bit of information, Lux was unable to gain more from appraising the Twin Transcendent mes in front of him.


    ording to the Elysium Compendium, all Transcendent mes were ranked depending on how powerful they were.


    There are normal Transcendent mes, Ancient Transcendent mes, Primeval Transcendent mes, and Progenitor mes


    Ancient Transcendent mes were Transcendent mes that hadn''t been touched for hundreds of years, which allowed them to umte power and be stronger.


    Primeval Transcendent mes were mes that were as powerful as Ancient Transcendent mes, but not as old as them. These mes were born in a very violent way, allowing them to umte powers that made them even more powerful than Ancient Transcendent mes that had been left alone for hundreds of years.


    Progenitor Transcendent mes were the Transcendent mes that were born at the same time the world was created.


    These Transcendent mes had taken on new forms and were not restricted to their fiery nature. Legends say that these mes lived alongside the denizens of Elysium,ughing at the follies of all the races since time immemorial.


    The ones who were in front of Lux now were Primeval Transcendent Twin mes, which made him feel a bit anxious about their attempt to tame them.


    "The Orc Chieftain has already told us your reason foring," the woman d in red mes stated. "Because of this, the five of you were asked toe here. I will tell you now, all of you should stop your delusion of being able to tame us. Your current strengths are not enough to make us submit to you."


    "Be that as it may, we are grateful for your help in protecting the ckrock n," the man d in purple mesmented. "Because of this, we have decided to give the five of you a chance."


    The man and woman exchanged a nce with each other before nodding their heads at the same time.


    "The Dwarves who specialize in Smithing and Alchemy, I bestow upon you a fraction of my power," the woman said. "Tame these mes, and make them a part of your strength."


    The woman waved her hand, and four red fireballs flew toward the four Dwarves, giving them no time to react.


    These fireballs merged with their bodies, making their bodies feel hot.


    A momentter, Laura and Livia clutched their chests in pain before copsing to the ground. Their Baby Slimes, Nora, and Cora called out to them anxiously, but the two little Dwarves could only writhe on the ground as if they were being burned from the inside out.


    Randolph groaned as he tried his best to endure the scorching mes that seemed to burn every fiber of his being. His skin had already turned as red as a tomato, and his blood vessels started to bulge under his skin.


    On the contrary, Grandma Annie was faring a bit better.


    Her body would shudder from time to time while using her walking cane as a support to prevent her body from copsingpletely.


    Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she did her best to endure the purification that was happening in her body. Although she was worried about her Disciples, Laura and Livia, she was unable to help them because the only one that she could help right now was herself.


    mma watched this scene with his arms crossed over his chest. His duty was to bring Lux and the others to have an audience with the Transcendent mes, not to help them pass the trial.


    The red-headed teenager observed the four dwarves and wondered if he was allowed to help them, especially Laura and Livia, who looked so pitiful right now.


    The two little girls were crying as they writhed on the ground. Lux couldn''t bear to see them in so much pain, so he started to walk in their direction, only to be barred by purple mes that formed a wall in front of him.


    "This is their trial, and you are not allowed to interfere," the man d in purple mes stated. "Worry not, I have something for you and that Baby Slime on your head as well."


    The man waved his hand, and two fireballs flew in Lux''s and Eiko''s direction.


    One of them was a purple fireball, the other was a ck fireball.


    The purple one hit Eiko, while the ck one hit Lux.


    As soon as the two fireballs merged with their bodies, the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime immediately felt a very intense burning sensation inside their chests.


    However, the burning sensation onlysted for a few seconds before everything went back to normal.


    "Pa?"


    "Don''t worry, Eiko. I''m fine. How about you?"


    "Pa!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "That''s good."


    A few secondster, several rows of text appeared in front of Lux, informing him of the changes that happened inside his body.


    ��--------


    < You have acquired the Pseudo-Transcendent Primeval ck mes >


    �C This ck me is unable to hurt or burn Creatures with physical bodies, with the exception of Abyssal Creatures.


    �C This me is very deadly to Corporeal Creatures such as Spirits, Spectres, Ghosts, and Abyssal Creatures.


    ��--------


    < The Red Dragon Blood and your Unique Physique, Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy, are reacting to the Pseudo-Transcendent Primeval Dark mes! >


    < Congrattions! You are now given the option to choose which mes to use when you unleash your Dragon Breath! >


    ��--------


    < Dragon Breath [EX] >


    �C Red Dragon mes (Default)


    �C Pseudo-Transcendent Primeval Dark mes


    ��--------


    Eiko, who was perched on top of the Half-Elf''s head, spat a small purple fireball toward the ground.


    Out of curiosity, Lux opened his Soul Book in order to check the use of the Purple mes that his Baby Slime had acquired.


    ��--------


    < Eiko has acquired the Pseudo-Transcendent Purple Primeval me >


    �C This Purple me is unable to burn anyone. However, it can directly burn the mana of the target, causing them to not only lose their mana butpletely stop their Mana Regeneration.


    �C The target will receive damage equivalent to the amount of Mana that was burned by the Purple mes.


    �C The target''s mana regeneration will only return after ten minutes of being exposed to the purple mes. Constant exposure to the mes will reset the cooldown timer to zero, making it so the target will be unable to regenerate their Mana.


    �C While under the effect of the Purple mes, any consumables or abilities that would regenerate or replenish the Mana of the target affected by the Purple mes will not have any effect.


    �C Eiko now has the option to use the Purple mes as her Breath Attack when she mimics Lux Von Kaizer''s Dragon Breath [EX].


    ��--------


    "Hiss�� I pity those that will be on the receiving end of Eiko''s breath attack." Lux sucked in a deep breath after reading the information about Eiko''s newest ability.


    The Half-Elf had to admit that he and his Baby Slime had gained a new power that would definitely help them in the future.


    However, that didn''t change the fact that he was still worried about the condition of the Dwarves that were on the other side of the Purple Wall of Fire that was in front of him, hiding them from his view.


    Lux''s Unique Body Physique made him immune to Fire. However, he still didn''t want to risk testing it out on the Primeval Transcendent mes, whose powers he couldn''t even calcte through his Elysium Compendium.


    Suddenly, the purple wall of fire that was blocking his view vanished, allowing him to see the four Dwarves, who were all lying on the ground, unconscious.


    Only Nora and Cora, who were lightly tapping Laura''s and Livia''s faces, were awake. But something caught Lux''s eyes which made him pause for a bit.


    The Dwarf who he assumed to be his Master Randolph, looked like someone in his early forties instead of someone in histe seventies.


    The same could be said for Grandma Annie, who had also regained her youth and, to a certain extent, her beauty, making Lux wonder if this was the effect of the Transcendent mes that had entered their bodies.


    After regaining hisposure, Lux immediately checked the conditions of hispanions and was relieved to find out that all of them were still alive.


    "The two little girls barely passed," the woman d in red mes dered. "But since they passed, they are now able to wield a fraction of my power."


    The woman then nced at the two older dwarves who seemed to have gained a lot from absorbing the mes that she had bestowed upon them.


    "The older Dwarves have used the element of fire all their lives," the woman said. "Because of this, they had an easier time absorbing the power of the mes. However, their bodies are already old and frail. Because of this, the mes decided to have them undergo a kind of rebirth, giving them bodies that will be able to withstand their newfound powers."


    "Let them rest for a day or two. After that, they will be back to normal," the man d in purple mesmented. "With this, all debts have been paid in full. You may go, and make sure to keep what you witnessed here today a secret.


    "If others were to know that we can bestow a fraction of our power to those whom we deem worthy, many more would covet our powers, which would then lead to greater conflicts."


    Lux bowed his head gratefully to the two Primeval Transcendent mes that had allowed him and hispanions to gain the power of Pseudo-Transcendent mes.


    Although they weren''t able to tame the Transcendent mes themselves, he was very satisfied with this oue.


    He was even looking forward to how his Master, Randolph, and Grandma Annie would react after seeing the major changes that had been made to their bodies and appearance.


    Although his Master had be younger and regained a bit of his handsome features, the Half-Elf could say with confidence that he was still more handsome than his Master, who had been given a second chance at life.

 Chapter 629 We Need Him

    The journey back to the ckrock n''s Capital City didn''t take too much time since the only ones that were traveling were Lux and mma.


    Eiko had swallowed the four unconscious Dwarves, while Nora and Cora sat on Lux''s shoulder.


    ording to the Transcendent Twin mes, the Dwarves would remain unconscious for half a day because their bodies were still adjusting to the new powers they received.


    When Lux asked the man d in purple mes why he and Eiko didn''t lose consciousness after absorbing the Pseudo-Transcendent mes, thetter only told them that their bodies were already strong enough to withstand the powers that they acquired.


    Lux didn''t know if this was because he was at the peak of the Initiate Rank or because his body constitution was a bit special. Nevertheless, he was still satisfied with the power of the mes he received.


    The two arrived at the city just before sunset. The Orcs had made a massive bonfire in the center of the za and seemed to be preparing to celebrate the end of the war.


    However, before anything else, he made sure to visit the Orc Chieftain and report everything that happened in the Ancestral Grounds.


    Before they left, the Twin mes told Lux that if his Master, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, or Livia needed to use their Primeval mes to craft something beyond their current capabilities, they were free toe to them for help.


    Of course, these extra services didn''te for free. In return, the Transcendent mes said that they would ask Lux for a favor in the future in exchange for their help.


    The Half-Elf didn''t mind this condition because he was already joined at the hips with the ckrock n.


    Currently, none of the Orcs wanted to leave his Guild, and all of them were enjoying the Guild Buffs, as well as the Bonus Stats that they received when they joined.


    Even the four Orc Warlords had insisted that they wouldn''t leave, even if Lux were to kick them out of the Guild by force.


    Of course, Lux wouldn''t do that. After all, wouldn''t it be a shame to kick out four Alpha-Ranked Argonaut Beasts that he could summon at any time to help him?


    Only idiots would do that.


    Lux wasn''t an idiot.


    The stronger his Guild Members were the better!


    "It seems that the Twin mes took a liking to you, Lux," Lady Avyannamented after Lux finished his tale. "So, what do you n to do next? Although the war against the Haca Dynasty is over for now, the other Pirs are still fighting against the other Kingdoms who nned to invade the Wanid Kingdom.


    "Cornelia and her Dryads will be leaving tomorrow in order to assist them. They n to rest properly tonight to recover their strength. Do you wish to apany them? I''m sure that the other Pirs would greatly appreciate your help."


    Lux firmly shook his head.


    If possible, he didn''t want to stand out too much in the Wanid Kingdom as that could make him gain more enemies than allies like the ckrock n and the Dryads.


    He and the Dryad Queen had made apromise that she and her sisters, who were now "honorary" members of his Guild, would keep his secret.


    Truth be told, he felt as though recruiting the entirety of the ckrock n was already pushing it.


    Never in his wildest dream did he think that the Dryad Queen, as well as twenty thousand Dryads, would be his Guild Members as well. Although they had been given the right to reject his request to help him during his time of need, having them around was still a good thing.


    ''I''m sure that the longer they stay in the Guild, the more they will want to be part of it,'' Lux chuckled in his heart. ''Once you taste the forbidden fruit, you won''t be able to forget it. It is only a matter of time before all the Dryads freely give me their cooperation.''


    "There are still many things I need to take care of back in my hometown, Lady Avyanna," Lux replied. "However, if the Haca Dynasty decides to retaliate, I will return to the ckrock n to lend my aid.


    "Also, I would greatly appreciate it if you finish building the teleportation gate that will connect the ckrock n''s Capital to our Main Guild Headquarters as soon as possible. This way, you and your people will be able to travel to the Dragon Kingdom."


    Lady Avyanna nodded her head in understanding.


    "Worry not, Lux," Lady Avyanna stated. "Although we are far from the center of the world, we have heard of the majestic floating inds of Karshvar Draconis. We look forward to seeing this legendary Kingdom of the Dragon Race. Before you go, make sure to enjoy the celebration."


    "Thank you, Lady Avyanna, I will."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Good."


    After bidding the Orc Chieftain farewell, the Half-Elf returned to his temporary residence and asked Eiko to release the Dwarves, so he could carry them to their own beds.


    When this task was done, Lux decided to take a nap for an hour or two before joining the celebrations.


    The journey to the ckrock n''s Ancestral Ground wasn''t that long, but he still felt exhausted.


    It only took Lux ten seconds afterying his head on the pillow to fall asleep. Eiko, on the other hand, slept on Lux''s chest.


    Just like the Half-Elf, the Baby Slime was also tired, so it didn''t take long for her to fall asleep as well.


    While this was happening, Gerhart and Cethus were having a chat near the bonfire and talking about their future ns.


    "You said that you want to follow us to the Sacred Dungeon, but that''s not possible," Gerhart said as he cracked open some nuts. "This ce that we are going to is a restricted area controlled by several Kingdoms. The quota is restricted, and Lux can''t freely bring a random stranger inside the Domain of the Fallen. It will be best if you return to Karshvar Draconis and resume your duties as a Royal Guard."


    "Don''t tell me what to do, Low Lander." Cethus snorted. "You just want to hog all the rewards for yourself, right? Do you really think I''m that ignorant? I already said that I am going. Your words mean nothing to me."


    Gerhart chuckled before drinking the Orc Mead that tasted of herbs and spices.


    "There are some things that you can''t get even if you want them," Gerhartmented after drinking half of his mug. "The same applies to the ce that you want to go to but are unable to go to due to the restrictions. I''ll be honest with you, the only people that Lux will bring to the Sacred Dungeon are his people. This means that he will only bring those he trusts.


    "I admit that you are strong and your presence will help his cause greatly, but at the end of the day, you are an outsider. You are not part of Lux''s Guild, and there is no merit for him to bring you to the Sacred Dungeon. Instead of bringing a Dragon Born, he might just bring other people, like old man Randolph or Grandma Annie."


    The Dragon Born scoffed after hearing the Half-Elf''s words.


    "Those Dwarves are weaklings!" Cethus stated. "Why would he bring a bunch of weaklings into a dangerous Dungeon? Wouldn''t they just drag them down?"


    Gerhart didn''t reply right away. Instead, he drank the rest of the mead in his mug before pouring himself another one.


    "You make it sound as if Lux needs us to fight his battles," Gerhart replied. "In this war, he fought on the front lines with his Summons. The two of us simply yed supporting roles in the war. While we also charged at the enemy''s army, it doesn''t change the fact that even if we weren''t there, the result would have been the same.


    "Since that is the case, he can bring anyone he wants with him and let them gain the rewards for clearing the mission. The Dwarves you called weak were merely Apostles when they joined Lux on this journey. Now, look at them. They are already Initiates.


    "How old are Laura and Livia? Do you know what their ranks are? They''re still young, yet they are already halfway to bing Initiates. I think you''re making a big misunderstanding here, Cethus. Lux doesn''t need us. We need him. You understand this too, right?"


    A few months ago, Gerhart wouldn''t have said such a thing. Back then, he believed that he could be a Ranker with his own two hands, which was certainly true.


    However, after joining Lux on his adventures and fighting alongside him, he realized that he had unknowingly be part of something big.


    Something extraordinary that he never thought was possible.


    Being a member of the only Mythical Guild in the world, as well as gaining incredible resources by just being part of it, was like a dreame true.


    In fact, there were several times when Gerhart thought that he was dreaming. However, he knew that what he was experiencing was real.


    This made him want to strive and be stronger than ever before so that someday, he would not only stand on the shoulders of Giants, but also be one of those Giants that could make the entire world tremble under his feet.


    Cethus quieted down after hearing Gerhart''s words.


    He couldn''t find any words to refute the green-haired Half-Elf''s words because Lux really didn''t need their help in the previous war.


    They had just ridden on his coattails and, although they had also fought hard for the ckrock n, it wouldn''t change the fact that it was the red-headed teenager that took the brunt of the enemy''s attack.


    The Half-Elf and the Dragon Born, who were always arguing with each other, drank in silence, while the Orcs danced to the beat of their drums beside the bonfire, celebrating their victory in the war that had ended several days ago.

 Chapter 630 Finding Their New Purpose In Life

    The celebration was well underway when Lux woke up. The Dwarves were still sleeping, so the Half-Elf let them continue resting after making sure that their conditions had stabilized.


    Eiko was still half asleep when the Half-Elf left their residence. She only became fully awake as Lux neared the za where the sound of the booming drums reverberated in the surroundings.


    There, he found Barca discussing something with Garret, who was holding a mug of mead in his hand.


    Lux found this scene quite amusing because several days ago, both men were at each other''s throats with every intention of killing the other.


    Now, they were like best friends talking about the battles that they had fought in the past, and sharing knowledge about how they dealt with tricky situations.


    Sarah, Garret''s wife, along with her daughters, was seated at the table of honor beside the Orc Chieftain''s table. Aside from their mother, the three girls had anxious expressions on their faces, which was normal from Lux''s point of view.


    Only when Alexa and Leah saw him did they calm down a bit. For them, Lux was a savior, and being around him gave them a sense of security,pared to being around the Orcs who were once their enemies.


    Of course, not all the Orcs approve of having Garret and his family join them in their celebration. The former Great General of the Haca Dynasty was the one responsible for killing countless of their brethren, and they made sure that their displeasure showed on their faces.


    If not for the fact that the Orc Chieftain had asked them not to harm Garret and his family members, they would have already ripped them apart and offered their flesh and blood to the Blood Gods as sacrifices.


    "Eiko!"


    "Leah!"


    The Baby Slime happily jumped towards the little girl, who caught her with open arms.


    The two had already be good friends in the short time that they had spent together. Seeing their interaction put a smile on Lux''s face, which also decreased the anxiety that the girls were feeling.


    "Did you girls manage to get some proper rest?" Lux asked as he sat in front of Alexa and Emily.


    "The beds are hard," Emily replied in a disgruntled tone. "The room smells like wood, but aside from that, I''m just happy that I am together with my family."


    "Don''t worry, you girls will soon be staying inside a castle," Lux replied. "I made sure that there are soft beds that you can sleep on."


    Emily gave Lux the "I don''t believe you" gaze, which made the Half-Elf chuckle.


    "Let me pour you a cup, Lux," Alexa said.


    "Thank you, Alexa."


    Alexa poured some mead into the mug beside Lux, as an act of goodwill.


    "I''ve heard that you went to the Orc''s Ancestral Lands to pay homage to the Spirits Guarding their Domain," Alexa said. "I haven''t seen any Guardian Spirits before. What are they like?"


    "Scary," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "And extremely powerful. The first Spirit Guardian I met here in the Wanid Kingdom was a Tempest Elemental that took the shape of a Dragon. I thought I was a goner that time."


    "A Tempest Elemental?" Emily arched an eyebrow. "How strong is that Tempest Elemental?"


    Lux drank some of his mead before answering Emily''s question. "Argonaut Ranked World Boss."


    "Can my father beat it?"


    "Not a chance."


    Even for a High-Ranker, dealing with an Argonaut-Ranked World Boss wasn''t an easy thing to do. It would take at least three to four High-Rankers to fight a Beast of that Level.


    "It''s a shame that my father''s rank has regressed." Emily pouted. "Now, he''s only as strong as Mother."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Don''t worry, Emily," Alexa said. "Father can regain the rank he has lost. What is important is that our family is still together. What is the use of having a high rank if we are living apart from each other, or worse, enved by other people?"


    After her sister''s reminder, a shudder ran through Emily''s body, reminded of her Uncle Ronan. She had always trusted him, but after finding out about his lustful desire for her mother and her older sister, Alexa, all the good graces she had for him faded without a trace.


    "Lux, what will happen to us now?" Alexa asked.


    She was a year older than Lux, so the Half-Elf had asked her to not use any honorifics for him. Because of this, she could call him Lux without worrying about being disrespectful.


    "Your father will be the Commander of my non-existent Human army," Lux replied. "At least, for now. As for you girls, you are free to do whatever you want."


    "Whatever we want?" Emily asked.


    "Yes. What do you want to do?


    "I-I don''t know."


    Emily had been treated with great care by her family and the people around her. The only hobby she had was shopping for trinkets and other essories that managed to catch her eye whenever she went to the marketce.


    After losing thatfortable lifestyle, the fourteen-year-old girl had no idea how she should act in the new environment she was in.


    "Don''t worry, you will be able to find out what you really want to do in life," Lux said. "My Guild Headquarters has a teleportation gate that can connect to two ces. The first one is Leaf Vige which is located in the Kingdom of the Dwarves.


    "The second one will be here in the ckrock n''s territory. The teleportation gate will be built in about a week. By then, we can return to the Wanid Kingdom anytime we want."


    Although Alexa was very curious about the kingdom of the Dwarves, she was more curious about Lux''s Guild Headquarters.


    "I''ve never been inside a Guild Headquarters before," Alexa stated. "Where is your Guild Headquarters located, Lux?"


    Lux smiled before pointing up toward the sky.


    "My Guild Headquarters is on a floating ind," Lux said with a smug expression on his face. "Not only that but it is also located in Karshvar Draconis. The Kingdom of the Dragon Race."


    "Is that the truth?" Alexa asked with a smile.


    Emily arched an eyebrow. "I also find it hard to believe, sister. Maybe Sir Lux is just teasing us."


    "I''m not," Lux shook his head. "Did you see Cethus? He is a Dragon Born who lives in Karshvar Draconis. That alone should give credibility to me, right?"


    The Half-Elf pointed at the Dragon Born who was drinking his mug in silence beside the Half-Elf, Gerhart. Ever since Lux appeared, Cethus hadn''t said a word and simply drank and ate in silence, while looking at him with a solemn expression on his face.


    "Why is he looking at you like that?" Emily asked with an amused smile. "Is he perhaps nning to eat you?"


    "He can''t eat me," Lux replied. "But, he can definitely eat you, youngdy."


    "Hmph! I''d like to see him try. My father and mother will break his bones."


    "Hahaha."


    Lux and the two beautiful girls, who resembled their mother, Sarah, talked untilte at night. They listened to his stories, and they often wondered if Lux was just exaggerating his ims or telling them the truth.


    However, one thing was sure. They were looking forward to finding their new purpose in life after losing everything when they left the Haca Dynasty.


    Although the future was filled with uncertainty, they had a feeling that as long as their family was together, they would be able to ovee all the challenges that the world threw at them, under the guidance of the red-headed teenager who had risked his life to save them from the hands of those who wished them ill in the capital city of the Haca Dynasty.

 Chapter 631 Welcome To Your New Home

    "... Garret, tell me. Am I dreaming?"


    "I had the same reaction the first time I saw it, Sarah. But, I can tell you right now that this is not a dream."


    Two golden words that said "Heaven''s Gate" were currently shing in front of Sarah, her daughters, as well as their retainers.


    Now that Garret was part of his Guild, Lux thought that adding his entire entourage wouldn''t make a difference. Also, this was the only way he could bring the former Great General of the Haca Dynasty, his family, and subordinates to their Guild Headquarters in the Outer Reaches of Karshvar Draconis.


    "Wow! Eiko, your Papa is awesome!" Leah happily spun round and round while holding the Baby Slime in her hands.


    "Un! Awesome!" Eiko giggled because she was having fun ying with Leah.


    Alexa and Emily looked at Lux as if they were looking at a rare Monster that they were seeing for the first time in their lives.


    Never in their wildest dreams had they thought that the Half-Elf, who had rescued them from the Capital City of the Haca Dynasty, would also be the Guildmaster of the Mythical Guild that had been the talk of the entire Dynasty for the past few months.


    "I know that it''s a lot to take in, but what you''re seeing is real," Lux said with a smile. "Everyone, please ept the invitation. That way, all of you can apany me back to our Guild Headquarters."


    After being urged by Lux, everyone finally epted his Guild Invitation and was surprised further by the rows of text that appeared in front of them.


    "G-Guild Buffs?" Sarah eximed. "Free Stat Points?!"


    Sarah was once part of a Mithril-Ranked Guild in the past, and even that Guild didn''t have the Guild Buffs that she had received from joining Heaven''s Gate.


    She had heard rumors, however, that Adamantine-Ranked Guilds had Mana and Health Regeneration, but the Guild Buffs she was receiving now were way more than what the rumors she had heard of in the past.


    "Lady Avyanna, we''ll be going now," Lux bowed to the Orc Chieftain who hade to bid them farewell. "I hope that our Guild Teleportation Gate here in your city will be finished soon."


    "I hope for that as well, Lux," Lady Avyanna replied. "As soon as we finish the construction of the Teleportation Gate, we will start the exchange we have agreed upon."


    Lux nodded. Right now, his Guild Headquarters was pretty barren. The floating ind still needed a lot of renovations. The Half-Elf had asked the Orcs to help him build a small vige at the base of the mountain.


    He nned to slowly expand the number of his guild members and invite traders from the City of Pygmalion, as well as from the other parts of Karhsvar Draconis, to create shops on the floating ind.


    The Dragon King had decreed that the Half-Elf could only have the Mountain Range as his territory.


    However, Keoza assured Lux that he could just take the entire ind for himself.


    When the Half-Elf asked the Crystal Dragon if this move of theirs would cause tension between him and the Dragon King, Keoza only told him that as long as he was there, the Dragon King would have no choice but to give the entire floating ind to him.


    What Lux didn''t know was that Keoza had a ruffian side to him. Truth be told, Keoza had full control of the Capital City of the Dragon Race, Rex Lapis.


    If he wished for it, he could make the floating Inds fall from the sky, which was something that the Dragon King would never allow to happen. This fact made Keoza confident that he could use the strong arm method to make the entire ind Lux''s property.


    "We''ll be going now," Lux gave the Orcs onest wave of farewell before teleporting directly to his Guild Headquarters, bringing his new members along with him.


    Cethus had registered the Teleportation Gate in Lux''s headquarters in his Teleportation Crystal prior to their departure from the floating inds, so he was able to teleport back to it without any problem.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lady Avyanna nced at her son, mma, who was staring nkly at the ce where Lux had disappeared to, and smiled.


    "Go," Lady Avyanna said softly as she gave her son a gentle push on the back. "Staying here in the ckrock n will limit your growth. Go and see the world. It is a very big ce filled with danger, but since you are my son, you are going to be fine."


    Barca patted his son''s shoulders with a smile. "You are never alone, my son. Our spirits will always be with you. The Spirit of the ckrock n will guide your way."


    mma nodded his head with determination.


    "I''m going, Father, Mother," mma stated. "I''ll make sure to make the entire world know the name of the ckrock n!"


    """Ahoo! Ahoo! Ahoo!"""


    """Ahoo! Ahoo! Ahoo!"""


    """Ahoo! Ahoo! Ahoo!"""


    The Orcs all raised their hands up high and cheered their future Orc Chieftain, wishing him safe travels as he embarked on a journey to gain experience and see the world that was outside the boundaries of the ckrock n.


    ��--------------


    Outer Reaches��


    "He wasn''t joking when he said we were going to live in a castle��," Emily muttered as she nced at the castle made of white marble in front of her.


    The majestic headquarters of Heaven''s Gate stood tall on the mountain range.


    "Wee to your new home," Lux said using the Guild Chat function. "If ever anyone asks any of you what our Guild''s name is, tell them that it is Ars Goetia. This will be the Guild Name we will use for the time being until we be strong enough to protect ourselves from the world."


    Garret, his family, as well as their retainers, all nodded their heads in understanding. They didn''t need to be reminded twice about how important it was to keep Lux''s Guild a secret. Right now, everyone was desperately looking for any information regarding the Mythical Guild.


    If this secret was discovered, they would also be implicated in the conflicts that would arise afterward.


    Just as Lux was about to invite everyone toe inside their Guild Headquarters, the Teleportation Gate glowed briefly, and a Half-Orc walked out of it.


    mma gave Lux a brief nod, and the Half-Elf returned it with a smile. No words needed to be spoken between them because they already understood why mma had appeared in his Guild Headquarters.


    Cethus narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Half-Orc who walked up to Lux to chat with him. He understood why mma was here, and it made him feel an invisible pressure weighing down on his shoulders.


    After a talk with Gerhart and knowing that Lux could only bring a fixed number of individuals with him inside the Sacred Dungeon, he realized that he could no longer dy the decision he had been thinking about sincest night.


    He might be prideful, but he also understood that pride alone was not enough to reach his goals.


    With this thought in mind, the Dragon Born took a deep breath as he walked alongside the others to enter Lux Guild Headquarters.


    A Guild Headquarters that would he would soon call his Second Home.

 Chapter 632 I Want To See The Two Of You Fight For Real

    "He''s finally back..."


    The Dragon King opened his eyes before looking in the direction of the Outer Reaches.


    As the ruler of the Dragon Race, he had the omniscience to know everything that was happening inside his Kingdom.


    He was paying careful attention to the Half-Elf''s Guild Headquarters, and as soon as he sensed Lux''s presence, he understood that the red-headed teenager had finally returned to the Outer Reaches.


    Of course, his wife, Queen Saphira, had already told him what really happened to Valerie, and she wasn''t really pregnant.


    However, the mere thought of having the Half-Elf touch his daughter was enough for the Dragon King to want to kick Lux''s bum repeatedly until it became swollen.


    ''Maybe I should really go and have that fishing trip with him,'' the Dragon King lightly growled, making the Royal Guards standing in the throne room subconsciously shudder.


    They could feel that their King was very angry, but they had no idea why he was angry.


    If not for the fact that Queen Saphira had repeatedly warned him to not harm the innocent Half-Elf, the Dragon King would have instantly teleported to the Outer Reaches and dragged the red-headed teenager to the Sea of the Ancients.


    A ce where Dreadnaught-Ranked Krakens and Empyrean-Ranked Sea Dragons lived.


    Suddenly, the Dragon King sensed another presence behind him which calmed down his raging heart.


    "All of you leave me alone," the Dragon King ordered.


    Immediately, the Royal Guards that were in the throne room left in an orderly manner. None of them wanted to face the brunt of the Dragon King''s wrath, so they left the throne room without even a backward nce.


    When the gates of the room were shut tight, the secret passageway behind the King''s throne opened, revealing a very beautifuldy, whom the Dragon King would kill to protect.


    "He''s back, right?" Queen Saphira asked as she sat on her husband''sp while holding a baby Dragon in her arms.


    "Yes," The Dragon King replied. "Did youe here to make sure that I don''t go there and kill him?"


    "Mmm." Queen Saphira smiled. "You and Keoza are not on good terms right now. If you make a move out of anger, the consequences might be something that both sides don''t want to see. Don''t worry, I asked Valerie to stay put in the Inner Pce for a while. She won''t be allowed to ''sneak away'' until the Half-Elf has left the Outer Reaches."


    The Dragon King reluctantly nodded his head after hearing his wife''s advice. Just like Queen Saphira had said, he and Keoza weren''t on good terms right now.


    He had already angered the Crystal Dragon by purposely giving Lux a hard time, sending the Half-Elf into the Pit to build his Guild Headquarters. However, to his surprise, the Half-Elf managed to ovee this hurdle and even managed to reach apromise with the Mayor of the City of Pygmalion.


    Of course, Keoza''s appearance yed a major role in the incident. Both of them parted on bad terms, and the Dragon King didn''t want to antagonize the Crystal Dragon, who could make the capital city of the Dragon Race fall from the sky in a heartbeat.


    As if sensing his father''s simmering anger, the baby Dragon in Queen Saphira''s arms started to cry.


    "There, there. Don''t cry," Queen Saphira coaxed the crying baby with a soothing voice. "We love you very much."


    After a few more words and kisses of love, the baby Dragon finally stopped crying and fell asleep in Queen Saphira''s embrace.


    "Kids grow fast," Queen Saphira said softly as she held her baby in a loving embrace. "So we can''t keep them inside a cage forever. Dragons are creatures who want to fly in the sky. If you restrict her too much, it will be bad for her growth."


    The Queen of all Dragons then nted a kiss on her husband''s cheek before leaving his side.


    "It seems that the Half-Elf had brought some interesting people back with him," Queen Saphiramented as she opened the secret passageway behind the throne. "I''ll permit Valerie to visit them when Lux is no longer in the Outer Reaches. Feel free to add more guards to keep an eye on her when she leaves the Inner Pce."


    After saying what she needed to say, the Dragon Queen left her husband behind. She knew how overprotective the King was of her only daughter, Valerie, but keeping her locked up in the Inner Pce wasn''t a solution.


    Queen Saphira knew that her daughter could get rebellious at times, so she decided to give Valerie some freedom by letting her sneak away from time to time.


    She just didn''t expect that her daughter would start to feel things she had never felt before, which made the Queen happy and worried at the same time.


    ------------


    Meanwhile in the Outer Reaches...


    "Let me join your Guild," Cethus said.


    "Join my Guild?" Lux arched an eyebrow at the Dragon Born who had asked him to talk in private. "Why?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "My reason is the same as when I joined you in your journey to the Wanid Kingdom," Cethus stated. "I want to be stronger."


    The Half-Elf crossed his arms over his chest before ncing at the window of his room. He could see the giant crater from his vantage point, and that was also where he nned to build a vige with the help of the Orcs.


    "Cethus, I have lots of enemies," Lux said while still looking outside of his window. "Enemies that are far stronger than I am. You might find yourself facing off with someone who is beyond your league if you decide to stay by my side."


    "I don''t care."


    "Even if you lose your life?"


    "If that happens, I can only me myself for being weak."


    Dragon Borns prided themselves in their strength. This was why when Cethus lost to Lux, he felt as if the beliefs he had in the past all crumbled under his feet.


    That was when he realized that the people whom he called Low-Landers were different from what he had imagined.


    They were not weak as he and the other Dragon Borns originally thought.


    The battle in the Wanid Kingdom once again solidified this fact, and it made Cethus realize how naive he was in the past.


    His arrogance from being born as a Dragon Born held no value whatsoever in the face of overwhelming strength.


    Strength that he wished belonged to him.


    "Very well, but on one condition," Lux stated. "You will have a one-on-one fight with Gerhart. If you win, I will allow you to join my guild. If you lose..."


    "If I lose, I will train to be stronger and challenge him again," Cethus replied. "Thank you for your time. Goodbye."


    The Dragon Born left the room without even waiting for Lux''s reply.


    The Half-Elf could only look at Cethus'' back with aplicated expression on his face.


    "Are you fine with that, Gerhart?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Gerhart replied as he flew inside Lux''s room from the window.


    The green-haired Half-Elf nned to eavesdrop on their conversation but was easily discovered by Lux.


    After being discovered, Gerhart asked Lux to keep his presence a secret, which the Half-Elf agreed on.


    It was also Gerhart that proposed that he fight Cethus in a one-on-one battle. Lux didn''t know if Gerhart had a grudge against the Dragon Born, but he still agreed to his request.


    For him, adding Cethus to his guild wasn''t a big deal.


    However, he was worried that the Dragon Born was not someone who could keep secrets. Because of this, he was reluctant to agree to Cethus'' request.


    If not for Gerhart''s proposal, Lux might have rejected Cethus'' request to join his Guild.


    "Don''t hold back, okay?" Lux asked. "I want to see the two of you fight for real."


    "You have nothing to worry about," Gerhart replied. "I''ve held a grudge against Cethus since the day we first met. This is just me paying that back with interest."


    Lux shook his head helplessly after seeing the determination in Gerhart''s eyes. Although he was curious about who would win between the twobatants, who were both at the peak of the Initiate Rank, he didn''t want either of them to be fatally wounded in the battle.


    Having considered this, he nned to interfere when he deemed that both were about tond a killing blow on each other. The Half-Elf was not aware that high above the clouds of his Guild Headquarters, an old Dragon-Born Lady was paying close attention to her grandson.


    The moment Cethus returned to Karhsvar Draconis, his Grandma felt his presence, so she immediately came to the Outer Reaches to check up on him.


    ''Good, Cethus,'' the old Dragon Born Lady thought. ''It seems you have improved a lot since thest time I saw you.''


    She had hoped that after Cethus apanied Lux on his journey, her grandson would learn a bit of humility. After seeing him again, she knew at a nce that her grandson had experienced many things that allowed him to grow not only in strength but in character as well.

 Chapter 633 Lux’s Growing Army

    Upon arriving at their Guild Headquarters, the first thing that Lux did was give Garret, his family, and his subordinates a tour of their Guild Headquarters.


    He even called the Kobolds working on the underground tunnels and had them say hi to their newestrades in the Guild.


    "Unbelievable, there are even Kobolds...," Sarah couldn''t help but question hermon sense after everything she had seen since their arrival.


    It was a known fact that Monsters couldn''t join guilds, so when she saw that the Orcs and Kobolds were members of Heaven''s Gate, she felt like her eyes had been finally opened to the hidden truth of the world.


    Not far from her, Leah''s interest was piqued by the Monster eggs that Lux had ced in the nursery room inside the pce.


    "Eiko, are all of these Monster egg slimes?" Emily asked as she lightly poked one of the colorful eggs that were resting on a nest made of hay.


    "Un!" Eiko nodded. "All Baby Slimes!"


    Leah then turned to Laura and Livia, who were the same height as her. The two Dwarves were humming a tune as they fed Nora and Cora berries, which was one of the many favorite foods that the two Baby Slimes liked to eat.


    "Can I also get an egg?" Leah asked the twins.


    "Of course," Laura replied.


    "These Baby Slimes need people who will love and care for them," Liviamented. "I''m sure Leah will get along with the slime that will hatch from the egg she chooses."


    After hearing the twins'' reply, Garret''s youngest daughter crouched down to observe the Baby Slime eggs in front of her.


    "I''ll choose this pink egg over here." Leah pointed at a colorful pink egg with heart symbols on its surface.


    "Okay." Laura nodded. "Pick it up and ce it on the incubator over there. After that, form a contract with it to make it your beastpanion. Then, and only then, will the Baby Slime hatch from its egg."


    Leah carefully picked up the Monster egg as if she was dealing with a newborn baby. She then walked slowly towards the incubator, making sure not to drop the egg in her hands.


    Sarah couldn''t help but smile when she saw this scene. Although Slimes were the weakest Monsters in existence, she didn''t mind if her daughter wanted to raise one herself.


    Livia guided Leah through the process of forming a contract with the Monster inside the egg. Although she was still young, Leah was able to properly follow Livia''s instructions and sessfully formed a contract with the Monster.


    Half a minuteter, cracks started to form on the egg''s surface, which made Leah and Eiko, who was perched on top of Leah''s head, look in anticipation for what was about to happen next.


    The egg split in half, showing the most adorable pink slime that Leah had ever seen in her life.


    "Ma?" the baby slime asked as soon as its gazended on Leah''s face.


    "Yes!" Leah nodded as she gently picked up the Baby Slime and brought it close to her face.


    The Baby Slime was surprised at first, but after sensing that it wouldn''t fall, it allowed itself to be lifted up by its owner.


    "Cute!" Leah said with endearment as she looked closely at the Baby Slime in her hands.


    The Baby Slime looked at her with a smile before moving closer to kiss her nose, which made Leah giggle.


    "Are you a girl or a boy?" Leah asked the Baby Slime in her hands. However, instead of answering, the slime only tilted its head to the side as if it didn''t understand Leah''s question.


    "It''s a girl," Laura said.


    "How did you know?" Emily, who had alsoe to take a closer look at the baby slime, asked.


    "Intuition," Laura replied. "For some reason, I can tell that this Baby Slime is a girl. Leah, how about you give her a name?"


    The little girl thought about it for a bit before looking at the Baby Slime in her hands. As if sensing that it was about to be given a name, the baby slime looked up at Leah with anticipation.


    "Holly," Leah said softly. "Your name will be Holly."


    As soon as she had given the Baby Slime a name, its body glowed briefly for several seconds before returning to its former color.


    Several rows of text appeared in front of Leah, as the information about her Baby Slime materialized in front of her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ----------


    < Holly >


    Pink Baby Slime


    Monster Rating: Rank 1


    Skills: Seed Bullet


    Unique Ability: Sweet Scent


    < Sweet Scent >


    a�" Always emits a sweet fragrance in the air, making even the most foul-smelling ces smell like a field of flowers in full bloom.


    a�" This Unique Ability has an AOE effect and passively regenerates 1% of the Maximum Health, and Mana Points of anyone within a 200-meter radius of Holly every 3 seconds.


    a�" This Unique Ability also creates a ten-meter radius barrier against Miasma. Anyone inside the barrier will not be affected by any negative status and debuffs from the Miasma.


    ----------


    "...Is this really a Baby Slime?" Sarah muttered after seeing Holly''s information. "Her Unique Ability is simr to a High-Ranking Cleric in the Temple of the Haca Dynasty."


    "Compared to Holly, the Baby Slime perched on top of your daughter''s head is more amazing," Garret whispered in his wife''s ear. "I''m even wondering how powerful Eiko will be after Lux bes a Ranker."


    He had only seen glimpses of the Baby Slime''s actions during the war, but the former Great General was convinced that Eiko was just as deadly as Lux on the battlefield.


    Alexa and Emily were also tempted to get a Baby Slime as well, but they held back for the time being.


    The two simply watched their little sister happily dance around as she held the newly hatched Baby Slime, who was making the surroundings smell like a field of flowers.


    An hourter, everyone gathered in the dining area for dinner.


    The Head Maid of the Ousborne Family, as well as the other maids, all worked hand in hand to create a feast for everyone in the Guild Headquarters.


    Cethus had gone to the City of Pygmalion to buy some meat, vegetables, mead, as well as fruit juices, ording to Lux''s request.


    Although they had received a farewell feast with the Orcs, their food was mostly roasted meat and fruits, which was too heavy for thedies of the Ousborne Household.


    They were used to eating high-ss foods made by their maids, which wouldn''t lose to what the Royal Family of the Haca Dynasty ate on a regr basis.


    Lux and his other guild members also enjoyed the delicious dishes that the maids had prepared for them. This made the Half-Elf very happy, knowing that from now on, his Guild would be fed well. All because of the professionals that he had managed to poach from the Haca Dynasty.


    ''Now that there are people taking care of the Guild Headquarters, I will be able to travel with some peace of mind,'' Lux thought.


    One of his primary concerns was theck of trustworthy people who could look after their Guild Headquarters whenever he was away. Fortunately, Garret and his family would live in the Guild Headquarters now. They could serve as his representatives and take care of his Guild Members whenever he wasn''t around.


    Now that Garret was part of his Covenant, Lux nned to make the Human Commander train his Guild Members forrge-scale wars.


    After some negotiations, Lux agreed to revive 500 of Garret''s trusted subordinates, who had turned into Crystal Statues.


    (E/N: Mywn ornaments!)


    Keoza was the one who would revive these crystallized soldiers, whom Garret had personally trained since a young age.


    These soldiers were more loyal to him than they were to the Haca Dynasty, so the Great General was confident that he could make them all fight for Lux''s cause.


    With 500 additional Elite Soldiers who were of the Initiate Rank, Lux''s fighting force had once again risen to a level where he could easily conquer a city that was not defended by a Saint.


    If his friends, acquaintances, and the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold could see him now, none of them would believe that the frequently fainting Half-Elf of the past was now a person who could easily conquer their stronghold, if he wished for it.

 Chapter 634 Surpassing One’s Limits [Part 1]

    In the crater located at the base of the mountain, Gerhart and Cethus stood facing each other.


    Lux and those who wished to spectate the battle watched from the mountaintop, patiently waiting for the twobatants to begin their fight with each other.


    "Do you really need to go through this?" mma asked with his arms crossed over his chest. "Even I recognize Cethus'' strength. He will be a good addition to the Guild."


    "It''s not about how strong a person is, mma," Lux replied as he looked at the Dragon Born who had taken a fighting stance while holding a ck spear in his hands. "It''s about how strong their resolve is. Cethus is a bit special. I agree that he is strong, but strength alone will not make him eligible to join my guild."


    Leah, who was sitting by the Half-Elf''s side, looked up at him and asked a question.


    "Big Brother, do I also need to fight in order to be part of the guild?" Leah asked.


    "No," Lux replied. "You get a free pass, Leah because you are Eiko''s friend."


    "Really?"


    "Really. Isn''t that right, Eiko?"


    "Un!"


    Alexa and Emily eyed the Half-Elf who was clearly spouting a bunch of nonsense in order to trick their little sister. Even so, they understood the intent behind his words. Not everyone had the privilege to join Lux''s Mythical guild whenever they wanted to.


    They were members of Heaven''s Gate only because their father was now part of Lux''s Covenant. If not for that fact, all of them could only dream of joining the Mythical Guild that took the world by storm.


    "They''re starting." mma narrowed his eyes as he watched Gerhart and Cethus soar toward the sky. "Who do you think will win?"


    "It''s hard to say," Lux replied. "I think the one that goes all out will be the winner."


    The Half-Elf then waved his hand to summon Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, and Zagan to help stop the fight if they deemed that it would be too dangerous to continue.


    He had seen how Gerhart fought with his life on the line in the Tournament that was held at Barbatos Academy. If he were to do the same thing now, he was afraid that even if the Dragon Born was strong, his chances of winning were very slim.


    Thest thing he wanted to happen was for one of them to lose their lives just because they weren''t able to hold back from dealing a fatal blow to their opponent.


    Suddenly, strong winds started to blow in the surroundings, forming tornadoes, as Garret manipted the wind to serve as his shield and sword against his enemy.


    Cethus didn''t back down and flew toward the center of the chaotic ughterhouse with a determined look on his face.


    As soon as he entered the range of the tornadoes, he suddenly found himself falling to the ground as if the wind under his wings had disappearedpletely.


    The Dragon Born had expected Gerhart to manipte the tornadoes to suck him inside it, rendering him helpless.


    "You''ve always been proud of your ability to fly," Gerhart said as he unleashed several wind des in the direction of the falling Dragon Born. "Because of this, I''ve always wondered what you''d feel if the wind that allowed you to fly disappearedpletely."


    "You talk too much," Cethus replied as he righted himself in mid-air.


    The Wind des that Gerhart had unleashed suddenly veered toward the ground, as if something heavy pulled them down.


    Cethus, on the other hand, stood in the air, as if he was standing on solid ground.


    "I don''t need wind to fly," Cethus dered as he raised the spear in his hand, pointing its tip to the green-haired Half-Elf, who was at the center of six tornadoes that were spinning around him. "Enough chat, just fight."


    Dozens of dark balls appeared around the Dragon Born, which made the corner of Gerhart''s lips rise.


    ''I knew it,'' Gerhart thought. ''This bastard is not going to hold back. I better take this battle seriously.''


    The green-haired Half-Elf was the one who proposed that he and Cethus fight. The real reason for this was that he wanted to test his own strength against an opponent whose rank was equivalent to his.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gerhart then raised both of his hands, and the two tornadoes surrounding him shrank before spinning around his left and right hands.


    The two other tornadoes then merged with the Half-Elf''s legs.


    A momentter, the two remaining tornadoes merged with Gerhart''s body, creating an armor that was imbued by the destructive power of mother nature.


    Without any warning, Gerhart shot towards the Dragon Born like a railgun, with a speed that was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.


    Cethus, who was surrounded by the countless gravity balls, had done the same thing as Gerhart had done.


    He had absorbed these Gravity Balls, creating a ck shell around his body, freely manipting the power of gravity in his surroundings.


    Suddenly, a resounding ringing sound spread in the surroundings as Gerhart collided with Cethus'' gravity shell.


    The green-haired Half-Elf had wanted to end the battle as soon as possible, so he decided to give the Dragon Born a solid punch on his shoulder that was strong enough to tear Cethus'' entire arm off his body.


    However, to his surprise, not only was he unable to break the gravity shell, he found himself flying backward from the impact of the collision.


    Aside from control over gravity, Cethus had also learned a new skill recently, and that was Vector Maniption.


    He had only started using this ability recently andcked mastery over its control. This was why he decided to make things a bit simple and created a gravity shell that automatically repelled or deflected any attacks whether they be physical or magical in nature.


    The only way to break the shell was if his opponent unleashed an attack that would overwhelm Cethus'' control over gravity, breaking itpletely.


    "Looks like you''ll have some problems if the two of you ever have a rematch," Lux said before giving mma a side-long nce.


    "Mmm, it''s not bad," mma replied. "But I can easily break it if I go all out. How about you? Can you deal with it?"


    "Of course," Lux replied. "Just who do you think I am?"


    The Half-Elf and the Half-Orc both chuckled, but deep inside, they were thinking that Cethus'' new ability was indeed very troublesome.


    Vector Maniption was not an easy ability to Master, but anyone who was capable of unlocking its maximum potential was a force to be reckoned with.


    Gerhart, who had been blown away by his own attack, righted himself in mid-air. That short exchange was enough to tell him that if he wasn''t willing to use his bloodline ability, he would lose this match to the Dragon Born.


    "First Gate, Unlock," Gerhart said as he bit on his thumb, removing the limiter he had set after training with Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian.


    A secondter, he vanished from his spot, and another resounding ringing sound spread in the surroundings as his fist smashed on Cethus'' gravity shell.


    However, this time, instead of being blown away by his own attack, it was the Dragon Born who was sent flying by Gerhart''s punch.


    Blood flowed from the green-haired Half-Elf''s clenched fist, but he didn''t care. Now that he was putting his life on the line, Gerhart was determined to see this battle through to the end.


    He had acknowledged that it would be hard for him to beat Lux in a one-on-one battle, but he would be damned if he lost to Cethus, whose arrogance in the past had ticked him off more times than he could count.


    "What are you doing?" mma asked when he saw Lux equip his Personal Dragon Regalia, which allowed him to move at the speed of lightning.


    "Just making sure that neither of them is going to die in this duel," Lux replied. "Gerhart has unlocked his limit and if Cethus doesn''t have any more trump cards, I''m stopping this match."


    The Half-Elf then flew towards the sky and remained a good distance from the twobatants.


    His Named Creatures had also positioned themselves in strategic locations, ready to use Duel [EX] to forcefully separate the two fighters, whose battle would probably destroy parts of the floating ind, which was something none of them wanted to see happen.

 Chapter 635 Pride Of A Dragon Born

    When I turned ten years old, I sincerely believed that I was blessed to be born as a Dragon Born.


    We were a part of the proud members of the Dragon Race, for the blood of Dragons flowed in our veins. This made us stronger than the other races in the world, and it allowed us to grow at a very fast rate.


    As I grew older, the pride I felt in my heart turned into arrogance. I always thought that the Low-Landers, or those who lived in thends beneath our floating Kingdom, were just second-rate races.


    They were those who weren''t blessed to be born as Dragons or Dragon Borns, making them inferior to our race.


    However, this belief changed the moment the Half-Elf, Lux Von Kaizer, arrived in Karshvar Draconis.


    For better or worse, the Dragon King had chosen me to be his supervisor, watching his every move, and making sure that he didn''t do anything stupid that would cause trouble for our Kingdom.


    At first, I treated Lux like an animal. Something lower than a dog that only existed for my amusement. But, after the incident that happened in the Outer Reaches, I found out that the lowly dog that I thought was harmless, was actually a shameless bastard, hiding in sheep''s clothing.


    Then, one thing led to another and little by little, I noticed that he was growing at an rming rate.


    It came to the point that I wondered if he was consuming some kind of elixir that speeds up his growth, allowing him to surpass, even those of the Dragon Race.


    I thought that maybe, if I knew his secret, I would be able to be a Ranker in no time at all, so I decided to apany him on his journey.


    However, he had a condition.


    ��----------


    "Cethus, you wanted to go with me, right?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," I replied despite the weird feeling I felt back then due to how confident Lux sounded.


    "Perfect! Since that is the case, how about you fight me? I am a Necromancer, and you are a Dragon Born. I only take strong individuals with me on my journey. If you can beat me then I will allow you to apany me, deal?"


    ��----------


    I epted his condition thinking that I would easily win against him, and make him obedient to me.


    However, I was wrong.


    Very wrong.


    I thought we were going to fight a one-on-one battle, but the bastard actually summoned his Undead Creatures and used some kind of taunting skill to force me to fight them in closebat.


    On that day, I realized just who I was dealing with, and on that same day, I made a vow never to fight Lux in a one-on-one duel again.


    Why?


    Because the bastard doesn''t fight one-on-one duels!


    After my loss, I genuinely felt that if I let Lux leave Karshvar Draconis without me, I would lose the one and only clue I had for how to get strong in a short period of time.


    Because of this, I did something that I never thought I would do in my life.


    I begged him to take me.


    It was the most humiliating, and shameful disy I had ever made in my life, and I thought that if I could only endure the feelings of shame in my heart, I would be able to be stronger once I found out Lux''s secret.


    Perhaps it was out of pity, or perhaps he was thinking of something else, but he did take me with him.


    Back then, I was confident that although I lost to Lux, I would be able to surpass him once I became a Ranker.


    The battle in the Shaufell ins was perhaps the first time that I thought I was going to die.


    The Crimson Berserker Mantis was truly powerful, and there had been more than one asion when I felt that I should flee and leave everyone behind.


    For me, they were just a means to an end, and they were not worth risking my life to save.


    Just as I was about to leave everyone behind, I saw a miracle happen.


    Lux revived the Giant Termite, and it transformed into a powerful Demi-Creature that he named ALL-MITE.


    Perhaps, in the eyes of the Ancient Dragons, as well as the Saints, the battle between a Deimos-Ranked Beast, and a Low-Ranker, was just a bunch of kids ying sword fighting.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, for those of the same Rank, and below that Rank, it was a battle against Power Houses that decided our life and death.


    ALL-MITE had won that day, and it made me rejoice internally that he appeared before I left the battlefield to save my life.


    Because of this, I was able to continue my journey with Lux, and even managed to be rewarded with a Pseudo-Legendary Spear and a Skill Book that allowed me to learn the skill, Gravity Domain.


    A skill that was tailored for me, which greatly increased my fighting prowess.


    After saving the residents of the Town of Abingdon, we continued our journey to the ckrock n, where the Transcendent mes were located.


    Little did we know that we had unknowingly arrived at a wrong time.


    Thinking back, perhaps we didn''t arrive at the wrong time.


    We arrived at the perfect time to join the war, and it made me think that it was a good opportunity to steal the Transcendent mes, while the main bulk of the Orc Army was dealing with the Humans from the Haca Dynasty.


    Unfortunately, mma was there and heard my n, which led to me fighting him in a duel


    For the second time in my life, I lost again.


    I tried to brush off the loss thinking that since mma was a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster, my loss was justified.


    But, it still didn''t sit well with me.


    After tasting defeat against Lux, I vowed to never lose again.


    However, that vow sounded like a joke after mme crushed any remaining pride that I had.


    Fortunately, Lux also defeated mma, so I was spared from falling into depression.


    For some reason, I found satisfaction in having the one that bullied me, get bullied back with the same tactic that was used against me.


    My only regret was that I wasn''t there when the Skeleton Gangbangers screwed mma ten times over.


    Oh! How I wished I had seen that!


    I would have definitely recorded it with a Recording Crystal, making it one of my prized possessions.


    After mma was soundly defeated, Lux went to the front lines, alongside the Orc Army, leaving us behind.


    I was gravely injured, and the others were tasked to look after me while I healed.


    That was also when I started to pay close attention to the green-haired Half-Elf, Gerhart, whom Lux had recruited to his guild not long ago.


    He gave off the presence of a lone wolf. Someone who didn''t need anyone to look after him, and would simply lick his wounds if he ever received any injuries during his journey.


    Since we were both of the same Rank, I definitely thought that if it was him that I was fighting against then I would win easily, or so I thought.


    As I propped myself up from the ground, and wiped away the blood that flowed from my lips, I was starting to hate Half-Elves.


    ''Get a grip, Cethus. We can''t always be on the losing end, right?,'' I said internally as I stood up to face the green-haired Half-Elf whose presence descended on me like a mountain.


    Although my instincts were screaming at me that I should concede and ept my defeat, my heart, and soul said otherwise.


    "Hey, Gerhart, there''s something I''ve wanted to tell you for a long time," I said with a smile.


    "You talk too much," Gerhart replied. "But, I guess I''ll hear you out before I smash your face with my fist."


    I didn''t know what came over me at that time, but I justughed.


    Aughter that came from the heart.


    "That''s right," I said as I raised my middle finger at the green-haired Half-Elf, which I had seen Lux do to the Vanguard Commander, Ronan, of the Haca Dynasty.


    I didn''t know what it meant, but for some reason, I felt that now was the time to use the gesture, as well as the words Eiko would often say whenever Lux wasn''t paying attention to her.


    "Come, F*cker!" I dered as I, too, put my life on the line to fight for what little pride, and dignity still resided in my heart. "You''re going down!"

 Chapter 636 Gerhart’s Favored Enemy

    Revenge.


    That was my sole purpose in life.


    Nothing would make me happier than to crush the heart of the Elf that fancied my mother, and left her to fend for herself in a Kingdom that looked down on the Human race.


    I, who had been born from such a union, was scorned by the Elves for being a filthy half-blood, whom they looked upon as a stain in their noble bloodline.


    This was why I didn''t hesitate to use one of the prized treasures of the Elves, the Kinyer, to kill the arrogant Prince of the Elven Race, Enlil Neifion, who bore the same name as the man that I wished to kill.


    Unfortunately, the bastard chose to save his life and teleported away from the tournament before I could even give him the killing blow.


    The Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe, Sir Maximilian, protected me from the demands of the Elves, who wished for me to be surrendered into their custody.


    Since both sides refused to budge, I decided topromise and surrendered the Kinyer to them.


    Although this wasn''t what the Elves wanted, they were still satisfied that one of the treasures of their kingdom had been returned to them.


    However, what they took was merely an ornamental sword, which had lost its true power.


    A power that I took for myself, and kept it a secret from everyone, including the Saint that had taken me under his wing.


    While I was recovering from the bacsh of using Kinyer in the Tournament, I secretly studied the Martial Technique called Demon yer Art.


    It was a Martial Arts that was developed in order to y the Demons that had once wreaked havoc in thend.


    However, the price one had to pay for using such a formidable technique was just as formidable. If used for a long time, it would cause irreparable damage to the body, which could not be healed, even if they used the strongest elixirs in existence.


    There were ten gates that needed to be opened in order to use this technique to the fullest. Each gate could be activated by releasing the trigger which was located at the tip of each finger.


    One could even say that if someone lost a finger then it would be impossible to activate the full power of the Demon yer Art because they would not be able to open the Final Gate, which was called the Gate of Demons.


    As of right now, I can only open three gates.


    The First Gate allows me to raise all of my stats by 200%, tripling my power.


    The Second Gate raises my stats to 300%.


    Likewise, the Third Gate raises my stats to 400%


    This was simr to activating a Berserk ability, but there was only one major difference.


    This technique may have been called the Demon yer Arts, but this only came to be because this art was created to target Demons.


    When one was mastering this skill, they would need to give an offering of the creature whom they wanted to be the object of their hatred.


    And the race I hated the most were Elves.


    I offered the blood of Elves, which made this technique very dangerous to the, aptly named, "Favored Enemy" that I had chosen.


    Not only did this raise my stats and triple them, it also doubled my attack power when I was fighting against Elves.


    If I was fighting against Enlil, the Elven Prince of the Elswyth Kingdom, a single punch from me was enough to smash his head like a watermelon.


    Unfortunately, I was not fighting against Elves.


    I was fighting against a Dragon Born, so the extra damage of this ability didn''t activate. However, that was enough.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The current me was enough to overpower my foe, who had never in his life truly fought with his life on the line.


    "Come, F*cker! You''re going down!"


    I sneered in my heart after seeing Cethus try to embolden himself in order to fight me.


    "Very well," I replied as I took a step forward, instantly making me reappear a meter away from the Dragon Born who still didn''t know whom he was dealing with.


    With one full-powered punch that contained my will to win, I smashed my fist against Cethus'' shoulder.


    This was the first time I was using this technique inbat, and I didn''t want to identally kill the Dragon Born. Because of this, I was limited to attacking ces that wouldn''t instantly kill him.


    Even if his arm was obliterated, it could still be regrown if a high-ranking Cleric used the spell, Greater Restoration, on it.


    Just as I thought that the battle was over, I suddenly felt my entire body be heavy, slowing the speed of my punch by a second.


    At that moment, my fist hit something hard, which made me wince in pain.


    The blow had sent Cethus flying for dozens of meters before he crashed and skidded across the ground for hundreds of meters beforeing to aplete stop.


    Just as I thought that the battle was finally over, the Dragon Born slowly propped himself up from the ground, while coughing up blood.


    I could tell from his pained expression, and the blood that was flowing from the corner of his lips, that my blow had dealt significant damage to him. Even so, I also saw the burning determination in the Dragon Born''s eyes which made me click my tongue.


    Not far from us, I could see Lux, wearing some kind of armor, and hovering in the sky with his arms crossed over his chest.


    I was certain that he was paying close attention to the battle to ensure that Cethus and I wouldn''t die from our exchange, which was something I appreciated.


    Just as I was about to deal another painful blow to the Dragon Born, Cethus opened his lips to talk.


    "Just what do you think you''re doing?" Cethus asked. "Aiming for my shoulders so that you don''t identally kill me? It seems that you really think that your puny punch could break past my Dragon Scales. It seems that you still don''t understand your position, Half-Elf."


    I wanted tough after hearing the Dragon Born''s words. If I hadn''t been holding back, myst punch would have definitely broken his ribs, and caused him serious internal injuries.


    But, just as I was about to mock him, my body froze as the earth under my feet shattered.


    "You finally noticed it?" Cethusughed as he leaned on his ck spear to support his body. "You should have knocked me out when you had the chance."


    "Now you''ve done it," I replied as my expression became solemn. "Don''t cry if I identally kill you, okay?"


    High above my head, simr to a miniature ck sun, a giant gravity ball that increased the gravity in its surroundings by five times, started to take effect on my body.


    Although I didn''t know how Cethus was able to create such a big gravity ball, while taking my one-sided beating, I realized one thing, and one thing only.


    If I didn''t end the duel in less than a minute, the one who would lose this battle would be me.


    Fortunately, a minute was enough to wrap things up.


    "Second Gate," I said as I bit the index finger of my right hand. "Unlock."


    ytime''s over.


    It was time for a take over.

 Chapter 637 I Still Haven’t Used My Full Power

    Chapter 637 I Still Haven��t Used My Full Power


    As soon as Gerhart unlocked his Second Gate, he vanished from where he stood and reappeared in front of Cethus.


    The Dragon Born had anticipated the Half-Elf''s move, but there was nothing he could do but grit his teeth and bear the consequences.


    Cethus increased the gravity of his Domain to six times and coated himself with a Vector Shield to deflect Gerhart''s blow.


    When Gerhart''s blow connected with Cethus'' shield, blood sprayed in the air, and the ground beneath shattered.


    Nevertheless, Cethus held firm, enduring the Half-Elf''s attack, which was mitigated by half due to his shield.


    Despite Gerhart''s fist never reaching Cethus'' Dragon Scales, the shockwave of his punch had dealt him internal injuries, causing him to cough up blood.


    The Half-Elf stomped his right foot backward, as he unleashed another punch that sent blood spraying into the air once again.


    With every strike that Gerhart delivered, the skin on his fists tore apart, revealing his bones beneath it.


    Enduring the excruciating pain all over his hand, Gerhart unleashed blow after blow after blow.


    With each strike, he felt as if the weight of a mountain was pressing down on his body due to Cethus'' Gravity Domain, crushing his body under it.


    Even so, Gerhart persevered, unleashing blows that would have been powerful enough to annihte any Elf who was of the Initiate Rank and below.


    The spectators watching this scene from the side couldn''t help but frown as they watched the suicidal barrage that the Half-Elf was dishing out without any regard for his body.


    This continued for a full minute, and from time to time, Lux would consider whether he should end the match or not. He could feel that Gerhart and Cethus were both staking everything on the line, so he wanted to respect their feelings.


    Finally, the blows stoppeding as Gerhart stood panting for breath with his arms covered with blood.


    "It will be best if you give up now," Cethus said. "I still haven''t used my full power."


    "You don''t look convincing when your face is swollen, with blood dripping from your ears, nose, and lips," Gerhart countered. "Your legs are also shaking very badly. If not for the spear you are holding on to right now, you would have copsed long ago."


    "Nonsense." Cethus coughed up blood as he leaned heavily on his spear. "I just stand here�� and let you punch me because�� a single punch from me can kill you."


    Truth be told, Cethus could no longer hear what Gerhart was saying. The Dragon Born''s ears had long ruptured, and his right eye was swollen shut and bleeding a bit, making him unable to see on that side.


    If not for the fact that his left eye was still functioning properly, allowing him to read Gerhart''s lips, he wouldn''t have any idea what the green-haired Half-Elf was talking about.


    His legs were ready to give way at any second, but he still held on and focused all of his strength to increase the gravity that was crushing his opponent''s body, making Gerhart unable to do anything.


    "Onest blow," Gerhart stated as he raised his bloody right hand, whose fingers had all been broken. "I''ll end this with onest blow. If you survive this, you win."


    "Bring it on!" Cethus said before gritting his teeth. ''I can still take onest punch. After that, I will win!''


    The gravity was now 8 times stronger, which made walking literally impossible. Fortunately, Gerhart was close enough to Cethus to make his blow reach the Dragon Born''s body.


    There were no longer any tornados circling around Gerhart''s fists, nor was there any shield protecting the Dragon Born''s body.


    Both of them were both spent, and thisst blow would decide everything.


    Gathering all the strength he could muster, while fighting the gravity that was about to snap all the bones in his body, Gerhart roared as he unleashed onest blow.


    However, as the Half-Elf was about to punch Cethus'' chest, his legs gave way, changing the trajectory of his punch.


    Time seemed to move in slow motion as Cethus'' bloodshot eyes watched the Half-Elf''s fist flying toward the lower half of his body.


    "Noooooooooo!" Cethus screamed internally in slow motion as Gerhart''s attack inched its way toward his family jewels.


    A pin-drop silence spread in the surroundings, only to be broken by the sound of a cracked nut that reached everyone''s ears.


    Due to how intense the battle was, Alexa had subconsciously squeezed the nuts in her hands tightly, cracking their shellspletely.


    However, no one paid attention to what Garret''s eldest daughter did because the oue of the match had already been decided.


    "Both of you did well," an olddy said, grabbing Gerhart''s wrist and preventing him from breaking her grandson''s balls to a pulp.


    Cethus'' legs had finally reached their limit, making the Dragon Born kneel on the ground while clinging to his staff, preventing himself frompletely falling.


    The Gravity Domain had been dispersed, which eased the burden that Gerhart was feeling, allowing him to breathe normally again.


    "G-Grandma?" Cethus said through blood-soaked lips. "What are you doing here?"


    "I was just passing by and identally saw this battle," Cethus'' Grandma, Faustina, replied with a smile. "You''ve grown a lot, Cethus. I''m very proud of you."


    "...I''m d." Cethus'' eyes slowly closed as he finally fell to the ground unconscious.


    "This is not a draw," Gerhart said in an exhausted tone. "I should have won if you didn''t stop us."


    Faustina nodded her head in acknowledgment of Gerhart''s words. If she hadn''t stepped in, the one who would have won the match would have been the green-haired Half-Elf. However, Cethus was her family, and she couldn''t just stand by and watch her grandson suffer.


    "Yes, it''s your win," Faustina replied. "However, since I interfered, I''ll give you an Argonaut-Ranked Beast Core aspensation. Fine by you?"


    "Okay," Gerhart coughed a mouthful of blood after the effects of his empowered state ended.


    A secondter, he, too, lost consciousness and Faustina gentlyid him on the ground before taking out several High-Quality Potions from her storage ring.


    Without even batting an eye, she poured half of their contents on the two unconscious fighters'' bodies before letting them both drink half of it.


    matter what happens, you must reject his offer at all cost. Do you understand?"


    Although he was feeling doubtful, Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    Luxnded a few meters away from the High-Ranker before checking Gerhart''s and Cethus'' conditions.


    Since Cethus had called the old Dragon Born his Grandma, the red-headed teenager didn''t get in her way as she administered treatment to the two unconscious fighters.


    "Are you going to let my Grandson join your guild as well?" Faustina asked without even ncing in Lux''s direction. "It seems that my Grandson is very interested in following you around."


    "Yes," Lux replied. "I will let him join my Guild."


    "Good. I like sensible people."


    "Hahaha."


    Lux couldn''t help butugh because Faustina reminded him of his own Grandma, Vera. He could see the love in the olddy''s eyes toward her grandson and understood that she wouldn''t allow Cethus to be bullied under her watch.


    "Well then, I have done my part," Faustina said after making sure that Gerhart and Cethus were no longer in any danger.


    She then stood up and gave the Half-Elf a teasing smile, making thetter shudder subconsciously.


    "Since you''ve been good to my grandson, I''ll give you some friendly advice," Faustina stated as she walked towards Lux and whispered something in his ears. "If the Dragon King invites you to go fishing with him, don''t go no matter what. Make up any kind of excuse that you can think of, and no matter what happens, you must reject his offer at all cost. Do you understand?"


    Although he was feeling doubtful, Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    Faustina smiled before lightly patting the Half-Elf''s shoulder.


    "Take care of my Grandson for me," Faustina gave the unconscious Cethus a side-long nce before walking away. "I''ll look forward to the next time I see him."


    After saying those words, Faustina disappeared, leaving the Outer Reaches behind.


    Now that she was sure that her grandson was in good hands, she could focus on her other duties with a peace of mind.


    ''It seems that I need to make sure that the Half-Elf doesn''t get on the King''s bad side,'' Faustina thought as she flew in the direction of the Capital City of Karshvar Draconis. ''My grandson''s future depends on it.''


    She had cast a special kind of barrier around her and the Half-Elf, preventing the Dragon King from eavesdropping in on their conversation.


    Just like Cethus, she treated Valerie like a granddaughter.


    Because of this, she didn''t want the beautiful yet extremely gullible youngdy to feel guilty if something happened to the Half-Elf, who had already visited the Dragon Princess in her dreams, teaching her of many things that made her young, and innocent heart�� skip a beat.

 Chapter 638 Big Brother, Do You Have A Lover?

    Chapter 638 Big Brother, Do You Have A Lover?


    "Man�� that battle was awesome," mma said as he drank the fruit juice that was made by Marie, the Head Maid of the Ousborne Family. "How about the two of us have a rematch? This time, you''re not allowed to summon anything. Also, Eiko is not allowed to help you. What do you think?"


    "I think you didn''t suffer enough beatingst time," Lux replied as he fed Eiko a sandwich. "But, you don''t have to worry. I''m sure you will have your turn when we go to the Domain of the Fallen."


    "I''m actually looking forward to this Sacred Dungeon Adventure. When are we going?"


    "In a few weeks. I need to return to my hometown first. There are a few things that I need to handle by myself."


    Lux didn''t tell the Half-Orc that he was very eager to return to see his Fiance, as well as celebrate his birthday with her.


    He was about to turn seventeen, and it made him reminisce about the times when he trained to prepare for the trial that would give him the chance to go to Elysium.


    All of those depressing days were now behind him, and although many things were happening all around him, he couldn''t help but feel blessed to be where he was now.


    "Sir Lux, what is your hometown like?" Alexa asked. "If I remember correctly, the world you belong to is called Sis, right?"


    Emily, who was also eating some sandwiches nced in the direction of the Half-Elf. Clearly, she was very eager to hear about the world of the Foreigners who regrly visited Elysium.


    "Our world is simr to Elysium," Lux replied. "However, it has undergone a Hundred-Year War, which made several locations barren and uninhabitable. There are also areas that are restricted because thends beyond them reek of diseases, gues, and Monsters that are said to have been corrupted by thend itself."


    Emily, who had just finished her sandwich, asked Lux another question, which almost all Elysians wanted to ask.


    "Can we go to your world?" Emily asked. "Foreigners can visit our world, but can we do the same and visit your world?"


    Lux didn''t answer right away as he pondered this question. As far as history went, Elysians couldn''t Leah, who had been feeding her baby slime, Holly, a sandwich, looked at the Half-Elf and asked him a question.


    go to Sis.


    Many Sians, who had found their significant other in Elysium, had tried to bring their lover to their own world.


    Unfortunately, none of those attempts seed. Currently, there was no way for Elysians to go to Sis. Only Sians were able to travel freely between the two worlds, and it had been that way since the first time they were able to go to Elysium.


    "Perhaps there is a way," Lux replied after careful consideration. "However, we haven''t discovered how you guys cane to our world. Maybe in the future, you guys can also travel freely between worlds. But, I''ll tell you this, Elysium is much better than the current Sis."


    Sis was a dying world, and ording to Eriol, it didn''t have much time left. This was why the God of Gamblers and the God of Games coborated in order to create the Heaven''s Gate Project.


    They had tasked Lux to find a way to save the dying world from destruction and give it a chance at rebirth.


    Leah, who had been feeding her baby slime, Holly, a sandwich, looked at the Half-Elf and asked him a question.


    "Big Brother, do you have a lover?" Leah asked in an innocent tone.


    mma, Alexa, Emily, and Marie perked up their ears as they waited for Lux''s answer, like old aunties looking for a fresh bit of juicy gossip.


    "I have a Fiance," Lux replied. "Her name is Iris. She is also Eiko''s Mama."


    "Ma!" Eiko nodded her head.


    Leah looked at the Half-Elf with an innocent smile as she asked another question.


    "What is she like?" Leah inquired.


    "She''s sweet, kind, loyal, and loves me very much," Lux answered.


    "Is she more beautiful than my Big Sister, Alexa?"


    "Both of them are beautiful. No one is better than the other."


    Emily giggled after hearing Lux''s reply. Clearly, the Half-Elf used a "safe" answer in order to not offend her little sister, Leah, who was asking Lux unreasonable questions.


    "Is she strong?" mma asked. "My mother is strong. That''s why she''s the Orc Chieftain. She always punches and kicks my father, and he doesn''t have the strength to hit her back."


    "Well, she is strong in her own way," Lux replied with a mischievous smile. "She puts up a good fight."


    Whenever the Half-Elf made love with his fiance, he noticed that Iris'' stamina was slowly matching his own. Because of this, they were able to do it many times, while hiding under the nket to prevent Eiko from seeing the two of them do it like bunnies.


    "Brother, bring her next time, okay?" Leah asked. "I want to meet her as well."


    "I''ll see what I can do," Lux replied as he patted Leah''s head. "I''m sure the two of you will get along really well."


    When their lunch ended, Lux went to find the Kobolds who were mining underground to check on the things that they had collected while he was away.


    He had asked Garret to apany him because the Great General would be in charge of their Guild Headquarters whenever Lux was dealing with things outside of the Outer Reaches.


    Simply put, Garret was now his steward, and he believed that, with thetter at the helm, his dream of converting the floating ind into a thriving city would be a reality.


    "Amazing," Garret said as he looked at the piled-up ores, as well as raw gems, in the Kobold''s make-shift treasury under the ground. "With this, we will be able to arm our soldiers to the teeth. There are also enough gems to trade for gold, food, and other materials that we will need to build the vige at the base of the mountain.


    "If the King of my Kingdom was able to see this much Draconium Ore and Aenarium, he would definitely wee me back with open arms," Garret stated. "Are you sure you trust me enough to share this secret with me?"


    "Of course," Lux replied. "Do you know the Dragon King? We are best buds. He can easily destroy a Kingdom just by lifting a finger."


    Garret rubbed his chin as he eyed the red-headed teenager who was inspecting the number of resources they currently had.


    "What is his Rank?" Garret inquired.


    "Supreme," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "What do you think? Do you still feel like betraying me?"


    The Half-Elf gave the Great General a devilish smile, which made thetter chuckle. Now that Garret was part of his Covenant, his loyalty was ensured.


    No member of the Necromancer''s Covenant could betray their Lord. Doing so would be a folly because their souls would be under his mercy.


    With that said, Garret had no intention of betraying Lux''s trust. Now that he was a member of Heaven''s Gate, he would use all of his expertise to make sure that it would be the strongest Guild in existence.


    ''Too bad, we don''t have a Saint in the Guild,'' Garret thought. ''If we did, we would no longer have to keep a low profile.''


    The Great General understood that they currently didn''t have the strength to protect their Guild''s secret.


    Two dayster, when Gerhart had recovered enough to travel, he and Lux returned to Sis, leaving Elysium for the time being.


    Now that the issue with the Transcendent mes had been dealt with, Randolph, Grandma Annie, Laura, and Livia, had begun practicing their crafting abilities in order to create better weapons, armor, potions, pills, and other consumables that would help the Guild Members increase their ranks.


    Even though Lux could summon the Orcs and the Dryads to help him anytime, he still wanted to have his own fighting force and not rely on them too much.


    Right now, Heaven''s Gate had a Human army that numbered 500 strong. Originally, Lux thought that all of them were Initiates, but he was wrong.


    Out of the 500 Soldiers, only 100 were Initiates, with some at the peak of the Apostle Rank.


    Only after joining Lux''s Guild did the Apostles all be Initiates. In time, these Initiates would all be Rankers, further boosting the Half-Elf''s military might.


    Just the thought of having 500 Low-Rankers under his directmand was enough to make Lux feel smug.


    Although this number was nothingpared to the number of Rankers each Kingdom possessed, it was still a decent amount, allowing him to be of the same level as an Overlord.


    "Let''s go back, Eiko," Lux said as he patted the Baby Slime on his head. "Let''s go meet Iris."


    "Ma!" Eiko happily replied as the Half-Elf pressed his closed fist over his chest.


    "Open!" Lux dered. "Heaven''s Gate!"


    A momentter, he and Gerhart disappeared from their Guild Headquarters and reappeared in Lux''s old home in Wildgarde Stronghold.


    While this was happening, the Six Kingdoms, the Skystead Alliance, and the Xynnar War Pact were all gathering their talented youths that would apany Lux in clearing thest gate of the Sacred Dungeon.


    They believed that when all the Four Gates had been conquered, the final Gate of the Apocalypse would open, allowing them to gain something that had been lost through the passage of time.


    ��----------


    Capital City of the Vahan Empire��


    "Malcolm and Nero, both of you will follow my son''s orders," Emperor Andreas said while sitting on his throne. "It is of the most importance that you follow his everymand without asking why or refusing it. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Malcolm replied. "I won''t let you down."


    "I will heed your orders, Your Majesty." Nero bowed his head respectfully. "I shall follow the Prince''s orders without fail."


    Emperor Andreas nodded his head with satisfaction before shifting his gaze to his son, who had blue hair and eyes.


    He was the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire, Prince Cyrus, and he stood nearly two meters tall, towering over Malcolm and Nero, who were kneeling in front of him.


    A sinister smile could be seen on the young man''s face and his eyes, covered with a tint of bloodlust, were looking forward to seeing what kind of Monsters he would face inside the Domain of the Fallen.

 Chapter 639 If They Get In My Way, I’ll Just Beat The Crap Out Of Them

    Chapter 639 If They Get In My Way, I��ll Just Beat The Crap Out Of Them


    "Your birthday is almost here, Lux," Gerald, the Commander of Wildgarde Stronghold, said with a smile. "Time sure flies. Back then, you were a sickly brat who fainted almost everywhere. Now, look at you! You look as handsome as I had been when I was your age. Hahaha!"


    Lux smirked before drinking the tea that was offered to him by Natasha, who looked at Gerald as if he was delusional.


    "After your birthday, the campaign to conquer the Gate of Famine will begin," Natashamented. "Have you made your preparations?"


    "Yes," Lux nodded. "I''m as ready as I''ll ever be."


    Rainer, who was seated across Lux, put his teacup down on the table before sharing his thoughts.


    "This time, things will be more serious," Rainer stated. "I heard that you instructed Cai, Keane, and Xander to sell their quotas to the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms.


    "The representatives of Barbatos Academy will be led by Henrietta, while Val''s and Einar''s quotas will be used by their own respective factions. The Barbarians have decided that they''ll take thisst gate seriously, and form a team centering around Einar as the leader. Val will be using his own quota to bring his Guild Members. It seems that everyone is making sure to seriously go all out with thisst gate."


    Lux nodded. "Malcolm was also able to clear the Dungeon thisst time, so the Skystead Alliance will have five additional slots open. All in all, the Skystead Alliance will bring 11 people, including Malcolm, on this expedition, while the Six Kingdoms and Xynnar War Pact will have five members each."


    Gerald blew his smoking pipe before looking at the Half-Elf, whose presence had changed considerably since thest time they met. Right now, the current Lux was giving off an aura of confidence that he hadn''t seen in a long while.


    There were many confident teenagers who believed that they were the strongest members of the young generation, but there was something different with Lux''s confidence that made Gerald believe that he was currently one, if not the strongest member of the young generation.


    "Are you worried that the Vahan Empire will pull something during the conquest of the Last Gate?" Gerald asked as he gave Rainer a side-long nce. "I believe that Nero will be participating this time as a representative of the Vahan Empire."


    "Good for him," Lux replied. "Also, I''m not too worried about whatever shenanigans they''ve nned to do this time around. If they get in my way, I''ll just beat the crap out of them."


    Rainer scoffed. "You spoke with great confidence, and I believe that you have what it takes to back it up. However, Lux, remember this, you mustn''t be too overconfident. Underestimating your opponents is a very foolish move."


    Lux nodded his head in agreement with Rainer''s words.


    "That''s right, Sir Rainer," Lux replied. "I''ll keep that in mind."


    There was a slight tension in the air, which made Gerald and Natasha frown. Fortunately, the Cleric of the Stronghold was sharp and knew what she had to do, engaging Lux in a new topic.


    "By the way, are you nning to sell your Quotas to the other factions?" Natasha inquired in order to change the subject. "It seems that the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms are willing to pay a high price for the quotas in your possession."


    Lux didn''t answer right away and instead, drank all the tea in his cup before cing it on top of the table.


    "I don''t n to sell my quotas right now," Lux replied. "I n to bring a few people with me to the Dungeon."


    "Is that so?" Gerald puffed some white smoke from his pipe. "It seems that you''re also taking this campaign seriously. Who will you be bringing with you?"


    "Friends," Lux answered in a heartbeat. "Reliable friends."


    He had already nned to bring Gerhart and Cethus with him into the Domain of the Fallen. As for the remaining slots, he decided to give them to Barbatos Academy, so that Henrietta could bring more of her Guild Members inside the Dungeon, giving them more options when it came to forming their teams.


    "Friends," Natasha asked in a teasing tone. "Girlfriends? Have you already asked for Iris'' permission?"


    Lux chuckled after hearing Natasha''s question. Although his Fiance was very open-minded, he wasn''t the kind of man who would actively look for a new lover as he journeyed through Elysium.


    "I''m bringing men with me," Lux replied. "One of them is Gerhart. I''m sure all of you are already familiar with him."


    The three Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold nodded their heads. How could they possibly forget who Gerhart was?


    His performance during the tournament was something that no one had expected.


    An hourter, Lux left the Keep of the Wildgarde Stronghold and met up with Gerhart at the North Gate.


    "Are we going to head to Barbatos Academy now?" Gerhart asked as soon as he saw Lux walking in his direction.


    "No," Lux replied. "We will pick up Cai and Keane in the Rowan Tribe first. I''m sure you also want to visit Sir Maximilian, so we''re headed there first."


    Gerhart felt happy when he heard that they would stop by the Rowan Tribe before going to the academy. There were so many things that he wanted to tell the Patriarch of the Rowan n, especially the things he experienced during his journey.


    Although he had no family, the green-haired Half-Elf had treated the Rowan Tribe as his second home. This was why he was quite excited to see them again.


    Two dayster, Lux''s Thunder War King, Jed,nded in the za of the Rowan Tribe, where he was met by an excited Cai.


    "Why didn''t you tell me that you''re going to visit us?" Cai asked in a disgruntled tone. "We could have prepared a feast to celebrate your arrival, you know?"


    "Da Wae~" Fei Fei, who was on top of Cai''s head, greeted Eiko.


    "Fei Fei~" Eiko greeted her back, making the two Baby Slimes giggle.


    "We wanted to give you guys a surprise, and it seems that we were sessful," Lux replied as some of the young men and women of the Rowan Tribe began to gather at the za to see the Half-Elf whom they had heard so much about from Cai and their friends.


    "By the way, where is Keane?" Lux asked as he scanned his surroundings. "Is he not around?"


    After hearing Little Swordy''s name, Cai wrylyughed before making a gesture for Lux to follow her.


    "It will be much easier if you see him yourself," Cai exined. "You see, Little Swordy changed a lot after you left."


    Lux wondered what this "change" was and his curiosity got the better of him. He hadn''t seen the skinny swordsman for a long time, and seeing how Cai was acting so mysterious, the change that she was talking about must be quite significant.


    While Gerhart went to look for Cai''s Grandpa, the red-headed teenager and the boar went to the forest together, in order to spy on their friend, who was starting to find the peace that he was looking for in his life.

 Chapter 640 Is This Trial Really Tied To My Karma?

    Chapter 640 Is This Trial Really Tied To My Karma?


    "No matter what happens, make as little noise as possible," Cai said softly as they snuck towards the clearing in the forest. "They should be in their regr spot."


    Lux arched an eyebrow when he heard the words "they." He came to see how Keane was doing, but it seems that he was not alone.


    A few minutester, the Half-Elf and the Boar finally found the person they were looking for.


    It had been a while since Lux had seen Keane, and the moment he saw him, he understood what Cai was talking about.


    Back then, the swordsman was skinny, but now, he had gained a bit of weight in a good way. His lean and toned body was covered with sweat, causing his skin to glisten under the sunlight. Currently, he was practicing his sword swings, giving them his full concentration.


    Not far from him was a youngdy, whose beauty was starting to bloom. She was currently reading a book and seemed to be just as absorbed in it as Keane was with his sword practice.


    A minuteter, Keane finally sheathed his de back to its scabbard, making a resounding clicking sound.


    At that moment, the youngdy also raised her head from reading her book and closed it. She then set it aside before picking up a towel and a jug and walking towards Keane.


    She first handed the jug to the swordsman before wiping off the sweat on his body with the towel in her hands.


    Keane slowly drank from the jug until he had his fill, standing still to allow Rose to wipe the sweat off his upper body. When she was done, the no-longer-skinny-swordsman ced his right hand on her waist, and gently pulled her close to him.


    A momentter, the two shared a quick kiss on the lips. Rose took a step back and returned to the tree where she left her book.


    She then picked it up and walked back towards Keane, who then took her free hand.


    Without uttering a word, the two walked hand in hand toward the path that led back to the Rowan Tribe, unaware that their actions had been seen by Cai, as well as Lux who was very surprised with the changes that had happened to his good friend.


    "Since when?" Lux asked the Boar who had a smug look on her face. "And who took the initiative?"


    Lux had long felt that Keane and Rose might indeed be close, but he never expected their rtionship to progress this fast.


    "Well, it happened a few days after you left," Cai replied. "I''m not sure who took the initiative, but, when I found out about it, the two were already very close. I''m still keeping this a secret from "Lux, you''re finally back," Keane said with a smile when he saw the Half-Elf. However, his smile disappeared and a solemn look formed on his face as he eyed the Half-Elf with his trained eyes. everyone, especially Grandpa. Make sure not to tell him, alright?"


    Lux doubted very much that Maximilian was really not aware of his granddaughter''s rtionship with Keane. As a Saint, it would be effortless for him to get wind of these things, especially when it was happening inside his Tribe''s Territory.


    Still, the Half-Elf nodded his head and promised Cai that he wouldn''t tell anyone.


    The two then took a detour to re-enter the Rowan Tribe from the other side of the forest to make it seem that they had gone to a different ce, instead of watching Keane''s and Rose''s private disy of affection.


    "Lux, you''re finally back," Keane said with a smile when he saw the Half-Elf. However, his smile disappeared and a solemn look formed on his face as he eyed the Half-Elf with his trained eyes. "You''ve be stronger�� a lot stronger."


    There was a hint of envy and jealousy in Keane''s voice. However, this feeling onlysted for a brief moment before he exchanged a fist bump with one of his good friends.


    Although Lux had gotten stronger, he believed that he would soon catch up with him and be stronger as well.


    "You look way better since thest time I saw you," Lux replied in a teasing tone. "You look like a person in love!"


    A faint flush appeared on Keane''s face as he lightly scratched his cheeks, which almost made Lux and Cai puke sugar due to how wholesome and innocent his reaction was.


    Not wanting to put the swordsman on the spot, Lux decided to ask him if he heard any kind of news within the Six Kingdoms while he was away.


    "I haven''t heard any news as ofte," Keane replied. "All I know is that the Rowan Tribe will start their seasonal migration soon. This time, their destination will be near Barbatos Academy."


    Lux was surprised that the Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe decided to make such a move. Although he understood that the Rowan Tribe migrated on a seasonal basis, he felt as if there was something more to this than met the eye.


    For two Saints to be stationed that close to each other meant that they were nning to do something big.


    Whatever that thing was, it would certainly create waves within the Six Kingdoms once the news of it started to spread.


    "By the way, have you already talked to Sir Maximilian?" Keane asked. "It seems like he has something important to tell you."


    "Really?" Lux asked back.


    "Yes," Keane nodded. "Rose told me that she saw some kind of vision, so she told her Grandpa about it. A few dayster, Sir Alexander and Iris visited the Rowan Tribe.


    "I don''t know what they talked about because Rose wasn''t willing to tell me anything about her vision. However, I have a feeling that the reason why the Rowan Tribe is going to migrate near Barbatos Academy has something to do with that."


    Lux''s interest was piqued, but since this was between Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian, and his stepfather, Alexander, he decided to not pry and set it aside for now.


    Perhaps waiting for that moment, Rose made her appearance and greeted Lux and her sister, Cai.


    "Good day, Lux," Rose said with a smile. "I pray that you''ve been well since west met?"


    "Good day, Rose," Lux replied. "I''ve been well. How about you?"


    The young beauty gave Keane a side-long nce before replying to the Half-Elf''s question with a sweet smile.


    "I''m doing well." Rose eyed the Half-Elf as if sensing something different from him. "It seems that you''ve reached the peak of the Initiate Rank. Have you visited a Temple to check the trials that you''ll need to aplish in order to advance your rank?"


    Lux shook his head. "Not yet. I''m waiting to go back to the Academy to visit the temple there."


    "Oh, you don''t have to do that. We have our own temple here. Why don''t you go and check it out for a bit? Brother Gerhart has just finished his visit as well."


    "Is that so? I guess I''ll do it here then."


    Lux only nned to be a Ranker after conquering the Sacred Dungeon. Since there was a level restriction, he didn''t want to take his Trial right away.


    Even so, he was very curious about the kind of Trial that''ll be waiting for him.


    ording to his Grandma, Vera, the trials to be a Ranker were closely tied to a person''s Karma. As to what that meant, Lux had no idea. All he knew was that, as long as he cleared any of these Trials, he would be able to take that next step to be stronger.


    "You will be given many trials to choose from, but you can choose only one," Rose exined as she guided Lux to the Temple of the Rowan Tribe. "If ever you are unable toplete your trial because it is too difficult, all you need to do is return to the temple in order to take a new Trial."


    "It''s that simple?" Lux asked with a smile.


    "Changing the Trial is simple, butpleting one is not easy. After all, if it were easy, everyone would be a Ranker in a blink of an eye. Some people are unable toplete this step for their whole lives and are stuck at the Initiate Rank until they die."


    Rose''s words sounded ominous, but Lux believed that, with the current force under hismand, the Trials that would be given to him could bepleted without any difficulties.


    "Here we are," Rose stated as she pointed at a red tent that stood out from the rest. "After picking your trial,e and look for Grandpa. He is waiting for you to greet him."


    "Understood." Lux nodded before entering the tent to see the Trials he needed to choose from andplete in order to be a Ranker.


    At the center of the tent was a table with a big red pearl on top of it. Rose had already told him that all he needed to do was press his hands over the pearl, and he would be connected to the Heart of the World, which sustained all life in Elysium.


    Before pressing his hand over the Red Pearl, Lux took a deep breath in order to calm his heart.


    When he was ready, Lux ced his palm over the red pearl, and immediately, several rows of text appeared in front of him.


    "Wee Lux Von Kaizer."


    "The World has deemed you ready to take on the path of Rankers."


    "You will be presented with several trials, and you may pick only one of them. Only after youplete one of them will the world give you its blessing, allowing you to take that next step to greatness."


    "Here are the trials that Fate has decreed upon you."


    ��--------------------


    < Choose one of these Trials in order to be a Ranker! >


    ��--------------------


    Lux''s eyesnded on the first choice, and read its contents. A momentter, he blinked his eyes in confusion due to the absurdity of the quest.


    At first, he thought he was just seeing things, but after double-checking the first option given to him, he felt like the world was ying a prank on him.


    ��--------------------


    < First Ranker Quest >


    < The Golden Trial >


    �C Get a Dragon Princess Pregnant and stay alive for an entire year. Once you aplish this task, you will immediately receive the blessing of the world and be a Ranker!


    �C The path to happiness is a path filled with thorns. However, as long as you are willing to take the chance, a happy and fulfilling shotgun wedding awaits you on the other side of the rainbow.


    Note: You may have already made her emotionally pregnant. Man up and take responsibility!


    ��--------------------


    "Is this Trial really tied to my Karma?" Lux couldn''t believe what he was seeing no matter how many times he read the First Quest. "Just what did I do to deserve this?"


    (A/N: Kekeke!)


    (E/N: *Facepalm*)


    After pondering for quite some time, Lux decided to check the Second Trial because the first one seemed to be an impossible mission.


    He still wanted to live, so he decided to pretend that he didn''t see the First Trial and prayed that his luck would be better with the second one.


    (E2/N: Is this where Lux loses his gacha luck?)

 Chapter 641 Final Ranker Quest

    ?


    < Second Ranker Quest >


    < A Will Of Eternal >


    �C Marry a doll-like Dwarf beauty who is also the Guildmaster of a Gold-Ranked Guild.


    �C Although the White Lotus is beautiful to see, it still takes root upon the filth of Eternity. Past and Present Karma intertwine, thus is the makings of the Divine.


    �C Although her expression doesn''t seem to change, and many think that her heart is calm and still like ake. Deep inside she yearns for the one. A person she will love more than anyone.


    �C For you to win her hand in marriage, convince her family and show them your courage. For the Dwarves are always steady as stone. Go all in, or just go home.


    (Note from a certain adorable little Dwarf.)


    �C Big Brother, please marry my sister, okay? That way, you will be part of our family!


    ��-----------


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched after seeing the message. He didn''t need to be a genius to know who the Trial was referring to.


    The note at the bottom of the message was another giveaway, which reminded Lux of Collete, whom he hadn''t seen in a long time.


    "The first is pregnancy, now marriage," Lux muttered while rubbing his face with both of his hands. "Just who made up these trials anyway?"


    The image of the doll-like beauty, who reminded Lux of his favorite Idol back on Earth, resurfaced in his mind. One of his greatest regrets in his past life was not being able to go to her concert because he died a few days before his Idol''s performance.


    Truth be told, it was not hard for him to develop a crush on Aina, who was also Colette''s sister because of her uncanny resemnce to the person he idolized. Because of this, he was very tempted to ept the quest, but he stayed his hand and clicked to see the next option.


    ��-----------


    < Third Ranker Quest >


    < Misfortune''s Beloved >


    �C In this world, there are two pr opposites. One is the luckiest girl in the world, and the other is the unluckiest girl in the world.


    �C Right now, the unluckiest girl in the world is imprisoned at the center of Elysium. She cries deep under the ground, near its core, all alone in the darkness.


    �C Although many have wanted to help her, they have refused to do so. Those who tried in the past proved that any who touched, or tried to free her from her imprisonment, would be tainted by bad luck, which would follow them until the day they died.


    �C Dozens have already tried, and all of them regretted their decision. They wished to save her in the past, but now they curse her for even being alive. For as long as she lives, their curse remains, and since then, no one has dared to touch Misfortune''s Beloved.


    Note: When you start having Bad Luck, there isn''t an end to it.


    ��-----------


    "..."


    Lux feltplicated after reading the third quest. Although he wasn''t sure, he had a feeling that the Unluckiest Girl in the world could be found in the Kingdom of Agartha, which was said to be located near the core of the world.


    He currently had the key to go to such a ce, and he also wished to save the unluckiest girl in the world. However, he didn''t know if he had a way to counter being tainted with bad luck, and right now, he needs all the luck he could get.


    "If therees a time when I can find a way to save you, Trial or no Trial, I wille to find you," Lux said softly as he remembered the details of the quest.


    Just thinking of a girl all alone in the darkness was enough to make him wish he could break her prison, and bring her to the surface world.


    The Half-Elf gritted his teeth as he checked the next option, hoping that it would be something that he was capable of doing.


    ��-----------


    < Final Ranker Quest >


    < A True Necromancer ><novelsnext></novelsnext>


    �C Currently, you are not able to utilize the full power of a Necromancer, because you don''t fully understand what being a Necromancer is.


    �C Youck the ruthlessness, and the decisiveness needed tomand a Legion of the Undead that would be feared far and wide, across all kingdoms, and empires in the world.


    �C What better way on how to learn to be a Necromancer than find a True Necromancer as your Master?


    �C If you are able to find your true calling, you will be able to unlock the Transcendent Necromancer Skills that will make your Unholy Army a true force to reckon with!


    �C So go and find a True Necromancer, who will teach you the ways of the Undead. Once you''re done, it will be your enemies time to dread.


    Note: When the world turns its back on you,ugh at it with all of your heart. For there is but a thin line between morality and depravity, and a happy ending can only be gained, by facing the world, and pping it with a Legion of the Undying.


    ��-----------


    Lux took a deep breath after reading the final trial to bing a Ranker.


    For some reason, the words of the trial resonated in his heart. His understanding of being a Necromancer was only to summon and raise the dead.


    That was what he had been doing till now, and he thought that it was everything a Necromancer needed to do. But, ording to the Trial, he still didn''t fully understand what being a Necromancer was.


    However, there was one problem.


    "Just where can I find a Necromancer to teach me how to be one?" Lux muttered.


    A momentter, an image of a ck-robed man,manding the Cmity Beast appeared in his mind.


    It was the same person who obliterated an entire city, just because he could, and no one, not even a Saint, would be able to stop him alone.


    This memory had a great impact to him because that was the first time he saw a Monster of that Rank. An Apex Creature that could move unhindered across thend, making all that stood on its way run away in fear for their lives.


    "No." Lux clenched his fists after remembering that scene. "I don''t want to be that kind of Necromancer."


    On that day, many innocent people died. If he were to be someone as ruthless as that then he would rather not find a Necromancer to be his Master.


    Suddenly, a familiar voice reached his ears, which made Lux almost jump in fright.


    "Master, I think you have a terrible understanding of what Necromancers are."


    Asmodeus, who had appeared beside the Half-Elf without his orders, said with a smile.


    "Y-You almost gave me a heart attack!" Lux patted his chest in order to calm his heart. "Don''t do that again, Asmodeus. I thought that my heart was going to jump out of my throat."


    "Apologies, Master," Asmodeus bowed apologetically at Lux for giving him a fright. "But, I just couldn''t stay silent knowing that you may have developed a prejudice against Necromancers. You see, not all Necromancers are the same. There are people like Master who still understands what is right, and what is easy.


    "I strongly advise you to choose this trial because it might allow you to surpass your current understanding of your Profession. Also, the Transcendent Necromancer Skills sound interesting. If possible, I want you to obtain them, so I can use them as well."


    Lux sighed deeply after hearing Asmodeus'' exnation. Truth be told, he was also very interested in knowing what the Transcendent Necromancer Skills were, but after recalling what happened in Wolfpine Barony, he felt disgusted at the ck-robed person''s total disregard of life.


    "Just take this Trial, Master," Asmodeus urged. "Even if we find a Necromancer, but if you don''t like them, we can always find another. We will not lose anything."


    Lux thought that the Archlich''s words were true. If by chance, he happened toe across a Necromancer, it would not automatically make them the Half-Elf''s Master.


    He had the right to choose whom to acknowledge as his Master, like he did with Randolph.


    "Very well." Lux nodded. "We''ll give this one a try."


    Lux then chose the Final Trial, and the other Options disappeared.


    Now that he had chosen his Ranker Quest, he just had to hope that he would stumble upon a decent Necromancer, who didn''t treat the lives of people like grass that could be cut at any given time.

 Chapter 642 Celestial Maiden Physique

    ?


    After leaving the Temple of the Rowan Tribe, Lux went to the Tribal Chief''s Main Residence to find Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian.


    "Rose was right. You have indeed reached the limit of the Initiate Rank," Maximilian said as he eyed the Half-Elf in front of him. "Did you already pick a Trial for your Ranker Advancement?


    "Yes, Your Excellency," Lux replied.


    Maximilian nodded. "Good. Now, let''s talk about business."


    The Saint of the Rowan Tribe waved his hand, and enclosed his room with a barrier that prevented anyone from eavesdropping, or scrying in on their conversation. What he was about to tell Lux was important, so he didn''t want to risk anyone hearing it, even by chance.


    "First off, let''s talk about the Domain of the Fallen," Maximilian stated. "ording to my sources, the one who will be leading the representatives of the Vahan Empire and the Skystead Alliance is none other than the Emperor Andreas'' Second Son, Prince Cyrus Cy Vahan. He is well known for his aggressive behavior, so he mighte to you and look for trouble."


    Maximilian smirked at the Half-Elf who seemed uninterested in the information about the Prince of the Vahan Empire.


    "Don''t worry, if he does something to you, feel free to fight back." Maximilian gave Lux his assurance that he would back him up if the need arose. "We can''t have our people bullied by those pricks."


    The Half-Elf was surprised at first before a devilish grin appeared on his face. Since Maximilian assured him that it was fine to fight back against the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire, he would definitely do so if the bastard tried to pick a fight with him.


    Maximilian chuckled after seeing Lux''s expression. It was the face of someone ready to make trouble, and he found it quite amusing.


    "Okay. Now that we have settled that issue, we will talk about the main topic of why I want to have a serious discussion with you," Maximilian''s expression turned serious, which made the Half-Elf pay more attention to what he was going to say.


    "My two granddaughters were born with unique abilities," Maximilian stated. "Rose has the power of Precognition, which allows her to see glimpses of the future. She has no control over it, but whenever it happens, the things she seese to pass most of the time.


    "There are also no timelines for it. For example, if she sees a vision of the future, she doesn''t know when it will happen. It can happen a few minutester, a dayter, a week, a year, or a decade."


    Maximilian paused for a while in order to give Lux some time to digest what he had just said.


    "What did she see?" Lux asked.


    For him, this was the most important question. Since Maximilian was telling him this, it meant that he may have also appeared in Rose''s vision.


    "A beautifuldy with horns, batlike wings, and purple eyes," Maximilian replied. "In her vision, she saw you and Cai unconscious beside that beautifuldy''s feet. Rose''s vision ended when thedy nced in her direction andughed. However, just before her vision was covered with darkness, he heard thedy say a few words to her and that was�� Celestial Maiden Physique."


    Lux subtly summoned his Soul Book, which was invisible to everyone else except those he had given permission to see.


    He then searched for the Legacy of the Celestial Maiden and the information appeared on the pages of his Soul Book.


    ��------------


    < Celestial Maiden Physique >


    �C This Unique Body Constitution allows its owner to absorb the powers of the stars, and allow their Rank to increase by leaps and bounds.


    The scary part about this ability is that it can also absorb the strength of others, through physical contact like kissing and making love. If their partners are weaker than them, their Ranks will regress, and their strength would be stolen from them forever. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    �C However, if the one being kissed or having physical union with the owner of this body constitution is stronger than the owner, they would be able to absorb the power of the owner of the Celestial Maiden Physique, making themselves stronger in the process.


    The only Silver Lining is that the owner of the Physique would be able to regain her former strength once more if she bathed in starlight for a period of time.


    �C It is said that those who were lucky enough to find someone with the Celestial Maiden Physique will be able to reach the Rank of a Saint in just a span of a few years.


    ��------------


    Lux suddenly realized something and it made him look at Maximilian with a dumbfounded expression on his face.


    "Don''t tell me��"


    "Yes. Cai has the Celestial Maiden Physique. Do you know what kind of Physique it is?"


    Lux nodded. Since he was already aware of what kind of special body constitution Cai had, there was no need to y dumb about it.


    "Since you are already aware, this will make things easier," Maximilian stated. "ording to Rose, that beautifuldy seemed to be keen on using Cai as a means to make herself stronger. Of course, she wasn''t certain about this part because this was just her assumption. However, she could tell that thedy in her vision was quite powerful.


    "Based on the descriptions she gave me, I can only say that the one in her vision is a Subus. No matter what happens, we can''t allow Cai to fall into her hands."


    Lux pondered for a bit before asking the question that appeared inside his head.


    "Wouldn''t it be safer if you keep Cai beside you all the time?" Lux asked. "If you do this then that Subus wouldn''t dare toe close."


    Maximilian shook his head. "Like I told you. Even if I keep Cai by my side all the time, the vision that Rose saw wille to pass. Things may happen that would force me to leave her side, resulting in the vision that she saw.


    "I don''t know why you were there as well, but since you were in Rose''s vision, it gave us some kind of assurance that Cai wouldn''t be facing that dangerous situation all alone. For better or for worse, you being there gives us plenty of options for how to deal with that future scene."


    Maximilian''s reminder made Lux realize that he was also in danger. He hadpletely forgotten about it because in some way, he was worried about Cai''s well being due to having a physique that was simr to a double-edged sword.


    "When I first discovered that Cai had that special physique, I sealed it right away," Maximilian exined. "Perhaps, she instinctively felt that she was a bit special since she was young, so she decided to always stay in her Boar Form as a means to protect her secret, and prevent anyone from finding out about her secret."


    A moment of silence descended inside Maximilian''s room as he finished exining Cai''s body constitution.


    "Is this why the Rowan Tribe is going to migrate near Barbatos Academy?" Lux asked after understanding how serious the situation was.


    In fact, he thought that this was a good move by Maximilian.


    With two saints being in close proximity with each other, it would allow them to react to certain situations at a moment''s notice.


    "Yes, and No," Maximilian replied. "After having a serious talk with your stepfather and Iris, the three of us came to a decision. Lux, would you consider making Cai your Fiance?"

 Chapter 643 “... I’m Not Dumb.”

    ?


    Lux was taken aback when Maximilian asked him to be Cai''s fiance.


    He considered Cai as a very close friend, having fought alongside her many times in the past and even been saved by her from a battle against Revon, allowing the Half-Elf to conquer the Gate of Conquest.


    Also, if he had to be honest, Cai''s human form was strikingly beautiful,parable to his own fiance, Iris. He believed that any man who would immediately turn down the offer of making her his fiance was stupid.


    However, Lux still asked the most burning question on his mind because this was something that would decide whether he would ept Cai as his fiance or not.


    "Does Cai know about this?" Lux asked. "Has she given her approval?"


    Maximilian leaned back on his chair and lightly tapped its armrest.


    "At the very least, she said that she doesn''t dislike you," Maximilian stated. "She also asked that she be able to talk to you in private after I discussed this matter with you."


    Lux nodded. He understood that he and Cai didn''t really have any romantic feelings for each other. However, that didn''t mean that they couldn''t foster their rtionship and slowly fall in love as time went by.


    "So, is that a yes?" Maximilian asked with a smile.


    "I''ll talk to Cai first," Lux replied. "Since we are the parties involved, it is best if we personally talk things out to understand each other."


    This time, it was Maximilian''s turn to nod his head.


    The Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe loved his granddaughters very much, so he wouldn''t agree to let just anyone marry them. They must reach his standards.


    In his eyes, Lux had the qualifications to take his granddaughter''s hand in marriage because he was the Guildmaster of the Mythical Guild, Heaven''s Gate, as well as the son of Alexander, who stood on the same level as him.


    Of course, he also knew about Rose and Keane''s budding rtionship and, deep inside, he was blissful about it.


    After paying attention to the no-longer-skinny Swordsman, Maximilian deemed that Keane was a very loyal person and would love Rose for life. Also, his background wasn''t as simple as one might imagine.


    Maximilian and Alexander might be two of the three Saints within the Six Kingdoms, but below them were outstanding individuals whom they recognized as Pseudo-Saints.


    Keane''s Master was one of those Pseudo-Saints, and the two of them happen to be very good friends.


    In fact, when Keane left the mountain, his Master, who went by the title "The Void", went to the Rowan Tribe to ask Maximilian to keep a lookout for his Disciple, who was now wandering the Six Kingdoms in order to search for his "Universal Peace".


    He even gave Maximilian a recording crystal of what his Disciple looked like, so it was very easy for the Saint of the Rowan Tribe to know Keane''s true identity.


    Also, aside from having a powerful Master, Keane''s true background was also something that only a handful of people knew.


    Even Keane didn''t know this information about his true identity, which was a closely guarded secret by the people who were in the know.


    In order to ensure that Maximilian wouldn''t bully his Disciple, the Pseudo-Saint divulged Keane''s Secret, which surprised Maximilian very much.


    Because of this, the Saint of the Rowan Tribe gave his silent stamp of approval for Rose''s and Keane''s slowly developing rtionship.


    After discussing a few more important matters and letting Lux know that his fiance, Iris, approved of Cai bing his fiance, Maximilian finally left the room to fetch Cai.


    Ten minutester, the door of the room opened and a youngdy, wearing ceremonial priestess clothes entered the room.


    To Lux''s surprise, Cai was wearing a veil, hiding her beautiful face from the Half-Elf''s gaze.


    The First Priestess of the Rowan Tribe sat on her grandfather''s chair and lowered her head, looking at her hands that were resting on herp.


    An awkward silence descended inside the room as both people remained silent. Neither of them knew what to talk about, but they also understood that this couldn''t continue.


    The one who first broke the silence was surprisingly Cai, but the first words she said didn''t make much sense.


    "... I''m not dumb."


    Lux blinked in confusion because he didn''t understand what Cai was talking about. Because of this, he decided to agree with her for the time being.


    "Um, I know you''re not dumb," Lux replied.


    "No, you don''t understand." Cai sighed. "I''m dumb and not dumb at the same time."


    The Half-Elf scratched his head in confusion but simply waited for Cai to rify what she was talking about. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I-It''s when I turn into a Boar," Cai stated. "The me as Cai and the me as Me are different. It''s like I revert to the mindset of a six-year-old whenever I am in my Boar Form."


    "Ah! So that''s what you''re talking about."


    "... Yes. So, I would appreciate it if you don''t think of the real me as dumb."


    After Cai finished her exnation, another moment of awkward silence descended inside the room, which made Lux decide to take the initiative this time around.


    "Cai, are you really fine bing my fiance?" Lux asked. "Have you thought long and hard about it?"


    Cai remained silent for a few seconds before she raised her head to look at the Half-Elf in front of her.


    "I did," Cai replied. "After careful consideration, I deemed that you are indeed a good person, and I would be happy if I were to be your fiance."


    "Is that your only reason?"


    "No. I also want to be with Iris, so this is just like hitting two birds with one stone. Ah!"


    Cai identally spoke out her true intentions out loud, which made her face turn beet-red. Fortunately, she was wearing a veil, preventing Lux from seeing her current expression.


    A chuckle escaped Lux''s lips after hearing Cai''s reply. He had known how much she loved his fiance, Iris, even going as far as to join the tournament in order to prevent the blue-haired beauty from marrying someone she didn''t love.


    "Wait�� are you nning to use your title as fiance in order to cuddle with Iris on the bed with me?"


    "..."


    "I knew it."


    Lux could only smile and shake his head helplessly because this was something that Cai would very much love to do.


    "Don''t misunderstand," Cai stated. "I also n to have a serious rtionship with you. Cuddling with Iris is just a side benefit of being your fiance."


    Lux smirked, but he decided to let this matter slide. In the end, he didn''t mind having Cai as his fiance, and a part of him was even looking forward to the time when the three of them could cuddle on the same bed together.


    "How about you remove your veil for now?" Lux asked. "I''ve already seen your face twice, so there is no use hiding your face now."


    "...My face isn''t the only thing you''ve seen twice," Cai pouted. "But both are idents so I didn''t hold a grudge against you."


    Although Lux had a calm expression on his face, a tinge of red could be seen on his cheeks. Cai''s words reminded him of the time when he had seen her fully naked, and he would be lying if he said that he didn''t appreciate what he saw.


    Making his resolve, Lux stood up and walked towards Cai.


    The priestess of the Rowan Tribe didn''t move and only watched him approach her.


    "I hope that the two of us get along well, Cai," Lux said as he slowly parted the veil that covered her beautiful face.


    "Caitlin," Cai replied. "When I am in my human form, you can call me, Caitlin."


    Cai raised her hand and offered it to Lux, which he held firmly in his own hand. She could feel his rough hand, which had seen its share of struggles in Elysium.


    The beautiful Priestess had also been part of those struggles, so she understood more than anyone else that Lux had always faced these challenges with his life on the line.


    "Although the circumstances that tied our fates together are because of my sister''s vision, just know that I don''t dislike the idea of spending my life with you," Cai replied. "Of course, that goes for spending my lifetime with Iris as well."


    Lux chuckled, but he still nodded his head to acknowledge Caitlin''s words.


    "On my part, I will do my best to treasure and protect you to the best of my ability," Lux promised.


    The two held each other''s gaze before Cai closed her eyes. It was as if she was giving Lux a silent invitation, and thetter understood what she wanted.


    A momentter, Cai felt something soft press against her forehead and smiled inwardly.


    This was a test that she had given Lux, and she was happy to find out that thetter truly cared about her.


    He also gave her a sign of respect and a promise that he would be there when she faced the darkest moment in her lifetime.

 Chapter 644 Hey! Long Time No See!

    ?


    "Make sure to eat on time, okay?" Rose said as she handed Keane a basket filled with sandwiches. "If youe back skinny like the first time I saw you, I''ll ignore you for a month."


    "Okay," Keane replied as he took the basket from Rose''s hand and put it inside his storage ring. "Thank you. And please, take care of yourself too, okay? I know you have a lot of responsibilities, but don''t push yourself too hard."


    "Don''t worry, I know." Rose nodded. "Come find me in our Ancestral Grounds when you return, okay?"


    "I will."


    "Good. I''ll be waiting."


    The two then hugged each other, very reluctant to let each other go. However, both of them understood that they had responsibilities to take care of.


    Under the cover of the forest, on the outskirts of the Rowan Tribe, Keane and Rose shared a kiss of farewell before returning to where the others were while holding each other''s hands.


    The two of them only separated at the veryst minute when they were nearing the za, where everyone had gathered in preparation for the Tribe''s journey toward Barbatos Academy.


    "Safe journey to all of you," Maximilian said with a smile. "I pray that the next time we meet, all of you have emerged victorious and have learned a lot from your adventure."


    Lux and the others all nodded their heads to acknowledge Maximilian''s words. Cai had also returned to her Boar form with Fei Fei perched on top of her head, simr to how Eiko was perched on top of Lux''s head.


    With one final wave of farewell, the Giant Manta Ray flew into the sky and headed East, where Barbatos Academy was located.


    Xander would meet up with Lux at the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen because he still needed to assist with the migration of the Rowan Tribe.


    ��--------------


    Several hourster��


    As the Giant Manta Ray flew peacefully in the sky, Lux noticed a flying ship in the distance. It was quite big and reminded Lux of the Viking Ships of his world.


    "It''s a Barbarian Ship," Cai said. "Are they perhaps heading to Barbatos Academy as well?"


    "A Barbarian Ship? Do they perhaps belong to Einar''s Kingdom?" Keane pondered as he looked at the ship that seemed to be approaching them.


    Gerhart, who was suspicious by nature, summoned a fan and held it firmly in his hand.


    "Are you good friends with the Barbarians?" Gerhart asked. "I hope that this isn''t a Raiding Ship that ising to rob us. I''ve heard that they were quite a menace back in the days when the Six Kingdoms were still at each other''s throats."


    Lux eyed the flying ship in the distance. Although he considered Einar as a trustedrade at arms, he didn''t have too many interactions with other Barbarians to know if they were battle junkies or not.


    "Everyone, be on your guard," Lux ordered, taking the role of the leader of the group. "If they show any signs of aggression, don''t hesitate to fight back."


    Fortunately, before all of them could take out all of their weapons, a loud shouting from the flying ship reached their ears.


    "Hey! Long time no see!"


    Einar Mordosk, the Barbarian Prince, shouted and waved his hand towards hispanions whom he hadn''t seen for a long time.


    "Fancy meeting you guys here," Einar said before jumping off the flying ship andnding on top of the Giant Manta Ray. "Are all of you going to the Academy?"


    Lux raised his fist at the same time Einar did. The two then exchanged a fist bump as a greeting, and this exchange made the Barbarian Princeugh. However, hisughter was short-lived as he eyed the red-headed Half-Elf with an appraising gaze.


    "So, you have reached the Peak of the Initiate Rank." Einar grinned. "Very good!"


    Lux smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Look who''s talking. Did you steal some Beast Cores from your Kingdom''s Treasury to also reach the peak of the Initiate Rank?"


    Einar nodded. "Aye. Although I did hunt some Monsters, it was taking too long. That is why I asked my Father to give me a few Cores in preparation for our dungeon exploration. Don''t tell me you find fault in my method?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Of course not," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "The stronger you are, the better. Besides, our team needs some additional hard hitters."


    Einar smirked before shifting his gaze to Keane, who gave him a brief nod.


    "You''re still not at the peak of the Initiate Rank, but your aura is sharper than thest time I saw you, Keane," Einarmented. "It seems that you don''t even need to draw your sword in order to cut people."


    Keane didn''t deny or affirm Einar''s statement. He simply smiled and acted like his usual self.


    Einar didn''t mind Keane''s reaction because he had expected as much. However, when his gazended on Gerhart, the Barbarian narrowed his eyes as if seeing something he didn''t like.


    "He''sing with us?" Einar asked Lux. "Are you sure of this? Enlil and he might start a duel when they see each other. Also, the Rankers of the Elves will be there. What would you do if they decided to kidnap him then and there?"


    Cai snorted. "They''ll do that only if they want to court death. My Grandpa won''t sit idly, and knowing him, he would also drag Iris'' father into joining him in trashing the Elven Kingdom. Gerhart is now one of our people. I''d like to see them snatch him under my watch!"


    "Da Wei!"


    Fei Fei red at the Barbarian, which made thetterugh out loud.


    "Well, we''ll see if they court death at the Gate of the Fallen or not." Einar raised his hands in surrender. "This is not my problem. I''m just saying that there might be trouble if we bring him with us."


    Lux who had remained quiet until now only nodded.


    "I understand, but don''t worry," Lux replied. "This is a crucial time for everyone. I''m sure that they will not make a scene when all the other Rankers of the different Kingdoms are there."


    Einar didn''t answer right away. Instead, he gave Gerhart a side-long nce before asking another question.


    "But, what if they did do it?" Einar asked. "What if they didn''t care about saving face, and simply wanted to get rid of Gerhart, whom they consider to be a threat to their kingdom?"


    "If it happens, it happens." Lux shrugged. "Gerhart is aware of the risks yet he still chose toe with us. Since that is the case, we''ll just see if the Elves really want to court death."


    The red-headed Half-Elf''s tone carried a finality to it, so Einar no longer pursued the issue.


    "Brother, dinner is ready!" a youngdy with light-brown hair and green eyes called out to Einar from the Flying Ship. "Come and get some before it disappears!"


    Einar chuckled as he waved at his younger sister, Fiora, who was about to turn eighteen years old in a few months.


    "Well then, I''ll be backter," Einar stated. "Dinneres first."


    The Barbarian Prince then jumped back to the Flying Ship to join the others, who were about to partake in their early dinner.


    The sun was setting in the West, and ording to Lux''s estimate, there was only an hour left before sunset.


    "Should we have dinner as well?" Lux asked.


    "Yes!" Cai answered. "I''m hungry. How about you Fei Fei?"


    "Wei~"


    "Fei Fei said she''s hungry as well, so let''s eat!"


    Everyone else agreed with the notion of having dinner, so they unloaded the food that the best cooks in the Rowan Tribe had prepared for them before they left.


    They still had a long way to go before arriving at their destination, and if nothing unexpected happened, they wouldnd near the gates of Barbatos Academy before sunrise the next day.

 Chapter 645 By The Way. Tonight, Lux And I Will…

    ?


    "Iris!"


    "Cai!"


    The blue-haired beauty hugged the boar, while thetter snuggled in Iris embrace.


    "Ma!"


    Eiko jumped off Lux''s head and used Air Steps tond on her Mama''s shoulder, giving her a kiss on the cheeks.


    Iris, in turn, gave the baby slime a kiss, which made thetter giggle.


    Lux watched this scene with a smile on his face because he could see the love Iris and Eiko had for each other.


    The sun was about to rise from the East, and the surroundings were still a bit dim. But, that didn''t matter.


    Barbatos Academy was expecting the arrival of their guests and prepared ordingly. Floatingnterns were all around the Academy, providing enough illumination to their surroundings.


    "Wee back, Lux," Alicia greeted the Half-Elf, who had just arrived alongside the Flying Ship of the Barbarians.


    "It''s nice to see you again, Alicia," Lux shook hands with the beautiful woman who served as his Father''s personal secretary. "It seems that the Academy has more visitors than I expected. Is there some kind of event?"


    The Half-Elf and the others were surprised at the sight of several Giant Eagles outside the Academy grounds. They were the Apex Predators in the Kingdom of Elswyth and also served as the Beast Companions of Elves.


    They were very powerful Beasts, and even Gryphons would do their best to not antagonize them.


    "They are the representatives the Elven Kingdom sent here to Barbatos Academy to celebrate your birthday," Alicia replied. "You, Sir, are now a very important person, and it seems that the Six Kingdoms intend to have a better rtionship with you."


    "Oh? Am I really that popr now?"


    "Yes. Although your birthday is still four days away, some factions havee to the Academy early to celebrate this event with you."


    Lux couldn''t help but smile after hearing Alicia''s reply. Back then, he was just an insignificant Half-Elf that the other factions didn''t even pay any attention to.


    However, after aplishing many incredible feats, especially inside the Sacred Dungeon, all of the other factions had changed their impression of the red-headed teenager, now treating him like one of the previous Four Kings of the Younger Generation.


    "I just hope that they don''t mess with my friends while they are here," Lux stated as he gave Gerhart a side-long nce. "Can you ensure that no problems will arise, Alicia?"


    "His Excellency, Maximilian,municated with the Headmaster the day you arrived at the Rowan Tribe," Alicia replied. "He mentioned that Gerhart wasing as well, so your Father already talked to the Elven Emissaries and reached apromise."


    Everyone within their circle knew that Gerhart and the Elves had a vendetta between them and that both sides were at each other''s throats.


    However, since they were on the grounds of Barbatos Academy, a direct conflict was something that both sides didn''t want to happen.


    "Don''t worry," Gerhart said. "I won''t kill anyone."


    "That''s good," Alicia replied. "The Elven Rankers who apanied Prince Enlil said the same thing. But, just to be safe, make sure to stay within the Academy grounds and don''t wander outside."


    Gerhart nodded his head in understanding. He didn''te here to fight with the Elves and was aware that he wasn''t a match to any of their Rankers. But that would only be for now. He believed that as long as he stayed in Heaven''s Gate, he would definitely reach a level where he no longer had to fear the Elves.


    "Well then, everyone,e with me," Alicia pped her hands. "Prince Einar, Princess Fiora, we have prepared amodations for you, as well as for your escorts. If you can just follow me, I will take you to your temporary quarters."


    Einar and Fiora thanked Alicia for her hospitality and followed behind her.


    Lux and the others did the same. Their journey had been quite long, and they hadn''t had much rest along the way.


    Just as he had expected, Cai''s temporary quarters were in Iris'' private residence in the Academy, which made the Boar very happy.


    "Breakfast will be ready in an hour," Iris said. "I''m sure you are tired from your journey. Do you want to take a bath together?"


    "Of course!" Cai replied. "Let''s go together!"


    Iris smiled before shifting her gaze to the Half-Elf, who was sitting on the couch.


    "You want toe with us?" Iris asked in a teasing tone.


    Lux thought about it for a brief moment before shaking his head.


    "Maybeter tonight," Lux replied. "I still have to talk to Father about a few things."


    Truth be told, Lux wanted to go, but he didn''t want to make things difficult for Cai at the moment. He had agreed to be her Fiance, but they weren''t at the stage where they werefortable enough to show each other their naked bodies.


    Also, he wanted to give Cai some breathing space because he was certain that she was more anxious than he was when it came to skinship.


    Iris gave her Fiance a wink because she understood what Lux was thinking. She then took Cai, Eiko, and Fei Fei into her private bathhouse, where they would soak in a hot spring before heading down to the dining area for breakfast.


    ��---------


    "Are you disappointed that Lux didn''te with us?" Iris asked the beautifuldy beside her, who had returned to her human form.


    "No," Caitlin replied. "I''d be too embarrassed if he was here. Now that I am also his fiance, I''ve noticed that he is quite a gentleman."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "That''s true," Iris agreed with pride. "That is one of the reasons why I love him very much. But, since you are now his fiance, you should also do your best to get ustomed to him."


    "...I''ll do my best."


    "By the way. Tonight, Lux and I will��"


    Caitlin''s face immediately became beet red after Iris told her that she would be making love with Lux tonight.


    Seeing her reaction, the blue-haired beauty giggled before dragging the still-blushing priestess toward the hot spring.


    Eiko and Fei Fei yed tag while swimming on top of the water, while the two beauties soaked in the hot spring, cleaning their seductive bodies, which would make all the teenage boys in Barbatos Academy howl like wolves.


    Suddenly, Caitlin said something that Iris didn''t expect her to say.


    "...Can I watch the two of you make love to each other?" Caitlin asked.


    This time, it was Iris'' turn to blush. Although she was open to the idea of sharing Lux with her best friend, the idea of being watched while the two of them were doing the deed was still embarrassing for her.


    After a few minutester, a reply, which was like a small squeak, escaped Iris'' lips.


    "... Okay," Iris replied with a flushed face.


    The blue-haired beauty wanted Cai to be morefortable around Lux, so she decided to make a little sacrifice to help her best friend see the intimate things that lovers did.


    The Priestess of the Rowan Tribe didn''t know much about the pleasures of the flesh. However, she was very curious about it. Also, she thought that it was a good idea to see how the deed was done as a future reference for when she and Lux would share their first union together.


    While Iris and Cai were talking about the things that they would do that night, Lux knocked on the door of the Headmaster''s office.


    "Come in."


    Alexander''s words were curt, but they held the power of his position as the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy.


    The moment Lux entered the room, he noticed that the Headmaster wasn''t alone. There were three men with him.


    One of them was an Elf, the other was a Swordsman, andst but not the least was someone that Lux didn''t expect to see in Barbatos Academy.


    "Captain Jack Spawow," Lux''s eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing here, Captain?"


    "Ah, Lux my boy. I came here to look for some Rum," Jack Spawow replied with an over-exaggerated gesture.


    "Rum? Here?"


    "Aye, boy. Rum is where the heart is."


    Lux blinked once then twice before nodding his head. Although he had no idea what the Ship Captain was talking about, he decided to just nod his head and agree with him for the time being.


    "Oh, so this is Lux?" the Swordsman eyed the Half-Elf with a smile. "Thank you for taking good care of my disciple, Keane. I''ve heard many good things about you."


    Although the Swordsman was smiling and looked friendly enough, the air around him was giving off a very sharp presence that could probably slice anything that was thrown in his way.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency," Lux replied. "How may I address you?"


    "The Void," the swordsman replied. "That''s what my friends and enemies call me."


    "Or you can just call him Voidy," Jack Spawowmented. "Don''t worry, my boy. He acts tough, but he''s still a virgin. I''ve been trying to get himid for the past decade, but the man holds his pants tighter than his sword."


    "Spawow, it seems like you''re itching for a fight. I''ll be more than happy to oblige. Should I cut your ship in half?"


    "Why fight when we can negotiate? Peace friend, let''s drink some Rum after Alex is done with his work."


    The Captain thenughed before walking towards Lux and whispering something in his ear.


    "Advance happy birthday, Lux," Captain Jack Spawow whispered. "I wish I could stay, but I need to set sail when morninges. My crew in Elysium sometimes causes trouble when I''m not around. If you happen to need a ship to travel in the open seas, look for me. I''ll be your guide in the Caribbean."


    Captain Jack Spawow then walked towards the door to leave, but as soon as he opened the door, he turned around to look at the Half-Elf, who was still looking at him, once more.


    "In case I don''t see herter, say hi to Eiko for me," Captain Jack Spawow said. "That girl has the makings of a true pirate!"


    Augh escaped the Captain''s lips before he closed the door behind him. He hade to the Academy to talk to Alexander in private, but his former acquaintances had arrived before him.


    Because of this, he decided to take his leave for the time being and wait for Alexander to finish whatever he was doing before trying to talk to him again.


    "He never changes," the Elf snorted before shaking his head in dismay. "He''s still the unruly and uncouth bastard that he has always been."


    "Well, he''s still better than a hypocrite," Keane''s Master replied. "I''ll also take my leave. Let''s talkter, Alex."


    The Void left the room without leaving even a backward nce, leaving Lux, the Elf, and Alexander inside the Headmaster''s Office.

 Chapter 646 Time Does A Lot Of Things

    ?


    "This is the first time we''ve met, so allow me to introduce myself," the Elf said with a curt nod. "My name is Zarazel Neifion. I am the Elven King''s brother and a permanent member of the Elven High Council in my Kingdom. It''s a pleasure to finally meet one of the heroes of the younger generation."


    Zarazel, like all Elves, was quite handsome. His green hair was cut short, and his green eyes were as sharp as the arrows he frequently used to hunt the Beasts around their kingdom.


    Lux took his hand and shook it twice before letting go. Although being called "one of the heroes of the younger generation" sounded good, the Half-Elf could tell that this was just ttery in order to get him to have a good impression of the Elven Noble who had visited the Academy.


    "Now that we''re both acquainted, allow me to cut to the chase," Zarazel said. "The slots for the 6 Kingdoms are very limited. Cai, Xander, and Keane had given the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms their quotas.


    "However, those are just 5 quotas. Even if the Barbarian Kingdom and the Azov Kingdom are no longer vying for those five slots, the three kingdoms need to divide them. Unfortunately, our Kingdom got the short end of the stick, and we were only able to get one quota out of the five.


    Because of this, I have asked your father to give me one of the slots that Henrietta has, and he agreed�� at least, in return for some favors."


    The Elf nced at Alexander, who was busy signing documents,pletely ignoring his gaze.


    "Usually, we can ask Prince Einar and Vaki Meitar (Val), to give us some of their quotas as well, but they refused this time," Zarazel narrowed his gaze in displeasure. "The Barbarians are sending their own Initiates, while Vaki has decided to bring his Guild Members to conquer the dungeon.


    "The way I see it, the Gesian Kingdom (Barbarian) and the Azov Kingdom want to increase their quotas for the Final Gate once the Gate of Famine is cleared.


    "With you leading this exploration, the chances of sess are nearly 100%. To this day, the representatives we sent in the Gate of Conquest regretted their decision to separate from your group. It is not an understatement to say that their regrets know no bounds, especially for the Wildgarde Stronghold who sent so many peoplest time."


    The Elf''s slight jab at the ce where he grew up almost triggered Lux into pping the arrogant man silly. However, since Zarazel was a High-Ranker, he decided to just let it slide for now.


    "Tell you what, the Elswyth Kingdom is willing to purchase the five slots in your possession," Zarazel stated. "Also, you may also ask us for a favor, with the exception of Gerhart''s safety. You already know that he is hell-bent on making the Royal Family suffer, so we will not stand by and allow him to do as he wishes."


    Lux pondered for a bit as he considered Zarazel''s proposal. Currently, he needed a few slots to take Gerhart, and Cethus with him. The reason why he nned to take Cethus with him and not summon him inside the dungeon like what he intended to do with mma was because of his race.


    Cethus was a Dragon Born, and although the Six Kingdoms rarely interacted with Dragons and Dragon Borns, they understood that it was a race that mustn''t provoke at any time.


    Lux wanted to show the Skystead Alliance, the Xynnar War Pact, as well as the Six Kingdoms, that he was on good terms with the Dragon Born.


    This would act as a deterrence, as well as a reminder to the other Factions, that he had some friends in high ces.


    Originally, he nned to give the remaining three slots to Barbatos Academy, but since his father agreed to give the Elves one Slot, it only meant one thing.


    His father was thinking about the bigger picture.


    Since that was the case, Lux decided to do the same.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I have three slots remaining, but I can only give the Elswyth Kingdom one slot," Lux replied. "I intend to auction thest two remaining slots to the Sevede Kingdom, Razohan, as well as the Navarre Kingdom. This is the onlypromise I can make."


    Zarazel frowned and tried to negotiate with Lux, giving him promises of wealth, as well as more favors from the Kingdom. However, the Half-Elf was firm in his decision, which made the Elf Diplomat give up in the end.


    "Dealing with you Kaizers is always problematic." Zarazel sighed. "Fine. We will take the one slot you have for the agreed price. Also, you may ask us for one favor, but this favor mustn''t exceed our bottom line."


    "Understood." Lux nodded.


    Although he was a bit disappointed with the oue of the Negotiation, Zarazel was still able to secure two additional quotas for the Elswyth Kingdom. This allowed them to bring three representatives into the Dungeon.


    If all went well, and those three survived, the Elves would have fifteen slots for the exploration of thest gate, which was rumored to open once the Four Gates had been conquered.


    When Zarazel finally left the room, Alexander raised his head and made a gesture for Lux to sit.


    "You did well," Alexander stated. "Did you originally want to give Barbatos Academy those slots?"


    "Yes, Father," Lux replied. "But, after gauging the status quo, I deemed that it would be unwise to annoy the other kingdoms any more than they already are. Although you are a Saint, and they can''t do anything to you, maintaining friendly rtions with our neighbors can give us better rewards in the future."


    Alexander nodded. "That''s right. It is better to make friends than to make enemies. This way, we can focus on what is in front of us without worrying about being stabbed in the back."


    Lux agreed with his father''s words, and they chatted in detail about the things that were happening behind the scenes. When their talks were finally over, Alexander finally breached the issue with Cai.


    "I apologize if I decided on your behalf about Cai''s issue," Alexander said. "I thought that it was a good idea at that time. Also, Iris didn''t reject the idea, so I thought that it was fine to push through with it. Maximilian has already told me your reply, and I just want to ask you one thing."


    The Saint of Barbatos Academy held Lux''s gaze and asked his question.


    "Are you really fine with this arrangement?" Alexander asked.


    Lux nodded. "Yes. I have thought long and hard about it, and the answer is still yes. Although Cai and I are far from being lovers, this can be nurtured as we spend time together. Also, Iris seems to like the idea of having Cai as my Fiance. I''m sure that it will work one way or another. All we need is time."


    "Right. Time does a lot of things." Alexander agreed before once again looking at the document in front of him. "The representatives of the other Kingdoms will arrive before your birthday. Having considered this, we decided to hold a grand party for the event. I know that you aren''t fond of these kinds of things, but since guests from far away have arrived, it would be inappropriate if we do not hold a proper ceremony."


    Lux felt like a major headache was about to hit him, but since his Father had already decided, he deemed it best to just let him do what he wanted.

 Chapter 647 Intimate Things That Lovers Do

    ?


    (Disimer: Softcore scenes up ahead. Nothing too graphic.)


    Two hours before midnight, right after Lux had finished his bath, Iris dragged him to the bedroom.


    He was originally nning to sleep on the couch so Cai could sleep with Iris in bed. He knew that the Priestess wanted to spend some time with the blue-haired beauty, so he decided to let them spend the first night together.


    However, Iris seemed to have other things in mind, making the Half-Elf wonder about what was going on.


    "Um, maybe I should put something on first?" Lux asked as Iris opened the door to her bedroom. "Cai is inside, right? I don''t think letting her see me wearing only a bath towel is appropriate?"


    "Why should you still wear clothes when you''re just going to take them offter anyway?" Iris replied with a beet-red face.


    She wasn''t blushing because she was embarrassed to see Lux naked. After all, the two of them had shared many intimate moments together and had made love several times already.


    However, she couldn''t help but feel anxious about making love with her fiance while someone else was watching. Iris was just trying to act unbothered because this was her idea. Since that was the case, she had to see it through till the end.


    Cai, who was already waiting inside the room, was also blushing because she already knew what was going to happen next.


    "C-Can someone tell me what''s going on?" Lux felt that something wasn''t right when he realized that the two Baby Slimes weren''t inside the room.


    Iris had taken Eiko and Fei Fei to where her Guardian Beasts were staying and asked the pair to sleep with them for tonight. The two Baby Slimes had a keen interest in knowing Iris'' other Guardians, so they agreed with Iris'' arrangement.


    "The two of us will make love as usual," Iris replied while trying to keep a straight face. "Cai will just watch from the side as a reference."


    Cai, who had been called out, nervously cleared her throat and said something to back up Iris'' statement.


    "J-Just treat me as someone invisible," Cai stuttered. "I promise I won''t make any noise. This is just for future reference."


    Lux didn''t know whether he should cry orugh out loud when he heard the twodies'' words. After careful judgment of the current state of affairs, the Half-Elf inferred that the one that initiated this n was none other than Iris.


    The Princess of the Rowan Tribe had no knowledge about the art of lovemaking, and yet, she was very curious about how it was done. Iris'' proposal was perfect for her because it would allow her to learn what was in store for her in the future.


    "Well, I don''t really mind, but is this really okay?" Lux scratched his head.


    "It''s fine," Iris replied.


    "I don''t see anything wrong with it," Cai answered. "After all, I am also your fiance. We are bound to do this sooner orter, so learning how it is done is better than not knowing anything at all."


    Lux wanted to say that she wasn''t wrong, but he still felt a bit awkward doing this act with someone watching him.


    "Don''t worry," Iris said softly as he pulled Lux to the bed. "If you don''t feel like taking the lead, I will do it."


    With a simple tug, the bath towel covering Lux''s lower half fell to the floor. The Half-Elf''s body was lean and toned, and this was the first time that Cai was seeing it in full view.


    The blush on her face turned a shade deeper. In her heart, she knew she liked what she saw.


    "Don''t be too conscious of her," Iris whispered as she slowly pinned Lux to the bed. "I''ll handle the rest."


    Although she was embarrassed, she was willing to take the lead because she missed her fiance terribly.


    Lux, who also missed Iris, no longer resisted and soon found himself being kissed by the blue-haired beauty who loved him very much.


    The sound of kisses echoed inside the room as Iris'' lips shed with Lux''s, biting it like a hungry wolf that hadn''t eaten for days.


    A few minutester, Iris pulled back and sat on top of Lux with a mischievous smile on her face.


    The Half-Elf found this expression of hers very cheeky, so he raised his hands and pulled the string of her nightgown, baring her breasts.


    Lux''s hands moved to grope them, while his fingers yed and pinched the firm tips that reacted to his touch.


    Cai, who was watching this scene, felt her body heat up as feelings she had never experienced before rose to the surface.


    Iris, who had decided to take the lead, yfully pried her fiance''s hands off her breasts and stood up, making the nightgown slide down from her body and drop onto Lux''s waist. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Iris then lightly kicked the nightgown to the other side of the bed.


    Lux, who hadn''t seen Iris for quite some time, felt his desire slowly awakening inside his chest, making him feel hot and bothered. However, since he agreed that Iris would take the lead, he painfully endured how her soft hands moved up and down while holding his��


    The two once again shared a deep and passionate kiss as Iris continued to stroke her fiance''s member, which was standing tall and proud.


    Cai, who was seeing Lux''s little brother for the first time, subconsciously gulped as she watched her best friend''s practiced movements.


    Lux''s right hand wasn''t being idle either, gently caressing Iris'' folds, preparing them for what was about toe.


    Finally, after two painstaking minutes, Iris decided that it was now time for the main act.


    With practiced movements, she sat on top of Lux and slid his member inside of her before once again lowering her head to kiss his lips.


    If earlier, she felt embarrassed that Cai was watching them, now she hadpletely forgotten about thetter and began moving her hips in a steady rhythm with the intention of making her fiance feel good.


    Lux had also been swept by the flow and no longer cared about the Priestess of the Rowan Tribe and moved his hips to match Iris'' rhythm, making her moan in pleasure.


    A few minutester, Lux let out a grunt, and Iris, who was on top of him, shuddered after feeling his burning love for her seep deep inside her womb, melting it from the inside out.


    After a sweet, and long release, the blue-haired beauty fell on top of the Half-Elf panting for breath.


    Cai could see something white, seeping out of her best friend''s�� which stirred something inside of her.


    Just as the Priestess of the Rowan Tribe was about to say something, Lux moved and gentlyid Iris on the bed.


    This time, he was the one on top, and he immediately proceeded to make love to her in a missionary position.


    Although he just came, he was still pretty lively, so he decided to do it once again while his Fiance was still recovering from the afterglow of their first round.


    Soon, only Iris'' moans and the sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed inside the room.


    Cai didn''t know how many minutes had passed and how many rounds of lovemaking the two had. The only thing she knew was that after everything was over, Lux carried the limp Iris in a princess carry and walked toward the bathroom so that he could wash her properly.


    When the Half-Elf had left the room, Cai finally stirred and subconsciously moved towards the bed.


    The scent and aftermath of Lux and Iris'' lovemaking was still on the bed, making Cai feel a little light-headed. Even so, the Priestess of the Rowan Tribe curiously traced her hand over the bed, reying everything she had just seen inside her head.


    ��-----------


    "Are you alright?" Lux asked the blue-haired beauty who had just regained her consciousness after passing out on their sixth round. "Sorry, I was a bit rough in the end."


    Iris just smiled and allowed Lux to carefully clean her body, while her back leaned against his chest.


    She felt how much Lux had missed her through his actions, and it made her feel happy inside. When all of her nooks and crannies were cleaned, the Half-Elf nted a kiss and sucked on the nape of her neck, leaving his mark on her white skin.


    He had left simr marks on her body earlier, which would slowly heal when morning came. Now that both of their lusts were sated and they were now thinking properly, they remembered that there was a third person in the room earlier.


    "I wonder if I went too far?" Lux asked. "Cai is probably scared after seeing something like that."


    "She''s not a vase, you know?" Iris replied. "Still, I understand what you''re trying to say. But, now that she has seen how much stamina you have, she would no longer have to worry about your capability of making love with the two of us at the same time."


    "...You know Cai really likes you, right? She''d probably help me attack you if you are capable if given the opportunity."


    "Well, I''ll look forward to that day. I''m sure that it will be a brand new experience for the both of us."


    Lux couldn''t help but chuckle after hearing Iris'' positive reply.


    Both were unaware that while they were taking their time soaking in the bath, the beautifuldy that was left inside their room had started to understand the intimate things that lovers do when they are together.

 Chapter 648 It Seems That All Of You Are Courting Death

    ?


    When Iris opened her eyes, she found herself locked in the embrace of two people.


    On her right was Lux, and on her left was Cai.


    After they returned from their bathroom, they found Cai sitting on top of the bed with a flushed look on her face. Of course, they found this to be a very natural reaction.


    Iris and Lux said nothing and simply removed the bed sheets and reced them with new ones. After that, the three of them all slept on the same bed, with the blue-haired beauty in the middle.


    ''Waking up like this isn''t too bad,'' Iris mused.


    Lux was the person she loved, and Cai was her best friend. Being embraced by these two people made her feel something warm stir in her chest, chasing away the sleep that still clung to her senses.


    There was a faint lighting out of the window, which was the sign that morning had alreadye.


    Even so, Lux and Cai were still asleep with no signs of waking up anytime soon. In consideration of this, Iris didn''t move and simply enjoyed the happiness she was feeling right now.


    However, that silence onlysted for a minute longer as the door of the room opened. Two lively Baby Slimes came in and jumped on the bed.


    "Ma!"


    "Pa!"


    "Da Wei!"


    Eiko and Fei Fei jumped up and down Lux''s and Cai''s bodies, waking them up from their slumber.


    Seeing the two Slimes being so hyper early in the morning made Iris giggle. After being jumped on like a trampoline countless times, Lux opened his eyes and grabbed Eiko as she was just about tond on his body, making the Baby Slime giggle.


    Seeing that Eiko wasn''t even a little bit sorry for waking him up, the Half-Elf tickled her, causing the baby slime to uncontroblyugh and squirm in his hands in an attempt to escape.


    Only after Iris intervened did Eiko manage to free herself. The baby slime jumped into her Mama''s arms, asking to be spoiled like a little child.


    Cai, who had finally woken up due to Fei Fei''s actions, caught the Baby Slime in her hands before lightly patting her head.


    "Are you hungry, Fei Fei?" Cai asked as she stifled a yawn.


    "Wei~" Fei Fei nodded.


    The members of the Rowan Tribe were early risers, and Fei Fei had grown ustomed to their daily routine. Right now, it was two hours past sunrise, and the Baby Slime was already very hungry.


    Half an hourter, Lux, Iris, and Cai left the room to have breakfast.


    Cai had returned to her Boar Form, not wanting anyone to see her human form��of course, aside from a handful of people and her family.


    Although her Grandpa, Maximilian, had ced a seal on her body, making others unable to see through her body constitution, Cai had been using her Boar Form since she was a child.


    For her, turning into a Boar was simr to breathing. It was a very natural action for her, and she was known to stay in that form for as long as possible.


    When they arrived in the Dining Area, they saw Gerhart and Keane seated beside each other. Einar and Enlil were seated at the opposite table, alongside the Elves and the Barbarians that hade to Barbatos Academy to celebrate Lux''s Birthday.


    Fortunately, Gerhart and the Elves weren''t doing anything that would provoke the other, which made Lux breathe a bit easier.


    Einar and Enlil gave Lux a curt nod, and the Half-Elf returned their gesture with a nod as well. After that, he went to Gerhart''s and Keane''s table so that they could eat breakfast together.


    Everyone ate in peace and made small talk with each other. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lux ignored the side-long nces from the Barbarians and the Elves, who looked at him from time to time.


    They had heard many stories about Lux from Einar and Enlil, and most of them wondered if they were true or not. Some were even itching to spar with him, making Einar chuckle at their ignorance. Hispanions had no idea who they were dealing with.


    If possible, he wanted Lux to show them a thing or two to let them understand why he had recognized the Half-Elf as the Team Leader whenever they challenged the Sacred Dungeon.


    "He doesn''t look strong, Your Highness," one of the Elves said softly. "Why don''t you fight him for the position of Team Leader in the Sacred Dungeon?"


    Enlil firmly shook his head because he learned firsthand that Lux was a very capable leader. Those who had challenged the Gate of Conquest were still regretting their decisions to this day and, if possible, the Elven Prince didn''t want to repeat that mistake.


    His Father and the Elven Council had given a decree that the Elves apanying Prince Enlil must follow Lux once they were inside the Sacred Dungeon regardless of how absurd his orders were.


    Of course, the two other representatives that were apanying their Prince weren''t too happy about it, but the punishment for disobeying the decree by the Elven King, as well as the Elven Council, was severe. This gave them no other choice but to reluctantly ept the orders.


    However, if their Prince wished to take the position of Team Leader, they would support him regardless of the punishment waiting for them back home.


    Half an hourter, Lux had finished his meal and was about to leave the Dining Area with the others when several of the Barbarians blocked their path with their arms crossed over their chest.


    "We''ve heard great things about you, Sir Lux," one of the teenage Barbarians said. "Our Prince has recognized you as our Team Leader, and we are willing to follow his words. However, we Barbarians only follow the strong. If possible, can you have a sparring match with us, so we can better understand if you have what it takes to lead us to battle?"


    Before Lux could answer, Cai, who was by his side, snorted.


    "It seems that all of you are courting death," Cai stated in an arrogant tone. "Do you wish to get beaten up that badly?"


    "No," another teenage Barbarian shook his head. "We just want to spar. That is all. How about it, Sir Lux? Will you grant our request?"


    The Elves who had eaten alongside the Barbarians all pped their hands in support of their proposal. They also wanted to see with their own eyes if the fame the Half-Elf currently had was just an exaggerated rumor, or if he really had the strength to back it up.


    "Okay," Lux replied with a smile. "Let''s go to the Training Grounds."


    The Barbarians were very happy to hear Lux''s reply, so they allowed him to pass and followed behind him and his entourage.


    Naturally, the Elves followed suit, leaving Einar and Enlil walking a good distance from the back.


    "Why aren''t you stopping them?" Enlil asked.


    "They won''t recognize Lux unless they understand how strong he is," Einar shrugged. "Also, I want to see how much he has improved since thest time I saw him. You want to see it as well, right?"


    Enlil didn''tment, but his silence was enough to tell Einar that he was right. After the battle in the Gate of Conquest, the strongest members of the Young Generation within the Six Kingdoms had all risen to the Peak of the Initiate Rank.


    They had received enough resources to achieve their current Rank in preparation for the great battle that was waiting for them inside the Sacred Dungeon.


    Although Cai and Keane were also in the Initiate Rank, they were not Peak Initiates. However, that didn''t matter because both of them had the ability to go above and beyond their current ranks, making them even stronger than the side characters that Einar and Enlil brought to apany them to the Domain of the Fallen.


    "It seems that the brats are itching for a fight," Zarazelmented as he finished drinking his cup of tea. "Should we also watch?"


    The Barbarian High-Ranker who went by the name Kavan nodded his head.


    "I also want to see if this kid is as good as the rumors," Kavan replied. "I sure hope he doesn''t disappoint."


    Zarazel only smiled, and stood up from his seat.


    Now that there was an opportunity to watch Lux fight, he would definitely go and see for himself, if the Half-Elf was worthy of the title of the "Strongest Fighter of the young generation", which he earned after winning the tournament in Barbatos Academy.

 Chapter 649 I Can Do This All Day [Part 1]

    ?


    "So this is where the tournament of Barbatos Academy was held," one of the Barbarians said. "Not bad."


    "Indeed," another Barbarian agreed. "Too bad, there are only a few dozen students who will watch our moment of glory."


    Barbarians were simr to the Orcs in a way that most of them were battle junkies. Einar was like that as well in the past. But after several close calls in the Sacred Dungeon, he was now a seasoned warrior and his attitude in regards to fighting had also changed.


    Alicia, Zarazel, Keane''s Master, and Jack Spawow appeared in the stands. Clearly, they were also quite interested in watching how Lux would handle the feisty Barbarians who didn''t know what was good for them.


    "Okay, let me just tell you the rules of this sparring match," Lux started. "Anyone who falls off the stage, loses consciousness, or is unable to continue fighting loses the match. Are these terms eptable for all of you?"


    The Barbarians nodded their heads. The rules that Lux spoke of were no different from what they had back home.


    "Very well." Lux nodded. "As you may already know, I was the Champion of the Tournament in the past. Because of this, it will be unfair if you can just challenge me just like that. So, I''ll give you one condition. You need to beat one of my summons. If you are able to do that, then I will allow you to challenge me."


    The Barbarians frowned andmunicated by ncing at each other. However, Lux''s words held a bit of truth in them. If they wanted to fight him, they must prove that they were worthy, so they all agreed to his condition.


    "Great!" Lux smirked before raising his hand. "Come, Pazuzu!"


    Lux''s fearsome Fortress Defender appeared, making the Barbarians narrow their eyes.


    "Pazuzu, feel free to go all out," Lux ordered. "Show them your might!"


    "Yes, My Lord," Pazuzu replied.


    Currently, the Fortress Defender was wearing golden te armor and holding a golden shield. The shield was the one stolen from Ronan on the battlefield, and the te armor was from the same person, taken when he took it off to try and take advantage of the unconscious Sarah.


    In other words, except for his spiked mace which was a Pseudo-Legendary Weapon, Pazuzu''s defensive armor and shield were both Legendary Equipment!


    Even if the fearsome Defender''s attack damage wasn''t that high, the Barbarians could only dream of breaking past his defenses!


    "I''ll fight him first!" one of the Barbarians said. "This monster looks simr to that girl that dumped me a few months ago. It''s time for revenge!"


    Hearing that, Pazuzu looked at the Barbarian in contempt. Even though he admitted that his looks weren''t that good, he was still more good-looking than the Barbarian in front of him.


    "Battle start!" Lux shouted from outside of the Arena.


    As soon as the cue sounded, the Barbarian charged toward Pazuzu, nning to strike with the War Axe coated in zing mes.


    The Fortress Defender didn''t move from his spot and simply waited for his opponent to strike him with his strongest blow.


    "Die, Ugly Monster!" the Barbarian roared as he shed at Pazuzu using his full power.


    Since his opponent was a Summoned Monster, there was no need for him to hold back his attacks.


    A metallic ng reverberated in the surroundings as the ming Axe and Pazuzu''s Golden Shield collided.


    The ground under their feet shattered, but Pazuzu''s defensive stance didn''t break.


    As if thinking that one strike wasn''t enough, the Barbarian unleashed a flurry of blows. However, all of his strikes were blocked perfectly by the Fortress Defender, preventing thetter from gaining any advantage in the exchange.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A few minutester, the Barbarian backed away panting for breath. He couldn''t believe that he was unable to even put a dent in the Golden Shield that Lux''s Summoned Monster was holding.


    "Impossible!" the Barbarian shouted. "This is a Mythical War Axe! Why isn''t your shield breaking?!"


    Pazuzu lowered the shield blocking his body and looked at the Barbarian who was uglier than him.


    "Do you know why you can''t break past my defenses?" Pazuzu asked.


    "Why?!" the Barbarian asked in a heartbeat.


    The Fortress Defender walked fearlessly toward the Barbarian as if he was invincible.


    He only stopped when he was a foot away from the teenager, and lowered his head until it was only a few inches away from his face.


    "It''s because I can do this all day," Pazuzu replied. "How about you? Can you do this all day?"


    The Barbarian looked down as if pondering Pazuzu''s question. Half a minuteter, he answered.


    "Is it because I can''t do it all day that girls don''t like me?" the Barbarian asked.


    "No," Pazuzu replied. "It''s because you don''t know Da Wae~"


    Without another word, Pazuzu used his shield to bash the teenager, sending him flying out of the arena.


    Everyone watching, with the exception of the Rankers and Lux''s entourage, booed.


    "Haters gonna hate," Pazuzu replied before making a gesture for the other Barbarians toe up the stage and challenge him. "Who''s next?"


    "Me!" The biggest among the teenage Barbarians jumped on the stage and summoned a two-handed Great Sword. "I''ll make you pay for what you had done to myrade!"


    "I don''t think so," Pazuzu replied as he raised his shield in front of him.


    "Shield Counter!"


    Earlier, the Fortress Defender only blocked his opponent''s attacks. But the reason why wasn''t just to defend against the Barbarian''s attack. It was because he was charging up his skill, Shield Counter.


    This ability allows Pazuzu to store the force behind each blow that was directed at him and return it to his enemies by 200%.


    Before the Barbarian could even engage the Fortress Defender in a battle, a powerful st of energy erupted from Pazuzu''s shield, sending the Barbarian crashing toward the walls of the stands.


    The Fortress Defender had calcted the strength of the attack perfectly, and made sure that his opponent would only receive a minor injury from his attack.


    "Who''s next?" Pazuzu asked as white smoke rose up from his golden shield. "I already said this, but I will say it again. I can do this all day. Who wants to fight me next?"


    The Fortress Defender looked down at the three remaining Barbarians who were staring at him with bloodshot eyes.


    "Come," Pazuzu said as he made a taunting gesture to the three Barbarians who wanted nothing more than to snap his neck. "I''ll fight the three of you at the same time."

 Chapter 650 I Can Do This All Day [Part 2]

    ?


    "Bastard!"


    "You''re looking down on us?!"


    "Let''s go! Let''s teach this Orc a lesson!"


    With Pazuzu''s taunt, the three Barbarians jumped to the arena and took out their weapons. Although they had no intention of fighting Pazuzu 3 to 1, his arrogant words made them want to give him a good beating.


    Einar, who was watching this scene, couldn''t help but cover his face in embarrassment. This was supposed to be a one-on-one battle, and yet, hisrades had decided to gang up on the Fortress Defender 3 to 1 because of just a few words.


    "So the three of you want to fight me?" Pazuzu smirked. "Good! Let''s see what the three of you can do together!"


    Truth be told, Pazuzzu had a lot of pent-up frustrations. He had always fought creatures who were many times stronger than him, with some of them able to kill him in two blows.


    The more he died, the more Pazuzu''s resentment grew. But he also learned a lot of things, like how to properly meet an attack head-on and how to keep his calm even if death was staring at him in the face.


    Right now, the Fortress Defender was learning to effectively deflect blows instead of taking them head-on. This would give him an opportunity to counter-attack and deal as much damage as he could to his enemies.


    Although his role in Lux''s Army was to be a Tank, that didn''t mean that he couldn''t use his defensive skills as an offensive strike.


    The three Barbarians spread out and encircled Pazuzu. Even though they were very angry at how theirrades were defeated, they weren''t dumb.


    They were specifically chosen to apany Einar to the Sacred Dungeon, which meant that they weren''t weak.


    Still, they couldn''t understand how the Summoned Monster, who was actually weaker than them, defeated their tworades.


    Pazuzu was only at the Initial Stage of the Initiate Rank, which was slightly lower than theirs.


    All of them were Peak Initiates, and they had faced many challenges together.


    Right now, they were treating Pazuzu as a Boss Monster that needed to be taken down as a team, so they didn''t feel like what they were doing was against the rules.


    Well, in a way, they weren''t wrong. Although Pazuzu was indeed at the Initiate Rank, his equipment, with the exception of his weapon, were all Legendary Items, raising his overall strength to that of an E-Ranker.


    In short, Lux had cheated from the very beginning. Pitting mere Initiates against a Pseudo-Ranker that had died countless times on the battlefield.


    "Mad Rush!" Pazuzu shouted. "Shield Bash!"


    As if he was injected with two liters of steroids, the Fortress Defender ran like a Mad and mmed his shield into one of the Barbarians, which sent thetter skidding out of the arena.


    "Shield Throw!"


    The Fortress Defender then made a backhand throw, making his shield fly into one of the Barbarians who had targeted his backside.


    "Fool! You let go of the only thing that protects you from us!" The Barbarian thought that he could smash the shield aside with his weapon and follow up a counterattack on Pazuzu.


    However, as soon as his weapon hit the spinning shield, it instantly bounced off, leaving him unable to react before the shield smashed into his chest, making him groan in pain.


    "You''re open!" The third Barbarian, who managed to close the distance, hacked his weapon upwards with the intention of decapitating Pazuzu, who had lost his shield.


    "No," Pazuzu replied. "You''re open!"


    As if waiting for that exact moment, Pazuzu raised his golden gauntlets and blocked the Axe, sending sparks flying in every direction.


    After the attack had been sessfully deflected, the Fortress Defender wrapped his arms around the Barbarian''s waist and did a suplex.


    Thetter''s head was mmed onto the ground, shattering the floor of the arena.


    Lux winced after seeing such a brutal scene, not expecting that his Fortress Defender would use the Barbarians as tools to vent out his frustrations for always dying on the battlefield.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The reason why he summoned Pazuzu instead of his other Named Creatures was because he thought that Pazuzu was the least aggressive of the bunch.


    But now that he had seen how the Fortress Defender used wrestling techniques to body m his opponents, he felt the need to give Pazuzu a paid vacation, so that thetter could do some soul-searching.


    In the end, the Half-Elf was forced to intervene and stop the fight because Pazuzu was treating the two Barbarians who were still in the arena like punching bags. Their faces had already turned ck and blue due to his Named Creature''s punches.


    Truth be told, Pazuzu didn''t need to use his shield. His golden armor was enough to repel any attacks that came from Initiates and below.


    Once the fistfight was over, the Barbarians were all taken to the infirmary, while those who watched the "sparring match" looked at the Half-Elf withplicated looks on their faces.


    Zarazel''s, as well as the Barbarian Ranker, Kavan''s, expressions were solemn because this fight alone told them many things.


    Although they were both High-Rankers and Lux was no match for them, they understood that very few among those of the same rank as the Half-Elf could beat him.


    The fact that his one Summon could beat five Peak Initiate Barbarians was more than enough to let them see the red-headed teenager in a new light.


    It was not only them who learned a lot of things from this fight. The Elves, who were led by Prince Enlil, all quieted down after the match was over.


    They knew that the Barbarians didn''t use their Trump Cards in the battle, but that didn''t mean that they hadn''t fought against Pazuzu seriously. Because of this, they all decided to listen to the Half-Elf, as was decreed by their King and the Elven Council.


    Only Alexander, who was watching this battle from within his office, shook his head helplessly.


    He knew that Lux cheated, but he was fine with that.


    ''With this one move of his, he managed to make his peers acknowledge him as their temporary leader in the expedition,'' Alexander thought. ''However, the news I received from our spies in the Vahan Empire is quite troubling��''


    ording to the men he had stationed in the Vahan Empire, aside from Malcolm, Nero, and Prince Cyrus, Emperor Andreas was able to recruit some other powerful individuals who would act as their representatives inside the Sacred Dungeon.


    He knew that his stepson was strong.


    But, being strong wasn''t enough to deal with the unexpected guests that would make their appearance at the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen.


    "I just hope they don''t do anything stupid," Alexander muttered as he ced the documents he just finished reading on top of the table. "This is not the right time for conflicts."


    Right now, all the Factions only wanted one thing, and that was to sessfully conquer the Gate of Famine, which would be the key to unlocking the final Gate of the Apocalypse.


    ��-----------


    Vahan Empire��


    "We are truly honored that you have graced us with your presence, Your Excellencies," Emperor Andreas said with a smile.


    "As you should," a person wearing a ck robe replied. "You and your people are very lucky that someone of my standing is wasting my precious time talking to lowly beings such as yourself."


    Emperor Andreas'' smile stiffened, but he kept his smile, knowing that this was an important moment for him and his Empire.


    "Are you sure that this Domain you spoke of is truly the Domain of the Fallen?" the ck-robed figure asked.


    "Yes," Emperor Andreas answered. "We have already sent representatives to challenge it repeatedly, and now, we are facing the Gate of Famine."


    The ck-robed figure nodded. "It seems that you people are not as ipetent as you look. Very well, I will apany your son on this expedition, but I will not follow any of his orders. I and my servants will move separately."


    "Understood," Emperor Andreas replied. "Thank you for your graciousness."


    The ck-robed figure snorted before walking out of the throne room, apanied by his two servants.


    He moved as if he owned the ce, making even the arrogant Emperor of the Vahan Empire take a step back and do his best to tter his guests that came from a very far away ce.

 Chapter 651 Life Is Never Easy

    ?


    "You hid deeply," Einar said to the Half-Elf, whom he had asked to meet in private. "I didn''t think that Pazuzu had be that strong."


    As soon as hispanions finished receiving their treatment in the Academy''s infirmary, the Barbarian Prince hade to look for Lux.


    Einar had seen Lux''s Named Creatures before, and among them, Pazuzu didn''t stand out as a fighter.


    Although hisrades didn''t use their Trump Cards because they were forbidden to use them, he believed that the Fortress Defender hadn''t shown his own Trump Cards either.


    Truth be told, Einar was very surprised when he realized how much Lux had changed since thest time they met each other. The Half-Elf was radiating an aura of confidence like a veteran fighter who had fought countless battlefields.


    "Well, he has faced many strong foes as ofte," Lux replied. "So, tell me, what did you want to talk about in private?"


    Einar looked at the Academy from the balcony of Iris'' personal residence.


    This was the most protected ce in the Academy, so it was guaranteed that whateveres out of their mouth wouldn''t be heard by anyone.


    "Since we have fought many battles together, and I recognize you as my temporary leader in the Sacred Dungeon, I''ll be honest with you," Einar stated. "This time around, the representatives of the Vahan Empire might be a cut above us. I only heard this news from my father before I came here, and I believe that you will be told by your father as well before we leave for the Sacred Dungeon.


    "However, I strongly advise you to be more lowkey this time. It is possible that the ''guest'' of the Vahan Empire will forcefully take over the leadership of the operation by killing you once we enter the Sacred Dungeon."


    Lux arched an eyebrow after hearing Einar''s words.


    He knew how proud the Barbarian was, and it would be very difficult to make Einar submit to others. For the Barbarian Prince to tell him something like this, meant that the guesting from the Vahan Empire was truly a big shot.


    A big shot that mustn''t be offended at all costs.


    But Lux onlyughed internally. If a mere Initiate dared to try killing him inside the Sacred Dungeon, they would definitely find themselves at death''s door.


    However, curiosity won him over, so he decided to ask Einar who that guest was.


    "Who is it?" Lux asked. "What faction do they belong to?"


    "I don''t know who it is because my old man is tightlipped," Einar replied. "But, for him to warn me that I shouldn''t offend the guest from the Vahan Kingdom means only one thing��we are talking about someone that ising from a powerful organization. At the very least, the information I received states that two Saints are acting as that person''s bodyguards."


    Lux''s face immediately became grim after hearing Einar''s exnation. If that guest was being guarded by two Saints, it certainly meant that they weren''t simple people.


    Saints weren''t cabbages and, at most, a Kingdom would only have one.


    Empires might have two, or even three of them at once, however, these powerhouses didn''t have that much free time to act as bodyguards for a person.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Even Emperor Andreas only had a High-Ranker by his side. The Saint of his country would move only when their national interest was in danger. As long as it didn''te to that point, they would not actively participate in anyrge-scale wars, even if Emperor Andreas were to order them.


    "Do you know what Kingdom or Empire they belong to?" Lux asked.


    Einar shook his head. "All I know is that theye from a faraway ce��farther than the neighboring Kingdoms and Empires of the Skystead Alliance."


    Lux quieted down for a bit before nodding his head in understanding.


    "Thank you for telling me this," Lux stated. "I''ll also ask my father for information about these guests from the Vahan Empire."


    Einar nodded. "Even though my Father told me to avoid offending this guest, that won''t stop me from teaming up with you on this expedition."


    The Barbarian Prince then gave Lux a devilish smile, which greatly enhanced his sharp features.


    "If they want to form a team on their own, they are free to do so," Einar said. "I''ll stick to the winning team, so I''m going with you."


    Lux smirked and raised his closed fist.


    Einar did the same and the two shared a fist bump asrades who had fought side by side throughout the previous expeditions inside the Sacred Dungeon.


    "I''m sure that Val feels the same, so you don''t have to worry about us," Einar crossed his arms over his chest. "Even if the Six Kingdoms and the Xynnar War Pact align themselves with that guest, we will still go with you. I''m sure that Henrietta and her Guild Members will do the same.


    "But, know this. If you and that persone to blows, I will just watch from the side. My old man doesn''t want to have any conflicts with that organization, so I''ll apologize in advance for not being there if ever your ass gets handed to you."


    Lux chuckled after hearing Einar''s statement.


    Everyone thought of him as a troublemaker because of the conflicts he had with the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and even the Six Kingdoms.


    However, as long as they were inside the Sacred Dungeon, where Saints are barred from entry, he was sure that he would be able to deal with anyone of the same Rank as him without much trouble.


    The two then chatted about a few more things before parting ways on good terms.


    ''Life is never easy,'' Lux thought. ''When one problem is solved, another one takes its ce. I''d better find Father and ask him for all the information he has about this mysterious organization. My Guild is still not strong enough to fight against Saints.''


    The Half-Elf sighed as he made his way toward the Headmaster''s Office, where his Father, Alexander, was also waiting for his arrival.

 Chapter 652 The Best Birthday Gift Ever

    ?


    Lux stayed inside the Headmaster''s office for nearly an hour before returning to Iris'' residence to digest everything that he had learned from his father.


    Einar told him that the Vahan Empire''s guest was being guarded by two Saints, but ording to Alexander, there were not just two, but four Saints.


    This was a very rming number, which proved that they were not dealing with an ordinary Kingdom or Empire, but an SS or even an SSS-Ranked Kingdom or Empire.


    Lux knew that the highest rank a Kingdom or Empire could have without a Saint was B-Rank.


    If a Kingdom or an Empire had a Saint, it would immediately reach the A-Rank Status.


    From that point onwards, the more Rankers, High-Rankers, and Saints a Kingdom or Empire had, the higher their Rank would be.


    Right now, Lux had ess to three SSS-Ranked Kingdoms.


    The Kingdom of Agartha near the Core of Elysium.


    The Kingdom of the Dragon Race, Karshvar Draconis, which was located high above the clouds floating, near the center of Elysium.


    The Kingdom of Espoir Frieden, the home of the High-Elves, where the oldest race in existence lived.


    These three Kingdoms boasted an army that was capable of conquering the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and Six Kingdoms without too much effort.


    Why? Because SSS-Ranked Kingdoms and Empires all had one thing inmon.


    They had a Supreme-Ranked Being.


    Supreme was the Strongest Rank among Mortals.


    The Rank equivalent to this among the Monsters was called Demigod.


    Supremes and Demigods were the strongest beings in existence, and no one would dare to offend the factions they belonged to.


    ''Four Saints, so it''s at least an S-Ranked Kingdom or Empire,'' Lux thought. ''The Barbarian King was right when he asked Einar to not antagonize these people.''


    When Lux asked his father, Alexander, what stance he should take in the uing Dungeon exploration, the Saint of the Barbatos Academy told him that he was free to do whatever he wished.


    ��------------


    "We, Kaizers, are not afraid of conflicts," Alexander stated. "However, we should never start one. If we are provoked, then we will fight back. But, if you ever n to do something, wait until you are inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    "These people are from Elysium, so they can''t touch us here in Sis. Besides, you have a way to travel to different ces, so you won''t have to worry about being alienated anywhere in the territories of the Xynnar War Pact."


    Although Lux had plenty of ways to dodge the hunt of Four Saints in Elysium, he was more worried about Henrietta and Iris'' guild, Serenity.


    Their Main Guild Headquarters was located within the territories of the Xynnar War Pact, and if their allies decided to root them out, there was nothing that they could do about it.


    Alexander''s answer to this was quite simple.


    "If Serenity gets dissolved, you will have to take responsibility and invite its Core Members to your Guild," Alexander replied. "Problem solved."


    ��------------


    Lux never expected that his father would be very resolute in his decision, allowing him to breathe a little easier.


    In the beginning, he was willing to suffer a bit to ensure that Iris'' and Henrietta''s Guild would remain untouched by the Politics between the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Now that Alexander had given his permission to dissolve the Guild anytime and allow its Core Members to join Heaven''s Gate, Lux no longer had to worry about offending some people if they touched his bottom line.


    After making peace with his future ns, Lux went to find Iris so they could spend some quality time together.


    A few days passed, and the representatives of the Six Kingdoms had all arrived in Barbatos Academy, in order to take part in Lux''s Birthday Celebration.


    The turnout was better than expected, and among the sea of unfamiliar people, there were familiar faces.


    Gerald, Natasha, Rainer, Val, and Xander were among them.


    There were also other people that Lux was meeting for the first time, and most of them were the High-Ranking Nobles and Diplomats that belonged to the Six Kingdoms.


    "Tomorrow is your big day. Are you nervous, Lux?" Iris asked while washing her fiance''s hair inside the bathroom.


    "A bit," Lux replied. "I''m not good with big celebrations."


    "Well, you better get used to it. I''m sure that things like this will be happening more often in the future."


    "Mmm. I guess you''re right."


    Cai, who was washing Lux''s back with her hands, simply listened to the discussion without saying a word.


    Under Iris'' teaching, the Priestess of the Rowan Tribe was training to touch Lux''s body little by little, starting from his back.


    Although her washing technique was a bit clumsy, she was making great progress in oveing her embarrassment about being around Lux while naked.


    The Half-Elf had already seen her naked body twice, and even then, he didn''t demand anything from her nor did he take advantage of the fact that she had agreed to be his Fiance.


    Lux was fine in taking things slow with Cai. He wanted to properly embrace her as his lover and Fiance when both of them were ready in heart and body.


    After the twodies washed Lux''s every nook and cranny, all three of them entered the hot spring together.


    Iris sat on Lux''s right, while Cai sat on his left. With a beauty on each side, the Half-Elf would certainly be the envy of everyone if they were to see him at that moment.


    Under the water, Lux was holding Cai''s hand, as part of her training.


    Iris, on the other hand, wrapped her arms around Lux''s waist, resting her head on his shoulder.


    "Lux, look forward to my and Cai''s gift tomorrow," Iris said mischievously. "I''m sure that it will be the best birthday gift ever."


    "I like the sound of that," Lux replied before kissing Iris'' forehead. "Will you give it to me at the party or in private?"


    Iris giggled before nodding her head. "In private. What we are going to give you is for your eyes only. Isn''t that right, Cai?"


    "Y-yes," Cai stuttered. "It''s a surprise, after all."


    The beautiful priestess'' face became beet-red as she remembered Iris'' proposal for Lux''s birthday gift.


    She never thought that the blue-haired beauty was that bold, but since they were doing it together, she felt that she would be able to ovee her embarrassment.


    Even though she still wasn''t ready to give Lux her chastity, she was fine with giving him the next best thing, which would be her gift to the Half-Elf on his seventeenth birthday that would be celebrated with great fanfare.


    Seeing her reaction, Lux had a vague idea about what the two were nning. However, as a man, he was looking forward to what the twodies were nning to give him.

 Chapter 653 A Match Made In Heaven [Part 1]

    ?


    Finally, the big day arrived.


    "I hope I don''t have to do this every year," Lux said as adjusted his clothes in front of the mirror. "I feel like an animal in the zoo, being stared at by tourists."


    "Pa?" Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, tilted her head in confusion.


    "Um, a zoo is a ce where exotic animals are kept in cages, Eiko."


    "Okay!"


    The Baby Slime nodded her head even though she didn''tpletely understand what her Papa was talking about.


    Lux had just finished styling his hair, and repeatedly told her not to ruin it for the entire duration of the festivities.


    Eiko agreed and decided to behave, simply sitting on top of Lux''s head like she always did. After making sure that he looked presentable, the Half-Elf left his room and headed to the Main Event Hall.


    Iris was still being assisted by Cai in her private residence, so she asked Lux to go ahead first.


    It was an unspoken rule that girls took longer to dress up than men, so the Half-Elf heeded her words, and went to the Event Hall to talk to his acquaintances.


    As he walked through the hallways, he noticed how busy the staff of the Academy was, and he felt sorry because they had to work so hard in order to keep the event going smoothly.


    The moment he entered the Main Hall, almost everyone''s heads turned in his direction.


    Lux wasn''t fazed by their stares and simply walked at a confident and steady pace, heading towards Gerhart and Keane. The two were wearing formal clothes, which made some of thedies nce in their direction from time to time due to how dashing they were.


    Keane, in particr, stood out the most because he had grown quite exceptional under the care of Rose, who made sure that he ate three times a day and got enough sleep.


    The once-skinny swordsman was still as quiet as ever, and would only give curt responses when Gerhart spoke to him. But the way he carried himself made him look so mysterious in the eyes of others, making them want to know him better.


    "So, how does it feel to be a year older?" Gerhart asked in a teasing tone.


    "It feels good," Lux replied as he picked up a ss of fruit juice from the tray of one of the servers that walked past him. "I look forward to another year of working with you guys in Elysium."


    Keane and Gerhart also raised their own sses and clinked them with Lux''s because both of them felt the same.


    "To our growth and future sess in Elysium."


    "Cheers!"


    The three drank from their sses and started to make some small talk about random things.


    But, that didn''tst for long because Alicia came looking for Lux and dragged him away to meet the dignitaries from the Six Kingdoms.


    The Half-Elf didn''t resist, knowing that this was politics, and he also wanted to know how the other Kingdoms viewed him.


    "I saw the sparring match the other day, and I have to say that the information we have on you is very wrong," the High-Ranker of the Barbarian Kingdom, Kavan, said with a smile. "Please, take good care of Prince Einar inside the Domain of the Fallen. The Barbarian King and I have high hopes for future coborations between you and His Highness.


    "I would also like to take this opportunity to formally give you an invitation��on behalf of His Majesty, to visit the Gesian Kingdom anytime. We will do our best to show you how we Barbarians treat our friends, so we hope you can take some time off of your busy schedule to visit us."


    Lux nodded. "Einar and I are good friends, so I''ll be happy to visit the Gesian Kingdom when I''m done tying up some loose ends on my part. I consider the Barbarians as my and my father''s steadfast allies, so a future coboration between us is something I look forward to as well."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Alicia, who was standing beside the red-headed teenager, nodded her head as if to confirm that the Headmaster''s and Lux''s statements were one and the same.


    Kavan was highly satisfied with Lux''s reply and Alicia''s reaction because it meant that the Saint also considered them as allies. Because of this, he became warmer as he continued to chat with the Half-Elf as if they were old friends who hadn''t seen each other for a very long time.


    eaglesnov?1,��o�� A few minutester, Alicia escorted Lux to meet with Zarazel, who was the Elven King''s brother, as well as a permanent member of the Elven High Council.


    "I believe your father has already briefed you about the guest from the Vahan Empire, correct?" Zarazel asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "I want to know the Elves'' stand in regard to this matter."


    The corner of Zarazel''s lips rose slightly as he eyed the Half-Elf, who everyone deemed to be the key to conquering the Gate of Famine.


    "To answer your question, the Elven Kingdom decided to choose you as the temporary leader that will lead Prince Enlil and his Protectors to clear the Gate of Famine. Although the origin of the Vahan Empire''s guest is unknown, we Sians are not fazed by their background.


    They might be strong in Elysium, but they can''t touch us here. However, that doesn''t mean that we need to antagonize them. As the leader chosen by the Six Kingdoms to lead the younger generation, make sure to show some restraint.


    "Even if you are provoked, as long as they are not threatening your life or anyone around you, make sure to endure a bit and learn to suffer a little. Politics is like that. For everyone to get along,promises must be made. Do you understand?"


    "It is as you say, Your Excellency." Lux nodded. "As long as they don''t touch my bottom line, I will be willing to endure some of their provocations."


    "Good. You have the makings of a good statesman. This is an attitude that is befitting of a Guild Master. By the way, what''s the name of your Guild?"


    "Ars Goetia."


    Zarazel pondered for a bit as he tried to decipher what the name meant. However, even with his knowledge, he was unable to determine what Lux''s Guild symbolized.


    "Whatnguage is Ars Goetia?" Zarazel asked. "Is it just words you made up, or does it have a deeper meaning?"


    Lux had already prepared the answer for this question ever since he chose to use the name Ars Goetia as the Pseudonym for his guild.


    "It means Parade of a Hundred Demons," Lux replied. "I intend to create a Guild that will make everyone fear its name."


    "Parade of a Hundred Demons? This is indeed a domineering name." Zarazel smirked. "I''ll keep my eyes and ears open for any aplishments that your Guild will make. If there is an opportunity, you should coborate with Prince Enlil''s Guild, Noblesse, when dealing with World Bosses or High-Ranking Dungeons."


    Coboration between allied Guilds was a verymon thing. The Storm Dragons Guild, which belonged to Wildgarde Stronghold, often teamed up with the members of Henrietta''s and Iris'' Guild, Serenity, every time there were important missions.


    This allowed both Guilds to send their elite members, allowing them to have a higher chance of clearing a Dungeon or defeating strong monsters without suffering too many casualties.


    "I''ll seriously consider this," Lux replied. "However, does Noblesse help withrge-scale wars? When I talk aboutrge-scale wars, I mean participating in a war where millions of soldiers fight against each other."


    "Large-scale wars are a bit�� difficult." Zarazel frowned. "Elves don''t breed as fast as Humans, so every Elven child is precious. However, as long as they are not treated as cannon fodder, and there is a higher chance of survival, we will consider it."


    Zarazel wanted to ask where in Elysium this war would take ce, but he decided to hold back his question.


    Although there were tensions between the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact, a war was unlikely to happen unless Emperor Andreas and the Steward of the Alliance were confident that they could win against their greatest rival.


    Lux wasn''t really thinking of waging a war against anyone and was merely fishing for information about how far the Elves were willing to side with him when sh*t hit the fan.


    Zarazel''s lukewarm answer was enough for Lux to know that he couldn''t count on the Elves when it came to high-risk missions.

 Chapter 654 A Match Made In Heaven [Part 2]

    654 A Match Made In Heaven [Part 2]


    After talking to the Elven representatives, Alicia escorted Lux to the other Diplomats of the Six Kingdoms.


    This experience allowed Lux to gain a better understanding of which Kingdoms were willing to truly ally themselves with him and BarbaTos Academy.


    Aside from the Barbarian Kingdom, the Azov Kingdom, where Val came from, was very eager to have a formal alliance with Barbatos Academy.


    For Lux, this was a normal oue because Val could be considered the strongest member of the young generation in the Azov Kingdom. This meant that the Royal Family paid close attention to his opinions, which ultimately led them to actively pursue an alliance with Barbatos Academy.


    A few minutes after Lux and Alicia finished making their rounds, Alexander appeared at the top of the great staircase, catching everyone''s attention.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank all of you foring to celebrate my son''s birthday," Alexander said with a smile. "He has now turned seventeen years old. Although he can no longer be considered a boy, he is not yet an adult either. Even so, I have confidence that he will be able to do great things that even those older than him wouldn''t be able to do."


    It was very rare for Alexander to praise Lux. Because of this, thetter felt his cheeks burning and wondered if his father had drunk a lot of alcohol because he was praising him a lot.


    The Headmaster of the Academy, who was not aware of the Half-Elf''s thoughts, made a gesture for Lux toe up the staircase and stand by his side, which Lux obeyed with a smile.


    The Saint of Barbatos Academy then rested his hand on Lux''s shoulder before continuing his speech.


    "The date of the expedition for the Gate of Famine is drawing near, and I''m sure that all of you have already made ample preparation for the challenges ahead," Alexander stated. "However, know this. Those who choose to side with us will be treated as friends. Those who don''t will of course be treated as strangers.


    "The young are filled with passion and neverck the energy to do many things, going beyond their limits. For us adults, we know that there are boundaries that we should pay attention to in order to ensure that everyone gets along to maintain the status quo.


    "But, remember this. We Kaizers are an unruly lot. If even one of us is hurt, all of us will fight back."


    Alexander gave a smile that wasn''t a smile, which made the High-Rankers of the different Kingdoms shudder subconsciously.


    Aside from Lux, Iris, and Vera, Alexander had no more family members in the world. If one of them were to suffer any grievances, he would definitely make his anger known to the world.


    After making sure that everyone understood the message he wanted to pass along, he raised his hand and made a gesture.


    "As you may already know, my daughter, Iris, is Lux''s fiance," Alexander stated. "The two of them will get married in two years, so I hope that everyone will bless their union."


    As if waiting for that cue, a beautiful, blue-haired youngdy wearing a white dress, started to descend from one of the upper staircases.


    Everyone in the hall, especially the teenage boys, couldn''t help but gaze at Iris with infatuated looks.


    Even Lux, who had already made love with his fiance many times in the past, couldn''t stop his heart from skipping a bit due to how beautiful she was right now.


    Her hair was styled like that of a princess, and the silver tiara on her head made her look like the real deal.


    The blue-haired beauty''s graceful movements carried an air of confidence that seemed to be engraved in her very bones.


    Although everyone already knew that she was Lux''s fiance, that didn''t stop them from envying the Half-Elf, who managed to win the heart of a Saint''s daughter.


    They were aware that, although they were step-siblings, they weren''t truly blood-rted, so there was no problem with their union.


    In everyone''s eyes, they were like a match made in heaven, and the moment the two of them stood side by side, holding each other''s hands, this image only became more profound.


    Cai, who entered the Event Hall in her Boar form, wasn''t noticed by anyone, not even by Xander, who was one of her protectors.


    She had helped Iris fix her hair and clothes and followed behind her using the secret pathways of the Academy in order to arrive at the Main Hall undetected.


    "They look good together, right Fei Fei?"


    "Wae~"


    Cai smiled as she looked at the two people that she would share the rest of her life with in the future.


    Despite knowing that the path that she was going to take was filled with thorns, she had already made her decision to take that step and was doing her best to get closer to the Half-Elf, who was also doing his best to make her feel that she was an important person in his life.


    Originally, Alexander was supposed to announce her engagement with Lux as well, but due to her delicate circumstances, they decided to keep it a secret for now.


    "Are you sure about this Cai?"


    Out of nowhere, Maximilian appeared beside his granddaughter, which almost made Cai shout out in fright.


    Fortunately, she didn''t do that, or it would have ruined the current mood inside the venue.


    "Yes, Grandpa," Cai replied after regaining herposure. "I don''t want to expose myself to others right now."


    Maximilian sighed in his heart, but he also understood that this was for the best.


    He was just a little sad that his beautiful granddaughter wasn''t up there on the staircase beside Lux and Iris.


    He wanted Cai to live a normal and peaceful life, but her Body Physique would cause wars to break out if people became aware of it.


    As if sensing his presence and gaze, Lux nced in the direction of the Saint of the Rowan Tribe and held his gaze.


    The two stared at each other for nearly half a minute. No words were said between them, and yet, both men understood each other.


    The red-headed teenager nodded his head as if to assure the Saint that he understood what the former wanted from him.


    Maximilian nodded back because Lux''s gesture decreased the worries inside his heart.


    Although they had already talked about it in great detail back in the Rowan Tribe, the Saint was still feeling a little anxious because of the vision that his granddaughter, Rose, saw a week ago.


    His only hope was that Lux, who was also there at the scene, would ensure Cai''s safety and prevent her from falling into the hands of the beings that wished to use her for their own selfish desires.

 Chapter 655 The Two Shameless Powerhouses

    ?


    "You''ve gotten better at dancing," Irismented as she danced with her fiance in the center of the ballroom.


    "I practiced a bit," Lux replied.


    Under everyone''s eyes, the two shared the first dance together. Back then, it was Iris guiding Lux to dance, but now, the Half-Elf was able to dance alongside her and match her movements.


    "The two of them dance well together," Maximilian stated. "I can''t help butpare him to that sickly boy Vera brought to my Tribe several years ago. Back then, he looked as fragile as a dry twig, but now, he is hailed as the strongest member of the young generation. Speaking of which, I haven''t seen Vera as ofte. How is she?


    Alexander emptied his wine cup first before cing it on top of the table.


    "Mother''s life is no longer in danger," Alexander answered. "However, she''s still recovering. As to when she''ll return, only time can tell."


    "I see��" Maximilian sighed. "Well, it''s good to know that she''s no longer in danger. It''s just weird to not see her here, especially since it''s her grandson''s birthday."


    The Saint of the Rowan Tribe then moved closer and said something in a very low tone that only Alexander could hear.


    "I''ve found an ancient record belonging to one of the tribes near the location of the Domain of the Fallen," Maximilian stated. "I don''t know how urate these records are, but it seems that the Domain was created to lock up an Abyssal Duke from the Void who once attempted to conquer Elysium. The Gates are actually the seals that bound him in ce."


    "Duke-Ranked Abyssal?" Alexander narrowed his eyes. "Then, is it a Saint?"


    "Yes, but if the records are urate, then his rank should''ve degenerated over the hundreds of years that he has been sealed. Maybe he''s just a Pseudo-Saint or a High-Ranker at the moment, but he is a threat nevertheless."


    "If that''s the case, then that exins why no Rankers are allowed to enter the Domain of the Fallen," Alexandermented. "Whoever locked that Duke inside probably thought that there was no way for Initiates to survive the Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Monsters inside the Domain of the Fallen, as well as conquer the Four Gates of the Apocalypse."


    A wry smile appeared on Maximilian''s face as he thought about the three out of four gates that had been unlocked. If the final Gate of Famine was conquered as well, then thest Gate where the Duke was sealed would also open.


    "I think it''s a little toote to stop this now," Maximilianmented. "Even if we warn the others, they will just think that we''re getting in their way from getting resources inside the Domain of the Fallen."


    Alexander nodded. "Is there anything else that you haven''t told me?"


    "Yes," Maximilian replied. "Although this is not confirmed, the records said that once the Four Gates have been opened, Low-Rankers will be able to enter the Domain of the Fallen as well."


    "..." Alexander looked calm on the surface, but this information that Maximilian shared with him would definitely break the delicate bnce that had been maintained since the Domain of the Fallen had been discovered.


    He and Maximilian were Saints, and both of them had Rankers belonging to their factions.


    However, the number of these Rankers wouldn''t surpass the number of fingers on their hands.


    Although the Six Kingdoms didn''t have Saints, they had plenty of Rankers, which would allow them to send more people to the Domain of the Fallen once the restrictions had been lifted.


    "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?" Alexander asked as he looked at the Saint of the Rowan Tribe, who was looking back at him with a devilish smile on his face.


    "Yes," Maximilian replied. "I guess it''s better to tell Lux to start farming all the resources avable in the Domain of the Fallen before others get them. I''ve heard from Cai that your son''s Guild has this special ability that allows him to summon his Guild Members in his current location.


    "How about it? Do you feel like taking a stroll together with me inside the Domain of the Fallen? We''ll split everything 40/40/20. Both of us get 40% and your son gets 20%. Do we have a deal?"


    This time, the corner of Alexander''s lips rose up as he held Maximilian''s gaze.


    "Sounds fun," Alexandermented. "Count me in."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Maximilian grinned as he picked up his wine cup and toasted with the Headmaster of the Barbatos Academy.


    Since the Domain of the Fallen was bound to be looted by the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and Six Kingdoms once the Gate of the Famine had been conquered, it wouldn''t be a bad idea to take everything before the others got a chance.


    Since they had the ability to do it, why not do it?


    Cai was now Lux''s fiance, making her part of Alexander''s family. Since they were already joined at the hips, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy didn''t mind sharing the spoils with his future inw.


    The representatives of the Six Kingdoms, who were paying close attention to the two Saints, didn''t have any idea about what the two of them were talking about.


    If only they knew that the two shameless Powerhouses were nning to loot everything inside the Domain of the Fallen, to the point that not even scraps were left behind, they would definitelytch onto them like leeches and beg them to take them with them.


    ��------------


    Right beside the Saint''s table, Cai, who was busy feeding Eiko and Fei Fei some pork chops, noticed the smiles on Alexander''s and Maximilian''s faces.


    ''Gramps and Iris''s father look like bandits right now,'' Cai thought as she fed Fei Fei some pork chops. ''Are they perhaps talking about the n I proposed to Gramps?''


    The Boar had heard her Grandpa mention in passing back in the Rowan Tribe that if he could just enter the Domain of the Fallen, he would definitely take all the treasures inside, and not leave anything behind.


    Since Cai was in her Boar Form, her "I love treasure" mentality suddenly gave her a brilliant idea.


    She then talked to her Grandpa about Lux''s ability to summon his Guild Members anywhere, like what he did in the Haca Dynasty when the red-headed teenager was rescuing Great General Garret''s family.


    Cai thought that if it was possible for Lux to summon her Grandpa inside the Domain of the Fallen, then all the treasures inside it would belong to them without fail!


    It would belong to her!


    Deimos-Ranked Monsters?


    Argonaut-Ranked Monsters?


    In front of a Saint, all of them were just like little bugs that could be crushed under her grandpa''s foot!


    Lux also needed some High-Ranked Beast Cores, as well as Monster Corpses and Monster Parts, for the upgrade of his Undead Army, so killing those strong monsters, which they avoided every time they entered the Domain of the Fallen, was also a good thing.


    eaglesnov?1,��o�� When Maximilian had finished listening to his Granddaughter''s story, a n immediately came to his mind.


    He knew that if he asked Lux''s father, Alexander, toe with him to "take a stroll" inside the Domain of the Fallen, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy would definitely say yes.


    Because of this, he waited until Lux''s birthday ceremony in order to share this news with Alexander, making thetter agree without a second thought.


    Both Saints wereughing internally because they now had a way to one-up the Six Kingdoms, Xynnar War Pact, and Skystead Alliance, who were greedily eyeing the resources of the Domain of the Fallen.


    The two Saints had long wanted to make these three factions suffer, and what better opportunity was there than taking everything they coveted, right out from under their noses.

 Chapter 656 Be Gentle With Me

    ?


    The party wouldst until past midnight, but Lux and Iris retired right before the clock was about to hit twelve.


    The blue-haired beauty was a bit tipsy because she had drunk quite a bit of wine, forcing Lux to carry her back to her room in a princess carry.


    Cai followed behind the two, with Eiko and Fei Fei perched on top of her head. Both Slimes were already sleeping because they had also drunk some wine out of curiosity. Since both of them were still Babies, and had very low tolerance for alcohol, one ss was all it took to make them tipsy.


    The moment the door of Iris'' room closed, Cai transformed into her human form and carried the two Baby Slimes to the basket where they slept.


    She then moved the two baskets to the other bedroom, allowing Eiko and Fei Fei to sleep in peace.


    Lux gentlyid Iris on the bed and looked at his fiance, whose cheeks were tinged with a scarlet hue, making her look exceptionally delicate.


    ''I want to eat her up so badly,'' Lux thought as he looked at the defenseless beauty on the white sheets. ''But, I''ll let it slide for now. She looks so tired.''


    Cai, who had just finished tucking the kids in the other room, walked up to the bed and lightly caressed the side of Iris'' face.


    "She''s down for the count," Cai said. "Help me remove her dress. I''m sure that it''s very ufortable to sleep in."


    Lux nodded and, with Cai''s help, they managed to strip the clothes off Iris'' body, baring her naked beauty in front of them.


    Cai then unceremoniously covered her best friend''s body with a nket before helping Lux take off his own clothes.


    After sleeping and bathing together multiple times, the Priestess of the Rowan Tribe''s shyness towards her fiance had decreased significantly.


    Lux was also very gentle and respectful to Cai, making thetter feel safe around him. The Half-Elf never did anything that would make his second fiance feel ufortable, and because of this, Cai''s resistance to his touch also decreased.


    The two had already kissed on the lips a few times and cuddled together on the bed.


    However, they never went past that and focused on gettingfortable with each other.


    After all of his clothes were removed, with the exception of his underwear, the Half-Elf proceeded to help Cai take off her dress as well.


    Although Cai went to the party in her Boar Form, Iris insisted that she wear a dress when going to the party.


    The Priestess agreed and wore the Ceremonial Clothes of the Rowan Tribe, which were worn during special asions.


    One by one, the Priestess'' clothes fell on the carpeted floor beside her feet.


    Lux had never mentioned this to her before, but Cai gave off a fragrance that fanned the desire in his chest when she was in her human form.


    He assumed that this was one of the side effects of Cai''s Unique Physique, enticing the opposite gender to approach her.


    Lux had also drunk a few sses of wine, but he wasn''t that tipsy. Even so, he was intoxicated with Cai''s irresistible scent, making him subconsciously kiss the nape of her neck, causing the Priestess'' body to stiffen in surprise.


    When the Half-Elf came to his senses, the deed was already done, so he immediately apologized to Cai for doing something uncalled for.


    However, to his surprise, Cai only shook her head and cupped his face.


    "I am your Fiance," Cai said. "What you did is within your rights as my Fiance. Also, I didn''t dislike your gesture of love towards me."


    "This is more like lust instead of love," Lux replied with an apologetic face. "Your scent is more intoxicating than the fine wine I drank earlier."


    Cai blushed, but Lux''s straightforwardness made her innocent heart flutter.


    "Actually, Iris and I are supposed to give you a gift tonight, but she''s already down for the count," Cai said as she looked at the sleeping beauty on the bed with a helpless smile. "But, since I''m still sober, I''ll give you your gift on her behalf."


    Cai then held Lux''s hand and gave it a light squeeze. "You''re going to ept it, right?"


    "Yes," Lux replied in a hoarse tone and allowed himself to be led to the bed by Cai.


    The Priestess then took out a long red cloth from her storage ring and blindfolded the Half-Elf before making him lie down on the bed.


    "Don''t move, okay?" Cai whispered in Lux''s ears. "I''m still not used to this, but I''ll do my best."


    A few secondster, Lux felt Cai''s soft lips press over his own. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Priestess was only a beginner when it came to kissing and was still notfortable with using her tongue. Because of this, she could only do quick kisses, but it was enough to make the heat rise to the Half-Elf''s chest.


    Cai then stopped kissing his lips and moved to kiss his neck, corbone, and slowly made her way downwards. When the kisses reached his abs, he felt two delicate hands move to take off his underwear.


    eaglesnov?1,��o�� Lux never thought that the Priestess would do something so bold, but he still raised his hips to allow her to take them off smoothly.


    Just as Cai had sessfully taken off Lux''s underwear, the blue-haired beauty who was sleeping earlier opened her eyes by a fraction to see what her best friend was doing.


    Iris regained her consciousness when she felt that she was being undressed. But, after sensing that the ones removing her clothes were Lux and Cai, she pretended that she was still asleep and waited to see what would happen afterwards.


    Iris wanted the two important people in her life to take that next step in their rtionship, so she didn''t get in the way when Cai decided to take the initiative in order to give Lux their birthday present.


    She watched as the Priestess of the Rowan Tribe stared intently at Lux''s little brother, who was standing tall and proud, as if challenging Cai to fight him for ten rounds.


    Of course, Cai had no intention of going all the way with Lux for now because her heart and mind weren''t ready yet. Even so, she lowered her soft and delicate lips and kissed Lux''s member.


    After kissing it for a minute, Cai felt that she had reached her limit and was about to call it off when Iris slowly propped herself up and kissed the Priestess'' cheek.


    "Sorry for making you wait," Iris said softly. "Let''s do it together."


    Iris knew that Cai was still holding back, so she decided to lend her hand and lips to ensure that their birthday gift to Lux would make the Half-Elf happy.


    The red-headed teenager, who was blindfolded, suddenly felt two soft lips kiss and lick his�� making his heart shudder.


    Since he couldn''t see anything, his sense of hearing and touch was enhanced, making him more sensitive.


    A momentter, he felt someone sit on top of him, and slid his�� inside her body.


    Naturally, Lux knew that the one who did this was Iris because Cai was still not ready to do such a thing.


    Just as he was enjoying his fiance''s loving gesture, he felt a hand slide under his head, and raised it up.


    The Half-Elf then felt his lips brush against something soft, and fragrant. Then, he felt something firm enter his mouth, making him swallow his saliva subconsciously.


    It didn''t take long for Lux to realize what his lips were touching, which surprised him greatly.


    "Don''t suck them too hard, okay?" Cai''s voice that held a tinge of shyness reached his ears. "Be gentle with me."


    Lux obeyed his second fiance''s words and sucked on her soft right breast, which was slightly bigger than Iris''.


    The Half-Elf used everything he knew about making ady feel good and, before long, Cai''s muffled sighs reached his ears, making him feel happy in his heart.


    ''This is the best gift ever,'' Lux thought as he enjoyed the present that was offered to him by his two Fiances, who were doing their best to make him feel good, allowing him to reach a peak of pleasure that he had never felt before.


    Two hourster, Luxid on the bed with Iris and Cai hugging him from his left and right sides, making him feel blessed to have them as his Fiancees.


    He knew that the Priestess of the Rowan Tribe had tried her best in her own way, making Lux feel smitten with her.


    However, he knew that this time that they had together would onlyst for a few more days before they had to go back to Elysium to challenge the Gate of Famine.


    In regards to the Gate of Famine, Lux was confident that he would be able to clear it. However, he admitted that the presence of the silver-haired devil, who had once tried to kill Cai, was giving him cause for worry.


    Although he could summon strong Warriors to help him in battle, his instincts were telling him that the Abyssal Noble wasn''t someone so simple.


    ''I just hope that I don''t see him again,'' Lux thought before slowly closing his eyes to sleep. ''I just want to get this over with so I can visit Colette and the others.''


    The Half-Elf had so many things to do, but he couldn''t do it all at the same time.


    After the Gate of Famine was conquered and he finished meeting up with his Dwarven Friends, he nned to take a look at one of the SSS-Ranked Kingdoms, whose keys were in his possession.


    Karshvar Draconis had given him a pleasant surprise, so he was wondering if he would find an even bigger surprise once he went to the Kingdom of Agartha, a legendary Kingdom that only a few privileged people could ever dream of visiting.

 Chapter 657 A Low Lander Scum Like You Isn’t Even Qualified To Lick My Feet [Part 1]

    ?


    "Be careful," Iris said before kissing Lux''s lips. "Prioritize your safety above all else."


    "I will," Lux replied and gave his fiance a firm hug. "Take care while I am away."


    e��glesn?��el "Be safe, Eiko," Iris kissed the baby slime perched on top of Lux''s head, and thetter kissed her back with a smile.


    After a minute, Iris reluctantly took a step back, nced at her best friend, and gave Cai a hug.


    "Be safe, Cai." Iris hugged her best friend tightly. "Make sure that Lux doesn''t cheat on us, okay?"


    "Thank you," Cai hugged Iris back and kissed her cheeks. "Don''t worry. If he ever did that, I''ll beat him up. Isn''t that right, Fei Fei?"


    "Wae~"


    Today was the day that they would go back to Elysium and travel to the location of the Domain of the Fallen.


    The representatives of the Six Kingdoms had left a few hours ago, leaving only Lux and his entourage inside Barbatos Academy.


    Everyone was makingst-minute preparations while waiting for the Half-Elf to take the lead on their journey to their destination.


    "Time to go," Lux softly said as he hugged Iris and Cai at the same time.


    Although Cai had already been Lux''s fiance for quite some time now, only a handful of people knew about it. They agreed to not tell anyone for the time being, keeping the betrothal a secret for as long as possible.


    After their group hug, Cai transformed into her Boar form, trailing after Lux as they exited Iris'' room.


    The blue-haired beauty didn''t walk them out since she had already said her goodbyes. Partings were always hard for  her, so she deemed it best that she not see Lux and Cai leave this time around.


    When the Half-Elf and the Boar arrived at the Teleportation Gate of Barbatos Academy, Keane, Gerhart, Xander, and Einar, with his Barbarian entourage, were already there, waiting for them.


    Aside from them, Henrietta and the four other representatives of her Guild, Serenity, were present as well because they decided to go together with Lux.


    "Is everyone here?" Lux asked.


    Everyone around the Teleportation Gate nodded their heads.


    The Xynnar War Pact, Skystead Alliance, and the Six Kingdoms had all built a one-way teleportation gate that would allow everyone, who had the qualifications to enter the Domain of the Fallen, to teleport a kilometer away from it.


    "Before we go, I would like to tell everyone something," Lux stated. "I''m sure all of you are aware of the mysterious group that will being to the Domain of the Fallen alongside the Skystead Alliance. If they provoke you in any way, make sure to ignore them. We will move separately from them once we enter the Sacred Dungeon."


    Once again, everyone nodded their heads to acknowledge Lux''s words. They all recognized him as the temporary leader of their group, so everyone listened to his orders.


    After saying what needed to be said, Lux took the initiative to enter the Teleportation Gate first, while the others followed behind him.


    ��-------


    Between the borders of the Xynnar War Pact and the Skystead Alliance��


    "So you guys are finally here," Xander''s father, Hector, greeted them. "Took you long enough."


    Lux smiled as he returned the High Ranker''s greeting.


    "Sir Hector, are you here to escort us to the meeting ce?" Lux asked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes. I can''t possibly leave you kids to fend for yourselves, can I?" Hector crossed his arms over his chest. "So, are all of you ready to conquer the Gate of Famine?"


    "Of course," Cai answered. "Conquering the Gate of Famine is like a walk in the park. We''ve already got this one in the bag."


    While everyone had their attention on Cai, a person wearing ck robes suddenly materialized beside Lux.


    Hector, who thought that the ck-robed individual was someone that had evil intentions, immediately moved to knock them unconscious, but Lux stepped up and blocked the High-Ranker''s path.


    "Sir Hector, it''s fine," Lux said. "This is a friend of mine that I invited toe with us to the Domain of the Fallen."


    "A friend?" Hector frowned. As a High-Ranker, he made sure that he was always paying close attention to his surroundings.


    The ck-robed person suddenly appeared out of nowhere, catching him by surprise, so he thought that he was dealing with another High-Ranker who specialized in assassinations.


    "Yes. He is a friend I met in Elysium. Don''t worry. He is pretty harmless," Lux replied. "Go on, introduce yourself to them."


    "I''m not interested in introducing myself to Low-Landers," the ck-robed figure said. "It is beneath my dignity to do that."


    Lux had the strong urge to p the arrogant Dragon Born, but he decided to give him face and simply smiled apologetically at Hector, whose frown had grown deeper.


    "Would it kill if you act like a proper person and show humility?" Gerhart asked the ck-robed figure in irritation.


    "Shut up," the ck-robed person replied. "Let''s just go to that Sacred Dungeon and get this over with."


    Einar, Xander, and Henrietta looked at the ck-robed figure and wondered if he was one of Lux''s Summons.


    It wasn''t the first time seeing the Half-Elf summon his subordinates out of thin air, so they were already used to seeing some new faces every now and then.


    "Um�� shall we go then?" Hector asked.


    Since the ck-robed figure wasn''t an enemy, then there was no need to apprehend him.


    Everyone summoned their mounts and began the short journey toward the cliff that would lead them down to the Gate of the Fallen.


    As soon as they arrived, all the eyes of the people inside the Cavern looked at their location.


    Hector took the lead, and Lux followed behind him.


    The Half-Elf nced at the people inside the Cavern and noticed that there were more Rankers presentpared tost time.


    He also noticed several people wearing ck robes like Cethus, who was keen on hiding his true identity until thest minute.


    As the Half-Elf nced at the "guests" from the Vahan Empire, he noticed four people with exceptionally strong auras guarding a person at the center.


    ''Just like the report that Father received,'' Lux thought. ''They really do have four Saints.''


    The Half-Elf then shifted his attention to the person standing among these four strong individuals, and couldn''t help but feel something vaguely familiar about him.


    What he didn''t know was that the person being guarded by the four Saints was feeling the same way, making him pay close attention to the red-headed teenager who was infamous among the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms.

 Chapter 658 A Low Lander Scum Like You Isn’t Even Qualified To Lick My Feet [Part 2]

    ?


    "Is that him?" Prince Cyrus asked Malcolm who was standing on his right side.


    "Yes, Your Highness," Malcolm replied. "That is Lux Von Kaizer."


    The Second Prince of the Vahan Empire eyed Lux from head to foot as if gauging how strong he was.


    "He doesn''t look that strong," Prince Cyrusmented. "Are you sure that he is the reason why the three gates have been conquered?"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "I see."


    Aside from Prince Cyrus, all the teenagers, who would be participating in the dungeon expedition, locked their eyes on the Half-Elf.


    "Is that him, Jasper?" one of the representatives of the Xynnar War Pact asked their temporary leader. "He''s the one that beat you?"


    "I can''t remember," Jasper replied. "All I know is that I tried to backstab him in the past, but I couldn''t recall what happened after that."


    "You can''t remember? He might have knocked you unconscious before you could even deliver the killing blow."


    "Maybe you''re right."


    Jasper, who had been mercilessly gangbanged by the Skeleton Gang Bangers had his memory erased, in order to prevent him from developing trauma due to the horrifying experience that he had been through.


    As one of the Top Prodigies from the Xynnar War Pact, they couldn''t allow his future to be destroyed just because of the one mistake that he had unknowinglymitted.


    Even so, Jasper''s sixth sense was telling him that no matter what happened, Lux was someone that he shouldn''t try to cross again no matter what.


    Aside from Jasper, someone else was also paying close attention to the red-headed teenager.


    Nero, who had fought Lux in the past, narrowed his eyes when he vaguely sensed that the Half-Elf had grown a lot stronger since thest time they met.


    This could easily be seen in the way Lux walked, which carried an air of confidence that could only be obtained after surviving many hard battles.


    Now that all the representatives from the different Factions had gathered inside the Tavern, it was time to delegate the leaders of the expedition.


    Prince Cyrus, Jasper, Lux, and the ck-robed figure guarded by the Four Saints had all gathered in front of the Gate of the Fallen to discuss who would be leading the expedition.


    "I''ve heard many things about you, Lux Von Kaizer," Prince Cyrus said with a fearless smile on his face. "But I don''t know if those stories are true or not. Looking at you today, I can say with certainty that those rumors were greatly exaggerated."


    Lux ignored Prince Cyrus'' taunts and decided to speak what was on his mind.


    "I have my own way of doing things, so I''ll only take my people with me," Lux stated. "Of course, if any of you want to join my team, you are wee to do so. But, you must follow my orders without fail."


    "Heh~ look at you talking like a big shot," Prince Cyrus snorted. "Are you sure you don''t want to join our team instead?"


    "No."


    "Your loss."


    Jasper, who had been listening for a while lightly cleared his throat and voiced out his thoughts.


    "The representatives of the Xynnar War Pact will apany Lux Von Kaizer in this expedition," Jasper stated before raising his hand for a handshake. "This is the decree given to us by our Kings, so that is what we will do. I look forward to working with you, Lux."


    "I look forward to working with you as well," Lux replied before shaking Jasper''s hand.


    Truth be told, he was slightly feeling guilty about what happened to Jasper in the past.


    Although they were enemies, getting gangbanged by his Skeleton Gangbangers wasn''t the best thing a young man in his early twenties should experience.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Fortunately, we are on the same side now,'' Lux thought. ''He will not have to suffer from PTSD again.''


    Suddenly, and without any warning, Prince Cyrus moved and tried to grab the Baby Slime that was perched on top of Lux''s head.


    He had heard that the Half-Elf cared deeply for the Baby Blue Slime, so he wanted to see how thetter would react if he took Eiko as hostage.


    Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound echoed in the surroundings as the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire spat a mouthful of blood after his body crashed towards the walls of the Cavern.


    Aaron, who was Emperor Andreas'' right-hand man, immediately went to check how serious Prince Cyrus'' injuries were.


    He had known long before that Prince Cyrus had been wanting to test Lux to see how strong he really was ever since he had heard his name.


    The Prince of the Vahan Empire was an arrogant and violent person. He had developed a very big ego because he always got away with anything he did due to his family''s background.


    He believed that he was practically untouchable until the delegation of the ck-robed individuals arrived in their capital city.


    Even if their Empire was strong, they only had one Saint to look after their kingdom''s interests.


    Their visitors, on the other hand, had four Saints who served as bodyguards to the ck-robed person that Emperor Andreas recognized as their faction''s leader.


    Because of this, Prince Cyrus didn''t dare to act arrogant in front of them. Since then, he had been waiting for a long time to vent his frustrations on the red-headed Necromancer whom he heard many things about.


    "So, that''s your true color," Prince Cyrus said as he wiped the blood that flowed from the corner of his lips. "I guess there is some truth to the rumors after all."


    The Prince of the Vahan Empire looked at the five-meter-tall Corpse God that enclosed the Half-Elf in a protective stance


    The Unholy Apparition had eight arms, and seven of those arms were holding a weapon.


    Thest arm held a shield, which it had used to bash Prince Cyrus'' body, and sent him flying toward the wall of the cavern.


    Overall, the Corpse God was quite a sight, making one of the Saints wearing a ck robe mutter the words "Memento Mori" the moment he saw it.


    Of course, no one was paying attention to the Saint because they were all busy looking at the Half-Elf, who had dealt first blood to the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire.


    "The next time you try to hurt those who are important to me, I will kill you," Lux said with a hint of killing intent.


    "Kill me?" Prince Cyrusughed as he propped himself up from the ground. "You sure are cocky. Is it because your father is a Saint that you can spout such nonsense?"


    The Rankers of the Vahan Empire all moved in unison and stood in front of their Prince, waiting for his order to teach the Half-Elf a lesson.


    However, before Prince Cyrus could even give an order, an arrogant and contemptuous tone reached everyone''s ears.


    "Stand down, Low Landers."


    Cethus took a step forward and threw away the ck robe that was covering his body, revealing his battle regalia, which was the trademark of the Royal Guards of the Dragon Kingdom, Karshvar Draconis.


    "I am Cethus, one of the Royal Guards of the Dragon King," Cethus dered in a tone filled with arrogance. "Lux Von Kaizer is under my supervision. Anyone who dares to harm him will have to go through me first."


    The Dragon Born, who didn''t want to reveal his identity at the beginning, stood between Lux and Prince Cyrus with his arms crossed over his chest with his draconic wings spread wide.


    "If you don''t want your entire Empire to be wiped off from the face of the world, kneel and apologize like the maggot you are," Cethus stated. "A Low Lander scum like you isn''t even qualified to lick my feet."


    Lux and Gerhart who had beaten the crap out of Cethus in the past couldn''t help but give the arrogant Dragon Born a thumbs up in their hearts.


    Although they had beaten Cethus ck and blue in the past, the shameless Dragon Born was still as domineering as ever, making them wonder where his confidence wasing from.


    However, since they were all on the same side, they kept silent and simply watched Cethus stare down on the Rankers of the Vahan Empire as if they were mere bugs that he could trample under his feet.

 Chapter 659 Dumb Humans, Do You Still Not Know Your Place?!

    ?


    While Cethus was staring down the Rankers and High-Rankers of the Vahan Empire, the guild chat of Heaven''s Gate had turned very lively.


    ��--------


    Cai: Go Cethus! Damn, I never thought you had it in you. The readers and I had almost given up on you, but you''re making us so proud of you right now. Mad respect bro, mad respect! For someone who was dropped when he was still an egg, you are seriously bringing out the big guns and taking one for the team. Is this what they call character development?


    Gerhart: This Idiot is done for. Lux, maybe you should hire the Game-shin Impact Merchant Guild to make a marble coffin for this fool.


    Keane: Rose taught me a lot about flowers. I can probably pick some good ones to put in his grave.


    Lux: Sounds like a great idea. I''ll also pick some flowers in the Outer Reaches. What quote do you think is good enough to put on his tombstone?


    ��-----------


    The corner of the Dragon Born''s lips twitched as he read the chat logs in the Guild chat. Unable to take their bullcrap any longer, he retaliated and sent his thoughts, making everyone know how displeased he was.


    ��-----------


    Cethus: You ungrateful bastards! Who do you think I am doing this for?! Instead of supporting me, you''re even badmouthing me? You damn f*ckers!


    Cai: Why should I support you? Those are Rankers and High-Rankers. I only bully the weak and fear the strong. I don''t want to die, you know?


    Gerhart: Stepping into the argument of others�� who do you think you are? Do you seriously think you''re a big shot or some kind of hero? You''re just a Cethus. You should know your ce.


    Keane: A wise man once said, "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." Please, do carry on.


    Lux: Cethus, if you have any treasures hidden somewhere, now is the time to reveal their location. It is best to share your blessings with others.


    Cethus: You damnable motherf*ckers!


    ��-----------


    While the Guildchat of Heaven''s Gate had turned into a cursing war, Aron, who had deemed that Prince Cyrus'' condition wasn''t serious, looked at the imposing Dragon Born in front of them.


    A single nce was enough to tell him that the Dragon Born was only of an Initiate Rank. Had this been an ordinary situation, he would have ordered his men to capture Cethus and Lux so that he could punish them for attacking their Prince.


    However, he couldn''t put out such orders because of Cethus'' Race.


    Even Prince Cyrus, who was known to be a very arrogant and aggressive individual, held back as he nced at the ck-robed men that were observing everything from the side.


    Cethus, who had reached the limit of his anger because of his Guildmates'' bullsh*t, red at the Rankers and roared.


    "Didn''t I tell you maggots to kneel and apologize to me!" Cethus roared in anger. "Do all of you really court Death? Do you really wish to face the might of the Dragon Kingdom''s Army?! Do you dare?!"


    "Shut up, Weakling!" a D-Ranker from the Vahan Empire shouted back. "You are the one who should know your ce!"


    Without another word, the Ranker charged at Cethus with his de poised to strike. However the next moment, the Ranker found himself hitting the ground face first, as one of the ck-robed men stepped on his head.


    "You are as arrogant and obnoxious as thest time I saw you, Cethus," the ck-robed person said. "One day, that stupid mouth of yours will cause your death."


    Cethus looked at his own wed hand and rubbed it over his ted armor before blowing on them as if he had everything under his control.


    "And you are?" Cethus asked in an arrogant tone. "Your voice sounds familiar. However, do you know that it is impolite to not show your face in front of a Royal Guard of the Dragon Kingdom?"


    "Cheeky brat, you don''t really know how to spell the word death, do you?" the ck-robed person replied before taking off the hood that covered his face. "You''re the only one who has the guts to talk like this in front of me."


    After removing the hood that covered his face, the expression on Cethus'' face changed to that of surprise because he never expected to see a familiar face so far from their Kingdom''s zone of influence.


    "Uncle Poro?" Cethus blinked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"


    The ck-scaled Dragon Born snorted before kicking the D-Ranker toward the other Rankers that belonged to the Vahan Empire.


    Aron and Prince Cyrus had been wanting to ask the Saint why he attacked their man when they were all supposed to be on the same side.


    However, after hearing the younger ck-scaled Dragon Born call the powerful Saint, Uncle, they all decided to keep their mouths shut and think of a way to salvage the situation.


    "Now you call me Uncle, you brat?" Poro walked forward and smacked Cethus'' head making thetter cry out in pain. "I should be the one asking you questions. What are you doing here?"


    "Um, I already said this earlier, Uncle," Cethus replied with a face filled with injustice. "I''m here to supervise the Half-Elf. This is an order from the Dragon King himself."


    "Oh, him?" Poro nced in the Half-Elf''s direction before narrowing his eyes. "If it had been any other Dragon Born, I would have already smashed their head into a pulp. You''re lucky your two Grandmas love you very much."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Cethus smirked at his Uncle before shifting his gaze to the person that was still being protected by the three other Saints.


    "Does the Crystal Pce have business with the Domain of the Fallen?" Cethus asked his Uncle, who was still eyeing Lux with an appraising gaze.


    "That''s none of your business, you brat," Poro replied. "Have you forgotten that Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce don''t see eye to eye? You should just go back to your Floating City and stay out of trouble."


    Cethus firmly shook his head and once again crossed his arms over his chest.


    "No can do, Uncle," Cethus stated. "I already mentioned it earlier��I''m here to supervise Lux. As for why the Crystal Pce is here, I am willing to keep this a secret from the Dragon King for Grandma''s sake. Although he doesn''t look like it, he still honors the Oath he gave hundreds of years ago."


    "An Oath of Convenience," Poro scoffed. "We don''t recognize him as the true and rightful king of the Dragon Throne. He''s just an usurper."


    Cethus sighed before shaking his head. This issue had long started even before he was born, so he had no intention to make a big deal of it. Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce were like oil and water.


    Once the Dragons and Dragon Borns from both sides meet somewhere in Elysium, there was a high chance that it would immediately escte into a fight.


    Poro wasn''t lying when he said that if the Dragon Born wasn''t Cethus, he would have already killed him to ensure that their secret wouldn''t reach the ears of the Dragon King.


    "Uncle, I''ll just say this," Cethus said with a solemn face. "Lux and hisrades are my Guild Members. I would appreciate it if you don''t do anything to harm them."


    Poro didn''t reply right away. Truth be told, their goal was to take something that belonged to the Dragon Race from within the Domain of the Fallen.


    It was a treasure that had been given to a Saint of the Human Race by the former Dragon King, which thetter used to fight against the Duke from the Abyss, sealing the Devil inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    If not for the fact that the Artifact they used to find the Domain''s location had just been fixed recently, they would have long conquered the Four Gates of the Apocalypse and retrieved the Demigod-Ranked Artifact that had been sealed inside it.


    Now that the location had been discovered by Humans and quotas used to enter it were limited, they had no choice but to use the Humans as cannon fodder in order to get what they wanted.


    The Crystal Pce had a Pseudo-Demigod artifact that would allow them to enter the Domain of the Fallen, so they didn''t need to forcefully take the quotas of the teenagers who managed to conquer it in the past.


    However, at most, they could only bring thirty people inside, and all of them had to be Initiate and below.


    They had brought enough loyal Dragon Borns from the Crystal Pce who were still of the Initiate Rank, in order to assist their leader to conquer it without fail.


    Part of their n was to coerce Lux, as well as everyone who belonged to his team, to work for them, just like they did with the Vahan Empire.


    However, Cethus'' existence was a variable in their n that they had to carefully consider.


    "Who are the people that belong to that Half-Elf''s group?" Poro asked.


    Immediately, Jasper and the members of the Xynnar War Pact moved to stand beside the Half-Elf.


    Val, Enlil, Einar, and Henrietta also moved toward the Half-Elf, bringing their subordinates with them.


    Cethus gave these people a side-long nce before shifting his gaze back to his Uncle.


    "Uncle Poro, although Lux is the only one that I am supervising, I consider the rest of these Low Landers my servants," Cethus stated. "Rest assured, I will not interfere with your n to clear the Gate of Famine. However, I will also lead these people to clear it as well. May the best team win."


    Poroughed after hearing Cethus'' words that were filled with determination.


    "Fine," Poro replied. "Since they are your servants, we will not take the initiative to attack them. However, if they get in our way, we will not hold back. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Sure," Cethus answered coolly. "I''ve always wanted to see how strong the younger generation of the Crystal Pce is. I hope I won''t be too disappointed."


    The thirty ck-robed individuals that belonged to the Crystal Pce all red at the arrogant Dragon Born. However, since they were all wearing hoods, their expressions couldn''t be seen so easily.


    Cethus then nced in the direction of the Rankers of the Vahan Empire and clicked his tongue.


    "What are all of you doing staring at me like idiots?" Cethus asked. "Didn''t I tell all of you to kneel and apologize? Dumb Humans, do you still not know your ce?!"


    Poro crossed his arms over his chest and nced in the direction of the Vahan Empire. His gaze was telling Aron and Prince Cyrus to just do it already so that they could already go inside the Domain of the Fallen and start the expedition.


    Left with no other choice, Aron, Prince Cyrus, and all the Rankers of the Vahan Empire knelt and apologized, making the corner of Cethus'' lips curl up into a smile.


    After this incident, everyone belonging to the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and Six Kingdoms drastically changed their impression of the Half-Elf, who had a very strong backer supporting him.


    What they didn''t know was that the arrogant Dragon Born, who had made the proud Prince and Rankers of the Vahan Empire kneel, was gloating in the Heaven''s Gate Guild Chat, making all of his Guildmates want to spit on his face so badly.

 Chapter 660 A One-Way Ticket To The Abyss [Part 1]

    ?


    After the Vahan Empire''s "apology", the candidates all lined up at the gate of the Domain.


    Cethus had his arms crossed over his chest as he stood at the very front, with Lux behind him.


    Right beside Cethus were the ck-robed members of the Crystal Pce, led by the one that was being protected earlier by the Four Saints.


    Although Lux had tried to ask Cethus several times about who the leader of the Crystal Pce was, the Dragon Born was tight-lipped and simply said that this was a matter between the Dragon Race.


    Seeing that Cethus didn''t want to disclose anything, Lux no longer pried and just focused his attention on the expedition.


    "Please be careful inside," Poro said to the ck-robed individual leading the members of the Crystal Pce. "If things get out of hand, evacuate right away."


    The one leading the members of the Crystal Pce nodded.


    "All of you, make sure to protect HIM at all costs," Poro stated. "Lay down your lives if you have to."


    """Yes Sir!"""


    Cethus sighed as he looked at the Gate of the Fallen. Although he had ties with the Crystal Pce, he just couldn''t agree to their methods when it came to getting what they wanted.


    "Let''s get this over with," Cethus said before pressing his palm on the Gate in front of him.


    A secondter, the gate slightly opened and Cethus, along with the others who had the right to enter the Domain of the Fallen, all turned into particles of light.


    These lights then flew towards the opened Gate where the Sacred Dungeon was waiting for them.


    ��-----------------


    Domain of the Fallen��


    "So, this is the Domain of the Fallen." Cethus frowned. "I can sense danger everywhere."


    The Dragon Born was about to take a step forward, but Lux''s hand rested on his shoulder, preventing him from taking another step.


    "Don''t leave the Safe Zone," Lux stated. "I can sense an Argonaut-Ranked Monster hiding in front of us."


    All of the teenagers who had decided to follow Lux stopped in their tracks.


    Just like Cethus, they were about to move away from the Safe Zone, but when they heard Lux''s words, all of them immediately felt their blood turn cold.


    They had followed the Half-Elf in the previous expeditions and knew that his words were something that should be taken seriously.


    "Bunch of nonsense," Prince Cyrus snorted. "I don''t see anything."


    The Second Prince of the Vahan Empire ignored Lux''s words and was about to leave the Safety Zone when he heard an authoritative voice, filled with power, stopping him in his tracks.


    "Don''t move."


    The leader of the Crystal Pce didn''t even bother to give Prince Cyrus a sidelong nce as he ordered him to stand down.


    "Now I know why you were able to clear the three Gates despite being a Low Lander."


    The leader of the Crystal Pce took off the hood covering his head and nced in the direction of the Half-Elf.


    "Your ability is the real deal."


    An angelic-looking young man with blue hair and blue eyes looked at the Half-Elf with a faint smile. On his head, two Crystal Dragon horns glittered faintly in the sunlight.


    It was truly an exceptional face, free from imperfections. Even Lux who was confident in his looks had to agree that the person in front of him was way more handsome than he was.


    "My name is Aur," Aur said.


    "Lux," Lux replied.


    Aur gave Lux a curt nod before shifting his gaze to the path in front of him. Although the surroundings looked perfectly normal from a distance, those with heightened senses would feel that there was something lurking somewhere, which the eyes couldn''t see.


    Originally, just like Prince Cyrus, Aur wanted to see just how strong Lux was. However, the moment heid his eyes on the red-headed teenager, he sensed some kind of familiarity in him that prevented him from doing anything rash.


    What he didn''t know was that the feeling that he, the Saints, as well as the Dragon Borns felt was Lux''s passive skill, Dragon Conqueror''s Majesty [EX].


    This skill raised Lux''s Charisma, preventing the Dragons and the Dragon Borns from immediately bing hostile to him unless Lux attacked or provoked them first.


    For a few minutes, everyone stayed where they were and simply tried their best to look for the Argonaut-Ranked Monster that the red-headed teenager had warned them about.


    The entrance of the Gate of the Fallen had a protective barrier that prevented monsters from attacking those who had just entered the Domain.


    As long as they didn''t leave its protective perimeter, no Monsters would be able to attack them.


    Unlike the others, Lux could pinpoint the location of their enemy and was even able to identify what kind of monster it was.


    Because of this, he knew that anyone who left the Safe Zone would immediately be killed due to how proficient their invisible enemy was.


    "Hey, Aur, do you have anything on you that can seriously injure an Argonaut Ranked Monster?" Lux asked.


    "Don''t casually talk to our Leader, Half-Elf," one of the Dragon Borns that escorted Aur inside the Domain stated. "You don''t have the qualifications to even speak his name in a casual manner."


    "Shut up," Cethus snapped at the Dragon Born who suddenly interjected in the conversation. "Lux was talking to Aur. Are you Aur? Since when did your parents give you the name Aur? Can you please not interfere in a discussion where you weren''t called for? It makes you look like an attention whore."


    "Y-You!" the Dragon Born was about to hurl insults at Cethus when Aur raised his hand, making the Dragon Born hold back what he was about to say.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It''s fine," Aur replied. "It will be difficult tomunicate in this Dungeon if names aren''t used. Also, to answer your question, I indeed have an artifact that would allow me to seriously injure an Argonaut-Ranked Monster. Have you found it?"


    Lux nodded. "I can bring it out from its hiding ce, but luring it out is useless. We need to seriously injure it, so it will leave us alone.


    "Very well. As long as I can see it. I will be able to deal with it."


    "Good. Make your preparations now."


    Aur summoned a crystal scepter and held it firmly in his hands. What he was holding was a Pseudo-Demigod Artifact that was given to him to ensure his safety inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    Lux then summoned Pazuzu and ordered his Fortress Defender to step outside of the Safe Zone.


    Pazuzu then raised his shield and took a defensive stance, and waited for Lux''s order.


    "Are you ready?" Lux asked Aur.


    "Yes," Aur. "Ready when you are."


    Lux nodded "Then, on the count of three. One, two, three!"


    The Fortress Defender then activated his skill Duel [EX] and aimed it in front of him.


    At first, nothing seemed to change. But, after a few seconds, the scenery in front of them suddenly shook before suddenly bing distorted.


    A momentter, a seven-meter-long, green-skinned Chameleon appeared in front of them, shocking almost everyone into taking a step back.


    With an annoyed screech, the Chameleon extended its tongue, and used it as a whip tosh at the Fortress Defender, who had already braced himself for the imminent impact.


    However, when the tongue was only dozens of meters away from Pazuzu, Aur ced his crystal scepter in front of his lips and blew on it.


    "Crystal Dragon''s Breath!"


    A misty dragon''s breath filled with crystal shards flew toward the Argonaut-Ranked Chameleon, turning its tongue into crystal.


    As if sensing that it would die if it didn''t do anything, the Green Chameleon decisively used its razor-sharp ws to cut its own tongue before jumping out of the path of the Dragon''s Breath.


    Aur''s attack continued for hundreds of meters, turning everything it hit into crystals, including the ground, rocks, and trees.


    The Green Chameleon red hatefully in Aur''s direction as blood dripped from its lips like a faucet.


    Its reptilian eyes locked onto the Crystal Dragon''s body as if trying to memorize the face of the person that it would seek vengeance on at ater time. This rested for a full minute before the Green Chameleon left the scene, melding with its surroundings.


    After the Argonaut-Ranked Monster disappeared, everyone was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief and look at the crystalized scenery in front of them.


    "You can take that tongue as a souvenir," Aur said to Lux, who was busy tracking the Argonaut Ranked Monster with his Soul Book. "I have no need for it."


    Lux wanted to say that he had no need for it either, but suddenly remembered that the crystallized tongue might be a good ingredient for his Skeleton Maker skill.


    "Thank you," Lux replied. "The Monster has left and is no longer a threat to us. We can continue on our journey."


    "Good," Aurmented. "I''ve heard that you can guide us along a safer path with the least amount of danger. You can take the lead until we reach the entrance of the Sacred Dungeon."


    "You want me to lead everyone until we reach the Sacred Dungeon?"


    "Yes. Although I am not afraid of Argonaut-Ranked Monsters, it is best to avoid conflicts as much as possible."


    Aur didn''t mention that the Crystal Scepter in his hands could only be used five times a day, which is why he didn''t want to use it unless absolutely necessary.


    The most it could do was deal with Argonaut Ranked Monsters up to the Alpha Rank. Field and World Bosses of the Argonaut Ranked would be able to break free from the Crystal Breath''s effects after a few minutes.


    The Green Chameleon might be strong, but it was only an ordinary Argonaut-Ranked Beast, so the scepter was more than able to handle it without any problem.


    "Very well," Lux replied. "Follow me."


    The Half-Elf took the lead as he entered the forest where Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Monsters were in abundance.


    e��glesn?��el His father, Alexander, and Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian had a proper discussion about the strategy that they thought of once they were inside the Domain of the Fallen. However, for that to happen, Lux must wait for the right opportunity to summon them in a subtle way.


    All the representatives of the other Factions, including the members of the Crystal Pce, were carrying artifacts that allowed those that were outside the Gate of the Fallen to see what was happening inside.


    Because of this, he couldn''t summon his father and the Saint of the Rowan Tribe with everyone paying close attention to him.


    If he did, an uproar over the "looted" resources within the Domain of the Fallen would be a big issue if they were discovered, and this was something that they didn''t want others to discover.


    ''I''ll just tell themter that I need to pee,'' Lux thought as he continued to lead everyone along a much safer path away from monsters. ''They won''t follow me if I give that excuse, right?''


    ��------------


    Inside the Fifth Gate of the Apocalypse��


    A white-haired devil opened his eyes, while the corner of his lips rose up to a sneer.


    "You''ve finally returned, Half-Elf," the Abyssal Devil said hoarsely. "Time for me to send you a one-way ticket to the Abyss. I hope you enjoy my hospitality."


    The sound of hoarseughter echoed in the surroundings of the Sacred Dungeon as the Sealed Duke of the Abyssal Race prepared his surprise for the Half-Elf that was slowly, but surely, headed in his direction.

 Chapter 661 What Will You Do If I Get In Your Way?

    ?


    Lux, who was leading everyone to take the safest route toward the Sacred Dungeon, decided that he''d only summon his Father, Alexander, and Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian, after they''d reached their destination.


    That way, the observers outside of the Gate of the Fallen would have no chance to see that two Saints had snuck inside the Domain in order to loot everything, while all the teenagers were challenging the Sacred Dungeon.


    For some reason, the High-Ranking Monsters were quite active, so Lux took breaks from time to time in order to let the dangers pass.


    Fortunately, after what happened in the Safe Zone, everyone was convinced of his ability and followed him without a doubt.


    Even Prince Cyrus and the representatives of the Skystead Alliance behaved themselves as they followed behind the Half-Elf, listening to his orders as they traversed the dangerous forest.


    While they were traveling, Lux did his best to try and talk to Keoza, asking him what he knew about the Crystal Pce.


    He had a feeling that the Crystal Dragon knew about them, but no matter how much he tried to call Keoza from the Dragon Token, he didn''t get any reply.


    It was as if the Token and the Dragon inside it had be dormant, bing an ordinary artifact.


    Of course, Lux suspected that the Crystal Dragon was deliberately ignoring him and ying dead.


    ''I''ll just askter,'' Lux thought as he continued to check his Soul Book for any dangers that might be in their surroundings. ''Still, the monsters are very active right now. They weren''t this restless when we tried to go to the Sacred Dungeon in the past.''


    A few hourster, all of them arrived safely at the entrance of their destination.


    The vicinity of the Sacred Dungeon was also a Safe Zone, so no Monsters would try to attack them now that they were inside its protection.


    "All of you, wait for me for a bit," Lux said to the people that nned to join his team inside the Gate of Famine. "I need to pee first."


    "Sure, take your time," Jasper replied. "We''ll rest for a bit too."


    Lux nodded and started to walk toward the exit of the cavern.


    The Half-Elf could sense several gazes glued on his back, but he ignored all of them. Just to be safe, his Soul Book was still active to check if someone was brazen enough to follow him.


    After making sure that no one had followed him, the Half-Elf looked for a secluded ce and summoned the Two Saints, who had been waiting patiently outside the Domain of the Fallen.


    The space crackled around Lux. It was as if something was preventing him from summoning powerful individuals inside the Domain. Thissted for five minutes before two people, wearing ck robes, and silver masks on their faces, appeared in front of him.


    "That was terrible," Maximilianined as he poured some Rejuvenation Potions on the wounds on his shoulders. "I thought I was going to die. Good thing we came prepared."


    Alexander, on the other hand, drank a Rejuvenation Potion before opening and closing his hands as if he was testing something.


    "A portion of our strength has been sealed away, but overall it''s still good," Alexander stated.


    "It has been a while since I felt like this," Maximilian took out another Rejuvenation Potion and chugged it. "Right now, I''m only an S-Ranker. How about you, Alex?"


    "Same," Alexander replied. "But we''re only dealing with Argonauts anyway, so it''s not a problem."


    Maximilian nodded. With their current strength, they would be able to easily solo an Argonaut-Ranked World Boss without any problem.


    Of course, the two had already considered the chance that there might be a Dreadnaught, or worse, an Empyrean-Ranked Monster hiding in the Domain of the Fallen. But, they came prepared and were confident that they would be able to handle any tricky situation that the Domain might throw at them.


    "You go back, boy. They might get suspicious if you are gone for a long time," Maximilian said. "Don''t worry. We will split it evenly and give you 20%."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lux nodded, and immediately left the two Rankers who didn''t want their identities to be known by anyone. Since they were nning to loot the Domain of the Fallen before any of the other Factions did, they would certainly take everything and not leave any scraps behind.


    ��--------


    Sacred Dungeon��


    "Did you take a dump?" Prince Cyrus asked in a contemptuous tone. "What took you so long?"


    Lux arched an eyebrow as he gazed at the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire.


    "You''re still here?" Lux asked back. "Are you perhaps waiting for me to hold your hand before you enter the Sacred Dungeon? Last time I checked, we''re not on the same team, so why are you waiting for me?"


    "It''s not me who''s waiting for you, you prick! It''s our leader."


    "Aur? Is there anything you want from me?"


    The Half-Elf shifted his attention to the angelic-looking teenager, whom he believed was a Crystal Dragon in humanoid form.


    "Before we enter, I would like to discuss some things with you first," Aur stated. "Since you are affiliated with Karshvar Draconis, that makes me your enemy, but I am willing to turn a blind eye to our differences while conquering the Dungeon. I advise you to not get in my way.


    "Although I have a good impression of you, that doesn''t mean that I will hesitate in turning you, and yourrades into Crystal Statues if you interfere with my mission. You have been warned."


    "And, your mission is?" Lux crossed his arms over his chest. "Spill it, so that we will not identally get in your way."


    "That is none of your concern."


    "Cethus. How about you talk to this person? It seems we''re not speaking the samenguage."


    The ck-scaled Dragon Born eyed Aur before heaving a sigh.


    "We''re here to conquer this Dungeon," Cethus replied. "I don''t care what the Crystal Pce is here for, but if you get in my way��"


    "What will you do if I get in your way?" Aur asked in a challenging tone. His handsome features became sharp as he held the Dragon Born''s gaze as if finding his threat very amusing.


    "If you get in my way, I''m going to go and tell my Grandmas about it."


    "...."


    """...."""


    The Dragon Born raised his chin arrogantly as if daring Aur to talk back to him.


    Although the handsome Dragonoid (Dragon Humanoid) held a position of power within the Crystal Pce, Cethus wasn''t afraid of him.


    Why?


    Because one of his Grandmas was the Steward of the Crystal Pce, whose authority was only second to the famed Crystal Dragon, Keoza, who had vanished on the day of his coronation ceremony.

 Chapter 662 What’s Meant To Be, Will Always Find Its Way.

    ?


    Everyone was speechless after hearing Cethus'' reply.


    It was like watching two kids having a verbal fight, and the loser was threatening the one who had beaten him by saying that they would call their parents in order to take revenge for them.


    "Are you a kid?" Cai asked in an amused tone. "You''re going to tell your Grandma if someone offends you?"


    "You''re one to talk," Keane interjected. "When you get bullied, the first thing you do is threaten people using your Grandpa''s name. You''re no different from Cethus."


    "It''s different. My Grandpa gave me permission to use his name when I get bullied. Cethus is just being Cethus."


    "Well, you do have a point."


    Cethus pretended that he didn''t hear the two annoying fools that were talking smack behind his back. He simply gazed at Aur as if challenging him if he had the guts to mess with his two Grandmas.


    Aur turned his back on the Dragon Born and led his subordinates without even saying another word.


    Cethus had twin Grandmothers.


    One of them was the current Dragon King''s right-handdy, whose authority was second only to him.


    Cethus'' other Grandma was the Supreme that guarded the Crystal Pce against all threats. She was also Keoza''s Steward and was considered to be the temporary leader that everyone obeyed without fail.


    Basically, Cethus could be considered one of the Untouchables in both the Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce.


    However, this poor Dragon Born couldn''t do anything to the people whom he recognized as hisrades, who liked to talk crap about him anytime they wanted.


    Aur pressed his palm on the Gate of Famine, and turned into an orb of light, flying into its center. The rest followed suit, and soon, everyone belonging to his faction was no longer in sight.


    "It''s time for us to go as well," Lux stated. "Remember. Our goal is to clear the dungeon. Avoid any conflicts with the Crystal Pce and the Skystead Alliance if possible. However, if they take the initiative to attack us, we will definitely beat them up to a pulp. Now, follow me!"


    The Half-Elf walked towards the Gate of Famine and pressed his hand over it. Soon, his body turned into an orb of light and flew towards the Gate.


    Cai and the others followed because they also wanted to start their conquest as soon as possible.


    At that exact moment, the Silver-Haired Devil reached out his hand from the darkness. He ignored the other orbs of light that flew past him because his gaze was locked on a particr person, whom he wanted to take revenge on.


    However, as soon as he was about to grasp the Orb of Light that represented Lux, it vanished, which surprised the Devil greatly.


    "Someone interfered?" the Silver-Haired Devil looked at his empty hand in disbelief. "But how?"


    After his initial shock, he closed his eyes in order to pinpoint Lux''s location within the Gate of Famine, but for some reason, he couldn''t find any trace of him, which made him wonder what was going on.


    ��-----------


    High above the world of Elysium, the God of Gamblers was looking at the three dice that he had tossed earlier.


    Each of them was showing the number 666, which made Macuilxochitl chuckle.


    (A/N: Let''s just call him Max for short.)


    "Nice toss," Eriolmented from the side. "Fortunately, luck is on your side today."


    "Mmm." Max hummed as he picked up the three dice in the air. "Lux is still not ready to face the top Dogs of the Void. I won''t let this Devil have his way."


    Eriol smiled because he, too, felt that it was still too early for Lux to face off against the Abyssal Legion. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Too bad, we can''t interfere often," Eriol said as he looked down at the orb of light that was traveling between the border of the Void and Elysium. "We may not be able to save him next time."


    "Worry not. Both of us have taken a Gamble," Max replied as he looked at the Dices of Destiny in his hand. "As to whether we will hit it big or not, it will all depend on the roll of the dice. Sometimes, I wish I could cheat in gambling. But, even the God of Gamblers must follow the rules given to him."


    Suddenly, the two Gods heard two lively voices behind them, which made them turn around.


    "Lily, are you sure this is fine?" a little God, who looked like a two-year-old baby wearing diapers, said while pping his angelic wings. "The Gods have already abandoned this world. We shouldn''t be here."


    "Rx, Cupid," the Loli Goddess, Lily, said with a smile. "We''re just sightseeing. We''re not doing anything illegal, right, Dim Dim?"


    The Dimsum God that was perched on top of Lily''s head nodded its head while saying the words "Dim Dim!"


    "See?" Lily looked at Cupid with a smug smile on her face.


    "Um, if you say so."


    "Don''t worry. We''ll somehow wing it like we always do!"


    "Dim Dim!"


    The three little Gods were so busy talking to each other that they didn''t notice Eriol and Max looking at them with weird looks on their faces.


    "What are the three of you doing here?" Max asked in a loud voice which startled the three Gods, who were busy chatting with each other.


    "Oh my God! It''s old pervert Max who watches Hent*i on his PC!" Cupid eximed. "Mom, this guy is bad news!"


    "D-Don''t worry!" Lily spoke up in an encouraging tone. "I got the extremely rare, limited edition, Doki Doki Director''s Cut. Maybe we can use this to distract him!"


    "T-Toss it, Lily! Hurry before he catches us!"


    "Dim Dim!"


    Lily no longer hesitated and tossed the Blu-Ray DVD in her hands toward Max before making a run for it.


    The God of Gamblers had gained notoriety within the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods for his unique taste and his circle of friends, which wereposed of the New Generation Gods, namely the MILF God, Lolicon God, Furry God, 2D God, and BDSM God.


    "Wow, they ran like their lives depended on it." Eriol chuckled as he watched Lily''s and Cupid''s backs disappear into the distance. "Your reputation precedes you."


    Max snorted before taking a closer look at the Doki Doki Eroge Game that Lily tossed in his direction.


    He then sneakily put it inside his robe before once again looking at his chosen candidate who had arrived at the boundary of Elysium and the Void.


    A ce where once a powerful and prosperous kingdom thrived before it was destroyed when the Abyssal Creatures first descended upon the world.


    "It might take a year, it might take a day," Maximilian said softly. "But what''s meant to be, will always find its way."


    Eriol nodded because he understood what Max was referring to.


    They were the only two Gods who hadn''t abandoned Sis and, if possible, they wanted Lux to seed in saving it.


    They were doing this, not for their sake, but for the memory of a very dear friend, who had sacrificed her life to give the world of Sis a second chance at life.

 Chapter 663 An Unreachable Place

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    Gate of Famine��


    "Are you sure this is the Gate of Famine?" Cethus asked. "Why does everything here look so abundant?"


    Cethus stared at the wheatfields in front of him that were ready for harvest. In fact, there were already many farmers in the distance, busy cutting the wheat down and tying them in bundles.


    In the distance, he also saw a grape orchard, which was also ripe for the picking. He couldn''t understand why something so bountiful would be found inside the Gate of Famine.


    "Don''t judge everything by what you see," Caimented. "Maybe there is another ce here experiencing famine, where we might also find our Quest. Um, what should we do next, Lux?"


    The Boar looked behind her, expecting to see the Half-Elf, but what she only saw was Eiko looking around, seemingly confused.


    "Pa?" Eiko scanned her surroundings. "Pa!"


    The Baby Slime jumped up high and summoned one of her Undead Legion, whom she had created using the Skeleton Generator skill.


    Lux and Eiko both had 4 Undead Creatures that had been created using the Skeleton Generator Skill, and all of them had been added to their Undead Army.


    The Half-Elf''s Skeleton Generated creatures were now serving under Revon, and all of them were a cut above the rest.


    Eiko had four Skeleton Summons.


    One of them was Boomer, the Crimson Monkey Kong Skeleton Bombardier.


    The other three Skeletons under Eiko''smand had the names Bomber, Bom Bom, and BAM.


    Bomber was a Floating Skeleton Bomb that had eyes simr to that of a beholder. It had no other abilities aside from True Strike and Lock On, which allowed it to fly toward its target at a great speed, never missing its target.


    Simply put, Bomber was a "suicide bomber", and its explosive damage was simr to that of a full-powered strike from Lux''s and Eiko''s Grand Bazooka.


    Bom Bom, on the other hand, was a moving Skeleton Cannon. It could walk; it could fly; and it could even swim! It had the ability to fire st Bombs [EX] and had a very long range, allowing it to hit targets before they could even hit it.


    Last but not the least was BAM.


    BAM was an interesting Skeleton because he donned the clothes of a martial artist. His ability was simr to Boomer. This meant that his punches and kicks had an explosive side to them, dealing great damage to anything he hit.


    Perhaps, the only difference between them was that BAM didn''t have any long-range attacks. He was a pure closebat fighter, whose speed, flexibility, and technique were just as fast and deadly as Lux''s Nightstalker, Ishtar,


    Right now, Eiko was perched on top of Bomber, who was hovering twenty meters above ground, providing the Baby Slime a wider view of her surroundings as she searched for her Papa.


    "Pa!" Eiko shouted. "Pa!"


    Cai, Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus immediately understood that something was wrong.


    All of them knew that Lux would never leave Eiko behind, and his disappearance was something that none of them had expected.


    "Mumumumu!"


    After trying to locate her Papa using their shared connection, Eiko confirmed that the Half-Elf was nowhere near them.


    Because of this, she decided to use her skill, Family Bond [EX], allowing her to teleport to where Lux was.


    However, before doing so, she made sure to tell Fei Fei about what she was nning to do so that the others wouldn''t be worried about her.


    "Wei!" Fei Fei nodded her head in understanding and tranted what Eiko was trying to say to Cai.


    When the Golden Slime finished rying Eiko''s message, Cai nodded her head in understanding.


    "Eiko said that Lux isn''t near our location, so she will go to where Lux is," Cai exined. "She added that there is a possibility that Lux isn''t here in the Gate of Famine anymore."


    Cai''s exnation made everyone who had decided to choose Lux as their Temporary Leader inside the dungeon frown.


    "He''s not here?" Einar asked. "Then where do you think he is?"


    "I have no idea," Cai replied. "Even Eiko doesn''t know despite the two of them having a very strong connection with each other."


    The Boar then shifted her attention back to the baby Blue Slime and nodded her head.


    "Be careful, Eiko," Cai stated. "Tell Lux that he should send us a message and tell us what''s going on!"


    Eiko nodded. "Kay!"


    After getting Cai''s approval, the Baby Blue Slime turned into a beam of light that shot toward the heavens. She would go to where her Papa was and make sure that he was safe.


    When Eiko was no longer around, Lux''s group fell into an awkward silence.


    This silence was broken by Prince Cyrus'' arrogantughter, who was standing dozens of meters away from them.


    "Looks like your leader ran away," Prince Cyrus gloated. "How about it? Care to join our team? I''m sure that His Excellency, Aur, will permit it."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Einar and Val nced at each other as if trying to decide if they should go or not. They had always been with Lux on the expeditions in the Sacred Dungeon, and they didn''t know whether they could trust the Dragonoid, who might just use them as cannon fodder.


    "There''s no need for that," Cethus announced. "Since Lux isn''t here, I will be this group''s temporary leader. I will do my best to help you guys clear this dungeon."


    At first, Cai, Keane, and Gerhart were nning to reject Cethus'' deration. However, they held back what they were going to say after seeing the message that he had sent through their Guild Chat.


    ��-------


    Heaven''s Gate Guild Chat��


    "It is important that we keep this team together for the time being," Cethus stated. "All of you belong to different factions. None of you would recognize a new leader amongst yourselves, so we need someone with enough influence to bind everyone together.


    "Everyone saw my exchange with Aur earlier and, because of that, they have a high opinion of me. Regardless of what the three of you think, I am the only one here that has sufficient influence and authority to keep this group together."


    ��-------


    Cai, Keane, and Gerhart weren''t fools. Although they made fun of Cethus a lot, they understood that he was right.


    Although they didn''t mind working with just the four of them, having a bigger group would ensure a higher chance of sess.


    The Dragon Born then looked at the faces of the teenagers that belonged to the Xynnar War Pact and Six Kingdoms with a confident gaze. Giving them some kind of assurance that everything was under control.


    Cethus mightck a lot of things, but he nevercked arrogance and confidence. His sharp features also make people slightly intimidated by him, and his race spoke volumes.


    (E/N: You make it sound like it''s a good thing.)


    Simply put, the Dragon Born had a lot of experience ordering people around because of his position as one of the Royal Guards of the Dragon King.


    "If any of you have a problem with me being the leader, then you can leave if you want," Cethus dered. "But know this, when Lux returns, I will tell him that you didn''t follow my orders and are not qualified to be part of our team."


    Cethusughed in his heart because he was trying to get back at Lux for everything the Half-Elf had done to him. Now that he could use the red-headed teenager''s name and influence without worrying about the repercussions, the Dragon Born was hell-bent to use it all to his advantage.


    ��--------


    Cai: Scum.


    Keane: ckmailer.


    Gerhart: Wow! One day, this bastard is going to get stabbed in the back.


    ��--------


    The Dragon Born ignored thements of the three annoying pricks in the Guild Chat and focused his attention on the people in front of him.


    Henrietta, Einar, Val, Enil, Jasper, and the representatives of the Six Kingdoms all nced at each other before reluctantly nodding their heads.


    "We will follow you for now," Henrietta was the first to voice out her opinion. "However, if we don''t deem you worthy, we will go our separate ways."


    "Fair enough," Cethus replied with his arms crossed over his chest. "Now, let''s spread out and start asking for information. We need to understand the goal of clearing this dungeon and to do that, we need to get a better understanding of our location.


    "All of you go in groups ording to your factions. Whatever happens, do not engage the enemy. We will all meet up in this location in two hours. Remember, prioritize escaping. We don''t know what kind of dangers we will be facing here."


    The leaders of the temporary alliance all nodded their heads and led their groups in different directions to get a better understanding of theyout of thend.


    Cai, Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus also made their move, leaving the members of the Crystal Pce and Skystead Alliance behind.


    Aur, who had been feeling that something was off in their surroundings, was currently deep in thought.


    He didn''t believe that Lux had escaped or had gone somewhere else right after entering the Sacred Dungeon.


    Just like the Half-Elf''s close friends, he saw that the Baby Slime, Eiko, was left behind. Since Lux had protected the Baby Slime from Prince Cyrus, Aur understood that there was simply no way that the Half-Elf would leave his pet behind.


    ''Just what is going on here?'' Aur thought as he narrowed his eyes to look in the distance. ''Although everything seems calm on the surface, I can vaguely sense someone watching us from somewhere.''


    It was not only Aur who felt that they were being observed by someone.


    Cai, Keane, Gerhart, Cethus, Einar, Val, Henrietta, Jasper, and Enlil had also sensed this presence and had been subtly trying to discern where the gaze on them wasing from.


    However, no matter how they tried to pinpoint that person''s location, they couldn''t do it.


    The reason for it was simple.


    The feeling they were getting was that they were being watched by someone in the sky.


    A ce that none of them, even with wings on their backs, could ever hope to reach.

 Chapter 664 The Boundary Of The Void And The Mortal Plane

    ?


    Lux''s disappearance had caused a stir among the diplomats and Rankers who were waiting outside the Gate of the Fallen.


    They had clearly seen that Lux had entered the Gate of Famine, but he disappeared soon afterward.


    While the Crystal Pce and the Skystead Alliance weren''t the least bit affected by what transpired inside the Sacred Dungeon, the Xynnar War Pact and the Six Kingdoms were currently dealing with a headache.


    Although Cethus had forcibly taken control of their temporary alliance, they didn''t know him too well to judge whether the Dragon Born was capable of leading the members of their younger generation or not.


    However, they also understood that the chance of them being treated as cannon fodder by the Crystal Pce and Skystead Alliance was high. Having known this, they could only hope for the best and see how things were going to turn out.


    While all of this was happening, cries of outrage and pain reverberated inside the Domain of the Fallen as Alexander and Maximilian started their looting operation.


    "Hahaha! A five-hundred-year-old Spirit Ginger." Maximilian carefully dug out the precious nt that was rarely seen in Sis. "If those snobbish Kings of the Six Kingdoms could only see us now, they''d probably die from anger. I knew that looting this ce was the right thing to do."


    Not far from Maximilian, an Argonaut-Ranked Golden-Winged Tigery on the ground panting for breath.


    "Choose between submission or death," Alexander stated. "There is no third option."


    "Grrrr!" The Golden-Winged Tiger was filled with indignation as it red at the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy whose eyes were as calm as ake.


    The Tiger was one of the Apex Beasts inside the Domain of the Fallen, and those that could beat it could only be counted by the fingers on one hand. It didn''t expect some illegal trespassers to enter its domain and one-sidedly beat it, taking the prized herb that it had been guarding for so long.


    In the end, the Golden-Winged Tiger bowed its head and submitted to Alexander, allowing the Headmaster to bind it with a Beastial Contract.


    The moment the Argonaut-Ranked Beast became Alexander''s subordinate, the Saint waved his hand and sent the Tiger to his Miniature Domain, where he kept his other pets.


    Maximilian, who had just finished digging the herb, also hid the treasure he found inside his own Miniature Domain, which contained various rare and exotic herbs that could be used as ingredients for Elixirs.


    All Saints had this ability, allowing them to do many things that ordinary High-Rankers couldn''t possibly do.


    "My senses tell me that we should continue to head North," Maximilian rubbed his beard. "I sense a very strong life energying from that direction. Maybe it''s a primordial Panacea that can heal any injuries or some kind of exotic nt that is already extinct in Sis. Either way, we must have it at all costs."


    "Okay." Alexander nodded.


    A momentter, the two disappeared from where they stood and headed North.


    Both of them were unaware of the events that were happening inside the Sacred Dungeon. The only thing on their minds was to get everything as fast as they could and return home with all the treasures that they had found inside the Domain of the Fallen��


    ��---------------


    Boundary between the Void and Elysium��


    "Where am I?" Lux thought as he scanned his surroundings. "Where is everyone?"


    After he entered the Sacred Dungeon, the Half-Elf found himself in a ce, where everything was red in color.


    The ground, the sky, the moon��all of them were red.


    However, the most notable thing was the broken sky above his head, which looked simr to a cracked mirror that could shatter anytime.


    Lux also noticed something else. There was a city, or what remained of a city, in the distance.


    The City Walls, which should have protected it from any outside threats, were in shambles, just like everything inside it.


    Even the castle that towered in the distance was destroyed and dpidated, which was a contrast to its once glorious past.


    Just as Lux was thinking about what to do next, he suddenly felt a familiar weight on top of his head, making him breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Pa!" Eiko crawled down the side of Lux''s face and peppered his cheeks with kisses.


    "It''s good to see you too, Eiko," Lux replied before gently prying off the Baby Slime from his face, giving it a kiss on the cheeks. "I thought I lost you. Good thing you can teleport to my location anytime you want."


    "Un!" Eiko happily nodded her head, agreeing with her Papa''s words.


    After sharing a bit of skinship, the Baby Slime told her Papa about what happened to Cai and the others.


    "I''m d they''re fine," Lux sighed in relief. "It seems that I''m the only one who was sent to a different ce. I''m sorry, were you scared earlier?"


    "Un!"


    "Don''t worry, we''re together now. Everything is going to be fine."


    "Pa!"


    Lux once again ced Eiko on top of his head before summoning his Soul Book. Now that he was reunited with the Baby Slime, it was time to figure out where he was and find a way to get back to the others.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Fortunately, the Elysium Compendium and his Soul Book had merged together, giving the Half-Elf easy ess to almost every piece of information that he needed.


    The first thing he did was open his Map to see the name of the ce he was in.


    "Zangr?" Lux muttered. "Never heard of this ce."


    The Half-Elf then searched thependium for any information about Zangr, and the data he saw made his eyes widen in shock.


    ��----------


    Zangr, the boundary of the Void and the Mortal ne.


    �C Hundreds of years ago, Zangr was a prosperous kingdom that thrived in the Western Regions of Elysium. It was located on the very edge of the continent, allowing it to grow uncontested.


    However, after hundreds of years, something unexpected happened.


    A crack appeared in the sky and, from it, monsters that had never been seen before descended on their peaceful kingdom.


    These creatures were quite strong, with some of them standing over hundreds of meters tall. Of course, Zangr was a powerful Nation, boasting three Saints, who fought bravely against the invaders.


    However, even the three of them weren''t able to push back the darkness that hade to consume theirnd. In the end, no one was able to escape��not even the Saints who were the Kingdom''s strongest fighters.


    Many years passed, and the Kingdom of Zangr was still in ruins. None dared to move even a single stone from this ce, in fear that the ghosts of the departed would haunt them for eternity.


    It was said that those that were killed by the Abyssal Creatures couldn''t cross over to the Tree of Life, where they would be reborn once again. These countless pitiful spirits of the dead wander around Zangr, waiting for the day their suffering will finally end.


    Note: Since this is the border of the Void and Elysium, Abyssal Creatures often appear here. It is a very dangerous ce, and even Saints are weary to tread in this ce.


    ��----------


    Lux''s face immediately became solemn when he read that Abyssal Creatures often appeared in his location.


    Although he could probably fight a Deimos-Ranked Abyssal Creature by himself, that didn''t mean that he wasfortable staying in a ce where danger could appear at any time.


    ''I''d better leave this ce. I''ll just think of a way to get back to the others after I''ve gained a safe distance from this ce,'' Lux thought as he gave the cracked-sky onest nce before turning around.


    He had tried to contact the others through his Guild Chat, but there seemed to be some kind of force preventing him from essing the features of his Guild.


    Lux was about to summon his Mount, Jed, when he suddenly heard a cryptic voice behind him, making his entire body shudder in fright.


    "Leaving so soon? Why not stay a while? It has been quite some time since I saw a living person in this Godforsaken ce."


    The Half-Elf slowly looked behind him to see who the owner of the voice was.


    "Hoh~ it has been a while since I''ve seen a Half-Elf. You seem to be pretty young too. What are you doing here, my boy? Are you lost?"


    An old man, leaning on a cane, asked Lux in a teasing tone.


    He was just a little over three feet tall, and his gray eyes had an amused glint in them, making him look very harmless.


    "Ah, right. Where are my manners?" the old man lightly scratched his head. "My name is Gaap El Nash. Just call me Gaap. How about you, My Boy? What''s your name?"


    "Lux," Lux replied. "Lux Von Kaizer."


    The old man smiled, revealing the three teeth that had managed to survive his long decrepit life.


    After staying in Zangr for many years, he finally found someone who wasn''t an Abyssal Creature in the ce that was located between the boundary of Damnation and Beyond.


    ----------


    Important Announcement!


    I will be publishing two stories this month of May. For now, I have published the first story and its title is "Kingdom Building Done Right".


    I have also created a Patreon Page for it, so you guys can read its advance for a very, very, cheap price that will not put a hole on your pockets and wallets.


    The Patreon page can be found on the synopsis of the novel, but do take note that no chapters are uploaded in it at the moment. I will work on it after three days, so you guys can read without too much hassle.


    The two new stories will also be having a Webtoon Adaptation, so I will be very happy if you guys donate to make it happen. That is all folks. Enjoy the new story.


    P.S Don''t worry, this announcement will not make you pay additional coins. I made sure that it will not add to the word count to make you pay extra, so don''t get mad at me, okay?

 Chapter 665 Why Are You So Salty? [Part 1]

    ?


    "So, Lux, what brings you here?" Gaap asked after eating the sandwich Lux had given him. "Did youe here to take a look at the ruined kingdom of Zangr?"


    "Actually, I don''t know how I managed to get here, Grandpa Gaap," Lux replied. "I entered a Dungeon with my friends, and before I knew it, I was already here."


    "A Dungeon?" Gaap rubbed his chin. "Well, the world has a lot of unexined mysteries. Perhaps your arrival here is just one of them."


    Currently, he and Lux were staying in one of the least dpidated houses inside the destroyed city of Zangr. Since the ce was known to spawn Abyssal Monsters, the Half-Elf decided that it would be best if he stayed somewhere safe to better understand his current situation.


    "How about you, Grandpa?" Lux asked. "What are you doing here?"


    "Me? Oh, I''m just waiting for someone," Gaap replied with a toothy smile, even though he only had three teeth to disy. "You see, I''m looking for a sessor because I want to pass my knowledge to them. You see, I''m getting old. It''s likely for me to kick the bucket anytime soon."


    The old man cackled before taking another sandwich from the basket beside him.


    Even though Lux''s Rank was only that of a Peak Initiate, it was very easy for him to sense the strength of people who were weaker than him.


    He was surprised when he found out that Gaap was only an Initiate Stage, Grade-A Apostle.


    When asked how he had been able to survive in the city where Abyssal Creatures appear from time to time, Gaap simply answered that he was very good at hiding.


    Of course, there were times when Abyssal Creatures found his hiding ce, but since he was just a weak Apostle, none of them cared much about him and left him alone.


    "Gramps, why don''t youe with me to leave this ce?" Lux proposed. "I am confident that we will be able to avoid any confrontation with Monsters as long as you stick with me."


    Gaap thought for a while then shook his head. "I can''t leave right now, Lux. You see, I''ve been guarding a special gift for the person that I am waiting for. Only when that person receives my gift will I be able to leave this God-forsaken ce."


    Just as the old man was about to bite on his sandwich, a rumble sounded not far from their location.


    "An Abyssal Creature has appeared," Gaap stated before tearing off a piece of the sandwich and putting it inside his mouth. "This one is a bit strong, so don''t leave this ce for the time being."


    Lux, who had subtly summoned his Soul Book, gazed at the blinking red dot on the map.


    For an ordinary Monster, the size of the dot was small like a small bean. However, if the monster was strong, like a Deimos or Argonaut-Ranked Monster, the size of the dot would be four to five times bigger.


    And right now, Lux was seeing a big red dot on his map, which meant that the newly spawned Abyssal Creature was a Deimos-Ranked Monster at the minimum.


    Suddenly, the blinking red dot on the map moved. At first, Lux didn''t mind it. However, he noticed that the Abyssal Creature was slowly heading in their direction which made him frown.


    "...It looks like it has discovered us," Gaap said with an eerie calmness that gave Lux goosebumps. "Well then, Lux, we have two choices. Are we going to flee, or are you going to fight that monster? You better think fast because�� it is already here."


    As if waiting for that cue, the roof of the house they were staying in suddenly crumbled, forcing Lux to grab hold of Gaap and flee as fast as he could.


    Since he had reacted right away, the old man was safe and sound, making the Half-Elf breathe a little easier.


    "Gramps, I don''t know how you managed to survive all these years," Lux said as he stared at the Abyssal Creature in front of him. "This ce is not really a good ce to retire."


    Standing at least ten meters tall, a ck Octopus with a red gem on its forehead looked at the Half-Elf and the Old Man with a sinister gaze.


    "Ah�� a Deimos-Ranked Octopath." Gaap frowned. "Thest time I saw one of those was a year ago. You be careful, Lux. That thing spits corrosive ck ink that can melt steel."


    Lux nodded and summoned his Named Creatures to his side.


    "Asmodeus, look after Grandpa Gaap," Lux ordered. "The rest of you, we will lure the Monster away."


    As soon as Lux gave his orders, he immediately summoned the armor Favonius Legacy that bestowed upon him the power to fly.


    He didn''t want to involve Gaap in the battle, so he decided to lure the Monster as far away as possible.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, Revon, Zagan, and ALL-MITE all followed behind their Master as they prepared to fight against the Deimos-Ranked Monster.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A momentter, Lux''s army that numbered in the hundreds appeared on the battlefield, which immediately engaged the Abyssal Creature in a heated battle.


    While Gaap watched this battle from a safe distance, he also appraised Lux''s current fighting strength. A momentter, he shook his head and breathed out a helpless sigh that made Asmodeus, who was tasked to guard him, smile.


    "So, what do you think of my Master''s Undead Army?" Asmodeus asked.


    "His Undead are too ''clean''. This is not how Necromancers fight," Gaap replied. "It''s like someone using shy swordsmanship. All show


    and no substance. If any real Necromancer sees him now, they will probably feel what I''m feeling right now."


    Asmodeus chuckled. He knew that Gaap was a Necromancer the moment he was summoned. Because of this, he wanted to ask his opinion about his Master''s Undead Legion.


    "True, my Master doesn''t know a thing about being a Necromancer," Asmodeus replied. "His Undead are too pure. It''s likeparing innocent children to greedy adults. They are simply worlds apart."


    "Well, not all of them are pure and innocent." Gaap gave Asmodeus a side-long nce. "You should have taught him how to be a proper Necromancer. He needs more rotten individuals like you."


    "It is not my ce to teach my Master how to be a Necromancer," Asmodeus replied. "Besides. What''s wrong with being a good Necromancer? It''s a lot better than other Necromancers who raise the dead from cemeteries and use them as part of his Undead Army."


    Gaap snorted as he pointed at the Skeleton Gang Bangers whose bodies shattered after being hit by one of the eight tentacles of the Octopath Abyssal Monster. "His Undead Army is very fragile. Just one hit and they break apart. A skeleton summoned by a Necromancer of the same Rank would take at least two hits before shatteringpletely."


    "You''re exaggerating," Asmodeus countered. "That is a Deimos-Ranked Creature. An Initiate-Rank Necromancer''s skeleton would shatter if hit by an attack from that thing."


    "Mine wouldn''t," Gaap dered.


    "I wasn''t born yesterday, you know?" Asmodeus scoffed. "We both know that what you''re saying is hogwash. So what if you are a Rank-A Apostle? You''re just acting weak so that others won''t see you as a threat."


    Gaap no longer said anything and simply observed the battle from a distance. His calm gaze, which seemed to have weathered countless storms, locked itself on the Half-Elf, who was attacking the Octopath from the sky.


    "Eiko, let''s do this!"


    "Pa!"


    When Lux and Eiko went to the Ancestral Grounds of the ckrock n, they received Pseudo-Transcendent mes from the Twin mes that strengthened the power of their Dragon Breaths.


    Lux received the "Pseudo-Transcendent Primeval ck mes" which was very effective against creatures without a physical body like Wraiths, Specters, and Ghosts. It was also very effective against Abyssal Creatures, and the best thing about it was that its effects stacked with Abyss Touch, making it incredibly deadly.


    Eiko, on the other hand, received the "Pseudo-Transcendent Purple Primeval me" which could not burn anything, except the Mana in anything it hits. The burnt Mana wouldbust, dealing damage equal to the amount of Mana burned by Eiko''s attack.


    This deadlybination was one of their Trump Cards, but since they are fighting against a very powerful opponent, Lux and Eiko summoned their clones and unleashed the strongest attack in their arsenal.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    ck and Purple Dragon Breaths collided with the Octopath''s body, making it scream and howl in pain. It then started to roll on the ground, imitating the death roll of a Crocodile, destroying the structures around it.


    Lux''s Undead Legion took this opportunity to bombard the Abyssal Creature with long-range attacks, giving it no time to breathe.


    The battlested for nearly half an hour, with ALL-MITE dealing the final blow, smashing the head of the Octopath with his ming fists.


    But, before the Half-Elf could breathe easy, the dead Abyssal Creature''s body suddenly twitched beforeshing at ALL-MITE with one of its tentacles, sending the Four-Armed Hero smashing through dozens of houses.


    No one had expected this sudden turn of events, especially the Half-Elf, who was looking at the revived Abyssal Monster in disbelief.


    Gaap, who was looking at Lux''s dumbfounded expression, smiled evilly. He wanted to show the Half-Elf what it was like to fight a real Undead Monster, and for that to happen, he used the body of the dead Abyssal Creature without a second thought.


    Asmodeus, who was standing behind the old man, chuckled because he didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry at his Master''s current situation.


    Although he found Gaap''s action quite distasteful, he was also very curious about what the old Necromancer was capable of doing.

 Chapter 666 Why Are You So Salty? [Part 2]

    ?


    "What''s going on?" Lux thought as he, and his clones, evaded the corrosive spray that the revived Octopath unleashed in his direction.


    A ck mist, which reeked of death and decay oozed out from the Octopath''s body, making Lux realize something.


    ''It has been revived as an Undead,'' Lux''s expression became solemn after he understood the situation. ''Either someone revived it, or it just automatically revived due to the special feature of this territory. Maybe there''s another reason, but that''s not important right now.''


    Lux and Eiko once again unleashed their Dragon Breaths in order to deal with the revived monster, but something unexpected happened.


    The ck Mist that was oozing off the Monster''s body formed a barrier to protect it, preventing theirbined attack from breaking past its defenses.


    The red-headed teenager then opened his Soul Book to try to see the monster''s information, and what he saw made his face turn grim.


    ��--------------


    < Animated Abyssal Octopath Monster >


    �C Animated Abyssal Creature


    �C Unholy Beast of Death


    Health: 43,250,030 / 45,500,000


    Mana: 4,830,000 / 5,200,000


    Strength: 5,000


    Intelligence: 2,000


    Vitality: 4,000


    Agility: 4,000


    Dexterity: 4,000


    Active Skills: Corrosion Spray, Tentacle Whip, Bind, Infestation.


    Passive Skills:  Unholy Aura [EX]


    ��--------------


    < Unholy Aura >


    �C Grants the Unholy Power of the Dead, greatly raising the monster''s physical, and magical attacks, as well as its defenses by 300%


    �C Allows the ck mist to automatically block physical and magical attacks at the cost of Mana.


    �C The Monster can also freely control the barrier if it wishes. Prioritizing attacks that threaten it the most.


    ��--------------


    ''What a pain,'' Lux cursed internally. ''Wait�� isn''t this an Undead? Maybe I can tame it!"


    Lux hadn''t tried taming a strong Undead Monster before, so he decided to give it a try. After giving mental orders to his Undead Army, the Half-Elf flew to the Octopath''s blindspot in order to get in range for his Tame Undead [EX] skill.


    "Tame Undead!" Lux shouted as he pointed his finger at the back of the revived Octopath Monster.


    A momentter, several rows of text appeared in front of him, which confirmed the Half-Elf''s earlier suspicion.


    ��------------


    < Tame Undead [EX] has failed! ><novelsnext></novelsnext>


    < This Monster has been revived by someone stronger than the Host. Overwriting their contract is impossible! >


    ��------------


    "Sh*t!" Lux muttered before flying away in order to gain a safe distance from the monster, who had started to use its long tentacles tosh out at the Skeleton Gangbangers, who had tried to use swarm tactics on its body.


    "Pazuzu!" Lux ordered. "Do it!"


    The Fortress Defender, as well as the other Elite Shield Protectors, formed a defensive formation, cing their shields in front of them.


    "Duel [EX]!" Pazuzu pointed at the rampaging monster, forcing the Animated Octopath to head in their direction.


    The Octopath then extended one of its long tentacles to smash the Fortress Defender, who had tried to taunt it from a distance.


    "Shield Wall!" Pazuzu roared, and a giant blue tower shield appeared in front of him.


    The other Elite Shield Protectors also used their Shield Wall ability, creating a wall of blue Tower Shields in front of them.


    Lux''s and Eiko''s clones had positioned themselves in the Monster''s blindspot and once again unleashed their Dragon Breaths in an attempt to catch the monster by surprise.


    Zagan, Lazarus, Ishtar, the Skeleton Arcane Hunters, and the Liches had also unleashed their long-ranged attacks, targeting different parts of the monster.


    However, to their dismay, the ck mist once again covered the monster''s body, focusing only on the parts targeted by their Dragon mes.


    This was the first time that Lux had witnessed such an incredible feat, so it caught him by surprise.


    The only silver lining was that the mist had focused on his and Eiko''s attacks, which allowed every other attack tond on its body.


    However, due to its high Health Points, the attacks that hit its body only did minimal damage.


    ''It knows which attacks threaten it the most,'' Lux thought. ''It seems that I have no choice but to fight it in a battle of attrition. This is going to take a while. I just hope that no other Abyssal Creatures spawn at that time.''


    While Lux and his army were doing their best to fight against the Animated Abyssal Creature, Gaap and Asmodeus were busy chatting with each other.


    "This Unholy Aura is good," Asmodeusmented. "If all of his Undead Monsters were to have it, their survivability would also increase."


    "Any decent Necromancer will be able to utilize this if they embrace the true ways of our arts," Gaap stated. "For that to happen, he needs to be a little ruthless and not stick to morality and all that goody-two-shoes mentality. Just looking at his Undead makes me feel as if one of my teeth is about to fall out. You spoiled him too much."


    Asmodeus shook his head and argued with the old man, telling him that there should be other ways to develop a simr ability to the Unholy Aura without changing one''s principles.


    "Are you perhaps living in a rose-colored-dream?" Gaap asked in a teasing tone. "Do you think that this world will allow someone to live happily ever after? Those only happen in fairy tales."


    "Are you talking from experience?" Asmodeus asked. "Why are you so salty? Nothing is ck and white. Even though I think that my Master is too nice to be a Necromancer, his growth is phenomenal.


    "Do you know? He only started going to Elysium a year ago and he is now a Peak Initiate. He even overtook his peers who started earlier than him. My Master is the real deal, you know?"


    Gaap scoffed after hearing Asmodeus'' words. He didn''t believe a single word that the Archlich said.


    He had met several Foreigners in the past and understood that it would take them a few years in order to reach the Initiate Rank. Of course, there were other methods like forcefully absorbing Beast Cores in order to raise one''s stats.


    However, this method was frowned upon by the Power Houses because even if someone brute-forced their way to reach a certain Rank, they would be inherently weaker than those who had achieved it through the proper channels.


    Gaap might not feel impressed by Lux''s performance, but that didn''t mean that he thought that he was bad either.


    A nk canvas was a good thing because it meant that it could be used to draw a beautiful painting, and for Gaap, Lux was that nk canvas.


    If he were able to teach him how to perform the proper strokes, then without a doubt, the Half-Elf would gain a power that he never thought was possible in the past.

 Chapter 667 Loot And Dash

    ?


    Twenty minutes had passed since Lux and Eiko attacked the Animated Abyssal Creature a second time, and both of them were about to run out of steam.


    The Monster''s Unholy Aura was truly a pain as it prioritized defending against attacks that gave it the highest threat.


    The Abyssal Creature was an all-rounder, equipped with both long and short-range attacks that allowed it to annihte anything it hit.


    Orion and Pazuzu had already died more than once in order to save Lux from deadly shes that could potentially give him a fatal injury.


    Even though Lux had the Corpse God to defend him, the two Tankers of his army didn''t dare risk it and sacrificed their lives in order to save their Master.


    Because of this, the Half-Elf was forced to distance himself and no longer tried to engage the Monster, whose fighting prowess had exceeded its former self.


    "Eiko, are you fine?" Lux asked the Baby Slime who was panting on top of his head.


    "Pa!"


    "Take it easy, okay?"


    "Pa!"


    Truth be told, Lux and Eiko were both mentally exhausted. Although their Guild buffs regenerated their health, mana, and stamina, the mental stress they dealt with was piling up and taking its toll on their body.


    It had only been twenty minutes, however, they managed to bring the Monster''s health down by a tenth of its maximum health.


    But, there was one other problem. The monster also had a regeneration ability, which slowly but surely allowed it to recover its health, making the battle of attrition move in its favor.


    Even though Lux and Eiko had been summoning countless Undead to fight, the Monster was simply too powerful for them to handle right now.


    ALL-MITE, whom Lux hoped would be able to turn the tide of battle was also unable to deal a decisive blow and was repeatedly forced to retreat by the Animated Octopath''s relentless attacks.


    ''Maybe I should retreat for now,'' Lux thought after seeing the hopeless situation he was in.


    At that exact moment, a loud shriek spread in the surroundings, which came from behind the Half-Elf, who was busy fighting against the revived Octopath Monster.


    "Sh*t!" Lux cursed as a ck Four-Winged Giant Eagle with red eyes descended from the sky and unleashed countless ck feathers in his direction.


    The Half-Elf immediately flew to the side in order to evade the attacks. However, by doing so, he found himself sandwiched between the Octopath Monster, and the Four-Winged Giant Eagle, whose fierce gazes were locked onto his body.


    With a deafening shriek, the ck Eagle dove down with the intention of crushing the Half-Elf with its beak.


    Behind Lux, the Octopatah extended four of its tentacles towards him, forcing the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime to work together in order to survive the attacks that wereing from the front and the back.


    "Corpse God!" Lux roared.


    "Corpse!" Eiko shouted.


    With Eiko''s mimicry ability, she copied her Papa''s skill, summoning her own Corpse God.


    Lux''s and Eiko''s skills fused together, creating a two-headed Corpse God with twelve arms, which immediately took a defensive position to protect their Masters.


    However, just as Lux and Eiko were bracing for an attack, the four giant tentacles passed them, and wrapped around the body of the Four-Winged ck Eagle, pulling it down from the sky.


    The Octopath then propelled itself to its prey, who was unable to break free due to the Animated Creature''s firm grip on its body.


    Lux watched with surprise as the Octopath''s beak bit on the Giant Eagle''s neck, holding it in ce, and making the Eagle shriek in pain.


    The Octopath''s other tentacles bound the Eagle''s body tightly, preventing it from escaping its death grip.


    One of its tentacles was wrapped around the eagle''s beak, mping it shut and preventing the bird from pecking its body.


    Both of the monsters were Deimos-Ranked Beasts, but the Octopath had the upper hand in the battle. Little by little, it was using its corrosion ability to fully incapacitate its prey, giving it no chance for aeback.


    Lux, who was watching all of this, was faced with two choices.


    Continue to fight or flee.


    His Named Creatures, who were standing not far from him, were also waiting for his orders. They would follow whatever their Master asked of them, even if it was to fight till the bitter end.


    Lux took deep and steady breaths before summoning his Soul Book to pay attention to the Health Points of both monsters.


    The ck Abyssal Four-Winged Giant Eagle''s health was decreasing at a rapid pace as its very life was being squeezed out of its body by the Octopath, who had suddenly changed its target from Lux to the Giant Eagle that targeted the Half-Elf.


    Lux then gave out his orders, which his subordinates obeyed, executing the n he had asked them to follow.


    As the Giant Eagle was about to breathe itsst, Diablo appeared in front of it and stabbed its sword into the monster''s forehead, dealing the final blow.


    This attack was carried out in great timing and precision, which was something that Diablo had only been able to pull off due to the experiences he gained in the many battles that he had fought.


    A secondter, the body of the Giant Eagle disappeared as Diablo stored its body inside his Bounty Ring, preventing the Necromancer who revived the Octopath from gaining a second minion.


    With his mission done, Lux summoned Diablo back to his side as he and his other Named Creatures made a hasty retreat, carrying Gaap with them.


    The old Halfling had the expression of someone who just got robbed, while Asmodeus chuckled beside him.


    Clearly, the old man didn''t expect Lux to loot and dash, taking the Giant Eagle''s body and leaving the Octopath behind.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Of course, not all of Lux''s subordinates had escaped.


    Orion, alongside the surviving Liches and Skeleton Arcane Hunters, engaged the Abyssal Creature in order to buy time for their Master to escape.


    The Capital City of the Kingdom of Zangr was very big, so there were plenty of ces to hide.


    His fight against the Octopath took ce near the outskirts of the city, close to its walls, so the Half-Elf took his subordinates toward the city''s center in order to find a suitable ce to hide.


    A few minutester, Lux and Gaap sat facing each other in the living room of one of the houses near the city''s center.


    "Seriously, Gramps, how are you able to survive in this ce?" Lux asked as he and Eiko drank some water. "Are you not afraid to die?"


    "When you reach my age, death can be considered a gift," Gaap replied. "Although I don''t actively seek death, I''m not afraid of it either. If it''s my time to go then it''s time to go. That is what I have believed for the past few years of my life."


    Lux sighed after hearing Gaap''s reply. There was a firmness in the old man''s tone, so he decided to let the matter drop.


    The Half-Elf then waved his hand, and Orion appeared beside him.


    "How many times?" Lux asked


    "Six," Orion replied.


    "You want to continue?"


    "Yes, Master."


    "Okay, go," Lux ordered.


    Orion then gave the Half-Elf a brief bow before leaving the house to fight the Octopath again.


    Gaap frowned when he heard their exchange. He didn''t understand why Lux kept on summoning the Jade Golem to fight the Octopath repeatedly despite the fact that the Jade Golem was outmatched by his opponent.


    "A foolish act," Gaap stated. "Why are you doing such a wasteful thing?"


    "Wasteful?" Lux tilted his head in confusion. "What wasteful?"


    "You keep on summoning that Jade Golem and have him fight repeatedly with the Octopath. You and I both know that he has no chance of beating it, but you still send him to his death. How heartless can you be?"


    "This is what Orion wants," Lux replied. "I''m just respecting his wishes."


    Gaap shook his head in disappointment after hearing Lux''s reply. He thought that the Half-Elf had learned a little from his fight against the Octopath that he had revived. However, it seemed that he had overestimated Lux''s ability.


    Twenty minutester, Lux once summoned Orion, who had died in fighting the Octopath, once again.


    Gaap no longer concerned himself with Lux''s shenanigans and decided to ask the Half-Elf how he discovered Necromancy.


    "You learned Necromancy from a Grimoire?" Gaap rubbed his chin. "Well, that is indeed one way of learning the Necromantic Arts. In the old days, Necromancers awakened their powers when they encountered a tragedy in their life that forced them to take the path of vengeance.


    "Although rare, there are some exceptions like you who happen to stumble upon the artifacts or legacies left behind by the Necromancers of the past. That exins why you are inexperienced when ites to handling your Undead Legion. Youck the knowledge of how to be a true Necromancer."


    Lux wasn''t able to refute Gaap''s statement because he had never really seen a true Necromancer in action, with the exception of the ck-robed man in the Wolfpine Barony.


    On that day, he witnessed how the ck-robed man showed a ruthlessness that Lux was unable to mimic. He ordered the Cmity Beast to annihte the entire town before raising the residents to be his undead subordinates.


    It was a chilling disy of power.


    It was also the day when Lux decided to not have any kind of rtionship with the members of the Necromancer Guild that went by the name Memento Mori.


    "Gramps, can I ask you something?" Lux eyed the old man with a solemn gaze.


    "Hmm? Sure," Gaap replied. "What do you want to ask?"


    Lux then rested his head on top of his intertwined hands as he held the old man''s gaze.


    "Are you the one that revived the Octopath earlier?" Lux asked. "Are you a Necromancer?"


    Gaapughed out loud. He had a very smug look on his face as he eyed the Half-Elf who was looking at him with a serious expression on his face.


    "What if I am?" Gaap replied. "Do you want to be my Disciple?"


    Instead of answering Gaap''s question, Lux asked another question.


    "Do you know Memento Mori?" Lux asked. "Are you one of their members?"


    Gaap, who received Lux''s question, stopped smiling. His face then became distorted as he looked at the Half-Elf with bloodshot eyes.


    "What do you know about them?" Gaap asked in a cold tone filled with killing intent. "Are you perhaps one of their Disciples?"


    Suddenly, Lux sensed someone standing behind his back. However, his body seemed to be frozen in ce, unable to even turn his head.


    "Answer my question, boy," Gaap''s voice that reeked of death resounded inside the room. "Are you affiliated with Memento Mori?"


    For some reason, something was telling Lux that if he gave the wrong answer, the old man who had beenughing a while ago would not hesitate to tear his head from his body, killing him then and there.

 Chapter 668 Lux’s And Gaap’s Hidden Agendas

    ?


    "Are you affiliated with Memento Mori?"


    Lux held Gaap''s gaze before giving his reply.


    "No," Lux answered. "But I had seen one of their members destroy an entire city without a shred of remorse and revive the dead as if he was just out to buy cabbages in the market."


    Gaap narrowed his eyes as if trying to discern whether Lux was lying to him or not. The tensionsted for half a minute before Lux was finally able to move again.


    The first thing that the Half-Elf did was summon Orion.


    Gaap thought that Lux had summoned the Jade Golem to attack him, but after being summoned, Orion left the residence to fight against the Octopath Monster, whom the old man had stationed at the outskirts of the Capital City of Zangr, once more.


    "... You''re still at it?" Gaap didn''t know whether he should apud Lux for his tenacity or p him for his stupidity.


    The Half-Elf only shrugged before taking out a basket filled with sandwiches in order to feed Eiko, who had be hungry after all the fighting.


    Gaap didn''t know that Lux was letting Orion fight against the Octopath over and over again due to his Avenger''s special ability. Every time Orion died, his stats would gain a boost each time he fought against the same creature that killed him.


    ording to the Elysium Compendium, Octopaths were verymon in the Abyssal World, a ce that could be found within the Void.


    Although Lux had no intention of crossing over to that side, he wanted his Jade Golem to gain enough stat boosts against all Octopaths.


    This way, if he ever had to face off against an Octopath in the future, Orion would be able to easily subdue his opponent due to the bonuses that he got from this opportunity that was presented to him.


    "Gramps, you still haven''t answered my question," Lux said as he fed Eiko a sandwich. "Are you a member of Memento Mori?"


    Gaap snorted. "Who would want to be one of their members? That bunch of baboons can all go to hell for all I care."


    The old Halfling then subconsciously held the ne hanging on his neck.


    After closer inspection, Lux noticed that it wasn''t exactly a ne. It was a silver chain that held a ring in ce.


    "Now I understand why you have been able to survive here, Gramps," Lux stated as he gave Eiko another sandwich to eat. "But what I don''t understand is why you are here?"


    "I already told you earlier that I am waiting for someone to give them a gift," Gaap replied. "Only when he receives my gift will I be able to leave this ce."


    "I hope you find that person soon." Lux picked up a sandwich and began to eat. "This ce isn''t exactly a good ce to wait for someone."


    Suddenly, loud rumbling sounds reverberated in the city. But, this time, Lux ignored it and continued eating.


    He was sharing his senses with Orion, and he saw another Abyssal Creature appear in the city. However, this time, it was only a Rank 5 Abyssal Creature, which was instantly killed by the Octopath.


    Naturally, Lux ordered Orion to get the remains of the Monster, especially its Beast Core. Even though it was a Rank 5 Monster, any kind of ingredient that could be used for his Animate Undead and Skeleton Generator Skills was precious material.


    For some reason, Lux realized that Zangr was a good ce to grind for Abyssal Monster Parts because they respawned here on a regr basis.


    ''Maybe staying here for a bit is a good idea,'' Lux thought. ''I can gather many resources and I can animate Abyssal Creatures as well. Maybe I will have my own Abyssal Legion within a few days.''


    Abyssal Creatures were quite powerful because of their skills, giving them an advantage over normal Monsters in Elysium.


    While the Half-Elf was considering building up his Abyssal Army, the old Halfling was having an internal battle in his mind. Finally, after a few minutes, Gaap decided to break the ice and talk to the Half-Elf who had also finished eating. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Say, Lux, the way you fought earlier wasn''t bad," Gaap said. "But, it wasn''t good either. Youck knowledge about being a Necromancer. So, I was thinking that I would teach you a few things while you''re here. What do you think?"


    "Teach me about Necromancy?" Lux was quite interested in learning a thing or two about Necromancy, especially the Unholy Aura that shielded the Octopath from his most powerful attacks.


    The Half-Elf believed that if all of his Named Creatures could gain that kind of Ability, their effectiveness in battle, especially his tanks, Pazuzu and Orion, would reach a breakthrough.


    "What''s the catch, Gramps?" Lux asked. "There''s no free lunch in this world."


    "I guess you''re not stupid after all," Gaap smirked. "Indeed. There is no free lunch in this world. I want something in return for teaching you the ways of Necromancy."


    "And that is?"


    "A promise."


    Gaap once again held the ring that hung on his neck as he held Lux''s gaze.


    "A promise that no matter what happens, you will not associate yourself with Memento Mori or be one of their members, even if they threaten your life," Gaap stated. "This is my condition. In return, I promise you this. I will train you to be one of the most powerful Necromancers in the world. Not a bad deal, right?"


    Lux didn''t have to think about whether he should ept or reject Gaap''s offer. The answer was already decided the moment he confirmed that the old Halfling wasn''t a member of Memento Mori.


    "Deal," Lux replied. "However, if we are going to do this, I don''t want to do this half-heartedly."


    The Half-Elf stood up and pressed his right fist over his chest before giving Gaap a respectful bow.


    "From now onwards, I will call you, Master," Lux dered. "Please teach me the proper way to be a Necromancer."


    Gaap nodded with a smile. Although Lux was rough around the edges, he thought that he was a very good seedling that he could pass his wisdom to.


    ''It took a few years, Master, but I finally have a Disciple of my own.'' Gaap closed his eyes as he firmly held the ring hanging around his neck. ''Don''t worry. I will make sure that both of us carry on the legacy that you have left behind.''


    While Gaap was reminiscing about his past, the Half-Elf thought of a brilliant idea.


    If he could add his Master to his Guild, wouldn''t that give him another strong fighter who could contend with Rankers, and possibly High-Rankers?


    Although Gaap''s rank was only at the initial stages of the Apostle Rank, Lux believed that there was a story behind it.


    There was simply no way that an Apostle would be able to revive a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster without degrading its Rank. Instead, Gaap had even made it more powerful, giving Lux a hard time while he was fighting against it.


    If the Half-Elf were to fight against a Deimos-Ranked World Boss, that monster would die after being attacked by his Undead Army after some time.


    However, a single Octopath, who was only a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster, nearly made him give up due to how troublesome an opponent it had be.


    The Old Man and the Half-Elf both had hidden agendas in their hearts, not knowing what the other was thinking.


    However, regardless of their goals, their meeting had been made possible by a series of events and a stroke of luck that even the Gods didn''t expect.


    Many years from now, Lux would remember this meeting fondly as the day when he understood which type of Necromancer he wished to be.

 Chapter 669 Hundred Arm Abomination [Part 1]

    ?


    Above the skies of Zangr, Lux''s gue Wing Gargoyles rained Stone Bullets on the Rank 5 Abyssal Bats that had appeared, while the Half-Elf was fighting against an Abyssal Deer-like Monster.


    Three days had passed since Lux epted Gaap''s offer for discipleship, and he was now being trained on how to effectively use his Undead Army in battle.


    "A Necromancer''s advantage in battles is the number of minions that he can summon on the battlefield," Gaap stated. "However, numbers aren''t always the basis for victory. When you find yourself at a great disadvantage, you are given two choices��run or fight.


    "Running away isn''t shameful. It saves your life, allowing you to fight another day. This is true not only for Necromancers but for anyone who values their lives. Even lowlives who only know how to bully the weak and fear the strong understand this principle."


    Gaap was currently sitting on top of a Bone Wyvern, advising Lux as he battled against the Deimos-Ranked Abyssal Deer that had spawned half an hour ago.


    "But, since these monsters are something that you can handle, then you should stand your ground and fight," Gaap stated. "Your Skeleton Soldiers should nk the enemy, while the range attackers provide support. This is the basics of the basics.


    "Um, I noticed that your Skeleton Gangbangers have a bad habit of attacking the rear of the enemy. This is a good thing. Always strike where it hurts the most, but pay close attention to the type of enemy you''re fighting against.


    "That is a deer. Aside from gouging its enemies with its horns, it also uses its hindlegs to kick. Your Skeleton Gangbangers are unable to mount their special attack because their opponent''s attack pattern prevents them from screwing it from behind. When this happens, order them to attack from the sides."


    Immediately, the Skeleton Gangbangers changed their tactics and attacked the Abyssal Deer on its left and right sides, forcing it to continuously move around.


    "You''ve been so used to having your Named Creatures fight for you that you havepletely forgotten that your army doesn''t only revolve around them. Now that they are not around, you are forced to only use the army under your disposal."


    Currently, Lux was only fighting with his Skeleton Gangbangers, Skeleton Arcane Archers, Liches, Steel Golems, gue Wing Gargoyles, and Elite Spirit Protectors.


    Eiko was also not allowed to fight the Abyssal Creature, which made the little battle junkie very upset.


    Fortunately, the Abyssal Bats appeared, so she immediately hopped on top of Bomber and joined the gue Wing Gargoyles in the dogfight high in the sky.


    Revon and his Animated Undead Army were just watching from the side as spectators.


    Gaap didn''t allow them to join Lux in his battle and assigned them to only protect the Half-Elf if another Abyssal Creature suddenly appeared on the battlefield, just like the Rank 5 Abyssal Bats.


    Gaap didn''t need to teach Revon anything because he had felt that the Fallen Wargod was already an expert when it came torge-scale battles.


    Lux may have foughtrge-scale battles before, but all he did was summon Monsters and let them duke it out with the enemy. Of course, there was nothing wrong with this, but Gaap wanted the Half-Elf to gain the ability to move his Undead Army as if they were part of his body.


    Once the Half-Elf mastered this technique, it wouldn''t matter whether he joined the battle in close quarters or not. A single thought was enough for his entire army to move as one.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In short, the old Halfling was teaching Lux how to properly multitask.


    "Shield Bash!" Lux ordered his Elite Spirit Protectors to charge at the Abyssal Deer and bash their shields on its legs, breaking its momentum.


    Lux''s Undead Army may not have the Abyssal Touch passive skill, but they had the Decaying Touch [EX] skill.


    This passive skill gave them a chance to inflict decay, disease, and weakness on their enemies, dealing damage over time.


    This passive ability was simr to inflicting poison on their enemies, dealing True Damage every three seconds.


    Lux''s exclusive title, Lord of Death''s Army, also gave his Undead Legion a buff in physical and magical attacks. It also increased their defense, making them more sturdy.


    However, that was not enough to fight against the Deimos-Ranked Monster, who easily overpowered his Undead Soldiers.


    Lux''s Undead Army was only made up of Rank 4 Monsters. If he weren''t using his clones, he could only summon up to 390 fighters at once.


    Of course, those 390 fighters didn''t include the zombies that the Liches could summon during times of war. Each Lich could revive up to 50 Undead Creatures, giving Lux an additional 2,500 fighters.


    All in all, the number of fighters that Lux couldmand without his clones numbered nearly three thousand strong.


    However, since all of the zombies under the Liches''mands had been destroyed in the Haca Dynasty, they could not bring out their overwhelming superiority in numbers, forcing Lux to onlymand the remaining 390 soldiers.


    ''This is like challenging a Raid Boss Monster,'' Lux thought. ''I have forgotten this feeling.''


    Usually, when dealing with Boss Monsters, especially Dungeon Boss Monsters, an entire guild would have to be mobilized in order to fight it.


    Aina''s Guild, Eternal, would usually tackle a Boss Monster with hundreds of their members. This greatly increased the survival rate of her members, preventing them from being killed by their opponents.


    Lux didn''t have this mindset because, for him, he could summon the Undead whenever they died.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, he only thought of his minions as cannon fodder. Gaap was teaching him to change this mindset. There was nothing wrong with using the Undead as cannon fodders. But even if they had to be cannon fodders, they should be the type of cannon fodders who could make their enemies tremble in fear when they appeared on the battlefield.


    At that exact moment, the Abyssal Deer raised its front legs and stomped them on the ground, creating a shockwave that obliterated all of Lux''s Skeleton Gangbangers, leaving only the Elite Spirit Protectors and Steel Golems to contain it.

 Chapter 670 Hundred Arm Abomination [Part 2]

    ?


    "Rise!" Lux roared as he summoned all of his Skeleton Gangbangers en masse, all of which hurriedly re-engaged the enemy.


    Unfortunately, the Abyssal Deer had learned its lesson, so it once again raised its front legs and stomped on the ground.


    This time, not only were the Skeleton Gangbangers killed, but the Steel Golems and the Elite Shield Protectors also turned into particles of light.


    With one angry bleat, the Abyssal Deer charged toward Lux''s direction with the intention of killing the Half-Elf, who had put it through so much trouble.


    Lux didn''t stand idle and equipped his "Dragon Regalia," which bestowed upon him the power of lightning.


    Using Lightning Steps, the Half-Elf distanced himself from the Deer as his mind shifted into overdrive, thinking about how he would be able to ovee the disparity in rank.


    ''If only the Skeleton Gangbangers and Steel Golems had more hands��'' Lux thought.


    Suddenly, a spark of inspiration appeared inside his head, which made Lux wonder if it was possible.


    He had been too focused onmanding only his army that he hadpletely forgotten that he still had one more skill that he could freely experiment with.


    It was none other than the skill, Skeleton Make [EX].


    "Rise!" Lux then raised his hand to summon his Skeleton Gang Bangers, as well as his Steel Golems.


    After summoning his forces once again, he smacked his fists together and ced his hands on the ground in front of him.


    "Skeleton Make��" Lux dered as he materialized the thought inside his head.


    "Hecatoncheires!"


    Suddenly a notification sounded inside his head, confirming that the thing he envisioned was sessfully created.


    ��-------------------


    < Congrattions! You have unlocked a Transcendent Necromancer Skill called Summon Hecatoncheires! >


    < The Skill Summon Hecatoncheires will automatically be upgraded to Summon Hecatoncheires [EX] >


    ��-------------------


    < Hecatoncheires >


    �C Hundred Arm Abomination


    �C Fusion Monster


    �C Deimos Ranked Monster


    Health: 35,980,060 / 36,000,000


    Mana: 600,000 / 600,000


    Strength: 6,000


    Intelligence: 500


    Vitality: 10,000


    Agility: 500


    Dexterity: 3,000


    Active Skills: Hundred Arm Barrage, Grapple, Vice Grip, Berserk.


    Passive Skills: Steel Body


    Unique Ability: Unholy Fervor


    ��------


    < Steel Body >


    �C The Hecatoncheires'' body is as hard as steel.


    ��-----------


    < Unholy Fervor >


    �C Each sessful strike of this monster to its target regenerates its Maximum Health Points by 0.05%.


    �C The Hecatoncheires gain immunity to Petrification, Charm, Weakness, Blind, Paralysis, Poison, and Slow.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    �C Increases the Hecatoncheires Physical Damage by 20%


    �C Increases the Hecatoncheires Physical and Magical defense by 50%


    ��-------------------


    A Giant Skeleton with hundreds of arms and dozens of heads and towering thirty meters tall stood in front of the Half-Elf.


    Lux couldn''t help but notice that some of the Monster''s hands were made up of bones, while a few of them were made of steel.


    The Skeleton Gangbangers, and the Steel Golems, merged with Lux''s Skeleton Make [EX] ability, creating a Behemoth whose strength had reached the Deimos-Rank.


    The heads of the Hecatoncheires then all roared in unison as the Giant Abomination charged at the Abyssal Deer with the intention of smacking it to oblivion.


    ALL-MITE, who was spectating this battle, looked at his four arms before shifting his gaze at the Hundred-Armed Giant, who had thrown itself at his enemy with fearless abandon.


    He was the strongest among Lux''s Necromancer Covenant, and yet, he thought that the Hecatoncheires looked so cool with its countless arms, ready to smash its foe to oblivion.


    "Not bad, but�� he stillcks proper control," Gaap muttered as he looked at the Hecatoncheires, which was in a berserk state.


    All of the Hecatoncheires eyes were glowing crimson red, making even Lux who summoned it, back away in fear of being attacked by his own creation.


    With a hundred arms at its disposal, the Giant Abomination grappled the Abyssal Deer and pinned it on the ground.


    The Hecatoncheires then began to pound the Abyssal Creature''s body with its free hands, turning it into a one-sided beating.


    The dozens of heads weren''t being idle either, fiercely biting the Deer''s body like a pack of Lions hunting its prey.


    It was a very gruesome sight, and Lux wondered if summoning the Hecatonchires would be effective inrge-scale battles.


    It was so big, and its movements were not that fast, which meant it could be targeted easily by long-ranged fighters


    However, if it only had to fight against one opponent, its fighting ability was second to none.


    Although its movement speed was slow, its attack rate was fast, allowing it to punch, p, smash, and bite its opponent, using everything in its arsenal to the fullest.


    Lux couldn''t help but feel pity for the Abyssal Deer, who was now being bitten by dozens of heads and had its flesh torn from its body, dying the ground ck with its blood.


    He had seen how beasts devour each other, but the Hecatoncheires was in a league of its own.


    Minutes passed, and only the Abyssal Deer''s muffled cries and the Hecatoncheires'' madughter could be heard in all of Zangr as the battle neared its end.


    After what seemed like forever, the Abyssal Monster finally took itsst breath, as its Unholy Foe continued to feast on its body.


    Not being able to stand the gruesome sight any longer, Lux canceled the summoning, disintegrating the Giant Monster into particles of light.


    "You have a very interesting skill, Lux," Gaap said as his Bone Wyvernnded beside the Half-Elf.


    "Thank you, Master," Lux replied as he continued to salvage whatever he could from the remains of the Abyssal Monster.


    Fortunately, its Beast Core was still intact, allowing Lux to use it in the future.


    Although the Deer''s body was badly damaged, it could still be revived using the Animate Undead Skill.


    The only downside was that it would be weaker,pared to its former glory. Even so, Lux was fine with that.


    Due to Asmodeus'' proposal, the Half-Elf decided to create an Abyssal Undead Legion that would devastate his enemies if they were to ever make their appearance on the battlefield.


    Revon would be in charge ofmanding the Animated Undead Soldiers, while Asmodeus would be in charge of the Animated Abyssal Legion.


    Even the Liches that were under the Archlich''smand had been ordered to prioritize the revival of the Undead Abyssal Monsters.


    Their first minions were the Abyssal Bats that Eiko and the gue Wing Gargoyles had just defeated.


    Lux was even considering building a teleportation gate in Zangr, allowing him to return there anytime, so he could replenish his Abyssal Legion.


    "Let''s stop for now," Gaap said after seeing the exhaustion on Lux''s face. "We will start again in three hours. Your next goal is to fully control the Hecatoncheires and ensure that it won''t go berserk.


    "Although it is stronger in its Berserk State, a mindless Monster is still a mindless Monster. Its effectiveness in battle will be reduced because it will not be able to follow orders, nor can it differentiate between friend and foe. If you are unable to master your control over your new subordinate, it will just be a liability in the future."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding before taking a deep breath. He didn''t know how long he would be staying in Zangr, but he hoped that Cai and the others were safe.


    He didn''t know what was going on in the Gate of Famine, and he also had no idea how his friends were faring.


    The only thing he could do right now was finish his training as fast as possible so that he could reunite with hispanions again and finish the messy business that he had started.

 Chapter 671 Gaap’s Gift

    ?


    Somewhere in the city, rumbling sounds could be heard.


    Orion was still stacking up his Revenger Ability by dying repeatedly from fighting against the Octopath Monster, who was under Gaap''s control.


    Lux''s and Orion''s goal was to reach a certain threshold where the Jade Golem could one-shot-kill any Octopath Monster that they faced in the future.


    Gaap had mentioned to Lux that Octopaths were really strong Abyssal Monsters that could overpower even creatures that had ranks higher than theirs.


    Now that the old Halfling was Lux''s Master, the Half-Elf told him why he kept on sending his Jade Golem to his death.


    Gaap couldn''t suppress his surprise after finding out about Orion''s peculiar ability. But once he knew about it, he finally understood why the Jade Golem was insistent on dying repeatedly at the tentacles of the Octopath Monster.


    All of Lux''s Named Creatures had a cooldown time of five minutes. However, the cooldown would automatically start the moment his Named Creatures were summoned.


    This was the reason why Lux could summon them again immediately after his Named Creatures died the first time. Their cooldown timers would have already finished by the time they met their end on the battlefield.


    While the Jade Golem and the Octopath were duking it out, the Half-Elf was busy trying to control Hecatoncheires, which he had summoned to fight a Rank 5 Abyssal Wolf that had appeared in Zangr.


    Currently, the Half-Elf was having trouble making his new summon obey his will. Since the Hecatoncheires was made bybining all of the Skeleton Gangbangers and the Steel Golems to form one entity, its power was able to reach the Deimos Rank.


    ''This is like Pokem*n,'' Lux thought. ''Did I not get enough Gym Badges to control this thing? Is that the reason why it''s not listening to me?''


    The red-headed teenager didn''t dare summon Hecatoncheires when there wasn''t a monster around. He was afraid that the Berserk Hundred-Armed Giant would attack him if it couldn''t see another creature in its immediate vicinity.


    Also, there was one more thing that made the Half-Elf feel difort while he was fighting. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he was being watched by countless eyes.


    At first, he thought that this was only a figment of his imagination. But after spending three days in Zangr, he had a feeling that there was more than what meets the eye behind the difort he was experiencing at the moment.


    Gaap, who was watching the Half-Elf in the distance, was smoking, blowing white circles with his pipe.


    "You still have a long way to go, Lux," Gaap muttered. "If you can''t even control your own Summon, then you will be theughingstock of all True Necromancers in the world."


    Just thinking about the bastards who were part of Memento Mori looking down on his Disciple was enough to make Gaap''s teeth itch.


    ''Still, there is one other thing that bothers me.'' Gaap frowned. ''His senses as a Necromancer are stillcking. Although he can feel them, he''s still unable to understand what he is feeling.''


    Ten minutester, the Half-Elf forcefully unsummoned Hecatoncheires after the Rank 5 Abyssal Wolf was defeated. He didn''t dare let the Giant Abomination linger even a second longer, fearing that it might start a rampage inside the already ruined Capital City.


    "Rest for a bit," Gaap said as soon as Luxnded beside him. "We need to talk about something."


    Lux nodded and sat beside his Master, who was still holding the pipe in his hands.


    "Master, I have a question. You said that the passage of time here is different from the rest of Elysium," Lux stated. "Just what is the difference? You see, my friends are currently challenging a Dungeon, and they might need my help. If possible, I want to know if the time difference between this ce and the Sacred Dungeon is the same or not."


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Gaap replied. "Zangr is a special zone that borders the Void and Elysium. Because of this, time is distorted in this ce. A week here is only a day in Elysium.


    "Spending a few weeks here is not a problem. Besides, if my guess is right, clearing that Sacred Dungeon is not an easy thing. It is much better if you master the Necromantic Arts before you return."


    Lux understood that what his Master said was right. But he still couldn''t feel at ease knowing that he wasn''t able to talk to Cai and the others through the Guild Chat.


    Gaap had already mentioned that Zangr was a special ce and that it had its own set ofws, making it impossible for him to contact anyone in the outside world.


    In order to change the topic and distract the red-headed teenager from thinking about his friends, the old Halfling pointed at a wall that stood a few meters away from them.


    "Look at that wall, Lux," Gaap ordered. "What do you see?"


    The Half-Elf nced in the direction where his Master was looking and frowned. He was about to say that it was only a wall, but for some reason, his senses were vaguely picking up that there was something else there.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Half-Elf narrowed his eyes and fixed them on a single spot. A momentter, the ce he was looking at suddenly distorted. It was as if the air or space he was looking at trembled ever so slightly, making his eyes widen in surprise.


    "Focus," Gaap stated. "Don''t look at it with only your eyes. You are a Necromancer. Expand your senses to the fullest and see the other side of the world that cannot be seen by normal people."


    Lux closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Once he had regained his calm, he opened his eyes and, this time, he extended his senses and finally saw what was causing the distortion.


    A little boy, whom he estimated to be at least ten to eleven years old, was hugging a little girl, whom Lux assumed to be at least four to five years old.


    The little girl was crying silently as her body trembled while holding unto the older boy, who was holding her in a protective embrace.


    Just a nce was enough to tell Lux that the two shared a very close rtionship, making him think that the two children were brother and sister.


    "There is a saying among those that can see the spirits of the dead��that those who have been killed by Abyssal Creatures are unable to pass onto the next life," Gaap said softly. "After visiting many ces in the world, I am inclined to believe that this saying is right."


    Lux subconsciously swallowed his saliva after hearing his Master''s words. Suddenly a realization came to his mind, which made his body shudder.


    "Master, how long ago was this city destroyed by the Abyssal Creatures?" Lux asked.


    "A few centuries," Gaap replied. "Maybe two to three hundred years."


    "Master, are you saying that the two of them had been here for hundreds of years?"


    "Yes. But you''re not entirely right. They are not the only ones that have been here in the city for hundreds of years."


    Just like the final piece of the puzzle falling into ce, Lux finally understood where the countless gazes that were looking in his direction wereing from.


    Although he couldn''t see them, the countless ghosts of Zangr were all watching him as he battled against Abyssal Monsters in the very city where they were born.


    "I mentioned before that I was waiting for someone, right?" Gaap asked. "I was nning to give that person a gift, and that gift is none other than the souls that have been trapped in this ruined city for the past hundreds of years."


    The old Half-Ling gave Lux a mischievous smile before emptying his pipe.


    "Right now, there are millions of ghosts in this city," Gaap exined. "Just think of it. A million ghosts and specters that you can add to your Undead Army, making you a powerhouse at such a young age. Isn''t this the best gift a Master can give to his Disciple?"


    Gaapughed heartily before looking at his Disciple, who was frozen in ce.


    However, instead of seeing happiness on Lux''s face for the gift he had prepared for him, all Gaap saw was a pained expression that made the old Halfling wonder if his Disciple was suffering from a bad case of constipation.


    -----------


    -------------------


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 Chapter 672 Are You Enjoying Your New Life To The Fullest?

    ?


    Originally, Lux thought that there wasn''t a night and day cycle in Zangr when he first arrived. But it didn''t take long for this assumption of his to be corrected.


    During the day, everything in the surroundings was void of any other color except for the color of red.


    At night, everything became so dark that only the moonlight illuminated the surroundings. There were no stars in the sky, and the only thing that could be seen above was a white, full moon.


    After finding out that there were countless ghosts in the city, the Half-Elf decided to take a stroll to clear his mind.


    For some reason, the brother and sister ghosts followed behind him. They would always stay a dozen meters away from the Half-Elf as if following him was a fun thing to do.


    Lux let them do what they wanted as he was busy thinking about a lot of things.


    His friends who were in the Gate of Famine.


    His inability to control Hecatoncheires.


    The words of his Master, Gaap, andst but not the least, he was thinking about what a Necromancer really was.


    Eiko, who could also feel her Papa''s worries, decided to keep her silence. She understood that now was not the right time to distract Lux from his thoughts because he needed some time to ponder the things that he should prioritize.


    Now that he understood where the countless gazes wereing from, he no longer cared about them and simply epted the fact that there were countless ghosts that he was unable to see with his current abilities.


    ''I have been relying too much on my Soul Book to detect monsters around me,'' Lux thought as he continued to walk aimlessly in the city. ''Since the ghosts are not hostile to me, the Mapping function of the Compendium ignored their presence.''


    The Half-Elf didn''t have any particr destination in mind, and just walked, and walked, and walked, hoping to find solutions to the problems he was currently facing.


    He had already summoned his Named Creatures, as well as his Undead Legion, allowing them to have free reign in the city.


    Their mission was to engage any hostile Abyssal Creature that spawned within Zangr while scavenging for useful things in the ruined city.


    The Abyssal Creatures had no need for gold, jewels, or other expensive things. Since the city was devoid of life, the Half-Elf didn''t feel any guilt scavenging for treasures during his stay in Zangr.


    Lux had no doubt in his mind that if Cai and Fei Fei hade here with him, the pair would have already secured the most expensive things in the city before he, or any of his subordinates, could.


    After a few hours of walking, Lux sat down and looked at the two ghosts, who had also sat a distance away from him.


    The little girl was resting her head on her brother''s shoulders, while thetter held her in ce.


    Although Lux''s face looked calm on the surface, deep inside, a storm was stirring. It took him a while to regain hisposure before he closed his eyes to rest.


    He was really tired both physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Because of this, it didn''t take long for him to fall asleep, allowing the clutches of a dream to pull him into dreand.


    ��---------


    "Rise and shine, sleepy head."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A familiar voice called out to Lux, which made the teenager stir from his slumber. A momentter, the Half-Elf half-opened his eyes to see who was disturbing his sleep.


    However, after seeing a face that he hadn''t seen since he had been born in Elysium, the drowsiness he was feeling melted away like an ice cube tossed into a hot desert.


    "M-Max?" Lux asked. "Is that really you?"


    "The one and only," the God of Gamblers, Max, replied. "Long time no see, Lux. Are you enjoying your new life to the fullest?"


    Lux propped himself up in a sitting position and looked around his surroundings.


    He was currently in a space devoid of any colors. The only thing that stood out in this weird ce was the God who had asked him to save a dying world from destruction.


    Max gave Lux an appraising gaze from head to foot before nodding his head in satisfaction.


    "Although there have been many twists and turns, I''m d that you are doing your best to survive in this world," Max stated. "Before anything else, I would like to apologize to you for the mishap that happened back in Heaven.


    "If the cannon hadn''t encountered any problems, you might have been born into more favorable conditions. Although it is a bitte, please, ept my apology."


    Max gave Lux a brief bow before raising his head once more. "In order topensate you for your trouble, you can ask me for one thing. As long as it doesn''t hit my bottom line, I will see to it that you get what you wanted. So, do you have anything you want right now?"


    Lux thought for a while before shaking his head.


    "Your Excellency, what happened in the past should remain in the past," Lux stated. "Perhaps, the SIMP Cannon malfunctioning back then was a blessing in disguise. If not for that, I wouldn''t have been blessed to have a wonderful and loving family who truly cares for me.


    The red-headed teenager then bowed his head towards the Gods of Gamblers, whom Eriol said had risked his Divinity to ensure that his Soul wouldn''t cease to exist.


    "Thank you for giving me an opportunity to live again," Lux said firmly. "Also, I haven''t forgotten the mission that you have given me. I will continue to find ways to help save Sis from destruction."


    Max smiled after hearing Lux''s heartfelt words. As a God, it was impossible for anyone to lie to him because he could see the truth behind every word.


    Seeing that the Half-Elf was truly happy with his life, the God of Gamblers summoned a golden jar.


    "I am happy that you feel that way," Max replied. "But, since I have already decided to give you something, I will see to it that it gets done. This jar in my hands is called the Jar of Fortune. If you ce your hand inside it, you would gain something that will help you realize the thing you want most to happen.


    "I am unable to stay long on this ne, so I urge you to hurry up and pick something from inside the jar. No matter what you get, I''m sure that it will lead to the thing that you want to happen the most."


    Lux, who could sense the urgency in Max''s voice, decided that no harm woulde to him if he did what his Patron God asked of him.


    "Well, here goes nothing," Lux muttered as he put his hand inside the jar.


    He didn''t know what he would be able to take from the Jar of Fortune.


    However, deep inside, he hoped that whatever he got would help him aplish the task that he had envisioned, allowing him to take the path that he had decided to take, regardless of the consequences of his action.

 Chapter 673 The Necromancer I Want To Become [Part 1]

    ?


    "Pa?"


    Eiko, who had taken a nap alongside her Papa, was the first to wake up. The first thing she did was poke Lux''s cheeks, in an attempt to wake him up.


    It didn''t take long before the Half-Elf opened his eyes.


    ''Was it all just a dream?'' Lux thought as he lightly patted the Baby Slime''s head.


    It was at that moment that he saw the silver bracelet on his wrist with the emblem of a red phoenix at its center. This made him realize that what he experienced wasn''t a dream and that he truly met the God of Gamblers, whom he hadn''t seen for a long time.


    "Pa?" Eiko looked at his Papa and wondered if he was still half-asleep.


    "Sorry, I''m just thinking about a few things, Eiko," Lux replied as he ced the Baby Slime on top of his head.


    He then looked at the two ghosts that were huddled in the corner and motioned for them to follow him.


    Lux turned around, not even bothering to look back to see if the brother and sister ghosts were following him. He needed to find his Master and ask him something important, which would determine his next course of action.


    A few minutester, he found Gaap ying chess with Asmodeus near the za of the city.


    The two seemed to be focused on their game, so Lux decided to let them finish before he talked to his Master.


    In the distance, rumbling sounds could be heard as his Named Creatures fought against low-ranked Abyssal Creatures, which had spawned in Zangr, as part of their training.


    For Lux, this was a good thing because the more Abyssal Creatures he could get, the more powerful Asmodeus'' Abyssal Legion would be.


    Nearly half an hourter, Gaap groaned after Asmodeus ced his Queen chess piece beside the old man''s King.


    "Checkmate," Asmodeus said with a smile. "I admit, you got me in the first half. Comeback is real."


    "Hmph! I shouldn''t have made that move five rounds ago." Gaap grumbled.


    The old Halfling then nced in Lux''s direction to see what he was doing. To his surprise, the Half-Elf was talking to the brother and sister ghost, asking them a few questions about Zangr.


    However, the ghosts weren''t replying to him. They simply stared and hugged each other as if they had long lost the ability to talk.


    The only feelings that remained after being earthbound for hundreds of years were their familial bonds, with the older brother protecting his sister even long before they had died.


    "It''s no use, Lux," Gaap said. "Those two have very little sentience left. They are simply moving based on their instincts because their self had eroded after a few centuries of staying in this forsaken ce."


    "Master, are all ghosts like this?" Lux asked. "Do they lose their sentience after staying in this world for a very long time?"


    "Well, it really depends on how strong the willpower of that person is," Gaap replied. "For example, children don''t have very strong willpower because they haven''t fully developed physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. If they were only dead for a year or two, they might still retain their intelligence.


    "But, as the years go by, their senses deteriorate until they revert to their most primal instincts. These two ghosts'' strong feelings for each other are the only thing that has survived since the day this kingdom fell. However, there are always exceptions. Perhaps, out of the millions of ghosts in this city, you will find a few who still have their sentience intact. Those spirits are likely strong individuals who had high ranks when they were still alive."


    Lux nodded in understanding before asking his Master the thing he wanted to ask when he came to look for him.


    "Master, you said that you nned to give me the spirits in this city as a gift, right?" Lux inquired. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Right," Gaap answered. "Since you are my Disciple, I n to give all of them to you. Aren''t I generous?"


    "You''re very generous, Master." Lux smiled. "Since they are now mine, does that mean that I can do anything I want to do with them?"


    "Of course."


    "No matter what happens, you won''t get mad, right?"


    Gaapughed after hearing Lux''s question. "Why are you even asking this question? I already said that they are yours. Whatever you want to do with them, I will not lift a foot, a finger, or open my lips to get in your way. Use them as you see fit."


    Lux breathed a sigh of relief after hearing his Master''s confirmation.


    "Thank you, Master," Lux bowed his head respectfully. "I will go back to my training now."


    "Mmm, you do that." Gaap nodded before shifting his gaze to the Archlich, who had finished arranging the chess pieces on the board. "Another round. This time, I will not show you any mercy."


    "Hahaha. That''s what losers always say," Asmodeusmented. "Come. Who''s afraid of who?"


    Lux left the za and flew towards the outskirts of the city, away from the city wall.


    ''Heaven''s Bracelet will not be fully charged until tomorrow night,'' Lux thought. ''I will set aside my main goal for the time being and deal with the things that I can do right now.''


    He then summoned his Skeleton Gangbangers, as well as Steel Golems, and fused them together to summon the Hundred-Armed Abomination, Hecatoncheires.


    As soon as the Giant made his appearance, Lux immediately unleashed a Dragon''s Breath, targeting the monster''s heads that numbered around fifty.


    The Half-Elf felt that, no matter what he did, he wouldn''t be able to make histest Summon listen to his order, so he decided to just fight it and forcefully make it submit to him.


    Seeing that her Papa nned to fight against Hecatoncheires, the Baby Slime became motivated and decided to unleash her own Dragon Breath that had the Mana Burn effect on the berserk Abomination that had locked its countless eyes in their direction.


    Gaap nced in the direction where Lux was fighting and shook his head helplessly.


    "Your Master really loves to do unconventional things," Gaap said before moving his knight chess piece. "Well, I guess that is one way to make his subordinate listen to his orders."


    Asmodeus chuckled before moving his pawn forward. "When Master does things, he does them in a grand way. Even I can''t count how many times I''ve been surprised by his actions, which defy everything a Necromancer stands for. Tell me, Gaap. What kind of Necromancer do you want my Master to be?"


    "I want him to be a True Necromancer, but he is not ruthless enough. I''m afraid that if I force him to do something really vile, like desecrating a graveyard, he will resist it with every fiber of his being. What a troublesome child."


    "Ah. I can easily imagine that happening."


    The Archlich once again chuckled before moving his Queen chess piece to the side of the board.


    ''Sometimes, the less obvious things make the most impact in the world,'' Asmodeus thought. ''Regardless of what Lux chooses, we will all support him with everything we got. Even if that meant facing the entire world.''


    The Archlich might not know what the Half-Elf intended to do with Gaap''s gift��


    However, there was one thing he did know and that was, whatever Lux nned to do, it would certainly be different from the one the old Necromancer had in mind.

 Chapter 674 The Necromancer I Want To Become [Part 2]

    ?


    "Skeleton Make!" Lux shouted as he punched forward. "United Nation�� Smash!"


    A Giant Skeleton fist materialized in front of him and smashed against the Hecatoncheires, sending the Giant Abomination skidding backward.


    "Smash!" Eiko shouted as she imitated what her Papa just did.


    Before the Hundred-Armed Giant could even recover from Lux''s attack, Eiko''s Giant Skeleton fist smashed against its body, making the Giant fall on its back.


    ALL-MITE, who was watching the battle from a distance, gave Lux and Eiko four thumbs up.


    "Good Smash," ALL-MITE shouted, which made Lux and Eiko nce in his direction before they replied to him with a thumbs up.


    "Okay, let''s do an experiment," Lux said excitedly as he summoned his clones.


    The two clones understood what the red-headed teenager was thinking, so they immediately summoned their own Skeleton Gangbangers and Steel Golems.


    ""Summon Hecatoncheires!""


    Immediately, two more Giant Abominations appeared on the battlefield, making Lux draw in a cold breath.


    "I knew it," Lux muttered. "This new skill ispletely broken."


    The three Berserked Abominations then began to fight against each other in a free for all, making the entire surroundings tremble as they rampaged to their heart''s content.


    Eiko, who found this situation funny, also summoned her clones and had them summon their own Skeleton Gangbangers and Steel Golems.


    At first, Lux thought that Eiko and her clones wouldn''t be able to do it, but he was proven wrong.


    Half a minuteter, six Hundred-Armed Giants were bashing each other with wanton abandonment, like pro wrestlers in a deathmatch.


    Suddenly, out of nowhere, a Deimos-Ranked Abyssal ck Tiger appeared beside the Six Giants, issuing a defiant roar.


    For a brief moment, the six Hecatoncheires stopped fighting and nced at each other. Half a minuteter, all six of them ganged up on the pitiful ck Tiger, who roared out of pain and frustration as six behemoths grabbed hold of its body, preventing it from escaping.


    A one-sided beating took ce, which made Lux and Eiko feel sorry for the Abyssal Creature who had spawned at the worst possible ce in Zangr.


    ''Since Eiko is able to do it, I''m sure Asmodeus can do it as well,'' Lux thought. ''So that means I can summon nine Hecatoncheires at the same time.''


    Although the nine Deimos-Ranked Monsters were truly powerful, they still had their disadvantages. For one, they were simply too big, making them easy targets for long-range spells and attacks.


    Second, High-Rankers would be able to neutralize them because they were only on the Deimos-Rank.


    Bigger didn''t necessarily mean better. The Skeleton Gangbangers were Rank 4 Monsters, making them very strong individually. They could decimate Human armies in their wake, and their teamwork with the Steel Golems had been tried and tested over time.


    But, that didn''t change the fact that if used at the right time and situation, the Hecatoncheires would be able to deal massive damage to anyone and anything within its striking range.


    For the time being, Luxbeled the Hundred-Armed Giants as Anti-Boss and Anti-Giant Summons.


    Basically, anything above five meters was fair game to the Hecatoncheires.


    It didn''t take long for the ck Tiger to croak, leading the Giant Abominations to toss its corpse to the side.


    After the pitiful Abyssal Creature was dealt with, they once again grappled and fought each other, and Lux sneakily retrieved the Abyssal Corpse that was left behind.


    In the end, Lux and Eiko unsummoned the Giant Monsters because their battles were getting out of hand.


    The Half-Elf''s goal was to make the monster submit to him, but he was unable to do it at this time.


    The next day, the Half-Elf tried again to make the Hundred-Armed Giant obey him, but he still didn''t seed.


    Fortunately, the span of time in Zangr was very different from Elysium, so he had plenty of time to find the right method to subdue histest Summon.


    ''Finally, it''s time,'' Lux looked at the full moon in the sky with aplicated look on his face.


    It was already night, and only the moonlight illuminated the ruined city which was a stark contrast to its once glorious past.


    Lux hovered above the City za with his eyes closed, preparing himself for the grand undertaking he was nning to do.


    The moment he opened his eyes, the space around the za rippled, simr to that of a stone dropping in a stillke.


    A momentter, the Ghosts in his surroundings materialized, looking at him with both fear and anticipation of what he was about to do.


    "Come." Lux made a gesture to the brother and sister pair that had been following him for the past few days.


    The two reacted to his voice and slowly floated toward him, only stopping when they were a meter away from him.


    The little girl was holding onto her brother, burrowing her head into his chest. The older boy wrapped his arms around her body and looked at the Half-Elf with apprehension.


    "You did well protecting your sister for the past hundreds of years,'' Lux said softly as he patted the boy''s head. "It''s time for the two of you to finally rest."


    The silver bracelet on Lux''s hand glowed faintly, giving the Half-Elf the power that he desired.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The boy''s nk gaze slowly regained its rity. The same thing happened to his little sister, making both of them look at each other before bursting into tears.


    "It''s fine," Lux stated as he hugged the two children who had suffered for hundreds of years. "It''s time for the two of you to start your new journey. Don''t worry. In your next life, both of you will still be brother and sister. I wish both of you the happiness you deserve."


    The two children, who had been crying earlier, turned into two white butterflies that circled the Half-Elf, fluttering their beautiful wings.


    "Thank you very much," the voice of the older boy said. "We can finally leave this ce."


    "Big Brother, thank you," the little girl''s voice also reached Lux''s ears. "I''m not scared anymore."


    The two butterflies then flew upwards, heading to the moon where a new life was waiting for them.


    Those who were killed by Abyssal Creatures found themselves unable to move through the Cycle of Reincarnation and were forced to spend their eternity wandering in Elysium.


    Lux had decided that he would be the one to free these wandering souls from the shackles that bound them, allowing them to start over again, just as how he had been given that same chance by the God of Gamblers, who was currently watching his action from the Heavens.


    "Looks like tonight is going to be a busy night for the caretaker of the Cycle of Reincarnation," Eriolmented as he looked at the two butterflies that were flying toward the moon. "I''m guessing that��hey, are you crying?"


    The God of Games looked in surprise at the God of Gamblers, whose tears were streaming down the sides of his face.


    "Eriol, I''m d that I chose Lux," Max wiped the tears in his eyes. "It is the best decision I have made in my life."


    "... It is your helper, Himea, that chose him, and not you."


    "Himea is my assistant! Her choice is my choice!"


    While the two Gods were arguing in the Heavens, the souls of the dead, who had been trapped in Zangr for hundreds of years, flew toward the Half-Elf as if they had found their salvation.


    Lux raised his hand, releasing a soft and gentle light toward the souls that hade to him for redemption.


    One by one, these souls turned into white butterflies that danced in the night, as if celebrating the moment they finally regained their freedom to pass into the afterlife.


    "Thank you."


    "Bless you."


    "If we meet again in the future, I promise to return this favor."


    "I will finally be reunited with my family."


    "Mom, Dad, let''s all go together."


    "Yes. We''ll all go together."


    Soon, the skies were filled with white butterflies that were all flying toward the moon, creating a picturesque scenery within one of the most dangerous ces in the world.


    "... You foolish boy," Gaap sighed as he looked at the countless white butterflies that were now headed to the Cycle of Reincarnation. "Now I understand why you asked me that question. What am I to do with you?"


    Asmodeus stood beside the old Half-Ling with his arms crossed over his chest. The glowing embers, serving as his eyes, glowed brightly as a feeling of warmth spread inside his already dead heart.


    "Gaap, do you understand now?" Asmodeus asked as a faint smile appeared on his bony face. "This is the kind of Necromancer my Master wants to be. I hope you can respect his decision."


    The old Halfling snorted, but he didn''t say anything to contradict Asmodeus'' words.


    Gaap''s right hand gently held the ring that hung on his neck and rubbed its surface with his thumb.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, the scene in front of him made him remember the memories that he had locked up deep inside his heart.


    "All the good people die early," Gaap muttered in a voice that even Asmodeus was barely able to hear. "It is the bad ones that live long in this world. Of all the Necromancers I could have found, why am I stuck with someone like your Master?"


    A single tear streamed down the side of Gaap''s face as he recalled the distant past, a time when he was still happy.


    A time when his Master taught him the joys of bing a Necromancer.


    A joy that had long disappeared in his life.


    ---------


    Important Announcement!


    I will be publishing two stories this month of May. For now, I have published the first story and its title is "Kingdom Building Done Right".


    I have also created a Patreon Page for it, so you guys can read its advance for a very, very, cheap price that will not put a hole on your pockets and wallets.


    The Patreon page can be found on the synopsis of the novel, but do take note that no chapters are uploaded in it at the moment. I will work on it after three days, so you guys can read without too much hassle.


    The two new stories will also be having a Webtoon Adaptation, so I will be very happy if you guys donate to make it happen. That is all folks. Enjoy the new story.


    P.S Don''t worry, this announcement will not make you pay additional coins. I made sure that it will not add to the word count to make you pay extra, so don''t get mad at me, okay?

 Chapter 675 Fight For Home And Country!

    ?


    Countless white butterflies circled around the city, illuminating the darkness that had taken hold of the area for hundreds of years.


    Lux hovered at the center of it all. The souls longing to regain their freedom all flew toward him, hoping to end their misery.


    Gaap and all of Lux''s Named Creatures watched this scene in silence. None of them dared to disturb this sacred ceremony that the Half-Elf had decided to initiate by himself.


    Unfortunately, not everyone shared their sentiments.


    A crack appeared a hundred meters away from the Half-Elf, revealing the figure of an Argonaut-Ranked Abyssal ck Dragon.


    Without giving anyone time to react, the ck Dragon unleashed an Abyssal Dragon Breath at the Half-Elf, who was too focused on what he was doing to notice.


    "No!" Gaap shouted as he hurriedly summoned his own Named Creature. But he was simply too far away, and his Summon couldn''t move fast enough to save his Disciple, who was attacked in his blind spot.


    Lux''s other subordinates were alsote to react, including Zagan, who was the fastest among the members of his Covenant.


    Just as the Abyssal Dragon Breath was only a dozen meters away from the Half-Elf''s body, a blueet appeared out of nowhere, shing against the Dragon''s Breath and making itpletely disperse.


    When the light receded, a blue Wraith, wearing a crown, stood between the Argonaut-Ranked Dragon and the Half-Elf.


    "Filthy creature, how dare you?" A cold voice filled with killing intent left the Wraith''s lips.


    It flew toward the ck Abyssal Dragon and kicked the monster away, sending it crashing toward the city.


    From behind the blue Wraith, blueets surfaced and flew past him, attacking the ck Dragon with a vengeance.


    Wraiths, who were wearing knightly clothes, hacked, shed, smashed, stabbed, and punched the Abyssal Creature, preventing it from taking flight.


    However, the ck Dragon was still an Argonaut-Ranked Creature, so it was able to resist thebined attacks of the twelve Wraith Knights that tried to contain it.


    The Abyssal Dragon let out a mighty roar, calling for reinforcements. Soon, dozens of Abyssal Wyverns descended from the sky in order to answer their Master''s call.


    The Wraith King, who had stayed behind to protect Lux from any danger sneered as he raised his hand.


    "Rise, Warriors of Zangr!" the Wraith Kingmanded. "Fight for our home and country! Fight for our freedom! Fight for our people! Send these foul beasts back to the Abyss!"


    As soon as the Wraith King gave his order, something stirred within the ruined city that had remained dormant for hundreds of years.


    From under the rubble, Wraith Soldiers arose, holding spears, swords, and arrows.


    They were the soldiers of Zangr that had fought until the bitter end back when the Abyssal King descended upon Elysium alongside his countless Abyssal Legion.


    After dying, their spirits had mostly been broken, unable to even manifest. However, after hearing their King''s summons, these broken and pitiful souls rose up from their slumber and regained a bit of their sanity.


    It took them a moment to register what was happening around them.


    When they saw the ck Dragon and the ck Wyverns trying to stop their people from entering the Cycle of Reincarnation, the fire of anger and hatred burned in their hearts.


    Countless roars and warcries soon reverberated within the city as countless Wraith Soldiers flew toward the sky and engaged the Abyssal Creatures in a fight to the death.


    Although they were only around Rank 3 to Rank 4 Wraith Monsters, none of them backed away. They were like a swarm of killer bees, ready to defend their nest till thest man.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Soon, an epic battle had taken ce in the sky as the Abyssal Wyverns found themselves covered from head to foot by bloodthirsty Wraiths, whose weapons stabbed into their bodies repeatedly.


    "Continue what you are doing," the Wraith King told Lux as he protected the Half-Elf''s back. "I swear upon the honor of Zangr that no harm wille to you."


    Hundreds��


    Thousands��


    Hundreds of thousands��


    More Wraith Soldiers emerged from the city, fulfilling their oath to their King and their Kingdom to protect everyone they held sacred in their lives.


    "Don''t let anyone touch our Master!" Asmomdeus roared as he revived one of the Abyssal Wyverns that had just died to be his mount. "Morpheus! Kill!"


    The Death Tyrant gave an otherworldly chuckle as it unleashed Death Rays and Petrification Rays from its floating eyes.


    Zagan, who was also protecting his Master, unleashed a barrage of ck lightning bolts, targeting the closest Wyverns, making them howl in pain.


    Diablo rode on his Nightmare Horse, which had gained the ability to fly in the sky, leaving ming trails behind its back.


    As Lux''s First Born, he would not allow anyone to harm his Master, and this determination made his zing eyes burn even brighter.


    ALL-MITE, who was the strongest member of Lux''s Covenant, smashed one Wyvern after the other, making them fall from the sky.


    Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, and Revon all yed their part to ensure that none of the Abyssal Monsters could evene near their Master.


    "Bastard! How dare you!" Gaap, who had almost lost his Disciple, cursed out loud as he ordered the Octopath to wrap itself around the Abyssal ck Dragon, preventing it from going back to the sky.


    While the Octopus Monster was pinning the ck Dragon down, two of the twelve Wraith Knights stabbed the eyes of the Abyssal Dragon, blinding itpletely.


    Roars of pain and anger spread in the surroundings as the Dragon called for more reinforcements.


    This time, four Deimos-Ranked Gryphons appeared and immediately took part in the battle.


    However, what awaited them was a ck Knight holding a ck sword in his hand that reeked of death.


    Beside the ck Knight was ady wearing a red dress, floating harmlessly in the air with a red rose in her hand.


    "Can you leave these little birds to me?" the Lady in Red asked. "It has been a while since Master summoned me, and I feel like ying for a bit."


    "As long as they don''t go anywhere near Master''s disciple, you can have as much fun as you like," the ck Knight replied.


    The Lady in Red giggled before brandishing the red rose toward the Abyssal Gryphons.


    Immediately afterward, the four Deimos-Ranked Gryphons found themselves caught in a petal storm that sliced through their bodies like razors.


    ck blood rained from the sky as the four Abyssal Creatures cried out in pain from having their entire bodies shredded by the beautiful red petals that showed no mercy.

 Chapter 676 Title Will Be At The Bottom Of This To Avoid Spoiler

    ?


    A maniacalughter echoed within Zangr as the Lady in Red slowly tortured the Gryphons until they breathed theirst.


    "More! I want more!" the Lady in Red shouted. "Give me more!"


    As if waiting for that cue, hundreds of Gryphons appeared. However, these neers were only Rank 5 Monsters. They were the subordinates of the four Deimos-Ranked Gryphons that the Lady in Red had killed.


    "Bunch of small fries!" The Lady in Redughed maniacally as she trapped the new batch of Gryphons in a storm of red petals, preventing them from going anywhere.


    Although Zangr was already ruined, it was still located between the border of the Void and Elysium. Because of this, the Abyssal Creatures felt the powerful fluctuation of Divine magic, whichpelled the Argonaut-Ranked Dragon to investigate.


    Never did the Abyssal Monster expect that what was waiting for him on the other side of the Void was an all-out battle of epic proportions.


    As if a dam had been broken, more Abyssal Creatures emerged from the Abyss, ranging from Rank 3 Monsters up to the Argonaut Rank.


    However, as if venting out their hatred that hadsted for hundreds of years, the Wraith Soldiers didn''t back down and engaged in a brutal war so intense that the Ruined Capital trembled.


    The sneer on Gaap''s face didn''t fade as he summoned his Undead Creatures to fend off the Argonaut-Ranked Monsters that appeared.


    Although he was only of the Apostle Rank, his Named Summons were strong enough to make even Empyrean-Ranked Monsters like Barca shudder in fear.


    The Capital City of Zangr had once again be a battleground after a Hundred-Year silence.


    The spark of this great battle, on the other hand, was busy purifying the souls of the dead, allowing them to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation.


    True to his word, the Wraith King didn''t allow a single Abyssal Creature near the Half-Elf, ensuring his safety.


    An hour passed, and the battle was still in full swing.


    Fortunately, Lux''s Protectors were all Undead, which meant that they didn''t have to worry about exhaustion.


    When thest nonbat-resident of Zangr had turned into a butterfly, the Half-Elf was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.


    A momentter, Lux felt extremely lethargic, unable to even keep himself afloat.


    At that moment, Asmodeus flew to his Master''s side and caught him, preventing the Half-Elf from falling in the sky.


    The Archlich then immediately ordered his Abyssal Wyvern to fly towards Gaap, who was the strongest person in Zangr.


    Asmodeus knew that as long as Lux was by his side, no other harm woulde to him.


    The Wraith King escorted the Wyvern until it safelynded beside the old Halfling. The King of Zangr then gave the nearly-unconscious Half-Elf a nce before flying to the sky in order to join his countrymen in battle.


    Half an hourter, the city was littered with the countless bodies of Abyssal Monsters.


    The Wraith Soldiers who died in the battle had turned into white dust, coating the entire city like a nket of snow.


    When the battle ended, Lux''s subordinates began collecting the Dead Bodies of Deimos-Ranked Monsters and above, leaving the low-ranking ones to be revived by the Liches and integrated into their Abyssal Legion.


    Lux, who did his best to stay awake for as long as he could, finally closed his eyes to rest.


    However, just before his vision cked out, he heard a notification sound inside his head.


    The red-headed teenager no longer had the strength to read the rows of text that had appeared in front of him and finally sumbed to sleep''s embrace.


    Eiko also yawned and closed her eyes to rest. She had also fought hard in order to protect her Papa and was very tired as well.


    If Lux was only awake to see the information that had appeared in front of him, he would definitely doubt whether the notification was ying a prank on him or not.


    ��----------------


    < Congrattions! You have unlocked a Sacred ss! >


    < Sacred ss Unlocked: Heaven''s Necromancer >


    ��----------------


    < Heaven''s Necromancer >


    "I seek the Monsters you fear the most."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Profession Rating: Progenitor


    �C When Darkness knocks on Heaven''s Doors, the chosen one shall rise in the darkened skies. Light and Dark both intertwine, thus are the makings of the Divine.


    �C As someone who Lords over the Undead, you don''t care who you help, whether they be the living or the dead. Your actions allowed you to create a new path that is different from the norm, paving a way for a different kind of Necromancer to be born.


    < Sacred ss Bonuses >


    �C All of your Summons will be immune to Divine, Light, and Life Magic even if they are Undead. Spells imbued with Divine, Light, or Life Magic, will now heal your subordinates, giving them a boost in strength.


    �C All of your attacks, including your Beast Companions, Named Creatures, Covenant Members, and Summons, will be imbued with Divine Magic, allowing you and them to deal great damage to both the living and the dead.


    �C The Divine Magic will stack up with other Elemental Affinities that you have, adding anotheryer of damage to your attacks. For example, your Abyssal Touch [EX] will now change to Divine Abyssal Touch [EX].


    �C Your subordinates'' Affinities will also change. For example, Diablo''s Ethereal Affinity will now be Divine Ethereal Affinity, ignoring armor, as well as any kind of magical resistance.


    �C All of your Named Creatures, and Beast Companions, with the exception of your Covenant, will now have the same Rank as you. Together, all of you will share the path that you have unlocked due to your strong will and resolve.


    �C You will now be able to summon an additional 200 Skeleton Gangbangers (Total: 320)


    �C You will now be able to summon an additional 200 Skeleton Arcane Archers (Total: 320)


    �C You will now be able to summon an additional 100 Elite Spirit Protectors (Total: 150)


    �C You will now be able to summon an additional 40 Steel Golem (Total: 60)


    �C You will now be able to summon an additional 50 Liches (Total: 100)


    �C You will now be able to summon an additional 50 gue-Wing Gargoyles (Total: 80)


    ��----------------


    < Additional Sacred ss Bonus >


    �C You can now summon a Battle Angel to fight for you.


    �C Summon Battle Angel will automatically be upgraded to Summon Battle Angel [SSR]


    �C All of your Summons will obey you without fail, including any Monster created through your Skeleton Generator Skill, as well as any Monster that you will obtain in the future. This is the Privilege of the Progenitor ss that you unlocked.


    ��----------------


    < Transcendent Heaven''s Necromancer Skills >


    �C All of these skills will be unlocked once you have be a Ranker, and received the world''s blessings.


    �C Transcendent Summon (Locked)


    �C Transcendent Spells (Locked)


    �C Transcendent Curses (Locked)


    ��----------------


    The rows of text in front of the sleeping Half-Elf slowly disappeared one by one. Even if they lingered, the Half-Elf wouldn''t be able to see it because he was out like a light.


    Unknown to him, the countless Warriors of Zangr all bowed their heads respectfully in his direction.


    Thanking him for allowing their people to find peace after being bound in a cycle of despair thatsted for centuries.


    ��-------


    Chapter Title: Heaven''s Necromancer


    ------------


    End of Volume 3: I Seek The Monster''s You Fear The Most

 Chapter 677 Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep

    ?


    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by darkness.


    It was pitch ck,pletely devoid of any color. Even as a Half-Elf, who had the ability to see in the dark, Lux found himself unable to see anything.


    He couldn''t see his hands. He couldn''t see his body. He couldn''t see whether there was anything in front of him. When he tried to shout, no sound came out of his lips.


    It was at that moment that the ear-numbing sound of silence started to make his ears start ringing.


    He covered his ears, but the ringing didn''t stop.


    No matter how much he shouted with everything he had, his voice seemed to have ceased to exist.


    For the first time after being reborn, Lux felt truly and utterly helpless. It was as if he had fallen into a bottomless pit, doomed to stay there for eternity.


    Suddenly, he felt something touch the side of his face. His first reaction was to scream in fear and ask for help, but since he could not let out any sound, all he could do was shudder as if all his strength left his body.


    His breathing grew ragged, and he was starting to undergo a panic attack.


    However, just as Lux was about to fallpletely into despair, he heard a soft and soothing voice enter his ears.


    "Don''t be afraid. I won''t hurt you."


    A pair of delicate hands were wrapped around his body, pulling him close until he felt his face touching something soft and warm.


    He then felt a hand lightly pat his head, as if assuring him that there was nothing to be afraid of.


    "I don''t know how you ended up here," the voice said softly. "But I''m here. You are not alone."


    The words offort and assurance made Lux regain hisposure as he allowed himself to be embraced by someone, who was slowly and surely starting to materialize in front of him.


    "Do you feel better now?" the voice asked.


    Within that dark ce, a youngdy with long, pink hair and green eyes smiled at him. She was wearing what seemed to be a ceremonial priestess dress, simr to what Cai wore, except her dress was more revealing, showing a lot of skin and highlighting her seductive and innocent charm.


    A momentter, Lux noticed the chains that bound her wrists and legs, allowing her to only move within a certain distance.


    "Can you tell me your name?" Although the youngdy had noticed Lux''s staring at her chains, she pretended not to notice and simply asked his name.


    "Lux," Lux answered. "My name is Lux."


    Lux paused after saying his name because he had finally regained the voice he thought he had already lost.


    "Lux��," the pink-haireddy muttered. "While I''m notpletely sure, I believe that this name means Light."


    Lux nodded his head to agree with the youngdy''s words. His name did mean Light, and he wondered how that youngdy knew it.


    "How ironic," the youngdy said sadly. "In this dark ce where I am imprisoned, the first person I''ve seen in several years is a person whose name means Light. Are the Gods perhaps ying a prank on me?"


    Lux looked at the beautifuldy, who seemed to be around his age, as she muttered something while looking in the distance.


    "I''m sorry, it has been a while since I had guests, so I forgot my manners." the pink-haired youngdy smiled. "My name is Aurora, and it means dawn. Do you know what dawn is? It''s hard to know when dawn ising because we are deep into the earth. ording to my mother, dawn is the time before the first rays of the sun appear on the horizon.


    "I don''t know what a sun is, but I believe that it can be found on the surface world. ording to the books I read, it is very bright and lights up the entire world. Perhaps my mother named me Aurora so that I would be able to see that light��"


    Aurora paused before closing her eyes.


    "Aurora also has a different meaning," Lux said as he looked at Aurora''s sad smile. "In my world, Aurora also means colorful lights that dance in the night sky. It is very beautiful to behold, and from what I can see, you are just as beautiful as those colorful dancing lights in the sky."


    The pink-haired girl raised her head to look at Lux in surprise. However, that surprise didn''tst long, and a bitter smile appeared on her face.


    "My name also means light?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "In a way, yes."


    Aurora then closed her eyes before lowering her head.


    "I guess it''s time for you to go, Lux," Aurora said in a tone that reeked of sadness.


    The Half-Elf didn''t understand what the pink-haired beauty was talking about, but it didn''t take long for him to notice that his body had started to glow faintly.


    "I don''t know if this is just a dream or if I am having one of those fantasies, but I''m d that I met you, Lux," Aurora stated as she reached out to hold Lux''s hand. "But even if all of this disappears when I wake up, to have been able to talk to someone after many years is a blessing.


    "Lux, I have a favor to ask. Can you think of me from time to time? That way at least, someone will know that I existed. This ce�� is very lonely, you see. But I will keep our meeting in my memory."


    Lux''s body was slowly bing transparent, as he felt a strong force pulling him toward another ce. However, he fought it with every fiber of his being, wanting to stay a little longer and know more about the sad girl, bound by chains and all alone in the darkness.


    "Where is this ce?" Lux asked as he resisted the strong pull that was tugging at his body. "I wille find you!"


    Auroraughed bitterly as he looked at the desperate Half-Elf whose body had almostpletely be transparent.


    "You wille for me?" Aurora asked. "Even if you do, you can''t free me from this ce. The only thing I will bring you is misfortune."


    "I don''t care," Lux replied. "I will make no promises, but just tell me where you are. If there is an opportunity, I wille to find you."


    "Lux, please, don''t make promises you can''t keep. Don''t give me false hope."


    "Just answer my question. Please!"


    Aurora slowly reached out to wrap her arms around the disappearing Half-Elf before whispering something in his ear.


    "Agartha," Aurora whispered. "Goodbye, Lux. I wish that you will live your life to the fullest."


    Just as she finished saying those words, the Half-Elfpletely disappeared, leaving her all alone once again in a ce surrounded byplete and utter darkness.


    ��-----------


    "Aurora!"


    "Aurora? Who''s that? Your lover?"


    "Pa!"


    Gaap and Eiko looked at the Half-Elf, who was lying on the bed with his right hand raised upwards as if trying to reach out for something.


    Lux immediately propped himself up from the bed and looked at his surroundings.


    He was no longer in that dark and lonely ce, but his heart felt heavy as if he had left it behind with the pink-haireddy, whose tears were streaming down the side of her face before he disappeared.


    Seeing that Lux seemed to be confused, Gaap decided to give him a ss of water, so that he could regain his calm.


    "You''ve been sleeping for three days straight," Gaap exined. "How do you feel?"


    "My body feels as heavy as lead," Lux replied before drinking the cup of water given to him by his Master.


    Gaap then asked Lux a few more questions, and the Half-Elf answered them absentmindedly. He could still feel Aurora''s warmth in his body and wondered if everything that he saw was just a dream.


    ''There''s only one way to find out,'' Lux thought as he stared at the empty cup of water in his hands. ''Agartha�� the answer lies in Agartha.''


    Lux still had many things to do, but he vowed in his heart that after he had tied up all the loose ends that needed to be taken care of, he would travel to the Kingdom of Agartha, which was located thousands of meters under the ground, near the core of Elysium.


    If that sad and pitiful girl was really trapped somewhere in that dark ce, he would free her from the chains that shackled her and let her see the dawn, which represented the meaning of her name.

 Chapter 678 The Wraith King Of Zangrila [Part 1]

    ?


    After eating his first meal after three days, Lux asked his Master, Gaap, about all the things that had happened right after he lost consciousness.


    The old Halfling didn''t mince his words, and narrated the blow-by-blow ount of what transpired, without omitting a single detail.


    The Half-Elf listened with a serious expression on his face because he truly wanted to know what happened afterwards.


    Twenty minutester, Gaap finished his tale, and the Half-Elf lowered his head in order to digest everything that he had heard from his Master.


    After a few minutes of silence, Lux thanked his Master and slowly stood. He then left the house where he and Gaap were currently staying to get some fresh air.


    The moment he stepped outside, he noticed that it was nighttime, with the full moon illuminating the ruined city as it did for hundreds of years.


    Lux also felt something very different, and that was the subtle fluctuations in his surroundings. He hadn''t felt anything like this in the past, but for some reason, he instinctively understood what it meant.


    The Half-Elf then equipped his Favonious Legacy and slowly floated upwards. The entire city was covered in what seemed to be white ash.


    These were the remains of the brave Wraith Soldiers, who had perished in the battle against the Abyssal Legion that had tried to attack Lux during his purification ceremony. Without their help, the people of Zangr wouldn''t have been able to pass on to the next life.


    The silver bracelet on Lux''s wrist faintly glowed as if answering the Half-Elf''s determination.


    Lux pressed his palms together and closed his eyes as if he was praying, making his entire body glow in silver light.


    "Brave Soldiers of Zangr,


    Selfless Protectors of heart and home.


    Lift your voices up in prayer,


    Sing it all across Elysium.


    May love andughter light your days,


    and warm your heart and hearth.


    May good and faithful friends be yours,


    Wherever you may roam.


    May peace and plenty bless your world


    With joy that long endures.


    Now it''s time for all of you to set off on a new journey,


    A ce where happiness awaits.


    Blessed is your kingdom, since days of yore,


    Its Legacy will remain forevermore.


    ��---------


    From within the ash-covered city, something once again stirred.


    Countless small translucent white lights slowly rose towards the sky, like small fireflies in the night.


    These were the remnants of the shattered souls of the Wraith Soldiers who had died protecting their home.


    They no longer possess any sentience, and what remained of their identity slowly flew towards the Half-Elf en masse.


    These souls could no longer pass through the Cycle of Reincarnation because their essence was too weak and would simply fade away long before they could reach their final destination.


    Lux then raised his right hand high up in the air, forming a giant ring of light that expanded for hundreds of meters above his head.


    He then pushed the ring of light upwards, making it hover high in the sky.


    The small white lights were all sucked up at the center of the ring of light and passed through it. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Suddenly, all of these fragmented souls regained their radiance and transformed into white cocoons that hung in the sky, making Gaap, who was watching Lux in the distance, gasp in shock.


    "T-This is�� resurrection magic?" Gaap''s eyes widened like saucers as he appraised what the Half-Elf was doing. "No�� not resurrection magic. But it''s something simr. Just what in the world is happeni��"


    Suddenly, the old Halfling''s body subconsciously shuddered as he remembered a distant memory.


    ��-----------


    "Master, why are you doing this?" a younger version of Gaap asked. "This is not the way of a Necromancer."


    "That''s because I don''t want to be an ordinary Necromancer, Gaap," a beautiful woman replied in a teasing tone. "What I want to be is a Necromancer that is able to move both Heaven and Earth. A one-of-a-kind, never seen before Necromancer that does not only revive the dead but also someone that can wield the power of the Divine."


    "Master, have you eaten? I think you''re suffering from delusion."


    "How harsh! My own Disciple is telling me that I''m delusional."


    "Just speaking facts, Master. There''s no way a Necromancer can do what you''re talking about."


    "Hehehe. Maybe not now, but I believe that there wille a time when a Necromancer, who shares the same ideals as me, will one day realize my dream."


    ��-------------


    "Heaven''s�� Necromancer," Gaap muttered. "Master, is this what you were talking about?"


    As if waiting for that cue, the countless white cocoons that hung in the sky all cracked at the same time.


    A momentter, white butterflies emerged from them, and slowly but surely, they spread their wings.


    Suddenly, one of these butterflies took flight and flew around the Half-Elf, who was hovering not far from them.


    "Safe journey," Lux said softly as the butterfly hovered in front of him for a few seconds before it finally flew towards the moon.


    The other butterflies also circled around the Half-Elf before flying upwards to join the others who had gone before them.


    Now that their souls wereplete once more, they finally had the strength to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation and be reborn again.


    While Lux was bidding his farewell to the countless souls that had embarked on their new journey, a blueet flew to his side.


    Thiset then transformed into the Wraith King, who had earlier protected the Half-Elf and ordered the Warriors of Zangr to fight for thest time.


    "I am forever in your debt, Lux Von Kaizer," the Wraith King bowed his head respectfully towards the Half-Elf who had helped his people time and time again.


    When he was still alive, the Wraith King didn''t bow to anyone. But, right now, he was moved by Lux''s deed, that he lowered his pride and bowed to the person to whom he owed a debt of gratitude.


    "I know that you''re still weak and tired from doing the ceremony a few days ago, but can I ask you a favor?" the Wraith King asked. "My other soldiers, I want them to also pass to the afterlife. In return, I will serve you until you breathe yourst, pledging my loyalty and allegiance to your cause."


    "Please, raise your head, Your Majesty," Lux replied. "I don''t mind helping your soldiers to pass through the Cycle of Reincarnation. But they will have to wait for a few days. I am really at my limit and unable to amodate your request at this point in time."


    "Don''t worry. They have already waited hundreds of years. A few more days would certainly be nothing for them."


    "Thank you."


    "No. It is I who should be thanking you, Lux."


    The Wraith King then pressed his right fist over his chest before kneeling like a Knight in front of the red-headed teenager, whom he had decided to serve with his life until his oath was fulfilled.


    "I am Leoric Von Haile," Leoric dered. "Thest King of Zangr before it fell to the Abyssal Legion. My Kingdom is no more, but as long as I remain, Zangr''s Legacy will never fade. I hope that you can ept me as a member of your Covenant."


    A notification sound then sounded inside Lux''s mind at the same time as rows of texts appeared in front of him.


    ��----------


    < Leoric had pledged his fealty to you. Will you ept him as a member of your Covenant? >


    < Yes / No >

 Chapter 679 The Wraith King Of Zangrila [Part 2]

    ?


    Lux chose yes because he could tell that Leoric was serious about repaying his debt to him even if he said no.


    Immediately, rows of text appeared in front of him, showing the newest member of his Covenant.


    ��----------


    < Leoric the Wraith King >


    "You''ve never known War unless you''ve warred with a Wraith King!


    �C Wraith King


    �C Rating: SSR++


    �C Rank: Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss


    Health: 480,000,000 / 480,000,000


    Mana: 40,000,000 / 40,000,000


    Strength: 200,000


    Intelligence: 50,000


    Vitality: 150,000


    Agility: 100,000


    Dexterity: 100,000


    Unique Skill: Wraith King Devil Form [EX]


    Active Skill: Wraith Fire st [EX], Summon Wraith Soldiers [EX], Cursed de [EX], Hell Fire Annihtion sh [EX], King''s Gambit [EX], Summon Ethereal Spears [EX], Comet Rush [EX],


    Passive Skill: Life Steal [EX], Mana Steal [EX], Revival [EX], Critical Strike [EX], Wraith Absorption [EX], Spectral Form [EX], Abyss Touch [EX].


    Title: Last King of Zangr


    ��----------


    ''Sh*t��'' Lux''s eyes were glued on Leoric''s information because the Wraith King''s stats had gone past the Half-Elf''s expectation.


    He already had a feeling that the newest member of his Covenant was quite strong, seeing that he managed to disperse the Abyssal Dragon''s Breath Attack when thetter protected him.


    But he thought that he was only an Argonaut-Ranked Wraith King. He didn''t expect that Leoric''s Rank was actually a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.


    The Health Points of the newest member of his Covenant was unreal, which made him understand why more powerful monsters could only be fought by people of the same Rank as them.


    This also made him remember why Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters could easily demolish entire cities if no High-Rankers were present to defend them.


    If he were to fight the Wraith King with his current strength, he would just be like a two-year-old trying to fight an adult with a toy hammer.


    But, there was one more shocking revtion that the Wraith King shared with his new Master that almost blew his mind.


    Leoric was actually a Saint in his past life!


    The reason why his rank degraded so much was due to the fact that he used almost all of his strength to forcefully send his family members, as well as their retainers, to a ce far away from Zangr.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He had done this when he deemed that his kingdom could no longer be saved. At the time, he decided that it would be best to send his family far away from the conflict, allowing them to live on and continue their bloodline, despite losing their kingdom.


    This massive undertaking drained him of his power, so when he died, his Rank degenerated to such an extent.


    "Your Majesty, allow us to follow you as well."


    The Twelve Royal Knights that served directly under King Leoric begged their King to allow them to fight by his side.


    "Thank you, but none of you need to do this," Leoric replied. "I alone am enough. All of you have suffered enough and should enter the Cycle of Reincarnation to start your new lives."


    "Your Majesty, we have sworn to protect you with our lives," one of the Knights stated. "We will break our oath of fealty if we pass on, leaving you behind."


    "He''s right, Your Majesty," another knightmented. "Since you decided to repay his Excellency, Sir Lux, we will also follow you until the end."


    All the knights pleaded with Leoric to allow them to stay with him. While this was happening, Lux subtly used his Appraisal Ability to check how strong the knights were.


    ''Deimos-Ranked Wraith Knights!'' Lux gasped internally after seeing how strong the Royal Wraith Knights were.


    Truth be told, he wasn''t expecting anything in return when he tried to help the residents of Zangr to cross over to the next life.


    Gaap also thought that Lux''s move was quite wasteful because he turned down the opportunity ofmanding millions of ghosts to fight for him.


    Never did he think that the former King of Zangr would pledge fealty to him, who was already a very strong World-Boss Monster.


    In the end, Leoric reluctantly agreed to let his knights stay with him and repay Lux for everything he had done for their kingdom.


    One Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss and twelve Deimos-Ranked Wraith Knights.


    This group was enough to conquer Wildgarde Stronghold, where Lux had grown up since he was a child.


    Of course, he had no intention of doing so. But, it clearly showed that he now had a fighting force that could make him a true Overlord of a territory if he wished for it.


    Some of the Wraith Soldiers that had survived the battle also asked Leoric to allow them to stay. However, the Wraith King firmly rejected their proposal.


    The other Wraiths were only Rank 3 to Rank 4 Monsters and, if they joined him, the chances of them dying for real were high.


    Although Lux could help them undergo rebirth, Leoric no longer wanted his countrymen to suffer, which was another reason why he decided to swear his loyalty to the red-headed teenager.


    Two dayster, Lux presided over the purification ceremony, allowing all of the remaining souls in Zangr to break the shackles that bound them to the mortal world.


    Leoric and his twelve knights had stayed close to Lux during the entire ceremony, just in case an Abyssal Monster suddenly appeared to try and mess things up.


    Fortunately, no Abyssal Creatures appeared, allowing the ceremony to be conducted sessfully.


    Lux rested for another two days, and on the third day, he finally remembered the notification he received before he fell unconscious the first time.


    ''Heaven''s Necromancer?'' Lux thought as he read the information inside his Soul Book. ''Is there such a thing?''


    The Half-Elf even had a cheeky grin stered on his face as he started to read the information about his new profession.


    But not longter, the grin on his face disappeared and was reced with a gaping mouth out of shock and disbelief.


    The more he read about his new profession, the more he realized that he had actually pioneered a new path for all Necromancers, which would soon show its might and take the world by storm.

 Chapter 680 What Is Your Profession?

    ?


    After reading all the information about his Sacred ss Upgrade twice, Lux finally had a better understanding of his new Profession.


    The first thing he did after checking his Soul Book was summon all of his Skeleton Gangbangers, and Steel Golems.


    "Come forth! Hecatoncheires!" Lux ordered


    Immediately, all of his Skeleton Gangbangers and Steel Golems merged together.


    However, something different happened.


    Instead of only one, two Hundred-Armed Giants, who were thirty-five meters tall, appeared in front of the Half-Elf.


    Not only did the number of Hecatoncheires increase, they had be taller as well.


    Also, unlike before, these Giant Abominations were no longer in a berserk state. Both of them knelt to show their respect to their Master, waiting for his orders.


    Lux gave the two Giants a brief nod before raising his right hand.


    A secondter, a bone cocoon materialized in front of him. This was the cocoon where he had sealed the powerful Monster that he had created through his Skeleton Generator Skill.


    This monster was so strong that it was impossible for Lux to control it unless he had be a C-Ranker.


    Fortunately, after unlocking his Sacred ss, any Monsters he had created would obey his order without fail.


    Cracks appeared in the surface of the bone cocoon, as the Monster that had been sealed inside struggled to break free.


    Lux crossed his arms over his chest and waited for this savage monster to appear. Deep inside, he was very curious about what kind of Monster it was because its presence was incredibly strong, even though it was in its sealed state.


    Suddenly, a mighty roar reverberated in the surroundings and the bone cocoon exploded, sending bone fragments flying in every direction.


    It was at that moment when the creature finally revealed itself to the world.


    A spindly ck humanoid creature with four bat-like-wings, a long spiked tail, two curved horns, and a nk face, that was straight out of a horror story, pped its wings menacingly before shifting its head towards Lux.


    Since it had no face, it didn''t show any expression whatsoever. However, the malice that was oozing out of its body was the real deal.


    Lux then summoned his Soul Book to look at the information of his new subordinate, whose malicious presence caused Lux''s Named Creatures to rally to his side, ready to smack the neer if it did anything stupid to their Master.


    If the Half-Elf had summoned this sealed monster before he had unlocked his Sacred ss, the first one to die by the fiend''s hand would have been none other than him.


    But, since he no longer had to worry about getting attacked by any creature he had created, the red-headed teenager took his time to read the information of the Argonaut-Ranked Alpha Monster, who was now under his control.


    ��------


    < Before you ess this creature''s information, bestow it a name first, or it will break free from your control >


    < Time remaining to give the creature a name: 00:05:34 >


    ��------


    The Half-Elf nced at the alien-looking creature in front of him, and was tempted to call it Batm*n.


    However, since he had a feeling that Copyright Gods existed, he decided to think of another name for it.


    "Shax," Lux dered. "From now on, your name will be Shax."


    ��-------


    < Shax >


    "I do not need a thousand souls. I only need one, which is my Master''s."


    �C Nightgaunt


    �C Dream Eater


    �C Creature Rating: SS+


    Health: 42,000,000 / 42,000,000<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Mana: 7,000,000 / 7,000,000


    Strength: 35,000


    Intelligence: 10,000


    Vitality: 30,000


    Agility: 50,000


    Dexterity: 25,000


    ��---------


    Unique Skill: Dream Walker [EX], Dream Eater [EX], Soundless Scream [EX], Dark Bullets Barrage [EX], Tickle [EX], Doppelganger [EX].


    Active Skill: Tail Lash, Sky High Dive, Razor Wings, Night sh, Hunter''s Mark,


    Passive: Echo Location [EX], Baneful Presence [EX], Air Strider [EX].


    Title: No Face Hunter


    ��----------


    ''He is a stronger version of Zagan,'' Lux thought after reading Shax''s information.


    With a high agility stat, the Half-Elf was certain that the Nightgaunt would be able to travel at great speeds, attacking his enemies before they could even see what hit them.


    Lux was surprised to see that Shax also had the Doppelganger [EX] skill, allowing him to create two clones that were just as deadly as him.


    The Nightgaunt was at least three meters tall, casting an intimidating presence to those that could see its visage. Its faceless appearance also made it more horrifying because no one would ever be able to tell what it was thinking.


    Shax was the second highest ranking member of Lux''s army, second only to Leoric, who was a Dreadnaught World Boss monster.


    With this powerful new subordinate, Lux was feeling a little more confident when it came to facing stronger opponents in the future.


    ''I don''t know how I ended up in this ce, but I''m d I did,'' Lux mused.


    He believed that if he had stayed inside the Gate of Famine, he would have never set foot in Zangr, not met Gaap, as well as became Leoric''s benefactor.


    If only the Abyssal Duke, who was sealed in the Gate of the Apocalypse, could see Lux now, he would have definitely cursed the Half-Elf for having so many fortuitous encounters after his failed attempt to send the red-headed teenager to the Void, where he would certainly meet his end.


    "Lux, we need to talk."


    The Half-Elf turned to look behind him to see Gaap sitting on top of an Undead Abyssal Wyvern.


    Lux nodded his head in understanding andnded in the za with the old Half-Ling , so that they could talk properly.


    "Tell me, what is your profession?" Gaap asked.


    "Spar�C I mean, a Necromancer," Lux replied.


    Gaap snorted. "Just a Necromancer? What you did isn''t something that an ordinary Necromancer can do. Tell me, have you upgraded your Profession to something more powerful?"


    Lux purposely didn''t tell his Master what his Profession was because he was afraid that thetter wouldn''t believe him. However, since Gaap seemed to know that he was no longer an ordinary Necromancer, the Half-Elf no longer hesitated and told his Master the truth.


    "Master, my profession had an upgrade and I became a Heaven''s Necromancer," Lux replied. "Sounds cool, right?"


    Gaap''s face immediately became solemn because Lux''s words confirmed his suspicions. He had originally nned to make the Half-Elf walk the thorny and lonely path of a true Necromancer.


    But now, he changed his mind.


    "Heaven''s Necromancer," Gaap said softly. "So it really exists��"


    The old Half-Ling once again remembered his Master, who had also tried to take the path of righteousness. However, her circumstances didn''t allow her to seed.


    Instead of bing one, she met her end, being hunted down by the Champions of the Hellion Knight Temrs, whose role was to eradicate anyone, whom they judged to be a heretic that threatened the peace and stability of the world.

 Chapter 681 Laugh Now While You Still Can

    ?


    Gaap managed to survive because his Master had given him her life saving artifact, allowing the Half-Ling to escape their hunters.


    "Lux, there is a ce that we need to go," Gaap stated. "It is the Sacred Grounds of all Necromancers. It is where we receive the World''s Blessing and breakthrough to be a Ranker."


    "Master, can we dy this trip for the time being?" Lux asked. "I already mentioned that my friends and I were supposed to conquer a dungeon together. But, for some reason, I was transported here. I need to go back and help them. The Domain of the Fallen prevents any Rankers from stepping foot inside it."


    Gaap frowned before reluctantly nodding his head. Although he wanted his Disciple to be a Ranker already, he also respected his will.


    Because of this, he decided to wait until the Half-Elf had finished whatever he was supposed to do before they made a pilgrimage to the Sacred Lands of the Necromancers.


    "Master, do you know how to leave this ce?" Lux asked.


    "Of course I know," Gaap replied. "How do you think I got here?"


    Lux breathed a sigh of relief because he thought that Gaap had been teleported to this ce against his will.


    If the old Half Ling didn''t know how to leave the Kingdom of Zangr then it would take a longer time for him to get back and meet with Cai, and the others, inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    "Master before anything else, please join my Guild," Lux said. "You bing one of our members will definitely make the Guild stronger."


    "You little rascal, you really know how to take advantage of people," Gaap sneered. "Why would I join a kiddy guild like yours? You want me to join your Guild so that you can brag to your members that your Master is strong? Very well, I will humor you this once. You should be d that you have a Master like me."


    "Thank you, Master. You''re the best."


    "Hmph! ttery will get you nowhere."


    Gaap was feeling a bit smug because he knew what Lux was thinking. Having a strong person like him to enter a guild would definitely boost the morale of its members.


    However, the smugness on his face instantly vanished when he received Lux''s Guild invitation.


    "... Heaven''s Gate?" Gaap blinked in confusion. "Your Guild''s name is Heaven''s Gate?"


    "Yes, Master." Lux smirked because he was doing his best to notugh after seeing his Master''s priceless reaction when the old Half-Ling discovered his Guild''s Name.


    "Are you ying a prank on me?" Gaap asked.


    "No?" Lux replied.


    "This is real?"


    "It is real."


    Gaap once again looked at the rows of text in front of him, which signified Lux''s invitation.


    Although he had stayed inside Zangr for many years, that didn''t mean that he hadn''t heard the announcement that reverberated across the entire world.


    The Old Half-Ling was still half in doubt, but knew that he would find out the truth once he epted Lux''s invitation.


    A secondter, the old Half-Ling suddenly felt a surge of strength inside his body as the Guild Buffs came into effect.


    He had been in a guild before and knew that they didn''t have this kind of function, which erased all the doubts he had earlier.


    ''By the Gods, the Mythical Guild is real!'' Gaap eximed internally after finally epting the fact that the red-headed teenager whom he had made his Disciple, was actually the Guild Master of the Guild whose name resounded in the worlds of Sis and Elysium.


    "Master, let''s leave this ce," Lux stated. "My friends are still waiting for me."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gaap forcefully calmed his widely beating heart before nodding his head. He then drew a magic circle in the air while uttering ancient words of magic that Lux didn''t understand.


    After a few minutes, a red portal materialized in front of them.


    "Enter the portal," Gaap ordered. "It will take us out of Zangr."


    Lux nodded and entered the portal as he was told.


    The Wraith King, Leoric, and his Knights, gave the Kingdom of Zangr onest nce before they too, entered the portal to follow their new Lord, whom they had pledged their allegiance to.


    Gaap was thest to enter the portal, but before he did, he nced in the direction of the crack in the sky of Zangr.


    He had sensed a presence watching them from that gap in the void, and its power was just as strong as a Saint.


    Gaap snorted as if the powerful presence that had been observing them for quite some time wasn''t a big deal.


    Although the Old Half-Ling was truly only an Apostle, he wasn''t afraid, even if a Saint were to appear and fight him to the death.


    But, that was not happening.


    Thews that bound Zangr forbade any Saint, or any Cmity ss Creatures from the Void, and Elysium, to enter the border that divided the two worlds.


    "Thanks for the Monster Parts and Beast Cores," Gaap said in a teasing tone. "I''m sure that my Disciple will use them well."


    The Old Half-Ling then entered the portal in a good mood, leaving behind the ruined city, whose people had all been given a second chance at life.


    A minuteter, a loud roar simr to that of a booming thunder, spread in the surroundings making the sky and earth tremble.


    "Lowly mortal!" a voice filled with anger growled. "The next time I see you, I''ll make you regret stepping into this ce! Laugh now while you still can because soon, the Abyssals will once again trample your world, and make you wish that you were never born!"


    The loud roar of anger continued for a few more minutes before fadingpletely.


    Once again, the ruined city of Zangr fell into a deathly silence.


    Having lost the living and the dead, it had truly be a forsaken ce, but not for long.


    Soon, it would once again bear witness to the second invasion of the Abyssal Monsters, whose goal was to drag the world of Elysium within the void, just like the other worlds that they had conquered in the past.


    -------------------


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    P.S


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 Chapter 682 Have You Guys Forgotten What He Can Do?”

    ?


    After leaving the Kingdom of Zangr, Lux took Gaap with him to his Guild Headquarters, located in the Dragon Kingdom of Karshvar Draconis.


    "... This is the Outer Reaches?" Gaap asked as he looked at his surroundings. "Yes. Although it has been a while, I am certain that the floating ind over there is where the City of Pygmalion is located."


    "Oh? You know about this ce, Master?" Lux looked at the Old Halfling in surprise. "Have you been here before?"


    "My Master brought me here in the past," Gaap replied. "She made friends with�� one of the High-Ranking Dragons of this ce. I never thought that your Guild Headquarters would actually be located in Karshvar Draconis. But, I''m more surprised that the current Dragon King allowed you to stay here. That guy likes to go fishing with people he doesn''t like."


    Just as Lux was about to reply, some people came out of their Guild Headquarters to meet with them.


    One is the Half-Orc, mma, who was currently wearing a very annoyed expression on his face.


    The other one was Garret, whom Lux had made his Steward and assigned to watch over the Guild Headquarters.


    "How long must you keep me waiting, Lux?!" mma asked. "You said that you would summon me as soon as you enter the Sacred Dungeon! It has already been two days since you left. Did you already conquer the Dungeon without me?!"


    "mma, calm down for a bit," Lux answered in an awkward manner. "Something happened while I was entering the Dungeon, and I was teleported somewhere else. I just got back, and I''m nning to get back to the Dungeon right away. I''m just here to drop my Master off here at our Guild Headquarters before I go."


    "Master? Isn''t your Master that Dwarf, Randolph?"


    "Hmm? You have another Master, Lux? Why didn''t I hear anything about this?"


    Gaap looked at his Disciple with squinted eyes, which made the Half-Elfugh nervously.


    "Master, I have be a Disciple to a Dwarf cksmith to learn the art of Smithing," Lux replied. "He taught me a lot, and although I still haven''t fully put his teachings to practice, I still consider him as my first Master."


    Gaap scoffed. "A Necromancer doing Smithing? What a waste of time. Still, since he is your Master, then I guess I''ll try to get along with him for your sake. Is he here?"


    Lux shook his head. "Right now, Master is with the Orc cksmiths of the ckrock n to help him recreate a powerful weapon that we managed to take during a great war. You should have seen it, Master. It turned six million soldiers into crystal statues."


    "Oh? That is indeed amazing." Gaap became interested after hearing about such a powerful weapon, and decided to ask more.


    Garret, who was the Great General thatmanded those six million soldiers, cleared his throat, stopping Lux from saying anything else.


    Although he was now Lux''s subordinate, he was still the Great General who had oncemanded those six million soldiers. Hearing this topic hit his sore spot.


    "Lux, it will be best if you go and see Cai and the others in the Sacred Dungeon," Garret said with a serious expression on his face. "It seems that they''ve encountered some trouble and were unable to proceed with the conquest of the Gate of Famine."


    The Half-Elf frowned after hearing Garret''s report. He then immediately opened his Guild Chat and contacted Cai, and the others to ask them of what was happening in the Gate of Famine.


    ��---------


    Cai: Lux! You''re finally back! Where have you been?!


    Lux: I was teleported to a different ce when I entered the Gate of Famine. There was also something that prevented me from making contact with the outside world, so I was unable to tell you guys about my situation. What happened to the Gate of Famine? Garret said that you and the others are having trouble?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gerhart: Having trouble is an understatement. The conquest of the Gate of Famine has failed. All of us were expelled from the Dungeon after we died and immediately brought back to the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen.


    The adults are now brainstorming on how to deal with the situation. However, no matter how hard they thought about it, unless a miracle happens, seeding in the conquest of the Gate of Famine is near impossible.


    Cethus: Although I hate to admit it, even if you were here, the oue would have still been the same. We are simply outmatched. This is not a battle that Initiates can fight��we were faced with a Monster Outbreak spearheaded by a Dreadnaught Rank World Boss.


    Cethus: There are Argonaut and Deimos-Ranked Monsters as well. Even when we all worked together with the Crystal Pce, we were simply overwhelmed by the disparity in numbers and rank. It was a one-sided massacre.


    Keane: I have a feeling that the expedition will be called off because this was already beyond what Initiates can handle. Going to the entrance of the Sacred Dungeon without you will endanger the lives of the candidates. Also, even if we are able to return to the Gate of Famine, the oue will still be the same.


    ��---------


    "I''lle to you as fast as I can," Lux stated. "I don''t care what the other Factions are thinking, but send word to Henrietta, Xander, Einar, and Val to wait for me. We will clear that dungeon ourselves."


    "Hahaha! That''s more like it!" mma, who was itching for a fight,mented on the Guild Chat as well. "Don''t worry. With Lux here, we can beat that Dungeon easily, or have you guys forgotten what he can do?"


    Gerhart and Cethus, who had apanied Lux to the Wanid Kingdom, immediately realized what the Half-Orc was thinking.


    They hadpletely forgotten that their Guild Master had a cheat-like ability that could turn the tide of battle in their favor.


    ��-------


    Gate of the Domain of the Fallen��


    The atmosphere inside the cavern was very gloomy after their failed attempt to conquer the Gate of Famine.


    Even the members of the Crystal Pce couldn''t help but feel frustrated at the unfairness of the situation.


    At that moment, a burst of loudughter spread in the surroundings, catching everyone''s attention.


    Cethus, who was feeling just as gloomy as everyone, was now in good spirits and wasn''t able to stop himself fromughing out loud.


    "Now that I''ve finally seen what the Gate of Famine is like, I realized that it is easier to conquer than I thought," Cethus said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I only used a quarter of my power earlier to gauge the waters. Now that I know what I''m dealing with, conquering it this time will be a breeze."


    Cai, Gerhart, and Keane looked at the smug-faced Dragon Born in disdain. However, they didn''t stop the Dragon Born from spouting his nonsense and went to talk to their allies to tell them that they were going to enter the Gate of Famine a second time.


    At first, Xander, Henrietta, Einar, and Val, thought that Cai and the others were still in denial about their current situation.


    However, when they mentioned that Lux, who had gone missing, was on his way to lead them to conquer the Gate of Famine, something stirred inside their chests, rekindling the hope that they had lost.


    Although they were still half in doubt whether Lux''s arrival would change anything, at least, they felt that it was worth giving it a shot.


    After all, every time the Half-Elf was with them, they were able to ovee even the most dangerous situations.

 Chapter 683 So, Are You Guys Ready For Round Two?

    ?


    From Karshvar Draconis, Lux returned to Wildgarde Stronghold in Sis.


    After that, he asked Gerald, the Commander of the Stronghold, to allow him to use the Teleportation Gate to go to Elysium.


    Just like everyone else, Gerald was surprised to see Lux in the stronghold because he thought that the Half-Elf was with the others in conquering the Gate of Famine alongside the other members of the young generation.


    After exining how he had been teleported to a remote location after entering the Gate of Famine, Gerald decided to personally escort Lux to the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen.


    Doing so would save time because he had the authority to use any of the Teleportation Gates of the Xynnar War Pact, cutting the traveling time by a good margin.


    Finally, an hourter, Lux arrived at the Cavern where everyone was gathered.


    Looks of doubt, disappointment, and disdain were cast in his direction,ing from the envoys and High-Rankers of the different Factions.


    They thought that the Half-Elf had decided to leave the Gate of Famine in order to save himself from the embarrassment of being unable to conquer the Dungeon, crushing everyone''s expectations of him.


    However, Lux didn''t give a hoot about whatever they were thinking and simply walked towards hispanions, who had been waiting patiently for his return.


    "So, are you guys ready for Round Two?" Lux asked with a grin. "I heard that you guys got beaten up pretty badly when I wasn''t around."


    Einar snorted, but he then raised his fist towards the Half-Elf.


    Lux imitated the gesture and the two fist-bumped each other, which meant the Barbarian had decided to join his team.


    "Can we win?" Val asked with his arms crossed over his chest. "We''re dealing with Dreadnaughts out there. It is not something that we Initiates can beat even if we all worked together."


    He held Lux''s gaze, trying to see if what the red-headed teenager was saying was just false bravado, or if he really had the ability to back it up.


    "We can win," Lux said with confidence. "So, are you in?"


    Val didn''t answer right away. Instead, he smiled and said something that almost made Cai charge at the Spider Boy and gouge him with her tusks.


    "If we are able to clear this dungeon, I will introduce you to my little sister," Val said in a teasing tone. "Actually, my family is watching me right now through this artifact. They have heard many things about you and have been wanting to know if there is some truth to it."


    Val patted the emblem on his lightweight armor, which was the coat of arms of their family.


    "I''ll pass," Lux replied in a heartbeat after seeing that Cai was scraping the ground with her right hoof as if she was preparing to attack Val from behind. "Tell your sister to find someone else."


    "It''s your loss, man. My sister is a beauty."


    "Hahaha."


    Lux then nced at Henrietta, and Xander, asking the two with his eyes if they were going with him.


    The two didn''t hesitate and nodded their heads in unison.


    "Okay, let''s go," Lux said as he walked towards the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen.


    Cai and the others followed closely behind him, not caring what the adults were thinking.


    "Wait!"


    The ck Dragon Born, whom Cethus called Uncle Poro, called out to the Half-Elf and stopped him in his tracks.


    "Yes?" Lux asked as he nced in the direction of the Saint from the Crystal Pce.


    "I overheard your discussion earlier and couldn''t help but find this act of yours a futile endeavor," Poro said. "If I were you, I would stop this nonsense at once. Also, Cethus, do not think that I didn''t know that you were just spouting nonsense about not using your full power a while ago. Do you think I''m blind? You had a constipated look on your face before that Dreadnaught Monster pped you to oblivion."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Cethus didn''t get angry at his Uncle''s words and simply smiled back at him.


    Although the Saint had brought up his embarrassing moments before he died, Cethus had always been very good at hiding his shorings and forgetting about them when it was convenient for him.


    "Uncle, whether I am spouting nonsense or not is something for you to seeter," Cethus replied calmly. "Also, we are not you and don''t think like you. If you were in our ce, you would not dare to challenge the Dungeon again because you know that you don''t have a chance of winning."


    The smile on Cethus'' face widened because although he wasn''t confident in his ability to conquer the Dungeon, he was confident that Lux could do it.


    After all, the Half-Elf could summon Barca and the others, who were Empyrean and Argonaut-Ranked Monsters.


    So what if the enemy was a Dreadnaught?


    An Empyrean-Ranked Half-Orc would smash its face silly!


    Poro frowned because Cethus'' words and actions were filled with confidence. As a Saint, it was fairly easy for him to tell whether someone was lying or not. However, he couldn''t detect any falsehood in Cethus'' words, making him wonder if the troublemaker Dragon Born didn''t really use his full powers earlier.


    "Very well," Poro stated as he tossed a small token towards the ck-scaled Dragon Born. "Allow me to watch this farce through your eyes. I''m sure that your grandma and I will find your attempt quite entertaining."


    Cethus looked at the token in his hand before cing it on his chest. The token then embedded itself in the Dragon Born''s armor, allowing Poro and Cethus'' "other" Grandma, who was currently safeguarding the Crystal Pce, to see what was happening around him.


    "I''ll do my best to entertain the both of you then," Cethusmented. "Well then, let''s go, Lux. lead the way."


    Lux didn''t mind Cethus acting as his superior because he didn''t want to deal with the nonsense of a Saint right now.


    For him, it was more favorable to be looked down upon by others, so they wouldn''t tag along. They could just watch as he conquered the Gate of Famine with the people who believed in him.


    ��--------


    Safe Zone of the Domain of the Fallen��


    "Um, what are you guys doing here?" Cai asked Enlil, as well as Jasper, who had also entered the Domain of the Fallen, bringing the other representatives of the Six Kingdoms, and the Xynnar War Pact with them.


    "I have been given strict orders by my Father to follow him," Enlil replied in annoyance. "I don''t want to hear anyints from the Elven Council when I return to my Kingdom for not following orders. Let''s just go in there and die already, so we can go back home."


    "I share the same sentiments as Prince Enlil," Jaspermented. "We''re here under orders. Whether we seed or not doesn''t matter."


    Jasper also felt like challenging the dungeon again was pure nonsense. However, orders were orders, and he would see to them through until the end.


    Gilmore Faisal, who was also one of the former Four Kings and a very skilled swordsman, was also there to apany the others on the expedition.


    After losing to Keane in the tournament, he had trained a lot and had improved by leaps and bounds. He hade with Enlil and Jasper because, for some reason, he could sense that something had changed in the Half-Elf since hest saw him two days ago.


    As a warrior, he trusted his sixth sense very much, and his sixth sense was telling him to follow the Half-Elf, who looked confident enough to challenge the Dungeon despite knowing what he was up against.


    "Since all of you are here, I want to make one thing clear," Lux announced. "You will have to follow my orders without fail, regardless of how dangerous or how silly it seems. In return, I promise to not treat any of you as cannon fodder. If you can''t agree to this condition of mine, please leave. I am not here to babysit extra baggage."


    The teenager was somewhat offended by Lux''s high-handed words. However, the ones who insisted oning with him were them, so they had no choice but to nod their heads in agreement.


    "Good," Lux said after seeing everyone nod their heads. "Since that is settled, let''s go to the Sacred Dungeon."


    This time, Lux didn''t take any detours and walked straight towards the location of the Sacred Dungeon, which baffled the members of the Xynnar War Pact and the Six Kingdoms.


    What they didn''t know was that the Half-Elf no longer needed to avoid any Monsters because all of them had already been dealt with by the two shameless Saints, who were still inside the Domain of the Fallen, investigating an ancient ruin that they hade across by ident.

 Chapter 684 Everyone, Duck!

    ?


    Those who belonged to the Factions of the Crystal Pce and Skystead Alliance didn''t join Lux''s group in reattempting the Gate of the Domain of the Fallen.


    In their eyes, this was simply a wasted effort. However, they also wanted to see the suffering of the fools who decided to follow the Half-Elf, who had gone missing after they all entered the Dungeon the first time.


    Although they knew that Lux was a Necromancer and could summon the Undead, they believed that his Undead Army would only get crushed under the might of the Overlord that was inmand of the Monster Outbreak inside the Gate of Famine.


    However, just as everyone was getting ready to watch a good show, Malcolm walked towards Aron and appealed to him, asking for permission to enter the Domain of the Fallen and join the Half-Elf in his quest to clear the Gate of Famine.


    "You what?" Aron asked in a displeased tone.


    "I want to challenge the Gate of Famine a second time," Malcolm replied.


    Although there was a bit of anxiety in his voice, there was mostly firmness in it that made the High-Ranker of the Vahan Empire arch his eyebrow.


    "Do you want to embarrass our Empire in front of these people?" Aron''s voice sounded calm, but there was an underlying sharpness in it that made Malcolm start to sweat buckets.


    "Your Excellency, I have been inside the Gate of Famine just like the other representatives here," Malcolm replied. "I personally experienced what it was like to be crushed helplessly by a monster that far surpassed my Rank.


    "However, I''ve also been part of Lux''s group in the past. Even though I know that this mission seems impossible, I would still like to give it a try. Your Excellency, please give me your permission to challenge the Gate of Famine a second time!"


    Poro snorted after hearing Malcolm''s words.


    "It seems that this boy has been infected by that Half-Elf''s stupidity," Poro stated. "But it will be entertaining to watch him struggle. How about you give him permission to go? Maybe he will understand that making the same mistake over and over again is called madness."


    The arrogant and teasing tone of the Dragon Born made Malcolm''s heart grow cold. However, his gut instinct was telling him that he should at least follow the Half-Elf on this expedition. Regardless of whether he seeded or not, he would have nothing to regret because he followed what his heart was telling him to do.


    "Your Excellency, if you don''t mind, I''ll keep watch over Malcolm and make sure that he doesn''t do anything that will tarnish the Vahan Empire''s reputation," Nero, who had been keeping silent the entire time, spoke up, which surprised Aron.


    "You n to babysit this fool?" Aron crossed his arms over his chest. The High Ranker then nced at Prince Cyrus, who was looking at Malcolm in a weird manner.


    Clearly, the Prince of the Vahan Empire thought that what the son of their Great General was nning to do was pure folly.


    "How about you, Your Highness?" Aron asked. "Do you want to join them as well?"


    "Me?" Prince Cyrus pointed at himself.


    Aron nodded. "Yes. Your Highness. Do you want to go as well?"


    Prince Cyrus pondered for a bit before nodding his head.


    "Yes," Prince Cyrus replied. "Although dying inside the Sacred Dungeon feels terrible, I would like to personallyugh at that Half-Elf in hisst moments. Count me in."


    Aron then shifted his gaze back to Malcolm, who was now looking a bit more hopeful.


    "Nero, look after these two and make sure they don''t die an embarrassing death," Aron ordered. "Do I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, Your Excellency," Nero pressed his closed fist over his chest and bowed his head.


    Aron then waved his hand with impatience.


    "Go and follow that Half-Elf," Aron ordered. "If you don''t hurry and catch up to him, you might die at the hands of some random monster before you can even get to the Sacred Dungeon."


    "Yes, Sir!" Malcolm said and bowed his head respectfully.


    After paying his respects, he briskly walked towards the Gate of the Fallen, followed by Nero and Prince Cyrus, who wore an amused expression on his face.


    The members of the Crystal Pce, with the exception of Aur, mocked the three teenage boys in their hearts.


    Just like Poro said, they thought that Malcolm had gone crazy after dying inside the Gate of Famine.


    Aur watched them go with a calm expression on his face. He had heard many impressive things about Lux, but just like everyone else, he didn''t believe that the Half-Elf would be able to change the oue.


    The only difference between him and his subordinates was that he didn''t openly mock Lux and Malcolm, simply crossing his arms over his chest.


    His gaze thennded on the projections on the wall of the cavern, which were being taken by the artifacts that were in the possession of the members of the Xynnar War Pact and Six Kingdoms.


    Poro nced at Aur before looking at the projections as well. He was looking forward to watching an entertaining farce that the Humans were nning to make.


    ��--------


    Domain of the Fallen��.


    Malcolm, Nero, and Prince Cyrus hastened their movements until they caught up to Lux''s group.


    The members of the Skystead Alliance and Six Kingdoms looked at these three people with suspicion and wondered why they decided to join their expedition as well.


    "Before any of you get the wrong idea, I just want to say that I came here to watch your embarrassing defeat firsthand," Prince Cyrus dered. "Just watching the projections is not enough, so I came here to witness it personally."


    Lux, who was walking at the very front of the formation, didn''t even bother to turn around to see who the neers were.


    He had somehow expected that Malcolm would catch up, but he never thought that Nero and Prince Cyrus would join them as well.


    Truth be told, he didn''t mind if anyone else tagged along with him on this expedition.


    Whether they were there or not wouldn''t make a difference. But, he intended to follow his father''s advice to look at the bigger picture. What he nned to do was to make the other Factions indebted to him, especially the Six Kingdoms and the Xynnar War Pact.


    As for the Skystead Alliance? As long as they didn''t look to him for trouble, Lux would not do anything to antagonize them.


    "Is it just me, or do you guys also not sense the presence of any Monsters anywhere?" Enlil, who was using the power of Wind to check for any potential danger in their surroundings, asked.


    "You''re not the only one who feels that way," Jasper replied. "I am also quite surprised by theck of tension in the surroundings."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Although they didn''t encounter any Monsters when they were following Lux on their previous attempt at the Gate of Famine, they could vaguely sense some tension that hung in the air due to the Monsters'' powerful presences.


    However, right now, they didn''t feel anything. It was as if the entire Forest had gone quiet, and all the Beasts had gone into hibernation.


    Cai, Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus were also wondering what was going on.


    Lux didn''t tell them about the secret operation that the two Saints were conducting inside the Domain of the Fallen to ensure that there wouldn''t be any leaks.


    However, the four of them couldn''t shake the feeling that the red-headed teenager, who was leading them, had something to do with the disappearance of the Monsters in their surroundings.


    "Don''t let your guard down and always be alert in your surroundings," Lux warned. "The fact that we aren''t sensing any Monsters means that there might be a hidden danger that we are not aware of. Stick to the formation and keep your weapons at the ready. There might be a Monster simr to that Chameleon we faced a few days ago that could hide its presence."


    After Lux''s reminder, everyone became vignt and prepared to fight at any given time. The Chameleon that Aur had dealt with had caught everyone by surprise, so they no longer asked questions and followed behind the Half-Elf.


    In order to keep them on edge, the Half-Elf decided to take a detour, fooling others into thinking that he had sensed the presence of a strong Monster up ahead.


    ''Father, can you send one Monster in our direction?'' Lux asked Alexander directly through the special messaging feature of his Guild Chat. ''Everyone is starting to wonder why they are not sensing any beasts in our surroundings.''


    ''I thought you were already in the dungeon?'' Alexander''s response came seconds after Lux messaged him. ''Did the expedition fail?''


    Lux briefly exined what happened after he entered the Gate of Famine to Alexander, which caught thetter by surprise.


    ''Let''s talk more about itter,'' Alexandermented after Lux finished his exnation. ''How many and how strong do you want the Monsters to be?''


    ''At least three,'' Lux replied. ''If you can make one of them an Argonaut, the better.''


    ''Okay. Where are you guys at?''


    ''We are currently at the��''


    Lux and Alexander discussed the intricacies of the "y" that they nned in order to scare the teenagers that were following behind the Half-Elf.


    A few minutester, the entire forest of the Domain of the Fallen trembled, and the roars of countless monsters erupted at the same time.


    Suddenly, a giant Argonaut-Ranked Orangutan appeared, swinging from tree to tree, making the teenagers freeze in their tracks.


    "Everyone, duck!" Lux ordered.


    Following his orders, the teenagers crouched on the grasses, hiding their presence from the Argonaut Ranked Monster that could easily turn them into pancakes.


    While everyone was doing their best to erase their presence from the iing threat, Cai, who still hadn''t crouched down, confusedly looked at the Orangutan first then at Lux second.


    "Um, that''s not a duck," Cai said. "That''s an Orangutan. Ducks are different from monkeys, you know?"


    """#$Y*U@#@#&*@!"""


    All the teenagers wanted to hack the stupid Boar to pieces so badly because she would be the death of them.


    Even Lux didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry at his fiance''s choice of words.


    He knew that Cai''s IQ would revert to that of a five-year-old when she was in her Boar Form, so he didn''t take her words to heart.


    Instead, he just pulled her down, pinned her to the ground, and covered her snout with his hand.


    "Cai, behave, and just don''t say anything, okay?" Lux said in a low volume that was enough for everyone that was near him to hear. "If you''re good, I''ll give you some Beast Corester."


    Cai nodded her head like an obedient child, making all the teenagers sigh in relief.


    After that incident, everyone followed Lux''s every order, as they tried to navigate around the forest, avoiding the Monsters that had been purposely ced in strategic locations to create the illusion that they were always in danger.


    All of them also avoided Cai like the gue, with the exception of Lux''s inner circle, thinking that the Boar was a bringer of bad luck.


    The Boar on the other hand, simply ignored them while walking beside the red-headed teenager.


    Since no one was paying attention to her, they didn''t see that there was a twinkle in Cai''s eyes, and the corner of her lips was raised upwards.


    Although she was in her Boar Form, she could instinctively sense that the Orangutan that was headed in their direction wasn''t hostile.


    In fact, she could even vaguely guess that it was an ally, so she decided to y a prank on everyone, scaring them silly.


    As someone that was loved by Spirits, Cai was sensitive to these things.


    Everything she did might be silly in the eyes of others, but she had taken a calcted risk, making all the Factions more reliant on Lux, and making everyone avoid her like a gue.


    ------------


    Important Announcement!


    I will be publishing two stories this month of May. For now, I have published the first story and its title is "Kingdom Building Done Right".


    I have also created a Patreon Page for it, so you guys can read its advance for a very, very, cheap price that will not put a hole on your pockets and wallets.


    The Patreon page can be found on the synopsis of the novel, but do take note that no chapters are uploaded in it at the moment. I will work on it after three days, so you guys can read without too much hassle.


    The two new stories will also be having a Webtoon Adaptation, so I will be very happy if you guys donate to make it happen. That is all folks. Enjoy the new story.


    P.S Don''t worry, this announcement will not make you pay additional coins. I made sure that it will not add to the word count to make you pay extra, so don''t get mad at me, okay?

 Chapter 685 Are You Not Entertained?

    ?


    Finally, three hourster, Lux andpany arrived at the Sacred Dungeon''s safe zone.


    He then asked everyone to rest for an hour to recover their strength, while he talked to his father, Alexander, about the things that happened in the Kingdom of Zangr.


    Lux didn''t hide anything, including the new profession that he had upgraded to, as well as bing the disciple of a Necromancer who was only of the Apostle Rank but able to control Undead Deimos and above Ranked Monsters as if it was nothing.


    Alexander listened to the Half-Elf''s story with great interest, especially when the red-headed teenager mentioned that he had been to Zangr.


    As a Saint, Alexander liked reading history books in his spare time to get a better understanding of the world.


    In one of those ancient tomes, he had read about the Kingdom of Zangr. ording to the book, it was the Kingdom where the first Abyssal Invasion took ce, making it a very popr topic among schrs.


    Although the distance between the Xynnar War Pact and the Kingdom of Zangr spanned countless miles, the God of Games, Eriol, made sure that every Temple of the God in Elysium had records of the Abyssal Invasion.


    As the God of Elysium, it was his duty to inform his people about the external danger that hade from the Void.


    Because of this, the Kingdom of Zangr became a warning to everyone about what would happen to their own Domains if they didn''t take the threat of the Abyssal Race seriously.


    "Thank you for telling me this information," Alexander replied. "However, Lux, make sure not to share this with others. Even with Iris and Cai. Although I''m sure that they will keep this secret of yours safe, the fewer people who know of this, the better. "


    "I understand." Lux agreed. "Right now, only you and Master Gaap know about my new profession. I will not tell anyone else about it."


    "Good," Alexandermented. "Maximilian and I are almost finished with our operation here. We''re just examining the ruin we discovered. If our guess is right, this is the reason why the Domain of the Fallen was created in the first ce. Let''s talk about it more when you finish clearing the Gate of Famine."


    "Okay," Lux replied.


    After their connection was cut, the Half-Elf nced at the teenagers who seemed to have recovered their stamina and wits. He decided that it was time to enter the Gate of Famine and see for himself the Monster Outbreak that had annihted all the members of the expedition on their first attempt.


    "Is everyone ready to go?" Lux asked. "If everyone has rested, we will now enter the Gate of Famine."


    Prince Cyrus stood up and stretched a bit before voicing his thoughts out loud.


    "This time, don''t run away again, Half-Elf," Prince Cyrus stated.


    Lux ignored Prince Cyrus'' taunts because, for him, the Prince of the Vahan Empire was just a second-rate mob character that authors used as cannon fodder in their novels.


    "Okay, follow me," Lux dered before moving towards the Gate of Famine. "I already know what we are facing, so let me tell all of you this. Whatever happens, don''t die, okay?"


    The teenagers looked at the Half-Elf as if what he said was a joke.


    Of course, none of them wanted to die, but they were going to face Monsters whose Ranks exceeded their own several times.


    How could they possibly survive a fight against them?


    Lux, who had no idea what they were thinking, ced his palm over the Gate of Famine and turned into particles of light.


    Cai quickly moved and was second to enter because she was afraid that Lux would disappear again if she didn''t follow him right away.


    One by one, the teenagers all entered the Gate of Famine to follow the Half-Elf who seemed to be confident of his chances at victory.


    Those left at the Gate of the Fallen, who were watching the projections, also paid close attention to what was waiting for the teenagers on the other side of the Gate of Famine.


    The first thing that Lux saw after entering the Gate of Famine was a ruined city. ck smoke was rising in several ces, telling the Half-Elf that it hadn''t been long since it was attacked.


    However, something caught Lux''s eyes that made the Half-Elf''s expression turn solemn.


    On the part of the City Walls that had survived the destruction, a single tattered g fluttered in the breeze.


    Lux was quite familiar with this g because he had fought under its banner a few times in the past, so it had a special connection to him.


    Cai, who had followed the Half-Elf''s gaze, also noticed the g and cried out in rm.


    Keane, Xander, Henrietta, Einar, Val, Malcolm, Nero, and the other teenagers who joined the previous expeditions noticed it as well, making them frown.


    "This is not where we first appeared when we entered the Gate of Famine," Henrietta said.


    "That''s right. We were in the Western Regions of the Zephyr Kingdom when we challenged the Gate for the first time, Jaspermented. "Why are we here?"


    No one knew the answer to Jasper''s question because they were just as surprised as he was.


    Suddenly, a loud shriek reverberated in the sky, making the teenagers look behind them to see what it was.


    There, they saw a fifteen-meter-long flying serpent with rainbow-colored wings, apanied by a dozen Wyverns, who were all of the Deimos Rank.


    The Flying Serpent was a Peak-Deimos Ranked World Boss, and the Wyverns were all Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monsters.


    If they were only dealing with the Flying Serpent, the teenagers might have stood a chance against it.


    However, since it wasn''t alone, the first thought that came into their mind was to flee.


    The Ambassadors, the Rankers of the Crystal Pce, and the Skystead Alliance watched this scene with amused expressions on their faces.


    All of them wanted to see the despair of the teenagers who thought too highly of themselves.


    "Who wants to make a bet with me?" one of the Rankers of the Vahan Empire said. "I say that they will all die in ten minutes. Any takers?"


    "I''ll bet with you," one of the Rankers of the Skystead Alliance replied. "They willst for fifteen minutes."


    "Mine is five minutes."


    "Twenty minutes tops."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The representatives of the Xynnar War Pact and the Six Kingdoms kept their silence. For them, this wasn''t aughing matter as it directly involved the members of their young generation.


    Suddenly, Xander''s father, Hector, stepped forward and joined the bet.


    "I''ll join this betting," Hector dered. "My bet is that they will all survive for fifty million gold coins. Who wants to bet with me?"


    "Hahaha! You''re throwing away your money just like that?" the Ranker that started the betting game sneered. "Very well, this Daddy will take you on. I won''t refuse free gold."


    The other members of the Skystead Alliance all cheered and even chipped in to help raise the stakes to fifty million.


    Aronughed at Hector''s attempt to boost the morale of their faction in his heart. For him, this was already a done deal, and all that was waiting for the teenagers was a very painful death that would send them back to the entrance of the Gate of the Fallen.


    Right after the coins were gathered, they were passed to Poro for safekeeping.


    The Flying Serpent screeched once again, ordering the Wyverns to attack the teenagers, who had all taken a defensive stance.


    Even though they wanted to flee, the Half-Elf, who was their leader, didn''t give them any orders.


    Lux''s gaze locked on the Flying Serpent, disregarding the other monsters escorting it.


    "Rise!" Lux ordered as he summoned his Skeleton Gangbangers and Steel Golems.


    At first, the members of the different factions thought that Lux would summon strong Monsters to fight against the iing threat.


    But after seeing that the red-headed teenager only summoned hundreds of Rank 4 Monsters, all of their hopes evaporated into thin air.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of her Papa''s head, also imitated Lux''s summons. She already knew what was going to happen next and was very excited about what was about toe.


    "Come forth, Hecatoncheires!" Lux ordered, and the hundreds of Skeleton Ganbangers and Steel Golems merged together.


    A momentter, four giant Abominations with hundreds of hands and dozens of faces towered above the teenagers, making all of them gasp in shock.


    "D-Deimos Ranked summons?!" Prince Cyrus gasped in shock after seeing the giant abominations that appeared out of nowhere.


    The Wyverns, whose bloody gazes had locked onto the teenagers earlier, suddenly found themselves being swatted by hundreds of hands, giving them no time to react.


    Pained cries spread in the surroundings as some of the Wyverns were smashed into the ground by the merciless strikes that hit them.


    The other Wyverns weren''t that lucky, because the two Hecatoncheires that belonged to Eiko grabbed these flying monsters from the sky, preventing them from flying away.


    The two Hecatoncheires were able to grab three Wyverns each and immediately proceeded to punch and bite them until blood sprayed from their bodies.


    Lux shook his head helplessly upon seeing that Eiko had gotten carried away, ordering her Summons to tear their enemies apart.


    However, he didn''t make any move to stop the Baby Slime. There were still six other Wyverns, so he was fine with letting Eiko have some fun.


    The Rankers, who were watching this from outside of the Gate of Fallen, looked at the battle in disbelief.


    However, Lux wasn''t finished yet.


    "Come, Shax," Luxmanded. "I have a job for you."


    At that exact moment, a malicious creature suddenly appeared above Lux''s head, making the teenagers feel as if their breath had been taken out of their chests.


    "Kill the Flying Serpent as cleanly as you can," Luxmanded. "I like how colorful it is. It will be a good addition to my army."


    The Nightgaunt, who didn''t have a face, pped its bat-like wings and nodded its head.


    A momentter, it disappeared from where it hovered, making the teenagers wonder if what they had seen and felt was just a hallucination.


    Suddenly, the Winged Serpent, who had deemed that its subordinates were unable to deal with the four Giant Abominations, descended from the sky to back them up


    But before it could even help the Wyverns, the Nightgaunt appeared in front of it with its arms crossed over its chest.


    Turning its body to the side, its long spiked tail smashed against the Flying Serpent''s head, making thetter cry loudly in pain as it fell from the sky.


    The Rankers who were watching the battle through the projections were bbergasted by the unexpected turn of events, making them wonder if there was something wrong with the projections.


    However, this thought didn''tst long because all of the projections were showing the exact same thing, proving that what they were seeing was real.


    Perhaps the teenagers of the different factions were all thinking of the same thing, so their gazesnded on the Half-Elf''s back, making Lux appear on all the projections in the cavern.


    As if everything was done deliberately, the Half-Elf slowly turned around and gave the teenagers a devilish smile.


    This smile was caught by the artifacts that allowed those outside of the Dungeon to see everything happening in the Gate of Famine in real-time.


    "Are you not entertained?" Lux asked in a teasing tone, which made the teenagers and the Rankers who wanted to see him fail shudder subconsciously. "Don''t worry. There''s more toe."


    He had ignored the mocking gazes from the Crystal Pce and the Skystead Alliance when he led the factions of the Six Kingdoms and the Xynnar War Pact inside the Gate of Famine.


    They were not aware that in the span of two days, the Half-Elf had gained an Army that was enough to make him an Overlord of a vast swath of territory if he wished for it.


    Now that he was inside the Gate of Famine, he no longer felt the need to hold himself back.


    He wanted to show the fools who dared tough and mock him earlier that they weren''t the ones who would decide who would have thestugh.


    No.


    Lux would make them understand that the one who would have thestugh was none other than him.

 Chapter 686 Clash Of Titans [Part 1]

    ?


    While Lux was dealing with the Monsters that came to attack them, an uproar was happening in the cavern where the representatives of the different factions watched the battle through the projections in front of them.


    All of them thought that the Half-Elf, as well as the other teenagers, would suffer a painful defeat against the Winged Serpent and the Wyverns.


    None of them anticipated that the situation would be the opposite of what they were looking forward to seeing.


    They gaped at the Half-Elf single-handedly dealing with the situation with ease. A momentter, one of the Initiates of the Crystal Pce snorted.


    "So what if he defeated an Argonaut-Ranked Monster?" the Initiate stated. "Our Master dealt with dozens of them. In the end, when he is faced with the Dreadnaught World Boss, he will realize just how short-lived his victory is."


    "That''s right!" another Initiate from the Crystal Pce seconded. "If he can''t even handle this much then what was the point of going back into the Dungeon? Something like this isn''t a big deal."


    Soon, more voices of agreement came from the youngsters of the Crystal Pce, making the ce lively.


    "Silence!" Poro growled, and immediately, all the youngsters shut their lips tightly, not daring to offend the Saint, who was known for having a bad temper.


    Poro then flicked a storage ring towards Hector that contained the 100 Million Gold Coin bet between him and the Rankers of the Skystead Alliance.


    There was no need to wait until Lux finished dealing with the monster before the oue of the match was decided. The moment the Winged Serpent fell from the sky, everyone knew that the battle was over.


    It was at that moment when Aur took a step forward and confronted the Saint, who was one of his bodyguards.


    "Poro, I am going," Aur suddenly dered, which made the Dragon Born Saint frown.


    "Are you sure about this?" Poro asked. "Although he managed to defeat an Argonaut Monster, the two Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses are still a threat. Let''s say that he will be able to deal with one of them, but both of them at the same time? That''s impossible."


    Aur smiled as he walked towards the Gate of the Fallen.


    "Don''t forget why we are here, Poro," Aur stated. "This is not about Pride. This is for the glory of the Crystal Pce."


    Poro sighed before giving Aur a respectful bow. "It is as you say. Please forgive my short-sightedness. May fortune be in your favor, Your Highness."


    The three other Saints also bowed their heads as their acknowledgement of Aur''s determination.


    "All of you, protect his Highness," Poro ordered the Initiates whom they had brought to escort Aur to the Domain of the Fallen.


    """Yes, Your Excellency!"""


    Aron, who was struggling internally, also sighed and nced at teenagers that represented the Skystead Alliance.


    "All of you go as well," Aron ordered. "Make sure to protect Prince Cyrus, and follow his orders."


    """Yes! Sir!"""


    Soon, the representatives of the Crystal Pce and the Skystead Alliance entered the Gate of Fallen.


    Their goal was to join up with Lux''s group and do their best to survive until the Dungeon had been cleared.


    ��------------


    Inside the Gate of Famine��


    "You want me to tame this beast?" Lux asked Shax, who was stepping on the head of the Argonaut-Ranked Winged Serpent that it had sessfully subdued.


    The Nightgaunt nodded. The Winged Serpent had pleaded for its life, and Shax decided that there was no merit in killing it.


    Lux rubbed his chin as he cast a nce at the Argonaut-Ranked Monster who didn''t show any signs of aggression towards him.


    Out of the twelve Wyverns, four had died at the hands of the Hecatoncheires that belonged to Eiko.


    The remaining eight had been pinned down by Lux''s four Giant Abominations, giving them no chance to escape.


    After giving it some thought, Lux nced at Cai who was standing next to him.


    "Do you want this Winged Serpent to be your pet?" Lux asked.


    Cai thought a bit before asking for another opinion.


    "Hmm�� what do you think, Fei Fei?" Cai asked the golden slime perched on top of her head. "Should we tame this Winged Serpent?"


    "Wei~"


    "I guess you''re right. Fine, I''ll take this Winged Serpent. I like how colorful its wings are."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lux nodded and motioned for Shax to look after Cai and ensure that the Winged Serpent wouldn''t do anything silly, while the taming process was happening.


    Basically, anyone could tame a Beast to make it their Beast Companion as long as the Beast approved of it.


    Since the Winged Serpent didn''t want to die in the hands of the faceless Creature that was pinning it down, it didn''t resist Cai''s Beast Contract, allowing it to be her Beast Companion and mount.


    "How about you, Keane, Gerhart, Xander, and Cethus?" Lux asked. "Do all of you want a Wyvern each?"


    "Can I have that bronze-scaled Wyvern?" Keane asked as he pointed at one of the Wyverns that was being held by one of the two Hecatoncheires.


    "Sure," Lux replied. "It''s yours."


    "I''ll take the green-scaled one," Gerhartmented.


    Lux nodded "Okay."


    "Mine will be the gray one," Xander stated.


    "I''ll take the ck one," Cethus dered.


    "Go." Lux made a gesture, letting the four of them tame the Wyverns. "How about you, Henrietta? Do you want one?"


    The Half-Elf nced at the Guildmaster of Serenity, who was part of his Father''s faction.


    "... Lux, Deimos-Ranked Wyverns are not cabbages that you can easily give away as if they are bought on sale," Henrietta said in a disapproving tone.


    "So you don''t want one?" Lux arched an eyebrow.


    "I''ll take the White one, please."


    "Okay. It''s yours."


    The other three members of Serenity, who hade with Henrietta to clear the dungeon, were all left speechless.


    They didn''t expect that their proud and steadfast Guildmaster would fold after a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Wyvern was offered to her as a Beast Companion.


    Truth be told, they would have done the same in her shoes. Having such a strong Creature as apanion would give them enough bragging rights when they returned to the Academy.


    "Einar, Val, you want one too?" Lux asked his two steadfastpanions who were loyal to him when it came to conquering the Sacred Dungeon.


    "Since you offered, then why not?" Einar grinned as he walked towards the Hundred-Armed Giant to choose one of the Wyverns that were left.


    "Thanks." Val gave Lux a brief nod, before he, too, followed behind Einar.


    Val could transform into a Giant Spider, but he couldn''t fly in the sky. Because of this, he decided to not hesitate and ept Lux''s offer.


    There was still one Wyvern left unimed, and Lux thought that it would be a waste to kill such a fine beast.


    Even if he killed the Wyvern and revived it, he would only get a Rank 5 Alpha Monster because its rank would degrade after it had died.


    It was not cost-effective, so he decided to let it live.


    Besides, after the battle in the Kingdom of Zangr, he had no shortage of flying Abyssal Monster corpses, which were all stored inside his Bounty Rings.


    "Malcolm, are you interested?" Lux asked as he looked in the direction of the blonde-haired boy, who had been his subordinate in their previous dungeon expedition.


    "Are you sure?" Malcolm didn''t expect Lux to extend some goodwill in his direction, allowing him to own a Deimos-Ranked Wyvern for free.


    Malcolm''s father, who was a Great General, was one of the handful of people that had a Wyvern Mount in the entirety of the Vahan Empire.


    Having a strong monster as his Beast Companion would drastically increase his prestige among the members of the nobility, making his effort to go with Lux into the Gate of Famine worth it.


    ----------


    Important Notice:


    Advance chapters for Kingdom Building Done Right are now avable in Patreon. Just search for ElyonFantasy.


    ----------


    patreon./ElyonFantasy

 Chapter 687 Clash Of Titans [Part 2]

    ?


    "I''m sure," Lux replied. "Take one for old time''s sake."


    Malcolm understood what Lux was trying to say, so he no longer hesitated and chose thest remaining Wyvern, which had brown-scales covering his entire body.


    The teenagers from the Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms were feeling envious of the gifts that the Half-Elf had given to his friends and acquaintances.


    What they didn''t know was that this was Lux''s n to make all of them loyal to him.


    If they could see him as a leader who was willing to share his spoils of war, he would be able to gain a good image in their eyes, as well as the people that were watching them from outside the Domain of the Fallen.


    While the Half-Elf was feeling satisfied with how things turned out, the Dragon Token stirred, and Keoza''s voice sounded inside his mind.


    ''I am sensing two Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses to the North of this ce,'' Keoza stated. ''One of them feels familiar. Do you remember that Devil that tried to kidnap Cai in the Gate of Conquest? I believe that it''s him again. You should be careful. Even if you call for me, I won''t appear, do you understand?"


    "Does this have something to do with the Crystal Pce?"


    "..."


    Keoza sighed, but he didn''t reply. Even so, his sigh had confirmed many things, which connected some pieces of the puzzle together.


    "Be careful, and goodluck."


    Those were thest words that Keoza said before the Dragon Token returned to being dormant once more.


    Lux felt conflicted about the Crystal Dragon''s current attitude, but since Keoza had helped him a lot in the past, he decided to just let things be.


    Just as everyone had finished taming the Wyverns, Lux received a message from Alexander, informing him that several teenagers had entered the Domain of the Fallen.


    As a Saint, he didn''t want to dirty his hands with killing mere Initiates because that would be beneath him.


    ''Let them be, father,'' Lux replied. ''Their arrival will not make any difference.''


    ''Good,'' Alexander stated. ''It''s good to see that you also prioritize the bigger picture. Just don''t let them order you around, okay?''


    ''Understood,'' Lux answered.


    Lux knew full well how prideful Dragons and Dragon Borns were after being around Cethus for a while.


    Even so, he admitted that he found Aur''s sudden move quite surprising, which made him realize that he had underestimated the handsome Dragonoid, who seemed to be determined to aplish the goal that he had set out to do.


    ''Well, as long as they don''t get in my way, I''ll let them tag along,'' Lux thought. ''But, I need to find Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson first. ording to Keoza, two Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters are located in the North. If I''m not mistaken that is the direction of the Ammarian Kingdom. I''ll avoid them for a while, and head South.''


    After finalizing his decision, the Half-Elf was about to order everyone to follow him when suddenly, he heard a notification sound inside his head, followed by rows of texts appearing in front of him.


    Cethus, and Gerhart, nced at each other after receiving the same notification sound and grinned. They already knew what this meant, and checked the information in front of them with serious expressions on their faces.


    Cai, Keane, Xander, Henrietta, Einar, Val, as well as their other members, also received the notification sounds as well.


    The Barbarians, the members of Val''s Guild, as well as the Guild Members of the Barbatos Academy were all part of Lux''s personal party.


    He didn''t invite Jasper''s group, nor the three people from the Skystead Alliance because the Half-Elf only cared about his people.


    Malcolm, who had once been part of Lux''s party in the past, realized what just happened because the teenagers that had just tamed their Wyverns were all looking at the nk space in front of them, as if reading something.


    ''C-Could it be?'' Malcolm''s heart skipped a beat because his gut instinct was telling him that his guess was right.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Seeing that others managed to receive a quest, made him feel bitter. However, this bitterness instantly disappeared when a row of text appeared in front of him.


    ��----------------------


    < Do you wish to Join Lux Von Kaizer''s Party? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��----------------------


    Malcolm didn''t even bat an eye and hurriedly epted the invitation, as if he was afraid that it would disappear in front of him if he dyed his decision.


    As soon as he chose the yes option, several rows of text appeared in front of him, allowing him to finally see the mission that the others had received as well.


    ��----------------------


    < sh of Titans >


    Mission Rating: SS+


    �C A Monster Outbreak led by three Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses has descended upon thend. Their goal is to wipe out the entire Human poption, leaving nothing but corpses in their wake.


    < Quest Objectives >


    [Main Quest]


    �C Prevent theplete destruction of the Yn and Ammarian Kingdoms


    [Sub Quest]


    �C Defeat at least two of the three Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses and put an end to their tyranny.


    �C Quest will automatically fail when 80% of the territories of both the Yn and Ammarian Kingdoms are destroyed by the Monster Army.


    < Quest Rewards >


    �C Quest rewards will be calcted after youplete the mission. The more you contributed to it as a whole, the greater the rewards you will get!


    ��-----------


    A breath of cold air escaped Malcolm''s lips after reading the information of the quest.


    Although he knew that Lux could fight against Argonaut Monsters, the two Dreadnaught World Bosses were still a great threat that they had to face.


    Naturally, the red-headed teenager didn''t share his worries because he had several aces under his sleeve.


    "Everyone, follow me," Lux ordered as he summoned his Thunder Warg King, Jed. "We''re all heading South."


    Right now, he wanted to know if the Yn Kingdom was still standing.


    If there was a chance to save his oldrades, he would definitely not stand by and allow the Kingdom that Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson had protected with their lives end up in ruins.

 Chapter 688 Death God Of The Battlefield

    ?


    A few hourster, Lux and hisrades arrived at another city with its gates shut tight.


    Several archers were manning the ramparts, but fortunately, none of them opened fire because Lux made sure that they wouldn''t be attacked by his formerrades.


    Before he left the Gate of Conquest, he had asked Great General Sherlock to give him several banners of the Yn Kingdom.


    The Half-Elf had thought of the possibility that they might meet the two Great Generals again if they challenged the Gate of Famine.


    Because of this, he wanted to have their banners just in case they would be forced to march onto a battlefield where the Yn Kingdom was fighting against their mortal enemy, the Ammarian Kingdom.


    Since Lux''s entourage had the banners, the defenders of the city didn''t attack them, but didn''t let them enter the city either. Clearly, they were still wary of a bunch of teenagers carrying the banner of their Kingdom, especially in these troubled times.


    "My name is Lux Von Kaizer," Lux shouted. "I serve under Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson. Please, let me talk to yourmanding officer. We just came upon a ruined city earlier that was attacked by monsters. I have every reason to believe that your city might be their next target."


    The Guard Captain who defended the city narrowed his eyes as he looked at the red-headed teeanger that dered himself a subordinate of Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson.


    Currently, the two Great Generals were away, leading their army to fend off a Monster Outbreak in the Eastern Region of their Kingdom. The ce was a good distance away from where they were, so it was impossible to confirm whether or not the teenage boy was telling the truth.


    "Let them in," a voice that was filled with authority said, making the Guard Captain turn his head to look at the General who had been stationed to defend their city.


    "General Fahad, you know him?" the Guard Captain asked.


    "Of course we know him," General Fahad''s second son, Leo, replied. "Have you forgotten the name of one of the War Heroes of the previous campaign? That Half-Elf down there is the one responsible for helping us win. So, what are you waiting for? Let him in!"


    Currently, Leo was acting as his Father''s second inmand, which gave him the authority to order the soldiers guarding the city.


    Because of this, the Guard Captain hurriedly told his men to open the gates.


    Now that he had been reminded of who the Half-Elf was, the Guard Captain found it quite silly for him to forget the name of the person responsible for helping them win the previous war against the Ammarian Kingdom.


    Lux was very famous among the members of the militaries of the Yn and Ammarian Kingdoms, and they even gave him the nickname of Death God of the Battlefield.


    Ever since then, the Ammarian Kingdom had notunched any campaigns against the smaller Kingdom, which they had long wanted to annex, in fear that their next attempt would also end in failure.


    When the gates opened, Lux and his entourage were immediately greeted with cheers from the soldiers, as well as the popce.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Clearly, the Half-Elf was being treated as a War Hero, making thetter have a hard time keeping a straight face due to embarrassment.


    "It''s nice to see you again, Lux," General Fahad said as soon as the Half-Elf and his entourage had all entered the city. "Seeing you here makes me a little more confident about defending this city."


    "General Fahad." Lux smiled as he reached out his hand for a handshake. "It''s good to see that you are doing well. Can you tell me about the current situation of the Yn Kingdom?"


    "Of course, please follow me," General Fahad led Lux and his entourage to the make-shift barracks inside the city.


    Due to the threat of the Monster Outbreak, all able-bodied men had been conscripted to defend their Kingdom.


    Currently, they were being trained in the barracks in order to help the veteran soldiers fight off the Monsters that threatened to destroy their homes.


    Since the number of people that Lux brought with him didn''t surpass fifty, all of them were taken to the conference room to be briefed of the current situation.


    "It started around two weeks ago," General Fahad said as he pointed at the map that was stered on the wall. "The border guards sighted several powerful Monsters that were Argonaut-Ranked and below, leading countless low-ranking Monsters, heading deeper within the Ammarian Kingdom.


    "Back then, we were quite happy with this development because we thought those bastards would finally receive the retribution they deserved. Just like we expected, the Monster Army destroyed several cities before they shed against the Ammarian Army.


    "The battle was fierce, and even though they sacrificed countless lives, they were able to repel the Monsters. However, something unexpected happened, which made their victory short-lived."


    A grim expression appeared on General Fahad''s face, which made the Half-Elf frown.


    "A day after the battle ended, three Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses made their appearance, and all of them were leading Monster Armies that were at least ten timesrger than the Monster Army that the Ammarian Kingdom defeated.


    "Seeing that there was no chance of victory, the General ordered a full retreat, ordering their soldiers to go all the way back to their Capital City, preparing for ast stand. However, these Monsters didn''t head directly to the Ammarian Capital City.


    "The three Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses split their forces. Two of them remained in the territory of the Ammarian Kingdom, taking their sweet time to destroy the outer cities, leaving nothing behind but destruction. It was as if they didn''t n on letting even a single vige, town, city, or person live, going for a full extermination, leaving the Capital City forst."


    The Yn General sighed. He didn''t ever think that there woulde a time when he would pity their enemies.


    But, their current situation was indeed truly pitiful that even though the Yn General hated them, he wished that the innocents were spared from such tragedy.

 Chapter 689 I Want Some Good News Right Now

    ?


    After regaining his calm, General Fahad continued his exnation as he pointed at the Eastern Region of the Yn Kingdom.


    "I already said earlier that the three Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters split their forces," General Fahad stated. "While two of them remained in the Ammarian Kingdom, one of them headed to our Kingdom. The city you saw earlier was one of the outer cities that was destroyed just a day ago.


    "The Monster Army headed East, destroying any city they came across. I have a feeling that after they destroy a few more cities, they will turn back and deal with us next. For some reason, the Dreadnaught Monster seemed to be avoiding the main army. But, if my assumptions are correct, I believe that it is simply toying with us and purposefully making us feel helpless."


    Lux was deep in thought as he listened to General Fahad''s exnation. However, someone seemed to not be able to read the mood and decided to ask the Yn General a question.


    "General, do you know about the Zephyr Kingdom?" Cai asked.


    "The Zephyr Kingdom? Of course, I know them," General Fahad replied. "That is the kingdom located near the borders of the Ammarian Kingdom. Just like us, they were able to repel the Ammarian Kingdom''s invasion, keeping their sovereignty.


    "Their army is also quite powerful. Perhaps, even more powerful than ours. Have you been there before?"


    Cai and the other teenager''s expressions became solemn after hearing General Fahad''s reply.


    Before all of them were killed a few days ago and were ejected from the Gate of Famine, they were fighting alongside the Zephyr Kingdom''s Army against the three Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters that had attacked their Capital City.


    Thest one to die in that struggle was Cai, but before she did, she had witnessed the destruction of the entire Capital City of the Zephyr Kingdom, which was nearly two weeks ago.


    (A/N: The timeline of the Sacred Dungeon and the world inside the Gate of Famine was simr to Zangr. A week inside the Gate of Famine was equivalent to a day in the outside world).


    "General, I have another question," Cai said with a seriousness that was very rare for her to show. "Is the Dreadnaught Monster attacking the Yn Kingdom a silver-haired devil? You know��a humanoid with two horns, silver hair, and bat-like wings?"


    General Fahad shook his head.


    "The Monster leading the Monster Outbreak in our Kingdom is not the devil you spoke of," General Fahad replied. "It is a Giant Earth Turtle. Even our Kingdom''s most powerful magical cannons are unable to even leave a dent in that Monster''s body.


    "It was still a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss a few days ago. But after destroying several cities, its Rank suddenly jumped to the peak of the Dreadnaught Rank, making it a Pseudo-Empyrean Ranked World Boss. I don''t want to sound pessimistic, but I''m doubting if we will be able to survive this cmity."


    General Fahad was a very brave General and didn''t back away even when he faced the Ammarian Army, which had greater numbers than his own.


    For him to acknowledge that the chances of winning were nearly non-existent proved just how dire their current situation was.


    Lux, who had been listening all this time, opened his Soul Book and erged the map of the Yn Kingdom.


    Dozens of miles away from them, countless blinking red dots appeared on the map, which were scattered in different ces.


    It seemed that the Giant Earth Turtle was using the divide and conquer strategy, attacking as many towns as possible in the shortest amount of time possible.


    ''That exins why we were attacked by the Winged Serpent and the Wyverns,'' Lux thought. ''We were not their real target but this city that General Fahad was guarding. We just happened to be in their way, so they decided to attack us first.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Now that the pieces were finally falling in ce, Lux understood the current situation.


    "General, I have some good news and bad news for you," Lux said as he observed the map on his Soul Book. "Which one do you want to hear first?"


    "The good news," General Fahad replied. "I want some good news right now."


    Lux nodded. "The good news is that the Monsters that were supposed to attack this town have already been dealt with by us. Meaning, that in the next four days, no Monsters will be attacking this city."


    "That is indeed good news," General Fahadmented. "But what do you mean when you said that we wouldn''t be attacked in the next four days? Do you mean that we will be attacked on the fifth day?"


    Lux sighed before nodding his head.


    "It seems that the Earth Turtle has realized that one of its raiding parties had failed their mission," Lux stated. "So it has ordered half of its army to head here, while the other half will continue to head East, facing off against the Main Army of the Yn Kingdom."


    General Fahad, as well as the teenagers that belonged to Lux''s entourage, were shocked by the Half-Elf''s revtion.


    They had no idea why Lux sounded so confident when he made his deration, but all of them knew that he wasn''t joking one bit.


    General Fahad remained silent for a full minute before asking Lux a question through gritted teeth.


    "What do you think we should do?" General Fahad asked.


    After fighting alongside Lux in the previous war, he treated the Half-Elf''s words very seriously.


    "Evacuate the citizens and tell them to head to the Capital City," Lux replied. Have the new recruits, and a few of your officers escort them. If my estimate is right, this city will most likely be destroyed when the Monster Army arrives. If you don''t want to have innocent victims, then the only thing that you can do is order an evacuation, and it must be done�� right now."


    Lux''s voice held a finality that General Fahad wasn''t able to ignore.


    An hourter, the General made an announcement and all of his messengers passed through everyone in the city.


    The Monsters wereing, and the only way for them to live was to evacuate before it was toote.


    Lux was confident that he would be able to protect himself, but he couldn''t say the same for the people in the city.


    The Monster Army that was headed in their direction numbered in the tens of thousands and, based on what he had seen, there were several Argonaut Ranked and Deimos Ranked Monsters mixed in it.


    One thing that grabbed his attention was a red dot that was significantly bigger than the others.


    Although he didn''t want to overthink things, he had a feeling that the leader of the Monster Army headed in their direction was a Monster that had just evolved into the Dreadnaught Rank.

 Chapter 690 Forewarned Was Better Than Forearmed

    ?


    "Father, I don''t want to go," Leo stated. "I want to stay with you and fight!"


    "That''s General Fahad to you, soldier," General Fahad snapped at his son, who refused to obey his order. "Have you forgotten the promise you made to me when I agreed to bring you along on this campaign? You swore to obey my every order. Is this what your promise amounts to? Insubordination?"


    Leo lowered his head, unable toe up with words to refute his father. The only reason he was allowed to apany the General on all of his campaigns was because he promised to always obey his order.


    However, after knowing that his father and the rest of the Veteran Soldiers would be staying to fight against the approaching Monster Army, Leo felt that he needed to be with him more than ever.


    The conscripted men of the city had all been assigned to protect the residents as they evacuated towards the Capital City of the Yn Kingdom.


    They had only trained for a few days, so General Fahad knew well that they were not ready to fight against a Monster Army of such magnitude.


    To avoid mishaps, he also assigned a dozen of his trusted subordinates to lead the new conscripts, as well as the evacuees to safety. One of the people he wanted to oversee this mission was his son, Leo,


    But thetter refused to obey him, giving him a headache.


    "Father. Please, let me stay," Leo begged. "I promise that I will obey every order you give me, but you must let me stay and fight with you."


    General Fahad snorted as he looked down at his son, who insisted on staying to fight with him.


    "What good is your promise if you can''t even keep it?" General Fahad sneered. "You still say that you promise to obey my orders when you''ve refused my order to lead the people to safety? I''ve had enough of your farce. From now on, you are stripped of your military authority and hereby delegated as a civilian!"


    General Fahad tore the badge on Leo''s uniform, making the teenage boy''s eyes widen in shock. He never thought that his father would go as far as to strip him of his rank to prevent him from staying.


    "Guards! Take this boy out of here now!" General Fahad ordered. "Tie him in chains if you have to, and take him to the Capital along with the other evacuees!"


    ""Yes, Sir!""


    As if waiting for that cue, two Guards immediately entered themand room and grabbed hold of Leo, preventing him from doing anything.


    "Don''t do this, Father!" Leo pleaded. "I just want to fight with you to the bitter end! Let me go! I want to stay here!"


    However, no matter how much he begged, the two soldiers took him away without mercy.


    Only when he could no longer hear his son''s shouts did General Fahad heave a long and depressing sigh.


    "You did the right thing," General Fahad''s second inmand, Benjamin, said as he entered the room. "This is no ce for him to die."


    "What''s this? Do you also think that we will not survive this one?" General Fahad asked in a wry tone.


    "To be perfectly honest, no," Benjamin replied. "The scouts that we have deployed just sent us a message that the Monster Army isposed of dozens of Deimos-Ranked Monsters, a handful of Argonaut Monsters, and one Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster at its Initial Stages.


    "There is also the countless number of Rank 5 and below Monsters, plus their army is at least around a hundred thousand strong. Even if we can match their number, the High-Rankingbatants have such arge disparity that it is impossible to win.


    "Perhaps both of us can take on one Argonaut-Ranked Monster each, and a few of our Elites can handle the Deimos-Ranked Monsters. But the moment that Dreadnaught makes its move, we''re done for."


    General Fahad walked towards the window and gazed at the city below him.


    Currently, many people flooded the streets as the mass evacuation was in full swing. ording to Lux, the Monster Army would arrive in three more days if they kept their current pace.


    If the Dreadnaught Monster decided to hasten their movements, the Monsters mighte knocking on their city walls before the sun rose the next day.


    Because of this, General Fahad ordered that the evacuation must be carried out as soon as possible, giving the people only half a day to pack everything they could before leaving the city.


    "Lux told me that he has a way to deal with the Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster," General Fahad said after several minutes passed. "He said that we should prioritize dealing with the small fries, and he will handle the rest."


    "Oh? That''s quite reassuring then." Benjamin chuckled, thinking that it was a joke.


    But his chuckle onlysted for a short while before his expression became solemn. "... Is he serious?"


    "Very serious."


    "I know that this might sound weirding from me, but for some reason, I now feel that we might be able to survive this one."


    The Generals of the Yn Kingdom had treated Lux as a War Hero in their hearts after the many aplishments the Half-Elf had made during their previous campaigns.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Each and every time, the red-headed teenager was able to pull off something new, giving them an opportunity to turn the tides of battle in their favor.


    "Actually, I came here to ask you a favor. I wanted to ask you to pass a letter to my wife to let her know that I might not be able to make it." Benjamin scratched his head. "But now, I guess I''ll keep it for the time being."


    "You do that." General Fahad nodded. "I also don''t have any intention of dying here."


    The two High-Ranking officers exchanged a knowing gaze before returning to their duties.


    Since the Monster Army would arrive in the next three days, they couldn''t possibly not give them a warm wee that would send them all directly to kingdome.


    ��--------


    "Boom Boom!"


    "Boom!"


    Eiko and Fei Fei were busy making one st Bomb after the other. They wanted to make as many bombs as they could to help prepare for the war, and partly because the two Baby Slimes had grown fond of making things go Boom!


    Apanying them in this task was none other than Boomer, Eiko''s Crimson Monkey Kong Skeleton Bombardier.


    Of course, Eiko made sure to summon her clones as well to speed up the st Bomb Production.


    Not far from them, the Archlich, Asmodeus, was discussing ns with Lux about how to better deal with the uing Monster Invasion.


    Of course, they weren''t doing this with just the two of them.


    Cai, Keane, Xander, Gerhart, Cethus, Einar, Val, Henrietta, Enlil, Jasper, Gilmore (the swordsman who Keane fought in the tournament), Malcolm, and Prince Cyrus were present as well.


    They were the individuals representing the different factions and had apanied Lux in the Gate of Famine, so the Half-Elf gathered them as well.


    "I sent a scout to check on the Monster Army yesterday and found out theposition of their army," Lux stated. "There are dozens of Deimos-Ranked Monsters, a handful of Argonaut-Ranked Monsters, and one Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster. Not only that, there are at least tens of thousands of Rank 5 and below monsters that serve as the bulk of their army."


    The teenagers all listened to the Half-Elf with serious expressions on their faces. Theposition of the Monster Army was already a force that Initiates couldn''t possibly contend with.


    Only Rankers and above would be able to deal with this kind of situation. But after seeing what Lux was capable of, they felt more hopeful that the Half-Elf had found a way to ovee the situation they were about to face.


    "None of you have to worry about the Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster. I have a way to deal with it," Lux stated. "Cai, General Fahad, and the High-Rankingbatants of the Yn Army will deal with the Argonaut-Ranked Monsters. This leaves you with only the Deimos-Ranked Monsters to deal with."


    Lux didn''t know whether he should mention this or not to the others, but for some reason, a good number of Rank 5 Monsters within the approaching Monster Army were about to evolve as Deimos-Ranked Monsters.


    At the very least, Zagan estimated that they would face at least a hundred of these about-to-evolve monsters when they arrive at their destination.


    After careful deliberation, the Half-Elf decided that it would be best to just spill the beans to give his team more time to adjust to their current situation.


    Forewarned was better than forearmed.


    In a battle of this magnitude, Lux understood that their chances of survival would increase only when his team and allies truly knew what they were about to face.


    -------------------


    Important Announcement:


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    To give you a bit of background to this story, this is like Harry Potter. A teenage boy identally rode the wrong train, and entered a Magic Academy where he can *ahem* learn Magic the "special way".


    Check it out on Patreon./ElyonFantasy


    Kekeke! Thanks to those who became my Patrons.


    P.S


    No additional coins will be paid for this important notice.

 Chapter 691 Just Watch At The Side And Do Your Best To Not Die

    ?


    "ording to a rough estimate, there will be at least a hundred Deimos-Rank Monsters within the Monster Army," Lux exined before shifting his gaze to the Boar beside him. "We are short-handed, so I will be assigning everyone their task for this battle. Cai and Xander, both of you will team up to deal with one Deimos-Ranked Monster."


    "Okay," Cai replied.


    Xander also nodded in agreement. His duty was to protect Cai in the first ce, so he was fine with this setup.


    "Keane, you will take on a Deimos-Ranked Monster on your own," Lux stated as he nced at his trustedpanion with a smile.


    "Okay," Keane replied.


    The not-so-skinny swordsman had been very eager to fight after seeing Lux''s awesome performance in thest battle. Since he considered the Half-Elf his rival, Keane would not hesitate to fight an opponent that was stronger than him in order to challenge his limits.


    Lux wasn''t too worried about Keane since he had given the swordsman a Deimos-Ranked Wyvern that would assist him in battle.


    "Gerhart, Cethus, you two deal with one Deimos Ranked Monster each as well."


    "Got it," Gerhart replied.


    "Only one?" Cethusined. "I can deal with three of them with my arms crossed."


    "Shut up, Cethus." Gerhart scoffed at the arrogant Dragon Born. "I can already see that you will be the first to die in this battle. Just where is this confidence of yoursing from? Your Grandma is not here to save you, you know?"


    "Shut up, Low Lander." Cethus red. "How about we make a bet on how many Deimos Monsters we can kill? The loser will follow the victor''s orders for a day."


    "Sounds fun. I''m in."


    "I can''t wait to order you to lick my foot, you scum."


    Lux sighed as he ignored the two hot-heads who were once againpeting with each other.


    "Einar and Val, you will deal with one Deimos-Ranked Monster each," Lux stated. "Don''t hold back, okay? I know that the two of you have be stronger since thest time we met."


    Einar smirked. This was the first time that Lux acknowledged his ability, so he was feeling quite happy inside.


    Val was feeling the same, so he nodded his head and promised to follow the Half-Elf''s orders.


    "Henrietta, you and your Guild Members will fight against one Deimos Monster as well." Lux crossed his arms over his chest. "Can you do it?"


    "Consider it done," Henrietta replied in a heartbeat.


    If it had been in the past, she definitely would not have been able to answer as confidently as she did now. But now that Lux had given her a Deimos-Ranked Wyvern as a Beast Companion, she felt like dealing with another one was doable.


    "Jasper, you and your team will handle one Deimos-Ranked Monster. You four Barbarians will team up against one as well."


    Lux then shifted his gaze to the Elven Prince, Enlil, as well as Gilmore, who had just been listening quietly to the side.


    "Enlil and Gilmore, you and your men team up to defeat one Deimos Ranked Monster," Lux said after careful consideration.


    "Very well," Enlil replied.


    "Understood," Gilmoremented.


    Both of them were proud teenagers, but since they had been ordered by their Kings to follow Lux''s orders, they would do as they were told.


    "That''s all." Lux then stood up and was about to leave when Prince Cyrus called out to him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hey, what about us?" Prince Cyrus asked. "What are we going to do?"


    Lux nced at the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire with a frown.


    "You�� just don''t get in the way," Lux answered. "Better yet, just don''t do anything. Just watch from the side and do your best to not die."


    "You bastard!" Prince Cyrus growled, but this action of his made Lux chuckle.


    "I was just joking," Lux said in a teasing tone. "You, Malcolm, and Nero will also fight against one Deimos-Ranked Monster. Remember this, if any of you manage to defeat your opponents, team up with other people to defeat the enemy they are fighting against. Don''t let your pride cloud your vision.


    "We are up against a Monster Army that Initiates have no hope of defeating unless a miracle happens. Pride won''t do you any good in this battle. What you need is to cooperate with others in order to survive.


    "I don''t want to see any of you dying, so if you think you are unable to continue fighting, retreat as fast as you can. We can only conquer this Dungeon if we are alive. All of you remember that well."


    Prince Cyrus clenched his fist before storming away. Nero followed behind him, while Malcolm gave Lux an apologetic nod before rejoining his Prince, who looked very displeased at how Lux treated him.


    Even so, the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire was starting to realize that he was in a situation that he had never been in the past.


    Because of his position, he was always heavily guarded and no one dared to harm him, in fear of receiving his father''s wrath.


    Now that he had lost these powerful guards, he understood that he couldn''t always depend on others for his safety.


    In the face of Monsters that didn''t care about his position as Prince of a Kingdom, Prince Cyrus had no one to rely on but himself.


    ��-------


    Outside of the Gate of Famine, Aur and the members of the Crystal Pce arrived safely at the entrance of the Sacred Dungeon.


    They didn''t encounter any Monsters along the way, which sped their journey considerably.


    The representatives of the Skystead Alliance also joined them, which Aur agreed with since they were temporary allies inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    "Your Highness, are we really going to team up with that Half-Elf?" One of Aur''s close Aides asked.


    "We have one goal and one goal only," Aur replied as he gazed at the Gate of Famine. "It doesn''t matter if we join hands with others in order to aplish it. Our ultimate goal is always for the benefit of the Crystal Pce."


    "Understood, Your Highness," the Aide respectfully bowed his head and took a step back.


    Without another word, Aur pressed his palm over the Gate of Famine in order to challenge it for a second time.


    At the same time that Aur and the others had entered the Gate of Famine, the silver-haired devil opened his eyes and looked towards the South.


    He was currently sitting on the throne of the Ammarian Royal Pce, using the trembling King, who was on all fours, as his footstool.


    "I don''t know how you managed to escape my grasp, Half-Elf," the silver-haired devil said in a calm manner. "But it doesn''t matter. My preparation is almost done. Soon, I will finally be able to leave this ce. But for that to happen, I still need a suitable host."


    The silver-haired devil narrowed his eyes as his vision locked onto Nero, whom he had decided to use as a vessel in the past. However, since he no longer possessed the Heart of the Abyss, the silver-haired devil''s interest in him had waned as well.


    "I found a much better vessel," the Abyssal Duke smirked as his gaze locked on the Dragon Humanoid, who had just entered the Gate of Famine.


    He had waited many years for the day that he would be able to break free from his prison.


    Now that the Fourth Gate of the Apocalypse had been opened, it was only a matter of time before his reign of terror would finally start in full.

 Chapter 692 What Will Come Will Come

    ?


    Heaven''s Gate Guild Headquarters in the Outer Reaches��


    "What are you doing here, Halfling?"


    "What are you doing here, Dragon King? Did your wife kick you out of the room or something?"


    The King of all Dragons looked down on the Halfling, who was casually smoking his pipe while watching the projection in front of him.


    Garret and mma, who were also watching Lux''s battle, didn''t dare to say a word since the one standing in front of them was a Supreme.


    An entity that could split the sea and divide thend if he so wished for it.


    "Did you break the condition I gave you back when I agreed to spare your life?" The Dragon King asked in an irritated tone. "I told you to guard the Kingdom of Zangr and prevent the Abyssal Monsters from pouring into the Elysium in great numbers. Are you testing my patience? Or are you already tired of living?"


    The Halfling blew some white circles before looking at the Dragon King with annoyance.


    "Have you forgotten the conditions that you set?" Gaap replied. "ording to our contract, I would be freed from my task if I take on a Disciple while guarding Zangr."


    "Yes," the Dragon Kingmented. "I remember that part of the contract. So, did someone randomly appear in Zangr and asked you to be their Master?"


    The Dragon King shifted his gaze to Garret as if asking the Human the question "Is it you?"


    Naturally, Garret firmly shook his head, telling the Dragon King that he wasn''t Gaap''s disciple.


    Seeing the Human denying his connection with Gaap, the Dragon King then nced at the Half-Orc, whose body immediately froze due to the immense pressure that washed over him.


    "Are you a kid?" Gaap snapped at the Dragon King. "These two are not my Disciples. I''m sure you already know who it is. Are you going to continue to act like the dumb Dragon that you are?"


    Garret and mma wanted to beg Gaap to stop badmouthing the Dragon King. If thetter really got annoyed, the Halfling would not be the only one to be erased from existence.


    The floating ind that they were currently at would simply disintegrate, leaving nothing behind but dust.


    The Dragon King snorted before turning around to look at the projection behind his back.


    There, Lux could be seen ordering the soldiers of the Yn Kingdom to reinforce the city walls with Earth Magic.


    ''It''s him again,'' the Dragon King frowned.


    At first, he paid attention to the Half-Elf because Keoza had chosen him to receive his Dragon Token.


    That was fine in itself, but recently, he felt that keeping the Half-Elf alive would endanger his beloved daughter, Valerie.


    Because of this, he nned to invite Lux to go on a fishing trip, the kind where the Half-Elf might ''identally'' get swallowed by an Empyrean Ranked Fish.


    The only reason why he was forced to postpone this n was due to his wife, Saphira, who told him to not make things difficult for the red-headed teenager who had done nothing wrong.


    "Don''t leave just yet," Gaap stated as he continued to puff smoke from his pipe. "Stay a while and watch. The people from Crystal Pce have made contact with Lux, and they are in the same Dungeon as him."


    "What?!" The Dragon King''s eyes widened in shock after hearing Gaap''s words.


    Although Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce had signed a peace treatysting for a hundred years, the deadline of the contract would end in a month.


    Both sides had done their best to rein in their subordinates, preventing a full-blown conflict from happening and creating a civil war among the Dragon Race.


    Now that the expiration of the deal was about toe, the fragile peace that had been enforced for the past hundred years was starting to show cracks.


    The Dragon King had already sent an envoy to the Crystal Pce with the proposal to extend the peace treaty, but the Steward, who was also Cethus'' second Grandmother, didn''t agree to it.


    When asked why she didn''t want to sign the peace treaty, the only reply she gave was that she no longer had the right to decide whether the peace treaty would be extended or not.


    She added that only the Prince of the Crystal Pce could decide this important matter and refused to entertain any other envoys that the Dragon King had sent to persuade her.


    Of course, the Dragon King knew that the Crystal Pce indeed had a Prince. However, he felt that the sly Steward was purposely avoiding any talks of continued peace because they were nning a coup d''etat.


    "Are you sure about this?" the Dragon King asked. "I''m not here to y games with you, Halfling. Don''t forget that you are only alive because of the grace given to you by the previous Dragon King."


    Gaap shrugged as he emptied the pipe in his hand.


    "The only reason why I''m telling you this is because my previous Master and you were good friends," Gaap replied. "If not for her, I wouldn''t even bother looking at you."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Dragon King quieted down after remembering Gaap''s Master, whom he found to be quite unique even among Humans.


    In the end, the Dragon King decided to summon a chair and sat down to watch the projection as well.


    He didn''t know why the Half-Elf kept on attracting troublesome people into his life, making him wonder if he really should take the red-headed teenager to go fishing and be done with it.


    ��------------


    City of Peyton within the Yn Kingdom��


    All the teenagers were gearing up for the uing battle that they were about to face.


    In the first time they encountered the Monster Army, all of them were massacred without even having the chance to retaliate.


    None of the Rankers and High-Rankers who watched the battle outside the Gate of the Fallen med them for what happened.


    They knew that it was impossible for Initiates to win against such a force and just med the expedition''s failure on bad luck.


    However, right now, they were actually feeling more hopeful that they wouldn''t die so helplessly like thest time.


    Now that Lux had assured them that he had a way to deal with the Dreadnaught Monster, General Fahad dered that he and his men would take care of the Argonaut-Ranked Monsters, leaving only the Deimos Monsters behind.


    While it was still difficult to fight these Monsters,pared to fighting against Argonaut and Dreadnaught Ranked Beasts, it was a lot more manageable.


    Even Prince Cyrus was showing a determination that was rarely seen, making Malcolm, who had known the arrogant prince for a long time, feel that something had changed in the Prince''s attitude after Lux treated him like an excess baggage.


    "They''re finally leaving," Henriettamented as he looked at the long procession of people that had just exited the South Gate of the city and were heading towards the Capital City of the Yn Kingdom.


    Lux nodded and watched the people go, who all had anxious expressions on their faces.


    It reminded him of the time when he and hisrades escorted the people of Abingdon Town across the perilous Shaufell ins where a great battle against Insect-Type Monsters was fought.


    Although it was a good distance away, he spotted Leo, who was wearing a civilian clothing, tied up to a pole in one of the wagons.


    Clearly, General Fahad intended to make his son leave this dangerous ce, which Lux found to be a normal thing to do for a father who cared for the safety of his family members.


    For a brief moment, Lux''s and Leo''s gazes intersected.


    The two stared at each other for half a minute before the wagon started to move towards the exit of the city.


    The Half-Elf had seen the unwillingness in Leo''s eyes, which proved that he didn''t want to leave his father behind, especially when the General was about to face a battle of such magnitude.


    Lux could have freed Leo then and there, but he refrained himself from doing so.


    Doing such a thing would disrespect General Fahad''s decision, and the Half-Elf didn''t want to meddle in the General''s family matters.


    Two hourster, the procession could no longer be seen from the City of Peyton.


    All that was left were the soldiers of the Yn Kingdom, as well as teenagers, who nned to stop the Monster''s advance, permanently.


    Lux, who was keeping in close contact with Zagan, whom he ordered to monitor the Monster Army, looked towards the East with a calm expression on his face.


    The Monster Army had sped up in their advance and, ording to his estimate, the Monsters would arrive at the city they were guarding tomorrow afternoon.


    Although Lux was confident that he could face off against the biggest threat that was approaching the city, he couldn''t help but have a nagging feeling at the back of his mind.


    He didn''t know if this feeling wasing from the enemy that they would be facing tomorrow, or due to something different.


    ''There''s no use in thinking of things outside of my control,'' Lux thought as he watched the sun set in the distance. ''What wille wille.''


    The Half-Elf then stared towards the North, where the two Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses were located.


    His mission was not to only save the Yn Kingdom, but the Ammarian Kingdom as well.


    Because of this, Lux was certain that sooner orter, he would have to go North, bringing everyone with him in a battle that would make those that were watching him, including the Dragon King, feel as if their very blood was boiling inside their bodies.

 Chapter 693 General, You Should Stop Raising Death Flags

    ?


    That night, the City of Peyton was nearly dead silent.


    General Fahad ordered all the soldiers to rest properly in preparation for the great battle the next day.


    There was no need for anyone to serve as the Night Watch because Lux volunteered to have the Undead y that role.


    Lux thought that the soldiers would be too anxious to sleep because of the enemy that was approaching their location. However, to his surprise, the Yn Soldiers slept like logs, with some of them snoring so loudly that they could wake up the dead.


    "They haven''t had a good sleep these past few days, so they are all really exhausted," General Fahad said as he passed Lux a mug of mead.


    The two of them were on the ramparts of the city wall, unable to sleep.


    "Tomorrow, many of them will die," Lux replied as he held the mug of mead in his hands. "Will you allow me to revive them, so that they can continue to fight?"


    "I''ll ask them tomorrow," General Fahad replied. "Although I am not a hundred percent sure, I think most of them will give their consent�� as long as you don''t make their bodies explode."


    "I will not do that," Luxmented before taking a sip from his mug. "The Yn Kingdom is my friend. I will not desecrate their dead."


    General Fahad nodded. "Lux, if I ever die in battle. I give you permission to revive me. You did the same to Second, right? If I remember correctly�� His name is Zagan now."


    "That''s right." Lux confirmed.


    "I''ve been meaning to ask, do the people you revive still have memories of their past life?" General Fahad was genuinely curious about this part.


    "If they are revived not long after they die, yes," Lux replied. "They need to be revived at least two to three days after their death for that to happen."


    "They were your enemies in the past, right?" General Fahad inquired. "Is it because you are their Master that they obey you, regardless of what they were like in their past lives?"


    Lux paused for a bit before shaking his head.


    "I removed their identity when I revived them, and only left their experience," Lux stated. "It''s like giving them a permanent amnesia, allowing them to retain their skills of the past, erasing their grudge against me the moment they were reborn. Even now, if someone told them that I was their enemy in their past life, they would not think much about it, and continue to serve me with utmost loyalty."


    "... I see." General Fahad drank half of the mead in his cup before looking at the moon in the sky. "If I die, can you let me keep my memory? I don''t want to forget my Family."


    "You will not die, General," Lux replied. "You will live a long life protecting your people."


    "I''m just saying ''IF'' I die." General Fahad smiled. "Trust me, I don''t have any intention of dying. However, having some insurance will put my mind at ease."


    "... General, you should stop raising Death gs," Lux stated. "But, I will do as you say. So, fight with everything you''ve got. I have your back."


    General Fahad nodded and emptied the mug in his hand before standing up to leave.


    "I''ll go and rest," General Fahad said. "You also make sure that you are properly rested. I am counting on you to help me hold up the sky when it falls tomorrow."


    "Okay." Lux promised as he raised his cup as if toasting the General of the Yn Kingdom. "I''ll just finish this then go to sleep as well."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    General Fahad nodded and walked away with firm steps. Now that he had gained Lux''s promise to be revived from the dead, he would fight until he could no longer do so.


    Lux watched the General''s retreating back until he disappeared from his sight.


    Ten minutester, Lux also left and headed to his room. Tomorrow''s battle was an important one, so he had every intention of resting properly.


    But, there was one problem.


    The moment he entered his room, he instantly noticed that he wasn''t alone.


    A youngdy wearing a night dress was seated on the bed, waiting for him.


    "Are they already asleep?" Lux asked Cai, who was wearing a ck, silk nightdress that wasn''t able to hide the curves of her body.


    "Yes," Cai replied. "Eiko and Fei Fei are already asleep in my room."


    Lux nodded and walked to the bed, removing his upper clothes.


    Cai moved to help him remove his shoes, and pants, leaving only the Half-Elf''s underwear intact.


    She then guided Lux toy down on the bed, where the two of them cuddled together in each other''s embrace.


    "Tomorrow, don''t force yourself too much, and don''t go too deep behind enemy lines," Lux stated. "Stick to Xander, and allow Coatl to handle the strong enemies."


    (A/N: Coatl is the name that Cai gave to the Winged Serpent that she tamed.)


    "Okay," Cai replied as she buried her head into Lux''s chest, feeling his warmth. "Be careful as well. Don''t underestimate our opponents. Although you can revive the dead, no one can revive you when you die."


    "Okay," Lux whispered in Cai''s ear as he held her close.


    The beautiful High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe was now his fiance, and although they had shared many intimate moments, they still hadn''t crossed thatst barrier, which would allow the two of them to be one.


    Both of them understood that it was still not the right time to do it, so they just allowed themselves to fall slowly in love with each other, enjoying the intimate moments whenever they were alone together.


    Lux nted a kiss on Cai''s forehead, making thetter raise her head to look at him.


    The two stared at each other for a few seconds before both of them pressed their lips together, sharing a long, and passionate kiss.


    A momentter, Lux''s hand moved to untie the strings of Cai''s nightgown, and slowly pulled it down, baring her breasts, which fit his hands perfectly.


    Soon, Cai''s muffled moans echoed inside the room. Although both of them were still not ready to take that final step to take their rtionship to the next level, that didn''t stop them from making each other feel good.


    This act of intimacy helped quench the burning desire in their bodies, and hearts, in preparation for the battle that was slowly, but surely, making its way towards them.

 Chapter 694 Just How Many Secrets Is This Boy Hiding?

    ?


    "They''re here," General Fahad said as he looked at the edge of the horizon where countless dark spots emerged like a ck tide.


    Lux nodded his head in agreement, as he gazed at the Monster Army that had sped up their advance, allowing them to arrive at the city, just two hours after everyone finished eating their lunch.


    The Soldiers on the city walls held their weapons tightly in their hands, as they prepared for one of the most dangerous battles of their lives.


    Their number was only around twenty thousand because the bulk of the Yn Army apanied Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson to defend the Eastern City from the Dreadnaught-Ranked Giant Earth Turtle.


    With only over twenty thousand soldiers, against a Monster Army that numbered over a hundred thousand, everyone believed that their chances of survival were very slim. However, they didn''t back away because if they did, their loved ones back in the Capital City of the Yn Kingdom would bear the brunt of the Monster Invasion.


    "It will probably take them half an hour to arrive at the city walls," Benjamin, who served as General Fahad''s second inmand,mented. "We still have time to say our prayers."


    Benjamin said those words in a joking manner, but no oneughed at his attempt to liven up the atmosphere.


    Everyone, including the teenagers, was feeling too tense and anxious to appreciate his effort, which made the Vice-General feel awkward. Even so, everyone understood what he was trying to do, so they didn''t say anything that might embarrass the Vice-General of the Yn Army.


    Suddenly, a change happened among the Monster Army as the flying Beasts advanced ahead. Seeing this, General Fahad knew that the battle would start earlier than expected, so he immediately addressed his soldiers because this was the only time that he could do it.


    "Remember, we will fight using the city as our shield," General Fahad announced to his soldiers. "Prioritize helping yourrades, and only focus on dealing with Rank 5 and below Monsters. Leave the Powerhouses of the Monster Army to me and Lux.


    "Once the City Walls have fallen, immediately retreat to the rear of the city, and use the strategy that I passed unto your Captains. Prioritize your safety, and do your best to survive!"


    General Fahad then unsheathed his sword and saluted the giant g of the Yn Kingdom that fluttered in the center of the city.


    All the soldiers under hismand saluted it as well for it was the symbol of their Kingdom, for which they were willing to sacrifice their lives in order to protect it.


    "Glory to the Yn Kingdom!" General Fahad shouted.


    """Glory to the Yn Kingdom!"""


    """Glory to the Yn Kingdom!"""


    """Glory to the Yn Kingdom!"""


    General Fahad then raised his sword and pointed it at the flying Creatures that were nearing their city from the skies.


    "Aim!" General Fahad ordered.


    The Archers, as well as the magicians all prepared to unleash their long range attacks to decimate the creatures that hade to annihte them all.


    "Steady," Ishtar stated as she nocked an arrow on her bow, pulling it as far as she could.


    The hundreds of Skeleton Arcane Archers, and Liches, also prepared to unleash their attacks, in order to help the Yn Soldiers thin out the number of flying monsters that were only minutes away from them.


    Lux watched all of this with his arms crossed over his chest. Eiko also had a serious expression on her face, as she waited for the monsters to arrive.


    Lux, Eiko, and Asmodeus, had summoned their clones earlier and distributed their forces across the ramparts, protecting it.


    The Skeleton Gangbangers and the Steel Golems stood ready behind the city gate, serving as the second line of defense.


    When General Fahad deemed that the Monsters were well within their range, he finally pointed his sword forward, and shouted his order.


    "Open Fire!"


    As soon as the order was given, thousands of arrows, and spells, rained down on the flying Monsters, making them cry out in pain.


    Countless Monsters died in that initial sh, but many were able to break past through the first salvo, especially the two Argonaut-Ranked Cockatrices, whose breath attack could turn people to stone.


    "Brace!" General Fahad shouted as the two Basilisks prepared to unleash their dreaded Petrification Breath, which they were famous for.


    When the two Cockatrices unleashed their breath attacks, Lux, Eiko, and their clones, unleashed their own Dragon Breaths, which blocked the attack of the two Argonaut-Ranked Beasts, dispersing itpletely.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    That was how the sh between the Monster Army and the Defenders started, and what followed after that was pure chaos.


    Shax, who had summoned his clones, engaged the Argonaut-Ranked Cockatrices in a dogfight in the sky, preventing them from targeting the defenders on the ground.


    Keane, Xander, Gerhart, Cethus, and Einar, and Val, took off to the skies with their Deimos-Ranked Wyverns, decreasing the pressure that the defenders were feeling.


    While this was happening, thend Monsters had all increased their pace, and were now running full speed towards the city walls, making the defenders focus in their direction


    Since their allies were fighting off against the monsters in the sky, no one among the Defenders aimed their long range attacks upwards, in fear that they might hit their allies due to the chaotic battle that was happening.


    At the forefront of the monster army, six ck rhinos that were at least six meters tall were leading the charge, tanking the arrows, and spells that were raining down on them from afar.


    "They are good Chargers," Cai said with a solemn look on her face. "What do you think, Fei Fei?"


    "Wei~"


    "I think so too. Um, maybe we can tame themter, after Lux beats them up."


    "Wei~"


    Lux, who was standing beside Cai scratched his head as he looked at the six Pseudo-Deimos Ranked Monsters, whom Cai wanted to tame.


    He then gave a subtle order to his army to not kill the ck Rhinos, and simply cripple them, so that he could give them to his fiance once the battle was over.


    Suddenly, Lux saw a sh of light in the distance, which made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.


    Immediately after that, he summoned the Wraith King, Leoric, who shot forward like a blueet.


    A momentter, a loud explosion took ce, creating a shockwave that sent the Monsters near the point of impact flying in every direction, which almost blew away every soldier off the ramparts due to how powerful it was.


    Good thing, Lux had already anticipated this happening, ordering his Skeleton Gangbangers and Steel Golems to merge together, creating eighteen Hecatoncheires, behind the City Walls, who spread out their arms, and shielded the people from the aftermath of the Dreadnaught-Ranked long range attack, that came from more than a mile away.


    Leoric, who had sessfully blocked the attack, hovered in the air, as he stared in the direction of the foe that Lux had designated for him to face.


    "Is he your Trump Card?" General Fahad asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "He will deal with the Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster, while we deal with the small fries."


    The General of the Yn Kingdom nodded his head in understanding.


    Now that there was someone to deal with the leader of the Monster Army, he once again issuedmands to his soldiers, whose morale was boosted after seeing the Wraith King, Leoric.


    ��--------


    Outside of the Gate of the Fallen, a pin-drop silence emanated.


    No one, not even Hector, who was Xander''s father, and Lux''s staunchest ally, uttered a word as they all looked at the projection in front of them.


    ''Just how many secrets is this boy hiding?'' Hector thought after he regained his calm.


    He was already surprised that Lux was able to summon Argonaut and Deimos-Ranked Monsters to fight for him.


    But now, the appearance of the Wraith King made him, and the other people in the cavern, wonder if Lux could summon something stronger.


    If he really could do that then everyone''s stance against him, including the Vahan Empire, would definitely change.


    Now that they had seen what Lux was capable of doing, they could no longer treat him as an ordinary Initiate, but a true Powerhouse that could potentially tilt the oue of the war in their favor.

 Chapter 695 I Found Myself One Hell Of A Disciple

    ?


    "Are we not going to help them, Your Highness?"


    "Let''s just watch for now. I want to know if Lux has any other Trump Cards that he is still hiding in his sleeves."


    Aur, and the members of the Crystal Pce, observed the battle from on top of a mountain.


    They had just arrived at the scene, and the first thing they saw was the ongoing battle between the Defenders of the Yn Kingdom and the Monster Army.


    Aur didn''t know if the Monster Army was affiliated with the Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters that had annihted each and everyone of them during their first attempt to clear the dungeon.


    However, that experience made him understand that even though he was carrying many powerful artifacts, and weapons with him, there was a limit to what a single person could do alone.


    In order to achieve his goal, he needed to gain powerful allies. If only Rankers and Saints were allowed to enter the dungeon then Aur wouldn''t have this problem.


    Unfortunately, this was not possible, so he could only seek help elsewhere.


    Right now, the only one who seemed to be brimming with potential was none other than the red-headed teenager, who had forced him to swallow his pride and enter the Sacred Dungeon a second time.


    ��--------


    ''What a sly monster,'' Lux thought as he looked at the Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster in the distance, who resembled Godzi, with annoyance. ''Leoric can''t advance forward because once he does, the bastard will fire a long range attack, aimed at the people, forcing Leoric to block it.''


    The leader of the Monsters was firing its long-ranged attacks consecutively, preventing Leoric from fighting it directly.


    Currently, only the Wraith King could sessfully block the attacks of the Dreadnaught Monster.


    If he failed to block the Monster''s attack even once, half of the city would instantly be wiped out. Killing thousands of people at the same time.


    The powerful shockwaves had also destroyed several parts of the city walls, allowing the Monsters to enter the city.


    Lux and hisrades were fighting a fierce battle on thend and in the sky, dyeing the ground with the color of blood.


    General Fahad roared in anger as he and his elite soldiers started to hunt down the Deimos-Ranked Monsters that had entered the city.


    These Monsters easily killed the low-ranking defenders, enraging the General and his men.


    "Those at the right wall, fall back!" General Fahad ordered as he hacked down a Rank 5 Monster, who had almost bitten off one of his soldier''s heads.. "Head to the rear of the city! Bring the injured to the infirmary! Leave this ce to us!"


    "Y-Yes Sir!" The soldier hastily supported his injuredrade to safety. However, there were many other injured people in the surroundings, who were unable to help themselves.


    Not wanting any of his soldiers to die, General Fahad stood his ground, shing every monster that broke past the destroyed wall.


    Even with Lux''s army, dealing with the High-Ranking monsters, the enemy''s numbers were simply too many.


    They were about to reach their limit, and it was only a matter of time before the defensive lines brokepletely.


    Suddenly, the dead soldiers around him rose to life. A good number of the Zombies carried the injured soldiers, and headed towards the rear of the city, Instead of helping the General fight off the Monsters.


    Those that were helped, cried bitterly as theirrades, who had died, took them to safety, so that they could live.


    Before the battle started, General Fahad asked his soldiers if they were willing to be revived after they died in the battle.


    To his surprise, all the soldiers dered that if they were to perish in battle, they wanted Lux to revive them, so that they could continue fighting.


    While some of the revived soldiers carried theirrades to the rear of the city, the rest of them assisted their still-living-counterparts in fighting against the Monsters, and preventing other soldiers from joining them in the afterlife.


    Since they were revived as soon as they died, their memories were still intact, and their will to protect their Kingdom burned brightly in their chest, allowing them fight with great vigor and ferocity.


    Cai, who was fighting Monsters inside the city, and helping the soldiers retreat, was being protected by her Winged Serpent, Coatl, who flew dozens of meters above her, eliminating the stronger threats that tried to attack the Boar from the sky.


    Lux had ordered her to remain in the city, while he joined Leoric to charge behind the enemy lines, bringing six Hecatoncheires with him.


    The Half-Elf knew that if he didn''t bring down the Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster first, everyone''s lives would continue to hang on a very thin line.


    All it took was a single mistake, and the people he cared for would all be wiped from the face of the Yn Kingdom.


    Of course, he understood that if any of them died inside the Dungeon, they wouldn''t really die, but simply be expelled from it.


    Even so, Lux didn''t have the "I won''t die even if I am killed" mentality, and treated this battle seriously.


    Leading the charge was none other than Leoric, and his 12 Wraith Knights who were all of the Deimos Rank.


    Behind them, Six Hecatoncheires advanced slowly, grabbing, punching, pping, and pinning down every monster they came across.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lux, was riding on his Thunder Warg King, Jed, who was busy unleashing lightning bolts at the monsters in front of him.


    Zagan and Lazarus flew beside Lux, guarding him from any sneak attacks from their enemies.


    He had left Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Asmodeus, Orion, Revon, and ALL-MITE, back in the city in order to protect his friends, and keep a lookout for Cai.


    Suddenly, a four-meter tall Earth Wolf, who was of the Deimos Rank, sprang out from the ground, with the intention of crushing the Thunder Warg King, and his Master, with his powerful jaws.


    This particr wolf had a peculiar ability, simr to Jasper, allowing it to merge with the ground, and travel under it like a fish in the water.


    It was the perfect ambusher, and it had locked its sights on Lux, who was now deep inside their battle formation.


    Unfortunately for it, Lux was paying close attention to his Soul Book, and had already known that the Wolf was nning to ambush him.


    "mma! I choose you!" Lux shouted as he summoned the Half-Orc, who had been watching the battle in the projection back in their Guild Headquarters just a few seconds ago.


    Immediately, the Deimos-Ranked Half-Orc materialized out of thin air, carrying his War Axe, poised to strike.


    "It''s about darn time!" mma roared as he smashed his Axe downwards.


    "Guillotine Burst!"


    The War Axe was covered in crimson mes, greatly empowering mma''s attack, and imbuing it with the power of Transcendent mes.


    A cry of pain spread in the surroundings as the Half-Orc''s War Axe smashed into the Earth Wolf''s snout, sending it crashing to the ground.


    Giving the Wolf no time to recover, and hide underneath the Earth, the Half-Orc summoned two fire snakes, which immediately coiled themselves around their target, rendering it unable to move.


    Now that his prey was immobilized, the Half-Orc started to hack the monster''s body senseless, making spilling blood with every strike.


    "Go!" mma shouted as he kept on hammering the Deimos-Ranked Monster, who couldn''t break free from the fire snakes that bound him in ce. "I''ll catch up to youter!"


    Lux nodded and left four of his Hecatoncheires behind to protect mma, who was now surrounded by monsters in all directions.


    However, the Half-Orc wasn''t the least bit scared of his current situation, and even had a fearless look on his face as he one-sidedly hacked the Earth Wolf apart, who had lost its ability to resist.


    ��----------


    Heaven''s Gate Headquarters in the Outer Reaches��


    "..." the Dragon King looked at mma in the projection before shifting his gaze to the ce where the Half-Orc had been sitting just a moment ago.


    He didn''t know how Lux did it, but he waspletely taken by surprise when the Half-Orc instantly disappeared from where he was, and reappeared where the Half-Elf was currently at.


    As a Supreme, he was capable of traveling great distances in an instant if he wished for it. But, he had never seen something like this in the past which greatly intrigued him.


    "How did he do it?" the Dragon King asked the old Half-Ling, who was busy cracking peanuts with his fingers.


    "Trade Secret," Gaap replied before eating the peanut in his hands. "But, if you give me a Demigod Artifact, I''ll tell you."


    The Dragon King snorted and ignored the old Half-Ling''s unreasonable demand.


    The grade above Legendary Equipment was Demigod.


    It was only a grade lower than Divine Equipment, and was considered to be one of the best items in existence.


    They weren''t cabbages that the Dragon King could give away just out of curiosity, so he just focused his attention back to the Half-Elf, whom Keoza had chosen to receive his Dragon Token.


    He wasn''t aware of the abilities of a Mythical Guild because this was the first time one had appeared in the world, so he thought that Lux had just learned a powerful summoning ability, which he hadn''t seen before.


    Gaap, who gave the Dragon King a side-long nce, chuckled internally.


    Deep inside, he was just as surprised as the Supreme Being beside him.


    ''Master, I didn''t expect your prediction toe true,'' Gaap thought as he remembered his beautiful Master, who had the power to see the future. ''I found myself one hell of a Disciple.''


    Gaap didn''t know if Fate yed a role in giving him the chance to meet the Half-Elf in the kingdom of Zangr. However, one thing was clear.


    Now that he was the Half-Elf''s Master, he would do his best to ensure that the red-headed teenager wouldn''t meet the same fate as his beautiful Master.


    His Master had predicted that he would meet someone in the Kingdom of Zangr, who would open the doors of Heaven and fight the monsters that the world of Elysium fears the most.

 Chapter 696 Hold My Beer

    ?


    ''Now, I think I understand a little why you chose him,'' the Dragon King thought as he recalled his confrontation with the Crystal Dragon, whom he hadn''t seen for a very long time.


    To this day, he still had no idea why Keoza decided to reject the position of Dragon King, which shocked not only him but also the entirety of Karshvar Draconis.


    "This is for the greater good."


    That was thest thing that Keoza told him before he vanished, never to be seen again until Lux appeared in the Dragon Kingdom.


    ''For the greater good, huh?'' the Dragon King narrowed his eyes as he watched the Half-Elf in the projection charge toward the Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster that resembled Godz*.


    Although there were still doubts inside his head, he set them all aside for now. This was the first time he was seeing Lux fight for real, and he was curious about what other things the Half-Elf was hiding from him.


    ��--------------


    "Leoric, whatever happens, don''t let him shoot that long-range attack towards the city," Lux ordered as they approached the Monster that was inmand of the entire Monster Army.


    "Understood," the Wraith King promised as he shed the monsters in front of him, cutting all of them in half, which created a path for their charge deep into enemy lines.


    When they were only hundreds of meters away from their target, something unexpected happened.


    Arge crack appeared in the sky, followed by the sound of thousands of crystal vases breaking.


    A powerful presence descended on the battlefield, followed by something gigantic falling from the sky, right above Lux and his subordinates.


    The Half-Elf, Leoric, and the Wraith Knights immediately backed away in order to prevent themselves from getting crushed by what seemed to be a giant meteor.


    The group of Hecatoncheires, who were much slower than the others, didn''t have time to evade, and their bodies were instantly crushed by the meteor, sized over a hundred meters big.


    The powerful explosion that shook the entire surroundings, sending rock and dirt flying in every direction, covered the battlefield in a thick dust cloud.


    Lux and his subordinates, who had barely evaded the attack, looked at the dust cloud in front of them with grim expressions on their faces.


    For a brief moment, all the sounds on the battlefield disappeared as if time had stopped. However, this silence was broken a few secondster by an earth-shaking roar that made General Fahad''s face turn pale.


    "I-Impossible!" General Fahad gasped as he looked at the dust cloud in the distance. "W-What is it doing here?!"


    As if to confirm his worst fears, thend suddenly shook as the sound of gigantic footsteps echoed in the surroundings.


    After what seemed like an eternity, a Giant Earth Turtle emerged from the dust cloud, making all the Defenders'' hearts turn cold.


    "Sh*t��" Lux cursed after seeing the Dreadnaught-Ranked Giant Turtle, who was supposed to be fighting in the Eastern Regions of the Yn Kingdom, appear in front of him.


    As if to make matters worse, the crack in the sky widened, and countless flying monsters began to pass through it.


    Not only that, evennd Monsters fell from the sky and, even from such great heights, none of them were injured as if all of them had the ability to levitate.


    "What now?" Leoric hovered in front of Lux, protecting him from any possible attacks that woulde from the Giant Monster.


    He had the ability to handle one of the Dreadnaught Monsters, but fighting two of them at the same time was beyond his capabilities.


    "I guess we have no choice," Lux stated. "Time for n B."


    ��--------------


    The Rankers outside of the Gate of the Fallen were dumbfounded after witnessing the unexpected turn of events that they never sawing.


    Although half of them didn''t like Lux, they still felt that this was simply too much for him to handle.


    "Well, it was fun while itsted," one of the Rankers of the Skystead Alliance said. "Unfortunately, it''s over now."


    The other Rankers all nodded their heads in agreement. Although they had seen Lux do many miraculous things, they sincerely felt that this was how far the Half-Elf could go.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ��-----------


    "Your Highness, you made the right decision to not help them earlier," one of the members of Crystal Pce escorting Aurmented. "If we did, we would definitely suffer the same fate as them."


    "That''s right!"


    "At least we won''t die a miserable death."


    As the members of the Crystal Pce were getting rowdy, Aur finally opened his lips, shutting all of them up.


    "Do you really think that way?" Aur asked in a calm tone. "If they really die, then we would have alle here in vain."


    Without any warning, the Prince of the Crystal Pce jumped off the mountaintop, surprising all of his retainers.


    Before they could even react to his actions, a pair of crystal-like wings sprouted from Aur''s back, allowing him to glide towards the battlefield at great speeds.


    "Protect His Highness!" one of the Dragon Borns shouted and also jumped off the mountain to follow their Prince.


    All the Dragon Borns took flight because they knew that if they let something bad happen to Aur, all of them would be severely punished when they got back to the Crystal Pce.


    The teenagers from the Skystead Alliance also summoned their mounts to follow the others to battle.


    Now that it hade to this, they could no longer stand idly, or their Emperor would punish them when they returned as well.


    ��--------


    Heaven''s Gate Guild Headquarters��


    Gaap, who had seen his Disciple''s current situation, propped himself up in his chair and drank half of the mug of beer in his hand.


    Lux had asked the Dwarves to try making something simr to beer using the recipes he knew from Earth.


    To his surprise, the Dwarves loved the idea and even managed to make something that tasted better than the ones he had back on Earth.


    He then handed the mug to the Dragon King, who looked at him with a weird look on his face.


    "What?" the Dragon King asked.


    "Hold my beer," Gaap replied.


    "Huh?" The Dragon King had a weird look on his face, but he still took the mug from the Halfling''s hand, wondering what thetter wanted to do.


    Gaap then rotated his neck, creating cracking sounds. After that, he moved his hips counter-clockwise, making cracking sounds as well.


    After doing a bit of stretching, the Halfling summoned his walking stick and ced one of his hands behind his back.


    "I''m going in," Gaap stated.


    A momentter, he disappeared from where he stood, making the Dragon King''s eyes widen in shock.


    The Halfling was fine with Lux trying to fight monsters above his Rank, but after seeing the current situation, he decided to join in the fun.


    Gaap knew that his Disciple had many enemies in his home world, with some of them being the rulers of different Kingdoms and Empires.


    Since that was the case, he nned to make his appearance and show them that the Half-Elf had a Master like him, who could flip the Giant Earth Turtle upside down with a simple flick of his walking stick.


    By doing so, he was sure that they would understand that if they did anything bad to his Disciple in Sis or Elysium, he could easily turn their worlds upside down, just like the Giant Earth Turtle, whom everyone thought had the upper hand in this battle for survival.

 Chapter 697 Every Act Of Creation Is First An Act Of Destruction [Part 1]

    ?


    mma, who was busy slicing everything around him, paused when he saw the Giant Earth Turtle make its appearance.


    Due to its size which surpassed a hundred meters in height, it was impossible for anyone to not see it unless they were blind.


    Its presence alone was quite domineering, overshadowing all the countless Monsters in its surroundings.


    General Fahad, as well as the Defenders of the Yn Kingdom, felt a lump form in their throat at the sight of the powerful Monster that was supposed to be fighting against the bulk of their Main Army led by their two Great Generals.


    For it to appear here, while falling from the sky, was simply heaven-defying.


    "Time for n B," Lux said.


    However, just before he could act on his n, a defiant voice spread in the surroundings.


    "Crystal Dragon''s Breath!"


    Aur unleashed his Dragon Breath and even used an Amplification Artifact to increase its power threefold.


    The Dragon Breath flew straight towards the Giant Earth Turtle. But before it could even hit its target, a giant wall of earth over a hundred meters tall jutted out of the ground and blocked the attackpletely.


    A momentter, the wall of earth transformed into a crystal wall.


    Seeing this, Aur clenched his fist before preparing to fire another Dragon Breath. However, the Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss didn''t give him another chance.


    The giant crystal wall shattered and transformed into countless crystal shards that fell on the battlefield like rain.


    This was, without a doubt, a deadly attack that didn''t distinguish between friend or foe, killing anything it hit.


    "Shield Wall!" Pazuzu shouted, and the rest of the Elite Spirit Protectors did the same.


    A momentter, several blue tower shields appeared in front of the Defenders, blocking the crystal shards that could potentially wipe out everyone in the city.


    "Defend yourselves!!" General Fahad gave his order, making all the soldiers crouch low on the ground, raising their shields in front of them.


    The Hecatoncheires that were defending the city spread their arms that numbered in the hundreds to block the iing crystal shards as a second line of defense, protecting the soldiers behind them.


    A few secondster, blood rained down from the sky as the flying monsters got pierced by the crystal shards, receiving serious injuries. Some of these monsters died instantly, while others received fatal injuries that caused them to fall from the sky, and crush anything below them.


    Including the Soldiers whom they were fighting earlier.


    Seeing that its devastating attack worked, the Giant Earth Turtle jumped high in the air and curled itself into a ball, looking like a gigantic boulder.


    "D-Don''t tell me!" mma, who was right in front of the Giant Turtle, immediately ran away when it saw it rolling in his direction.


    "Zagan! Lazarus! Attack!" Lux ordered.


    Following his orders, Zagan and Lazarus bombarded the gigantic rolling boulder that was headed toward the city with ck Lightning bolts and Cold mes in an attempt to stop or slow it down.


    Unfortunately, even though their attacks could bypass most defenses, even directly attacking the Monster''s soul, the Giant Earth Turtle was unfazed as theirbined attacks didn''t even leave a dent in its body.


    "Mom!" mma, who was running faster than an Olympic sprinter on Steroids, knew that it was impossible for him to outrun the Giant Rolling Boulder that was making the entirend tremble.


    Lux gritted his teeth and decided to save the Half-Orc by transforming into a lightning bolt.


    Zagan did the same because he wouldn''t allow Lux to die no matter what.


    Leoric followed, but since he was considerably slower than Lux and Zagan, he was left behindpletely.


    ''Not good!'' Lux thought as he sped towards the Half-Orc, who was only a heartbeat away from turning into a pancake. ''I won''t make it!''


    Just as mma was about to call out his Mother''s name for a second time, the Giant Rolling Boulder stoppedpletely.


    This gave Lux the opportunity to grab the Half-Orc and take him away to safety.


    mma, who had just been saved, sighed in his heart. He was so close to pissing himself due to his near-death experience. Fortunately, the World Boss'' Death Roll stopped before it could graze his skin.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Back in the day, I could have stopped this monster with just a finger. Oh, I''ve grown too old."


    Everyone on the battlefield, including Lux, looked in awe when they saw a giant ck hand holding onto the curled-up Giant Earth Turtle, preventing it from rolling forward.


    On top of that giant ck hand stood an Old Halfling.


    The old man was wearing a traveler''s robe whose colors had faded away. Clearly, it had seen better days in the past, but now, it had lost all of its luster.


    He was holding a walking stick in one of his hands, while the other rested behind his back. His back was slightly bent, just like any old person who was in thest years of their life.


    Even so, the way he carried himself made him look like an esteemed warrior that had seen countless battles in the past.


    Realizing that something was holding onto its body, the Giant Earth Turtle started to squirm around in an attempt to break free from the giant ck hand that held it in ce.


    "Still resisting?" Gaap chuckled before lightly tapping his wooden walking stick on the ck hand, where he was standing. "It has been a while since I allowed you to y with something, so y to your heart''s content. Just make sure that you don''t identally kill it, okay?"


    As if responding to his words, the earth shook violently, making everyone who was standing on the ground unable to keep their bnce.


    Half a minuteter, the sky darkened as something truly gigantic blocked the rays of the sun.


    "By the Dragon Gods��," Cethus muttered as his vision locked onto a gigantic ck Golem, which was over three hundred meters tall at the very least. "Could that possibly be Antero?!"


    A hideousughter echoed in the surroundings as the ck Golem opened its mouth, making those who heard it subconsciously shudder.


    Out of habit, Lux took out his Soul Book in order to identify the monstrous creature in front of him.


    However, nothing could have prepared him for the shock that ran through his entire body when he saw the creature''s information.


    ��----------


    < Antero >


    "Every act of Creation is first an act of Destruction."


    Monster Rating: Empyrean-Ranked World Boss


    True Monster Ranking: Demigod Rank (Sealed)


    �C Primordial Abyssal Golem of Destruction


    �C Progenitor of Abyssal Golems


    Health: ????????????????? / ?????????????????


    Mana: ????????????????? / ?????????????????


    Strength: ???????


    Intelligence: ???????


    Vitality: ???????


    Agility: ???????


    Dexterity: ???????


    Unique Ability: Indestructible Golem of Destruction


    < Indestructible Golem of Destruction >


    �C This creature can''t be killed by any monsters of Demigod Rank and below.


    �C Even if the entire world was destroyed, this Golem would not die and would regenerate itselfpletely.

 Chapter 698 Every Act Of Creation Is First An Act Of Destruction [Part 2]

    ?


    "Impossible!" Poro, who saw the Gigantic Golem of Destruction, gasped in shock. "How can he be there?! He''s supposed to be imprisoned in Zangr!"


    It was not only him who reacted this way. The three other Saints belonging to the Crystal Pce stared at the projection with fearful gazes because they couldn''t believe what they were seeing.


    "We must alert the Steward at once!" one of the Saints stated.


    "Even if we alert her now, there''s nothing that she can do about it," one of the Saints gritted his teeth in anger. "It''s impossible for her to enter the Domain of the Fallen. But how did that Halfling worm his way there?! Is there another entrance to the Domain that we don''t know about?!"


    The four Dragon Born Saints were clearly feeling agitated and for a good reason. When the Dragon Race was still united and living in peace, there came a time when the world was thrown into chaos.


    The former Dragon King, the other Supremes, as well as the Saints from every corner of the world, joined hands in order to fight against the Abyssal Invasion.


    One of the most powerful creatures that had crossed between the worlds was none other than the very same Primordial ck Golem that they were seeing in their projection.


    The ck Golem of Destruction, Anteros, had killed dozens of Saints when it rampaged across thend.


    Even Supremes had a hard time subduing the monster, let alone killing itpletely as it was a Progenitor ss Existence.


    The first of its kind, containing all the powers that surpassed the limits of beings below its rank.


    Fortunately, the Goddess of the World helped them subdue this beast with the help of a Supreme Necromancer, sealing its powers, and making it regress to the Empyrean Rank.


    Even so, Antero couldn''t be killed because it was simply indestructible.


    Using his vast expertise, the Supreme Necromancer, with the assistance of the Goddess of the World, forced the creature into a contract, making it fight for their side.


    Although its Rank had regressed to that of an Empyrean Ranked World Boss, the other Abyssal Creatures were unable to destroy it, allowing the people of Elysium to resist the Abyssal Invasion with its help.


    Due to the intensity of the battle and the unholy contract that the Supreme Necromancer used to bind Antero, he also met his end in the war.


    There was a price to pay for summoning Antero, and that was the Summoner''s lifespan.


    Because of this, its ownership changed frequently, but it could only be passed along the lineage of Necromancers, belonging to the Unholy Guild called Memento Mori.


    Each time it made its appearance, destruction would follow.


    For that was the sole purpose of its creation.


    There was also a time when a Necromancer of Memento Mori used this to fight against the might of the Dragon Kingdom and almost seeded in that battle as well.


    If not for the fact that Gaap''s Master intervened to stop the war, the possibility of Karshvar Draconis falling from the sky was already a done deal.


    Fortunately, it didn''t happen. However, since then, the Dragon Race had a profound fear of the Golem of Destruction because it was one of the handful of existence in the world that could easily demolish their floating inds from the sky if its Master willed it.


    "There''s no way that anyone can beat that thing," Poro sighed. "All the teenagers inside the Gate of Famine are doomed!"


    However, just as Poro and the rest of the Saints from the Crystal Pce were dreading the inevitable death of their Prince, something unexpected happened.


    "The Primordial Golem picked up the rolled-up Giant Turtle and tossed it high in the sky andughed like a little child as if it''s ying with a rubber ball."


    Seeing this happen, the other Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster attacked the Primordial Golem with its most powerful attack, but it didn''t even make a small dent in the Golem''s body.


    Antero nced at the Godz*-like monster behind it with annoyance.


    Without warning, it raised its hand and smacked the Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster like a mosquito, instantly turning its entire body to meat paste.


    After killing the Dreadnaught Monster like a bug, it raised its hand to catch the falling Giant Earth Turtle with its hand andughed out loud before tossing it again upwards.


    "You can y with it, but don''t kill it, okay?" Gaap ordered. "I have something in mind for it, you hear?"


    Anteroughed in reply as if what it had heard was the biggest joke in its life.


    "Ai~ you''ve been cooped up too long and don''t want to listen," Gaapmented before ncing in the direction of his disciple, who was looking back at him in disbelief.


    The corner of Gaap''s lips rose up as he gave Lux a teasing smile, which made the Half-Elf realize that he didn''t really know much about his new Master whom he had met in Zangr.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Why are you staring at me like an idiot, stupid Disciple of mine," Gaap shouted. "Are you not going to greet your Master?"


    Lux snapped out of his daze and immediately pressed his palms together before respectfully bowing his head.


    "Disciple greets Master," Lux replied.


    The Half-Elf had no idea how Gaap managed to enter the Gate of Famine when he didn''t even use his Guild''s Ability to call him.


    What he didn''t know was that, when Gaap epted him as his Disciple, the ring that the Old Halfling gave him served as a medium that allowed him to instantly teleport to his location with just a thought.


    Gaap did this to ensure that his Disciple wouldn''t be bullied by High-Rankers or Saints from any of the Kingdoms or Empires that wanted to antagonize him before he could reach his full potential.


    Of course, this ring had a limitation and it would only allow Gaap to appear by Lux''s side once a month.


    Since the Halfling knew that the Crystal Pce was able to see what was happening inside the Gate of Famine, he made sure to make his appearance to inform them that he was Lux''s Master, making them think twice about harming his Disciple.


    Just as he expected, an uproar happened inside the cavern as the entourage of the Crystal Pce cried out in rm after they saw Lux bowing to Gaap, recognizing him as his Master.


    Even the envoys of the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and Six Kingdoms were shaken after this discovery.


    ��------------


    ''What?! Lux is Gaap''s disciple?!'' Poro''s body shuddered after seeing this scene. "D-Damn! Just what is going on here?!''


    After seeing how fearful the four Saints from the Crystal Pce were, he didn''t need to be a genius to understand that the old Halfling standing on the Giant ck Golem''s shoulder was someone that he and the Vahan Empire couldn''t offend no matter what.


    ''T-This brat has such a Master?!'' Aron eximed internally. ''I better report this to His Majesty immediately!''


    It was no secret that the Half-Elf and the Vahan Empire had bad blood with each other. However, if an existence that could even make the Crystal Pce feel threatened would be the Skystead Alliance''s enemy, it could only lead to one end.


    Complete and utter destruction of their entire realm!


    ��------------


    Gaap, who had already achieved what he wanted, raised his hand with a smug look on his face, making him feel as if he had returned to his younger days.


    A faint ripple spread across the battlefield the moment Gaap raised his hand. A few secondster, all the dead Monsters came to life and started attacking the monsters who had remained frozen in ce due to the pressure Anteros was emitting.


    Because of this, they were killed without the ability to protect themselves from the countless Undead that answered the Old Necromancer''s summons.


    While Lux could also revive the dead, his ability couldn''t bepared to what his Master was doing right now.


    With a simple gesture, he had easily revived tens of thousands of monsters, whose numbers would continue to grow as they killed the other Monsters, who were once theirrades.


    This sight made everyone remember how troublesome it was to fight against Necromancer because once they started summoning the Undead, there would be no end to it unless their Master was killedpletely.


    ��----------


    Back in Karshvar Draconis, the Dragon King sipped the mug that Gaap had handed him while looking at the projection in front of him.


    "Idiot," the Dragon King then extended his hand to have his mug refilled by one of the Maids that served General Garret''s family. "You''re just shortening your already short life. No wonder you now look like a decrypt old man. Just for the sake of this farce, you act like a clown in front of everyone."


    The Dragon King muttered a few more curses before taking another sip from the mug that was now refilled with beer.


    Now that Antero had finally shown itself after decades of absence, he was certain that the organization that had killed Gaap''s Master would break their silence.


    "Hah�� this is going to be messy," the Dragon King muttered before drinking half of the beer inside his mug. "I sure hope you know what you''re doing, you fool. Are you that eager to meet your Master in the afterlife?"


    The Dragon King didn''t know what Gaap was thinking. There were plenty of other ways the old Halfling could have dealt with the situation while showing his might to everyone.


    However, of all the methods in his arsenal, he chose the one that could potentially trigger anotherrge-scale war between the Divine Army of Light and Gaap''s Undead Legion, who screamed for vengeance for his Master''s untimely death.

 Chapter 699 Master, I Didn’t Know You Were So Awesome!

    ?


    The Giant Earth Turtle''s pitiful roars were drowned out by Antero''s madughter.


    "Okay, ytime''s over, Antero," Gaap ordered. "Store it."


    The Gigantic Golem giggled as if the Halfling''s orders made it extremely giddy.


    In front of everyone, the Golem of Destruction held the Giant Earth Turtle with both hands and squeezed it tightly. Its action was simr to someone trying to squeeze a rubber ball to make it smaller.


    At first, Lux and the others didn''t understand what Antero was doing.


    But after a bit, the Giant Earth Turtle slowly shrank in size. From a hundred-meter-tall giant, it became a small round boulder that Lux estimated to be only around a few meters tall.


    This caught everyonepletely by surprise and confused with what was happening.


    When Antero stopped, it briefly admired its work before casually tossing the Giant Earth Turtle inside its mouth as if it was a piece of candy.


    "Okay, take a nap for a while," Gaap ordered, and the Giant Golem of Destruction, which covered the sunlight due to its humongous size, disappeared without a trace as if it didn''t exist in the first ce.


    Gaap casually walked toward Lux as if he was just an ordinary old man strolling in a park.


    mma, who was standing beside the Half-Elf, subconsciously took a step back when the old Halfling neared them.


    He didn''t expect that the old man who was eating peanuts with him a while ago had the power tomand a monster that could easily wipe out the ckrock n from the face of the world.


    There was simply no way to fight against a creature with such a background, even though its current rank was only an Empyrean-Ranked World Boss.


    "Master, what are you doing here?" Lux asked as soon as the Halfling was only a few meters away from him.


    "I decided to take a stroll," Gaap replied. "Fancy meeting you here."


    The corner of mma''s lips twitched after hearing the old man''s excuse. How can someone casually take a stroll inside the Gate of Famine and summon a Cmity ss creature right off the bat?


    Lux only shook his head helplessly because he knew that his Master hade to help him even though he didn''t ask for it.


    The Half-Elf then nced at his finger and stared at the ring that had a skull embedded in its center, which he received as a gift from Gaap.


    He had used his Appraisal Skill on this ring a long time ago and knew that one of its special functions was to instantly teleport Gaap to his location as long as he was in Elysium.


    Also, the teleportation skill had a one-month cooldown, which meant that Gaap wouldn''t be able to take a "casual stroll" to where the Half-Elf was for the next few weeks.


    "Master, I didn''t know you were so awesome!" Lux praised the old Halfling, who was staring at the city in the distance where his revived Monsters were fighting against their own brethren. "To think you are hiding something like this. I now see you in a new light."


    "Hahaha, it''s just a small thing," Gaap replied. "There''s more to where that came from, you know?"


    The Half-Elf then began to praise his Master, which made the Halfling very happy. Although he knew that Lux was only ttering him, he decided to y along.


    This was to ensure that those who were watching the Half-Elf''s actions from wherever they were would understand how close his rtionship was with the red-headed boy.


    "Are you perhaps Gaap the Tormentor?" Aur whonded a few meters away from Lux and his Master asked. "I''ve heard many stories about you and your Master from my Mother."


    "And you are?" Gaap asked with a smile.


    Naturally, he already knew who Aur was, but he needed to continue acting in order to maintain a domineering impression.


    "Aur," Aur replied. "I am from the Crystal Pce."


    "And what is your rtionship with my Disciple?" Gaap inquired in a haughty manner. "Are you friend or foe?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Neither," Aur replied in a heartbeat. "We barely know each other."


    "Oh?" Gaap smirked, but he no longer made anyments.


    The Halfling then shifted his gaze to his Disciple and poked him with his walking stick.


    "What are you dozing off for?" Gaap frowned. "There are still monsters around. Go get them."


    Lux nodded as he followed his Master''s order without a word ofint. Gaap had secretly told him his reason foring, and it made the Half-Elf feel warm inside, knowing that his Master was looking out for him.


    The Half-Elf had always been the one doing his best to help and protect others from harm. Having someone do the same to him touched his heart in more ways than one, and it made him feel grateful to have a Master like Gaap in his life.


    While the Half-Elf was busy cleaning up the battlefield, Gaap stood still while using his walking cane for support. He looked like an Emperor who had everything under control. But, if one looked a bit closer, beads of sweat had already started to form on his forehead, and hisplexion had be slightly pale.


    "The sun is bad for your skin, Master," a doll-likedy with blue hair, wearing something simr to a ck gothic dress, appeared beside Gaap.


    She was holding an umbre in her hand and used it to shield her Master from the sun, while using her body to block Aur''s view, preventing the Dragon Prince from seeing the Halfling''splexion.


    "Thank you, Carol," Gaap replied. "The sun is indeed harsh today."


    Carol smiled and nodded her head. "Do you want me to make you some refreshments, Master?"


    "Sounds good. Thank you very much."


    "My pleasure."


    Carol then snapped her finger, and two zombie maids appeared beside her.


    They then took out a small table and a chair, allowing Gaap to sitfortably. A momentter, one of the zombie maids began to massage the Halfling''s shoulder, while the other offered him some fruit juice.


    Half an hourter, Lux and the Defenders finished cleaning up the remaining Monsters. Cheers of victory spread in the surroundings as General Fahad waved the g of the Yn Kingdom, signaling that they had managed to win the battle, which they originally thought was unwinnable.


    ��---------


    Royal Pce of the Ammarian Kingdom��


    "It cannot be!" The silver-haired devil was inplete utter disbelief after witnessing everything that happened with his scrying mirror.


    He wasn''t surprised that the Monster Army that he sent was eliminated.


    What made him feel agitated was the fact that he recognized the Golem of Destruction that suddenly appeared inside the Gate of Famine.


    "This isn''t supposed to happen!" The silver-haired devil pounded the armrest of his throne in order to vent out the frustration he was feeling. "Why did you have to appear here of all ces? Why?! Antero!"


    As part of the invading army that had descended from the Void to conquer Elysium, he knew more than anyone else how domineering the Gigantic Golem was.


    Even the Royal Abyssal Family didn''t dare antagonize it for it was an invincible existence that sat at the peak of the Demigod Rank.


    Now that Antero had made its appearance, the silver-haired devil had no idea how to proceed with his n.


    He didn''t know that Antero''s Master, Gaap, couldn''t simply summon the Golem of Destruction whenever and wherever he wanted due to the huge price he had to pay every time the Halfling summoned the Indestructible Golem.


    However, even if he knew, the silver-haired devil still wouldn''t dare to gamble his life facing such an imposing threat.


    All it would take was a simple flick of the Golem''s finger to end his life and destroy the years of painstaking work that he hadpleted in order to escape the prison that had trapped him for centuries.

 Chapter 700 I Said Pinch Me, Not Punch Me!

    ?


    "... That sure is a lot of Beast Cores," Cethusmented as he looked at the pile of Beast Cores in front of him that piled up into a small hill.


    The revived monsters were lining up one by one as they waited for Diablo, Ishtar, Zagan, and Revon to take the Beast Cores out of their bodies.


    Even though these Cores were extracted from their bodies and caused their Ranks to regress by one rank, the Monsters didn''t even voice out anyints for that was the order of their new Master, Gaap.


    Lux had asked his Master if he could take the Beast Cores with him and divide them among the teenagers that apanied him, as well as the Soldiers of the Yn Kingdom.


    After his experience with the ckrock n, Lux was starting to believe that, maybe, the Yn Kingdom existed somewhere in Elysium.


    He didn''t know whether his assumption was true, but if it was, he wanted to create good karma between him and the Kingdom that he had fought alongside inside the Sacred Dungeon.


    Gaap didn''t think much of it and agreed to Lux''s request. However, he kept the Dreadnaught-Ranked Core of the Godz*-like Monster with him because he wanted to give this to Lux personally.


    Prince Cyrus and the rest of the candidates from the Skystead Alliance looked at this scene with envious gazes.


    They had managed to defeat a Deimos-Ranked Monster, and naturally, the Prince was the one who received its Beast Core.


    Nero and Malcolm didn''t utter anyints because they understood that this was for the best.


    It was not only the Skystead Alliance who were looking at the Beast Cores that Lux had piled up beside him.


    The Xynnar War Pact and the Six Kingdoms were feeling the same.


    To a certain extent, the Initiates of the Crystal Pce were also in the same boat. However, they were more disciplined, so their envy didn''t show on their faces.


    After more than an hour, all the Beast Cores had been extracted from the Monsters. Lux started to allocate them as he deemed fit.


    Cai, Keane, Gerhart, Cethus, Xander, Henrietta, Einar, Val, Jasper, Enlil, and Gilmore were all given one Deimos-Ranked Beast Core each. This didn''t include the ones that they gained when they each fought against one Deimos-Ranked Monster in order to lighten the load of the Yn Army.


    Lux then did something unexpected and handed one Argonaut-Ranked Beast Core each to Xander, Einar, Val, and Henrietta, greatly surprising the four teenagers.


    The Half-Elf had a calm expression on his face, but deep inside, he wasughing internally.


    His intention was to show those who were watching them outside the Gate of the Fallen that only his allies would receive the good stuff from him.


    Also, he wasn''t short of Argonaut-Ranked Cores because he had several of them from Zangr.


    The only problem was that all of those cores were from Abyssal Creatures, which he intended to purify using one of his Transcendent Necromantic Skills that would be unlocked once he became a Ranker.


    This way, his members would be able to safely gain Abyssal Skills without worrying about their hearts being tainted by the corruption of the Abyss.


    "I saw the battles that the five of you fought earlier. I was very impressed by your skills," Lux said as he handed dozens of Rank 5 Beast Cores and below to the five Barbarians that Einar had brought with him to the Gate of Famine. "These are all for you guys."


    "T-This is the first time I have been able to hold so many Beast Cores in my life," one of the Barbarians said. "Can someone pinch me?"


    The Barbarian who had confessed that he had be heartbroken when he fought against Pazuzu punched hisrade, making thetter yelp in pain.


    "Bastard! I said pinch me, not punch me!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You had a silly look on your face, so I decided to punch you because you annoyed me."


    "Why you��!"


    The two Barbarians grappled each other and only stopped when Einar moved in to p both of them silly.


    Lux could only chuckle at thisedic scene before calling out Val''s Guildmates, whom he also gave dozens of Beast Cores to.


    When it was Henrietta''s Guild Members'' turn, Lux became exceedingly generous as he handed them dozens of Beast Cores, significantly exceeding the ones he gave the Barbarians and Val''s Guild Members.


    Henrietta smiled at Lux''s generosity because she didn''t think that the Half-Elf would tantly show his favoritism to them.


    "You guyse here as well," Lux called the members of the Six Kingdoms, and gave them half of what he gave the Barbarians and Val''s Guildmates. Although the number of Beast Cores they received was fewer, each individual still gained six Rank 5 Beast Cores, which made them very grateful.


    The red-headed teenager gave the same number of Beast Cores to Jasper''s members, making them thank the Half-Elf for his generosity.


    After distributing the spoils of war, Lux ignored the Skystead Alliance, as well as the Crystal Pce, making them re at him.


    "General Fahad, I know this isn''t much, but take half of the Beast Cores and give them to the families of the Soldiers who died in battle."


    "Thank you, Lux," General Fahad replied.


    The General of the Yn Kingdom didn''t reject Lux''s offer because this would help those that had lost their family members in the battle against the Monster Army.


    These Soldiers, whom Lux had revived not long after they had died, would finally gain their eternal rest once he had freed them from his control.


    After bing a Heaven''s Necromancer, he intended to send their souls personally to the Cycle of Reincarnation, as he had done with the souls that had been trapped in the Kingdom of Zangr.


    Most of the soldiers had lingering regrets, which would make it hard for them to pass to the other side. However, with Lux''s powers, these regrets would be dissolved, allowing them to rest in peace.


    Prince Cyrus, who was in a bad mood, walked toward Lux with an irritated look on his face.


    "It is very possible that we have defeated all the Monsters here in the Yn Kingdom," Prince Cyrus stated. "What do we do next?"


    Lux arched an eyebrow because he didn''t expect the Prince of the Vahan Empire to ask for his opinion on what their next move would be.


    "First, we will confirm that the threat to the Yn Kingdom is indeed gone," Lux replied. "When we are certain that all the threats have been dealt with, we will go to the Ammarian Kingdom and face the remaining Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses."


    Even though he didn''t get along with the members of the Skystead Alliance, he wasn''t petty enough to leave them in the dark about the next part of his n.


    Everyone, with the exception of Lux, believed that since Gaap was with them, the conquest of the Gate of Famine was already in the bag.


    They were not aware that the Old Halfling was doing his best not to close his eyes due to drowsiness.


    Gaap knew that the moment he closed them, he wouldn''t be waking up for a few days in order to recuperate from summoning the Golem of Destruction, who had drained a portion of what little remained of his lifespan.

 Chapter 701 Is It Too Late To Fix Our Relationship?

    ?


    After the battle in the City of Peyton had concluded, General Fahad ordered his men to take the bodies of the soldiers who had perished and gather them in the city''s center.


    Lux told him that he could help the souls of the deceased move on to the next life and offered to do so. Naturally, the General was more than happy to agree.


    This was the least that the General could do for his men who had fought with their lives to protect their Kingdom from the Monster invasion.


    It took some time to gather all the bodies. By the time they finished, the sun had already set, cloaking thend in darkness.


    "I will now begin," Lux dered as he respectfully bowed toward the soldiers who died in the battle.


    The Half-Elf then raised both of his hands toward the heavens and a faint ripple spread in the surroundings.


    A momentter, white butterflies started to appear all over the city as the wandering ghosts of the dead answered Lux''s summons.


    "So pretty," Cai said softly while looking at the butterflies that were dancing in the surroundings, illuminating the city.


    "Wei~" Fei Fei, who was perched on top of Cai''s head, agreed while looking at this picturesque scene in front of them.


    Even Aur and the members of the Crystal Pce, who were used to seeing beautiful sceneries, couldn''t help but be mesmerized by the otherworldly beauty that they were witnessing.


    After circling the city once, the butterflies rose up toward the sky, creating something simr to a bridge of light that connected the Earth and the Heavens.


    This phenomenonsted for half an hour, ending when thest butterfly disappeared into the horizon as it crossed to the Cycle of Reincarnation.


    Lux did this ceremony for a reason.


    He wanted to know if the Yn Kingdom was connected to the outside world, just like the ckrock n.


    Although Lux looked calm on the surface, deep down, he was very startled by his discovery.


    Although the Yn Kingdom was indeed inside a Dungeon, this world was also connected to the whole of Elysium.


    What did this mean? It meant that everyone inside this Domain was living in a miniature world that was hundreds of times smaller than the world of Elysium.


    The Half-Elf would even go so far as to think that the Sacred Dungeon was simr to Zangr, a ce that no one could enter from the outside unless they were to use a special method to do so.


    Lux was very tempted to ask his Master, Gaap, for a second opinion. Unfortunately, the Old Halfling was currently sleeping inside the Mayor''s Residence, and the Half-Elf didn''t want to disturb him.


    Although Gaap didn''t say anything to him, Lux could tell that the old Halfling was quite exhausted after saving them and cleaning up the rest of the Monster Army with his summons.


    Knowing this, he didn''t want to disturb his rest and decided to just put his questions on hold for the time being.


    "Is it done?" General Fahad inquired.


    Although he had a feeling that the ceremony was over, he still wanted to confirm his thoughts.


    Lux nodded. "Yes. It is over. Their spirits have moved on to the other side."


    A sigh of relief escaped General Fahad''s lips before bowing his head to thank Lux. Now that the spirits of the departed had been put to rest, he was feeling a little bit better, knowing that all of them had moved on to a better ce.


    "It will take a while before our messengers reach Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson," General Fahad stated. "At most, it will take a day or two before we can pass on the message that the Giant Earth Turtle has been dealt with."


    "Good," Lux replied. "I will wait until they give a reply before deciding what my Mercenary Group would do next."


    Since Lux had dered in the past war that he was the leader of a Mercenary Group, he decided to use that same setup in order to make things lessplicated.


    This also saved him the trouble of making up other excuses, which he didn''t want to do in the first ce.


    After parting with the General of the Yn Army, Lux asked the members of the different factions to rest for the time being.


    Currently, they had nothing else to do but wait for confirmation from Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson that the Monster Army had been eliminated from the territories of the Yn Kingdom.


    Lux summoned his Soul Book and once again checked his Quest Objectives.


    ��--------------------


    < sh of Titans >


    < Quest Objectives >


    [Main Quest]


    �C Prevent theplete destruction of the Yn and Ammarian Kingdoms


    [Sub Quest]<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    �C Defeat at least two of the three Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses and put an end to their tyranny.


    �C Quest will automatically fail when 80% of the territories of both the Yn and Ammarian Kingdoms are destroyed by the Monster Army.


    ��--------------------


    ''As long as we secure the territories of the Yn Kingdom, this quest will not fail,'' Lux thought. ''But it won''t bepleted unless we go to the Ammarian Kingdom and deal with the two remaining Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses.''


    Lux understood that in order to get the maximum quest rewards, he needed to wipe out the entire Monster Army from the face of the map, leaving not a single one of them behind.


    While the Half-Elf wasying down the groundwork of his n to finish the mission as early as possible, the silver-haired Devil in the Ammarian Kingdom was also busy formting ways to deal with the current situation.


    ''There is no need to fight them,'' the silver-haired Devil thought after spending hours of pondering. ''All I need to do is secure that Dragon Humanoid and suppress his soul. As long as I am able to be the dominant party, I will be able to control his body, allowing me to leave this ce for good.''


    Although his original goal was to kill Lux and avenge his previous failure, Gaap''s appearance had thrown a wrench into his ns.


    Since that was the case, the silver-haired Devil decided to focus on his main objective, which was to possess Aur''s body and use the power of the Abyss to suppress the Dragonoid''s soul, sealing it away at the deepest corner of his subconscious mind.


    By doing so, he would be the sole owner of the body, allowing him to do whatever he wished to do with it.


    Truth be told, the silver-haired Devil wouldn''t care even if the entire Monster Army were wiped out as long as he was able to secure Aur''s body. In fact, he intended to use the Monster Army as a distraction, while he focused his attention on the Dragon Prince, whom he had selected to be the vessel of his soul.


    His true body was still trapped at the Final Gate of the Apocalypse. The only reason why he was able to move to the other Dimension within the Domain of the Fallen was his ability to create temporary bodies, which people referred to as homunculi.


    The body he''s currently possessing was one of his best creations, allowing him to temporarily use it as a vessel and have the Rank of a Dreadnaught World Boss.


    ''I bettery out the groundwork just to be sure,'' the silver-haired Devil mused as he looked at the projection in front of him. ''I must do it as subtly as I can so no one will be suspicious when I finally take over the body.''


    Ever since Aur appeared on the Gate of Famine, the silver-haired Devil had been paying very close attention to him.


    He was analyzing and memorizing the Dragon Prince''s mannerisms, as well as overall character.


    This way, he would be able to free his own body using Aur''s power and influence when they returned to the Sacred Dungeon to clear the final gate.


    ��-------------


    Vahan Empire��


    Emperor Andreas stared long and hard at the projections in front of him.


    Currently, he was observing all the feedbacking from the artifacts that Prince Cyrus, Nero, Malcolm, and the other members of the Skystead Alliance were wearing.


    After finding out that Lux had such a powerful Master, the Emperor, who had always desired to expand his territory, felt a bit unnerved by the sudden turn of events.


    The appearance of the Dragon Borns from the Crystal Pce was already surprising enough. He thought that if he could be one of their allies, the conquest of the surrounding territories would be easier.


    However, after seeing that even the four Saints, who served as Aur''s bodyguards, were quite fearful of the Old Halfling, his ns for conquest hung in a delicate bnce.


    ''That Half-Elf and I still have some bad blood between us,'' Emperor Andreas thought. ''Is it toote to fix our rtionship?''


    The Emperor of the Vahan Empire didn''t know the answer to this question, but deep inside, he was hoping that Lux and he could decide on apromise.


    Out of all the people that were observing the Half-Elf after he entered the Gate of the Famine, it was Emperor Vahan who was starting to feel the pressure about making Lux his enemy.


    Before, he thought that the red-headed teenager was someone that he could easily kill if he wanted to.


    However, after seeing his incredibly speedy growth, the Emperor was feeling a bit apprehensive that it might only take a year, or two, before the Half-Elf came to look for him to settle old scores.


    If that were to really happen, he was afraid that, even if the entirety of the Skystead Alliance were to dere war against the Half-Elf, the one who would lose in the end would be them.


    -------------


    Support me in Patreon and read my two new stories!


    patreon./Elyon Fantasy


    -------------


    Other story written by Elyon - Wizard World Irregr


    Coboration work with another author - Kingdom Building Done Right!

 Chapter 702 I Hope I’m Just Overthinking Things

    ?


    Three days after the battle at the City of Peyton, an armyposed of ten thousand soldiers arrived at the city.


    Leading this army was none other than Great General Sherlock. He had received General Fahad''s letter, telling him of the battle that had transpired a few days ago.


    "It''s good to see you again, Great General," Lux said with a smile.


    "Lux, why is it that everytime I see you, our Kingdom is always just a few steps away fromplete destruction?" Great General Sherlock asked in a teasing tone. "Death God of the Battlefield. That is what we call you, but I think Herald of Death is a more apt title, don''t you think so?"


    Lux smirked because he could tell that the Great General was just joking.


    "Thanks for giving me such a cool title," Lux replied as he gave the Great General a thumbs up. "I like it."


    This time, it was Great General Sherlock''s turn to chuckle.


    "I''ve read General Fahad''s letter, and I''m quite shocked by what he wrote to me," General Sherlock said. "Can we talk about it in more detail after my men have been given their temporary quarters?"


    "Of course. I''m staying at the Mayor''s Residence, along with my Mercenary Group. You can find us there, Great General."


    "Understood. I''ll see youter."


    After bidding his goodbye, Great General Sherlock led his men to the city''s center.


    "Are we really going to waste our time here?" Prince Cyrus asked with an annoyed look on his face. "It has already been three days since the battle ended. How long do we have to stay here?"


    Lux nced at the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire and arched an eyebrow.


    "No one is stopping you from leaving this ce, you know?" Lux stated. "If you really want to leave then you can go. I''m not going to stop you."


    "Y-You!" Prince Cyrus wanted to tell the Half-Elf that he should stop wasting his, and everyone''s time. But, after hearing Lux''s reply, he was unable toe up with words that could force the Half-Elf to go to the Ammarian Kingdom with him.


    What the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire didn''t know was that Lux had already sent Zagan and Shax to scout the borders of the Ammarian Kingdom.


    Gaap was still sleeping, and Lux didn''t want to leave him behind if it was possible.


    However, Carol, who was guarding her Master, informed the Half-Elf that he could just leave his safety to her, and do whatever he needed to do.


    Because of this, Lux no longer felt too worried and sent his two fastest scouts to check on the current situation of the Ammarian Kingdom.


    He didn''t want to rely on his Master to solve all of his problems for him, and he had a feeling that Gaap had no intention of helping him again on this expedition.


    Although no words were spoken between them, the Half-Elf understood that his Master did what he did for a reason, as for whatever that reason was, they would have a proper talk when Gaap regained consciousness.


    He was also very curious about Antero''s background.


    A being such as that was simply too memorable to ignore.


    ��------


    "Your Highness, are we really going to follow that Half-Elf for the duration of this expedition?" one of the members of the Crystal Pce asked.


    "Yes," Aur replied as he nonchntly flipped the page of a book. "You have already seen what he and his Master are capable of. If we want to clear this dungeon, and have all of you gain the ability to bring more people to enter the Gate of the Apocalypse, we will need his help."


    Aur then nced at the remaining members of his entourage in a calm manner.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I know that all of you are dissatisfied with my decision," Aur stated. "But, I am not here to cater to your petty pride and arrogance. Even if all of you attacked Lux at the same time, I can guarantee that all of you will die before any of you can even touch a strand of his hair. Now, I understand why our Steward''s Grandson, Cethus, is following him."


    The members of Aur''s entourage no longer said anything because none of them had the ability to surpass what Lux had done in the short period of time he had been in the Gate of Famine.


    During their first try, they onlysted for several days before they had all been annihted by the Monster Army that had overwhelmed them in both quality and quantity.


    No one med them when they failed because even the Saints, as well as the High-Rankers who saw everything that happened, deemed that there was no possible way that mere Initiates could defeat the gate.


    But, after Lux made his appearance, the seemingly impossible hurdle was now easily solved.


    This shocked all the Rankers that were currently outside the Gate of the Fallen, making them see the Half-Elf in a new light.


    "I''ve already made my decision," Aur said in a tone that would not allow any kind of opposition. "Do not try to dissuade me again. Anyone who does will not be allowed to apany me on the next expedition. Do I make myself clear?"


    """Yes, Your Highness!"""


    Aur shifted his gaze back to the book he was reading.


    This was one of the records that belonged in the library of the Crystal Pce pertaining to the Golem of Destruction that had wreaked havoc across thend during the first invasion of the Abyssal Race.


    Originally, he didn''t think much about the history of what had happened in the past. However, after seeing Antero, he realized that being ignorant of the past mighte to bite him in the present.


    As the future King of the Crystal Pce, he should know more about the powerhouses of the world.


    People whom he should form connections with, and those he couldn''t afford to offend.


    ''Mother, out of all the visions you have seen about the future, did you also see this scene?'' Aur thought.


    Before he left the Crystal Pce, his mother told him that he would meet a red-headed Half-Elf on this expedition in the Domain of the Fallen.


    She said that whatever happened, Aur should not antagonize this person even though he didn''t look that special.


    Just as his mother said, Aur had been paying close attention to whatever Lux was doing. He even asked the Vahan Empire for every bit of information that they had of him.


    Although Lux had done many amazing things, he wasn''t that impressed by it. He was certain that if he faced the same trials as the Half-Elf did in the past, he would have also won the war against the Ammarian Kingdom, even if the odds were against his favor.


    But now, he had to correct this mindset.


    Even though he could also fight a Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster alone, he was unable to fight against a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.


    An ordinary Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster was nothingpared to its World Boss counterpart.


    If the Giant Earth Turtle hadn''t appeared, Aur was certain that Lux would have been able to defeat the monster that none of them could defeat at their current Rank.


    ''Still, why do I feel like someone has been observing me ever since I came through the Gate of Famine this time around?'' Aur thought. ''I didn''t feel this way in the past.''


    He understood that everyone was watching what was happening inside the Dungeon through the artifacts they carried. However, the pair of eyes that had been watching him was different, and it made him feel as if he was truly in danger.


    ''I hope I''m just overthinking things.'' Aur sighed.


    He wasn''t aware that the feeling he had was on point, and even at that moment, the silver-haired Devil was looking at him, even though they were miles apart from each other.

 Chapter 703 The Blade Rider

    ?


    "We have sent several scouts to every part of the Kingdom to check if there are any remnants of the Monster Army," Great General Sherlock said as he pointed at the map on the table. "Watson had informed me just a moment ago that the scouts have not seen any Monster Army that could potentially harm our Kingdom."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. "That means that thest remaining enemies are currently within the borders of the Ammarian Kingdom."


    Great General Sherlock snorted. Clearly, he had no love for the Kingdom that had repeatedly sent their armies to try to conquer theirnds.


    The Half-Elf also understood what the Great General was thinking. Because of this, he no longer said anything.


    "I have also sent my own scouts to the Ammarian Kingdom," Lux stated. "Contrary to what I expected, only the outer cities have been destroyed. Those near the center of the Kingdom remained intact, but the two Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters seemed to have upied the Capital City."


    Lux knew that saying this to the Great General would not change things, but he still felt that the Gnome should know about the current situation of their greatest rival.


    "So, what do you n to do?" Great General Sherlock asked. "Are you going to poke the ho''s nest?"


    Lux nodded. "I am not doing this because I want to, Great General. You also know that just like you, I have no love for the Ammarian Kingdom. However, regardless of what I feel, I must go."


    Great Sherlock didn''t know why Lux wanted to go to the Ammarian Kingdom just to fight against Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters. Still, he had known the Half-Elf long enough to understand that he had his reasons for doing so.


    "Do you need anything from us?" Great General Sherlock asked. "If it is within our abilities, we will lend you our hand."


    "Yes, there is one thing I need from you, Great General," Lux replied.


    "Speak. I''m all ears."


    "Can you give me some of yourtest inventions? I''m very interested in Gnome technology. Actually, I''ve had the opportunity toe across something like this."


    Lux showed him the blueprint of the Magical Cannons that he had gained during the battle in the Wanid Kingdom.


    Just like he expected, the Great General became engrossed when he saw the blueprints that Lux''s Shadow Lord, Draven, managed to acquire in the enemy''s camp.


    Their only regret was that they didn''t get the chance to get the blueprint of the Destroyer, which was made by the Mages of the Haca Dynasty.


    Because of this, they were doing their best to reverse engineer it with the help of the Dryads, and cksmiths of the ckrock n.


    Even Lux''s Dwarven Master, Randolph, was doing his best to better understand this magnificent weapon.


    Currently, the Destroyer could only be used one more time. What they wanted was to create something simr, or even something better, that would help their Guild have a Trump Card that could unleash an attack that was equivalent to a Grand Spell.


    Although it wasn''t able to defeat Cmity Ranked Monsters, it was still very possible to lethally injure Empyrean-Ranked Enemies, if they managed to get a direct hit.


    "These Magical Cannons are better than what we have invented in the past," Great General Sherlock admitted. He then closed his eyes and pondered for a bit.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He looked like someone who was having an internal battle inside his head, which made Lux wonder what the Gnome was thinking at the moment.


    After several minutes passed, the Gnome finally opened his eyes and asked for Lux to follow him.


    After leaving their temporary residence, the Gnome took him to a spacious location.


    "Truth be told, I shouldn''t be showing this to you right now," Great General Sherlock said. "But, you have saved our Kingdom many times in the past, and I believe that you will not use this technology against us."


    The Gnome then raised his hand and a magic circle appeared on the ground. A momentter, something unexpected materialized in front of them, which made Lux gasp in shock.


    ''H-Helicopter?'' Lux didn''t hesitate and approached the helicopter-like vehicle to give it a closer look.


    Of course, it didn''t look like the modern helicopters on Earth. Aside from the rotor des that would allow the Magical Vehicle to fly, everything about it was different.


    "What do you call this invention?" Lux asked.


    "We call it the de Rider," Great General Sherlock replied. "It is the newest invention, but we still haven''t used it on the battlefield. Originally, we nned to test it out against the Monster Army. It is made by the best minds of our nation, and we nned to mass produce them."


    "How strong is this Magical Artifact?" Lux asked.


    Great General Sherlock rubbed his chin. "Currently, this can only fight against 5 Monsters and below. Although they are fast, we still don''t know if they are able to outfly flying monsters in the skies. We added some boosters that can momentarily increase its speed, but at most, the boost would onlyst for a minute. This is why this can only be used as ast resort to escape more powerful enemies."


    The Gnome stopped his exnation before pointing at the two magical cannons on the sides of the de Rider.


    "Although it can only fight against Rank 5 Monsters at the moment, with the blueprint you gave me, it is possible to raise its firepower to be able to deal with a Deimos-Ranked Monster," Great General Sherlock then took out a scroll and resolutely handed it to Lux. "I pray that you will not betray my trust, and use this weapon against us."


    The Half-Elf carefully opened the scroll that was handed to him and his eye widened in shock after seeing what was inside it.


    It was the blueprint for the de Rider, which made the Half-Elf look at the Great General with gratitude.


    "Thank you, Great General," Lux said. "I promise that I will never betray your trust, and put this gift of yours to good use."


    Great General Sherlock nodded. "Make no mistake, Lux. The only reason why I gave you this blueprint is because you have helped us time and time again. Although the blueprint of this magical artifact is precious, our people''s lives are priceless. Think of it as our way of showing our undying gratitude to you for everything you have done for us."


    Lux once again thanked the Great General for his gift.


    Although he already had flying mounts to allow his Guild Members to fly in the skies, having the de Riders would greatly increase the aerial superiority of his Guild, in more ways than one.

 Chapter 704 So, Do You Want Revenge?

    ?


    Four days after the battle in the City of Peyton, Lux and hisrades finally bid their goodbyes to the Yn Generals and made their way toward the Ammarian Kingdom, where thest of their enemies were located.


    "We should have brought that old Halfling with us," Prince Cyrus grumbled. "If he came along, we no longer have to worry about failing to conquer this dungeon."


    Malcolm, Nero, and the rest of the members of the Skystead Alliance kept their silence. They neither agree nor disagree with their Prince''s statement, but inside their minds, the majority of them shared the same opinion.


    Gaap had woken up before Lux left the City of Peyton. The two of them talked for a while about many important things.


    The old Half-Ling didn''t tell Lux why he fell asleep for a few days, and Lux didn''t ask. Even so, they discussed what must be done, and the way on how to do it.


    After their talk ended, the Half-Elf announced that he would now go to the Ammarian Kingdom to deal with the remaining monsters. He added that those who wanted toe with him may do so, and those who wanted to stay in the city could remain behind.


    If this was an ordinary scenario, many would have stayed in the city in order to y it safe. However, since they were being watched by their superiors outside of the Domain of the Fallen, showing cowardice was not an option.


    An hourter, everyone hopped onto their mounts and followed the Half-Elf, who was leading them to the venue of theirst battle.


    Since Gaap had stayed behind in the city, the majority of the teenagers were feeling anxious. Only Lux and his guild members weren''t too worried because they believed that they would be able to ovee any situation as long as they were with the red-headed teenager.


    "The spirits are feeling restless," Caimented while sitting atop of her Winged Serpent, Coatl. "We should be careful when we arrive at the Ammarian Kingdom."


    "Can youmunicate with them?" Lux asked while his Thunder Warg King flew alongside Cai''s flying mount. "Maybe they can tell you something we don''t already know."


    "Um, I can do it, but not now," Cai replied as she gave Lux a knowing nce.


    The Half-Elf nodded because he understood what Cai was trying to say. Since there was a risk that people would find out about her real identity, the High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe made sure that she stayed in her Boar form whenever she was in public.


    So far, only a handful of individuals aside from her Tribe members knew about her true form.


    "But even if I can''tmunicate with them, I can make a guess," Cai stated. "You remember that silver-haired Devil that kidnapped me? He''s here."


    Lux''s expression immediately turned serious after hearing his fiance''s words. If that silver-haired Devil was really here, then this final showdown in the Ammarian Kingdom wouldn''t go smoothly.


    "Do you think he is one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses we are going to fight?" Lux inquired.


    Cai didn''t reply right away. Instead, she closed her eyes as if using her Divine Powers to find the answer to her fiance''s question.


    A few minutester, the Boar opened her eyes and shook her head.


    "I don''t know," Cai replied. "But if he isn''t one of the two Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses that we already know about, then things would be a lot harder. That bastard is pretty sly. I still want to pay him back for kidnapping me back then."


    Lux also wanted a piece of that silver-haired bastard''s face. Back then, he was still too weak to fight against him.


    The Half-Elf was confident that as long as the Abyssal Creature wasn''t a Cmity-Ranked Monster or a Saint, he would be able to beat him to a pulp.


    Two dayster, they finally arrived at the border of the Ammarian Kingdom.


    It was quite evident that a fierce battle had taken ce. No matter where one looked, there was destruction everywhere. Many viges, towns, and cities along the way were in ruins.


    Bloodstains could be seen in all directions, but no bodies were found.


    Clearly, the monster made sure to devour their victims, leaving nothing but the blood that dyed the ground.


    "Let''s rest here for the night," Lux said as he urged his Thunder Warg King tond in a ruined city, where several houses were still intact. "It will take us one more day to reach the Capital City. Everyone, do what you can to recover your strength just in case we need to fight monsters along the way."


    The Half-Elf wanted to test something that he had learned in Zangr, and this city was the perfect ce to do his experiment.


    After everyone had settled down, Lux went off on his own and went to the ce where he could feel the strongest presence of lingering souls in the city.


    Following the awakening of his Necromancer sense in Zangr, Lux could see the earth-bound souls of the dead that were unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation.


    "Can any of you tell me what happened here?" Lux asked the souls that he had summoned to him. "What kind of monsters attacked you?"


    "Devil," an old man replied. "It was a Devil that attacked us. Hemanded countless monsters. We weren''t able to do anything."


    "Everything happened so fast, we were unable to defend ourselves," a man wearing armor answered. "However, even if we had been warned beforehand, it would still be simply impossible to fight against them. We were outranked and outmatched."


    The other souls also shared everything they saw during the day of their deaths, but aside from the silver-haired Devil that they spoke of, they didn''t get the chance to see the other monsters that were as strong as him.


    "I can''t find my mommy anywhere," a little girl said tearfully. "Can you help me find her? I''ve already looked everywhere."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It hurts�� it burns�� stop�� don''t kill me!"


    "Noo! Don''te close! I don''t want to die!"


    Some of the souls had already lost their reason and were reliving theirst moments before they died. It was very painful to see, so Lux helped them cross over to the other side.


    But not everyone wanted to enter the cycle of reincarnation.


    Several soldiers and those who had helped to defend their city on that fateful day wanted revenge.


    There were several hundreds of them, with a few of them being rankers as well.


    "How about I help you out on this one, Lux?"


    Leoric appeared beside the Half-Elf and looked at the souls of the dead with a smile.


    "What do you n to do?" Lux asked.


    "Well, I n to temporarily convert them into Wraith Soldiers until they finish their revenge," Leoric replied. "Although they are only numbered around five hundred, with my ability, they will be able to instantly gainbat experience, making them more effective in battle."


    As the Wraith King of Zangr, Leoric had the ability to recruit ghosts, specters, wraiths, and any other corporeal spirits into his own Legion.


    Each member of Lux''s covenant could have their own armies under them, greatly increasing the Half-Elf''s forces, without him having to do anything.


    "So, do you want revenge?" Leoric asked the souls in front of him.


    "We do!"


    "Kill those monsters!"


    "I''ll avenge my family!"


    "I''ll kill them all even if that''s thest thing I do!"


    "Very well." Leoric nodded. "All of you kneel."


    The souls all knelt in front of Lux and Leoric as if they were their sovereign.


    "Do all of you swear to acknowledge Lux Von Kaizer as your temporary Sovereign until you finish with your revenge?" Leoric asked.


    """We swear!"""


    "And, do you also swear to defend and obey him until death takes you for the second time?" Leoric asked.


    """We swear!"""


    "Then I dub all of you Wraith Knights under the service of your new liege!" Leoric raised his sword and a ray of light descended upon the souls in front of him. "Rise! And until you have exacted your revenge, serve him well!"


    """Yes! My Lord!"""


    All the souls that had sworn fealty towards Lux received spectral armor, simr to what the Wraith Soldiers of Zangr were wearing when they fought against the Abyssal Creatures.


    The knighting ceremony also raised their ranks back to the peaks they had reached when they were alive, allowing these warriors to fight at their full potential.


    Although they were just temporary soldiers that would fight under Lux''s banner, having them around would greatly bolster their current forces.


    Lux, who had seen Leoric''s ability, pondered for a bit.


    Gaap had told him before they left that if ever he came across a battlefield with many earth-bound souls, he should ask the newest member of his Covenant, the Wraith King, to make them all part of his spectral army.


    After seeing it firsthand, Lux finally understood how terrifying Leoric could be. As a Necromancer, he could revive the dead, but the souls of the departed were still out of his reach.


    ''Maybe I can unlock a skill that would allow me to have dominion over souls after I be a Ranker,'' Lux thought as he eyed the Wraith Army in front of him.


    Because of this, Lux decided to go to the Ancestral Grounds of the Necromancer with his Master, Gaap, in order to receive the blessing of the World as soon as possible.


    That way, he would be able to unlock his Transcendent Skills, which would truly bring out the power that he currently possessed inside his body.

 Chapter 705 Using Blackmail To Keep Everyone In Line

    ?


    Aur, who had secretly followed Lux, looked at the Wraith Army in the distance with a calm expression on his face.


    Currently, everyone was depending on the Half-Elf to ovee the wall that was preventing them from conquering the Dungeon.


    ''You''re really full of surprises, Lux,'' Aur thought.


    A dozen members of the Crystal Pce, who served as Aur''s bodyguards, were also in awe at the hundreds of Wraith Soldiers that the Half-Elf had acquired in a short period of time.


    Although they were still not sure whether the Half-Elf''s Undead Legion would be able to ovee the disparity in numbers, they no longer felt as hopeless as they did when they left the City of Peyton.


    "Let''s go," Aur ordered.


    The Dragon Prince gave Lux onest nce before flying back to his temporary residence to rest.


    Even now, he could still feel a pair of eyes observing him from somewhere. But, after being subjected to this gaze for many days, he had gotten ustomed to it already.


    With the Wraith Soldiers guarding the city and keeping an eye out for possible Monster attacks, the teenagers slept peacefully despite the fact that they were currently in a ruined city, where countless people had died.


    Perhaps, it was due to how dangerous the world of Elysium and Sis was that they were able to tolerate staying in such conditions.


    When morning came, the teenagers ate their breakfast, after which Lux gathered everyone to tell them about the strategy that he had in mind.


    "All of you already know that we will be facing at least two Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses when we arrive near the Capital City of the Ammarian Kingdom," Lux stated. "I can effectively deal with one of them, which leaves one more World Boss to contend with. In order to fight thest remaining threat, I will need your help, Aur."


    The red-headed teenager looked at the Dragon Prince which made thetter arc an eyebrow.


    "What kind of assistance do you need?" Aur asked back. "As long as I am able to do it, I will cooperate with you in order to conquer this Dungeon."


    Lux smiled as he exined what he had in mind.


    "When we first arrived in the Dungeon, you had an artifact that allowed you to amplify the power of your Dragon Breath, right?" Lux inquired.


    Aur nodded. "Indeed. However, I have almost used up the power of this artifact. At most, I can only use it one more time."


    "Once is enough. However, can it amplify anything aside from your attack?" Lux wanted to know if the n he had in mind was feasible or not. "For example, if we all use spells at the same time, will you be able to amplify all of them?"


    "Impossible," Aur answered in a heartbeat. "At most, it can amplify two kinds of attacks. If I attempt to amplify more than two, the artifact will break before it can even amplify anything."


    Lux breathed a sigh of relief because this was the thing that he wanted to hear.


    "Two is fine," Lux stated. "I will need you to amplify both of our attacks. I believe that if the two of usbine our powers, we will be able to deal with one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses. If we can''t kill it, we can at least freeze it for the time being, giving us time to deal with the first World Boss."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Very well," Aurmented. "I will cooperate with you."


    Now that one of his immediate concerns was taken care of, Lux then nced at the faces of everyone around him before exining the next step of his ns.


    "Just like what happened in the City of Peyton, we can expect to fight against several Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked Monsters," Lux said. "There is nothing we can do about the disparity in Ranks, so all of you should focus on helping each other ovee dangerous situations.


    "I will also be summoning the entirety of my Undead Legion, which might be able to hold off the Monster Army for a while. Our survival will rely on how fast Leoric and his Wraith Knights will be able to kill one of the World Bosses.


    "As long as he is able to defeat it fast, we will be able to overturn any situation with his help. So, I implore all of you to set aside your differences with each other. I know that some of you don''t like me, and believe me when I say that the feeling is mutual."


    The Half-Elf eyed Prince Cyrus as if telling him "I know what you didst summer," making the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire snort.


    After making sure that the Prince understood what he was trying to say, the Half-Elf continued his exnation.


    "Right now, we are here as one, and fighting on the same side. I would also like to remind you that people are watching you from the outside. If you don''t do your best, and hold back from using your full powers, they will know about it.


    "Wouldn''t it suck if you get punished because you look like extra baggage in the eyes of your superiors? So, if I were you, I''d go all out and ensure that we clear this mission with flying colors."


    Although they didn''t say it out loud, everyone who was there knew that the Half-Elf was using ckmail in order to keep everyone in line.


    Even the Rankers and other envoys of the different factions could only shake their heads after hearing the Half-Elf''s words from the projections outside the Gate of the Fallen.


    But, having reached this far, everyone who was looking at the Half-Elf right now understood that he was right.


    If they didn''t give their best, it would reflect badly on them when they returned to the outside world.


    "Well then, there is onest thing you need to do," Lux said in a teasing tone. "No matter what happens, do your best to survive. The more survivors we have, the more people we can bring when we challenge the final Gate of the Apocalypse. Isn''t this why all of you are here?"


    The Six Kingdoms, Skystead Alliance, and Xynnar War Pact were very desperate to increase the number of candidates that they could send inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    The Crystal Pce had a special artifact that allowed them to bypass this rule. But, even then, they could only send a limited number of Initiates that served as Aur''s bodyguards.


    If many of them were able to survive, then they would no longer feel so restricted or have to go as far as to negotiate with those who had the ability to enter the Domain of the Fallen again.


    "Now that we''re done here, do you have any questions before we leave?" Lux asked.


    Surprisingly, no one asked him any questions. Now that everything had been said and done, they once again embarked on their journey toward the capital city of the Ammarian Kingdom.


    As to what surprise they would be weed with once they got there, Lux and his team had no way of finding out until it was almost toote.

 Chapter 706 This Small Fry Is Not Enough To Kill Me [Part 1]

    ?


    "You guys go on ahead," Lux said. "But don''t go too near the Capital City. I''ll just go for a bit and take a piss in that forest over there."


    Without another word, the Half-Elf urged his mount, Jed, to descend into the forest, disappearing from everyone''s view.


    "Does he have a habit of peeing when things are about to get dicey?" Prince Cyrus asked.


    This wasn''t the first time the Half-Elf had done this, and every time he did, he couldn''t help but feel like thetter was up to something.


    Contrary to what Lux expected, no one left and waited for him to finish his business.


    A few minutester, the Thunder Warg King once again took off towards the skies, carrying the red-headed teenager, who looked like someone who had just reached enlightenment.


    They then proceeded to continue their journey and headed toward the Capital City of the Ammarian Kingdom.


    Inside the forest, a Half-Elf watched as the group disappeared into the horizon with his arms crossed over his chest. A faint smile hung at the corner of his lips, which onlysted for a brief moment before he disappeared to who knows where.


    ��---------


    Two hourster, on the outskirts of the Capital City of the Ammarian Kingdom��


    "Something doesn''t feel right." Cethus frowned as he looked at the city in the distance.


    He could sense people inside the city, but he couldn''t see any Monsters anywhere.


    Lux remained calm as he scanned the surroundings. Zagan and Shax had both scouted the Capital City a few hours ago and had told him that the area was littered with Monsters.


    If not for the fact that they were chased away by a giant fly, who was at least four meters tall, the two of them would have continued to observe the city from a distance.


    The fly was very fast, even faster than Shax. It even nearly killed the Nightgaunt. If not for the fact that Lux had recalled him at the right moment, nothing could have saved him from dying.


    Due to the dangerous situation, he also recalled Zagan, ending the scouting mission for the two of them.


    The Fly was one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses that went by the name Gloom Wing Horror.


    Due to how fast and dangerous it was, Lux deemed it best for Leoric to personally deal with it in order to prevent the Giant Fly from targeting the teenagers and killing them before they could even react to its speed.


    "What should we do now?" Cai asked. "Should we enter the city and ask the residents if they have seen any Monsters around?"


    Lux shook his head because he felt that entering the city would be the most dangerous thing to do at this point in time.


    While they were thinking of what to do next, a magic circle appeared in the sky, epassing a wide stretch ofnd, including the city as well as its surrounding areas.


    Suddenly, everything around them turned red, which reminded Lux of the scenery in Zangr when he was there.


    No other colors aside from red could be seen, making all the teenagers feel rmed.


    "Calm down everyone," Cethus said. "Look at the bright side. There''s no crack in the sky right now that is spewing monsters above our heads."


    As if on cue, a resounding crack reverberated in the surroundings, and the sky directly above them broke apart.


    Immediately, a buzzing sound was heard, which made the Half-Elf''s expression turn grim.


    "Leoric, I''ll leave it in your hands!" Lux ordered.


    The Wraith King materialized beside Lux before flying upward to exchange blows against the Gloom Wing Horror.


    Just as he expected, the Fly was indeed fast. It was so fast that Lux could only see faint blurs when he tried to follow it with his eyes.


    Fortunately, Leoric had the ability to phase in and out of existence, reappearing in other locations as if he was using Teleport.


    Lux and the others didn''t have enough time to pay attention to the battle between the Wraith King and the Giant Fly because Monsters had started to pour from above them en masse.


    A momentter, the ground under their feet shook, making everyone on the ground almost lose their bnce.


    "Cai! Fly upwards now!" Lux ordered.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Boar, who had sensed the urgency in Lux''s voice,manded his Winged Serpent to fly upwards.


    As soon as Coatl rose in the air, the ground under its body broke apart, and a Giant Death Worm that was nearly a hundred meters long opened its massive jaws in an attempt to eat the Winged Serpent whole.


    ''A Dreadnaught Ranked World Boss?'' Lux''s face became grim because the numbers weren''t adding up.


    He had assumed that the silver-haired Devil was one of the two Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters. However, after seeing the two World Bosses in front of him, his worst fears came to life.


    Lux no longer had any time to think about other things as he summoned his Undead Legion to his side.


    The Half-Elf summoned a single clone, while Eiko and Asmodeus summoned all of their clones.


    A momentter, sixteen Hecatoncheires appeared on the battlefield, towering over most of the Monsters, yet they were stillpletely dwarfed by the Giant Death Worm, whose massive jaws were open wide, revealing its countless razor-sharp teeth.


    "This is what a Raid is like," Lux muttered as he ordered all sixteen of his Hecatoncheires to fight against the Giant Death Worm, who burrowed into the ground once again, preparing to strike when they least expected it.


    "Shax, focus on attacking Argonaut Ranked Monsters," Lux ordered.


    The NIghtgaunt nodded and took off to the skies.


    The battlefield had be extremely chaotic, with all the members of the different Factions duking it out with the Monsters who had started to attack them.


    Aur flew beside Lux and took out the artifact that could amplify their attacks at the same time. This was the Trump Card that they were nning to use against one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses.


    The only problem was that the Giant Fly was too fast, and the Giant Death Worm was too sly, making it difficult for them to aim their attacks properly.


    The Dozens of Wraith Knights and Hundreds of Wraith Soldiers fought alongside the teenagers, preventing them from dying.


    Since the Wraith Knights were all Deimos-Ranked Fighters, they were able to hold off Monsters of their same Rank.


    The only problem was that there were at least a dozen Argonaut-Ranked Monsters on the battlefield, making everyone''s heart beat wildly inside their chest due to the tension.


    "Fire Snakes!"


    mma roared, and four Fire Snakes shed against an Argonaut Ranked Monster, entangling it in its fiery embrace.


    Although the Half-Orc was only a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster, he had the artifacts and skills that allowed him to deal with Argonaut-Ranked Monsters in a one-on-one battle.


    Aside from Shax, mma was one of the handful of fighters in Lux''s entourage that could contend with Argonaut-Ranked Monsters.


    The Half-Orc fearlessly repelled one Argonaut Ranked Monster after the other as he summoned Fire Snakes left and right.


    He could control ten of them at the same time, and the only thing he could do right now was defend against these monsters.


    Even if he were to fight one of them, it would still take a while before the end of the battle. By then, half of the teenagers might be killed, which was something that Lux wanted to prevent no matter what.


    Truth be told, the Half-Elf wanted everyone to survive the battle because he had a feeling that the rules of the Final Gate of the Apocalypse would be different from what they currently knew.


    Gaap told him about the possibility that, if they sessfully cleared the Gate of Famine, Rankers and High-Rankers might be allowed to enter the Gate of the Apocalypse.


    Because of this, Lux wanted to have as many survivors as possible, prioritizing the people who had formed alliances with him.


    As if to mock their efforts, something unexpected happened.


    Four strong monsters made their presence known, which made the hair on everyone''s neck stand on end.


    "Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters?!" Prince Cyrus eximed. "What the hell is happening here?! Aren''t we only supposed to fight two of them?!"


    This was the same thought running through everyone''s mind. All of them were already reeling from the shock of fighting so many High-Ranking monsters at once, which was truly impossible at this point.


    Except, the new arrivals weren''t Alpha Monsters or World Bosses. All of them were of the Dreadnaught Rank, which was above the Argonaut Rank.


    These monsters all had the ability to destroy entire cities, making killing dozens of teenagers look like mere childsy.

 Chapter 707 This Small Fry Is Not Enough To Kill Me [Part 2]

    ?


    One of theseArgonaut-Ranked Monsters was a ck Hawk, who currently had its gaze locked on the Half-Orc who had just summoned a Fire Snake to save Einar from getting attacked by a Deimos-Ranked Monster in his blind spot.


    An ear-piercing screech spread across the sky as the ck Hawk dove down for the kill.


    mma, who only noticed the Monster when it was only dozens of meters away from him, couldn''t do anything because he was upied, fighting against a Kobold King.


    If he tried to block the ck Hawk''s attack, the Kobold King would certainly take this opportunity to cut off his head.


    If he focused on the Kobold King, the ck Hawk would definitely peck a bloody hole in his body, killing him on the spot.


    Whatever choice he made led to death, and mma had no choice but to hold his ground and fight. Suddenly, he saw something in the corner of his vision, making him grit his teeth.


    With one roar of defiance, the Half-Orc chose to block the Kobold King''s sh that was aimed at his neck, stopping its sword with his War Axe.


    Just as the ck Hawk was about to deliver the deadly blow to the Half-Orc, a crude spear suddenly stood in its way.


    A resounding sh spread on the battlefield as the ck Hawk''s beak collided with the crude spear.


    A momentter, the ck Hawk''s giant body skidded across the ground for hundreds of meters, sending Monsters flying in every direction.


    "You little bird dare to bully my son?"


    A disdainful voice reached mma''s ears, making him grin like a little kid who had just received his birthday present.


    Protecting his back and standing proud and tall was none other than the Chieftain of the ckrock n and his mother, Lady Avyanna.


    Although her mate, Barca, was the strongest among the Orcs of the ckrock n, that didn''t mean that she was weak.


    Lady Avyanna was a Dreadnaught-Ranked Alpha Monster, and dealing with ordinary Dreadnaughts was something that she could do even if one of her hands were tied behind her back.


    "mma, if you lose against that Kobold King, I''ll give you a spanking when you get back home," Lady Avyanna said as she walked towards the fallen ck Hawk, who was trying to prop itself off from the ground.


    "Don''t worry, Ma," mma dered. "This small fry is not enough to kill me."


    Lady Avyanna nodded before raising her staff high in the air.


    "ckrock n!" Lady Avyanna shouted. "Assemble!"


    As if waiting for that moment, loud warcries erupted in the battlefield as tens of thousands of ckrock n Warriors bulldozed their way through a horde of monsters, tearing everything in their path apart.


    Upon seeing this scene, a raging inferno was lit up inside mma''s chest, making him shout his warcry.


    "For the n!"


    Lady Avyannaughed as she, too, as well as countless warriors of the ckrock n, chanted their warcry.


    """For the n!"""


    mma had always prided himself as one of the warriors of the ckrock n.


    But, he never felt as proud of his n as he did in this very moment when all of them were cutting through the Monster Army like a hot knife cutting through butter.


    ��--------<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    A good distance away from the battlefield, Barca watched the battle with his arms crossed over his chest.


    One of Lux''s clones stood beside him, paying close attention to the surroundings.


    "Do you think he will make an appearance?" Barca asked as he gazed at his wife and son, who were fighting side by side on the battlefield.


    He was itching to join the mother and child, but Lux had assigned to him a very important mission, which was to wait until the silver-haired Devil appeared before he made his move.


    "He will definitely appear," Lux''s clone replied with confidence. "The only question is when."


    Barca scanned the battlefield with his gaze, but even his strong sight couldn''t spot any silver-haired Devil flying around.


    This was the second time Lux had summoned him using the skill, Heaven''s Call [EX], and the Half-Elf wouldn''t be able to summon him again for at least a month using this special method.


    The ckrock n had received many resources from Lux, including Draconium Ores and Aenarium, allowing them to craft Pseudo-Legendary and Legendary equipment, which strengthened their Warriors'' performance significantly.


    Because of this, they were more than happy to lend their hands to the Half-Elf, especially during this crucial moment.


    In the distance, the Giant Death Worm resurfaced, eating one of the Hecatoncheires whole in the process.


    Lux had used one of his Hundred-Armed Giants to lure the Giant Death Worm out of the ground in order for him and Aur to deal it a devastating blow.


    Without even making eye contact with each other, the Dragon Prince activated his artifact before opening his mouth wide.


    Lux, who was hovering a few meters away from him, also opened his mouth wide at the same time.


    An image of a giant Crystal Dragon appeared behind the Half-Elf as he prepared to unleash one of his strongest attacks, the Peerless Dragon Strike [EX], which he could only use once a day.


    At the same time, as if they had already done this numerous times in the past, the two teenagers simultaneously unleashed their breath attack, which was amplified by Aur''s special artifact.


    ""Crystal Dragon''s Breath!""


    A brilliant, and misty Dragon''s Breath flew towards the Giant Death Worm, whose skin was so thick that normal weapons couldn''t even put a dent in it.


    Perhaps sensing that its life was in danger, the Death Worm hurriedly tried to dig into the ground, escaping the Breath Attack.


    Unfortunately for it, its action was a bit toote.


    Thebined Crystal Dragon Breaths mmed against the Giant Death Worm''s body, making it shriek in pain.


    Lux and Aur raised the output of their Dragon Breaths, squeezing every ounce of Draconic Energy they had in their body to ensure that the Giant Death Worm would turn into a crystal statue.


    While this was happening, a brilliant sh of light erupted in the Heavens, nearly blinding everyone on the battlefield.


    Because of this, Lux and Aur were forced to stop their attacks in order to shield their eyes from the light that came out of nowhere.


    In that brief moment in time, when everyone was unable to see, the silver-haired Devil made his move.


    He had been waiting for the right opportunity to initiate his n. And now that any opportunity presented itself, he was more than willing to take the chance in order to obtain freedom.

 Chapter 708 A Dragon’s Wrath [Part 1]

    ?


    When the blinding light receded, Lux looked in front of him and saw that half of the Giant Death Worm had turned into crystal.


    Unfortunately for them, only its lower half had been hit, instead of the upper part where the head was located.


    If only they hadn''t been forced to stop their attacks due to the sudden brightness that enveloped the surroundings, they might have been able to turn the worm''s whole body into a crystal statue.


    The Giant Death Worm then mmed its head against the ground, digging deep in order to prevent itself from getting attacked again.


    "We almost got it, Aur," Lux said with disappointment.


    "Y-Yeah," Aur replied as he looked at his two hands before clenching them together into tight fists. "Don''t worry about it. We will deal with the small fries first."


    "Right." Lux nodded as he gave the Dragon Prince a nce. "How about you and your subordinates reinforce the members of the Skystead Alliance over there? They sure look like they badly need some help."


    Aur smiled and gave Lux a brief nod. "Very well. Leave them to me."


    The Dragon Prince was about to fly in the direction Lux had pointed to when he suddenly found himself crashing towards the ground after getting hit by an attack from the back.


    Aur''s subordinates gasped in shock as they looked at the Half-Elf that had turned into a lightning bolt, and executed a dropkick on their Prince''s head, just as Aur was about to hit the ground.


    This created a hundred-wide crater, showing how strong Lux''s attack was.


    Poro and the other Saints who saw this cried out in rm, not expecting the Half-Elf to backstab their prince without any rhyme or reason.


    "What''s the meaning of this?!" one of Aur''s subordinates shouted as he dove down from the sky in order to attack the Half-Elf who had assaulted his Prince.


    "Damn you! How could you do that to His Majesty?!"


    "Kill him!"


    "Break his bones!"


    "Cut off his head!"


    The Dragon Borns all roared in anger as they all charged at the Half-Elf who was busy stomping their Prince''s head on the ground, expanding the crater that had been caused by his earlier attack.


    However, just as they were about to attack the Half-Elf, Zagan, Lazarus, and Revon all appeared in front of them and immediately shed with the Dragon Borns, whose eyes had turned bloodshot due to anger.


    Lux didn''t pay any attention to them and kept on hitting Aur''s body like a punching bag, making the Saints who were watching outside the Gate of the Fallen enraged.


    "Damn it!" Poro shouted in anger. "You''re courting death, Half-Elf!"


    The Saints had unleashed their auras, making everyone inside the cavern feel as if an entire mountain was pressing on their shoulders. Even though some of the people there were High-Rankers, they were unable to hold a candle against the Powerhouses who were only below the Supreme Rank.


    "You!" Poro pointed his finger at Hector, whom he believed had a close rtionship with the Half-Elf, forcing the High-Ranker of the Rowan Tribe to kneel due to the pressure that the Saint was releasing towards him. "Tell me, what the hell is that Half-Elf doing to our Prince?!"


    Hector, who received Poro''s rage, as well as the rage of the other Saints, wasn''t able to resist theirbined pressure, causing blood to pour out from his ears, nose, and lips.


    "I-I don''t�� know!" Hector forced himself to reply to the Saint''s inquiry despite the fact that he had suffered internal injuries. "I don''t know what''s happening!"


    The Rankers of the Six Kingdoms and the Xynnar War Pact didn''t intervene because they didn''t want to suffer the same fate as Hector, who was on the receiving end of the frustration of the Saints that couldn''t enter the dungeon to save their Prince from Lux''s one-sided beating.


    If only any of them were inside the dungeon, they would have definitely pped the Half-Elf, turning his body into meat paste.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Unfortunately, no matter how strong they were, they were unable to force themselves to enter the Domain, which only epted individuals of the Initiate Rank and below.


    Poro and the other Saints also knew that even if they tortured Hector to death, they wouldn''t get the answers they were looking for.


    Because of this, they shifted their gaze back at the projection and red at the Half-Elf with bloodshot gazes, wishing that they could twist the red-headed teenager''s neck, and feed his body to the fishes.


    Just as the Saints were nearing the limits of their patience, Lux''s voice, filled with disdain, reached their ears through the projection.


    "Do you really think that you can fool my eyes?" Lux asked with a sneer as he pulled the Dragon Prince''s hair, forcing thetter to look at him. "Tell me, Zelken Leth Ailphostes, do you really think that you can possess someone''s body and get away with it that easily?"


    Lux''s words made the expressions of Poro, as well as the Saints of the Crystal Pce, turn grim. They didn''t know why the Half-Elf was saying such nonsense. However, deep inside, they felt greatly rmed at the possibility of having the body of their Prince possessed by others.


    The Half-Elf knew that those outside of the Gate of the Fallen would be surprised by what he did, and he was worried that the four Saints might vent their frustrations on his allies.


    Because of this, he made sure to speak loudly and clearly, making sure that those who were watching him right now through the artifact that Aur carried understood why he attacked the Dragon Prince without any warning.


    "H-How did you know?" Aur asked back in disbelief.


    Although Lux had given him a one-sided beating, he only received moderate injuries. The Dragon Prince''s body was quite strong, and even though Lux kept on attacking him, it was not enough to break his bones.


    Of course, Lux held back his attacks because he didn''t want Aur to suffer anysting injuries. At most, he would just make whoever possessed the Dragon Prince feel a world of pain, forcing thetter to leave Aur''s body.


    However, the silver-haired Devil was persistent, and no matter what Lux did, he didn''t want to leave.


    This was his one chance at freedom, so even if the Dragon Prince died, he would not leave his body no matter what.


    Even though he was just a soul, his rank far exceeded Aur''s, forcing thetter''s soul to enter a hibernation state and sealing it deep within his consciousness.


    Due to the preparations the silver-haired Devil had made, he was able to take over the Dragon Prince''s body without any hardship.


    After experiencing how powerful and resilient Aur''s body was, the silver-haired devil rejoiced that he had chosen the right vessel to possess.


    Unfortunately for him, he was not dealing with an ordinary teenager, but a Necromancer, and one who had a Master with a lot of experience handling souls.


    All Lux needed to do was seal Aur and bring him to his Master, letting the old Half-Ling deal with the silver-haired Devil, who had taken an all-out gamble for freedom.


    But, before Lux could even knock the Dragon Prince unconscious, the silver-haired Devil unleashed his own powers, sending the Half-Elf flying backward.


    "You bastard Half-Elf!" Aur spoke in a different voice, which made Poro''s and the Saints'' who were watching the projection blood turn cold. "Why are you always getting in my way?!"


    As if the power sealing his body was broken, Aur''s rank suddenly rose exponentially, breaking through the Initiate Rank, and jumping to that of an A-Ranker.


    "This is thest time you will get in my way!" Aur said hatefully as he raised his hand, summoning a giant ball of darkness that had ck lightning bolts snaking around its surface. "Die!"


    The Dragon Prince unleashed his unholy attack that was fueled by his rage and bloodlust. In a world devoid of any color but red, the Dark Energy Ball, which was nearly ten meters tall, stood out on the battlefield, catching everyone''s attention.


    The silver-haired Devil had failed to kill Lux when he sent him directly to the void the moment he entered the Gate of Famine.


    Although he didn''t know what happened during that time, he decided to just kill the Half-Elf with his own hands to get it over with and ensure that the red-headed teenager would be erased from the face of the world.

 Chapter 709 A Dragon’s Wrath [Part 2]

    ?


    The silver-haired Devil, whose name was Zelken Leth Ailphostes, sneered at the Half-Elf as his strongest attack was about to collide with the red-headed teenager''s body.


    He had hated Lux since the first time thetter got on his way and had long been dreaming to kill him with his own hands.


    Although things would be a bitplicated once he exited the Dungeon, he was certain that he would be able to keep Aur''s body as long as he timed his escape properly.


    However, before that could happen, he had to eliminate all the bastards who were getting in his way, and he would start with the one he hated the most first.


    But, just as his attack was about to obliterate the Half-Elf, a ferocious Dragon Roar spread in the surroundings.


    The Dark Energy Ball suddenly dispersed, shocking Zelken, who was already celebrating Lux''s demise.


    "How dare you?!"


    A growl filled with intense rage reverberated in the surroundings, making the silver-haired Devil subconsciously shudder.


    Hovering in front of Lux was a Dragon Token that was being enveloped by golden lightning bolts.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    Keoza''s hateful roar made thend shake, creatingrge cracks that extended in every direction.


    Suddenly, the red environment shattered, simr to tens of thousands of crystal cups breaking at the same time.


    The sky, which was clear a while ago, was covered with dark clouds, and golden lightning rained down from the heavens, instantly killing any monsters that were unlucky enough to get hit by it.


    A few meters above Lux''s head, a giant silhouette of a Crystal Dragon, who was at least a hundred meters tall, looked down at the silver-haired Devil that had possessed the Dragon Prince.


    "H-His Majesty Keoza!" Poro shouted in both awe and excitement as their one true king finally made his appearance.


    The other Saints shared the ck-Scaled Dragon Born''s feelings, making them rejoice in their hearts.


    They had been looking for their King for the past century, and they had exhausted every means at their disposal to find him. However, no matter how far their search extended, they were unable to find any clues about where they could find their King, who had disappeared without a trace.


    As if sensing the presence of his mortal enemy, Zelken decided to flee.


    However, before he could do that, a giant transparent dragon w snatched him from the sky, holding him in a vice grip.


    "Just where do you think you''re going?" Keoza locked his bloodthirsty gaze on the silver-haired devil, making thetter cry out in pain.


    The Crystal Dragon''s ws were coated with divine power, which was very fatal to Abyssal Creatures.


    The Crystal Dragon was directly attacking the silver-haired Devil''s soul instead of Aur''s body, making the Abyssal Duke scream in pain.


    "I-If you kill me, I will make sure to kill this Dragon Prince''s soul as well!" Zelken shouted in desperation. "I will take him with me to the afterlife!"


    Keoza roared hatefully as he once again increased his grip on Aur''s body as if squeezing the devil''s soul out of it.


    "You think you can trick me, you despicable creature?" Keoza sneered. "I wasn''t born yesterday!"


    The Crystal Dragon once again increased his grip with the intention of crushing the silver-haired Devil''s soul inside Aur''s body.


    Lux watched this from the side with a calm expression on his face. In his eyes, Keoza was an easy-going Dragon whom he could depend on for advice when he needed it.


    This was the first time he saw Keoza this angry as if someone had touched his reverse scale.


    He didn''t know what kind of rtionship the Crystal Dragon had with the Dragon Prince, but seeing how enraged Keoza was, it was quite easy to tell that they shared a very close rtionship with each other.


    "Oi! Don''t crush that soul! Why are you being so wasteful, you stupid Dragon?!"


    Suddenly, an annoyed voice, which was simr to someone who had been forced to wake up in the middle of the night, reached everyone''s ears.


    Lux, Keoza, and everyone in the immediate vicinity nced in the direction where the voice wasing from.


    There, they saw an Undead Wyvern with an old Halfling standing on top of it, wearing an impatient expression on his face.


    "It''s very rare to get hold of a High-Ranking Abyssal Soul in this day and age, and you n to crush itpletely?" Gaap scoffed. "Stand aside, Amateur. I''ll handle this!"


    Keoza narrowed his eyes, but he didn''t make any move to attack Lux''s Master.


    As someone who had apanied the Half-Elf on his journey, it was impossible for him to not recognize those whom the Half-Elf deemed important to him.


    An Undead, whose body was covered by a ck ted armor from head to toe, appeared beside Gaap.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The ck Knight then opened its ck angelic wings and flew towards the Crystal Dragon, who was holding the Dragon Prince in his ws.


    "Hand him over," the ck Knight said. "My Master will take care of him."


    Keoza narrowed his eyes as he looked at the ck Knight before shifting his gaze to the Dragon Prince in his hand.


    A few secondster, he passed Aur to the ck Knight, making thetter give the Crystal Dragon a brief nod of acknowledgement.


    "Y-You! Stay away!" Zelken felt his soul shudder after seeing the old Halfling who was looking at him with a devilish smile, showing off the remaining three teeth in his mouth.


    As a soul, he was very sensitive to those who had the potential to harm him.


    Even though he had suffered a lot in the ws of the Crystal Dragon, he knew that his fate would be sealed the moment the Old Necromancer got hold of him.


    In one desperate attempt, he decided to destroy Aur''s soul, in order to have someone apany him to the afterlife.


    Although killing people inside the dungeon would just teleport them to the entrance of the Gate of the Fallen, having their souls extinguished would lead to permanent death, leaving only a living shell that housed their souls when they were alive.


    Zelken could have seeded in his double suicide attempt if he were dealing with an inexperienced Necromancer like Lux.


    But in the face of a true Master like the Halfling, his attempts were futile.


    Gaap had already anticipated that the silver-haired Devil would try to destroy Aur''s soul, which he had sealed deep inside the Dragon Prince''s consciousness.


    The old Halfling had seen many who had attempted to do this in front of him, but none of them seeded.


    With a single wave of Gaap''s hand, the silver-haired Devil''s soul was instantly expelled from Aur''s body.


    In that brief period of time, Zelken knew that it was a do-or-die situation, so he immediately created a small dimensional rift in front of him that would allow him to escape to the Gate of the Apocalypse, where his true body was sealed.


    "Ah�� the final struggle of a corrupted soul," Gaap said softly as misty ck tentacles shot out from his body. "Unfortunately for you, it''s game over the moment I ced a mark on your body."


    Zelken''s soul had managed to enter the dimensional rift, but it was quickly followed by the shadowy tentacles that Gaap had unleashed to capture the Abyssal Duke''s soul.


    A few of the tentacles prevented the Dimensional Rift from closing, while the rest hunted down the fleeing Abyssal Soul who nned to return to its true body as soon as possible.


    Half a minuteter, a screaming and struggling soul was pulled out of the dimensional rift, which immediately closed as soon as he was sessfully captured.


    Gaap looked at the screaming soul in front of him with delight, as if he had found a new toy.


    "Too noisy," Gaap chuckled before he pped the soul with his wooden stick, causing the silver-haired Devil to go into a daze.


    The Old Halfling then ced his wrinkled hands over the Zelken''s head, making thetter writhe like an earthworm that had been sprinkled with salt.


    This scenested for a full minute before the Abyssal Soul stopped movingpletely.


    Gaap then calmly took out a crystal ball from his storage ring, which he used to suck the unmoving soul inside it.


    "Another one added to my collection." Gaap chuckled as he grinned from ear to ear, admiring the crystal ball like one of those wealthy collectors who were passionate about their hobby.


    A momentter, the old Halfling stored the Crystal Ball back into his storage ring and looked at the still unconscious Dragon Prince, who was being carried by one of his servants.


    "I almost forgot about you," Gaap muttered before pressing the tip of his walking stick against Aur''s forehead, making thetter''s eyebrows flutter.


    Half a minuteter, the Dragon Prince opened his eyes and looked around him in a daze.


    This scene made the Dragon Borns, who had been beaten ck and blue by Lux''s subordinates who blocked their attempts to hurt their Master, cry out in joy.


    Even the Saints who had been wanting to kill Lux earlier breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that their Prince was now safe from harm.


    As if waiting for that moment, the Dragon Prince''s gazended on the silhouette of a Giant Crystal Dragon, who was looking down at him with a conflicted look in his eyes.


    The two stared at each other for a period of time before a sigh escaped Keoza''s lips.


    Now that Aur was safe, the silhouette of the Crystal Dragon disappeared, and the Dragon Token lost its radiance.


    It then flew towards Lux andnded harmlessly on the palm of his hand.


    The Half-Elf stared at the token in his hand before shifting his gaze back to Aur, who was looking at him with the same conflicted look that Keoza had earlier.


    When Keoza had made his appearance, the Crystal Pce and those affiliated with it had finally been able to see their missing King, who had suddenly disappeared when the world needed him the most.

 Chapter 710 Quest Completion

    ?


    "C-Can you guys stop trailing behind me like ducklings?" Luxined as he finished killing a Kobold Knight. "All of you are creeping me out. There are still monsters to clean up, and all of you are following me like loan sharks!"


    Aur, as well as the Initiates of the Crystal Pce were also killing monsters. But, whenever Lux moved to a new location, they followed him like chicks following a mother hen.


    Deep inside, the Half-Elf was cursing Keoza, who for some reason had bepletely silent, no matter how many times he called out to him.


    "We''re not following you," Aur replied. "We just know that fighting alongside you is more efficient."


    "That''s right! It''s not like we like you or anything," one of Aur''s subordinatesmented. "Don''t get the wrong idea, baka!"


    "If we all work together, these monsters will all be exterminated in less than an hour. Let''s just keep it up!"


    "You know what they say, Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much!"


    "In union there is strength!"


    "Yeah! While you''re at it, can you hand over that Dragon Token we saw earlier? I''d like to take a good look at it!''


    "Me, too!"


    "Me three!"


    ''These Mofos are really getting on my nerves.'' Lux wanted to p the Dragon Borns silly for suddenly bing chummy with him.


    Earlier, they were like oil and water unable to mix, but now, the oil was forcing itself to mix with the water, giving Lux a headache.


    The Half-Elf sighed before ncing in the direction of his Master, who was busy drinking some tea with Barca.


    The Heavy Hitters were just chilling, while the teenagers were busy killing. They didn''t want to lower themselves to fight against small fries. Barca''s role was to deal with the silver-haired devil. However, since Gaap had already dealt with him, the Half-Orc just watched from the side, while his entire n helped decimate the Monster Army.


    Baronar and the other Orc Warlords were busy storing the Beast Cores of the Monsters they killed in their storage ring, making the corner of Lux''s lips twitch.


    Instead of a raiding army, they were like bandits taking Beast Cores and Monster parts right under the Half-Elf''s nose.


    Still, Lux didn''t say anything because he did call for their help.


    "Mumumumumumu!" Eiko jumped up and down on her Papa''s head after seeing that her precious Beast Cores were being taken by everyone.


    "Go, Eiko," Lux stated. "Just be safe, okay?"


    "Pa!" Eiko replied before jumping off Lux''s head and summoning her slime army, as well as her Undead Terrorist Squad in order to get as many Beast Cores as possible.


    She and her clones even summoned six Hecatoncheires and their only purpose was to get as many Beast Cores as possible.


    Truth be told, the Orcs were not the only ones who were doing it.


    All the teenagers had thrown their caution into the wind, and started to farm as many Beast Cores as possible. They didn''t usually have the opportunity to get so many Beast Cores in one mission because all their gains would usually be sent to their Kingdom''s treasury, or their Guild''s treasury, leaving only a few resources within their possession.


    Simply put, this was like an all-you-can-eat buffet, but instead of food, you ate Beast Cores.


    Prince Cyrus cursed out loud after seeing the Baby Slime''s shameless tactics.


    "Dammit! How can we possibly win against those giants that have hundreds of arms?!" Prince Cyrus cursed out loud. "They are plucking Beast Cores like they''re just plucking grapes!"


    Even the Deimos-Ranked and Argonaut Creatures felt that it was no longer worthwhile to stay and fight, so they started to flee one by one.


    Unfortunately for them, Lady Avyanna, Baronar, and the Orc Warlords, who were all Dreadnaughts, didn''t let a single one of them escape.


    The ckrock n had suffered greatly in the war against the Haca Dynasty, and in order to regain what they had lost, they would need a lot of resources to strengthen their warriors.


    What better way to do it than to amass arge number of Beast Cores in order to boost their ranks?


    "Back in the days, I used to hunt Manticores alone," Barca said after drinking his cup of beer. "But I took an arrow on the knee. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I already had a son.


    "Ah, youth," Gaap said softly. "When I was young, I was very popr with thedies in my vige. But, I wanted to see the world, so I left, breaking the hearts of many. Thinking back, I should have enjoyed life more and left a few sons and daughters behind. I''m already old, so I''ll just treat Lux''s kids as my grandchildren."


    "Do you want another cup of beer?"


    "Don''t mind if I do."


    The two Powerhouses enjoyed their Bro moment together, while dying screams spread throughout the surroundings.


    Both of them had seen their fair share of battles, and were already used to death and destruction, even thinking the noises around them as nothing more than background music that enhanced the vor of their beer.


    One hourter��


    ��----------------


    < Congrattions! You havepleted the mission sh of Titans! >


    < Quest Rewards ><novelsnext></novelsnext>


    10,000,00 Gold Coins


    Two Random Rank 5 Skill Books that matches your profession


    +20 additional Skeleton Gangbangers (Total: 340)


    +20 additional Skeleton Arcane Hunters (Total: 340)


    +20 additional Elite Spirit Protector (Total: 170)


    +20 additional gue Wing Gargoyles (Total: 100)


    +10 additional Liches (Total: 60)


    +10 additional Steel Golem (Total: 70)


    1,000 Reputation Points with the Crystal Pce


    500 Reputation Points with the Six Kingdoms


    500 Reputation Points with the Xynnar War Pact


    200 Reputation Points with Karshvar Draconis


    200 Reputation Points with the Skystead Alliance


    ��----------------


    < Bonus Rewards >


    �C Your Doppelganger [EX] will evolve into Doppelganger [SSR]


    �C Your Peerless Dragon Strike [EX] will evolve into Peerless Dragon Strike [SSR]


    ��----------------


    < Doppelganger [SSR] >


    �C None of your clones will disappear unless you unsummoned them, or they have been killed.


    �C All Clones will have 75% of your Max Health.


    �C All Clones will have 75% of your total Physical and Magical Damage.


    �C You can now swap ces with any of your clones anytime you want to. The maximum range for this ability is 100 Miles.


    ��----------------


    < Peerless Dragon Strike [SSR] >


    �C Create the illusionary image of any type of Dragon behind your back and use one of their Signature Abilities.


    �C You can now use this ability 3x a day.


    ��----------------


    Lux sighed in relief because the mission was now over. However, after reading the information about the rewards he received, another notification appeared in front of him, as well as everyone in the dungeon who had survived the battle.


    ��----------------


    < Hidden Quest: The Gate of the Apocalypse >


    �C Against all odds, all of you had conquered the Gates of Death, Famine, War, and Conquest. Because of this, you have been granted permission to enter the Gate of the Apocalypse.


    �C C-Rankers and below may now enter the Domain of the Fallen as well as the Gate of the Apocalypse


    �C The Gate of Apocalypse will open its doors exactly thirty days from now. Until then, the gate will remain closed until the designated time hase.


    �C No one will be able to enter the Domain of the Fallen during this time period.


    ��----------------


    The teenagers who saw this message all cheered, especially those that belonged to the Six Kingdoms, Xynnar War Pact, and Skystead Alliance.


    Since the very beginning, these factions were eyeing the resources inside the Domain of the Fallen.


    Unfortunately, their candidates were unable to gather these precious resources because they were simply too weak to fight the Deimos and Argonaut-Ranked monsters that roamed the Domain.


    Lux, who saw this message chuckled internally because even if the other factions were to send their Rankers to loot the Domain of the Fallen, they would not find anything except for the scraps that were left behind by the two Saints, who had taken everything of importance from it.

 Chapter 711 My Sister Also Wants To Meet You. She’s Still Single, And Of Marriageable Age…

    ?


    "Time to go," Lady Avyanna said as she looked at her warriors who all had smug looks on their faces.


    Clearly, they had taken a lot of spoils in this battle, and this made the Orc Chieftain very happy.


    The teenagers looked at these Orcs with great curiosity because they didn''t know where they hade from.


    They thought that they were the inhabitants of the Ammarian Kingdom, who suddenly appeared to take advantage of the battle that was being waged between them and the Monster Army.


    Of course, Lux didn''t bother to correct this misunderstanding because the Orc Army was one of his Trump Cards.


    Only the members of Heaven''s Gate knew of this secret, and none of them would be stupid enough to tell this secret to others.


    As the Orcs left the battlefield, Lux went to talk to his Master, in order to escape Aur, as well as the Dragon Borns, who were hounding him like a gue.


    Fortunately, the old Half-Ling was enough of a deterrent to prevent the members of the Crystal Pce froming close to them.


    "It seems that you are in a tight spot, Lux." Gaap chuckled as he looked at the Half-Elf''s troubled expression. "It will be best if you don''t leave the dungeon the usual way and just head directly to the Guild''s Headquarters. From there, the two of us can go to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds so that you can be a Ranker.


    "I saw the notice that Rankers are now allowed to enter this Domain. Well, that doesn''t matter because you have a way of bringing people here and bypassing certain rules."


    The old Half-Ling gave Lux a knowing smile before giving the members of the Crystal Pce a side-long nce.


    "Before that, Master, can I visit the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven first?" Lux asked. "I''ve been meaning to meet my old friends and see how they are. It has been a long while since I saw them, and I''m afraid that the longer we don''t see each other, the more they wille to hate me."


    Gaap frowned but didn''t make any moves to forbid Lux from doing what he wanted.


    "Well, I think it''s fine," Gaap replied after pondering for a few moments. "The entrance of the Ancestral Ground will not appear until the next New Moon. At the very least you should return to the Guild Headquarters within two weeks. That will give us enough time to visit the Ancestral Ground and allow the World to give you its blessing."


    Lux nodded and thanked his Master for being understanding. After saying what he wanted to say, Gaap disappeared from where he was standing, and returned directly to their Guild''s Headquarters in the Outer Reaches.


    Lux, on the other hand, told his guildmates his n, and all of them agreed that the Half-Elf shouldy low for a bit.


    "I''ll head to Leaf Vige as soon as I can," Cai said through their guild chat. "Unlike you, we will have no excuse when they don''t find us at the entrance of the Gate of the Domain. It will be best to not raise anyone''s suspicions."


    "I will return to Karshvar Draconis andplete my Ranker Quest," Cethusmented. "I also need to sort out the rewards I got from this mission."


    "The same goes for me," Gerhart stated. "I will take my Ranker Quest as well."


    Cai and Keane had also reached the peak of the Initiate Rank during the battle, fulfilling the requirements to take the Ranker Trial, and ascend to the next stage of their growth.


    Just like Gerhart and Cethus, they also wanted to be stronger, so that they would be one step closer to revealing their Guild''s name proudly to the world, without fearing the consequences that would happen afterwards.


    Perhaps Gaap also wanted this to happen, so he made his appearance in order to let everyone know that he was affiliated with Lux, and his Guild was also under his protection.


    After finalizing their ns, Lux talked to Einar, and Val, who had been two of his steadfast allies during their conquest of the Sacred Dungeon.


    "We''ll meet in a month''s time," Einar said as he patted Lux''s shoulder. "By then, I will have be a Ranker. Ah! Before I forget, my father wanted to invite you to our kingdom to talk about expanding the cooperation of our alliance. My sister also wants to meet you. She''s still single, and of marriageable age��"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Half-Elf only smiled as he gave Einar the "Are you going to use honeytrap on me? Sorry, I already have two beauties by my side!" gaze.


    The Barbarian Prince wasn''t aware what the Half-Elf was thinking, and he simply took Lux''s smile as his silent eptance to his offer.


    Although everyone knew that the Half-Elf was already engaged with Iris, it was not umon in their world for one man to have many wives. Even though his sister couldn''t be Lux''s first wife, bing his second wife was good as well.


    "I will also be a Ranker the next time you see me," Val stated. "One more thing. Even though I don''t have a sister, I have a beautiful cousin. Do you want me to introduce you to her?"


    The Half-Elf was very tempted to spit on the Spider Boy because he was able to say all of those things with a straight face.


    However, since Val and him had shared many battles together, the red-headed teenager squeezed the words, "I''ll think about it", in order to not hurt the other''s feelings.


    Jasper and Enlil also talked to Lux and thanked him for helping them clear the mission. After seeing what the Half-Elf was capable of doing, both of them decided that it would be more advantageous if they remained on Lux''s good side, than to offend him.


    Half an hourter, everyone decided to leave the Dungeon after a short rest. Although they were tired, and suffered injuries, they all had smiles on their faces knowing that they were able to aplish the mission that was given to them by their Kings.


    Even Prince Cyrus looked happy because he was able to gain a lot from this expedition.


    One by one, the teenagers left the Gate of Famine and reappeared at the Gate of the Fallen, where the Rankers and Envoys of the different factions were waiting for him.


    Aur, gave Lux a side-long nce before he, too, left the Gate of Famine.


    The Dragon Prince wanted to tell the Saints to capture Lux as soon as he exited the Dungeon, so that they could bring the Half-Elf to the Crystal Pce as a guest.


    They had many questions for him, and this was the only way they could think of in order to get the answers they were looking for.


    Lux sighed after everyone had left.


    "Well then, it''s time for me to go as well," the Half-Elf muttered as he gave the Capital City of the Ammarian Kingdom a side-long nce before teleporting directly to the Outer Reaches.


    From there, he would take the Teleportation Gate and head to Leaf Vige.


    It had been a long time since he saw the adorable little dwarf, Colette, and her friends, who were still angry at him for being kept in the dark, during the defense in Whitebridge City.


    -------------


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    Other story written by Elyon - Wizard World Irregr


    Coboration work with another author - Kingdom Building Done Right!

 Chapter 712 Lux’s Priorities

    ?


    When Cai, Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus appeared at the entrance of the Gate of the Fallen, everyone''s gazended on them.


    "Aw! Don''t look at me like that," Cai said with a bashful look on her face after being stared at by so many people. "You are making me blush! Sorry, but I''m already taken. Go find other Boars to love."


    All the teenagers looked at the shameless boar with contempt.


    They wanted to tell Cai that she should stop being delusional because none of them would want to court her, even if she were to be a Human.


    If only the teenage boys knew how beautiful she was in her human form, all of them would be fighting against each other in order to gain her good graces.


    "Where is he?" Poro asked Cethus, who had a smug look on his face after conquering the Gate of Famine.


    "Who?" Cethus asked back with a frown.


    "Don''t y dumb with me, you numbskull!" Poro flicked Cethus forehead, making thetter cry out in pain. "I''m talking about the Half-Elf!"


    "Gerhart, my uncle wants to talk to you," Cethus said as he massaged his forehead.


    "Not him, you idiot!" Poro was so close to pping the annoying Dragon Born for trying to y the fool in front of him. "I''m talking about Lux!"


    Cethus gave his uncle a look filled with injustice before giving his reply.


    "He said he wanted to talk to Great General Sherlock and Great General Watson for a while," Cethus replied. "I don''t know what he wanted to do, but that is none of my business."


    "None of your business? Aren''t you supposed to be watching over him because you are his supervisor?"


    "Now that you mention it, you''re right, Uncle. Well, it doesn''t matter. There is only one exit out of this Domain, and this is it. He will not be able to go anywhere unless he wants to stay inside the Domain of the Fallen forever."


    Poro snorted, but he knew that Cethus was right. There was only one exit from the Domain and sooner orter, the Half-Elf would have to leave it, unless he wanted to stay inside the domain forever.


    Of course, they were not aware that Lux had plenty of other alternatives which allowed him to bypass this rule.


    Since they couldn''t do anything but wait, the members of the Crystal Pce no longer pestered Lux''s friends and allowed them to leave the cavern.


    ��-----------


    "Father, Sir Maximilian, did you find anything interesting in that ruin?" Lux asked the two Saints who had finished their exploration of the ruins inside the Domain of the Fallen.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We did find something interesting, but we can''t do anything about it right now," Maximilian replied. "A special key is needed in order to open the gate inside the ruins, and even using our full power is not enough to create an opening. Because of this, we decided to leave since there''s nothing else to do inside the Domain."


    "How unfortunate," Luxmented. "By the way, the final Gate of the Apocalypse will open in a month''s time, and C-Rankers and below are now allowed to enter it."


    "Really?" Maximilian chuckled. "That''s a good thing then. When they arrive here, they will not find anything of importance, unless they want to bring grass and tree leaves back to their Kingdoms."


    The two Saints had returned to Barbatos Academy and were leisurely having an afternoon snack together. They still hadn''t sorted out the spoils that they had taken inside the Domain of the Fallen because there were a few things that they needed to do first.


    It would look suspicious if they didn''t meet with the representatives that they had sent to the Domain of the Fallen, so they decided to put the sorting aside, and wait for the triumphant report of the conquers that finally cleared the Gate of Famine.


    "I''ll be lying low until the Gate of the Apocalypse opens," Lux stated. "It might even be possible that I won''t enter it, and head to other ces instead. There are a few ces that I''ve been meaning to visit, but haven''t had the opportunity to do so yet, because of the Domain of the Fallen."


    "That''s a good idea," Alexandermented. "You''ve been stirring a lot of waves ever since you returned from Elysium. Disappearing from the public eye will benefit you in the long run."


    "I agree," Maximilian nodded. "By the way, where are you nning to go? I''ve heard from Cai that you are very close to the Dwarves in a ce called Leaf Vige. She added that you even have a statue there. Is that true?"


    "Yes, Sir Maximn," Lux replied. "Leaf Vige is the Beginner''s Vige where I first appeared in Elysium. It holds a special ce in my heart."


    Due to the fact that he couldn''t appear in the Humannds because he failed to pass the trial in Wildgarde Stronghold, Lux was sent to Leaf Vige by Eriol in order to help him embark on the journey that had been dyed for a very long time.


    "Be careful," Alexandermented. "You don''t have to go to the Gate of the Apocalypse unless you absolutely have to. I can send people in your stead. We have a few Rankers who have been itching to check out that Domain for a long time now. This will be a good opportunity to let them have some fun."


    Lux felt relieved because for him, the Gate of the Apocalypse wasn''t his priority. After meeting with Colette and the others, he would then apany his Master to the Ancestral Lands of the Necromancer in order to be a Ranker.


    After that, he nned to visit the Kingdom of Agartha, which was located near the core of Elysium.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, the youngdy whom he met once in that very dark ce lingered in his mind.


    A part of him felt that what he saw was only a dream, but the other half insisted that everything that happened was real.


    Because of this, Lux wanted to go to Agartha in order to help that person and, if possible, bring her to a ce with light, allowing her to leave that dark ce that served as her prison.


    With these swirling feelings inside his heart, the Half-Elf entered the Teleportation Gate inside his Guild Headquarters that allowed him to instantly appear in Leaf Vige, where the Vige Head, Cedwyn, was waiting to give him some good news.

 Chapter 713 Cedwyn’s Proposal

    ?


    When Lux arrived in Leaf Vige, the first thing he noticed was how different it was since thest time he saw it.


    More structures had been built in the surroundings, with some of them even being three stories tall.


    "Pa!"


    "You''re right, Eiko. Leaf Vige is starting to look more like a town than a vige."


    "Un!"


    The Half-Elf felt happy about these changes because Leaf Vige held a special ce in his heart.


    The Half-Elf was about to go find Grandma Annie in her candy shop when he heard someone calling out to him from behind.


    "Lux, my boy! You''re finally here!"


    The red-headed teenager couldn''t help but smile after seeing the Vige Head, Cedwyn, running towards him with an excited look on his face.


    "I''ve been waiting for you for a long time," Cedwyn said. "I know you are busy, but you should find some time to visit us from time to time."


    "I''m sorry, Sir Cedwyn," Lux replied. "Things have been quite hectic on my side that I haven''t been able to find the time to visit. Don''t worry, I''ll do my best to pop in here once in a while moving forward."


    Cedwyn nodded before dragging the Half-Elf towards the West Gate of the City. There, he found arge building that he hadn''t seen in the past.


    It was none other than a barracks that could house at least five hundred people, and their mounts.


    "Monsters no longer attack the vige due to the Guardian Crystal, so we can now focus our attention on expansion," Cedwyn exined. "With Commander Thoram''s approval, the Vige Guards have been promoted to the Riders of Leaf Vige. This Barracks was built so they can train, as well as Master the techniques they need so they know how to be efficient Dwarven Riders.


    "Currently, we are sending people to the Savage Lands to apany Cadmus (Draconian Kobold) and Sid. The growth of the new recruits is quite phenomenal and all of them are Grade C and Grade B Apostles now.


    "Although they are weakerpared to your bodyguard, and the Kobolds, they still hold their ground against theckeys of the strong monsters theye across in the Savage Lands. I have a feeling that if they continued to grow at this pace, they will all be Initiates in a few months time."


    The Vige Head even motioned for Lux to crouch down a bit so that he could whisper something in his ears.


    "When do you think we can add them as members of the Guild?" Cedwyn whispered. "I can tell that you''re already at the peak of the Initiate Rank and will be a Ranker soon. I''m not saying that we should announce our name for the entire world to hear, I just think that we should bolster our ranks more.


    "This will allow us to do many things at once. For example, while you are handling your stuff, we can explore Dungeons or gather information. Heck, we can even open shops all around the Kingdom, selling stuff, but their real purpose would be to gather important intel that will benefit our Guild Members as a whole.


    "You already have Commander Thoram, and the head of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Stronghold of Norria, Ken. Just the two of them alone can gather a lot of important information. We are just not doing it right now because we don''t have your orders to do so. How about you choose a representative to handle the Guild''s matters here in the Kingdom of Gweliven, while you go off on your adventures?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lux pondered for a bit and realized that what Cedwyn said was right. Currently, everything going on in Heaven''s Gate revolved around him.


    Wherever he went, his Guild Members would follow.


    Since he was the Guildmaster of the only Mythical Guild in the world, his members'' actions were limited because they had no idea of what the Half-Elf envisioned for the future.


    "I''m sorry, Sir Cedwyn," Lux said with a bitter smile. "I hadn''t thought that far. You are right, we need to expand our guild''s operations, even when I''m not around. So, what do you think? Who should I choose to be the representative of Heaven''s Gate here in the Kingdom of Gweliven?"


    Cedwyn already had a candidate in mind, so he told Lux the name of the one whom he deemed fit to take on the job.


    "It is impossible for Commander Thoram to take control of the Branch Guild because he has a lot of responsibilities and answers directly to His Majesty," Cedwyn stated. "Therefore, I suggest that we pick Guildmaster Ken. With his connections, he will be able to effectivelyy out the foundations for our Guild without arising any suspicion.


    "You have chosen Ex-General Garret to be the steward in the Outer Reaches, so it will be best if you inform him about Ken, so both of them can effectively coborate with each other. Who knows? With two great minds working together, they might surprise you one of these days!"


    Lux nodded his head to acknowledge Cedwyn''s words.


    Garret was once the Great General of the Haca Dynasty, which meant that he was a man who stood above tens of thousands. No one would be the Great General of a nation unless he had the skills to back it up.


    Guildmaster Ken was the Head of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Stronghold of Norria. Lux was certain that someone of his standing had a few tricks up his sleeve.


    In fact, the Half-Elf was feeling that if Garret and Ken really worked together, they might create an organization that might threaten the stability of an entire kingdom.


    ''They''re not going tounch a Coup d''etat, right?'' Lux thought.


    He could tell that Garret and Ken were both ambitious people. If given enough time, resources, and manpower, they might really threaten the Kingdom of Gweliven if Lux didn''t rein them in.


    Even so, he was very eager to see how far, and how wide the influence of his guild would be in a few months, after he had given the nod to mobilize their people.


    ''Now I''m feeling like one of the leaders of those shady Dark Guilds that only operate in the shadows,'' Lux mused. ''Still�� this is worth a shot.''


    Because of Cedwyn''s suggestion, Lux decided to talk with Garret and Ken privately in the Guild Chat.


    A year from now, the Half-Elf would realize that he made the right decision in designating the two capable individuals to manage his guild for him.


    Garret and Ken would go above and beyond their means to ensure that their Mythical Guild would truly be able to show their might the moment they decided to make their presence known to the entire world.

 Chapter 714 Lux’s Proxy Guild

    ?


    ""Eiko!""


    "Cora! Nora!"


    """Yay!"""


    The three baby slimes who hadn''t seen each other for a while greeted each other.


    Laura and Livia, who had now be full-fledged Alchemists under the teachings of Grandma Annie, had improved by leaps and bounds due to the power of the Pseudo-Transcendent mes that were given to them.


    Heidi, who had be close friends with Laura and Livia, was helping in the shop by making candies. Since she wasn''t able toe with them to the Wanid Kingdom, she decided to master the art of baking and making sweets with the help of her mother, Lilia.


    Bedivere''s family hadpletely integrated into Leaf Vige, and now, everyone treated them as good neighbors and friends.


    "Grandma Annie, you''re looking a lot younger now," Lux said with surprise. "Did you eat something good?"


    Grandma Annie chuckled after hearing Lux''spliment. After receiving the Transcendent mes and the Guild Buffs of Heaven''s Gate, her frail body seemed to have gotten a second chance at life, and her appearance had be younger by several years.


    Right now, Grandma Annie looked like someone in her early forties, shocking almost all of the vigers of Leaf Vige.


    Even Lux''s cksmith Master, Randolph, had the same changes to his body, making Cedwyn, who was the vige chief, quite envious of them.


    "The power of the Transcendent mes is truly remarkable," Grandma Annie replied. "Also, because of the resources that you have given me and Randolph, we have broken through the Initiate Rank. perhaps, that is the reason why our bodies became a bit youngerpared to before."


    Lux pondered for a bit before nodding his head. This was the only exnation that he could think of as to why the kind Grandma of Leaf Vige had turned into the kind Auntie of Leaf Vige.


    "Grandma Annie, how is the progress of the potions that we need for our future guild members going?" Lux asked.


    "It is going at a very good pace," Grandma Annie answered. "With Laura and Livia helping me with Alchemy, we are able to finish dozens of potions in a day. Also, Heidi and her mother, Lilia, have taken the burden of running the Candy Shop from me. This gave me more time to focus on Alchemy, allowing me to quickly finish the potions that we will put in our Guild''s Treasury."


    "That''s good to hear." Lux nodded. "I''ll be going to the capital city of Aeronwen soon. Do you need something from there, Grandma?"


    (A/N: Aeronwen is the capital city of the Kingdom of Gweliven).


    Grandma Annie didn''t answer right away. Instead, she nced at her two apprentices, who were busy crafting stamina pills.


    "If you can get us an Advanced Alchemy Book that contains advanced pill and potion recipes, it will help us greatly," Grandma Annie replied. "And, if possible, get us high-quality cauldrons as well. My cauldrons here are old, and I want to give Laura and Livia new equipment."


    "Consider it done, Grandma."


    "Thank you, Lux."


    Grandma Annie then handed the Half-Elf a small pouch containing several candied fruits of various colors.


    "Heidi and Lilia made these candied fruits a few days ago," Grandma Annie stated. "Take them with you. You''re going to meet with Colette and the others, right? Make sure to greet them on my behalf as well."


    Lux happily epted the candy pouch from Grandma Annie and took a red-colored candied fruit from it, tossing it inside his mouth.


    "Delicious!" Lux wasn''t able to help but praise the candied fruit that was made by Heidi and her mother, Lilia. "Do you want one, Eiko?"


    "Un!" Eiko nodded and crawled on Lux''s shoulder to make it more convenient for her Papa to feed her the candy.


    Just like the Half-Elf, Eiko loved the taste of the candied fruit and asked Lux to give her some more.


    Seeing this, Grandma Annie chuckled and procured one more pouch of candied fruit from her storage ring.


    "I''m afraid that Eiko will finish up all those candies before you meet your friends," Grandma Anniemented as she handed the pouch of candies in her hands. "Here, give this to Colette and the others."


    "Thank you, Grandma," Lux epted the gift because he shared the same opinion as Grandma Annie. "I''ll be going now. If you need anything, just tell me in the Guild Chat."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Bye bye, Big Brother Lux!" Laura said with a smile. "Bye bye, Eiko!"


    "When youe back, make sure you bring us souvenirs as well." Livia grinned.


    "Bye Bye!" Nora and Cora waved at Lux and Eiko and bid their farewells.


    Eiko also waved at her friends with a smile as she also bid them goodbye. "Bye!"


    After making sure that Grandma Annie didn''t have any major concerns with the pill and potion production for the guild, Lux returned to the Town''s za, where he could use the Teleportation Gate to teleport to the Stronghold of Norria.


    After bing part of his Guild, Thoram thought that it would be more convenient to have a teleportation gate in Leaf Vige that was also connected to his Stronghold.


    Because of this, the coordinates for the Stronghold of Norria had been added to the Teleportation Gate of Leaf Vige, allowing those who had received permission from the Commander of the Stronghold to instantly teleport into his territory.


    ��----------------


    Stronghold of Norria��


    Ken, the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Stronghold of Norria, was already waiting for Lux''s arrival.


    After being given the authority to manage the affairs of Heaven''s Gate in the Kingdom of Gweliven, Ken didn''t waste any time and ordered one of his most trusted subordinates to create a Guild known as Ars Goetia.


    This was the name of the proxy guild that Lux and hisrades used whenever someone asked them for their Guild''s Name.


    Since they couldn''t casually say "Oh, I''m a member of Heaven''s Gate. Have you heard of us? You haven''t? Well, I don''t like to brag, but we are actually the only Mythical Guild in the world."


    The moment they say something like that, thousands of people would immediately pester Lux''s Guild Members for the opportunity to join their guild.


    Of course, if those with malicious intentions knew about this, they would do everything in their power to take over their Guild by any means necessary.


    "I''ve used the spare token given to me by His Majesty, and it allowed me to create a Silver-Ranked Guild," Ken exined. "For the time being, I will talk to some of my acquaintances and ask them to lend me some manpower. Of course, if you know someone who is quite influential, we may be able to use their name to convince other people to join us."


    For some reason, the first person that came to Lux''s mind when Ken asked of an influential person was none other than the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven, Anastasia.


    "Well, I''m not sure if she will help us, but I''ll talk to her if I see her in the Capital City," Lux replied.


    "She?" Ken arched an eyebrow. "I happen to know a lot of people. Do I know her?"


    "Yes. She''s none other than Princess Anastasia."


    "Princess Anastasia? Hmm�� she has her own faction, so having her as one of our supporters will definitely help us in the long run. Are the two of you close?"


    Lux pondered for a bit before replying with uncertainty.


    "I think we parted on good terms with each other," Lux stated. "If not, then I''ll just ask Nevreal to help us out."


    After hearing the name that Lux mentioned, Kenughed out loud while holding onto his belly. Clearly, he found Lux''s statement very funny.


    "Lux, when was thest time you talked to Nevreal?" Ken asked as he wiped away the tears in his eyes due to excessiveughter.


    "Months ago?" Lux looked at Ken with confusion. "Why? Did I say something funny?"


    "I knew it." Ken chuckled after hearing Lux''s reply. "Do you not know that ever since you scammed ten million gold coins out of him, Nevreal has been cursing at you every opportunity he can? He even went as far as to tell all of his acquaintances, including me, to never lend you money or ask you for favors."


    The Half-Elf could only scratch his cheeks guiltily because Nevreal had every right to do what he was doing.


    Although it happened months ago, he could still remember the expression on Nevreal''s face, which seemed like he had eaten a fly when Lux said that the payment for his services was ten million gold coins��an amount more than half of the middle-aged Dwarf''s life savings.

 Chapter 715 The Heavens Are Conspiring To Make Your Mission A Success

    ?


    "Matty!"


    "On it!"


    With quick and agile strikes, Matty delivered several shes to the legs of the nearly three-meter-tall dog-like Monster that went by the name Gutspawn.


    This was a Rank 4 World Boss Monster, the boss of the low-ranked Dungeon that the Golden yers Party had toplete as amission from the Adventurer''s Guild in the Capital City of Aeronwen.


    Due to Aina''s impressive management of her Guild, Eternal, the King of the Kingdom of Gweliven had upgraded her Guild''s Status to Gold-Rank.


    Because of this, they gained ess to exclusive quests that were only avable to Gold-Ranked guilds.


    Emma, whom Lux had designated to look after the Dwarf children, stood on the sidelines with her arms crossed over her chest.


    She was currently in the Initiate Rank and was paying close attention to the Monster that the Dwarves were facing.


    If she sensed Colette and her party members were in danger, she would not hesitate to interfere. Having stayed with them for so long, she had started to treat them like her little brothers and sisters.


    After being saved by Lux from Twilight Rain, Emma had been given the chance to use the Lycanthropy Mutation Perfect Genes to her advantage, which allowed her to transform into an Alpha Lycan and return to her Dwarf form whenever she wanted.


    Although she was now an Initiate, the moment she transformed, she would be a Pseudo-Ranker, capable of killing the Rank 4 World Boss Monster without too much trouble.


    "Step aside, Matty," Andy shouted before using a spell. "Fireball!"


    Each member of the Golden yer Party was ustomed to everyone''s fighting style that they only needed minimalmunication in order to execute coordinated attacks that made their enemies suffer.


    Matty smirked before rolling to the side of the dog-like Monster, just in time to evade a Fireball that collided directly with the monster''s face, making it howl in pain.


    "Water Spears!" Axel, the Water Mage of the Golden yers, unleashed several spears made of water, which mercilessly stabbed the body of the Monster, making it stagger.


    "Holy Arrow!" Helen, who was the Cleric and healer of the party, didn''t shy away from fighting and also used one of her offensive skills.


    After her friends had been kidnapped by the Kobolds in the past, the little girl vowed that she would no longer be a helpless damsel in distress and trained herself to be a Combat Cleric.


    This way, even if her attacks weren''t as powerful as her teammates'', she would at least still be able to protect herself if she found herself in a pinch.


    "Grand Cross!" Colette shouted as she smashed her mace against the side of the Gutspawn''s body, sending it skidding several meters away.


    The blow was so strong that the Monster wasn''t able to prop itself back up right away, allowing Robin, who had joined the Golden yers Party on this expedition, to give the killing blow with a swift strike of his bow and arrow.


    "Power Shot!"


    Robin''s arrow flew straight and true, creating a green trail in its wake.


    He was an expert marksman, and his arrow urately hit the Gutspawn in the forehead, making thetter shout its dying howl before turning into particles of light.


    "Nice shot!" Colette said with a smile. "Good work guys! We manage to clear this Dungeon easily."


    "We could have tried the other high-ranking missions," Mattymented. "This isn''t even a challenge to us."


    "Don''t be like that, Matty," Colette replied. "Never underestimate your enemies. If we bite off more than we can chew, we might regret our decision for the rest of our lives."


    Matty nced at Colette before nodding his head. There was once a party of six within the Eternal Guild that tried to challenge a higher ranking dungeon in order to impress Aina, as well as make a name for themselves.


    Unfortunately, the Raid Boss was simply too strong for them, ending in a one-sided ughter.


    Only one of its members was able to escape alive and after that event, he left the Guild because the trauma of losing his close friends made him feel extremely guilty.


    Although Aina immediately ordered the elite members of her guild to clear the dungeon and try to recover the bodies of her members, it was already toote.


    The majority of Dungeons absorbed the bodies of those that died in battle. There was a saying that the Dungeons also served as the graveyards of Adventurers who were unlucky enough to die within its many floors.


    "Good work, everyone," Emma said as she pped her hands, praising the Dwarf children for their incredible teamwork. "I just received news from you-know-who, and he said that he will being to meet us soon. Do any of you want to meet him after we leave the dungeon?"


    Colette brightened up after hearing Emma''s words. However, this onlysted for a brief moment before a pout appeared on her face.


    "Sister Emma, tell him that we are going to meet him tomorrow," Colette replied. "I want to make sure that I''m ready to face him."


    Matty, Andy, Axel, and Helen all nodded their heads in agreement. They were Lux''s first friends in Elysium, and they were very dear to him, just as he was dear to them.


    However, the previous incident where he faked his death made them incredibly sad because they only heard about it a few days after the Half-Elf "died".


    Because of this, they held a grudge against Lux for not trusting them enough to keep his secret.


    After collecting the Boss Drops, the Golden yers Party left the dungeon and returned to the outside world.


    Currently, they were in the Dungeon Town of Wisp Tree, where a giant tree was located.


    This tree was also the entrance to the Dungeon. The Dwarves had built a town around it, making it one of the centers of trade in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    As soon as the Golden yers left the Dungeon entrance, they were greeted by someone who made Colette and Helen run toward her in order to give her a loving hug.


    ""Eiko!""


    "Colette! Helen!"


    The Baby Slime jumped off the head of the ck knight, who was standing near the entrance, waiting for their return from the Dungeon.


    Naturally, this ck Knight was none other than Diablo, who was now equipped with a Pseudo-Legendary Armor crafted by Randolph, ording to Lux''s suggestions.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I missed you, Eiko." Colette lovingly rubbed her cheeks against the baby slime''s body, making Eiko giggle.


    "Me, too," Helen said as she gave Eiko a kiss on the cheeks.


    "Miss you, too!" Eiko replied, as she too kissed Colette''s and Helen''s cheeks, making the hearts of the two Dwarves melt into puddles.


    "D-Diablo?" Matty stood in front of the ck Knight who gave him a very familiar feeling.


    Diablo raised his hand and lightly rubbed the Dwarf boy''s head, making thetter smile.


    "It has been a while, Matty," Diablo said.


    "Y-You can talk now?!" Matty gasped in shock after seeing the drastic changes in Lux''s First Born, who had fought alongside him in the past.


    "Yes," Diablo replied. "And you''ve gotten quite a bit stronger as well. You''re only thirteen, and you''re already a Grade-A Apostle. Once Master knows about this, he will certainly be jealous of how fast you are growing."


    Matty, who both hated and admired Lux, felt his cheeks burn due to Diablo''s praise. In fact, after being saved by the Half-Elf during the Lycan incident of Twilight Rain, Matty no longer saw him as an annoyance because he hade to understand that Lux only thought of them as his little brothers and sisters.


    "Where is he?" Matty asked.


    "In an inn inside this town," Diablo replied. "Emma told us that you will only see him tomorrow, so he decided to have me escort Eiko to see you guys. She was quite excited to see you guys again, so Master deemed it best to let you guys meet her first."


    Axel and Andy also approached Diablo after lightly patting Eiko''s head, who was currently being cuddled to oblivion by Colette and Helen.


    "How strong has Big Brother be?" Axel asked. "Is he already in the Initiate Rank?"


    Diablo nodded. "Master is now at the peak of the Initiate Rank. After finishing his business here in the Kingdom of Gweliven, he will go on a pilgrimage in order to receive the World''s Blessings and be a Ranker."


    "Tell him that we will catch up to him soon!" Andy stated. "Next time, the ones who will be saving him will be us, and not the other way around."


    Diablo chuckled after hearing Andy''s reply. He didn''t say that his Master didn''t need to be saved by them because he had so many powerful Guardians to ensure his safety.


    On the contrary, he even encouraged the Dwarf children to be stronger so that one day, there woulde a time when they would be able to save Lux if he happened to fall into danger, which he and the rest of his Undead Comrades were unable to prevent.


    Even those who stood at the peak of the world like Saints needed someone to rely on during times of great difficulty.


    Diablo firmly believed that Colette and the others were fated to y a role in his Master''s journey in this world.


    Since that was the case, he decided to pass the Dwarf children''s messages to his Master, who was now smiling inside his room as the red-headed teenager listened to Matty''s, Andy''s, and Axel''s determination to surpass his Rank.


    ��----------


    Somewhere in Wisp Tree Town��


    "Is the target really in this town?" a Dwarf, wearing a ck robe covering his face and entire body, asked.


    "We have confirmed that Aina''s little sister is here," a merchant replied. "I never thought that I would live to see the day when the Guildmaster would send one of his yer Candidates to personally deal with a mere Grade A Apostle."


    "This just proves how important this mission is," the ck-robed Dwarf stated. "Although it is beneath me to kidnap a brat, orders are orders."


    The Merchant nodded his head.


    The yers were an elite Assassination Group belonging to Twilight Rain, and all of its members wereposed of Rankers.


    This was the group that Scarlet, who was sent to assassinate Lux in the past, wished to be a part of.


    Aina had been getting a lot of attention as ofte because of her multiple aplishments in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Since she was a very talented individual, Twilight Rain had sent many envoys in order to poach her into bing their partner in overthrowing the Royal Family''s rule. However, Aina didn''t want to be a part of it and rejected their offers.


    After nearly exhausting all means to make the young Guildmaster agree to their request in a "peaceful" manner, they decided to resort to drastic measures, such as kidnapping Colette and using her as a bargaining chip to make Aina agree to their demands.


    "Where is she now?" the ck-robed man asked.


    "Probably still inside the Dungeon," the Merchant replied.


    Suddenly, the jewel on the Merchant''s ring vibrated, informing him of thetest news about the person that he was supposed to keep an eye on.


    "Congrattions," the Merchant said to the ck-robed Dwarf with a smile. "It seems that the heavens are conspiring to make your mission a sess. This girl, Colette, has just left the Dungeon. Perhaps her mission is alreadyplete."


    The ck-robed Dwarf nodded his head before walking out of the door.


    His mission was to capture Colette by any means necessary.


    Since his target was already in the vicinity, he decided to go and pick her up, so he couldplete the mission that was personally assigned to him by the Guildmaster of the Dark Guild, Twilight Rain.


    The Merchant watched the ck-robed Assassin go before shaking his head.


    "If you want someone to me, you can only me yourself for being stupid," the Merchant said as he looked at the picture of Aina, who was pinned on the bulletin board on the wall of the room. "You should have epted Twilight Rain''s offer when we were still being nice. Now, you will understand the price of rejecting our offer."


    The Merchant was one of Twilight Rain''s informants who was working undercover in the Town of Wisp Tree.


    However, no matter how wide theirwork was or how detailed the information they could gather, they were unable to gather any information about the Baby Blue Slime that was currently giggling in Colette''s hands.


    A Baby Slime that had the power to turn Wisp Tree Town upside down and crush the Ranker who belonged to the Dark Guild, who wished to harm one of her closest friends.

 Chapter 716 Ending The Battle With A Bang!

    ?


    "Are you hungry, Eiko?" Colette asked the Baby Slime, who was now perched on top of her head.


    "Hungry!" Eiko replied.


    "Good! I''m starving as well," Colette stated. "What do you want to eat?"


    "Dreadnaught Core!"


    "... Okay, let''s have some beef stew instead."


    "Un!"


    Matty and the others, who were walking beside Colette, couldn''t help but smirk because they thought that the Baby Slime was merely joking with them.


    On the contrary, during the battle in the Ammarian Kingdom, Eiko and her Terrorist Squad managed to snatch one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked Cores that Prince Cyrus tried to sneakily get when Lux wasn''t paying attention.


    Eiko had even ordered one of the Hecatoncheires to p the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire away since he was trying to get what rightfully belonged to her.


    Of course, the Hecatoncheires held back, or else the Second Prince of the Vahan Empire would have turned into meat paste.


    Diablo followed behind the children and walked beside Emma, whom Lux had intended to designate as the Secretary of Heaven''s Gate.


    This was simr to Alicia''s position in Barbatos Academy, handling all the things that the Headmaster didn''t need to personally deal with.


    Like all Dungeon towns in the Kingdom of Gweliven, the town was built five hundred meters away from the Dungeon''s Entrance.


    It was done on purpose to serve as a defensive line just in case a Dungeon Outbreak urred.


    Fortunately, adventurers regrly visited the Dungeon in order to thin out the number of Monsters, preventing such a disaster from happening.


    As the children and the two adults walked towards Wisp Tree Town, a Dwarf with blonde hair and blue eyes was watching Colette and her entourage from a distance.


    He was making sure that the little girl didn''t have anyone around her that could threaten him. After confirming that there were only two Initiates following behind the children, he deemed that it was safe to kidnap Colette then and there.


    Although he was confident that he could still capture his target even if she were inside Wisp Tree Town, he didn''t want to deal with the hassle of unnecessary risks.


    ''This is my first mission after joining the yers,'' the blonde-dwarf assassin thought. ''Failure is not an option.''


    He had just be an E-Ranker with the help of Twilight Rain, and everyone was looking forward to his future aplishments. Just like Scarlet, the blonde assassin was a rtive of one of the Elders of the Dark Guild, allowing him to receive preferential treatment.


    After making up his mind, the Assassin walked towards his target in a carefree manner.


    If someone were to look at him, that person might think that he was some ordinary adventurer who was about to take his chances inside the Dungeon.


    Simply put, no one would think that he was an assassin of the most notorious Dark Guild inside the Kingdom of Gweliven whom the Royal Family was very wary of.


    When the assassin was only a few meters away from Colette, he stomped his right foot on the ground and increased his speed exponentially.


    A secondter, he wrapped his right arm around Colette''s waist before jumping high into the air, summoning his Contracted Beast, the ck-Crowned Vulture.


    His movements were so fluid that Emma and Diablo didn''t realize what happened until Colette had been abducted right under their noses.


    Even the little Dwarf in question was surprised when she suddenly found herself being carried by someone and now flying high up in the air.


    ''Mission aplished.'' the Blonde Assassin smirked as he nced beneath him, where Colette''s entourage was looking up at him with shocked expressions on their faces.


    Just as he was about to knock Colette unconscious with a strike to the back of her neck, he noticed a Baby Blue Slime that was looking at him with an amused smile.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''A Slime? Well, no matter,'' the Blonde Assassin thought. ''Maybe it is this girl''s pet. At the end of the day, it''s not something that could threate�C''


    Before he could evenplete that thought inside his head, something grabbed his right hand, which he was about to use to strike Colette.


    This time, it was the Assassin''s turn to be surprised. Standing on the back of his Beast Companion was a Skeleton who was wearing fighter''s clothes.


    Without any warning, Eiko''s Skeleton Monk, Bam, jabbed the Assassin''s jaw, causing thetter to briefly stagger.


    With one swift motion, the Skeleton Monk pried Colette from the Assassin''s hold and tossed her off the flying Vulture, making the Dwarf girl scream.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!"


    Eiko, on the contrary, giggled because she found this current situation very fun.


    "Bomber!" Eiko called out another one of her Terrorist Squad minions, which was a floating st Bomb that was nearly two meters tall.


    Bomber immediately caught Colette mid-air, which made the little Dwarf stop screaming.


    "Whitey, ckie, Cloud!" Eiko called out her Slime Army to help her Skeleton Monk fight against the Ranker in the sky.


    The Angel Slime, the Devil Slime, as well as the Aero Slime, all flew upwards to gang up on the ck-Crowned Vulture, providing theirrade the help he needed to fight against the Ranker.


    Simr to Eiko, Bam''s rank was at the peak of the Initiate Rank.


    He was weaker than the Ranker, but he was able to fight him because he was in an advantageous position.


    The Blonde Assassin wasn''t proficient in fighting in the sky because he was used to quick and deadly strikes that always caught his target by surprise.


    Now that he was out in the open, he found the Skeleton Monk''s aggressive fighting style very difficult to deal with even though he was a rank higher than Bam.


    Since he was part of Eiko''s Terrorist Army, Bam''s punches and kicks had an exploding effect.


    Whenever the Blonde Assassin was about to initiate an attack that made contact, Bam would stomp his foot, or punch the back of the ck-Crowned Vulture, creating an explosion, which made the poor giant bird cry out in pain.


    This tactic made the Vulture''s flight erratic, which even threatened to throw its own Master from its back.


    The Blonde Assassin cursed internally because his opponent was fighting dirty, making him fear for his own life.


    Although he was already a Ranker, dropping down from such a height could still potentially kill him. Because of this, he nned to kill his opponent as soon as possible so that he could recapture his target, who had escaped from his grasp.


    Unfortunately for him, three slimes appeared and began to hurl spells at the ck-Crowned Vulture,pletely enraging it.


    Eiko watched this battle from on top of her Flying st Bomb with great interest.


    As a battle junkie herself, she was very tempted to join the battle. However, she was also worried about Colette''s safety.


    Because of this, she hurriedly ordered Bomber to fly toward the ground so that Colette could be reunited with her friends.


    Only after the leader of the Golden yers party had safely nted both of her feet back on the ground did Eiko and Bomber fly back to the sky.


    Now that her fighting spirit had been fanned, the Baby Slime wanted a piece of the action and to end the battle with a Bang!

 Chapter 717 Blaze Of Glory

    ?


    ''Sh*t!'' Amir cursed internally as he tightly held onto his mount for his dear life. It was like the ck-Crowned Vulture decided that enough was enough, so it began to spin mid-air.


    The Vulture intended to shake off the Skeleton Bastard who was punching its back repeatedly as if it was its mortal enemy.


    If the Vulture could only speak humannguage, it would have already screamed, "Why are you punching me?! Punch Amir instead, you bastard!"


    s, the ck-Crowned Vulture couldn''t speak humannguage, so it could only endure the one-sided beating of the Skeleton Monk on its back.


    To make matters worse, three flying Slimes had appeared out of nowhere and began to attack it as well, enraging itpletely.


    Just as the ck-Crowned Vulture and its Master, Amir, thought that things couldn''t get any worse, Eiko and Bomber appeared on the scene, causing the mount and master pair to almost puke blood!


    "Eyah!" Eiko spat a barrage of water bullets at the ck-Crowned Vulture''s face and body, making it look like a wet duckling.


    The ck-Crowned Vulture was a Rank 5 Alpha Monster that was only a step away from bing a Deimos-Ranked Monster.


    However, it still needed ample resources before it could reach that Rank, so for now, it was unable to endure Eiko and her Terrorist Squad''s one-sided bombardment.


    Although the ck-Crowned Monster couldn''t speak, it was smart enough to identify Eiko as the Master of the summoned creatures.


    Amir shared the same opinion as his Beast Companion, so both of them decided to focus their attacks on the Baby Slime, who was riding on what seemed to be a floating ball made up of bones with two arms and handsing out from its sides.


    With a scream of rage, the ck-Crowned Vulture pped its wings and flew towards Eiko like an arrow that had been released from its bow.


    Instead of being afraid, Eiko smiled fearlessly before opening her little mouth.


    "Transcendent Breath!"


    Currently, her Papa was out of her range, so she was unable to use her Mimicry ability on him. Even so, Eiko now possessed her own mes, allowing her to unleash a breath attack of purple mes that had the power to burn someone''s mana.


    Everyone in Elysium and Sis had mana in their bodies whether they were magicians or not.


    No matter how little it was, mana was still mana, so Eiko''s breath attack still triggered its effect, causing the ck-Crowned Vulture and Amir to feel a world of pain.


    Even so, they endured it all and broke through Eiko''s Breath Attack intending to deal the Baby Slime a lethal blow.


    However, when they were only a meter away from the target, Eiko''s body glowed briefly before disappearingpletely.


    Eiko had the blink ability, which allowed her to instantly teleport several meters from her location.


    Now that its Master was not nearby, Bomber activated its ability which was none other than Self-Destruct, exploding right in front of the ck-Crowned Vulture''s face!


    The powerful explosion, which was like the booming of thunder, reverberated in the heavens.


    The explosion was so loud that it was heard all the way to Wisp Tree Town, making everyone take notice of the battle that was happening in the sky.


    Eiko, who had teleported away, hovered a good distance away from the explosion.


    After consuming numerous Beast Cores, she had gained the ability to use Air Strider [EX] and Levitate [EX], giving her the ability to fight in the sky, simr to a flying ability if needed.


    The ck-Crowned Vulture, who had somehow endured the attack, was now struggling to stay in the air.


    It no longer pped its mighty wings and simply glided in the air, trying to flee from the crazy battle junkie who could summon suicide bombers.


    But it had forgotten something very important.


    The Skeleton Monk, Bam, was still on its back!


    "N-No!" Amir cried out in panic when he saw the Skeleton Monk raise his hand high in the air, wrapping it in a fiery ze.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Dynamite Punch!" Bam shouted as he smashed his zing fist against the ck-Crowned Vulture''s back, creating another powerful explosion, blowing Amir out of his mount''s back.


    Fortunately, Amir had thrown a grappling hook around his Beast Companion''s ws, allowing him to hang on for his dear life.


    But his relief was short-lived.


    The ck-Crowned Vulture shrieked onest time before it lost consciousness and went into a freefall.


    Eiko and her Slime Squad all dove down from the sky, like Battle Angels about to deliver the Coup de Grace to the Blonde Assassin who tried to kidnap her close friend, Colette, right in front of her.


    Amir gritted his teeth as he prepared for a roughnding.


    When the ck-Crowned Vulture was only dozens of meters above ground, the Blonde Assassin let go of his grappling hook and activated an artifact that would allow him to briefly hover above the ground.


    With a resounding crash, the ck-Crowned Vulture smashed into the ground, creating a small crater.


    Even someone as strong as it was unable to survive the freefall.


    It died the moment its head smashed into the ground.


    Amir knew that he wasn''t safe yet, so uponnding on the ground, he immediately began to sprint toward the forest in the distance.


    As long as he could reach the forest, he was confident that he would be able to hide from his pursuers.


    But before he could entertain this thought, he saw a sh of light that onlysted for a brief moment appear dozens of meters in front of him.


    When the light faded, the familiar Baby Blue Slime appeared, which made the Blonde Assassin roar in anger.


    "Die!" Amir shouted as he took out his dagger that would kill the little troublemaker who had gotten in the way of his mission''spletion.


    Eiko didn''t back away and once again opened her mouth.


    However, this time, instead of a Dragon''s Breath, she spat out a Bone Cannonball that was nearly as big as Bomber.


    Whenever Eiko was free, she would spend her time creating st Bombs, which she would encase inside a Bone Cannonball.


    Although the bomb she took out was only two meters tall, unlike the one that Asmodeus had used to bomb the Royal Pce of the Haca Dynasty, it was still strong enough to instantly kill dozens of Rank 4 Monsters in one hit.


    "Boom Boom Bakugan!"


    In a sh, the Skeleton Cannonball flew toward Amir, giving thetter no time to dodge.


    Thinking that he could just slice the Skeleton Cannonball in half, Amir used a killing blow that could instantly sever a head off from a person''s body.


    His attack had the intended effect, and he seeded in cutting the Skeleton Cannonball in half.


    At that exact moment, time seemed to move incredibly slowly, allowing Amir''s gaze tond on the Baby Blue Slime, who was also looking at him with a devilish smile on her face.


    The two stared at each other for what seemed an eternity before the Blonde Assassin saw Eiko''s lips move, saying a word that he didn''t understand.


    Even so, he heard it as clearly as if the baby slime was whispering in his ears.


    "F*cker."


    That was thest thing that Amir heard before all of the st bombs that were encased inside the Skeleton Cannonball blew up, engulfing his entire body in a ze of glory.

 Chapter 718 A Nightgaunt’s Specialty

    ?


    Somewhere in the territory of Wisp Tree Town, Amir coughed up blood as he tried to endure the pain he felt from his injury.


    Thanks to the life-saving artifact given to him by Twilight Rain, which activated at thest second, he didn''t die even after receiving an attack that should have burnt his body to a crisp.


    All yers were highly valued by the Twilight Rain, so they were each given an artifact that they couldmand using their thoughts that would allow them to instantly and randomly teleport within a kilometer from where they werest located.


    However, this was something that could only be used once. Even if they were given the same artifact, it would no longer activate because it was a one-person-use consumable.


    Because of this, all yers would usually never use it unless it was ast resort.


    "That Slime is crazy," Amir muttered as he wiped the blood off his lips. "I was not informed that Colette had a Beast Companion like that."


    Just as he was thinking about what to do next, he heard someone speak to him from behind, which made his entire body stiffen.


    "She''s not her beastpanion."


    After a few seconds of shock, Amir hastily backed off as he looked behind him to see the person who managed to approach him without his notice.


    "Y-You��," Amir stuttered as he looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar person in front of him.


    There had been a time when Amir was still part of the Reapers, which was the Assassin Organizationposed of talented Apostles and Initiates, all of whom Twilight Rain was grooming to be part of the yers.


    Back then, they were informed by their superior that a Half-Elf had crushed one of their hidden headquarters in the Kingdom of Gweliven, which greatly annoyed the Branch Guildmaster of Twilight Rain.


    Because of this, he had asked for the Half-Elf to be assassinated by the Reapers.


    Amir was one of the candidates that was in line to ept the mission. However, after much consideration, the Higher-ups decided to choose Sid and Scarlet, who were both the best Assassins at that time.


    The Blonde Assassin was heartbroken when he found out that Sid had died on the mission.


    Amir had idolized Sid and treated him as his rival. In fact, the two of them were very close, so when he learned of his death, he decided to train harder in order to prevent the same thing from happening to him.


    Sid didn''t return, but Scarletpleted the mission.


    This was why the red-headed Dwarf was given ample resources, allowing her to break through the Ranks and be part of the yers a few months ahead of him.


    As for Lux, his poster hung in the Mission Hall of Twilight Rain, bearing arge X on its surface.


    Those who bore this mark were people who had been assassinated, so Amir was shocked to the core to see the only red-headed Half-Elf in the Kingdom of Gweliven standing before him.


    "Y-You''re Lux Von Kaizer?" Amir asked.


    "The one and only," Lux replied as he gazed at the Ranker with a devilish smile on his face.


    "You''re supposed to be dead! Scarlet killed you."


    "You''re right. I did ''die'' back then. Since you have seen me, it''s your turn to die�� is what I''d like to say, but I have questions, and I need answers."


    Before Amir could even do anything, he felt something wrap around his body, preventing him from escaping.


    The next thing he saw was a creature without a face, who had wrapped him up with its tail, sealing his movements.


    ''I-Impossible! Why is an Argonaut-Ranked Monster here?!'''' Amir started to panic because he sensed how strong the faceless Creature in front of him was.


    He understood that no matter what he did, there was simply no chance to escape from the Monster who held him in ce.


    Left with no choice, Amir decided to end his life by biting the poisoned capsule that was hidden in one of his teeth.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But before he could do so, the Faceless Creature''s wed hand entered his mouth and casually tore out the tooth that contained the poisoned capsule, making Amir cry out in pain.


    Blood dripped down the corner of Amir''s lips as his only way of escaping his current situation disappeared without a trace.


    "Kill me!" Amir shouted. "No matter what you do, you won''t get anything from me!"


    "We''ll see about that," Lux replied.


    The Half-Elf chuckled as he approached the Assassin who tried to kidnap his very first friend in Elysium. Deep inside, he really did want to kill the Blonde Dwarf, but just like he told the other party earlier, he needed answers.


    He wanted to know who was targeting Colette, and why she was being targeted. As long as he was able to find out the truth, he believed that he would be able to do something about it.


    "Shax, tickle him," Lux ordered.


    Although the Nightgaunt had no face, a soundlessughter seemed to emit from his body after receiving Lux''s orders.


    Nightgaunts were extremely rare monsters, and very few had seen them. More than anything else, they were notorious for "tickling" anyone whenever they felt like it, and those that were tickled by them wouldugh until they wished they were dead.


    Soon, Amir''sughter reverberated in the surroundings. Even though blood dripped down from his mouth and he was in pain, Amirughed nonstop as the Nightgaunt used its tail to tickle his neck, ears, face, and nose.


    Lux found this scene quite amusing, and even Asmodeus, who had summoned himself on his own, rubbed his chin as he looked at Shax''s effective way of torturing people.


    "Fascinating," Asmodeusmented. "This is bringing the saying ughter is the best medicine'' to a whole new level."


    Lux nodded because he wholeheartedly agreed with Asmodeus'' remark.


    The Half-Elf had repeatedly made sure to examine Shax''s special skill, Tickle [EX], to ensure that it was a non-lethal ability.


    ording to its description, no one would die from this skill, making it an extremely vile and potent way to torture people.


    Those tickled by Nightgaunts wouldn''t die even if they felt like dying no matter what, making them suffer for as long as the faceless creature wished.


    "Stop! Hahahaaha! I''ll talk! Hahahahaha!" Amir shouted in desperation. "I''ll�� Hahahaha! Tell you�� Hahahaha��everything!"


    Lux raised his hand and gave Shax the silent order to stop.


    Although the Nightgaunt neither had a face nor said anything, the Half-Elf could feel that it was quite reluctant to stop tickling the Blonde Dwarf.


    "I''ll ask you a few questions, and every time you give me the wrong answer, I will let Shax tickle you for ten minutes straight," Lux stated. "Every time you lie to me, I will add ten more minutes to that penalty.


    "If you annoy me, I will make youugh for an entire day without rest. Don''t worry, I have plenty of stamina potions and recovery potions with me. I can make youugh for days on end if I want to."


    Amir shuddered after hearing Lux''s words. He had only been tickled by Shax for nearly ten minutes, and he already felt that he was going crazy.


    If he was tickled for an entire day, wouldn''t that mean that he wouldpletely lose his sanity?


    While he wasn''t afraid of dying, being tickled by the Nightgaunt for days on end seemed to be a fate much worse than death.


    "Now, let''s start with the question, who are you?" Lux asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "After that, tell me why you are targeting Colette and who are the people involved in this incident."


    Amir dreaded betraying his own organization, but he dreaded the Nightgaunt''s tickle more, so he decided toe clean and tell the devilish-looking Half-Elf everything he knew.


    Perhaps, if he did that, the Half-Elf would find it in his heart to end his suffering and allow him to die a quick and painless death.

 Chapter 719 Lux’s Plan To Do Them Dirty

    ?


    "Twilight Rain�� I should have known." Lux narrowed his eyes as Amir finished telling him everything he knew.


    The Blonde Dwarf had already epted his fate, so not only did he tell Lux why Colette was being targeted, he even told him the name of the individuals that were part of his organization who were stationed in Wisp Tree Town.


    Amir thought that as long as he made Lux happy, the Half-Elf would no longer torture him and give him a quick death.


    Lux closed his eyes to think for a few minutes so that he could digest all the information that the Blonde Dwarf had told him.


    "Such a troublesome organization," Lux muttered after a few minutes of silence.


    He knew that even with his current strength, it was still impossible for him to deal with Twilight Rain, who had remained hidden in the shadows of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Even the Royal Family, who had Rankers and two Saints at their beck and call, were unable to fully uproot this organization and end their tyranny once and for all.


    That just proved that this organization was not a pushover and that it would take more than a few tickling sessions in order to bring down all of their branch headquarters in the entirety of the Dwarven Kingdom.


    "Kill me," Amir begged. "Please. Just kill me."


    Lux stared at the Blonde Dwarf whose lips were still bleeding from the injuries he received. Now that he had gotten everything he needed from Amir, the most logical choice was to kill him so that his secret would remain a secret.


    However, although Lux''s hands were already dyed with blood, he found that killing the Assassin would be a waste, so he summoned his coffin.


    "Come out, Sid," Lux ordered.


    Immediately, the lid of the coffin opened, and a ck mist came out of it.


    When the mist gathered together, the once most talented member of the Reapers appeared in front of him.


    "I-It can''t be," Amir had received another shock after he saw someone that was supposed to be dead for the second time. "Sid! You''re still alive!"


    "Amir?" Sid, who recognized the blonde Assassin, couldn''t help but gasp in shock after seeing someone whom he hadn''t seen for a very long time.


    Among the Reapers, there was one person whom he considered to be a very close friend, and it was none other than Amir, who was currently wrapped up in Shax''s tail with blood dripping from his mouth.


    Sid bit his lip as he lowered his head to look at the ground. He was having an internal battle inside of his head.


    Thest thing he wanted to see was the death of his only friend when he was still alive, but after seeing Amir in the flesh, he understood the current situation.


    There was only one reason why Amir would appear in front of Lux, and that reason was none other than an assassination mission.


    Sid thought that Twilight Rain somehow discovered that Lux was still alive, which was why they sent his friend to assassinate him.


    Little did he know that his assumption was far from the truth, and the Blonde Assassin was only ordered to kidnap a Dwarf girl as his first mission after bing a yer.


    After half a minute, Sid clenched his fist before raising his head to look at his Master, Lux.


    "Master, I know that this may sound selfish, and it might even cause you great harm in the future," Sid said softly as he looked directly into his Master''s eyes, making sure that every word he uttered was understood. "But please, can you spare Amir just this once? I will talk to him and make him take an oath that he will not tell Twilight Rain that you are still alive."


    "Spare him?" Lux arched an eyebrow as he looked at the Assassin who once tried to assassinate him along with Scarlet.


    "Yes, Master," Sid replied. "Please spare him."


    Ever since he had revived Sid to be a Dhampir, the handsome Dwarf had dedicated his life to him, and he could tell how loyal the Dwarf Assassin was to him.


    This had been especially true ever since he allowed Sid to take his two sisters to Leaf Vige so that they could be cared for by people who wouldn''t put them in harm''s way.


    Amir felt touched after seeing that the one he treated as his rival and friend was doing his best to save his life.


    Although he had already resigned himself to death, if there was a possibility to live, who wouldn''t want to live?


    After what seemed like forever, Lux smiled and nodded his head.


    "Very well, if you can convince him to pretend that he hasn''t seen me, then I''ll let him go," Lux replied. "If he agrees then I have a proposal to make."


    "A proposal?" Amir asked. "What kind of proposal?"


    "Be a double agent."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "W-What?"


    Lux smirked. "Be a double agent. You will be my mole inside Twilight Rain."


    "Are you crazy?!" Amir couldn''t help but shout after hearing Lux''s proposal. "You want me to be your spy? You want me to betray my Organization?"


    The Half-Elf nodded. "You have already betrayed your Organization by ratting out the members that are stationed in Wisp Tree Town. Since you''re already a traitor, why not go all in?"


    Amir was going to refute Lux''s statement, but after thinking about it, he realized that the Half-Elf was right.


    He had already betrayed hisrades, so betraying them again wouldn''t make much of a difference, right?


    "Don''t worry, this is not a one-sided deal," Lux said in a coaxing tone, simr to salesmen who were nning to sell their wares to their customers. "You will benefit from this as well."


    Lux raised his hand, and a bronze-colored Wyvern materialized behind him.


    During the battle inside the Gate of Famine, Gaap had decided to capture the Deimos and Argonaut-ranked Monsters who had tried to escape the battlefield.


    He had tossed these monsters into the Heaven''s Gate bestiary to be trained by Bedivere, who was a Dragon Knight.


    Because of the power of Lux''s Covenant, Bedivere could recruit any flying creature, especially those with Dragon Blood in them to be part of his Aerial Cavalry.


    All in all, Gaap had captured six Wyverns. They were all Deimos-Ranked Monsters, and Bedivere was able to tame them, making them ownerless Flying Mounts of Heaven''s Gate.


    Since Amir''s ck-Crowned Vulture had died, he decided to give one of the Wyverns to the Blonde Dwarf as one of the bribes he had in mind in order to gain the Assassin''s loyalty.


    "For now, you can have this Deimos-Ranked Wyvern." Lux offered the powerful beast to Amir as if it was just a cabbage he had picked on his farm. "As long as you do your job properly, I will give you more benefits.


    "Believe me when I say that the things you can get from me are greater than what you can get from Twilight Rain. If you think I am joking, you can ask Sid over here. He will tell you what kind of employer I am."


    Sid, who was doing his best to keep his friend alive, nodded his head and affirmed Lux''s words.


    "Master is a very generous individual," Sid stated. "He will not shortchange you. I have experienced this first hand after being killed by him."


    Amir blinked his eyes in confusion. "Killed by him?"


    "Yes," Sid replied. "Master is a Necromancer. He revived me from the dead."


    Lux took this opportunity to summon his Skeleton Gangbangers, who approached Amir with excitement, even looking at their Master in askance if they could do the thing to their Master''s captive.


    Although Amir didn''t know what the Skeleton Gangbangers were nning to do, his sixth sense was screaming at him that these Skeletons could do more damage to him than what he experienced from the Nighgaunt''s tickling session.


    "Indeed." Lux smiled. "I am a Necromancer. I could have killed you then revived you again, forcing you to be loyal to me. But since Sid is pleading on your behalf, I n to spare your life on the condition that you be a double agent. So, what will it be?"


    The Blonde Assassin stared at Lux''s face before shifting his gaze to Sid.


    Sid held his gaze and nodded his head. Clearly, he was telling Amir that he should put his trust in him just this once.


    "Fine," Amir said through gritted teeth. "I will be your mole in the organization."


    Lux nodded and procured a scroll in his hand, in which he would make Amir write a blood oath.


    These scrolls were personally given to him by Gaap as if he was expecting Lux to make unreasonable demands on people, so he could bind them in a blood contract.


    The Half-Elf was aware that the Blood Contracts that Gaap gave him were imbued with Antero''s blood. If anyone broke their oaths, Antero''s visage would appear in front of the offender and devour them until nothing was left.


    From the very start, he had nned to make Amir his mole inside Twilight Rain, just like Scarlet.


    He needed people in ces where his eyes and hands couldn''t reach. To make this happen, he needed more moles in Twilight Rain.


    He needed agents that would inform him if the Dark Guild was nning to make a big move that could potentially harm those who were important to him.


    Since Twilight Rain, who was hiding in the shadows, was targeting his friends, he nned to do them dirty by turning their agents into his own agents.


    By doing so, he would slowly build the foundation that would help uproot them once and for all.

 Chapter 720 Shifting The Blame To Someone Else

    ?


    "Are you sure he can be trusted?" Amir asked Sid, whom he hadn''t seen for a very long time.


    "Yes," Sid replied. "I am sure that he only thought that reviving me as his subordinate was a good idea because he was short on manpower back then, but I never felt like I was being taken advantage of. In fact, it is the other way around. It is me who has received a lot of kindness from Master."


    Amir had aplicated expression on his face as he gazed at the one person whom he wanted to surpass in Twilight Rain. He didn''t even think that Scarlet was someone worthy of bing his new rival because it had always been Sid whom he idolized in his heart.


    "But how should I exin my failure to the organization?" Amir sighed deeply. "This is my first mission after bing a yer. My track record would be ruined if I go back empty-handed."


    Lux, who had been listening from the side, thought of a good idea on how to save Amir from his current situation. In fact, the problem wasn''t that big in the first ce. All they needed to do was put the me on someone else!


    "Usually, when you Assassins are given a mission, you''re given a full report about your target, right?" Lux asked.


    Amir nodded. "That is usually the case. Although I did a bit of research on my own, most of the data I have about Colette was given to me by the informants of the organization."


    "Well then, that makes things easier." Lux chuckled. "All we need to do is prove that your target has a bodyguard that far surpasses your rank, making the kidnapping attempt nearly impossible. If that happens, your organization will probably send more Assassins to handle it, right?"


    Amir''s eyes widened in shock after hearing this loophole. Indeed, if the high-profile target was guarded by powerful individuals, a single Assassin would not be enough toplete the mission.


    Lux''s case was special because his assassination mission had been a promotion contest between Sid and Scarlet. They were not working together and were evenpeting against each other.


    "You speak the truth," Amir agreed. "If we are nning to kill a high-profile target that is heavily guarded by strong individuals, the organization usually sends more than one Assassin to kill them. In this case, my mission was only to capture Colette. Since the organization deemed that she didn''t have strong bodyguards to protect her, they sent me, who had just be a Ranker, to do the job."


    The Half-Elf then began to exin to Amir what reasons he could give his superiors to exin why he was unable to capture Colette. His n was to lure in more Assassins to handle the job, and this time, he would not show any mercy and go for the kill!


    After their brainstorming session, Amir headed back to the town in order to talk to the Merchant, who served as Twilight Rain''s Branch Manager in Wisp Tree Town.


    Meanwhile, Colette, who had been saved from the assassination attempt, had returned to the inn that they had reserved after taking themission for their guild.


    She was still quite shaken by the incident that had happened an hour ago. Even Emma, who served as her bodyguard, almost panicked when Colette was captured by an unknown individual.


    Lux had tasked her to look after the children, and she didn''t want the Half-Elf to be disappointed in her for letting something happen to them.


    Fortunately, Eiko was there to save the day.


    Had she not been there, Colette and Emma both didn''t know what would have happened if the kidnapper seeded in his mission.


    Unfortunately, the Assassin managed to escape at thest second, but the important thing was that Colette was safe and sound.


    "Thank you, Eiko, for saving me," Colette said as she patted the Baby Slime sitting on top of the table. "I''ll order a lot of food for you today, so eat as much as you can, okay?"


    "Un!" Eiko nodded her head happily. "Eat a lot!"


    "Still, I didn''t know you were this strong," Helen said as she yfully poked Eiko''s cheeks. "You''re still a baby, yet you can already fight against a Ranker. Just what kind of food have you been eating as ofte?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Dreadnaught Core!"


    "Hahaha. I almost believe you. Do you want cookies? I have cookies."


    "Un!"


    Colette and the others didn''t believe that Eiko had been eating Dreadnaught Cores because, for them, those kinds of Monsters were something that they couldn''t hope to defeat with their current Rank.


    Although the Baby Slime was strong and their Big Brother was stronger, they only thought that Lux could, at most, fight against a Deimos Ranked Monster even if he used all of his Summons to help him.


    Robin, who knew a bit of Lux''s abilities, also didn''t think that the Half-Elf had what it took to fight against a Dreadnaught Rank Monster.


    When his little sister, Anastasia, was captured, Lux tried to gather as many people as possible in order to save her because he didn''t have the strength to fight against Rankers.


    The Prince of the Kingdom of Gweliven didn''t believe that Lux could have be that strong in just a short span of time.


    Having thought of this, he assumed that the Half-Elf told the Baby Slime to say that what he was feeding her were Dreadnaught Cores despite the fact that they were only low-ranking cores.


    "Here is your order. Enjoy your meal," the waitress said as she ced the dishes on the table. Her gaze lingered on Colette for a brief moment before going to another table to take the customer''s order.


    Naturally, her gesture didn''t escape Diablo''s gaze, but thetter didn''t do anything and simply sat opposite Colette while paying close attention to their surroundings.


    It was not only Emma who felt frustrated when the Ranker managed to kidnap Colette. As Lux''s firstborn, Diablo knew how much his Master treasured the little Dwarves, whom the red-headed teenager treated as his little brothers and sisters.


    The Death Knight didn''t think that someone would actually try to kidnap someone with him around, and it made him realize his shorings.


    While they were waiting for the food, the door of the tavern opened.


    A chubby young man, who was clearly a Human, and a handsome Dwarf, who was wearing a gray robe that covered his face, entered.


    Almost everyone focused their attention on the chubby Human, whom they hadn''t seen before. The Kingdom of Gweliven was not a ce where people of other races could enter as they pleased because the control of their borders was very strict.


    As soon as Colette and the Golden yer Party saw the chubby Human, they immediately recognized him for who he truly was.


    "Big Brother��" Colette almost sobbed after seeing the person whom she thought had died during the defense of Whitebridge Town.


    Matty and the others also felt as if their tears were going to escape their eyes as the chubby young man walked in their direction with a smile.


    Even though he was wearing a disguise, they couldn''t possibly forget the presence that the Half-Elf gave off when they were together.


    A presence that made them feel as if there was nothing in the world that could harm them as long as he was with them.

 Chapter 721 Diversionary Tactics

    ?


    "Big Brother!" Colette was no longer able to hold back her overflowing feelings and threw herself to the chubby young man, who readily caught her with open arms.


    "It''s nice to see you again, Colette," Lux said as he gave the adorable little Dwarf a hug. "Did you miss me?"


    Instead of answering, Colette lightly pounded Lux''s stomach with her clenched fist, making the Half-Elf smile.


    Clearly, the adorable dwarf still hadn''t forgiven himpletely for keeping them in the dark about his n to fake his death.


    A few secondster, Helen also joined her best friend and went to hug Lux as well. As soon as she felt his warmth, the tears in her eyes poured like rain.


    Although the other three tried to hold back their tears, Matty, Andy, and Axel still teared up as they gazed at the Half-Elf whom they looked up to like a Big Brother.


    If not for the fact that they were in a public area, they might have also joined Colette and Helen in hugging the Half-Elf, who had disguised himself as a chubby young man.


    Lux felt extremely guilty after seeing the young Dwarves'' expressions, so he simply stood his ground and allowed Colette and Helen to use his clothes to wipe away their snot and tears.


    Eiko, who felt out of ce, jumped off from the table andnded on Colette''s head. She then pressed her head against Lux''s stomach, joining the group hug.


    The Dwarves in the tavern looked at this scene with amused expressions on their faces. It was very easy to see at a nce that the humans and the little Dwarves knew each other and that their rtionship looked quite close.


    "Let''s go back to your table first," Lux said. A few minutes had passed, and the two dwarf girls were still hugging him. "I''m also feeling hungry, so let''s all have lunch together."


    Colette and Helen nodded before grabbing Lux''s hands and pulling him toward their table. Naturally, the two girls sat beside Lux, with Eiko perched on top of his head like always.


    Matty and the others had noints about this and simply stared at him as if they were afraid that he would disappear again without saying goodbye.


    "Rx. I''m not going anywhere," Lux replied.


    "How long will you be staying with us, Big Brother?" Colette asked.


    "Two weeks," Lux answered. "There are ces I need to go, and I only came here to see you guys and apologize for what happened in the past. However, this is not the ce to do that. Let''s talk after we''ve finished having our lunch."


    Lux then gave Robin a side-long nce. He didn''t expect to see the low-profile Prince of the Kingdom of Gweliven with Colette and the others.


    The timing was also good because he needed to talk to Robin about a few things and ask thetter to pass a message to his sister, Princess Anastasia, telling her that he would like to talk to her before he left the Kingdom of Gweliven in two weeks'' time.


    Robin, who received Lux''s stare, arched an eyebrow as if sensing that the Half-Elf needed him for something. But since this was not the right time and ce to talk, he simply remained silent and observed the scene in front of him like a bystander.


    "Waitress, can I take an order?" Lux asked.


    "Coming," the waitress replied as she returned to Colette''s table to take the chubby young man''s order.


    "I''d like to order two servings of the Chef''s signature dish, Porkchop Surprise," Lux said.


    "I want, too!" Eiko spoke in order to let her Papa know that she wanted the dish as well.


    "Three Porkchop Surprise then." Lux smiled at the waitress, who smiled back at him before going to the kitchen to inform the Chef of their orders.


    Sid briefly nced at the waitress'' back before shifting his gaze back to the table, where several dishes were already served.


    Amir had already told them that the most popr inn inside the town was part of Twilight Rain''s undercover intelligencework in Wisp Tree Town.


    Usually, the mostmon establishments served as the Dark Guild''s base of operation, which meant that they were in enemy territory the moment they set foot inside the inn.


    Aside from the Maid and the Tavern owner, there was also a Merchant, a Stall Keeper, and a Butcher, who were all under Twilight Rain''s employ.


    These people were the Agents that had been nted in the Dungeon Town, which served as one of the important hubs of the Kingdom of Gweliven. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Agents that were ready to act when their superiors gave them an order.


    After thinking long and hard, Lux decided to let the Order of the Griffin handle this case because his Blood Contracts were limited.


    If possible, he wanted to use them to bind an Elder of Twilight Rain or someone who had great influence in the Dark Guild, utilizing them as his eyes, ears, and mouths inside the nefarious organization that wanted to take over the Dwarven Kingdom by any means necessary.


    ''One step at a time,'' Lux thought. ''There''s no need to hurry since I can''t stay in the Kingdom of Gweliven for a long time. However, I still need to deal with the people that are targeting Colette and Aina before I go.''


    Actually, after making Amir one of his double agents, an idea had already formed inside Lux''s head.


    Since Scarlet and Amir had rtives who happened to be Elders of the Dark Guild, he nned to use them to make these high-ranking people go to certain ces, where he and his Undead Legion would be waiting for them.


    Of course, although Scarlet and Amir were working for him now, that didn''t mean that they would betray their rtives. Even Scarlet, who was loyal to him only because she was revived by Lux using the coffin, would think twice before letting her Grandpa be one of Lux''s pawns.


    In order to find an effective way to deal with the current situation, Lux asked his Guild Members for advice in the chat.


    "Just kill every Assassin thates," Cethus replied. "As long as everyone they send keeps on dying, they will think twice about sending more."


    "That will not always work, Cethus," the Commander of the Stronghold of Norria, Thoram,mented. "While it may help solve the problem in the short term, Twilight Rain will certainly learn from their mistake and send a force that will be enough to decimate an entire city.


    "We''re talking about High-Rankers moving in groups here. Maybe you can deal with a few low-rankers, but when those Heavy Weights start to put their foot down, you will be unable to do anything about it."


    Ken, who was busyying out the foundation of their Branch Guild, Ars Goetia, gave his opinion about the matter.


    "Usually, the Main Guild Headquarters of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Kingdom of Gweliven would issue us missions when things started to get out of control," Ken exined. "However, there are asions when even our strongest adventurers feel helpless and that is if ''many things'' are happening at the same time.


    "To give you some idea, we may be ordered to help repair a broken bridge or dam in a territory within the kingdom. That is all fine and good, but when another problem arises, let''s say a gue, famine, or even war, we are forced to divert our attention to much more important things, instead of dealing with the smaller ones."


    Cai, who had just finished her lunch also joined the conversation, and the words she said made Lux realize that the answer to his problem was really simple.


    "Just like Guildmaster Ken said, how about you just create trouble for Twilight Rain and divert their attention to you?" Cai proposed. "That Amir fellow said that there is a Merchant in that town that is part of Twilight Rain''s umbre, right? Why don''t you start with him? As a Merchant, he will certainly know the other Merchants belonging to the Dark Guild.


    "If all of their Merchants are being attacked, killed, or kidnapped, they would certainly focus all their attention on finding the culprit. Also, it will be best if you don''t ask the Royal Family for help. I''m pretty sure that there are also spies working for the Royal Family. As long as the King is kept in the dark, the spies will also be kept in the dark.


    "This will then make Twilight Rain think that someone was purposely targeting their informationwork and uprooting it from the ground up. As long as you are smart and make these attacks at regr intervals, the focus of those bastards will no longer fall on Aina and Colette."


    Lux thought that this proposal was sound, so he decided to capture the Merchant in Wisp Tree Town and give him a tickle session to make him spill the beans.


    Unlike the Assassins who were trained tomit suicide when captured, Merchants were different. They had more to lose, and they certainly didn''t want to die.


    As long as Lux could get some names from that person, he would task Sid and Shax tounch a covert operation that would make the Dark Guild feel as if another organization was trying to challenge their rule.


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    E

 Chapter 722 Can You Help Me Convince Your Papa To Marry My Sister?

    ?


    "We just reunited, yet Big Brother has to go away again," Colette said with a pout as shey on the bed. "I am starting to hate that Dark Guild, Twilight Rain."


    Helen nodded her head in agreement. "Not only did they try to assassinate Big Brother, but they''re also targeting your sister now. They even went as far as sending an Assassin to kidnap you to serve as a hostage in order to ckmail Big Sister Aina into obeying them.


    "Still, we were lucky this time," Andymented. "Big Brother just happened to be in the city, and Eiko came to meet us. If she hadn''t been there, the Assassin would have definitely seeded in capturing Colette."


    "I won''t forgive those bastards!" Matty clenched his fist in anger. Just imagining the things that Twilight Rain could have done to the person he loved made him feel as if he wanted to start killing people. "If only I was a High-Ranker already, I would have definitely given all of them a beating!"


    Emma, who was also in the room and serving as a bodyguard, sighed in her heart. She had once been captured by Twilight Rain, and they conducted many experiments on her, forcing her to be a monster against her will.


    If Lux didn''te to save her, she might have already died somewhere��used as convenient cannon fodder by the Dark Organization that hid within the shadows of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Everyone in the room looked depressed, but this depression broke when the four-armed hero, whom Lux had left behind to guard the dwarves, spoke.


    "You kids are safe now," ALL-MITE said. "Why? Because I am here."


    Everyone stared at the Unsung Hero, who was the strongest member of Lux''s covenant.


    Although the Wraith King, Leoric, was several ranks higher than ALL-MITE, if the two of them fought in the same rank, the one who woulde out as the victor was none other than the four-armed Hero.


    Why? Because ALL-MITE could increase his power exponentially, beating any opponent of the same rank.


    "Your name is ALL-MITE, right?" Robin asked the Four-Armed creature who looked like Venom, and Masked R*derbined. A viin and a hero character that were popr in Lux''s original world.


    "That is I," ALL-MITE replied.


    "Were you there when my sister got kidnapped by Twilight Rain?" Robin inquired.


    "What?! Twilight Rain also kidnapped your sister, Robin?!" Colette, who had almost been kidnapped just a few hours ago, propped herself up from the bed and looked at the Dwarf who often joined them on their expeditions.


    "Yes," Robin replied. "And just like today, they almost seeded. The one who saved her was also your Big Brother."


    "Amazing!" Helen gasped. "Even when we can''t see him, Big Brother is always there helping people."


    "Eiko, Big Brother is really the best!" Colette picked up the Baby Slime that was lying on top of her pillow.


    "Un!" Eiko nodded her head. "Papa best!"


    Colette then remembered something important, which made her lightly tap her forehead.


    "I need to talk to Big Brother about my sister." Colette then looked at Eiko with a mischievous smile. "Eiko, can you help me convince your Papa to marry my sister? My Sister is very beautiful, right? Although she looks standoffish and doesn''t show much emotion on her face, they look good together, right?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Noment!" Eiko replied before giggling.


    The Baby Slime knew how much Colette wanted to matchmake her Big Sister to her Papa. However, Eiko didn''t want to interfere with Lux''s love life because she respected his decisions on most things.


    Iris had also told her that there mighte a time when her Papa would have more than one wife.


    For the most part, Eiko didn''t really care. She already had Lux and Iris, but having more people in their family was fine with her.


    ALL-MITE, whom Robin had asked a question of earlier, shook his head to answer the Dwarf Prince, who was hiding his true identity from his friends.


    "It is regrettable that I wasn''t there when it happened," ALL-MITE answered. "I became part of Master''s Covenant recently."


    "I can tell that you can fight most Rankers," Robin stated. "But will you be able to protect Colette from High-Rankers? Twilight Rain is a huge organization. They have many High-Rankers within their ranks."


    "I can''t fight against High-Rankers," ALL-MITE replied truthfully. "But as long as we are not dealing with a Saint, Master will be able to do something about it."


    "You sound confident."


    "I am confident."


    Robin quieted down as he gazed at the powerful bodyguard that Lux had left them. Not only did ALL-MITE look intimidating, but his words were also firm and confident. He truly made people feel they were safe when he was around.


    Perhaps, this was why Lux decided to leave the Four-Armed Hero with the Dwarf kids. It was so that they would not feel depressed even if he was not around.


    "Then can you tell me where Lux went?" Robin asked.


    Unlike Colette and the others, he didn''t call Lux Big Brother or by any other honorific. It was as if he was referring to Lux as an equal, which he rarely did with people. This was especially true since Lux wasn''t a Dwarf like them.


    ALL-MITE smirked after hearing Robin''s question. Lux had told him that they were currently in one of the hidden bases of Twilight Rain, so there was a very big possibility that someone was eavesdropping on their conversation.


    But before Lux left, he made sure to use his Soul Book to check every nook and cranny of the room to ensure that no one would be spying on the kids while he was away.


    Having thought of this, ALL-MITE decided to say a few things to Robin, which made thetter tilt his head in confusion.


    "Let''s just say that Master is currently busy negotiating with someone," ALL-MITE said. "Depending on the oue of the negotiation, things might get lively here in the Kingdom of Gweliven."


    Robin didn''t really understand what ALL-MITE was trying to say, but he could see the smile on the Four-Armed Hero''s face, which made him believe that Lux was somewhere in Wisp Tree Town, doing something that would ensure Colette''s safety.

 Chapter 723 Why Don’t You Tenderize Him A Bit More?

    ?


    Sam Wiggins was a very sessful Merchant.


    He started as the leader of a caravan that traveled between the different cities of the Kingdom of Gweliven for trade andmerce.


    In fact, he was so sessful that many of the High-Ranking Nobles of the Kingdom of Gweliven patronized his services. With his strong portfolio, he even received an offer to be the Head of the Merchant Union in the Dungeon Town of Wisp Tree Town.


    This position held considerable power, allowing him to decide which businesses were given permits and certifications to operate.


    Simply put, he hadplete control over the trades happening inside the city, which would make any Merchant wish that they were him.


    This was also the reason why Twilight Rain spent many resources in order to win him over and be one of the Honorary Elders of their Guild.


    With this newfound backer ready to crush any opposition who wished to stand in his way, Sam felt that he was the Underground Emperor of Wisp Tree Town.


    With a single wave of his hand, those who annoyed him would disappear, never to be seen again. After tasting this power and authority, Sam thought that he was invincible.


    To this day, he felt that way, but not until half an hour ago when he found himself hanging upside down inside his own office, looking eye to eye a monster without a face.


    ''Damn you, Amir!'' Sam cursed the Blonde Assassin in his heart with a vengeance. ''You led their people to me!''


    An hour ago, Amir had gone inside his office toin that Sam had given him the wrong information about Colette. The Assassin even imed that he almost died when he faced off against an Argonaut-Ranked Monster, whom he believed was Colette''s Beast Companion.


    Naturally, Sam thought of Amir''sint asplete bullsh*t. He even mocked the Assassin for creating excuses for his own ipetence. As the Honorary Elder of Twilight Rain, he always made sure that the information he gave to their agents was urate.


    This was why he didn''t believe Amir when thetter insisted that there was a strong Monster guarding Colette, which Sam didn''t know of.


    Originally, Lux''s n was to shift the me on Sam so that Amir would not be punished by the organization. However, after getting everyone''s suggestion, he decided to change his strategy and catch the Big Fish, which they would use to catch a Bigger Fish.


    "What are you doing in my office?!" Sam shouted in the hope that his voice would reach the guards that were patrolling around his mansion. "Who sent you?! If you don''t release me right now, I promise you that you will regret the day you were born! You have no idea who you are dealing with!"


    "Wow. He can spout off the lines of a third-rate viin," Asmodeusmented. "I am almost impressed."


    Lux chuckled in agreement with the Archlich''s words. They weren''t worried about Sam purposefully shouting in an attempt to attract attention. All the guards around the mansion had already been dealt with by Sid, Shax, and Amir, who had be one of Lux''s double agents.


    "Asking him questions right now is a waste of time, Master," Asmodeus said. "It will be best to make him understand what happens if he doesn''t give us the answers we need."


    "My thoughts exactly," Lux replied. "Shax, you know what to do."


    The Nightgaunt then raised his wed hands and tail to tickle the Dwarf to oblivion.


    Since Sam was hanging upside down, his drool, and snot flowed over his eyes, making a pitiful scene.


    However, no matter how embarrassed or disgusted he was, the only thing he could do wasugh, andugh, andugh some more.


    Finally, after five minutes of tickling torture, Lux ordered Shax to stop so that Sam could regain his breath and give him the information he wanted.


    "As you already experienced, my friend here is very good at tickling people," Lux stated. "I don''t advocate hurting people, so instead of a painful torture, I make themugh instead. Now, I will ask you several questions.


    "If you don''t answer them correctly or purposely try to make your answer vague, you will experience a ten-minute tickle session. The one you had onlysted five minutes. So if you want tough again, feel free to lie to me."


    Sam had suffered many hardships in the past before he reached the position he currently had. He suffered pain and had his share of getting beaten up until his nose and ears bled.


    Although he wasn''t as resilient as the Assassins of Twilight Rain, he was still someone who had weathered several storms in his life.


    But nothing could have prepared him for the different kind of torture he had just experienced under the wed hands and tails of the faceless monster, whom he sensed to be silentlyughing at him.


    "W-What do you want to know?" Sam asked.


    His face was very wet from a mixture of his drool, snot, and tears, making his vision a bit blurry. Even so, Lux didn''t give him the opportunity to wipe it away.


    After all, if he lied, the same thing would happen again, so wiping it away was unnecessary.


    "You are an agent of Twilight Rain, correct?" Lux asked.


    "Did that bastard Amir rat me out?!" Sam wasn''t able to hold back the frustration inside his chest, so he shouted before he could even stop himself.


    "I think you have forgotten something very important," Lux stated. "The only one that can ask questions here is me. The only thing you need to do is answer my question and nothing else."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Master, he still has some fight left in him," Asmodeusmented. "Why don''t you tenderize him a bit more? Maybe a goodugh will make him loosen his lips."


    "You''re right, Shax why don''t you tick��"


    "No! Forgive me! I will answer your question. Please, no more tickling!"


    Sam begged and wailed as he continued to be dangled upside down by Shax''s tail.


    Lux pondered a bit before nodding his head.


    "I''ll give you one chance," Lux said. "If you don''t give me the answer I want, you''re going to get it."


    "Yes! Thank you!" Sam replied with gratitude. "Indeed. I am an agent of Twilight Rain. But I am only an ordinary agent. I don''t hold any high position in the guild�� Hahahahaha!"


    Before Lux could even confirm if Sam was lying or not, Shax took the initiative to tickle the Merchant until his drool, snot, and tears once again flowed over his face.


    Lux didn''t stop his Nightgaunt, who seemed to be enjoying what he was doing. Fortunately, Shax knew when to hold back before his victim lost his mindpletely.


    "What position do you have in Twilight Rain?"


    "Hic�� I''m�� sob�� an Honorary Elder."


    Tears started to fall like rain from Sam''s face because he truly regretted his decision to lie earlier. At first, he thought that Lux wouldn''t have a way to know whether he was lying or not. But after being tickled once again, the worst-case scenario in his mind was proven to be true.


    The Faceless Monster could tell if he was speaking a lie.


    "Who are the other agents here in Wisp Tree Town that belong to Twilight Rain?" Lux asked.


    This time, Sam answered truthfully, even giving more names than Amir did.


    Since Shax didn''t tickle the Merchant again, it meant that thetter had spoken the truth, which made Lux frown.


    ''Over a dozen individuals, but all of them are small fries,'' Lux thought. ''Well, it doesn''t really matter. What we are after are the Merchants anyway.''


    "Do you know any other Merchants that are serving under Twilight Rain?" Lux inquired.


    "I-I only know two other Merchants," Sam answered. "The only reason why I came into contact with them was due to a major incident that happened, which required us to temporarily coborate with each other."


    "Major incident?" Lux arched an eyebrow. "What major incident?"


    "O-One of Twilight Rain''s Honorary Elders died in Wolfpine Barony," Sam answered. "The entire town was wiped from the face of the world, and one of the casualties was someone who had close ties with the Guildmaster. He asked us to gather as much information as we could in order to understand what caused the tragedy."


    "I see��" Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    Unknown to Sam, the Half-Elf had also been there on that fateful day, which made him realize how easy it was for Power Houses, who held absolute power, to perform a one-sided genocide without fearing its consequences.


    Because of what happened back then, he didn''t do the same to the Haca Dynasty when Lux summoned Barca and the others to help save Garret''s family from those who wished them ill.


    He didn''t mind killing soldiers or warriors on the battlefield because they were there to fight and kill others.


    What he didn''t want to do was involve the innocents, who didn''t have the strength to protect themselves. Lux had his bottom line, and that was the one thing he didn''t want to cross even if he were to be a Powerhouse who could influence the world with a single word from his lips.


    "What are the names of these Merchants, and where are they located?" Lux continued his interrogation.


    To his surprise, Sam mentioned the name of a Merchant who was stationed in one of the cities that he had been to in the past.


    "Lucius Bard," Lux muttered. "I guess my first stop will be Whitebridge City after all."


    Whitebridge City was where the great battle between the Monster Outbreak and the defenders of the city happened. This was also the ce where Lux had faked his death in order to fool the Higher-Ups of Twilight Rain, tricking them into thinking that he really was dead.


    Since the enemy was inside the city where Aina''s Guild Headquarters was located, it was only natural for the Half-Elf to pay him a visit.


    Now that Scarlet had sessfully be a Ranker and a yer candidate, it was time for him to reappear in the Kingdom of Gweliven and make those who thought that he was dead understand that it would take more than killing him to kill himpletely.

 Chapter 724 Sam’s Proposal

    ?


    "If you know what''s good for you, it will be best if you keep everything that happened here a secret, okay?" Lux said with a devilish smile on his face. "I have ced a tracker on your body, which will always tell me your location.


    "Of course, you can also divulge my information to your superiors. I don''t really care what you do because sooner orter they will find out about me. However, if my information came from your lips, you better make sure that you hide in a ce where I can''t reach you.


    "I don''t mind if you hide in Twilight Rain''s Main Headquarters. In fact, I would greatly appreciate it if you did."


    The Half-Elf paused before raising the dwarf''s chin with his finger, making Sam look up at him.


    "That will make things easier for me because I can bring the High-Rankers of the Kingdom of Gweliven with me in order to raid that ce, and crush you bastards once and for all.


    "I will also ask the King to invite the Saints to ensure that no one will be able to leave that ce alive. So, if you think you can hide under a fortress and feel safe, think again. The moment I catch you, I''ll make youugh until you lose your mind."


    Sam didn''t know whether Lux was lying or not, but he still nodded his head like a hen pecking rice in order to acknowledge that he understood what Lux was trying to say.


    "I''ll let Shax stay here for a few days to keep youpany, while I pay a visit to Lucius," Lux stated. "If I don''t see him in Whitebridge City, I''ll assume that you warned him of my arrival. When that happens�� hehehe."


    The Half-Elf chuckled and it made all the hairs on the back of Sam''s neck stand on end.


    "I-If you like, I can contact him in advance," Sam proposed. "I will tell him that an important client wants to meet up with him. That way, he will certainly not leave the city. We often introduce high-profile Nobles, as well as other influential people in the Kingdom to each other. He won''t be suspicious if we do it this way."


    "Oh? Something so convenient exists?" Lux arched an eyebrow. "Very well, tell him that I will meet up with him tomorrow at three in the afternoon. He can specify the ce, and I''ll be there."


    "C-Can I make a suggestion?" Sam asked. "If I tell him that he will be meeting with a Half-Elf, or a Human, he will certainly raise his guard. I propose that you look for a Dwarf to meet him. The more influential, the better."


    Lux rubbed his chin as he thought of the influential Dwarves that he knew. He didn''t want to use Commander Thoram, Ken, or any of the Dwarves from the Leaf Vige for this mission because he didn''t want to trouble his Guild Members.


    He needed to find a Dwarf that wasn''t affiliated with him, who had a high position within the Kingdom that could potentially entice Lucius to meet up with him.


    Suddenly a smile appeared on the Half-Elf''s face as he thought of the perfect person for the undercover mission.


    However, that person currently had a grudge on the Half-Elf, so Lux wasn''t sure if thetter would agree to his request.


    ''Well, I can always look for others if it doesn''t work,'' Lux thought.


    The King of the Kingdom of Gwelien, King Uther, was very grateful to Lux for helping save his precious daughter, Princess Anastasia.


    If he asked the King for a favor, he was certain that the person whom Lux wanted to help him would have no choice but to agree, even if he still bore a grudge against the Half-Elf.


    "Very well, tell him this," Lux said after giving it some thought. "Someone named Nevreal wille to meet him."


    "N-Nevreal?!" Sam gasped in shock. "Are you talking about THAT Nevreal?"


    "What? Are there other Nevreals in the Kingdom of Gweliven?" Lux asked. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sam gave Lux a bitter smile before exining to the Half-Elf who the middle-aged dwarf was.


    "While the possibility exists, there is only one Nevreal that holds enough influence in the Kingdom of Gweliven to have an audience with the King anytime he wants."


    "Oh? That middle-aged dwarf was that important? It looks like I still have no idea who''s who in this Kingdom."


    Lux now understood why Nevreal was the one taking care of the low-profile Prince of the Kingdom of Gweliven, Robin.


    "Very well, set up the meeting," Lux ordered. "Just tell Shax if it pushes through. He has a way of rying a message to me regardless of how far apart we are. I already told you this, but if you try anything funny, I''ll make sure that you will have the bestugh of your life."


    The red-headed teenager then left Sam''s Residence through the front door. Along the way, several guards were lying on the floor, who had lost consciousness.


    None of them were seriously hurt because Lux had ordered Leoric and his Wraith Knights to just knock the living lights out of them to ensure that no one would be able to disturb his chat with the Head of the Merchant Union, who was also a part of Twilight Rain''s Information Network.


    ��������


    Half an hourter, Lux returned to the inn and told Colette and the others about his n to visit Whitebridge City.


    Naturally, the little, adorable, blonde Dwarf was extremely happy to hear her Big Brother say that he nned to meet with Aina in order to talk about a few things.


    Colette was trying to find a good excuse to make the two meet, especially since her Sister was now being approached by many influential Dwarves, who were asking for her hand in marriage.


    Some of these suitors were of the same age as Aina, while others were old enough to be called her Father.


    For Dwarves, who were able to live up to 300 to 500 years, having a big age gap wasn''t a big deal to them.


    This difference in age didn''t even hold a candle against the Elves, who usually had partners that were hundreds or thousands of years older than them.


    If not for the fact that Aina''s family had a special tradition, she might have already been engaged to someone long ago.


    Only the men who were approved of by their entire family would be able to marry Aina and Colette.


    If Colette didn''t approve of anyone, no one could marry her Big Sister even if her entire family gave their nods of approval to someone.


    This was the rule that their father had made in order to prevent his daughters from marrying at a young age because he was over protective of them.


    If only Colette''s father knew that his own daughter was pushing entire mountains to make her Big Brother and Big Sister be a couple, he would definitely puke blood.


    Fortunately, he just thought that Colette was fond of Lux because he had saved her during the Kobold incident. If he only knew how serious his daughter was, he would definitelye to Elysium and invite the Half-Elf on a fishing trip.

 Chapter 725 Do You Believe In Love At First Sight?

    ?


    "I understand why you are asking for my help in this matter," Robin said. "But, wouldn''t it be better if you let the Rankers of the Kingdom deal with this personally?"


    Lux shook his head. "I''m pretty sure that Twilight Rain has already nted their spies in almost all the cities of the Kingdom, including the Royal Pce. If any prominent members of your Kingdom''s Elites start to move, they will certainly catch wind of it."


    Robin was unable to refute Lux''s words because this was indeed the truth. Even his father acknowledged that even those he trusted might have already been bribed by Twilight Rain in order to help them usurp his rule.


    "Understood." Robin nodded. "Since you are doing this for the sake of the Kingdom, I will help you. I''m sure that Nevreal will set aside his personal grudges in order to rid ourselves of these hidden dangers."


    "Tell Nevreal to meet me at the earliest time tomorrow after we arrive in Whitebridge City," Lux stated. "He will be meeting with that Merchant in the afternoon, so we need to create a foolproof n in order to ensure that he will not be able to escape."


    Lux wasn''t too conceited to think that the mission to capture Lucius would be an easy one. He was only able to capture Sam because he used the element of surprise in order to do so.


    Just like Amir, the Half-Elf was certain that the Honorable Elders of Twilight Rain had artifacts that would allow them to instantly teleport to somewhere in order to escape those who wished to catch them.


    Unlike the Head of the Merchant Union in Wisp Tree Town, Lucius was more prominent, and more influential. He also had powerful bodyguards, including one High-Ranker that went by the name Ferron.


    Because of this, capturing him would not be easy.


    "Just to be on the safe side, make sure that Nevreal also brings a bodyguard with him," Lux proposed. "A High-Ranker would be good."


    "Okay." Robin nodded.


    He could tell that this mission carried a lot of risks, and he didn''t want Nevreal to be hurt, or worse, captured by the enemy, whom Lux was nning to capture alive.


    After their talk ended, Robin returned to his room and used his artifact to contact Nevreal, who was currently in the Royal City of the Kingdom of Gweliven, Aeronwen.


    ������������-


    The next day, just an hour after sunrise, Lux and the little band of Dwarves entered the Teleportation Gate of Wisp Tree Town in order to head directly to Whitebridge City.


    Dungeon Towns had ess to a Teleportation Gate that could easily connect to all the Major Cities of the Kingdom.


    The only problem was the Teleportation Fee. The farther the ce was that you wanted to go, the more expensive it was. Because of this people only traveled to nearby cities before riding in Wagons in order to save a bit of gold during their travels.


    Lux didn''t have this problem because he was filthy rich. In the past, he didn''t even have a hundred gold coins.


    Now, he had millions.


    After arriving in the city, the first ce they visited was the Guild Headquarters of Eternal, where Aina was already waiting for her sister''s arrival.


    As soon as Lux entered the Guildmaster''s Office, the sight of the doll-like beauty, who looked so perfect in any angle, made Lux''s heart skip a beat.


    ''She really looks like the younger version of Luna,'' Lux thought as he tried to calm down his wildly beating heart.


    Although this wasn''t the first time he had seen and talked to her, Lux still felt like he was a fan that was meeting his favorite idol for the first time.


    If only he was holding glow sticks in his hand, he would certainly be waving them right now, just like the fans who go to Luna''s concert would do in order to cheer for her.


    "Big Sister!" Colette immediately went to hug Aina, who also held her lovingly in her arms.


    Although the doll-like beauty''s expression didn''t change, Lux was certain that Aina was very happy to see that Colette had returned safely from her mission.


    "Big Sister, I have many things to tell you!" Colette said as she reluctantly took a step back from Aina''s embrace. "That Dark Guild tried to kidnap me while I was out on a mission! If Eiko wasn''t there, I wouldn''t be standing here with you right now!"


    Aina briefly narrowed her eyes before shifting her gaze to the Half-Elf, who had removed his disguise after entering her office.


    "Words cannot express how grateful I am for your timely assistance in rescuing my sister each and every time she is in trouble," Aina said. "If there is a way to repay you, just say the word. As long as it is within my ability to do so, I will do it without fail."


    "Then, can I have your autograph?" Lux asked before he could stop himself from talking.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    In front of Aina, he was not the Guildmaster of Heaven''s Gate, but a Fan who regretted not being able to go to her concert because he died before he could get that opportunity.


    "Autograph?" Aina''s expression didn''t change. "What''s that?"


    Colette also tilted her head in confusion. "Big Brother, what''s an autograph?"


    "Um, an autograph is when you give people your signature as a sign of goodwill," Lux tried to exin the concept of Autograph to the Dwarves who were hearing about it for the first time.


    "Big Brother, getting my sister''s autograph isme," Colette pouted. "You should just ask her hand for marriage. Don''t worry, I will convince my parents to approve of yo-ouch!"


    Aina, slightly pinched her sister''s cheeks with a dead-pan face, making the other Dwarves chuckle.


    "Stop ying matchmaker and rest for now," Aina said before releasing her hold of her little sister''s cheeks. "Your Big Brother and I have things to talk about in private, so be a good girl and don''t leave the Guild Headquarters until we are sure that no one will try to kidnap you again."


    Colette rubbed her right cheek, but still nodded her head obediently. She then winked at her Big Brother before giving Lux a thumbs up.


    "Goodluck, Big Brother!" Colette said in passing before leaving the room with her friends.


    Only when Lux and Aina were the only two people in the room did the doll-like beauty turn around to walk towards her desk where she usuallypleted her duties as the Guildmaster of Eternal.


    "Please, have a seat, Lux," Aina said as she made a gesture to the chair in front of her table. "I would like to hear all the details about Twilight Rain''s failed kidnapping attempt on my sister."


    Lux nodded and sat across Aina. He then ryed everything that happened, including his n to capture Lucius, who was the Head of the Merchant Union in Whitebridge City.


    "It seems that I owe you a bigger favor than I initially thought," Aina replied after listening to Lux''s entire exnation. "Twilight Rain has indeed made several attempts in order to make me their pawn against the Royal Family. But, I never thought that they would try to capture my sister and use her as a bargaining chip in order to make me agree to their demands."


    Aina''s words were steady, and firm, but Lux could sense the anger hidden between her words. Although the doll-like beauty''s expression was still calm on the surface, deep inside her heart, a raging volcano was about to erupt.


    "Don''t worry, if my n seeded, Twilight Rain will have no time to bother you and your sister for a period of time."


    Aina stared at Lux, holding his gaze. Her clear, blue eyes, that seemed to contain a myriad of emotions and nothing at the same time, made Lux feel as if he was looking at a woman who had sealed her heart away.


    He didn''t know what Aina''s circumstances were, but being able to raise Eternal''s Rank to the Gold Rank was not an easy task.


    For such a small body to carry so many responsibilities on her shoulders, Lux couldn''t fathom just how many things Aina had sacrificed in order to get to where she was now.


    "Why are you going this far for us?" Aina asked. "I know you care about Colette. But, what you are doing far exceeds the boundaries of friendship. Do you perhaps have a hidden agenda?"


    Lux was about to shake his head, but stopped midway. Although he didn''t really have any hidden agenda, and just wanted to help Colette because he wanted to help her, he believed that this was not the answer Aina was looking for.


    Because of this, he decided to tease the doll-like beauty and see how she would react to his words.


    "Do you believe in love at first sight?" Lux asked. "What if I tell you that I fell in love with someone who looks exactly like you in the past?"


    "Love at first sight��," Aina replied. "I am aware that this exists, but I''ve never felt it before. As to you falling in love with someone who looks exactly like me�� I can tell that you''re not lying."


    Aina then rested her chin on the back of her intertwined hands and narrowed her gaze.


    "So, Lux Von Kaizer," Aina said in a tone that was as t as a board. "How confident are you in capturing Lucius alive?"


    Lux didn''t answer this question right away, instead he lightly tapped his finger on top of Aina''s table and nced at the map of the Kingdom of Gweliven, which hung on the wall of her office.


    "There''s no guarantee that I will seed," Lux said after a few minutes. "But, even if I don''t, it will be fine."


    The Half-Elf had already prepared a contingency n just in case his attempt to capture Lucius failed. Even if the Dwarf managed to escape, he would have a way to track him down, as long as he was within the territory of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

 Chapter 726 What Makes You Think That This Will Work?

    ?


    "Damn it!" Poro cursed out loud. "Just how long does that bastard Half-Elf n to stay inside that Dungeon! How many days should I keep waiting here?!"


    After the Gate of Famine had been conquered, Poro decided to stay and wait until the Half-Elf appeared, so that he could personally invite him to the Crystal Pce to have a nice long talk about certain things.


    Of course, if Lux rejected his invitation, Poro would not hesitate to use force and drag the Half-Elf back with him whether the red-headed teenager liked it or not.


    He even praised himself for thinking ahead, so he asked the three Saints, as well as the other envoys of the Crystal Pce to escort Aur back to their territory.


    The Dragon Prince also wanted to wait until Lux exited the dungeon. But, after Poro promised him that he would personally bring the Half-Elf back to the Crystal Pce, Aur decided to go with the others and return to their homnd.


    However, three days had passed and there was no sign of the Half-Elf appearing at all!


    If not for the fact that he couldn''t destroy the Gate of the Domain, Poro might have already smashed it to bits out of anger and frustration.


    "You want to y the waiting game huh?!" Poro growled at the Gate in front of him. "Fine! I''ll y your game! I swear that the moment I get my hands on you I''ll make you understand the consequences of angering me!"


    The Dragon Born crossed his arms over his chest, and sat cross-legged in front of the Gate of the Fallen.


    He had no intention of leaving until he captured the annoying Half-Elf and gave him a good spanking!


    ��������


    Headquarters of Eternal in Whitebridge City��


    "Achoo!"


    Lux rubbed his nose, while walking down one of the hallways of Aina''s Guild Headquarters.


    "Someone must be thinking about me," Lux said. "Do you think it''s your Mama, Eiko?"


    "No!" Eiko replied. "Ugly Dragon Born!"


    "Hahaha!" Luxughed. "An ugly Dragon Born is thinking of me? No thanks!"


    He had just finished his talk with Aina, and advised her to not leave her Guild Headquarters until he finished dealing with Lucius.


    Aina agreed to this request.


    She also promised that she wouldn''t let Colette, and her friends, take a single step outside of their Guild Base, with the exception of Robin, whom Lux wanted to take with him.


    Now that his business with the doll-like beauty was over, it was time to meet with the middle-aged Dwarf, who was still upset with Lux for needing to cough up ten million gold coins.


    Nevreal swore on that day that he would never make a deal with the Half-Elf again, even if an axe was ced above his head.


    But, this time it was different. This concerned the Dark Guild Twilight Rain.


    Nevreal would set aside his grudge any day if it would help end the tyranny of this organization a day sooner. So, when Robin contacted him and told him that Lux wanted his help in order to seize one of the Honorary Elders of the Dark Guild, Nevreal didn''t hesitate and agreed to meet up with the Half-Elf and listen to his n.


    As soon as Lux left Aina''s office, he put on the mask and transformed into a chubby Human once again, so that his true identity wouldn''t be revealed just yet.


    "I''ve been waiting for you," Robin said as soon as he opened the door of his room to let Lux inside. "Nevreal has already arrived. We will meet him at the Dancing Lass Inn."


    The Half-Elf nodded his head and followed Robin outside of Eternal''s Guild Headquarters. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Robin was wearing a hood that covered his head, and face, preventing those who were familiar with him from identifying him.


    Although he was doing his best to be low profile, that didn''t mean that he was safe from being targeted by Twilight Rain.


    When they arrived at the Dancing Lass Inn, Robin didn''t even bother to ask the Innkeeper which room Nevreal was staying in.


    The Inn was one of Nevreal''s properties, so he naturally had a VIP room all to himself,plete with soundproofing enchantments to prevent anyone from listening in on private conversations.


    This was also one of the meeting ces of the Order of the Griffin, so there were always guards on duty, who were ying the role of customer.


    "Your Highness, it''s good to see that you are safe," Nevreal said as soon as Robin closed the door. "I would greatly appreciate it if you didn''t go anywhere on your own, especially after this incident. I hope you understand me, Your Highness."


    Robin sighed before reluctantly nodding his head. "I understand. I will do as you say and no longer travel alone."


    After getting Robin''s promise, Nevreal then shifted his gaze to the Half-Elf, who was looking at him with a smile.


    "Start talking." Nevreal snorted. "Lucius is a very influential person in the Kingdom of Gweliven. He and some High-Ranking nobles are very close friends, which makes him truly dangerous if he is really one of Twilight Rain''s agents. Are you sure you have the right information? If this is just a joke, then I''m telling you that it''s not funny."


    "It''s not a joke, Sir Nevreal," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "This is the truth. In fact, I''m very surprised that His Majesty didn''t consider something like this happening. Money makes a kingdom prosper, and it can also orchestrate its downfall. Twilight Rain was very smart to target these merchants because a single word from them and the economy of this Kingdom would crash.


    "You should even be grateful that I managed to find this out early. Otherwise, it would be toote for regrets when this annoying Dark Guild decides to start a civil war."


    Nevreal didn''t refute Lux''s words because this was indeed one of the greatest worries that he, and His Majesty, dreaded.


    The only reason Twilight Rain had not made their move yet was due to the fact that they still weren''t confident that they would be able to move the hearts of people, and rally to their cause.


    For that to happen, they needed to make the King look ipetent when dealing with National Affairs. Unfortunately for them, King Uther was a smart and just leader. Not only did hisws make the citizens'' lives better, they also ensured that they would stay loyal to the Royal Family.


    "Okay, so this is what you''re going to say to Lucius," Lux exined. "First, you will tell him that you want him to invest in a big project. This project involves expansion into the Savage Lands that are located in the Westernmost part of the Kingdom.


    "The base of operation will be none other than Leaf Vige, and you will need a huge amount of money in order to build a stronghold. In return, for his investments, he will get 20% of all the resources that will be found in the uncharted regions."


    Nevreal rubbed his chin before shaking his head. "This won''t work. For something like this, the one who should be making the investment will be the Royal Family. Expansion is a National Affair, so they might get suspicious if such an important matter is handed over to a Merchant."


    Lux nodded. "I understand your concern, but it is exactly why this will sound appealing to a Merchant. Expansion and exploration have a high chance of yielding unexpected results. If a Silver, Gold, or Mithril Mine is discovered, they would profit a lot, even if they will only get 20% of whatever is found in the Savage Lands. Any merchant will be unable to resist this offer, so they will definitely bite this bait."


    "You sound confident. What makes you think that this will work?"


    "Let''s just say that I know a merchant that understands what moves them."


    Nevreal pondered a bit, but he was still reluctant to use this excuse. Seeing that the middle-aged Dwarf was still not convinced, Lux decided to throw ing another excuse that would help him convince Nevreal to follow through with his n.


    "If Lucius asks why the King isn''t personally funding this project, just tell him that His Majesty is focusing his attention on the recent incidents that happened inside the Kingdom," Lux stated. "You can tell him that his Majesty was pooling his resources to investigate what happened in the Wolfpine Barony, and find the culprit for its destruction."


    Nevreal, who was hesitating just a minute ago, became solemn after remembering  what happened in Wolfpine Barony.


    Truth be told, his King was truly pooling resources to hire Elites in order to find the base of Memento Morin inside his Kingdom.


    Although Twilight Rain was a threat, someone whomanded a Cmity Ranked Beast was a walking time bomb that might explode at any time.


    Since the excuse that Lux gave him was truly what was happening in the shadows, Nevreal finally agreed and brainstormed with the Half-Elf until they had a fool-proof story that would not have any ws.

 Chapter 727 Such A Killjoy

    ?


    While Lux and Nevreal were talking in private, Lucius was inside his Merchant Guild, and checking the reports from his subordinates that were currently in other towns and cities of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Truth be told, the Guildmaster of Twilight Rain had also ordered him to try and find a way to make Aina work for them.


    However, the doll-like beauty was unmovable like a mountain. Lucius had sent many disposable pawns in order to try and negotiate with her, but her answer was always no.


    This annoyed Lucius very much.


    There was a saying in Twilight Rain that if they couldn''t have something, they would just destroy it.


    But before moving ahead with thatst resort, they decided to use the age-old tactic of using Aina''s sister as hostage, in order to make her submit to their will.


    Just as Lucius ced thest document in his hand on the table, a knock was heard on the door of his office.


    "Come in," he ordered.


    A Dwarf with brown hair, who looked battle-hardened entered the room with steady steps. He was none other than Ferron, Lucius'' right-hand man and bodyguard.


    "Nevreal arrived in Whitebridge City half an hour ago," Ferron reported. "Are you really sure that you want to meet up with him?"


    "Of course," Lucius replied. "He is very close to the King, and I want to know what he wants from me. My only concern is why he contacted that country bumpkin, Sam, instead of talking to me directly. I didn''t think that they were acquainted."


    "This is true," Ferron agreed. "Maybe he didn''t think that Sam had what it takes to coborate with him, so he decided to talk to someone with more experience and influence, such as yourself."


    "I always like ttery," Lucius grinned. "Especiallying from you, Ferron. However, we shouldn''t let our guard down. Make sure to have our Elite Guards watching the surroundings while Nevreal and I talk. I don''t want surprises, especially surprises that might get me killed."


    Ferron nodded. "I''ll stay by your side and have Rankers surround the building. That way, we can handle any kind of unexpected surprises."


    ������������


    At around two in the afternoon, a messenger arrived to give Nevreal a letter that came from Lucius.


    The name of the meeting ce was written there. After seeing the name of the location, a smile appeared on Lux''s face.


    "This Tavern is one of the gathering ces for the members of Twilight Rain," Lux said. "It seems that you are heading inside the Lion''s Den."


    Nevreal frowned, but he wasn''t afraid. Although he was only an Initiate that didn''t mean that anyone could bully him. As one of the individuals who had a High-Ranking position in the Kingdom of Gweliven, he possessed several artifacts that could kill Rankers.


    "Draven,e," Lux ordered.


    Immediately, the Half-Elf''s shadow moved and transformed into the Shadow Lord, who almost made Nevreal jump in fright.


    "Y-You!" Nevreal stuttered as he patted his chest. "Can you not do things that will give me a heart attack?"


    "Sorry, but I want to ensure that someone can help you escape when things get messy," Lux apologized. "This here is my subordinate, Draven. He can travel using shadows. As long as he is with you, I will be able to see, and hear, everything around you.


    "Depending on the situation, I will immediately conduct a raid. All you need to do, Sir Nevreal, is make sure you escape as fast as you can, so that you don''t get caught in the crossfire."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Nevreal nodded. "When things get dicey, I will not hesitate to teleport back to the Capital City. When I return, I will bring High-Rankers with me and help clean the aftermath."


    Once their n had been established, Draven merged with Nevreal''s shadow, making the middle-aged Dwarf feel a little safer knowing that an ally was watching over him.


    "Remember, prioritize your safety," Lux stated. "All you need to do is buy me some time to encircle the ce, and prevent anyone from escaping. Robin will stay here, since this is one of the safest ces in the city."


    Robin, who was listening quietly on the side, nodded his head in understanding. This was an operation of great importance, so he didn''t want to get in the way, and jeopardize Lux''s n.


    When everything was ready, Nevreal left the Inn and headed towards the ck Horse Tavern, where he was going to meet up with Lucius.


    While this was going on, three adult Dwarves appeared at the Teleportation Gate of Whitebridge City. One of these Dwarves had red hair, and an intimidating face that was enough to make babies cry the moment they saw him.


    He was none other than Harrus, the leader of the Rankers that tried to kidnap Princess Anastasia not long ago.


    The Brawler was summoned to the city by Lucius for another matter, which concerned the Dark Guild greatly.


    There had been sightings of a Seven-Headed Monster at the Northern Regions of the Kingdom of Gweliven, and Twilight Rain wanted to know if this was the same monster that had erased Wolfpine Barony from the face of the world.


    If so, they would do their best to have a talk with its Master, so that they could be allies.


    A powerful monster capable of destroying entire cities was something that greatly interested the Guildmaster of Twilight Rain.


    If they could make it their ally then they would have a Trump Card that would make their conquest of the Kingdom of the Dwarves much easier.


    "Harrus, while we''re here, why don''t we deal with that rude Guildmaster that rejects our Leader''s good will?" One of the Rankers asked. "I''m sure that once we break her arm or leg, she will be more willing to have a proper dialogue with us."


    Harrus snorted after hearing his subordinate''s proposal.


    "We didn''te here for that," Harrus replied. "The yers are already moving to make that brat submit. It is only a matter of time before she kneels and begs our Guildmaster to make her his servant."


    "Tsk!" The other Ranker clicked his tongue. "Such a killjoy. I''m just saying that things will get resolved faster if we handle it on our own, rather than an Assassin that is still wet behind the ears."


    Harrus ignored the Dwarf''sint and walked with steady steps towards the ck Horse Tavern where Lucius was waiting for his arrival.


    After his failed attempt to capture Princess Anastasia, Harrus received a lot of ridicule from hisrades, making him feel like killing people.


    However, since it was indeed a fact that his carefully nned mission failed, he had no choice but to ept responsibilities and be demoted from his position.


    Even so, the Guildmaster of Twilight Rain still held Harrus in high regard. Because of this, some of the important tasks were still handed to him.


    This was the Guildmaster''s way of letting Harrus redeem himself, and the red-headed Dwarf was quite thankful for the trust given to him.


    Little did he know that the same person that had gotten in his way was also present in Whitebridge City, and was currently targeting one of their Honorary Elders, whom he was about to meet very soon.

 Chapter 728 What If I Refuse To Leave?

    ?


    "It is my great pleasure to meet you, Sir Nevreal," Lucius said as he shook hands with the Dwarf whom the King of the Dwarves thought highly of.


    "Likewise, Mr. Lucius," Nevreal replied. "I hope our meeting today will be a fruitful one."


    "Of course. Please, have a seat."


    "Thank you."


    The two were in a VIP room located in the ck Horse Tavern. The Half-Elf had already informed Nevreal that this was one of the businesses that belonged to Twilight Rain. To his credit, the middle-aged Dwarf had been to more dangerous ces in the past, so he was confident that he would be fine.


    "It is very rare for me to get to talk to someone as influential as you, Sir Nevreal, so why don''t we talk about why you came here to see me today." Lucius smiled. "But, before that, may I ask why you were introduced to me by a good friend, Sam? Did you meet with him first before meeting up with me?"


    "Sam?" Nevreal frowned. "Sorry, I don''t know who this Sam fellow is. I just asked one of my subordinates to look for a Merchant who had the ability to carry out the request that His Majesty asked of me."


    "Oh?" Lucius arched an eyebrow. He already knew that Nevreal was on good terms with the King, but he didn''t expect the middle-aged Dwarf to be currently doing some tasks from the King as well. "Well then, did Sam not fit the requirements for the King''s request?"


    Any merchant would jump at the opportunity to create a connection with the Dwarf King. In fact, some of them would be willing to go above and beyond their means to carry out whatever tasks the King would ask of them if need be.


    "Well, if he did, I wouldn''t be here in front of you right now," Nevreal replied as if this was the only natural thing to do. "Now, since both of our time is precious, let''s talk about business. Currently, His Majesty is thinking about expanding the territory of the Kingdom.


    "Because of this, he tasked some people to head to the Westernmost Region of our Kingdom, to a small vige called Leaf Vige. From there, they would head to the Savage Lands and create a stronghold, serving as a base for the expedition forces that would venture further West."


    The corner of Lucius'' lips rose because expansion and exploration was a great opportunity to call first dibs on some resources that could only be found in unimed, and unexplored, regions.


    "This sounds like a grand undertaking," Luciusmented. "And, what kind of assistance can this humble merchant do for His Majesty?"


    "We need funds," Nevreal replied. "And supplies. We need a lot of them."


    "Funding, and Supplies?" A look of understanding dawned on Lucius'' face after hearing Nevreal''s exnation. However, he kept his face as calm as possible, so the middle-aged Dwarf didn''t notice the greed that appeared briefly at the depths of his eyes.


    Nevreal nodded. "Yes. We are looking for a Merchant who has the funds, as well as the resources to ensure that the newly built Stronghold can be operational as soon as possible. Aside from you, we are looking at other candidates as well to take the job. You''re just the first that I visited, and I''ll probably be visiting others as well.


    Lucius smiled, but this smile was the smile of someone who didn''t n on letting others get a share on what he had set his eyes on. But, in order to close the deal, he needed to better understand why the King was looking for a merchant to share the profits of the expedition with.


    "I understand that venturing into the unknown is filled with uncertainty," Lucius stated. "But, as a merchant, I don''t see why His Majesty would want to let others take a percentage of future profits. If he funded this expedition, wouldn''t that mean that all the resources that could be discovered in the exploration would belong to the Royal Pce''s Treasury?"


    "That is true," Nevreal admitted. "Unfortunately, His Majesty is preupied with a few things, so he needs an experienced Merchant to handle the Logistics of the Expedition."


    "Just what could be more important than expanding the territory of our Glorious Kingdom?" Lucius inquired.


    Nevreal didn''t answer right away. As a merchant, Lucius was able to see the conflicted expression on the middle-aged Dwarf''s face.


    He was certain that Nevreal was fighting an internal battle or sorts, which meant that the reason why the King was delegating this task to others was due to something more important than territory expansion.


    As a Merchant, he had seen this face countless times, and it was at this moment when he knew that he should stay silent, and allow the other party to take the initiative to disclose important information that was not known to the general public.


    "I''m sure that you''ve already heard about what happened in Wolfpine Barony, right?" Nevreal asked.


    "Yes." Lucius nodded. "It is truly a tragic incident. I even lost a few of my acquaintances when the city was destroyed."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lucius sighed deeply because the task given to them by the Guildmaster of Twilight Rain was a very difficult one. He had used a lot of manpower to track the whereabouts of the monster that destroyed the Barony.


    However, all the people that he had sent to look for answers, never returned. Some of those people were even promising subordinates that he had been training for years.


    "Since you already know about this matter, I will disclose a few things to you," Nevreal stated. "His Majesty is currently focusing his attention into tracking the Monster that destroyed the town. Such threats cannot be ignored, so he had spent considerable resources hiring specialists to do the job for him.


    "Because of this, I am now looking for Merchants to continue the proposed expansion of the Kingdom, while his Majesty focuses on other things."


    Lucius nodded his head in understanding. The spies of Twilight Rain, who had been watching the King''s every move had said something simr, which gave credibility to Nevreal''s words.


    Now that he understood the gist of the story, he just needed to close the negotiation with the middle-aged Dwarf in order to get a share of the resources that would be discovered once the exploration of the Savage Lands started in full.


    However, just as he was about to do that, the door of his office abruptly opened, and a Dwarf with red hair entered as if he owned the ce.


    "I was looking for you, Lucius," Harrus stated. "You were not in your Merchant Guild, so I came here to meet you."


    "Harrus��," Lucius said with a displeased look on his face. "Didn''t Ferron tell you that I am talking with a very important guest right now? What''s the meaning of this?"


    "Important guest?" Harrus snorted as he gave Nevreal a side-long nce. "Which is more important? Your guest or me?"


    Lucius red hatefully at the arrogant Ranker, who was making things difficult for him. Just as he was about to shout and ask the red-haired dwarf to leave, his right-hand man, Ferron, entered the office and stood between Harrus and Lucius.


    "Get out of this office," Ferron said coolly. "You purposely ordered your subordinates to rough up my men, forcing me to deal with them, while youe here uninvited. Leave while I''m still being nice."


    "Hoh~" Harrus eyed Ferron who was a peak B-Ranker, making him a Pseudo-High Ranker.


    After his failed attempt on kidnapping the Princess, Harrus trained, and spent all of his resources so he could raise his rank as much as possible. The reason why he did this was to ensure that those who were eyeing his position would back down.


    Just like Ferron, Harrus was now a peak B-Ranker. If the two of them really fought for real, no one would know who would emerge victorious between the two.


    "What if I refuse to leave?" Harrus asked as he moved his face closer to Ferron. "What are you going to do about it?"


    A tense atmosphere descended inside the room, as Harrus and Ferron confronted each other.


    Meanwhile, back at the Inn, Lux opened his eyes, and a look of surprise shed inside its depths.


    "It''s him," Lux thought. "There''s no doubt. That''s the same Ranker that tried to kidnap Princess Anastasia."


    Since Draven had hidden himself inside Nevreal''s shadow, the Half-Elf was able to see and hear everything that was happening inside the room.


    He had already confirmed that Lucius was being protected by several Rankers, and had already dealt with half of them.


    However, after Harrus'' appearance, the Half-Elf was forced to put Lucius'' abduction on hold, and just watch to see what was going to happen next.


    He didn''t know why the red-haired dwarf had appeared in Whitebridge City. But, whatever the reason, he had to ensure that this wasn''t rted to Colette and Aina, who would be powerless to fight against a High-Ranker, who had tried to kidnap a member of the Royal Family in the past.

 Chapter 729 Don’t Worry, Everything Is Under Control

    ?


    Nevreal eyed the red-headed Dwarf with a solemn look on his face.


    He had read the report of Princess Anastasia''s abduction. King Uther had even asked a master painter to draw the sketches of the people who tried to kidnap his daughter, so that his agents would be familiar with their faces.


    The middle-aged Dwarf understood then and there that this was indeed the same person that had tried to use the Princess as a hostage against the King, which made his blood boil.


    What many didn''t know was that Nevreal was actually one of King Uther''s Sworn Brothers. This was why he was given unconditional trust by the King, and even awarded him his seal that the middle-aged Dwarf could use in times of emergencies.


    Perhaps sensing Nevreal''s gaze, Harrus shifted his attention to the middle-aged Dwarf and gave him an annoyed look.


    "What?" Harrus asked with annoyance. "You have a problem with me?"


    "No," Nevreal replied. "Carry on."


    Lucius, who saw Harrus disrespect his guest, wanted to punch the red-haired Dwarf so badly.


    However, he was only an Apostle, and the one standing in front of him was a High-Ranker.


    If he really smacked Harrus out of anger, the one who would end up getting hurt was him. Since that was the case, he merely red at the annoying Dwarf, who could potentially ruin the negotiation that was supposed to take ce.


    "Leave, now!" Lucius growled. "If you stay here for even a minute, I''ll make sure to let HIM know that you''re getting in the way of my business! Let''s see if you''ll feel good after that!"


    Harrus frowned after hearing Lucius'' threat. Although the person in front of him was someone whom he could kill with a single p of his hand, he couldn''t do that because the Merchant was an Honorable Elder of their guild.


    No matter how arrogant Harrus was, he knew that making Lucius his enemy would not give him any benefits. Also, his reason for barging into Lucius'' office was to make sure that the merchant had no choice, but to talk to him.


    In the past, Lucius had ignored Harrus'' presence, and even refused to meet with him personally.


    The merchant would always use a middle-man, like Ferron, when dealing with him, which annoyed the red-haired Dwarf in the past.


    "Sure, I''ll leave, but let me rify something," Harrus stated. "I didn''t do anything to your subordinates, so don''t use me of anything I didn''t do. I''ll wait for you at the inn I''m staying at. Make sure to personallye, or else��"


    Harrus no longer said anything and turned around to leave. When the troublemaker was finally gone, Lucius was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief before sitting back on his chair.


    "I''m sorry you had to see that," Lucius said apologetically. "That person was an acquaintance of mine, but we''re not that close. I apologize for any inconvenience he may have caused you."


    Nevreal waved his hand as if what happened earlier was not a big deal to him.


    "I understand," Nevreal replied. "Things like this happen, so don''t worry about it."


    Lucius smiled and nodded his head. He then shifted his gaze to his right-hand man, who seemed to be pondering something.


    "What''s wrong?" Lucius asked.


    Ferron moved closer to Lucius and whispered something to his ear.


    "Earlier, I felt a strong presence in the area so I went to investigate," Ferron whispered. "Half of the Rankers we have assigned to protect the perimeter have all been knocked unconscious.


    "I thought the one who did it was Harrus and his subordinates, but he said that he didn''t do anything to our people before he left. Although I don''t know if his words can be trusted, it is best if we return to the Merchant Guild to ensure your safety."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lucius was surprised to hear such a thing and a suspicious thought came to his mind.


    ''Am I just overthinking things?'' Lucius thought as he nced at Nevreal, who was calmly sipping the tea that he had been served earlier.


    As a Merchant, he was always thinking a few steps ahead of hispetition, allowing him to reap the profit before others couldy their hands on them. However, he found the timing of his men being attacked, and Nevreal''s appearance to be a mere coincidence.


    His suspicious nature that allowed him to survive for the past few years was on high alert, so he decided to y it safe and heed Ferron''s warning.


    "Since I already caused you great difort for the day, why don''t we end our meeting here," Lucius said. "I''ve already heard Sir Nevreal''s proposal, so I''ll carefully consider it. I will let you know the answer in a few days."


    "Okay." Nevreal nodded. "I look forward to a favorable reply."


    The two shook hands and after that, then the middle-aged Dwarf left the Tavern and returned to his Inn where Lux and Robin were waiting for his return.


    ����������


    "He clearly became suspicious," Nevreal stated. "Although he tried to hide it by keeping a calm demeanor, I have faced many nobles in my life that I can tell what they are thinking with a nce. He has raised his guard. So, now what?"


    "Don''t worry, everything is under control," Lux replied before looking at his Shadow Lord who now stood beside him. "Draven, did you manage to ce your Mark on Lucius?"


    Draven nodded. "Yes. Master. I have ced a mark on his shadow. Although I am unable to see his surroundings, I am able to know his location, as well as hear the things around him."


    "Good." Lux sighed. "What bad timing. Now, we have no choice but to y the waiting game and see if we can continue our operation tonight."


    Nevreal nced at Robin who was keeping his silence, and asked the Prince what was on his mind.


    "Would you like to return to the Royal Pce with me, Your Highness?" Nevreal asked.


    Robin shook his head. "I''ll stay here. I won''t be able to rest easily until I know the oue of Lux''s operation. Also, that Ranker�� he was the leader of the one that tried to kidnap my sister, right?"


    "It is him," Lux said firmly. "If not for his unexpected appearance, our n would have proceeded more smoothly. Still, since Lucius is still in the city, that means that he only suspects Sir Nevreal.


    "But, since the offer we gave him was very tempting, he will definitely find it hard not to bite our bait. All we need to do is wait for two things to happen. Either Luciuses to find us on his own will, or we wait until Harrus leaves the city.


    "I have something in mind for what to do with Lucius, so I don''t want any member of Twilight Rain to get wind of it."


    The Half-Elf then nced at Draven who had the ability to transform into anyone whom he had personally killed.


    There were many ways Lux could achieve the goal he had in mind.


    If his hands were forced, he would not hesitate to take the Merchant''s life, and rece him with someone else.


    Someone whom he could trust that would follow his orders faithfully.


    Just like the Undead under hismand, that would not hesitate to jump in a sea of fire as long as he wished for it.

 Chapter 730 Let Him Go On A Wild Goose Chase

    ?


    "You shouldn''t have done what you did earlier," Luciusined as soon as he sat down on the couch. "Do you have any idea who that person was?"


    "No, and I don''t care," Harrus replied. "I only came here for the information regarding the Monster that attacked the Wolfpine Barony, as well as the funds that are needed for our expedition."


    "�� People like you are the worst," Lucius snorted.


    However, the merchant still tossed a storage ring towards the red-headed Dwarf that contained everything that he was looking for.


    Harrus checked the contents of the storage ring before nodding his head in satisfaction.


    "I got what I came here for," Harrus stated. "But, I''ll still be staying here in Whitebridge City for two days. I hope you don''t mind."


    "As long as you don''t interfere with me, you can stay here for as long as you like," Lucius replied. "Don''t barge into my office again, especially when I am meeting with important people.


    "Remember this, I am an Honorary Elder of our Guild, so you had better behave yourself in front of me, or I''ll tell our Guildmaster about this incident. I''m sure that he would like to speak with you once he knows who I was talking to earlier."


    Harrus scoffed. "You still haven''t moved on from this incident? How about you focus more on the one responsible for knocking out your guards? All of them may be Low-Rankers, but they are still Rankers. Did you perhaps offend some people? Are you being targeted?"


    The red-headed Dwarf gave the merchant a mischievous smile, making thetter feel more annoyed about what happened earlier.


    Not only did his meeting with Nevreal get interrupted, some of his elite guards were also taken out without his notice.


    Ferron stated that this attack happened simultaneously, preventing any of the guards from sounding the rm.


    Clearly, there was someone, or some people, who had the ability to cause trouble for him inside Whitebridge City.


    This greatly rmed the Merchant because he had indeed made enemies in the past. If one of those people were targeting him then Harrus'' appearance was perhaps a blessing in disguise.


    ''There is still a possibility that they are Nevreal''s people,'' Lucius thought.


    Since Nevreal was one of the King''s men, it was quite possible that they had discovered that Lucius was one of the undercover agents of Twilight Rain in Whitebridge City, which was one of the Major Cities of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    However, he had no way of confirming this. The only thing he could do was keep a low profile and let Ferron and the remainder of his guards protect him, while the culprits for knocking his men unconscious were still atrge.


    "Tell you what," Harrus said. "I''ll help you find those who are responsible for what happened today. However, I want properpensation for my troubles."


    The red-headed Dwarf was in need of more resources so he could keep breaking through the Ranks and be a true High-Ranker, which would make his position immovable within Twilight Rain.


    Even though he had failed in the past, as long as he was one of the strongest members of the Dark Guild, his critics would not openly taunt him face to face, in fear that he would retaliate.


    "You will?" Lucius asked.


    "Why not?" Harrus shrugged. "At the end of the day, you''re still an Honorary Elder of the Guild. Helping you is the same as helping the guild."


    "You''re right." Lucius nodded. "Regardless of our differences, we are still on the same side. Very well, I ept this proposal. Find the one responsible for attacking my guards, and you will bepensated."


    "Now we''re talking." Harrus grinned. "But, before I do anything. Let''s talk about thepensation first."


    While Harrus and Lucius were negotiating thepensation for the High-Ranker''s services, Lux was pondering what his next move would be.


    Truth be told, he wasn''t afraid of Harrus or Ferron. Far from it, he was confident that he would be able to deal with them if he truly wished for it.


    However, there was one problem.


    They were inside Whitebridge City.


    If a battle suddenly took ce inside the city, innocent bystanders might get hurt.  Although it was understandable that property damages were inevitable, the loss of lives was something that Lux wanted to avoid no matter what.


    Also, Robin, Nevreal, and the Dwarven King, would be disappointed in him if he used the city as the battlefield between him and Twilight Rain.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Large scale battles are a No, so how about assassination attempts?" Lux nced at the middle-aged Dwarf who was smoking a pipe, while looking outside of the window. "Will the City Guards protect Lucius if he asks to be protected by them?"


    "The possibility exists," Nevreal answered after blowing a white smoke from his lips. "He is one of the most influential people here in Whitebridge City. Since the Guards are here to protect the people, they might agree to his request. So, what are they talking about right now? Also, did you put a tracker on me too?"


    Nevreal didn''t know how Draven did it, but the Shadow Lord managed to put a tracker on Lucius'' shadow when the two of them were talking in private. This made the middle-aged Dwarf wonder if Lux had also ordered his subordinate to put a tracker on him, so that he could monitor his every move.


    "I didn''t ask Draven to put a tracker on you, Sir Nevreal," Lux answered. "You are an ally, and I know you value your privacy."


    "That''s good to know. I was feeling restless earlier because I thought you also nned to monitor me."


    "Don''t worry. I have no interest in the daily routines of middle-aged Dwarves."


    Nevreal didn''t know if he should be happy or feel insulted by Lux''s slight jab at his age. Even so, he still waited for the Half-Elf''s answer to the question he asked a moment ago.


    "Right now, he is negotiating with Harrus," Lux replied. "The one that tried to kidnap Princess Anastasia wants to get some resources in exchange for hunting down the person responsible for knocking Lucius'' guards unconscious."


    "Oh?" Nevreal. "Then, what do you n to do about it?"


    "What else?" Lux narrowed his gaze. "Let him go on a wild goose chase, while we target the one person that truly matters."


    Lux knew that sooner orter, Harrus and him would fight against each other. But, he chose not to do that now.


    He had limited time to stay in the Kingdom of Gweliven, and he nned to use his time wisely.


    "Tonight, we''re going to strike," Lux stated as he pressed his palms together.


    "Aren''t you afraid that he has a life saving artifact that will allow him to escape?" Nevreal inquired.


    "It doesn''t matter," Lux replied. "Whether he escapes tonight or not, our objective will be met regardless of the result. Twilight Rain will surely focus their attention on the one that is targeting their Honorary Elder.


    "I also asked two Assassins to deal with the other Merchant that Sam spoke of. Since this attack will happen on the same day, they will think that they are dealing with the King''s undercover agents that even the King himself, and the spies of Twilight Rain around him, are not aware of."


    Nevreal emptied his pipe before ncing outside the window of his inn.


    It had been more than a year since he first met Lux in Leaf Vige, and in that span of time, the Half-Elf was no longer the same person who had desperately tried to survive inside a Kobold''s Nest, while trying to save his friends.


    Nevreal would be lying if he said that he wasn''t looking forward to what the Half-Elf would achieve a year from now.


    Especially after the red-headed teenager received the World''s Blessings, and stepped onto the path of bing a True Ranker.


    ��------


    (A/N: I will be posting the different rankings of things in this chapter, and the next chapters to refresh your memories. Some of you don''t read the author''s notes where I post the rankings of Skills, Equipments, Guilds, and Power Rankings of mortals and monsters. So, here are the rankings to give you guys a better idea of what the power scaling is.)


    Let''s start with Skills first.


    Normal Skills -> [EX] Skills -> [SSR] Skills -> [Epic] Skills, and [Divine] Skills.


    ��------


    For Equipment, we have the following Rankings.


    Rare, Unique, Mythical, Legendary, Demigod, Divine


    ��------


    In order to not increase the word count, I will be posting the rest in the next chapter.

 Chapter 731 Night Raid In Whitebridge City [Part 1]

    ?


    After finalizing his deal with the Head of the Merchant Union in Whitebridge City, Harrus called his two subordinates and asked them to help him look for those who tried to cause trouble for their Guild.


    "No matter where they are, I will be able to find them with my ability," a Skinny Dwarf with brown hair said with confidence as he took out a bottle that contained a silver powder inside his storage ring.


    He then lightly sprinkled the silver powder on the ce where one of Lucius'' guards had been found unconscious earlier.


    The Skinny Dwarf then muttered an incantation and a wisp of white smoke rose from the ground, creating a trail that only the three of them could see.


    "Well then gentlemen, we got ourselves a trail to follow," the Skinny Dwarf dered. "I sure hope you will give me a bonus for this Boss."


    "Of course." Harrus promised. "You''ve been with me for a long time. You know that I''m not stingy with hardworking individuals."


    The Skinny Dwarf nodded his head to acknowledge his leader''s words.


    Although Harrus could be arrogant, and pushy at times, he treated his men well. Because of this, he stayed with him even though he was being scouted by the other Factions in Twilight Rain, who valued his tracking abilities.


    The three Dwarves then took a stroll through the city, following the white mist that was in front of them. They had done this countless times in the past, and they were already sure that no matter where their target went, they wouldn''t be able to escape their pursuit.


    After an hour of walking, the three Dwarves arrived at the Western Exit of Whitebridge City. In the past, these walls had been destroyed due to the Monster Outbreak. Fortunately, the damage wasn''t that serious, so the repairs were done without much difficulty.


    "As expected, he left the city after failing his mission," the Skinny Dwarf rubbed his beard as he looked at the Gate. "Should we follow his trail, Boss? The density of the white mist is telling me that he passed through the gate just recently. A rough estimate is around an hour."


    "Of course we follow," Harrus replied. "Since he just left, we just need to hurry and catch up to him. The two of you, follow me."


    Harrus walked past the gate and immediately summoned a Gryphon. After Lux left him stranded in the sea, the red-headed Dwarf had tamed three mounts for himself. One was exclusive fornd, the other for air, andstly a sea creature for the sea.


    The past experience taught him that he should be prepared for any situation, or else he would have to spend days trying to reach the shore through sheer willpower likest time.


    His two other subordinates summoned their own Flying Mounts, which were Hippogriffs.


    The three of them then chased after the White Mist with firm determination, hoping to capture whoever was responsible for attacking Lucius'' men.


    A good distance from them, the Wraith King, Leoric hovered above the clouds with his arms crossed over his chest.


    He had been paying close attention to Harrus due to Lux''s orders, and wanted to know what the arrogant Dwarf was up to.


    "I didn''t think that one of them would be proficient in using Ever Bright Powder," King Leoric said with a smile. "If my subordinate wasn''t a Wraith Knight, they might have been able to capture him right away."


    The one who orchestrated the attack on Lucius'' subordinates was none other than King Leoric and his Wraith Knights.


    Their method was on point, but they were forced to halt their mission when the Wraith King sensed that Ferron had noticed that something was wrong.


    Even though he and his men could have defeated the Pseudo-High Ranker without much effort, the possibility of destroying parts of the city was something that Lux forbade them to do.


    Also, they had no idea if Ferron possessed an artifact that would warn Lucius that they were under attack, forcing the Merchant to flee using the means avable to him.


    Because of this, he deemed that it was best to retreat while they still could, leaving their enemies no clues as to who attacked them.


    "Lux, the Variables are now away from the city," King Leoric reported using his link with the Half-Elf. "Should we attack them?"


    "No," Lux replied. "They are not our targets. Also, I don''t want to unnecessarily alert the members of Twilight Rain about our existence. The time wille to do that, but not now."


    Lux didn''t want to create more variables by letting King Leoric attack Harrus, while chasing after one of the Wraith King''s Wraith Knights, who were flying farther away from the city.


    "For now, return to monitoring the Merchant Guild, and pay close attention to Lucius'' movements," Lux ordered. "Although we can pinpoint his location, and Draven can hear every word spoken around Lucius, I want him to be monitored at all times. We will strike tonight when he sleeps. The darkness will allow the Shadow Warriors to move freely."


    "By Your Will," Leoric replied.


    The Wraith King then gave Harrus, and his two subordinates onest nce before flying back to the center of the city to keep watch over their target.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Whitebridge City was a big city, and there were many Rankers and High Rankers inside it. After the battle due to the Monster Outbreak, the Kingdom decided to ce strong individuals to watch over the city to calm the hearts of the people


    The Adventurer''s Guild had done the same thing and had permanently stationed a High-Ranker in Whitebridge City, at the request of the King of Gweliven.


    Naturally, this request wasn''t free, making the King pay for themission of hiring this High-Ranker as a Quest issued by the Guild.


    Leoric knew that if he made any unnecessary movements, these people might sense his presence, which would make the situation more unpredictable.


    The Wraith King was a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.


    A Monster in the eyes of others, whom they would treat as a hostile Creature that had wandered into their peaceful city.


    This was the other reason why Lux didn''t want a fight to start inside the city because there was a possibility that these powerful fighters would help save their enemy.


    ''All we need is one Blitzkrieg attack to end it all,'' Lux thought as soon as he finished cutting off his connection with Draven, who was eavesdropping on Lucius'' and Ferron''s discussion.


    After careful consideration, Lux had issued an order to all of his subordinates who would be participating in the Night Raid that would be happening in a few hours.


    Capture Lucius dead or alive.


    He preferred to capture Lucius alive if possible, but if he resisted, his subordinates were ordered to kill him without batting an eye.


    After bing a Heaven''s Necromancer, Lux had be more adept in talking to spirits.


    As long as the dead person he was talking to had died recently, he would still be able to extract all the information from that person''s soul, allowing him to find more targets for his operation.


    Lux might look calm on the surface, but deep inside, he was busy making countermeasures for every possible scenario that might arise during the Night Raid.


    In the end, he decided that it would be easier if he allowed Nevreal to aid him in his quest, making the middle-aged Dwarf talk to some of his acquaintances for damage control.


    ����������������-


    (A/N: Continuation of the Rankings)


    Guild Rankings


    Bronze, Iron, Silver, Gold, tinum, Mithril, Orihalcum, Adamantite, and Mythical


    ����������������-


    Monster Rankings


    Common Monster, Rank 1, Rank 2, Rank 3, Rank 4, Rank 5, Deimos Rank, Argonaut Rank, Dreadnaught Rank, Empyrean Rank, Cmity, Demigod.


    ����������������-


    Mortal Rankings


    Beginners, Grade-D Apostle, Grade-C Apostle, Grade-B Apostle, Grade-A Apostle, Initiate, E-Ranker, D-Ranker, C-Ranker, B-Ranker, A-Ranker, S-Ranker, SS-Ranker, Saint, Supreme.


    A-Ranker and above are referred to as High-Ranker.


    Saint and Supreme are in a different bracket, and aren''t called Rankers.


    ����������������


    If you have more questions, just post it in thement section. And No, I don''t have OnlyFans. Kekeke!

 Chapter 732 Night Raid In Whitebridge City [Part 2]

    ?


    "��Didn''t you say that you''re not going to fight inside the city?" Nevreal muttered as he looked at the shes of light, as well as the sound of loud explosions that could be heard near the Merchant Guild Building.


    "Lux might have encountered some difficulties," Robin, who was standing beside Nevreal,mented. "Besides, it''s fine. The battle is contained on that plot ofnd. Thankfully, Lucius owns all the structures in that part of town, so even if they are turned into smithereens, it''s not our concern."


    Nevreal sighed. "Your Highness, you seem to be siding with Lux on this one."


    "I''m on the side of the Royal Family. Since he is fighting against Twilight Rain, then I''m naturally taking his side. Are our own preparations ready? Make sure to deploy our men to prevent the battle from spreading to the rest of the city."


    "Understood, Your Highness. I''ll make sure to let everyone know your intentions."


    Robin nodded before shifting his attention back to the battle that was currently taking ce inside the city.


    Although the sounds of explosions intermittently sounded every five seconds, the Prince of the Kingdom of Gweliven calmly crossed his arms over his chest and wished the Half-Elf victory over the unexpected surprise that Twilight Rain had prepared for him.


    ����������


    Three hours earlier��


    "This will be a Blitzkrieg Operation," Lux exined to his Named Creatures, as well as Nevreal and Robin, who were with him inside the middle-aged Dwarf''s VIP Room. "We break in, we kidnap Lucius, then we get out. After we''ve captured the Head of the Merchant Union, we will immediately leave the city. Any questions?"


    Nevreal cleared his throat and asked his question.


    "Are you confident that this n will go smoothly?" Nevreal asked.


    "Of course I am confident," Lux replied.


    "What are the chances of arge-scale battle urring inside the city?"


    "Arge-scale battle? That''s not going to happen. This operation will end before they even know what hit them."


    Lux was confident that as long as they were able to grab Lucius from inside his residence, the rest would be easy.


    Nevreal looked at the Half-Elf''s determined expression before nodding his head.


    "I have asked a few people to watch over the surrounding residences and deal with any unexpected surprises," Nevreal stated. "Since the area around the Merchant''s Guild is owned by Lucius, certain damage to property is fine. Just make sure that the fighting doesn''t spread to the rest of the city."


    "�� Sir Nevreal, please, don''t raise a g," Lux said with a serious expression on his face. "There will be no battle. It will just be a kidnapping operation with a high chance of sess. Everything will be fine."


    "I hope so," Nevreal shrugged. "I don''t want to clean up after your mess, that''s all."


    Lux shook his head helplessly. Clearly, the middle-aged Dwarf had lost faith in him after that time the Half-Elf scammed him for ten million gold coins to help build his Guild Headquarters.


    "The operation will start at midnight," Lux dered. "This is an important mission, so please, everyone, do your best."


    All of Lux''s Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, nodded their heads in understanding.


    They were Lux''s Main Fighting Force, and their presence gave the Half-Elf the assurance he needed in order to seed in his Night Raid Operation.


    Half an hour before midnight, Lux looked down at the Merchant Guild from the sky. It was a moonless night, but countless stars illuminated the heavens.


    The majority of the residents of Whitebridge City were already asleep, and only taverns and a few entertainment districts were active during this time of the night.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The red-headed teenager sighed as he gazed upon the City, which he had defended alongside the other Guilds of the Kingdom of Gweliven who didn''t want to see its destruction.


    They had seeded in doing so, but they hadn''t defeated the true monsters that lurked within the Kingdom��the members of the Dark Guild, Twilight Rain.


    If he were to be honest, Lux feared them in the past.


    It was to the point that he had no choice but to fake his death in order to protect himself and those whom he held dear in Elysium like Colette and his friends.


    But now, it was different.


    He was no longer that inexperienced Beginner of the past, who was almost killed due to a Monster Outbreak of Undead in Leaf Vige.


    He had proven himself to be one of the strongest members of the young generation in the Lionheart Tournament that was held at Barbatos Academy.


    Lux was still an Initiate, but he had the ability to contend with most Rankers.


    Even so, he knew that he alone was not enough to root out the foundations that Twilight Rain had cemented over the past several decades. It was an organization that even the Royal Family was unable to rid themselves of, no matter how hard King Uther tried.


    But now, Lux would take that first step to create cracks within that Behemoth''s foundation, and soon, he would make them understand that there were still those who would stand up to their tyranny.


    "When was thest time I appreciated the night sky?" Lux muttered as he raised his head to look up at the heavens. "I see it almost every day, but I''ve been so busy that I haven''t had the time to enjoy the scenery."


    The Half-Elf sighed as he thought of the time when he was still back on Earth, cooped up in his own room.


    There were times when he would look at the night sky outside of his window.


    The light pollution of the city was bad, and the only stars visible to his eyes were the brightest stars in the heavens.


    Back then, he could still count them all. But now, the countless stars in the sky winked at him, as if daring him to start counting them all, which was truly impossible.


    Lux smiled as he thought back on the time when the Angel, Himea, brought him to the Celestial Heavens and made him fill out several sheets of paper in order to map out the settings of his next life.


    Many years had passed since then, and Lux often wondered what would have happened if he wasn''t chosen to be part of the Heaven''s Gate Project.


    There had been more than one asion when the Half-Elf would think about these things, and the answer would still be the same.


    ''There''s no use in thinking of what if''s and what might have been''s,'' Lux thought as he rubbed his face with both hands.


    Right now, he was living his life to the fullest, and in order to keep living that life, he had to make sure that those who threatened his happiness would be erased from his life.


    Taking a deep and long breath, the red-headed teenager calmed himself.


    He then nced at his subordinates, who were already in position, from where he stood in the sky, and he knew that they were all ready to fight with him even if he was going to fight against the entire world.


    Slowly but surely, Lux raised his hand, signaling everyone that their long wait was finally over.


    "Commence the operation," Lux ordered. "Operation Blitzkrieg starts now!"

 Chapter 733 Night Raid In Whitebridge City [Part 3]

    ?


    As soon as Lux gave the order, Draven and King Leoric made their move.


    They were the two in charge of capturing Lucius, while the others were on standby to deal with any situation that might arise if they failed on their first attempt.


    Since Draven had marked Lucius'' shadow, he knew the exact location of the merchant, so they didn''t hesitate to infiltrate the Merchant Guild in order to find him.


    However, as someone who had offended many people in the past, Lucius made sure that his living quarters were well-protected from any kind of assassination attempt.


    The merchant''s personal room was actually deep underground, surrounded by many Elite Guards as well as Traps for those who would even attempt to harm his life.


    Draven and the Wraith King worked hand in hand in order to neutralize these obstacles along the way. When they finally arrived underground, they found themselves in what seemed to be a maze, which was made to confuse any assassin lucky enough to go past Lucius'' first line of defense.


    "What a tricky fellow," Leoric said. "And here I thought that there wasn''t someone more paranoid than my brother in the past."


    "Good thing it doesn''t run in the family," Draven replied. "Now, follow me."


    The Shadow Lord and the Wraith King didn''t need to wander around the maze because Draven could sense the lingering life force that Lucius had left behind. The two of them advanced for five minutes before facing a wall, which seemed to be a dead end.


    However, Draven wasn''t fazed and simply pressed his hand on one part of the wall.


    A momentter, a narrow passage appeared, wide enough for only one person to pass through.


    After entering the passageway, Draven and Leoric found themselves in an open space, where several Guards were positioned to intercept anyone who was lucky enough to stumble upon the hidden doorway.


    "I knew it," Ferron said with his arms crossed over his chest. "Two Assassins, and from the look of it, you''re not Dwarves."


    Lucius'' right-hand man narrowed his gaze as he held a short sword in each hand.


    "What organization do the two of you belong to?" Ferron asked. "Who ordered you to assassinate my employer?"


    Draven and Leoric were wearing ck robes and masks to cover their entire beings. Lux had already anticipated that the possibility of a confrontation was there, so he made sure that his two subordinates were wearing masks to hide their identity.


    "Make a guess," Leoric replied before charging toward Ferron.


    Now that a battle was imminent, the only thing he needed to do was deal with the defenders who were blocking their path.


    "Fool," Ferron replied before stomping his foot on the ground.


    Immediately, a ringing sound reverberated in the surroundings, alerting all the guards, as well as their hired help, that intruders had appeared inside the Merchant''s Guild.


    A barrier of light then shed between Leoric and Ferron, which protected the Dwarf from Leoric''s sword strike.


    When the sword hit the barrier, the underground shelter shook due to the impact of the Wraith King''s attack.


    This single strike made Ferron''s face turn solemn, now understanding how powerful the assassin was.


    ''This bastard is stronger than me,'' Ferron thought. ''Fortunately, this barrier has the ability to withstand three full strikes of a Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster. But, it will notst for long.''


    King Leoric, who had his attack blocked by the barrier, only smiled beneath his mask.


    In the past, he was a Saint.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But after dying and getting corrupted by the Abyss, his Rank degraded, and he had even turned into a monster.


    Even so, the Wraith King persevered and waited for the day when he and his people would be liberated from the eternal prison that prevented them from crossing over to the next life.


    This was why, when Lux appeared, he had vowed that he would repay him until his debt was fulfilled.


    "Fool," King Leoric muttered as he once again raised his sword to sh the light barrier in front of him. "Only children would think that this barrier of yours is indestructible!"


    King Leoric''s second strike was stronger than the first, causing the barrier to shatterpletely.


    Even Ferron, who thought that the barrier would survive two more strikes, was surprised to see that it was destroyed by the intruder''s second blow.


    However, the barrier was only a stop-gap measure for what he and Lucius had prepared for any strong assassins that woulde to assassinate the Head Merchant.


    When King Leoric was about to unleash his strike against Ferron, he sensed five more powerful presences that were about to attack him from different directions.


    Because of this, the Wraith King didn''t hesitate to distance himself from Lucius'' right-hand man to better assess the situation.


    ''Five additional High-Rankers,'' Draven thought. ''It seems that Lucius secretly asked for reinforcements without me knowing.''


    Since Draven could only monitor Lucius'' location as well as hear things around the Merchant, he didn''t notice that the Merchant had written a letter and given it to Ferron earlier in the day.


    This was a request asking for their Guild Leader to send some strong fighters to help him get rid of the offenders who seemed to be targeting him personally.


    As one of the important Honorary Elders of Twilight Rain, the Guildmaster of the Dark Guild took his request seriously and ordered the Rankers and High-Rankers that were near Whitebridge City to assist in eliminating those who were targeting his undercover agent.


    Aside from the High-Rankers, who were now facing off against Leoric, twenty more Rankers ranging from D-Rank to C-Rank entered the room from the back.


    This proved just how important Lucius was to Twilight Rain and that the organization couldn''t risk losing him anytime soon.


    ''Master, n A has failed,'' Draven reported. ''It seems that they were expecting assassins to infiltrate the Merchant Guild tonight.''


    ''Is that so?'' Lux''s words, which were filled with regret, resounded inside Draven''s mind. ''Very well, time for n B.''


    High above the sky, Lux nced in the direction of the inn where Nevreal and Robin were staying.


    He said earlier that he wouldn''t fight in the city, but after the middle-aged Dwarf subtly told him that the surrounding area near the Merchant Guild was owned by Lucius, he made a backup n just in case things went south.


    "Sorry, but things are going to get a little noisy around here," Lux said as he ordered his Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, to infiltrate the Merchant Guild and reinforce Draven and King Leoric.


    He then summoned his Undead Warriors to surround all the exits in the residence, preventing anyone from escaping.


    Eiko, who was on top of Lux''s head, giggled before summoning her Slime Army and Terrorist Squad.


    Since peace was no longer an option, it was time to blow things up.


    Lux''s first fight against the Rankers of Twilight Rain using his own army was finally about to unfold.


    And thus, a night battle that the residents of Whitebridge City would remember for years toe was about to blow up, and wake them up from their peaceful slumber.

 Chapter 734 Night Raid In Whitebridge City [Part 4]

    ?


    Diablo, Ishtar, Revon, Zagan, and ALL-MITE, all infiltrated the Merchant Guild, while Pazuzu, Asmodeus, Orion, and Lazarus, stayed outside to block any possible reinforcements that would being from the outside.


    Bedivere circled the skies above the Merchant Guild in order to help patrol the surroundings.


    While this was happening, loud explosions that seemed to being from under the ground reverberated in the surroundings.


    Ferron, the High-Rankers, as well as the Rankers that Lucius had hired to kill those who came to try to assassinate him that night thought that they had the upper hand against the two Assassins.


    However, when they tried to attack King Leoric, Twelve Wraith Knights appeared out of nowhere and shed with them, pushing them back.


    The Wraith Knights were all Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monsters, who served as King Leoric''s Royal Guards when they were still alive. They were once High-Rankers when they were alive, but now, they had be Monsters, and their strength had degraded, just like their king.


    Even so, their sudden appearance made the members of Twilight Rain feel as if they had eaten a fly.


    "Monsters!" Ferron shouted. "What organization do you hail from? Answer me!"


    "Dead men tell no tales," King Leoric replied. "Now, die!"


    With one powerful sh of his sword, King Leoric unleashed a pale blue, Ghostly Sword sh backed with the full strength of a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.


    However, the members of Twilight Rain had fought against Dreadnaught and Empyrean-Ranked World Bosses before, so they calmly dealt with the blow by using their skills and artifacts to block it.


    The oue of this sh created a powerful explosion that shook the entire underground maze, making rocks, soil, and rubble fall from above their heads.


    "We might get buried alive here," one of the High-Rankers said. "Ferron, take Lucius and escape aboveground. We''ll hold them back and follow behind you, so hurry!"


    Ferron didn''t even bat an eye and immediately left through the backdoor with the intention of taking their employer to the secret passageway to escape the Merchant Guild.


    Lucius had created several escape passages to be used for such emergencies, so Ferron was confident that they could escape this Assassination attempt from an organization that controlled powerful monsters.


    When Ferron entered his employer''s bedroom, he immediately saw an anxious-looking Lucius looking at him with bloodshot eyes.


    "What is happening out there?" Lucius asked. "Just who is attacking us?!"


    "I don''t know," Ferron replied. "But, whoever they are, they came prepared. We have to escape, Master. This ce is no longer safe."


    Lucius nodded and took out a book from the bookshelf. As soon as he did that, a passageway opened in the wall.


    Without even waiting for Ferron to tell him anything, the Merchant decisively ran through the passageway, followed by his right-hand man. A momentter, the passageway closed, revealing an ordinary wall that had no redeeming features.


    Meanwhile, the High-Rankers and Rankers who were fighting against King Leoric and his Wraith Knights knew that enough time had passed, so they also left in haste. There was another exit aside from Lucius'' bedroom, and this was also the path they took in order to leave the underground.


    Draven, who had remained at the back during the entire battle, ran towards the backdoor that Ferron had taken earlier.


    King Leoric and his Wraith Knights didn''t hesitate and followed the Shadow Lord. The High-Ranker and the Rankers from Twilight Rain weren''t their priorities.


    Their objective was to capture Lucius, and that was what they were going to do.


    Meanwhile, above ground, the Rankers who had escaped the underground passageway found themselves facing hundreds of Undead when they emerged.


    "Undead?" one of the Rankers frowned. "What are the Undead doing here?"


    "Did Lucius perhaps make a Necromancer his enemy?" another Rankermented. "Aish. These bastards are a thorny lot. I fought one of them in the past, and barely escaped with my life."


    "Don''t worry, they''re just small fries," a gray-haired Ranker stated. "Let''s just kill them all and escape."


    "Right. These small fries are nothing."


    "Follow me!"


    Naturally, these low-ranking monsters weren''t a threat to them, so they calmly dealt with them, and bulldozed their way out.


    They had just exited the premises when a blinding blue light shed in front of them, forcing them to cover their eyes for a brief moment.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    One of Lux''s Legendary Artifacts that was given to him by Great General Sherlock was capable of summoning one Greater Elemental Monster of his choosing (Deimos Rank).


    However, after their meeting with the Transcendent mes, Randolph tweaked the artifact and refined it further, boosting its effectiveness.


    Now, instead of one Deimos-Rank Great Elemental Monster, Lux could summon a Deimos-Rank World Boss Elemental of his choosing.


    Lux had summoned a Greater Light Elemental (Deimos-Ranked World Boss), in order to deal with the Rankers.


    He could have summoned a Greater Fire Elemental, and blown things up, but he was afraid that the mes would spread to the entire city, causing massive damage to their surroundings.


    The reason why he chose the Greater Light Elemental is due to its Divine Presence in the battlefield, which would make the Dwarves who saw it think that it was not a Monster that was attacking the city, but a Monster that was fighting for them.


    After seeing its targets, the Greater Light Elemental unleashed Light Rays that forced the Rankers to dodge.


    Loud explosions once again spread in the surroundings as the battle broke out within the premises of the Merchant''s Guild.


    Nevreal and Robin, who were watching the battle from afar, suddenly heard a yful voice behind them.


    "Looks like things are heating up over there."


    The middle-aged Dwarf and the Dwarf Prince looked behind them only to see the adorable, and spoiled princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    "Anastasia?" Robin frowned. "What are you doing here?"


    "Why shouldn''t I be here?" Princess Anastasia replied. "Millie''s Master informed her that something big was going to happen in Whitebridge City and that Sir Lux would be involved. Since that was the case, I came here to lend him my assistance!"


    Princess Anastasia brought her own Royal Guards, as well as Four Rankers that served as her Guardians. She still felt indebted to Lux for being saved by him, so when Millie told her what was happening in Whitebridge City, she didn''t hesitate and also made her move to help.


    "Millie, go and see how you can help Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia ordered. "Also, make sure to tell him that I came all the way from the Capital City to help him. Make sure to let him know that, okay? It''s very important!"


    Millie, who had fought alongside Lux to rescue the Princess, nodded her head.


    "Understood, Your Highness," Millie replied before flying towards the location of the battle.


    Just like Princess Anastasia, the pretty Ranker also wanted to repay Lux for the debt she owed him.


    Meanwhile, not far from the battle itself, several Rankers were ordering soldiers around to create a blockade, preventing the ordinary citizens from getting near the battlefield.


    "We haven''t seen him for a while, but it seems that our newest member knows how to party,"


    "Hah, I should be sleeping right now. But, no. I had to deal with this mess."


    Galileo Darwin and Charles Galilei, two members of the Order of the Griffin, chatted in a casual manner.


    Behind them, hundreds of Mercenaries, who served as the Order of the Griffin''s personal army, were waiting for their orders.


    "Okay, boys, people are starting to wake up from all these ruckus," Charles said. "You know what to do, okay? Don''t let anyone near the Merchant Guild. Use any method necessary to stop those who would try to bypass our blockade. However, don''t resort to violence right away."


    "Even if Peace isn''t an option, it is our duty to protect our countrymen," Galileo said. "We don''t harm the innocent, so remember that well. Now go!"


    """Yes, Sirs!"""


    Since Lux''s Undead Army had engaged the Rankers of Twilight Rain, the dome that had sectioned off the area had disappeared.


    Curious people, as well as the City Guards, were now starting to flock towards the location of the explosions, making a blockade very important.


    As the Kingdom''s special agents, who specialized in sweeping everything under the rug, there were no better people than the mercenaries of the Order of the Griffin to control the situation.


    These experts had been trained by the Leader of the Order the Dao of Bullsh*tting, so they could bullsh*t their way out of almost anything, including the furious Mayor of Whitebridge City, who was now headed to the battlefield.

 Chapter 735 Night Raid In Whitebridge City [Part 5]

    ?


    "Mom, what''s happening over there?" a young Dwarf asked. "Why is it noisy over there?"


    "I don''t really know," the mother of the Dwarf replied. "But, it looks dangerous, so we mustn''t go there, okay?"


    The Dwarf boy nodded. "Un!"


    Unfortunately, not everyone was able to keep their curiosity in check and headed towards the location of the Merchant Guild in great numbers.


    However, after getting near their destination, they found themselves being blocked by hundreds of armored Dwarfs, who had an intimidating atmosphere.


    The ordinary people were intimidated by their presence, but those who held great influence in the city including the Captain of the City Guards, as well as the Adventurers of the Adventurer''s Guild all tried to pass through their blockade.


    "Get out of the way!" the Captain of the City Guards ordered. "I am the Captain of the Guards that protects Whitebridge City! I order you to step aside and let us pass."


    The man, whom the Guard Captain spoke to was the leader of the Mercenaries, who had a scar on his left eye, making him look like a real viin. However, instead of stepping aside like he was ordered, the Mercenary Leader simply smiled and tried to control the situation.


    "Nothing is happening here, Guard Captain," the Mercenary Leader replied. "Do all of you know what time it is? It''s way past your bedtime."


    "Nothing is happening?" the Guard Captain sneered. "What do you call those loud explosions that we are hearing? Are you deaf?"


    Before the Mercenary Leader could even reply, one of the Mercenaries spoke up, making the curious Dwarves who wanted to see what was happening beyond the blockade look in his direction.


    "Sorry Captain," a chubby mercenarymented. "I ate some cabbage earlier and now I am unable to control my farts."


    At that exact moment, a loud explosion erupted, making the ground under their feet shake.


    "Ooops, my bad," the chubby Mercenary said with an embarrassed expression on his face. "I farted again."


    Five secondster, consecutive eruptions reverberated in the surroundings, making all the city guards look at the Mercenary in disdain.


    "Sorry bro, that was me," another Mercenary said. "I also ate some cabbage earlier."


    "What a coincidence! I ate cabbage as well!"


    "You, too, bro? Same same. The gas is really bad. I''ve been farting non-stop for some time now."


    "Bro, it seems that all of us have eaten the same thing. Looks like tonight is going to be a long night."


    "Right! A Farting night!"


    """Hahahahaha!"""


    All the mercenariesughed, making the Captain of the City Guards, the City Guards, and the curious spectators look at all of them with contempt.


    ''You bunch of farts! Do you think we are stupid? Even if each of you ate a hundred cabbages, your farts would not be able to cause those loud explosions!''


    That was the collective thought of everyone who was itching to bypass the Mercenary blockade in front of them.


    The Leader of the Mercenary group chuckled and waved his hand to the people.


    "Go home, everyone," the Mercenary Leader said in a calm manner, while spells shot up in the night sky behind him, illuminating the dark night. "There''s nothing to see here. Nothing''s going on."


    "Bullsh*t!" the Captain of the City Guards roared in anger. "I have enough of your nonsense! Get out of my way now or we will arrest all of you!"


    The City Guards all took a fighting stance, while the onlookers cheered and even chanted "Fight! Fight Fight!" like the mads they were.


    The Mercenaries didn''t make any moves and simply stood with calm smiles on their faces.


    "Why must you be violent bro?" the chubby mercenary asked. "We Farting, You Hating."


    Just when the Mercenary Captain was about to retort to the chubby mercenary''s words, one of the other Mercenaries farted loudly, which sounded like a machine gun that had just opened fire.


    A stinky smell reached everyone''s nose, making them re at the Mercenary, who only waved his hand in front of his nose, as if trying to dissipate the smell that came out of him.


    "Bro, who farted?" the Mercenary that farted asked. "Have you no shame? There should be proper etiquette when farting in public. At least, admit that you farted, okay?"


    The Mercenaries paused for a brief moment before all of them roared inughter.


    "Good one, bro! I almost fell for it!"


    "Hahaha! I thought bad cottage cheese smells bad, but your fart, bro, beats it hands down."


    "That was actually a loud and long fart, bro. Respect, bro, respect."


    The Guard Captain no longer wanted to mess around, so he tried to brute force his way through.


    However, the leader of the Mercenaries blocked his path like an immovable mountain, and stared at the Captain, while excluding his bloodlust that had been honed in several battlefields.


    "Calm down, Son," the Mercenary Leader said with a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. "My boys are just practicing for the uing Whitebridge Festival. You know, that one with the fireworks disy."


    "We don''t have that kind of festival," the Guard Captain replied.


    "It''s a proposed festival. You will be hearing about it sometime soon."


    "And, just what kind of festival is going to happen without my approval?!"


    A loud, and thunderous shout that came from behind the crowd reached everyone''s ears.


    The Mayor of Whitebridge City, Mr. White, walked with firm steps towards the Mercenary Leader. The crowd parted to give their Mayor a path to walk along until he arrived at the forefront and stared at the Mercenary Leader''s eyes without flinching.


    "Get out of my way, or get out of my city," Mr. White stated. "I call the shots here. If you refuse to yield, I will force you to yield."


    The Guard Captain who had gained a backer, also held his ground and red at the Mercenary Leader who made him feel as if he was staring death in the face.


    The standoffsted for half a minute before a pretty Dwarf descended from the sky andnded beside the Mercenary Leader and the Mayor of Whitebridge City.


    "I am Millie, and I am one of Princess Anastasia''s Royal Guard," Millie introduced herself and showed the insignia that belonged to the Royal Family. "What you are hearing and seeing right now is actually a live drill that is being done in order to react to terrorist attacks inside the city."


    "L-Live Drill?" Mr. White stuttered. "Terrorist Attacks? Why wasn''t I informed about this?"


    "The Royal Family deemed that it was best to not inform you about this matter," Millie replied. "This was to make sure that we would be able to see how the city would react should a real terrorist attack ur. Princess Anastasia is observing this live drill demonstration as we speak."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Mr. White was still half in doubt, so he decided to make his stand. "Although it is Princess Anastasia''s orders, I am not a member of her faction. This live drill should have been done through the proper channels. If it was done properly, I would have coborat��"


    "Fool!" the Mercenary Leader interjected. "When terrorists attack you, will they send you a letter telling you that they will attack at this exact time and ce? This is why this live drill is being conducted. I''m sure that Princess Anastasia, who is serving as the King''s representative, is very disappointed in how you and your people have handled this mess thus far.


    "Instead of preventing the citizens from going to the battleground, you even insisted on bringing them along. You are a failure as the Mayor of this city, same for you Guard Captain. The first thing you should have done is order some of your men to prevent the people froming here."


    After being chastised by the Mercenary leader, Mr. White, and the Guard Captain gave each other the "Do you believe this crap?" gaze.


    However, seeing that the Royal Guard, as well as the Mercenary Leader weren''t going to budge, they had no choice but to order the rest of the City Guards to reinforce the blockade, forcing people to stay away from the battleground.


    Mr. White then stared at the ten-meter-tall floating Great Light Elemental that was shooting Light Rays into its surroundings likeser beams, with an anxious look on his face.


    Although he tried to keep himself calm, seeing that a Deimos-Ranked World Boss had appeared inside his city without his notice made him feel as if something terrible was happening at the Merchant Guild where the explosions and the sound of battle were happening at the moment.


    ����������


    "Big Sister! Something is happening outside!" Colette barged into Aina''s office with a worried expression on her face. "Let''s see what is happening over there!"


    Aina didn''t show any change of expression on her face and only looked calmly at her sister like she always did.


    "Okay," Aina replied. "However, no matter what happens, stay close to me."


    "Un!" Colette nodded and left the office in order to gather her friends.


    Aina stared at the open door of her office and sighed.


    "I didn''t think that you would go this far for us," Aina muttered as she stared outside of the window.


    In the distance, she could see the Great Light Elemental that seemed to be fighting against multiple people at once.


    She didn''t need to be a genius to know who was behind this incident, and it made her wonder what the aftermath of this battle would be.


    ��������������������


    Somewhere in Whitebridge City��


    Lucius and Ferron, who had taken the secret passageway in order to leave the Merchant Guild, arrived at a small house that was a good distance away from the center of the battle.


    Even so, they could still hear the loud explosions in the distance, which made them realize that this wasn''t an ordinary assassination attempt to target the Merchant''s life.


    "Master, who have you offended recently?" Ferron asked with a frown.


    "I don''t know," Lucius replied. "There''s too many of them!"


    He had indeed abused his power and authority as the Head of the Merchant Union, as well as the Honorary Elder of Twilight Rain during the past few months.


    He had made businesses close, separated families from each other, and even stolen the merits of others.


    Looking back, Lucius wasn''t too surprised that someone was aiming for his life. However, he didn''t expect that the scale would be this big, involving the entire city in the battle.


    "We''re going to leave the city and go to one of the hideouts of the Twilight Rain," Lucius ordered. "Let''s go."


    Ferron nodded and escorted his Master to leave the house.


    They both wore ck robes to cover their faces, as they wandered through the alleys in order to avoid being spotted by whoever was causing all these ruckus.


    However, as they made a right turn in one of the alleyways, they found themselves facing a red-headed Half-Elf, with a baby slime on top of his head, who was holding a red metallic ball in her hand.


    "Taking ate-night stroll I presume?" Lux asked with sarcasm.


    Although it had been a long time since he saw him, Lucius would never forget the Half-Elf whom he had personally dered dead during the Monster Outbreak in Whitebridge City.


    "Y-You," Lucius pointed at Lux. "How are you still alive? You''re supposed to be dead. Scarlet killed you!"


    Ferron, who also recognized Lux, stood in front of his Master and eyed the Half-Elf, checking to see how strong he was.


    A few secondster, a surprised expression appeared on his face when he realized that the red-headed teenager in front of him was only at the peak of the Initiate Rank.


    This surprise then turned into a solemn gaze, making him feel that something wasn''t right.


    For an Initiate to face off against him was simr to someone courting death. He just couldn''t see how the Initiate in front of him could possibly win against him, even with the help of the Baby Slime who seemed to be holding something dangerous in her hands.


    However, Lucius didn''t share his right-hand man''s worries.


    "Are you the one that wants to assassinate me?" Lucius asked.


    "Killing you is ast resort," Lux replied. "I n to capture you alive."


    Lucius snorted. "Capture me alive? With just you? Since you came here to die, I will dly grant your wish. Ferron, kill him!"


    Ferron was about to execute his Master''s orders when the Wraith King appeared in front of Lux, alongside his Wraith Knights.


    The Half-Elf had summoned them from where they were in their pursuit in order to face Ferron, who was simply too powerful for him to handle alone.


    However, just to be on the safe side, the Wraith King and the Wraith Knights weren''t the only ones he summoned.


    One by one, the members of Lux''s Undead Army and Covenant, encircled the Merchant and his bodyguard, leaving them no ce to escape.


    "This is checkmate," Lux dered. "Are you going toe with me peacefully, or do you want me to break your legs and tie you up like pigs?"


    Since a marker was ced on Lucius'' shadow, Lux could track him as well using his Soul Book.


    This was why the Half-Elf was confident that he could pinpoint the Merchant''s location, no matter where he went in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    From the beginning, there was simply no means of escaping the Half-Elf''s drag.


    Even if Lucius was carrying a life saving artifact that would teleport him away, simr to what Amir used when he escaped Eiko''s killing strike a few days ago, there was simply no ce for the merchant to hide from him.

 Chapter 736 Unfortunately, I Have A Grudge Against Twilight Rain

    ?


    "Are you going toe with me quietly, or must I use force?" Lux asked.


    "Pa!" Eiko, who was on top of the red-headed teenager''s head, raised the st Bomb in her hand in a threatening manner.


    Clearly, she wanted to make things go ''Boom!'' but decided to let her Papa do the talking for now.


    Lucius and Ferron swept their nce at their surroundings and deemed that there was simply no chance of them breaking through the encirclement.


    ''I probably can get away if I were on my own, but I''m not alone,'' Ferron frowned as he eyed the Wraith King in front of him with a wary gaze.


    Lucius, who was standing behind the High Ranker, was able to calm himself down and assess his current situation.


    "I''m very curious," Lucius said while staring at the Half-Elf in front of him. "How could it be possible for someone, who is supposed to be dead, to make his appearance here? You and I have no grudges against each other, so why are you targeting me?"


    "True," Lux replied. "You and I have no direct grudges with each other. Unfortunately, I have a grudge against Twilight Rain, so all of their members are my enemy."


    "Enemy, you say?" Lucius scoffed. "While it is true that you have the ability to capture me, that doesn''t mean that you can take on an entire Dark Guild on your own. Are you sure that you really want to go down this path? If you let me go, I am willing to turn a blind eye to what happened tonight and let bygones be bygones."


    Lux chuckled. "Do you think you can sweet talk yourself out of this mess? Sorry, but no can do. Enough talk. Are you going toe with us peacefully, or do we get to beat the crap out of you first?"


    Lucius sneered at the Half-Elf. "I''ll remember this, you bastard. I''ll make sure to inform Twilight Rain that you''re still alive. No matter where you go, there is no ce here in the Kingdom of Gweliven where you can hide!"


    "Good luck with that," Lux sneered back. "Capture him!"


    As soon as Lux gave the order, Zagan and Ishtar made their move to capture Lucius.


    King Leoric and his Wraith Knights focused their attention on Ferron. Since the Pseudo-High Ranker was still the strongest threat in front of them, they needed to neutralize him as soon as possible.


    But before any of Lux''s subordinates could even reach the two people, Lucius and Ferron activated their life-saving artifact that would teleport them a mile away from their current location.


    Just like Amir, they didn''t n to use it unless it was ast resort.


    Unfortunately for them, the location of the ce where they would next appear waspletely random, so the two of them would be separated from each other.


    "Draven, Leoric, and Zagan, apprehend Lucius," Lux ordered as he checked his Soul Book. "He appeared North from here. Don''t let him escape a second time."


    ""Yes, Master!""


    "By your will."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The three fastest members of Lux''s forces flew North in haste in order to capture the Merchant who thought that he could escape.


    "What about the High-Ranker, Master?" ALL-MITE asked. "Aren''t we going to pursue him?"


    Lux shook his head. "He''s only a bodyguard. We don''t have any use for him."


    In the midst of Lux giving orders to his minions, a high-pitched ringing sound spread in the surroundings.


    The Greater Light Elemental that Lux had summoned exploded into a shower of sparks, which meant that it had been defeated by the Rankers of Twilight Rain.


    From the very start, Lux had decided to use the Greater Light Elemental, as well as his Undead Summons, inside the Merchant''s Guild to serve as a distraction while he dealt with Lucius and Ferron.


    "Although things didn''t turn out exactly as nned, this isn''t bad either," Lux muttered as he gazed in the direction of the Merchant Guild. "Now, Twilight Rain will be aware that someone is targeting their Honorary Elders. They will also know that they are dealing with a Necromancer.


    "As for Ferron, letting him inform the Dark Guild about my existence is fine. Actually, things are better this way. With this, all their attention will be shifted to me."


    With someone as dangerous as Lux on the prowl, the members of Twilight Rain would be more cautious because there was a high chance that they would be targeted.


    This would prevent them from stirring too many waves within the Kingdom of Gweliven until their forces had hunted down the Half-Elf, who was causing them trouble.


    Lux would be going to the Ancestral Grounds of the Necromancers in a few days, so he needed to do something big that would catch the Dark Guild''s attention.


    Furthermore, he also nned to let Shax, Sid, and Bedivere hunt down the important people, serving as the eyes and ears of Twilight Rain, while he was away.


    The constant threat of their members continuously being attacked would definitely put Twilight Rain on edge. This would also make them unable to do any of their side missions, such as targeting Aina and her Guild, Eternal, in the short term.


    Half an hourter, Draven, Zagan, and King Leoric returned, carrying an unconscious Lucius, who didn''t expect that he would be captured as soon as he tried to escape.


    "Shax,e to Whitebridge City and bring Sam with you," Lux ordered his Nightgaunt through Telepathy. "If he tries anything funny, you know what to do."


    Although Shax couldn''t say anything in reply, its connection with Lux was enough to inform the Half-Elf that it understood its Master''s order.


    "Let''s take him somewhere safe," Lux said as he eyed the unconscious Merchant with a smile. "But before anything else, strip him of all his clothes with the exception of his underwear. There is a possibility that he is hiding some other life-saving item with him, and it would be a pain to capture him again."


    After giving his order, Lux led his people outside of Whitebridge City in order to find a secluded ce to make the Merchant talk.


    Now that he no longer had the means to escape, Lucius'' fate was sealed in stone.

 Chapter 737 The Legacy Of Gaap’s Master

    ?


    Two hours after Lux ordered Shax to bring Sam to him, the Nightgaunt appeared, carrying the merchant like a sack of rice on its shoulder.


    Lucius red at the traitor with a face filled with injustice, while Sam only looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with the Head of the Merchant''s Guild in Whitebridge City.


    "Now that the traitor is here, tell me, what do you want?" Lucius demanded. "Do you also want me to betray Twilight Rain? I can do that for you. If you want to know where their hiding ces are, I know some of them as well. I am more useful than that country bumpkin over there. So how about it? I promise you won''t regret coborating with me."


    Sam, who had been called a country bumpkin, raised his head to look at Lucius with contempt. Although Wisp Tree Town wasn''t as big as Whitebridge City, it was still a Dungeon Town, which held great importance to the Kingdom.


    For Sam to be the Head of the Merchant Union in his own territory proved that he had the ability to do it. Although he was far from Lucius'' influence, that didn''t mean that his connections werecking either.


    "You''re right," Lux replied. "You are more useful than Sam."


    "I know, right?!" Lucius stated. "So work with me instead. I''ll show you that I can exceed your expectations!"


    Lux nodded his head before summoning a sword in his hand.


    Then, without any warning, he stabbed Lucius'' chest, catching the merchant, as well as Sam, byplete surprise.


    "Since you are more important than Sam, I will need to have your unconditional loyalty," Lux stated in a cold voice that made Sam shudder subconsciously. "There are many people that I trust in this world, and you are not one of them. However, since I need you to be one of my trusted subordinates, there is only one way to make that happen."


    There was nothing that Lux trusted more in the world than his family, as well as the Undead. Since the Dwarf could betray him at any given time, there was only one way to make him loyal to him without fail.


    The light in Lucius'' eyes slowly faded as his entire body started to be stiff.


    "Animate Undead," Lux said before pulling the sword out of the Dwarf''s chest. "Half-Life Zombie."


    Lucius'' heart, which had been stabbed by the sword, immediately healed. A few secondster, a scream of pain escaped the merchant''s lips as he reached out to grab the air in front of him.


    Lux watched the scene with great curiosity because this was the first time he used this kind of Animate Undead ability.


    This skill was passed to him by Gaap, which was something that the Half-Ling''s Master had invented when she was still alive.


    Half-Life Zombie. This was a monster that was alive and dead at the same time.


    The zombie''s heart would still beat like a normal heart, and its bodily functions would remain the same as if it were still alive. The only difference was that they would gain a boost in their sense of taste, hearing, vision, touch, and smell.


    Their strength would also improve significantly, making them stronger than their normal self.


    Since Gaap''s Master aimed to be a Heaven''s Necromancer, she wanted to create a skill that would turn a person into a half-living, half-dead creature.


    Hence, the Half-Life Zombie was born.


    However, there was a very strict requirement to activate this ability.


    The first one was the most important one, and that was for the Necromancer to kill the person themselves by stabbing their heart.


    The second condition was to revive the in person while they were still hovering between life and death.


    The third condition was that the person that they were trying to revive must be weaker than them.


    If the target was stronger than the caster of the spell, the revival would not beplete, and the target would turn into a full Zombie, instead of a Half-Life Zombie.


    Last, but not the least, only Necromancers who didn''t possess the Unholy Aura, who were simr to other Necromancers like Gaap, could use it.


    In short, only Necromancers who didn''t embrace killing as a way of life could use this ability.


    Lux met all of these requirements, allowing him to use the Legacy Skill that Gaap''s Master had invented through years of hard work.


    Also, this spell had a special ability. Those that had be Half-Life Zombies couldn''t be detected as Monsters. The ranks of the people that died would remain as they were as well.


    "I-I''m still alive?" Lucius patted his chest to check the wound that was given to him by Lux. However, he found nothing as the stab wound had healedpletely, making it seem as though nothing had happened to him.


    "It looks like it worked," Lux said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"


    "I-I�� I must be out of my mind for trying to defy you earlier, Master," Lucius replied as he knelt down to pay his respects to the Half-Elf that revived him. "I hereby swear that I will serve you faithfully and loyally to the best of my ability."


    Lux nodded and patted Lucius'' shoulder.


    "Rise, Lucius," Lux ordered. "I expect great things from you."


    "Yes, Master!" Lucius rose up and bowed reverently to the Half-Elf as if he was his savior. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The Half-Elf then shifted his attention to Sam and gave the Merchant a devilish smile that made thetter feel as if something terrible was going to happen to him.


    "Please, don''t kill me," Sam pleaded as he kneeled in front of Lux. "I beg of you. I promise that I will do as you say. I will not do anything to harm your interest, just please spar��arghh!"


    Lux didn''t even listen to Sam''s pleading and stabbed the Dwarf''s chest, targeting his heart directly.


    "Animate Undead," Lux stated. "Half-Life Zombie."


    Just like what happened to Lucius, Sam turned into his fateful minion who would serve him with unconditional loyalty.


    "Don''t worry," Lux said as he looked at his two new subordinates. "The two of you may live your life in any way that you want. However, when I need your assistance, both of you will help me without fail. Do we have an understanding?"


    "Of course, Master," Lucius replied.


    "Understood," Sam nodded.


    Lux then shifted his attention to Lucius, who had to y an important role from this point onwards.


    "Lucius, we will drop you off somewhere away from the city," Lux stated. "What you will do is pretend that I am still looking for you and hide in one of Twilight Rain''s bases. Once you have reunited with them, act as you usually would. Feel free to curse me if you have to in front of the members of Twilight Rain to make it believable.


    "Also, when you reunite with Ferron, handle things the same way you would have done in the past. However, do not offend more people this time. One more thing, you must take the initiative to report me to Twilight Rain and make sure that I be one of their high-profile targets."


    Lucius nodded. "Understood, Master. Is there anything else that I can do for you?"


    Lux pondered for a bit before giving Lucius another order. "If ever Aina, her Guild, and her sister are being targeted by Twilight Rain, make sure to warn them in advance as subtly as possible. I will talk to herter about you, so make sure to make this your priority."


    "Okay," Lucius replied. "What about that investment that Nevreal talked about earlier, Master? Was that only an excuse for him to meet me, or were you serious about it?"


    "I was only half serious about it. But since you mentioned it, let''s proceed with this project," Luxmented. "Invest in the construction of an outpost, and make sure to tell them that you will get 20% of whatever gains they get while exploring the Savage Lands."


    "Very well." Lucius gave Lux a brief nod of understanding. "As for the resources that I will gain from the Savage Lands, I will set them aside as Master''s personal funds."


    Lux was quite impressed that Lucius was taking the initiative to make money for him. Although he expected that the spell would make the merchant loyal to him, he didn''t expect it to be like a brainwashing ability that made the Merchant go beyond, volunteering to be Lux''s personal fundraiser.


    "How about me, Master?" Sam, who didn''t want to lose to his rival, asked.


    "Don''t worry, I have something nned for you as well," Lux replied. "From now on, you will coordinate with Guildmaster Ken of the Adventurer''s Guild and help my Branch Guild, Ars Goetia, expand. Your goal is to create shops that will sell consumable items."


    "Just shops, master?" Sam frowned. "Will this be of great benefit to you?"


    Lux smiled. "These shops are only a front. Their true goal is to gather information within the city that they are based in, simr to what Twilight Rain is doing with the Merchant Guilds. Help them in subtle ways, but don''t let the members of Twilight Rain suspect you of anything."


    "Consider it done, Master." Sam patted his chest with confidence. "I will do this without fail."


    "I know you will." Lux rested his hands on Sam''s and Lucius'' shoulders. "Now let''s talk about how we can make Twilight Rain feel as if their house is on fire. Lucius, tell me the names of the people who you know that are part of your organization. My friends will give them all a friendly visit."


    "Yes, Master," Lucius replied.


    ����������������


    Somewhere in the Kingdom of Gweliven��


    Sid pushed the dead body of the Merchant he just stabbed onto the floor of his bedroom.


    Having been an Assassin for many years, all he needed was the name and the location of the target, and he would head there to carry out his mission.


    After receiving the name of one of Twilight Rain''s avid supporters from Sam, the Dhampir didn''t hesitate and went to find his target.


    "One down, two more to go," Sid said softly as he opened his bat-like wings and flew toward the dark sky.


    The night was still young, and he still had more people to kill.


    Sid didn''t shy away from killing people��especially the bad ones.


    Now that he was working on behalf of his Master, Lux, the Dhampir, who was considered a genius Assassin when he was still alive, would be one of the many hunters that the red-headed teenager would unleash against the members of Twilight Rain.


    The Dark Guild had no idea that two of their Honorary Elders were already working for the person who wished to pay them back for all the hardships he had suffered they had caused him in the past.


    For a few months, none of their members dared to make a stir out in the open, in fear that these unknown hunters would knock on their door and paint the ground under their feet with their blood.

 Chapter 738 He Is Going To Marry My Sister Soon!

    ?


    After Lux finished giving Sam and Lucius his orders, he ordered Shax to take Lucius outside Whitebridge City to make it seem like the merchant sessfully escaped their pursuit.


    The Half-Elf then returned to the Dancing Lass Inn, where Nevreal and Robin were waiting for him.


    However, when he arrived, it was not only the middle-aged Dwarf and the low-profile Prince who weed him.


    "Sir Lux!"


    "Big Brother!"


    Two adorable Dwarves instantlytched onto the Half-Elf as if they were bees attracted to honey.


    "Hey! Why are you holding onto Big Brother? Who are you?" Colette asked as she red at the Dwarf girl who was a few years older than her.


    "Because he is my benefactor," Princess Anastasia replied while narrowing her gaze. "And what about you? Why are you hugging Sir Lux as if you have a close rtionship with him? Who are you?"


    "I''m his little sister!"


    "Hah? Since when is it possible for a shortie like you to be Sir Lux''s little sister?"


    "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You''re also a shortie!"


    The two adorable Dwarves red at each other and were still fastened onto the arms of the Half-Elf, who found his current circumstance quite amusing.


    "Colette, what are you doing here?" Lux asked the little girl who was holding onto his left arm with a smile. "It''s way past your bedtime."


    "Big Brother, how could I possibly sleep with the explosions outside?" Colette asked back. "I''m sure that only those who sleep like their dead could have kept sleeping through all that ruckus."


    At that moment, Aina walked towards Lux and gave him the "is everything okay?" gaze.


    The Half-Elf nodded. "Everything has been dealt with. However, do not go out of Whitebridge City for a while just to be safe. We will talk more about the matter tomorrow morning."


    "Understood," Aina replied before shifting her gaze to Princess Anastasia and giving her a respectful bow. "Greetings, Your Highness. I apologize if my sister has offended you."


    Colette, who saw her sister''s sudden gesture, blinked in confusion.


    "Your Highness?" Colette muttered. "You''re a Princess?"


    Princess Anastasia then smiled evilly, which made Colette hide behind Lux, making the Half-Elf chuckle.


    "Princess, please do not bully my little sister," Lux said.


    "How can I possibly do that, Sir Lux?" Princess Anastasia''s devilish smile then changed into a captivating smile so sweet that would make anyone''s teeth rot. "But this is the first time I''m hearing that you have a little sister."


    Colette, who had gained Lux''s support, stopped hiding and raised her chin arrogantly while facing the Princess.


    "Big Brother is my family member," Colette stated. "He is going to marry my sister soon!"


    Princess Anastasia''s smile stiffened after hearing Colette''s deration. The Princess then looked to the side to see the doll-like beauty, who had great poprity among the young nobles of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    She even thought that the reason why her brother, Robin, was always hanging out with the members of the Eternal Guild was to get close to Aina.


    This was what Princess Anastasia had assumed from knowing about her brother''s constant travels outside the Capital City.


    "Y-You will marry each other?" Princess Anastasia. "Is this true, Sir Lux?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Colette is just joking, Your Highness," Lux replied. "Aina and I don''t have that kind of rtionship."


    The Princess breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the Half-Elf''s words, but a faint feeling of anxiety rose in her heart.


    Aina was truly an exceptionaldy, and even Princess Anastasia found herself being attracted to her charm and charisma. If even a Princess like herself was already feeling like this, it was very easy for others to be attracted to her as well.


    "Big Brother, you know I''m not joking!" Colette pouted as she swung Lux''s left hand like a spoiled child who hadn''t gotten her way. "All you need to do is say yes, and I''ll convince my entire family to hold the wedding as soon as possible!"


    "Hmph! Stop ying matchmaker," Princess Anastasia stated. "Sir Lux said that your sister and he don''t have that kind of rtionship. Why are you being a busybody?"


    "You''re the busybody!" Colette shot back. "Also, you''re not the only one who has Big Brother as a benefactor. I have been saved by him many times already!"


    "�� That''s not something that you should be proud of, you know?" Princess Anastasia found herself at a loss of words with Colette''s attitude.


    Almost everyone in the Kingdom would bow their heads to her in respect, but the Dwarf in front of her was different. She was like a mother hen protecting her egg and would automatically attack anyone who came near it.


    For some reason, the Princess found this to be ironic because she too didn''t want other people stealing her golden egg.


    "Alright. Why don''t the two of you calm down first?" Lux decided to intervene before things escted further. "Colette, the explosions are gone, so it''s time for you to head back to your Guild Headquarters and rest. Don''t worry. I promise to see you tomorrow."


    "Really?" Colette asked back.


    "Of course," Lux replied. "The only reason why I came back to the Kingdom of Gweliven was to see you and the others."


    The adorable Dwarf''s face brightened after hearing Lux''s assurance, and it even made her feel special knowing that her Big Brother had gone out of his way just to see her.


    Because of this, she no longer argued with Princess Anastasia and obediently went to her sister''s side like the good girl she was.


    "We will wait for you at the guild tomorrow, Lux," Aina said before giving him and Princess Anastasia a bow. "Let''s go, Colette. Time to sleep."


    Colette nodded and bid her Big Brother and Eiko goodbye before following her Big Sister back to their Guild Headquarters.


    "It must be nice being popr," Millie, who had just descended from the sky,mented. "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you''ve caused tonight?"


    "It''s good to see you again, Millie." Lux grinned. "You have gotten prettier since thest time we met."


    "ttery won''t get you anywhere," Millie replied. "You''re just dodging the question."


    Lux could only shake his head helplessly because he understood that he truly did cause a lot of trouble for everyone.


    He couldn''t even imagine how Nevreal handled the aftermath of his raid at the Merchant''s Guild, which had been mostly destroyed due to the battle between the Rankers and the Greater Light Elemental.


    "Why don''t we head to the inn first?" Nevreal proposed. "The night is still long, and all of us can talk while having a midnight snack."


    The middle-aged dwarf''s proposal was exactly what everyone needed, so they followed him back inside the inn.


    All of them were very curious about what happened during the battle at the Merchant''s Guild, and they were hoping that the red-headed teenager would be able to give them the answers that they were looking for.


    Naturally, Lux didn''t n on telling them everything. He only told them that they didn''t have to worry about Lucius for the time being because he and the Merchant had managed toe to an agreement that would benefit both sides.


    As to whether Nevreal and the others would believe his story, that was something that Lux no longer needed to worry about for the time being.

 Chapter 739 A Half-Baked Ranker

    ?


    "So, after forcing him to sign a Blood Oath, Lucius promised to be a role model for all merchants in the Kingdom of Gweliven," Lux said. "I would appreciate it if the Kingdom no longer looked for ways to trouble him. Both of us now share the same interest."


    An awkward silence descended upon the room as Nevreal, Robin, Princess Anastasia, and Millie looked at the Half-Elf who was clearly bullsh*tting them.


    However, this silence was broken by Princess Anastasia''s cheerful voice that almost made Nevreal and Millie choke on their saliva.


    "As expected of Sir Lux, you handled things perfectly," Princess Anastasiamented. "You are truly the savior of this Kingdom."


    Lux, who received Princess Anastasia''s praises, only smiled and kept his calm demeanor.


    "Well, if you are certain that Lucius will no longer harm this Kingdom''s interest, then I will ept your bullsh*�� I mean, I will ept your exnation," Nevreal replied. "We will treat this matter as an unfortunate incident, and Lucius was just the victim of an assassination attempt by those he wronged in the past. Will that be fine with you?"


    Lux nodded. "That''s fine. Also, do not make contact with Lucius whatsoever. This is especially true for you, Sir Nevreal. I''m sure that Ferron is suspecting you right now."


    "Got it." Nevreal sighed. "I hope this is thest time we are doing something like this. Fortunately, I managed to contact some people to help with the cleanup operation. If not, His Majesty would certainly be livid after hearing about this incident."


    Princess Anastasia, who felt that the right opportunity had arrived, immediately voiced her opinion.


    "Don''t worry, I will take care of Father," Princess Anastasia patted her chest. "I''ll tell him that Sir Lux acted on the behalf of the Kingdom and that he handled the incident to the best of his abilities. I''ll make sure that no fault will fall upon your shoulders, Sir Lux!"


    "Thank you, Your Highness," Lux gave the Princess a grateful bow, which made Princess Anastasia extremely happy.


    Robin and Millie, who could see the Princess'' lovestruck, gaze only averted their gaze and pretended to not see anything.


    "Please take this, Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia offered Lux a Mithril Bracelet that had a very intricate design. "This is a protective artifact, which also has the ability to send me messages. Just activate it and speak to it directly. The message will then be sent to me, and vice versa."


    The Princess then pointed at the blue jewel embedded in the center of the bracelet.


    "If this jewel turns red, it will vibrate lightly, which will inform you that a message was sent," Princess Anastasia exined. "You will need to activate it in order to hear the message. Simple, right?"


    "Understood," Lux epted the bracelet and used his appraisal skill on it. "Thank you again, Your Highness."


    "Don''t mention it." Princess Anastasia''s face slightly reddened after seeing Lux put on the mithril bracelet that she gave him.


    This was the first time she had given something very precious to someone else, which showed just how much she cared about the safety of the red-headed teenager who regrly visited her dreams every night.


    Just like Princess Anastasia had imed, the bracelet was a protective charm that created a barrier around the one wearing the bracelet that could block any attacks from a Low-Ranker.


    This protection could be activated once every ten minutes, making it a life-saving artifact that could be used in dangerous situations.


    Lux already had the Corpse God to protect him, which served a simr purpose. However, the protective charm was also a good thing because there might be some kind of attacks that even his Corpse God couldn''t block.


    "So, what are your ns after this?" Nevreal asked. "I heard from Thoram that you''re quite busy with your Guild at the moment."


    Nevreal didn''t know that the money he gave Lux was used to build the Guild Headquarters of the only Mythical Guild in the world.


    If he knew, he would certainly drop all grudges and give the Half-Elf a thumbs up for putting half of his life savings to good use.


    "I will be leaving the Kingdom of Gweliven in a week because I need to go somewhere far away," Lux exined. "It might be a few months before I am able to return."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Princess Anastasia''s happiness plummeted drastically after hearing that Lux would disappear for a few months.


    She even nned to invite him back to the Capital City of Aeronwen to spend some time rxing in her vi. But now that she heard Lux''s decision, she decided to put this n on hold for the time being.


    "Where will you be going, Sir Lux?" Princess Anastasia asked. Although she had already set aside her n on inviting the Half-Elf to spend a few days in her vi, she still wanted to know where he was going.


    "Actually, I don''t know either," Lux answered. "My Master ns to take me to the Ancestral Grounds of Necromancers to receive the world''s blessings. I don''t know wher��."


    "Wait!" Millie who had remained silent all this time interjected. "Receive the world''s blessings? You mean, you are already about to be a Ranker?!"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "I will go to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds to be a Ranker."


    Robin and Nevreal couldn''t help but look at the Half-Elf as if they were seeing a miraclee to life.


    Both of them had met Lux when he was just starting out in Leaf Vige, and they never imagined that the Half-Elf would be so strong in such a short period of time.


    "Unbelievable," Nevreal muttered. "You''re now going to be a Ranker. Have you been consuming Beast Cores without a care in the world? This is not the right way of doing things, Lux. You''re just going to be a Half-Baked Ranker if you continue this path."


    "That''s right, Lux!" Millie''s expression became serious. "If you just consumed Beast Cores to raise your rank without working hard for it, the World will count that as cheating. You will also receive very few blessings during your breakthrough, and any Ranker of the same Rank would be able to beat you with ease."


    "A solid and strong foundation is the true way of bing a Ranker," Nevreal stated. "The World''s Blessing is not a joke. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The next time you receive such blessings is when you be a Saint, which will take decades to happen."


    Even Princess Anastasia, who had full faith in Lux, felt anxious after hearing Millie''s and Nevreal''s exnation. She wanted Lux to be the strongest Ranker in the Kingdom and didn''t want him to be a Half-Baked Ranker, just like the two adults were talking about.


    "Don''t worry," Lux replied. "Believe me when I say that I''ve worked very hard to reach my current rank. It will be fine."


    Lux didn''t want to tell them that he had fought in severalrge-scale battles and faced many strong opponents during the time that they hadn''t seen each other.


    The Half-Elf firmly believed that he of all people didn''t have to worry about bing a Half-Baked Ranker because that was only for spoiled second-generation kids who had a strong backing.


    An hourter, Lux went to the guest room that Nevreal had assigned to him to rest. Eiko had already peacefully fallen asleep on top of his head, so he gently ced her down on the pillow.


    Lux was also very exhausted, so almost uponying down on the bed, he fall asleep.


    While the Half-Elf was resting, news of what happened in Whitebridge City spread across the entire Kingdom of Gweliven overnight.


    All the Information Guilds were hard at work to gather all the information they could, so that they could sell it for a high price.


    There were always people who wanted to buy thetest information about important things that happened in the Kingdom, like the High-Ranking Nobles and their counterparts.


    Twilight Rain was also one of the organizations that were paying close attention to what happened to Whitebridge City because it involved one of their Honorary Elders.


    They also received a report that another of their Honorary Elders had died in another city.


    ording to the initial investigation, the Merchant was killed with a single stab in the chest, giving him no chance to even scream for help.


    This prompted the Dark Guild to send out its own people to investigate what happened as well as find Lucius'' whereabouts, whom they assumed was still on the run from the organization that tried to kill him in Whitebridge City.

 Chapter 740 I’ve Never Seen You Smile Before

    ?


    "Why are you here again?" Colette asked with a frown when she saw Princess Anastasia inside their Guild Headquarters, holding onto Lux''s right arm.


    The adorable Dwarf was waiting patiently for Lux to arrive after a very eventful night in Whitebridge City.


    She even repeatedly rehearsed the lines that she was going to say in order to convince Lux to marry her sister so that he would officially be part of their family.


    Unfortunately, her greeting was spoiled by the appearance of the clingy princess, whom she felt had feelings for her Big Brother.


    "Oh my, is that the proper way to talk to the Princess of this Kingdom?" Princess Anastasia arched an eyebrow. "I just happened to be free today, so I decided to apany Sir Lux here. Do you have a problem with that?"


    Colette wanted to say that she did have a problem. However, she held back her retort because she didn''t want to get her sister into trouble with the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Because of this, she pouted with a face filled with injustice, making Lux shake his head helplessly.


    "I came here to talk to your sister in private, Colette," Lux said as he lightly patted Colette''s head in an attempt to calm her down. "Is she free?"


    Colette nodded. "She''s already waiting for you in her office."


    "Good," Lux replied. "For the time being, please apany Princess Anastasia. I''ll be talking to your sister."


    Colette wanted to disagree, but since Princess Anastasia was escorted by Four Rankers, including Millie, she could only smile and nod her head obediently.


    When the Half-Elf was no longer in sight, Colette gave Princess Anastasia a side-long nce before inviting her to the guest area.


    Along the way, Princess Anastasia looked around her surroundings with great curiosity.


    "I''ve heard that the Eternal Guild was promoted to a Gold-Ranked Guild by my father," Princess Anastasiamented. "However, the design of this ce is quite simple. It doesn''t look like a Gold-Ranked Guild at all."


    "That''s because my sister doesn''t like fancy stuff," Colette replied in a heartbeat. "She would rather use the funds supposed to make the guild look fancy to arm our members that would ensure their safety when facing off against Monsters."


    "I see. She is a good Guildmaster."


    "I know, right?"


    As Colette chatted with the Princess, Lux arrived at Aina''s office and knocked on its door.


    "Come in."


    Aina''s voice, which sounded like usual, came through the other side of the door.


    When Lux entered the office, he found Aina busy reading some documents that were piled up on her table.


    "Please take a seat," Aina said without even lifting her head from the document she was reading. "I''ll be done in a minute."


    Lux didn''t mind the short wait and sat on the chair in front of Aina''s table. The Half-Elf then stared at the doll-like beauty, who had a strong effect on him due to how closely she resembled the idol he loved back on Earth.


    ''She looks almost exactly like her, but there is one major difference,'' Lux thought as he stared at the dwarf who was being courted by countless nobles from Sis and Elysium because of her beauty that was too good to be true.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lux had noticed that Aina had this ''standoffish attitude'' and that most of the time, she had a deadpan expression.


    A face that didn''t show any emotions, which made the Half-Elf wonder if the doll-like beauty in front of him had lost her heart somewhere.


    Two minutester, Aina set the document down and raised her head to look at the Half-Elf who was looking back at her.


    "I''m sorry for making you wait," Aina said as she set her beautiful eyes on the Half-Elf, which made his heart skip a beat. "First and foremost, I would like to thank you for everything that you have done for me and my sister.


    "As a Guildmaster, I can''t use my authority to make the Guild repay the debt that our family owes you. However, as an individual, I am willing to do anything to repay you as long as it is within my power. So, tell me, Lux Von Kaizer. Is there something you wish for that I may be able to grant?"


    Lux pondered for a bit. The reason why he helped Colette was because she was his first friend in Elysium and, whenever possible, he didn''t want her to get hurt.


    Since Aina was Colette''s sister, he felt that he couldn''t turn a blind eye on those who wanted to harm her as well.


    The Half-Elf was certain that if anything bad happened to her sister, the first one to be devastated was none other than the adorable Dwarf, who had made Lux feel that he was wee in Leaf Vige when he first arrived more than a year ago.


    "How about a smile?" Lux asked. "I''ve never seen you smile before."


    "A smile?" Aina looked at Lux with the same emotionless face, "You want me to smile?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay."


    The doll-like beauty and the Half-Elf stared at each other for nearly half a minute. During this time, the Half-Elf noticed that the corner of Aina''s lips was twitching, as if resisting something that it wasn''t used to doing.


    A few more secondster, the twitching stopped and Aina informed Lux that she had finished smiling, which almost made the Half-Elf choke on his saliva.


    "Y-You call that a smile?" Lux asked in a dumbfounded manner.


    "Yes," Aina replied. "I don''t smile often, but when I do, that is the best that I can do."


    Lux didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry when he heard the doll-like beauty''s reply.


    Now that she had said it, his initial assumption that Aina was unable to express any other emotion on her face, with the exception of her eyes, was now proven true.


    Aina, who didn''t know what Lux was thinking at that moment, went on to ask a question that she had been thinking of for the rest of the night.


    "What really happenedst night?" Aina asked. "Seeing how confident you were when you returned to the inn, I am sure that you have handled this matter in a way that satisfied you."


    Lux nodded and exined to the doll-like beauty everything that happened. Unlike what he had told Nevreal, Robin, Princess Anastasia, and Millie, he told Aina the truth without leaving anything out.


    Since the doll-like beauty and Colette were the main reason why he took the initiative to capture Lucius, he thought that the Guildmaster of Eternal deserved to know the truth about what really transpired a few hours ago.

 Chapter 741 The Warrior Princess [Part 1]

    ?


    "Although I am not 100% certain that Twilight Rain will stop targeting you, I have a feeling that they will not do anything overbearing for a month or two," Lux stated. "If I was in their shoes, I would definitely send people to investigate and find the whereabouts of the person that tried to capture one of their Honorary Elders.


    "Since some of their Rankers were there to serve as witnesses, the Dark Guild will now understand that there is an organization targeting their members. This will make them keep a low profile, at least for a while."


    Aina understood Lux''s exnation and thanked the Half-Elf for telling her the truth.


    "After this, you are going to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Ground in order to be a Ranker, right?" Aina asked.


    Lux nodded. "That''s indeed the n. I will be leaving in a few days after I receive the reports from my subordinates as well as from the two Merchants regarding thetest news about Twilight Rain."


    Aina closed her eyes for a bit as if she was pondering something. A minuteter, the doll-like beauty gazed at the Half-Elf and said something that made Lux wonder if he heard her right the first time.


    "Let''s fight a one-on-one battle."


    That was what Aina told Lux, which caught him by surprise.


    "You want to fight me?" Lux asked. "Why?"


    "Actually, I''ll also be taking the Ranker Trial," Aina replied. "The challenge I chose was to fight someone who I deemed stronger than me. Also, that person should not be older than me. Right now, the only one I can think of that fits these conditions are you."


    Lux didn''t know if he should feel honored because Aina recognized him to be stronger than her. However, he didn''t expect that the doll-like beauty would choose this kind of test in order to be a Ranker.


    ''I forgot that she is also at the Peak of the Initiate Rank,'' Lux thought.


    Aina held the title of The Warrior Princess of Eternal.


    Although she wasn''t really a Princess, she was still the daughter of a High-Ranking Noble in Sis, who was also connected to the Royal Family by blood.


    "Are you sure about this?" Lux asked. "Even if I don''t summon my subordinates, I''m pretty strong, you know?"


    "Both of us are the Peak of the Initiate Rank," Aina countered. "You are a Necromancer, and you rely more on your Summons. However, since I am asking you to fight me one-on-one, you are actually at a handicap. Since that is the case, I will allow you to fight me with one of your Named Creatures fighting alongside you."


    Lux frowned because he could tell that Aina was serious about fighting against him. While he wasn''t truly a brawler or an expert in armedbat, he was still very strong due to his body constitution, the Immortal Dragon''s Conqueror Legacy.


    If he activated his abilities, certain parts of his body could be covered in Dragon Scales, making them very tough as if he was wearing some armor.


    "Eiko, do you want to fight Aina?" Lux asked the baby slime that was perched on top of his head.


    "No!" Eiko replied, which was very unusualing from her. "Don''t want to fight Colette''s sister!"


    "I see." Lux thought that Eiko fighting against Aina would be an interesting battle to watch. However, since the Slime rejected his proposal, he decided to just ept Aina''s challenge to get a better understanding of how strong she really was.


    "Let''s go fight outside the city," Aina proposed. "I don''t want my training hall to be destroyed when we fight."


    Lux couldn''t help but smile at Aina''s proposal. It seemed that the Guildmaster of Eternal had already given a lot of thought to this proposal, so he decided to just go with the flow.


    The two then went to look for Colette and Princess Anastasia to inform them that they would be fighting against each other.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    When Colette heard about this news, her eyes and mouth opened wide because she didn''t expect this sudden turn of events.


    "Big Brother, you and my sister aren''t married yet and you''re already having a fight?" Colette asked in an anxious tone. "Did she say something wrong that offended you? Although my sister doesn''t change her expression, she admits that there were times when she cursed people inside her heart. Did she curse you out loud by ident?"


    Aina, who just had one of her secrets exposed by Colette, pinched her sister''s ears, causing the adorable dwarf to cry out in pain.


    "One more word from you and I''ll tell Lux about your embarrassing moments. Especially a few days ago when you wet your be��."


    Colette immediately used both of her hands to cover her sister''s lips, preventing her from finishing her sentence.


    This earned her a chuckle from her Big Brother, which made her face turn beet red due to embarrassment.


    "A fight huh��," Princess Anastasia muttered as she gazed at the doll-like beauty, whom she had registered as her love rival. ''This is also good. With this, I will be able to see just what kind of tricks she has under her sleeves.''


    News of Lux''s and Aina''s battle was overheard by a passing Guild Member who was about to serve some snacks and tea to Princess Anastasia and her escorts.


    Soon, this news spread through the Eternal Guild like wildfire, making everyone want to see how the battle would turn out. Also, they wanted to be there so that they could cheer for their Guildmaster, whom they all loved and respected very much.


    Half an hourter, Lux and Aina stood on an open in, which was located two miles away from Whitebridge City.


    Nevreal and Robin, who had been informed by Princess Anastasia about the duel, decided toe and spectate as well.


    "Guildmaster, you can do this!"


    "Beat him up! Show him the Will of Eternal!"


    "Our Warrior Princess will prevail! Viva Eternal!"


    "Guildmaster, please bear my child!"


    Various shouts spread in the surroundings as Aina''s guild members cheered for her.


    Lux looked at this rowdy bunch and wondered what their expressions would be after they witnessed his true fighting abilities.


    "Don''t hold back," Aina stated as she raised her mace and round shield in a fighting stance. "Remember, this is a Ranker Trial. If you don''t fight me seriously, the blessings I will receive from the world will also be less. It doesn''t matter what the results of this battle will be. As long as both of us fight to the fullest, my Trial will also bepleted."


    "Very well," Lux replied. "I will fight you seriously."


    It had been a very long time since Lux had fought against an opponent who had the same Rank as him.


    Most of the time, he was fighting against those who surpassed his rank with his Undead Legion and Covenant aiding him each and every time.


    As a Necromancer, he wasn''t really required to fight on the front lines, but since he was also itching to fight solo against Aina, he decided to go all out and show everyone that he could fight in close quarters as well.


    Bothbatants eyed each other for a short while before Lux took the initiative to charge at the doll-like beauty, whose eyes were filled with a burning determination to triumph over the person whom she recognized as someone stronger than her.

 Chapter 742 The Warrior Princess [Part 2]

    ?


    "So, who do you think will win?" Princess Anastasia asked the adorable Dwarf beside her.


    "As much as I like Big Brother, my support goes to my sister on this one," Colette replied. "Also, I''m very curious about who will win between the two of them."


    "Isn''t that already obvious?" Princess Anastasia arched an eyebrow. "Sir Lux had fought against Rankers. How can he possibly lose to a mere Initiate?"


    Colette didn''t reply and only smiled mischievously.


    While it was true that her Big Brother was very strong and could fight many Low-Rankers at once, her sister wasn''t a pushover either.


    As the Guildmaster of a Gold-Ranked Guild, Aina had to have the strength to be recognized as such by her Guild Members. For a very long time, she hadn''t had the chance to fight to the fullest, even though she was always on the frontlines of the battle.


    The main reason was due to the fact that she was busymanding her own troops, instead of focusing on the battle in front of her.


    Now that she was fighting a one-on-one battle against someone of the same Rank, the doll-like beauty could unleash the hidden power that had remained dormant on her small body for a very long time.


    Lux covered his right arm in dragon scales and used his dragon ws to deliver a strong punch toward Aina.


    Aina''s Job ss was Pdin, but she wasn''t an ordinary Pdin. Her profession was actually a unique subss that was called Avenging Angel.


    People might think that she was someone who specialized in defense, but on the contrary, Aina was an offensive type Pdin.


    In one of the Dungeon Raids that was done by multiple guilds, something went terribly wrong. The Boss Monster they were facing suddenly raised its rank to be a Deimos-Ranked World Boss, which caught everyone by surprise.


    Seeing that her Guild Members were going to die due to the monster''s unexpected Trump Card, Aina unleashed her true power and charged at the Boss Monster, engaging it in closebat. This allowed her Guild Members, as well as the other Guilds, to regroup and support her from behind.


    Colette hadn''t been there when it happened, but her sister''s Guild Members told her the details about how amazing that battle was, making her idolize Aina even more.


    When Lux''s punch collided with Aina''s shield, a powerful shockwave suddenly burst forth from the point of impact, sending the Half-Elf flying backward.


    Princess Anastasia''s mouth hung wide open when she saw the unexpected oue of the first exchange between the two fighters.


    Aina''s guild members, on the other hand, cheered loudly because their Guildmaster had shown what she was capable of, making even Colette p her hands in admiration.


    Lux, who had been sent flying, managed to regain his bnce mid-air but still skidded across the ground after hisnding.


    ''My right arm feels numb,'' Lux thought as he narrowed his gaze. ''It felt like I punched a wall made of steel.''


    Although many thought that Aina simply defended against Lux, the Half-Elf knew that the doll-like beauty actually met his attack with an attack of her own, simr to Pazuzu''s Shield Bash.


    But, that wasn''t what surprised Lux the most. After their initial exchange, he realized that in terms of raw strength, Aina was stronger than him.


    "Unbelievable," Lux said as he gave his opponent a smile. "You weren''t joking when you said that I can summon one of my subordinates to fight alongside me."


    Aina didn''t reply and simply remained where she was, her shield and weapon ready to meet whatever Lux would throw at her.


    "Pazuzu,e." Lux summoned his Fortress Defender.


    Among all of his Summons, Pazuzu was the one that focused more on defense. His offensive attack wasn''t that strong, but he could easily take a beating when needed.


    Lux didn''t initially want to summon any of his subordinates when fighting against Aina, but he wanted to put pressure on her in order to assess her true prowess.


    Her strength alone shocked him, and he wanted to know if she had more surprises under her sleeves.


    "Let''s go, Pazuzu," Lux ordered. "Don''t underestimate her. She might be small, but she''s the real deal."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Pazuzu nodded and charged toward Aina with his shield raised.


    Lux followed behind the Fortress Defender with the intention of using thetter to sh with Aina first, while he delivered the main attack from behind.


    Aina remained calm as she gazed at Pazuzu, who was running towards her like a Mad. The Fortress Defender nned to use his shield bash to contend with Aina in strength, using the bulk of his defenses as his ramming force.


    When Pazuzu was only a few meters away from his target, Aina stomped her right foot backward and unleashed a Shield Charge of her own.


    When her small round shield shed with Pazuzu''s shield, which was of the Legendary Rank, another powerful shockwave ensued.


    Although Pazuzu wasn''t sent flying like what happened to his Master, the Fortress Defender still took three steps backward, while Aina only took one.


    Lux then leaped behind the Fortress Defender and unleashed a Dragon Breath at point-nk range.


    He didn''t even hold back his attack because he had a feeling that if he didn''t take Aina seriously, the one who would get beaten up would be him.


    Lux''s fiery breath descended upon the doll-like beauty, who had her mace ready to strike forward.


    "Divine Smite!" Aina swung her mace, which zed with Divine mes, to meet Lux''s Dragon Breath.


    When the two attacks collided, it created a blinding sh that made the onlookers briefly cover their eyes.


    Aina''s Divine mes dispersed Lux''s Dragon Breath, nullifying each other''s element.


    While everyone was shielding their eyes from the aftermath, Lux and Aina simply closed their eyes and didn''t stop exchanging blows with each other.


    The Half-Elf once again covered his right arm in Dragon Scales and punched down, aiming to hit Aina''s doll-like face.


    Aina, on the other hand, swung her mace upwards as a follow-up to her initial strike, meeting Lux''s punch head-on.


    When everyone regained their vision, they saw Lux flying backward once again.


    Although Divine Attacks didn''t deal any damage to him, the force of Aina''s blow was so strong, he felt like he just punched a ten-wheeler truck that was running at full speed.


    But, the battle was far from over, Aina didn''t remain still after her counterattack. A pair of fiery angelic wings appeared behind her back, allowing her to fly towards the Half-Elf, who was still flying through the air.


    ''Sh*t!" Lux immediately equipped his Favonius Legacy and used its flying ability to dodge Aina''s follow-up strike in mid-air.


    The two then engaged each other and started a dogfight in the sky, causing loud explosions every time their blows met.


    Pazuzu, who was on the ground, looked at this unexpected turn of events and scratched his head.


    Meanwhile, the Eternal Guild cheered for their Guildmaster, who now looked like an Avenging Angel.


    The fiery angelic wings on her back matched her near-perfect beauty.


    Although he was in the middle of the fight, Lux wasn''t able to stop himself from being charmed by this deadlybination, and his heart even skipped a beat.


    What the Half-Elf didn''t know was that Aina had two Unique Abilities that were almost a cheat.


    Even though she was still an Initiate, she was also someone who could fight up to two Low Rankers at the same time, which was something that very few people could do at the Initiate Rank.

 Chapter 743 Are You Ready For Round Two?

    ?


    With every exchange, the one who was getting pushed back was always Lux, making him wonder just how high Aina''s strength stat was.


    His Soul Book could only appraise monsters, and on very rare circumstances, Demi-humans as well.


    However, he was unable to view the stats of Foreigners just like him.


    Aina had two Unique Skills that made her incredibly powerful in one-on-one battles.


    The first one was Divine Strength [EX].


    This unique ability gave Aina a permanent 300% increase in her strength stat. Also, this ability prevented her strength stat from being lowered by any kind of debuffs, making itpletely broken.


    To make aparison, ALL-MITE had the skill, God Strength [EX], which increased his Strength Stat by 500% for one minute. If this skill was used alongside his other skill, Max Ultra [EX], which increased all of ALL-MITE''s stats by 500%, the Four-Armed Hero''s punch packed a "Smash" that would send anyone of the same rank as him to oblivion.


    Unlike these two stat-boosting skills that could only be used for a short period of time, Aina''s Divine Strength Skill was permanently active.


    Meaning, anyone who tried to fight her one-on-one in closebat would feel a world of pain.


    This was why her Ranker Trial was a special one. She could only fight someone of the same age or lower than her age, and that person must be stronger than her.


    When it came to the term stronger, it didn''t mean that the one she fought against had to be literally stronger in terms of raw strength. Currently, no Initiate in existence had a higher strength stat than Aina in both Sis and Elysium.


    Her second skill was just as ridiculous as the first one. The name of this skill was called Angel of Vengeance [EX]. This skill gave Aina the ability to fly and also increase her Agility and Dexterity stat by 300%.


    While this might sound broken, it was actually not.


    Aina had pooled most of her stat points into her Strength Stat, so the boost in Agility and Dexterity wasn''t as disgusting as her Divine Strength [EX] ability.


    Even so, her current Agility and Dexterity Stats were simr to Lux''s, giving the Half-Elf a great disadvantage when talking about raw stats.


    ''S-Sir Lux is losing?!'' Princess Anastasia couldn''t believe what she was seeing as Lux and Aina shed repeatedly in the air.


    Every time they shed, Lux would be pushed back.


    Aina, who was taking the battle seriously, didn''t give him an opportunity to recover, engaging him in continuous attacks.


    If not for the fact that Lux''s body constitution was a special one, several of his bones might have already been broken by now.


    After her relentless attacks, an opportunity presented itself, which would allow Aina to smash her mace against Lux''s body directly.


    Naturally, the doll-like beauty didn''t let this chance slip by and went for the finishing blow.


    At that exact moment, a Giant Ethereal Skeleton appeared, covering Lux''s body. Aina, who had beenpletely caught off guard, was pushed back by the Shield Bash that the Corpse God had used to block her attack.


    Of course, that didn''t end there. Since the Corpse God was equipped with several weapons, it took the initiative to attack Aina using its Crossbow, firing Ethereal Bolts in her direction and forcing her to dodge.


    Since the beginning of the fight, Lux had turned off his passive skill, Corpse God [EX], because he didn''t think that he would need it to fight against Aina.


    In short, the Half-Elf had greatly underestimated his opponent.


    After fightingrge-scale wars and oveing them, the Half-Elf had developed a mentality that made him think that he could beat anyone as long as he had his Summons with him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    But, in a fight where he couldn''t summon them, he found himselfcking in many aspects.


    Of course, as a Necromancer, Lux was already doing extremely well in terms of his ability to fight in close quarters. Most Necromancers only stayed at the back of their Undead Army and issuedmands from a safe distance.


    ''Time to fight seriously,'' Lux narrowed his eyes as he hovered mid-air, looking at the doll-like Angel, who had been pushed back by the Corpse God, whose main role was to protect Lux against any kind of attack.


    "Aina, I apologize for underestimating you," Lux stated. "I shouldn''t have done that, so I owe you an apology."


    "Apology epted," Aina replied. "I told you from the very start that you should fight me seriously. Now, you''ve finally realized your mistake."


    "Indeed." Lux nodded. "But my Trump Cards are pretty scary. If I use them, I can''t guarantee that I will be able to hold back. Do you have any life-saving artifacts on your body?"


    Aina nodded. "I do, so feel free to use your strongest move. How about you? Do you have any life-saving artifacts as well?"


    Before Lux could even answer Aina''s question, the Dragon Token inside his storage ring glowed brightly.


    The two fighters were then engulfed by a sh of light.


    When they finally regained their senses, they found themselves in a deserted in that extended for miles.


    "This is my own personal Domain."


    A voice filled with confidence reverberated in the surroundings.


    "Even if you fight to the death here, you won''t really die. The first one to receive a fatal blow will immediately be expelled from the domain, preventing them from dying. So, both of you fight with everything you have without holding anything back."


    Although Aina was surprised by the sudden change in environment, the voice''s assurance gave her some peace of mind.


    Lux also felt relieved because he no longer needed to hold back his Trump Cards, which he was afraid to use against Aina.


    "Are you ready for Round Two?" Lux asked with a devilish smile on his face.


    "I''m as ready as I''ll ever be," Aina replied in that same monotonous voice, devoid of any feelings whatsoever.


    After hearing her confirmation, Lux activated his Peerless Dragon Strike [SSR] and the silhouette of a giant Golden Dragon appeared behind him.


    After he became a Heaven''s Necromancer, his Peerless Dragon Strike received an upgrade, allowing him to use it three times a day.


    He had only used Keoza''s Crystal Dragon Breath in the past, but now that he could use it more frequently, he was willing to experiment.


    The Half-Elf wanted to use the other Signature Abilities of the Dragon Race asparison.


    Aina, who was facing such a threat, only took a fighting stance, setting her mace aze with Divine mes.


    Within the depths of her beautiful eyes, a tinge of anticipation started to bloom.


    It was not only Lux that had been holding back for fear that she might identally kill her opponent.


    Now that a perfect environment had presented itself, Aina could fight to her heart''s content.

 Chapter 744 Falling In Love All Over Again

    ?


    Peerless Dragon Strike [SSR].


    That was one of Lux''s Trump Cards, which he could only use three times a day.


    Its power varied depending on the type of Dragon he was going to use, and right now, he was using the Golden Dragon.


    Aside from its powerful Dragon Breath, which all dragons possessed, the Golden Dragon had a special ability to transform into a Demi-Dragon, simr to what Aur looked like.


    However, these dragons possess incredible strength, which they retained even in their Demi-Dragon forms.


    If Lux wanted to, he could have briefly transformed into a Demi-Red Dragon.


    But, after the power of his Abyss Touch had gone out of control, his Dragon''s characteristics had changed to that of a ck Dragon.


    The only thing that Lux retained from his Red Dragon Blood was his nearplete immunity to fire.


    Special mes like the Transcendent mes, or any other kind of Unique mes would still deal damage to him, but their effect would be decreased by 50%


    As a ck Dragon, he had gained immunities against Acid attacks and Poison.


    "Golden Demi-Dragon Form!" Lux said.


    Immediately, two golden wings sprouted on his back, and a pair of golden dragon horns appeared on his head.


    His arms were covered in gold dragon scales, and his green eyes had turned golden as well.


    ������������


    < Golden Demi Dragon Form >


    �� Gains the power of an Ancient Golden Dragon for a short period of time.


    �� Duration 30 minutes.


    ������������


    With one p of his Draconic Wings, Lux flew towards Aina, who didn''t hesitate and charged at him as well.


    "Dragon War Art," Lux roared. "Dragon Rend!"


    Lux''s wed hand glowed brightly as he unleashed a more powerful version of the Dragon''s w that could cut through steel with ease.


    "Divine Smite!" Aina smashed her mace forward, meeting Lux''s attack head on.


    Her Mace was a Legendary Weapon that had been given to her by her Father, which was one of their family''s treasured weapons.


    She only used it whenever she intended to fight seriously. Most of the time, she only used a Mythical-Ranked Mace whenever she was fighting alongside her guild members.


    When the two attacks collided, bothbatants were almost blown away by the sheer impact of their strike.


    However, both managed to resist it, and engaged in a flurry of attacks against each other.


    Due to the strength of the Ancient Golden Dragon that Lux possessed, his strength stat had increased to match Aina''s, surprising the doll-like beauty.


    Aina''s mace and shield met Lux''s Draconic ws, creating booming sounds every time they shed against each other.


    Neither of them backed down and engaged in closebat, while trying to find an opportunity tond a devastating blow to get the upper hand.


    At the midst of the battle, Lux noticed something that made him react a second slower than he usually did, which he regretted secondster after Aina''s mace smashed on his chest, which sent him flying.


    "That hurts," Lux muttered as he righted himself in mid-air.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    He then stared back at the angelic beauty in front of him and smiled through the pain.


    "Are you enjoying this battle, Aina?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Aina replied in the same monotonous voice as ever.


    However, if one was quite familiar with how she talked, they would notice that it was a bit more livelier than usual.


    "Good," Luxmented. "Because, I can see it on your face as well. You should always smile like that."


    Aina, who didn''t expect Lux to say something so out of ce, narrowed her gaze.


    "If this is your way of distracting me then I''m sorry to tell you that it''s not going to work," Aina stated. "Now, let''s continue."


    Lux smirked before nodding his head.


    The main reason why the Half-Elf had lost hisposure during their exchange was due to the fact that he saw Aina''s fearless smile as the two of them fought tooth and nail against each other.


    Even now, the doll-like beauty still didn''t know that there was a smile stered on her face, which made the Half-Elf assume that she was enjoying their battle.


    ''This is like falling in love all over again,'' Lux thought as he remembered his idol, Luna, back on Earth.


    It was her smile that made him be an instant fan, and seeing that same smile on someone who looked like a younger version of her, the Half-Elf was unable to stop the feeling of nostalgia.


    However, as much as he wanted to appreciate Aina''s smile and beauty, they were currently fighting against each other. It would be disrespectful, and dangerous for him to not focus his attention on fighting her seriously.


    Thatst attack that connected with his chest made him feel a stinging pain, and it made him wonder if Aina managed to break a rib or two.


    Fortunately, Golden Dragons also had powerful regeneration abilities. Although he still felt a stinging pain on his chest, his internal injuries were healing at a rapid pace.


    Without giving any warning, Lux flew upwards and unleashed one of the most deadly Draconic Attacks in his arsenal.


    "Draco-Meteor!"


    Countless giant fireballs descended from the sky, giving no ce for Aina to dodge.


    In the end, she resorted to meeting these fireballs head on and smashing them with her mace one by one, dispersing them with each strike.


    When Aina had just dispersed the sixth meteor, she found herself face to face with the Half-Elf who had snuck behind his attack in order to catch her by surprise.


    A secondter, Lux threw a Draconic Punch, aiming at Aina''s face.


    However, he forcefully changed its trajectory mid-strike, hitting her shoulder instead.


    Although he knew that dying inside the Domain wouldn''t really kill them for real, he just couldn''t hit his idol''s face with a killing blow.


    Even if his mind could endure it, his heart couldn''t.


    Also, if by any chance Aina would receive a permanent injury on her face, even if she didn''t die inside the Domain, Colette would definitely call for the Blood Gods to avenge her sister.


    Despite all this, the blow was still strong enough to send Aina crashing towards the ground like a missile strike.


    But, at the veryst moment, she managed to regain control and used her wings to change her trajectory.


    She flew only half a meter above the ground for nearly half a minute before finallynding and skidding across it, creating a dust cloud.


    Lux who saw this immediately dove down from the sky to check her condition.


    Due to this, he didn''t notice the dark clouds that were covering the sky, and the faint rumble of thunder that was starting to awaken from its slumber.

 Chapter 745 Angel Of Vengeance [Part 1]

    ?


    Aina slowly propped herself on the ground using her right hand.


    Pain wracked the left side of her body, especially the part where Lux''s attack had connected.


    This wasn''t the first time she received an injury like this because there had been several instances where she had to face off against Boss Monsters in Dungeons, who far exceeded her Rank, in order to protect her Guild Members.


    Each and every time this happened, Aina would take a break from Dungeon Expeditions, and allow herself time to heal.


    What many didn''t know was that Aina bore many scars on her body.


    Only her doll-like beauty had remained untouched by such scars, making people think that the rest of her body was just as beautiful as her face.


    Aina didn''t really pay any attention to these scars because, for her, they were the marks of all the times that she had cheated death in Elysium.


    Naturally, her family tried to use the best potions and healing salves they could to remove these scars from her body. But, for some unknown reason, none of them had any effect on her.


    It was as if these scars didn''t want to be removed, serving as her medals for surviving the life and death battles she had faced.


    "Are you alright?"


    Lux''s concerned voice reached her ears, making him look up at the Half-Elf who was hovering a few meters above her.


    "No," Aina replied. "But, it doesn''t matter. The fight isn''t over yet."


    The Guild Master of Eternal gripped her mace tightly before spreading her fiery angelic wings wide.


    "Let''s finish this duel," Aina stated. "Or are you saying that you''re afraid to hurt me?"


    Aina asked with a devilish smile on her face, which made the Half-Elf almost say Yes to her question. However, before he could answer, Aina jumped up and attacked Lux without warning.


    The Half-Elf had already expected that something simr to this was going to happen, so he immediately summoned the Corpse God to block Aina''s attack.


    Even though she was injured, the might of her Divine Smite didn''t weaken. In fact, it had be even stronger, which slightly pushed Lux back.


    Understanding that she wouldn''t surrender, and only her total defeat would end the battle, the Half-Elf no longer hesitated and attacked alongside the Corpse God in order to subdue the Fiery Angel, who was smiling despite the pain she was feeling.


    shes of lightning streaked across the heavens, and thunder boomed like the roars of lions, as Aina desperately attacked and fended off Lux''s blows, using only her right arm.


    Just as the Corpse God''s il was about to hit the Fiery Angel''s body, a lightning bolt descended from the heavens and deflected it.


    Soon, more lightning bolts rained down from the heavens, attacking the Half-Elf like snakes that wanted to sink their fangs into his body.


    ''What is happening here, Keoza?!'' Lux asked as he evaded one lightning bolt after the other. ''Are you switching sides?''


    ''No,'' Keoza replied. ''The world�� is breaking through my domain.''


    ''Huh?'' Lux was about to ask more, but a loud crashing sound, simr to thousand crystal vases breaking at the same time reverberated in the surroundings.


    The endless in where he and Aina were fighting was enshrouded in a thunderstorm that made Lux wonder if Keoza was ying a prank on him.


    ''Back away now!'' Keoza warned. ''Get as far away from Aina as you can!''


    Lux didn''t even think twice and followed Keoza''s order because he, too, felt that something terribly wrong was going to happen next.


    Just as the Half-Elf had distanced himself from the doll-like beauty by hundreds of meters, a sight that he never thought possible happened in front of him.


    Countless lightning bolts rained down from the heavens, making it look like the end of the world hase.


    But, these lightning bolts didn''t target Lux.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Instead, all of them locked on Aina, hitting her small body from all sides.


    A scream of pain spread in the surroundings as the doll-like beauty was bathed in countless lightning bolts, creating a miniature silver sun amidst the darkness.


    Lux wanted to go and help Aina, but Keoza told him to stay where he was, and focus on defending himself.


    ''Don''t do anything Rash!'' Keoza stated. ''We can''t help her. This is her battle!''


    ''What do you mean?'' Lux asked. ''What battle?''


    ''The world�� she is receiving the blessing of the World to break through and be a Ranker.''


    ''T-This is the World''s Blessing?!''


    Lux didn''t expect that the so-called Rank Up would be like this. If all Rankers had to face this kind of punishment, wouldn''t that mean that some of them died before they could even be a Ranker?


    ''Not all World Blessings are the same,'' Keoza replied. ''Some can be a Ranker without experiencing something like this. There was even a case when an Initiate chose a Ranker Trial that was to just take a nap.


    "After that he became a Ranker without too much fuss. The breakthrough that Aina might be facing right now might not bepletely rted to you. Perhaps, the impetus was for her to feel something when she was fighting against someone who was stronger than her.


    "Only then would her true trial emerge, which is this Lightning Storm. Maybe her Profession is so Heaven Defying that it became like this."


    Keoza''s exnation didn''t make Lux feel any better. Aina screamed, and screamed, and screamed some more, making the Half-Elf wish that he could help her.


    But, each time he tried to do it, Keoza forced him to stop and stated that interfering with the World''s Blessing would bring Aina more harm than good.


    Even when Aina stopped screaming, the rain of lightning didn''t stop. The silver sun in the distance was still being hit repeatedly by countless lightning bolts.


    Finally, after nearly fifteen minutes, the lightning stopped pouring from the sky.


    The silver sun then slowly decreased in size until Aina''s frame appeared in Lux''s vision.


    The Guildmaster of Eternal floated in the sky with her eyes closed.


    Behind her were wings that moved as if they were tendrils instead of wings that kept her afloat.


    The other thing that Lux noticed was that she was no longer wearing her armor.


    Her naked body wasid bare for anyone to see, including the scars that only her family members knew about.


    Slowly, but surely, Aina opened her eyes.


    Lux wasn''t able to see her pupils in them because her eye sockets were glowing in a silver light.


    "Lux, prepare to fight!" Keoza gave another warning after seeing Aina''s current form. "She has sessfully broken through, but her mind is unstable right now. You need to buy time until she recovers her senses!


    "Because her breakthrough has just ended, the remnant power of the Lightning Storm is still coursing through her body. She''s as strong as a High-Ranker, so make sure to stop her at all cost. My Domain has been breached by the Laws of Elysium, and if I don''t try to repair it, the Domain will shatterpletely."


    "If that happens, Aina and you will be transported back to the real world. If that were to be a reality, there is a high chance that she might attack her Guild Members instead of you, and start a one-sided massacre. We mustn''t let that happen, or she will feel guilty for life!"


    Lux took a deep breath because that was something he didn''t want to see as well.


    "Everyone, knock her out!" Lux ordered as he summoned all of his Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant.


    Now that he was no longer fighting Aina in a duel, he must neutralize her as soon as possible.


    Not only for her sake, but for the sake of the people that were waiting for her back in the real world as well.

 Chapter 746 Angel Of Vengeance [Part 2]

    ?


    Aina who had opened her eyes didn''t show even the slightest reaction when Lux had summoned his Undead Army.


    The scars on her body lit up, one by one, in a silvery light, showing just how much she had suffered in the past.


    A momentter, white mes covered her chest, and lower area, hiding the things that mustn''t be seen so casually in public.


    Aside from those two ces, everything wasid bare.


    Her beauty that had caught the eyes of many Dwarves, both in Sis and Elysium, had be more exquisite after bing a Ranker. However, this surreal beauty held a terrifying power behind it, a power that would devastate anything around her.


    It was as if she was a newly born divine being, whose main purpose was to destroy those sheid her eyes on.


    And right now��


    Her eyes were locked on the Half-Elf, who had no intention of letting her break free from Keoza''s domain.


    Lux knew that if Aina were to return to the real world in her current state, she might crush with her own hands, everything she held sacred.


    "Attack!" Lux ordered and his Army moved as one.


    The Skeleton Gangbangers and the Steel Golem merged to be two Hecatoncheires.


    Although Aina was flying in the sky, and away from their reach, they had allies that were capable of pulling the Angel of Vengeance down from the heavens.


    "Duel [EX]!" Orion shouted as he pointed his finger at Aina.


    Aina''s body stiffened for a brief moment before she gazed down upon the lowly Jade Golem on the ground, who had dared to challenge her might.


    Without even blinking, the Angel of Vengeance pped her tendril-like wings and dove down from the sky.


    Upon seeing this, the two Hecatoncheires immediately positioned themselves to intercept her.


    Using their hundreds of arms, they tried to restrain the Angelic Beauty, who was still under the effects of her Heavenly Tribtion.


    As one of the Hecatoncheires attempted to grab Aina mid-flight, the tendril-like wings behind her back moved like whips that were as sharp as swords.


    The hands that had tried to grab her body were all sliced up, making the Hecatoncheires scream in pain.


    (A/N: The tendrils of wings are not of the Divine Element but superpressed white mes.)


    Orion, who was now about to face Aina head-on, held his ground and pulled back his arm.


    Aina, who saw this, spread her arms wide, and summoned two silvery swords that seemed to be made of light.


    To Orion''s surprise, Aina''s speed suddenly increased, making her re-appear only a meter away from him.


    It was toote for the Jade Golem to do anything. Aina flew past Orion''s body after shing him in half.


    Or at least, that was what should have happened.


    Orion waspletely unscathed by Aina''s attack, which surprised the Jade Golem.


    ''I see�� so that''s how it was,'' Lux''s eyes widened in shock when he finally remembered that his Undead Army was no longer the same.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Yes, they were now immune to Light, Life, and Divine Magic, which was the weakness of Undead Monsters.


    ''But, her wings are still a problem.'' Lux narrowed his gaze at the tendril-like wings that made Aina look so Holy.


    The Half-Elf was nearly-immune to all mes, and he wondered if he would be able to survive the deadly tendrils which had cut the arms of his Hecatoncheires with ease.


    Aina, who had also noticed that the Jade Golem didn''t die after her attack circled back in order to kill it again.


    It was as if she couldn''t ept the fact that someone had survived her attack. She then made the silvery swords in her hands increase in size and radiance in order to make sure that her target wouldn''t live a second time.


    Orion, who had learned his lesson immediately unleashed a punch of his own, but Aina deftly evaded his attack and shed upwards.


    As if not satisfied with one strike, she immediately made a follow up attack, forming a cross on Orion''s body before flying away.


    However, just like her first attempt, the Jade Golem didn''t die.


    Aina then looked at the two swords in her hands as if wondering what had happened.


    But, just as Lux was about to rejoice that she wasing back to herself, the Angel of Vengeance once again descended from the sky, and this time, her tendril-like wings moved to sh at Orion repeatedly.


    This time around, she seeded and the Jade Golem turned into particles of light after Aina changed her tactics.


    "Morpheus, Petrification Rays!" Asmodeusmanded.


    The Death Tyrant, who was Asmodeus'' first Named Subordinate, unleashed a barrage of Petrification Rays in order to target the doll-like beauty, who had finally figured out how to defeat her foes.


    After bing a Ranker, Aina''s two Unique Abilities had received an upgrade.


    Her Divine Strength [EX], had be Divine Strength [SSR], which increased her Strength by 400%.


    Her other skill, Angel of Vengeance [EX], had also been upgraded and was now Angel of Vengeance [SSR], which upgraded the boost in her Dexterity and Agility by 400%.


    With these two upgrades, Aina, who currently had the power of a High-Ranker was a very dangerous enemy to fight.


    "Archers, Open Fire!" Ishtarmanded and she, along with the Skeleton Arcane Archers, unleashed a volley of arrows towards their target, but Aina was simply too fast for them to hit.


    Just as the Angel of Vengeance changed its trajectory to target Lux, King Leoric and his Wraith Knights intercepted her.


    Currently, King Leoric was Lux''s strongest subordinate.


    The Wraith King was a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss. An existence that would require a party of High-Rankers to defeat without suffering any casualties.


    With his entourage of Wraith Knights, who were all of the Deimos-Rank, they could defeat almost anyone that stood in their way.


    Unfortunately, due to Aina''s stat boosting skills which increased her Strength, Agility, and Dexterity by 400%, her current power matched that of a peak High-Ranker.


    In short, the might she possessed was simr to a party of High-Rankers, who could stand against a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss with ease.


    Aina summoned two fiery swords in her hands, which had the same element as her wings. Since her Divine Power wasn''t working against her opponents, she would just simply cut them up, using the mes of Vengeance that could cut through anything within her line of sight.

 Chapter 747 Angel Of Vengeance [Part 3]

    ?


    King Leoric traded sword strikes with Aina and gauged her power, speed, and reaction time.


    As a former Saint, he had fought many battles, and had a front row seat when the Abyssal Creatures descended upon the world.


    In short, he had very rich battle experience, which he still retained even after death.


    After exchanging a few blows with Aina, the Wraith King finally understood how to effectively neutralize her without killing her.


    ording to Keoza, if Aina was killed inside the Domain, she would be expelled from it and returned to the real world.


    This was not the scenario that they wanted, and their goal was only to neutralize her. They needed to buy time until Keoza patched up his Domain, preventing Aina from escaping it.


    Fortunately, Aina seemed to have no intention of leaving until all of the enemies in front of her were dead.


    His Wraith Knights formed a barricade that stood between his battle with Aina, and Lux, preventing the Angel of Vengeance from targeting the Half-Elf.


    After nearly five minutes of fighting against Aina, King Leoric shared his thoughts with Lux, who was being protected by his subordinates.


    ''Lux, I have one good news and one bad news,'' King Leoric said through telepathy as he continued to fight against the Angel of Vengeance, whose attacks were bing more fierce with each passing minute. ''Which one do you want to hear first?''


    ''The bad news,'' Lux replied.


    ''Well, the bad news is that, currently, I am the only one that can contend with Aina,'' King Leoric stated. ''Also, I alone cannot defeat her. At most, I can prevent her from attacking you and the others, but that is the best I can do.''


    ''And the good news is?''


    ''The good news is that in a battle of attrition, I am confident that I will win. We can just wait it out until she regains her senses. But, we will not know when that will be, so I have a proposal.''


    The Wraith King proposed his n, which Lux found to be quite risky, but effective.


    ''Understood, we will do that,'' Lux replied before giving his orders to his subordinates through telepathy.


    After getting their orders, Lux''s army positioned themselves in a V-Formation, with Pazuzu at the very center.


    After Orion died, he was the only one that could tank Aina''s attack, and Lux nned to use that opportunity to deal the final blow to the doll-like beauty who still hadn''t regained her senses.


    After everyone moved in position, Lux''s gue wing Gargoyles flew towards Aina and unleashed their Poison Smog, covering the skies in a green cloud of poisonous smog.


    Lux didn''t know if Aina had gained a resistance to poison and diseases that could potentially decrease her fighting ability.


    He didn''t have any hopes that the first phase of their strategy would work, but since there was no harm in trying, he still ordered his subordinates to follow the n that the Wraith King had devised.


    Aina, who had been covered by the Poisonous Smog didn''t show any reaction at first, but the Wraith King, who had been fighting against her, noticed that her movements had be a bit sluggish.


    As an Undead, the Wraith King was immune to Poison, as well as diseases that could weaken his ability to fight.


    The gue Wing Gargoyle''s Unique Ability, gue Bearer, increased the chance of inflicting those who had been exposed to their attacks with poison and disease.


    Lux had experienced this when he was still in the Beginner''s Vige, and he understood just how annoying this ability was.


    Aina, who probably realized that the Poisonous Smog was making her feel ufortable, distanced herself from the Wraith King as she tried to break free from the smog that covered her surroundings.


    However, just as she was about to break through it, she felt a strong pulling from the ground.


    Pazuzu had activated his Duel [EX], and forced Aina to exchange blows with him.


    "She''sing," ALL-MITE said.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Asmodeus, Revon, Zagan, and Lazarus nodded their heads in affirmation.


    "Ithaqua, don''t die again, okay?" Asmodeus said as he summoned the Creature of the Cold White Silence to his side.


    The Giant Wendigo-like creature nodded its head and summoned a raging blizzard that easily turned the visibility to zero.


    Aina, who had been affected by the skill, Duel [EX], could not see anything in front of her, but she knew where her target was.


    Once the skill, Duel [EX], was activated, a blow must be exchanged no matter what.


    Even Lux admitted that the skill waspletely broken, but since he and his subordinates were the only ones that could use it, he didn''t mind it being broken!


    Knowing that he wouldn''t survive Aina''s tendril-like wings, Pazuzu didn''t hesitate and activated his Shield Wall, and braced for the uing attack.


    Just like he expected, Aina used her wings to sh at the Fortress Defender with a vengeance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    However, the tendrils didn''t hit their target because Revon''s flying swords, Zagan''s ck lightning bolts, Diablo''s sword shes, Lazarus'' Ice Rays, Ishtar''s Power Shot, and ALL-MITE''S smash, repelled them all.


    Aina might be a High-Ranker, but her tendril-like wings weren''t as strong as her.


    If they were targeted individually, they could be repelled ording to King Leoric''s assumption.


    Fortunately, his idea was correct, which created an opportunity for Lux''s subordinates to neutralize one of Aina''s deadly weapons.


    Due to the blizzard, giving zero visibility, Aina didn''t see the Giant Crystal Dragon that was hovering high up in the heavens.


    Lux had used the Poison Smog of his gue-Wing Gargoyles to create a smokescreen that allowed him to fly upwards.


    Once he was in position, Pazuzu then used his Duel [EX] to make Aina dive towards the ground.


    After that, Ithaqua used the Blizzard to reduce the visibility in the surroundings, preventing Aina from seeing Lux''s Trump Card in the sky.


    ''I''m sorry, but you leave me no choice,'' Lux thought as he opened his mouth wide to unleash an attack that would neutralize the Angel of Vengeance that they were fighting with everything they had.


    "Crystal Dragon''s Breath!"


    From above the heavens a shimmering Dragon Breath descended in full force. Lux knew that his subordinates would be caught up in the attack, but that was fine.


    His subordinates knew that even if they turned into crystal statues, no real harm would be done to them.


    Aina, who wasn''t aware of the attack that came from above, didn''t manage to react in time before the Crystal Dragon Breath bathed her Divine Body with its crystallized might.


    She tried to resist it using her fiery mes, and burn the crystals that were slowly encasing her body.


    For a brief moment, the White mes managed to burn away the crystals that were spreading across her body. However, Lux didn''t relent in his attack and continued to squeeze out everything he could to make this attack work.


    As Lux and Aina fought tooth and nail against each other, Bedivere, who had also been summoned by Lux, pointed his finger towards the Angel of Vengeance, who was resisting his Master''s attack.


    "Duel [EX]!" Bedivere shouted, making Aina''s body shudder.


    He was one of Lux''s subordinates that had gained this ability after being reborn, but he rarely used it because Orion and Pazuzu were always there to face the brunt of the enemy''s attack.


    However, at this very critical moment, the Dragon Knight took one for the team and forced Aina to fight against him.


    Due to thispelling urge to target the Dragon Knight, who was hovering in the sky, Aina''s attempt to use her mes to repel the crystals that were spreading over her body failedpletely.


    In just a matter of seconds, the doll-like beauty was turned into a crystal statue, making Lux, who had given everything in hisst attack, pant for breath.


    Now that Aina had finally been encased in crystals, the immediate danger was over.


    However, that didn''t mean that they could let their guard down.


    Even though Aina had turned into a statue, the white mes inside her body remained.


    "Although her chances of breaking free are slim, the chance still exists," Keoza''s words reached Lux''s ears. "Until I say otherwise, do not dispel the crystals that are keeping her in ce, do you understand?"


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    The Half-Elf took a deep breath before descending towards the ground to rest. He never thought that his duel with Aina would trigger the World''s Blessing and transform the doll-like beauty into a Ranker.


    Lux didn''t want to admit it, but he felt a little envious of Aina. He had also wanted to be a Ranker, but the doll-like beauty beat him to bing one.


    But, after witnessing the kind of Tribtion that Aina underwent in order to be a Ranker, the Half-Elf started to feel anxious about his own breakthrough, which would be happening very soon.


    ��--------------


    (A/N: Important Announcement!)


    My other novel, Wizard World Irregr, will be going premium soon. Since this is a non-exclusive novel, it cannot be seen in my profile.


    Just search for it in the Webnovel search engine in order to see this amazing story.


    Come with me, and enter a Magical World, simr to Harry Potter, but 1000% more awesome.


    Open the pages and read the story that you have been secretly craving for in your life.


    Grab your wands and broomsticks, for it is time for all of you to enroll in Brynhildr Magic Academy, and see a Magical World that will be your new reading addiction!

 Chapter 748 Stop Dilly Dallying And Come Here Already!

    Chapter 748 Stop Dilly Dallying And Come Here Already!


    "I see. So something like that happened��" Colette muttered after Diablo shared in detail what happened to Aina during her duel with Lux.


    "Don''t worry. She is fine now," Diablo stated. "But it might take a day or two before she finally regains her senses."


    "But are you sure that my sister is really okay?" Colette asked anxiously. "Being turned into a crystal statue sounds scary."


    "Nosting harm will be upon her. My Master will not allow such a thing to happen."


    "That''s good to hear then."


    Although she was reluctant, she had no choice but to wait for her sister to return to them after she had regained full control of her body.


    Aina''s Guild Members were also both happy and worried for their Guildmaster.


    Happy because she had now be a Ranker, and worried because of her current state. However, after receiving Diablo''s reassurance, they all decided to go back to their Guild Headquarters and wait there for their Leader''s return.


    "So young, and she''s already a Ranker." Nevreal sighed. "These Foreigners sure grow at a very fast rate."


    Robin nodded. "If I remember correctly, Aina is only neen this year. If the High-Ranking Nobles hear of her breakthrough, I''m pretty sure that those who had tried to ask for her hand in marriage in the past would do more than double their efforts now."


    "I can see that happening," Nevrealmented. "But unless her personality changes after bing a Ranker, I''m certain that her answer would remain the same."


    In fact, the King of the Kingdom of Gweliven even asked Aina if she was willing to marry one of his sons and be part of the Royal Family.


    Aina''s family was a Ducal Family in Sis, which meant that she was of royal descent as well.


    Because of this, the King thought that having one of his sons marry her would be the perfect bridge to make the two Royal Bloodlines from both worlds form an alliance.


    Unfortunately, Aina rejected this proposal, and since then, the King didn''t broach the subject anymore.


    Nevreal then gave Robin a sidelong nce before shifting his gaze to Colette, who was still talking to Diablo and asking him a few questions.


    He had assumed that Robin was trying to form a connection to Colette so that thetter could serve as his bridge to Aina''s heart. However, whether his assumption was true or not, only Robin knew about it.


    "Let''s go back to the inn," Robin said as he looked at his sister. "Are youing with us, Anastasia?"


    Anastasia frowned, but after pondering for a bit, she nodded her head in agreement.


    "Since waiting here will only make my legs hurt, I''ll just rx at the inn until Sir Lux returns," Princess Anastasia replied. "I still have many things to ask him."


    Robin nodded and led the Royal Entourage back to the city.


    The members of the Eternal Guild did the same after Colette finished talking to Diablo.


    ��������������-


    Meanwhile, inside Keoza''s Domain��.


    Lux sat cross-legged in a lotus position and meditated.


    Inside his mind, he was vividly visualizing his battle with Aina and analyzing the way she fought. Before she had undergone her breakthrough, the doll-like beauty had shown incredible fighting techniques that she had honed through the many life-and-death battles she experienced in Elysium.


    When she had transformed into the Angel of Vengeance, she used nothing but brute force to fight. Despite what might seem like a handicap, due to her overwhelming strength, she made it hard for Lux and his Army to subdue her.


    Fortunately, King Leoric''s vast battle experience allowed him to formte a n to neutralize Aina without hurting her too much or identally killing her.


    ''When you think about it, her wings function the same way as my Corpse God,'' Lux thought. ''Maybe if I can effectively use it to fight alongside me, my offensive power will drastically increase��''


    Lux could summon his Corpse God anytime he wanted, but most of the time, it acted autonomously. He didn''t need tomand it, and it would attack and defend whenever an opportunity presented itself.


    For the Half-Elf, the Corpse God was only one of his Defensive Trump Cards, which would only activate when he was rendered incapable of defending himself.


    However, after seeing how Aina used her wings to fight, the red-headed teenager seemed to have realized the potential that his Corpse God could bring to the table.


    Two hourster, Lux heard Keoza''s exhausted voice which made the Half-Elf sorry for him.


    ''I have patched the Domain,'' Keoza reported. ''There is no longer any danger of being exposed to the outside world. Also, I can feel Aina''s me of Vengeance slowly losing its strength. If this continues, I believe that she will no longer pose a danger to anyone after four more hours.''


    ''That''s good to hear,'' Lux replied. ''Thank you, Keoza.''


    ''Mmm. I will rest for a bit," the Crystal Dragon''s voice sounded very faint. ''If the crystal statue breaks, that means that Aina''s strength has returned to normal. However, she might still be unconscious at that time. I''ll leave the rest to you. You are free to leave the Domain anytime you wish.''


    After saying those words, the Dragon Token lost its luster and returned to Lux''s storage ring.


    Lux then shifted his attention to the beautiful crystal statue in front of him, which made his heart skip a beat.


    For a brief moment, he heard Colette''s voice whispering in his ear.


    "What do you think, Big Brother? Do you want to marry my sister now?"


    Lux shook his head helplessly and muttered, "You little Devil," as he tried to shoo the imaginary Colette, who was giving him a thumbs up in his mind, away.


    After everything that had happened, Lux had more or less understood that everyone who became a Ranker would receive the World''s Blessings.


    The blessing varied from person to person, and ording to Keoza, the rarer the Profession was, the greater their blessings would be.


    He also wondered if Cai, Keane, Gerhart, Cethus, and the rest of hisrades were busy undergoing their Ranker Trials.


    Although he wouldn''t be participating in conquering the Last Gate of the Apocalypse, hispanions might want to explore it on his behalf.


    For him, visiting the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds was more important than the Sacred Dungeon.


    Something in his instinct was telling him that no matter what happened, he must prioritize going there no matter what.


    He could even faintly hear a female voice inside his head, calling out to him when he was asleep.


    If Lux was being honest, he could even remember the female voice saying.


    "Stop dilly-dallying ande here already!"


    Of course, whether he had remembered it correctly or not, he really couldn''t tell.


    After all, he just heard it in a dream.


    A dream that would soon be a part of his reality.

 Chapter 749 Aina’s Scars

    Chapter 749 Aina��s Scars


    Several hourster, a faint cracking sound reached Lux''s ears.


    Aina''s crystal statue had thin lines spreading all over it, prompting the Half-Elf to stand up and prepare for any kind of unexpected attack that might happen.


    In order to make sure that everything would be under his control, he once again summoned his Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant.


    All of them positioned themselves around the Crystal Statue, with Diablo and King Leoric standing on Lux''s left and right sides, ready to protect him at a moment''s notice.


    The Half-Elf was only four meters away from Aina''s statue, but he was not afraid. He had been observing Aina for a while now, and just like Keoza had said, her power had been slowly decreasing over time.


    After five minutes of the cracks spreading, the crystals covering Aina''s body finally shattered, and the doll-like beauty''s body swayed before falling face-first to the ground.


    Naturally, Lux wouldn''t allow that to happen and immediately supported Aina''s body before it could get hurt.


    After catching her, Lux realized something very important.


    Aina waspletely naked, and his right hand was cupping one of Aina''s breasts, which made the Half-Elf stiffen.


    However, there was something else that he noticed after he moved closer to the doll-like beauty who was still unconscious that he momentarily forgot that his hand was still holding onto her chest.


    It was her scars.


    Aina had many scars on her body. Too many, in fact, that it made Lux frown.


    After seeing Iris'' and Cai''s naked bodies, which were void of almost any imperfections, he felt pity for the youngdy in his arms.


    The Half-Elf wasn''t able to stop himself from subconsciously tracing one of the scars on Aina''s back that was as long as an adult''s hand.


    As his hand slowly slid down her body, something unexpected happened.


    The part of the scar that he touched turned into particles of light, revealing wless skin, which was as white as cream, and radiant with youth.


    Lux blinked once and twice before this realization kicked in.


    As if wanting to experiment, he started tracing the remainder of the scar.


    Just like what happened earlier, the horrid marking disappeared and was reced by the smooth skin that rightfully belonged to the doll-like beauty in his hands.


    ''Should I remove the rest?'' Lux thought.


    For him, doing this was the right thing to do. However, he didn''t know if it was appropriate.


    Faced with a tough choice, the Half-Elf nced at his subordinates and asked their opinion.


    "Should I continue?" Lux asked.


    "As a girl, I would find it very awkward for a guy to touch my body without permission," Ishtar stated. "But if it is Master, I don''t see anything wrong with it."


    "Aina is still a teenager, and at that age, they are more conscious about themselves," King Leoricmented. "Although I feel like removing her scars is a good thing, it might be best to wait until she wakes up before you continue."


    "Master, for some warriors, their scars represent their medals in battle," Bedivere, who was once a Knight of the Realm and also had many scars on his body in the past, voiced his opinion. "Removing them without permission might make her mad at you, instead of being grateful."


    "Consent is important, Master," Diablo said. "Also, even though you don''t say it out loud, we know that you think of Aina as someone special. Even though this feeling isn''t that of a lover, she still holds great significance in your heart."


    After hearing everyone''s suggestion, Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    He then summoned a nket from his storage ring and used it to wrap the naked beauty, who still hadn''t regained his senses�� or so he thought.


    As soon as he finished covering Aina''s body with the nket, the Dwarf opened her eyes and looked up at the Half-Elf who was carrying her in a princess carry.


    Lux was so shocked that he almost dropped thedy in his arms. However, his hands remained steady and held her in ce.


    The two then stared at each other for half a minute before Aina opened her lips to tell Lux something.


    "Is it bad for ady to have scars?" Aina asked.


    "N-Not really," Lux answered. "I think those scars look good on you. It makes you look more��"


    "Manly?"


    "U-Unique!"


    "Is that so?"


    Aina still talked with the same monotonous voice as before, but her gaze never left Lux''s face, as if looking for traces of lies within his expression.


    "My parents have gone to great lengths in order to help me remove these scars on my body," Aina said. "They thought that I wouldn''t be able to find a husband if they found out about this w in my body."


    Aina then closed her eyes as if pondering something important. A momentter, she took her right arm from the nket and presented it to Lux.


    "Can you please remove these two scars on my arm?" Aina asked in a polite manner.


    Although her voice still sounded monotonous, the Half-Elf noticed that it is a bit softer than before.


    "It will be my honor," Lux replied as he traced his hand over one of the scars on Aina''s right arm.


    When the scar had been fully healed, Aina looked at it and inspected it from every angle.


    A momentter, a faint ripple of power spread in the surroundings as Aina''s eyes turned silver.


    All the scars on her body, including the ones that were hidden under the nket, glowed in a silver light.


    The part of her arm, where one of her scars was removed, also glowed brightly.


    This surprised Lux because he was certain that he had already removed the scarpletely.


    "I''m d," Aina said as a faint smile appeared on her face. "Even though the scar was properly healed, its mark still remained and would stay with me for as long as I live."


    At that moment, Lux''s gazended on Aina''s doll-like beauty, who became more charming because of her smile.


    Once again, their gazes met, and this time, it was Lux who first averted his gaze.


    "Can you please heal the rest of the scars on my body?" Aina asked. "I willpensate you properly for it."


    "There''s no need for you topensate me," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "I will do it for free."


    Aina nodded and asked Lux to let her stand on her own two feet.


    She then turned around and lowered the nket, showing Lux her back which still had many scars left.


    Lux didn''t hesitate and began erasing the scars that didn''t deserve to be on the body of the youngdy in front of him.


    One by one, Lux erased these marks. There were some scars that were located in sensitive areas. For example, near Aina''s thigh and left breast. But, the doll-like beauty didn''t seem to mind and asked Lux to continue removing them without batting an eye.


    The Half-Elf wondered if Aina had mastered the art of the Poker Face because even when he touched those ces, the Dwarf didn''t even bat an eye.


    When the healing operation was over, Aina once again covered herself with the nket and faced the Half-Elf, whose face had turned beet red due to the ces that he had touched just a few minutes ago.


    "I know that you said you don''t need anypensation," Aina stated. "But I will feel guilty if I don''t give you anything."


    Aina then made a gesture for Lux to crouch a bit, so that she could whisper something in his ear.


    When the Half-Elf crouched a bit and presented his ear to her, he felt something soft, and warm press over his left cheek.


    Due to his surprise, he moved his head to face Aina.


    However, what happened next was something he didn''t expect.


    Her lips and his lips connected.


    During that entire time, Aina''s eyes were wide open. When the Dwarf finally took a step back in order to end the kiss, a faint flush could be seen creeping from her neck up to her cheeks.


    Even so, her expression remained the same, making Lux feel as if he had seen something he shouldn''t have.


    "Although thatpensation is not enough to repay my debt to you, I hope that it will suffice for now," Aina said. "If in the future, you wish to ask something in return, I will do my best to amodate your request."


    Lux was still reeling from what happened earlier, so he wasn''t able to say anything in reply.


    For a fan, getting kissed by their idol was something that would cause a nationwidemotion if seen by her other fans.


    In fact, Lux was certain that he would start receiving death threats and would even be hunted down by Luna''s die-hard fans back on Earth if they were to see what happened just now.


    Fortunately, they were not on Earth, and they were inside Keoza''s domain. Only his subordinates witnessed the scene and his flushed expression after, which made some of them snicker in understanding.


    "Can I return to the guild now?" Aina asked after seeing that Lux was still rooted on the spot like a statue. "I''m sure that my sister and everyone are worried about me."


    "O-Of course," Lux stuttered. "We can leave the domain now."


    Lux then waved his hand and the Domain around the endless in around them disappeared. They were now back in the real world where they rightfully belonged.


    Aina gave Lux a bow of gratitude before covering her entire body with white mes.


    A momentter, she flew towards the city where her sister and her guild members were anxiously waiting for her return, leaving the Half-Elf behind, who could still feel her soft lips over his own.

 Chapter 750 Tying Up Loose Ends

    ?


    "Big Brother, make sure to visit us again soon, okay?" Colette hugged Lux''s waist, while thetter patted her head.


    "Of course," Lux replied. "When I return, I will be a Ranker like your sister."


    "Hehehe. My sister is really the best. She beat you in bing a Ranker. So, how about it, Big Brother? Do you want to marry her now?"


    "�� I''ll think about it."


    To his surprise, Colette pulled back and shook her head firmly.


    "You must decide now, Big Brother," Colette stated. "Now that my sister is now a Ranker, she will definitely get a lot of suitors. Although you are on the top of my list, I would hate it if I see my sister grow up to be an olddy without getting married because you don''t want to give a firm answer!"


    Before Lux could even give his reply, a monotonous voice cut him off, and made the adorable Dwarf who was hugging him, stiffen.


    "Don''t marry me off without asking for my permission."


    Aina, who had alsoe to bid Lux goodbye, spoke in her usual tone.


    Upon seeing her again, Lux couldn''t help but remember the kiss they shared which made him feel his cheeks burning for some reason.


    Seeing his reaction, Colette narrowed her gaze and shifted her attention to her sister before looking back at her Big Brother, whose face had slightly turned red for some unknown reason.


    At that moment, something clicked inside Colette''s head, which made her smile at the Half-Elf in a mischievous way.


    "I see, so that''s how it is," Colette said as he patted her Big Brother''s waist happily. "Don''t worry, Big Brother, you have my vote. Just tell me when you want the marriage to happen and I''ll convince my father.


    "However,st time I talked to him about you, he said that he would like to invite you on a fishing trip. My father really loves fishing. For him to invite you means that he has a good impression of you!"


    Lux scratched his head after hearing Colette''s reply.


    ''It seems that everyone wants to invite me to go fishing nowadays,'' Lux thought. ''Well, maybe going with them to rx isn''t a bad thing.''


    After careful consideration, Lux nodded his head with a smile.


    "Tell your father that I would love to go fishing with him after I finish tying up the loose ends on my side," Lux replied.


    "Alright!" Colette pped her hands happily. "I''ll tell father about this. I''m sure both of you will have a good time."


    Aina nced at her sister before shifting her gaze to Lux, who seemed to think that going with her father was a good idea.


    Even after she had shared a kiss with Lux, the expression of the Guildmaster of Eternal looked the same as always.


    But, that was only on the surface.


    At the end of the day, no matter how standoffish or how expressionless she was, Aina was still a girl. Although having a lover was the least of her priorities, that didn''t mean that she wasn''t interested in it.


    There had been no other man who had touched and seen her body like Lux did.


    The doll-like beauty knew that what happened was not the Half-Elf''s fault, and he was simply forced to act due to the circumstances that transpired after she lost control of her senses.


    Also, the visible scars that were on her body, that hadn''t been cured by the expensive potions, as well as salves that her family had acquired for her, were removed by the Half-Elf through the simple act of him touching her.


    Aina didn''t know how this happened, but for the first time in her life, she felt something she had never felt before. The touch of a man on her naked skin, which didn''t repulse her.


    In fact, it even made her feel as if she had been reborn.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Take care, and make sure to visit me as well when you return here in the Kingdom of Gweliven," Aina stated. "You mentioned an autograph in the past, right? I will prepare one for you. Get it from me personally when you have also stepped into the path of a Ranker."


    Lux smiled and nodded his head to acknowledge Aina''s words.


    He then patted Matty''s, Andy''s, Axel''s, and Helen''s heads and encouraged them to do their best to be stronger. He even promised that when he returned, he would apany them to dive into Dungeons as well.


    "Emma, do you wish to return to the Guild or would you like to stay with them?" Lux asked the person whom he had designated to be the Secretary of his Guild.


    The pretty Dwarf smiled before giving her reply. "I owe my life to you, Lux. I will go wherever you want me to be."


    "Then, please return to the Guild," Lux replied. "There are some matters that I need your help with, especially with the management of the shops that we will be operating soon."


    Emma nodded. She then bid her own goodbye to Colette and the others whom she hade to think of as her little brothers and sisters. Parting with them made her sad, but she understood that her ce was by Lux''s side.


    As long as she was able to help him, she would even cross a sea of fire to make it happen.


    Just as Lux was about to leave, Princess Anastasia and Robin arrived at the Headquarters of the Eternal Guild.


    "I thought you would be staying for a few more days, Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia said in a sad tone.


    "Sorry, but I''ve had a change of heart," Lux replied. "After Aina became a Ranker, I felt that it was time for me to be a Ranker as well. This is something that I can no longer dy. But, if there is an opportunity in the future, I will make sure to visit you in the Capital City."


    "Understood, Sir Lux." Princess Anastasia nodded. "Please use the Mithril Bracelet that I gave you in order to contact me at any time. Even if you just want to talk about random things!"


    "I will." Lux gave the Princess a brief nod before thanking Robin and Nevreal for their help in minimizing the damage caused by his fight with Lucius and the members of Twilight Rain.


    He still hadn''t properly thanked them for what they did, so he made sure to tell them how much he appreciated what they had done for him.


    "By the way, I''ve been wondering if you have already used the money I gave you to make your Guild Headquarters," Nevreal stated. "If there is an opportunity, I want to see it. I want to know if you used my hard earned money well."


    "Of course," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "Once I be a Ranker, I''ll make sure to return and give you a tour, Sir Nevreal."


    "You do that." Nevreal smirked. "I''ve worked all my life for that money. If you didn''t put it to good use, I''ll clobber you even if you are already a Ranker."


    Lux could only smile bitterly after hearing Nevreal''s yful threat. He still felt a bit guilty about what he did for the middle-aged Dwarf. However, what was done was already done.


    At the very least, he wanted to show the Dwarf that the gold coins he gave him had paved the way to create a Guild Headquarters that he would be proud of.


    "I also want to see Big Brother''s Guild Headquarters!" Colette raised her hand in order to catch Lux''s attention. "You''ve seen our Guild Headquarters, so it''s only fair that you show yours to us as well."


    "Okay," Lux replied. "I''ll bring you guys as well."


    After parting on good terms, Lux finally took Emma with him and headed towards the Teleportation Gate of Whitebridge City.


    They would return to Leaf Vige for a short time in order to take the slime eggs that still hadn''t hatched back to their Guild Headquarters in the Outer Reaches.


    The Kobolds there wanted to have Slimes as Beast Companions as well to help them dig underground. Also, Garret''s daughters, Emily (Middle), and Alexa (Oldest), were also interested in having Slimes as their own.


    Leah, the youngest of the three, already had a baby slime of her own, whom she named Holly.


    Emily and Alexa had seen how close Lux and Eiko were, as well as their sister with her own baby slime. Because of this they also wanted to have their own Beast Companions that were as cute as theirs.


    Now that he had finished his purpose for visiting the Kingdom of Gweliven, he could go to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds, and undertake his own Ranker Trial, that would allow his Guild to be a lot stronger than ever before.

 Chapter 751 It Is Better To Call It Returning The Favor

    ?


    After his short detour in Leaf Vige, Lux had once again returned to the Outer Reaches in order to check on the changes that had happened while he was away.


    Just like he expected, Gerhart, and Cethus were not in the Guild Headquarters. ording to General Garret, the two of them said that they would undertake their own Ranker Trials and return once they had seeded in bing Rankers.


    For Lux, this was great news because having more Rankers in the Guild would ensure that they would be able to protect their Guild, once they exposed themselves to the world.


    "I had a talk with the Mayor of Pygmalion, Jorinn, and he agreed to send some workers to help build the foundations of a small town at the base of the mountain. The only downside is that the fee he asked for is quite pricey."


    Garret handed Lux a scroll which listed all the resources and expenses that they would need in order to make it happen.


    Aside from the town, they also nned to build a barracks within the mountain range, so that they could train their soldiers without being seen by the public.


    "You didn''t lie when you said that it was pricey," Lux muttered as he gazed at the price at the end of the scroll, which ended up being a whopping 350 Million Gold Coins.


    Although he could be considered very rich due to the Draconium and Aenarium Ores in his possession, 300 Million Gold Coins was still an amount that made his liver itch.


    With that amount of money, he could probably build five Leaf Viges, and still have money to spare.


    "These are overpriced, right?" Lux asked Garret, who nodded his head in affirmation.


    "It is overpriced," Garret replied. "But he insisted that this is the standard price of services done by Dragon Borns."


    Lux pondered for a bit because he understood how Dragon Borns prided themselves in being superior to others.


    Having Cethus around was more than enough to make everyone in the Guild Headquarters know how highly Dragon Borns thought of themselves.


    "Although we can shoulder this amount, it is best if we ask others to build it," Lux said after careful consideration. "I guess I will have to rely on them this time as well."


    Using the artifact that Bentley had left him, Lux contacted the leader of the Game-Shin Impact Merchant Guild, Bentley, and asked if they had experience in building a town.


    "Of course we have experience in building towns and cities," Bentley replied. "We built the City of Constad, and it is also called the Windy City. The breeze there is very refreshing, you shoulde and visit when you have time. I''ll treat you to some apple cider vinegar."


    "When I have time, I''ll make sure to visit," Luxmented. "So, how much will it cost to build a town?"


    "Hmm�� that really depends. I have seen your location before, but where do you want to build it exactly, and how big is this town that you want to build?"


    "I want it to be built at the base of the mountain, as to how big it is, I also don''t have any idea. Also, I want you guys to build a barracks for soldiers as well. Can you give me an estimate on how much all of this will cost?"


    Bentley didn''t reply right away. It seemed that he was doing some mental calctions for how much he would charge Lux for this big project.


    "I will be honest with you, at the very least, it will cost you 200 Million Gold Coins minimum," Bentley replied. "The price can go up as well because this is just a rough estimate. But, I don''t think it will go above 400 Million."


    After hearing Bentley''s reply, Lux made the decision then and there and hired the Merchant Group to build the town, and the barracks that they needed.


    Since they were the ones that built their Castle, he was certain of the quality of their work. Even Garret didn''t have any objections.


    After living inside the Guild Headquarters of Heaven''s Gate, he realized how much care was given in order to create the Stronghold of the one and only Mythical Guild in the world.


    An hourter, a Giant Blue Dragon with four wings arrived at the Outer Reaches.


    When the Dragon finallynded near the base of the mountain, a little girl wearing a red-riding hood attired jumped off from it and ran towards Lux with her arms spread wide.


    "I''m here, Eiko!" Glee shouted happily as she ran towards herrade who liked to make things go boom as well.


    "Glee!" Eiko jumped off Lux''s head and flew towards the little Elf with a big smile on her face.


    Glee caught Eiko mid-air and both of them rubbed their cheeks against each other, like Bomber Girls that had reunited after a long time.


    Lux and Bentley both smiled after seeing this scene.


    "Wee back, Bentley," Lux stretched his hand for a handshake.


    "It''s good to do business with you again, Lux," Bentley shook the Half-Elf''s hand before looking at the castle on the mountain that they had made several months ago.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "It seems that your Guild has gained a lot of members since thest time we were here," Bentleymented.


    "Many things have happened," Lux replied. "Now, let''s talk about business."


    Bentley nodded. "Of course."


    The two then discussed the design of the town that they were going to build. After hearing what Lux wanted, Bentley wrote a few things on a scroll, and showed the Half-Elf the rough design of the city.


    Lux asked it to be modified a bit. The two continued to go through rough designs of the town for two hours, until they finally made something that both of them were in agreement with.


    "How long will the construction take?" Lux asked.


    "If we bring all able-bodied builders from our Guild, I think it will be finished in four to six months," Bentley replied. "Also, before we start, you will need to give me 200 Million Gold Coins as a down payment. The town you have in mind is bigger than I expected, so I will need that much money in order to purchase the raw materials needed for the construction."


    Lux nodded. "Do you ept Draconium Ore as payment?"


    "Of course," Bentley replied. "Ah! Before I forget, there will be an auction in one of the biggest cities near my hometown. If you don''t mind, I can auction your Draconium Ores in bulk, so that you will have bigger returns. Of course, I will take 5%mission for the overall sales."


    "That''s fine. Even if the Auction House and you take amission, the returns will be worth it," Lux stated. "I will be leaving the Outer Reaches for a period of time. I don''t know how long it will be, but if you have other concerns, don''t hesitate to coordinate with my secretary, Emma."


    The Half-Elf then pointed at the pretty Dwarf who was talking to the members of the Game-Shin Impact Guild and trying to get to know them better.


    "Understood," Bentley replied. "I promise that I will not disappoint your trust in us. Our customer''s satisfaction is our top priority."


    "I look forward to seeing thepletion of this project as well," Lux stated.


    While the Half-Elf and the Merchant Leader were talking, an old Half-Ling stood on the top of the mountain with a mischievous smile on his face.


    In his hand was a palm-sized Earth Turtle.


    "Go, and merge with this floating ind," Gaap ordered.


    The Earth Turtle nodded and jumped off his hand and merged with the ground beside Gaap''s feet.


    This was the same Earth Turtle that Antero had defeated, and ate when Gaap had summoned him inside the Gate of Famine.


    The Old Half-Ling nned to give Lux a pleasant surprise when they returned from the Ancestral Ground after he became a Ranker.


    "Master, I wish you were here," Gaap said softly as he remembered his kind, yet very tomboyish, Master, who often got into trouble when she was still alive due to her hot temper.


    It had been many years since his Master died in order to save him, and even now, Gaap still missed her terribly.


    "Divine Army of Light," Gaap muttered with contempt. "Sooner orter, I will have my revenge."


    For the time being, the Old Half-Ling set aside his goal of revenge in order to teach Lux the ways of the Necromancer.


    After he had imparted all of his knowledge to his Disciple, he would settle old scores with the organization that hunted Necromancers, as well as those who possessed powerful Dark Magic, whom they called Heretics.


    They had been a thorn inside Gaap''s chest for the past couple of years, and his hatred for them was greater than his hatred for the Guild of Memento Mori.


    "The word Revenge is too mean, it is better to call it Returning the Favor."


    That was one of the words that Gaap''s master often said to him when she was still alive.


    "Don''t worry, Master," Gaap vowed. "Before I turn to ashes, and join you in the afterlife, I swear that I will be returning the favor to them."


    A deadly glint shed within the depths of the old Half-Ling''s eyes.


    Clearly, his heart, which had grown old and vengeful, still carried a me that would remain until the day he had properly returned the favor to those that pushed his kind, and beloved Master, to her doom.

 Chapter 752 Eiko’s Weapon Of Mass Destruction

    ?


    "B-But, I want to help make things go boom��"


    "Boom!"


    "Sorry," Bentley said to Glee, and Eiko, who was perched on top of the little-red-riding hood''s head. "No can do. We don''t need to make things go boom this time."


    "Not even a little boom?"


    "Boom Boom!"


    Bentley sighed and shook his head.


    Glee was very good at demolishing things, but she wasn''t good at building things. If Bentley allowed her to join the construction work, the chances of the structure exploding was 100%


    "Why don''t the two of you y somewhere for the time being?" Bentley stated before looking at the design of the town in his hands. "I still need to gather the raw materials for the construction. Just be good and don''t cause trouble for anyone, okay?"


    Bentley then flew towards the back of the giant Four-Winged Blue Dragon, which took to the skies in order to return to their hometown to buy the necessary materials and recruit the manpower for the big Project that Lux had entrusted to him.


    "Eiko, Bentley doesn''t understand," Glee said as she held the Baby Slime in her hands. "He doesn''t understand how amazing making things go boom is."


    "Un!" Eiko nodded. "Not understand!"


    "That''s right. I wish we could share how wonderful explosions are with more people."


    "Yes!"


    The Baby Slime who had now be a full-fledged bombardier decided to help Glee a bit and told her about Leaf Vige. Since Lux was still discussing a few things with Garret and Emma, he decided to leave the next day to head to the Ancestral Grounds of the Necromancers.


    Because of this, Eiko decided to spend time with her best friend, Glee, and visit Leaf Vige with her.


    "You''re going to Leaf Vige?" Lux arched an eyebrow as he looked down on the adorable pink-haired Elf, and the Baby Slime that was on top of her head.


    "Yes!" Glee answered. "Eiko said that I can make a lot of friends there."


    "�� Well, you''re not wrong," Lux replied with a stiff smile.


    Since Glee was quite small, others would think of her as a Dwarf if they didn''t pay any attention to her long ears.


    After Eiko pleaded with her Papa, Lux reluctantly agreed to let the two troublemakers enter the Teleportation Gate that would lead them to Leaf Vige.


    ������������������


    "Wow! What a nice statue!" Glee eyed Lux''s statue that was at the center of Leaf Vige. "You''re also there, Eiko!"


    "Un!" Eiko nodded her head happily because she was indeed part of the Guardian Statue that protected Leaf Vige from the Monsters that had threatened it in the past.


    When the Baby Slimes sensed Eiko''s presence, all of them perked up and looked in her direction, making their owners wonder what was going on.


    "La~" Eiko started to sing. "La La~"


    As if wishing to join the Fairy Princess in her singing, all the Slimes sang as well, which created a soulful melody within Leaf Vige.


    Some of these Baby Slimes went to the za, making their owners follow them in confusion. Soon, the Guardian Statue was crowded with Slimes of different colors, all of them looking at Eiko with expectations.


    "Glee!" Eiko said with a smile. "Share boom boom!"


    "Oh! What a great idea!" Glee happily pped her hands and began to rummage around in her bag.


    A few secondster, she took out a storage bag that contained all of her Boom Boom Cores, which allowed those who consumed them to learn the skill, st Bomb.


    "Here you go~" Glee crouched down and handed a red Beast Core to one of the Baby Slimes closest to her.


    "Eyah?" The baby slime tilted her head in confusion.


    "It''s good!" Eiko said to the baby slime. "Eat and be strong!"


    After getting the assurance of the Fairy Princess, the Baby Slime ate the Beast Core that Glee handed to her.


    Seeing that one of theirrades had eaten the Beast Cores, the Baby Slimes formed four lines, and waited for their turn to eat the Beast Core that Eiko highly rmended.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The owners of the Slimes looked at this scene with amused expressions on their faces. Although they were confused why their Baby Slimes suddenly wandered to the za, they didn''t stop them from eating the Beast Cores that were being handed out by the cute girl that was wearing red clothes.


    Getting free Beast Cores was something that they would not reject, especially if these would help their Slimes be stronger.


    Glee had a nearly endless supply of Beast Cores, so she was more than happy to share them with everyone.


    Eiko even helped to give the Beast Cores to her fellow Slimes, and they all thanked her for it.


    After an hour, all of the Baby Slimes in Leaf Vige had learned the skill st Bomb, which surprised their owners as well.


    "That was very fun!" Glee said after all the Slimes had returned to their owners. "What do we do next, Eiko?"


    "Boom!" Eiko replied.


    "That''s right! Let''s make things go boom!" Glee agreed wholeheartedly. "But, this is not a good ce to do it. Do you know a ce where we will not be a nuisance to others?"


    Glee liked to make things explode, but she didn''t want to destroy anything in Leaf Vige.


    She understood that this was Eiko''s hometown, so she didn''t want to make the Baby Slime sad.


    After pondering for a bit, Eiko asked Glee to head through the East Gate that led to the Aspiration ins. She said that they could make things go boom in that ce and no one would find fault with them if they did.


    Glee nodded her head and did as the Slime told her.


    Upon arriving at the Aspiration ins the two immediately started to make a stockpile of st Bombs that they would be usingter.


    "Glee!" Eiko said as she looked at the Elf with a mischievous smile. "y a game!"


    "Game? That sounds fun," Glee replied. "What kind of game?"


    "Game of making more bombs!"


    "Oh! This sounds like a good game. Let''s do it!"


    Eiko immediately summoned her two clones, and created several st bombs, throwing them in a stockpile that started to umte to the size of an ant hill.


    Glee, who saw this, didn''t bat an eye, and even though Eiko had used a cloning ability, the speed at which the adorable Elf made st Bombs wasn''t the least bit slower than her.


    The two kept on making st Bombs until their stockpile grew, and grew, and grew some more.


    After nearly an hour of making st Bombs, arge hill of st Bombs stood in front of the two Bombardiers that were emanating a menacing glow.


    "Hmm�� if we detonated all of this��. It can wipe out an entire town," Glee muttered as she tried to do some rough calctions of the scale of explosion that their st Bombs could make.


    The adorable Elf pondered for a bit before giving Eiko a mischievous smile.


    "This is not enough!" Glee said. "We must make more. Make as many as we can so that the explosion can make an entire city go boom!"


    "City go Boom!" Eiko jumped up and down as she wholeheartedly agreed with her best friend.


    Two hourster, an anxious Cedwyn contacted Lux saying that he should take Eiko and her friend away from Leaf Vige.


    When the Patrolling Guards saw ten hills of st Bombs piling up just two hundred meters away from the East Gate, all of them became rmed.


    With such arge number of bombs right at their doorstep, no sane people would remain calm after understanding how dangerous this situation was.


    When Lux arrived at Leaf Vige, he immediately told the two Bomber Girls to not do this again in the future.


    However, due to Eiko''s pleading, Lux helped the baby slime encase all the st Bombs inside a giant Skeleton Bomb that made even the Half-Elf feel fearful.


    Eiko, on the other hand, swallowed the Giant Skeleton Bomb inside her body.


    The Half-Elf prayed that the day would note when his Baby Slime would choose to use such a weapon against their enemies. If the calction of his Soul Book was correct, the bomb that was currently stored inside Eiko''s body could turn two entire cities to ruins.


    In short, the Baby Slime was in possession of a tactical nuke.


    A weapon so powerful that even Saints would run away if ever they knew that the harmless looking Baby Slime that was perched on top of Lux''s head, carried a weapon of mass destruction.

 Chapter 753 Necromancer’s Ancestral Grounds

    ?


    "Well then, I''ll leave everything to the two of you," Lux said to Garret and Emma, whom he asked to supervise the building of the town, which they decided to call, Town of Edea.


    "Don''t worry," Garret replied. "We will not fail you."


    "If anything unexpected happens, I will contact you through the Guild Chat, Master," Emma stated. "Go and do your Ranker Trial. Our future home is in good hands."


    Lux smiled at Emma''s choice of words, which he appreciated greatly.


    "Ready to go?" Gaap asked his Disciple who had finished saying his goodbyes to the people that would handle the work he had left behind.


    "Yes, Master," Lux replied. "I''m ready to be a Ranker."


    Gaap smirked as he lightly tapped his wooden stick on the ground in front of him. A few secondster, a magic circle appeared under his feet.


    "Come," Gaap ordered. "The Ancestral Lands await."


    Lux readied himself and stepped onto the Magic Circle, which he believed was a teleportation spell that would take them directly to their destination.


    Before the Half-Elf could even blink, the scenery changed.


    He then found himself staring at a giant ck dome in the distance, that wasposed of ck mist that swirled continuously.


    As far as his eyes could see, the ce looked so deste. No trees, shrubs, or even a de of grass could be seen in the surroundings. As a Heaven''s Necromancer, he was sensitive to the presence of both the living and the dead.


    Right now, he could only sense the element of death in the surroundings, and this feeling seemed to be calling out to him from somewhere within the ck swirling mists in the distance.


    "That is the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds," Gaap said in a nostalgic tone. "The ce where everything begins and, in a way, the ce where everything ends as well for people like us."


    Since Lux didn''t know much about the ce, Gaap decided to give him a bit of background about the Sacred Land of Necromancers.


    "Any Necromancer who has stepped inside the Ancestral Ground, will leave behind their mark," Gaap exined. "This is our way of giving back for what we gain inside it, and allow the future Necromancers to partake in the wisdom that we have left behind. It''s a cycle of death and rebirth.


    "Necromancers don''t always seed in their breakthrough and be a Ranker. When this happens, the Ancestral Ground also serves as their graveyard, in which their souls remain for a few years until they have gained the strength to cross over to the next life."


    Lux, who was about to make his breakthrough, couldn''t stop himself from smiling bitterly.


    "Master, can you not please raise any death gs for me?" Lux said in a helpless tone. "I don''t have any intention of dying."


    Gaap smiled, showing the Half-Elf his three remaining teeth before telling him something funny.


    "You know, there is a saying in the Necromancermunity," Gaap stated. "They say that you aren''t a true Necromancer unless you died once. Some even say that Death is a per-requisite in order to reach true enlightenment. There were even rumors that the Supreme Necromancers, who stood at the Apex of our profession all died once in their lifetime.


    "As to whether this is true or not, I have no idea. I have only met one Supreme Necromancer in my lifetime and that person�� is unfathomable. It was as if I was staring at a bottomless pit, which had the ability to suck the soul out of my body, leaving only an empty shell behind.


    "If my Master wasn''t there, I might have died just by simply staring at the strongest Necromancer in existence."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The final destination of all mortal Professions was the Supreme.


    As for Monsters, they all strived to be Demigods.


    They were the strongest beings in the world, and once they took action, the entirend would tremble in their wake.


    "Master, what is your Master like?" Lux asked. "I often hear you talk about her, but I still don''t know what she is like."


    Gaap, who heard Lux''s question, became silent. It was as if he was thinking about how to better describe his Master, who had helped him in more ways than one.


    "My master''s name is Hereswith," Gaap replied after a few minutes of silence. "I do not know herst name because she said that she threw it away after stepping into the path of a Necromancer.


    "My Master was a helpless gambler. This is why we almost always ran out of money during our travels. If not for the fact that I always keep a few gold coins for our survival, we would have probably suffered a lot more in the past."


    Gaap chuckled as his eyes, that were usually always serious, softened as he recalled the time he had spent with his Master.


    "She had long green hair and eyes, befitting an Elf." Gaap continued his story. "Naturally, her ears were longer than yours. Um, they were longer by at least an inch or two. Needless to say, she was incredibly beautiful. A beauty that could bring down a nation.


    "Due to this, she always wore a veil whenever we traveled. Even then, people would still flock to her due to her Charisma. I can''t count the number of suitors that always sought her during our journeys.


    "Some of them were very influential people including Kings, Emperors, and Saints. If my Master had her way, a word from her would make these people go to war for her sake. She was incredibly kind, witty, and stubborn. But, most of all, she couldn''t say no to those who are in need.


    "Even now, I can''t understand why someone like her, who only helped people, would be targeted by those bastards from the Divine Army of Light."


    Gaap''s tone leaked killing intent after he mentioned the Divine Army of Light. However, this killing intent faded after the Half-Ling took a deep breath in order to reign in his emotions.


    He then resumed telling the Half-Elf about his Master''s good traits as they walked towards the Ancestral Grounds.


    Gaap mentioned in passing that the ck mist that swirled around it was made up of a dense, and deadly miasma that would kill anyone who tried to step inside it, if they weren''t a Necromancer.


    "Lux, there is a possibility that we will meet other Necromancers inside," Gaap said with caution. "Although all of us are Necromancers, that doesn''t mean that we all get along. If we see others inside, be sure to stick to me, understood?"


    "Yes, Master," Lux replied.


    Seeing how serious his Master was, the Half-Elf decided to pay heed to the old Half-Ling''s advice.


    Lux even thought that if there was a Necromancer whom Gaap thought of as an enemy, that person would definitely be a very strong person.


    He had already seen a fraction of his Master''s power. If Gaap''s enemy could match that kind of strength, that would only mean that they were also powerhouses in their own right.


    A few minutester, the Master and Disciple pair entered the Sacred Lands of the Necromancers.


    A ce where they would break through to be Rankers, and the ce where their legacy would be left behind as well.

 Chapter 754 If I Don’t Go To Hell, Who Will?

    Chapter 754 If I Don��t Go To Hell, Who Will?


    The moment Lux stepped foot inside the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, he felt a slight shiver run down his spine.


    It was simr to the feeling he got when he entered Zangr, which meant that he was in a special Domain that was within and, at the same time, outside the boundaries of Elysium.


    To his surprise, he sensed the presence of at least a dozen people inside the Ancestral Land.


    "Looks like we''re not alone this time," Gaap muttered as he stood beside the Half-Elf. "Remember what I told you earlier. Stay close to me. Understand?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes, Master."


    After five minutes of walking, the two arrived in front of a giant skull, which had a sword embedded in the top of its head.


    "Hundreds of years ago, there were several creatures that tried to trespass this Domain," Gaap exined. "This skull you see here belonged to a giant��a very notorious one that had the rank of Cmity. He thought that he could desecrate our Ancestral Grounds, but the moment he stepped inside, his body started rotting at a rapid pace.


    "The Guardian of the Ancestral Ground at that time was enraged, so he embedded this sword into the Giant''s head and relocated it here to serve as a reminder that the Sacred Lands of the Necromancers are only for the Necromancers.


    "No one can trespass this ce without paying the price of their arrogance. Even Supremes and Demigods cannot get inside this ce unhindered."


    Just as Gaap finished his exnation, a pping sound was heard from the sky.


    "Well said," said a handsome man, who seemed to be in his early thirties, with a smile. "Gaap, it''s been ages since thest time I saw you. I thought you''d be spending the rest of your days in Zangr."


    "Dracul, it seems that the years have done nothing to you," Gaap replied with a smile. "It''s good to see that you''re still alive and well."


    The handsome manughed before descending to the ground, a few meters away from the Halfling.


    "Lux, let me introduce to you one of the most infamous Necromancers that ever lived," Gaap said. "This is Dracul. He is a Vampire King and a powerful Necromancer. Don''t be deceived by his calm demeanor. This bastard is a Saint, and he''s older than us by at least two thousand years."


    "Three thousand to be exact," Dracul corrected. "Is this perhaps your Disciple? He looks too peppy to be a Necromancer. Also, I can sense a bit of Holy Aura in his body�� interesting."


    Dracul circled Lux and looked at him from every angle while rubbing his chin.


    "He looks very tasty, Gaap," Dracul said after circling Lux a few more times. "Do you mind if I take a bite of him?"


    "Fangs off, man," Gaap snorted. "You should know better than to drink the blood of your fellow Necromancers. Didn''t you learn fromst time?"


    Dracul chuckled after being reminded of the mishap that happened several decades ago. Out of curiosity, he drank the blood of a Necromancer whom he got into an argument with. Not long after that, he endlessly puked blood for several days until he almost turned into a dry husk.


    Not wanting to see one of their older members die in a stupid way, one of the Necromancers took him out of the Ancestral Lands to let him feed on the blood of Humans. Only after having his fill of blood did Dracul return to his dashing self, and moving forward, he no longer thought of doing something stupid again.


    "For some reason, I feel like drinking your Disciple''s blood will give me an experience I have never felt before." Dracul insisted. "How about I give you two Empyrean Ranked Beast Cores for a mouthful of blood? That''s a fair trade, right?"


    "No," Gaap replied firmly. "Fangs off."


    Dracul gave an exaggerated sigh before scratching his head. His eyes still lingered on Lux''s neck, as if it was calling out to him to have a drink.


    "Ah, before I forget, your best friend is here, Gaap," Dracul said. "He also brought his seeing an acquaintance after many years of staying inside the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds.


    Disciple. Although she''s older than your disciple by a year or two, she''s about to make her breakthrough and be a Ranker. Kids these days grow up fast. During my time, it took me thirty years to be a Ranker. How times have changed!"


    The Vampire King gave another exaggerated sigh before floating in the air.


    "I''ll be going now, but I''ll be back with some good wine," Dracul said. "Stay for a day or two, Gaap. We have a lot of catching up to do."


    Gaap nodded and gave the Vampire King a smile. "Make sure to bring the best one. It''s been a while since I''ve had some good wine."


    Draculughed before flying into the sky. It seemed that he was in a good mood after seeing an acquaintance after many years of staying inside the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds.


    Although he had already prepared himself for the inevitable, he still couldn''t help but feel anxious about whether his breakthrough would be smooth sailing or not.


    "Master, I didn''t know you had a best friend," Lux said.


    "I don''t have a best friend," Gaap replied and made a gesture for Lux to follow him. "I only have enemies. But I have an idea who Dracul is talking about."


    A scowl appeared on the Halfling''s face as if he had eaten a fly. Clearly, this "best friend" of his wasn''t really the friendly type, and Gaap seemed to have a bad rtionship with them as well.


    The Ancestral Grounds was very vast. However, there was one thing that caught Lux''s attention.


    There were countless skulls that littered the ground, as well as weapons, making the area look like the battleground of a great war that had been fought in the past.


    However, since Gaap wasn''t saying anything, Lux decided not to pry and simply followed his Master as they walked along the paths that were not covered with bones.


    A momentter, they arrived at a Giant Gate that was over ten meters tall, andpletely made up of bones.


    Gaap then raised his walking stick and gave it a few taps.


    Suddenly, the great bone gate opened wide. However, Lux couldn''t see anything aside from pitch-ck darkness from inside it.


    "We are still in the outer area of the Ancestral Grounds," Gaap exined. "This is the inner area and the ce where all Necromancers stay whenever they are inside this Sacred ce. This is also where you will undertake your Ranker Trial and receive the world''s blessings."


    Gaap then motioned for Lux to follow him as he entered the pitch-ck darkness.


    This act reminded Lux of a popr saying back on earth.


    "If I don''t go to hell, who will?" Lux muttered as he took a step forward to walk into the darkness.


    Although he had already prepared himself for the inevitable, he still couldn''t help but feel anxious about whether his breakthrough would be smooth sailing or not.

 Chapter 755 Famous Last Words

    Chapter 755 Famous Last Words


    Although everything around him was pitch-ck, Lux stably walked in a calm manner.


    Gaap didn''t tell him anything after entering the Gate, but he could tell with every fiber of his being that he knew exactly where to go.


    It was as if there was an irresistible force that was calling out to him, serving as his light as he traversed the dark world, where not even a single speck of light existed.


    After an unknown amount of time, Lux found himself in what seemed to be an ancient city.


    At its center was a giant World Tree, whose leaves were as ck as the night.


    A few people could be seen standing at its base, and all of them were looking in their direction with curiosity.


    "Let''s go," Gaap said. "You are my Disciple, so don''t get intimidated by them. Just beware of the people who wear rings simr to the one that is hanging around my neck. They are members of Memento Mori, and those people are a different kind of breed among Necromancers."


    "Are they strong, Master?" Lux asked.


    "�� Very," Gaap replied reluctantly. "They are very strong, and they won''t bat an eye while destroying entire cities just because they felt like it. Master didn''t like their attitude, so she left their organization. Although they didn''t make any move to make her life difficult, they also didn''t help her when she needed them the most."


    Lux could sense that Gaap detested the members of Memento Mori, which exined why he suddenly became angry when the old Halfling thought that Lux was one of their members.


    When they arrived near the base of the tree, some of the Necromancers gave Gaap a nod of greeting, which he returned in kind. However, there was one Necromancer that stood out from the rest, and from his stance alone, Lux knew that this was the "different breed" that his Master was talking about.


    "Well, if it isn''t the little Halfling who was imprisoned in Zangr by the Dragon King," a Necromancer, whose age could not be defined, said with contempt. "You should have stayed there. At the very least, your rotten body could have served as a snack for those lowly Abyssal Monsters."


    "Your body will be a better fertilizer than mine will ever be," Gaap replied. "The current Head of the Divine Army must be ipetent if you are still alive, Kieran."


    "Heh~ those fools can only hunt weaklings," Kieran replied with a smile. "The ones who tried to hunt me down are all dead. I was even kind enough to send them back to their organization in order to kill their own subordinates. You should have been there


    ��it was such a great show."


    Kieran had long ck hair that was tied up with a ck band. His looks were above average, and there was a sharpness on him that was simr to what Lux had felt when he first saw Keane''s Master.


    The only difference was that the person in front of him was not a Pseudo-Saint, but a real Saint, who could easily kill Lux with just a sneeze.


    "And this boy that is still wet behind the ears is your Disciple?" Kieran asked as he eyed Lux from head to foot. "Peak Initiate at such a young age. At the very least, you found someone decent. But he doesn''t smell like a Necromancer."


    "What he smells like is none of your business," Gaap snorted. "He is still better smelling than you, lousy fart."


    "Haha, it seems that you still haven''t been punished enough," Kieran replied with an evil smile. "How about it? Want to have a go? I want to see how long you can use Antero before you croak."


    Gaap ignored Kieran''s taunt and made a gesture for Lux to follow him.


    As one of the people who despised Gaap, Kieran knew exactly what the old Halfling''s weakness was.


    Lux didn''t know why his Master, who was only an Apostle, was enemies with a Saint. Even so, it seems that the grudge they had against each other was deep. Although Gaap tried to hide it, his body would shiver from time to time as he walked while being supported by his walking stick.


    Clearly, he was very angry, but for Lux''s sake, he held it in and silently led his Disciple toward the base of the tree.


    Kieran, who seemed to understand how Gaap felt,ughed as he followed behind the Halfling and kept on saying provocative words to him. Clearly, he wanted Gaap to snap so that the two of them would have a good fight.


    "My Disciple might be older than yours, but I''m sure she is more talented," Kieran stated as he walked beside Gaap. "I don''t know if you just fed that child Beast Cores until he reached his Rank, but mine is the real deal."


    As if reaching his limit, Gaap stopped talking and nced up at the World Tree in front of him.


    "You said your Disciple is more talented than mine, right?" Gaap asked.


    "Of course," Kieran replied with a confident smile on his face. "What''s wrong? Are you unwilling to acknowledge it?"


    Gaap didn''t reply to Kieran''s question. Instead, he nced at the Half-Elf beside him.


    As if knowing what was in his mind, Lux gave his Master a confident smile and spoke out loud.


    "I don''t want to toot my own horn, but I believe that your disciple isn''t as strong as you believed her to be," Lux stated. "I''m sure that if we fought one-on-one, the one who would win would be me. That also means that my Master is a better teacherpared to a ck-haired nobody."


    "Hoh~ ck-haired nobody?" Kieran''s smile widened after hearing Lux''s reply. "Those are some famousst words, boy. Are you sure you can back that up?"


    "Of course," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "Is she perhaps undergoing a Ranker Trial right now?"


    Kieran nodded. "She is."


    "Then after both of us be Rankers, we''ll have a duel with each other," Lux said. "Let''s see. How about the loser following the winner''s orders for a day? Your Disciple will follow my orders, and you will follow my Master''s orders. How about that?"


    "Quite the arrogant one, aren''t you?" Kieran sneered. "I don''t mind epting your bet, boy. However, allow me to confirm it once. You''re fine with the bet, Gaap?"


    "Of course," Gaap replied. "I can''t wait to use your back as my chair."


    "Hahaha! It seems that you have found the right Disciple. Both of you are weak and foolish and only know how to talk. Very well, I agree to this duel," Kieran smirked before shifting his gaze to the Half-Elf who thought that he could beat his Disciple.


    Kieran then walked towards Lux until they were only a foot apart.


    He then looked down at the Half-Elf, as if trying to intimidate him.


    "My Disciple is very rough on the edges. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to tell her not to identally kill you," Kieran said in a confident tone.


    "Don''t worry," Lux replied. "It will take more than killing me to kill me. I want to see just how strong this Disciple of yours is."


    Lux looked up fearlessly at the Saint who was looking down on him. Kieran chuckled before grabbing the Half-Elf''s clothes.


    "We''ll see just how long you can act cocky," Kieranmented before throwing Lux towards the World Tree.


    Before the Half-Elf could even understand what happened, his body merged with the World Tree and entered the ce where all Necromancers undertook their Ranker Trial.

 Chapter 756 Half-Elf Meets High-Elf [Part 1]

    ?An error urred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/data/script/email_list.txt''.


    Lux, who had been thrown towards the World Tree disappeared in an instant.


    This made the other Necromancers, who saw the exchange between the Half-Elf and Kieran, chuckle.


    Even though they found the whole thing quite funny, they had to admit that the red-headed teenager had guts in order to stand up to a Saint that belonged to the organization Memento Mori.


    Not all Necromancers were qualified to join this group.


    Each of their members were Saints, and only their Disciples got a free pass when it came to entering this exclusive group of Necromancers, that even the Divine Army of Light didn''t want to hunt down unless it was ast resort.


    A Necromancer that had the rank of a Saint was not a pushover. In fact, they were the ones that liked to antagonize others.


    Only the Saints of the Divine Army were allowed to fight against the members of Memento Mori, and the regr army''s main role was to hunt other Necromancers, who didn''t belong to this organization.


    The Divine Army of Light also had a special ranking for High-Profile Targets, and the one at the top of the list was none other than Lux''s Master, Gaap, whomanded the Gigantic Antero, who could easily crush any and all opposition.


    "You must be very confident in your Disciple for you to ept my bet," Kieran said as he nced down at the Half-Ling, whose gaze was directed in the World Tree. "Aren''t you afraid that I will humiliate you in front of others?"


    "What a coincidence," Gaap replied. "I was thinking of the same thing. Are you ready to bark like a dog and fetch my walking stick?"


    The Old Half-ling smirked at his "best friend", who was still thinking that there was no way that he would lose the bet he had with Gaap''s Disciple.


    "My Disciple will wipe the floor with your Disciple," Kieran stated.


    "Your Disciple will be my Disciple''s b*tch," Gaapmented. "I can guarantee it."


    "Bold wordsing from a coward."


    "The only coward here is the person I am looking at right now."


    The two Necromancers then shifted their gaze back at the World Tree where both of their Disciples were undergoing their Ranker Trial.


    Since the oue of the bet would be determined in a fight between their protege, there was no point to even trash talking each other for hours.


    Only one Disciple would win, and only they would have thestugh.


    ����������������


    Lux crashed on the ground and rolled for a few meters beforeing to aplete stop.


    "That hurts," Lux said hatefully as he propped himself up from the ground and started to dust himself off.


    "Are you hurt, Eiko?"


    "Pa!"


    "Good. Don''t worry, when I be a Saint, we will have our revenge on that bastard."


    "Yes!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Since Eiko was Lux''s Beast Companion, she was able to enter the trial alongside the Half-Elf. The Baby Slime looked around her surroundings, which was filled with lush trees and greenery.


    A nce was enough to tell Lux that they were inside a Forest of unknown origin. However, the most interesting part about the ce was that he could only sense one presence in the entire forest, which made him frown.


    ''It''s no use in worrying about pointless things,'' Lux thought as he stared in the direction where he was feeling the fluctuation of life. ''I''ll go and take a look first.''


    Lux suddenly sprinted and ran towards the direction where the only living creature inside the forest resided.


    It was a very logical decision and within minutes, he had arrived at his destination.


    At the center of a clearing, a woman, whose long green hair, fluttered lightly in the breeze. Her eyes, that were of the same color as her hair, nced in Lux''s direction, making the Half-Elf''s heart skip a beat.


    After being surrounded by many beautifuldies, Lux thought that he had already gained an immunity to beauty.


    However, after seeing the beautiful woman in front of him, he felt as if he had been affected by a charm spell, that he had no power to resist.


    The beautiful woman''s ears were long, which easily identified her as an Elf.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call her a Goddess that descended on Earth, and Lux firmly believed that he was truly meeting a Goddess for the first time in his life.


    The beautiful woman smiled sweetly at the Half-Elf before opening her luscious, and seductive lips that would make Kings and Emperors go to war with a single word from her.


    However, the first words that came out of the beautiful Elf''s lips made Lux wonder if there was something wrong with his ears.


    "What took you so long?" the beautiful Elf asked. "You little piece of sh*t?"


    Lux blinked once and twice as he nked out, unable to understand how to respond to the beautiful Elf''s words.


    "What''s this?" the Elf asked again. "Not only are you a piece of sh*t, you''re mute as well? I have waited many years for a c*nt like you to appear before me, but what do I get? A Half-Elf whose **** can''t even f**k a fart!"


    Lux, who had nked out earlier, finally understood that he didn''t mishear things.


    The beautiful Elf woman in front of him, who had made his heart skip a beat, was now making his heart beat wildly inside his chest for other reasons, and it was not a good reason!


    "Not only are you a mute sh*t, you''re also a deaf ****." The beautiful Elf sneered. "To think that the person who had achieved something that I wasn''t able to do in my lifetime was a **** is making me **** you ****! You made me wait for decades and the only thing you can do is **** you **** piece of ****!"


    In just a span of two minutes, Lux received a barrage of profanities that exceeded the times he was cursed in both of his lifetimesbined.


    The Half-Elf stood in silence, as the beautiful Elf continued her litany of vulgarities that could even make his Grandma Vera blush in embarrassment.


    Lux didn''t know how someone so beautiful could be so vile at the same time.


    This made him wonder if his Master, Gaap, who described his own Master as a kind, and benevolent woman, was just spouting a bunch of lies.


    Even though this was the first time he was meeting this person, Lux strongly believed that the beautiful Elf in front of him was none other than Gaap''s Master, Hereswith.


    The same woman who had died decades ago, in order to protect her Disciple, who, to this day, still missed her terribly.

 Chapter 757 Half-Elf Meets High-Elf [Part 2]

    ?An error urred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/data/script/email_list.txt''.


    "A-Are you perhaps Great Grandmaster Hereswith?" Lux asked after he had bathed in the beautiful woman''s curses, that made Cethus'' senseless arrogance look cute.


    "That is indeed who I am," Hereswith replied. "Has Gaap told you about me?"


    "He has," Lux answered. "He said that you are kind, benevolent, caring, beautiful, gentle, and couldn''t turn a blind eye to people that need help."


    "Aww! My Gaap still hadn''t forgotten me," Hereswith said softly. "He''s so sweet. Unlike you, little c*nt, who isn''t even half as cute as him when he was your age!"


    Lux pretended that he hadn''t heard the beautiful Elf''s words, and looked at her with a calm expression on his face.


    "Great Grandmaster Hereswith, are you really dead?"


    "Calling me Great Grandmaster is so stiff. Just call me Lady Hereswith, or just Hereswith. Also, you still haven''t introduced yourself, you little sh*t. Didn''t your mother teach you proper manners?"


    "I don''t have a mother," Lux replied. "Or at least, I am not aware of who she is."


    Hereswith clicked her tongue in annoyance, but she no longer continued to hurl profanities at the Half-Elf. Perhaps, she felt that she went too far with herment about Lux''s mother, so she decided to tone down her words a bit.


    "Introductions first," Hereswith stated. "My name is Hereswith. A beautiful High-Elf who hailed from the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden. When I was alive, Kings, and Emperors prostrated themselves before me. Powerful Saints were at my beck and call. My three sizes are��"


    "Wow��" Lux was at a loss for words because not only was Hereswith confident with her beauty, she didn''t mind rubbing it in other peoples'' faces as well!


    "I finished with my introductions." Hereswith narrowed her eyes. "Now it''s your turn."


    Lux nodded and started to introduce himself.


    "My name is Lux Von Kaizer, and this baby slime on my head is Eiko," Lux said.


    "Ei!" Eiko jumped in ce as if introducing herself as well.


    Lux then smiled and continued his introduction. "I am a Half-Elf, and I hailed from Wildgarde Stronghold in Sis. I am someone who your people call Foreigners, and I have only been in Elysium for less than two years.


    "In that span of time, I rose from a beginner, to an Initiate. I am now here to take the Ranker Trial in order to be a Ranker. Also I have two beautiful fiances whom I will be marrying in the future. Although they might not be as beautiful as you, they are exceptionaldies as well. There three sizes are��"


    Hereswith listened to Lux''s introduction until he was done. The first thing that came out of her mouth, made Lux wonder if they were speaking in the samenguage.


    "Are you bragging?" Hereswith asked with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes. "Less than two years and now you''re about to be a Ranker? Not only that, you have two beautiful fiances, and their three sizes could even make the boys their age howl like wolves?


    " You little c*nt, do you know about humility? Do you know about modesty? Is this what a Heaven''s Necromancer is? Do you know how long it took me to be a Ranker? I died single as well, and you''re rubbing your lovers in my face? I curse you! I curse that your d**k will no longer raise its head ever again!"


    Lux, who suffered emotional damage from Hereswith''s words almost puked blood then and there. He simply followed her way of introducing herself, and thought that it was okay to add more details, especially about his fiances.


    However, to his surprise, the beautiful woman, who died single, was raving at him for having two beautiful fiances, who had taken that next step in order to strengthen their rtionship.


    After a few minutes of being bathed with flying spittle that was filled with hate, and contempt, Lux realized that there were things that he shouldn''t say to people who Friendzoned others.


    "So, your name is Lux," Hereswith said after calming down. "Tell me, how did you do it? How did you be a Heaven''s Necromancer? What was the factor that allowed you to unlock this Sacred Profession?"


    Hereswith''s questions were filled with anticipation, and a little bit of frustration. As someone who had struggled to enter the doors of Heaven, and falling short from her goal, she wanted to know the answer that had haunted her soul for the past decades of her life.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lux understood that Hereswith truly wanted to know how he gained his profession, so he began to exin how it all began from the very beginning.


    "I was supposed to enter a Dungeon, but ended up appearing in Zangr," Lux exined. "That is where I met Master Gaap. When I was there, I��"


    The Half-Elf told the beautiful High-Elf everything that happened in Zangr. He described his experiences as clearly as he could, which made Hereswith sigh after Lux finished his story.


    "Zangr�� I didn''t know that my cute disciple was imprisoned there after I died," Hereswith said in a sad tone. "Gaap, I''m sorry for being an ipetent Master. I made you suffer."


    A pained expression appeared on Hereswith''s beautiful face that made Lux''s heart ache.


    He even felt a little jealous because the beautiful High-Elf treated Gaap, and him differently, making him wonder what the Old Half-Ling really looked like when he was younger.


    "I understand how you managed to be a Heaven''s Necromancer," Hereswith stated after she had regained herposure. "It is indeed a feat worth being blessed by Heaven."


    A sigh then escaped Hereswith''s seductive lips as she stared at the blue sky above her head.


    After a moment of silence, the High-Elf once again shifted her attention to Lux, and gave him a brief bow.


    "Thank you for saving my beloved Disciple from his lonely fate," Hereswith said. "Also, thank you for bing a Heaven''s Necromancer. It is the profession that I sought out all my life.


    "At first, I thought that I was chasing an impossible dream. However, after seeing you now, it has made me realize that I wasn''t wrong when I decided to take a different path in Necromancy that no one had taken before."


    Hereswith smiled a bitter smile, and  yet, Lux could tell that the bitterness in it wasn''t because he seeded in achieving something that she didn''t.


    As for the reason behind that bitterness, Lux didn''t ask. His instincts were telling him that this was a question that he shouldn''t ask the beautiful High-Elf, who had waited for him for decades.


    "Since you are already here, I will impart to you my full legacy," Hereswith said with determination. "I will not allow you to break through unless you master all the spells that I created years ago.


    "Although Gaap is already your Master, no one can teach you the path of Heaven better than I can. Since I am the Master of your Master, it is only natural that I impart to you my teachings as well."


    Suddenly, a mischievous smile appeared on Hereswith''s beautiful face that gave Lux goosebumps.


    "Prepare yourself, Lux," Hereswith stated. "Your training as a Heaven''s Necromancer is officially about to begin."


    ��--------------


    (A/N: Important Announcement!)


    My other novel, Wizard World Irregr, will be going premium soon. Since this is a non-exclusive novel, it cannot be seen in my profile.


    Just search for it in the Webnovel search engine in order to see this amazing story.


    Come with me, and enter a Magical World, simr to Harry Potter, but 1000% more awesome.


    Open the pages and read the story that you have been secretly craving for in your life.


    Grab your wands and broomsticks, for it is time for all of you to enroll in Brynhildr Magic Academy, and see a Magical World that will be your new reading addiction!

 Chapter 758 Hey, Lux, Can I Slap You?

    ?An error urred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/data/script/email_list.txt''.


    "Damn! What kind of broken skillset is this?! Skill Evolution [EX]?! Who in the Heavens made this thing?!" Hereswithined as she browsed through the skills that were listed in Lux''s Soul Book.


    A secondter, sheined once again after seeing Lux''s special body constitution. The beautiful elf thought she misread the information on the Soul Book, but after reading it thrice, she found out that what she saw was indeed a reality.


    "What kind of broken body constitution is this Immortal Dragon''s Conqueror''s Legacy?! You can even spit Dragon''s Breath?!" Hereswith asked again. "If I had this when I was alive, I would have fried those d*cks from the Divine Army of Light. They wouldn''t have been able to kill me! You **** why do you have these **** abilities that defy all logic!"


    Lux, who was doing push-ups while Hereswith was sitting on his back, didn''t know what to say.


    The first thing that the beautiful Elf demanded of him was to see his Soul Book so that she would better understand what he was capable of.


    However, after seeing its contents, Hereswith once again showered Lux with curses and spittle that were flying in every direction.


    "Life is so unfair," Hereswith said before spanking Lux''s bum, making the Half-Elf cry out in pain. "You are unfair! What have you been eating and drinking all your life? You little c*nt! I want that too!"


    Eiko, who was eating some peanuts at the side, looked up at the beautiful Elf that was hurting her Papa and frowned.


    "Grandmaster, please don''t speak vulgarities in front of Eiko," Lux said as he endured the physical and emotional damage from the beautiful Elf who was sitting on his back. "She''s still young and there''s a high chance that she will start to imitate you."


    "Oh, no, we don''t want that happening," Hereswith replied before looking at the Baby Slime. "Eiko, sweetheart, girls shouldn''t say vulgar words or shout profanities, okay? I''m just doing this because your Papa is a **** who needs to get his **** in the right ce. Don''t imitate me, okay?"


    "Un!" Eiko nodded.


    However, whether she truly understood what Hereswith told her or not was another matter.


    A few minutester, Hereswith closed Lux''s Soul Book and gave a very long and deep sigh.


    "Maybe it''s because you have these skills that you were allowed to be a Heaven''s Necromancer," Hereswith said. "Even though my skills are stronger than yours, the potential that you possess is higher. Those **** Gods. Why can''t they just give me a break?!"


    Although the time he spent with Hereswith was rather short, Lux believed that he had an inkling as to why the beautiful Elf couldn''t be a Heaven''s Necromancer.


    ''The Heavens might have cklisted her from this Profession because of her curse-filled mouth,'' Lux thought.


    Hereswith looked like a literal Goddess, and he was sure that everyone who saw her for the first time would think the same way.


    However, all of them would have their image of her shattered, just like what happened to him, the moment she opened her mouth to start hurtling vulgarities at the pitiful soul that happened to be in front of her.


    In fact, Lux was quite impressed by how his Master, Gaap, was able to survive bing Hereswith''s disciple. The time he spent with Gaap was longer, but he never heard his Master curse the same way that Hereswith did.


    "Master, I have a question?" Lux asked. "What does push-up have to do with my training?"


    "It doesn''t," Hereswith replied. "I just need you to stay put for a bit while I read your Soul Book."


    Although Lux''s Necromancer Training hadn''t started, he already felt like giving up.


    "Well then, let me see your Named Creatures, as well as the members of your Covenant," Hereswith ordered. "We are Necromancers. The stronger our subordinates are, the stronger we are. Only third-rate Necromancers focus on the quantity of their summons. They are the types that the more Undead they can summon, the stronger their army is.


    "However, even an army numbered in tens of thousands would instantly turn to dust when faced with a handful of High-Ranking Rankers, which the Divine Army of Light use to hunt those who practice our profession."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding and summoned all of the mainbatants of his army.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Asmodeus, Lazarus, Bedivere, Zagan, Revon, ALL-MITE, Shax, Draven, and King Leoric.


    Hereswith narrowed her gaze as she looked at Lux''s strongest fighters and nodded her head in approval.


    "Not bad for an Initiate," Hereswith stated. "With this lineup, you will be able to hold your ground against a High-Ranker. Now, show me the bulk of your main army and the things that they can do."


    With a wave of his hand, Lux summoned his Skeleton Gangbangers, Skeleton Arcane Archers, Liches, Steel Golems, and gue Wing Gargoyles.


    After showing his summons, Lux ordered his Skeleton Gangbangers and the Steel Golems to merge, forming two Hecatoncheires that towered over their figures.


    "You get a passing grade," Hereswithmented after seeing Lux''s main army. "So your clones as well as that Archlich over there could summon this army as well, right?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "My clones, including Eiko''s and Asmodeus'' clones, can summon an Undead Army as well."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Hereswith clicked her tongue in annoyance before scratching her hair.


    Due to his strong sense of hearing, Lux was able to hear Hereswith mutter ''Unfair C*nt'', under her breath, but he simply pretended that he didn''t hear anything.


    "Since all of them are already here, I will impart to them a skill that they must master as soon as possible," Hereswith stated. "This skill is called Death God''s Aura. This is a skill that I invented afterbining the two skills, Unholy Aura, and Holy Aura. Since you are a Heaven''s Necromancer, you need to master this skill as well."


    Hereswith snapped her fingers, and several beams of light shot out from her forehead. These lights flew toward Lux''s and his subordinates'' foreheads, allowing them to directly learn the skill that she was intended to impart to them.


    ������������������������


    < Skill Evolution [EX] detected a new Skill. >


    �C Since the skill Death God''s Aura is a Legacy Skill, it will automatically be upgraded to Death God''s Aura [EX]


    �� Your Named Creatures, as well as the members of your Necromancer''s Covenant will also learn the upgraded version of this skill.


    ������������������������


    < Death God''s Aura [EX] >


    �� Increase your attack and defense by 100%


    �� Increase your movement and attack speed by 100%


    �� 100% Resistance to Dark, Necrotic, Holy, Life, and Divine Magic


    �� You are immune to the effects of Fear and Intimidation.


    �� Wild Undead Monsters that aren''t under someone''s control will not take the initiative to attack you.


    ����������������������


    The added bonus of the Death God''s Aura [EX] was good, but that wasn''t all. Lux had a special title that was called Lord of Death''s Army.


    Simr to Death God''s Aura, this special buff also increased the attack, and defense of his Army, making them stronger than regr Undead.


    ����������������������


    < Lord of Death''s Army >


    (Profession Exclusive Title)


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer''s Named Creatures by 100%


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer''s Necromancer Covenant by 100%


    �C Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of Lux Von Kaizer''s Summons by 50%


    �C All creatures under Lux Von Kaizer''s Command will have a 100% Increase in Defense.


    ����������������������


    Simply put, Eiko, Lux''s Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, had a 200% increase in their attacks and defense after the two skills werebined. They also had a 100% increased movement and attack speed buff which would further improve their performance in battle.


    Although this wasn''t as broken as Aina''s two Unique Skills, it was still good and made Lux''s subordinates stronger than ever before.


    "��. This Skill Evolution [EX] skill is truly disgusting," Hereswithined after seeing the changes in Lux''s Soul Book. "It took me five years to learn this skill. However, not only did you learn it right away, you even have the upgraded version. Hey, Lux, can I p you?"


    Hereswith gave Lux a very sweet smile while motioning for him toe closer to her.


    Since the Half-Elf wasn''t a masochist, he firmly shook his head and said, "Sorry, but I''ll pass."


    Even so, that wasn''t enough to save him from getting kicked in the bum by the furious High-Elf, who once again hurled a storm of expletives at him while constantlyining about how unfair and how broken his abilities were.

 Chapter 759 The Birth Of A Legend [Part 1]

    ?An error urred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/data/script/email_list.txt''.


    Although Lux''s subordinates had now learned the Death God''s Aura [EX] Skill, they still needed to put it into practice.


    Lux thought that by simply activating the skill, he would be able to use its benefits. But, to his surprise, the skill was not as simple as he thought it would be.


    Hereswith exined that the Death God''s Aura wasn''t a passive skill but an active skill. She had created this skill in order tobine the power of light and darkness, which she managed to do after years of painstaking trial and error.


    In order to use it well, one had to master the feeling of being one with this ability. When Lux first tried using it, the skill onlysted for half a minute before dispersingpletely.


    "I already mentioned that it took me five years to master this technique," Hereswith stated. "You might have learned it through me, but you didn''t get my experience of using the skill. This is something that you should discover on your own. Once you''re able to release the Death God''s Aura for long periods of time, it will feel as natural as breathing. That is the final goal that you should aim for."


    Lux understood what the beautiful Elf was trying to say, so he immediately focused on mastering how to use the Death God''s Aura. However, Hereswith had other ns for him.


    "You can master Death God''s Aurater," Hereswith stated. "Your subordinates can master it first. What I want you to do is create your own Transcendent Skill."


    "Transcendent Skill?" Lux tilted his head in confusion. "I can create one?"


    Hereswith nodded her head. "You are the first Heaven''s Necromancer in the world. This means that you are the Progenitor of this ss. As the one who pioneered this path, you must create a Transcendent Skill, so those who also choose this path will have a Unique Skill that is exclusive to them.


    "As you may already know, all the Professions in the world had a Progenitor. The Progenitor of Necromancers created the skills Summon Skeleton Soldiers, Summon Skeleton Archers, Summon Skeleton Mages, and Summon Golem.


    "Because of this, all Necromancers can use these abilities, which have evolved over the years, giving birth to stronger versions of Skeletons and Golems. That''s why, as the Progenitor of the Heaven Necromancer ss, it is important to create a Transcendent Skill exclusive only to this profession."


    Lux was left dumbfounded by Hereswith''s exnation. Asking him to create a Transcendent Skill out of the blue was like throwing aplete amateur into an internationalpetition, which he had no idea about.


    "Grandmaster, can I do thister?" Lux asked. "I''m sure that there is a better ce and time for this."


    Contrary to his expectations, Hereswith firmly shook her head.


    "You must create a Transcendent Skill before receiving the World''s Blessing," Hereswith replied. "By doing so, the power of the Transcendent Skill will be stronger. Simr to your Skill Evolution [EX]. Who knows? You might even give birth to an [SSR Skill] after you receive the world''s blessing."


    Lux scratched his head because the hurdle was simply too high. Even so, if his skills could really jump to the SSR Grade in one go, he didn''t mind putting more effort into it.


    "Grandmaster, can you give me some advice?" Lux asked. "How do you make a Transcendent Skill?"


    "Um, just think of the most powerful skill that you can think of that ispatible with the Necromancer ss," Hereswith exined. "As long as it doesn''t break thews of the world, it will materialize and be a reality."


    Lux crossed his arms over his chest and pondered.


    ''The strongest skill that I can think of?'' Lux mused.


    Several ideas popped up inside his head. Although these skills sounded strong, the Half-Elf wasn''t truly satisfied with them.


    After spending nearly half an hour thinking, Lux started to feel frustrated because he was going around in circles. In the end, he decided to sit on the ground, cross-legged, and entered a meditative state.


    Only after regaining his calm did the Half-Elf do some soul-searching on what the word strong meant to him.


    A momentter, he thought of his Stepfather, Alexander, who was a Saint. For the longest time, he thought that no one was stronger than his Stepfather.


    The measurement of strength that Lux was using was the Saint Rank.


    Of course, he knew that there was a rank above the Saint Rank, which was the Supreme. However, this Rank was too far for him toprehend, so he decided to remain at the level of Saints.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Something stronger than Saints��.," Lux muttered, and a past memory rose up to help him.


    The Seven-Headed cmity that wiped out the Capital City of Wolfpine Barony appeared in his head.


    This monster was so strong that even a group of Saints were unable to defeat itpletely. The most they could do was seal it away to prevent it from spreading death and destruction within their Domain.


    Suddenly, the Half-Elf''s body shuddered after he followed that line of thought.


    "An existence that even a Supreme cannot defeat��," Lux said softly as he opened his eyes to look at the beautiful Elf, who was flipping the pages of his Soul Book and reading all of the information about him.


    The Half-Elf smiled bitterly because he didn''t think of it sooner. There was one creature that was so strong that even a Supreme couldn''t defeat it.


    A creature that would survive even if a was destroyed.


    It was none other than the Indestructible Golem of Destruction, Antero.


    Lux knew that it was impossible for him to create a second Antero. However, what if he could create something that wasn''t indestructible, but still very strong?


    "Gigantic��," Lux said softly as if he was in a trance.


    Using the Hecatoncheires as a temte, Lux imagined a skill where his entire army, including his Named Creatures and Members of his Covenant, merged together, forming a single and powerful entity that wouldugh at those who opposed him and smash them with a single gigantic fist.


    "Deus Gigantia."


    Those were the words that escaped Lux''s lips while he was in a trance, imagining this creature who would be powerful enough to fight against Antero in a one-on-one battle.


    A creature that even Supremes wouldn''t be able to defeat so easily.


    ��������������������


    < Congrattions! You have built the foundation for the Transcendent Skill, Deus Gigantia. >


    < Since this was a Transcendent Skill, it would automatically be upgraded to Deus Gigantia [EX] >


    < Skill Evolution [EX] had detected a Transcendent Skill. Being the first skill of a Progenitor ss, it will receive two evolution upgrades. >


    < Congrattions! You have now created the foundation for the Transcendent Skill, Deus Gigantia [Epic]. >


    ��������������������


    The skies above the forest where Lux and Hereswith were staying started to turn red.


    The beautiful Elf arched an eyebrow after seeing this scene before shifting her gaze back to the Half-Elf, who was still in a trance.


    Within the depths of her beautiful eyes, a profound excitement was rising to the surface.


    For she, the one who had struggled to be a Necromancer of Heaven, was about to witness the birth of a Legend.


    A Legend who would open the doors of Heaven, which she failed to do in her lifetime.

 Chapter 760 The Birth Of A Legend [Part 2]

    ?


    Eiko hummed on top of the head of a two-headed Ogre Zombie.


    This creature was thetest addition to her Terrorist Squad, and she named him BataBoom.


    After seeing Lux''s Skeleton Generator Skill, Hereswith decided to impart her knowledge to him, making the skill evolve into Undead Generator [EX].


    Because of this, Lux, Eiko, and Asmodeus, were now able to generate any Undead-Type Monster, and were no longer limited to Skeletons.


    Shax was a special case because there had been a mutation when Lux had created him using the Skeleton Generator skill. This also led to him being unable to control the Nightgaunt at the beginning because its Rank had surpassed the Half-Elf''s rank.


    As Lux''s Beast Companion, Eiko also learned the skill, Death God''s Aura.


    But, the Baby Slime wanted her Slime party, and the Terrorist Squad to learn it as well. Fortunately, Hereswith didn''t mind and imparted the skill to Eiko''s subordinates as well.


    Bataboom had three abilities. The first one was Fire st. This was a skill that hurled a fireball at the target, and detonated upon impact.


    Its second skill was called Burning Casks, which it hurled at its targets, dealing burning damage per second, as well as slowing their movements by 30%


    Itsst skill was Fervor. It was able to bless its allies with increased movement and attack speed, making them more efficient in battle.


    Just like all of Eiko''s summons, Bataboom''s skills had a chance to deal 200% up to 400% damage.


    This was something that made all of them very deadly because one could never gauge how strong the exploding attacks could be, until it hit you right on your face.


    It had been a week since Lux had started his training under Hereswith, and she had imparted five abilities to him that were unique to the Heaven''s Necromancer ss.


    The first one was Death God''s Aura, which he, and all of his subordinates learned.


    The second one was Mass Bone Prison. This ability encases his targets into cages made up of bones, which would require a very strong attack to break.


    The third skill was called Bone Storm. This ability allowed Lux to summon a tornado made up of bones that had a very wide area of effect. Anything that was sucked up inside it would find themselves being shredded by razor sharp bones that could easily cut through flesh.


    The fourth skill was called Half-Life. This increased a target''s Health by 50% when cast, which was perfect for tanks such as Pazuzu and Orion.


    Last but not the least was the skill, Blood Mist. For a few seconds, Lux could transform into a Blood Mist, negating any kind of physical damage aimed in his direction.


    It also gave him a 50% resistance to magic attacks when he was in his blood mist form, greatly reducing the damage of Magical Attacks.


    Due to Lux''s Skill Evolution [EX], all of these skills were upgraded to the next stage, making them stronger than ever before.


    Currently, the Half-Elf was sitting in a cross legged position while mastering the skill, Blood Mist.


    Hereswith was throwing rocks in his direction, making Lux yelp in pain whenever he failed to turn into a Blood Mist in time.


    "Although you have the Corpse God to protect you, your goal should be to focus on avoiding getting hit by anything," Hereswith said as she threw another rock, which Lux managed to dodge using the skill. "Some attacks don''t only target the body, but also target the soul. As someone who had the Divine Abyss Touch ability, you should know this very well."


    In order to make the training more challenging, Hereswith had asked Lux to close his eyes, while she threw stones at him.


    The beautiful Elf had forcefully sealed Lux''s Corpse God, so it could not automatically protect him from getting hit. She wanted to make the Half-Elfpetent in turning into a blood mist by reflex, so her training became more intense with each passing day.


    ��������������


    Two weeks had passed since Lux had entered the World Tree, and things had be more calm since he left.


    Since the old Half-Ling and Kieran were waiting for their Disciples to appear, the two no longer indulged themselves in verbal warfare, and simply enjoyed Dracul''s wine andpany.


    "The outside world is a mess right now," Dracul said as he swirled the wine inside his ss. "Battles for Hegemony and Conquest are happening everywhere, making me think that we have all entered a new era of war."


    "Nothing''s changed," Kieran replied before emptying his ss of wine. "You''ve been cooped up here in the Ancestral Lands so long that you haven''t seen how many Kingdoms and Empires have disappeared over the past decade."


    "Well, you know me," Draculmented. "I dislike conflicts. Why wage war when I can just sit back, rx, and enjoy my nearly immortal life?"


    Gaap smirked after hearing Dracul''s reply.


    Although the Vampire King was a happy-go-lucky person, that didn''t change the fact that he was the current Guardian of the Ancestral Grounds.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    This meant only one thing.


    Dracul was a very strong Necromancer.


    Without Antero by his side, Gaap and Kieranbined, wouldn''t be able to defeat Dracul even if they asked all the Necromancers that were currently inside their Ancestral Ground to help them. That was how powerful their Guardian was, making them wonder how he was able to achieve his current level of strength.


    Suddenly, ck lightning bolts descended from the heavens and continuously hit the bark of the World Tree.


    Although there were different signs when a Ranker was breaking through, lightning was one of the mostmon signs that someone was about to transition from an Initiate to a Ranker.


    "The quality of the lightning bolts are superior to the ones I''ve seen before," Draculmented. "I wonder who it is. Could it possibly be your disciple, Kieran, or is it perhaps Lux, who entered two weeks ago?"


    "We''ll know in a bit," Kieran replied as he gazed at the powerful lightning bolts that were trying to tear the World Tree apart.


    However, this was an impossible task because the World Tree in their Ancestral Grounds wouldn''t even get a scratch even if it was continuously hit by lightning bolts.


    Nearly ten minutester, the barrage of lightning stoppedpletely.


    From within the bark of the World Tree, a green-haired High-Elf emerged.


    Behind her back were ck angel wings, highlighting the ck dress that clung to her body.


    She was very beautiful, and even Gaap had no choice but to admit that Kieran''s Disciple was a cut above the rest.


    Judging from the Aura she had, she had just broken through as a Ranker, making Gaap''s best friend smile from ear to ear.


    "Wee back, Lorelei," Kieran said with a smile. "Did your breakthrough go smoothly?"


    Lorelei nodded. "Yes, Master. Thanks to everything you taught me, my breakthrough didn''t have any problems."


    "Good to hear." Kieran then made a gesture to introduce the old Half-Ling, who was seated across him. "This is Gaap, and his Disciple is currently inside the World Tree."


    Lorelei nced in the direction of the old Half-Ling and gave him a brief nod. She knew who Gaap was because her Master would always mention his name in passing, and call him a coward, and a loser.


    After seeing the Half-Ling in person, the beautiful Elf, who seemed to be in herte teens arched an eyebrow, which made Gaap also raise his own eyebrow.


    Seeing the look on his Disciple''s face, Kieran chuckled internally.


    He had bad-mouthed Gaap so many times that a single nce was enough to tell him that Lorelei was also looking down on the Apostle, whom her Master called a failure.


    "Lorelei, Gaap and I made a bet two weeks ago," Kieran said. "We want to know who has the better Disciple between us. Because of this, we decided to make a bet. The two of you will fight, and the loser will do what the winnermands them to do for a day.


    "This also applies to me and Gaap. If you win, I will be able tomand this bastard to walk on his hands and circle the Ancestral Grounds naked."


    Lorelei who heard this only smiled. "Master, bullying the weak isn''t a good thing. But, since this bet has already been made, I will ept it. I also want to see what kind of Disciple a coward can raise."


    Gaap only shook his head helplessly after hearing Lorelei''s side remark.


    "Like Master, like disciple," Gaap replied. "All bark and no bite."


    "Hah! Say whatever you want, Gaap." Kieran sneered. "At the end of the day, your words will not help you win."


    Before Gaap could even reply, a voice filled with sarcasm reached everyone''s ears.


    "Oh, really?"


    Gaap, Kieran, Dracul, and Lorelei, all shifted their attention in the direction that the voice came from.


    Standing in front of them was a red-headed Half-Elf, who had a baby slime perched on top of his head.


    "I''m back, Master," Lux said with a smile.


    Gaap frowned after seeing Lux. Judging by the aura that his disciple currently had, it was clear that he was still an Initiate, making him wonder if something had gone wrong inside the World Tree, where his Disciple was supposed to enter the realm of a Ranker.

 Chapter 761 Kierans Disciple

    ?


    "Why are you here, Lux?" Gaap asked. "Did your breakthrough fail?"


    Lorelei looked at the Half-Elf in disdain after seeing that he was still an Initiate.


    Kieran, on the other hand,ughed out loud because the shocked expression on Gaap''s face was priceless.


    "I still haven''t broken through, Master," Lux replied.


    "Then, what are you doing here?" Gaap inquired.


    He could feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment because his Disciple suddenly popped out of nowhere, and he was about to brag on how amazing the Half-Elf was.


    "I''m here because I need to breakthrough," Lux answered.


    "Huh?" Gaap blinked. "You came here because you need to breakthrough?"


    Lux nodded before shifting his gaze to the beautiful, young High-Elf who seemed to resemble his Grandmaster, Hereswith.


    "Are you Kieran''s disciple?" Lux asked.


    "I am," Lorelei replied. "Hurry up and be a Ranker. Our Masters had a bet on who would win in a battle between the two of us. Don''t keep them waiting."


    Lux smirked after hearing Lorelei''s words.


    "The reason why I am here is because you have already be a Ranker," Lux stated. "You have made me wait for you for two weeks, so let''s not keep on making everyone wait for our duel."


    Dracul, who was listening silently from the side,ughed before pping his hands.


    "Wonderful, a battle with an entire realm as a disadvantage," Dracul said as he pped his hands. "You remind me of what I was like when I was your age. Handsome, bold, courageous, andst but not the least, someone who had confidence in his abilities. Since he is already here, let''s get that duel started."


    Kieran and Lorelei both looked at the Half-Elf as if he had some mental issues. The two of them didn''t expect that a mere Initiate would dare to challenge a Ranker in a duel.


    Gaap, who was feeling embarrassed earlier, chuckled.


    He hadpletely forgotten that his Disciple was different from the rest, and he could freely fight against Low-Rankers even though he was still an Initiate.


    "Well, I hate bullying the weak, but since they asked for it, make sure to beat them good, Lux," Gaap said.


    "Of course, Master," Lux stated. "I will make both of them understand what kind of Necromancer I truly am."


    Kieran shifted his gaze from Lux to the Old Half-Ling who seemed very confident about his Disciple''s chances of winning.


    ''Is this just foolish bravado?'' Kieran thought. ''These two idiots are probably just bluffing.''


    Aftering to this conclusion, Kieran rested his hand over Lorelei''s shoulder and nodded his head.


    "Teach this fool what a true Necromancer is like," Kieran ordered. "As his senior, you should correct his false confidence and bravado before it ruins his life forever."


    "Yes, Master," Lorelei replied before shifting her gaze to the Half-Elf in front of her. "What''s your name?"


    "Lux Von Kaizer," Lux replied. "Just call me Lux."


    "Lorelei," Lorelei said. "Remember the name of the person that will teach you on how to be a proper Necromancer."


    "Lorelei?" Lux smiled. "Very well, Miss Lorelei. Teach me on how to be a proper Necromancer. I, on the other hand, will teach you humility because it seems that you have none of it."


    The two Disciples looked at each other in contempt, while their Masters nced at Dracul, who had just finished drinking his cup of wine.


    "Very well, I will be the one to officiate this match," Dracul dered. "Don''t worry, I swear on my handsome face that I will not let any of you die. Well, if you die by ident, that can easily be fixed."


    The Vampire King smiled evilly as he crossed his arms over his chest.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "After all, we are all Necromancers here," Dracul stated. "Raising the dead is one of our specialties."


    All of the other Necromancers, who were also loitering around, looked at the two teenagers with anticipation. Life in the Sacred Land was quite boring, and they were in dire need of entertainment.


    Now that an opportunity to watch a duel between two young Necromancers had presented itself, none of them would miss this opportunity to see how strong the next generation was.


    Hereswith, who was watching this battle from inside the world tree, started to hum.


    She had taught the Half-Elf everything she knew within the two weeks that they had spent together, and she was quite satisfied with the results.


    After seeing Lux''s Soul Book, as well as the information about his subordinates, she was wondering how Kieran''s disciple would be able to fight against the Necromancer that she had personally trained.


    "Lorelei��," Hereswith muttered. "I can sense my bloodline running through your veins. Perhaps you are the child, or granddaughter of one of my sisters. I didn''t think that there would be another Necromancer born in our family."


    A momentter, the beautiful High-Elf chuckled.


    "Lux, you better not let me down," Hereswith said with a smirk. "Even if you are fighting against one of my family members, you shouldn''t hold back and show them the fruits of your training with me. Show them the legacy I have left behind, and let the world know that even in death, no one can stop me from witnessing the results of my hard work!"


    Hereswith''s loud, and enchantingughter spread inside her Domain.


    She didn''t know what she was looking forward to more, Lux''s victory over Lorelei, or Gaap''s shocked expression, when he saw Lux use the techniques that she had created in her lifetime.


    Both were very appealing to her, but more than anything else, she wanted to see Lux''s breakthrough.


    The breakthrough that would take the entire world by storm.


    "Let''s go to the ins of the Dead," Dracul proposed. "That will certainly be the best ce for this duel to take ce."


    Gaap and Kieran both nodded their heads in agreement.


    The ins of the Dead was an open area inside the Ancestral Grounds where duels between Necromancers took ce.


    This was one of their favorite past times, especially when they were testing the strength of their Undead Subordinates in real battle.


    Lux and Gap followed behind Dracul, while Kieran and Lorelei walked a few meters behind them.


    The Master and Disciple pair were talking through telepathy, and Kieran was telling Lorelei that he should make sure to humiliate Lux in front of all the Necromancers that were going to watch the battle.


    ''Don''t worry, Master,'' Lorelei replied. ''A mere Initiate will not be able to defeat me.''


    ''I''m not doubting your ability, Lorelei,'' Kieran replied. ''I am more concerned that Gaap''s Disciple might use some underhanded tricks during your battle. That old Half-Ling had a lot of tricks under his sleeves, and he won''t bat an eye at ying dirty during a duel.''


    ''Understood.'' Lorelei nodded. ''I will pay attention to any foul y.''


    Just like Kieran had said, he hadplete trust in his Disciple''s ability to defeat Gaap''s Disciple. For him, Lorelei was the most talented Necromancer of the young generation.


    Given her Royal and Ancient Bloodline that came from the High-Elves, her magical powers were off the charts.


    Also, her affinity with Necromancy had far surpassed Kieran''s expectations. This made him very strict while teaching her the proper ways of Necromancy because he didn''t want to waste her talents.


    ''Gaap, I don''t know what tricks you are hiding, but your farce ends here.'' Kieran sneered inside his heart. ''You should have stayed in Zangr. If you had, you wouldn''t suffer today''s humiliation in front of everyone.''


    Kieran had long wanted to teach Gaap a lesson, but the Head of Memento Mori had forbidden all of their members from touching him.


    Although the Old Half-Ling''s Master, Hereswith, had broken her ties with the organization, it didn''t change the fact that the leader of Memento Mori had raised her like his own daughter.


    Since Gaap was Hereswith''s Disciple, he made sure that none of the members of his organization would antagonize the Half-Ling, which they had obeyed reluctantly.


    Now that an opportunity had presented itself to indirectly humiliate Gaap, Kieran was sure that his leader would turn a blind eye to this incident, even if it happened to reach his ears.

 Chapter 762 Off With His Head!

    ?


    ins of the Dead��


    The dozen Necromancers that had been staying at the Ancestral Grounds all watched from a distance as Lux and Lorelei faced off against each other.


    Gaap and Kieran stood a few meters apart from each other on the side as they waited for the battle to start.


    "It has been a while since I''ve seen a duel between Necromancers as young as the two of you are," Dracul said. "This battle is anything goes. Try not to kill your opponent, but if someone were to really die, I guess it can''t be helped.


    "Although I am the referee, I am merely here to stop the battle if someone surrenders or loses consciousness. I''m not your parent, so don''t look at me to ask for fairness. Both of you should bear the responsibilities of your actions, as proper Necromancers do. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Loud and clear," Lux replied.


    Lorelei only nodded her head and smiled at her opponent. "Don''t think that I will take it easy on you just because you''re an Initiate."


    "Sure," Lux smirked. "Knock yourself out."


    "I wonder. Just where is that confidence of yoursing from, Half-Elf?"


    "You''re about to find out."


    Since the two teenagers were raring to go, Dracul no longer dyed the battle and dered the start of the duel.


    "Duel Start!"


    As soon as he gave the cue, Lorelei summoned a horde of Skeletons that numbered in the tens of thousands.


    For Necromancers, the bigger their Undead Army was, the stronger they were. This was a fact, and most Necromancers who had be a Ranker couldmand over a thousand of them.


    But, Lorelei''s Undead Army was simply too many. It numbered in the tens of thousands, which could only mean one thing��she had either desecrated an entire graveyard, or she found an ancient battlefield and raised the fallen soldiers to be her minions.


    Gaap and the other Necromancers who saw this nced at Kieran, which made thetter chuckle.


    "What''s wrong?" Kieran asked everyone with a smile.


    "Where did she get this many Undead Soldiers?" Gaap asked.


    "That''s a very silly question to ask, Gaap," Kieran answered. "Wars are constantly happening everywhere in the world. My disciple and I simply cleaned up what remained from the battlefield, that''s all."


    "Or you wiped out an entire Kingdom and turned their soldiers into Undead Minions," Gaap snorted. "That''s what you''re known for, right? Kieran the Undertaker."


    "And you''re known as Gaap the Coward," Kieranughed. "The Necromancer who ran away when his Master was being besieged by the Champions of the Divine Army."


    Gaap sighed. "This joke of yours is getting old, Kieran. Both of us know that you''re spouting bullsh*t."


    "Really? When my Master was surrounded by the Champions of the Divine Army, I stayed and fought until the bitter end," Kieran stated. "Even if I had died that day, I would have not abandoned the person who raised me to be who I am today. You and I are different. You ran away, I didn''t."


    This was the main reason why Kieran hated Gaap.


    When she was still alive, Kieran was taken care of for a time by Hereswith. Back then, he was very jealous of Gaap because his Master was a very kind, gentle, and a beautifuldy.


    (E/N: What???)


    Everyone liked Hereswith, even the stubborn Elderly Necromancers of Memento Mori. That was why, when she decided to break ties with them, they all felt betrayed. However, none of them hunted her down and forced her to return to the organization.


    When they learned about her death, all of them raged and attacked the cities of the Divine Army.


    Even their leader, who was a Supreme, shattered entire mountain ranges and killed countless members of the Divine Army as vengeance.


    Naturally, the Supreme of the Divine Army didn''t stand idle, and two of them fought tooth and nail, destroying the surroundingnds, and changing them forever.


    Both had been seriously injured and were forced to retreat and recuperate. However, the battle between the two sides never stopped. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Finally, after seeing that continuing the battle was pointless, one of the Elders of the Divine Army brokered apromise with Memento Mori to stop the carnage.


    In order topensate Memento Mori for their loss, the Divine Army ceded several important territories to the Necromancer Organization, which put a stop to their battle.


    Since then, norge-scale battles between the two sides have taken ce. But, that didn''t mean that there weren''t small skirmishes every now and then whenever they met in thends of Elysium.


    "That''s a lot of Undead." Lux whistled. "Amazing, the weakest are Rank 4 Monsters."


    His gaze thennded on the six Undead Creatures that stood beside Lorelei, all of whom were emanating a strong Unholy Aura.


    ''Five Deimos and one Argonaut,'' Lux thought. ''They must be her Named Creatures.''


    He was quite impressed by Lorelei''s Undead Army, which made him understand why she was so confident in beating him.


    "Summon your army," Lorelei said in a challenging tone. "Let''s see which one is better."


    "If you say so," Lux smirked as he raised his hand. "Arise!"


    An Army that was only a little over a thousand appeared behind the Half-Elf, which was a stark contrast to what Lorelei had summoned.


    This made the other Necromancers shake their heads, including Dracul who thought that Lux would be able to give him a surprise.


    Actually, the number of Skeletons that Lux currently had wasn''t bad for an Initiate of his Rank.


    In fact, it was already good, considering he hadn''t done anything underhanded like robbing graveyards, which would have increased the number of his Army by many folds.


    Loreleiughed internally after seeing the quality and quantity of Lux''s summons.


    Just like her, the Half-Elf''s subordinates were all Rank 4 Monsters, with the exception of the Named Creatures that stood beside the Half-Elf, which were at least Rank 5 monsters.


    Since Diablo and the rest of Lux''s Named Creatures would always have the same rank as him, they were only Rank 5 Monsters.


    The same could be said for Bedivere, Zagan, and Revon.


    Only ALL-MITE, who was a Deimos-Ranked Monster, made Lux''s army look somewhat decent.


    "This will be a one-sided massacre," one of the Necromancers said.


    "Maybe he thought that having one Deimos-Ranked Monster was enough to allow him to act arrogant," another Necromancermented. "Perhaps he should have waited until he became a Ranker before he challenged her. Maybe he would have stood a better chance after unlocking Greater Undead Warriors."


    The other Necromancers shared the same opinion as the first Necromancer thatmented.


    It was only Gaap, knowing full well the level of Lux''s true power, who arched an eyebrow.


    ''He''s not summoning Leoric and his Wraith Knights?'' Gaap thought. ''He''s not even using his clones. Just what is Lux thinking?''


    "I guess I have overestimated you because of your cockiness earlier." Lorelei smiled. "Is this the best you can do?"


    "No," Lux replied. "But this is enough to y with you, Little Girl."


    "�� Little Girl? You called me Little Girl?"


    "What''s wrong with being called Little Girl? I think it suits you nicely."


    The beautiful High-Elf''s expression became as cold as ice. Her Named Creatures all red hatefully at the Half-Elf who dared to belittle their mistress.


    "Enough talk," Lorelei said as she pointed her delicate finger at the red-headed teenager in the distance. "Off with his head!"


    Immediately, her Undead Army surged forward like a tide. As per their Master''s order, they would obliterate the Half-Elf''s undead army and present Lux''s head to their Mistress to appease her anger.

 Chapter 763 The Army Of Heaven

    ?


    Faced with countless undead that greatly outnumbered them, Lux, and his army didn''t waver.


    The Half-Elf simply crossed his arms over his chest and gave his order.


    "It''s Gangbang time!" Lux ordered.


    Immediately, Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, Bedivere, Zagan, Revon, and ALL-MITE charged forward alongside Lux''s Undead Army.


    ''Master, are you sure we can''t show them that?'' Asmodeus rubbed his arms together as he intentionally touched shoulders with the Half-Elf, asking for permission to let loose. "My Abyssal Legion still hadn''t been tested. Isn''t this the perfect time to use them?"


    "Do you want to bully that girl?" Lux snorted. "She is probably Grandmaster''s rtive. We shouldn''t make her lose too badly."


    "�� Master, isn''t making her lose with just an army numbering a little over a thousand much worse? At least, if we showed our Abyssal Army, she would feel that her defeat was justified. Come on, let''s do this!"


    "We can''t do that," Lux replied. "After all, the Quest we received earlier told us to win with just this much. If we add more, the World Blessing will decrease as well."


    Asmodeus sighed before reluctantly nodding his head. Lux''s Ranker Trial was only halfway finished.


    In order to get the world''s blessing, two more conditions must be met.


    One was to fight against a Necromancer that was a realm higher than him, and the other one was��


    "Such a farce," Kieranmented as Lux''s pitiful army charged forward to meet his disciple''s Undead Legion. "Fortunately, it will end soon."


    This was the collective thought of every Necromancer, with the exception of Gaap, who was currently wondering what his disciple was up to.


    Lorelei''s Undead Legion all possessed the passive skill Unholy Aura. This Aura increased their attack and defense by 100%.


    Lux''s army, on the other hand, didn''t have such a thing. In fact, only his Named Creatures and members of the Covenant possessed the Death God''s Aura.


    However, the good thing about this was that this aura could be shared by everyone in Lux''s army. This was the reason why his regr Undead didn''t learn this skill. As long as one of the Half-Elf''s Named Creatures activated it, they would gain this bonus as well.


    "Show them what we''re made of boys!" Pazuzu activated his Mad Rush and advanced ahead of hispanions. "Mad Rush!"


    All of the Elite Spirit Protectors did the same, forming a V-Formation, with Pazuzu in the lead.


    "Shield Wall!" Pazuzu ordered as he raised his Legendary shield in front of him. "Shield Bash!"


    """Shield Wall!"""


    """Shield Bash!"""


    All the Elite Spirit Protectors followed their Leader and activated their skills at the same time, summoning giant blue Tower Shields in front of them, which they would use to ram the Undead army who thought that they could trample over them and their Master''s army.


    When the two armies finally shed, everyone thought that Lux''s Vanguard would instantly be annihted.


    However, the exact opposite happened.


    As if having crashed against a steel wall, the advance of Lorelei''s Army came to an abrupt stop the moment they met Pazuzu''s and the Elite Spirit Protector''s, Mad Shield Bash Combo.


    The Vanguard of Lorelei''s Army were all sent flying as the tanks of Lux''s army broke through their formation.


    Originally, this wouldn''t have happened. But, due to the special buffs that they received from Lux, all of them had been granted Divine Magic.


    This power allowed them to deal great damage to both the living and the dead.


    However, that wasn''t all.


    The umted stat buffs they received from Death God''s Aura, Lux''s title, Lord of the Dead, as well as the Guild Buffs of Heaven''s Gate, allowed them to be a force that could be rightfully called Heaven''s Army.


    "W-What?!" Kieran, who didn''t expect to see such a scene gasped in shock. "Divine Magic?! Since when did the Undead have Divine Magic?!"


    Divine Magic was one of the weaknesses of the Undead.


    In order to counter this, powerful Necromancers bestowed Unholy Aura to their Undead, giving them the ability to resist their greatest weakness. However, no matter how much they resisted it to a certain extent, a weakness was still a weakness.


    Lorelei''s Unholy Aura was nowhere as strong as the Unholy Aura of her Master. Because of this, the Divine Magic that Pazuzu and his subordinates wielded negated the meager Unholy Aura she had at the moment of impact.


    They then broke through the Undead Army like a hot knife cutting through butter, making all the Necromancers look at this with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.


    Suddenly, a loud roar erupted within the two armies, and Pazuzu was sent flying by the Argonaut-Ranked Doom Lord, who was the strongest among Lorelei''s subordinates.


    Her other Deimos-Ranked subordinates also moved and stopped the advance of the other Elite Spirit Protectors before proceeding to eliminate them one by one.


    At the same time, Diablo and the rest also arrived at the scene and immediately engaged the Deimos-Ranked monsters in battle.


    ALL-MITE focused all of his attention on fighting the Argonaut-Ranked Monster, which was a realm stronger than him.


    Even so, the Four-Armed Hero, who had a permanent devilish smile stered on his face, didn''t back down and gave it a Smash! That gave Pazuzu time to recover from the surprise attack he suffered a while ago.


    A momentter, a scuffle, simr to that of a gang fight ensued, with both sides throwing punches, kicks, swords, shields, and arrows at each other.


    To everyone''s surprise, Lux''s small army was holding its ground against so many monsters, whose numbers were far superior than theirs.


    "Wow!" Dracul pped his hands. "Bravo! But how long will thisst? Even though I can see that the Half-Elf''s Undead are superior to Lorelei''s, the number advantage is still something that can''t be ovee so easily.


    While everyone was fighting, a Baby Slime was humming a tune. She was currently high above the battlefield and was perched on top of her Flying st Bomb, whom she named Bomber.


    When she was directly above the bulk of Lorelei''s army, Eiko talked to her Papa through telepathy, telling him that she was going to do it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''No, Eiko,'' Lux replied. ''Don''t take out that giant Skeleton Bomb that you and Glee made. You might destroy the entire Ancestral Grounds if you do that.''


    ''Aww~'' Eiko pouted.


    That was what she was nning to do, but after being reprimanded by Lux, she decided to not use her tactical nuke for the time being and switched to a "smaller" Skeleton Bone Bomb.


    This Skeleton Bone Bomb was of the same size that Asmodeus had used to bomb the Pce of the Haca Dynasty.


    Whenever Eiko wasn''t doing anything of importance, she would often summon her clones and her Terrorist Squad to have them make st Bombs.


    These st Bombs would then be enclosed in two to five-meter tall Skeleton Bombs, which Eiko could use as a projectile whenever she wanted.


    After getting Lux''s permission, Eiko opened her mouth wide and spat out two of those five-meter-tall st Bombs that descended from the sky with a vengeance.


    Lorelei, who noticed this sneak attack from the sky, threw two Giant Bone Spears to pierce them.


    She didn''t know what it was, but something was telling her that no matter what happened, she mustn''t allow those two projectiles to hit her army.


    However, she had greatly underestimated Eiko''s st Bombs.


    When the two giant Bone Spears collided with the two Skeleton Bone Bombs, an earth-shaking explosion erupted hundreds of meters above the battlefield.


    This created a fiery shockwave that obliterated those that were directly under them, leaving the rest of Lorelei''s Army greatly injured from the ze that spread above their heads.


    Lux''s Army, which was at the forefront of the battlefield, had been alerted beforehand.


    So when the Skeleton Bombs exploded, all of them took a defensive stance, minimizing the brunt of the aftershock that came from their Fairy Princess'' weapon of mass destruction.


    Lorelei was no longer smiling after the series of events that made her feel as if Lux was underestimating her.


    Seeing her expression, Kieran knew that his disciple was now about to get serious.


    "Congrattions, Gaap," Kieranmented as he looked at his disciple, who was now about to show her true Trump Cards. "Your disciple has sessfully made my disciple angry."


    Gaap, who couldn''t be bothered by Kieran''s nonsense, merely responded with an "Okay", making Lorelei''s Master snort.


    "I think you still don''t understand the situation," Kieran stated. "If you think that this is the only force that my disciple has, you are greatly mistaken."


    As if to prove that Kieran was telling the truth, Lorelei raised her hand and a dozen Deimos-Ranked Octopaths appeared on the battlefield.


    They were the same monster that Lux had first fought in Elysium, which had given him a hard time back then.


    Lux and Asmodeus, who saw this, nced at each other.


    "Looks like someone is going to have a field day." Asmodeus chuckled.


    "Indeed," Lux smirked and gazed at his Revenger, who had now summoned his Clone.


    Orion had spent a lot of time dying against an Octopath in Zangr, raising his Vengeance Level to the limit.


    It didn''t matter how many Octopaths Lorelei possessed.


    All of them would suffer the same fate under the hands of Orion, who had died hundreds of times against the same Monster that was now at the top of his Kill List.


    With one defiant roar, Orion and his clone ran toward the Tentacle-Abominations and stomped their feet on the ground before jumping high up in the air.


    Their fists, which were burning with Divine Wrath, smashed against the head of one of the Octopath Monsters, creating a giant hole in it, which made Lorelei and Kieran almost choke on their saliva.


    They couldn''t believe that a Deimos-Ranked Alpha Monster had been insta-killed by a Rank 5 Jade Golem.


    "Why are you surprised?"


    Lux''s teasing tone snapped Lorelei and Kieran from their daze.


    "Since you have summoned Deimos-Ranked Monsters, it''s about time to summon mine as well, no?" Lux said. "Come, Greater Light Elemental!"


    The Light Elemental, which Lux once summoned inside Whitebridge City, appeared in front of him and began shootingser beams like a Gangsta at Lorelei''s Army.


    Although he was very tempted to summon King Leoric''s Wraith Knights as well, he thought that this was already overkill, so he put this idea on hold for the time being.


    Lorelei''s face had now be flushed and her breathing had be ragged.


    Seeing this reaction, Kieran became worried that she might actually use her strongest Trump Card, which he told her to only use as a Last Resort when her life was in danger.


    Dracul, who was enjoying the battle in the front row seats, wasn''t aware of Kieran''s worries.


    Because of this, he didn''t notice right away that the sky above their heads was slowly, but surely, turning crimson, which had never happened before in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds since he had be its Guardian.


    "One of the conditions has been met," Hereswith said softly from within her Domain. "Now�� thest and final one. It is also the riskiest of all."


    Although she had a calm expression on her face, deep down, she wasn''t as calm as she looked.


    Thest condition that needed to be met for Lux to be a Ranker carried a great risk that even she didn''t know if he would seed at or not.


    For now, the only thing she could do was wait.


    Wait for the time when Lux would take that leap of faith, and understand what staring death in the face really meant.

 Chapter 764 Someone Who Mustn’t Exist

    764 Someone Who Mustn��t Exist


    Orion, who had seen his mortal enemy, rushed like a madd alongside his clone.


    After insta-killing one of the Octopaths, he targeted another one, which made Lorelei cry out in shock.


    These were Deimos-Ranked Abyssal Monsters��not regr Monsters one could easily find anywhere.


    Octopaths were the all-rounder of the Abyssal Race because they could attack and defend at the same time.


    However, against the Revenger, who had his stats multiplied thousands of times, no Deimos-Ranked Octopath, and probably even Argonaut-Ranked Octopath, could survive his burning fists of fury.


    "Rage Fist!" Orion and his clone shouted and punched forward.


    A Divine Phoenix that radiated Divine Energy flew toward his target and immted it upon impact. The Octopath was only able to let out an ear-piercing screech before turning into ashes.


    "Impossible!" Lorelei gritted her teeth. "How can this happen?!"


    Her earlier calm had now vanished without a trace.


    Before the battle began, she had all the advantages against Lux.


    Her Rank was higher than his.


    Her Army had higher numberspared to his.


    Her Army also had a higher rank than his.


    And yet, the oue she envisioned was very different from what was taking ce in front of her. Even her Master, Kieran, as well as the other Necromancers, couldn''t believe what they were seeing.


    This was their first time seeing a Rank 5 Golem obliterate a Deimos-Ranked Abyssal Creature as easily as if he was fighting against amon Monster like a Horned Rabbit.


    Orion wasn''t the only one who was on a killing spree.


    The Greater Light Elemental had annihted countless undead just a few minutes after it had been summoned. With its Light Affinity, which was the weakness of the Undead, its attacks dealt truly devastating damage.


    Just like all of Lux''s summons, the Light Rays of the Greater Light Elemental had also been imbued with the Divine Element. Light Magic was already a big threat to the Undead, and now that it was paired up with Divine Magic, the chances of surviving the Elemental''s attack decreased drastically.


    Although Lorelei still had tens of thousands of Undead under hermand, she knew that it was only a matter of time before all of them were annihted.


    Suddenly, a change happened on the battlefield.


    All of Lorelei''s Named Creatures disengaged from their fight against their opponents and charged toward the Half-Elf, who was at the rear of the army.


    Even the Undead ignored their opponents and made a beeline toward the Master of the enemies they were facing.


    "Look, Master. Here theye," Asmodeus said while rubbing his hands. "Should I show them what I can do?"


    "No need," Lux replied. "Someone else will handle the rest for me."


    As soon as the red-headed teenager finished his statement, his First Born, Diablo, appeared in front of him.


    Riding on his Nightmare Horse, the Death Knight charged toward the uing army and raised his sword, which he had been using ever since Lux had given it to him.


    Its name was Blood Moon.


    Randolph''s Mythical Weapon, which he had forged before he had acquired the Transcendent mes.


    After mastering his newfound power, the cksmith reforged his greatest creation, raising its rank and upgrading it to a Legendary Weapon!


    "Hellfire Annihtion!" Diablo shed sideways, creating a crescent crimson de that flew toward the Undead Army that was targeting his Master.


    Due to the number of monsters that had died on the battlefield, Diablo''s attack stat had increased drastically, slicing anything that the Crimson de made contact with in half.


    Although ALL-MITE was the strongest member of Lux''s covenant and Asmodeus could copy all of the Half-Elf''s skills, Diablo didn''t mind it one bit.


    For him, Lux was his sole reason for living, and anyone that dared to point their weapons at the Half-Elf would have to go over his corpse first.


    The Death Knight had long felt that something was changing inside of him. It was as if he was ready to evolve and take that next step to be stronger.


    It was not only Diablo who felt this way. In fact, Lux''s entire Army, with the exception of his Covenant, was on the cusp of evolving.


    "Whirlwind sh!" Diablo once again shed sideways, instantly killing everything within a hundred-meter radius around him.


    A momentter, a rain of Divine Ice Arrows descended from the sky.


    Not long after, an icy mist spread in the surroundings as Ishtar''s attack slowed and killed those that were able to get past Diablo''s defenses.


    Ishtar, who was now riding on top of one of the gue Wing Gargoyles, unleashed a flurry of arrows from above.


    She was Lux''s Second Born, and from a simple Skeleton Hunter, she had evolved into a Nightstalker, granting her the ability to move in the shadows, simr to Draven.


    From the rear of Lorelei''s undead army, a dust cloud could be seen. The cause of this dust cloud was none other than Pazuzu and his clone, who both had once again activated their Mad Rush.


    He was Lux''s third Named Creature, and the Half-Elf had obtained him in the Dungeon of Dominion.


    In every sh, he would usually be the first to die. But he was fine with that. He had a role to y, and that was to ensure that hisrades were safe from harm.


    which he had looted from the General of the Haca Dynasty, Ronan, who had tried to take advantage 11:16


    of Garret''s disappearance to force himself on the Great General''s wife.


    His title as Fortress Defender was not just for show.


    With one mighty Shield Bash from him, he sent one of Lorelei''s Named Creatures, who was a Deimos-Ranked Creature, flying.


    Although he was only a Rank 5 Monster, everything he possessed was all Legendary Equipment, all of which he had looted from the General of the Haca Dynasty, Ronan, who had tried to take advantage of Garret''s disappearance to force himself on the Great General''s wife.


    Fortunately, Lux was there so the worst-case scenario didn''t happen. And now, d in Legendary Equipment from head to toe, Pazuzu smashed his spiked mace against another of Lorelei''s Named Creatures, making it fly sidewards.


    High above the battlefield, the Great me Skull, Lazarus, hovered in a stationary spot. His eyes burned with great ferocity as he opened his mouth wide, unleashing a Cone of Cold mes that was also imbued with Divine Magic.


    The role he yed in Lux''s Army was a Magical Turret that shot countless magical spells at their enemies, supporting his allies on the battlefield.


    As for Orion, he had just killed his fifth Octopath, and he intended to kill all of them before they could even say the word "Brah!"


    Last but not the least was Asmodeus.


    The Archlich''s Unique Title was Lord''s Equal. This meant that any skill that Lux possessed, with the exception of his Draconic Arts, Asmodeus had them as well.


    Gaining Lux''s permission, the Archlich summoned his two trusted subordinates, Ithaqua and Morpheus, before summoning his own Skeleton Gangbangers, Skeleton Arcane Archers, Steel Golems, and Liches.


    The Archlich didn''t bat an eye and merged the Skeleton Gangbangers and Steel Golems, creating two Deimos-Ranked Hecatoncheires on the battlefield.


    "Kill them all in the Master''s name!" Asmodeus ordered as he spread his arms wide. "Praise the Sun!"


    The two Hecatoncheries also spread their arms wide, before swatting Lorelei''s Deimos-Ranked subordinates.


    "Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!" One of the Hecatoncheires shouted as it unleashed a barrage of palm strikes at the Undead Army, crushing them like bugs.


    "Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda!" The other Hecatoncheires also didn''t hold back and started their own rampage, face-pping anything they could reach.


    Lorelei clenched her fist before ncing in her Master''s direction. Now that it hade to this, she was nning to use her ultimate Trump Card to end the battle.


    Kieran, who saw his disciple''s nce, frowned before reluctantly nodding his head. This was a battle with their dignity on the line.


    They couldn''t be choosy with the methods they were going to use.


    Just as Lorelei was about to unleash her trump card, something unexpected happened on the battlefield.


    "That was a very interesting disy of skill and power. You can die now."


    Dracul, who was watching the battle from the side, instantly appeared in front of Lux and stabbed his hand on the Half-Elf''s chest, catching the red-headed teenagerpletely by surprise.


    "W-Why?" Lux asked as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.


    He didn''t expect the Guardian of the Ancestral Ground to attack him while he was busy dueling Lorelei.


    "It''s because you are someone who mustn''t exist," Dracul stated coldly. "I didn''t sense this earlier, but now I can sense it fully. Your existence here in the Sacred Lands is destroying it from within. If I allow you to break through as a Ranker, this ce would copse, and the Holy Land of the Necromancers will be gone.


    "Don''t worry. I will at least give you a proper burial ground here in the Ancestral Grounds. That is the least that I can do for you."


    Without another word, Dracul crushed Lux''s heart, destroying itpletely.


    Thest thing that Lux had heard and saw before darkness overtook him was Gaap''s furious cry of anger and despair, as well as Antero''s Gigantic Form towering behind Dracul.


    "I''ll kill you!" Gaap roared as he ordered the Golem of Destruction to annihte the Guardian of the Necromancer''s Sacred Land, who dared to kill his Disciple before his very eyes.

 Chapter 765 All Things Are Equal In Death

    ?


    Dracul pushed Lux''s body to the side before shifting his gaze toward the towering Giant who was now headed in his direction.


    The Guardian of the Sacred Lands smirked before disappearing from where he stood and appearing right in front of Antero.


    "You might be indestructible, but here in the Sacred Lands, I am supreme!" Dracul dered as he met Antero''s punch, with a punch of his own, stopping itpletely. "I apologize for killing your disciple, Gaap. In order topensate you, I will scour the world for the most gifted child that possesses the affinity of Necromancy.


    "I will also open the treasury of the Sacred Lands and allow him to raise his rank at a rate never before seen in the world. In just a month, I promise you that he will be a High-Ranker��even a Saint, after two years. That is the least I can do for your loss."


    "Screw you!" Gaap roared as blood dripped from the corner of his lips. "Kill him, Antero! Use my entire life if you have to!"


    Gaap only had one Disciple in the world, and before he could even nurture him fully, he died before even bing a Ranker.


    He had already witnessed how his Master died in the past.


    Now, his only Disciple died before he could even do anything.


    Gaap''s heart was bleeding due to anger, guilt, as well as depression from what had just transpired.


    Because of this, he threw all caution to the wind and ordered Antero to use his entire life span to avenge his Disciple, whose limitless potential was nipped in the bud by the very Guardian, whom all the Necromancers in the world trusted.


    Dracul sighed because he understood that Gaap was not in the right state of mind to talk to him right now.


    ''I''ll just knock him unconscious first and deal with the aftermathter,'' Dracul thought. ''It is truly a pity. I really liked the boy. However, since I had to choose between him and the Sacred Lands, he could only die. This ce will always be my priority.''


    The Heavens above their heads had nowpletely turned red.


    A momentter, somethingnded on Dracul''s face, making him frown.


    Wiping his face, he nced at his finger and saw what seemed to be blood. Before the Guardian could even understand what was happening, blood began to rain down from the sky.


    The battle on the ground hade to aplete halt, and all of Lux''s Named Creatures and members of his Covenant knelt in front of their Master''s body, crying tears of blood.


    Slowly but surely, all the Undead in Lux''s Army turned into particles of light.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Asmodeus, and Lazarus all started to turn transparent as the warmth on their master''s body faded away.


    None of them expected this to happen, and before they could do anything, their Master had already met his end.


    The members of Lux''s Covenant were also slowly turning transparent as well. Their powers and life were linked to the Half-Elf''s, so his death was their death as well.


    Lorelei watched this scene with a conflicted look on her face. She also didn''t expect something like this would happen, and right now, she was at a loss about what to do.


    However, when the rain of blood started to fall within the Sacred Lands of the Necromancers, she felt as if her very own blood was starting to stir.


    Her instincts were telling her that something was about to happen, and whatever it was, it would change her life forever.


    Kieran, who also sensed the sudden change in the environment of the Sacred Lands, hurriedly appeared beside his Disciple.


    He was also shocked by the fact that Dracul had killed a junior, a Necromancer from the young generation.


    Because of this, he decided to protect Lorelei at all cost, just in case Dracul chose to target her next.


    All of the other Necromancers were confused as well and couldn''t understand why Dracul did what he did. The only thing they could do now was watch the battle that was making thends tremble as tears of blood fell down Gaap''s face ceaselessly.


    No one knew if these tears were from the blood rain or his eyes. The only thing they did know was that the old Halfling waspletely heartbroken and devastated, even offering his entire life to avenge his Disciple.


    "This is futile, Gaap," Dracul said as he once again blocked Antero''s fist that was aimed at him. "As long as I am here in the Sacred Lands, nothing can defeat me. Even if a Supreme were to fight me right now, the one who will face defeat will not be me!"


    Gaap slowly raised his head as he looked at the Vampire King, who had an apologetic look on his face.


    He could feel his life ebbing away as Antero''s Rank slowly advanced to Demigod.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    What the old Halfling was doing right now was releasing the seal that his Master had nted on Antero''s body, which would allow the Golem of Destruction to fight at its peak potential.


    "You killed my Disciple because you said that his breakthrough would destroy the Sacred Lands, right?" Gaap raised his hand as the final seal that bound Antero was about to be released. "In that case, I will destroy this ce myself. This is the only way that I will be able to face my Master in the afterlife. A Sacred Land that has forsaken one of its own people doesn''t need to exist!"


    Just as Gaap was about to unleash hell upon the world, a voice reached his ears, making him pause before he could break Antero''sst seal.


    It was a voice that he hadn''t heard in a very long time, and it made him wonder if he was already at death''s door and if his Master, Hereswith, hade to pick him up.


    Suddenly, the loud tolling of a bell reverberated not only in the Necromancer''s Sacred Lands, but also across the entirety of Elysium and Sis.


    It reached the far corners of both worlds, making everyone who heard it raise their heads toward the sky in awe of what was about toe.


    Lux''s body, which wasying on the ground, slowly floated towards the sky.


    As if it were being pulled by a mysterious force, the blood rain all flew toward the Half-Elf, coating his body entirely in blood.


    Even the blood-soaked ground wasn''t spared. The blood that originally dyed the ground scarlet turned into a blood mist and flew towards Lux, whose entire body was now encased in a dome of red blood.


    The Sacred Lands began to tremble as if it was feeling afraid of what was about to happen next.


    Dracul, who had also noticed the changes, frowned as he blocked Antero''s punch with a punch of his own.


    However, unlike what happened earlier, Antero''s punch broke Dracul''s arm and sent him crashing toward the ground, making the Vampire King cry out in pain and surprise.


    ''T-The Sacred Lands is afraid and has stopped giving me its blessings,'' Dracul who didn''t expect that the power, granting him the strength to challenge Antero without any effort, would disappear without a trace.


    He could only grimace as he slowly propped himself up and braced for the Golem''s next attack. But it never came.


    Gaap stared at the Dome of Blood that was hovering above the heavens with a hopeful gaze as blood trickled from the corner of his lips.


    Out of nowhere, a gigantic Skeleton King, who was just as tall as Antero, materialized behind the Dome of Blood and held it with its bony hands.


    Soon after, a singing that could only be described as angelic reached everyone''s ears.


    The red sky that covered the entirety of the Sacred Lands turned blue, and for the first time since its creation, sunlight bathed the world with its Divine Light.


    A crown made of light appeared above the Gigantic Skeleton''s Head, making all the Necromancers below the rank of Supreme all kneel subconsciously towards it.


    Even the Necromancers in Elysium and Sis did the same.


    They all knelt because they felt that it was the right thing to do, despite not knowing what was happening.


    As if waiting for that moment, Hereswith''s voice, which was filled with excitement and jubtion, spread across Elysium and Sis, informing everyone that the dream she had long chased throughout her life had finally be a reality.


    Hereswith spoke with trembling lips as she spread her arms wide, her voice being carried by a mysterious power for everyone to hear.


    "All things are equal in death. Let this be a sign.


    But, do not hold thy breath that Necromancy can''t be divine."


    The words she had spoken that day would be remembered and talked about for many years toe.


    For it was the day when the world came to aplete standstill, as all hearts started to beat as one.


    ��------


    (A/N: The words that Hereswith spoke were from a quote given by one of my readers, Fallen_Nephilim. I thought it was good, so I decided to use it here. Credit goes to him.)

 Chapter 766 The Birth Of Heaven’s Necromancer [Part 1]

    Chapter 766 The Birth Of Heaven��s Necromancer [Part 1]


    The sound of an Elf crying as she held onto her dead baby spread in the surroundings.


    Surrounding her were other Elves, who hade to bid goodbye to the child who was supposed to be part of their small vige. Unfortunately, the baby boy passed away minutes after it was born into the world.


    Lux watched this scene and knew with utmost certainty that the child in the Elfdy''s arms was him.


    No. It wasn''t him.


    It was the vessel which his broken spirit had merged with when he came to Sis.


    Full moon hung in the sky that night, and through her pained sobs, Lux came to realize how heartbroken thedy was.


    "Although I wasn''t able to give you love and happiness, I will not forget to give you a name," the Elfdy, whose name was Adeline, said sadly as she finished writing her son''s name on the wooden te.


    Lux.


    That was the name that Adeline had given her son.


    That name meant Light.


    A name that was supposed to bring light to her world. Unfortunately, it wasn''t meant to be.


    Adeline''s mother wrapped her arms around her daughter as her husband took the basket holding his grandson''s body. With determination, he walked toward the river.


    "Let me send you off, my dear grandson," Adeline''s father sadly muttered. "I pray that the spirits will guide your soul to the promised paradise where we shall meet when our time hase as well. Forgive us for being unable to give you a proper burial."


    Suddenly, a little Elf girl started to sing. It was the song of parting that the Elves sang when their loved ones had departed the world.


    Soon, the other Elves joined in the singing as they sent the youngest member of their n on his journey to the afterlife.


    Adeline''s father gently put down the basket on the river. He gave his grandson onest nce before finally letting go.


    Adeline wailed and her mother struggled to hold her in ce. She had a feeling that if she didn''t hold her daughter properly, Adeline would jump into the river and bring the basket back to the shore.


    "Sleep, child," the Patriarch said as he cast a sleeping spell on the struggling youngdy. This was the only thing he could think of to prevent Adeline from acting recklessly.


    Lux watched this scene with a sad expression on her face. The grief on "his" mother''s face before she was forced to sleep using a spell made his heart ache.


    However, this was something that had happened in the past, and no matter what he did, there was nothing he could do to change it.


    Soon, Lux found himself floating in the air. He had no control over his body, and he could only watch as the events transpired in front of him.


    He saw how the basket steadily floated on the river until it was caught up in a strong current, pushing it farther away from the Elven Lands, where the child should have spent his childhood in thepany of his mother and his grandparents.


    Several hourster, he saw a blue meteorite trailing across the heavens. As it descended toward thend, it grew smaller and smaller until it merged with the body of the dead baby.


    A low yet audible gasp of breath reached his ears as the baby took his first breath after his death.


    Little by little, the baby''s paleness went away, and yet, he still looked very frail.


    If the basket had hit a boulder in the river or had been capsized by one of the river animals that swam past it, that frail baby, who had just regained his life, would have met another untimely death.


    Fortunately, nothing happened.


    The basket floated peacefully down the river as the baby slept without making a sound.


    Many hourster, the baby floated in the territory of the Giant River Crocodiles, who were in their mating season. The Alpha Males of the Group were fighting in order to gain the right to mate with the females.


    However, this battle came to an abrupt halt when they heard the sound of a baby crying.


    Their gazes shifted to the basket that was floating toward them, and saw the helpless, delicious bite-sized baby, catching all of their attention.


    The other Crocodiles who noticed the baby swam toward the basket in an attempt to call dibs on the free snack that was floating in their direction.


    At that exact moment, an olddy riding on top of a white hippopotamus jumped over the heads of these Crocodiles and snatched the basket before it was toote.


    Angered by the trespasser who hade to steal their snack, the Alpha Crocodiles blocked her way.


    "We don''t have to make a big deal out of this small matter," the olddy, whom the baby wouldter call Grandma Vera, said to the two giant Crocodiles, whose bloodshot eyes had locked onto her small frame. "I''m taking this child with me, so get out of my way."


    Lux, who saw this scene, gave his Grandma two thumbs up due to how awesome and majestic she looked at that moment.


    He had no recollection of how his Grandma had picked him up in the river.


    Whenever he asked her, she would just say that she was riding on Sophie''s back (White Hippo) and happened to see Lux''s basket float past her. Since she couldn''t abandon him, she decided to take him back to the Wildgarde Stronghold and raise him as her own grandson.


    The two Alpha Crocodiles didn''t listen to her and charged in her direction. When they were only a few meters away from the White Hippopotamus, Vera moved one of her hands erratically, and two battle dolls smashed their fists against the two Crocodiles'' snouts, which sent them flying backward.


    Seeing what happened to the two strong males, the rest of the crocodiles scattered like wild ducks hearing a gunshot, creating waves on the river''s surface.


    "Don''t cry, little one. You are safe now," the olddy said.


    She then used her finger to lightly caress the baby''s cheeks in order to calm him down.


    Perhaps it was a coincidence, or perhaps it was because of the baby''s natural instinct, but the moment his face was touched, his small hands reached out to hold the finger that was caressing his face.


    This scene looked very endearing, and Lux could feel something warm spreading inside his chest, making him eternally grateful that the one who picked him up in the river was the kind olddy, who raised him with great love and care.


    "Let''s go, Sophie," Vera said softly. "Let''s go home."


    a teenager.


    Although this process of watching his own journey took years, time seemed to not And home they went.


    The ce where he grew up, the Wildgarde Stronghold, would be his home for the next sixteen years of his life.


    Lux watched how the frail baby grew up from a baby, to a toddler, to a boy, and finally a teenager.


    Although this process of watching his own journey took years, time seemed to not matter to him.


    It was as if he knew on a fundamental level that even if he watched his entire life from the moment he was born, up to the present, it would only be a short span of time in the real world.


    With no such worries, Luxughed, cried, and got angered as he relieved his life all over again.


    He even felt his cheeks burning from hearing the cheesy words he had said when he made love to Iris and Cai when he spent nights with them.


    After an unknown amount of time had passed, the scene changed to Lux fighting against Lorelei.


    He could even see the shocked expression on his face when Dracul had stabbed his chest and crushed his heart without even batting an eye.


    Lux saw the anguish and despair on Gaap''s face as he summoned Antero in order to avenge him.


    Seeing how his Master had offered his life in order to make the Vampire King pay for the crime of killing him, Lux felt heartbroken, and the tears poured from his eyes like rain.


    At that exact moment, Lux felt as if a jolt of electricity was running down his spine, triggering changes in his body that he had never felt before.


    Suddenly, he felt like he was being drawn back into his body and once again fell unconscious.


    However, for some reason, he didn''t feel afraid.


    His Grandmaster''s voice reached his ears, telling him that everything was going to be fine.


    Then he heard the singing of angels, which was like a luby, making him fall into a deep and peaceful slumber.


    However, as he was being drawn to sleep''s embrace, he once again heard Hereswith''s words that were filled with joy and strength.


    "All things are equal in death. Let this be a sign.


    But, do not hold thy breath that Necromancy can''t be divine."


    Those were the words that he heard before he closed his eyes and slept.


    He had a feeling that the next time he opened his eyes, he would see the Necromancer''s Ancestral Land in a different light.


    And that would soon tremble after feeling his potential might.

 Chapter 767 The Birth Of Heaven’s Necromancer [Part 2]

    Chapter 767 The Birth Of Heaven��s Necromancer [Part 2]


    Barbatos Academy��


    "Father�� could it be?" Iris asked with trembling lips as she looked at her Father for confirmation of her guess.


    "The possibility exists," Alexander replied. "I wouldn''t be surprised if this has something to do with Lux, but something feels off. This is something that I never felt before"


    "What do you mean, father?"


    "I really don''t understand it myself. But for some reason, I feel like a new era hase. A great change will happen in the world. However, I am unable to tell if this change will be good or bad. All I know is that as a Saint, I could distinctly feel that this event is the trigger for something profound."


    Saints and Supreme were beings that were able to understand thews of the world and use them to their advantage. However, Alexander could feel that a neww was about to be born, and thisw would change long-standing beliefs that many thought were set in stone.


    A momentter, Iris'' body stiffened as she fell into a trance.


    She felt something warm and gentle wrap itself around her, raising her rank slowly until it reached the Peak of the Initiate Rank.


    The warmth she felt was very familiar.


    It was the same warmth she felt when Lux hugged her from behind after their lovemaking, making her feel as if she was the happiest and luckiest girl in the world.


    ������������������


    Rowan Tribe��


    Cai looked up at the Heavens and transformed into her human form. She was wearing the dress that Lux had given her before they parted and asked her to do her best to always wear clothes even when she was in her boar form.


    "The only one that has the right to see you naked is me. So, make sure to wear clothes to prevent any idents from happening."


    Those were the words that Lux had told her before giving her a farewell kiss. Currently, she was undergoing her Ranker Trial, and the fluctuations in the Heavens were also affecting her breakthrough.


    Cai felt as if thews of the world were holding her in a gentle embrace, making her feel loved, safe, and secure. She surrendered herself to this feeling as the spirits around her danced happily.


    For a brief moment, she felt connected to her distant fiance, who was currently in Elysium.


    And through that connection, she reached out her hand and held onto a promise that would change her life forever.


    ������������������


    Kingdom of Gweliven��


    Aina, who was meditating, suddenly transformed into her Angel Form.


    She didn''t know why, but she suddenly thought of the handsome Half-Elf, whom she had kissed weeks ago.


    Back then, she didn''t think much about the kiss and only did it because she felt that it was the right thing to do.


    However, since then, Lux would often cross her mind.


    Colette''s non-stop remarks of "Big Sister, Big Brother is so cool, awesome, amazing, and handsome. Wouldn''t it be nice if the two of you get married?" didn''t help either.


    "What is going on?" Aina muttered as the Divine Power within her body started to tremble as if it was feeling afraid of something. "This has never happened before."


    She had just heard the voice that came from the Heavens, making her feel as if she had touched something fleeting while in a meditative state.


    ''Did something happen to him?'' Aina thought as the image of the smiling Half-Elf popped inside her head.


    She then closed her eyes and ced her palm over her chest, feeling her heartbeat.


    ''I don''t know what''s happening, but I pray that you are safe,'' Aina said in her heart. ''I still owe you a favor, so be safe until I return it.''


    ����������


    Karshvar Draconis��


    Valerie woke up abruptly from her slumber.


    She had just dreamed of Lux, and the two of them were doing "stuff" that was very unfamiliar to her.


    She could vaguely remember herself saying in her dream that they mustn''t do it or she would get pregnant.


    However, Lux''s calm and gentle voice only told her, "I will take responsibility and ask your father to go fishing with me."


    This wasn''t the first time that Valerie had dreamt of something like this.


    After meeting Lux in the Outer Reaches, something awakened inside of her. For a long-lived race like Dragons, Valerie was still a child in her father''s eyes.


    However, the Dragon King wasn''t aware that she was maturing at a very fast rate, and had he known, it would have made him happy and worried at the same time.


    Happy because his beloved daughter was starting to be mature, and worried because of the things that were still too early for her to know.


    "Sir Lux��," Valerie said softly as she covered her face with both hands. "Why are you always on my mind?"


    The peerless beauty of the Dragon Race didn''t know the answer to this question.


    All she knew right now was that her heart was beating wildly inside her chest as the image of the handsome Half-Elf once again appeared in her mind.


    ��������������


    Within the most deste ce in Agartha��


    A youngdy with long pink hair raised her head.


    Whether she looked up, down, left, or right, all she could see was darkness.


    Maddening darkness that could have driven anyone crazy.


    Fortunately, her willpower was stronger than most people''s for it was the only thing that she possessed.


    Born as thedy of misfortune, she was imprisoned in a ce where no one could reach her.


    A ce where she would spend her days staring at the endless darkness, which had be her dear friend andpanion.


    However, today was different.


    Within that darkness, a ray of light suddenly appeared.


    Aurora raised her trembling hands as if to embrace that warm light, filling up her lonely heart with the warmth that she had never felt before.


    "Lux."


    A name escaped her soft and seductive lips, triggering the ray of light to intensify.


    She had only met him for a brief moment, and even then, she thought that it was just a fleeting dream.


    A hallucination that was created by her desperate heart and mind that craved for someone to talk to.


    Someone to hold her in that cold and lonely darkness that was slowly turning her heart into stone.


    "You''re real," Aurora said with trembling lips as tears streamed down the side of her face. "You''re so warm��"


    Lux, who had appeared in front of her, spread his arms wide and wrapped her in a firm yet gentle embrace.


    "Soon," Lux whispered in her ears. "I wille for you soon. Wait for me, Aurora."


    "Un," Aurora replied through pained sobs as she hugged the Half-Elf not caring whether he was an illusion or not. "I''ll wait for you. Come and find me."


    Lux continued to hug the trembling girl in the darkness until her tears stoppedpletely. Only when Aurora regained her calm did the image of the Half-Elf disappear.


    When the ray of light vanished, and she was once again wrapped up in darkness, Aurora saw two sets of eyes glowing beside her.


    "Who?" Aurora asked as her eyes slowly adjusted until she saw two small skeletons that were only two-feet-tall standing in front of her.


    One of the miniature skeletons opened up its mouth creating clicking noises as if answering Aurora''s question.


    "Your Master sent you here to keep mepany?" Aurora asked once more, making the two skeletons nod their heads.


    "What are your names?" Aurora inquired about her two guests, whom she had never seen before.


    The two Skeletons once again made clicking noises, which made the pink-haired beauty smile.


    "You don''t have names? Very well, I will give both of you names," Aurora said with determination. "From now on, your names will be Zane and Zeke."


    The two little skeletons jumped happily and made clicking noises. They liked the names that Aurora had given them and, with this, their contract with her was officially set in stone.


    Amidst the darkness, the lonely girl that had been forsaken by her kingdom no longer felt alone.


    For there were two little skeletons who would talk to her and keep herpany.


    The anxiety and worry that she had been bottling up for the past few years rose to the surface.


    Aurora cried, not holding back her voice.


    Her pained sobs echoed within her dark prison. However, this time, two skeletons were there for her.


    As if telling her that everything was going to be fine, they both gave her a hug.


    Aurora hugged them back, and the three of them huddled in the darkness.


    She was thedy of misfortune, who held all the bad luck in the world.


    But, on this day, she found two new friends who were unaffected by her curse.


    Friends that would stay by her side forever, ensuring that she would not be lonely for the rest of her life.


    ��--------------


    (A/N: Important Announcement!)


    My other novel, Wizard World Irregr, will be going premium soon. Since this is a non-exclusive novel, it cannot be seen in my profile.


    Just search for it in the Webnovel search engine in order to see this amazing story.


    Come with me, and enter a Magical World, simr to Harry Potter, but 1000% more awesome.


    Open the pages and read the story that you have been secretly craving for in your life.


    Grab your wands and broomsticks, for it is time for all of you to enroll in Brynhildr Magic Academy, and see a Magical World that will be your new reading addiction!

 Chapter 768 Your Necromancy Will Never Be Divine

    ?


    An hour had passed since Hereswith''s words rang out across the entirety of Sis and Elysium.


    The normal people found this event quite intriguing, and they were merely reminded of the Mythical Guild, Heaven''s Gate, whose name had also been announced through every corner of both worlds.


    However, for the true Powerhouses of the world, namely the Saints and Supreme, this announcement made them all feel that something was about to be born.


    ��?��m They were not thinking of a child being born or anything of the sort. What they were feeling was that a new "Law of the World" would be born, which would either be a good or bad thing and definitely world-changing.


    Simr to the Law of Gravity that kept everyone''s feet firmly nted on the ground, the new Law would always remain active.


    That was what worried these Powerful Beings.


    Like the Saints and Supremes, sentient Creatures that had stepped into the Ranks of Cmity and Demigod could also feel the uing change.


    As for those who stood at the top of the World, they weren''t too worried that these changes could threaten them.


    However, there was always a first for everything, and this new Law that was being created would soon be put to the test.


    ��������������


    Inside the Conference Room of the Divine Temple of Light��


    All the Champions of Light had stopped whatever they were doing and hastily headed to their Headquarters in order to discuss the current situation.


    "I can''t be wrong," a High Temr said with a solemn expression on his face. "That was Hereswith''s voice."


    One of the Elders of the Divine Army of Light also nodded his head in agreement.


    "Did she survive?" the Elder asked. "I wasn''t there when she was hunted down. I thought she was dead all these years."


    "She is dead," the High King of Lunaria, who was also one of the Champions of Light, stated in a firm tone. "I was the one that killed her. I even made sure to burn her body to ashes, so she wouldn''t be able to revive herself in any way possible."


    "I was also there when it happened," the Old Priest seated opposite the High Kingmented. "I even cast a Purification Spell on the ashes in order to ensure that she would stay dead."


    "And yet�� we hear her voice," the one who was seated at the very center of the Conference Table said in a cold tone. "Unless all of us hallucinated at the same time, there is no mistake that it was Hereswith''s voice."


    "Your Excellency, I was sure that I killed her," the High King stated. "There were twelve others in this room who had been with me at that time. They were the ones who helped me seal her. Although her Disciple escaped, we are certain that she is dead and would never revive."


    The twelve other Champions of the Divine Army all nodded their heads to affirm that they were indeed there when they put an end to the life of the Heretic, who was at the very top of their order''s Kill List.


    Ever since her death, the top spot had been upied by her disciple, Gaap, whomanded the Giant of Destruction, Antero.


    "Let''s say that you have indeed killed her," the Sovereign of the Divine Army whomanded all of the Divine Champions, as well as the Army of Light, started in the same cold tone that he used earlier. "However, do not forget that she is a Necromancer.


    "A very peculiar one who had not only stepped onto the path of Necromancy but dared to tread the path of Light as well. She was a heretic through and through, which was why we hunted her down. Such an existence cannot be allowed to live�� and yet, here we are, talking about her and wondering if she''s really dead."


    An awkward silence descended inside the room as the Champions nced at each other, unable to say anything after hearing their Sovereign''s words.


    "Let''s set aside Hereswith for now," the Oracle of Light stated. "I used Divination in order to get to the bottom of things. Although Hereswith did have a connection with what happened an hour ago, she was not the main focus of this incident. At most, she is just a supporter."


    The Oracle of Light narrowed her eyes before waving her hand.


    The image of a giant Skeleton King, holding a dome of blood in its hands, appeared in front of everyone.


    Gasps of surprise spread inside the room as the Champions of Light and their Sovereign looked at the ominous-looking Undead in front of them, who was just as tall as the Golem of Destruction that they feared to a certain extent.


    "This is the only thing that I saw when I used my Divine Artifact to pinpoint the cause of this incident," the Oracle of Light said. "Currently, that giant Skeleton King is inside the Necromancer''s Sacred Lands. The only reason why I managed to catch a glimpse of it is because the veil that protected the Holy Land of the Necromancers had disappeared.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Even so, my Divination was only able to capture this figure before it lost all of its power. If we want to know what is going on, there is only one thing we can do."


    The expression of everyone inside the room turned serious after hearing the Oracle''s words. There was only one way to know what was happening, and that was to go to the Necromancer''s Sacred Land.


    "If we do this, we will be breaking the agreement," the Old Priest said anxiously. "If we step into their Sacred Lands, I''m afraid that they will��"


    The Old Priest didn''t need to finish his words because everyone inside the room understood it very well.


    Their Supreme was still recovering from the injuries that he received after duking it out with the Supreme of Memento Mori, who had also suffered grievous injuries.


    All eyes thennded on their Sovereign, waiting for his orders. As the one currently taking the ce on the Seat of Light, only he couldmand them.


    The Sovereign of Light pressed his hands together and closed his eyes. Thissted for two full minutes before he opened them again and gave his decree.


    "Go to the Necromancer''s Sacred Lands, but don''t do anything rash," the Sovereign stated. "However, just by looking at that Giant Skeleton King, I have a feeling that the Dome of Blood in his hands contains the root cause of this event. Also, since Hereswith has a connection with this matter, this could only mean one thing."


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army then enunciated two words, which made all the Champions draw in cold breaths.


    "Heaven''s Necromancer."


    The Oracle sighed before shaking her head bitterly.


    "It is very possible that you are correct, My Sovereign," the Oracle of Lifemented. "Perhaps inside that Dome of Blood, a new Heretic will be born. However, there is one big difference. While Hereswith didn''t seed, this one might."


    "Then, there is only one thing to do," the High King that killed Hereswith said with determination. "Since it still hasn''t been born, how about we kill it first?"


    "But what about the agreement?" the Old Priest asked. "We might all go to war again if we do this."


    The Sovereign of Light lightly tapped the top of the table to get everyone''s attention.


    "Let''s check the situation first," the Sovereign of Light said. "However, if an opportunity presents itself, it is best to nip all problems in the bud before they can contaminate the world. Even if that means going to war again, this is something that we should do.


    "After all, we can''t have a Necromancer who also wields the power of the Divine. This is something that mustn''t be allowed.


    "If we turn a blind eye to this, then there is a possibility that he will target the Divine Army when he bes strong enough to do so. By then, we might not have the ability to fight him because he''d be immune to the Holy Powers that we wield."


    No one in the room said anything and simply listened to their Sovereign''s words. After a few minutes, they too thought that this was the most logical thing to do given their situation.


    "In order to not alert Memento Mori, we will only send a small group to infiltrate the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands," the Sovereign of Light stated. "I will only allow six of you to go. I cannot leave this ce because my movements are being closely monitored. It is up to everyone in this room to decide who will be the swords that will stop this heresy from being born."


    The first one to stand up was none other than the High King of Lunaria.


    "I will go," the High King said. "If this is really rted to Hereswith, then I need to be there to see with my own eyes if she is still alive or not."


    The Sovereign of Light nodded his head. "Who else wants to go with him?"


    The Old Priest raised his hand, and so did the High Temr that spoke earlier. Three more Champions of Light raised their hands to confirm that they were going as well.


    "Very well, now go," the Sovereign of Light decreed. "Even if the oue is war, do what you must do. Our duty is to protect this world. We don''t need any variables that are outside of our control."


    As soon as he gave his decree, the six people inside the room all stood up and bowed to their Sovereign.


    A momentter, they hastily left in order to travel to the Sacred Lands of the Necromancer to carry out their mission.


    "All things are equal in death, let this be a sign." The Sovereign of Light snorted. "Hereswith, don''t hold your breath. Your Necromancy will never be divine."

 Chapter 769 A Hero Has Arrived!

    Chapter 769 A Hero Has Arrived!


    Espoire Frieden, the Ancient City of the High-Elves��


    "Dear, Hereswith, she��" a beautiful Elfdy who seemed to be in her early thirties covered her trembling lips with her right hand as tears streamed down her face.


    "I heard her as well, Judith," a handsome Elf, who was around the same age as the Elfdy, replied with a smile. "Without a doubt, that is our Hereswith."


    "All these years�� I thought she was dead," the woman said through sobs. "I miss her terribly."


    "As do I, my love," the handsome Elf replied. "But I don''t dare to hope. I witnessed how our daughter was killed. Her body was burned into ashes using the Moon Crystal. This is why, all these years, I treated her as though she was really dead. Even hearing her voice like this doesn''t mean that she is really alive. Perhaps, it is only a fragment of the will she left behind that spoke those words."


    The Elfdy sobbed once more, for she too didn''t dare to hope. She had carried the pain of losing the youngest of her three daughters, and she couldn''t bear to cling to the illusion that she was still alive.


    The handsome Elf hugged his wife and let her cry on his shoulder. Although his face looked calm on the surface, deep down, he was also heartbroken.


    Such was the fate of the parents who loved their child, whom they had raised with great love and care for the past hundred years.


    ����������������


    Headquarters of Memento Mori��


    Several Necromancers gathered together for the first time in many years. There was only one reason for their gathering, and it was none other than to discuss what was currently happening in their Holy Land.


    "I have just talked to Dracul, and he confirmed that the Ancestral Ground temporarily lost the power that protected it," an old man with a wrinkled face stated. "After hearing his report, I asked him and he confirmed that although everyone there heard Hereswith''s voice, no one saw her."


    "Your Excellency, what is the cause of this incident then?" a middle-aged Necromancer asked. "Our spies in the Holy City had said that all the Champions of Light had gathered inside the Divine Temple. Perhaps they are discussing this matter as well."


    "Knowing them, they are probably feeling pretty anxious right now," an old woman sneered. "They killed Hereswith because they didn''t want her to be a Heaven''s Necromancer, an existence that they deemed as the greatest heresy to their Divine Order."


    "Knowing their Sovereign, he is probably thinking of infiltrating our Holy Land to better understand the current situation," a handsome Necromancer with blue hair and eyes said. "But they also know the consequences of doing that. It seems that they are prepared to wage war on us once again. The question is, are we ready for war?"


    All the Necromancers in the room smiled after hearing the blue-haired Necromancer''s words.


    None of them were afraid of war because they had a nearly limitless number of Undead Warriors that they could call upon when the fighting really did start.


    However, they couldn''t wage war right now. The reason was simple.


    They were putting all of their manpower and resources into something that would make even the Divine Army of Light fear for their lives.


    Because of this, all of the Necromancers of Memento Mori that were inside their Headquarters were unable to fight right now.


    Only those who were doing "Field Work" and those that were teaching their Disciples were spared from this monumental task.


    "Dracul has temporarily lost the protection of the Sacred Land, and he is now merely an ordinary Saint," the wrinkled old man stated. "Kieran is also there, but if the Champions of Light were to reallye, just the two of them will not be enough."


    "Indeed," the old Ladymented. "I''m sure that Kieran will prioritize protecting his Disciple, Lorelei. As for the other Necromancers gathered there, at most, there is only a handful of High-Rankers who can''t do anything against the Saints."


    "Knowing the Divine Sovereign, he will not send a lot of people to check the situation in our Ancestral Lands," the blue-haired Necromancer said. "I think it is safe to say that they only have one goal and that is�� kill Gaap''s Disciple and crush Hereswith''s dream all over again."


    The Necromancers all sighed for they too knew that this was something that had a high chance of happening. None of them had anticipated such an event to transpire, making them feel helpless in the current situation.


    All of their ranks had regressed, and they were now only at the peak of A-Rank. As much as they wanted to help, there was nothing they could do.


    If their mortal enemies discovered their current situation, they would break all pretenses and use this as an opportunity to wipe all of them from the face of the world.


    "I''ve already told Dracul that none of us can move," the wrinkled-old man said sadly. "If Gaap wants his Disciple to survive, the only thing he can do is pray that Dracul will regain his powers and protect his Disciple. However, knowing Dracul, he might even help the Divine Army get rid of the Half-Elf instead of extending his hand to help."


    "I guess there is only one person who will stand up against them," the olddymented.


    "Indeed," the blue-haired Necromancer sighed. "Gaap. I don''t know how much of his lifespan remains, but even if he manages to fend off the Champions of Light, I''m afraid that it will be hisst battle in this world."


    A pin-drop silence descended inside the room as the Necromancers of Memento Mori pondered about how they might be able to salvage the situation.


    At that moment, a ck-robed man entered the room, making everyone''s gazend on his body.


    "What?" the ck-robed man asked after seeing that everyone was looking at him in a weird manner.


    "Perfect timing!" the olddy said before pping her hands together. "A Hero has arrived!"


    "Indeed," the blue-haired Necromancer said. "This must be Fate. During this troubling hour, someone is going to stand up for the team."


    The other Necromancers inside the room all nodded their heads as they too voiced out their agreement to the blue-haired Necromancer''s words.


    The ck-robed Necromancer, who had no idea of what was happening, felt like he had entered the Headquarters at the wrong time.


    He had been busy doing "Field Work" and hadn''t participated in any of their Guild''s meetings for the past two years.


    "Dillon, I have a favor to ask," the wrinkled old Necromancer said. "Can you do us a favor and go to our Ancestral Grounds right now? We need you to protect Hereswith''s Grand Disciple from the Divine Army of Light. Surely, you can do this favor right? After all, you still owe Hereswith many favors."


    The ck-robed man found himself unable to even say anything as the members of Memento Mori listed all of the things that he owed Hereswith when she was still alive.


    "C-Can you at least tell me what''s going on first?" Dillon didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry at the sudden guilt-tripping methods that hisrades were using against him.


    He had just returned to ask everyone if they also heard Hereswith''s words an hour ago, which was something he found very hard to believe.


    Dillon didn''t expect that as soon as he arrived at their Guild Headquarters, he would be sent out on an errand to visit their Holy Land.


    After being briefed on the current situation, the ck-robed man no longer tarried and left the ce as if his pants were on fire.


    If the one he needed to save was truly Hereswith''s Grand Disciple, then he would definitely extend his help.


    That was the only way he could repay Hereswith for saving his and his daughter''s life during a time when all hope was lost and the Gods of the world refused to hear his prayers.

 Chapter 770 Killing Her Was The Best Feeling Ever

    Chapter 770 Killing Her Was The Best Feeling Ever


    Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands��


    Gaap sat on a bone chair, drinking a special tonic prepared by his Named Creature, with an appearance of a youngdy with blue hair and dressed in a gothic dress.


    "Master, you should take better care of yourself," the blue-haireddy said in a worried tone.


    Gaap didn''t reply and simply drank his tonic in silence. He was feeling extremely lethargic, and if one looked closely, a few wrinkles had been added to his face.


    The youngdy, whose name was Carol, sighed in her heart as she stood beside her Master, ready to assist him with anything he needed.


    Not far from Lux''s Master, Kieran, Dracul, and Lorelei also sat on bone chairs.


    They would give the old Halfling side-long nces from time to time and then shift their gaze back at the giant Skeleton King, who remained unmoving as it held the dome of blood in his hands.


    The situation right now waspletely unexpected, since nothing like this happened in the past. Because of this, they were unsure about what was going to happen next.


    The only thing they knew was that they had no intention of leaving until this incident came into fruition.


    "Do you still not feel the blessing of the Ancestral Ground on you?" Kieran asked Dracul, who was sitting with one of his legs on top of the other.


    "No," Dracul replied. "In fact, I don''t feel the power of the Ancestral Grounds at all. If I am so bold to make an assumption, I would say that it has gone into hiding or hibernation."


    The Guardian of the Ancestral Grounds helplessly sighed before shaking his head bitterly.


    "I think you''ve made a permanent enemy of Gaap," Kieran smirked. "Fortunately, he didn''t fully unseal Antero and ordered him to turn you into meat paste."


    Dracul simply snorted but didn''t give any reply. The Vampire King didn''t think that what he had done was wrong. He was simply acting for the benefit of their Holy Land.


    However, if only he knew beforehand what was going to happen next, he would have stayed his hand, and perhaps, Lux wouldn''t have undergone his breakthrough.


    Suddenly, a frown formed on Dracul''s face as he turned his head to look at the East.


    Seeing his reaction, Kieran also frowned and shifted his gaze in the direction where "It looks like we have some uninvited guests," Kieran stated.


    "Judging by their aura and strength, our dear guests are certainly from the Divine the Vampire King was looking.


    "It looks like we have some uninvited guests," Kieran stated.


    "Judging by their aura and strength, our dear guests are certainly from the Divine Army of Light," Dracul narrowed his gaze. "There are at least five�� no six of them. All of them are Saints. For some reason, I''m not surprised to see them snooping here."


    "What are we going to do?" Kieran asked.


    Dracul shrugged. "Although I am still a Saint, fighting against six is too much even for me. Especially now that I have lost the protection of the Ancestral Lands. If they came here a few hours ago, I would have wiped the floor with them without breaking a sweat."


    Lorelei, who was silently listening at the side, still had a calm look on her face. However, deep inside, she was feeling anxious.


    She and her Master had witnessed how the Champions of Light eradicated a vagabond Necromancer, who was not affiliated with Memento Mori.


    The poor individual didn''t even stand a chance, and his body was burned to ashes until nothing was left.


    "Don''t worry, Lorelei," Kieran said. "They won''t dare attack us. Unless they want an all-out war, they will refrain from targeting the members of Memento Mori."


    Dracul also nodded his head in agreement. The Divine Army of Light also knew that he was the Guardian of the Ancestral Grounds. They would still think twice about attacking him, even if they were to know that he had lost the blessing of their Holy Land.


    A momentter, the Necromancers, who also felt the approaching danger, all gathered beside Dracul, hoping that their Guardian would protect them from the people that hunted them down.


    Dracul didn''t say anything and allowed them to stand behind his back.


    Even though he had lost his Divine Protection, he wouldn''t just turn a blind eye when outsiders rampaged inside their Holy Land and killed the people who treat it as sacred.


    "They''re probably here for Lux," Loreleimented. "Master, what shall we do? Are we going to help?"


    Kieran hesitated a bit before ncing in Gaap''s direction. It was impossible for the Old Halfling to not feel the presence of such powerful individualsing their way.


    A minuteter, Kieran resolved himself before giving an answer to his Disciple.


    "Your safety is my priority, Lorelei," Kieran stated. "I have no obligation to help Gaap defend his Disciple."


    "But Master, weren''t you on good terms with Lady Hereswith? Are you going to abandon her Grand Disciple?"


    "��"


    Kieran didn''t know how to reply to Lorelei''s words. He indeed owed Hereswith a favor in the past, and he wouldn''t mind returning it now. However, if anything happened to Lorelei, the Royal High-Elf Family would never forgive him.


    "I''ll say this now. I will not move to protect that Half-Elf," Dracul said. "However, you can leave your Disciple by my side. Feel free to stick your nose into this mess. I''ll keep her safe for you."


    After hearing Dracul''s assurance, Kieran nodded his head in understanding. Since his Disciple''s safety was no longer a concern, he would at least extend his help to the best of his ability.


    That is the least he could do for everything that Hereswith had done for him.


    Gaap, who had been silently drinking his tonic, handed the empty bottle to Carol. He then stood up from his bone chair and lightly tapped his walking stick on the ground.


    A momentter, his Covenant appeared by his side,posed of thirteen individuals, including Carol.


    All of them stood behind their Master with their weapons drawn, ready to fight at a moment''s notice.


    Antero had also materialized behind them, towering over the old Halfling, making Gaap look like an ant inparison.


    Half a minuteter, six peoplended hundreds of meters away from Gaap.


    They nced at the giant Antero before shifting their gaze at the Giant Skeleton King, who looked exactly like the projection that was shown to them by their Oracle.


    They had sped up their journey as much as they could in order to destroy the heretic that was about to make his breakthrough.


    "So what are the dogs of the Divine Army doing in our Domain?" Gaap asked in a challenging tone. "Are you here to bring gifts to my Disciple?"


    The High King of Lunaria sneered after seeing Hereswith''s Disciple, who had managed to escape the purge that they enacted several years ago.


    "So that is your Disciple?" the High King asked. "Hereswith''s Grand Disciple?"


    "The one and only," Gaap replied.


    "Good." The High King nodded his head. "We''vee to bring him and you the greatest gift in this world, and that is none other than Death."


    "Oh?" Gaap arched an eyebrow. "That''s fine with me. I''ve been wanting to see you after all these years. Fortunately, I no longer have to expend any effort in looking for you. I will make you regret the day you killed my Master, High King of Lunaria."


    "Make me regret?" the High King sneered. "I have no regrets. If I can''t have Hereswith, then no one else can have her. Killing her was the best feeling ever."


    Gaap''s face became distorted with anger. He then pointed his finger at the High King of Lunaria before giving his order.


    "Kill everyone except for him," Gaap ordered. "I will personally end his life and offer his soul to my Master''s grave."


    As soon as he gave the order, all of Gaap''s Named Creatures sprang into action.


    They charged at the six Saints without even batting an eye, despite the fact that they were several realms weaker than their targets.


    Since their Master had given his order, they wouldplete it without fail��even if they had to resort to foul means, allowing the old Halfling to get his vengeance.

 Chapter 771 I Am Your Worst Nightmare

    ?


    After seeing that the number of Saints in the Sacred Land wasn''t that many, the Champions of the Light decided to carry out their mission as soon as possible.


    One of their members had extraordinary hearing, and he managed to pick up what Dracul had said earlier.


    Since the Guardian of the Ancestral Ground had no intention of protecting their target, they no longer had any reason to hesitate and began their operation.


    Of course, they also heard that Kieran might help Gaap, but that didn''t matter. There were six of them, and dealing with two threats wasn''t that big of a deal.


    The High King of Lunaria even ordered for Kieran to just be contained and not killed. Even though they were not afraid to have an all-out war against Memento Mori, they would still consider this as ast resort.


    Gaap wasn''t a member of Memento Mori, so technically, they weren''t breaking their agreement.


    Since the old Halfling wasn''t part of the notorious Necromancer organization, that also meant that his Disciple was not a member of it as well.


    The High King of Lunaria wanted to end Gaap''s life first but understood that their mission took priority.


    Dodging the attacks of Gaap''s subordinates, he flew toward the Giant Skeleton King, aiming for the blood dome in its hands.


    At that moment, a gigantic palm tried to swat him away, but anticipating this move from Antero, the High King of Lunaria used an artifact that allowed him to use instant teleportation, taking him a good distance away from where he was.


    Within a span of a few seconds, the High King of Lunaria materialized in front of the Dome of Blood.


    The Giant Skeleton King remained unmoving, as if it wasn''t aware of the battle that was happening in front of him.


    With this, the High King''s assumption had been confirmed.


    ''I knew it,'' the High King thought. ''Whoever is undergoing his breakthrough inside the Blood Dome is in an unconscious state.''


    As the High King was about to unleash an attack that would destroy the threat in front of him, he felt the wind around him shift ever so slightly, forcing him to back away in haste.


    A secondter, a death scythe shed the ce where the High King was earlier, cutting even the fabric of space.


    "Undertaker, you shouldn''t mess with something that has no rtion with you," the High King stated as he looked at the ck-haired Kieran, who stood between him and the dome of blood.


    Kieran didn''t bother to reply and simply engaged the High King of Lunaria.


    Just like Gaap, he also had a beef to settle with the person that killed Hereswith, the woman whom he treated as an older sister when she was alive.


    Gaap, who saw this from the ground, shifted his attention to the five other Saints who were also attempting to attack his unconscious Disciple.


    His thirteen Named Creatures had only managed to block two of them using the teamwork that they had honed over the years.


    All of Gaap''s Named Creatures were Peak Empyrean Ranked World Bosses. Although they weren''t walking Cmities, their strength was something that Saints wouldn''t be able to handle easily.


    This was especially true since these thirteen monsters were working together.


    Anteroughed as he dealt with the other Saint, who specialized in fighting against giants.


    Due to Gaap''s extremely weakened state, he was unable to fully unlock Antero because doing so would kill him in mere minutes. Although he would be able to fend them off during that time, after his death, his Disciple would be helpless with no one to protect him.


    Because of this, he gritted his teeth and did his best to repel the Champions of the Light. With four of the six Saints taken care of, only two remained.


    However, those two had managed to break past Antero''s defenses and were now heading toward the Blood Dome, where his Disciple was sleeping.


    "Ender of lives, kill those who stand before me!" the old Priest shouted as a ming tiger appeared above his head. "Primal Fury!"


    "I will put an end to this heresy!" the High Temr roared as he raised his sword, making it shine brightly. "Destruction sh!"


    The ming Tiger and the sh of Destruction flew toward the Dome of Blood with the intention of wiping it outpletely.


    Just as their attacks were about to hit the dome, a ten-meter-tall Corpse god appeared and used its shield and weapons to protect its Master.


    However, it was not strong enough to resist the attack of two Saints, making their attacks break past its defenses, hitting the Blood Dome that it tried to protect.


    A momentter, a powerful explosion reverberated in the surroundings, making a rain of blood fall from the sky.


    The Skeleton King remained unmoving as smoke rose from his hand.


    The High Temr waved his sword and blew away the smoke in front of him. He wanted to see with his own eyes if his attack had connected and killed the evil spawn that had tried to usurp thews of Heaven.


    The first thing that the old Priest and High Temr saw was a pair of ck, dragon-like wings spread wide.


    Then, they saw a red-headed teenager standing on the palm of the Skeleton King with his eyes closed.


    His clothes were in tatters, but no injuries could be seen on his body. Clearly, the attack of the two Saints only managed to destroy his clothes, leaving him unscathed by theirbined assault.


    This result didn''t deter the two Saints and only made their desire to kill the red-headed teenager stronger.


    They knew in their hearts that they must not allow someone like him to live, or else, he would be a variable that could destroy the peace that they had sworn to protect.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The two Saints didn''t even need to look at each other as they charged toward the Half-Elf with the intention of decapitating him.


    "Die!" the High Temr shouted as he swung his sword, intending to end the Half-Elf''s life once and for all.


    But a secondter, he heard a voice that was filled with killing intent, which almost made him stop his attack mid-strike.


    "You wish."


    Those were the words he heard before something appeared in front of his eyes.


    A wooden puppet, which wasmonly used to train children and young teenagers who wanted to be Knights, blocked his path.


    The High-Temr roared in anger as he empowered his weapon with great sharpness, with the intention of cleaving the wooden puppet and the Half-Elf at the same time.


    However, something unexpected happened.


    His sword was stopped by the wooden puppet''s fingers, holding it in ce and not allowing it to move an inch closer.


    "Trying to kill my Grandson in front of me?" a beautifuldy with long silver hair said in a cold voice. "Since you wish for his death, I''ll be taking your life instead."


    With a flick of her finger, another wooden puppet appeared. This puppet delivered a kick thatnded on the side of the High Temr''s body, sending him flying away from the Half-Elf he wanted to kill.


    The Old Priest who saw this, looked at thedy in front of him. From what he could tell, the person that was getting in their way was a mere High-Ranker, which was not a cause for concern.


    However, after seeing how the silver-haired beauty dealt with hispanion, the Old Priest didn''t dare to underestimate the new enemy that stood before him.


    "Who are you?" the Old Priest asked as he summoned four Fire Tigers around him.


    "I am your worst nightmare," Vera replied before spreading her arms wide.


    The Ancestral Lands of the Necromancers suddenly shuddered as its power came back to life.


    ck and purple mists appeared in the surroundings, and all of them flew towards Vera, as if she was absorbing them all.


    A-Ranker��. S-Ranker�� SS-Ranker�� Saint.


    Vera''s Rank rose drastically until she stepped into the realm that was considered to be a true powerhouse in the world.


    "It has been a while since I felt this powerful," Vera stated. "This makes me remember the old days."


    The Old Priest who was paying close attention to Vera suddenly gasped in shock as a distant memory resurfaced in his mind.


    "Puppet Master Vera!" the Old Priest gasped in shock. "How?! I thought you were dead!"


    Vera smiled because that was a name that she hadn''t heard for a very long time. Long ago, she was also one of the Powerhouses in Sis and Elysium.


    However, to save Alexander, she transferred all of her powers to him, harming her body irrevocably and making her Rank regress to that of a C-Ranker.


    Originally, she was supposed to remain as a C-Ranker until her death. However, after Lux ced her inside the ck Coffin, ck Fire, Vera''s body was remodeled to perfection, giving it a new breath of life.


    Because of this, she decided to take her time in order to regain her previous strength by staying inside ckfire and being nourished by its nearly limitless power.


    When Lux stepped into the Necromancer''s Sacred Lands, Vera felt a very strong connection with the Holy Land.


    When Dracul tried to kill her grandson, Vera was enraged and decided to forcefully snatch away the power of the Vampire King and take it for herself.


    Since Lux''s breakthrough weakened the power of the Ancestral Land, Vera took this opportunity to fully establish her connection with the Sacred Land.


    Although it was very close, she managed to seed at thest minute, allowing her to once again make her appearance in the world.


    Dracul''s eyes widened in shock after sensing the familiar feeling that wasing off of Vera''s body.


    "T-The Ancestral Grounds had recognized her as the new Guardian!" Dracul muttered in disbelief after realizing what had just transpired.


    Vera gave the Vampire King a side-long nce, which made thetter shudder.


    The nce Vera gave him was filled with killing intent, which made the Vampire King feel as if his nearly-immortal life was about toe to an end.


    "I''ll deal with youter," Vera said before shifting her gaze back to the old Priest, who also realized what just happened, making his face turn extremely pale.


    Vera spread her arms wide, and countless puppets appeared around her.


    Their numbers were so many that they blocked out the light of the sun, covering the entire Holy Land in darkness.


    "I''ll clean up this trash first," Vera dered as all the puppets locked unto the body of the old Priest, making him regret the fact that he volunteered to go to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, only to meet an untimely death in the hands of the silver-haired beauty, whom he felt would be their Organization''s worst nightmare.

 Chapter 772 See The Error Of The Path You Have Trodden!

    Chapter 772 See The Error Of The Path You Have Trodden!


    "Vera, I acknowledge that you are indeed powerful," the old Priest said as he looked at the silver-haired beauty whomanded countless puppets of different sizes and shapes. "However, do you wish to make an enemy of the entire Divine Army of Light by protecting that Heretic?!"


    "Once, I thought that the Divine Army was a righteous organization," Vera replied. "But that ended the moment you targeted my grandson. You have grown old and stupid, Renfred the Fire Tiger. It is time for you to retire�� permanently."


    It was impossible for Vera to not recognize the higher-ups of the Divine Army of Light, for she had also dealt with them in the past. Although they were not enemies, they were not friends either.


    They manipted the events from the shadows, using their influence and background to get their way.


    Kings, Emperors, Patriarchs, and Sovereigns dare not go against them for fear that they would be prosecuted and hunted down.


    However, Vera cared about none of these things. Although the Divine Army of Light was truly a force that extended its ws in both Elysium and Sis, with Sians being part of their Council of Light, the silver-haireddy didn''t care.


    Even if she were to make the entire world her enemy, she would not back away if it was to protect her precious family from those who wish to harm them.


    "So be it," Renfred stated as his entire body ignited with divine mes. "You will regret this decision!"


    The Fire Tiger of the Champions of Light transformed into a thirty-meter-tall me Tiger with wings.


    He burned so brightly that he resembled a miniature sun amidst the darkness that was cast by Vera''s countless puppets.


    "No," Vera replied crisply. "It is you and the Divine Army of Light who will regret your decision."


    With a wave of her hand, countless puppets charged toward the me Tiger, who roared defiantly before charging toward Vera with the intention of mutual destruction.


    Vera sneered as she empowered the puppets with the power of the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, raising their attack and defense to unimaginable levels and imbuing them with Unholy Might.


    A pained roar reverberated in the surroundings as the countless puppets punched the charging me Tiger, stopping his advance.


    A secondter, the me Tiger crashed against the ground, creating a crater that was hundreds of meters wide.


    Seeing this, all the Champions of Light looked at the silver-haireddy, who was looking down on them all from the sky.


    "Use it!" Renfred shouted as he propped himself up from the ground. "Regardless of the result, use it!"


    The High King of Lunaria gritted his teeth and took out a diamond-shaped artifact that glowed with golden light from his storage ring.


    The me Tiger had acknowledged that he was unable to defeat Vera using his full powers, so the only thing they could do was use one of their Divine Artifacts to kill their target.


    This Divine Artifact was one of the priceless treasures of the Divine Army, and while it could only be used once, it was very effective as it would never miss its target.


    Truth be told, they didn''t want to use this, but after careful deliberation, the Sovereign of Light decided to go all-out to end the Heretic that threatened the order of the world.


    "By the power of the Divine, I sentence you to death!" the High King of Lunaria shouted as he aimed the diamond at the Half-Elf, who was standing still in the palms of the giant Skeleton King. "End his misery, Spear of Longinus!"


    The High King threw the diamond in Lux''s direction, where it transformed into a golden spear that trailed toward the sky, leaving golden mes in its wake.


    Vera immediately manipted her puppets to block it, forming a barricade that was hundreds of meters thick.


    However, the Spear of Longinus pierced through it as if it was a paper wall.


    Vera summoned a silver de and flew toward the golden spear in an attempt to deflect it.


    But when she was about to strike it down, the spear moved to the side, dodging herpletely before changing its trajectory to fly in the direction of its target, doubling its flight speed.


    "No!" Vera shouted. "Dodge it, Lux!"


    As if hearing a familiar voice, Lux stirred and opened his eyes. However, only golden light could be seen where his eyes should have been.


    The Spear of Longinus, which was said to be able to kill even Supremes once it was unleashed, flew straight toward the Half-Elf''s chest, with the intention of piercing through his heart.


    In the span of a few seconds, in which time seemed to move in very slow motion, Vera saw the golden spear pierce her Grandson''s chest, making her shout in anger.


    Renfred, the High King of Lunaria, as well as the other Champions of Light, all cheered after seeing this scene, knowing that they had seeded in their mission�� or at least, they thought they did.


    "Fools who know nothing of the world, you prance in this ce and act so bold," Hereswith said in a mocking tone, which spread in the surroundings of the Ancestral Lands. "Look closely and beholden, see the error of the paths you have trodden!"


    The golden spear that had collided with Lux''s chest burned brightly as it tried to pierce through the Half-Elf''s body.


    However, no matter what it did, it couldn''t even pierce Lux''s skin!


    "Impossible!" the High King of Lunaria eximed. "That is the Divine Spear of Longinus! It can kill even the Supremes!"


    "Yes," Hereswith''s voice once again reached everyone''s ears. "But do you think the one chosen by the Heaven is afraid of Divine Powers? You must be joking, right? You little D*ck, you messed with the wrong Necromancer!"


    The High-Elf Lady''s words filled with contempt made the hearts of the Champions of Light tremble.


    They still couldn''t understand why the power of the Divine Light, which was the ultimate weakness of all evil things, especially Necromancers, couldn''t even kill a teenage boy, who was not even fully conscious.


    As the Golden Spear''s radiance intensified, making it look like an unwilling fighter who refused to give up, the Half-Elf''s right hand slowly rose and grabbed its handle.


    "Undead Generator [EX]," Lux said softly.


    A momentter, a giant skeleton cauldron appeared in front of him.


    After the Skeleton Generator [EX] skill had been upgraded with Hereswith''s help, it had be much stronger and became the skill, Undead Generator [EX].


    ����������������-


    < Please choose an ingredient to use to generate your Undead Creature. >


    ����������������-


    "Use this spear," Lux said in a trance-like voice as he casually tossed the spear inside the giant Skeleton Cauldron.


    ����������������


    < You have used a consumable Divine Artifact as an ingredient. >


    < Do you wish to proceed? >


    < Yes / No >


    ����������������


    "Yes," Lux answered.


    To the horror of the Champions of Light, the giant Skeleton Cauldron released golden mists as it transmuted their prized Artifact in front of their very eyes.


    Hereswith''s maniacalughter made the Ancestral Lands tremble as Lux used the skill that they had created together for the first time.


    "I would like to thank all of you little C*nts," Hereswith said in a teasing tone. "Thank you for the gift you have given my Grand Disciple on this special day."


    Golden lightning streaked across the heavens and hit the giant Skeleton Cauldron as the power of the Divine Artifact was being consumed.


    This was the first time that Lux had used a Divine Item as an ingredient for creating a Creature, and even Hereswith, who had created the spell, didn''t know what kind of being would emerge from it.

 Chapter 773 The Declaration Of The Oracle Of the Divine Army Of Light

    Chapter 773 The Deration Of The Oracle Of the Divine Army Of Light


    As a barrage of golden lightning bolts rained down on the giant Skeleton Cauldron, Vera shifted her gaze to the giant me Tiger, as well as the High King of Lunaria.


    Although it didn''t show on her face, she felt as if it was her heart that had been pierced by the Spear of Longinus after it broke past her defenses and attacked her grandson.


    Not even sparing another thought for the giant Skeleton Cauldron behind her, Vera once again unleashed a devastating attack on her enemies.


    This time, she no longer targeted a single individual.


    She targeted all of them at the same time!


    The countless puppets under hermand moved as one as they relentlessly attacked the me Tiger''s body, creating shockwaves with each punch, kick, and sh they made with their fists, legs, and weapons.


    The High King of Lunaria was also feeling a lot of pressure as the puppets, who seemed to be out for blood, attacked him from every direction, making him struggle with fending them off.


    Although he was a Saint, he could feel his strength gradually decreasing for each minute he stayed in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds.


    The barrier that protected this Holy Land was still down due to Lux''s breakthrough, but it was slowly regaining its former environment, repelling those who were not practicing the arts of Necromancy.


    "It''s no use, let''s leave!" the High Temr, who had attacked Lux earlier, shouted at hisrades before flying away to escape Vera''s grasp.


    "And what makes you think that you are allowed to leave?" Vera sneered as she created more puppets, enclosing the entire Ancestral Lands with her Unholy Might.


    As if to prove her words to be true, the me Tiger''s wings were torn off from its body, making it roar in pain as countless puppets swarmed its body, pinning it to the ground, unable to break free.


    Vera then clenched her fist tightly,pressing the countless puppets that covered the me Tiger''s body.


    A momentter, fiery blood oozed out of the small crevices between the puppets, signaling that she had sessfully crushed her foe, squeezing all life from within.


    The Champions of the Light, who witnessed this grim scene, hastily backed away as they did everything in their power to run away from the Puppet ughterhouse that Vera had created to deal with them.


    Left with no choice, all of them gathered together in order to repel the attacks that wereing from all directions.


    The five remaining Champions of Light stood back to back with each other, attacking the puppets surrounding them with great ferocity.


    With each attack, the Ancestral Grounds of the Necromancers shook, creating cracks in the ground that extended for hundreds of meters.


    Dracul, who saw this, immediately went pale, knowing that the battle could truly destroy the ce that he had protected for decades.


    He then flew towards Vera with the intention of pleading for her to stop.


    "Your Excellency, Lady Vera, please stop!" Dracul shouted. "The Ancestral Grounds will be destroyed if you continue fighting against the��argh!"


    Several puppets pped the Vampire King, sending him flying away as if he was a nuisance.


    Kieran, Lorelei, and the other Necromancers who saw this winced as they collectively made a vow in their hearts to never offend the silver-haireddy, who would stop at nothing to have her vengeance.


    Suddenly, the dome of puppets that Vera had created to prevent the Champions of Light from escaping exploded.


    A golden flying ship, which had the banner of the Divine Army, arrived at the battlefield, carrying with it over a dozen Saints.


    "Hurry ande!" the Oracle of the Army of Light shouted.


    After herrades had left to carry out their mission, she felt a nagging feeling at the back of her head, telling her that something might happen to them.


    Because of this, she asked the Sovereign of Light for permission to use the Golden Ark, which was the gship of the Divine Army of Light.


    She also asked twelve more Saints to apany her to act as reinforcements, just in case something had really gone wrong with herrades'' mission.


    The Oracle of Light had been using her divination to monitor the battle, and after seeing that one of theirrades had died, she decided that she could no longer stand still and used the Golden Ark''s special ability to travel at great speeds.


    The Golden Ark was also a Divine Artifact, which meant that it was an exceptional flying ship.


    Although it wasn''t easy, it managed to break through Vera''s ughterhouse at the most critical moment, giving the five Champions, who had epted the mission to kill Lux, a chance to escape.


    Without even wasting any time, the five flew towards the flying ship, while the Oracle of Light, as well as the twelve other Champions, unleashed a barrage of attacks aimed at Lux, making Vera focus solely on defending him.


    These attacks came from Saints, and their power mustn''t be underestimated. Even Vera, who could now fight dozens of Saints at once, dared not take any chances and defended with everything she had.


    She didn''t want to see another artifact as strong as the Spear of Longinus pierce through her defenses again.


    "We''ll be taking our leave now, but remember this," the Oracle of Light dered. "This isn''t over! The Divine Army will not stop until that Heretic is destroyed!"


    With those words spoken, shemanded the Great Ark to fly away, leaving the Ancestral Grounds of the Necromancers, as well as the corpse of their fallenrade behind.


    Vera watched them go with cold eyes as she hovered above the sky.


    Right now, her priority was Lux''s safety.


    She would deal with the aftermath once her grandson had sessfully managed his breakthrough to be a Ranker.


    Behind her, Lux stared absentmindedly at the space in front of him, while the giant Skeleton Cauldron continued to process the Divine Power of the Spear of Longinus.


    Because everyone was too focused on the fight that had happened, as well as the departure of the Champions of Light, they didn''t notice that the corner of the giant Skeleton King''s lips rose ever so slightly.


    It was as if it was watching an entertaining show��


    And it found it to its liking.

 Chapter 774 I Am No One Praiseworthy

    Chapter 774 I Am No One Praiseworthy


    "Manma, miss you~" Eiko happily nuzzled Vera which made the silver-haireddy smile.


    "I missed you too, Eiko," Vera replied before turning her head to kiss the Baby Slime that was perched on her shoulder.


    After the Champions of Light left the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds, the tension in the surroundings died down.


    The dome of ck miasma once again appeared, protecting the Holy Land from being attacked by those that didn''t wield the power of Necromancy.


    Lux, who had been the target of the assault, was once again encased in a blood dome by the giant Skeleton King.


    Above the blood dome was the giant Skeleton Cauldron, which was still in the process of refining the Spear of Longinus, so it could be used as an ingredient for summoning a Creature of unknown potential.


    The lighting strikes had stopped, and only a golden aura can be seen emanating from the cauldron. No one knew when the refining process would end. However, the anticipation of what kind of creature woulde out of it was something that Hereswith, who was inside the World Tree, was looking forward to seeing.


    Vera then gazed at the old Halfling, who was currently seated on a bone chair and was fast asleep.


    She had seen how Gaap tried to avenge Lux when Dracul had killed her grandson, as well as protect him when the Champions of Light sought to end his life.


    The old man''s breathing was very ragged, and in Vera''s eyes, Gaap was already a spent candle whose me was about to die out.


    She wouldn''t even be surprised if the Halfling drew hisst breath any second by now.


    ''Lux is lucky to have someone like him,'' Vera thought in her heart. ''Still, I am afraid that he might notst until morninges.''


    Vera had seen how Lux and Gaap had met. Although their meeting wasn''t that long ago, the Old Halfling had treated the Half-Elf as a true Disciple, teaching him the ways of Necromancy, as well as helping him when he needed it the most.


    Although Lux''s Grandma was inside ckfire, she had seen almost everything that the Half-Elf had experienced ever since she made her appearance in the Vahan Empire.


    Most of the time, she was just sleeping, but whenever Lux encountered a dangerous situation, she would wake up from her slumber, ready to help him in his time of need.


    After looking at the pitiful Halfling, Vera then shifted his attention to the Vampire King, who was currently hanging upside down a few meters away from her.


    "Eiko, why don''t you y for a little while and throw some of your st Bombs at that thing over there?" Vera raised her chin to point in the direction of the Vampire King.


    "Un!" Eiko nodded before looking at the Vampire King evilly.


    Just like Vera, she was also very angry at Dracul for trying to kill her Papa.


    Without another word, Eiko jumped off Vera''s shoulder and started to toss st Bombs at Dracul''s body, creating small explosions.


    Dracul, on his part, simply endured the Baby Slime''s payback since her attacks didn''t even do much damage to him.


    Truth be told, it was quite impossible for Eiko to damage a Saint''s body with her regr st Bombs.


    However, if she released her tactical nuke, Dracul would certainly do his best to break free from the puppets that were holding him in ce, knowing that the Skeleton Bomb was something that had the power to deal serious injuries to him.


    Several puppets were holding the Vampire King in ce, preventing him from escaping.


    The silver-haireddy was still very annoyed with Dracul and even thought of cutting off his head and using it as decoration in her home back in the Wildgarde Stronghold.


    However, Hereswith talked to Vera telepathically and asked her to spare the Guardian for what he had done earlier.


    Although the Vampire King was not aware, he had yed a crucial role in Lux''s breakthrough. Because of this, Vera agreed to decrease his punishment and no longer thought about killing him.


    Also, Hereswith told Vera that she could make Dracul the Vice-Guardian of the Necromancer''s Holy Land, since she couldn''t be there every time.


    Since Dracul had yed this role for many years, there was no better candidate to watch over the ce whenever Vera was not around.


    The silver-haireddy agreed to Hereswith''s advice. Truth be told, she had no intention of staying in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds to be its Guardian.


    She still had many things to do and couldn''t be bothered to watch over the Legacies of the Necromancers of the past.


    Eiko started to giggle as she threw bombs left and right. This was the first time that someone didn''t get damaged by her st Bombs, and she found this a very fun activity.


    At that exact moment, a ck-robed man descended from the skies, riding on a ck Hawk.


    "Dillon?" Kieran, who saw one of the members of Memento Mori, immediately went to greet hisrade whom he hadn''t seen for nearly two years.


    "It is me, Kieran," Dillon removed the hood covering his face. "I came here to help protect Gaap''s Disciple, but it seems that my aid is no longer needed."


    Dillon arrived a few minutes after Vera fought against the Champions of Light. However, when he saw that the silver-haireddy could single-handedly handle the trespasser, he decided to just watch and see what she was capable of doing.


    He had heard the name of Puppet Master Vera in the past, but he never had the opportunity to see her in action.


    Because of this, he watched the battle from a safe distance and was shocked when he discovered that she had be the new Guardian of their Holy Land.


    "I greet you, Puppet Master Vera," Dillon said as he gave Vera a brief nod of acknowledgement. "I heard many things about you in the past when you were still active in Elysium. I thought you had already retired to the countryside since I no longer hear about your exploits."


    "And you are?" Vera arched an eyebrow as she looked at the Dwarf who was wearing ck robes.


    "Just call me Dillon," Dillon replied. "I am no one praiseworthy. Just an ordinary Necromancer."


    The Dwarf Necromancer smiled, which made Vera shrug. The only Necromancers she cared about were her grandson and Gaap, who was currently sleeping due to exhaustion.


    Kieran, who knew what Dillon was truly capable of, only shook his head helplessly.


    "By the way, Dillon, did you seed?" Kieran asked in a low tone.


    "Aye," Dillon replied. "I managed to get one of the Cmities."


    A faint smile appeared on Kieran''s face because this boded well for their Necromantic Organization.


    "Then, is it only a matter of time before the others seed as well?" Kieran inquired.


    forced to go into hibernation to recover.


    Since then, their leader ordered a few of his most capable "I don''t know," Dillon answered. "However, I have every reason to believe that they are also about to aplish their mission soon."


    The Dwarf smiled evilly.


    It had been many years since they fought tooth and nail with the Divine Army of Light after Hereswith was killed.


    Their Supreme Necromancer had received serious injuries and was forced to go into hibernation to recover.


    Since then, their leader ordered a few of his most capable subordinates to look for the Cmities that were sealed across Elysium.


    By obtaining them, they would gain a force that rivaled that of a Supreme.


    A force that they would one day use for the sake of all the living things in the world, and those that were buried beneath the Earth, waiting for the day that they would rise up to the surface, once again.

 Chapter 775 The Name Of The One That Go Against The Will Of Heaven

    Chapter 775 The Name Of The One That Go Against The Will Of Heaven


    "That is everything that happened," the High-King of Lunaria said after finishing his report to the Sovereign of the Divine Army. "If not for our Oracle''s timely rescue, I, and the others would have followed me Tiger''s fate."


    A sigh escaped the lips of the leader of the Champions of Light after learning that one of their oldest members had died in battle.


    "All of you did well ining back alive," the Sovereign of Light said. "Oracle, you have done our organization a great service. If not for your foresight, we might have lost more of our people today, which would have made our enemies very happy."


    The Oracle smiled bitterly before nodding her head. If she had only acted sooner, perhaps the Old Priest would not have died. However, what was done was done, and there was nothing more she could do about it.


    "Vera the Puppet Master, truly a fearsome foe," the Sovereign of Light stated. "If I remember correctly, not only can she control puppets, but she can control people as well if she willed it, correct?"


    The High-King of Lunaria nodded.


    "Anyone below the rank of Saint can be manipted just like one of Sovereign of Light asked the Sians, who had been his members for many years.


    her puppets," the High-King replied. "Also, she is a Foreigner, which makes her movements unpredictable."


    The Sovereign of Light shifted his gaze to the other members of his council, who were also from Sis.


    "Do you know where she can be found in your home world?" the Sovereign of Light asked the Sians, who had been his members for many years.


    "I''m not entirely sure where she lives, but if I have to make a guess, it is in the Eastern Regions of our world," a middle-aged man replied. "I will make inquiries when I get back. But, how should we handle this matter?"


    The Sovereign of Light pondered for a bit as he decided what kind of action they would take against the Puppet Master, whom they had offended.


    "For now, gather every piece of information that you can get about her," the Sovereign of Light replied after a time. "Her location, family, friends, and those that are important to her must be investigated. Only when we have a full grasp of the situation will we decide what we will do next."


    The middle-aged man nodded in agreement.


    Someone as powerful as Vera shouldn''t be taken lightly. So, until they were sure that they had a grasp of all the information about her, they wouldn''t dare to make any move that would further antagonize her.


    "So, did any of you who went see Hereswith?" the Sovereign of Light asked.


    The High-King of Lunaria, the Oracle, as well as the other Champions who went to Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, all shook their heads.


    "Although we didn''t see her, we have heard her," the High-King of Lunaria replied. "Her profanities are just as vulgar as when she was still alive. There is no doubt about it, Hereswith exists in some sort of form. As to what form she currently had, I cannot say."


    The Sovereign of Light nodded his head in understanding.


    "So, we have the Puppet Master, as well as Hereswith to consider," the Sovereign of Light smiled. "What about Memento Mori? Did any of you fight their members?"


    The High-King of Lunaria nodded. "I fought against the Undertaker. But, we didn''t fight for real. We just fended off each other''s attacks. I could tell that Kieran was holding back, and didn''t want to go all out against us. Maybe he just acted out of the debt he owes Hereswith."


    The Sovereign of Light closed his eyes before resting his chin at the back of his hands.


    "Although the two of you faced off, it wasn''t a real battle," the Sovereign of Light. "Can I assume that we didn''t vite our side of the agreement?"


    "As far as how the events transpired, I can say that we have not," the High-Temr, who had also been with the Old Priest and the High-King of Lunaria, replied. "Although we did trespass in the Ancestral Grounds of the Necromancer, we didn''t break our agreement with Memento Mori."


    "Good." the Sovereign of Light nodded. "Although we are not afraid of them, now is not the time to go on a war against them. The Apostles of Light are still not ready to make their appearance in the world. They must be kept hidden for as long as we can."


    Everyone in the room nodded their heads simultaneously for this was the great undertaking that the Divine Army was making in the shadows.


    "Have you discerned his name, Oracle?" the Sovereign asked. "Do we now know the name of the Heretic that dares to defy thews of Heaven?"


    The Oracle wrote something in the air with her fingers, whichter transformed into golden words that hovered above her head.


    Lux Von Kaizer.


    That was the name that the Oracle of Light had written for everyone to see.


    "Lux Von Kaizer," the High-King of Lunaria said softly. "Should we inform our people and spread this news across thend? Let them know the name of the Heretic, who goes against the Will of Heaven?"


    "Yes," the Sovereign of Light said. "Let the entire world know his name, so that every vige, town, and city under our control, can keep an eye out for him. If any news of him is heard, we will move to confirm it. We must nip him in the bud before it''s toote."


    """By your will, Our Sovereign!"""


    On that day, news of the identity of the Necromancer of Heaven started to spread in the territories controlled by the Divine Army of Light.


    They even dered that anyone who could give them news about the Half-Elf''s whereabouts would be handsomely rewarded by the Divine Army of Light.


    Although not as effective as the World Announcement that happened when Lux started to undertake his breakthrough, the influence of the Divine Army was nothing to scoff at.


    Weekster, this news would arrive in the territories controlled by the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms.


    As to how these factions would react to this news, only their Kings and Emperors could decide on what to do with the Half-Elf, who had already be a Ranker by then.

 Chapter 776 The Wheel Of Fate [Part 1]

    Chapter 776 The Wheel Of Fate [Part 1]


    While everyone was waiting for Lux to break out of the Blood Dome, little did they know, his soul was actually not in Elysium.


    Before the Champions of Light had even raided the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands to kill him, the Half-Elf''s soul was already in the Celestial Realm.


    In fact, he was currently seated on a chair, facing several Gods, who were debating the restrictions that must be imposed on him.


    "You all, how about we just give him all the good things, and get this over with," Max, who was Lux''s Patron God, said in a casual manner. "You guys aren''t even in Elysium, so why are you getting in the way of his breakthrough?"


    "Max, you know we can''t do that," the Goddess, whose name was Nemesis, replied in an annoyed tone. "Just like the two girls who represent Extreme Luck and Extreme Misfortune, a bnce between things is necessary to maintain equilibrium in the multiverse."


    Nemesis dealt with everything equally and governed over the excess happiness and sadness in the multiverse.


    Lux had be a Unique Progenitor, which was something that even the Heavens had to pay attention to.


    There had been no instances where a Necromancer had wielded the power of the Divine, and because of this, they all decided to have a meeting in order to determine Lux''s abilities so that they wouldn''t break the boundaries that could destroy the bnce between Sis and Elysium.


    Max sighed before ncing to the side where several Gods were lined up, forming the High Council that would decide Lux''s fate.


    There were three major Gods that needed to approve Lux''s Progenitor ss in order for him to have a sessful breakthrough.


    The first one was none other than Nemesis, the Goddess that presided over the meeting.


    The second one was the God of Death, Thanatos, who currently had an annoyed look on his face.


    Lux found the God of Death intimidating at first, but this impression didn''tst long. It was simply impossible to be intimidated by Thanatos at the moment.


    The reason?


    There was an adorable girl seated on hisp, who seemed to be around five to six years of age.


    Simr to Lux, this girl had red hair. However, her eyes were blue, and she looked extremely cute, making the God of Death''s intimidation null and void.


    Last but not the least was the Jade Emperor, who was one of the Gods that presided over the Celestial Realm.


    This trio made up the Gods that were currently looking at Lux''s stats and checking which parts would need bncing.


    Of course, there were other Gods present as well, including the God of Necromancers and the God of Games, Eriol.


    "Everyone, please take a good look at this boy''s Status Page," Nemesis said as she waved her hand, creating a projection for everyone to see.


    ��������������


    Name: Lux Von Kaizer


    Age: 17


    Race: Half-Elf


    Profession: Heaven''s Necromancer


    Rank: < Undecided >


    Health: 1,439,600 / 1,439,600


    Mana: 3,309,600 / 3,309,600


    Strength: 7,828


    Intelligence: 11,032


    Vitality: 6,748


    Agility: 6,828


    Dexterity: 6,828


    ��������������


    Unique Title: Heaven''s Necromancer


    Unique Skills: Summon Tombstone [Epic], Summon Flesh Golems [Epic], Decay [Epic], Summon gue Deathworm [Epic], Venomous gue [Epic], Death Ward [Epic], Death Pulse [Epic].


    ��������������


    < Heaven''s Necromancer >


    "All things are equal in death. Let this be a sign.


    But, do not hold thy breath that Necromancy can''t be divine."


    �� Since this is a Progenitor ss, all of Lux Von Kaizer''s stats will increase by 400%.


    �� All Named Creatures, and members of Lux Von Kaizer''s Covenant will have their stats increased by 200%.


    �� These stats cannot be lowered by any kind of debuff.


    �� 400% Increase in Physical and Magical Attacks


    �� 400% Increase in Physical and Magical Defense


    �� Completely Immune to Divine, Light, Holy, and Necromantic Spells up to the Divine Rank.


    �� Immune to all Status Debuffs, and simr spells up to the Epic Rank.


    ��������������


    "As you can see, his stats have exceeded the normal stats of an E-Ranker, which is the entry point for Rankers after breaking through the Initiate Rank," Nemesis exined. "Most Low-Rankers start with 10,000bined stat points, yet he has exceeded them by leaps and bounds.


    "He also has the skill Death God''s Aura [EX], which gives a 100% increase in attack and defense, raising his attack power to 500%, making him the strongest Low-Ranker in Elysium."


    The God of Necromancers chuckled before making his opinion known.


    "The reason why Progenitors are called Progenitors is due to the fact that they have started a new path," the God of Necromancers stated. "Because of this, it is perfectly normal for them to be more powerful than their peers, even with those of the same Rank. I don''t see anything wrong with this setup."


    The God of Necromancers gave Lux a devilish smile, which made the Half-Elf give the God two thumbs up in his heart.


    Uncle?"


    "They are only of the same race, Harriet. They are not rtives," Thanatos replied. Clearly, they were on the same side, and the other party was trying to help Lux keep all of the powers that had been bestowed upon him.


    "You have a point," Nemesis replied after half a minute. "Progenitors indeed have these perks given to them. Do you have any objections, Thanatos?"


    Before the God of Death could even reply, the little girl on hisp spoke up.


    "Grandpa, is he my Papa''s brother?" the adorable girl asked innocently. "Is he my Uncle?"


    "They are only of the same race, Harriet. They are not rtives," Thanatos replied. "Compared to your father, William, this guy is just a fledgeling."


    "I see��" Harriet replied. "Grandpa, I don''t really understand. But don''t be mean to him, okay?"


    "Okay," Thanatos said in a gentle manner as he lightly patted his granddaughter''s head.


    He then shifted his attention to the Half-Elf and spoke his opinion as well.


    "Although there is no precedent, there is a first time for everything," Thanatos stated. "I don''t have any objections regarding this matter. The boy can keep the world''s blessing and all the benefits thate along with it."


    Nemesis rolled her eyes at the God of Death, who had turned a doting grandfather ever since his daughter, Erinys, had given birth to his granddaughter.


    Since he was the God that presided over the dead, his vote had almost guaranteed that Lux could keep the blessings that were given to him by the World of Elysium.


    The Goddess then shifted her gaze to thest God, who still hadn''t made his opinion known.


    The Jade Emperor eyed the Half-Elf with a narrow gaze, making Lux''s heart tremble.


    "Originally, I would have opposed this boy from getting so many blessings from the world," the Jade Emperor said. "However, this Half-Elf has shownpassion to my subordinates in the past, and it has left asting impression on me.


    "Since that is the case, I have no objections to this boy getting the things he got from his Profession. However, there is one thing I''d like to propose."


    The Jade Emperor then waved his hand, and a spinning wheel appeared in front of Lux.


    "Everything must have a weakness," the Jade Emperor stated. "There can''t be any absolutes in the world. So, let his Fate decide what his weakness will be. Boy, spin the Wheel of Fate. Wherever it stops, that will be your one sole weakness. Do you find this agreement fair?"


    Lux, who had remained quiet ever since the meeting started, nodded his head.


    Truth be told, although having a weakness was something he didn''t want to happen, he had a feeling that the Jade Emperor had already made apromise.


    Since that was the case, he agreed to spin the Wheel of Fate and see what kind of weakness Fate had prepared just for him.

 Chapter 777 The Wheel Of Fate [Part 2]

    Chapter 777 The Wheel Of Fate [Part 2]


    Lux took a deep breath before spinning the Wheel of Fate.


    He had used all of his strength to spin the wheel with everything he had, hoping that it would give him a weakness that wasn''t too detrimental to him.


    Even Max and Eriol, who were always on Lux''s side, had worried looks on their faces as they, too, looked at the Wheel of Fate, which was starting to slow down.


    Finally, half a minuteter, the wheel stopped, and the marker pointed at something, which made the corner of the Jade Emperor''s lips twitch.


    ����������������


    Lux Von Kaizer''s Weakness - Donald Tramp


    "Make Murica Great Again."


    ����������������


    "�� I think the Wheel is a bit faulty," the Jade Emperor said with a stiff smile. "Why don''t you spin it again? Consider that first one a trial. Don''t worry, this one is not counted."


    Max and Eriol, who were seated in the peanut gallery, booed, but the Jade Emperor paid them no mind.


    Even Nemesis thought that the Wheel of Fate was broken, so she didn''t oppose the Jade Emperor''s suggestion.


    Lux, who had no idea who Donald Tramp was, just nodded his head and spun the wheel a second time. If even the Jade Emperor felt that this weakness was too much, he thought that it was for his own good that he gave the Wheel another chance.


    A minuteter, the Wheel of Fate stopped spinning, and the marker stopped at a different weakness.


    This weakness, however, made everyone, including Max and Eriol, speechless.


    ����������������


    Lux Von Kaizer''s Weakness - Women''s Thighs


    ����������������


    (E/N: And here I thought the Author wasn''t going to create another Harem asrge as William''s. Kekekekeke)


    "What in the Sun Jin Woo��," the Necromancer God muttered after a full minute had passed.


    Lux''s face had be beet red after seeing his one sole weakness in the entire world.


    He didn''t know if this weakness was a good or bad thing, but he had every intention of testing it when he reunited with Iris and Cai after his Ranker breakthrough had ended.


    Nemesis rubbed her forehead after seeing the weakness that Lux currently had.


    Since the Wheel of Fate had already been spun twice, it would be too much to ask for it to be spun a third time.


    "Since Fate has already made its decree, we recognize the blessings that you receive from the world of Elysium," Nemesis said. "Congrattions, Lux Von Kaizer. Your breakthrough to be a Heaven''s Necromancer has been approved. I will now send you back to Elysium so that your breakthrough will finally bepleted."


    The Goddess then looked at the Half-Elf with a resigned smile on her face.


    "Anyst words before I send you back?" Nemesis asked.


    "Just one thing," Lux replied. "Who is Donald Tramp?"


    The Goddess Nemesis smiled sweetly before waving her hand. She didn''t even bother to answer Lux''s question and sent him back directly to Elysium, where he would undergo his breakthrough.


    "You did the right thing," Max stated. "He doesn''t need to know."


    "I know, right?" Nemesis said coolly. "Thank you,, everyone for taking your time to be here. You can now return to your duties."


    Thanatos, who was more than happy to leave so he could take his granddaughter to a theme park, instantly disappeared without a trace.


    He could only spend four days of every month with her, so he wanted to make every minute count.


    The Jade Emperor also left because there were many concerns that he still needed to attend to in Heaven.


    "Watch over that child for me," the Necromancer God said to Max and Eriol. "I am very curious about what kind of path he will pave for the next generation of Necromancers."


    "That is all we can do," Max replied. "Watch and see what kind of trouble he will create as he lives his life to the fullest."


    The God of Necromancers chuckled before disappearing into a cloud of ck smoke. As the God worshipped by all Necromancers, he was looking forward to Lux''s progress in the world of Elysium.


    ��������������


    Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands��


    The loud tolling of a bell reverberated across thend as the dome of blood in the Skeleton King''s hand started to glow in a golden light.


    Hereswith, who was inside the World Tree, pped her hands happily, knowing that Lux had finally started to formally surpass the Initiate Rank and be a Ranker.


    A voice, which could only be described as angelic, made an announcement, reaching every corner of Sis and Elysium, informing them of the grand event that was happening in a ce where their eyes couldn''t see.


    "As Darkness knocks on Heaven''s Doors, the chosen one shall rise over darkened skies. Light and Dark both intertwine, thus are the makings of the Divine."


    A golden gate appeared above the Skeleton King''s head. It then slowly opened, making all Necromancers within the premise of the Holy Land subconsciously shudder.


    The gate emanated powerful Divine energy, which made them feel as if they were about to be purified until their bodies turned to ashes.


    Fortunately, their greatest fears didn''te to pass, and they watched in awe as golden light poured from the gate and spun around the dome of blood, making its glow intensify.


    For some reason, some of these golden lights flew towards Gaap, who had woken up after sensing that a great change was happening in his surroundings.


    Kieran was horrified after seeing this scene because he thought that the old Halfling would burst into mes and die due to the pureness of the Divine energy that had fallen on his body.


    Truth be told, Gaap didn''t feel any fear when he was bathed with golden light. For At that exact moment, the Old Halfling felt a gentle, warm hand cupping his face.


    23:32


    Gaap forcefully opened his eyes and saw the beautiful High-Elf, whom he thought him, his duty had already ended since Lux had be a Ranker.


    Although he had many regrets in life, including the part of failing to avenge his Master, the old Halfling knew that he had done his best.


    ''Forgive me, Master,'' Gaap thought as he slowly closed his eyes. ''I was unable to avenge you.''


    At that exact moment, the Old Halfling felt a gentle, warm hand cupping his face.


    Gaap forcefully opened his eyes and saw the beautiful High-Elf, whom he thought about for almost every day of his life.


    "Master, have youe to pick me up?" Gaap asked as tears streamed down the side of his face. "I miss you so much, Master. I''m sorry. I was too weak to avenge you."


    The old Halfling, who had never shown any weakness, even in the face of Saints, cried of the Skeleton King, which had started to form cracks on its surface. "I will watch over him and ensure that he doesn''tmit the same mistakes we made in the past."


    in front of the woman, whom he treasured the most in his life.


    Hereswith looked fondly at her dear Disciple, who had suffered for many years after her death.


    "There will be a time and ce for me to do that, my Dear Disciple," Hereswith said affectionately. "But today is not that day."


    Hereswith''s tone was so gentle and kind, that if Lux were here, he would definitely think that she was an impostor, especially after being drowned from the shower of profane words and spittle that he had to deal with during his training with her.


    "What do you mean, Master?" Gaap asked in confusion.


    "It means that your role is still not over in this world," Hereswith replied. "You still need to y your part and ensure that your Disciple, my Grand Disciple, will notmit the same mistakes we made in the past."


    She then kissed Gaap''s forehead, making the Halfling''s body glow brightly.


    Soon, Lux''s Master felt something warm and profound wash over his body.


    Gaap didn''t know that his white hair had started to turn gray, and the wrinkles on his face disappeared one by one.


    Lux had imparted the excess world blessing to his Master, allowing Gaap to regain a bit of his youth and several years of his life.


    A momentter, the golden light disappeared, and a handsome Halfling with gray hair emerged from its aftermath.


    "Look after him for me, Gaap, until our next reunion. By then, I pray that you will no longer have any regrets in life. Until then, stay strong and live life to the fullest."


    Herewith''s faint voice reached the Halfling''s ears, making him turn his head towards the World Tree.


    "Yes, Master," Gaap replied before shifting his gaze to the golden dome on the hands of the Skeleton King, which had started to form cracks on its surface. "I will watch over him and ensure that he doesn''tmit the same mistakes we made in the past."


    As if waiting for that moment, the sound of thousands of crystal vases breaking spread in the surroundings as the golden dome exploded, showering the entire Ancestral Lands with golden light.


    Lux''s breakthrough had finally ended, and with it, a new era began anew.

 Chapter 778 Destiny’s Pawn Has Now Become A True King

    778 Destiny��s Pawn Has Now Be A True King


    Lux slowly opened his eyes, slowly regaining his senses.


    He could feel great power coursing through his body, a sensation he had never felt before, making him sigh due to how pleasant it felt.


    The Half-Elf was supposed to only be an E-Ranker, but due to his Profession, which triggered an otherworldly phenomenon, all of his stats were raised to unprecedented levels.


    Right now, Lux had the strength of a D-Ranker, which allowed him to jump to the next stage after his breakthrough.


    However, just as soon as he was about to check his Soul Book, a series of notifications shed in front of his eyes, which gave him a pleasant surprise.


    ����������������


    < The requirements for the evolution of your Named Creatures have been met. >


    < Their Evolution will now begin! >


    ����������������


    Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Asmodeus, Lazarus, and Draven all materialized in front of Lux.


    These were the Named Creatures that were not part of his Covenant, but the majority of them had apanied the Half-Elf since he was just a beginner.


    Unlike the members of his Covenant who were already powerful, Diablo and the others had yet to reach their full potential.


    But now that Lux had be a Ranker, they could now undergo their next breakthrough. This would grant them the power they rightfully deserved as their Master''s swords and shields, which they would use against those who wish to harm their Master.


    A minuteter, the golden threads that were wrapped around the bodies of his subordinates ripped apart, revealing new and more powerful forms.


    At this exact moment, several rows of text appeared in front of the Half-Elf, telling him that his subordinates had sessfullypleted their evolution.


    ����������������


    < Since you have granted them their names, so will you grant your Progenitor Powers upon them as well. The stats of your Named Creatures, with the exception of the members of your Covenant, will now have the same number ofbined Stat Points that you do. >


    < Congrattions! Your First Born, Diablo, has evolved into Death Sovereign! >


    < Congrattions! Your Second Born, Ishtar, has evolved into War Goddess! >


    < Congrattions! Your Third Born, Pazuzu, has evolved to Divine Guardian! >


    < Congrattions! Your Fourth Born, Orion, has evolved into Ancient Adamantine Golem! >


    < Congrattions! Your Fifth Born, Asmodeus, has evolved into Lich King! >


    < Congrattions! Your Sixth Born, Lazarus, has evolved into Ancient me Skull! >


    < Congrattions, Your Seventh Born, Draven, has evolved into Shadow Sovereign! >


    ����������������


    While they were still hovering in the air, all of them knelt in front of Lux, paying their homage to their Lord and Master.


    A momentter, several beams of lightnded beside his seven subordinates, showing the members of his Covenant, including General Garret who was supposed to help manage the building process of Lux''s town in the Outer Reaches.


    Something had called out to him from the horizon, so he answered its call. The next moment, he found himself staring at Lux, whose aura was that of a Ranker.


    With a single nce, Garret quickly figured that Lux had managed to sessfully be a Ranker. However, he also felt that the Half-Elf was far stronger than the other Low-Rankers that he had seen in the past.


    This made him wonder what kind of blessings he received from the world.


    Bedivere, who was the first member of Lux''s Covenant, looked at his Liege with a smile on his face before kneeling to pay his respect to his Lord and Master.


    Garret, Zagan, Revon, ALL-MITE, and King Leoric did the same, cing their right fists over their chest as a gesture to honor the person that they all served.


    """We of your Legion swore to protect you. While we live, none shall defeat you!"""


    Lux gave his Named Creatures and members of his Covenant a nod of acknowledgment before making a gesture for all of them to stand.


    "Rise, brave men, and women of my Legion," Lux said. "Going forward, I feel that we will be facing greater challenges than we''ve ever faced in the past. Stronger opponents who will definitely push us to our limits. For the sake of my mission, I ask that all of you continue to stand by my side.


    "Swords may break and shields may shatter, but no matter what happens, I know that your resolve and determination will never waver. No words need to be spoken between us all. For what we strive for is one for all."


    Lux smiled for he knew that wherever he went, his trusted subordinates would always be there for him.


    Just as he thought that everything had calmed down, several rows of text appeared in front of him again, making him wonder if the World had decided to give him the greatest blessing ever.


    ����������������������


    < Your Special Body Constitution, Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy has received two Rank Upgrades, raising its Rating to C+ >


    �� Conquest is not all about imingnds, and expanding your Domain. True conquest is conquering the hearts of people. Once you gain their loyalty, the path to Dominion will open its doors for you.


    �� Your Health and Mana will increase by 1,000,000 Points.


    �� You can now use the Epic Skill, Dragon King''s Wrath 3x a day.


    ����������������������


    < Dragon King''s Wrath >


    �� Unleash a spiritual attack that can target a single individual or anyone within a thousand-meter range of Lux Von Kaizer.


    �� If the targets'' Rank is equal or lower than Lux Von Kaizer, they will suffer from Intimidation and Fear debuff, lowering their attack, defense, movement speed, and attack speed by 80%.


    �� The target will also be unable to cast any kind of offensive or defensive spell, while under the Dragon King''s Wrath.


    �� All attacks done by Lux Von Kaizer, as well as his subordinates will deal 100% increased damage to anyone affected by Dragon King''s Wrath.


    �� If the target is one or two ranks higher than Lux Von Kaizer, their attack, defense, movement speed, and attack speed will decrease by 50%


    �� All attacks done by Lux Von Kaizer, and his subordinates will deal 50% increased damage to anyone affected by Dragon King''s Wrath.


    �� This skill will have no effect on anyone that is three or more Ranks Higher than Lux Von Kaizer.


    Note: Destiny''s Pawn has now be a true King


    ����������������������


    < Your Skeleton Gangbangers will now evolve into Doom Knight Gangbangers. >


    < Your Skeleton Arcane Archers will now evolve into Nightstalkers. >


    < Your Steel Golems will now evolve into Jade Golems. >


    < Your Liches will now evolve into Lich Revenants. >


    ����������������������


    < The Blessings of the World has officially ended. >


    ����������������������


    After reading thest row of text that appeared in front of him, Lux felt as if he could single-handedly clear the previous missions in the Sacred Dungeon on his own.


    With the army under hismand, it would be very easy for him to ovee any enemy army unless they had dozens of High Rankers or a Saint among their ranks.


    Lorelei, who was observing Lux and his subordinates with a solemn gaze, finally understood that the Half-Elf hadn''t fought her using his full power.


    Deep inside, she felt both frustrated and relieved because her opponent didn''t take her too seriously when they were engaged in a duel.


    However, there was only one problem.


    Their duel had ended before a winner could be decided.


    But Lorelei knew that if Dracul hadn''t interfered in their battle so that he could kill Lux, the winner of their duel would have definitely been the Half-Elf, who seemed to have be more charming and handsome after finishing his breakthrough.


    I don��t want to pad the entire chapter with skill descriptions to increase the word count. I will just use author notes to give the information about his new skills in the next chapters. If I forget, kindly remind me. You guys know that I can be forgetful at times. Kekeke.


    Also, I made an Auxiry Chapter, so you guys can view the Rankings for Mortals and Monsters. If you want me to add more information in the Auxiry chapter, just leave ament, and I will add it if it is rted to the story.

 Chapter 779 Lorelei’s Invitation

    779 Lorelei��s Invitation


    "Grandma, it''s good to see you again." Lux gave Vera a tight hug, and thetter hugged him back just as tight.


    Not wanting to miss out, Eiko also joined the group hug, leaving her target dummy, Dracul, behind.


    "I was getting worried that your recovery would take forever," Lux said after their hug ended. "But I didn''t expect that you would jump to the Saint Rank after you left ckfire. I wonder how Father and Iris will react once they see you again."


    Vera smiled because this was something that she was looking forward to seeing as well.


    Her body had been remodeled to perfection, allowing her to be stronger than she was decades ago. Also, she became a lot younger, looking like a beautifuldy in herte twenties.


    Lux then shifted his attention to his Master, Gaap.


    Just like Vera, the Halfling had also regained many years of his life.


    He now had gray hair, and the wrinkles on his face were gone. The Half-Elf didn''t expect that Gaap had been quite handsome when he was younger, since it was previously hidden by the wrinkles on his face when Lux met him.


    Seeing his gaze, Gaap gave him a nod and a smile, informing the red-headed teenager that everything was fine with him.


    In fact, Gaap never felt so good in his life. The Blessings of the World that Lux had imparted with him also fixed his old aches and pains that constantly made him suffer.


    Gaap''s subordinates were also present and gave Lux gazes of gratefulness and approval.


    For them, what the Half-Elf did for their Master was something that couldn''t be repaid by all the money in the worldbined.


    Dracul, who was still hanging upside down, looked at the Half-Elf with anxiety.


    He wasn''t afraid of Lux. In fact, he could kill him with just a flick of his finger. However, the silver-haireddy, who was by his side, could also do the same to him, so the Vampire King could only behave and endure the punishment that was about to befall him.


    "Grandma, you can let Dracul go now," Lux stated. "Although it was totally unexpected, he did help with my breakthrough."


    Vera nodded and waved her hand, causing the Vampire King to hit the ground face first, but this amount of damage was nothing to him.


    Even Eiko''s st Bombs didn''t leave a single scratch on his body. However, the emotional damage he received within this period was something beyond any physical damage he received in his lifetime.


    The handsome Half-Elf then shifted his gaze to Lorelei, who was also looking back at him.


    "I''m sorry that our duel came to an unexpected end," Lux said with a smile. "How about a round two?"


    The corner of Lorelei''s lips twitch after hearing Lux''s words.


    "There''s no need to fight again," Lorelei replied. "I ept defeat. It is my loss. I will honor the agreement, but you are not allowed to do anything perverted to me. If you do that, I will go all out to fight you."


    "Rx, I''m not brave enough to do that," Lux replied. ''Besides, Grandmaster Hereswith will nag at me for a lifetime if I did something bad to her niece.''


    The Half-Elf smiled at the High-Elf who resembled his Grandmaster''s beauty. Clearly, they were rted by blood, so the Half-Elf didn''t dare to do anything perverted to her.


    "How about this, I won''t order you to do anything now, but you will do me a favor in the future," Lux stated. "Is this eptable?"


    "As long as the order does not vite my bottom line, I will do it to the best of my ability." Lorelei nodded. "You have my thanks, Lux Von Kaizer. I didn''t expect any less from my Aunt''s Grand Disciple."


    Gaap, on the other hand, looked at Kieran with a devilish smile on his face, making thetter shudder uncontrobly.


    The ck-haired Saint hadpletely forgotten that it was not only their Disciples who had a deal. As Masters, they were part of the agreement as well.


    "Don''t worry, I will follow my Disciple''s footsteps and simply ask you for a favor in the future," Gaap stated. "You also helped protect him earlier, so I am willing topromise. However, it will only be this one time."


    Kieran nodded. "It''s good to know that you still understand proper etiquette."


    Gaap scoffed at the Saint whom he hadn''t gotten along with even when his Master was still alive. Even so, he did appreciate Kieran''s effort to shield Lux from harm, so he decided to just settle for a favor.


    Vera then walked towards Dracul, making the Vampire King subconsciously take a step back.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you anymore," Vera said. "I just want to talk about the Guardianship of the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands. I don''t n on staying here. After all, there are still many things I have to do in Sis. With that, I decided to return the Guardianship of this ce to you."


    "Y-You will return the Guardianship to me?" Dracul asked. "Are you sure?"


    Vera nodded. "I am not a Necromancer, so this ce doesn''t have any attachments to me. Even so, since I am now its Guardian, I have the power to bestow its Guardianship to another. But remember this��I can take this power away from you with just a thought. Make sure to not antagonize my grandson again in the future, okay?"


    Dracul patted his chest and smiled at the silver-haireddy, who had decided to give him a second chance.


    "What are your ns now?" Lorelei asked Lux, who had casually tossed his tattered clothes to the 23:00


    side and reced them with another set, making him look more presentable in her eyes.


    "Don''t worry, Lady Vera," Dracul said with confidence. "Past is past. I swear on my name that I will no longer do anything to antagonize your grandson from this point onward."


    "I pray that you keep your oath dear to your heart," Vera replied. "I still don''t have a vampire in my puppet collection��"


    Vera left her words hanging, but it was enough for Dracul to understand the meaning behind it.


    As a Puppet Master, Vera didn''t onlymand wooden puppets. Shemanded an assortment of puppets ranging from humans, monsters, and other demi-humans, which she had collected when she was in her prime decades ago.


    "What are your ns now?" Lorelei asked Lux, who had casually tossed his tattered clothes to the side and reced them with another set, making him look more presentable in her eyes.


    "I''m going back to Sis to have a family reunion," Lux answered before looking at his Grandma Vera. "It has been a while since all of us were together."


    Lorelei nodded before handing Lux an emblem.


    "This is our Family''s coat of arms," Lorelei exined. "If you ever visit the High-Elf Kingdom of Espoire Friden, to look for me, you can use that emblem to grant you special ess to the city. But be informed. High-Elves don''t usually have high impressions of Half-Elves. There is a chance that people will look down on you when you arrive at that ce."


    "Espoire Frieden��" Lux muttered.


    He had received a key that would allow him to teleport to the Ancient City of the High-Elf. But it had a special restriction attached to it.


    In order to activate this key, he would need to be a Ranker first. Now that Lux was a Ranker, he could visit the city of the High-Elves anytime he wanted.


    As for being discriminated against, he didn''t give a hoot about it. For him, there was no difference between Elves and High-Elves.


    He didn''t mind, and they didn''t matter.


    But he set this thought aside for now.


    There was a ce that he wanted to go to first and someone he wanted to meet. For that to happen, he would have to travel thousands of meters underground in order to reach the Legendary City of Agartha.


    Home to the people who lived near the Core of the World, and the ce where a lonely girl was trapped in eternal darkness.


    If you have been following my stories, all of you may have noticed that I use a LOT of references that make even the Copyright God look at me with beady eyes.


    From anime, to movies, to real world personalities, etc, I use them from time to time. However, in order to not cause any misunderstandings today, and in the future, let me just make it clear.


    There is no deep meaning when I use these references, and I ask everyone to not look ��too deep�� into it. They are just there to be ��vor text�� in the story.


    They are in no way part of conspiracy theories, social norms, political standpoint, religious beliefs, etc. This is a work of fiction, and is meant to be read for everyone��s enjoyment.


    The only things I spread are good vibes and suffering. So, if I make you feel any difort when using these references, I have no excuse other than thinking that it would add a bit of spice to the story.


    Like I said earlier, they are just vor text, and people shouldn��t dig too deep to find its meaning because there is none.


    Also, I don��t mean any disrespect when using these references.


    Whatever your views in life, or those that you believe in, this novel has nothing to do with it.


    So, I��d appreciate it if everyone can remember these words of mine. My references are just vor text, simr to Lux��s quests and stats.


    Nothing more, nothing less. Don��t look for something that doesn��t exist because you will not find anything.


    Now, let��s talk about Lux��s weakness to women��s thighs.


    To the cultured people who are reading my Author thoughts, please zip up your pants for a moment, and listen properly.


    His weakness doesn��t affect him like Kryptonite does Superman. He won��t die if girls lift their skirts and sh their thighs at him.


    He would just be more *cough* prone to temptations, and his willpower can be easily affected whenever his weakness is right in front of his eyes.


    In short, Lux is a simple man. He see��s thighs, he nods his head and gives it his seal of approval.


    To those that thought that something would rise whenever Lux sees ady��s thigh, you are clearly mistaken. He is not a Shield Hero, and nothing will rise�� as long as it isn��t poked and yed with.


    Also, onest thing, it may be too early to say this, but everyone, please prepare your tissue papers.


    You never know when those Ninjas will start cutting onions in front of your faces, for we have reached the middle part of the story.


    That��s all folks and I wish you all a wonderful, wonderful week!


    Elyon

 Chapter 780 My Soul, Your Beats

    Chapter 780 My Soul, Your Beats


    Lux opened his Soul Book in order to double check that he hadn''t missed any information about the blessings he received from the world


    Earlier, there were so many rows of text that appeared in front of him that he felt like he hadn''t been able to read all of them properly


    As if to prove that his guess was correct, he immediately noticed that his two other Summons had also received an upgrade.


    His gue Wing Gargoyles had evolved into Doomsday Gargoyles, and his Elite Spirit Protectors had evolved into Fortress Defenders.


    Aside from those upgrades, he also noticed that Eiko also received an Epic Skill called Fairy Princess Transformation [Epic].


    Also, all of herbined stats were the same as his, making the Baby Slime as strong as Lux''s other Named Creatures, who were now all Argonaut-Ranked Monsters.


    Curious about what this new ability could do, Lux checked its information to see how good this Epic Skill was.


    ��������������


    < Fairy Princess Transformation [Epic] >


    �� Allows Eiko to transform into a demi-human Fairy Princess.


    �� This power allows her to make any Slime Type Monster below the Cmity Rank favor her and help her during her time of need.


    �� Grants Eiko 2,000,000 Health and Mana Points after transforming into her Fairy Princess Form.


    �� All of Eiko''s Named Creatures will temporarily gain the samebined stat points as her when she is in this form.


    �� All Slimes, as well as any Creature, under Eiko''smand will temporarily gain a buff that would increase their physical and magical attacks by 200%


    �� All Slimes, as well as any Creature, under Eiko''smand will temporarily gain a buff that will increase their physical and magical defense by 200%


    �� In her Fairy Princess Form, Eiko can create five clones of herself, which also have the same stats and skill set as her.


    �� These clones, however, are unable to summon Eiko''s Named Creatures.


    �� Eiko will gain the ability to summon a Giant Slime of any Element of her choosing (Five Meters Tall).


    �� The Rank of this Giant Slime will always have the same Rank as the Fairy Princess, and will be summoned as a World Boss Monster.


    (A/N: Right now, Eiko can summon an Argonaut-Ranked World Boss after using her Fairy Princess Transformation.)


    �� This skill can only be used when Eiko is facing an opponent that is of the same Rank or any creature that is stronger than her.


    ��������������


    ''�� I wonder if Astra will win in his next rematch against Eiko.'' Lux could only scratch his head after seeing how strong his Baby Slime had be. ''I''m sure that Iris will be surprised after seeing how strong Eiko is right now.''


    Eiko and Astra had a rivalry against each other, and every time they fought, it had always been the Unicorn who had won their battle.


    But right now, Lux didn''t know if the Unicorn would be able to beat his Baby Slime, who had now be an Argonaut Ranked Monster.


    ''Aside from the restriction of the skill, I can say with certainty that this is going to be her Trump Card,'' Lux mused.


    The Half-Elf was very happy that his Baby Slime had also be very strong. Eiko had been with him since he was in Leaf Vige, and they shared a very special connection with each other.


    Perhaps, she was the only Baby Slime in the world who had managed to reach this rank in a short period of time.


    Suddenly, Lux sensed something, which made him look up at the giant Skeleton Cauldron that was hovering in the sky.


    Faint ripples of Divine Energy pulsed from the giant cauldron as it slowly descended to the ground,nding a few meters in front of Lux.


    Half a minuteter, a brilliant golden light shot towards the heavens, as the newest Creature, who would be part of his Legion, was born.


    When the light receded, a golden Living Armor, which reminded him of Bedivere''s former form, appeared in front of him.


    This Living Armor had six pointed metallic wings on its back, seemingly as sharp as a de.


    Its entire body was emanating Divine Strength, making all the Necromancers who weren''t of the Saint Rank, feel pressured.


    (A/N: To know what it looks like, just search for Monster Girl Living Armor. If you see an image with a pale blue color, or green-blue color, that''s the image I am talking about. Just add six metallic wings on its back.)


    The Golden Living Armor knelt down in front of Lux, like a Knight who wished to be knighted by its Liege.


    "Master, please give me a name."


    A voice that definitely belonged to ady reached Lux''s ears, making him wonder if Living Armors had genders as well.


    The only Living Armor he had met in his life was Bedivere, whom he had revived as a Dragon Knight in order to reunite him with his family.


    "A name��" Lux pondered for a bit. Since the Living Armor had the voice of a girl, he definitely couldn''t give it a man''s name because that would haunt him for the rest of his life.


    After a few minutes, Lux finally found a suitable name for his new subordinate, who would serve by his side till he drew hisst breath.


    "Calypso," Lux said. "From now on, your name will be Calypso."


    ����������������


    < Calypso >


    "My every impulse bends to what is right. I am not made of Iron, trust me.


    My Soul, Your Beats."


    Divine Living Armor


    Rating: Epic


    Health: 28,000,000 / 28,000,000


    Mana: 1,575,000 / 1,575,000


    Strength: 10,000


    Intelligence: 2,250


    Vitality: 10,000


    Agility: 8,600


    Dexterity: 8,600


    Skills: Divine des [Epic], Ray of Light [Epic], Extreme Speed [Epic], de Storm [Epic], Duel [Epic], Golden Barrage [Epic]


    Passive Skills: Divine Aura [Epic], Levitation [Epic], Abyss Touch [Epic]


    Unique Skill: Spear of Longinus


    �� Calypso will always be of the same Rank as Lux Von Kaizer, but her Monster Rating will always be a World Boss.


    (A/N: Currently, Calypso is an Argonaut-Ranked World Boss.)


    ��������������-


    < Duel [Epic] >


    �� Taunts multiple targets, forcing them to attack Calypso all at once.


    ��������������


    < Spear of Longinus >


    �� Calypso Transforms into the Spear of Longinus, allowing Lux to use her as a weapon.


    ��������������


    < Extreme Speed [Epic] >


    �� Increases Calypso''s speed in short bursts, allowing her to surpass the speed of sound.


    ��������������


    < Golden Barrage [Epic] >


    �� Calypso can unleash countless rays of light at the same time, targeting a single or multiple enemies at once.


    ��������������


    ''Wow��,'' After seeing Calypso''s information, Lux was pleasantly surprised. All of her skills were of the Epic Rank, which were considered Top Tier among skills.


    The strongest Epic Skill that Lux had was Deus Gigantia, allowing him to summon a giant Skeleton King, whose rank would always be a Rank higher than his.


    This Skeleton King would also have a Rank of a World Boss, giving Lux the ability to summon a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss anytime, anywhere.


    Naturally, Lux''s Trump Card would be stronger the more powerful he became.


    Once Lux reached the Saint Rank, he would be able to summon a Skeleton King who would step into the Ranks of a Supreme.


    If he would be able to reach that rank, there would be very few individuals in both Elysium, and Sis, who would dare to antagonize him.


    ''My grandson hase a long way,'' Vera thought after feeling a bit nostalgic. ''To think that the baby I fished out from the river would be someone so profound. I can''t help but wonder if it was Fate who chose me to be the one to raise him.''


    The silver-haireddy was very happy for her grandson''s growth, but she also worried for his safety at the same time.


    Although Lux was now a D-Ranker, the opponents he would face in the future would definitely be stronger than him.


    to find Lux, all they needed to do was spend a lot of resources, and they would be able to track his location.


    Right now, the Divine Army of Light had openly dered that their dealings with her grandson weren''t over.


    Against an organization whose influence spanned a vast territory in Elysium and had a High-Councilposed of many Saints, a D-Ranker simply couldn''t hold a candle against them.


    These facts made Vera feel anxious deep in her heart. If Saints really did move to hunt her grandson, how could he possibly protect himself from them?


    Lux, who had no idea what her Grandma was thinking, was currently looking at his Soul Book and checking Calypso''s information.


    Gaap, who shared Vera''s worries, was also thinking of the same thing. The Halfling wasn''t afraid of facing the Divine Army of Light even if he were alone because he had many ways to protect himself.


    However, Lux had just made his breakthrough and had be a newly minted D-Ranker.


    Just like Vera, Gaap knew how wide the Divine Army''s reach was. If they really wanted to find Lux, all they needed to do was spend a lot of resources, and they would be able to track his location.


    Although the floating kingdom of Karshvar Draconis was high in the sky, it was not impossible for the Divine Army of Light to reach the Outer Reaches, and attack Lux''s Guild Headquarters, which was just starting to build its foundation from the ground up.


    ''Fortunately, I made preparations in advance,'' Gaap thought. ''Although I didn''t expect that it would be used in this manner, it will certainly help Lux evade the eyes of those who wish him harm.''


    The Halfling nced at his Disciple, who had a faint smile on his face, while reading his Soul Book.


    For the time being, he decided to apany Lux on his adventures to ensure that the Divine Army wouldn''t be able to kill his one, and only, Disciple so easily.

 Chapter 781 Dealing With The Divine Army Of Light [Part 1]

    Chapter 781 Dealing With The Divine Army Of Light [Part 1]


    After Vera returned the Guardianship to Dracul, she left the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands with Lux and Gaap and returned to the outer reaches.


    The Half-Elf wanted to visit his Guild Headquarters first before returning to Sis with his grandma to surprise his stepfather and Iris.


    When red-headed teenager asked his grandma if she wanted to join his Guild, Vera agreed to it without a second thought.


    When they arrived, they saw Bentley and his Merchant Guild, currently hard at work to build Lux''s town.


    Such a massive undertaking was impossible toplete in such a short period of time. But seeing that the framework of the town was starting to form, the Half-Elf was quite excited to see what it would look like once everything was finished.


    "Lux, we need to talk," Gaap said. "It''s about the Divine Army of Light."


    "Understood," Lux replied. "Can my Grandmae and listen as well?"


    Gaap nodded. "I don''t mind. Actually, I''d prefer if she was there."


    The three then headed to the Conference Room of the Guild''s Headquarters so that no one would disturb their conversation.


    "First and foremost, let me tell you what the Divine Army of Light is all about," Gaap stated. "They are not only a religious organization, but they''re also a massive Military Alliance that involves many great nations throughout Elysium. Their goal is to safeguard the safety and welfare of themon people, and thus, target those who they deem that could potentially break the peace of the world."


    A sneer appeared on Gaap''s face before he continued his exnation.


    "At the beginning, they did what their Alliance was supposed to do and safeguarded its members," Gaap said. "However, as they grew powerful and their influence reached far and wide, they started to have thoughts that, perhaps, they could make every Kingdom and Empire, who had a Saint, or better yet, a Supreme, be one of their members.


    "And they had seeded in doing so. Many Saints have joined their ranks, bolstering their Army of Fanatics that actively hunt down Heretics, like Necromancers and others whom they judged to be a variable that stands in their way.


    "Still, the Divine Army of Light only had one Supreme, which is none other than its founder. Currently, that person is seriously injured and is still recovering from his injuries. You see, if someone who stood at the apex of the world received a serious injury, it definitely isn''t something that can be cured by ordinary Elixirs and Panacea.


    "Depending on the severity of the injury, a Supreme might spend years or decades, slowly recovering from it. Simply put, ordinary medicines and potions no longer work on them. Because of this, the Divine Army dared not offend any organization that had a Supreme backing them.


    "One mistake and everything they built would crumble like a sand castle being hit by the waves."


    Gaap paused in order to allow Lux to digest everything he had said so far. Vera, who was seated beside her grandson, already knew about these things, so she simply remained silent and allowed the Halfling to continue his exnation.


    "When they were hunting my Master a long time ago, they spread the news that she was an evil entity and branded her a Heretic," Gaap''s tone had started to have a semnce of anger in it as he continued his tale. "You see, my Master usually went to ces where people were suffering or had suffered from gues, natural cmities, war, famine, and other events that caused people hardship.


    "Since she was striving to be a Heaven''s Necromancer, she thought that doing good things would help increase her good Karma, allowing the world to grant her wish. That High King of Lunaria, who had tried to kill you, was one of the people that my Master helped.


    "That bastard, who had tried to court my Master but had been rejected multiple times, was one of the first people who turned his back on her when the Divine Army of Light branded her a Heretic.


    "Everywhere we went, there would always be an agent of the Divine Army who alerted their organization about our whereabouts. We managed to escape each time they sent Hunters to hunt us, but an unfortunate ident happened."


    "However, I was so preupied with finding the best gift for her that I didn''t notice that many hours had passed since I arrived in the city. Just as I found the perfect gift Gaap''s face was filled with guilt as he told the Half-Elf why Hereswith died.


    "One day, when we were on the outskirts of a city, I decided to buy something for Master because it was her birthday. I only nned to shop for a short while so that I wouldn''t be discovered by the agents of the Divine Army.


    "However, I was so preupied with finding the best gift for her that I didn''t notice that many hours had passed since I arrived in the city. Just as I found the perfect gift for her, the Hunters captured me and held me hostage as bait to get Master to appear."


    Gaap lowered his head in shame. To this day, the guilt he felt about being the reason Hereswith died had not gone away. Even after seeing her for a brief moment in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, the Halfling still hadn''t forgiven himself for the things that happened in the past.


    "Back then, I wished that I was the one who had died," Gaap said softly. "Master had Antero, so even if all the Saints attacked her at once, she would be able to deal with them easily. But because I was captured, they forbade her from summoning him in battle.


    "My Master fought with everything she had, even sessfully retrieving me in the process�� We managed to escape, but her injuries were severe, so our speed was slow.


    "In fact, it only took the Hunters half a day to find us and deal my Master the finishing blow. I can still remember that day when I close my eyes. My Master''s birthday was also the day of her death, and it was all my fault."


    Lux listened silently as Gaap poured out his heart, his guilt, hurts, and sadness that he had been enduring for many years.


    ''Now I understand why Grandmaster Hereswith said that my Master longed for revenge,'' Lux thought. ''Perhaps, Master thought that by avenging her, the mistake he had made in the past would allow him to be forgiven by her when they met in the afterlife.''


    The Half-Elf pondered for a bit before saying something to the Halfling, causing thetter to raise his head.


    "Actually, Grandmaster''s soul is within the World Tree in the Ancestral Lands," Lux said. "She said that one of her closest friends, a Seer, told her that her life was in great danger, and there was a high chance that she would die. Because of this, she made preparations beforehand and made it so that her soul would return to the Ancestral Lands after her death."


    Gaap smiled bitterly after hearing Lux''s exnation. "I''m not sure if that is really her or just the will she left behind. But knowing my Master, there is a possibility that she really did something like that.


    "Even so, the fact that she couldn''t materializepletely is proof that her Soul is incapable of leaving the World Tree. Although I feel better that she still exists in some form, that doesn''t lessen the guilt I am feeling right now."


    Gaap sighed deeply before looking at his Disciple with a solemn expression on his face.


    "The reason why I am telling you this is because of what happened in the past," Gaap stated. "I''m pretty sure that the Divine Army will brand you as a heretic and spread this news throughout the territories under their influence.


    "Soon, it will reach this ce, for Karshvar Draconis is the Kingdom that floats at the center of the world. Although the Dragon King isn''t a member of the Divine Army of Light, he might not do anything if their memberse knocking on your doors here in the Outer Reaches."


    Lux narrowed his eyes. He fully understood what his Master was trying to say. His Guild had yet to make its mark on the world, and the people who wanted to destroy him were already making their move to find his whereabouts.


    Although the target of the Divine Army was only him, it was highly possible that they would target his family, friends, and even his Guild, which was still incapable of fighting a behemoth that had dozens of Saints under itsmand.

 Chapter 782 Dealing With The Divine Army Of Light [Part 2]

    Chapter 782 Dealing With The Divine Army Of Light [Part 2]


    "Master, as someone who has been on the receiving end of their pursuit, how do you propose we deal with this issue?" Lux asked.


    If he was the only one being hunted down, he believed that he had many ways to escape the Divine Army''s grasp. However, he wasn''t alone.


    His grandmother, Vera.


    His stepfather, Alexander.


    His two fiancees, Iris and Cai.


    His Guild Members.


    His friends, as well as those whom he treated as important people.


    All of them might be targeted by the Divine Army of Light, and that thought made the Half-Elf feel anxious.


    "The only saving grace about this is that you are not an Elysian, but a Foreigner," Gaap stated. "Although the Divine Army of Light also has Foreigners within their ranks, they are only a handful. They can''t do much in Sis, except spread the word that you are branded as a Heretic by the Divine Army of Light.


    "I don''t know how the nations and other organizations of your world will react to this news, but I believe that you have enough backing to weather the storm in Sis."


    The Halfling nced at Vera, and the silver-haireddy nodded her head in reply.


    Lux had three Saints backing him.


    Vera, Alexander, and Maximilian, who was the Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe.


    What Lux didn''t know was that there were two other Saints that were within the Six Kingdoms, who were also on good terms with his Grandma and Stepfather.


    If they asked for help, these two hermits woulde out of their seclusion to lend their hands.


    The reason why Alexander and Maximilian could move unhindered within the Six Kingdoms was because there were no other Saints that would challenge them. Because of this, the Six Kings had tried their best to form good rtions with the two Saints, creating a bnce that existed for many years.


    If one of those Kingdoms dared to make any move toward the red-headed teenager, three Saints would move to wipe their entire Royal Bloodline from the face of Sis.


    "The problem lies in Elysium," Gaap stated before raising two of his fingers. "But there are two ways to keep the Divine Army at bay.


    "The first one is to move your Guild Headquarters elsewhere. By doing this, even if the Saints from the Divine Army of Light arrive here in the Outer Reaches, they will not be able to shake your foundation."


    Lux could only shake his head helplessly because this was currently an impossible task.


    "Master, the Guild Headquarters is already built here," Lux replied. "And the town is under construction as we speak. The only way to move our stronghold is if this floating ind grows wings and flies somewhere else."


    Gaap chuckled after hearing Lux''s words. This was indeed an issue, but the Half-Elf didn''t know that the Halfling had a way to solve this problem.


    "Although it doesn''t have wings to fly away, this Floating Ind has the ability to move from ce to ce." Gaap smirked. "Do you remember that Giant Earth Turtle that Antero ate?"


    Lux nodded. He had seen how the Giant of Destruction had yed with the Giant Earth Turtle like a toy before devouring itpletely.


    "Antero has a special ability that can recreate anything that he has eaten as long as this was done recently," Gaap exined. "That Giant Earth Turtle he devoured has be my subordinate, and I ordered it to merge with this entire Floating Ind.


    "Although the merging process isn''tplete, it is possible to make this ind move as long as I give it an order."


    Army of Light can only bully the weak and fear the strong, you need to form connections with the strong."


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock, not expecting that his Master could do such a thing.


    If what Gaap said was really true, then not only did Lux gain a floating ind, but he also gained a Flying Fortress, simr to an Aircraft Carrier but a thousand times better!


    "I see, this is indeed a good way to escape the Divine Army''s pursuit." Lux nodded. "What is the second method, Master?"


    Gaap smiled. "The second method requires you to work a bit harder. Since the Divine Army of Light can only bully the weak and fear the strong, you need to form connections with the strong."


    It didn''t take long for the Half-Elf to realize what Gaap was talking about before nodding his head in understanding.


    There was only one type of individual that the Divine Army of Light didn''t dare to offend, and that was a Supreme.


    If Lux could make a Supreme his backer, the Divine Army of Light wouldn''t do anything out in the open to capture or kill him.


    They would have to wait for Lux to leave the territory of his protector before making their move, to capture or kill him.


    "Master, do you think I can convince the Dragon King to be my backer?" Lux asked.


    "We won''t know unless we try," Gaap replied. "Why don''t we visit the Capital for a while and see if we can have an audience with him?"


    "Actually, Keoza once told me that the Dragon King wanted to invite me to go fishing. Maybe I should ept his offer so that we can talk properly."


    "Uhh�� you''d better not do that. Did you perhaps make one of his daughters pregnant by any chance? When my Master was alive and we stayed here in Karshvar Draconis, the Dragon King often joked that he would invite those who tried to court his daughters to go fishing.


    "Since it is a fishing trip, idents can happen. What better way to get rid of his daughter''s suitor than letting him be fish food?"


    Beads of sweat appeared on Lux''s forehead after hearing his Master''s exnation.


    He was confident that aside from Iris, he hadn''t made any moves to make babies with anyone.


    Of course, he wasn''t aware that a certain gullible, and innocent Dragon Princess had been dreaming about him almost every night.


    And in her dreams, the handsome Half-Elf would always whisper in her ears that it was fine for her to get pregnant, for he would take responsibility and make her the happiest Dragon Girl in Karshvar Draconis.

 Chapter 783 Tell Him To Suck His Own Balls

    Chapter 783 Tell Him To Suck His Own Balls


    "Hoh, so that happened, huh?" the Dragon King smirked as he looked down on Lux and Gaap, who hade to see him to talk about the Divine Army of Light.


    "Unfortunately, I don''t think I''ll gain anything from sticking my foot in your affairs," the Dragon King stated. "What can you possibly offer me to gain my protection?"


    "Then, what can I do for you, Your Excellency?" Lux asked.


    "Nothing," the Dragon King replied. "Someone like you doesn''t have the qualifications to offer me anything. However, if Keoza were to talk to me, that would be a different story. Why don''t you let him talk to me instead? Perhaps, the two of us can strike apromise."


    The Dragon King narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Half-Elf that Keoza had chosen. Although he admitted that Lux was quite exceptional, that didn''t mean that he had any use for him whatsoever.


    At the end of the day, even if Lux was a Saint, the Dragon King would still treat him the same way. For someone of his rank, very few things could interest him.


    And one of those very few things was none other than the Crystal Dragon, whose Soul was currently inside the Dragon Token in Lux''s possession.


    The Half-Elf then tried to talk to the Crystal Dragon, but the answer he received was something he didn''t expect.


    ''Tell him to suck his own balls,'' Keoza replied. ''He doesn''t have any qualifications to talk to me.''


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched because he knew that he couldn''t possibly say those words to a being that could kill him with just a re.


    Because of this, he decided to remain silent and nced at his Master, who had a faint smile on his face.


    "Why are you looking at me?" Gaap asked in a mischievous tone. "From the start, I didn''t expect any favorable replies from this stupid Lizard. Since he doesn''t want to help, then let''s stop wasting our time here and go."


    The Royal Guards who were inside the throne room and served as the Dragon King''s protectors all red at the Halfling.


    This was the first time that someone had called their King a stupid Lizard, and all of them were itching to give Gaap a piece of their mind.


    However, none of them moved because their King didn''t give them any orders to do anything.


    "There are only a handful of people who dare to talk to me in this manner," the Dragon King said in an amused tone. "And you are definitely one of them."


    "I know, right?" Gaap winked at the Dragon King, making thetter chuckle.


    His Master, Hereswith, treated the Dragon King like a little child, despite the fact that he was older than her by several centuries.


    The only reason why the Dragon King wasn''t offended by Gaap''s disrespectful words was due to Hereswith''s influence.


    Also, although he was a Supreme, Antero was a creature that even he didn''t dare to offend. Now that Gaap had regained several years of his life back, the Halfling could unlock Antero''s full powers without dying right away in the process.


    Lux sighed before following behind his Master as he walked away from the throne room. When the Half-Elf was no longer around, the Dragon King ordered his guards to leave the room because he wanted to be alone.


    A few minutester, the secret passage behind his back opened, and the angelic beauty, Valerie, appeared beside her father.


    "Father, why don''t you help Sir Lux?" Valerie asked. "It seems that he is really in need of your help."


    "Valerie, there are times when people need to grow by facing great adversities," the Dragon King replied. "The more dangerous the situation, the more they are pressured to break through and find other ways to solve their problem. Although I may look like someone heartless, I was also thinking of the boy''s growth. Adversity is one of the greatest teachers in life."


    "Is that true, Father?" Valerie frowned.


    "Of course." the Dragon King patted his beloved daughter''s head.


    Truth be told, he really didn''t care if the Divine Army of Light captured Lux or not. He could tell that Valerie had be interested in the Half-Elf, and as a father, his instincts were telling him that the red-headed teenager was bad news.


    Since that was the case, he hoped that the Divine Army of Light woulde sooner, so that they could take the troublesome Half-Elf away from his daughter, who for some reason, was starting to act moredy-like these past few days.


    ����������������


    Outside of the Royal Pce��


    "Master, if we were to move our Guild Headquarters, where is the best ce to relocate?" Lux asked.


    "Now, that''s a good question," Gaap answered. "There are some ces I have in mind, but one ce stands out in particr."


    "Where, Master?"


    "Thends ruled by the Crystal Pce."


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock because he wasn''t expecting this kind of answer from his Master.


    Gaap, who had seen Aur in the Gate of Famine, had assumed many things inside his head. However, since he couldn''t confirm his suspicions, he didn''t voice it out in the open.


    The only thing he knew was that after Keoza had appeared, the members of the Crystal Pce, including their Prince, had be nicer to Lux inside the Dungeon and even actively conversed with him.


    They even followed him like ducklings following their mother, which amused the Halfling at that time.


    Because of this, the Halfling thought that maybe they could hide within thends of the Crystal Pce for the time being.


    still there and wondered if the Half-Elf had still not exited the Dungeon since the Gate of Famine had been cleared.


    After all, it was also one of the Organizations in the world that had a Supreme and many Saints under itsmand.


    ����������������


    Meanwhile at the Gates of the Fallen��


    Poro had been waiting for nearly a month outside of the Gate of the Fallen.


    For Saints, a month was not a big deal. However, this was a special case.


    Poro had never been the most patient among the Saints, and he had been cursing the Half-Elf''s name since the first day of his long wait.


    Now, he was reaching the limit of his patience.


    The Gate of Famine would open again in a week, and the Half-Elf was still nowhere in sight.


    The representatives of the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, as well as Six Kingdoms, had already sent people to the Gate of the Fallen to make their initial preparations.


    These same people were surprised to see that the Saint from the Crystal Pce was still there and wondered if the Half-Elf had still not exited the Dungeon since the Gate of Famine had been cleared.


    None of them dared to strike up a conversation with Poro because they had heard him curse the Half-Elf from time to time, and every time he did he would say ominous things like��


    "Don''t let me get my hands on you, Half-Elf. Because when I do, I will break your legs, so you won''t have the chance to escape!"


    In their hearts, they thought that Lux had courted death because he had offended a Saint like Poro.


    If only they knew that the Half-Elf didn''t just offend the Dragon-Born Saint, but also the High Council of the Divine Army of Light, all of them would definitely piss their pants because none of them would dare to do such a thing in their lifetime.

 Chapter 784 This Island Is Under My Jurisdiction

    Chapter 784 This Ind Is Under My Jurisdiction


    "Sir Lux! Wait for a moment!"


    A familiar voice called out to Lux just as he and Gaap were about to take the Teleportation Gate back to the Outer Reaches.


    "Valencia?" Lux smiled after seeing the in-looking girl, escorted by her two beautiful maids, Ali and Ari. "It''s nice to see you again. I didn''t know that you lived here in the Capital City, Rex Lapis."


    When Valerie met Lux for the first time, she used the name Valencia to hide her real identity. However, hearing her fake namee out from the Half-Elf''s lips now, Valerie frowned because she''d rather hear the Half-Elf call her by her real name.


    "Sir Lux, I apologize for telling you a different name when we first met," Valerie replied. "My real name is Valerie. I''d appreciate it if you call me by this name from this point onwards."


    Ali''s and Ari''s eyes widened in shock upon hearing their Princess take the initiative to tell Lux her real name.


    "Valerie? It''s a beautiful name." Lux nodded. "It suits you well."


    A flush appeared on Valerie''s face after hearing the Half-Elf call her by her real name. Although Lux would say her name in her dreams affectionately, hearing it, in reality, felt much better, making her heart flutter.


    "Are you about to return to the Outer Reaches?" Valerie asked. "If you don''t mind, can I visit your Guild Headquarters again?"


    "Of course," Lux replied. "You are always wee to visit our Guild Headquarters. But I don''t know if our base will remain in the Outer Reaches for long."


    "Huh?" Valerie tilted her head in confusion, not understanding what Lux meant when he said that their base might not remain in the Outer Reaches for long.


    Seeing the in-looking girl''s bewildered expression, Lux only smiled bitterly before inviting her to join them on their return trip.


    Since his Guild Headquarters already had a teleportation gate installed, he asked Cethus to input the coordinates of the Capital City in it, allowing them to travel to Rex Lapis anytime they wanted.


    Just as Lux, Gaap, Valerie, Ali, and Ari, were about to enter the Teleportation Gate, another familiar face called out to Lux from behind.


    "It''s good to see you again, Lux," Cethus'' Grandmother, Faustina, said with a smile. "Are you headed back to your Guild Headquarters? What perfect timing. I also want to check on my no-good-grandson, if he is doing well."


    Valerie, Ali, and Ari, who recognized Faustina, all stood frozen because they had seen her many times in the past in the Throne Room, discussing important matters with the Dragon King.


    Valerie, who was wearing her usual disguise, was quite afraid of Faustina because of how strict thetter was with her.


    When her father was still looking for a teacher that would teach her the proper etiquette of the Royal Family, Faustina had been assigned to be her temporary teacher for a year.


    Those days were the scariest days of her life because the old Dragon Born would not hesitate to flick her forehead whenever she didn''t do something right.


    ''Don''t worry, I won''t blow your cover, Your Highness, Ali, and Ari,'' she told them via telepathy. ''I just happened to see the three of you with Lux, so I decided to say hello. Since you have no guards to attend to you, I will escort you this once. So act as if we don''t know each other, and I won''t tell your Father you snuck out of the Inner Pce to y outside.''


    Faustina''s words were soft, and gentle, making Valerie, Ali, and Ari feel relieved.


    "Lady Faustina, Cethus isn''t in the Guild Headquarters right now," Lux replied. "He is busy undergoing his Ranker Breakthrough."


    "Oh? That no-good grandson of mine is actually about to be a Ranker?" Faustina arched an eyebrow. "It seems that he isn''t as hopeless as I thought he would be. Still, it has been a while since I visited your Guild Headquarters. Can I alsoe for a visit?"


    The corner of Gaap''s lips rose because he recognized who Faustina was.


    Naturally, he also recognized who Valerie was. Although the beautiful Dragon Princess was wearing a disguise, Gaap had the ability that could see through such simple tricks, allowing him to understand what was going on.


    He understood that Faustina was there in order to guard Valerie, so the Halfling didn''t say anything and simply kept his silence. At the end of the day, the one Faustina was talking to was Lux, not him.


    "It will be my pleasure to have Lady Faustina visit our humble Guild Headquarters," Lux replied. "Well then, shall we all get going?


    After Lux inputted the coordinates of his base in the Teleportation Gate and paid the required gold for its usage, the six of them stepped foot into the teleportation gate one by one, traveling to the Outer Reaches in a blink of an eye.


    "Are you building something, Sir Lux?" Valerie asked when her gazended on the construction site that was located at the base of the mountain.


    "Yes," Lux answered. "I asked a Merchant Guild to help me build a town."


    "This is quite a grand undertaking," Faustina said with a smile. "Are you nning to build a small Kingdom of your own, Lux?"


    "I''m not that ambitious, Lady Faustina." Lux scratched his head. "I just thought that having a town will allow my guild to grow. We can trade with other cities, and the Guild Members can temporarily serve as Mercenaries when they are not doing anything important."


    "I see��" Faustina nodded her head in understanding. "But did you ask the Dragon King''s permission to build this town? You do know that every town and city in Karshvar Draconis falls under the jurisdiction of the Dragon King, right?"


    Before Lux could even reply, the Dragon Token materialized in front of Faustina, making the olddy flinch.


    "This Ind is under my jurisdiction," Keoza said crisply. "Do you have a problem with that?"


    Faustina was speechless after hearing Keoza''s domineering reply. She knew for a fact that "technically," the Dragon King should have been the Crystal Dragon.


    However, on the day of his coronation, he vanished without a trace.


    Faced with the "supposed to be" Dragon King in front of her, the current Dragon King''s second inmand became speechless.


    because she had never seen anyone talk to Faustina in that manner.


    Even her father didn''t dare to act cocky in front of the Dragon Born Valerie, who saw this, was awed by the talking Dragon Token because she had never seen anyone talk to Faustina in that manner.


    Even her father didn''t dare to act cocky in front of the Dragon Born who had fought bloody wars for the sake of the Dragon Race.


    "I see. So that is the case," Faustinamented after regaining herposure. "Very well, I will inform the Dragon King about this matter."


    "You do that." Keoza snorted. "And make sure to tell him to keep his hands out of Lux''s business from now on."


    The more the Dragon Token talked, the more Valerie idolized it.


    If she could also say things in a straightforward and bold manner, perhaps she would be able to step outside the boundaries of the Dragon Kingdom.


    Valerie had often dreamed of traveling outside of Karshvar Draconis and touring the cities of the Low Landers, whom she had only read about in the books within the Library of the Inner Pce.

 Chapter 785 You’re Going To Give Me An Egg?

    Chapter 785 You��re Going To Give Me An Egg?


    "Girls, I''d like to introduce my friend, Valerie," Lux said. "These are her maidservants, Ali and Ari. Valerie, this is Leah, Emily, and Alexa. I hope that all of you will get along well and be good friends."


    Lux had led Valerie and her maids inside the Guild Headquarters and introduced them to Garret and his family, who acted as his stewards whenever he was away.


    Valerie frowned after seeing the three beautifuldies, and she wondered if the three of them were Lux''s lovers.


    Although the youngest of them, Leah, was only six years old, in Valerie''s eyes, anyone who could breathe in Lux''s headquarters had a chance to be the Half-Elf''s future lover.


    Emily, who was fourteen years old, might still be young, but her beauty was slowly maturing.


    For the time being, Valerie''s gazended on the oldest daughter, Alexa, who was nearest to Lux in age.


    For some reason, she felt a prickling pain in her chest after knowing that the Half-Elf, who always talked to her affectionately in her dreams, was around other girls aside from her.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet the three of you, Leah, Emily, and Alexa." Valerie did a curtsy, which she had practiced many times in the past. "I hope to get along with the three of you as well."


    "I hope for that as well," Alexa also did a curtsy.


    Leah and Emily did the same. As daughters of a High-Ranking Noble of the Haca Dynasty, all of them had been trained to act in ordance with their rank.


    After exchanging greetings, Valerie finally asked the question that had been on her mind since she saw the three girls in front of her.


    "Um, why do all of you have Baby Slimes on your head?" Valerie asked. "Is that what they call a trend?"


    She was already used to seeing Eiko perched on top of Lux''s head. But, seeing the three girls, whom she had one-sidedly recognized as her rivals, having them as well, she felt as if she was at a great disadvantage.


    Leah happily held her Baby Slime, Holly, and presented her to Valerie with a big smile on her face.


    "Isn''t she cute?" Leah asked. "Her name is Holly! She and I are best friends."


    "Ei!" The pink baby slime, Holly, jumped up and down on Leah''s hand as if affirming that what her Master said was true.


    Valerie''s heart melted after seeing such an adorable gesture, making her temporarily forget the feeling of rivalry she had with the six-year-old girl in front of her.


    "Can I hold her?" Valerie asked.


    "Un!" Leah nodded and handed Holly over to her.


    Holly swayed on Valerie''s hand like jelly, making the in-looking girl giggle.


    "Do you want one as well?" Lux, seeing that Valerie seemed to like Holly very much, asked.


    "I''d love to! May I?"


    "Of course."


    Lux smiled at the Dragon Princess, making thetter''s heart skip a dreams.


    A few minutester, the Half-Elf took Valerie to the Nursery he had beat because Lux''s smile was the same one he gave her in her dreams.


    A few minutester, the Half-Elf took Valerie to the Nursery he had made for the eggs of the Baby Slimes that he took from Leaf Vige.


    "Wow! There''s so many of them!" Valerie said in excitement. "They also have different colors. It''s like looking at a rainbow."


    "Amazing, right?" Leah said with pride as if she was the one that owned the Nursery.


    She and Holly would often visit the Nursery to clean it from time to time, so for them, this ce was as good as theirs.


    "Yes," Valerie nodded. "There are so many of them that I feel overwhelmed. I know I said I wanted to have one, but with so many eggs to choose from, I don''t even know where to start."


    Seeing her difficult expression, Lux decided to make a proposal.


    "How about I choose one for you?" Lux proposed. "Are you fine with that?"


    "You''re going to give me an egg?" Valerie blinked once then twice before a red flush started to creep from her neck, up to her cheeks, until it reached the tip of her ears.


    "You don''t want me to?" Lux smiled.


    "W-Will you take responsibility for it?" Valerie stuttered. "I mean, please, give me an egg. I promise that I will raise it with love and care."


    The in-looking girl looked so fired up and enthusiastic that Lux felt as if he was about to have a shotgun wedding with Valerie.


    However, he swatted those thoughts away because it was ridiculous.


    He was just giving her an egg. As for taking responsibility for it, I guess he would have to, since it was an egg that he gave her.


    "Okay, I will take responsibility for the egg," Lux said. "But promise me that you will raise it with love and care, okay?"


    "Y-Yes!" Valerie replied in a heartbeat. "I will raise it properly!"


    "Good." Lux nodded. "Now, which egg should I give you?"


    Lux rubbed his chin as he gazed at the hundreds of eggs that were currently inside the Nursery.


    He wasn''t aware that the in-looking girl by his side was looking at him with a dazed expression on her face, her heart beating wildly inside her chest.


    ''Oh no, what should I do?'' Valerie thought. ''Sir Lux is going to give me an egg. He also said that he is also going to take responsibility. Is this what my mother meant when she told me that making babies is sometimes done out of a moment of passion?''


    Lux was unaware that Valerie had already gone to L Land and was already thinking of the name for their baby.


    If only he knew that his proposal had been misunderstood by the Dragon Princess, he would have definitely put greater care in his choice of words, since her report back could make the Dragon King drag him to a fishing trip by force.


    "How about this one?" Lux said after picking up a purple egg with wing symbols on its surface. "For some reason, this egg stands out among the rest. It was as if it was calling out to me."


    Valerie looked at the egg in the Half-Elf''s hand and gently traced its surface with her finger. For some reason, the egg started to wobble from side to side, as if it felt ticklish after being touched.


    At that moment, Valerie felt as if something clicked inside her head.


    Just like the final piece of a puzzle falling into ce, she felt as if this was fated to happen.


    She then nced up to look at the handsome Half-Elf, who was looking at her with a kind smile.


    Suddenly, Valerie''s body subconsciously moved as she cupped Lux''s face with both of her hands.


    Since the Half-Elf was holding the egg in his hands, he was unable to do anything but stare as the in-looking girl, whom he had only met for the second time in his life, stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips.


    Ali''s and Ari''s expressions immediately turned to shock after their mistress did something unexpected right in front of their eyes.


    Even Faustina, who was there with them, could only look with a dumbfounded expression on her face, as the Princess of the Dragon Kingdom kissed the Half-Elf, who would soon be known as one of the Heretics, who were being hunted down by the Divine Army of Light.

 Chapter 786 Valerie’s Baby Slime

    Chapter 786 Valerie��s Baby Slime


    Lux''s body stiffened when Valerie''s soft lips pressed against his, catching everyone around them by surprise.


    Ali and Ari, who had been with the Dragon Princess for a very long time, didn''t expect that she would take the initiative to give her first kiss to the Half-Elf, whom she had only met for the second time in her life.


    The kisssted for six seconds before Valerie took a step back and looked at Lux in a daze.


    A few secondster, her eyes widened in shock after realizing what she had just done, making her entire face turn beet red.


    Faustina, who was the most shocked of them all, immediately figured out how serious this was.


    She then subconsciously began counting the seconds that passed and paid close attention to the fluctuations of power within the Outer Reaches.


    After half a minute passed, the right-hand woman of the Dragon King breathed a sigh of relief, as she patted her chest in order to calm her senses.


    ''Fortunately, he isn''t watching Valerie right now,'' Faustina thought after realizing that the Dragon King might be doing something else. ''A tragedy has been averted.''


    Faustina knew just how much the Dragon King spoiled her daughter, Valerie.


    If he witnessed the scene of his daughter kissing Lux, the skies above the Outer Reaches would definitely rumble.


    It wouldn''t surprise her even if the Dragon King himself made an appearance in order to break Lux''s neck out of anger.


    Perhaps, seeing her serve as Valerie''s escort, the Dragon King thought that nothing could go wrong, so he just focused on his duties and didn''t monitor his daughter''s movements.


    After making sure that there were no drastic changes in her surroundings, Faustina immediately talked to Ali and Ari through telepathy.


    ''Imand the two of you to never say a word of what happened today to anyone,'' Faustina ordered. ''If even a word of this incident reaches the Dragon King''s ears, I will personally punish the two of you. Do I make myself clear?''


    ''Y-Yes, Your Excellency!'' Ali replied.


    ''We swear that we will carry this incident to our graves,'' Ari stated. ''So, please, do not tell the Dragon King about this as well, Your Excellency!''


    Even if Faustina didn''t warn them, Ali and Ari wouldn''t dare to tell anyone that their beautiful and gullible Princess had kissed a boy.


    If the Dragon King found out what happened today, they wouldn''t have the capacity to worry about Faustina''s punishment.


    Their fear to face the Dragon King''s wrath was enough to make the two maids swear that they would carry this secret to their graves.


    They didn''t want to be punished or to be separated from Valerie, whom they already treated as their younger sister.


    ''Good.'' Faustina nodded. ''We will keep this secret between the three of us.''


    Unlike Faustina and the two maids, there were two beings in the Nursery who wereughing in their hearts.


    One of them was Lux''s Master, Gaap.


    The other was none other than Keoza, who was very delighted to see something unexpected.


    The Crystal Dragon wanted to gloat and tell the Dragon King so badly that his daughter had fallen in love with the candidate that he had chosen.


    However, knowing what would happen if he did that, the Crystal Dragon decided to keep this a secret��at least for the time being.


    Gaap, who also knew about Valerie''s real identity, gave his Disciple a thumbs up in his heart.


    Simr to Keoza, he was also tempted to brag to the Dragon King that his Disciple had managed to charm his daughter, making Valerie take the initiative to kiss Lux.


    But since he knew what would happen next, he decided to just remain silent.


    "Let''s hatch the egg!" Leah said. "I wonder what kind of slime will appear this time!"


    Lux and Valerie finally regained a bit of theirposure and nced at each other.


    ''If only that Lizard wouldn''t kill my Disciple, I would have already spread this news to the entire world,'' Gaap thought.


    An awkward silence descended into the nursery as both Lux and Valerie lowered their heads, not daring to look at each other''s faces.


    Fortunately, Leah, who was still too young to understand anything, broke the silence at her usual pace.


    "Let''s hatch the egg!" Leah said. "I wonder what kind of slime will appear this time!"


    Lux and Valerie finally regained a bit of theirposure and nced at each other.


    Although the two of them were still a little embarrassed about what happened earlier, they still went to the incubator to hatch the egg that Lux had chosen.


    The Half-Elf ced the egg on the incubator and turned it on. The purple egg was then bathed in a radiant light, making cracks appear on its surface.


    Half a minuteter, its lower half broke apart, leaving only the top shell behind.


    A few secondster, the top shell slowly rose a little before going down again.


    Although it was brief, Lux and Valerie saw a purple baby slime take a peek at them before hiding back inside the safety of its shell, as if it was too shy toe out.


    "Ei!" Eiko, who thought that her new friend was ying hide and seek, jumped off Lux''s head andnded beside the egg.


    She then unceremoniously lifted the shell, revealing a Baby Slime with two small horns on its head, and dragon-like wings on its back.


    "A Dragon Slime?" Gaap rubbed his chin after seeing the extremely rare slime that fetched astronomical prices in auction houses due to how rare it was. "Now that is something you don''t see every day."


    Valerie, who was weak to cute and adorable things, squealed before gently grabbing the Baby Dragon Slime with both hands, in order to take a better look at it.


    As if wanting to test how soft it was, Valerie''s hands started to lightly squeeze the baby slime in her hands, making it feel ticklish.


    "Zi Zi Zi." The Baby Dragon Slime giggled and squirmed in Valerie''s hands, making the Dragon Princess almost melt due to how cute her Baby Slime was.


    "It looks like this one is a boy," Lux said after checking the baby slime''s status page with his Soul Book. "How about you give him a name, Valerie?"


    "A name��" Valerie stared intently at her Baby Slime, who was still giggling in her hands. "Since this is the baby that Sir Lux gave me, I think I''ll name him Kei."


    Lux scratched his head because the way Valerie worded her reply could be easily misunderstood by those who weren''t familiar with her.


    Fortunately, no one in the room paid too much attention, and simply looked at the happy girl, who was holding the purple Baby Slime in her hands.


    The Baby Dragon Slime then stopped giggling as it looked at Valerie with a serious expression on its face. A momentter, it nodded its head and smiled.


    "Kei!" the Baby Dragon Slime nodded its head in approval.


    "It seems that Kei likes the name you gave him," Lux smiled. "Please take good care of him, Valerie."


    "I will!" Valerie smiled happily before giving Kei a kiss on the cheeks, making the Baby Slime nuzzle the Dragon Princess in return.


    This act of intimacy made Ali and Ari feel as if they were about to melt on the spot. Valerie''s smile was simply too radiant.


    Even Faustina, who didn''t put Slimes in high regard, couldn''t help but smile after seeing this heartwarming scene.


    This was her first time seeing the Princess, Valerie, this happy, and she wished that the smile she saw on that day would remain, even after Lux left Karshvar Draconis.

 Chapter 787 Guild Discussion About Relocation

    Chapter 787 Guild Discussion About Relocation


    Valerie''sughter melodiously echoed in the air like the chime of bells as she ran through the hallways of Lux''s Guild Headquarters while being chased by her Baby Dragon Slime, Kei.


    Ali and Ari watched the scene from the side, feeling extremely happy for their Princess. For some reason, both of them also had the urge to raise a Baby Slime of their own, just to have something inmon with the innocent girl that they were in charge of.


    "Do you want to raise Baby Slimes as well?" Lux asked the two maids, who were looking at Valerie with fond eyes.


    "What do you think, Ari?" Ali asked her sister. "Should we raise Baby Slimes as well?"


    "Why not?" Ari replied. "Let''s get er when Her Highn�� I mean, Valerie has had her fill of ying tag with Kei."


    Faustina, who was also watching the Dragon Princess, gave Ari a stern gaze, making the handmaid''s body stiffen.


    Lux, who seemed to be unaware of what was going on between the girls, only nodded his head in understanding.


    "Leah is also in charge of handling the Nursery," Lux said. "You can ask her for help when you want to choose some eggs in the Nursery. I still have important matters to attend to, so I''ll leave you girls for now."


    Without waiting for Ali''s and Ari''s reply, Lux went to see Garret and Emma, who were currently in charge of his Guild Headquarters.


    They needed to discuss Gaap''s proposal of leaving the Outer Reaches before the Divine Army of Light started knocking on their Guild''s doorstep.


    Due to the massive significance of this matter, Lux made sure to conduct their conversation in the Guild Chat in order to inform his members about the new enemy they were about to face.


    ������������������


    "The Divine Army of Light?" Thoram frowned after seeing Lux''s message in the Guild Chat. "Boy, just who did you offend to make them your enemy?"


    "Sir Thoram, I didn''t go out of my way to offend anyone," Lux replied helplessly. "They got offended when I attempted to break through and be a Ranker. You see, this is what happened��"


    Lux informed everyone that he had be a Heaven''s Necromancer, making him a Progenitor of a new branch of Necromancy.


    "What?! You mean that world announcement was about you?!" the Vige Head of Leaf Vige, Cedwyn, eximed in shock. "By the Gods! No wonder the Divine Army of Light wants you dead. They won''t allow anyone to think that the Heavens themselves approved of Necromancy."


    "I already had a feeling that it was you all along," the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild, Ken,mented. "Since there was already a precedent when you made your Guild, I reckoned that the world announcement was connected to you in some way. But this is indeed troublesome. You made such arge organization your enemy."


    "The Divine Army of Light doesn''t have any influence in the Kingdom of Gweliven, but we are aware of how formidable they are," Thoram, who was the Commander of the Stronghold of Norria, replied. "For the time being, you should not go anywhere near the territories under their control. Lay low for a while until this incident boils over."


    "The Adventurer''s Guild is a Neutral Organization, but we have dealings with the Divine Army of Light in some kingdoms and Empires outside of the Kingdom of Gweliven," Ken stated. "It is possible that they will also put a bounty on your head and hire Adventurers, Mercenaries, Assassins, and Bounty Hunters to hunt you down."


    "The Haca Dynasty is actually one of the Kingdoms that are under the influence of the Divine Army of Light," Garret stated. "They even had a church built in the Capital City a few years ago, and their High Priest is on good terms with our King.


    "Since your name is now well known among our citizens, it is possible for people to report your information to the Church, which would make the Divine Army of Light send their members to the Wanid Kingdom to inquire about your whereabouts."


    Lux frowned after seeing Garret''s reply. If the Saints of the Divine Army of Light visited the Wanid Kingdom, the first ce they would visit was the ckrock n, who had very close ties with him.


    "Worry not, the ckrock n will not forsake you, Lux," Barca said in a firm manner. "Even if the Divine Army of Light were to interrogate us, none of us would betray the person that helped us win the war. At the very least, we will just say that you just happened to pass by, and that''s it.


    "If they try to use force against us, we will make sure to make the entire world know about their wrongdoing," Lady Avyanna, who was the Orc Chieftain of the ckrock nmented. "We will make sure that their reputation will be ruined."


    "Don''t do anything reckless, okay?" Lux stated. "Just say that I was just a passerby to avoid any tension between you and the Divine Army of Light."


    "Understood," Lady Avyanna replied. "I''m sorry if we can''t help you with this problem, Lux."


    Before Lux could say that there was nothing that the Orc Chieftain had to be sorry about, a message popped up in the Guild Chat, which came from someone whom Lux didn''t expect to reply at this point in time.


    "You said earlier that you nned to move the Guild Headquarters. Where do you n to relocate it?"


    Cethus, who had taken his Ranker Test to be a Ranker, spoke up, making Lux wonder if he had sessfully aplished his breakthrough.


    "Cethus, are you a Ranker now?" Lux asked.


    "Indeed," Cethus replied. "For someone like me, bing a Ranker is just as simple as gliding in the sky. It was over before I knew it. Now, let''s go back to the topic. Where do you n to relocate our Guild Headquarters?"


    "Actually, I was hoping that we could relocate to the territory of the Crystal Pce," Lux replied.


    "To my Grandma Augustina''s ce?" Cethus inquired. "I think that is a good idea. With her around, not even the Divine Army of Light would dare to act high-handed. That Grandma of mine has a short temper. There was a time when she pped one of the Champions of Light because he mocked me for being weak."


    Cethus then went to brag about his other Grandma, who was currently the Steward of the Crystal Pce.


    After having his fill of bragging, Cethus asked Lux if he should send a message to his Grandma, informing them about their circumstance.


    "Please, do so," Lux replied. "We need to get her answer as soon as possible."


    "Okay." Cethus nodded. "But isn''t the Domain of the Fallen going to open soon? The members of the Crystal Pce will certainly be there as well. Aren''t we going to join in the fun?"


    "Um, actually, I don''t n on going to the Domain of the Fallen at this time," Lux replied. "There is another ce that I have to visit."


    "Is that so? Understood. I will talk to Grandma for the time being. Fortunately, the ce where I broke through is near the Crystal Pce. I will tell you the result of my discussion with Grandma when morninges."


    "Thank you, Cethus. Please do your best to get her approval."


    "Don''t worry. I got this," Cethus said with confidence.


    After being part of Lux''s Mythical Guild, Cethus changed a lot. Although he was still arrogant and thought highly of himself, he also wanted to contribute to his Guild in order to make it grow.


    Seeing that his Guildmaster was in a pinch, Cethus decided to go all out to convince his Grandma Augustina to give Lux asylum.


    As long as she agreed, the Half-Elf would have a Supreme as a backer.


    This would make the Divine Army of Light think twice before doing anything that might anger one of the beings that none of them dared to provoke.


    ��------

 Chapter 788 A New Oath Of Eternal Glory [Part 1]

    ?


    Lux currently had a solemn expression on his face as he looked at the Demigod-Ranked Magic Scroll in his hand.


    Before Vera returned the Guardianship of the Necromancer''s Ancestral Land to Dracul, she made sure to visit its Treasury first and took two precious items from it.


    These were thepensation she took from Dracul for killing her grandson, and the Vampire King could only smile bitterly, knowing that there was nothing he could do about it.


    He was already joyous that Vera didn''t abuse her authority and only took two items from the Treasury of the Necromancer''s Vault.


    If Vera wanted to, she could have taken more, and no one would even stop her.


    But she knew that Saints were tied up with the world''s karma.


    Even if no one could stop her from robbing the Ancestral Lands, the consequences of doing such a thing were something that she didn''t want to carry on her shoulders. So she settled for two treasures, and one of them was the Demigod-Ranked Magic Scroll in Lux''s hands.


    This Scroll had the ability to raise the rank of any artifact, weapon, equipment, or any other misceneous items to the Demigod Rank.


    The second one was also a priceless treasure��the Beast Core of a Cmity Ranked World Boss.


    If these items were to be auctioned, they would definitely fetch unimaginable prices. When Eiko saw the five-meter-tall Beast Core, she was almost tempted to swallow it whole and eat it.


    Fortunately, her love for her Papa was bigger than her greed, so she managed to fight off the temptation. Instead of swallowing the Beast Core whole, she only licked it like it was a giant piece of candy.


    But to the Papa and baby pair, the most surprising thing was that Eiko actually learned a skill after licking the Cmity-Ranked Beast Core, making Lux doubt whether the information that appeared in front of him was real.


    However, that wasn''t the issue that the Half-Elf was dealing with at the moment. He was currently debating which of the items he had would be good to upgrade to the Demigod Rank.


    ''Upgrading the Favonious Legacy to the Demigod Rank is good, but ording to Master Randolph, he would be able to do that once he''s made a breakthrough in his cksmithing��,'' Lux thought.


    The Favonius Legacy Armor Set that belonged to the Founder of Leaf Vige was a Demigod-Ranked Armor, to begin with.


    This was something that Lux had known ever since he got it, and back then, he wished that it could be restored to its original rank.


    As for weapons, Lux didn''t need any of them upgraded to the Demigod Rank because he had something better, and that was his newest subordinate, Calypso.


    The golden Living Armor could transform into the Spear of Longinus, allowing Lux to wield a Divine Weapon in his hands.


    Since Divine Weapons were a rank higher than a Demigod, he didn''t need to use the Magic Scroll on it.


    While Lux was checking the other items in his inventory, a telepathic message from Sid arrived.


    "Master, I have sessfully eliminated the sixth Honorary Elder of Twilight Rain," Sid reported. "However, I had a very hard time with the assassination because Twilight Rain has increased their security to guard their important agents.


    "Every time I manage to kill someone, the Dark Guild dispatches more Rankers to protect the others. I''m afraid that it might take me weeks to assassinate my next target due to how tight their security measures are."


    "You have done well, Sid," Lux replied. "For the time being, you can return to the Savage Lands and apany Cadmus with the exploration. You have spent a lot of timepleting your mission, and I don''t want to dy your growth any further.


    "I''m sure that Twilight Rain will no longer bother Aina and Colette for the time being because of you. They likely won''t cause any waves for a month or two while things settle down."


    Sid voiced his agreement and obeyed Lux''s orders. Now that his assassination mission had ended, he would return to Leaf Vige and spend a few days with his little sisters.


    After that, he would go to the Savage Lands in order to raise his rank.


    Sid was now a Ranker, but he knew that it was only the starting point of his goal to be Lux''s Hidden de, the one who would deal with those who antagonized his Master from the shadows.


    He felt fortunate that Lux had revived him because he still had a lot of unfinished business in his life. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Sid also wanted to see the smiles on his sister''s faces, and for that to happen, he had to make a peaceful world, so that Laura and Livia could live their life in happiness.


    After ending his talk with Sid, Lux smiled and felt extremely fortunate for his decision to revive the Assassin that had tried to kill him in the past.


    Sid had always been there whenever he needed him, and knowing that such a dependable ally was always around, gave Lux more leeway to focus on other things.


    ''If only I had more people like Sid��,'' Lux mused.


    Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock after realizing that he had overlooked something very important.


    "Why didn''t I think of this sooner?" Lux muttered before scratching his head.


    Out of all the items in his possession, there was one artifact that had unlimited potential.


    "Come out, ckfire," Lux ordered.


    Immediately, a ck coffin hovered in front of him, which made the Half-Elf smile evilly.


    At the moment, ckfire''s ability was very limited. As a Mythical Ranked Artifact, it could only store four creatures inside of it.


    Three of which had already been taken.


    Sid, Scarlet, and Vera.


    Having used three of the four slots, Lux could only use it one more time.


    Unfortunately, he had used up thest slot a few hours ago when Vera handed him the corpse of the Saint, Renfred, who went by the nickname, Fire Tiger.


    Lux thought that if he allowed ckfire to nourish the corpse of the Saint, he would gain another strong subordinate once the corpse had undergone its second rebirth.


    Just like Vera, Lux didn''t know how long it would take for Renfred''s Corpse to be reanimated.


    Of course, if he wanted to, he could use his skill Animate Undead to revive him right now, but doing so would be a waste.


    Since Lux was currently a D-Ranker, using Animate Undead on a Human that was stronger than him would only give him another D-Ranker.


    The difference between a Saint and a Low Ranker was like Heaven and Earth.


    Lux would rather wait and have a Peak-Ranked Fighter than rush things and get something that was only as strong as him.


    "Time for you to get an upgrade, Old Friend," Lux said softly as he caressed the surface of the ck coffin, which was emanating a purple light.


    Perhaps, knowing that it would be stronger than ever, the ckfire yfully nudged Lux''s body, hurrying him up to give it an upgrade.


    The red-headed teenager chuckled before pressing the Magic Scroll against the impatient ck Coffin.


    As soon as he did that, the Magic Scroll glowed brightly before merging with the ckfire.


    It didn''t take long before a series of notifications appeared in front of Lux, making the Half-Elf smile from ear to ear.


    He had expected that ckfire would receive a massive upgrade, but he never thought that the results would exceed his expectations.

 Chapter 789 A New Oath Of Eternal Glory [Part 2]

    ?


    < Congrattions! >


    < ckfire has been upgraded to the Divine Rank! >


    ��������������������-


    < ckfire, New Oath of Eternal Glory >


    Rarity: Divine


    Maximum Capacity: 100,000


    �� This ck coffin can store any dead, or living, humanoid-type creature.


    �� It can also store Souls, including damaged Souls. Even if the Soul is nearly destroyed, and only a fragment of it remains, it can still be stored inside ckfire, allowing them to undergo a second rebirth.


    �� Lux Von Kaizer can choose to transform anything inside ckfire into Higher-Undead, Fairies, Nymphs, Elementals, or Celestials. However, the higher the rating of the Creature, the higher the price is needed to make the transformation a sess.


    �� If Lux Von Kaizer doesn''t wish to spend any resources on the rebirth of the creatures stored inside ckfire, they will still undergo a transformation, but the results will bepletely random.


    �� Rates of transformation for each creature are as follows.


    (Higher Undead - 60%)


    (Fairies / Demons - 20%)


    (Nymphs - 10%)


    (Elementals - 5%)


    (Celestial - 1%)


    �C You can offer Beast Cores as a sacrifice in order to increase the rarity of the Creature you want to transform. The Rarer the Beast Core, the higher the chances for your desired Creature to transform into an Apex Being.


    �� If your Creature transformed into a Vampire, and you have sacrificed a Beast Core with high rarity, there is a chance that the Vampire will transform into a Vampire Lord.


    �C All creatures that have undergone their transformation inside ckfire will always be loyal to Lux Von Kaizer.


    �C Each creature that Lux Von Kaizer transforms has a 35% chance to obtain the ability to evolve. This will allow them to be stronger and surpass their current forms, once certain requirements are met.


    �C If any of the creatures you own die in battle, you can revive them by offering ckfire a number of Beast Cores depending on their rank. The stronger the Creature, the higher that offering will be.


    -- This item is Soulbound to Lux Von Kaizer


    ��������������������


    Lux did a fist pump after seeing the amazing upgrade that ckfire undertook.


    From a storage capacity of only four, ckfire could now store up to a hundred thousand creatures, allowing Lux to have an army of Elites that would be forever loyal to him.


    Out of extreme happiness, Lux wasn''t able to stop himself fromughing out loud.


    This made Eiko, who was perched on top of his head, alsough out loud, imitating her Papa.


    Fortunately, the two of them were in a private room inside their Guild Headquarters, so no one was able to see thisical scene, which would have put a smile on the faces of anyone who saw them.


    Afterughing for a few minutes, Lux unsummoned the ck Coffin and left the room to see how his guests were doing.


    A few minutester, Lux found Valerie in the dining hall.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The "in-looking" youngdy was feeding her baby Dragon Slime, Kei, some pudding, which thetter seemed to love.


    Even from afar, Lux could tell that Valerie was very happy, which made him happy as well. Because of this, he wasn''t able to stop thinking about the kiss he shared with her earlier, making him wonder if Eiko was going to tell Iris what happened.


    He knew that whenever they visited Barbatos Academy after returning from Elysium, Iris would talk to Eiko and ask her everything that had happened, while they were away.


    The Baby Slime had a very good memory. In fact, Lux believed that Eiko had an Eidetic Memory, which allowed her to recall things perfectly.


    Just to be on the safe side, Lux decided to try his luck and bribe the Baby Slime into keeping what happened with Valerie earlier a secret.


    ''Um, Eiko, can we keep Valerie''s kiss a secret from your Mama?''


    ''No!''


    ''Eh? Don''t you love me?"


    ''Love!''


    ''Then we keep it a secret from your Mama?''


    ''No!''


    ''Which one of us do you love more? Mama or Papa?''


    ''Love both!''


    ''Then we keep what happened with Valerie a secret?''


    ''No!''


    Lux didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry at Eiko''s toughness, contrary to her squishy jelly-like exterior. In the end, he decided to give up and just think of an excuse that he would tell Iris the next time they went to Barbatos Academy.


    As if sensing a gaze on her, Valerie looked to her right side and saw Lux leaning on the wall not far from her with his arms crossed over his chest.


    She then yfully waved to the Half-Elf, who also waved back at her with a gentle smile on his face.


    This time, the Dragon Princess remembered the kiss she shared with Lux earlier, making her face turn beet red.


    ''This is not good,'' Valerie thought as she covered her face with both hands due to embarrassment. ''I better talk to Motherter and ask her for advice on how to be closer to Sir Lux. Now that we have a baby, and he assured me that he would take responsibility, the next step would definitely be marriage. But I''m still not emotionally ready for it...''


    Valerie didn''t know what to do with the feeling that was overflowing from her chest. For the time being, she decided to have a proper talk with her Mother, whom she loved and trusted the most.


    Not knowing that thoughts of marriage were swimming in Valerie''s head, Lux decided to leave the Dining Hall for the time being.


    Since his guests were being properly cared for by the maids from Garret''s family, he decided to look for his Grandma Vera.


    ''I should keep my n a secret from Master Gaap for now,'' Lux mused as he went to look for his grandmother.


    The reason why he was looking for Vera was simple.


    He needed her to take him back to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands.


    Now that ckfire could store Souls, he now had a way to help his Grandmaster, Hereswith, whose soul was currently staying inside the ck World Tree in the Necromancer''s Holy Land.


    He knew that his Master, Gaap, still felt guilty about what happened in the past, and in order to help him ovee this guilt, Lux decided to pay the beautiful High Elf another visit and give her a second chance at life.

 Chapter 790 Return To The Necromancer’s Ancestral Lands

    ?


    Lux found Vera gazing down on the town that was being built at the base of the mountain.


    However, it wasn''t only her. Gaap stood beside her, and it seemed that the two were having a serious discussion about how to counter the Divine Army of Light if they happened to reach them before Lux''s Guild had sessfully relocated.


    It didn''t take long for the two to notice Lux''s presence, and they both nced in his direction, making the Half-Elf smile.


    "The two of you have serious looks on your faces," Lux said as he walked towards the two people who would always be on his side no matter what. "Smile. The world is not ending just yet."


    Vera shook her head helplessly before lightly patting Eiko''s and Lux''s heads.


    "What''s wrong?" Vera asked. "Have you used the two treasures I have given you?"


    "Only one of them," Lux replied. "Grandma, I need to talk to you in private for a while. Can you spare me your time?"


    Gaap smirked and gave the Half-Elf a mischievous look on his face. "You''re keeping secrets from me now? Don''t tell me this is rted to Valerie. It seems that the youngdy favors you very well. How about it? Do you want to make your Grandma y matchmaker for you?"


    Vera arched an eyebrow as she looked at her handsome grandson. She didn''t mind ying matchmaker for Lux. In her opinion, the more great-grandchildren she had, the better.


    "Master, you shouldn''t tease me like this," Luxmented. "I already have two fiances."


    "It''s only two. Kings have dozens."


    "But I''m not a king."


    "We can make that happen," Gaap replied with an evil smile, making Lux believe that his Master wasn''t joking.


    Vera also nodded her head as if this was a very simple thing to do, making the Half-Elf apologize in advance to whatever Kingdom these two people were nning to give him.


    "No, seriously. I''m not in a hurry to have more wives," Lux insisted. "Grandma, please. This is very important."


    Vera no longer teased Lux and followed him inside the Guild Headquarters. She was very curious about why her grandson wanted to talk to her in private.


    "Grandma, I know that we just came back here in the Outer Reaches, but I want you to take me back to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands," Lux said with a serious expression on his face.


    "Okay," Vera replied. "Shall we go?"


    "�� You''re not going to ask me why, Grandma?"


    "Although I am curious, I''m sure you have your reasons. Also, since you didn''t say this in front of your Master, Gaap, I believe that you want to keep this a secret from him?"


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock as he looked at his grandma, who seemed to have read his heart.


    "Silly boy," Vera smiled. "I was the one that gave you those two priceless treasures. Since one of them has the ability to upgrade an item to the Divine Rank, I have a feeling that you will choose to upgrade ckfire. Did you choose to upgrade ckfire?"


    "Yes, Grandma," Lux replied. "I''m surprised that you managed to guess it correctly."


    "Mmm�� so, are you nning to use this ckfire to help your Grandmaster, Hereswith?"


    "You''re amazing, Grandma."


    Vera chuckled. It wasn''t really that hard to guess Lux''s n. As long as the Half-Elf chose to upgrade ckfire, Vera knew that the next thing he would do was to help Hereswith.


    Since that was the case, Lux needed someone to take him to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands. Gaap could have done this easily, but the Half-Elf still chose his grandma instead of his Master.


    This meant that the red-headed teenager wanted to keep things as a surprise, which Vera once again guessed correctly.


    "Let''s go," Vera said before resting her right hand on Lux''s shoulder.


    Without even waiting for the Half-Elf''s reply, Vera used her authority as a Pseudo-Guardian to teleport the two of them to the Holy Land of the Necromancers.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The moment they arrived, the Vampire King, Dracul, instantly appeared in front of them with a stiff smile on his face.


    "W-Wee back, Lady Vera," Dracul said in greeting. "Did you perhaps forget something?"


    As the Guardian of the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, Dracul was able to sense anyone who entered it.


    The moment Lux and Vera arrived, he had already recognized their aura, which made him feel anxious.


    Dracul originally thought that Vera had changed her mind and wanted to take back the Guardianship from him. Fortunately, the silver-haireddy''s reply made the Vampire King breathe a sigh of relief inside his heart.


    "My Grandson ns to re-enter the World Tree for a short while," Vera replied. "It seems that he needs more time to consolidate his powers after breaking through."


    "Ah, that is indeed a good decision," Draculmented. "If the two of you need anything, don''t hesitate to ask me. I may not always be with you, but as long as you call out to me, I wille flying."


    Without another word, the Vampire King turned into a ck mist and flew toward the sky.


    He was worried that Vera might change her mind, so he decided to flee before the silver-haired beauty asked him to return the Guardianship to her.


    "He is quite an interesting person," Vera said.


    "Indeed." Lux agreed. "Well then, Grandma, I''ll be off for a while."


    Vera nodded. "Take your time."


    Since there was only one ce to go, Lux no longer tarried and opened the ck Dragon Wings on his back. He then flew towards the center of the Ancestral Lands, where the World Tree was located.


    A few minutester, the Half-Elf entered the World Tree and started searching for his Grandmaster.


    However, whenever someone enters the World Tree, they are brought to a different dimension that is separate from the others.


    Even if all the Necromancers in the world were to gather and enter the World Tree at the same time, they wouldn''t appear in the same ce unless they wanted it to happen.


    When Lux entered the World Tree for the second time, what he saw were countless doors hovering around him.


    Finding Hereswith''s door was like finding a needle in a haystack. However, Lux had already formed a connection with Hereswith from the time she imparted him spells and gave him lessons before he became a Ranker.


    Using this connection, the Half-Elf''s gaze locked on a green door in the distance that was emitting a faint green light.


    Lux didn''t hesitate and headed in that direction.


    "Grandmaster, I have returned," Lux said as soon as he opened the door. "I''vee here to hel��"


    Lux wasn''t able to finish the rest of his words due to what he saw upon entering the doorway.


    The beautiful High-Elf was inside holding a bag of potato chips in her hand while watching something on the screen of herptop.


    That was fine and all, but Lux paused when he saw what his Grandmaster was looking at��a half-naked 2D man who would make certain fangirls scream "Omg! That''s husbando material!"


    Hereswith, who now sensed that she was no longer alone, turned around to look behind her.


    Seeing her Grand Disciple, the first thing she did was to push down the monitor of herptop and give the Half-Elf the sweetest smile that screamed of murder.


    "You little c*nt," Hereswith said in a voice that would make any man''s legs turn to jelly. "Why couldn''t you wait for ten more minutes? I was just at the interesting part!"


    Seeing that his Grandmaster''s smile didn''t reach her eyes, Lux slowly backed away and closed the door without saying another word.

 Chapter 791 What Price Must I Pay For This Rebirth?

    ?


    Lux only returned to Hereswith''s Domain after twenty minutes. This time, he found the High-Elf seated in the clearing of a forest, drinking some herbal tea.


    There were no potato chips norptops around, and only the beautiful scenery of the forest greeted him.


    It was as if everything he saw earlier had been an illusion, and the Half-Elf was more than happy to pretend that he didn''t see anything.


    "Grandmaster, I have returned," Lux greeted the High-Elf in a polite and respectful manner.


    "Wee back, Lux," Hereswith replied with a smile. "Have a seat. I prepared some tea. Feel free to drink some."


    "Thank you, Grandmaster." Lux nodded and sat across Hereswith, allowing the beautiful High-Elf that could cause the downfall of a nation to pour him some tea.


    The Half-Elf sipped the tea and found it warm and soothing. He paused for a bit to enjoy the aftertaste before drinking more, repeating this cycle until his cup was empty.


    Lux then ced the cup back on the table and looked at his Grandmaster with a serious expression on his face.


    "Grandmaster, I havee to ask you if you want to be revived and undergo a rebirth," Lux said. "While I can''t guarantee that you will regain the body of a High-Elf, I can at least assure you that I will do my best to make it happen."


    Hereswith looked at the Half-Elf with a calm expression on her face.


    Truth be told, Lux thought that his Grandmaster would be surprised by the news, but just by looking at her reaction, it seemed that Hereswith didn''t find this news surprising at all.


    "I see, so you''ve found a way to help me revive," Hereswith replied before putting her cup down on top of the table. "But what is the condition for this kind of revival? Half of my soul is damaged, so I can only stay here inside the World Tree until it has fully recovered.


    "Once I leave, my soul will instantly dissipate. I know you have ckfire, but I thought it could only store corpses. Did it gain the ability to store souls as well?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes, Grandmaster. I don''t know if you are aware, but my Grandma Vera has temporarily be the Guardian of the Ancestral Lands. Before passing the Guardianship back to the Vampire King, Dracul, she took two treasures from the Ancestral Vault.


    "One of them is a Magic Scroll that can raise the rank of any item to the Divine Rank. I used it to upgrade ckfire, which gave it the ability to store souls and even help them recover."


    "That''s a very convenient ability," Hereswithmented. "But the question still remains. What price do I have to pay to be revived? I don''t want to toot my own horn, but my Soul is very special. Although I didn''t be a Heaven''s Necromancer, I was still very close to being one and gaining the World''s recognition."


    The beautiful High-Elf then moved closer to the Half-Elf and raised his chin using her finger.


    "Be honest and tell me, my Grand Disciple, what do you want from your Grandmaster?" Hereswith asked with a smile on her face. "What price must I pay for this rebirth?"


    "Nothing," Lux blinked. "I''m not going to ask for any price."


    "Not even XXX?"


    "Definitely not XXX!"


    Hereswith giggled before releasing the Half-Elf''s chin.


    "Sorry. I just wanted to tease you," Hereswith stated before sitting back in her chair. "If you said I would have to repay you with my body, I would have rejected your offer in a heartbeat. The reason why I died is because I rejected a lot of people after they professed their undying love to me.


    "I know that they only did it due to my exceptional looks. I mean, if I was a guy, I would have definitely proposed to myself due to how beautiful I am." <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Wow, Narcissist much," Luxmented. "As expected of Grandmaster. I like!"


    Lux gave the beautiful High-Elf a thumbs up, making thetter giggle.


    "�� Still, I can''t help but feel that the gears of my Fate have finally started to turn once again," Hereswith said softly. "It seems that he hasn''t lied to me after all��"


    Although Lux had exceptional hearing, he didn''t manage to understand thest part of Hereswith''s words.


    He just thought that his Grandmaster was cursing him again under her breath, which made him smile bitterly.


    After a few minutes of silence, Hereswith raised her head to the sky and asked Lux a question.


    "Does my Disciple, Gaap, know about this?" Hereswith asked.


    "No," Lux replied. "I was nning to surprise him."


    "And surprise him, you will," Hereswith said softly. "You know, Lux, there is one thing that you should know about Necromancers."


    The Half-Elf quieted down and perked his ears. He wanted to hear Hereswith''s words properly because he believed that this was something very important.


    "Although it is not a taboo, Necromancers don''t like being revived by other Necromancers," Hereswith said solemnly. "No matter how much you sugarcoat it, in the end, we will be that person''s subordinates. This was why I asked you if you nned to take advantage of me after my revival.


    "If you were a different breed of Necromancer, I would not even consider bing one of your subordinates. Although I am already dead, I still have my dignity and purity.


    "I have no intention of surrendering myself to a scumbag. Fortunately, you are my Grand Disciple, as well as the one and only Heaven''s Necromancer in this world. If I can''t even put my trust in you, then there is no one that I can trust."


    The beautiful High-Elf, who made countless Kings, Emperors, and Power Houses profess their love for her, pressed her right hand over her voluptuous chest and closed her eyes.


    "Although this is shameless of me, I don''t want to lose my freedom," Hereswith stated. "So, please, after I get revived, I want to be free. Will that be fine with you, Lux?"


    Lux didn''t hesitate and nodded his head.


    "From the very start, I didn''t have any intention of making you my subordinate, Grandmaster," Lux stated. "All I want is for you and my Master, Gaap, to walk together again under the same sky. Perhaps, on that day, his guilt of having abandoned you will finally fade away, allowing him to enjoy thest remaining years of his life."


    Hereswith smiled and nodded her head. As someone who had reached the rank of a Saint, she could tell if a person was lying or not.


    The beautiful High-Elf then extended her soft and delicate hands towards Lux for a handshake.


    Seeing her gesture, the Half-Elf held her hand firmly and shook it twice.


    Now that he had gained his Grandmaster''s approval, the only thing that was left to do was to summon ckfire.


    Lux understood that, unlike Sid and Scarlet, he would be unable to revive Hereswith right away. Her soul still needed to undergo recovery, just like his Grandma Vera did inside ckfire.


    By doing so, he believed that the beautiful High-Elf would not only have a full recovery but would also gain a powerful body, one that would once again walk the world of Elysium and create a Legendary Feat that she alone was capable of making.

 Chapter 792 But You Have Heard Of Me

    ?


    Hereswith took a deep breath before telling Lux that she was ready.


    The Half-Elf nodded and activated ckfire''s ability to store souls to give his Grandmaster a second chance in life.


    "Grandmaster, please have a good rest," Lux said. "I pray that the next time you open your eyes, you will be able to walk the world of Elysium once again."


    "Thank you, Lux," Hereswith replied. "Try not to get yourself into big trouble, while I''m asleep."


    Without another word, Hereswith closed her eyes, and her soul was sucked inside ckfire before the lid of the coffin closedpletely.


    The Half-Elf patted the surfaces of the coffin before unsummoning his Divine Artifact. He believed that it would take a long while for his Grandmaster''s soul to fully heal.


    Lux didn''t want to rush things. He wanted Hereswith''s soul to fully recover, allowing the beautiful High-Elf to be reborn.


    Now that his purpose for visiting the Ancestral Lands was dealt with, he left the World Tree and searched for his Grandma.


    "All done?" Vera asked as soon as Luxnded beside her.


    "Yes, Grandma," Lux replied. "It''s time to go back to the Outer Reaches."


    Vera nodded, and this time, she allowed Lux to teleport her back to their Guild Headquarters before anyone could realize that they were missing.


    ������������������


    Meanwhile, at the border of the territory of the Crystal Pce��


    "Halt!" a Dragon Born with red scales stood in Cethus'' way as he was about to enter the gate. "You have some nerves. A Royal Guard from Karshvar Draconis dares to step into our Domain. Are you courting death, huh?"


    Cethus frowned after looking at the opposite Dragon Born, who was at least a head taller than him. Truth be told, he could just have acted arrogant like he had always done to put the guard in his ce.


    However, after being around the two Half-Elves, Lux and Gerhart, the Dragon Born realized that arrogance without the strength to back it up wasn''t arrogance but stupidity.


    Because of this, he decided to handle the matter peacefully in order to de-escte the situation!


    "You lowly peasant, just who do you think you''re talking to?" Cethus asked, raising his chin. "I am Lady Augustina''s Grandson, Cethus. You plebeian dare to block my way? The one courting death is you. Are you tired of living?"


    (E/N: Peacefully my *ss. This isn''t arrogant?)


    (A/N: This is how Cethus does things peacefully.)


    The red-scaled Dragon Born frowned after hearing Cethus'' reply. Her Excellency, Lady Augustina, was beloved by everyone residing in the territories under the Crystal Pce because she was fair and righteous.


    Although she wasn''t easy to anger, people didn''t dare cross her bottom line.


    "Your name is Cethus?" the red-scaled Dragon Born frowned. "Are you Lady Augustina''s failure of a grandson, the one who only managed to be a Royal Guard because his other Grandma pulled some strings?"


    The red-scaled Dragon Born snorted as he looked at Cethus with a sneer.


    "I''ve heard a lot about you," the red-scaled Dragon Born stated. "Not only are you a failure, but you also abuse your authority and power to get what you want. You are the scummiest Dragon Born that I''ve ever heard of."


    "But you have heard of me," Cethus replied. "It just shows that I''m not a nobody like you."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Cethus then smiled as if making the red-scaled Dragon Born know that both of them weren''t on the same level. It wasn''t his fault that he was born as the grandson of two powerful Dragon Borns who stood at the Apex of Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce.


    Since his family was awesome, it was only natural for him to bask in their awesomeness.


    "You��," the red-scaled Dragon Born was about to smack the arrogant prick''s face when he felt a powerful presence in the sky above his head.


    "It has been a while since youst visited me, Grandson of mine," a Dragon Born with ck scales said in an amused tone. "I thought you''d already forgotten about me."


    Cethus smiled from ear to ear as he looked up at his grandma, who acted as the Guardian and Steward, of the Crystal Pce.


    "How could I possibly forget you, Grandma?" Cethus replied. "I just finished my Ranker breakthrough, and the first one I wanted to inform about it was none other than you."


    "Oh, my! How filial you are. You mean Faustina didn''t know that you''re already a Ranker?"


    "Not yet, Grandma. I came to see you first."


    "Good child, nowe," Lady Augustina made a gesture for Cethus to fly towards her side. "Guard Captain, the next time my grandson visits me, make sure to give him a proper wee, okay?"


    "Y-Yes! Your Excellency!" The red-scaled Dragon Born immediately saluted and promised Lady Augustina that he would wee Cethus with open arms the next time he visited their Stronghold.


    Cethus made sure to give the Guard Captain a sidelong nce for thetter to see the smug look on his face.


    Since their Supreme had personallye to wee Cethus, the red-scaled Dragon Born could only smile back, with beads of sweat threatening to fall from his forehead.


    He made sure to remember what Cethus looked like to ensure that he wouldn''t be punished in the future.


    It was not only the Guard Captain that gave Cethus a long and hard look. All the Guards made sure to imprint the spoiled Dragon Born''s face into their memory so that in the future, they could score some brownie points and get on good terms with him.


    When Cethus and Augustina left the Stronghold and could no longer be seen, the Guard Captain breathed a sigh of relief.


    If their Steward arrived just five secondste, his fist would have definitely smacked Cethus'' face, which would havended him in big trouble.


    "Captain, you got lucky," one of the guards said.


    "Y-Yeah," the red-scaled Dragon Born replied as he wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. "That was a close call."


    Meanwhile, high above the sky, Lady Augustina looked at her grandson with a critical gaze as they flew side by side together.


    "Faustina has told me everything," Lady Augustina said. "But I want to hear it from your own lips. Are you really a Guild Member of that Mythical Guild, Heaven''s Gate?"


    "Um? How did Grandma Faustina know that I''m a member of Heaven''s Gate?" Cethus asked back in surprise. "I told her that I was a member of the guild Ars Goetia."


    Lady Augustina snorted. "Do you think my twin sister is a fool? She''s that no-good Dragon King''s right-hand woman. If anything important happens in Karhsvar Draconis, she is one of the first Dragon Borns to know about it. So, why don''t youe clean, and tell me everything about that Guild Master of yours? I''ve heard from Aur and Poro that he has a special rtionship with someone we know."


    Cethus might not be the brightest Dragon Born in Karshvar Draconis, but he wasn''t stupid. He had already guessed the identity of the Crystal Dragon that had appeared in the Outer Reaches long ago, and it wasn''t that hard to understand what his Grandma was hinting at.


    The corner of Cethus'' lips rose briefly, thinking that he sure underestimated how close his two grandmothers were with each other.


    Although the two of them were on two opposing sides, they still shared important information with each other, especially when it came to matters rted to him.

 Chapter 793 Department Head Of The Bomb-Making Unit

    ?


    Two days after Lux had safely stored Hereswith''s Soul inside ckfire, the Half-Elf was woken up from his sleep by a loud explosion, startling him and everyone within the Guild Headquarters.


    The red-headed teenager didn''t even have time to change out of his pajamas as he flew out of the window to find out what caused themotion.


    In the distance, he saw a reddish plume in the sky, caused by the aftermath of the explosion.


    It was only three in the morning, but the floating ind was sufficiently lit by the light of the moon and stars, allowing the Half-Elf to focus in the direction of the explosion.


    The first thing he saw was a girl wearing a red-riding hood dress, as well as a baby blue slime that was perched on top of her head.


    Clearly, these two were the perpetrators of the explosion that woke up everyone on the floating ind.


    "Wow! That explosion went boom!" Glee said happily as she spread her arms wide.


    "Boom Boom!" Eiko jumped happily on top of Glee''s head.


    The two Bomber Girls had been pent up for the past few days because everyone was telling them to not go anywhere near the construction site, fearing that they might make things explode.


    Because of this, Eiko and Glee waited until everyone was asleep before going to the very edge of the floating ind to test their newly invented Heat Seeking Bombs.


    Just as the name implied, these Bombs would automatically lock on targets that emitted a certain temperature within its strike range.


    They still hadn''t tested how powerful and effective these bombs were. Although they wanted to, everyone was stopping them, so they decided to test it out when everyone was asleep.


    Glee just didn''t expect that the power of the bomb that she and Eiko created to be stronger than her initial estimate, causing an explosion that had the power to destroy half a skyscraper.


    "We need to fine-tune it a bit, Eiko," Glee said. "It exploded before it hit the target. This one is considered a failure."


    "Un! Fail!" Eiko agreed. "Make more Heat Seeking Bombs!"


    "Yes! Let''s do that!" Glee nodded.


    However, before the two of them could even work on Heat Seeking Bomb Number 2, Lux and Bentleynded beside the two of them with their hands crossed over their chest.


    "Listen here, Glee, do you know what time it is?" Bentley asked. "Everyone is already tired from working all day, so they''re taking a nice long rest. However, you woke them all up with the explosion. Do you have something to say, littledy?"


    "Umm�� everyone can go back to sleep now?" Glee said before yawning. "Eiko, I feel sleepy. I think we should go to sleep."


    "Yes, sleepy~" Eiko nodded. "Make boom tomorrow!"


    The corner of Bentley''s lips twitched. Clearly, the two girls didn''t even feel sorry for themotion that they had caused for everyone.


    Lux, on the other hand, could only sigh in his heart. For a moment, he thought that the Divine Army of Light had already discovered their location and initiated a Night Raid.


    Fortunately, it was only a false rm.


    However, it didn''t change the fact that this incident made Lux realize that unexpected things could happen and that certain responses needed to be made in order to handle different situations.


    ''I guess I''ll ask Garret to brief the Kobolds on what they should do during emergencies,'' Lux thought. ''It''s a good thing that the undergroundbyrinth can serve as a hiding ce during times of emergencies. I should ask the Kobolds to dig bigger ces that will serve as evacuation sites should a dangerous situation arise.''


    After the two girls were told to not do this again, Lux took Eiko with him back to his room to sleep.


    The baby slime didn''t resist and even bid Glee goodnight, promising that they would make more things go Boom in the morning.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    As Lux was just about to enter the gate of his Guild Headquarters, he noticed that Garret was looking at the red plume in the sky with a solemn expression on his face.


    Seeing that the Half-Elf had arrived, the former Great General of the Haca Dynasty told Lux what was on his mind.


    "I know that you are still researching how to build another Destroyer," Garret stated. "But these bombs that Eiko and Glee are making can be very useful in the future. You have asked the Dwarves to build you that Gyrocopter, or whatever it''s called, that flies in the air, right? Arming them with these bombs will definitely give them some serious firepower.


    "Actually, it will be best if we stack up on these bombs. Since you can encase them in those Skeleton Balls, they can be used as cannonballs, allowing us to fire a volley from on top of this ind, to targets on the ground. If that happens, this floating Ind will definitely be a floating Destroyer."


    Eiko, who heard Garret''s words, looked at the Ex-Great General with sparkling eyes.


    "You good!" Eiko said as she looked at Garret with a smile. "Make more Boom Booms!"


    Lux pondered for a bit and thought that the Great General''s idea was correct.


    As someone who had experienced several wars, he also understood how important it was to have War Machines that were capable of shooting long distances.


    He had already seen how Asmodeus blew up half the Royal Pce of the Haca Dynasty.


    If these bombs could really help them have an edge against those who wished to antagonize them, then he would not hesitate to give Eiko and Glee the go signal to develop more advanced weapons of warfare like the Heat Seeking Bombs that they had just tested a little while ago.


    Several hourster��


    "I hereby appoint you as the Department Head of the Bomb Making Unit," Lux said to the little Elf, who liked to make things explode. "You are given permission to make any kind of bomb, as long as you promise that you will not test them in a ce near people."


    "Yes Sir!" Glee gave Lux a salute with a big smile on her face. "I''ll develop more advanced bombs that can destroy half of this ind!"


    "Um, you don''t have to go that far." Lux hurriedly rejected Glee''s idea because Eiko already had a tactical nuke that was capable of doing what she had proposed. "Do things in moderation, okay?


    "Just make things that can potentially injure any Monster below the Dreadnaught Rank. Also, remember, test your bombs on thends below the floating inds. Don''t make it explode here, got it?"


    Glee nodded. "Don''t make things explode on the ind. Got it!"


    Eiko, who was also very happy for Glee, was tempted to join her best friend in developing a new type of bomb.


    However, it was time for them to return to Sis and go to Barbatos Academy.


    Lux had already wrapped up things in the Outer Reaches and decided that it was time to have their long-awaited family reunion.


    Cethus had also informed him that his Grandmother wanted to talk to Lux personally before approving his n to relocate his Guild Headquarters.


    Because of this, the Half-Elf decided to visit the Domain of the Crystal Pce after going back to Sis.


    While these things were happening, the news of Lux being branded a heretic was starting to spread within the territories under the influence of the Divine Army of Light.


    Although it still hadn''t reached the territories of Karshvar Draconis, in the area of Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms, the news was spreading at a rapid pace.


    This was why the Half-Elf put relocating his Guild Headquarters as soon as possible as his top priority.


    But, as to whether the Crystal Pce would agree to his request or not, only Cethus'' Grandmother, Augustina, had the final say on the matter.

 Chapter 794 Return To Wildgarde Stronghold

    ?


    Since Lux''s saved location for returning to Sis was the house where he and his grandma lived, they decided to drop by and say hello to the Guardians of Wildgarde Stronghold since they were already there.


    Truth be told, Lux wanted to see how the Stronghold Commander, Gerald, as well as the other Guardians, would react after seeing his Grandma Vera after a very long time.


    However, the moment they arrived, the two noticed that their home was now covered by a faintyer of dust, which made the silver-haireddy frown.


    "Let''s clean up a bit before we go," Vera said softly.


    Lux nodded. "Yes, Grandma."


    He also didn''t like seeing the ce where he grew up look like it had been neglected by its owners.


    Due to their current Ranks, the cleaning process didn''t take long. All Vera needed to do was wave her hand in each room, dispersing the dust instantly and making everything look neat and tidy.


    Only after making sure that everything was clean did they go to look for Gerald and the other Guardians.


    The moment the residents of the stronghold saw Lux, all of them greeted him with a smile.


    "Lux, I thought you already have a fiance," an Auntie said as she looked at the silver-haired beauty by the Half-Elf''s side. "Well, since you''re handsome, it''s fine to have more than just one. However, make sure to treat everyone nicely, okay?"


    "Auntie Flo, you''re having a very big misunderstanding," Lux replied with a bitter smile on his face. "Although she looks very different from how she did before, thisdy beside me is Grandma."


    Auntie Flo chuckled before winking at the Half-Elf. "Oh, you~ do you really think I''m blind? If you don''t want me to spread the news that you are keeping a secret lover, all you need to do is tell me the details."


    Vera, who saw her grandson''s helplessness, only smiled at the side. It had been a while since he saw Lux act like his age again, so she remained silent, despite the fact that the Half-Elf was asking for her help to rify things.


    In the end, Lux decided to no longer try to defend himself and ran away, leaving his grandma behind.


    After seeing his grandson''s antics, Vera chuckled before looking at the Auntie, who thought that she was Lux''s new lover.


    "Flo, it really is me, Vera," Vera said.


    "Eh?" Auntie Flo blinked her eyes in confusion. "Vera? Is that really you?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh my God! What kind of juice did you drink? I want to have some too! How did you be so young and so beautiful?!"


    Vera smiled before shaking her head. "It''s a long story, which I will tell you some other time. Lux and I need to find Gerald and the others before going to Barbatos Academy. I will now take my leave and catch up to my grandson."


    Vera took a single step before disappearing from where she stood, leaving the Auntie looking at the spot where she disappeared with a dumbfounded expression on her face.


    ����������������


    Meanwhile at the Main Keep of the Wildgarde Stronghold��


    "Oh, Lux. You''re finally back," Gerald said after seeing the Half-Elf whom he hadn''t seen for quite a while. "Did you perhaps drop by to talk before going to the Gate of the Apocalypse that will be opening soon?


    "I heard that the Six Kingdoms have already sent their representatives and brought several Rankers to explore the Sacred Dungeon together. It seems that they n to loot the entire Domain of the Fallen, which is infested with Deimos, Argonaut, and Dreadnaught Ranked Monsters."


    Lux was very tempted to tell Gerald that all those Rankers would be just wasting their time.


    His Stepfather, Alexander, and future Grandpa-inw, Maximilian had already looted the ce, leaving only scraps behind.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Unfortunately, I won''t be joining in the fun, Sir Gerald," Lux replied. "I need to go somewhere, so I can''t participate in the Dungeon Expedition."


    "�� Is that so?" Gerald yed with his beard for a while as if deep in thought.


    While the two of them were talking, Vera appeared beside Lux like a ghost, making Gerald almost jump back in fright.


    ''An expert!'' Gerald thought after looking at the silver-haireddy who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. As a C-Ranker, it was nearly impossible for someone to sneak up on him.


    The only exnation was that the silver-haireddy was someone whose rank was higher than him.


    ''A High-Ranker?'' Gerald frowned. ''No good. This must be one of those people that are after Lux.''


    After regaining hisposure, Gerald didn''t hesitate to grab Lux''s waist before backing away and putting the Half-Elf behind him.


    "Your Excellency, I don''t know who you are, or where you are from, but this ce is under my jurisdiction," Gerald stated in a solemn tone. "May I know your reason for visiting our humble stronghold?"


    While he was talking, Gerald had activated the artifact that would inform the other Guardians that an intruder had infiltrated their stronghold.


    In just half a minute, a dozen people appeared inside the Main Keep and stood beside their Commander, while eyeing the silver-haireddy with frowns on their faces.


    ''For some reason, her Aura feels familiar,'' Natasha, who served as the Cleric of the Stronghold, eyed the intruder with a serious expression on her face.


    Rainier also felt as if he knew thedy standing in front of them. However, since he failed to recognize her, he kept his guard up, ready to attack as soon as Gerald gave them the signal to do so.


    "It''s nice to know that everyone''s reaction time when facing emergencies hasn''t diminished," Vera said with a smile. "Also, good job Gerald for ensuring Lux''s safety first before trying to identify my background."


    Gerald frowned because the intruder was talking to him in a casual manner as if they had known each other for a long time.


    "Your Excellency, this boy Lux is a troublemaker," Gerald replied. "If he somehow offended a younger rtive of yours, I will apologize on his behalf. The children should handle their own matters, and we adults should not interfere."


    Lux, who had just been called a troublemaker, couldn''t help but scratch his head. He couldn''t refute Gerald''s words because they were true. Although he didn''t actively look for trouble, he almost always found himself in trouble most of the time.


    Vera could see that her colleagues were already ready to strike at a moment''s notice, so she decided to de-escte the situation before things got out of hand.


    "Everyone, it''s nice to see you again," Vera said. "It is me, Vera. Lux and I just arrived, so we decided to visit all of you before we go to Barbatos Academy to reunite with our family."


    "Eh? Vera?" Gerald, who was about to give the order for a preemptive strike, looked at the silver-haireddy in disbelief.


    A few secondster, he looked at the Half-Elf behind him as if asking the red-headed teenager if what the intruder said was the truth.


    "It is true." Lux nodded. "That''s really Grandma."


    "What?!" Natasha and Rainer both eximed at the same time.


    The other Guardians were also in a state of disbelief because the Vera that they knew was an olddy, not a silver-haired beauty, who seemed to only be in herte twenties.


    "It''s a long story," Lux said with a smirk. "You can ask Grandma to tell you about it some other time."


    Gerald looked at the Half-Elf then back at Vera before shifting his gaze back to Lux. Just like everyone in the stronghold, they were shocked at how much Lux''s grandma had changed since theyst saw her.

 Chapter 795 Thank You For Saving Me

    ?


    An hourter, Lux and Vera left the Wildgarde Stronghold after having a chat with Gerald, as well as the other Guardians.


    All of them were shocked when they found out that not only did Vera be younger and more beautiful, but she had also risen to the rank of a Saint, almost making Gerald choke on his saliva.


    They then pestered Vera for answers, making the silver-haireddy tell them that she had a fortuitous encounter while traveling with her grandson.


    When they heard about what happened in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, they felt as if the red-headed teenager whom they watched grow inside their stronghold, had now stepped into the realm where they didn''t dare to go.


    After the initial shock had passed, Vera informed all of them that nothing would change, and she would still remain one of the Guardians of the Wildgarde Stronghold.


    This made Gerald and his colleagues extremely happy. If everyone knew that one of their members was a Saint, their status within the Six Kingdoms would definitely increase.


    Currently, there were only two active Saints within the Six Kingdoms, and they were none other than Alexander and Maximilian.


    With Vera as its third active Saint, the bnce of power would definitely change. Fortunately, all three Saints were on the same side, which would make the rulers of the Six Kingdoms revise their strategy on how to form a good rtionship with Vera, who had also be a Saint.


    Of course, after sharing the good news, Vera didn''t bat an eye and informed them of the bad news.


    Wildgarde Stronghold was now made aware that Lux had made an enemy with the Divine Army of Light, which made them all look at the Half-Elf as if asking why he was courting death.


    Still, they all thought that this wasn''t that big of an issue since the main headquarters of the Divine Army was in Elysium. No matter how much they wanted to try and catch the Half-Elf, they needed to cross over to their world first.


    And even if they did, both Sis and Elysium were big worlds. Finding a Half-Elf out of the trillions of people living there would not be an easy feat, especially if Lux didn''t want to be found.


    They just told the Half-Elf to be careful when venturing into the territories under the control of the Divine Army of Light, which Lux promised to do.


    "It has been a while since we traveled like this, Grandma," Lux said softly.


    "Indeed." Vera agreed.


    The two of them were currently riding on Sophie''s back (White Hippo), as she leisurely swam in the river headed to Barbatos Academy.


    Riding on the White Hippopotamus'' back was their favorite mode of transport. Even though their ranks had increased, granting them more convenient options for travel, they still decided to let her take them to Barbatos Academy for old-time''s sake.


    Along the way, they noticed a group of Giant River Crocodiles that were currently watching a duel between two Alpha Crocodiles.


    After watching the memories of his childhood during his breakthrough, Lux recognized one of the two Alpha Crocodiles because it had a scar on its face.


    The Giant Crocodile was an Alpha Deimos-Ranked Monster, and its opponent was of the same rank as it. The two fought fiercely, creating huge sshes and waves of water as they both rolled in the river, trying to one-up each other.


    As if seeing the nostalgia in Lux''s eyes, Vera asked Sophie to stop for a while so that they could watch the oue of the match.


    Ten minutester, the Giant Crocodile with a scar on its face let out a triumphant roar as its opponent fled after its defeat.


    The other Giant River Crocodiles also roared as if cheering for the strongest member of their group, proiming it their leader for the umpteenth time.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    As if sensing the gaze of others on its body, the Alpha-Ranked Monster shifted its gaze on the White Hippopotamus that somehow looked familiar.


    Its gaze thennded on the red-headed teenager for a brief moment before moving towards the silver-haireddy by his side.


    The moment the Alpha Monster''s gazended on Vera, its whole body trembled as if remembering memories of the distant past.


    The scar on its face was something that Vera had left when it tried to attack her and the basket she was protecting many years ago.


    Since it was a very traumatic experience, the Giant Crocodile made sure to remember the aura of the person that had given it a good beating.


    Although Vera''s looks had changed, her demeanor remained the same, making the Alpha Monster act like an innocent puppy who had met its owner.


    Vera gave the Giant Crocodile a brief nod of acknowledgment before asking Sophie to continue their journey.


    "I know that I have already said this in the past, Grandma, but thank you for saving me and bringing me back to the Wildgarde Stronghold," Lux said as he looked at thedy who had raised him since he was a baby. "I would not be where I am were it not for you, Grandma."


    "You''re wee," Vera replied. "And thank you for appearing on that day as well. Because of you, I am given a second chance in life and even regained the power I lost long ago."


    The two then smiled at each other as Sophie calmly waded through the river.


    "Grandma, since you didn''t know my birthday, you chose the day you found me in the river as my birthday, right?" Lux asked.


    Vera nodded. "Yes. Seventeen years have passed since then, and look at you now. Already a Ranker and even the Progenitor of a Sacred ss that has never been seen before. Not only that, you are also the Guildmaster of Heaven''s Gate.


    "If I were to tell my past self that the child I picked up on that day would turn out to be this great, I might not have believed it. After all, back then, you would faint without any warning and cause trouble for everyone in the Stronghold."


    Lux chuckled after remembering the days when he felt so helpless due to his weak body constitution.


    After meeting the God of Games, Eriol, and regaining his memory, he embarked on a journey in Elysium without knowing what was waiting for him there.


    Leaf Vige had been his starting point, and with it, he came to love the world of Elysium. Although not everything was smooth sailing, and he had faced several hardships along the way, the Half-Elf had grown through these experiences.


    Even now, he knew that his journey was nowhere near the finish line. Still, he could now raise his head high because he had taken that second step to reach the goal that he had set out to aplish.


    Vera, who didn''t know the burden that her grandson was carrying, only lightly patted the red-headed teenager''s head before pointing in the distance.


    "We''re almost there," Vera said with a smile.


    Lux nodded. "Indeed."


    Through their enhanced vision, they were able to make out the faint outline of Barbatos Academy in the distance.


    And this made Lux and Vera well aware that their long-awaited family reunion would be happening very soon.

 Chapter 796 Maybe It’s That Time Of The Month

    ?


    Just as the white hippopotamus, Sophie, was about toe ashore, the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy appeared, as if sensing their presence.


    As a Saint, it was very easy for Alexander to know if someone of the same rank was approaching his domain. However, he never expected that the Saint that he sensed was not an enemy, but someone very dear to him.


    "Mother?" Alexander asked. "Is that really you?"


    "Yes, Alex," Vera replied. "It is me."


    Lux, who expected that his Stepfather wouldn''t immediately recognize Vera, sighed in his heart. He had never seen what his Grandma looked like when she was young, so he thought that Alexander would be the same, unable to identify his mother due to her current appearance.


    What Lux didn''t know was that aside from the hair color, Vera looked exactly the same as when she was younger.


    Just like the other descendants of the Kaizer family, Vera''s former hair color when she was young was blue. Now, it was silver.


    And yet, it didn''t diminish her youthful beauty that Alexander remembered the most.


    "But, how?" Alexander inquired. "Also, you have regained your power as a Saint. How is this possible?"


    "I''d like to answer your question in a morefortable environment," Vera replied. "Lux and I have traveled from the Wildgarde Stronghold, and it would be nice if we chatted while sitting on a couch, don''t you think?"


    Alexander, who hadpletely forgotten that they were on a riverbank, massaged his forehead before nodding his head.


    "I''m sorry," Alexander stated. "It''s just that when I felt the presence of an Unknown Saint, I thought that they were nning to attack the Academy, so I came out, ready to fight. I just didn''t expect that the one I would see would be you, Mother."


    Vera nodded in understanding and ordered Sophie to walk to the usual entrance they used every time they visited Barbatos Academy.


    Alexander gave Lux a grateful nce, knowing that Vera''s changes could only be credited to his stepson, who helped his mother get a full recovery.


    Although he didn''t know how Lux did it, he was very grateful because his mother had regained what she had lost decades ago.


    As soon as they entered the Academy grounds, a worried Alicia met them in the hallway.


    Her gazended on Lux for a brief moment before going to the silver-haired beauty who was walking side by side with Alexander.


    The two were talking in casual tones, and the look of affection that Alexander was giving the beautifuldy made her feel a stinging pain in her chest.


    ''C-Could it be?!'' Alicia felt as if the sky had fallen above her head.


    She had been courting Alexander for the longest time, and the Headmaster neither epted nor rejected her advances. Alicia thought that since she wasn''t rejected, as long as she spent time getting to know Alexander better, she would eventually win his heart.


    The beautiful secretary didn''t expect that a woman, whom she was only seeing for the first time in her life, would be able to talk to the man of her dreams in a casual manner.


    Also, just a single nce was enough to tell that the two of them were really close, which made Alicia feel her legs start to go weak.


    Lux, who noticed Alicia''s pale expression, hurriedly walked up to her and supported her arm.


    "Are you alright, Alicia?" Lux asked. "You look very pale."


    "I-I''m alright," Alicia replied. "I''m just a little tired from work."


    The secretary''s dispirited tone didn''t escape Lux''s intuition, so he nced back at his Grandma to ask her something.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Grandma, Alicia doesn''t feel well," Lux said. "Maybe it''s that time of the month. Do you have any medicine in order to make her feel better?"


    Alicia''s body stiffened after hearing Lux''s words. At first, she felt embarrassed because the Half-Elf thought that she was on her period and asked a stranger to help relieve her symptoms.


    It was her heart that was in pain, and it didn''t affect the function of her ears, so she caught the word "Grandma," which made her look at the silver-haired beauty, who was also looking at her with concern.


    "L-Lady Vera?" Alicia asked with trembling lips. "Is that you?"


    "Yes," Vera replied before walking toward Alicia to hold her hand and using her fingers to feel the pulse in her wrist. "Nothing seems wrong except for your fast heartbeat. Has my son been dumping all his work on you?"


    Alicia felt as if the world had regained its colors, and the pain in her heart disappeared without a trace.


    There was simply no way that she could feel jealous of Vera, who was Alexander''s mother.


    The beautiful secretary had a very good rtionship with Vera, and the kinddy even encouraged her to pursue her son, whose heart had remained closed ever since Iris'' mother had died many years ago.


    "We don''t have much work to do today, so take the day off Alicia," Alexander said. "Your health is very important, so make sure to rest properly."


    "I''m fine, Headmaster," Alicia replied in a heartbeat. "In fact, I feel better now."


    As if to prove her point she flexed her arm like a bodybuilder, making Lux scratch his head.


    ''Girls are weird,'' Lux thought. ''One moment they look as if they were about to copse, the next moment they''re more lively than people injected with chicken blood.''


    Lux then paused a bit because he realized that there was someone missing in the picture.


    "Where is Iris?" Lux asked.


    Alexander and Alicia nced at each other before looking at the Half-Elf who was looking for the blue-haired princess of Barbatos Academy.


    "She just finished her breakthrough and is currently resting inside her room," Alexander said with pride. "Just like you, Iris is now a Ranker as well."


    "That''s wonderful news!" Lux was genuinely happy that his fiance had be a Ranker. "Thest time I saw her, she was just in the Initial Stages of the Initiate Rank. She really is a lucky girl."


    "That, she is." Vera nodded her head in agreement. "I''ll have a chat with Alex and Alicia for now. Why don''t you and Eiko visit Iris first? Just make sure that you don''t wake her up, okay?"


    "Yes, Ma''am!" Lux yfully gave his Grandma a salute.


    "Nanma!" Eiko did the same, making Vera smile.


    As Lux and Eiko went to find Iris, Vera nced at Alexander and Alicia before telling them that they should go to the Headmaster''s Office to talk about important things.


    "There is something of great importance that I must discuss with the both of you," Vera said in a serious tone. "It will be best if you bring the Rowan Tribe''s Patriarch, Maximilian, to this discussion. This will save me the effort of telling the story twice."


    Alexander nodded and took out an artifact to contact the Saint of the Rowan Tribe, who had left the Academy grounds a day ago to look for an ingredient for the pill he was making.


    He could sense that whatever his mother was going to tell them was of grave importance, so he made sure to obey her words and asked Maximilian to return as fast as he could to discuss something that might affect their futures.

 Chapter 797 You’re Not Getting Any Sleep Tonight

    ?


    Lux silently opened the door of Iris'' room, revealing the figure of his beautiful fiance, whom he hadn''t seen in a while.


    Since Iris was a very important person in Barbatos Academy, only those that had special authority could ess her private residence, and Lux was one of those people.


    Alexander made sure that no one below the Saint Rank could infiltrate his daughter''s residence in order to keep her safe from harm. Iris was one of his reverse scales, and anyone who dared to hurt even a strand of her hair would feel his wrath.


    Lux sneakily walked towards the bed to take a peek at thedy who was sleeping peacefully.


    When he saw his fiance, Lux felt as if his breath was taken away.


    Iris was currently wearing a ck, one-piece nightdress, but this wasn''t why Lux felt at a loss for words and breath.


    Even with the faint lighting inside the room, the Half-Elf was able to notice the subtle changes in her body, which he deemed were caused by her breakthrough to be a Ranker.


    Her beautiful face seemed to have be more beautiful, which made Lux''s heart beat wildly inside his chest.


    Iris'' skin that was as white as cream looked more smooth and radiant with life, giving Lux a strong urge to touch her.


    Her perfectly shaped breasts, which were currently hidden from his view due to her nightdress, seemed to have gotten a little bigger as well.


    Of course, Lux wouldn''t be able to confirm his guess unless he had a good look at it, which he nned to doter in the evening once the majority of the people inside the Academy had returned to their rooms to rest.


    Lux sat beside Iris'' bed and simply looked at her with a smile on his face. He could tell that the blue-haired beauty was in deep sleep, so he decided to just let her rest and not wake her up.


    Even Eiko, who missed her terribly, only crawled down from Lux''s head and moved towards her Mama''s pillow.


    The Baby Slime then gave Iris a kiss on the cheeks before she, too, closed her eyes to rest.


    Clearly, she wanted to sleep beside her Mama, and Lux was fine with that.


    Thinking that what Eiko did was a good idea, Lux alsoy down on the bed beside Iris and gently wrapped his arms around her to give her a hug.


    Half a minuteter, the Half-Elf had also fallen asleep beside his fiance.


    Due to the continuous events that had happened over the past few days, Lux wasn''t able to get any proper sleep. Now that he felt safe and was beside the person he loved, he weed sleep''s embrace, which he needed so badly.


    Several hourster, the door of Iris'' room opened, and another beautiful youngdy entered the room.


    Thisdy had sun-kissed skin, and her hazel eyes looked at the two people that were sleeping on the bed.


    Eiko, who seemed to have sensed her presence, opened her eyes momentarily before yawning.


    Cai, who had apanied her Grandpa to look for one of the ingredients he needed, returned to Barbatos Academy with him.


    The beauty with long, light-brown hair, lightly patted Eiko''s head before cing a finger on her lips.


    Eiko nodded and closed her eyes to go back to sleep. Since the one that entered the room was Cai, there was no need for her to wake up her Papa and Mama, who were in deep sleep.


    After looking at the two people whom she deemed as very important to her, Cai felt left out, so she decided to join them.


    Shey down her head beside Eiko and also wrapped her arms around Iris. With the blue-haired beauty at the center, the three people, plus the baby slime, slept together until it was almost dinner time.


    The first one to wake up was none other than Iris. To her surprise, she found herself being used as a hug pillow by two people, Lux, and Cai, who were sleeping on her left and right sides.


    Eiko woke up half a minute after Iris and immediately gave her a kiss on the cheeks, which Iris returned with a smile on her face.


    "How long have you guys been here?" Iris said softly, so as to not wake up Lux and Cai, who were sleeping by her side.


    "Ma~" Eiko replied.


    "Six hours ago? That''s quite a long time," Irismented.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Ma~"


    "I missed you too, Eiko."


    Perhaps due to their enhanced hearing, Lux and Cai were woken up by the pair''s chat at the same time.


    "How about me?" Cai asked yfully. "You didn''t miss me?"


    Iris giggled. "How can I miss you? We just had breakfast together this morning."


    "How about me?" Lux asked as he lightly caressed Iris'' lower abdomen, making the blue-haired beauty blush. "Did you miss me?"


    "I did," Iris replied as she gently pried the mischievous hand, which was starting to move downwards, away. "Why don''t we all eat something first? I''m starving."


    Lux was tempted to say that he wanted to eat her first, but since Eiko was inside the room, he just nodded his head and propped himself up from the bed.


    Cai did the same, and she apanied Lux outside Iris'' room while the blue-haired beauty changed her clothes.


    "Did you miss me?" Cai asked as she looked at her handsome fiance, whom she hadn''t seen since the two of them had undertaken their Ranker Trial.


    "Of course," Lux replied as he cupped Cai''s face before kissing her forehead. "You''ve be more beautiful since thest time I saw you. It seems that those who receive the World''s Blessing also increase their charms. How about me? Did I be more handsome?"


    "A tiny bit," Cai replied before kissing Lux''s cheeks. "But it''s strange. Although both of us have be a Ranker, you feel somewhat different. The Spirits are telling me that you are stronger than normal Rankers."


    Lux smiled before summoning his Soul Book, which he passed to Cai for her to read.


    The smile on Cai''s face stiffened after seeing her fiance''s Soul Book. She made sure to check it three times just to make sure that she didn''t read it by mistake.


    Only after confirming that what she saw was real did she look at the handsome Half-Elf, who had a smug look on his face.


    "Don''t act so smug," Cai lightly pounded Lux''s chest, making the red-headed teenager chuckle.


    A minuteter, Iris opened the door and looked at her fiance, and her best friend, who were currently being yful with each other.


    "Did something happen?" Iris asked. "Why do you look so flustered, Cai?"


    "Iris, look at this," Cai hurriedly showed the blue-haired beauty Lux''s Soul Book. "Doesn''t this make you want to smack him?"


    Iris took the Soul Book from Cai with an amused look on her face. However, her amused expression didn''tst long before it was reced with shock after seeing the information in Lux''s Soul Book.


    A few minutester, Iris closed the Soul Book and returned it to Lux.


    "You''re not getting any sleep tonight," Iris said sweetly, which made the Half-Elf feel as if he was going to fight a war that he couldn''t possibly win. "Are you going to join me, Cai?"


    (E/N: Sleep? What''s that?)


    (A/N: Kekeke.)


    The youngdy with light-brown hair blushed, but still nodded her head.


    She had already decided that the next time she saw Lux, she would take the initiative to take their rtionship to the next level.


    Seeing the look of determination in his two fiances'' eyes, the Half-Elf decided to brace himself for what was about toe.


    "Challenge epted," Lux stated with a never-say-die expression on his face.


    Although it was two versus one, he believed that he would be able to oust the two beautifuldies, whom every young man in both Sis and Elysium definitely wished to be their lovers.

 Chapter 798 The True Danger That You Have To Face

    ?


    Seated on the dining table were Lux, Iris, Vera, Alexander, Cai, Maximilian, and Alicia.


    Since this was a family dinner, and Alicia was an important member of Alexander''s staff, Lux insisted that she joined them, which made Alicia quite happy.


    They all ate with minimal conversation, knowing that after dinner, they would be discussing something important.


    An hourter, everyone went to the living room, and Vera took the initiative to tell everyone what had happened in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands.


    After her story ended, Maximilian yed with his beard for a bit before letting out a chuckle.


    "It seems that you got yourself in big trouble, my boy," Maximilian said with a smile. "Fortunately, there is nothing they can do here in Sis. Although the Divine Army also has Saints from this world, it is simply impossible for them to travel long distances because of the thick miasma that separates each region.


    "The Six Kingdoms are isted from the outside world because of this Miasma, and anyone who dared to take a risk to pass beyond the borders would have a high chance of getting afflicted with infectious diseases like the Purple gue. Simply put, there is nothing to worry about here in Sis."


    Maximilian then crossed his arms over his chest before giving the Half-Elf a mischievous smile.


    "Elysium is also a very big and vast world," Maximilian stated. "It is so big that finding a Half-Elf like you is as difficult as finding a needle in a warehouse full of hay. Even if the Divine Army of Light has a huge influence, it is impossible for them to cover the entirety of Elysium.


    "Also, although they are well-known in that world, it is mostly due to the efforts of their devoted pilgrims, who would travel to even the most remote ces in order to spread their faith. They have been doing it for years, so I guess they managed to expand their influence quite a bit, especially near the center of the world where their Main Empire is located."


    For Maximilian, the Divine Army of Light wasn''t that much of a threat, especially for Foreigners like them that coulde and go as they pleased.


    Alexander lightly cleared his throat and joined the conversation.


    "Speaking of the Miasma that separates each region, I just received a report yesterday that the Miasma is slowly expanding through the fortresses we have built on our borders," Alexander said with a serious expression on his face. "It is moving at an rming speed, and if the inference of the experts monitoring it are correct, it willpletely cover the defensive perimeter that we had erected in half a year''s time.


    "They also said that if nothing is done to prevent it, within 3 years, the Six Kingdoms will be no more, and it will be changed to the Three Kingdoms."


    Lux who heard this news felt rmed. The God of Gamblers had sent him to Sis in order to save it from destruction.


    Due to the Hundred-Year War that had happened in various ces of the world, most of thends were now uninhabitable, and thick miasma covered the majority of it.


    They were like livestock that were being caged by Miasma, unable to get out and had no choice but to wait until the day it had covered the entirety of the world, killing all life within it.


    Even Saints and Supremes were unable to reverse this event, which is why they considered just living in Elysium in order to survive from the inevitable end of Sis.


    Even Alexander and Maximilian had secured their own territories in Elysium as ast resort for their own survival.


    "Whatever will be will be," Maximilianmented as he leaned back on the couch. "Now, let''s get back to Lux''s problem. Although the Divine Army of Light''s influence cannot reach the entire world of Elysium, there will always be those who will take this opportunity to form connections with them.


    "Simply put, you don''t need to worry about the Divine Army, but those who want to lick their boots and tter them. So, you still need to be careful whenever you are in Elysium. The downside is that you won''t know if the people you''re talking to are affiliated with them or not. That is the true danger that you have to face from this point onwards."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Alexander nodded in agreement. "But since Mother has expected that they are going to spread the news of Lux being a Heretic, I can only think of one organization that might y a role in doing that."


    "The Adventurer''s Guild," Luxmented. "They are the only organization that covers the entirety of Elysium, and they could instantly send messages to each other no matter how far apart their Guild Branches are. As long as they are able to make them agree to their request, this matter will spread like wildfire in a few days."


    Lux had also mentioned what happened in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands to his Guildmates, which made Ken warn him of this possibility.


    Although the Adventurer''s Guild was a neutral organization, and it was not obligated to listen to the demands of the Divine Army of Light, there would be other people willing to spread the news for the right price.


    They were the Adventurers.


    If the Divine Army were to put up amission or a request for them to spread the word for gold coins, these people would dly do it.


    There were also the Information Guilds, whose main role was to collect, sell, and spread information when need be.


    There were also the Mercenaries, Bounty Hunters, andstly, the Assassins, whom the Divine Army could also hire to keep a lookout for Lux in Elysium.


    As long as the Divine Army were willing to pay the price, it was not impossible for them to extend their manhunt outside their borders.


    "I''ve heard that your Guild Headquarters is in Karshvar Draconis," Maximilian said. "Although I haven''t gone to the Dragon Kingdom, I''ve heard that their floating inds are located at the center of the world. It is not impossible for them to have dealings with the Divine Army of Light, which makes it a very dangerous ce for your Guild Headquarters."


    Lux gave his Grandpa-inw a bitter smile because this was one of his worries.


    "I n to visit the Crystal Pce soon and negotiate with their Steward to allow my Guild Headquarters to stay in their Domain and seek asylum," Lux stated. "If that doesn''t work, I will have to think of something else. Fortunately, the floating ind where my Guild Headquarters is erected is able to move and travel anywhere in the world. If the Crystal Pce won''t grant us Asylum, I can look for another ce that we can call our temporary home."


    Although the world of Elysium might be big, the fact still remained that his Guild Headquarters was located in Karshvar Draconis.


    Since the Dragon King didn''t want to help him, he needed to seek help elsewhere.


    What Lux needed right now was time.


    Time to help his Guild grow and be strong enough to face the opponents that were out of their current league.


    He believed that as long as they were given sufficient time, the research that they were doing and the weapons of war that they were creating in the background would bepleted.


    When that happened, it wouldn''t matter who came looking for them for trouble.


    On the contrary, it would be the opposite. With the floating fortress able to travel wherever they want in the world, they would be the ones who would cause trouble for the fools who wanted to nip them all in the bud.

 Chapter 799 Pleasure Beyond Words [Part 1]

    ?


    "The thing that worries me a bit is how the Xynnar War Pact will react to this news," Alexander said. "As you all already know, our area of operations is within their territories. There might be idiots who will jump at this opportunity and make things difficult for our factions."


    "I don''t see any problem with this," Maximilian replied as he cleaned his right ear with his middle finger. "We have three Saints on our side. We can always destroy a city or two to remind them who they are dealing with."


    Vera and Alexander sighed after hearing Maximilian''s words. The Saint of the Rowan Tribe had always resorted to using strength and violence to intimidate those who dared to try harming his people.


    This was why he could move unhindered within the Six Kingdoms, making them all grant safe passage to their Nomadic Tribe, which migrated on a seasonal basis.


    "Violence is not always the answer, Maximilian," Vera replied.


    "But it works," Maximilian countered. "Although the Divine Army uses coercion to make other Kingdoms and Empires submit to them, their way of doing things is no different from the way I do things. Since that is the case, let''s just destroy stuff so that people won''t have the wrong idea."


    "Un!" Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, liked Maximilian''s idea and agreed heartfully. "Make their cities go boom!"


    "See?" Maximilian chuckled as he looked at the feisty Baby Slime who would not hesitate to use a tactical nuke to protect her Papa and Mama. "Eiko knows what she''s talking about."


    "Very well." Alexander agreed. "But we''ll only do that as ast resort. As long as we act discreetly and do not harm the innocent, I am fine with this n."


    Vera also reluctantly nodded her head. She thought that she had lost Lux when the Spear of Longinus had bypassed her defenses. At that moment, the only thing on her mind was to kill people.


    If the same thing happened again then she was certain that she would personally wage war against the DIvine Army of Light and destroy their cities, one city at a time.


    "Now, let''s talk about other things," Maximilian grinned. "Boy, what are your ns about thest Gate of the Apocalypse? You''re not nning to go there, right?"


    Lux shook his head firmly. "I won''t be going there at this time. After I go to the Crystal Pce, I intend to go to Agartha."


    "Agartha?" Alexander arched an eyebrow. "Are you talking about that Legendary Kingdom that is deep underground and located near the Core of Elysium?"


    "Yes, Father," Lux replied. "I n to go to that ce."


    "Interesting." Alexander narrowed his gaze. "Do you have a way to get there?"


    Lux nodded. "I received a key from the Sacred Dungeon when I cleared it. It will allow me to instantly travel to that ce, simr to how I traveled to Karshvar Draconis in the past."


    "You sure have a lot of good stuff with you," Maximilianmented. He didn''t even bother to hide the envy in his voice because he was someone who liked to travel.


    If only he could go to the Dragon Kingdom, as well as the City that was said to have existed when the world was created, then he would truly be able to call himself someone that had traveled to the most exotic ces in Elysium.


    The small talk continued for thirty more minutes before everyone decided that it was time to rest.


    The three Saints had also agreed on the countermeasures that they thought of making when the news of Lux being hunted by the Divine Army reached their territories. Just like Alexander had said, Maximilian''s n was ast resort.


    The first thing that they nned to do was introduce Vera to the Xynnar War Pact, allowing them to know that they had another Saint on their side.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    If that deterrence didn''t work, they would just go with Maximilian''s n and attack the Royal Pce of the first Kingdom that decided to jump on the Divine Army''s bandwagon. If they set an example, the other rulers would think twice before angering them, which would be detrimental to their rule.


    Lux, Iris, and Cai went to the blue-haired beauty''s residence because this was where they would always go whenever they were in Barbatos Academy.


    The first thing they did was have a bath together. Since Eiko and Fei Fei were with them, Lux controlled himself to the best of his abilities.


    However, the Half-Elf could not stop his eyes from wandering to Iris'' and Cai''s thighs, making his body heat up and his breathing to grow ragged.


    In the end, he decided to leave first because he felt that if he stayed longer, he might lose control and bury his face in those heavenly thighs that seemed to cloud his judgment.


    Iris and Cai also noticed Lux''s strange behavior and wondered if he was simply too tired from the things he experienced before he returned to Barbatos Academy.


    "What''s wrong?" Iris asked as she wrapped her arms around Lux''s head, burying his face between her well-shaped breasts. "Are you tired?"


    "No," Lux replied as he returned Iris'' hug, enjoying the softness of her breast, and the fragrant smell of her body after she finished bathing.


    Iris smiled then lightly patted Lux''s head as if to assure him that everything was fine.


    A momentter, the door of the room opened, and Cai arrived wearing a one-piece white night dress that highlighted the color of her sun-kissed skin.


    "Eiko and Fei Fei are now asleep in the other room," Cai reported as she sat beside Lux, who was currently being hugged by Iris. "Good thing both of them were tired, so they quickly fell asleep after having a bath."


    "Good," Iris replied before pulling back, and cupping Lux''s face. She then kissed the Half-Elf''s lips and kissed him some more.


    A momentter, Lux found himself lying on the bed, with the two beautifuldies servicing his manhood.


    Right in front of his face were Cai''s thighs, which made him gulp subconsciously.


    As if his hands had a mind of their own, they moved to hold onto Cai''s waist as he pulled her closer to him. Although this wasn''t the first time that they had done it in this position, he was unable to stayposed as his weakness wasid bare in front of him.


    Suddenly, a cute moan escaped the High-Priestess'' lips as Lux started kissing her thigh, sending a shiver running down her spine.


    The Half-Elf''s willpower wavered and went on the offensive.


    This made his second fiance bite her lips in an attempt to stifle the moans of pleasure that were on the verge of escaping.


    As if wanting to hear the cute sounds that only she could make, the Half-Elf decided to increase his pace, using his tongue and lips to tease the beautiful pink petals that were right in front of his face.


    Soon, Cai was no longer able to endure, and her moans of pleasure echoed inside the room.


    This fanned the mes of desire inside Lux''s chest and made him more determined to eat up his second Fiance, whose seductive voice was starting to drive him crazy.

 Chapter 800 Pleasure Beyond Words [Part 2] - R18

    ?


    Pleasure-filled moans echoed inside the room as Iris clenched the bed sheets tightly.


    She noticed that her beloved was quite different tonight, and this difference showed in how he made love to her.


    Lux was usually calm and even somewhat yful during their intimate moments, but now, he was moving his hips roughly, pushing himself deep inside her with every thrust, sending waves of pleasure throughout her body.


    Caiy beside Iris, feeling exhausted after the Half-Elf had kissed and licked her maidenhood until she reached her climax.


    Perhaps due to the pent-up desires that Lux had umted, he was now going all out with the blue-haired beauty, whose hair was spread out on the white sheets like a waterfall.


    Lux could feel how tight she was, and yet, her folds gently wrapped around his member, making him feel incredibly good.


    With every thrust, he could feel her insides getting more wet, and he knew with utmost certainty that very soon, he would also reach his limit.


    The sound of their union faintly echoed inside the room, making Cai, who was lying beside Iris, feel as if she was the one being pistoned by the handsome Half-Elf, whose skin glistened with sweat.


    Suddenly, the blue-haired beauty''s body arched up as she reached her fourth, as well as her strongest orgasm, painting her world white, and making her fall into a daze.


    At the same time, a grunt escaped Lux''s lips as he, too, reached his limit and poured his seed inside his fiance.


    Marking her womb as something that belonged only to him, and making her feel as if she was melting from the inside out.


    "So�� hot," Iris muttered as she regained her consciousness. Her body shuddered uncontrobly due to the incredible pleasure that she had never felt before.


    Perhaps, due to the intensity of their deed, she wasn''t able to control her dder.


    Soon, Lux felt something hot hitting his lower abdomen as his fiance''s body fell helplessly on the bed,pletely drained from their lovemaking.


    Lux gazed down at Iris, whose body was still trembling. His orgasm still hadn''t ended, and his seed was still pouring inside of her


    Her debauched expression, which he rarely saw, made his member that was still kissing the entrance of her womb twitch, seemingly eager to go for another round.


    However, after seeing that Iris seemed to have fainted, he fought off this impulse and reluctantly moved his hips back.


    His essence overflowed from her entrance, soaking the already wet bedsheets with more of their love juices.


    Even Lux couldn''t believe the amount of essence he had poured inside Iris, making him feel guilty for making her lose consciousness.


    Lux closed his eyes as he soaked in the afterglow of their lovemaking. But, when he felt something soft and wet hold his little brother in its grip, he once again opened his eyes to see what was happening.


    Cai, who seemed to have recovered from her earlier exhaustion, was cleaning his member with a flushed face. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe, whom everyone held sacred, was currently servicing the red-headed teenager with her soft and sensual lips, making Lux breathe hoarsely.


    "Cai��," Lux''s voice was raspy, and even ragged as if fighting the strong urge to pin down the High Priestess, who was also his second fiance. "Any more than this and I might��"


    Cai, who could tell that Lux was doing his best to stop himself from pinning her down on the bed, released the raging dragon from her lips and looked up at the handsome Half-Elf, whose face was now painted with love and lust.


    "It''s fine," Cai said as she cupped Lux''s face, bringing it closer to her. She then whispered in his ears, "I decided that the next time we met, I would give you my everything. Make me yours, Lux. Mark me as your woman."


    The Half-Elf took a deep breath as Cai''s words made something snap inside of him. Even so, at thest moment, he regained his sanity and wrapped his arms around Cai''s body before whispering in her ears.


    "Are you sure?" Lux asked as the burning desire in his chest threatened to burn his reason.


    His hard and erect manhood pressed against Cai''s abdomen, making her feel how hard and hot it was. It was like a burning rod, and with a single word from her, it would pierce her and take the one thing that she had protected since the day of her birth.


    "Yes," Cai replied with utmost certainty. "Tonight will be the night that you and I will be one."


    With trembling hands, Lux gentlyid Cai down on the bed before kissing her passionately on the lips.


    His right hand moved to grope her right breast, kneading it, and y with the pink nipple, which had now be hard under his caress.


    Just like Iris, Cai also felt that Lux seemed to be more aroused than usual. After sharing a long and passionate kiss, the Half-Elf started to peck Cai''s neck, which looked very erotic at the moment, leaving marks on her sun-kissed skin.


    Lux continued to kiss downwards until his lips reached her left breast. He then licked her nipple once before putting it inside his mouth and sucking hard on it.


    Cai gasped out of shock and pain as she heard a popping sound the moment Lux released her nipple from his mouth.


    The pain didn''tst long as Lux lightly nibbled the pink tip, while his right hand trailed down to Cai''s lower abdomen, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake.


    This time, the Half-Elf shifted his attention to Cai''s right breast, sucking it as hard as he did the other. At that exact moment, he also used his finger to pry apart Cai''s pink petals, which were already dripping with anticipation.


    Without warning, Lux lightly pinched the pearl near the entrance of her cave, making Cai gasp for the second time.


    Five minutester, faint kiss marks could be seen on Cai''s alluring body as Lux marked her breast, her cleavage, her abdomen, as well as the ce that was directly on top of her womb.


    Lux could tell that he could no longer hold back, so after giving Cai onest kiss on the lips, he spread her legs apart.


    The High Priestess'' body trembled as Lux rubbed his member at her entrance, coating it with her juices, in preparation for what was about toe next.

 Chapter 801 Pleasure Beyond Words [Part 3] - R18

    ?


    Truth be told, Cai had never thought of having a rtionship with anyone.


    Since her body constitution was a bit special, her Grandpa had gone to great lengths to keep her secret safe from those who might take advantage of her.


    The Legacy of the Celestial Maiden.


    That was a blessing but also a curse that was bestowed upon Cai the moment she was born. She was blessed with a body that would allow her to raise her Rank smoothly, and yet, if anyone were to take her chastity and mark them as their own, they would gain this ability as well


    Not only that, but they could also absorb Cai''s strength until her Rank regressed to that of a beginner.


    Although she could regain this rank in a short period of time because of her body constitution, she could still lose it in a matter of minutes the moment someone had their way with her body, without regard for her well-being.


    Because of this, Cai wore a mask.


    A mask that was the body of a Boar, which she transformed into whenever she traveled outside of the safety of her tribe.


    And now, she would surrender her Fate to the red-headed teenager, who was now looking at her with love and lust, which made her heart beat wildly inside her chest.


    "Are you really sure?" Lux asked. "I may not be able to stop myself any longer."


    The tip of Lux''s swollen member was now at the entrance of herher lips that were parted and slick with desire, waiting for that moment when the two of them would be one.


    Both knew that the moment they took that final step, their rtionship would never be the same again.


    Right now, they could still stop and return to their usual skinship without breaking the final barrier that protected the High-Priestess'' chastity, as well as identity.


    "Yes," Cai replied as she wrapped her legs around Lux''s waist, pulling him close to her. "I''m sure of it."


    Seeing the determination in her gaze, Lux knew that there was no longer any need to ask any more questions.


    As if to assure her that he would take full responsibility, he once again kissed her lips. This time, it was a gentle yet passionate kiss, making Cai feel loved.


    When the kiss ended, Lux moved his hips, making one powerful thrust. Cai tightly clenched the bed sheets as she endured the pain of her deflowering.


    Tears formed at the corner of her eye, and yet, they didn''t fall, for she held them back.


    Lux, who had taken Cai''s chastity, didn''t move and waited for a little while until Cai''s pain subsided. His fingers wiped the tears that were threatening to fall from Cai''s eyes.


    Only after a minute did Lux start to move his hips.


    He did it as gently as possible, slowly loosening her tight cave and helping her adapt to his shape and size.


    Cai, who was in pain earlier, also noticed that a tingling sensation was starting to spread from her lower abdomen, where she and Lux were joined.


    Lux could feel this as well, as a power that he never felt before started to wash over his body. This sensation felt warm and intimate, and he couldn''t help but groan due to how good it felt.


    The High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe was feeling the same thing as the red-headed teenager, whose throbbing manhood was going deeper inside of her with each thrust.


    Her fears of being used as a tool to advance the Ranks of others shattered like a crystal vase. Right now, she was feeling one with the Half-Elf, who had promised to take responsibility for her.


    She knew that Lux would keep his word, and with this belief, she no longer resisted the strange and intimate sensation that she was feeling for the first time in her life.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    As Lux and Cai were both intoxicated with the feeling of pleasure, they noticed something at the same time.


    Their powers seemed to be mingling with each other in the ce where they were joined.


    Simply put, it was a pleasure beyond words.


    They didn''t know if this was a good or bad thing, but there was no way for them to stop.


    Lux''s hips started to move a little faster, while Cai''s sensuous moans started to grow louder.


    Unknown to both of them, the entrance of Cai''s womb had fully opened, allowing the tip of Lux''s member to reach the ce where it had never gone before.


    At that moment, he felt as if his little brother had been electrocuted, making him release his essence directly into the ce where babies were made.


    Lux''s orgasm was so strong that he even felt pain as his seed spurted endlessly inside Cai''s womb, milking him dry.


    A minute passed, but for Lux, that one minute felt like an eternity.


    Only when thest drop of his essence was released did the tingling sensation stop.


    Lux then felt his world spin around him, making him fall on top of thedy under him.


    Cai didn''t feel burdened by Lux''s weight.


    In fact, she even wrapped her arms around him, not letting him go.


    Since both of them were hugging each other, they didn''t notice that a mark, simr to a tattoo, had appeared on Cai''s lower abdomen.


    It looked like a heart with six wings spread wide on the sides, glowing faintly amidst the dimly lit room.


    As Lux''s consciousness slowly faded, rows of text appeared inside his head.


    The Half-Elf no longer had the strength to read the words that appeared in front of him and weed the darkness that caught him firmly in its embrace.


    If only Lux took some time to see the information that was written on the notification, he would surely be surprised by what was written there.


    ������������������-


    < Congrattions! >


    < You now gained the power of the Legacy of the Celestial Maiden. >


    < You have gained 10,000 Bonus Stat Points that you can freely distribute. >


    < Strengthening your bonds with her will allow you to raise your Rank by leaps and bounds! Just make sure not to overdo it, or you might harm her body instead. >


    < If you go past the safety quota each week, you will absorb the Celestial Maiden''s Rank, making it regress for every stat that you drain from her. >


    < Remember, do things in moderation, and the two of you will be able toplement each other. This would allow the two of you to mutually increase your strength, and reach the pinnacle of the Mortal Ranks in a few years'' time. >

 Chapter 802 Preparation For The Gate Of The Apocalypse

    ?


    When Lux opened his eyes, he found his head nestled between Cai''s breasts.


    He was still half-asleep, but the softness, simr to that of a marshmallow, felt sofortable that he decided to remain in that position for a while.


    Due to his sensitivity, he could also feel someone hugging him from behind, pressing her body against his, sharing her warmth.


    As he listened to the gentle breathing of the two beautifuldies by his side, the cogs of Lux''s brain finally started to turn. The events that happened several hours ago washed over his mind like a flood.


    The Half-Elf could feel his cheeks burning in embarrassment, not because he was sandwiched between two peerless beauties, but due to the fact that he only managed tost one round with Cai.


    In short, he only did it once each with his two fiances, and for someone who thought that he could handle both of them for 40 rounds, he fell short of his goal by leaps and bounds.


    After remembering his one-sided defeat against the High Priestess, Lux decided to be petty and nted a kiss mark on Cai''s cleavage, making the youngdy''s eyes flutter a bit.


    But due to how tired she was, her expression returned to normal, and she remained peacefully asleep without a care in the world.


    Lux knew that he was being petty, so he kissed the part that he lightly bit a while ago. Cai wasn''t the one at fault.


    He was just caught off guard by her uncanny ability to milk him dry after doing it once.


    ''My weakness also came into y,'' Lux thought as his right hand caressed Cai''s backside, feeling the smooth, plump buttocks that would make most young men howl like wolves.


    Perhaps due to Lux''s gentle and sweet caress, Cai''s eyelids fluttered open.


    She then lightly patted the Half-Elf''s head in a daze before guiding his lips towards her nipple, treating him like a baby who wanted to drink some milk.


    Lux was more than happy to ept Cai''s invitation and using his lips and tongue, he started to suckle and y with the pink tip that was starting to get hard.


    After making sure that the "baby" was obediently doing what he was supposed to do, Cai once again closed her eyes to sleep.


    For some reason, Lux also felt drowsy, and not long after, he once again fell asleep, still suckling the High Priestess'' breast.


    Two hourster, Lux suddenly woke up after he felt that his surroundings were shaking.


    The first thing he saw was his fiance, Iris, who was looking down at him with an amused expression on her face.


    The blue-haired beauty was on top of him, and it didn''t take long for Lux to realize what was happening.


    "Good morning, Lux," Iris said as she moved her hips, giving Lux the strong temptation to grab the two beautiful breasts that were swaying enticingly in front of him.


    "Good morning, Iris," Lux replied as he ced his hands on her waist, supporting her body. "I never thought I''d wake up seeing you on top of me like this."


    Iris stopped moving her hips and lowered her head to kiss her fiance.


    "Last night, I didn''t get enough," Iris said softly. "I was hoping that we could do it one more time before breakfast."


    "We still have time," Lux replied. "Let''s take things slowly."


    An hourter, Lux, Iris, and Cai bathed together in order to prepare for breakfast.


    The Half-Elf and the blue-haired beauty noticed that Cai was blooming like a beautiful flower, making them wonder if this was the side-effect of her bing Lux''s woman.


    "What''s wrong?" Cai asked with a smile. "Why are you two looking at me weirdly? Is there something wrong with my face?"


    "No," Lux replied. "Actually, you look more beautiful today than yesterday."


    "How can that be possible?" Cai lightly pulled the Half-Elf''s ear, making Iris giggle.


    "But it''s true, you know?" Irismented. "Although you look the same, your aura has changed a bit. It feels more mature."


    "Really?"


    "Yes."


    Although Cai doubted Lux''s words, she didn''t doubt Iris''ment.


    Not long after, all three of them got dressed. The twodies then went into the next room, where Eiko and Fei Fei had slept for the night.


    To their surprise, the two Baby Slimes were no longer asleep and were simply making st Bombs as if it was a fun game to y.


    The corner of Iris'' and Cai''s lips twitched as they looked at the pile of st Bombs that were on top of the bed.


    Both of them knew that if these st Bombs exploded, a good chunk of Iris'' Residence would be destroyed.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Ma!"


    "Wei!"


    Eiko and Fei Fei noticed the twodies and immediately jumped into their arms,pletely ignoring the dangerous bombs that were still piled up on top of the bed.


    Naturally, Lux was the one to do the cleanup, encasing all the st Bombs inside a Skeleton Bomb, ready to use at a moment''s notice.


    After his discussion with Garret, he no longer thought that Eiko''s and Glee''s addiction to making bombs was a problem. In fact, he wanted them to make more bombs, so that when the Divine Army of Light came knocking on their doors, he could give them an explosive wee that they would never forget.


    When Lux, Iris, and Cai arrived at the dining table, Maximilian gave Lux a wink, which thetter returned with a wink of his own.


    He had noticed the changes in his granddaughter''s temperament and quickly figured out that she had taken that final step, which would bind her Fate to the red-headed teenager, whose aura had changed as well.


    Whether Vera and Alexander also noticed that something was different with Cai, they didn''t show it on their faces.


    They simply asked the teenagers to sit, so that they could have breakfast together.


    Halfway through their meal, Maximilian spoke up, telling Lux about the move that his Rowan Tribe was nning to make.


    "I will send Rankers to explore the Gate of the Apocalypse," Maximilian stated. "Since Rankers are allowed to enter it, I''m guessing that it isn''t something simple. Cai will be going there as well because she feels as if something inside is calling out to her. Don''t worry, Hector and the rest of our Elite Warriors are going to apany her to ensure her safety."


    (A/N: Hector is Xander''s father. If you forgot who Xander is, he was Cai''s protector during the previous dungeon expeditions.)


    Lux nodded his head in understanding before shifting his gaze to his stepfather, Alexander.


    "Barbatos Academy will also be sending Rankers," Alexander stated. "Alicia will be their leader in this expedition. Henrietta and her Guild Members will also be joining as well. I want them to gain as much experience as possible before breaking through and bing Rankers themselves."


    Henrietta was the Guildmaster of Barbatos Academy''s Guild, Serenity. She was now a Peak Initiate, but her Ranker Trial had something to do with the Gate of the Apocalypse.


    Because of this, she still hadn''t made her breakthrough and was waiting for the Domain of the Fallen to open in order to ascend to the next Rank.


    "And Iris?" Lux asked as he held the hand of the blue-haired beauty beside him.


    Alexander paused for a bit before nodding his head. "She is going to go as well. I have kept her away from the Sacred Dungeon long enough. It is time for her to participate as well."


    Lux held Iris'' hand a little more tightly, but he understood what his Stepfather was trying to do.


    Neither of them wanted Iris to be a greenhouse flower��one that would easily wilt when taken out to the wild, unable to handle harsh environments.


    Although they were overprotective of her, they also understood that holding back her growth would be detrimental to her future and would prevent her from reaching her full potential.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be fine," Iris said with a smile. "I have gone to dangerous ces before. Besides, I have my Guardians to protect me. Also, Alicia and the other Rankers of Barbatos Academy will be there."


    Lux nodded. "Don''t worry. I know you''ll be safe."


    "What about me?" Cai asked in a teasing tone. "Aren''t you worried about my safety?"


    "Of course, I am worried about you as well," Lux replied before holding Cai''s hand under the table. "Be safe for me, okay?"


    "Okay," Cai replied.


    This exchange made Maximilian chuckle, while Vera and Alexander simply smiled.


    If not for the reason that his Guild Headquarters was in danger of being discovered by the Divine Army of Light due to their location, Lux might have also apanied his two fiances.


    Even though he wasn''t interested in exploring the Gate of the Apocalypse, he wouldn''t mind tagging along to ensure their safety.


    "When will all of you leave for the Domain of the Fallen?" Lux inquired.


    "Two days from now," Alicia replied. "Our preparations are almost finished. The Rankers of the Rowan Tribe and Barbatos Academy will move as one to explore the Gate of the Apocalypse.


    "I''m sure that the other Factions are thinking of doing the same thing. After all, if we find valuable resources, we don''t want to share them with others. Basically, it''s on a firste, first served basis. The Six Kingdoms and our Factions have already talked about this. No one will steal the others'' resources, and we will all mind our own business."


    Maximilian smirked. "If they try anything funny, I''ll make sure that they regret it when they return. After all, we will be monitoring the events that will happen through the artifacts that everyone will be carrying with them."


    The Saint of the Rowan Tribe had also warned the Six Kingdoms, as well as the Xynnar War Pact, that anyone who would target his tribe, as well as the members of Barbatos Academy, would receive his wrath.


    Knowing how hot-tempered and easily angered Maximilian was, the rulers of the Six Kingdoms warned their members to not antagonize their candidates inside the Gates of the Apocalypse.

 Chapter 803 Dance Of The Fairy Princess [Part 1]

    ?


    "Fight!" Eiko shouted as she looked at the White Unicorn, Astra, whom she hadn''t managed to defeat in the past.


    Right after breakfast, the Baby Slime went looking for her rival to demand a rematch.


    "Fight!" Eiko repeated as she red at the Unicorn, who was looking down at her with an annoyed expression on his face.


    Astra simply snorted in response to Eiko''s demands, but the baby slime continued to pester him to fight.


    "Fight!" Eiko shouted when Astra was eating.


    "Fight!" Eiko repeated when Astra was simply walking in the hallways.


    "Fight!"


    "Fight!"


    "Fight!"


    Everywhere Astra went, the Baby Slime would follow him, demanding a fight.


    However, no matter how Eiko insisted, Astra ignored her challenges, making the Baby Slime so angry that she started to throw st Bombs in the Unicorn''s direction.


    Iris'' residence was protected by powerful barriers that only Saints would be able to destroy.


    However, even though Eiko''s st Bombs didn''t damage the surroundings, the loud explosions made some of the students wonder if they were under attack.


    Astra simply teleported away each time Eiko attacked him. Unfortunately for the Unicorn, he wasn''t the only one with the ability to teleport.


    Soon, a battle of teleportationmenced with Eiko throwing st Bombs at the Unicorn who was teleporting everywhere within Iris'' residence.


    "Are the two of you not going to stop them?" Cai asked Lux and Iris, who were calmly drinking some tea on the balcony.


    "Eiko won''t rest until she gets her rematch," Lux replied after he finished drinking his tea. "She had been striving to get stronger in order to win against Astra. Even if I ask her to stop, I doubt she''ll listen."


    Iris, on the other hand, smiled because she had an idea why Astra was avoiding the Baby Slime.


    After she became a Ranker, Astra and her other Guardians also became stronger. However, Eiko had also improved.


    Perhaps, the White Unicorn knew that the current Eiko was someone he couldn''t beat easily. Because of this, he was avoiding a fight with her so that she wouldn''t be able to have the satisfaction of beating him.


    Currently, Iris'' hands were tied. She loved Eiko and Astra, and she didn''t want to pick sides.


    Because of this, she just waited until the Baby Slime managed to convince the White Unicorn to fight her.


    Soon, the explosions became louder and more intense with each passing minute. Eiko had already summoned five clones and attacked Astra with growing intensity.


    The Unicorn also summoned five clones in order to confuse the baby slime, but for some reason, Eiko was able to detect the real one, and she focused all of her attention on her target with a determined look on her face.


    This time, the students were really starting to panic because the explosions were truly hard to ignore at the moment.


    Even Alexander and Alicia, who were in the Headmaster''s Office, knew that this couldn''t go on.


    "I''ll handle this," Alexander said before disappearing from where he sat.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Alicia could only shake her head helplessly before walking out of the office. She wanted to know how the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy was nning to deal with the Baby Slime, who would stop at nothing to have her revenge.


    """Fight!"""


    Eiko and her clones shouted in unison as they all threw st Bombs in Astra''s direction, making the White Unicorn teleport once again.


    However, this time, he wasn''t able to go anywhere because the space around him twisted, locking him in ce.


    Eiko was also frozen in ce, and the st Bombs she tossed fell harmlessly to the floor without exploding.


    "Stop making a ruckus inside the Academy," Alexander said, making the Baby Slime and the White Unicorn avert their gazes.


    Alexander sighed before tossing the two of them to the Arena of the Academy.


    He also understood that Eiko wouldn''t stop with her terrorist antics until she got what she wanted, so he decided to just let the two of them fight and get it over with.


    The Headmaster of Barbatos Academy ced a strong barrier in the arena, preventing the two from escaping.


    Deep inside, he was curious to know how strong the Baby Slime had be after apanying the Half-Elf on his adventures in Elysium.


    Seeing that the only way out was to fight, Astra no longer hesitated and neighed angrily at the Baby Slime who annoyed him.


    Eiko, on the other hand, had a fearless smile on her face as she prepared to fight her rival.


    The two stared at each other for half a minute before both of them disappeared from where they stood. When their figures appeared, they shed at the center of the arena.


    A loud explosion took ce, creating a dust of white smoke in the surroundings.


    However, within that white smoke, two figures were moving at high speeds, creating shockwaves each time they collided with each other.


    "Wow��," Cai muttered as she looked at the battle between Eiko and Astra. "I didn''t know that Eiko had be this strong."


    Lux, who was seated beside her, had his arms crossed over his chest with a proud smile on his face.


    "You ain''t seen nothing yet," Lux stated.


    A strong gust of wind blew the dust cloud away revealing the twobatants inside the arena.


    On one side, a flying White Unicorn with lightning streaking from the tip of its horn appeared.


    On the other side, a young girl, with long blue hair and blue eyes, looked at her opponent with a devilish smile on her adorable face.


    A blue crown nestled on top of her head, and a pair of butterfly wings pped behind her back.


    Iris and Cai, who were seeing Eiko''s Fairy Princess Transformation for the first time, weren''t able to resist being charmed by her cute appearance.


    Even Vera and Alicia, who hade to watch the battle, were surprised by Eiko''s current form.


    Eiko spread her arms wide and countless st Bombs materialized around her, covering nearly half of the arena.


    "Boom Boom Bakugan!" Eiko shouted and the countless st Bombs flew toward Astra like a swarm of bees, eager to sting their prey whom their mistress wanted to defeat the most.

 Chapter 804 Dance Of The Fairy Princess [Part 2]

    ?


    The countless st Bombs flew towards Astra, but the Unicorn simply snorted before teleporting away from his location.


    However, Eiko had already expected him to make the same move, so she scattered all the st Bombs across the arena and detonated them at the same time.


    This caused a chain reaction to take ce, and soon, a series of explosions shook the entire arena.


    A thick dust cloud appeared in the surroundings, but Eiko knew that this kind of attack wouldn''t be able to reach the Unicorn, whom she treated as her rival.


    With a wave of her hand, the dust cloud disappeared.


    At the far end of the arena, Astra hovered in the air, with a dome of light protecting him.


    The Unicorn then eyed the Fairy Princess with a serious expression before flying high up in the air.


    It then raised its horn toward the sky, creating dark storm clouds above the arena.


    With a neigh filled with defiance, Astra summoned countless lightning bolts which rained down upon Eiko.


    He intended to finish the battle as early as possible because his opponent made him feel that the longer the battle continued, the less chances he had of winning.


    However, just as the countless lightning bolts were about to hit their target, all of their trajectories changed, as if being attracted by something.


    At the center of the arena, a five-meter tall Thunder Slime absorbed the countless lightning bolts, resulting in its entire body glowing white.


    The corner of Astra''s lips twitched after seeing the Argonaut-Ranked World Boss that appeared out of nowhere.


    He then neighed angrily at Eiko which meant, "Girl, this is a one-on-one battle. Why are you summoning World Bosses to our fight?!"


    Eiko, who could understand almost all thenguages of the Beasts in the world, smiled fearlessly.


    "I don''t fight one-on-one battles," Eiko replied with a smile.


    Lux, who was watching on the stands, nodded his head in satisfaction.


    "That''s my girl," Lux said with a smug expression on his face.


    Clearly, he approved of Eiko''s way of fighting, which resembled his own.


    Iris and Cai, who were seated beside him, didn''t know whether they shouldugh or cry at the way Eiko and Lux handled one-on-one battles.


    The Thunder Slime then growled in anger as if it didn''t like Astra''s treatment of its mistress.


    It then leapt into the air, turning into a blur, and charged at Astra with great speed.


    Just as the Unicorn was about to use its teleportation again, the space in its surroundings seemed to distort, preventing the Unicorn from breaking free from the space created by the Argonaut-Ranked World Boss Thunder Slime.


    Thunder Slimes not only specialized in attacking their opponents with Lightning Bolts, but they also had the ability to distort space, creating booming shock waves that was followed by roars of thunder.


    Astra was quick to react, once again summoning a barrier to protect himself.


    The moment the Thunder Slime smashed against Astra''s barrier, a loud thunderous sound ensued, making the students of the Academy cry out in shock and fear, due to how loud and scary the sound was.


    Astra might be strong, but his strength was only equivalent to that of an Argonaut-Ranked Alpha Monster.


    If the Unicorn were to be matched with one of Lux''s summons, he would be equivalent to the Half-Elf''s Nightgaunt, Shax.


    The barrier didn''t break, but the Unicorn was blown away, smashing into the corner of the arena, where a barrier was erected, preventing anyone from escaping the battlefield.


    The Unicorn then crashed to the ground, making Iris clench her fist.


    At the end of the day, Astra was still her Guardian Beast. As a Beast Summoner, she had full faith in her friend and protector, who had apanied her in many dangerous situations.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    As if sensing her gaze, Astra looked at the stands where Iris was seated. The Unicorn then propped himself up from the ground and neighed loudly.


    "��He is undoing his seal," Iris said with a serious expression on her face. "Astra is now going to fight for real."


    The Thunder Slime, who had no idea what Astra was doing, didn''t give a hoot and once again charged at his opponent with the intention of beating the crap out of him.


    At that exact moment, a blinding light erupted from where Astra stood, making everyone briefly cover their eyes.


    A loud explosion followed as the Thunder Slime collided with the brilliant light.


    When the light receded and everyone was able to see again, they saw the Thunder Slime crashing toward the opposite end of the arena, forming a crater around where itnded.


    Eiko narrowed her gaze as she looked at her rival who had transformed into a demi-human creature.


    A handsome man with long white hair looked at Eiko with a solemn expression on his face. He had the wings of an angel, and the golden horn on his forehead glowed faintly.


    He was holding a sword in each hand, which made him look like an angel that had descended from the heavens to punish those who defied heaven''s will.


    Astra''s strength had now risen to the peak of an Argonaut-Ranked World Boss, giving him a slight advantage over the Thunder Slime that Eiko summoned.


    Suddenly, a giggle reached everyone''s ears.


    Eiko, who was currently in her Fairy Princess form, giggled as if she found something very interesting.


    A few secondster, she flew towards Astra with a fearless grin on her face as if challenging him to fight in closebat.


    Astra, who had already reached the limit of his patience, pped the wings on his back and met Eiko in mid-air.


    He then swung his sword without mercy to the adorable little girl, who had repeatedly pestered him to fight.


    Now that he had transformed into his Ultimate Form, he decided to teach the annoying Fairy Princess a lesson she would never forget�� or at least, that was what he meant to do.


    When Eiko and Astra were only a few meters away from each other, a five-meter-tall Skeleton wielding several weapons in each hand appeared behind Eiko.


    It was none other than Eiko''s Corpse God, which she had learned to use inbat when Lux was training with Hereswith inside the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands.


    Just like her Papa, Eiko had learned the skill Death God''s Aura, which created a crimson mist that manifested around the Corpse God''s body.


    Astra, who initially thought that the Fairy Princess was courting death by challenging him in closebat, now faced the Corpse God, whose role was to protect its Master from any kind of attacks, no matter what form it took.


    "Is this really a Slime?" Alicia asked Vera who was seated beside her. "I''ve never seen Slimes fight like this."


    "She''s not an ordinary Slime," Vera replied with a smile. "She''s my grandson''s and granddaughter''s Baby Slime. Also, she calls me Manma."


    Clearly, Vera also thought of Eiko as an important family member, making Alicia rub her forehead as she tried to digest the information she was receiving.


    The beautiful secretary of Barbatos Academy then nced at the Half-Elf who was watching the battle from the stands.


    She was wondering what kind of food he was feeding Eiko, and she wished to know the secret to raising a Baby Slime, who was just as strong and cute as the one in the arena.


    Even Alexander, who was watching from his VIP seat, didn''t expect Eiko to have such high fighting prowess.


    To be honest, he didn''t think too highly of Eiko in the past. For him, a Slime was only a Slime, and couldn''t be treated as a Rare or Unique Monster.


    But, after seeing this battle, his impression of the Baby Slime, who was always perched on top of Lux''s head, changed by leaps and bounds.


    Maximilian, who had secretlye to investigate themotion, was also shocked by the things he witnessed in the arena.


    Simr to Alexander, he only thought of Eiko as a pet. But after seeing the battle, he realized how wrong his first impression was.

 Chapter 805 Dance Of The Fairy Princess [Part 3]

    ?


    The sound of weapons shing reverberated in the arena as Astra and the Corpse God exchanged blows with each other.


    Although he was now an Argonaut-Ranked World Boss, Astra was still feeling pressured by Eiko''s tenacity and fighting ability.


    Not only did the Unicorn have to block the Corpse God''s attacks, he also had to evade Eiko''s punches and kicks, which forced him to distance himself from the Fairy Princess.


    However, since Eiko could teleport, she would always reappear in front of him, giving him no time to catch a breath.


    Left with no choice, Astra created five clones of himself in order to help him attack the Fairy Princess. However, this was a mistake.


    He wasn''t the only one who could make clones!


    "Eyah!" Eiko shouted.


    A momentter, five Fairy Princesses appeared behind her.


    Since these five copies could use all of Eiko''s abilities, they also summoned their own Corpse Gods, almost making Astra and his clones puke blood.


    An all out dogfight took ce in the skies of arena as six Astra''s and six Eiko''s fought tooth and nail against each other.


    """Dragon''s Breath!"""


    Eiko and her clones unleashed purple Dragon''s Breaths, which was imbued by the power of the Pseudo-Transcendent mes she received back in the ckrock n.


    This power burned the mana of its targets, which also dealt an equivalent magical damage to them.


    Astra, who was caught by this attack at point-nk range, barely avoided the attack. However, he wasn''t able to evade itpletely.


    His left arm was hit by the attack, and his face distorted in pain. Astra immediately backed away to a safe distance.


    Their battle momentarily came to a halt as Eiko and her clones hovered in the air with their arms crossed over their chest.


    Clearly, they were giving their enemy time to recover so that he could continue to fight them to his fullest.


    "I admit that you are strong," Astra said in a cold tone. "But this won''t be enough to beat me. You lost your opportunity to win the moment you stopped attacking me."


    Unknown to Eiko, Astra had been secretly channeling an Ultimate Spell while fighting her.


    Now that Ultimate Spell waspleted, all Astra needed to do was unleash this devastating attack that epassed the entirety of the arena.


    Without any warning, Astra threw one of his swords towards the sky.


    This sword then exploded, forming a giant magical array on the heavens.


    "Magna Kyrie Eleison!" Astra roared.


    He knew that Alexander had also activated the safety mechanism that would instantly teleport anyone that was about to receive a fatal injury. Because of this, Astra threw caution to the wind and unleashed his ultimate attack that could instantly kill a Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster.


    Eiko and her clones were bathed by the brilliant light that descended from the heavens.


    Although the light was quite intense, the people watching the battle didn''t cover their faces and simply waited for the oue of the battle.


    The arena shook repeatedly, and cracks appeared on the barrier. However, since Alexander was there, it didn''t break and endured the brunt of Astra''s strongest attack.


    A minuteter, the light finally faded.


    Iris'', Cai''s, Alicia''s, Alexander''s, and Maximilian''s eyes widened in shock because what they saw in the arena wasn''t the oue that all of them had envisioned.


    Eiko and her clones were perfectly unscathed by Astra''s full-powered attack.


    In fact, the Fairy Princess was even eating some cookies, which the maids had secretly given her this morning after breakfast.


    "H-How?" Alicia muttered in disbelief. "Why does she look perfectly fine?"


    "That''s because Eiko is immune to Holy, Light, and Divine Magic," Vera replied as if this was a very obvious thing. "No matter how strong the attack is, unless it surpasses the Divine Rank, it won''t have any effect on her whatsoever."


    This information made Alicia and those who heard Vera''s exnation look at the Fairy Princess in disbelief.


    They just couldn''tprehend how a Baby Slime was able to bepletely immune to an attack that could turn a Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster into ashes.


    "Done?" Eiko asked after finishing thest cookie in her hand. "My turn?"


    Due to how shocked Astra was, he was unable to reply to Eiko''s question. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Assuming that his silence was a yes, Eiko raised her hand and summoned a Skeleton Bomb that was at least twenty-meters tall.


    This was a lesser version of Eiko''s tactical Nuke that could obliterate a quarter of an entire city if detonated.


    She had ten of these Skeleton Bombs in her possession, which she had made with Glee''s help.


    Since Astra had used his ultimate attack, Eiko decided to also use her own ultimate attack, which would end the battle between them.


    "Boom Boom," Eiko said as she casually tossed the giant Skeleton Bomb at her opponent. "Bakugan!"


    "I-I concede!" Astra shouted.


    The Unicorn no longer had the strength and willpower to continue fighting, especially after using his strongest attack that was supposed to be his trump card.


    Not to mention, his strongest attack didn''t even harm a strand of Eiko''s hair, making him wonder if he was just having a dream of fighting against the Baby Slime, who had wanted to have a rematch with him for a very long time.


    After hearing Astra''s surrender, Alexander waved his hand, making the giant Skeleton Bomb stop mid-air and preventing it from exploding.


    Although he was confident that the barrier wouldn''t break as long as he was around, he no longer dared to underestimate the destructive power of the Fairy Princess, who had made his world views turn upside down.


    "Yay!" Eiko spun her body round and round before dancing in the air like a ballerina.


    She was so happy about her victory over Astra that she couldn''t help but express her emotions by letting her body move as she pleased.


    Dancing was an unknown concept to her, but that was what exactly happened.


    Eiko danced happily above the arena, making those who saw it smile due to how happy and charming she looked as she allowed her emotions to run free.


    A minuteter, she flew towards Iris and hugged her tight.


    "I won, Mama!" Eiko said with a big smile on her face.


    "Congrattions," Iris replied before nting a kiss on the adorable girl''s face.


    Eiko giggled happily before kissing Iris back. After that, she returned to her Baby Slime form and nuzzled Iris'' cheeks.


    The blue-haired beauty then lightly patted the Baby Slime''s face, making Eiko very satisfied.


    A momentter, Iris nced at her Guardian, Astra, who had also returned to his Unicorn Form, with his head down and looking very dejected.


    ''You did well, Astra,'' Iris said softly through telepathy. ''There is no shame in losing to Eiko. Just like how she strived to be strong in order to beat you, you must also strive to be stronger in order to beat her next time.''


    Astra, who hadn''t looked at this angle, slowly raised his head and looked at his Master, who was giving him an encouraging look.


    ''Let''s be strong together, Astra,'' Iris stated. ''Next time, it will be you who will be asking Eiko for a rematch. Have you forgotten? You have beaten her twice. She only beat you once. So the score is 2 ,ictories, and 1 loss. You are still ahead by one win.''


    Although Astra knew that Iris was merely consoling him, her words had moved him and stroked his desire to be stronger.


    Now that he had a goal in mind, the Unicorn decided to train harder so that the next time he met Eiko, he would be the one to challenge her in a battle. And this time, he would no longer be the one losing.


    Seeing that her Guardian had regained his willpower, the blue-haired beauty secretly thanked Eiko in her heart.


    Because of this incident, Astra would not be the only one who would be serious about bing stronger.


    Her other Guardians, who had also watched the battle from their connection with her, also became determined to not let the Baby Slime, whom they didn''t take seriously in the past, to get ahead of them in terms of strength.


    Fei Fei, who was perched on Cai''s head, looked at Eiko with a determined expression on her face.


    After seeing her best friend fight, a desire that wasn''t there in the past started to bloom in the Baby Golden Slime''s heart.


    Perhaps sensing her Beast Companion''s thoughts, Cai held Fei Fei in her hands and kissed her forehead.


    ''Let''s also be strong, Fei Fei,'' Cai said through her connection with her Baby Slime.


    ''Wei!'' Fei Fei nodded her head.


    Later that day, Cai rummaged through her Grandpa''s collection of Beast Cores and picked the ones she could feed to Fei Fei in order to make her stronger.


    Maximilian, who had seen the battle, also thought that making Fei Fei strong was a good investment.


    If Fei Fei could be as strong as Eiko, then he would feel more assured that his granddaughter would have anotheryer of protection that would shield her from those who wished her harm.

 Chapter 806 My Intuition Tells Me That It’s A Girl

    ?


    A day had passed since Eiko''s and Astra''s battle.


    "Tomorrow, the Rankers of Barbatos Academy and the Rowan Tribe will depart for the Domain of the Fallen," Alexander said after they had just finished their lunch. "I talked to Mother, and she agreed to apany Iris and Cai to the meeting ce to ensure their safety.


    "This is also our way of telling the Xynnar War Pact, the Skystead Alliance, and the Six Kingdoms, that we have one more Saint on our side. I''m pretty sure that they will be shocked after seeing her, and this will also make them take our Faction more seriously."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. He felt a lot better after knowing that his Grandma would escort Iris and Cai to the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen.


    If possible, he also wanted toe with them, but time was not on his side.


    He had to meet with the Steward of the Crystal Pce as soon as possible so that he could ask whether his Guild could take asylum in their territory.


    An hourter, Lux, Iris, and Cai went to the blue-haired beauty''s residence to spend the remainder of the day together.


    Iris even told her Father and Grandma that they would not be joining them for dinner.


    Because of this, Vera volunteered to take care of Eiko and Fei Fei for the time being, understanding well what her granddaughter wanted to do.


    Since they only had a day to be together, Lux and his two fiances nned to make the best of it before the sun rose, when all of them had to depart to carry out their respective missions.


    As soon as they entered Iris'' bedroom, the blue-haired beauty dragged Lux to the bed without another word.


    Naturally, the Half-Elf didn''t resist and even allowed his two fiances to remove his clothes, while the twodies took turns in kissing his lips.


    Lux''s lean and toned body, which had be more attractive after bing a Ranker, was something that Iris and Cai were both secretly happy about.


    Of course, this was also what the Half-Elf thought as Iris and Cai also removed their clothes in front of him.


    After bing Rankers, the two gorgeousdies even became more seductive in his eyes.


    His only problem was that his eyes automatically darted to their thighs, which made him swallow hard and his little brother stood up like a warrior that was about to fight a war every time.


    Seeing his reaction, the twodies nced at each other before lowering their heads to take turns in kissing the little guy, which made Lux breathe deeply.


    Lux felt that he was the luckiest and happiest man in the world as the twodies did their best to make him feel good.


    After losing her chastity, Cai seemed to have gotten bolder. She even took the initiative to take the Half-Elf''s member inside her mouth, while Iris licked and sucked his balls.


    Lux''s hands weren''t being idle as he yed and teased the entrance of their caves, which his little brother would be exploringter.


    A few minutester, a groan escaped Lux''s lips as his seed spurted inside Cai''s mouth.


    The High Priestess closed her eyes as the Half-Elf''s member twitched inside her mouth. She kept her mouth around his member, making sure that she didn''t spill a single drop.


    When Lux''s climax ended, Cai covered her lips with her hand before swallowing.


    For some reason, the sight of the High Priestess swallowing his essence made the love and desire in Lux''s chest re up, allowing his member to retain its hardness.


    Fortunately, what happened with Cai the other day didn''t happen again, allowing Lux to make love to the both of them six rounds each.


    He didn''t want to overdo it because his second fiance had a limit on the number of times that she could make love to Lux.


    Also, since both girls were headed to thest Gate of the Apocalypse, he didn''t want to tire them too much.


    After their love making ended, the three of them took a bath and returned to the bed just to cuddle and hug each other.


    "How long do you think it will take for the three of us to be together again?" Iris asked as she rested her head on Lux''s chest.


    "I don''t know," Lux replied honestly. "After going to the Crystal Pce, I have to go to Agartha to meet with someone."


    "Hmm�� my intuition tells me that it''s a girl," Caimented with her head resting on Lux''s shoulder. "Am I right, or am I wrong?"


    "You''re right," Lux answered. "Her name is Aurora."


    "She has a beautiful name," Iris said. "Is she also beautiful?"


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    "More beautiful than us?" Cai inquired in a teasing tone.


    "Just as beautiful as the two of you," Lux answered in a heartbeat.


    Iris and Cai gave each other a knowing nce before sucking Lux''s nipples hard at the same time, which made the Half-Elf''s body stiffen.


    Lux knew that his two fiances were merely teasing him, so he decided to retaliate by pinching their nipples as well!


    A momentter, the three frolicked on the bed, which ended with Lux making love to them two more times before finally calling it a day.


    "This is the first time you''ve asked me to do something like this," Iris asked.


    "I just want to experiment a little," Lux replied while his head rested on Iris''s thighs.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Experiment a bit?" Iris arched an eyebrow as she lightly brushed Lux''s hair.


    "Yes."


    "And the result of your experiment is?"


    "Your thighs are amazing."


    Cai, who didn''t want to lose to Iris, decided to join in on the fun.


    Soon the Half-Elf found himself sandwiched between the thighs of his two fiances, making him wonder if they nned to send him on a one-way-trip to heaven.


    ������������������


    Right before sunrise, Lux, Iris, and Cai stood at the gates of Barbatos Academy.


    The three of them were reluctant to part with each other, but they understood that each of them had their own responsibilities.


    They hugged each other till the veryst moment, with Eiko and Fei Fei joining them as well.


    "Protect Mama!" Eiko said to the White Unicorn who was standing a few meters away from Iris.


    Astra gave the baby slime the "You don''t have to tell me" re, which Eiko responded to by ring back at him as well.


    "It''s time to go," Vera said as she gave Lux a hug. "Make sure to send some reports to the Guild Chat from time to time."


    "I will, Grandma," Lux replied. "Please also update me on the recent happenings in the Gate of the Apocalypse."


    Vera nodded and promised her grandson that she would do just that.


    Soon, Iris, Cai, Henrietta, and Xander, along with the other Rankers of Barbatos Academy and the Rowan Tribe, entered Maximilian''s portable teleportation gate that would send them a mile away from the entrance of the Gate of the Fallen.


    Keane and Gerhart were still in the midst of doing their Ranker Trials, so they were unable to join this expedition.


    As for Cethus, he was waiting for Lux in the Crystal Pce, as part of their agreement.


    Although the Dragon Born felt that it was regrettable to not enter thest Gate of the Apocalypse, he understood that his Guild''s safety was the top priority.


    Iris, Cai, and Vera were thest people to enter the portal. However, before they did, they waved goodbye at Lux onest time, making the Half-Elf almost want to join them on their adventure.


    Still, he endured and waved back at them with a smile on his face.


    Only when everyone had left did the Half-Elf sigh deeply, making him feel a little lonely.


    Alexander, who stood by his side, rested his hand on his stepson''s shoulder.


    "If you need my help, feel free to call me anytime," Alexander stated. "It doesn''t matter if you are facing the Divine Army of Light or other strong opponents. There is no shame in asking for help, especially when you are dealing with Saints."


    Lux nodded and promised his stepfather that he would not hesitate to ask for his help if he truly needed it.


    Maximilian said the same thing as Alexander and even yfully messed with Lux''s hair, making Eiko bite his hand out of annoyance.


    The Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe roared inughter after seeing the feisty Baby Slime protect her Papa from his actions.


    As a Saint, Eiko''s bite did nothing to him. He even felt that the Baby Slime was quite cute as shetched onto his hand, not letting it go.


    "Eiko, it''s fine," Lux coaxed the Baby Slime to let go of his soon to be grandfather-inw''s hand. "Sir Maximilian is just teasing me."


    Eiko also understood that she wasn''t doing any damage to the old coot, so she decided to just stick her tongue out at him, making the old manugh out loud for the second time.


    "I''ll be going now," Lux said as he gave two of his strongest allies a nod of farewell.


    "Be careful," Alexander replied. "I''ll always be free to lend my hand if you need me."


    "I as well," Maximilian stated. "One of these days, I''ll visit your Guild Headquarters and see what kind of fun things you are cooking up in there."


    Lux smiled before pressing his closed fist over his chest.


    "Open, Heaven''s Gate!"


    A sh of light wrapped around Lux''s entire body.


    A momentter, he disappeared from where he stood and returned to the Outer Reaches to handle the matter of his Guild Headquarters.


    Although he felt a little anxious about his two fiances going inside thest Gate of the Apocalypse without him, he tried to brush it off, assuring himself with the fact that there were many Rankers who would protect them.


    He wasn''t aware that within thest Gate of the Sacred Dungeon, an incident that no one had anticipated was about to unfold.

 Chapter 807 The Crystal Palace [Part 1]

    ?


    Outer Reaches��


    "You''re finally back, Lux," Gaap said with a smile. "How was your family reunion?"


    "It went well, Master," Lux replied. "We can now go to the Crystal Pce to talk to their Steward. Did Cethus already make the preparations?"


    Gaap nodded. "He returned here yesterday and set the coordinates to one of the Strongholds near the Capital City of the Crystal Dragons. However, he didn''t stay for long and went to Rex Lapis to meet his other Grandma, Faustina. It seems that he needed to report to her that he had sessfully be a Ranker or something."


    Lux smirked due to how filial Cethus was. Because of his two exceptional grandmothers, the Dragon Born was able to walk unhindered in both Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce.


    "Well then, shall we go now?" Gaap asked as he finished drinking his tea. "The sooner we talk to the Steward, the better."


    The Half-Elf nodded his head in agreement and followed his Master to the teleportation gate.


    Truth be told, he was feeling slightly anxious about meeting Lady Augustina, who was the Steward of the Crystal Pce.


    Although she was Cethus'' grandmother, he couldn''t be as calm and collected as the arrogant Dragon Born. After all, he was going to meet a Supreme.


    Perhaps, noticing his anxiety, Gaap only patted his shoulders and gave him a reassuring smile.


    "Don''t be so tense," Gaap stated. "Even if she doesn''t agree, we can always just wander around and look for a ce that we can call our home."


    Lux smiled and felt less anxious about meeting the Steward of the Crystal Pce. He once asked Keoza if he knew Lady Augustina, but the Dragon Token remained silent, no matter how much the Half-Elf asked about the Crystal Pce.


    It was as if Keoza had gone into hibernation and didn''t want to bother answering Lux''s inquiries.


    When the Half-Elf and the Halfling entered the teleportation gate, they were weed by dozens of armed Dragon Borns, who seemed to be waiting for their arrival.


    To Lux''s surprise, the one at the very front was a very familiar-looking Dragon Born, who was looking at him with a very big smile on his face.


    The smile was so wide that Lux felt as if his liver was itching��more especially so when he was reminded that it wasing from a Saint who had waited for him for nearly a month at the entrance of the Gate of the Fallen.


    "H-Hello, Uncle Poro," Lux greeted the Dragon Born with a smile.


    Poro didn''t reply. Instead, he walked towards the Half-Elf in a steady pace, with the same smile stered on his face.


    When he was only a meter away from the red-headed teenager, he reached out his arm and grabbed Lux''s robes, lifting him high up in the air with one hand.


    "You brat, how dare you make me wait at the entrance of the Gate of the Fallen for a very long time?!" Poro roared in anger, making all the Rankers that hade to wee Lux and Gaap snicker. "Also, who are you calling Uncle? I have no recollection of having a bastard like you as my nephew!"


    Poro was one of the highest-ranking nobles of the Crystal Pce, and only a handful of individuals could make the hot-tempered Dragon Born rein in his anger.


    Lux, who received Poro''s anger, as well as flying spittle, could only hang helplessly as the Dragon Born continued to spout a litany of curses.


    Although he was being berated, the Dragon Born looked and sounded cute, at leastpared to the curses that he received from his Grandmaster, Hereswith.


    After the Half-Elf''s face was drenched by Poro''s spittle, Lux calmly wiped his face with a handkerchief, which made the Saint even angrier.


    Just as he was about to shake Lux''s body to oblivion, an amused voice resounded in the sky, which made the Dragon Born cease all hostilities.


    "Poro, bring him here to the Pce," Lady Augustina ordered. "I want to have a proper talk with him."


    Poro red at the Half-Elf before putting him back down on the ground. "Follow me!"


    He didn''t even bother to wait for Lux''s reply before turning around to fly in the sky.


    Lux summoned his mount, Jed, and helped his Master, Gaap, to mount him as well.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The Thunder Warg King then flew high in the air and followed the Dragon Born, who flew at a steady pace, not leaving them behind.


    The other Rankers just watched them from a distance.


    Since Poro was the one to personally pick up Lux from the teleportation gate, they no longer needed to escort him to the Crystal Pce, where their Steward was waiting for him.


    After traveling for half an hour, Lux noticed something shining in the distance. As they came closer to it, he realized that he was staring at a structure that looked as if it was made from crystal.


    Lux had seen many things, but he had never seen something like this in his lifetime.


    "It has been a while since I''ve been to the Crystal Pce," Gaapmented from behind Lux. "It looks just as majestic as I remembered it."


    The Crystal Pce was a pce literally made up of crystals.


    However, these crystals were a bit special.


    It was made from the Dragon Breath of a Supreme-Ranked Crystal Dragon, creating a nearly invincible stronghold that wouldn''t break even if it was hit by a full-powered blow from a Supreme.


    Simr to Lux''s Guild Headquarters, the Crystal Pce was located in the middle of a Mountain.


    At its base was the Capital City of Rex Zariza, which served as the main city of those that belonged to the Crystal Pce.


    As Lux, Gaap, and Poro approached the airspace of the capital, the Half-Elf frowned because he could feel the power of a being that far outssed a Saint.


    His Dragon King''s Aura was domineering, but he mostly reigned it inside his body.


    This aura, however, was radiating so intensely, like an invisible sun, making beads of sweat form on Lux''s forehead.


    A few minutester, Poro descended from the sky. The Half-Elf followed suit and guided Jed tond at the entrance of the Pce, where several individuals were waiting for them.


    "Wee to the Crystal Pce, Lux."


    Aur, who looked as handsome as ever, greeted Lux with a smile that made the Half-Elf wonder if he was looking at the same person.


    The Dragon Prince that he had met in the past wasn''t this friendly, which made the Half-Elf feel as if something was out of ce.


    "Hello, Your Highness," Lux bowed respectfully at the Dragon Prince, which made Poro nod his head in approval. "It''s a pleasure to see you again."


    Aur eyed the Half-Elf before shaking his head.


    "There is no need for formalities between us," Aur stated. "I know that you''vee here to discuss an important matter with Lady Augustina. She is already waiting for you in the throne room. Please, follow me."


    Lux took a deep breath before following the Dragon Prince inside the Crystal Pce. Now that he had arrived in their territory, he needed to do his best to be as polite and respectful as possible in order to create a good impression.


    What he didn''t know was that the moment he had arrived in the territory of the Crystal Pce, Lady Augustina had already been observing his every move.


    ''So this is the person you chose, Your Majesty,'' Lady Augustina thought as she leaned back on her throne. ''I look forward to meeting him personally.''


    She had heard many things about Lux through her grandson, Cethus, and wondered if he was just exaggerating or telling her the truth.


    But after sensing the Dragon Token in Lux''s possession and feeling a familiar aura inside it, the Steward of the Crystal Pce smiled in her heart.


    She knew that after many years of separation, she would finally get a chance to talk to her true Master, whom she believed to be the only rightful King of the Dragon Race.

 Chapter 808 The Crystal Palace [Part 2]

    ?


    Just like its exterior, the interior of the Crystal Pce was also made up of crystals.


    He knew that Dragons liked to collect treasures, as well as surround themselves with gold, but this was taking things to the next level.


    A few minutester, they finally arrived at the throne room, where Lady Augustina was waiting for them.


    The one to enter first was Aur, followed by Lux, and then Gaap.


    Thest one to enter was Poro as if to make sure that the Half-Elf wouldn''t be going anywhere, just like what happened in the Domain of the Fallen.


    To this day, he still didn''t know how the Half-Elf was able to leave the Domain without exiting through the Gate, which he had been guarding for nearly a month.


    If not for the fact that Lady Augustina had informed him that Lux would being to the Crystal Pce, he would still be there, waiting for the Half-Elf to appear.


    Poro had many questions, but he decided to ask these questionster.


    After all, now that the Half-Elf was within his line of sight, he would make sure that the other party wouldn''t be going anywhere until he got his answers.


    "We finally met face to face, Lux Von Kaizer," Lady Augustina said. "You may have already heard of me, but allow me to introduce myself. My name is Augustina, and I am the Steward of the Crystal Pce. Aur will rece me as its rightful heir when he hase of age.


    "Cethus has already told me about the purpose of your visit. However, I would like to hear from your own mouth, in your own words, about this request that you wish to ask of me."


    The ck-scaled Dragon Born, with silver streaks on the side of her face, looked at the Half-Elf with a calm expression on her face. She was waiting for Lux to say his request and see if it matched what her grandson had told her.


    "First of all, thank you for granting me the time to meet with you, Your Excellency," Lux gave Lady Augustina a respectful bow. "My reason foring here is to ask for your asylum, but before that, allow me to exin why I needed your help. You see��"


    Lux told everyone in the throne room about his recent sh with the Divine Army of Light.


    Aur and Poro, who had no idea why Lux hade to visit them, were shocked because they didn''t expect the Half-Elf to somehow entangle himself with a massive organization that spanned hundreds of Kingdoms and Empires.


    "Unbelievable," Poromented. "So that announcement that was heard all over the world was about you bing a Ranker and unlocking a Sacred ss? Not only that, you are a Progenitor. The first of its kind. This is truly something unexpected."


    Lady Augustiina arched an eyebrow after hearing Lux''s exnation.


    Her no-good grandson, Cethus, had only told her that Lux had gotten into a conflict with the Divine Army of Light. However, he didn''t fully exin to her why the Half-Elf had managed to rub such a big organization off in a bad way.


    Aur, who was just as surprised as Poro, looked at the Half-Elf in admiration. Unlocking a Sacred ss while bing a Ranker was truly an amazing thing.


    Not only that, Lux was a Progenitor of the Heaven''s Necromancer ss, making him unique in the world. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    After hearing Lux''s exnation, everyone in the throne room understood why the Divine Army of Light was targeting him.


    "Heaven''s Necromancer��," Lady Augustina said softly. "Such an absurd and contradicting Profession�� and yet, you are here, standing before me. Tell me, Lux, have you talked to the Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis about this matter as well?"


    Lux nodded. "Since my Guild Headquarters is stationed in the Outer Reaches, the first person whom I asked for help was the Dragon King. Sadly, he wasn''t interested in helping me."


    "I see," Lady Augustina rested the side of her face over the back of her hand and eyed the Half-Elf with a critical gaze. "While I don''t mind giving you Asylum against the Divine Army of Light, what can you offer me in exchange for my protection?"


    "About this��" Lux scratched his head as he looked at the Steward of the Crystal Pce with a helpless smile. "Is there something that Her Excellency wants the most? You are already a Supreme and the ruler of one of the strongest Factions in Elysium. You already have everything, be it treasures, status, and power. Since that is the case, is there something that you want that I might offer in exchange for Asylum?"


    Lady Augustina smiled after hearing Lux''s reply. "You''re quite eloquent with words. While it is true that I can get whatever I want if I wish for it, there are some things that even I didn''t have the ability to get, regardless of my Rank and influence.


    "Truth be told, you have nothing to offer me. However, I would like to ask you a few questions. Take note that I hate liars the most. I want honesty from you. Depending on your answers, I will consider giving you my protection. Do we have an understanding?"


    Lux nodded and waited for Lady Augustina''s questions.


    "The first question is this," Lady Augustina said with a solemn expression on her face. "What is your end goal? The thing that you want to achieve in your lifetime."


    Lux didn''t answer right away as he carefully weighed his words. Inside his head, he was thinking of a way to make his answer sound less "cheesy". He already knew the answer to this question, but he was debating on how he was going to properly word it.


    "I know that what I''m going to say might sound unbelievable and overly pompous, but this is the main reason why I am here in Elysium," Lux replied. "The world of Sis is dying, and I am here to find a way to save it from destruction."


    The corner of Lady Augustina''s curled up into a smile as she made her opinion known.


    "Saving your world is well and good, but the current you can''t even save yourself from the Divine Army of Light" Lady Augustina smirked. "Tell me, do you have any concrete ns for how to save your world, Sis?"


    Lux shook his head. "I have no idea how to save Sis. All I know is that I will find the answer here in Elysium. This is why I needed to explore this world in search of a way to save my world. However, just as Her Excellency had said, the current me can neither save myself nor my guild from the Divine Army of Light, much less save a world.


    "Even so, my goal will not change. I will do everything in my power to find the answer that I am looking for. And for that to happen, I need time to grow and be stronger, which is something that the Divine Army of Light will not allow to happen."


    Lady Augustina nodded her head, sensing that there wasn''t any falsehood in Lux''s reply.


    Poro, on the other hand, snorted in contempt because there was nothing special in Lux''s answer.


    In fact, all the Sians that hade to Elysium had said the same thing.


    They were looking for a way to save their world, so the Half-Elf''s answer wasn''t that special in his eyes.

 Chapter 809 The Crystal Palace [Part 3]

    ?


    "Now that I have heard your goal foring here to Elysium, this is my next question," Lady Augustina stated. "If you were given a choice to choose between what is right and what is easy, which one would you choose?"


    "That will depend on the situation," Lux replied. "And my current ability at that time."


    The Half-Elf then paused before continuing his exnation.


    "Let''s take my current conflict with the Divine Army of Light as an example. They have one-sidedly branded me as a Heretic without taking into consideration the fact that my current Profession was something that I didn''t choose on my own ord. It just so happened that I was able to meet its requirements.


    "Based on this example, those who are in the "right" are only able to be right because they have the strength to back it up. I, however, don''t have this ability. Because of this, if I were given a choice to fight or run away from them, I will choose to run away, which is the easiest choice to make.


    "Fighting them right now is akin to suicide, and I don''t want anyone in my guild to sacrifice their lives needlessly in a battle where there is no hope of winning."


    Lady Augustina closed her eyes as she weighed Lux''s words.


    "You said that fighting them ''right now'' is akin to suicide," Lady Augustinamented. "Does this mean that you will fight them eventually?"


    "If the matter is not resolved between us, then yes," Lux replied. "They are the aggressor in this conflict, and I am only doing my best to survive. If they force my hand, then I will, of course, fight back. However, I will fight back on my own terms, and in a way that will allow me to survive."


    "Gueri tactics then?"


    "It is one of the options that are avable for those who are at a disadvantage."


    Poro chuckled after hearing Lux''s reply. For Saints like him, there was no need for guerri tactics. They could simply tten an entire city if they had to, and that would be enough deterrence for anyone to stop making a move on them.


    "Next question. You ask for asylum, but how long do you n to stay under my protection?" Lady Augustina asked.


    "One year," Lux answered in a heartbeat. "Please grant us protection for one year. After that, we will leave the Crystal Pce and no longer trouble you again."


    Lux''s answer caught everyone in the throne roompletely by surprise. Even Lady Augustina didn''t expect that the Half-Elf would only ask for a year of protection, instead of an entire lifetime.


    "A year?" Lady Augustina lightly tapped the armrest of her throne. "Are you sure that you only need a year?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes. I only need a year."


    "Hah! What a joke!" Poro voiced his opinion out loud for everyone to hear. "How much can you aplish in a year? Do you think you can be a Saint in a year''s time?"


    Lux didn''t reply and simply held Lady Augustina''s gaze. The one he needed to convince was not Poro, but the Steward of the Crystal Pce, who had the highest authority in this Domain.


    Regardless of what Cethus'' Uncle thought, Lux wasn''t someone who wanted to hug someone''s thigh forever, unless they were the thighs of his lovers.


    Gaap had informed him beforehand that Dragons and Dragon Borns were a very proud race. He added that powerful beings only wanted to treat others of the same rank as equals. For someone as lowly as Lux, showing a sign of weakness would make these proud individuals look down on him.


    Since that was the case, he decided to only ask his Guild Headquarters to be stationed in the territory of the Crystal Pce for a year.


    He believed that in that span of time, he and his Guild Members would be able to think of a strategy to make the Divine Army of Light understand that they weren''t soft persimmons that they could pinch anytime they wanted.


    Even a cornered animal would bite back if left with no other choice, and Lux was willing to bite back as hard as he could to make those who wished him dead feel a world of pain.


    After Poro''s initial outburst, an awkward silence descended upon the throne room as the Half-Elf and the Steward of the Crystal Pce continued to observe each other''s reaction.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Lady Augustina finally spoke.


    "I have heard your answers," Lady Augustina stated. "And I shall let you know my answer tomorrow. For the time being, you can rest in the guest rooms that we have prepared for you and your Master. One more thing, please leave your Dragon Token behind. I needed to look at it to check its authenticity. You don''t mind doing that, right?"


    Lux took out the Dragon Token from his storage ring and looked at it with a solemn expression on his face.


    A momentter, he extended his hand, presenting the Dragon Token on the palm of his hand to the Steward of the Crystal Pce.


    With a motioning gesture from Lady Augustina, the Dragon Token flew in her direction andnded on her wed hands.


    "You may take your leave," Lady Augustina stated. "Also, everyone, please leave the throne room. I need some time to think on my own."


    Aur nodded and walked towards the Half-Elf.


    "Please follow me, Lux," Aur said. "I will take you to the guest room."


    "Understood," Lux replied.


    The Half-Elf gave the Dragon Token in Lady Augustina''s hand onest nce before following behind Aur.


    Only when thest person had exited the throne room did Lady Augustina look at the Dragon Token in her hand with reverence.


    "Your Majesty, I missed you," Lady Augustina said in a somewhat hoarse voice.


    Suddenly, a sigh sounded from the Dragon Token as it glowed faintly in her hands.


    "It has been hard on you, Augustina," Keoza replied in an apologetic tone. "How is she? Is she well?"


    "I''m sure that she misses you as much as I do, Your Majesty," Lady Augustina stated. "Would you like to see her?"


    "�� Please." Keoza''s voice, which was filled with longing made Lady Augustina be teary-eyed.


    "Right away, Your Majesty," the Steward of the Crystal Pce held the Dragon Token with the utmost care in her hand before disappearing from her throne.


    As Keoza''s right-hand woman, she had been given the task to protect everything he had left behind, including his wife and child, whom he was forced to abandon for the sake of the continuation of the entire Dragon Race.


    Before doing so, he had transferred all of his powers to Lady Augustina, allowing her to be a Supreme and safeguard everyone who believed in him.


    This was why he was nowhere to be found on the day of his coronation, allowing the current Dragon King to take his ce as a recement.


    Only a handful of people, including his wife, Lady Augustina, and Poro knew of the true reason for his disappearance.


    Now that Keoza was back in his own Domain, he wished to see his wife, whom he hadn''t seen for centuries.


    Leaving the Half-Elf in the care of the Dragon Prince, who had be more friendly toward him since they hadst seen each other in the Gate of Famine.

 Chapter 810 Lux’s Good Luck Charm

    ?


    "By the way, Your Highness, aren''t you supposed to be exploring the Gate of the Apocalypse right now?" Lux asked as he trailed behind Aur, who was leading him to the guest room prepared just for him.


    "Calling me Your Highness after fighting side by side with me sounds stiff," Aur replied before giving Lux a smile that would make anydy swoon over him. "Just call me Aur. I''ve been calling you Lux, so it''s only fair that you call me by name as well."


    "But��" Lux nced at Poro, who was walking beside them with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Since His Highness has given you permission to call him by his name, you should just obey and be honored for receiving such treatment," Poro replied. "Such privileges are not given to just anyone, so you better be thankful for the grace that he has given you, filthy Low Lander."


    Lux wasn''t offended by Poro''s taunts and instead found it very tame.


    After all, he had been stuck with Hereswith for two whole weeks. Compared to his grandmaster''s profanities, the Dragon Born''s ridicule felt just like a passing wind.


    "You asked me why I didn''t go to the Gate of the Apocalypse, right?" Aur said. "Originally, the n was for me to go there, along with the Rankers of the Crystal Pce. However, after hearing from Aunt Augustina that you would being to our Domain, I decided to stay and let my subordinates handle the exploration by themselves.


    "By the way, how did you manage to leave the Dungeon without appearing at the Gate of the Fallen? Poro waited outside the gate for nearly a month, you know?"


    The ck-scaled Dragon Born''s lips twitched after being reminded of the wasted time that he had spent, waiting for the Half-Elf to exit the Dungeon.


    Just like Aur, he was curious about how the Half-Elf was able to leave without leaving the Dungeon the normal way.


    "Um, about that, after I left the Dungeon, I was teleported to a different ce," Lux said with a calm expression on his face. "Since I was already outside the Dungeon, I returned to the Outer Reaches in order to handle a few things in my Guild Headquarters. Then, I returned to my home world to have a family reunion.


    "Actually, I just returned from Sis, and the first thing I did wase here to the Crystal Pce to ask the Steward for protection against the Divine Army of Light."


    Poro remained silent as Lux exined what happened on his side after leaving the Dungeon.


    As a Saint, he knew that the Half-Elf only spoke half-truths. Even so, since Aur was around, he decided to no longer berate the red-headed teenager for making him wait for nearly a month.


    "The name of your world is Sis, right?" Aur inquired. "What is it like? All of you Foreigners can visit our world, but we are unable to visit your world. Sometimes, I feel that it is a little unfair."


    "Well, I have only seen a bit of Sis, so I can''t really give you a good description of it," Lux answered. "I grew up in Wildgarde Stronghold and stayed there for 16 years. You can even say that I have seen more of Elysium than I had seen Sis. Here, I can go anywhere I want without worrying about the miasma that is spreading at the borders of our territories."


    The Half-Elf then told the Dragon Prince about his life in Wildgarde Stronghold, as well as the frustrations he had in the past due to his weak body.


    Naturally, he neither told Aur about the God of Games nor about how he managed to recover from his weakness. He only mentioned that he had a fortuitous encounter and that it allowed him to finallye to Elysium, where his adventure officially started.


    "The Kingdom of Gweliven?" Aur pondered. "The name isn''t familiar to me. But I''m a bit jealous. You can travel to different ces whenever you want. As for me��"


    Aur trailed off and didn''t finish his exnation.


    Lux understood that, as the Prince of the Crystal Pce, the ces he was allowed to go to were very limited. Not only that, even if he were allowed to go out, he would always be surrounded by countless protectors that would ensure his safety.


    "Your Highness, the outside world isn''t as safe as you think," Poromented. "As the sole Heir of the Crystal Pce, your safety is of the utmost import��"


    "Enough, Poro," Aur stated. "I understand. You don''t have to worry about me."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Yes, Your Highness." The Dragon Born bowed apologetically to his Prince.


    A few minutester, they finally arrived at their destination.


    The Half-Elf thought that Aur would leave as soon as he showed him his temporary lodgings. But on the contrary, the Dragon Prince stayed inside the room and asked Lux to tell him about his adventures in Leaf Vige.


    Of course, Aur didn''t forget to ask Lux how he was able to acquire the Dragon Token, which he had temporarily turned over to Lady Augustina for safekeeping.


    "Hahaha, you fought against Kobolds?" Poroughed. "You''re lucky that the Cadmus Guy didn''t snap your head off. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn''t think twice about doing it."


    "Well, I am on good terms with the Kobold Tribe now after that incident," Lux replied. "In fact, they were one of my first Guild Members. They are even helping me gather resources for my Guild."


    "That''s the only thing they are good for." Poro snorted. "Dig, dig, and dig. They are like those Dwarves that have nothing better to do than burrow under the Earth. Um, Dwarves, as ofte, have learned to explore above the ground as well. Their ability to not get lost in the ces that they have traveled before is a very remarkable ability."


    Lux could tell that Poro looked down on anyone aside from the Dragon Race, but he was fine with that.


    Cethus was the same in the past, but now, the Dragon Born had be less arrogant�� at least when he was with them.


    "So, ever since that day you cleared the Dungeon, you have had the Dragon Token in your hands, right?" Aur asked with a calm expression on his face. "You also said that you have summoned K-Keoza twice. That means that you can only summon him onest time?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes. He said that I could call out to him three times. There was a time when he helped me of his own ord even when I didn''t ask for his help. If he hadn''t, I don''t know what might have happened to me. Back then, I was consumed by the lust for vengeance that I don''t have much recollection of what happened. All I wanted to do in my berserk state was to kill people."


    The Half-Elf noticed that Aur and Poro were very interested in the stories about Keoza. Because of this, he told them about the times when he asked for the Crystal Dragon''s help, as well as the advice he had given to him whenever he needed it the most.


    "You are lucky to have received His Maje��I mean, Keoza''s Dragon Token." Poro cleared his throat. "I''m sure that you would have long been dead if you hadn''t acquired it due to how stupid and weak you are."


    "Well, you''re not wrong," Lux nodded. "I owe Keoza a lot. With him by my side, I feel like I have a good luck charm that will help me ovee the obstacles that stand before me."


    "Hmph!" Poro snorted, but he didn''t say anything to the Half-Elf.


    Aur, on the other hand, smiled and asked Lux to continue his tale about his adventures in Sis.


    Seeing how enthusiastic the Dragon Prince was, the Half-Elf decided to continue his tale until the sun had set over the horizon.


    When Aur left the room, he thanked Lux for his time and promised to apany him in exploring their Capital City, Rex Zariza, when morning came.


    The Half-Elf thanked Aur and Poro for their hospitality before retiring for the night.


    His Master, Gaap, had left the Half-Elf to talk to some old acquaintances and promised that he would be back as soon as possible.


    Since the Halfling still hadn''t returned, Lux thought that he might be doing a lot of catching up with the Dragon Borns who owed a lot of debt to his Grandmaster, Hereswith.

 Chapter 811 Firmly Tied By The Red Strings Of Fate

    ?


    Inside the Inner Pce of the Crystal Pce��


    An exceptionally beautiful woman was currently sobbing as she held the Dragon Token dearly against her chest.


    "My Love, I missed you terribly," the beautiful woman said through her tears. "It has been so long since I heard your voice. How long have I waited for this day? Why did you only visit me now? Can''t you have returned to me sooner?"


    The sadness and heartache in the woman''s voice made Keoza''s soul also feel heartbroken despite the fact that he currently didn''t have a body.


    "Forgive me, Evangeline," Keoza said softly. "I wish I could have returned sooner. But it took a while for Fate to y her hand. I''m sorry for making you wait for a very long time."


    Evangeline wept as she pressed Keoza''s Dragon token against her chest, wishing that it could merge with her body so that they could always be together.


    Lady Augustina, who was watching this from the side, also had tears streaming down the side of her face. Just like Evangeline, she had terribly missed her Master, who should have been the one and only Dragon King of the entire Dragon Race.


    "Our child has already grown so much," Keozamented. "It must have been hard on you."


    Evangeline shook her head. "If it wasn''t because of your sacrifice, our child wouldn''t have been born in the first ce. Aur looks a lot like you when you were younger."


    "No," Keoza replied. "Aur looks more like you. Only the color of our eyes is the same."


    "Yes, your blue eyes that remind me of the clear blue sky from the day you confessed your love to me." Evangeline smiled as the tears in her eyes continued to flow. "It has been over a hundred years since then. My Love, how long must I wait for your return? Although your voice alleviates my pain a little, I want to hold you in my arms and be embraced by you in return."


    "I wish I knew, My love," Keoza replied. "Right now, Lux can summon my soul one more time. After that, my contract with him will be over. Then I will regain my freedom."


    "Can''t you simply ask him to just free you instead?" Evangeline asked. "I''m sure that he will dly do it in exchange for us allowing him to seek asylum here in our domain. If that''s not enough, we can always give him treasures. Must we really wait until he has a need for you before you can return to your original body?"


    A sigh emanated from the Dragon Token.


    "Evangeline, although I am sure that Lux will readily agree to my request, I won''t ask him to free me just yet."


    "B-But why? Haven''t you helped him enough? Haven''t you sacrificed enough?"


    Keoza''s gentle voice, which Lux had never heard before, whispered in the beautiful woman''s heart.


    "Right now, Lux is facing individuals who stand at the Apex of the World," Keoza said. "He has just be a Ranker, and his opponents are already Saints. Even if his Guild Headquarters is to be given Asylum here in the Crystal Pce, his Fate lies elsewhere.


    "He will venture to ces that few people have set their eyes on.


    "Challenge monsters who are above his league.


    "Face obstacles that will challenge his limits.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "And meet people, who will form strong bonds with him, which will also be his strength in the uncertain future thaty in front of us."


    Suddenly, Keoza''s demi-human form materialized in front of Evangeline. He lowered his head and kissed his wife''s forehead as he lovingly cupped her face, making her look into his blue eyes that had made her heart skip a beat centuries ago.


    "My Love, I ask you to wait a little bit longer." Keoza smiled faintly before kissing her lips. A few secondster, he pulled back and once again returned to the Dragon Token in her hand.


    "When Darknesses knocking on Heaven''s Doors, the sun shall rise over darkened skies," Keoza said with a solemn voice. "With his Unholy Army, he will open the Gates of Heaven, and from there, he will descend upon the world and end the folly of the craven.


    "When the Void delivers its greeting, the world''s survival will be fleeting. Despite the struggles of the living, it is the Dead whose des will do the killing.


    "Looking for the Pirs of Serenity will aid a world of its Longevity. Even if you were to hold the power of Eternity, without a heart, all will fall to Depravity.


    "As the final hour approaches, all hope will vanish without a trace. Only the bonds forged from countless heartaches will make both worlds a better ce."


    The Dragon Token glowed faintly, warming Evangeline''s weeping heart. She understood that her husband had chosen to save the world in his own way, and because of this, she decided to trust her husband and wait.


    Wait until his oath was fulfilled by helping the Half-Elf onest time.


    The words that Keoza said, she knew them all by heart. For she was the one that had seen that grim future and almost lost her heart.


    Her child back then, who was still unborn, was the one who suffered from the bacsh of her vision.


    And in order to save Aur and their future, Keoza decided to take matters into his own hands.


    Turning his back on his responsibilities as King, he did what he thought was the right thing.


    Making a pact with the one God remaining in their world, he cast aside his body and sealed his soul inside the Dragon Token.


    Waiting for the day when someone would stumble upon him and free him from his hundred years of suffering.


    However, after meeting Lux, he found the Half-Elf to his liking. Although he missed his family, he also wished to apany the red-headed teenager for a little while longer.


    Keoza had chosen Lux, and their meeting could only be described as a leap of Faith.


    Now that their contract had been made.


    His and the Half-Elf''s futures were firmly tied by the red strings of Fate.

 Chapter 812 Valerie’s Determination

    ?


    After dinner, Lux returned to his room. Sitting on his bed, he was currently looking at the four Skill Books in front of him.


    These were the Skill Books that he had acquired from his previous quests. He held off using them until now.


    The reason for this was simple.


    Great General Sherlock had mentioned in passing that learning skills from Skill Books would give him better returns the higher his Rank when he used them.


    "Skill Books are like Beast Cores, Lux," Great General Sherlock had told him back then. "The stronger the Monster, the better. This will allow you to learn rarer and more powerful skills that you won''t be able to acquire when your Rank is low."


    Because of this, he had held back in activating these Skill Books until he became a Ranker.


    ''Let''s do this,'' Lux thought as he picked up one Skill Book after the other, adding four new Skills to his ever growing list.


    The first skill he got was Bone Spike [EX].


    This skill allowed Lux to summon two-meter Bone Spikes that jutted out of the ground in a straight line, impaling those who were in its way.


    The second skill was called Cripple [EX], which would randomly cripple one of the limbs of his target for ten minutes. Lux found this skill quite interesting because it could render his enemy unable to use their crippled limb effectively inbat.


    The only downside of this skill was that it would only work on Humans and Demi-Humans that were of the same rank or lower than his current rank.


    But the good part was that this skill would bypass any magical defenses, taking his enemypletely by surprise.


    The third skill was called Chilling Touch [EX].


    This skill allowed Lux to empower up to a hundred creatures with the Chilling Touch ability, adding Ice Elemental damage to their attacks.


    Last but not the least was the skill called Finger of Death [EX].


    Among Lux''s new skills, this one made him arch an eyebrow.


    First and foremost, this skill only worked on Monsters. However, it didn''t work on Boss Monsters.


    However, it could insta-kill Alpha Ranked Monsters that had the same Rank or lower Rank than Lux.


    The skill description also mentioned that, while the skill primarily targeted Monsters, it was applicable on Humans as well. It could inflict great pain on humans of the same Rank as Lux or lower, although it wouldn''t be lethal.


    The Half-Elf then nced at the Baby Slime that was sleeping on top of his pillow and smiled.


    Back in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, Eiko had licked the Cmity-Ranked Beast Core and learned an interesting skill.


    This skill was called Mind Reader [EX].


    Just as the name implied, this ability allowed Eiko to hear the thoughts of people up to two-hundred meters away from her. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    This skill was always active, but it didn''t mean that she would hear the thoughts of everyone around her. She could choose to read the thoughts of others on her own ord, so she wouldn''t suffer from needless "noise"ing from her surroundings.


    The good part about this skill was that, since Eiko was Lux''s Beast Companion, this skill was linked to him as well, allowing him to read the mind of others.


    Also, those that bore ill will towards Eiko and Lux would have their thoughts automatically heard by them.


    For the Half-Elf, this skill was an incredible ability, which made him wonder what kind of powerful monster the Cmity-Ranked Beast Core belonged to.


    "Tomorrow��," Lux muttered as he lightly patted Eiko''s head beforeying on the bed. "Tomorrow, I will know if we can stay here in the territory of the Crystal Pce for a year, or if we need to look for some other ce to go to."


    The Half-Elf then closed his eyes to sleep, for he knew that in the uing days, he wouldn''t get much rest once the relocation of their Guild Headquartersmenced.


    ������������������


    Outer Reaches, Karshvar Draconis��


    "What? This Guild Headquarters will relocate to a different location?" Valerie, who had been informed that Lux''s Floating Ind might leave Karshvar Draconis, suddenly felt rmed.


    She knew that her Father didn''t want to give Asylum to Lux and his Guild Headquarters, but she didn''t expect that the Half-Elf would decide to move his Guild Headquarters, along with the Floating Ind, to another ce.


    "I''m afraid that we are left with no other choice," Emma said with a bitter smile. "Karshvar Draconis is at the center of the world, and it is closer to the territories that belong to the Divine Army of Light. It is only a matter of time before they get wind that Lux is staying here, and when that happens��"


    Emma trailed off, not finishing her sentence. However, this was enough to make Valerie feel anxious.


    ''I-If Sir Lux''s Guild Headquarters disappears from the Outer Reaches, then how am I supposed to see him again?'' The Dragon Princess was very unwilling to part with the red-headed teenager forever, so she decided to return to the pce in order to convince her father to change his mind.


    "Ali, Ari, let''s go," Valerie ordered before cing her baby Dragon Slime, Kei, on top of her head. "We''re going back to the capital."


    ""As My Lady wishes.""


    The two maids replied in unison and trailed behind Valerie, who was in a hurry to get back home.


    Cethus'' Grandma, Lady Faustina, who seemed to have an inkling about what the Dragon Princess was thinking, sighed in her heart.


    ''I just hope that she won''t sneak outside of the Pce in order to visit Lux in the Crystal Pce,'' Lady Faustina thought. ''I guess I better pay close attention to her over the next few days.''


    After seeing the way Valerie looked at the Half-Elf, the wise Dragon Born immediately figured out that the Dragon Princess might have developed a crush on Lux.


    This was very normal for girls her age, but she wasn''t an ordinary girl.


    She was the daughter of the Dragon King, and only those who had the qualifications to match her status would have the chance to marry her.


    Although Lux had his own achievements, she was worried that it wasn''t enough to impress the Dragon King, whom she was sure would crush anyone who dared to court the daughter he treasured with all of his heart.

 Chapter 813 Father Is A Very Just, And Righteous King

    ?


    "No," the Dragon King said firmly. "I already said that I won''t help him. I will not change my mind now."


    "B-But Father, he really needs your help right now," Valerie insisted. "How can you be so heartless?"


    "Valerie, why do you insist on speaking up for that boy?" the Dragon King asked. "Don''t tell me that you like him?"


    "Yes!" Valerie replied. "I like him, and I want him to stay here in Karshvar Draconis!"


    "Not happening," the Dragon King replied and raised his hand. "Guards! Take the Princess back to the Inner Pce and make sure that she doesn''t leave that ce unless I give her my permission!"


    Lady Faustina visualized this scene inside her head as she followed the determined Princess who was marching toward the Royal Pce.


    Although Lady Faustina wasn''t sure if this was the exact scene that would y outter, she knew to a certain extent that reality wouldn''t be far from what she had imagined.


    ''I better handle this properly, or else, Valerie might develop a rebellious attitude,'' Lady Faustina thought.


    When they were nearing the gates of the Royal Pce, the right-hand woman of the Dragon King stood in front of the Princess, blocking her way.


    "What''s wrong, Lady Faustina?" Valerie asked. "I need to see my father."


    The Dragon Born smiled before making a few hand seals, sealing the ce where she and Valerie were, preventing anyone from seeing or eavesdropping on their conversation.


    "Princess, tell me. Why are you going so far for Lux?" Lady Faustina asked in a kind and gentle tone. "Do you perhaps like him?"


    "L-Like him?!" Valerie immediately turned beet red after hearing the Dragon Born''s question. "I-It''s not like I like him or anything. He just told me that he will take responsibility countless times in my dreams."


    "Um? In your dreams?"


    "I-I mean, he said that he would take responsibility for Kei. Isn''t that right, Kei?"


    "Zi zi zi!"


    The baby Dragon Slime snickered instead of answering Valerie''s question, showing his mischievous side.


    Lady Faustina sighed as she pressed her hand over her forehead.


    "Listen to me, Your Highness," Lady Faustina said. "I can understand that you think fondly and highly of Lux, but your father doesn''t feel the same for him. In fact, I think he dislikes Lux very much."


    "N-No way��," Valerie felt as if cold water was poured over her head. "That can''t be right. Father is a very just and righteous King."


    "Of course, he is," Lady Faustina replied. "But, this only applies to the Dragon Race as a whole. In the end, Lux is a Half-Elf and belongs to the Lower Realm. Your father''s righteousness and justice doesn''t extend to him."


    Valerie''s face paled as she looked at Lady Faustina in disbelief. However, she knew that the Dragon Born wouldn''t lie to her because she had cared for Valerie during her younger years and treated her like a granddaughter.


    "Then what should I do?" Valerie asked. "I don''t want to be separated from Sir Lux."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Lady Faustina didn''t give the other party an answer right away. She closed her eyes and pondered for a few minutes before opening them again to look at the despairing princess, who was still looking like a in girl.


    "I have an idea that will allow you to see Lux from time to time," Lady Faustina said. "But, you have to promise me one thing. You will not tell your father that you like Lux. Trust me when I say that your Father would pose a far greater threat to Lux than the Divine Army of Light if he came to know that you fancy the Half-Elf."


    Truth be told, Lady Faustina had no obligation to help Lux. However, her grandson, Cethus, had be a better person after bing part of his Guild.


    Since that was the case, the doting grandmother decided to extend her help to the clueless Half-Elf, who had no idea that he was so close to being pinched to death by the Dragon King, who ruled over Karshvar Draconis.


    "If I listen to you, Aunt Faustina, will I be able to see him?" Valerie asked. "Can I see him even if he goes far away?"


    "The possibility exists," Lady Faustina answered. "I can help you pull some strings, and I will even apany you when you go and see him. All I ask of you is that you keep your feelings safe inside your heart, and don''t let your father know about them."


    "T-Then, how about my mother?" Valerie asked. "I don''t want to lie to her."


    "Actually, we will need your mother''s help with this," Lady Faustina replied. "I alone will not be able to keep this secret. If she is on our side, our chances of making the Dragon King not hurt the Half-Elf once he finds out about this are higher."


    The Dragon Born then shifted her gaze to the two maids, who both had a determined look on their faces.


    "I''m sure that I don''t need to tell the two of you to keep this a secret as well," Lady Faustina said to Ali and Ari. "If you value your oath to protect the princess by all means, then you will keep this secret and help her if need be."


    "We hear and obey, Your Excellency," Ali replied.


    "We will keep this secret safe with everything we have," Ari stated.


    Lady Faustina nodded before cupping Valerie''s face.


    "Go back to the Inner Pce for now and wait for my visit," Lady Faustina said. "Also, don''t tell your mother anything yet. I will talk to her first and ry your feelings to her. Also, you must also behave and listen to your father''s words so that he won''t suspect a thing."


    Valerie nodded and promised to do what she was told. She then took Ali and Ari to the secret passages that led directly to the Inner Pce, leaving Lady Faustina alone with her thoughts.


    ''For the time being, I need to contact my sister,'' Lady Faustina thought. ''As long as she agrees, I will have an excuse to take Valerie to the Crystal Pce.''


    The Dragon Born sighed in her heart as she thought about what needed to be done.


    She fully understood that love blinded people, making them unable to think properly.


    However, if this matter wasn''t handled carefully, the Princess and the Half-Elf, who didn''t know that the Princess of Karshvar Draconis had developed a crush on him, might suffer terrible consequences if things got out of hand.


    In order to prevent this unwanted future, Lady Faustina cooked up a n inside her head.


    A n that would rekindle the connection between Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce, who had broken their ties with each other due to circumstances that happened many years ago.

 Chapter 814 Hah! If You Become A Saint, I Will Be The One To Call You Uncle

    ?


    In the throne room of the Crystal Pce��


    "After careful consideration, I decided to ept your request," Lady Augustina said. "You can relocate your Guild Headquarters here for a year. However, after a year has passed, all of you have to leave. Also, remember this. I will only protect those who are within my territory.


    "If you were to meet the Divine Army of Light outside my area of jurisdiction, it is no longer my concern. Flee or fight, the choice will be yours and your Guild Members''. Just remember that outside my Domain, you are no longer under my protection.


    "When the Divine Army of Lightes here to inquire about you, I will give them that answer. Do we have an understanding?"


    Lux nodded. "Thank you, Your Excellency. I am fine with this arrangement."


    "Good. As long as you understand, then our talk is over." Lady Augustina then nced at Poro, who was standing beside Aur.


    "You will oversee their relocation procedure, Poro. If the Divine Army of Light makes an appearance while the boy''s Guild Headquarters is on its way to our Domain, make sure to tell them that if they don''t want me to demolish their Divine City, they''d better mind their own business."


    "As youmand, My Liege." Poro pressed his closed fist over his chest and bowed respectfully. "As long as I am around, not even a rock from that floating ind will be touched."


    Lady Augustina smirked after hearing Poro''s words. Among the Saints of the Crystal Pce, the ck-scaled Dragon Born was known for being the most hot-tempered. If the Divine Army of Light really got in Poro''s way, then a battle would certainly take ce.


    "Allow me to apany him as well, Aunt Augustina," Aur stated. "Since Poro will be there, I''m sure that I''ll be safe no matter what."


    Lady Augustina pondered for a while before nodding her head.


    "Just to be safe, I''ll ask six more Saints to apany you as your guardians," Lady Augustina replied. "Make sure to conduct yourself properly as the Prince of the Crystal Pce, and don''t go wandering anywhere without your guards."


    "I understand." Aur nodded before shifting his gaze to Lux. "I''ll be in your care for a while, Lux. I''m also very curious about your Guild Headquarters."


    "Mmm, I''ll give you a tour," Lux promised. "Although it''s not as grand as the Crystal Pce, it''s not too shabby either."


    Five minutester, Lux left the throne room, apanied by Aur and Poro. As they were headed toward the Teleportation Gate located inside the Pce''s grounds, they found Gaap, who had been waiting for them.


    "Well, did the Steward agree to your request?" Gaap asked.


    "Yes, Master," Lux replied. "Are you also finished with your business in the city?"


    "Something like that." Gaap smiled showing hisplete set of teeth, which had grown back after the Halfling received a part of the World''s Blessing that Lux had imparted to him. "Are we going back to the Outer Reaches now?"


    Lux nodded, and Gaap stepped aside to allow his Disciple to enter the portal first.


    He had already added the coordinates of their Guild Headquarters while waiting for Lux.


    Gaap already knew Keoza''s identity, so if the Crystal Pce didn''t agree to Lux''s request, he would certainly look down on the Crystal Dragon, whose soul was residing inside the Dragon Token.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Lady Augustina still hadn''t returned the Dragon Token to Lux and simply told the Half-Elf that she would be keeping it for a month aspensation for agreeing to the Half-Elf''s request.


    The red-headed teenager didn''t mind this condition since it was only for a month.


    Aside from relocating his Guild, the only ce he intended to go was Agartha. The key in his possession allowed him to teleport two more people alongside him to the Legendary City near the Core of Elysium.


    However, aside from his Master, he didn''t intend to bring anyone else with him.


    Just like Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce, the Kingdom of Agartha was an SSS-Ranked Kingdom.


    This meant that there was a Supreme guarding it. Since Lux and Gaap had their ways of escaping on their own, the Half-Elf deemed it best to not bring anyone else for their own safety.


    A minuteter, Aur and Poro gazed at the unfamiliar scenery in front of them.


    The ck-scaled Dragon Born frowned, seeing that the ce was not up to his standards.


    Although he had to admit that the Pce made up of white marble looked impressive, there was nothing else that caught his interest.


    The construction that was going on at the base of the mountain did not pique his curiosity either. For Poro, every Low Lander city looked the same, even if it were being built on a floating ind.


    At that moment, a familiar voice called out to the Dragon Born Saint from the Sky.


    "Uncle Poro!" Cethus shouted beforending on the ground a few meters from his uncle. "What are you doing here?"


    "I am here to supervise your Guild''s relocation, obviously," Poro snorted in disdain. "Still, I never thought the day woulde that you''d be a Ranker. I thought you''d be stuck in the Initiate Rank all your life."


    This time, it was Cethus'' turn to snort. "How can that even be possible, Uncle? A genius like me is bound to soar to greater heights. Just you wait, in a few years, I''ll also be a Saint."


    "Hah! If you be a Saint, I will be the one to call you Uncle." Poro sneered. "You dumb brat can only be a High-Ranker at most."


    "Hahaha! Very well. I''ll make you call me Uncle, Uncle Poro," Cethus replied. "This only makes me want to reach that rank sooner. Just imagining you calling me Uncle is already giving me goosebumps."


    Without any warning, Poro bumped his fist on Cethus'' head, making the arrogant Dragon Born cry out in pain.


    "The only bump you are going to get is a bump in the head." Poro scoffed.


    Lux and Aur watched this scene with smiles on their faces. Although it seemed like Poro was looking down on his nephew, Cethus, one could feel how close the two of them were despite the rude words that both of them were hurling at each other.

 Chapter 815 Leaving Karshvar Draconis

    ?


    Gaap stood on the top of the mountain, looking toward the East.


    After getting Lady Augustina''s permission, the only thing he was waiting for was Lux''s signal to start the relocation process.


    Currently, the Half-Elf was talking to Bentley about moving the entire ind, thinking that it might inconvenience the Merchant Guild if they changed locations.


    "Master, Bentley said that there is no problem," Lux said through their Guild Chat. "We can go anytime you''re ready."


    "Very well," Gaap replied. "Have you said goodbye to everyone? Including Valerie? That girl seems to have taken a liking to you, my boy."


    "Please, don''t tease me, Master. I''m sure that Valerie just kissed me out of gratitude. Also, she was not here when we arrived," Lux answered. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice that didn''t escape Gaap''s senses, but he didn''t say anything about it.


    "Do you know why she left?"


    "Emma said that she returned to the capital in a hurry after finding out that our Guild will move to a different ce."


    "Is that so? That''s too bad then." Gaap smiled before raising his hand. "Tell everyone that we are moving. I will now order the Earth��, no, Sky Turtle to start flying in the direction of the Crystal Pce."


    A minuteter, the entire floating ind shook as the giant head of a turtle, its flippers, and its tail jutted out of the ind.


    It roared once, as if to announce its presence, making the Guards of the nearby City of Pygmalion look in its direction.


    "Full speed ahead, Rafael," Gaap ordered. "Onwards to the Crystal Pce!"


    The Sky Turtle roared a second time to acknowledge its Master''s order. It then moved its flippers, and with it, the floating ind started to move as well.


    "By the Dragon God! The Ind is moving away?" One of the Guards of the City of Pygmalion gasped in shock.


    "Is it being carried by a turtle?" another Guard asked. "No. It looks like the ind itself is a turtle. Since when did this happen?"


    "Someone, go and call the Mayor!" the Captain of the Guards ordered. "Report what is happening to the ind right now!"


    While the Guards of the City of Pygmalion looked at the floating ind that was getting further and further away, the Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis nced in the direction of the Outer Reaches.


    "Not a bad move," the Dragon Kingmented. "I guess you managed to find someone else to babysit you and your lot."


    If someone were to ask if the Dragon King was annoyed because one of his floating inds was moving elsewhere, then his answer would be yes.


    However, since that ind currently had a troublemaker that might involve his Kingdom in the conflicts of the Lower Realm, he decided that it would be better if they just went away.


    News of the Floating Ind leaving immediately spread like wildfire to the other cities in Karshvar Draconis.


    Several Dragons and Dragon Borns even took off to the skies in order to see if the news was real.


    The Outer Reaches was located at the very edge of Karshvar Draconis, so Lux''s floating ind passed by the other floating inds at a steady pace, like a tourist doing some sort of sightseeing.


    This had never happened in the past, so the denizens of Karshvar Draconis found this event very interesting.


    Some of the Dragons and Dragon Borns evennded on the ind to ask about what was happening.


    When Lux and his Guild Members exined that they were nning to relocate to a different ce, the Dragons and Dragon Borns thought that this was a very novel idea.


    Dragons liked to travel, and they would often go to ces that others had not set their sights on.


    This was true for Dragon Borns as well, so most of them wandered the "Lower Realms" in search of something that might catch their interest.


    It took the floating ind two days before they finally passed thest floating ind that belonged to the Dragon Kingdom.


    However, they met someone along the way, which gave Lux a very pleasant surprise.


    Valerie, who was apanied by Ali, Ari, and Lady Faustina, was standing on top of a Golden Dragon that was at least ten meters long.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The Dragon thennded on the floating ind, and Valerie jumped off of its back.


    She was still wearing her in-looking disguise, and she looked at the Half-Elf whom she liked with a calm expression on her face.


    Faustina had warned her that for as long as they were within the territory of Karshvar Draconis, she mustn''t do something that might make the Dragon King angry.


    Lady Faustina had a heart-to-heart talk with Valerie''s mother, Saphira.


    She exined that the Dragon Princess had developed a crush on Lux and asked Saphira for her help in allowing Valerie to visit the Crystal Pce as a representative of Karshvar Draconis.


    Their goal was to smooth out the rtionship between the two sides and promote a peaceful co-existence.


    Saphira was against the idea at first, but she still reluctantly agreed in the end.


    She understood that Valerie was still too innocent to understand the ways of the world, but she also knew that keeping her caged in the Inner Pce would do her more harm than good.


    Although she still didn''t think that Lux was a good match for her daughter, she decided to let things take its course.


    If Valerie''s feelings for Lux waned during her short visit to the Crystal Pce, then that only meant that what she felt for the Half-Elf was merely a short-term puppy love��one that wasn''t strong enough to be taken to the next stage.


    Poro eyed the High Ranker with a solemn expression on his face. Since Lady Faustina and Lady Augustina were twins, he didn''t dare to say any rude words to her, fearing that it mighte back to bite him at ater time.


    Also, even though Lady Faustina''s strength was that of a High-Ranker, Poro knew that it was just a ruse to make other people lower their guard.


    How could the right-hand woman of the King of Karshvar Draconis, who had fought countless battles against the Void as well as the other races who dared to attack the Dragon Kingdom, be an ordinary High-Ranker?


    Actually, Lady Faustina was a very powerful Saint.


    Her special ability was Shock Waves.


    She was so powerful that she could injure anyone just by simply standing a distance away from them. Because of this, she had sealed her powers, making herself regress to that of a High-Ranker.


    That way, the shock waves that would suddenly pulse around her without warning and hurt those around her would go away.


    "Lady Faustina, it has been a while since Ist saw you," Poro said in greeting. "Are you well?"


    "As well as I''ll ever be, Poro," Lady Faustina replied. "We''ll be reaching the Crystal Pce in a few days. I already talked to my sister about visiting, and she gave her approval."


    "Since my Liege has already given her approval, then all is well," Poro nodded. "We will give you the best hospitality during your stay in our humble kingdom."


    Poro then nced at the in-looking girl beside Faustina and frowned. Since he was a Saint, he had detected that the girl was using a disguise to hide her real face.


    ''Could she possibly be?'' Poro thought before shifting his gaze back at Lady Faustina, who was also looking at him with a smile.


    Cethus'' grandmother gave Poro a brief nod, which confirmed the Saint''s assumption.


    Aur frowned after seeing Valerie. Although the girl had a in-looking face, he could tell that it wasn''t her real face.


    Also, he noticed the gaze that Valerie was giving Lux. Although she had tried hard to hide it, Aur wasn''t able to miss the admiration and affection in her gentle gaze.


    ''Just who is this girl?'' Aur thought. ''Lady Faustina, who is the twin of Aunt Augustina, is also with her. Clearly, she is not an ordinarydy.''


    The Prince of the Dragon Borns ced his hands behind his back and stood tall, befitting of someone with his standing.


    Even though he didn''t know who Valerie was, he was certain that the person in front of him was a member of the Royalty of Karshvar Draconis, just like him.


    Valerie hadpletely ignored the handsome Dragon Prince who was standing beside Lux.


    In her heart, there was only room for one handsome guy, and it was already taken by the red-headed teenager, who was looking back at her with a gentle smile on his face.

 Chapter 816 Strong Bonds That Would Endure The Test Of Time

    816 Strong Bonds That Would Endure The Test Of Time


    "Sir Lux, I''ve heard from Lady Faustina that you are relocating your Guild Headquarters to the Crystal Pce. Is that true?" Valerie asked the Half-Elf, who was standing beside her.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Are you perhaps one of Lady Faustina''s servants?"


    "E-Eh? Ah! Yes! I am one of them!" Valerie stuttered. "She asked me to apany her to the Crystal Pce."


    "I see." Lux nodded. "Actually, I''m happy to see you again. I nned to properly bid you farewell, but when I returned to the Outer Reaches, you were no longer there."


    Valerie lowered her head, hiding her face, as she tried to calm her heart that was wildly beating inside her chest.


    When she heard Lux say that he was happy to see her again, she felt incredibly happy as well. However, when he got to the part about him bidding her farewell, she felt a stinging pain in her heart, which she didn''t like.


    Although she had only known Lux for a short period of time, she wanted to know more about him.


    She wanted to see his expressions that she had never seen before and talk to him a lot more.


    "Sir Lux, you don''t need to say goodbye to me since I will be regrly visiting your Guild Headquarters even if it is at the Crystal Pce," Valerie replied. "Kei also wants to visit the ce where he was born. Isn''t that right, Kei?"


    "Zi zi zi," the baby Dragon Slime snickered in reply.


    After being with the baby slime for a while, Valerie already knew that this was Kei''s way ofmunication. Even so, she could tell that Baby Slime was agreeing with her, which made her smile.


    "Will Lady Faustina allow it?" Lux asked in a worried tone. "I know that she holds a high rank in Karshvar Draconis, and fewer restrictions are upon her and those under her, but she might not always allow you to visit me here."


    Valerie nodded. "She will. I''m sure of it."


    Ali and Ari, who were standing a few meters away from them, exchanged nces with each other.


    It had been an hour since the Floating Ind had left Karshvar Draconis, and only at this moment did the Dragon Princess approach Lux to talk to him.


    Lady Faustina deemed that they were far enough away to not be seen by the Dragon King, so she allowed the "in-looking girl" to finally talk to the person whom she wished to see.


    While Lux and Valerie were talking, Aur and Poro gazed at them from a distance.


    "Your Highness, do you already know that the girl talking to Lux is wearing a disguise?" Poro asked in a tone that only Aur could hear.


    "Yes," Aur replied. "Since Lady Faustina is apanying her, it is safe to say that she is a High-Ranking noble of Karshvar Draconis. Also�� she might also be a member of their Royal Family."


    Poro smirked. "I talked to Lady Faustina a while ago, and she said that her purpose ining here was to rekindle the rtionship between Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce."


    "Is that so?" Aur smiled. "Are they feeling anxious because we rejected the continuation of the Non-Aggression Pact we signed decades ago?"


    "Perhaps. I''m sure that the arrogant Dragon King is not able to sit peacefully on his throne, knowing that the rightful King can take back his throne anytime."


    "Let him be arrogant for a little while longer. The moment my Father returns, he can kiss his Dragon Throne goodbye."


    The smile on Poro''s face widened in response, as this was something that he was looking forward to the most.


    However, Lady Augustina had told everyone that even if Keoza returned, he might not take the throne away from the current Dragon King.


    The Crystal Dragon was someone who looked at the bigger picture. He neither cared about such a position nor the power that came with it.


    What he wanted the most was the survival of the entire Dragon Race as a whole and the continuation of Elysium''s prosperity for years toe.


    "Say, Your Highness, I''m just making a conjecture here," Poro said. "What if that girl is actually the Dragon Princess? How should we treat her when we arrive at the Crystal Pce?"


    Aur didn''t reply right away as if he was pondering the answer to this question. Two minutester, he made his opinion known, which didn''t surprise Poro.


    "Treat her as a guest, just like we treat Lux," Aur replied. "We are not narrow-minded, and we certainly don''t need to bully the weak. Also, my mother once told me that my Father believed in a saying."


    "A saying?" Poro arched an eyebrow. He was very interested in anything rted to Keoza, so he no longer talked and waited for Aur to say the Crystal Dragon''s favorite quote.


    "What you do in life echoes through eternity," Aur said softly. "Even if no one sees the hardships and sacrifices that you are making, it doesn''t matter. All the good things you do will return to you in some other way or form. This also goes for the bad things.


    "That''s why, we shouldn''t be petty, Poro. The doors of the Crystal Pce will never be closed to those who wish to enter its gates."


    Poro chuckled after hearing Aur''s exnation. He was quite impressed that the Dragon Prince was more understanding than he originally expected.


    "It is a good saying, Your Highness," Poro replied. "I''ll make sure to keep it in my heart."


    Aur nodded before shifting his gaze back to Lux and Valerie, who were standing side by side.


    Although he had a calm look on his face, he was feeling a little envious due to how close the two were from his point of view.


    ''Does he really not know who she is, or is he just pretending not to know?'' Aur thought as he eyed the red-headed teenager with a critical gaze.


    Looking at Lux''s bodynguage, Aur could tell that the Half-Elf was at ease around Valerie, which was quite different from how he acted whenever he was with him.


    Although Lux acted casually whenever he talked to him, the former only did so due to his request, and he could tell that the Half-Elf still had reservations about treating him as a friend.


    ''Things like this take time,'' Aur thought to himself. ''Actually, how do Dragons make friends?''


    Aur had been protected his entire life by his mother, Aunt Augustina, as well as the other Saints like Poro.


    He never had the time to make friends with anyone, so he was feeling a little anxious when it came to befriending the Half-Elf, whom their family secretly treated as a benefactor.


    Ever since Keoza had appeared to save him in the Gate of Famine, Aur knew then and there that he finally found the person he was looking for.


    While he had never seen his father in his lifetime, there were still strong bonds that tied the two of them together.


    Although it was fleeting, Aur recognized who Keoza was, and with that, he also recognized who Lux was.


    The Half-Elf was the one his father had chosen, and because of this, Aur intended to deepen his rtionship with Lux and create a strong bond with him that would endure the test of


    I identally posted this chapter because I thought it was already edited. I will update it in half an hour, and post the second chapter as well.


    Elyon

 Chapter 817 Erasing Hereswith’s Legacy From The Face Of The World

    ?


    "Are you certain about this news?" the High King of Lunaria asked one of the followers of the Divine Army that came to talk to him in private. "If you are lying to me, I''ll make you regret it."


    "Your Majesty, both of us are on the same side," the man who was wearing merchant''s clothes replied with a smile. "Also, I''m a businessman. Trust is one of the most important things in business, and you know that I take this matter very seriously."


    The High King of Lunaria nodded his head, knowing that the man in front of him was indeed a very trustworthy person.


    "You have to forgive me for my stubbornness, but this is a very important matter to our Order," the High King of Lunaria stated. "How did you know that the Half-Elf is in Karshvar Draconis?"


    "Ah, this is an easy matter," the Merchant replied. "You see, I am one of the handful of merchants who were privileged enough to gain ess to the outermost city of Karhsvar Draconis, which is the City of Pygmalion.


    "Once, when I went there during one of my business trips, a rancid mist fell over the city that almost made me feel as if my throat was burning. It was not only me that suffered such hardships, but the entire city.


    "Naturally, the Guards and even the Mayor came to investigate the cause, and they found out that the one responsible for it is a Half-Elf named Lux. That boy earned quite a reputation in the City of Pygmalion, and everyone refers to him as ''He who must not be annoyed.''"


    The Merchant chuckled because this was one of his unforgettable moments in the Outer Reaches.


    "Of course, while I am not a hundred percent certain that the Half-Elf you are looking for is the same Half-Elf that I know, the possibility exists," the Merchant added. "Yesterday, I even showed the guards one of the drawings that the Divine Army had been spreading across thends.


    "They confirmed that the person in the drawing was the same Half-Elf that made their lives difficult in the past. But there is just one problem."


    The High King of Lunaria arched an eyebrow after hearing the Merchant''s words.


    "Problem?" the High King asked. "What problem?"


    "Your Majesty, the Half-Elf had built a Guild Headquarters in one of the floating inds in the Outer Reaches," the Merchant exined. "However, two days ago, the ind started to float away, heading East. After bribing a few guards for more information, they said that the Half-Elf decided to move house and relocate his Guild Headquarters for reasons that no one knew."


    The High King of Lunaria stood up from his throne, knowing well why the Half-Elf decided to leave the Outer Reaches. Since he was already convinced that the red-headed teenager that the Merchant was describing was the same Half-Elf that they were looking for, he had no ns to waste any time and wanted to capture him as fast as he could.


    "Are you sure that they were heading East?" the High King of Lunaria inquired.


    "That is what the guards told me." The Merchant shrugged. "I am only rying the answers that I got from them."


    The High King nodded. "Thank you. I promise that you will be greatly rewarded once we confirm this news to be true. I will go talk to the others about your discovery."


    "May the Light shine upon us all," the Merchant said before giving the High King of Lunaria a polite bow.


    "May the Light shine upon us all," the High King returned the Merchant''s oath, which all the members of the Divine Army use when parting with, or greeting, each other.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    A few minutester, he went to the special teleportation gate that was exclusive for the High-Ranking members of the Divine Army, which allowed them instant ess to their Organization''s Capital City.


    "East of Karshvar Draconis��," the Oracle of the Divine Army muttered before waving her hand in front of her.


    A secondter, a projection appeared showing the map of the Center of Elysium, which the followers of the Divine Army of Light had painstakingly made over the course of many years.


    "East of Karshvar Draconis are several Kingdoms and Empires that we have good rtionships with," the Oracle said as she looked at the map. "I''m sure that they would be willing to help if we asked them. Also, although that floating ind is flying high in the sky, there is a high chance that some people will spot it when it passes by their cities."


    "Can''t we pursue it with the Arc?" the High King of Lunaria asked. "With it, we can catch up to them in just a few days."


    The Oracle shook her head. "The Arc was seriously damaged when I used it to save you and the others. We barely managed to return to the capital, so it will be impossible to chase them using our g Ship."


    "How long will it take for it to be repaired?"


    "A month. The materials needed to repair it are quite rare, and it will take some time to gather them all. It is also a Divine Artifact, so it is not something that can be repaired easily. For now, we have to make use of what we have."


    The High King of Lunaria frowned, but he understood that there was nothing he could do about this matter.


    "So, how do we intercept them?" The High King asked. "You have a n, right?"


    The Oracle nodded. "Although it will take time, we will have to travel using teleportation gates, as well as fly in the sky. If we are lucky, we might be able to catch up to them within a week."


    "A week��" the High King muttered before nodding his head. "As long as that heretic is killed, waiting for a week means nothing."


    The Oracle also nodded her head in agreement.


    "I will talk to the Sovereign and report your findings," the Oracle stated. "This time, we will bring a dozen Saints with us. No matter where he runs, we wille to find him. We can''t let that Heretic escape our grasp a second time."


    An hourter, the High King of Lunaria, as well as the Oracle of the Divine Army, entered a teleportation gate alongside twenty other Saints, who had been called to assist them on their manhunt operation.


    The Oracle originally wanted only a dozen Saints to apany them, but their Sovereign insisted that adding a few more would not hurt.


    With the additional manpower to ensure the sess of their mission, the High King of Lunaria was feeling confident that he would finally erase thest remnants of Hereswith''s Legacy from the face of the world.

 Chapter 818 Do You Want The Normal One, Or The One With A Happy Ending?

    ?


    Several days had passed since the Floating Ind had left the Dragon Kingdom of Karshvar Draconis.


    Lux had spent a lot of time with Valerie and Aur, and the three of them were often seen chatting together, as well as dining together.


    The Half-Elf noticed that even though Valerie and Aur talked to each other from time to time, there seemed to be some kind of distance between them.


    He didn''t know if he was just overthinking things, but whenever the in-looking girl and the handsome Dragon Prince talked to each other, they used formal tones and words, unlike how they talked to him.


    Even so, that didn''t stop them from doing things together.


    Even Kei, Valerie''s baby Dragon Slime, would often apany Eiko, Holly, and Glee, in their st Bomb making sessions, making Lux feel pity for the newly born baby.


    (A/N: Holly is Leah''s baby slime. She is Great General Garret''s youngest daughter.)


    Gaap, Lady Faustina, and Poro were almost always together discussing random things like the geopolitical states of the warring Kingdoms near the center of Elysium.


    For Lux, these were carefree and rxing days that allowed him to think more about the future of his guild. Back then, he just wanted to create a guild because he wanted to break free from the restrictions that would''ve been ced on him in Wildgarde Stronghold.


    If Nero hadn''t been part of the Storm Dragon''s Guild, Lux would have joined in order to help the ce that raised him collect resources in Elysium.


    Sadly, it wasn''t meant to be, so he decided to make another Guild just to stand on his own.


    However, he never expected that the Guild he would create would transcend all the other Guilds in the world, ssified as a Mythical Guild.


    A Guild that was currently trying to escape those who wished to harm it before it could grow to its fullest potential.


    Just as the Half-Elf thought that these carefree days wouldst until they arrived at the Crystal Pce, a nagging feeling started to stir at the back of his mind yesterday.


    He didn''t know what caused it.


    The only thing he knew was that something was going to happen, and that something wouldn''t be good.


    "They say that Progenitors develop a very sensitive spiritual instinct when ites to things that wish to harm them," Gaap said to Lux when the Half-Elf shared his concerns with his Master.


    "Your spiritual self can probably sense that a danger that you can''t handle on your own is on its way to you. Although I don''t know what is causing it, I will order the Sky Turtle to increase its speed so that we can reach the Crystal Pce earlier."


    True to his word, the floating ind did increase its speed, but the anxiety that Lux felt only decreased by a bit.


    Because of this, he was always on edge and regrly checked the map of his Soul Book, looking out for any possible red dots on the map that might be heading in his direction.


    Currently, he couldn''t see any red dots on the map. However, he saw countless yellow marks, which were considered "neutral" beings.


    "Sir Lux, is something wrong?" Valerie asked. "You seemed to be on edge today. Is there something that is bothering you? Or the tea I made isn''t good?"


    "Your tea is delicious as always, Valerie," Lux replied as he ced his cup on top of the table. "I''m just thinking about a lot of things as ofte, which makes me feel overwhelmed."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Is that so?" Valerie looked at the Half-Elf with a worried gaze. "How about a massage? Ali and Ari always give me a massage whenever I feel stressed. They are very good at it, you know?"


    "A massage?" Lux pondered for a bit. "That sounds like a good idea, but I don''t want to impose on them that much."


    "Don''t worry!" Valerie patted her chest with confidence. "As long as I ask them, the two of them will not refuse! Am I right, Ali, Ari?"


    "Yes, My Lady," Ali replied. "If that is your wish, we will give Sir Lux a massage."


    "Sir Lux, what kind of massage do you want?" Ari asked. "Do you want the normal one, or the one with a happy ending?"


    Lux blinked once then twice after hearing Ari''s words. This was the first time he had heard of a massage with a happy ending, and he was wondering what kind of massage it was.


    "Um, then can I get one with a happ-"


    Lux was unable to finish what he was going to say, having suddenly received a notification sound inside his head.


    Upon hearing the warning, his face immediately turned grim. He stood up from his chair and summoned his Soul Book.


    At the edge of the map, he saw several blinking red dots that were headed in their direction.


    The Half-Elf had ced a special setting on his Soul Book, which allowed him to gauge how strong the Monsters were in his surroundings.


    This also applied to Humans and Demi-Humans. The bigger the red dot, the stronger that creature was.


    And currently, in Lux''s Soul Book, there were over a dozen big red dots, letting him know how powerful his iing enemies were.


    "Saints," Lux said through gritted teeth. "Master, we havepany!"


    Gaap, who was currently having his usual chat with Lady Augustina and Poro, paused and nced to the West, where Lux had detected several strong enemies heading in their direction.


    Noticing the changes in the Halfling''s expression, Lady Faustina and Poro also gazed in the direction Gaap was looking.


    A momentter, their expressions turned solemn, as they, too, sensed the presences that were slowly catching up to the Floating Ind.


    "It seems like we havepany," Lady Faustina said before putting her tea cup on the table. "And there''s a lot of them."


    Poro nodded before standing up from his chair. "I''ve been thinking that things were proceeding too smoothly these past few days, which was too good to be true. I guess all of that was just a prelude for this moment."


    The three most powerful beings in the Floating Ind exchanged nces with each other before nodding their heads at the same time.


    They had already discussed several countermeasures if such an event were to happen. Now, these countermeasures would be put to the test.


    If their methods didn''t work, then there was only one thing left to do, and that was to let Lux escape the Floating Ind, while they handled his pursuers who were eager to nip his wings in the bud.

 Chapter 819 You Will Have To Get Past Through Me First

    ?


    "There it is!" one of the Saints riding a Giant Roc pointed in the distance. "I can see it now!"


    The High King of Lunaria, as well as the Oracle of the Divine Army squinted their eyes to look in the direction where the Saint was pointing at.


    At the edge of the horizon, a tiny ck speck that could easily be missed by the naked eyes was flying in the sky.


    After spending many days traveling through countless cities and kingdoms, the Saints of the Divine Army had finally caught sight of their target, invigorating them.


    Along the way, they had asked countless people if they had seen a floating ind fly past their cities.


    Their inquiries bore fruit, and those that had witnessed the floating ind had told the Saints of the Divine Army where it was headed.


    Their journey also rmed the rulers of the Kingdoms that they had passed through.


    For a moment, the rulers thought that the Divine Army of Light was about to invade theirnds, making them feel as if their hearts were about to leap out from their chest.


    When they found out that the Saints were just passing through and wanted to use their Long-Distance Teleportation Gates, the Kings didn''t bat an eye and gave them full ess to the ones supposedly only the members of the Royal Families could use.


    For these Kings, the sooner these Saints left their domain, the better.


    Naturally, the High King of Lunaria, the Oracle, as well as the other Saints knew what these rulers were thinking.


    If they were in the same shoes as them, they would also feel anxious, so they didn''t stay in one kingdom for a long time.


    After several minutes, they were getting closer and closer to the floating ind.


    When their target was only two miles away from them, a lone figure flew in their direction and stood between them and the floating ind.


    "Halt!"


    Poro blocked the path of the Saints of the Divine Army of Light with his hands behind his back.


    "State your affiliation and the reason why you are pursuing the floating ind," Poro demanded in an arrogant tone. "I am Poro, one of the Four Elders of the Crystal Pce. You Low Lander scums better answer me or else."


    The High King of Lunaria and the Oracle of Light frowned as they looked at the ck-scaled Dragon Born in front of them.


    Just as they were about to reply, several of the Saints under theirmand ignored Poro and flew past him.


    They had traveled many days just to kill that Heretic. They wouldn''t stop even if the one blocking their path was someone from the Crystal Pce.


    Poro, who didn''t expect that several of the Saints would ignore him, shouted in anger.


    "You bastards dare ignore me?!" Poro roared as he unfurled his Draconic Wings, flying after the Saints that went past him.


    The High King of Lunaria and the Oracle nced at each other and nodded their heads in unison.


    They understood why theirrades acted the way they did.


    As long as they killed the Heretic, they were willing topensate the Crystal Pce at ater time!


    "It seems that the authority of the Crystal Pce had waned over the years," Lady Faustina chuckled before ncing at Aur, who was standing several meters behind her. "They didn''t even bother to answer Poro''s inquiries."


    Aur didn''t say anything and simply looked at the approaching Saints, who had ignored the authority of his faction.


    Deep down, he was seething in anger, but he didn''t want to give Lady Faustina the satisfaction of seeing him lose control of his emotions.


    Cethus'' grandma smiled before flying towards the air in order to face the Saints that were nearing the ind.


    Without even giving any warning, the Dragon Born unsealed her powers, making her Rank instantly jump up to the Saint Rank.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    A loud cracking sound reverberated in the surroundings as Lady Faustina unleashed a shock wave that pushed back the Saints that were about to descend on the ind.


    Since she knew that Valerie wouldn''t allow the Divine Army of Light to capture the Half-Elf, she was duty-bound to at least put some effort into protecting him.


    The Saints who had been pushed back by the right-hand woman of the Dragon King frowned, not expecting that another Saint was on the floating ind.


    However, they weren''t too worried. Even if there were two Saints blocking their way, it was not enough to contain all of them that numbered over twenty.


    "I am Faustina," Faustina dered. "I am one of the Ministers of Karshvar Draconis, serving directly under the Dragon King. State your business, or face the wrath of my Lord."


    Just as she finished saying her speech, the Dragon Born unleashed another shock wave that was meant to seriously injure anyone who got hit by it.


    This forced the Saints to take a defensive stance in order to block the iing attacks that wereing from the front.


    However, they didn''t know that behind their backs was a very mad Poro, who had also unleashed a barrage of ck mes that contained his fury.


    Even so, the Saints of the Divine Army of Light weren''t pushovers. They had fought many wars together, so they already knew how to handle such situations.


    Some of them blocked Faustina''s attack, while the rest blocked Poro''s. This prevented any of them from getting injured, which made Poro and Lady Faustina frown.


    "I will not ask again," Poro dered. "If any of you filthy Low Landers dare to ignore my question once again, the Steward of the Crystal Pce will erase your kingdoms from the face of the world!"


    The Oracle of the Divine Army motioned for herrades to not do anything before confronting the fuming Dragon Born, whose wings were now covered with dark mes.


    "You already know who we are, so why ask this question, Poro?" the Oracle inquired. "Or have you forgotten that all of us fought side by side when the denizens of the Void invaded our world?"


    "I don''t remember the faces of filthy Low Landers, especially ugly ones like you," Poro snapped at the Oracle with bloodshot eyes. "I asked you a question, and you will answer it. Why are you here?"


    The Oracle who had just been called ugly had the strong urge to p the Dragon Born because of his aesthetic taste.


    Currently, her appearance was that of ady in her mid-twenties, and she was extremely beautiful.


    If not for the fact that she was the Oracle of the Divine Army, countless men would have already lined up to profess their wish to marry her.


    "Then let me jog your memory," the Oracle replied with a determined look on her face. "We are the Divine Army of Light, and we havee to capture the Heretic who goes by the name Lux Von Kaizer. We already know that he is on that floating ind, so there is no use lying to us. All of us are Saints, so it will be best if you don''t waste our time."


    Poro snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.


    "So what if there is a dumb and stupid Half-Elf that has the name Lux Von Kaizer on that floating ind?" Poro asked back. "This floating ind is currently headed to the Crystal Pce because our Steward had decided to give it asylum. If you insist on creating trouble, you will have to get through me first!"


    The Saints of the Divine Army nced at each other and nodded their heads in understanding.


    Without even saying a word, all of them spread out in different directions.


    Their Sovereign had said that their Supreme had almost recovered from his injuries.


    He added that even if they antagonized another Supreme, the Divine Army could handle the aftermath.


    Because of this, they ignored the Dragon Born for a second time and focused on attacking the floating ind where the Half-Elf was hiding.


    This act made the already angry Poro roar so loud that it resembled the pealing of thunder.


    Being ignored once, he might still ept it. But being ignored twice felt like a step on his dignity.


    Seeing that the Saints were so adamant to belittle him and his faction, the arrogant and proud Dragon Born flew towards the Saints of the Divine Army of Light with the intention to kill.

 Chapter 820 Well, Let’s Get This Party Started Then

    ?


    ''It seems that the Divine Army of Light is serious about killing that boy,'' Lady Faustina thought as she unleashed more powerful shock waves in order to push back the three Saints that attempted to get past her. ''Do they really not care about my sister''s retaliation if Lux dies?''


    Lady Faustina knew about Keoza''s rtionship with Lux. However, she didn''t fully understand how important the Half-Elf was to the Crystal Pce.


    First and foremost, her priority was Valerie''s safety, and the only reason why she was trying to help defend the Half-Elf was because of the Dragon Princess.


    Poro, who was now truly angry, didn''t hold back with his attacks. Each of his blows was meant to kill, making his targets defend themselves with everything they had.


    Even so, Lady Faustina and Poro understood that it was impossible for only the two of them to block all of the Saints of the Divine Army of Light at once.


    The Saints knew this as well, so they made sure to spread out in different directions, preventing the two Dragon Borns from stopping them in their mission.


    As a dozen Saints were about to approach the Floating Ind, six Dragon Borns appeared beside Aur in a protective formation.


    All of them were the additional guards that Lady Augustina had sent to protect him, and just like Poro, they were all Saints as well.


    "Your Highness, your orders?" one of the Saints asked the Dragon Prince, who was looking at the Divine Army of Light with a calm expression on his face.


    "Don''t let theme near the floating ind," Aur ordered. "Kill if you have to."


    "Yes, Your Highness!" the leader of the Saints replied. "However, we must leave one Saint to stay and protect you, Your Highness. This is non-negotiable."


    Aur nodded in understanding.


    After getting the Dragon Prince''s affirmation, the five other Saints of the Crystal Pce flew into the sky in order to intercept the Saints that had managed to get past Lady Faustina and Poro.


    Lux, who was standing near the Gate of his Guild Headquarters, was also paying close attention to the battle that was taking ce in the distance.


    Valerie was standing several meters away from him with Ali and Ari, who were both ready to protect her at any moment.


    "Master, it seems like we have no choice but to fight," Lux said in a voice filled with determination.


    "Foolish boy, what can you do against those Saints?" Gaap replied before cracking his knuckles together. "Just stand back and let the adults handle this. At times like this, you don''t have to hesitate. Call upon those that can help you ovee the current situation. There is no shame in asking others for help."


    Lux nodded because he understood that his Master was right. In times like this, he should rely on the adults who had more experience than him in fighting against people of such ranks.


    The High King of Lunaria, who had already spotted Lux in the distance, pulled back his arm and summoned a ming spear in his hand.


    A momentter, he threw it with all his might, with the intention of ending the Half-Elf''s life, whom they had pursued for the past few days.


    However, the ming spear he threw was blocked by a barrier of water that appeared out of nowhere, making the High King of Lunaria frown.


    When the barrier of water disappeared, a man with long blue hair that fluttered in the breeze appeared before him.


    "Why don''t you pick someone your own size?"


    The Headmaster of Barbatos Academy, as well as Lux''s stepfather, Alexander, hovered in the air, with his arms crossed over his chest. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Before the red-headed teenager left for Elysium, Alexander had told him that he may call upon him during his time of great need. Since they were family, Lux didn''t reject his stepfather''s help.


    Before the High King of Lunaria could even reply, a familiar scene appeared in front of him, making his face turn grim.


    Countless puppets spread throughout his surroundings as a silver-haireddy, whom he had met in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, hovered in the air above Lux''s Guild Headquarters.


    "You saved me the trouble of looking for you," Vera said with a cold and deadly voice. "Since you came here to die, allow me to personally take your life."


    Not far from her, an old man, who was wearing tribal attire,ughed as he looked at the Saints who had momentarily stopped their advance on the floating ind.


    "It has been a while since I went all out," Maximilian stated with a fearless smile on his face. "I''ve heard that the Saints of the Divine Army of Light are strong. Now, it''s time to put the hearsay to the test."


    The Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe then pressed his clenched fist over his chest as he prepared to fight.


    "Thirteenth Gear," Maximilian dered. "Wakmangganchi Aragondi!"


    Immediately, the Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe transformed into a thirty-meter-tall ck Boar with mes rising up from its snout.


    Its glowing red eyes held so much rage in them, so intense that even Poro felt intimidated by them.


    "Puppet Master Vera and the Mad Boar," the Oracle of the Divine Army narrowed her gaze. "These two are trouble."


    Just like Vera, Maximilian was also well-known in the circles of Saints. They call him the Mad Boar, for he truly fought like a madman every time he transformed into this colossal beast.


    Some even referred to him as the Cmity Boar, because the destructive power he possessed was equal to those of Cmity Beasts.


    Alexander was not as well known as Vera and Maximilian because he mostly stayed in Sis to handle the affairs of Barbatos Academy.


    Even so, the High King of Lunaria and the Oracle of the Divine Army could tell that he wasn''t a simple Saint either.


    "Oi, oi. Are you guys forgetting about me?"


    Gaap, who was standing in front of Lux, asked in a teasing tone.


    "Partial Manifestation," Gaap said as he raised his arm.


    At that exact moment, a gigantic fist materialized out of nowhere and smashed one of the Saints who had tried to sneak onto the floating ind, while everyone''s attention was focused on the neers.


    "How can we forget you?" the High King of Lunaria snorted. "Just like that brat, today will be your Death Day, Gaap the Deserter."


    "Are those yourst words?" Gaap asked. "Well, let''s get this party started then."


    The Saints of the Divine Army of Light didn''t expect to face such staunch resistance when they set out on their mission to eradicate Hereswith''s sessor.


    However, since they were already here, they would definitely carry out their mission, even if they had to destroy the entire floating ind to aplish it.

 Chapter 821 Bom Bom Bakugan!

    ?


    "Your Highness, it will be best if we distance ourselves from the Half-Elf for the time being," the Saint who was left to protect Aur said. "It is too dangerous here."


    "No," Aur replied in a determined tone. "I am not going anywhere. If you really care for me, then you will do everything in your power to protect Lux. The Crystal Pce needs him alive."


    "But, your Highness��"


    "Don''t make me repeat myself."


    "�� Understood."


    The Saint gritted his teeth as he extended his senses, covering a wide area around Aur and Lux.


    If any attacks that came from the Saints were to enter it, he would immediately move to protect the red-headed teenager, as well as the Dragon Prince, even if he had to put his life on the line to make it happen.


    "This sure is a high-level battle we have here, Lux."


    "Thank you foring on such short notice, Barca. I am left with no choice but to once again ask for your help."


    The Vice-Chieftain of the ckrock n, Barca, who was d in Legendary Equipment from head to toe, appeared beside Lux.


    He was an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster, and with the equipment he currently wore, he was capable of facing off against a Saint without worry.


    The Half-Elf only summoned Barca because he was the only one among the ckrock n who had a chance of surviving the attacks of a Saint.


    Although he needed a lot of help, he didn''t summon those who were unable to fight a battle of such magnitude. He didn''t want to be responsible for such needless sacrifice.


    "Eiko, prepare to use our n B," Lux said. "Wait for my signal to use it."


    "Un!" Eiko nodded. "Bom Bom get ready!"


    Eiko''s Named Creature, Bom Bom, was a living cannon that could move.


    Currently, the cannon was stationed on top of Lux''s Guild Headquarters, ready to fire at any of the Saints that its Master wished to attack.


    Loud explosions reverberated across the skies as the floating ind continued to move toward the East, in an attempt to distance itself from the battle.


    However, doing so was not simple.


    Even with Lux''s reinforcements, thebat-ready personnel on his side that could fight against Saints only numbered around thirteen.


    They were facing twenty-two Saints, who came ready to fight.


    After several minutes of duking it out with each other, the Saints of the Divine Army decided to unleash attacks on the floating ind itself, with the intention to make it fall from the sky.


    Fortunately, these attacks were blocked by Vera, Gaap, Maximilian, and Lady Faustina, who were capable of defending arge area.


    Dragons and Dragon Borns were inherently stronger than Humans, and this fact proved itself on the battlefield.


    Poro and Lady Faustina were capable of dealing with two to three Saints at a time, making the High King of Lunaria and the Oracle of the Divine Army frown.


    "Is it really worth it to antagonize the Divine Army for the sake of a Heretic?" the Oracle of the Divine Army asked Poro after blocking one of the giant ck fireballs that were hurled in her direction.


    "You''re asking the wrong question, girlie," Poro snorted as he unleashed a barrage of ck fireballs that forced the Oracle to distance herself from the angry Dragon Born.


    "The question you should be asking yourself is whether it is worth it to antagonize the Crystal Pce for trying to kill someone who had sought our protection. You and your stupid organization are courting death!"


    The Oracle of Light spread her hands wide, and several runic letters appeared around her, creating a barrier of light that held back the ck mes that were fired in her direction.


    "We are fighting for the sake of the world!" the Oracle of the Divine Army insisted. "What we do is for the good of all!"


    "Save your bullsh*t for your stupid believers, stupid girl," Poro replied. "I wasn''t born yesterday, Low Lander. You and your organization don''t dictate what''s right or wrong. You''re just a group of fanatics who want to bring the world of Elysium under your thumb.


    "But guess what? The other Supremes aren''t as dumb as the Saints who decided to lick your boots and joined your cause. If your cause is truly right and just, then you wouldn''t be targeting the person whom even Heaven acknowledges as a Progenitor."


    The Oracle of Light scoffed as several swords of light circled around her.


    "This time, the Heavens have made a mistake," the Oracle stated. "And it is up to us to rid this world of that mistake."


    "This is why I hate Low Landers." Poro sneered as he also created dark ming swords around him. "All of you are just a different breed of Monkey. It doesn''t matter how you dress or how you present yourself. In the end, Monkeys are Monkeys, weak and stupid. And so far, you are one of the ugliest Monkeys I have seen in my lifetime."


    "Shut up, Reptile." The Oracle sneered back. "I eat lizards like you for lunch."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    After exchanging barbed words, the Oracle and the Dragon Born unleashed their attacks at the same time, causing powerful explosions and bright shes of light that could be seen from miles away.


    While this battle was being waged in the sky, Lux noticed that eight Yellow Dots that had the same rank as Saints were headed in their direction.


    Perhaps, sensing the high-level battle that was happening above their heads, the Saints of the Various Kingdoms, who were within the vicinity of the battleground, decided to investigate what was happening.


    Right now, the battle is currently at a stalemate.


    Any outside interference could tip the scales either way, which was something that made Lux feel anxious.


    Perhaps sensing that simrly ranked individuals were approaching them, the Divine Army of Light, as well as the Saints that were protecting the Floating Ind, all backed away for the time being as they assessed the current situation.


    "Who are you people, and why are you creating a ruckus in someone else''s backyard?" One of the Saints that had arrived on the battlefield asked.


    "We are the Divine Army of Light, and we havee to kill a Heretic," the Oracle of Light replied. "I would appreciate it if you could lend us a hand in apprehending our target. You will be greatly rewarded by our organization once weplete our mission."


    "The Divine Army of Light?" The Saint that had asked the question earlier looked at the beautiful Oracle from head to foot before giving a smile. "Since a beauty from the Divine Army had asked for assistance, it is only natural that we extend our help. Am I right, gentlemen?"


    The other Saints, who had also arrived at the scene, were very eager to form a connection with the Divine Army, whose influence had spread far and wide within the center of Elysium.


    "Hahaha! You dogs are so eager to have your own kingdoms wiped out from the face of the world?" Poroughed. "I didn''t know that the Saints of the Reika Kingdom, Jumon Dynasty, and Spada Empire were so eager to die. Have you forgotten who I am?"


    The Saints who had arrived earlier didn''t look properly at who the members of the Divine Army of Light were fighting.


    Now that they had seen that the arrogant Dragon Born, who would usually treat them like lowly dogs, was the one that the Divine Army was fighting against, their will to fight increased even further.


    "I''ve always wanted to smash my fist into your arrogant face, Poro," one of the Saints said. "Treating us like trash and calling us Low Landers every time we meet makes me want to skin you alive."


    "Good! Good! Good!" Poro grinned. "After this battle, all of your kingdoms will be reduced to dust. Do you really think that our Steward will not take action once you''ve chosen the wrong side?"


    "Do not be afraid," the Oracle of Light, who had seen the Saints waver after hearing the threat of a Supreme''s retaliation, said with a smile. "Our Supreme has almost made a full recovery. As long as you help us, we will ensure that your Kingdoms will be safe from harm."


    After hearing the Oracle''s assurance, the Saints who had arrived on the battlefield became emboldened and started to openly curse Poro calling him a snot-nosed reptile.


    "You sure are popr aren''t you, Poro?" Lady Faustina smiled. "Can you not keep on making enemies left and right? You brought us more enemies to fight."


    "If onees, then I''ll kill one," Poro scoffed. "If a dozene, then I''ll kill a dozen. That is all that matters."


    Just as everyone was about to fight again, Lux''s words reached everyone''s ears, which made the Saints on his side momentarily stop their charge toward their enemies.


    "Everyone, return to the ind!"


    After hearing his words, Vera, Alexander, Maximilian, Lady Faustina, and Gaap, all backed away in a hurry, leaving Poro, and the other Saints of the Crystal Pce behind.


    This made the corner of Poro''s lips twitch, which made him curse the Half-Elf internally.


    However, seeing that they were currently facing off with more Saints than they could fight, he ordered his men to retreat to the ind as fast as they could.


    "Hahaha! It seems like they''ve finally understood that they have no chance of winning!" the High King of Lunariaughed. "The tables have turned, it''s time to end that Heretic''s life!"


    The other Saints of the Divine Army of Light also nodded their heads in agreement as they prepared to charge at the floating ind.


    Now that their enemies had decided to retreat, it would be easier to bring the battlefield to their home turf.


    However, what they didn''t know was, on top of Lux''s Guild''s Headquarters, Bom Bom, the cannon, was already aiming in their direction.


    "Bom Bom Bakugan!" Eiko, who was perched on top of Lux''s head, gave the order to her subordinate.


    A secondter, the Living Cannon fired a rocket made up of bones at where the Saints had gathered.


    This rocket was the Heat-Seeking Missile that Glee and Eiko had made together.


    Loaded inside it was the concentrated tactical nuke that the two Bombardiers had made in Leaf Vige, which Gaap had shrunk with the help of Anteros.


    The High King of Lunaria who saw this flying projectile sneered, and smugly watched as one of hisrades advanced forward to slice the rocket in half in order to destroy it.


    Lux and Eiko, who saw this stupid move by their enemy, sneered at the same time.


    For the first time in the history of the Divine Army of Light, they would witness the might of a weapon of mass destruction that couldpletely annihte two entire cities in one ze of glory.

 Chapter 822 A Very Dangerous Individual

    ?


    ''Father and Grandpa Maximilian, protect us!'' Lux said through the guild chat, which immediately notified the three Saints to take action.


    Immediately, Alexander created a dome of water that enveloped Lux and his Guild Headquarters.


    He didn''t know why the Half-Elf called them back, but he was sure that thetter had his reasons. Maximilian, who was currently in his boar form, stood behind the barrier that Alexander had made, protecting those that were behind him.


    Perhaps thinking that Valerie was a frail youngdy, Lux subconsciously wrapped his arms around her before using his body to shield her from whatever was going to happen next.


    "Corpse God,e!"


    "Come!"


    Lux and Eiko both activated their primary defensive guardian, which summoned an eight-meter-tall Skeleton with twelve arms.


    The Corpse God immediately used the two shields in its hands to defend the Half-Elf from anything that might get past the defenses of the two Saints.


    Ali and Ari, who felt that Lux was genuinely trying to protect their Princess, also hid behind the Skeleton Monster and braced themselves for what was about toe.


    Meanwhile, the Saints of the Divine Army of Light, as well as the other Saints who had decided to help them, looked at the iing projectile without any worries.


    Seeing that a Saint that belonged to the Divine Army had made the first move to intercept it, the Six Saints that came from the Reika Kingdom, Jumon Dynasty, and Spada Empire simply watched with smiles on their faces.


    At the exact moment that the Saint from the Divine Army used his sword to slice the Bone Missile in half, an earth-shaking explosion detonated right in front of his face.


    The Floating Ind also shook as the Sky Turtle groaned in pain after being pushed back by the explosion. However, it still managed to keep the entire ind afloat and endured the brunt of the destructive force behind its back.


    Poro, as well as the Six other Saints from the Crystal Pce, who had retreated from the front lines, were still blown away by the explosion that took them all by surprise.


    The ck-scaled Dragon Born cried out in pain as he and hisrades crashed into Alexander''s water dome, which now had giant cracks in its surface.


    The water dome held for several seconds before shatteringpletely, causing the shockwaves to descend upon them in full.


    Fortunately, the monstrous ck Boar, Maximilian, was there to shield everyone, but the force was so strong that his hooves shattered the ground beneath his feet.


    He knew that he should hold firm, or else, the people behind him would be blown away by the powerful force that threatened to even blow him away.


    Valerie wanted to scream so badly, but due to Lux holding her firmly in his embrace, she was able to control her emotions, burying her head in his chest.


    Ali and Ari, who feared for the Princess'' safety, also hugged Valerie from behind, making them hug Lux as well.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the strong winds and shock waves that were blowing in their direction stopped.


    What followed next was an eerie silence.


    It was as if all the sounds in the world vanished, reced by a silence that made everyone''s ears start ringing.


    Lux, then unsummoned the Corpse God so that he could see the result of the secret weapon that Eiko and Glee had made in preparation for this day.


    However, he saw nothing.


    The Saints who were confidently hovering in the distance just a while ago were nowhere to be seen.


    Because of this, Lux summoned his Soul Book to check their whereabouts.


    The moment he opened his Soul Book, he saw several blinking red dots scattered all over the ce.


    ''They must have been blown away by the explosion,'' Lux thought as he endured the ringing in his ears, which prevented him from hearing anything.


    The Half-Elf then nced around his surroundings and saw that most of the allies on his side were safe.


    Although Poro and the other Saints of the Crystal Pce were lying face first in the middle of craters that were a few meters wide, the Half-Elf was sure that the injuries they received were nothingpared to what the Divine Army of Light had suffered after being exposed to Eiko''s tactical nuke at nearly point-nk range.


    Vera, Alexander, Maximilian, Gaap, Lady Faustina, and the Saint who was protecting Aur looked at the Half-Elf with dumbfounded looks on their faces.


    They didn''t expect the red-headed teenager to have such a trump card in his hands, which made even the courageous Maximilian shudder.


    He was confident in his ability to receive powerful attacks from Saints, but he wasn''t too certain about his chances of not getting seriously injured after getting hit by Eiko''s tactical nuke.


    "Are they dead?" Alexander asked Lux.


    However, the Half-Elf didn''t respond due to the fact that he was unable to hear anything at the moment.


    In fact, everyone was unable to hear properly due to the lingering effects of the explosion. Fortunately, Alexander remembered the Guild Chat, which made the Half-Elf look in his direction.


    ''Out of the 28 Saints, I can only see 19 of them in the surrounding area,'' Lux replied in the Guild Chat. ''Maybe some of them got blown farther away since they are at the center of the explosion.''


    Alexander nodded his head in understanding before taking out a potion from his storage ring and drinking it.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    A few secondster, he was finally able to hear properly again due to the effects of the healing potion he consumed.


    Lux did the same and gave Eiko, Valerie, Ali, and Ari some healing potions as well.


    Soon, all of them regained their hearing and began to discuss what their next course of action would be.


    "What are we going to do about the Saints of the Divine Army?" Gaap asked. "Should we kill them all?"


    Gaap was someone who had a vendetta against the Divine Army of Light, so he wouldn''t bat an eye if he were to kill a few Saints that belonged to the powerful organization.


    They were already at odds with each other, so killing them wouldn''t make them any less angry than they already were.


    Lux''s only concern was that, if he gave the order to kill the surviving Saints, Vera, Alexander, and Maximilian would be dragged into the conflict as well.


    If it were only Gaap and him, he wouldn''t mind going for the kill because he and his Master had no love for the Divine Army of Light.


    Perhaps, seeing his hesitation, Gaap smiled and nodded his head in understanding.


    "I''ll go on my own," Gaap said before shifting his gaze to Vera, Alexander, and Maximilian. "Protect Lux for the time being."


    The three Saints nodded in understanding. Although they seemed to have won the battle, it was still too early to think that their enemies had been soundly defeated.


    "Master, please take this with you," Lux stated as he presented his Soul Book to Gaap, showing him the location of the Saints that were within the range of his map.


    "What a very convenient thing you have here," Gaapmented. "I''ll be off then. I''ll catch upter."


    Without another word, Gaap summoned his thirteen Named Creatures, who flew alongside him to deal with the weakened Saints of the Divine Army of Light.


    ''It''s a shame that I don''t know which of these 19 blinking dots is the High King of Lunaria,'' Gaap thought as he eyed the closest blinking red dot around the floating ind. ''I guess I''ll have to check them one by one.''


    The High King of Lunaria was the one responsible for hunting Hereswith down and had even used Gaap as a hostage to make her unable to run away.


    If there was someone within the Divine Army of Light that he wanted to torture to death, it would definitely be the arrogant High King, whose advances his Master had rejected.


    As Lux gazed at Gaap''s fleeting figure, Poro and the other Saints of the Crystal Pce had finally regained their senses.


    The first thing that the ck-scaled Dragon Born did was grab Lux''s clothes and raise him high up in the air.


    "You bastard! Why didn''t you tell us to retreat sooner?!" Poro roared in anger as he shook the red-headed teenager with a vengeance. "Do you want to kill us, huh?!"


    "C-Calm down, Your Excellency," Lux replied. "Y-You are choking me!"


    Blood flowed down from Poro''s ears, making him unable to hear anything. He had seen Lux''s lips move in order to reply to him, but it took him a while to understand that he was unable to hear any sound in his surroundings.


    With an angry huff, the Dragon Born tossed Lux to the side before drinking a potion to recover his injury.


    However, before he could even put the contents of the potion inside his lips, a puppet appeared in front of him and smacked his face, sending him flying.


    "You bastard dared to hurt my grandson in front of me?" Vera said in a cold tone filled with killing intent. "You court death, Dragon Born."


    Poro, who had just been smacked, roared in anger and flew in Vera''s direction in order to fight her to the death.


    The anger he felt towards the Divine Army of Light was rekindled after getting hit by the silver-haireddy, who had raised Lux since he was a baby.


    However, before the two coulde to blows with each other, Aur ordered the Saint protecting him to stop Poro''s advance.


    The other Saints of the Crystal Pce had also recovered from their injuries after drinking some potions, so they helped theirrade restrain the fuming Dragon Born, who was struggling with all of his might.


    Lady Faustina watched all of this from the side with a calm expression on her face.


    Even so, deep inside her heart, she waspletely shaken by the things that she had seen during the battle.


    Although the Half-Elf was only a Ranker, he had plenty of strong allies who were willing to protect him during his time of need.


    Not only that, but he also had a very deadly weapon that could destroy entire cities if he used it without caring about the consequences of his action.


    ''Princess, looks like you developed a crush on a very dangerous individual,'' Lady Faustina sighed in her heart.


    When the Divine Army called Lux a Heretic, she didn''t think much about it.


    However, now that she had witnessed what the Half-Elf was capable of, she was starting to understand why one of the biggest organizations in the world of Elysium wanted to kill the Half-Elf so badly.


    If Lux was given enough time to grow, and maybe acquire more weapons of such magnitude, the Half-Elf would probably stop running away, and instead, run after those who tried to hunt him in the past�� and blow them and their organization to oblivion.

 Chapter 823 I Guess You Are Fated To Suffer For Your Sins

    ?


    When the Oracle of the Divine Army opened her eyes, she found herself lying at the base of a mountain.


    Pain wracked her body, and several wounds and bruises could be seen on her once smooth and radiant skin. Her clothes were also in tatters, and the life-saving talismans that she carried to protect her were all gone.


    If she had not used up all of those artifacts, she might have suffered injuries far worse than the ones she had at the moment.


    It took her a moment to recall what had happened to her, and when she did, she realized that they had been so stupid to look down at the unknown projectile that came from the floating ind.


    "I''ll kill that Heretic��" the Oracle of the Divine Army said through gritted teeth before inspecting her body, checking the severity of her injuries.


    Her clothes, which looked more like rags, were dyed with her own blood. However, when she tasted blood on her lips, she subconsciously touched the base of her nose.


    Feeling something wet and warm on it, the Oracle then looked at her fingers and saw blood on them.


    Hastily, she summoned a mirror to look at her beautiful face, whom she was very proud of.


    There, she saw that her nose and ears were bleeding. Aside from that, there was also a three-inch cut on the side of her face, which made her eyes widen in shock.


    Without wasting any time, the Oracle took out a High-Quality Elixir from her storage ring and drank half of it. The rest, she poured over the injuries on her beautiful face, hoping that it would help to heal them faster.


    For the Oracle, her beauty was very important. Even though she had several injuries on her body, taking care of her face was her top priority over anything else.


    It wasn''t easy to injure Saints. However, once they were injured, ordinary healing potions wouldn''t work on them. Only Elixirs with the highest quality would have an effect on them.


    Secondster, the bleeding on her nose and ears stopped, and the wound on her face slowly recovered.


    However, seeing that the effect of the Elixir wasn''t enough, the Oracle drank four more to remove the visible injuries on her body.


    The Oracle knew that even though her injuries looked healed, that was only on the surface and her internal injuries would take time to recover.


    "Should I escape first or look for the others?" the Oracle muttered to herself before slowly propping herself up off the ground.


    All the members of the Divine Army of Light had a crystal that would allow them to instantly teleport back to their Headquarters.


    However, the Oracle was unwilling to use it. Although she had irvoyance, she understood that it would not always tell her where the Half-Elf was currently located.


    Although unwilling, the Oracle of the Divine Army wasn''t stupid. Since she had received fatal injuries during the explosion, it was only natural to think that herrades had suffered the same because they were close to each other when the tragedy struck.


    Her body subconsciously shuddered when she thought of the High Temr who had shed the Bone Rocket in order to destroy it.


    Although he was also a Saint, just like her, and had several life-saving artifacts on his body, the Oracle wasn''t confident of his chances of surviving that kind of destructive power.


    She even thought that the High Temr might have lost a limb or two since he was the one closest to the center of the explosion.


    ''He got us good,'' the Oracle sighed in her heart. ''Really good.''


    They had tried to kill Lux twice, and in both instances, the ones who lost out and suffered more were the Divine Army of Light.


    They had lost one of their Saints in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands due to Vera, and they had probably lost another one today.


    It was also possible that they might have lost more than just one Saint in this mission to kill the Half-Elf.


    After making up her mind, the Oracle decided to look for herrades first.


    She had also decided to halt their mission for the time being and take herrades back to their Headquarters, where they could recover.


    Using her power of irvoyance, she found the location of one of herrades that was nearest to her.


    She hoped beyond hope that herrades were only seriously injured and not dead. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    If they were injured, they could still recover from their injuries.


    But if they were dead��


    The Oracle shuddered for the second time because she was dealing with a Necromancer. If her fallenrades were to fall in his hands, the chances of fighting the Undead version of them in the future were already set in stone.


    ����������������


    "Damnit!" the High King of Lunaria cursed inwardly as his subordinates flocked in his direction with expressions of shock and disbelief.


    When he regained consciousness, he was lying on the side of a riverbed, covered with his own blood.


    His left arm was broken, and his armor had cracks all over it. Just like the Oracle, the life-saving talismans that were meant to protect him from death had all been used up, making him feel bitter inside.


    Knowing that the possibility of being found in his weakened state was high, the High King of Lunaria didn''t hesitate to use the teleportation crystal that allowed him to return directly to his own Kingdom, where his subordinates would ensure his safety.


    As his people applied first aid to his injuries, the High King who was very eager to end Hereswith''s Legacy gritted his teeth in anger and frustration.


    ''We should have brought more people.'' the High King of Lunaria clenched his teeth. ''We shouldn''t have underestimated that thing!''


    Just like the Oracle, he had severely underestimated the Half-Elf''s ability to protect himself from their assault.


    He also didn''t expect that the Saints of the two Dragon Kingdoms would be there to act as Lux''s bodyguard.


    Originally, he thought that only Vera and Gaap would be there to defend against their attack, which would make it an easy victory for them.


    However, aside from these two, several more Saints were there, all of which were no pushovers.


    He thought that with the addition of the six Saints that agreed to help them, they would finally chop off Lux''s head and present it as a trophy to their Sovereign that was waiting for them in their Headquarters.


    While the Oracle was looking for herrades and the High King of Lunaria was being treated for his injuries, Gaap arrived at the location where one of the blinking red dots was located.


    "Heh~ so, you''re still alive, huh?" Gaap sneered at the High Temr of the Divine Army of Light whose entire body was like a charred corpse. "I guess you are fated to suffer for your sins."


    Simr to the High King of Lunaria, the High Temr was one of the Hunters that had hounded his Master when she was still alive. Seeing his pitiful state, the Halfling felt satisfaction in his heart, knowing that his enemy was now under his mercy.


    The High Temr''s dominant right arm was missing, which the Halfling assumed to have been instantly obliterated by the power of Eiko''s tactical nuke.


    The injuries that the High Temr received were so severe that it would have been better if he had died already, ending his misery.


    Fortunately or unfortunately, his life-saving artifacts kicked in at thest moment, preserving his life.


    While Gaap was thinking about what to do, ckfire suddenly appeared out of nowhere and nudged the Halfling''s body, as if asking him for permission to take the body in.


    "ckfire?" Gaap blinked in confusion beforeughing. "So you''ve be autonomous now after being upgraded to a Divine Artifact."


    ckfire nodded its head as if to confirm Gaap''s hunch. Lux didn''t order ckfire to follow his Master, but knowing the possibility of retrieving the Corpses of Saints, the ck Coffin decided to tag along with the Halfling without its Master''s permission.


    Even when Lux first received ckfire, the ck coffin was already a sentient artifact. After being upgraded to a Divine Artifact, it could now move autonomously and appear near the members of Heaven''s Gate.


    "Go ahead," Gaap replied. "He''s yours."


    The ck Coffin then opened its lid and sucked up the dying High Temr, storing it inside its body.


    Now that it could store more creatures inside it, the ck Coffin could now automatically create new servants for his Master.


    Servants that would protect the Half-Elf for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 824 Your Day Of Reckoning Will Come

    ?


    After taking the body of the High Temr, the Halfling went to the next location. There, he saw one of the Saints who had decided to join the Divine Army of Light in attacking them.


    Unlike the High Temr who was nothing more than a charred body, the Saint from the Reika Kingdom only suffered serious injuries. Because of this, Gaap would have no trouble subduing him, and the Saint also knew this as well.


    "P-Please, have mercy on me," the Saint from the Reika Kingdom pleaded. "I was wrong. I shouldn''t have been blinded by their offer."


    "Sure," Gaap replied. "Antero, eat him for now."


    The head of the Golem of Destruction materialized above Gaap''s body as it let out a devilish chuckle.


    "Noooooo! Don''t! I beg you! I''ll do anything! Don''t eat meeeeeeeeeeee!"


    As if enjoying the Saint''s despair, Anteroughed one more time before gobbling the helpless man, who had no means to defend himself.


    Although Gaap had ordered Antero to eat the Saint, it was more like imprisoning him inside the Golem''s body.


    Saints weren''t simple to deal with, and if Gaap were to underestimate them, they might manage to escape, or worse,unch a sneak attack on him.


    Since that was the case, he decided that letting Antero keep them inside his body was the most optimal choice.


    Unlike the Divine Army of Light, he didn''t have much hatred for these people. Also, using them as hostages and asking their respective Kingdoms for ransom was also a good thing.


    A Kingdom or Empire without a Saint is like an army without weapons. If their neighboring Kingdoms were to find out that their rival had lost its teeth, they would not hesitate to mount an attack in order to gain morends and expand their domain.


    Such was the reality in the Central Continent of Elysium.


    Only the strong would survive, and the weak would be killed or forced to be their underlings.


    Gaap knew that he had more to gain by keeping these Saints alive. Although killing them was also an option, his Master had forbidden him from killing needlessly before she drew herst breath.


    Since then, Gaap had refrained from wantonly killing people and only focused on his revenge against the Divine Army of Light.


    ''I can also force them into a contract of servitude,'' Gaap thought. ''Letting them spread rumors about the Divine Army of Light will help tarnish that sphemous organization as well. Saints are very useful for these kinds of tasks.''


    Saints were very influential people, and their words carried a lot of weight. If they were to say bad things about the Divine Army of Light, the people would think of this as truth, weakening the Divine Army''s influence.


    When he arrived at his next destination, he found one of the Saints belonging to the Divine Army of Light.


    However, unlike the High Temr and the Saint from the Reika Kingdom, this Saint was in better condition, and he immediately used his teleportation crystal in order to escape as soon as he saw Gaap.


    Gaap continued to visit the red blinking dots on the map and found the other Saints that belonged to the Reika Kingdom, Jumon Dynasty, and Spada Empire.


    Just like what he did with his first captive, he ordered Antero to eat them as well.


    Of course, Gaap also got lucky and found a Saint from the Divine Army of Light that was terribly weakened from the injuries he received.


    Before this Saint could even use his teleportation Crystal, a ck knight, who was one of Gaaps Named Creatures, took the initiative to cut off the Saint''s hand, rendering him unable to escape.


    "Just kill me, Fiend!" the Saint from the Divine Army shouted. "I will eagerly wait for you in Hell!"


    "Fool," Gaap replied with a devilish smile on his face. "Who said that I will give you a swift death? I''ll torture you until you beg me to die. Antero, eat him as well. But make sure to separate him from the others.


    Antero''s giant head once again appeared andughed at the foolish Saint who thought that Gaap would give him a swift, and painless death.


    After capturing one of his enemies, Gaap checked his map again and frowned.


    Several blinking red dots were grouped together and were headed to thest remaining red dot on the map.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "It seems that they managed to regroup faster than I expected," Gaap muttered. "It must be because of that Oracle."


    Gaap was then faced with a hard decision. He could go and attack the Saints while they were injured, or he could retreat and return to the floating ind.


    The Halfling pondered a bit, and after careful consideration, he decided to retreat for the time being.


    Right now, he was only an Apostle.


    Even with Antero''s protection, one mistake will be the end of him.


    Also, using Antero to fight would decrease the lifespan that Lux had gifted him during his breakthrough in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands.


    ''Taking a gamble now isn''t worth it,'' Gaap thought before looking at the West onest time. ''Your day of reckoning wille.''


    Since Gaap was a member of Heaven''s Gate, he used the Guild''s Teleportation ability to return to the floating ind, which had already traveled several miles away from the battlefield.


    Although he felt that it was a waste, he already did his best and managed to capture two Saints from the Divine Army of Light.


    The Halfling knew that his enemies were feeling very bitter about their defeat, and that was enough to make him have a good night''s sleep when evening came.


    ������������������


    "Are there no other survivors?" one of the Saints of the Divine Army asked the Oracle, who had changed into a new set of clothes and tended to her wounds.


    "No," the Oracle replied. "There should have been two more, but I lost my connection with them a while ago. It''s likely true to say that our enemies managed to capture, or worse, kill them if they hadn''t already died from their injuries."


    The Saints quieted down after hearing the Oracle''s exnation. They then nced at each other, before shifting their gaze to the beautiful woman, who had painstakingly gathered them together.


    If it weren''t for her and the Elixirs in her possession, the chances of them being captured by the enemy were high.


    "What now?" another Saint of the Divine Army asked. "Are we still going to continue our mission?"


    This was the question that everyone was thinking of right now, and the only one that could give them an answer was the Oracle of the Divine Army.


    "No," the Oracle said with a bitter face. "Continuing the mission in our current state is just in suicide. All of us should return to our Headquarters and recover properly. The others like the High King of Lunaria might have also returned there as well."


    All the Saints sighed internally due to the relief they felt when the Oracle dered that they would stop pursuing the Half-Elf.


    After experiencing what he was capable of doing firsthand, a seed of fear had nted itself in their hearts.


    Although this was a very ironic thing, considering that their target was a mere Ranker, it didn''t change the fact that they had lost to that same youngster, and even lost all of their life-saving artifacts after one attack from him.


    "Let''s go," the Oracle ordered as she took out the teleportation crystal from her storage ring. "I will personally discuss with the Sovereign and exin the reason for our loss."


    All the Saints nodded and also took out their teleportation crystals that would send them back to their Headquarters.


    Thest one to leave was the Oracle of the Divine Army. But before she used her teleportation crystal, she looked to the East, where the floating ind was currently headed at.


    "The next time we meet, I promise I will no longer underestimate you," the Oracle vowed. "Enjoy your victory while you still can, Heretic. You won''t be rejoicing for too long."


    Without another word, the Oracle used her teleportation crystal, transforming her into particles of light.


    This defeat against the Half-Elf was something she took personally, and because of this, she vowed to devise more concrete ns in the future in order to prevent the Heretic from having thestugh.

 Chapter 825 All Good Things Should Belong To The Family.

    ?


    "All of you were so arrogant earlier, even mocking me," Poro said in contempt. "Where is that arrogance of yours now, huh?!"


    "I-I''m sorry! I made a terrible mistake!" one of the Saints from the Reika Kingdom replied as the Dragon Born stepped on his head, grinding it on the ground.


    "Sorry?" Poroughed. "Do you think that your apology is enough for me to forgive you? Fool. Do you think the Crystal Pce would easily forget those who tried to backstab them?"


    The ck-scaled Dragon Born increased the weight he put onto his foot, making the ground under the Saint''s head shatter.


    "Wow, he''s ying the part of the bad guy really well," Lux muttered as he nced at Cethus, who was looking at his uncle with admiration. "You look quite happy right now. Does seeing your uncle step on a Saint''s head turn you on?"


    "Hah~ this is but a small thing, Lux," Cethus replied. "Our family''s motto is to step on others while they are down! Unlike those weaklings who can only bully the weak and fear the strong, our n treats everyone equally. As long as they are our enemy, and as long as they are not a Supreme, we will trample on them, especially when they are at their weakest!"


    "��Wow." The corner of Lux''s lips twitched after hearing Cethus'' family motto. "As long as you''re not facing a Supreme, everyone is fair game, right?"


    "Of course," Cethus replied. "Are you silly? Supremes can kill me with just a sneeze. As for my Uncle, a single p would turn him into meat paste. Why would we go looking for trouble with them? As long as they are Saints and below, my Uncle and Grandmas can step on them as many times as they like. They''re just Saints, you know?"


    Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian,ughed out loud after hearing Cethus'' words.


    "I like this Dragon Born," Maximilian said. "My hobby is also stepping on others while they are down."


    "Um, for a Low Lander, you sure know what you''re talking about," Cethus looked at Maximilian as if he found a kindred spirit. "Fortunately, both of us are on the same side. I like strong people like you."


    "Hahaha! What a coincidence. I like strong people too."


    "We will get along, old man. By the way, just call me Cethus."


    "I''m Maximilian, Cai''s Grandpa."


    Lux watched as the old man and the Dragon Born shook hands. The two thenughed together as Poro stepped on the head of the Saint, whom Gaap had temporarily released to be interrogated.


    The other Saints were present, and all of them were bound by Antero''s power, preventing them from escaping.


    "P-Please, what can I do topensate for my mistake?" the Saint from the Reika Kingdom begged. "I''ll do anything! Also, please, spare my Kingdom of my sins. I did it on my own ord."


    Poroughed like the second-rate viin that he was and kicked the Saint''s body until he was facing upwards.


    "I like the rings on your fingers," Poro said. "Give them to me. Of course, you can refuse. I''ll just pry them off of your dead body. By the way, you already know that this kid over here and that Halfling over there are Necromancers, right? I''m sure that they will make good use of your corpse once you''re dead."


    Faced with the threat of death, the Saint from the Reika Kingdom, as well as the other Saints that were held captive, all shuddered internally.


    Since they only had one option for survival, losing the possessions inside their storage rings was far better than losing their lives.


    The Saint from the Reika Kingdom handed all the rings he possessed to Poro, making the Dragon Born smirk.


    The Saint of the Reika Kingdom thought that the worst was over, but he was dead wrong in his assumption.


    "Now, please sign this contract of servitude," Poro handed the Saint a magic scroll. "Don''t worry, this is not a ve contract. You will just have to run a few errands for the sake of our Crystal Pce and do whatever we tell you for a year. After that, you will regain your freedom. I repeat, this is not a ve contract, but a contract of servitude, okay?"


    The hands of the Saint shook as he read the contents of Poro''s "Contract of Servitude".


    "S-Sir, you said that I will only run a few errands for a year," the Saint of the Reika said in a trembling voice. "But, here it said 10 years. Is there some kind of mistake??"


    "10 years?" Poro arched an eyebrow. "Oh, I must have written that incorrectly. However, since it''s already written as 10 years, then we''ll go with that. You''re a Saint, aren''t you? You have a very long life ahead. 10 years is nothing to you, right?"


    "B-But��"


    "So you would rather die? Okay. Good. We can do that as well."


    "I-I''ll sign it!"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Lux, who was watching this, couldn''t help but wonder why Poro always seemed to have Contracts of Servitude with him. Perhaps, the ck-scaled Dragon Born had this hobby of forcing others to be subservient to him.


    Suddenly, Lux''s body shuddered when he remembered something.


    Poro had been waiting for him outside the Gates of the Fallen for a month. Had he exited the Dungeon the normal way, would he have also been forced to sign this Contract of Servitude as well?


    ''He wouldn''t have done that, right?'' Lux thought as he looked at the Saint of the Crystal Pce anxiously.


    At that exact moment, Poro also looked in his direction and smiled.


    ''It''s really a shame that I didn''t catch this brat back at the Gate of the Fallen,'' Poro thought. ''If I made him my servant, wouldn''t I be enjoying the benefits of having him as my underling?''


    What Poro didn''t know was that Eiko was able to automatically hear the thoughts of other people who had bad intentions towards her and her Papa.


    This ability was also shared with Lux, so the Half-Elf was able to hear the Dragon Born''s innermost thoughts.


    ''Looks like I managed to dodge a bullet.'' Lux sighed internally. ''Cethus'' uncle is a very troublesome character.''


    After the first Saint was forced to sign the contract, the other Saints also surrendered their possessions and agreed to serve the Crystal Pce for 10 years.


    Lux was fine with this arrangement because the Crystal Pce had helped him a lot this time.


    "Uncle, can you give me some of those rings you got?" Cethus asked Poro with a smile on his face. "Don''t be stingy, okay? If you do, I''ll tell Grandma about this. I''m sure you will forget to tell her the part about you securing resources for the Crystal Pce."


    "Huh? Just who do you think I am?" Poro smacked Cethus'' head making thetter cry out in pain. "My loyalty is only to Crystal Pce. But, since you are my nephew, I''ll give you this ring�� Um, this ring has a lot of resources in it. This is too good for you. Let me look at the others and see which one had the least items inside it��"


    Poro then scanned all the storage rings that he had extorted from his new servants before handing one to Cethus.


    "Make sure to not tell your Grandma about this, okay?" Poro whispered in Cethus'' ears. "All good things should belong to the family. Let''s just keep this side hustle under wraps, okay?"


    "I want some Legendary Equipment. My lips would be sealed."


    "Tsk, you brat. When did you learn to be shameless? Okay, have these Legendary Shoes. They have decent attributes. Make sure to keep your lips sealed as you promised, okay?"


    "Uncle, you really are the best!"


    The other Saints from the Crystal Pce, who had seen and heard the shameless Uncle and Nephew pair, averted their gazes in shame.


    Poro had managed to get the possessions of Saints, which wasn''t a small thing.


    However, seeing his attitude, it seemed that he was serious about keeping all of them for himself instead of adding them to their Pce''s treasury.


    "Y-Your Highness, this��," one of the Saints whispered in Aur''s ears.


    "Don''t worry," Aur replied. "I''ll tell my Auntter."


    The other Saints then looked at Poro withughter in their eyes. None of them dared to tell their Steward about Poro''s extortion. However, if it were their Prince who did it, even the arrogant Dragon Born would have no choice but to surrender the "confiscated goods" he''d collected to be added to their Kingdom''s treasury.


    With this, the Six Saints who had sided with the Divine Army of Light were under the control of the Crystal Pce.


    Now that their pursuers had retreated, their journey continued without any more mishaps.


    Vera, Alexander, and Maximilian stayed on the Floating Ind until it reached the territory of the Crystal Pce before returning to their duties.


    Now that Lux''s safety was assured, they could focus on their own tasks without worrying about a powerful organization hunting down their family member, who carried many burdens on his shoulders.

 Chapter 826 Arrival At The Domain Of The Crystal Palace

    ?


    "I am d that you and your Guild Headquarters have arrived safely, Lux," Lady Augustina said as she personally weed the arrival of the floating ind at the border of her Domain. "Once again, I wee you and your Guild Members to the territory of the Crystal Pce. This wee also extends to you, dear sister of mine."


    "You still have your sense of humor, sister," Lady Faustina replied with a smile. "It''s good to know that you acting as the Supreme Leader of the Crystal Pce didn''t make your head any bigger."


    "Of course not. If it became any bigger, then I would have kicked your Master off his throne long ago."


    "Very funny, sister. Very funny."


    Although they couldn''t see any sparks flying between Lady Faustina and Lady Augustina, the Dragon Borns who were watching from the side could feel the tension in the air.


    The Kingdom of Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce had an unsteady rtionship. Although they had signed a non-aggression pact several years ago, the terms of their contract had already expired.


    Because of this, the people of both kingdoms were expecting the two sides to go to war with each other in order to formally decide the One-True-Ruler of the Dragon Race.


    Little did they know that both Lady Augustina and Lady Faustina were just acting to make it look like they were hostile against each other.


    They were twins and grew up together. It was simply impossible for them to hate each other, even if they were on opposing sides.


    But because both sides didn''t know this, they simply thought that the two sisters were making their stance known for everyone to see.


    "That''s Lady Augustina for you! Even when facing her sister, she doesn''t pull back her punches."


    "The Dragon King isn''t that big of a deal. If Lady Augustina gets serious, she would certainly step on his head."


    "Right! I can''t wait to see that showdown happen soon!"


    The Dragon Borns who had escorted Lady Augustina to wee Lux and his Guild muttered enthusiastically with each other.


    Seeing their reaction, Valerie, who was beside Lux, and her two maids felt anxious.


    ''It seems that they really hate us here,'' Valerie thought. ''Wasing here a mistake?''


    Because the Dragon Princess was thinking about these things, she had subconsciously grabbed hold of Lux''s arm, as if using it as a support.


    The Half-Elf then nced at the in-looking girl beside him and noticed that her face had be a little pale.


    "Are you worried about those who speak ill of Karshvar Draconis?" Lux asked with a smile. "Don''t be. Lady Augustina is a fair and righteous person. She will not bully you or your maids during your stay here."


    "I hope so," Valerie replied in a doubtful tone.


    "If you don''t believe me, just look at Cethus." Lux pointed at the Royal Guard who was proudly wearing the insignia of Karshvar Draconis on his armor.


    Valerie shifted her gaze on the Dragon Born who was standing tall and proud with his arms crossed over his chest.


    The Border Guards and the Royal Guards of the Crystal Pce were ring in his direction, with some of them even badmouthing him loudly.


    "Stupid Royal Guard of Karshvar Draconis! You don''t belong here, so scram!"


    "What are you looking at, you ugly Dragon Born? Go back to where you came from!"


    "Brothers, his face annoys me. How about we beat him up together?"


    Cethus stood firm and even smiled at those who were cursing at him from a distance.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Seeing how the Royal Guard of her Kingdom was able to withstand such abuse, Valerie managed to gain a bit of courage.


    Just as Valerie was feeling a little better knowing that a countryman was holding his ground even in the face of hostile forces, Cethus chose that time to open his lips and make a deration.


    "You lowly peasants, who do you think you are?" Cethus asked in an arrogant tone. "Do you still not know who I am? I am Cethus! Your Steward is my Grandma! You dare curse me in front of my Grandmother? Simply courting death. Are you all tired of living?"


    The Dragon Borns who heard this became silent before roaring loudly inughter.


    "Hahaha! Did you hear that? He said that he is Lady Augustina''s grandson! The nerve of this ugly bastard. Does he have no shame?"


    "If you are Lady Augustina''s grandson, then I am her son! Fool! It is you who is courting death. Are you so tired of living?"


    "This Royal Guard is really making my fists itch. Who is with me? Let''s beat the crap out of him!"


    "I''ll join you, Brother! It''s time to show the Royal Guards of Karshvar Draconis who is boss!"


    "Same here! Let''s go!"


    "Fight!"


    Just as the Border Guards and the Royal Guards were about to fly to the floating ind in order to beat Cethus to a pulp, Poro stepped forward and red at all of them.


    "Stand down, men!" Poro ordered. "Although this dumb boy was dropped when he was still inside his egg, he is without a doubt Lady Augustina''s grandson. Cease your actions at once!"


    All the Guards, who were out for Cethus'' blood, stopped in their tracks when they heard Poro''s words. They then nced at their Steward, who didn''t even bother to look at them.


    However, Lady Augustina did nod her head in acknowledgment of Poro''s words, making those who ridiculed Cethus, including the one that said that he was Lady Augustina''s son, feel as if cold water was sshed on their heads.


    "Um, now that I''ve taken a good look at you, you''re actually quite good-looking."


    "I never thought I''d see the day when I would see someone as majestic and amazing as you. Although you are from Karshvar Draconis, your charm oozes from your persona. How about bing my sworn brother?"


    "I have always been loyal to Lady Augustina, and seeing that you are rted to her means that I am loyal to you as well. Why don''t we go grab some drinks and foodter to celebrate your arrival here in the Domain of the Crystal Pce?"


    Cethus, who was now being showered with praises and good tidings, raised his chin a little higher. Clearly, he was enjoying the benefits of being part of a powerful n that extended to both kingdoms.


    "Come. I''ll take you to the ce where you and your Guild Headquarters will be residing from now on," Lady Faustina dered before flying towards the North.


    Gaap then ordered the Sky Turtle to follow the Steward of the Crystal Pce, so they could finally settle down and take a breather from their long journey.


    Aur, who was paying close attention to Lux and Valerie during the entire journey, narrowed his gaze.


    He had confirmed that the Half-Elf wasn''t aware of the in-looking girl''s real identity, which made him wonder what Valerie''s real reason was foring with them to the territory of the Crystal Pce.


    Although he wouldn''t go as far as thinking that the Dragon Princess was a schemingdy, he didn''t trust her fully.


    More than anything else, he wouldn''t allow someone who had a hidden agenda to stay beside the Half-Elf, whom he considered to be their family''s benefactor.


    If Aur deemed that Valerie had evil intentions toward the red-headed teenager, he wouldn''t hesitate to teach her a lesson.


    Even if she was the favorite Princess of the Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis.

 Chapter 827 Preparation For The Journey To Agartha

    ?


    "Be honored, Half-Elf," Poro said. "Because I''m very generous, I''m letting you pick three of the five storage rings that I extorted from those Saints. Um, you''re not allowed to check the contents of each ring. Just pick three at random, and that''s that."


    While Lady Augustina was escorting the floating ind to their new home, Aur spoke to her telepathically and snitched to her, letting her know about the things that Poro did after the battle ended.


    Because of this, the Steward of the Crystal Pce ordered Poro to give Lux half of what he had collected from the Saints, making the Dragon Born feel embarrassed.


    Although he did help in defending Lux against the Saints of the Divine Army of Light, the one who ended the battle was still the Half-Elf, who had used a weapon that he had never seen before.


    Since he had been caught red-handed, Poro had no choice but to share his ill-gotten wealth with the red-headed teenager, who was now looking at the five rings on the palm of his hand.


    "Since His Excellency is being generous, I will not stand on ceremony," Lux smiled as he chose three rings at random.


    He really didn''t care what was inside them, but they still belonged to Saints after all. He thought that he might get something good from them.


    Poro felt like his heart was bleeding after losing half of his gains in a heartbeat. Even so, he had no choice but to smile and nod his head, as if he really was a very generous person.


    Seeing this look on his uncle, Cethus chuckled from a safe distance away.


    Poro had already given him a storage ring, and he had no ns on giving it back. Naturally, Lady Augustina turned a blind eye to the ring that her grandson gained from Poro, making the Royal Guard very happy.


    An hourter, they arrived at a mountainous area that had ake in its center.


    A nce was enough to tell Lux that this was the location that Lady Augustina had chosen for their Guild Headquarters.


    Since the floating ind was hovering in the sky, Lux was able to see a town that was at least a mile away from their new home.


    Lady Augustina had already informed the Mayor of Vesperia, Nidus Novario, of Lux''s arrival, so he and his men went to greet their Steward, as well as their new neighbors, with smiles on their faces.


    "Greetings Your Excellency," Nidus said in a respectful manner. "It is our honor to see you in our humble domain."


    "Don''t stand on ceremony, Nidus," Lady Augustina replied with a smile. "I trust that you will take good care of your new neighbors for me."


    "Of course, Your Excellency," Nidus promised. "As long as I am able to help them, I will lend them my aid."


    Lady Augustina nodded. "Good."


    The Steward of the Crystal Pce then shifted her gaze to the Half-Elf, who was standing in front of his Guild Members that were currently present on the floating ind.


    "Lux, you already have the coordinates of the Teleportation Gates of the Royal Pce," Lady Augustina stated. "Feel free to visit me anytime if you need anything else. Of course, even if you simply want to chat, you are free toe as well."


    Seeing that their Steward was treating the Half-Elf in a special manner, Nidus and his men confirmed that their new neighbors were true VIPs whom they must form a good rtionship with.


    "Thank you, Lady Augustina," Lux replied. "You''ve already done me and my Guild a great honor by inviting us into your Domain. I wish that our Guild and the Crystal Pce will be able to forge a stronger rtionship in the future."


    Lady Augustina smiled after hearing Lux''s statement.


    After being briefed by Keoza, the Steward of the Crystal Pce knew that Lux''s Guild wasn''t an ordinary one.


    In fact, it was the one and only Mythical Guild in the world that transcended all Guilds. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Although the Half-Elf was still a Low Ranker, she had high hopes for him. But, for the sake of his subjects that were around her, she decided to act in her role as the Supreme Ruler of the Crystal Pce.


    "Whether we will be able to forge a stronger rtionship or not in the future will depend on your abilities, Young Lux," Lady Augustina replied. "Remember. You can only stay in our Domain for a year. Within that year, I will protect your Guild Headquarters from any hostile attacks that areing from outside our borders.


    "Of course, this protection will not extend if you choose to leave this ce, or if your Guild Members choose to travel outside of my territory.


    "Even if the Divine Army of Light were to hunt you down, if they were to do it outside my territory, I will not lift a finger to help you. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, Your Excellency," Lux replied as he bowed respectfully to one of the most powerful Supremes of Elysium.


    Lady Augustina nodded before shifting her gaze to her sister, Lady Faustina.


    "Sister of mine, there are a lot of things that we need to talk about," Lady Augustina stated. "How about you apany me back to the Royal Pce?"


    "Sounds like a n." Lady Faustina smiled.


    The right-hand woman of the Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis then gazed at Valerie before looking at the Half-Elf with a solemn expression on her face.


    "I will be leaving Valerie in your care for a while, Lux," Lady Faustina stated. "Make sure that she doesn''t get into trouble while I''m away."


    "Of course, Your Excellency." Lux nodded. "I''ll make sure that people look after her while you are away."


    Now that his Guild Headquarters had safely arrived at the territory of the Crystal Pce, Lux could finally leave with some peace of mind.


    He had put his journey to Agartha on hold for the entirety of the trip because he was very worried about the safety of his people who were on the floating ind.


    Bentley and his members had temporarily stopped their construction of Lux''s town because of the possibility of being attacked by the Saints from the Divine Army of Light.


    During their battle, several structures that had already been built were destroyed due to the aftershock of Eiko''s tactical nuke.


    Naturally, Lux promised to increase the budget for the town''s construction andpensate the Merchant Guild for their troubles.


    ''Eiko, I need you to ask Glee a favor for me,'' Lux said through telepathy.


    After telling the Baby Slime of what he wanted to be done, Eiko happily went to find her best friend and pass along her Papa''s message.


    After seeing firsthand how powerful the Homing Tactical Nuke was, Lux decided to ask the two Bombardiers to make him one before he went to Agartha.


    He didn''t know what kind of people he would be meeting there, and he also didn''t know if they would be hostile or not.


    For the sake of their own safety, he nned to bring a nuke with him to use as deterrence, just in case something unexpected happened.


    However, he truly wished that there wouldn''te a time when he needed to use it, especially in a Kingdom that was located thousands of meters under the ground, near the Core of Elysium.


    If he were to use such a destructive weapon in a very sensitive ce, he didn''t know what kind of repercussions would take ce above ground.


    Above ground where people were living their lives in peace, and unaware of the existence of the Legendary Kingdom, which was said to be as old as the first ever World Tree of the High-Elves who currently resided in Espoire Frieden.

 Chapter 828 Why Are You Wearing A Disguise?

    ?


    "Sir Lux, will you be leaving your Guild Headquarters in a day or two?" Valerie asked the Half-Elf with a sad expression on her face.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Actually, I should have left a long time ago. But since my Guild needed to be relocated first, I had to postpone it for the time being. Now that my Guild Headquarters has found a new home, I can leave without any worries."


    Valerie was very disappointed after hearing that Lux had to leave, but after thinking about it, she understood that the Half-Elf was a very busy person.


    Also, her main agenda had already been achieved, which was to apany the red-headed teenager on his week-long journey toward the Domain of the Crystal Pce.


    Having thought of this, Valerie no longer felt too disappointed.


    Besides, she could now use the Teleportation Gate to travel to Lux''s Guild Headquarters whenever she wanted to, which meant that she would be able to see the Half-Elf more often, instead of being separated forever.


    Now that she was able to get over her disappointment, Valerie became curious about where the red-headed teenager nned to go next.


    "Sir Lux, where will you be going?" Valerie asked.


    "A ce called Agartha," Lux replied. "I don''t know if you''ve heard of it, but it is a very ancient kingdom found deep under the ground. It is located near the Core of Elysium, so very few people can visit it."


    "N-Near the Core of Elysium?" Valerie stuttered. "How deep underground is that?"


    Lux pondered for a bit before answering Valerie''s question.


    "At least several thousand meters underground," Lux made a rough estimate.


    "T-That deep?!" Valerie''s eyes widened in shock, making the Half-Elf chuckle.


    "Yes. It''s very deep."


    "Sir Lux, will you be able to return from such depths? It seems like a nearly impossible task to get there."


    Lux smiled before giving Valerie a thumbs-up.


    "Don''t worry, I already got that covered," Lux stated. "Also, I can return here to my Guild Headquarters anytime I want, so I''ll be fine."


    Aur, who was secretly paying attention to Lux''s and Valerie''s discussion, was shocked upon hearing the Half-Elf''s revtion.


    As someone who had studied history during his spare time, he also knew a thing or two about the Legendary Kingdom of Agartha, which was said to be the protector of the Core of Elysium.


    "Sir Lux, if you don''t mind me asking, how are you going to travel to Agartha?" Aur had suddenly appeared beside Lux asked, making Valerie almost jump back out of fright due to how sudden his appearance was.


    "I''m afraid that I can''t tell you how," Lux replied.


    For now, he didn''t know if there were other means to travel to Agartha aside from the key that he received as a reward inside the Sacred Dungeon.


    Since something so precious was in his possession, the less people that knew of it, the better.


    Although he and the Crystal Pce were now allies, there were just some things that he couldn''t share with them, and the way he''d travel to the Kingdom of Agartha was one of them.


    The Half-Elf then excused himself and went to whisper something in Cethus'' ear.


    "Cethus, can you look after Valerie for a while?" Lux asked. "I need to talk to Emma and Garret for a bit."


    "And why would I babysit that Ugly Duckling?" Cethus asked back.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Because she is your Grandma''s subordinate," Lux answered. "Didn''t you see how she treated Valerie a while ago? If anything happens to her, you will be held responsible."


    The Dragon Born snorted but didn''t say anything to deny Lux''s statement.


    Seeing that Cethus had reluctantly agreed to look after Valerie for a while, Lux asked Garret and Emma to follow him into the conference room for a short meeting.


    After being left alone, Valerie looked at the handsome Dragon Prince, who was looking back at her with a calm expression on his face.


    A momentter, Aur broke the silence and asked Valerie a question.


    "Can I ask you a question, Valerie?" Aur asked.


    "Okay," Valerie replied.


    Aur then moved closer to Valerie and asked her at a volume that only she could hear.


    "Why are you wearing a disguise?" Aur inquired. "Are you hiding something from Sir Lux?"


    Contrary to what he expected, Valerie didn''t seem to be too surprised that Aur knew that she was using an artifact to hide her true appearance.


    "I have my reasons," Valerie replied. "How about you? Do you also have your own reasons?"


    Aur smiled after Valerie returned the question to him.


    "My apologies," Aur stated. "It is wrong for me to pry into the secrets of others. Since this is your business then I will not say anything. However, know that if you have malicious intentions against Sir Lux, I promise you that I will make you regret it."


    Valerie narrowed her eyes after hearing Aur''s threat.


    She carefully thought about her reason for apanying Lux on his journey to the Crystal Pce and weighed it with her conscience if what she was doing was malicious.


    After thinking for a while, she came to the conclusion that it wasn''t malicious, which made her smile.


    "Worry not, I have no malicious intentions," Valerie replied. "I am only here because Sir Lux is here. Once he is gone, I will also leave the territory of the Crystal Pce."


    "Then before you leave, how about you and I have some tea together?" Aur proposed. "There are questions that I would like to ask you��questions in regard to our two Kingdoms."


    "I''m sorry, but I have to decline your offer," Valerie answered in a heartbeat. "I am not a very intelligent person, and I might say words that might offend people. Right now, I am one of Lady Faustina''s subordinates. If you want to talk about the state of both our nations, it will be best if you talk to her instead of me."


    "I see��" Aur nodded in understanding.


    The Dragon Prince then walked away without giving Valerie a second nce.


    To be honest, Aur learned a lot from this simple exchange with the in-looking girl. Based on Valerie''s choice of words, Aur understood that although she sounded innocent, she wasn''tpletely dumb either.


    Because of this, the Dragon Prince was very tempted to remove her disguise so that he could see what she really looked like.


    However, doing so would be inappropriate.


    At the very least, he had to create a situation where Valerie would remove her mask on her own ord.


    What Aur didn''t know was that, the moment he seeded with his n, his opinion of Valerie would change forever.

 Chapter 829 Are We In Agartha?

    Chapter 829 Are We In Agartha?


    "Is it time for us to go?" Gaap asked.


    "Yes, Master," Lux replied. "Sorry to keep you waiting."


    Two days after they arrived at the territory of Crystal Pce, Lux finally decided to leave his Guild Headquarters and go to Agartha.


    He didn''t leave right away since there were a few matters he needed to discuss with the Mayor of Vesperia, Nidus Novario, such as the supplies they needed for the construction of the town that Bentley and his Merchant Guild were taking care of.


    Due to the attack from the Divine Army of Light, several of the structures that they had built had been destroyed.


    Fortunately, the foundations of these structures were still intact, so they did not have to start all over again. The only problem was that the raw materials they had would not be enough to cover the project topletion.


    Nidus agreed to supply Lux with the materials needed toplete the construction of his town for a fair price.


    Since the Half-Elf was a guest who had been personally escorted by their Steward, Lady Augustina, he deemed that taking advantage of them would definitely be a bad move.


    Not only would it create a bad impression, but it would also draw the ire of the Supreme who ruled over the territories of the Crystal Pce.


    "Have you said your goodbyes?" Gaap asked in a teasing tone. "You did, right?"


    Lux nodded. "I bade everyone goodbye."


    "Good." Gaap smiled. "Let''s be off then."


    The Half-Elf and the Halfling were currently at the top of the mountain, overlooking their new home. Lux took a deep breath before taking out the Key of Agartha, which would take them to their next destination.


    "Gate, open!" Lux stated as he activated the key in his hand.


    A momentter, he, Eiko, and Gaap turned into particles of light as they were transported to the Legendary Kingdom of Agartha, which was said to be located deep under the ground.


    ����������������


    When the light receded, Lux and Gaap looked at their surroundings, wondering if they were really underground.


    "Did you perhaps use the wrong key?" Gaap asked as he stared at the clear blue sky that was above their heads.


    There were also animals grazing from a distance, which looked like bison and wild horses.


    Lux was just as confused as his Master, so he immediately took out his Soul Book in order to check if they were brought to the wrong ce by the Key of Agartha.


    This was not the first time he experienced teleporting to a different ce from the destination he had in mind.


    When he was in the Sacred Dungeon, he found himself in Zangr after entering the Gate of Famine, where he met his Master, Gaap.


    Seeing that they were in a ce that had a sky, Lux wondered if something simr happened this time around.


    However, after checking his Soul Book, he confirmed that he was in the ce where he wanted to be.


    ������������������


    < Terrel ins >


    �� The Terrel ins is home to many creatures that are native to thisnd. It is also a popr trade route for merchants who travel to the different cities within the Kingdom of Agartha.


    �� It is the home of the Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss known as the Red-Eyed Honey Badger. The locals treat it as the Guardian of the Terrel ins. It is very easy to anger, so it would be best if you stay out of its way if you happen to see it traveling in your direction.


    ������������������


    "So, are we in Agartha?" Gaap asked Lux for confirmation.


    "Yes, Master," Lux replied. "We are in the Terrel ins, which is part of the Kingdom of Agartha."


    "Interesting," Gaapmented. "Seeing the sky deep underground broadened my horizons. Now, where do we go next?"


    "ording to my map, if we heard North, we will arrive at Rishi City," Lux replied as he gazed at the map in his Soul book. "It is the closest city near our location."


    "How far is Rishi City?"


    "Forty miles, Master."


    Gaap nodded. "Since that is the closest city, we''ll head there first. Just to be clear, what is our goal ining to Agartha?"


    "I''m here to find a girl named Aurora and take her with me to the surface world," Lux replied. "I don''t know if she is imprisoned, but she is all alone in a very dark ce. It is so dark that even my Dark Vision cannot see anything."


    "Aside from her name and the location she was in, do you have any other information that might help us?" Gaap inquired.


    "Sorry, Master," Lux answered. "That is the only thing that I know. Originally, I nned toe to Agartha to explore it. But, after meeting Aurora, I know that I need to get her out of that dark and lonely ce."


    Gaap pondered for a bit before nodding his head. "Although we have very few clues, perhaps we can find more when we meet the locals of this kingdom. For the time being, make sure to not do anything to antagonize them. Be on your best behavior, and more than anything else, do not fight with anyone, okay?"


    "Yes, Master." Lux smiled.


    He wasn''t someone who actively sought trouble.


    Trouble was the one who always came looking for him!


    Lux then summoned Jed to allow him and his Master to travel more swiftly to their next destination.


    As the Thunder Warg King ran through the sky, the Half-Elf, and the Halfling made sure to observe their surroundings and see if there was something amiss.


    So far, they hadn''t seen anything out of ce, aside from the Beasts that they were seeing for the first time.


    Lux was also monitoring his Soul Book in order to avoid the strong monsters that were inhabiting the Terrel ins.


    Although fighting these monsters was not a big deal with their fighting ability, Gaap told his Disciple to not engage any Monsters for the time being.


    As someone who had traveled with Hereswith when she was still alive, Gaap had a vast knowledge of the traditions and cultures of different ces.


    Some of them worshipped certain Beasts, and killing these Beasts was akin to the gravest of sins. There were even times when these monsters would put a life-long curse on those who attacked them, making the offender regret his decision for life.

 Chapter 830 Advent Of Highlanders [Part 1]

    Chapter 830 Advent Of Hignders [Part 1]


    It didn''t take long for Lux and Gaap to reach Rishi City.


    They didn''t enter the town right away, observing it from a safe distance. As foreigners who came from a differentnd, they first wanted to know if the inhabitants of the city were very different from them.


    Contrary to their expectations, Rishi City looked like every other city in the surface world. What surprised Lux the most was the variety of races that were inside the city.


    There were Humans, Dark Elves, Beastkins, Gnomes, and even Dwarves.


    Even their clothing wasn''t too different from what they wear on an everyday basis. From every angle, Lux and Gaap both agreed that they were no different from them.


    If there was one thing that concerned Gaap the most, it was thenguage.


    The Agarthans used a differentnguage with a unique system, which he hadn''t heard in the past.


    However, what surprised him was that Lux was able to understand what they were talking about.


    This made him wonder if all Sians like Lux were given the ability to understand all thenguages in Elysium, making him feel a little envious of this useful ability.


    "Master, I think I have a way to let you understand theirnguage," Lux said with a smile. "Eiko, allow one of your clones to apany Master."


    "Un!" Eiko nodded and summoned one of her clones, which automatically appeared on Gaap''s head, making the baby slime giggle.


    "Master, Eiko has a special ability that allows her tomunicate with any sentient being," Lux exined. "It doesn''t matter what kind ofnguage it is. As long as there is a means tomunicate, she would be able to understand them."


    Eiko''s clone then shared its senses with Gaap, which would automatically trante things for him, simr to subtitles when watching a show in a differentnguage.


    If Gaap wanted tomunicate with someone else, the baby slime would trante his words for him, allowing him to talk to the locals in Agartha.


    When the two of them were ready, they entered the Gate of the City.


    However, when they were only a hundred meters away from the Gate, those who were already in line looked in their direction and began shouting.


    "Hignders!"


    "Hignders!"


    "Hignders!"


    Within half a minute, Lux and Gaap were surrounded by dozens of people wearing light-armor, with their weapons drawn.


    The Half-Elf and the Halfling recognized them as the Guards of the City. What surprised the two of them was how the Agarthans were able to tell that they were Foreigners from the get-go.


    "It will be best if the two of you don''t do anything funny," One of the Guards that was wearing red armor stated. "As long as you cooperate, I will guarantee your safety. Don''t worry, we will just ask you some questions. As long as you didn''te to our domain with ill intentions, we will deport you back to the Surface World with your memory intact."


    Lux and Gaap nced at each other before raising their hands in surrender.


    They were not aware of the customs of thend, so for the time being, they decided to cooperate and understand how Hignders like them were treated in Agartha.


    Seeing that the two of them didn''t n to resist, the Guard Captain ordered that both of them be chained and brought inside the city under heavy security.


    Along the way, the people of Rishi City all looked at them with wonder, as if they were looking at some exotic animal that they were seeing for the first time.


    More guards appeared in order to make sure that the onlookers wouldn''t do anything funny to their captives, who were looking at everything around them like country bumpkins.


    ''Master, the Ranks of the people here are quite highpared to the Surface World,'' Lux talked to Gaap via their Guild Chat, which couldn''t be detected by any kind of magic. ''Even the baby that the woman holding over there is a Grade-D Apostle.''


    ''True,'' Gaapmented. ''Except for the children who are all Apostles, the teenagers and adults are either Initiates or Rankers. I can tell that the majority of the people here are nonbatants, but if they were to take up arms, their Ranks alone can fight off against a Beast Tide.''


    Half an hourter, Lux and Gaap were taken to what seemed to be a barracks. Just like the Guards that had surrounded them earlier, everyone around them was Rankers, which greatly impressed Lux and Gaap.


    ''If there are so manybat-ready personnel in this city, I''m very sure that they must have a Saint somewhere,'' Gaap stated. ''This would make this ce an S-Ranked City due to its highbat power. The only ces I know that have the same standards are Karshvar Draconis, the Crystal Pce, and Espoire Frieden.''


    Lux nodded in agreement. When he was still in the Outer Reaches, all the Guards of the City of Pygmalion were all Rankers.


    Dragons and Dragon Borns in general were already born powerful, so it wouldn''t be fair topare ordinary people to them.


    The same could be said for High-Elves, who had very pure magical powers flowing through their bloodlines.


    "Both of you stay in this room for the time being," the Guard Captain said. "I have already sent one of my men to the Mayor. He will be the one to decide what to do with the two of you."


    After saying those words, the Guard Captain left, leaving Lux, and Gaap inside the room. Although they weren''t thrown into prison, the magical chains that bound their arms were still in ce.


    ''Lux, do you feel it?'' Gaap asked after the Guard Captain had left.


    ''Yes, Master,'' Lux replied. ''From the moment we got chained, I already sensed two beings paying close attention to us. I believe that if we made any suspicious moves, they would not hesitate to use force to restrain us again.''


    After being around Saints, Lux could tell that the two beings that were observing him were definitely of that Rank.


    He never expected that in the first city that they had decided to go to, they would already be captured by the natives and monitored by two Saints.


    Lux was very tempted to say that "things couldn''t get any worse than this, right?" but he refrained from doing so.


    He knew that the moment he said those words, he''d nt a g and things would definitely get worse, which would make his first time visiting Agartha a very memorable experience that he would remember for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 831 Advent Of Highlanders [Part 2]

    831 Advent Of Hignders [Part 2]


    "I am the Mayor of Rishi City, Bartolomeo Pham," a man with light-brown hair, who looked like a bodybuilder, said with a smile. "Now before I begin the interrogation, may I know your names first?"


    "Lux Von Kaizer," Lux replied.


    "Gaap," Gaap answered.


    Bartolomeo nodded in acknowledgment. When he received a report from one of the City Guards that two Hignders had appeared, he set aside everything he was working on in order to meet them as soon as possible.


    This was his first time seeing Hignders and, simr to Lux and Gaap, he was surprised that they didn''t look any different from the people living in Agartha.


    Aside from Bartolomeo, there were two other people who were also standing behind him.


    Lux and Gaap knew in an instant that the people that came with Bartolomeo were Saints.


    "Since you look the oldest between the two of you, I''ll ask you a few questions, Gaap," Bartolomeo said with a smile. "First question. How did you manage to arrive at this ce?"


    Gaap, who was seated beside Lux, suddenly frowned after hearing this question. The Halfling then gazed at the Catkin that was looking back at him with a smile.


    (A/N: If you are not familiar with Beastkins, they are the Cat Girls, Fox Girls, and Bunny Girls you see in anime. I''ll just refer to one of the Saints as Catkin because he is a Cat Boy. Kekeke.)


    (E/N: If he''s cute/handsome, he''s mine.)


    "Your ability is good, but sadly, it won''t work on me," Gaap replied.


    The Catkin arched an eyebrow after hearing the Halfling''s words. He didn''t expect that a Grade-A Apostle would be able to negate his Truth Seeker ability, which would force most people to tell the truth in his presence.


    "Are all the Apostles in the Surface World like you?" the Catkin asked. "You are quite formidable for your Rank."


    Gaap only smiled and didn''t bother to answer the Catkin''s question.


    ''Lux, I am telling you now that it''s impossible for you to lie in front of these people,'' Gaap warned the Half-Elf through their Guild Chat. ''Once a question is asked, you will automatically answer it once that Catkin looks in your direction. I am able to resist it, but I don''t know if you can.


    ''If you think that you are going to spill your inner secrets, focus on something profound that will allow you to answer in half-truths.''


    ''Understood, Master,'' Lux replied as he steeled himself for his turn in the interrogation.


    Bartolomeo smiled before shifting his gaze to Lux. Since the Halfling was able to resist the Saint''s ability, it was useless to ask him another question.


    "I''ll ask you the same question," Bartolomeo stated. "How did you manage to arrive at this ce?"


    "We flew here," Lux automatically replied before he could even think of an answer inside his head.


    The Half-Elf''s eyes widened in shock because he didn''t expect that this was what his Master meant when the Halfling said that he would automatically answer the questions that they ask him.


    "You flew?" Bartolomeo smirked. "Let me change the question then. How did you manage to arrive in ournds?"


    "K-Key," Lux stuttered as he forcefully tried to seal his lips from answering.


    "Key? What key."


    "The Key of Agartha."


    Bartolomeo frowned after hearing Lux''s answer. He then nced at the Catkin behind him to confirm if the Half-Elf was telling the truth.


    "He''s not lying," the Catkin replied as if there was no need to confirm whether Lux was lying or not. "What is this key that you are talking about?"


    "The Key of Agartha."


    "Show it to me."


    Lux''s hand trembled before summoning the Key of Agartha from his Storage Ring as if it was a puppet that was being manipted by a Puppet Master.


    Gaap, who saw this, narrowed his gaze as he shifted his attention to the woman that was standing beside the Catkin, who was the second Saint that was behind Bartolomeo.


    ''One has the power topel the truth, and the other has the power topel action,'' Gaap thought. ''These two are certainly trouble.''


    Lux held the Key of Agartha for Bartolomeo and the two Saints to see.


    When the Mayor of Rishi City reached out his hand in order to grab the key, a bolt of red lightning shot out from it, making the Mayor immediately pull back his hand while wincing in pain.


    The two Saints, who saw this, moved a little closer to take a good look at the key in Lux''s hand.


    The Key of Agartha was a bronze key and had the runes of the Kingdom of Agartha transcribed on its body.


    "So you used this key to get here, right?" the Catkin asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied automatically.


    "How did you get it?"


    "I got it after clearing a dungeon."


    The Catkin then nced at the woman beside him, as if asking her for confirmation if she wanted to ask the red-headed teenager a question.


    The woman had long blonde hair and gray eyes and could be said to be an exceptional beauty.


    However, after being exposed to his Grandmaster, Hereswith, Lux''s standards of beauty had been After answering Bartolomeo''s question, the Half-Elf finally regained his own ability to talk and asked 10:54


    Bartolomeo a question of his own.


    raised so high that even the beautiful Saintess in front of him paled inparison.


    "What is your purpose foring here to Agartha?" the woman asked.


    "I came here to find Aurora," Lux replied. "She seems to be imprisoned in a very dark ce, and I am here to take her back to the Surface World."


    "Aurora? You mean THAT Aurora?" Bartolomeo momentarily forgot the pain he was feeling as he gazed at Lux in surprise. "How did you even know about her? Is she well-known in the Surface World as well?"


    "I don''t know if it was a dream or an illusion, but I did meet her, so I came here to see her," Lux replied. "Do you know her?"


    After answering Bartolomeo''s question, the Half-Elf finally regained his own ability to talk and asked Bartolomeo a question of his own.


    Bartolomeo snorted after Lux asked him a question.


    "So you are one of those men who were lured in by her beauty, and wished to save her like a Prince Charming, eh?" Bartolomeo smirked. "For your own good, It will be best if you return to the Surface World and forget about her.


    "Nothing good happens when you associate with the Misfortune''s Beloved. Trust me, I know. My son was one of those helpless men and women who thought that they would be able to ovee her curse due to the love they felt after seeing her once.


    "Now, they live in the Azmarin Monastery along with the other cursed people, whose luck turned bad after merely being around her for a minute.


    "They have to cleanse themselves for a decade before Misfortune''s Curse could be lifted from their bodies. You might be a Half-Elf, and your lifespan is longer than most. However, spending 10 years in seclusion is not worth it."


    Lux blinked in confusion because he didn''t expect that the reason for why Aurora was all alone in the darkness was due to her curse.


    Even so, the Half-Elf''s determination to take the lonely, and pitiful girl from the ce where she was locked up was firm.


    "Can you tell me more about her?" Lux asked. "I want to know more about Aurora."


    Bartolomeo eyed the Half-Elf as if he was crazy.


    However, after being reminded of his pitiful son who had been inside the Monastery for five years, he decided to humor Lux and told him a tale that spanned nearly two decades ago.

 Chapter 832 Misfortune’s Beloved

    ?


    "It happened neen years ago," Bartolomeo said with a solemn expression on his face. "In this world, there will always be two blessed people. However, while one is blessed with Good Luck, the other is blessed with Bad Luck. The two of them are always girls because only girls are able to carry this blessing or curse inside their bodies.


    "One of them possesses Extreme Good Luck, and the other possesses Extreme Bad Luck. Every time one of these twodies dies, their sessor will be born exactly a year after."


    Bartolomeo paused in order to see if Lux was paying close attention to what he was saying.


    When he saw that the Half-Elf was listening to him attentively, he nodded his head before continuing his story.


    "When the world was still young, both of thosedies were born in Agartha. But ever since the world above the surface prospered, the Lady of Good Luck had always been born in the Surface World.


    "All those who we call Misfortune''s Beloved are born here in Agartha. Every time they are discovered, they are immediately sent to the Sanctuary of Atos, where they are left to live their lives asfortably as possible.


    "In the Sanctuary, people are able to visit and even talk to them up close if they want to. This was to ensure that the Lady of Bad Luck will retain her sanity and live a life surrounded by people who care for her.


    "This has been the tradition that has been passed from generation to generation. However, this time, thedy that carried all the Bad Luck in the world was a bit special. Her curse not only affected herself but also spread to others like a gue.


    "This was why she was asked to leave the Sanctuary of Atos and was transferred by our King to the Pantheon of Exile. Of course, there were people who believed that they could ovee the curse and went to see her in the Pantheon of Exile. However, the people who went to that ce were never seen again."


    Bartolomeo sighed after finishing his tale.


    Since the Saint had confirmed that Lux was telling the truth, he decided to spare the Half-Elf and the Halfling from being tortured and locked up in prison.


    Lux, who had deemed that Bartolomeo was done talking, cleared his throat before asking a question.


    "Where is this Pantheon of Exile located?" Lux asked.


    Bartolomeo and the two Saints looked at the red-headed teenager in a weird manner, wondering if Lux failed to understand a word that Bartolomeo had said.


    "Didn''t you hear me earlier?" Bartolomeo asked back. "Those who see her will be affected by her curse and will receive bad luck for the rest of their lives unless they cleanse themselves in the Azmarin Monastery for a decade.


    "Also, those that have gone to the Pantheon of Exile were never seen again. Are you sure you still want to see Aurora?"


    Lux nodded firmly. "Yes. That is why I came here."


    "You are courting death, Junior," the Catkinmented. "Then again, there are fates that are far worse than death."


    "A hopeless romantic." The woman smiled. "And a very stupid one at that."


    Bartolomeo also looked at the Half-Elf with a disapproving look on his face. However, since he could tell that the boy was serious, he decided to make things difficult for him.


    "Let''s set aside your reasons foring to Agartha for the time being," Bartolomeo stated. "Now, we will talk about how we will handle the two of you."


    The tension in the room suddenly changed as the two Saints that were behind Bartolomeo smiled.


    "Any and all Hignders that are discovered in Agartha are to be immediately taken to the Capital City and await His Majesty''s ruling," Bartolomeo dered. "This is thew that has been set in stone since the founding of Agartha, and since you''re here, the samews will apply to the two of you.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "ording to our history books, there have been no more than twenty Hignders that have managed to sneak inside Agartha for the past hundreds of years. Fifteen of them suffered the same fate and had their memories erased before being deported back to the Surface World.


    "The remaining five were spared from having their memories erased and were simply put under a powerful contract, preventing them from spreading any information about Agartha in any form.


    "The two of you should pray that our King is in a good mood on the day you see him. Perhaps, he will be benevolent and choose the second option to let you keep your memories of this ce intact."


    Lux and Gaap nced at each other before nodding their heads at the same time.


    Since they had no idea where the Pantheon of Exile was, visiting the Capital City of Agartha was also an option.


    They had already met the Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis and the Steward of the Crystal Pce. The two were very curious about what kind of Supreme the King of Agartha was and wanted to see him at least once in their lifetime.


    "Okay. Please take us to the Capital City of Agartha," Lux said. "Since we are already here, I would like to see it once before the King makes his judgment."


    "Heh~ you are handling this pretty well, Junior," the Catkinmented. "Do you have any idea who our current King is?"


    "No?" Lux replied.


    "His name is Septimius Vi Agartha III," the Catkin stated. "He is also the father of this generation''s Misfortune''s Beloved. Truth be told, I''m very curious about how he will react after knowing that you suddenly appeared in our kingdom because you saw his daughter in a dream or a vision.


    "If you can pull it off, maybe��just maybe, he will allow you to go to the Pantheon of Exile and meet with thedy who has brought despair to countless people�� people who once loved and cared for her. Now, all of them hate her with every fiber of their being."


    Bartolomeo, who was listening quietly to the side, spoke up as he looked at the Half-Elf, whose stance remained the same.


    "Boy, I will tell you now. You will regret it if you continue with this nonsense," Bartolomeo stated. "It''s not toote to turn back. If you promise to not see Aurora, I will put in a good word to our King so that he will return both of you to the Surface World with your memories intact."


    "Sir Bartolomeo, I don''t want to regret the choices that I didn''t make," Lux replied. "I thank you for your concern, and although I might look like someone who actively looks for trouble, know that this is not the case. It is just that I won''t be able to sleep peacefully at night, knowing that I didn''t at leaste to see her once."


    "Ah, youth and all of its foolishness," the Saintess chuckled. "Well, it is not up to us to decide what should be done with the two of you. His Majesty will be the one to give the verdict."


    The Saintess then took a step forward with a mischievous smile on her face.


    "Bartolomeo, I''ll be the one to take the two of them to the capital," the Saintess dered. "It has been a while since Ist saw His Majesty. This might be a good opportunity to go for a visit."


    Bartolomeo nodded. "I have no objections. Make sure that the two of them will not be able to escape from you or else��"


    The Saintess chuckled after hearing the Mayor''s threat.


    "Don''t worry. If a Grade A Apostle and a Low Ranker were able to escape my grasp, I''d run around the city naked." the Saintess smiled.


    She didn''t know that within Lux''s Guild Chat, Lux and Gaap were nning how to escape their captors if the King decided to erase their memories and send them back to the Surface World.

 Chapter 833 So, We’re Like Rare Animals In Your Eyes?

    "It will take us two days to reach the Capital City of Shamb," the Saintess, whose name was Cleo, told Lux and Gaap, who were currently seated inside her carriage. "Don''t try anything funny, or I''ll make the two of you regret it."


    Lux and Gaap only nodded their heads and behaved themselves as the carriage, which hovered four meters above the ground, journeyed toward the capital city of the Kingdom of Agartha.


    The carriage was being pulled by an Air Bison, which was the Agarthians'' favored Beast when it came to long-distance travel.


    Although each City had its own Teleportation Gates that allowed them to travel to other cities, no Teleportation Gate could instantly teleport them to Shamb.


    Aside from that, the Teleportation Gates in the Capital City were strictly controlled by the Royal Family, and only those who had their approval would be able to use it.


    Because of this, Cleo decided to take Lux and Gaap to the nearest city to their Capital and travel the rest of the way using a carriage.


    "Lady Cleo, can you tell me more about the King of Agartha?" Lux asked. "What is he like?"


    "Our king?" Cleo smiled. "The only thing I can say about our king is that he''s a bit stubborn when ites to things. Simply put, there has been a notion being passed within the High Council that we should send more agents to the Surface World.


    "We do this to remain updated with the events that are happening above ground. If there were to be a worldwide cmity, the Agarthians would make a move to stop it from spreading."


    Gaap, who found this news interesting, arched an eyebrow and joined the conversation.


    "Originally, I thought that Agarthians did not care about what happens on the Surface," Gaapmented. "But, it seems like you have already sent people to infiltrate our society and know more about us."


    "But of course," Cleo stated with pride. "As one of Elysium''s first children, Agarthians have a role to y to ensure that the world will not be destroyed. But, do not misunderstand. We do not care even if all the nations in the world were to dere war and wipe each other from the face of thend.


    "The only time that Agartha will move is when something terrible befalls this world like the invasion from the Void hundreds of years ago. Only something of that magnitude will force us to leave our Underground Kingdom and rise to the surface."


    Cleo found Lux and Gaap to be good conversational partners, so she decided to tell them stories about the things that had happened in Agartha many years ago.


    Since the journey was long, and there was nothing else to do, the three shared stories of their own exploits, making the journey bearable.


    "The Divine Army of Light?" Cleo frowned. "Those guys have tried to send people here a decade ago with the excuse of cultural exchange. However, our King put his foot down and rejected their request."


    "Eh? The Divine Army of Light knew about Agartha as well?" Lux was quite surprised by this information.


    He was simply sharing his story with Cleo on how the Divine Army of Light had tried to capture him because they believed him to be a Heretic.


    "Silly boy, don''t you know?" Cleo smirked. "Many people from Agartha have gone to the Surface World and established their own Kingdoms and Empires with our blessings.


    "Because of this, knowledge about our kingdom had spread far and wide. However, while they might know of our existence, they do not know the location of the hidden passages that we use to travel to the Surface World and back.


    "The only way for other strong factions or powerful organizations tomunicate with us directly is through the Kings and Emperors of the nations that had been founded by Agarthians."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. "So, the Agarthians and the Divine Army of Light don''t get along?"


    "Those guys are religious fanatics," Cleo replied. "Agarthians worship the Earth Goddess, Cybele. We do not care about other Gods��especially the God that the Divine Army of Light follows.


    "As for our rtionship, they are neither friends nor foes. To this day, they still try to worm their way into the hearts of the Agarthian Rulers in the Surface World, but they will not seed. Why? Because these Kings and Emperors will only follow the will of the Agarthian King.


    "That is the rule established since their kingdoms were built, and it is thew that they will follow until the end of time.


    "Ah, just to be clear. We don''t only have Human Kings and Emperors in the Surface World. We have Beastkins and Dwarves as well. The other races like the Gnomes and Halflings aren''t interested in ruling any kingdoms, so they just go with the flow and live their lives to the fullest."


    Gaap smiled after hearing Cleo''s words which were filled with pride.


    "It seems that our knowledge of Agartha was wrong from the beginning," Gaap stated. "We thought that it was only a kingdom that existed underground. To think that you have also built kingdoms above ground. This is certainly a fascinating discovery. Might you tell us the names of those Kingdoms, so that we may visit them in the future?"


    Cleo giggled. "Sorry, but no can do. Agartha exists in the Surface World based on myths and legends. This is also true for you, Hignders. Although the majority of Agarthians knew that Hignders exist, you will still be viewed as Mythical Creatures, beings that only exist in story books.


    "In short, the chances of meeting one of you during our lifetime are very small. Unless something unexpected happens�� just like how the two of you appeared in Rishi City."


    "So, we''re like rare animals in your eyes?" Lux asked in a joking manner.


    "Yes," Cleo replied. "So, be careful, Lux. A rare animal is precious because it is rare. You''re quite good-looking. Any bold or daring Agarthian Lady would not hesitate to take the risk in order to give birth to the child of a Hignder."


    "Um, sorry, but I already have two fiances," Lux stated.


    "And yet, youe here to Agartha because of a damsel in distress," Cleo smirked. "Men are foolish creatures. Once they behold a beauty, they do their best to catch her fancy. Even if they already have wives and fiances."


    Lux was unable to mount a counterargument, which made Gaapugh.


    It was definitely true that he came to Agartha without a n, and it was also true that Aurora was an exceptional beauty that could bring the downfall of a nation.


    Although his intention of helping her was not anything romantic, he already knew that Cleo and his Master, Gaap, wouldn''t believe him no matter how many times he tried to exin himself.


    Because of this, he decided to change the topic and ask about the popr attractions and delicacies that the Kingdom of Agartha had to offer.


    Cleo, on the other hand, was more than happy to inform Lux and Gaap about many details about her Kingdom.


    The reason why she was sharing this information with her two captives was due to the fact that she didn''t believe that their King would show mercy to the two people that illegally trespassed inside their hidden kingdom.

 Chapter 834 Audience With The King Of Agartha [Part 1]

    ?


    Two dayster, Cleo''s carriage finally arrived at the majestic city of Shambh.


    As one of the Saints of the Kingdom, her carriage didn''t have to enter the Gate that was meant formoners. She was given a free pass to the city without too much hassle, and a contingent of guards even escorted her carriage toward the Royal Pce, where their King resided.


    "Follow behind me," Cleo stated. "The hallways of the Royal Pce are like a maze. One can get lost in them easily if they are not familiar with theyout of the building."


    Lux and Gaap nodded in understanding.


    However, what the Saintess didn''t know was that Lux had already summoned his Soul Book and was currently mapping the Royal Castle.


    Since only those that he had given permission to could see his Soul Book, it hovered in front of him, undetected by the Saintess that was leading the way.


    Several minutester and after many twists and turns, they finally arrived at a giant bronze gate, which was guarded by dozens of Royal Guards.


    "Are those the two Hignders you wrote about in your report, Your Excellency, Cleo?" a man wearing a Mithril te Armor asked, as he looked at the two people, who came from the Surface World


    "Yes," Cleo replied. "Is His Majesty currently busy?"


    The Guard Captain shook his head. "No. But he''s not alone in the throne room. News has spread that you will be bringing in two Hignders, so several High-Ranking ''Nosy'' Nobles havee to see our uninvited guests."


    Cleo smiled as she had already expected this oue. For the most part, the Kingdom of Agartha was a peaceful ce. Although there were conflicts between nobles here and there, they didn''t escte to skirmishes, and they simply tormented each other through trade and other means.


    For them, having Hignders in their Kingdom was a form of entertainment. Those who had plenty of time on their hands would definitely want to see how their king would handle these people, who had been brought to the capital city for judgment.


    "Her Excellency, Lady Cleo has arrived!" the Guard Captain announced.


    A momentter, a firm and cold voice passed through the closed gate.


    "Enter."


    After getting permission, the Guard Captain raised his hand.


    "Open the gate," the Guard Captain ordered.


    Immediately, four guards pushed the giant gate open, revealing the interior of the ancient throne room of a Kingdom that had existed since time immemorial.


    The Half-Elf''s gaze thennded on the man seated on the high throne, which was raised several meters high.


    Anyone who entered the throne room would have no choice but look up to its king, and its king would look down upon those who entered his domain.


    Lux was quite surprised because the King of Agartha looked like a man in his early thirties.


    King Septimius Vi Agartha III.


    He was the current King of Agartha, and the person who held absolute authority within the Ancient Kingdom that many people above ground didn''t know existed.


    "It is an honor to be in your presence, Your Majesty," Cleo said as she bowed respectfully to her King. "I pray that you are in good health?"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "My health is good, but my mood is not," King Septimius replied. "You have already interrogated these two trespassers, yes?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Cleo answered. "Shall I make my report now?"


    King Septimius made a gesture. "Go ahead. My nobles have traveled far and wide to hear thetest gossip in our circles. Make sure to make the story as entertaining as possible, so their journey will be worthwhile."


    The High-Ranking Nobles all smiled, knowing that the reason why their King was in a bad mood was their arrival. They hade uninvited, but due to their rank, they were allowed to remain in the throne room and take part in the drama that was about to unfold.


    Cleo, who had been given permission to tell the result of their interrogation, started her report.


    "The red-headed Half-Elf''s name is Lux Von Kaizer," Cleo reported. "The Halfling is his Master, and he goes by the name, Gaap. ording to Lux''s confession, they arrived at the Terrel ins by means of��"


    Cleo''s reportsted for nearly fifteen minutes before she stopped talking.


    Lux, on the other hand, could only shake his head helplessly, thinking that his answers shouldn''t be considered as confessions. They were forced out of him against his own will!


    A minute of silence passed before a soft chuckle was heard inside the throne room.


    Everyone''s gazesnded on a chubby man, who was wearing extravagant clothes that visually stated his standing as one of the High-Ranking Nobles of the Kingdom of Agartha.


    "A Prince Charming from the Surface World has arrived to save the beauty in distress," the Chubby Noblemented. "The only question I have is whether this story will have a happy ending or not."


    The other Nobles also smiled after learning why Lux came to Agartha. They looked at him like all the other young men and women who had be infatuated with this generation''s Misfortune''s Beloved, who had nearly brought the entire kingdom into a state of emergency.


    While the nobles were looking at Lux with various gazes, the King of Agartha, Septimius narrowed his eyes and looked at the Half-Elf with a solemn gaze.


    "I want to see this Key that allowed you to arrive in our Kingdom," King Septimius stated. "Show it to me."


    Cleo then nced at Lux, giving the Half-Elf the "what are you waiting for?" gaze.


    The Half-Elf knew that there was nothing he could do but obey the King''s orders, for any kind of resistance might end badly for him and his Master.


    Lux took out the Key of Agartha from his storage ring and showed it to the King who was looking at him with a serious gaze.


    King Septimius made a gesture and the key floated towards him.


    The key stopped a meter away from his face, giving the King a good look at it.


    However, when King Septimius tried to hold it, a red lightning bolt hit his hand, making him pull it back rather quickly.


    Cleo and the other High-Ranking nobles who saw this were all surprised. None of them missed the brief look of pain that appeared on their King''s face, which they had never seen before.


    Although it onlysted for only a second or two, the fact remained that the strange key was able to hurt a Supreme, which was something that very few artifacts in the world could do.

 Chapter 835 A Public Execution

    ?


    "A soulbound artifact," King Septimius muttered as he gazed at the Key of Agartha that was hovering in front of him.


    Unable to touch the key, he resorted to using his heightened senses to better understand its properties. He wanted to know just what kind of artifact it was.


    As the King of Agartha, he could sense that it was an artifact that held great power, and not only that, it also possessed a small piece of the Core of Elysium, which greatly surprised him.


    "You said that you got this as a reward after clearing a Dungeon," King Septimius said. "What is the name of that Dungeon?"


    "The Sacred Dungeon," Lux replied.


    King Septimius'' expression stiffened after hearing Lux''s reply.


    "This Sacred Dungeon you speak about, does it have a restriction that allows only those of the Initiate Rank and below to enter it?" King Septimius asked. "Also, does it have five gates inside of it? Gates of Conquest, War, Famine, Death, and Apocalypse?"


    This time, it was Lux''s turn to be surprised, and his reaction was enough to confirm King Septimius'' assumption, which made the King of Agartha sigh internally.


    "Even with all the precautions we took, it was still not enough to prevent people like you from entering the Domain of the Fallen," King Septimius stated. "I don''t know if I should be angry or amazed at how daring you Hignders are.


    "Tell me, there are supposed to be Argonaut and Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters inside the Dungeon that would serve as guards attacking those who dare to challenge the Domain. Mere Initiates should be unable to defeat them. How were you able to even reach the location of the Sacred Dungeon with so many Monsters guarding the ce?"


    Lux pondered for a bit before answering King Septimius'' question. In the end, after careful consideration, he decided to give a safe answer.


    "I got lucky," Lux replied.


    The King of Agartha snorted. "So that exins it. It seems that our Predecessors have greatly underestimated the young men and women of this generation. Tell me, how many Gates have been conquered?"


    "Four."


    "��So, the Gate that still remains unconquered is the Gate of the Apocalypse."


    The King of Agartha sneered after hearing Lux''s reply. Since the foolish people from the Surface World wanted to see the secret that they had locked up inside the Gate of Apocalypse so badly, then so be it.


    They would experience firsthand that there were some things that must be left untouched no matter what.


    "Fools," King Septimius said. "All of you are fools."


    The King of Agartha then flicked his hand, and the Key of Agartha flew back to Lux andnded on the palm of the Half-Elf''s hand.


    Since the Gates had already been opened, he decided to send a few of his agents to determine the status of thest Gate of the Apocalypse.


    ''There''s no need to rush,'' King Septimius thought. ''I''ll order my people to do something about it after I deal with these two trespassers.''


    King Septimius looked at the Half-Elf with an annoyed expression on his face.


    However, although he was annoyed, he still admired the Half-Elf for being one of the individuals that managed to do the impossible.


    It wasn''t easy to conquer the Four Gates, which served as the Seals to prevent the Gate of the Apocalypse from opening.


    Because of this, King Septimius had no choice but to acknowledge the red-headed teenager''s strength.


    "So you''vee to see my daughter, Aurora," King Septimius stated. "And, what do you n to do after you see her?"


    "I n to take her back to the Surface World with me," Lux replied.


    "Hahaha! You n to bring a walking Cmity to the Surface World?" King Septimiusughed out loud after hearing Lux''s reply. "Good one, Half-Elf. For a minute, I was even tempted to give you my approval just to see the Surface World fall into ruin. Do you know about my Daughter''s background?"


    Lux nodded. "Misfortune''s Beloved."<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    King Septimius sneered. "Right. Someone who had the power to give bad luck to the people around her. And yet, you wish to bring that girl to the Surface World. You sure have guts, boy."


    The other High Ranking nobles and ministers of the King of Agarthaughed as well. Just like their King, they wanted to see the chaos that would transpire once Aurora set foot in the realm above the ground.


    The catastrophe she had caused in Agartha still haunted all of them after so many years, and they were very tempted to see other people fall into ruin as well.


    "Now, let''s set aside my pitiful daughter for the time being," King Septimius stated. "Let''s talk about what I should do with the two of you. Do you know the punishment for people who illegally enter Agartha without my permission?"


    "Saintess Cleo said that our memories will be erased before we are sent back to the Surface World," Lux replied.


    "Indeed, that is how we dealt with those who tried to sneak inside Agartha in the past," King Septimius nodded. "However, two days ago, when the High Council had heard that two Hignders had managed to arrive in our Kingdom, they sent me a proposal.


    "They said that erasing the memories of trespassers was too lenient a punishment. Do you want to know their proposal, boy?"


    Lux nodded because there was nothing he could do aside from nodding his head.


    "A Public Execution in the form of a diator Match," King Septimius smiled. "Meaning, both of you will go to the Coliseum and fight the battle-hardened criminals of our kingdom in a death match. The person who is able to kill you will have their crimes lifted and be set free.


    "This will not be a one-on-one battle, but a Battle Royale. Two verses hundreds of criminals," King Septimius stated. "At the very least, all of them will be C-Rankers and below. A D-Ranker, and a Grade-A Apostle won''t be able to survive such a fate. Especially that Halfling, who is only an Apostle. So how about the two of you beg for your lives right now?"


    Lux and Gaap didn''t reply and remained silent. What King Septimius and the rest of his subordinates didn''t know was that the Half-Elf and the Halfling were talking through their Guild Chat.


    "Hahaha! Master, he looks down on you because you are just an Apostle," Lux gloated. "C-Rankers? They court death!"


    "He will only send in C-Rankers? I guess they can serve as new Undead for your Army," Gaapmented. "Asmodeus has been telling me that he is in dire need of Ranker Corpses to be used for his experiments. This is a good time to collect some raw materials for his study."


    King Septimius, his Ministers, and the High-Ranking Nobles, all thought that Lux''s and Gaap''s silence was due to the fact that they were quaking in fear after hearing that they would be sent into a Death Match.


    What they didn''t know was that the two Necromancers were giving King Septimius a thumbs up in their hearts, apuding him for being generous��unknowingly giving them hundreds of dead bodies that would help bolster the Half-Elf''s Undead Legion.


    However, they couldn''t say this out loud, so Lux decided to take the Initiative to speak his mind.


    "What if we survive this Death Match?" Lux asked. "Two of us against battle-hardened Criminals that are C-Rankers and below is a nearly impossible task. However, what if we seed? Will we get anything in return?"


    "Hoh? It seems that you believe that you have a chance of winning." King Septimius sneered.


    "Since I have nothing to lose, isn''t it best if I ask for something on the off chance that my Master and I actually manage to survive?" Lux smiled. "How about we regain our freedom and be given His Majesty''s permission to explore Agartha to our heart''s content? How does that sound?"


    "Hah! You are very bold, Lux," Cleo, who had been listening silently, smiled. "If you manage to survive this hurdle, I don''t mind bing your subordinate for a year. Heck, you can even order me to call you Daddy if you want."


    "Be careful what you wish for, Lady Cleo," Lux smiled back at the beautiful Saintess who didn''t know what kind of trouble she was putting herself in. "It might juste true."


    The other High-Ranking Nobles also thought that this was a very amusing situation, so they also imitated the Saint and offered Lux precious treasures as a reward for surviving the Death Match.


    A few of them even dered that they would marry their daughters to him if he managed tost for half an hour in the battle.


    The corner of King Septimius'' lips rose slightly as he looked at the Half-Elf and the Halfling, who didn''t seem too shaken about the punishment that he nned to give them.


    Although he was doubtful that the two people would manage to seed, a part of him wanted to see them ovee this situation and prove him wrong.


    "Very well. In two days, the two of you will be sent to the diator''s Coliseum in order to fight for your freedom," King Septimius dered. "If you manage to win, I will allow the two of you to move unhindered in my Domain. How does that sound?"


    "Sounds good," Lux replied, but deep in his heart, he wasughing non-stop.


    If they were going to only fight C-Rankers, his Master, Gaap, was more than enough to annihte hundreds of them with a single p of Antero''s gigantic hand.

 Chapter 836 The Battle Royale Of The Century [Part 1]

    ?


    "Have you heard?" a skinny man asked his friend, who was currently drinking with him inside a Tavern. "It seems that the two Hignders will be fighting in the diator''s Coliseum in two days'' time."


    "How could I not hear about it?" the chubby man smiled. "The Nobles are spreading this news like wildfire. Even the Gambling Establishments have joined in the hype. They are even calling the battle ''The Deathmatch of the Century.'' Clearly, they wanted to rake in the big cash when the betting officially begins."


    "Master, who do you think will win?" the skinny man asked the bartender who was busy wiping the sses on his counter.


    "Although I don''t think that the Hignders have a chance of winning, I''ll still bet on them," the Tavern Master replied.


    "Oh? And why?" the skinny man inquired.


    "It''s because they are Hignders," the Tavern Master answered. "They might have Legendary or even Divine Items that can help them reverse this situation."


    "Master, you know that you are going to lose money if you bet on them, right?" the Chubby man stated.


    "It''s fine," the Tavern Master said. "I will not bet a lot. The Gambling Houses are hyping this battle and even saying that the two Hignders are Masters in the Surface World. However, when I asked about their ranks, they said that it was D-Ranker and a Grade-A Apostle."


    "A D-Ranker and a Grade-A Apostle?" the Chubby Manughed. "And you are still going to bet on them, Master?"


    "Yes."


    "Why?"


    The Tavern Master put down the ss that he was wiping on top of the counter and smiled.


    "Just gut intuition," the Tavern Master said. "I have a feeling that we will be watching the most entertaining match since the establishment of the diator Coliseum."


    The Skinny Man and the Chubby Man nced at each other beforeughing out loud. Since the Tavern Master wanted to waste his money, they would no longer pester him to change his mind.


    For them, they would be betting their money on the Criminals, whom they believed would end the battle in less than five minutes.


    It was not only them who thought that way. Most of those who decided to watch the Deathmatch in the Coliseum had the same opinion.


    However, just like the Tavern Master, there were a few individuals who believed that the Hignders stood a chance against the criminals, proving everyone wrong.


    And for that simple reason, they decided to put their chips on the two people, who had arrived in their Kingdom for reasons that were only known to them.


    ��������������


    "Hah, those two came here in order to see that sister of mine?" A handsome young man with blonde hair smirked. "Unfortunately, even though they still haven''tid their eyes on her, it seems that her bad luck has already affected them. Two days from now, two graves will be dug. I''ll at least offer a flower to their tombs."


    "But isn''t it also romantic?" a beautiful youngdy, who had long blonde hair, asked with a smile. "If I were in Aurora''s shoes, I''d feel very ttered."


    The two of them were Aurora''s siblings but from a different mother.


    King Septimius had three wives.


    Five Princes and Four Princesses.


    Aurora''s mother was not one of the King''s wives. Even now, no one had seen her face.


    One day, the King just returned to Agartha holding a baby in his arms and dered her to be his daughter.


    Aurora''s siblings didn''t really treat her like family due to the curse in her body. For them, she was a stain on their bloodline, and they couldn''t wait to get rid of her, with the exception of one girl.


    The youngest Princess of Agartha, Princess Shayna, truly cared for and loved Aurora.


    Currently, the princess was under house arrest in the Royal Castle, undergoing the cleansing ceremony to lift the bad luck that she acquired after spending time with Misfortune''s Beloved.


    Even so, to this day, the young Princess, who was only twelve years old, still loved her sister, Aurora, and wished for her happiness, even in seclusion.


    "So all of us will be going to the Coliseum to watch this match, right?" A handsome young man with silver hair said with a smile. "I already made a reservation. We will be watching the show from the best VIP room."


    "Wonderful!" a pretty girl with reddish-brown hair eximed. "It has been a while since I watched something fun."


    The Royal Children of Agartha discussed the uing battle with great enthusiasm. None of them thought that Lux and Gaap had a chance of winning, and were merely going for the fun of it.


    Meanwhile, in the Inner Pce of the Royal Castle��


    "Princess, are you sure about this?" a maid asked anxiously.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Yes," a young girl, who seemed to be only around twelve years old replied firmly. "I will ask my Father for permission. With the talismans on my body, I am sure that I will not inconvenience anyone."


    "If that is your wish, then this humble one will obey," the maid bowed her head respectfully. "But, may I know the reason why you want to watch the battle? It will be a bloody one and not suitable for someone as young as you, Princess."


    "Don''t worry about me," the young girl stated. "As a member of the Royal Family, I will experience many things. Seeing violence, blood, and death is something I must learn to get used to at an early age. I''m sure that my Father will not reject my request to watch the battle."


    The young girl then looked outside the window of her room. It had been a while since she had stepped outside the Royal Pce due to her house arrest. But now, she decided to leave in order to see the face of the Half-Elf, who had traveled all the way to Agartha in order to see and free her sister from the dark prison that she was currently in.


    ''I don''t know who you are, but please, save my sister.'' Princess Shayna pressed her hands together in prayer. ''She doesn''t deserve to be alone.''


    ������������������


    Two dayster��


    The Grand Coliseum was filled to the brim with people.


    The majority of them came due to curiosity. Since Hignders were people that came from the Surface World, the Agarthians wanted to catch a glimpse of them in theirst moments.


    All of them believed that the two pitiful individuals were fated to die today, so the least they could do was see them off and memorize their faces before they died.


    Inside the Arena''s Waiting Room, Lux and Gaap sat leisurely as they waited for the battle to start.


    The Saintess, Cleo, and two more Saints were ordered to look after them to ensure that neither of them would escape before the battle started.


    "Have the two of you epted your fate?" Cleo asked. "This is the only exnation I can think of to exin how calm both of you are."


    "Something like that," Lux replied with a smile.


    "We''ve only known each other for a short while, but it was still good meeting you, Lux." Cleo patted Lux''s shoulder in a friendly manner. "I''ll make sure to send a flower to your grave once a year."


    "Instead of sending me flowers, you should start practicing calling me Daddy, Lady Cleo," Lux replied as he gave the Saintess a devilish smile on his face. "How about it? You can call me Daddy now if you want."


    "Hahaha! That''s the spirit. You can think of me before you die. I give you my permission."


    "I also look forward to you calling me Daddy, Lady Cleo."


    Lux and the Saintess smirked at each other. Both of them were certain that the other would lose, which made Gaap and the two other Saints inside the room smile.


    Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door, and a guard came in.


    "It''s time," the Guard said. "Please escort the two of them to the arena."


    Cleo and the two Saints nodded.


    "Have you finished your prayer, Lux?" Cleo asked. "If not, you can do it now before the match starts."


    Lux didn''t reply and simply smiled as he followed behind the Guard, who was escorting him and his Master to the arena.


    A few minutester, they came out of the hallway. As soon as their silhouettes became visible, they were greeted by loud apuse and cheer from the people in the stands.


    The Agarthians had been waiting for this moment in order to gaze upon the two Hignders, who were going to experience a deadly wee from the most notorious criminals that had roamed the Kingdom of Agartha.


    "Master, are you ready?" Lux asked.


    "Of course," Gaap replied.


    "How about you, Eiko?" Lux asked the Baby Slime that was perched on top of his head. "Are you ready?"


    "Boom Boom Boom!" Eiko replied.


    The Baby Slime was already holding two st Bombs, with a very sweet smile stered on her face.


    Perhaps, among the three of them, Eiko was the most excited of all for this Battle Royale.


    She had been cooped up for so long, and because of this, she wanted to make things go Boom andugh as she set the entire arena on fire.

 Chapter 837 The Battle Royale Of The Century [Part 2]

    ?


    The diator Coliseum of Agartha was very spacious.


    ording to Lux''s estimate, the Coliseum was the size of four football stadiumsbined.


    Clearly, the battles that were being waged here weren''t so simple, allowing the diators to fight to their heart''s content.


    Lux looked up at the clear blue sky above his head and smiled.


    "It seems that today''s weather is nice as well, Master," Lux said with a smile.


    "Indeed," Gaap replied. "A good day to have a Death Match with criminals."


    The Half-Elf and the Halfling stared at their opponents, who were standing at the far end of the Coliseum.


    Both of them had been informed that the number of criminals that they would be facing today was 300.


    300 Rankers versus a D-Ranker, an Apostle, and a Baby Slime.


    For most people, the result of this match was already set in stone. However, Lux''s and Gaap''s titles as Hignders made this seemingly one-sided battle a very interesting one.


    The Coliseum was filled to the brim with people, and there were even people outside that were unable to get in due to the fact that all the tickets had been sold out.


    Fortunately, they could still watch the battle in real-time through the projections that were installed outside of the arena.


    Cleo, who had spent a few days with Lux and Gaap, sat in the VIP Room, right beside the King''s personal room.


    Truth be told, she was feeling sorry for the two. However, since the neww regarding dealing with trespassers had already been passed by the High Council and approved by the monarch, there was nothing she could do about it.


    This was why she dared to jokingly make a bet with Lux that if by some chance a miracle happened, she would be willing to be his subordinate for a year.


    Naturally, Cleo was certain that no matter what the Half-Elf and the Halfling did, their chances of survival were non-existent.


    "It''s really a shame," Cleo muttered. "Lux is still young, but now, he''s about to die because a beauty appeared in his dreams."


    The other two Saints, who had also served as Lux''s and Gaap''s guards, nodded their heads in agreement.


    The three of them didn''t hold any grudges against their captives, but thews of their Kingdom must be upheld no matter what.


    "Strange�� the two of them don''t look nervous," King Septimiusmented as he eyed the Half-Elf and the Halfling, who were having a casual chat as they waited for the match to start. "Have they resigned themselves to their fate?"


    A minuteter, a High Ranker hovered above the center of the Stadium and greeted everyone with a smile on his face.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, good day to all of you! My name is Michael, and I am the organizer of today''s diator Battle!" the High-Ranker shouted. "As you may already know, today''s battle is very special. On my left are 300 of the most notorious criminals of Agartha.


    "On my right are the two Hignders, who havee from the Surface World. Please take a good look at the two of them because this might be thest time that you see them alive."


    The Agarthians cheered and gave Lux and Gaap a round of apuse. As if humoring them, the Half-Elf bowed to the crowd like a performer, while Gaap smiled from the side.


    Eiko, who was on top of Lux''s head, stared at the Announcer while holding the two st Bombs in her hands.


    She was very tempted to throw them at Michael because thetter was dying the battle.


    Lux had told the Baby Slime to be patient and wait a little longer, promising that he would allow her to go all outter. Because of this, Eiko behaved and waited for the signal to start the battle.


    Michael, who had gotten the crowd''s attention, was hyping things up as per the agreement he had with the Gambling Houses. He was promised a cut from the profit they would gain after Lux and Gaap died under the criminals'' hands.


    Just like everyone else, only a few dozen betted on the Hignders, who simply had no chance of winning in this Battle Royale.


    After five minutes of introductions, Michael finally raised his hand.


    "Are both sides ready?!" Michael asked.


    """Ready!"""


    "Boom!"


    "Are you ready to rumble?!" Michael shouted.


    """Yes!"""


    "Boom Boom!"


    Michael then rose high up in the air and shed his hand downwards.


    "Let the battle begin!"


    As soon as Michael gave the signal to fight, the Criminals unleashed a barrage of spells, and long-distance attacks against the two Hignders.


    Clearly, they were racing to be the first ones to kill either of them, so they didn''t even bother closing the distance, directly firing attacks from the other side of the arena.


    Due to how intense the attacks were, the location where their spellsnded created powerful explosions, creating a dust cloud that obscured everyone''s vision.


    "All that hype, and it ended in less than a minute." The handsome blonde prince of Agartha sneered.


    "Well, what did you expect?" his Princess Sister replied. "The result of this match was decided before it even started."


    The other Princes'' and Princesses'' of Agartha alsomented about howckluster the match was.


    However, in the VIP Room right next to them, the youngest of them all, Princess Shayna, stared at the dust cloud with a determined look on her face.


    She was probably the only one amongst the members of the Royal Family who wanted Lux and Gaap to survive this unfair battle, which had been agreed upon by her Father and the High Council of Agartha.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Her small hands were clenched tightly into fists, as she uttered a silent prayer in her heart, wishing for a miracle to happen.


    The bombardmentsted for a full minute before the Criminals stopped attacking.


    They deemed that their attacks were already more than enough to turn their opponents'' bodies into ashes, leaving nothing behind.


    King Septimius then waved his hand in order to blow the dust cloud away, allowing everyone to see the oue of the bombardment.


    When the smokescreen was lifted, they found a giant palm, standing straight and tall like a wall.


    The corner of King Septimius'' lips twitched when his gazended on the Half-Elf, and the Halfling, who wereying on top of beach benches, and drinking some type of tropical fruit juice in their hands.


    "Um? Is it already over?" Lux asked after the dust cloud surrounding him disappeared.


    "It is," Gaap replied as he unsummoned Antero''s palm that blocked the attacks that came from the other side of the arena.


    Antero was the Indestructible Golem of Destruction. Even an attack from thousands of Rankers wouldn''t be enough to break past its defenses, let alone three hundred.


    "Well then, it''s now our turn, right?" Lux smirked. "Let''s go Eik�� Um? Where is Eiko?"


    The Baby Slime that was originally perched on top of Lux''s head had already left before he could even tell her that she could fight to her heart''s content now.


    "Fight!"


    An adorable voice filled with fighting intent spread in the arena, making everyone look up in the air.


    There, a little girl with long blue hair, wearing a princess dress, was smiling fearlessly.


    Two butterfly wings pped behind her back, making thedies, who were watching the battle, look at the cute Fairy Princess with starry eyes.


    "Eyah!" Eiko shouted and immediately, five identical clones appeared around her.


    Eiko and her five clones all raised their hands at the same time.


    A momentter, five Argonaut-Ranked World Boss Slimes appeared in the arena, answering their call.


    Three of these slimes were Diabolical Acid Slimes, while the two other slimes were called Infernal Slimes.


    As soon as they were summoned, the three Diabolical Acid Slimes unleashed an Acid Spray in the direction of the Prisoners, while the two Infernal Slimes began to spit Fireballs toward their opponents.


    Eiko wasn''t being idle either and threw bombs left and right with a fearless grin on her face.


    The Acid Spray, the Fireballs, and Eiko''s st Bombsbined together formed an infernal Molten Acid Lava that released a concentrated acid steam that was potent enough to burn the eyes of anyone exposed to it.


    The Criminals werepletely caught by surprise by this sudden counter-attack, and some of them shouted in pain as they were exposed to therge-scale attack from the Argonaut-Ranked World Bosses that appeared out of nowhere.


    "Block their attacks!" a criminal with gray hair and eyes shouted. "Those who can use Earth Magic, create Earth Walls. Those who have Water and Wind Magic, create a storm to blow their attacks back at them!"


    The gray-haired Criminal was the most notorious among the diators that were in the arena.


    His name was Leonidas, and he was the undefeated diator in the C-Ranker Category and below.


    Hisrades didn''t know that regardless of if he killed Lux or Gaap in this Death Match or not, all of his crimes would be lifted and he would gain freedom. The only condition was that Lux and Gaap were defeated, so he was more than happy to take upmand and allow his fellow diators to get the kill.


    All the diators in the Coliseum were battle-hardened, so after the initial surprise, all of them rallied together in order to push back Eiko''s attack.


    In just a span of a minute, thebined attack of the World Bosses had been neutralized.


    However, over twenty of them who had failed to react right away suffered from second-degree burns. Even so, they gritted their teeth and endured the pain.


    "Wow!" Eiko pped her hands as if she was very impressed that her attack was dealt with right away.


    This proved how strong her enemies were.


    "Stand back!" Leonidas shouted as he pressed both of his palms on the ground. "Come out! Manticore!"


    A five-meter-tall Manticore with the head of a lion, the wings of a bat, and the tail of a Scorpion roared.


    This was one of Leonidas'' strongest Trump Cards. The Manticore was at the peak of the Argonaut-Rank, making it a Pseudo-Dreadnaught Ranked World Boss.


    Although the slimes were powerful, the Manticore was known for being an evil creature whose ferocity knew no bounds.


    "Big kitty!" Eiko''s eyes widened after the Manticore roared in her direction.


    Suddenly, a smirk appeared on Eiko''s face as if she had thought of a good idea.


    "Summon!" Eiko and her five clones all shouted in unison.


    A secondter, six Manticores, who were a bit weaker and a meter shorter than the one that Leonidas had summoned, appeared in the arena.


    Unlike the Manticore that Leonidas had summoned, which was a Pseudo Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss Monster, the Manticores that Eiko summoned were all Argonaut Ranked Alpha Monsters.


    Even so, these six Manticores all roared towards Leonidas'' Manticore at the same time, making the fearsome beast subconsciously take a step back.


    "�� M-Meow!" Leonidas'' Manticore tried to roar in order to bolster its courage, but instead of a roar, only a meowing sound escaped its mouth.


    This made the corner of Leonidas'' lips twitch upon seeing his merciless Beast, who feared no one, act intimidated by the Six Manticores that now stood in front of it.

 Chapter 838 The Battle Royale Of The Century [Part 3]

    ?


    ''I got to say, Eiko''s Mimicry Ability is simply a cheat,'' Gaap said through their Guild Chat. ''Copying the skills of any creature in her surroundings makes it a very versatile ability.''


    ''You''re right, Master,'' Lux replied. ''Even I feel that Eiko''s ability is simply rulebreaking.''


    The Half-Elf and the Halfling couldn''t help but sigh in their hearts as the Fairy Princess showed her enemies what she was capable of.


    What the two didn''t know was that King Septimius'' face had turned solemn the moment Eiko mimicked her opponent''s ability.


    Within the Kingdom of Agartha, there was a Cmity-Ranked Monster who had the same ability.


    It was none other than the Wicked Queen Slime, whose territory had been dered off-limits due to how dangerous it was. One of its signature skills was Mimicry, allowing it to copy whatever skills its target possessed.


    With the said skill, it had killed countless High-Rankers and Saints who had attempted to get rid of it in the past.


    King Septimius also didn''t dare to personally attack this monster. Although he could defeat it if he wished, he opted not to.


    The Wicked Queen Slime had a very powerful regenerative ability. Even if a tiny part of it survived, it would be able to regenerate and regain its former glory within a few years.


    If he really went to exterminate it, the Queen Slime might carry a grudge and relentlessly attack the Cities of Agartha, iming countless lives of his people


    In the end, King Septimius was forced topromise with it.


    No one knew what conditions were entailed in their agreement, but after the King of Agartha had a talk with the Monster, it no longer took the initiative to attack the Human settlements.


    ''Is this Monster rted to her?'' King Septimius'' frown deepened as he looked at the little girl who had summoned countless bombs and tossed them at the diators who were dealing with Six Argonaut-Ranked World Bosses.


    The Six Manticores that Eiko had summoned didn''t hesitate to attack Leonidas'' Manticore, which descended into a brawl, sending blood mist flying in every direction.


    Eiko''s Manticores used their scorpion tails to sting their target, and their razor-sharp teeth to bite into its flesh.


    Even though Leonidas'' Manticore was stronger and fought ferociously, it was unable to fend off the attacks that wereing from every direction.


    Leonidas didn''t stand in silence and watch hispanion fight alone. He and a hundred Rankers engaged the Six Manticores, while the rest dealt with Eiko''s Argonaut-Ranked Slime Monsters.


    Eiko had to stop throwing bombs because she didn''t want to hurt her own summons, who were now engaged in a deadly battle with the Rankers.


    Slowly, but surely, Eiko and her subordinates were being pushed back, which made the Fairy Princess take drastic measures.


    "Come!" Eiko ordered, calling out to her Terrorist Squad and Slime Brigade.


    However, it didn''t end there.


    Hundreds of Doom Knight Gangbangers and Jade Golems appeared on the battlefield as Eiko copied her Papa''s skills, increasing the number of her forces.


    Doomsday Gargoyles flew in the sky, spreading poisonous smog on the criminals in the arena.


    Revenant Liches cast Necrotic Curses and Spells at their Mistress'' enemies, making the criminals curse out loud.


    It had now truly be a Battle Royale, and in the center of this chaotic battlefield, Eiko and her clones were unleashing spells left and right in order to help her forces get the upper hand once again.


    While this was happening, the spectators who were watching the battle couldn''t believe what they were seeing.


    "I-Is that really a Slime?" the handsome blonde Prince of Agartha looked at Eiko in disbelief. "Or is it a Creature that is only pretending to be one?"


    "Whatever it is, it is quite powerful," a Princessmented. "I want her. I wonder if Father will give her to me if I ask."


    "No! I want her," another Princess eximed. "She will be mine!"


    The Princesses then started to bicker with each other. All of them were awed by Eiko''s outstanding might and wished to be her new Master.


    A few of them even left the room in order to talk to their father and ask him to spare Eiko after Lux had died.


    They knew that the Baby Slime was the Beast Companion of the Half-Elf and would remain his Beast Companion for as long as he was alive.


    They were hoping to be Eiko''s new Master once she had lost her Master, and the only way for that to happen was for their Father to capture her and give her to them so they could form a contract with her.


    Lux, who was seated leisurely on his beach bench, nced in the direction of the Princesses and sneered.


    Since he shared Eiko''s Mind Reader Ability, he had heard the thoughts of the spoiled Princesses of Agartha.


    ''Spoiled brats,'' Lux thought. ''You''re not stealing Eiko from me.''<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The Half-Elf might seem like he was rxing in the eyes of people. Little did they know, he and his summons were ready to spring up and help Eiko at any moment if she was in danger.


    Gaap was also paying close attention to the battlefield


    Suddenly, Lux''s Corpse God materialized above him and blocked a spell that was aimed at his Master, with the shield in its hands.


    "It seems like they changed their ns, Master," Lux stated as he put the tropical fruit juice down on the table beside his beach bench.


    "Some of them have be too impatient while dealing with Eiko and her summons," Gaapmented as he gazed at the dozens of Rankers who had slipped past Eiko''s battlefield and were now headed in their direction. "How about you deal with them, Lux? It''s a good time to test the skills that you haven''t tested before."


    "Understood, Master," Lux said as he stood up and crossed his arms over his chest.  "Come forth, Seraphina. It''s time to make your debut. You have kept the readers waiting."


    A beam of light descended from the sky andnded beside Lux.


    There, Lux''s Battle Angel, Seraphina, smiled as she looked at the Rankers that were aiming for her Master''s life.


    When Lux was undergoing his Ranker Trial and being judged by the Gods if he would be allowed to keep his skills, the God of Gamblers, Max, talked to him for a bit about his skill, Summon Battle Angel [SSR].


    This skill was quite special because even if Lux used it, no Battle Angel would answer his call.


    The reason?


    Just as the name implied, he would be summoning a literal angel from the Divine Realm, and this was not something that could be done on a whim.


    Lux had to make a pact with a Battle Angel first before the skill could be used.


    Originally, Lux wanted the gorgeous angel, Himea, who had brought him to the Celestial Realm after he died, to be his Battle Angel.


    However, Himea tly refused him and told him that she couldn''t be Lux''s servant because she was already contracted to the God of Gamblers for three hundred years.


    Only after the expiration of her contract would she be a Free Agent who could be contracted by others.


    Perhaps, out of curiosity, Lux asked if she had a sister.


    To his surprise, Himea answered with a yes, and she introduced the Half-Elf to her sister, Seraphina.


    Seraphina was just as gorgeous as her sister, and the only difference was that she looked like a teenage version of Himea.


    Seraphina was currently a Free Agent, and she had not received a contract before because she had only finished her Battle Angel training two years ago.


    The majority of people who contracted Battle Angels always went for the ones with more experience on the battlefield.


    Simply put, a fledgling like Seraphina was someone most people wouldn''t choose to form a contract with.


    The Half-Elf felt that those who hadn''t contracted Seraphina needed to visit an Eye Specialist to have their eyes checked.


    How could a beautiful angel like her not have a Master after graduating from the Battle Angel Academy?


    Everyone''s gaze, especially the boys in the Coliseumnded on Seraphina''s figure.


    Even the Princes'' of Agartha were mesmerized by her beauty, and they simply couldn''t take their eyes off her.


    "I''m going, Master," Seraphina said as she summoned two divine swords in each hand.


    "Go ahead," Lux replied. "Get used to fighting mortals for the time being. You will be fighting more of them in the future."


    Seraphina nodded and opened her angelic wings, which were like tendrils of light.


    This scene reminded Lux of Aina''s Angel Form when he fought against her during her breakthrough.


    Seraphina then flew towards the Rankers that were aiming for her Master''s life with a determined look on her face.


    This was her first contract, and she definitely didn''t want to leave a bad mark on her record for the sake of her future employment.


    Seraphina''s Rank would always be a rank higher than Lux, so she was currently a C-Ranker.


    However, even if the majority of her powers were sealed, she was still a Battle Angel.


    An Angel who was born to fight on the battlefield and smite the foes who dared to challenge her Master.

 Chapter 839 Finger Of Death

    ?


    "I think I''m in love," the Prince of Agartha, Prince Kieron, said as he looked at Seraphina.


    He was the third Prince of Agartha and was closest to Lux''s age.


    However, he was not the only one who had be infatuated with the angelic beauty that Lux had summoned. The other Princes of Agartha felt the same, and they all eyed the beauty on the battlefield with great interest.


    Seraphina, who was not aware that she had captured the hearts of mortals around her, swung her des left and right, sessfully fending off the Rankers whom she had intercepted.


    One of her tendril-like wings caught the foot of one of the Rankers and raised him high up in the air before mming him against the ground. A momentter, she threw the criminal onto where the Manticores were duking it out with each other.


    As to what fate fell upon that man, she didn''t care. There were still over a dozen Rankers who were doing their best to reach her Master, so she had no time to spare to look at someone who''d probably be maimed to death.


    "Out of fifteen, eight got past her," Gaapmented. "Your Battle Angel is good, but she is fighting opponents of the same rank as her. This is an expected result."


    Lux nodded and eyed the eight Rankers that were looking at him and Gaap with bloodshot eyes.


    If his Master summoned his Named Creatures, these eight Rankers would be easily subdued in no time. However, since Gaap had asked him to handle them himself, Lux decided that it was time to show off his abilities as well.


    Just like Eiko, the first thing that Lux did was summon his Doppelgangers. After this skill was upgraded into the [SSR] Rank, it had be stronger than ever before.


    "Bone Storm!"


    The Five Clones said at the same time, and five tornadoesposed of pieces of jagged bones rose from the ground. These bones were as sharp as razors and could instantly rend pieces of flesh unless it was protected by strong armor.


    These five tornadoes zigzagged across the battlefield, forcing the Eight Rankers to evade them with everything they had.


    While his opponents were busy evading the tornadoes that were blocking their path, the Half-Elf smirked and used his skill, Death Ward [Epic].


    A crimson flower bloomed at the center of the five tornadoes, and it unleashed a barrage of necrotic energy balls on the Rankers, acting like a magical turret.


    The Rankers were already having a hard time dealing with the Bone Storms, and now, they had to evade the bombardment that was flying in their direction.


    Due to how sudden the attack was, the Rankers were hit by the Death Ward''s Necrotic Energy balls.


    This pushed two of them within the suction area of the tornado, making them scream in fear and pain.


    A momentter, a taint of red could be seen in one of the tornadoes that had pulled one of the Rankers within its deadly embrace.


    One of the Rankers who specialized in the Earth Element was able to coat himself in a protective Dome of Earth, rendering the bone tornado''s attack ineffective.


    "I got you now!" One of the Rankers used a speed eleration ability, allowing him to get close to Lux.


    Without another word, he shed at the Half-Elf with an evil grin on his face, for he was sure that after doing so, he would regain his freedom.


    However, the moment his de touched the Half-Elf''s body, Lux turned into a Blood Mist,pletely negating the attack.


    A few secondster, he appeared behind the Ranker that shed him and pointed his finger directly at his enemy''s back.


    "Finger of Death!'' Lux shouted.


    A red-lightning bolt shot out of the Half-Elf''s finger, hitting the enemy at point-nk range.


    Although this skill couldn''t instantly kill a Human and only worked on Monsters, it was still bound to give them enough pain that would make them wish that they had died instead.


    A blood-curdling scream escaped the Ranker''s lips as his body crashed towards the ground, creating a six-meter-wide crater. Of course, the Ranker wasn''t dead but only suffering from great pain, which was enough to immobilize him for half a minute.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    """Finger of Death!"""


    Lux''s other clones also used this ability and hit three out of the five remaining targets.


    The two other Rankers eyed each other before dashing toward the Half-Elf. One came from his left, and the other from the right.


    Although there were other Clones on the battlefield, they had already locked down the original''s position.


    They had no intention of fighting clones because, bymon sense, they knew that as long as they killed Lux, his replicas would disappear as well.


    One of the Rankers threw a dagger at Lux, forcing the Half-Elf dodge to the side. However, that attack was merely a diversion, and his real intention was to use the dagger to close the distance in order to deliver his killing blow.


    When the dagger flew past the Half-Elf, the Ranker swapped locations with it, making him appear directly behind his target.


    He then transformed his arm into a de and swung it at Lux''s neck, with the intention of chopping it offpletely.


    Just like he did earlier, Lux transformed into a blood mist,pletely negating the attack. However, his opponent had already predicted this and followed up with a roundhouse kick in mid-air.


    He had timed the kick properly to ensure that his attack would definitely hit his target.


    Just like his arm, he had transformed his leg into a sharp de, which cut the Half-Elf''s body cleanly in half.


    However, instead of seeing blood spray in every direction, the Half-Elf he killed turned into particles of light.


    "That was close," Gaap muttered as he watched the battle from the ground. "Good thing he managed to swap with his clone on time. These criminals do have a few tricks in their sleeves."


    All of the criminals that had been chosen to participate in the battle had killed countless people.


    It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were perhaps Agartha''s most seasoned fighters.


    When Eikounched her counterattack, some of them suffered injuries, but most of them reacted in time.


    Even though most of them were injured, they didn''t let their injury affect their performance and fought back against Eiko and her summoned army.


    They weren''t second-rate Rankers.


    All of them were experienced, cold-blooded Killers.


    "They will be a good addition to Master''s fighting force," Asmodeus, who had appeared beside Gaap,mented. "We just have to kill them in order to make that happen."


    "Can you?" Gaap asked back with amusement.


    "Do you even need to ask?" Asmodeus chuckled. "Master hadn''t given us any orders yet. Maybe he wants to try out all the skills he gained during his breakthrough, as well as the skills he hasn''t used in the past. This is a perfect opportunity to test them against opponents that are stronger than him. I''m sure that he is thinking along those lines."


    As his Lord''s Equal, Asmodeus could tell what Lux was thinking most of the time. Because of this, none of his Named Creatures had moved in order to help their Master, who hadn''t fought personally in a long while.


    Usually, Lux would just let his Undead Minions and Covenant Members do the killing for him.


    But, now he was a Ranker.


    It was time to test how he would measure up against opponents who were almost the same Rank as him, without depending on his faithful Summons who were currently on the side, patiently waiting for his call.

 Chapter 840 Pierce Through The Void

    ?


    ''Fighting Rankers is really not easy,'' Lux thought as he backed away from the criminal that could transform his body into sharp des.


    This was Lux''s first battle after bing a Ranker.  For him, learning how his abilities work in realbat was quite important, especially now that he was currently being hunted down by the Divine Army of Light.


    Taking advantage of their current situation, he had intended to fully test his limits in this deadly battle using only his core abilities.


    Although summoning his Undead Army would instantly give him a strong advantage, this was not something he wanted to do.


    He didn''t want to overly rely on them to fight all of his battles for him.


    Lux knew that there woulde a time when he had to fight by himself, and with this in mind, he didn''t want to be rusty.


    After Lux distanced himself from his opponent, the silhouette of a Dragon appeared behind his back.


    From a distance, no one could tell what kind of Dragon it was. They could only see the outline of its body and its golden eyes that contained great power.


    Gaap thought that his Disciple was using his ability, Peerless Dragon Strike. However, this attack was different, and it contained a power that Lux would unleash for the first time on the battlefield.


    "Dragon God''s Wrath!" Lux roared.


    His booming voice reverberated across the arena, and a powerful spiritual attack descended upon all of his foes, making them feel as if a great pressure was stepping down upon their heads.


    This was Lux''s Anti-Army Ability that was meant forrge-scale battles.


    The Dragon King''s Wrath was an attack that could target at least a single individual up to everyone within a thousand-meter range around him.


    If the targets'' Rank was equal to or lower than the Half-Elf''s, they would suffer from Intimidation and Fear debuff, lowering their attack, defense, movement speed, and attack speed by 80%.


    Lux made sure to limit the area of effect to the Rankers that had slipped past Seraphina''s blockade.


    The reason for this was that he wanted Eiko and the Battle Angel to get a taste of what it was like to fight stronger opponents that weren''t suffering from debuffs.


    The Ranker that could transform his body into des was originally a rank higher than Lux, but due to the Dragon King''s Wrath, his fighting ability was significantly reduced.


    Right now, he was slightly weaker than Lux, making his movements a bit sluggish.


    ''The effect is better than I thought,'' Lux mused as he observed the effectiveness of the skill that he was using for the first time. ''If this was used against an Army, anyone below a C-Ranker will lose their will to fight. I wonder if this spiritual attack can be dispelled by Clerics and Priests. I guess I''ll have to test this before returning to the Surface World."


    After carefully observing his opponent, Lux raised his hand.


    "Come, Calypso."


    The Living Armor appeared before her Master before turning into the Divine Spear, Longinus.


    Lux had wanted to test how powerful the Spear of Longinus was, so he decided to try it out in this battle.


    When the Half-Elf was still in Leaf Vige, he acquired the skill Transmutation [EX].


    This skill allowed him to add abilities from one weapon to another. This was a skill that he had neglected for a very long time, not because he couldn''t use it, but because there was no suitable equipment for it to be used.


    However, times had changed.


    He now had a Divine Weapon in his hand, and he would be a fool if he didn''t make the already powerful weapon more powerful.


    Currently, the Spear of Longinus was at its basic state. Meaning, it still hadn''t received any transmutation abilities whatsoever.


    The Half-Elf wanted to know its base power before making it truly overpowered, so he could makeparisons in the future.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    "Pierce through the void!" Lux shouted as he pulled back his arm, aiming the tip of his spear at the Ranker that could transform his body into a de.


    "Spear of Longinus!"


    The moment Lux threw the spear toward his target, a whistling sound spread in the Coliseum.


    Knowing that this was a matter of life and death, the Ranker transformed his entire body into a golden sword.


    This sword then flew towards the spear that was headed in its direction and met it head-on.


    A crisp cracking sound reached Lux''s ears as the Golden Sword and the Golden Spear collided with each other.


    The Golden Sword held firm for a few seconds before its de shattered into countless pieces.


    A spray of blood mist then appeared in its ce as the body of the Ranker fell from the sky.


    Perhaps, waiting for that moment, a ck Coffin appeared out of nowhere and sucked the lifeless body inside it.


    It then disappeared without a trace before appearing on the opposite side of the battlefield.


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched when he saw ckfire smack one of the Rankers that wereying on the ground on the head before swallowing him up.


    It then reappeared not far from Eiko and swatted another Ranker like a baseball bat, sending them in the blue-haired girl''s direction.


    The Fairy Princess smirked before kicking the Ranker with an attack imbued by the Divine Abyssal Touch she copied from Lux, and sent the helpless Ranker flying back to ckfire''s direction.


    To Lux''s surprise, ckfire swatted the Ranker back to Eiko, and the Fairy Princess kicked the Ranker back to it.


    This repeated a dozen more times before ckfire''s lid opened and gobbled up the pitiful Ranker who was treated like a Ser Ball.


    Lux had a fair idea of what ckfire was doing. It could only absorb dead or nearly-dead creatures inside of it.


    Since the Ranker was still very much alive, it decided to beat it up until it was half-dead before swallowing it whole.


    "�� I didn''t know ckfire could do that," Lux muttered as he scratched his head. "Calypso, are all Divine Equipment like this?"


    The Golden Spear then transformed back into a Living Armor and nodded her head.


    "Yes, Master," Calypso replied. "All Divine Equipment is sentient and can act autonomously if they wish for it."


    "I see." Lux nodded. "Thanks for the confirmation."


    "You''re wee, Master," Calypso replied before turning back into a golden spear to float beside Lux.


    The Half-Elf once again held the Divine Weapon in his hands and looked for his next target.


    His experiment ended too soon, and he wasn''t able to gauge Calypso''s true power because his opponent was already weakened when he attacked.


    After scanning the battlefield, Lux''s gazended on Leonidas, whom he believed to be the strongest among the diators in the Coliseum.


    "We found our target," Lux said softly. "Let''s see how strong you really are, Calypso."


    The Golden Spear in the red-headed teenager''s hand hummed as if asking her Master to use her to the fullest.


    Lux no longer tarried and headed to where Leonidas was currently fighting. Although he felt sorry for ''stealing'' one of Eiko''s opponents, there was no one else he deemed worth fighting among the diators, whose numbers were slowly dwindling with each passing minute.

 Chapter 841 Tell the Agarthians, Strangers Passing By [Part 1]

    Chapter 841 Tell the Agarthians, Strangers Passing By [Part 1]


    ''Eiko, don''t attack that man with the diator helmet,'' Lux telepathicallymunicated with Eiko as he flew toward Leonidas, who was busy helping his Manticore deal with the Six Manticores that the Baby Slime summoned.


    The Fairy Princess, who was about to throw a meter-tall st Bomb at Leonidas, stiffened. However, a few secondster, she recovered and scanned the surroundings, looking for new targets.


    "Eyah!" Eiko shouted as she threw the st Bomb at a ce where several Rankers were congregated, the sight of which made all of the battle-hardened diators scream and run away like their lives depended on it.


    After having a taste of Eiko''s st Bombs, they had learned a very painful lesson.


    The bigger the bomb, the more powerful it was.


    Although none of those who received a direct hit died from it, they still suffered serious injuries


    This forced them to distance themselves from the Baby Slime and resort to using long-range attacks to help theirrades.


    Leonidas, who was the strongest among the Rankers, immediately sensed a pair of eyes locked onto his body.


    The Mercenary Leader, who hadmanded hundreds of men under him and fought in one of the bloodiest battles the Kingdom of Agartha, nced in the direction where the gaze wasing from.


    There, he saw the Half-Elf, who was holding a golden spear in his hand, headed in his direction.


    In just a span of a few seconds, Leonidas understood that he was being singled out by one of the targets that they needed to eliminate.


    Since he was stronger than Lux by a realm, he was truly sure that the red-headed teenager was only a D-Ranker.


    However, Leonidas no longer had the leeway to underestimate his enemy, and he decided to face him head-on.


    "Continue to support my Manticore!" Leonidas ordered. "I''ll deal with this kid first. Don''t worry, if I kill him, I''ll give the rewards to one of you guys. You have my word."


    Originally, the other Rankers wanted to target Lux as well, but after hearing Leonidas'' words, they decided to continue supporting the Manticore to help it ovee the onught from Eiko''s Manticores, who were attacking it from all directions.


    Holding a spear in his hand, Leonidas roared as he charged toward Lux with the intention of going all out.


    A metallic ring spread in the Coliseum when Lux''s and Leonidas'' weapons shed with each other.


    The two exchanged several blows, and with each blow, the Half-Elf skidded backward due to the difference in strength. Even so, the ferocity of his attacks didn''t change as he continued to exchange blows with someone more powerful than him.


    After their eighth sh, Leonidas backed away as he looked at the weapon in his hand.


    The de of his Mythical-Ranked Spear was already cracked, which made him frown.


    He was stronger than Lux, but the Half-Elf''s weapon was better than his.


    This difference allowed the Half-Elf to gain the upper hand, making Leonidas start thinking about how he would be able to deal with the Golden Spear in his opponent''s hands.


    At that moment, a spear embedded itself in the ground beside Leonidas.


    "Take it," Michael, who was the organizer of the Battle Royale,manded. "That is a Legendary Weapon and it has the Indestructible attribute. It''s the only one of its kind here in Agartha. I will lend it to you until the match is over."


    Leonidas didn''t hesitate and threw the cracked spear in his hand away and grabbed the spear that belonged to a retired General of the Kingdom of Agartha.


    Although Michael now only focused on organizing diator Matches, he was one of the most famed Generals of the Kingdom before he decided to retire.


    "Indestructible?" Lux smiled. "Perfect."


    Calypso was a Divine Weapon, so only those with the power to withstand its might could face it in battle.


    If the one holding it was a Supreme, then they would definitely be a force to be reckoned with.


    However, in Lux''s hands, it was only a very powerful weapon, whose true powers were yet to be seen.


    After that brief interlude, Lux and Leonidas shed once again, and this time, the Mercenary Leader truly showed his fighting ability.


    In less than five minutes, Lux found himself being pushed back and unable to even counterattack.


    ''His mastery of the spear is the real deal,'' Lux thought. ''His bloodlust and killing intent are also off the charts.''


    The Half-Elf understood that he was clearly outmatched when it came to closebat, but he didn''t back away.


    Instead, he started to use his other abilities to help him stand toe to toe with Leonidas, making the C-Ranker narrow his eyes.


    Bone Spikes jutted out of the ground, in an attempt to hinder Leonidas'' movement.


    However, as if already expecting these petty tricks, the diator calmly stepped to the side and swatted them away as if they were just weeds that were blocking his path.


    Suddenly, something unexpected happened.


    Two Rankers suddenly appeared behind Lux with their weapons raised for the kill.


    Leonidas saw this but didn''t say anything, simply thrusting his spear forward in order to create a killing zone where the Half-Elf had nowhere to run.


    Lux didn''t even bother to look behind his back and simply thrust his spear forward in order to meet Leonidas'' attack.


    A distinctive metallic ring spread in the surroundings as the tip of both spears met, creating sparks that flew in every direction.


    "Die Hignder!" one of the Rankers that had decided to sneak attack from behind roared.


    "Your head is mine!" thest remaining Ranker shouted as he swung his sword downwards with the intention to split the Half-Elf''s body in half.


    At that exact moment, a cold voice filled with killing intent reached both of their ears.


    "We can''t have that now, can we?"


    Draven, who had always been hiding inside Lux''s shadow, sprang forth and shed with one of the Rankers who had aimed to take his Master''s life.


    "Since you wish to die that badly, allow me to send you to the afterlife."


    Diablo, who had also autonomously appeared on Lux''s side, parried the other Ranker''s sword, preventing it from reaching its target.


    At the same time, Lux''s ultimate defender, the Corpse God, materialized andshed out at the two Rankers using the weapons in its hands.


    Screams of pain and disbelief reached Leonidas'' ears as his tworades were sent flying by the five-meter-tall Corpse God, who wielded different weapons in each hand.


    Diablo and Draven didn''t let the two Rankers regain their footing and shed with them as Lux continued to battle the Mercenary Leader, who had momentarily lost his momentum.


    Leonidas didn''t expect that his opponent was capable of summoning reinforcements out of thin air, making him wonder why Lux hadn''t used them earlier to gain an upper hand against him.

 Chapter 842 Tell the Agarthians, Strangers Passing By [Part 2]

    Chapter 842 Tell the Agarthians, Strangers Passing By [Part 2]


    "Who are you, really?" Leonidas asked as he pointed the tip of his spear toward his opponent''s face.


    "Lux Von Kaizer," Lux replied. "Just your friendly neighborhood Necromancer."


    Leonidas narrowed his eyes after hearing his opponent''s profession. Although Necromancers who fought in closebat weren''t rare, he was still surprised. Lux looked so young, yet he was already this powerful.


    He knew that Half-Elves had long lives and that looks could be deceiving, so in order to confirm his suspicions, he asked another question.


    "How old are you, Lux?"


    "Seventeen."


    This time, it was the spectators'' turn to be surprised.


    Even the Princes and Princesses of Agartha didn''t think that Lux was really young. Since Half-Elves were like Elves when it came to age, they thought that he was older.


    "Is that so?" Leonidasmented after regaining hisposure. "It''s too bad. You''re going to die so young."


    Although he had to admire Lux''s strength for his age, he was confident that the Half-Elf had no way of defeating him in a one-on-one battle.


    Based on what happened earlier, he understood that his opponent wished to fight him alone without using any of his Undead Minions.


    Necromancers fought using numerical advantage, and since Lux didn''t choose that option, Leonidas was very confident about his chances of winning.


    Lux didn''t say anything and only smiled.


    Although he had to admit that Leonidas was stronger than him, the oue of their battle was yet to be decided.


    Suddenly, the air surrounding Leonidas crackled and distorted. A momentter, the shackles that bound his arms and legs suddenly shattered.


    Michael, who initially thought that Leonidas didn''t need to remove his limiter in order to defeat Lux, arched an eyebrow.


    During Leonidas'' career as a diator, he had never once removed the limiter he had ced on himself even though he had to fight very strong opponents like B-Rankers in the past.


    Through sheer will and determination, he had won against these opponents. But, now, things were different.


    Even Michael didn''t know how strong Leonidas was once his limiters were unsealed.


    It made the event organizer look at the Mercenary Leader with great anticipation as thetter thumped the rear of the spear in his hands on the ground, causing a ripple to spread throughout the entirety of the diators Colosseum.


    For a brief moment, all the fighting inside of it stopped as the Rankers, as well as Lux''s forces, all looked at the Mercenary Leader who had taken off his diator''s helmet to show his face to everyone.


    Long ck hair and blue eyes that seemed to have seen all the hardships of the world were revealed, and he gazed at Lux steadily.


    Leonidas was nearly two meters tall, and his body was covered with many scars. However, right now, he seemed to be bigger than life as his presence captivated everyone, whose eyes were now locked on his person.


    "I am no Hero," Leonidas stated. "Nor have I been a good father or a husband. I have killed many, and many wanted to kill me. I have in murderers, criminals, bandits, as well as innocents. My hands are stained with blood, and when I die, I am sure that there is a ce waiting for me in hell."


    Leonidas'' profound words resonated within the arena, making everyone wonder what he hoped to achieve with his speech.


    "Criminals is what they call us, and here in the diators Arena, everyone wishes to see us fight a Death Match with each other," Leonidas dered. "But today is no ordinary day. My spearpoint doesn''t point towards the heart of a fellow Agarthian. Today, I fight not for myself, but for the glory of our entire kingdom."


    The Mercenary Leader then pointed his spear toward Lux, who was listening to his speech with a solemn expression on his face.


    "My win is Agartha''s win," Leonidas stated. "My loss is Agartha''s loss."


    Leonidas paused for a bit before continuing the rest of his words.


    "300 diators versus two people and a mischievous fairy, and yet, the easy fight that everyone envisioned is nowhere to be seen."


    A pin-drop silence descended upon the diator''s Arena for everyone was starting to realize what Leonidas was talking about.


    "Brothers and sisters, will you entrust your lives to me?" Leonidas asked the Rankers, who were still present in the arena.


    Out of the 300 diators, around 250 remained.


    Leonidas knew that if the battle were to extend longer, these numbers would continue to dwindle, so he decided to activate his unique ability in order to finally end the battle and save the rest of hisrades from dying.


    "Yes!" one of the Rankers shouted. "We are with you, Leonidas!"


    As if a spark had been lit, the other Rankers shouted to acknowledge his words.


    "Then entrust your life to me," Leonidas stated. "Let us fight as one!"


    When he finished talking, several beams of light shot out from Leonidas'' body andnded on the Rankers who had decided to entrust their lives to him.


    These Rankers then all turned into particles of light, gathering around Leonidas, drastically increasing his strength.


    C-Ranker.


    B-Ranker.


    A-Ranker.


    S-Ranker.


    In one fell swoop, Leonidas'' strength had increased by leaps and Although very powerful, this skill had a limitation.


    He couldn''t absorb the strength of people past 300, for that was the bounds, surprising the Half-Elf, as well as the spectators in the arena.


    Leonidas'' Unique Ability was called Power Assimtion.


    This ability allowed him to temporarily absorb the powers of everyone that had agreed to fight alongside him, giving him a tenth of their total Stat Points.


    Because of this, his Rank surged up to that of a High-Ranker.


    Although very powerful, this skill had a limitation.


    He couldn''t absorb the strength of people past 300, for that was the maximum limit of his skill.


    Also, this ability would onlyst for fifteen minutes, and after that, Leonidas, as well as those whom he had temporarily housed inside his body, would not even be able to lift a finger afterward, making thempletely vulnerable.


    Simply put, this was an all-out ability.


    A skill that must only be used as a Last Resort.


    Leonidas had deemed that, in order to defeat Lux, Gaap, as well as Eiko, he needed to gain the strength that would ovee sheer numbers and cut through their army like a hot knife through butter.


    "If you have any other tricks up your sleeve, it''s time to use them now, boy," Leonidas stated as he took a step forward, causing the ground under his feet to shatter from the overwhelming power radiating off of his body.


    "Very well," Lux replied. "I didn''t intend to use it here, but since you''ve already decided to go all out, then I will go all out as well."


    The Half-Elf no longer held back and summoned the entirety of his Undead Legion, as well as the Members of his Covenant.


    "You''re not the only one with that kind of ability," Lux stated. "I also have that."


    The Half-Elf then opened the Draconic Wings behind his back and flew upwards.


    "Come," Lux ordered as a Gigantic silhouette appeared behind him.


    "Deus Gigantia [Epic]!"


    A faint chuckle echoed in the surroundings as a Gigantic Skeleton King that was nearly a hundred meters tall appeared inside the arena.


    Lux then merged with the blue crystal on its chest, allowing him to take full control of the Unique Skill that he had personally created before bing a Heaven''s Necromancer.


    One by one, his Undead Summons, numbered in the thousands, all rose from the ground and merged with the Skeleton King, boosting its strength further.


    "Tell the Agarthians, strangers passing by," the Skeleton King spoke as he raised his hand summoning a giant Spear of Longinus, which he held firmly in his hand. "That here, obedient to theirws��


    You��


    Will��


    Die."

 Chapter 843 The Power Of Faith [Part 1]

    ?


    Lux''s Deus Gigantia had two forms.


    The first form was its regr form, where he would summon a Skeleton King that would always be a Rank Higher than him and would always be a World Boss Monster.


    Currently, Lux was a D-Ranker, so when he summoned Deus Gigantia, a Skeleton King with the rank of a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss, would appear.


    But that was only its basic form.


    Deus Gigantia''s second form would allow all of Lux''s Undead Legion, Named Creatures, as well as members of his Covenant to merge with the Skeleton King, absorbing 20% of all of their Maximum Stat Points. Compared to Leonidas'' Unique Skill, Power Assimtion, this was no doubt the better skill.


    However, this skill had its drawbacks.


    Once Lux had used this skill, he wouldn''t be able to summon his Undead Legion and Named Creatures, except for the members of his Covenant, to aid him in battle for an entire day.


    He would also not be able to use Deus Gigantia for that same amount of time.


    Simply put, this was an all-out attack,bining all of Lux''s forces into one powerful creature that could even transcend the might of a Supreme once the Half-Elf became a Saint.


    Leonidas looked up at the Gigantic Behemoth in front of him, which was wielding a giant spear in its hand.


    When he told Lux to use any remaining tricks he had in order to fight him, he didn''t expect the Half-Elf to be able to summon a Giant Skeleton King, whose current Rank was in the middle stages of the Empyrean Rank.


    Not to mention, the monster was a World Boss, which meant that it was strong enough to take on a group of several High-Rankers before getting defeated.


    Despite being faced with such an opponent, the Mercenary leader firmly held his ground.


    He then raised the spear that was given to him by the event''s organizer and pointed it at the Monster before him.


    "Brothers and sisters, tonight, we dine in Hell!" Leonidas dered with a fearless smile on his face.


    He had faced death many times already, and this would just be one of those moments where he once again bets with his life and the life of others, putting everything on the line for the sake of a miracle.


    The spirits of the Rankers who were also with him roared in agreement, for they understood that their chances of defeating such a beast were very slim.


    Even so, just like Leonidas, all of them held firm and faced the Skeleton King with determination.


    The Mercenary Leader''s body then glowed gold, as his hair fluttered from the powerful aura that he was releasing.


    He gripped the Legendary spear in his hand and assumed a fighting stance, preparing to unleash one powerful attack that would smite the foe in front of him.


    Lux, who wasmanding Deus Gigantia, also took a fighting stance and pointed the gigantic tip of the Spear of Longinus at the Mercenary Leader.


    The Half-Elf was very impressed by Leonidas'' unwavering determination even in the face of his most powerful ability.


    "Brace!" Leonidas shouted, and several round shields appeared around him, forming the Phnx Formation.


    250 shields stood firm behind Leonidas, and all of them glowed golden with immense power.


    The maximum limit of his skill was absorbing 300 people. However, only 250 Rankers remained, which made his formation fall short of its maximum potential.


    Even so, Leonidas wasn''t bothered and simply pointed his spear towards the blue crystal on the Skeleton King''s chest, where Lux was currently located.


    The Mercenary Leader''s show of courage had touched the hearts of Agarthians who were watching the battle, and before they knew it, all of them started to cheer for the diator, who was an Agarthian, just like them!


    """Fight!"""


    """Fight!"""


    """Fight!"""


    """Fight!"""


    Just like the beating of a war drum and the battle cries of countless warriors, the Agarthians all stood as one against amon foe.


    It didn''t matter if Leonidas was a criminal.


    It didn''t matter what he had done in the past.


    For this moment in time, he was just like them, an Agarthian.


    His Win was their Win.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    His Loss was their Loss.


    Lux, whose senses had been heightened after bing a Heaven''s Necromancer, noticed faint tendrils of white light flying towards Leonidas from the spectator''s seats.


    ''The power of Faith,'' Lux thought as his expression turned solemn.


    The power of Faith was also the power that gave birth to the Gods.


    Normal people wouldn''t be able to see them, but those who did understand how powerful Faith could be.


    It was the power that helped manifest miracles, and right now, Lux could tell with his eyes blessed by Heaven that Leonidas'' power was steadily rising at a rapid rate.


    Countless prayers and wishes of the Agarthians all merged into Leonidas'' body, granting him unimaginable strength, which he hadn''t felt before.


    Leonidas, who suddenly noticed the changes in his body was surprised, but deep in his heart, he had an idea of what was happening.


    For that was the nature of his power.


    Power that grew stronger the more others ced theirplete and unwavering trust in him.


    As the Mercenary Leader''s strength continued to soar, the 250 Golden Shields behind him also glowed brighter.


    ''Do not be afraid, young one.''


    The Skeleton King spoke directly inside Lux''s head.


    ''He''s not the only one who has the power of Faith,'' the Skeleton King said through telepathy. ''You also have it in you. The Undead may not have hearts, and you will not be able to hear their heartbeats, but they are very much alive. Feel them with your heart, hear them with your soul, and tap into the power that became exclusively yours after your Rebirth.''


    After hearing the Skeleton King''s words, Lux felt like he was enlightened.


    A momentter, he sensed it.


    Diablo''s, Ishtar''s, Pazuzu''s, Orions, Asmodeus'', Lazarus'' wishes��


    All of the members of his Covenant''s determination��


    And his Undead Legion''s unwavering loyalty��


    They were the creatures who would always be on his side, even if the entire world became his enemy.


    His steadfast allies through thick and thin.


    Warriors who would fight on the front lines for his sake, and sing his songs of glory.


    Calypso, who had taken the form of the Spear of Longinus hummed, and the sound of an angelic hymn spread across the diator Coliseum.


    The Agarthians were countless, and the power of their Faith was strong.


    Lux''s Undead Legion was nothingpared to them, but that didn''t matter.


    Even if he were against the entire world, he would never be alone!


    "Together!" Lux dered as his green eyes turned gold, gathering the power of Faith from hispanions who were fighting alongside him.


    Leonidas, who had also gathered the power he needed, also roared as he prepared to unleash his strongest attack.


    "Devastate!" Leonidas roared. "Son of Hercules!"


    "Pierce the Void!" Lux shouted. "Spear of Longinus!"


    The Giant Skeleton King thrust the Divine Spear towards the Mercenary Leader, and Leonidas, in turn, thrust upwards, meeting the attack head-on.


    A sh of Will.


    A sh of Faith.


    And with it, a battle that would be remembered in the Kingdom of Agartha for centuries toe rocked the entirety of the diator Coliseum to its very core.

 Chapter 844 The Power Of Faith [Part 2]

    ?


    "Devastate!" Leonidas bellowed. "Son of Hercules!"


    "Pierce the Void!" Lux shouted. "Spear of Longinus!"


    Two powerful attacks shed with each other, creating an ear-piercing screeching noise that nearly made everyone in the coliseum cover their ears.


    The ground under Leonidas'' feet shattered, and blood flowed from the corner of his lips. But he held firm and gazed steadily at the giant spear point that threatened to erase his very existence.


    The only thing that prevented that from happening was the indestructible spear in his hand, which held firm despite the fact that the weapon it was fighting against was countless times bigger than it.


    Suddenly, the loud sound of something breaking reached Leonidas'' ears.


    Behind his back, he heard one of the Golden Shields shatter, and it was soon followed by another.


    A few secondster, three more shields exploded into a shower of lights. These light particles flew towards Leonidas as if passing their wishes to him.


    Ten secondster, twenty more shields exploded.


    At that exact moment, a blood mist erupted on Leonidas'' right side.


    Blood hade out from the pores of his body as if it was being squeezed from the inside of his body.


    It was painful, but Leonidas paid it no heed and stood his ground, despite dealing with a force so strong that the ground under his feet was breaking, creating an ever-expanding crater as the Mercenary Leader held on with everything he had.


    The Golden Shields behind his back had now turned blood red, and three to five of them exploded with each passing second.


    Even so, with every shield that exploded, the lights on the remaining shields became brighter, until they had be nearly blinding.


    The aura around Leonidas'' body had now also turned crimson, reflecting the blood that was oozing out from nearly every pore of his body.


    250 Shields.


    238 Shields.


    194 Shields.


    135 Shields.


    99 Shields.


    77 Shields.


    69 Shields.


    41 Shields.


    28 Shields.


    13 Shields.


    4 Shields.


    1 Shield.


    Thest remaining shield behind Leonidas'' back cracked ever-so-slowly as it reached its limit.


    This was also the moment that Leonidas was waiting for.


    The moment thest shield broke, he would also unleash his strongest attack.


    When the shield behind his back finally broke, Leonidas'' eyes that were glowing crimson shone even brighter.


    "Defy the Heavens!" Leonidas roared. "Battle of Thermope!"


    Suddenly, the spear in the Mercenary Leader''s hand slowly pushed back the Spear of Longinus.


    Leonidas took a step forward as if he was stepping on a stair, slowly but surely gaining momentum as he pushed back the Giant Spear that had turned him into a bloody mess.


    The Agarthians watched with bated breath as they saw countless Ethereal Warriors pushing Leonidas back, prompting him forward.


    With each step the Mercenary Leader took, Ethereal Warriors, holding shields, knelt and created a tform that he could walk upon, bearing the weight of the man who was now fighting while the embers of his life zed until they were extinguished.


    Suddenly, from within the crowd, a young man stood up and shouted with all of his might.


    "Leonidas! Go!"


    This shout spread far and wide within the Coliseum, pulling everyone out of their daze.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Soon, countless shouts permeated the entirety of the arena as countless Agarthians poured out their hearts, passionately calling out the name of the man that defied all expectations.


    "Don''t lose! Leonidas! Beat him!"


    "You can do it! Go!"


    "Fight! Don''t lose hope!"


    """Leonidas!"""


    """Leonidas!"""


    """Leonidas!"""


    """Leonidas!"""


    Cheers once again erupted, and with it, Leonidas took one painful step at a time, rising higher and higher, pushing the giant spear back as he continued to walk toward the blue jewel in the Skeleton King''s Chest, where his foe currently stood.


    The current Leonidas was soaked with his own blood from head to toe, and he could no longer see what was in front of him.


    However, the hands that were pushing his back, and the shouts from the people who were cheering for him edged him forward.


    Even King Septimius, who was seated in the highest seat of honor, had his fists clenched, while silently urging the Mercenary Leader in his heart to create a miracle.


    After what felt like Eternity, Leonidas had breached the insurmountable gap and was only a few meters away from the blue crystal.


    Lux, who was inside it, watched the amazing man, who had defied all odds in order to reach him.


    When the Mercenary Leader had reached the waist of the Giant Skeleton King, Lux had ceased his attack, for he knew that Leonidas could no longer bear the strength of his Divine Weapon.


    As someone who had defied the Heavens and had be the Progenitor of a Sacred ss, he wanted to see the power of Faith manifest itself in front of him.


    For Leonidas to sessfully push the Spear of Longinus back until he reached the waist area of the Giant Skeleton King, the Half-Elf was thoroughly impressed by his tenacity.


    A few minutester, a faint clinking sound reached everyone''s ears.


    The Coliseum was so silent that even the smallest of sounds could be heard.


    "Did I�� reach�� you?" Leonidas asked hoarsely.


    "Yes," Lux replied with a tone filled with admiration. "You reached me."


    The tip of Leonidas'' spear had finally touched the blue jewel on the Skeleton''s Chest, but there was no longer any strength behind it.


    The sound earlier was like the sound of two wine sses clinking each other, which was shared between two old friends that hadn''t seen each other for a long time.


    A faint smile appeared on Leonidas'' blood-soaked lips as all the strength in his body disappeared like it finally gave up on him.


    He had done what he was supposed to do, and now�� he could finally rest.


    "I''ll�� reserve a ce�� for you�� in Hell," Leonidas said softly. "Make sure�� to bring�� good wine�� for me."


    "Hell can wait for a bit," Lux replied. "I still have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep."


    The Ethereal Warriors who had helped Leonidas reach his destination all disappeared, and with them, the Mercenary Leader fell from the sky.


    However, his body didn''t even touch the ground, for a certain ck Coffin caught him cautiously as if he was something very precious.


    It would be a waste for such a courageous man to disappear from this worldpletely.


    Even if the Gods allowed it��


    ckfire wouldn''t allow it!


    Lux smiled at the ck Coffin, who had started to greedily swallow the remaining 250 Rankers that had materialized in the arena after Leonidas fell from the sky.


    Michael, who was the organizer of the event, tried to stop it because the Rankers were still alive and only half-dead. After such an amazing match, he decided that he would plead with the King of Agartha to spare them and let them continue to fight as diators.


    However, the ck Coffin wouldn''t allow anyone to stop it, so it smacked Michael and sent him flying in the opposite direction of the arena.


    It then released several ck tendril-like tentacles from its body, which attached themselves to all the Rankers who were lying helplessly on the ground, unable to do anything.


    ckfire then pulled all of the Rankers inside of it before disappearingpletely.


    That was how the Death Match between the 300 diators and Lux ended, making it the most memorable diator Battle in Agartha, which would be remembered for years toe.

 Chapter 845 Aftermath Of The Battle

    ?


    When ckfire disappeared from the arena, all the Agarthians looked at the Giant Skeleton King, who stood tall and proud above them.


    "Are you not entertained?" the Skeleton King asked, spreading its arms wide as if challenging anyone who would say otherwise.


    However, someone did reply to its inquiry, and it came from the highest seat of honor in the diator''s Coliseum. The one who ruled over Agartha, and heldplete control of this ancient Kingdom, King Septimius.


    "We are entertained."


    King Septimius looked at the Giant Skeleton King, and thetter looked down on the King of Agartha due to its height.


    "Good," the Skeleton King replied.


    A momentter, it turned into particles of light, leaving Lux in the sky, floating with his Draconic Wings spread wide.


    The Half-Elf then slowly descended to the ground with a calm expression on his face. However, this was only a facade.


    He was drained of his energy, and if it were not for the fact that he had to keep appearances, he might haveid down on the ground to sleep.


    The members of his Covenant, whom he had called to help him, had also materialized on the ground beside him.


    Bedivere, Zagan, ALL-MITE, Garret, and King Leoric.


    Since they were part of Lux''s Covenant, they could still fight alongside the Half-Elf, who could no longer summon the rest of his Undead Army for an entire day.


    Bedivere and Garret, who were stationed in Leaf Vige and Lux''s Guild Headquarters most of the time, were quite surprised when they were summoned.


    However, after witnessing the extraordinary battle for themselves, they were quite excited to wee Leonidas as theirrade.


    Currently, the Mercenary Leader and the other diators were inside ckfire.


    As to when they would make their appearance, only the ck Coffin knew.


    "Have we earned our freedom to go on an adventure in your mighty Kingdom, Your Majesty?" Gaap asked with a smile. "Or will you go back on your word and silence us, like what you did to the other Hignders that hade before us?"


    King Septimius snorted after hearing Gaap''s taunt.


    "Although the oue is truly unexpected, my word remains the same," King Septimius replied. "You and Lux have earned the right to travel ournds unhindered. You will also be escorted by the Saintess Cleo, who will bear my decree.


    "A decree that no one who calls themselves Agarthian wille to trouble you, unless they are bandits and criminals who don''t recognize thew. If you are to meet these people, feel free to handle them as you see fit. For they are not my people and not bound by thews of my kingdom."


    Gaap nodded. "Ah, before I forget, you said that we can also visit Misfortune''s Beloved in the Pantheon of Exile. Is that promise still in effect?"


    "I already said it earlier, Halfling," King Septimius stated. "Do not make me repeat myself."


    "My apologies, Your Majesty." Gaap bowed respectfully.


    The Halfling''s n was to let the citizens of Agartha know why they hade to their Kingdom.


    If everyone were to find out that they were here to visit the Misfortune''s Beloved, they would pay extra attention to their journey, which would serve as an addedyer of protection should King Septimius choose to go back on his word.


    Lux, who had remained silent a moment ago, raised his right fist high up in the air for everyone to see.


    "Today, I have witnessed the sheer strength and willpower of Agarthians," Lux shouted. "If all of you here today have a tenth of Leonidas'' courage and determination, I believe that the Kingdom of Agartha would prosper forevermore.


    "Know that even above in the Surface World, very few people have the same courage that he has disyed here today. If there is anyone here who is just like Leonidas, feel free to join my Guild. I am recruiting strong people like you!"


    The corner of Gaap''s and King Septimius'' lips twitched after hearing Lux''s shameless advertisement.


    Clearly, the Half-Elf wanted to take advantage of the situation and get able-bodied warriors, who would fight alongside him.


    Before the Half-Elf could continue his shameless act, King Septimius cleared his throat, catching everyone''s attention.


    "Before you wander our Ancient Domain, I invite the two of you to participate in the Birthday Celebration of my youngest daughter, Princess Shayna, which will take ce in two days'' time," King Septimius stated. "Also, you don''t have the right to refuse my invitation, for that will mean disrespect to me and my kingdom."


    Lux and Gaap nced at each other and nodded their heads. Although the Half-Elf wanted to go to the Pantheon of Exile in order to see Aurora as soon as possible, he deemed that forming a good rtionship with the current King was also important.


    After all, King Septimius was still Aurora''s father.


    King Septimius then stood up and raised his hand, addressing his citizens.


    "Today, we have witnessed a great battle of the wills," King Septimius stated. "The event has now ended, and all of you are free to spread the news of what happened here today. Also, if you happen to meet our two guests during their journey, feel free to show them how we treat our guests."


    The corner of King Septimius'' lips rose because he believed that after this day, Lux''s fame would spread across his kingdom.


    Naturally, this would also cause problems for the Half-Elf, and he was very keen to see what kind of trouble he would find himself in as he journeyed through the Ancient Kingdom, which had stood tall since time immemorial.


    As if taking their King''s words as a sign, all the spectators apuded the victors of the diator Match.


    Although they felt bad about Leonidas'' loss, it didn''t change the fact that the battle made their blood boil due to how awesome it was.


    Of course, there were a lot of spectators who were looking at the Half-Elf in a new light, and some of them were thinking about forming connections with him in order to take advantage of his newfound poprity in Agartha.


    ''Although the King looks amiable right now, don''t trust him too much, okay?'' Gaap cautioned Lux through their Guild Chat. ''We don''t know anything about this hospitality thing that he mentioned just now, so make sure to keep your guard up during the Princess'' Birthday Celebration.''


    ''Understood, Master,'' Lux replied. ''I''ll make sure to pay attention to my surroundings.''


    Now that they had cleared their first obstacle in Agartha, the two decided to stay for a while and join the festivities.


    They were unaware that in one of the VIP Rooms of the Coliseum, Princess Shayna was looking at them with a sweet smile on their face.


    ''He''s a good person,'' Princess Shayna thought as she looked at the Half-Elf who hade to Agartha to meet her Elder Sister, Aurora. ''I hope I can talk to him during the party.''


    The Youngest Princess of Agartha left her room with a smile on her face. She came to the Coliseum to see Lux, and what she had seen would remain in her memory and heart forever.

 Chapter 846 A Day In The City Of Shambala

    ?


    A day after the death match in the diator''s Arena, Lux and Gaap toured the Capital City of Shamb, escorted by Saintess Cleo.


    After Lux''s win, the Saintess reluctantly honored the bet she had with Lux, which was to serve him for an entire year if he won.


    Since the King of Agartha had already made a decree about it, and it was even announced in the diator''s Coliseum, the beautiful Saintess could only follow through the motions and apany the Half-Elf and the Halfling on their journey.


    Lux, on the other hand, didn''t make fun of the Saintess, not even insisting that she call him Daddy. For this, Cleo was truly grateful because she wouldn''t be able to raise her head again if she were to call Lux, Daddy, in public.


    "How do you like one of Agartha''s specialty dishes?" Cleo asked after Lux tasted a dish that almost everyone in Agartha cooked in their homes.


    "This is the first time I''ve eaten fried Scorpions," Lux replied. "It''s tastier than I thought."


    "I know, right?" Cleo smiled. "The scorpions in Agartha are not poisonous. Their stings might be very painful, but you won''t have to worry about dying."


    Gaap, who wasn''t very picky with food, also found the fried scorpions to his liking. He even wanted to eat them on a regr basis.


    Fortunately, it was a verymon dish in Agartha, and almost all taverns and eating establishments had them.


    The City of Shamb was very big, making it impossible to be toured in a day or two. However, what surprised Lux during their tour was that there was an Adventurer''s Guild present inside the city.


    ording to Cleo, the Adventurer''s Guild originated in Agartha and spread out in the Surface World.


    However, the Guild Grandmaster of the widespread organization in the world refused to allow the King of Agartha to use it for his political means.


    Their stance was to be neutral from the get-go, and it had remained that way since the Adventurer''s Guild was founded.


    After their meal ended, the three of them rested, drinking some tea as they did.


    Lux thought that this was the perfect time to chat with the Saintess, so he decided to take the initiative and ask the question that was on his mind.


    "Miss Cleo, what can you tell me about the youngest princess of Agartha, Princess Shayna?" Lux asked.


    He had stopped calling Cleo, Her Excellency, because thetter said that it sounded so formal, and she insisted that Lux just call her Cleo.


    However, Lux felt that doing so would be disrespecting her, so he insisted on adding Miss whenever he referred to her.


    "Princess Shayna?" Cleo smiled before putting her teacup on top of the table. "I don''t know much about her because she rarely appears in public. All I know is that among the royal children, she is the closest to Aurora��"


    Suddenly the body of the Saint stiffened as if she hade to a realization.


    "I see. So that''s why," Cleo muttered.


    A minute of silence passed before the Saintess once again talked. "I think the reason why the Princess rarely made her appearance is because she had been affected by the curse of Misfortune''s Beloved.


    "I''m sure that the King has used his authority to keep her inside the Royal Pce instead of going to the Azmarin Monastery. She might be wearing protective charms right now to keep the bad luck away. But to ensure that she doesn''t affect others with her bad luck, she might have been kept under house arrest."


    Lux felt sorry for Aurora''s sister, whom Cleo said had been very close to her.


    "Don''t worry," Gaapmented from the side. "The Royal Family of Agartha must have some kind of special protection from the Gods. Even if Princess Shayna is cursed with bad luck, its effect isn''t as bad as you might be imagining. The King wouldn''t have invited us to her birthday celebration otherwise."


    Cleo nodded in agreement. Since the King of Agartha had invited Lux and Gaap to Princess Shayna''s birthday, there was no need to worry about getting affected by bad luck.


    After a short break, the three of them continued touring the city.


    Everywhere they went, people would stare at Lux and Gaap as if they were popr idols that were taking a stroll in their city.


    Naturally, these Agarthians had already heard about what had transpired in the diator''s Coliseum through their peers, and their impressions of the Hignders had changed since then.


    "You''re like celebrities now," Cleomented as she looked at the two Hignders, who were walking side by side.


    "It''s not our fault we were born handsome," Lux replied. "Isn''t that right, Master?"


    "Yes." Gaap nodded. "Being handsome is a sin."


    Hearing that, the corner of the Saintess'' lips twitched, and she weirdly looked at the shameless Master and Disciple pair, who were actually feeling quite smug about the attention they were getting.


    When they neared the center of the city, Lux saw a Bazaar, and his interest was immediately piqued.


    ''I should get a souvenir for Grandma, Iris, and Cai,'' Lux thought as he walked towards one of the stalls in order to check what they were selling.


    Out of habit, he summoned his Soul Book and used its appraisal skill to check the things that were on sale.


    To the Half-Elf''s surprise, nearly half of the items that were being sold in the stall that he went to had Abilities in them. Although not all of these abilities were good, the fact that they were there made the Half-Elf think of something good.


    "Sir, how much is this bracelet?" Lux asked.


    He was holding a ck bracelet that had the skill, Calm Mind, which allowed those who wear it to have a significant boost in their mental resistance.


    "Ah, you have good eyes, young man," the merchant replied. "That bracelet is made from the skin of the ck Crocodiles that are hunted from the Kyle River. Since you are one of my first customers of the day, you can have it for a very low price of 500 gold coins."


    "500 Gold Coins for this trinket?" Cleo asked with a frown. "At most, this will only cost 50 gold coins. You even have dozens of them, so they''re not supposed to be that expensive."


    "My Lady, even though I have dozens of them, I guarantee that they are made from the highest quality materials," the Merchant insisted. "Also, those ck Crocodiles are all Deimos Ranked Beasts. Not everyone is able to hunt them down."


    Cleo was about to argue once again, but before she could do that, Lux stepped in and smiled at the merchant.


    "How about this earring?" Lux asked.


    This Earring was a bit special because it had the ability, Light as a Feather.


    As the name suggested, it was as light as a feather, which would be a very interesting ability to imbue to something that usually weighed more than a ton.


    "That one is priced at 300 Gold Coins, but I will give you a big discount and only sell it to you for 100 Gold Coins," the Merchant replied.


    "Deal," Lux replied before picking up another essory from the stall.


    Now that he no longer worried about money, he could now finally use his skill Transmutation [EX], to its fullest potential.


    ''Hahaha! What a sucker!'' the Merchantughed in his heart. ''Are all Hignders this stupid? He should have listened to that beautifuldy beside him. It looks like I''ll make a lot of profit today!''


    Cleo looked at Lux as if he was a country bumpkin that was shopping for the first time in the city.


    The Half-Elf didn''t even bother bargaining for the price of the things he bought and simply bought them at their market price.


    The Merchants who saw this thought that Hignders were suckers and had plenty of money, so they opened up their wares to Lux and even gave him "bulk discounts" for the items that he was purchasing.


    What these merchants didn''t know was that Lux was having thestugh.


    If coughing up a few hundred gold coins was enough to acquire rare abilities that he could transmute to his equipment, then he would dly do so.


    After all, Legendary-ranked equipment and above were considered "Priceless," and if a price tag were to be attached to any of them, it would easily reach millions of gold coins, which was a far cry to the thousands of gold coins that Lux had spent in shopping for the rarest abilities that were avable in the Bazaar of Shamb.

 Chapter 847 I Have Some Good News For You

    "M-Master, I feel strange."


    "It''s fine, Calypso. Just ept it. You will feel better soon."


    "Uh��. Nnng�� It''s so�� hard�� mmm! I-I can''t�� ngh!"


    Calypso''s body shuddered as Lux''s hand held onto her. It had been only a few minutes since they started, but she was already at her limit.


    "Just endure it for a while," Lux said. "Here is another serving, take it."


    "Hah�� Ngh! So hot!" Calypso''s voice trembled as she did her best to endure the hot feeling that was washing over her body.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration that this was the first time that she had ever felt something like this in her life, especially after being reborn as a Living Armor and a Divine Weapon that served under Lux.


    "Let''s take a short break," Lux stated as he wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead. "You''ve done well, Calypso."


    The Half-Elf''s hand lightly caressed the handle of the Divine Spear, making thetter tremble once again.


    After his sessful shopping trip in the Bazaar of Shamb, he started adding several new abilities to his Divine Weapon using his Transmutation [EX] skill, making Calypso more powerful.


    The abilities that the Half-Elf had imparted to the Spear of Longinus were, Auto-Repair, Double Pierce, eleration, Precision, Weakness Point, Cross Poison, Deadly Strike, Lightning Strike, Spear Drill, and Gale Force.


    These skills were meant to make the Spear of Longinus hit harder, faster, and inflict status ailments on those that were hit by it.


    The Half-Elf still had many other trinkets with abilities, which he bought earlier, but he didn''t intend to put all of them in the Spear of Longinus.


    Abilities like "Light as a Feather" were redundant to use because the spear already had the perfect weight in Lux''s hands. There were many skills that were useless for Calypso but would be very useful for other weapons.


    For example, Lux intended to look for the heaviest weapon that he could find in Agartha.


    A weapon that would weigh several tons. Once he found it, he''d transmute the skill Light as a Feather to it. He was nning to give this weapon to one of his subordinates, allowing them to wield a weapon that would take the enemy by surprise.


    Truth be told, he wanted to give Eiko a weapon, but when he told this to the Baby Slime, thetter only shook her head.


    For Eiko, the only weapon she needed was her Bombs, and that was more than enough to make her enemies go Boom!


    "Are you done, Lux?" Gaap asked as he knocked on the door of Lux''s room.


    "Yes, Master," Lux replied before telling Calypso that they would continue their Transmutation Sessionter this evening.


    This made the Spear of Longinus sigh in relief because she didn''t know what would happen to her if her Master decided to start round two in her current state. Right now, her body was so sensitive, and receiving more stimtion might just break her mind.


    Of course, Lux didn''t know this. He unsummoned the Divine Weapon before opening the door to let his Master inside the room.


    "Are you done with information gathering, Master?" Lux inquired as he offered Gaap a mug of water.


    "Well, you can say that," Gaap replied as he epted the mug that was given to him. "ording to the information I gathered, the Pantheon of Exile is a week''s travel from the capital if we are able to use the City''s Teleportation Gate.


    "If we don''t use the Teleportation Gate, it will take us two weeks to reach our destination. Also, there are several waypoints that we need to pass through, and all of them are heavily guarded."


    Lux arched an eyebrow after hearing his Master''s report. He thought that the Pantheon of Exile was just a ce for those who had been exiled from the Kingdom of Agartha, but this was only an assumption that he had made.


    "Is the Pantheon of Exile some kind of Prison?" Lux asked.


    "Not exactly, but it also serves that purpose," Gaap answered. "ording to the information I gathered, several powerful beings and creatures that could potentially threaten Agartha were kept in there as well.


    "The waypoints are actually strongholds that serve as lines of defense in order to prevent any of those creatures from passing through the borders of Agartha."


    Lux pondered a bit after hearing his Master''s exnation.


    If those who were sent to the Pantheon of Exile were truly beings that could threaten the peace and stability of the ancient kingdom, wouldn''t that mean that it was a very dangerous ce to visit?


    "I''m very curious about what kind of beings have been sent there. Do you have any idea, Master?"


    "No. Actually, I am very curious as well. It is possible that there might be some High-Ranking Nobility from the Abyss there, like the one that was sealed inside the Sacred Dungeon."


    "Noble Abyssals," Lux muttered. "Those guys are a pain."


    The one that Gaap had caught in the Sacred Dungeon was a High-Ranking Abyssal Noble, and after interrogating its soul, he had confirmed that it was a Duke-Ranked Abyssal Noble whose power had regressed after being sealed for hundreds of years.


    In fact, that Abyssal Creature was so strong that it had been sealed inside the Domain of the Fallen, yet it only regressed in power instead of being eradicatedpletely.


    "On another note, I have a feeling that the King of Agartha is scheming something against us," Gaap said. "My gut instinct is telling me that he might use underhanded methods in order to prevent us from reaching the Pantheon of Exile."


    "There''s really nothing we can do but face his scheme head-on, Master," Lux replied. "I''m pretty sure that he won''t underestimate us again after what happened in the diator''s Coliseum."


    Gaap chuckled because this was very true.


    The organizer of the event, Michael, hade to them to talk in private, demanding the release of Leonidas, as well as the other diators that ckfire had captured during the Deathmatch.


    Of course, he also promised to give them bountifulpensation, but the Half-Elf tly rejected his offer.


    There was simply no way that Lux would return such promising individuals, even if he were to be offered millions of gold coins.


    The Half-Elf no longer had any issue with money, and at the moment, what hecked was manpower. The 300 diators and the Mercenary Leader were much more than their weight in gold, and he had no ns to give them back no matter what.


    �Ѧ���d��s����vel Besides, he had a feeling that even if he ordered ckfire to return them, the ck Coffin would refuse his order.


    "By the way, I have some good news for you," Gaap said with a mischievous smile on his face. "After your advertisement in the diator''s Coliseum, there have been people asking about how to join your Guild. Are you really sure that you want to invite Agarthians to Heaven''s Gate? Do you not n to keep it a secret anymore?"


    Lux smiled because he understood his Master''s worries.


    "Master, rest assured, I have already thought about this carefully," Lux replied. "Agartha is located deep under the ground, and it would nearly be impossible for any news from it to reach the Surface World.


    "I even dare say that Agartha is the perfect ce to recruit Guild Members. Even if they spread the news of my Guild being a Mythical Guild, nothing bad wille out of it. In fact, it will be good publicity! We can also use the benefit of being able to visit the Surface World as bait to tempt powerful individuals who have already seen everything there is to see in Agartha."


    Gaap pondered a bit after hearing Lux''s reply, and he had to admit that this was indeed a good idea.


    His only worry was how the King of Agartha would react after knowing that Lux was the Guildmaster of the Mythical Guild, whose name had even reached one of the most ancient kingdoms in the world.

 Chapter 848 Perhaps This Is Also The Whims Of Fate

    ?


    "Master, how do I look?" Lux asked as he showed Gaap the ceremonial dress, which was given to him by Saintess Cleo, to be worn for tonight''s festivities.


    "You look good," Gaap replied with a smile. "Maybe the King is worried that we might wear something unexpected to the Birthday Celebration of his daughter, so he chose our clothes for us in advance."


    Just like Lux, the Halfling was wearing the ceremonial dress that was worn by the Agarthian High-Ranking Nobles for special asions.


    While the two were making small talk, a knock sounded from the door, and not long after, Cleo''s voice reached their ears.


    "Are the two of you ready?" Cleo asked. "The carriage has arrived."


    Lux and Gaap nced at each other and nodded their heads at the same time.


    "We''re ready to go," Lux replied as he and his Master went to leave the room together.


    They had already made ns before going to the birthday celebration, and that was to get acquainted with a few of the important people of Agartha.


    Ken, the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Stronghold of Norria, stressed the importance of forming strong connections with people.


    "There will be times when these connections can be used to your advantage, so meet as many people as you can and befriend them," Ken had said back then. "The more important their position, the more you should strive to get acquainted with them!"


    Lux was very familiar with the saying ''it''s not what you know, but who you know that matters.''


    Having friends in high ces would definitely make things easier if they ever needed to ask for their help. Granted, these favors would note free, but the ability to negotiate with these individuals was the important part.


    After climbing into the carriage, they took a route that was not open tomoners.


    When they arrived at their destination, the Half-Elf saw a long line of carriages, waiting for their owners to disembark.


    Fortunately, their carriage bore the seal of the Royal Family, so they did not need to line up. They were immediately taken to a special gate where the special guests of the Royal Family entered.


    Naturally, this caught the attention of the High-Ranking Nobles, who immediately recognized Lux and Gaap from a distance.


    After their amazing battle in the diator''s Coliseum, the pair had earned a bit of fame and influence. However, not everyone was happy with the results.


    Some of the High-Ranking Nobles didn''t like the fact that Hignders were allowed to roam free in theirnds, but since their King had already given his decree, they had no choice but to endure Lux''s and Gaap''s presence.


    "Seriously, what is His Majesty thinking?" An Earl of Agartha clicked his tongue in annoyance. "He should have just silently eliminated them after the tournament."


    "Dear, be careful of what you say," his wife replied. "The King has eyes and ears everywhere. Even if our carriage has a soundproofing artifact inside it, you shouldn''t say such things."


    The Earl once again clicked his tongue in annoyance but didn''t disagree with his wife''s words.


    There were other nobles in Agartha that shared the Earl''s dislike for the Hignders, and all of them wished that there was something they could do about it.


    Meanwhile, in the Princess'' bedroom, Princess Shayna was looking at the full-body mirror with a calm expression on her face.


    She was wearing a very beautiful dress that highlighted her budding beauty.


    Today, she would turn thirteen years old, which was considered an ominous number by some.


    However, ever since she had been cursed by bad luck, the Princess no longer thought of the number thirteen as a bad number.


    In fact, she weed it because it reminded her of her sister, Aurora, who was currently suffering in the Pantheon of Exile.


    "Your Highness, the King calls for you in the Study Room," Princess Shayna''s handmaiden said in a respectful tone.


    "Understood," Princess Shayna replied and started walking toward the door at a steady pace.


    Her personal maids and guards followed behind her, making sure that nothing would happen to the star of today''s celebration.


    When Princess Shayna arrived at her Father''s Study Room, she was surprised to see that aside from the King, there was no one else inside the room.


    Usually, the King would have one or two people with him, even when talking in private, so the young princess felt that something was amiss.


    "You look beautiful today, Shayna," King Septimius said with a smile. "Time sure does fly. Back then, you were but a small baby, and now, you are at the cusp of bing a beautifuldy."


    Princess Shayna smiled as she made a curtsy to her father before walking towards him.


    "Father, you wish to speak to me?" Princess Shayna asked. "Is this about the Hignders?"


    King Septimius nodded. "You are very sharp, my daughter. Since you already know why I called for you, let me ask you a question. What do you think of that young man, Lux?"


    Princess Shayna didn''t answer right away. Instead, she looked at her father with a steady gaze before making her opinion known.


    "Father, do you wish to hear the answer you want to hear, or do you wish to hear the truth?" Princess Shayna asked.


    "The truth," King Septimius replied.


    "I think that Sir Lux is a good person," Princess Shayna replied in a firm tone. "Since he came here to see my sister, I''m sure that he will follow through with his goal. My only worry is that you will do something in the background, and prevent him from reaching his destination."


    "Oh? And what makes you say that?" King Septimius asked in a curious tone.


    "It is because you don''t want my sister to take a single step outside the Pantheon of Exile," Princess Shayna replied. "Although you don''t want to admit it, you me her for ''that'' incident, right?"


    "Still young, but very clever." King Septimius nodded his head in satisfaction. "I am looking forward to seeing how much you will grow in a few years'' time. Tonight is your night, so I don''t want to ruin your mood.


    "I will also allow you to speak with the Hignders, but choose your words wisely. You wouldn''t want anything bad to happen to them during the party, right?"


    Princess Shayna gave a brief nod to answer the King''s question.


    Seeing that his daughter understood what he wanted to say, he made a gesture for her toe closer.


    "Happy Birthday, Shayna," King Septimius said before giving his daughter a hug. "I will not ask you to forget Aurora, but do me a favor. Do not mention her name or talk about her at tonight''s party. Did I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, Father," Princess Shayna replied. "I will do as you say."


    "Good. You may now go to the waiting room. I will call you soon."


    "Understood."


    Princess Shayna gave her father another respectful bow before leaving the room.


    "Hah�� it seems that she is in her rebellious phase," King Septimius muttered a minute after his daughter left the room.


    The King of Agartha loved all of his children, including Aurora. However, the love he had for her diminished after the incident many years ago, which caused one of his wives to die due to Aurora''s curse.


    Since then, the King had treated Aurora coldly and even made sure that she was sent to the deepest ce in the Pantheon of Exile to spend her days in solitude.


    But now, there were two people who intended to take her out of that ce.


    Truth be told, King Septimius had mixed emotions about this matter. A part of him didn''t want to see Aurora being freed from her prison.


    And the other part of him wanted to allow the Half-Elf to take his daughter to the Surface World, where she would be allowed to spread her bad luck, causing countless suffering.


    That way, those above ground would also understand the pain that he felt after losing someone very important to him due to Aurora''s curse.


    "Perhaps this is one of the whims of Fate," King Septimius said softly as he closed his eyes. "I just wonder if I should let it run its course."


    The King of Agartha sighed before leaving the Study Room in order to start the celebration.


    Today was his daughter''s birthday party, and at the very least, he didn''t want it to be ruined due to the Misfortune''s Beloved, whom he hadn''t seen for several years.

 Chapter 849 May I Have The Honor Of Having Your First Dance?

    ?


    "Everyone, thank you foring here today," King Septimius said, addressing the guests who had been invited to attend his youngest daughter''s birthday.


    "I believe that all of you have been well since ourst meeting?" King Septimius'' voice was calm andced with a teasing tone, which made the atmosphere very casual and lively.


    Everyone cheered as if to agree with their King''s inquiry.


    "Good!" King Septimius smiled. "Alright. I shall not make a long speech today. Thus, let me present to you my youngest daughter, Princess Shayna!"


    The King of Agartha gestured for everyone to look up to the top of the staircase.


    There, a youngdy, whose beauty was already starting to show at a young age, walked down with a sweet smile on her face.


    She was dressed in a very beautiful pink gown that highlighted her outstanding features, making those who saw her feel like their hearts were melting.


    A silver tiara sparkled on top of her head, making Eiko, who saw it, be very interested in it.


    "Shayna, do you have anything to say to our guests who have traveled far and wide just to be here today?" King Septimius asked in a voice filled with affection.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Princess Shayna replied before scanning the crowd of people whose gazes were locked unto her small frame.


    When her gazended on Lux and Gaap, her eyes lingered there for a few seconds before once again scanning the crowd, making sure that she had looked at them all.


    "I thank all of you foring here today to celebrate this very special day with me," Princess Shayna said. "I hope that my Father has prepared enough food and drinks to fill your stomachs, and enough performers to keep all of you entertained. If the preparation for this celebration is somewhatcking, please feel free to voice your concerns to me so that I mayin to himter on."


    The sound ofughter and cheers resounded within the ballroom after everyone heard Princess Shayna''s amusing speech.


    Even Lux and Gaap, who weren''t expecting much, found the young girl to their liking.


    The King of Agartha looked at his daughter fondly, and a faint chuckle escaped his lips.


    Clearly, he liked how Princess Shayna made everyone feel at ease with her gentle and soothing words, making the atmosphere more amiable.


    "You heard my daughter, everyone," King Septimius smirked. "Feel free toin to her if you find this celebrationcking."


    Everyone knew that even if they found the preparationscking, none of them would dare toin about it. Even so, they still nodded their heads and smiled at their King, who had ruled Agartha for many years.


    "Now, without further dys, let the celebration officially begin!" King Septimius dered.


    As if waiting for that cue, the musicians started to y their instruments, and the Princess and the King headed toward the dance floor.


    The two gracefully danced together under everyone''s watchful eyes. It was a custom among the Royal Family for the birthday celebrant to dance with one of their own first before allowing others to take their turn.


    After their dance ended, they both headed to the table reserved for the Royal Family, while the rest of the guests made their way to the dance floor to dance with their partners.


    "Ei!" Eiko, who had been holding herself back, nudged her Papa''s cheek, making Lux chuckle.


    "Okay, let''s eat." Lux smiled before heading towards the buffet-style tables that wereden with food.


    Just as he expected, he garnered a lot of attention as he piled up his te with the foods that the Baby Slime had chosen.


    Aside from Beast Cores, Eiko also ate regr food. She liked to try dishes that she had never tasted before, and the dishes in Agartha were all new to her.


    "Ei!"


    "Okay. I''ll get that too."


    After filling up two tes with food, Lux returned to their table. However, halfway to his destination, a youngdy wearing a pink dress blocked his path.


    "Sir Lux, may I have the honor of having your first dance?" Princess Shayna asked as she made a curtsy.


    The Half-Elf stiffened, not knowing what to do as both of his hands were upied with tes of food. Bowing to her while holding them would look embarrassing.


    Even so, since the Princess of Agartha, who was also the birthday celebrant of today''s event, asked for a dance, he had no choice but to ept it.


    "It will be my honor, Your Highness," Lux replied as he did his best to return the Princess'' curtsy with a bow of his own.


    "Can I leave these tes on the table first?"


    "Of course, Sir Lux. Sorry for the trouble."


    Princess Shayna smiled as she gazed at the Half-Elf''s retreating back.


    Naturally, her invitation to dance caught the attention of nearly everyone in the Event Hall of the Royal Pce.


    King Septimius, on the other hand, wasn''t surprised by his daughter''s action. He had already anticipated this, but he didn''t n on doing anything.


    Princess Shayna had already promised him to not say things that she shouldn''t say, and that was more than enough for him.


    "Enjoy your food, Eiko," Lux said as he ced the tes filled with food on the table. "Don''t wander around anywhere, okay?"


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded before jumping on top of the table to begin her food-tasting session.


    After he was sure that the Baby Slime was going to behave, Lux fixed his clothes a bit before approaching Princess Shayna, who was standing beside the dance floor.


    Her maids and guards were also there to ensure that she wouldn''t get mobbed by the guests, and the Nobles only greeted her one at a time.


    When Lux finally arrived, a smile appeared on her face when the Half-Elf reached out his hand in askance to hold her own.


    The two then walked towards the center of the dance floor under the watchful eyes of everyone.


    Everyone wanted to be the Princess'' second dance partner for the night, so many of them asked for a dance, but instead of epting their offers, she only said that she already had a dance partner in mind.


    Lux''s goal in Agartha was already known to everyone, and some of them ridiculed him for being stupid.


    Those who didn''t like him were very eager for him to be affected by Aurora''s curse so that he would also suffer bad luck for a very long time.


    Even so, they set aside these thoughts for now and watched as the Half-Elf ced his right hand on Princess Shayna''s waist and waited for the music to begin.

 Chapter 850 Lux’s Humble Gift

    ?


    A slow and mellow tune reverberated inside the Event Hall, prompting the dancers to dance quite slowly


    This kind of music was supposed to be only yed when the celebration was nearing its end. But since Princess Shayna requested the musicians to y this song, they had no choice but to listen to her request.


    Surprisingly, those who nned to dance alongside the Princess changed their minds and remained on the side, simply watching as the Hignder and the Princess of Agartha danced around the hall, not minding the stares of countless people who were looking at them.


    "You dance well, Sir Lux," Princess Shayna said. "Do Hignders also get dance lessons above ground?"


    "I was forced to practice dancing because I had to dance with my fiance during her birthday celebration," Lux replied.


    "��You have a Fiance?" Princess Shayna inquired, the smile on her face stiffening a bit.


    "I have two Fiances," Lux answered.


    This time, the corner of Princess Shayna''s lips twitched after hearing that Lux already had two fiances.


    She thought that the Half-Elf hade because he had fallen in love with her sister and wished to set her free.


    However, after learning that he already had two fiances, the young beauty was very tempted to step on Lux''s foot while they were dancing.


    She rationally kept herself from doing that.


    Doing so would shame the Royal Family''s honor, so she endured her dissatisfaction and continued to ask questions as they danced.


    Since the majority were paying extra close attention to the two, they all heard the Princess'' questions, as well as Lux''s answer.


    "Sir Lux, what do you think of my Sister?" Princess Shayna asked as Lux made her twirl around slowly around him.


    "I think she''s very pitiful," Lux replied. "That''s the reason why I came here to Agartha."


    "Will you still save her knowing that you will be cursed by bad luck?"


    "To be honest, I''m also a bit worried about that. Even so, since I know about her situation, I can''t just let her stay in that dark and deste ce that would make people go mad."


    Princess Shayna had heard very little information about the Pantheon of Exile and had no idea that her sister was currently staying in its deepest and darkest ce.


    Seeing that the Princess had suddenly be quiet, Lux thought that it was a good opportunity to ask her questions of his own.


    "Your Highness, do you like your sister, Aurora?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Princess Shayna replied in a heartbeat. "I miss her very much."


    "Then would you like to see her again?"


    "I would."


    Lux smiled as he continued to dance with the Princess, who was said to be the only one in the Royal Family who cared for the Misfortune''s Beloved.


    "Are you curious about the Surface World?" Lux inquired. "Also, if given the chance, would you like to go there?"


    Knowing that everyone''s attention was focused on the two of them, Lux decided to raise his voice a bit, making sure that it would be heard by everyone.


    "The Surface World?"


    For a brief moment, a tinge of curiosity and wonder appeared in the Princess''s eyes. However, it disappeared secondster as if it had never been there from the start.


    "I''d be lying if I said that I wasn''t curious about the Surface World," Princess Shayna replied. "If there is an opportunity, I would like to see it."


    "Then, how about you join my Guild?" Lux asked in a volume that only the Princess was able to hear. "If you join my guild, you will be able to go there instantly."


    "Eh?" Princess Shayna was so surprised by Lux''s unexpected offer that she identally stepped on the Half-Elf''s foot.


    The Half-Elf only smiled and pretended that nothing had happened as he supported and guided the young beauty to continue to dance with him.


    The two no longer talked about anything until the dance ended. Only after they bowed to each other did the Princess regain herposure and thanked the red-headed teenager for the dance.


    "Thank you for the dance, Sir Lux," Princess Shayna said. "It was a memorable experience."


    "It was an honor dancing with you too, Your Highness," Lux replied with a bow. "Please, ept this humble gift from me."


    Everyone waited for Lux to give his gift to the princess, but the Half-Elf simply stood there with a smile.


    Princess Shayna, on the other hand, looked in front of her in a daze, as if she had seen something unexpected.


    "Whether you ept it or not is up to you, Your Highness," Lux lowered his head and whispered in Princess Shayna''s ears. "But I can guarantee you that if you ept it, you will see a brand new world that exists above ground."


    Lux then walked away from the Dance Floor, leaving the Princess who was still standing there in a daze.


    The guests who saw this knew that something had happened between the Princess and the Hignder, but they didn''t see the Half-Elf do anything suspicious.


    Princess Shayna, on the other hand, took a few deep breaths in order to regain herposure. Half a minuteter, she returned to the Royal Table, where the members of her family were currently seated.


    "Is everything alright, Shayna?" King Septimius asked. "Did that Half-Elf do anything inappropriate to you?"


    "No, Father," Princess Shayna replied. "Sir Lux didn''t do anything. I was just surprised when he asked me if I wanted to see the Surface World."


    "I see." King Septimius nodded.


    It was not umon for the members of the Royal Family to visit the Surface World. In fact, the Princes and the Princesses would be given the opportunity to go there as part of their training as Royal Members of the Kingdom of Agartha.


    Princess Shayna''s case was a bit special because she was suffering from Aurora''s curse. Because of this, she was ced under house arrest and was not allowed to step out of the Royal Pce without permission from the King of Agartha.


    After Princess Shayna''s and Lux''s dance ended, everyone returned to the dance floor once more to take their turns to dance.


    Even the young beauty''s brothers'' and sisters'' joined the festivities, leaving their youngest sibling staring at the space in front of her in a daze.


    What they didn''t know was that several rows of text were shining in front of Princess Shayna, and those words were.


    ��������������


    < Would you like to join the Mythical Guild, Heaven''s Gate? >


    < Yes / No >


    ��������������

 Chapter 851 Forewarned Is Forearmed

    ?


    The party ended smoothly, and everyone had a good time, including Lux, Eiko, and Gaap.


    King Septimius also said some parting words to end the merry event, after which everyone left the Royal Pce to rest for the night.


    However, there was one person who was still feeling anxious even though her birthday celebration had ended two hours ago.


    This person was none other than Princess Shayna. Seated on her bed, she stared at the shimmering rows of text that were in front of her.


    Even though the Kingdom of Agartha was located deep under the ground, they were still able to hear the worldwide announcement when the first Mythical Guild in the world was founded.


    However, Princess Shayna never thought that she would be invited to join that same Mythical Guild, and more especially not by the person who dered that he would go to the Pantheon of Exile in order to free her sister from her dark prison.


    Princess Shayna didn''t know why Lux decided to invite her to his Guild, but more than that, she was surprised that he did it so casually.


    ''Does he not know what will happen if this information spreads in Agartha?'' Princess Shayna sighed in her heart. ''This might cause a revolution of sorts. Everyone, who has the ambition to achieve greater heights, would definitely fight for the opportunity to join the Mythical Guild that had been the talk of the Kingdom for several months.''


    Princess Shayna pondered for a bit when a realization came to her.


    ''W-Wait! Could it be that he doesn''t really care if his Guild''s Name is spread in Agartha?!'' Princess Shayna felt that she had grasped the reason Lux decided to invite her all of a sudden.


    ''His base of operations is on the Surface World, so he probably won''t mind even if this news reaches the far corners of our Kingdom. Sinceing to and leaving Agartha requires a very strict process, this news would likely be contained in our Kingdom, and never reach the surface.


    ''Also, he understands that Agarthians dream about going above ground, so he is using this opportunity to bait them to join his Guild and expand his forces. Simply put, our Kingdom is the best recruitment ce for his Guild, and once he has gained countless strong members, he could potentially use it to conquer territories in the Surface World!''


    Princess Shayna''s imagination ran wild, and the more she thought about it, the more she believed that her conjectures were close to the truth.


    ''I underestimated him.'' Princess Shayna shuddered after realizing just how formidable the Half-Elf was. ''It seems that the one that hase to free my sister is truly an exception among exceptions.''


    The Princess of Agartha then took a few deep breaths in order to regain her calm. Now that she somewhat understood Lux''s reason for fearlessly inviting her to his guild, only two questions remained.


    The first question was whether she should ept the invitation or not.


    The second one was whether she should share this information with her Father and have him deal with the Half-Elf, who nned to use their Kingdom as a recruitment ground for his guild.


    First and foremost, Princess Shayna was a Princess of Agartha. Her loyalty would always be to her Kingdom.


    If someone dared to cause trouble inside it, then she would definitely not sit idly and let it happen under her watch.


    However, after thinking things through, she also felt that she was overreacting a bit.


    ''Sir Lux seems like a kind and caring person,'' Princess Shayna thought. ''He wouldn''t use the Agarthians to wage war on those on the surface�� right?''


    Princess Shayna wanted to know the Half-Elf better before making a decision. Right now, Lux''s goal was to free her sister from the Pantheon of Exile, and to this end, the Princess was on her side.


    As for the Guild Recruitment, it was still in the gray area.


    After taking a few deep breaths, a look of determination appeared in the Princess''s eyes. She then moved her right hand toward the rows of text in front of her and chose Yes.


    "Wee to Heaven''s Gate."


    Princess Shayna heard a voice weing her to the Guild, but even with her enhanced senses, she was unable to tell if the voice came from a girl or a boy. Even so, as soon as she had epted Lux''s invitation, she heard a familiar voice inside her head.


    "Wee to my Guild, Your Highness," Lux said. "Since you were taking so long to make a decision, I thought that you were going to reject my invitation."


    It took a while for Princess Shayna to regain her bearings after hearing Lux''s voice inside her head.


    While the Princess was still reeling from the shock, the Half-Elf began to exin that all members of Heaven''s Gate had the ability tomunicate with each other telepathically, on the condition that they were on the same ne of existence.


    "Why?" Princess Shayna asked. "Why did you invite me to your Guild? What is your purpose?"


    "Would you believe me if I told you that I invited you because I trust that you were someone who could keep secrets?" Lux answered.


    "We''ve only just met. How did youe to assume that I was trustworthy?" Princess Shayna inquired.


    "Half-Elf''s intuition."


    "Huh?"


    Lux''s chuckle reverberated inside the Princess Head, making her feel as if the Half-Elf was making fun of her. However, his next words made the Princess'' annoyance disappear.


    "Jokes aside, I invited you because I could tell that you really care for your sister, Aurora," Lux stated. "Since you care for her, that means that you are on my side. Your father might be scheming something behind our backs, and I need someone in the Royal Family to warn me beforehand if he ns to do something to sabotage my attempt to rescue your sister."


    Princess Shayna pondered for a bit, and after careful consideration, she decided that Lux did have a point.


    "Forewarned is forearmed, is it?"


    "Exactly, Your Highness. As long as our goals are aligned, the two of us can be powerful allies and partners."


    "You have taken quite a gamble, Sir Lux," Princess Shayna stated. "Tell me, what is your reason for recruiting people from our Kingdom in your Guild? Do you n to use them to conquer territories in the Surface World?"


    "Expandingnds and territories is not even among my list of priorities, Your Highness," Lux replied. "My goal has remained the same ever since I was born in this world. However, telling you what it is would be too cringey, so I apologize in advance for not telling you about it.


    "Just know that the role of Heaven''s Gate in the world is not to rule any Kingdom or Empire. We exist for a greater cause, which is something that you will understand in the future."


    A few minutes of silence passed before the Half-Elf once again heard Princess Shayna''s voice.


    "Very well, Sir Lux, I will help you," Princess Shayna stated. "However, if therees a time when you wish to harm the interest of Agartha, that is the moment when I will be your enemy."


    "Good," Lux replied. "If that dayes, please, do your best to stop me, Your Highness."


    After talking for nearly an hour, Princess Shayna finallyid down on the bed to close her eyes.


    While she was confident that she was a good judge of character, it remained to be seen whether the Half-Elf would truly stick to his original goal or diverge in order to conquer the world, which was something that the Princess felt was very possible.


    ''I hope I didn''t make the wrong decision today,'' Princess Shayna thought as she weed sleep''s embrace.


    Although she still felt that Lux was a good person, she understood that people could change over time.


    Just like how her loving father changed after the incident that had caused rifts between the members of the Royal Family of Agartha.

 Chapter 852 Bounty Hunter’s Code [Part 1]

    ?


    "That King is so stingy," Luxined as he looked at the scenery outside Cleo''s carriage. "He could have just made an exception and let us use the Royal Family''s Teleportation Gate."


    Cleo, who was sitting in the same carriage, could only smile bitterly after hearing Lux''sint.


    Just a day after the party ended, they had asked the King for permission to use the Teleportation Gate, which would have cut their travel time by half.


    However, the no-good King of Agartha only smirked and told them that he had only given them permission to travel around his kingdom. As for the use of the Royal Family''s Teleportation Gate, the King denied Lux''s request to use it, using the reason that he didn''t approve of him freeing Aurora from the Pantheon of Exile.


    But since he had given his word, he would allow them to go there using the "regr" method, which annoyed the Half-Elf very much.


    "Calm down, Lux," Gaap said with a smile. "Look at the bright side. Since we can visit more cities in our journey, why don''t we just focus on Guild recruitment for the time being? That way, the King''s hospitality won''t be wasted."


    Gaap''s words were filled with sarcasm, but since there was nothing they could do about it, they decided to just focus on Guild recruitment in order to expand their Guild.


    "That''s a good idea, Master," Lux replied. "Let''s do that."


    Cleo, who had just been keeping her silence, finally spoke out.


    "We will only be visiting one city on our journey in order to stockpile food, water, and other consumable items," Cleo stated. "After that, we will be visiting the seven Strongholds that are built near the borders of the Kingdom. So, if you n to recruit Guild Members, you can only do it in those ces.


    "Of course, if you are not in a hurry, I can give you a tour around the kingdom, visiting several cities, towns, and viges along the way. Would you like that?"


    Lux and Gaap nced at each other before firmly shaking their heads.


    Their only purpose in Agartha was to find Aurora, and they couldn''t stay in the Ancient Kingdom for a very long time. There were many pressing matters that they had left behind, and the Half-Elf didn''t want them to overstay their wee.


    Cleo only giggled after seeing Lux''s and Gaap''s reactions. Even so, as their guide and Lux''s temporary Aide for a year, she decided to stay with them for the time being.


    She had even gotten permission from King Septimius to follow them back to the Surface World.


    This surprised the Saintess, and she thanked her King for giving her this opportunity.


    However, contrary to what she expected, the King had other motives for letting her go with the Half-Elf.


    He had given the Saintess amunication artifact and tasked her to report everything that was going on with Lux.


    Cleo wasn''t stupid, and she understood what her King wanted. Even so, she decided to not report everything, unless it was truly important.


    Two dayster, they arrived at the Border City of El Hazard.


    "Well, this ce is livelier than I thought," Lux muttered as he looked at the city that was in the farthest Western Region of the Kingdom of Agartha.


    "This used to be a small vige, but not until the Kingdom expanded its borders to go farther West," Cleo exined. "As many Rankers and Adventurers came here to explore the Kingdom''s borders, the vige gradually upgraded to a town, and after a few years, it became a city."


    A smile appeared on Lux''s lips because this was the very same thing that he had envisioned for Leaf Vige.


    Currently, the Kingdom of Gweliven was starting to expand their borders and explore the Savage Lands, using Leaf Vige as the base.


    He had also tasked his two new minions, who were also the Head of Merchant Guilds and previous members of Twilight Rain, to fund the expansion of Leaf Vige and turn it into Leaf Town.


    Cedwyn, who was the current Vige Head, was smiling ear to ear after receiving Lux''s news that he had found a sponsor for their vige, causing the old Dwarf to be more pumped up in making sure that his vige would grow into a town.


    "I have already made reservations at the most popr Inn in this city," Cleo stated. "Let''s go there first before you start your exploration of El Hazard."


    Lux and Gaap nodded their heads in understanding. The Half-Elf nned to visit the Adventurer''s Guild and post a notice about his Guild Recruitment.


    Also, he nned to visit Weapon Stores, Armor Stores, and Misceneous Stores in order to buy another batch of equipment that had special abilities in them.


    His goal was to make his Guild Members and Summons overpowered by making them overgeared. This was his second top priority aside from saving Aurora in the Pantheon of Exile.


    After arriving at the Inn, they managed to get the keys to their rooms without any problem.


    However, as they were about to climb the stairs to check their amodations, a man who was nearly two-meters-tall, blocked their path.


    "Can you step aside?" Cleo asked with a frown. "Why are you blocking our way?"


    Just like the other Saints who didn''t want to garner attention from people, Cleo usually suppressed her power, making others see her as a mere High-Ranker.


    Because of this, there were times when she was disrespected by those who didn''t know her true Rank. She thought that the man blocking her path was just like any other man who didn''t know her true powers.


    But this assumption of hers disappeared after hearing the man''s reply to her inquiry.


    "I didn''te for you, Saintess," the man stated. "I have business with the two Hignders."


    "Business with us?" Lux eyed the man from head to toe.


    Even though the Half-Elf was just a D-Ranker, he was able to tell that the man in front of him was at least a C-Ranker. However, aside from that, the man''s clothes were normal and there was nothing special about him.


    "Yes," the man replied. "My name is Darren, and I am one of the many people that watched the match in the diator Coliseum. I am also one of the very few people who ced a bet on your victory, and I managed to earn a huge sum thanks to your one-sided victory."


    Darren smiled, which made Lux and Gaap look at him in a better light. Anyone who ced their bet on them was a friend, and because of this, they no longer treated the person in front of them as an annoyance.


    "You said you have business with us?" Lux asked. "What kind of business are we talking about?"


    "You mentioned in the tournament that you are recruiting Guild Members for your Guild, right?" Darren inquired. "I happen to be a Bounty Hunter, and I am one of the people that yed a role in Leonidas'' capture. How is he, by the way? Is he still alive?"


    "Leonidas is alive and well," Lux replied as he looked at the Bounty Hunter that had piqued his interest. "You want to join my Guild?"


    Darren nodded. "But I am not alone. My friends, who are also Bounty Hunters, want to join your Guild as well."


    Lux eyed the man who seemed to be only in hister thirties before asking another question.


    "Your reason for joining my Guild is?"


    "The Surface World."


    Lux nodded. "Ah. So that''s the reason."


    He understood that going to the Surface World was very alluring to Agarthians. However, he didn''t invite Darren to join his Guild right away as he did with Princess Shayna.


    He had a feeling that the Bounty Hunter had other motives aside from going to the Surface World, and until he knew the truth, he intended to test whether the person in front of him was worthy of his trust or not.

 Chapter 853 Bounty Hunters Code [Part 2]

    ?


    "So, what do you think of Darren?" Gaap asked.


    "There''s something fishy about him, Master," Lux replied. "I just can''t tell what it is."


    "Haha, it seems that your instincts are not half bad, Lux." Gaap smiled.


    Lux didn''t readily invite Darren in his Guild, despite thetter being a C-Ranker. Although having strong guild members was good, their character was important as well.


    Currently, the Half-Elf and the Halfling were inside Lux''s room, discussing the things that they nned to do before continuing their journey to the Pantheon of Exile.


    ording to Cleo, they would be spending two days in the City of El Hazard before continuing their journey.


    Darren would apany them until they reached the Pantheon of Exile, along with his "Merry Band" of Bounty Hunters, whom he imed that they want to join Lux''s Guild.


    Lux agreed to this because he wanted to know just what schemes the Bounty Hunter was cooking up.


    During the battle in the diator''s Coliseum, the ones who fought the battles were Eiko and Lux. Because of this, Gaap''s true strength wasn''t revealed, making others think that only the red-headed teenager was capable of fighting.


    This was also why Lux agreed to let Darren and his band of Bounty Hunters apany them. If they were to do anything funny, they would find themselves facing a Grade-A Apostle, whose strength surpassed Lux''s.


    "Master, I''ll go shopping in town for now," Lux said. "How about you?"


    "I''ll just rx in my room for the time being," Gaap replied. "Although Cleo''s carriage wasfortable enough, I missed sleeping in a bed."


    Lux smiled because he understood what his Master was talking about. Sleeping inside a carriage and sleeping on a bed were two very different things, so he bid his Master goodbye and went to see the equipment that the City of El Hazard had to offer.


    When the Half-Elf had left the inn, Gaap waved his hand and a shadowy figure appeared in front of him.


    "You called for me, Master?" the Shadowy Figure asked.


    "Keep an eye on my Disciple," Gaap ordered. "Although I am confident that he can protect himself well, we are currently in unknown territory. Prioritize escaping with him instead of fighting. Do you understand?"


    "I obey, Master." The Shadowy Figure bowed respectfully before disappearing without a trace.


    Gaap then nced outside the window to look at the lively city that they were currently staying in.


    ''Agartha sure is an Ancient Kingdom,'' Gaap thought. ''Even in this city, I can feel the presence of two Saints. I just hope they don''t try anything funny during our stay.


    ��������������


    Somewhere in Agartha��


    "So those are the two Hignders that I''ve heard a lot about," an old man, whose hair and beard were both white, said with a smile.


    "The kid looks promising. As for the Halfling�� he''s only a Grade-A Apostle?" a middle-aged man with blonde hair and blue eyes frowned. "I don''t know if the Surface World is good or bad. But if someone that old is only a Grade-A Apostle, then we can think of the Half-Elf as a special case."


    "Really?" The old man arched an eyebrow. "In my eyes, that Halfling is the more dangerous one out of the two."


    "Bah! You''ve grown too old, Darius." the middle-aged man snorted. "Your eyes aren''t as good as they used to be."


    "And you still only judge people based on first nce," Dariusmented. "That''s not a good habit to keep, Sion. Look down on people too much, and you''ll find yourself being stepped on by them. Do not think just because you are a Saint, you can trample on everyone you see. The Heavens have eyes, you know?"


    Sion shrugged and treated Darius'' words like a breeze passing through him.


    He was one of the Saints of Agartha that believed that power was the ultimate measurement for how an individual should be treated.


    If they were strong, they would be treasured.


    If they were weak, they would be discarded.


    That had been his belief ever since he became a Ranker, and it followed him until he stepped into the Rank of a Saint.


    "I''ll say this now, old man. Don''t interfere with my game," Sion stated.


    "I''ve grown too old for childish games," Darius replied. "I couldn''t care less about your Bounty Hunters. I''m more interested in seeing how the Half-Elf is going to deal with your little scheme. Just remember, don''t go overboard. His Majesty still hasn''t made his stance known��whether he is supportive of their cause or not."


    "Stop being a worrywart, old man." Sion scoffed. "I''m the one calling the shots here in El Hazard, so you can just watch from the side and enjoy the show."


    "Don''t say I didn''t warn you, alright?" Darius shrugged. "Youin a lot when things don''t go your way."


    "Zip it, old man."


    "Tsk. Youth these days have no respect for the elderly."


    ������������


    In the Backstreets of El Hazard��


    "I''ve always wondered why you are very interested in these cheap goods, Lux," Cleo stated. "Why don''t you go to those stores on Main Street? I''m sure you''ll find better items there."


    "I''ll go thereter as well," Lux said as he picked up a copper ring that had many defects in it. "How much is this, Sir?"


    "5 gold Coins," the Merchant replied with a smile. In his eyes, Lux was just some country bumpkin who didn''t really understand how the world worked.


    "Okay, I''ll take it."


    "Thank you for your Patronage."


    More than an hour had passed before Lux finished his shopping spree in the Backstreets of El Hazard. He then followed Cleo to the popr shops that sold weapons, armors, trinkets, and other misceneous items.


    "Let me handle the bargaining," Cleo stated. "I''m an expert when ites to haggling for prices."


    The store owner who heard the beautifuldy''s words immediately frowned. They really didn''t want to deal with these people who liked to bargain and lower the price of their wares.


    "Sorry miss, but our shop doesn''t allow bargains or haggling," the Owner said as he immediately approached Cleo to tell her off. "If you insist on doing so, we will have no choice but to ask you to leave our store."


    "Do you not know who I am?" Cleo asked. "I am the Saintess Cleo. You can''t treat me like an ordinary customer."


    "It doesn''t matter if you are a Saintess or not," the owner replied without batting an eye. "Here in El Hazard, His Excellency Sion and His Excellency Darius reign supreme. If you use your Rank to have your way, then we will have no choice but to report you to the authorities."


    Lux chuckled after hearing the Owner''s firm words. Usually when people were dealing with Saints in the Surface World, they would always be very cautious.


    However, here in Agartha, even if you are a Saint, you wouldn''t get special treatment since their city were also protected by Saints.


    "Tsk!" Cleo clicked her tongue and crossed her arms over her chest.


    She knew who Sion was, and this was someone who she didn''t want to mess with.


    It was not because Sion was stronger than her.


    The Saint of El Hazard was known for being a very stubborn person who would not hesitate to backstab people if they messed with him.

 Chapter 854 A Little Bird Told Me

    ?


    "Owner, don''t worry, I don''t n to haggle," Lux said. "I''m here to buy the most excellent of items, so if you can show me your wares, I''d be very grateful for it. Also, money is not a problem. I have loads of it!"


    The Owner immediately looked at Lux as if he was a VIP customer and shed him an award-winning smile.


    "Young Master, the moment you entered my shop, I knew that you are not a simple individual," the Owner said. "You must be Sir Lux, the famous Hignder who had recently won in the diator''s Coliseum. Although I wasn''t there to watch the battle, I''ve be your fan ever since. Now, pleasee with me to the VIP Section where items costing tens of thousands of gold coins are being disyed."


    "Lead the way, Owner," Lux replied. "I n to spend a lot today."


    The Owner smiled and escorted the Half-Elf to the VIP section, leaving Cleo behind.


    The Saintess no longer felt like staying, so she decided to leave and check out the other stores. She''d just meet up with Lux at ater time.


    "Young Master, are you looking for a specific weapon?" the owner asked. "If you can tell me your weapon of choice, I can give you some rmendations. You can rest assured that all of them are high quality because they have been crafted by Grandmaster cksmiths and Jewelsmiths who wielded Transcended mes."


    "Really?" Lux was pleasantly surprised after knowing that the items at the VIP section were all crafted by craftsmen whomanded Transcendent mes. "Now, I''m really looking forward to seeing what you have on sale. I don''t really have a specific weapon in mind, but I n to buy anything that catches my interest."


    The owner nodded his head in understanding because he had previously encountered customers like Lux who just wanted to browse their wares and choose what they like before making a purchase.


    Since that was the case, he switched to his "business mode" before opening the door that led to the VIP section of their store.


    Meanwhile, outside the store, Darren nced at a man, who was standing not far from there.


    The man then scratched his ears before ncing in Darren''s direction.


    ''I see, so Sir Sion has already given the go signal to start,'' Darren thought.


    He then scanned his surroundings and saw several men and women, who were acting normally.


    However, for someone who was in the same line of work, he understood instantly that all of them were Bounty Hunters.


    Professionals who only moved to target people who had high bounties on their heads.


    ''Looks like I havepetition,'' Darren mused. ''Fortunately, I don''t mindpetition.''


    As one of the best Bounty Hunters in El Hazard, Darren was confident in his skills.


    His only advantage was that he was able to make the first move and approach Lux before the others beat him to it.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know that currently, there was a bounty of five million gold coins for his capture.


    The client specified that no matter what happened, the Half-Elf must be captured alive.


    If for some reason, Lux died in an ident, then the bounty would be void because this was not part of the client''s wishes.


    What they didn''t know was that, outside of the establishment, a Shadowy Figure was all observing them from a distance.


    His Master, Gaap, had given him an order to ensure Lux''s safety, but that didn''t mean that he wasn''t allowed to take the initiative to weed out some thorns along the way, who had ns to harm his Master''s interest.


    Surprisingly, floating beside the Shadowy Figure was a ck coffin.


    Simr to Gaap''s servant, ckfire only moved to protect Lux''s interest.


    After bing a Divine Artifact, it had gained sentience and could move autonomously, appearing beside anyone who was allied with its Master.


    ckfire only cared about two things.


    They were the living and the dead.


    If they were dead, it would dly take them inside its body.


    If they were still alive�� Well, it could just ask Lux''s allies to beat them until they were near death.


    That way it could swallow them inside its body and turn them into loyal servants for its Master, who was now going to y arger role in the world, after bing the Necromancer of Heaven.


    ������������


    Inside the Store��


    "Owner, this is quite an impressive collection," Lux said with a genuine look of surprise on his face as he gazed at all the Mythical and Legendary Items that were disyed in the VIP Section.


    "But of course, Young Master," the owner replied. "I don''t want to toot my own horn, but we are the best store in El Hazard when ites to high-quality weapons, armors, and essories. Everything here is the best among the best."


    Lux smiled after hearing the Owner''s words. However, his next words made the "businessman" stiffen.


    "Are these the only things you have for sale?" Lux asked. "I''m also a collector of sorts, so cursed weapons are also good."


    The Owner''s body stiffened upon hearing that Lux was interested in cursed weapons as well.


    "Young Master, how did you know that we have a cursed weapon in our store?" The Owner asked in a solemn tone.


    "A little bird told me," Lux replied.


    Truth be told, his Soul Book was currently floating beside him because he was using it to appraise the equipment that was on disy.


    However, after looking at its mini map, he found a ck blinking dot not far from him, and after using his Elysium Compendium to check what it was, thebel "Cursed Weapon", appeared on his map.


    This was the first time that Lux had encountered a cursed weapon, and he was very curious to see what it was like.


    ording to thependium, the cursed weapon was a spear.


    As soon as he verified this information, the image of the blood-soaked Leonidas appeared on his head.


    He didn''t know why he had immediately thought of the Mercenary Leader after finding out about the weapon''s existence.


    But since he trusted his gut instinct, he believed that this weapon was meant to be wielded by the man who had faced his Deus Gigantia head-on, carrying the weight of the people who trusted him on his shoulders.

 Chapter 855 Where Do You Think You’re Going?

    ?


    The owner of the store pulled down one of the Axes that were hung on the wall, which seemed to serve as a decoration. Since he couldn''t just disy a cursed weapon in his store, it was located in a safe ce, far away from the browsing of his regr customers.


    A momentter, a hidden passage opened.


    "Follow me, Young Master," the owner said with aplicated look on his face.


    "Okay." Lux nodded and followed the owner inside the hidden passage.


    Originally, the owner didn''t intend to sell the Cursed Weapon to anyone.


    However, since Lux told him that a Cursed Weapon was still a weapon, and it was inside the store, it was meant to be sold as well.


    The owner made sure to remind Lux that these kinds of weapons were very dangerous because they could potentially harm their wielders. He added that the weapon inside his store was sealed, and only a Saint could unseal it.


    Lux then insisted that since he was able to sense that the weapon existed, it must be fated to be his. The owner was unable to counter this logic, and in the end, the Half-Elf was able to make him agree to sell the weapon to him.


    "Here it is, Young Master," the owner said. "Inside that sealed box is a Cursed Weapon with the name, Hellfire Halberd. It''s a type of Halberd that releases an intense me, coating its entire body in it.


    "Its wielder would also be set aze and will never be able to let go of it until they turn to ashes. This weapon was crafted by a Grandmaster cksmith who wished to avenge his wife that had been murdered by a Saint.


    "He seeded in his goal, but unfortunately, after wielding such a powerful weapon, his body was burned to ashes. Some say that the cksmith''s Soul was trapped inside the weapon he wielded to curse those who wish to use it for their own goals."


    Lux smiled after hearing the Merchant''s story and looked at the sealed box that was covered by dozens of talismans.


    "I''ll buy this weapon," Lux stated. "How much is it?"


    "Five�� no, Ten Million Gold Coins," the owner replied. "And it must be paid in cash."


    The owner was reluctant to sell the Cursed Weapon to anyone, so he decided to double the price and scare Lux from buying it.


    Unfortunately for him, Lux was loaded with money. Some of his Draconium Ores were passed to Bentley and had been taken to the Auction Houses in thetter''s Kingdom, allowing the Half-Elf to earn over a hundred million gold coins.


    "Okay. Here you go." Lux casually handed a storage ring to the store owner, which contained the amount of money that he quoted.


    "O-One moment please," the owner stuttered. "Let me verify if it has the right amount."


    Less than five minutester the owner verified that the storage ring indeed had ten million gold coins in it, which made him look at Lux in a new light.


    He didn''t expect the Hignder to be carrying such arge amount of money on his person. If it were to be known, it would be more than enough to make all the thieves in the Kingdom of Agartha target him.


    "I have received the payment in full," the owner stated. "Please, take this receipt of the item. Also, as I said earlier, the Cursed Weapon is currently sealed. Only a Saint will be able to unseal it."


    "Understood," Lux replied. "Thank you for selling it to me."


    An hourter, the Half-Elf left the store with a smile on his face.


    Not only did he purchase the Cursed Weapon, but he also got some other items that were imbued with great abilities, which were perfect for his Transmutation [EX] skill.


    Lux didn''t go back to the Inn where his Master was staying directly. Instead, he went to the backstreets of the City of El Hazard to do more shopping.


    Seeing him take a detour, the people who had been waiting for him to exit the shop all moved at the same time.


    Darren, who had introduced himself to Lux as someone who wished to join his guild, didn''t back down and followed the rest of the Bounty Hunters, who were after the bounty on the Half-Elf''s head.


    After nearly half an hour of walking, Lux entered the slums of El Hazard, where the most notorious people of the city lived.


    The Bounty Hunters who were following the Half-Elf were overjoyed by this development, thinking that this would make things easier for them.


    There was not a single City Guard patrolling the Slums of El Hazard, so crime was quite rampant in this area. It was a dog-eat-dog ce, where only the most vicious of them all survived.


    "I''ll take him out before the others do," one of the Bounty Hunters said as he peeked down the alley, looking at Lux''s back in the distance. "You follow me right away, understood?"


    A raspy, and almost disemboweled voice answered him from behind.


    "Okay."


    After hearing the confirmation of his ''partner'', the Bounty Hunter stepped out of his hiding ce and was about tounch a sneak attack on the Half-Elf''s back, when something grabbed his shoulder in a firm grip.


    "What''s the problem man?" the Bounty Hunter asked in annoyance before turning around. "If we dilly dally, others will get him before we d��"


    The man wasn''t able to finish his words because a shadowy hand covered his lips, and a purple de pierced his chest, killing him almost instantly.


    The Bounty Hunter, whose vision was slowly fading away, looked at the Shadowy Figure in front of him, and the ck coffin floating behind its back.


    "Take him," the Shadowy Figure said before casually throwing the Bounty Hunter towards the Coffin, who happily opened its lid to store theirtest victim.


    A momentter, the two disappeared as they resumed their hunt.


    Darren, who had been following Lux for quite some time, noticed something strange in the surroundings.


    There had been dozens of Bounty Hunters that were trailing behind Lux earlier. Now, he could only see a few of them.


    ''Did they back out after knowing that I''m alsopeting for the Bounty on the Hignder''s head?'' Darren thought.


    This idea onlysted for a few seconds before the Bounty Hunter shook his head. They were all professionals, and once they took a Man-Hunt-Order, they wouldn''t back away so easily, even if they werepeting with other Bounty Hunters.


    The other Bounty Hunters who were following Lux also noticed this oddity.


    But unlike Darren, they didn''t think too much about it and simply focused their attention on the Half-Elf, whom they believed was currently encircled by dozens of Bounty Hunters with nowhere to run.


    When Lux made a wrong turn and ended up in an alley with a dead end, the Bounty Hunters knew that the time was ripe and immediatelyunched an all-out attack on their target.


    Four Bounty Hunters immediately ran towards the alley, the sight of which caused Darren to curse inwardly.


    ''That''s Alcapone.'' Darren clicked his tongue in annoyance. ''I didn''t think that such a High-Ranking Bounty Hunter would join this manhunt operation.''


    Alcapone was an A-Ranker and one of the Highest Ranking Bounty Hunters in El Hazard. Darren was only a C-Ranker at the moment, so it was impossible for him to overpower the famous Bounty Hunter by himself.


    Alcapone''s Bounty Hunter team was called Scarface. Just like other Bounty Hunters, they used all kinds of means in order toplete their mission.


    Darren was feeling down because he thought that he had a chance to be the one to capture Lux and, in turn, im the bounty of five million gold coins.


    He had evenid the groundwork to ''join'' Lux''s guild in order to be closer to him before he went for the Coup De Grace.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t the only one who dared to ept the mission, and the result ended in an all-out battle between his fellow Bounty Hunters.


    While Darren wasmenting his bad luck, he saw Luxe out of the alley unscathed with a clueless look on his face as he continued to wander the Slums of El Hazard.


    Darren and the five remaining Bounty Hunters nced at each other before nodding at the same time.


    When Lux had left the scene, they hurriedly went to the alley where Alcapone and his team had gone to capture the Half-Elf.


    However, what greeted them was only an eerie silence.


    There were no signs of a struggle, blood, or anything that would serve as evidence that Alcapone and his team had entered the alley.


    This made the High-Rankers feel that something wasn''t right, so they decided to back away from the scene.


    As one of the Bounty Hunters was nning to leave, he bumped into someone behind his back which made him flinch.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" A raspy and disemboweled voice reached everyone''s ears, making all of them unsheathe their weapons.


    "M-Monster!" one of the Bounty Hunters eximed when they noticed that the apparition that was standing in front of them wasn''t a person, but a Shadow Monster.


    A momentter, a scuffle broke out and screams reverberated from that alley, spreading to the slums.


    Some of the people who lived in the surrounding area heard this, but they paid no mind.


    For them, this was an everyday urrence, and they just thought that some poor souls had wandered into their territory, never to be seen ever again.

 Chapter 856 Battle Of El Hazard [Part 1]

    ?


    "N-No! Stay back!" Darren backed away at the very end of the alley with a frightened look on his face. "I-I''m not with them! I''m just a passerby!''


    He had witnessed how the Shadowy Figure had easily neutralized the other Bounty Hunters, who were nowying on the ground unconscious.


    ''Why is an Empyrean-Ranked World Boss inside the city of El Hazard?!'' Darren screamed internally. ''Howe no one noticed that a Monster had snuck in?!''


    While the Bounty Hunter had these thoughts running in his mind, a ck Coffin materialized above the Shadowy Figure, making his face turn grim.


    He had seen that ck Coffin during the battle in the diator''s Coliseum and understood what it was capable of doing.


    Darren now understood why Alcapone and his team suddenly disappeared from the alley without a trace!


    Seeing that he had nowhere left to go, Darren gritted his teeth and took out a crystal from his storage ring. He then threw this crystal upwards, making it explode after reaching a height of two hundred meters.


    Suddenly, the Shadowy Figure felt a powerful presence flying in their direction. Knowing that the Bounty Hunter in front of it had called for backup, it no longer hesitated and went in for the kill.


    All the color in Darren''s face disappeared when he saw that the Shadowy Figure was moving in his direction, holding a purple de in its hand.


    He could only watch immobile as the Monster raised its sword and shed down with the intention of ending his life.


    A secondter, a loud explosion rocked the alley of the Slums.


    The Shadowy Figure that was about to deliver a killing blow to Darren was blown away, smashing into the wall on the other side of the alleyway.


    "I didn''t know that a Rat had managed to sneak inside my turf while I was taking a nap," Sion said coldly as he looked at the Monster that had propped itself back up and pointed its weapon at the Saint who hade to the Bounty Hunter''s rescue.


    The middle-aged man with blonde hair and blue eyes stared at the Shadow Monster with a determined look on his face.


    "Where are the others?" Sion asked without looking at Darren, who was behind him.


    "G-Gone," Darren replied. "It looks like that Monster got them."


    "All of them?"


    "All of them. Including Alcapone."


    "Hoh~"


    Sion narrowed his eyes before cracking his knuckles in preparation to fight. The Bounty Hunters of El Hazard all worked under him. He was also the one that had given the order to capture Lux for five million gold.


    After finding out that all of his men had been dealt with by the Shadow Monster in front of him, the Saint, who had a very short temper, felt like running amok.


    "It has been a while since I had a good fight," Sion stated. "After bing a Saint, no one has dared to challenge me again. Tell me, Darren, is that Half-Elf behind this as well?"


    "I-I''m not sure, but that ck Coffin over there is something that belongs to him," Darren pointed at ckfire, who started to sneakily devour the fallen Bounty Hunters on the ground.


    Without another word, Sion disappeared from where he stood and smashed his fist against the ck Coffin that was about to swallow thest Bounty Hunter on the ground.


    As if expecting something like this, ckfire immediately phased out of existence,pletely avoiding the Saint''s attack by a hairs'' breadth.


    "Hahaha! So, that Half-Elf is the one that brought this Monster inside my territory." Sion grinned. "Since that is the case, it is within my jurisdiction to punish him ording to thew."


    "Oh really? Are you able to do that?"


    At that exact moment, a voice that was filled with contempt reached Sion''s ears, which made the Saint look toward the East.


    He had sensed that the voice came from that direction, but after tracing it back, he was unable to find the source of its origin.


    Standing on the roof of the Inn, Gaap looked at the Western Side of the city with contempt.


    "Come," Gaap stated.


    Immediately, twelve creatures answered his call and materialized around the Halfling, waiting for his orders.


    "A Saint dares to use force to bully my Disciple. I guess the Saints in Agartha think they are big shots after stepping into that rank," Gaap said in disdain. "Baal, take care of that lowly dog for me. Make him understand that there are some people that he can''t offend no matter what."


    Baal, who was coveredpletely in ck armor from head to foot, bowed respectfully to his Master.


    "I hear and obey, Master," Baal replied. "However, we can''t leave you here unprotected. Carol, please see to it that the Master is safe."


    A youngdy wearing a Gothic Lolita dress nodded her head in agreement.


    "Leave Master to me," Carol replied. "I''ll make sure that he is safe."


    Gaap could only smile bitterly because his Thirteen Named Creatures treated him as if he was a helpless child, who didn''t have Antero to protect him.


    Even so, he didn''t reject Baal''s proposal and simply nodded his head to ensure that all of his Summons would fight to their fullest. "Go," Gaap ordered. "Show him who calls the shots around here!"


    """Yes! Master!"""


    Gaap''s Named Creatures all replied in unison before flying towards the slums of El Hazard, where one of theirrades was currently facing off against a Saint of Agartha.


    Half a minute after all of them left, an old man with white hair and white beardnded on the opposite rooftop where Gaap was standing and nodded at the Halfling in greeting.


    The Halfling nodded back for he knew that the person in front of him was a Saint.


    Carol, who had been tasked to protect her Master, summoned her two maids. They both immediately stood on Gaap''s left and right side.


    The Gothic Lolita, on the other hand, stepped forward and stood between the neer and her Master, making sure that the old man wouldn''t slip past her defenses.


    "I knew that you were a bigger threat than that Half-Elf," Darius, who had been paying close attention to Gaap said with a smile. "It seems that I was right."


    Gaap didn''t reply and simply smiled at the Old Saint, who wasn''t showing any signs of hostility to him.


    "Your name?" Gaap asked.


    "Darius," Darius replied. "And I believe that your name is Gaap."


    "That''s right."


    "Quite a unique name for a Halfling. But don''t worry. I didn''te here to fight you. All I ask is that you tell your subordinates to not fight inside the city. I don''t want any of the innocents to suffer because of Sion''s schemes."


    Gaap nodded and ordered his servants to lure Sion away from the city to prevent unnecessary deaths.


    After being around Lux for so long, the Halfling had softened up a bit and no longer killed just for the sake of it.


    Darius nodded his head in appreciation as he gazed in the direction of hisrade, who was now running out of the city in pursuit of the Monsters that had suddenly appeared uninvited.


    Deep down, the Old Saint was secretly rejoicing because it had been a while since he saw Sion get beat up.


    Although he and the hot-tempered Saint got along quite well, there were times when Darius wished that he could beat the crap out of hisrade without making the other hold a grudge against him.


    Since there was someone who was willing to do that instead of him, he decided to just sit back and watch the show from the sidelines.


    From the very start, he believed that Gaap was not an ordinary Grade-A Apostle, and this battle, which would happen on the outskirts of Agartha, would prove that his guess was correct.

 Chapter 857 Battle Of El Hazard [Part 2]

    ?


    "Before I kill you, tell me who you are," Sion demanded as soon as hended three miles away from El Hazard.


    He had followed the Shadowy Figure, who told him that if he wanted to fight, they should fight outside the city to prevent unnecessary deaths.


    The Saint found this proposal quite amusing. However, since he was still one of the Protectors of El Hazard, he decided to agree to the Monster''s request and followed him outside of the city.


    "My name is Naberius," the Shadowy Figure then transformed into a Demi-human Raven, standing nearly two meters tall. "And you are?"


    "Sion," Sion replied in a heartbeat. "They also call me the Juggernaut of Agartha."


    After finishing his introduction, Sion''s entire body turned silvery-ck that glistened under the sun. He then pointed his finger at his opponent and smirked.


    "Be honored, Naberius," Sion stated. "You will die under my hands."


    To his surprise, Naberius nodded his head in agreement.


    "Alone, it is true that I am not a match for you," Naberius replied. "But, I am not alone."


    As if waiting for that cue, Sion felt eleven presences descending from the sky.


    "So�� you have reinforcements with you." Sion narrowed his eyes at the neers who allnded beside Naberius.


    While the Juggernaut of Agartha was eyeing Naberius'' reinforcements, Baal nced at hisrades.


    "Four of you can join Naberius in this battle," Baal stated. "Who wants to fight that Saint?"


    Nearly all of Gaap''s subordinates raised their hands after hearing Baal''s question.


    "Okay, let''s just decide this the old-fashioned way," Baal said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Rock, scissors, papers."


    This scene made the corner of Sion''s lips twitch. He could tell that all of the Monsters that were standing in front of him were Empyrean Ranked World Bosses.


    Although he was powerful, he wasn''t that confident about fighting twelve of them at once.


    However, after realizing that they only nned to send five of them to fight him, he felt as if he was being belittled too much.


    ''Sending only five to fight me? These monsters really don''t know who they are fighting against,'' Sion mused. ''No matter. I''ll just kill one or two of them quickly then pick them off one by one.''


    Sion was a battle junkie.


    He found the idea of fighting many opponents at once to his liking. Also, he was confident that even if five Empyrean Ranked World Bosses were to fight him at the same time, he would be able to deal with them without too much effort.


    Summoning his Great Axe, Sion prepared himself to fight to his heart''s content.


    Fortunately, he didn''t have to wait for too long because his five opponents stepped forward in order to face him.


    "This reminds me of that diator Match against that Half-Elf," Sion stated as he casually swung his axe as if he was doing practice swings. "That boy fought against 300 C-Rankers as a mere D-Ranker. Simrly, I''m now facing five Empyrean Ranked World Bosses. But this is not enough. Why don''t you all join the fight as well?"


    The Saint of Agartha looked at the ck knight who had his arms crossed over his chest. He had deemed that Baal was the one who called the shots among his opponents, so he decided to offer a proposal to him.


    "We are already giving you a great handicap by allowing five of us to fight you," Baal replied. "Challenging all of us will just end up in you receiving a one-sided beating. You''re not James Von Ainsworth, so don''t be delusional, okay? If you really want to fight all of us, beat these five first."


    Sion snorted after hearing Baal''s reply.


    He had no idea who James was. But, from the name alone, he could tell that the ck Knight was referring to some kind of Old Bandit who liked to scam people and could probably destroy an entire continent if he farted in the wrong ce.


    (E/N: Fufufu. Shameless plug for any of you who haven''t read Reincarnated with the Strongest System yet!)


    "Fine," Sion replied. "I''ll hang your corpse and disy it in my Manor after I kill you,"


    Baal only shrugged and told hisrades to take it easy on the Saint.


    "We don''t want a war with Agartha, so just beat him until he''s half deaf," Baal ordered before looking at ckfire who was hovering nearby. "ckfire, you''re not allowed to eat him. You don''t want to create trouble for your Master, right?"


    ckfire moved its body to the side as if averting its gaze. The ck Coffin was giving off the vibes of "I didn''t hear anything" and "I didn''t see anything," which gave Baal a very bad premonition.


    "Pay attention to ckfire," Baalmunicated to his subordinates through telepathy. "If it moves to swallow that Saint, stop it at all costs."


    All of hisrades nodded their heads at the same time.


    Gaap had ordered them to beat up Sion, but he didn''t give any orders to capture him.


    Since ckfire wasn''t part of their group, it wasn''t obligated to listen to their Master''s order. However, Baal wished to believe that the ck Coffin wouldn''t do anything that might potentially make its own master the enemy of Agartha.


    "Let''s go," Naberius said before opening his ck wings.


    The ck raven then flew toward the sky and started to bombard the Saint with ck feathers, who simply blocked it with his Legendary Weapon.


    Naberius'' four teammates then charged at Sion with their weapons drawn. They were unable to defeat the Saint in a one-on-one battle, but as a group, they were confident that they would be able to neutralize him. Seeing that his opponents had decided to close the gap between them, Sion sneered before mming his axe toward the ground.


    The ground broke apart, sending rocks, and dirt surging upwards, blocking everyone''s view.


    "I got you!" Sion snarled as he swung his axe towards one of the monsters that had been tossed high up in the air by his disruptive attack that was very effective against those who fought in groups.


    Just as his axe was about to hit its target, a whip sword wrapped itself around his arm, preventing his weapon from cleaving forward.


    "Wrong," the monster, who looked like a Satyr replied in a teasing tone. "It is us who got you."


    Twisting its body in mid-air, the Satyr, whom Sion was about to hack earlier, did a roundhouse kick and smashed his hoof on the Saint''s head, sending Sion flying.


    "First Blood," Baalmented.


    Hisrade by his side, who looked like a Djinn, blew his pipe and created circles.


    "He called this a fight," the Djinnmented, "but for us, this is just practice. It seems that the Saints of Agartha haven''t had a good fight in many years."


    Baal and the others smiled at theirrades''ments.


    After being hunted down by Saints and spending a lot of their time in Zangr fighting Abyssal Creatures, the battle-hardened World Bosses under Gaap''smands were not even fazed by Sion''s arrogance.


    "Let''s teach him how to be humble," Baal said. "That way, he will understand how to pick his opponents in the future."


    All of hisrades nodded in agreement.


    ckfire nodded as well, but no one knew whether the ck Coffin was going to behave or do something mischievous.


    If only Lux was there to witness the battle, he would probably do his best to stop his ck Coffin from running amok and devouring everyone that it found to its liking.

 Chapter 858 Battle Of El Hazard [Part 3]

    ?


    Sion regained his bnce mid-air and skidded on the ground.


    Although his body was coated in hard metal, the kick he received from the Satyr stung a bit.


    "What a hard-headed baboon," the Satyrmented afternding on the ground. "If that was any other Saint, he''d probably have a big bump on his head right now."


    "Are you sure you didn''t hold back, Adonis?" a handsome Drow, who held a Sword Whip in his hand, asked with a smile.


    "Of course not," Adonis replied. "You also knew it after stopping his blow earlier right? We got a real sandbag here, Tharin. You better sharpen that Whip de of yours."


    The Drow, Tharin, smirked after hearing hisrade''s reply. These kinds of exchanges during battles was a norm for them, especially since they already knew how to work as a team.


    Although he admitted that Sion''s protective metallic coating in his body was hard, it was nowherepared to Antero when the Golem of Destruction fought for real.


    "Focus on the battle, you two," a Foxkinmented. "You don''t want to get nagged by Baalter after you somehow lose to this pathetic worm."


    "Harsh as always, Hana," a beautiful Naga said to the Foxkin with a smile. "But then again, you are right. We can''t have Baal reprimanding uster because these men made a fool of themselves."


    "Oh, shut it, Mia." Adonis scoffed. "How can we lose against the likes of this�� pathetic worm��as Hana called it."


    Mia, the Naga, giggled before nocking an arrow to her bow.


    "He''sing. Get a grip boys," Mia stated before releasing the arrow from her bow.


    A whistling sound spread in the surroundings as her arrow flew straight and true toward the Juggernaut of El Hazard, who was now charging in their direction.


    As if taking that as a cue, the party of five all moved to intercept their foe ording to their respective roles.


    Sion didn''t stop his charge and used his axe to deflect Mia''s arrow to the side.


    Although the force behind the arrow was strong, his strength as a Saint wasn''t just for show.


    However, his mad charge, which had already gained momentum, slowed down for a brief moment, proving that Mia''s attack was capable of dying his advance.


    "Cold Wind and Ice herald your arrival," Hana chanted as a magic circle appeared above her head. "Let your tempest cover the world in your white embrace!"


    "Come forth, Shiva!"


    A beautiful Ice Queen materialized in the sky and countless ice des circled around her like floating fallen leaves on a stormy night.


    "Chaos Tempest," Shiva said in a cold voice before the countless Ice des descended from the sky, freezing the ground and pelting the Juggernaut of Agartha with razor-sharp des that could cut through flesh.


    Sion cursed inwardly as he used his axe to block the countless ice des that were falling on him like rain, but his charge never stopped.


    His goal was to attack the Naga, who was firing arrow after arrow in the distance and using the Ice de Storm to her advantage.


    Just as he thought that things couldn''t possibly get any worse, a sword whip wrapped itself around his leg, preventing him from moving forward.


    "Chain Lightning!" Tharin shouted as a bolt of lightning snaked through his Sword Whip and shocked Sion with its might.


    "Layer uponyer of agony, crush my foe now!" Naberius shouted as a giant de that was as dark as the night appeared above his head.


    "Ultima de!"


    The ck Raven swung the giant de without any mercy at the immobile Sion, creating a powerful explosion that shook thend and sent tremors all the way to the City of El Hazard.


    The guards, who were guarding the city wall, saw the powerful attack in the distance and looked at their Guard Captain for further orders.


    "Sound the rm!" the Guard Captain of El Hazard ordered. "Tell the citizens to seek shelter in their homes while we conduct an investigation!"


    Immediately, the loud tolling of bells spread inside the city, causing everyone to stop whatever they were doing and stare at each other in surprise.


    The bells of El Hazard would only be used if the city was under attack or was about to be attacked by something that could potentially destroy it.


    However, before everyone could panic, a firm and calm voice reverberated in the city, telling everyone that it was going to be fine.


    "Worry not, people of El Hazard," Darius said. "Sion is merely sparring with some friends outside the city. There is no need to be rmed. However, no one is allowed to leave the city, or else you might get caught in the aftermath of the battle."


    As if to reinforce this order, a white dome appeared around the city, shielding it from any stray spells that might destroy it by ident.


    It also prevented curious people from leaving the city to watch the battle taking ce in the distance.


    After making his speech, Darius nced at Gaap who was sitting on the rooftop, with Carol beside him, holding an umbre to shield him from the sunlight.


    "It will take more than that to beat Sion," Darius said. "Although theirbination attacks are powerful, it is not enough to bring that monster wearing a human skin down."


    "True," Gaap agreed. "But that''s fine. My servants are doing their best to not identally kill him, so they''re not using their Killer Moves right now."


    The corner of Darius'' lips twitched after hearing Gaap''s reply. If that Ultima de that descended on hisrade''s head wasn''t a Killer Move, then he had no idea what the Halfling considered a Killer Move.


    Naberius, who had unleashed his attack, narrowed his eyes as he looked at the dust cloud that was preventing him from seeing the oue of his attack.


    When the dust cloud receded, a red barrier with several cracks in its surface appeared in his vision.


    "Congrattions," Sion stated as a mist of steam rose up from his body. "All of you have sessfully made me angry."


    Adonis, who was standing not far from the Saint, chuckled.


    "Did you hear that, guys?" Adonis said. "He said we have sessfully made him angry."


    "Well, we''re not exactly here to make himugh, no?" Tarin sneered. "Just remember, our Master said that we shouldn''t identally kill him, so hold back a bit, okay?"


    The Drow''s words were like taunts to Sion''s ears, so he no longer held back and roared, creating shockwaves in his surroundings.


    A momentter, his body grew bigger until he towered six meters above the ground.


    "Annihtion Crash!" Sion roared as he smashed his axe towards the ground.


    This time the ground didn''t break, or sent dirt and rocks flying in every direction.


    However, steel spikes that were over three meters tall jutted from the ground, and spread for several thousand meters around him, creating a ughter Domain under his control.


    After bing a Saint, this was the first time he had suffered a beating like this. His ego was bruised, which was why he was very mad.


    Someone as powerful as him was revered by the people of Agartha, and they even treated him as one of their Sacred Guardians.


    Yet right now, he was being one-sidedly pummeled by his opponents without getting a chance to counterattack.


    Because of this, Sion thought that enough was enough and no longer held back, unleashing his ughter Domain, which he had not used for many years.


    "No more games," Sion dered coldly. "I will now kill all of you for real!"


    Baal, who now hovered in the air with his arms still crossed over his chest sneered at the Saint from a distance.


    "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall," Baal stated before ncing at ckfire who was now hovering beside him. "If you n to really devour himter, at least make it look like it was an ident, okay? We don''t want to be med for the aftermath of this battle."


    ckfire nodded its head happily because it had been granted permission from its allies to devour Sion "by ident".


    As to how the ck Coffin would be able to pull it off, not even Baal, the leader of Gaap''s subordinates, had an idea.


    How would the ck Coffin make it look like an ident?

 Chapter 859 What If We Accidentally Kill Him?

    ?


    "This?" Eiko asked as she showed something to ckfire.


    The ck Coffin shook its head.


    "Bigger?" Eiko asked again.


    ckfire nodded.


    "This one?"


    "Still no?"


    "How about this?"


    Atst, ckfire nodded its head and thanked Eiko.


    A few secondster, Lux got out of the bathroom and nced in the direction of the bed, where the Baby Slime was currently sitting.


    "Who are you talking to, Eiko?" Lux asked.


    Eiko shook her head and only gave her Papa a mischievous smile.


    A single nce was enough to tell the Half-Elf that the Baby Slime was hiding something. However, thinking that it wasn''t a big deal, he no longer insisted she tell him and started to dry his hair.


    Not long after, a powerful explosion sounded in the distance, making Lux shake his head.


    "It seems that Master''s Covenant is still having fun ying with that Saint," Lux said before yawning. "I guess I''ll just take a nap for the time being."


    Lux wasn''t interested in watching the battle between his Master''s servants and the Saint of Agartha.


    But there were some who were quite interested in it, namely Diablo and the others who had asked the Half-Elf if they could watch the battle.


    Lux didn''t find anything wrong with their request, so he gave them permission to leave the city and head to the battlefield. His only order was for them to not interfere with the battle and to keep a safe distance from it.


    Eiko, who also had nothing to do, decided to take a nap with her Papa as well.


    In just a matter of seconds, both were sound asleep, while the rest of the city was starting to feel anxiety due to the sound of powerful explosions that urred every half a minute.


    ������������


    At the outskirts of El Hazard��


    "I can do this all day," Adonis said before casuallybing his hair while looking at his hand mirror. "Damn, why do I look so handsome?"


    "Bastards��" Sion said through gritted teeth as blood dripped at the corner of his lips.


    Earlier, he was quite confident that he would be able to deal with his opponents one by one.


    However, it didn''t take long for him to realize that no matter what he did, he was unable to even get close to his enemies because their coordinated attacks would push him back every time.


    This was the first time that he had seen such wless teamwork, and he now understood why the ck Knight had been so confident that five people would be enough to defeat him.


    Wiping the blood off his lips with the back of his hand, Sion stood up and understood that his usual tactics wouldn''t work on his enemies.


    The ughter domain that he had created didn''t hinder his opponents one bit, and most of them even found it quite amusing.


    His surroundings which had been covered with steel spikes that jutted off the ground were now nearly ttened as his opponents unleashed one powerful attack after another, forcing him to be on the defensive.


    The Juggernaut of Agartha looked at his enemies before taking a long, deep breath. He then hunched his body, preparing to charge again, the sight of which made the Satyr, Adonis, yawn.


    "Here you go again." Adonis shook his head helplessly. "Are you some kind of one-trick pony? Is all you can do charge at us like a madman, hoping that your attack will connect?"


    Sion didn''t reply and, instead, focused his full attention on the attack that had gained him the title of Juggernaut of Agartha.


    A momentter, a spark flickered under the Saint''s foot, that slowly traveled up his body.


    A few secondster, more sparks appeared and before Adonis knew it, a ze had started to circle around Sion''s body, raising the temperature to scorching levels.


    "Hoh?" Adonis arched an eyebrow. "Not bad."


    Before the Satyr could say another word, the mes surrounding Sion grew bigger and brighter, simr to a miniature sun that was slowly expanding outwards.


    Darius, who was watching the battle from the City of El Hazard, frowned because he knew that hisrade was about to use his strongest attack after several years of peace in Agartha.


    ''So they managed to push you this far,'' Darius mused. ''I guess this is where everything ends then.''


    The Saint of El Hazard then nced at the Halfling, who was still sitting on the rooftop with a calm expression on his face.


    "I''m afraid that myrade has finally decided to end the battle," Darius stated. "If you care for your subordinates, it would be best if you make them leave before it is toote."


    "Thank you for the warning, but they will be fine," Gaap replied.


    "You''re that confident in your underlings, eh?"


    "Of course."


    Darius chuckled internally because he thought that Gaap was just trying to act tough after he warned him.


    ''It seems that you''re underestimating Sion too much,'' Darius thought. ''This will make you understand that the Saints of Agartha are not pushovers.''


    What Darius didn''t know was that Gaap was actually feeling very worried about Sion''s fate, instead of the Fate of his servants.


    ''I wonder what ckfire is nning?'' Gaap mused. ''He can''t possibly do what I''m thinking, right?''


    Baal had already informed him that he had given the okay signal for ckfire to capture Sion after the battle ended, as long as the ck Coffin would make it look like it "identally" devoured the Saint by ident.


    Gaap almost cursed out loud after hearing Baal''s report because there was simply no way that the ck Coffin could pull off such a thing.


    ''ckfire�� oh, ckfire�� please don''t cause trouble for me and your Master,'' Gaap said in his heart. ''We still need to go to the Pantheon of Exile, and we don''t want King Septimius to have a reason to hunt us down.''


    ����������������������


    Back in the outskirts of El Hazard��


    Adonis was no longer smiling as he looked at the zing fireball in front of him that was still getting bigger.


    Currently, the fireball was ten meters tall, and he had a feeling that it would continue to rise the longer they waited.


    "Guys, are we just going to sit back and watch and let him charge up until he''s ready to go?" Adonis asked with concern.


    "I have analyzed this skill, and it is indeed quite a domineering one," Hana replied. "If we attack him now, our attacks will only increase the output of his power, making his Trump Card stronger. The best course of action is to let it take its course until he has reached his limit."


    Tharin frowned after hearing hisrade''s exnation. "Looks like we all need to take this more seriously guys. It looks like we no longer have the leeway of holding back."


    Mia, the Naga, nodded her head in agreement. "If we don''t use our Trump Cards, the ones who will perish will be us."


    "What if we identally kill him?" Adonis asked worriedly.


    "Don''t worry," Naberiusmented as he hovered in the sky. "Master is a Necromancer. I''m sure he can think of something."


    After hearing Naberius'' assurance, the members of Gaaps Covenant exchanged nces with each other and nodded their heads in agreement.


    Since the situation had alreadye this far, it was time to unseal their powers and fight the Saint, without care if he died or not.

 Chapter 860 Even I Didn’t See That Coming

    ?


    Sion''s eyes burned with power as he gazed at his enemies, who were now looking at him with serious expressions on their faces.


    ''That''s right,'' Sion thought. ''Those are the faces that I want to see.''


    He had gathered all the power inside of his body, which had now reached its limit. Since that was the case, it was time to show the fools who looked down on him earlier why no one in the Kingdom of Agartha dared to challenge him in a fight.


    "Juggernaut Onught!" Sion roared as he stomped his right foot forward in preparation to dash with wanton abandon.


    The ground under his feet shattered, and a secondter, he shot out like a zing meteor toward his opponents.


    "Evade!" Hana shouted as she waved her hands to create several magic circles in her surroundings.


    Adonis, Tharin, and Mia all jumped on the Magic circles that Hana created and were instantly teleported hundreds of meters into the sky.


    The Foxkin also disappeared from where she stood and reappeared in the sky alongside herrades.


    "It''s no use!" Sion sneered as he jumped upwards.


    Since the Juggernaut of Agartha was at the center of the zing ball of fire that was now over fifteen meters tall, those that were on the city walls of Agartha were able to see this destructive scene, and their faces turned pale instantly.


    "H-His Excellency Sion is using his strongest attack!" The Guard Captain''s eyes widened in shock after seeing the zing meteor rising towards the heavens. "Is this really a sparring match?!"


    The Guard Captain was truly worried because Sion''s Juggernaut Onught was capable of destroying thendscape spanning several miles after it was used.


    The moment the Saint unleashed his most devastating attack, anything it hit would bepletely obliterated, causing a powerful explosion that would spread in his surroundings.


    Simply put, the destructive power of this attack was simr to Eiko''s tactical Nuke that was used against the Rankers of the Divine Army of Light.


    It was Sion''s do-or-die Trump Card, and it only had one result.


    Complete and utter destruction.


    Darius narrowed his eyes as he strengthened the barrier surrounding the city of El Hazard. He even activated the city''s magical defenses to help reinforce the barrier that he had created to ensure that they would be able to withstand the aftermath of Sion''s Final Gambit.


    Hana once again waved her hands and created magic circles around her teammates, allowing herrades to use them as their footholds.


    Adonis, Tharin, and Mia all jumped in different directions to make sure that they would be separated from each other.


    Naberius and Hana did the same, distancing themselves from their opponent who had far exceeded their expectations.


    "Should we go as well?" An Arachne who was standing beside Baal asked. "I have a feeling that we will be targeted as well."


    Baal nced at hisrade who had the lower half of a spider and the upper half of a woman.


    "Worry not, Arania," Baal replied. "If he dares to attack us, I''ll personally deal with him."


    "That''s quite reassuring." Arania smiled. "I''m not good at dealing with those who y with fire."


    A chuckle escaped Baal''s lips because he understood this part. All of them had strengths and weaknesses, and one of Arania''s weaknesses was fire.


    Even so, herrades would always be there to fill in the gap of her weakness, allowing her to fight against those who wielded the power of fire.


    Sion clicked his tongue as he continued to trail across the sky in pursuit of the pesky Monsters who were doing their best to evade his attack.


    None of them bothered to shoot spells or attack him directly, focusing on running away.


    With each passing minute, Sion''s anger grew, making the mes around him burn even brighter.


    Suddenly, something unexpected happened. The meteor in the sky suddenly disappeared without a trace.


    A few secondster, it reappeared dozens of meters behind Adonis, catching the Satyr by surprise.


    "Sh*t!" Adonis cursed out loud as he braced himself for the impact.


    However before the Meteorite hit him, Hana reappeared beside him and kicked the Satyr away.


    A momentter, the Meteorite crashed into her body, dragging her through the sky and making her cough out a mouthful of blood.


    "Die, wench!" Sion shouted as he increased the power of the mes with the intention of incinerating the beautifuldy, whose face had turned ashen due to the force of the impact that hit her.


    "It''s no wonder you''re not popr with thedies," Hanamented as her body was engulfed by mes. "You don''t know how to treat ady right."


    A sneer appeared on Sion''s face because he couldn''t care less about his enemy''s dying words.


    However, instead of seeing helplessness and a distraught look on the Fox Lady''s face, he only saw a smile that made him wonder if his enemy was smiling through the pain she was feeling.


    "Through Hellfire and Beyond, I call upon thee," Hana shouted as her entire body was set aze. "Lord of mes, bestow your powers upon me!"


    "Ifrit!"


    The beautiful foxdy then transformed into a fiery demon, who merged with Sion''s fireball and reached out toward the Saint, who didn''t expect this sudden turn of events.


    Even so, the Juggernaut of Agartha regained hisposure and grappled with the so-called Lord of mes that had possessed Hana''s body.


    While the two were fighting in order to overpower each other, the zing fireball remained stationary in the sky and continued to grow bigger and bigger.


    It also raised the temperature in the surroundings, forcing all Agarthians to seek shelter in their homes to avoid the scorching heat wave that washed over their city.


    "Master, it might be best if you return inside the inn," Carol said as she stood in front of Gaap, protecting him from the heat wave that made her gothic dress flutter.


    "No need, Carol," Gaap replied. "I trust them."


    As if waiting for that cue, Adonis, Tharin, Mia, and Naberius, who were all standing on the ground now, chanted in unison.


    "Exalted spirits of the world, we need you in our troubled hour. Grant us the power to vanquish our foes and ovee all obstacles that stand in our way. Let those under the heavens witness your illustrious might!"


    "Azure mes!"


    A giant magic circle appeared in between the four of them and summoned blue mes that rose toward the heavens.


    The Azure me then collided with the miniature sun, but instead of making it explode, it lifted it upwards.


    From the eyes of the people, what they saw was like a burninget that was shooting toward the sky, leaving a zing trail of blue mes behind.


    With every passing second, the tip of theet rose higher and higher until it was several thousand meters up in the sky.


    Finally, after reaching a certain threshold, the miniature sun exploded creating a powerful shockwave that spread outwards.


    At the same time, a strong earthquake rocked the surface world, with the epicenter right under the Empire of the Divine Army of Light.


    If not for the Divine Sovereign and the Supreme, who had almost made a full recovery, guarding the fort, their entire domain would have crumbled into oblivion.


    Using their Divine Power, they forcefully prevented the copse of their empire, until the tremors came to aplete stop.


    Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom of Agartha��


    Two figures fell from the sky.


    Hana, who had reverted back to her original form, was caught mid-air by Naberius, preventing her from falling directly to the ground.


    Her body was nearly burned to a crisp, and only her beautiful face received less damage, having only received minor injuries.


    "Looks like you won''t be on active duty for a while," Naberiusmented as he held hisrade firmly in his arms.


    "Only for a month or two," Hana replied weakly. "I just hope that Baal won''t nag meter."


    "I''ll put in some good words for you."


    "Thanks, Naberius. I''ll go take a nap for now, okay?"


    "Sure."


    A momentter, the beautiful foxdy turned into particles of light, which flew towards the City of El Hazard, where her Master was waiting for her return.


    Sion, who was caught by nobody, crashed to the ground, creating a crater that was hundreds of meters wide.


    To everyone''s surprise, the Saint was still alive, but he received very serious injuries.


    Sion slowly propped himself off the ground, and blood spilled from his ears, nose, and mouth.


    He was in a very weak state, and if one of his enemies attacked him now, he wouldn''t have the strength to defend himself.


    That was when he saw it.


    Dozens of meters away from him, a ck coffin moved in an erratic manner as if it was drunk.


    Little by little it made its way towards Sion, which made the Saint''s face turn solemn.


    He had heard what this ck Coffin had done in the diator''s Coliseum, and he had a feeling that it was nning to do something fishy.


    As a Saint, he wouldn''t allow himself to be devoured by such a thing, so he clenched his fist and prepared to smash the coffin and break it to pieces.


    The wobbling coffin continued to slowly make its way toward Sion like a drunk old man that had been wasted in a tavern and was on his way back to his home.


    Finally, when it was only five meters away from the Saint, it copsed on the ground, with its lid sliding off its body, revealing its dark interior.


    However, nothing happened.


    Sion watched the coffin cautiously with his right arm ready to strike.


    Although he didn''t have much strength left, he was confident that he could smash the coffin the moment it reached his striking range.


    A minute passed��


    Two minutes passed��


    And still, nothing happened.


    Sion didn''t lower his guard and his attention was still focused on the ck Coffin, which seemed to be immersed in its acting of ying dead.


    Because the Saint''s full attention was on the ck Coffin, he didn''t notice that a st Bomb that was over a meter tall had rolled up behind him.


    Suddenly, and without any warning, the st Bomb exploded, sending the Saint and the ck Coffin flying.


    The first one to drop on the ground was ckfire, and after rolling for several meters its body faced upwards with its cask open wide.


    Sion, who no longer had the strength to regain his bnce mid-air turned pale when he found himself falling towards the ck Coffin, whichy idly on the ground where he was going tond.


    "Noooooooooooooooooo!" Sion shouted in fright as hended face-first in ckfire''s open casket. It was as if it had carefully calcted where he was going tond and was waiting for the Saint with open arms.


    The ck coffin shuddered a bit after the Saint entered its body.


    A few secondster, it groggily stood up and walked like a drunken old man towards its lid that was lying a few meters away.


    When it reached its destination, it lowered its body to "pick up" the lid and return it to its rightful ce.


    Not long after, it continued to wobble away like a drunkard before disappearing from everyone''s sight.


    The corner of Baal''s lips twitched after seeing this scene.


    The members of Gaaps'' Covenant also had dumbfounded looks on their faces.


    After a minute passed, Adonis spoke out, breaking everyone out of their daze.


    "That was an ident, no?" Adonis asked hisrades who all looked at him weirdly.


    "Um, yeah, it was an ident," Tharinmented. "I mean, who would have thought that a st Bomb would appear out of nowhere? Totally unexpected, yup."


    "Right, it was an ident," Mia stated. "A totally unforeseen oue. Even I didn''t see thating."


    "People should really pay attention to their surroundings, especially during a battle," Adonis stated. "You never know what will pop out when you least expect it."


    Baal looked at hisrades before looking up at the sky.


    A momentter, he nodded his head in agreement.


    "Although it was unfortunate, idents do happen," Baal stated. "Some things are simply out of our control."


    All of hisrades nodded their heads in agreement.


    Their leader was right.


    There were things outside of their control, and an ident caused by a stray st Bomb was one of them.


    Darius, who saw what happened from the city of El Hazard, couldn''t stop his eyes from twitching.


    He then nced at the Halfling sitting on the rooftop, but thetter only shrugged as if telling the Saint that he had nothing to do with it.


    However, deep inside, Gaap didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry at ckfire''stest antic.


    The only thing he could hope was that Lux could talk to his greedy ck coffin and ask ckfire to spit out the Saint of Agartha before a bigger problem fell on their heads.

 Chapter 861 You’re A Very Bad Boy, Blackfire

    ?


    "Um, can someone tell me what''s going on first?" Lux asked as he looked at his Master, Cleo, and an Old Man he hadn''t seen before, who were currently inside his room.


    He and Eiko were taking a nap when he was suddenly woken up by his Master, Gaap, who had a solemn look on his face.


    A momentter, he sensed two other presences inside the room. One of them was the Saintess, Cleo, and the other was the Old Man, who introduced himself as Darius.


    The first thing that Darius demanded Lux was to return hisrade, Sion, who was "identally" swallowed by a certain ck coffin.


    After hearing the details of what happened, beads of sweat started to form on the Half-Elf''s forehead. He finally understood why everyone in the room had serious expressions on their faces.


    Left with no choice, Lux summoned ckfire, and the ck Coffin answered his call.


    "Did you swallow a Saint earlier?" Lux asked.


    ckfire nodded its head like a polite child.


    "Can you spit him out?" Lux asked before pointing at Cleo and Darius. "His friends are very worried for his safety."


    ckfire tilted its head as if pondering whether he should obey Lux''s request. A minuteter, the ck Coffin shook its body side to side, which everyone easily understood as a "no".


    "That won''t do," Darius stated. "If His Majestyes to know that one of the Saints of Agartha is currently confined inside this�� thing, I don''t know how he will react to the news."


    "You heard him, ckfire," Lux said.


    However, ckfire still shook its head, not caring about Darius'' subtle threat.


    A momentter, rows of text appeared in front of everyone, which caught everyone by surprise.


    [This Saint sent Bounty Hunters to capture my Master, so he is a bad person. Also, based on his personality, I am certain that he will carry a grudge against my Master, which might result in further attacks in the future. In order to ensure that such a thing will not happen, I will confine him until my Master leaves Agartha.]


    Darius frowned after reading the message that seemed to being from the ck Coffin.


    Lux, on the other hand, was mind-blown as this was the first time he found out that ckfire had means tomunicate after it had transformed into a Divine Artifact.


    "That''s not possible," Darius replied. "I''m sure that His Majesty will demand Sion''s release as soon as he hears this news. If you don''tply, then your Master''s safety will still be jeopardized."


    ckfire tilted its head to the side once again as if thinking of a proper reply to Darius''ment.


    A minuteter, rows of text once again appeared in front of everyone, which was ckfire''s reply.


    [Then, tell me, Old Man. Can you guarantee that this bad person will no longer target my Master after he is released? Are you willing to sign a Contract of Fealty to my Master stating that if you or your King fails to prevent this bad person from harming my Master again, you will be my Master''s subordinate for a thousand years?]


    The corner of Darius'' lips twitched after seeing ckfire''s reply.


    He knew that hisrade was someone who held grudges, and there was no way in hell that he would sign a Contract of Fealty for Sion''s sake.


    Darius was confident that after a day or two, the Juggernaut of Agartha woulde looking for trouble again, which would trigger the Contract, binding him to be Lux''s subordinate.


    Even so, he still remained firm and tried to reason with the ck Coffin, who seemed adamant about confining Sion inside its body.


    "But His Majesty might be upset with your Master if Sion isn''t released," Darius insisted.


    ckfire''s reply was simple.


    [Then let him be upset. It''s not my problem.]


    "Didn''t you hear me earlier?" Darius sighed. "His Majesty might target your Master and might even hold him in confinement. He just gained his freedom not long ago, but he might even be forced to stay here in Agartha for life."


    ckfire turned its body to the side as if ncing at its Master before shifting its attention back to the Old Man in front of it.


    [Your King has given a decree that allowed safe passage to my Master. One of his subjects defied this decree, and you are also considered an aplice since you knew about it and didn''t stop it. Tell me, what is the punishment for defying your King''s direct order?]


    [Also, I can spread this news through the entirety of Agartha in a heartbeat. A Saint attacked a Hignder in El Hazard because my Master is more good-looking than him. This Saint also insisted that King Septimius decree doesn''t hold power over him because he is a Saint and is above thew.]


    [I will also add that an old Saint named Darius was the Bad Person''s aplice and even encouraged the Bad Person to send Bounty Hunters to capture my Master for five million gold coins. How do you think your people will react after hearing this news?]


    Dariusughed out loud because he didn''t expect the ck Coffin would resort to ckmail. He found all of this very funny because he didn''t believe that the people of Agartha would believe this news if it was spread throughout their kingdom.


    "I can tell you now that even if you spread this news, people will just think it was a bunch of lies." Darius sneered. "You''re just making things more difficult for your Master by doing this."


    ckfire seemed unperturbed by Darius'' statement and replied in a heartbeat.


    [Is that your final answer, Old Man?]


    "Hahaha! You cheeky little coffin. Do you think you can cause waves in Agartha by spreading false rumors?" Dariusughed. "I''d like to see you try."


    ckfire nodded.


    [Well, if you insist. I''ll make sure to bring flowers to your funeral, Old Man. No. Scratch that. I''ll just devour you when you die.]


    The ck Coffin then made several rows of text that only Lux could see, which made the Half-Elf''s eyes widen in shock.


    He then looked at ckfire and gave it the "are serious" gaze, and the ck coffin only nodded its head as if to assure its Master that everything was under its control.


    "Okay, let''s do this," Lux replied.


    He was also annoyed that a Saint dared to bully him in El Hazard, and he wanted to let the Kingdom of Agartha know that he wasn''t a pushover.


    A few secondster, ckfire disappeared from the room and reappeared on the rooftop of the Inn.


    However, he wasn''t alone.


    Seraphina, who was Lux''s Battle Angel, was with it.


    The ck Coffin thenmunicated with the Angel of Heaven, which made thetter giggle.


    "You''re a very bad boy, ckfire," Seraphina said as she lightly patted the ck coffin. "But this sounds fun. I''m in."


    The Battle Angel then flew towards the sky. Once she was thousands of meters high in the air, she pressed her hands together and started to make an announcement.


    Although her Divine Powers were greatly diminished upon arriving in the mortal ne, she still retained a few of her abilities, and one of them was to broadcast an announcement to an entire continent.


    Although this wasn''t as powerful as a Worldwide Announcement, it was still suitable for ckfire''s n toe to fruition.


    While everyone in Agartha was going about their daily routines, an angelic voice resounded in the heavens and spread in the entirety of the Ancient Kingdom.


    "I am a messenger of the Earth Goddess Cybele, and I havee to ry her dissatisfaction towards the King of Agartha, King Septimius Vi Agartha III, for something that his subordinates have done in the City of El Hazard��"


    Darius, who was feeling smug a moment ago, instantly stiffened after hearing the angelic voice in the sky.


    He thought that ckfire was just bluffing when it said it could spread its fabricated ckmail to the entirety of Agartha in a heartbeat.


    The Saint didn''t expect the ck Coffin to resort to a fake "Heaven''s Announcement," and when he heard it, all the colors from his face were immediately drained.


    All the Agarthians worship the Goddess Cybele, and all of them were her pious worshipers.


    If a Heavenly Announcement mentioning her name was spread in their Kingdom, there was a 100% chance that everyone would believe it, even if they were lies!


    "Stop! Are you trying to spheme our God?! Are you not worried about Divine Retribution?!" Darius growled in anger towards the Half-Elf who had a calm look on his face.


    "Worried about Divine Retribution?" Lux replied. "Nope. Not at all."


    The Half-Elf even smiled at the Old Saint, which made Darius look at him in a dumbfounded manner.


    Lux was one of the few people who knew that Elysium had already been abandoned by the Gods.


    The only God that was governing Elysium was Eriol, and he was on Lux''s side.


    Even if the Goddess Cybele were to hear of Lux''s unwarranted use of her name, there was nothing she could do about it.


    Since she had already abandoned the world, she no longer had any say about what happened in this world.


    This was the reason why ckfire was very confident about its ckmailing tactic and even resorted to having a Divine Angel from Heaven to spread the news to give it more authenticity.


    Even King Septimius, who was taking a nap inside his Royal Pce at that time, immediately became wide awake after hearing the voice from Heaven.


    Unlike his people, a Supreme like him was able to tell if something was genuine or not.


    Although the voice was indeed angelic and had a tinge of Divinity in it, this was very different from the Heavenly Announcement that he knew.


    ''City of El Hazard?'' King Septimius thought. ''Just what happened in that ce?''


    Without any hesitation, the King of Agartha immediately used the Teleportation Gate of the Royal Pce in order to instantly travel to El Hazard.


    He wanted to get into the bottom of this incident, and he had a feeling that the answers would present themselves once he arrived at the Border City where Lux was currently located.

 Chapter 862 Something Profound

    ?


    Seraphina purposely trailed off after making her initial speech because this was ckfire''s n to pressure Darius to apromise.


    And it worked like a charm.


    The Saint begged Lux to make the World Announcement stop.


    Naturally, ckfire paid attention to Darius the entire time, so when the Saint realized that his Fate was sealed, it decided to be merciful and asked Seraphina to put their n on hold.


    However, just before ckfire was about to return to its Master''s room, it sensed the presence of someone very powerful arriving in the city.


    It was not only the ck Coffin that sensed King Septimius'' arrival. Seraphina sensed him as well.


    Naturally, everyone inside Lux''s room also sensed the presence of the ruler of Agartha, which made Darius'' face turn a shade paler.


    Before anyone could even react, a man who seemed to be in his early thirties appeared inside the room with a frown on his face.


    "It seems that something very interesting is happening here," King Septimius said with a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. "Can someone tell me what''s going on?"


    Everyone inside the room immediately pointed at Darius, making the King of Agartha look in his direction.


    "Darius, it has been a while," King Septimius stated. "It''s good to see that you are in good health. Where is Sion by the way? He should have sensed my presence. Why isn''t he here?"


    "About that, Your Majesty," Darius smiled bitterly. "Actually��"


    The King of Agartha then raised his hand to stop Darius from finishing his sentence.


    "We can talk about Sionter," King Septimius stated. "I heard something very interesting just now, and I was wondering if you can tell me what happened and why. Did something happen in this city? Make sure to start from the very beginning."


    The King was still smiling and seemed to be very amiable. However, Darius could tell that his ruler was just putting on an act because the Hignders were inside the room.


    Left with no choice, Darius began to report everything that happened. From the moment Sion ordered the Bounty Hunters to capture Lux, up to the point where it ended in a fight. Lastly, he told his King what happened to Sion.


    From start to end, King Septimius didn''t reply and only listened to the Saint''s report. When Darius stopped talking, the Ruler of Agartha rested his hand on Lux''s shoulder and smiled at him.


    "You brat. You dared to ckmail a Saint and even nned to tarnish my good name?" King Septimius said. "It seems that you need some discipline."


    Suddenly, ckfire appeared beside Lux and even moved close to the King of Agartha, as if staring at him eye to eye.


    Rows of text then appeared on the ck coffin''s surface, allowing the King of Agartha to read them.


    [I wouldn''t do that if I were you. Earlier, this Old Man had the same domineering attitude as you. However, he realized his mistake and even pleaded for me to stop the announcement in your Kingdom.]


    "Hoh? So it was you who was responsible for that fake Announcement." King Septimius narrowed his eyes at the ck coffin that was hovering mere inches away from his face.


    Words appeared on the surface of the ck coffin, allowing the King of Agartha to read it.


    [Yes. It was me. What can you do about it?]


    The King chuckled before answering the ck coffin, who was challenging his authority.


    "I can just snap your Master''s neck and rid myself of all troubles," King Septimius replied.


    ckfire wasn''t perturbed by the King''s threats and replied cordially.


    [My Master has a rtionship with two Supremes. The Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Pce. Just like my Master, they have the ability to instantly teleport to your Kingdom. Snap his neck, and you will face their wrath. Are you sure you can handle that consequence?]


    "You''re bluffing."


    [You''re a Supreme. You should know when someone is bluffing or not.]


    Just like Saints, a Supreme could tell whenever someone was lying. However, since ckfire was an object, he was unable to verify the authenticity of its words.


    Naturally, he knew about the Dragon King because that being was the strongest Supreme in the world.


    As for the Steward of the Crystal Pce, although he had only heard a little information about her, a Supreme was still a Supreme and must never be underestimated.


    Since he couldn''t tell if the ck coffin was lying, King Septimius turned to look at the Half-Elf and asked him a question.


    "Do you have a rtionship with the Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Pce?" King Septimius asked.


    "Yes, I have rtionships with them. In fact, my Guild Headquarters is currently stationed at the Crystal Pce, and Her Excellency, Lady Augustina, personally escorted us to our new home."


    ckfire had used the term "rtionship" making Lux''s connection with the two Supremes very vague.


    It was true that the Half-Elf had a rtionship with the two Supremes, as to whether it was good or bad, that was no longer important.


    As long as King Septimius thought that there were two Supremes that knew the Half-Elf, he would not do anything high-handed until he had confirmed the news to be true.


    "Can they instantly appear here in my Kingdom?" King Septimius voice became cold as he asked this question


    Supremes who had the ability to instantly teleport into his domain was something that he wasn''t too happy about.


    "I''ll leave the answer to your imagination," Lux replied in a casual tone.


    "You are nning to dodge the question huh?" King Septimius wasn''t stupid. He could tell that the Half-Elf was avoiding his question, so he pressed on. "Cleo, I will ask another question and I want you to make him answer me by force."


    "Y-Yes, Your Majesty!" Cleo stuttered and looked apologetically at Lux.


    Her unique ability allowed her to make those who were weaker than her to do things shemanded. After being good friends with Lux, she no longer wished to use her power against the Half-Elf.


    Also, she was now Lux''s subordinate for a year ording to their agreement. But since it was a direct order from her King, she had no choice but to do it.


    "What method can those two Supremes use in order to enter my Kingdom?" King Septimius asked. "Answer me!"


    Cleo then used her power topel Lux to answer, just like she did when the Half-Elf was being interrogated when they first arrived in Rishi City.


    Lux''s lips quivered as he fought off Cleo''spelling power.


    He suddenly remembered his Master''s advice to think of something profound in order to ovee her ability.


    ''S-Something profound!'' Lux desperately thought as his will was being invaded by the Saint''s power.


    At that exact moment, a pair of beautiful thighs appeared inside his mind. Lux momentarily nked out, and even forgot what King Septimius'' questions were.


    The Half-Elf recalled the memory of when his head was buried between Iris'' and Cai''s thighs back in the academy.


    The scene was so profound that only the word "thighs" escaped Lux''s lips, confusing King Septimius and Cleo.


    "What thighs?" King Septimius asked. "I''m asking how those two Supremes can travel to my kingdom instantly!"


    "Two thighs," Lux replied in a trance.


    King Septimius and Cleo were both baffled by Lux''s reply. They had no idea how two thighs could instantly teleport two Supremes to their Kingdom.


    But the thing was, no matter what kind of variations they use to press the Half-Elf for answers, his reply would always be "Thighs, Thighs, and more Thighs".


    Gaap, who was looking at his Disciple from the side, gave Lux a thumbs up in his heart.


    Although he didn''t know why the Half-Elf kept on mentioning thighs, he had a feeling that the thighs the red-headed teenager was talking about were the most profound things in the world for him.

 Chapter 863 I Can Only Forgive You Once

    ?


    After interrogating Lux and getting no other answers aside from "thighs," King Septimius and Cleo gave up.


    They also couldn''t do anything to him because the threat of two Supremes possibly rampaging in Agartha was something that none of them wanted to risk.


    In the end, everyone sat and settled for apromise. After negotiating for nearly an hour, the King of Agartha reluctantly agreed to the settlement that Lux''s side had asked for.


    "In order topensate you for the psychological trauma that you experienced after being hunted down by Bounty Hunters and your Master facing off against Sion, I will grant you five Empyrean-Ranked World Bosses Beast Cores," King Septimius stated. "I will also guarantee that Sion will not trouble the two of you again for the duration of your stay here in Agartha."


    Lux and Gaap nodded because this was the condition that they had requested.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to negotiate Leonidas'' release?" King Septimius insisted. "I will be generous and add two more Beast Cores for his freedom. You can keep the other diators. I only want Leonidas."


    "Sorry, but Sion''s and Leonidas'' cases are not the same," Lux replied with a smile. "We fought him in a Deathmatch, and in a Deathmatch, there is only one oue. Either they die, or we die. Since we won, their lives belong to us, and this is non-negotiable."


    King Septimius snorted before grumpily tossing a storage bag towards the Half-Elf, which contained the five Beast Cores aspensation.


    After checking its contents and making sure that they were all World-Bosses Cores, Lux smiled and nced at the ck coffin that was hovering beside him.


    "Spit him out, ckfire," Lux ordered.


    The ck Coffin nodded and opened the lid of the casket.


    A momentter, a heavily injured Sion copsed on the floor, the sight of which made King Septimius frown.


    "Take him, Darius," King Septimius ordered before giving the Half-Elf a sidelong nce. "Know that it is not only Sion who isn''t happy with my decision to allow you Hignders to freely roam my kingdom. There might be other Saints who wille and harass you along the way."


    "Really? That''s good news then," Lux smirked. "ckfire still has plenty of room for Agartha''s Saints."


    King Septimius scoffed before disappearing from the room.


    He had to return to the Capital City and hold an emergency meeting, notifying all of the Saints, as well as their subordinates, to not mess with the Half-Elf while he was roaming Agartha.


    He didn''t expect Gaap to be capable of fighting against Saints. That was something that he, as well as Sion, didn''t seeing.


    During the Deathmatch, Gaap did nothing, so everyone assumed that he merely decided to not get in the way because he was only a Grade-A Apostle.


    After this incident, King Septimius, Darius, and Cleo would no longer underestimate the Halfling, who seemed to have no fear, even when he was in the same room with an angry Supreme.


    King Septimius also noticed that Lux wasn''t afraid of him. The only reason that he could think of why they acted this way was due to the two Supremes that were backing them.


    If he were in their shoes, he would also have the same attitude, which solidified the King''s belief that they were telling the truth.


    Darius picked up the injured Sion and also disappeared from the room, leaving Lux, Gaap, and the Saintess, Cleo, who had a guilty look on her face.


    "It''s fine, Cleo," Gaap said after making sure that they were truly alone in the room. "You had no choice, and my Disciple didn''t mind. Isn''t that right, Lux?"


    Lux nodded. "I''m sure that you did it against your will, so let''s forgive and forget shall we?"


    "Lux�� Gaap, thank you," Cleo replied with an apologetic look on her face.


    "Ah, but if this happens again in the future, I will force you to call me Daddy, okay?" Lux stated. "I can only forgive you once. Next time, you will need to be punished."


    "Okay." Cleo nodded. "If this really happens again, I will call you Daddy."


    Cleo really didn''t n on using her ability against Lux ever again, even if her King ordered her to do so a second time. Also, since Lux already knew how to counter her ability, it would be useless even if she tried again.


    "By the way, why thighs?" Cleo asked while arching an eyebrow. "You have some kind of thigh fetish?"


    Lux pretended that he didn''t hear Cleo''sment and simply handed the storage bag to his Master, Gaap.


    "Master, since one of your Covenant Members is seriously injured, you can use these Beast Cores to give her a full recovery," Lux stated.


    "I''ll just take three of them," Gaap replied. "You can keep the rest."


    Lux used the term seriously injured instead of perished. Although Hana had died after her battle with Sion, she was part of Gaap''s Covenant, so she could be revived once Gaap sacrificed an adequate amount of Beast Cores.


    In order to revive her, Gaap needed two Empyrean-Ranked World Bosses Cores.


    Thest Core that he took was for future emergencies, in which he might need a Beast Core to tend to his injured subordinates.


    "Thank you, ckfire," Lux said as he patted the ck Coffin''s body. "You can rest now."


    ckfire nodded before disappearing from the room.


    Truth be told, releasing Sion wasn''t a very big deal for ckfire and Lux. The moment the Juggernaut of Agartha was sucked inside the ck Coffin, his Fate had already been sealed.


    Anyone that ckfire had devoured would treat Lux as their Master and would be forever loyal to him.


    Also, since ckfire''s Mark had already been ced in Sion''s body and soul, the Half-Elf would be able to summon the Saint anytime he wanted.


    Just like he could summon Sid and Scarlet to aid him, he could now call forth a Saint without the need to make him part of his Guild.


    Lux understood this as well, so he and ckfire put on an act of reluctantly agreeing to King Septimius'' request.


    Not only did they gain a Saint as a subordinate, but they also got five Empyrean-Ranked Beast Cores in exchange.


    Lux was nning to use the two remaining Beast Cores for Leonidas and Alcapone.


    ording to ckfire, these two Rankers had a very high chance of evolving into something great if they were revived using the ck Coffin''s power.


    Simr to Lux''s Undead Generator Skill, ckfire could now take in other materials aside from Beast Cores in order to revive any creature it devoured.


    The Half-Elf''s n was to have Cleo unseal the Cursed Weapon in his possession and have ckfire use it as an ingredient alongside the Empyrean-Ranked Beast Core to transform Leonidas into a more powerful being.


    He believed that after Leonidas'' rebirth, he would be one of Lux''s strongest subordinates, who would serve him for as long as he lived.


    "Rest for now," Cleo said before walking towards the door. "We will be leaving tomorrow at noon. The journey to the Pantheon of Exile is a long one, so prepare yourself for the journey."


    Without another word, the Saintess left the room in order to return to her own room.


    Gaap also bid his Disciple farewell because he needed to perform the ceremony that would revive Hana.


    Also, the Halfling needed to talk to Baal about future battles against Saints. He had a feeling that even if King Septimius forbade all the Saints, as well as Rankers of Agartha, to harm them, they might still face other threats along the way.


    To ensure their safety, he had to make preparations that would ensure that his subordinates could fight to their fullest potential and lower the risk of another death among his Covenant Members in their future battles within the Ancient Kingdom of Agartha.

 Chapter 864 Very Soon, You Will Belong To Me.

    ?


    "Are you sure you''re fine, Sion?" Darius asked as he looked at hisrade, who was currently submerged in spring water that was filled with rare healing herbs and elixirs.


    "I already said I''m fine," Sion replied in an annoyed tone. "You nag too much, Old Man."


    "Well, you should thank this Old Man. If not for me and His Majesty, you would still be trapped inside that boy''s ck Coffin."


    "I said zip it! Can''t you even understand simple humannguage?!"


    Darius shook his head helplessly. "Fine. I''ll leave for now. Make sure to call me if you need anything else."


    The moment Darius left, Sion closed his eyes to focus on his recovery.


    Right now, he was feeling very annoyed and conflicted.


    The moment he regained his consciousness, he instantly felt that there was something very different about him.


    The first thing that came to his mind was, of course, the Half-Elf. However, just as he was about to curse Lux, he found himself unable to say anything.


    He did a few more experiments like cursing the Half-Elf in his thoughts, but even that didn''t work. As more time passed, the more unsettled Sion became.


    In the end, he started to meditate and go inside his inner world to better understand what was happening.


    When he got inside his Sea of Consciousness, he found a familiar ck Coffin floating inside of it.


    "All things are equal in death, let this be a sign," ckfire said in a voice that seemed to belong to a child. "All who oppose my Master will meet their end, and their body and soul will be mine."


    Sion felt his body shudder after hearing the ck Coffin''s ominous words. He couldn''t tell whether ckfire''s voice belonged to a boy or a girl, but that didn''t matter.


    The lid of the ck Coffin opened a bit, and a golden chain materialized in thin air.


    A momentter, Sion looked in horror when he realized that the golden chain was connected to his body and had bound itself around his heart.


    "N-No�� this can''t be happening!" Sion shouted inside his Sea of Consciousness. "I am the Juggernaut of Agartha! One of the most powerful Saints in the Kingdom��this can''t be happening to me! I am the Master of my own Fate! No one has a hold over my will."


    A childlike chuckle spread inside Sion''s Spiritual World, which forced him to cover his ear. However, even with his ears covered, he could still hear ckfire''s words that were as clear as day, as if the ck Coffin was hovering right next to him.


    "You are in the first stage of grief, which is denial," ckfire said with childlike innocence. "Next will be anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, eptance. But let me tell you this, Sion. Being my Master''s subordinate is not a bad thing."


    "Shut up!" Sion roared in anger. "I am no one''s subordinate! I am my own person!"


    "Oh? You''re angry now?" ckfire tilted its body to the side. "You''re already in the second stage of grief? That was fast."


    "You damn Coffin!" Sion charged towards ckfire with his fist ready to strike. "I will destroy you!"


    However, before his punch could even reach its target, it stopped a few inches away from the ck Coffin''s body.


    No matter how hard Sion tried to push his fists forward, it simply wouldn''t budge as if refusing to harm the Divine Artifact that now held his Fate in its hands.


    After repeatedly trying to attack the Coffin using all means at his disposal, Sion finally gave up.


    "What must I do in order to regain my freedom?" Sion asked through gritted teeth. "Tell me!"


    "Bargaining?" ckfire chuckled. "I didn''t think that you would reach the third stage of grief in just a span of a few minutes. You Saints really are different from normal people."


    The Saint of Agartha clenched his fists tightly, as he forced himself to remain calm.


    Although ckfire had a childlike voice, the ridicule in it made him very upset.


    "Answer my question!" Sion demanded. "What must I do to regain my freedom?"


    ckfire didn''t answer right away as if pondering the answer to the Saint''s question.


    A few minutes passed in silence as Sion stood with his chest heaving up and down, in an effort to control the rage he was feeling.


    He had never felt so helpless in his life until now. It felt as if he was wearing a ve Cor on his neck, and the only way to remove it was if the Master gave him mercy.


    "Very well, I will make an exception just for you," ckfire answered after a few minutes passed. "My Master is currently fighting against the Divine Army of Light. It is an organization in the Surface World that makes themselves look like they are the most righteous individuals on Earth.


    "Their influence spans countless miles within the center of Elysium, as well as beyond the borders of their Empire. Their High Council isposed of thirty Saints, but the Saints that belong to their organization numbers a little over a hundred."


    The ck Coffin paused as it slowly floated towards Sion, stopping only when it was only a meter away from him.


    "You want your freedom, right?" ckfire asked.


    "Yes," Sion replied in a heartbeat.


    "Then help my Master defeat this organization," ckfire stated. "Then, and only then, will you regain your freedom."


    "But they have a Supreme, don''t they? And I am only one Saint," Sion countered. "I can''t fight over a hundred Saints at once."


    Although the ck Coffin didn''t have a face, for a brief moment, Sion thought that he saw a smile appear on ckfire''s lid.


    "Who said that you needed to fight all of them at the same time?" ckfire''s innocent voice reached Sion''s ears. "It doesn''t matter what means we use, whether good or foul. One by one, we will hunt them down, until their numbers dwindle.


    "Worry not, for you are not alone. Others will move alongside you, and they will help you aplish this goal."


    From behind ckfire, dozens of Souls appeared.


    He recognized his subordinates among them and even saw the souls of two Saints, which were bound by countless chains.


    As he raised his head to look upwards, he saw a beautiful elfdy, whose beauty took his breath away.


    She was sitting on a golden throne, with her head resting on the palm of her hand.


    A single nce was enough to tell Sion that the Elf Beauty was asleep, and yet, he had a feeling that the moment her beautiful eyes opened, the world would tremble in fear for what was about toe.


    "That''s right," ckfire''s devilish words once again reached Sion''s ears. "You are not alone. Many others will help you aplish this goal. And then, when you have done what I expect of you, I will give you a choice."


    "The first choice is for you to remain my Master''s subordinate and continue to serve him."


    "The second one is to regain your freedom, and haveplete control of your Fate once again."


    The ck Coffin slowly backed away and closed its lid, making all the silhouettes behind it disappear.


    "I look forward to the Juggernaut of Agartha''s rampage in the Surface World," ckfire stated. "I know that Agartha is quite peaceful, and you feel like you don''t belong in this kingdom. Fortunately, the Surface World is vast and conflicts are everywhere. I''m sure that you will be able to put your talents to good use. For now, just recover. Soon, we will be needing your services."


    A sigh escaped Sion''s lips as his recollection of his meeting with ckfire ended.


    The ck Coffin had promised him his freedom after the threat of the Divine Army of Light was gone.


    Sion didn''t know why, but for some reason, the prospect of going all out to fight against Saints in the Surface World intrigued him.


    Just like the ck Coffin had stated, Agartha was too peaceful.


    He found his current lifestyle dull and monotonous.


    No one dared to challenge him because of his power.


    No one dared to confront him because they were afraid of his retaliation.


    His battle with Gaap''s subordinates made him understand that he had lost his touch. Due to the many years of not fighting against people of the same rank as him, his battle sense had rusted and his performance had many ws.


    "Although I know that you are just using me, I''ll y along with you for now," Sion muttered as he slowly opened his eyes. "Divine Army of Light, huh? Wait for me."


    Sion raised his fist high up and clenched it tightly.


    "I''ll make sure that the Surface World understands that no one below the Supreme Rank is a match against me," Sion dered.


    Somewhere, in a ce that the Saint of Agartha couldn''t see, a certain ck Coffin hovered in the air.


    "Little Oracle of Light, please wait and see," the ck Coffin said softly. "Very soon, you will belong to me."


    After saying those ominous words, the ck Coffin disappeared and returned to its Master''s side��


    Waiting for the moment when it found new victims to devour to increase its Master''s army until it reached a hundred thousand strong.

 Chapter 865 A Wandering Calamity [Part 1]

    ?


    "Thank you for your services. You can rest for now," the Oracle of the Divine Army of Light said to one of her subordinates who was kneeling in front of her.


    "Yes, Your Excellency!" the messenger replied before leaving the room.


    Once she was finally alone, a sigh escaped the Oracle''s lips. She turned her head, looking at the scenery outside of her window.


    "Who would have thought that our mighty Empire, which has stood for hundreds of years, would suffer great damage due to a natural disaster?" the Oracle shook her head helplessly.


    After that great earthquake that spread from the center of Elysium, many kingdoms that belonged to the Divine Army of Light suffered serious damage.


    Although the number of injured people was countless, the silver lining was that the response of the Rankers and Saints was fast, and they were able to rescue those who would have otherwise died without anyone''s help.


    Their Divine Sovereign, as well as their Divine Ancestor, had also reacted quickly enough, activating the city''s defenses that protected their people in time.


    Without them, the Capital City of their Empire would have crumbled, and countless people would have lost their lives.


    Thanks to everyone''s efforts, the casualties were kept to a bare minimum.


    Still, the Oracle wondered why she didn''t receive a premonition about the natural disaster.


    Usually, she would be able to perceive these things before they happened. However, this time, she didn''t have any warning whatsoever, catching all of them unprepared.


    ''Things haven''t been going our way since that Heretic appeared.'' The Oracle of Light clicked her tongue as she thought of the Half-Elf, who had been able to escape their pursuit time and time again.


    In each of their operations, their members suffered injuries, and some even died. Because of this, she was determined to make their third attempt seed at all costs.


    "One day, your luck will run out, boy," the Oracle of Divine Army of Light muttered. ''Wash your neck until then.''


    ��������������


    Kingdom of Agartha��


    "The moment you meet her, your luck will run out, boy," Cleo said with a smile. "Bad luck will follow you wherever you go. Are you sure you want to meet up with the Misfortune''s Beloved?"


    "You''ve asked this question many times already, Miss Cleo," Lux replied. "If I didn''t want to meet her, I would have backed down long ago."


    After traveling for a few days, they were nearing one of the border outposts of Agartha, which they needed to pass through to get to the Pantheon of Exile.


    Eiko, who was taking a nap on Lux''s head, suddenly opened her eyes and looked outside the window of the carriage.


    "What''s wrong, Eiko?" Lux asked as he lightly patted the Baby Slime''s head. "You can sleep a bit more, you know?"


    Eiko didn''t answer right away and instead narrowed her eyes as she looked in the distance.


    A momentter, Cleo and Gaap felt something, which made them also look in the direction Lux was looking.


    "Something''sing," Cleo said in a solemn tone. "Do you feel it, Gaap?


    Gaap nodded. "Something strong."


    Lux, who didn''t feel anything earlier, opened his Soul Book and checked the map inside it.


    As soon as he opened the map, he saw a very big blinking dot heading in their direction from the West.


    The Half-Elf was very good at urately estimating the strength of any creature that appeared on the Map of his Soul Book.


    However, this was the first time he was seeing a blinking dot this big, surpassing even the size of Empyrean Ranked Creatures.


    ''A Cmity Ranked Creature?'' Lux''s face turned grim after seeing the size of the blinking dot on the map. ''This could also be a Demi-Human. But why is it heading our way?''


    Lux was certain that the blinking dot didn''t belong to a human. Since that was the case, it could only be a Beast or a Demi-Human that possessed a very strong Life Force.


    But there was one thing that surprised Lux the most.


    The color of the blinking dot changed nearly every second.


    One second it was Red, which meant that it was hostile.


    The next second it was Yellow, which signified that it was a neutral creature.


    In short, Lux didn''t know if the creature was hostile or not, but one thing was certain.


    It wasing for them.


    "We can''t outrun it," Cleo stated. "Let''s get out and see if we can fight it. If not, let''s just escape with all our might."


    Lux and Gaap nodded.


    With the three of them together, it was highly possible that they would be able to fight anything that came after them.


    After unsummoning her carriage, Cleo raised her hand and summoned a bow.


    Lux was also holding the Spear of Longinus, ready to strike if the creature was hostile.


    Gaap simply stood with his hands behind his back. However, the ck Knight, Baal, was already standing beside him.


    "Pa!" Eiko suddenly spoke, making Lux nod his head.


    "I see it as well, Eiko," Lux replied. "It''s big."


    In the distance, something that seemed to be around ten meters tall was headed toward them at a very fast speed.


    Lux had already tried to use his appraisal skill on it, but the majority of the information that he saw was a bunch of question marks, proving that the creature was several times stronger than him.


    Even so, he still managed to get two pieces of information with his appraisal skill. The first one was the name of the Monster.


    The second was its Rank.


    ������������������������


    < Wicked Queen Slime >


    Monster Rating: Cmity Rank Monster (Peak)


    Health: ????????????????/ ????????????????


    Mana: ???????????????? / ????????????????


    Strength: ????????????????


    Intelligence: ????????????????


    Vitality: ????????????????


    Agility: ????????????????


    Dexterity: ????????????????


    ������������������������


    Both pieces of information surprised Lux, making him feel as if he was about to face the Last Boss Monster in a game.


    The only thing missing was the background music, which would immediately start to y when such an encounter happened.


    Eiko, on the other hand, looked more curious rather than afraid of the approaching Creature.


    Five minutester, a ten-meter tall, ckish-purple slime stopped several meters away from them.


    Its gaze locked on the Baby Slime on top of Lux''s head for a few seconds before it shifted its attention to the Half-Elf, who was looking back at it.


    "I-It can''t be��" Cleo''s lips trembled after she recognized the Monster in front of them. "W-Wicked Queen Slime! What are you doing here?! This isn''t part of your territory!"


    The Wicked Queen Slime narrowed its gaze as it looked at the Saintess, making Cleo subconsciously take a step back.


    This monster was the Cmity-Ranked Monster that their King didn''t dare to fight head-on, in fear that he wouldn''t be able to annihte itpletely.


    "Shut up, child," the Wicked Queen Slime said in a cold voice oozing with killing intent. "If you don''t want to die, you better seal your mouth."


    Cleo gritted her teeth as she stared at the Monster before her. She didn''t dare defy its orders for she knew that, if she did, she would definitely die without a doubt.


    ''We haven''t even met Princess Aurora and our Bad Luck is already starting,'' Cleo thought bitterly. ''Just how did we end up in this mess?''


    However, just as the Saintess was at a loss for what to do, an innocent voice spoke up, which caught the Wicked Queen Slime''s attention.


    "Aunt?" Eiko asked in an uncertain tone.


    The Wicked Queen Slime then started tough as if finding what the Baby Slime had called her Aunt to be amusing.


    Itsughter reverberated in the surroundings, even causing the ground under their feet to tremble.


    Such was the power of a Cmity-Ranked Monster, which could only be defeated by dozens of Saints working together.


    Eiko, who found the Wicked Queen Slime''sughter amusing, also started to giggle.


    Cleo, who was witnessing this firsthand, looked at the Baby Slime perched on Lux''s head and almost screamed internally.


    The Wicked Queen Slime was a creature that rarely showed mercy to anyone. If someone was to ridicule it, or evenugh at it, that person would die a very gruesome and painful death.


    No one in Agartha dared to do so.


    But right now, a Baby Slime was innocently giggling at the Monster in front of her.


    A Monster that could easily erase the three of them, if they were to get on its bad side.

 Chapter 866 A Wandering Calamity [Part 2]

    ?


    "In my entire lifetime, this is the first time someone referred to me as ''Aunt,''" the Wicked Queen Slime stated. "But, I''ll let this one pass because you are still a baby. "What''s your name, little one?"


    "Eiko!" Eiko replied with a smile.


    "Eiko? A decent name." the Wicked Queen Slime nodded. "Did this Half-Elf give you that name?"


    "Yes!" Eiko nodded. "Papa!"


    "Papa?"


    "Un!"


    The Cmity-Ranked Monster then shifted her gaze to Lux, which made the Half-Elf shudder.


    "I can tell that this Slime is bound to you," the Wicked Queen Slime said. "What is your name, Half-Elf?"


    "Lux," Lux replied.


    The Cmity-Ranked Monster then gave the red-headed teenager an appraising gaze, scanning him from head to toe.


    "I thought I was just imagining things when I sensed the presence of a Royal Slime from hundreds of miles away." The Wicked Queen Slime smirked. "I thought that she was being held captive by Agarthians, so I decided toe to her rescue. I was also nning to kill the fools who had captured her... but, seeing her like this, it''s pretty obvious that she''s not being enved by anyone."


    The ten-meter-tall slime then started to shrink at a rapid pace and then transformed into a beautiful mature woman with jet-ck hair and purple eyes.


    A ck crown faintly glittered on top of her head, making her look like one of the Evil Queens in one of the Fairy Tale stories that were popr back on Earth.


    "Since you have already introduced yourselves, it is now my turn to return the gesture," the beautiful woman stated. "The Agarthians call me the Wandering Cmity or Wicked Queen Slime. However, you may call me by the name Lilian."


    "Aunt Lilian!" Eiko shouted.


    "Good girl." Lilian nodded her head in satisfaction. "Well then, Lux, I''ll keep this short and simple. I will be taking Eiko with me. What do you want aspensation?"


    "Sorry, but I won''t be handing Eiko to you," Lux replied. "She''s my daughter and my Beast Companion. She''s not an object for sale."


    "L-Lux!" Cleo, who had been silent since earlier hurriedly tugged on the Half-Elf''s robes. "I know that Eiko is special to you, but in this kind of situation, it would be best if you just agree to her demand."


    "Oh? It seems that someone here understands the situation." Lilian smiled. "Very well, I will turn a blind eye to you defying my orders to keep silent. You should listen to this Saintess while I''m still being cordial with you. You won''t like it when I stop being civil."


    "My answer will not change," Lux replied. "You will not take Eiko away from me."


    Eiko, who seemed to have realized what was going on, was no longer giggling and even red at Lilian for trying to take her away from her Papa.


    "Bad Aunt!" Eiko shouted. "Bad! Bad!"


    "Eiko, Darling, I''m just doing this for your own good," Lilian said. "You will have a better life with me than this Half-Elf. Also, he still hasn''t awakened your bloodline power, which is the first step to bing a truly powerful monster."


    "No!" Eiko shouted. "Bad Aunt! I love Papa!"


    A sigh escaped Lilian''s lips as she put her hand on her forehead, looking very troubled.


    "I tried to settle this peacefully, but it seems that peace was never an option," Liliana stated in a disappointed tone. "Since that is the case, I guess I will have no choice but to use force."


    As soon as she finished her words, she released a very powerful killing intent that descended on Lux''s and Cleo''s bodies like a mountain, rendering the two incapable of moving due to how strong the pressure was.


    Eiko was the only one exempted from the overwhelming pressure because Lilian didn''t want to hurt her by ident.


    "Pa!" Eiko shouted worriedly.


    "I''m fine, Eiko," Lux replied as he forced himself to keep standing. "This is nothing."


    Lilian, who saw the Half-Elf resisting her killing intent, smirked.


    "Hoh~ not bad for a D-Ranker," Lilianmented. "But can you handle this?"


    Lilian was about to increase the strength of her killing intent to make Lux and Cleo kneel.


    But before she could even do that, the Halfling, whom she wasn''t paying much attention to earlier, lightly cleared his throat, dispelling the pressure that she was emitting.


    "Can you not bully children?" Gaap asked in an annoyed tone. "If you want to use force to have your way, then so be it. You''re not the only one who can call the shots here."


    As if waiting for that cue, a gigantic head materialized above Gaap, and Antero''s crazy chuckle reverberated in the surroundings.


    "Queen Slime," Antero said after chuckling. "Squishy Slime."


    This time, it was Lilian''s turn to feel pressured. Her Bestial Instincts were telling her to run away because the creature in front of her could potentially threaten her life.


    What Gaap was doing was only Partial Manifestation of Antero, so it didn''t drain much of his life force.


    Also, he only made the Golem''s head appear, so it didn''t be too much of a burden for him.


    A tension-filled silence descended upon the surroundings as a hushed standoff between the Wicked Queen Slime and Anteromenced.


    This continued for a few minutes until Gaap spoke up, making Lilian shift her attention to him.


    "You said earlier that Eiko''s bloodline power still hadn''t awakened, right?" Gaap asked. "Then do you know how to awaken it?"


    "Of course," Lilian replied. "However, I will only do it if Eikoes with me."


    "But that won''t happen," Gaap stated. "As you can see, she will not abandon Lux, and Lux will not abandon her. Forcing them apart will just lead to conflict. So, let''s do it this way. You can just treat this meeting as if it never happened and we''ll be on our way, or you can awaken Eiko''s Bloodline Power and let her stay with my Disciple here."


    Gaap made sure to highlight the word "Disciple" to make Lilian understand that he was Lux''s Master.


    This was the Halfling''s way of telling her that if she did anything malicious to the Half-Elf, he would not hesitate to attack her until one of them died.


    Lilian then shifted her attention to Antero''s head before looking at Eiko, who was ring at her.


    Seeing that the Baby Slime seemed to hate her right now, she decided to back off for the time being until the Fairy Princess cooled off.


    Without another word, Lilian turned around and disappeared from everyone''s view.


    Cleo was only able to breathe a sigh of relief when she felt that the Wicked Queen Slime had really left them.


    However, Lux didn''t share her relief.


    His Soul Book was still floating beside him, and the map in it was still active.


    Because of this, the Half-Elf was able to see the blinking red dot at the very corner of the map.


    This time, it no longer switched to yellow.


    Instead, it was blinking in a very deep shade of red, showing great hostility.


    The Half-Elf was certain that, now that Lilian had seen Eiko for herself, she wouldn''t stop until she got hold of the Baby Slime, whom she deemed to be a special existence just like her.

 Chapter 867 Arriving At The Atlas Stronghold

    ?


    Just an hour before sunset, Cleo''s carriage finally arrived at the As Stronghold.


    Lux, who was paying close attention to his Soul Book, sighed internally.


    ''She''s still following us,'' Lux thought. ''What a persistent Cmity.''


    The Wicked Queen Slime, Lilian, still hadn''t given up on Eiko and was stalking them from a distance. This had caused much stress not only to the Half-Elf, but also to the Saintess. Both of them felt very wary of Lilian''s strength and tenacity.


    However, they temporarily cast this problem aside when they reached their destination, thest hurdle they had to pass through before reaching the Pantheon of Exile.


    The moment Lux and Gaap disembarked from the carriage, they were briefed about where the Pantheon of Exile was located.


    "Do you see that red pir of light on the horizon?" Cleo pointed in the distance. "That is where the Pantheon of Exile is located."


    Lux and Gaap could see it clearly even with the fading light of the sun. It was like a beacon, shining in the distance as if making sure that everyone was aware of its existence.


    The only thing that was blocking their way was a vast, bubbling, purple sea, which Cleo insisted had imed countless lives in the past.


    "So, how do we cross it?" Lux asked as he looked to where the pir of light was shining.


    "We can''t," Cleo replied.


    "Excuse me?" Lux nced at the Saintess with a confused look on his face. "What do you mean we can''t?"


    "Just like I said, we can''t," Cleo stated. "No one except a Supreme can fly over this sea because there is an enchantment ced on it preventing anyone aside from a Supreme from flying over it.


    "Anyone who tries will find themselves falling face first in that highly acidic water that can melt metals like ice in boiling water. This is the Pantheon of Exile we are talking about. Once you enter it, you will never be able to leave it. Also, those who try to reach it never came back alive."


    A frown then appeared on Lux''s face. He had just used the Elysium Compendium to gain information about the Purple Sea of Death, and it was just as Cleo had said.


    ording to the Compendium, unless someone ispletely immune to acid, they would not be able to swim through the waters, let alone reach the Pantheon of Exile.


    "It''s gettingte, and that Wicked Queen Slime is still out there," Cleo said softly. "Why don''t we stay in the Stronghold first and rest for the night? You can leave this ce tomorrow and return to the Capital if you like."


    "Return?" Lux asked. "Why should we return?"


    "Because no matter what you do, you will not be able to cross that sea," Cleo answered. "Also, there are Sea Monsters who are immune to acid that live there. All of them are Deimos-Ranked and above. Aside from them, there are also Wraiths patrolling the sky above the sea. Many believe that these were the spirits of those who have died in their attempt to cross these waters."


    The frown on Lux''s face deepened as he listened to Cleo''s words.


    "So, you brought us here to feel helpless, is that it?" Gaap asked with a smile. "You want Lux to see this sea and hope that he will give up on seeing Aurora, right?"


    "I would be lying if I said no." Cleo nodded. "I want Lux to see that his goal to reach the Pantheon of Exile was impossible from the start. Unless you are a Supreme, you can''t fly over those waters. That ce is where the most dangerous creatures and individuals, who can threaten the stability of Agartha, are kept.


    "Even if they manage to escape the Pantheon of Exile, they will not be able to cross this sea alive, leaving them with no other option but to stay on that ind forever."


    Lux pondered for a bit and was about to experiment when he felt someone tug on his robes.


    "Let''s rest for the night," Gaap said. "I know that you are feeling impatient, but we have had a long journey. We need to get some proper rest before you attempt to cross that sea. Not to mention, Lilian is still out there somewhere. She might even attack us while you are conducting experiments, so it is best to recuperate a bit in order to regain our spirits."


    Lux sighed as he nced at the pir of light rising from the horizon. He had been feeling on edge as ofte because of Lilian''s stalking. He was certain that now that their negotiations had ended, the Wicked Queen Slime might resort to violence in order to capture Eiko.


    Although he wasn''t too worried since his Master was there, he still felt that it was his responsibility to protect the Baby Slime from harm.


    Because of this, he reluctantly nodded his head and agreed to rest for the time being and conduct his experiments to cross the sea when morning came.


    A few minutester, they entered the Gates of the Stronghold, and they were weed by the Commander, who was tasked to ensure that if and when something could cross the Purple Sea of Death, they would warn the Capital City at once and inform their King of such an event.


    Commander Garen, who was the top dog of the Stronghold of As, weed Cleo politely.


    Simr to the Saintess, themander was also a Saint. He was stationed in the Stronghold to act as its Guardian, just in case something powerful was to emerge from the sea and invade Agartha.


    "This is His Majesty''s Decree," Cleo stated as he handed the scroll to the Commander. "Please read it. This is the reason for our visit."


    Commander Garen nodded and opened the scroll. A momentter, a scowl appeared on his face before he nced at Lux and Gaap, who were standing behind the Saintess.


    "Madness." Commander Garen scoffed. "They want to see THAT girl and even set her free? By the Gods, are all of you Hignders insane? Our King also agreed to this farce?"


    "Watch your words, Commander." Cleo frowned. "Our King has given his decree. We only came here to let you know why we are here."


    Commander Garen rolled up the scroll and returned it to the Saintess. However, his next words made the frown on Cleo''s face deepen.


    "I don''t mind providing food and shelter to you, Cleo," Commander Garen said. "But my Stronghold doesn''t have a ce for these Hignders who are courting death. If they really want to, they can camp outside our walls. There is plenty of space there."


    "Commander��" Cleo was about to say something, but Garen raised his hand to stop her.


    "I am the Commanding Officer of this stronghold," Garen dered. "I have read the King''s Decree, and I will tolerate their presence here. But that doesn''t mean I am obligated to shelter them. They can stay if they want, but only outside the walls of this Fortress. As to how they will cross the Purple Sea of Death, I''d like to see them try."


    Commander Garen sneered at the two Hignders, who looked back at him as if they were looking at someone dumb.


    However, in order to prevent any more possible conflicts, Lux and Gaap left the stronghold and decided to camp outside.


    Eiko looked at the Commander and stuck out her tongue in his direction. Clearly, she didn''t like people who looked down on her Papa.


    Cleo gritted her teeth and followed the Half-Elf and Halfling, but not before ring at Commander Garren.


    The Commander of the Stronghold of As only shrugged as if he couldn''t be bothered by childish tantrums.


    No one could cross the Purple Sea of Death unless they were a Supreme. Only death would follow those who were stupid enough to ignore their warnings.

 Chapter 868 We Need To Talk

    ?


    This wasn''t the first time that Lux and Gaap had camped outside, so they already had the necessary items to do so.


    Lux had obtained one of the tents from the Rowan Tribe that waspressed into a storage ball.


    All he needed to do was throw the ball on the ground, and it would activate, constructing itself without too much effort.


    The tent was very spacious and was the size of a house. Clearly, Cai made sure that her fiance only had the best, so the tent she gave Lux could house a dozen peoplefortably.


    Even Cleo was pleasantly surprised when she entered the tent and immediately fell in love with it. There was already furniture inside it, including several beds that were veryfortable to lie on.


    Lux took the initiative to prepare their dinner, while Cleo and Gaap sat on the couch, making themselves feel at home.


    An hourter, they all finished eating and decided to talk about their ns for the night.


    "Who will be on watch duty?" Cleo asked after they had eaten dinner. "That Wicked Queen Slime is still out there, and I don''t want to take chances."


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Gaap replied. "My subordinates will handle the watch duty. Just get your beauty sleep."


    If it were in the past, Cleo wouldn''t have believed Gaap''s words and would just think that the Halfling was spouting nonsense. However, after the battle in El Hazard, the Saintess no longer looked down on the Halfling due to his low Rank.


    "I''ll take you up on that offer then," Cleo said before going into one of the "rooms" inside the tent that she had imed as her temporary lodging.


    When only Lux and Gaap remained, the Halfling smiled before taking out a pipe to start smoking.


    "You should rest as well, Lux," Gaap stated. "You will not be able to think of ways to cross this sea in your current state. I know you''ve been on edge due to Lilian following us, but rest assured, as long as I am here, she will not be able toy her hands on Eiko."


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded as if to support Gaap''s words.


    Although she didn''t hate Lilian, the thought of being separated from her Papa made her feel upset.


    "Understood, Master." Lux nodded. "I will rest for now. Thank you."


    "You''re wee," Gaap replied. "I''ll handle the rest."


    Lux then went into one of the rooms to sleep, leaving the Halfling alone. Truth be told, he had already thought of a few ways to cross the Purple Sea of Death.


    It was just that he still needed to conduct experiments to check whether his ideas would work. However, since Gaap insisted that he rested, he decided to follow his Master''s advice and sleep for the night.


    Gaap then stepped outside of the tent and looked at the beautifuldy who was standing hundreds of meters away from them.


    Even without light, the Halfing could feel Lilian''s strong life energy, which was like a beacon of light in the dark night.


    "We need to talk," Gaap said before blowing white circles with his pipe. "You won''t make any progress if you use force. You can try, but Eiko will only resent you. Is that what you want?"


    Lilian didn''t answer right away and instead looked at the red pir of light in the distance.


    "The Pantheon of Exile." Lilian narrowed her eyes. "So you and your disciple n to cross this Sea?"


    "That''s the n," Gaap replied. "Are you one of the Pantheon''s former residents?"


    Lilian smiled sweetly before ncing at the Halfling, who was still smoking his pipe.


    "That ce couldn''t possibly hold me for long," Lilian stated. "Getting in and out of that ce is mere child''s y. How about I help you guys cross the sea and, in exchange, you give me Eiko? This is a win-win situation, and it sounds like a fair trade to me."


    "Give it up, Lilian," Gaapmented. "Lux will not part with Eiko, and Eiko will not part with her Papa. How about I give you an offer instead?"


    "An offer?" Lilian arched an eyebrow. "You want to reach apromise with me?"


    Gaap nodded. "Something like that. This might also be a good thing for you."


    "Oh?" the smile on Lilian''s face widened after hearing Gaap''s words. "Start talking, Halfling. We''ll see whether your proposal piques my interest or not."


    ����������������������


    The next day��


    Lux did some light stretches while facing the sea.


    The guards that were stationed on the walls of the Stronghold were looking at him with great interest.


    Although it was not rare for them to see visitorsing to the As Stronghold, seeing a Hignder in the flesh was something they didn''t experience often.


    If it weren''t for their duties, they might have approached Lux and asked the Half-Elf to shake their hands.


    Hignders only existed in Myths and Legends, and although they knew that they were real, seeing one was not something they expected to experience in their lifetime.


    "Eiko, are you ready?" Lux asked the Baby Slime on his head.


    "Ei!" Eiko jumped in ce, as if telling her Papa that she was ready to start their experiment.


    "Okay, you do it first." Lux crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Pa!" Eiko jumped off Lux''s head and crawled closer to the beach.


    When the Baby Slime was only a few meters away from the receding waves, she shouted, and a magic circle appeared in front of her.


    "Come!" Eiko ordered.


    A momentter, an Argonaut-Ranked Diabolical Acid Slime World Boss appeared.


    This was the same Slime that Eiko had summoned back in the diator''s Tournament. Lux thought that Eiko''s slime might be one of the keys to allow them to cross the Purple Sea of Death.


    "Go!" Eiko ordered.


    The Diabolical Acid Slime nodded its head and crawled towards the Purple Waters.


    A momentter, it began to swim in it, looking perfectly fine.


    Cleo, who was watching this from a distance, looked at the World Boss Monster with wide eyes.


    "I forgot that she can summon one of those," Cleo muttered.


    Originally, she thought that Lux would give up if his experiments bore no fruit. However, she was able to regain her calm after a few minutes. The sea''s acidity was just one of the many hurdles that would block their path.


    Although the Argonaut-Ranked Diabolical Slime could indeed swim in the highly acidic waters, there were still powerful Monsters and Wraiths in the sea.


    If they were to face a Dreadnaught or Empyrean Ranked Monster while riding on the Diabolical Acid Slime, their chances of survival would decrease drastically.


    Just as the Saintess was thinking that riding on the Diabolical Acid Slime wouldn''t be good enough, Lux also walked towards the beach and raised his hand.


    "Come," Lux ordered. "Deus Gigantia!"


    A momentter, a gigantic Skeleton King appeared and walked towards the sea with steady steps.


    Lux eyed the Skeleton King''s body as it waded through the waters.


    Seeing that the Acid couldn''t melt its bones, an idea came into his head.


    He then ryed his orders to the Skeleton King, and thetter continued to walk through the sea until its body slowly submerged little by little.


    "It''s quite deep," Luxmented.


    The Skeleton King was over a hundred meters tall, yet its entire body had fully submerged under the acidic waters.


    Even so, Lux wasn''t worried because his experiment was still underway. As long as he confirmed that his hypothesis was correct, crossing the Purple Sea of Death wouldn''t pose too much of a problem.


    Not a problem even if the sea was infested with Sea Monsters and Wraiths, who were all Deimos-Ranked Monsters and above.


    "Wait for me, Aurora," Lux muttered. "I''ll be there soon."

 Chapter 869 Danger That Lurked Within The Depths

    ?


    Lux sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, facing the Purple Sea of Death.


    Right now, he was connected with the Skeleton King, who was walking along the bottom of the sea.


    Swimming around him were several monsters that were Rank 5 and below, most of which resembled underwater eels.


    There was even a Deimos-Ranked Crab, which was nearly ten meters tall. It hurriedly scurried away when the Skeleton King walked in its direction.


    The Skeleton King could sense the presence of other strong monsters that were Dreadnaught Rank and below in his surroundings, but he paid them no mind.


    These strong creatures were not interested in the Giant Skeleton King because it was only made up of bones, and there was no flesh for them to eat.


    Lux appraised these creatures through his connection with Deus Gigantia and took note of their features.


    He had already expected that the Purple Sea of Death was deep, but he didn''t know how deep it was.


    A thousand meters��


    Two thousand meters��


    Three thousand meters��


    Four Thousand meters��


    Five thousand meters��


    The Skeleton King then stumbled upon what seemed like a bottomless cliff. He stoppedpletely in front of it. These cliffs extended sideways, creating a natural barrier that prevented the Skeleton King from moving forward.


    Left with no choice, the Giant Skeleton extended his senses downwards to check if there was something in the darkness below.


    After several minutes passed, he detected a few things which he ryed to his Master, Lux.


    "I knew it," Lux muttered. "Asmodeus,e."


    The Lich King appeared beside the Half-Elf and waited for his order.


    Lux told Asmodeus about his n, and the Lich King nodded his head in understanding.


    "Very well, I''ll see to it that it is done to perfection," Asmodeusmented before teleporting to where the Skeleton King was currently located.


    After the Skeleton King had been submerged in the highly acidic sea for a long time, he had confirmed that it had no effect on his Skeletal Body. However, in order to further test this theory, they needed to send one of Lux''s Named Creatures, who was also an Undead Monster.


    Among them, it was only Asmodeus who had a full bodypletely made up of bones.


    Because of this, Lux felt that it was better if he sent the Lich King, rather than Diablo or Ishtar, who were starting to regain some flesh on their bodies after their evolution, making them look like Humans who had very paleplexions.


    When Asmodeus arrived under the sea, he paid close attention to his arms, and legs to see if some of his body parts were melting. After staying there for five minutes, he confirmed that he was unaffected by the acid in the water.


    "Well then, time to work," Asmodeus pressed his hands together as he looked down towards the bottom of the cliff that seemed bottomless.


    "Skeleton Make�� Ship!"


    At first, nothing happened. However, a few secondster, loud rumbling sounds reverberated from below the cliff in front of him.


    Bubbles started to rise up to the surface as countless bones emerged from the darkness.


    These were the bones of the Sea Creatures that had long died under the sea, and Lux intended to use them to build a ship that would help them cross it.


    After several minutes, a ship made up of bones was formed which slowly rose towards the surface.


    Lux, who was still connected with the Giant Skeleton King, appraised it in order to see whether or not it was capable of taking them to their destination.


    ������������������������


    < Ghost Ship Octavius >


    Rating: Mythical


    A ship that was formed from the bones of the Sea Creatures that had long died in the Purple Sea of Death. Although it is made up of bones, it is as hard as Orichalcum and can withstand the powerful attacks of Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters and below.


    It is unaffected by the highly acidic water of the Purple Sea of Death, making it an ideal ship to sail through this deadly sea that has imed countless lives.


    ������������������������


    After seeing the information, Lux nodded his head in satisfaction andmanded Asmodeus and the Giant Skeleton King to return to shore.


    Now that they had secured a ship, they could travel to the Pantheon of Exile without any worries.


    As for the Sea Monsters and the Wraiths that would stand in their way, Lux wasn''t too worried about them.


    On the contrary, he was even looking forward to fighting them and experiencing for himself how strong they really were.


    Cleo, who was wondering if Lux had given up, was currently standing a few meters behind him with her arms crossed over her chest.


    Several minutester, a frown appeared on her face when she saw something white moving in their direction from the sea.


    It was not only the Saintess who saw this but also the people stationed on the ramparts of the As Stronghold.


    Their duty was to repel any threat that would being from the sea, and they would not allow anything to get past their defenses.


    "A ship made up of bones?" the Guard Captain muttered after looking through his telescope. A momentter, he raised his hand and called his Aide. "Report to the Commander that an unknown ship is heading our way!"


    "Yes, Sir!" The Aide was about to leave when he heard Lux''s voice from below the ramparts.


    "There''s nothing to worry about," Lux said, making sure to say it loudly so that everyone could hear him. "That ship belongs to me."


    As if to assure everyone of his words, the head of the Giant Skeleton King emerged from the waters as he started to walk towards the shore.


    Commander Garen, who noticed themotion on the Ramparts, appeared and narrowed his eyes.


    After seeing the Giant Skeleton King, as well as the Bone Ship, he frowned, but he didn''t move from his spot.


    He had seen many people try to cross the Purple Sea of Death with their own ships, but all of them sank not long after leaving the shore.


    "Captain, should we inform His Majesty?" the Guard Captain asked.


    "Wait for my orders," Commander Garen replied.


    He had contacted King Septimius not long ago and informed him of Lux''s arrival at the As Stronghold.


    The King of Agartha then ordered Commander Garen to report to him if the Half-Elf managed to find a way to cross the Purple Sea of Death or died in the attempt.


    Right now, the Commander didn''t know if the ship was strong enough to sail the deadly waters.


    A part of him was hoping that it would sink mid-way through their journey, making the Half-Elf regret his decision to go to the Pantheon of Exile.


    However, thetter half was quite curious if Lux would be able to reach his destination.


    As far as they were concerned, only the Kings of Agartha were able to fly over the Purple Sea of Death, carrying those whom he deemed worthy of exile.


    Countless people had tried to cross the sea, but none of them had seeded.


    After being stationed in the As Stronghold for several years, Commander Garen had grown numb to the scenery around him.


    Because of this, he was hoping that he would find some kind of entertainment in watching the Half-Elf cross the Purple Sea of Death, and face the monsters that lurked within its depths.

 Chapter 870 Set A Course Towards The Pantheon Of Exile

    ?


    "Are you sure that ship is safe to ride?" Cleo looked at the Ghost Ship Octavius anxiously.


    "We''ll know if we ride it," Lux replied.


    "W-Wait?! You''re not sure?!"


    "Don''t worry. It will not sink�� I guess."


    Cleo was very tempted to kick the Half-Elf and send him flying towards the sea for casually speaking about something so serious.


    Even a Saint would not survive for long after falling into the Purple Sea of Death, unless they had hundreds of life-saving artifacts with them that would hold on to their life until they were able to return to the shore.


    Seeing how worried Cleo was, the Half-Elf decided to give her a choice.


    "You don''t have toe with us, Miss Cleo," Lux said. "You can just wait until we return."


    "And if you don''t return?" Cleo asked.


    "We will return," Lux stated.


    Seeing the confidence in Lux''s words, Cleo felt as if the Half-Elf was certain that the Bone Ship would take him to the Pantheon of Exile and back.


    After pondering for several minutes, the Saintess sighed internally as she told Lux her decision.


    "I''m sorry, but I will not be able to apany you to the Pantheon of Exile," Cleo stated. "I will just wait for you here."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding and didn''t force the Saintess to join them on their journey.


    In fact, the Half-Elf thought that this was for the better. He and his Master, Gaap, had many secrets, and, as much as possible, they didn''t want others to know about them.


    "Well then, see you when we return," Lux said. "Wait for us, okay?"


    "I will wait for a month," Cleo replied. "If you''re not back by then, I will assume that you are dead and inform his Majesty about your tragic end."


    Lux smiled and bid the Saintess goodbye.


    He was very thankful for Cleo''spany because she had guided them as far as the As Stronghold. The Half-Elf could also tell that the Saintess was genuinely concerned for his safety, so he didn''t think badly of her when she decided to stay behind.


    The Giant Skeleton King picked up Lux and Gaap and gently ced them on the Bone Ship.


    As soon as they were on the ship''s deck, Eiko jumped off Lux''s head and teleported to the steering wheel. The Baby Slime then sat on top of it and raised her head with a smile.


    "Yar!" Eiko shouted before giggling.


    She had remembered the time when she was with Captain Jack Spawow and was tasked to navigate the ship as they pursued the kidnapped Princess through the high seas.


    Seeing how peppy the Baby Slime was, Lux decided to let her have her fun and even yed along.


    The Half-Elf summoned his Skeleton Gangbangers and ordered them around.


    "Raise the Anchor! Unfurl the Sails!" Lux ordered and the Skeleton Gangbangers scrambled to do as they were told.


    Eiko looked at all of this with sparkling eyes and even jumped up and down on the steering wheel as if cheering for everyone to do their best.


    "Captain Eiko, set a course," Lux smiled as he pointed at the shining red pir in the distance. "Towards the Pantheon of Exile!"


    "Aye!" Eiko replied before jumping on the steering wheel to make the ship turn around.


    Since it was a ghost ship, it didn''t need any wind to push it through the waters. Still, when The Octavius was made, it came with sails as an added aesthetic.


    The ship started to gain speed as it left the shore. Cleo watched it shrink into the distance with a calm expression on her face. She really wanted to go with them, but the fear of the unknown stopped her as she didn''t want to take the risk.


    Even so, that didn''t stop her from making a simple prayer, asking for Lux''s, Eiko''s, and Gaap''s safety on their journey toward their destination.


    "May Lady Cybele watch over all of you," Cleo said as she pressed her palms together. "Don''t die, Lux."


    Commander Garen looked at the bone ship that was getting smaller and smaller in the distance with his arms crossed over his chest.


    Only when the ship was but a minuscule ck speck on the horizon did he return to his office to report the most recent development to his King.


    ����������������


    On the Deck of the Bone Ship Octavius��


    Eiko hummed as she sat on the steering wheel, feeling the wind blow past her.


    Her Papa had assigned her as the Captain of the Ship, and she took this post very seriously. She even summoned her Terrorist Squad to act as support, just in case they were suddenly attacked out of the blue.


    Lux and Gaap, on the other hand, were also busy monitoring their surroundings for possible attacks from above and below the sea.


    ording to Cleo, there were Underwater Monsters that were Empyrean Ranked and below in the Purple Sea of Death.


    Not only that, but there were also Sea Wraiths that were said to be very aggressive and would attack once they sensed any living creature in their territory.


    When the Half-Elf summoned his Soul Book, countless red blinking dots had appeared on his map. Even so, most of them were very small, which meant that they weren''t much of a threat to them.


    Just to be sure, he had ordered Asmodeus, who had created clones of himself, to travel underwater to serve as a scout.


    The Lich King''s task was to handle the small fries that dared to attack their ship and hinder their journey.


    Because of this, several underwater explosions, which sent bubbles rising on the surface, could be seen all around the ship.


    "Animate Undead!" Asmodeus raised his hand, and the Rank 5 Monsters that he had killed all came back to life as Undead Zombies.


    He then ordered them to serve as Advance Scouts, which would warn him if stronger monsters appeared along the way.


    Although The Octavius was a very sturdy ship, Lux knew that if it faced powerful Sea Monsters that were of the Empyrean Rank, the possibility of it being damaged was high.


    Because of this, he and his Master, Gaap, both agreed that they would fight it with long-range attacks before it could evene close enough to damage their ship.


    Back on the shore, a beautiful woman with ck hair and purple eyes walked towards the sea with a sneer.


    A momentter, she transformed to her original size, making Cleo and all the guards in the As Stronghold gasp in shock.


    The Wicked Queen Slime then began to swim at a rapid pace, unhindered by the highly toxic waters of the Purple Sea of Death.


    Clearly, she had no intention of being left behind and followed the Half-Elf to the ce where she had been born hundreds of years ago.

 Chapter 871 Your Fate Has All Been Sealed The Moment You Met Us

    ?


    The sound of weapons shing and spells exploding reverberated in the surroundings.


    At the center of it all, a little more than twenty people stood back to back, facing dozens of Satyrs, whose ranks were Deimos-Rank and above.


    The Strongest among this group of Monsters was an Empyrean Ranked Alpha Monster, whose gaze looked like he was licking the bodies of the women that were in front of him in his mind.


    "Not bad," the Empyrean Ranked Alpha Monster said with a smile. "Abination of beauty, as well as strength to back it up��all of you girls will be the perfect broodmares for our race."


    "Like hell we''ll want to be your broodmares!" Alicia shouted as she stood in front of Iris, Cai, Henrietta, as well as the members of their guild, Serenity.


    The Alpha Monsterughed after hearing Alicia''s hateful reply.


    "Worry not, fairdy," the Leader of the Satyrs replied. "My boys and I are all gentlemen. Right, boys?"


    The other Satyrs all cheered in agreement with their leader''s words.


    "Don''t worry,dies," a Satyr, who had been eyeing Alicia since the beginning of the battle, licked his lips. "Soon, all of you girls will be shaking your hips in wanton abandonment once you have had a taste of our Carnal Prowess. I guarantee it.


    "As for the boys�� Well, we have no need for them," The Leader of the Satyrsmented. "But the subus on the other side of the Forest would definitely love you guys. I''m sure we can get a good sum if we sell you all to them."


    The Satyrs allughed because this was indeed a good idea.


    "Surrender now while we''re still being generous. After all, we don''t want to identally injure any of the women. It doesn''t feel nice screwing a corpse, you know?"


    "Hahaha! It''s been decades since I''ve had a taste of Human women. I''ll make sure that you girls won''t be getting any sleep tonight!"


    "As for the men, all of you should just surrender quietly. Who knows? You might enjoy bing the ythings of the subus. I know a few of them, and I will guarantee that one round with them will send you to heaven!"


    Xander and two Rankers from the Rowan Tribe were standing right beside Alicia.


    A few Rankers of the Xynnar War Pact and Skystead Alliance were also with them. Among them was Ma, who was gritting his teeth so hard that he could hear them grinding.


    Not far from them, the body of his dead Deimos-Ranked Wyverny in a pool of its own blood. The beast that Lux had given him had protected him until its veryst breath, and Malcolm was feeling aggrieved by its passing.


    "Damn it!" Malcolm cursed through gritted teeth as he held his ground. "Why did ite to this?!"


    When they first entered the Domain of the Fallen, the first thing that the Rankers of the different Factions did was to spread out in order to hunt the Magical Beasts, gather resources, as well as investigate the Domain of the Fallen in full.


    Previously, such had been quite impossible to do because only those that were Initiate Rank and below could enter the Domain.


    After this restriction was lifted, everyone knew that the Domain of the Fallen would be ransacked clean of any valuable treasures due to the strong Rankers that were now allowed to enter it.


    However, after checking every nook and cranny, they didn''t find any Monsters, rare herbs, or any kind of treasures.


    Onlymon herbs could be found and nothing else.


    No one could figure out what happened, but they hade to the conclusion that someone had managed to enter the Dungeon before them and took everything before they couldy im to it.


    Naturally, their first suspect was Lux.


    However, they didn''t have enough evidence to back up this im.


    They also deemed that it was impossible for Lux to take all the treasures without fighting the strong monsters that were guarding them, who were all above his rank.


    In the end, they all reluctantly entered thest gate of the Apocalypse.


    In the beginning, everything was going well. They arrived at a Kingdom that had been ravaged by Monsters.


    The Rankers found this turn of events a blessing and hunted down the Monsters without any problems.


    They even forgot about the issue with the Domain of the Fallen because they managed to gain a lot of resources.


    But, all of that changed when they explored the Temple on the outskirts of the city.


    There, they saw an Abyssal Noble that was sealed by countless chains.


    However, this being was already dead when they arrived.


    After investigating its corpse, they found a Beast Core located on his chest, letting them know that it was actually a Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Noble.


    The Rankers of the Skystead Alliance all said that since they were the ones that found the corpse, the Core should belong to them.


    Although reluctant, no one opposed their deration.


    What they didn''t know was that months ago, the Abyssal Noble, whose spirit had been captured by Gaap, cast a Grand Spell on his own core just in case something went wrong with his n to possess a new body.


    This Grand Spell would activate the moment someone tried to pry the core from his body, which was done by the greedy Rankers of the Skystead Alliance.


    The moment the ck Obsidian Core was sessfully pulled out, the Grand Spell activated and a ck hole materialized, sucking everyone within the vicinity of the temple inside it.


    90% of the people who had entered the Gate of the Apocalypse were transported to the Abyssal World in random ces, making those who were watching them through the projections panic.


    Out of the hundreds of people that had entered the Gate of Apocalypse, a little more than twenty of them were transported to a Dark Forest, where the Satyrs lived.


    Alicia, who was the strongest Ranker in their group, was a C-Ranker.


    It was impossible for her to fight against an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster because only a party of High-Rankers could defeat it.


    But that was not the main problem. After entering the Abyssal World, her Rank had degraded to D-Rank.


    She was not the only one who suffered from this phenomenon. The Rankers who had all been sucked up by the ck Hole had their Ranks lowered by one stage.


    Only Initiates and E-Rankers like Iris, Cai, Henrietta, Xander, and Malcolm were not affected by this degradation of Rank.


    "Iris, Cai, Henrietta, Xander, listen carefully," Alicia said through the artifact that allowed them all tomunicate telepathically. "I willunch an all-out attack using the Legendary Artifacts that your father entrusted to me. It might not be able to kill these monsters, but it will be enough to stall or seriously injure them.


    "What I want all of you to do is run and find a way on how to escape this ce. No matter what happens, you need to return to Elysium. I will not be able to face Sir Alexander and Sir Maximilian if anything happens to any of you. Now, prepare to run at my signal!"


    Iris and Cai wanted to say that they will stay behind and fight together, but seeing how determined Alicia was about sacrificing herself, they were unable to bring themselves to do it.


    The Rankers of the Rowan Tribe shared Alicia''s determination. In their eyes, the safety of the High Priestess was above their own.


    "Xander, make sure to protect Cai," One of the Rankers of the Rowan Tribe stated. "Even if you die, make sure she returns to the tribe!"


    "Understood!" Xander replied while clenching his fists. "Even if I die, I will see to it that they return to Sis."


    Suddenly, the Leader of the Satyrsughed out loud.


    "How noble," the Leader of the Satyr said. "But futile. I heard your little n, and I can''t help but think that you underestimate all of us. Do you think that we will let you run away from this ce?"


    The Leader of the Satyrs had the ability to read women''s minds, simr to Eiko''s Mind Reader ability, but more powerful.


    Although it only worked on women, the Satyr was able to know Alicia''s n, which made himugh internally.


    "Even though I don''t know why all of you appeared here in our Forest, it doesn''t matter," the Leader of the Satyrs smiled as he took a step forward. "Your Fate was sealed the moment you met us. No amount of nning, courage, or determination will change anything.


    "The Abyss is not a ce for miracles. Hope doesn''t exist here. Only those with power thrive, and as for the weak, they are merely the ythings of the strong. You girls will soon understand that your only role in this world is to give birth to Satyrs!


    "I''ll sample all of you girls first, and after that, my men will have their way with you. Don''t worry, I will guarantee that even though today is your safe day, all of you will be pregnant before the sun rises in the morning."


    The Satyrsughed after hearing their leader''s joke.


    Here in the Abyss, the sun didn''t exist. Only the light of the two moons that were high up in the sky, illuminated thend.


    The Leader of the Satyrs, Ampelos, had already picked two girls among the group of Humans who had appeared in his territory to be his personal toys.


    It was none other than the blue-haired beauty, Iris, and the purple-haired Henrietta.


    Both were exceptional beauties, and he fully intended to fill both of them with his seed and make them give birth to his children.


    "Enough talk!" Ampelos raised his hand with a smile. "Get them boys, and let the Carnal Feast begin!"

 Chapter 872 I’ll Tell You A Little Secret

    ?


    On the mountain overlooking the Dark Forest, a castle stood at its peak.


    Within it, hundreds of beautifuldies, whom men would die for, chatted in excited voices.


    "Have you heard? A group of Humans have suddenly appeared in the Dark Forest," a beautiful girl with light-brown hair said with sparkling eyes.


    "Really? Do they have men?" Ady with long blonde hair and purple eyes asked.


    "Yes! I used a scrying spell just now, and I saw a few handsome guys in the group," ady with short pink hair stated. "All of them are quite young, I assume that they are still teenagers."


    "Girl, it doesn''t matter if they are teenagers," a mature-looking beauty said before adjusting the sses on her face. "As long as they can make it stand, all is fair game."


    "Right!"


    "Hahaha! Should we also join in the fun? I''m sure if we ask the Satyrs, they''ll give us the guys without any hassle."


    All the beautifuldies were getting excited at the prospect of milking the Human men dry of their essence, which was a very valuable source of nutrition for them.


    "Wait! Have all of you forgotten something important?!" a prettydy with long ck hair shouted. "We have to inform Her Majesty about this first! If we don''t, she might nag at uster for not telling her about this event!"


    "Ah!"


    "Right! We almost forgot to tell Her Majesty!"


    "S-Someone, go to her room and tell her what is happening."


    The Subus then started pushing each other, as they pointed fingers as to who would be the sacrificialmb that would wake their Queen and inform her about the uninvited guests that had appeared in their Domain.


    "You bunch of babies!" a subus, who seemed to be in herte teens, shouted. "Fine. I''ll wake Her Majesty. I''ll also call first dibs on the boys that we will getter!"


    "W-Wait! No fair! I''ll go!"


    "No! I will go!"


    "B*tch! I saw them first! I''ll go!"


    "Hag! Shut up! Although you look young, you''re already several hundred years old. Can''t you just give us youngsters the first taste first? You can get the leftovers after we are done!"


    "Girl, you don''t have filial piety. I''ll get you for that!"


    While everyone was starting to fight about who would wake their queen, the beautiful girl with light-brown hair snuck away and escaped the scene.


    A few minutester, she knocked on a majestic golden gate, which was the entrance to their Queen''s Residence.


    "Hng�� what is it?" a voice that was as smooth as silk reached the girl''s ears, making her cheeks redden. "I told you girls not to wake me up when I''m taking a nap."


    "Y-Your Majesty, I apologize for waking you up, but something interesting happened," the beautiful girl with light-brown hair said. "Humans have appeared in the Dark Forest, and the Satyrs are currently ying with them. My Sisters and I are wondering if we can join in the fun. There are a few handsome guys in the group that have piqued our interest."


    The beautiful girl with light-brown hair heard a creaking sound and the golden gate in front of her opened wide.


    A momentter, arge canopy bed that could easily hold a hundred people appeared in her vision.


    "Humans appeared in the Dark Forest?" a peerless beauty slowly propped herself up from the bed. "How did they manage to get here in the Abyss? I thought that the Gates to Elysium and Sis had all been sealed by the Dragons and the Elves. Did they somehow unseal one by ident?"


    The beautiful girl with light-brown hair gazed at their Queen, who was said to be one of, if not the most, beautiful women in the Abyss.


    Her long pink hair draped over her skin, which was as white as cream and radiant with life.


    Her purple eyes which could easily captivate and charm any men and women sheid her eyes on seemed to glow faintly as she looked at the beautiful girl, who was kneeling on the floor and admiring her from a distance.


    The two devil-like horns that were on top of her head didn''t lessen her beauty. On the contrary, it highlighted them even more.


    She was scantily dressed, allowing the one who woke her up to see her voluptuous body that would make even an innocent boy blush upon seeing her.


    If Hereswith was the most beautiful woman that Lux had ever seen in his life, the moment he gazed at this peerless beauty, he would definitely say that the pink-haireddy was more beautiful than his foul-mouthed Grandmaster, Hereswith.


    "Thank you for informing me about this," the Subus Queen said with a smile. "They have some handsome boys in their group, right? I''ll make sure to let you choose one of them before your other sisters have some fun."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" the beautiful girl with light-brown hair smiled sweetly.


    The Subus Queen then waved her hand, and a projection appeared in front of her.


    Since everything within her Domain, including the Dark Forest, was her territory, she could view them without even leaving her castle.


    The moment that the battle appeared in front of her, azy smile appeared on her face.


    "Looks like Ampelos and his kin got a bit lucky," the Subus Queenmented. "There are many beauties in that group. I feel a little pity for those girls. In a few months, they will be giving birth to Satyrs."


    The subus girl giggled after hearing her Queen''sment.


    The Satyrs were very lustful creatures, and their essence was very potent. A Human woman would not be able to prevent themselves from bing pregnant once their womb was filled with their seed.


    Only the Subus, who specialized in consuming life force and essence, were safe from the Satyrs'' bestial prowess.


    Since they were neighbors, there were times when both sides would indulge in carnal activities together.


    Only their Queen didn''t partake in such orgies because she preferred to sleep in her room and visit Elysium and Sis through her Unique Ability, Dream Walking.


    However, when her gazended on the Boar that was fighting against one of the Satyrs, her eyes widened a bit as if she couldn''t believe what she was seeing.


    "Is she perhaps��"


    ��������������������


    Back in the Dark Forest��


    "You dumb boar! I''m not interested in you!" one of the Satyrs shouted in anger. "Go away!"


    The Satyr kicked Cai and the boar flew like a kite whose string had been cut, mming through countless trees in the forest, creating a path of destruction in her wake.


    "Cai!" Iris shouted. "Astra! Go to her!"


    The White Unicorn turned into a streak of lightning and flew to where Cai wasst seen.


    Iris then red hatefully at the Satyr that attacked her best friend and waved her hand.


    "Kill him!" Iris ordered and her Guardians moved as one in order to attack the Argonaut Ranked Satyr who had made their Master angry.


    The Blue Dragon unleashed a Dragon Breath, forcing the Satyr to back away. However, the scorpion-like tail of Iris'' ck Turtle stung its arm, making it cry out in pain.


    Seeing this opening, the White Tiger lunged at his target with his jaws opened wide. However, before he could even bite the Satyr''s neck, something hit the side of the White Tiger''s body and sent him flying in the opposite direction.


    "Hanz!" Iris shouted before hurtling a fireball at the Leader of the Satyrs, who casually brushed it aside as if it was just a small pebble that was thrown at him.


    "Thanks, Boss!" the Argonaut-Ranked Satyr said as he looked at Ampelos gratefully.


    "You''re wee," Ampelos chuckled. "Don''t underestimate this girl. After all, I have set my sights on her."


    "Boss, do you n to make her your mate?"


    "Yes. So I''ll deal with her now. You just handle the small fries."


    The Argonaut-Ranked Satyr bowed his head before charging at the ck Turtle that had snuck up and attacked it from behind.


    Ampelos then walked towards Iris with a confident look on his face.


    However, after taking a few steps forward, the Leader of the Satyrs stopped before dodging sideways.


    A momentter, a Dragon Breath flew harmlessly past him, making Iris'' expression turn grim.


    "You''re in the way," Ampelos said before flicking his hand and firing a dark ball of energy at the blue dragon who had fired a Dragon Breath in his direction.


    The attack was too fast for the blue dragon to dodge, and it was hit in the chest, sending it crashing through the trees behind it.


    "No! Lapiz!" Iris shouted after seeing that her Guardian Spirit was seriously injured by the Satyr''s attack.


    Currently, her Guardians were at the initial stages of the Argonaut Rank and were simply no match for an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster.


    "Although I don''t want to do this, you leave me no choice," the Satyr then disappeared from where he stood and reappeared behind Iris.


    He then lightly struck the back of her head, making the blue-haired beauty lose consciousness.


    "One down," Ampelos smiled as he supported Iris'' body, preventing her from falling to the ground. "Truly an exceptional beauty. I can''t wait to have my fun with youter."


    "Monster! Get your hands off of her!" Alicia shouted as she ran towards Ampelos with her sword zing with white mes.


    Due to Ampelos'' ability to read minds, the n that she had formted was easily thwarted, and their formation fell into chaos. Because of this, Iris and Cai were forced to fight in the hopes that they would find an opening for them to escape.


    Ampelos gave the Ranker, whose rank had degraded, a sneer and didn''t move from his spot.


    Alicia then swung her sword with the intention of cutting the Satyr''s head off, but thetter only raised his hand and caught the sword in a firm grip.


    "How?!" Alicia''s eyes widened in shock because she couldn''t believe that the Satyr was able to block her sword strike with such ease.


    Although her rank had degraded, her weapon was a Legendary Weapon, which could easily slice a boulder in half.


    "I''ll tell you a little secret," Ampelos said with a devilish smile on his face. "My body cannot be cut by any weapon. Even this sword in your hands has no power over me. Although you are also an exceptional beauty, I can''t be too greedy and hog all the girls for myself. Otherwise, my men will get angry. So do your best to satisfy them all, okay?"


    The Leader of the Satyr then gave Alicia a light kick, sending her high up in the air.


    A momentter, Alicia fell on the ground unconscious, making all the other Rankers despair. Originally, they still thought that they had a small chance of escaping, but after their initial n failed, the group fell into chaos.


    With their strongest fighter down for the count, there was no longer any way for them to resist the group of Satyrs, who had all of thempletely surrounded.

 Chapter 873 Do You Want Me To Save You? [Part 1]

    ?


    Hovering high in the air, the Subus Queen watched the skirmish happening on the ground with her arms crossed over her chest.


    With Alicia down for the count, causing the members of the expedition to fall into despair, their resistance weakened considerably, giving the Satyrs an easier time neutralizing them one by one.


    Although Xander, Malcolm, and the other Rankers were doing their best, their enemies were simply too strong and too many for them to handle.


    Suddenly, the corner of the Subus Queen''s lips rose when her gazended on the boar, whose body was starting to glow as it slowly propped itself up.


    A White Unicorn was right beside her, using healing magic to heal her injuries.


    Slowly but surely, Cai shed away her Boar Form and switched to her human form. The High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe then pressed her palms together as if praying to the Gods.


    A momentter, her attire changed to that of a High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe, and her entire body was covered with a white Aura that grew in intensity with each passing second.


    "Celestial Burst," the Subus Queen muttered. "I knew it. This girl has the Celestial Maiden Physique."


    The Celestial Burst ability was an exclusive skill that only those with the Celestial Maiden Physique could use. It would drastically increase their stats by 2000% for a brief period of time, sometimessting for only five to ten minutes.


    In return for this overwhelming power, they would burn away their current Rank until they regressed to that of a Beginner, which was below the Apostle Grade.


    In short, after the effect of this skill fades, Cai would lose all the progress that she had made and would have to start from scratch.


    "Astra, no matter what happens, your priority is to save Iris," Cai stated with a determined look on her face. "Leave us if you have to, but make sure to keep her safe. Also, find a way to return to Elysium or Sis."


    Astra nodded before transforming into his Demi-human form.


    This was his strongest ability, which he used to fight against Eiko in their battle at Barbatos Academy.


    "Let''s go," Cai took a step forward and instantly disappeared from where she stood.


    Staking everything on the line, she would do everything she could to save the people that were important to her.


    ��������������


    "Hahaha!" Ampelosughed loudly. "I already told you that resistance is futile. All of you should have epted your Fate earlier!"


    Xander and Malcolm were currently unable to prop themselves from the ground because the Satyrs were stepping on their heads with smug expressions on their faces.


    Only the two of them resisted until the very end, and the Satyrs beat them up until they no longer had the strength to stand.


    Suddenly, a blur of white light shed in front of Ampelos, which made him subconsciously dodge to the right.


    A secondter, a foot smashed against the side of his face, which sent him flying.


    Because of the unexpected situation, he dropped Iris, whom he had been carrying just a few seconds ago.


    Everything happened so fast that the Satyrs were unable to understand what had just happened to their Boss.


    However, when their gazended on the youngdy with light-brown hair, who was holding Iris in a princess carry, they understood that she might be one of the Humans that were identally transported into the Abyss.


    Astra, who had first attacked Ampelos and allowed Cai to deliver the decisive blow, reappeared beside the High Priestess and took Iris from her.


    "Go, Astra," Cai ordered. "Find a safe ce until help arrives. I''m sure Lux wille with reinforcements as soon as he hears the news. My Fiance is that kind of person."


    The first thing that Cai did after they were transported to the Abyss was contact Lux through the Guild Chat.


    But, for some reason, she was unable to use it. In fact, none of the Guild Features were working, including the Guild Buffs that strengthened her body.


    She also could not feel the Spirits that were always with her wherever she went in Sis and Elysium. It was as if she was transported to a different world with different rules that were in no way simr to the two worlds she was familiar with.


    Astra reluctantly nodded and transformed into a streak of lightning, flying away from the battlefield. Right now, his priority was to find a safe ce to hide, until reinforcements arrived.


    When her best friend was finally safe from harm, Cai once again disappeared from where she stood and reappeared beside the Satyr whose hoof was pinning Xander to the ground.


    With a powerful kick that showed no mercy, Cai smashed the Deimos-Ranked Satyr''s head like a watermelon, sending blood and pieces of flesh flying everywhere.


    Currently, Cai''s Rank was B-Rank, due to her Celestial Burst.


    She could fight toe-to-toe with Dreadnaught Ranked Monsters right now, so Argonaut Ranked Monsters and below were something that she could fight head-on.


    The High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe knew that time was limited, so she unleashed a fury of deadly blows to all the Satyrs that were weaker than her.


    Contrary to her looks, Cai was actually very proficient in hand-to-handbat.


    She and her sister, Rose, had been trained by their Grandpa in closebat from a young age.


    Maximilian believed that there mighte a time when his granddaughters might face foes who would think that they were helpless Priestesses who couldn''t defend themselves.


    The element of surprise could be a very deadly weapon, and Cai was now utilizing it to the fullest.


    Seeing his low-ranking subordinates being ughtered, Ampelos roared in anger and charged at Cai, who had just killed an Argonaut-Ranked Satyr.


    The High Priestess knew that she was not a match against the Leader of the Satyrs, so she ignored him. Using her fastest speed, she targeted another Deimos-Ranked Satyr, who had tried to run away from her.


    However, Cai was faster than him, and a secondter, her fist smashed against the Satyr''s back, punching a bloody hole through it.


    This time, the Dreadnaught-Ranked Satyrs finally decided that enough was enough and encircled Cai, preventing her from getting away.


    Ampelos also used this opportunity to jump inside the encirclement and attack Cai.


    The High Priestess barely dodged the Satyr Leader''s attack, forcing her to jump back. However, the Dreadnaught Ranked Satyr that was behind her kicked her towards Ampelos making Cai grit her teeth as she endured the pain.


    Knowing that this would probably be thest time she would get a chance, she twisted her body mid-air, and unleashed a round-house kick at the Leader of the Satyr, hoping that she would be able to deal great damage to him.


    But Ampelos was no pushover. After that surprise attack earlier, his guard was uppletely, so he was able to block Cai''s attack.


    Cai didn''t back down andunched a flurry of punches and kicks at Ampelos, who either dodged, blocked, or deflected her blows.


    Suddenly, as Cai was about to kick Ampelos on the side of his body, her legs lost their strength, causing her to lose bnce and fall to the ground.


    The White Aura that surrounded her earlier vanished without a trace, making her feel extremely weak, and unable to even lift a finger.


    "Hoh~ is that it?" Ampelos said in a cold tone. "What''s wrong, little girl? Did you finally run out of juice?"


    The Leader of the Satyrs walked towards Cai before crouching down to look at her closely.


    He then pulled up her hair, forcefully lifting her head off the ground to look at him in the face.


    "You did a good number to my subordinates, Young Lady," Ampelos growled, his eyes cold and ready to kill. "I don''t know what trick you used earlier, but I can tell that right now, you''re as weak as a child. But that won''t stop me from giving you the punishment you deserve!"


    Ampelos yanked Cai''s hair, making her cry out in pain. The leader of the Satyrs stood up and lifted the youngdy by the hair.


    "Although the other one escaped, it doesn''t matter," Ampelos stated. "You''re just as beautiful as her, so you will do nicely. For every Satyr you killed today, I''ll make sure that you give birth to the same amount and more. I will treat you as my personal broodmare until the day you die. If you want to me someone, me yourself for being a woman!"


    As if wanting to humiliate her in front of everyone, Ampelos'' hand reached out to grab Cai''s Priestess Clothes to tear them apart.


    The Leader of the Satyrs knew that his subordinates wanted nothing more than to get revenge on Cai by ravaging her body until she broke. So he decided to humor them and allow them to see the ce that all women held sacred.


    But just as Ampelos was about to tear Cai''s clothes apart, a voice that made the Leader of the Satyrs shudder reverberated in the surroundings.


    "That''s enough, Ampelos. If you don''t want to die, don''t do anything stupid."


    The Subus Queen descended from the sky andnded in front of the Leader of the Satyr with an amused look on her face.


    She then caressed the side of Cai''s face, who was still in pain from having her hair pulled, and smiled.


    "Tell me, little girl, do you want me to save you?" the Subus asked in a gentle and seductive tone. "All you need to do is say yes, and I''ll make sure that these boorish Satyrs no longer touch a strand of your hair or harm any of your friends. So, how about it?"


    The Subus Queen smiled sweetly, as she continued to caress the face of the youngdy who had piqued her interest.


    "I''ll ask again," the Subus Queen said softly. "Do you want me to save you?"

 Chapter 874 Do You Want Me To Save You? [Part 2]

    ?


    Cai had seen many beautiful girls, but she hadn''t seen someone as peerless as the woman in front of her.


    Thedy''s words which were as smooth as silk and sweet like honey passed through her ears, making her forget about the pain she was currently feeling.


    Before she could even properly think and consider the other party''s proposal, her lips moved on their own and said ''yes.''


    The smile on the peerless beauty''s face widened after hearing her answer.


    "You have three seconds to release her, Ampelos," the Subus Queen stated. "If you don''t, I''ll cut off your d*ck and feed it to the Hell Hounds."


    As if given the death sentence, Ampelos hastily released his grip on Cai''s hair, causing the girl to fall to the ground.


    However, the Queen of the Subus lifted her finger, and Cai floated in the air, unharmed.


    "Queen Rhiannon, what''s the meaning of this?" Ampelos said through gritted teeth, restraining his anger. "These Humans appeared in my territory and even killed several of my brethren. Are you saying that we are to endure this injustice, and allow you to take them all away?!"


    The other Satyrs were also unwilling, but they also didn''t dare to anger the Queen of the Subi, who was one of the Demigods of the Abyss.


    ������������


    (A/N: Demigod is the Supreme Version of Monsters. In short, they are stronger than Cmity ss Monsters.)


    ������������


    "Worry not, I will not take everyone, and I''ll even give you a small token of my appreciation," the Queen of the Subus, Rhiannon, said with a smile.


    She then looked at the six Ranker Ladies who belonged to the Skystead Alliance and Xynnar War Pact.


    Queen Rhiannon''s purple eyes glowed faintly as she activated her Charm Ability. This was no ordinary Charm Skill, for this skill was of the [Epic] Rank, only a level below the [Divine] Rank.


    "The six of you are not allowed tomit suicide, and you will treat the Satyrs as your lovers," Queen Rhiannon ordered. "Do I make myself clear?"


    The Six Ladies nked out for a brief moment before nodding their heads in unison.


    """We hear and obey, Your Majesty."""


    During the battle earlier, Queen Rhiannon noticed that there was a group of people that were desperately trying to protect Cai and Iris when the Satyrs had encircled them.


    The other Rankers seemed to belong to a different group and focused on defending only themselves.


    In order to maintain a good impression from Cai, she decided to "save" the people that were on her side. This included the members of the Rowan Tribe and Barbatos Academy, who desperately fought alongside Alicia to protect their people.


    "��This is not enough, Your Majesty!" Ampelos insisted. "I want her!"


    The Leader of the Satyr pointed at the purple-haired beauty, Henrietta, who was currently unconscious beside Alicia.


    "No," Cai said weakly. "Not Henrietta. She is a friend."


    Queen Rhiannon smiled as she once again caressed the side of Cai''s face.


    "Don''t worry, none of your friends will be hurt," Queen Rhiannon stated. "Do you also want me to look for your friend who escaped? I can do that as well if you want."


    "No." Cai shook her head. "Leave Iris alone."


    Queen Rhiannon nodded. "Fine. Now sleep, I''ll handle the rest."


    Cai was already very exhausted and was only hanging on through sheer willpower. After getting the beautifuldy''s assurance that none of her friends would be hurt, she finally cked out and lost consciousness.


    "You heard her," Queen Rhiannon smirked. "Her people are off limits. But don''t worry. You can have this aspensation."


    The Subus Queen raised her hand and a Beast Core, the size of a basketball appeared in front of Ampelos.


    "That is an Empyrean-Ranked World Boss Beast Core from an Abyssal Dragon," Queen Rhiannon. "No need to thank me. It''s yours."


    Without another word, the Subus Queen snapped her fingers, and all the members of the expedition, with the exception of the six Lady Rankers from the Skystead Alliance and Xynnar War Pact, floated in the air.


    Queen Rhiannon took all the men regardless of whether they were on Cai''s side or not because she nned to give them to her subordinates, who were very eager to have some fun with the Human males.


    Ampelos and the Satyrs could only watch with resentment as the Subus Queen flew away, carrying away with her the women who were supposed to fill the nursery with their young.


    When the Queen was no longer in sight, Ampelos smashed his fist on the ground with hatred.


    "You b*tch!" Ampelos growled in anger. "I swear I''m going to screw you silly someday, even if it''s thest thing I do!"


    The Leader of the Satyrs repeatedly punched the ground out of anger in order to vent out his frustration, creating arge crater under his feet.


    Only after several minutes passed did Ampelos manage to regain hisposure.


    He then hatefully nced at the Ranker Women that the Subus Queen had left behind.


    Although they weren''t half bad and were also prettydies, they were still nothingpared to Iris, Cai, Alicia, and Henrietta, whom Ampelos wanted to taste at least once.


    However, that was no longer possible, so he was left with this smallpensation in return for all the deaths of his subordinates.


    "We''re going back," Ampelos ordered before he picked up the prettiestdy among the six that were left to them. "You can have fun with the others, but make sure not to break them. Understood?"


    """Yes Boss!"""


    The Six Ladies, who had been charmed by Queen Rhiannon, didn''t resist and followed the Satyrs to theirir.


    Those who were watching the scene lead to this oue through the projection in Elysium could only clench their fists and cry out in anger after seeing the Fate of the Rankers that belonged to their faction.


    The battle in the Dark Forest was only a small part of the expedition force.


    The other Rankers who were teleported to random ces in the Abyss suffered worse fates, and some even died at the hands of Abyssal Creatures.


    This was perhaps the most tragic expedition that the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms had suffered in many years.


    Only the members of the Crystal Pce, who were exploring a different ce when the incident happened, were spared from the tragedy.


    Only a handful of their people, who had gone with the main group, were sucked in by the ck Hole. However, all of them were still alive because they seemed to have been transported to a deserted ce, somewhere in the Abyss.


    Even so, the fact still remained that no one knew if there was a way out of that ce.


    A ce where hope didn''t exist and where life could easily be snuffed out in the most unlikely of ces.

 Chapter 875 Time Waits For No One.

    ?


    Lux and Eiko were in the middle of their journey toward the Pantheon of Exile when his Guild Chat was flooded with news that made his face almost lose all color.


    "Lux! Iris and Cai were sucked into a ck Hole. They''re transported in the Abyssal World, alongside the majority of those who went inside the Gate of Apocalypse!" Vera said. "They were attacked by Satyrs and nearly kidnapped to be their broodmares. Fortunately, Cai had an ability that allowed her to gain enormous strength for a brief moment.


    "She used this skill in order to help Iris escape. She seeded, but when the effect of her burst of strength ended, Cai was captured by the enemy. I don''t know if it''s a good or bad thing, but she was saved from the Satyrs by some kind of Subus with unfathomable strength. Right now, everyone here is panicking and doesn''t know what to do."


    "Alexander and Maximilian nned to send all able-bodied C-Rankers and below from Barbatos Academy and the Rowan Tribe. The other Factions are also thinking about what to do next, but it seems that some of them n on doing the same. It isplete chaos here right now."


    Lux nced in the direction of the Pir of Light in the distance before closing his eyes.


    Gaap, who had also read the Guild Chat, was aware of what had happened. He knew that Iris and Cai were Lux''s fiances, and the Half-Elf loved both of them very much.


    Now, the red-headed teenager was faced with a very difficult choice, and the sight of his obvious struggle made the Halfling sigh in his heart.


    "Master, I need to go," Lux said through gritted teeth.


    He was clenching his fists so hard that they emitted cracking sounds.


    "Ma!" Eiko was also teary-eyed after understanding what was happening. Just like Lux, the Baby Slime loved Iris very much and would go to hell and back if that was what it would take to rescue her.


    "Understood," Gaap replied. "I roughly know the location of the Domain of the Fallen, but it will take some time for me to get there. You can go on ahead. I''ll wrap things up here in a bit."


    "Thank you, Master," Lux stated before turning into a beam of light that shot toward the heavens.


    He nned to return to Wildgarde Stronghold first, and then teleport to Barbatos Academy. From there, he would use the Teleportation Gate of the Academy to reach the location of the Domain of the Fallen.


    Gaap, who was left alone on the deck of the ship, heard a sshing sound behind him.


    The Halfling didn''t even bother to turn around and kept his gaze locked on the pirs of light in the distance.


    "Where is Eiko?" Lilian''s annoyed voice reached his ears. "Where did that Half-Elf take her?"


    Gaap sighed before facing the Wicked Queen Slime with aplicated look on his face.


    "Lux and Eiko had to go back to the Surface World in order to rescue someone very important to them," Gaap replied.


    "Rescue who?" Lilian frowned. "When will they be back?"


    "They went to rescue Lux''s fiance," Gaap answered. "As to how long it will take them to do that, no one knows. It can take a week, a month, or maybe even longer."


    The frown on Lilian''s face deepened. She couldn''t care less where the Half-Elf went. However, she wanted to help awaken Eiko''s bloodline because she felt that it was her duty to do so.


    Just like the Fairy Princess, the Wicked Queen Slime had evolved to be a member of the Royalty of the Slime Race. For her, making sure that Eiko became more powerful was a priority as it would ensure a brighter future for their race.


    "I''m also going back," Gaap stated. "Whatever Lux will face, I''m sure that it will not be someone simple."


    The Halfling then tossed something to Lilian, which thetter caught with ease.


    "That is amunication crystal," Gaap said. "You can contact me with that, but I won''t be able to reply to you if I am still in the Abyss. While we are away, think about my proposal. I will hear your answer when I return."


    "There is no need for that," Lilian replied while looking at Gaap with a determined look on her face. "Since Eiko is not here, staying here is pointless. Also, I have no attachment to this Kingdom."


    Gaap smiled because he didn''t expect Lilian to agree to his proposal. He thought that he would have to wait until they returned to Agartha before the Wicked Queen Slime came to a decision.


    "Very well, let''s go." Gaap nodded. "Time waits for no one."


    Gaap and Lilian then both turned into beams of light that shot up towards the sky, leaving behind the ship Octavius, who would remain in the Purple Sea of Death until they came back to finish what they started.


    ��������������������������


    Inside Lux''s and Vera''s house in Wildgarde Stronghold��


    The moment Lux opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar setting.


    This was the ce he would always return to once he returned to Sis from Elysium.


    However, he was surprised to see two people standing in front of him as if waiting for his arrival.


    They were none other than the God of Games, Eriol, and his Patron God, the God of Gamblers, Max.


    "Before you go to the Abyss, there are a few things I need to tell you," Eriol stated in a serious tone. "Some of your abilities won''t work in the Abyssal World because it is a different ne of existence. That world has a differentw, and unless you were born in that world from the start, you are bound to suffer some restrictions as long as you are there."


    Max nodded in agreement to Eriol''s words. The two Gods knew that Lux was in a hurry to save his Fiances'', so they no longer dallied and told him everything he needed to know.


    "Your Heaven''s Call won''t work in the Abyss," Eriol stated. "You will be unable to summon your Guild Members to aid you in battle. You also cannot instantly teleport from the Abyss back to Sis or Elysium. Like I said earlier, that world is not under my control.


    "Because of this, Cross Teleportation is not possible. Also, any C-Ranker, and above, with the exception of Saints, will find their ranks regressing by one stage. The reason for this is due to an invisible miasma that is ever present in the Abyssal World.


    "It is simr to air. Something that you cannot see, but still exists. Since you are a D-Ranker, you are not affected by this invisible Miasma, but the people that have been sucked inside, like Alicia, have weakened considerably.


    "Lastly, I do not know of any open gate or portal in the Abyssal World that will connect to Elysium or Sis.


    "These gateways have long been sealed, and only special ces like Zangr, whose existence hovers between the Abyssal World and Elysium, can allow Empyrean-Ranked Abyssal Monsters and below to appear in Elysium.


    "However, the Abyssal World has manyyers and is unending. No matter how hard you search for such an exit, it might take you years in order to find one."


    Eriol then tossed a storage bag towards Lux, which contained twenty white marbles.


    "The white marbles in your possession are consumable Divine Artifacts that can open a ck Hole that will directly send you back to Elysium," Eriol exined. "I have set its return coordinates to the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen. Take note that the ck Hole will onlyst for half a minute. So once it is activated, you and the others must enter it right away.


    "Take note that if any Abyssal Creatures enter the portal at that time, they will also be sent to Elysium. Because of this, I need to stress the point that you need to choose a good time, and ce, to open such a portal. We don''t want to bring a ridiculously strong Abyssal Noble into our own world, right?"


    Lux nodded in understanding. He also didn''t want something that dangerous to appear in Elysium, so he took Eriol''s words to heart.


    "Take this as well," Max threw a marble to Lux that was half white and half ck, which reminded him of the Yin Yang Symbol. "It works the same way as Eriol''s white marbles, but it will take you to a random ce in Elysium. It is quite faulty, but take it as a good luck charm."


    "Thank you, Eriol, Max, for your help," Lux replied. "If there is nothing else that I need to know, I will go now."


    "Go," Eriol stated. "And good luck."


    Lux bowed gratefully to the two Gods before running towards the entrance of their house.  He still needed to go to Barbatos Academy in order to use their teleportation gate.


    Right now, he was in a race against time.


    Alexander and Maximilian were still members of Lux''s guild, and both of them were waiting for him at Barbatos Academy. The three of them would travel to the location of the Domain of the Fallen and do whatever they could in order to save their people.


    Meanwhile, Gaap and Lilian arrived at Lux''s Guild Headquarters in the territory of the Crystal Pce.


    Since the Halfling had no time to give Lilian a tour, he simply asked the Wicked Queen Slime to follow him to the Teleportation Gate.


    Their n was to teleport to the Capital City of the Crystal Pce, and from there, use another Teleportation Gate to teleport somewhere near the location of the Domain of the Fallen.


    Gaap knew how dangerous the Abyssal World was, and he would definitely do his best to help his disciple, who was forced to abandon his mission in order to save his two fiances, who were both at the mercy of the Abyss.

 Chapter 876 Lux’s Arrival At The Gate Of The Fallen

    ?


    After teleporting to Barbatos Academy, Lux didn''t bother going anywhere else and simply headed straight to the exclusive teleportation gate of the Academy, which brought him to the location of the Domain of the Fallen.


    Although he had to travel for at least a mile to reach his destination, this distance wasn''t a big deal for him anymore.


    When he arrived, he saw several people with grim expressions on their faces. This just cemented how terrible this tragedy was, and almost all Factions had sent their best C-Rankers and below, to explore the Gate of the Apocalypse.


    Losing these people was tantamount to losing the strength of their nations, which would affect their manpower.


    There were also groups of people who seemed to be in a heated discussion as they discussed their next course of action.


    Lux ignored all of them and headed straight to the three people, who were there waiting for his arrival.


    "Lux, you''re finally here!" Maximilian grabbed the Half-Elf''s shoulders with firm hands. "Cai�� Cai was��"


    "I already know, Grandpa Maximilian," Lux replied. "Don''t worry, I will do my best to save her."


    Vera and Alexander also looked at Lux with hopeful gazes.


    Both of them were Saints, so it was impossible for them to go and rescue Iris. There was a restriction ced in the Domain of the Fallen, and it prevented anyone whose rank was above C-Rank from entering its Domain.


    If Vera, Alexander, and Maximilian had their way, they would definitely go to the Abyss regardless of the dangers that they would face in order to rescue their people.


    Lux was feeling just as restless as they were, but he forced himself to remain calm and tried to gather as much information as possible.


    "Tell me what happened. I would appreciate it if you didn''t skimp on even the minor details no matter how unrted they seem," Lux stated. "I want to have a better understanding of what I am about to face when I enter the Abyss."


    Vera nodded and told Lux everything from the very start until the part where Cai was saved by the Subus Queen.


    A frown appeared on Lux''s face after hearing that the Subus Queen had used a Charm Spell to the Rankers of the Skystead Alliance and Xynnar War Pact.


    Although he knew that this question sounded out of ce, he still asked it for the sake of his own safety.


    "How strong is the Subus Queen?" Lux asked. "Also, is she scantily dressed, revealing almost her entire body?"


    Vera, Alexander, and Maximilian didn''t find any fault in Lux''s first question because this was a logical question.


    However, his second question made them look weirdly at the Half-Elf, who had aplicated look on his face at the moment.


    "ording to our estimate, she is either a Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Noble or higher," Vera replied. "If not, her influence and reputation seems so great, that even an Empyrean Ranked Alpha Satyr is afraid of offending her."


    Lux sighed internally because Cmity ss Monsters and above was something that he had no hope of defeating.


    The Wicked Queen Slime, Lilian, was a Cmity ss Monster, and her presence alone was enough to give Lux goosebumps.


    If he knew that what he was about to face wasn''t a Cmity-Ranked Monster, but instead someone of the Demigod Rank, the Half-Elf might even break down, knowing that he was about to embark on a rescue mission that was nearly impossible to seed.


    "To answer your second question, she is indeed scantily dressed," Alexander stated. "Not to mention, her beauty is otherworldly. Even through the projection, we can tell that even without using her Charm Spell she could easily charm anyone as long as she put effort into it.


    The frown on Lux''s face deepened because his worst fears came to life.


    It might still be possible for him to resist the Subus Queen''s Charm Spell. But if he was faced with his weakness, his chances of resisting it would certainly drop by half.


    After learning everything that he had to know, Lux still didn''t enter the Gate of the Fallen. Instead, he showed Vera, Alexander, and Maximilian the White Marbles in his possession.


    "These marbles have the ability to create a ck hole that willst for half a minute," Lux exined. "If you enter that ck hole, you will be teleported to this ce. This is the means that I n to use to bring Iris, Cai, and the others back to Elysium."


    After hearing Lux''s words, some of the Rankers who were secretly paying attention to them, immediately walked up to the Half-Elf and demanded that he give them a few of the White Marbles in order to conduct their own rescue missions to save their people.


    Just as everyone was getting riled up, a loud voice spread in the surroundings, making them all turn to look behind them.


    "You filthy Low Landers should calm down for a bit."


    Poro, who had also been dispatched by Lady Augustina to save the Dragon Borns in the Abyss, had finally arrived at the scene.


    "I know that you want to save your subordinates, but fighting amongst ourselves right now isn''t the best thing to do," Poro stated, releasing the powers of a Saint, and pressuring everyone to back down.


    "Everyone, don''t worry, I nned to give all the factions three marbles each so that you can save your members," Lux exined. "However, I will not give more than that. First and foremost, these consumable artifacts belong to me, and I would appreciate it if you did not impose your demands on me.


    "All of us here want to save our people. I hope that we can all work together to achieve that means, and ovee this unforeseen tragedy together."


    Lux was very understanding of the current situation and wasn''t selfish enough to hog all the White Marbles for himself.


    He had already nned to give the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, and the Six Kingdoms, three White Marbles each so that they could conduct their own rescue operation.


    As for the Crystal Pce, Lux also intended to give three marbles to Poro because they were his allies.


    This only left eight marbles in his possession, which he deemed were enough to save Iris, Cai, and the others from the Abyss.


    A few minutester, Gaap arrived at the entrance of the Domain of the Fallen.


    No one paid any attention to him because they thought that he was simply an emissary from one of the Factions that were currently trying to figure out a way to rescue their members.


    Aside from that, he was only of the Apostle Rank, so people didn''t give him much attention.


    When Lux saw his Master, he felt a bit relieved. For him, Gaap was someone who could help him ovee a potential battle with the Subus Queen, who had "saved" Cai from the Satyrs.


    Even Vera, Alexander, and Maximilian were quite thankful that Gaap had arrived. They were unable to go to the Abyss, but the Halfling could.


    This gave them hope that if Gaap was able to apany Lux to save their family members, the chances of sess would be significantly higher.


    "Tell me the details," Gaap stated as soon as he stood beside his Disciple. "Also, if possible, describe to me the appearance of the Subus Queen as clearly as you can. I might have a way to identify her and know her location in the Abyss."


    Lux suddenly remembered that his Master had captured the Soul of an Abyssal Noble back when they were in the Gate of Famine.


    If what he was thinking was right, his Master would seek the answers from the Soul of the Abyssal Noble, who currently had no way to escape the Halfling''s grasp.

 Chapter 877 Not Strong Enough For This Mission

    ?


    After hearing the full details of what had happened, Gaap summoned the Abyssal Soul that he had captured and started to interrogate it.


    "Hahaha!" the silver-haired Abyssal Noble''s Soulughed out loud. "You lowly mortals thought that you could get the Beast Core of a Noble Abyssal like me? Serves you right! I cast a Grand Spell on my Core so that, if it was ever taken away, it would create a gateway that would give you all a one-way trip to the Abyss!"


    The faces of everyone at the Gate of the Fallen contorted in anger as they red at the Soul who was currently gloating due to their dire circumstances.


    "Did you have fun?" Gaap asked. "Laugh more. For everyugh you release, I will make sure to burn your soul with Necromantic mes. Let''s see if you can feel smugter."


    With those words, the Soul immediately stoppedughing and shuddered from simply imagining Gaap''s threat. Ever since he was captured, the Halfling would torture him and force him to reveal some of his deepest and darkest secrets.


    Gaap had asked the Abyssal Soul many questions about the Abyss during his free time, gaining great insight about thend beyond the void.


    Seeing that the Abyssal Soul was behaving, Gaap once again asked him a question.


    "Do you know the identity of the Subus Queen in the Abyss?" Gaap asked.


    "Are you talking about that b*tch, Rhiannon?" the Abyssal Soul replied. "If your people were sent to her territory, then you should forget about them. After all, that slut, Rhiannon is a Demigod. She''s one of the most powerful figures in the Abyss, and only a handful of individuals would dare to mess with her."


    Gasps of shock and disbelief were heard in their surroundings as the Abyssal Soul revealed Rhiannon''s Rank.


    Even Gaap frowned after hearing that the enemy was a Demigod.


    ''If she was only a Cmity-Ranked Creature, then I could deal with her,'' Gaap thought. ''But, if she is really a Demigod, I will need Antero''s full power in order to defeat her.''


    Using Antero''s full might drain Gaap''s lifespan greatly.


    This was why he had only been using Partial Summoning in order to preserve his second rebirth, which Lux had imparted to him.


    "Do you know her weakness?" Gaap inquired.


    "That b*tch has no weakness," the Abyssal Soul replied. "Well, maybe if you are handsome enough, she can make you her ything. At least, you won''t die if you are captured by her."


    The Abyssal Soul then nced hatefully at the Half-Elf, who was the source of his downfall. Currently, he wanted nothing more than to see Lux be Rhiannon''s ything and watch the Subus Queen drain his life essence until he died.


    "Where is her territory located?" Gaap asked.


    "The Thirteenth Layer of the Abyss," the Soul answered. "We often refer to her as the B*tch Queen, because she is the Queen of all those Subi whores who will fornicate with any demi-human creature as long as they have a d*ck!"


    Gaap asked a few more questions, and he found out that in everyyer of the Abyss, there was a portal that led to theyer above it and theyer below it.


    These were characterized by ck and Gray portals.


    The ck Portals lead to the loweryer, while the Gray Portals lead to the upperyer.


    ording to the Abyssal Soul, there were hundreds, and maybe even thousands of Layers of the Abyss, with eachyer spanning countless miles.


    He added that the Abyss was still expanding, which is what had allowed it to breach through several worlds, which the Abyssal Creatures had already conquered.


    Even today, they regret that they were still unable to conquer Sis and Elysium due to the Unified Resistance of the people living there, which kept thwarting their ns of invasion.


    After hearing everything they needed to hear, Gaap unsummoned the Soul and looked at his Disciple.


    "We are up against a Demigod," Gaap stated. "Are you prepared to die?"


    Lux nodded. Even if the chance of seeding was small, he wouldn''t back down from the mission to save his two fiances, whom he loved very much.


    "Originally, I intended to ask the three of you to join us, but you are not strong enough for this mission," Gaap said as he looked at Vera, Alexander, and Maximilian.


    The people who were quietly listening earlier found the Halfling''s words very amusing.


    For an Apostle to say that the three Saints were "not strong enough" was quite hrious. If he considered the Saints to not be strong enough, then what could possibly be his definition of strong?


    But Vera, Alexander, and Maximilian didn''t say anything to refute Gaap''s ims. They had fought alongside the Halfling when they were fighting against the Divine Army of Light.


    Others may not know how strong Gaap was, but they had seen him fight alongside Antero, making them change their opinion of him.


    "Can we really not join you?" Maximilian asked. He was very unwilling to just watch as Lux and Gaap took a gamble with their lives.


    Gaap firmly shook his head. "You can''t. Our opponent is a Demigod who has a very powerful Charm Ability. If the three of you got charmed, then bringing you with us might only make the situation worse.


    "I am somewhat immune to Charm because of my Master. Lux, on the other hand, can also resist Charm, so he is good to go. The three of you don''t have such abilities, so you will only end up being liabilities instead of assets. Lastly, we need you here just in case something unexpected happens."


    Gaap then held up one of the White Marbles that Lux had given him.


    "Once this is used, a ck Hole will appear and create a gateway to this world. If some Abyssal Creatures were to slip through, it would be your job to eliminate them as soon as possible. We can''t risk having a strong Abyssal Noble reach our world. That would be catastrophic."


    The Saints from the various factions all tensed after hearing Gaap''s statement. Even Poro, who hade with four other Saints from the Crystal Pce for the rescue mission, frowned upon hearing that there was a chance an Abyssal Noble coulde into their world.


    Gaap then scanned the surroundings before pointing at Poro and his team of Saints.


    "The five of you wille with us," Gaap stated. "Dragon Borns have resistance stronger than the average man, so you guys will do."


    "We are Saints," one of the Dragon Borns replied. "The Domain of the Fallen only allows C-Rankers and below. How can we possibly bypass its restrictions?"


    "Naturally, I have a way of bringing you guys with me," Gaapmented. "The only question is, do you dare to go to the Abyss with us?"


    The Dragon Borns felt as if their pride as one of the strongest Races in Elysium was being questioned. Because of this, all of them spoke up to affirm that they would apany Gaap if he really knew of a way to bypass the restrictions of the Domain of the Fallen.


    Only Poro didn''t react the way hisrades did and remained silent, which was very surprising for his character.


    "There is something that I''d like to say first," Poro said. "The Crystal Pce and Lux''s Guild are allies. However, we can''t possibly help you fight against a Demigod. The reason why we are here is to save our own people.


    "Even so, since we will owe you a great debt of gratitude, I alone will apany you to face that Subus Queen. My otherrades will not interfere and focus on bringing our people back home."


    Lux, who thought that Poro would dere that he really wouldn''t help him, sighed in his heart.


    ''No wonder Cethus likes Poro,'' Lux thought. ''Although he is stubborn and arrogant, he knows how to repay debts.''


    The other Saints of the different Factions, namely the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact also asked Gaap to allow them to go to save their countrymen.


    Gaap agreed but he made sure to let them know that he would only bring them to the Abyss. What happened afterward was no longer his concern.


    "Gather around me," Gaap ordered. "I will only do this once, so if you guys back out, then I will not take you with me. Remember this, don''t resist."


    Without another word, Gaap summoned a miniature version of Antero''s head, which was around five meters tall.


    The Golem of Destruction then opened its mouth to suck up all the Saints around Gaap, temporarily storing them inside his body.


    Eiko had the same ability, but Lux and Gaap both agreed that this was something that they should keep a secret from others. Since the Baby Slime looked harmless, they''d like to keep it that way for as long as they could.


    "Let''s go," Gaap said after he was done.


    Lux nodded and both of them pressed their hands against the Gate of the Fallen.


    A secondter, Lux and Gaap transformed into particles of light that flew towards the center of the Gate, leaving behind the people who were hoping beyond hope that they would seed in their rescue mission.

 Chapter 878 Go And Clean This Up Quickly

    ?


    "So, that''s the ck Hole," Lux narrowed his eyes as he looked at the five-meter-tall ck orb in the distance. "Master, to ensure that the two of us do not get separated when we enter, we should let Eiko store us inside her body."


    Gaap agreed with Lux''s suggestion, knowing that this was definitely the best option for them to enter the abyss.


    "Eiko, make sure to release Lux and me as soon as we arrive in the Abyss," Gaap stated. "There might be monsters lurking in the ce where you arrive, so the sooner we are out, the better."


    "Un!" Eiko nodded.


    She then opened her mouth and swallowed the Half-Elf and the Halfling inside her body before flying in the direction of the ck Hole.


    As soon as she came within its range, the Baby Slime felt a very powerful force pulling her toward its center.


    She felt a bit scared, but she made no effort to resist and allowed herself to be sucked into the gateway towards the Abyss.


    A few secondster, Eiko appeared in a ce that was surrounded by many active volcanoes. Volcanic plumes were rising from these volcanoes, and the temperature in the surroundings was quite high.


    After making sure that there were no Monsters nearby, Eiko immediately spat Lux and Gaap out from inside her body.


    "This is the Abyss?" Lux appraised his surroundings, and his Master, Gaap, did the same.


    The Halfing then summoned the Abyssal Soul and asked him a question.


    "What Layer of the Abyss is this?" Gaap asked.


    The Abyssal Soul looked around his surroundings for a brief moment before giving his answer.


    "The Seventh Layer of the Abyss," the Abyssal Soul replied. "This ce is called the Volcanic Pit, and several Fire-Type Abyssal Creatures are living in this ce. The ruler of this ce is the Six-Headed Hydra, Jazkia, a Cmity-Ranked Monster. Jazkia has the ability to regenerate its body, so it''s a very troublesome opponent."


    "Is it safe to assume that every Layer of the Abyss has a Cmity-Rank and above ruling it?" Gaap inquired.


    "For most Layers, this is true," the Abyssal Soul replied. "However, there are some Layers of the Abyss where several Abyssal Nobles share the Abyssal ne. These Abyssal Nobles can be found on the 100th Layer and below."


    After getting the information he needed, Gaap unsummoned the Soul and called out Antero.


    "Antero, spit them out," Gaap ordered.


    The Head of the Golem of Destruction appeared and did as Gaapmanded.


    One by one, it spat out the Dragon Born Saints, as well as the Human High-Rankers that had been sent to rescue the members of their faction.


    As soon as these High-Rankers appeared, they immediately noticed that their Ranks had regressed by one stage.


    However, they were prepared for this, so this didn''te as a surprise to them.


    The Dragon Born Saints, on the other hand, didn''t regress, which relieved them greatly.


    Just as Gaap was about to tell everyone that they would now go their separate ways, a loud roar was heard in the distance.


    Lux then immediately summoned his Soul Book to check his map to see what kind of creature it was.


    But to his surprise, he saw dozens of green blinking dots moving in their direction.


    Right behind them, one big red dot, apanied by six smaller ones, was in hot pursuit of what Lux assumed were people from the Skystead Alliance, Xynnar War Pact, Six Kingdoms, or the Crystal Pce.


    All the people that were around Lux nced at each other before nodding their heads at the same time.


    Without even speaking a word, they all headed in the direction where the roar came from in order to check what was happening.


    Lux and Gaap followed them as well, and within a minute, they were met with a scene of a dozen Dragon Borns and humans being chased by a Giant Smander that was an Empyrean Ranked World Boss Monster.


    The Compendium was able to identify the creature, and its species was Red-Scaled Fiery Smander.


    Running alongside it were Smanders half its size and had purple skin coloration.


    They were called Purple-Scaled Venomous Smanders, and these Smanders were all Argonaut-Ranked Monsters.


    The High-Rankers, whose ranks had regressed by one stage, didn''t even bat an eye and charged toward the Smanders that were chasing their people.


    These High-Rankers were the best fighters that their respective Kingdom possessed, and they were all proficient in fighting strong monsters together.


    "Go and clean this up quickly," Poro ordered the other Saints that apanied him in the rescue operation. "We have people to save."


    The Four Saints nodded their heads and obeyed Poro''smand. With them joining the battle, the Smanders were easily subdued, which made the survivors cheer in happiness.


    "Don''t worry. All of you are safe now," Poro said to the Dragon Borns that belonged to the Crystal Pce. "Where are the others?"


    "Three of ourrades died while we were fleeing the Smanders," one of the Dragon Borns reported. "As for the others, we have no idea. We got separated after entering this cursed ce."


    Poro sighed in his heart. He had already expected that some of the people they had sent to conquer the Gate of Apocalypse would die in the Abyss.


    ''I just hope that there will be no more casualties on our side,'' Poro thought with a pained expression on his face.


    After the battle ended, they collected the corpses of the monsters.


    Everyone then agreed to gather together in one ce to discuss their next course of action.


    "My Disciple and I will go to the 13th Layer of the Abyss," Gaap stated. "As for you guys, you can choose to go wherever you want. Just know that everyyer of the Abyss has many powerful Monsters. If I am to make a suggestion, the Saints and the High-Rankers should go as a team and save people together."


    "You already have the White Marbles with you, so feel free to use them anytime," Luxmented. "Remember, do not use them when there are many monsters around you. We must prevent the Abyssal Creatures from entering our world through the ck Holes you will create."


    After further discussion, the Dragon Borns, and the High-Rankers all agreed to send the first batch of survivors to Elysium.


    They deemed that it was not wise to move into such a big group as it would attract many monsters to them. Also, since the survivors'' strength had regressed, they''d be more of a burden than a helper. It would be a troublesome thing for the High-Rankers to try to protect them while fighting strong monsters.


    When the first batch of survivors finally appeared at the Entrance of the Gate of the Fallen, many people cheered. They finally regained their hope of reuniting with their trappedrades in the Abyss.


    "Let''s separate now," Gaap said. "Are you stilling with us, Poro?"


    "Of course, Halfling," Poro replied. "I already gave my word, and I don''t n to back out of it."


    Poro then apanied Lux and Gaap until they were out of sight of the others who hade with them to the Abyss.


    The Half-Elf didn''te to the Abyss without a n. Eiko had the ability to instantly teleport to him or Iris as long as they were both on the same ne of Existence.


    After making sure that Poro wasn''t wearing any artifacts that would project what they were doing to those in Elysium, the Half-Elf asked the Dragon Born to allow himself to be swallowed by Eiko.


    The Dragon Born didn''t resist and allowed the Baby Slime to swallow him. A momentter, she swallowed Lux and Gaap once more, storing them safely inside her body.


    The Baby Slime then used its skill, Family Bond [EX], and turned into a beam of light that traveled towards the 13th Layer of the Abyss in order to finally reunite with her Mama, who was currently being protected by her rival, Astra.

 Chapter 879 Iris’ Resolve

    ?


    Two hours before Lux and Gaap arrived in the Abyss��


    "Ugh��" Iris opened her eyes and found herself in a dimly lit ce that had a musty smell.


    "You''re finally awake, Iris," Astra, who had returned to his Unicorn Form and was guarding the entrance of the cave, immediately approached her.


    "Astra?" Iris ced a hand over her forehead in an attempt to ease the headache that she was feeling.


    However, when her consciousness cleared and she recalled what had happened to everyone in their group, she momentarily forgot the pain she was feeling and looked at her Guardian with a grim expression on her face.


    "Where is Cai?" Iris asked. "Where are Alicia, Henrietta, and the other members of Serenity?"


    "��I don''t know," Astra replied. "After Cai''s sneak attack seeded, she ordered me to take you away from the battlefield. I do not know what happened afterward."


    Iris clenched her fists tightly while doing her best to keep herself calm.


    She knew that if she allowed her emotions to get the best of her, she wouldn''t be able to make rational decisions, let alone save the people dear to her.


    "Hanz, Lapiz, Myrtle,e," Iris ordered as she summoned her Guardian Beasts.


    The White Tiger, the Blue Dragon, and the ck Turtle appeared before her. All of them had sustained serious injuries.


    Iris didn''t hesitate and took out healing potions, which were specifically made for Beasts, in order to help her Guardians recover from their injuries.


    Whenever she went to Elysium to join her Guild, Serenity, in subduing monsters in the Dungeons, her Guardians would often take the brunt of the damage to prevent any casualties from happening.


    Because of this, Iris always carried dozens of potions with her in order to help her Guardians recover faster.


    Half an hourter, her summons had all been treated, and Iris told them to rest in order to recover their strength.


    She knew that she would need her Guardians to be at their peak if she wanted to go and rescue Cai and the others from the Satyrs.


    While the others were resting, Iris took out a blue potion from her storage ring and removed her dress.


    She then summoned a full-body mirror and looked at it with determination.


    Her body which the Leader of the Satyr, Ampelos, lusted over, was reflected on the surface of the mirror.


    Lux had treated it with great care whenever the two of them made love with each other as if it was one of the most precious things in the world.


    Iris then opened the potion and dipped her finger inside of it. After her fingertip was dyed by the contents inside the potion, she then drew the symbol of the ck Turtle on her forehead.


    This symbol represented longevity, wisdom, and protection.


    When she was done, she proceeded to draw the symbol of the White Tiger on her left arm.


    This symbol represented strength and bravery.


    Once she was done drawing the Symbol of the White Tiger, she then drew the symbol of the Blue Dragon on her right arm.


    This symbol represented power, fortune, and prosperity.


    When she was finished, she once again dipped her hand inside the potion before drawing the symbol of the Red Phoenix on her chest.


    Just like the others, this symbol had a meaning. It represented passion, love, beauty, and rebirth.


    After drawing these symbols, several rune markings appeared on the blue-haired beauty''s body that glowed faintly, empowering Iris and blessing her with the strength of the Four Mythical Beasts under hermand.


    Each symbol glowed with a different color.


    ck, blue, white, and red.


    However, they were not the only symbols that were shining on Iris'' body.


    Located on her lower abdomen, a golden symbol glowed faintly.


    This symbol was heart-shaped with six wings spread wide on the side. Only two people in the world had this symbol on their bodies.


    Iris and Cai.


    The two people who had been marked by Lux as his women and the two whom he loved dearly.


    Iris lightly caressed this mark because even though they were worlds apart, her beloved was always with her wherever she went.


    "Don''t worry, Lux," Iris said softly as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "I will save Cai, as well as the others. After that, we will all go back together, safe and sound. We will return to you, Lux."


    When the runes that were circling Iris'' body stopped glowing, she took a dress out of her storage ring and put it on.


    This dress was as light as silk, but it was as hard as Dragon Scales. It was gifted by her father, and it was meant to keep her safe from harm.


    Now, she wore it not to protect herself, but to protect others instead.


    Astra, who had returned to guarding the entrance of the cave when Iris started drawing the symbols on her body, returned and waited for his mistress'' orders.


    "We leave in half an hour, Astra," Iris said as she poured some healing potions over Astra''s body in order to help him regain his strength and stamina. "Get some rest until then."


    The White Unicorn nodded and crouched down on the ground to rest, boosting the speed of his recovery.


    Although it didn''t show on his face, Astra was quite exhausted. He had fought against the Satyrs, and after that, he fled the battlefield as fast as he could in order to find a safe ce for Iris.


    He also stood guard until the blue-haired beauty regained her consciousness. During this entire time, Astra was on edge and was also feeling guilty for leaving Cai and the others behind.


    So, when he realized that his Mistress had decided to use her true power in order to save the others, Astra vowed that, no matter what happened, he would do his best to assist Iris in rescuing everyone.


    While her Guardian Spirits rested, Iris sat cross-legged on the ground in order to meditate.


    She knew that she had to be physically, mentally, and spiritually ready in order to harness the full powers of the Four Mythical Beasts that would merge with her body, granting her the power of four Argonaut-Ranked Alpha Monsters.


    That was Iris'' current limit because her original Rank was not high enough to include Astra.


    Just like the others, Iris had just be an E-Ranker and had awakened some of her Unique Abilities as a Mythical Beast Tamer.


    Once she became a D-Ranker, she would also be able to merge the power of 5 Argonaut-Ranked Monsters with her body.


    When she became a C-Ranker, she would be able to harness the power of 5 Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters.


    When she became a Saint, she would be able to merge the power of Cmity-Ranked Monsters with her body, making her a true powerhouse that no one would dare to offend.


    But this was still far off in the future, and the current Iris could only use a fraction of her true powers.


    Finally, after half an hour, Iris opened her eyes.


    Her Guardians also stirred one by one and looked at their mistress with determination.


    Myrtle, the ck Turtle.


    Hanz, the White Tiger.


    Lapiz, the Blue Dragon.


    And Zoe, the Red Phoenix, all turned into colorful rays of light and flew towards the symbols on Iris'' body, sharing their power with her.


    Astra neighed and made a gesture for Iris to mount his back, which thetter obliged.


    "Let''s go, everyone," Iris said softly as Astra ran out of the cave in order to head to the Dark Forest. "To Damnation and Beyond."

 Chapter 880 Iris Versus Ampelos [Part 1]

    ?


    Astra was very sensitive to the presence of Monsters, so he could easily pinpoint the Lair of the Satyrs.


    When they got close to theirir, Iris could vaguely hear the voices of the women suffering pain and pleasure at the same time.


    Knowing what was happening, her face immediately turned grim. However, she contained herself and didn''t charge recklessly. Instead, she stealthily snuck towards the location of the sound, using the trees as cover.


    Astra had recovered enough to transform into his demi-human form again, but he knew that he could only use it for a limited amount of time.


    Even so, he needed to be in his full power in order to protect Iris from the Satyrs, who were busy fornicating with the Rankers that the Subus Queen had given them.


    The blue-haired beauty sighed in relief when she realized that Cai, Alicia, and Henrietta were not among the women that the Satyrs were embracing. Although she felt sorry for the women in front of her, she didn''te to rescue them because her friends were her priority.


    Also, she didn''t want to suddenly alert the Satyrs of her presence, so she continued to sneak around the Satyr''s Lair, trying to search for any traces of herpanions.


    "Iris, I only sense the presence of one more woman, but she is inside that cave," Astra said through telepathy. "It is impossible to enter it without being noticed by the Satyrs. So, I have a n. I will distract them, while you sneak inside and see if any of your friends are inside. If they are not there, please, escape as fast as you can. Do we have an understanding?"


    Iris nodded. "I understand. Be safe, Astra."


    The handsome young man with silver hair and a horn protruding from his forehead smiled and assured Iris that, if he wanted to escape, none of the Satyrs could catch up to him.


    A momentter, lightning bolts descended on the Satyrs who were busy with their lovemaking.


    Astra didn''t hold back and unleashed his strongest attacks with pinpoint uracy, preventing any of the lightning bolts from hitting the women.


    "You bastard! How dare you?!" one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked Satyrs roared in anger before summoning a bow.


    The other Satyrs did the same and a momentter, Elemental Arrows flew in Astra''s direction, forcing the Unicorn to back away.


    However, in order to ensure that the Satyrs would focus on him, he kept attacking them with lightning bolts while slowly backing away.


    Enraged from their orgy being forced toe to an abrupt halt, the Satyrs charged in Astra''s direction, leaving the Lair unprotected.


    When Iris was sure that all the Satyrs had left, she snuck inside the cave to see if any of herrades were being held captive, or worse, being embraced by the vile creatures of the Abyss.


    As she went deeper into the cave, the voice of a woman who was in the throes of pleasure gradually became louder.


    Steeling her heart, she followed the voice and came upon a spacious cavern.


    There, at its center, was a single Satyr, who was being straddled by a woman, who was shaking her hips in wanton abandonment.


    After a quick scan of the cavern, Iris deemed that her friend wasn''t there, so she decided to back away.


    However, she had just taken a single step when a husky voice reached her ears.


    "Wee to my humble abode, youngdy," Ampelos, who was being straddled by the woman, said with a smile. "I heard themotion outside, so I thought that the Subus Queen returned, but your Aura was weaker than hers, so I decided to stay and find out what you were up to. Have youe to rescue your friends? If so, why don''t you stay and have a nice long talk with me as I take you to the peak of pleasure? Sounds good, right?"


    Iris didn''t even bother to answer and hastily headed for the exit of the cave.


    The Red Phoenix, Zoe, had just informed her Mistress that there were no otherdies inside the cave aside from the one that was being embraced by the Satyr. Because of this, she deemed that there was no longer a reason to stay and fled as fast as she could.


    "You have escaped once, you''re not getting away a second time!" Ampelos'' shout reverberated inside the cave, and Iris could tell that the enemy was approaching her from behind.


    The moment she had left the cave, red phoenix wings sprouted from her back. Iris then soared into the sky in order to escape her pursuer.


    But before she could soar even higher, a red dome covered the Satyr''s Lair, preventing anyone from escaping it.


    Iris raised her right hand, and a blue sword materialized out of nowhere. She then shed the barrier that was preventing her from leaving, but it held firm, and not even a scratch could be found on it.


    "That Barrier can only be destroyed by a full-powered attack from a peak Empyrean-Ranked World Boss. I''m afraid someone as delicate as you will not be able to break it."


    The Leader of the Satyrs, Ampelos, looked up at Iris with eyes filled with lust and anticipation.


    "I''m d that you came to me on your own volition," Ampelos said. "Perhaps letting you escape earlier was a blessing in disguise. Because of this, that b*tch Rhiannon wasn''t able to take you away, just like what she did with your friends."


    Iris, who had heard vital information, eyed the Leader of the Satyrs with a calm expression on her face.


    "Who is this Subus Queen you speak of?" Iris asked. "Where did she take mypanions?"


    "I''ll dly answer your questions during our pillow talk," Ampelos replied in a charismatic tone that could sway the hearts ofdies. "For now, why don''t youe down? I don''t want to hurt you. If possible, I''d like to treat you gently, like a princess."


    Knowing that she could no longer escape the Satyr''s Lair, Iris held the blue sword in her hand firmly and pointed it in Ampelos'' direction.


    "Are you sure you want to fight?" Ampelos asked in a teasing tone. "You will only get hurt if you do. What''s the point in fighting if we already know the end result? You can''t beat me."


    "We''ll see about that," Iris said in a calm manner.


    Suddenly, the blue sword in her hand shone brightly, which made the smile on Ampelos'' face disappear.


    Right now, he could feel that the power that the sword radiated could injure his body, which surprised him greatly.


    ''It seems that she won''t go down without a fight,'' Ampelos thought as he summoned a short sword in his right hand and a blowpipe with his left.


    Iris then held the handle of her sword with both hands before taking a fighting stance.


    "Kaizer War Art," Iris said firmly. "Blue Dragon Descent!"


    A roar of dragon reverberated in the surroundings as Iris swung her sword down.


    A momentter, a beam of light shot out from the tip of her sword, transforming into a blue dragon that charged toward Ampelos with its jaws wide open.


    The Satyr sneered as he also took a fighting stance with his short sword, facing the blue dragon that was descending from the sky.


    "Dark��" Ampelos growled. "sh!"


    The Satyr shed sideways, sending a dark crescent de towards the blue dragon, with the intention of slicing it in half.

 Chapter 881 Iris Versus Ampelos [Part 2]

    ?


    "Blue Dragon''s Descent!"


    "Dark sh!"


    The two attacks collided in the air, sending sparks flying in every direction.


    Iris held firm and tried to push Ampelos'' attack back, and the Satyr did the same.


    A few secondster, the Dark sh was slowly gaining momentum, pushing the Blue Dragon back despite Iris'' efforts to win their sh.


    Half a minuteter, the de cut the blue dragon in half and continued its trajectory toward the blue-haired beauty, who immediately flew sideways to evade it.


    Suddenly, and without any warning, Iris heard the whistling of wind.


    At that exact moment, a ck shell that was the size of a round mirror appeared a meter away from Iris'' neck.


    When the youngdy finally understood what happened, she saw a silver needle sticking out from the center of the ck shell. If it weren''t for the ck shell''s protection, it would have hit her neck.


    Ampelos clicked his tongue because his follow-up attack failed. The needle he shot toward Iris using his blowpipe contained a very powerful paralyzing poison.


    He thought that he had the battle under his control, but it seemed that his opponent had a few aces up her sleeve.


    ''Thank you, Myrtle,'' Iris said to her ck Turtle, whose specialty was defense.


    In their Bestial Forms, each of Iris Guardian Beasts were powerful in their own right. They were all Argonaut-Ranked Alpha Monsters, so they weren''t weak.


    However, the moment they merged with Iris, their specialties were heightened, giving them a drastic boost.


    Myrtle, the ck Turtle specialized in defense.


    Lapiz the Blue Dragon, specialized in powerful attacks.


    Hanz, the White Tiger, specialized in speed, agility, dexterity, as well as an overall increase in Physical Strength.


    Zoe, the Red Phoenix specialized in long-ranged attacks, flight, regeneration, and increased resistance against magical attacks, and status debuffs.


    Together, her Guardian Spirits ensured that Iris would be able to stand against stronger opponents even if she was only an E-Ranker.


    The Leader of the Satyr, who refused to use any deadly attacks against Iris, was in a dilemma.


    His original n was to overpower the youngdy with his Dark sh at a decreased speed, giving her a chance to evade it. While she was focused on doing that, he would use his blowpipe to end the battle.


    It was a perfect n, but because things didn''t go ording to his expectations, his opponent would now be more wary of future sneak attacks.


    ''I guess I have no choice,'' Ampelos thought before summoning a lyre in his hand.


    His fingers then lightly plucked its strings, creating beautiful music that slowly grew in intensity with each passing second.


    Iris, who was hovering in the air, casually moved to the side, causing something to fly past her, making her hair flutter.


    After a brief pause, Iris once again dodged to the side and did it a third time. As Ampelos'' rhapsody rose to the next level, the youngdy kept on dodging the invisible attacks that were flying in her direction.


    The only reason why she was able to do this was due to her White Tiger, Hanz.


    One of its unique abilities was primal roar, allowing it to attack with supersonic shockwaves in its Bestial Form.


    Because of this, Iris was quite familiar with sound wave attacks and was able to predict their trajectory with the White Tiger''s help.


    As if understanding how his opponent was able to dodge his invisible strikes, Ampelos strummed the string as if he were shing the lyre in half.


    Iris then raised her right hand, with her palms open.


    "Tiger''s Roar!" Iris shouted and a deafening roar of a tiger spread in the surroundings, creating a shockwave that nullified Ampelos'' Sound Wave Attack that was meant to hit a wide area.


    "You are starting to annoy me, Young Lady," Ampelos said in a cold and deadly tone. "If I wanted to kill you, I could do it anytime."


    "I know," Iris replied. "But since you have no ns to kill me, you will not be able to defeat me."


    "Don''t push me," Ampelos growled. "As long as you don''t die from my attack, I will be able to nurse you back to health. Although I dislike doing it, I can just slice off your limbs, making you unable to do anything. I admit that it will lower the thrill of ravaging you, but you are leaving me with no other choice."


    The Satyr then summoned his short sword again, making it glow in a purplish hue.


    ''I''ll just cut off her arms first,'' Ampelos thought. ''Once she is defenseless, she will no longer have a means to resist.''


    Iris could tell that Ampelos no longer nned on holding back. Because of this, she pressed her palms together, gathering the power of her four Legendary Beasts for one single attack that would contain all of her power.


    "Infinity Edge!" Ampelos roared as he swung his sword, creating countless Crescent des with different colors that flew toward Iris.


    Iris then unleashed her own concentrated attack, with the intention of drilling a hole in the Satyr''s chest, obliterating his heart.


    "Ruinous Prayer!" Iris shouted and unleashed a four-colored ray of light that flew toward her opponent like a rail gun.


    The crescent des that were on its path were all shattered like pieces of ss, shocking Ampelos because he didn''t expect Iris'' final strike to be so strong.


    Because of this, he was forced to dodge to the side, but the ray still brushed past his body, leaving a trail of blood on his chest.


    The Crescent des that survived Iris'' spell were about tond on her body when suddenly a blue beam of light flew through the barrier and appeared in front of her.


    "Ei!"


    One by one, the Crescent des shattered, failing to reach their target. Iris then looked at the little girl who was standing in front of her with her arms spread wide, shielding her from harm.


    "E-Eiko?"


    "Ma!"


    The little girl immediately hugged Iris and kissed her cheeks repeatedly. After having had her fill, she then spat two orbs of light towards the ground.


    A momentter, Lux and Gaap appeared, making Ampelos growl in anger. He had long wanted to vent his frustration on something or someone because thedy he wanted to embrace was resisting him with all of her might.


    "Good! Good! Good!" Ampelos clenched his fists, making the muscles in his body bulge. "You came here to rescue her, right? Well sorry to disappoint you, but the only thing you will get is a one-way ticket to hell!"


    Just as the Satyr was about to lunge at the two neers, a gigantic shadow was cast upon his body.


    Lux, who had seen how his fiance was about to be sliced up by the Satyr''s attack, was very angry at the moment.


    Because of this, he had summoned the Giant Skeleton King, in its basic form.


    As if feeling the wrath of his Master, the Skeleton King, who was hundreds of meters tall, materialized out of thin air and broke the red dome of light that prevented Iris from escaping earlier.


    It then raised its gigantic foot, which made Ampelos subconsciously take a step back.


    "The only one going to hell today is none other than you!" Lux growled. "Now, die!"


    As if given the signal to strike, the Giant Skeleton King then stomped its foot towards the Satyr, crushing Ampelos under his foot.

 Chapter 882 You Already Know What I Want, Right?

    ?


    In the castle high up in the Mountains, overlooking the Dark Forest��


    Alicia, Henrietta, and the other girls who were taken to Subus Pce were currently submerged in a pool of magical water that had restorative effects.


    All of them were naked and seemed to be asleep. Their bodies slowly healed from the injuries that they had garnered in the fight against the Satyrs.


    While this was happening, Xander, Malcolm, and the rest of the men found themselves being surrounded by beautifuldies, who each had a charm of their own.


    All of them were also injured and, simr to the girls, they were all naked as well.


    Each man was being cared for by several beauties, which would make those who ever saw them wish that they could trade ces with them.


    Even Xander, who had a very strong willpower, found himself unable to muster any strength to resist, as one of the beautifuldies kissed him passionately on the lips.


    While this was happening, anotherdy was also kissing, and licking his little brother, stroking the desire thaty dormant within his chest.


    Right beside Xander, Malcolm, who didn''t have any strength to even move his finger, found his head buried in the chest of a beautiful youngdy, who seemed to be in herte teens.


    "You poor thing," the subus embracing Malcolm said sadly. "Those Satyrs are idiots who only think with their lower half. Here, let me make you feel better."


    The youngdy guided Malcolm''s lips to the pink tip of her right breast and gently patted his head while telling him that he was going to be okay.


    Behind him, another beautifuldy was pressing her breasts against his back, while her hand stroked Malcolm''s shaft, which had be as hard as a rock despite his injuries.


    "The young ones are good," the beautiful subus behind Malcolmmented before nibbling his right ear. "I think he''ll be able to go for a few rounds."


    The Subi inside the Passion Pce, where Queen Rhiannon ruled, had not frolicked with Humans for nearly two decades.


    Because of this, they were very eager to have their fun with the men that their Queen had brought them and taste their fertile seeds which were considered to be the most delicious delicacy in the world.


    Soon, Xander and Malcolm were embraced by the Subi, who whispered words of love and affection in their ears. They took the lead in making love with the helpless young men, who were at their mercy.


    It didn''t take long before sighs and grunts of pleasure spread in the Main Hall of the Passion Pce, which was a ce that was specially made to amodate orgies.


    A few minutester, Xander, Malcolm, and the other men shuddered, as their seeds spurted inside the beautifuldies, who felt ecstatic after being filled with their essence.


    While this massive orgy was happening, Queen Rhiannon gazed at the youngdy, who was submerged in a pool of water all alone.


    Unlike the ce where Alicia, Henrietta, and the otherdies had been ced, Cai had her own personal pool, and floating on the pool''s surface were crimson flowers that bloomed only in the Abyss.


    Cai, who was also unconscious and seemed to be asleep, was also slowly recovering due to the restorative effects of the pool that served as the Subus Queen''s personal property.


    No one had been able to use it in the past, but she made an exception for the youngdy who possessed the Celestial Body Physique, which held significant importance to her.


    Suddenly and without any warning, an emblem appeared on Cai''s lower abdomen that glowed in a golden light.


    Queen Rhiannon arched an eyebrow after seeing this phenomenon. Although she was seeing it for the first time, her woman''s intuition let her know what it signified.


    "So, the man who took your chastity followed you to the Abyss," Queen Rhiannon said softly. "Did hee here because he was afraid of losing his tool that would allow him to be a future powerhouse, or did hee here to save you because you are important to him? Care to answer me, my dear?"


    Cai''s eyes slowly opened, and her pupils glowed in a purple color.


    "Lux came here because I am his fiance," Cai answered in a monotonous tone. "He will do everything in his power to save me."


    "Oh really?" Queen Rhiannon smirked. "Tell me, does he love you?"


    "��I believe that he loves me," Cai replied in the same monotonous tone. "At least, that is what I hope."


    Queen Rhiannon then entered the pool and lightly caressed the side of Cai''s face. "Then, should we put this love to the test? Do you want to know if he merely sees you as a tool or as someone really important to him?"


    "��Yes," Cai replied. "I want to know his true feelings."


    "Then, let''s have a bet," Queen Rhiannon whispered in Cai''s ears as if she were a devil trying to tempt Cai into selling her soul to her. "If you win, I will grant one of your wishes. But, if I win�� You already know what I want, right?"


    "Very well," Cai replied in the same monotonous tone. It was as if she wasn''t fully conscious and merely answering the Subus Queen with an automatic response. "If you win, I will agree to your proposal."


    "Good." Queen Rhiannon grinned. "We have a deal."


    The Subus Queen then caressed the emblem that was glowing on Cai''s lower abdomen.


    The heart-shaped emblem with six wings spread wide slowly lost its golden glow and was reced by a purple light.


    After making sure that Cai''s mark was now dyed with her colors, the Subus Queen disappeared from her private pool and reappeared at the very top of her pce.


    In the distance, she could see a towering Skeleton King, who easily shattered the barrier that was covering the Satyr''s Lair, where Ampelos and his gang of Satyrs lived.


    "Lux��," Queen Rhiannon smirked as her gaze locked on the red-headed teenager, who hade to the Abyss to rescue the Celestial Maiden that she had kidnapped. "You look so tasty. I''m very tempted to drain you dry."


    The Subus Queen''s purple eyes glowed faintly as she giggled. Right now, she didn''t n on interfering with the battle.


    She didn''t have to do anything because, no matter the oue of Lux''s battle with Ampelos, sooner orter, he woulde to her if he wanted to rescue hisrades, who were currently inside her Passion Pce.


    Queen Rhiannon wanted to see Lux''s despairing face when he found out that the one who captured the Celestial Maiden was a Demigod.


    A Demigod that he had to fight if he wanted her back in one piece.

 Chapter 883 A Taste Of Their Own Medicine

    ?


    Ampelos panted for breath as he looked at the gigantic foot that had stomped the ce where he had been standing not long ago.


    At the veryst second, before the foot could descend on his body, he managed to use his skill that allowed him to instantly dash a hundred meters away from his original location, which was simr to a teleportation ability.


    Seeing that his target managed to evade his attack, the Skeleton King once again raised his foot and stomped for the second time.


    Ampelos didn''t stand idly by and quickly distanced himself from the Behemoth, whose rank was lower than him by one stage.


    Deus Gigantia''s Basic Form was only that of a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.


    Ampelos was much stronger because he was a Peak, Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster. Even so, he didn''t dare to allow himself to get hit by the Skeleton King''s attacks because his bestial senses were telling him that one direct hit might give him serious injuries.


    The reason why the Leader of the Satyrs was feeling this way was due to Lux''s skill, Divine Abyssal Touch [EX].


    Before its upgrade, his Abyssal Touch ability not only directly attacked a creature''s soul, but it also dealt 200% Pure Damage against Abyssal Creatures.


    Now that it had evolved into the Divine Abyssal Touch [EX], it was now imbued with Divine Energy, which was another one of the weaknesses of Abyssal Creatures.


    This skill now deals 400% increased damage against Abyssal Creatures and had the same "Pure Damage" effect that it had before the skill was upgraded.


    Simply put, even if Ampelos was a Rank Higher than Deus Gigantia, a single attack from the Skeleton King would deal great damage to him. However, what he didn''t know was that the Giant Monster in front of him was not the only one who had this ability.


    Lux''s Undead Army, as well as the members of his Covenant, also had this ability!


    But that was not all. Due to the Half-Elf''s passive skill, Death God Aura, all of his Undead were capable of dealing massive damage to Abyssal Creatures that were equal in rank or higher by one stage.


    "Come!" Lux, whose anger would not be sated until the Leader of the Satyrs was beaten half dead, raised his right hand and summoned his clones, who summoned his Undead Army in full force.


    The Doom Knight Gangbangers, Nighstalkers, Jade Golems, Lich Revenants, Doomsday Gargoyles, and Fortress Defenders all surged forth like a tide and charged towards the Leader of the Satyr with a vengeance.


    At that moment, the sound of hooves running across the forest reached Lux''s ears.


    "Boss! Are you alright?!" one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked Satyrs asked as soon as they arrived at the scene.


    "We saw the giant skeleton from afar and knew that our Lair was being attacked," another Satyr shouted in indignation. "Who has the guts to attack the mighty Satyrs of the 13th Layer of the Abyss?!"


    All the Satyrs, who had just arrived at the scene, also shouted in anger. The Lair was their home, and anyone who dared to attack it was going to be exterminated no matter what.


    However, when they saw the thousands of Doom Knight Gangbangers that were running in their direction, they instinctively felt as if their buttholes were in danger of being vited.


    This was a feeling that the Satyrs had never felt before in their lives, and because of this, they did what any sensible Satyr would do in that situation.


    They ran!


    "Sorry Boss, nature calls," said one of the Dreadnaught-Ranked Satyrs, who hade earlier, intending to help fight whatever attacked their Lair, before running away in full force. "This one is going to be a big one, so I don''t think I''ll return soon."


    "Um, I forgot I have a prior appointment with the Corrupted Dryad on the 14th Layer," another Satyr stated. "I''ll be back in a few days."


    All the Satyrs gave various excuses to Ampelos before running away full throttle. However, just as they thought that they were about to get away, a barrier surrounded the entire Dark Forest, trapping all of them inside it.


    High above the peak of her castle, the Subus Queen giggled because she had not seen something so amusing in the past decade of her life in the Abyss.


    Since she wanted to be entertained, she made sure that none of the Satyrs could escape the Dark Forest, forcing them to fight Lux and his summons with everything they had.


    Lux and Gaap frowned after sensing the barrier that had surrounded the forest. This was very different from the Barrier of the Satyrs which they had broken so easily.


    "Antero, spit them out, but don''t show yourself," Gaap ordered.


    A momentter, a red portal materialized above his head.


    From inside that portal, two beams of light emerged andnded a few meters away from Gaap.


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock once he saw who they were. He never expected to see the Wicked Queen Slime in the Abyss.


    "Aunt!" Eiko shouted as soon as she saw Lilian, making the beautiful woman smile at her.


    "We meet again, Eiko," Lilian said as she walked towards the baby slime and picked her up from Lux''s head. "Why did you leave without saying goodbye? I was very sad, you know?"


    "Sorry, Aunt," Eiko replied. "Have to save Mama."


    "Don''t worry. Now that I''m here, everything is going to be fine," Lilian coaxed the Baby Slime as if she were her own baby.


    Poro, who had also been spat out by Antero, scanned his surroundings with a serious look on his face.


    He sensed that there was a creature that was stronger than him, rivaling that of a Supreme. Because of this, he walked towards Lux and handed him something that had been passed to him by their Steward, Lady Augustina.


    "Take this, boy," Poro said as he handed the Dragon Token to the red-headed teenager. "Lady Augustina had a premonition that you might need this when you entered the Abyss."


    Lux didn''t stand on ceremony and epted the Dragon Token with gratitude.


    With Keoza by his side, he now possessed another Trump Card that would help him fight an opponent that was leagues above his current Rank.


    Lilian also sensed the presence of someone stronger than her, but she wasn''t too worried.


    When she fought using her full powers, her rank would jump to the peak of the Cmity Rank. Even against a Demigod, she was confident that she would be able to survive, even if they were to fire her their strongest attack.


    Also, she had left bits and pieces of herself in secret ces in Agartha, that she could use to revive herself in case she died in battle.


    Although it might take her a year or two to return to her full strength, for Cmity-Ranked Monsters like her, a few years was no different from taking a nap.


    Ampelos and his gang of Satyrs, who were now cornered by Lux''s Undead Legion, no longer had any choice but to fight.


    They were stronger than Lux''s summoned Creatures and were confident that they would be able to overwhelm quantity with their quality.


    "Brothers, follow me!" Ampelos shouted. "Charge!"


    """Charge!"""


    Hundreds of Satyrs all took out their weapons and shed against Lux''s Undead Legion.


    It didn''t take long before shouts of surprise, pain, and indignation, spread across the battlefield.


    Although the majority of the Doom Knight Gangbangers were instantly shattered after the sh against the stronger monsters, some of them seeded in sticking their long, hard swords into their designated targets, giving the Satyrs a taste of their own medicine.

 Chapter 884 More Than A Century Had Passed Since We Last Saw Each Other

    ?


    "Dammit, you bastards. Don''t screw with me!" one of the Satyrs roared in anger as he smashed one Doom Knight Gang Banger one after the other.


    But after killing dozens of them, he realized that his enemies were somehow getting stronger and stronger.


    The other Satyrs realized this phenomenon, but none of them paid too much attention to it. There were simply too many enemies to fight, and they had no time to ponder the cause of the Doom Knight Gang Bangers'' special ability.


    Even before their evolution, the Doom Knight Gang Bangers already had a special ability that would make them grow stronger as more of their fellow Gangbangers died in battle.


    This skill was called, United in Death.


    ������������


    < United in Death >


    �C Gains 5% increase in attack when an ally Doom Knight Gang Banger dies on the battlefield. This ability can stack up to 500%. Bonus damage will disappear once the Doom Knight Gang Banger is killed.


    ������������


    However, the advantages didn''t end there!


    The Doom Knight Gang Bangers still had another special hidden ability.


    They would gain a 20% additional damage based on Diablo''s overall attack damage.


    Simply put, if Diablo''s Battle Fervor had reached a state where his damage output surpassed a million, the Doom Knight Gangbangers would be the strongest fighters in Lux''s Undead Army that could deal a disgusting amount of damage to their enemies.


    Right now, Diablo was also on the battlefield fighting against the Satyrs.


    Since the Satyrs were far stronger than Lux''s Undead Army, it was only reasonable for dozens of them to die with each passing second.


    With each death, Diablo''s damage output increased.


    With each Doom Knight Gang Banger that fell in battle, their damage output also increased.


    Lux, Eiko, Asmodeus, and their clones weren''t idle and were actively replenishing their Undead Army, making all of them stronger with each passing minute.


    Nearly ten minutester, the Skeleton Gang Bangers, who had initially been easy to defeat, were now able to stab the backsides of the Satyrs, dealing great damage to the Monsters who liked to screw others.


    "I-Is it just me or these small fries are getting stronger?" a Satyr voiced his concern after getting stabbed in the butt, which made him retreat from the front lines. "If this continues, they might defeat us for real!"


    "B-Boss, what do we do? There''s no end to them," another Satyr said anxiously after smashing three Doom Knight Gangbangers who had tried to sneak attack him from behind.


    "Our Dark Elemental attacks are also not working against them." a Deimos-Ranked Satyrined. "It''s like they have some kind of immunity against Dark Magic!"


    Ampelos had noticed this problem from the start of the battle.


    He had tried to kill arge number of the Undead Monsters with his Dark sh, but even after unleashing the devastating attack, the Monsters were simply pushed away, but none of them were killed by it.


    Just as he was thinking about what to do next, the Wraith King, Leoric, descended from the sky and shed down at the Leader of the Satyrs, who managed to dodge it by pure instinct.


    "Not bad," King Leoricmented. "But not good enough."


    After his sneak attack failed, the Wraith King summoned Ethereal Spears all around him and unleashed them on the Satyrs, who had no choice but to dodge with everything they had.


    The Satyrs knew that Ethereal Weapons bypassed armor and other kinds of defenses. Having known this, they didn''t face the spears head-on, but focused on just dodging and evading the Wraith King''s attack.


    "Hell Fire Annihtion sh!" King Leoric swung his de and a zing crescent de flew towards Ampelos.


    "Don''t underestimate me!" Ampelos roared in anger as he used his short sword to unleash his own powerful attack.


    "Primal Destroyer!"


    When the two attacks collided, King Leoric''s Hell Fire Annihtion sh was nullified. However, it also weakened Ampelos'' attack, allowing the Wraith King to deflect it harmlessly to the side.


    The Wraith King was a Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss.


    The Leader of the Satyr was an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster.


    If it had been based solely on stats, Ampelos was stronger. However, King Leoric had more experience in battlepared to the Satyr.


    While the two were fighting, the Satyrs were slowly but surely being pushed back by the Undead Army with some of them getting seriously injured with every blow they traded with their enemy.


    Ampelos was also aware of this, so he was thinking of ways he could get the upper hand, ore to apromise with the Half-Elf, who wasmanding the Undead Legion.


    The Satyr had noticed that, ever since the battle started, the Skeleton King had not moved from its location. He deemed that if the Skeleton King attacked, it would definitely hit its allies on the battlefield, which was something Lux didn''t want to have happen.


    ''Maybe there''s a chance to negotiate,'' Ampelos thought as hisrades were starting to die one by one.


    Due to the barrier surrounding the Dark Forest, they had no means of escaping their enemies. It was either they die fighting, or surrender in order to survive.


    For Ampelos, the choice was simple.


    "Stop fighting!" Ampelos shouted. "We surrender! Name your condition! I will do my best to meet your demands!"


    King Leoric frowned after hearing Ampelos'' shout of surrender. However, the Wraith King no longer made a move to attack and waited for Lux''s orders.


    Lux''s Undead Army also stopped fighting and nced at their Master who was standing in the distance.


    Iris, who was standing behind Lux, lightly pulled on his clothes and nodded her head.


    "What they did was unforgivable, but right now, we need information about our enemy," Iris stated. "You can punish themter. Saving Cai, Henrietta, Alicia, and the others takes precedence."


    Lux took a deep breath before nodding his head.


    In the distance, ckfire was already swallowing the corpses of the Satyrs who had died in battle, as well as those who were in a near-death condition.


    Ampelos and the other Satyrs shuddered as they watched this scene because they already knew that Lux was a Necromancer.


    Since he was a Necromancer, their inrades could only serve one purpose and that was to turn into his Undead Servants who would further bolster his Army''s strength.


    "Answer my question," Lux said in a cold tone. "Where are the other people that you had tried to capture earlier? Where did that Subus Queen take them?"


    "I-I will answer your question!" Ampelos shouted in a heartbeat as if he was afraid that if he didn''t answer fast enough, Lux would change his mind and annihte them all.


    "You see that Mountain over there with the purple clouds covering its peak?" Ampelos stated as he pointed in the distance. "That is Passion Mountain, and it is also the location of the Passion Pce where Queen Rhiannon, as well as her Subi, live. She has taken your friends and brought them over there, and I''m sure that you will find them if you go to that ce."


    Lux nced at the mountain in the distance before shifting his gaze back to the Leader of the Satyrs, who was doing his best to keep his life.


    "How strong is the Subus Queen?" Lux inquired.


    "Demigod!" Ampelos answered. "She is the only Demigod here on the 13th Layer of the Abyss."


    Poro and Lilian frowned after hearing Ampelos'' answer. They had already sensed that a strong being had cast the barrier around the Dark Forest that prevented the Satyrs from escaping.


    This could only mean one thing.


    The Demigod already knew about their arrival, and simply watched the battle from afar.


    Without warning, a purple ray of light descended from the sky. Its target was none other than the Leader of the Satyrs, who didn''t expect that the Subus Queen would kill him in order to shut him up.


    A secondter, a powerful explosion took ce, causing an earthquake that shook the Dark Forest, making the Satyrs cry out in rm. Some of them were caught in the st and were instantly obliterated, leaving nothing behind.


    The Skeleton King used his gigantic body to block the aftermath of the explosion, protecting his Master as well as their allies behind him.


    When the attack ended, a giant crater was seen on the location where Ampelos had stood just a minute ago.


    The Satyrs, who thought that their leader had died, all knelt down and cried out in desperation, pleading for the Subus Queen to spare their lives.


    While the Satyrs were crying out in despair, a carefree voice reached their ears.


    "That was a close call," Adonis said as he looked at the Satyr that he had saved from the Subi Queen''s wrath. "Are you okay, son?"


    "F-Father?!" Ampelos stared in disbelief at the Satyr that was standing beside him. "Is that really you?"


    Adonis chuckled before lightly patting his son''s head.


    "More than a century has passed since west saw each other," Adonis said with nostalgia. "Although you''re still a bit rough on the edges, I''m d you managed to survive this long, my son."


    Ampelos and the surviving Satyrs looked at their former Leader who had gone to fight in the Great War to conquer the world of Elysium.


    "To think that the little girl Rhiannon is now a Demigod." Adonis stated. "Time sure flies fast here in the Abyss. Now then, why don''t you show yourself, Rhiannon? Or is your Demigod Rank just for show?"


    Adonis'' challenging tone was met with a sweetughter that spread in the surroundings.


    A momentter, a peerless beauty appeared in the sky above their heads.


    Queen Rhiannon looked down in disdain at the former Leader of the Satyrs, who had once made her life difficult when she was still looking for a ce to call her home in the Abyss.

 Chapter 885 Raid Boss Battle [Part 1]

    ?


    "So, you are still alive Adonis," Queen Rhiannon said with a smile.


    "Not quite," Adonis replied. "I have already died once. I was simply re-animated by a Beautiful Necromancer, and I am now serving her Disciple."


    "Oh, such a thing happened?"


    "It did."


    Queen Rhiannon sneered at the former leader of the Satyrs of the 13th Floor.


    "Good." Queen Rhianon nodded. "Now that you are here, I can finally kill you myself. Although I waited for over a hundred years, the wait was certainly worth it."


    "Well, you can try," Adonis shrugged. "But I doubt that things will go your way."


    Poro and Lilian stared at the otherworldly beauty in the sky.


    However, they were not looking at her with admiration but appraising her to find possible weaknesses that they could exploit.


    While everyone was looking at the Subus Queen, thetter shifted her gaze to look at the Half-Elf, who was ring at her from the ground.


    "You must be Lux, right?" Queen Rhiannon said sweetly. "Cai told me many things about you. Why don''t youe to my Castle? I will guarantee that you will not want to leave after you experienced our warm hospitality."


    After hearing the name of his fiance, the Half-Elf narrowed his eyes and continued to re at the peerless beauty in the sky.


    He originally thought that the Angel, Himea, as well as his Grandmaster, Hereswith, were the most beautifuldies he had seen in his life. But after seeing the Subus Queen, he had no choice but to admit that her beauty was a level higher than the twodies that were on the top of his list.


    Gaap, who understood what his disciple was feeling, spoke to the Subus Queen in a calm tone. He intended to try to settle things peacefully as much as possible so that a battle could be avoided.


    However, the Halfling wasn''t someone who would shy away from battle. If the Demigod were to act hostile against them, he would not back down and show her that they were not soft persimmons that she could pinch so easily.


    "Queen Rhiannon, we havee to rescue ourrades who have identally entered the Abyss," Gaap stated. "We would be very grateful if you returned them to us unharmed. If you wish to trade anything for their release, we will definitely try to meet your conditions, as long as it doesn''t go below our bottom line."


    "A trade?" Queen Rhiannon crossed her arms over her chest. "I only trade with someone of equal strength. If all of you can defeat me in battle, I will consider your proposal. But if you can''t, all of you will die here in the 13th Layer of the Abyss."


    "Can we not settle things peacefully?"


    "No. This is the Abyss. Only the strong have the final say. Weaklings have no choice but to kneel and obey the orders of their superiors. So, if you all want to survive, beg me to spare your lives."


    Poro, who had been silently listening since the dialogue started, snorted.


    "What a cheeky little Demigod," Poro stated. "Since this is the first time I''ve seen you, I can say for certain that you did not join the great war between the Abyssal Legion and the Forces of Elysium more than a century ago, right?"


    "So?" Queen Rhiannon arched an eyebrow.


    "So it means that you''re just a newly minted Demigod." Poro sneered. "How naive. Do you think that someone like you who hadn''t experienced that Great War can easily crush us like insects under your foot? How delusional."


    The Subus Queen frowned after hearing the Dragon Born''s words.


    She had been paying close attention to the Half-Elf, the Halfling, the Dragon Born, as well as the ck-haired woman, whom she was certain was a Cmity-Ranked Monster in human form.


    Although the Half-Elf seemed to be wary of her, the others were not. It was as if they weren''t facing a Demigod, but an opponent of equal standing.


    "This is interesting," Queen Rhiannon smirked. "I can tell that the three of you are not afraid of me. Are you perhaps thinking that I am a fake Demigod?"


    "Hah! We couldn''t care less if you are fake or real." Poro scoffed. "In the end, it doesn''t matter. Do you want me to tell you a short story about that Great Abyssal War over a hundred years ago?"


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t say anything and simply looked down on the Dragon Born with a smile on her face.


    Seeing that the Subus Queen didn''t reject his offer, Poro decided to tell her his story.


    "When the Abyssal Creatures invaded our world, a war of epic proportions was waged," Poro said. "Back then, the lives of Rankers were like grass being culled in the thousands. Even Saints, and Supremes, who stood at the Apex weren''t spared, and many died in that great battle for survival."


    King Leoric hovered beside Lux and listened to the Dragon Born''s exnation.


    He was one of those who had fought at the beginning of the Abyssal Invasion and died alongside his loyal retainers, who fought till thest man.


    His country was one of the first kingdoms that fell in the early phase of the invasion, and now, very few people, with the exception of historians, knew that a Kingdom named Zangr once existed in the past.


    "Due to how fierce the battle was, former warring kingdoms set aside their differences and fought side by side with each other.


    "Mortal enemies, who wished nothing more than to slit each other''s throats, fought back to back in order to repel the invaders that threatened to destroy all they held sacred. Even the Apostles, who knew that they were powerless against the monsters that hade to ravage their friends, family, and their loved ones fought until they breathed theirst.


    "We fought hundreds of Cmity-Ranked Monsters and battled dozens of Demigods during that Great War. It was a sight to behold. An intense huge-scale battle that we had very little hope of winning. Even so, we fought, and didn''t back down.


    "In the end, the people of Elysium pushed the Abyssal Legion back to the Abyss and sealed the Portals and other Gates that your kind used to invade our world. But some of these gates remain active.


    "The only silver-lining was that no Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Creature or above, could pass through them due to the powerful enchantments that were put in ce."


    Poro then summoned his sword and pointed it at the Subus Queen, who had remained silent as he told his tale.


    "And now, we will once again show you that even Demigods like you, cannot defeat us so easily!" Poro shouted in an arrogant tone.


    "Is your boring tale over?" Queen Rhiannon yawned. "While you did manage to win that war against the Abyssal Creatures back then, most of your powerhouses also perished. A little Saint like you thinks that you can talk big in front of me? How delusional. In the beginning, I intended to show mercy to all of you, but now, I changed my mind."


    Queen Rhiannon then pointed at the ck-scaled Dragon Born and sneered.


    "Aside from that girl whose name is Iris, and that Half-Elf, whose name is Lux, all of you will die here," Queen Rhiannon stated. "Don''t worry. I will at least turn your bodies to ashes, so your souls wander the 13th Layer and suffer for eternity!"


    Poro didn''t reply to Rhiannon''s statement and simply took a fighting stance.


    "Ranged and Close Attacker," Poro said.


    "Defender," Gaapmented.


    "Disruptor." Lilian brushed her hair in a carefree manner.


    It took a while for Lux to realize what Poro, his Master, as well as Lilian was talking about.


    They were simply stating their roles in the battle.


    In short, Poro would serve as the main attacker, and his Master would focus on the defense.


    A Disruptor was someone who would try to prevent the enemy from using strong attacks, or cancel any attackpletely.


    Since he understood what they were talking about, he also decided to state what role he was going to y on the battlefield that matched his current abilities.


    "All Rounder," Lux said firmly, which made Poro, Gaap, and Lilian nod their heads at the same time.


    Right now, they were a party that was about to conduct a Raid Battle with a powerful Boss Monster.


    Ampelos and the other Satyrs stared in disbelief at the people who had decided to fight against a Demigod.


    For Abyssal Creatures like them, it was very normal to serve those who were stronger than them. They would rather submit than fight a hopeless battle against someone, who could destroy entire cities with just a single punch, or a single spell, due to how strong they were.


    Lux''s Undead Legion, Named Creatures, and Covenant, all stood behind their Master in preparation for the battle ahead.


    Even ckfire, who had been busy swallowing the dead Satyrs earlier, hovered behind Lux.


    Since their Master was going to fight against a Demigod, it was their duty to see this battle until the end, even if it meant that all of them died and were turned to ashes.

 Chapter 886 Raid Boss Battle [Part 2]

    ?


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t know whether she shouldugh at her enemies'' folly because, in her opinion, only a Demigod could fight a Demigod.


    The only one who could potentially threaten her was probably the Wicked Queen Slime, who was a peak Cmity-Ranked Monster, only a step away from bing a Demigod herself.


    But to those that had fought in the Great War, which was written down in the history books as the "Great Abyssal War," a Demigod wasn''t impossible to defeat.


    Not all Demigods were the same, just like the Gods that once graced Elysium.


    A God of Healing''s status as a God wouldn''t make them adept at fighting. However, when it came to healing, they were second to none.


    These were the things that the Elysians and Sians had discovered after fighting against these creatures, and because of that, they had developed ways to fight them.


    "I guess it''s time for me to make you understand what it means to fight against a Demigod!" Queen Rhiannon dered as she unleashed her aura, making the Satyrs on the ground tremble.


    "Go ahead," Poro stated. "Knock yourself out."


    As soon as the Dragon Born finished speaking, he opened up his Draconic Wings and took to the skies in order to fight against the Subus Queen.


    The Saint unleashed a barrage of dark fireballs at his target.


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t even bother dodging and simply created a purple barrier around her, blocking Poro''s attacks effectively.


    Lilian, who was on the ground, raised her hand toward the Subus Queen and snapped her fingers.


    A secondter, a beam of green light shot upward, aimed at her target.


    Queen Rhiannon held her ground and once again allowed her barrier to block all attacks. She wanted to make the Elysians understand that in the face of absolute strength, all tricks are meaningless!


    However, the moment the green beam of light hit her barrier, cracks immediately appeared and spread on it, which made the Subus Queen''s eyes widen in shock.


    "Shield Breaker," Lilian said with an amused look on her beautiful face. "Is this the first time you''ve seen this skill? It just proves that you''re just a frog in the well."


    Before Queen Rhiannon could even react to Lilian''s ridicule, a ming dark spear collided with her barrier, increasing the size of the cracks in its surface.


    Knowing that her barrier wouldn''t hold any longer, she immediately dodged to the side, allowing the ming dark spear to harmlessly pass by her.


    A secondter, she heard a snapping of fingers once more, which made her instinctively fly sideways, but it was futile.


    Dozens of magic missiles flew in her direction and followed her wherever she went.


    "You insects!" Queen Rhiannon shouted before unleashing several purple rays of light that shed with Lilian''s Magic Missiles, nullifying thempletely.


    But, before she could even take a breather, Lux, Eiko, Asmodeus, and their clones, all pointed their fingers in her direction and used a spell that was meant to fight against Boss Monsters.


    """Mana Drain!"""


    When Lux had broken through and became a Ranker, one of the skills that received an upgrade was the skill, Mana Drain.


    It was now Mana Drain [SSR], and its effects were still the same before it got an upgrade. The only difference was its range.


    In the past, Mana Drain absorbed 5% of the target''s maximum Mana for five seconds.


    It also had a range of 20 meters, and had a 30 second cooldown, making it very effective against creatures that heavily relied on magical attacks.


    However, after being upgraded to Mana Drain [SSR], its range had drastically increased to a thousand meters, allowing Lux to drain the mana of their target from a great distance.


    Lux and Asmodeus had three clones each, while Eiko had five.


    In a span of five seconds, they managed to effectively drain 55% of Queen Rhiannon''s mana, catching the Subus Queen by surprise.


    Out of shock, she nked out and moved on instinct, momentarily forgetting her reasoning, and unleashed one of her strongest offensive spells at the Half-Elf and his subordinates.


    "Nether re!"


    Hellish Crimson mes descended from the sky as if wanting to turn everything on the ground into a sea of fire.


    Only after Queen Rhiannon unleashed the spell did she remember that she needed Lux and Iris alive, making her feel panic.


    Just as she was cursing herself for getting carried away, Gaap raised both of his palms in an attempt to block the attack.


    A momentter, two gigantic hands appeared several meters above him and stood firm like a wall, meeting the Subus Queen''s attack head-on.


    An earth-shaking explosion reverberated in the surroundings, sending hellish mes flying in every direction.


    The Satyrs cried out in shock and tried to flee for their lives, but some of them were hit by the stray mes, igniting their bodies into a ze.


    Before their bodies turned to ashes, ckfire appeared and swallowed them all. As long as they still had a body and a soul, ckfire could still revive them, adding them to its Master''s Animated Undead Army.


    When the Hellish mes finally disappeared, Queen Rhiannon felt relieved, but at the same time, her annoyance peaked.


    She originally thought that she could easily crush her opponents, capturing Lux and Iris before bringing them back to her castle.


    "Just what do you think you''re looking at?" Poro sneered as he unleashed countless Dark me Spears at the Subus Queen, who had remained stationary after unleashing her powerful attack.


    "Scram!" Queen Rhiannon shouted as she waved her hand, creating countless purple beams of light, fending off Poro''s attacks.


    Again she heard the annoying spell that had made her unleash a powerful attack in the first ce.


    """Mana Drain!"""


    Lux had always known that this skill was a pain in the arse for magical-type monsters. However, never in his life did he think that he''d be using this skill against a Demigod.


    He knew that most of his spells wouldn''t even scratch Queen Rhiannon''s defenses, but Mana Drain was different.


    It was a skill that would make those who specialized in Magic cough blood out of anger and frustration.


    To make matters worse, Lux''s Undead Army had started to join the offensive barrage, forcing Queen Rhiannon to dodge relentlessly while flying in the sky.


    The Elemental Arrows of the Nightstalker.


    The Stone Throws of the Jade Golem.


    The Necrotic Attacks of the Lich Revenants.


    The Poison Sprays of the Doomsday Gargoyles.


    Originally, Queen Rhiannon could easily face these attacks head-on even if she were to stand still.


    However, she had greatly underestimated the abilities of her opponents, which jeopardized her offensive and defensive abilities.


    Ampelos and the other surviving Satyrs couldn''t believe what they were seeing. They originally thought that all of them were going to be turned to ash due to how powerful the Subus Queen was.


    However, as the battle dragged on, they were starting to think that Lux and his team might just be able to beat the uncontested Ruler of the 13th Floor, through their impable teamwork and specialties.


    Queen Rhiannon gritted her teeth in anger as she unleashed a barrage of low-level spells at the Halfling who had blocked her skill, Nether re.


    As a Demigod who prided herself on her powerful magical attacks, she found herself reeling in shock after realizing that the one that blocked one of her strongest offensive spells was only of the Apostle Rank.


    This made Queen Rhiannon question herself if she had misread Gaap''s rank, but after appraising him, while dodging the relentless rain of attacks that were being fired in her direction, she confirmed that the Halfling was truly a Grade-A Apostle.


    ''Just what is going on here?!'' Queen Rhiannon thought as she continued to fire countless purple orbs at the ground, hoping that one of them would hit the Halfling, whose main role was to defend hisrades from her concentrated attacks.


    Although her Mana had been drained earlier, she possessed a powerful Mana Regeneration ability, which was one of the best among the Abyssal Lords.


    Unfortunately, even with this advantage, the only thing she could use at the moment were low-ranking spells in great numbers.


    Even so, each of these spells contained the might of a Demigod.


    If one of the Satyrs were to be hit by her bombardment, they would find their bodies littered with holes due to how powerful these low-ranking spells were.


    But, no matter what she did, her spells didn''t reach her intended target.


    If she only knew that the one blocking her spells was the Indestructible Golem of Destruction, she would have definitely changed her tactics to something more practical.


    Unfortunately, she had no idea, and because of this, she was unable tond a decisive blow on the weak creatures, who decided to fight her as a group.

 Chapter 887 Raid Boss Battle [Part 3]

    ?


    In the eyes of the Satyrs, the battle seemed to have easily shifted in their favor after only a few minutes since the fight started.


    However, those who were fighting, especially Lux, Poro, and Lilian, knew that the only reason why they were able to resist was due to Gaap''s impable defense.


    The Dragon Born and the Wicked Queen Slime were quite surprised by Gaap''s ability to block a powerful attack that wasing from a Demigod.


    Seeing this, they lowered their guards a little and became bolder, increasing the pace of their attacks against the Subus Queen, who was now starting to doubt her abilities.


    ''Impossible!'' Queen Rhiannon shouted internally. ''How could this be happening?! Just what are these giant hands that this Halfling is controlling?! How can it block my attacks as if they were low-ranked spells?!''


    Question after question popped up inside Queen Rhiannon''s head. She didn''t know that Gaap had temporarily unlocked Antero''s seal, raising his Rank back to the Demigod Level.


    Although it took a toll on his lifespan, it wasn''t as cumbersome as before since he was only using the hands of the Golem of Destruction to block the Subus Queen''s attacks.


    "We need to finish this battle as soon as possible," Lux said through telepathy. "Master can''t fight long battles."


    After they all teamed up, the Wicked Queen Slime created a spell that allowed all of them tomunicate telepathically. This was to ensure that their opponent wouldn''t be able to hear their strategies in real-time.


    "Understood!" Poro replied and once again engaged the Subus in a deadly battle in the sky.


    Every time Queen Rhiannon tried to close the distance to kill the Dragon Born, Lilian or Gaap would get in her way, forcing her to dodge or back away.


    On the other hand, Lux concentrated on draining the Subus Queen''s Mana, preventing her from casting powerful spells, simr to the one she used earlier.


    "Duel [EX]!" Pazuzu''s clone, who was flying in the sky, used the Taunt Skill to prevent Rhiannon fromnding an attack against Poro.


    The Subus Queen had suddenly increased her speed, surpassing the calctions of Lilian and Gaap, which created an opening for a decisive blow on the Dragon Born.


    Fortunately, Lux''s Named Creatures were also paying close attention to the Subus Queen and were just waiting for a good opportunity to strike.


    But something unexpected happened.


    After Pazuzu''s clone used the skill, Duel [EX], Queen Rhiannon''s body only stopped for a brief moment before she shed at the Dragon Born using the purple dagger in her hand, which looked extremely poisonous.


    But those few seconds that she had lost proved to be crucial as it provided Poro time to back away, just in time for Gaap''s and Lilian''s attacks to arrive at the scene.


    This prevented the Subus Queen from pursuing her target, making her re hatefully at Pazuzu''s clone.


    With a flick of her hand, the dagger in her hand flew towards Pazuzu''s clone in a heartbeat, creating a big hole in its chest.


    Pazuzu''s Gut Skill activated, but due to the poison that coated the dagger''s de, the clone died a few secondster and turned into particles of light.


    "Duel [EX] doesn''t work on Demigods��" Lux narrowed his eyes because this was the first time that the skill, Duel [EX], had failed to give them the result they wanted.


    It was a skill that the Half-Elf had used repeatedly in the past and, without it, he would have definitely faced a lot of hardships while fighting against strong opponents.


    ''It could stall them for two seconds at most,'' Lux thought. ''Perhaps even three seconds, if we are lucky. I''m d I learned this information now. Otherwise, I would have made a great mistake if I had to fight beings that were as strong as Demigods without them.''


    The red-headed teenager''s curiosity was ignited, so he summoned Calypso in order to test his theory.


    In her Living Armor Form, Calypso could fight autonomously, or merge with Lux, granting him a suit of armor.


    But Lux didn''t intend to wear the Living Armor at the moment. He wanted to experiment if the skill Duel [Epic] would work against a Demigod.


    "Calypso, do it," Lux ordered.


    "Yes, Master," Calypso replied.


    The Living Armor then rose towards the sky and observed the battle between Poro and Queen Rhiannon. A momentter, she activated her skill when she deemed that the right time hade.


    "Duel [Epic]!"


    Poro and Queen Rhiannon were exchanging blows in closebat.


    The Subus Queen was fast, and her magical attacks were strong. But in terms of raw strength, the Dragon Born had the advantage.


    Due to the fact that she was unable to cast powerful skills due to Lux and his supports casting Mana Drain every half a minute, she had no choice but to resort to closebat to get rid of the annoying Dragon Born, who was being aided by Gaap and Lilian.


    Just as the two were about to sh with each other, Calypso activated her skill, Duel [Epic], which made the Subus Queen''s body stiffen.


    "Take this!" Poro, who seemed to understand what just happened, didn''t miss the opportunity tond a powerful blow on Queen Rhiannon''s body, sending the Subus Queen flying backward.


    "Five seconds, Master," Calypso reported. "I can only stop her for five seconds after using my Duel Skill."


    Rhiannon''s Subus Garment was damaged due to Poro''s attack, but due to its powerful defensive abilities, the Subus Queen only suffered a very shallow wound.


    This wound, however, was immediately regenerated by her Regeneration Ability, but it didn''t change the fact that her opponent could nownd a blow on her body.


    "Lux, summon your Light Elemental," Gaap said after seeing the effect of Lux''s experiment. "The creatures of the Abyss are inherently weak against Light and Divine Magic. If you use the Light Elemental''s skill, Field of Light, we can create a battleground that is disadvantageous to our enemy."


    "Understood, Master," Lux replied before summoning his Greater Light Elemental to join the battle.


    But he didn''t stop there.


    He also summoned Seraphina, who was a Divine Angel. He believed that even if she had been weakened due to thews that bound Heavenly Beings, she could still use Divine Magic to help suppress their opponent.


    "Eiko, summon Slimes that have Light or Divine Elements," Lux ordered.


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded before she and her clones all raised their hands together. "Summon!"


    Five Argonaut-Ranked Radiant Slimes appeared beside the Fairy Princess and waited for her orders.


    "Greater Light Elemental, Seraphina, use Field of Light!" Luxmanded.


    Immediately, the Light elemental spread its arms wide, expanding its brilliance into its surroundings.


    Seraphina sped her hands together in prayer and emitted her Divine Powers to help increase the power of the Field of Light that the Light Elemental had summoned.


    "Ei!" Eiko and her clones alsomanded the Radiant Slimes to assist the Greater Light Elemental.


    One by one, the Radiant Slimes glowed brightly like giant light bulbs in the darkness.


    With the Divine Angel''s as well as the Radiant Slimes'' help, the Field of Light spread for miles above and below the ground, making the Subus Queen draw in cold breath.


    Her pride was the only thing stopping her from backing down, despite the fact that she was unable to get the upper hand against her weak opponents, who were ganging up on her.


    "Now then, Queen Rhiannon, are you ready for round two?" Poro, who now felt that they could finally win the battle, asked in an arrogant tone.


    Earlier, he was struggling tond an attack on his opponent despite the backup from hisrades.


    However, with the Field of Light active, he could tell that the Subus Queen''s Aura had weakened considerably.


    Also, now that he had seen that Lux was capable of stopping his opponent for a few seconds, the Dragon Born, who had the most battle experience in fighting against Abyssal Monsters��second only to Lady Augustina, finally saw that victory was within his reach.

 Chapter 888 Raid Boss Battle [Part 4]

    ?


    Queen Rhiannon nced at the ground before shifting her gaze back at the arrogant Dragon Born, who seemed to think that he already won their battle.


    Although she admitted that she was now at a disadvantage, she still had a few tricks up her sleeves that she could use to tip the scale of battle in her favor.


    However, after experiencing the teamwork of her opponents, as well as the ability that momentarily restricted her freedom, she had be very wary about attacking haphazardly without a n.


    Right now, she was analyzing her opponents'' strengths, as well as their abilities.


    Although Poro was weaker than her, she had to acknowledge that his attacks were indeed powerful and could potentially bypass her defenses.


    This was because Dragon Borns were superior creatures, and their strength surpassed the norm. She also knew that if push came to shove, her opponent could turn into a true Dragon, further boosting his strength.


    The Wicked Queen Slime on the ground was another threat that she couldn''t underestimate. During the entirety of the battle, she had to pay close attention to Lilian''s sneak attacks from the ground while evading Poro''s attack.


    There had been a few close calls when the Wicked Queen Slime''s attacks almost hit her, which could have dealt serious injuries if they hit her vital points.


    The Halfling was also a very troublesome opponent. No matter what she did, none of her attacks couldnd on their target because Gaap was solely focusing on defense.


    Lastly, Lux Von Kaizer.


    Cai''s fiance, and the one sharing half of the power of the Celestial Maiden Physique. Capturing him was of the utmost importance in order to set her n into motion.


    As for Iris, she was Cai''s best friend, and capturing her was optional.


    Now that a Field of Light had been erected on the battlefield, her body''s performance was greatly affected.


    Even as a Demigod, she couldn''t shrug off the effects of the Field of Light, which was powered by a Light Elemental, Five Argonaut-Ranked World Boss Radiant Slimes, as well as an Angel, who hade from the Divine Realm.


    ''Should I use that?'' Queen Rhiannon frowned as she weighed her options. ''To think that a Demigod like me would be cornered to this extent. Howughable. Is this the consequence of living a monotonous lifestyle here on the 13th Layer of the Abyss?''


    A silence descended on the battlefield as the Subus Queen hovered in the air.


    For some reason, Poro and Lilian stopped their attacks because they suddenly felt a great change in Queen Rhiannon''s Aura.


    Lux also felt this, so hemanded their creatures to cease their attacks, in order to ready themselves for whatever the Subus Queen was nning.


    "Congrattions," Queen Rhiannon said in a calm manner. "After stepping into the Ranks of a Demigod, this is the first time I''ve suffered like this. Perhaps I got too conceited after stepping into this realm because no opponents dared to fight me for nearly five decades. I guess I''ve be rusty after being the Overlord of this ce."


    The Subus Queen giggled as if finding her current helplessness very funny.


    "Very well. This time, I will fight without holding back," Queen Rhiannon dered. "You, Halfling on the ground, make sure to protect Lux no matter what. I am about to use one of my Trump Cards and, in this form, I am unable to hold myself back when facing enemies. Make sure to not let him die, okay?"


    Gaap didn''t reply and simply narrowed his eyes.


    He could tell that the Subus Queen''s words carried a hint of confidence in them, so he heightened his senses and prepared for any unexpected attacks that she might unleash in their direction.


    Queen Rhiannon then closed her eyes, and her Aurapletely disappeared. It was as if she had perished while hovering in the air, making Lux and Gaap have a very bad feeling about it.


    Suddenly, something glowed on Queen Rhiannon''s lower abdomen.


    It was a ck, heart-shaped crest with four bat-like wings spread wide on the sides.


    On her forehead, another crest appeared, resembling a third eye. The air around her crackled as if space was being distorted.


    Six bat-like wings sprouted on her back, and countless amount of flower petals began to rain from the sky.


    Dark clouds blocked the moonlight, and purple lightning started to streak across the heavens.


    Without any warning, a powerful pressure descended upon everyone, making Poro almost fall from the sky.


    The pressure was so great, and yet, Lux held his ground as he looked up at the peerless beauty, who had nowpleted her transformation.


    Earlier, Queen Rhiannon was wearing skimpy clothes that showed most of her body.


    Now, she was wearing a dark, lightweight crimson armor that seemed to be made up of dragon scales.


    The corner of Queen Rhiannon''s lips curled up as he looked at the shocked expression of the Dragon Born, who had been acting quite arrogant earlier.


    "Thank you for waiting, everyone," Queen Rhiannon said before pointing her finger at Poro, who now had a grim expression on his face. "Now then, Dragon Born, are you ready for round two?"


    Queen Rhiannon''s voice was filled with amusement as if she found this whole situation very funny.


    "Enough talk!" Poro mustered all of his strength, and courage before charging towards the Subus Queen, who seemed to have evolved from a normal subus to a Battle Maiden.


    Lilian, who was on the ground, snapped her fingers several times, sending countless beams of light flying toward the Subus Queen who was hovering in the sky.


    A faint chuckle escaped Queen Rhiannon''s lips before her body turned Ethereal, like a ghost that had no material body.


    The countless beams of light that Lilian had shot in her direction passed harmlessly through her body.


    Poro, who had summoned a Dark ming Sword, shed at his opponent, but simr to Lilian''s attack, his sword passed through her body as well.


    "You have to do better than that, Dragon Born," Queen Rhiannon yfully whispered in Poro''s ear. "Otherwise, you''re going to die soon."


    A secondter, Poro''s body was sent flying backward as Queen Rhiannon returned to the material ne and punched the Dragon Born''s chest, making him cough a mouthful of blood.


    The Subus Queen then nced at the ground to check out Lux''s and Gaap''s expressions.


    She thought that the two would show despairing faces after witnessing how strong she had suddenly be, but the Half-Elf and the Halfling both looked at her with calmness. She frowned, finding their expressions unusual.


    "She sure has be strong, Master," Lux thought. "I think she reversed her Intelligence Stat with her Strength Stat, while retaining her speed stat. This makes her an exceptional melee attacker, but her magical attacks are no longer a problem."


    "That''s right," Gaap agreed. "She is also using a different version of Ethereal Jaunt. Instead of nullifying ordinary physical attacks, she nullifies magical and force-based attacks. There''s also a possibility that she can use a normal Ethereal Jaunt, making her immune to physical attacks as well. If she can really use both versions, this will be a tricky battle."


    "Even so, that doesn''t change the fact that we need to beat her."


    "Yes."


    Now that Queen Rhiannon had no choice but to close the distance in order to attack them, the abilities and Summons that they hadn''t used earlier would now be able to show their mettle.


    Especially Diablo, as well as the Doom Knight Gangbangers, who couldn''t directly attack Rhiannon in the sky.


    Lux''s First Born looked at the Subus Queen in the sky eagerly, gripping his sword tighter in his hand.


    Due to the number of deaths on the battlefield, his attacks had also increased drastically.


    Also, Queen Rhiannon wasn''t aware that Lux''s Death Sovereign also specialized in Ethereal Attacks.


    An attack that could cut through the Ethereal ne and damage the foes that normal attacks couldn''t possibly reach.

 Chapter 889 Raid Boss Battle [Part 5]

    ?


    After her transformation, Queen Rhiannon had gained formidable strength.


    Just as Gaap and Lux guessed, she changed her tactics from attacking with magic to attacking physically.


    In the Abyss where every day was a fight for survival, the Subus Queen had experienced her fair share of fights. She always adapted to her environment as she raised her Rank to that of a Demigod, bing one of the true powerhouses of the Abyssal Realm.


    And now, she would show the foolish mortals, who had pushed her to a corner, her true might.


    ''I''d better get rid of the real threats first,'' Queen Rhiannon disappeared from where she was hovering and appeared a few meters away from Lilian.


    The Wicked Queen Slime was already expecting that the Subus would attack her first, so she met her head-on with a flurry of kicks and punches.


    Since magical and force-based attacks wouldn''t work against an opponent phased into the Ethereal ne, the only thing she could do was use meleebat.


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t expect that the Wicked Queen Slime would not only be proficient in magical attacks, but she was also good in martial arts.


    The two shed, destroying everything around them, forcing Lux, Gaap, and the Satyrs to distance themselves from the battle.


    ''So this is a fight between true Power Houses,'' Lux thought as he watched from the side. He felt both fear and awe from the destructive power shown by the two beings that stood at the Apex of the World.


    The Dark Forest, as well as thend beneath, split apart as Lilian and Queen Rhiannon exchanged blows that would''ve been strong enough to instantly annihte an Empyrean-Ranked Monster without giving it a chance to scream.


    Knowing that the Wicked Queen Slime couldn''t lose the exchange, Lux''s forces moved in to support her.


    "Duel [EX]!" Orion''s clone used the taunting skill and managed to make the Subus Queen''s body stiffen for a split second.


    Lilian, who saw this opportunity, didn''t hold back and threw a punch at her opponent''s face. However, the Subus Queen phased out into the Ethereal ne, rendering the physical blow useless.


    "Just as we feared, she can use both kinds of Ethereal Jaunts," Gaap stated.


    Lux nodded as he finished his preparations on his side.


    While Lilian and Queen Rhiannon were fighting the Half-Elf and the Halfling weren''t standing idly and were readying their counterattack.


    The Field of Light was also ying a vital role in the battlefield. Although the Subus Queen didn''t seem to be affected by it, her speed and strength had decreased a bit, preventing her frompletely overpowering Lilian despite the difference in their ranks.


    After shing onest time, Queen Rhiannon found an opportunity and kicked Lilian away, sending her crashing towards one of the mountains in the distance.


    The Subus Queen then flew in the direction of the Light Elemental that was keeping the Field of Light active.


    After her exchanges with the Wicked Queen Slime, she deemed that the Field of Light was affecting her performance significantly and needed to be destroyed at all costs.


    But Lux and Gaap already saw thising and were prepared to prevent this, so they also made their moves.


    "Go, Baal!"


    "Diablo, show her what we can do!"


    The two ck Knights who were under the Master-Disciple Necromancers charged at the Subus Queen fearlessly. One was riding on a ming horse, and the other was running holding a ck sword in his hand.


    Diablo and his trusted mount, who had fought countless battles together, were now Argonaut-Ranked Monsters.


    Their strength grew as their Master, Lux, grew, making them very formidable.


    An Argonaut-Ranked Monster fighting against a Demigod sounded like a veryughable concept. However, just like his Master, Diablo wasn''t fighting alone.


    "Hellfire��" Diablo said and the sword in his hand zed with hellish mes. "Annihtion!"


    Baal, who was running next to him, raised his sword high and swung it forward.


    "Oblivion sh!"


    The Fiery Attack as well as the Crescent Sword sh that the Knights unleashed merged together, forming a Hellish Crescent de that sent mes trailing in its wake as it flew towards its designated target.


    Queen Rhiannon wasn''t impressed and was about to deflect it with her sword when suddenly, her body froze mid-air, preventing her from deflecting the attack.


    Thebined attack hit its mark and pushed the Subus Queen a few meters away due to the impact.


    However, due to Queen Rhiannon''s Scaled Armor, the attack didn''t wound her body, nor showed any signs that they had dealt damage to her, with the exception of the ck smoke that rose from the ce where they hit her.


    "That skill is starting to annoy me," Queen Rhiannon muttered as she looked at Calypso, who was hovering in the sky, with killing intent.


    She knew that anything that could momentarily make her pause on the battlefield was a dangerous ability because it allowed her opponents to deal a blow to her uncontested.


    This had happened thrice already, and at this point, the Subus Queen was past being annoyed.


    If she were to have her way, she wished that she could kill all of her foes instantly.


    But now, she knew that she was not capable of doing that. Their actions had proved that they weren''t people whom she could underestimate any longer.


    The Subus Queen might look calm on the surface, but Diablo''s and Baal''s attacks surprised her greatly.


    Although there was no visible damage on the surface, she felt pain at the moment of impact as if the attack had grazed her soul.


    As a Demigod, her soul was extremely powerful because she had to undergo a Rebirth that strengthened not only her body but also her soul.


    Soul-Based attacks were something that everyone was quite wary of, even Demigods, and if their opponents possessed such an ability, they must do their best to eliminate them first.


    Using her incredible speed, she flew past Diablo and Baal with ease and reappeared a few meters away from Lux and Gaap.


    Since she wanted to capture the Half-Elf alive, she focused her attention on the Halfling, who had thwarted her attacks many times already.


    "Do you think you can hurt my Master under my watch?"


    The Fox Lady, Hana, whom Gaap had revived, ced her hands on Lux''s and Gaap''s shoulders. A secondter, the three of them disappeared and reappeared hundreds of meters away in a different location.


    Queen Rhiannon clicked her tongue. Her opponents were sure like slippery eels that refused to be caught.


    Even so, she still pursued Gaap and Lux, forcing Hana to teleport repeatedly across the battlefield in an attempt to shake off the Subus Queen.


    While Queen Rhiannon was chasing Lux and Gaap, she made sure to attack indiscriminately throughout her surroundings, killing countless Undead Monsters in her wake.


    However, since Hana refused to give up, the Subus Queen deemed that it was counterproductive to continue chasing them at this point in time.


    ''I''ll deal with the small fries first.'' The Subus Queen then shed sideways, creating a wind de that flew in the direction of the Greater Light Elemental, as well as the Radiant Slimes that were supporting it.


    But, just like always, a pair of gigantic hands appeared, blocking her attack, making the Subus Queen frown.


    Knowing that the same thing would happen again and again, Queen Rhiannon finally made the decision to prioritize eliminating Gaap at all costs.


    She was starting to get suspicious of the Gigantic Hands that were blocking her attacks. The more she saw them, for some reason, the more familiar they looked to her.


    The Subus Queen had a nagging feeling at the back of her head, but she didn''t pay it too much attention and pursued her target with a vengeance.


    Hana, who was protecting Lux and Gaap, sneered as she used her teleportation ability to distance themselves every time the Subus Queen headed in their direction.


    Queen Rhiannon unleashed devastating ranged attacks at the Halfling, but each of them was blocked effortlessly by the Gigantic Hands which were like an impassable wall, blocking her path.


    Once she deemed that enough was enough, she unleashed wide-scale attacks, not caring what she hit or where it hit.


    Although the Gigantic Hands were big, the Subus Queen didn''t believe that they could block all of her attacks that obliterated everything around her, changing the topography of thend.


    And she was right.


    Nearly 95% of Lux''s Undead Legion perished instantly after getting hit by her wide-scale attack that split thend in half.


    But just as she was feeling good about her strategy, her body once again stiffened, and eleven ominous-looking red lightning bolts flew in her direction.


    """Finger of Death!"""


    Lux''s, Eiko''s, and Asmodeus'' clones all attacked at the same time under the Half-Elf''smand.


    The finger of death only worked on monsters, and it could insta-kill any monster that was equivalent to Lux''s Rank or lower. It was not fatal to Humans or Demi-Human Creatures, and he was not delusional enough to think that it would work against a Demigod.


    However, there were two things that this skill was capable of doing.


    One was that it could inflict great pain on their targets.


    And two, it was imbued by Lux''s Divine Abyssal Touch, which dealt increased damage against Abyssal Creatures.


    Although the attack was not lethal, the pain from getting hit by the Finger of Death on top of the damage that it inflicted on the Soul was something that even the Subus Queen wouldn''t be able to shrug off so easily.


    "You brat!" the Subus Queen said through gritted teeth as her beautiful purple eyes locked on Lux''s body. "I swear I''ll make you pay for this!"


    Although she intended to capture Lux alive, that didn''t mean that she would not hurt him in order to achieve her goal.


    As long as his heart was beating and he was still breathing, the Subus Queen would not hesitate to give him a serious injury that could permanently cripple him for the rest of his life as punishment for the trouble he was giving her.

 Chapter 890 Raid Boss Battle [Part 6]

    ?


    "She''s really mad now, Lux," Gaap smirked. "Don''t let her catch you, or she will wring you dry down there."


    "That''s a very scary thought, Master," Lux replied. "My little brother only belongs to my fiances."


    "You Master and Disciple pair can still joke at this time!" Hanained. "Who do you think is making sure that she doesn''t catch either of you?!"


    Among the members of Gaap''s Covenant, it was Hana who specialized in formations as well as the one who served the role of Disruptor.


    She could help teleport her allies as well as give them a boost in their overall performance with her powerful enchantments.


    But right now, she was solely focused on teleporting the pair away from the Subus Queen, whose speed and attack power were noughing matter.


    Hana was certain that if one of Queen Rhiannon''s attacks really connected, her Master and Lux would definitely be seriously injured or, worse, killed on the spot.


    Iris was currently under the protection of Eiko and ckfire, so Lux didn''t have to worry about her.


    He had even given Eiko an explicit order to swallow Iris and run away with ckfire if things really got messy, and right now, things were really starting to get messy.


    The Dark Forest, which spanned for miles, was no longer the same forest as it was an hour ago.


    It was now almostpletely destroyed, and deep fissures could be seen in thend where trees used to stand tall and undisturbed for centuries.


    Only Lux''s and Gaap''s Named Creatures and Covenant Members were still alive, and only a few dozen remained of his Undead Legion.


    Due to this battle''s high danger level, Lux didn''t summon Bedivere or Garret to fight alongside him, knowing that both of them had families to take care of.


    Also, he wasn''t confident that he would be able to protect them in a battle of this magnitude, where one mistake could end their life in a heartbeat.


    Only Zagan, ALL-MITE, Shax, King Leoric, and Draven were present from Lux''s Covenant, who were also hard-pressed to evade the Subus Queen''s Wrath.


    Just as Queen Rhiannon was about to chase Lux and Gaap, several colorful light rays once again flew in her direction.


    She immediately turned into her Ethereal Form, allowing these attacks to pass harmlessly through her body.


    Lilian had returned to the battlefield and she was angry as hell.


    It had been a while since someone had managed to hurt her. Thest time she suffered a simr fate was when she fought against the previous King of Agartha, which ended in a draw.


    Now that her rage had been fueled, she returned to her original form, which towered ten meters tall.


    Queen Rhiannon, who understood the Wicked Queen Slime''s threat, changed her target and flew in her direction.


    But just as the Subus Queen was about to engage her enemy, she noticed something that made her face turn grim.


    Inside the Wicked Queen Slime''s body were nearly twenty Subi who had left Passion Castle in order to help their Queen fight against the people that invaded their realm.


    Unlike Lux and Gaap, Lilian didn''t care about fighting fair and square. She was a Cmity-Ranked Monster who had fought against countless Monsters in the past, and she would do everything in her power to win.


    It didn''t matter what methods she used, whether it was moral or immoral, as long as she was able to grasp victory.


    "You fiend!" Queen Rhiannon shouted. "Release my people!"


    Lilian ignored the Subus Queen''s demand and unleashed an acid spray that could melt Adamantine.


    Queen Rhiannon dodged to the side and circled around the Wicked Queen Slime, looking for a way to rescue her people.


    "Your Majesty! Don''t worry about us!" one of the Subus inside the Wicked Queen Slime''s body shouted through telepathy. "Just kill this monster!"


    "That''s right, Your Majesty! Kill it!"


    "We don''t want to drag you down, Your Majesty! Forget about us! Eliminate all of them without holding back!"


    The Subus Queen gritted her teeth in anger before drastically increasing her speed, allowing her to close the gap between her and the Wicked Queen Slime in the blink of an eye.


    "Die!" Queen Rhiannon shed furiously with the intention of cutting the Wicked Queen Slime in half, but she made sure to only target the ce where none of the Subi were being held captive.


    But her attack didn''t hit anything because Lilian split her body in half, evading Queen Rhiannon''s attackpletely.


    "Die!" Lilian''s hateful telepathic voice reached Queen Rhiannon''s ear at the same time her two bodies unleashed an Acid Spray at point-nk range.


    """No! Your Majesty!"""


    The captured Subi cried out in shock and anger as their Queen was sprayed with the Wicked Queen Slime''s Concentrated Acid, which Lilian always used against stronger opponents.


    This attack would almost, always, melt her opponent''s flesh and bones, allowing her to gain the upper hand.


    The only downside of this strategy was that its effective range was short, extending only thirty meters.


    Lilian had to fight her opponent at close quarters in order to bring them close enough for her to unleash the Concentrated Acid, which was one of her Trump Cards in battle.


    Suddenly, two gigantic hands materialized in the air and enclosed the Subus Queen between them.


    The Wicked Queen Slime, who was already certain that her foe would suffer serious injuries from her attack, frowned after seeing this scene.


    At first, she thought that the Gigantic Hands appeared in order to crush their enemy.


    However, after taking a good look at what happened, instead of crushing their foe, the Gigantic Hands protected the Subus Queen instead!


    "What''s the meaning of this Halfling?!" the Wicked Queen Slime''s telepathic voice reached Gaap, making thetter narrow his eyes.


    He wanted to ask Antero the same question��why did it choose to protect their enemy instead of ending the battle?


    The Subi were initially crying out due to anger and frustration because of their own weakness, causing their Queen to suffer terribly, but they were all shocked after understanding what had happened.


    When the acidic mist disappeared from its surroundings, the two hands opened, revealing an unharmed Rhiannon, who was just as confused as everyone else.


    Suddenly, a gigantic face appeared above the Subus Queen and chuckled.


    "Little Rhiannon is now a Demigod," Antero chuckled. "Very funny."


    "L-Lord Antero?!" Queen Rhiannon, who now realized the reason why the Gigantic Hands looked familiar, finally connected the dots.


    The Golem of Destruction, which disappeared from the Abyss over a hundred years ago, now appeared in front of her once again.


    Anteroughed, and hisugh reverberated across the entire 13th Layer, making thend tremble as if a giant was walking across them.


    "Good girl," Antero said as it used its finger to pat Queen Rhiannon''s head. "Now, behave."


    Everyone on the battlefield was dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events.


    The Golem of Destruction had moved autonomously, regardless of Gaap''s will.


    Truth be told, even if Gaap were to temporarily unseal the limiter that prevented Antero from unleashing his full powers, the Golem didn''t drain much of the Halfling''s life force.


    One of the reasons for this was due to the fact that Gaap was only using Antero''s hands to fight against Queen Rhiannon.


    The other reason was that, in the Abyss, Antero''s power was magnified by several folds, allowing him to take nourishment from his surroundings.


    In short, as long as Antero was in the Abyss, the Golem of Destruction would no longer need to drain Gaap''s lifespan in order to materialize.


    But the problem was the seal that bound him to the Halfling.


    As long as he was bound to Gaap, Antero had no choice but to listen to his orders.


    It was different now. The Golem of Destruction could move autonomously as long as he was in the Abyss, which gave the Halfling a bad premonition.


    "Run!" Gaap shouted because he knew that Antero now had full control of his body, allowing him to resist the Halfling''s orders.


    Lilian, Poro, Eiko, Iris, and ckfire, all moved towards the Halfling. Gaap didn''t hesitate to take one of the White Marbles out of his storage ring in order to use it.


    Just as Gaap was about to activate the White Marble, Queen Rhiannon snapped her fingers, and Cai appeared in front of them.


    Seeing the person that he wanted to rescue, Lux''s body subconsciously moved by itself and flew towards his fiance in an attempt to rescue her.


    Antero watched this scene with a smirk on its face as its eyes glowed crimson.


    The White Marble on Gaap''s hand activated by itself, creating a ck hole that sucked the Halfling, Eiko, Iris, Poro, and Lilian inside it.


    The strong suction force was about to suck Lux and Cai as well, but Antero''s Giant Hand caught both of them, preventing them from escaping.


    When the ck Hole disappeared half a minuteter, the Golem of Destruction ced the unconscious Half-Elf, and his fiance on the ground before looking at the Subus Queen with a smile.


    "Bye bye, Little Rhiannon," Antero chuckled. "y nicely."


    Although he could move autonomously in the Abyss, the fact still remained that he was bound to Gaap''s body.


    The moment the Halfling disappeared from the Abyss, his bond with Antero would pull the Golem of Destruction back to him, whether he liked it or not.


    The Subus Queen stood rooted on the spot because everything that had happened was like a blur to her.


    When she finally regained herposure, she looked down at the two unconscious teenagers beside her feet.


    "Although there were several mishaps along the way, I finally have you," Queen Rhiannon muttered. "The one that shares the other half of the Celestial Maiden Physique."


    Queen Rhiannon was worried about her people who had been captured by the Wicked Queen Slime. However, she knew that since the Half-Elf had been left in the 13th Layer of the Abyss, they would have no choice but toe back ande to his rescue.


    That would give her enough time to get what she wanted and make the Half-Elf pay for the things he did to her.

 Chapter 891 Tainted Love [Part 1]

    ?


    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a very soft andfortable bed, feeling weak and unable to move.


    There was also a sweet fragrance in the air, and its scent made him unable to form coherent thoughts, breaking his ability to think properly.


    Just before he could wonder where he was, he noticed that he wasn''t alone on the bed.


    A youngdy with long purple hair was positioned in front of him, and she was currently servicing his little brother with her lips, unaware that he was already awake.


    At first, he thought that he was dreaming because what he was seeing seemed to be impossible. But it didn''t take long for him to recognize that what he was seeing was real, and it subconsciously made his little brother react, making it awaken from its slumber.


    Although there was a faint purple mist in the surroundings, it was impossible for him to not recognize the Guildmaster of Iris'' Guild, Henrietta.


    The proud and beautifuldy who led the academy''s Guild, Serenity, and already had a fiance was busy kissing, licking, and sucking his member as if it was the most delicious thing in the world.


    As if noticing that he was now awake, Henrietta released Lux''s member from her lips, making a popping sound.


    The youngdy with purple hair then raised her head and looked at him seductively.


    It was then that Lux realized that Henrietta wasn''t wearing any clothes, which suddenly made his body heat up, and his breathing became ragged.


    Her breasts, which were usually hidden by her armor, were nowid bare for him to see, and for a moment, the thought of touching and sucking them passed through the Half-Elf''s mind.


    However, unlike what happened earlier, this line of thought didn''t disappear and remained inside his head.


    It was as if the sweet fragrance in their surroundings was encouraging this thought, fanning the desire in his chest to rise to the surface.


    The Half-Elf forcefully shook his head in order to dispel the idea that was slowly taking root in his consciousness. He knew for a fact that Henrietta was already betrothed to another, and he had no intention of stealing another man''s lover.


    But even this newly-found determination disappeared, making Lux nk out for a split second.


    While he was desperately trying to regain some sort of control over his thoughts and body, Henrietta suddenly kissed his lips in a passionate manner, as if the Half-Elf was her lover.


    Lux''s first reaction was to push her away, but as soon as this thought emerged, it instantly disappeared, making him nk out for a second time as Henrietta continued to kiss him, invading his lips with her tongue and making his body heat up.


    After nearly half a minute of being kissed, Henrietta pulled back and cupped Lux''s face, and looked at him affectionately.


    "Lux, I want you," Henrietta said before kissing his lips for the second time and pressing her naked body onto him, holding him in ce and preventing him from pushing her away.


    ����������


    Somewhere inside the Passion Pce��


    "Men don''t care if the one they are going to embrace is already promised to another," Queen Rhiannon whispered into Cai''s ear, as they both watched what was happening inside the room where Lux and Henrietta were through a projection.


    "As long as thatdy is beautiful enough, they will not hesitate to hold them, and cheat on their partners." Her words were smooth as silk, and gentle as a breeze, simr to a devil who was trying to tempt someone to do evil things.


    "You confined Lux in an environment where he can''t think properly, and his freedom is restrained," Cai replied in a monotonous tone. "Do not think that I''m naive and gullible. I can tell that Henrietta is under a Charm Spell and is simply following your orders."


    Queen Rhiannon chuckled as she wrapped her hands around Cai, hugging her from behind.


    "What you say is indeed true," Queen Rhiannonmented as she lightly caressed the glowing mark on Cai''s lower abdomen as if it was something very precious. "But you''ve got one thing wrong.


    "As long as he had the willpower to break free from the enchantment I ced, he would be able to push her away. The fact that he is unable to do that proves that he is also enjoying that youngdy''s embrace."


    Cai didn''t reply and simply watched the projection in silence.


    What Queen Rhiannon didn''t tell her was that when Lux was still unconscious, she made him drink a strong aphrodisiac that would slowly take effect a few minutes after he regained consciousness.


    It also had the ability to make him feel weak and incapable of using his powers for a few hours.


    The sweet fragrance that was preventing Lux from thinking properly and forming coherent thoughts came from the four incense burners that were located in the four corners of the room.


    The scent wasing from a powdery substance that came from a Carnivorous Abyssal Flower, exclusive to the 13th Layer of the Abyss.


    This flower had the ability to befuddle anyone who smelled its fragrance, robbing them of their strength and thoughts. This fragrance also creates illusions, making them see the person they desire.


    The Carnivorous nts would then take this opportunity to wrap their vines around their victims as if they were giving them a passionate hug. Slowly but surely, they would tighten their grip, injecting a paralyzing venom to their victim, rendering them helpless.


    But their victims wouldn''t feel any pain, only the ecstasy of being embraced by the person they loved.


    They didn''t even know that they were about to be swallowed by a carnivorous flower, which had gained the name Lovers Bloom.


    With this deadlybination, the Half-Elf was rendered helpless and only able to passively ept the one-sided passionate kisses that Henrietta was giving him, who was currently under Queen Rhiannon''s Charm Spell.


    "That youngdy is still a chaste maiden," Queen Rhiannon once again whispered in Cai''s ears. "If your fiance is really a man of character, he would definitely push her away. Now, watch closely. I will let you see that all men are the same. They only treat us as their ythings, and throw us away when they see someone better."


    As soon as Queen Rhiannon finished talking, Henrietta stopped kissing Lux and sat on his waist.


    The Half-Elf''s face was now flushed, and his body was feeling so hot, it felt like burning.


    The Aphrodisiac that Queen Rhiannon had secretly made him drink was now starting to take effect, making his breathing ragged and his member as hard as a rock.


    An alluring smile appeared on Henrietta''s lips as her soft, and delicate hand held the throbbing shaft that would soon pierce her maidenhood and take her chastity away.


    Lux watched with bloodshot eyes as the purple-haired beauty rubbed the tip of his member at the entrance of her cave, which was now parted, wet, and slick with desire.


    All Henrietta needed to do was lower her waist, and the deed would be done.


    Cai, who was watching this scene, subconsciously clenched her fist as her eyes glowed purple.


    Queen Rhiannon, who was hugging her from behind, smiled sweetly, as shemanded Henrietta to lower her hips and offer her virginity to Cai''s fiance, which would allow the Subus Queen to corrupt the High-Priestess'' virtuous heart.

 Chapter 892 Tainted Love [Part 2]

    ?


    When Queen Rhiannon ordered Henrietta to lower her hips and offer her chastity to Lux, a single tear fell down her eyes. However, she still obeyed the Subus Queen''smand like a puppet that was being manipted by strings.


    However, at that exact moment, Lux''s hands held her shoulder and gave her a push.


    A momentter, Henrietta stared nkly at the Half-Elf who was pinning her down on the bed.


    Their position was a bit awkward because the purple-haired beauty was lying down with her legs spread wide, and Lux''s member was pressing on her lower abdomen, like a hot rod of iron that was about to brand her body with his mark.


    Lux was panting for breath as if he had just run a marathon at full speed without stopping.


    The Subus Queen who was watching the projection frowned.


    She didn''t expect that Lux would really be able to muster enough strength and willpower to push Henrietta away under the influence of the Aphrodisiac and the Incense that was befuddling his senses.


    Before she couldmand Henrietta to overpower the Half-Elf, Lux''s soft and raspy words reached her ears.


    "Henrietta�� treasure yourself�� a bit more," Lux said while panting for breath. "Don''t allow�� others to control�� your destiny. Fight it�� Someone is�� waiting for you�� back in Sis."


    Henrietta didn''t reply and simply wrapped her legs around Lux''s waist, binding him to her.


    She then raised her hands and ced them behind Lux''s head, pulling him to her. A momentter, she once again kissed the Half-Elf passionately.


    Lux had expanded almost all of his strength and willpower to push Henrietta away before she lowered her body.


    Because of this, he was unable to muster enough strength right away to break free, allowing the purple-haired beauty to lock him in ce.


    ''It''s no use,'' Queen Rhiannonughed as she watched the projection from her room. ''Although you managed to break free for a while, the end result will still be the same. If one isn''t enough, I''ll send another to you.''


    Suddenly, the door of the room where Lux and Henrietta were currently locked in a passionate embrace opened.


    A naked, beautifuldy, who seemed to be in herte twenties walked towards Lux and Henrietta with steady steps.


    The Half-Elf, who had sensed the arrival of the neer, raised his head to see who it was.


    A secondter, he drew in a deep breath because another familiar figure had appeared in front of him.


    It was none other than Alicia, whom the Subus Queen had also captured. Simr to Henrietta, she was also under Queen Rhiannon''s Charm Spell and followed her orders like a puppet.


    The moment the mature beauty''s hand cupped Lux''s face, the Half-Elf''s body shuddered uncontrobly as if he had been electrocuted.


    He then immediately broke free from Henrietta''s hold and backed away until his back hit the wall.


    Queen Rhiannon''s body stiffened after seeing this scene, unable to understand how the Half-Elf managed to regain his strength and senses the moment Alicia entered the room.


    What the Subus Queen didn''t know was that she had identally helped Lux ovee the dirty tricks that she had employed the moment she sent Alicia inside the room.


    At that moment, a monotonousugh escaped Cai''s lips as if she found this situation very funny.


    She remembered that one time when she, Lux, and Iris were doing pillow talk after the three of them finished making love to each other.


    Out of curiosity, Cai asked Lux a silly question.


    Her question was, if you were the only man remaining in the world and there was also one woman remaining in the world, who is the one person that you least want to be your lifelong partner in a world where only the two of you existed?


    Cai thought that it would take a while for Lux to answer this question, but to her surprise, the Half-Elf answered her question in a heartbeat.


    "Alicia."


    That was Lux''s answer to his question.


    If there was one person that Lux didn''t want to be his lifelong partner in the world, that would be none other than thedy that Queen Rhiannon had sent to make Lux and Cai fall together in her clutches.


    Out of all the women in the world, Lux dared not to touch Alicia the most because he knew of her undying love for his stepfather, Alexander.


    Also, the Half-Elf had a feeling that even if the Headmaster of Barbatos Academy didn''t show it on his face, he believed that he was starting to develop some feelings for Alicia.


    This was evident when Lux saw how distressed he was when Iris, Alicia, and Henrietta were captured by the Subus Queen.


    Lux was also one of the people who supported Alicia''s love for his stepfather, and he, of all people, didn''t want toy his hands on the mature beauty, whose eyes would always turn affectionate, whenever she stared at Alexander''s back.


    "Bone Prison!" Lux shouted and a prison made of bones locked up the twodies, preventing them froming close to him.


    After casting this spell, he lost the strength in his legs, causing him to copse on the ground.


    His powers were still restricted, and he was only able to cast the spell due to his strong resolve to not touch his stepfather''s woman, which allowed him to momentarily break free from the things that were taking hold of his body.


    Cai, who was watching the projection, finally stoppedughing before facing the Subus Queen with a smug smile on his face.


    "It looks like your n backfired," Cai said in the same monotonous tone.


    "You think this is very funny?" Queen Rhiannon scoffed. "Fine. Let''s see how long he willst."


    The Subus Queen smirked before turning into a purple mist that flew towards Cai''s forehead, merging with her body.


    When the purple smoke was nowhere to be seen, a tattoo that resembled a third eye appeared on Cai''s head.


    "ytime''s over," Cai said with a devilish smile on her face. "I''ll show you that all men are the same."


    She then waved her hand, and Lux disappeared from his room and reappeared to where Cai was currently at.


    The Half-Elf, who was still in a weakened state, looked at his fiance who was walking towards him with a sweet smile on her face.


    He could tell that the young beauty that was moving towards him was indeed his fiance, but there was something different about her that made Lux raise his guard.


    "I may not know a lot of things about you, but I know your weakness," Cai said as the tattoo on her forehead glowed purple. "Silly boy, of all the weaknesses in the world, why did you have such a stupid weakness?"


    Lux red at the young beauty in front of him because he realized that his fiance was being possessed by someone.


    "Get away�� from her�� Queen Rhiannon," Lux said as he tried to prop himself up from the ground. "Leave�� Cai alone!"


    Cai giggled before resting her hand on Lux''s head who was ring at her.


    "I like that look of defiance in your eyes," Queen Rhiannon, who had possessed Cai''s body, said in a teasing tone. "Let''s see how long itsts."


    A momentter, Lux found himself lying on the bed, with his face buried in Cai''s thighs.


    While this was happening, the youngdy kissed and licked the Half-Elf''s throbbing member before putting it inside her mouth.


    She had vowed to herself that she would punish the Half-Elf for the things that he had done to her.


    Now that he was her captive, she would not stop until she had wrung him dry, using the body of his beloved Cai.

 Chapter 893 Tainted Love [Part 3]

    ?


    "Please, Forgive me!"


    "After all of the things you''ve done to me? Keep dreaming!"


    PA! PA! PA!


    "I beg you! Please, stop!"


    "I''ll only stop when your brain turns to mush!"


    PA! PA! PA!


    "I can''t go on! Have mercy!"


    "The only mercy you will get from me is a two-minute break. Now, move that hip!"


    PA! PA! PA!


    Cai''s body shuddered in both pain and pleasure as Lux released his seed inside her for the umpteenth time. She helplessly copsed on top of the Half-Elf as she panted for breath.


    "I''ll kill you for this," Queen Rhiannon said, still possessing Cai''s body. "I swear, I''ll kill you!"


    "Go ahead," Lux whispered in her ears as he patted her head. "We will start Round XX in two minutes."


    Cai''s body trembled as the thought of making love with the devilish Half-Elf for the umpteenth time appeared in her mind.


    The Subus Queen couldn''t ept what was happening. Nothing was going ording to her n.


    At the start, she had full control of the situation, but everything changed the moment the Half-Elf filled Cai''s womb with his seed for the first time.


    ''How did this happen?" Queen Rhiannon sighed internally as the Half-Elf''s member slowly regained its vigor inside Cai''s cave, which was now overflowing with his essence. ''How did they do this to me?''


    The Subus Queen had many questions, but no answers came.


    Two minutester, Lux''s hands held her backside and moved it up and down. Now that Cai had downgraded into an ordinary mortal, the Half-Elf could easily lift her body with ease even if she didn''t do anything.


    A few minutester, Queen Rhiannon cried out for the umpteenth time as she was once again filled to the brim with Lux''s essence.


    A momentter, she fell on his chest and lost consciousness as the emblem on Cai''s lower abdomen glowed with golden light.


    ������������������


    Six Hours Ago��


    Lewd sounds reverberated inside the room as Queen Rhiannon, who was possessing Cai''s body, enjoyed sucking Lux''s member using her soft and seductive lips.


    As the Subus Queen, she had many ways to fan a man''s mes of lust, making them release their essence non-stop until they were wrung dry.


    She had long decided to make Lux suffer even if he begged for forgiveness and mercy.


    The thought of drinking thest drop of his seed until the Half-Elf lost his consciousness flipped the switch of her sadistic nature, making her more eager to use her techniques to make Lux and Cai fall into depravity.


    After a few minutes of preparing Lux''s throbbing shaft for the deed, Queen Rhiannon gave it onest kiss before changing her position to sit on the Half-Elf''s waist.


    She gazed victoriously at the Half-Elf, whose face was in a daze after being buried in Cai''s thighs, which was his weakness.


    Queen Rhiannon had a special ability that was simr to a third eye.


    With this ability, she was able to see the weakness of all men, allowing her to use this information to her advantage.


    The Subus Queen then cupped Lux''s face and lowered her head to give him a long and passionate kiss.


    When the kiss ended, she stared at his eyes and used her Charm [Epic], which would put the Half-Elf under her control.


    Originally, Lux had a very strong resistance against Charm Skills, making him nearly immune to them. However, after being exposed to his weakness for several minutes, his resistance had considerably lowered.


    "Don''t resist," Queen Rhiannon, who was possessing Cai, said affectionately as her eyes glowed purple. "It will be over soon."


    Lux still did his best to resist, but his body was weakened by the effects of the incense, Aphrodisiac, and his fiance''s thighs, so his senses were inevitably conquered by Queen Rhiannon''s Charm skill. His eyes also turned purple, and with it, his body becamex.


    Seeing that she had managed to put the Half-Elf under her control, the Subus Queen giggled because she knew that she had already won.


    "Make love to me as passionate as you can," Queen Rhiannon ordered.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Lux replied in a monotonous tone.


    Queen Rhiannon smiled as she stood up, andid down on the bed.


    The Half-Elf then moved to kiss her passionately, intertwining his tongue with hers. His hands then moved to grope her breasts, in a gentle yet firm way, just like the way he made love to Iris and Cai whenever they were together.


    When their kiss ended, the Half-Elf continued to shower her with kisses, moving downwards.


    He kissed her neck, corbone, until he reached her breasts, which he kissed lovingly before sucking them inside of his mouth.


    "How innocent," Queen Rhiannon said as he wrapped her arms around Lux''s head, pulling his head closer. "You still have much to learn, Lux. I''ll give you a 4 out of 10 for your effort."


    The Half-Elf didn''t reply because he was busy nibbling and sucking the nipple inside his mouth to talk.


    After a few minutes had passed, he once again kissed his fiance lovingly and moved ever so slowly downwards.


    When he finally reached her cave, which was already wet with anticipation, he licked it lovingly before inserting his tongue inside it, savoring its vor which he hadn''t tasted for several weeks ever since he left for Agartha.


    A sigh escaped Queen Rhiannon''s lips as Lux did his best to make her feel good. It had been nearly two decades since she had made love to someone, so having a young man, who was still inexperienced in the true art of lovemaking, made her quite eager to ravage him.


    ''His member''s girth and size are perfect as if he was born to make love to me,'' Queen Rhiannon thought as he lightly tapped Lux''s head, making thetter raise her head to look at her.


    "Do it," Queen Rhiannon ordered, as she spread her legs wider. "Make love to me."


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Lux replied in the same monotonous tone as earlier and rubbed the tip of his shaft at her entrance, coating it with her love juices.


    Queen Rhiannon wrapped her legs around Lux''s waist and pulled him closer to her, making his member prate deep inside her until its tip kissed the entrance of Cai''s womb.


    "This is it��" Queen Rhiannon moaned in ecstasy. "It''s been so long since I had this feeling."


    Soon, Lux started moving his hips.


    Queen Rhiannon moved her legs with every thrust, allowing the Half-Elf''s every thrust to hit deeper inside of her. Over time, their lovemaking became rougher, and only the sound of their bodies hitting each other and her lustful moans reverberated inside the room.


    Although she didn''t want to admit it, her nearly two-decade-long abstinence had made her body crave the touch of a man.


    She refused to fornicate with the Satyrs, as well as the other Demihuman creatures in the Abyss because she didn''t want them to benefit from the act of making love to her.


    She had learned a very painful lesson in the past, and because of that, she decided that she would be very careful in choosing who her next partner would be and that she would only do it with someone who was under herplete control.


    ''It''s getting bigger,'' Queen Rhiannon thought when she felt Lux''s member starting to throb inside of her. ''He''s going to release his seed.''


    The Subus Queen''s legs that were wrapped around Lux''s waist tightened their grip as she pulled him to her when she deemed that the time was right.


    The moment she did that, she felt something hot and very powerful gushing inside of her, making her body tremble in ecstasy as it filled up her womb.


    The emblem on Cai''s lower abdomen glowed purple as she basked in the afterglow of her and Lux''s first orgasm that scratched the itch that she had been unable to scratch for the past two decades.


    "You''re indeed perfect, Lux," Queen Rhiannon said. Even after the Half-Elf had released his essence inside of her, his member remained hard and raring to go.


    With a giggle, the Subus Queen once again ordered the red-headed teenager to move his hips, and with that, they started round two.


    Queen Rhiannon wasn''t aware that, in front of the young man who had resumed making love to her, several words of text appeared in front of him.


    ����������������


    You have absorbed 1,000 Free Stats Points from Queen Rhiannon.


    Due to the effect of the Progenitor ss, the stat points you gained will be increased to 3,000 Stat Points. Feel free to allocate it anywhere you like.


    ����������������


    Within the depths of Lux''s charmed eyes, something stirred for a brief moment before vanishing without a trace.


    Once again, only the sound of Cai''s pleasurable moans and their bodies hitting each other reverberated inside the room.


    Queen Rhiannon wasn''t aware of the changes that were happening inside Lux''s body, as well as the Stat Points that he was absorbing from her.


    As a Demigod, herbined stats points were over 50 Million, so losing a thousand stat points was negligible. She wouldn''t notice it in normal situations, let alone in her current state, drunk at the thought of milking the Half-Elf dry and making him unable to defy her again.

 Chapter 894 Tainted Love [Part 4]

    ?


    "Yes! Yes! Give it to me!" Queen Rhiannon cried out loudly as Lux once again released his seed inside of her.


    ����������������


    You have absorbed 1,000 Free Stats Points from Queen Rhiannon.


    Due to the effect of the Progenitor ss, the stat points you gained will be increased to 3,000 Stat Points. Feel free to allocate it anywhere you like.


    ����������������


    "Rougher! I don''t care if you break me!"


    ����������������


    You have absorbed 1,000 Free Stats Points from Queen Rhiannon.


    Due to the effect of the Progenitor ss, the stat points you gained will be increased to 3,000 Stat Points. Feel free to allocate it anywhere you like.


    ����������������


    "Amazing, you''re still this hard. Mmm! That''s it. That''s the way I like it!"


    ����������������


    You have absorbed 1,000 Free Stats Points from Queen Rhiannon.


    Due to the effect of the Progenitor ss, the stat points you gained will be increased to 3,000 Stat Points. Feel free to allocate it anywhere you like.


    ����������������


    Queen Rhiannon and Lux made love over and over again without stopping even for a minute.


    Perhaps due to the effects of the Aphrodisiac and Queen Rhiannon''s techniques, Lux''s member remained standing strong even after doing several rounds non-stop.


    With every release, the Half-Elf''s stat points increased, raising his Rank little by little.


    Every time his seed filled up Cai''s womb, the purple color that emanated from her lower abdomen slowly lost its luster.


    After an hour of lovemaking, a faint golden color appeared on the edges of Cai''s emblem.


    After two hours had passed, the golden light slowly spread, overpowering Queen Rhiannon''s spell that had put Cai under her control. This was the reason why she was able to control Cai to do whatever she wished.


    The Subus Queen was unaware of these changes as she indulged herself in Lux''s young and strong body, which was radiating with vigor and life.


    "We''re verypatible," Queen Rhiannon said as she shook her hips in a steady rhythm. "I changed my mind. I''ll make you my personal toy and not share you with my subordinates."


    After making love for the umpteenth time, the Subus Queen decided to take the ce on top and use her techniques to make herself feel good.


    However, an idea popped inside her head, which made her smile sweetly. If she wanted to make the Half-Elf feel true despair, robbing him of his consciousness wasn''t the right way to do it.


    What she needed to do was make Lux understand true despair by making him feel helpless as she toyed with him.


    "It''s boring when I''m the only one conscious," Queen Rhiannon smirked as she tapped Lux''s finger with her forehead. "How about you enjoy this as well?"


    As soon as her finger touched Lux''s forehead, the Charm Spell that she had ced on him vanished without a trace, allowing the Half-Elf to regain his freedom.


    "I will not lose to you," Lux said through gritted teeth as he endured Queen Rhiannon''s Carnal Techniques that were forcing him to release his seed for the umpteenth time. "You won''t have your way!"


    "But I will," Queen Rhiannon replied. "Just like this."


    The Subus Queen increased the movement of his hips, making Lux grunt. A secondter, the Half-Elf''s body shuddered as he helplessly released his essence inside of his Fiance, who was currently being possessed by the Subus Queen.


    "Yes! That''s it!" Queen Rhiannon smiled sweetly as she gazed at the expression on Lux''s face. "That look of defiance. I want to see how long it willst."


    Just as Lux was about to retort to her, several rows of text appeared in front of him, making him stop whatever he was going to say midway.


    ����������������


    You have absorbed 1,000 Free Stats Points from Queen Rhiannon.


    Due to the effect of the Progenitor ss, the stat points you gained will be increased to 3,000 Stat Points. Feel free to allocate it anywhere you like.


    ����������������


    Seeing the Half-Elf pause, unable to say whatever he was going to say to her, the Subus Queen smirked and cupped his face.


    "What''s wrong, Lux?" Queen Rhiannon. "Are you giving up?"


    "You wish!" Lux replied. "We''ll see who will have thestugh!"


    "Hahaha! You''re still clinging to hope?" Queen Rhiannon sneered. "Sorry, but the one who willughst is none other than me."


    A few minutester��


    ����������������


    You have absorbed 1,000 Free Stats Points from Queen Rhiannon.


    Due to the effect of the Progenitor ss, the stat points you gained will be increased to 3,000 Stat Points. Feel free to allocate it anywhere you like.


    ����������������


    "Be my loyal ve and I promise that I will make you feel good for the rest of your life."


    "Dream on! You may have my body, but you will never have my heart!"


    "I don''t need your heart, I just need your body. Take this!"


    "Ah!"


    ����������������


    You have absorbed 1,000 Free Stats Points from Queen Rhiannon.


    Due to the effect of the Progenitor ss, the stat points you gained will be increased to 3,000 Stat Points. Feel free to allocate it anywhere you like.


    ����������������


    "You B*tch! I will not lose to you!"


    "You can still spout that nonsense? It seems that you still haven''t learned your lesson!"


    ����������������


    You have absorbed 1,000 Free Stats Points from Queen Rhiannon.


    Due to the effect of the Progenitor ss, the stat points you gained will be increased to 3,000 Stat Points. Feel free to allocate it anywhere you like.


    ����������������


    "Hah�� Hah�� I can still go on."


    "Don''t worry, I will not stop until I drain you dry!"


    ����������������


    You have absorbed 1,000 Free Stats Points from Queen Rhiannon.


    Due to the effect of the Progenitor ss, the stat points you gained will be increased to 3,000 Stat Points. Feel free to allocate it anywhere you like.


    ����������������


    "Remember this�� Hah�� I will make you�� call me Daddy�� before this is over!"


    "Is that one of your kinks? How about you start calling me Mistress instead?"


    "Dream on!"


    "Suit yourself."


    "Kuh!"


    ����������������


    You have absorbed 1,000 Free Stats Points from Queen Rhiannon.


    Due to the effect of the Progenitor ss, the stat points you gained will be increased to 3,000 Stat Points. Feel free to allocate it anywhere you like.


    ����������������


    After three hours of lovemaking, Queen Rhiannon was starting to feel that something was wrong. Even after she repeatedly drained Lux of his essence, instead of getting weaker and more desperate, the Half-Elf seemed to be more stubborn and more defiant.


    As if to prove that point, the one who was moving their hips was Lux, and she was now the one on the receiving end.


    Since she was possessing Cai''s body, which currently had the strength of a normal mortal, she could tell that she was slowly being overpowered by the Half-Elf, who was dominated by her earlier.


    Right now, Lux was pinning Queen Rhiannon on the bed as he moved his hips in a rough manner, making the Subus Queen grit her teeth.


    Earlier, she was still feeling pleasure. However, right now, she was feeling numb down there after being pounded non-stop for several hours.


    "S-Stop!" Queen Rhiannon finally had enough and cupped Lux''s face. Her eyes then glowed as she activated her Charm Spell, forcing the Half-Elf to obey hermand.


    However, instead of being Charmed, the Half-Elf only smirked and even kissed her lips, catching her by surprise.


    When the kiss ended, Lux whispered something in Queen Rhiannon''s ears, making her eyes widen in shock.


    "Checkmate," Lux whispered in a teasing tone. "You no longer have power over us, Your Majesty."


    At the same time, the Half-Elf released his essence inside of her womb, making the Subus Queen shudder.


    The emblem on Cai''s lower abdomen glowed brightly, erasing the remains of the purple color that once suppressed its light.


    Suddenly, Queen Rhiannon heard a voice inside her head, which made her face turn pale in disbelief.


    "It seems that I have won our bet, Your Majesty," Cai said in the same teasing tone, imitating her beloved fiance, Lux. "Now, it''s your turn to suffer."


    "N-No��," Queen Rhiannon stuttered as Lux looked down on her with a smug expression on his face. "This is impossible!"


    The Half-Elf didn''t reply and simply kissed her once again on the lips, shutting her up, as he moved his hips for the umpteenth time.


    He was very close to making a breakthrough to be a C-Ranker, and he was a fool if he let this perfect opportunity go to waste.

 Chapter 895 Seeking A Compromise

    <h4>Chapter 895 Seeking A Compromise?</h4>


    When Queen Rhiannon opened her eyes, she found half of her body submerged in water.


    ''This is�� my private pool area?'' Queen Rhiannon thought as she scanned her surroundings, confirming her guess.


    Right now, she was indeed in her private pool area, and half of her body was submerged in the water that had restorative properties.


    ''Oh the irony,'' Queen Rhiannon thought. ''The Capturer is now the captured. How the tables have turned.''


    Just as she was about to stand up, she realized that she was unable to do so because someone was holding her from behind.


    Turning her head to the side, she saw Lux. He slept peacefully with his arms firmly wrapped around her body, holding her in ce and preventing her from breaking free.


    Queen Rhiannon frowned, but after trying a few times, she realized that there was no way for her to escape the Half-Elf''s grasp, even though he was currently asleep.


    Right now, she was in Cai''s body, whose strength was only equal to that of an ordinary teenage girl. There was no way that someone like her could break free from the hold of a Ranker, whose stats were way higher than hers.


    Left with no choice, the Subus Queen assessed her current situation and started thinking of a way to escape her predicament.


    She had already tried to get out of Cai''s body multiple times, but something was preventing her from doing it.


    If only she could materialize her true form, she could easily deal with the Half-Elf, who had ravaged the body she was possessing, therefore ravaging her as well.


    But since she couldn''t do that, she decided to punish the Half-Elf with the only thing she could think of at that moment, and that was to crush his member with her hands.


    ''You bastard, even if I only have the strength of a mortal, I''m going to make you pay dearly for your insolence!'' Queen Rhiannon thought as her hands moved behind her body, grasping the hot shaft that was pressed against her backside.


    Even though Lux was asleep, his member was still as hard as a rock due to the Subus Queen''s Aphrodisiac.


    The only reason why he stopped making love to Cai to increase his rank was due to the fact that his fiance''s body was that of an ordinary girl, and continuously making love with her wasn''t a good idea.


    Cai''s little sister was swollen after six hours of continuous lovemaking, so Lux decided to take a break and allow her body to fully recover.


    He fell asleep not long after soaking in the recovery pool because he was also exhausted both physically, mentally, and emotionally.


    Just as Queen Rhiannon was about to give Lux''s little brother a squeeze, the Half-Elf''s eyes opened.


    "Give it up," Lux said before raising the youngdy''s hips and thrusting his member inside of her, making Queen Rhiannon gasp in shock. "If you don''t want to rest then we will continue with round XX. Are you sure you want that?"


    Queen Rhiannon''s body shuddered out of fear because she didn''t want to experience that feeling of helplessness ever again.


    It reminded her of the time when she was still weak and had no choice but to do anything in her power to survive the cruel Abyssal World.


    If not for the fact that the Golem of Destruction, Antero, had be her Guardian and provided her with a ce that she could call home, she might have already be a ything of one of the Abyssal Nobles that ruled the Abyss.


    Seeing that the youngdy in his arms stopped moving, Lux pulled her to him, allowing her to lean her body on his strong chest.


    A few minutes of silence passed between them before Queen Rhiannon broke the silence.


    "You and Cai won," Queen Rhiannon stated. "What must I do for you to release me?"


    "If we release you, I''m pretty sure that we will regret it," Lux replied. "The moment you regain your freedom, you will immediately restrict our own freedom, making sure that we do not get a second chance in turning the tables against you."


    "I won''t." Queen Rhiannon promised. "I will no longer antagonize any of you and I''ll allow all of you to return to your world."


    "I wasn''t born yesterday, Your Majesty," Lux said while lightly pinching the pink tip of Cai''s right breast, making Queen Rhiannon''s body stiffen. "We are too weak to fight you. The only time I can win against you is now. However, it''s not like we can''t reach apromise."


    The Half-Elf loosened his grip on Cai''s body and asked her to face him.


    Queen Rhiannon did as she was told and turned around, making sure that the Half-Elf''s member slipped out of her body.


    She then red at the red-headed teenager, who was looking at her in the eyes with a calm expression on his face.


    "Whatpromise?" Queen Rhiannon asked. "As long as it doesn''t go below my bottom line, I am willing to agree to your condition."


    "Before we talk, can you put my little brother inside you again?" Lux asked in a teasing tone. "He missed Cai so much that he wanted to be inside her as much as possible."


    The corner of Queen Rhiannon''s lips twitched after hearing the Half-Elf''s words. His member had already been inside her for an entire six hours, and he still wanted to stick it in while his fiance''s body was still recovering?


    "Are you an animal?" Queen Rhiannon asked. "Is that all you can think of?"


    "Well, we won''t start our negotiation until you meet that condition first," Lux insisted. "It''s up to you whether you want topromise or not."


    The Subus Queen knew that Lux was just messing with her and doing his best to humiliate her. However, since she had no other choice but to seek apromise, she decided to endure it for the time being.


    Holding the hot, and hard shaft in her hand, she slowly slid it inside her body, while giving the Half-Elf the "Are you happy?" re.


    Lux smiled and nodded his head.


    "This is a good start," Lux stated. "Your act alone proved that you are willing topromise with me."


    "Enough!" Queen Rhiannon snapped. "What is your condition?"


    Lux knew that the Subus Queen had already reached the limit of her patience, so he no longer teased her and went straight to the point.


    "There are three conditions that you need to meet in order for you to be released," Lux said. "The first one is for you to cooperate with me and allow me to be a C-Ranker. Do not think for a moment that I am unaware of your original n to absorb my strength until my Rank regressed to that of an ordinary mortal.


    "I am merely doing what you initially nned to do, so you can''t me me for my actions. Although I feel sorry that you will lose a bit of your strength, this is the price you have to pay for losing against us."


    Queen Rhiannon frowned, but she didn''t deny Lux''s usation. She had indeed nned to drain his strength and transfer his stats to Cai.


    The moment Lux''s Rank regressed to that of an ordinary Mortal, she would use him as a hostage to force Cai to ept her offer in bing a Subus, corrupting the High Priestess and making her one of her loyal subordinates.


    "What is the second condition?" Queen Rhiannon asked.


    "The second condition is a bit harsh, but it is needed to ensure that you will not go back on your words and try to hurt us," Lux replied. "The second condition is that you should give me your True Name."


    Queen Rhiannon''s eyes widened in shock after hearing Lux''s second condition.


    She could still agree to let the Half-Elf drain some of her stats and allow him to be a C-Ranker, but giving her True Name is akin to giving the Half-Elf the power tomand her, simr to that of a ve.


    Just as Lux expected, the Subus Queen''s eyes became murderous as she rested her hands on the Half-Elf''s shoulder, digging her nails into his skin.


    If she could muster even a tenth of her previous strength, she would immediately gouge the Half-Elf''s eyes, which were looking at her with a challenging gaze.

 Chapter 896 Queen Rhiannon’s True Motive

    <h4>Chapter 896 Queen Rhiannon��s True Motive</h4>


    Queen Rhiannon''s gaze was enough to tell Lux that what he was asking was something that was very hard to achieve.


    Even so, he didn''t back down and stated his third condition.


    "After giving me your name, I will give you a set of orders that will prevent you from harming us in any way possible. As long as you can do that, Cai will release you."


    The one who thought of these conditions wasn''t Lux but Cai herself. After giving her chastity to Lux, she was able tomunicate to him telepathically as long as they were within two thousand meters of each other.


    The Half-Elf thought that these conditions were good, so he decided to use these as the foundation of thepromise that he nned to offer Queen Rhiannon.


    Suddenly and without warning, Queen Rhiannon dug her teeth into Lux''s neck, biting it with everything she had.


    However, no matter how hard she bit his neck, her teeth couldn''t dig enough to draw blood, and she even felt like she was biting against something very hard.


    What she didn''t know was that Lux could make his skin as hard as Dragon Scales. He already knew that Queen Rhiannon would attack him in some form, so he had already made preparations in advance.


    But even if he didn''t do this, the most that Queen Rhiannon could leave on his body was a kiss mark that would disappear after a few minutes.


    Since that was the case, Lux allowed her to vent her frustrations until her jaws started to ache.


    "Those are the only conditions we have for you," Lux stated while Queen Rhiannon was still biting his neck repeatedly like a fangless vampire. "I understand that this isn''t fair, but this is the only way to ensure that you will not go back on your word."


    A few minutester, Queen Rhianon stopped biting Lux and started pping him until her hands turned red.


    When the Half-Elf deemed that Cai''s body would only be hurt if this continued, he knocked her unconscious before holding his fiance''s body close to him, allowing the water of the pool to recover the injuries she had inflicted on herself.


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t know how many hours had passed, but the next time she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on her own bed with the Half-Elf lying beside her.


    "You''re finally awake," Lux said. "So, how about it? Will you consider my offer?"


    "Just kill me!" Queen Rhiannon shouted hatefully. "Kill me! I''d rather die than be your ything!"


    "But you don''t want to die, right?" Lux replied. "You have suffered for many years in order to stand tall in the Abyssal World. Are you sure you want to throw that all away?"


    Queen Rhiannon''s eyes widened in shock after hearing Lux''s words.


    "I''m sorry."


    Cai''s words resonated inside Queen Rhiannon''s head.


    "I was desperate to find any weakness that we can use over you. Because of that, I peeked into your memories, while you are unconscious."


    "��" Queen Rhiannon could only endure in silence as she bit her lip, causing it to bleed.


    Lux continued to hug her and used the skill, Healing Wind, in order to heal the injury that Queen Rhiannon had inflicted on Cai''s body.


    While this was happening, Queen Rhiannon closed her eyes and willed herself to go to Cai''s Sea of Consciousness, where the owner of the body resided.


    There, she found Cai, sitting on a chair while patting the head of a baby golden slime, whom she had snuck inside her body during the battle against the Satyr.


    Since Fei Fei was not as courageous as Eiko when it came to fighting, Cai used her connection with her Beast Companion to put her somewhere safe from harm, which was her Spiritual World.


    This was also where Iris kept her Guardians whenever she was going to Elysium to fight a Boss or conquer a Dungeon.


    "I''m sorry." Cai apologized for the second time after seeing the Subus Queen''s hateful re in her direction.


    "How much did you see?" Queen Rhiannon asked through gritted teeth.


    "Everything," Cai replied. "I saw everything. Because of this, I can no longer see you as an enemy. After all, both of us are the same. We both have the Celestial Maiden Physique."


    "We''re not the same!" Queen Rhiannon shouted. "What do you know?! You have lived a very peaceful life surrounded by family and friends! I wasn''t as lucky as you! The first man I loved used me as a tool in order to increase his rank! After he stepped into the Cmity Rank, he tossed me aside like a dirty rag that no longer had any value!


    "For many years, I wandered the Abyss, fighting for survival every single day! I lived a hellish life, and you tell me we are the same? Screw you!"


    Queen Rhiannon hatefully summoned a giant fireball and threw it at Cai. However, the High Priestess only raised his hand, and the giant Fireball disappeared without a trace.


    "What you say is true," Cai replied. "It was arrogant of me to say that we are the same. Unlike you, I grew up in a loving family, protected by my tribesman. If anyone tried to harm me, my Grandfather would immediately go on a rampage and start killing people.


    "You, on the other hand, had to resort to tricks and schemes to steadily raise your rank in ces far away from those that will harm you. However, even that didn''tst long because the one whom you had given your love and trust came back for you in order to use you as a tool for the second time."


    Queen Rhiannon''s body trembled as she recalled the hateful Demon, who had gone to great lengths to find her when he realized that he needed her to be a Demigod.


    Fortunately, the Golem of Destruction was passing through on that day, and out of whim, saved Queen Rhiannon from a horrible fate.


    Hundreds of years passed, and Queen Rhiannon also became a Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Creature. The first thing she did when she gained her rank was to hunt down her traitorous first love and kill him with her own hands.


    However, his death wasn''t simple.


    Queen Rhiannon absorbed his essence and added it to her own, allowing her to break through and be a Demigod.


    After that, she took over his territory, which was the 13th Layer of the Abyss, and became its new overlord.


    Cai looked at the Subus Queen with a pitiful gaze because she knew how much Queen Rhiannon had suffered.


    She also understood the real reason why the Subus Queen tried to corrupt her by letting her absorb Lux''s Rank and recover her strength.


    Queen Rhiannon had long lost her trust in men and treated them as mere tools to satisfy the cravings of her body.


    She wanted Cai to not suffer the same heartbreak as she did, so she took matters into her own hands andid out the foundations in order to convert the High Priestess into a Subus.


    Queen Rhiannon intended Cai to be like her.


    Someone who would take the strength of others and add it to her own, instead of letting others absorb her strength until she became nothing but an empty shell.


    In Queen Rhiannon''s eyes, she was merely helping someone who had the same Body Constitution as her.


    Even if the methods she used were something that the High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe couldn''t ept, she believed that after a few hundred years had passed, Cai would thank her for opening her eyes to the truth.


    The truth that men couldn''t be trusted and that they would only use her as a tool for their own gains.


    This was why the moment she saw Lux, Queen Rhiannon decided to capture him alive at all cost and let Cai personally kill him, thinking that it would make her lose her heart and embrace a new destiny.


    A new destiny that would make her another powerhouse in the Abyss and be Queen Rhiannon''s trustedpanion for life.

 Chapter 897 I Bring Dire News

    <h4>Chapter 897 I Bring Dire News</h4>


    As a High Priestess, Cai had developed a skill that would allow Spirits to Possess her for short periods of time when she was still very young.


    This allowed her to harness their powers and use it to defend herself or to attack others in self-defense.


    Through the years, she had mastered this ability, allowing her to retain the spirits inside her for a long time that couldst for several days up to several weeks.


    When Queen Rhiannon possessed her in the hope to corrupt and control her body from within, the former didn''t know this.


    She only seeded to possess Cai in the beginning because the former allowed her to seed.


    Cai was certain that Lux woulde to her rescue, so she confidentlyid out the foundation of her trap that would prevent the Subus Queen from escaping once she possessed her body.


    Since she had given her chastity to Lux, she had imparted a mark in his body, which allowed her unique Body Constitution to synchronize with him every time they made love with each other.


    Through this connection, Cai was able to break free from Queen Rhiannon''s control and trap the Demigod inside her body, allowing them room for negotiations.


    ��������������������


    Queen Rhiannon, who was still possessing Cai''s body,id on the bed as the Half-Elf''s essence spurted inside of her.


    Throughout their lovemaking session, the Subus Queen justid there without moving and simply allowed Lux to do whatever he wanted with her body, draining her strength in the process.


    Her outburst in Cai''s Spiritual World drained her emotionally, and she no longer cared what they did to her.


    Queen Rhiannon knew that Cai couldn''t keep her trapped inside her body forever, so the Subus Queen was merely waiting for that time limit to expire.


    Once that happens, she would have her revenge and pay Lux back tenfold for everything that happened to her.


    As for Cai, she still intended to turn her into a Subus, regardless of her will.


    The Subus Queen was a very patient person, especially after everything that she had gone through. Knowing that she would have thestugh, she decided to endure everything until Cai reached her limit.


    As for Lux, although he was able to increase his rank drastically, the Half-Elf was only halfway through his breakthrough to be a C-Ranker.


    He had to take several breaks in order to let Cai''s body recover, aware that doing it too much would harm her in the long run.


    His fiance had also shared what had happened between her and Queen Rhiannon inside her Spiritual World and asked Lux to help convince the Demigod to settle for apromise.


    ''I can understand that she hated the condition of revealing her True Name,'' Lux thought. ''But if we can''t get her True Name, any negotiations we make with her will have no binding power whatsoever.''


    Cai had also told the Half-Elf that at most, she would only be able to trap Queen Rhiannon inside her body for a week. After that, the Subus Queen would be able to break free.


    When that happened, it will be their turn to suffer her wrath.


    Two days had already passed since Lux and Cai were able to turn the tables against the Demigod.


    This meant that they only had five more days in order to find a way to convince her topromise.


    While Lux was thinking about what they should do, he gently carried Queen Rhiannon off the bed and walked towards her private pool, which had restorative properties.


    Although Lux could heal her injuries using Healing Wind, he was unable to restore her stamina. Because of this, he would take her to the pool after every ten rounds to rest for half an hour.


    The pool also allowed Lux to recover his stamina, which was like hitting two birds with one stone.


    "Is there really no way for us to meet halfway?" Lux asked the Subus Queen as he gently cleaned her body with his hand.


    "My True Name is non-negotiable," Queen Rhiannon replied. "I will not agree to anypromise if it involves giving you my True Name."


    The Half-Elf sighed in his heart because they were once again back to square one.


    An hourter, while the two of them were still resting, someone barged inside the room, taking Lux and Queen Rhiannon by surprise.


    "Your Majesty! It''s terrible!" one of the Subus of the Passion Pce shouted as soon as she entered the room. "Your Majesty, where are you?!"


    Hearing the urgency in the Subus'' voice, Queen Rhiannon felt that something was terribly wrong.


    "I am here!" Queen Rhiannon replied. "What''s wrong?"


    Since Lux was holding her firmly in his embrace, the Subus Queen had no choice but to call out her subordinate to her.


    A secondter, the room of the pool area opened and an anxious looking Subus entered.


    "Forgive my intrusion, Your Majesty," the Subus stated. "I know that you are still toying with these mortals, but I bring dire news. Andras, the Demon Lord of the 12th Layer, is gathering his massive army to attack!"


    "What?!" Queen Rhiannon shouted. "Where is he going to attack? Who is he going to attack?!"


    "Your Majesty, you already know that there are only two possible targets for this invasion," the Subus replied with a grim look on her beautiful face. "Either he attacks the 11th Layer, or he attacks the 13th Layer.


    "As far as I know, Orias, who ruled the 11th Layer, is still as formidable as ever. His army is also verypetent, especially after histest skirmish against the Abyssal Lord of the 10th Layer, Andrealphus. Although we think that he might be intending to attack the 11th Layer while they are still recovering from the war, the possibility of him attacking the 13th Layer is still higher."


    Queen Rhiannon hatefully gritted her teeth after hearing her subordinate''s report.


    "That war-mongering bastard Andras, does he think of me as a weakling?!" Queen Rhiannon gnashed her teeth in anger. "Does he really intend to attack the 13th Layer?!"


    This wasn''t the first time that Queen Rhiannon had fought against Andras. Theirtest battle happened fifty years ago, and it ended with Andras retreating in defeat.


    That was also the time when Queen Rhiannon had made a name for herself and everyone recognized her strength as an Abyssal Lord of the 13th Layer.


    ''Did he perhaps increase his strength in a span of a few decades?'' Queen Rhiannon frowned. She knew that Andras would only attack if he was certain that he had a chance of winning.


    "Your Majesty, what should we do?" The Subus asked. "ording to our Agents in the 12th Layer, it will only take Andras three days to gather and arm his thirty Demonic Legions before they set forth to wage war. If he really decides to invade the 13th Layer then��"


    The lips of the Subus trembled because this was the worst case scenario.


    Although their Queen was indeed very powerful and stronger than Andras, they didn''t have an army that could fight against his Demonic Legions.


    When two Demigods fought, they would definitely prevent each other from targeting each other''s army.


    This would allow their subordinates to move, and whoever had the stronger army would eventually win in the end.


    Unless Queen Rhiannon could drastically overpower Andras and prevent his forces from invading the 13th Layer, the chances of the 13thyer winning were slim.


    Each Layer of the Abyss held a very special Abyssal Core.


    This Abyssal Core granted authority to the Abyssal Lord, giving himplete dominion over the Layer of the Abyss.


    Once the ownership of this Abyssal Core changed, the new Master of the Land would gain a great boost in their strength, allowing them to be more powerful than they already were.


    "Send word to the Satyrs, and gather everyone in the Main Hall," Queen Rhiannon. "I will meet all of you in three hours."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" the Subus hurriedly left the room to carry out her Queen''s orders.


    Lux, who had heard everything from start to finish, suddenly felt Cai''s body tremble.


    It was as if Queen Rhiannon was fighting a great internal battle with herself.


    A battle that would decide her Fate, as well as the Fate of her subordinates who trusted her with their lives.

 Chapter 898 Please, Do Not Betray My Trust.

    ?


    Cai''s body didn''t stop trembling until five minutester.


    When it stopped, Queen Rhiannon faced Lux with a determined look on her face.


    "I am willing to ept your condition, but I will also give my conditions as well," Queen Rhiannon stated. "The conditions I''ll give you are non-negotiable. If you don''t agree to them, then all of us will die."


    Lux knew that this was a turning point, so he decided to nod his head and listen to the conditions that Queen Rhiannon was going to add to their agreement.


    "I will allow you to drain my strength and help you be a C-Ranker," Queen Rhiannon stated. "In return, you will help me fight against Andras and his Demonic Legions.


    "The Second Condition is that, after you finishmanding me to agree to your conditions using my True Name, you and Cai willpletely forget about it. What I''m talking about is that this information will be erased from your memorypletely, not leaving any trace behind."


    Queen Rhiannon paused for a bit before telling Lux herst condition.


    "Last but not the least, you will give me one of those white marbles as an insurance," Queen Rhiannon stated. "Just in case Andras seeds in defeating our forces. I don''t want my sisters to fight. Even though they are capable of fighting, I don''t want any of them to die.


    "Just like me, they have suffered a lot of hardships in the Abyss. If there are people who''ll fight this battle, it will just be you and me. If there is really no hope in winning, I will immediately use the White Marble to escape the Abyss, alongside you, Cai, your people, and my sisters.


    "Here in the Abyss, only very and death awaits the losers. I don''t intend to be a ve to anyone ever again. If you are worried that I will wreck havoc in your world, you can add a condition that I''m not allowed to attack any of your people, unless it is for self-defense. That should be enough, right?"


    Lux didn''t agree right away and consulted with Cai about Queen Rhiannon''s proposal.


    A minuteter, both of them agreed that as long as they were able to clearly state theirmands to her while invoking her true name, Queen Rhiannon would not be able to break their agreement.


    "Very well," Lux said. "We agree to your conditions."


    "Understood." Queen Rhiannon nodded and closed her eyes.


    She returned to Cai''s Spiritual World so that she could give her true name to Cai. But before doing so, she initiated a Soul Contract that would bind Cai to only adhere to the conditions that they had agreed upon.


    If she were to add any other conditions whilemanding Queen Rhiannon using her True Name, the High-Priestess'' Soul would be destroyed, making her body a soulless husk.


    After carefullyying out the conditions in the Soul Contract, Queen Rhiannon took a deep breath before facing Lux with all the willpower she could muster.


    "My True Name is Rhiannon Regina Luxuriae," Queen Rhiannon''s lips trembled as she cupped Lux''s face. "Please, do not betray my trust."


    After saying her True Name, Queen Rhiannon kissed Lux before Caimanded her using the authority she gained after knowing the name of the Subus Queen that lorded over the 13th Layer of the Abyss.


    Lux epted Queen Rhiannon''s kiss and felt something warm and wet dripping to the side of his face.


    He didn''t need to open his eyes because he already knew that the thing he felt were Queen Rhiannon''s tears as she set aside her pride and dignity in order to save her people from the threat that loomed above their heads.


    When Cai finishedmanding the Subus Queen to adhere to their agreement, a ripple appeared inside her Spiritual World, which also manifested in the real world.


    A momentter, the eye tattoo on Cai''s forehead glowed brightly, and the Subus Queen, who had been trapped inside the High Priestess'' once again materialized in the real world.


    Cai and Lux, who were still inside the pool, looked at the peerless beauty in a daze as Queen Rhiannon''s True Name disappeared from their memories.


    The Subus Queen looked at her hands and clenched them tightly. It was as if she was getting a feel on how much strength she had lost after Lux started draining her strength, allowing him to increase his own.


    A minuteter, she snapped her finger and instantly teleported Lux to her bedroom.


    Before the Half-Elf even knew what was happening, the Peerless beauty was already pinning him down on the bed with a devilish smile on her face.


    "We don''t have much time, so I''ll take over and have you do it with me instead of your fiance," Queen Rhiannon stated. "She''s not the only one with the Legacy of the Celestial Maiden. I also have this body constitution."


    Without another word, the Subus Queen held Lux''s member and kissed its head before putting it inside her soft and seductive lips.


    The Half-Elf''s body shuddered as a wave of intense pleasure washed over his body.


    Right now, Queen Rhiannon was increasing his sensitivity, magnifying the pleasure that took over his senses.


    In just a span of a minute, the Half-Elf''s body trembled as he reached his climax.


    The pleasure was simply too intense for him to endure, making him release his essence inside Queen''s Rhiannon''s lips, who had no intention of wasting a single drop of his seed.


    The release was so strong and so powerful that itsted for nearly half a minute, making Lux feel as if Queen Rhiannon had sucked his very soul out of his body.


    With a resounding pop, the Subus Queen released Lux''s member and licked her lips in a seductive manner.


    "You have to do better than that, boy," Queen Rhiannon said in a domineering tone. "You still have quite some way to go before you be a C-Ranker, so we won''t be having any breaks till then. Don''t worry about draining my stats because I have a way for the two of us to increase our strength without harming each other''s Rank."


    The Subus Queen smiled because Lux''s defeated expression tickled her sadistic tendencies.


    "You don''t have to do anything else except keep this thing standing," Queen Rhiannon stated as she gripped Lux''s member. "You can do that, can''t you?"


    Lux gritted his teeth before nodding his head. He was like a soldier that was about to go to war for the first time and was determined to win no matter what it took.


    Soon, the Half-Elf would understand what a Demigod Subus could do. Not only was Queen Rhiannon proficient in the arts of lovemaking, she also taught Lux many ways on how to pleasure a woman.


    Cai didn''t just stand idly on the side and joined the two on the bed.


    With twodies having the Legacy of the Celestial Maiden working together to increase his rank, it only took Lux one more hour to finally make his breakthrough.


    "That was unbelievable," Lux muttered in exhaustion as his member released itsst load inside Queen Rhiannon''s body before finally going limp.


    The Half-Elf fell unconscious afterwards with a satisfied expression on his face.


    Caiid down beside him and hugged her fiance before also closing her eyes to rest. She had been physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted after everything she had been through.


    Lux had shared the stats that he absorbed with Cai, allowing her to once again be a Ranker.


    Queen Rhiannon looked at the two sleeping lovers for a few seconds before turning around to leave the room.


    Now that she had done her part in increasing Lux''s rank into a C-Ranker, it was now time for her to gather her forces in preparation for the war that was about toe.

 Chapter 899 I Will Be Sad. So Don’t Die

    ?


    The day after Lux became a C-Ranker, the Half-Elf went to check the other people who were captured by Queen Rhiannon and brought to the Passion Pce.


    "What did you say?" Lux asked Malcolm, whose head was currently resting on thep of a mature beauty, who was lovingly caressing his naked chest. "You n to stay here and fight for the war?"


    "Yes," Malcolm answered. "I decided to stay so that I could protect Julia, Piper, and Juniper. I won''t let them get hurt."


    The threedies in question were currently by Malcolm''s side, with one giving him ap pillow, and the other two hugging him from the sides.


    The teenage boy was naked, and only a towel covered his member, which was recovering its strength for another round with the threedies by his side.


    After experiencing the same thing as Malcolm, he had no words to say except "Long Live Thighs!".


    The Half-Elf also couldn''t find fault in Malcolm''s decision because he, too, was going to fight in the uing War between Abyssal Lords.


    Even so, Lux asked a second time to confirm whether the young man with dark blue hair was not under the influence of a charm ability and was truly going to fight for what he believed in.


    "Are you prepared to die here in the Abyss?" Lux inquired. "Do you not want to go back to Elysium?"


    "Don''t misunderstand me, Lux," Malcolm replied. "I will go back to Elysium, but only after this war ends. I''m sure that I''m going to regret it in the future if I run away from this battle."


    Lux was now sure that Malcolm wasn''t under the influence of a charm spell and that thetter had made a decision with his own free will.


    Since that was the case, he no longer asked him anything and checked on Xander.


    Just like Malcolm, the young warrior from the Rowan Tribe was butt naked, and currently sleeping peacefully in the embrace of a beautiful blonde subus, who looked like a youngdy in herte teens.


    The Subus even ced a finger over her lips, signaling Lux not to wake the young man in her embrace.


    The Half-Elf nodded and went to talk to Alicia and Henrietta, who for some reason couldn''t look him straight in the eye.


    (E/N: Wow, I wonder why? What reason could there be? I don''t know either. Really. It''s definitely not because she almost��)


    "We don''t n to join this war," Alicia said. "Although I''m thankful to the Subus Queen for extending her help when we were attacked by the Satyrs, this battle is something that is way out of our league. Also, I still want to return to Elysium alive. There are still some unfinished business that I haven''t dealt with back there.


    Lux knew that one of Alicia''s unfinished business was her rtionship with his stepfather, Alexander.


    Henrietta also didn''t want to join the war, and the same could be said for the members of Serenity who hade along with her.


    Truth be told, Lux didn''t want his allies from Elysium and Sis to fight in the uing war, and this was none of their business either.


    Knowing that Alicia and Henrietta felt the same, he felt relieved and decided to tell them about his n before the war started.


    "The two of you, as well as those who don''t want to fight, will return to Elysium with Cai tonight," Lux exined. "I and a few others will stay to help the Subus Queen fight her opponents."


    "Why aren''t youing with us?" Henrietta asked with concern. "Surely, you do know that this isn''t a battle that you should poke your nose in, right?"


    The purple-haired beauty subconsciously grabbed hold of Lux''s arm, and looked at him with a pleading gaze.


    "Please, just go back with us," Henrietta pleaded. "This is not our fight to begin with."


    Lux smiled and patted the hand that was holding unto him.


    "I''m sorry, but I made an agreement with Queen Rhiannon that I will fight in exchange for everyone''s safe return back to Elysium," Lux said softly. "Don''t worry. I don''t intend to die here. Iris and Cai are waiting for me back home. I can''t possibly leave my two beautiful fiances behind now, can I?"


    Henrietta''s lips trembled before she looked down. However, she still held onto Lux''s arm as if using it as a form of support to keep herself standing.


    Lux didn''t pry her hand away and simply shifted his attention to Alicia. He knew that Henrietta truly cared for his safety, and this was something that warmed his heart.


    "When you return, please look for my Master and tell him to return here in the Abyss to back me up," Lux stated. "I know that even if I don''t tell you to do this, he would stille here to save me.


    "But in order to avoid any misunderstanding, tell him about the current situation between the Subus Queen and her neighbors. That way, he would not attack Queen Rhiannon the moment he sees her. Just pass my message to him, and I believe he will know what to do next."


    The Half-Elf also thought of Eiko, who was currently with Iris back in Elysium.


    Knowing her personality, Lux was sure that the Baby Slime would not listen to reason and go to the Abyss to save him with nuclear-level st Bombs.


    "Are you sure about this?" Alicia asked. "This is a battle that surpasses any of the battles that you have experienced in the past."


    "I know, but don''t worry," Lux replied. "This is not the first time I''ve fought against Abyssal Creatures."


    During his stay with Zangr, Lux and his subordinates had fought countless Abyssal Creatures and even stored their bodies inside their Bounty Rings.


    Truth be told, the Half-Elf hadn''t experienced a proper war because all of the opponents he had faced so far were all more powerful than him.


    Because of this, he looked weak and useless in the eyes of others. So in this war, he wanted to test his mettle as he fought the lower-ranked fighters of the Abyssal Lord''s army, while Queen Rhiannon kept their Leader at bay.


    "Just promise me that you will go back alive, okay?" Henrietta spoke after a few minutes of silence. "Iris will be very sad if you die here."


    "How about you?" Lux asked in a teasing tone. "Are you going to be sad if I die here as well?"


    "Yes," Henrietta replied. "I will be sad. So don''t die."


    Lux nodded and smiled at the purple-haired beauty, who was looking at him with determination. "Understood. I won''t die. All of you will be leaving tonight, so talk to the others who want to return as well.


    "Queen Rhiannon had sent her subordinates to fetch the Six Rankers that she had bestowed to the Satyrs a few days ago. Right now, those girls are being purified, removing all traces of the Satyrs that had been left inside their bodies. Some of their memories were also altered, preventing them from experiencing any trauma when they returned to their respective kingdoms."


    Alicia and Henrietta sighed in relief because. Lux might have tried to sugarcoat his words, but as women, they understood what he was trying to say.


    The essence of Satyrs were very potent, and if they did it once with a woman, they were guaranteed to get pregnant.


    Knowing that these girls wouldn''t have to suffer any hardships in their return put their minds at ease.


    Lux then bid goodbye to the twodies who had almost lost their chastity to him if he didn''t manage to resist Queen Rhiannon''s petty tricks.


    Henrietta watched him go with a sad expression on her face.


    When she was under Queen Rhiannon''s Charm Spell, she was unable to take control of her body. Even so, she was very aware of her surroundings.


    She remembered everything that she had done to Lux, which made it hard for her to look at him straight in the face.


    "If I only met you sooner," Henrietta muttered.


    Alicia, who stood beside Henrietta, hugged the youngdy and patted her head. She didn''t know what would happen in the future, but she believed that the hurt that the youngdy was feeling in her heart would be healed if given enough time.

 Chapter 900 I Want Your Baby

    <h4>Chapter 900 I Want Your Baby</h4>


    Three hours before the return of those who didn''t want to fight to Elysium��


    The sound of kissing reverberated inside the room as Cai and Lux shared passionate kisses with each other.


    This was very different from the time where they were making love just for the sake of increasing their ranks before the war started.


    Both of them had been through to a lot, and their rtionship had only grown deeper after this incident.


    Lux and Cai only realized how much they truly cared for each other, after entering the Abyss for the first time in their lives.


    Knowing that her fiance would be fighting a great battle, where his safety was not guaranteed, Cai felt the strong urge to make love to him to ease both of their hearts, as they would miss each other terribly.


    When their kiss ended, Cai stared at Lux lovingly before sliding his member inside of her. She didn''t make any movement and simply stared at the handsome young man, whom she didn''t expect would be her lifelong partner.


    "You know, in the Rowan Tribe, when the men are about to go to war or fight a battle where their safety hang in the bnce, they will make love with their wives or lovers to leave their descendants behind," Cai said as she wrapped her arms around Lux''s neck, and stared at him intently. "I wish I could have your child, Lux. But I have a feeling that you''ll say that you have no intention of dying, so you won''t grant my request.


    "Even so, I can''t help but feel anxious about the war. It will be a fight against Demigods, and even if you are a C-Ranker now, you are still an insignificant insect in their eyes. Also, the Subi won''t be fighting in this war. There are only you and the others who decided to stay."


    Lux smiled and pressed his forehead on Cai''s forehead.


    "You want my child?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Cai replied.


    Lux wrapped his arms around Cai''s body, enjoying the feeling of her skin touching his own.


    "I don''t know why, but hearing you say that makes me very happy," Lux said. "Although I believe that you, Iris, and I will eventually have kids together and be a family, I feel that it is still too early for that.


    "Both of us still have things we need to do, and having a baby at the moment will prevent us from realizing our goals. Don''t worry. I promise you that no matter what happens, I will return to you. Master will also be there, so if I really kick the bucket, I''m sure that he will think of something."


    Cai then pulled back her head before pounding Lux''s chest repeatedly with her clenched fist.


    "Not funny," Cai said. "I want you alive. Iris will want you alive as well."


    "I''m a Necromancer," Luxmented. "It will take more than killing me to kill me. Besides, the readers always say I have plot armor. Maybe that''s true?"


    Cai shook her head helplessly because she felt that Lux was just doing his best to assure her that everything is going to be okay.


    "I''m serious," Cai stated. "I want your baby."


    "And I will give it to you after two or three years," Lux replied. "Even the end of the world will not stop me from making you conceive with my child. I''m sure that my daughter will be as beautiful as you."


    "And what if it''s a boy?" Cai inquired with amusement.


    "What else?" Lux winked. "He will be just as handsome as me."


    The High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe wasn''t able to stop the giggle that bubbled inside her chest.


    Lux''s words were firm and carried a determination. It left Cai with no choice but to believe in him.


    "Okay," Cai said softly. "Two to three years from now, I will conceive your child. Don''t get cold feet when that timees, okay?"


    "I won''t," Lux said as he ced his hands on his fiance''s waist.


    Cai smiled and started to move her hips while wrapping her hands on the handsome teenager''s neck, who promised to give her his child a few years from now.


    ������������������������


    A few hoursters��


    "Are all of you ready?" Lux asked the people who were now about to return to Elysium.


    "Yes," Alicia answered. "But before we go, wear this, Lux."


    Alicia handed Lux a ne that would allow them to see everything around him. Although they couldn''t be with him in the war that was about to take ce, they would be with him in spirit.


    Lux epted the ne and wore it.


    He then handed Alicia a white marble, which would take everyone back to Elysium.


    "Don''t forget to inform my Master of the situation here, Alicia," Lux stated. "I will need all the help I can get."


    "I will," Alicia replied before hugging Lux . "Be safe and don''t die."


    "Yes, Ma''am." Lux returned Alicia''s hug and let her go after a few seconds.


    After saying their final goodbyes, Lux, and the others backed away, keeping a safe distance from the others who would return to Elysium.


    Cai waved at her fiance, and Lux waved back at her. They had already told each other what they wanted to say when the two of them were making love with each other, so there was no need to say anything else.


    "Let''s go," Alicia announced before activating the white marble in her hand.


    Immediately, a ck hole appeared above their heads and sucked all of them inside it almost instantly.


    Lux, Xander, Malcolm, and the rest of the men watched thedies go from a safe distance.


    All of them had decided to stay and fight for reasons only known to them.


    A minute after Cai, Alicia, and Henrietta returned to Elysium, the Satyrs led by Ampelos appeared in front of Lux and the others.


    "I find it quite ironic that all of us will be fighting side by side in this war right after we fought each other," Ampelos said. "Do you share the same feelings?"


    Malcolm, Xander, and the rest of the men, with the exception of Lux, red at the hateful Satyr.


    They still hadn''t forgotten what these monsters had done to them, and just seeing them made their hearts burn in anger.


    Ampelos wasn''t fazed by the looks of hatred that the humans were giving him.


    Instead, he looked at the Half-Elf, whom he secretly admired after seeing his fight against the Subus Queen back in the Dark Forest.


    "I just want to ask you one thing," Ampelos stated. "Do we have a chance to win?"


    "I don''t know," Lux replied. "But I have no intention of dying."


    "Sounds good enough to me," Ampelosughed. Just like Lux, he didn''t know whether they could win the uing war.


    However, he also had no intention of dying, especially after meeting his father after not seeing each other for a century.


    He had so many questions to ask him, and he wanted to see him again.


    Ampelos believed that as long as Lux was in the Abyss, his Master, Gaap, woulde to find him and allow him to talk to his father, once again.

 Chapter 901 Queen Rhiannon’s Treasure Vault

    <h4>Chapter 901 Queen Rhiannon��s Treasure Vault?</h4>


    "Since all of you decided to fight, in a possible war against the Demon Lord of the 12th Layer, Andras, I have decided to open up the treasury of the Passion Pce," Queen Rhiannon announced. "All of you are only allowed to take two items from my treasure trove. Take one more than you''re supposed to, and��"


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t finish her sentence and simply gave the men and the Satyrs a devilish smile that spoke volumes.


    After Queen Rhiannon used her authority to make an announcement that could be heard within the 13th Layer, the number of Satyrs who had gathered in the Passion Pce was just a little over a thousand.


    The rest who didn''t wish to fight hid themselves in the mountains, far away from the portal that led to the 12th Layer of the Abyss.


    As for the Subi, who were only around five hundred, they were to remain inside the Passion Pce during the war.


    Even though the 13th Layer didn''t have legions of monsters that served as its army, Queen Rhiannon alone was enough to handle most threats.


    Her power as a Demigod was the real deal.


    In truth, during her battle against Lux and hisrades, she didn''t unleash her full powers for fear that she might identally kill the Half-Elf in the process.


    She had limited her strength to the Initial Stages of a Demigod when her true powers were somewhere in the middle stages.


    Now that war was threatening her territory, she no longer had a reason to hold back, and she would fight using her full powers against the Abyssal Lord, whose greed knew no bounds.


    "Now, go," Queen Rhiannon announced as she waved her hand, unlocking the Vault that stored the treasures she had collected over the past hundred years.


    Although she was reluctant to do this, she deemed that these treasures would be useless if they weren''t used for the benefit of her domain.


    The Satyrs all entered the Vault with very eager expressions on their faces.


    Lux and the others shared the same excitement, and they entered the Treasure Vault to see if there were any items that they could use for the uing battle.


    "I have never seen so many Mythical, Pseudo-Legendary, and Legendary items in one ce," Malcolm muttered in awe as stared at the countless rare ores, gold, gems, weapons, armor, and misceneous items that were scattered across the entire Vault, which was as big as an entire football stadium.


    "Remember, all of you are only allowed to get two items each," Queen Rhiannon reminded everyone, whose faces had be greedy after seeing her collection. "No more than two if you value your lives."


    The Satyrs didn''t bat an eye and immediately picked up pieces of armor, which they believed would help them survive the uing battle.


    Some picked short bows and short swords, which were themon weapons they used to fight.


    Xander and Malcolm directly headed to the sword area and feasted their eyes on the Legendary Swords that were up for grabs.


    Lux didn''t join everyone immediately and simply crossed his arms over his chest.


    His Soul Book hovered in front of him, and it was checking every item inside the treasury, searching for the most suitable artifacts that would serve him and his own Army best.


    Since there were countless treasures inside the Treasure Vault, he wasn''t in a hurry to join the others, which surprised the Subus Queen.


    "Why aren''t you joining them?" Queen Rhiannon asked as she walked beside the Half-Elf, who was busy looking at his Soul Book.


    Since Lux didn''t give Queen Rhiannon any permission to see it, she thought that Lux was just staring into empty air.


    "Your Majesty, I have a request," Lux said. "I am wondering if you can do me a favor."


    "A favor?" Queen Rhiannon arched an eyebrow. "What kind of favor?"


    The Half-Elf made a gesture of wanting to whisper something in her ear, so she decided to hear him out.


    "If possible, I want you to��" Lux whispered.


    Queen Rhiannon frowned after hearing the Half-Elf''s request.


    "Aren''t you a little too greedy?" Queen Rhiannon red at the Half-Elf who was asking for more than what she had stated.


    "Believe me when I say that I''m not saying this because of greed," Lux insisted. "I''m doing this to give us a better chance of winning."


    The frown on Queen Rhiannon''s face deepened as she stared at the Half-Elf, whom she considered the main fighter in the battle that was about to knock on her doorstep.


    "Very well," Queen Rhiannon said. "But wait until everyone leaves the Treasury."


    Lux nodded. "Understood."


    Since the Subus Queen had stated that everyone could only take two items from the treasury, she decided to let Lux choose the treasures he would need after everyone was done picking theirs.


    She didn''t want anyone to think that she was giving Lux preferential treatment, and the Half-Elf knew this as well.


    Two hourster, only Lux and Queen Rhiannon remained inside the Treasury because everyone had already taken the treasures they wanted.


    As if to make sure that no one would take a peekter, the Subus Queen waved her hand and closed the doors behind her.


    "Guys, it''s our turn," Lux said with a smile. "Only two items, so choose wisely."


    All of his Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, with the exception of Bedivere and General Garret, appeared around him.


    Asmodeus also summoned Morpheus and Ithaqua because Lux had found items that were suitable for Lich King''s two henchmen.


    King Leoric had also summoned his Knights because Lux had also given them permission to join the fun.


    Suddenly, ckfire appeared out of nowhere and spat a person who looked familiar to him.


    Although there were great changes in his body, his face remained the same, allowing the Half-Elf to recognize him.


    The person that ckfire spat was none other than Leonidas, who was holding a ming spear and shield in both hands.


    His skin was red, and mes would asionally erupt from it, making him look like a creature that wouldn''t look out of ce in the Abyss.


    In fact, Queen Rhiannon thought that he was an Abyssal Creature at first because he radiated the stench of the Abyss.


    "It is an honor to finally see you again, Master." Leonidas gave Lux a brief nod. "The mere thought of fighting alongside you makes this second chance at life worth it."


    "You honor me with your words, Leonidas," Lux replied. "Having you here puts my mind at ease."


    As someone whom Lux had recognized as a true warrior, Leonidas didn''t need to bow and kneel before him to prove his allegiance.


    He could tell that the Agarthian was willing to fight for him, and that was enough.


    Just as Lux thought that ckfire''s unexpected surprise was over, the ck Coffin spat several more people, which made the corner of Queen Rhiannon''s lips twitch.


    Aside from Leonidas, ckfire had spat out the diators from the Arena, the Bounty Hunters who were once Sion''s subordinates, and the two Saints that he acquired not long ago.


    The Giant Tiger, whom Vera had crushed in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, was now emitting ck mes, making it look more sinister.


    The High Temr, who had been burned to a crisp after shing Eiko''s Nuclear st Bomb, had made a full recovery and was wearing a Pdin''s Attire, with his eyes burning with infernal mes.


    Both of them knelt in front of Lux and swore their allegiance to him.


    Queen Rhiannon who was feeling displeased earlier, now had a smile on her face after seeing Leonidas and the two Saints appear in front of her.


    What her army wascking was High-Level Warriors, so having these three made her feel that she could forgive the ck Coffin for bringing uninvited guests, who also joined the others in looking for items inside her treasury.

 Chapter 902 Abyssal War [Part 1]

    ?


    12th Layer of the Abyss��


    "Are the preparations done?" a Demon with two horns on his head asked his right-hand man, who was kneeling in front of him.


    "Our Armies have gathered, My Lord," Andras'' second-inmand, who went by the name, Jackal, replied. "They are just waiting for you to lead them to battle."


    The Demon Lord of the 12th Layer of the Abyss, Andras, clenched his fist as his eyes glowed with power.


    "The day has finallye," Andras said as he stood from his throne. "I''ve waited for decades to screw that b*tch, Rhiannon. I will make her regret opposing me back then."


    Jackal didn''t lift his head and simply stared at the ck marble under his feet.


    He didn''t know why his Lord suddenly decided to dere war on the Subus Queen out of the blue.


    As Andras'' second-inmand, he was certain that his Liege hadn''t surpassed Queen Rhiannon''s strength, which made him wonder why the Demon Lord was picking a fight with her.


    The only way for them to conquer the 13th Layer was if their Master was able to prevent the Subus Queen from wiping out their forces before they managed to secure the location of the Abyssal Core, which served as the heart of the 13th Layer.


    As long as they were able to overwrite Queen Rhiannon''s authority over the Core, their Lord would gain a great boost in strength, allowing him to overpower his opponent.


    ''But that will only be possible if we get to the Core right away,'' Jackal thought. ''Did Master perhaps gain a fortunate encounter during his travels?''


    While Jackal was deep in his thoughts, Andras walked down the stairs that led to his throne, until he stood in front of his right-hand man.


    "Raise your head, Jackal, and order our armies to march," Andras ordered. "Worry not. I will guarantee that this battle is already in the bag."


    Jackal wanted to ask his Lord where his confidence wasing from. But since he didn''t want to ruin his Lord''s mood, he simply bowed his head and left the throne room to follow the orders he was given.


    ����������������


    13th Layer of the Abyss��


    "They''reing," Queen Rhiannon muttered while sitting on her throne.


    She then looked towards the East where the portal of the 13thyer was located.


    If possible, she wanted nothing more than to destroy the portal, but doing this was impossible.


    The portals connecting theyers were indestructible. They could try to break it, but even if they seeded, the Abyssal Core of the 13th Layer would just create another one, making the attempt a waste of time and resources.


    Lux, Xander, Malcolm, and the Satyrs who were all standing on the mountaintop, gazed toward the East, where they felt a formidable presence.


    Malcolm''s face paled because he didn''t expect that he would feel such a foul and overwhelming presence several miles away.


    "This is very different from Queen Rhiannon''s Aura," Xandermented. "It''s like I''m about to be run over by our Chieftain in his Boar Form."


    Ampelos, who had seen Queen Rhiannon fight decades ago, was still calm. They had seen how the Subus Queen had defeated the Demon Lord, Andras, and forced him to retreat back to the 12th Layer.


    But they still doubted whether they would be able to deal with the Demon Lord''s Abyssal Legion, which numbered in the hundreds of thousands.


    Even with the Legendary Equipment that Queen Rhiannon had bestowed upon them, Ampelos didn''t believe that they would win in a head-on confrontation.


    The only reason why he wasn''t running away was because he believed that after Queen Rhiannon overpowered Andras, she would immediately and single-handedly wipe out the Demonic Army.


    ''We just have to buy enough time until then,'' Ampelos thought as he gripped his shortbow firmly in his hand. ''If things get really dicey, I''ll just retreat and beg Andras to spare meter.''


    Lux remained calm as he waited for the Demon Lord and his Army to finally arrive on the 13th Layer. He was confident that even if their enemies had the advantage in numbers, they would still prevail as long as Queen Rhiannon was able to hold off the Abyssal Lord.


    A few minutester, Queen Rhiannon appeared in front of her make-shift army and simply said, "It''s time".


    With a wave of her hand, Lux, Xander, Malcolm, Ampelos, and the Satyrs all floated in the air.


    "Let''s meet them on the battlefield," Queen Rhiannon stated before flying in the direction of the portal while carrying everyone with her magic.


    She had no intention to fight near the Passion Pce because it might endanger the Subi, whom she didn''t want to die in the war.


    A few minutester��


    "Have you personallye here to wee your new Master, Rhiannon?" Andras said with a smile on his face.


    "Cut the crap, Andras," Queen Rhiannon replied. "Go back to where you came from before I twist your neck."


    "You had the chance to do that several decades ago, my dear," Andrasmented. "But now, times have changed. Soon, you will be the one kneeling in front of me and sucking my d*ck like the whore you are."


    "I only suck the d*ck of real men." Queen Rhiannon sneered. "You can''t even match up to this kid, who is still wet behind the ears."


    The Subus Queen rested her hand on Lux''s shoulder, which made the Half-Elf''s body stiffen.


    "Hahaha!" Andrasughed after hearing his opponent''s taunting. "You areparing me to a child? Even if the Abyss turns into a frozen wastend, I don''t believe that you''d suck the d*ck of that boy. Your taste is better than that, Rhiannon."


    Lux wanted to spit in the Demon Lord''s face for calling him a child. He wanted to shout so badly that the Subus Queen had sucked him dry until he could not get it up again.


    However, he held his tongue.


    He had a feeling that if he really revealed that, Andras would get angry, single him out, and kill him right away before the Half-Elf could even understand how he died.


    Queen Rhiannon only giggled as she eyed the Demon Lord with contempt.


    Just like Lux, she was tempted to tell the Demon Lord that she had already done it with the boy, not just once but multiple times.


    But to ensure that her strongest fighter wouldn''t die an untimely death, she kept her silence as she eyed the Abyssal Army in front of her.


    Andras knew that Queen Rhiannon wished for nothing more than to wipe out his army in an instant before facing him.


    That was her only chance at victory and he knew it. Even so, he wasn''t worried because he had prepared well beforehand.


    "Well then, Rhiannon. Shall we begin?" Andras said before flying towards the sky. "Don''t try anything funny. You''re not the only one who can wipe everyone out in the blink of an eye."


    Queen Rhiannon sneered before flying upwards in order to face the Demon Lord, who was oozing with confidence.


    Now that the two powerhouses were in the sky, the ones left on the ground eyed each other.


    This standoff didn''tst long as Jackal raised his hand and ordered the Demonic Army to advance.


    He already knew that the army of the 13th Layer was nothingpared to their own.


    Because of this, he intended to wipe them out as soon as possible before advancing to the location of the Abyssal Core that would grant his Master dominion over the 13th Layer of the Abyss.

 Chapter 903 Abyssal War [Part 2]

    ?


    These Demons ranged from Rank 5 Monsters up to Deimos-Ranked Monsters, and their Captains and Generals ranged from the Argonaut Rank up to the Dreadnaught Rank.


    Jackal, who was Andras'' second-inmand, was an Empyrean-Ranked Alpha Monster.


    He served as the General, as well as the strategist of their army, during their campaigns in the Abyss.


    Seeing that they were only going to face a ragtag army with less than two thousand fighters, Jackal decided to order two of their Demonic Legions to crush them instantly and the half of their forces to spread out in order to search the Abyssal Core of the 13th Layer.


    ''The difference in military might is staggering,'' Ampelos thought. ''They even sent two Legions in order to end this battle as swiftly as possible.''


    Currently, Ampelos was the "strongest" Monster that was on the frontlines of the battlefield.


    Even so, he was certain that he alone was not strong enough to fight a hundred-thousand strong army, which was now charging in their direction.


    The Satyrs, just like their leader, were also feeling anxious. They were wielding Mythical and Legendary Grade weapons, but having great equipment wouldn''t be enough to overturn the situation.


    Just as the Leader of the Satyrs were thinking of running away, someone took a step forward, making him stop in his tracks.


    "Everyone get back," Lux said as he continued to walk forward. "I''ll handle this."


    Xander and Malcolm nodded their heads because they already knew how Lux fought his battles.


    Ampelos and the Satyrs had also seen him fight, but since Lux was fighting against a Demigod at that time, his summons didn''t y a major role as they were instantly wiped out by Queen Rhiannon''s AOE attacks.


    In front of everyone, Lux summoned his two clones, who immediately flew in the direction of the other Legions that had spread out in order to find the Abyssal Core of the 13th Layer.


    Jackal, who noticed this peculiarity, narrowed his eyes as he assessed the Half-Elf''s strength.


    ''A Human Ranker?'' Jackal thought. ''I''ve heard reports that there are several humans who suddenly appeared in the Abyss. Did this pitiful creature appear in the 13th Layer. Were they enved by the Subus Queen? Poor guy. He will die so young.''


    Just as Jackal thought that the enved Human had decided tomit suicide by facing his army alone, he saw the Half-Elf raise his hand before speaking in a loud and confident tone.


    "Arise!" Lux ordered.


    As soon as he gave the order, the members of his Undead Legion and his Covenant appeared around him.


    A little more than a thousand Undead Warriors, Golems, and Gargoyles, appeared on the battlefield.


    Compared to the hundred-thousand strong army in front of them, this number was rather pitiful.


    But this was just the beginning.


    Asmodeus chuckled before summoning his clones, and his Undead Minions to fight alongside their Master.


    Overall, Lux''s forces instantly rose up to 4,000, making Jackal frown.


    "A Necromancer��," Jackal muttered. "I should end this battle quickly."


    He understood just how troublesome it was to fight against Necromancers, so he decided to order the 15th and 16th Legion to reinforce their 1st and 2nd Legion, whom he had ordered to crush the resistance forces earlier.


    "But General, isn''t this overkill?" the Commander of the 15th Legion asked.


    "Just do as I say and prioritize eliminating that Half-Elf!" Jackal ordered. "Kill him as fast as you can!"


    "��Very well." The Commander reluctantly agreed to Jackal''s order andmanded his man to advance.


    Although Jackal was confident that they would emerge victorious, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that was making him feel anxious.


    Meanwhile, Lux stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for the Demonic Army toe within their strike range. The moment he deemed that the right time hade, he sent a telepathic message to Asmodeus, signaling him to start their operation.


    "Lich Revenants, it''s time to show them who''s boss!" Asmodeus shouted. "Summon our own Abyssal Legion!"


    During their time in Zangr, the Liches had revived countless Abyssal Creatures and added them to their Abyssal Army.


    Originally, Lux nned to use this in his fight against the Divine Army of Light, but since they were at a disadvantage, he decided to use these reserve forces, right here, right now.


    Each Lich could summon 200 Animated Undead Creatures.


    Right now, the number of Liches on the battlefield was 240.


    The moment they all summoned their Abyssal Creatures, Lux''s army drastically increased to over fifty thousand strong.


    But, Lux and Asmodeus weren''t finished just yet.


    "Flesh Golems,e out!" Asmoedus ordered. "gue Deathworms, kill them all!"


    Suddenly out of nowhere, Four Flesh Golems that stood over six meters tall appeared in front of Lux''s army and took a charging stance.


    The ground under their feet trembled for a brief moment before four gue Death Worms, which were over twenty-meters tall, rose up from the ground before burrowing once more.


    "Charge!" Lux ordered.


    Immediately, the four Flesh Golems charged forward, followed closely by the Fortress Defenders, the Doom Knight Gangbangers, and the Jade Golems.


    The Nightstalkers, as well as the Lich Revenants, began to unleash their long range elemental bombardment at the approaching Demonic Army, who originally belittled Lux''s forces.


    The moment the two forces collided, a shower of blood erupted, dyeing the ground red.


    Since Lux''s army wasposed of the Dead, the blood that was staining the ground red didn''t belong to his forces but from the opposite army.


    The battle was fierce, with Demons fighting tooth and nail with the Undead, who knew no fear.


    As piles of scattered bones and dead bodies littered the front lines, Lux''s forces did the unthinkable.


    The Jade Golems backed away from the fighting and started to pick up the corpses on the ground.


    They then threw these corpses towards the middle of the opposing army, as per their Master''s order.


    While this was happening, Lux, and Asmodeus nced at each other before nodding their heads at the same time.


    """Corpse Explosion!"""


    Lux''s deadly skill that didn''t care whether those that it would annihte were friend or foe, erupted in the center of the enemy''s formation, killing their enemies en masse.


    Screams of pain, disbelief, and fear spread in the surroundings as the explosion of death spread outwards like wildfire, killing more in its wake.


    ������������������


    High above the sky, Andras, who was exchanging blows with Rhiannon, looked down at the battle on the ground with an amused expression on his face.


    "Looks like you found yourself an interesting pet, Rhiannon," Andras said with a smile. "He will make a good addition to my army after I defeat you."


    "Keep smiling, Andras," Queen Rhiannon replied. "You won''t be smilingter."


    "Hahaha! You''re right, my dear. I won''t be smilingter, butughing my heart out."


    "Sure. Laugh like the clown you are."


    Although Queen Rhiannon had a calm expression on her face, she couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was off.


    She could tell that Andras wasn''t faking his confidence, and hisplete disregard for Lux''s existence bothered her.


    It was as if he had already won the war before they even started, which made her feel anxious.


    Because of this, she went all-out on the offensive in an attempt to kill her opponent, and wipe the annoying smile off of his face.

 Chapter 904 Abyssal War [Part 3]

    ?


    Jackal''s face turned grim as he witnessed the carnage that was happening on the battlefield.


    Although not all the soldiers who had been affected by the Corpse Explosion died, most of them suffered serious injuries and were now unable to continue fighting.


    To make matters worse, he noticed a ck Coffin swallowing up the dead bodies of his soldiers before spitting them back out like cannonballs towards the two Legions that he had sent to reinforce their vanguard.


    Themanders of the two Legions hurriedly ordered their soldiers to retreat as fast as possible and even took the initiative to use spells to obliterate the falling corpses from the sky to prevent their own Legions from getting annihted.


    ckfire wasn''t too pleased to see its attempt to draw first blood on the enemy''s reinforcement fail.


    Because of this, it flew in the direction of the two retreating legions like a cannonball, flying past the rear forces of the two armies.


    When the ck Coffin was deep in the enemy''s battle formation. Its lid opened up, and several beams of light rained down on the Demonic Army.


    The Commanders watched as a man, whose skin was crimson red, appeared in the midst of their army.


    He was holding a ming red spear and a round shield in his hands, which made the temperature rise in his surroundings.


    Surrounding him were several men who also held spears and round shields in their hands.


    The only difference was that their weapons and shields weren''t covered in mes unlike the man standing at the center of the formation.


    Before the Commanders and their soldiers could even react to the new threat that had infiltrated deep among their ranks, Leonidas'' words reached their ears.


    "Unless I miss my guess, we''re in for one wild night."


    The leader of the diators then thumped the rear end of his spear on the ground twice, and hisrades moved ordingly to stand side by side, forming a phnx formation.


    The only difference was instead of forming a wall of shields and spears, they formed a dome of shields and spears with Leonidas at its center.


    If someone were to look at it from afar, it looked like a turtle shell with spikes protruding at the small spaces by its side, giving no room for the Demons to attack them.


    "Show them hell!" Leonidas ordered.


    As soon as he gave his orders, the dome of shields and spears started to spin rapidly.


    A momentter, it caught mes, turning into a spinning dome of fire that rammed its enemies, tearing them apart and burning their remains.


    It didn''t take long for the smell of burning flesh to spread on the battlefield, forcing the enemy''s forces to scatter in order to escape the spinning dome of fire that was ughtering demons in the dozen.


    Due to their location, it was hard for those at the center to escape because they were right in the middle of the formation, allowing Leonidas and his men to continue their one-sided ughter for a good period of time.


    Those who were at the edges finally realized that they needed to back away in order to allow theirrades to escape a gruesome fate, but they suddenly found themselves facing four gue Deathworms.


    These deadly Tyrants didn''t hesitate to use their enormous bodies to crush the Demons under them, creatingplete chaos among their enemy''s ranks.


    In a span of a few minutes, the Four Demonic Legions found themselves running for their lives as Lux''s forces steadily decimated them.


    Naturally, the two Commanders who were leading the reinforcements were infuriated because of the sudden turn of events.


    Because of this, they personally attacked the ck Coffin, which was floating not far away from Leonidas, and his diators.


    "I''ll shatter you to pieces even if it''s thest thing I do!" a Demon with a giant war axe charged at ckfire with his weapon raised high.


    Hispanion, who was wielding a halberd, shared the same opinion.


    This Commander then moved behind the ck Coffin for a pincer formation, charging at their target from the front and the back.


    ckfire, who had been singled out by the two Dreadnaught-Ranked Commanders, made several rows of texts appear in front of the two Demons who nned to destroy it.


    "So you choose death."


    Those were the words the ckfire had shown the two Commanders, which only angered them more.


    When the two Commanders were only a few meters away from ckfire, the lid of the coffin opened, and two beams of light erupted from it.


    The Demon wielding a Giant War Axe found himself staring face to face with a Giant ming ck Tiger, whose jaws were wide open.


    Before the Demon could even react, the Tiger''s jaws bit the side of his body, making him scream out in pain.


    The Demon, who had swung his Halberd from behind ckfire found his weapon blocked by a silver tower shield, preventing it from reaching its target.


    The Pdin of Vengeance, who was once the High Temr of the Divine Army of Light, looked at the Demon with indifference before thrusting his sword towards his enemy''s chest, piercing his demonic heart.


    The two Demon Commanders died just like that, making those who witnessed it feel a chill run down their spine.


    The Pdin of Vengeance carried the body of the in Commander and offered it to ckfire, who nodded gratefully before swallowing the offering.


    The ck ming Tiger, on the other hand, casually tossed the Demon on its jaws towards the ck Coffin as if throwing a piece of trash in the garbage can.


    Naturally, ckfire didn''t reject the tribute and swallowed the Demon Commander as well.


    When this deed was done, the ck Coffin hovered above its two bodyguards and scanned the battlefield.


    It was like a food aficionado who was analyzing the dishes in front of him, searching for those that were of high quality.


    ckfire no longer swallowed corpses willy-nilly because it now had "standards".


    Only those it deemed to be worthy to be part of its Master''s Legion would be brought into the fold.


    As for the rest, they still had some worth since their corpse could serve as fodder for his Master''s Corpse Explosion.


    After finding its next target, the ck Coffin flew, bringing its two bodyguards alongside it.


    Truth be told, ckfire was eyeing Jackal from afar.


    Aside from Andras, who was fighting against Rhiannon in the heavens, the Demon General was the one he wanted to devour the most.


    If not for the fact that Jackal was well protected by half of Andras'' Demonic Army, ckfire would have already brought his two servants to attack him, adding another powerful subordinate to his Master''s army.

 Chapter 905 Abyssal War [Part 4]

    ?


    "Xander, I''m d I didn''t choose to be your team''s enemy in the Gates of the Apocalypse," Malcolm said as he looked at the battle taking ce in front of him with awe and disbelief. "I don''t want to be on the receiving end of this army."


    Xander didn''t say anything and simply nodded his head.


    When Malcolm first met Lux, the Half-Elf was weaker than him. Because of this, he didn''t treat him seriously and even thought that he wasn''t that of a big deal.


    When he faced him for the first time, even though he got defeated by the Half-Elf, he thought that Lux only got lucky.


    But soon, heter found that it wasn''t just luck.


    Every time he saw Lux, he couldn''t help but feel bitter due to how fast his rank was improving. Also, the Half-Elf could summon a formidable army, allowing him to fightrge-scale battles even if he was on his own.


    Malcolm was now a D-Ranker, but Lux was already a C-Ranker.


    This difference in strength wasn''t something that he could even out in a short period of time.


    The only way to reach this rank, right afterpleting the Ranker Trial, was to absorb tens of thousands of Beast Cores of High-Ranking Monsters.


    Then and only then would you be a C-Ranker.


    Even so, Malcolm despised people who did this.


    Yes, their rank would drastically increase, but so what?


    The moment they faced someone of equal Rank who had reached that level through continuous battles, these Fake-Rankers wouldn''t even stand a chance.


    But Lux was different.


    Malcolm knew that whatever method the Half-Elf used to reach the rank he had now, it wasn''t due to consuming countless Beast Cores to get an upgrade.


    "This is crazy," Malcolm muttered as the Demonic Army in front of him started to scatter and run away from the Undead Legion, who surged forward like a wave of death.


    The Satyrs were also just as surprised as Malcolm, with some of them looking at their leader, Ampelos, with determined looks on their faces.


    "Boss! Are we just going to let those Doom Knight Gangbangers get the better of us?" one of the Satyrs stated. "Just look at them! Those Demons are being impaled left and right by their long and hard swords."


    "That''s right, Boss!" another Satyrs spoke up. "As a Satyr, I pride myself in being hard and strong. If they can do it, we can do it better!"


    Ampelos blinked once then twice before ncing at his subordinates, who were looking at him with faces ready to go to war.


    However, instead of telling them to fight, he spoke out something that bothered him.


    "But those Demons are men," Ampelosmented.


    "Boss, have you heard of that famous saying?" a Satyr inquired. "As long as there is a hole, there is a way!"


    "I repeat, those Demons are men," Ampelos stated.


    "Boss, sometimes, it takes a man to be the best girl," another Satyrmented. "Have you heard of Astolfo?"


    "No. And I don''t want to know anything about him."


    "Your loss, Boss. I''d tap that guy anytime."


    Ampelos pretended that he didn''t hear his subordinates'' words and simply stared in front of him. However, the more he waited, the more these gazes intensified until he finally relented.


    "Fine," Ampelos stated. "Do what you want to do. Just make sure that you don''t die, okay?"


    "Yeah! Boys let''s go!"


    "Damn right. Time to use Deez Nuts!"


    "Charge my brothers! Let''s show those Doom Knight Gangbangers what we''re made of!"


    """Wooo!"""


    The Satyrs that numbered in the thousands charged towards the Demonic Army who were now in chaos.


    The Demons, who were unlucky enough to be overtaken by these mads, were stabbed repeatedly until they cried for their mothers and fathers.


    The Doom Knight Gangbangers who were near these chaotic scenes looked at the Satyrs with a steady gaze.


    The Satyrs looked back at their "rivals", feeling all smug and peppy.


    "Noice!" one of the Doom Knight Gangbangersmented as he gave the Satyrs a thumbs up.


    The Satyrs also gave the Doom Nnight Gangbanger a thumbs up before all of them continued to stab any Demon within their reach, painting a very gruesome sight.


    "Just kill me already!" one of the Demons that were captured by the Satyrs cried out. "A warrior would rather die than be humiliated!"


    "That''s what they all say at first," the Satyr that was stabbing the Demon sneered. "Don''t worry, you won''t get anyints after I am done with you."


    Malcolm, Xander, and the rest of the humans, gave Ampelos side-long nces.


    All of them looked at the Satyr Leader in disgust, but thetter simply pretended that he was not aware of their gazes.


    Perhaps wanting to shift the topic, Ampelos cleared his throat before pointing in the direction of the other Legions who didn''t participate in the battle andpletely ignored their presence.


    "We are not like that Half-Elf who has an army of his own," Ampelos stated. "However, we shouldn''t forget that we are here to fight. It is impossible for us to face an entire legion by ourselves, so let''s just harass them from afar."


    Xander, Malcolm, and the others nodded their heads in agreement.


    They truly couldn''t fight the way that Lux was doing, and standing on the side without doing anything wasn''t their style.


    Because of this, all of them banded together and began throwing long-range attacks at the Demonic Legion closest to them, killing several demons in the process.


    "G-General, what should we do?" one of Jackal''s Aide''s asked.


    "Order all Legions to use long range attacks to kill the enemy," Jackal ordered.


    "But, Sir, our men are still there fighting," the Aidemented.


    "There is no other way. We can''t get near them, or that Necromancer will use his Corpse Explosion Skill," Jackal replied. "The best thing we can do is decimate his entire army before he can summon more Undead. If our men die in the process, then so be it. They will die for the greater good."


    Although he was reluctant to do it, the Aide bowed his head and passed Jackal''s orders to the rest of their army.


    A few minutester, a rain of spells and other projectiles rained down on Lux''s Undead Army, killing thousands of Undead and Demons at the same time.


    Asmodeus, who was standing beside Lux, ced his hand behind his back and smiled.


    "Master, it seems that the enemy General ns to wipe out our entire forces, withplete disregard for his own men," Asmodeus stated. "Should we do n B?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes. It''s time for us to bring the battle to their doorstep."


    Asmodeus chuckled before summoning a dozen Giant Skeleton Cannons that he had prepared for this day.


    "Master, we can only use each Cannon six times," Asmodeus stated. "I did my best to imitate the design of the Destroyer, but my prototypecks both range and firepower."


    "Will your projectiles reach the enemy camp?" Lux inquired.


    "Just barely, but I am very optimistic that it will enough," Asmodeus replied.


    Lux smirked. "Good. As long as we can close the distance, that is enough."


    The Half-Elf and the Lich King then recalled their forces that were being decimated by the enemy''s long ranged attacks.


    They then pressed their hands together in order to create some cannonballs for their counter offensive.


    "Skeleton Make��. Cannonballs!" Lux, and Asmodeus shouted and encased fifty Doomknight Gangbangers in a Skeleton Shell, which would be used as projectiles for the cannon.


    The Lich King''s clones did the same, and before long, nearly 50 Skeleton Cannonballs filled with Doomknight Gangbangers, as well as Jade Golems were ready to go.


    While Asmodeus and his clones were busy loading up the cannonballs with their forces, Lux created a special Cannonball, which would contain Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, ALL-MITE, Zagan, and Shax.


    He intended to also send his main force at the enemy''s camp, allowing his heavy-hitters to rampage to their heart''s content.


    Once everything was ready, Asmodeus didn''t waste any time and gave the signal to start the counterattack.


    "Aim!" Asmoedus raised his hand, as the Bone Cannons took their aim.


    After making sure that they were all aiming in the same direction, the Lich King sneered before pointing at the center of Jackal''s army.


    "Fire!"


    A series of explosions erupted from the Cannons, sending their payload towards where the strategist of Andras army was located, giving him a nasty surprise.

 Chapter 906 I’ll Just Have To Bully You Back!

    Chapter 906 I��ll Just Have To Bully You Back!


    Jackal, who saw the Skeleton Cannonballs flying in their direction, frowned, but he wasn''t fazed by it.


    "All spellcasters and ranged attackers, concentrate all your attacks on those Cannonballs!" Jackal ordered. "Don''t let them get near us!"


    His men were quick to follow his orders, and before long, countless spells flew towards the sky with the intention of destroying the enemy''s counter attack that came from a great distance away.


    Just as the spells were several meters away from hitting their targets, some of the Cannonballs exploded mid-air, catching Jackal by surprise.


    What followed next was a fireworks disy that illuminated the red-sky, making Queen Rhiannon and Andras pause their battle for a brief moment.


    From the dust cloud in the sky, eight gigantic Hecatoncheires crashed down on the frontlines of Jackals'' Army, sending dirt, rocks, blood, and fleshbflying in every direction.


    With a roar of anger and defiance, these eight behemoths charged forward. They smashed, pped, punched, bit, and trampled anything and anyone that stood in their way.


    Behind them were four giant Blood Golems, who were making their way toward Jackal''s army .


    When Diablo''s Cannonballnded on the ground, he and the rest of hisrades followed behind the Hecatoncheires and started to massacre anyone that managed to survive the rampage of the eight abominations.


    ����������


    "Your boys are putting up a good fight," Andrasmented. "They did a good number on my troops."


    "Why do I sense that you don''t care even if your entire army is annihted in this battle?" Queen Rhiannon asked. "That''s not like you, Andras. Do you not care about your men?"


    "Of course I care," Andras replied. "But I care more about you than I care about them."


    "You''re sick in the head, Andras. Has your constant wars with Andrealphus made you crazy?"


    "While it''s true that I waged war with Andrealphus a couple of times over the past decades, the two of us realized that we can sit down and talk in a civilized manner."


    Queen Rhiannon''s eyes widened in shock as an unbelievable thought appeared inside his head.


    "Y-You!" Queen Rhiannon looked at Andras in disbelief. "Don''t tell me��"


    "Toote, My Dear," Andras said as he took out a crystal ball in his hand." Andras smirked. "I got you where I want you."


    Without another word, Andras crushed the crystal ball in his hand.


    A secondter, a purple dome enveloped him and Queen Rhiannon, locking both of them in ce.


    The Subus Queen immediately unleashed her strongest attack on the barrier, but it did nothing but make it shake for a few seconds beforeing to aplete stop.


    "It''s no use, my dear," Andras chuckled. "This is checkmate."


    As if to prove his point, the Abyssal Gate that connected the 12th Layer and 13th Layer glowed brightly.


    Queen Rhiannon''s face turned grim as she sensed the power of another Demigod that was about toe out from those very gates.


    A Giant Dreadlord emerged from the Abyssal Gate and he looked at his surroundings with an amused expression on his face.


    "You''re finally here, Andrealphus," Andras stated. "You sure took your time."


    The Giant Dreadlord chuckled as he nced towards the sky.


    "Well, I thought that I don''t need to make an appearance since your army greatly outnumbered your opponents," the Dreadlord stated. "But to think that Rhiannon managed to get help from the Surface Dwellers. How interesting."


    The Dreadlord shifted his attention to the Half-Elf, whose face had be solemn after another Demigod appeared in the battlefield.


    "Make sure not to kill the boy, Andrealphus," Andras stated. "He will make a fine Darkspawn after he is corrupted."


    "True," Andrealphusmented. "I''m sure he will be a good addition to my army."


    The corner of Andras'' lips rose up, but he didn''t say anything.


    His agreement with Andrealphus was that he get Rhiannon, and the Subi, while the Dreadlord gets everything else, including the authority of the 13th Layer.


    Although it was regrettable to not keep someone like Lux who could replenish the loss of his army, he could still turn a blind eye on it since the real prize was now in his hands.


    Andras knew Queen Rhiannon''s weakness, and that was her Subi.


    The Subus Queen didn''t want any of her followers to get hurt, so as long as he could make Queen Rhiannon be his willing ve, the losses he suffered would be worth it!


    "Now, let me deal with these small fries first." Andrealphus sneered before pointing at one of the Hecatoncheires in front of him.


    A tiny me that was the size of a human head emerged from his finger tip and flew in the direction of the Giant Abomination.


    The small fireball was fast and swift, and in just a blink of an eye, it hit its target, making the Hecatoncheires explode into countless pieces that turned into particles of light not long after.


    Andrealphus chuckled before repeating the same thing in quick session, instantly obliterating the Giant Abominations in a matter of seconds.


    "Ah�� I missed a few."


    The Dreadlord raised his hand before snapping his finger.


    The Blood Golems that were still dozens of meters away from Jackal''s forces exploded, creating a blood rain that drenched the battlefield in blood.


    "We''re doomed��" Ampelos'' face became deadly pale as he looked at the Abyssal Lord of the 11th Layer. "Two Demigods working together. There''s no way for us to win."


    And to the Satyr Leader''s horror, the Dreadlord looked in his direction and sneered.


    "You never had a chance of winning from the very start," Andrealphus sneered. "I hate Satyrs, so I will not dirty my hands in killing you. Go and kill him for me!"


    Andrealphus'' Demonic Legions surged out from the Abyssal Gate and charged forward.


    Lux and Asmodeus both nced at each other before nodding their heads at the same time.


    Since there was nowhere to run, they might as well just fight!


    Recalling Diablo and the others, Lux once again summoned his Undead Army to fight back.


    However, the moment they were summoned, a fireballnded several meters away from Lux, creating a powerful explosion that decimated his newly summoned army.


    Asmodeus, who was beside him, didn''t hesitate to use his body to shield his Master from the sudden attack that came from the Demigod.


    It was not only Asmodeus who made a move to protect his Master.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, Zagan, ALL-MITE, and Shax all stood in front of their Master, shielding him from harm.


    The st was so powerful that it sent the Half-Elf, and his Named Creatures flying several meters high in the air before crashing on the ground.


    Andrealphus didn''t hesitate to make the Half-Elf understand that it was no use fighting against him.


    Lux might be able to fight anyone below the Empyrean Rank, but Cmities and Demigods were still far from his reach.


    The Dreadlordughed heartily as his forces charged at the fallen teenager in the distance.


    Just as Ampelos was thinking of running away to save his life, he saw a blue shooting star descending from the heavens.


    "Boom Boom Bakugan!"


    Countless st Bombs dropped down from the sky, creating countless explosions, making the army on the ground cry out in pain and surprise from the sudden attack that came from above.


    Out of nowhere, ckfire appeared and caught the baby slime from the sky.


    "Ei!"


    "Ei!"


    "Ei!"


    "Ei!"


    "Ei!"


    Eiko didn''t stop throwing one-meter tall st Bomb one after the other, forcing the approaching army to stop in their tracks, as ckfire flew towards his Master.


    "Pa!" Eiko shouted before jumping off ckfire and nudging Lux''s cheeks, asking him to stand up.


    "You''re finally here, Eiko," Lux said as he patted the baby slime''s head, assuring her that he was fine.


    Eiko also smiled before looking in the direction of the Dreadlord who had tried to hurt her Papa earlier.


    She then spat Gaap, Lilian, and Poro from her mouth, making them join the battle as well.


    Queen Rhiannon, who was trapped inside the purple dome covered her lips as tears streamed down the side of her face.


    She didn''t expect that she would be so moved after seeing Lux''s Baby Slime who suddenly arrived when all hope was lost.


    Andras, who thought that the Subus Queen was crying out of despair and sadness, decided to tease her.


    "It''s fine for you to cry tears of sadness now, my dear, because soon, I will make you cry in pleasure," Andras stated. "So watch closely as your precious Necromancer turns to ashes."


    Andras had noticed that Andrealphus wasn''t too pleased of having his men die under his nose. He had been fighting the Dreadlord for many years and knew how much the Abyssal Lord cared about his subordinates.


    Just as he expected, the Dreadlord pointed his finger at the fallen Half-Elf, who was currently talking to the baby slime.


    He no longer cared about turning Lux into a Darkspawn and simply wanted to kill him and his pet.


    Unlike Andras who could sacrifice his men so easily, Andrealphus had stronger bonds with his soldiers.


    Because of this, he was willing to kill a potential powerful subordinate for the sake of avenging his subordinates.


    "Die and apologize to my subordinates in the afterlife!" Andrealphus roared as he threw a fireball that was as big as his hands in the Half-Elf''s direction.


    An earth-shaking explosion erupted, sending mes rising up towards the sky.


    Andrasughed, thinking that with this, Queen Rhiannon''sst hope would now turn into ashes.


    Just as he wasughing out loud, something gigantic emerged from the hellish mes that could wipe out an entire city in a heartbeat.


    Suddenly, a chuckle that was filled with ridicule reverberated in the surroundings, making Andras stopughing.


    There was something very familiar with theughter he was hearing, and for some reason, he couldn''t get it off his head.


    Then something monstrous appeared, and the sight of it made Andras and Andrealphus gasp in shock.


    "You dare bully little Rhiannon?" Antero asked as he looked at Andras whose face had turned pale from fright. "No problem��"


    The Golem of Destruction chuckled as he raised his gigantic fist, ready to strike.


    "I''ll just have to bully you back!"


    Antero smashed his fist on the purple dome that imprisoned the Subus Queen, shattering it into countless pieces.

 Chapter 907 Where Do You Think You’re Going, Puny Demon?

    Chapter 907 Where Do You Think You��re Going, Puny Demon?


    In the past, the Abyss only had a singleyer.


    Thisyer was the size of a massive continent, spanned thousands of miles, andter, it was called the "Land of Endless Races".


    In this great continent, the first Abyssal Demons appeared.


    But before these first Demonic Races even walked thend, there was one creature that was born before them.


    It was none other than the Golem of Destruction, Antero.


    He was the oldest creature in the Abyss, as well as the one who struck fear in the hearts of many.


    Several yearster, the 2nd Layer was born.


    A few thousand yearster, the 3rd Layer came into being.


    This cycle continued until the present day, and hundreds of Layers had been created in the abyss.


    But it didn''t end there for the Abyss was constantly expanding, even extending to many nes of existence and breaking through to several star systems in the multiverse.


    This allowed the Abyssal Creatures to invade other worlds, and every time they seeded, these worlds would permanently be part of the Abyss.


    Sis and Elysium faced their onught head-on.


    Elysium fared a little better and was able to push back the invaders back to the Abyss. They also sealed as many portals as they could to prevent a second invasion from happening.


    The Elysians knew that they would be unable to stop the Abyssal Creature from spilling into their worldpletely, so they devised and created a very powerful barrier that prevented any Cmity and Demigod-Ranked Abyssal Creatures from getting through.


    Although the threat of Empyrean-Ranked Creatures and below was a pain, it was still better than dealing with far more dangerous opponents which posed a greater threat to their very existence.


    Sis, on the other hand, suffered a lot and vast swaths ofnd became uninhabitable in the Hundred-Year War.


    Miasma thrived in these ces, sealing kingdoms and empires off from the outside world.


    Those who dared to venture through this miasma would encounter horrendous monsters, diseases, and gues that could end their lives in a day if they weren''t lucky.


    While the Abyssal Demons were busy waging wars on different worlds, Antero roamed the manyyers of the Abyss out of boredom.


    There, he met the Subus Rhiannon whose rank had degraded to a Rank 1 Monster after she was discarded by the Abyssal Noble who had taken advantage of her Unique Constitution.


    Antero wasn''t a kind creature and preferred to destroy things as he wandered thend.


    When he encountered Rhiannon, the first thought he had was to step on the puny insect and end her suffering.


    But after countless years of killing and destroying things, Antero had be bored, so it decided to spare the Subus and went on with his business.


    Rhiannon, who thought that she was going to die, steeled herself and tagged along with the Golem of Destruction as it wandered the Lower Layers of the Abyss.


    Everywhere Antero went, destruction followed and countless lives were ended.


    Trailing not far from him, the Subus harvested the Abyssal Cores of the Demons that had been killed, consuming them and raising her strength little by little.


    The Golem of Destruction found this funny and even thought of Rhiannon as its pet.


    After hundreds of years, the weak and frail Subus slowly gained a reputation in the Abyss as the Herald of Death. Wherever she was spotted, death and destruction would soon follow.


    After spending many years with Rhiannon, Antero had grown attached to her and treated her as his daughter.


    When the War between the Abyss and the Elysians started, Antero had just finished killing the Abyssal Lord of the 13th Layer.


    He then bestowed its Authority on Rhiannon, giving her a safe ce to call her home.


    Back then, Rhiannon had already reached the Cmity Rank, so Antero deemed that she was already strong enough to protect herself.


    When Rhiannon asked to apany Antero in the war against the Elysians, the Golem of Destruction rejected her request and asked her to stay on the 13th Layer until she became a Demigod like him.


    When the war ended and the gates of the Abyss were sealed, Rhiannon was heartbroken when she found out that Antero was one of the Demigods that had been unable to return to the Abyssal ne.


    Countless eyewitnesses said that the Golem of Destruction had fallen during the war, shattering into hundreds of pieces when he fought against the previous Dragon King.


    They said that his sacrifice was worth it because he dragged the Dragon King to die along with him, but that didn''t make Rhiannon happy.


    For her, Antero wasn''t just her savior and protector, he was also the closest thing to a family she ever had.


    So when she finally saw the Golem of Destruction appear for a second time after a hundred years, she was unable to stop her tears from falling as her ''foster father'' raised his gigantic fist high up in the sky to save her once again.


    "You dare bully little Rhiannon?" Antero asked as he looked at Andras, whose face had turned pale from fright. "No problem��


    "I''ll just have to bully you back!"


    When the fist came crashing down, the barrier that she was unable to break using her full powers shattered easily as if it were made from ss.


    Andras'' face turned ashen as his Trump Card in the war to make Queen Rhiannon his ve broke in front of his eyes.


    Since he was a Demigod, he was able to recover from his shock right away, and the first thing he did was flee!


    No one in the Abyss dared to fight against Antero because he was the most ancient and strongest creature in existence.


    Some even said that if there weren''t any limitations ced on the denizens of the Abyss, the Golem of Destruction would have already attained Godhood because of the strong power of Faith that he had gathered over the years.


    Weaker Demons treated Antero as their God and aspired to be him.


    Smaller Demonic Tribes and Communities would sometimes build Antero''s statue in their territories in the hope that the Abyssal Lords would leave them in peace.


    After the Golem of Destruction hadid waste through all the Layers of the Abyss, the majority of the Abyssal Lords feared him, so they left these small Demon tribes alone in fear that Antero would visit them and destroy everything they possessed.


    That was also why no one dared to touch the 13th Layer, for this was the Domain of Antero''s Herald of Death.


    Although many eyewitnesses believed that the Golem had truly fallen in the war, they still didn''t dare to attack it as they feared that Antero might revive and find its way back to the Abyss.


    Andras was an exception because he managed to discover the truth about Rhiannon''s body constitution through the diary of her former lover, making him covet her even more.


    "Where do you think you''re going, puny Demon?" Antero chuckled as he pointed his finger at the fleeting Abyssal Lord.


    "Duel [Divine]."


    Andras, who had nearly reached the portal, immediately froze mid-air and found himself being pulled towards the Giant Golem, whose fist was already raised high in the air.


    "N-Nooooooooooooo!"


    Andras'' scream reverberated across the battlefield as he found himself helplessly staring at the gigantic fist that was about tond on his body.


    A few secondster an earth-shaking explosion blew everyone away from the battlefield.


    Lux grabbed Eiko in his arms before summoning his Corpse God and Skeleton King to protect the two of them from the aftermath of Antero''s full-powered-smash, which was more powerful than Eiko''s tactical nuke that was used against the Saints of the Divine Army of Light.


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 Chapter 908 Playing Possum

    ?


    The entire 13th Layer of the Abyss shook as Antero''s gigantic fist smashed against the ground.


    ALL-MITE, who was watching the scene, raised his thumb and said "Nice Smash", immediately after which he was sent flying by the powerful shockwave that followed.


    (E/N: Kowabunga!)


    Everything within the three-mile Radius of Antero was blown away, and those who were near the point of impact were instantly obliterated by his overwhelming might.


    When the dust receded, Antero''s hulking figure appeared, with his fist firmly embedded in the ground.


    A momentter, he lifted his hand, allowing those who had recovered see Andras'' pitiful form.


    Surprisingly, the Demigod survived Antero''s punch, but his body was wounded all over. His arms and legs were bent at unnatural angles.


    Clearly, he had suffered serious injuries after taking the Golem''s punch head-on.


    Without any warning, ckfire appeared beside the Demigod and started smacking it with its body. It even resorted to using its entire body to body m the Demigod. Unfortunately, it wasn''t able to deal much damage to it.


    Antero chuckled as he watched the persistent ck Coffin try to beat the crap out of the Demigod in order to devour it.


    However, even in his injured state, Andras was still a Demigod, and ckfire''s repeated attacks weren''t able to deal much damage to him.


    Suddenly, Antero picked up the ck coffin with his fingers and stopped it from attacking.


    "Funny coffin," Antero chuckled. "Greedy coffin."


    ckfire stopped struggling and behaved like an obedient child. Clearly, it didn''t want to get on Antero''s bad side.


    Even so, it looked down on the body of the Demigod with regret because it was unable to steal it!


    Queen Rhiannonnded beside the fallen Demigod and looked at him in disdain.


    To his credit, Andras didn''t flinch from her stare and even managed and dared tough despite his injured state.


    "You got lucky this time, Rhiannon," Andras said as blood spilled at the corner of his lips. "I was this close to making you submit. If only Antero hadn''t appeared, you and your Subi would have be my ythings!"


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t say anything because what Andras said was certainly a possibility. Although she wouldn''t go as far as to say that she would have be his ve, the fact remained that her Subi would indeed be his ythings if Antero hadn''t appeared.


    There was simply no way for her to fight against two Demigods at the same time.


    The Subus Queen then stared in the direction of the portal.


    Andras'' associate, Andrealphus, was nowhere to be seen.


    During themotion, the Dreadlord quickly made his escape and was probably fleeing back to the 11th Layer.


    Queen Rhiannon sneered before shifting her gaze back to Andras.


    She would deal with Andrealphuster, but for now, she had to deal with the hateful Demigod on the ground.


    "Anyst words?" Queen Rhiannon asked as she summoned a purple de in her hand.


    Andras didn''t reply and simply spat on her feet.


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t bother to dodge, allowing the Demigod to get a little bit of satisfaction before he died.


    The Subus Queen then stabbed Andras'' chest, piercing through his Abyssal Core.


    A momentter, her de glowed brightly, absorbing the Demigod Core and passing its strength to its new Master.


    When the absorption was done, Queen Rhiannon felt her strength soar drastically, making her sigh in pleasure due to how good it felt.


    "Don''t worry, Andras," Queen Rhiannon stated. "I''ll take over your domain before I visit Andrealphus. He and I have a lot of things to talk about."


    As soon as she pulled out the sword from the Demigod''s dead body, ckfire appeared and swallowed the corpse whole.


    After seeding with its attempt, the ck Coffin gave Queen Rhiannon a brief bow before disappearingpletely.


    The corner of the Subus'' Queen''s lips twitched because she didn''t expect the ck Coffin to snatch Andras'' body in front of her and Antero.


    The Golem of Destruction looked at his fingers that had been holding ckfire a moment ago and chuckled.


    "Sly little coffin." Antero chuckled. "ying Possum."


    Just as Antero had stated, ckfire decided to y the obedient coffin and waited for the perfect moment to strike.


    Lux, who had just witnessed the scene,id down on the ground and closed his eyes.


    Eiko, who didn''t understand what her Papa was doing, nudged his cheek in an attempt to wake him up.


    "Shhh, let''s y a sleeping game for now, Eiko," Lux said in a hushed tone. "We didn''t see anything."


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded and yed along with her Papa.


    The Baby Slime then closed her eyes, pressed her cheeks against Lux, and pretended to be asleep.


    Gaap, who saw his disciple''s antics, could only chuckle and shake his head helplessly.


    Deep inside, he was quite impressed by how bold ckfire was. He knew how diligent the ck Coffin was when it came to collecting the bodies of strong people in order to strengthen Lux''s army.


    But getting the corpse of a Demigod wasn''t the same as getting the corpse of a Saint.


    Demigods were inherently more powerful than Saints, and it would take a party of them to defeat one inbat.


    With a Demigod secured in ckfire''s hands, Gaap had no doubt that his disciple would be able to stand on the shoulders of giants very soon.


    ''With this, I will be able to rest easily,'' Gaap thought. ''There is still some unfinished business that I have to do, and staying with Lux will only hinder his growth.''


    While the Halfling was thinking about these things, Queen Rhiannonnded beside them. She then walked past Gaap before kicking Lux off the ground, which sent the Half-Elf fly a few meters away.


    "Where am I?!" Lux shouted after he crashed on the ground. "Who am I?!"


    "Brat, it seems that you don''t recall what happened just now," Queen Rhiannon stated as her tail extended, and wrapped itself around the Half-Elf''s body, dragging him back to her. "Do you want me to make you remember?"


    The Subus Queen shed the Half-Elf a devilish smile before making her nails grow longer.


    Lux smiled bitterly as he looked at Queen Rhiannon with a face filled with injustice.


    "Consider Andras'' body as my reward for helping you," Lux replied. "I won''t ask for anything else."


    "Oh? After your servants piged my Treasury like bandits, you still have the guts to ask for a reward?" Queen Rhiannon then moved forward to whisper something in his ears. "Do you want me to squeeze you dry and make your Rank regress? I think you''re forgetting that I have the Celestial Maiden Physique."


    The Half-Elf''s face paled because of the Subus Queen''s threat. He had a feeling that she wasn''t joking, and it made his blood rush to his middle region.


    ''Idiot! What are you thinking at a moment like this?!'' Lux berated himself because his little brother reacted like a fearless soldier prepared to fight a war that it had no chance of winning.


    A giggle escaped from Queen Rhiannon''s lips after sensing the changes in Lux''s body. Truth be told, she was not offended when ckfire stole Andras'' body.


    In fact, she was even d about it because she didn''t want to see his face for another second, even if he was already dead.


    "Fine. I''ll let you off just this once," Queen Rhiannon stated. "But your duty is still not done. Follow me."


    "Follow you where?" Lux inquired.


    "Where else?" Queen Rhiannon sneered. "It''s time to give the 12th Layer a new Master."


    Although she didn''t have any goals to expand her rule, the other Abyssal Lords would look down on her if she passed up this opportunity.


    Since she didn''t want anyone aside from Andras to think that she was softhearted, she decided to carry out the motions of conquering the in Abyssal Lord''s Domain.


    Antero chuckled before following Queen Rhiannon to the portal.


    He knew that he couldn''t stay long in the Abyss, and the only way for him to ensure her safety was to make every Abyssal Lord think that he could return to the Abyss anytime he wanted.


    In the next few days, rumors spread through the Abyss like Wildfire.


    Every demon was talking about the reappearance of The Herald of Death on the 12th Layer, apanied by the Golem of Destruction, as well as a Necromancer, whose Undead Army had taken the entireyer by storm.

 Chapter 909 Do I Need A Reason To Save Someone? [Part 1]

    ?


    A week had passed since Andras and Andrealphus joined forces and attacked the 13th Layer of the Abyss.


    After Andras'' death, Queen Rhiannon easily subjugated the 12th Layer and took control over its Core, further raising her strength and influence as a Demigod.


    With her current power, no Abyssal Lord from the 2nd Layer up to the 100th Layer was her match. Only those at the deeper levels whose strengths were equal or perhaps stronger than hers didn''t fear her.


    However, none of them would dare to antagonize her, especially now that the Golem of Destruction had made its appearance in the Abyss once again after having been missing for more than a hundred years.


    Inside a room in Andras Castle, the Subus Queen sighed in ecstasy as Lux''s hot essence spurted inside of her.


    "Let me rest for a bit," Luxined as he panted for breath while resting his head on the Subus'' Queen''s voluptuous chest.


    "Fine," Queen Rhiannon replied as she lovingly patted his head. "We still need to do it ten more times so that you can strengthen both Cai and Iris and allow both of them to break through to be D-Rankers."


    After absorbing Andras'' Abyssal Core and gaining authority of the 12th Layer of the Abyss, Queen Rhiannon decided to let Lux absorb some of her strength in order to strengthen his two fiances aspensation for the hardships they suffered inside her Domain.


    Truth be told, the Subus Queen was just making an excuse to spend a little more time with the Half-Elf, who would soon return to Elysium.


    At first, Lux resisted her advances because he already had two fiances.


    However, when Queen Rhiannon pointed out that they had done it many times already when Cai was still in the Abyss and said that doing it a few more times wouldn''t make a difference, Lux folded.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t find any w in this statement since he had indeed done it countless times with the Subus Queen, with Cai even joining them in a threesome.


    Also, her reasoning to let him absorb her strength in order to strengthen his two fiances to make them stronger made the Half-Elf hesitate.


    This hesitation allowed Queen Rhiannon to use Lux''s weakness against him, sealing the deal.


    While her subordinates rounded up Andras'' forces, she spent the entire day making love to Lux.


    An hourter, Queen Rhiannon left the room looking radiant and more beautiful than ever before.


    Although she had lost some of her strength, Lux''s life essence was incredibly potent, making her feel that their exchange was worth it.


    The Half-Elf, on the other hand, slept soundly on the bed out of exhaustion and would only wake up half a dayter.


    When Queen Rhiannon arrived in her new throne room, she saw Gaap and Poro ying a game of chess beside the throne.


    The Halfling sensed her presence and looked at her with a smile.


    "My Disciple?" Gaap asked.


    "Sleeping," Queen Rhiannon replied.


    The Halfling nodded his head in understanding before shifting his attention back to their game.


    Poro snorted and even gave the Subus Queen a look of disgust. He didn''t need to ask to know what she did with the red-headed teenager whom he hadn''t seen for an entire day.


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t give a damn about what the Dragon Born was thinking because she was in a good mood.


    Not only did she subjugate the 12th Layer, she had also forced Andrealphus to sign a Soul Contract, forcing him to protect the 12th and 13th Layers should any danger befall them.


    If the Dreadlord were to break the agreement, his Soul would cease to exist, snuffing out any hope for revival.


    "We will leave in two days time," Gaap stated. "I would like to thank you for your help in rounding up the Humans and Dragon Borns that had been sent to the Abyss. Although technically we are enemies, I greatly appreciate your help."


    "It''s just a trivial thing," Queen Rhiannon replied. "But you are right. This is only a temporary truce. Although I personally don''t care about attacking your world, the other Abyssal Lords don''t share the same opinion. I''m telling you now that the moment they find a way to invade your world, another great war willmence."


    Gaap didn''t reply right away and first moved the Queen chess piece in order to corner Poro''s King, making the Dragon Born scowl.


    "We''ll cross that bridge when we get there," Gaapmented. "At least, there is one less Demigod to worry about. So what are your ns?"


    "Me? I intend to stay here in the Abyss," Queen Rhiannon replied. "However, some of my Subi wishes to go to your world for some sightseeing. Will you be so kind as to let them have some fun?"


    Poro, who was already annoyed from losing another game, scoffed.


    "By having fun, you mean you want us to bring those wenches to our world so they can fornicate with Humans?" Poro asked. "No, thank you."


    "I''m not asking you, Dragon Born, so shut up," Queen Rhiannon smiled sweetly. "Besides, the men we brought in our castle didn''t have anyints. In fact, they all agreed to the idea of bringing some of my sisters back to Elysium."


    "They''re just a bunch of horny brats. Their opinion is not important."


    "Well, I''m also not asking for your opinion. Can you stop butting in?"


    Gaap chuckled as he watched the two banter.


    Although he didn''t have a high opinion of Abyssal Creatures, he was willing to make an exception for Queen Rhiannon and the Subi.


    Since Antero treated the Subus Queen as his daughter, he believed that she would also not be hostile to them.


    Also, he could tell that she had developed a soft spot for his Disciple.


    ''My boy, it seems that you are treading in dangerous territory,'' Gaap mused. ''If only my Master was awake. Once she finds out that you have slept with the Subus Queen, who is also a Demigod, she would definitelyugh out loud and say, ''As expected of my Disciple''s Disciple!''"


    Truth be told, Gaap wanted to see that scene. Unfortunately, he didn''t know that Hereswith''s soul was already inside ckfire and was undergoing aplete recovery.


    The Half-Elf still hadn''t told him about this because he nned to surprise him the moment the beautiful Elf finished her rebirth.


    "Listen, woman, I''m gonna tell you directly what''s going to happen." Poro red. "The moment your Subi and those perverted Satyrs cross over to Elysium, all of them will immediately be annihted by the Saints waiting on the other side. This is a fact.


    "Even if they manage to survive, where will they go? No faction will ept them, and they will be hunted down by the Abyssal Hunters."


    Queen Rhiannon smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. "You don''t have to worry about that. They can all join Lux''s Guild. Problem solved."


    The Dragon Born almost choked after hearing her reply.


    Lux''s Guild Headquarters were currently situated within the territory of the Crystal Pce.


    If the Half-Elf really brought them all there, wouldn''t that mean that they would have no choice but to protect the Abyssal Creatures since Lux had sought asylum?


    Seeing the Dragon Born''s face turn pale made Queen Rhiannonugh.


    Truth be told, he had already asked for Lux''s permission to bring her people under his wing. The Half-Elf didn''t reject her proposal, and even said that, although it would be tricky, it was not impossible.


    With this matter already settled, the Subus Queen left the throne room in order to talk to her people.


    In two days time, the Half-Elf would return to Elysium, so she wanted to have everything done before he left the Abyssal World for good.


    (E/N: Who says he ain''t returning?)

 Chapter 910 Do I Need A Reason To Save Someone? [Part 2]

    ?


    After finishing her tasks, Queen Rhiannon returned to her temporary room in Andras'' Castle with a satisfied expression on her face.


    She had delegated one of her trusted subordinates to serve as the temporary ruler of the 12th Layer, who would keep it in check in her absence.


    Although she knew that the Demons under Andras'' control would not be cooperating with them anytime soon, she believed that they would soon ept her as their leader.


    "Still sleeping?" Queen Rhiannon smirked as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed,pletely naked.


    She was tempted to y with him again in order to wake him up, but she resisted this urge and simply sat on the space beside him.


    Queen Rhiannon then gently patted his head and decided to peer inside his memories.


    When she captured Cai, the High Priestess had told her that her fiance woulde to save her after he was done with his mission. She didn''t borate on the mission, and back then, Queen Rhiannon didn''t believe that Lux would trulye to his fiance''s rescue.


    For her, all men were the same, and they couldn''t be trusted.


    Naturally, this mindset changed a bit after meeting Lux.


    Although she didn''t want to admit it, she felt jealous of Cai because even though Lux knew that he would face her, a Demigod, the Half-Elf didn''t abandon the High Priestess and fought against her in order to save his fiance.


    She understood that Lux had abandoned whatever he was doing and came to the Abyss as soon as he could, giving Queen Rhiannon a good impression of him.


    ''I wonder what you were doing before you came to the Abyss?'' Queen Rhiannon thought before closing her eyes to peer in Lux''s memories.


    A minuteter, she abruptly opened her eyes and looked at the sleeping Half-Elf in disbelief.


    "I-It can''t be," Queen Rhiannon muttered. "Is Fate ying a trick on me?"


    The Demigod bit her lip before peering at Lux''s memory a second time. This time, she traced the memory that she had seen earlier and confirmed that it wasn''t just a figment of her imagination.


    "So it''s true," Queen Rhiannon said as she looked at the sleeping Half-Elf with aplicated look on her face. "Fate, you are a b*tch."


    ��������������������


    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a peerless beauty, who was staring straight at him.


    "Good morning?" Lux said before stifling a yawn.


    "Good morning," Queen Rhiannon replied in a calm manner. "Lux, I want to ask you a question. What were you doing before you came to the Abyss?"


    Lux, who was still half asleep, replied. "I was going to the Pantheon of Exile in Agartha to meet someone."


    "Is it a girl?"


    "Yes. Why?"


    "Tell me more about her."


    Lux yawned before giving his reply. "Are you talking about Aurora? She is currently imprisoned in the Pantheon of Exile. She is also a very pitiful girl that bears the title Misfortune''s Beloved. If possible, I want to find a way to prevent her from infecting others with bad luck, so I can bring her back to the Surface World with me."


    The Half-Elf then blinked once then twice as he looked at the peerless beauty in front of him.


    "Now that I take a good look at you, the two of you bear a great resemnce with each other," Lux said with a smile. "Are you perhaps her long lost mother?"


    Lux said these words in a teasing manner.


    Although Aurora and Queen Rhiannon had some simrities, he didn''t believe that the two of them were rted. Afterall, the Subus Queen lived in the Abyss and was a Demigod.


    It was impossible for her to go to Agartha.


    Aurora was also a little thin and obviously malnourished from her stay within the Pantheon of Exile.


    After a bit of pondering, Lux believed that once she became healthier, her beauty would rival the woman who was lying on the bed with him at the moment.


    "Misfortune''s Beloved? Truly a pitiful girl," Queen Rhiannon replied. "And you want to save someone like her? Why?"


    "Do I need a reason to save someone?" Lux answered. "Isn''t that a normal thing to do?"


    Queen Rhiannon eyed Lux critically as if looking for any signs of insincerity. Her stare was so intense that the Half-Elf felt as if she was staring straight to his soul.


    "Is something wrong?" Lux inquired. "You don''t look so good."


    "It''s nothing." Queen Rhiannon propped herself up from the bed before closing her eyes. "Tomorrow, before you leave, I n to give you something. I will visit the 69th Layer for the time being. Make sure you don''t leave until Ie back, understand?"


    "Well, if you say so."


    "Promise me that you''ll wait for me."


    "O-Okay."


    Queen Rhiannon gave Lux an intense stare before walking towards the window of the room. A momentter she vanished, leaving a confused Half-Elf behind.


    Not far from the castle, Antero sat on the ground, with two guests sitting on his head.


    Lilian was patiently teaching Eiko a few things, and the Baby Slime was listening to her with a serious expression on her face.


    "Lord Antero, I need your help," Queen Rhiannon said. "Pleasee with me to the 69th Layer of the Abyss. It is of grave importance."


    Antero chuckled and slowly stood up from the ground.


    Lilian held Eiko protectively in her embrace before jumping off the Golem''s body. She didn''t intend to follow them to whateveryer of the Abyss they nned to go to.


    She was busy passing a Legacy to the Baby Slime that would allow thetter to unlock her true potential and be stronger.


    The two Demigods left in haste, and no one knew what they were going to do once they reached the 69th Layer of the Abyss.


    Whatever Queen Rhiannon was nning, it had to be something of great importance because she personally asked Antero for help.


    Lux, who had been left alone inside the room, decided to sleep a little bit more in order to recover his stamina.


    He was not aware that the simple question he asked earlier had lit a me inside Queen Rhiannon''s heart that had remained dormant for nearly two decades.

 Chapter 911 Leaving A Precious Gift Behind

    ?


    "You want to go to Elysium?" Lux asked.


    Ampelos nodded. "Yes."


    "Why?"


    "Let''s just say that it''s time to go to greener pastures, if you know what I mean."


    The Satyr shed Lux a dashing smile, the sight of which gave the Half-Elf an urge to beat the crap out of him.


    When the Satyr said that it wanted to go to greener pastures, it meant that it wanted to start its notoriety in Elysium, and this was something that Lux couldn''t possibly agree to.


    He already knew how lustful these creatures were and the danger they could pose to the Elysians if they were given the opportunity to leave the Abyss.


    "I know what you are thinking," Ampelos said. "Me and my men are now reformed. We will not do anything indecent when we get to Elysium, I promise."


    "Hahaha, do you think I was born yesterday?" Lux sneered. "You might behave for a day or two, maybe even a week, before your carnal urges go out of control. I can''t possibly bring you back with me knowing how dangerous you guys are."


    Ampelos'' smile stiffened after hearing Lux''s reply. Clearly, the Half-Elf didn''t trust them enough to let them go to Elysium with him.


    "You reject our request toe with you to Elysium, but you didn''t reject the Subi when they asked to go with you?" Ampelos snorted. "Double standards much?"


    "The Subi are different," Lux replied. "Don''t you know that th thighs save lives?"


    "Bullsh*t!" Ampelos scoffed. "Both of us know that isn''t the real reason why you agreed to bring them with you."


    Lux shrugged because he really didn''t want to argue with the Satyrs on this matter.


    Queen Rhiannon and him were now practically allies after everything they had gone through. Also, he didn''t think that bringing the Subi to Elysium would pose any serious problems.


    The Satyrs, however, were a different threat. These walking lechers needed to be neutered before the Half-Elf would agree to bring them back with him.


    While Ampelos was thinking of ways to convince Lux to bring him and his subordinates to Elysium, thend started to shake, which made them look in the direction of the portal that led to the 14th Layer.


    Antero had just returned to the 13th Layer, alongside Queen Rhiannon, and the two were making their way towards the Passion Pce, where everyone gathered.


    Lux and his people should have left a few hours ago, but since he made a promise to the Subus Queen that he would wait for her, he put their n on hold until her arrival.


    A few minutester, the peerless beautynded beside Lux and dragged him to the side to have a private talk.


    "It''s good that you kept your promise," Queen Rhiannon said. "I thought you would already be gone by the time I arrived."


    Lux didn''t reply to her right away and looked up at the beautiful queen who was looking back at him with a smile.


    "Do you want toe to Elysium with me?" Lux asked.


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t expect the Half-Elf to invite her to go to Elysium, but the way he was looking at her made her realize that he wasn''t joking, which warmed her heart.


    "I would love to go�� but I can''t," Queen Rhiannon replied. "There are still many things I need to do here in the Abyss, and I can''t possibly leave those who have decided to stay behind."


    Lux nodded because he had already expected that her answer would be like that. It was just his wishful thinking that the Subus Queen would agree to his invitation and leave everything behind.


    Queen Rhiannon saw the disappointment in Lux''s eyes, but she pretended not to see it.


    Instead, she showed him a pearl ne, which made the Half-Elf''s eye widen in shock.


    Although it was faint, Lux could feel a strand of divinity within the white pearl that hung on the golden chain in front of him.


    "This artifact is called Fortuna''s Tears," Queen Rhiannon exined. "Its ability is to prevent its wearer from getting bad luck. However, if the one who wears it is Misfortune''s Beloved, its ability would only prevent her from spreading misfortune to other people.


    "The downside is that her bad luck will still remain active, but it will only affect her. If you wish to take that girl, Aurora, with you to the Surface World, this is the thing that you need the most."


    Without even waiting for Lux''s reply, Queen Rhiannon handed the ne to him, making the Half-Elf look at her gratefully.


    "Thank you very much," Lux replied. "This is exactly the thing I need."


    "Don''t mention it." Queen Rhiannon smiled.


    Lux lowered his head as he pondered something.


    After half a minute, he took out a small wooden box and handed it to the peerless beauty who had given him a priceless treasure.


    "Open this after we leave," Lux stated. "Whether you use it or not is up to you."


    Queen Rhiannon took the box from Lux''s hand and held it in the palm of her hand.


    The two then stared at each other for a long time, their eyes swirling with emotions that they couldn''t tell each other.


    Suddenly, this intimate moment was broken by someone clearing their throat, which made Lux and Queen Rhiannon re at the person that disturbed them.


    "Can we note to apromise?" Ampelos asked. "No offense, but I''ve been here in the Abyss since I was born. I want to see how much bigger the world is out there, and Elysium seems to be a good ce to spread my wings��if you know what I mean."


    "Spread your wings, or spread your d*ck?" Queen Rhiannon sneered.


    "Look, my subordinates and I are willing to sign a Soul Contract if that''s what it would take for us to go to Elysium," Ampelos said with determination. "As long as it doesn''t touch our bottom line, like being neutered, we are willing to abide by its terms."


    Lux frowned before ncing at the beauty beside him.


    "What do you think?" Lux asked.


    "Well, it''s a Soul Contract, so you don''t have to worry about them going back on their word," Queen Rhiannons shrugged. "Who knows, they might even help you in the future. Although they are a rowdy bunch, they are excellent cannon fodd�� I mean, excellent vanguards during wars."


    Ampelos smiled and pretended that he didn''t hear Queen Rhiannon''s snarky remark.


    "Okay, how about this," Lux stated. "You guys are not allowed to force any women to do the deed with you using intimidation, violence, spells, or anything that will remove their free will. If you can woo them properly using the right method, then I won''t bat an eye."


    The Half-Elf then nced at Queen Rhiannon and asked her a question.


    "Can you prevent them from siring any children while they are in Elysium?" Lux asked. "I don''t think the Elysians are ready to see an influx in the Satyr poption in the uing years."


    Queen Rhiannon giggled and nodded her head. "Sure. I can do that. I will ensure that they can''t get anyone pregnant for the next hundred years."


    "W-Wait! Calm down. How about you lower it a bit to 10 years?" Ampelos asked anxiously.


    "50 years." Queen Rhiannon smirked.


    "30!" Ampelos bargained.


    "50."


    "40!"


    "50."


    "��Fine, 50 years."


    One of the Satyrs who was listening stepped up and asked a question.


    "I understand that we cannot be rough with women, but how about men?" the Satyr asked.


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched after hearing the Satyr''s inquiry. To his surprise, almost all the Satyrs were looking at him with a determined look on their faces as if the answer to this question was a matter of life and death.


    Just as Lux was about to say ''no,'' an idea suddenly popped inside his head, which made him smile evilly.


    "You are not allowed to be rough with men�� but I will allow it if that person is a member of the Divine Army of Light or Twilight Rain," Lux replied. "As long as those people are affiliated with those factions, you can be rough with them as much as you want. Anything goes! But remember, only the men, okay? You still need to treat the women with respect."


    """Whoa!"""


    With the exception of Ampelos, all the Satyrs cheered after they were given permission to screw the members of the Divine Army of Light as well as Twilight Rain.


    "Hahaha! Divine Army of Light? They sound strong. Do they have Magical Knights?"


    "Of course they do," Lux replied with a smile. "They have thousands of them."


    "Nice!" the Satyr gave Lux a thumbs up. "You''re not going back on your word, right? We can *ahem* them as much as we want, right?"


    "Knock yourself out!" Lux gave them a thumbs up in return.


    The Satyr then shook hands with Lux, and gave him the "thanks bro, you are a real man of culture" look.


    Lux simply nodded his head and gave his blessings to the Satyrs to make the lives of the Divine Army of Light a living hell.


    Since they were already at each other''s throats, he would not bat an eye if the Satyrs screwed them thrice over.


    After agreeing to the details of the contract, all Satyrs were then invited to join Lux''s guild.


    Antero then swallowed the Subi and the Satyrs inside its body to prevent the humans and Dragon Borns, who were waiting on the other side, to attack them.


    When everything was ready, Lux bid Queen Rhiannon his final goodbye, and thetter just nodded her head and waved at him.


    Gaap then took out a white marble and activated it. In the blink of an eye, a ck hole appeared above their heads, sucking up everyone in its surroundings.


    A long sigh escaped the Demigod''s lips the moment the ck hole disappeared.


    She then opened the small wooden box in her hand to see what Lux''s farewell gift to her was.


    Sitting at the center of the box was a single white marble that would allow Queen Rhiannon to go to Elysium.


    "Be strong, Lux," Queen Rhiannon said before closing the wooden box in her hand. "I have high hopes for you. Also, please save my daughter, Aurora. I wasn''t a good mother to her, and I hope that she can feel what a family is like when she''s by your side."


    The peerless beauty then affectionately caressed her lower abdomen as she thought of the handsome Half-Elf who had returned to his own world, not knowing that he had left her another precious gift aside from the White Marble in her possession.

 Chapter 912 I Wish She Was Here Too

    ?


    As Lux dried his hair with a towel, he looked at the two beautifuldies who were lying on the bed, naked with a smile on their face.


    Two days had passed since his return from the Abyss, and many things had happened since then.


    First of all, not all the humans who were identally sucked into the Abyss managed to make it back home. Some of them had been in by the Abyssal Monsters, which was quite unfortunate because those that had entered the Gate of the Apocalypse were the Elites of each faction.


    Even the Dragon Borns had significant casualties on their side, leaving Poro''s face very dark when he took his people back to the Crystal Pce.


    A day after Lux''s return, something happened to the Domain of the Fallen, which no one had foreseen. All the people who hade to conquer the Domain of the Fallen and the Gate of the Apocalypse were expelled from the Domain.


    Not only that, the Gate that served as its entrance vanished without a trace.


    This rmed everyone, and many even believed that the Half-Elf had done something that made the Gate disappear.


    The Skystead Alliance were the ones who brought up and spread this idea, and the Xynnar War Pact followed suit.


    However, Poro, who had been with Lux since the beginning imed that the Half-Elf was innocent, and what happened to the Domain of the Fallen had nothing to do with him.


    Since no one wanted to anger the Saint of the Crystal Pce, they held their tongue. But deep inside, they were still ming the Half-Elf for what happened to the Domain.


    The Six Kingdoms didn''t say anything because they didn''t want to anger the Saints who were on Lux''s side, as well as their ally, which was the Xynnar War Pact.


    In the end, Lux returned to Barbatos Academy to rest for a few days before he returned to Agartha toplete the quest he''d started.


    Just when the Half-Elf had finished putting on his clothes, Cai stirred on the bed and looked at her surroundings in a daze.


    She was still half asleep, and it took her a while to recognize the Half-Elf who was smiling back at her.


    "Good morning, Cai," Lux said as he approached the bed and kissed his fiance on her forehead. "Did you sleep well?"


    "Mmm," Cai replied before yawning.


    Her beautiful body looked more smooth and radiant than it had a few days ago.


    The same could be said to the blue-haireddy, who was still sleeping peacefully on the bed.


    After Lux returned to Barbatos Academy, the first thing he did was to help Cai and Iris increase their ranks to D-Rank using the special method that Queen Rhiannon had taught him.


    What happened in the Gate of the Apocalypse made everyone realize that idents could happen anytime and that they didn''t have the liberty of choosing their opponents.


    This made everyone pursue the goal to be stronger in order to better protect themselves if a simr incident happened in the future.


    Right now, Lux was a C-Ranker.


    Although he had increased his Rank by one stage, he was still far away from the True Powerhouses of the World.


    He knew that he was only able to save his lovers due to the help of others, especially his Master, Gaap, who had the Golem of Destruction, Antero, under hismand.


    Without his help, fighting against a Demigod like the Subus Queen was pure suicide.


    "Are you going somewhere?" Cai asked as she looked at her fiance who was already fully dressed.


    Lux nodded. "I need to return to the Guild Headquarters for a bit to check the Subi and the Satyrs. Although Garret told me that they have been behaving, I would like to see it with my own eyes and make sure that everything is in order."


    "Okay, you do that." Cai smiled before kissing him on the cheek. "I''ll wake up Iris so we can take a bath and have breakfast together. Will you be back for lunch?"


    "I''ll be back this evening," Lux replied. "The Steward of the Crystal Pce wants to talk to me in private."


    After saying goodbye to his fiance, Lux teleported to his Guild Headquarters to check if the denizens of the Abyss and his other guild members were getting along.


    Fortunately, the Subi and the Satyrs were behaving themselves and even did their best to get along with everyone in the Guild''s Headquarters.


    The Abyssal Creatures didn''t have Guilds or the likes.


    Because of this, they didn''t have any idea of how famous Lux''s Guild was in both Elysium and Sis.


    The Half-Elf also told them that if anyone were to ask them what the name of their Guild was, they must only answer Ars Goetia.


    Poro had informed Lady Augustina about the newest members of Lux''s Guild, which was why he needed to meet with her in the Crystal Pce.


    Although the Dragon Born didn''t say it outright, Cethus'' Uncle had concerns about the Abyssal Creatures who were now inside their territory.


    "So how are your sisters faring?" Lux asked the leader of the Subi, whom Queen Rhiannon had designated to be their temporary leader while they were in Elysium.


    Her name was Clover, and she was a mature beauty with long blue hair and a seductive body. She was the only one among the Subi who wore sses, making her look like a very serious andpetent person.


    "The air here is very fresh, and the sky is very blue," Clover replied. "I''ve heard many stories about Elysium, but I never expected it to be this beautiful. I wish my Queen could see all of this."


    Clover sighed after she thought of her beloved Queen, who had protected all of them for several decades on the 13th Layer of the Abyss.


    "I wish she was here too," Lux said softly as he thought of the peerless beauty who had decided to stay in the Abyss.


    After recalling the unspoken promise he and Queen Rhiannon made with each other, the Half-Elf smiled and continued his conversation with Clover.


    "It''s good to know that you are enjoying it here," Luxmented. "If there is anything that you need, don''t hesitate to tell Garret or Emma if I''m not around. They are the ones who manage my Guild Headquarters whenever I am away."


    Clover nodded. "Understood. But I''d like to ask you something about this Guild of yours."


    The Subus adjusted her sses as she looked at the Half-Elf with a solemn gaze.


    "For some reason, I felt like I got stronger after arriving in Elysium," Clover stated. "My sisters have also grown stronger, which means that this isn''t an individual thing. When I asked Emma about it, she said that it was the effect of your Guild Buffs.


    "She added that not all guilds in this world have this effect, and as far as she knows, only your guild has it. Can you tell me why you are the only one to have these so-called Guild Buffs?"


    "Sure," Lux answered. "You see��"


    The Half-Elf exined the concept of Guilds to Clover including the Rank of each one. He also told her about the Adventurer''s Guild, which greatly captured her interest.


    After his exnation, the Subus asked if anyone could register in the Guild Headquarters to be an Adventurer.


    Lux didn''t know the answer to this question, so he taught Clover on how to use the Guild Chat and introduced her to Ken, who was one of the Branch Guildmasters of the Adventurer''s Guild in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Clover found the Guild Chat very interesting, so she shared the information with her sisters. Soon, the Guild Chat was flooded with messages as the Subi, who knew nothing about the world began to ask questions, which his guild members were happy to answer.


    After making sure that there weren''t any immediate concerns in his Guild Headquarters, Lux decided that it was time to meet with the Steward of the Crystal Pce, who had been waiting for his arrival.


    ----------


    Author Note: Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of Wizard World Irregr Comics are now avable in Webtoons. Thanks to those who donated in Patre0n and made this possible.

 Chapter 913 Act With Proper Manners, Or I Will Teach It To You Personally

    <h4>Chapter 913 Act With Proper Manners, Or I Will Teach It To You Personally</h4>


    Since the Teleportation Gate in Lux''s Guild Headquarters was connected to the Capital City of Rex Zariza, where the Royal Castle was located, it only took him a few minutes to arrive at his destination.


    Just as he was about to enter the Royal Gate, a flying carriagended beside him.


    Lux threw the carriage a casual look and immediately froze after seeing a familiar face looking back at him from the carriage window.


    ""You!""


    Lux and thedy shouted at the same time as they pointed at each other.


    A secondter, the Half-Elf quickly took a step back and summoned his Named Creatures and Covenant Members, inwardly deciding whether he should fight or flee.


    While he was thinking of what to do, the carriage door opened, and a beautifuldy descended from its steps.


    "I didn''t think that we would meet again this soon, Heretic," the Oracle of the Divine Army of Light said in a cold tone filled with killing intent. "I still remember what you did to me that day, and I am very eager to repay the favor."


    "Well, there''s more where that came from," Lux replied. "Do you want to experience it a second time?"


    The two stared at each other before someone else walked out of the carriage and looked at the Half-Elf with contempt.


    "You sure like to talk big, brat," the High King of Lunaria stated. "Let''s see if you get another chance to blow us up like you didst time."


    The High-King of Lunaria was about to make his move when a sudden pressure descended on his body like a mountain, forcing him to kneel on the ground.


    A secondter, a calm yet firm voice reached everyone''s ears, making the Oracle of Light cease any attempt to seize the red-headed teenager that was in front of her.


    "You are not in your Divine Empire, Human. Act with proper manners, or I will teach them to you personally."


    The Oracle then faced the pce gate and gave a respectful bow to the Steward of the Crystal Pce, who was standing on the opposite side.


    "I apologize for my colleague''s outburst," the Oracle said. "It will not happen again, Your Excellency."


    "As it should," Lady Augustina replied. "There will not be a second time, do you understand?"


    "Yes, Your Excellency." The Oracle nodded.


    Lady Augustina then released the pressure that pinned the King of Lunaria on the ground.


    Having been freed from the pressure, the Saint rose up and bowed respectfully to the Steward of the Crystal Pce.


    "I apologize for my rudeness," the King of Lunaria stated. "It will not happen again during our stay in your Empire, Your Excellency."


    "Very well." Lady Augustina nodded before shifting her gaze to the Dragon Prince standing beside her. "Aur, why don''t you keep Luxpany while I entertain our guests."


    "As youmand," Aur replied with a smile before making a gesture to Lux to follow him.


    Lux nced at the Saints from the Divine Army of Light before unsummoning his Undead Army.


    He then hurriedly walked through the gate without looking back at the Saints, whose eyes followed him like wolves ready to go for the kill.


    If not for the fact that a Supreme was paying close attention to them, they might have assassinated Lux there and then.


    Once the Half-Elf had safely gone inside the Pce, Lady Augustina made a gesture for her guests to follow her.


    She already had an idea for the reason for their visit, but it would still be better if she heard it from their lips.


    ����������������


    Meanwhile, inside Aur''s personal residence��


    "You don''t have to worry about those Saints anymore, Lux," Aur said with a smile as he personally poured the Half-Elf some tea. "As long as you are within our territory, they will not dare to do anything out of ce."


    "I know," Lux replied. "But, I didn''t expect them toe here personally after everything that happened back then."


    Aur made a gesture for his servants to leave the two of them alone because he didn''t want others to hear their conversation.


    Only when he was sure that they were really alone did the Dragon Prince look at the Half-Elf with a solemn expression on his face.


    "Actually, this is the second time that the Divine Army of Light has sent their representatives to meet with my Aunt," Aur exined. "The first time they came here, they didn''t make any demands like to hand you over to them. If I remember correctly, their goal was to ask my Aunt if she would be willing to assist them in closing an Abyssal Gate that had suddenly appeared in one of their affiliate kingdoms."


    "A Gate from the Abyss opened?" Lux arched an eyebrow. "When did that happen?"


    "The same day that the ck Hole that led to the Abyss appeared in the Gate of the Apocalypse," Aur replied.


    The frown on Lux''s face deepened after hearing the Dragon Prince''s answer. He would like to brush this off as a coincidence, but the timing was too perfect for him to ignore.


    "What happened? Did your Aunt help them close the Gate?" Lux asked.


    Aur nodded. "She was not the only one who went. Even that Fake Dragon King showed up."


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but smile because he was fully aware that the Crystal Pce didn''t recognize the current Dragon King as their true king.


    They would often refer to him as, Usurper, Fake King, Bastard, or Scum.


    Clearly, they neither had love nor respect for the one who sat on the golden throne of Karshvar Draconis because they only recognized one king, and that was Keoza.


    "So, the Abyssal Gate is closed and everything is over, right?" Lux inquired.


    "Yes," Aur answered. "That''s why I don''t know why they are back."


    Truth be told, the Half-Elf was conflicted about whether he should rejoice or not that an Abyssal Gate had appeared within one of the affiliated Kingdoms of the Divine Army of Light.


    While it was true that he hated them, he didn''t want the ordinary citizens to suffer.


    Especially after going to the Abyss anding to understand the bnce of power there.


    If a bunch of Demigods were to suddenly cross over from the other side, then another massive war wouldmence.


    What worried Lux was the fact that he was harboring Subi and Satyrs, who had alsoe from the Abyss.


    If the Divine Army caught word that he had smuggled these creatures over, there was a possibility that they would use this to start a ckening propaganda against him in order to get the people of Elysium to support their cause to exterminate him.

 Chapter 914 I Am Not His Babysitter

    <h4>Chapter 914 I Am Not His Babysitter</h4>


    "So you went to Agartha to help this girl who bears the curse of Misfortune''s Beloved?" Aur asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Her name is Aurora, and she is a very pitiful girl."


    "Aurora?" Aur narrowed his eyes. "Is she beautiful?"


    "She is," Lux swiftly replied, although he was a bit taken aback, not expecting the Dragon Prince to ask him such a question.


    "I see," Aur''s tone suddenly turned cold. "Lucky her."


    "No. She''s very unlucky. Didn''t I just tell you that she is Misfortune''s Beloved?"


    "What a lucky girl she is."


    "��Are you even listening to me?"


    Aur ignored Lux''s question and simply sipped his tea. When he finished his cup, he nced at the Half-Elf and asked him another question.


    "So you rescued this girl named Aurora from the Pantheon of Exile?"


    Lux shook his head. "Something happened before I could do so, so I was forced to abandon my mission."


    "Does this something have to do with the ck Hole that appeared in the Gate of the Apocalypse?"


    "Yes. You see, my two fiances were victims of that incident, and I decided to return as fast as I can in order to help rescue them from the Abyss."


    A resounding crack reverberated inside the room as several cracks appeared in Aur''s tea cup.


    Fortunately, it didn''t break, and the Dragon Prince calmly returned it on top of the table before looking at the Half-Elf in disbelief.


    "Fiances?" Aur asked. "You are betrothed to two women?"


    Lux nodded. "Didn''t you know?"


    "I didn''t," Aur replied.


    A few secondster, Lux suddenly felt that the temperature of the room was getting lower, which made him wonder if Aur''s room had a hidden air conditioner somewhere.


    However, since Aur asked him to share his stories, he decided to tell him about his adventures in the Abyss.


    The more he told the Dragon Prince what happened, the colder the room got.


    "That Queen is so ruthless. She XXX me, intending to absorb my powers and make my rank regress." Lux shook his head helplessly. "She almost got her way. Fortunately, the situation was reversed and I XXX''ed her until she called me Daddy."


    "�� I see," Aur replied and the table was suddenly covered by ayer of ice. "Then what happened next?"


    "Um, in the end, we negotiated with her since we really don''t have a way to fight against a Demigod," Lux answered in a serious tone. "If we failed the negotiation, then I might have be one of her ythings, and one of my fiances would have turned into a Subus. It was really a very dangerous gamble."


    "So you managed to win the gamble and struck a deal with her. I don''t know if I should praise you or kil�� congratte you for reaching apromise with a Demigod. What happened next?"


    "We XXX some more until I could no longer do it. Aren''t I amazing?"


    "�� Scum."


    Aur suddenly stood up and unleashed a Dragon Breath at Lux turning him into a crystal statue.


    He then left the room in a bad mood and closed the door with a bang.


    A few secondster, Lux broke free from the Crystal that covered his body and looked at the destroyed door with confusion.


    He then picked up his tea cup and drank all of its contents before cing it back on the table.


    "Was that too stimting for him?" Lux scratched his head. "Maybe Dragons don''t mature early."


    ��������������������


    Inside the Throne Room of the Crystal Pce��


    "Your request is rejected," Lady Augustina said in a calm tone. "Lux is under my asylum, and as long as he is within my territory, you may touch him, but you must be able to bear the consequences."


    "And what if he is outside of your territory, Your Excellency?" the High King of Lunaria asked. "Does your protection extend outside of your borders?"


    "No," Lady Augustina replied.


    "Does that mean that if we try to capture him outside of your domain, you won''t get in our way?" the Oracle inquired.


    "That is correct," Lady Augustina answered.


    The Oracle nodded. "Then we have an understanding, Your Excellency. As the representative of the Divine Army of Light, we will not attack the Lux Von Kaizer inside your Domain. However, if we spot him outside, we will not hesitate to make our move. I hope that you can abide by this agreement."


    "I am not his babysitter," Lady Augustinamented. "As long as you do not make any moves within my territory, you can do anything you want."


    The Oracle and the High King of Lunaria exchanged nces and nodded at the same time.


    "Thank you for the rification, Your Excellency," the Oracle said. "We will no longer waste your time. Thank you for gracing us with your presence."


    The Oracle and the High King bowed their heads respectfully before leaving the throne room with steady steps.


    Poro, who was standing beside Lady Augustina, scoffed when the two Saints were finally out of sight.


    "These Humans are so annoying. Can''t they just take a hint and not bother us again?"


    Lady Augustina smiled before ncing at the arrogant Dragon Born beside her.


    "Diplomacy and politics are what prevents war from happening, Poro," Lady Augustinamented. "But sometimes, those who have the power only wish to expand their Domains or get better treatment from others. As much as I don''t want to admit this, the Divine Army of Light also ys a crucial role in the world."


    Poro snorted. "Are you talking about their Apostle Project? That sphemous experiment to turn ordinary mortals into High-Rankers and Saints? They are going against the natural order of things, and the only excuse they can give is that it is for the greater good? Such rubbish!"


    "Perhaps," Lady Augustina nodded. "But Poro, you also felt it, didn''t you? You can smell its stench again, right?"


    The arrogant Dragon Born quieted down and simply crossed his arms over his chest.


    Lady Augustina leaned on her throne and sighed. "Everyday, I can smell the stench of the Abyss, and it is getting stronger. Thest time this happened was over a hundred years ago, and you already know what transpired during that time."


    "The Abyssal Invasion," Poromented. "Is this why you and that Fake King have turned a blind eye to the Divine Army''s sphemous experiments?"


    Lady Augustina closed her eyes. A few minutes of silence passed before she opened them again, and the words she said next made Poro shut his mouth.


    "We lost many Supremes and Demigods in the previous war," Lady Augustina said softly. "And yet, the power of the Abyss continues to grow. You''ve already been there and witnessed their power. Even if that Subus Queen does not join the next war, she mentioned that the other Abyssal Lords would certainly make their move.


    "Poro, I''m afraid that if another war breaks out, all the races of this world will be unable to push them back unlike what we had done over a hundred years ago."


    Poro no longer said anything and simply looked at the ceiling.


    After talking to the Subus Queen during their stay in the Abyss, the Dragon Born discovered that the current number of Layers in the Abyss was 666.


    However, Queen Rhiannon insisted that in another hundred years, anotheryer will appear, for that was the nature of the Abyss.


    Always expanding without end.


    ording to her, there were hundreds of battle-ready Demigods who were only waiting for an opportunity to cross over to their world.


    This didn''t include the thousands of Cmity-Ranked Monsters that lived within the deepest levels of the Abyss.


    This was why Lady Augustina and the current Dragon King didn''t hesitate to help close the Abyssal Gate that appeared within the territory of the Divine Army of Light.


    Their world wasn''t ready yet for another invasion, and those who stood at the Apex of Elysium believed that if another war were to break out��


    It would be their end.

 Chapter 915 Clingy Much?

    <h4>Chapter 915 Clingy Much?</h4>


    Lux sat opposite Lady Augustina as she sipped her tea in silence.


    After what happened in Aur''s room, and her meeting with the Divine Army of Light, the Steward of the Crystal Pce felt like she needed a break, so she invited Lux to have an afternoon snack with her.


    Naturally, the Half-Elf epted her invitation even though he had just finished having tea with the Dragon Prince.


    "Lux, you brought some interesting friends with you from the Abyss," Lady Augustina said after cing her teacup back on the table. "Do you have any idea what you have done?"


    "Am I going to be punished?" Lux asked. "Is that why you have called me here, Your Excellency?"


    "Punish you? No. But, I''d like to remind you that not everyone likes having Abyssal Creatures near their doorstep. Poro has already briefed me about your�� unusual rtionship with the Subus Queen. Although I don''t approve of it, I am willing to turn a blind eye. At least, for now."


    Lux breathed a sigh of relief because he really thought that he had been summoned to the Crystal Pce to receive a punishment.


    Seeing the relief on his face, Lady Augustina shook her head helplessly before lightly tapping the table with her finger.


    "Listen closely, Lux," Lady Augustina stated. "I may approve of what you did, but others may not. Right now, the Elysians and the Abyssal Creatures are in a delicate bnce. So, when you return, make sure to tell your Subi and Satyrs to take human forms.


    "Although High-Rankers, and above, will be able to identify them for what they truly are, the rest of the people don''t need to know."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. "I understand, Your Excellency. I will tell them this when I return."


    "Good. Now, let''s talk about other topics. Do you know why the Divine Army of Light appeared here today?"


    "Are they asking for help to close an Abyssal Gate?"


    Lady Augustina arched an eyebrow. "Did Aur tell you?"


    "Yes, Your Excellency," Lux replied.


    Lady Augustina nodded. "Well, there is that too, but the real reason they came here was because of you. They want me to surrender you to them."


    The Half-Elf didn''t say anything and simply waited for the Steward''s next words. He knew that Lady Augustina wouldn''t surrender them to the Divine Army of Light because she had already agreed to grant them asylum in her territory.


    "Naturally, I rejected their request," Lady Augustina stated. "But, I also promised them that I would not help you once you are outside of my borders. So, be extra careful when you go on your adventures.


    "I''m fairly certain that they have already deployed their people outside of my domain. They are lying in wait for you to make a mistake, and fall into their hands."


    "Thank you for the reminder, Your Excellency," Lux said gratefully. "I will be extra careful from now on."


    "You do that." Lady Augustina smiled. "Now, tell me, did you and Aur get into an argument?"


    "I don''t think so?" Lux replied with uncertainty. "I was just telling him about what happened in the Abyss. Maybe my storytelling was too stimting for him."


    "Stimting?" Lady Augustina blinked. "What did you tell him?"


    "Well�� things." Lux smiled. "But, it''s a guy thing. I''m sorry, Your Excellency but I cannot share it with you."


    Lady Augustina chuckled because she was amused when Lux said that his conversation with Aur was a "guy thing". But, since she didn''t want to ruin the atmosphere, she decided to just set it aside for now, and just ask Aur about it when Lux returned to his Guild Headquarters.


    An hourter, Lux left the Capital City of the Crystal Pce and returned to his Guild Headquarters.


    The first thing he did was ry Lady Augustina''s request to the Subi and Satyrs, which they epted.


    For the most part, since the Satyrs were already Deimos-Ranked and above Monsters, they were able to take human forms if they wished.


    The Subi didn''t need to change their appearance because they already looked like humans. All they needed to do was to remove their tails, wings, and horns, making them look like ordinary Humandies.


    But, when the Satyrs transformed themselves to handsome men, the Half-Elf wasn''t able to stop himself from face palming because these dashing Casanovas could easily seduce girls with their good looks.


    Fortunately, Lux had added a condition that they couldn''t pursue any women for a year, with the exception of women belonging to the Divine Army of Light, and members of Twilight Rain.


    Suddenly, the teleportation gate shone briefly and two people walked out of it.


    One was the Dragon Born, Cethus, and the other was the Half-Elf, Gerhart.


    "Lux! You''re finally back!" Cethus grinned as soon as he saw the Half-Elf. "You won''t believe how strong I''ve be. I''m already a D-Rank��"


    The Dragon Born''s eyes widened in shock after he subconsciously assessed Lux''s rank.


    He was in a hurry to return to their Guild Headquarters in order to boast about his achievements because he managed to be a D-Ranker before Gerhart.


    But, after sensing Lux''s current rank, the Dragon Born couldn''t believe that thetter had increased his Rank again in just a short period of time.


    Even Gerhart was surprised due to the Half-Elf''stest advancement, making him wonder what thetter did in Agartha.


    "Y-You''re now a C-Ranker?" Cethus stuttered. "Since when?"


    "Since three days ago," Lux replied with a smug expression on his face. "Haiya~ if you only knew what I''ve been through. I fought against a Demigod, and almost died. But, the experience I got from fighting her allowed me to increase my Rank once again."


    "�� Sh*t," Cethus cursed. "I should havee along with you. Every time you go somewhere, you suddenly be strong. Just what kind of juice did you drink? Share them with me!"


    Gerhart, who was listening from the side, was also interested in knowing this secret. If possible, he also wanted to drink the same juice that Lux was drinking, so that he could also be a D-Ranker, and leave Cethus in the dust.


    Lux blinked a few times before averting his gaze. "Um, it''s a bitplicated, so I can''t tell you how I increased my rank. All I can say is that surpassing your limit will allow you to break through very fast. I''m telling you this from experience."


    "Okay, I understand," Cethus nodded. "This time, you will bring me wherever you go. Be honored, Londer, this Cethus is willing to apany your lowly self."


    "What if I say no?" Lux replied.


    "I will not take no for an answer," Cethus insisted. "Either you take me with you, or you take me with you."


    Lux scratched his head helplessly. "�� Wow. Clingy much?"


    "I''d like to go with you as well," Gerhartmented. "I am about to make my own? breakthrough, and I believe that joining you on your adventure will allow me to grow faster."


    Gerhart and Cethus had been the recipients of incredible growth after joining Lux on his adventures. This belief was cemented when they challenged the Sacred Dungeon inside the Domain of the Fallen, as well as their war against the Haca Dynasty in the past.


    Lux pondered a bit before reluctantly nodding his head. Since he had the means to smuggle his friends to Agartha, he didn''t mind taking them with him to the Pantheon of Exile.


    After telling his friends that they would leave in two days, Lux went to a secluded area in the mountains surrounding his Guild Headquarters.


    There was something that he had realized during his stay in the Abyss, and that was, having more powerful allies was better than having none.


    Because of this, he finally decided to use the Dragon Corpse that he had acquired long ago, and merge it with the Cmity-Rank Beast Core that he was given to use after he became a High-Ranker.

 Chapter 916 Child, What Have You Done?

    <h4>Chapter 916 Child, What Have You Done?</h4>


    Lux summoned the Dragon Corpse inside his Bounty Ring and used his skill, Animate Undead


    ����������������������


    < You have chosen to revive an Ancient Dragon. >


    < Choose which group you n to register this Unique Creature >


    Choice 1: Necromancer''s Covenant


    Choice 2: Undead Legion.


    ����������������������


    Lux chose the first option because he nned to make the Undead Dragon a member of his Covenant.


    After making his choice several rows of text appeared in front of him once again.


    ����������������������


    < Choose between the two options for the Revival of your Undead Creature >


    Choice 1: Revive the Creature as Bone Dragon


    Choice 2: Revive the Creature using Advance Customization


    ����������������������


    The Half-Elf didn''t hesitate and chose the second option. Just like the other members of his Covenant, he wished to pick the best option for his newest ally.


    ����������������������


    < Choose one of the options listed here. You may use resources to increase the chances of? sessfully creating the creature that you desire. >


    Ancient Zombie Dragon - 100%


    Ancient Bone Dragon - 90%


    Ancient Spectre Dragon - 75%


    Ancient Frost Wyrm - 60%


    Ancient Fae Dragon - 45%


    XXX��.


    XXX��.


    XXX��.


    Ancient Dracolich - 1%


    ����������������������


    Lux''s gazended on thest option and he knew with every fiber of his being that this was the best option in the list.


    He didn''t hesitate and used the Cmity Rank Beast Core to raise the chances of a sessful summoning.


    To his surprise, the percentage of sess rose drastically, making the Half-Elf''s eyes widen in shock.


    ����������������������


    Ancient Dracolich - 100%


    ����������������������


    What Lux didn''t know was that the Cmity-Ranked Beast Core that Vera had taken from the Treasury of the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands belonged to a Dracolich.


    This was why the percentage instantly rose to a 100% giving him a guaranteed sessful summoning.


    ����������������������


    < Do you wish to summon Ancient Dracolich? >


    < Yes / No >


    ����������������������


    He no longer hesitated and chose yes.


    Immediately, the Ancient Dragon Corpse in front of him was bathed in dark light, and a powerful gust of wind erupted from its center, threatening to blow the Half-Elf away.


    Lux held his ground and waited patiently for the revival of the Ancient Dragon that would be the newest member of his Covenant.


    Suddenly, a loud draconic roar reverberated in the surroundings, catching everyone by surprise.


    Lady Augustina, who was currently talking to Aur, nced to the North where Lux''s Guild Headquarters was located.


    She had sensed an unbelievable powering from that direction, which made her wonder what the Half-Elf was up to.


    "I need to check on something, Aur," Lady Augustina said. "Stay here in the Pce, and don''te out until I tell you to."


    "Yes, Aunt," Aur replied.


    Immediately, the Steward of the Crystal Pce disappeared from Aur''s room and teleported to the peak of the mountain where Lux''s Guild Headquarters was located.


    Her gazended on the malicious aura that was emanating in the distance and narrowed her eyes.


    Standing in front of the Half-Elf was a 15 meter tall Dracolich, whose eyes glowed an eerie blue.


    It looked very much like a zombie dragon, but the Half-Elf knew that its power surpassed its Undead Brethren by several folds.


    As the Half-Elf and the Dracolich stared at each other, several rows of text appeared in front of him.


    ����������������������


    < Please give this Creature a name >


    ����������������������


    "Avernus," Lux said firmly. "Your name will be Avernus."


    The Ancient Dracolich lowered its head and looked at Lux with its malicious eyes.


    The Half-Elf and the Dragon stared at each other for nearly a minute before the Dracolich snorted and raised its head in an arrogant manner.


    "I ept the name you have given me," the Ancient Dracolich stated. "From now on, I am Avernus."


    ����������������������


    < Avernus >


    "From death''s embrace, I rise with fire and bone. As Avernus, I im my rightful throne!"


    Ancient Dracolich


    Hell Bringer


    Rating: SSR+++


    Rank: Demigod World Boss (Sealed)


    Current Rank: Empyrean World Boss


    Health: 1,600,000,000 / 1,600,000,000


    Mana: 3,200,000,000 / 3,200,000,000


    Strength: 2,500,000


    Intelligence: 2,000,000


    Vitality: 1,000,000


    Agility: 1,000,000


    Dexterity: 1,000,000


    Active Skills: Dragon Breath [Epic], Undying Breath [Epic], Summon Undead Legion [Epic], Animate Undead [Epic], Draco Meteor [Epic], Death Seeker [Epic]


    Passive Skills: Intimidation [Epic], Regeneration [Epic], Magical Resistance [Epic], Physical Resistance [Epic].


    Unique Skills: Hell Bringer, Herald of Death.


    ����������������������


    < Hell Bringer >


    Summons the forces of Hell to fight by his side.


    Summons 10,000 Hell Hounds.


    Summons 10,000 Hell Knights.


    Summons 10,000 Hell Revenants.


    ����������������������


    < Herald of Death >


    �� Increase the Health of all Allied Creatures by 300%


    �� Increase the Attack of all Allied Creatures by 100%


    ����������������������


    Lux hissed after seeing Avernus'' information in his Soul Book.


    He had expected that it was going to be a very strong monster, but he didn''t expect that it would be this strong.


    All of its skills were devastating, and the funny thing was that its skill, Summon Undead Legion, was a game changer.


    If Lux and his clones were to summon all of their Undead Monsters on the battlefield, Avernus would summon the same number as well.


    If Asmodeus'' and Eiko''s clones were added to the mix, the Ancient Dracolich would be able to summon the same number of Monsters that they did, doubling Lux''s forces instantly!


    Its Death Seeker Ability, on the other hand, allowed it to target anything on the battlefield, including invisible creatures, as well as those who hid under the ground, and high in the sky.


    Simply put, there was no ce that any of its opponents could hide once it started its massacre.


    Not only that, it also had the Hell Bringer ability, which allowed it to summon the Forces of Hell in the battlefield. While Lux didn''t know how strong these creatures were, he was certain that the additional troops would definitely y a vital role inrge-scale battles.


    Herald of Death gave all of Lux''s summons, and his allies, an increase in their Health and Attack. These stat boosts were a great boon in the battlefield, allowing them to survive longer, and hit harder.


    Suddenly, Lux felt someonend beside him.


    "Child, what have you done?" Lady Augustina said in horror. "Do you have any idea what you have done just now?"


    "I revived a very powerful Undead Dragon?" Lux replied in an innocent tone.


    Lady Augustina''s lips trembled. "Lux, you didn''t just revive any ordinary dragon. You revived the long lost brother of the previous Dragon King, who had gone missing over a hundred years ago.


    "Although not many know it, he had fought Antero to a draw, while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. The Abyssal War was very chaotic back then, and no one knew what happened to him. But, before he went missing, he managed to defeat twenty Abyssal Demigods and their Demonic Legions on his own."


    Lux''s mouth opened wide in disbelief after hearing Lady Augustina''s revtion.


    He then looked up at the towering Ancient Dracolich in front of him, and saw something simr to mischief in its burning blue eyes.


    Never in his wildest dreams did he expect that the random Dragon Corpse that he collected in the past, was the brother of the previous Dragon King who had fought Antero to a draw before he went missing, more than a century ago.

 Chapter 917 I Don’t Really Like Saying Goodbyes

    ?


    "�� Is he really the previous Dragon King''s Brother?"


    "Yes. Where did you find his corpse?"


    "�� Lady Augustina, would you believe me if I said we found him inside a cave on this floating ind?"


    "��"


    The Half-Elf could feel beads of sweat starting to form in his forehead as the Steward of the Crystal Pce looked at him with a steady gaze.


    "I-It''s true! My Fiance found the well-preserved body of a Golden Dragon in a cave when she was looking for treasures on this ind," Lux replied. "In fact, the body was so well-preserved that people would think that the Golden Dragon was just sleeping. But, he was really dead when we found him."


    Lady Augustina could tell that Lux wasn''t lying. Since that was the case, what he said had to be true. She then shifted her attention on the Ancient Dracolich, who was looking down on them in arrogance.


    "Understood," Lady Augustina said with aplicated look on her face. "The majority of the previous King''s family died in the Abyssal Wars. However, there are still a few of them that remain. They also have loyal retainers that might recognize his face, so be extra careful.


    "Dragons don''t like to have their dead bodies desecrated by Necromancers. If someone asks you where you found the Dragon Corpse, tell them that you discovered it on an ancient battlefield, or something."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. He didn''t really know that the Dragon Corpse that Cai found when she was exploring the Floating Ind with Fei Fei belonged to a member of the previous Royal Family.


    "Um, Your Excellency, do you think the current Dragon King will recognize him?" Lux asked.


    Lady Augustina smiled and looked at the Half-Elf in amusement. "What do you think?"


    "I think, I will unsummon him now."


    "Good idea."


    The Half-Elf hurriedly un-summoned the Dracolich, who was now starting to attract the attention of his Guild Members.


    "I''m going back, Lux," Lady Augustina said. "Remember. Don''t summon your Dracolich anywhere near those from Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce, unless it is absolutely necessary. Any Necromancer who revives dead Dragons, or Dragon Borns, are frowned upon by our race."


    After saying those words, Lady Augustina disappeared and returned to the Royal Pce. She sincerely hoped that Lux would listen to her advice for his own good.


    When the Supreme was no longer around, he looked at his Soul Book in order to read the additional information about Avernus.


    ������������������


    Ancient Dracolich


    Hell Bringer


    Rating: SSR+++


    Rank: Demigod World Boss (Sealed)


    Current Rank: Empyrean World Boss


    Note: Currently, Avernus is only of the Empyrean Rank because your Rank is not high enough to be able tomand it at higher levels. Once you be a B-Ranker, Avernus will evolve into a Cmity-Ranked World Boss.


    Its Demigod Rank will only be unsealed once you be an S-Ranker.


    ������������������


    Lux pondered for a bit as he read the requirements for Avernus'' evolution. It reminded him of his Covenant member, Shax.


    Back then, he was unable tomand Shax because his rank was too low to contain its power.


    ''It''s a good thing that Avernus isn''t like Shax,'' Lux thought. ''He will be one of my Trump Cards against the Divine Army of Light.''


    Dragons were inherently stronger than Humans, and a Dragon that was also an Empyrean-Ranked World Boss was more than enough to contend against Saints.


    After fully understanding what Avernus was capable of, the Half-Elf decided to find Eiko, who was currently being taught by Lilian how to awaken her true powers.


    The Baby Slime had always wanted to be strong. However, after the Abyssal incident, her determination only became stronger.


    Because of this, Lux agreed to let the Wicked Queen Slime teach her the things she needed to know to awaken her bloodline.


    A few minutester, he found the two inside the Nursery, where the Slime Eggs were kept.


    When Lilian discovered that Lux was raising slimes inside his Guild Headquarters, her impression of him improved slightly.


    However, when Eiko took her to Leaf Vige, which was now called Leaf Town, the Wicked Queen Slime thought that she had seen Paradise.


    Nearly all the dwarves in Leaf Town had a Slime as their Beast Companion.


    Because of this, Lilian had be more cordial to Lux, and no longer looked down on him.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but smile when he saw Lilian talking to Eiko, while other Baby Slimes were resting on herp, shoulders, and head.


    If one didn''t know that she was actually a Cmity-Ranked Monster, one might think that she was just a beautifuldy, who had a fondness for Baby Slimes.


    Since Eiko had a very strong connection to Lux, she immediately sensed his presence and looked in his direction.


    "Pa!" Eiko called out to him before jumping into his embrace.


    "Good girl," Lux said as he patted Eiko''s head, making the Baby Slime giggle.


    Lilian shook her head helplessly before making a gesture for Lux toe closer.


    "Have you thought about the thing I told you about?" Lilian asked.


    "�� Can you give me a little more time?" Lux replied. "At least, until I finish my mission in Agartha."


    Lilian frowned before reluctantly nodding her head.


    "Fine." Lilian narrowed her eyes. "But, the longer you dy this, the longer it will take for Eiko to unlock her true potential."


    The Half-Elf sighed internally before looking at the Baby Slime in his embrace.


    Lilian told him that Eiko''s over dependence on him was preventing her from truly bing a powerhouse.


    If he really wanted Eiko to be strong, they should separate for a period of time, so that the Baby Slime could be more independent, and sharpen her survival instincts.


    Truth be told, he didn''t want Eiko to go on an adventure alone. But, Lilian assured him that she would observe the Baby Slime from a safe distance, ande to her rescue if her life was truly in danger.


    Naturally, he and Iris talked about this as well, and although she was worried about Eiko, she also believed that Lilian was right.


    "Greenhouse flowers may bloom with precision, but wildflowers dance to the rhythm of nature''s heart," Iris had said back then. "Unlike greenhouse flowers, wildflowers are resilient. When it storms, they brave through the winds and pouring rain. When it snows, their roots nap under the earth and return the following spring. They''re never truly defeated.


    "I am like Eiko. Well protected by Father, You, and my Guild. I have never truly faced hardships before the Abyssal Incident. Because of this, I convinced Father to allow me to travel more in Elysium, in order to brave the dangers and be truly strong. I no longer want to be a Greenhouse Flower, who cannot face the dangers of the world on my own."


    Deep inside, Lux understood that Eiko was strong enough to be independent for a period of time.


    He was just reluctant to part with her because she had been with him ever since the Baby Slime was born.


    ''After Agartha, I will let you y on your own for a while,'' Lux thought as he patted the Baby Slime in his arms. ''I''ll have King Leoric apany you from afar as an added protection.''


    After ying with Eiko for a while, Lux left the nursery and decided to take a stroll in the town at the base of the mountain.


    He had named this town, Edea and, after a few months, it was finally taking shape. If not for the fact that several structures were damaged when the Saints from the Divine Army of Light had attacked the floating ind, the construction work would have beenpleted faster.


    Bentley, who was making sure that everything was in order, told Lux that they were nearing thepletion of their project.


    Once they were done, they would assist him in building their Gyrocopter Army, which had been temporarily put on hold until the town''s construction was finished.


    "The Satyrs and the Subi can live here once it is finished," Lux muttered.


    Lux''s goal was to turn the floating ind into a flying fortress that could travel anywhere in Elysium.


    They could only stay a year inside the territory of the Crystal Pce, so because of this, he was on a tight schedule.


    Once they left the protection of Lady Augustina, he would finally settle things with the Divine Army of Light, and show them that he was no push over.


    As he was returning to the Guild Headquarters, he saw his Master standing near the teleportation gate waiting for him.


    "Lux, there is something that I need to tell you," Gaap said in a solemn tone. "Do you have a moment?"


    It was very rare for his Master to have this kind of expression, and it made Lux wonder if something bad happened.


    Seeing his Disciple''s expression, Gaap chuckled and motioned for the Half-Elf to take his hand.


    Lux obeyed and a secondter, they found themselves standing on the outskirts of the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands.


    "Master, why are we here?" Lux asked. "Do you need something in the Ancestral Lands?"


    "No," Gaap replied. "I just brought you here to give you something."


    Gaap took the ne that hung on his neck off. It was a chain that had a ring hanging from its center, which had the symbol of Memento Mori.


    "You already know that my Master, Hereswith, once belonged to Memento Mori," Gaap said as he looked at the ring fondly. "But, after pursuing her passion to be a Heaven''s Necromancer, she was emunicated from the organization and wandered Elysium alone."


    Gaap smiled as if he recalled those memories that were very precious to him.


    "Every member of Memento Mori, passes this ring to their Disciple once they havepleted their training," Gaap stated. "Just like my Master, I am not a member of Memento Mori. Make no mistake, I hate them as well, but not as much as I hate the Divine Army of Light.


    "We might not have been together for a long time, but I have nothing more to teach you. That''s why, it''s time for you to inherit your Grandmaster''s Legacy, so ept this ring. Just remember this, we are not part of Memento Mori. But, I''m sure that they are already aware of your existence.


    "Although I can''t say for certain, I believe that they will not harm you. So, keep this ne as a good luck charm, so that our Master''s Legacy will remain."


    The Halfling handed the ne to Lux with a smile.


    "Master, are you going somewhere?" Lux asked. He didn''t ept the ne right away because he felt that the moment he did, Gaap would disappear in his life.


    "I''m just going to go sightseeing in Elysium," Gaap replied. "I''ve been running with Master all my life, then I got trapped in Zangr. I haven''t had the chance to see the world, and enjoy its beauty and wonders. You are already strong enough to protect yourself, so I don''t need to worry about your safety. Don''t worry, I promise to visit you from time to time."


    The Half-Elf and the Halfling stared at each as if trying to read each other''s minds.


    After a few minutes of silence, Lux reluctantly took the ne off his Master''s hands.


    "Thank you, Master," Lux said. "I''ll keep it safe."


    "Mmm." Gaap nodded. "Now, let me tell you the function of my Master''s ring. It allows you to teleport to the Ancestral Lands. Not only that, it can also��"


    Gaap told Lux the special abilities of the ring that he had passed onto him.


    When the Halfling was sure that his Disciple fully understood how to use his gift, he smiled and patted his waist.


    "Well then, I will be going now," Gaap said. "I don''t really like saying goodbyes, so let''s part here, Lux. Make sure to keep yourself safe, okay?"


    Lux nodded. "I will, Master. Enjoy your travels, and be safe always."


    Gaap smirked before waving his hand to create a portal in front of him. However, before he entered the portal, he turned back to say something very important to his disciple.


    "You told me once that your reason foring to Elysium is to find a way to save your world, Sis, correct?" Gaap asked.


    "Yes, Master," Lux replied.


    "Then, listen well. Look for the Pirs of Eternity," Gaap stated. "Once you find them all, you will find the solution to your problem. Goodluck Lux, and I pray that you will seed in your endeavor."


    Without another word, the Halfling entered the portal, leaving Lux behind, with his Master''s Token in his Disciple''s hand.

 Chapter 918 The Pillars Of Eternity [Part 1]

    ?


    "Pirs of Eternity��" Lux silently repeated as he opened the Elysium Compendium to search for information about the thing that his Master had told him to look for.


    To his surprise, he did find something, and he read the information with a serious expression on his face.


    ��������������������


    < Pirs of Eternity >


    "In the boundless expanse of time,


    Eternity''s song, a sweet rhyme,


    No beginning, no final chime,


    Endless, infinite, a wondrous climb,


    Eternal moments, forever sublime."


    ��������������������


    It was said that Eternity was created by Five Pirs, which represented Five Virtues.


    The first of them was Fortitude.


    < Fortitude >


    Fortitude acts as the protector and pir of other virtues, reinforcing their strength and ensuring their endurance.


    In the face of adversity and challenges, fortitude helps individuals remain steadfast in upholding their principles and moral values, making it a fundamental cornerstone of virtuous living.


    ��������������������


    The Second Pir was Justice


    < Justice >


    The first duty of society is Justice.


    It emphasizes the importance of fairness and the unwaveringmitment to ensuring that every individual receives what they rightfully deserve. Justice is about upholding the rights of others and treating them fairly, making it a cornerstone of ethical and moral principles in society.


    ��������������������


    The Third Pir was Stability


    < Stability >


    Stability is not the absence of change, but the ability to adapt to it.


    True stability involves the capacity to remain steady and secure in the face of change and uncertainty. It reflects the ability to adapt, adjust, and maintain equilibrium while navigating the inevitable shifts and challenges that life presents.


    ��������������������


    The Fourth Pir was Love


    < Love >


    Love is not just something you feel, it''s something you do.


    It emphasizes that love is not a mere passive emotion, but a conscious choice and action. True love involves demonstrating care, kindness, andmitment through your actions, showing that love is not defined by words alone, but by the way we treat and care for others.


    ��������������������


    The Last Pir was Hope.


    < Hope >


    Hope is the ability to see the light despite all the darkness around you.


    Hope is a resilient and ever-present force within the human soul, continuously inspiring and uplifting us, even in the absence of clear words or exnations. It emphasizes hope''s unwavering nature and its ability to provide sce and motivation in times of darkness and uncertainty.


    ��������������������


    Lux tried to search for more information about the Pirs of Eternity, but the Elysium Compendium showed him no other results.


    He might have a clue about how he could save Sis, but what he knew was only the tip of the iceberg.


    ''There has to be another way to look for answers,'' Lux thought.


    Suddenly, his eyes opened wide as an idea popped inside of his head.


    Acting on this impulse, he hurriedly went to the Altar of the Gods that was built behind their Guild Headquarters.


    All of the denizens of Elysium believed in Gods, so Bentley constructed an Altar, assuming that Lux''s Guild Members would need a ce tomune with the Gods during their times of great need.


    Lux was probably one of the handful of people in Elysium and Sis who was aware that the Gods that people prayed to had long abandoned them.


    But there was an exception.


    Two exceptions rather.


    The God of Games, and the God of Gamblers.


    Among the Gods who had once graced Elysium, only the two of them remained. They were even doing their best in the background to ensure that Sis would not bepletely destroyed, and had sent their representative, Lux, to carry out this mission.


    "I hope this works. Eiko, don''t eat the sacrifice," Lux said before lightly patting the Baby Slime, who tagged along with him after seeing him return to the Guild Headquarters.


    "Pa?" The Baby Slime, who was already holding one of the cookies that Lux had offered on the Altar as a sacrifice, tilted her head.


    "I''ll give you more cookiester. Don''t eat these cookies, okay?"


    "Un!"


    Eiko reluctantly returned the cookie to the Altar and jumped back to the top of her Papa''s head.


    The Half-Elf then pressed his palms together and offered a prayer, hoping that the two Gods who look after him from the Heavens, would answer his call.


    "I think this is the first time you have prayed to us, Lux. You should do this more often."


    A teasing voice reached Lux''s ears, which made him open his eyes slowly.


    Standing in front of him was Eriol and Max, who were looking at him with smiles on their faces.


    "I''m sorry." Lux apologized. "I kind of forgot to pray because of the many things that have been happeningtely."


    "We forgive you," Max replied with a smug expression on his face. "But make sure to pray to us often from now on, okay?"


    Lux nodded. "I''ll do my best."


    "So do you have any questions for us?" Eriol inquired. "That''s why you prayed to us, right?"


    "Yes," Lux answered. "I am here to ask about the Pirs of Eternity. Also, why didn''t the two of you tell me this important information long ago? It would have sped up my search for the key to save Sis from destruction."


    "The reason we didn''t tell you about the Pirs of Eternity," Max said, "is because we can''t. We need to obey certain rules that restrict us from spoon-feeding you information. Even now that you have stumbled upon the clue, we can''t tell you everything that we know.


    "Even so, we should still be able to give you enough information to let you have a good understanding about them. As to how you will find the Pirs of Eternity, even we do not know. Luck will y a part in it, certainly. But we believe that you will find them eventually."


    Eriol nodded. "Now, let me tell you what you need to know."


    The God of Games then waved his hand and five golden artifacts appeared in front of Lux.


    They were a Lion Figurine, a Scale, an Anchor, a Heart-Shaped Locket, and a Candle.


    "These artifacts are the Five Pirs of Eternity," Eriol exined. "The Lion Figurine represents Fortitude, the Scale represents Justice, the Anchor represents Stability, the Heart-Shaped Locket represents Love, and the Candle represents Hope."


    "Once you gather these five artifacts, you will gain the Authority of Creation and Destruction."


    Eriol closed his eyes and the Five Golden Artifacts circled around him, moving counterclockwise.


    "If you wish to destroy the world, you can do it with the Authority you would gain from these Five Artifacts," Eriol said softly. "Likewise, if you wish to heal it, you can do so as well. Do you remember when we told you that we had sent other people to Sis as well?


    "This was the Era when the Gods still hadn''t abandoned Sis. The people they chose managed to gather the Pirs of Eternity, but something unexpected happened. One of the candidates tried to use them to be a God."


    Lux''s eyes widened in shock after hearing this revtion.


    He had indeed been told that there had been some people summoned in Sis in the past, but aside from that vague piece of information, Eriol and Max hadn''t borated much about it.


    When the Gods abandoned the world, summoning these "heroes" no longer became possible.


    This was why Max and Eriol created a cannon tounch their chosen candidate from the Celestial Realm, forcefully allowing him to enter the world of Sis.

 Chapter 919 The Pillars Of Eternity [Part 2]

    ?


    "Someone tried to use the Pirs of Eternity to be a God?" Lux asked in disbelief.


    Eriol nodded. "Yes, and he almost seeded."


    Max had an annoyed expression on his face as if he was remembering something foul.


    "You see Lux, Authority is a way to gain the power of Faith," Max stated. "Each God is born from the Faith of the People, and the ability to control an entire world would have given him enough Power of Faith to ascend to Godhood.


    "Because of this, the Gods rebelled, and a battle to reim the Artifacts ensued. Unfortunately, their chosen champions lost to the one that had managed to steal all Five Artifacts. Just as his ritual of ascension was about to bepleted, our dear friend, who was also the Goddess of Sis, sacrificed her life in order to disrupt the ceremony.


    "She seeded, and the Traitor Hero was banished to the deepest Layer of the Abyss. Our friend died, and her soul was cursed as a consequence of her actions. She was fated to wander the two worlds, and every time she reincarnated, she suffered a fate worse than death."


    Max closed his eyes, and the pain of losing his dear friend could be seen in every fiber of his being.


    Even Eriol, who almost always had a carefree smile on his face, had a hurt expression on his face.


    "Is this Goddess currently living in Elysium or Sis as a mortal?" Lux asked out of curiosity.


    "She is�� in Elysium," Eriol replied. "And suffering even as we speak. Also, one of the Pirs of Eternity is within her soul. She has kept it with her all this time in order to prevent the same incident from happening again. This is also why she is suffering.


    "A Goddess might be able to store the power of Eternity in her body, but a mortal body is very fragile and unable to contain the power that is always present in her soul."


    Lux then nced at the two Gods in front of him with a determined expression on his face.


    "Then can you tell me where she is?" Lux pleaded. "If we can find her then I will be able to collect one of the Pirs of Eternity."


    Eriol and Max exchanged a nce before resolutely shaking their heads at the same time.


    "As much as we want to end her suffering, we can''t tell you where she is," Eriol stated. "Lux, there is a chance that she will die if we intervene, and time is of the essence. If she dies because of our interference, there will not be a second chance to save Sis."


    Max sighed. "You might have already felt it, haven''t you? Sis doesn''t have much time left. Three years at the minimum, six at the maximum. If the Five Pirs are not gathered by then�� Sis will cease to exist. Their only chance of survival is for all of them to migrate to Elysium, and that is ourst resort."


    Lux felt as if the weight that he was carrying on his shoulders became heavier after Max''s revtion.


    In less than six years, Sis would disappear if he failed to finish his mission. This made him feel bitter because he really had no clue about where to search for the Pirs of Eternity.


    "All I can tell you is that two of the five Pirs are in their artifact form," Eriol hesitated a bit before imparting this information to Lux. "Meaning, they might be in Auctions, they might be sold by Merchants, or you can stumble upon them by ident.


    "The other three are harder to find because they are stored in People''s Soul. For them to appear, these people must undergo Enlightenment, allowing them to summon these dormant powers hidden within their souls."


    Lux rubbed his face with both of his hands because his mission was harder than finding a needle in a sea of haystacks.


    There were countless people in both Elysium and Sis, and finding these three souls was nearly an impossible task. Even so, he refused to give up so he asked the Gods another question.


    "Is there a way for me to determine who these people are?" Lux asked. "Like a detector or something? Anything that will alert me if that person is near?"


    "Actually, you will be able to��"


    "Stop, Max. We can''t. Don''t take this gamble."


    Eriol looked at his friend with a resigned expression. Max scratched his head before averting his gaze.


    After a few minutes of silence, Max spoke and, this time, it was Eriol''s turn to look away.


    "Lady Fate isn''t always fair, but she is not always unfair," Max stated. "Since she knows the reason why you are sent to Sis, she will present you with opportunities to find the Pirs of Eternity."


    Suddenly, the sound of lightning and thunder reverberated in the surroundings, and the Domain where Lux, Eriol, and Max were started to shake.


    Cracks appeared in the dimension they were in, but after a few minutes of tension, the destruction came to a halt.


    "You failed this gamble, Max," Eriol said bitterly. "We almost��"


    "Hahaha! It''s fine, didn''t we survive?" Max cut off Eriol''s words before he couldplete them.


    "Barely survived."


    "Still survived, so we''re fine. It''s just several cracks�� just don''t do anything to make them bigger and we''ll be fine�� probably."


    Eriol rubbed his face with his palm before ncing at Lux with an apologetic face.


    "Lux, remember that we said that you have three up to six years before Sis ends? Now it seems that you only have up to four years before everything goes kaboom," Eriol said before looking at his friend. "Thank you, Max. You are a real pal."


    The God of Gamblers cleared his throat before looking at Lux with a smile.


    "Um, your time is running out, but before you go, allow me to give you a freebie." Max took out a cardboard box with an AmaSoon sticker on it, and handed it to Lux. "I won cards against Ganesha, and as a prize, he gave me several sets of Lucky Underwear.


    "Since these undergarments are for girls, I have no use for them. I''m pretty sure that you''ll have a better use for them, especially where you are going."


    The God of Gamblers then whispered something in Lux''s ears that made thetter blush.


    "A few of these underwear have slits in them, so if you are into that kind of thing, feel free to give it a go. Also, as the name implies, you might get lucky, or in your case, unlucky, because one shot is all it takes to make a little Lux��if you know what I mean."


    Max chuckled as he handed the Cardboard Box to Lux before giving him a gentle push, making the Half-Elf fall down from the sky.


    "You will not be able to talk to us for a while because we are currently grounded," Max stated. "Be safe Lux, and no matter what happens, know that we are always on your side."


    Before Lux could even give his reply, the Half-Elf found himself kneeling on the ground, facing the Altars of the Gods, holding a cardboard box in his hands.


    Eiko, who was surprised that something appeared out of nowhere, jumped off her Papa''s head and opened the box.


    She then started to pick up the underwear inside it and threw them high in the air as if ying a game.


    Right at that moment, Emma, and Garret''s three daughters, Leah, Emily, and Alexa, came inside the Temple to pray.


    What they found inside made the four girls look at Lux in horror.


    A pink bra was hanging on the Half-Elf''s head, while several other undergarments littered the ground.


    Lux blinked once then twice before giving the four girls an awkward smile. He knew that anything he said would cause a misunderstanding, so he just manned up and said what was already inside his head.


    "Oh my, I wonder where all of these came from?" Lux said as he lifted the bra off his head and ced it inside the cardboard box. "It seems that the Gods liked my offering and sent me gifts in return."


    The four girls looked at him for a few seconds before exiting the room at the same time.


    Leaving Lux and the giggling Baby Slime alone with their own thoughts.

 Chapter 920 May You Die Happily Ever After [Part 1]

    ?


    "Hmm~"


    "Hmm~"


    "Hmm~"


    Eiko hummed happily as she sat atop the steering wheel of the Bone Ship, Octavius.


    After returning to Agartha, Lux, Eiko, and Lilian were instantly teleported to the As Stronghold, surprising Saintess Cleo and Commander Garen.


    They originally thought that the Half-Elf had perished after embarking on a journey toward the Pantheon of Exile, so they didn''t expect to see him alive and well.


    They didn''t get to ask Lux anything as he didn''t waste any time with them, immediately heading to the beach to summon his Bone Ship. After that, he started to sail towards the Pantheon of Exile once again in order toplete his mission of meeting Aurora.


    Cethus and Gerhart were also with them and were currently on the deck of the ship ying cards with Lux.


    On the other hand, Lilian was watching Eiko with a smile, as the Baby Slime hummed and jumped to move the steering wheel from time to time.


    "I can''t believe that there really is a kingdom under the ground," Gerhart said as he picked a card from Lux''s hand.


    "A Low Lander like you is truly ignorant," Cethus replied as he threw two cards on the pile in front of him. "The Kingdom of Agartha is one of the most ancient Kingdoms in Elysium. They rarely go to the Surface World, so those who are aware of its existence are few and far in between."


    The green-haired Half-Elf arched an eyebrow at the annoying Dragon Born who liked to boast about him being the first to be a D-Ranker between the two of them.


    Lux, on the other hand, picked one of the cards in Cethus'' hand and frowned. "I don''t know what we are going to face in the Pantheon of Exile, but ording to Lilian, it is a very dangerous ce. Are you sure that you want to apany me? You can still go back to Guild Headquarters, you know?"


    Cethus snorted. "And allow you to leave us in the dust? You wish! I won''t miss an opportunity to be stronger."


    Gerhart also nodded his head, which made Lux shake his head helplessly.


    "Do what you want." Lux sighed before gazing in front of them. "But it seems that we arrived at a bad time."


    Jet-ck clouds could be seen on the horizon, and the wind was starting to pick up as well. Lightning streaked into the sky, and the faint rumbling of thunder could be heard even though they were still a distance away from the storm.


    "It will be best if you all stay inside my body during the storm," Lilianmented. "That is an Acid Storm, and I doubt that you boys will be able to survive it."


    "I can turn into a ck demi-dragon that is immune to acid," Lux replied as he nced at his twopanions. "I''ll be just fine. But neither the two of you have this kind of protection."


    Gerhart and Cethus exchanged nces with each other before looking at Lilian with anxious expressions on their faces. They already knew the beautiful woman''s true identity, and being absorbed by her was something that gave them goosebumps.


    Seeing their expressions, Lilian justughed before ncing in Eiko''s direction.


    "Fine," Lilian said. "Let Eiko store you inside her body, then I can store Eiko inside my body."


    The Half-Elf and Dragon Born favored this arrangement. While they still didn''t trust Lilian, Eiko was someone that they could trust.


    After receiving their permission, Eiko swallowed the two. After that, she reluctantly jumped towards her Aunt so that thetter could keep her safe.


    As Lux, he transformed into his ck Demi-Dragon Form. As long as he was in this form, he wouldn''t have to worry about the Acid Storm that could melt his skin.


    Asmodeus took control of the ship and navigated Octavius around the obstacles in their way.


    Since everyone aboard the ship was now immune to acid, they no longer had anything to worry about.


    Giant waves rocked the Bone Ship, threatening to capsize it on the stormy waters.


    Lightning shed and thunder roared in the skies above, making Lux frown since his ears were very sensitive to loud sounds.


    As they endured the onught of nature, Lux noticed several creatures flying above their heads and circling the Bone Ship like vultures waiting for their prey to die.


    They were Wraiths, which was one of the horrors that lived in the Purple Sea.


    None of these monsters dared toe close to the ship because they had sensed that Lilian was a Cmity-Ranked Monster.


    However, that didn''t stop them from observing the Demi-Dragon who were looking at them with great curiosity.


    "King Leoric, can you tame these Wraiths?" Lux asked the Wraith King, who materialized beside him after his name was mentioned.


    "I can. But they already belong to another Wraith King," King Leoric replied. "Trying to tame the subordinates will definitely anger their leader. Should I do it?"


    Lux pondered for a bit before nodding his head. "Do it."


    Right now, he needed to increase the number of members belonging to his army in preparation for his eventual sh against the Divine Army of Light.


    Since Wraiths were Undead Monsters, they would easily fit in with Lux''s current army.


    King Leoric, who had gained Lux''s permission, rose towards the sky and uttered a defiant roar.


    The Wraiths who were circling the ship flinched before moving away from the Bone Ship as if they feared Leoric''s presence.


    A momentter, a loud whistling sound spread across the area as countless Wraiths that hid in the Storm Clouds as well as in the Sea gathered in front of the Bone Ship like a ck wall made up of specters.


    Suddenly, this ck wall parted, and a Wraith significantlyrger than the others appeared.


    This particr Wraith wore White Armor, and blue embers could be seen through its visor. A white crown nestled on its head, which identified him as the Wraith King that ruled the Wraiths in the Purple Sea.


    The Wraith King opened its mouth, and a blood-curdling scream emerged from it.


    Lux, who heard the scream, blinked his eyes in confusion because he was certain that the voice he heard belonged to a woman.


    The Half-Elf then summoned his Elysium Compendium to check whether his guess was correct, and the first few words that appeared in front of him confirmed his conjecture.


    ����������������


    < Wraith Queen >


    "In shadows deep, she holds her throne,


    The Wraith Queen, in darkness known.


    A spectral grace, a haunting sight,


    She rules the night with silent might."


    �� Dreadnaught-Ranked World Boss


    ����������������


    ''�� A Wraith Queen?'' Lux thought. ''This is the first time I''ve heard about it.''


    The Wraith Queen and the Wraith King stared at each other for a few seconds before summoning their swords.


    A momentter, the two Dreadnaught-Ranked World Bosses shed, which resulted in a shower of sparks, as they fought each other for the right to rule the Wraiths within the Purple Sea.


    Every time they shed, a metallic ring reverberated in the surroundings, while all the Wraiths shrieked in enthusiasm as if cheering for their Queen.


    To Lux''s surprise, King Leoric was being pushed back by his opponent, which he didn''t expect to happen.


    He thought that the powerful Wraith King could overpower the Wraith Queen and wrest control of her Undead Army, allowing them to be his new subordinates.


    Lilian, who was watching the battle, suddenly chuckled. The Wicked Queen Slime understood what was happening, and only the Half-Elf didn''t know the simple intricacies of the deadly dance that was being waged in the stormy sky.

 Chapter 921 May You Die Happily Ever After [Part 2]

    ?


    As the battle raged in the sky, the Wraith King found himself being pushed back every time he shed with his opponent.


    Even so, King Leoric''s calm expression on his face never changed, as if everything was under his control.


    Truth be told, the Wraith Queen was slightly weaker than him. However, he was currently at a disadvantage, and the reason was simple.


    His opponent had the home-court advantage.


    The countless Wraiths who were supporting their Queen were granting her the power of Faith.


    It didn''t take long for Lux to understand why the proud King was losing in his one-on-one duel. However, there was nothing he could do to help him.


    He knew that this wasn''t a battle that he could interfere in because this was a battle between two Monarchs.


    And in this battle, their honor and dignity were at stake.


    If he really helped Leoric win the duel, the Wraith King''s loyalty might decrease, and there was also a chance that it would affect their rtionship.


    The only thing he could do right now was believe in his Champion''s ability to ovee this handicap.


    Suddenly, King Leoric did something unexpected.


    The Wraith King dove into the sea, catching his opponent by surprise.


    After a brief hesitation, the Wraith Queen followed suit and dove into the water as well.


    The Wraiths who were cheering for their queen continued to shriek in support, but none of them dove underwater.


    It was as if there was an unwritten rule that they couldn''t go underwater where the battle was being waged.


    Perhaps due to the storm''s increasing intensity or perhaps due to the battle, the waves in the sea towered so high that it seemed that they would swallow the ship whole and destroy it with its embrace.


    Asmodeus firmly held the steering wheel as he braced himself for the giant wave that was about to descend upon his head.


    The Wicked Queen Slime wasn''t bothered by their current situation in the slightest and was even using a nail file to fix her nails.


    As the wave crashed over the bone ship, pushing it down in the water, Lux briefly saw the battle that was being waged under the sea.


    Bright shes of light illuminated the cold darkness below, showing the level of intensity that the battle had progressed to even though they were fighting underwater.


    Suddenly, a dazzling light lit up the darkness, forcing Lux to close his eyes due to its unbearable brightness.


    The sea churned as a powerful explosion catapulted the Bone Ship upwards, making it nearly touch the storm clouds in the sky.


    Fearing that the Bone Ship might shatter if it fell on the chaotic waters, Lux un-summoned it and Asmodeus before opening his Draconic Wings to hover in the sky.


    The Wicked Queen slime grabbed hold of his foot as she looked down at the sea below.


    "It''s over," Lilian said. "Such an unexpected turn of events."


    Lux, who had no idea what the Wicked Queen Slime meant, followed her gaze and saw something rising in the waters.


    King Leoric was holding his opponent in a princess carry, and thetter''s arms were wrapped around his neck.


    The Wraith King then hovered a few meters away from the Half-Elf before clearing his throat.


    "Um, Lux. Let me introduce you to Queen Mary," King Leoric said. "Mary, this is the Master whom I currently serve."


    The Queen Wraith removed her visor, and a beautiful face appeared in front of the Half-Elf.


    "Nice to meet you, Lux," Queen Mary said.


    "N-Nice to meet you too," Lux replied before giving King Leoric the "what is going on?" gaze.


    The Wraith King nced at the beauty in his arms before shifting his gaze to his Master.


    "We got to know each other during the battle, and we decided to be a couple," King Leoric replied as he shifted his gaze to the beauty in his arms.


    Queen Mary smiled as she looked back at the handsome King, leaving the Half-Elf scratching his head.


    Although falling in love with your opponent in the midst of battle wasn''t unheard of, he didn''t expect the dead king to still be capable of falling in love.


    The Wraiths, who had all been cheering for their Queen earlier, surged forward like a dark tide before circling King Leoric like a tornado.


    After a few tense moments, these Wraiths suddenly transformed into their human forms.


    Some were dressed as soldiers, while some were dressed in noble clothes. All of them then pped their hands as if to apud the two lovers who had also returned to their human forms.


    King Leoric was a handsome, middle-aged man with sharp looks, while Queen Mary was a truly exceptional beauty who seemed to be in her mid-thirties.


    Both were wearing clothes of royal red that faintly glowed in the darkness.


    The two then shared a kiss with each other, which made the Wraiths apud and whistle.


    This scene would have been several times better if not for the fact that they were currently inside a raging storm, with thunder and lightning roaring in the background.


    "Congrattions to the two of you," Lux said. "May you live��err, die happily ever after."


    "Thank you, Lux," Queen Mary replied with a smile, making the Half-Elf blush.


    As if waiting for that moment, several rows of text appeared in front of him.


    ������������������


    < Queen Mary has be a vassal of King Leoric. All of her retainers will now be a part of your strength. >


    < You have gained 20,000 Wraiths under yourmand. >


    ������������������


    The storm quickly calmed down, and the winds abated.


    It was as if the one causing the storm was the restlessness of the Wraiths that had haunted the Purple Sea for hundreds of years.


    Patches of white light descended from the dark sky, and one of them fell on King Leoric and Queen Mary as if the heavens themselves were blessing their union.


    Lux looked at this scene with a sigh in his heart. He never imagined that he would witness something so otherworldly and beautiful.


    "Lux, I will be gone for a while," King Leoric said as he looked at the Half-Elf with a smile. "Mary and I n to get to know each other a little better. However, if you need my assistance, don''t hesitate to call. Bye."


    The Wraith King didn''t even wait for Lux''s reply before diving into the purple waters with his Queen.


    The other Wraiths then bowed their heads towards Lux before turning into particles of light and merging with his body.


    For hundreds of years, they had apanied their Queen in the purple sea, but they had yet to see salvation.


    But now, things were different.


    They knew that once Lux''s long journey in this world ended, they would finally be able to cross over to the other side and have the opportunity to start their lives all over again with his blessing.

 Chapter 922 The City Of Exile [Part 1]

    ?


    "I can already see it," Lux muttered as he looked in the distance.


    Although it was still dark, due to his Dark Vision, he was able to see the outline of the ind that slowly grew bigger as they closed the distance.


    The pir of light that shot toward the heavens, which served as the beacon that guided them to the Pantheon of Exile, was shining brilliantly as if greeting those who had journeyed the Purple Sea to reach its location.


    "It has been a while since I''ve been here," Lilianmented. "I wonder what kind of changes have taken ce since I left."


    ording to what Lilian told them, she was born in the Pantheon of Exile. The Half-Elf didn''t ask her any questions, sensing that the Wicked Queen Slime might want to keep her experiences on the ind private.


    Eiko guided the Bone Ship towards the beach until it couldn''t move any further. A few minutester, once everyone disembarked from the ship, Lux un-summoned Octavius due to Lilian''s advice.


    They then traversed the ind until they saw a pair of giant statues standing in front of a gate.


    One of the statues held a sword, and the other held a spear. They looked very imposing, but the Half-Elf knew that they were just ordinary statues without sentience in them.


    Lilian led the way, and the others trailed behind her. When they reached the door, the Wicked Queen Slime nced at Lux and gestured to the young man to open the gate himself.


    The Half-Elf smiled and pressed both of his hands against the gate and gave it a push.


    At first, nothing happened, but as he exerted more effort to open the gate, the groaning sound of metal was heard before the two gates slowly opened.


    When the gate was partially opened, a ray of sunlight hit the Half-Elf as if weing him to the ce where he wished to be.


    Only when the gate was open enough to allow three people to walk side by side did Lux stoppletely.


    He then took a step forward, and the rest followed.


    The moment all of them got inside, the gates closed slowly behind them, leaving them no path to turn back.


    Lux had a surprised expression on his face as he looked in front of him.


    He was expecting that the Pantheon of Exile would be a gloomy and terrible ce, and yet, what he was seeing in front of him made his assumptions vanish into thin air.


    "Surprised?" Lilian asked with an amused expression on her face.


    "Very," Lux replied. "Is this really the Pantheon of Exile?"


    Lilian nodded. "Yes. This is the outskirts of the Pantheon of Exile. I believe that the one you are looking for is within the Inner Sanctum."


    As the sun rose up and illuminated the world, the City of Exile was bathed in light. A city that was no different from the cities that he had seen in the Surface World.


    "Remember, what you see in this city is not what it seems," Lilian stated. "Don''t let your guard down."


    A few minutester, they arrived at the entrance of the city.


    To Lux''s surprise, he didn''t see anyone guarding the entrance. However, after Lilian pointed out that only exiles were sent to the city, the Half-Elf understood that having a guard stationed there was pointless.


    The moment that they entered the city gates, those who were awake noticed their arrival.


    They immediately assessed the neers, and some of them even whistled after seeing Lilian''s mature beauty.


    Suddenly, a man descended from the sky and gave a graceful bow to Lux and hisrades.


    "Wee to the Pantheon of Exile," a middle-aged Catkin said with a smile. "Well then, pray tell. What is your reason foring here? What kind of crime did youmit for the King of Agartha to personally send you to our humble abode?"


    Suddenly, loudughter erupted in the surroundings as men and women pped their hands because they found the Catkin''s performance quite entertaining.


    To his part, the Catkin bowed his head to his fellow exiles before shifting his attention back to their guests, whom he believed were exiled people, just like them.


    "I didn''tmit any crime," Lux replied. "I''m just here to buy some soy sauce."


    "S-Soy what?" the Catkin blinked his eyes in confusion. "What is this Soy Sauce you are talking about?"


    Lilian, Gerhart, and Cethus nced at Lux with curiosity because they also didn''t know what this soy sauce was.


    "Nothing special," Lux answered. "Simply put, I''m just here to sightsee."


    "You came here to sightsee?" the Catkin looked at Lux in disbelief. "Sightseeing like tourists? Here?"


    A moment of silence descended which was broken by another thunderous roar half a minuteter.


    "Hahaha! This new guy is funny!"


    "Sightseeing! Hahaha! Good one!"


    "Well, at least it''s much better than thest one. The guy that was sent here ten years ago said that he was just looking for a ce to poop!"


    "Hahaha! I remember that guy. Unfortunately, he offended someone and kicked the bucket."


    Lux smiled before making a gesture for hisrades to follow him.


    The Catkin moved aside with a smile because he knew that there was no ce that the Half-Elf and his cohorts could go within the God-Forsaken Ind.


    New arrivals were always popr with the locals ording to Lilian, so they ignored the curious stares in their direction.


    They nned to stay in the city for a day to get a proper rest before journeying to the Inner Sanctum, which was located on the north side of the Ind.


    As they walked the streets of the city, Lilian exined that there was a vast Wild Land that separated the City of Exile from the Inner sanctum.


    The Wild Land was home to many powerful monsters that ranged from Rank 1 Monsters up to the Cmity Rank.


    It was where Lilian was born and also the ce where she had lived for many years until she reached her current Rank.


    "By the way, what kind of currency do they use here?" Lux asked. "Do they use gold?"


    He wanted to have a proper rest in afortable bed if possible and wash away the exhaustion he felt during the journey.


    "Yes, they use Gold Coins, as well as Special Tokens as currency," Lilian replied.


    "Good." Lux nodded. "Do you have any good rmendations for an inn to stay at?"


    Just as Lilian was about to answer Lux''s questions, she noticed over a dozen men walking in their direction with smirks on their faces.


    A single nce was enough to tell that they were ruffians, and it was also easy to guess why they were approaching their group.


    The mature beauty sighed before shaking her head.


    ''Fools,'' Lilian thought as she looked at the Baby Slime who was perched on top of the Half-Elf''s head.


    Eiko was already holding two st Bombs in her hands, a devilish smile on her face as she looked at the ruffians.


    Due to her Mind Reader ability, she and her Papa already knew what the thugs were nning to do.


    The locals, who were observing the neers, all smiled because they knew that something interesting was going to happen.


    For people like them who had been cast out from thends of Agartha, this kind of entertainment served as their favorite pastime.


    "Since they are so kind as to give us a warm wee, we should give them a proper greeting as well." Lux sneered. "Shower them with gifts, Eiko."


    The Baby Slime''s wicked smile widened, and she threw the two st Bombs, which immediately increased their size once in mid-air.


    "Boom Boom Bakugan!"


    Lux, Gerhart, Cethus, and Lilian all flew backward because they knew what was going to happen next.


    Before the thugs even had the chance to run, a powerful explosion made the entire city tremble, waking up those who were still asleep and unaware that trouble hade knocking on their door.

 Chapter 923 The City Of Exile [Part 2]

    "The Pantheon of Exile is a ce where being kind will earn you a knife stab in the back. It is not a ce for the innocent and the ignorant, and the people in there are the worst of the worst.


    "Since we will be arriving there shortly, it would be best if we make a good first impression. That way, we will not always be targeted by the fools who think that we are easy pickings."


    Those were the words that Lilian had told them as they made their way to the City of Exile.


    They already knew that they were going to be attacked as soon as they entered the city, so they made preparations in advance.


    Eiko, who had drawn First Blood, narrowed her eyes to look at the destruction caused by her st Bombs.


    To her surprise, the Thugs were able to escape with only minor injuries, and were looking at her with solemn expressions on their faces.


    "Well what do you know? It seems that these newbies know a trick or two," one of the Thugs grinned as he held daggers in both hands.


    "A Slime that throws bombs? How much do you think that thing will sell for in the auction?" a skinny man asked hisrades, who were watching the battle from one of the nearby rooftops.


    "Can''t say, but she will be a good pet," a woman eyed Eiko with a smile. "She''s kind of cute, don''t you think?"


    "Your definition of cute is a bomb in your face?"


    "Well, why not?"


    Simr conversations were being held by the spectators who were watching the battle from a distance.


    There was an unspoken rule in the City of Exile when it came to handling neers.


    It was fight at your own risk, and no one will get in your way.


    Since the Ruffians decided to attack Lux''s group, the others simply watched from the side and waited for the oue of the battle.


    "I''ll handle them," Cethus said as he summoned his spear.


    "Gravity Domain!"


    A dome of ck light expanded in the surroundings, catching three of the Thugs that attacked them. The others were nimble on their feet and managed to evade in time.


    Those who were not-so-lucky found themselves kissing the ground due to the increase in gravity within the ck dome of light.


    Cethus sneered and increased the gravity five times, making the three Thugs cry out in pain as their bones shattered inside their bodies.


    The Dragon Born then nced in the direction of the Thugs, who managed to back away and sneered.


    "You think you filthy Low Landers can beat me? What a joke," Cethus once again increased the gravity, making the bodies of the thugs he caught explode like watermelons.


    (E/N: They''re Under Landers.)


    The Dragon Born then brandished his spear in an arrogant manner and pointed it at the people who preyed on them.


    "Who''s next?" Cethus asked arrogantly. "Those who want to die, step forward!"


    Lux and Eiko, who were watching from the side, pped their hands.


    "Wow! Did you see that Eiko?"


    "Pa!"


    "I know, right? Watching cannon fodders fight cannon fodders is the best thing ever."


    "Un!"


    Lilian giggled and Gerhart snickered, which made the Dragon Born almost cough up blood after hearing his own allies make fun of him in front of their enemies.


    ''You motherf*ckers!'' Cethus cursed internally as he did his best to remain calm.


    If he were to have his way, he would have smacked Lux with his spear and made thetter apologize to him.


    Sadly, he couldn''t do that.


    Eiko would kill him before he could get close enough to touch her Papa.


    The Thugs nced at each other before spreading out in different directions. They outnumbered their enemies, so they weren''t afraid of bringing them down.


    Some of the spectators cheered at their efforts while secretly wishing that they would die at the hands of the neers.


    The City of Exile was a dog-eat-dog world, and only the strongest and the smartest people could survive it.


    When they finally had their enemies surrounded, the leader of the Thugs raised his hand in the air and shouted.


    "Now!"


    All of hisrades threw metallic chains toward their targets.


    But instead of targeting their bodies, the chains flew past them and linked with each other, forming a cage that trapped them within.


    Suddenly, sparks of lightning spread along the chains that surrounded the Half-Elf and hisrades, which threatened to electrocute them all.


    This was their group''s killer technique that worked wonders against newbies who had no idea about what they were capable of doing.


    "Nice trick," Gerhart said. "But not good enough."


    Just as the sparks of lightning were about to hit their bodies, a tornado appeared out of nowhere.


    Lightning streaked in its body, making it look like a malevolent Storm Elemental that was about to unleash its overwhelming might on everything within its reach.


    But if one were to look closely, one would notice countless jagged bones mixed into the tornado, which could easily rend the flesh of the Humans who were unfortunate enough to be pulled into its deadly embrace.


    With its strong suction power, the thugs who were holding the chains were pulled towards it, making them scream in horror.


    Those who were able to react quickly immediately let go of their chains and distanced themselves from the tornado that threatened to swallow them all alive.


    Blood-curdling screams of pain, shock, and desperation reverberated in the city as the powerful tornado shredded and electrocuted the Thugs who had been absorbed into its vortex.


    It didn''t take long before the tornado''s color changed to red as the blood of its victims merged with its body.


    ''Sh*t, I think we kicked the steel te,'' the Leader of the Ruffians cursed internally after more than half of his men had been killed in a matter of minutes.


    Knowing that they had underestimated their prey, he decided to cut their losses and ordered a retreat.


    But just as he was about to run away, he saw a faceless monster standing behind him with its arms crossed over its chest.


    Before the Leader of the Thugs could even do anything, the Nightgaunt, Shax, wrapped its tail around his body and casually threw him toward the tornado in the distance, making the man scream in horror.


    The rest of the surviving thugs found themselves facing the members of Lux''s Covenant, who, after catching them, didn''t hesitate to toss them toward the blood-red tornado that had grown in size.


    When thest thug was shredded, until his body exploded into a blood mist, the tornado disappeared, leaving only a bloody mess behind.


    Lux and his friends were all unharmed, and their clothes and weapons were free from the blood of their foes.


    A chilling silence permeated the surroundings for nearly half a minute before it was broken by thunderous apuse.


    The people in the City of Exile cheered, and some even raised their mugs of ale in order to salute the neers who survived their city''s initiation ceremony.


    Clearly, the death of some ruffians was simply entertainment to them.


    "Such wonderful people," a handsome man in his mid-thirties said with a smile as he looked at Lux and hisrades from the castle wall. "I like them."


    The handmaiden standing beside him didn''t say anything and simply nced at the neers with a calm gaze.


    However, for the first time in many years, something stirred within their beautiful depths.


    As to what kind of emotion it was, no one would know since it vanished without a trace, as she waited for theing of a devil, whose blood-soaked wings would free her and her people from suffering.

 Chapter 924 The Inner Sanctum

    Lux, Gerhart, and Cethus didn''t expect that instead of being attacked by the denizens of the City of Exile after killing the Ruffians, they would be cheered and apuded by them.


    "What a strange bunch," Cethus muttered as he eyed the people who were spectating from the roof of houses or inside of it from their windows.


    "Follow me," Lilian said before descending on the bloody streets.


    The Wicked Queen Slime didn''t hesitate to step on the bloodied ground as if this was a very normal thing for her.


    Lux and the others followed behind her without saying a word.


    Before they continued their journey, they nned to rest a bit in an inn. Even though they had just been attacked, they didn''t change their minds and went to the most famous inn of the City of Exile, The Bloody Hell.


    "Greetings neers," the Innkeeper said with a smile. "How many rooms will you need?"


    Just like everyone else, he had also witnessed the battle earlier and was quite happy to host the people who had just arrived in their city.


    "Four rooms," Lilian stated. "Make sure there is not a single drop of blood on the sheets."


    "Hahaha! Of course, My Lady," the Innkeeper replied. "This is a clean and trustworthy establishment. You will not find any blood anywhere. We know how to do a proper cleanup."


    Lilian nodded before cing 40 Gold Coins on the desk.


    The man happily took the gold and gave the mature beauty four bronze keys.


    "The four rooms on the third floor are yours," the Innkeeper stated. "May you enjoy your stay at The Bloody Hell."


    Lilian handed the keys to herpanions before picking up Eiko off of Lux''s head and carrying the Baby Slime back to her room.


    Lux smiled and followed behind her.


    Gerhart and Cethus did the same.


    They took four separate rooms because they wanted those who were paying close attention to them to think that they had no way ofmunicating with each other.


    But what they were showing couldn''t be further from the truth. The four of them nned to scout the surroundings using their own abilities, without catching the suspicion of their observers.


    Lilian summoned a small part of her body, turning it into a mini slime that was just an inch tall.


    She then ordered it to scout their surroundings and listen to the conversations of the people around them.


    Lux ordered his Shadow Sovereign, Draven, to do the same.


    ording to Lilian, there were Five Saints inside the City of Exile, and one of them was the ruler of the city.


    Lux wasn''t too worried about them since Lilian alone could handle all the Saints if needed be.


    Also, he could summon three Saints to aid him in battle, one of them being Sion, who was the Juggernaut of Agartha.


    Gerhart meditated in his room, while Cethus slept without a care in the world.


    The Dragon Born was confident that, after his performance, no one would dare attack them.


    If someone was foolish enough to do so, they would have to deal with hisrades first before getting to him!


    The next day, their group rose early and left the city through the Northern Exit. They nned to reach the Inner Sanctum as fast as they could, ignoring the countless stares that followed them from a distance.


    The "King" of the city watched them go with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "So that is where they are headed," the handsome man in his mid-thirties said. "I thought that they would be staying in the city to y for a few days. It seems that my initial estimate was wrong. Sasha, go and follow them. However, make sure that you keep a safe distance.


    "I can tell that the beautifuldy that is apanying them is dangerous. Until we know their reason foring to this god-forsaken ce, make sure to not do anything that might make them hostile to us."


    The handmaiden who stood beside him nodded her head in understanding.


    A momentter, she disappeared, making the handsome man smile.


    He was so close to fulfilling his grand n, and he didn''t want any variables to mess with all the hard work that he put in over the past decade.


    He just needed a week to set his n in motion, and he would kill anyone who stood in his way.


    ''Soon,'' the middle-aged man nced in the direction of the Kingdom of Agartha. ''I will make you regret sending me to this ce.''


    ��������������


    ''A Saint is following us,'' Lilian said through their Guild Chat. ''Should I kill her?''


    ''Don''t,'' Lux replied. ''I''m sure that she just wants to know where we are going. Let''s not create unnecessary trouble, shall we?''


    ''Suit yourself.'' Lilian smiled as she kept her gaze in front of her.


    There were many powerful beasts in the Wild Lands, but all of them scattered after detecting Lilian''s presence.


    Although she was in her human form, the Beasts roaming thend could sense that she was a Cmity, so they stayed as far away from her as possible.


    After a few hours, they finally arrived at their destination.


    Lux gazed at the ck Tower, which he estimated to be around fifty meters tall.


    On the top of the tower was a crystal that was the size of a boulder.


    ''So this is where that pir of light ising from,'' Lux thought as he looked at the beacon of light that had guided him from the other side of the Purple Sea.


    At that base of the tower, there was a ck Gate, which he believed to be the entrance to the underground Prison, where the most nefarious people and creatures, who threatened the peace of Agartha, were locked up.


    "In the past, people believed that those who entered the ck Gate would never be able to see the light of the sun ever again," Lilian stated. "I didn''t dare to confirm if the rumors were true or not because I enjoy my freedom.


    "Lux, if you are really going into that ce, make sure to leave Eiko behind. I don''t want her to be trapped inside that ce with you."


    Eiko, who was perched on top of the Half-Elf''s head, simply shook her head and told her Papa that wherever he was going, she was going as well.


    Seeing the Baby Slime''s determination, the Wicked Queen Slime could do nothing but sigh and press her hand on her forehead.


    "Don''t worry, Lilian," Lux said. "I don''t n to stay in that ce for long. All of you stay here. If I''m not back within a week, call for help."


    After taking a deep breath, the Half-Elf opened the ck Gates and entered the Darkness.


    He had abandoned this mission once, and he had no intention of doing that again a second time.

 Chapter 925 Believe Me

    Chapter 925 Believe Me


    Creatures of various shapes and sizes appeared in Lux''s vision as he toured the Inner sanctum.


    These creatures eyed the Half-Elf with great curiosity as he walked past their prison cells.


    Some of them called out to Lux, usingnguages that weren''t familiar to him. But he didn''t have to know theirnguage to understand what they were trying to tell him.


    "Free us."


    Those were the words that appeared inside Lux''s head as he walked past these abominations, whom he believed to be Abyssal Creatures.


    They were locked behind a purple barrier which held firm no matter how much they tried to attack it.


    Seeing that someone had entered their prison, these creatures became quite lively and started to attack their barrier, hoping to catch Lux''s attention.


    Surprisingly, ckfire materialized behind Lux and seemed to be observing these creatures as its Master walked past them.


    It even flew towards one of the prison cells to take a better look at a demi-human creature, whose entire body was covered in ck scales.


    Two golden eyes stared back at the coffin, and a set of razor-sharp teeth appeared in the creature''s mouth as it gave its observer a smile.


    ckfire lingered for a bit before moving to the next cell, observing another creature that piqued its interest.


    Lux had warned the ck Coffin that it was allowed to look around but not to touch anything.


    Thest thing he wanted to happen was to free a bunch of Cmity-Ranked Monsters and allow them to rampage on the ind.


    After descending for nearly two hours, the light that illuminated the Inner Sanctum began to dim.


    After three hours, the Half-Elf was submerged inplete and total darkness. Even so, he continued to descend the stairs that seemed unending.


    If it weren''t for his Dark Vision, he might have already turned back because an ordinary human wouldn''t be able to see anything in front of him.


    More hours passed and, just as Lux was beginning to think that he had walked for nearly half a day, he finally arrived at the bottom of the stairs.


    Looking at his surroundings, he noticed that he couldn''t see past a meter in front of him.


    Because of this, the Half-Elf decided to summon a fireball in his hand. However, it didn''t materialize.


    He then took out a magical tool that created light. But no matter how many times he tried to activate it, the artifact didn''t even produce a tiny spark.


    ''So, no sources of light work in this ce,'' Lux thought.


    Just as Lux was thinking about what to do next, he felt something tug on his robes.


    The Half-Elf then nced at the two-foot-tall Skeleton that was standing beside him and smiled.


    "Are you going to take me to her?" Lux asked.


    The little skeleton nodded and made a gesture for Lux to follow him.


    He smiled and followed the Little Skeleton, who was always a step ahead of him.


    The two of them walked for nearly an hour before the Skeleton stopped and motioned for Lux to not move from where he stood.


    The little guy then made chattering noises as if calling out to someone. Within the darkness, a simr chattering replied, as if telling his friend that he would be there shortly.


    Although he couldn''t see what was in front of him, the Half-Elf could sense that something or someone was approaching him.


    A few minutester, something unexpected happened.


    The darkness in front of Lux shuddered as if it was afraid of something.


    All of a sudden and without warning, the pitch-ck wall that stood in front of him parted.


    There, standing several meters away from him, was a youngdy with long pink hair and eyes staring in his direction.


    Her body glowed faintly, making her the only source of light in the darkness.


    She was like a lonely star in the sky, waiting for someone to look at her and see her for what she truly was.


    "Lux."


    It was only a single word, and yet, her voice, akin to that of an angel''s, reached his ears, making him shudder.


    The youngdy then gave him a sad smile, as she stared in his direction, not daring to move another step.


    "Aurora," Lux said softly. "We finally meet."


    The Half-Elf wanted to take a step forward, but an invisible wall was preventing him from doing so.


    He could have broken that barrier if he wanted, but he didn''t do it.


    The reason?


    The one that created the barrier was none other than the lonely girl in front of him, who didn''t wish for Lux to be tainted by her Misfortune.


    The two stared at each other for half a minute before Lux finally regained hisposure.


    take a stroll in any city, all the guys would definitely look in her direction and be enchanted by her good looks.


    ''She looks simr to Queen Rhiannon,'' Lux thought. ''But, she is more charming than the Queen.''


    Aurora was a peerless beauty, and Lux believed that if she were to take a stroll in any city, all the guys would definitely look in her direction and be enchanted by her good looks.


    After taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he managed to give the youngdy a smile, which made the little Skeleton that was standing beside her give the Half-Elf a thumbs up.


    "Thank you foring to see me, but I will not allow you to take one more step forward," Aurora said softly. "I don''t want you to be infected by my bad luck."


    Lux didn''t say anything and simply took out a ne from his storage ring.


    It was none other than the ne, Fortuna''s Tears, that Queen Rhiannon had given him before he left the Abyss.


    "Take this to her," Lux ordered the little Skeleton beside him.


    The Little Skeleton nodded its head and carefully held the golden ne with the tear-drop-shaped pearl at its center.


    It then walked towards its Master with steady steps.


    When it finally arrived in front of Aurora, it raised its hands and offered the ne to her.


    A surprised expression appeared on Aurora''s face as she took the ne from the Little Skeleton''s hands.


    She then took a closer look at it before shifting her gaze to Lux in confusion.


    "Wear it." Lux smiled. "That ne is called Fortuna''s Tears. It will prevent your bad luck from spreading to others."


    "A-Are you sure?" Aurora asked half in doubt. "Will this really prevent other people from being infected with my bad luck?"


    "We will know in a little while," Lux replied. "Please, wear it. It is a gift from someone who looks like you."


    "Someone who looks like me?"


    "Yes."


    Aurora stared at the golden ne in her hand for a few more seconds before raising it above her head in order to wear it.


    When the tear-shaped pearl rested on her chest, the youngdy felt something warm and gentle wash over her body.


    The barrier in front of Lux shattered into countless pieces, allowing him to walk towards her.


    When Lux was only three meters away from Aurora, the youngdy subconsciously took a step back.


    Sensing that there was a possibility that she would run away if he continued to close the gap between them, Lux decided to stop and reached out his hand to her.


    Aurora looked at Lux''s outstretched hand before shifting her gaze to his face.


    Lux didn''t say anything and simply gave her an encouraging smile.


    The youngdy then gingerly took a step forward.


    The Half-Elf didn''t move, but he nodded in approval of her action, encouraging her.


    Taking another step, Aurora was now within a hand''s reach from the handsome young man who had braved the darkness to find her.


    "A-Are you sure it''s safe?" Aurora asked in a worried tone. "Are you sure you will not get infected with my bad luck? I will not be able to forgive myself if you catch my curse."


    "Don''t worry," Lux replied. "Believe me."


    The youngdy clenched her fists tightly for a few seconds before reaching out to hold Lux''s hand.


    At first, she hesitated, but seeing the confidence in Lux''s eyes, she decided to take a leap of fate and entrust herself to him.


    Aurora closed her eyes and reached out her hand.


    A momentter, she felt something warm, holding her hand, which made her slowly open her eyes.


    "Let me introduce myself again," Lux said. "My name is Lux Von Kaizer. It''s nice to meet you, Aurora."


    A tear streaked down the beautiful girl''s face as the dam inside her heart broke apart.


    Feelings that she had suppressed for many years washed over her body like a flood, making her shudder.


    A sob then escaped her lips as she covered her face with both hands, unable to stop the torrent of tears that were now streaming freely down her cheeks.


    Suddenly, she felt two strong arms wrap around her body, holding her in a firm embrace.


    "It''s okay," Lux said as he patted her head. "Let it all out. You can cry on my shoulder."


    Gaining his permission, Aurora no longer held back and buried her head in his chest.


    Within that pitch-ck darkness, the Misfortune''s Beloved cried until she no longer had tears to shed.

 Chapter 926 You Are A Trustworthy Person

    Chapter 926 You Are A Trustworthy Person


    Lux held Aurora, only loosening his grip when her body stopped shaking.


    His clothes were wet with her tears, but the Half-Elf didn''t mind it one bit.


    What concerned him the most was Aurora''s current situation. Although he wouldn''t go as far as to call her too skinny,pared to his lovers, the youngdy was quite a bit thinner than most of thedies he had seen.


    Of course, he had a feeling that this was due to her entrapment inside the Dark Prison, where she was unable to get something to eat.


    But if that were the case, how did she manage to survive after so many years of confinement?


    ''I''ll just ask her about thatter,'' Lux thought as he patted Aurora''s head, while holding her body in a gentle embrace.


    Several minutester, the youngdy in his arms stopped moving, and the Half-Elf thought that she had finally calmed down.


    However, a momentter, he heard her soft breathing, which was simr to the breathing of someone who was sleeping.


    In order to confirm his guess, he gently pulled back and nced at the sleeping beauty in his arms.


    Aurora had indeed fallen asleep, and tears were still falling from her eyes.


    She looked so pitiful that just looking at her made him feel as if his heart was breaking.


    After pondering for a bit, Lux summoned the portable tent that was given to him by the Rowan Tribe.


    He intended to let Aurora get some proper sleep in afortable bed. Of course, it would be better for him to carry her out of the Prison, but the two Little Skeletons told him that Aurora was unable to leave for some reason.


    They already tried to escort her to leave this dark ce, but whenever they were about to walk past the exit, an invisible wall would appear and block their path.


    The two Little Skeletons, Zane and Zeke, could easily pass through this wall, but Aurora was unable to do so. Because of this, they inferred that there must be a restriction ced on her, preventing her from leaving.


    Since that was the case, Lux decided to let Aurora have some rest first and deal with the issue once she had woken up.


    As Lux gentlyid Aurora on the bed, Zane and Zeke climbed on it and hugged Aurora on her left and right sides, sleeping beside her.


    The Half-Elf smiled as he watched this scene and sat on a chair not far from the bed. He also notified hisrades, who were waiting for him at the entrance of the Inner Sanctum, and told them about their situation.


    ''Understood,'' Lilian said. ''How long do you think you will be staying down there?''


    ''I don''t know,'' Lux replied. ''But there is a possibility that I''ll be down here for a day or two. How about you guys? Anything interesting happening up there?''


    ''Nothing much,'' Lilian answered. ''The person who has been following us is observing us from a safe distance. Do you want me to eliminate her?"


    ''No. We don''t want unnecessary trouble with the locals.''


    ''Suit yourself, but don''t take too long. It seems that their king is nning something big, and I don''t want to get caught up in it.''


    ''I know. Draven told me something simr.''


    When they arrived in the City of Exile, Lux and Lilian had sent their scouts to gather information inside the city.


    This was how they managed to gather some interesting news, which prompted them to leave the city the next day.


    A few hourster, Aurora let out a soft sigh, alerting Lux that she was about to wake up.


    In order to avoid scaring her, he remained where he was sitting and simply observed her from a distance.


    It didn''t take long before Aurora opened her eyes. She slowly propped herself up on the bed and then sleepily nced at her surroundings as she rubbed her eyes.


    Lux found her actions quite cute, causing him to uncontrobly smile.


    Finally, when thest dregs of sleep left her body, she realized that she was sitting on a soft bed, with Zane and Zeke beside her.


    It was at that moment when she felt a gazeing from her right side, making her body stiffen.


    Slowly but surely, she turned her head to look in the direction where she felt the stare wasing from and saw the handsome Half-Elf looking at her with a smile on his face.


    "Good afternoon, Aurora," Lux said. "I hope you slept well."


    "G-Good afternoon," Aurora stuttered. "How long was I asleep?"


    "Just a few hours."


    "I see��"


    The pink-haired beauty then lightly patted the head of the two Little Skeletons, who had also propped themselves into a sitting position.


    Aurora fidgeted for a bit before looking at the red-headed teenager with a bashful expression.


    "Thank you foring to see me, Lux," Aurora said. "I want to let you know that I really appreciate youing all this way to meet me."


    "You''re wee," Lux replied. "But I didn''t juste here to meet you. I came here to free you."


    When Lux said that he hade to free her, a smile appeared on Aurora''s face. A secondter, she lowered her gaze and looked at something, which made the Half-Elf blink his eyes in confusion.


    Due to his curiosity, he followed Aurora''s gaze to see what she was looking at.


    A few secondster, the Half-Elf''s body stiffened before shifting his gaze to the young beauty, whose cheeks were flushed red.


    "I''m sorry," Aurora said in an embarrassed tone. "Zane and Zeke told me that those who look at, or talk to me, who have that part of their body standing up can''t be trusted. Since yours isn''t standing up, it means that you are a person that I can trust.


    "I know that you are a trustworthy person, Lux, but I still had to check. Sorry for doubting you!"


    Aurora then pressed her palms together and bowed her head, making an apologetic gesture.


    The corner of the Half-Elf''s lips twitched as he looked down on his little brother before shifting his gaze at the two Little Skeletons who were sitting beside Aurora.


    Noticing that he was staring at them, the two Skeletons raised their thumbs at him, making Lux facepalm.


    Because he was covering his eyes, he didn''t notice the sweet smile that appeared on Aurora''s face, who was looking at him with a tender gaze.

 Chapter 927 What Is Love?

    <h4>Chapter 927 What Is Love?</h4>


    "This is delicious��," Aurora said after taking a bite of a cookie that Lux had given her. "It''s been a while since I''ve eaten a cookie."


    The youngdy became teary-eyed as if she had remembered a memory from her distant past.


    A memory from when she was still with her family and enjoyed the warmth and care of her adoptive mother, who treated her like her own daughter.


    "Eat as many as you want," Lux wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief. "Don''t worry. There''s more where those came from. Isn''t that right, Eiko?"


    "Pa!" The Baby Slime nodded before she continued to eat the cookies in her bag with a big smile on her face.


    Aurora thanked Lux for his concern and ate the rest of the cookie in her hand.


    "You know, Zane and Zeke would often tell me about your adventures," Aurora said after she had finished a dozen cookies. "Although I am stuck here, I still felt as if I were with you on those journeys."


    "Really?" Lux scratched his head. "I hope that they didn''t tell you any embarrassing things."


    Aurora smiled as she told Lux something that made the Half-Elf almost strangle the two Little Skeletons by her side.


    "They said that you love to bury your head in women''s thighs. If you want, I can do that for you as your reward foring here."


    The Half-Elf blinked once then twice before clearing his throat. He then red at the two Skeletons, who were averting their gaze.


    "Don''t believe everything they say, Aurora," Lux said. "Zane and Zeke are just exaggerating things."


    "Are they?" Aurora tilted her head before looking at her two best friends. "Are the two of you just exaggerating things?"


    Zane and Zeke firmly shook their heads. They even whispered something in her ears, which made the youngdy''s face be a shade redder.


    Lux, who was able to understand what the two bastards were telling Aurora, immediately grabbed their necks and lifted them up high.


    "I need to talk to these two for a bit," Lux said as he carried the two Skeletons under both of his arms like sacks of rice. "Please look after Eiko for me while I''m gone, Aurora."


    Lux didn''t even bother to wait for the youngdy''s reply before leaving the tent.


    "Do you want a cookie, Eiko?" Aurora asked as she presented a cookie to the Baby Slime, who was also eating cookies from her bag.


    Eiko looked at the cookie in Aurora''s hand for a few seconds before reaching out to take it. She then ate it, which brought a smile to the youngdy''s face.


    "You love your Papa, right?"


    Eiko nodded.


    "Do you love your Mama too?"


    "Love!"


    "Then, can you tell me what love means?"


    Eiko stopped eating and looked at the youngdy who was lightly patting her head with a gentle smile on her face.


    "Love!"


    "�� I don''t understand."


    Zane and Zeke had told her a lot of things about Lux. Naturally, they didn''t miss the information about the Half-Elf''s two lovers, Iris and Cai.


    They even told her about the funny activities they did while they weren''t wearing their clothes.


    Truth be told, Aurora didn''t know much about these things because she had been sent to the Pantheon of Exile at a young age.


    She didn''t know anything about rtionships and was innocent when it came to the matters of love.


    Even though her two best friends gave her very detailed descriptions about how Lux made love to his two fiances, Aurora only thought of this as a funny activity because she didn''t understand what they were doing.


    But one thing was clear.


    The moment she met Lux, she started to feel things she had never felt before.


    She started to feel hope.


    If not for her fateful encounter with Lux, she might have lost her sense of self until she had turned into a mere living husk.


    She would still be alive, this much was true.


    But deep inside, she would be numb and unfeeling until the day she breathed herst.


    Forever trapped in the darkness, even in death.


    A few minutester, Lux returned still carrying Zane and Zeke, whom he put down beside Aurora.


    The two skeletons were shivering, and even hid behind the beautiful girl, making the youngdy frown.


    "Did something happen?" Aurora asked the Half-Elf, who sat beside her.


    "Nothing happened," Lux replied. "I just asked them a few questions, that''s all."


    The youngdy nodded her head before looking at the handsome young man in front of her. She hesitated for a bit before asking him the same question she had asked Eiko.


    "Lux, what is love?"


    "Love has many meanings, and it also has many faces."


    The Half-Elf paused a bit and exined his definition of love to Aurora.


    "It is a feeling of wanting to be with someone," Lux exined. "When that person is around, you feel happy. When they are sad, you are also sad. If someone wants to hurt them, you feel very angry and would want to fight those who are hurting them."


    The Half-Elf then gazed at the youngdy beside him with a solemn expression on his face.


    "Do you hold someone very dear to you?" Lux asked. "Someone who has a ce in your heart?"


    "��My deceased adoptive mother and my little sister, Shayna," Aurora replied. "They are the two most important people in my life."


    "That is a form of love," Lux said softly. "Loving someone and being loved by someone are two of the most wonderful feelings in the world."


    He could see the pain in Aurora''s eyes when she spoke about her deceased adoptive mother, so the Half-Elf didn''t pry into her privacy.


    "I think I understand it a bit now," Aurora nodded.


    "Good." Lux nodded. "Now, let''s talk about something important. Do you know what is keeping you locked up in this ce?"


    "I don''t know," Aurora answered. "Zane and Zeke tried to help me escape this ce, but there is some kind of barrier that is preventing me from leaving."


    "But do you want to leave this ce?"


    "Yes. I want to leave this ce."


    "Then, do you want to return to the Royal Family?" Lux inquired. "Now that you are wearing Fortuna''s Tear, you will not have to worry about your curse spreading to other people anymore."


    Aurora smiled sadly before shaking her head.


    "I have hurt many people," Aurora replied. "I havemitted many sins. To be honest, I am afraid to see my family, especially my adoptive Father. Instead of repaying them for the many years they had spent raising me, I only gave them pain and sadness.


    "And even if my family forgives me, the family of those who had been affected by my curse won''t necessarily do the same. Perhaps the reason why my adoptive father has sent me to this ce was to banish and protect me at the same time.


    "Had I stayed in Agartha, the people might have demanded that I be executed in the hope that their bad luck would disappear the moment I died."


    The youngdy then raised her hand to caress her neck.


    "I have tried to kill myself countless times, but the King ced a restriction on me, preventing me frommitting suicide," Aurora said softly. "Maybe this is his way of punishing me for the pain I caused him after my adoptive mother died. Or perhaps this was also his way of saving my life because when my mother died, I also lost the will to live."


    Aurora''s shoulder shuddered as she hugged herself, trying her best to keep herself from crying again.


    "Understood," Lux rested his hand on her shoulder. "I will take you to the Surface World. You can start your life anew in that ce. Don''t worry, I''m sure that you will make many friends because you are a very kind soul."


    "You really think so?" Aurora asked. "Can I really start a new life in the Surface World?"


    "Yes," Lux answered. "I guarantee it, so let''s go."


    The Half-Elf stood and held Aurora''s hand.


    "Let''s leave this ce behind," Lux stated. "As long as you wish to be free, I will do everything in my power to make it happen."


    Aurora nodded as she, too, stood up.


    "I want to leave this ce. Please help me, Lux. If you do, I will do that funny thing you do with your two fiances."


    "Funny thing?" Lux blinked in confusion. "What funny thing?"


    Before Aurora could even answer, Zane and Zeke held her hands. The youngdy looked down on them, and the two Skeletons shook their heads at the same time, as if telling Aurora to not tell Lux anything.


    The two Skeletons would probably get nagged by the Half-Elf again for teaching Aurora things that she wasn''t supposed to know.


    "Um, I''ll tell youter," Aurora replied. "Zane and Zeke said that now is not the right time to say it."


    Lux scratched his head before exiting the tent with Aurora.


    He didn''t know what that "funny thing" was, but his Half-Elf intuition was telling him that the two Little Skeletons had taught the innocent beauty something else that she really knew nothing about.

 Chapter 928 Trials Of The Heart [Part 1]

    ?


    "Hah�� Hah�� Hah��"


    Aurora panted for breath as she tried to walk past the invisible barrier that barred her from moving forward.


    However, no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to take another step.


    Lux, who was on the other side of the wall, frowned because aside from the barrier, he could also see invisible chains binding Aurora''s body, preventing her from leaving the depths of the Inner Sanctum.


    The shackles and the barrier were a foolproof method to bind the youngdy and keep her from escaping.


    While he and the others had no difficulty walking in and out of the invisible barrier, Aurora was unable to do the same.


    "That''s enough, Aurora," Lux said as he rested his hand on her shoulder. "I''ll ask my friends if they have a way to let you pass through this barrier."


    "Hah�� Okay." Aurora nodded as she sat down on the ground in order to catch her breath.


    While the young beauty was resting, Lux asked the members of his guild if they had encountered a barrier simr to the one that was preventing Aurora from leaving the Inner Sanctum.


    Although the invisible chains were also a factor, Lux believed that the barrier was the biggest hurdle that stood in her way to freedom.


    Unfortunately, none of the members had seen a barrier that could specifically prevent a single person from leaving.


    "Maybe this barrier was created for the sole purpose of isting her," General Garretmented. "Since you and others can pass through it, I can only guess that you cannot destroy it since you can''t even touch it. Even if you attack it, your blow will only pass through it like you''re hitting air."


    Suddenly, Cai, who was also paying attention to the chat, gave her opinion on the matter.


    "Since she can''t pass that barrier, how about she just go over it?" Cai asked. "Have you tried inviting her to the guild?"


    Lux blinked once then twice before covering his face with both hands.


    ''How could I forget something so simple?!'' Lux thought as he rubbed his face. ''Cai is right. If Aurora can''t pass through it, then she could just go over it!''


    Taking a deep breath, he thanked his fiance and decided to give it a try.


    "Aurora, please ept my guild invitation," Lux said.


    "Understood." Aurora nodded.


    She already had the suspicion that Lux was the Guild Master of Heaven''s Gate, but since there was still no proof of it, she didn''t think much about it.


    However, seeing the invitation in front of her confirmed that his Guild was indeed the one and only Mythical Guild in the world which she had heard about, even though she was located deep underground and surrounded by darkness.


    Aurora suddenly felt herself growing stronger as the Guild Buffs of Heaven''s Gate washed over her weakened body.


    Suddenly, the chains that bound her body shattered, taking Lux by surprise.


    "What''s this?" Aurora stared at her hands in disbelief. "Where is this powering from?"


    The youngdy didn''t know that the chains that bound her were sapping away her stamina and mana, making her feel weak.


    The chains also had some status debuffs that prevented her from regaining her strength, which was why she couldn''t break free from the shackles that held her in ce.


    After bing a member of Heaven''s Gate, the Guild Buffs had given Aurora a 300% boost in Health, Mana, and Stamina regeneration.


    Not only that, the Guild Buffs also gave her 25% chance in resisting status ailments, which was the final nail in the coffin that shattered the invisible chains.


    The young beauty then closed her eyes as she took a few deep breaths.


    Each breath allowed her to recover her strength, making her feel more alive and powerful.


    The moment she opened her eyes, Lux found himself staring at a pair of purple eyes that were glowing with power.


    It took him a while to understand what was happening, but when he did, he felt rmed because Aurora was subconsciously using a charm spell that could make people without strong willpower and resistance be her obedient ves.


    "L-Lux, I��," Aurora tried to reach out to the Half-Elf, and thetter held her hand firmly.


    Since he was somewhat immune to Charm Spells, Aurora''s gaze didn''t have much effect against him.


    "It hurts," Aurora said as she hugged Lux tightly, using his body as support. "My chest, it hurts."


    The youngdy didn''t know that the moment her shackles were removed, the dormant power inside her body came back to life and was forcing her to regain the power that had been rightfully hers since birth.


    Purple mes erupted from her body, making her look like a human torch.


    Lux, who held her in ce and supported her body, gritted his teeth as he covered himself with dragon scales.


    He had no intention of backing away and leaving Aurora to her fate.


    "Eiko, get back!"


    "Pa!"


    Eiko obeyed and jumped off her Papa''s body, staying a safe distance away from the zing mes that were illuminating the darkness.


    "So�� hot�� I can''t!" Aurora gritted her teeth as she held onto the Half-Elf as if her life depended on it.


    A momentter, Lux witnessed two small horns grow out of the top of Aurora''s head.


    But it didn''t end there.


    Two bat-like wings sprouted from her back, making her cry out in pain as fiery-blood flowed down her back, which immediately disappeared after a few seconds.


    A spade-tipped tail also emerged from her backside, making her body shudder.


    "Lux�� I''m scared," Aurora cried in pain. "Help me."


    "Don''t worry. I''m here with you." Lux held her tightly, giving Aurora some kind of assurance and security, which allowed her to endure the pain that was wreaking havoc inside her body.


    If she hadn''t been trapped inside the Inner Sanctum, she might have awakened earlier and it would have been less painful.


    But because multiple years passed yet her awakening was dyed over and over again, her power passively grew and their side effects stacked.


    Lux also noticed that Aurora''s Rank was rising at a rapid rate.


    When he first met her, she was only an Apostle.


    But now, her rank was steadily increasing until it reached the Initiate Rank.


    It didn''t take long for Lux to realize what was going to happen next.


    ''She''s going to break through as a Ranker!'' Lux braced himself for what was about toe.


    Usually, when someone was going to be a Ranker, they needed to undergo a trial to be a Ranker.


    Each trial was different.


    Usually, people had a choice when it came to what kind of Trial they needed to do.


    However, for those who didn''t have the choice, they had to leave it up to the Heavens to decide what kind of Trial they needed to face.


    Suddenly, the Pantheon of Exile shook, and the Pir of Light that was shooting up in the sky changed its color until it turned crimson red.


    The Monsters that were locked up within their cells all started to roar as they pounded against the barrier repeatedly, desperately hoping to break it apart.


    They were not aware that in the deepest depths of the Inner Sanctum, Aurora''s trial was about to take ce.

 Chapter 929 Trials Of The Heart [Part 2]

    ?


    The sound of giggling permeated the garden.


    Lux watched as a little girl with reddish-brown hair happily ran around a field of flowers while being chased by an older girl with long pink hair.


    The two seemed to be enjoying their little game, and everyone who was watching them couldn''t help but smile, influenced by how happy they looked.


    After he and Aurora were consumed by radiant purple mes, he found himself in a world where the youngdy was still young and living a happy life with her adoptive family.


    He watched as she grew up from a five-year-old girl to a ten-year-old girl.


    Currently, the scenery that he was seeing now was when Aurora had just turned ten years old.


    "Don''t the two of them look adorable?" a beautifuldy with long, reddish-brown hair asked the Half-Elf with a smile.


    Lux was surprised. He didn''t sense her approaching him, and yet, here she was, standing beside him.


    Also, this was the first time that someone had spoken to him while he was in this world. He knew that he was inside Aurora''s memories, so he should be invisible to everyone.


    But now, someone was actively talking to him, which made him wonder if the beautifuldy could really see him.


    "I can see you, you know?" the beautifuldy giggled, which made Lux subconsciously take a step back.


    "Y-You can see me?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," the beautifuldy replied. "But in my eyes, you look like a spirit. Did you perhaps die and still have lingering attachments to this world?"


    "I''m not a spirit," Lux answered.


    "Then you''re probably someone from the future."


    "Eh?"


    The beautifuldy shifted her gaze to the two girls who were ying tag in the flower garden. A smile could be seen on her face. Clearly, she loved her two daughters with all of her heart.


    "You see, I''m an oracle of sorts," the beautifuldy said softly. "Today, I made a divination, and it told me toe to this ce at this time to meet someone who will help change the Fate of my daughter�� or perhaps, daughters?"


    The beautifuldy then gave Lux a sidelong nce and smirked.


    "Well, I guess you are that person," the beautifuldymented. "I apologize for not introducing myself first. I am Bianca, Queen of Agartha. May I know who you are?"


    Lux nodded. "Lux Von Kaizer. Just call me Lux."


    "Lux?" Bianca smiled. "Your name means light. I see�� so that''s how it is."


    The Queen of Agartha motioned for Lux to follow her, and he obliged.


    They didn''t walk far, only stepping into the shade of a tree overlooking the flower field, where the two girls were now lying.


    "Those two girls are my daughters," Bianca said after sitting down on the grass. "The younger one is named Shayna, and the older one is named Aurora. Do you know? Aurora means Dawn. Her name refers to the time of the day when the sun is just about to rise from the horizon, giving light to the world.


    "Since your name means light, it means that you are the light that would signify the start of a new dawn. If this is fate, then all I can say is that she is a romanticdy��"


    Lux didn''t know what to say, so he simply listened to the beautiful Queen as he leaned against the tree.


    Perhaps, the beautifuldy knew that Lux didn''t want to talk, so she took the initiative to do all the talking, simply saying whatever crossed her mind.


    "You know, being an Oracle is a blessing and a curse," Queen Bianca stated. "I''ve seen many things, including things that I don''t want to see. Do you know? I already know the exact date that I will die and what will happen after it? Very neat, right?"


    Lux, who had just been listening, frowned.


    "Since you know when you are going to die, can''t you do anything about it?" Lux asked.


    "Perhaps," Queen Bianca answered. "But it takes a lot of courage and willpower to defy Fate. I don''t know if I have the courage or the willpower to do it. Still, if I manage to seed, my only regret is that I won''t be able to see my two daughters grow up."


    A few minutes of silence passed between them before the beautiful Queen heaved a deep sigh.


    "Lux, I have a favor to ask," Queen Bianca said softly. "Sometime in the distant future, Aurora will need to make a difficult choice. One which will force her to choose between what is right and what is easy. When that timees, I want you to tell her that being her mother was one of the happiest moments of my life.


    "I didn''t regret raising her as my own, and even though we don''t share the same blood, that doesn''t change the fact that she is my precious daughter.


    "She''s my family, and I love her very much. Tell her that she doesn''t need to me herself for what happened. If she still feels guilty about it, tell her that I forgive her and that I will always be watching over her even though I am no longer in this world."


    Lux nced at the two girls who had started making flower wreaths and felt his heart ache, knowing that, in the future, the innocent smile of the pink-haired girl would disappear from her face.


    "Understood," Lux replied. "I will ry your message to her."


    Queen Bianca smiled. "Thank you. Meeting you here at this ce and time gave me some peace of mind. Although it is regrettable, our time together will notst long."


    At that moment, the Queen and the Half-Elf noticed the two girls running in their direction.


    "Mama!" Shayna shouted as she ran towards her mother, carrying a wreath of flowers in her hands.


    When she arrived at her mother''s location, she ced the wreath of flowers on Queen Bianca''s head before giving her a hug.


    Queen Bianca kissed Shayna''s cheeks before hugging her back.


    "Mother, this is for you," Aurora said with a smile as she gently ced the wreath of flowers on her mother''s head.


    "Thank you, Aurora," Bianca said as she lightly pulled the pink-haired girl beside her to give her a kiss. "I love you."


    Aurora smiled and hugged her adoptive mother, who meant the world to her.


    Lux looked at this heartwarming scene with a smile, but his smile soon disappeared when the scenery changed.


    Queen Biancaid in a puddle of her own blood, and Shayna and Aurora were beside her, crying their hearts out.


    The city around them was burning, and several monsters were chasing after the citizens, devouring those whom they managed to catch with their ws.


    The Guards of the City were doing their best to hold back the horde of monsters, but some were still able to slip past their defenses.


    High above the sky, King Septimius was fighting against a Cmity-Ranked Flying Monster that resembled a Wyvern, making him unable to assist those on the ground.


    He was unaware that his wife was dying on the streets, while her two daughters were trying to drag her to safety.


    Suddenly, an Argonaut-Ranked Tiger overpowered one of the Guards of the city and ran towards the dying Queen because it had smelled her rich and powerful blood.


    Lux stepped forward and attacked the beast, but his spells only went past through it, leaving it unharmed.


    "Sh*t!" Lux cursed as the Tiger ran past him and opened its massive jaws to devour the three helpless girls.


    As if sensing that her two precious daughters were about to die, Queen Bianca''s body glowed brightly.


    A secondter the sound of metal shing against metal reverberated in the surroundings.


    The beautifuldy held a sword in her hand, protecting her children who were behind her, ignoring the fact that her lifeblood flowed ceaselessly from the gaping wound in her chest.


    "Stay�� away�� from�� my�� daughters!" Queen Bianca shouted as her sword erupted with a dazzling light that cut the monster in half.


    She then fell on her knees, using her sword as a means to support herself to keep from falling..


    "Mama!"


    "Mother!"


    Shayna and Aurora hugged Bianca, and their tears fell like rain.


    Bianca wanted to embrace the two of them very much, but her strength was leaving her body at a rapid rate. She was also starting to feel cold as blood seeped through the corner of her lips.


    Even so, her eyes that were filled with determination looked straight at the Half-Elf, who was standing in front of her.


    "Please�� promise�� me," Queen Bianca said using the remaining strength in her body. "My�� daughters. Please."


    Lux knelt and sped Queen Bianca''s hands that were holding the handle of her sword.


    "I will do my best to help them," Lux replied. "I promise."


    Queen Bianca smiled and breathed a sigh of relief before her eyes slowly closed.


    On that day, the Queen of Agartha died with a smile on her face.


    No one knew that she was the first person who managed to defy Fate and allowed her two beloved daughters to survive in exchange for her own life.

 Chapter 930 Trials Of The Heart [Part 3]

    ?


    Lux looked at Queen Bianca''s peaceful face while her two daughters cried by her side.


    The monsters were still rampaging inside the city, and screams of pain, death, desperation, and horror spread in the surroundings.


    "Mother��"


    A voice familiar to Lux reached his ears, making him raise his head to look behind Queen Bianca.


    There, a youngdy with long pink hair stood in a daze.


    There were two horns on her head and bat-like wings behind her back. Her gaze was fixed on the Queen, ignoring the carnage that was happening around her.


    "It''s your fault��" Aurora said as tears of blood streamed down her face. "It''s your fault. If not for you�� mother would still be alive!"


    Without warning, her spade-tipped tailshed out like a whip, heading towards the pink-haired girl who was bawling her eyes out, while hugging her dead mother.


    Lux reacted on time and used his body to shield the young Aurora from the Subus who seemed to be dead set in ending her life.


    Aurora''s tail bounced off the Half-Elf''s arm, which was now covered in Dragon Scales.


    "Aurora! Snap out of it!" Lux shouted. "Don''t let your heart demon consume you!"


    The subus ignored the Half-Elf''s words and raised both of her hands.


    "Because of you, my mother died!" Aurora shouted. "You deserve to die!"


    The Subus unleashed a wave of zing mes toward her younger self, who was still clinging to her dead mother.


    The mes engulfed her targets, making her smile.


    "Good!" Aurora sneered as she intensified the power of the mes which had created an infernal hell in front of her. "You deserve to die. You should have died long ago! If not for you, Mother would still be alive!"


    A few secondster, she stopped her attack and watched as the mes slowly receded.


    She believed that after everything she had done, the little devil would have now burned to a crisp, and that thought made her smile sweetly.


    However, the smile on her face disappeared when she saw something ck within the mes, resisting the inferno that was burning around it.


    Lux opened his Draconic Wings and dispersed the mes from the surroundings.


    Shayna, the young Aurora, and their dead mother were safe, even though everything around them had been reduced to ashes.


    "I should have expected that the child of Bad Luck would be hard to kill," Aurora said in a hoarse voice. "But it doesn''t matter. I will erase her existence from this world, and end everyone''s suffering once and for all!"


    She then shifted her gaze to the ck Demi-Dragon in front of her and sneered.


    "Why are you protecting that THING?!" Aurora growled. "That creature doesn''t need to exist! Get out of my way! I will kill her!"


    "No," Lux stated. "You can''t kill her."


    "Fine," Aurora sneered. "I''ll kill you first."


    The Subus'' body was then engulfed by purple mes, making her look like a devil from hell.


    "Anyone who stands in my way will die," Aurora stated as purple ming swords appeared in both of her hands. "Anyone who sides with Misfortune''s Beloved doesn''t deserve to live!"


    Lux took a step forward, making the ground under his feet shatter.


    With every step he took, the ground crumbled as if there was an invisible force that was strong enough to break everything in his way.


    "Protect them," Lux ordered. "Do I make myself clear?"


    All of his Named Creatures and the members of his Covenant all appeared behind him.


    Lux''s Corpse God materialized and positioned itself to protect Shayna and the young Aurora from any harm.


    Even ckfire was there, hovering above Queen Bianca''s head like an imprable fortress, shielding the living and the dead.


    Time seemed to move slowly as Lux and Aurora walked towards each other.


    zing mes trailed in her wake, while destruction followed behind the Demi-Dragon.


    When they were only a few meters away from each other, both of them disappeared, and a powerful shock wave erupted at the city''s center.


    Purple mes and ck mes shed in a never-ending dance of death and destruction, destroying everything around them.


    Aurora''s swords and Lux''s Draconic ws shed repeatedly, sending sparks flying in every direction.


    Seeing that she was unable to get the upper hand, she used her tail to grab one of Lux''s legs and threw him towards a house, destroying itpletely.


    Just as Aurora was about to throw a fireball at the fallen Demi-Dragon, Lux opened his mouth and unleashed Transcendent ck Dragon mes that were very effective against Abyssal Creatures.


    Aurora gritted her teeth and dodged to the side, avoiding Lux''s counterattack.


    However, before she could even recover her battle stance, Lux''s draconic tail smashed against the side of her body, sending her flying backward, and destroying houses along the way.


    A few secondster, a scream erupted in the distance, and a zing purpleet flew toward Lux with a vengeance.


    The Demi-Dragon didn''t back away and covered himself in ck mes, charging towards the crazed Subus, who had lost her sense of reason.


    The two shed and tried to overpower each other.


    Half a minuteter, the Purple Comet became bigger pushing the ck Comet to the ground.


    An earth-shaking explosion erupted, destroying a quarter of the city.


    When the dust cloud receded, the figure of a Subus, who was trying to sever the Demi-Dragon''s head from its body, could be seen.


    Lux was holding her hands, preventing her des from cutting his neck. However, to his surprise, Aurora was slowly but surely winning the battle of strength.


    "All who side with Misfortune must die!" Aurora growled. "The Misfortune''s Beloved must die!"


    "Why do you girls always like to be on top?" Lux replied through gritted teeth. "Shouldn''t our roles be reversed?"


    Aurora sneered as she continued to push her des towards the Demi-Dragon''s neck with a crazed look on her face.


    Just as the des were about to touch Lux''s skin, a set of bony hands grabbed hold of Aurora''s arms, preventing her from going for the kill.


    The Subus nced at the two Little Skeletons who were holding onto her in confusion.


    "Why?" Aurora asked them. "Aren''t you two supposed to be on my side? Why are you helping him? Whose side are you on?"


    The two Little Skeletons opened their mouths, and because Lux could understand the Undead, he heard Zane and Zeke tell Aurora that they were always on her side.


    "Then why?!" Aurora growled. "Why are you getting in my way?!"


    The two Little Skeletons urged Aurora to stop and return to her senses. However, instead of calming down the Subus, their plea only enraged her more.


    "Are you going to betray me?!" Aurora asked, her voice filled with killing intent. "I trusted the two of you, and now, you n to betray me?!"


    The Subus'' eyes zed brightly.


    "Unforgivable!"


    She then used her wings to p the two Little Skeletons, shattering their bodiespletely.


    "Traitors," Aurora said as blood seeped from the corner of her lips. "All of you betrayed me. All of you left my side. None of you care about me. All of you threw me away."


    All of you��


    All of you��


    All of you��


    All of you�� deserve to die!


    Just as she was about to hack Lux apart with her swords, the Demi-Dragon''s fist connected with the side of her face, sending her flying to the side.


    He then snapped his fingers and the two Little Skeletons reassembled their bodies and looked at their Mistress.


    Although they were only made up of bones, and no expressions could be seen on their faces, a feeling of sadness reverberated from their bodies.


    Zane and Zeke then walked towards Aurora with their arms stretched wide, as if pleading for her to calm down.


    However, instead of listening to them, the Subus obliterated them with two fireballs, making them turn into particles of light.


    These lights then flew towards Aurora and she engulfed them with purple mes.


    A few secondster, two Little Skeletons that were coated with purple mes stood beside their mistress as their ming eyes locked onto the Demi-Dragon''s body.


    "Zane, Zeke, you love me, right?" Aurora said as she patted the heads of the two Little Skeletons. "You will help me, right?"


    The two Skeletons nodded their heads at the same time.


    "Then help me kill this fool," Aurora smiled. "After that, the three of us are going to y, okay? Back in that dark ce where no one will hurt us anymore."


    The two Little Skeletons nodded and summoned two bone swords in each hand. They then walked side-by-side with their Mistress, who wished to kill the Demi-Dragon in front of her.


    Lux sighed before taking a fighting stance. He finally understood why Aurora was able to overpower him.


    Since this was her memory, the entire world was considered to be her Domain.


    As long as she wished for it, she would gain the power she needed in order to destroy anything that stood in her way.


    "Are you sure you want it to end like this, Aurora?" Lux''s clone said as he looked at the younger Aurora, who was still hugging Queen Bianca. "Your mother sacrificed her life to save you. Is this how you want things to end? Does her sacrifice only amount to this?"


    The young Aurora''s body shuddered after hearing Lux''s words.


    "Someone like me doesn''t deserve to live," the Young Aurora said softly. "I only bring pain to the people around me. I would be better off dead."


    "Then what about your sister?" Lux asked. "She''s already lost her mother, do you want her to lose a sister as well?"


    The Young Aurora nced at the crying Shayna, whose snot and tears were mixing together as she clung to her mother.


    "Mama!" Shayna cried. "Mama, wake up!"


    Seeing her sister in such a state, an indescribable emotion surfaced within the Young Aurora''s heart.


    It was as if her heart had a big hole in it, making her feel iplete and incapable of feeling any other emotions aside from extreme sadness and powerlessness.


    And yet, as Shayna''s wails reverberated inside her head, something stirred inside her mind.


    Something that once belonged to her in a time when she and her family were still living happily together.

 Chapter 931 Trials Of The Heart [Part 4]

    ?


    "Sh*t!" Lux cussed as he fended off Zane and Zeke''s opportunistic attacks and fought against Aurora at the same time.


    The two Little Skeletons were Deimos-Ranked Monsters, whom he had originally created in order to apany and protect Misfortune''s Beloved.


    But now, they had ranked up into Argonaut-Ranked Monsters and were assisting their Mistress in dealing with the pest that was preventing her from killing her younger self.


    After kicking Zeke away, the Half-Elf immediately jumped to his right side and rolled on the ground.


    A secondter, a beam of purple light obliterated the ce where he initially stood, creating a shockwave that pushed him away.


    When Lux managed to regain his bnce, a crater that was hundreds of meters wide stood in front of him.


    Before he could even do anything, two bone swords stabbed his back, piercing through his draconic scales.


    Fortunately, Lux''s dragon scales were very thick and hard, so the bone swords were only able to embed themselves an inch inside his body.


    Lux had also moved his body at thest second, preventing the two Little Skeletons from hitting a vital spot in his body.


    ''They''re getting stronger,'' Lux thought before swatting away the two pesky critters, shattering their bodies.


    But that wasn''t enough to stop them.


    Zane and Zeke reattached their bones together andughed at the Half-Elf as if mocking him for being unable to kill thempletely.


    "Die!"


    Another beam of light descended from the sky, and this time, Lux had no way to avoid it.


    Since that was the case, he decided not to evade and take it head-on.


    "Calypso!" Lux summoned the Spear of Longinus and used it to block the iing attack from the Subus, whose bloodshot eyes were locked onto his body.


    Another powerful explosion erupted, obliterating everything around the Half-Elf.


    Aurora looked down at the ground, waiting for the dust cloud to recede. A few secondster, she saw her opponent standing in the center of a crater, his body oozing with white smoke.


    "That hur��ouch! Bastards!" Lux swung his spear around, destroying Zane and Zeke, who justnded another sneak attack on him from behind after their Mistress'' Beam Attack.


    The Half-Elf panted for breath as he looked up at the beautifuldy in the sky, who reminded him of the Subus Queen, Rhiannon.


    Aurora''s expression was cold, and her eyes were emitting killing intent. Clearly, she wanted him dead, and if it weren''t for Lux''s strong physique, he would''ve lost.


    He knew that it was impossible for him to beat Aurora in her Domain.


    Not only was she getting stronger, but he could also feel himself getting weaker as if his strength was being sapped out of his body at a steady rate.


    Lux knew that this was a trial, but it wasn''t his trial. So no matter what he did, it was impossible for him to win.


    Only Aurora would be able to defeat herself and ovee her heart demon, allowing her to be a Ranker.


    The beautiful Subus raised her right hand.


    A momentter, a giant purple ming sword that was hundreds of meters long appeared in the heavens and its sword point was pointing at the Demi-Dragon, who was on the ground.


    "Time to end this," Aurora stated coldly. "Anyst words?"


    (A/N: Kekeke. Tell her that you banged her Subus Mom.)


    (E/N: "You''ll have a new sister soon, and I''m the father. Call me Daddy.")


    "Your mother asked me to tell you that being your mother was one of the happiest moments of her life," Lux stated. "She said that she didn''t regret raising you as her own daughter, even though you and her weren''t blood-rted. For her, you were her precious daughter whom she loved with all of her heart.


    "She also said that you don''t need to me yourself for what has happened. If you are still feeling guilty, she also told me to tell you that she forgives you, and she will be watching over you even though she is no longer in this world."


    Tears of blood streamed down Aurora''s beautiful face as she red at the Half-Elf from the sky.


    "Liar!" Aurora growled. "You liar! How dare you lie to me!"


    With a roar filled with anger, sadness, and killing intent, Aurora swung her hand forward as if shing the air.


    Immediately, the Giant Sword descended from the sky, threatening to destroy everything below the Heavens.


    Lux, who had a feeling that Aurora wouldn''t believe him, also roared as he imbued all of his strength to the Divine Weapon in his hands.


    "Pierce the Void!" Lux roared. "Spear of Longi��"


    The Half-Elf wasn''t able to finish his chant because someone suddenly appeared between him and the Giant Sword that was descending from the sky.


    "Kyrie Eleison."


    A golden magic circle appeared in the path of the Magic Sword, creating a barrier and preventing it from moving forward.


    When the magic circle and the giant sword collided, a powerful shockwave decimated everything within a mile-wide radius around them.


    The two forces tried to push each other away as they heeded their Masters''mands.


    Lux subconsciously swallowed his saliva as he looked at the girl, who had created the barrier in front of him.


    Her long, pink hair fluttered in the breeze, highlighting her delicate form. She stood like a beacon of light, holding off the darkness and preventing the world from being destroyed.


    Half a minuteter, several cracks appeared on the barrier, making Lux grit his teeth as he clenched his fists in preparation to save the girl in front of him.


    However, before he could even do anything, the little girl turned her head to look at him. She had a sad expression on her face, which made Lux''s heart ache.


    "Don''t do anything," the younger Aurora stated. "This is my battle."


    As soon as she finished talking, the sound of countless crystal vases breaking at the same time spread in the surroundings.


    The golden barrier shattered, and the Giant Sword pushed its way toward the little girl and the Half-Elf, who were only a few seconds away from being annihted.

 Chapter 932 Trials Of The Heart [Part 5]

    ?


    Lux could feel his liver itch as the giant ming sword neared them.


    However, when it was only a few meters away from Aurora, the little girl casually raised her right hand and grabbed the tip of the sword barehanded.


    A secondter, she gave it a pinch, causing the sword de to crack. This crack extended from where she pinched to the rest of the sword until the sword shattered like crystal.


    "So you''re finally here." the Subus Aurora sneered. "You saved me the trouble of finding you. Are you ready to die, Child of Misfortune?"


    The young Aurora didn''t answer right away, instead, she looked in the direction where her little sister, Shayna, was crying while clinging onto her mother who had passed away in order to protect them.


    "I tried to kill myself many times," the Young Aurora said softly. "But something or someone always got in my way. Whenever I harbor these dark thoughts inside my head, Shayna would appear and give me a hug.


    "Her warmth prevented me from doing so, but whenever she wasn''t around, these negative thoughts returned to me. Perhaps, my Father, the King, also realized what was happening, so he ced a powerful restriction on me, preventing me frommitting suicide.


    "A few years have passed since my mother''s death, and yet, every night, Shayna would sleep with me on the same bed and hold me close, while her body trembled. I would often sing her a luby until she fell asleep in my arms before I, too, closed my eyes to sleep.


    "When I wake up in the morning, I would often find my clothes drenched with my sister''s tears. It was at that moment that I realized something important. If I died, my sister would still cry in her sleep. The only difference was that I would no longer be there to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be fine."


    The Younger Shayna raised her head to look at the Subus in the sky and gave her a bitter smile.


    "You came a bit toote," the Younger Aurora stated. "If you hade here several years ago, I would have dly surrendered myself to your de in order to end my suffering. But times have changed. I no longer wish to die because I need to live for the sake of my Mother.


    "I need to live for the sake of my sister.


    "I need to live in order to let them know that this life that was given to me was worth living for."


    The beautiful Subusughed and pped her hands.


    "Very funny," the Subus Auroramented. "No one needs you in this world. You are capable of nothing but spreading misfortune and heartache. How many families have you ruined? How many people have suffered because of you? How many people have died because of you? Are you still asleep? Why don''t you wake up from your delusion, little girl?"


    "And those are some of the other reasons why I need to keep living," the Young Aurora replied. "My death will not solve anything."


    "It may not solve anything, but it will make them happy."


    "And some will be sad when I die, so I don''t n on dying. Not today, not tomorrow."


    The Subus smirked.


    "I''m afraid you don''t have a choice on that matter." The Subus'' entire body started to ze in purple mes like a Phoenix. "Today, I will end your suffering. I will end our suffering."


    The Young Aurora slowly floated towards the sky until she was on the same level as the Subus.


    Golden mes erupted from her body as she faced her counterpart with a fearless gaze.


    A few secondster, she nced at the Half-Elf on the ground and smiled.


    "Do you want me to live?" the Young Aurora asked.


    Lux nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I want you to live, and live a happy life."


    The smile on the Young Aurora''s face widened after hearing Lux''s reply. She then shifted her attention to the Subus, who was looking back at her with contempt.


    "The only reason why he wants you to live is because of your body," the Subus scoffed. "Since he tried to save you, he will definitely ask for something in return. There''s no free lunch in this world, you ignorant fool. It''s either you use people, or you''ll be used by them."


    The Young Aurora blinked once then twice before looking at the Half-Elf on the ground.


    "Is that true?" the Young Aurora asked. "You are only saving me because you want my body?"


    "Huh? Of course not," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "I already have two fiances, you know?"


    "Do you need more?" the Younger Aurora asked in a barely audible voice, which Lux didn''t manage to hear.


    "Can you repeat what you said?" Lux inquired. "I wasn''t able to hear it properly."


    "I-It''s nothing," the Younger Aurora said before looking at the Subus in front of her.


    The Subus smirked before summoning countless ming swords in the sky, in preparation for the final showdown.


    The Younger Aurora did no such thing. However, the two Little Skeletons floated beside her. They were no longer covered in purple mes, and instead, their bodies glowed in a golden luster.


    "Zane, Zeke, we can do this," the Younger Aurora said.


    The two Little Skeletons gave her a thumbs up before summoning their bone swords and taking a fighting stance beside their young Mistress.


    Half a minuteter, the Subus Aurora raised her hand, and countless swords flew in the Younger Aurora''s direction.


    The little girl charged forward like a gold, apanied by two small ones.


    Lux watched as the two sides collided, creating explosions in the sky.


    The countless swords fell on Aurora like rain, but Zane and Zeke parried them all like two War Gods protecting their Goddess from harm.


    Seeing that her attacks weren''t affecting her enemy, the Subus summoned two purple swords in her hands and charged at the Young Aurora, her eyes burning in hatred.


    Their collision made the entire world shake, creating cracks in the sky every time they exchanged blows with each other.


    Lux knew that this was the moment of truth, and the Aurora that would prevail would take over her body in the real world.


    But just as he was entertaining this thought, a gold fell down from the sky andnded several meters away from him.


    There, lying on the ground with her gaze staring at the clouded sky, was the Young Aurora, with a bloody hole in her chest, that made the Half-Elf feel as if he had lost something very important to him in the span of a heartbeat.

 Chapter 933 Overcoming The Heart Demon [Part 1]

    ?


    "Aurora!" Lux shouted as he dashed toward the young girl who was falling from the sky.


    "�� She''s�� too strong," the Young Aurora said weakly. "I can''t�� win�� in my current�� state."


    "Don''t talk," Lux replied. "Save your breath."


    The Half-Elf then used the skills Healing Wind and Half Life in order to help her recover from her injury.


    The bloody hole in her chest was slowly but surely closing up, which made Lux sigh in relief. However, the youngdy''s face was deathly pale, and all the colors in her face seemed to have been drained.


    Up in the sky, Zane and Zeke battled the Subus in order to give Lux some time to heal their Mistress.


    However, they were simply too weak to hold the Subus back, which resulted in the two of them crashing on the ground after the Beautiful Subus unleashed a barrage of attacks that overcame their defenses.


    "Everyone, fight!" Lux ordered.


    The Half-Elf summoned his two clones, who immediately summoned their Undead Army to assist in buying time.


    Lux''s Named Creatures and the Members of his Covenant also engaged the Subus in a deadly battle in the sky, preventing her from targeting the young girl whose life could be snuffed out at any moment.


    Originally, Lux thought that the Young Aurora would be able to overpower the Subus Aurora after she had awakened. However, his assumptions werepletely wrong, proven by the result of the sh between the two girls.


    Aurora, who was now against thousands of enemies at once, didn''t panic. She understood that she only needed to kill one person, and that was her younger self.


    As long as the Young Aurora was killed, she would be able to take control of their body, allowing her to do whatever she wanted.


    "Why don''t you leave that trash and join me, Lux?" the Subus Aurora said as she obliterated the Doomsday Gargoyles that tried to encircle her. "I promise that you will not regret it. I will give you my body and heart, how about it?"


    "I''m not interested in your body and heart," Lux replied as he pressed his hands over the bloody hole in Aurora''s chest.


    "What a pity," the Beautiful Subus shook her head, while she exterminated the Wraiths that attacked her en masse. "I guess you can die along with that little b*tch."


    Without another word, the Subus unleashed a hellish purple beam, aimed directly at the Half-Elf, who was busy healing her other half.


    A secondter, a powerful explosion shook the devastated city, making the Subus sneer.


    However, when the dust cloud receded, there was no sign of the Half-Elf or the little girl whom he was trying to save.


    Lux acted fast, swapping ces with one of his clones, and continued to heal Aurora as fast as he could.


    He knew that even if he fought the Subus Aurora with everything he had, it was still impossible for them to win because this was the Young Aurora''s Ranker Trial.


    She needed to ovee her heart demon by herself, or she''d be swallowed by it entirely.


    Fortunately, the hole in her chest had finally closed.


    Although her life was no longer in danger, it was only a matter of time before they were defeated.


    ''Think!'' Lux thought desperately. ''What can I do to help? There must be something I can do. Something to help tilt the scales to our favor.''


    While the Half-Elf was thinking of ways in order to help the Young Aurora win, countless explosions reverberated in the surroundings.


    But, within those explosions, the Half-Elf''s strong hearing heard something that made his eyes widen in shock.


    He then gazed in the distance and saw Shayna still clinging to her mother and bawling her eyes out.


    Although everything around Aurora''s little sister was devastated, she and her mom were left untouched by the destruction that the Subus had dealt upon this illusionary world.


    As if the final piece of the puzzle fell into ce, Lux finally understood that the goal of Aurora''s Trial was not to defeat the Subus.


    It was a trial for her to forgive herself!


    Without wasting any more time, Lux picked up the little girl in a princess carry and flew towards Shayna and her mother.


    Seeing this scene, the Subus'' face turned grim and charged in their direction. No matter what happened, she must prevent the little girl from realizing what needed to be done in order to beat her.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Calypso sneered. "Duel!"


    Immediately, the Subus found herself unable to continue flying in Lux''s direction. She then gave an otherworldly scream before flying towards the Living Armor, who had summoned countless golden orbs around her.


    "Golden Barrage!" Calypso roared, and the orbs of light unleashed countless beams of golden light that hit her target.


    Even so, the Subus didn''t back down and charged at her like a Purple Phoenix, with its wings spread wide.


    "Behold!" Asmodeus shouted. "Morpheus st!"


    The Death Tyrant, who had now be an adult Death Tyrant, unleashed rays of light that struck the Subus'' Body, petrifying herpletely.


    But this petrification didn''tst long. A few secondster, the Subus broke out of her stone prison and engaged Calypso in closebat.


    As a Divine Weapon, Calypso faced her opponent fearlessly and the two shed in the sky. Even so, she was still overpowered after forty moves and exploded into particles of light.


    Lux''s Undead Legion threw themselves at the Subus in a desperate attempt to buy as much time as they could.


    While this was happening, Lux finally arrived at his destination andnded beside Shayna.


    "Aurora, do you still feel guilty about the death of your mother?" Lux asked


    Instead of answering, the girl in his arms looked at her crying sister before shifting her gaze to her mother, who had breathed herst breath, not long ago.


    She then looked back at Lux and nodded her head.


    "I know that words are not enough to convince you, so, I will do this instead." Lux supported Aurora''s body until she could stand on her own.


    When he was sure that the little girl was standing on her own two feet, he lowered his head and pressed his forehead against her.


    A momentter, the Young Aurora found herself in a flower field.


    In the distance, two girls were giggling, while ying tag with each other.


    "This is��" Aurora muttered as she looked at this scene that had long been buried inside her heart.


    Suddenly, he heard someone talking not far from her.


    When she nced in the direction where the sound wasing from, she saw her mother standing beside Lux.


    "Don''t the two of them look adorable?" Queen Bianca asked the Half-Elf with a smile.


    Aurora saw the look of surprise and confusion on Lux''s face as he gazed at the beautiful Queen beside him.


    "I can see you, you know?" Queen Bianca giggled, which made Lux subconsciously take a step back.


    "Y-You can see me?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Queen Bianca replied. "But in my eyes, you look like a spirit. Did you perhaps die and still have lingering attachments to this world?"


    "I''m not a spirit," Lux answered.


    "Then you''re probably someone from the future."


    "Eh?"


    Aurora then watched as her mother and Lux walked toward the tree that overlooked the Flower Field and listened to their conversation, which made her heart skip a beat.

 Chapter 934 Overcoming The Heart Demon [Part 2]

    ?


    "You see, I''m an oracle of sorts," Queen Bianca said softly. "Today, I made a divination, and it told me toe to this ce at this time to meet someone who will help change the Fate of my daughter�� or perhaps, daughters?"


    As Aurora looked at her mother in the distance, she felt herself being pulled in her direction.


    Before she even knew it, her feet and legs already moved on their own, heading toward her mother whom she loved very much.


    Aurora watched as the Queen looked at the two little girls in the distance with an affectionate gaze.


    "Those two girls are my daughters," Queen Bianca said after sitting down on the grass. "The younger one is named Shayna, and the older one is named Aurora. Do you know? Aurora means Dawn. Her name refers to the time of the day when the sun is just about to rise from the horizon, giving light to the world."


    Yes, her name was Aurora. This was the name that Queen Bianca had given her when King Septimius adopted her into the Royal Family.


    "You know, being an Oracle is a blessing and a curse," Queen Bianca stated. "I''ve seen many things, including things that I don''t want to see. Do you know? I already know the exact date that I will die and what will happen after it? Very neat, right?"


    Lux, who had just been listening, frowned.


    "Since you know when you are going to die, can''t you do anything about it?" Lux asked.


    This was also the question in Aurora''s mind. Since her mother already knew when she would die, couldn''t she have done something differently and prevented her death? Maybe by doing so, she and Shayna wouldn''t have to suffer.


    "Perhaps," Queen Bianca answered. "But it takes a lot of courage and willpower to defy Fate. I don''t know if I have the courage or the willpower to do it. Still, if I manage to seed, my only regret is that I won''t be able to see my two daughters grow up."


    ''What?'' Aurora''s eyes widened in shock. ''If she managed to defy fate, she would not be able to see me and Shayna grow up? Howe? Why?''


    While she was reeling from her mother''s revtion, Queen Bianca''s next words made her feel as if a bucket of cold water was poured over her head.


    "Lux, I have a favor to ask," Queen Bianca said softly. "Sometime in the distant future, Aurora will need to make a difficult choice. One that will force her to choose between what is right and what is easy. When that timees, I want you to tell her that being her mother was one of the happiest moments of my life.


    "I didn''t regret raising her as my own, and even though we don''t share the same blood, that doesn''t change the fact that she is my precious daughter.


    "She''s my family, and I love her very much. Tell her that she doesn''t need to me herself for what happened. If she still feels guilty about it, tell her that I forgive her and that I will always be watching over her even though I am no longer in this world."


    "Understood," Lux replied. "I will ry your message to her."


    Queen Bianca smiled. "Thank you. Meeting you here at this ce and time gave me some peace of mind. Although it is regrettable, our time together will notst long."


    A momentter, the Half-Elf disappeared, but the scene didn''t change.


    Aurora watched as Shayna and the other Auroraid down on the grass and fell asleep, hugging each other.


    Suddenly, a gasp escaped Queen Bianca''s lips when her gazended on the disheveled Young Aurora, who was wearing bloody clothes and had bruises all over her body.


    "A-Aurora?" Queen Bianca stood up as she nced at the sleeping Aurora, who was hugging her sister, and the other Aurora, who was standing a few meters away from her.


    The Young Aurora didn''t speak and simply looked at her mother with tears streaming down the side of her face.


    "Why?" the Young Aurora asked. "Why did you have to die? Why did you have to leave Shayna and me alone?"


    Queen Bianca didn''t reply right away. Instead, she walked towards the Young Aurora and hugged her small and frail body that was injured all over.


    "I see�� so that''s how it is," Queen Bianca muttered as she hugged her beloved daughter. "It seems that Lux wasn''t the only one that I was supposed to meet here today. Fate had decided that you could meet me here onest time after my death."


    Aurora, who was no longer able to hold back her tears, hugged her mother and cried her eyes out.


    She kept on saying, "Why?", "Why did you have to die?", "Why did you have to leave us?", "Why?"


    Queen Bianca held her daughter until she calmed down. Only when Aurora was no longer crying did she crouch down to kiss her forehead.


    "Because I love you, Aurora," Queen Bianca replied. "Because I love you and Shayna."


    "I don''t understand," Aurora shook her head.


    Queen Bianca smiled bitterly before she cupped her daughter''s face with her hands.


    "I don''t know how far you are in the future right now, or how much suffering you have experienced after bing Misfortune''s Beloved," Queen Bianca said softly. "But know this��even if I did something different and prevented something from happening, Fate always finds a way to right what was wrong.


    "In order to defeat it, one must resolve themselves to stake everything, including their lives, leaving no option for a second chance."


    The scene around them suddenly changed and they returned to the city that was being besieged by Monsters.


    Aurora saw two little girls lying on the ground, in a puddle of their own blood. She saw her mother fighting off several monsters in order to reach them, but they were simply too many to fight on her own.


    She watched as one of the Monsters devoured her sister, Shayna, and feasted on her flesh and blood.


    She saw another monster lifting her own body and chomping on her legs, tearing her flesh and bones, eating heartily.


    She watched as her mother shouted in pain, anger, and sadness as the rest of Aurora''s body was eaten by the Monster, leaving nothing behind.


    She watched as her father crashed down from the sky, stabbed by the pointed stinger of the Cmity-Ranked Monster that he was fighting, and died a few secondster.


    Lastly, she watched as her mother fought in a berserk state, maddened with rage for the loss of the people who were important to her.


    An hourter, all the Monsters in the city were dead, leaving only the Queen behind.


    She kneeled on the ground in front of the two puddles of blood while holding the body of her dead husband.


    Queen Bianca wailed and pleaded for the heavens to return the people who were important to her.


    But the Gods didn''t hear her prayer.


    For they were no longer around.


    Even if they were still in Elysium, none of them cared about the life of a few mortals and their desperation.


    "This is the future that I saw," Queen Bianca said as she held Aurora''s body close to her. "This is why I''ve resolved within myself to defy fate, and I know that by doing so, I will pay the ultimate price."


    Suddenly, a smile appeared on her face, despite the sadness that she was projecting.


    "Seeing that you are here right now, it means that my gamble will seed," Queen Bianca then used her handkerchief to wipe the tear stains on her daughter''s face. "Aurora, if I were given the choice to return to the past, I would still do my best to defy fate. It might be selfish of me, but I didn''t want to spend my life all alone, without the three of you by my side.


    "Even when I''m no longer around, as long as you have Shayna and your father with you, I''m sure that things will be better. Hey~ I even saw a handsome Half-Elf earlier. I don''t know if you saw him too, but his name is Lux. Both of your names arepatible. You represent the darkness, while he represents the light.


    "Together, you will usher in a new dawn, which will illuminate the world that is filled with suffering and pain. My only regret is that I won''t be seeing it alongside the two of you. But if ever you and he became lovers, can you name your firstborn daughter, Bianca, in order to honor me? I would love that very much.


    "Even if I am no longer with you, I will be with you in spirit. So, my darling, I want you to live, not only for your sake but for mine as well. Can you promise me that?"


    Aurora nodded before kissing her mother''s cheek onest time.


    "I love you, Mother," Aurora said as she did her best to hold back her tears.


    "And I love you, more than anything in the world," Queen Biana said before nting onest kiss on Aurora''s forehead.


    A momentter, she disappeared, turning into particles of light that merged with her body, making Aurora feel as if all the burden that she carried for the past eighteen years of her life vanished without a trace.


    ����������������


    mes covered the entire city as the Subus Aurora walked towards Lux, who was protecting the Young Aurora, who was currently in a trance.


    All of Lux''s Undead Legion, Named Creatures, and Covenant Members had perished.


    The Half-Elf was also in his Demi-Dragon form, but he had suffered grave injuries, with wounds that were weeping with his lifeblood.


    "Goodbye, Lux," the Subus Aurora said as she raised her two zing hands. "It''s a pity that we didn''t see eye to eye."


    Without another word, she unleashed a dazzling ray of light that would end everything, allowing her to be the sole owner of Aurora''s body.


    Suddenly, something unexpected happened.


    The purple beam of light was split apart before it could even hit the Half-Elf.


    The Subus didn''t know what happened, but it didn''t take long for her to find the answer to her question


    A young girl stood in front of her, her right hand having pierced the Subus'' chest, gripping her heart.


    "I-Impossible," the Subus muttered in shock. "How did you manage to be stronger than me?"


    The Young Aurora smiled before saying something that only the Subus was able to hear.


    "That is my future husband you''re trying to kill," the Young Aurora said. "Hands off, b*tch."


    She then shattered the Subus'' heart, and thetter screamed in pain as she exploded in a shower of sparks, leaving nothing behind.


    The dark clouds that were covering the sky earlier parted, and a ray of light descended upon the young girl, who had finally forgiven herself for the things that had happened in the past.


    Even Lux, who was seriously injured, couldn''t avert his gaze from the youngdy, who looked like a divine being who was bathed in the ray of light.


    A minuteter, Aurora nced in his direction and gave him a smile, which made the Half-Elf''s heart skip a beat.


    The smile on Aurora''s face widened as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf who had reverted to his original form.


    What Lux didn''t know was that, after she had conquered her heart demon, Aurora had alsoid the foundation of her next conquest.


    Yes, the one she nned to conquer was none other than the person who had reached out to hold her hand in the darkness and allowed her to see the light that would soon usher in a new dawn in her life.

 Chapter 935 Misfortune Smiles Upon You [Part 1]

    ?


    The Illusionary world began to crumble the moment the Young Aurora defeated her heart demon.


    Half a minuteter, Lux found himself hugging a naked beauty in his arms, and the realization made his body stiffen.


    To make matters worse, he also noticed that he was also naked, making his blood rush to his mid region.


    Aurora, who also noticed the situation she was in, didn''t react the same way as Lux.


    In fact, she was quite calm despite being hugged by a naked man and even looked up at the Half-Elf with an innocent look on her face.


    "Lux, something hard and hot is hitting my stomach," Aurora said. "Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?"


    The Half-Elf wanted to facepalm so badly because his little brother chose the wrong time to say "hello" to the peerless beauty in front of him.


    "I-I''m fine," Lux stuttered as he summoned a nket from his storage ring, and wrapped it around Aurora''s body. "Our clothes got destroyed when your body was covered with purple mes earlier. I''ll get you some new ones."


    Lux hurriedly took out some of the clothes that he had prepared for his fiance, Cai, just in case she returned to her old habit of not putting on clothes before transforming into her boar form.


    "Thank you," Aurora said as she epted the clothes given to her.


    Lux turned around in order to put some clothes on as well. Only when Aurora said that she had finished donning her own clothes did he turn around to look at her.


    Aurora wore a white one-piece dress that was snug at the waist, highlighting the curves of her body.


    After she became a Ranker, her body had undergone a rebirth, and she no longer looked like a malnourished person.


    In fact, she looked so energetic and lively that Lux was unable to keep his eyes off her.


    Aurora then walked towards him and returned the nket with a smile.


    "Are you feeling better now?" Lux asked. "Do you feel any pain in your body?"


    Truth be told, he didn''t need to ask this question, but he still did.


    Although he could sense that the burden she was carrying had disappeared from her body, he was still wondering if her ascension to be a Ranker had any lingering side effects.


    "I feel great," Aurora replied. "I''ve never felt better before. In fact, I feel as if I can run for miles without stopping."


    "That''s good to hear," Lux nodded. "Well then, shall we leave this ce? I feel like you are now able to do that."


    Aurora looked at the barrier in the distance that had prevented her from escaping.


    Because of what happened earlier, Lux wasn''t able to tell her that she could teleport directly to his Guild Headquarters in order to escape her prison.


    However, before he could exin this to her, Aurora walked towards the barrier with steady steps.


    Her steps were filled with confidence as if nothing could stop her from doing what she wanted. A minuteter, she sessfully crossed the barrier, after which she turned around to look at Lux with a smug expression on her face.


    ''Congrattions, Aurora," Lux said as he, too, walked past the barrier. "You have taken your first step to regain your freedom."


    "Thank you, Lux," Aurora said before holding his hand. "I wouldn''t have been able to do it without your help."


    The two then walked towards the stairs in order to leave the deepest part of the Inner Sanctum.


    When they arrived at the middleyer, the two immediately heard a loudmotion.


    All the monsters were attacking the Purple Barrier that locked them in ce as if they had all gone crazy.


    As Aurora was passing one of the monster cells, the monster that was locked up behind it suddenly roared, making the youngdy jump back in surprise. However, as if she had stepped on a banana peel, she slid and nearly fell to the ground.


    Fortunately, her hands managed to touch the barrier, using it as a support to prevent herself from falling.


    Suddenly, a loud crack reverberated in the surroundings, making Lux feel a chill run down his spine.


    Two golden eyes stared at Aurora, and a set of razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the darkness. The creature suddenly moved and smashed its fist against the crack of the barrier, making it expand.


    The monster''s attack created a shockwave, which pushed Aurora to the cage beside it.


    The youngdy was forced to use both of her hands to prevent her face from smashing into the barrier.


    Just like what happened earlier, a crack appeared on the barrier of the second cage, breaking Lux out of his daze.


    The Half-Elf immediately scooped Aurora into a princess carry and started to sprint toward the stairs in order to reach his friends, who were waiting for him at the entrance.


    "Everyone run!" Lux shouted as soon as he exited the gates of the Inner Sanctum. "Two Cmity-Ranked Monsters are about to break free!"


    Cethus'' face turned pale after hearing the news. The Dragon Born immediately opened his wings and took to the sky in order to escape.


    Lux and Gerhart flew into the sky as well, while Lilian used Air Steps to jump upwards.


    The Saintess, who had followed them, had heard Lux''s shout, but she didn''t believe what the Half-Elf had said.


    They had gone into the Inner Sanctum in the past and tried to free the monsters there using brute force and magic, but their attempts didn''t work.


    She refused to believe that the neers were able to do something that even they couldn''t achieve, so she stayed for a bit to confirm if they were telling the truth or not.


    It was at that moment when thend under her feet shook, almost making her lose her bnce.


    A momentter, two creatures emerged from the Gates of the Inner Sanctum, which made the Saintess feel as if all of her breath were taken away from her.


    Even so, as someone who had managed to reach her Rank, she was able to recover right away and retreated as fast as she could.


    She had to inform their King that two Cmity-Ranked Monsters had escaped their prison.


    Monsters that were deemed to be too dangerous to be left wandering thends of Agartha, due to how powerful, and destructive they were.

 Chapter 936 Misfortune Smiles Upon You [Part 2]

    ?


    Lux nced at the ground and observed the two Cmity-Ranked Monsters that escaped the prison.


    Aurora, who was in his arms, trembled because she knew that she was the one responsible for letting the two Monsters escape.


    "I''m sorry," Aurora said. "My luck is simply terrible."


    Lux was about to tell her that it wasn''t her fault, but he managed to stop himself in time. He knew that saying those words wouldn''t help Aurora.


    The only thing he could do now was decide what he was going to do next.


    "Should we warn the city?" Lux asked Lilian, who had transformed into a little slime that was currently perched on his shoulder.


    "The Saintess who followed us is already on her way back to the city," Lilian replied. "I''m sure she will warn everyone once she arrives."


    Cethus, who was flying beside them, nced at the Monsters on the ground before shifting his gaze to Lux.


    "So, what now?" Cethus inquired.


    "Good question," Lux answered. "For now, let''s distance ourselves from those Monsters. Let''s return to the city first."


    The Half-Elf and hisrades then flew towards the City of Exile, where the two Monsters were currently headed.


    One of them was two meters tall and looked like a Naga with golden eyes and razor-sharp teeth.


    The other monster, who looked like an Ogre, was bigger, which he estimated to be around six to eight meters tall. It had four arms, and its skin was dark red.


    Although these two Monsters noticed Lux''s group flying in the sky, they ignored them.


    For some reason, the Monsters were determined to head to the City of Exile, where all the exiled people of Agartha were currently staying.


    While this was happening, the Saintess finally arrived in the city. She immediately used her ability to pass the news to her King, as well as to everyone in the city.


    "Two Cmity-Ranked Monsters are headed this way!" the Saintess shouted. "They are the Blood Ogre and the Golden-Eyed Naga!"


    Immediately, the entire city was thrown into chaos.


    Everyone started to leave their homes and scattered like wild ducks that heard the sound of gunfire.


    The King of the Exiles smashed his wine cup on the ground before ring hatefully at the sky, where Lux and hisrades were currently at.


    "Sh*t! I should have killed all of them when I had the chance!" the handsome man cursed.


    However, he knew that if he didn''t take control of the situation, things would get ugly pretty quickly.


    "Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, to me!" the King of Exiles shouted. "All Rankers and High-Rankers, defend the city walls!"


    When the panicking crowd of people heard their King, they stabilized themselves and immediately took action. They no longer ran, and instead headed towards the City Walls in order to defend it.


    Meanwhile, the Four Saints appeared before their King and waited for his order.


    "Artagnan, Athos, and Porthos, the three of you will deal with the Blood Ogre," the King of Exiles ordered. "Aramis, you will help me distract the Golden-Eyed Naga."


    The Handmaiden, who went by the name, Aramis, nodded her head.


    Meanwhile, the three men, Artagnan, Athos, and Porthos, all nodded their heads in agreement before flying towards the City Walls in order to deal with the Blood Ogre.


    "Remember this, Aramis��our purpose is to distract the Naga, not engage it in battle," the King of Exile stated. "It is impossible for us to defeat it with just the two of us. The most we can do is buy time until the others are done dealing with the Blood Ogre. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Aramis replied.


    "Good." The King of Exiles sighed. "Let''s go."


    Ten minutester, the two Monsters finally entered the range of the defenders on the City Walls.


    "Open fire!" the King of Exiles ordered a barrage of spells and projectiles to rain upon the two Cmity-Ranked Monsters that were headed in their direction.


    The five Saints didn''t hold back and unleashed their strongest attacks, targeting the monsters that were assigned to them.


    "Should we help them?" Gerhart asked.


    Lux was hesitant to join the battle, but something tugged on his clothes, which made him look at the youngdy in his arms.


    "This is my fault," Aurora said. "If possible, I want to help them."


    The Half-Elf understood that Aurora wanted to take responsibility for letting the monsters go free. Because of this, he decided to grant her request. But he had a condition.


    "I will help them, but you will not join the battle," Lux stated. "I hope you understand."


    "��I do," Aurora replied. "Thank you, Lux."


    The Half-Elf then nced at the Wicked Queen Slime beside him, who had a frown on her face.


    "Don''t tell me I''m going to babysit her?" Lilian asked. "I''m not your nanny."


    Lux was shot down before he could even say anything, so he didn''t have a choice but to shift his attention to Gerhart.


    "Gerhart, please look after Aurora," Lux said. "I will help defend the City of Exile. If the two Monsters manage to break inside the city, take Aurora and leave right away."


    Unlike Lilian, Gerhart nodded.


    "Understood," Gerhart replied. "Take care."


    Cethus also had no intention of joining the battle. He wasn''t a Martyr, and he had no connection with the City of Exile. Because of this, he decided to stay with Gerhart and watch the battle from a safe distance.


    "Be careful, Lux," Aurora said as she let go of his hand.


    "Don''t worry." Lux lightly patted her head. "If things get dangerous, I will escape as well."


    After saying those words, Lux flew towards the battlefield and summoned his two clones.


    Although his Covenant Members had died in Aurora''s Dream World, their deaths weren''t considered true death since the world they fought in wasn''t real.


    Because of this, Lux was able to summon them without any problems.


    "Avernus,e!"


    The Half-Elf summoned his Dracolich and stood on his back.


    Now that he was fighting in the real world, he wanted to see if his forces were strong enough to stop the rampage of two Cmity-Ranked Monsters while helping the Exiled People of Agartha defend the city that they call home.


    ------------------------


    Author''s Note: Very soon, I will be making consecutive arcs that will break your hearts.


    Some of you will hate me, curse me, and wish that you could strangle me alive. Those who know me understand that this will be a very painful journey.


    But, to those of you who are able to survive until the end, I promise you that it will be worth it.


    Everyone, brace yourselves. We are in the End Game now.


    P.S Don''t worry, this friendly message will not make you spend an extra coin. Kekeke.

 Chapter 937 Misfortune Smiles Upon You [Part 3]

    ?


    "Don''t ck off, boys!" an Old Lady holding onto a wooden cane shouted. "If we fail to push back these two critters, we''re all gonna die. Put your backs into it!"


    "We''re doing what we can, you old hag!" a man who was nearly two meters tall and busy shooting at the two Monsters with his bow and arrows shouted back. "Stop yelling and start helping!"


    "You bastard, who are you calling an Old Hag? You have a death wish?!"


    "I don''t. But if I run out of arrows, I''m gonna use you as a projectile!"


    Simr scenarios were happening on the ramparts of the City Walls as the Exiles cursed, shouted, and encouraged each other to fight with everything they had.


    The King of Exiles, who went by the name Louis, frowned as the two Monsters continued to advance toward their city even with all the able-bodied Exiles in the city doing their best to keep them at bay.


    "Everyone, prepare to engage!" Louis ordered.


    As soon as he gave the signal, he, along with the four other Saints of the City, all flew toward the two Monsters and engaged them in closebat.


    Just like their earlier assignments, three of the Saints fought with the Blood Ogre, while Louis and Aramis fought against the Golden-Eyed Naga.


    Seeing their King fighting on the Front Lines, the people cheered from on top of the ramparts and continued to support them with cover fire.


    Suddenly, a giant shadow appeared above their heads, making the Exiles all look up at the sky.


    There, they saw something simr to a Bone Dragon, which made their hearts shudder inside their chest.


    They thought that the giant Monster was another creature that had escaped the Inner Sanctum and was going to attack them.


    However, before they could even attack the Monster, it unleashed a Dragon''s Breath at the Blood Ogre, catching everyone by surprise.


    Louis gave the Dracolich a side-long nce before giving an order not to attack it.


    But the surprise didn''t end there.


    The gates of the city opened, and countless Skeletons charged out of it. There were also Jade Golems and creatures that were simr to Orcs holding tower shields.


    "Make sure to not hit those Skeletons!" the Old Lady shouted. "I don''t know where the Undead came from, but they are on our side. Since they''vee to help, make sure to not attack them!"


    The Old Lady didn''t have to remind everyone as everyone already knew what to do the moment the Skeletons surged out of the gate.


    However, something happened that gave them goosebumps.


    Nightstalkers and Lich Revenants climbed up the City Walls and joined the defenders in using long-ranged attacks at the two Cmity-Ranked Monsters.


    Some of the Exiles backed away in haste until nearly half of the Ramparts were upied by the Undead Army.


    "Be at ease," Asmodeus said. "We are on the same side. At least for now."


    The Old Lady looked at the Lich King with a frown on her face. "Who are you and why are you helping us?"


    The Lich King chuckled before giving the Old Lady a slight bow.


    "My name is Asmodeus, and I am a Lich King," Asmodeus introduced himself. "As to why I am doing this, it''s simply because it is what my Master wanted. Since it''s his wish to help defend the city, then we will do everything in our power to make it happen."


    The Old Lady pondered for a bit before asking the Lich King another question.


    "And who is your Master?" the Old Lady asked.


    Asmodeus pointed at the Half-Elf that was standing on top of the Dracolich that was flying in the sky.


    "My Master''s name is Lux Von Kaizer," Asmodeus replied. "Make sure to thank himter, okay?"


    Asmodeus then shifted his gaze to the Blood Ogre in the distance. He knew that targeting both Monsters wouldn''t help in the long run, so he decided to focus their firepower on one target only.


    "Aim at the Blood Ogre," Asmodeus ordered. "Open Fire!"


    Ishtar, Lazarus, Morpheus (Death Tyrant), the Nightstalkers, and the Lich Revenants all unleashed a deadly barrage that forced the Blood Ogre to go on the defensive.


    Lux, who was riding on top of Avernus, raised his right hand, and a tombstone that was six meters tall appeared hundreds of meters away from the Blood Ogre.


    A few secondster, countless Enraged Ghouls materialized in its surroundings and began to charge at the Blood Ogre like rabid dogs.


    All of these Ghouls were Rank 5 Monsters and wouldn''t pose much of a threat to the Blood Ogre.


    However, since all of Lux''s subordinates were boosted with multiple buffs that improved their Attack, Defense, and Health, they could all be considered Pseudo Deimos-Ranked Monsters.


    This was also true for the Doom Knight Gangbangers, Nightstalkers, Lich Revenants, Jade Golems, Fortress Defenders, and Doomsday Gargoyles. All of them had powerful buffs boosting their attacks, making them truly formidable inrge-scale battles.


    But it didn''t end there.


    Since they were also boosted with Lux''s Death God''s Aura, as well as gaining the Divine Abyssal Touch, they were like a swarm of ants that could overpower even stronger opponents!


    With one sweep of the Blood Ogre''s clubs, countless Ghouls were turned to meat paste.


    With another strike, countless Doom Knight Gangbangers shattered and died instantly.


    Cmity-Ranked Monsters were no joke, and they could easily destroy entire cities when left unchecked.


    Even so, with each Undead''s destruction, another one would rise to take its ce.


    It was an endless cycle of killing and rebirth, which made Louis and the other Saints feel as if they had a chance of winning.


    Unfortunately, they had greatly underestimated their opponents.


    There were many Cmity-Ranked Monsters that roamed thends of Agartha, but not all of them were imprisoned in the Inner Sanctum.


    Lilian, who was a Cmity-Ranked Wicked Queen Slime, was one of these monsters. Although her fighting ability was quite high, it was nothingpared to the monsters that were deemed to be too powerful to be allowed to roam thend.


    As if proving this point, the body of the Blood Ogre turnedpletely ck. There was also a ck substance that was swirling around its body like countless tentacles that were obliterating anything that came within a hundred meters of it.


    Although Lux''s Undead Legion was unending, none of them were able to get close enough to actually deal damage to the Blood Ogre, who had now turned into a ck Ogre with four arms.


    Aside from the changes in its skin color, there was something else that changed in the monster. It had gained a third eye that was crimson in color.


    This eye would glow from time to time, creating a barrier that prevented long ranged attacks from hitting its body.


    Simply put, it was now like a walking fortress.


    A fortress that could repel any kind of attacks that were aimed in its direction.


    The Golden-Eyed Naga, had also stepped up its attack and let out an otherworldly screech. It then stabbed its razor-sharp ws into the palm of its left hand, drawing blood.


    What it did next made the Exiles feel as if the hairs on the back of their necks stood on end.


    The Golden-Eyed Naga sprayed its golden blood on the ground.


    These droplets of blood transformed into dozens of Golden-Eyed Nagas, with each having the strength of a Dreadnaught-Ranked.


    The Cmity-Ranked Monster, as well as its summons, all charged at the City of Exile with a deafening shriek.


    Since all of them looked the same, the Saints were unable to pinpoint the Cmity-Ranked Monster because it had hidden its aura while mingling with its summons.


    Because of this, it was nearly impossible to tell which of the Golden-Eyed Naga''s was the original.


    "Scatter!" King Louis shouted towards the people on the city wall.


    That was thest thing he said before the dozens of Golden-Eyed Nagas, as well as the ck Ogre, unleashed hell upon the Defenders of the City of Exile.

 Chapter 938 Misfortune Smiles Upon You [Part 4]

    ?


    Screams and curses reverberated on top of the City Walls as the Exiles started to run in different directions in order to escape the Monsters that could easily destroy the wall that protected their city.


    They could have dealt with the Dreadnaught Ranked Golden-Eyed Nagas, but with the original monster mixed in the group, they didn''t dare to gamble with their lives.


    Only Asmodeus, Ishtar, Lazarus, Morpheus, and the other Undead Monsters remained, not stopping their attacks against the iing Monsters, buying time for the people to escape.


    The Doomsday Gargoyles even assisted dozens of people who weren''t fast enough, like the Old Hag, to escape the City Walls by flying them to safety.


    Avernus roared in the sky and unleashed a Dragon Breath from the sky, turning the zone outside of the city into a hellish environment, making the Dreadnaught-Ranked Nagas scream in pain.


    The Original Monster was able to dodge the Dracolich''s attack with ease. With one powerful punch, it easily destroyed the City Wall, sending big chunks of rock flying in every direction.


    It then clenched its fist, letting its razor-sharp nails dig into its palm before spraying the blood high up in the air, creating dozens of Dreadnaught-Ranked Nagas that looked exactly like it.


    "Damn bastard is cheating!" Cethus cursed. "No wonder it was imprisoned in the Inner Sanctum. It''s a one-man army!"


    "That ck Ogre is also equally dangerous," Gerhartmented. "Strong defenses and equally strong physical strength. It''s really difficult to fight against it."


    Lilian didn''t say anything and simply observed the two Monsters that had breached the city walls with a smile on her face.


    She had no obligation to help the Humans ovee this disaster. The Wicked Queen Slime was more than happy to sit in the peanut gallery and watch as the world burned.


    The ck Ogre and the Golden-Eyed Naga gave Lilian a side-long nce but made no attempt to head in her direction.


    Both of them had sensed that she was also a Cmity-Ranked Monster, so they simply ignored her and focused on the Humans, who were now desperately trying to find a safe ce from their onught.


    Louis knew that the destruction of the city was inevitable, so he gathered all the Saints to make ast stand to protect the Castle.


    With a battle of this scale, it was impossible to not have any casualties.


    Dozens of Exiles had already died, and those who had survived were doing their best to run or fly as far away from the monsters as they could.


    Aurora felt a pain in her heart after seeing the death and destruction that she had caused.


    After fighting against her Heart Demon, she understood that this wouldn''t be thest time that this would happen.


    It was possible that wherever Lux took her, this scene would follow her as well.


    Even so, she was firm on the decision that she would not run away and me herself for every misfortune that happened around her.


    "Can any of you take me close to the monsters?" Aurora asked. "I have a n."


    Cethus immediately shook his head before patting Gerhart''s shoulder. "Sorry, but I don''t n on dying. How about you ask this Half-Elf instead? He likes to do dangerous things."


    Gerhart, who had been pushed into the limelight, also shook his head.


    "It is too dangerous, and I''m afraid that even if I take you there, both of us will just die," Gerhart stated. "I''m sorry, but I can''t apany you."


    Left with no choice, Aurora called out to Lux, who was flying in the sky with his Dracolich.


    "Lux, please help me get close to those two monsters!" Aurora shouted. "Trust me!"


    The Half-Elf nced in her direction before reluctantly nodding his head. He knew that Aurora was feeling guilty, but that wasn''t why he agreed to her request.


    Although he was worried about her, there was a hint of certainty in her voice when she said that she had a n.


    "ckfire, take her near the monsters and protect her to the best of your ability," Lux ordered. "Make sure to keep her safe."


    The ck Coffin appeared beside Lux and nodded its head. It then flew towards Aurora


    The Half-Elf, and the Dracolich started attacking the Dreadnaught-Ranked Golden-Eyed Nagas.


    Unlike the Exiles, Lux could easily tell which one was the real deal. However, even if he knew, he alone wasn''t enough to deal with it.


    Since that was the case, he focused on annihting its minions, who were busy killing the exiles without a shred of mercy.


    While this was happening, Aurora jumped on top of the ck Coffin and asked it to fly near the ck Ogre.


    ckfire obeyed her words and flew as low to the ground as possible, staying out of the Monsters'' line of sight.


    A few minutester, the ck Coffin rose from the destroyed streets, dodging the ck substance that swirled around the body of the ck Ogre, which automatically attacked anything that was close to it.


    As ckfire closed the distance, Aurora undid the ne that hung around her neck and eyed the ck Ogre with a determined expression on her face.


    When she deemed that she was close enough, she raised her right hand and pointed at the monster in front of her.


    "Chains of Misfortune!"


    Countless ck chains erupted from her finger and bound the ck Ogre for a few seconds before merging with its body.


    Aurora''s aura of misfortune had the ability to infect anyone within a certain range around her and curse them with bad luck.


    With that said, she could also unleash a stronger version of this curse at a single target, making them incredibly prone to bad luck.


    This skill was called the Chains of Misfortune, and it was Aurora''s signature skill that would permanently bring the same level of bad luck she possessed to Monsters, Saints, and even Supremes.


    In short, anyone hit with this ability would be cursed with misfortune until the day they died!


    ckfire then flew past the ck Ogre and headed in the direction of the Original Golden-Eyed Naga, as per Aurora''s orders.


    "Chains of Misfortune!" Aurora shouted, and countless chains bound the Cmity-Ranked Monster before merging with its body.


    The Golden-Eyed Naga didn''t know what the youngdy riding the ck Coffin did to it. However, it didn''t change the fact that the chains that bound it for a brief moment made it extremely angry.


    As a Monster that had been imprisoned inside the Inner Sanctum for hundreds of years, it was triggered by anything that attempted to restrict its freedom.


    The same could be said for the ck Ogre, whose club was now swinging towards the ck Coffin with the intention of swatting it like a fly.


    Suddenly, the ck Ogre tripped and its club smashed the shoulder of the Golden-Eyed Naga, whose razor-sharp ws were about to slice Aurora to shreds.


    However, after getting hit by the ck Ogre, its attack missed its target and hit one of the arms of the Blood Ogre, drawing blood.


    ckfire rose towards the sky as Aurora once again put the ne around her neck.


    There were too many people running around the city, so it wasn''t safe for her to wander around.


    Lux and hisrades finally figured out what Aurora''s n was. Although it was a very dangerous thing to do, they couldn''t help but admire the beautiful girl, who had risked her life to curse the two monsters with bad luck that was as strong as hers.


    King Louis and the other Saints who recognized the sudden shift in the battlefield, didn''t miss this opportunity and attacked the two Monsters with great intensity.


    Avernus also deemed that the time was right to open the gates of hell. The Dracolich hovered in the sky and roared loudly.


    Right under it, a zing gate appeared and opened wide.


    Numerous denizens from Hell surged out like a raging tide as they answered Avernus'' call.


    This was the first time that the Dracolich had used its skill, Hell Bringer.


    Just as the name implied, the Monsters that came from Hell razed the city, covering it in hellish mes that burned brightly.

 Chapter 939 Because I Can

    ?


    "From death''s embrace, I rise with fire and bone!" the Dracolich roared, and a Hellish Gate materialized as if to answer his call. "As Avernus, I im my rightful throne!"


    The Gates of Hell opened wide, pouring out the denizens of Hell who answered the call of their Master.


    Hell hounds charged like the rabid dogs that they were, leaving trails of mes in their wake.


    Hell Knights, riding atop Nightmare Horses simr to Diablo''s own, charged with wanton abandon.


    Hell Revenants flew towards their enemies, with wings burning brightly.


    They were the monsters of hell, and they would make sure that the world knew of their existence!


    The ck Blood Ogre as well as the Golden-Eyed Naga shifted their attention to the oing tide of Monsters and charged at them.


    The ck swirl protecting the Blood Ogre transformed into tentacle-like whips, attacking his targets.


    However, for some reason, these whips failed to hit anything, allowing the monsters to advance in his direction.


    The Golden-Eyed Naga once again stabbed its palm, drawing blood. It then sprayed it in the air, summoning Dreadnaught-Ranked Monsters that looked exactly like it.


    However, nothing happened.


    Instead of summoning reinforcements, its blood fell on the ground with impunity.


    Seeing this, Lilian frowned before shifting her gaze to the pink-haired beauty that was riding on the ck coffin.


    ''What a scary child,'' Lilian thought. ''Even Cmity-Ranked Monsters can''t be spared from her curse of misfortune.''


    Just like the Wicked Queen Slime had surmised, both monsters had been affected by Aurora''s bad luck.


    Simply put, anything that had probability in it would have the worst oue.


    Spells that relied on chances would not work.


    Abilities that relied on certain conditions would not activate.


    Attacks that never missed would miss.


    And Magic that could cause instant death would fail.


    As long as they were branded by Misfortune''s Beloved, the only thing they could do was cry!


    Lux, Eiko, Asmodeus, and their clones summoned all of their Undead Warriors.


    Avernus, who was flying in the sky, used his skill, Summon Undead Legion, to summon the exact same number of Undead that was present on the battlefield, regardless of whether they were summoned by Lux''s clones or not.


    To make matters worse, Lux, Eiko, and Asmodeus, along with their clones, also used the skill, Summon Tombstone, making several tombstones appear around the two Monsters that summoned Enraged Ghouls.


    The King of Exiles, the Four Saints serving him, as well as the Exiles, looked at this scene in shock because countless Undead swarmed the two Cmity-Ranked Monsters like Ants taking onrger prey.


    Diablo''s eyes burned brightly as hended a sneak attack on the Golden-Eyed Naga.


    Since the number of Deaths on the battlefield had reached a certain threshold, his attack imbued with Divine Ethereal Element effortlessly cut through the Cmity-Ranked Monster''s body, making it scream in pain.


    But that wasn''t all. All the Doomknight Gangbangers also gain a percentage of Diablo''s total attack, increasing their damage output as well.


    The two Cmity-Ranked Monsters were powerful, but neither of them was able to use their powers fully due to Aurora''s curse.


    If they took a step back, they would find themselves tripping. If they stepped forward they would slip. They couldn''t do anything aside from brandishing their ws and weapons and swatting everything around them.


    Due to how dense the monster tide was, regardless of what they did, they were bound to hit something.


    However, no matter how many they killed, Lux, Eiko, and Asmodeus would just summon more, trolling these monsters that stood at the Apex of the World.


    "This is our chance!" the King of Exiles, Louis, shouted. "Focus on the Golden-Eyed Naga first!"


    The four other Saints nodded their heads before flying towards the enraged Monster, who was being besieged from every direction.


    Instead of attacking the Monster, what they did was apply debuffs, as well as restrict its movements, allowing the Undead Legion and the Hellish Army to swarm itpletely.


    Originally, these monsters had high resistance to debuffs, but now that they were cursed, any kind of debuff applied to them was guaranteed to seed.


    The Golden-Eyed Naga was unwilling and unresigned to its fate. But what else could it do aside from desperately trying to defend itself from the unending swarm of Ants, whose zing eyes were locked on its body?


    Suddenly, a dragon tailshed at the Naga''s head like a whip, making it shriek in pain.


    Avernus sneered as it circled for another strike, this time mming its tail downwards.


    Lux, who was hanging onto the Dracolich''s back, was sweating buckets because he didn''t expect that Avernus would be so brutal.


    The Half-Elf wasn''t aware that the Dracolich disdained Cmity-Ranked Monsters even though its current strength was only that of the Empyrean Rank.


    For Avernus who had once fought against Demigods and their Abyssal Army, Cmity-Ranked Monsters didn''t pose a threat to it.


    "Stand aside, Peasants!" the Dracolich roared, forcing King Louis as well as the four other Saints to back away.


    "Undying Breath!"


    The Dracolich unleashed a Dragon Breath that was imbued with Necrotic Energy.


    Necrotic Energy drained the life force of anything it hit and also prevented the target from using any type of regeneration ability.


    Buffed by Lux''s Divine Abyssal Touch, the Dragon Breath directly attacked the creature''s soul. The Golden-Eyed Naga''s scream of pain reverberated throughout the area as it rolled on the ground, destroying everything around it.


    While the Naga was writhing on the ground, the Dracolich flew past it and mmed its tail once again, which gave the phrase "hitting people when they''re down" a different meaning.


    "You''re supposed to be a Dracolich that uses spells to overwhelm your opponents," Lux said in exasperation. "Why do you love to engage in closebat?"


    Avernus chuckled before soaring high in the sky.


    "Because I can."


    Three words, and yet those words made Lux realize that the newest member of his Covenant was truly overbearing.


    "Time to end this," Avernus spread its wings wide, which made Lux feel as if something big wasing.


    "Draco Meteor!"


    Unlike Lux''s Draco Meteor which summoned several small meteorites falling in every direction, Avernus'' Draco Meteor only consisted of one meteor.


    One gigantic Meteor.


    "Oh sh*t!" Lux cursed loudly when he saw the meteor that was hundreds of meters tall.


    It was not only him who cursed aloud.


    The King of Exiles, King Louis also cursed loudly.


    Cethus felt faint after seeing the giant meteor and immediately flew away like his life depended on it.


    It wasn''t just him, everyone in the city ran like mads because they believed that the aftermath of that meteor strike would wipe out the entire city from the Pantheon of Exile.


    "Avernus, don''t!" Lux shouted. "You''ll kill everyone!"


    The Giant Meteorite that had already passed the Dracolich suddenly exploded in a shower of sparks, dealing no damage whatsoever to the forces on the ground.


    "It was just a prank," Avernusughed. "Did you honestly think that I would kill my allies?"


    "��I have a feeling that you''d do it if given the chance," Lux replied.


    "And why do you think I would do such a thing?"


    "You said it yourself,..."


    The Half-Elf could only smile wryly as he looked at the City of Exiles that was now in mes before he continued his sentence.


    "It''s because you can."

 Chapter 940 No Need To Show Us The Way Out

    <h4>Chapter 940 No Need To Show Us The Way Out</h4>


    The Blood Ogre''s skin returned to its original red color before it copsed on the ground with an unresigned roar.


    It was a Cmity-Ranked Beast strong enough to threaten the entirety of Agartha.


    However, because of the Misfortune that had been nted in its body, it was unable to use its power to the fullest, resulting in its downfall.


    Hundreds of meters away from it, the Golden Nagay, its golden eyes lookingplexly at the sky, as if asking the heavens why it had to suffer in this manner.


    Both Monsters were yet to die, and they were still clinging to life to the best of their abilities.


    King Louis, who saw this, decided to personally end the life of these monsters, and take their Beast Cores away.


    However, before he could even do that, a giant Dracolichnded in front of him, blocking his path.


    "Don''t even think about it, Peasant," Avernus stated. "Move or I will send you to the afterlife."


    King Louis, as well as the Saints beside him, red at the Dracolich, who was looking down on them.


    ''It''s just one Dracolich,'' one of the Saints said to King Louis using telepathy. ''We can kill it easily.''


    ''No,'' King Louis replied. ''Stand down. This is a creature we cannot offend.''


    The King of Exiles knew that if they really attacked the Dracolich over this petty matter, their city would truly be destroyed.


    The only reason why he wanted to kill the Cmity-Ranked Monsters was to ensure that they would no longer pose any danger to his city.


    As for getting the Beast Cores, he nned to negotiate with the Dracolich''s Master, who had the Half-Elf on his back, for them.


    Since his city was destroyed due to their actions, he believed that it was only right that they werepensated for it.


    However, before he could even open his mouth to talk to the Half-Elf and start a negotiation, ckfire casually devoured the two dying monsters, making the King of Exile''s lips twitch.


    The ck Coffin didn''t give a hoot about whatever the Saints were thinking. It had called dibs on the two monsters the moment they appeared.


    If the King of Exiles and his merry band of Saints, dared to stand in its way, it wouldn''t mind adding five more Saints to its collection!


    Avernus chuckled and raised its tail to high-five the ck coffin, which happily returned the gesture.


    Seeing his two shameless allies act like this made Lux shake his head helplessly.


    "Um, sorry about what happened," Lux stated. "It was our fault that those two monsters escaped."


    King Louis and the Saints looked at the Half-Elf and felt a little relieved that at least Lux was being civil with them.


    "Since you admit that you were at fault, what can you do about this mess that you created?" King Louis asked. "Many of my subjects died in this siege. You can''t possibly brush that aside, no?"


    "As a matter of fact, we can," Avernus replied as he used his Dragon Fear and Intimidation Ability against the Five Saints, making them feel as if they were carrying the weight of an entire mountain on their shoulders. "You have a problem, brah?"


    The Dracolich''s words were filled with disdain and contempt, which made Cethus wonder if he could call the Dracolich his Uncle.


    As someone who liked to look down on Low Landers, any Dragon or Dragon Born who had this ability was an Idol in his eyes.


    King Louis gritted his teeth and stepped forward as if he had reached his limit. The Four Saints standing by his side did the same.


    But the moment they did that, they suddenly found themselves surrounded from all sides by the Undead and Hell Legion.


    Heck, even Eiko had summoned st Bombs in her hands, ready to throw the moment the Saints took another step.


    ckfire was also quick to summon the Tiger Saint and the Pdin Saint.


    The ck Coffin also made a gesture, moving its lid up and down as if to taunt King Louis and telling him toe if he dared.


    "If you insist on hurting Lux, I will curse you for eternity," Aurora, who had arrived at the standoff while riding on one of the Doomsday Gargoyles, said firmly.


    "Misfortune''s Beloved," King Louis said with a smile. "It seems that the Kingdom of Agartha will once again suffer from bad luck. Well, not that I mind. I even wish that you infect everyone with your curse. By doing so, they might feel a fraction of the pain we suffered when they exiled us to thisnd. Worry not, Princess. The Exiles will fully support you."


    Aurora smiled back. "Do not think that I am a gullible girl who will be one of your pawns, Uncle? Father sent you to this ce because you tried to start a civil war. Even though I have been locked up inside the Cold Tower, I have heard of your exploits that caused many of our citizens to perish."


    "You may not be gullible, but you''re naive," King Louis replied. "It is time for Agartha to rise to the Surface World and be a powerhouse. Your adoptive father is a coward and an ipetent fool who believes that the Status Quo must be maintained. Agartha has long stagnated under the hands of ipetent rulers!"


    Aurora didn''t reply and simply looked at the King of Exiles who had been biding his time, gathering support inside the Pantheon of Exile to overthrow her father''s rule.


    In her eyes, greedy people like Louis, who coveted power and resources to the extent of waging war on the Surface World, were the worst.


    "Let''s go, Aurora," Lux said. "Let''s leave this ce."


    The Half-Elf had no intention of joining the political struggles of the Kingdom of Agartha. He only came to the Pantheon of Exile to free Aurora, and he couldn''t care less who sat on the Agarthian throne.


    Aurora nodded as the Doomsday Gargoyle flew towards Lux, allowing the Half-Elf to carry Misfortune''s beloved in his arms.


    "We''re leaving," Lux stated. "No need to show us the way out."


    Lux opened his Draconic Wings and flew towards the beach area, where they had disembarked.


    Hisrades did the same, and the Army of Undead followed them.


    They were still in enemy territory, so Lux didn''t unsummon his forces. He only joined the battle because he knew that Aurora would feel guilty if more people died because of her.


    King Louis watched them go as he held back the killing intent that was oozing from his body.


    Although his city had been destroyed and some of the exiles had died, he was still fine with it because the Castle was still standing.


    Most of the treasures as well as the weapons that they had prepared for their inevitable return to the Kingdom of Agartha were stored in the Castle''s treasury.


    As long as that was left untouched, they would still be able to recover the losses that they had suffered today.


    What they didn''t know was that two Little Skeletons had infiltrated their castle as per Aurora''s order when the battle was still underway.


    The youngdy had recognized the King of Exiles and knew of the atrocities that he hadmitted in the past.


    Since they were doing their best to protect the castle at all costs, the youngdy deemed that there must be something important inside it that they couldn''t allow to be destroyed.


    Zane and Zeke were able to bypass the protection of the Treasury because all the Saints were busy.


    The two Little Skeletons then informed Lux of their discovery, and he sent one of Eiko''s clones to sneak inside the castle.


    Truth be told, Avernus'' earlier performance was their way of buying more time for Eiko''s clone to swallow up everything inside the treasury.


    By the time King Louis and the Saints discovered what had happened, the Half-Elf and hisrades had already boarded the Bone Ship Octavius and set sail, making their way back to the As Stronghold.

 Chapter 941 Do You Dare To Stop Me?

    <h4>Chapter 941 Do You Dare To Stop Me?</h4>


    After a few days of traveling, Lux and hisrades finally arrived at the As Stronghold, where they were weed by the Saintess, Cleo, and Commander Garen, along with his men.


    The moment they saw Aurora, almost all of them took a few steps back, wary of what she was capable of doing.


    "Y-You really brought her back," Cleo stuttered.


    Lux arched an eyebrow. "Why are you surprised? Isn''t that the reason I went to the Pantheon of Exile? Do you think I went there to buy cabbages?"


    Cleo''s face became flushed because Lux''s reply was on point. He had indeed set sail to the Pantheon of Exile to bring Aurora back, but she didn''t think that he would actually seed.


    Commander Garen, who was in charge of the As Stronghold, narrowed his eyes.


    "I apud you for doing the unthinkable," Commander Garen stated. "But I''m afraid we can''t let Princess Aurora go back to Agartha. Even though I also feel that she doesn''t deserve to be locked up in that ce, her existence is a threat to the peace of our kingdom.


    "Even if I don''t block you, once the citizens know that she has returned, they might attempt to attack her out of fear. I hope you understand, but I can''t allow such a thing to happen."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. However, he also had something to say to the Commander of the Stronghold.


    "I have two things to say to you," Lux said. "The first is that the exiles in the Pantheon of Exile are nning to return, and it seems that they have the means to do it. We have confiscated their contraband, but I believe that they still have more in ces that are hidden. One of these days, they will cross the Purple Sea and return to thesends."


    Commander Garen''s expression immediately turned grim after hearing Lux''s statement. If all the Exiles were to really return to Agartha, then another civil war might take ce.


    However, before he could even think of a way to inform the capital about the possible return of the wanted criminals, Lux raised two of his fingers to tell him the next thing that he wanted to say.


    "The second thing that I want to say to you is that I don''t care about your opinion," Lux stated. "Even if Lady Cleo were to help you and your men, none of you have the strength to stop us."


    Garen, who was still not aware of Lux''s abilities, sneered.


    "It seems that the sess of saving Princess Aurora has gone to your head, boy," Commander Garen said coldly. "Are you sure you can back up your words?"


    Lux sneered, but before he could even reply, he felt someone tugging on his robe, which made him look at the young beauty beside him.


    "Allow me to negotiate with Commander Garen," Aurora said softly. "Please give me some space. All of you back away for a bit."


    Lux looked at Aurora before nodding his head. He then backed a few meters away and looked at Aurora.


    "A bit farther," Auroramented.


    The Half-Elf nodded and asked everyone to back away with him.


    Cethus originally wasn''t going to budge, but after reading Aurora''sment in their Guild Chat, the arrogant Dragon Born backed farther away than Lux, Gerhart, and Lilian did.


    Seeing that everyone had distanced themselves from her, Aurora turned his attention to Commander Garen, who had an aloof expression on his face.


    "Commander Garen, I n to return to Agartha," Aurora said. "Can you please let us use the teleporter that will take us back to the capital?"


    The Commander of the As Stronghold frowned. The teleporter was supposed to be a military secret, and no one should have been able to know that it existed.


    However, after remembering that it was King Septimius himself who had taken Aurora to the Pantheon of Exile, it was only natural for the Princess to know that it existed.


    "I''m sorry, Princess," Commander Garen stated. "I cannot allow you to return to the capital."


    "I see." Aurora nodded before giving the Commander a mischievous smile.


    She then ced her hand over her neck, removing her ne.


    "This is a gift given to me by Lux," Aurora stated as she held Fortuna''s Tears in her hand. "As long as I''m wearing or holding this, my curse will not spread to my surroundings. However, since Commander Garen refuses to cooperate, I guess I''ll stop wearing it. I just hope that you enjoy having bad luck for the rest of your life."


    The corner of Commander Garen''s lips twitched as he looked at the beautiful youngdy who was outright threatening him.


    As a citizen of Agartha, he knew full well how dangerous it was to be cursed by Misfortune''s Beloved.


    Even Cleo, who was standing beside him a while ago, distanced herself in fear. She had seen how much suffering those who were cursed with Misfortune had to go through, and she had no intention of bing one of them.


    "P-Princess, I''m just doing my job." Commander Garen couldn''t help but feel his heart tremble.


    Even his men had already backed away, leaving him behind to deal with the beautiful princess, who could curse them all to oblivion.


    "I know. But, do you really think you can stop me?" Aurora asked sweetly. "Do you dare to try and stop me?"


    Zane and Zeke, who were standing beside Aurora, crossed their arms over their chest and gave Commander Garen the "if you don''t want to get hurt, kneel and beg our Princess for forgiveness!" stare.


    Several emotions shed across the Commander''s face. He knew that if he let Aurora return to the capital, he would definitely be punished by the King for dereliction of duty.


    After giving it some thought, he decided to steel himself and suppress Aurora. He also nned to use her as a hostage to make Lux and his people leave peacefully.


    The beautiful Princess sighed because she could tell that Commander Garen had already resolved himself to deal with her.


    Since that was the case, the smile disappeared from her face. She had been suppressed for many years, and if she said that she didn''t feel angry because of this, she would be lying.


    Lux had already done many things for her sake, so she decided to handle the rest on her own. However, before she could even do anything, Lilian walked past her and stood in front of Commander Garen.


    "You''re in the way," Lilian stated. "Scram!"


    Without another word, the Wicked Queen Slime punched Commander Garen''s chest, sending him flying towards the As Stronghold.


    The force of the punch was so strong that the walls of the fort were destroyed, and this sight made the soldiers gulp.


    "Do you know where the teleporter is?" Lilian asked Aurora who was about to unleash her Curse Domain a moment ago.


    The youngdy nodded her head and pointed at the Stronghold.


    "The Teleporter is inside the Keep," Aurora replied.


    Lilian nodded before shifting her gaze back to Lux.


    "What are you waiting for?" Lilian arched an eyebrow. "Let''s go."


    The Half-Elf chuckled before walking towards Aurora. He then held her hand and led her to the stronghold.


    The soldiers manning the Fort didn''t dare to block their path because they didn''t want to be sent flying like Commander Garen.


    "Are youing?" Lux asked Cleo, who was a distance away from them.


    The Saintess thought for a bit before nodding her head.


    The only reason why she was in the Stronghold in the first ce was because she was assigned to guide and monitor Lux. Since the Half-Elf was going to leave, it was only normal that she would leave with him as well.


    When they entered the stronghold, they saw Commander Garen lying in the distance without moving. Clearly, Lilian''s blow had knocked him unconscious.


    By the time he woke upter, Lux and the others would have already long left his Stronghold.


    Originally, Lux had told Aurora that they could instantly leave Agartha and teleport to their Guild Headquarters.


    However, the beautiful Princess rejected his offer. She said that she wanted to see her sister, Princess Shayna, whom she hadn''t seen for many years.


    Aurora missed her dearly, and she wanted to say a proper goodbye to her sister and father before going with Lux to the Surface World.


    Because of this, the Half-Elf decided to apany her to the Capital City and make sure that the King of Agartha wouldn''t imprison his daughter again.


    Several minutester, the group used the Teleportation Gate and traveled directly to the Capital City of Agartha.


    As to how Aurora''s reunion with her family would turn out, the Half-Elf only hoped that they wouldn''t have to say goodbye to each other under bad circumstances.

 Chapter 942 A Heartfelt Wish

    <h4>Chapter 942 A Heartfelt Wish</h4>


    The city of Shamb was bustling with activities.


    Aurora, who was wearing a hooded robe, looked around her like a country bumpkin who had only seen the city for the first time.


    She had lived most of her life in istion, so being around many people after several years gave her the urge to do things she had never done before.


    Lux, who understood what she felt, didn''t rush to go to the castle. Instead, she took Aurora around to let her see what the city had to offer.


    They went to some of the popr attractions of Shambh like the Bazaar, the Food Market, the Great Fountain, as well as the Adventurer''s Guild.


    After their exploration ended, they rested at a tavern to have dinner. The Half-Elf could tell that Aurora was feeling anxious about meeting her family, so he decided to give it until morning to prepare her heart and feelings for their reunion.


    Lilian, who deemed that she had already fulfilled her role, took Eiko and returned to Lux''s Guild Headquarters.


    She had no intention of babysitting the teenagers now that they had returned to the city.


    Cethus and Gerhart also felt that they were no longer needed, so they also went back to the Guild Headquarters, leaving only Lux and Aurora in Agartha.


    "How many rooms?" the Innkeeper asked as he looked at Lux and Aurora who had decided to stay in their inn for the night.


    "Two," Lux said.


    "One," Aurora stated.


    Lux scratched his head when Aurora stated that they only needed one room. However, since that was what she wanted, he decided to go with the flow.


    When they arrived at their room, Aurora removed her robe and sat on the bed. Zane took her robe from her, while Zeke carefully took off her shoes.


    The Half-Elf could only smile at this scene because the two little skeletons acted simr to butlers, who were taking good care of their Young Miss.


    After the two skeletons had set aside Aurora''s things, Zane walked behind Lux and gave the Half-Elf a push towards Aurora.


    Only when he was seated beside her on the bed did the two Little Skeletons move to the side of the room andid down, with their backs facing the two.


    Zane and Zeke even had their hands sped over their ears, as if telling Lux that they wouldn''t see, or hear anything, so he could do whatever they wanted.


    Aurora looked at her two best friends with confusion because she didn''t understand why they were acting this way.


    She had been isted for most of her life, so she wasn''t aware of the things that were shared between men and women.


    Although she wasn''t as gullible, and ignorant as Young Aurora, she still didn''t understand the "funny thing" that Lux and his fiances did whenever they slept at night.


    All of this information was only narrated to her by the two Little Skeletons who were ying Lux''s Wingmen, for the sake of their lonely Princess.


    The Half-Elf was very aware of what Zane and Zeke were hinting at, which gave him the strong urge to kick the two skeletons out of the room.


    He wasn''t some kind of Harem Protagonist who would make love to every beauty that he saw!


    (A/N: *Gasps!*)


    (E/N: *nces at Author, rolls eyes, shakes head, exit stage right*)


    (E/N: Weh? Sure ka?)


    "Lux, stay beside me tonight," Aurora said as she held Lux''s hands in her own. "I don''t want to be alone."


    The Half-Elf stared at her pleading gaze before nodding his head.


    "Understood," Lux replied. "I''ll be with you tonight."


    Hearing that, Aurora felt her face suddenly heat up, so she decided to take a bath before going to sleep in order to cool herself.


    When she was done, Lux did the same and washed the dirt and grime from his body.


    An hourter, the twoid on the bed, with Aurora clinging onto Lux''s arm. Since she had no nightwear, Lux decided to lend her Cai''s nightgown, which fit her perfectly.


    The Half-Elf''s resistance to beautiful women was quite high, especially after spending intimate moments with his two beautiful fiances.


    Also, meeting peerless beauties like Hereswith and Queen Rhiannon raised his already high standards, making him nearly immune to any kind of honey trap.


    Aurora was extremely beautiful. More beautiful than Iris and Cai.


    Even so, Lux''s feelings for her weren''t as deep as they were for his two fiances, and the only reason why he had gone to the Pantheon of Exile to save her was because he felt sorry for her.


    Aurora understood this as well, and she was very grateful that Lux had gone above and beyond his means to meet her.


    But after being with him, she felt for the first time since she was born that she had found a safe refuge where she could just be herself, and not worry about the storm that was hovering above her head.


    She was Misfortune''s Beloved, and bad luck always followed her wherever she went.


    But the Heavens had shown her a bit of mercy and gave her a bit of good luck that allowed her to meet someone like Lux, who epted her for who she was.


    Aurora looked at the face of the sleeping Half-Elf beside her and smiled. She remembered what her mother had told her back in the Dreamworld about Lux, and she felt that this was her way of giving her blessings to her.


    "Thank you, Lux," Aurora said softly before kissing his right cheek.


    After that, she hugged his arm, pressing it close to her body. She locked her hand with his before closing her eyes to sleep.


    Truth be told, Aurora was very afraid that everything she had experienced was only a dream.


    She was afraid that the moment she woke up, she would find herself in that dark, and lonely ce, devoid of light once again.


    Although she was feeling anxious, and restless, she still fell into sleep''s embrace, while hugging the arm of her savior.


    Aurora hoped that the next time she opened her eyes, she would still see Lux beside her, continuing this sweet dream that she was having.


    The next day��


    Lux and Aurora stood in the throne room. They were looking up at the King of Agartha, who was looking back at them with a calm expression on his face.


    Standing at the base of the steps to the throne was the Saintess Cleo, who had escorted Lux on his journey.


    Since this meeting was special, the King had ordered everyone to leave the throne room, with the exception of the Saintess.


    Aurora was still wearing her hooded robe, and with her head lowered the whole time, no one was able to guess her identity.


    "Raise your head, Aurora," King Septimius ordered. "What''s wrong? Do you still feel guilty about what happened years ago, so you are unable to look me in the face?"


    The King''s voice was calm, and Lux was unable to read any underlying tones in his voice. However, that didn''t mean that he didn''t understand what the King was referring to.


    A sigh escaped Aurora''s lips before she took off the hood covering her head, allowing her father to see her for the first time in many years.


    "I hope you are well, Father," Aurora said softly. "I missed you."


    King Septimius'' gaze was still calm, but his right hand subconsciously gripped the armrest of his throne for a brief moment before it returned to normal.


    Lux was unable to see this because he was looking at Aurora, who had a sad smile on her face. If possible, he wanted to wipe that sadness away, but he held back.


    A few minutes of silence passed before King Septimius closed his eyes.


    "Leave us alone," King Septimius ordered. "That goes for you too, Half-Elf."


    Lux frowned and was about to say no. However, Aurora grabbed onto his arm and shook her head.


    "Don''t worry," Aurora said. "I''ll be fine."


    Lux looked at the youngdy before shifting his gaze to the hand that was holding his arm.


    Aurora''s hands were trembling, and clearly, she was afraid to be alone in the throne room with her father. However, she was doing her best to stay strong.


    The Half-Elf knew that if he asked that he would stay, Aurora would not reject him. But he also knew that if he did that, she wouldn''t gain the strength to stand on her own.


    He understood that he couldn''t always be with her, and he would not always be able to fight all of her battles for her. Because of this, he decided to trust her and pat her head in encouragement.


    "I''ll just be outside the door," Lux said. "Call me if something happens, okay?"


    Aurora nodded as her face slowly turned red because Lux was treating her like a little girl who was about to y on the yground on her own.


    Lux wasn''t aware that something stirred within the depths of King Septimius'' eyes after seeing the Half-Elf treat his daughter this way. But he didn''t do anything and simply stared at the two of them.


    A few minutester, the door of the throne room closed, leaving Aurora and her father alone.


    Half a minuteter, King Septimius stood up from his throne and descended the steps.


    With every step that he took, Aurora''s heart beat faster and faster inside her chest.


    Although she didn''t want to admit it, she was starting to suffer a panic attack, but she endured and stood her ground.


    When she was finally feeling faint, she felt two strong arms wrap around her body.


    King Septimius pulled his daughter close to him and gave her a firm hug.


    He didn''t say anything, but this gesture alone made the tears that Aurora was holding back fall from her eyes like rain.


    The pitiful girl, who was branded as Misfortune''s Beloved, cried in her father''s arms like she had always done many years ago whenever she was hurt or feeling afraid.


    She wasn''t aware that in the corner of the throne room, a hidden passage started to open.


    A youngdy walked out of it with tears streaming down her eyes. She was biting her lip as if she was doing her best to endure the surge of emotions that were overwhelming her small frame.


    In the end, she was no longer able to hold it back. She cried her heart out as she ran towards her big sister who had returned after many years in exile.


    On that day, two youngdies cried while holding each other in a firm embrace.


    King Septimius looked at his two daughters and wrapped his arms around them, hugging both of them tight.


    Unlike the two, he didn''t shed a tear and only looked up at the ceiling, while holding his daughters close to him.


    Deep inside his heart, he wished that his Queen, Bianca, was there with him to wipe away the tears of their two beloved daughters who had finally been reunited after so many years.

 Chapter 943 Now, I Don’t Owe You Anything

    <h4>Chapter 943 Now, I Don��t Owe You Anything</h4>


    "Hah~ this is the life."


    On a balcony in the Royal Pce, Luxfortablyy on a single bed,pletely rxed as he enjoyed the two soft hands that were massaging his back.


    "You brat. You dare to take advantage of me like this?" the Saintess, Cleo, asked while shaking her head helplessly.


    "You''ll be my attendant for a year," Lux replied after sighing infort. "So get used to it."


    A sigh also escaped Cleo''s lips, but her sigh was different from Lux''s sigh offort. Due to circumstances, she would now serve Lux for a year and would even apany him to the Surface World.


    King Septimius agreed to this setup and even asked Cleo to look after Aurora as her guardian.


    Truth be told, Cleo didn''t mind this mission since she did want to go to the Surface World. There were many things she wanted to know, and ces she wanted to see.


    A day had passed since Lux and Aurora met with the King of Agartha. The Half-Elf knew that the beautiful princess needed to spend some time with her family, so he didn''t mind staying for a few more days.


    ''Fortunately, Aurora''s father seems to have mellowed out a bit after her arrival,'' Lux thought. ''I really thought that he would do something drastic, and send her back to the Pantheon of Exile.''


    Lux had prepared a contingency n just in case the King of Agartha decided to punish his daughter for returning to their Kingdom.


    He was just d that there was still a bit of love remaining in his heart for his daughter, so things turned out better than he expected.


    "Right there�� yes�� that ce is good.." Lux sighed in pleasure as two more handsnded on his back, massaging his body.


    However, it didn''t take long for the Half-Elf to realize that something was wrong.


    The one that was massaging him was Cleo, so there should only be two hands unless she had four. Where did the other pair of handse from?


    Lux turned to look behind him and saw a pink-haired beauty, whose eyes were filled with mischief.


    "Justy down," Aurora said. "I usually gave my mother shoulder massages, so I''m pretty good at it."


    The Half-Elf obeyed and closed his eyes.


    "Ah�� this is heaven~" Lux muttered.


    Suddenly, a gruff voice reached his ears which made his body stiffen.


    "I see, so you want to go to heaven, right?"


    Lux opened his eyes to look at his right side and saw the King of Agartha looking down on him with a calm expression on his face.


    "Are you enjoying your massage?" King Septimius asked. "Not only did you ask the Saintess of my Kingdom to massage your back, but my precious daughter is also doing the same. But let''s not talk about that. I''m also free right now, so why don''t I also give you a massage, boy?"


    "A-Ah! My bones�� are breaking! Ack!" Lux shouted as the King''s strong hand rested on his shoulder, holding it in a vice grip.


    Aurora and Cleo giggled after seeing this scene because they never expected the Half-Elf to suffer under the hands of King Septimius.


    "Father, please stop hurting Lux," Aurora said softly. "He''s done so much for me."


    "Tsk." King Septimius clicked his tongue before pulling his hand away from the Half-Elf''s shoulder.


    A minute of awkward silence descended on the balcony before the King spoke once more.


    "I visited the Pantheon of Exile this morning and took care of the Exiles who were plotting to return to Agartha. We cannot afford another civil war, so it was best to nip them in the bud before they started to take action."


    Lux didn''t really care about this because it wasn''t his problem. However, he still asked the question that was on his mind.


    "What happened to the King of Exiles as well as the Saints that were serving him?" Lux inquired.


    "They died by ident," King Septimius replied.


    Lux immediately propped himself up after hearing the King''s words. His face became serious as he asked King Septimius another question.


    "And their bodies?" Lux asked.


    This was a very important question to him because the bodies of Saints were priceless.


    King Septimius snorted before tossing a ring toward the Half-Elf, which thetter caught by reflex.


    He instantly recognized the ring because it was a Bounty Ring, which bounty hunters typically used to store the dead bodies of their target.


    Lux peered inside it and sure enough, Louis and the four Saints who served him were inside it.


    He didn''t expect that the King of Agartha would act swiftly and mercilessly after hearing that a possible civil war would happen once the exiles managed to escape the ind.


    The Half-Elf wasn''t aware that Aurora''s father wouldn''t allow any chance of unrest to fester within the Kingdom, especially after the rebel uprising that had happened in the past.


    "ckfire,e," Lux ordered.


    Immediately, the ck Coffin appeared beside him and happily opened its lid.


    Lux tossed the Bounty Ring inside it. A few secondster, the ck Coffin nudged his head as if it was a yful pet that was very happy with his Master''s attention.


    The Half-Elf smiled and patted the ck Coffin for a few seconds before it disappearedpletely.


    With the addition of Five Saints in its arsenal, ckfire now had eight Saints under its control.


    However, in order to maximize the value of their corpses, Lux would need to use Precious Artifacts or Beast Cores so that their ranks wouldn''t regress when they were revived.


    Lux had used most of his High-Ranking Beast Cores to revive the two Saints that ckfire had gotten long ago and used the rest to help Hereswith''s recovery.


    So, as of right now, he didn''t have enough resources to prevent the Saints'' Ranks from regressing, but that didn''t mean that he was out of options.


    This was also the reason why ckfire preferred to devour near-death creatures. As long as they still had breath in them, their Ranks wouldn''t regress once they were transformed into Lux''s servants.


    In fact, if Lux added artifacts and Beast Cores, there was a high chance that they would even increase their Ranks and be stronger, like what happened to Lux''s grandma, Vera.


    "Consider that as payment for saving my daughter and preventing her curse from infecting other people," King Septimius stated. "Now, I don''t owe you anything."


    Lux nodded and thanked the King for his gift.


    The reason why Aurora''s father was feeling extra generous was due to the fact that Aurora had dispelled the Curse of Misfortune from Princess Shayna''s body.


    After bing a Ranker, Aurora was able to use her power to remove the curse from other people. However, she could only remove one curse every month.


    She deemed that this quota would increase after her Rank increased.


    Aurora hoped that the day woulde when she would be able to dispel the curse on everyone who had been infected by her bad luck, allowing them to live normal lives without ever worrying about hurting themselves or others.


    "Aurora,ter this afternoon we will visit your mother''s grave," King Septimius said. "I''m sure that she will be happy to see you."


    The youngdy nodded her head and smiled at her father.


    During her trial, she had talked to her mother and wondered if the talk they had was real or not.


    Lux and she believed that there was a possibility that both of them had traveled through space and time and had a chance to talk to Queen Bianca when she was still alive.


    Of course, their assumptions might be wrong, but they would rather believe that the loving Queen whom they had seen in that Dreamworld, was real.

 Chapter 944 Grasping Happiness With Both Hands

    <h4>Chapter 944 Grasping Happiness With Both Hands</h4>


    The Royal Family''s Mausoleum was located a few miles away from the Capital City of Shambh.


    This building stood in a very beautiful ce, surrounded by nature, and blooming flowers.


    Due to how important it was to the royal family, it was heavily guarded to ensure that no grave robbers would dare to disturb the eternal rest of the members of the royal family who had passed away.


    Lux was surprised when he was invited to join them at thest minute. Currently, there were only four people visiting the Queen''s Tomb, and it was none other than King Septimius, Aurora, Princess Shayna, and Lux.


    It didn''t take long before they arrived at their destination. Queen Bianca''s tomb was made from white marble, and the words "to the Queen who loved her family till herst breath" were written on the que above her tomb.


    Seeing this, Aurora wasn''t able to stop herself from tearing up as she approached her mother''s tomb to offer her prayer.


    King Septimius and Princess Shayna did the same.


    Lux blinked once, then twice, as he focused his eyes in front of him. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    While the members of the royal family had their eyes closed and offered their prayers, Queen Bianca''s ghost hovered in front of her two daughters.


    The Queen nced at Lux before pressing her finger over her lips as if telling the Half-Elf to not say anything.


    Lux obediently nodded his head and kept silent.


    Queen Bianca smiled and gave the Half-Elf a brief nod before hugging her two daughters.


    Naturally, they could neither see her nor feel her hug. But her face looked so happy and peaceful, that Lux felt as if his heart was being poked by a needle.


    Minutes passed in silence until the members of the Royal Family opened their eyes.


    Aurora ced an offering on her mother''s tomb and lit a small candle beside it.


    They would hold a vigil until the me of the candle was snuffed out; for that was the tradition of the Royal Family.


    During this time, Queen Bianca sat on her own tomb and looked at her two daughters with a loving smile on her face.


    Although she didn''t look at the Half-Elf, her words reached his mind.


    "When I saw you when I was still alive, I thought I was just dreaming," Queen Bianca said. "Seeing that you are with my daughter right now, it seems that our meeting wasn''t a coincidence."


    The Queen then nced in Lux''s direction with a look of approval.


    "Two times. We met twice," Queen Bianca stated. "The first one was when we were in the flower field, and the second one was when I was dying. Back then, I asked you to promise me to help my daughters and help them you did.


    "Words cannot express how grateful I am to you. But still, I want to tell you this��thank you, Lux. Thank you for everything."


    The Half-Elf smiled. "I only did my best. It was Fate that brought us together."


    Suddenly, a mischievous smile appeared on Queen Bianca''s face.


    "Since Fate had brought you and Aurora together, doesn''t that mean that you and her are a match made in heaven?" Queen Bianca asked. "Tell me, did you manage to get to First Base?"


    Lux almost choked on his saliva after hearing the Ghost Queen''s question.


    It was easy to read on his face that he didn''t know how to answer her question. His awkward expression earned him a giggle from the beautiful woman who seemed to still have regrets in her life, preventing her from crossing to the other side.


    While the Half-Elf was at a loss for how to reply, the Queen shook her head helplessly.


    "What are you, a pansy?" Queen Bianca looked in disdain. "My daughter is so beautiful, and you still haven''t made a move on her? Are you really a man?"


    "I already have two fiances," Lux countered. "And yes, I am really a man."


    "And?" Queen Bianca arched an eyebrow. "My husband had two other wives aside from me. I don''t see any problem here. Just so you know, my daughter is a top beauty. I''m sure that after her curse is lifted, the number of men who would love to marry her would form a line circling this entire. Are you sure you don''t want her?"


    "T-This isn''t something that can be rushed. I have to consider her feelings as well."


    "Fine. But if you don''t hurry up, my daughter will be snatched away by others. You''re not the only man in this world, you know?"


    Lux scratched his cheek before asking the Queen the question that was on his mind.


    "Your Majesty, why are you still here?" Lux asked. "What''s keeping you from crossing to the other side?"


    "My daughters, of course," Queen Bianca replied. "I was so worried about them that it weighed upon my soul, preventing me from being able to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation. But now, after seeing Aurora safe from harm, I feel like the shackles that bound me have disappeared."


    Lux didn''t notice this earlier, but Queen Bianca''s ghost had be a little more transparent, allowing him to see through her.


    She then nced at her two daughters with a sweet smile on her face.


    "Now, I can rest in peace knowing that the two of them have grown into beautifuldies," Queen Bianca said softly. "In the past, Septimius and Shayna would visit me, but the two of them seemed to be distant from each other. Now, that distance is no longer there.


    "Aurora has returned, and I''m sure that, given enough time, the wounds in their hearts would also heal. You see Lux, when people said time will heal everything, it''s not entirely true.


    "Some wounds in the heart and soul would still persist as the years go by. You don''t heal, but simply grow numb to them. But in my perspective, my family will be able to heal just fine. So, once again, thank you, Lux. Please, keep my daughter�� or daughters happy, okay?"


    Queen Bianca gave the Half-Elf a yful wink as her soul slowly rose up until she disappeared through the ceiling.


    Lux could feel a lump in his throat as he closed his eyes. As a Necromancer, he could see the dead and even had the power to revive them. But seeing how peaceful Queen Bianca''s face was, he felt as if it was not his ce to do anything.


    He then nced at Aurora and Princess Shayna and saw how sad they were as they offered a prayer to their mother.


    Because of this, Lux steeled himself and waved his hand. If there was a chance for him to help them have a happy ending, he would not stand idly and be indifferent to it.


    Outside the Mausoleum, Queen Bianca''s ghost looked down at her family before looking at the heavens above her.


    A slight hesitation appeared on her face as if she was feeling conflicted.


    At that exact moment, a ck Coffin appeared in front of her, and several rows of texts shone on its surface.


    ''Are you sure you want to cross over to the next life? Do you really have no more regrets left in this world?''


    Lux had asked ckfire to intercept Queen Bianca''s soul and ask her this question. If she really wanted to rest, and go to the cycle of reincarnation then he wouldn''t stop her.


    But if she still wished to be together with her family, he would make it happen.


    Queen Bianca didn''t reply right away. Her ghost was getting more transparent with each passing second, and ckfire knew that once she crossed a certain threshold, it wouldn''t be able to do anything.


    Suddenly, a tear fell on Bianca''s cheeks before opening her eyes.


    "I still want to be with them," Bianca said. "I want to see them grow up and get married. I want to hold my grandchildren and kiss them goodnight. I want to do a lot of things, but�� it is no longer possible."


    The ck Coffin''s lid opened, but it didn''t make a move to absorb Queen Bianca''s soul.


    ''If you wish for happiness, you have to grasp it tightly with both hands. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but rest assured, there wille a day when you will once again hold your daughters in your arms. If you are willing to take that step thene.''


    Queen Bianca looked down on her family members as if she was trying to engrave their faces into her soul. A momentter, she closed her eyes and took a step forward.


    ckfire did the rest, and soon, the Queen of Agartha was safely within its protective embrace.


    ''It is done, Master.''


    ''Thank you, ckfire.


    Lux opened his eyes and looked at the family of three who had just finished their prayer.


    For now, he would not tell them anything because simr to the soul of his Grandmaster, Hereswith, Queen Bianca''s soul had also reached its limit.


    It would take some time for ckfire to nurture it until the Queen''s soul had fully recovered.


    He just hoped that when that day came, Aurora, Princess Shayna, and their father would regain the smiles and the happiness that they had lost many years ago.

 Chapter 945 Suffering From His Karma

    <h4>Chapter 945 Suffering From His Karma</h4>


    "Don''t worry, I''ll visit you from time to time," Aurora mumbled as she hugged her sister. "Now that you are no longer cursed, make sure to see the world a bit and experience the things you missed during those years of confinement, alright?"


    As someone who had suffered the pain of loneliness, she didn''t want her sister to go through the same thing and hoped that thetter would regain her freedom, doing the things she had never done in the past.


    Naturally, she could have invited her toe with her to the Surface World, but she was sure that her father wouldn''t agree.


    ''Also, she''s still too young for Lux,'' Aurora thought as she nced at the Half-Elf who was leaning on the wall with his eyes closed.


    When the two sisters were talking, Aurora told Princess Shayna all the things that Lux did for her. Also, while she was on the topic, she also told her sister about the "funny" thing that Lux did with his fiances.


    This made Princess Shayna''s face turn beet red, which confused Aurora.


    As a daughter of the Royal Family who was meant to be the wife of someone who could help their Kingdom be more prosperous, she was educated in such matters and was more knowledgeable than Aurora.


    Of course, this husband of hers was still undecided because, at least right now, King Septimius had no candidates in mind. There was also the fact that Princess Shayna was only twelve years old.


    Her father didn''t intend for her to marry until she was sixteen or older.


    As to whom she would marry, they would need to go on a fishing trip with him first.


    "Be careful up there sister," Princess Shayna said, while doing her best to hold back her tears. "Also, be careful of red-headed Half-Elves. Don''t let him do that ''funny'' thing to you anytime soon."


    Aurora blinked once then twice before nodding her head.


    "Eh? But ording to Zane''s and Zeke''s description, it feels good," Aurora replied.


    The two girls then nced at the two Little Skeletons standing by their side, who seemed to be dead set on observing the tiled floor of the pce as if it were a work of art.


    Princess Shayna then reluctantly pulled back before approaching the Half-Elf, who had his eyes closed.


    Sensing that someone was ring at him, he opened his eyes to look at the young princess, who would bloom into a beautiful flower a few years from now.


    "If you make my sister cry, I''ll make you pay for it," Princess Shayna stated.


    Lux smiled. "That''s unfair. Crying is a very normal thing to happen."


    "You''re not allowed to do anything funny to her!"


    "��Are you talking about tickling her? Okay, I won''t."


    Princess Shayna''s face became flushed because she was certain that Lux didn''t understand what she was talking about.


    Because of this, she red at the Half-Elf again, making thetter chuckle.


    "Father, I''ll be leaving," Aurora said with a smile.


    King Septimius nodded and rested his hands on her shoulder. "Remember this��if you need my help, you can count on me. I have already set the coordinates of the Teleportation Gate to Lux''s Guild Headquarters in our family''s Private Gate."


    Aurora hugged her father onest time before walking towards her sister, who was still ring daggers at the Half-Elf, who had no idea what was going on.


    "Are you ready?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Aurora replied.


    Lux extended his hand, and Aurora epted it.


    A few secondster, both of them turned into particles of light and disappeared from the Kingdom of Agartha.


    ��������������


    Heaven''s Gate Guild Headquarters��


    A gentle breeze washed over Aurora''s body as soon as she materialized beside the Teleportation Gate.


    She immediately noticed that she was standing on top of a mountain that overlooked what seemed to be a small town.


    The sun was shining down on her, and it made her feel warm and alive.


    She then closed her eyes in order to take everything in, taking deep breaths and allowing the fresh air to nourish her body.


    Lux smiled while looking at the young beauty who had officially regained her freedom.


    Truth be told, he intended to let Aurora meet Iris and Cai since the two of them were close to her age. He also hoped that the three of them would be good friends, allowing Aurora to havepanions while he was away.


    Suddenly, the Teleportation Gate glowed faintly, and three people stepped out of it.


    Before Lux could even greet them, Valerie cried out and ran towards him.


    Before the Half-Elf could even react, the "in-looking girl" jumped into his arms, forcing Lux to catch her.


    "Sir Lux! I missed you!" Valerie said as she hugged him tightly.


    Ali and Ari, Valerie''s handmaidens, sighed at the same time before looking at each other. They then walked towards Lux, and to his surprise, the two hugged him as well.


    "Someone help, there is a sexual harasser here!" Ali said in a monotonous tone while hugging Lux tightly.


    Ari giggled, as she too hugged Lux tightly. "The greater the misunderstanding, the more effective it is! Count me in!"


    The Half-Elf blinked repeatedly because he had no idea what was happening. To his surprise, a fourth person hugged him from the back, leaving him no room to escape.


    "This looks fun," Auroramented. "I''m joining as well."


    Lux, who was feeling several soft things pressing against his body, suddenly found himself unable to think properly.


    His mind waspletely nk, and because of this, those who were passing the Teleportation Gate like Garret, Cethus, Gerhart, and Emma, looked at him weirdly.


    At that exact moment, the Teleportation Gate once again activated and two more people appeared beside it.


    "��"


    "��"


    When Lux returned to the territories of the Crystal Pce, Lady Augustina immediately sensed his presence.


    Coincidentally, she was with Aur at that time, so she shared the news. To her surprise, the Dragon Prince immediately headed to the Teleportation Gate in haste, making his Aunt shake her head helplessly.


    Poro followed Aur as his bodyguard, and when the two of them stepped on the Teleportation Gate, the first thing they saw was Lux being hugged by four beautifuldies.


    Aur narrowed his gaze before walking toward the Half-Elf, who had an absent-minded look on his face.


    Without any warning, Aur reached out to pull Lux''s ear, making thetter cry out in pain.


    Cethus, who was observing this scene, sighed before ncing at Gerhart.


    "Want to grab something to eat?" Cethus asked.


    Gerhart nodded and left with the Dragon Born.


    Garret and Emma did the same, leaving their pitiful Guildmaster suffering from a karma that he wasn''t aware of.


    Lady Augustina, who was watching this scene from the castle, chuckled before taking a sip of her tea.


    "It seems that his future will have nothing but trouble," Lady Augustina said as an understanding smile yed over her lips. "Well, to each their own."

 Chapter 946 This Lady Will Play With You

    <h4>Chapter 946 This Lady Will y With You</h4>


    Eiko kissed her Papa''s reddened cheek in order to make it feel better.


    Currently, the Half-Elf and his guests were having some tea on the balcony of his Guild Headquarters.


    They were being served by the Maids who worked under General Garret''s family, and for some reason, these maids had amused smiles on their faces.


    Aur calmly drank his tea, and he was seated on the Half-Elf''s right side.


    Valerie sat on his left side and was even hand-feeding Lux a cookie, which thetter epted.


    Aurora watched this scene with great interest because this was the first time she had seen something like this.


    Her father had more than one wife, but all of them called each other sister and got along well with each other.


    But the pink-haired beauty''s gaze would shift to Aur from time to time. She didn''t understand why he was acting that way, but for some reason, Aurora could feel that something was amiss with the handsome Dragon Prince, who seemed to be seething from within.


    "Um, I would like to introduce our guest to all of you," Lux said after he finished eating the cookie that Valerie had given him. "Her name is Aurora, and she came from Agartha.


    "Aurora, this is Valerie, and this is Prince Aur from the Crystal Pce. The two side characters over there are Ali and Ari. Don''t worry, they don''t bite."


    "Hoh~ side characters?" Ali arched an eyebrow. "I''m not getting paid enough for this."


    "Don''t bite?" Ari smiled mischievously before looking down at the Half-Elf''s midsection. "Lux, it seems that you like to y with fire. Worry not, thisdy will dly y with you."


    Lux ignored the two side characters and shifted his attention to Aurora. "I hope that you will be good friends with them."


    Valerie looked at Aurora with a curious gaze, while Aur pretended not to care. Even so, if one looked closely, they would notice that he would give Aurora side nces from time to time.


    "I also hope to be good friends with them," Aurora replied with a smile.


    "Oh! A friend!" Valerie became excited. "You''ll be one of my first friends aside from Lux. I hope we get along!"


    Valerie extended her hand for a handshake, which Aurora dly epted.


    "Do you want to explore Vesperia City?" Valerie asked. "It''s the city over there."


    Aurora nced in the direction where Valerie was pointing and nodded her head in understanding.


    "Can I?" Aurora asked as she looked at Lux.


    "Of course," Lux replied.


    Aurora smiled and nodded her head. "I want to see the city."


    "Great! Let''s go!" Valerie stood up and walked towards Aurora, grabbing her hand.


    Truth be told, Valerie didn''t have any girl friends that were around her age. Ali and Ari were her servants, and while she didn''t treat them as friends, she viewed them as family.


    However, Aurora was different. She had a feeling that Lux cared about her, so she wanted to know more about her as well.


    "We''re going as well," Ali stated. "Thank you for the snack."


    "Hehehe, I''ll bite youter, Lux." Ari smirked as she waved her hand at the Half-Elf before following her Mistress.


    Aur ced his cup on the table and eyed the Half-Elf beside him.


    "Aren''t you going with them?" Aur asked.


    "I''ll observe from a distance," Lux replied. "I already told you that Aurora is Misfortune''s Beloved. I want to better understand how her bad luck works."


    When they were in the Inner Sanctum, Aurora "slipped" over nothing and leaned on the barrier holding the Golden-Eyed Naga, making it crack.


    She had done the same with the barrier that held the Blood Ogre, causing it to break as well.


    Truth be told, Lux was constantly anxious about Aurora''s safety. The only reason why he wasn''t overly anxious was due to the fact that Zane and Zeke were always with her. As long as the two Little Skeletons were with her, things would probably be fine.


    "Lucky her," Aur stated.


    Lux scratched his head because he didn''t understand why Aur kept on saying that Aurora was lucky.


    Since he didn''t want to argue, he secretly followed behind the four girls, who were making their way towards the Teleportation Gate.


    Aur, who had nothing to do, decided to follow as well.


    Now that he had seen thedy that the Half-Elf had strived hard to save, he wanted to know just how close her rtionship was with Lux.


    ��������������


    City of Vesperia��


    Simr to what happened in the City of Shambh, Aurora looked around like a country bumpkin. Everything was simply new to her.


    Aside from the Dragon Borns, there were no other races inside the city, which made the locals look at Aurora as if she were a rare creature.


    The four girls hadn''t walked far when suddenly, the sky suddenly went dark.


    At first, they thought that a cloud was just blocking the sky, but when they looked up, they saw a swarm of ck birds that were flying above their heads.


    Suddenly, all of these birds defecated at the same time, dropping their payload over the four girls, who were walking close to each other.


    Zane and Zeke, who was beside Aurora, immediately raised their hands and conjured an umbre that was made up entirely of bones.


    The sound of something pelting on top of it reverberated in the surroundings, as the Dragon Borns, who were also within the range of the Carpet Bombers, dodged to the side.


    Ali and Ari sighed and gave the two little skeletons a thumbs up.


    Zane and Zeke did the same, making the two girls giggle.


    However, it was at that moment that they heard a shouting from the other side of the street.


    "Get out of the way! The pigs have gotten loose!" a fat Dragon Born shouted, informing everyone of the danger that they were in.


    Over a dozen ck Pigs that were around two meters tall charged down the street, making everyone make a path for them.


    Once again, Zane and Zeke stood in front of Aurora and used their bone umbre, which was covered with bird poop, as a shield to protect thedies from the stampede.


    The sound of bone being crushed spread in the surroundings, as the ck Pigs mmed into it.


    Fortunately, even though cracks appeared in the Umbre''s surface, it held and stopped the pigs from advancing any further.


    As the fourdies continued to walk through the city, several "idents" happened. Pots of flowers, which were ced near the tops of houses, fell towards the pink-haired beauty who was oblivious to what was happening.


    Fortunately, Zane and Zeke were there to handle everything, preventing anything from hurting Aurora and the girls.


    Aurora wasn''t stupid and soon realized what was happening. Because of this, she apologized to Valerie, Ali, and Ari, and decided to cut their trip shorter than expected.


    However, the series of idents didn''t stop as they walked back to the Teleportation Gate, making Lux and Aur, who were watching from a safe distance, speechless.


    "Are you sure bringing her here was a good idea?" Aur asked.


    "D-Don''t worry," Lux replied. "As long as Zane and Zeke are with her, things will be fine."


    Aur scoffed but he didn''t say anything else.


    From the tone of Lux''s voice, he understood that the Half-Elf had no intention of getting rid of the pink-haired beauty, who was the carrier of bad luck.


    ��������������������


    In the deepestyer of the Abyss��


    Within this ever-expanding space where neither demons nor devils dared to tread.


    At the center of it all, a creature of unimaginable size slept, surrounded by countless angels singing a luby and ying a soothing tune with their instruments, preventing this primordial existence from waking up.


    This being was an Outer God, the oldest of them all and also the most powerful.


    It was so powerful that the demons, devils, and angels all agreed that it was best for it to remain asleep for eternity.


    This creature was known by many names.


    The Blind Idiot God.


    Nuclear Chaos.


    Daemon Sultan.


    The Deep Dark


    The Cold One, and many other names that had been passed down since time immemorial.


    Of course, this being had a name, and those who knew simply called it��


    Azathoth.


    It was said that the moment it woke up�� all creatures would bow to its will or be destroyedpletely.


    Since all the angels were busy doing their sacred duty, they didn''t notice that somewhere in the Abyss, a man�� or perhaps someone that used to be a man, was looking at the sleeping Outer God with a determined look on his face.


    In his hand, a Golden Lion Figurine could be seen, and a faint smile hung on his lips.


    "Soon," the being who used to be a man said softly.


    He didn''t say anything else before he, too, closed his eyes.


    What he needed was an opportunity, and when that opportunity came��


    All of creation would bow to his will.


    ������������


    End of Volume 4


    The Calm Before The Storm.


    ��������������

 Chapter 947 Stop Being A Worrywart

    <h4>Chapter 947 Stop Being A Worrywart</h4>


    "Your body is very beautiful, Aurora," Valerie said as she looked at the youngdy in front of her. "I feel a bit jealous."


    "Jealous?" Aurora asked back. "Your body is as beautiful as a painting. I''m sure that if Lux sees it, he would be speechless with how magnificent it is."


    "R-Really?"


    "Really."


    After their expedition in the city, Aurora, Valerie, Ali, and Ari decided to go to the Guild''s Bathhouse to wash their bodies.


    Right now, they were rxing in the natural spring, without anything covering their seductive bodies.


    "How about us?" Ari asked in a mischievous tone while striking a pose. "Do you think Lux will have a nosebleed if he sees our body?"


    ""Um? Why would he get a nosebleed?""


    Aurora and Valerie asked at the same time, which made Ali giggle.


    Ari scratched her head because she had forgotten that the two youngdies were still innocent about some things.


    "Hey, Aurora, what is your rtionship with Lux?" Ari asked.


    Aurora smiled before answering Ari''s question.


    "Right now, we are friends," Aurora stated. "But I n to be one of his wives someday."


    "Y-You n to be his wife?" Valerie''s eyes widened in shock.


    Aurora nodded. "From the moment he saved me, I decided to stay by his side for life."


    "��You are very brave and bold, Aurora," Valerie said softly. "I wish I was as brave as you."


    The pink-haired beauty eyed the in-looking girl with a gentle smile.


    "Do you like Lux?" Aurora asked.


    "I do," Valerie answered in a heartbeat. "But I have a feeling that I''ll get pregnant if I tell him that I like him."


    "Huh?" Aurora tilted her head in confusion. "How can you get pregnant by saying that you like him?"


    "Y-You see, in my dreams, whenever I tell him that I like him, he makes me feel good��" Valerie''s face became beet red before continuing the rest of her sentence. "Then after he makes me feel good, he whispers in my ear, ''Get pregnant, Valerie. I will take responsibility.''"


    Ali''s and Ari''s eyes widened in shock after hearing Valerie''s confession.


    They didn''t expect that the innocent princess that they''d been protecting for many years was no longer as innocent as they thought she was.


    Aurora, on the other hand, looked at Valerie with a curious expression on her face.


    "How can someone get pregnant?" Aurora asked. "Can you teach me?"


    "Okay!" Valerie replied with excitement.


    Now that her mother had told her how a woman really became pregnant, she was more than happy to share this information with her new friend.


    "First you need to start with a kiss," Valerie said as if she was very knowledgeable about the topic. "After that, both of you will take off your clothes and sleep on the bed together. When morninges, you will be pregnant."


    Ali and Ari blinked once then twice before giving each other a sidelong nce.


    "That''s it?" Aurora asked.


    "Yes," Valerie nodded. "But, Sir Lux does more than that in my dreams��"


    Valerie''s face was now as red as an apple, as she recalled most of her recent dreams. Truth be told, her mother only told her that in order to make a baby, the couple must kiss first andy on the bed naked. After that, they would sleep together.


    She didn''t mention any other "activities" and simply told her daughter that when morning came, she would be pregnant.


    Of course, in order to make it more realistic, her mother told her about the difference in the body parts of a man and a woman, hoping that adding this information would make her daughter less ignorant about the things that were done in the bedroom by married people.


    "What else does he do?" Aurora was genuinely curious about Valerie''s dreams.


    "H-He fondles and sucks my breasts like a baby," Valerie replied.


    "Anything else?" Aurora''s interest intensified after hearing Valerie''s reply.


    "T-Then he��" Valerie covered her face and was unable to continue with her exnation.


    She could feel her cheeks burning, and she found it hard to say the other things that the handsome Half-Elf did to her in her dreams.


    Ali and Ari sighed as they looked at the two innocent babies who were having a serious discussion about how to get pregnant.


    Seeing that Valerie could no longer say anything, Aurora didn''t press her for answers. Instead, she asked a different question, shifting the topic to something else.


    "Have you met Lux''s two fiances?" Aurora asked.


    Valerie shook her head. "Not yet."


    "Actually, I will be meeting them soon. Lux will be taking me to his home world, Sis."


    "You can go to Sir Lux''s home world? I thought Elysians couldn''t travel to Sis?"


    Aurora frowned. "I don''t really know the details, but Lux thinks that it is possible for me to go with him."


    "How envious. I want to go too��" Valerie sighed.


    While the Ladies were busy talking about a certain Half-Elf, the Half-Elf in question was having a serious discussion with Lilian.


    "You are going to keep watch over her, right?" Lux asked. "If something happens to Eiko, I''ll fight you even if it''s thest thing I do."


    "You''re too uptight." Lilian shook her head helplessly. "I asked Eiko to give me a small part of her for safekeeping. Even if she dies, which I pray would never happen, there will still be ways to revive her. Being overprotective of her will only make her more reliant on you.


    "Because of this, she will be unable to stand on her own and make decisions for herself. Right now, what Eiko needs is to learn how to be independent."


    Lux sighed. "But she is still a baby."


    Lilian arched an eyebrow. "All Slimes start as babies. From the moment they are born, they have to fend for themselves or they''ll be killed by other creatures. This is how we adapt and evolve. Why do you think there are so many races of Slimes in the world?


    "They start as the weakest of creatures, but when they manage to ovee this weakness, they be true powerhouses. Besides, Eiko is not an ordinary Baby Slime. She is already a Fairy Princess. But her bloodline isn''t fully awakened yet. But once it is, she will be a force to reckon with."


    Lux scratched his head. "I know, but I can''t help but worry��"


    "Are you stupid?" Lilian flicked the Half-Elf''s forehead making thetter cry out in pain. "You should be more worried about the creatures that stand in her way. Have you forgotten that she can throw one of those bombs that can wipe out entire cities from the face of the world? Stop being a worrywart."


    Lux didn''t have words to refute the Wicked Queen Slime''s statement because Eiko was indeed capable of doing what she said.


    "Fine." Lux finally relented. "After she says goodbye to Iris, I will let her off to go on her own adventure. Her starting point will be Leaf Town. I think that is the best ce for her to start."


    Lilian nodded. "I have to thank you for creating such a town. I never thought that such a thing was possible��a ce for Slimes and people to work hand in hand to be stronger."


    This was also why she had a better impression of Lux and his Guildpared to when she had first met him. Because of this, she didn''t hesitate to lend her hand when they went to the Abyss to rescue his fiancees.


    "I''ll wait for you and Eiko in Leaf Town," Lilian stated. "How long will you be gone?"


    "One or two weeks," Lux replied. "I''m sure that Iris would like to spend a few days with Eiko before she goes on her long journey."


    Lilian frowned, but in the end, she decided to not say anything. Although she felt like a week was too long, she decided that this would also help Eiko say her farewell to her Mama.


    After they finished their talk, the Half-Elf went to the town to look for the Baby Slime.


    It didn''t take long for him to find Eiko, but when he saw her, he couldn''t stop his lips from twitching.


    Three miles away from the town of Edea, which was the name of the town that was currently being constructed at the base of the mountain, two little troublemakers were busy making weapons of mass destruction.


    Lux could see sixteen small hills of st Bombs that were piled up on top of each other, making him feel as if several nuclear bombs were ticking away in front of him.


    Due to how focused Eiko and Glee were, they didn''t notice the Half-Elf observing them from a distance.


    After returning to the Guild Headquarters, Eiko went to look for her best friend, Glee, and asked her to help her make some bombs for her Papa.


    Naturally, Glee was more than happy to help, and they began making st Bombs and converting them into Heat-Seeking Missiles.


    But to Lux''s surprise, the two also made a new type of weapon which they called the Supersonic st Bomb.


    As the name suggested, this st Bomb could travel at supersonic speeds while having the firepower to destroy an entire city.


    The only problem with this bomb was that it would fly straight, and it was nearly impossible to change its trajectory.


    Even so, if used properly, it could seriously injure a Saint, and even possibly kill them if itnded as a direct hit.


    Lux remembered what Lilian told him a while ago and couldn''t help but reaffirm her statement.


    He truly didn''t need to worry about Eiko.


    What he should be worried about were the fools who dared to get in the way of his Trigger Happy Daughter, who wouldn''t hesitate to watch the world burn right before her eyes.


    ----------------


    Author''s Note: Only one chapter today, went to the dentist. will post 3 chapters tomorrow.

 Chapter 948 You’re Treating Me Like A Child

    ?


    Since Eiko and Glee were still busy crafting st Bombs and didn''t seem like they had any intention of stopping, Lux decided to return to Sis in the morning.


    Valerie then decided to spend the night in the Guild Headquarters and sleep with her first friend, Aurora.


    The twodies, one a peerless beauty and the other a in-looking girl,y on the bed while talking to each other.


    "You know, I didn''t notice it earlier, but looking at you closely now, I have a feeling that this isn''t what you truly look like," Aurora said as she lightly cupped Valerie''s face. "Of course, I won''t force you to show me your true appearance. But can I ask why are you hiding your face? Don''t you want Lux to see it?"


    Valerie didn''t reply right away. She was trying to find the right words to exin her current situation.


    A few minutester, she finally organized her thoughts and gave her reply.


    "You see, my family holds a great deal of influence in Karshvar Draconis," Valerie answered. "Several months ago, this Guild Headquarters was inside our territory. However, some things happened, forcing Sir Lux to seek Asylum here at the Crystal Pce."


    Valerie''s tone became a bit sad after saying these words.


    "Since my family is a bit special, I decided to disguise myself when I leave the P��our home. I''ve long been used to wearing this disguise, and I also met Sir Lux with this face. Right now, we are good friends. However, I am afraid that things might change if he sees my real face."


    Aurora giggled as she lightly caressed Valerie''s cheeks. "What? Are you going to tell me that you''ll get pregnant if Lux sees your real face?"


    Valerie pouted, which made Aurora giggle a second time.


    "My mother told me that I shouldn''t show my real face to people outside of our home, especially in front of men," Valerie stated. "ording to her, people might abduct me if they see me walking the streets of the capital."


    "Mmm," Aurora nodded. "I have my fair share of this problem as well. The only difference is that those who dared to abduct me ended up being cursed with bad luck. I''m sure that even now, they are regretting the choices they made many years ago."


    The pink-haired beauty sighed after remembering those traumatic memories.


    Perhaps influenced by the sadness that briefly passed across Aurora''s face, Valerie decided to give her friend a hug, which thetter returned with a hug of her own.


    "Actually, I kind of understand why people would want to kidnap you, Aurora," Valerie said. "You''re so beautiful. Even as a girl, I feel very attracted to you."


    "And I feel the same as you," Aurora smiled. "I''m sure that behind this face you are wearing right now is an incredibly beautiful girl. Since you like Lux, why don''t you show him your face?"


    The in-looking girl blushed before shaking her head. She had long been tempted to do this multiple times already. But every time she tried to convince herself to do it, a part of her rejected it.


    "I don''t want Sir Lux to see my true face." Valerie sighed. "I will make him like me with my current face. That way, I will know for sure that he doesn''t only look at someone''s physical appearance. My mother said that if I manage to make Sir Lux fall in love with me with my current looks, she will convince my father to let the two of us be together."


    The smile on Aurora''s face widened after hearing Valerie''s words.


    "My, how romantic," Auroramented. "Good luck, Valerie. I will support you."


    "Thank you."


    "You''re wee. I hope that both of us seed. By then, we will be calling each other sisters."


    "I think I would like that," Valerie said. "Make sure to tell me what Sir Lux''s fiancees are like when you return, okay?"


    Aurora nodded.


    The two chatted for another hour before both of them went to sleep.


    The next day��


    Lux, Eiko, and Aurora were bidding their goodbyes to Valerie, Ali, and Ari.


    Although they had only been together for a short time, Aurora and Valerie had be very close, which also made the Half-Elf quite happy.


    "I''ll be visiting again, Sir Lux," Valerie said as he hugged the red-headed teenager.


    It was Aurora who suggested that she did this, and Valerie decided to give it a chance. Fortunately, the Half-Elf didn''t mind, which made the in-lookingdy quite happy.


    "You can visit me anytime," Lux replied. "Just make sure to not make things difficult for Ali and Ari, okay?"


    "��You''re treating me like a child," Valerie pouted before pulling back. "I''m already an adult."


    The in-looking girl even puffed her chest, as if letting Lux inspect them to see if they belonged to a child.


    The Half-Elf lightly coughed as he forced his gaze to shift from Valerie''s chest to her face, and gave his reply.


    "Of course you are." Lux smiled. "That''s why you should take better care of yourself, okay? Especially now that you have a new friend you can visit here in the Guild Headquarters."


    "Un!" Valerie nodded before turning to Aurora to give her onest hug as well.


    "Remember what we talked about, okay?" Valerie whispered.


    "I know," Aurora whispered back. "Count on me."


    Aurora then took the initiative to stand beside Lux and hold his hand. Her gazended on her new best friend and gave her a yful wink, making thetter giggle.


    Eiko was also firmly perched on top of her Papa''s head as she waved at her best friend, Glee, who had alsoe to say goodbye.


    "Bye bye, Glee!" Eiko said.


    "Bye bye, Eiko!" Glee replied. "The next time we meet, let''s destroy entire mountain ranges, okay?"


    "Un!"


    "Yay!"


    Everyone, with the exception of the Half-Elf, who heard their words, smiled because they thought that they were only joking.


    Only Lux knew that the two weren''t joking. He could even feel beads of sweat forming on his head at the thought that the two would start destroying the mountain ranges around the territory of the Crystal Pce.


    If that really happened, he was sure that if Lady Augustina didn''t kick them out, Poro certainly would.


    After finally saying their goodbyes, Lux, Eiko, and Aurora, turned into beams of light and shot towards the sky.


    Their next destination was the world of Sis.


    A ce that Elysians couldn''t possibly travel to at this point in time.


    As to why Aurora could do it? The reason was due to her being Half Abyssal and Half Human.


    Since Abyssal Creatures could travel to Elysium and Sis, Aurora could do it too by default.


    Valerie looked at the sky for nearly half a minute before making her way back to the Teleportation Gate to return to Karshvar Draconis.


    In the distance, Aur also looked at the sky with his hands behind his back for a few seconds before taking a step forward and disappearingpletely.


    He still had many things to do, and he had already dyed them to spend some time with the Half-Elf, who had returned to his own world to reunite with his two lovers.

 Chapter 949 Do You Plan To Take A Second Wife?

    ?


    "Manma!" Eiko kissed Vera''s right cheek, making the silver-haireddy smile.


    "I missed you too, Eiko," Vera replied and kissed Eiko''s head, making the baby slime giggle.


    They had just arrived at Barbatos Academy after traveling from the Wildgarde Stronghold.


    Lux''s Grandma then nced at the youngdy who was beside her grandson with great interest.


    Earlier, she had seen Aurora, but thetter was wearing a hooded cloak that hid her face. However, after Aurora saw Lux''s family member, the pink-haired beauty revealed her face and gave Vera a polite bow in greeting.


    "Grandma, this is Aurora," Lux said. "Aurora, this is my Grandma Vera. She is the one who raised me."


    "It''s an honor to meet you, Lady Vera," Aurora said with a smile.


    "The pleasure is mine, Aurora," Vera replied. "But please, just call me Grandma."


    "Understood, Grandma." Aurora''s smile widened.


    A single nce was enough for Vera to know that Aurora liked her grandson, so she had a good impression of the girl. Although she didn''t know if the youngdy''s feelings would bear fruit, Lux''s grandmother was very willing to support her from the side.


    After all, the more great-grandchildren she had, the better!


    Vera then nced at her surroundings and noticed that a crowd had already formed around them.


    Lux might be popr in the academy, but he wasn''t popr to the point that a crowd woulde in droves just to look at him.


    Clearly, their attention was focused on the pink-haireddy by his side, who mesmerized them with her peerless beauty.


    "Hey, do you think that she is the Half-Elf''s new lover?"


    "Aiyah~ this bastard. Why is he getting all the beautifuldies? Can''t he show mercy to us single people? How will I be able to live like this?"


    "Well maybe if you didn''t look like a skinny sardine, you might stand a chance."


    "What did you say? Have you checked your reflection in the mirror? Even dog poop looks better than you!"


    "Bastard, you want to fight?"


    "Who''s afraid of you? Bring it on!"


    Seeing that things might get rowdy really soon, Vera decided to lead Lux and Aurora towards Iris'' residence in the academy. However, even as they left, the eyes of the male students were still glued to Aurora''s retreating back as they sighed bitterly.


    If only they could have a lover as beautiful as her, they would definitely brag to the high heavens and make sure that everyone, including their mothers, knew their names.


    "Grandma, are Iris and Cai around?" Lux asked.


    "No, they''re not," Vera replied. "Both of them are challenging a dungeon right now, and the soonest they could return is tomorrow."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    Ever since Iris and Cai were sent to the Abyss, the two decided to be serious about getting stronger.


    Because of this, they spent a lot of time diving into dungeons and challenging the monsters that stood in their way.


    Vera then chuckled as she continued to walk. "You ask about Iris and Cai, but you don''t ask about your Father. Aren''t you curious what he''s doing right now?"


    "To be honest, I''m not," Lux replied. "The things that Father does are none of my concern."


    Vera didn''t make anyment as she continued to walk forward. Truth be told, she also didn''t know what her son, Alexander, was doing.


    However, whatever it was, it was something very important since he had been away for nearly two weeks, leaving Alicia to handle the affairs of the academy.


    While they were walking down the hallway, they came across three familiar people, which made Lux arch an eyebrow.


    It was none other than Keane, his Master, and Captain Jack Spawow.


    Eiko immediately greeted the Pirate Captain, and thetter greeted her with a smile.


    "Eiko, sweetheart, it has been a while," Jack Spawow grinned. "How have you been?"


    "Yar!" Eiko replied before jumping towards the Captain''s shoulder, making Jack Spawowugh.


    "It seems that you''ve gone on a great adventure," Captain Spawow said as he lightly patted the baby slime''s head. "I am d to know that you and your Papa live an exciting life."


    "Aye!"


    "Good girl. We can still make a Pirate out of you."


    Keane, who had been away to train with his Master, walked towards Lux and shook his hand.


    "I''ve heard everything that happened," Keane stated. "I''m d that everyone was able to return safely thanks to your help."


    Lux nodded as he eyed the no-longer-skinny swordsman in front of him. Judging by the sweat that still stuck on his friend''s body, the Half-Elf assumed that he had just finished training with his Master.


    Since Keane wasn''t wearing a shirt, his lean and toned body was visible for everyone to see. He had also cut his hair, making him look quite handsome, which was a stark contrast to hiszy appearance in the past.


    Although the young swordsman was just standing in front of him, the Half-Elf could feel the raw strength and sharpness that was emanating from his body.


    After a brief probing, Lux wasn''t able to hide the surprise in his eyes because Keane was now a D-Ranker, which was of the same Rank as Cethus.


    This proved that he hadn''t been cking off while he wasn''t with Lux, and his advancement was truly terrifying.


    The red-headed teenager was only able to be a D-Ranker due to special circumstances, and he also only recently became a C-Ranker due to what happened in the Abyss.


    As for Cethus, he was a Dragon Born, so he had a backing that allowed him to gain some resources to help with his advancement.


    Seeing his surprise, Keane smirked because he didn''t expect Lux would react this way. For some reason, it made him feel quite aplished because although he didn''t want to admit it, he looked up to the Half-Elf and treated him as a leader.


    In order to hide his embarrassment and change the topic, Lux cleared his throat and asked his friend a question.


    "How is Rose?" Lux asked.


    This simple question made the smiling swordsman suddenly turn beet red, which made the Half-Elfugh internally.


    Keane''s Master, who just went by the name "The Void", rested his hand on his disciple''s shoulder before replying to Lux''s question.


    "The Second High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe is now Keane''s fiance," the Void replied. "The two of them will officially marry in three years."


    If Lux was only surprised earlier, he was now shocked. He knew that Keane and Rose liked each other, going as far as kissing in secret, but he didn''t expect that they would quickly be officially engaged, let alone marry in three years.


    "Congrattions, Keane." Lux grinned from ear to ear. "I guess the two of us will be brothers-inw soon."


    "Yes," Keane replied, looking very satisfied with this arrangement.


    Lux then cleared his throat and asked Keane a question.


    "Do you n to take a second wife?" Lux asked.


    Keane shook his head firmly. "Rose said that she will stab me in the back if I take a second wife. Also, I have no intention of doing so. Having her as my wife is already a blessing."


    The young swordsman gave Lux the "I''m-not-like-you" stare, making the Half-Elf cough lightly.


    Keane''s Master, Grand Void, looked at his disciple in satisfaction. For people like them, having one wife was enough. Having more would only make their swords dull and their sword lifeplicated.


    A momentter, the two groups separated and promised to have dinner together.


    "You can stay in my granddaughter''s residence while you are here in the academy, Aurora," Vera said after arriving at their destination. "I''m sure that my granddaughter will be very happy to meet you."


    "Thank you, Grandma," Aurora replied. "I also want to meet her as soon as possible. The same goes for Cai. I''ve heard a lot of good things about her from Zane and Zeke."


    "Oh? What did they tell you about Cai?" Lux asked with great curiosity.


    He knew that Zane and Zeke had told Aurora many things about him, but he didn''t know that they had also told the youngdy about the High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe.


    "That''s a secret," Aurora replied as a blush crept onto her face.


    After talking with Valerie, Ali, and Ari, she had gained a bit of understanding about the things that she wasn''t aware of in the past.


    The two handmaidens made sure to enlighten her and Valerie, exining that the "funny thing" that Lux and his two fiances were doing was the real reason why girls get pregnant.


    Their little lesson made the two innocent girls lose a bit of their innocence as they were now exposed to one of the many truths in the world.

 Chapter 950 Definitely 10 Out Of 10

    Chapter 950 Definitely 10 Out Of 10


    A faint sound of someone''s soft breathing spread inside the quiet room.


    Lux looked at the youngdy sleeping beside him with a half-dazed look on his face.


    Her hair was long, lustrous, and pink, and she had a face that could charm anyone who saw it. On his chest was her right hand, and on his shoulder rested her head.


    The young beauty was sleeping peacefully and even had a faint smile on her face.


    Memories of what happened the night before resurfaced inside his head, making him remember why Aurora was currently sleeping on his bed instead of the guest room.


    ��������������������


    "Can I sleep with you tonight, Lux?" Aurora asked as she stood outside his room, carrying a pillow in her arm. "I''m afraid of sleeping alone."


    "Of course," Lux replied.


    The Half-Elf didn''t mind Aurora sleeping beside him since Eiko was inside the room as well. Not to mention, Zane and Zeke always followed Aurora, so he was certain that nothing untoward would happen between the two of them.


    However, his confidence started to waver the moment theyid on the bed. The youngdy wrapped her arms around his body and nuzzled on his chest.


    For some reason, he felt his body heating up as if Aurora was releasing some kind of pheromone that was making his little brother react.


    ''F*ck��,'' Lux thought as he desperately controlled the urges of his little brother, who was now starting to rear its head. ''Calm down, little guy. We must not fight battles we can''t win.''


    Aurora, who was oblivious to the changes in Lux''s body, simply enjoyed his warmth and fragrance.


    Feeling safe andfortable, Aurora fell asleep soon after that, leaving Lux to fend for himself and control his urges.


    ''She feels so soft,'' Lux thought. ''She also smells good.''


    Lux, who was already a veteran when it came to skinship, still found himself unable to feel calm with Aurora clinging to his body.


    She was wearing a ck, one-piece nightgown that enhanced her charm by several folds, making it difficult for him to regain hisposure.


    Fortunately, he managed to regain his calm a few minutester and went to sleep.


    He wasn''t aware that just a little past midnight, Aurora opened her eyes in a daze.


    Her eyes glowed faintly in the darkness as she looked at the face of the handsome Half-Elf, who was sleeping beside him.


    Aurora seemed to be in a trance as she lowered her head to kiss his lips for a few seconds.


    When the kiss ended, she went back to sleep with a satisfied look on her face, resting her hand on his chest where she could feel his heartbeat.


    ��������������������


    Lux continued staring at the sleeping beauty beside him before looking at the window of his room.


    It was still a little dark outside, and yet, he knew that the sun would be rising soon.


    ''I guess I''ll sleep for a little bit more,'' Lux thought before closing his eyes.


    For some reason, he felt more tired than usual, which was also why he decided to sleep a little more before waking up.


    Half an hourter, the door of the room opened and two youngdies entered sneakily.


    Iris had felt Eiko''s presence inside her fiance''s room, so she knew that Lux had returned to Barbatos Academy.


    However, instead of surprising him, the ones who were surprised were them.


    While they did expect that they would find Lux sleeping, they didn''t expect that he would be sleeping with a youngdy, whose beauty surpassed theirs.


    They had just returned from their dungeon expedition and were feeling quite tired. Their goal was to sleep beside Lux, but seeing that he hadpany, the two didn''t know what to do next.


    Of course, they had an idea who the youngdy was.


    The Half-Elf had informed them where he would go and whom he nned to save. Since that was the case, Iris and Cai believed that the beautiful girl sleeping beside their fiance was none other than Aurora.


    The twodies gave each other a knowing nce before leaving the room. They were truly tired and had no strength to do anything aside from sleep.


    Fortunately, Lux didn''t sleep in Iris'' bedroom and used the room he usually slept in when she was inside her Residence.


    If the handsome young man dared to sleep with another girl inside her bedroom without her permission, then things wouldn''t have ended as peacefully as they did now.


    A few hourster��


    Lux felt something poking his cheeks, which made his brow furrow. At first, he thought that it was Eiko trying to wake him up.


    However, when he realized that both of his cheeks were being poked, he knew that whoever was poking him wasn''t alone.


    When he opened his eyes, he found two baby slimes taking turns poking his cheeks.


    They were none other than Eiko and Fei Fei, who immediately giggled after seeing that they had seeded in waking him up.


    Lux stared at the golden baby slime for a few seconds before his eyes widened in shock.


    Since Fei Fei was here, that could only mean one thing.


    He nced at his side and realized that Aurora was no longer beside him. The sunlight was already strong outside the window, and to his surprise, it was already noon time.


    The Half-Elf scrambled out of the bed, and immediately headed to Iris'' bedroom, only to see that they were not there.


    "Pa!" Eiko, who had followed behind Lux, jumped on top of his head and giggled.


    Fei Fei did the same, but instead of jumping on the Half-Elf''s head, shended on his shoulder.


    "Wei~"


    "Eiko, where is your Mama?" Lux asked.


    "Bath!" Eiko replied.


    "I see, thank you," Lux stated before going to the pool area of Iris'' residence. Since his two fiances were already there, he decided to join them and enjoy some quality time with each other.


    He removed his pajamas and entered the pool with a smile on his face.


    A momentter, the smile on his face stiffened as he came face to face with a pink-haired beauty, who waspletely naked, standing in front of him.


    Her hair was still wet, and there were still water droplets on her skin, which meant that she had just finished bathing.


    The Half-Elf''s eyes subconsciously moved to her chest before moving downwards. When he saw that ce, his weakness activated, making him fall into a daze.


    ''Nice thighs,'' Lux thought. ''Definitely 10 out of 10.''


    Even Little Lux rose up to give his approval, making his face redden out of embarrassment.


    Due to how focused he was in appraising the profoundness in front of him. He didn''t notice that Aurora had approached him and was looking at him with concern.


    "Are you alright?" Aurora asked as she touched the side of his face. "Your face is a bit flushed. Do you have a fever?"


    The Half-Elf raised his head to look at her. But before he could even give his reply, twodies appeared behind Aurora, which made Lux stand at attention.


    Both had smiles on their faces, and they were looking at him as if telling him, "do you like what you see?".


    Perhaps knowing that the situation had turned for the worse, Lux''s little brother deted, as if taking evasive action, leaving his Big Bro to handle the aftermath.


    Because he couldn''t think of any kind of excuse to say in this situation, he decided to man it up and walk towards his two fiances with a smile on his face.


    "I missed the two of you," Lux said as he hugged their bodies before giving Iris and Cai a kiss on their cheeks.


    To his surprise, the twodies didn''t say anything and simply held his hand, and pulled him towards the pool.


    Although they had just taken a bath, they didn''t mind doing it again in order to spend time with their lover, whom they knew didn''t have the guts to cheat on them.


    Aurora looked at Lux retreating back with a tinge of red on her face. She was still not aware of many things, especially when it came to matters between men and women. But she was certain about one thing.


    ''He liked what he saw,'' Aurora thought. ''I think I have a chance.''


    The youngdy nced at the pool one more time before going back to her room.


    She wasn''t aware that inside the pool area, Lux and his two fiances did a bit of catching up, which took an hour to finish.

 Chapter 951 Did She See Another Vision?

    Chapter 951 Did She See Another Vision?


    Right after lunch, Iris and Cai took Aurora away, leaving Lux behind.


    The two girls wanted to continue their "girl talk" and didn''t want the Half-Elf to take part in their discussion.


    Left with no choice, Lux decided to visit Keane and talk to him about his ns for the future.


    "Actually, my Master will be leaving soon, so I think I will return to Elysium for a while," Keane said. "As to where exactly I''d go, I guess I''ll explore the territory around the Crystal Pce. Anyway, our Guild Headquarters is already relocated there."


    Lux smirked. "Are you sure you don''t want to visit Rose first?"


    "No." Keane shook his head. "She said that I should focus on training because something big is going to happen soon."


    The Half-Elf frowned after hearing his friend''s reply. After pondering a bit, he decided to pry further to make sure that he wasn''t making a wrong assumption.


    "Did she see another vision?" Lux asked.


    Keane held his friend''s gaze before nodding his head. "Yes. But she refused to tell me what it was. All I know is that it is somehow rted to you. She added that even if you try to look for her, she won''t tell you a thing.


    "I tried to ask further, but the only thing she said was that knowing what she saw in this particr vision wouldn''t change a thing. In fact, it might only make things worse if you were to know about it."


    The frown on Lux''s face deepened. How could he not take Rose''s vision seriously after what happened in the Abyss?


    Although the worst-case scenario didn''t happen, the things they experienced were a close call. If they made one wrong move, then the consequences would have been irredeemable.


    Perhaps this was why Rose didn''t want to tell him anything.


    If it was only a simple vision, he was certain that Cai''s little sister wouldn''t hesitate to tell him what she saw in order to let him prepare for the future.


    Lux pinched the bridge of his nose in order to regain hisposure. He just hoped that whatever woulde to pass, wouldn''t be as serious as what happened in the Abyss.


    "Is there anything else that I should know?" Lux inquired.


    Keane shook his head. "Aside from telling me to do my best to increase my rank and get stronger, she didn''t tell me anything else."


    The Half-Elf sighed. A part of him regretted knowing this bit of information, and a part of him was thankful because it allowed him to rethink the goals that he wanted to aplish.


    Suddenly, both of them felt the presence of two powerful people descending from the sky.


    Before Lux and Keane could even react, two adultsnded a few meters away from them.


    After seeing who it was, the Half-Elf sighed in relief because it was none other than his Stepfather, Alexander, as well as the Great Chieftain of the Rowan Tribe, Maximilian.


    But his expression changed again when he saw how exhausted and haggard both Saints were.


    "Did something happen?" Lux asked.


    Alexander and Maximilian exchanged a nce before nodding their heads at the same time.


    "A portal that led to the Abyss appeared near the Barbarian Kingdom," Alexander replied. "We went there to help seal it. However, it took some time. Hundreds of Abyssal Creatures, led by several Empyrean Ranked Monsters, managed to break through while we were sealing it."


    "The forces of the Six Kingdoms were also there," Maximilianmented. "Although it took some time to close the gate and hunt the Abyssal Monsters that managed to escape, the danger they posed has been sessfully eliminated.


    "But everyone is still on high alert since there''s a chance that another Gate will open. Fortunately, the Abyssal Gate was a low-level one. The strongest creatures that managed to cross this world were Empyrean Ranked Creatures. If a single Cmity managed to enter our world then��"


    The Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe didn''t need to finish the rest of his sentence because there was no need to do it.


    A Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Creature might be weaker than a Demigod.


    However, the Six Kingdoms only had three active Saints. The two other Saints were living as hermits, so they weren''t very active at the moment.


    If these five Saints were to work together then it might be possible to defeat the monster. However, this would only work if they weren''t fighting its minions. But, if a gate were able to spawn Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Creatures, it was possible that more than one would be able to cross to Sis.


    Beads of sweat formed on Lux''s forehead when he thought of the worst-case scenario.


    ''If a single Demigod was able to pass through that Abyssal Gate then the Six Kingdoms would bepletely destroyed.'' Lux shuddered internally.


    The Half-Elf knew that they were only able to win against Queen Rhiannon when they fought due to his Master''s defensive ability, using Antero to block her attacks.


    Unfortunately, his Master couldn''te to Sis, and the strongest fighters in the Six Kingdoms were the Saints and him.


    Although he already had Avernus on his side, he wasn''t confident that they would be able to fend off a Demigod, unless his Dracolich had also broken through the Demigod Rank.


    ''Is this the vision that Rose saw?'' Lux thought. ''Or is it something else?''


    While Lux was deep in his thoughts, two other adults appeared beside them.


    "Did you seal the gate?" Keane''s Master asked.


    "Yes," Alexander answered. "Thank you two for guarding the academy while I was away."


    Jack Spawow took a swig of his rum before grinning. "Well then, since everything has been dealt with, I''ll be leaving in two days. There are still things I need to handle in Elysium, so unless it is a matter of life and death, don''t look for me, okay?"


    Alexander nodded. "Thank you, Jack. I''ll send you yourpensationter."


    "As you should," Jack Spawow replied. "I''m off to buy another bottle of rum. Ta Ta~"


    The Pirate Captain left with steady strides as he headed towards the city at the base of the mountain.


    When he could no longer be seen, Maximilian also bid his goodbye and returned to his Tribe. He hadn''t had any rest for nearly a week since this incident started, and he wanted nothing more than to hit the sack.


    Alexander felt the same, so he didn''t stay for long, leaving Lux, Keane, and his Master behind.


    The Half-Elf was still deep in thought, but he noticed something moving towards the city in the distance.


    It was a flock of migratory birds that numbered in the hundreds.


    ''For some reason, I am having a deja vu,'' Lux thought as his eyes followed what was now about to fly past the city.


    Due to his heightened vision, he was able to see a bit further than the rest.


    Then it happened, all the birds started to poop at the same time, which made the Half-Elf shudder.


    He only knew one person who would be subjected to that kind of bad luck, so he hurriedly opened his wings to fly toward the city.


    Aurora was currently with Iris and Cai, and he hadpletely forgotten to tell them that the pink-haired beauty was a ma for trouble, especially in ces where there were a lot of people.


    That day, a series of unfortunate events happened within the city, which made Lux temporarily forget the nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

 Chapter 952 I’ll Take Things Nice And Slow

    Chapter 952 I��ll Take Things Nice And Slow


    The sound of kissing permeated inside the room as two beautifuldies took turns kissing Lux on the couch.


    Soft sighs escaped their lips as his fingers teased their entrances before pushing deep inside them.


    Their breasts were pressed against his chest, making his heart melt due to how small they were. However, at the center of their softness, he could feel their pink tips slowly turning hard due to how aroused both of them were.


    It had been a while since they were with Lux, and because of what happened in the Abyss, their feelings for each other only became stronger.


    This was especially true for Cai, who had nowpletely fallen in love with Lux.


    Even when the two of them had been engaged and had already embraced each other, they couldn''t say that they truly loved each other.


    Sure, they cared and probably liked each other. But their love wasn''t as strong as the love that Lux and Iris shared with each other.


    Only after entrusting themselves to each other, which led to Queen Rhiannon''s loss, did they truly close that gap, allowing them to fall in love with each other.


    A few minutester, the twodies shuddered at the same time as seductive sighs escaped their lips.


    The Half-Elf pulled back his fingers before wrapping his arms around his two lovers and pulling them close to him.


    Iris and Cai didn''t resist and rested their heads on his shoulders. Their faces were flushed, and their breaths were a little ragged.


    Lux kissed their foreheads and whispered words of love in their ears. They replied in kind and told him they loved him before kissing his cheeks and smothering his lips with their own.


    Not long after, the twodies pulled the Half-Elf to the bed, where they made passionate love with each other.


    The three of them were not aware that in a guest room not far from theirs, a youngdy was panting for breath.


    Two horns protruded from her head, a spade-like tail appeared out of her backside, and her eyes glowed with a purple light.


    Her face was flushed as she desperately tried to understand the waves of pleasure that were washing over her body.


    She didn''t know what was happening, but for some reason, she was able to see what was transpiring in Iris'' bedroom.


    But it didn''t end there.


    Due to some kind of unknown phenomenon, her senses fused with Lux''s two fiances, and their feelings were transmitted to her, making her body shudder uncontrobly.


    She watched as Lux spread Cai''s legs apart before lowering his hips.


    A whimper escaped Aurora''s lips as she felt something hot and hard enter her body. She subconsciously clutched the bedsheets, but it wasn''t enough.


    The sensations that were being transmitted to her werepletely new to her, and she didn''t know what to do with them.


    The only thing she could do was to helplessly endure, whimper, and squirm as Lux brought Cai to the peak of pleasure.


    A few minutester, her body arched upwards as something hot seeped inside her body, threatening to melt her from the inside out.


    The innocent girl copsed on the bed and panted for breath.


    Her body glistened with sweat as she basked in the afterglow of pleasure that was foreign yet familiar to her.


    Just as Aurora thought that it was finally over, her connection with Iris sent another shiver running down her spine.


    Another whimper escaped her lips as Lux''s first fiance lowered her hips and took him in.


    That night, Aurora tossed and turned on the bed as her power as a Half Subus awakened.


    She was like a small ship being thrown about in a relentless storm, doing her best to survive the onught of the giant waves that threatened to capsize her.


    But despite it all, something inside of her understood that this was why she was born.


    She was born to be held.


    To be loved.


    To be protected.


    To be embraced.


    Her perfect body was made to ept these pleasures, allowing her to weather the stormy night that shook her body, heart, and soul.


    Once everything ended, Auroraid on the bed. She had already lost consciousness, but even then, her body would twitch from time to time.


    Clearly, even though she was no longer conscious, the aftershocks of what she experienced were still creating waves inside her seductive body, which had now returned to normal.


    Her horns and tail disappeared, and her eyes no longer glowed.


    The bedsheet was wet with sweat, and perhaps, with something else. However, Aurora no longer had the capacity to care as she fainted into a dreamless sleep, which her exhausted body needed very badly.


    ��������������


    Several hourster��


    Aurora opened her eyes and found herselfpletely naked.


    Her nightgown and pillows were on the floor, and everything else was in aplete mess.


    It was as if a tornado had suddenly passed over her bed, sending everything it hit flying in different directions.


    At first, she was at a loss as to why this had happened, but it didn''t take long for her to recall the events that happened a night ago.


    A faint blush appeared on her face, and she could also feel her cheeks burning.


    In order to temporarily forget everything, Aurora did some light stretches in order to help her blood circte. To her surprise, she felt very refreshed and full of energy.


    What she didn''t know was that when she awakened as a Subus, she had gained the ability to absorb the excess life energy that oozed out of Lux''s, Iris'', and Cai''s bodies from when they were making love with each other.


    Of course, Aurora didn''t know anything about this, and she simply thought that her good mood was due to her getting a good night''s sleep.


    She also temporarily put what happenedst night in a corner of her mind as she headed to the pool area to take a bath. Her body felt sticky, and it made her feel ufortable.


    But as she walked towards her destination, she couldn''t help but look forward to the day when she would also be embraced by the person she liked.


    For now, she decided to take her time getting to know that person, as well as the women he loved.


    ''There''s no rush,'' Aurora thought. ''I''ll take things nice and slow.''


    The youngdy wasn''t aware that, after she left the room, Zane and Zeke started to clean up her room, as if erasing any evidence that would point out what had transpired in Aurora''s room several hours ago.

 Chapter 953 You’re Too Overprotective

    Chapter 953 You��re Too Overprotective


    "Make sure to always eat on time, okay?" Iris said as she held the Baby Slime in her arms.


    "Ma!" Eiko replied.


    "If you meet a very strong monster, just run away, okay?"


    "Ma!"


    "Get plenty of rest."


    "Ma!"


    "Don''t randomly throw bombs at people, okay?"


    "Ma!"


    Iris said a few more things, which only made Lux shake his head helplessly. This was the first time that Eiko would be traveling separately from him, and it made Iris quite worried.


    "Wei~" Fei Fei said as Cai patted her head.


    "Okay. Make sure to always stick with Eiko, okay?" Cai stated. "No matter what happens, don''t leave her side."


    "Wei~"


    "Share the treasures that you find with her."


    "Wei~"


    "Don''t steal things from good people. But if they are bad people, don''t hold back and take everything."


    "Wei~"


    Aurora, who was listening on the side, couldn''t help but giggle after hearing Cai''s words.


    It was ast minute decision, but Fei Fei decided to apany Eiko on her journey, which surprised Cai.


    Although she was surprised by Fei Fei''s request, Cai decided to agree to her request. As a member of the Rowan Tribe, who usually migrated from ce to ce, she believed that Fei Fei also needed to leave the nest for a short while.


    That way, she would be able to see a bigger world, and adapt to certain situations without Cai''s protection.


    "The kids sure grow up fast." Lux sighed as he looked at the two Baby Slimes that were jumping on the ground in excitement.


    "Indeed." Iris smiled. "I just hope that when I give birth to your baby, they will not be as hyper as Eiko."


    "Do you want to give birth to my baby?"


    "Of course. But, let''s get officially married first, okay?"


    "Okay."


    Cai smiled after seeing Lux warm up to the idea of marriage.


    When they were still back in the Abyss, she asked Lux to make her pregnant. However, the Half-Elf said that they should wait for a few years before they took that step.


    Marriage was an important thing in their world, and wasn''t considered a normal ceremony. Although they didn''t know that the Gods had already abandoned them, everyone took this act seriously, since it would bind them to their partner for life.


    Also, she was looking forward to officially being a part of the Kaizer Family, taking Lux''s surname as her own.


    Aurora just listened with a smile on her face. She would nce at Lux from time to time, which didn''t escape the attention of the twodies who had be his fiances.


    Iris and Cai shared knowing smiles with each other, but they didn''t say anything. Fortunately, Lux didn''t see this exchange because he was busy giving Eiko and Fei Fei a few resources to take on their journey.


    "Are you both ready to go?" Lux asked the two Baby Slimes that were looking up at him with anticipation.


    "Pa!"


    "Wei~"


    Lux chuckled before picking up the two Baby Slimes. He then walked towards the teleportation gate that Vera had built in a secluded part of the academy, which was connected to Leaf Town and Lux''s Guild Headquarters.


    Iris wasn''t part of Lux''s guild, so she couldn''t teleport to his Guild Headquarters. Because of this, Vera took it upon herself to build a teleportation gate that could only be used by their family and Cai.


    A few minutester, Iris found herself in a bustling town. Everywhere she looked, she could see Dwarves everywhere.


    Truth be told, this was the first time that Iris was seeing Dwarves. She had seen Elves, Beastkins, and even Gnomes, but she had never met a Dwarf during her travels.


    As Humans, they stood out like a sore thumb and immediately became the center of attention.


    The Dwarves that had just arrived in Leaf Town were quite surprised, but when their head, they felt as if they had seen them before.


    gazended on the Half-Elf, as well as the baby slime that was perched on top of his head, they felt as if they had seen them before.


    Lux ignored them and walked towards the statue in the za.


    This had be one of the main attractions of Leaf Vige before it had been renamed to Leaf Town.


    When Iris saw Lux''s statue, her eyes lit up in surprise.


    "The Guardian Statue." Iris read the description of the statue. "Eternal Guardians of Leaf Vige. Eiko, you''re amazing."


    "Ma!" Eiko replied happily after she was praised by her Mama.


    Lux looked at his fiance with anticipation because he wanted to be praised as well.


    However, Iris only smiled mischievously, not giving him the satisfaction he was looking for. Seeing her expression, the Half-Elf decided to punish her tonight, and make her understand who her daddy was.


    "I''ll introduce both of you to everyone first," Lux said to Iris and Aurora. "Eiko, make sure to properly say goodbye to them as well."


    Eiko nodded. "Pa!"


    She had many friends in Leaf Vige, including Bedivere''s daughter, Heidi, and Sid''s younger twin sisters, Laura and Livia.


    Naturally, she was also friends with their baby slimes, whom they had named Cedie, Cora, and Nora.


    The first person they visited was Grandma Annie, who happily gave Eiko and Fei Fei several bags of candies that they could take on their journey.


    Laura and Livia were also quite happy because it had been a while since Lux and Eiko had visited them.


    Bedivere, who had sensed his Master''s presence, arrived at the scene with his wife, Lilia, and his daughter, Heidi.


    (A/N: Bedivere is Lux''s Dragon Knight just in case you guys forgot.)


    After introducing Iris and Aurora to them, Lux went to visit his Master, but Randolph was currently not in Leaf Town. ording to Grandma Annie, he went to the capital city of the Dwarven Kingdom, Aeronwen, in order to join the auction to buy precious ores and metals.


    Since his Master was not around, Lux took everyone to visit the former Vige Head, Cedwyn, who was now the Mayor of Leaf Town.


    "Damn you, brat, you don''t deserve these two beauties as your wives," Cedwyn shook his head after seeing Iris and Cai. "Aurora, right? It will be best if you stay away from this troublemaker. If you''re not careful, you might find yourself bing his fiance in the future."


    Aurora blushed, but she didn''t say anything. Deep inside, she hoped that what Cedwyn had said would be a reality. But, for that to happen, she first needed to form closer ties with his official fiances.


    A few minutester, they used the Teleportation Gate to go to the Stronghold of Norria.


    Lux wanted to introduce Iris and Aurora to everyone, so whenever they visited the Dwarven Kingdom, Commander Thoram and his men would be able to help them just in case something happened while he was away.


    After their short meeting, it was truly time to say goodbye.


    The two Baby Slimes became teary eyed as they looked up at Iris and Cai. The twodies did their best to hold back their tears as well because it might make their hearts waver.


    "Eiko, Fei Fei, enjoy your adventures," Lux said as he patted Eiko''s and Fei Fei''s heads. "If anyone bullies the two of you, remember their names and faces. We will bully them back for you."


    "Pa!"


    "Wei~"


    The two baby slimes slowly crawled away, but they couldn''t help but look back every few meters.


    Only after they disappeared from their sight did Iris and Cai bury their heads on Lux''s chest, their bodies trembling as the tears they held back earlier finally fell like rain.


    "�� King Leoric," Lux said softly.


    "You''re too overprotective." King Leoric sighed. "Even Lilian didn''t apany Eiko on this journey, and you want me to follow her?"


    Lux nodded.


    "Are you sure about this?" King Leoric asked. He already knew the answer to this question, but he asked just to be sure.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Do not interfere unless her life is truly in danger. She''s already died once. I don''t want her dying again."


    King Leoric eyed Lux for a few seconds before nodding his head.


    "Understood."


    The Wraith King vanishedpletely.


    Among Lux''s subordinates, only the Wraith King could turnpletely invisible. Because of this, he was the perfect bodyguard for Eiko.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know what dangers the two Baby Slimes would face, but he hoped beyond hope that both of them would be able to return to them safe and sound, and a lot stronger by the time their journey came to an end.

 Chapter 954 I Guess Our Mistress Still Has A Chance

    Chapter 954 I Guess Our Mistress Still Has A Chance


    It had been two days since Eiko and Fei Fei went off on an adventure on their own.


    Because of the immeasurable range between them, Lux was unable tomunicate with King Leoric and ask him how the two were doing.


    Eiko had always been with him for quite a long time, and not feeling her weight on top of his head would take some time getting used to.


    Even so, he was confident that, with the Wraith King looking after her, she and Fei Fei would be safe as long as they didn''t face any Cmity-Ranked monsters in the wild.


    The sound of metal hitting metal reverberated in the surroundings as Lux and Keane shed.


    This was the first time that the two of them had actually sparred against each other because they didn''t have the opportunity to fight during the Lionheart Tournament at Barbatos Academy.


    Cethus and Gerhart watched this battle with great interest, and the Dragon Born was even cheering on Keane, hoping that the swordsman would be able to defeat the Half-Elf, who was currently wielding a spear in his hand.


    Lux was a C-Ranker, and Keane was a D-Ranker. Rank-wise, he was stronger than thetter, but right now, they were evenly matched.


    Most of the time, Keane would end his battles before he could even draw his sword to the fullest.


    But every time he was fighting with Lux, the only thing one could hear were faint clicking sounds, as he unsheathed his sword with a flick of his thumb.


    Of course, right now, he wouldn''t use his killer techniques to fight against his friend.


    He was helping Lux train on wielding a spear since thetter''s main weapon was now the Spear of Longinus.


    Even though the swordsman wasn''t using his technique to the fullest, it didn''t change the fact that Lux was unable tond a hit on his body.


    It made him realize that fighting against experts who had truly mastered their weapons was quite difficult.


    For them, their weapon was an extension of their body, and they knew how to effectively use it in battle.


    Even though Lux was stronger Rank-wise, Keane was better when it came to technique.


    In the distance, Iris, Cai, and Aurora watched the battle as if it were a supplemental show for their pic. This was the first time that Iris had visited Lux''s Guild Headquarters, and she was quite impressed with the floating ind that the Half-Elf had stolen from the Dragon King.


    Originally, only the Mountain Range belonged to Lux''s territory. However, since Gaap had made the Earth Turtle assimte with the entire ind, they were able to bring all of it with them when they came to the Crystal Pce to seek Asylum.


    Gaap had also passed the ownership of the Earth Turtle to Lux, allowing the Half-Elf tomand it even though he was away.


    While the three girls were observing the battle from a distance, a cheerful voice reached the pink-haired beauty''s ears.


    "Aurora!"


    Valerie, apanied by her two handmaidens, Ali and Ari, arrived at the scene.


    The in-looking girl had given Aurora an artifact that would inform Valerie when her friend was at Lux''s Guild Headquarters.


    Valerie could have arrived earlier, but she had been in the middle of an important discussion with her mother. However, as soon as she was done, she headed straight to their family''s private Teleportation Gate, allowing her to instantly teleport to Lux''s Guild Headquarters.


    "Valerie!" Aurora waved at the approaching youngdy with a smile on her face. "How are you?"


    "I''m good," Valerie replied as she stopped a meter away from the pic nket. Her gazended on Iris and Cai for a few seconds before making a curtsy.


    "My name is Valerie." Valerie introduced herself. "These are my two servants, Ali, and Ari. Are you perhaps Sir Lux''s two fiancees?"


    Iris nodded. "My name is Iris Von Kaizer, and I am Lux''s first fiance. Thisdy beside me is Caitlin, but you might already know her as Cai."


    Valerie blinked once then twice before her eyes widened in shock.


    "S-She is Cai?" Valerie stuttered. "That Boar with the golden slime on her head?"


    Iris giggled after seeing Valerie''s reaction. Cai on the other hand only smiled and nodded her head.


    "Yes," Cai replied. "I am that Boar that you speak of. Feel free to call me Cai like usual."


    "Unbelievable," Valerie muttered.


    The Dragon Slime on Valerie''s head snickered making "Zi Zi Zi" sounds.


    "Why don''t you join us?" Iris asked. "There''s plenty of space here."


    The blue-haired beauty lightly tapped the space beside her, which made Valerie hesitate for a brief moment.


    "Come join us, Valerie." Aurora insisted. "Don''t worry. They don''t bite."


    A blush appeared on the in-looking girl''s face before she nodded her head in eptance.


    After sitting beside Iris, she observed her and Cai, without saying a word.


    ''So, the two of them are Sir Lux''s fiance��,'' Valerie thought. ''Both of them seem nice. As expected of Sir Lux. His charm is powerful enough to attract beautifuldies to his side.''


    Iris and Cai were also observing Valerie, as well as her two handmaidens. A few minutester, the two exchanged knowing nces at each other.


    ''It seems that Aurora is not the only one who likes Lux.''


    These were the thoughts that were in Iris'' and Cai''s minds as they shifted their attention to the Half-Elf, who was still fighting against Keane.


    The two of them had already removed their shirts because they were soaked with their sweat. Their bodies glistened with perspiration as they continued to sh with each other, making Ali and Ari make snarkyments from the side.


    "Is he trying to seduce us?" Ali asked. "He already has two fiances, and he''s still showing off like this. I worry about his future."


    "What a sinful man," Ari sighed. "If he keeps on doing this, I might just ept his proposal to marry him. Um, I think giving birth to twelve kids is just fine. I like to have a big family."


    The corner of Aurora''s, and Valerie''s lips twitched after hearing Ali''s and Ari''s remarks. They were currently with Lux''s two fiances, and the two servants were saying whatever they wanted.


    To their surprise, Iris and Cai didn''t say anything and simply smiled. Perhaps, they knew that Ali and Ari were just joking, so they didn''t take it to heart.


    Clearly, their rtionship with the Half-Elf was close enough for them to joke about something like this.


    "Jokes are half-truths, you know?" Aurora said with a smile. "Does this mean that the two of you like Lux as well?"


    Ali and Ari nced at Aurora and smiled.


    "He would have to get through us before he could do anything to our mistress," Ali replied.


    "If he wants to make our Mistress pregnant, he has to make us pregnant first," Ari said with a straight face.


    Valerie choked on the tea that had just been given to her by Iris.


    She did like Lux, but for her two handmaidens to say something like this, especially when Iris and Cai were right beside them, made her feel like hiding inside a hole.


    Ali rubbed Valerie''s back, as the youngdy coughed repeatedly.


    "Are you okay, Mistress?" Ari asked with concern.


    "I will be if the two of you stop talking," Valerie replied.


    "Understood." Ari nodded. "We will drug Lux''s drink with Aphrodisiac and serve him to you on a silver tter."


    "Ari!" Valerie pounced on her handmaiden, pinning her down on the nket.


    A giggle escaped Ari''s lips as Valerie tried to use her hands to cover the talkative girl''s mouth.


    She didn''t know why her handmaiden was acting like this, and it was making her cheeks burn in embarrassment.


    What she didn''t know was that Ali and Ari were testing Iris'' and Cai''s bottom line. They really cared about Valerie, so they wanted to know the thoughts of Lux''s two fiances when it came to their future husband having more wives.


    Seeing that Iris and Cai didn''t seem to mind their words, they secretly let out a sigh of relief in their hearts.


    ''I guess our Mistress still has a chance,'' Ali thought.


    What they wanted the most was to see Valerie''s happiness.


    She and her sister were willing to climb a mountain of fire to ensure that the youngdy, whom they already treated as their little sister, would be happy.


    They were even willing to defy the Dragon King''s orders if it meant that their mistress would be able to be with the person she loved.


    Just as thedies were about to continue their chat, a loud cracking sound spread in What the two handmaidens didn''t know was that Iris and Cai were also carefully observing thedies around their fiance.


    Although they didn''t mind sharing their man with others, that didn''t mean that they would just ept anyone and call them their sisters.


    Just as thedies were about to continue their chat, a loud cracking sound spread in the surroundings.


    A momentter, ady fell from the sky. She crashed on the ground a few meters away from Lux and Keane, who were still sparring with each other.


    Seeing the familiardy, Lux''s face immediately became grim as he ran towards her.


    She was none other than Hana.


    She was one of the members of his Master''s Covenant, and seeing her injured to such a degree made the Half-Elf feel as if his heart was being squeezed inside his chest.


    "Healing Wind!" Lux immediately used his healing spell as he carefully cradled the injureddy in his arms.


    "Hana! Wake up, Hana!" Lux said as he lightly shook her body. "What happened?! Where is Master?"


    Hana''s eyes fluttered open. She looked at Lux in a daze before raising her hand to touch the side of his face.


    "M-Master��," Hana said. "�� The Divine�� Army."


    After saying those words, Hana lost consciousness.


    Lux gritted his teeth before carrying her in his arms. He then flew towards their Guild Headquarters in order to get Hana properly treated.


    That was the only way for her to give him a proper exnation, so he could understand what happened to his Master, who had parted with him with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 955 I Need Some Time Alone

    Chapter 955 I Need Some Time Alone


    Lux paced back and forth as he waited for Hana to wake up.


    Her injuries were already healed, but her physical, mental, and spiritual power had reached its limit, making her fall into a temporarya.


    The Half-Elf was certain that once she recovered a bit of her strength, she would wake up eventually.


    However, a day had passed since Hana appeared before him. Before she fell unconscious, she was only able to speak a few words. This was her desperate attempt to inform Lux what had happened.


    "M-Master�� The Divine�� Army."


    Four words.


    It was only four words, but it was more than enough to tell him that his Master, Gaap, had shed with the Divine Army of Light.


    As one of his Covenant Members, Hana would never leave Gaap''s side unless it was ast resort.


    Among Gaap''s Covenant Members, Hana specialized in support magic. She could bend space, cast spells that boost her allies'' strength, as well as use other spells that would help them in battle.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that her role was very important because she was the one who ensured that her team wouldn''t be at a disadvantage.


    The only time when she would fail to do so was if they faced an opponent that could overpower Gaap''s trump card, Antero.


    ''Did he get ambushed by several Supremes?'' Lux thought. ''Does the Divine Army have a Demigod under their wing?''


    As far as he knew, the DIvine Army didn''t have a Demigod in their ranks. They only had one Supreme, whom he believed was still injured.


    Antero was very powerful, so an injured Supreme couldn''t possibly deal with the Golem of Destruction.


    Even if that Supreme had recoveredpletely, he alone wouldn''t be able to fight Antero head-on.


    ''Maybe he is really facing more than one Supreme.'' Lux clenched his fists in anger. ''It is also possible that they have employed more than one Demigod to ambush Master.''


    The Half-Elf continued to pace back and forth inside his room as he waited for Hana to wake up. He hadn''t slept a wink for a day because he wanted to be awake when she woke up.


    Iris and Cai were worried about Lux, but the Half-Elf said that he wanted to be alone for the time being. They understood how important Gaap was to him, so they gave him some space and waited for him toe out of his room.


    Two more days passed, but there was still no sign of Hana waking up.


    That was the day when Aur came to visit Lux in his Guild Headquarters, and the Dragon Prince''s expression had a rare look of anxiety on his face.


    "I''vee to give you this letter," Aur said as he handed a sealed letter to Lux. "My Aunt also received one. If the contents of the two letters are the same, then I have an idea about what it entails."


    Lux nodded before breaking the seal of the letter and reading its contents. A momentter, the Half-Elf smashed his fist on the wall of his room, creating a hole in it.


    "Bastards!" Lux growled in anger.


    Aur looked at the Half-Elf''s bloodied fist and sighed in his heart.


    Without saying a word, the Dragon Prince held Lux''s injured hand and blew on it. The injury slowly closed up, until it fully recovered.


    He then took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood that remained on the Half-Elf''s hand.


    Lux didn''t resist as his chest heaved up and down due to anger. He closed his eyes and bit his lips until it drew blood.


    Aur, who had just finished healing Lux''s hand frowned. Still, he didn''t say anything and blew on the Half-Elf''s lips before wiping the remaining blood with his handkerchief.


    "It seems that the Divine Army wanted to make this a big event," Aur said softly. "They sent invitations to other powers in the continent, asking them to celebrate their Founder''s Anniversary."


    The Dragon Prince didn''t say the other half because there was no need to do so.


    The Divine Army Of Light intended to showcase a grand execution on their Founder''s Anniversary. They probably wanted to do this to show that anyone who dared to cross them would not be tolerated.


    Of course, since they didn''t kill Gaap right away, it was quite obvious that they nned to use him as bait, in hopes that Lux would make an appearance.


    He was one of the people that the Divine Army had branded as a Heretic, but they couldn''t touch him because he was currently inside the territory of the Crystal Pce.


    ording to the agreement, if Lux left the borders of the Crystal Pce, the Divine Army could capture him, and Lady Augustina would not get in the way.


    Since that was the case, they only needed to force the Half-Elf toe out of hiding and voluntarily head to their home base.


    Simply put, there was no better bait to use than Gaap, whom Lux cared for very much.


    Lux slowly raised his head to look at the Dragon Prince.


    His gaze was steady and seemed to see right through his soul.


    Aur held his gaze, and the two of them stared at each other for nearly a minute before the Dragon Prince spoke.


    "You and I both know that this is a trap," Aur said. "The venue is in the Capital City of the Divine Empire, and their security will be airtight. You may be thinking of asking my Aunt for help, but there is a high chance that she won''t agree.


    "If she were to break her agreement with the Divine Army of Light, then nothing would stop them from breaking their agreement with us as well.


    "They will definitely send their people to destroy your Guild Headquarters and kill your people. Right now, the only reason why they haven''t done anything is because you are under the protection of the Crystal Pce."


    Lux turned around and gazed at where the sleeping Hanay on his bed. She had a pained expression on her face, which hadn''t changed since she had lost consciousness.


    Perhaps the reason why she came to look for Lux, despite her injured state was to ask for his help to save her Master.


    The Half-Elf once again closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.


    "I need some time alone," Lux said without even turning to look at the Dragon Prince behind him. "Thank you for bringing this letter to me."


    Aur wanted to say something but decided to hold his words for the time being.


    He wanted to say that he would do everything he could do to help, but he knew that Lux didn''t need empty promises at the moment.


    Since he wasn''t certain that he could convince his Aunt to help the Half-Elf save his Master, he decided to not say anything.


    The Dragon Prince gave the Half-Elf onest nce before closing the door behind him.


    "One month��," Lux muttered. "They will execute Master in a month."


    The Half-Elf looked at the letter in his hand before burning it to ashes.


    He knew that it was impossible for him to fight the entirety of the Divine Army by himself, but right now, he had no other choice but to try.


    "Wait for me, Master," Lux said. "I''ming for you."

 Chapter 956 Temporary Covenant

    Chapter 956 Temporary Covenant


    Lux looked at the space in front of him with a solemn gaze.


    Right before him was the information of his Guild, and no matter where he looked, he couldn''t see his Master''s name listed anywhere.


    He had already double-checked and even triple-checked the list of the members of his Guild, but no matter how many times he checked, his Master''s name was nowhere to be found.


    The Half-Elf had wondered why his Master didn''t teleport to his Guild Headquarters in order to escape from the members of the Divine Army of Light.


    As a member of his Guild, it was fairly easy to use this option to prevent himself from getting captured.


    But he didn''t do that.


    Which begged the question, why?


    Lux thought that his Master might have been knocked unconscious, preventing him from teleporting away. If this was the scenario, then it would''ve still been fine.


    The reason for this thought was because, as a guild leader, he could summon Gaap to his side using the skill, Heaven''s Call.


    Lux had the ability to summon his entire guild or select the people he wanted to summon. The only condition that must be met for this to be possible was for the people he wanted to summon to agree to being summoned.


    When he attacked the Haca Dynasty in order to save the family of General Garret, he only brought Barca and the Elites of ckrock n with him. This was the selective summoning that he could use as the Guildmaster of a Mythical Guild.


    Even if his Master was thrown into a cell or chained to a wall, as long as his prison or his chains didn''t have any spatial restrictions, the Half-Elf would be able to summon Gaap with ease.


    But now, that n was thrown out of the window.


    The reason?


    His Master was no longer part of the guild!


    ''I''m certain that when I parted with my Master, he was still in the guild,'' Lux thought.


    He couldn''t think of any ability that could force someone to leave the guild. When Cai was in the Abyss, Lux had checked her information in the guild, and although she was inessible, her name was only grayed out.


    She was still there, butmunication was not possible at that time.


    This also ruled out the possibility that his Master was in a ce simr to the Abyss, which prevented him from contacting him or using the Guild''s teleportation ability.


    There was only one exnation and that was he left the guild on his own.


    It was also possible that he had left the guild the moment he was captured.


    Which brought back the same question.


    ''Why?'' Lux thought. ''Why did Master leave?''


    He knew that Gaap wanted revenge against the Divine Army of Light.


    Even the Half-Elf didn''t have any good rtionship with them, and he wanted nothing more than to nuke them to oblivion.


    As if waiting for that moment, Lux recalled the scene when he parted with his Master.


    Gaap had given him the ne, which pendant was one of the rings that belonged to members of Memento Mori, and said that he had nothing more to teach him.


    This was simr to a Master bidding goodbye to his Disciple, allowing them to leave the Nest, to see a bigger world.


    The ring belonged to his Grandmaster Hereswith, and it was a very important item to the Halfling, which he had carried for many years.


    Passing the ring to Lux was simr to giving him his final gift.


    His final will and legacy.


    Gaap had mentioned that he would just go sightseeing in Elysium and promised Lux that he would stop by from time to time.


    The Halfling''s mood back then was very carefree, as if he was just going on a vacation.


    ''I should have known,'' Lux thought. ''I should have known that he was going away to finally execute his revenge.''


    Gaap didn''t want to involve Lux in his n to make those who had hunted his Master pay for the suffering she felt before they took her life.


    The Half-Elf clenched his fists, making a crackling sound, as he thought of his Master imprisoned somewhere in the Dungeons of the Divine Empire.


    Suddenly, Hana stirred from the bed, which immediately caught Lux''s attention.


    When the Fox Lady opened her eyes, Lux was already by her side and looking at her with a serious expression on his face.


    "Hana, please tell me everything from the start," Lux said before sitting on the bed and holding her hand. "Don''t leave out anything."


    Hana nodded and told Lux about everything that happened before his Master was captured.


    There were two people that Gaap wanted to kill no matter what.


    The first one was the High King of Lunaria.


    The Second was the Oracle of Light.


    Since the Oracle was always within the Divine Empire, protected by the best warriors of their Army, Gaap decided to deal with the High King first and visited the Kingdom of Lunaria.


    What Gaap did to the Kingdom of Lunaria was genocide.


    He didn''t hold back and erased one of the strongest backers of the Divine Army of Light from the face of the world.


    All of its cities and all of the people within them died in a single day.


    It was aplete massacre without any shred of mercy.


    Lux felt all the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He knew that his Master wasn''t the most gentle and kindest person in the world, but he didn''t expect that he would go this far.


    This reminded him of the time when he was in the Wolfpine Barony.


    The Seven-Headed Dog of Cmity, Teju Jagua, obliterated an entire city, not caring about the lives of the innocent.


    Teju Jagua was only a Cmity-Ranked Beast.


    This meant that the kind of devastation that a Demigod could leave would easily surpass what the Seven-Headed Dog had done.


    Especially if this Demigod was one of the strongest Demigods in existence, Antero.


    Hana continued her tale.


    "Unfortunately, the High King of Lunaria wasn''t there when we attacked. It was highly likely that he was in the Divine Empire at that time," Hana exined. "Because of this, Master decided to attack the nearest Allied Kingdom of the Divine Army to vent his anger. However, when we arrived at our destination, the enraged High King was there, alongside the elites of the Divine Army.


    "If we were only fighting against Saints, we could have still prevailed. However, what we didn''t expect was that there would be two Supremes waiting for us. The first was the Supreme of the Divine Army, and the second was the Supreme of the Beast Kingdom. They created a spatial zone that prevented anyone from teleporting away."


    "Although Antero was strong, the two Supremes kept him busy. We tried to defend Master against dozens of Saints, but they were simply too strong and too many of them to ovee.


    "When Master was about to fall, I immediately escaped in order to look for help. Just a minute after my escape, I felt the strong tug that would force me to return to his side. This meant that he had been knocked unconscious, which would also make his Covenant Members disappear.


    "In order to prevent myself from disappearing, I forcefully broke my Covenant with him and headed here as fast as I could. Even now, my strength is fading, and soon, I will no longer have an Anchor in this world. When thest of my power is used up, I will cease to exist."


    "Lux, please, save Master. I beg of you."


    Hana''s body was starting to glow and turn into particles of light. She held onto the Half-Elf, while begging for him to save her Master, despite the fact that she was about to disappear forever.


    "Don''t worry, I will do my best," Lux replied as he held Hana''s hand tightly. "But I can''t do it alone. I will need your help, Hana. Form a temporary Covenant with me. I need your power."


    Hana held Lux''s gaze before closing her eyes. A momentter, rows of text appeared in front of Lux.


    ����������������������


    < Do you wish to form a Temporary Covenant with Hana? >


    < Yes / No >


    ����������������������


    The Half-Elf didn''t hesitate to choose yes, and with this, Hana anchored herself to him, allowing her to take Lux''s power as her nourishment.


    "Until Master is safe, let''s work together, Hana," Lux said. "We will save him no matter what happens."


    Hana nodded, her tears streaming down her face. She had done everything in her power to return to the territory of the Crystal Pce, desperate to look for the only person who would save her Master from being executed.


    Lux knew that time was of the essence, so just an hour after Hana woke up, the two of them vanished from the Territory of the Crystal Pce.


    Lux wasn''t strong enough to face the might of the Divine Army alone.


    Because of this, he would need to make preparations in order to save his Master from the organization that branded them both as Heretics.

 Chapter 957 Do You Think I’m In The Mood For Jokes?

    Chapter 957 Do You Think I��m In The Mood For Jokes?


    The Dragon King snorted after reading the contents of the letter that had been handed to him by the Messenger of the Divine Army of Light.


    "It looks like your luck has run out, Halfling," the Dragon King said. "For them to not kill you outright can only mean one thing. They also want to kill your Disciple and send both of you to the afterlife."


    The Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis had a lukewarm rtionship with Gaap. But he cared about Hereswith, which was why he tolerated her disciple.


    As for the Halfling?


    He didn''t give a f*ck.


    Since Hereswith was already dead, he didn''t have any intention of extending his hand to help the Halfling.


    However, just as he was about to burn the letter, his daughter stormed inside the throne room with an anxious look on her face.


    Ali and Ari followed behind her, but the two immediately knelt on the floor to pay tribute to their King.


    Valerie, on the other hand, had no care for such trivial matters as she immediately crossed the distance to hold her father''s hand.


    "Father! I need your help!" Valerie shouted. "Sir Lux! Sir Lux''s Master needs your help!"


    Valerie was still wearing her disguise, so the Royal Guard didn''t recognize her right away.


    However, since the Dragon King didn''t say anything, they finally connected the dots together and realized that the in-looking girl was none other than their Princess!


    "All of you, leave," the Dragon King ordered.


    Immediately, everyone in the throne room left with haste, leaving only the anxious-looking Valerie and her father behind.


    "Valerie, we cannot interfere with the affairs of mortals," the Dragon King stated. "Karshvar Draconis only moves to protect our people and interests. Did you forget? When the Divine Army targeted that Half-Elf''s headquarters, I didn''t lift a hand to protect them."


    "B-But this is different, Father!" Valerie insisted. "This time, Sir Lux might get in trouble. He will definitely try to save his Master!"


    Originally, Valerie was unaware of Gaap''s current situation.


    She only knew about the specifics when Aur sought her after visiting Lux and told her everything.


    The Dragon Prince thought that since Valerie was the Dragon Princess and liked Lux very much, she would be able to convince her Father to help. This was why he didn''t hesitate to tell Valerie everything.


    As soon as she found out about this news, she immediately returned to the Capital City in order to talk to her father. However, his answer made her feel helpless.


    Seeing that her father didn''t want to help, Valerie did the only thing she could do and that was to cry!


    Her anguished wail reverberated in the throne room, making the Dragon King''s heart ache.


    At first, he decided to ignore her, but Valerie''s crying only intensified.


    He had doted on his daughter ever since she was a child and had given her everything she wanted. Seeing her cry like this because of the Half-Elf and Halfling pair annoyed him very much.


    At that exact moment, the hidden passage behind the throne room opened and a beautiful woman with long purple hair and eyes walked toward her daughter and held her tightly.


    The Queen of the Karshvar Draconis, Saphira, nced at her husband, making thetter sigh in his heart.


    "I can''t interfere with the execution because the Divine Army, and I have made a pact of non-aggression and non-interference," the Dragon King stated. "However, if that Half-Elf is really going to rescue his Master and is about to lose his life in the process, I will extend my hand to help him.


    "However, I will only help him, and not his Master, Gaap. This is the onlypromise that I can make."


    Saphira sighed in her heart as she did her best tofort her daughter. Being a King also meant carrying heaving burdens.


    The Dragon King''s words werew, and since he had agreed to have a non-aggression and non-interference pact with the Divine Army of Light, he couldn''t casually break his word.


    Saving Lux''s life would already be pushing it, so this was the onlypromise that he could make.


    ������������������������


    Meanwhile in the Crystal Pce��


    "Aunt, is there really nothing we can do?" Aur asked. "I don''t want to see Lux suffer."


    Lady Augustina sighed before shaking her head.


    "Unless Lux uses the Dragon Token in his hands, we can''t do anything," Lady Augustina. "But he is indeed very important to us. If his life is in any danger, I will make a move to protect him. This, I swear upon my name and title as the Steward of the Crystal Pce."


    This wasn''t the first time that Aur tried to convince his Aunt to help Lux. But just like the Dragon King, the Steward of the Crystal Pce had also agreed to a non-aggression and non-interference policy.


    Simply put, the Divine Army had covered all bases even before they captured Gaap.


    Aur looked very dejected, but there was nothing more that he could do.


    He just hoped that Lux wouldn''t do anything reckless, but this was just wishful thinking.


    How could he possibly not do anything reckless? Since he was going to save his Master, it couldn''t even be called recklessness.


    It was simply suicide!


    ������������������������


    Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds��


    "Have you heard? Hereswith''s Disciple is going to be executed by the Divine Army in a month," a Necromancer said to Kieran, who happened to visit the Necromancer''s Ancestral Grounds to talk with Dracul.


    (A/N: Kieran is Lorelei''s Master. The elf that fought Lux in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands.)


    "Is this a joke?" Kieran asked back. "Do you think I''m in the mood for jokes?"


    "It''s not a joke, man," the Necromancer shook his head. "This news is already spreading like wildfire. It''s only a matter of time before it reaches the upper echelons of Memento Mori."


    Kieran frowned after hearing this news.


    But, just as he was about to ask another question, a red-headed Half-Elf appeared inside the Ancestral Lands, with a Fox Lady by his side.


    Lux gave Kieran a side-long nce before walking past him.


    "Hey, boy!" Kieran shouted. "Is it true that your Master has been captured by the Divine Army and is going to be executed?"


    "Yes," Lux answered without even turning back to look at his Master''s rival.


    From the very start, he knew that he couldn''t depend on the members of Memento Mori since they didn''t recognize Gaap as one of their members.


    He hade to the Ancestral Lands in order to seek information about where to hunt powerful monsters in great numbers.


    His guild was simply too weak, and with his current forces, he wouldn''t be able to fight against hundreds of Saints.


    Because of this, he needed to strengthen himself as fast as he could and boost the power of his own summons.


    Although this might not be enough to make a difference, this was the only thing that he could think of at the moment.


    He still had plenty of trump cards in his possession that he could put to good use. But he also understood that, at the end of the day, he couldn''t rely on anyone else aside from himself.


    From the very beginning, he had no intention of letting his family or his guild join him in this battle.


    If he were going to enter the Lion''s Den, he would be entering it by himself.


    Lux would make his enemies understand that he wasn''t a pushover, and more importantly��


    He was never alone.

 Chapter 958 That’s My Big Brother!

    Chapter 958 That��s My Big Brother!


    Headquarters of Memento Mori��


    "I''m sure that all of you are aware of the reason why I have summoned you here," the Sovereign of Memento Mori said.


    "It''s about Hereswith''s Disciple, right?" an Old Necromancer inquired.


    The Sovereign nodded.


    The Old Necromancer sighed. "Even if we wanted to help, what can we do? Back then, we also wanted to help her Grand Disciple, Lux, but are we capable of helping? The answer is no. We are still weakened, and if we go there, I''m sure that the Divine Army will have a field day as they kill us all."


    The High-Ranking members of the organization nodded their heads in agreement.


    "Even if we send Dillon, what can he do alone?" a wrinkled old manmented. "The Stars of Cmity still hadn''t returned. We don''t have enough manpower to do anything."


    An awkward silence fell in the surroundings before a blue-haired Necromancer spoke.


    "Do you think Gaap''s disciple wille to save him?"


    Everyone''s gazended on the blue-haired Necromancer, but thetter held their gaze with a calm expression on his face.


    "Dillon, what do you think?" a wrinkled old man asked the only Necromancer who could possibly help save Gaap from getting executed.


    "I think you guys are sending me on a suicide mission," Dillon replied. "But I don''t mind going. If there is an opportunity to save him, I will do my best. However, don''t expect too much. The moment I make a move, it will be hard for me to escape from the Divine Empire."


    An olddy smiled. "I''m pretty sure that the Divine Army set up this trap mainly to capture Gaap''s Disciple. However, I also think that they might also expect some of our members to appear. It''s like hitting two birds with one stone."


    All the Necromancers nodded because this was indeed the case.


    "Very well. Dillon, I assign you with the task of going to the Divine Empire and doing what you can do," the wrinkled old manmanded. "However, if there is really no hope, don''t do anything. If Gaap''s Disciple appears, do your best to ensure that he doesn''t die a stupid death. It is the least we can do for Hereswith''s Legacy."


    Dillon nodded. "Very well. I will now make preparations. Since the execution is supposed to take ce on the day of their founding anniversary, their security will be at the highest level. Can I take a few things from our treasury? I''m sure that they will increase my chances of survival."


    The Old Man didn''t hesitate and nodded his head. "I will allow you to take three items from the treasury. Remember, no more than three."


    "Understood," Dillon nodded before leaving the room.


    In his heart, the only thing he could do was sigh.


    ''It feels like what happened in the Ancestral Lands happened only yesterday,'' Dillon thought. ''Now, the one who needs saving has been reversed. Instead of the Disciple getting saved by his Master, it is now the Master who should be saved by his Disciple.''


    Another sigh escaped Dillon''s lips as he headed towards the Treasury.


    In his mind, at least one of the two with Hereswith''s Legacy must survive no matter what. If he couldn''t save Gaap, he would certainly do everything in his power to save Lux.


    ������������������


    The roars of countless Monsters spread in the surroundings.


    Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus were doing their best to fight against the Beast Tide, which was threatening to destroy the one and only city of a budding Kingdom, which was just recently established.


    Not far from the three of them was an army of Dwarves, led by the Guildmaster of Eternal, Aina.


    When Lux went to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, he had asked Dracul if there were any Beast Tides that were happening in the territories that he knew.


    A few minutes after that, the Vampire Noble told him about the recently founded Xeno Kingdom, which was located in the Northwest of Elysium.


    Using the Teleportation of the Ancestral Lands as a springboard, the Half-Elf arrived at his destination.


    To his surprise, the Xeno Kingdom was actually a Kingdom of Dwarves.


    But there was even a bigger surprise that awaited him.


    The ruler of the Xeno Kingdom was actually Aina''s and Colette''s father, Victor Goldenyer.


    The irony was that after the Kingdom was founded, a Beast Tide threatened to end its existence.


    Naturally, this was something that the Goldenyer Family wouldn''t allow.


    Aina''s father was a Saint, but he was the only Saint in their Kingdom.


    The rest of his subordinates were all High-Rankers, and what they were about to deal with was an S-ss Beast Tide.


    An S-ss Beast Tide meant that the leader of the pack was a Cmity-Ranked World Boss.


    Because of this, they needed all the help they could get.


    Unfortunately, after establishing a Kingdom of his own, Aina''s father was forced to cut his connections with the Royal Family of Sis and brought all of his retainers to Elysium.


    He was a Duke and was rted to the current King of their Kingdom by blood.


    His cousin, the King, wanted to use the Xeno Kingdom as his own foothold in Elysium.


    Knowing that this would lead to conflict and thinking that there was a huge possibility that all of the effort and resources he spent to build the Xeno Kingdom would be down the drain once they snatched the Kingdom from his hands, Victor decided to cut ties with the Royal Family.


    Naturally, this angered the Royal Family, and they demanded that he change his mind. But who was Victor? He was someone who wouldn''t allow others to share the pie that he had painstakingly baked for him and his family.


    Want to kick me out of my own kingdom?


    No, thank you!


    Simply put, Victor had burned the bridge that connected him to the Dwarven Kingdom in Sis.


    With this move of his, none of the members of the Royal Family, the Nobles, or their Armies, could step foot in the Xeno Kingdom as they didn''t even know its location in Elysium.


    Just as they were wondering how they were going to survive the Beast Tide, Lux appeared alongside his friends and immediately helped to exterminate the monsters that threatened to wipe the Xeno Kingdom from the face of Elysium.


    "Father, did you see that?" Colette, who was standing beside her father on an elevated tform asked. "That''s my Big Brother! The one that I kept telling you about!"


    "The one that you keep insisting that I make Aina''s husband?" Victor asked back.


    "Yes! Isn''t he amazing?"


    "Hmph!"


    Although Victor was indeed grateful for Lux''s help, he just wouldn''t casually say "Okay, let''s have the two of them marry!"


    As someone who spoiled both Aina and Colette, since they were his daughters, he would never allow just anyone to marry them without getting his permission.


    Just as Victor was observing the battle from his location, an ear-piercing screech was heard from the rear of the Beast Tide.


    The Cmity-Ranked World Boss had finally made its appearance, and with this, the King of the Xeno Kingdom took to the skies in order to battle it.

 Chapter 959 Two Angels Of The Battlefield

    Chapter 959 Two Angels Of The Battlefield


    Currently, Lux, Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus were dealing with the first wave of the Beast Tide.


    The weakest among the Beasts were Rank 4 Monsters, and the Alpha Monsters of the Horde were Deimos-Ranked Monsters.


    The Dwarven Army only numbered around a hundred thousand, including the members of Aina''s Guild, Eternal.


    To some factions, this number of soldiers was already good, especially for a newly founded Kingdom.


    However, against a Beast Tide with monsters numbered in the millions, it wasn''t enough and they were at a huge disadvantage.


    Fortunately, Lux and his friends appeared to help deal with the Alpha Monsters and the small fries.


    The Undead Legion even took the Vanguard in the battle. If there were any monsters able to pass their defenses, they would then be dealt with by the Dwarven Army.


    The reason why Lux was looking for information about Beast Tides was due to the fact that this was the fastest way to farm Beast Cores.


    Right now, he needed a lot of them, which he would use to strengthen himself by absorbing all of them.


    Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus had heard about what happened to Gaap, and they decided to help Lux in whatever way they could.


    Truth be told, the Half-Elf could have easily dealt with the Beast Tide if he wanted, but he didn''t do that.


    He had summoned his friends so they could gain experience allowing them to increase their Ranks, while he got the Beast Cores to increase his Rank.


    When he heard the screech of the giant Roc at the back of the Monster Army, he knew that things were now about to get messy.


    As a Giant Flying World Boss, the Roc was escorted by thousands of flying Monsters, and their ranks ranged from Rank 5 up to the Empyrean Rank.


    Its wingspan was thirty-six meters, and its entire body was emitting powerful gusts of winds that repelled anything that flew near it.


    This was why its retainers flew several hundreds of meters away from it, allowing the World Boss to fly unimpeded.


    The Flying Beasts that were part of the Beast Tide onlyprised a tenth of it. Even so, this small percentage was perhaps the most difficult to face due to how powerful their leader was.


    Now that Eiko was no longer apanying him, his Undead Legion wasn''t as numerous as it was when the Baby Slime was with him.


    Fortunately, he had someone who could help increase his army the moment he appeared on the battlefield.


    "Come, Avernus!" Lux ordered.


    Immediately, a Dracolich manifested itself in the sky above him.


    When the Dracolich appeared, the Dwarves thought that it was an enemy. However, after it unleashed a Dragon''s Breath towards the Monster Tide, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. A powerful monster like the Dracolich was something that they didn''t want to fight if at all possible.


    Avernus roared and Lux''s Undead Army instantly doubled due to its skill, Summon Undead Legion.


    "From death''s embrace, I rise with fire and bone. As Avernus, I im my rightful throne!"


    A fiery gate appeared on the ground below the Dracolich, and the forces of Hell charged out of it with a determined look on their faces.


    The Hellish Army cut through the Beast Tide like a hot knife cutting through butter, instantly lifting the pressure upon the shoulders of the Dwarf Defenders.


    "Uncle Avernus!" Cethus shamelessly called out to the Dracolich, who had now be his idol. "I''ll fight with you!"


    The Dracolich chuckled as he gazed at the very eager Dragon Born, who had called him Uncle.


    "Come." Avernus smirked. "Let''s teach these Low Landers how superior the Dragon Race is!"


    "Yes, Uncle!" Cethus flew towards the Beast Tide and raised his spear. "Gravity Domain!"


    A dark dome expanded outwards, increasing the gravity within it by three times.


    This sudden change in the battlefield affected the Beasts that were inside the Gravity Domain, forcing them to stop their charge and endure the forces that were pressing down on them.


    Cethus could have increased the output of his power and used it to crush the bones of his enemies. However, if he did that, he would easily get tired, so he settled for the next best thing.


    All of Cethus'' allies, including Lux''s army and the Dwarves, weren''t affected by this ability.


    Since there was an army willing to exterminate the immobile monsters, it was enough that the Dragon Born kept the Domain active.


    Seeing this scene, Avernus chuckled before flying towards the Roc, which was currently being distracted by Victor.


    Although the opponent was a Cmity-Ranked Monster, and he was just of the Empyrean Rank, the Dracolich was fearless.


    The reason?


    Because his race was superior.


    Even in death, the bones of a dragon were very sturdy and resistant to most elemental attacks.


    Simply put, a Dracolich was Evil Incarnate, having all of its powers when it was still alive, without the weakness of the flesh and with the added strength of the Undead.


    When he was a Demigod, Avernus battled against the strongest Demigods of the Abyss.


    Even if it had regressed, it was not afraid to face a Cmity-Ranked Monster, whose species was much inferior to it.


    The Giant Roc pped away the Dwarven Saint with its wings before shifting its attention to the approaching Dracolich.


    It gave a mighty shriek before covering its entire body in a hurricane. It then flew towards the Dracolich, which it deemed as the biggest threat on the battlefield.


    Avernus sneered and activated his skill, Death Seeker, allowing him to pinpoint the location of the Roc that was hiding inside the hurricane.


    The Dracolich then covered itself with Necrotic mes before it flew towards the iing hurricane.


    Clearly, he wanted to fight the Roc in a battle of strength to see which of them was stronger.


    The beasts positioned directly beneath the two monsters almost instantly turned into meat paste, sending a bloodmist rising in the air.


    With an earth-shaking rumble, a powerful shockwave spread across the battlefield as the two World Bosses collided.


    Victor, who had just recovered from getting pped away, was sent flying backward once again as the shock wave hit him without warning.


    The beasts positioned directly beneath the two monsters almost instantly turned into meat paste, sending a bloodmist rising in the air.


    The Flying Monsters apanying the Roc were also blown away, and their formation was disrupted.


    "Aina, tell your people to retreat to the walls of the city," Lux stated. "Things are going to be more dangerous around here."


    Aina nodded and immediately gave the order to retreat.


    "Colette, go back to the city," Aina ordered.


    "Yes, Sister!" Collete replied.


    The adorable Dwarf knew how dangerous the situation was so she no longer tarried and followed the Army to escape.


    Aina didn''t leave and stayed beside Lux, who wasmanding his Undead from the rear.


    The Half-Elf gave the beautiful Dwarf a side-long nce before shifting his attention to the battle in the sky.


    He knew that Aina was strong, especially in her Angel of Vengeance Form, so he didn''t ask her to retreat like the rest.


    "The Monsters will be more desperate to attack the city now," Lux stated. "It will be best if we wipe them out now before things get moreplicated."


    Aina nodded in agreement.


    Immediately, her body was bathed in a Holy Light and she transformed into the Angel of Vengeance.


    Right now, Aina looked like a Valkyrie, and the white, tendril-like wings on her back looked so Holy, making the Dwarves who were observing her in the distance look at her with reverence.


    Suddenly, Lux thought of something, and a smirk appeared on his face.


    "Come, Seraphina!" Lux shouted.


    Immediately, a pir of light descended from the sky, and within it, his Battle Angel materialized.


    Simr to Aina, Seraphina also had tendril-like wings. The only difference was that Aina''s wings were white, while Seraphina''s wings were golden.


    Just as Lux expected, Aina was shocked to see Seraphina.


    Seraphina, on the other hand, gave the Dwarf Angel a brief nod before looking at the Beast Tide in front of her.


    With two beautiful angels standing beside him, Lux looked like a War God who was being apanied by Divine beings.


    "Go," Lux stated. "Wipe them out and show no mercy."


    Aina and Seraphina nodded at the same time before flying towards the sky.


    A momentter, countless beams of light crisscrossed the battlefield from the Heavens, slicing up everything that was unlucky enough to be hit by their deadly radiance.


    From behind, Lux watched with a calm expression on his face as the battlefield was bathed by radiant mes, instantly killing a tenth of the Beast Tide that threatened to tten the Xeno Kingdom.

 Chapter 960 Need Some Help?

    Chapter 960 Need Some Help?


    A screech filled with anger pulsated all over the battlefield as the Cmity-Ranked Roc shed against Avernus for the umpteenth time.


    The Dracolich was pushed back, but the sneer on its face never faded. It was as if Avernus was telling his enemy that even if it was a little stronger than him, the Great Roc''s death was still inevitable.


    Perhaps the Roc understood what Avernus was implying, which angered it more.


    Victor, who was supposed to assist the Dracolich in fighting the Roc, was uncontrobly pushed back by the strong wind currents that rampaged the surrounding area.


    Seeing that he couldn''t join the battle between the two powerhouses, he shifted his attention to the Giant Eagles and Rocs that served as the Great Roc''sckeys.


    The Saint raised his spiked mace and shed against them, venting his frustration.


    On the ground, the Undead were unstoppable.


    Countless Skeletons and Zombies swarmed their enemies.


    Those who died were soon Animated by Avernus and the Liches. These zombie beasts rampaged and attacked their former allies with a ferocity that rivaled their own when they were still alive.


    Aina and Seraphina unleashed bolts of lightning, as well as beams of light from the sky, annihting the monsters in the center of their formation.


    Lux and Asmodeus would then use the Corpse Explosion skill and detonate their dead bodies, spreading death, and destruction to everything around them.


    High above the tower walls, Colette pointed at the Half-Elf with a big smile on her adorable face.


    "Do you see him?" Colette asked the Defenders around her. "That is my Big Brother!"


    The adorable Dwarf kept on praising the Half-Elf, and from time to time, she would throw outments like "He will be marrying my sister soon. Pleasee to their wedding, okay?"


    prevent them from having any intention of courting her sister.


    Fortunately, Lux was too busy to pay attention to Colette, or else he might have choked on his saliva because of the rumors that the little Dwarf was spreading.


    He wasn''t aware that many hearts were broken the moment they heard that the Warrior Princess of Eternal was engaged to the Half-Elf, whomanded a mighty army that was several times stronger than their own.


    Of course, Colette was making all of this up.


    She was simply using the opportunity to raise Lux''s standing in the eyes of others and prevent them from having any intention of courting her sister.


    As the minutes passed, the Beast Tide was slowly losing its momentum as its number decreased exponentially.


    Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus were also benefiting greatly from the battle, and to Lux''s surprise, Gerhart managed to be a D-Ranker as the battle progressed.


    "I''ll be harvesting those Beast Cores soon," Lux muttered as he gazed at the Monsters in front of him.


    Naturally, he couldn''t take everything since Victor and Aina still needed to reward their men for helping defend their territory.


    Lux was fine with that, and he nned to share the spoils with a 70/30 split. He would be taking 70, while the Xeno Kingdom would get 30 percent.


    Also, he would take the corpses of the strong monsters and add them to his Undead Legion.


    As for the rest, the Xeno Kingdom could have them. Monster parts were also an importantmodity that could be used to craft armor and weapons.


    Once he deemed that it was safe, Lux sent a signal to Colette to open the Gates of the city.


    Colette didn''t hesitate and gave the order.


    A momentter, the Dwarven Army charged forward to clean up the remaining monsters that numbered in the tens of thousands.


    The Half-Elf understood that since the kingdom was just newly founded, they needed their warriors to increase their rank by killing monsters.


    "Assist them in killing the monsters," Lux ordered his subordinates. "But allow them to deal thest blow."


    After giving his order, the Half-Elf took to the skies and joined Victor in cleaning up the Aerial Monsters.


    The Saint only gave the red-headed teenager a sidelong nce before continuing his rampage.


    Lux narrowed his eyes and summoned Bedivere, Shax, and his Doomsday Gargoyles.


    The Giant Eagles and Giant Hawks were decent flying monsters, so he decided to take them all as flying mounts.


    Bedivere was a Dragon Knight, but he was capable of taming any flying creature that could be used as a mount.


    Naturally, in order to tame these strong-willed monsters, they needed to be beaten up to a pulp first. After that, it was easy to make them submit.


    After giving his order, Lux shifted his attention to Avernus and the Great Roc, who were still fighting in the sky.


    Avernus'' Skeletal Body had several cracks in it, but the mes in his eyes burned brighter than ever before.


    "Need some help?" Lux asked through telepathy.


    "No need," Avernus replied. "I can do this all day."


    After saying those words, the Dracolich used its tail to smash the face of the Roc, sending the creature crashing towards the ground.


    However, the Roc was able to regain its bnce mid-air and pped its mighty wings, soaring toward the sky.


    It then used its ws to shatter the bones on Avernus'' chest, sending the Dracolich flying backward.


    Avernus roared as he opened his wings wide, stopping himself from flying backward.


    "I guess it is time to end this," Avernus stated, not caring that his chest was now in tatters. "Cethus, do it!"


    "Yes, Uncle!" Cethus shouted before pointing his spear at the Roc that was flying above his head. "Gravity Domain!"


    The Dragon Born didn''t hold back and increased the gravity up to five times, taking the Roc by surprise.


    The Cmity-Ranked Monster tried to resist, but Cethus'' ability was something that could be condensed to target a single individual.


    Even though the Roc was a powerful monster, it couldn''t ignore thews of gravity, which were ever present no matter where one went.


    The Roc pped its wings, creating a mighty tempest in order to keep itself afloat, but it was futile. Because of this, it focused its attention on the bastard Dragon Born, who was making its life difficult.


    Cethus, who had been red at by the Cmity-Ranked Monster, felt as if he was about to pee in his pants.


    However, he held it in as he shouted with all of his might.


    "Uncle! Save me!" Cethus shouted. "I don''t want to die!"


    Lux and Gerhart, who saw this scene, covered their faces with their hands in embarrassment.


    But before the Roc could even attack the Dragon Born whose knees were turning to jelly, Avernus descended from the sky like a burninget.


    The Dracolich''s body mmed against the Roc''s back, resulting in thetter screeching in pain. However, it didn''t end there.


    Avernus used his Draconic ws like a vice grip to grab the Roc''s wings and pulled them with all of his might.


    The Cmity-Ranked Monster screeched in anger because it understood what the Dracolich nned to tear its wings from its body.


    Because of this, it nned to do a death roll in the sky in order to shake Avernus off. Unfortunately for it, the dragon already expected this to happen.


    "You can''t do a death roll if I do it first!" Avernus roared.


    Using its tail to wrap around the Roc''s body, the Dracolich rolled in the sky with the intention of smashing its opponent into the ground.


    Unable to keep itself floating and burdened by Cethus'' Gravity Domain, the Cmity-Ranked Monster could only screech in anger and helplessness as it spun in the air alongside the Dracolich, who had a sinister glint in his eyes.


    "Dragon Crush!"


    The two Behemoths crashed on the ground, resulting in a force that rivaled one of Eiko''s tactical nukes.


    A mile-long crater expanded outwards, and a powerful shock wave emerged, destroying everything in its path.


    Lux, Cethus, Bedivere, Shax, and Victor were blown away by the shockwave, and they were all sent flying backward.


    A giant dust cloud rose to the sky in the shape of a mushroom, making everyone who saw it feel their heart shudder.


    When the dust receded, the bloodied body of the Roc that had lost one of its wingsy on the ground.


    Avernus'' bodyy a few meters away from it and was in a very sorry state. The Dracolich''s arms and legs had shattered, and one of its wings was also destroyed.


    Even so, a triumphant sneer could be seen on its face, proving just what kind of character he was.


    A momentter, a ck Coffin appeared beside Avernus, making the Dracolich chuckle.


    "He''s all yours, ckfire," Avernus said before using his tail to give the ck Coffin a high five as if both of them were wrestlers ying in a tag team battle.


    The Roc weakly raised its head to look at the Coffin that was floating towards it.


    Before it could even do anything, the lid of the coffin slid open, and countless shadowy hands grabbed hold of the Roc''s body.


    The ck hands then pulled the monster towards its body, but the Roc wasn''t nning to go down without a fight.


    It struggled and did its best to resist, preventing ckfire from devouring itpletely.


    In the end, ckfire smacked the Roc''s body with the lid of its coffin repeatedly, until thetter lost consciousness.


    The ck Coffin then imed its prize before disappearing from everyone''s sight.


    Now that the Beast Tide was over, Lux decided to stay in the Xeno Kingdom for two days because he still needed to collect his share of Beast Cores and dead Monsters.


    After that, he would leave and look for another Beast Tide or a Monster nest that would allow him to gather as many resources as possible.


    He had a n in his mind and, if he seeded, the chances of him rescuing his Master would increase as well.


    While this was happening, Gaap, who had been imprisoned within the dungeons of the Divine Empire, finally opened his eyes.

 Chapter 961 She Is A Superstar

    Chapter 961 She Is A Superstar


    Colette had a smug expression on her face as she sat on Lux''sp while thetter was busy absorbing the Beast Cores around him.


    Aina looked at this scene with the usual expressionless look on her face, but deep within her eyes, there was a tinge of amusement that was barely visible to anyone.


    Victor, on the other hand, looked at the Half-Elf with a solemn expression on his face.


    When he first heard about Lux, he only knew him as someone who had helped and saved his daughter, Colette, when she was still in Leaf Vige.


    Back then, he had gifted him several Beast Cores as thanks for his help. Although Colette had been nagging him about this "Big Brother" of hers, he didn''t expect that there woulde a time when he would meet him face to face.


    As a Saint, he had no intention of letting Aina or Colette marry anyone that he didn''t approve of.


    Naturally, he had certain standards in mind for their suitors, but one of these conditions was for them to be Dwarves.


    Because of this, he never really took Colette''s words seriously.


    Although there were Dwarves who had spouses from other races, he had no intention of letting his daughters follow the same path as the others.


    ''Colette and Matty are already on good terms, and I also approve of that boy''s background,'' Victor thought. ''As for Aina, she deserves to be married to a member of a Royal Family. That is the only way that we can secure our footing here in Elysium.''


    Victor had already burned his bridges with the members of the Dwarven Royal Family back in Sis.


    He had decided to build his own kingdom from scratch, and it took him several years to do it. Now that he was reaping the harvest of his hard work, a Beast Tide suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    Truth be told, he already had his suspicion that this was a man-made event.


    It was highly possible that this Beast Tide was redirected to their territory by their neighbors, who didn''t want the Xeno Kingdom to grow and allow Victor to consolidate his power and influence.


    He had no intention of using Aina as a political tool, although his mindset of only allowing his daughter to choose suitable suitors from Royal Families contradicted this intention.


    At the end of the day, the foundations of the Xeno Kingdom were shaky. If it weren''t for Lux''s timely help, they might have already lost their new home.


    "Thank you for your help, Lux," Victor said. "Right now, I don''t have anynds to cede to you, but I appreciate your efforts, so I am willing to give you an Honorary Title. How does an Honorary Viscount sound?"


    "Sounds like a joke to me," Lux replied before taking another Beast Core to absorb. "You don''t have to reward me with a title or any other stuff. I only helped you out because of Colette and Aina."


    Victor narrowed his gaze at the Half-Elf who was talking to him in a very casual manner. Although his kingdom was small, he was still a King and should be treated as one.


    Aina''s mother, Felicia, knew that her husband hadn''t been in the best mood as ofte, so she decided to step in and ease the tension in the air.


    "Lux, Colette has said many good things about you," Felicia said with a smile. "She is always bragging about your achievements and pushing you to be Aina''s fiance. Do you know that our family has a rule that our children can only marry if everyone approves of their suitor?"


    Lux nced at the beautiful Dwarf who gave birth to Aina and Colette. He could tell that Queen Felicia was a very kind and caring woman, so he wouldn''t say anything disrespectful to her.


    "That is an interesting condition for marriage, Your Majesty," Lux replied. "But it also has its drawbacks as well. If one member of the family refuses to agree to the marriage, wouldn''t that mean that Colette and Aina can''t marry anyone?"


    Queen Felicia nodded with a smile. "You''re right. When this happens, negotiations are bound to take ce."


    Lux smiled back. Truth be told, he wasn''t really interested in these things.


    He didn''t really care who Colette and Aina married. As long as they would be happy, that was fine with him.


    The only thing on his mind was to absorb all the Beast Cores that he had gained in the Beast Tide and raise his rank.


    ''I''ll leave tomorrow,'' Lux thought. ''I''m sure that I''ll finish absorbing all the Beast Cores by tonight.''


    Queen Felicia, who didn''t know what Lux was thinking, asked the Half-Elf a question.


    "Lux, are you still single?" Queen Felicia asked.


    Before answering, the Half-Elf took out another Beast Core from his storage ring and began to absorb it.


    "I have two fiances," Lux replied. "We n to marry and have children in three years."


    Colette, who was seated on Lux''sp, couldn''t help but open her mouth in shock. She didn''t expect Lux to already have two fiances, so his answer caught her by surprise.


    Victor smiled when he saw his younger daughter''s reaction. It seems that Colette didn''t know that Lux was already engaged to two women. Now that she knew, he had a feeling that Colette would no longer insist that Aina be his fiance as well.


    However, his adorable daughter''s next words almost made him choke on his saliva.


    "Big Brother, since you already have two fiances, why don''t you make my sister your fiance as well?" Colette asked. "Adding one or two more won''t make a difference."


    Lux chuckled before lightly patting Colette''s head.


    "I guess you''re right," Lux said in a teasing tone. "If Aina wants to be my fiance, then I won''t mind it one bit. In fact, I like her very much."


    The Half-Elf''s words were very casual because, for one, he thought that Colette was only joking. Also, he had a feeling that their father, Victor, wouldn''t agree.


    At the end of the day, he didn''t know much about Aina. The only reason why he felt attracted to her was because she looked like his favorite idol back on earth, albeit younger.


    If she didn''t have the same face as his Idol, Luna, he wouldn''t have even considered vocally telling her that he liked her.


    Just as everyone was about to treat what he said as a joke, Aina said something that made everyone look in her direction.


    "I agree to be your fiance," Aina replied. "I look forward to our future together."


    ""What?!""


    Lux and Victor shouted at the same time because they didn''t expect the expressionless Aina to say such a thing.


    "Um, I''m sorry about this, but I was only joking when I said that I wouldn''t mind if you became my fiance," Lux said as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.


    He had read several novels in the past, and he knew that this was one of those "forced love plots" that authors like to use in harem novels.


    If possible, he wanted to have a normal love life, and not be forced into situations where he suddenly gained a lover out of the blue.


    (A/N: I knew I should have made you a virgin for life. You''re lucky I didn''t give you a 2-inch PP you ungrateful swine.)


    (E/N: Comining about being given a harem, when he hasn''t seen a true harem)


    "Then, were you joking when you said that you liked me very much?" Aina inquired in the same expressionless tone that she always used when talking to people.


    "Well, that part isn''t a joke," Lux replied. "You look like someone that I adore with all of my heart, which is why I said that I like you very much."


    "I look like someone you adore very much?" Aina asked. "Is there someone who looks like me?"


    "�� Yes," Lux answered.


    Aina stared at Lux as if she was looking at his very soul.


    "Then, can you tell me the name of this person?" Aina asked after a few minutes had passed. "I''d like to know the name of thisdy who looks exactly like me."


    Lux thought that there wouldn''t be a problem even if he answered this question. After all, his idol was back on Earth, which was several light years away from the world of Elysium and Sis.


    "Her stage name is Luna," Lux answered. "She is a superstar."


    For the first time, Aina''s expressionless face showed a hint of surprise. She then walked towards Lux and picked her sister up from hisp.


    She then ced Colette on the couch before grabbing the Half-Elf''s hand.


    A secondter, she transformed into her Angel of Vengeance form and flew towards the window, dragging the Half-Elf with her, who had no idea about what was going on.

 Chapter 962 Little Falling Star [Part 1]

    Chapter 962 Little Falling Star [Part 1]


    After flying a good distance away from the Xeno Kingdom, Aina descended to the ground and gently set Lux on the ground.


    She then sat on his waist, preventing him from going anywhere.


    Aina then lowered her head until it was only a foot away from the Half-Elf''s head, staring at him with the same expressionless face she always wore on her face.


    Lux held her gaze as if trying to understand why she suddenly acted the way she did.


    However, before he could even ask her a question, Aina spoke first.


    Upon hearing her words, Lux''s body stiffened.


    "Did youe from Earth?" Aina asked.


    The Half-Elf looked at Aina in surprise, not expecting to hear this questione out of her mouth.


    "How did you know?" Lux asked back. "Are you from Earth as well?"


    There were only two theories he could think of why Aina was aware of the existence of Earth. The first one was that she had heard about it or had identally found this information on her own.


    The other was that the dwarf in front of him, who looked exactly like the younger version of the star he idolized, was also from Earth!


    Aina didn''t answer Lux''s question. Instead, she asked him another question.


    "You said that you like this person that has the stage name, Luna," Aina stated. "Are you her friend? Her acquaintance? Or her fan?"


    Although Lux felt a little ufortable with this one-sided interrogation, he couldn''t bring himself to get angry at the youngdy, who had the face of his idol.


    "I am her fan," Lux answered. "Not only was I her fan, I was her number one fan. I supported her before she even became a superstar."


    Aina''s gaze softened a bit, but this time, her hands rested on Lux''s shoulder, holding him more securely into ce.


    Aina was a very strong Dwarf. Her unique ability doubled her strength stat, allowing her to be extremely powerful.


    When she was in her Angel of Vengeance Form, her strength would stack with a simr power up, making it extremely hard for Lux to break free from her hold.


    Although her grip was not enough to hurt him, it was enough to pin him in ce.


    Lux felt lost looking at Aina''s beautiful eyes, which only reflected his image.


    He didn''t know if he should be happy or concerned about the fact that all of her attention was focused only on him and with their bodies pressed against each other.


    Suddenly, Aina spoke a name that made Lux''s body shudder.


    "MoonKnight69."


    This time, he looked at Aina with disbelief because there was simply no way that she could know the username he used back on Earth.


    "Who are you?" Lux asked. "How did you know my pen name? It is about time that you give me answers."


    Aina once again ignored Lux''s inquiry and asked him for confirmation.


    "Are you really MoonKnight69?"


    "Yes. YES. YES! Now. Can. You. Answer. My. Questions?!"


    Lux was now feeling very irritated. He had alreadypromised despite the difort that he was feeling.


    It was at this moment when he felt something wet fall on his face.


    "A-Are you crying?" Lux asked in disbelief as Aina''s tears fell on his face.


    He could see her lips trembling as if she was trying her best to hold back her emotions.


    This was the first time that Lux had seen Aina''s cold expression change, and for a brief moment, he had forgotten all the anger and difort that was bubbling inside his chest.


    The young dwarf then lowered her face to Lux''s chest and started sobbing. Her small body, which had stood on the frontlines of the battlefield in order to protect her Guild Members from harm, trembled as her tears fell one by one.


    Right now, she looked very vulnerable. Lux was unable to stop himself from wrapping his arms around her back, and he patted her head gently.


    ''Fine,'' Lux thought. ''I will let her cry for now. But, I will demand an exnation after she calms down.''


    Several minutes passed before Aina''s sobs started to die down. Even so, she still buried her head on Lux''s chest, as if she was afraid to show him the expression she had at the moment.


    The Half-Elf wasn''t in a hurry either, so he simply continued to pat her head and rub her back.


    For him, Aina was a symbol of strength, and seeing her so defenseless like this made his heart ache a bit.


    Finally, after nearly an hour, the youngdy raised her head to look at Lux.


    Her eyes were still a bit red, and there were still tear stains on her face. Even so, her expression had softened a bit, making her look more lovely,pared to her usual stoic doll-like beauty that hid her true self.


    "MoonKnight69, I thought that I would never see you again," Aina said softly. "To think that you will be reincarnated in this world, I wished that I had recovered my memory sooner."


    "Okay, let''s calm down for a bit," Lux said as he lightly rubbed Aina''s back. "This time, you will answer my questions, okay?"


    Aina nodded. "Okay."


    "Then, my first question," Lux said. "Are you also from Earth?"


    "Yes," Aina answered.


    "Then, my second question. Who are you? What was your name back on Earth?"


    "My name was also Aina when I was still on Earth. My full name is Aina Williams."


    Lux frowned. He didn''t know anyone named Aina back on Earth, but the surname Williams was familiar to him.


    This was the surname of Luna''s real name.


    Shania Williams.


    That was Luna''s real name back on Earth, and only he and the core members of her fan club knew about this name.


    Still, since Aina''s surname was Williams, it only means that she shared the surname of his idol and had some kind of rtionship with her.


    "I''m sure that you don''t know my real name, but I''m confident that you are familiar with my username," Aina said softly. "My username is��"


    "Little_Falling_Star."


    Lux gasped in shock because this revtion hit him like a truck.


    Indeed, he had no idea who Aina Williams was, but it was impossible for him to not know who Little_Falling_Star was.


    If he was Luna''s number one fan, Little_Falling_Star was Luna''s staunchest supporter. In fact, she had shed with Lux in the past for the position of Luna''s number one fan.


    However, the Half-Elf was firm and didn''t budge. Because of this, she had no choice but to settle as Luna''s Number Two Fan.


    The two of them had fought side by side in countless forums andmbasted anyone who dared to talk sh*t about their idol.


    In short, both of them were Keyboard Warriors, and the number of online weebs that they had defeated was countless.


    "Little Falling Star, is it really you?" Lux asked as he raised his hand to cup the side of Aina''s face. "Thest time we talked, you said that you are going to study abroad. But two years passed and I still hadn''t heard anything from you��"


    Lux''s words trailed off as a sudden reality hit him.


    There was only one exnation for why Luna''s staunchest supporter, who had the same fervor as him in protecting their idol, vanished without a trace.


    "I see��" Lux''s lips trembled. "You died."


    Aina was older than him by two years.


    When Little Falling Star disappeared, he hadn''t seen her for two years before he died. Now that he was looking at her face to face, he felt as if he had found his long lost lover, whom he hadn''t seen for many years.


    As Luna''s number one and number two fans, they shared a lot of time with each other. The members of the fan club even referred to them as the Moon-Star crossed lovers.


    Although Lux was a little embarrassed to admit it, he and Little Falling Star did have an online rtionship. However, neither of them had shown their face to the other and only talked using voice chat.


    "Can you tell me more about you?" Lux asked. "Tell me why you disappeared for two years."


    Aina reluctantly nodded before resting her head on Lux''s chest. She then began her tale and told him about her real identity and her rtionship with Luna.


    She also told him why she said that she would be traveling abroad and would be inactive for the time being.


    When she finished, Lux was unable to stop himself from hugging her tightly.


    He didn''t expect that his online girlfriend had such a tragic backstory.


    A story that nearly broke his heart.

 Chapter 963 Little Falling Star [Part 2]

    Chapter 963 Little Falling Star [Part 2]


    Little_Falling_Star.


    That was the username that I used when I was still living back on Earth as Aina Williams.


    My parents were involved in a car ident, so my twin sister and I were raised by our grandparents after they passed away.


    Although my grandparents weren''t rich, we grew up with love and care and lived somewhat peaceful lives.


    Unfortunately, just as we were about to enter high school, I started to suffer from severe headaches that progressively became worse over time.


    Later on, I would sometimes lose feelings in my arms and legs. Having experienced it multiple times, I felt that something was terribly wrong with me.


    Thinking that I was just tired and stressed from school, I ignored these symptoms and just settled for pain relievers.


    But, one day, on my way to school, I copsed and was sent to the hospital.


    On that day, I found out that there was a tumor growing in my brain, and the only way to get rid of it was surgery.


    The news descended upon me with the weight of a mountain.


    Even my twin sister and my grandparents didn''t expect that I''d be suffering such a serious illness. Unfortunately, we didn''t have the money for the surgery, which made my grandparents feel depressed.


    However, my twin sister, Shania, took it upon herself to find a way.


    And thus, Luna the Idol was born.


    Both of us had been scouted many times bypanies to be idols due to our good looks. Back then, we didn''t think much of it since we were still young, and we believed that education was much more important than entering the entertainment industry.


    But, due to the circumstances that befell me, my sister set aside our belief and took the burden upon herself to enter that dazzling world with gritted teeth.


    Every time I saw here back home looking so exhausted that she couldn''t even bother to take off her clothes before sleeping on her bed made my heart ache.


    The only thing I could do was support her in any way that I could and ensure that she would at least be healthy enough to continue her line of work.


    When she made her debut as an idol, she wasn''t really popr back then. However, she did gain some fans, and one of them was called MoonKnight69.


    My sister''s stage name was Luna, and this name meant Moon.


    The person who had the username MoonKnight69 was always there to support her, and he never hesitated to fight against the trolls who dared to throw mud at my twin sister.


    He was her Knight.


    Her Moon Knight.


    I was a very timid person, but seeing other people say hurtful words to my sister made me feel hurt as well. Because of this, I decided to join my sister''s "Number One Fan" and hid behind the username, Little_Falling_Star.


    Although I couldn''t be the moon, I could be a little star that would support and protect my sister with everything I had.


    At first, I was overwhelmed by fear when the haters, and trolls, ganged up on me. However, MoonKnight69 would always be there to bring them down a peg and became the pir and shining beacon among my sister''s supporters.


    In time, this group of fans grew and grew until it became an online organization that had the power to socially destroy a person the moment they attacked her twin sister.


    After spending a few years with him, I realized that I had be dependent on him.


    Whenever he was offline, I would miss him and think of him all the time.


    I would wonder what he was doing and why he wasn''t there.


    This feeling only became stronger, and with the help of my sisters in the fan club, I finally took that step to send him a private message.


    That was how it started, and we would talk about many things.


    Although we didn''t see each other''s faces, we had heard each other''s voices.


    He was several years older than me, but that didn''t matter to me.


    His age didn''t matter to me, and the only thing that mattered was him.


    His voice.


    Hisughter.


    His anger.


    His everything.


    That was the only thing that mattered to me back then.


    After my sister became popr, she had me confined in a top hospital under the care of professional doctors who would conduct the surgery.


    My first surgery was deemed sessful, so I focused on my recovery. However, as if mocking me, the tumor returned a yearter.


    My health hadn''t always been the best, and after my surgery, it didn''t be any better. Because of this, the doctors advised that I spend some time recovering. Only when my body was strong enough to undertake another surgery would they operate on me again.


    During this time, my sister''s poprity had finally reached a threshold where she appeared inmercials, variety shows, dramas, and movies.


    It was as if all my suffering had been converted to her sess.


    I didn''t feel jealous or envious of her. In fact, I was very happy about her sess and wished for the best.


    But as the seasons changed, my health kept on deteriorating to the point that my doctors finally decided to take a gamble.


    I didn''t say anything, but I felt that my end was near.


    I believed that the moment I fell asleep in the operating room, I would never wake up again.


    Because of this, I made my final preparations.


    I said goodbye to my friends and acquaintances.


    I spent some time with my grandparents.


    I spent some time with my sister whenever she wasn''t busy with work, and I would always tell her how much I loved her.


    I also thanked her for everything she did for me and wished for her happiness in life.


    Finally, I bid my farewell to the guiding light who had been by my side for the past few years.


    I told him that I would just be studying abroad and would focus on my studies. Because of this, I would be unable to be as active as I was in the past.


    MoonKnight69 was worried about me and insisted that I keep in touch with him even when I was studying abroad.


    Back then, my tears fell on the screen of my phone as we talked all night.


    I typed the words "hahaha!" to make him feel that everything was fine, despite the fact that my heart was breaking because I would no longer be able to talk to him.


    Even as the doctors were about to administer anesthesia so that I would fall asleep during the operation, my heart was calling out to him.


    That time, I promised myself that if I survived the operation, I would no longer hesitate and meet him in real life.


    I wanted to be more than just his online girlfriend.


    I wanted to be his girlfriend in real life, and for that to happen, I needed to get through with my second surgery.


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t meant to be.


    We weren''t meant to be together in that lifetime.


    Aina Williams was unable to see the next sunrise.


    However, somewhere far away, Aina Goldenyer was born not long after.


    I have lived a life that has been filled with hardships, but I don''t feel bad about it.


    I have an adorable little sister, whose name is Colette.


    I have a dependable older brother whose name is Tristan.


    My father, Victor, is a bit strict, but he loves us just as much.


    As for my mother, Felicia, she is the true leader of our household, and even my father has to listen to her, or he ends up finding himself sleeping on the floor.


    I had no recollection of my past life until I started my Ranker Trial.


    When I lost control of myself, I recalled the memories of my past, allowing me to ovee the hidden heart demon that had followed me into my reincarnation.


    For some reason, I felt attracted to Lux.


    But this attraction had nothing to do with his impressive physical appearance.


    It was an attraction between souls.


    That was why when Lux healed the scars on my body, I repaid him with a kiss.


    Ever since then, I would think about the Half-Elf from time to time and would wonder why I felt attracted to him.


    However, after finding out his true identity, I finally realized why I felt so attracted to the handsome teenager.


    I felt as if my wishes had been granted by some kind of God, allowing me to have a second chance to grab hold of the love that didn''t take ce back on Earth.


    "MoonKnight," Aina said as she looked at the person whom she loved aside from her sister Shania. "I missed you."


    "I missed you too, Little Falling Star," Lux said as he cupped her face, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall if he lost control of himself.


    This time, I will not hesitate.


    Back then, I was sickly and weak.


    But now, I am healthy and strong.


    Now that the Gods have given me this second chance at life.


    Nothing will stop me from taking hold of the happiness that I rightfully deserve.


    Looking at Lux''s face, Aina could feel her heart beating wildly inside her chest.


    Her feelings were overflowing and tears started to well up in her eyes once again.


    "I love you," she said as she lowered her head.


    "And I love you more than you''ll ever know," Lux replied.


    Before her tears could fall a second time, she pressed her lips against Lux''s and subconsciously closed her eyes, enjoying this happiness that she didn''t think was possible.


    Two fiances? She didn''t care.


    Even if he had three or four of them, her feelings wouldn''t change.


    She''d met him before they did.


    She had loved him before they did.


    This was why she would not hold back from iming what was hers.


    Although my father will disagree, I will let my mother do the talking.


    Even if the sky were to fall over my head right at this moment��


    I will strive to share eternity with the person who holds the other piece of my heart.

 Chapter 964 Star Crossed Lovers

    Chapter 964 Star Crossed Lovers


    [Disimer: Sweet and intimate scenes ahead.]


    The two kissed passionately, the intensity of their intimacy increasing every passing second.


    The floodgates had beenpletely forced open, and the raging torrent of emotions that both of them were feeling for each other rampaged like a Beast Tide that numbered in the millions.


    It was impossible to know which of the two wanted the other more.


    Aina, whose switch had been flipped on, didn''t hesitate to use her hands to remove Lux''s upper clothes.


    Her intentions were clear, and no one would be able to stop the feelings that she had held back for a very long time.


    Lux felt the same, but when Aina stopped kissing him, moving downward to nibble his neck, he regained a bit of his sanity.


    Knowing that the beautiful Dwarf wouldn''t stop even if he told her to, the Half-Elf wrapped his arms around her body before levitating off the ground.


    He then summoned his Soul Book and opened its map feature as Aina struggled in his embrace.


    "Be good for a while," Lux said before kissing her forehead. "This will only take a minute."


    Aina paused for a bit and held onto Lux, breathing in his scent and hugging him tightly.


    She was stronger than him in her Angel of Vengeance form. If she were to really struggle, she could easily break free from his embrace. Even so, knowing that it might injure the person she loved, she wouldn''t do it.


    After finding what he was looking for, Lux flew to the location as fast as he could.


    He was certain that if he didn''t stop Aina, she would have made love to him then and there, but how could he possibly let that happen?


    What if someone happened to stumble upon them while the two of them were in the middle of doing the deed?


    Wouldn''t that put a pause on their lovemaking?


    If Aina didn''t kill that person, Lux definitely would.


    In order to not create unnecessary idents, he decided to look for a ce where the two of them wouldn''t be bothered by anyone.


    The Half-Elf flew inside a cave that led deep underground, his arms still wrapped around the beautiful Dwarf''s waists.


    They went deeper and deeper into the cave until they arrived at a cavern. There was a small river, illuminated by glowing crystals.


    The moment Luxnded, he summoned a bed from his storage ring. However, before he could even do anything, the beauty in his arms had finally reached her limit.


    Aina''s hands grabbed hold of Lux''s pants and ripped them apart. She didn''t even bother to undress him properly this time and simply used the fastest method that she could think of.


    She then unsummoned her valkyrie armor, exposing her naked body to him.


    Unfurling her wings, she pinned Lux on the bed and stared into his eyes, which looked back at her with love and affection.


    "Beautiful," Lux said softly as he looked at Aina, whose tendril-like wings fluttered behind her back, further illuminating their dim surroundings.


    He cupped her face and kissed her lips. After that, his hands moved to caress her back, sliding downwards and enjoying its smoothness.


    His hands finally stopped, resting on her backside. He gave it a light squeeze, causing Aina''s body to shudder.


    The Half-Elf then moved in one quick motion, reversing their positions.


    This time, he was the one on top, while the beautiful Dwarf, whose face was flushed and eyes in a daze, looked at him with yearning.


    Lux''s eyes were glued to her face for a few seconds and then swept over the rest of her body.


    Her breasts were not that big, but they held a fatal attraction that made Lux''s breath turn ragged.


    He marveled at the outline of her abdomen, tracing it with his hand, igniting the mes of passion that were hiding inside her small frame.


    He lightly poked her cute belly button before caressing the enticing curve of her waist.


    His gaze moved downwards, looking at that ce as he moved toward her slender legs, and finally her small feet, which he lifted toward his face.


    With a gaze tinted with lust, he stared at her right in the eyes as he kissed the soles of her feet.


    In her current form, her body naturally dispelled any impurities like dirt that clung to her body.


    After that small gesture, the Half-Elf lowered her feet and moved to kiss her lips once again.


    She was beautiful.


    She was perfect.


    And she belonged to him.


    Aina didn''t lose herself to Lux''s kisses and once again took control, pinning the Half-Elf to the bed and looking down at him with a smile.


    Clearly, she wanted to take the lead, but Lux wished for that as well.


    Because of this, the two tumbled on the bed as they fought to dominate while having their way with each other''s body.


    It was a silly scene because both of them desired each other, and yet, neither of them wanted to back down.


    In the end, the one who managed toe out on top was Lux.


    For a short moment, Aina breathed raggedly andy tense in his arms. When Lux was about to take her maidenhood, she didn''t struggle and even wrapped her arms on his back, encouraging him to im her as his woman and mark her as one of his own.


    Inch by inch, she took him in.


    Lux didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry due to how sweet and intimate it felt to be one with her.


    He felt as if both of them had been reincarnated for this very moment��holding each other, loving each other, and feeling each other''s warmth.


    The moment they became one. Aina felt as if all the sadness and suffering that she had experienced in her past life fell beneath her like broken fragments of a mirror.


    She could feel Lux''s weight upon her.


    With every thrust, she could feel her body and heart opening to him, allowing her beloved to shape her in ways that she never thought possible.


    She wasn''t aware that the soft moans and whimpers escaping from her seductive lips strongly fanned the mes of lust and love that the Half-Elf felt for her, making his movements rougher and, in turn, her sensual cries louder.


    As if knowing that the end was about toe, Aina''s legs wrapped around Lux''s waist, locking him in ce while bracing herself for the inevitable.


    Lux, who had no intention of pulling back, clung to her small frame and groaned, his seed spurting deep inside her.


    As the two of them panted for breath, with their bodies still joined together, their hands moved and intertwined with each other.


    Lux and Aina stared at each other for a few seconds before sharing another sweet and passionate kiss.


    When they pulled back, the Half-Elf brushed away the tears that fell from Aina''s eyes.


    "I love you, Aina," Lux said softly before kissing her forehead.


    "I love you too, Lux," Aina replied as she kissed his cheek.


    Both of them knew with certainty that things would never be the same again between them.


    But they were fine with that.


    A few minutester, Aina''s soft sighs echoed inside the cavern as Lux made love to her a second time, filling her heart and womb with his love.

 Chapter 965 I Loved Her Even Before She Was Born In This World.

    Chapter 965 I Loved Her Even Before She Was Born In This World.


    The sound of flowing water faintly echoed in the surroundings as Lux cleaned Aina''s naked body in the underground river.


    They had just finished making love for the third time, after which the Half-Elf decided to stop.


    Aina had been a virgin before him, and he didn''t want to push her body too much on her first time. He took it upon himself to pause their intimate bonding, allowing her body to recover.


    After cleaning her every nook and cranny, the Half-Elf held her close to him, and the beautiful Dwarf snuggled into his chest.


    The two didn''t say anything to each other and simply enjoyed the afterglow of their lovemaking.


    The beating of their hearts was calmer now, and the mes that had erupted aftering to know about each other''s past lives had been doused by their passion and lust.


    Several minutester, Lux lifted Aina in a princess carry and walked toward the bed. He had already changed the bed sheets and reced them with a clean one.


    The droplets of water disappeared from their bodies after Lux used a spell to dry both of thempletely.


    Gently, heid Aina down on the bed beforeying beside her.


    The youngdy hugged Lux as if she was afraid that once she woke up, she would find out that everything that happened was just a dream.


    "Don''t worry," Lux whispered softly. "I won''t go away. So rest for a while, okay? After that, I will have a talk with your family."


    "��Un," Aina replied before closing her eyes.


    Although she didn''t show it, she was actually quite exhausted. The battle of the Beast Tide had just ended, and she had fought on the front lines until everything was over.


    After that, she made love to Lux three times, which drained thest of her strength.


    The Half-Elf looked at the beautiful Dwarf in his arms as she breathed softly.


    The doll-like beauty, whom many had admired, was sleeping peacefully.


    Her petite and sensual body clung to his skin, sending faint ripples of emotions in his heart. But Lux endured it and simply held the love of his past life in a firm embrace.


    Lux loved Iris and Cai. This much was true.


    Because of that, he also understood that the feelings of love he had for Aina were just as strong, if not a little bit stronger than his two fiances.


    For him, love was love. It didn''t matter who he loved most between his lovers. For him, all three of them held a special ce in his heart.


    Soothed by Aina''s warmth and softness, Lux found himself falling asleep.


    He didn''t resist and allowed himself to fall into sleep''s embrace, knowing that when he opened his eyes, Little Falling Star would still be in his arms.


    ������������������


    A few hourster inside the Royal Pce of the Xeno Kingdom��


    Due to Lux''s and Aina''s sudden disappearance, the King of the Xeno Kingdom, Victor, couldn''t help but feel anxious.


    Since it was his daughter who dragged Lux away, he couldn''t call it kidnapping. In fact, if he insisted that it was a kidnapping, wouldn''t that make her daughter a criminal?


    Colette, who was always supportive of Lux and Aina, was also feeling anxious. That was the first time she had seen her sister suddenly have an outburst, and it took herpletely by surprise.


    Of course, she knew that her kind, gentle, and understanding sister wouldn''t do anything to hurt her Big Brother.


    However, she couldn''t help but be worried that there might have been some kind of misunderstanding that might hinder her n to make the two of them get married.


    Queen Felicia was the only one who seemed to not be too worried about her daughter running away with the handsome Half-Elf.


    She was the one who raised Aina and knew that her daughter had a good head on her shoulders. Surely, thetter wouldn''t do anything that would harm their benefactor.


    At the end of the day, without Lux''s help, their chances of surviving the Beast Tide weren''t that high.


    Even if they survived, the casualties would have been too great, and their kingdom''s army would have definitely been weakened.


    This would''ve led to their neighbors taking this opportunity to conquer them and force them to be their vassals.


    When they decided to migrate to Elysium and cut ties with the Dwarven Royal Family back in Sis, they knew that they were taking a big gamble.


    Even so, the state of the Dwarven Kingdom in Sis didn''t look optimistic.


    The miasma was spreading past their borders, and they knew that in two to three years, the Royal Family would have no choice but to order its citizens to evacuate to Elysium.


    Victor wouldn''t have minded one bit if the people of the Dwarven Kingdom were to migrate to his kingdom.


    However, the Royal Family and the other High-Ranking Nobles wished to suppress him and wrestle away the kingdom that he had built from scratch over the course of many years.


    How could he possibly agree to such a thing?


    This was why he moved before others could even touch his bottom line, cutting himself and his people off from the reach of the Dwarven Royal Family, who wished to take the kingdom he founded as their own.


    Just as the sun was about to set on the horizon, they sensed two familiar presences headed in the direction of the Royal Pce.


    When Victor saw Lux carrying his daughter in a princess carry, with thetter having her arms wrapped around his neck and her head resting on his chest, he felt as if he had lost something very dear to him.


    Colette, who saw this scene, happily jumped in ce and was even shouting, "Big Brother!", repeatedly.


    Queen Felicia, who was looking at her daughter, narrowed her eyes. As a woman, she could tell that something was very different about her daughter.


    Although her face was still as expressionless as ever, it had a softness to it as she looked at the man carrying her in his arms.


    This expression was something that Aina had developed in her past life after she discovered that she had a tumor growing in her brain.


    As the years passed, this expression had be her default expression, which she had somehow carried over to her next life.


    Even though her face was like that, her eyes were a different matter.


    They were filled with emotions, and one could see the love and affection in her gaze as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf, who had justnded on the balcony of their Royal Pce.


    Lux helped Aina stand on her own before gazing at Victor with a smile on his face.


    "Father��" Lux said. However, before he could finish whatever he was going to say next, Victor cut him off with a re.


    "Who are you calling Father, you bastard?" Victor shouted.


    Although Lux was taller than him, he still looked down on him with a vengeance, hovering in the air as if to make his point known.


    Lux, who could tell that Victor didn''t want to talk to him, shifted his attention to Queen Felicia.


    "Mother, I havee to ask for your daughter in marriage," Lux said with a smile. "Please give us your blessing."


    Colette''s eyes widened in shock after hearing Lux''s words. A momentter, the adorable Dwarf jumped into the Half-Elf''s arms in happiness.


    "Finally! Big Brother is going to be part of our family!" Colette shouted with a big smile on her face. "I''m so happy right now!"


    "He''s not going to be part of our family," Victor growled, almost making Colette jump back in fright. "Over my dead body!"


    At that exact moment, ckfire appeared between Lux and Victor. A few secondster, several rows of text appeared on the surface of the coffin.


    ��������������-


    < That can be arranged. >


    < Do you have any preference as to how you would like to die? >


    < Do you have any life insurance? If not, I am offering one n as a limited time offer. I will even throw in a que for your tomb free of charge.>


    ��������������


    The corner of Victor''s lips twitched after reading the ck Coffin''s reply. However, before he could smash the coffin to pieces, Felicia''s words caught his attention.


    "Stand down, Victor," Felicia ordered before shifting her attention to her daughter, Aina. "Aina, do you want to marry Lux?"


    Aina nodded and answered without hesitation. "I do."


    "Do you love him?"


    "With all of my heart."


    Felicia frowned before shifting her attention to the Half-Elf, who was holding her daughter''s hand firmly.


    "How about you, Lux?" Felicia asked. "Do you love my daughter?"


    "I loved her even before she was born in this world," Lux replied in a heartbeat.


    Colette''s eyes opened wide as she looked at her Big Brother.


    The corner of Victor''s lips twitched repeatedly after hearing the Half-Elf''s reply.


    How could someone love a person before they were even born in this world? Did that even make sense?!


    Queen Felicia also had the same thought, but a single nce toward the Half-Elf was enough to tell her that he was serious.


    "Very well, our family will seriously consider this matter," Queen Felicia stated. "I hope that you can give us time to discuss this properly."


    Lux nodded. However, before Victor could even say anything, Lux said something that made the Goldenyer family look at him in disbelief.


    "Aina and I have already made love to each other," Lux said without batting an eye. "Please add that to the list of things you''d take into consideration. Thank you."


    Aina''s father almost spat a mouthful of blood after hearing Lux''s revtion.


    Victor, Felicia, and Colette, all looked at the Aina at the same time, as if trying to confirm if what Lux said was true.


    Although there was no change in her expression, a tinge of red was starting to spread from her neck, up to the tips of her ears.


    This only confirmed the Half-Elf''s statement, which made Victor almost wish that he could tear the Half-Elf apart, limb by limb.


    They had raised Aina with great love and care.


    None of them could''ve expected that the Half-Elf would eat her up just like that after the beautiful Dwarf had swept him off of his feet, right under their very nose.

 Chapter 966 Fall In Love, All Over Again

    Chapter 966 Fall In Love, All Over Again


    Two hours after dinner, Victor and Felicia retired to their room in order to discuss something very important.


    Naturally, this issue was in regard to what happened earlier in the day. Not long had passed, and the King of the Xeno Kingdom was still dissatisfied with Aina''s choice.


    "What do you think we should do, Felicia?" Victor asked as he sat on the couch with a frown. "Aina can be very stubborn. I''m sure that she will not be changing her mind anytime soon."


    The King of the Xeno Kingdom looked at his wife, hoping that she could give him the answers he was looking for.


    "There''s nothing we can do but respect Aina''s decision," Felicia replied. "That means that you should abandon your thoughts of letting her marry one of the Princes of our neighboring kingdoms. If you try pushing this idea of yours, it will only backfire on you, so I advise you to give it up."


    "If only that Half-Elf hadn''t tainted my daughter, then this whole thing could have been salvaged." Victor clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    The daughters of the Royal Family had to remain chaste in order for them to be married off to members of another Royal Family.


    If Victor really ignored Aina''s wishes and sent her to marry someone else, not only would he face his daughter''s anger, but he would also face the anger of Aina''s royal husband, which could lead to a war in the worst-case scenario.


    "Hah�� this is a mess." Victor sighed. "I even sent Tristan to our neighbors in order to form good rtionships with them. I even gave him the secret mission to look for eligible Princes that could qualify as Aina''s fiancees as well."


    "Well, although things didn''t work out the way you nned it to be, I have a feeling that the current situation is infinitely better," Felicia stated. "Lux may not be a member of a Royal Family, but you have to admit that he has the ability to be an Overlord. If I were you, I would invest in this future son-inw of ours."


    Felicia smiled. Unlike her husband, she only wanted her two daughters'' happiness. Since Aina already decided to be Lux''s fiancee, she would give them their blessing.


    Although Victor also felt that things were progressing too fast and was now outside of his control, he had to agree that the Half-Elf indeed had some ability.


    Lux could have single-handedly defeated the Beast Tide even without the assistance of their army. This much, Victor had to acknowledge. However, he still couldn''t believe that someone who had only been in Elysium for a few years had be such a powerhouse.


    Colette had met him in Leaf Vige, and Victor often heard his adorable daughter brag about his achievements. She would even talk to him about the Half-Elf in hope that he would be persuaded to agree to allow the red-headed teenager to marry her sister, Aina.


    However, how could he possibly agree to such a thing?


    He hadn''t even met Lux since he first heard of him until today.


    Even so, his first impression of the Half-Elf was not the person that Colette painted him to be.


    He was not a young man who had just starteding to Elysium nearly two years ago.


    He was a monster.


    A bonafide monster that if left unchecked would grow to be a person who could move unhindered in Sis and Elysium.


    His wife was right.


    Although the situation was different from what he originally wanted, it didn''t change the fact that Lux''s potential was enormous.


    However, he also understood that these individuals were like a double-edged sword. They might be capable of annihting anyone who stood in their way, but they could also harm those who supported them from behind.


    People hated those that were better than them. They felt jealous and envious of others'' talents to the point that they wanted to eliminate them.


    After all, a dead genius is no longer a genius.


    Victor had no intention of fighting against Lux, but that didn''t mean that others wouldn''t do it.


    Naturally, he was still not aware that the Half-Elf and the Divine Army of Light were at odds with each other. If he knew about this fact then he would definitely oppose Aina''s decision, even if it meant that his daughter would hate him for life.


    They had migrated from Sis to Elysium, and the Divine Army of Light was one of the biggest organizations in thend.


    If they were to offend such a behemoth, wouldn''t their newly minted kingdom be exterminated before they could even have time to grow?


    Fortunately, he had no idea. Ignorance was bliss.


    Victor sighed a second time before looking outside of the window. Right now, he had a very hard decision to make, and it would affect his Kingdom in more ways than one.


    ������������������


    Inside Aina''s bedroom��


    "Aren''t you worried?" Lux asked as he hugged the beautiful Dwarf from behind. "What would you do if they didn''t agree to make you my fiancee?"


    "I''m not worried," Aina replied as she looked at the moon outside of her window. "Although my father is very disappointed in me, my mother will definitely talk some sense into him. Also, my body is no longer pure. They will have no choice but to yield."


    Lux''s gaze softened as he lightly caressed Aina''s lower abdomen. Indeed, he had already marked this ce as his own, iming her as his woman.


    If not for the fact that Aina had just lost her chastity a few hours ago, and needed time to recover, he might have already made love to her again.


    ''I''m hopeless,'' Lux thought. ''I''m so in love with her that it hurts.''


    Aina, who seemed to have sensed Lux''s thoughts, turned around to look up at him.


    She then stood on tiptoe as she presented her lips to him, which the Half-Elf epted gratefully.


    The beautiful Dwarf was barely five feet tall, and yet, she possessed a strength that was several times stronger than Lux. Even so, in his eyes, she was just a delicate youngdy, whom he needed to protect at all cost.


    He wasn''t even aware when she died back on Earth. It even made him depressed because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t reach her.


    Now that they had reunited, he felt that the heavens themselves had given them this opportunity to do what they weren''t able to do back on Earth.


    When the kiss ended, Aina wrapped her arms around Lux''s body and rested her head on his chest.


    "No matter what happens, the two of us will be together in this lifetime, right?" Aina asked softly.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Although we can''t always be physically together, we will definitely spend our lives together. I promise."


    Both understood that they had their duties to perform, and responsibilities to uphold.


    Lux carried his lover to the bed andid her down gently. He thenid beside her, but he didn''t make a move to make love to her.


    He only wrapped his arms around her and told her about the things that he needed to do.


    The Half-Elf told Aina about his Master''s current situation��how thetter had been captured by the Divine Army of Light, and their n to execute him in less than a month''s time.


    When he shared his n to save his Master, Aina''s body shuddered and she gripped his clothes tightly.


    "Lux, we have just reunited," Aina said. "I won''t stop you from doing what you have nned to do, but promise me one thing."


    "What is it?" Lux inquired.


    "Don''t die, or I will have no choice but to follow you."


    "Don''t worry, I have no intention of dying. I promise you this."


    Aina wanted to tell Lux that she would help him in any way that she could, but she understood that he would not allow her to endanger herself.


    Because of this, the only thing she could do was to believe in him and that he would return to her safely after rescuing his Master from one of the biggest organizations in Elysium.


    As the hours passed, the two continued to talk.


    They talked about their ns and goals in life, including the number of babies that Aina wanted to have, which made Lux chuckle.


    Soon, the two of them fell asleep in each other''s embrace.


    Lux would be leaving in the morning in order to search for another Beast Tide or ces that had numerous monsters that he could hunt.


    Although it was quite regrettable that they couldn''t spend more time with each other, they were still extremely happy to have the chance to fall in love, all over again.

 Chapter 967 Simply Courting Death

    Chapter 967 Simply Courting Death


    The sound of screams and metal shing against each other spread in the forest as a group of bandits attacked a merchant group.


    The merchants and their escorts werepletely outnumbered due to the number of bandits that had set an ambush for them.


    However, just when the merchants had almost lost all hope, two baby slimes stumbled upon the scene.


    "Trouble?" Eiko blinked as she looked at the battle that was happening in front of her.


    "Wei~" Fei Fei nodded.


    "Help them?"


    "Wei~"


    "Un!"


    Eiko, who never shied away from battle, summoned her Terrorist Squad, as well as her Slime Brigade.


    A momentter, loud explosions reverberated in the surroundings as the two Baby Slimes threw one st Bomb after another while riding on Eiko''s subordinate, Bomber.


    (A/N: Bomber is Eiko''s floating st bomb.)


    Immediately, the Bandits found themselves being pushed back and dying one by one. In the end, they decided to retreat but not without looking at the two Baby Slimes with bloodshot eyes.


    Eiko and Fei Fei didn''t remain at the scene of battle and didn''t even bother to wait for the rewards that the Merchants might give them.


    They helped the Merchants because they felt like it, so they didn''t think that epting any rewards was necessary.


    The two rode on Bomber''s head, which was hovering a few meters above the ground.


    Although they seemed to be traveling randomly, this was actually not true. Eiko had a destination in mind, and it was the Port City of Watford, which was located in the Earldom of Draycott.


    This was the same Port City where they had met Captain Jack Spawow back when they had hired him to help them rescue Princess Anastasia, who had been kidnapped by the Rankers of Twilight Rain.


    Eiko was fond of traveling on the sea. She found the act to be liberating and enjoyable at the same time.


    Of course, she hoped that when she got there, she would find Captain Jack Spawow and board his ship, and sail the Seven Seas with him for a period of time.


    What the two Baby Slimes didn''t know was that the Bandit Group was tracking them down.


    Although it might seem like a petty move to get revenge on the two Slimes, they still felt like they needed to do it in order to recover their pride and dignity.


    The Bandits had already called for reinforcements and even asked their leader to personally lead the operation.


    The Leader of the Bandit Group was a Ranker. When he heard that the raid against the merchants was thwarted by two Baby Slimes, he felt as if his subordinates were ying a joke on him.


    However, after asking a few more questions, he confirmed that this was indeed the case. He felt as if he was surrounded by ipetent people. How could two Baby Slimes possibly defeat them when nearly all of them were Initiates?


    The weakest members of the Bandit Group were Grade-A Apostles, who should''ve been able to kill Slimes without too much effort.


    But since he felt that his men wouldn''t be able to live with the humiliation, he decided to take matters into his own hands and end the farce.


    Taking all the Bandits, numbering nearly two hundred strong, who belonged to the Bandit Group known as the ck Wolves, they moved to intercept the two Baby Slimes, who were currently eating some cookies on top of Bomber.


    When King Leoric sensed the Bandit Group heading towards Eiko and Fei Fei, the Wraith King simply shook his head.


    Two hundred Bandits versus two Baby Slimes?


    The Bandits were simply courting death.


    Since that was the case, he decided to not do anything and watch as Eiko and Fei Fei handled everything. Since the two of them were traveling to gain some experience in the world, he would allow them to do as they pleased.


    "Leader, that''s them!" one of the Bandits pointed at the floating st Bomb in the distance that was carrying the two Baby Slimes, who were still eating cookies on top of it.


    "Fine, let''s get this over with." the Bandit Leader scoffed. "Charge!"


    Immediately, the entire Bandit Group ran toward Eiko and Fei Fei with their weapons drawn.


    "Bandits?" Eiko tilted her head as she looked at the Bandits that were rapidly closing the distance.


    Fei Fei, who was about to bite a cookie, red in the direction of the Bandits and opened her adorable mouth.


    "F*ckers."


    This was the first time that Fei Fei had said any other word aside from Wei~ since the start of their trip.


    Clearly, she was very annoyed right now because some people were getting in the way of their lunch.


    Eiko, who was also quite annoyed right now, decided to end the battle as fast as possible.


    She summoned her five clones and gave an order.


    "Rise!"


    Immediately, six Argonaut-Ranked Lightning Slime World Bosses appeared in front of the Bandits.


    The Lightning Slimes didn''t waste any time and immediately unleashed countless lightning bolts that turned any Bandit they hit into charcoal.


    The Leader of the Bandits screamed in fright before trying to flee. However, before he could even run away, Eiko''s Skeleton Monk, Bam, appeared behind him and gave the Bandit Leader an explosive punch that sent him flying.


    The battlested only two minutes, but the entirety of the ck Wolf Bandit Group was already eliminated.


    King Leoric, who was high in the sky and currently invisible, only sighed.


    ''Anyone who judges Eiko by her appearance will definitely be in a world of pain,'' King Leoric thought. ''I just hope she doesn''t start a genocide after leaving Lux''s side.''


    The Wraith King knew that Eiko was a battle maniac. Despite her cuteness, the Baby Slime was more ruthless than Lux when it came to killing people, especially bad people like the Bandits.


    A dayter, when the sun was just about to set on the horizon, Eiko and Fei Fei finally arrived at their destination.


    The two were currently perched on a robed man''s shoulders as he walked towards the Port City of Watford.


    This robed person was none other than the Skeleton Monk, Bam.


    Eiko knew that this would allow them to enter the city without too much fuss, and it worked like a charm.


    When they arrived at the port, they saw the familiar ship floating on the water.


    It was none other than the ck Pearl, and Eiko''s eyes sparkled with delight as she, and Fei Fei, climbed aboard the ship, which would take them to the Pirate King''s Ind.

 Chapter 968 You Will Not Be Able To Stop The Inevitable

    Chapter 968 You Will Not Be Able To Stop The Inevitable


    After having breakfast with the Goldenyer family, Lux, Cethus, Gerhart, and Keane left the Xeno Kingdom in order to improve their strength as fast as possible.


    Simultaneously, Gaap, who had been captured by the Divine Army of Light, sat in a dark cell with his body wrapped up in chains.


    He was being detained in the most secure Underground Prison in the Divine Army of Light''s territory. It prevented him from using any abilities, including summoning the Golem of Destruction, Antero.


    The High Council of the Order wanted his execution to be a grand event in order to show the different powers of Elysium what would happen if they dared to cross them.


    Of course, they were also hoping that Lux, as well as the members of Memento Mori, woulde to save the Halfling. That way, they would be able to deal with them as well.


    Currently, all of the powerful Saints in the continent were staying inside the Divine Empire and constantly monitored Gaap''s prison.


    Since the execution was still a few weeks away, they had no intention of lowering their guard, just in case someone tried to break inside the prison and save Gaap before the date of the execution.


    If that were to really happen, wouldn''t they be theughingstock of the world?


    They wanted to show their might, not their ipetence to all the powerful factions of thend. With such a high stake on the line, even the Oracle of Light continuously used her Divination to ensure that not even a rat could sneak past their defenses.


    The High King of Lunaria sat on a chair in front of Gaap''s prison cell with his arms crossed over his chest.


    He should''ve been the happiest person after capturing Hereswith''s Disciple, but he couldn''t even bring himself to smile.


    Gaap had erased his entire Kingdom from the face of the world, even killing his entire bloodline.


    If not for the fact that there were other Saints present when they ambushed Gaap, the High King would have killed the Halfling in order to avenge his kingdom and his family.


    "What are you looking at, you pathetic worm?" Gaap asked in a teasing tone. "Want to kill me? Go ahead."


    The Halfling''s disheveled appearance was truly pitiful, and yet, the sneer on his face truly tempted to strangle the annoying bastard, but even he couldn''t break past the was firm as he looked at one of the people who was responsible for his Master''s death.


    The High King of Lunaria didn''t reply. However, his hands were trembling. He was truly tempted to strangle the annoying bastard, but even he couldn''t break past the barrier that surrounded the Halfling''s cell that prevented anyone from going in anding out of it.


    Gaap chuckled after seeing how much the High King was doing his best to hold himself back from killing him. The frustration and helplessness in the man''s eyes made him feel extremely good, despite his current situation.


    "I''ve always referred to you as High-King because I always seem to forget your name," Gaap stated. "Humor me. Was it Mongrel?"


    "Bastard, it''s Mondo Vi Lunaria!" Mondo growled. "Who are you calling Mongrel?!"


    Gaap smirked. "Close enough. Still, Mondo is too good for you. I''ll just stick to calling you Mongrel. So, Mongrel, when do you guys n to kill me?"


    "Soon," Mondo replied. "And I will be the one to personally slice off your head."


    "Ah that reminds me, your sons begged me to spare their lives when I cut off their heads," Gaapmented. "Their heads should be inside the Bounty Ring that was confiscated from me when I was captured. Did you get them back?"


    The sound of gnashing teeth echoed inside the prison as the High King of Lunaria remembered the heads of his sons that had been returned to him several days ago.


    Despite the great sadness and pain he felt at that time, he had done his best to give them a proper burial.


    As for his wives and daughters, they were nowhere to be found. Mondo had interrogated Gaap about what he did to his wife and daughters, but the Halfling justughed and told him that it was a surprise.


    No matter what the other Saints did, they also failed to pry answers from their prisoner. Even the Oracle of the Divine Army couldn''t get any leads as to what happened to Mondo''s wives and daughters.


    "What''s wrong?" Gaap inquired. "Aren''t you going to say anything? Are you content just sitting there and wishing that you could strangle me with both of your hands? Ah, let me tell you something funny. Your Third Wife was dissatisfied with you, so she had an affair with the Captain of your Royal Guards.


    "She even insisted that he made her feel better than you ever did in the time you spent together. You should consider removing that crown off your head and recing it with a green hat."


    The Halfling thenughed out loud, which grated Mondo''s ears. The chair he was sitting on exploded as the anger that he had been holding back gushed out of his body in full force.


    At that exact moment, Five Saints materialized between the High King and the Halfling, whoseughter had still not ended.


    "Mondo, stand back," the Oracle of the Divine Armymanded. "He is angering you on purpose so that you will break the enchantment of his prison. If you can''t control yourself, I will have to ask you to leave."


    The Saintess'' voice was firm and held no room for discussion or rebuttal. The four Saints by her side eyed the High King of Lunaria with solemn expressions on their faces.


    If Mondo didn''t stand down, they would be forced to apprehend him and throw him into a cell, until he cooled his head.


    The High King''s chest heaved up and down as he tried to reign in his anger. He knew that if he really ignored the Oracle''s warning, he would definitely be punished and might even be locked up until the day of the execution.


    He had already begged their Sovereign to make him Gaap''s executioner so that he''d be the one to deal the killing blow to the Halfling. If he made a scene today, he could kiss his only chance of revenge goodbye.


    "I''m sorry," Mondo stated after he regained a bit of his calm. "You''re right. I lost my cool and allowed this bastard to almost goad me into letting him escape. It will not happen again."


    The Oracle narrowed her gaze. "It better be. But just to be safe, you are no longer allowed to enter the prison until the day of the execution arrives. We don''t want another emotional outburst to ur, do we?"


    Mondo eyed the Oracle before shifting his gaze to the Halfling, whose entire body was bound by magical chains.


    Gaap sneered at the High King of Lunaria, making thetter clench his fist.


    Even so, with Five Saints blocking his path, he couldn''t really do anything to the Halfling, so he decided to stand down.


    "Very well, I will cool off for now," Mondo replied before walking away. "But, remember this. The one who will kill that Halfling is me. If his Disciple is captured, his head is also mine."


    The High King of Lunaria snorted after saying those words. He wouldn''t be content with just ending Gaap''s life. He wanted to personally kill Lux as well.


    Only then would his anger subside.


    The Oracle of the Divine Army frowned, but she didn''t say anything else.


    The High King was one of their staunchest warriors and supporters. Allowing him to do these two things was a small price to pay for retaining his loyalty to their cause.


    "You sure know how to raise a ruckus, don''t you?" the Oracle said as he nced at the Halfling.


    "Bitch, how about you untie me, so I can show you something else that I can raise?" Gaap smirked. "Although I don''t have any Doomknight Gangbangers in my army, I still have plenty of ways to screw you three times over."


    The Oracle merely scoffed at their prisoner''s taunts.


    "I''d like to see how you will react when we capture your Disciple and kill him in front of you." the Oracle sneered. "Maybe then, you will understand how foolish the two of you are for going against our Divine Army."


    Gaapughed after hearing the Oracle''s words. His Disciple was indeed weaker than them and their organization, but Lux had the means to make the Divine Army''s life miserable.


    "Good luck with that," Gaap replied. "It will take more than trying to kill my Disciple to kill him. Don''t worry, once he is done with all of you, you will regret your choice of antagonizing him."


    "Words of an ipetent Master." the Oracle scoffed. "You will not be able to stop the inevitable."


    The Oracle and the Saints all disappeared from the prison and returned to their stations.


    She had wasted enough time talking to Gaap, and she no longer wanted to talk to him.


    The Halfling, who had been left alone, chuckled as the chains that bound his body started to make subtle clinking noises.


    "Indeed," Gaap said as a tinge of resolution appeared within the depths of his eyes. "None of you will be able to stop the inevitable."


    The Halfling closed his eyes and preserved his strength.


    The Divine Army of Light wasn''t the only one that was looking forward to the day of his execution.


    Even Gaap was secretly looking forward to that day, for reasons that only he was aware of.

 Chapter 969 The Lost Ark [Part 1]

    Chapter 969 The Lost Ark [Part 1]


    Three days after Lux''s group left the Xeno Kingdom, he and his friends finally arrived in one of the most dangerousnds in Elysium.


    This ce was called the Lost Ark.


    It was a valley that spanned for miles, with a giant, ck wooden ship that was split in half sitting in the middle of it.


    No one knew where the ck Ship came from, or how it ended up in that valley.


    Many Historians believed that this area might have been part of an ocean in the past, which exined why such a giant ship was there.


    However, the reason why this ce was considered as one of the most dangerous ces in Elysium was because of the fact that this whole area was inhabited by countless numbers of beasts, most of which were of the Deimos-Rank and above.


    Truth be told, Lux was feeling a little anxious about this ce because his Elysium Compendium had detected a giant, golden, blinking dot on the map, which was located where the ck Ship was.


    This wasn''t the first time he had seen something like this on the map of hispendium. He had noticed a simr phenomenon while he was still in the Abyss, and it only meant one thing.


    ''There is a Demigod inside that ck Ship,'' Lux thought.


    The territory of the Lost Ark was huge. He believed that as long as he didn''t get too close to the center of the Domain, he wouldn''t have to worry about the Demigod.


    However, all of this was just part of his spection.


    Nothing was preventing the Demigod from emerging from the ck Ship, and it was also possible that it would attack them once it sensed amotion in its territory.


    If Lux decided to leave this ce, it would take him several days to look for another ce to farm Beast Cores, which would be a waste of time.


    After weighing the pros and cons, the Half-Elf nced at hisrades with a solemn expression on his face.


    "There is a Demigod inside that ck Ship," Lux stated as he pointed at the ship in the distance. "There''s no guarantee that it will not attack us if we fight monsters inside its Domain. It is very dangerous, so I won''t force you guys toe with me. In the worst-case scenario, I can just teleport away in order to save my life."


    Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus nced at each other before shifting their gaze to the Half-Elf.


    "I''ll take a chance," Keane stated. "At the first sign of trouble, I will not hesitate to return to our Guild Headquarters."


    "That is also my answer," Gerhart replied.


    "My Grandmothers always say that in the middle of every difficulty, lies opportunity," Cethusmented. "I''m alsoing."


    Lux nodded after hearing their answers.


    "Very well, but remember this," Lux stated. "The moment the Demigod appears, escape as fast as you can. Do I make myself clear?"


    Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus nodded at the same time.


    Lux smiled before jumping off the cliff to enter the Domain of the Lost Ark. Hisrades did the same.


    However, the moment their feetnded on the ground, they felt a sudden change.


    "I feel heavier," Lux said as he tried to lift his foot, as well as raise his arm. "It''s harder to move."


    Hearing that, Keane and Gerhart also tried to move their bodies in an attempt to adapt to the sudden change that happened out of the blue.


    Cethus frowned as he, too, did a few experiments. A minuteter the Dragon Born made ament that made hispanions look at him with serious expressions on their faces.


    "It''s not our bodies bing heavy and harder to move," Cethusmented. "It is because the gravity in this ce has doubled."


    The eyes of the Dragon Born glowed faintly as his vision zoomed toward the giant ck Ship in the distance.


    "All of you be extremely careful," Cethus stated. "Every two miles from this point onwards, the Gravity will increase. The closer you get to the Lost Ark, the greater the gravity will be.


    "I assume that if you actually managed to get that far, you will be experiencing ten times the gravity of this world. I doubt that any of you can handle that much. At most, your limit will probably be at a five times increase in gravity before your bones break from the pressure.


    "If you don''t want to die a pitiful death, don''t go past the sixth mile. I believe that monsters beyond that point have a way to mitigate this kind of pressure. It is very possible that they also possess gravity-rted abilities."


    Lux nodded in understanding. "I guess this is for the best. This will prevent us from getting too near the ck Ark, which is a good thing."


    The Half-Elf then eyed the blinking red dots on the outskirts of the Domain, which were his targets.


    "Let''s go," Lux said before summoning his Thunder Warg King, Jed. "We will head West. There are a lot of monsters in that direction."


    As the four of them headed to the location of the Monsters, their arrival didn''t go unnoticed.


    Dozens of Deimos-Ranked monsters that reminded Lux of Velociraptors, a kind of Dinosaur on Earth, charged in their direction.


    There were six monsters that stood out from the Monster group, and they were the five Raptors that had red skin. Based on the Life Readings that were appearing in his Elysium Compendium, these five beasts were actually Alpha-Ranked Dreadnaught Monsters.


    However, the information of the one leading them, a Raptor that was twice the size of the others, made Lux frown.


    It was a Peak Empyrean-Ranked World Boss.


    This kind of monster wasn''t something that he couldn''t fight.


    However, what made the Half-Elf frown was actually a skill that belonged to this monster, which was none other than Cethus'' ultimate skill, Gravity Domain.


    If it weren''t for the fact that his Compendium had also ranked up after he became a Ranker, he might not have been able to see this skill in time.


    "Cethus, that monster also has the skill, Gravity Domain!" Lux shouted as he and his mount, Jed, charged forward. "Activate your skill and concentrate it towards that guy. If he uses his skill, do your best to cancel it! Leave the rest to us!"


    Cethus nodded as he took out his spear. He then pointed it towards the Giant Dinosaur and shouted.


    "Gravity Domain!"


    Perhaps it was only a coincidence or perhaps the World Boss had also detected Cethus'' ability, but it also activated its skill at the same time as the Dragon Born.


    A momentter, two ck domes shed against each other, trying to overpower their opponent.


    Cethus roared as he flew towards the sky, concentrating his attention on the World Boss, while Lux and hisrades dealt with the rest.


    He knew that the moment he lost this battle between Domains, all of them would find themselves in great trouble, which would force them to teleport away from the territory of the Lost Ark.


    Cethus was quite proud of his ability. Even Lux, whom he recognized as someone very strong, would not be able to beat him so easily under the effects of his Gravity Domain.


    Because of this, he thought that he was special.


    However, seeing that another Monster was able to use his Trump Card and even seemed to be more proficient in it, the fighting spirit in his heart zed like a raging inferno.


    Cethus could admit losing to Lux, but he would never allow himself to lose to a Monster, even if that monster was a Peak, Empyrean-Ranked World Boss.


    For him, as long as his opponent wasn''t a Cmity-Ranked Monster or a Demigod, he would fight until the bitter end and show everyone the superiority of the Dragon Race, which he was a proud member of.

 Chapter 970 The Lost Ark [Part 2]

    Chapter 970 The Lost Ark [Part 2]


    The two Gravity Domains repeatedly shed, nullifying each other''s effect.


    In a fit of anger, the Giant Raptor unleashed a breath attack toward the annoying Dragon Born who was in the sky, forcing Cethus to take evasive actions.


    "You''re just an overgrown lizard." Cethus sneered. "Aren''t you sad that you can''t grow wings and catch up to me?"


    However, the sneer on his face faded the moment the Giant Raptor jumped toward him, jaw wide open in an attempt to bite him in the air.


    Of course, the attack missed, but something unexpected happened which made the Dragon Born curse internally.


    The Giant Raptor manipted the gravity in his body, and used it to fly in the sky!


    "F*ck!" Cethus cursed. "Why don''t you fight me fair and square?! You''re not allowed to fly!"


    This time, it was the Giant Raptor''s turn to sneer. Clearly, the Dragon Born had truly offended it, and now, it wanted nothing more than to shred the arrogant bastard with its razor-sharp teeth.


    But, just as World Boss was about to catch up to his target, a Dragon''s Breath shot up from the ground, hitting the Monster''s body, making it cry out in pain.


    It was at that moment that an arrogant voice, which sounded like it looked down upon everyone in the world, reached Cethus'' ears.


    "Fight someone your own size, Punk!" Avernus roared before soaring towards the sky.


    The Dragon Born''s fear and anxiety disappeared the moment he saw his backup arrive.


    "Uncle Avernus!" Cethus shouted when he saw the Dracolich engage the Giant Raptor in closebat.


    The two were both Peak, Empyrean-Ranked World Bosses, but Avernus had a slight advantage over his opponent due to his race.


    Although the Giant Raptor had a dragon-like appearance, it still wasn''t a true dragon, so the Dracolich was able to push it back.


    But this advantage disappeared the moment the Giant Raptor roared and activated its Gravity Domain, almost making Avernus fall from the sky.


    Fortunately, Cethus was there to cancel it just in time, allowing the Dracolich to grab hold of the Giant Raptor''s body, and m it toward the ground.


    While this was happening, Lux, Keane, and Gerhart busily dealt with the small fries on the ground.


    Lux wanted to finish the battle early, but he was hesitant to use the skill, Deus-Gigantia. He was afraid that if he really summoned the Giant Skeleton King, it would alert the Demigod that was located inside the ck Ship.


    He also didn''t ask ckfire to summon the Saints to help him in battle.


    Only Leonidas, the diators, and the Bounty Hunters assisted Lux in his fight against the Dinosaur-like Creatures.


    Because of this, he ordered his Undead Army to focus on the five, Alpha-Ranked Dreadnaught Monsters, while he, Keane, and Gerhart deal with the Deimos-Ranked Raptors.


    The battle ended half an hourter with Lux''s victory.


    After collecting the Beast Cores, he didn''t hesitate to absorb the Giant Raptor''s Beast Core first.


    He was very curious to know what kind of skill he would learn from such a powerful Monster.


    But, to his dismay, the only skill he learned was a passive one, and it only worked on a situational basis.


    The skill he gained was none other than.


    < Gravity Resistance [SSR] >


    However, after evolving once, it became, < Gravity Resistance [Epic] >.


    ������������


    < Gravity Resistance [Epic] >


    �� This skill will allow you to ignore any changes in the gravity in your surroundings.


    �� You will also gain immunity to any Gravity Offensive Skills below the [Divine Rank].


    �� This skill covers a two-hundred-meter radius, allowing your allies to benefit from its effect.


    ������������


    Although the skill didn''t look that powerful, it was a perfect skill to have in the Lost Ark, where the gravity greatly affected their performance in battle.


    Lux nced at the dead bodies of the Raptors and ordered his subordinates to dig out the Beast Cores in their bodies.


    When this was done, he stored the Raptors inside his Bounty Rings because he nned to use themter.


    He nced in the direction of the ck Ship in the distance and then at his Elysium Compendium. Seeing that nothing changed, the Half-Elf decided to continue hunting the Monsters that resided on the outskirts of the Domain.


    As long as the Demigod didn''t make any move to stop them, he would continue to farm Beast Cores, which was the fastest way to increase his rank.


    While Lux and his friends were busy getting stronger, the Divine Army of Light had finished sending their invitations to all the powerful factions in Elysium.


    Their branches that were scattered throughout the major cities of different Kingdoms extended invitations to the smaller Kingdoms who were not part of their organization.


    A weekter, one of their missionaries arrived at the Xeno Kingdom and presented the invitation to Victor.


    After seeing the contents of the letter, Victor agreed to participate in the Founding Anniversary of the Divine Army of Light.


    He felt that this was the perfect opportunity to get to know the powerful factions in the continent and form connections with them.


    This was exactly the opportunity that he was hoping to get, so he didn''t hesitate to ept the missionary''s invitation.


    If he was lucky, he might even be able to join the Divine Army''s War Council, which would raise the prestige of his Kingdom.


    His son, Tristan, had just returned from his diplomatic mission with their neighbors.


    But, when he heard about the contents of the letter, he decided to apany his Father on his visit to the Divine Empire to see for himself just what kind of organization it was.


    Victor agreed to his proposal. After that, the King told him everything that had happened in their kingdom since his departure, including Aina''s decision to have a fiance.


    When the oldest son of the Goldenyer family learned that Aina now had a fiance, he immediately demanded to see Lux.


    However, Aina had no idea where Lux was currently, so her older brother had no choice but to wait until he visited their kingdom again.


    "Father, what is Aina''s fiance like?" Tristan asked. "For her to take the initiative to make him her fiance, it means that she really likes him, right?"


    Victor sighed after hearing his son''s words.


    "Liking is an understatement," Victor replied. "That bastard took her chastity right after the threat of the Beast Tide was gone."


    "What?!" Tristan couldn''t help but look at his father in disbelief. He knew how overprotective his father was, so he found it hard to believe that his father allowed the situation to progress that far.


    "Let it be." Victor waved his hand in order to dismiss Tristan''s attempt to pry more information from him. "If you want to know more, ask your mother. Just thinking about that Half-Elf infuriates me."


    Tristan nodded. "Fine. I''ll ask Motherter. Let''s talk about our trip to the Divine Empire. We need to make a good impression. What kind of gifts should we bring?"


    "About that, I was thinking about giving them one of our prized treasures," Victor replied.


    "I think that''s fine." Tristan agreed. "So, it will only be the two of us going?"


    "Yes. So get ready to leave in a week''s time."


    "Understood."


    The two then busied themselves on their journey to the Divine Empire.


    They were not aware that by going to that event, they would not only see the most influential people in Elysium, but they would also find themselves seated in the front row of a grand event, which would make them realize that the identity of Aina''s fiance as not as simple as they originally thought it was.

 Chapter 971 The VIP’s Of Elysium

    Chapter 971 The VIP��s Of Elysium


    Time passed swiftly, and before everyone knew it, the Grand Event of the Divine Empire wouldmence in three days.


    The security within the Capital City of the Divine Empire, Xavier City, had be stricter.


    But that didn''t stop the flow of people, who hade to participate in its Founding Anniversary.


    It was also then that Victor and Tristan arrived at the bustling capital. Both of them had undergone a strict screening, but the two didn''t mind it one bit.


    While they were being interviewed by one of the High-Ranking Temrs of the Divine Army, the Teleportation Gate behind them glowed faintly.


    A momentter, a dozen people appeared, and the two standing in front of them were two of the VIP Guests that the Divine Army was expecting to arrive.


    The High Temr who was interviewing Victor and Tristan, politely excused himself before greeting the guests who had just arrived in their Capital City.


    "Wee to Xavier City, Your Majesty," the High Temr bowed his head in a very respectful manner. "We have been waiting for your arrival. Please, allow my subordinate to guide you to your amodation."


    The one whom the High Temr referred to as Your Majesty was a handsome elf who seemed to be in his early forties.


    He was none other than the High King of the Elven City of Espoire Frieden.


    A kingdom that was said to be as old as the Kingdom of Agartha and shared a simr level of prestige.


    He was none other than Hereswith''s Father, Kazimir El Frieden.


    Truth be told, he didn''t want to attend this Founding Anniversary because he still held a grudge about what the Divine Army had done to his daughter.


    However, after hearing that the one who was about to be executed was none other than his daughter''s Disciple, Gaap, the High King of the High Elves decided to go.


    Kazimir was one of the Supremes of the Elven Race. He also brought a dozen Saints with him, including his nephew, Lorelei, who had insisted oning with him.


    Victor could only sigh as he watched the Elven Delegation walk past him. He wished that he had the same status as them, which would make everyone treat him with such reverence and respect.


    A minuteter, the Teleportation Gate once again showed signs that a new batch of people was about to appear.


    This Teleportation Gate could only be used by the VIPs who were personally invited by the Highest Ranking Members of the Divine Army, which made many people wonder who was about to make their appearance.


    After a few seconds, a dozen people appeared in front of the Teleportation Gate.


    This time, the group was led by the Dragon King of Karhsvar Draconis himself, and he also brought his people with him.


    On his right side was Cethus'' grandma, Lady Faustina. Surprisingly, there were three youngdies beside her, whom Lux would immediately recognize if he was there to see them.


    They were none other than Valerie, who was wearing her disguise, and her two handmaidens, Ali and Ari.


    She had insisted oning with her father to the Divine Empire because she was very worried about Lux.


    Valerie didn''t know where Lux went after learning about what happened to his Master, but she was certain that he would definitely make his appearance on the execution day to save his Master, Gaap.


    She had been unable to sleep for the past few days due to anxiety, so when her father mentioned that he''d go to the Divine Empire, she insisted on going with him no matter what.


    Surprisingly, the Dragon King agreed to let her go with him.


    He knew that he couldn''t let his daughter remain ignorant of the world, which was why he decided to take her with him. Hopefully, she''d understand that life wasn''t filled with only butterflies and rainbows.


    Simr to what happened earlier, they were respectfully led away by the High-Ranking Members of the Divine Army, causing everyone to look at them with reverence.


    But just as they were about to leave, the Teleportation Gate activated again and, this time, the representatives of the Crystal Pce, led by the Steward, Lady Augustina, appeared.


    "Aur," Valerie smiled weakly and waved at the handsome Dragon Prince, who was standing beside his Aunt.


    Aur smiled and gave Valerie a brief nod of acknowledgement.


    Due to theplex rtionship between Karhsvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce, he didn''t want to appear too friendly, fearing that the Dragon Princess might get punished for her carefree actions.


    "Let''s go, Aur."


    "Yes, Aunt."


    The Steward of the Crystal Pce and her entourage walked past the Dragon King, not even bothering to give him a second nce.


    Poro even sneered at Valerie''s father, which showed how much dislike he had for the Fake King of the Dragonkind.


    The Dragon King didn''t take Poro''s action to heart and simply made a gesture for the guide to take them to their residence.


    Soon, everyone settled down. A few minutester, Victor and Tristan were guided to their amodation by one of the officers of the Divine Army.


    Compared to the treatment that the VIPs received from the Divine Army, the treatment they received showed the difference between heaven and earth.


    However, Victor was still happy because they were given a luxurious residence that befits his Rank as King of a Kingdom.


    High above the tower of the Divine Pce, the Oracle lightly tapped her finger in arge bowl of water.


    She was using her Divination in order to find Lux''s whereabouts, but her effort didn''t result in anything.


    The Oracle wasn''t too disappointed by this result because this wasn''t the first time that she had done such a thing. People who had strong ties with Fate weren''t easily affected by Divinations.


    As a Progenitor, Lux''s Fate was very strong.


    This was why the Divine Army wasn''t able to lock onto his location despite their ability to see anything past their borders.


    ''It doesn''t matter where you are,'' the Oracle mused as she looked at the surface of the water that reflected her beautiful appearance. ''Three days from now, you will appear in the Capital whether you like it or not.''


    The Oracle smiled as she gazed at the city where the different powers of the world were gathering.


    They had prepared a grand stage for the Necromancer of Heaven, and she was looking forward to an entertaining show.


    "A Heaven''s Necromancer?" the Oracle sneered. "Such heresy."


    Without another word, the Oracle of the Divine Army disappeared in a shower of sparks.


    There were still some final preparations to make. She would ensure that the moment the Half-Elf made his appearance, she would mark the end of his life with her own hands.

 Chapter 972 Unable To Change Anything

    Chapter 972 Unable To Change Anything


    Aur had invited Valerie to have tea with him because he knew that the Dragon Princess was feeling very anxious.


    As much as he didn''t want to admit it, he too was feeling quite anxious, and he had been unable to sleep for the past few days due to worry.


    Seeing the dark circles on the in-looking girl''s face, he knew that he wasn''t alone in his suffering.


    "Aur, do you think that Sir Lux wille?" Valerie asked.


    She already knew the answer to this question, and yet, she still asked it, hoping that Aur would give her a different answer to ease her worries.


    "He wille," Aur replied. "We both know this already. The only question is what will happen after he makes his appearance in the Divine Empire."


    Valerie''s hands, which were holding a teacup, trembled. She lightly bit her lip before putting her cup on top of the table and lowering her head.


    Ali and Ari wanted to give Valerie a hug, but they decided to hold their ground. They knew that their Mistress was suffering, but they also understood that they couldn''t treat Valerie like a child forever.


    She needed to mature and cope with the unfairness of the world. Perhaps, this same reason was why the Dragon King had allowed Valerie toe with him to the Divine Empire.


    Poro, who was there to serve as Aur''s bodyguard, sighed in his heart. Although he had a few grudges with Lux, he didn''t want the Half-Elf to be captured, or worse, killed by the Divine Army.


    He had fought side by side with Lux in the Abyss, and witnessing his death first hand would definitely leave a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.


    A silence fell in the balcony because Aur and Valerie didn''t want to continue the discussion. They knew that no matter how much they tried to sugarcoat their words, Gaap would definitely die in two days, and there was a possibility that Lux would follow him to the grave.


    While the two were feeling depressed, a beautiful Elfnded on the balcony, making Poro and the two handmaidens frown.


    "Who are you?" Poro asked.


    "Be at peace, Dragon Born," the beautiful Elf replied. "My name is Lorelei, and I hail from the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden. I was just minding my own business when I heard someone mention Lux''s name. Because of this, I decided to investigate. Are you perhaps his acquaintances?"


    Valerie and Aur looked at the beautiful Elf, who had called herself Lorelei, with a frown.


    "Do you know Sir Lux?" Valerie asked. "Where did the two of you meet?"


    Lorelei smiled as she gazed at the in-looking girl in front of her.


    "You could say that Lux is my rival," Lorelei replied. "The two of us fought together, after which he promised to visit me in Espoire Frieden. As to where we met, I''m sorry, but I can''t tell you."


    Aur arched an eyebrow as he looked at Lorelei from head to foot. "Are you sure that you are his rival? Lux didn''t mention anything about having a rival."


    "Of course, he didn''t." Lorelei smirked. "This is a secret between the two of us."


    Lorelei was, of course, lying.


    After losing to Lux, she treated the Half-Elf as her rival, but the red-headed teenager didn''t even consider her to be his rival.


    Naturally, Lorelei wouldn''t disclose this kind of information. She was merely using her connection to Lux to learn more about the two Dragons, who seemed to have a close rtionship with the Half-Elf that defeated her.


    Truth be told, the Elf wanted to know more about Lux. But, since even her own Master had only seen the Half-Elf in the Ancestral Lands, she was unable to gather more information about him.


    Now that she had overheard others talking about the red-headed teenager, she decided to introduce herself and dig some answers out of them.


    Aur, who didn''t trust people so easily, decided to pry some answers from the Elf, who imed to be Lux''s rival.


    "You said that you are from Espoire Frieden, right?" Aur smiled. "Tell me, what is the stance of your High King in regards to the execution of the Heretic?"


    Lorelei frowned because she didn''t expect to be asked a political question.


    "I am not aware of His Majesty''s stance in this matter," Lorelei replied. "I just tagged along because the Halfling about to be executed is an acquaintance of my Master."


    "Oh? So you just came here to watch Lux''s Master get executed?" Aur smirked. "Is this your own version of entertainment?"


    The frown on Lorelei''s face deepened after sensing the sarcasm in Aur''s voice. Her Uncle, the Elven King, had told her the identities of the people who were in the VIP area of the Divine Empire.


    This meant that she should mind her manners and not antagonize any of them. Otherwise, it might lead to political tensions between their kingdoms.


    "Regardless of what I feel on the matter, it doesn''t change the fact that I am unable to change anything," Lorelei replied. "I am merely a Ranker. My Rank and Status are not enough to put a stop to this execution. Since we are on this subject, do you know how many Supremes and Saints are currently within the Divine Empire?"


    Aur nodded. "Fifty Supremes, and thousands of Saints. Right now, a fifth of this world''s strongest people are here in the Divine Empire."


    "That''s right." Lorelei smirked. "The two of you are clearly on Lux''s side. So, tell me, can the two of you do anything to stop this execution?"


    The beautiful Elf nced at the city from the balcony and shrugged.


    "I don''t know how many Supremes have allied themselves with the Divine Empire," Lorelei stated. "But I can say for certain that there are at least two Supremes who are working with them��the Beast King Zaiden and the Supreme Sorcerer Finnegan.


    "Although I don''t know if they will move to help the Divine Empire capture Lux, his chances of leaving this ce alive are very slim. If I were him, I''d just take revenge on the people here after they have left the Divine Empire. It is simply impossible to make waves in the presence of so many powerhouses."


    Lorelei shook her head helplessly before slowly floating off of the ground.


    "If the two of you are really Lux''s friends, you should convince him to stay as far away from this ce as he can," Lorelei said. "His life as a Half-Elf may notst for thousands of years, but if he bides his time until he can be a Saint or a Supreme, it will not be toote to have his revenge."


    With that Lorelei left without a second nce. She truly didn''t want to see Lux die, and she was hoping that Valerie and Aur had a way to contact him.


    His master had told her that they had sent one of their men to help save Gaap. However, she didn''t believe that a single person could save the Halfling and escape the Divine Empire alive.


    After Lorelei had left, Valerie and Aur exchanged nces with each other. Both of them knew that the beautiful Elf was right.


    They currently didn''t have the strength or power to make a difference, and save Lux''s Master from being executed.

 Chapter 973 The Beginning Of The End [Part 1]

    Chapter 973 The Beginning Of The End [Part 1]


    Two dayster��


    Countless men and women sat in the great za of Xavier City, which was the Capital City of the Divine Empire.


    They had not onlye to celebrate the Founding Anniversary of the Divine Empire but to also witness an execution, which held great significance to one of the biggest organizations in Elysium.


    The VIP guests were all seated on a floating tform that hovered several hundred of meters from the ground.


    All of the figures sitting there were either Supremes or the Highest Ranking officers of the Divine Army��like the Oracle.


    Standing on the elevated tform in the za was none other than the High King of Lunaria.


    He had his hands sped behind his back as he stood beside the guillotine, which wouldter be used to kill the Halfling theybeled as Heretic, who had destroyed his entire kingdom and wiped out his Royal Bloodline.


    Mondo had patiently waited for this day to arrive. He wanted nothing more than to torture Lux and let Gaap see his Disciple''s suffering.


    The Saints of the Divine Army made sure to monitor his every movement so that he wouldn''t attack the Halfling before the day of the execution.


    The sun was already at its zenith, and Gaap was currently being escorted to the za by dozens of Saints.


    The crowd, who was watching all of these from a distance, couldn''t help but pity the Halfling who was about to be used as a warning to those who have bad intentions towards the Divine Army.


    When the Saints reached the elevated tform, they proceeded to tie Gaap to the guillotine.


    After double-checking that the magical chains were still in effect, they all backed away and stood several meters away from the Halfling.


    Suddenly, a voice filled with charisma and power spread in the surroundings.


    "Everyone, thank you foring to the founding ceremony of our Empire," a middle-aged man, wearing the ceremonial clothes of a Pope, said with a smile. "Today is a special day because not only are we celebrating the continuous prosperity of our Empire, but we will also be punishing a heretic whose crimes know no bounds.


    "Not only has he repeatedly defied our Divine Army, but he is also responsible formitting genocide, wiping an entire kingdom from the face of the world. Death will not be enough to pay for his sins, but it is the only punishment we could impose upon him in order to appease the countless souls of the Kingdom of Lunaria."


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army paused as he nced at the Halfling, who was tied to the guillotine before making eye contact with the High King of Lunaria.


    Seeing that his chance had arrived, the Saint casually walked towards the Guillotine and gave Gaap''s body a kick, making thetter spit out a mouthful of blood.


    "It brings me great joy to personally end this Heretic''s life," Mondo said as he scanned the crowd, trying to see if Lux was somewhere within the crowd of people who hade to see Gaap''s execution.


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army, the Oracle, as well as the other Saints, were also using their Divine Sense to look for the Half-Elf and the members of Memento Mori who might havee to their Divine Empire.


    Mondo gave Gaap another kick before stepping on the Halfling''s foot, crushing itpletely.


    Gaap bit his lips in order to prevent himself from crying out. He understood what the High King of Lunaria was doing.


    Mondo didn''t n to kill him right away and, instead, proceeded to torture him. This was something that the Sovereign of the Divine Army and the High King of Lunaria had agreed upon.


    Simply put, they were just dying the time of his death to give Lux the opportunity toe to save his Master.


    Killing Gaap right away wouldn''t serve the biggest purpose of their faction''s celebration.


    "Do you have anyst words, Heretic?" Mondo asked with a sinister smile on his face.


    Gaap spat a mouthful of blood before slowly raising his head to look at the people in front of him.


    "The time we spent together wasn''t long, but they still hold some of the happiest moments of my life after my Master died at the hands of these murderers," Gaap said softly, and yet, his voice reached everyone''s ears, as if he was speaking right next to them.


    "I didn''t know if my Master, Hereswith, felt pride when she made me her Disciple. But, I will tell you this, I am very proud and very blessed to have a Disciple like you, Lux. So, please, watch carefully.


    "Watch�� as I end the life of the people that killed my Master, and wipe their empire from the face of the world!"


    Mondo, who immediately felt that something was wrong, shed the rope that was holding the guillotine in ce.


    The Deadly Artifact, whose sharpness could easily cut through steel, descended towards the Halfling''s head, who had just dered that he would wipe out the Divine Empire from the face of the world.


    Just as the de was about to sever Gaap''s head from his body, three things happened at the same time.


    Two Gigantic hands emerged from the elevated tform.


    One of these hands grabbed the High King of Lunaria in a vice grip, while the other crushed the guillotine into pieces.


    A momentter, a gigantic head rose up from the ground, and a mad chuckle that shook the entire Divine Empire escaped Antero''s lips.


    "Kill him, Antero!" Gaap, who was still tied up by magical chains, ordered.


    The Golem of Destruction raised the hand that was holding the High King Lunaria in a firm grip.


    "Noooooooooooo!" Mondo roared in anger, fear, and frustration when he found himself nearing Antero''s mouth.


    A resounding crack was heard as Antero bit the Saint''s body in half, making the spectators scream.


    Blood sprayed from the Golem''s mouth as he held the lower Half of Mondo''s body in his hand.


    The High King of Lunaria died just like that, failing to even take revenge for his kingdom that had been destroyed by the same Golem who ended his life.


    Antero chewed for a few seconds before tossing the remaining half of the Saint''s body into his mouth.


    The foolish members of the Divine Army really thought that the Halfling was unable to summon Antero due to the magical chains that bound his body.


    Truth be told, Antero could appear with just a single thought from Gaap, so no matter how much they tied him up, he could still call forth the Golem of Destruction and let him rampage to his heart''s content!


    At the same time that this happened, a powerful explosion rocked the Capital City of the Divine Empire, which was why the Sovereign wasn''t able to save Mondo from being killed.


    He had sensed a greater dangering from the sky. Because of this, he focused his attention on erecting a barrier, to shield the people in the za.


    The Divine City had several barriers that were always active to protect it from any iing threat.


    However, the Sovereign''s instincts were telling him that these protective measures wouldn''t be enough to contain the threat that he had just felt.


    As if making his worst fearse to life, the outer barriers of the city shattered like broken pieces of ss, leaving only two defensive barriers between the threat and the people below, which the Sovereign had erected at thest second.


    The highest official of the Divine Army narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Heavens.


    High above the sky and meeting his re, two people hovered in the air.


    One was Hana, who was part of Gaap''s Covenant.


    And the other was none other than the red-headed Half-Elf, who hade to save his Master from those who wished for him to die.

 Chapter 974 The Beginning Of The End [Part 2]

    Chapter 974 The Beginning Of The End [Part 2]


    Gaap grinned as he raised his head, looking at his disciple and Hana, who were hovering in the sky.


    Antero had already crushed the chains that bound his body and prevented him from using his abilities.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I''m sure that you already know my name," Gaap stated as Antero stood behind him, creating a pressure that made everyone listen to his words. "But if you don''t know who I am, allow me to re-introduce myself.


    "My name is Gaap, and I am Lady Hereswith''s disciple. I havee to destroy the Divine Empire and its army. So, if you don''t wish to die, stay out of my way. Likewise, if you decide to side with my enemies, be prepared for I will not show you any mercy!"


    The Halfling raised his hand and immediately the members of Gaap''s Covenant appeared.


    "Break your seals," Gaap ordered. "The time to fight hase!"


    All of Gaap''s Covenant members were all Empyrean-Ranked World Bosses.


    After breaking their seal, their strength drastically rose, and they directly broke through the Cmity Rank.


    With another wave of the Halfling''s hand, countless Undead Monsters of different shapes and sizes appeared in the surroundings.


    All of them radiated an Unholy Aura, scaring the spectators in the za to run away as they screamed.


    "Members of the Divine Army, hear mymand!" the Sovereign of the Divine Army of Light shouted, his voice spreading through the entire Divine Empire. "Purge the Heretics in ordance with Heaven''s will!"


    Hundreds of Saints moved at the same time and engaged the Undead Legion that Gaap had summoned.


    "Help the Divine Army!" one of the Kings whose Kingdom was affiliated with the Divine Empire shouted. "Cleanse thisnd of filt��


    argh!"


    The King wasn''t able to finish his words because Antero''s fist smashed his body, turning it into meat paste.


    Seeing this scene, the guests of the Divine Army split into two groups.


    Those who had no intention of helping them, and those who were affiliated with them.


    The Elves of Espoir Frieden, the Dragons of Karshvar Draconis, and the Crystal Pce were among the Factions that chose not to side with the Divine Empire and simply watched from the side.


    Not far from the za, Tristan looked at his father. He was wondering whether his father would choose to help the Divine Empire in order to form a good rtionship with them or stay neutral and watch from the side.


    Victor wasn''t aware that Tristan was currently waiting for him to make his decision. He was currently in a state of shock as he stared at the Half-Elf in the sky, who was also his daughter''s fiance.


    ''Just what is going on?!'' Victor thought. ''Why is this dumb kid poking a ho''s nest?! Does he have a death wish?!''


    Fortunately, Victor was a man who could quickly adapt to any situation. After recovering from his shock, he grabbed Tristan and flew away.


    Since Lux was already his daughter''s fiance, he decided to not interfere with the battle. However, he wouldn''t do anything to help the Half-Elf either.


    The Divine Army was one of the biggest organizations in Elysium. Despite Gaap''s momentum, Victor believed that it was only a matter of time before he was suppressed.


    There were fifty Supremes and thousands of Saints gathered in the Divine Empire. If they couldn''t deal with a Demigod and a few Cmity-Ranked Monsters, then they would have long ago been defeated by the Abyssal Monsters, who hade to conquer theirnds.


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army nced at Antero before shifting his gaze to the Half-Elf in the sky.


    Right now, the Halfling was being protected by the Golem of Destruction, so the easiest persimmon to pinch was none other than the red-headed Half-Elf, who had shattered the barrier of his Capital City.


    "Maeve, can you deal with the Half-Elf?" the Sovereign of the Divine Army asked the Oracle seated beside him.


    "Yes," Maeve answered. "Leave that brat to me."


    They had already prepared a team that would deal with the Half-Elf if he ever appeared to rescue his Master.


    The Sovereign nodded and engaged the Golem of Destruction, who was busy fending off the Saints that were attacking Gaap.


    The Oracle and a hundred Saints rose toward the sky in order to capture Lux.


    In their eyes, Lux was just a measly Ranker. How could he possibly resist hundreds of Saints who were several times stronger than him?


    When Valerie and Aur saw this scene, both of their faces turned pale. Valerie was the first one to break her silence as she pleaded with her father to save Lux.


    "Just watch, Valerie," the Dragon King replied without even looking at his daughter. "This is the reality of the world. There are strong people, and there are weak people. The strong will always use their powers to oppress the weak and have their way."


    Valerie already had a feeling that her father wouldn''t agree to her request, so she looked at Lady Faustina, who stood beside her.


    "I''m sorry, Valerie." Lady Faustina shook her head. "Our hands are tied right now."


    Tears welled up in Valerie''s eyes out of frustration and despair. Ali, who wasn''t able to bear her suffering, hugged the Dragon Princess.


    At that moment, the feelings that she had been holding back burst like a broken dam. She clung to Ali and cried, her tears falling like rain.


    Ari hugged Valerie from behind, preventing her from seeing the carnage that was happening around them.


    The three of them were only weak women who would instantly die if they were to interfere in a battle of this magnitude.


    Aur bit his bottom lip while clenching his fists. His gaze was locked on the Half-Elf who was about to be attacked by hundreds of Saints.


    But despite his frustrations, the Dragon Prince realized that Lux was still looking very calm. It was as if the Saints that were flying in his direction, didn''t pose a threat to him.


    Lux stared at his Master on the ground with a frown. Although Antero and his Master''s Covenant Members were strong, their opponents weren''t pushovers.


    Aside from the Sovereign of the Divine Empire, four other Supremes had joined the battle.


    All five of them worked together to keep Antero busy, while the Saints focused on dealing with the Halfling''s Cmity-Ranked Protectors.


    Right now, his Master was fighting against five Supremes and over a hundred Saints.


    The Half-Elf knew that it was only a matter of time before they managed tond a clean hit on his Master, whose Rank was only that of a Grade-A Apostle.


    "Lux, they''re almost here," Hana reported.


    Lux nodded as he scanned the faces of the Saints who were flying in his direction. Immediately, he found the Oracle of Light at the rear of the formation.


    Out of all the members of the Divine Army, his Master hated two people the most.


    The first was the High King of Lunaria, who was already dead.


    The second was none other than the Oracle of Light, who had captured the Halfling and used him as a hostage to make Hereswith stop her resistance.


    "Let''s go, Hana," Lux said. "Time to make them understand what we ''Heretics'' can do."


    Hana smiled and held Lux''s hand. Immediately, the two of them teleported thousands of meters up in the sky, turning into two ck dots in the sky, that were nearly impossible to see from the ground.


    Of course, the Saints could see them perfectly fine, so they increased their speed as they soared towards the heavens.


    For some reason, the Oracle of Light had a bad premonition, so she slowed down her flight speed to prepare for any kind of situation.


    Lux then pointed his finger toward the flying Saints, and something flew out of his storage ring.


    The object was flying so fast, that all the Saints could see was a blur.


    It was at that moment that the Oracle of Light remembered something. Her eyes dted and she immediately shouted, warning the Saints that were under hermand.


    "Scatter and evade that thing at all cost!" the Oracle shouted.


    The Saints, who heard her warning, all paused for a bit before heeding hermand.


    However, just as they were about to take evasive actions, a sneer appeared on the Half-Elf''s face.


    "Eat sh*t. Motherf*ckers!"


    The Hypersonic Bomb that he had unleashed detonated mid-air, drowning dozens of Saints in an explosion that could wipe two entire cities from the face of the world.

 Chapter 975 The Beginning Of The End [Part 3]

    Chapter 975 The Beginning Of The End [Part 3]


    An earth-shaking eruption detonated in the sky, making the Saints who were affected by the st scream in pain.


    A powerful shock wave sted down toward the ground, giving everyone in the Divine Empire a hard time breathing due to the strength of the st.


    It was as if all the oxygen in the vicinity was blown away.


    The Supremes, who had decided to not join the battle, couldn''t help but widen their eyes in shock due to the raw power of the explosion. It made them wonder if they could survive a direct hit from it.


    Victor, who saw this scene, shuddered because he was secretly hoping that Lux would be killed by the Saints, freeing his daughter from their engagement.


    He was so certain that the Half-Elf wouldn''t be able to escape with his life that he was already starting to think about how he would tell his daughter about his death while pretending to be aggrieved by the loss of his soon-to-be son-inw.


    Victor was certain that if Lux used that kind of attack against the Xeno Kingdom, all of them would be erased from the face of the world, without even knowing how they died.


    It was at that moment when he remembered what his wife had said about Lux when they were having a serious talk about Aina''s current situation.


    ������������������������


    "Well, although things didn''t work out the way you nned it to be, I have a feeling that the current situation is infinitely better," Felicia stated. "Lux may not be a member of a Royal Family, but you have to admit that he has the ability to be an Overlord. If I were you, I would invest in this future son-inw of ours."


    ������������������������


    Victor couldn''t help but smile bitterly after recalling what his wife, Felicia, had said. He didn''t know whether investing in Lux was a good thing or a bad thing.


    But one thing was certain.


    He no longer wanted to make the handsome Half-Elf his enemy, even if he had to personally preside over Lux''s and Aina''s wedding.


    "Father, what''s wrong?" Tristan asked. "You look pale."


    Victorughed after hearing his son''s words.


    "Tristan, look at that person closely," Victor pointed at the Half-Elf in the sky. "That person is your sister''s fiance."


    Tristan stared at his father with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    At first, he thought that his father was just teasing him, but after seeing how serious Victor''s expression was, he felt as if their entire family had stepped upon andmine.


    "Father��"


    "Don''t say anything. Let''s see how this battle unfolds."


    Victor once again shifted his attention to the sky with a solemn look on his face. If Lux actually survived this battle, he decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with him and discuss his future with Aina.


    The Oracle, who had been far from the explosion was unscathed, but she couldn''t help but shudder despite surviving the explosion.


    When she first pursued Lux''s floating ind alongside a dozen saints, she had experienced this kind of power firsthand.


    Although her life was spared, she had received serious injuries, which took some time to recover from.


    Just a nce was enough to tell her that the weapon of mass destruction that Lux had used was stronger than the one that was used against her, which made her body shudder a second time.


    At that moment, she noticed something in the corner of her vision, which was flying through the sky at great speeds.


    Waving her hand, several mirror-like artifacts appeared around her, serving as an observer and a protector at the same time.


    ncing at one of them, the Oracle saw what seemed to be a ck coffin flying towards one of the Saints that was falling from the sky.


    She watched in horror as the coffin rammed the Saint, hitting his defenseless body, and sent him flying backward.


    However, before the Saint could fly far, the lid of the coffin opened, and a shadowy hand extended to grab the Saint''s foot, pulling him towards its dark interior.


    After absorbing the Saint, the ck Coffin turned and faced West.


    Suddenly, from the dark smokescreen that was caused by the explosion, a Dracolich appeared holding two heavily injured Saints in its ws.


    Avernus, who noticed the Oracle looking at him from a safe distance, chuckled before tossing aside the two Saints in his hand.


    A secondter, he used his tail to strike the two Saints, simr to a baseball bat, hitting a baseball ball, sending them flying toward ckfire.


    The ck Coffin acted like a professional baseball catcher and happily caught the two Saints before using its shadowy hand to give Avernus a thumbs up.


    The Dracolich chuckled and imitated the gesture before flying toward the other Saints, who were barely floating in the sky.


    ckfire had already captured twelve near-death Saints, which was a glorious addition to its Master''s hundred-thousand-strong army that it was trying toplete.


    Sensing the Oracle''s gaze on it, the mischievous ck Coffin nced in Maeve''s direction. A momentter, a child-likeughter reverberated in the sky, making those who heard it feel their hearts turning cold.


    "Little Oracle of Light please wait and see," ckfire said in a teasing tone. "Very soon, you will belong to me."


    After saying those words, ckfire flew toward the remaining Saints who were at death''s door.


    Even though the ck Coffin could no longer be seen, Maeve felt all the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end after hearing the childlike words that were aimed at her.


    She had already identified the ck Coffin as a Divine Artifact, and after seeing what it did to the three Saints that it had devoured, she knew that it was something that she must avoid at all costs.


    Although there were over twenty Saints that had been injured by Lux''s attack, the rest were able to react in time and activate their defensive artifacts, preventing themselves from getting injured.


    The survivors all gathered beside the Oracle as they stared at the Half-Elf who was looking down on them with contempt from the sky.


    "What''s wrong?" Lux asked in disdain. "Don''t want to catch me anymore?"


    The Half-Elf then summoned a st Bomb from his Storage Ring and threw it towards the group of Saints that had banded together.


    "Retreat!" the Oracle ordered, and this time, all the Saints heeded hermand like their life depended on it.


    They all steered clear from the trajectory of the st Bomb, making Luxugh in his heart.


    What he threw just now was an ordinary st Bomb that Eiko had given him before she left to go off on an adventure of her own.


    Seeing the horrified look on the Oracle''s and the Saints'' faces, Lux was very tempted tough out loud, but he held it back with his willpower.


    Now was not the time tough.


    He and his Master still needed to get away from the Divine Empire. However, since his Master was busy fighting against the true Powerhouses of the Divine Army, he decided to start his n B.


    The Half-Elf unleashed two Hypersonic, Nuclear-Type st Bombs that were capable of wiping out an entire city.


    He aimed them at strategic locations within the Divine Empire, which would destroy their most important establishments��namely their Divine Temple and Divine Barracks.


    Since his Master wished to see the world burn, he would help him with everything he had.


    The Divine Army had long gotten on his nerves, and since they wanted to act high and mighty, he would bring them down a peg, and make them understand that even a Ranker like him, could flip their delusional world upside down.

 Chapter 976 The Beginning Of The End [Part 4]

    Chapter 976 The Beginning Of The End [Part 4]


    Two explosions that shook thend took ce at the same time.


    The Supremes, who were spectating the battle and had no intention of joining, raised several barriers to protect themselves and their people from the aftermath of Lux''s weapon of mass destruction.


    A scream of anger escaped the Oracle''s lips when she saw that the Half-Elf had destroyed the Divine Temple, which served as her primary residence in the Divine Empire.


    That ce contained their organization''s valuable tomes that preserved the history of Elysium, Martial Techniques, and Ancient Spells, as well as some of the artifacts that were in their possession.


    "I''ll kill you!" the Saintess shouted at Lux. "I won''t let you leave this ce alive!"


    The Half-Elf nced in the Oracle''s direction and casually threw a bomb in her direction.


    The Saints, who had survived Lux''s first strike, all scattered because they thought that the Hypersonic st Bomb that he just unleashed had the same firepower as the one that destroyed the Divine Temple and the Divine Barracks.


    No matter how furious she was, the Oracle was still able to think properly and hurriedly flew away in order to evade the explosion that would follow afterward.


    However, instead of a powerful explosion that could destroy cities, only a small explosion urred.


    Lux had thrown another regr st Bomb to scare off the annoying Oracle and the Saints who were eyeing him.


    When they realized that the Half-Elf had tricked them for the second time, these Saints, who stood above all the Rankers in the world, felt humiliated by Lux''s casual disregard for their dignity.


    What they didn''t know was that Lux had a limited number of Nuclear-Level st Bombs, which meant that he couldn''t just use them freely.


    Also, the red-headed teenager seeded in his goal of making the Saints hesitant to attack him. After all, they wouldn''t know if the bomb he was about to use against them could potentially kill them.


    However, before the Saints could even re in the Half-Elf''s direction, they found out that he was no longer there.


    Hana had used her Spatial Ability to take the red-headed teenager closer to the za.


    Their goal was to rescue Gaap, and that still hadn''t changed. Although their enemies were now wary of him, they were still deep in enemy territory.


    If he and his Master, Gaap, could overwhelm the entire Divine Army of Light with just the two of them, then the Abyss would have long invaded Elysium if they were really that ipetent.


    Truth be told, if the Divine Sovereign, as well as the Five Supremes that were helping him went all out, Gaap would have long perished.


    However, they didn''t do that.


    The reason?


    It was because of Antero.


    The Golem of Destruction had this one uncanny ability to reflect any kind of attack instantly to anywhere he wanted on the battlefield.


    Of course, this ability couldn''t be used consecutively, and it had a cooldown of a few minutes before it could be used again.


    But here was the catch��Antero knew if an attack was truly powerful.


    If one of the Supremes were to really use their full power and it was reflected by the Golem of Destruction to one of them, they would suffer from serious and even near-death injuries.


    For a Supreme, this was not an ideal scenario.


    They were the strongest people that stood at the Apex of the world. This meant that if they were injured, even the rarest of Elixirs and most powerful of Healing Potions had very little effect on them.


    This was also why the Sovereign of the Divine Army took decades to recover from the injury he received in the past.


    None of the Supremes dared to take this risk, so they were only attacking with Saint-Level attacks.


    This was the sole reason why Gaap was still able to resist despite the fact that he was up against Six Supremes.


    Suddenly, Lux appeared in front of his Master who had considerably aged after summoning Antero.


    "Master, let''s escape!" Lux said as he held onto Gaap''s arm. "We need to leave here before it''s toote."


    "No, Lux." Gaap shook his head. "You are the one who should leave this ce. It''s already toote for me."


    The Halfling looked at his Disciple with a smile, and his gaze looked at the Half-Elf with pride.


    "Leave this ce, and don''t think about avenging me," Gaap stated. "All the hate and suffering will end here with me."


    "Master, I don''t understand," Lux said with a solemn expression on his face. "Please,e with me."


    Gaap patted Lux''s hand who was holding onto his shoulder.


    "No, Lux," Gaap replied. "I''m sure that you understand. You must have already felt it, right?"


    The Half-Elf didn''t release his grip on his Master''s arm, making the Halfling sigh.


    "I allowed them to capture me on purpose so that they would bring me inside the Divine Empire," Gaap said. "It is simply impossible for me to infiltrate the heart of their organization on my own. That''s why I decided to create a ruckus and wipe out Mondo''s entire Kingdom while I was at it.


    "Fortunately, these fools thought that they had captured me with their own strength and brought me here to the ce where I wanted to go. I am very happy that all of them are incredibly stupid. Heck, even a baboon is smarter than them."


    Gaap didn''t bother to lower his voice. On the contrary, he even asked one of his Covenant members, the Gothic Lolita, Carol, to amplify his voice, enough to be heard by the entirety of the Divine Empire.


    The Sovereign who heard this confession couldn''t help but redden due to anger and shame, for he allowed the sneaky rat to enter his Divine City.


    The Oracle and the other Saints of the Divine Empire also felt their cheeks burning out of embarrassment. Gaap didn''t hold back, insulting them right in front of their guests and people under their wing.


    A chuckle escaped the Dragon King''s lips because he found this whole situation funny. He had also concluded that Gaap had intended for this to happen, so he wasn''t too surprised when he heard the news that the Halfling had been captured by the Divine Army.


    He even thought that "it was about time" for Gaap to do this because he didn''t have much time to live.


    The Halfling must''ve known that this was going to be hisst hurrah, so he destroyed and took as many people as he could with him to the afterlife.


    The King of the High Elves looked at the Halfling with his arms crossed over his chest.


    He had initially wanted to rescue Gaap, but after hearing his confession, he knew that the Halfling had already resolved to make the Divine Empire his grave.


    "I''m sorry for leaving the guild and not telling you anything," Gaap sighed as he patted Lux''s waist. "But this is as far as I go. I have nothing more to teach you. I''m sure that in time, you will surpass me, and make your mark in history.


    "No, scratch that. You have already made your mark in history by being here. Everyone now knows who you are, which will give you a lot of trouble in the future."


    The Halfling smiled as a few more wrinkles appeared on his face.


    "Master, I meant to tell you this as a surprise," Lux said as he did his best to prevent his voice from breaking. "But since things have already progressed this far, I want you to know that��"


    Gaap held up a hand in order to stop Lux from continuing what he was about to say.


    "I know that she is safe inside ckfire." Gaap looked at his disciple with a grateful gaze. "This is also why I have resolved myself to do this. This will be my final gift to her."


    Lux was surprised because he didn''t know how Gaap found out that his Master''s soul was recovering inside ckfire.


    Seeing the surprise on his disciple''s face, Gaap wasn''t able to stop himself from chuckling.


    "I am not stupid, Lux," Gaap said in a teasing tone. "After everything that happened in the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, it was very easy to connect the dots. Since you are a kind and caring person, I would have been very disappointed if you hadn''t even tried to save her from her current condition.


    "I often tell Asmodeus that you are not suited to be a Necromancer. But lo and behold, even the Heavens proved me wrong. My one and only Disciple in the world has be a Necromancer of Heaven. The first of its kind.


    "And yet, these snot-nosed puss*es branded you as a heretic so that you would not have the time to grow and be who you are truly meant to be."


    Gaap smiled and looked at the Supremes and Saints who had stopped their attacks and encircled him and his Disciple, preventing them from leaving this ce alive.


    The Halfling then nced at Hana, whose tears were already falling down her beautiful face.


    "Lux, take care of Hana," Gaap said softly. "She might have thought that she was thest member of my Covenant. But truth be told, she is the first and only member of my Covenant. Baal and the rest belonged to my Master, and they have protected me all these years in memory of her."


    Hana, who never knew that she was Gaap''s one and only Covenant member, knelt and hugged the Halfling before breaking down into sobs.


    "Silly girl, why are you crying?" Gaap asked as she patted the beautiful Fox Lady''s head. "We are in the middle of the battlefield, and you are crying like this? You are making me lose face."


    Although Gaap wasining, his gaze was filled with affection and gentleness.


    Lux, who suddenly felt that the Supremes and the Saints were about to make their move, raised his head to look at them.


    "Master, I know that you have already resolved yourself, but this ce is simply too filthy to be your tomb," Lux stated. "A pigsty is a hundred times better than this."


    Gaapughed heartily as more wrinkles appeared on his face. Even though he now looked old and decrepit, hisughter sounded so young and filled with mirth.


    "You''re probably right," Gaap stated. "But I have already decided. Also��"


    The Halfling''s gazended on the Oracle who was at the center of the Saints that shemanded.


    as your Master. Take Hana and leave this ce."


    "There is one more b*tch that I have to kill," Gaap dered. "Lux, this is myst order as your Master. Take Hana and leave this ce."


    The Half-Elf didn''t say anything as he followed his Master''s gaze, locking his sight on the Oracle in the sky.


    "Master, I will not let you die here," Lux said firmly. "Since we are short on time, let''s go all out."


    Lux then shifted his attention to the Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Pce.


    He had seen Valerie, Ali, and Ari beside the Dragon King, and he smiled in their direction.


    The Half-Elf then shifted his gaze to Aur and gave the Dragon Prince a brief nod.


    "All who don''t want to be dragged into this battle should leave," Lux dered. "I am not confident that you will not get hurt in the aftermath."


    The Dragon King smirked, before waving his hand. A momentter a transparent golden dome appeared around him and his entourage.


    This dome then flew a few miles away from the Divine Empire, but those inside it could still see what was happening inside the city.


    The Steward of the Crystal Pce opened her fan, and a Crystal Dome appeared around her people. Like the Dragon King''s golden dome, this crystal dome flew away in a safe distance from the city.


    The other Supremes and the Saints did something simr and left the city.


    Victor dragged his son, Tristan, who still couldn''t believe that his sister''s fiance was the Necromancer of Heaven, whom everyone had started talking about several months ago.


    Soon, only the Divine Army and their allies were left inside the city.


    Five Supremes and hundreds of Saints.


    All facing a Halfling and a Half-Elf, whom they had branded as heretics.

 Chapter 977 The Beginning Of The End [Part 5]

    977 The Beginning Of The End [Part 5]


    "Lux, I''m serious, you should leave," Gaap said.


    He was no longer smiling, which meant that he really didn''t want his Disciple to involve himself with hisst battle.


    "Toote, Master," Lux said. "Do you really think that they will let me walk out of this ce easily?"


    Gaap rolled his eyes at the Half-Elf. How could he not know that the red-headed teenager had many ways to escape this encirclement?


    If Lux wasn''t certain of his chances, he wouldn''t havee to this ce to rescue him. Although he was truly grateful and very touched by his disciple''s gesture, he also felt helpless. The Half-Elf could be really stubborn at times.


    "Fine," Gaap stated as patted the dust on his robes. "Just�� try not to die, okay?"


    "Of course," Lux replied.


    The two gave each other a long nce before both of them raised their hands at the same time.


    ""Rise!""


    Dark clouds spread above the Divine Empire as countless Undead emerged around the two Necromancers.


    Lux had already summoned his two clones, and they, too, summoned their Undead Legion.


    As if waiting for that moment, a Dracolich descended from the heavens and opened its wings wide.


    The Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis, his right-hand woman, Lady Faustina, as well as the Saints of the Dragon Kingdom, looked at the Dracolich with a frown.


    "He looks familiar��" Lady Faustina muttered.


    "��Of course, he is familiar." The Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis looked at the Dracolich with a solemn expression on his face. "That is none other than the brother of the former Dragon King who disappeared during the Abyssal Invasion. It seems like he really died, and this Half-Elf managed to discover his remains."


    The Saints of Karshvar Draconis all gasped in shock after hearing their King''s revtion.


    The Dragons and Dragon Borns hated Necromancers who dared to revive the bodies of the Dragons who had passed away.


    This was why the Dragon Graveyards in the Dragon Kingdom were heavily guarded, preventing any Necromancer from slipping through their defenses.


    Perhaps they could still somewhat tolerate it if the Dragon that was revived was one of the wandering Dragons that usually explored the world.


    But reviving the corpse of a member of the Royal Family was the greatest of taboos.


    Any Necromancer who was found guilty of this crime would be executed on the spot!


    "Your Majesty, this��" one of the Saints of Karshvar Draconis looked at his King askance.


    "There''s no need for you to concern yourself about this," the Dragon King stated. "If he manages to escape this ce alive, I will consider him absolved of his crime. That is, if he can escape this ce."


    The Dragon King could see the invisible, magical weave that was swirling around the Divine Empire.


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army had finally activated a surefire way to prevent anyone from teleporting away from the battlefield.


    09:36


    Any Spatial Ability and Spatial Treasures that allowed the owner to travel short or long distances in an instant were nullified.


    But Lux and Gaap weren''t thinking about these things.


    After summoning all of their subordinates, the Dracolich activated his Summon Undead Legion, doubling Lux''s and Gaap''s army in an instant!


    ""Kill!""


    The two Necromancers ordered at the same time, and their minions surged forth like a ck wave of death, that would annihte anything it touched.


    At first, the Supremes thought that the Undead Army would being for them. However, it didn''t take them long to realize that the Undead Armies were actually ordered to destroy the entire city, trampling it to the ground.


    "You dare!" the Sovereign of the Divine Army roared as he raised his hands, gathering Divine Power that would wipe out all the abominations in front of him in an instant!


    "Ultimate Grand Cross!"


    A radiance that covered the entire city descended from the heavens.


    This skill was only meant to kill the Undead, as well as any other Spectral Creatures who had no true body or form.


    When the light receded, everyone was shocked to see that the Undead Army was unharmed.


    The Dracolich who had shielded Gaap and Lux with his wings smiled and said, "Ah�� Vitamin D."


    Avernus looked at the Sovereign of the Divine Army and said, "Good for the skin and bones. You''re not half bad for a Low Lander Scum. At least you have your use."


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army almost spat a mouthful of blood after hearing the Dracolich''s insulting words.


    He had known that Lux was immune to Divine and Light Magic, but he didn''t expect that even his army and allies would be unaffected by one of the strongest wide-area attacks that he could unleash.


    The Dracolich chuckled as he looked at the Divine City around him.


    "This ce looks nd," Avernus stated. "Time to heat things up."


    The Dracolich soared towards the sky and shouted with arrogance.


    "From death''s embrace, I rise with fire and bone. As Avernus, I im my rightful throne!"


    The Gate of Hell opened wide in the center of the Divine City, and the denizens of hell poured out in the thousands.


    The first thing they did was to unleash hell mes on their surroundings, burning the city to the ground.


    The Dracolich''s contemptuousughter spread in the surroundings for a few seconds before it unleashed a Dragon Breath that burnt the outer edges of the city.


    It was at this moment when the Five Supremes and the Saints finally made their move and engaged their enemies with the intention of annihting all of them.


    "Since it hase to this, let''s not hold back any longer!" the Beast King, who was one of the allies of the Divine Army roared.


    "Fine," the Divine Sovereign said through gritted teeth.


    He would rather be the one to destroy the Divine City than let the monsters trample on their pride.


    "Focus your attacks on those two Heretics," the Supreme of the Lizard Folk shouted. "Time it in five-second intervals!"


    Raising his hand, the Supreme of the Lizard Folk summoned a giant spear zing with green mes.


    The Beast King then gathered his power in his two hands, preparing to unleash an attack that would wipe the Divine City from the face of the world.


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army pped thrice, and a Giant Sword that crackled with Lightning appeared above his head.


    The two remaining Supremes also prepared their Coup de Grace, which would instantly wipe out the living and the dead who were present before their eyes.


    "Um, Master, I think I forgot something back in my Guild Headquarters," Lux said as he scratched his head. "Be right back."


    The corner of Gaap''s lips twitched as he looked at his disciple in disbelief.


    Earlier, he was asking Lux to leave him, but thetter was adamant about staying.


    Now that their enemies no longer nned to hold back, the Half-Elf was telling him that he had forgotten something back at his Guild Headquarters?


    Bullsh*t!


    Augh escaped Lux''s face after seeing his Master''s dumbfounded face.


    Just as the Halfling was about to order Antero to protect both of them, ckfire appeared beside Lux.


    The Half-Elf then lightly knocked on the Coffin''s lid.


    "Grandmaster, your Disciples are getting bullied," Lux said. "A little help please?"


    A momentter, the lid of the ck Coffin opened, showing nothing but a dark exterior that seemed endless.


    "Someone dares to bully my Disciples? Courting death!"


    Suddenly, a pale and delicate hand reached out and held onto the edge of the coffin.


    Gaap''s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped after seeing an enchanting Elf, who seemed to have just stepped out of a Fairy Tale book, appear in front of him.


    Hereswith reached out her hand and closed Gaap''s mouth which was wide open before lightly patting the Halfling''s head with love and affection.


    She then looked at the Supremes and the Saints that were floating in the sky and sneered.


    "I''m back, you cunts!" Hereswith dered with a devilish smile on her extremely beautiful face. "Missed me?"

 Chapter 978 The Beginning Of The End [Part 6]

    Chapter 978 The Beginning Of The End [Part 6]


    "I''m back, you cunts! Missed me?"


    The Supremes, who were just about to unleash their ultimate attacks, paused when their gazended on the extremely beautiful Elf who had countless suitors before her death.


    Her suitors were not limited to Saints. Some of them were Supremes.


    This was proof of the level of attractiveness of Hereswith, whom many considered to be one of the top, if not the number one beauty in Elysium.


    It didn''t matter how vulgar her mouth was. Everyone turned a blind eye to it. If they could make the enchanting Elf their lover, they wouldn''t mind if she cursed at them, especially if it were while they were pinning her voluptuous body beneath them on their bed.


    But something was very different about the Hereswith in front of thempared to how they remembered her in the past.


    Although they never thought it was possible, the seductive Elf''s beauty had transcended to the next level, making her look like a Divine Being that had stepped out of a Fairy Tale book.


    All the men couldn''t take their eyes off her, and even thedies couldn''t help but feel attracted to her.


    Hereswith wasn''t aware that she had practically charmed almost everyone that hadid their eyes on her by just breathing.


    She was solely focused on thinking about how she would capture the Oracle, who was at the very back of the Divine Army''s formation, and p the b*tch silly until she called her Mommy.


    The lips of the Elven King trembled as he looked at his daughter whom he hadn''t seen for many years.


    At first, he thought that he was just dreaming or perhaps seeing an illusion that the Half-Elf had conjured before he was drowned by the attacks of the Five Supremes, who decided to not hold their full powers back any longer.


    Even in the face of Five Supremes and Hundreds of Saints, Hereswith fearlessly stood in front of her Disciple and Grand Disciple with an arrogant look on her face.


    "Is it really you, Hereswith?" the Sovereign of the Divine Army asked with a calm expression on his face.


    Instead of answering, Hereswith took a step forward, and six, white, angelic wings unfurled behind her back.


    "As Darkness knocks on Heaven''s Doors, the chosen one shall rise over darkened skies," Hereswith said as a pir of light descended from the sky and shone upon her, making her look like a Deity.


    "Light and Dark both intertwine, thus are the makings of the Divine."


    The beautiful Elf lightly pped her wings and hovered several meters in the air.


    "In the past, you called me a Heretic for looking for a different path for Necromancers." A sweet smile appeared on Hereswith''s lips as he looked at the Sovereign of the Divine Army. "And now, I will show you what a true Heaven''s Necromancer is like."


    The Divine City shook as the ground underneath Hereswith broke apart.


    A momentter, a Giant Skeleton hand broke through the ground and rose, holding the beautiful Elf in the palm of its hand.


    A few secondster, the rest of the Gigantic Skeleton, which was as tall as Antero, surfaced from the earth.


    The faces of the members of the Divine Army turned grim when they felt that the power being exuded from the Giant Skeleton was of the same level as a Demigod.


    "Isn''t she a beauty?" Hereswith asked. "This is the trump card I created, and she''s called Deus-Gigantia."


    Lux, who heard Hereswith''s words, couldn''t stop his lips from twitching.


    "Grandmaster, why are you so shameless?" Lux asked. "I am the one that created this skill. Why are you saying that you were the one that created it? This is a clear Copyright vition!"


    Hereswith chuckled after hearing Lux''sints.


    "My Grand Disciple, I think you are having a very big misunderstanding," Hereswith replied. "What''s yours is mine, and what''s mine is only mine. Even if you are the one who created this skill, as your Grandmaster, this skill is also something that belongs to me.


    "I was the one who paved the road for the Heaven Necromancer ss, so I call first dibs on everything that belongs to this branch of Necromancy. You might be its Progenitor, but I am its Founder.


    "Without me, you would not have stepped on this path. Don''t worry. I will make it up to youter by letting you sleep on my thigh. Consider this as your reward for being a good boy. Hohohoho!"


    The Half-Elf almost spat blood after hearing his Grandmaster''sughter. Although thetter said that she would reward him by letting him sleep on her thigh, that was like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire!


    The way she worded it could cause a great misunderstanding, which made all of Hereswith''s past suitors lock their gazes onto his body.


    "Damn! What a lucky brat!"


    "I''ve been dreaming of those thighs since I was a teenager. Now that I''m old, I''m still dreaming of it!"


    "Sh*t. I feel like I''m getting c*cked."


    Lux subconsciously shuddered when he felt the gazes that were filled with envy, jealousy, and killing intent aimed in his direction.


    The Half-Elf then nced at his own Master, Gaap, as if seeking him for support.


    "Give up," Gaap said with resignation. "That''s just how Master does things."


    Lux shook his head and summoned his own Deus Gigantia.


    When the Giant Skeleton King rose up from the ground, it also held Lux in the palm of his hand.


    After being raised several meters into the air, Lux realized that his Master''s Giant Skeleton was actually a Skeleton Queen and not a Skeleton King.


    The two Skeleton Sovereigns nced at each other.


    "Good day we''re having, don''t you think?" the Skeleton King said to the Skeleton Queen.


    "Indeed," the Skeleton Queen replied. "It''s a good day to die."


    Lux had raised his rank to be an A-Ranker, so his Deus-Gigantia was of the Cmity Rank.


    As for Hereswith�� She was now a bonafide Demigod, so her Deus Gigantia was at the Apex of the Demigod Rank.


    (A/N: Yes, she is now a Demigod and not a Supreme.)


    Simply put, the Skeleton Queen was an Antero-level Demigod.


    After defeating monsters and collecting as many Beast Cores as he could within the Lost Ark Domain, Lux noticed something strange.


    The Demigod who was on the broken ck ship didn''t stir even once, despite all themotions that he had caused inside its territory.


    Because of this, he had sent one of his clones to investigate. Due to his new skill that gave him immunity to Gravity Changes, his Clone didn''t suffer from any penalty from the strong gravity that could have easily shattered the bones of those who approached the Lost Ark.


    When his clone entered the ship, Lux made a startling discovery.


    There was a Divine Creature thaty in the center of the ship, and it was none other than a Seraphim.


    A Six-Winged Divine Angel from the Heavens that had fallen to the Mortal World.


    At first, Lux thought that the Seraphim was sleeping, but after a closer inspection, he realized that the Seraphim was actually dead!


    But since its body was filled with Divinity, it didn''t rot and even excluded a powerful pressure that prevented anyone from getting close to the corpse.


    The gravity inside the ck Ship was actually fifty times greater than the gravity of Elysium.


    This made it nearly impossible for anything to approach the body of the dead Seraphim and survive.


    After this discovery, Lux''s clone immediately summoned ckfire so that it could absorb the fallen Demigod, who still had its Divine Core intact.


    However, as soon as ckfire absorbed the body of the Seraphim, Hereswith''s soul stirred, and she finally opened her eyes.


    Without a second thought, the beautiful Elf merged with the body of the Seraphim and asked ckfire to help her refine it.


    Because of this, Hereswith was reborn as a true Celestial, with the body of a Seraphim and the strength of a Demigod.


    An existence that shouldn''t exist came into being.


    "Are you ready to get f*cked you bunch of puss*es?" Hereswith asked. "This Lady will screw your twats a hundred times over!"


    The face of the Oracle, who was at the very back of the formation, paled when she realized Hereswith''s True Rank and Profession.


    "The Heavens are blind," Maeve muttered. "How can they make someone as vulgar as her a Necromancer of Heaven? It doesn''t make sense!"


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army, as well as the Saints that were encircling the three Necromancers, all agreed with their Oracle''s words.


    High above the Heavens, Eriol averted his gaze and pretended that he didn''t hear the Oracle''s words.


    Truth be told, the only reason why Hereswith didn''t be a Heaven''s Necromancer in the first ce was because of her vulgar mouth.


    Simply put, with how vulgar the beautiful elf was, she didn''t meet thest condition to be a representative of Heaven.


    How could Heaven approve of a representative who could say such foul words with a straight face?


    But this condition was broken the moment Hereswith obtained the body of a Divine Being.


    Since the Seraphim was already a Celestial and was a chaste maiden even in death, thest condition that prevented Hereswith from acquiring the power of a Heaven''s Necromancer was nullified.


    Max, who was standing beside his troubled friend, could only chuckle with his arms crossed over his chest.


    It was very rare for the God of Games to feel this embarrassed, which he found funny.


    After having her fill of spouting a litany of expletives, Hereswith finally stopped and smiled.


    "I''ll leave that bitch to the both of you," Hereswith stated. "Don''t make me lose face. You hear me?"


    "Yes, Master," Gaap replied as he intended to use all of his lifespan for onest fight.


    "Understood." Lux nodded.


    Hereswith smiled sweetly. This was probably the first andst time that the three of them would be fighting together.


    She gave her wrinkled disciple a sidelong nce and steeled her heart.


    ''Don''t worry, Gaap,'' Hereswith said. ''Your Master will make sure that half of them apany you to the afterlife.''


    With a wave of her hand, the Skeleton Queen summoned a death scythe.


    Her disciple had spent countless years trying to avenge her.


    The only thing she could do right now was to see it until the end.


    "Gaap, do you remember what I told you when I first started teaching you how to be a Necromancer?" Hereswith asked.


    "Yes, Master," Gaap replied with a gentle smile on his face. "How could I forget? You asked me to live a great life and die a great death."


    Hereswith nodded. "Well said."


    Without another word, the Land of the Divine Empire shook as the three Necromancersmanded their Gigantic Golems to unleash Hell on Earth.

 Chapter 979 The Beginning Of The End [Part 7]

    Chapter 979 The Beginning Of The End [Part 7]


    Those who were watching the battle from the side felt their hearts shudder inside their chests.


    They never thought that they would live to see the day when the Divine Army of Light would find themselves losing ground against three Necromancers.


    However, the might of these three transcended the norms.


    Hereswith, Antero, and the Skeleton Queen were more than enough to handle the five Supremes, who suddenly found themselves being pushed back by the beautiful Elf''s relentless attack.


    In fact, the spectators once again distanced themselves by several miles and were using artifacts that would allow them to watch the battle from that great distance.


    A battle between a Demigod and multiple Supremes was not a joke. A stray attacking from any of them could instantly obliterate an entire city.


    If such an attack were to suddenly fly in their direction, they would turn into a meat paste in the blink of an eye.


    "Beast King''s Wrath!" the Beast King unleashed a beam of destruction toward the Skeleton Queen who had chosen to deal with him and the Lizard King at the same time.


    The Lizard King also unleashed the giant spear in the Heavens, aiming to destroy the Demigod in front of him.


    But just as their attacks were about tond on the Skeleton Queen''s Body, something unexpected happened.


    The beam that the Beast King had fired at Skeleton Queen rebounded toward the Lizard King, which the Lizard King attempted to evade by distancing himself as fast as he could.


    However, the Beam was extremely fast, and the Lizard King had no choice but to activate one of his Defensive Artifacts to mitigate the blow.


    He knew how powerful the Beast King''s attack was. Taking it head-on would give him a serious injury. If he got a bit unlucky, he could even receive a fatal injury that would end his life then and there.


    After the Lizard King lost his concentration and control over the Giant Spear, the Skeleton Queen swooped in and deflected it using her Death Scythe, causing the spear to fall to the ground, resulting in a giant fissure that extended several miles.


    This attack had effectively destroyed half of the Divine City, making the Sovereign''s eyes turn bloodshot.


    But there was nothing he could do about it aside from resuming his fight against Hereswith, who had a bored expression on her face.


    At that exact moment, a pir of light shot out from the center of the Divine City and flew towards the heavens.


    A momentter, a very old man with a few wrinkles on his face showed up with a grim look on his face.


    Four teenagers, who seemed to be in theirte teens, stood beside him.


    "Founder!" the Sovereign of the Divine Army shouted. "Did you manage to save them?"


    The Old Man nodded. "The Apostles are safe."


    The Old Man then red in Hereswith''s direction as brilliant mes surrounded his body.


    He was none other than the Founder of the Divine Army.


    The Supreme who created one of the strongest organizations from scratch. He had disappeared after passing the reins to the current Sovereign who ruled in his stead. However, what people didn''t know was that he was busy creating an army of Divine Warriors that would take the world by storm.


    This was the Apostle Project.


    A Project that would give Apostles the power of a Supreme for a short period of time. However, after the duration of this ability was over, that person would die, not even leaving a corpse behind.


    "You sure are a troublesome Heretic," the Founder of the Divine Army stated. "Why can''t you just stay dead?"


    "I can say the same about you, Old Man," Hereswith sneered. "Why can''t you just roll over and die?"


    "Impudent woman."


    "Delusional old man."


    Without another word, the Founder and the Sovereign teamed up and shed against Hereswith, making the beautiful Elf smile.


    Truth be told, she was waiting for the Founder of the Divine Army to make his appearance. He was one of the people that Hereswith wanted to kill, and now that he was here, she could finally have her own personal revenge, for the old bastard''smand was the root cause of her death.


    While Antero was dealing with the remaining Supremes, Lux and Gaap, alongside the members of their Covenant, fought against the Hundreds of Saints who were doing their best tond a killing blow on the two Necromancers, who were only an Apostle and a High-Ranker.


    But this proved to be a difficult task due to the countless Undead Monsters that were attacking them from all sides like Rabid Dogs.


    After bing an A-Ranker, Lux''s Deus Gigantia had stepped into the Cmity Rank.


    It was not only his Skeleton King that received a power-up. The Dracolich, Avernus, had also stepped into the Cmity-Rank, and his fighting prowess had leaped to a frightening level.


    As a former Demigod, Avernus had fought on the frontlines against the Invasion of the Abyss.


    There, he fought hundreds of Cmity-Ranked Monsters, as well as the Demigods whomanded them.


    Although his strength had regressed to the Cmity Rank, his battle experience was still there, and the Saints found this to be quite troublesome.


    "This is what I''m looking for!" Sion, the Juggernaut of Agartha, grinned from ear to ear as he smashed his fist into one of the Saints of the Divine Army and sent thetter flying. "This is what I''ve been missing in my life!"


    Swirling his Axe around his body, Sion charged at the group of Saints as if he were dealing with low-ranking Monsters.


    He was like a miniature sun that zed brightly on the battlefield, which caught the eyes of several of the powerhouses who were spectating the battle from afar.


    As powerhouses in their own right, they had known most of the Saints that were worth knowing.


    Since they didn''t recognize Sion, they wondered where such a powerful Saint hade from, especially since he seemed to be only a step away from bing a Supreme.


    Cleo, who was also fighting alongside the Juggernaut of Agartha, couldn''t help but curse Lux inwardly for dragging her into a fight that she didn''t sign up for.


    However, since she was already here, she did her best to not die and supported the Undead Monsters from behind.


    ckfire, was also in the midst of battle, summoning its own army of Undead and Saints to show their terrifying might.


    The King of Exiles, as well as his subordinates, fought as one, targeting one Saint at a time.


    Lux wanted these powerhouses to retain their Ranks, so he made sure to look for Cmity-Ranked Beast Cores that would prevent them from regressing.


    The Saints, who were singled out by this team of Undead Saints, found themselves unable to fight back and were instantly crippled or neutralized.


    saw this feel their scalps tingling.


    But aside from the King of Exiles and his subordinates, there were The ck Coffin would then swallow these near-death Saints and add them to its ever-growing collection, which made those who saw this feel their scalps tingling.


    But aside from the King of Exiles and his subordinates, there were other powerhouses that were duking it out with the main force of the Divine Army.


    The ck Ogre and the Golden-Eyed Naga, which Aurora had cursed, were also in the midst of battle.


    Lux had returned to his Guild Headquarters for a brief moment in order to bring Aurora to the Lost Ark Domain.


    This allowed her to increase her rank and be a D-Ranker, allowing her to dispel the bad luck of others who were affected by her curse.


    As a D-Ranker, Aurora could remove the bad luck of twenty creatures every month.


    Because of this, she had helped ckfire undo the curse on the Four-Armed ck Ogre and the Golden-Eyed Naga.


    But ckfire proposed to do an experiment, which Aurora wholeheartedly agreed to. As long as she was able to help Lux, she was willing to go above and beyond to make it happen.


    What ckfire asked Aurora for was to help the two Cmity-Ranked Monsters gain an Aura of Bad Luck that worked only against their enemies.


    It meant that anyone within a certain range of the two monsters should suffer from bad luck, while the two monsters in question would not affected by it.


    After more than a week of trial and error, Aurora and ckfire managed to do just that.


    Now the ck Ogre and the Golden-Eyed Naga were exuding an Aura of Bad Luck, exclusively affecting only their enemies.


    The only downside was that the Aura of Bad Luck that they projected wasn''t permanent and would onlyst for an hour at most.


    Even so, having bad luck in the heat of battle was something that most people didn''t want to experience.


    Because of this, the two Cmity-Ranked Monsters were able to overpower the groups of Saints, who suddenly found themselves at a great disadvantage.


    Not far from these two monsters, Leonidas, the diators, and the Bounty Hunters were riding on the Undead Raptors that Lux had brought back from the Lost Ark Domain.


    These Beasts were quite fast, allowing Leonidas and his crew to deal with the Rankers and High-Rankers of the Divine Army.


    Lux''s Named Creatures and Covenant Members fought not far from their Master.


    This was especially true for Asmodeus, Pazuzu, and Orion who were always at the ready to defend Lux against potential sneak attacks from any direction.


    Diablo, whose de reaped the lives of his enemies like he was just cutting grass, was getting stronger with each passing minute.


    His fiery eyes burned brightly as he fought on the front lines, ensuring that the enemies wouldn''t reach his Master no matter what.


    While this battle was taking ce, Lux and Gaap slowly made their way toward the Oracle of Light, to which the Master and Disciple pair had a vendetta.


    Even if Hereswith didn''t order them to deal with her, the two would definitely target her nevertheless.


    While this was happening, a few of the Supremes who were spectating the battlefield eyed each other.


    None of them had reached their rank because they were righteous. It was because they were willing to do anything, which allowed them to transcend to the peak of their world.


    "This is getting interesting," the Dragon Kingmented as he eyed the Supremes in the distance. "It looks like things are going to be more intense moving forward."


    The Dragon King smirked internally. He hade here to watch an execution, and yet, what he was seeing right now was more entertaining, and exciting.


    Not all Supremes or Factions got along with each other. Most of the time, they were always at each other''s necks, just like the rtionship between Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce.


    The Dragon King was certain that if a small pebble were to fall off the peak of a mountain, it would create an avnche that would drag all of them into this all-out battle, whether they liked it or not.

 Chapter 980 The Beginning Of The End [Part 8]

    Chapter 980 The Beginning Of The End [Part 8]


    "Die!" one of the Saints of the Divine Army shed at the Half-Elf, whom they attacked as a group.


    They knew that the situation wasn''t favorable to them, so they threw away their pride and formed groups in order to deal with Lux and Gaap, preventing them from working together.


    Fighting against Hundreds of Saints wasn''t an easy task, even for the two Necromancers, who were surrounded by countless Undead Monsters.


    The sword strike by the Saint was timed perfectly.


    Hisrades had worked hard in order to create this opening, while Lux was busy dealing with the countless attacks that wereing from every direction.


    The Saint''s Legendary Weapon split the Half-Elf''s body into two parts, which made Valerie almost faint from shock.


    The Saint was expecting a blood mist to spray in the air after his deadly strike, but none of that happened.


    Instead, the Half-Elf he had split in half turned into particles of light, which made his eyes widen in shock.


    His momentary surprise created an opening for Avernus'' fiery breath that hit him in his blindspot, making him scream in pain.


    The Saint managed to survive the Dragon''s Breath due to his protective charms, but his luck ran out the moment Diablo appeared on his back, and pierced his body with the Death Sovereign''s ming sword.


    "Hellfire Annihtion!"


    Diablo''s attack, which had now been raised drastically due to the number of deaths in the battlefield, was the straw that finally broke the camel''s back.


    The Saint spat a mouthful of blood before his body fell forward.


    At that exact moment, a ck Coffin appeared in front of the dying Saint and swallowed him whole.


    ckfire didn''t linger and disappeared once again.


    There were so many High-Rankers and Saints who were dying in the battlefield, that the ck Coffin was having a field day absorbing them all.


    Amidst the chaos, three Dwarf Assassins were busy reaping lives left and right, helping the Undead Army make small work of the Low-Rankers that made up the bulk of their army.


    Sid and Scarlet were now both C-Rankers, making them very deadly on the battlefield. The two had honed their assassination skills to the limit, allowing them to maximize the chaos in their surroundings to sneak attack their opponents from their blind spots.


    Sean, who was Sid''s friend, and had been subjugated by Lux to be his spy within Twilight Rain, had been turned into a Half-Life Zombie.


    This gave him the strength of an Undead, while still being alive at the same time.


    Although he wasn''t as powerful as Sid, who was now a Dhampir, and Scarlet, who had be a Cambrion, the D-Ranker Assassin was pulling his own weight on the battlefield.


    Sean was using hit and run tactics, targeting the Low-Ranking Officers of the Divine Army.


    Because of this, the Chain of Command was a mess, and everyone was just fighting freely, without amanding officer''smand to organize them.


    Lux, who had swapped ces with one of his clones to avoid a fatal blow, pressed his palms on the ground.


    A momentter, three tombstones rose from the ground around him, summoning Ancient Ghouls to fight for him.


    The ground shook under his feet, as his gue Deathworm rose up on the surface, and used its body to smash the soldiers of the Divine Army, who were fighting against the Undead.


    The beauty of being a Necromancer was that the longer the battle progressed, the more deadly they became.


    Not only were they able to summon countless Undead, they were also capable of raising the dead bodies of the creatures that had fought against them.


    Thousands of Zombified Soldiers hacked, bit, wed, and crushed their formerrades without showing any mercy.


    This unending cycle of death and revival made those who witnessed them feel their hearts turn cold due to how dreadful it was.


    Right now, it was hard to tell who was winning.


    Just one mistake and the Half-Elf and Halfling could die in the hands of their enemies due to the difference in Ranks.


    Hana, who had also unsealed her true strength, stepped into the Cmity Rank, blocking the attacks that were aimed in Lux''s direction.


    The Fox''s Lady''s greatest strength was support, and although there was a spatial restriction that prevented her from teleporting herself, as well as her allies on the battlefield, it didn''t stop her from distorting the space around her enemies, and crushed them with a vengeance.


    At that moment, Lux heard the whistling of the wind.


    The Half-Elf didn''t hesitate to fly away from where he stood.


    A secondter, a purple arrow pierced the spot where he was standing earlier, which made his face turn grim.


    The arrow that had embedded itself on the ground, made everything within a hundred-meter radius of it crumble into dust, including the Undead that were within its range.


    The Half-Elf heard more whistling soundsing in his direction, which forced him to take evasive actions.


    However, he found out that even after doing his best to evade the barrage of arrows, each and everyone of them was mere seconds away from hitting his body.


    He didn''t need to check to know who was firing these arrows from the rear.


    There was only one person that had the power to predict his every move, and that was none other than the Oracle of Light.


    ''This b*tch,'' Lux cursed internally as he desperately tried to evade the Oracle''s attacks, while shortening the distance between them.


    Unfortunately, the wall of Saints, who were protecting the Oracle, was a big hurdle to ovee, especially when all of their High-Ranking Strikers were busy dealing with strong contenders as well.


    At that moment, Lux felt his sixth sense scream at him, as if telling him to retreat as far as he could.


    Trusting his instincts, the Half-Elf backed away, which made the Oracle breathe a sigh of relief.


    Descending from the sky to protect her were the four teenagers who were with the Founder of the Divine Army, when he made his appearance.


    Simr to Gaap, Lux could tell the four teenagers were only Apostles.


    Even so, the threat he felt from them was higher than the Saints that he was currently dealing with.


    The four teenagers were the "Lucky Ones" who had managed to survive the Apostle Project.


    These four might only be of the Apostle Rank.


    However, they could, at any given time, burn their lives in order to jump to the Supreme Rank, making them expendable powerhouses that could devastate the enemies of the Divine Army of Light.


    Even if they could only attack once before they died, this was more than enough to make Lux wary of them.


    The Oracle who had now found the opportunity to eliminate Gaap and Lux at the same time, gave an order to the four teenagers.


    "All of you, kill that Half-Elf first!" the Oracle of Light ordered.


    "Your Excellency, how about the Halfling?" one of the teenage boys asked. "Should we ignore him?"


    The Oracle nodded. "That Halfling is only a step away from dying. It will not be long before he croaks, so ignore him and focus your attention on that brat!"


    The four teenagers all nced at Lux at the same time, making the Half-Elf''s face turn extremely solemn.


    Without even speaking a word, the four teenagers flew towards him, as they unlocked the seals that were ced on their bodies.


    Immediately, the domineering power of Four Supremes spread in the surroundings, making the Saints and Supremes of the other factions look at them in disbelief.


    "To think that they managed to seed," the Dragon King muttered. "The Bnce of Power in thend will start to shift once again."


    The Elf King, as well as Lady Augustina nodded their heads in agreement.


    An organization that had several Supremes under their wing was unheard of.


    In the eyes of others, Karhsvar Draconis, The Crystal Pce, Agartha, and Espoir Frieden were the only ces that had Supremes in them.


    However, if one was to carefully ponder the geopolitical arrangement of the Lands, they would find that it was impossible for these factions to only have Supremes in them.


    This meant that aside from the Rulers, who were quite powerful in their own right, they also had subordinates, who were just as powerful, and perhaps, even more powerful than them.


    This was why the bnce had been maintained for the past hundreds of years.


    With the Divine Empire''s sess in their experiments, those who were secretly gloating about the destruction of the Divine City, found themselves feeling anxious.


    There were many people and factions who didn''t want the Divine Army to continuously expand their territory, as well as absorb various kingdoms under their guise of protection.


    They were like leeches that were very hard to pry off of your body, especially after they managed to sink their teeth into your Domain.


    These same factions were now looking at the four teenagers, who were exuding the power of Supremes.


    Now that four more Supremes had appeared on the battlefield, the earlier advantages that Lux, Gaap, and Hereswith had were starting to disappear one by one.


    While the Four Supremes were now about to sh against the Half-Elf, the Oracle of Light nocked an Arrow of Destruction on her bow.


    Using her power to predict Lux would go next, she took aim with a sneer on her face.


    Although she couldn''t use her divination to predict how the Half-Elf would survive the four Supremes, who had locked unto him while forming an encirclement, she was certain of one thing.


    As long as she timed it right, her arrow would find its mark.


    And when that happened, she would get rid of the bastard Half-Elf, who had dared to defy her organization over and over again.


    While nearly everyone was watching with bated breath for what was going to happen next, a middle-aged man disappeared from the congregation of Supremes in the distance.


    No one saw him vanish, for they were paying extra attention to the Half-Elf, who was currently thinking of ways to escape his current situation.

 Chapter 981 The Beginning Of The End [Part 9]

    Chapter 981 The Beginning Of The End [Part 9]


    Hereswith, who was fighting against the Founder and the Sovereign of the Divine Army, brandished her Death Scythe and blocked both of their attacks.


    The two were dead-set on taking her life, but due to her current Rank, they were having a hard timending a blow on her body.


    In fact, the ones that were receiving injuries were none other than them, despite Hereswith looking like a delicate girl that couldn''t even harm an ant.


    However, had they known how vulgar her mouth was and how deadly she was in closebat, they would have thought twice when they were trying to court this extremely beautiful Elf.


    Hundreds of meters behind Hereswith''s back, a middle-aged man approached her slowly.


    He was the Supreme that had turned invisible in order to join the battle andunch a sneak attack on her from behind.


    This middle-aged man had been one of Hereswith''s Suitors, but the Elf had rejected him, even trampling on his pride and dignity as a man by calling him a One-Pump-Chump.


    This nickname spread among the Circles of Supremes, making him aughingstock.


    Back then, he felt quite regretful that he wasn''t the one whonded the killing blow on the foul-mouthed Elf''s body. Now that an opportunity had presented itself, he would make sure he put her in her ce.


    Although his steps didn''t make any sound, or indentation on the ground, he still made sure to time his steps every time the two Supremes attacked her, masking any kind of trace that still might be left behind.


    When he was only a hundred meters away from Hereswith, the middle-aged man took a step forward and instantly teleported behind Herswith.


    His silver dagger moved with deadly precision as he aimed at the beauty''s back, with the intention of piercing her heart from behind.


    It was at that moment when a loud roar reverberated in the battlefield.


    "Get your filthy hands off my daughter!" the Elven King smashed his fist into the invisible man''s face, sending thetter flying.


    The Elf King was so enraged that someone had actually dared to sneak attack his daughter from behind.


    At first, he didn''t n to do anything because he could tell that Hereswith had the situation under control.


    But, when the middle-aged man moved, the Elf King no longer hesitated and made his move.


    He gave his daughter a side-long nce before charging at the man with the intention to kill. There was no way he would stand idly and watch his daughter die a second time.


    The Elf King didn''t care if he had to make the entire world his enemy. If someone really nned to kill Hereswith under his watch, he would not hesitate to kill them and wage war on the organization backing them.


    Hereswith didn''t even bother to look at her father, but an extremely sweet smile was stered on her face.


    Truth be told, although the middle-aged man was invisible. Hereswith could see him just fine. As a Necromancer, she was very sensitive to the presence of the Living and the Dead.


    Even if the Supreme masked his actions, his movements were as clear as day to her. The only reason why she didn''t make a move was due to the fact that she also wanted to know if her father would simply be an observer in this battle, or if he''d get involved.


    It had been many years since she hadst seen him, and she wondered if he still cared for her as his daughter.


    Seeing his actions, and hearing how angry he was for her sake, the smile on Hereswith''s face widened.


    ''It looks like I still have a family waiting for me in Espoir Frieden,'' Hereswith thought.


    A secondter, her movements became quicker, overpowering the two Supremes that she was fighting.


    After seeing the middle-aged man and the Elven King fighting in the distance, the other Supremes started to move.


    The Divine Army of Light had allied themselves with several factions, including powerful kingdoms that had Supremes guarding their Domain.


    The only reason why they didn''t help the Divine Army at the very beginning was due to the fact that they felt that it was beneath them to bully the Half-Elf and the Half-Ling, who were merely a High-Ranker and an Apostle.


    But now, things were different. Hereswith was a Demigod after refining the body of the Fallen Seraphim, making her stronger than Supremes.


    Antero was a Peak-Demigod Monster, which many considered to be Immortal. Although the Golem was powerful, it was not as if he was invincible.


    People feared the Golem of Destruction due to his immortality. No matter how many of them tried to kill him, he would just reform and return the favor he got from those that had managed to destroy his body.


    Then, there was the Skeleton Queen.


    Hereswith''s Summon was also at the peak of the Demigod Rank. After observing her battle against the Beast King and the Lizard King, the other Supremes found out that the Skeleton Queen had a simr ability to Antero.


    She could also reflect powerful attacks on her enemies, making her a very dangerous opponent.


    Over a Dozen Supremes moved to join the battle, but they didn''t fight against Lux, Gaap, and Hereswith.


    They all fought against themselves.


    Some of these Supremes were the hidden Allies of the DIvine Armies, and those who fought against them were the Supremes that were indebted to Hereswith.


    Although the beautiful elf was foul-mouthed and unruly, it didn''t change the fact that she traveled thends of Elysium in order to help people and those that were in need.


    This was also why she was well loved, and many wanted to make her their lover. Unfortunately, Hereswith wasn''t someone that was easily moved by a person''s strength, standing, or background.


    Those who failed to make her their women felt that if they couldn''t have her, then no one else could be her lover.


    This mentality made them want to kill Hereswith, but they refrained from doing so because they knew Hereswith''s background.


    Only the Divine Army didn''t care about this, and went ahead with ending her life many years ago.


    "Faustina, take care of everyone here," the Dragon King stated. "I''m going as well."


    Without even waiting for Faustina''s reply, the Dragon King joined the chaotic battlefield, attacking the Supremes who were affiliated with the Divine Army.


    He owed Hereswith a favor, and now was the perfect time to return it. Soon, the spectators were forced to distance themselves from the battlefield again due to how utterly dangerous it was bing.


    Dozens of Supremes duking it out with each other wasn''t something you got to see everyday. But, no one dared toe close because if they did, they would just die a needless death due to their curiosity.


    In the midst of this chaotic battlefield, Lux was running away as fast as he could.


    The reason? Four Supremes were hounding him, and they were not an enemy that a High-Ranker like him could deal with easily.


    Asmodeus had told him that the teenagers, who had temporarily gained the power of Supremes, wouldn''tst long.


    As long as the Half-Elf was able to survive for ten minutes, his pursuers would implode after reaching their limit.


    Ten minutes might be a short span of time, but for the Half-Elf, every second made him feel as if he was one step closer to death.

 Chapter 982 The Beginning Of The End [Part 10]

    Chapter 982 The Beginning Of The End [Part 10]


    ''Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t!'' Lux cursed to himself as he flew away like a madd in an attempt to distance himself from the Four Supremes who were hounding his back like devils.


    Right now, he had no one to depend on aside from himself.


    "Die!" one of the teenagers shouted as he punched forward, sending a blow that would instantly obliterate a mountain.


    Lux summoned the Spear of Longinus and didn''t hesitate to dive down to the ground, burying himself in it.


    The Supreme''s attack wasn''t aimed at the ground, but the blow was strong enough to destroy the topography of thend.


    Fortunately, Lux had dug deeply enough, so he managed to survive a direct hit from the teenager''s merciless attack.


    After his attack ended, the teenager coughed and spat out a mouthful of golden blood. His face turned bloodless, but aside from that, he was still able to endure the power inside his body.


    "Be careful," one of hisrades said. "At most, we can only unleash two powerful attacks before we return to our God''s embrace."


    The pale-faced teenager nodded as he wiped away the golden blood that seeped out of the corner of his lips.


    "I will take him to the afterlife with me, even if it''s thest thing I do," the pale-faced teenager vowed.


    His otherrades nodded before looking at the ground.


    Even if they didn''tunch any attacks, their bodies would soon reach their limit, so they couldn''t afford to stay idle.


    Lux, who also understood this, continued to dig deeper on the ground. This was his only path to survival.


    Even if he had to dig until he reached the kingdom of Agartha, he would do it just to live another day!


    The Oracle, who was paying close attention to Lux, didn''t look too anxious as she held the Divine Bow in her hand.


    ''What you''re doing is futile.'' The Oracle sneered internally as she aimed in a certain direction. ''You are underestimating our Supremes. Do you really think you can escape just by hiding in the ground like a mole?''


    Three of the Supremes looked at the onlydy in their Ranks as if waiting for her to finish something.


    A giant magic circle had appeared on the ground, and the runes in it were glowing brightly.


    "Get into positions," the youngdy ordered.


    Immediately, two of the four teenagers flew in different directions and returned to the battlefield.


    The two remaining Supremes took a fighting stance as if they were preparing to unleash their strongest attack.


    The Oracle narrowed her eyes before letting go of the bowstring in her hand, sending her Arrow of Destruction flying.


    As if waiting for that cue, the youngdy shouted.


    "Now!"


    Immediately, the runes of the Magic Circle exploded into a shower of sparks.


    A momentter, the Half-Elf who was digging his way under the ground appeared above the Magic Circle. An expression of utter shock appeared on his face.


    Seeing that two powerful attacks were about to collide with his body, the Half-Elf decided to swap ces with one of his two clones.


    However, when he activated the skill, it didn''t trigger, which made his eyes widen.


    There was only one exnation for this, his clones had died, preventing him from swapping with their bodies!


    Just as the attacks of the two Supremes were about to hit Lux, his shadow moved, and the Half-Elf found himself standing hundreds of meters away from where he was hovering earlier.


    Draven, who was hiding in Lux''s shadow, forcefully swapped ces with his Master in order to allow him to survive.


    His Loyal Servant wasn''t even able to say hisst words when the attack of the two Supremes obliterated his body, killing him instantly.


    Lux, who felt his connection with the Shadow Sovereign get cut off, winced in pain as if a part of his flesh was torn off from his body.


    But before the Half-Elf could recover from the unexpected turn of events, he saw the ck arrow that was only inches away from his chest, giving him no time to dodge.


    "Checkmate," the Oracle sneered as her arrow pierced through her target''s chest, leaving a bloody hole behind.


    However, a look of surprise appeared on her face when she saw that the one her arrow hit was not the Half-Elf, but the Halfling who swapped ces with his Disciple at thest second.


    With everything happening so fast, it took Lux a while to register what had just happened.


    When he realized that his Master had swapped ces with him, taking the arrow that was meant to end his life, everything around him came to aplete stop.


    He was in a state of shock, and he could only look in disbelief at his Master''s body, which had frozen mid-air as blood sprayed off his chest.


    "N-No��"


    Words seemed to fail him as time started to move again, but this time, it moved at a snail''s pace.


    Lux''s body moved before he could even think, and at that exact moment, time finally returned to normal.


    "Masteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!" Lux roared as he turned into a lightning bolt, catching Gaap before his body hit the ground.


    The Half-Elf didn''t stop flying while holding onto his Master''s body, which was slowly starting to turn ck.


    Right now, Lux''s only goal was to get away from the Divine Empire as fast as he could in order to find a way to save his Master.


    However before he could do that, he felt four powerful presences lock onto his body.


    The four teenagers were now burning their remaining vitality as they caught up with the Half-Elf who was holding his Master in his hands.


    "Die!" the pale-faced teenager, who had taken the initiative to attack Lux at the very beginning, punched forward.


    A giant ming fist materialized in front of him and flew towards the Half-Elf.


    This attack contained all of his power, and a smile appeared on the pale-faced teenager''s face before cracks started to form in his body.


    "I''ll take you with me to the afterlife."


    Those were thest words that the pale-faced teenager said before his body exploded in a shower of sparks.


    Lux, who was about to get hit by the Giant Burning Fist, stopped flying and roared in anger.


    His Dragon Token hovered in front of him, but before he could activate it, a red beam of light collided with the burning fist, pushing it away from the Half-Elf.


    "I''ll take it from here," Dillon said as he stood on one of the Seven Heads of Teju Jagua, who had once obliterated the entirety of the Wolfpine Barony with a single attack.


    "Go."


    Lux nced at the ck-Robed Necromancer before flying away in haste.


    The three surviving Supremes wanted to catch up to him, but before they could do that, six red beams of light were fired in their direction, forcing them to dodge.


    "It seems that the Divine Army really thinks that they can do anything they want just because no one is standing up to them," Dillon stated.


    "Hmph! They''re lucky that we''re just too busy at the moment." A man wearing a red robe snorted. "Collecting the Stars of Cmity is not an easy task. If not for that, I would have pped these bastards silly sooner."


    The red-robed man was standing on the head of a Giant Boar with four tusks, and fangs that made it look like a tiger.


    This monster was none other than the Lord of the Hills and Mountains, who went by the name Ao Ao.


    Simr to Teju Jagua, it was one of the Beasts among the Seven Stars of Cmity.


    Although they were called Cmity Beasts, they were in fact Demigods that had been sealed due to the threat of their power.


    Memento Mori was trying to unseal all of them and, so far, only three of these Seven Beasts of Cmity had been freed from their shackles.


    The Third Beast of Cmity was still recovering from the effects of its seal, so it wasn''t sent to the Divine Empire to join the battle.


    However, Teju Jagua and Ao Ao standing side by side were more than enough to block the three Supremes who wanted the Half-Elf dead.


    Seeing that they were unable to pursue their target, the three teenagers took a fighting stance in order to unleash their strongest attacks.


    Dillon and hisrade scoffed at this futile attempt. In their eyes, these three kids were nothing they''d be afraid of.


    A few secondster, a loud explosion shook thends of the Divine Empire as the three teenagers and the Two Beasts of Cmity shed.


    When the dust settled, thend was destroyed beyond recognition, and yet, the two Beasts and their Masters werepletely unharmed.


    "Those who want to die, step forward," Dillon shouted. "Memento Mori will take you on!"


    "Don''t worry, even if you die, we will take good care of your bodies." The red-robed man sneered. "It seems that you all have forgotten why you are afraid to step out of your Divine Empire at night. I guess it''s about time for a wake-up call. You fools are not as strong as you think you are."


    The two members of the Divine Army raised their hands, and the two Beasts of Destruction opened their mouths.


    "Disappear!" Dillon stated.


    As if waiting for that cue, eight red beams of light flew toward the Divine City. Seeing this, the members of the Divine Army quickly soared toward the sky in an attempt to evade them.


    A secondter, a blinding sh of light covered the entirend with its brilliance, forcing everyone to cover their faces.


    It was followed by an earth-shaking eruption that made almost everyone turn deaf.


    When the light receded, the entirety of the Divine City could no longer be seen, and the Main Headquarters of one of the strongest organizations in the continent ceased to exist.

 Chapter 983 The Beginning Of The End [Part 11]

    Chapter 983 The Beginning Of The End [Part 11]


    After flying for several minutes, Lux finallynded on top of a mountain and hurriedlyid his Master on the ground.


    The Halfling''s breathing was slow andbored, surprising Lux a little, given the bloody hole through his Master''s chest, where his heart was supposed to be.


    Normally, it was not possible to survive such an injury, especially if their heart was not just stabbed but blown apart.


    "�� Lux," Gaap called out with difficulty. He attempted to raise his hand, but he struggled to even gather strength inside his body.


    "I''m here, Master," Lux replied as he held Gaap''s hand, holding it firmly. "I''m here. Everything is okay."


    "�� Mmm." Gaap hummed as ck blood seeped out of the corner of his lips.


    His entire body had nearly turned ck as if the Halfling bathed in ck ink.


    Only his neck and head still retained a bit of color, but Lux knew that it was only a matter of time before they, too, turned as ck as ink.


    "I don''t�� see Eiko anywhere�� Did you�� leave her�� in the Guild Headquarters?" Gaap asked despite the fact that he was having a hard time breathing, and talking.


    "She''s off to an adventure somewhere," Lux replied as a tear fell from the corner of his eyes. "I''m a bit worried about her, but I believe that she will return home safely."


    "Ah�� she left the nest." Gaap smiled weakly. "Good. You pamper her�� too much. She needs�� to grow up�� and see the world on her�� own."


    The Halfling paused before coughing a few times.


    "Lux, thank you for��ing into my life," Gaap said. "I always�� dreamed of having�� a Disciple. You�� made me�� very proud."


    "I''m also proud to be your Disciple, Master," Lux replied as more tears fell from his eyes. "Don''t worry. ckfire will definitely save you. Both of us will ensure that you get the best body possible."


    Gaap didn''t answer and only smiled.


    At that moment, a beautiful Elfnded beside the two.


    Hereswith then moved to gently ce Gaap''s head on herp and lightly brushed his head.


    "Ah�� Master. I missed�� you."


    Tears as ck as ink started streaming down the side of his face. He didn''t expect that his Master would appear during hisst moments again.


    "I missed you too, Gaap," Hereswith said with a sad smile on her extremely beautiful face. "I''m sorry that I left you alone to fend for yourself. I was a bad Master."


    Gaap started sobbing as all the pent-up sadness and loneliness that he had locked up in the deepest part of his heart and mind after his Master''s death rose to the surface.


    The Halfling was the only survivor of a war that killed his parents, friends, and acquaintances.


    When Hereswith found him, he was at death''s door after being pinned down by a wall that had fallen on his body.


    He was only nine years old at that time, and if not for her, he would have died that very day.


    Since then, he had followed Hereswith on her journey.


    For Gaap, Hereswith was not only his Master. She was his adopted mother, and he treated her like his one and only family member.


    This was why, when she died, Gaap felt as if there was a big hole in his heart that couldn''t be filled no matter what.


    Because of this, he made a deal with Antero, which the Golem of Destruction epted on a whim.


    Antero once belonged to Hereswith, and after her death, he was supposed to return to the Abyss as per their contract.


    However, after watching Gaap grow alongside the elf, the Golem of Destruction found the little Halfling pitiful.


    Also, Antero was also annoyed at the Divine Army for what they had done to Hereswith. He believed that even if you needed to y dirty in battle, there were certain bottom lines that shouldn''t be crossed.


    When they used Gaap as a hostage to kill Hereswith, even the Golem of Destruction was disgusted.


    This scene reminded him of his adopted daughter, Rhiannon, who had followed him through the Abyss hundreds of years ago.


    If someone used her as a hostage, Antero would definitely go all out to destroy that person. However, since he was feared in the Abyss, no one dared to touch the little Subus even if she was very weak at that time.


    Although Gaap and Rhiannon were very different from each other, the Golem knew that Hereswith treated the little Halfling like family.


    The beautiful Elf didn''t say anything and continued to gently pat Gaap''s head as the ck corruption started to spread across his face.


    "Master, I love you," Gaap said as a gentle smile appeared on his face.


    "I love you too, Gaap," Hereswith replied. "I will love you forever."


    Both of them loved each other as family, and this would not change no matter what.


    One by one, several colorful orbs of light flew out of Gaap''s chest andnded beside him.


    "Baal�� thank you for everything," Gaap smiled.


    "Thank you for trying to avenge Hereswith to the best of your ability," Baal replied. "It was an honor to serve you as my temporary Master."


    "Master," the Gothic Lolita, Carol, held Gaap''s free hand and cried. "I will miss you."


    "Carol�� thank you for always being there�� for me," Gaap replied. "Your herbal beverages�� are always delicious."


    Naberius, Tharin, and Adonis all knelt beside Gaap and thanked him for using his limited lifespan to avenge Hereswith.


    Gaap also thanked them for all the help they gave him when he was weak and struggling.


    "Master!" Hana was no longer able to say anything as she clung to Gaap and cried bitterly.


    "Hana, thank you�� for being part�� of my Covenant," Gaap said softly. "Please�� serve and protect Lux. He is�� a ma for�� trouble. I leave him�� in your care."


    A sigh escaped Gaap''s lips because he could feel his body turning cold. His entire body had already turned ck, including his hair and the whites of his eyes.


    "I free�� all of you�� from our�� contract," Gaap stated. "Return�� to your original�� Master."


    The members of Gaap''s Covenant all nodded their heads in affirmation, despite the fact that all of them had sad expressions on their faces.


    Seeing that his Master was about to die, Lux summoned ckfire.


    "Take Master," Lux ordered. "Before it''s toote!"


    The ck Coffin didn''t open its lid to absorb Gaap like it did whenever it wanted to devour someone.


    Instead, it lowered its head as if it was feeling extremely sad that it wasn''t able to obey his Master''s order.


    "What are you doing?!" Lux asked. He was truly feeling anxious because he felt that he was about to lose his Master forever. "Take Master now!"


    It was at that moment that he felt his Master lightly squeeze his hand.


    "It''s�� no use," Gaap said through gritted teeth. "Don''t�� me�� ckfire. I cannot�� be saved."


    "I see." Lux finally calmed down a bit. "I just need to wait until you die, right, Master? Once you die, ckfire can take your corpse and revive it. Also, I can capture your soul before you cross over. It is going to be fine. Yes�� things are going to be fine."


    Hereswith, who had kept her silence, shook her head.


    "No, Lux," Hereswith said. "You might have already sensed it. But Gaap''s soul is no longer inside his body. The fact that he is still alive despite his heart being destroyed is proof of it."


    "Grandmaster, I don''t understand," Lux was doing his best to prevent his voice from cracking up. "Both of us are Necromancers, right? How can we not revive Master after his death? Isn''t this impossible?"


    Gaap was about to reply, but Hereswith ced her finger over his lips before gently patting his head.


    "I will exin it to him for you," Hereswith stated because she knew that speaking was already very painful for Gaap.


    Her disciple was already dying, and even speaking was difficult for him. The least she could do was answer on his behalf.


    "Gaap didn''t have the power and authority tomand Antero," Hereswith stated. "He was also only a Grade-A Apostle, so it was impossible for him to supply him with enough magic to materialize in this world.


    "Since that was the case, there was only one source of power that he could use to allow the Golem of Destruction to enter this world. Lux, what do you think is powerful enough to barely sustain a Demigod to fight for a mere Apostle?"


    Lux pondered for a bit before finally connecting the dots. He had often wondered why his Master was only a Grade-A Apostle.


    With Gaap''s ability, he could easily be a Ranker with the forces under hismand. But, even after separating from Hereswith, his Rank remained the same.


    There was only one exnation for this. He was unable to increase his Rank no matter what he did.


    So, how can someone be stopped from being able to increase their rank? It was simple.


    Those who didn''t have a soul couldn''t increase their rank.


    Even Undead Monsters could be powerful because they had Beast Cores inside their body that served as their power source.


    In time, these Undead would also develop sentience, which would in turn be the catalyst for them to form souls of their own.


    "Antero," Lux said softly. "Antero is consuming Master''s soul."


    Hereswith smiled bitterly before nodding her head.


    "Yes," Hereswith confirmed Lux''s deduction. "This is why every time he is summoned, Gaap bes older. Antero uses the power of his soul to appear in this ne of existence. And now, Gaap has reached his limit. He can no longer be saved."


    The Halfling was smiling despite the fact that he would soon cease to exist��his soul would disappear, which meant that he couldn''t even enter the Cycle of Reincarnation.


    "Lux�� don''t avenge me," Gaap said as his legs started to turn into kes of ashes that were being carried away by the wind. "The Divine Army�� still serves�� a purpose. This is why�� Memento Mori�� is not making�� any moves�� to wipe them out."


    Lux''s vision blurred as his tears fell like rain. He didn''t promise Gaap anything for he knew that he couldn''t make that promise.


    Gaap, who seemed to have sensed Lux''s resolve sighed, but he no longer repeated his words.


    Half of his body had now turned to ashes, and he only had less than a minute to say his final goodbyes.


    "Master�� look after Lux," Gaap said softly. "He is�� more stubborn�� than you�� and me��bined."


    "I will do my best," Hereswith replied, as a tear fell from her eye, falling down on Gaap''s cheek. "Be at peace."


    "Thank you�� Master." Gaap smiled. "Lux. Live�� a great life�� and die�� a great death."


    Those were thest words that Gaap said before his entire body crumbled and turned to ashes.


    A gust of wind blew and sent his remains flying to the sky, leaving nothing behind.


    Lux finally broke down as the tears that he had been holding back flowed like a river.


    Hereswith wrapped her arms around her Grand Disciple''s head and pulled him to her chest.


    The beautiful Elf was also crying just like Lux. She had done her best to appear calm in order to not make Gaap sad during hisst moments. However, how could she possibly not feel sad?


    How could she possibly not feel heartbroken?


    Her Disciple had sacrificed his soul in order to avenge her, so how could she not be moved?


    The two held onto each other as they both wept bitter tears.


    For they knew that one of the most important people in their lives had disappearedpletely, never to be revived or be seen ever again.

 Chapter 984 The Elf King’s Invitation

    Chapter 984 The Elf King��s Invitation


    The Elven King sighed as he watched her daughter hug her Grand Disciple in a tight embrace.


    He wanted to talk to Hereswith, but seeing the two Necromancers mourning, he knew that this wasn''t the right time.


    The Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Pce hovered in the air, not far from the Elf King.


    A few other Supremes, who owed Hereswith a debt in the past, were also there and simply observed the beautiful Elf from afar.


    No one dared to make a move to console her and the Half-Elf, whose face was buried in her chest.


    The two members of Memento Mori observed the two from afar and acted as their guards.


    After destroying the Divine City, the members of the Divine Army no longer pursued Lux and Hereswith in fear that the other Supremes would join the two members of Memento Mori in fighting them to the death.


    They already lost their Main Headquarters, dozens of Saints, and thousands of Rankers. Any move that would add more to the death count would be foolish, especially now that they realized that there were many powerful factions who would choose to side with Hereswith and prevent them from harming her.


    Valerie was also in tears when she saw how heartbroken Lux was. If possible, she wanted nothing more than to hold him in her embrace, but she knew that now was not the time and ce to do that.


    Aur felt the same as Valerie. He had known how much Lux cared for his Master, proved by how much he had done and how he dared toe to the Divine Empire in order to save him.


    He couldn''t even imagine how much effort it took for Lux to raise his rank in a short period of time.


    The Dragon Prince was also very surprised that Lux was able to fight toe to toe with anyone below the Supreme Rank. The red-headed Half-Elf was certainly one of a handful of individuals who were capable of such a feat.


    It was not only Aur who was impressed by the Half-Elf''s performance.


    The other Supremes, as well as the Saints, who were their subordinates, had seen how Lux fought against all odds.


    When they realized that he was the Heaven''s Necromancer that the World Wide Announcement had mentioned, their interest in him grew even more.


    Victor and Tristan were also there, observing the Half-Elf from afar.


    ''Good thing I didn''t try to suppress him by force back then,'' Victor thought as he wiped the imaginary beads of sweat that formed on his forehead.


    Although Lux had shown a great deal of fighting prowess when he fought the Beast Tide that threatened the Xeno Kingdom, it seemed that he wasn''t using all of his abilities.


    If Victor were to really muscle his way in and force Lux to leave her daughter alone, the Half-Elf might have summoned his Cmity-Ranked Subordinates to p Victor silly, making thetter lose face in front of his family.


    Tristan, who was now aware that the person branded a Heretic by the Divine Army was actually his little sister''s fiance, didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry.


    With such a powerful brother-inw, their Xeno Kingdom would definitely grow to be a powerful faction in Elysium in a few years.


    However, Tristan also understood that the Half-Elf was a double-edged sword.


    Although Lux was strong, had an extremely beautiful Grandmaster, and seemed to have close rtionships with powerful factions, it also meant that he had many enemies.


    These enemies could easily wipe their kingdom from the face of Elysium. Having thought of this, Tristan felt that his future brother-inw was a walking time bomb that could blow up in their faces at any given time.


    "Father, what should we do?" Tristan asked with a conflicted look on his face.


    "Let''s ask your mom when we return home," Victor replied. "Whatever her decision will be, I will support it."


    Tristan nodded because he found this answer fair. Their mother was the real decision-maker of their family because, among all of them, she was the most level-headed.


    Two hourster, Lux finally regained a semnce of calmness, allowing Hereswith to help him stand up.


    At that exact moment, several figuresnded a few meters away from the two Necromancers.


    "Hereswith, where do you n to go after this?" The Elf King, Kazimir, asked.


    Hereswith didn''t answer right away. Instead, she lightly patted the head of her Grand Disciple, whose head was still resting on her chest.


    "Lux, do you want toe with me to Espoire Frieden for a while?" Hereswith asked. "The air there is very fresh, and the scenery is superb. Also, the Elvish Wines are very good. Drinking them will knock you out, and help you forget�� for a short while."


    Lux didn''t answer, as tears continued to stream down the side of his face. Right now, he felt so drained and didn''t care much about anything.


    After spending a month of continuously grinding and farming Beast Cores, he rarely had a moment of rest.


    Beforeing to the Divine Empire, he only had two hours of sleep, and the dark circles under his eyes were proof of how exhausted and sleep-deprived he was.


    Right now, he wanted nothing more than to shut himself out from the world and sleep in order to not think about his Master''s death.


    Seeing that the Half-Elf was not in the right state of mind to make a decision, Hereswith nced at her father and smiled.


    "Father, my Grand Disciple and I will be staying in Espoire Frieden for a while," Hereswith stated. "I''m expecting that you will give us the best hospitality that the Elves can offer."


    "Of course," King Kazimir replied in a heartbeat, fearing that Hereswith might change her mind if he didn''t give a positive reply. "We will open the best wine casks and prepare the best food for you and your Grand Disciple."


    Hereswith nodded before shifting her gaze to Valerie and Aur, who had tear stains on their faces.


    Although she had been sleeping inside ckfire, her mind was quite awake and aware of her surroundings.


    ckfire also shared images of the outside world in her dreams, so she was well aware of who Valerie and Aur were.


    "Both of you are Lux''s friends, right?" Hereswith asked with a smile. "How about you apany him for a while in Espoire Frieden? I promise you that it will be a wonderful experience. Will you be fine with this arrangement, Father?"


    "You can bring as many people as you like," King Kazimir replied. "The doors of our kingdom are open to them."


    The Dragon King, as well as the Steward of the Crystal Pce, nced at Valerie and Aur. Truth be told, it was a very rare opportunity to visit the Kingdom of the High Elves.


    Now that the Supremes of the continent had chosen their side, forming diplomatic rtionships with other ces was a needed step to form strong alliances.


    All of them were connected through their ties to Hereswith and Lux. They were not really allies and only worked together due to the favor that they owed her.


    But since an opportunity had presented itself, it would be foolish to reject such a wonderful offer.


    "Faustina, apany Valerie to Espoire Frieden," the Dragon King said through telepathy. "Ali, Ari, make sure to keep an eye on my daughter."


    """Yes, Your Majesty!"""


    Lady Augustina lightly patted Aur''s shoulder before ncing at Poro and her subordinates.


    "The Elven King had given us an invitation," Lady Augustina said softly. "Since that is the case, it will be a good idea to let Aur learn from their culture. Poro, take the others and ensure his safety."


    """Yes, Your Excellency!"""


    The other Factions also made their intentions known of joining the celebration in Espoire Frieden.


    The High King didn''t mind allowing these powerful people to enter his kingdom to form connections.


    Now that the world was entering a New Era, forming New Alliances would benefit all of them.


    After making the necessary arrangements, Valerie, Aur, and their entourage traveled with Hereswith and Lux to Espoire Frieden together.


    As for the Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Pce, they would remain in their territories to handle the aftermath of what had just happened in the Divine Empire.


    Things were going to be chaotic for a time while the dust settled.


    Until then, they would need to remain in their respective territories and ensure that no one would take advantage of the chaos to involve their Domains in their petty schemes.

 Chapter 985 I’m Rooting For You, So Do Your Best

    Chapter 985 I��m Rooting For You, So Do Your Best


    Since there were more people with them, the High King of the Elves took a different route to bring everyone to the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden.


    The journey took three days, but no oneined. They were all excited as almost all of them, with the exception of the Elves, had never set foot in this legendary kingdom that was said to be as old as the Primordial Era.


    The High Elves kept to themselves, and although they interacted with other races, it was very rare for them to invite people to enter their kingdom.


    Just like Agartha, Karshvar Draconis, and the Crystal Pce, there were strict requirements that must be met before anyone was allowed to enter their Kingdom.


    If not for the fact that the High King of the Elves was personally escorting so many people, the Elf Guards would have attacked without asking any questions.


    The High-Elves prided themselves for being superior to the other races, simr to what the Dragons think about their race.


    However, unlike the Dragons, the Elves were easier to interact with. Even so, entering Espoir Frieden, which they consider as their Holy Land was not an easy task.


    Countless guards escorted their King, and his guests, back to the Royal Pce.


    When they saw that their supposed to be dead Princess was among the guests of their King, none of them could help but look at her as if they had seen a ghost.


    The beautiful Elf found this reaction funny, and even yfully waved her hand at the guards and her people, who hade to watch their arrival.


    Several minutester, they arrived at the Royal Pce. The Prime Minister personally took care of their guests and led them to their temporary residences.


    Hereswith, on the other hand, took the liberty to take Lux, Valerie, Aur, Ali, and Ari, to her Private Vi, which had dozens of rooms in it.


    Lady Faustina and Poro, who were tasked with guarding the Dragon Princess and the Dragon Prince, could only look at each other and shrug helplessly.


    They were not worried that their wards would be harmed inside the Elven Kingdom, for it would mean a war of unimaginable proportions.


    Also, they trusted Hereswith to a certain extent. They were certain that the beautiful Elf would safeguard Valerie and Aur to the best of her ability.


    Hereswith was currently the strongest person in Espoir Frieden due to her being at the peak of the Demigod Rank.


    Even her father, the Elf King, wasn''t as strong as she was, so with her around, no one in the Elf Kingdom would even dare to threaten the Dragon Princess and Dragon Prince unless they had a death wish.


    "Lux, you will be staying in this room," Hereswith said as she picked the Master Bedroom that was supposed to belong to her. "Valerie, Aur, Ali, and Ari, you will be staying here as well. Don''t worry, this room has six bedrooms, so all of you can stay together without problems."


    Hereswith didn''t want Lux to be cooped up alone because she didn''t want him to fall intoplete depression.


    Having people whom he had a close rtionship with nearby would definitely help him recover faster.


    Valerie blushed at the realization that she would be staying under the same roof as Lux. However, since Aur, Ali, and Ari would be there as well, she regained herposure right away.


    Aur didn''t mind this arrangement because he also wanted to be with Lux. He knew that he would always be there for him.


    Ali and Ari were also fine with this setup because it would give their Princess a chance to squeeze her way inside Lux''s heart, while the Half-Elf''s defenses were at their lowest.


    Both of them knew that Lux was heartbroken due to Gaap''s death.


    Although they felt like it was cheap to use this opportunity to allow their Princess to get close to Lux, they also understood that there was no better time than now to make it happen.


    Valerie had always been cooped up inside the Dragon Pce and was always guarded by countless Rankers and Lady Faustina.


    Now that their guards were not around, they would be able to get away with a few encounters, which might just help Valerie gather the courage to confess her feelings to the Half-Elf.


    "I''ll tell the servants to bring some food and drinks here," Hereswith said. "This room also has a private underground spring. It''s big enough to hold a dozen people, so feel free to soak together. The more the merrier!


    "Don''t worry, this ce has a special enchantment. No one can hear anythinging out from this residence, nor can they pry on what is happening inside it."


    The beautiful Elf then lowered her head to whisper something in Valerie''s ears.


    "I''m rooting for you, so do your best," Hereswith whispered. "Good luck!"


    Hereswith pulled back and winked at Valerie, which made thetter''s face turn beet red.


    After saying what she wanted to say, Hereswith left them alone and went to look for the strongest wine avable in the Castle''s inventory.


    Just like Lux, she wanted to drown herself in wine. Maybe she''d momentarily forget the heartache that she was feeling.


    "I''ll be sleeping for a bit," Lux said without even bothering to look at his friends as he randomly picked one of the bedrooms to sleep.


    Valerie and Aur looked at his back with sad expressions on their faces. If possible, they wanted to console him, but they had a feeling that Lux wanted to be alone right now.


    Because of this, they decided to hold back for the time being and give him some space.


    "Let''s go and choose our room, Mistress," Ali said. "Although there are many rooms here, Ari and I nned to sleep with you. Are you okay with that?"


    Valerie nodded. "I''m fine with that."


    Ali and Ari then chose the bedroom that was right beside Lux''s and opened the door.


    The two were pleasantly surprised to see a veryrge bed that could easily fit a dozen people.


    The room was spacious and even had its own bathroom,plete with all the amenities.


    While the threedies were inspecting their room, Aur chose the room that was on the left side of Lux''s bedroom.


    The room that Aur chose was simr to the room that Ali and Ari had chosen. It had the samerge bed, as well as the bathroom that had everything he needed.


    Although it didn''t show on his face, the Dragon Prince was also quite exhausted from their journey, so he decided toy on the bed to rest.


    Thinking that Lux was sleeping in the room beside his own, Aur felt at ease and immediately fell asleep just a few seconds after his head rested on the pillow.


    But before he fell into sleep''s embrace, he thought of the handsome Half-Elf and smiled.


    Simr to Ali''s and Ari''s ns, he also wanted to get closer to Lux and help him ovee his sadness.


    Aur hoped that by doing so, he would be able to get a closer to the Half-Elf, whom his father had chosen as his Champion


    A Champion who would help save two worlds from Minion the Outer God, a being who nned to end their existence and destroy Elysium and Sis, leaving nothing behind.

 Chapter 986 What Now?

    Chapter 986 What Now?


    Lux woke up in the middle of the night and was momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar room he was currently in.


    It took him a while to remember where he was and why he was there. However, after his memories gathered, a sigh escaped his lips.


    He then stood up from the bed and looked at his blood-stained robes, which he still hadn''t changed out of since the end of the battle in the Divine Empire.


    It was at that moment that he remembered his Grandmaster mentioning something about an underground spring inside the residence.


    Lux opened the Elysium Compendium and checked the map to see where it was located.


    A few minutester, the Half-Elf descended the stairs that led to the underground spring.


    When he arrived at his destination, he unceremoniously removed his clothes and entered the spring water, creating sshing sounds as he walked towards the stone located at its center.


    It was at this moment that he realized that he wasn''t the only person in the spring.


    "W-Who is there?!" Aur, who noticed that someone had entered the spring, hurriedly covered his body with a bath towel before crouching down, submerging his body underwater.


    Lux looked at the Dragon Prince, whose face, for some reason, had turned beet red as he stared at his naked body.


    Currently, only Lux''s legs were submerged underwater, leaving his naked middle and upper body bare for Aur to see.


    "There''s no need to feel panicked or anxious," Lux said. "It''s just me. I didn''t know that you''re this fidgety, Aur."


    Lux then continued to walk until he was only a meter away from the Dragon Prince before sitting down, leaning his back on the boulder that was located at the center of the spring.


    When he opened his Elysium Compendium earlier, he saw that Aur was bathing in the spring. Seeing that the Dragon Prince was alone, he decided to join him since both of them were boys.


    Lux then casually washed his arms, chest, and neck with the hot spring water before sighing.


    "This water feels good," Lux said softly. "I feel that my exhaustion is being washed away."


    Aur, who had somewhat regained his calm, eyed the Half-Elf with concern.


    He could tell that Lux wasn''t as lively as he used to be and only kept up appearances. The Half-Elf''s aura was also very weak, like a candle that was about to burn out.


    But before he could even say words offort to the red-headed teenager, Lux looked in his direction and smiled.


    "You''re weird, Aur," Lux said. "Why are you covering your entire body with a bath towel in a hot spring? Is the mighty and handsome Dragon Prince feeling insecure about his body?"


    The Half-Elf had said these words in a teasing tone, which made Aur have the strong urge to smack him.


    ''Why do you think I am covering my body?!'' Aur clenched his right fist underwater. ''Isn''t it because you came here unannounced!''


    Lux, who had no idea that the Dragon Prince was very tempted to smack him, eyed Aur up and down.


    "You always wear robes that cover your entire body," Luxmented. "I''m not gonna lie, I expected that your body was lean and toned, but looking at you now, you look very delicate."


    Aur had wrapped his body with his bath towel, covering his chest, and lower half, leaving his shoulders and arms bare for Lux to see.


    Suddenly, and without any warning, Lux held Aur''s arm and used his free hand to caress it.


    "Strange. You don''t have any muscles," Lux muttered. "Also, your arms are so soft and smooth. It is very femin��ack!"


    Aur smacked the side of the Half-Elf''s face with his palm, making thetter release his hold on him to rub his face.


    "Sorry, I was just curious," Lux stated as he rubbed his face. "I was in the wrong for not asking for permission to touch you."


    "I-It''s fine," Aur who had smacked Lux''s face subconsciously broke out of his daze and tried to smooth things out. "I''m just not used to being touched by men."


    "Oh? So you''re always being touched by women?" Lux chuckled as he leaned his head on the boulder. "As expected of a Dragon Prince, you are surrounded by beauties."


    Aur wanted to say that Lux had misunderstood, but in the end, he decided that it wasn''t worth it to correct him.


    The two then sat in silence as they soaked in the hot spring waters.


    Suddenly, Aur broke the silence and offered to wash Lux''s back.


    The Half-Elf didn''t find any problem with this, so he nodded his head and allowed the Dragon Prince to wash his back.


    Lux closed his eyes and enjoyed Aur''s soft hands on his back. It was then when he realized that the Dragon Prince might not be a warrior, but a mage.


    The reason? His hands weren''t rough and calloused, which was a typical trait of those who wielded martial weapons.


    While Aur was washing Lux''s back, he noticed that tears were flowing down the Half-Elf''s closed eyes.


    Although the Dragon Prince wasn''t sure, he thought that Lux wasn''t aware that he was crying. It gave him the strong urge to hug him, which his body subconsciously did.


    However, due to his unexpected movement, the bath towel that was covering his body became undone and fell on the water.


    Aur didn''t notice this and hugged Lux from behind.


    "I''m sorry for your loss," Aur said softly as he hugged Lux tightly. "I wanted to console you, but I didn''t want to sound superficial. I know that you cared deeply, and respected your Master, even going so far as to go to the Divine Empire to save him.


    "That act alone is worth more than a thousand words, and it resonated in my heart. I''m sorry, I wasn''t strong enough to help you. I wish I could have done more. Perhaps, things might have ended differently."


    Aur closed his eyes and held Lux close to him. He didn''t notice that he was no longer wearing the bath towel, and his body was pressing against the Half-Elf, as he held onto him tightly.


    Lux, who was feeling mncholic, felt two soft mounds pressing on his back.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t in the right state of mind to wonder why Aur''s chest was soft like marshmallows when it should be firm and hard.


    The two stayed like this for several minutes.


    Seeing that Lux was still hurting, Aur could no longer hold himself back and moved in front of the Half-Elf.


    He then wrapped his arms around the red-headed teenager''s head and pulled him close to his chest.


    Aur then lightly patted Lux''s back, encouraging him to cry and let all the pain that he was feeling, out of his system.


    Half an hourter, Lux lightly patted Aur''s back, signaling to him that he was feeling better.


    The Dragon Prince reluctantly released his hold on the Half-Elf''s head and looked at him with concern.


    "Aur, I''m sorry," Lux said as he looked at the Dragon Prince with a serious expression on his face. "If I had known earlier, I wouldn''t have done the things that I have done to you."


    "It''s fine," Aur said with a sad smile. "Both of us are friends. This is the least I can do for you."


    Lux had aplicated look on his face as he held the Dragon Prince''s gaze.


    However, as if to make sure that his guess was right, the Half-Elf''s gaze moved down to look at the Dragon Prince''s chest, which made thetter subconsciously follow Lux''s gaze.


    When Aur looked down on his chest his body immediately stiffened.


    Without saying anything, the Dragon Prince hurriedly stood up and left the scene in haste without even giving the Half-Elf a second nce.


    Lux could only watch as his friend''s smooth and perky backside faded from his sight after a few seconds.


    A momentter, Lux summoned Hana, who appeared in the hot spring with white bandages covering her chest.


    "She''s a girl, right?" Lux asked as if asking for a second opinion.


    Hana nodded. "She is."


    "�� What now?" Lux inquired.


    "That will depend on her." Hana shook her head. "I just hope that things won''t escte outside of your control, Master."


    After saying those words, Hana disappeared leaving the Half-Elf alone in the hot spring.


    Lux looked at the floating bath towel, which Aur had used to cover his body in a daze.


    A few minutester, he also left the hot spring, feeling cold, despite the fact that the water had been keeping him warm, not so long ago.

 Chapter 987 No One In Elysium Is More Beautiful Than Me

    Chapter 987 No One In Elysium Is More Beautiful Than Me


    When morning came, Valerie wondered why she couldn''t find Aur anywhere inside their residence.


    Ali and Ari, who were always beside the Dragon Princess, naturally had not seen the Dragon Prince either.


    "Lux, have you seen Aur?" Valerie asked the Half-Elf, who was eating the Elven Kingdom''s special egg drop soup made from the eggs of a colorful bird that was said to put anyone to sleep after they heard its song.


    The Half-Elf didn''t reply right away as he recalled what happened several hours ago.


    "No," Lux answered. "Maybe he had something to do and went to look for Poro."


    Valerie, who thought that Lux''s answer held some logic in it, didn''t inquire any longer and ate alongside Ali and Ari.


    Because she was too focused on her food, she failed to notice that the tips of Lux''s ears had reddened quite a bit.


    After eating, Valerie asked Lux what he wanted to do. The Dragon Princess wanted to help Lux momentarily forget Gaap''s death by looking at the different attractions of Espoire Frieden.


    Unlike Karshvar Draconis, the Elven City was on a different level of beauty. Even the buildings were like a work of art.


    Although her Kingdom had its own natural wonders, when it came to aesthetics, the Elven Race won, hands down.


    "I have no ns for the day," Lux replied. "Why don''t we tour Espoir Frieden together?"


    "Let''s!" Valerie was very happy when Lux took the initiative to ask her out on a date.


    Of course, it wasn''t technically a date since Ali and Ari were going with them, but it still made her happy.


    As if waiting for that moment, a knock was heard on the door of their residence.


    Thinking that it was Aur, who had returned for breakfast, Ali opened the door without asking who it was.


    However, instead of the Dragon Prince, a beautiful Elf who had a little resemnce to Hereswith smiled and introduced herself.


    "We have already met, but I''m not sure if you remember my name," Lorelei said. "My name is Lorelei, and I am Aunt Hereswith''s niece. My Aunt had asked me to give all of you a tour of Espoir Frieden if any of you are in the mood for it."


    Lorelei nced at Lux, who was focused on eating his Egg Drop Soup.


    He didn''t even give the young and beautiful Necromancer a nce, which made her sigh.


    ''He must still be devastated by the loss of his Master,'' Lorelei thought as she eyed Lux. ''I just hope that he recovers soon. Memento Mori and the Divine Army are about to enter their second Cold War.''


    Truth be told, the Divine Army didn''t use their other Trump Cards during the battle. They had underestimated Lux and Memento Mori so much that they didn''t bother to bring their big guns, thinking that it would be overkill.


    They would never use an Axe to butcher a chicken, or use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.


    It would be beneath them, and they thought that their allies and manpower would be enough to handle everything.


    None of them expected that Hereswith would make her appearance as a Demigod.


    The moment she appeared, the entire chessboard was flipped over.


    The Supremes, who had decided to spectate at first, joined the battle, which made thingsplicated.


    Also, the Elf King, the Dragon King, as well as the Steward of the Crystal Pce, moved to join Lux''s side, forcing the Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army to revise their strategy.


    Although the Divine Army was expecting Memento Mori to make an appearance, they didn''t expect that they would be bringing two of the Seven Stars of Cmity to fight them.


    Simply put, the Divine Army had suffered a massive loss, even losing their Divine City, as well as their Main Headquarters.


    Instead of a glorious celebration for their Founder''s Day, what they got was an anniversary of its destruction.


    Although they hated Lux, none of them dared to provoke him right now, especially now that the delicate bnce of power between the factions of Elysium was broken.


    Lorelei, who understood this, waited until Lux and Valerie finished eating before taking them on a tour of their beautiful kingdom.


    As the group took a stroll around the city, Valerie noticed that some of the Elves were looking at Lux with disgust, contempt, and disdain.


    Although they didn''t make any move to taunt him or call him out, this reception made the Dragon Princess very irritated.


    Originally, she nned to enjoy sightseeing inside the city, but after seeing that nearly all the Elves were looking at the Half-Elf as if he was some kind of reject, the Dragon Princess finally snapped.


    Valerie asked Lorelei to show them things outside of the city so that Lux''s mood wouldn''t worsen.


    Lorelei felt a little apologetic about this because she hadpletely forgotten that Elves looked down on Half-Elves. Elves took pride in their bloodline, so in their eyes, a Half-Elf like Lux was beneath them.


    Lux didn''t mind these stares and couldn''t be bothered by the opinions of others. However, he was touched by Valerie''s attempt to protect him from the disdainful stares of the Elven Race.


    Lorelei summoned a giant colorful bird, which they used to fly out of the city.


    Lady Faustina and the members of the Royal Guard followed discreetly after they sensed Valerie''s presence.


    For a brief moment, Lux momentarily forgot his sadness after looking at the beautiful sights in front of him.


    It was truly a beautiful sight to behold, and he even wished that his fiances were there with him to see these picturesque wonders of the Elven Lands.


    They returned to their temporary residence an hour before sunset.


    The Elf King had prepared a Grand Feast for his guests, and Lux and the others were required to join the festivities.


    They all knew that this was a good time to form solid alliances between the factions of Elysium, so establishing connections was of great importance.


    Hereswith was waiting for them in their residence to give them the clothes that they would be wearing for the party.


    She followed Valerie inside her room and asked the Dragon Princess something with a mischievous smile on her face.


    "Why don''t you reveal your true face at this party?" Hereswith asked. "I''m sure that Lux will be happy to see it."


    Valerie, who didn''t expect Hereswith would be able to see through her disguise, almost panicked, but the beautiful elf onlyughed and patted the youngdy''s shoulders.


    "Is there a reason why you are hiding your appearance?" Hereswith asked with genuine curiosity.


    Valerie nodded. "Actually, my father and mother told me to always wear a disguise every time I leave the Dragon Pce. They said that I was too beautiful for my own good. Both of them are afraid that I will be mobbed by people."


    "That''s it?" Hereswith blinked.


    Valerie nodded. "Yes."


    "Then you don''t have to worry," Hereswith said. "I mean, no matter how beautiful you are, you can''t possibly be more beautiful than me, right? It''s simply not possible. After all, no one in Elysium is more beautiful than me."


    Ali and Ari, who heard Hereswith''s narcissistic statement, wanted to refute her, but they couldn''t.


    Hereswith was indeed more beautiful than the Dragon Princess, but they still believed that Valerie''s beauty would still be enough to cause trouble at the party hosted by the Elven Race.


    None of those present would dare touch Hereswith because she was a Demigod and her father was the Elven King.


    However, Valerie was a green-house beauty who had yet to see the world. If she were to appear using her true appearance, then they were certain that all the eligible Elves of the Elven Race would forget about their disdain for other races and line up to have the opportunity to talk and dance with her.


    In the end, Valerie decided to keep her in-looking appearance. She didn''t like to let anyone see what she truly looked like, with the exception of Lux.


    After what had happened in the Divine City, Valerie thought that she didn''t want to lie to the Half-Elf anymore.


    She wanted to show him her true appearance and wanted him to know about her feelings. However, she wasn''t a very courageous or bold person.


    Right now, she was still doing her best to gather up her courage to make it happen.


    She hoped that before they left the kingdom of the High Elves, she would be able to ovee her fears and be a pir to support the Half-Elf, who had just lost someone very important to him.


    ---------------


    Important Announcement: Book 1 of Wizard World Irregr is now avable in Amazon Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcopy. Thanks for everyone who support the novel.

 Chapter 988 Oh My, The Womanizer Is Here

    Chapter 988 Oh My, The Womanizer Is Here


    Valerie, Ali, and Ari arrived at the Great Hall of the Elven Royal Pce, escorted by Lady Faustina and the other Saints of the Dragon Race.


    Disguised with a in-looking face, the most attention Valerie received from the High Elves and other guests were mere passing nces.


    On the contrary, Ali and Ari, her handmaidens, were more eye-catching than her, earning a few favorable looks from Elven Nobles.


    The two handmaidens were true beauties in their own right. They were simply not fond of dressing up and making themselves look too presentable since they always apanied Valerie whenever she snuck out of the Royal Pce.


    Valerie scanned the surroundings and finally saw Aur, whom she hadn''t seen for the entire day, sitting with the envoys of the Crystal Pce.


    The handsome Dragon Prince looked exceptionally breathtaking tonight, which made some of the singledies in the event hall look at him with flushed faces.


    "I am honored to have you here, Lady Faustina," King Kazimir said with a smile, and then he subtly moved his gaze to Valerie, giving the youngdy a nod of acknowledgment.


    Lady Faustina had already talked with the Elf King, requesting for him to not pay too much attention to Valerie because she didn''t want their Princess to be in the limelight.


    Because of this, the Elf King didn''t call her out and simply nodded his head to greet her.


    Valerie smiled and also nodded her head in greeting. Ali and Ari did the same as they stuck close to their ward.


    After escorting them to their table, the Elf King greeted the other guests, especially those who had apanied them back from the battle in the Divine Empire.


    The Dragon Princess looked at her surroundings, hoping to see Lux, but the Half-Elf was nowhere to be seen.


    After giving them the clothes that they would wear to the party, the beautiful Elf kidnapped her Grand Disciple and dragged him away.


    She said that she had something special prepared for Lux, so they would be a littlete to the party.


    "I''ll get us something to eat," Ali said before standing up to head to the buffet area where special Elven delicacies wereid out for everyone.


    Faint music reverberated in the surroundings as the Elf Performers yed their musical instruments to liven up the atmosphere.


    When the performance ended, the Elven King made a short speech and thanked everyone foring to the party to celebrate Hereswith''s return to the Elven Kingdom.


    A minute after the Elf King''s speech ended, all the lights in the event hall suddenly dimmed, which caught everyone by surprise.


    Just as the High King was thinking what could have possibly gone wrong, a spotlight shone towards the top of the staircase.


    The moment everyone''s gazended on the two individuals that were on top of the staircase, they felt as if their breaths had been taken away by such a beautiful sight.


    Hereswith, who was wearing a white and green ball gown that bared her smooth shoulders and back and highlighted her voluptuous chest, made all the men look at her like wolves who had found their prized prey.


    Standing beside her was a handsome, red-headed Half-Elf, who was wearing white princely clothes. A faint smile could be seen on his face, and his eyes, which were as green as the leaves of the world tree, captivated thedies who saw them.


    Valerie couldn''t help but blush due to how handsome Lux was.


    Even Aur, whom many Elfdies considered to be extremely good-looking, couldn''t keep his gaze off the Half-Elf, whom he had been avoiding since their encounter in the hot spring.


    Hereswith ced her hand on Lux''s bicep as the two walked down the stairs with steady steps.


    They were like Celestials descending from the Heavens in order to join the mortals in their celebration.


    The Elf King and Elf Queen looked at their daughter with love and affection. They hadn''t seen Hereswith for many years, and both of them wanted nothing more than to hold her tight.


    However, they reined in their emotions in order to keep the dignity of the Elven Royal Family.


    They could embrace each other behind closed doors, but it would not be appropriate in the presence of everyone, who had traveled from all corners of the Elven Kingdom just to see the return of their Elf Princess, whom many loved�� and hated, at the same time.


    When they arrived at the base of the stairs, the two continued to walk until both of them were at the center of the dance floor.


    Lux bowed to his Grandmaster before cing his right hand on her waist and holding her hand with his left.


    A melodious music yed, and the two began to dance, mesmerizing the crowd.


    Hereswith wanted everyone to see her Grand Disciple, so she purposely made this arrangement to introduce him to everyone.


    She knew about the discrimination directed against Half-Elves, so she decided to send everyone a subtle message that anyone who dared to badmouth or harm her Grand Disciple would face her wrath.


    When the music ended, the two beautiful people bowed to each other, and a resounding apuse reverberated inside the event hall.


    Lux then held his Grand Master''s hand and led her towards her parents.


    Before the Elf King could even praise Lux and Hereswith for that wonderful dance, the Half-Elf spoke something that made the extremely beautiful Elf giggle.


    "Father, Mother, thank you for giving birth to Hereswith," Lux said in a monotonous tone. "I will make her happy for the rest of her life."


    King Kazimir and Queen Eurydice blinked once, then twice, as they looked at the handsome Half-Elf, who seemed to have just asked them for their daughter''s hand in marriage.


    After regaining hisposure, the High King sighed and looked at his daughter with a fed-up expression on his face.


    "Hereswith, you never change," King Kazimir stated. "You still make things difficult for people. Can''t you show mercy even to your own Grand Disciple?"


    Lux, who had just followed along with what Hereswith had instructed him to do earlier, looked at his Grand Master with a calm expression on his face.


    "Grand Master, it seems that your prank didn''t work," Lux said. "Can I go now?"


    Hereswith affectionately patted Lux''s head and smiled. "Okay. But don''t leave the party and go off somewhere. You promised me."


    Lux sighed before reluctantly nodding his head.


    "Go, make sure to treatdies well," Hereswith smiled. "Don''t worry. I will make you take responsibility no matter what."


    "Grand Master�� what are you talking about?"


    "Nothing."


    Hereswith giggled before she lightly pushed Lux''s back towards Valerie''s table.


    Knowing what his Grand Master was trying to do, the Half-Elf obliged and made his way towards the in-lookingdy, who had breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that Lux''s earlier deration was only a prank forced on him by Hereswith.


    Valerie didn''t know why, but she felt a sense of anxiety when she thought that Hereswith wanted to marry Lux.


    It was as if something very important was being stolen from her, and she didn''t like it one bit.


    "Oh my, the womanizer is here," Ali said in a teasing tone as soon as Lux sat beside Valerie.


    "Hide thedies, hide the little girls," Arimented. "This Half-Elf will attack anyone wearing a skirt."


    Lux snorted. "Since both of you are wearing a skirt, does that mean that I will attack you as well?"


    Ali and Ari exchanged a nce before looking at Lux in disdain.


    "Do you even have the guts to do it?" Ali chuckled. "Even if I strip naked in front of you, I doubt that you''ll be manly enough to make a move."


    "Heh~ how about we put it to the testter?" Ari smiled sweetly. "Bet you a million gold coins that you won''t evenst five minutes after looking at my drop-dead gorgeous body."


    Lux rolled his eyes at the two beautifuldies taunting him. He knew that Ali and Ari were just joking, so he didn''t take their words to heart.


    Instead, he looked at Valerie and smiled.


    "That dress looks good on you Valerie," Lux said. "You should wear beautiful dresses more often."


    "Uwah�� what ame pickup line." Ali shook her head. "3 points."


    "I''ll give him 4 points for the effort," Ari remarked. "At least heplimented Valerie, so he gets one extra point."


    Valerie, who was very happy after being praised by Lux, red at her two handmaidens, who immediately averted their gaze and shut their mouths.


    Aur looked at this scene from his table with a frown. He also wanted to sit down with his friends and chat with them.


    But every time he was about to do it, he would remember the scene of what happened in the hot spring, making him unable to look at the Half-Elf in the eyes.


    This made him very conflicted, so he simply resigned his fate to stay at their table and watch Lux and Valerie from afar.


    Poro, who noticed his reaction, only clicked his tongue before ncing in the Half-Elf''s direction.


    He already had a feeling that Aur was starting to develop feelings for Lux.


    But since their Steward wasn''t doing anything, he decided not to intervene and let nature take its course.

 Chapter 989 Can I Eat?

    Chapter 989 Can I Eat?


    "And that was how our ship, the Billy O'' Tea, fought off the whale that almost dragged us down to the bottom of the sea," Captain Jack Spawow said. "So, my darlings, the moral lesson of the story is, don''t drink rum when you go whaling, understand?"


    "Aye!" Eiko replied.


    "Yar!" Fei Fei answered.


    The two Baby Slimes both had pirate hats on top of them, and Eiko was even wearing an eye patch.


    Captain Jack Spawow was quite happy to have the two stowaways, who had snuck onto his ship the night they sailed out to sea, on board.


    The Pirate Captain was naturally familiar with the two Baby Slimes who decided to be part of their Pirate Crew, so he happily amodated them.


    "Listen to me, Eiko, Fei Fei," Captain Jack Spawow said after taking a swig of his rum. "We are headed to Pirate Enve where the baddest and meanest pirates who have sailed the Seven Seas will be gathering for a conference.


    "A special Domain was discovered at sea, and many believe that it is where the Pirate Captain had hidden his greatest treasure. Isn''t that right, Jibbs?"


    "Aye, Captain," Jibbs replied. "ording to the rumors, the great treasure was hidden by Uncle Roger, which he called, the One Cheese."


    "Cheese?" Eiko tilted her head. "I like cheese."


    "I''m sure you do, darling." Captain Jack Spawow smiled. "But it''s no ordinary Cheese. Back in the Pirate Golden Era, the warring Pirates of the Sea fought for this Cheese before they were united under the Pirate King''s banner.


    "But that time is now nothing but in the past, and the Pirate Era seems to be nearing its final curtain call. The Great Fleet of the Ford Federation has finally decided to wipe us all out and is currently sending all of their battleships to the Pirate Enve."


    Jibbs and the other pirates all had solemn faces as they listened to their Captain. They were among the few who had answered the call of the various Pirate Warlords who had sent the rallying call to all Pirates for onest stand at the Pirate Enve.


    "Make them go boom?" Eiko summoned a small st bomb and showed it to Captain Jack Spawow, which thetter happily took and tossed up and down on the palm of his hand.


    "Well, that''s the n." Captain Jack Spawow grinned. "But they also have Boom Booms on their side. I heard that they are also gathering Supremes to ensure that none of us will be able to escape.


    "Well, don''t worry, Darling. When things get tough, you and Fei Fei can just escape. I''m sure that they will turn a blind eye to two babies like you."


    Suddenly, Eiko sensed something and immediately climbed up to the top of the Main Mast of the ship.


    Fei Fei followed her, and soon, the two Baby Slimes looked in the distance.


    At first, the mist was blocking their view, but a few minutester, they saw it.


    Countless bones of Giant Sea Monsters were piled up on top of each other, forming Bone Inds that jutted out of the water.


    "We call this ce, the Sea King''s Graveyard," Captain Jack Spawow said as hended beside the two Baby Slimes who were looking at the bone inds in front of them. "ording to legend, a great war between the Sea Kings was fought here.


    "ording to hearsay, whenever a Sea King felt that their life was about to end, they would visit this ce and make it their final resting ce. As to whether that story was true or not, no one was able to confirm."


    Suddenly, Eiko did something unexpected.


    "Bomber!"


    Eiko summoned his Floating st Bomb and jumped on top of it.


    "Go!" Eiko ordered.


    Bomber then flew towards one of the Bone Inds as per Eiko''s order. The moment the Baby Slimended on the ind, she used the skill Undead Generator [EX], which she had permanently copied from her Papa''s Skill List.


    When Lilian was teaching Eiko the Fairy Princess Legacy, Eiko learned the skill, Copy Skill [Epic].


    This skill gave Eiko the power to copy a skill from one target, permanently.


    At first, Lux thought that his Baby Blime would copy his Skill Evolution [EX] because it was the best skill in his arsenal.


    Also, it worked perfectly with the Copy Skill ability since it would automatically upgrade any skill that Eiko could learn.


    However, to his surprise, Eiko chose to copy his Undead Generator [EX] instead, which dumbfounded the Half-Elf.


    When Lux asked Eiko why she didn''t choose the Skill Evolution skill, the Baby Slime only told him that she didn''t need to copy it because she would always be with her Papa when she learned skills.


    Because of this, gaining the Skill Evolution skill wouldn''t benefit her in any way.


    Lux wanted to refute, but since this was Eiko''s decision, he no longer objected to her will.


    Several rows of text appeared in front of the baby slime as the Giant Bone Cauldron materialized in front of her.


    ��������������������


    < Thank you for using Undead Generator, your one-stop generator for creating any type of Undead Creature. Choose the option that you wish to use in creating your Undead Creature. >


    < Options 1 - Create Random Undead using materials. >


    < Options 2 - Create an Undead Monster of your choosing, using ingredients as catalysts. The more materials you sacrifice, the more powerful this creature will be. >


    < Which Option do you wish to choose? >


    < Option 1 / Option 2 >


    ��������������������-


    "Option 2!" Eiko answered.


    ��������������������-


    < A minimum of two materials can be used for fusion. There is no maximum limit for materials in creating an Undead Monster. Do you wish to create your Undead Monster now? >


    ��������������������-


    "Un!" Eiko nodded.


    ��������������������-


    < Take note that there is a possibility of having an ident while fusing. Sometimes, the Undead Species that you will generate from this ident is exceptionally weak or could be exceptionally strong. >


    < Detectingrge quantity of Monster Bones in the surroundings! >


    < Do you wish to use these Monster Bones as ingredients for your Undead Creation?>


    < Yes / No >


    ��������������������


    "Yes!" Eiko answered.


    ��������������������


    < Gathering Ingredients Phase Initiated! >


    ��������������������


    The Giant Bones in her surroundings slowly rose up in the air and were absorbed by the Bone Cauldron like a ck hole.


    Eiko wasn''t idle and immediately started throwing st Bombs inside the Bone Cauldron to add to its ingredients.


    Bomber did the same, as per Eiko''s orders.


    Captain Jack Spawow and his Pirate Crew could only watch this scene in disbelief, not expecting that something like this would happen on their way to the Pirate Enve.


    They had no idea what Eiko was doing, but something was telling them that they were about to witness something phenomenal.


    The Bone Inds slowly disappeared from the surroundings as all the bones above and under the water were all gathered by the Bone Cauldron.


    When the Pirate ship arrived next to Eiko, Fei Fei jumped off the ship andnded on top of Bomber.


    She also started throwing st Bombs because it looked fun.


    While the two Baby Slimes were throwing st Bombs left and right, several rows of text appeared in front of Eiko, which made the Baby Slime stop throwing her st Bombs.


    ��������������������


    <I detected four Demigod Beast Cores underwater. >


    < Do you wish to add these Beast Cores as ingredients for your Undead Monster? >


    < I highly suggest that you do! >


    ��������������������


    The Giant Bone Cauldron seemed to have gained a consciousness of its own after discovering the incredible boon underwater.


    However, when Eiko heard the words Beast Core, she immediately thought of eating them.


    "Can I eat?" Eiko asked in an innocent tone.


    < It would be a waste of precious ingredients. I highly advise that you don''t eat it. >


    "Not eat?" Eiko suddenly became sad. "How about Lick?"


    <��.>


    "Please?"


    <�� Okay. >


    A giant skeleton hand emerged from within the Giant Cauldron and went to grab something deep underwater.


    A few minutester, it presented something to Eiko��a Beast Core that was at least three meters tall.


    The Baby Slime was very tempted to eat it, but since it promised to only lick the Beast Core the Eiko proceeded to lick it like a candy.


    Fei Fei did the same, and after a few seconds of licking, the two Baby Slimes both learned a skill from it.


    Eiko learned the skill Sea Queen''s Command, which allowed her tomand a hundred sea creatures that were of the same Rank as her or lower.


    Fei Fei, on the other hand, learned a passive skill called Sea Explorer, which allowed her to dive underwater and travel to its deepest parts without suffering from water pressure.


    After the two Baby Slimes learned the skills, the Giant Skeleton Hand dropped the Demigod Beast Core inside the Giant Cauldron before once again grabbing something from the Sea Floor.


    "Captain, am I dreaming?" Jibbs asked. "Did those two Baby Slimes just lick a Demigod Beast Core?!"


    "It''s not a dream, Jibbs," Captain Jack Spawow said as he took another swig of his rum. "It seems like we are in for a big surprise."


    The Giant Cauldron had detected four Demigod Beast Cores from the ocean floor, and it intended to use all four of them as ingredients to create Eiko''s Undead Monster.


    Captain Jack Spawow looked at the Giant Cauldron with a smile because he was looking forward to seeing what kind of creature would be born from such a powerful fusion.


    The Giant Hand emerged from the sea and presented another Demigod Beast Core to the two Slimes.


    Naturally, Eiko and Fei Fei didn''t hesitate to lick it before the Giant Hand proceeded to drop it inside the Giant Cauldron, which was already emitting golden sparks due to the high-quality ingredients that it had absorbed from its surroundings.

 Chapter 990 I Can’t Be That Shameless, Can I?

    Chapter 990 I Can��t Be That Shameless, Can I?


    Four days after Eiko, Fei Fei, and Captain Jack Spawow arrived in the Sea King''s Graveyard��


    "Can you see that, Eiko, Fei Fei?" Captain Jack Spawow pointed at the ind in front of them.


    "Aye!"


    "Yar!"


    Captain Jack Spawow grinned. "That is the Pirate Enve. I''m sure that both of you would want to explore it, but it will be best if you don''t wander off on your own. Either I apany you, or you let Jibbse with you. These are troubled times, Darlings. Everyone is on edge, and we don''t want those gruff Pirates to mess with the two of you, okay?"


    Eiko and Fei Fei nced at each other before nodding their heads.


    "Aye, Captain!"


    "Aye!"


    Jack Spawow breathed a sigh of relief internally.


    Truth be told, he was not at all worried about the safety of the two Baby Slimes.


    On the contrary, he was more worried about the safety of the Pirates who would antagonize Eiko and Fei Fei!


    ''I pity the fools who''d end up annoying these two babies,'' Captain Jack Spawow shook his head. ''You can''t really judge a Slime by its color.''


    Captain Jack Spawow and his crew wouldn''t forget what happened four days ago.


    If not for the fact that they all witnessed it, the Pirate Captain would have thought that it might only be a dream. But he clearly remembered being drunk with rum at that time and then being abruptly pulled into sobriety real quick when that happened.


    An hourter, the Pirate Ship arrived at the docks, and Captain Spawow and Jibbs disembarked.


    Naturally, Eiko and Fei Fei went with them because the two were very curious about the Pirate Ind.


    Captain Jack Spawow went straight to the biggest building on the ind, which was where the Pirate Conference would be held.


    They still had a few hours before the start of the meeting, but he decided to go early in order to see if his "friends" had already arrived.


    After scanning the meeting ce, Captain Jack Spawow noticed a group of four people and called out to them.


    "Shane, Francesca, Britton, and Qing!" Captain Jack Spawow shouted. "You buggers are still alive? How did you escape the Ford Federation?"


    "Zip it, Jack," Shane growled. "We''re not in the mood for your jokes."


    "Don''t mind Shane, Jack," Francesca said with a smile. "He almost got caught yesterday, so he''s still in a bad mood."


    Shane snorted but didn''t rebuke the middle-aged Pirate Woman whomanded one of the strongest pirate fleets in the Seven Seas.


    "Seeing you so peppy brings back old times, Jack," Britton, who was a muscr man with sun-kissed skin and standing at two meters tall, smiled. "It''s good to see that you''re still alive and kicking."


    "What''s good about seeing this coward?" a handsome man, who seemed to be in histe thirties, asked. He was none other than Qing, and he was the Captain of the Red-Shark Pirate Fleet.


    "Oh? You''re calling me a coward, Qing?" Captain Jack Spawow snorted. "You have the balls to say that when your crew specializes in hit-and-run tactics? Very funny."


    "At least we still hit our targets." Qing scoffed. "Unlike you who just runs away when things go South."


    Captain Jack Spawow wagged his fingers at Qing.


    "That''s not cowardice, my dear Qing," Captain Jack Spawow replied. "It''s called a strategic retreat."


    "Whatever." Qing drank a mug of mead before belching.


    Captain Jack Spawow looked at his formerrades with a nostalgic look on his face.


    ''Who would have thought that the group who used to hunt Whales in the open seas would be the most feared pirate captains in the Seven Seas,'' Captain Jack Spawow mused. ''It''s truly unfortunate that the old man isn''t here to see this. I''m sure that he would be jumping for joy in his grave.''


    There was a time when Captain Jack Spawow, Shane, Francesca, Britton, and Qing, were part of the crew of the Whaling Ship called Billy O'' Tea.


    After their Captain''s death, the group disbanded and became Pirates. This transition from being honorable whalers to notorious pirates was something that surprised Captain Jack Spawow even to this day.


    Still, all of them had no regrets.


    They were doing this to avenge their old man who had been framed and executed just because he had offended a Marquee of the Ford Federation.


    Captain Jack Spawow sighed before ncing at his surroundings. There, he saw other famous pirates who had made a name for themselves.


    Mankie D. Buffy


    Tit Mama


    Blue Beard


    Baggy


    Mohawk


    Hani Cock


    Kuma Kuma


    Crocodine


    mingo


    There were many other pirates that he didn''t recognize, but all of them were exuding strength that made him smile.


    ''They''re all Saints,'' Captain Jack Spawow thought. ''But are they enough to overturn the situation? If my sources are right, the Ford Federation will be sending a Supreme to help wipe us out.''


    The Pirate Captain''s gaze thennded on Eiko and Fei Fei, who were currently eating the bread and cheese on the table, which made him smile.


    ''Well, if worstes to worst, I can always take Eiko and Fei Fei to run away,'' Captain Jack Spawow mused. ''But I have a feeling that as long as Eiko is with us, we have a chance.''


    The Pirate Captain then scratched his cheek when he realized that he was putting his hopes on a Baby Slime to help them ovee this cmity that was about to fall on their heads.


    ''I can''t be that shameless, can I?'' Captain Jack Spawow shook his head helplessly. ''Well, at least they didn''t skimp on the rum.''


    The Pirate Captain went to pour himself a drink and refill his cask with some rum.


    Since there were still a few hours before the meeting started, he nned to drink a lot in order to temporarily forget what was happening around them.


    As countless Pirate ships began to arrive in the Pirate''s Enve, the battleships of the Ford Federation were gathering at the Special Domain that they had discovered.


    They believed that this was the ce where the Great Pirate King, Uncle Rogers, had buried his treasure.


    A treasure that was said to hold the power to dominate the Seven Seas, and give those who were able to wield it the ability to gain near-godlike powers.

 Chapter 991 Late Night Drinking Party [Part 1]

    Chapter 991 Late Night Drinking Party [Part 1]


    Meanwhile at the party in Espoir Frieden��


    Lux swirled the wine in his ss before taking a sip.


    Truth be told, he wanted to drink until he was dead drunk yesterday, but his Grandmaster ordered him to sleep first and dy his drinking urge until they held their weing party in the Elven Kingdom.


    Seeing that he was about to finish his second ss of wine, Ali shook her head before tugging on Lux''s clothes.


    "Why don''t you invite Valerie to a dance?" Ali asked. "Look at her, she looks bored of this ce."


    The Half-Elf nced at Valerie who was currently being hand fed by Ari with grapes. The in-looking girl had a happy look on her face because she found the grapes of the Elven Kingdom very sweet and delicious.


    "She doesn''t look bored to me," Lux replied before drinking thest of the wine in his ss. "But why not?"


    The red-headed teenager stood up and walked towards Valerie and asked her to dance. She didn''t mind dancing with Valerie because she had be one of his closest friends in Karshvar Draconis.


    Immediately, the youngdy''s face turned beet-red, but she still nodded her head to ept Lux''s invitation. She had been wanting to dance with Lux, but she didn''t have the courage to ask him.


    Ali, who was doing her best to be a wingman, exchanged nces with her sister.


    Ari, who understood what Ali did, nodded her head in understanding.


    "Don''t worry, I have a n," Ari whispered to her sister after Lux and Valerie had gone to the dance floor. "We will let Lux drink as much wine as he can. I''ve heard that the Elven Wine is so strong that it can intoxicate even a dragon. Of course, we will also let Valerie drink a ss or two. I don''t know how high her alcohol tolerance is, but I''m pretty sure that it''s not that high."


    Ali nodded. "Good n. Make sure to go to the kitchen to ask for two jars of wine when we retire for the night."


    The two handmaidens knew that their mistresscked the courage and boldness to tell Lux her feelings.


    Because of this, they nned to make Valerie drunk so that she would lose her inhibitions and give her that boost to make her feelings known.


    Aur, who saw Lux escort Valerie to the dance floor, looked at his two close friends with envy. If possible, he also wanted to dance. But due to his circumstances and what happened between him and Lux, he was finding it hard to be even near him.


    In the end, Aur decided to just get himself drunk with wine in order to gain the courage to approach the Half-Elf and talk to him normally.


    Hereswith, who was paying close attention to her Grand Disciple, only smiled after seeing this scene.


    As a Demigod, disguises didn''t work on her.


    She had seen Valerie''s true face, as well as the things that Aur was hiding.


    The beautiful Elf found all of this quite amusing, but it wasn''t her ce to expose Valerie and Aur.


    She only wanted the best for Lux, especially after what happened to Gaap.


    After losing her one and only Disciple, Hereswith vowed to herself that she would keep Lux safe and ensure that he would be able to live a happy life with the people who loved him.


    ''Don''t worry, Gaap,'' Hereswith thought. ''I will look after him in your ce.''


    The hours passed by, and soon, Lux, Valerie, and Ali returned to their residence.


    Ari didn''t go with them because she went to the kitchen to get some more wine.


    There were still two hours until midnight, but they decided to continue their own drinking party inside their temporary residence.


    ����������������������


    Outside the Royal Kitchen��


    "That b*tch Hereswith needs to be put in her ce," an Elf Woman said as he handed two vials to one of the maids of the castle. "She''s been drinking a lot, and soon, she will run out of wine. Make sure to put this in the two jugs of wine that you will give herter. I want her to embarrass herself while she''s in front of so many people."


    The maid epted the two vials that contained purple liquid.


    "What is inside these vials, Lady Anika?" the maid asked.


    "Aphrodisiac," Lady Anika replied. "But these are not ordinary Aphrodisiacs. It''s the Passion Poison, which can make even adult Dragons go into heat, and make them lose their sanity. I can''t wait to see that b*tch Hereswith make a fool of herself. Now, go and make sure that no one sees you. I don''t want this to be traced back to me, understand?"


    "Yes, Lady Anika." The maid bowed and left.


    ����������������������


    Inside the Kitchen��


    Everyone in the kitchen was busy preparing food for the guests, so the maid was able to slip in without too much effort.


    She then made her way to the rows of wine jugs that were prepared to be brought to the Event Hall. She sneakily nced at her surroundings.


    Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she subtly poured the contents of the vials into the two wine jugs in front of her.


    After making sure that not even a single drop had been wasted, she hurriedly stored the vials inside her pocket and carried the wine jugs out herself.


    As soon as she left the kitchen, she found Hereswith walking in her direction with a mischievous look on her face.


    "Is that wine?" Hereswith asked. "The wine in the event hall is almost gone, so I came here to get my own. Can I have those, please?"


    "Of course, Your Highness," the Maid replied as she handed the two wine jugs to Hereswith with a smile.


    "Thank you. You''re a lifesaver." Hereswith smiled back before walking away.


    The maid watched her go before going away to meet with Lady Anika to make her report.


    Just as Hereswith was about to return to the Event Hall, she saw Ari walking in her direction.


    "Ari? What are you doing here?" Hereswith asked.


    "I''m here to get some wine, Your Excellency," Ari replied. "Lux and Valerie wanted to continue drinking in our residence. We don''t really mingle with the crowd here��if you know what I mean."


    Hereswith nodded her head in understanding.


    "Alright. Take these two jugs then," Hereswith stated. "Make sure to let my cute Grand Disciple drink as much as he can until he gets knocked out, okay?"


    "You can count on me, Your Excellency," Ari replied with a smile.


    After bowing to Hereswith, the beautiful handmaiden turned to leave. Now that she had already gotten what she hade for, she could now go back to their assigned residence.


    Hereswith also turned back and went to the kitchen to get her own jugs of wine. It had been a while since she had drunk Elven Wine, so she nned to drink as much as she could until morning came.


    Just as Ari was returning to the residence, she met Aur along the way, whose face was flushed from drinking.


    Since the handmaiden had a good impression of the Dragon Prince, she told him about their drinking party at their residence and invited him to join them.


    Aur, who was feeling guilty about avoiding Lux for the entire day, agreed and apanied Ari back to their quarters.


    He wanted to apologize and have a private talk with Lux about his secret.


    Since this was the perfect opportunity to do so, he decided toe clean and tell the Half-Elf the truth.


    Of course, since he treated Valerie as a close friend, he also decided to share his secret with her. That way, she would not feel too burdened whenever all of them were together.


    As Ari and Aur made their way back to their friends, the Maid, whom Lady Anika had bribed to spike Hereswith''s drink, made her report.


    The Elven Ladyughed before hurriedly going to the Event Hall.


    She wanted to be on the front row when Hereswith shamed herself.


    As someone who had been on the receiving end of the Elf Princess'' vulgar words, Lady Anika wanted nothing more than to see Hereswith shame herself in front of the important members of the Elven Race.


    Especially in front of the Royal Family, who had put together this party to honor their daughter''s safe return to their kingdom.

 Chapter 992 Late Night Drinking Party [Part 2]

    Chapter 992 Late Night Drinking Party [Part 2]


    [Disimer: You know the drill.]


    "Cheers!" Ari raised her wine ss.


    """Cheers!"""


    After Ari arrived at their temporary residence, everyone headed to Lux''s room in order to start their mini-party.


    They already asked the pce servants to bring them some snacks, so they were only waiting for Ari. Once she hade with the wine, theirte-night drinking party officially started.


    Valerie looked at her wine ss with genuine curiosity.


    "Can I really drink wine?" Valerie asked Ali, who was refilling Lux''s ss with more wine.


    "Of course, you can," Ali replied. "But drink moderately. Don''t worry. We won''t tell Lady Faustina about it."


    Getting assurance from her friend, Valerie no longer hesitated and drank her wine.


    "It''s so sweet!" Valerie said after drinking nearly half of the wine in her ss. "I think I like this wine."


    Aur, who was already a bit tipsy from drinking during the party, ced his empty wine ss on the table, which Ali refilled right away.


    After making sure that all the sses were filled, Ali drank the wine in her ss before giving it another refill.


    Ari was also drinking with a smile on her face. Compared to spending time socializing with the big shots of Elysium, she preferred this kind of small private party with friends.


    Lux, who had also drunk a lot of wine at the party, continued drinking because he wanted to be dead drunk. That way, he''d be numb and not think of anything.


    Truth be told, he still couldn''t process Gaap''s death, and it still hadn''t registered to him that he was really gone.


    However, when he was at the party and dancing with his Grandmaster, he suddenly realized that he wouldn''t be able to see his Master ever again, which made him want to drink to oblivion.


    Valerie, Aur, Ali, and Ari understood what Lux wanted to do, so they decided to apany him to drink.


    The five of them ate and drank till midnight, not caring about what was happening at the party in the Event Hall.


    If they were there, they would notice a certain Elf Noble, who went by the name Anika, looking at Hereswith in confusion.


    She had just watched the beautiful elf finish four jars of wine, yet thetter still looked pretty fine.


    ''Was the Aphrodisiac I got defective?'' Lady Anika thought. ''It shouldn''t be. After all, I bought it from a Grandmaster Alchemist. Since that''s the case, why isn''t it working?''


    Lady Anika had been wanting to see Hereswith''s fall from grace and was even feeling incredibly smug about what she did.


    However, as the hours passed, her confusion only grew, which made her wonder if the maid that she had bribed didn''t follow her orders properly.


    ''That b*tch, I will deal with herter!'' Lady Anika angrily left the Event Hall.


    Clearly, she wasn''t happy that she wasn''t able to see Hereswith''s shameful behavior, which would ruin her image among the Nobles of the Elven Race.


    ��������������������


    Meanwhile, inside Lux''s bedroom��


    Aur groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. She found herself lying on the carpeted floor of Lux''s room.


    (A/N: Since you guys already know, from this point onwards, I will be referring to Aur as SHE).


    Her head was aching, so she lightly rubbed her forehead with her hand to ease the pain she was feeling.


    It was at that moment when she noticed a piece of clothing on the floor, which made her frown.


    Soon, she saw more pieces of clothing scattered across the carpeted floor, further confusing her.


    Suddenly, she heard something in the direction of the bed.


    When her gazended on the ce where the noise wasing from, Aur thought that she was just seeing things.


    ''Am I dreaming?'' Aur thought as she looked at the unbelievable scene in front of her.


    However, the pain in her head made her realize that she wasn''t dreaming, which made her body stiffen after realizing that what she was looking at was real.


    Lux was sitting on the side of therge bed.


    Vrie was seated on his right, and Ali was on his left.


    The Half-Elf was currently kissing Valerie on the lips, while Ari was nibbling his ear.


    Aur''s gaze thennded on Ari, who was kneeling on the carpeted floor and watched thetter''s head bob up and down near Lux''s mid-region.


    All four of them were naked, and the Half-Elf had his arms wrapped around Valerie''s and Ali''s waist, holding them in ce.


    Aur watched as Lux''s hands slowly moved upwards and cupped the two naked girls'' breasts. A momentter, he started groping and kneading them, making Valerie whimper and Ali suck in a deep breath.


    Lux stopped kissing Valerie and shifted his attention to Ali. The beautiful handmaiden kissed Lux passionately, while her Mistress panted for breath as Lux teased and pinched her nipple.


    After kissing Ali, Lux raised Valerie''s body a bit higher and unceremoniously suckled her right breast, making the Dragon Princess subconsciously wrap her arms around his head, not knowing what else to do with the strange sensations that felt both familiar and unfamiliar to her.


    Ari, who was busy sucking the Half-Elf''s shaft, had a flushed expression on her face. This was her first time doing something like this to a man, but for some reason, she just couldn''t stop herself from monopolizing Lux''s member for herself.


    As she was using her tongue to pleasure the Half-Elf, she felt his shaft twitch inside her mouth.


    Lux grunted as he released his seed inside Ari''s mouth.


    The handmaiden, who was already expecting something like this to happen, closed her eyes as she swallowed Lux''s essence to the best of her ability.


    A minuteter, a popping sound was heard inside the room as Ari pulled her soft lips back. She then gazed at the glistening manhood in front of her and gave it a kiss.


    Lux, then wrapped his arms around Valerie and made her sit on hisp.


    He kissed the in-looking girl repeatedly and nted a kiss mark on her neck, making her gasp.


    He had drunk a lot of the wine, and his body was burning up with desire and lust due to the aphrodisiac. They had discovered this fact a bit toote, and even though they tried to resist it, it was simply too strong.


    It had blurred theirmon sense, and the only thing on their mind right now was to indulge in each others'' bodies until the effect of the Aphrodisiac was removed from their system.


    Valerie cupped Lux''s face, and something unexpected happened. The in-looking girl transformed into an angelic beauty right before Lux''s eyes, making the Half-Elf''s heart skip a beat.


    The Dragon Princess was very different from her usual bashful self, and it was as if a switch inside her head had been flipped.


    There was a tinge of wildness in her eyes as she looked at the man she loved.


    A seductive smile appeared on Valerie''s face before she moved her head to whisper something in Lux''s ears.


    "Make me pregnant," Valerie whispered like a devil, filling Lux''s mind with a temptation that he couldn''t resist. "You will take responsibility, right?"


    Lux didn''t answer. Instead, he ced his hands on Valerie''s backside and raised it up.


    The Dragon Princess nted a kiss on Lux''s forehead as a sigh escaped her lips.


    She could feel something hot and hard rubbing on her entrance, and she was certain that once this night was over, the sweet dream that she had been having from time to time was about to be a reality.

 Chapter 993 Tasting The Forbidden Fruit [Part 1]

    Chapter 993 Tasting The Forbidden Fruit [Part 1]


    "Make me pregnant. You will take responsibility, right?"


    Lux looked at the angelic beauty''s face, who was looking back at him with love and affection.


    "Okay," Lux replied despite the haze that was clouding hismon sense.


    He knew that all he needed to do was to thrust his hips once, and Valerie''s chastity would be no more, making him her first man.


    But just as he was about to do it, a pair of hands wrapped around Valerie''s body and pulled her away just in time before the Half-Elf''s hips thrust upward.


    Ari giggled as she held Valerie in his arms and looked at Lux in a mischievous manner.


    "We can''t have you do that, Lux," Ari said in a teasing tone. "We are the Princess'' handmaidens so��"


    "So�� before you get to her," Ali said as she sat on Lux''sp, wrapping her arms around his head and staring at his green eyes that were tinged with lust. "You have to get past us first. We are her first andst line of defense."


    Lux smiled in a devilish manner before pecking Ali''s lips once.


    "So be it," Lux said in a dangerous tone, which made Ali''s heart beat wildly inside her chest. "Don''t regret your decision."


    Ali smiled seductively.


    "It is you that I should be asking that question," Ali said softly as she looked at the man who was about to conquer her. "Don''t regret it."


    "I won''t."


    "Good."


    This time, Lux firmly held Ali''s waist, making sure that she wouldn''t be going anywhere.


    Valerie watched as Ali took the initiative to lower her hips, offering her first time to the red-headed teenager, with whom she had developed feelings for.


    At first, Ali and Ari only wanted Valerie to be happy, so they did their best to support her feelings for Lux. However, as they got to know the Half-Elf better, the two handmaidens found themselves falling for him as well.


    Lux was handsome, powerful, and very caring.


    Sometimes, they would wonder how someone as kind as him was a Necromancer.


    He wasn''t a bloodthirsty person, ruthless, nor had a desire for dominion.


    Simply put, he was too good of a man to pass up.


    Originally, they thought that they would grow old and remain single for life while taking care of their gullible and kind Princess. But now, things were different.


    She had be one with him, and her heart was telling her that she found the person that would love her for the rest of her life.


    Although there was pain, a promise had been born between them.


    Seeing her pained expression, Lux kissed her gently and affectionately.


    His kisses were so sweet that they made Ali forget the pain that she had felt a minute ago.


    Sensing that the beautiful handmaiden was no longer in pain, Lux started to move his hips, sending shivers running down Ali''s spine.


    Valerie, Ari, and Aur, who were watching this unfold, felt their bodies heat up.


    ''I need to prepare Valerie,'' Ari thought. ''Lux might be too big for her.''


    Ari, who had lovingly sucked Lux''s member earlier, knew how strong and amazing it was. Since it was going to be their Princess'' first time, she decided to prepare her for the inevitable.


    Valerie, who suddenly felt Ari''s hand ying with her entrance, shuddered.


    The handmaiden was actively stroking the mes of lust and desire that were burning inside the Dragon Princess'' chest, whose body was starting to heat up even more.


    Aur, who was suffering from a headache earlier, finally started to feel a tingling sensation in her lower abdomen.


    The effect of the Aphrodisiac had been dyed because she had fallen asleep, but it was now descending in full, making her bite her lip.


    Ari, who noticed a movement behind her, looked at the other Dragon Princess, who started to touch herself through her clothes.


    ''I wonder if Lux will also eat her up,'' Ari thought.


    From the beginning, Ali and Ari knew that Aur was a girl. They weren''t ordinary handmaidens because they had the ability to "see" the reality of things, so disguises, illusions, and invisible creatures couldn''t escape their sight.


    However, they didn''t point this out because this was Aur''s privacy. What she did with her life was none of their business. As long as the Dragon Princess of the Crystal Pce didn''t hurt Valerie, they wouldn''t do anything to expose her secret.


    As Ali''s moans of pleasure became louder, Lux''s movements became rougher.


    Suddenly, the handmaiden''s body arched like a bow, pressing her body down more, ensuring that Lux could reach her deepest part as waves of pleasure momentarily made her nk out.


    At that moment, Ali felt something hot seeping inside her body, making her shudder.


    She then felt Lux''s arms wrap around her, as he pulled her close to him.


    "Do you have any regrets?" Lux asked as he patted Ali''s head that was resting on his shoulder.


    "No," Ali weakly replied. "It felt good."


    Lux nted a kiss mark on Ali''s neck, making thetter close her eyes.


    Getting her body marked on the inside and outside made her heart flutter. However, she no longer had the strength to move due to how roughly Lux had made love to her.


    She understood that the Half-Elf was under the effect of the Aphrodisiac, so he was unable to fully control his body.


    Ali would forgive him for that.


    But she would also tell him to be gentle the next time he embraced her.


    As much as she wanted to monopolize Lux for the night, Ali understood that she couldn''t do that. So, she allowed herself to be princess carried by her man.


    Luxid Ali down on the bed and kissed her cheeks. He then gazed at Ari, who had a devilish smile on her face.


    "I guess it''s my turn," Ari said before kissing Valerie''s cheek. "I''ll go first, princess. I''ll see if this Half-Elf has what it takes to make you pregnant."


    She theny Valerie on the carpeted floor before walking towards Lux, while swinging her hips seductively.


    "You''re not getting any sleep tonight, handsome," Ari raised her hand and caressed Lux''s chest and abdomen. "Just so you know, I''m not like my sister. You will have a harder time with me."


    Lux smirked because Ari''s provocation fired him up.


    Several minutester, Ari''s confidence disappeared when she remembered something important.


    Lux wasn''t an innocent virgin who had no idea how to make love to women. She realized this a bit toote as her body shuddered uncontrobly and squirted.


    "I only used my hand, my darling Ari," Lux said in a teasing tone as he watched Ari pant for breath after he finished his forey.


    The Half-Elf then lightly bit her right breast, leaving a mark on her skin that was as white as cream.


    "I hope you''re ready," Lux said before spreading the beautiful maiden''s legs. "You won''t be getting any sleep tonight."


    Soon, Ari''s moans of pleasure reverberated inside the room. The Half-Elf had wanted to take it easy on her earlier, but Ari''s provocations made him want to dominate her and make her understand that she shouldn''t y with fire.


    Her earlier smugness was nowhere to be seen as she clenched the bed sheets, trying to endure Lux''s powerful thrusts that were slowly, but surely, conquering her body and heart.

 Chapter 994 Tasting The Forbidden Fruit [Part 2]

    Chapter 994 Tasting The Forbidden Fruit [Part 2]


    Lux looked at the youngdy who was lying on the bed, her body twitching from time to time.


    With how cheeky Ari spoke earlier, the Half-Elf didn''t hold back and made her orgasm five times, leading her to this state.


    ''So, you can also make this ahegao face, Ari,'' Lux thought as he lifted the youngdy from the bed andid her down beside her sister, who was still recovering.


    The bed wasrge enough for over a dozen people to sleep, so there was plenty of space for her to rest properly.


    Lux nted a kiss on Ari''s forehead and apologized to her in his heart. He should have controlled himself better, but the beautiful handmaiden teased him into losing it.


    Frankly, the Half-Elf was wondering if Ari was a subus in disguise due to how irresistible she was.


    Suddenly, someone hugged him from behind, holding him in ce.


    The red-headed teenager could feel two soft mounds pressing on his back, making Little Lux rise up to do battle once more.


    The Half-Elf turned around and looked at the angelic beauty, who was looking back at him with an affectionate gaze.


    He had an inkling that Valerie was wearing a disguise whenever she came to meet him.


    However, Lux treated her as a friend and didn''t care what she looked like, so he never asked her to show him her true face.


    But looking at this beauty in front of him, Lux finally understood why she always wore a disguise whenever she snuck out of her house.


    "You''re very beautiful, Valerie," Lux said as he rested his hands on the youngdy''s waist. "I''m d that I can finally see the real you."


    Valerie smiled and ced her hands on Lux''s shoulders. She then stood on tiptoe and kissed him.


    The Half-Elf epted the kiss and reciprocated the intimacy, pulling her close to him.


    The Dragon Princess'' face flushed when she felt something hot and hard pressing against her abdomen.


    However, she continued to kiss Lux, letting the Aphrodisiac lessen her inhibitions and giving her the courage to do something that she would never had done in her sober state.


    In fact, she even pinned the handsome Half-Elf on the bed, pressing her body over his, which made her feel as if she was the one in control.


    Knowing that it was her first time, Lux allowed her to do what she wanted, but that didn''t mean that he was being idle.


    While Valerie was attacking his lips, his hands sneaked their way into her backside, groping her bum and marveling at how soft and smooth it was.


    A momentter, Valerie''s kisses trailed downward, leaving trails on his body. Although she didn''t have any practical experience, she had learned a lot from her seductive dreams, in which Lux was the one that took the lead.


    She copied what the handsome Half-Elf did to her in her dreams, kissing Lux''s body and leaving kiss marks along the way.


    As her lips made their way to his mid region, Valerie came face to face with Little Lux, who was twitching under her gaze.


    "So cute," Valerie said before kissing it.


    She was theplete opposite of the shy maiden that she was in her sober state.


    She was more adventurous, and her determination to make Lux feel good fueled the passion that was burning in her heart.


    Aur, who was watching what was happening on the bed, was feeling so hot that she was very tempted to remove her clothes.


    However, she was still able to hold on to what little sanity she had left and did her best to not lose control.


    But when she saw Valerie start to kiss, lick, and suck Lux''s member, Aur felt as though something important to her was being taken away.


    Truth be told, she was still unaware why she was feeling this way toward Lux.


    When they first met, she didn''t think much of him. However, after seeing the Dragon Token in his hands, she paid more attention to him.


    As they spent more time together, their rtionship became closer to the point that she was feeling jealous whenever she saw other girls hanging around the Half-Elf.


    She understood that she was being irrational, but she simply couldn''t stop herself from feeling that way.


    And now, seeing Valerie kiss something that was precious to the man she liked, she felt as if the Dragon Princess of Karhsvar Draconis was about to take something precious to her.


    While Aur was doing her best to control the raging emotions in her heart, Lux patted Valerie''s head gently as if praising her for doing a good job.


    A momentter, the Half-Elf propped himself up from the bed and swapped ces with Valerie.


    This time, it was him who was kissing, licking, and sucking her precious ce, making the angelic beauty moan. Her hands held onto Lux''s head, pulling him closer to her.


    A few minutester, Valerie''s body shuddered as Lux brought her to the peak of pleasure.


    The Half-Elf looked at the defenseless beauty who was panting for breath on the bed. He then moved to kiss her cheek before whispering something in her ears.


    "Do you really want to get pregnant?" Lux asked. "Are you willing to bear my child?"


    "Yes," Valerie replied. "I am willing."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes. Please, make me pregnant Sir Lux."


    The Dragon Princess covered her face with both hands in embarrassment.


    After experiencing her first orgasm, she broke out of her daze and returned to her timid self. However, when Lux asked her if she really wanted to get pregnant with his child, she readily said yes.


    She had been asked this question multiple times in her dreams.


    Truth be told, she wasn''t sure what answer she should give. But after experiencing the battle in the Divine Empire, and seeing how Lux almost died in the hands of his enemies, Valerie knew then and there that life was unpredictable.


    It was not only Lux who had been shaken when Gaap died.


    Valerie was shaken as well.


    There was a time when she visited Lux''s Guild Headquarters and had a few interactions with Gaap.


    The Halfling was very kind and even encouraged Valerie to know more about the world. After seeing him die from a distance, the Dragon Princess finally understood that no one knew when they would depart from this world.


    So when Lux asked if she was willing to give birth to his child, she said she was willing.


    Whatever happened in the future, she promised herself to be a good mother and raise Lux''s child with love and care.


    The handsome young man pried Valerie''s hands that were covering her face and kissed her lips. He could feel Valerie''s resolve, and he decided to match it.


    "I promise to take responsibility," Lux said before removing a ring from his finger.


    This ring was the same ring that his Grandma Vera had given him after he had won the tournament in Barbatos Academy. This prevented the woman with whom he was going to make love from getting pregnant.


    The effect of this ring was nullified when he was in the Abyss because thews there were different.


    Fortunately, the power of the ring had already taken effect on Cai''s body, preventing her from getting pregnant for two years unless Lux removed the ring and canceled its effects.


    Now, the only thing that prevented him from letting his fiancee conceive his child was no longer on his hand, the Half-Elf embraced the Dragon Princess, intending to grant her wish.

 Chapter 995 Tasting The Forbidden Fruit [Part 3]

    Chapter 995 Tasting The Forbidden Fruit [Part 3]


    Valerie couldn''t remember how many times she had dreamed of this moment.


    Lux''s kisses, touch, warmth�� and love.


    She had dreamed all of them and more.


    Even now, she was wondering if everything that was happening was a dream. Thest time she was sober was before she drank the wine that Ali and Ari had given her.


    They said that drinking one or two sses was fine and also promised that they would not tell Lady Faustina or her father about this secret party.


    But to the surprise of her two handmaidens, Valerie''s alcohol tolerance was quite high.


    Instead of drinking two to three sses, she had drunk six without any problem. The wine was sweet, and she found it to her liking.


    However, after downing her sixth ss, Valerie felt that something was wrong with her body.


    She was feeling hot. So hot that beads of sweat had formed on her forehead. To her surprise, she wasn''t the only one that was feeling that way.


    In fact, Lux had taken the initiative to remove his upper clothes because of how hot he was feeling.


    That was the trigger that started it all.


    Ari, who was the most courageous among them, didn''t hesitate to ce her hand on Lux''s chest and started to touch him here and there.


    A momentter, her handmaiden moved closer and pecked Lux''s lips. She did this not once, not twice, but five times.


    Soon, Lux reciprocated her kisses and started to kiss her passionately.


    Although Ari was caught by surprise, she didn''t back down and even took the initiative to cup Lux''s face and kiss him back.


    What happened next for Valerie was all a blur.


    Before she knew it, her clothes were already lying on the floor, and she was seated beside Lux on the bed.


    When Lux kissed her, she momentarily nked out because it was her first time being kissed in such an intimate and passionate manner.


    When he pulled back to kiss Ali, Valerie felt a sense of loss and loneliness, which surprised her very much.


    Just as she was about to sulk, Lux''s hand moved to grope her chest, making her gasp in surprise. His hands were hot,rge, and fanned the mes inside her body, making her heat up even more.


    When Lux made her sit on hisp, she fell into a trance-like state and said that she wanted to be pregnant with his child.


    At that moment, Valerie understood that she was really going to be one with Lux, and it filled her heart with anxiety, anticipation, and happiness.


    But just as they were about to be one, Ari pulled her away, denying her the one thing that she had been waiting for in her life.


    Now that Ali and Ari were lying on the bed not far from her, she knew with every fiber of her being that no one would get in the way of her union with Lux.


    The moment he entered her, Valerie instinctively clenched the bed sheets and endured the pain of having her chastity taken from her.


    Lux knew that Valerie was in pain, so he didn''t move his hips and, instead, kissed her while groping her breasts.


    Valerie could feel her pain melting away, and it was reced by a tingling sensation in her lower abdomen that traveled to the rest of her body.


    A few minutester, Lux stopped kissing the angelic beauty and held her slender waist.


    He was finding it hard to hold back his desire to ravage her body, but he endured because the Dragon Princess wished to conceive his child.


    Lux wanted to make her feel good, so he began to move his hips at a steady pace, going deeper inside of her with every thrust.


    Valerie subconsciously nted her feet on the bed, and raised her hips, as if offering her most precious treasure to the man who held the key to her heart.


    "Valerie, you''re driving me crazy," Lux said hoarsely as the speed of his thrusts increased.


    The moans that Valerie was desperately trying to hold back finally escaped her lips, and once they did, there was no going back.


    The Half-Elf lowered his head and suckled her right breast for a few seconds before biting her nipple.


    A popping sound reached Valerie''s ears the moment the Half-Elf released the pink tip from his lips.


    But, it didn''t end there. Lux kissed and sucked her neck, while his left hand groped her left breast.


    Valerie''s pleasure-filled sighs echoed inside the room, as waves of pleasure washed over her body.


    The pain she had felt earlier seemed like a fleeting dream, and now, it was reced by warmth and happiness that was threatening to burst from her chest.


    A few minutester, her body arched upward like a bow, as Lux released his seed deep inside her womb, marking her his woman.


    Lux felt as if his soul was being sucked out of his body due to how powerful his release was.


    He didn''t know if this was due to him removing the Evesting Ring from his finger, which prevented him from identally getting someone pregnant, or something else.


    Now that its effects were no longer in ce, the Half-Elf''s release was not only strong but longer as well.


    It was at that moment that he once again realized that Valerie might really get pregnant with his child tonight, and this thought made his heart beat wildly inside his chest.


    The Half-Elf looked at the peerless beauty under him as he panted for breath. Just like him, Valerie still hadn''t recovered from the aftermath of their lovemaking.


    Her breathing was ragged, her face was flushed, and her body was hot.


    A few minutester, a sweet smile appeared on her lips, as she lovingly caressed her lower abdomen.


    "Sir Lux, am I pregnant now?" Valerie asked in an innocent tone, which made Lux draw in a deep breath because a strong urge to ravage her goddess-like body gripped his heart.


    "I don''t know," Lux replied. "But we can do it again to increase the chances of sess."


    Valerie''s smile widened, but before Lux could make love to her for the second time, the angelic beauty shook her head.


    "There''s someone else waiting for your love, Sir Lux," Valerie said softly. "She had waited long enough. Please, love her as well."


    Lux turned around to look at Aur, whose face was beet red as she breathed heavily, lying on the carpeted floor.


    Even after making love three times to three beautifuldies, the effect of the Aphrodisiac on Lux''s body was still strong.


    Since Aur had been enduring its effect without release, the Half-Elf knew that she was suffering terribly.


    Aur then saw Lux walking towards her, which made her body tremble.


    She instinctively knew that it was her turn to make love with the Half-Elf, and honestly, her body was more than ready for it.


    This was why when Lux picked her up from the floor and carried her like a princess, Aur buried her face in Lux''s chest.


    "Please�� not on the bed," Aur said softly.


    Aur didn''t want to be on the same bed as Valerie, Ali, and Ari, not because she didn''t like them, but because she wanted to have Lux for herself.


    Perhaps, understanding what was on her mind, Lux carried her on the couch, which was a few meters away from the bed.


    The Half-Elf slowly ced Aur on the couch, making her sit on it.


    "Aur, we don''t need to go all the way," Lux said as he looked into her eyes. "I will just help you find release. I know that it will take some time, but the effect of the Aphrodisiac will disappear before morninges. I don''t want you to do something that you will regret in the future."


    "Aurelia."


    "Huh?"


    "My name is Aurelia," Aurelia wrapped her arms around Lux''s head, pulling him close to her. "Lux, I still don''t know if I love you or not, but I know for certain what I want tonight."


    She looked at Lux with a gaze filled with yearning.


    "I want you, Lux. So, make me yours as well."


    Aurelia kissed the Half-Elf''s lips as a tear streamed down the side of her face.


    Unlike Valerie who wanted to bear his child, Aurelia only wished to be with him and confirm the feelings that had started to blossom in her heart.

 Chapter 996 Tasting The Forbidden Fruit [Part 4]

    Chapter 996 Tasting The Forbidden Fruit [Part 4]


    Aurelia felt her heart melting as she shared a sweet and gentle kiss with Lux.


    This was her first kiss, and it was everything she wanted, but she craved more.


    Seeing her rxed after being kissed, the Half-Elf decided to kiss her more, calming down the burning desire that had already taken root in Aurelia''s body.


    When their lips parted, Aurelia was finally able to take some air in. She had almost forgotten how to breathe because her mind went nk after being kissed repeatedly by the man who held a special ce in her heart.


    Suddenly, Lux''s hands moved to remove her clothes.


    Aurelia looked like she was in a daze and didn''t resist, allowing the Half-Elf to do what he wanted.


    However, the moment his gazended on her chest, Aurelia immediately covered them with a flushed expression on her face.


    "Don''t look," Aurelia said. "They''re small."


    Lux smiled and tried to pry her hand away from her chest, but she didn''t budge.


    Seeing how resolute her face was, the Half-Elf decided to take off her pants instead.


    Aur always wore men''s clothes to disguise her true gender. Fortunately, she was able to pull it off thanks to her refined androgynous features.


    But the Dragon Prince''s face had always tilted a bit to the feminine side, especially with her long silver hair tied up with a hairclip.


    Now that Dragon Prince had finally shown her true colors, the Half-Elf couldn''t help but look at her in a new light.


    With only her underwear covering her body, he was able to see and appreciate the true beauty that she was hiding.


    Lux''s right hand caressed Aurelia''s thigh, making thetter shudder. Despite all this, she was still using her hands to cover her breasts. She bit her lips, enduring the sensual assault on her thighs.


    ''She might be feeling insecure about her breasts,'' Lux thought. ''This makes me want to see it more.''


    The Half-Elf knew that this wouldn''t be easy, so he decided to take his time to caress the Dragon Princess in front of him.


    He kissed her again on the lips because he realized that Aurelia folded from gentle and sweet kisses.


    His left hand rested on Aurelia''s arm, which she used to cover her chest, while his right hand continued to caress her thighs, making thetter feel jolts of electricity run down her spine.


    As Lux slowly weakened her resistance, the arms that were covering her chest rxed a bit.


    Soon, the Half-Elf managed to pry her hands away because the youngdy''s strength was failing her.


    He then pulled back and looked at the white band which bound Aurelia''s breasts.


    A single nce was enough to make him understand that this chest band was suppressing her breasts, to make them not show under her clothes.


    Lux didn''t hesitate and removed the chest band, allowing him to see Aurelia''s modest breasts which she was very insecure about.


    "Don''t look," Aurelia tried to cover her chest a second time. "They''re small."


    The Half-Elf shook his head. "They''re not small. They are at least B Cup."


    "B Cup?" Aurelia asked in a daze.


    She didn''t understand what Lux was talking about, but before she could ask him more about it, the Half-Elf gently pried her hand away before lowering his head to nt a kiss on her right breast.


    Aurelia shuddered as the Half-Elf continued to kiss her right breast repeatedly. She wanted to push his head away, but she couldn''t muster the strength to do it.


    "They''re beautiful, Aurelia," Lux said softly as he looked up to look at her flushed expression. "I love them."


    After saying those words, the Half-Elf gently squeezed her right breast before sucking on it.


    Aurelia drew in a deep breath as Lux sucked, licked, and nibbled on the nipple inside his mouth.


    The Half-Elf''s other hand then groped her left breast. He pinched, teased, and flicked her nipple, making Aur whimper from the sensations that were washing over her body.


    Just as Lux expected, Aur was very insecure about her breast size. They weren''t as big as Valerie''s, Ali''s, and Ari''s, which made her feel inferior.


    But little did she know that those with smaller breasts were more sensitivepared to those with bigger ones.


    This was why every time Lux yed with her sensual pink tips that were standing firm and aching for his touch and kisses, she would start feeling strange.


    At first, she couldn''t understand what was happening, but as time went on, the tingling sensation spread throughout her body. Sweet sighs escape her lips, without her awareness.


    Lux paid extra attention to her breasts, groping them, kneading them, and loving them.


    Seeing that Lux seemed to be enjoying them to his heart''s content, Aurelia soon felt that having small breasts might not be a bad thing.


    This made the Dragon Princess regain a bit of her confidence.


    She then wrapped her arms around Lux''s neck and kissed his head repeatedly.


    It was her way of showing her gratitude to the Half-Elf, who was making her feel loved and appreciated.


    After sensing the changes in Aurelia''s attitude, Lux started to kiss her downward until he reached her forbidden fruit, which was now slick and wet with desire.


    She had watched how he had made love with Ali, Ari, and Valerie, and truth be told, she was reaching the limit of her endurance.


    This was why the moment Lux kissed that ce, and used his tongue to pleasure her, Aurelia''s body trembled, and a clear liquid sprayed on the Half-Elf''s face.


    Yes, the Dragon Princess squirted, catching her and Lux by surprise.


    Aur didn''t know what happened as she leaned on the couch, panting for breath.


    Lux, on the other hand, wiped his face and grinned.


    Simr to Aurelia, this was the first time that he had seen ady squirt, and for some reason, it put a smile on his face.


    His fiances, Iris, and Cai, whom he had made love with numerous times, never squirted.


    When he made love with the Subus Queen, Rhiannon, she didn''t squirt as well.


    As for Ali, Ari, and Valerie? The three Dragon Girls also didn''t have this kind of reaction either.


    ''She must have been holding back for a long time, huh?'' Lux thought as he sat beside Aur and hugged her close to him.


    It took a while for the Dragon Princess to regain herposure, and she looked at the Half-Elf with a beet-red face that made him chuckle.


    "Aur, ce your hands on the couch, and stick your butt out towards me," Lux said softly as he took out the Evesting Ring to ce it on his finger.


    Unlike Valerie, Aurelia didn''t ask him to make her pregnant, so he was going to make sure that no idents happened.


    However, just as he was about to put the ring on, Aur held onto his hand.


    "What does that ring do?" Aurelia asked. "Why did you remove it when you did it with Valerie, and why are you putting it on?"


    Lux smiled. "This ring is simr to a Contraceptive Ring. It prevents anyone from getting pregnant when I release my seed inside their bodies. I''m sure you don''t want to get pregnant, right?"


    "�� No, I don''t want to get pregnant," Aurelia replied. "But that doesn''t mean that I don''t want to give birth to your child. Don''t wear it, Lux. Let Fate decide if I am destined to conceive your child."


    "Are you sure?" Lux asked. "Is it fine for you to gamble like this? You are the Dragon Prince of the Crystal Pce. If you get pregnant, won''t things beplicated for you since you are hiding your true gender?"


    "It''s fine, Lux," Aurelia smiled. "Like I said earlier. Let Fate decide if I am meant to conceive your child."


    When the Half-Elf continued to stare at her, Aur sighed. "There is something it seems you do not understand, Lux. It''s very difficult for Dragons to conceive. Even if you don''t wear that ring, your chances of leaving me and Valerie pregnant are not that high.


    "We are of different races, and our bodies are built differently. We don''t have regr cycles like Humans do. Even we don''t know if it is our safe day or not."


    Lux nced at Valerie, who was looking at them from the bed.


    The angelic beauty nodded her head as if to confirm Aurelia''s words.


    "Understood," Lux said as he returned the Evesting Ring inside his storage ring. "ce your hands on the couch, and raise your butt. This way, it will hurt less."


    Aurelia nodded and kissed Lux''s lips before doing what he asked of her.


    "Lift it a bit higher," Lux ordered, making Aurelia feel as if she was about to be conquered.


    But, she didn''t mind.


    Since the one who was about to conquer her was Lux, she would dly surrender herself to him.


    Seeing her obediently follow his order, Lux lovingly kissed her back, before rubbing his member against her entrance.


    "Are you ready?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Aurelia replied as she closed her eyes, and braced herself for what was about toe.

 Chapter 997 Tasting The Forbidden Fruit [Part 5]

    Chapter 997 Tasting The Forbidden Fruit [Part 5]


    A gasp escaped Aur''s lips the moment Lux''s member tore through the thin membrane that kept her chastity in ce.


    A few secondster, a drop of blood dripped onto the couch, proving that Lux had sessfully taken her virginity.


    "Are you alright?" Lux asked because she didn''t expect Aur to bleed this much after a single thrust.


    "Yes," Aurelia replied. "It''s not as painful as I thought it would be. Don''t mind me, and make both of us feel good."


    ''She''s really built differently,'' Lux thought as he endured the tightness that was threatening to crush his member.


    Lux''s hands dug into Aurelia''s backside as he moved his hips slowly at first, gradually gaining momentum.


    He was gauging her reaction, and after seeing that she was truly alright, his movements fell into a steady rhythm, eliciting soft sighs of pleasure from the beautiful princess, who now belonged to him.


    The Half-Elf hugged her petite body from behind, groping her chest as he continued to thrust inside of her.


    Aurelia felt sofortable in Lux''s embrace that she even tried to turn her head around to look behind her.


    Lux paused his movements for a bit to kiss her lips. When the kiss ended, the Half-Elf pulled Aurelia in a standing position.


    He kept his member firmly embedded inside of her as he kissed her passionately.


    His hands groped her breasts, kneading them in any way that he wanted.


    Just like Valerie, Ali, and Ari, Aurelia had her own charm, and the Half-Elf found it very irresistible.


    The handsome and confident Dragon Prince, who always had an aloof expression ever since he met her for the first time, appeared inside the Half-Elf''s head.


    Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Aur, was actually a Princess. Truth be told, he waspletely turned on by this sudden change in her character.


    Now, that same Dragon Princess was within his embrace and reciprocating his fiery kisses with kisses of her own.


    Lux then finally pulled back and nced at his member, which was glistening with blood and bodily fluids.


    He then sat on the couch and pulled Aurelia close to him, asking her to straddle him.


    "Put it in yourself," Lux ordered in a teasing tone. "You can do that, right, Aurelia?"


    As the Dragon Prince of the Crystal Pce, Aurelia was used to being the one who gave orders. Now that she was being ordered by the Half-Elf in front of her, she found herself following what he said and slowly inserted his member deep inside of her.


    "Lux, are you a dragon?" Aurelia asked after she had taken Lux''s entirety inside of her. "For some reason, I feltpelled to listen to your orders. It was as if I was looking at a future Dragon King candidate."


    "Not a Dragon King, but an Emperor," Lux replied before setting his hands on Aurelia''s waist. "My Physique is a bit special, allowing me to transform and gain the powers of Dragons. You have already seen it in action, right?"


    Aurelia nodded. "Yes. I saw it in the past. A Dragon Emperor? Now that you said it, I think that your chances of getting us pregnant are very high due to your physique."


    "Do you want me to wear the ring?" Lux asked.


    "No." Aurelia smiled. "This is my first time taking a gamble. I wonder if you will be lucky or not?"


    Lux felt as if Aurelia was challenging him.


    Still, he found her words very stimting, and her folds wrapped around his member veryfortably.


    "You know, my Patron God is the God of Gamblers. But I don''t feel lucky at all."


    "�� You took the chastity of two Dragon Princesses, and one of them wants to bear your child. You call that unlucky?"


    Lux smiled as he slowly raised Aurelia''s hips. "Like you said, there''s no guarantee that I can make her pregnant the first time. So, I have to work a bit harder to grant her wish."


    "Indeed," Aurelia agreed as a sweet smile appeared on her face. "Please work harder, and make me feel good."


    "Yes, Your Highness," Lux replied as he took her in, entirely at her own word.


    Soon, Aurelia''s moans echoed inside the room, as Lux continued to make love to her.


    The insecurities, fears, as well as inferiority she felt had long disappeared as she clung to his body, allowing him to drown her in waves of pleasure that she was feeling for the first time.


    She loved his touch.


    Enjoyed his kisses.


    Appreciated his whispers of love.


    And yearned for release.


    She could feel something rising inside of her body, which scared and excited her at the same time.


    Aurelia had a feeling that the moment Lux released his seed inside of her, she would feel a happiness that words would not be able to describe.


    Half a minuteter, her expectations came to reality.


    Lux grunted as he buried his face between her breasts, while Aurelia''s hands subconsciously scratched his back as the Half-Elf''s love burst forth inside of her womb.


    Aurelia bit Lux''s shoulder as she tried to endure the intoxicating euphoria that was threatening to drive her crazy.


    Simr to what happened to Valerie, the Half-Elf''s release was long and strong, making Aurelia feel as if she was melting from the inside out.


    Even after thest drop of his seed seeped inside her womb, the two remained embracing each other while panting for breath.


    Aurelia had once again squirted, but she was too exhausted to care.


    All she wanted was to stay in Lux''s embrace as she basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking.


    A momentter, Lux carried Aurelia and brought her to the bed,ying her beside Valerie.


    Ali, Ari, and Valerie looked at him with expectant gazes. They had fully recovered and were waiting patiently for their turn.


    Ari, being the mischievous handmaiden that she was, used her hands to spread hers, and Valerie''s pink petals, allowing Lux to get a better view of their forbidden fruit that made his manhood harden and throb.


    "Ari, are you really a dragon?" Lux asked as he moved towards the bed with a devilish smile on his face. "Maybe you are a subus in disguise."


    "Am I a Dragon?" Ari grinned. "Or a subus? Why don''t you use Little Lux to examine my body? That way, you will find the answers that you are looking for."


    "Girl, I''ll make you regret this," Lux said as he inserted his fingers inside Valerie''s and Ari''s entrances, making the two girls look at him with an affectionate gaze.


    "Do your worst," Ari stated in a challenging tone. "You''re not getting any sleep tonight."


    And with that, Lux tumbled on the bed with the four Dragons Girls, who were more than willing to make love with him and to be loved back by him.


    Several hourster, Lux gazed at the four sleeping beautifuldies who were lying on the bed.


    His seed overflowed from their lower halves, and if any man were to see them, he''d definitely be the receiving end of their envy and jealousy.


    The Half-Elf burned this scene in his memory before using his magic to lift his lovers from the bed.


    He then took them to the spring area within the residence and cleaned their bodies.


    After he was done with their aftercare, he carried them back to the room and changed the bed sheets with new ones.


    Knowing that he couldn''t let anyone see the evidence of their lovemaking, the Half-Elf stored the bed sheets that were stained with the proof of his lovers'' first time.


    Once everything was finished, heid everyone on the bed and slept in the center.


    Valerie and Aur, who were half-asleep, moved closer to Lux and rested their heads on his shoulders.


    That was thest thing he saw before he fell asleep due to exhaustion.


    ��������������������


    On the rooftop of the residence��


    Hereswith refilled her ss of wine and smiled.


    "As expected of my Grand Disciple," Hereswith muttered. "He is not a pussy like those cunts from the Divine Army of Light."


    The beautiful Elf chuckled as she imagined the possible reaction of the Dragon King of Karhsvar Draconis, who had no idea that his beloved daughter had already be a woman.


    Hereswith snapped her fingers and strengthened the barrier around the residence, preventing anyone from disturbing the rest of her Grand Disciple and his lovers, who were all smiling in their sleep.

 Chapter 998 I F*cked Up, Right?

    Chapter 998 I F*cked Up, Right?


    When Lux opened his eyes, he found himself embracing twodies whose beauty could bring the downfall of a nation.


    On his right side was an angelic beauty with long purple hair and an hourss body that would bring the models back on Earth to shame.


    She was none other than Valerie, the Dragon Princess of Karshvar Draconis.


    On his left side was a beauty with long silver hair and an enchanting figure that no man could resist.


    Holding these two beautifuldies in his arms made Lux feel blessed and fearful at the same time.


    It finally dawned on him the magnitude of what he had done several hours ago, which he had partially forgotten due to the side effect of the aphrodisiac that had been mixed into their wine.


    The Half-Elf wasn''t thinking straight back then, and the only thing on his mind was to indulge in the pleasurable feeling of making love with the fourdies, who had sated the burning lust that spread through his entire body like wildfire.


    Several hours ago, these fourdies were still virgins.


    But now, all of their wombs had been tainted by him, and he even left his mark on their once-chaste bodies.


    Lux also noticed that one of Valerie''s handmaidens, Ali, was hugging the Dragon Princess from behind and sleeping peacefully.


    The Half-Elf could still remember how cooperative she wasst night, and the two of them enjoyed their lovemaking to the fullest.


    As to how he knew that the one hugging Valerie was Ali instead of Ari?


    Well, the answer was simple.


    The Sub��Dragon, Ari, was busy servicing Little Lux, who was quite lively so early in the morning.


    This was also what woke up Lux. He wasn''t that much of a heavy sleeper, and he felt that someone was having her way with his body while he was sleeping.


    Since he now recognized the mischievous and bold girl as one of his lovers, he didn''t stop her and allowed her to do what she wanted.


    After all, she now belonged to him, and he belonged to her.


    A few minutester, a grunt escaped Lux''s lips as he released his seed inside her mouth.


    Ari, who had been waiting for this moment, held his member firmly with her seductive lips and swallowed everything until thest drop.


    When it was over, she made sure to clean the Half-Elf''s shaft before kissing its tip.


    She then raised her head to look up at Lux with a mischievous smile on her face.


    Since she didn''t want to wake Valerie, Ali, and Aurelia, Ari simply mouthed "Good morning, Darling," to Lux without any sound.


    The Half-Elf did the same, but deep inside his mind, he couldn''t help but sigh.


    ''This girl is insatiable,'' Lux thought as he steadied his breathing. ''I worry about our future.''


    As if sensing his thoughts. Ari giggled before crawling toward him and pressing her hands against his chest to give him three quick pecks on the lips before pulling back.


    The mischievous handmaiden then waved her hand to bid her goodbye and left the room.


    Lux had a feeling that Ari would wash up before preparing their breakfast so that they could eat once Valerie, Ali, and Aurelia woke up.


    After Ari left, he busied himself by looking at his lovers'' sleeping faces. All three of them looked very defenseless, and the sight of it made a certain warmth spread inside his heart.


    ''I guess I''ll invite the Dragon King to go fishing with me,'' Lux thought before nting a kiss on Valerie''s and Aur''s foreheads. ''I will take Grandmaster with me just in case.''


    Lux didn''t know how the Dragon King would react once he told him something along the lines of��


    "Your daughter calls me Daddy too."


    But, hypothetically, before Lux did that, he would ensure that he was at least two miles away from the Dragon King of Karhsvar Draconis. That way, he would have time to escape if need be.


    Since Ali was a bit far from him, he decided to just kiss her after she had woken up.


    Half an hourter, Valerie started to stir.


    Lux watched as she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him in a daze.


    Feeling a bit mischievous, he decided to kiss her lips, making the Dragon Princess'' eyes widen in shock.


    However, she soon closed her eyes and reciprocated his kiss, washing away all the drowsiness in her head.


    When their lips separated, Valerie looked at Lux with an affectionate gaze.


    "This isn''t a dream, right?" Valerie asked. "I am now yours, right, Sir Lux?"


    "Yes," Lux replied softly. "This isn''t a dream. You are now my woman."


    "I''m d." Valerie smiled sweetly. "I was afraid that this was just another dream."


    The angelic beauty then snuggled close to Lux and hugged him tight, pressing her body against his.


    Her movements had woken up Aur, who then looked at the Half-Elf in a daze. It took a while for her to recall everything that happenedst night, and once she remembered everything, her face immediately turned crimson.


    "Good morning, Aurelia," Lux said as he looked at the blushing beauty who made the most love to him several hours ago. "You were amazingst night."


    Aurelia''s face which was already near scarlet became a shade redder after hearing Lux''spliment.


    Seeing her reaction, the Half-Elf chuckled before pulling her close to him and sealing her lips with his own.


    He realized that the Dragon Princess of the Crystal Pce seemed to be addicted to kissing and would kiss Lux every opportunity she got.


    He didn''t mind. In fact, he was happy to share sweet and intimate kisses with Aur, enjoying this innocent side of hers.


    Aurelia surprisingly had high stamina, and her recovery rate was quite fast as well.


    After realizing that she didn''t need to feel inferior to Valerie, Ali, and Ari because of her breast size, she threw caution to the wind and became unbridled.


    Also, it was then that Lux realized that Aurelia liked to take the lead, so he allowed her to do what she wanted, only guiding her on how to make both of them feel good.


    When the kiss ended, Aurelia covered her face with both hands as she buried her head in Lux''s chest.


    "Lux, do you know what you have done?" Aurelia said after regaining herposure. "Do you know the gravity of the situation?"


    "I f*cked up, right?" Lux admitted. ''But, it was worth it.''


    He should have been feeling anxious and fearful, but he was smiling.


    Clearly, he didn''t have any regrets about all the things he had done the night before.


    A sigh escaped Aurelia''s lips before shaking her head.


    "What do you n to do now?" Aurelia asked. "I think it is best to keep this a secret for now. If Valerie''s father discovers that you have plucked her cherry, he will pluck your limbs off one by one before roasting you alive."


    Lux turned his head to look at Valerie and saw that her face had be pale from fright. Clearly, Aur''s words scared her, and it made her realize that her father might really kill Lux if he found out that the Half-Elf had made her his woman.


    "Understood," Lux replied. "Let''s keep our rtionship a secret for now. But remember this��I will take responsibility for what I did. You, Valerie, Ali, and Ari, are now my lovers. That will not change."


    Aur and Valerie nodded their heads at the same time. Since they had already decided to be with Lux, they would keep this a secret for now.


    "Don''t worry. My sister and I will keep this a secret as well," Ali, who had woken up and heard the conversation,mented. "The two of us will ensure that the Dragon King doesn''t discover anything. You have my word."


    "Thank you, Ali," Lux replied as he kissed the reliable handmaiden, who had protected Valerie to the best of her ability.


    After being kissed, Ali proposed that all of them take a bath and use healing potions to remove the "kiss marks" that were nted all over Valerie''s and Aur''s bodies.


    Lux, Ali, and Ari didn''t mind keeping theirs, but they still decided to y it safe.


    The adults weren''t stupid, and they would certainly be suspicious if they found something out of the ordinary.


    Prevention was always better than cure.


    To ensure that their secret would be kept safe, they had to erase all the evidence.


    And they would keep doing so until the day that Lux was strong enough to dere that they were now his lovers without needing to worry about any kind of retaliation from the angry Dragon King, who could turn him into meat paste with a single p of his hand.

 Chapter 999 Make Sure To Cover Their Lips

    Chapter 999 Make Sure To Cover Their Lips


    After enjoying a rxing bath with his lovers and doing one quick round with each of them, Lux and the rest headed to the dining room for a meal.


    They savored the meal that Ari had prepared for them while discussing what to do for the rest of the day.


    Valerie wanted to explore more of the city and go on a date with Lux.


    Ali and Ari were very supportive of this, while Aur decided to apany them as well.


    "Since we are going to do this, let''s do our best to not attract anyone''s attention," Lux said. "We need to act normal, okay? All of you have hidden protectors who will watch your every move. It is best to not do anything suspicious."


    "Okay." Valerie nodded. "Act normal."


    Aur, Ali, and Ari nodded as well.


    A few minutester, the group left the residence and went to explore the city.


    They were not aware that a certain "Grandmaster Elf" was currently sleeping soundly on the rooftop of their residence, exhausted from keeping watch the entire night.


    Just like Lux expected, Lady Faustina and Poro joined them as they left the Elven Royal Pce.


    Several High-Ranker Elves also joined them to serve as guides and to ensure that no fools would antagonize their VIP guests as they checked out the attractions of Espoir Frieden.


    Unlike the first day where everyone was looking at Lux in disdain, the High Elves were more well-behaved after seeing the emblems of the Royal Guards who were apanying Lux and his entourage.


    No stall owners or shopkeepers dared to act rudely in their presence, and it provided their group with a somewhat enjoyable atmosphere as they strolled around the city.


    "Your Highness, tonight we will be having a formal talk with the Elf King," Poro said as he walked beside Aur. "I hope that you will be there to witness the proceedings."


    "Understood." Aur nodded.


    "Also, Your Highness, we will be returning to the Crystal Pce in two days," Poro stated. "Make sure to say your goodbyes to everyone by then."


    Aur frowned but still nodded her head.


    ''Lux''s Guild Headquarters is inside our territory, so I can see him anytime,'' Aur thought. ''Also, as long as we are in our territory, we can have our private moments together without worry.''


    Aur was also considering having a heart-to-heart talk with her mother and Aunt ande clean about her rtionship with Lux.


    She was certain that although the two women would be surprised by her decision, they would still give her their blessings.


    The reason?


    Because Lux was the person that her father had chosen.


    Although he wasn''t a Dragon or a Dragon Born, he still had a Dragon Bloodline flowing inside his veins, and it was certainly quite powerful.


    When the Half-Elf had made love with her, she had felt the strong attraction between their bodies as if they were made for each other.


    In fact, Aur was certain that Valerie, Ali, and Ari noticed it too when they were embraced by him.


    ''He said that he has the Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy,'' Aur thought. ''I''ll make sure to check the Library for more information about this.''


    The "Dragon Prince" nced at her lover with an affectionate gaze, which didn''t escape Poro''s notice.


    However, the Dragon Born didn''t mind this one bit because Aur and Lux had a close rtionship with each other. He was not aware that the Half-Elf had already conquered the Dragon Princess and had made her his lover.


    Valerie, who was now wearing her disguise, was doing her best to not hold Lux''s hand. In order to ensure that this wouldn''t happen, she had Ali and Ari each hold one of her hands.


    The threedies walked hand in hand in the center of the formation, with Lux trailing behind them.


    Although he wanted to take a stroll holding hands with Valerie and Aur, he understood that doing so would be a terrible idea.


    Their group didn''t return to the Royal Pce until two hours before sunset.


    There was going to be an important talk between the leaders of the different factions that hade to Espoir Frieden, and Aur needed to participate in it.


    As for the side of Karshvar Draconis, Lady Faustina would be representing the Dragon King.


    When Lux, Valerie, Ali, and Ari arrived at their residence, they noticed Hereswith standing beside the entrance waiting for them.


    "You girls go in first, I want to have a private talk with my Grand Disciple," Hereswith said with a smile.


    The three Dragon girls didn''t find anything wrong with this, so they entered the residence first.


    After making sure that no one was in their surroundings, the extremely beautiful Elf waved her hand and created a barrier, preventing anyone from hearing and seeing the two of them.


    "Well then, Lux. Did you enjoy your night?" Hereswith asked with a devilish smile on her face.


    "I did, Master," Lux replied, not knowing that his Grandmaster had protected them from being spied on by anyone.


    "Heh~ I''m sure you did. A very memorable night, right?"


    "�� It was."


    Hereswith eyed her Grand Disciple and patted his shoulder.


    "Lux, just know that I am always here to support you," Hereswith stated. "Even if the world bes your enemy, I will always be on your side."


    Lux smiled. "I know, Grandmaster."


    The beautiful Elf then took a jar out of her storage ring and handed it to Lux.


    "These are Gaap''s ashes," Hereswith said in a solemn tone. "Do you know a ce where we can bury them? A ce where his tomb will not be desecrated?"


    "I know a ce, Grandmaster," Lux said as he held the jar securely in his hands as if it was a priceless treasure. "There is a ce that Master always liked to go on the floating ind. I will bury his remains there."


    Hereswith nodded. "Do you have any future ns?"


    Lux closed his eyes and pondered for a bit.


    "I n to mourn Master for a few days and watch over his tomb," Lux replied after careful consideration. "After that�� I will be visiting a few ces. I''m not going to lie to you, Grandmaster. I am at a loss about what to do at the moment.


    "There are things that I need to find, and I know how important they are. But I have no idea where to start looking for them. Elysium is vast, and there is still the issue with the Divine Army. I''m sure that those guys will not leave me alone."


    Hereswith wrapped her arms around Lux''s body and pulled him close.


    "You don''t have to worry about the Divine Army for the time being," Hereswith stated. "They are the biggest loser from this conflict, and they will not antagonize you for the time being. For now, focus on finding the Pirs of Eternity."


    Lux pulled back and gazed at his Grandmaster''s eyes in surprise.


    "Grandmaster, you know about the Pirs of Eternity?"


    "I do. But, just like you, I don''t know where they are."


    The Half-Elf sighed because this quest was truly hard to aplish.


    The only lead that he had was that he would have an opportunity toe across these Divine Artifacts that would help save Sis from destruction.


    "One more thing, Lux," Hereswith said as she whispered something in Lux''s ears.


    Although she had created a barrier to prevent anyone from seeing and hearing their discussion, she didn''t want to take any chances due to how important this was.


    "If you ever make love to those four Dragondies again, make sure to cover their lips," Hereswith whispered. "Their moans are loud enough to wake up the dead."


    The Half-Elf''s body shuddered after hearing the beautiful Elf''s words.


    It was at that moment when he realized that he f*cked up a second time.

 Chapter 1000 No Complaints Here

    Chapter 1000 No Comints Here


    [Disimer: Last intimate scene of this Arc. Enjoy it while itsts.]


    While the "Dragon Prince" Aur was busy dealing with political matters, the Dragon Princess, Valerie, was busy taking lessons from Ari about how to make Lux feel good.


    "That''s right. Hold it gently as if it''s something very precious," Ari said. "Kiss the tip and lick the ns. That''s it. You''re doing great."


    The two beautifuldies were kneeling on the carpet and taking good care of Little Lux, who was very happy with the attention he was getting.


    Everyone would risk their lives to get the opportunity to kiss ady so beautiful that she could cause the downfall of nations, especially someone with a high status like Valerie.


    Not only was Valerie a top beauty, but she was also the one, and only, Dragon Princess of Karshvar Draconis.


    The number of people that would want to marry her was countless.


    Yet this same precious Princess was lovingly kissing, licking, and sucking Little Lux, who was twitching non-stop due to how good and happy he was feeling.


    While this was happening, Ali was busy kissing Lux.


    Simr to Aur, the handmaiden was very fond of kisses. Ali was level-headed and would always think before she acted.


    She was theplete opposite of her sister who acted before she thought things through.


    But now, even this smart and level-headed youngdy couldn''t stop herself from kissing the handsome Half-Elf, who had taken her chastity, along with her twin sister and Valerie.


    When their kiss ended, Ali raised her body and pulled Lux to her chest.


    "Ali, you''re bolder than I thought you were," Lux said before kissing and cupping her breasts.


    "You''re guilty of making me like this," Ali said as Lux kissed, licked, teased, and sucked her breasts. "So, take responsibility."


    Ali whimpered as a popping sound reached her ears. Lux had sucked her breast too hard, and released it just as suddenly, making her whimper.


    "Yes, Ma''am," Lux replied before licking and kissing along the line of her cleavage, sending shivers running down Ali''s spine.


    Ari, who was paying close attention to the Half-Elf''s little brother, noticed that it was starting to grow a bit bigger as Valerie licked its tip.


    "Valerie, our Darling Lux is about to release his seed," Ari said. "This might still be too early for you, so let me take over."


    "No," Valerie replied as her face turned beet-red. "I-I want to be the one to do it."


    "Are you sure? This is not easy, Valerie. You might choke if you''re not careful."


    "I am prepared."


    Seeing how determined she was, Ari nodded her head.


    "Okay, swallow the tip and make sure to not use your teeth. That ce is very sensitive," Arimented. "Stroke the shaft with your hands. A man will release his seed when he is feeling good."


    How could Lux not be aroused in his current situation?


    Right now, thesedies were servicing him without the influence of the aphrodisiac, so he knew that they were in their right minds.


    What had happened a day ago had already happened, and there was nothing they could do about it. Because of this, they decided to embrace their current rtionship and were in the process of strengthening their bonds with each other.


    Half a minuteter, Lux wrapped his arms around Ali''s body and buried his head on her chest.


    Valerie, who was sucking the Half-Elf''s member, opened her eyes wide in surprise when she felt something hot bursting inside of her mouth.


    The Dragon Princess did her best, but she was still unable to hold everything inside her lips and started coughing.


    Ari immediately came to the rescue and took over Valerie''s role. The beautiful handmaiden drank everything to thest drop.


    When she was done, she used water magic to clean Valerie''s face, breasts, which had been stained by Lux''s seed, and the carpet that caught the overflow.


    "Are you alright?" Ari asked after she cleaned everything up.


    "I''m okay," Valerie, who felt embarrassed with her action, replied. "I''m sorry. I wasn''t able to drink it all."


    Valerie could still taste Lux''s essence inside her mouth. It tasted sweet and salty at the same time.


    "It''s fine. I''m sure that Lux will notin. Right, Lux?" Ari asked the Half-Elf, who was leaning his head against Ali''s breasts and panting for breath.


    "Noints here," Lux replied after he regained hisposure.


    Ari nodded her head in satisfaction.


    "Now, let''s proceed to the next part," Ari stated. "Even though your upper lips can''t swallow everything, your lips down there can handle it just fine. We will now proceed with the next phase of your studies."


    Ali kissed Lux''s forehead onest time before pulling back.


    She was Valerie''s handmaiden and supporter. Because of this, she would back down for the time being and allow their Dragon Princess to spend what little time remained of their stay in Espoir Frieden with Lux.


    Ali and Ari were certain that the moment Valerie returned to Karshvar Draconis, she would not be allowed to leave for quite some time.


    Although she had been granted permission to visit the territory of the Crystal Pce to visit Lux''s Guild Headquarters, the current situation in the continent wasn''t good.


    Simply put, Valerie couldn''t see Lux for a time, so they were willing to let her spend as many intimate moments with him as she could to serve as a beautiful memory she could hold onto while they were away from each other.


    Valerie straddled Lux, while Ari grabbed hold of Little Lux.


    The Handmaiden lightly rubbed the little guy on the Dragon Princess'' entrance and then nced at the Half-Elf.


    Lux tacitly nodded and slowly lowered Valerie''s hips, until he was fully sheathed inside of her, like a sword resting in its scabbard.


    The Half-Elf and the Dragon Princess stared at each other for a few seconds before sealing each other''s lips with a kiss.


    "I love you, Sir Lux," Valerie said after their kiss ended.


    "I love you too, Valerie," Lux replied.


    "Please, take off the ring on your finger, Sir Lux."


    "Understood."


    Valerie had made her wishes known to him, and he would not deny her the thing that she wanted.


    Unlike humans who had a fixed monthly cycle, the cycle of Dragons was more random.


    Sometimes, they were only fertile on certain days of the year. Sometimes, they were only fertile once every two to five years.


    So there was no guarantee that Valerie would conceive a child even if Lux were to fill up her womb with his seed every day.


    It was truly a matter of luck and chance.


    This was also why Aur told him that she was willing to take a gamble.


    Although she didn''t want to get pregnant now, that didn''t mean that she was against the idea of giving birth to Lux''s child.


    In order to ensure that no one from the Royal Pce would be able to hear the moans of his beautiful princess, Lux erected a barrier that prevented anyone from seeing and hearing what was happening inside Hereswith''s residence.


    The Half-Elf''s Grandmaster, Hereswith, had taught him this skill, and he was using it to prevent everyone from discovering the scandal of the century.


    Soon, Valerie''s sweet sighs of pleasure reverberated inside the room as Lux made love to her.


    Just like Ari had said earlier, although Valerie''s upper lips were unable to take Lux''s powerful release, her lower lips could handle it without a problem.


    Valerie sighed in happiness because she could feel Lux''s seed filling up her womb.


    Although Ali and Ari didn''t tell her anything, she knew that her time with her beloved was limited.


    So after a short rest, she took the initiative to move her hips and made love to him over and over again.

 Chapter 1001 No Matter How Difficult, I Will Always Prevail

    Chapter 1001 No Matter How Difficult, I Will Always Prevail


    Meanwhile in the Pirate Enve��


    All the Big Shots of the Pirate World were now gathered in the Conference Room of the Pirate Enve.


    Everyone present was the baddest, meanest, and strongest pirates of the Seven Seas, whose wanted posters could be seen all over the cities of the Ford Federation.


    Right now, these notorious Pirates were looking at the map on the conference table withplicated looks on their faces.


    The reason?


    There were two giggling Baby Slimes ying Catch the Red Ruby in the center of the table, oblivious to the heavy atmosphere in their surroundings.


    A man with red hair nced at Captain Jack Spawow, making the Pirate Captain smile bitterly.


    "Eiko, Fei Fei, darlings, ytime is now over," Captain Jack Spawow said. "Behave, and I will y with youter."


    "Aye, Captain!" Eiko replied.


    "Yar!" Fei Fei answered.


    The two Baby Slimes then jumped off the table. Afternding on Captain Jack Spawow''s shoulders, they curiously looked at the people around them.


    Seeing that the two troublemakers were now behaving, the Red-Haired Pirate, who went by the name, Spanks, cleared his throat to catch everyone''s attention.


    "The Battle Ships of the Ford Federation have gathered at the Domain that was recently discovered," Spanks stated. "Our spies have reported that they were unable to break the barrier and enter the Domain. I have every reason to believe that this Hidden Domain is the same ce where the Pirate King, Uncle Rogers, hid his treasures."


    A tense silence descended upon the room as they waited for Spanks to continue his exnation.


    "I have every reason to believe that located inside the Domain is the Lost City of El Dorado," Spanks said.


    "El Dorito?" Eiko tilted her head.


    "Taco?" Fei Fei blinked her eyes cutely.


    "No, darlings," Captain Jack Spawow. "It''s El Dorado, the Legendary Golden City. It is said to hold the most priceless Ancient Relics and treasures of the world."


    All the Pirates looked at the two Baby Slimes before shifting their gaze to Captain Jack Spawow.


    The Pirate Captain only chuckled after receiving the stares from his peers.


    However, if one were to pay close attention to his chuckle, one would realize that there was a hint of anxiety in it.


    Spanks cleared his throat once again, catching everyone''s attention.


    "Since they are unable to enter the Domain, they will proceed to execute their main directive, which is to destroy the Pirate Enve and kill as many pirates as they can," Spanks said. "Now, all of us are faced with two choices. Fight��or Flee. There are no other options. There will be no pay. And there will be no negotiations.


    "It is either we make ourst stand, or we run away to fight another day. These are our two options. What is the decision of the Pirate Lords?"


    Everyone in the room pondered for a bit. This was a very serious situation, and they couldn''t make any rash decisions.


    After several minutes passed, Mankie D. Buffy spoke up.


    "If you don''t take risks, you can''t create a future," Mankie D. Buffy said. "Let''s fight!"


    "Hey, you! What''re you fighting me for?" Baggy the Pirate asked. "Trying to raise your reputation?!"


    "I don''t want to conquer anything," Mankie D. Buffy replied. "I just think that the person with the most freedom in the Seven Seas will be the next Pirate King."


    Everyone nced at the Pirate wearing a straw hat and nodded their heads in agreement.


    If they lost their freedom, they could kiss their goal of bing the Pirate King goodbye.


    However, not everyone shared their sentiments.


    "Hmph! If you all want to die then go die." Baggy the Pirate snorted. "I won''t fight a battle that I have no chance of winning. Have you forgotten? They are sending a Supreme! Not only that��their army outnumbers us twenty to one! How can we possibly win?!"


    "You won''t know until we try!" Mankie D. Buffy insisted.


    "Then try alone!" Baggy the Pirate countered. "Don''t drag us to this foolishness!"


    Seeing the scene, Spanks sighed and pped his hands together.


    "I understand both of your feelings," Spanks said. "As the temporary leader of the Pirate Enve, I won''t force anyone to fight if they don''t want to. So, those who don''t want to fight leave this ce as fast as you can.


    "The Ford Federation will arrive in two days. Those who choose to remain, brace yourself to fight to the death. If we lose, this battle will be known as the Pirate Enve''s Last Stand."


    Spanks'' message was clear.


    Those who want to fight till the bitter end, stay!


    Those who want to live, escape while you still can!


    The Pirates exchanged nces with each other. However, a minuteter, Baggy scoffed and left the conference room.


    Just like a Domino Effect, the Pirates who didn''t want to sacrifice their lives in a meaningless battle left alongside Baggy.


    Nearly half of the Leaders of the Pirate World left the scene, leaving only the steadfast ones behind.


    A sigh escaped Spanks'' lips as he gazed at the people who decided to fight till the bitter end.


    Mankie D. Buffy grinned as he looked at those who decided to stay.


    "Let''s throw a grand feast!" Tit Mama dered. "Eat to our heart''s content, so when we face our death, we can face it with a full stomach. Isn''t that right, boys?"


    "Aye!"


    "Yeah!"


    "Wooo!"


    Spanks had noints, so he nodded his head.


    "We will open the wine cers and the food house," Spanks said with a devilish smile on his face. "Make merry for this might be thest time we are doing it."


    Captain Jack Spawow looked at his friends, Shane, Francesca, Britton, and Qing. All four of them decided to stay and make theirst stand.


    "How about it Jack?" Shane asked. "Are you not going to run away this time?"


    Captain Jack Spawow smirked. "The seas may be rough, but I am the Captain. No matter how difficult, I will always prevail."


    Francesca, Britton, and Qing nced at each other before nodding their heads in satisfaction.


    The five of them were thest living crew members of the whaling ship, Billy O'' Tea. If they were going to die, they would all die together.


    Perhaps, when that happened, they would be able to meet their Captain in the afterlife and tell him about their wonderful journeys in the Seven Seas.


    Due to the emotions that were rising up in his chest, Captain Jack Spawow didn''t notice that Eiko and Fei Fei had disappeared from his shoulders.


    The two Baby Slimes left the conference room and went after the pirates who had decided to escape.


    As to what she was going to do, even Fei Fei, who was her close friend, had no idea.


    But even so, the Golden Baby Slime knew that Eiko would be thest to escape this battle and that she would make the Seven Seas tremble in her wake.

 Chapter 1002 If Only It Was That Easy

    Chapter 1002 If Only It Was That Easy


    After the meeting between the representatives of the different factions and the Elven Royal Family ended, Aur returned to Hereswith''s Residence.


    The discussionsted for a few hours, and frankly, she was mentally exhausted.


    However, when she arrived at the residence, the first thing she noticed was that there were no lights inside.


    The second thing she noticed was that it was unusually quiet, making her frown.


    After entering the house, she sensed that all the rooms were vacant except one.


    "��"


    Aur pinched the bridge of her nose as she walked towards the door. She already had an idea about what she was going to see inside, and she couldn''t help but sigh in her heart.


    Just as expected, her sight was weed by Valerie and Ali sleeping on the bed without any clothes on.


    Aurelia''s gazended on their lower halves, and sure enough, she could see traces of Lux''s seed on the sheets under them.


    The "Dragon Prince" shook her head as she walked toward the Half-Elf who was sitting on the bed.


    Ari was also there, and she was busy cleaning up Little Lux from the session that they just had.


    Just like her twin sister, Ari also liked kissing things. However, the one she liked to kiss was Little Lux. Of course, the Half-Elf didn''t have anyints whatsoever.


    "You look tired," Lux said as Aurelia sat beside him.


    He then pulled her close and gave her a quick peck on the lips.


    "I am," Aurelia replied. "I''m mentally exhausted."


    "How did the talks go?" Lux inquired as he lightly patted Ari''s head, making thetter nod her head in understanding.


    After kissing Little Lux onest time, the Draco-Subusid down beside Valerie and hugged her like a pillow.


    Although it wasn''t showing on her face, she was also quite tired after making love with the Half-Elf, who had indulged her for six rounds.


    "Everything has been settled, and we''ve agreed on a mutual defense treaty," Aur exined as Lux picked her up like a princess and walked towards the couch.


    "That''s good," Lux replied. After cing Aur on the couch, he started undressing her, and the Dragon Princess didn''t show any kind of resistance.


    "You worked hard, Aur," Lux said with a smile.


    "I did." Aur nodded.


    "I''ll give you a full body massage."


    "�� Okay."


    And with that, Lux gave the Dragon Princess the best massage she had felt in her life. Naturally, he also made sure to massage the ces that his fingers couldn''t reach.


    Filling Aurelia to the brim, until she fell asleep in his arms.


    ������������������


    Meanwhile in the Xeno Kingdom��


    "Finally, we''re back," Tristan said with an exhausted look on his face.


    Victor nodded.


    After the battle in the Divine Empire was over, the two stayed a bit in order to better understand the aftermath of the battle.


    Only when the majority of the Factions had left did they return to their own Kingdom.


    The two were still unable to believe that Aina''s fiance was that powerful. Although Lux was only a High-Ranker, the forces he couldmand were nothing to scoff at.


    Victor was sure that if he were to really fight Lux to the death, the one who would end up dying would be him.


    Even though he was still disappointed with what happened between the Half-Elf and his daughter, he no longer wished to antagonize the Half-Elf, who had yed a role in the destruction of the Main Headquarters of the Divine Army.


    As soon as the two entered the castle, an adorable little Dwarf ran in their direction, weing them with a big smile on her face.


    "Father! Brother!"


    Colette didn''t hesitate and jumped towards her father with her arms spread wide.


    Victor chuckled and caught his youngest daughter and spun her around before kissing her cheeks.


    "Did you miss me, Colette?"


    "Yes!"


    "How about me?" Tristan asked. "Did you miss me, too?"


    "Of course, Brother," Collete answered. "Did you bring home some souvenirs from the Divine Kingdom?"


    Tristan blinked once then twice before giving his answer.


    "�� No." Tristan shook his head. "Sorry, but I forgot to buy you some souvenirs."


    "Boooo!" Colette pouted, which made Tristan scratch his cheek.


    How could he possibly tell his sister that he wasn''t able to buy her any souvenirs because the Divine City had been erased from the face of the world?


    Would she believe him even if he told her?


    The answer was no.


    But if he told her that the one responsible for erasing the city was her Big Brother, Lux, would she believe it?


    The answer was yes!


    "You''re back, Father," Aina said.


    Aina still wore her signature emotionless look, but if someone were to pay extra close attention to her eyes, they might notice the tinge of anxiety in them.


    Lux previously told her that he would go to the Capital City of the Divine Army in order to rescue his Master, Gaap.


    Since her father and brother had gone to the Divine City, she was dying to ask them about the things that had happened on the Foundation Day of the Divine Army.


    The Queen of the Xeno Kingdom, Felicia, stood beside Aina and gave her husband an inquiring look.


    Seeing her gaze, Victor nodded his head.


    "Tristan, y with Colette for a while," Victor said. "I''m going to talk to Aina and your mother."


    Tristan nodded his head in understanding and held Colette''s hand.


    The adorable Dwarf had no idea that she was being excluded from an important meeting, but even if she knew, she would''ve been fine with that.


    It had been a while since she had seen Tristan, so she wanted to spend some time with her Big Brother who had been away on diplomatic missions.


    Victor motioned for Aina and Felicia to follow him.


    He had no intention of hiding things from Aina and his wife.


    The King of the Xeno Kingdom knew that this was a turning point in their Kingdom''s growth, so he needed to make an important decision.


    Of course, he would need the input of his daughter and his wife since it involved his future son-inw.


    ������������


    Inside Victor''s and Felicia''s room��


    "And that is what happened," Victor said. "Aina, your fiance is a double-edged sword for our kingdom."


    "It doesn''t matter," Aina replied. "I will always be on his side. But that doesn''t mean that I don''t care about the Xeno Kingdom. If worsees to worst, you can announce that I will be stripped of my position as the Princess of this Kingdom and be sent to exile."


    "If only it were that easy." Victor smiled bitterly. "Even if I were to do that, if the Divine Army finds out about your rtionship with Lux, there is a chance that they might use you as a hostage to lure him out of hiding."


    Aina shook her head. "Right now, they can''t afford to antagonize Lux. Their Main Headquarters has been destroyed, and they have suffered too many losses. Also, as long as we don''t talk, no one will know about our rtionship with him."


    Felicia, who had kept her silence from the start of the discussion, frowned.


    "You are forgetting something important, Aina," Felicia said. "When the Beast Tide attacked us, there were several observers from our neighboring Kingdoms. They were hoping that the Beast Tide would overpower our defenses and deal great damage to our Kingdom.


    "If any of those people went to the Divine Empire to participate in their Founder''s Day, they would be able to recognize Lux."


    Victor''s expression turned grim because he had forgotten about this matter. There were indeed several observers from their neighboring Kingdoms who had paid attention to their battle with the Beast Tide.


    If any of those bastards were to report to the Divine Army that Lux had helped them defend their Kingdom, they would certainly send people to investigate.


    "Aina, it would be best if you kept a low profile for now," Felicia stated. "Don''t leave the castle. Better yet, just stay inside your room for a week or two."


    Aina nodded her head in understanding. She loved Lux, but she also loved her family. She would do anything in her power to keep all of them safe.


    "I will listen to you, Mother," Aina replied. "I will not show my face to anyone. I will temporarily let my Vice Guildmaster take over handling the affairs of the Guild as well."


    "Thank you, Aina," Felicia smiled as she hugged her beautiful daughter. "It will just be for a short while."


    Victor sighed as he looked at his daughter.


    Just like Aina, he would do his best to protect his family.


    If their neighboring Kingdoms really chose to antagonize them over this matter, then he would not hesitate to fight, even if he had to fight the Divine Army alone.

 Chapter 1003 Dear Mother Of…

    Chapter 1003 Dear Mother Of��


    Pirate Enve��


    All the pirates were merrily drunk and ate to the fullest as if this was thest feast that they would be having in this world.


    Captain Jack Spawow talked about the old times as he drank with his friends.


    "What do you think our chances of surviving this battle are?" Shane asked.


    "Do you even need to ask?" Francesca arched an eyebrow as she refilled her mug with rum. "The answer is zero."


    Britton and Qing nodded their heads in agreement.


    "What do you think, Jack?" Shane inquired.


    Captain Jack Spawow drank half of the rum in his mug before answering.


    "Well, I don''t really think that we have a chance of winning," Captain Jack Spawow said. "But I''m d that, at least, our Captain''s bloodline will not cease to exist. That boy, Baggy, might be a scaredy cat, but he is still the Captain''s Grandson. I don''t want to see him die anytime soon."


    "Heh~ to think that brat managed to survive until now," Quinn smirked. "Talk about luck."


    The Pirate Captain, Baggy, was the grandson of their Captain when they were still whalers.


    The boy had now grown up to be an adult, but in their eyes, he was still the teenage boy who would apany them from time to time whenever they went whaling.


    He wasn''t really part of the crew of the Billy ''O Tea, but the times when he was with them were the times when their stoic Captain would smile a lot.


    Just as Captain Jack Spawow was about to refill his mug with rum, Jibbs entered the tavern with a grim expression on his face.


    "Captain, we have a problem," Jibb whispered in Jack Spawow''s ears. "A very serious problem."


    "Are we out of rum?" Captain Jack Spawow asked. "Did the other pirates empty the wine cer already? This is indeed a problem, Jibbs. Without rum, how can we be sober when the fighting begins?"


    Jibbs, who was not in the mood for jokes, told his captain about the serious problem they were facing.


    "Captain, the ship is no longer in the harbor," Jibbs whispered. "Someone took it away."


    Jack Spawow, who was refilling his mug with rum, looked at Jibbs in disbelief.


    Because of this, he didn''t notice that the rum had started to overflow from his mug, making hisrades look at him as if he were a wastrel.


    Jack Spawow, who seemed to have forgotten where he was, immediately left the tavern in haste.


    Jibbs followed behind him, and the two headed to the harbor of the Pirate Enve.


    It was already night, but the full moon illuminated the surroundings.


    Captain Jack Spawow looked at the spot where his Pirate Ship was originally docked a few hours ago with a frown.


    The majority of his Pirate crew was lying in the harbor, and they were dead drunk.


    Those who were sober stared at their Captain with anxious looks on their faces. Clearly, they were still shaken by what happened a few hours ago.


    "You, tell me, where is our ship?" Captain Jack Spawow asked one of his crew, who was the least drunk among the bunch.


    "C-Captain, the two Baby Slimes hijacked the ship and sailed away," the Pirate replied.


    "Hijacked?" Captain Jack Spawow frowned. "Are you talking about Eiko and Fei Fei?"


    "Yes." the Pirate nodded his head in confirmation. "It was those two who hijacked our ship, Captain."


    "But how?" Captain Jack Spawow asked. "Why didn''t you guys stop them?"


    "We tried, Captain, but they kicked us off of the ship with ease. We were also too drunk to fight, so we were subdued by their minions easily."


    The frown on Captain Jack Spawow''s face deepened.


    "Are you telling me that two Baby Slimes kicked you out of the ship, and none of you had been able to put up any resistance?" Captain Jack Spawow inquired.


    "Captain, she wasn''t alone," the Pirate replied. "She summoned these Big Slimes that knocked us out easily. It happened too fast, and before we knew it, we were all lying here on the docks and the ship was gone."


    Captain Jack Spawow scratched his head. "This doesn''t make any sense. Those two are well-behaved children. They would not do something like this."


    "I''m sorry, Captain," the Pirate said. "I''m just telling you what I saw. It really was those two Baby Slimes that took our ship."


    While Captain Jack Spawow was trying to make sense of what was going on, their ship was already several miles away from the Pirate Enve.


    "Hum~ Hum~ Hum~"


    Eiko hummed as she sat on the steering wheel, navigating the Pirate Ship in the open seas.


    Fei Fei, on the other hand, was using a telescope to observe the Pirate Fleet in the distance.


    "Wei~" Fei Fei reported.


    "Un!" Eiko replied.


    Just like what the Pirate had said earlier, Eiko and Fei Fei hijacked the Pirate Ship and pursued the Pirates who had left the Pirate Enve in order to escape the battle that would happen in less than two days'' time.


    But the Pirate Fleet was moving too fast, and with just two Baby Slimes manning the ship, their chances of catching up were slim.


    Because of this, Eiko decided to call a friend.


    A two-meter-tall Skeleton Pirate King, wearing an Admiral''s robe and a red Pirate Hat, appeared beside the Baby Slime.


    "Help?" Eiko asked.


    The Skeleton Pirate King nodded. "Pirate Cruiser Operational."


    At that moment, the Pirate Ship that Eiko and Fei Fei were sailing suddenly came to aplete stop.


    A few secondster, it rose from the sea, as something gigantic moved under it.


    The waves rose as the Pirate Ship surged forward.


    The Pirates, who sensed a powerful presence behind them, looked in the distance with pale expressions on their faces.


    Pirate Captain Baggy''s eyes widened in shock as he looked at the thing that was approaching them from behind.


    "Dear mother of��"


    All the Pirate Captains who had decided to leave the Pirate Enve in order to survive the attack of the Ford Federation couldn''t help but shudder as they gazed at the approaching behemoth.


    Eiko had a devilish look on her face as the ship slowly closed the distance between her and the Pirate Fleet that she was trying to pursue.


    The Skeleton Pirate King standing behind the Baby Slime couldn''t help but look at the Pirates, whom his Mistress had set her eyes on, with pity.


    Fei Fei, who was right beside her, giggled as she summoned a st Bomb in her hand.


    Eiko also giggled and did the same.


    The two Baby Slimes looked at the Pirate Fleet that was only a few hundred meters away from them and smiled evilly.


    This was going to be a night that Baggy and the other Pirate Captains, who decided to escape, would remember for the rest of their lives.

 Chapter 1004 The Greatest Master, And Disciple In Elysium

    Chapter 1004 The Greatest Master, And Disciple In Elysium


    Lux, Valerie, Aur, Ali, and Ari spent theirst day in Espoir Frieden in each other''spany.


    They didn''t leave the residence and spent every minute they had left together.


    Ali and Ari, who felt left out whenever Lux removed his ring to make love to Valerie and Aur,ined that they should be treated the same way.


    "It''s unfair. Why do you wear that ring when you do it with us?" Ali asked. "What is this discrimination?"


    "That''s right," Ari supported her sister''s words. "Aren''t we also your lovers? Why don''t you knock us up as well? I promise to give birth to a beautiful daughter for you."


    The two handmaidens, who were currently sitting on each of Lux''s legs, looked at him with dissatisfaction.


    "Ali, Ari, the two of you are Valerie''s handmaidens," Lux replied. "Who will take care of Valerie if ever she really gets pregnant? Also, if either of you gets pregnant, there''s a chance that you will be forced to leave her side.


    "You should focus on taking care of Valerie for the time being. I promise that I will also give you what you want when the time is right."


    Ali and Ari nced at each other before reluctantly nodding their heads.


    They knew that Lux had a point, and it would be bad if both of them were to get pregnant at the same time as Valerie. If that happened, things might getplicated, so for the time being, they decided to ept Lux''s exnation.


    happened, things might getplicated, so for the time being, they decided to ept Lux''s exnation.


    "Fine. We''ll let you off the hook this time," Ali said before kissing Lux''s left cheek. "But after Valerie gives birth, you better keep your word."


    "Okay," Lux nodded as he kissed her back. "I promise."


    Ari kissed Lux''s right cheek without saying a word, and the Half-Elf kissed her back.


    A few minutester, the three of them did a threesome before resting for the night.


    The next morning��


    "Come visit us often, okay?" Hereswith''s mother, Eurydice, said as she hugged her daughter tightly. "I''ll always be waiting for your return."


    The High King of Espoir Frieden, Kazimir, hugged his wife and daughter without saying a word.


    He had bid his farewell to Hereswith an hour ago, and he already told her everything he wanted to say.


    Their other guests had already left their Kingdom, and the only delegations that remained were those from Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce.


    After a few more minutes, Hereswith reluctantly pulled back and smiled at her parents.


    "I''ll visit from time to time," Hereswith said. "Both of you, take care of yourself, okay?"


    "We will," Eurydice replied.


    After bidding onest goodbye, Hereswith apanied Lux and readied to return to the Crystal Pce.


    The two groups used the Teleportation Gate of the Elven Royal Family and appeared in their respective Kingdoms.


    Lady Faustina and Poro had already set their coordinates to their capital cities, drastically decreasing the travel time on their trip back home.


    Valerie, Ali, and Ari looked at the Half-Elf with a meaningful gaze as they waited for their turn to enter the portal.


    Lux nodded, meaning to tell his three lovers that they coulde and visit him whenever they found the opportunity to do so.


    He had already expected that he wouldn''t be seeing them any time soon due to the aftermath of what happened to the Divine Empire.


    A few minutester, the delegation of Karshvar Draconis disappeared as they teleported to their capital city.


    "It''s our turn now," Poro said as he walked forward.


    Lux and Aur followed behind him, while Hereswith followed behind her Grand Disciple.


    The other Saints, who served as Aur''s Protectors, also entered the range of the Teleportation Gate and waited for their turn to depart.


    With a bright sh of light, they all left the Elven Empire and returned to the ce where they belonged.


    ����������������


    Heaven''s Gate Guild Headquarters��


    The moment Lux arrived in his Guild Headquarters, he summoned Emma and General Garret to the conference room to hear their report.


    The two were the ones who managed the affairs of their Guild while he was away, and he wanted to know if they encountered any difficulties during the month that he was gone.


    After hearing about Gaap''s death, Emma and Garret were worried about Lux''s state of mind, but the Half-Elf assured them that he was doing better than expected.


    Half an hourter, their discussion ended, and Lux left his Guild Headquarters to go to the highest peak on the floating ind.


    His Master would often visit this ce to meditate and ponder the things that he wanted to do in life.


    Lux could not think of any better ce to bury his Master''s ashes, so he decided to choose this location for Gaap''s tomb.


    After burying the jar in the ground, he and his Grandmaster, Hereswith, created a majestic tomb to honor the Halfling.


    "Here lies Gaap, the greatest Master and Disciple in Elysium."


    Lux looked at the que that Hereswith made and smiled.


    The two of them then poured bottles of wine on the tomb as an offering to the Halfling, who liked to drink alcoholic beverages in his spare time.


    After they were done with their offerings, the two sat cross-legged in front of it as they made their vigil.


    Hana appeared beside Lux and joined them as well.


    There were many traditions followed to mourn the dead in Elysium, and the method that they chose was the simplest of them all.


    They would stay on the peak for seven days and would only eat when the sun had set.


    This was their way of paying their respects to the dead, which both of them found ironic.


    The two of them were Necromancers, and not just any kind of Necromancers.


    They were both Necromancers of Heaven.


    Yet even with all their powers, they were unable to revive the person that was dear to the two of them.


    Antero was no longer in Elysium and had returned to the Abyss.


    There was no longer an anchor that bound him to the world, so this oue was already set in stone.


    Lux and Hereswith asked Hana how the Halfling had lived his life when he was wandering thends of Elysium on his own.


    The Fox Lady happily told them about the things that Gaap had done, as well as how she first encountered him.


    After sharing all the Halfling''s happy stories, she then moved to the sad ones.


    Hereswith teared up after hearing that her Disciple had spent countless nights preparing for his final showdown with the Divine Army of Light.


    Hana also thanked Lux because, if not for him, his Master might have lived thest of his days with only the goal of revenge in his mind.


    She added that when Gaap was with the Half-Elf, heughed more, smiled more, and enjoyed life more.


    All the memories that they shared together were precious, and Hana knew that, even though her Master was no longer with them, the memory of him would always remain inside their hearts.


    A weekter, the three people stood up and bowed to Gaap''s tomb onest time.


    Their mourning had ended, and it was time for them to move on and continue their own lives.


    "Lux, I will be leaving for a bit," Hereswith said. "I will go to the Headquarters of Memento Mori. There are a few things that I want to ask them."


    The Half-Elf nodded his head in understanding.


    "Understood, Grandmaster," Lux replied. "For the time being, I will visit a few ces before I start looking for the clues that will lead me to the Pirs of Eternity."


    Hereswith smiled and patted the Half-Elf''s shoulder.


    "Be safe, okay?" Hereswith said. "Also, don''t find trouble with the Divine Army of Light. Now is not the time to fight them again. But rest assured. I''ll make sure to kill that b*tch Oracle no matter what."


    Lux smirked because that was also his n. Although he wouldn''t actively look for the members of the Divine Army of Light, if there came an opportunity to avenge his Master, he would dly take the chance to do it.


    Just like Hereswith, he wouldn''t be able to forget his hatred for the Oracle, who was responsible for the death of his Master and Grandmaster.


    ''Even if the Gods forgive her, I will never forgive her,'' Lux vowed in his heart. ''I will not stop until she is safely stored inside ckfire.''


    The Half-Elf gave his Master''s tomb onest nce before flying away.


    He needed to return and stay in Sis for a week or two in order to catch up with his two fiances.


    He also nned to confess to Iris and Cai that he had gained five lovers, while he was away.


    (A/N: Five including Aina).


    Although he didn''t know how the two of them would react, he didn''t have any intention of hiding the truth from them.


    While these things were happening, the Factions in Elysium started to stir.


    Although a great battle had just ended, the preparation for the next one was already underway.

 Chapter 1005 I Plead Guilty

    Chapter 1005 I Plead Guilty


    Iris and Cai hugged Lux as they all sat on the couch together.


    They listened to him as he recounted everything that happened in Elysium during the time that they weren''t together.


    They felt sad upon hearing Gaap''s death and felt indebted to him for thetter had sacrificed his life to save their fiance from death.


    When he was about to tell them about Aina, Lux felt conflicted if he should tell them about his past life.


    Although he didn''t mind letting them know about it, he felt that it would justplicate things. However, he was also certain that Iris and Cai wouldn''t think much about it.


    He also wasn''t sure whether the two Gods who were protecting Elysium and Sis would allow him to speak about matters that should only be known to the Gods.


    As if knowing what he was thinking, he heard Eriol''s voice inside his head.


    The God of Games told him that he shouldn''t share this kind of information with others.


    Since he had already been given a warning, he decided to tweak his story about Aina a bit and told them that the two of them had developed feelings with each other during their encounters in Elysium.


    Although Iris and Cai felt that the Half-Elf was not telling them everything, they decided to trust him and ept his love for Aina.


    However, when he told the two about how he and the four Dragon Ladies became lovers, Cai wasn''t able to stop her lips from twitching.


    "An Aphrodisiac?" Cai looked at the Half-Elf in disbelief. "How strong was it?"


    "Very strong," Lux replied with a straight face. "Before I got hold of my senses, I had already done the deed."


    Iris smiled, while Cai arched an eyebrow. Both of them knew that Lux was someone who took rtionships seriously, so they could understand why he would want to take responsibility after doing what he did.


    "One Dwarf Princess, and two Dragon Princesses," Iris said with a smile. "I don''t know if I should praise you or pinch you for making these girls your lovers."


    (E/N: Agarthian Princess is next :P)


    "Well, after observing Valerie, Ali, and Ari when we visited your Guild Headquarters, I could already tell that it was only a matter of time before you crossed that line," Caimented. "I just didn''t expect that it would be this soon."


    Iris nodded her head in agreement. "Well, they are all beautiful girls, and they also have status. I don''t mind calling them my sisters."


    "Still�� there is a possibility that you made two of them pregnant huh," Cai narrowed her gaze. "I think that''s unfair. Iris and I should have been first in the pecking order.


    "I asked you to get me pregnant in the Abyss, but you refused me. You told me to wait, but youpletely went wild with those two Dragon Princesses. Isn''t this discrimination?"


    Lux could only smile bitterly because Cai had a point. However, if given the choice, he still didn''t want Iris and Cai to conceive his children due to the threat of the destruction of Sis.


    "I know that it was a selfish thing to do," Lux said. "I plead guilty. But I hope that you and Iris will not ask me to make the two of you pregnant. Right now, Sis is not a very stable ce.


    "I know that the Rowan Tribe, Barbatos Academy, and the Six Kingdoms are already doing their best to secure their own territories in Elysium in order to migrate as ast resort. But, until we are certain that no harm wille to the two of you, let us put our baby-making sessions on hold, shall we?"


    Iris and Cai frowned, but they also understood where Lux wasing from. Alexander and Maximillian had already told them about the migration n to escape from the miasma, currently on the borders of the Six Kingdoms, that was starting to slowly but surely encroach upon the territories of the Six Kingdoms.


    After an in-depth examination, they estimated that they only had three years at the minimum and four years at the maximum until thends of the Six Kingdoms became uninhabitable.


    Because of this, they were rushing to build their cities in Elysium in preparation for the mass migration.


    This was also why Aina''s parents decided to take a gamble and founded their own Kingdom in Elysium while they still had the time to do it.


    They no longer felt safe in Sis, so migrating was the only option left to them.


    "Very well, we will listen to you," Iris said. "Three years. After three years, we will no longer hold back, okay?"


    "I hope you don''t go back on your word when that timees," Cai stated. "We have already waited long enough."


    Lux nodded. "Understood."


    "How long will you be staying here?" Iris asked.


    "A week or two," Lux replied. "Aurelia also wanted to meet the two of you. So if both of you are free, can you apany me to the Crystal Pce to meet her?"


    "Okay," Iris replied in a heartbeat.


    "I want to see her as well," Cai smiled. "To think that the Dragon Prince was actually a Dragon Princess. I have to confirm for myself if it''s real or not."


    Lux shook his head helplessly. "You think I am making things up?"


    "Of course not," Cai replied. "But I''ve seen Aur, and I find it hard to believe that he is actually a she. There must be a reason why she is hiding her gender, don''t you think? Did she tell you the reason why?"


    Lux pondered for a bit. Truth be told, he didn''t ask Aur this question because he didn''t want to pry in her privacy.


    However, he had an idea why she was hiding her gender.


    But unless he personally heard the reason from her, he decided to not make any premature assumptions at this point in time.


    "I''m sure that she has her reasons," Lux stated. "But I won''t ask this from her. If she feels that she isfortable enough to share his reason with me, I''m sure that she will tell me about it."


    Cai thought for a bit before nodding her head.


    Aur had her secrets, just like she had her own secrets. Since that was the case, she would also not ask her questions that might make her feel ufortable.


    After they finished their discussion, Iris and Cai pinned the Half-Elf down on the bed.


    They had a lot of catching up to do, and they would make sure to remind the Half-Elf that he still had two fiancees who loved him very much.


    ��---------------------

 Chapter 1006 A One-Sided Annihilation

    Chapter 1006 A One-Sided Annihtion


    "Admiral, we''ve tried everything, but none of us can enter the Domain," an Officer reported.


    "I see," a man who was a little more than two meters tall replied with a smile on his face. "Tell everyone to get into formation and prepare to execute n B."


    "Yes, Admiral." The Officer saluted before walking away to carry out his superior''s orders.


    The Admiral lit the pipe in his hand and took a deep drag.


    A momentter, he blew out several white circles that were made up of smoke and looked at the map on top of his table.


    His name was Onyx Dreadheart.


    He hailed from the Dreadheart family, one of the three Great Families of the Ford Federation.


    The three Great Families consisted of the Dreadheart Family, Shadowheart Family, and Ashenheart Family.


    Each of these families had a Supreme backing them, making them the Shadow Rulers of the Ford Federation.


    Under them were the Ten Prestigious Families, who acted as their direct subordinates, helping them with the management of the Federation.


    The reason why they were called the Shadow Rulers of the Federation was because they weren''t really the true rulers of thend.


    There was a family who stood above them all, and they ruled the Inds within the Seven Seas.


    The name of this family was the Darkstar Family, and the three Great Families had long wanted to kick them out of their position so that they could finally take full control of the Ford Federation.


    The Darkstar Family didn''t have any Supremes among their ranks. In fact, they only had Saints.


    However, there was one simple reason as to why the three Great Families didn''t dare to usurp their position.


    The Ancestor of the Darkstar family was still alive.


    Although that man was only of the Saint Rank and shouldn''t be considered as a threat, behind this person was his Beast Companion who intimidated the Three Great Families, as well as their subordinate families, into not daring to cross them.


    The Ancestor of the Darkstar Family managed to befriend one of the Emperors of the Sea.


    With the creature backing the Ancestor of the Darkstar Family, the three Great Families were unable to make strong enough waves that could topple their rule.


    This Sea Monster was so strong that many believed it to be a Peak Demigod. Even three Supremes would have to think twice before attacking such a creature, and a battle of that magnitude would certainly cripple or kill any of the three Supremes. With this threat, none of them wanted that to happen.


    But after patiently waiting for hundreds of years, the Ancestor of the Darkstar family was finally nearing his end. ording to the healer, the Saint only had a month or two to live.


    Knowing this, the three Great Families decided to use this opportunity to weaken the supporters of the Darkstar Family.


    They had dered that they would eliminate all the Pirates in the Seven Seas, ensuring everyone''s safety.


    In order to ensure that everyone would be on the same page, they dered that those who wouldn''t join them in battle would be considered by the Ford Federation as siding with the enemy and would bebeled traitors.


    Knowing that the Ancestor of the Darkstar n was dying, the families who originally supported them jumped ship and voiced their intentions to join the Great Pirate Purge.


    Of course, this was the perfect opportunity for the Three Great Families to increase their influence and make the popce look up to them as Heroes who fought against the Pirates, who were notorious bandits at sea.


    What they didn''t know was that the Three Great Families and the Ten Prestigious Families were no better than the Pirates.


    Heck, they even created their own Pirate Fleets and used them to attack the Merchants, who belonged to theirpetitors at sea, shifting the me onto the Pirates.


    Because of this, the Ford Federation hated the Pirates with a vengeance.


    Of course, the Pirates weren''t good people either. They were true to their name as Bandits of the Sea.


    However, these Pirates choose their targets.


    They would only attack the vessels that belonged to the Three Great Families and Ten Prestigious Families.


    This was also why these families hated them with a vengeance.


    Now that the Ancestor of the Darkstar n was about to croak, there was no better opportunity to wipe out thest forces that would resist their rule in the Ford Federation.


    Once all the Pirates were eliminated, the Three Great Families were bound to enjoy an era of prosperity, while toying with the citizens of the Ford Federation from the shadows.


    A dayter��


    "Admiral, ording to the navigators, we will reach our destination in half a day," the Officer reported. "Should we maintain our current formation?"


    "Yes," Admiral Onyx replied. "However, make sure to stop six miles away from the Pirate Enve. We will trap them in an encirclement and prevent them from escaping."


    "Yes, Admiral." The Officer saluted and left the Admiral''s Office.


    Admiral Onyx looked at the map on top of the table and stabbed his dagger into the ind that represented the Pirate Enve.


    Even if all the Pirates escaped, as long as they destroyed the Ind, they would be able to consider it a victory.


    There was no longer a ce in the Ford Federation where these Pirates could hide since all the inds were now under their control.


    Admiral Onyx knew that the Pirate Enve had a special meaning to the Pirates because this had been the Headquarters of the Pirate King in the past.


    Every Pirate''s biggest goal was to be the Pirate King,


    But if their very symbol of authority was taken from them, then they would no longer be able to raise their heads and make their dreams a reality.


    The Pirates knew of this as well.


    Because of this, even though nearly half of their forces had decided to not participate in the battle, those with strong wills decided to stay and fight.


    They were the people who were serious about bing the Pirate King and wanted to unite all Pirates under one banner once again.


    Two hourster, the Officer returned with an excited expression on his face.


    "Admiral, it seems that we no longer need to go to the Pirate Enve to exterminate those Pirate Scums," the Officer reported. "They have decided to serve themselves to us on a silver tter."


    Admiral Onyx chuckled before standing up from his chair.


    He then walked out of the room, with a sneer stered on his face.


    ''So you fools don''t want your little Pirate Ind to be destroyed, huh?'' Admiral Onyx mused.


    For him, it didn''t really matter whether they fought their enemies near the Pirate Enve or on the open seas.


    "The result will be the same," Admiral Onyx muttered as he raised his hand to inform the Battleships of the Ford Federation to get into position. "It will be a one-sided annihtion, with our forces emerging victorious."


    Admiral Onyx smirked as he looked at the Grand Pirate coalition in the distance.


    Hundreds of pirate ships sailed side by side, like an imprable wall.


    However, the Admiral knew that this wall wouldn''t be strong enough to block his path.


    He was certain that before this day was over, the sea would turn red with the blood of his enemies, and the heads of the Pirate Captains would be collected.


    Admiral Onyx intended to mount these heads on countless spikes and disy them as a warning to everyone who dared to stand in the way of their ambitions, that they would suffer the same fate.

 Chapter 1007 Title will be at the bottom of this chapter to prevent spoilers.

    Chapter 1007 Title will be at the bottom of this chapter to prevent spoilers.


    The Pirate Captains stared at the countless ships in the distance.


    Their enemiespletely outnumbered them twenty to one, and they even had a Supreme leading them.


    Their chances of winning this battle were extremely slim, and yet, none of them had the slightest intention of backing down.


    Those who wanted to escape had already left, and those who remained were the people who were ready and willing to die for what they believed in.


    Captain Jack Spawow stood on top of his Pirate Ship, which had been returned to him a few hours ago by several Skeleton Swashbucklers.


    The Pirate Captain was, of course, very happy that his ship was returned to him.


    One of the Skeleton Swashbucklers even gave him a cookie bag, which he believed was Eiko''s apology gift for hijacking his ship.


    Truth be told, Captain Jack Spawow was d that Eiko and Fei Fei didn''t have to join them in this battle, where both of them might die.


    He didn''t mind dying because his life was his responsibility, and he believed that he had already lived his life to the fullest. On the contrary, the two Baby Slimes were still young, and their Masters would be very sad if either of them died at sea.


    "Captain, it has been an honor serving you," Jibbs said as he stood beside Captain Jack Spawow, who was busy munching on the cookies that Eiko gave him.


    "Ah, it is an honor indeed to serve a dashing, awesome, and charismatic Captain such as me." Captain Jack Spawow smiled as he offered Jibbs the bag of cookies in his hand. "Want some?"


    "Aye," Jibbs replied and took a cookie. "Delicious."


    Captain Jack Spawowughed and called out to the rest of his pirate crew.


    "Lads, take one each," Captain Jack Spawow ordered. "This is a gift from our dear friend, Eiko. Make sure to remember her when we cross over to the Shores of the Afterlife."


    """Aye, Captain!"""


    The Pirates all lined up and took a cookie each. The two Baby Slimes were very good kids, and the Pirates had a very good impression of them.


    In fact, they also shared their Captain''s thoughts. They were d that Eiko and Fei Fei weren''t with them because the two babies would definitely not survive a battle of this magnitude.


    "Captain, they are moving," Jibbs reported when he noticed that the battleships in front of them were spreading out.


    Captain Jack Spawow sneered when he saw this scene. "They are trying to surround us to prevent us from running away. They really thought that we had ns of escaping huh?"


    "Aye," Jibbs nodded. "The g on the gship belongs to the Dreadheart Family. I have every reason to believe that they are led by Admiral Onyx."


    "Ah�� that brute without ss," Captain Jack Spawow smirked. "Help meter, Jibbs. I n to stab that person''s guts out."


    "I''m with you on this one, Cap," Jibbs replied. "That man deserves to die."


    Captain Jack Spawow then looked at the biggest Pirate ship in their ranks.


    Right now, the entire Pirate Fleet was under themand of Spanks. Once he gave the order, all of them would make theirst stand.


    "It''s about time��" Spanks narrowed his eyes.


    But just as he was about to give the order to advance, he caught something out of the corner of his eye.


    Hundreds of ships were gradually zooming into view from the horizon, and they were moving toward the battleships of the Ford Federation at a very fast rate.


    Admiral Onyx and his men all gazed at the neers with sneers on their faces. They had already expected that some of the Pirates would escape in order to save their lives.


    However, seeing that these idiots had returned just to die made the Admiralugh in his heart.


    "Which Pirate crew do those ships belong to?" Admiral Onyx asked.


    The Officer standing beside him took out a telescope and checked the gs that were fluttering in the breeze.


    A momentter, a frown appeared on his face as he looked at the ships a second time. After confirming that his guess was right, he looked at the Admiral with a confused look on his face.


    "Sir, this is the first time I''ve seen that Pirate g," the Officer reported. "I have no idea what faction they belonged to."


    Admiral Onyx arched an eyebrow and took out his own telescope. He then gazed at the gship that was leading the attack and saw a familiar Pirate standing on its deck.


    ''Isn''t that Baggy?'' Admiral Onyx thought. However, when he shifted his telescope to check the Pirate g on the ship, he didn''t recognize it either.


    An emblem of a blue slime with devilish-looking eyes, holding two bombs in its hands, fluttered in the breeze.


    As someone who had been in the Ford Federation for more than a century, this was the first time he had seen such an emblem.


    Suddenly, music spread in the surroundings as Baggy and his crew started to stomp on the decks of their ships while ying their musical instruments.


    In front of them, two Baby Slimes were floating on the waters hundreds of meters away from them.


    ������������������


    (A/N: For maximum enjoyment of the uing scenes, search for "The Wellerman Countryhumans 5 Artists Cob", on Youtube and sing along.)


    (E/N: Not a suggestion! Listen to it!)


    ������������������


    "There once was a ship that put to sea, the name of the ship was the Billy O'' Tea," Baggy sang. "The winds blew up, her bow dipped down. Oh blow, my bully boys, blow!"


    All the Pirates within the fleet stomped their feet, and raised their hands together, as they sang the chorus of the song.


    """Soon may the Wellermane to bring us sugar and tea and rum,


    One day, when the tonguing is done, we''ll take our leave and go!"""


    Captain Jack Spawow, who heard this song,ughed out loud and reversed the Pirate Hat on his head.


    He then raised his sword high up and urged his crew to sail forward.


    "She''d not been two weeks from shore, when down on her a right whale bore," Captain Jack Spawow sang happily. "The Captain called all hands and swore, He''d take that whale in tow!"


    The crew of his Pirate Ship all sang as they sailed to join the Pirate Fleet that was led by their Captain''s Grandson, Baggy.


    """Soon may the Wellermane to bring us sugar and tea and rum,


    One day, when the tonguing is done we''ll take our leave and go!"""


    Francesca tapped her foot on the deck of her ship as a wistful smile appeared on her face.


    "Before the boat had hit the water the whale''s tail came up and caught her." Francescaughed. "All hands to the side harpooned and fought her when she dived down low!"


    Her Pirate crew could tell what their Pirate Captain was thinking, so they all took action and unfurled their sails in order to join the battle.


    """Soon may the Wellermane to bring us sugar and tea and rum,


    One day, when the tonguing is done we''ll take our leave and go!"""


    Quinn roared as he jumped towards the top of the mast of his ship and spread his arms wide.


    "No line was cut, no whale was freed, the Captain''s mind was not of greed." Quinn took out his sword and pointed it forward. "And he belonged to the Whaleman''s creed, he took that ship in tow~"


    """Soon may the Wellermane to bring us sugar and tea and rum,


    One day, when the tonguing is done we''ll take our leave and go!"""


    Shane and Britton nced at each other andughed together. Their ships also surged forward in order to join the battle.


    They felt as if they had returned to their whaling days, the times when they were under themand of their Captain, who had perished under the hands of the Three Great Families.


    "For forty days or even more, the line went ck then tight once more," Shane dered. "All boats were lost, there were only four, but still that whale did go~"


    """Soon may the Wellermane to bring us sugar and tea and One day, when the tonguing is done we''ll take our leave and go!"""


    "As far as I''ve heard, the fight''s still on, the line''s not cut, and the whale''s not gone," Britton stated. "The Wellerman makes his regr call, to encourage the Captain, crew, and all!"


    """Soon may the Wellermane to bring us sugar and tea and One day, when the tonguing is done we''ll take our leave and go!"""


    Eiko, who was floating on the sea, as if she was just swimming, suddenly raised her hand.


    A momentter, an enormous wave surged upward, carrying the two Baby Slimes with it.


    Suddenly, a Gigantic Ship that was over sixty meters tall appeared in front of everyone.


    This ship waspletely made up of bones, and countless cannons that ranged from five meters to ten meters tall all moved at the same time to aim at the gship of the Dreadheart Family


    On the Main Mast of the ship, a giant g fluttered in the wind.


    Everyone gazed at the emblem that looked like a Baby Blue Slime with devilish-looking eyes, holding two bombs in its hand.


    Countless Skeleton Swashbucklers all stomped their feet on the deck of the ship and sang along with everyone.


    "Soon may the Wellermane to bring us sugar and tea and rum,


    One day, when the tonguing is done��


    We''ll take our leave and��


    Go��"


    Eiko then jumped on themanding tform of the ship and pointed at her enemies.


    "Boom Boom Bakugan!"


    At that moment, countless cannons fired in unison decimating the ships that belonged to the Three Great Families.


    Historians would fondly remember this day as the Battle of Kings, and the very day when the Pirate Princess was born.


    ������������

 Chapter 1008 The Pirate Princess Of The Seven Seas [Part 2]

    Chapter 1008 The Pirate Princess Of The Seven Seas [Part 2]


    Not expecting to receive a heavy bombardment from their enemies, Admiral Onyx roared in anger.


    He immediately took off to the skies and activated his artifacts to protect their gship, as well as the other battleships that belonged to the Three Great Families.


    Before the battle started, he was very confident that he and his fleet would easily emerge victorious. But now, he wasn''t that sure anymore.


    The Gigantic Bone Ship in the distance was like a towering fortress in the middle of the sea.


    The other battleships of the Ford Federation had already open-fired and aimed their cannons at the bone ship, but the behemoth was unaffected by their attacks.


    The Rankers and High-Rankers were also unleashing their long-range attacks. But even if their spellsnded on their target, it would explode but not leave even a single scratch on its body!


    ''This can''t continue,'' Admiral Onyx thought. ''I need to deal with that ship now.''


    The Bone Ship''s firepower was simply too strong and urate.


    Every time one of its cannons fired, one of the battleships belonging to the Ford Federation would sink into the sea.


    The barriers around the battleships could not even block the cannon fire of the Bone Ship, which made the faces of the officers of the Ford Federation turn grim.


    "Sir! The Pirates'' Main Fleet is advancing!" Admiral Onxy''s personal Aide shouted. "Your orders, Admiral?"


    "Tell the fleets of the Ten Prestigious Family to deal with them on their own," Admiral Onyxmanded. "Fleets of the Three Great Families, rally to me! We will deal with that Bone Ship first!"


    """Yeah!"""


    With Admiral Onyx at the head of the formation, the Fleet of the Three Great Families charged at the Bone Ship in the distance.


    Eiko''s bombardment had already decimated a tenth of their fleet, so they all understood that, unless they took out the Gigantic Battleship in front of them, their chances of winning this battle would remain slim.


    Eiko and Fei Fei, who were on themanding tform of the Bone Ship, which the Baby Blue Slime had named, Poseidon, looked at Admiral Onyx in the distance using a telescope.


    Even when facing a Supreme, the Baby Slime wasn''t worried.


    The reason?


    It was because of the Skeleton Pirate King standing behind her with his arms sped behind his back.


    "Avery," Eiko said.


    "Yes, Princess?" Avery replied.


    "Fight him, okay?" Eiko pointed at the Supreme that was headed in their direction.


    "As you wish," the Skeleton Pirate King nodded. "Should I kill him?"


    "No," Eiko answered. "Half-dead, please."


    "By your will, Princess."


    ������������������������


    < Avery >


    "I''ll sing you a song, it''s a song of the sea.


    Row, me bully boys, row.


    Oh, I''ll sing you a song if you''ll sing it with me,


    And it''s row, me bully boys, row."


    Eiko''s First Admiral


    Ancient Skeleton Pirate King


    Terror of the Seven Seas


    Rating: SSR+++


    Monster Rank: Peak Demigod World Boss


    Health: ?????????????? / ??????????????


    Mana: ?????????????? / ??????????????


    Strength: ??????????????


    Intelligence: ??????????????


    Vitality: ??????????????


    Agility: ??????????????


    Dexterity: ??????????????


    ������������������������


    Eiko had fought many battles alongside her Papa, so she had a general understanding of the power levels between the different Ranks.


    Even if her opponent was a Supreme, she wasn''t worried. After all, she did not have just one but two Peak Demigods protecting her.


    The Bone Ship, Poseidon, was a living creature and was also a Peak-Demigod World Boss.


    Naturally, Poseidon was stronger than Avery.


    Why?


    It was because the Bone Ship possessed not one, not two, but three Demigod Beast Cores!


    If Admiral Onyx thought from the start that the fleet of the Ford Federation could annihte all the Pirates in the Seven Seas, then Eiko was confident that her Bone Ship alone could obliterate the entire fleet of the Ford Federation.


    The Fleet of the Three Great Families, which was currently charging towards the Bone Ship, noticed that none of the ship''s cannons were targeting them.


    Instead, the Destructive Behemoth was aiming at the Fleet of the Ten Prestigious Families, who were now engaging the Main Pirate Fleet.


    "You really think we can''t sink you, huh?!" Admiral Onyx sneered. "I''ll make you understand that it was a mistake fighting against the Three Great Families."


    "Oh, really?"


    A voice filled with disdain reached the Admiral''s ears.


    It was then when the Notorious Skeleton Pirate King, Avery, appeared in front of him, with his hands sped behind his back.


    "Who are you?" Admiral Onyx asked.


    He tried to sense the rank of the enemy in front of him, but to his surprise, he wasn''t able to gauge the Monster''s strength.


    "The name is Avery," the Skeleton Pirate King replied.


    Admiral Onyx frowned because this was the first time he had heard such a name.


    "Tell me. Which faction do you belong to?" Admiral Onyx inquired. "You''re not from the Isles of the Ford Federation. Did youe from the Main Continent?"


    The Admiral''s face had turned grim because there was only one exnation for why he couldn''t sense the monster''s rank.


    The Skeleton Pirate King in front of him was stronger than him by arge margin!


    A chuckle escaped Avery''s lips as he gazed at the Admiral, who seemed to have finally realized who he was dealing with.


    "I am a member of the Boom Boom Pirate Crew," Avery answered. "The time for questions and answers has ended. All you need to know is that My Princess had asked me to deal with you and your fleet. Since that is the case, you should just obediently submit and ept your fate."


    Admiral Onyx immediately imbued his spear with zing mes as a look of defiance appeared in his eyes.


    Although he vaguely knew that his opponent was stronger than him, he refused to believe that he would be unable to beat the Skeleton Pirate King if he went all out.


    "Foolish man," Avery sighed. "Very well. I''ll make you understand that in the face of our Princess'' decree, resistance is meaningless."


    Admiral Onyx roared and charged at Avery with the full might of a Supreme.


    The members of the Three Great Families, who saw their Admiral personally taking action, all cheered because they believed that as long as Admiral Onyx took the lead to fight this battle, their victory was assured.


    Although they had suffered losses, their morale was at an all-time high. Their cheers reverberated on the battlefield, drowning out the sounds of the cannons around them.


    However, this cheering instantly stopped when Avery casually dodged Admiral Onyx''s spear thrust and counter-attacked with a p.


    The proud Supreme of the Ford Federation cried out in pain as he shot backward like a cannonball toward his own g Ship.


    Everyone on his side who witnessed it instantly fell into despair.

 Chapter 1009 The Pirate Princess Of The Seven Seas [Part 3]

    Chapter 1009 The Pirate Princess Of The Seven Seas [Part 3]


    Avery''s p was so strong that, the moment Avery hit the gship of the Dreadheart Family, the vessel split into two.


    "This is impossible," one of the Officers of a ship beside the g Ship muttered in disbelief. "This can''t be happening."


    This was the thought of everyone who belonged to the Great Families.


    They hade to start a one-sided annihtion of the Pirates, not the other way around.


    Even now, they refused to believe that the strongest Admiral in their fleet had been easily dealt with by their enemy with just a single p.


    To make matters worse, their g Ship, which was the best vessel in their fleet, was destroyed in the blink of an eye, despite being covered by multiple defensive artifacts.


    This made the members of the Three Great Families panic.


    "Retreat!" all the Officers who weremanding their own ships shouted.


    They knew that this battle was lost the moment their Admiral was defeated.


    However, how could they possibly escape when Avery was standing in front of them?


    The Skeleton Pirate King chuckled as he waved his hand.


    Countless skeleton spikes jutted out of the sea, preventing any of the ships from escaping.


    "Did I tell you that you could leave?" Avery rhetorically asked with a devilish smile on his face. "If you don''t want to die, behave and submit to My Princess. That way, you will be able to live another day."


    After saying those words, Avery disappeared from where he was and dove into the sea.


    Admiral Onyx had regained his consciousness and tried to escape underwater, hoping that no one would notice him.


    He wanted to return to the Ford Federation and tell the two other Supremes who didn''t join the battle about the appearance of the Skeleton Pirate King.


    Admiral Onyx believed that, as long as the three of them worked together, they would have a chance of winning against the Monster who had appeared out of nowhere.


    At that moment, he heard the sound of singing inside his head.


    "I''ll sing you a song, it''s a song of the sea. Row, me bully boys, row."


    "Oh, I''ll sing you a song if you''ll sing it with me, and it''s row, me bully boys, row."


    All the hairs at the back of the Admiral''s neck stood up on end as the face of the Skeleton Pirate King appeared in front of him.


    Deep under the sea, a soundless scream was drowned out by the water as one of the Supremes of the Three Great Families faced the Terror of the Seven Seas.


    No matter what he did, no matter how much he struggled, it was all futile in the face of absolute strength.


    After beating the Supreme until he was half-dead, Avery rose from the water and reappeared on the deck of the Bone Ship, Poseidon.


    "Princess, I am back," Avery said respectfully.


    "Good job," Eiko nodded. "ckfire, get him."


    The ck Coffin appeared above Eiko and opened its lid.


    A childlike giggle rose from the dark depths of the coffin as countless hands grabbed hold of the dying Supreme.


    Admiral Onyx, who had sensed that something terrible was going to happen to him, raised his head to look at the ck Coffin.


    A glint appeared in his eyes as his gazended on the Baby Slime, whom Avery had called Princess.


    ''That must be their leader,'' Avery thought as he gathered all the strength in his body to kill the Baby Slime, who was looking back at him with a fearless gaze.


    But before he could even move to attack Eiko, Avery''s footnded on his head, smashing it against the deck of the ship, interrupting Admiral Onyx''s concentration.


    ckfire giggled a second time because he found the Admiral''s attempt quite amusing.


    By the time Avery was done beating the other party, Admiral Onyx''s face had turned into a bloody mess, making it impossible to identify him.


    The ck Coffin no longer hesitated and pulled the Supreme inside its body until the Admiral disappeared from sight.


    "You want Saints, ckfire?" Eiko asked the ck Coffin, who nodded its body in reply.


    "Avery, help ckfire get Saints," Eiko ordered.


    "As youmand, Princess," Avery replied and he once again disappeared from the deck of the ship.


    ckfire, who also sensed that there were several Saints ripe for the picking, flew towards the Fleet of the Ford Federation.


    The ck Coffin''s standards had already changed, and it no longer bothered to collect ordinary Rankers.


    Since it could only devour 100,000 souls, it decided to be more selective and only set its sights on High-Rankers, Saints, Supremes, Cmities, and Demigods.


    With dozens of Saints ready to be devoured, the ck Coffin was especially excited.


    It felt very sad when it wasn''t able to help his Master save Gaap from his imminent death.


    Even with all of its powers, there was simply nothing ckfire could do to change Gaap''s fate.


    Even if it gathered the Halfling''s ashes and re-animated it, he would not be the same person that Lux and Hereswith cared for.


    Doing so would just depress its Master even more, so ckfire chose not to do it.


    It knew that seeing the revived Halfling would only hurt its Master, so it defied Lux''s order and refused to do anything back then.


    Still, ckfire had no intention of letting the same thing happen again.


    Because of this, it decided to speed up its collection of strong fighters who would help its Master against his enemies.


    The Half-Elf and the ck Coffin shared amon goal.


    Their main target remained the same, and that was none other than the vile woman, who had repeatedly schemed to kill Hereswith, Gaap, and Lux.


    ckfire wanted nothing more than to devour the Oracle of the Divine Army.


    It didn''t care what method was used in order to achieve its goal.


    It also didn''t care if it got the Oracle dead or alive.


    The ck Coffin wouldn''t stop until the Oracle ended up in its deadly embrace.


    ckfire knew that once that day finally came when the Oracle fell into its grasp, it would make her understand that there were fates worse than death.


    So for now, it would focus on the task at hand.


    With the help of Avery, the ck Coffin devoured all of the Saints and High Rankers of the Ford Federation, leaving the rest to the mercy of the Pirate Princess.


    The battle ended in less than an hour, and the Pirates rounded up the survivors.


    Although the Pirates also suffered many casualties, they were still very happy with the oue.


    All of them directed their reverent gaze at the Baby Slime, who was perched on top of the fluttering g of her Bone Ship.


    Eiko stared at the Pirates who were looking up at her with a smile.


    Captain Jack Spawow, who was also staring up at Eiko, couldn''t help but smirk. Although he was certain that the Baby Slime didn''t know the consequences of her actions, he was certain of one thing.


    Whether Eiko liked it or not, all the Pirates acknowledged her existence, bringing her one step closer to making the entire Ford Federation submit under her rule.


    ��������������������

 Chapter 1010 Do You Really Think That The One Cheese Is Real?

    Chapter 1010 Do You Really Think That The One Cheese Is Real?


    Lux sat cross-legged in the training room of Iris'' residence in Barbatos Academy.


    Around him were countless elemental balls spinning in the air, sending out subtle fluctuations that contained the powers they held within.


    After spending a month consuming countless Beast Cores, the Half-Elf had gained countless skills in his arsenal.


    He really didn''t have any time to train these skills in the past, so he decided to spend his time testing them in preparation for the future.


    The battle in the Divine Empire had taught him a lot, especially when he was faced with thebined attack of the Four Young Supremes and the Oracle of Light.


    Although he had numerous skills, they were still not enough to fight against the Pseudo-Supremes.


    Hereswith had told him that there was nothing that he could have done to change the oue of the battle.


    Even if Gaap hadn''t been hit by the Oracle''s Arrow of Destruction, he was still fated to die before the battle was over.


    Lux understood this, but that didn''t mean that he epted it.


    Gaap had gone to the Divine Empire to die��that much was true.


    However, he died protecting Lux because the Half-Elf wasn''t strong enough, and this was something that the Half-Elf couldn''t ept.


    The current Lux was confident that he would be able to stand toe to toe with Saints.


    He was also fairly confident that he would be able to fight against a Supreme, and even if he didn''t win, he wouldn''t lose either.


    But that battle depended on the condition that the Supreme didn''t have any supporters to help him fight.


    His Master, Hereswith, was a Peak Demigod andmanded the Skeleton Queen, who was just as powerful.


    Even so, she still decided to return to Memento Mori to discuss a few things with their members.


    Although the extremely beautiful Elf didn''t tell Lux about her ns, he could guess it.


    He was certain that his Grandmaster nned to join the search for the Stars of Cmity.


    There were Seven of these Beasts, and ording to Hereswith, three had already been found. And with that, only four remained to be sought.


    Hereswith''s goal was to get one of them to further enhance her fighting power.


    Knowing this, Lux didn''t n on summoning Hereswith anytime soon. He wanted to rely on his current abilities to ovee the enemies who were threatening to kill him.


    The Half-Elf was perfectly safe in Sis because no one there had the ability to kill him.


    The handful of Saints that were present in the Six Kingdoms were also on his side.


    Of course, he now had Saints of his own, who were safely stored inside ckfire.


    Simply put, as long as he wasn''t facing a Supreme or a Demigod, Lux could walk unhindered in both Sis and Elysium.


    The spinning elemental balls in the air all moved to merge with each other, but the process wasn''t easy.


    Beads of sweat formed on the Half-Elf''s forehead as he carefully observed the delicate bnce of the elemental powers that were merging with each other.


    A momentter, a loud explosion resounded within the Academy, making Iris and Cai, who were having their afternoon tea, nce in Lux''s direction.


    Both girls were also doing their best to increase their Ranks. However, since their Fiance was in the academy, the two decided to take a break.


    Right now, Iris and Cai were almost C-Rankers.


    After what happened to the Abyss, the two girls had be more serious about increasing their ranks, so that in the future, they would no longer be a burden to their lover.


    Just as the smoke cleared from the Training Ground, Iris and Cai noticed something different.


    A Baby Slime was now perched on top of Lux''s head and was happily ruining her Papa''s hairstyle.


    "Eiko!" Iris immediately stood up and ran towards the Baby Slime, whom she hadn''t seen for a while.


    Eiko, who saw her Mama running towards her, opened her mouth and spat out Fei Fei, who rolled on the ground with a smile on her face.


    "Wei?"


    "Fei Fei!" Cai didn''t hesitate to pick up her Baby Slime and give her a kiss.


    Iris did the same, and Eiko happily epted her Mama''s kisses with a big smile on her face.


    "Eiko, you''re finally back," Lux said as he rearranged his hair that had been turned into a bird''s nest. "Are you done with your adventure?"


    Eiko shook her head. "No."


    "Then why did you return?" Lux asked.


    "Key!" Eiko replied as he looked at her Papa expectantly.


    "Key?" Lux tilted his head in confusion. "What key?"


    "El Dorito!"


    "�� Do you mean El Dorado?"


    "Un! El Dorito!"


    Iris giggled after hearing the silly exchange between the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime.


    Lux didn''t know why Eiko was asking him for the key to El Dorado, but since the Baby Slime asked nicely, he didn''t think much about it.


    Summoning the key, he handed it to Eiko, who unceremoniously swallowed it without a second thought.


    "We return!" Eiko dered. "Fei Fei. Let''s go!"


    "Wei~"


    "Wait!" Iris, who missed the Baby Slime very much, hugged Eiko close to her chest. "Can you stay for a few more minutes? I really missed you."


    Cai felt the same and looked at her Baby Slime with pleading eyes.


    Eiko and Fei Fei were unable to resist Iris and Cai''s gazes, so they nodded their heads and stayed for half an hour before disappearing from their sight.


    The Baby Slime had used her skill to instantly teleport to Lux''s and Iris'' location.


    However, in order to instantly return to her Pirate Ship, she had left two of her clones there, so she could swap ces with them at any time.


    ����������������


    Entrance of the Hidden Domain in the Seven Seas��


    Eiko raised the Key of El Dorado, allowing a small gate to appear in front of her.


    "Let''s go!" Eiko said as she jumped onto Avery''s shoulder.


    Fei Fei also jumped onto Avery''s shoulder. The Golden Slime''s body was shuddering because she could already feel the countless treasures that were waiting for them inside the Domain.


    Captain Jack Spawow, followed behind the Skeleton Pirate King with an expectant look in his gaze.


    He was the only one that Eiko had permitted to follow them inside the Lost City of El Dorado.


    The rest of the Pirates also wanted to explore the Hidden Domain, but they didn''t have a key like Eiko''s.


    The number of people that Eiko could bring inside the domain was very limited, so she only allowed Captain Jack Spawow to join her.


    As for the rest, they could only wait for her return.


    "Hey, do you really think that the One Cheese is real?" one of the Pirates asked his friend.


    "Of course it''s real," a Pirate wearing a red bandana replied. "We are about to see history in the making. I can''t wait to see the faces of those Great Families when Princess Eiko manages to inherit the Pirate King''s Legacy."


    This was the thought of every Pirate on the scene.


    They had long wanted to have someone to lead them, but everyone was too prideful to acknowledge anyone to order them around.


    However, Eiko was different.


    After witnessing how her subordinate defeated Admiral Onyx and made the Fleet of the Ford Federation submit to her, the opinions of the Pirates of the Seven Seas changedpletely.


    Now that a true leader had appeared in front of them, they felt that following her would lead them to greater heights.


    Although Eiko was still young, they believed that she had what it took to unite all Pirates under one banner and change the system of the Ford Federation for the better.

 Chapter 1011 Against The Tides Of History

    Chapter 1011 Against The Tides Of History


    "Bloody hell," Captain Jack Spawow stared at the city in front of him with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    A city made entirely of gold shone faintly in the distance.


    The Legendary City of El Dorado, which every Pirate wanted to explore, now stood in front of him in all of its glory.


    Eiko and Fei Fei, who both had the treasure hunting ability, narrowed their eyes.


    Both Baby Slimes were looking in the same direction. Over there was the temple that overlooked the entire city from a distance.


    "Go!" Eiko ordered.


    "Yes, Princess," Avery replied before flying towards the Golden Temple that had caught Eiko''s and Fei Fei''s attention.


    Naturally, Captain Jack Spawow followed them without a second thought. He was there to witness history in the making, so he did his best to catch up to the Skeleton Pirate King, who purposefully flew at a speed that the Pirate Captain could follow.


    Averynded in front of the temple doors and opened it with both hands.


    The moment the door opened, the two Baby Slimes jumped off Avery''s shoulder and happily buried themselves in the pile of gold coins and treasures that were in front of them.


    Eiko happily tossed a few coins in the air as if she was sshing some water.


    Fei Fei did the same, and soon, the tinkling of coins reverberated in the surroundings.


    After having their fill, the two Baby Slimes began to explore the temple.


    The temple had three stories, and they were currently on the first floor.


    Eiko and Fei Fei climbed the golden stairs leading to the second floor.


    There, they found countless golden weapons that were of the Mythical and Legendary Rank.


    Unlike the first floor, the two Baby Slimes didn''t like the second floor.


    Sure, the weapons were made up of gold, but since they weren''t interested in weapons, they ignored them and headed towards the stairs.


    Captain Jack Spawow, on the other hand, was mesmerized by the countless golden weapons that were neatly arranged in weapon racks.


    If not for the fact that the two Baby Slimes were heading to the third floor, he would have stayed here and inspected all the weapons around him.


    With a heavy heart, the Pirate Captain followed the two baby slimes, which made Avery chuckle.


    On the third floor, a hill of treasures appeared in their vision.


    However, Eiko, Fei Fei, and Captain Jack Spawow ignored all of this as their gazes were attracted to the top of the hill.


    There,ying on top of a golden pedestal was a cylindrical cheese that radiated a dominating presence.


    But this was not the only thing that caught Eiko''s, Fei Fei''s, and Captain Jack Spawow''s attention.


    Behind the Golden Pedestal that held the cheese stood a four-meter-tall Golden Anchor.


    The Skeleton Pirate King, Avery, narrowed his eyes because he could tell that the Golden Anchor wasn''t simple.


    As a Peak Demigod, he was able to see the Power of Faith, as well as the Weave that bound everything together.


    Right now, those two powers intertwined around the Golden Anchor, making the Skeleton Pirate King feel a suppression that surprised him.


    Suddenly, all of them heard a voice speaking directly inside their heads.


    ������������������-


    "In the boundless expanse of time,


    Eternity''s song, a sweet rhyme,


    No beginning, no final chime,


    Endless, infinite, a wondrous climb,


    Eternal moments, forever sublime."


    ��������������������-


    The group looked around them but saw no one else inside the room. However, as if waiting for that moment, the voice once again spoke.


    ��������������������


    In the realm of Elysium, where legends take flight,


    There stand Pirs of Eternity, resplendent and bright.


    Amidst the shifting sands of time''s turbulent sea,


    These steadfast monuments stand, a symbol of Stability.


    Carved from ancient gold, their foundations deep,


    They guard against the chaos, the secrets they keep.


    With strength and purpose, they rise to the sky,


    A testament to endurance, as the ages pass by.


    In defiance of oblivion, they remain unbowed,


    Against the tides of history, they stand proud.


    With a resolute spirit, they Anchor thend,


    Ensuring that stability forever shall stand.


    Through storms and battles, they weather the test,


    An unyielding symbol of Stability, at their crest.


    In the heart of Elysium, where destinies entwine,


    The Pirs of Eternity, a sanctuary divine.


    So let us take heed of these pirs so grand,


    Embracing the values that make us all stand.


    In a world of chaos, let Stability be our guide,


    As we face the challenges of life, side by side.


    ��������������������


    Eiko looked at the Anchor with a resolute look on her face.


    She slowly crawled up the mountain of treasures and climbed the pedestal where the One Cheesey untouched for hundreds of years.


    Without a second thought, the Baby Slime ate it. The cheese disappearedpletely just like that.


    Eiko felt afortable warmth spreading inside her body, which made her temporarily close her eyes due to how good it felt.


    Suddenly, a powerful aura erupted from her body, making Avery and Captain Jack Sparrow unable to remain standing.


    Both of them fell onto their knees as they looked at the Baby Slime whose body was glowing faintly in resplendent blue light.


    Fei Fei, who was unaffected by Eiko''s dominating aura, only looked at her best friend with a smile on her face.


    A minuteter, Eiko''s body transformed into her Fairy Princess form.


    She then pressed her hand over the Golden Anchor.


    Suddenly, the loud tolling of bells reverberated in the surroundings, reaching all the isles of the Ford Federation.


    The Pirates who were outside the Hidden Domain all fell to their knees as Eiko''s aura surged like an unstoppable wave.


    While this was happening, the Fairy Princess was holding onto the Golden Anchor with her eyes closed.


    The Legacy of the Pirate King, who once owned the Golden Anchor, flowed inside her head, allowing her to understand how to wield the power of the Golden Anchor, which was one of the Pirs of Eternity, representing Stability.


    Several minutester, Eiko opened her eyes. She then pped her wings and floated in the air.


    Her hand then touched the shank of the Golden Anchor. After that, she raised the Anchor as if she was wielding a weapon in her hand.


    (A/N: The shank is the handle of the Anchor. If you are still confused, ask Google kekeke.)


    Captain Jack Spawow looked at the little girl, who seemed to be around five years old, holding the four-meter-long Golden Anchor, with awe.


    Although he heard the voice inside his head, he still didn''t fully understand what the Pirs of Eternity meant.


    But he could tell that the moment Eiko summoned the Golden Anchor in the outside world, she would be able tomand thews of the world and bend them to her will.

 Chapter 1012 Death Would Be The Least Of Their Worries [Part 1]

    Chapter 1012 Death Would Be The Least Of Their Worries [Part 1]


    While Eiko and Fei Fei were busy looting the City of El Dorado, one of the Kingdoms bordering the Xeno Kingdom was having an important meeting.


    In the Royal Pce of the Aston Kingdom��


    "Are you sure about this information?" the King of the Aston Kingdom asked.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," the High-Ranker nodded his head. "I am certain about it."


    The King closed his eyes as he pondered on what to do with the information he currently had.


    He was one of the people who hade to the Divine Empire and witnessed the destructive battle between the Heretics and the Divine Army of Light.


    Although the Divine Army''s influence had fallen considerably after losing their Capital City and their Main Headquarters was destroyed, it didn''t change the fact that they were still one of the most powerful organizations in the world.


    After thinking for several minutes, the King nced at his adviser and asked for his opinion.


    "What do you think we should do with this information?" The King asked.


    The Adviser only smiled after hearing the King''s inquiry.


    "Is there a need to think about this, Your Majesty?" the Adviser replied. "The Xeno Kingdom survived the Beast Tide with the Heretic''s help. This means that they are connected to him in some way.


    "As to how to handle this information, we can just leak it to the subordinate Kingdoms of the Beast King. We don''t need to get our hands dirty. We can just let them handle this matter."


    The King smiled. "So we are going to make it look like we only passed along this information but didn''t have a hand in this matter, correct?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty," the Adviser replied. "If you wish, I will personally handle this matter."


    "Very well," the King replied. "I will leave this matter in your very capable hands."


    "As you will, Your Majesty," the Adviser bowed before leaving the throne room.


    Half a dayter, the Adviser arrived at one of the subordinate Kingdoms of the Beast Empire, Zane Kingdom, and talked directly to their King, sharing with them this sensitive matter.


    "I see, so you wish for us to do your dirty work for you," the Rhino King smirked.


    "Not at all, Your Majesty," the Adviser replied. "We are simply giving you this information. As to what you do with it, it is up to your discretion."


    "No matter how hard you try to sugarcoat it, the fact still stands that you want us to trample on this Xeno Kingdom for you," the King stated.


    However, a smile soon appeared on the Rhino-kin''s face as he thought of the many benefits he could obtain by talking to the Divine Army.


    "Very well, if things go smoothly, I will make sure to share a slice of the pie with the Aston Kingdom," the King replied.


    "Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty," the Adviser bowed respectfully. "I will now take my leave."


    The King nodded. "Mmm."


    When the Adviser of the Aston Kingdom left, the Rhino King raised his hand.


    Immediately, four Saints appeared in front of him and knelt at the same time.


    "Go and visit this Xeno Kingdom," the Rhino King ordered. "Take the children of their Royal Family as hostage and bring them here."


    "What if their parents resist, Your Majesty?" One of the Saints asked.


    "You can beat them up, but don''t kill them," the Rhino King stated. "Someone has to inform the Heretic that we have hostages on our side."


    "Understood." The Saint nodded before he and hisrades disappeared from the throne room.


    The King then pped his hand, and his right-hand man appeared in front of him.


    "Go to the Beast King Empire and tell them what we n to do," the Rhino King ordered. "Also, get in touch with the nearest branch of the Divine Army and share this news with them as well. The more reinforcements we have, the better."


    His right-hand man nodded before turning into a beam of light that flew towards the window.


    The Rhino King smirked because he understood that even though the Divine Army was acting as if they were lying low, they were in fact expanding their informationwork and doing their best to find any information about the Half-Elf.


    Since that was the case, why not let them see the Half-Elf themselves?


    The Divine Army hadn''t used their full force in the battle in their Divine City.


    Only a third of their army had been present at that time because their Higher Ups were busy with something else.


    The Divine Army had discovered a hidden gateway a week before Gaap''s capture, and they were doing their best to analyze where the gateway would take them.


    After careful experimentation, they discovered that the Gateway actually connected to the Abyss, making it a higher priority than Gaap''s execution.


    News about the Xeno Kingdom''s connection with Lux traveled quickly in just the span of two days.


    Because of this, a handful of people, who were currently gathered in a secluded ce in Elysium, received the information.


    "Xeno Kingdom?" the Beast King frowned. "Those fools. Are they trying to poke a ho''s nest?"


    Clearly, the Beast King was very displeased with this news.


    After what happened in the Divine Empire, he had to re-evaluate Lux''s threat level, and upon careful consideration, he decided that antagonizing the Half-Elf wasn''t worth it.


    What he was afraid of wasn''t the Half-Elf.


    He was afraid of the people backing him up.


    Hereswith was now a Peak Demigod, and the Beast King would only be able to fight against her if he transformed into his Beast Form, which would allow him to jump to the Peak Demigod State.


    Most monsters who were in human form had this ability.


    The Dragon King was a Peak Supreme.


    However, once he transformed into his Dragon Form, he would be a Peak Demigod.


    A Demigod was stronger than a Supreme, and no one in their right mind would dare antagonize a peak Demigod unless they had a death wish.


    The Oracle of the Divine Army, Maeve, frowned after hearing the report.


    She was still very bitter that she had failed to kill Lux and allowed the Half-Elf to escape.


    If it weren''t for Gaap''s interference, the Half-Elf would have died in the Divine City, and one of the Heretics threatening their organization would have ceased to exist.


    Taking a golden bowl out of her storage ring, the Oracle filled it up with water before lightly tapping its surface with her fingertip.


    Ripples appeared on its surface, but just like she expected, she was unable to see anything.


    She was unable to use her Divination to lock onto the Half-Elf because he was protected by thews of the world, for he was one of the beings who had unlocked a Progenitor ss.


    "This might be a good opportunity," Maeve muttered as she gazed at the Beast King and the two other people beside her. "Depending on how important the members of the Xeno Royal Family are to that brat, we might be able to capture him."


    "You make it sound so easy," the Beast King sneered. "Have you forgotten about what happened in your Divine City?"


    Maeve and the two people sitting beside her frowned.


    "What happened back then was truly unfortunate," Maeve admitted. "However, it was due to the fact that we allowed our enemies to make their preparations that caused our downfall. This time, we will act swiftly and not give the Half-Elf time to react."


    "Are you going to kill him?" the Beast King asked.


    The Oracle shook her head. "Killing him now is not ideal. If it were before, I would not hesitate to kill him. But now�� things are moreplicated."


    The Oracle knew that if they killed Lux, Hereswith would avenge him.


    Once the beautiful Elf came into the picture, the Elves would also join the war.


    If the Elves join the war, the Dragons would also move.


    Right now, a full-scale war between these factions was something that they wanted to avoid.


    "You won''t kill him, so what will you do?" the Beast King arched an eyebrow.


    Maeve smirked. "Once we have the hostages, we will force him to sign a Soul Contract. That will ensure that he will not be able to defy us again."


    "So you will make him your ve."


    "As long as he is alive, Hereswith will not do anything reckless. As long as we have her Grand Disciple, we will have a leash that can control her movements. This is hitting two birds with one stone."


    The Oracle smiled because this was indeed the best solution to control the two Heretics and make them submit by force.

 Chapter 1013 Death Would Be The Least Of Their Worries [Part 2]

    Chapter 1013 Death Would Be The Least Of Their Worries [Part 2]


    The Beast King narrowed his eyes, but he didn''t find anything wrong with enving the Half-Elf.


    He understood that the two Necromancers and the Divine Army would forever be at each other''s throats after Gaap''s Death.


    However, apromise could still be achieved as long as they were able to capture the Half-Elf.


    As long as Lux was alive, it would not trigger a full-scale war, and Hereswith would have no choice but to sit and negotiate with them.


    "Very well." The Beast King nodded. "Let''s do this."


    "You go first," Maeve replied. "I need to make preparations on this end. I will meet you as soon as I get a few sacrifices from the Apostle Project."


    The Beast King gave the Oracle a slight nod before flying away.


    ording to the report he received, the Saints under the Rhino King had already entered the territory of the Xeno Kingdom and were about to start their mission.


    The Beast King was confident that they could aplish this easy task, so he decided to head to the Zane Kingdom and meet up with the Rhino King.


    ��������������������


    Meanwhile in the Xeno Kingdom��


    Victor, who was currently having an afternoon tea with his wife and daughters, frowned as he looked towards the East.


    Queen Felicia also looked in the direction where her husband was looking and sighed in her heart.


    ''I knew it,'' Queen Felicia thought. ''Our neighbors really want to looking and sighed in her heart.


    ''I knew it,'' Queen Felicia thought. ''Our neighbors really want to make things difficult for us.''


    Victor nced at his wife, and thetter nodded her head in understanding.


    "Aina, take Colette and hide," Victor ordered. "Do not return until things settle down."


    Victor had already told Aina about the possibility of them being attacked due to their connection with Lux.


    Of course, he hoped beyond hope that their neighboring kingdoms weren''t busybodies, but he still underestimated their greed.


    "Hide? You underestimate us too much."


    A voice filled with ridicule said, which made Victor and Queen Felicia stand up to protect their daughters.


    Four individuals appeared on the balcony with sneers on their faces.


    "Chameleon-kins," Victor clicked his tongue. "How long have you been here?"


    "We''ve been here for two hours," the Chameleon-kin Saint replied. "It''s quite funny that you didn''t even sense us even though we were right under your nose."


    At that moment, four more individualsnded on the balcony, and they were none other than the Rhino-kin Saints that had been sent to capture the children of the Royal Family.


    "You have two choices," one of the Saints of the Rhino-kin said. "The first is to quietly surrender your daughters to us. We promise that we will not hurt them. They will be released once they have served their purpose."


    "What purpose are you talking about?" Queen Felicia asked. "Our Kingdom hasn''t done anything to any of you."


    The Rhino-kin remained calm and even politely answered Queen Felicia''s question.


    "It is beneath me to kidnap children and use them as hostages," the Rhino-kin replied. "However, this is a decree by my King, so I am duty-bound to carry out his order. But that doesn''t mean that I can''t choose how this event will unfold.


    "You already know that fighting us will not only be a painful choice, but it might also hurt your children. The best option you have is to quietly allow us to take them, so none of us will get hurt.


    "Like I said earlier, once they serve their purpose, they will be released. I will even personally escort them back to your kingdom safely."


    Queen Felicia narrowed her eyes. "You still haven''t answered my question. Why are you doing this?"


    "Hey, why don''t we just beat them up and get this over with?" the Chameleon-kin interjected. "Exining things to these weaklings is annoying."


    The Rhino-kin sighed. "If you want your children back, make sure to tell the Half-Elf toe to the Beast Empire to get them. The sooner he gets there, the sooner your daughters will be released. Now, hand them over. This is thest time I will ask nicely."


    Victor and Felicia exchanged nces with each other. Even though they were outnumbered, they would still fight to protect their children.


    How could they possibly allow these people to kidnap their children just like that?


    But before they could even make a move, Aina took a step forward while holding Colette''s hand.


    "Father, Mother, please stand down," Aina said in a calm manner. "We will be fine. Lux will save us."


    She looked at her parents with determination, wanting them to not do anything reckless.


    Although she understood that her parents wanted to protect them, dealing with eight Saints was simply beyond their abilities.


    Also, their people might also get involved in the battle, which might lead to casualties on their side.


    Aina didn''t want this to happen, so she decided that it would be best to just allow herself and her sister to be captured peacefully.


    She could tell that the Rhino-kin meant what he had said, so doing this was indeed the best option.


    "Good." The Rhino Saint nodded "Nowe with us."


    He didn''t bother binding Aina and Colette because the two of them were not strong enough to escape.


    Without another word, the two youngdies walked toward the Rhino Kin and bid their parents farewell.


    A momentter, the eight Saints rose up towards the sky and flew towards the East, carrying Aina and Colette with them.


    "Victor��" Queen Felicia said with a worried look on her face.


    "I know," Victor replied. "Fortunately, that Half-Elf''s friends are still within our Domain. I will let them know what happened. I just hope that they have a way to ry this incident to Lux."


    King Victor flew towards the North in order to find Keane and Gerhart, who were hunting the survivors of the Beast Tide as part of their training.


    Right now, he wanted nothing more than to see his daughter''s fiance and beg him to save Aina and Colette from the people who took them away.


    He knew that, alone, he was unable to do anything.


    But Lux was different.


    Even though he knew that he was going into a trap, he was certain that the Half-Elf would not hesitate to go to the Beast Empire to save Aina and Colette.


    This blind trust that had taken root inside Victor''s heart was due to the things that happened in the Divine Empire.


    ����������������������


    Two hourster��.


    Lux, who was meditating and sitting cross-legged in Barbatos Academy, opened his eyes.


    His eyes glowed faintly with power as he tried to hold back the raging beast that was roaring inside his chest.


    Keane and Gerhart had just informed him of what happened to Aina and Colette and this news made Lux very angry.


    A momentter, the Half-Elf disappeared from Barbatos Academy.


    He had done his best to honor his Master''s words to not seek vengeance against the Divine Army for a period of time, but thistest incident infuriated him.


    The raging anger that he had buried inside his heart after his Master''s death, howled with a vengeance.


    It could no longer be contained and, right now, he wanted nothing more than to crush the bastards who had taken Aina and Colette away and make them understand that Death would be the least of their worries.


    ��--------

 Chapter 1014 The Young Sure Are Fearless

    Chapter 1014 The Young Sure Are Fearless


    "It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency," the Rhino King bowed his head.


    The Beast King responded to the Rhino King with a brief nod.


    Both of them were Kings, but the Beast King was the King of all Beasts. Because of this, any Beastkin, regardless of their Rank, had to give him the respect he deserved.


    "Did you seed in your mission?" the Beast King asked.


    "Yes, Your Excellency," the Rhino King replied. "We have captured the two daughters of the Dwarf King of the Xeno Kingdom. They are currently residing in the guest room under the strict supervision of my subordinates."


    "Take me there."


    "Yes, Your Excellency."


    The Beast King had just arrived at the Zane Kingdom, but he didn''t n on staying there for long. He intended to take the hostages with him to the Beast Empire and wait for the Half-Elf to make his appearance.


    A few minutester, the Rhino King personally opened the door of the guest room, allowing the Beast King to enter first.


    When he entered the room, the Beast King''s gazended on the two young Dwarves who were seated on the couch.


    The younger one was hugging her sister, and there were tear stains on her face.


    The older one held her sister firmly and was patting her head. Clearly, she was doing her best to assure her sister that everything was going to be alright.


    This scene made the Beast King click his tongue in irritation.


    He wasn''t too happy with what he was seeing.


    As the mighty Beast King who ruled all the Beastkins in Elysium, he found this a bitter pill to swallow.


    For him, taking hostages, especially hostages who were as young as his daughters, was beneath him.


    However, what was done was done. Although the Rhino King moved without his permission, he still decided to agree to the Oracle''s n of using hostages to lure the Half-Elf into saving them.


    ''To think that I would stoop this low,'' the Beast King grumbled in his heart. ''After this is over, it will be in my best interest to distance myself a bit from the Divine Army of Light.''


    Aina, who had already sensed the Beast King''s presence, nced in his direction. The two stared at each other for nearly a minute.


    Surprisingly, it was the Beast King that first averted his gaze. The reason why he averted his gaze was due to the fact that he was afraid that the young Dwarf would see the shame and guilt in his eyes.


    "What''s your name?" the Beast King asked.


    "Aina Goldenyer," Aina replied.


    "Aina, you and your sister wille with me to the Beast Empire," the Beast King stated. "Worry not, you and your sister will not be hurt. Take them with us."


    The Beast King ordered his subordinates. However, just before his men could approach the two dwarves, a Rhino-Kin stepped forward.


    "I made an Oath to their parents that I would safely send them back after everything is over," the Rhino-Kin stated. "Your Excellency, I wish to keep my promise, so please, allow me to travel with these two to the Beast Empire."


    The Beast King eyed the Rhino-Kin before nodding his head.


    "Very well," the Beast King nodded. "You will be in charge of their safety."


    "Thank you, Your Excellency," the Rhino-Kin Saint bowed his head respectfully.


    A few minutester, the Beast King entered the Teleportation Gate of the Royal Family, along with his entourage.


    Since the battlefield would take ce within his Capital City, he needed to make preparations just in case things got out of hand.


    Aina and Colette followed without resistance, for they knew that the two of them were incapable of escaping their captors.


    ������������������


    Somewhere in Elysium��


    "It will be best if you return those children to their parents," the Sovereign of the Divine Army said as he looked at the beautiful Oracle in front of him. "Now is not the time to antagonize the Heretics."


    "We and the Heretics have an irreconcble grudge against each other," Maeve countered. "This is the best opportunity to put an end to this conflict, is it not?"


    "Child, you are still blinded by your hate against Hereswith," the Founder of the Divine Army joined the conversation. "We cannot afford to have arge-scale war at this moment, especially when the Gate of the Abyss is starting to show some activity. You need to look at the bigger picture."


    The corners of Maeve''s lips curled up into a smile. "What''s this? Since when did the Supremes of the Divine Army be cowards? Did the two of you lose your edge after our Main Headquarters was destroyed? Are you too afraid to raise your head in fear that it will get blown off from your body?"


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army sighed. "Look. Do you know why Memento Mori and the Divine Army never engaged in a full-blown conflict with each other? Sure, we have skirmishes every now and then and even lose the lives of our people in battle, but it never reached the point where both sides want to exterminate each other from the face of the world.


    "We only dealt with Hereswith because she was taking a path that shouldn''t be taken. As a Necromancer, she should have stuck to the path of Necromancers. But she wanted more and decided to seek the power of the Divine. This is the reason why we agreed to kill her."


    The Founder nodded. "A Necromancer wielding the power of the Divine will be immune to Light, Life, and Divine attacks. This means that we will not be able to kill them without our Core Abilities. Because of that, we needed to kill Hereswith before she seeded in her ascension."


    The Sovereign then nced at the countless human-sized tubes to his right side and ced his hands behind his back.


    "When that Half-Elf seeded in bing a Necromancer of Heaven, we decided to kill him while he was still weak," the Sovereign stated. "Also, since Gaap is already our enemy, it was just normal to take his Disciple out along with him.


    "Both of them could be killed because, even with Antero''s help, Gaap would not have been able to live for a long time. We know that the Golem of Destruction used his Soul as its source of energy. Simply put, the chances of killing them were high, so we decided to get it over with. But now, things have changed."


    The Founder of the Divine Army closed his eyes. "Now, Hereswith has returned and has be Heaven''s Necromancer just like that brat. On top of that, she is now a peak Demigod and has the ability to summon another Demigod-Ranked subordinate, but that is not why we decided to not antagonize her anymore.


    "The Kingdoms in Elysium are split into three factions. Those on our side, those on Hereswith''s side, and those who want to retain their neutrality. If we attack Hereswith, the Elven Kingdoms will support her. The High King of the Elves will not allow his daughter to die a second time.


    "If something happens to Hereswith, a full-scale war will take ce, and it will cause countless and unnecessary deaths in this world. Countless Saints will die. Supremes will meet their end. The Powerhouses of Elysium will decrease drastically by the time the war is over.


    "After that, the Abyss only needs to sessfully open one gate, and this world will be finished. Maeve, it is not because we are cowards. We are simply looking at the bigger picture. This world can not lose any more of its powerhouses, especially when the fabric between the Abyss and our world is getting thinner.


    "This is why we started the Apostle Project. With this, even Apostles will gain the power of Supremes. No matter how many Demigods the Abyss has, no matter how much they outnumber us, as long as we can create countless Pseudo-Supremes, we will be able to push them back to the Abyss.


    "While we are doing this, the Necromancers of Memento Mori are gathering the Stars of Cmity. They are not trying to awaken these fearsome creatures to fight against us. They are trying to find them all in preparation for the real battle that we have to face. So, child, do not antagonize the Heretics for now.


    "The delicate bnce of this world must be kept. It doesn''t matter even if we lost our Divine City. These things can be rebuilt at any time. But once the Saints and Supremes start killing each other, this world would be inches closer to being conquered by the Abyss."


    Maeve snorted after hearing the exnation of the Founder and the Sovereign of the Divine Army. In her eyes, the two were just sugarcoating their inability to stand up against their foes.


    "Forget it." Maeve scoffed. "I was a fool to think that two old men still had what it took to keep the influence of the Divine Army alive. Since you don''t want to move, I''ll do it myself. I will be taking twenty Apostles with me."


    Maeve didn''t even wait to hear the reply of the two men inside the room. She simply stormed off because she felt disgusted talking to the two cowards, who had lost their pride and edge, after the battle that took ce in the Divine Empire.


    The two old men nced at each other and sighed.


    "The young sure are fearless," the Founder said softly.


    "Are we really letting her go like this?" the Sovereign asked. "What if she dies?"


    "She won''t," the Founder replied. "Before her mother passed away, she told me about a vision she saw where her daughter was fighting in the final battle against the Abyss. Since that is the case, it is impossible for her to die until the Abyss starts their invasion."


    (E/N: Fufufu. Just because she is fighting, doesn''t mean she''s alive)


    The Sovereign nodded. "Should we proceed ording to n?"


    The Founder replied. "Yes. We need to create our True Divine Army before that Fallen Hero makes his move."


    The two men then gazed at the hundreds of human-sized tubes in their surroundings and sighed.


    These Apostles were the hope of their world, and to be frank, both men truly hoped that they would be enough to tilt the tide of battle in their favor.

 Chapter 1015 Just Who Is The Real Monster Here?

    Chapter 1015 Just Who Is The Real Monster Here?


    "Cowards," Maeve grumbled as she headed to the Underground Barracks, where some of the Apostles were staying.


    The moment she appeared, all the Apostles within the vicinity stood at attention and gathered in front of her.


    "I''ll make this quick," Maeve stated. "I n to capture one of the Heretics who destroyed our Divine City. I will need twenty volunteers. Those who are prepared to die to protect the honor of the Divine Army, step forward!"


    All the Apostles stood forward. They looked at the Oracle with a determined look on their faces. None of them were afraid to die because this was their purpose.


    They were aware that their Main Headquarters was destroyed, and this news filled their hearts with rage. Now that an opportunity hade to capture one of those responsible for its destruction, none of them had ns to back down from such a mission.


    The Oracle nodded her head in satisfaction after seeing the Apostles'' unwavering determination to protect the honor and dignity of their organization.


    ''If only those two fools were as brave as these sacrifices, then we wouldn''t need to hide underground like worms.'' Maeve sighed in her heart. ''They are already old. It seems that the fear of death has taken hold of them.''


    After picking twenty volunteers, the Oracle of the Divine Army brought them to the underground Teleportation Gate that was directly connected to the Beast Empire.


    ����������������


    Beast Empire��


    "These will be your temporary quarters during your stay here," the Beast King said. "I will send maids to take care of both of your needs. Just stay put, and the two of you will be returned to your parents once this is over."


    The Beast King then left without another word.


    He had assigned two Saints, along with the Rhino-Kin, to guard Aina and Colette and prevent them from escaping.


    The Oracle had contacted him using a special artifact, and she told him that she was on her way to the Beast Empire.


    The Beast King stared at his Capital City with his arms crossed over his chest.


    He had been there when the Main Headquarters of the Divine Army was wiped out from the face of the world. He had no intention of letting the same thing happen to his city.


    He intended to fight the Half-Elf inside his personalized Domain, and that is where he would capture him alive.


    "Come, Lux Von Kaizer," the Beast King muttered. "The grudge between you and the Divine Army will end here."


    The Beast King was confident that he would be able to defeat the Half-Elf even if Hereswith were toe and help him.


    ����������������


    Heaven''s Gate Guild Headquarters��


    The Beast King was not aware that Lux had no intention of involving his Grandmaster in this battle.


    Although Hereswith had repeatedly told him that Gaap was meant to die when he decided to fight in the Divine City, the Half-Elf still felt that it was his fault that his Master died.


    When the four Pseudo-Supremes arrived to target him, he was forced to flee the battle due to the difference in Ranks.


    He was simply too weak to fight against them, and this great disparity couldn''t be ovee even by a month of grinding for Beast Cores.


    When the arrow of Destruction was about to hit him, he tried to swap ces with his clones, but it failed.


    His clones had already perished in battle, which almost ended his life.


    If it weren''t for his Master swapping ces with him, the arrow would have surely ended his life.


    Lux could still remember that moment as if it was yesterday.


    He always thought that, if only he had been stronger, he would have definitely escaped with his Master without fail.


    The Half-Elf knew that he couldn''t always depend on his Grandmaster to save him whenever he fought against a Supreme or a Demigod.


    He needed to have the ability to stand his ground against these Powerhouses, and that was what he nned to test right now.


    "Aurora, I need your help," Lux said.


    "Wee back, Lux," Aurora replied with a smile. However, after seeing how serious Lux''s expression was, she instantly felt that something bad had happened. "How can I help you?"


    The Half-Elf didn''t hesitate and told Aurora about everything that happened in the Xeno Kingdom. The beautiful youngdy intently listened from start to end without saying a word.


    When Lux finished his exnation, she nodded her head and looked him in the eye.


    "How can I help you?" Aurora asked. "As long as it is within my ability, I will do everything in my power to help."


    "Thank you, Aurora," Lux said with a faint smile on his face. "I want you toe with me to the Pantheon of Exile."


    Aurora blinked once then twice before a dawn of realization appeared on her face. She then held Lux''s gaze for nearly half a minute before nodding her head.


    "Understood," Aurora nodded. "When are we leaving?"


    "Right now," Lux answered.


    The Half-Elf then took out one of the three tickets in his possession, which he hadn''t used for a long time.


    These tickets allowed him to instantly teleport to any ce in Elysium and Sis that he had been to before.


    After a brief exnation about what he nned to do, Lux teleported to the Inner Sanctum of the Pantheon of Exile.


    "Heaven''s Call," Lux muttered as he summoned Aurora to his side using his ability.


    A pir of white light appeared beside him, and the youngdy who held all the misfortune of the world made her appearance.


    Aurora looked at the Half-Elf with an inquiring gaze, asking if they should start their operation.


    Lux nodded. "You can start."


    Taking a deep breath, the beautiful youngdy pressed her hand on one of the barriers that was keeping a Cmity-Ranked Monster inside its prison.


    A momentter, several cracks appeared on the barrier''s surface, making the Ape-Like Cmity Beast who had been imprisoned for nearly a century, start attacking the barrier to speed up its destruction.


    When the barrier finally shattered, the five-meter-tall Ape-Like Monster roared and looked at the two teenagers with bloodshot eyes.


    It wasn''t even the least bit thankful for being freed from its prison. The only thing in its mind was to vent out the frustration that it had been holding back for a very long time.


    However, before it could attack the two teenagers, three creatures appeared between it, and the two people it wanted to kill.


    Two of those creatures were the Four-Armed ck Ogre and the Golden-Eyed Naga.


    Thest creature that made its appearance was none other than Avernus, who had taken his Demi-Human form.


    Without even giving the Ape-Like Monster a chance to register what had just happened, the ck Ogre and the Golden-Eyed Naga attacked.


    Avernus chuckled as he walked towards the pitiful-looking ape, who was about to get Gang Banged into submission.


    The other monsters, who were imprisoned inside the Inner Sanctum, shuddered when they saw this horrifying scene.


    They watched as the Cmity-Ranked Ape was beaten until it was half dead without giving it a chance to fight back.


    "ckfire," Lux stated, and the ck Coffin appeared before him.


    Its lid slid open and countless hands grabbed hold of the fallen Ape, dragging it towards its body.


    The Half-Elf then nced at his next target, making the imprisoned monster''s body shudder uncontrobly.


    On that day, the monsters that had once terrorized the Lands of Agartha all roared in fear and helplessness.


    They were the existences that were deemed too dangerous to wander freely. But now, they were looking at the red-headed teenager with fearful eyes.


    All of them had the same thought as they watched theirrades get absorbed by the ck Coffin one by one.


    ''Just who is the real monster here?''


    This was the thought that swirled inside their heads as they looked at the Half-Elf''s merciless eyes.


    Avernus''ughter spread inside the Inner Sanctum as he beat the crap out of all the monsters that stood in front of him.


    He knew that Lux was very angry, and he could feel it through their connection.


    Although he had only been with the Half-Elf for a short period of time, he now had a good grasp of his personality.


    ''I almost pity the Beast King,'' Avernus thought as the Cmity-Ranked Monster he was facing fell on the ground.


    A secondter, ckfire devoured the monster''s body and added it to his collection.


    No matter how much the monsters begged and pleaded for mercy, all of their cries fell on deaf ears.


    The ck Ogre, the Golden-Eyed Naga, and the Dracolich smacked them to oblivion.


    There were hundreds of Peak-Cmity Ranked Beasts inside the Inner Sanctum, and Lux had no intention of sparing even one of them.


    The Beast King and the Oracle were preparing to fight against Lux with the intention of capturing him.


    They were not aware that the Half-Elf had other ns in mind.


    Yes.


    He didn''t n to go to the Beast Empire to fight.


    He''d had enough dealings with the Divine Army.


    What he wanted to do was a one-sided annihtion, and he would not stop with the Beast Empire.


    All the factions under the Divine Empire''s influence would soon know that the big organization they looked up to was nothing when faced with the rage of the Necromancer of Heaven.


    High above the heavens, a sigh escaped Eriol''s lips.


    Although he didn''t wish to see what Lux was going to do next, he also understood that there was nothing he could do to stop it.


    Max patted his friend''s shoulder and sighed as well.


    Now that things had reached the tipping point, an unstoppable avnche that would sweep the entire world by storm was about to take ce.

 Chapter 1016 Even In Death, None Of You Will Escape!

    Chapter 1016 Even In Death, None Of You Will Escape!


    Aurora looked at Lux with a worried expression on her face.


    After learning why the Half-Elf decided to raid the Inner Sanctum of the Pantheon of Exile, she also felt anger toward the Divine Army. They dare call themselves divine, yet they would resort to using an underhanded method like using the young man''s lover as a hostage to force him to appear.


    ''Have they not hurt him enough?'' Aurora bit her lip as she held Lux''s hand. ''Why can''t they just leave him alone? Don''t they have anypassion?''


    For the first time in her life, Aurora wanted nothing more than to ce her Curse of Misfortune on the hateful people who were making the person she loved suffer.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know what Aurora was thinking, and perhaps even if he knew, he wouldn''t care either.


    His gaze was focused on the Cmity-Ranked Monster in front of him who was currently being subjugated by Avernus, the ck Ogre, and the Golden-Eyed Naga.


    The number of Cmity-Ranked Monsters that he had subjugated was nearing a hundred, and there were hundreds more to capture.


    Not all of the Monsters were Demi-Humans, so ckfire couldn''t enve them the same way it did Demi-Human Monsters.


    But Lux didn''t care.


    If the Monsters had a Demi-Human form or could transform into a Human, they would be ckfire''s puppets.


    If not, he would just use his skill, Animate Undead, to make them his subordinates after they had been killed.


    Although it would take a lot of resources to be able to ess the most optimum Monster ss options avable to him, he didn''t care.


    Right now, he intended to take all the monsters inside the Pantheon of Exile and settle the score once and for all.


    Five Supremes?


    So what?


    Pseudo-Supremes?


    He didn''t care!


    Peak-Cmity Ranked Monsters might be weaker than Supremes, but if there were hundreds of them, even Supremes would run for their lives.


    Also, ckfire had informed him that Eiko managed to capture a Supreme, which gave the Half-Elf a pleasant surprise.


    He didn''t know what his Baby Slime was doing, but since she managed to defeat a Supreme, he didn''t need to worry much about her.


    Eiko had dozens of Nuclear-Level st Bombs in her possession, so it was not impossible for her to defeat a Supreme in battle.


    Lux was just surprised that his daughter managed to beat him into enving a Supreme first. Of course, he had noints.


    The stronger his Baby Slime was, the better.


    An unresigned screech spread in the surroundings as the Giant Spider, whom Avernus and his two sidekicks ganged up on, crashed to the ground.


    A few minutester, the monster breathed itsst, and Lux waved his hand to store it inside his Bounty Ring.


    "Aurora, please," Lux said softly.


    The youngdy nodded her head as she reluctantly let go of Lux''s hand to touch the barrier of the cell that was right beside the Giant Spider.


    "C-Can we talk like civilized individuals?" the Cmity-Ranked Monster behind the barrier that Aurora just touched pleaded. "I-I am willing to be your servant. Just don''t kill me."


    It was a five-meter-tall Smander with ck and yellow stripes on its body. It had transformed into a demi-human reptile in an attempt to stop Avernus and his gang from beating him up.


    At this point, all the monsters within the Inner Sanctum were shivering in their prison cells.


    They were powerful monsters in their own right, but in the face of the sadistic Dracolich and his sidekicks, even the strongest monsters wanted to plead for mercy.


    Lux gave the Demi-Reptile a hard and long stare, making the monster feel anxious.


    The barrier in front of him was now littered with cracks, and it would only take a minute at most before it waspletely destroyed.


    "Okay, I will ept you as my servant," Lux stated, which made the Cmity-Ranked Monster sigh in relief.


    The Half-Elf began to draw runes in the air until a magic circle appeared under the Demi-Reptile''s body.


    The monster didn''t move and allowed Lux to finish the Master and Servant contract.


    Taking out a small dagger from his storage ring, the Half-Elf pricked his finger and drew a drop of blood.


    He then casually flicked the drop of blood towards the Magic Circle,pleting the ritual.


    After sensing that the connection was properly established, he ordered the Demi-Human Reptile to join Avernus, the ck Ogre, and the Golden-Eyed Naga to subjugate the rest of hisrades.


    Naturally, the newly converted monster was more than willing to vent out his frustrations after bing the Half-Elf''s servant.


    It was impossible for him to not feel sad about his current situation, but since he didn''t want to unnecessarily feel pain when the oue would never change, he decided to just take the easy way out.


    There was a saying that if you couldn''t beat them, join them.


    The other Monsters were also considering this option as a way to escape being beaten to a pulp.


    But some monsters were simply too prideful.


    They didn''t want to be Lux''s servants, so they decided to kill themselves.


    But this was a very grave miscalction on their part.


    "You think that killing yourselves is the right choice, huh?" Lux sneered. "Let me show you how futile your sacrifices are when facing a Necromancer. Even in death, none of you will escape!"


    As if to set an example, Lux revived the first monster that hadmitted suicide using his skill Animate Undead.


    This monster looked like Living Armor, but instead of metal, its body was made up of crystals.


    Since it was already a High-Ranking Undead Monster, the Half-Elf sacrificed one of the Cmity-Ranked Beast Cores in his possession to get the most optimum option of the Monster sses that were avable.


    Although the chance of sess was only 30% to create the monster he wanted, he still took the gamble. It didn''t matter even if he failed since the other options on the list were good in their own way.


    Fortunately, his gamble paid off, and he acquired a Living Armor whose body was made up of mirrors.


    He named his new subordinate, Kagami, and it retained its Rank as a Peak-Cmity Monster.


    When the Monsters saw this scene, they no longer attempted tomit suicide.


    They understood then and there that regardless of whether they were alive or dead, the Half-Elf would still have his way, one way or the other.


    Now that Avernus'' sidekicks had increased by one, the Monsters could only cry as they waited for their turn to be converted into one of Lux''s subordinates.


    They understood that there was no longer a path of escape left for them, so they all folded and submitted to the Half-Elf, whose gaze was devoid of mercy.

 Chapter 1017 Unexpected Visitor

    Chapter 1017 Unexpected Visitor


    "Well then, Father, Mother, I''ll be going now," Valerie smiled as she excused herself.


    The Dragon King and the Dragon Queen watched their daughter go with smiles on their faces.


    "Is it me or does our daughter look more beautiful than before?" the Dragon King asked his wife.


    "It''s not just you," Queen Saphira replied. "She has be livelier, and she also looks happier than before. Perhaps something good happened during her stay in Espoir Frieden."


    The Dragon King nodded in agreement. He had observed the great changes in his daughter''s look and personality after she returned from the Kingdom of the High-Elves.


    Valerie was practically oozing with a charm that was hard to ignore.


    It was as if she was a beautiful flower that had finally bloomed, making everyone who saw her feel captivated by her outer, and inner beauty.


    "I guess allowing her to go with Faustina was the right decision," the Dragon King stated. "She had be quite attached to that Halfling and his Disciple. When Gaap died, Valerie was devastated, so I thought that letting her visit the Elven Kingdom was the right thing to do at that time."


    "It was a good choice," Queen Saphiramented. "Perhaps, we should let her visit other ces more often. It will help her grow to be a more mature and better person."


    The Dragon King frowned, but he also understood that his wife was right. Letting Valerie stay inside their kingdom every day would leave her too ignorant of the world.


    This was also why he agreed to take her to the Divine Empire to witness Gaap''s execution.


    He wanted to show her the dark side of the world, where the strong oppressed the weak. That way, she would realize how blessed she was to be born as a Dragon Princess.


    The Dragon King wanted Valerie to mature and be a wonderfuldy who would contribute to the well-being and continuous prosperity of the Dragon Kingdom.


    "�� I''ll let her visit the Crystal Pce more often then," the Dragon King said. "Even though there is tension between our kingdoms, Augustina would not dare to harm our daughter in her domain."


    The Dragon Queen nodded her head in agreement. "She knows that the children are innocent and will not go out of her way to antagonize Valerie. Perhaps, aside from Karshvar Draconis, the Crystal Pce is the second safest ce where she can wander around freely.


    "That child also talks a lot about Aur. It seems that the two of them have be good friends. At least, the younger generation is going in the right direction. Unlike us, adults, who like to make thingsplicated."


    The Dragon King snorted. "If you want to me someone, then you should me that bastard, Keoza. If he didn''t disappear during the coronation, the Dragon Kingdom would not split into two factions. I was forced to clean up his mess, yet his people used me of usurping his throne and calling me Fake King behind my back. What a bunch of cunts."


    "Language, my Dear." Queen Saphira frowned. "Just because Hereswith came back to life doesn''t mean you should copy her style. If Valerie starts using vulgar words, I''ll whack you."


    The Dragon King lightly coughed and averted his gaze.


    "Um, sorry about that," the Dragon King replied. "If you want to me someone, me Hereswith. That girl sure knows how to infect people with her words."


    "Oh? It seems that you still have a soft spot in your heart for her," Queen Saphira smirked. "Even after getting rejected, you continued to woo her until she died. Must be nice seeing her alive and kicking."


    "Saphira, this is already in the past," the Dragon King sighed. "It is true that I still hold a soft spot in my heart for Hereswith, but that doesn''t change the fact that I love you more than her right now. So don''t be jealous and open a wound that has already closed."


    "Fine." Queen Saphira nodded. "I know that you''re telling the truth. Also, I don''t hate Hereswith. Even I had a crush on her back then."


    The Dragon King looked at his wife in disbelief. "You what?"


    Queen Saphira''s face was flushed as she averted her gaze. "Her charisma is very strong, and back then, she even called me Sister. How could I possibly resist her?"


    "Is that why you always asked her to go to the hot springs with you whenever she visited Karshvar Draconis?" the Dragon King asked with curiosity.


    Queen Saphira ignored his question and threw out a question of her own.


    "Have you heard thetest news from the Divine Army?" Queen Saphira asked. "It seems that they are using a hostage to lure Gaap''s disciple out of hiding."


    The Dragon King chuckled because he understood that his wife was trying to change the subject.


    However, since he had no intention of sleeping on the floor tonight, he decided to go with the flow and nodded his head.


    "The Beast King and the Oracle are currently in the Beast Empire," the Dragon King replied. "They have captured the two Dwarf Princesses of a small Kingdom that was recently founded. I believe its name is Xeno Kingdom."


    "Xeno Kingdom��" Queen Saphira muttered. "Poor children. They are involved in a war between Powerhouses."


    "Indeed." The Dragon King snorted in disgust. "Now that Gaap and Antero are out of the picture, they probably think that they have a higher chance of capturing that Half-Elf."


    "Capture, not kill?" Queen Saphira arched an eyebrow.


    The Dragon King nodded. "They can''t kill him."


    "Why?" Queen Saphira asked. "Hasn''t killing him been their goal all along?"


    "In the past, yes," the Dragon King answered. "But, now, it''s different. If they kill Lux, it will trigger arge-scale war. We have signed an alliance with the High-Elves. If they go to war, we will go to war as well. This is something that the Divine Army will want to avoid at all costs.


    "Unknowingly, we have be that Half-Elf''s protector. Since he has Hereswith''s backing, he also has the entire Alliance''s backing."


    Queen Saphira nodded in understanding. "Well, at least he gets to keep his life. Arge-scale war is something we don''t want to happen right now. Especially since the Abyssal Gates are starting to appear once again."


    The Dragon King was about to say something more when he saw something appear at the corner of his eye.


    "You��" The Dragon King narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Specter that manifested a few meters away from him.


    "It has been a while, Saphira. You''re still as beautiful as ever." The Specter greeted.


    "And you''re still the charmer, even though you have lost your body," Queen Saphira smiled sweetly after seeing an old and very dear friend of hers. "It''s good to see you again, Keoza."


    Keoza, who had taken his demi-human form, smiled.


    "What are you doing here?" the Dragon King asked while ring at the hateful Crystal Dragon who left everything behind for reasons known only to him.


    "I havee to tell you one thing," Keoza replied as he held the Dragon King''s stare. "In the future, when you invite someone on a fishing trip, I wille with you."


    "Huh?" the Dragon King looked at Keoza with a dumbfounded expression on his face. "What the hell are you talking about?"


    "I am going with you the next time you go on a fishing trip," Keoza repeated what he said earlier. The Crystal Dragon had an amused expression on his face.


    But the Dragon King knew that whenever Keoza had this expression, he was nning to beat someone up to oblivion.


    For the time being, the ruler of Karshvar Draconis held back his doubts and focused on the bastard in front of him.


    "Again, why would I go on a fishing trip with you?" the Dragon King asked angrily. "I am a busy person. Do you think I have as much free time as you?"


    Keoza sneered. "Just remember what I told you. When you go on a fishing trip, I''m going with you. I''m leaving now, Saphira."


    A momentter, Keoza''s specter disappeared, leaving the Dragon King and Dragon Queen behind.


    The Dragon King couldn''t believe that the hateful Crystal Dragon was telling him that he would go on a fishing trip with him.


    But, he was familiar with Keoza''s character.


    The Crystal Dragon could be annoying at times, but whenever he said something, there was always a reason behind it.


    ''Does he just want to go on a fishing trip with me?'' the Dragon King thought. ''Does he want to start with a clean te and forget old grudges?''


    The more the Dragon King thought, the more sensible Keoza''s words became. Because of this, he came to a conclusion.


    "Darling, do you know any good fishing spots in the nearby territories?" the Dragon King asked.


    Since Keoza wanted to go on a fishing trip with him, he should at least prepare for the trip in advance.


    Although he didn''t know who the Crystal Dragon was referring to when he said that he would being with him the next time he invited someone to a fishing trip, the Dragon King didn''t think much about it.


    ''So, a fishing trip for three people,'' the Dragon King thought. ''I wonder who else I should invite for that trip?''


    The Dragon King smiled as he started nning for the trip.


    The least he could do was to make it a fun experience for him, Keoza, and the person that he would invite in the future, whoever it may be.

 Chapter 1018 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 1]

    Chapter 1018 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 1]


    "Hey, before you kidnapped these kids, did you confirm if their parents had a way to contact that Half-Elf?" the Beast King asked the Rhino-Kin Saint, who was assigned to guard Aina and Colette.


    "We were just ordered to capture these kids," the Rhino-Kin replied. "We didn''t ask our King if their parents have a way of contacting the target."


    The Beast King frowned after hearing this. But, before he could say anything else, the Oracle of the Divine Army raised her hand.


    "That Half-Elf wille," the Oracle of the Divine Army, Maeve, stated. "Although I can''t use my Divination to find his location, I am very certain that he wille."


    "And how do you know that?" the Beast King inquired.


    "I have my ways," Maeve replied. "All you need to know is that he wille. It may not be today, or tomorrow, but he will definitelye before this week is over."


    The Beast King crossed his arms over his chest as he gazed outside of the window.


    "Are you sure about this?"


    "Very sure. You can count on it."


    Three days had already passed since Aina and Colette had been taken away from the Xeno Kingdom.


    During this time, they weren''t treated too badly, and the Beast King made sure to make their stay asfortable as possible.


    Aina, who understood that they didn''t n on harming her or Colette, didn''t lower her guard, and simply assured her sister that everything was going to be fine.


    She also made sure to subtly tell Colette not to answer any questions pertaining to Lux, and make it seem as if their rtionship with him wasn''t that deep.


    Fortunately, the Beast King and the Oracle didn''t seem interested in interrogating them, and simply waited for the Half-Elf''s arrival.


    Deep in her heart, Aina didn''t want Lux to appear because he would be diving head-first into a trap.


    But, she still didn''t know what she could do to stop this from happening.


    Even if she managed to escape with her sister, and return to the Xeno Kingdom safely, she was sure that the consequences of doing that would be dire.


    ''What do I do?'' Aina thought. ''What can I do?''


    Her expressionless face remained the same, which prevented others from knowing what she was thinking.


    Even so, she couldn''t stop feeling anxious inside her heart because her lover would be risking his life to save them.


    Knowing that she was stuck between a rock and a hard ce, Aina did the only thing that she could do.


    And that was to believe in Lux.


    She knew that her lover would not take their lives lightly, and would do his best to ensure that they would be rescued without fail.


    Aina was certain that even at this very moment, the Half-Elf was doing his best to find a way to ovee their current dilemma.


    ''Lux,'' Aina thought. ''Be careful.''


    Another day passed, making this the fourth day since Aina and Colette had been captured.


    The Beast King had already prepared a grand wee for Hereswith''s Grand Disciple.


    He had even made preparations just in case the beautiful Elf came to assist him.


    Their ultimate goal was to capture Lux and not kill him.


    Although this was a lot harder than ending the Half-Elf''s life, the Oracle and the Beast King understood that his death would be the worst oue of this battle.


    An all out war between the Allied Forces of the Elven Kingdom, the Dragon Kingdom, and the other Kingdoms supporting them, would definitely wipe the Beast Empire from the face of the world.


    After a few days of careful thinking, the Beast King was even regretting the fact that he had agreed to continue this operation.


    In hindsight, he had more to lose than the Divine Army by using his Empire as the stage for the battle.


    ''Maybe, it was the wrong decision after all,'' while the Beast King was debating inside his head if he had acted recklessly by continuing to antagonize the Half-Elf, he felt a disturbanceing from the West.


    The Oracle immediately appeared beside him and squinted her eyes.


    "He''sing," Maeve said with certainty.


    Along the horizon, a ck line had appeared.


    Dark clouds were gathering, and were slowly making their way towards the Beast Empire.


    Those with strong senses immediately felt that something was happening, and turned to look at the western skies with grim expressions on their faces.


    Time passed as the ominous feeling in their hearts increased.


    The Beast King who was watching from far away wanted to get this battle over with, but for some reason, the dark clouds that were slowly heading towards his empire were moving at a very slow rate.


    It was as if whoever had summoned the clouds were purposely dying its advance, making the anxiousness of those who knew that something bad was going to happen, increase with each passing minute.


    An hour passed��


    Two hours passed��


    Finally, after three hours, the Dark Clouds covered the entirety of the Beast Empire.


    The rumbling sounds of thunder boomed in the Heavens, as lightning snaked across the sky like Dragons who were waiting for the right chance to pounce.


    "Reveal yourself!" the Beast Kingmanded. "I know that you are here, Lux Von Kaizer!"


    Aina and Colette walked towards the balcony of their room, and gazed at the dark clouds in the sky.


    The Rhino-Kin, who was guarding the two Dwarves, didn''t stop them and simply stood a few meters away.


    Now that the person they wanted to capture had appeared, there was no longer a reason for him to detain the two girls inside the room.


    However, since he made a promise that he would take them back safely, he decided to keep them safe until the battle ended.


    "Come out!" the Beast King shouted. "Are you going to fight or not?"


    Suddenly, the clouds blocking the sun parted a little, allowing a ray of light to descend upon thend.


    The light shone down on a red-headed teenager, who was hovering in the air.


    It was none other than the Half-Elf they were waiting for.


    But, there was something very different about him. Instead of Draconic wings pping behind his back, they saw two sets of angelic wings (four wings).


    One was white, and the other was ck. Although he looked quite different from how he appeared in the Divine Empire, it didn''t change the fact that he was alone.


    Aina and Colette looked at the Half-Elf in the distance, and sensed him looking back at them as well.


    ''Don''t worry, Aina, Colette. Everything is fine now.''


    These were the words that the two Dwarves heard inside their heads, which made the anxiety in their hearts vanish without a trace.


    The Beast King and the Oracle extended their senses to check if the beautiful Elf was with him. However, they were unable to detect the presence of a Demigod.


    This made them rx a bit. Without Hereswith, their chances of capturing Lux alive increased exponentially.


    Just as the Oracle was about to say something to the hateful Heretic, the singing of an angelic voice spread throughout the entirety of the Beast Empire.


    Making those who heard it feel their hearts skip a beat.


    "Like an angel with cruel and merciless intent.


    Go forth, young man, and be a legend."

 Chapter 1019 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 2]

    Chapter 1019 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 2]


    "Like an angel with cruel and merciless intent,


    Go forth, young man, and be a legend."


    The singing voice of an angel lingered in everyone''s ears, and before the citizens of the Beast Empire could react, the Beast King had already thrown an orb into the sky.


    Immediately, a Domain expanded, bringing the Half-Elf, the Beast King, the Oracle, and their allies into a separate dimension.


    The surroundings looked exactly the same as the Beast Empire.


    The only difference was that there was not a single civilian or bystander anywhere in the city.


    Only the forces that the Beast King and the Oracle had prepared were present and would soon confront the Half-Elf, who had served himself up to them on a silver tter.


    "Before we start, know that I am very ashamed of the method we used to lure you here, Half-Elf," the Beast King stated. "But in order to put an end to the grudge between you and the Divine Army, it has to be done."


    The corner of Lux''s lips curled up after hearing the Beast King''s words.


    "If that helps you sleep at night, then so be it," Lux replied in a teasing tone. "My disgust and disappointment in you will not change regardless of what you say."


    The Beast King didn''t say anything to defend himself from Lux''s taunting words. He focused all his attention on the Half-Elf, observing thetter''s expression.


    He was expecting to see helplessness, resignation, rage, unwillingness, and anxiety on the Half-Elf''s face, but he didn''t see any of those.


    Instead, what he saw was contempt and disdain, which made him feel as if the Half-Elf was looking at him like he was a piece of trash.


    The Beast King didn''t like being the receiving end of such a look, and because of this, he roared and charged at Lux with the intention of ending the battle as fast as he could.


    Lux didn''t move and remained standing in ce.


    But when the Beast King was only a hundred meters away from him, the space in front of him distorted, and a Dracolich in his Demi-Human Form shed with the Beast King, blocking his advance.


    "You pitiful Dragon, who has be a servant of a child." The Beast King sneered. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."


    Avernus chuckled after hearing the Beast King''s taunt.


    "Dn, oh, little Dn. You don''t have to worry," Avernus replied. "Soon, you will also be that child''s servant. I especially prepared a cor for that special asion. I''m sure that it will fit you perfectly."


    "Screw you!" Dn growled as he kicked the Dracolich away.


    Although he seeded in dealing a blow to the Dracolich, Avernus'' chuckle still reached his ears.


    The Beast King had no intention of wasting any time, so he decided to continue his advance toward the Half-Elf.


    But when his gazended on the Half-Elf''s body, he couldn''t help but shudder after seeing an unbelievable scene.


    Dozens of Flying Monsters of different sizes hovered around the Half-Elf.


    But, that was not all.


    On the ground, hundreds of Monsters had also appeared, making the Beast King thankful that he brought the battle into a separate dimension, and not in his Capital City.


    The Auras of the Monsters were enough to tell Dn that all of them were Peak-Cmity Ranked Monsters, making his heart shudder.


    "All of you are free to kill everyone, except him and her," Lux said as he pointed at the Beast King and the Oracle of Light. "You guys can beat them up, but they are not allowed to die. Do I make myself clear?"


    All the Monsters roared in reply.


    "Go," Lux ordered. "Show them no mercy."


    The Flying Monsters immediately flew toward the Beast King, while the Monsters on the ground charged at the Oracle of Light and her cronies.


    Dn cursed internally as he backed away in haste.


    Their original n was that he would fight against Hereswith, while the Oracle fought against Lux.


    The Beast King was confident that he could fight the beautiful Elf and her Skeleton Queen to a draw if he went all out and transformed into his Beast King form.


    However, against hundreds of Cmity-Ranked Beasts, even if he were in his Demigod Form, he still would not be able to handle such a powerful army.


    A Demigod could single-handedly deal with five Peak Cmity-Ranked monsters.


    But he wasn''t facing just five.


    He was facing hundreds of them, so Dn only did what he could do and that was��


    To run!


    Even the Oracle didn''t hesitate to run away. This was simply an impossible battle to begin with.


    The twenty Apostles that she had brought with her, who could transform into twenty Pseudo-Supremes, were also no match for a Peak-Cmity Beast.


    A Supreme might be able to fight against two to three Peak Cmity-Ranked Beasts if they were truly powerful.


    However, the Apostles could, at most, transform into Pseudo-Supremes.


    What did this mean?


    It meant that a single Peak-Cmity Monster was enough to deal with one of them with ease.


    This wasn''t a battle, but a one-sided massacre.


    "Are you going to run away, Beast King?" Lux asked in a teasing tone. "Are you sure you want to do that?"


    The Beast King didn''t even bother to reply to the Half-Elf as he put as much distance as he could between the two of them.


    However, something happened, which made him stop in his tracks.


    A projection appeared in front of him, showing his Capital City.


    There, he saw thousands of Undead Monsters and four Cmity-Ranked Monsters.


    The ck Ogre, the Golden-Eyed Naga, the Smander with ck and yellow stripes, and a Giant Red Wolf Spider were standing like invincible pirs on the four cardinal directions of the city, preventing anyone from leaving.


    The Undead Monsters marched toward the castle, and a red-headed teenager was leading them with a smile on his face.


    The Half-Elf in question even waved in the direction of the Beast King, making thetter feel as if cold water was poured over his head.


    He was certain that the moment those four Cmity-Ranked Monsters started their onught, his Capital City would be reduced to dust in a span of just a few minutes.


    While he was doing his best not to scream in anger and frustration, a tone devoid of any mercy reached his ears.


    "I will give you a choice," Lux said in a cold tone. "Capture the Oracle and give her to me, or�� I will destroy everything you hold sacred."


    The Beast King red hatefully at the Half-Elf, who was standing calmly in the distance.


    "Have you forgotten that I still have hostages?" the Beast King asked.


    "Hostages?" Lux smirked. "What hostages? Are you talking about them?"


    The Half-Elf pointed at the projection, showing Aina and Colette.


    Aina was currently in her Angel of Vengeance Form, carrying her sister in her arms.


    Lux''s Battle Angel, Seraphina, was with her.


    The Beast King was about to ask what happened to the Rhino-Kin, but before he could do that, the projection zoomed in on the pce.


    It showed that the Rhino-Kin had been impaled into the wall by a spear that belonged to the Supreme that Eiko had subjugated in the Battle in the Ford Federation.


    The Saint was not dead, but he was not in any condition to help anyone.


    Also, facing a Supreme, who was looking at the city with his arms crossed over his chest, was enough to tell the Beast King that his Empire was in a very dire situation.


    "I now have millions of hostages," Lux said with a devilish smile on his face. "Including the members of your family. But don''t worry. Since I appreciate that you didn''t mistreat Aina and Colette, I will give you a choice."


    The Half-Elf paused, but it only made the Beast King feel as if a guillotine was ced above his head. One wrong move and everything would end in a heartbeat.


    "You can either capture that B*tch Oracle and bring her to me, or you can keep running while watching a genocide take ce.


    "If you choose to capture the Oracle, I promise to spare your people and your family members. I will also allow you to be my subordinate if you do that.


    "If you choose the second option, that is fine as well. I have been holding myself back long enough. I''ve never even considered starting a genocide before because I have my bottom line. However, you guys kept on testing my limit. Did you really think that I was a Saint, who would just smile even when you hurt the people who are important to me?"


    Lux''s words were cold and filled with killing intent.


    He was only a slight push away from eradicating the Beast Empire from the world, but a little bit of his conscience remained.


    Even so, if the Beast King were to defy him, that little bit of conscience wouldn''t be enough to stop the rage that had now taken hold of the Half-Elf.


    Although he still looked calm on the surface, it would only take a heartbeat for him to start a massacre.


    "I will give you five seconds to decide," Lux''s eyes glowed golden. "Now, make your choice."


    Dn looked at the Half-Elf, who was only an order away from destroying everything that he and his ancestors had built over thest thousands of years.


    With a heavy heart, he locked his gaze on the Oracle, who had already traveled a great distance away from her Domain.


    ''I shouldn''t have agreed to this n,'' Dn thought as he bit his lip until it drew blood.


    A momentter, he charged in the direction where the Oracle was running away.


    There was only one choice for salvation, and he was going to make that choice, right here��


    Right now.

 Chapter 1020 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 3]

    Chapter 1020 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 3]


    "What? The Half-Elf attacked the Beast Empire?" The Dragon King looked at the projection in front of him in disbelief.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," the Dragon Born reported. "Our spies in the Beast Empire just informed me of what is happening there right now."


    "How did this happen?" the Dragon King asked. "Did they do something to that brat? Is the Divine Army nning to kill him?"


    The Dragon King''s face became extremely serious because this was noughing matter.


    His daughter, Valerie, had passed him a magical contract.


    The moment he signed that contract, he had be part of an Alliance between the Elven Kingdom, as well as those who visited the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden.


    There was a use in the contract that stated that if one of their parties was attacked or went to war with a valid reason, all the other signatory members would join them in their counter-attack.


    If the Divine Army were to really kill Lux, he could only imagine how Hereswith would react.


    Hereswith would certainly go to battle, which meant that the entire Elven Race would also go to battle. And because they were in the same alliance as the Elven race, Karshvar Draconis, along with the other parties in the alliance, would also have to join that battle, leading to a World War.


    "What are those bastards from the Divine Army thinking?!" the Dragon King smashed his fist on the armrest of his throne.


    Fortunately, it was made from extremely hard material that wouldn''t shatter easily, even from the full-powered strike of a Supreme.


    After regaining hisposure, he once again looked at his subordinate.


    "Tell me everything that you know," the Dragon King ordered. "Don''t miss a single detail."


    ����������������������


    Simr scenarios took ce in other locations on the continent.


    In the secret Headquarters of Memento Mori, Hereswith was also informed of what was happening in the Beast Empire.


    "We still haven''t confirmed all the details about this incident, but ording to the reports we received, it seems that the Beast Empire had taken two Dwarf girls hostage," an old Necromancer said. "Because of this, your Grand Disciple went to the Beast Empire.


    "Right now, there are thousands of Undead Monsters in the Capital City of the Beast Empire. Our spy also added that there are four Peak Cmity-Ranked Monsters as well. But ording to the report, they are not making a move.


    "They simply surrounded the Royal Pce and the City, preventing anyone from entering and escaping. All the citizens have locked themselves inside their homes, and the guards of the city are only on standby. None of them dare to attack the monsters because they are not prepared for the consequences of their actions."


    Dillon frowned after hearing the report. He then nced at Hereswith, who didn''t seem to be too bothered about what was happening to her Grand Disciple.


    "Aren''t you going to help him?" Dillon wasn''t able to stop himself from asking.


    "If he needed my help, he would have asked for it long ago." Hereswith shrugged. "Since I didn''t hear anything from him, it means that he ns to handle this on his own."


    "That''s the thing. Aren''t you worried about him?"


    "I am worried. But there is something that you should know about my Grand Disciple."


    "And that is?"


    The corner of Hereswith''s lips curled up into a smirk before she answered Dillon''s question.


    "He would not challenge a Supreme or the Pseudo-Supremes of the Divine Army without a concrete n to counter them," Hereswith exined. "Since he didn''t ask for my help, that means that he already has the means to protect himself.


    "Still, I am annoyed that the Divine Army is still actively targeting my disciple, even going as far as to involve those that are close to him. Lux doesn''t have the right mindset to be a Necromancer simply because he isn''t cruel enough.


    "But the moment he discards his morality, I''m afraid that it will be hard for him to turn back. Even demons run when a good man goes to war."


    Hereswith''s tone was cold, but it was firm.


    Her Grand Disciple was still mourning the loss of his Master, Gaap. If the ones responsible for the Halfling''s death were to push Lux''s bottom line then��


    "He will not stop until his rage is quenched," Hereswith said softly. "Maybe I should visit the Beast Empire just in case."


    The beautiful Elf was very tempted to go, but something was telling her that she shouldn''t.


    A momentter, a sigh escaped her lips.


    "Please inform me if there are changes in the Beast Empire," Hereswith said as she walked out of the conference room.


    "Where are you going, Child?" the Old Necromancer asked.


    "I''m going to look for the Stars of Cmity," Hereswith replied without even turning her head to look behind her.


    The Old Necromancer watched her go before sighing.


    The other Necromancers looked into the Conference Room and looked at their leader. They were waiting for him to give them an order, but thetter raised his hand as if to tell them to not do anything.


    "Keep watch on the situation," the Old Necromancer ordered. "We are not going to interfere. Only if Hereswith moves to assist her Grand Disciple would we also send reinforcements to help her."


    All the Necromancers nodded.


    They still thought that the Divine Army was very foolish to start a conflict that could have dire consequences.


    Meanwhile, the Oracle, who had convinced the Beast King to push through with this n was desperately running for her life.


    "Have you gone mad, Dn?!" the Oracle shouted. "Are you betraying the Divine Army?!"


    ����������������������


    (A/N: In order to prevent confusion let me refresh everyone''s memories. Dn is the Beast King, while Dillon is the ck-robed individual who controls the Seven-Headed Dog of Cmity, Teju Jagua.)


    ����������������������


    The Beast King didn''t reply and simply charged in her direction with a determined look on his face.


    "Protect me!" the Oracle ordered the twenty Apostles who had apanied her on this journey. "Do not let him catch me!"


    Five of the Apostles broke away from the formation and instantly activated the Divine Powers within them.


    This allowed their ranks to soar up to be Pseudo-Supremes, giving them a power that belonged to those who stood at the Apex of the Mortal Realm.


    The Beast King roared and transformed into a Giant White Tiger with ck stripes on its body.


    Now that he had taken this form, his Rank was no longer a Supreme but a Demigod.


    What did this mean?


    It meant that he became an existence that was stronger than a Supreme.


    The five Pseudo-Supremes didn''t hesitate to attack the Giant Tiger who was six-meter tall.


    However, their attacks couldn''t even hit their big target.


    Before they could even understand what had happened, all of them were sent flying when the White Tiger appeared in front of them and swatted them one by one.


    All the Pseudo-Supremes were knocked unconscious, and their ability was disabled as well.


    Clearly, the Beast King knew the ins and outs of the ability that allowed them to gain great powers in exchange for their life force.


    What the Apostles were doing was simr to how Gaap allowed Antero to manifest despite only being an Apostle.


    The Divine Army had been impressed by the Halfling''s method, so they did plenty of research on how to imitate a simr effect.


    This was how the Apostle Project was born.


    Although it would kill these individuals after their life force had been used up, it was still a good trade in order to gain a power that allowed them to be Pseudo-Supremes.


    The Beast King had forcefully canceled that ability, preventing the Apostles from burning their lives away.


    It seemed that he was determined to prevent any casualties among his people, and the ranks of the Divine Army at this point in time.


    If he could trade the Oracle''s life for the safety of millions of people, he would not hesitate to do it.


    After all, she was the reason why they were currently in this situation.


    The Beast King might have yed a part in it, but he found this method distasteful. As a warrior, he disdained using hostages in battle.


    Doing it made him ashamed and, for someone of his standing, it was a bitter pill to swallow.


    "What are you all doing?!" Maeve shouted. "All of you attack him now!"


    She knew that the Dimensional Domain that they were currently in wouldn''t disappear unless the Beast King canceled its effects.


    Because of this, Maeve decided to order all of her subordinates to attack, sacrificing their lives in order to create an opportunity that would allow her to escape.

 Chapter 1021 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 4]

    Chapter 1021 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 4]


    Maeve''s n was to weaken and possibly seriously injure the Beast King using the Apostles she brought with her.


    Once the Domain disappeared, she would immediately use her artifact that would teleport her to the underground Headquarters of the Divine Army, escaping her current situation.


    Since the Beast King had changed sides, she no longer treated him as arade and ordered all of her subordinates to attack him without mercy.


    Although they were reluctant to leave her alone, the fifteen remaining Apostles all activated their ability and turned into Pseudo-Supremes.


    They had seen how the Beast King had dealt with theirrades earlier, so they wouldn''t allow the same thing to happen to them.


    A momentter, the fifteen Pseudo-Supremes and the Giant White Tiger shed.


    Loud explosions erupted within the Dimensional Domain, destroying the city devoid of any of its citizens.


    Maeve looked at this scenario with a sneer on her face while continuing to distance herself from the battlefield.


    However, just as she was about to reach the edge of the domain, a cold and disdainful voice sounded in her ears.


    "You can run, but you can''t hide from me, B*tch!"


    The Oracle immediately dodged to her right side, evading a punch from the Fox Lady, Hana, whose bloodshot eyes locked onto the Oracle''s body.


    Gaap''s one and only true Covenant Member hated the Oracle with a vengeance.


    Her hatred for Maeve was just as strong as Lux''s and Hereswith''s, and she wanted nothing more than to beat up the hateful woman who orchestrated the hardships of her previous and current Masters.


    Hana had unsealed her limiter, allowing her to be a Cmity-Ranked Monster.


    Although her strength was only at the Initial Stages of the Cmity Rank, it was more than enough to deal with a Saintess.


    Unfortunately, Maeve wasn''t an ordinary Saintess.


    Just like all Cmity-Ranked Monsters were not equal, all Saints were not equal.


    Using her powers of Divination, the Oracle was able to evade all of Hana''s attacks as if she were able to see five seconds ahead of time.


    No matter what Hana did, she wasn''t able tond an attack on Maeve''s body, so both of them continued their dogfight in the air.


    The Oracle also counter-attacked from time to time,nding blows on Hana''s body.


    However, the Fox Lady''s anger and determination to avenge her Master, Gaap, allowed her to ignore the pain and continue fighting with the same intensity as before.


    The battle continued for several minutes until the Oracle noticed a shift in the battlefield.


    ''Useless fools!'' Maeve cursed internally when she noticed that more than half of the fifteen Apostles had been knocked unconscious by the Beast King.


    Truth be told, the reason why the Beast King was able to handle so many Pseudo-Supremes at once was not due to his strength.


    Although he was powerful, that didn''t mean that he could easily ovee fifteen opponents.


    The reason why he was able to get the upper hand was due to Lux.


    The Half-Elf had ordered some of his Cmity-Ranked Subordinates to help the Beast King.


    This gave Dn the chance to knock out the members of the Divine Army, canceling the effects of their ability.


    Seeing that she would soon be outnumbered, Maeve started to feel anxious.


    Although she was confident that she could avoid Hana''s attacks, she wasn''t too optimistic about her chances of escaping from the Beast King''s grasp.


    She had the ability to predict the future, allowing her to evade the other party''s attacks, but the difference in Rank was something that she couldn''t ovee so easily.


    Also, she wasn''t fighting just one opponent.


    She had a feeling that Lux would also order his other Cmity-Ranked Beasts to deal with her, and this thought made her feel anxious.


    Knowing that time wasn''t on her side, Maeve made a bold choice.


    She kicked away Hana, sending her flying backward.


    After that, she charged in the direction of the Beast King, with the intention of linking her Divination with the Apostles.


    This way, they would be able to effectively attack their targets and weaken the Beast King to a certain extent.


    Using that opportunity, Maeve would create a crack within the Domain and escape.


    Her n worked wonders, and in just a span of half a minute, the Pseudo-Supremes were able tond hits on the Beast King''s body, allowing them to gain the upper hand.


    Soon, cracks started to appear in the sky of the Domain, allowing Maeve to see her path of escape.


    Seeing that a particrlyrge chunk of the sky fell, the Oracle instantly took out her artifact and activated it.


    But, nothing happened.


    The Oracle frowned as she looked at her artifact before repeatedly activating it.


    However, the artifact still didn''t work.


    "What''s wrong?" Lux asked in a teasing tone. "Can''t escape?"


    "�� You, what did you do?" Maeve asked.


    She was doing her best to prevent her voice from cracking due to her anxiety.


    "Oh, nothing much," Lux replied with a devilish smile on his face. "I just asked my subordinates to create a Space Lock inside this ce. This is the same strategy you used against me back in the Divine Empire to prevent me from using any teleportation skills. I''m just returning the favor."


    The Oracle felt her heart turn cold after hearing Lux''s reply.


    She had been quite confident that she would be able to pull off this operation well.


    She thought that she could finally enve the Half-Elf, who managed to cheat death in the Divine Empire after Gaap had switched ces with him.


    Suddenly, three of the Apostles screamed as they were mobbed by the dozens of Cmity-Ranked Monsters that had joined the battle.


    Lux was done ying games and had decided to take things seriously.


    Without another word, Maeve roared as she flew toward the crack in the sky.


    She deftly evaded the Cmity-Ranked Monsters that tried to block her path using the full power of her Divination Ability.


    But just as she was about to pass through the crack in the sky, she suddenly found herself standing directly in front of the Half-Elf, who was poised to unleash a Dragon Breath.


    She didn''t even have time to blink when the raging inferno hit her at point-nk range, making her scream in pain.


    When the Dragon Breath receded, the Oracle felt a searing pain, not only in her body but also in her soul.


    This otherworldly pain had dulled her senses a bit, preventing her from reacting to Lux''s kick that mercilessly hit her abdomen, sending her crashing toward the ground.


    The Oracle collided with countless buildings beforeing to aplete stop.


    All of Lux''s attacks were imbued with the power of his Divine Abyssal Touch, which damaged and corrupted the souls of his targets.


    This passive ability ignored all types of defense, including defensive artifacts, allowing him to deal True Damage to anything he hit.


    Maeve desperately tried to prop herself up, but before she could do that, a foot mmed down on the back of her head, smashing her face into the ground.


    Hana shouted in anger as she repeatedly stomped on the Oracle''s head, creating an ever-expanding crater, under the Oracle''s body.


    Maeve''s beautiful face was now a bloody mess, and it only became bloodier as the Fox Lady vented her anger and frustration on the woman she wanted to torture for eternity.


    It was at that moment that Maeve finally realized that she had made a grave mistake.


    The Half-Elf was no longer the powerless individual that they had bullied and hunted down in the past.


    The Hunter had now be the hunted.


    This realization hade a bitte, and the Oracle of the Divine Army understood with every fiber of her being that her suffering�� was just about to begin.

 Chapter 1022 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 5]

    Chapter 1022 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 5]


    "Stop!"


    "No more!"


    "I beg you!"


    "Please, stop!"


    "End me!"


    "Just kill me!"


    "Kill me!"


    "KILL ME!"


    Maeve shouted and pleaded, but her desperate cries fell on deaf ears.


    Hana kicked her away before instantly teleporting above her.


    She then grabbed the Oracle''s head and smashed it to the ground, dragging her for half a kilometer.


    The beautiful Oracle who was well respected by everyone in Elysium was no longer recognizable.


    Her face had been turned into a mess, bloody and disfigured. It was a stark contrast to what she looked like before she decided to face off against Lux in the Beast Empire.


    Her pride.


    Her arrogance.


    Her confidence.


    All of these things and more could no longer be seen.


    The Oracle was now like a piece of tattered rag that Hana was using to wipe the floor with.


    The Beast King looked at this scene from the sky with aplicated look on his face. He truly regretted his decision, but it was toote to do anything.


    Maeve wanted nothing more than for her suffering to end.


    But Hana was making sure that her attacks dealt as much pain as possible, without actually endangering the Oracle''s life.


    She broke Maeve''s nose.


    She scratched her face.


    She broke her fingers one by one.


    She broke her limbs one after the other.


    Hana did everything she could do to vent her anger, but it was not enough. A single Oracle''s life was not enough to stop the hurt inside her chest.


    "Hana, that''s enough," Lux stated.


    The Fox Lady looked at her new Master in confusion.


    "What do you mean, Lux?" Hana asked back. "She hasn''t suffered enough."


    "Of course, she hasn''t suffered enough," Lux replied "So stop taking it easy on her."


    Hana frowned.


    She had been torturing the Oracle for nearly half an hour, and she wasn''t holding back in the slightest.


    However, Lux still thought that she was taking it easy?


    The Beast King shuddered when he heard the Half-Elf''s words. Even he found the Oracle''s treatment to be unnerving, and yet, the red-headed teenager still thought that it was ''going easy on her''?


    However, before the Beast King and Hana could even say anything, Lux''s next words made both of their hearts shudder.


    "Skin her alive," Lux ordered. "Make sure to do it slowly."


    After Hana regained herposure, a wicked smile appeared on her face.


    "You''re right, Master," Hana bowed respectfully. "I apologize for taking it easy on her. Thank you for correcting me."


    The Fox Lady then raised her hand and the nails on her fingers extended.


    Soon, the Oracle''s pained shrieks reverberated in the surroundings.


    While this was happening, Lux shifted his gaze to the Beast King, which made thetter flinch.


    "You are going to submit to me, correct?" Lux asked.


    "�� Yes." the Beast King replied through gritted teeth. "As long as you promise that you will not hurt my family and people."


    "Good." Lux nodded. "But I still don''t trust you. You are a Supreme, so you can break your word at any time."


    "I won''t break my word."


    "Don''t worry. I will make sure that you won''t break your word."


    Lux then raised his hands and dozens of Cmity-Ranked Monsters encircled the Beast King, making thetter frown.


    "I only trust the dead," Lux stated. "If you are serious about bing my subordinate, you will have to die first."


    "Y-You!" the Beast King looked at the Half-Elf in disbelief. "This isn''t part of our agreement!"


    "Agreement?" Lux smirked. "What agreement?"


    "You bastard! I''ll kill you!"


    "Can you?"


    The Half-Elf waved his hand, and the dozens of Cmity-Ranked Monsters attacked the Beast King at the same time.


    A ferocious roar spread in the surroundings as Dn took his Demigod Form. He was serious about bing Lux''s subordinate, but he had no intention of dying and bing his mindless ve!


    "Roar as much as you want," Lux sneered. "Do you think that roaring will make a difference? Do you think it will make you stronger?"


    "I''ll kill you even if it''s thest thing I do!" The Beast King''s body shone in a radiant light as he burned his life essence to increase his strength drastically.


    He then opened his jaws to unleash a Beam of Light that would annihte the hateful Half-Elf, who was looking at him with disdain.


    "Futile." Lux scoffed.


    The Living Armor, which he had re-animated inside the Pantheon of Exile, stood in front of Lux and transformed into a mirror.


    The Beam of Light that the Beast King had unleashed was absorbed inside it. A momentter, the Living Armor returned the attack to its owner, taking thetter by surprise.


    Dn had poured all of his strength in that single attack, in hopes that it would kill the Half-Elf and wipe out his subordinates at the same time.


    Because of this, he did not have the strength to evade the same attack he had unleashed, which was now about to collide with his body.


    A loud roar filled with resentment and unwillingness erupted within the Domain.


    The moment the Beast King''s giant body crashed into the ground, his domain shatteredpletely.


    Soon, the citizens of the Beast Empire heard the Oracle''s pained shrieks as Hana happily skinned her alive in the most gruesome and slowest way possible.


    Dn, who had now reverted to his original form,y on the ground as he struggled to prop himself up.


    However, one of his legs was missing, so his attempt to stand failed miserably.


    Lux then summoned the Spear of Longinus and ordered it to increase its length and size, until it became twenty-meters long.


    Just as he was about to throw his spear at the Beast King, two Tiger-Kins, who were around five years old, ran to their father and hugged him tight.


    They were the Beast King''s twin daughters, and they were bawling their eyes out as they tried to help their father stand up.


    Tears and snot covered the faces of the two girls, as they called out their father''s name, and urged him to stand up.


    Dn felt his heart breaking as he looked at his two daughters who were using their bodies to shield him from the giant spear that was aimed at his heart.


    Avernus, who was watching this scene with his arms crossed over his chest, looked at the Half-Elf with a calm expression on his face.


    He wanted to see if Lux had already lost his morality.


    Truth be told, he didn''t care either way.


    He was just a little fond of the kind Half-Elf, whom he believed was not suited to be a Necromancer.


    But, before Lux could even make his move, a ck Coffin appeared behind the two little girls.


    Its lid slid open and a pair of shadowy hands emerged from it.


    ckfire then unceremoniously knocked out the two little girls, who were clinging to their father.


    Dn growled in anger as he angrily tried to stand up in order to save her daughters from the ck Coffin.


    He knew what this coffin could do, and he''d rather die than let it do anything to his daughters.


    "You know it''s very funny. Do you really think that you''re the only one who has the right to be angry when their family members are being targeted?"


    A feminine voice spoke out from inside ckfire.


    A secondter, a specter of a beautiful woman appeared and looked down at the Beast King with cold eyes.


    "Lux would never hurt the innocent," Aurora''s foster mother, Queen Bianca, said firmly. "It is you people who are forcing him to be cruel."


    Dn calmed down when he heard the beautiful woman''s words. His gazended on his two daughters, who were being cradled by ckfire''s shadowy hands as if they were very precious to it.


    "Lux already told you earlier," Queen Bianca walked forward as a spectral sword appeared in her hand. "He only trusts the dead. But I will give you a way out."


    Queen Bianca ced the tip of her spectral sword over Dn''s chest, where his heart was located.


    "I will stab you with the intention to kill," Queen Bianca stated. "But worry not. Just before you die, ckfire will take you in before you breathe yourst. That way, you will not have to be revived as an Undead.


    "Make no mistake. I am not asking for your permission. I am simply informing you about what I''m going to do. If not for your daughters, you would have died a gruesome death already."


    Without another word, the Queen of Agartha stabbed the Beast King''s chest, ignoring his defense, and piercing through his heart.


    He already didn''t have the strength to resist due to how seriously injured he was after receiving his own desperate attack that was meant to kill Lux.


    ckfire moved quickly and absorbed Dn before he breathed hisst.


    Queen Bianca then nced at the Half-Elf and gave him a brief nod.


    Lux nodded back, and the giant spear above his head shrank.


    He then gazed at the Oracle on the ground, who had just been peeled like a potato by Hana.


    Maeve was still shrieking, but her voice gradually gave in.


    Hana then looked at her Master with a satisfied look on her face, but Lux''s expression remained cold.


    "Cover her body with honey, and tie her up with magical chains," Lux ordered. "There is a Colony of Crazed Soldier Ants nearby. I''m very sure that they will be very happy to have something to chew on."


    Lux had no intention of letting the Oracle have it easy. Even if she was about to die, he would ensure that she would die a very slow and painful death.


    Just as she is about to breathe herst, he would allow ckfire to absorb her.


    Then, when she recovered, he would start the process all over again, using different methods of torture.


    He had read many books about how people were tortured and killed when he was still back on Earth.


    Lux nned to use all of these methods on the Oracle while he destroyed all the Kingdoms and Empires that had allied themselves with the Divine Army of Light��


    And make them understand that touching his reverse scale would bring them all to ruin.

 Chapter 1023 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 6]

    Chapter 1023 The Cruel Necromancer Of Heaven [Part 6]


    The Royal Family of the Zane Kingdom was currently having an emergency meeting.


    The Rhino King, who had ordered his subordinates to capture Aina and Colette, was now surrounded by his Generals and Ministers.


    They were trying to think of a way to appease the Half-Elf, who had just defeated the Beast King, as well as the Oracle of the Divine Army.


    The Rhino King knew that it was only a matter of time before Lux came knocking on their door.


    So while he still had time, he decided to summon his loyal subordinates and ask them for suggestions on how he would be able to survive the Half-Elf''s wrath.


    "Your Majesty, how about you empty the treasury and offer everything to him?" one of his Ministers proposed. "That way, you will be able to show how sincere you are in apologizing for your mistake."


    The Rhino King''s face turned grim after hearing the Minister''s proposal.


    "The treasury is the backbone of our kingdom," the Rhino King stated. "Without it, our Kingdom will fall! How can you even propose such a thing?!"


    The Minister lowered his head in embarrassment because he thought that this was a good idea.


    In his heart, no matter how much gold and treasures the Royal Family possessed, all of it would amount to nothing the moment Lux started his massacre.


    If that were to happen, who would stop the Half-Elf from looting the treasury?


    "How about you step down from your throne, Your Majesty, and pass the crown to the Crown Prince?" one of the Generals proposed. "Then, you will allow yourself to be the Half-Elf''s servant. Although His Majesty will be making a great sacrifice, our kingdom might be spared from destruction."


    The Rhino King thought for a bit and found this suggestion to be eptable.


    Although he would definitely suffer at the hands of the Half-Elf, as long as his Kingdom survived, he could ept this Fate without any regrets.


    The Ministers and the Generals all made other proposals, and the King listened to them all.


    However, their discussion stopped when they felt an ominous presenceing from the East.


    "He''s here." The Rhino King sighed. "General, hide my wives and children in the underground shelter. Please protect them with everything that you have."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" the General saluted and hurriedly left the conference room to carry out his duty.


    "All of you, stay here in the castle," the Rhino King ordered. "I will meet him myself."


    With a heavy heart, the Rhino King walked out of the conference room and flew towards the sky.


    He turned to face the Eastern side of his kingdom and saw dark clouds moving towards his Capital City at a very fast rate.


    Ten minutester, darkness fell upon thend as the light of the sun was blocked by the clouds in the sky.


    The Rhino King looked at the Half-Elf, who was hovering in the sky, with an anxious expression on his face.


    "I know that I have wronged you, and I am willing to pay the price for my mistake," the Rhino King stated. "All I ask is that you spare my family and my people. I swear that I will do everything in my pow-ack!"


    The Rhino King didn''t get to finish his words because the Beast King himself had stabbed his chest with his ws, literally tearing his heart out.


    The Beast King didn''t even bat an eye, and crushed the Rhino King''s heart, killing him instantly.


    "Get his family members," Lux ordered. "I''ll give you five minutes to do it."


    The Beast King begrudgingly obeyed his Master and headed to the underground shelter of the Zane Kingdom.


    That day, all the members of the Zane Kingdom''s Royal Family were turned into Half-Life Zombies by Lux.


    This was the same method that he used for Sid''s close friend, Sean, as well as the merchants who had be his double agents inside Twilight Rain.


    As for the Saints of the Zane Kingdom, all of them were beaten up until they almost died, allowing ckfire to absorb them.


    The next ce he visited was the Aston Kingdom.


    This was the Kingdom that bordered the Xeno Kingdom and was also responsible for inciting the Zane Kingdom to capture Aina and Colette.


    Lux mercilessly killed the King and the Adviser who catalyzed the entire scheme and didn''t even bother to revive them.


    Just like what he did with the members of the Zane Royal Family, he turned the Aston Royal Family members into Half-Life Zombies.


    But it didn''t end there.


    From that day onwards, the Aston Kingdom became a Vassal Kingdom of the Xeno Kingdom.


    When the neighbors of the Xeno Kingdom heard this, all of them felt anxious. However, since they didn''t y a role in the kidnapping incident, they believed that Lux wouldn''t harm them.


    But, they were still unwilling to take any chances. Because of their paranoia, they decided to send delegations to the Xeno Kingdom, bearing gifts and promises to help Victor and his Kingdom with whatever they needed.


    They thought that by doing this, they would not have to worry about Lux and his army anymore.


    But they were wrong.


    Just like them, the Half-Elf wasn''t willing to take any chances.


    He visited all the kingdoms bordering the Xeno Kingdom and turned their Royal Families and their retainers into his subordinates.


    Following hismands, all of them dered to be vassals of the Xeno Kingdom, effectively expanding its territory.


    By the time Lux was finished, the Xeno Kingdom was no longer a Kingdom.


    It was already an Empire.


    Victor didn''t know how to feel when all the rulers of the subjugated Kingdoms visited him and pledged their allegiance.


    He didn''t expect his future son-inw to do such a thing, and he felt quite touched by his gesture.


    "Our future son-inw is more capable than I originally thought," Aina''s mother, Queen Felicia, said to her husband. "Do you still want to prevent him from marrying Aina?"


    Victor could only smile bitterly because there was no need to answer his wife''s question.


    Prevent Lux from marrying Aina?


    Wasn''t that the same as courting death?


    No, thank you!


    Victor knew that he had no other choice but to jump into Lux''s ship, or else, he''d face the consequences.


    Although he was certain that the Half-Elf wouldn''t really hurt him because he was Aina''s father, he also understood that Lux''s mental state wasn''t as stable as it used to be.


    Because of this, he finally talked to his daughter, Aina, and told her that he would support her rtionship with Lux.


    He even asked her when and where she wanted the wedding to take ce so that he could prepare a grand wedding for her.


    While this was happening, Lux was making his way towards the Marsnds beyond the borders of the Beast Empire.


    This was the territory of the Lizard King who had assisted the Divine Army during the battle in the Divine Empire.


    Lux now had two Supremes and hundreds of Cmity-Ranked Monsters under hismand.


    Unless the Allied Forces of the Divine Army united under one banner to attack him, no one would be able to stop him.


    With his strength, he moved unhindered across the territories under the Divine Army''s umbre.


    The Lizard King had already been expecting Lux''s arrival, so he had already ordered his people to evacuate and hide within the vast marsnds of his Domain.


    He had no intention of fighting against the Half-Elf, so he and his family teleported away from their Kingdom and sought shelter within the Underground Headquarters of the Divine Army of Light.


    Their n was to return after the Half-Elf''s anger had subsided.


    They thought that this n was perfect.


    However, they still underestimated Lux.


    When Lux arrived at the Marsnds and found out that the Lizard King and his people had escaped, he ordered his subordinates to destroy every city that they came across.


    Not only that, he also ordered the Monsters under hismand who specialized in poison to taint the entire marsnds, making it uninhabitable.


    After leaving the Lizard King''s territory, Lux hunted down the Supreme who tried to assassinate his Master, Hereswith, during the battle in the Divine Empire next.


    Although the Assassin had used every trick in the book to hide from him, he still wasn''t able to escape from Lux''s Map within the Elysium Compendium.


    It had taken Lux three days to hunt him down, but in the end, the Assassin still fell in his hands.


    With this, the number of Supremes under hismand had increased to three people, prompting the Kingdoms and Empires that were affiliated with the Divine Army to dere their independence in the hope that Lux would not target them anymore.


    But just like everyone else, the Half-Elf had gone against their hopes.


    This one-sided conqueststed for two months until, finally, the Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army came out of hiding.


    But instead of fighting Lux, they went to the Elven Kingdom, the Dragon Kingdom, and the Crystal Pce.


    The two Supremes had asked the rulers of these Kingdoms to help them convince Lux to sit at the negotiation table in order to reach apromise.


    As to whether the Half-Elf would ept the invitation, only time would tell.

 Chapter 1024 The Angel Of Death

    Chapter 1024 The Angel Of Death


    "Have you heard? The Westberg Kingdom has fallen a few days ago," a handsome Adventurer who was eating inside a tavern told his friend.


    "Yes," his friend replied. "The kingdoms bordering that ce are now shaking in their boots. The Angel of Death seems to be hellbent on attacking all the territories that are allied with the Divine Army."


    "Speaking of the Divine Army, they haven''t made any moves since the battle in the Beast Empire. Did they go into hiding?"


    "Beats me. But their influence right now is at an all-time low. Even their staunchest allies have denounced them and dered independence."


    Another adventurer who heard their discussion snorted.


    "Have you both forgotten? This kingdom also denounced its connection with the Divine Army a day ago," the Skinny Adventurer stated. "What makes you think that the Angel of Death won''t visit this ce as well?"


    "Even if he ns to visit this ce, it will still take him a few weeks to get here," the handsome Adventurer replied. "The Westberg Kingdom is in the East, and ording to the reports, the Angel of Death is still headed eastward."


    The Skinny Adventurer couldn''t refute his words, so he only shook his head and continued drinking his ale.


    Everyone in the tavern was discussing the news of the Angel of Death''s counterattack against the Divine Army, who had killed his Master.


    Some sympathized with him, some despised him, while some didn''t care.


    At the end of the day, as long as they weren''t involved in the struggle between these giants, they were more than happy to watch from the side and watch them go for each other''s throats.


    Suddenly, the adventurers heard loud screamsing from outside of the Tavern.


    They immediately went to investigate where the screams wereing from.


    However, all of them stood frozen in ce when they saw countless Undead Marching through the streets of their city.


    "By the Gods��" the handsome Adventurer muttered as he pointed in the sky. "It''s him. The Angel of Death."


    already be numb after seeing the same thing happening over and over again.


    The other adventurers followed his gaze and saw a red-headed Half-Elf with four wings pping behind his back.


    Two of those wings were white, while the other two were ck.


    He looked down on the city with an indifferent bored look on his face, as if he had already be numb after seeing the same thing happening over and over again.


    "Isn''t he supposed to be targeting the Eastern Kingdoms?" the Skinny Adventurer asked. "What is he doing here?"


    "�� There is only one reason as to why he could already be here," the Innkeepermented. "It means that he has already subjugated all of the Eastern Kingdoms."


    "What?!" the handsome Adventurer gasped. "But there are over a dozen kingdoms affiliated with the Divine Army in the East. How could he possibly subjugate them all this fast?"


    Just as the Innkeeper was about to answer, a loud shout spread in the sky, forcing them to look in the direction where it wasing from.


    "You can''t do this!" a Middle-Aged Man shouted. "We are no longer affiliated with the Divine Army! You can''t do this to my Kingdom!"


    "Yeah," Asmodeus replied, dragging the single syble. "We''ve heard that countless times already." He sighed as he walked towards the King of the Haraldr Kingdom. "You only broke ties with the Divine Army because you were afraid of being targeted. That''s not how the world works, so ept your fate. If you want to me someone, me yourself for allying with my Master''s enemies!"


    Asmodeus then stabbed the King''s chest with a bone sword, making thetter shriek in pain.


    The Lich King pulled his sword out, and the Middle-Aged Man looked at his chest in confusion. He clearly felt that he was stabbed, but he was not seeing a bloody hole in his chest.


    "Kneel," Asmodeus ordered.


    The Saints that were holding the King in ce removed their hands and allowed thetter to stand on his own feet.


    At first, the Middle-Aged Man wanted to defy Asmodeus'' order, but this thought immediately disappeared as he looked at the Half-Elf, who was looking back at him with an indifferent look on his face.


    "Master," the Middle-Aged Man said as he respectfully knelt towards the Half-Elf.


    But that same arrogant King was now kneeling and looking at Lux as if he was a God.


    Asmodeus had used the skill Half-Life Zombie, turning the King into one of Lux''s servants.


    The Adventurers who saw this were horrified because they knew for a fact that their King was a very arrogant person and would never kneel even in death.


    But that same arrogant King was now kneeling and looking at Lux as if he was a God.


    "H-He wouldn''t do that to us, right?" the Handsome Adventurer asked.


    "I don''t think so," the skinny Adventurer replied. "I didn''t hear any news about him attacking the members of the Adventurer''s Guild. We are a neutral party, so we stay out of these kinds of conflicts."


    As if hearing their conversation, Lux nced in their direction, making all the Adventurers subconsciously shudder.


    The Half-Elf''s gaze was devoid of any emotions, making them feel as if they were staring face-to-face with Death.


    Fortunately, Lux shifted his attention back to his subordinates and nodded.


    "You know what to do," Lux said. "All the Saints of this kingdom, bring them here."


    """Yes, Master!"""


    The Hundreds of Saints that Lux had subjugated all replied in unison. They were the Saints of the Kingdoms that had fallen under his rule.


    All of them had been devoured by ckfire, so their loyalty now belonged to the Half-Elf.


    The Rulers and members of the Royal Family that he had visited had all been turned into Half-Life Zombies, technically making them Lux''s ves.


    Lux only ordered the rulers to continue managing their kingdoms and ensure that they weeded out all of the corrupt Nobles.


    He also ordered them to ensure that the people would be able to live happy andfortable lives, especially themon folk who were always suffering from hardships.


    Since all the powerhouses of the majority of the Kingdoms now belonged to Lux, even the small-time criminals and bandits didn''t dare cause trouble in thends he had subjugated.


    The Angel of Death was someone they didn''t want to offend because they knew the oue of antagonizing him.


    Lux watched as all the Saints were stabbed by Asmodeus in the chest, turning them all to his subordinates.


    This whole process didn''t evenst an hour, and as soon as all the big wigs were converted to their side, the Undead Army inside the city all disappeared as if they were never there in the first ce.


    "Let''s go," Lux ordered.


    Immediately, a floating tform, pulled by two Gryphons, hovered beside the Half-Elf.


    Lux casually stepped on it and walked towards his seat of honor.


    His seat wasn''t actually a seat, but a human woman.


    A beautifuldy, whose feet and hands were tied to four posts, was suspended a meter above the floor.


    She was wearing a one-piece nightgown that clung to the curves of her body, showcasing an alluring sight for any man.


    However, a month ago, she wasn''t wearing anything.


    Lux simply treated her as his chair, without even feeling anything.


    This was nearly an impossible task for most young men, especially since the woman''s beauty was only a few notches lower than his Grandmaster Hereswith.


    The Beast King couldn''t tolerate it anymore and pleaded that the Half-Elf should at least give her something to wear.


    At first, Lux ignored the Beast King''s words, but after a few more days, he had calmed down a bit and allowed the woman to retain a little dignity by letting her wear clothes to cover her body.


    This person was none other than Maeve, the Oracle of the Divine Army, who had now be Lux''s subordinate.


    Even after ckfire had devoured her, Lux continued to treat her as an object instead of a person.


    Maeve, who had just been sat upon, groaned in happiness.


    Her pride and arrogance could no longer be seen.


    The only thing that she was feeling right now was deep love and satisfaction toward her Master for treating her as his personal chair.


    No other woman nor man had been given this honor, and she was genuinely happy to be useful to the handsome Half-Elf, who was now her everything.


    Sitting on the woman''s back, Lux closed his eyes and meditated. He could feel that the killing intent inside his body was starting to go out of control.


    He had truly been doing his best to hold himself back from starting a massacre. If not for Queen Bianca''s interference back in the Beast Empire, Lux might have done something that he would definitely regret in his lifetime.


    The Half-Elf had almost attacked the Beast King, along with his twin daughters, in his anger.


    Back then, he really didn''t care whether he killed everyone in sight. Fortunately, the little bit of conscience that remained had kicked in the moment ckfire and Queen Bianca appeared.


    Since then, he had been bottling up his killing intent as he visited the Kingdoms that were affiliated with the Divine Army.


    Diablo, Asmodeus, and Lux''s other Named Creatures all looked at their Master with concern on their faces.


    They didn''t want their Master topletely fall into damnation, so Asmodeus took it upon himself to do the job of converting their enemies into ves on behalf of his Master, in hopes that thetter would have less burden.


    The people of the recently subjugated Kingdom looked at the floating tform with awe, fear, and admiration.


    This was the Angel of Death.


    And no organization in Elysium, not even the Divine Army, dared to oppose him at the moment.


    All of them feared that they would suffer the same fate as the beautiful Oracle, who would now live and die for the sake of Lux''s happiness.

 Chapter 1025 Do You Want Me To Call You Great Grandpa Or Something?

    Chapter 1025 Do You Want Me To Call You Great Grandpa Or Something?


    While Lux was busy subjugating the Kingdoms and Empires that were once part of the organization that he hated the most, the Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army were currently inside the Royal Pce of Espoir Frieden.


    "It hasn''t been long since west saw each other," the High King of the High Elves looked at his two guests with a smile on his face. "Well then�� Care to say what you want from me?"


    The Elven King knew that the two people in front of him didn''t have time for flowery words, so he decided to get straight to the point.


    "I want you to help convince the Half-Elf to stop what he is doing," the Sovereign of the Divine Army replied. "This cannot continue any longer. The Gate of the Abyss is bing more active."


    are willing to set aside these differences for the bigger picture.


    "Or do you want us to really fight that brat using the full might of the Divine Army? The Elven King frowned.


    Truth be told, he didn''t really want to aid these two individuals since they were responsible for his daughter''s death.


    However, that also wouldn''t change the fact that the Divine Army still had a big role to y when it came to protecting Elysium from the Abyssal Invasion.


    "Are you willing to pay a heftypensation to appease Lux?" the Elf King asked.


    The Founder of the Divine Army shrugged. "Truth be told, we don''t really care if he subjugated all the kingdoms that were once part of our organization. We are just asking for your help because we don''t want this nonsense to continue. There are far more important matters that should be addressed at the moment."


    The Sovereign nodded. "Do not forget the Oath of the Supremes. Although we are on opposite sides, the Fate of this world is much more important than our squabbles. Of course, you can choose to ignore us. But if you do that, we will also ignore our duty to protect Elysium."


    The Founder sighed. "I don''t want to see the day when it will be your turn to beg us for help. So in order to put this matter behind us, all of you should step up and stop that brat from going overboard."


    "For people who are asking for help, both of you are really annoying," the Elf King smiled bitterly. "If you really want to reach apromise with him, I advise that both of you take a step back and stop being stubborn. Are you two not ashamed about being forced into this state by a junior?"


    The Sovereign chuckled. "Of course, we are ashamed. But so what? We have already reached a point of no return with that Half-Elf. Either he dies or we die. However, we are willing to set aside these differences for the bigger picture.


    "Or do you want us to really fight that brat using the full might of the Divine Army? Although we will take great losses, I guarantee that we will be the ones winning in the end."


    The Sovereign''s words were firm, and his eyes burned with determination.


    He wasn''t lying when he said that their organization would win in the end.


    Even if Lux were to subjugate all the Supremes in Elysium and wage war against the Divine Army, the Divine Army would still win in the end.


    The reason for this was simple��they held one of the Pirs of Eternity.


    An artifact that could bend the elements andws of the world to their will.


    The Supremes and a few Saints were aware of the existence of the Pirs of Eternity. They also knew that the Divine Army was in possession of one.


    It was because of this artifact that they had managed to seed with their Apostle Project, creating Pseudo-Supremes that would be helpful when the Abyssal Army invaded their world.


    The Abyss might have over a Thousand Demigods, but so what?


    If even the lowly Apostles were to gain the power of Pseudo-Supremes, these Thousands of Demigods would suffer great losses when all the Apostles in Elysium gained the power to fight them head-on.


    At least, this was what the Divine Army believed.


    This was where their confidence wasing from.


    "I already told you that both of you should take a step back," the Elf King stated in a cold tone. "You are the one asking me for a favor, so don''t act high and mighty in front of me. So what if you have one of the Pirs of Eternity? If you are so strong then why don''t you fight the Abyss on your own? Since you are so strong, then go ahead and fight Lux. What''s wrong? Do you want me to hold your hand when you face him?"


    The Elf King scoffed as he made his stand. He wasn''t a nanny, so he would not lift a finger if the two bastards didn''t want to cooperate.


    "Fine." The Founder of the Divine Army nodded. "We are willing topensate that brat. Are you happy now?"


    "Bastard, is that how you refer to your elder?" the Elf King sneered.


    "You are only a few thousand years older than me," the Founder replied. "What? Do you want me to call you Great Grandpa or something?"


    The three Supremes who had the power to flip the situation of Elysium upside down bickered like little kids.


    The irony of it all was that they were bickering because of a kid who had lost his patience and was now moving unhindered in the Central Regions of the Continent, turning those who opposed him into his ves.


    While the three were discussing the Half-Elf''spensation, an extremely beautiful Elf entered the throne room.


    The three Supremes looked at the new arrival at the same time.


    "About time you old frogs came here to beg for my father''s help," Hereswith said in a teasing tone. "So, what did you all agree on? Are you going topensate my Grand Disciple for his heartaches?"


    "Something like that," the Founder of the Divine Army replied.


    He gazed at Hereswith in a calm manner as if the two of them hadn''t once tried to kill each other.


    "Good." Hereswith nodded. "Let me guess. Are you going to ask for the help of the Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Pce next?"


    "That''s the n," the Sovereign answered.


    "I see, well then, shall we go now?" Hereswith smiled. "The faster you talk to them, the sooner I will be able to see my cute Grand Disciple, and the sooner you old frogs can scram."


    The Founder and the Sovereign of the Divine Army nced at each other before nodding in unison.


    With Hereswithing with them, they would have an easier time convincing the Dragon King, as well as the Steward of the Crystal Pce, to help convince the Half-Elf to stop his tantrum.


    Hereswith watched the two old men with a smile on his face.


    However, she also had her own ns in order to quell her Grand Disciple''s anger. She was also very worried about his state of mind.


    Fortunately, she knew the people who would be able to help Lux.


    To do that, she would need to go to the Dragon Kingdom, as well as the Crystal Pce, and convince their rulers to allow her to borrow a fewdies, who would be able to help her Grand Disciple regain a bit of his sanity.


    After finalizing thepensation for the Half-Elf, the three people headed toward Karshvar Draconis in order to talk to the Dragon King.


    Hereswith had already sent a message to Gerhart and Keane, who were currently staying in the Xeno Empire.


    She had also sent a message to Cai, informing her of the current situation.


    ''Just wait a little longer, Lux,'' Hereswith thought as she entered the Teleportation Gate that would send them to Karshvar Draconis. ''Your Grandmaster ising to help you.''


    Right now, the only thing that could melt her Disciple''s cold heart was human touch.


    Since that was the case, she would bring the people who could melt the Half-Elf''s heart, and help him return to who he once was.


    ----------------


    (E/N: Actually, any thighs will do.)


    (A/N: Kekeke.)

 Chapter 1026 I Am More Than His Friend

    Chapter 1026 I Am More Than His Friend


    The Dragon King stared at the Founder and Sovereign of the Divine Army, who were now standing in front of him.


    His two guests stared back at him, not saying anything.


    From the moment they arrived up to now, all of them were in this state. No talk, no anything. Simply staring.


    This went on for nearly ten minutes, and it was only cut off when someone lightly cleared her throat.


    "Can you guys get this over with?" Hereswith asked impatiently. "We still have ces to go."


    The three Supremes looked at her for a few seconds before facing each other.


    "So, what do you want?" the Dragon King asked.


    "Help us bring the boy to the negotiation table and stop his madness," the Founder replied crisply.


    The Dragon King briefly nced at Hereswith, wanting to know her opinion about the matter.


    The beautiful elf nodded her head, making her opinion known.


    "Fine," the Dragon King stated. "You can settle your negotiations here in my territory since it is Neutral Ground."


    "Good." The Sovereign of the Divine Army nodded. "Thank you for your help."


    "Mmm." The Dragon King waved his hand as if what he did wasn''t a big deal.


    The Founder then nced at Hereswith and asked a question.


    "Shall we go now to the Crystal Pce?" the Founder asked.


    He knew that the Dragon King only agreed because of Hereswith''s presence. Now that they had gotten his agreement, there was only onest ce to visit before they called it a day.


    "The two of you head to the Crystal Pce first," Hereswith replied. "I''ll follow you shortly. I need to have a private talk with the Dragon King."


    The Sovereign and the Founder nodded before leaving the throne room.


    The Dragon King raised his hand, signaling his Royal Guards to also leave.


    When only Hereswith and the Dragon King remained, the beautiful Elf smiled and asked the Dragon King for a favor.


    "My Grand Disciple is not in the right state of mind right now, and even I will have a hard time convincing him to stop his rampage," Hereswith said. "What he needs right now are his close friends who would be able to sway his decision. With that said, can I take Valerie, Ali, and Ari with me to see him for a while? I promise that I''ll protect them and bring them back here safely."


    The Dragon King frowned after hearing Hereswith''s words.


    He was aware that his daughter and the Half-Elf had be friends, which was the same reason why he let his daughtere along and see Gaap''s execution.


    The Dragon King wanted his daughter to know that being with Lux was a bad idea because he was a ma for trouble and that she should look for better friends in the future.


    "I can agree to sending Ali and Ari, but does Valerie need to go as well?" the Dragon King asked.


    "Of course," Hereswith replied without batting an eye. "My Disciple is an emotional person. The reason why he is acting this way is because those Divine Toads involved his friends in their conflict. Since that is the case, only his friends will be able to sway his heart."


    "Can''t you do that? You are his Grandmaster after all."


    "I can''t. Truth be told, I want to join him in his rampage. You know me and my vulgar mouth. If I was there, I''d probably start a litany of curses as soon as I arrive. Instead of helping, I might make things worse instead."


    The Dragon King reluctantly nodded his head because he could see Hereswith''s point.


    Even so, he was still on the fence about sending his beloved daughter to meet with the Half-Elf, who was currently not in his right state of mind.


    "Please?" Hereswith asked. "If you agree to this, I will owe you a favor."


    "You''ll go this far for your Grand Disciple?" the Dragon King asked.


    "Of course, I will," Hereswith replied. "After all, he is the only Disciple I have that remains."


    The Dragon King sighed after hearing Hereswith''s words.


    "Very well, I will send Faustina to escort her as well," the Dragon King stated.


    However, Hereswith shook her head.


    "There''s no need for Lady Faustina to escort Valerie and her two handmaidens," Hereswithmented. "Or are you saying that a Demigod like me is not enough to ensure your daughter''s safety? I''d like to see who has the guts to try to harm her under my watch. If they think that my Grand Disciple is already hard to deal with, they ain''t seen nothing yet."


    The Dragon King pondered before nodding his head in agreement.


    "Very well, you may take my daughter and her handmaidens with you," the Dragon King replied. "However, you must return them here as soon as possible."


    "Of course." Hereswith smiled. "You can count on me."


    The Dragon King looked at the beautiful Elf who had a very sweet smile on her face. For some reason, her smile made him feel ufortable as if she was nning something that he wasn''t aware of.


    After getting his approval, Hereswith didn''t waste any more time and looked for Valerie, Ali, and Ari.


    After telling the three girls about the situation, they readily agreed toe with her to see Lux.


    The news of Lux''s rampage had been kept under wraps by her Father, so they weren''t aware of what was happening outside the Dragon Kingdom.


    So when they were told about the context of the situation, they readily agreed to go with Hereswith. They were truly worried about the Half-Elf, who had made them all his lovers.


    Hereswith brought the threedies to Lux''s Guild Headquarters, which was located in the Crystal Pce.


    To their surprise, Iris, Cai, and a Dwarf with doll-like beauty were also there, waiting for Hereswith''s arrival.


    Valerie, Ali, and Ari were already familiar with Iris and Cai. Actually, they felt slightly intimidated by Lux''s two fiances because they had recognized them asdies above their Rank.


    Simply put, Iris was going to be Lux''s first wife, while Cai would be his second wife.


    Valerie would be his Third Wife.


    As for Ali and Ari, the two didn''t want to fight for the position to be one of Lux''s wives.


    Both of them were content to be Lux''s concubines, as long as he loved them just as much as he did his other lovers.


    Aina was perhaps the only one who wasn''t intimidated by Iris and Cai.


    Her expressionless face also made it hard for the others to know what she was thinking.


    "I will leave you girls for a while," Hereswith said. "I will pick up Aur in the Crystal Pce. After that, we will leave together to find Lux. Use this opportunity to get to know each other better."


    Without another word, Hereswith disappeared, leaving the girls behind.


    "Hello," Valerie took the initiative to talk to Aina because she looked harmless in her eyes. "My name is Valerie. These are my two handmaidens, Ali, and Ari. May I know your name?"


    The Dwarf looked at her before nodding her head.


    "My name is Aina Goldenyer," Aina replied. "Just call me Aina."


    Valerie smiled before sitting beside the Dwarf, who still had an expressionless look on her face.


    "Are you perhaps Lux''s friend?" Valerie asked in an innocent tone.


    "I am more than his friend," Aina replied in the same expressionless tone that she always used when she talked. "I am his fiance, and the reason why he is suffering right now."


    Although her expression remained the same, a tinge of sadness appeared in Aina''s eyes, which was something that thedies didn''t miss.


    However, when they heard that she was the reason why Lux was waging war against the Divine Army in the Center of the Continent, all thedies in the room looked at her with solemn expressions on their faces.


    "Can you please tell us what happened?" Iris asked. "Lux was with me and Cai in Sis before he disappeared without a word. We didn''t know where he went or what he nned on doing. We only came to learn about what had happened when his Grandmaster contacted Cai and told us that we shoulde to Elysium because Lux needed our support."


    Aina stared at Lux''s first fiance for a few seconds before nodding her head.


    "I will tell you everything," Aina replied.


    She then started her tale when several Saints had confronted her parents within their Kingdom with the intention of forcefully taking her and her little sister away as hostages.


    Aurora, who was also inside the room, joined the conversation and temporarily took over the storytelling, sharing how Lux asked for her help in order to release the Cmity-Ranked Monsters inside the Inner Sanctum of the Pantheon of Exile.


    Thedy who bore the title of Misfortune''s Beloved told them how Lux painstakingly subjugated hundreds of Cmity-Ranked Monsters before he went to the Beast Empire in order to save Aina.


    After Aurora finished sharing her part, Aina told everyone what had transpired in the Beast Empire before Lux set off on a journey to subjugate the Kingdoms that were along the borders of the Xeno Kingdom.


    She told them how Lux forced these Kingdoms to be their Vassals, effectively changing the Xeno Kingdom into the Xeno Empire.


    The more Lux''s lovers heard Aina''s tale, the more they realized how serious the situation was.


    Because of this, they started to be impatient as they waited for Hereswith to take them to Lux, who was currently on his way to another Kingdom that was once under the protection of the Divine Army of Light.

 Chapter 1027 Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate, Only Love Can Do That

    Chapter 1027 Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate, Only Love Can Do That


    After the Founder and the Sovereign of the Divine Army finished their talks with the Steward of the Crystal Pce, they returned to their headquarters to prepare thepensation they were going to give the Half-Elf in order to stop his rampage.


    Herewith then told Aur about Lux''s current state, which made thetter ask her Aunt for permission to go with Hereswith.


    "Aunt, please let me see Lux," Aur pleaded. "I want to help him."


    Lady Augustina looked at Aur with aplicated look on her face.


    A minuteter, a sigh escaped her lips before she nodded her head.


    The Steward of the Crystal Pce then shifted her attention to Hereswith and held her gaze.


    "Can you ensure Aur''s safety?" Lady Augustina asked.


    "I promise to protect Aur with my life," Herewith replied.


    Lady Augustina nodded. She understood that even if she said no, Aur would still insist on going with Hereswith.


    "Very well," Lady Augustina said before resting her hand on Aur''s shoulder. "You may go, but make sure to do things in moderation, okay?"


    Aur blinked once then twice because she didn''t understand what her Aunt was talking about.


    Lady Augustina only smiled after seeing the confusion on Aur''s face.


    The Steward of the Crystal Pce and Hereswith gave each other a knowing nce, fully knowing that Aur was no longer a chaste maiden.


    After getting her Aunt''s permission, Aurelia went to look for her mother to tell her where she was going.


    The Dragon Queen of the Crystal Pce, Queen Evangeline, nodded in understanding.


    "Take care of yourself," Queen Evangeline said softly as she hugged her daughter. "Also, make sure to not do anything suspicious in front of others. You have to remember that in the eyes of your people and the rest of the world, you are the Dragon Prince. Do I make myself clear?"


    Aur nodded. "Yes, Mother. I will be careful."


    "I know you will. Come back as soon as you can."


    "Understood, Mother, and thank you."


    After saying goodbye to her mother, Aur went with Hereswith to Lux''s Guild Headquarters.


    There, she met the rest of Lux''s women, which surprised her very much.


    "I''m sure that you girls are excited to meet my handsome, kind, caring, loving, and drop-dead gorgeous Grand Disciple," Hereswith said with a smile. "Since that is the case, let''s not waste any more time and meet up with him."


    Hereswith then waved her hand, and all thedies were encapsted in a dome of purple light.


    She then made a shing gesture in front of her with her hand, creating a crack in space that looked very ominous.


    "Don''t worrydies." Hereswith winked at the girls. "Although traveling inside the dimensional space is dangerous, you will be safe as long as I''m around."


    Without another word, she opened the palm of her hand, and the dome that protected the girls shrank.


    The dome which was now as big as a baseball ball, flew into Hereswith''s hands.


    "Let''s go." Hereswith took a step forward to enter the crack in space and disappeared from the territory of the Crystal Pce.


    ������������������


    Meanwhile in the Torsten Kingdom��


    The members of the Royal Family of the Torsten Kingdom all knelt in front of Lux and swore their allegiance.


    The Half-Elf, currently seated on the Oracle''s back, simply nced at his newly pledged servants with an indifferent look on his face.


    Asmodeus, who had handled everything from start to finish, raised his hand and gave his orders.


    "From now on, you are under the rule of my Master," Asmodeus stated. "You are to root out all the corrupt officials of your Kingdom, as well as the rotten Nobles, who made things difficult for your people.


    "Also, you are to create newws that will ensure that themon folk will not be oppressed by the Nobles of your kingdom. If I hear any reports that you are doing a sloppy job, I wille back and give you all a lesson you will never forget. Do I make myself clear?"


    """Yes, Master!"""


    "Good, now attend to your duties," Asmodeus ordered.


    The members of the Royal Family gave Lux a respectful bow before hurrying back to the Royal Pce.


    Suddenly, a crack of space appeared a few meters away from the Half-Elf, which made Diablo, Asmodeus, and the rest of Lux''s Named Creatures gather in front of his Master in order to defend him.


    On the other hand, Lux remained calm and quietly stared at the crack of space in front of him.


    A few secondster, an extremely beautiful Elf stepped out of the crack, making Lux''s subordinates lower their guard.


    "Hello, everyone," Hereswith said with a smile. "Missed me?"


    Lux''s Grandmaster casually walked towards her Grand Disciple in order to take a better look at him.


    Diablo, Asmodeus, and the others parted to let the beautiful Elf through because they knew that Hereswith wouldn''t do anything to harm their Master.


    "Greetings Grandmaster," Lux said as he tried to stand up, but Hereswith was faster and ced her hand on Lux''s shoulder, preventing him from standing.


    "Just stay seated," Hereswithmented. "I like what I''m seeing."


    A faint smile appeared on Lux''s face as he nodded his head.


    Hereswith then looked down on the Oracle, whose head was nearly touching the floor.


    The Half-Elf could tell that his Master truly liked what she was seeing, which made him a little happy in his heart.


    A minuteter, Hereswith lovingly pulled Lux''s head toward her chest and patted his head affectionately.


    "You''ve done well, Lux," Hereswith said softly. "You showed them who''s boss."


    The beautiful Elf noticed that although Lux looked fine overall from a distance, he looked quite haggard from up close.


    Dark circles could be seen under his eyes, and hisplexion wasn''t as good as usual.


    It was quite evident that he hadn''t had a good rest since they hadst seen each other.


    The Half-Elf didn''t resist his Grandmaster''s care and allowed himself to bask in her warmth and kindness.


    Suddenly, both of them heard voices of discontenting from somewhere nearby.


    Hereswith, who hadpletely forgotten that she hadn''te to meet her Grand Disciple alone, nced at the floating orb beside her.


    Lux also looked in the direction where the voices wereing from.


    His eyes then widened in shock when he saw Iris, Cai, Aina, Valerie, Aur, Ali, Ari, and Aurora inside the purple orb.


    "Sorry, I almost forgot about them." Hereswith stuck out her tongue before lightly ruffling Lux''s head. "I know that you are feeling lonely, so I brought your girl friends with me."


    The beautiful Elf said the words "girl friends" in a meaningful way, making Lux feel grateful in his heart.


    A momentter, Hereswith released the girls from the purple dome, allowing them to approach the Half-Elf, who had changed considerably since thest time they saw him.


    Without even waiting for anyone''s approval, Aina sat on Lux''sp and gave him a hug.


    The Dwarf rested her head on Lux''s shoulder, making everyone look at her in surprise.


    Iris and Cai also moved forward, but since someone had already imed Lux''sp, they decided to sit by his left and right side, hugging him as well.


    Valerie, Aur, Aurora, Ali, and Ari, wanted to do the same, but since they were out in the open, they held themselves back.


    Valerie was the Dragon Princess of Karhsvar Draconis, while Aur was the Dragon Prince of the Crystal Pce.


    Although they didn''t think that people would raise their eyebrows if they hugged Lux, they didn''t want any rumors circting that mighte and bite them in the future.


    Hereswith, who understood what they were thinking, started barking orders.


    "All of you, return to your respective kingdoms," Hereswith ordered the Supremes, and the Saints, who had followed Lux''s army. "We will call for you when we need your services, so for now, scram!"


    The Supremes and the Saints nced at Lux, who was currently being hugged by three beautifuldies.


    Although they knew that Hereswith was the Half-Elf''s Grandmaster, their Master was Lux, not her.


    "My Grandmaster''s orders are my orders," Lux said in a firm manner. "Treat her as you treat me. This is my order."


    """Yes, Master!"""


    The Beast King nced at Hereswith with aplicated look on his face before flying towards the Royal Pce of the Torsten Kingdom.


    Each Royal Family had their own private Teleportation Gate that directly connected them to cities within the sphere of the Divine Army of Light.


    Because of this, it wouldn''t take long for Dn to return to the Beast Empire.


    He had already been away for two months, and he was missing his family members.


    In just a span of a few minutes, Lux''s mighty army dispersed, leaving only the Half-Elf, his Undead Servants, and the members of his Covenant behind.


    Taking the lead, Hereswith led Lux''s forces away from the Torsten Kingdom.


    They needed to find a quiet ce so that Lux could spend time with his lovers, who were very eager to help him improve his condition.


    Perhaps finding the warmth in the arms of his loved onesfortable, the Half-Elf allowed himself to fall into a dreamless sleep.


    Hereswith watched this scene with a smile on her face.


    The beautiful Elf secretly gave herself a pat on the back because her hunch was right.


    If she met her Grand Disciple alone, the Half-Elf would have never lowered his guard the way he did just now.


    Lux respected Hereswith because she was his Grandmaster, but respect wasn''t as effective as love when fixing a broken heart.


    High above the heavens of Elysium, Eriol stared at the candidate that he and Max had chosen to save Sis from destruction.


    "Darkness cannot drive out Darkness, only Light can do that. Hate cannot drive out Hate, only Love can do that."


    Eriol said softly as he remembered the famous quote that belonged to Lux''s world.


    For a short period of time, peace would settle in thends of Elysium as all the Powerful Factions refrained from openly antagonizing each other.


    But they knew that this peace wouldn''tst long.


    The Abyssal Gates were bing active again, and it was only a matter of time before their hard-won peace crumbled under the Abyssal Lords'' overwhelming might.

 Chapter 1028 Sister Talk

    Chapter 1028 Sister Talk


    After leaving the territory of the Torsten Kingdom, Hereswith looked for a quiet ce where Lux and his lovers could spend some time together.


    She found this small paradise in a valley. The beautiful Elf then tossed an orb on the ground, which immediately transformed into a small vi, simr to the one Lux had stayed at in Espoir Frieden.


    Before anyone could even do anything, Aina, who was the shortest, carried the sleeping Half-Elf like a princess and entered the residence.


    Thedies could only look at the doll-like beauty in surprise because Aina''s actions were quite bold.


    After everyone had entered the residence, Hereswith told them that the interior of the house was within her personal Domain, which was why it looked bigger than what it looked outside.


    When she finished telling everyone about theyout of the house, thedies thought that Aina would carry Lux to the bedroom.


    However, the Dwarf headed toward the underground spring, surprising everyone.


    Truth be told, it was a very funny scene to look at.


    A Dwarf girl, who was barely over four feet tall, was carrying the significantly taller Half-Elf like a hug pillow, making even Cai giggle due to how novel it looked.


    Aina didn''t care about their thoughts and descended the stairs.


    If she could have things her way, she wanted to spend some private time with Lux. However, she knew that this was not possible.


    Knowing this, she decided to hold him for as long as she could before his other lovers got in the way.


    Upon reaching the underground spring, she gentlyid the Half-Elf on the ground before taking off his clothes.


    Iris and Cai didn''t think twice before making a move to help her, and soon, Lux only had his underwear on.


    Aina then took this opportunity to remove her own clothes, the expressionless look on her face never changing.


    She took everything off, leaving nothing behind, allowing all thedies to stare at her body which was free from all imperfections.


    Aur, who once held an inferiorityplex due to how small her breasts were, looked at Aina''s modest chest, and couldn''t help but remember what Lux had told her during their lovemaking session.


    The Half-Elf said that he didn''t care about breast size, which alleviated her fears at the time.


    Now, Aur no longer felt inferior to Valerie, Ali, and Ari, because she understood that Lux wouldn''t treat her any less even though her breasts were smaller than his other lovers.


    Seeing Aina''s chest only affirmed the Half-Elf''s words in her heart, making her feel happy inside.


    "I''m taking this off," Ari said as she removed Lux''s underwear with a mischievous smile on her face.


    Aurora''s face immediately turned beet red after seeing Little Lux, who instantly stood tall and proud after reacting to Ari''s soft touch.


    The pink-haired beauty had been dragged by Ali to the underground spring, and she offered no resistance. She was quite worried about Lux''s condition, and she only wanted to know if there was anything she could do for him.


    "Oh my, look at you blushing like this," Ali giggled as she hugged Aurora. "Aren''t you the one who told us that you were aiming to be his lover? Although we managed to do that before you did, that doesn''t change the fact that you are serious about it, right?"


    "O-Of course, I am serious," Aurora stuttered. "But this is this, and that is that."


    "Don''t worry, we will help you," Ari smiled mischievously. "It will only hurt at first, but after that, Lux will rock your world."


    "Are you talking from experience?"


    "I am talking from experience."


    While Ali, Ari, and Aurora were chatting with each other, Aina had once again gathered Lux in her arms and entered the spring water with him.


    The Dwarf then started to rub the Half-Elf''s body with her hand, purely intending to clean it.


    Soon, all thedies entered the spring as well and helped the doll-like beauty clean the body of their beloved.


    Ari used her water magic to clean Lux''s head and hair.


    She did this very carefully to ensure that the water wouldn''t wake up the Half-Elf, who seemed to be in a very deep sleep.


    With severaldies working together, with the exception of Aurora, they finished the task in no time at all.


    Half an hourter, they carried the red-headed teenager to the bedroom and marveled at the humongous bed, which could easily fit fifty people without a problem.


    In fact, the bed upied most of the room''s space, taking the name bedroom to the next level.


    If they didn''t know better, they would probably think that Hereswith had prepared this residence to amodate all of Lux''s lovers when they were together.


    Once the Half-Elf wasid down at the center of the bed, all thedies looked at each other with a serious expressions on their faces.


    "Let''s decide who gets to sleep beside him," Iris proposed.


    "I will sleep beside him today." Aina didn''t hesitate to state her intention of being the firstdy to stay by Lux''s side.


    "Okay, then let''s do this," Caimented. "You and Iris will sleep beside Lux today. Tomorrow, it will be me and Valerie. After that, it will be Ali''s and Ari''s turn, and finally, Aur and Aurora."


    Everyone wanted to monopolize the Half-Elf, but since there was only one of him, they decided topromise and agreed to Cai''s proposal.


    All the girls, with the exception of Aina and Iris, then left the room.


    Although they wanted to stay with Lux for a little longer, they eventually agreed to take turns to fairly maximize their time with him.


    Also, not all of them were ready to be in the same room as his other lovers, so they decided to take a step back for now.


    "Aina, can you tell me more about yourself?" Iris asked as shey on Lux''s right side, while Ainay on his left. "I know a bit about my other sisters, but this is my first time meeting you."


    Aina didn''t reply right away as she buried her head on Lux''s chest while hugging his body.


    After she had her fill, she looked at Lux''s first Fiance, wondering how she could exin her rtionship with Lux.


    There was a voice that spoke inside her head that she shouldn''t mention anything about Earth. But the voice told her that she could mention that she and Lux knew each other in their past lives.


    "This may sound unbelievable, but Lux and I already had feelings for each other before he met any of you," Aina said after careful consideration. "I''m talking about our past lives."


    "Past lives��" Iris narrowed her eyes. "I see. Now I understand why you act the way you do. Valerie, Aur, Ali, and Ari, are a bit intimidated by me and Cai because they know that we are Lux''s First and Second Fiances. As for you, you don''t really consider us as your rival, right?"


    "Of course not," Aina replied in a heartbeat. "Although Lux and I didn''t really be true lovers in our past lives, our feelings for each other are very strong. Don''t get me wrong. I am not here topete with any of you. I just know that Lux loves me very much, and my feelings for him wouldn''t lose to any of yours."


    Iris smiled as she ced her hand over Aina''s hand.


    "I''m d that you feel that way about him," Iris said. "But I am still his First Fiance in this world, and I don''t n to give up that position."


    "�� You''re quitepetitive, huh?" Aina asked as the corners of her mouth twitched.


    "Of course, I am," Iris returned Aina''s smile. "After all, I defied my father''s wishes in order to be with him."


    Iris then told Aina how her feelings for Lux grew stronger as they grew up together. The doll-like beauty listened patiently and even felt a little envious because Iris was able to grow up with Lux.


    This meant that the blue-haired girl had seen Lux''s many faces, which included his suffering, happiness, sadness, and frustrations as he did his best to gain the right to enter Elysium.


    Soon, the twodies started to talk about ways to prevent Lux from increasing the number ofdies in his harem.


    Both of them also agreed that Aurora would be the Half-Elf''s lover but that they would not entertain any more possible candidates.


    Iris and Aina became closer to each other and strengthened their bonds by treating each other as Sisters.


    The two talked and talked, and before they knew it, both of them fell asleep while hugging the man they loved.


    They knew that Lux was tired, so they didn''t make any moves to make love with him and simply allowed him to get the rest that he deserved.

 Chapter 1029 You Have A Lot Of Catching Up To Do

    Chapter 1029 You Have A Lot Of Catching Up To Do


    As the days passed, the girls took turns in staying with Lux.


    When Ali''s and Ari''s turn came next, the two didn''t act like the Half-Elf''s other lovers who simply snuggled with him as he slept.


    Even when he was sleeping, Little Lux was quite lively, which made the two handmaidens very happy.


    Of course, Ari made sure that no evidence was left of their lovemaking and cleaned Lux''s body and the sheets with her water magic.


    On the fourth day, Lux finally opened his eyes.


    The first thing he saw was Aurelia''s sleeping face, which melted his heart.


    It was very rare for her to show this defenseless side of her, and the Half-Elf felt happy that it was the first thing he saw after waking up.


    She wasn''t wearing any clothes, so he could feel her warmth and softness, making him sigh in his heart.


    However, his body stiffened when he saw the otherdy sleeping on his right side.


    Simr to Aurelia, Aurora waspletely naked and was also clinging onto his body as she slept.


    Lux wasn''t dense, and he knew Aurora had feelings for him.


    Also, he would be lying if he said that he didn''t have feelings for her.


    If he didn''t, he wouldn''t have gone all out into trying to free her from the Inner Sanctum of the Pantheon of Exile.


    However, neither of them had taken that step to confess their feelings to each other, making them more than friends, but less than lovers.


    As if sensing that someone was looking at her intently, Aurora stirred in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes.


    She then raised her head and looked sleepily at the Half-Elf, who was looking back at her with aplicated look on his face.


    The beautiful youngdy smiled and kissed Lux''s lips before going back to sleep.


    However, just as she was about to close her eyes, a dawn of realization descended upon her. As if cold water was poured over her head, her sleepiness disappeared, making her open her eyes wide.


    She then raised her head to look at Lux, and after confirming that the Half-Elf was indeed awake and was looking at her in a daze, the youngdy froze in shock.


    "L-Lux, this��" Aurora stuttered as she tried to think of the right words to say.


    Seeing her anxious and troubled look, Lux smiled and lightly patted her head.


    "It''s okay," Lux said softly. "I understand. But, are you sure about this?"


    Aurora, who instinctively knew that Lux had understood her feelings, nodded her head shyly.


    "Okay," Lux said as he pulled Aurora close to him, and kissed her forehead.


    He then gently guided her head to rest on his shoulder, as he continued to lightly pat her head.


    "Let''s take things slow, okay."


    Aurora nodded. "Okay."


    Aurora closed her eyes and enjoyed the happiness that was rising inside her chest.


    Both of them had finally taken the step to confirm their feelings for each other, and with this, she was one step closer to achieving her dream.


    Lux then hugged his two lovers closer to him and kissed their foreheads.


    "How long was I sleep?" Lux inquired.


    "Four days," Aurora replied. "We made sure to feed you some potions to help you recover while you are sleeping."


    The Half-Elf was surprised to find out that he had slept for four whole days.


    But, after recalling that he hadn''t had any sleep for nearly two months since his counterattack started, he thought that sleeping for four days wasn''t such a bad thing.


    He felt very refreshed, and the haziness in his mind and heart had also disappeared.


    For a moment, he didn''t say anything and simply held Aurelia and Aurora in his arms. He understood that he still had things to do, but he was very reluctant to part with the twodies who had helped him recover in more ways than one.


    Perhaps, Aurora understood what Lux felt, so she simply held onto him with her eyes closed.


    They remained in this position for an hour, until Aurelia woke up.


    The Dragon Princess was quite happy upon seeing that Lux was already awake.


    She had been very worried about Lux, so her overflowing emotions got the best of her.


    Before she knew it, she was already kissing her lover passionately, and the Half-Elf responded in kind.


    Fortunately, Aurelia was sated with kisses and didn''t go all the way with Lux, making Aurora sigh in relief.


    She was afraid that if Aurelia lost control, she would be dragged into their lovemaking, which was something that she didn''t want to happen at this point in time.


    Of course, she wanted to make love with Lux, but she wanted to do it with only the two of them.


    She didn''t want to share that intimate moment with someone else, and Lux understood this as well.


    After cuddling for a few minutes, the three decided to put on some clothes and meet up with the others.


    Just like Aurelia and Aurora expected, the other girls were also very happy to see that Lux had finally awakened from his long slumber.


    They took turns hugging and kissing Lux, making thetter fall in love with them all over again.


    Just as he finished hugging Valerie, Lux found himself face to face with his Grandmaster, Hereswith, who was looking at him with a smile on her face.


    saying that you won''t give me one?"


    Lux shook his head helplessly as he also gave the extremely beautiful Elf a hug.


    "Thank you, Grandmaster," Lux said.


    He was truly very thankful to Hereswith because four days ago, he was on the verge of losing control over his emotions.


    When his Grandmaster arrived with his lovers, the Half-Elf''s guard finally lowered and his body took preventive measures, automatically shutting down to maximize his recovery.


    "Grandmaster, can you please tell me what thetest news is on the continent?" Lux inquired after the hug ended.


    Hereswith nodded. "For starters, the other Kingdoms, who were once affiliated with the Divine Army, are currently feeling anxious that you might pay them a visit.


    "Also, the crime rate in the Kingdoms that you have subjugated has decreased by 90%. The Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army want to meet with you to reach apromise. The venue of this meeting will take ce in Karshvar Draconis, and it''s scheduled ten days from now.


    "Don''t worry, you still have plenty of time to repay your lovers for taking good care of you when you were sleeping. I''m sure that all of you have a lot of catching up to do. So, as the Third Wheel, I will now take my leave.


    "This ce is rtively safe, but just to be on the safe side, make sure to erect a barrier. You won''t want to be disturbed while you are having fun, right? So, don''t hesitate to jam it in!"


    Thedies, who heard Hereswith''s yful words, all blushed because they were also looking forward to it.


    Hereswith then lightly pinched Lux''s right cheek before giving him a wink.


    The beautiful Elf then left the residence so that Lux and his girls "Where''s my hug?" Hereswith asked in a teasing tone. "Or are you could finally have some quality time with each other.


    She spent a lot of effort to gather all of them, so it would be a waste if her Grand Disciple didn''t put this opportunity to good use.


    Lux and his lovers had a light breakfast before they went to the underground spring together.


    The Half-Elf still had a few days before the meeting with the Divine Army started.


    Until then, he would not hesitate to embrace his women, and renew his feelings of love, for each and every one of them.

 Chapter 1030 Many Ways Of Love [Part 1]

    Chapter 1030 Many Ways Of Love [Part 1]


    "Ari, are you sure that you''re really a Dragon and not a Subus?" Lux asked as he panted for breath.


    Ari was also panting for breath as she held onto the Half-Elf''s neck, pressing her seductive body against his chest.


    Right now, she could feel Lux''s seed still spurting at the entrance of her womb, melting her heart from the inside out.


    Ari couldn''t get enough of this feeling. Ever since Lux had be her lover, she felt addicted to the intimate moments they spent together.


    "How many times are you going to ask this question?" Ari asked back before giving Lux''s lips a light peck. "I''m a Dragon, not a subus. Also, don''t you think it''s very rude to think of another woman while making love to me? I can feel that you areparing me to someone."


    The beautiful Dragon Lady then lightly pulled Lux''s right ear, making thetter wince in pain.


    "Sorry," Lux apologized because he knew that he was in the wrong. "I just can''t help it. Every time I make love to you, I feel as if you are trying to suck my soul out of my body."


    "Do I make you feel that good?" Ari inquired with a sweet smile on her face. Making Lux feel good was something to be proud of.


    In fact, perhaps among Lux''s lovers, Ari was the only one who took making love to him very seriously. This was why she was doing her best to try new things in order to spice up their lovemaking.


    "Yes. It was the best," Lux replied before kissing her again.


    This time, the kiss was longer and sweeter.


    Ari could feel her heart overflowing with happiness because her upper and lower lips were being kissed at the same time.


    Half an hourter, Lux left the room with a satisfied look on his face.


    Originally, he thought that his lovers would insist that they made love with each other as a whole group.


    But it seems like he underestimated how much they wanted to monopolize him.


    All of them agreed to take turns, spending four hours alone with him, allowing Lux to only rest for one hour to recover his strength before embracing one of them again.


    With this, Lux spent four days straight making love to his lovers, thest one being Ari, who was in his embrace.


    However, there was still onedy within the residence whom he still hadn''t touched, and that was none other than Aurora.


    Both of them silently agreed that this wasn''t the right time and ce for the two of them to be one.


    Lux nned to travel with just Aurora once his meeting with the Divine Army ended, spending some quality time with her.


    The Half-Elf knocked on Aurora''s bedroom, wanting to eat dinner with her.


    However, the youngdy only spoke to him behind closed doors, telling him that she had already eaten and that Lux should eat with his other lovers for the time being.


    "Okay," Lux said. "But, let''s have breakfast together tomorrow."


    "Understood," Aurora replied. "See you tomorrow, Lux."


    The Half-Elf then left to go to the dining table and searched for who was still awake to eat with him.


    Aurora, who was standing behind the door, sighed. She was not wearing anything, and her face was flushed.


    Beads of sweat glistened on her perfect body, and a honey-like fluid was leaking out of the entrance of her cave.


    Lux was not aware that during the four days that he was making love with his lovers, Aurora had locked herself up inside her room.


    Even though she wasn''t doing anything, her consciousness somehow merged with the bodies of Lux''s lovers, allowing her to feel what they were feeling.


    In short, every time Lux made love to someone, he was indirectly making love to Aurora as well due to their shared connection.


    This made the pink-haired beauty experience a sweet kind of torture, allowing her to experience many forms of pleasure.


    "Ari�� is a scary one," Aurora muttered under her breath.


    Her ability also allowed her to feel what Lux was feeling as long as the girl he was sharing a bond with was joining or having a skinship with him.


    Since she was able to feel and experience what both sides were feeling, Aurora could tell that Ari had sessfully made Lux develop a craving for her body.


    But through these shared senses, she also discovered other things.


    Aurora also realized that, although Lux loved all of his lovers with all of his heart, he didn''t love them equally, which was a very normal thing.


    Even parents had their own favorites when it came to their children, and Lux felt the same when it came to his lovers.


    When Lux was with Aina, Aurora could tell that his heart was overflowing with love.


    This love was so strong and sweet, that the pink-haired beauty felt as if she was the one receiving Lux''s love, making her feel that she was the happiest youngdy in the world.


    She also realized that when Lux made love with Aina, he treated her with great care. His touch would send jolts of electricity running through the doll-like beauty''s body, making her subconsciously moan due to how good it felt.


    In short, Lux would make sweet, slow, and intimate love with Aina, filling her heart with a love that made her feel as if he was treating her as the one most precious to him.


    Aurora would be lying if she didn''t feel envious of Lux''s love for Aina.


    But after everything that she had been through, she found out that the Half-Elf''s love, no matter how differently he treated his lovers, was unique in its own way.


    Lux loved to kiss Aurelia the most. In fact, he loved kissing Aurelia so much that whenever they were together, he would spend most of the time kissing her.


    And, for some reason, the Dragon Princess liked to be kissed as well. Both of them would kiss while they were connected with each other, moving in slow, rhythmic patterns, fully enjoying the best of both worlds.


    After Valerie had lost her chastity, she became a little bolder whenever she had the opportunity to make love with Lux.


    She would often ask him to do things that Lux had never done with the other girls, making her the most adventurous among his lovers.


    Also, Aurora felt how strongly Valerie wished to bear Lux''s child, and it made her wonder if she would be willing to do the same.


    Of course, she also wanted to give birth to and raise Lux''s children, but Valerie''s emotions when it came to baby making were so strong that Lux treated her differently from his other lovers.


    She could tell that Lux was also serious when it came to getting the extremely beautiful Dragon Princess to conceive his child.


    Aurora could even vaguely feel that Lux was even looking forward to seeing his baby, which would be born through his union with Valerie.


    Iris, on the other hand, made Aurora smile.


    Among Lux''s lovers, her feelings of love for the Half-Elf surpassed even Aina''s love for him.


    Although she doesn''t show it on her face, Iris was unable to live without Lux in her life. In fact, she had long wanted to bear his child, but Lux kept on telling her that she was still too young and that it wasn''t the right time for her to have a baby.


    Of course, Lux also loved Iris.


    This love may not be as strong as his feelings of love for Aina, but it was a genuine love that was born from the time that they had spent with each other.


    This was also the reason why Lux didn''t hesitate to cancel his journey midway to the Pantheon of Exile and go to the Abyss in order to save her and Cai.


    Aurora was certain that if something bad had happened to Iris at that time, Lux would have flipped the entire Abyss upside down in order to avenge her, even if he had to spend his entire lifetime making that happen.


    That was how important Iris was in Lux''s life.


    She was like an anchor that held him in ce, allowing him to have a safe, and peaceful home to return to after weathering the violent storms in Elysium.

 Chapter 1031 Many Ways Of Love [Part 2]

    Chapter 1031 Many Ways Of Love [Part 2]


    Cai was another unique individual in Lux''s heart. When they were alone together, Lux would call her by her real name, Caitlin.


    Among Lux''s lovers, the Rowan Priestess was the only one who made Lux feel as if he was corrupting something sacred.


    Aurora didn''t understand it at first, but whenever Lux made love with Cai, there was a vague sense of immorality that would rise in Lux''s chest, fanning his desire and Lust.


    The pink-haired beauty was not aware that Lux had a hidden fetish for shrine maidens, nuns, priestesses, and simr Holy Maidens.


    It was just one of his "youthful fantasies" back on Earth.


    This was something that had apanied him when his memories returned after Eriol came to visit him.


    Even so, Lux couldn''t help but feel that he was doing something sphemous by staining the beautiful and sensuous body of a High-Priestess, who also possessed the Celestial Maiden Physique.


    A special body constitution that allowed the Half-Elf to rapidly increase his rank and strength whenever he made love to her. Of course, this act worked both ways.


    The stronger Lux was, the faster Cai also increased her rank. In fact, Cai was now at the peak of the C-Rank. Perhaps, she would even break through and be a B-Ranker the next time she made love with Lux.


    Of course, this wasn''t really a bad thing since the Gods had already abandoned Elysium.


    If the Gods were still present, they might have already kicked the Half-Elf''s bum for defiling one of their High-Priestesses and punished him formitting a serious crime of sphemy against them.


    Last, but not the least, was Ali.


    Ali was very different from her twin sister, Ari.


    Lux enjoyed being with her, not for the sake of lovemaking, but because Ali made him feel special.


    Simply put, among Lux''s lovers, Ali gave the Half-Elf something that the rest were unable to give him.


    It was a love that was simr to a motherly love.


    She was the voice of reason.


    Someone who would think before she acted, and she was also a very loyal person.


    Lux felt the most rxed whenever he was with her.


    In fact, he would spend almost an hour just lying on herp or burying his head between her breasts,pletely rxed as she patted his head and hummed him a luby.


    If Iris was his safe haven after a storm, Ali was a motherly figure who gave Lux unconditional love.


    Thispassionate love with no strings attached was something that he had longed for all his life.


    Lux was raised by his Grandma, Vera, who showered him with love and affection.


    But in his heart, Vera was his grandma and not his mother.


    Even in his past life, he didn''t experience motherly love because, in his mother''s eyes, he was someone who shouldn''t have been born.


    Lux grew up being referred to as a "mistake".


    Perhaps, this was also the main reason why he had shut himself off from the world and pursued happiness online by watching Luna''s performance and defending her from those who bashed her on the inte.


    He had always wanted to experience what it was like to be loved by a mother, so the motherly Ali had filled that void in Lux''s heart.


    Although she was not old enough to be his mother, her touch, gentleness, and the way she affectionately looked at him patched his lonely heart with the love that he was missing in his life.


    A love that he longed to experience.


    Of course, Ali was not aware of this. But even if she was, she wouldn''t change the way she treated Lux.


    Since Aurora shared Ali''s senses, she understood that the handmaiden loved Lux in her own way.


    For her, Lux was already a part of her family, like her sister, Ari, and her mistress, Valerie.


    This was why she wanted to treat him with great care.


    She treated him as someone very precious to her.


    Ali didn''t really have any experience in love because Lux was her first love.


    One could even say that she was just starting to open her heart to the person whom she knew she would spend her life with, so her affection came out as a motherly type of love.


    Lux and Ali would also spend most of their time talking about random things.


    Like their dreams when they were young, their ns for the future, and the fears inside their hearts.


    She became Lux''s confidant, and he became hers.


    It was a rtionship built on unconditional trust, and Aurora enjoyed every second of it.


    In fact, simr to Lux, she looked forward when it was Ali''s turn to be with him.


    Connecting to her made Aurora feel rxed, and she happily enjoyed the sweet, intimate, and familial love that both of them shared.


    Their sensual sessions were short and sweet, but that didn''t mean that they didn''t enjoy it.


    In fact, they enjoyed it so much that they took a slow and unhurried pace, further savoring the feeling of their connection with each other.


    These slow lovemaking sessions allowed them to build up their momentum before finding their sweet release while holding each other in a loving embrace.


    Their intimate moments weren''t like the rough and passionate rounds that Lux had with Ari or the immoral lovemaking he felt when making love with Cai.


    It was lovely and sweet.


    Sweet enough to rot Aurora''s teeth.


    After experiencing these many ways of love, Aurora wondered if she would be able to give Lux a unique experience. One that he had never felt before with his other lovers.


    Deep in her heart, she wished for that to happen.


    Something that only belonged to her, and something that Lux would find irresistible.


    Something that would make him crave for her skinship, allowing her to monopolize him, and make the time they spent with each other special and memorable.


    Just as Aurora was lost in her thoughts, she felt someone lightly tapping her shoulder.


    The youngdy''s gazended on the little skeleton, Zane, who was pointing at Zeke.


    Aurora then shifted her gaze to look in the direction of the table and Zeke, who was holding a tray of warm food for her to eat.


    "Do you want me to eat first?" Aurora asked Zane with a smile.


    Zane shook his head and pointed to the bathroom. He then made chattering noises with his mouth, making the youngdy nod her head in understanding.


    "Thank you for preparing the bath for me," Aurora said softly. "I''ll wash myself first then eat."


    Zane nodded and helped Aurora to stand up.


    The two little skeletons had somehow be her nannies, taking care of her needs.


    They made sure that Aurora ate, bathed, and slept on time.


    Zane and Zeke would even assist her when she put on her dresses and would also brush her hair.


    They would even hug her to sleep at night so that she wouldn''t have any nightmares.


    If Lux was the person Aurora loved the most, Zane and Zeke held second ce in her heart.


    They had be herpanions in the darkness of her prison while she waited for the Half-Elf''s arrival.


    Aurora smiled as she walked towards the bathroom to clean her body properly.


    After that, she ate the meal that Zeke had brought from the kitchen with gusto.


    Her appetite had increased after experiencing Lux''s lovemaking sessions.


    While she was busy eating, Zane and Zeke went to change her bedding and reced it with a fresh set.


    The two little skeletons knew that in another hour or two, Lux would visit one of his lovers, which would make their Mistress feel hot and bothered all over again.


    -----------------

 Chapter 1032 Movement Behind The Scenes

    Chapter 1032 Movement Behind The Scenes


    The days passed by swiftly, and although he was reluctant to part with his lovers, Lux understood that it was already time to leave.


    Fortunately, all of his women were now members of his guild, allowing them to teleport to his Guild Headquarters anytime they wanted.


    When Aina, Valerie, Ali, and Ari realized that Lux''s guild was actually the one and only Mythical Guild in the world, all of them were pleasantly surprised.


    Of course, Lux didn''t forget to ask them to keep this matter a secret for now because aside from his guild members and a handful of people, like the Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Pce, the rest of the world had no idea that he was the Guild Master of Heaven''s Gate.


    "Since the meeting will be held in Karshvar Draconis, let us all teleport to the Guild Headquarters first," Hereswith, who had returned only a day before the meeting would start, said with a smile.


    She used the days she was away to double-check the current status of the Kingdoms that her Grand Disciple had subjugated.


    To her surprise, the citizens of these Kingdoms had already returned to their daily routine. The Royal Families also moved fast and executed Lux''s orders, cleansing their territories from corrupt Officials through exile, improving the government''s efficiency.


    Since Lux didn''t attack themon people and instead directly went for their Kingdom''s rulers and Powerhouses like High-Rankers and Saints, themon folk didn''t hold a grudge against him.


    The Adventurer''s Guild also didn''t suffer a single loss when he visited, so he wasn''t treated as an internationally wanted criminal.


    Hereswith also found out that after the ceasefire agreement was in ce, the Lizard King and a few of his men returned to the Marsnds to see if their people could return to their homes.


    However, after seeing that their cities were destroyed and thend was steeped in poison, they understood that it was impossible for them to return to their homnd.


    This made the Lizard King very depressed, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    Once upon a time, he could have easily pinched the Half-Elf and ended his life easily.


    But now, he didn''t dare to face Lux because he knew that if they fought against each other, the one who would meet his end would be him.


    To this day, the Dragon King, the Elf King, the Steward of the Crystal Pce, the Beast King, the Lizard King, the Divine Army, and the other Powerhouses that ruled the central regions of Elysium, still didn''t know where Lux was able to get his army, which wasposed of Hundreds of Cmity-Ranked Monsters.


    Had they been ordinary Cmity Monsters, they might have still stood a chance, but they were not.


    All of them were extremely strong, and the worst part of it all was that they were all imbued with Aurora''s Aura of Misfortune, which only affected their enemies.


    Such an army was very hard to face head-on, and even the Supremes of Elysium didn''t want to mess with them.


    Of course, the SSS-Ranked Kingdoms were capable of fighting against Lux''s Army since they possessed powerful artifacts that were only a few levels weaker than the Pirs of Eternity.


    But they were only supposed to use these artifacts as ast resort when their Kingdom was in peril.


    Lux had a good rtionship with these kingdoms, and he had no intention of attacking them.


    This was also why the Dragon King agreed to let the meeting take ce in his Kingdom since he could pull off taking the role of a mediator between Lux and the Divine Army.


    "Are you really going to meet up with the Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army?" Valerie asked in a worried tone.


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    "You be careful," Aur said. "They might pull a fast one on you."


    All of his lovers expressed their concerns, and Lux did his best to assure them that everything was going to be fine.


    Truth be told, he didn''t trust the Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army.


    He had already prepared countermeasures to ensure his safety during their meeting.


    "Let''s go," Lux said as he held Iris'' and Cai''s hands.


    His other lovers held each other''s hands, forming a circle.


    A momentter, all of them turned into beams of light and shot towards the sky.


    Their destination was none other than Lux''s Guild Headquarters, which was currently within the territory of the Crystal Pce.


    Upon arrival, the first thing that Lux did was call Emma and Gerhart to ask them about the current situation of their guild.


    The two reported that the project that Lux had left them was going smoothly and that he had nothing to worry about.


    The construction of the town was almost done and, ording to Bentley, they would only need one more month to finish everything.


    Lux was quite happy after hearing their report, and asked them to continue managing the Guild, while he was away.


    Since the meeting would be held the next day, Lux''s lovers decided to stay with him for one more day.


    The Half-Elf readily agreed, and all of them spent the day inside the Guild Headquarters, simply enjoying each other''spany.


    They had already made love more times than they could count in the past few days, so they decided to temporarily abstain from worldly pleasures, and just rx and enjoy their time together.


    This made Aurora breathe a sigh of relief in her heart because, truth be told, she was already having a hard time standing properly, and her legs had almost turned into jelly.


    She was the one who had "indirectly" made love with Lux the most.


    Aurora had a feeling that if she experienced one more day of those lovemaking sessions, she would probably lose consciousness for a few days, which would allow her body to heal and recover.


    ����������������


    Somewhere in Elysium��


    "As expected, the Gates are starting to be more and more active as the days pass," the Sovereign muttered as he observed an Ancient Abyssal Gate that was nearly ten meters tall.


    The Divine Army had been searching for these hidden gates within Elysium that the Abyssal Creatures had built during their invasion in the past.


    Their goal was to destroy it and prevent the monsters from using it to cross over to their world.


    This was also the main reason why they decided topromise with the Half-Elf. They simply couldn''t spare manpower to deal with him at the moment.


    They had already lost almost all of their supporters, so they were only using the main bulk of their army to find these scattered gates that had been hidden well by their enemies.


    The Sovereign casually waved his hand, and the ten-meter-tall Abyssal Gate disintegrated until nothing was left.


    He then left the scene to return to their Underground Headquarters.


    They would be meeting the Half-Elf in a few hours, and he wanted this to be done and over with so that they could continue their mission.


    On the other side of the continent, the members of Memento Mori were doing the same as they continued their search for the Stars of Cmity.


    They would also destroy every Abyssal Gate they came across.


    Unlike the Divine Army, who had lost most of their manpower, the Necromancers didn''tck it.


    Summoning their Undead to act as scouting parties, they effectively found these well-hidden Abyssal Gates.


    Gates which would have remained undetected if not for the fact that the Undead had a peculiar way of detecting the corruption of the Abyss.


    Hereswith only became aware of these activities after returning to Memento Mori.


    This was also why she decided to ept thepromise of the Divine Army.


    The beautiful Necromancer of Heaven was able to see the bigger picture.


    Although she still hated the Divine Army for causing the death of her Disciple, she understood that the threat of the Abyssal Invasion should be prioritized for the time being.


    The powers of the world were also moving in the background and helping these two opposing organizations destroy the Abyssal Gates in their respective territories.


    But despite their sess in weeding out these potential threats, they knew, with absolute certainty, that these preventive measures would not be enough to stop another invasion from happening.


    An invasion that would be happening very soon, encouraging everyone to build up their armies so they would be able to defend their world against the seconding of the invaders that came from another dimension.

 Chapter 1033 Temporary Truce

    Chapter 1033 Temporary Truce


    Within the Royal Pce of Karshvar Draconis��


    Inside a conference room, several people were currently seated facing each other.


    The Dragon King and the Steward of the Crystal Pce sat in the middle.


    They were the mediators and arbiters of this meeting.


    Hereswith and Lux were sitting on their right side.


    While the Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army sat on their left.


    There were also a few guests present, namely the Elf King, Kazimir, the Lizard King, and some neutral parties who were invited to serve as the witnesses of this ceasefire agreement.


    "Let''s get this over with," the Sovereign said as he tossed a storage ring toward Lux, which thetter caught with his right hand. "That is thepensation we''ll give you in exchange for your agreement to this ceasefire agreement. Also, we are willing to sign a non-aggression pact with you that willst for five years.


    "In those five years, the Divine Army, as well as our allies, will not harm a single hair on your body. Of course, this agreement also includes the people that are close to you.


    "However, since we do not know the identity of these people, you must provide us with names to ensure that no idents will happen in the future. Do we have an agreement?"


    "Why not?" Lux replied with a smile. "Five years is good. That is enough time for me to tie up some loose ends on my part."


    The world of Sis only had a few years before it was destroyed, so having a five-year ceasefire agreement was also beneficial to him.


    But there was one thing that Lux didn''t want to agree with, and that was giving out the names of the people important to him. Who knew what the Divine Army would do with this information? He didn''t feel safe listing the names of his lovers lest his enemies use them against him.


    "There is just one thing that we need to revise in the contract," Lux stated. "It is about the part where I list the names of the people that are part of my faction."


    "Don''t be unreasonable," the Founder of the Divine Army interjected. "How will we be able to know if they are your people or not?"


    "Well, that''s simple," Lux replied. "If they are my people, they will tell you guys that they are my people."


    "Huh? Are you joking with us?" the Sovereign of the Divine Army asked. "You want us to believe that anyone that tells us that they are rted to you is your people?"


    "Yes," Lux nodded.


    "How absurd," the Founder stated. "You can''t expect us to agree to this."


    "Well, if you don''t want to agree to it then that''s fine." Lux shrugged. "We will just continue our war then."


    The corner of the Sovereign and the Founder''s lips twitched after hearing Lux''s reply.


    Their world was on the verge of being invaded by Abyssal Monsters, and this Half-Elf still wanted to find them to look for trouble?


    How unreasonable!


    "Look here, brat," the Founder said with a solemn expression on his face. "We don''t have time to deal with you because we are busy trying to protect our world from an Abyssal Invasion, so don''t push us."


    "You are busy trying to deal with an Abyssal Invasion, yet you still have time to potentially antagonize me and my people?" Lux asked back with a sneer. "If that isn''t called stupidity, then I don''t know what is."


    "��" The Founder of the Divine Army was at a loss for words.


    They could tell that Lux was adamant about not cooperating with them, which they found annoying.


    Taking a deep breath, the Sovereign of the Divine Army spoke once more.


    "Okay, so you are saying that if we are to find people that are getting in our way, we can''t deal with them if they say that they are your people?" the Sovereign asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    "And what if they are just pretending to know you?" the Founder asked. "What if they have ill intentions and just want to prevent us from doing what we must do? If we meet a group of bandits, and they tell us that they know you, should we just let them go? Is that what you are saying?"


    Lux shook his head. "You''re making thingsplicated."


    "No." The Sovereign snorted. "You are the one who is making thisplicated. We are just asking for a list of names so that we won''t identally harm your people, but you refuse to provide it. Who is being unreasonable here?"


    Lux smirked. "Like I said, you are just making thingsplicated. First and foremost, the only people who are aware of this agreement are the people inside this room.


    Our guests and our mediators have signed a Contract of Silence, preventing them from spreading the things that we talked about in this meeting.


    "Since that is the case, it is nearly impossible for anyone to know that your people are unable to touch them as long as they mention that they are part of my faction. Or are you saying that the two of you will divulge our meeting to others? If so, you are the ones who will be shooting yourselves in the foot."


    The Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army nced at each other because what Lux was saying was correct.


    If no one inside the room spread the contents of their meeting, the chances of people using Lux''s name to save themselves from the Divine Army were nearly non-existent.


    "Fine," the Sovereign relented. "However, you are also not allowed to get in our way."


    "Good, but I would also like to add one more condition to the ceasefire agreement," Lux stated.


    "What is it?" the Founder snapped.


    "I want to borrow the Pir of Eternity that belongs to your organization for two days," Lux replied.


    "�� What did you say?" the Sovereign of the Divine Army narrowed his eyes. "How did you know about the Pir of Eternity?"


    "My Grandmaster told me," Lux replied in an innocent tone. "Isn''t that right, Grandmaster?"


    "Yes, that''s right," Hereswith replied. "I did tell him that you old toads have one of the Pirs of Eternity in your possession."


    The Sovereign scoffed. "This is uneptable. How can we possibly agree to let you borrow the treasure of our organization?"


    "Okay, how about this?" Lux decided to take a step back in order to diffuse the tension in the room. "I won''t borrow it. However, when I ask you to bring it out, you will bring it with you."


    "And why should we do that?" the Founder asked.


    The Pir of Eternity in their possession had the power to unlock the hidden potential of a person. However, the Divine Army took a different approach in using it, forcefully allowing Apostles to gain the power of Pseudo-Supremes in order to fight against the Abyssal Army.


    "It''s because I am also gathering the Pirs of Eternity," Lux replied. "Once I obtain the other four Pirs, I want the Divine Army to cooperate with me in order to activate the true power of the Pirs, once they are gathered together"


    Lux''s reply rmed everyone inside the room. All of them were aware that the Pirs of Eternity were more than just Divine Artifacts.


    holding powers that no mere mortal would be able to wield by themselves.


    "Are you trying to be a God?" the Sovereign of the Divine Army asked. "Is this why you are gathering the Pirs of Eternity?"


    Lux shook his head.


    He knew that if he didn''t tell everyone inside the conference the true reason for trying to gather all five pirs together, they would think that he wanted to ascend to Godhood and rule over the entirety of Elysium.


    "The majority of the people here are Supremes, so you should be able to tell if I were lying or not," Lux stated. "My reason for trying to gather all five pirs is to save my home world. When the Abyss tried to invade Sis, the Hundred-Year War started, which mostly destroyed thends of my world.


    "The majority of thends are now covered in miasma, and this miasma is spreading at a rapid rate. Soon, it will cover our entire world, killing everything in it.


    "In order to prevent that and restore the world to its former glory, I will need the Five Pirs of Eternity. Since I am about to sign a non-aggression pact with you, I cannot forcefully take the Divine Artifact from your hands.


    "But if you refuse to cooperate with me, I will also not sign this agreement.


    "My home world is dying, so I can''t take any chances. Either you agree to let me borrow the Pir of Eternity in your possession, or I take it by force once I gather the other four Pirs. So, what is your decision? Do we all agree to help each other, or do we all agree to backstab each other after the Abyssal Invasion hase to pass?"


    The Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army looked at Lux with serious expressions on their faces.


    Of course, they knew that the Sians were looking for ways to save their world when they entered Elysium.


    They were artifacts that were made by the Gods themselves, Some of them had even migrated for good, building their own kingdoms, just like Aina''s parents had done when they founded the Xeno Kingdom.


    If the Sians were truly forced to migrate to their world, another round of huge-scale conflict might take ce, with the original inhabitants and the foreigners fighting each other for every piece ofnd on the.


    This was bound to be a bloody battle, and it was something that every faction inside the Conference Room would like to avoid if possible.


    In the end, the Sovereign and the Founder of the Divine Army relented and agreed to let Lux borrow their artifact. However, the Half-Elf could only take it once he had gathered the other four Pirs of Eternity.


    Lux agreed to this condition, and with everyone inside the conference room as witnesses, both parties signed the non-aggression pact, bringing a temporary end to the grudge between the two parties.


    After the contract had been signed, Lux returned to his Guild Headquarters and informed his guild members about the oue of the meeting.


    For a period of time, peace returned to Elysium, as all the Factions prepared for their uing war against the forces of the Abyss.

 Chapter 1034 Lux’s Unfinished Business

    Chapter 1034 Lux��s Unfinished Business


    Lux, Cai, Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus were currently in Leaf Town, talking to Grandma Annie, who had just finished her session of pill-making.


    "I didn''t expect such a thing to happen," Grandma Annie sighed after hearing Lux''s story.


    Sid''s little sisters, Laura and Livia, sat beside Grandma Annie and patted their baby slimes, Cora and Nora, with smiles on their faces.


    "So, what are you nning to do now?" Grandma Annie asked. "Did youe to Leaf Town because you still have some unfinished business?"


    Lux nodded. "You can say that, Grandma Annie. I am here for revenge."


    "Revenge?" Grandma Annie frowned. "Ah�� you are talking about them."


    "Right." Lux smirked. "I am talking about them."


    There was one organization that had made Lux''s life very difficult in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    It was none other than Twilight Rain, the Dark Guild who had sent assassins to kill him when he was still an Apostle.


    They also made things difficult for Aina and Colette, which was one of the reasons why he vowed to deal with them.


    Right now, his conflict with the Divine Army was temporarily put on hold, allowing him to focus his attention on some unfinished business.


    Cai and Keane, who were once captured by Twilight Rain, along with Princess Anastasia, in the past, decided to apany the Half-Elf after finding out that he was going to deal with Twilight Rain once and for all.


    Gerhart and Cethus also volunteered to apany Lux, unsatisfied that they had not been able to help him deal with the Divine Army of Light.


    Now that there was an opportunity to test their newly gained strength, all of them were itching for a fight.


    Surprisingly, among thepanions who were currently with him, Cai was the strongest.


    She was in her Boar form, like always, and had be a B-Ranker.


    The reason for her fast rise in ranks was due to her special physique. After making love with Lux for the past few days, she had finally beaten everyone in Rank, surpassing even Iris, who was nearing the peak of being a C-Ranker.


    "Hmph! If I see that Ranker who captured me in the past, I''ll show him who''s boss," Cai snorted. "Lux, leave that guy to me, okay? I''ll stomp his face to oblivion!"


    Whenever Cai took on her Boar Form, her intelligence regressed quite a bit, making her very talkative and very active.


    "Okay." Lux nodded. "You can have him."


    Cethus, who had just finished eating his snacks and tea, looked at the Half-Elf with a frown.


    "Then, what are we waiting for?" Cethus asked. "Let''s deal with those guys right away. I am itching to test my new abilities on them."


    "Calm down," Lux answered. "We still have to wait for Sid and Cadmus (Draconic Kobold) to return.


    Sid was now a B-Ranker, while Cadmus had be a peak Dreadnaught-Rank Alpha Monster.


    Back then, this Draconic Kobold wished to crush Lux in order to avenge his n Members. However, after entering Keoza''s Domain, the Kobolds had allied themselves with Lux and became the pirs of his Guild.


    Perhaps, if Emma weren''t too busy handling the affairs of the Guild, she would have joined Lux on this cleaning-up operation.


    She was one of the adventurers who had been captured by Twilight Rain and was turned into a Lycan against her own will.


    If it weren''t for Lux saving her, she might have died as one of the cannon fodders under Twilight Rain''smand, and the Half-Elf might never have gained a very capable secretary whopetently handled the affairs of Heaven''s Gate, alongside General Garret.


    Fortunately, Sid and Cadmus arrived in Leaf Town after three hours.


    Both of them were helping the expedition party advance in the Savage Lands as they explored this new frontier.


    They were the leaders of the Leaf Town Delegation, so they were unable to leave their members behind right away.


    After receiving Lux''s message, the two decided to escort their members to the outpost within the Savage Lands before returning to Leaf Town with haste.


    Now that they had arrived, Lux told them to rest for an hour before they headed to the Stronghold of Norria.


    He needed to talk to Commander Thoram and ask him to send word to the capital that he was going to visit.


    The Commander of the Stronghold of Norria had direct contact with Nevreal, who was Robin''s caretaker.


    Nevreal was also the pitiful dwarf that Lux had extorted to help build his Guild Headquarters when he was stillcking funds.


    "What do you want?" Nevreal asked through the round mirror that Commander Thoram was holding.


    Lux could tell that the middle-aged dwarf was quite annoyed just by hearing the tone of the other party''s voice.


    "Did something happen?" Lux asked. "Why so moody?"


    "You brat. You''ve been away from the kingdom for so long that you are not aware that we have already started a war against Twilight Rain," Nevreal stated. "Of course, the popce doesn''t know anything about a war taking ce since their headquarters we''re attacking are hidden on the outskirts of several cities.


    "Their forces are stronger than we thought, and both sides have already suffered significant losses. I am currently on my way to visit the King in order to receive his orders."


    Lux was quite surprised that the Kingdom of Gweliven had finally taken that step to fight the hidden danger that was slowly building up their forces in order to overthrow the Royal Family.


    "Perfect timing," Lux said with a smile. "How about I help you guys deal with those bastards? You know that I have a grudge against them, right?"


    Nevreal frowned after hearing Lux''s words. However, he also understood that the Half-Elf had been on the receiving end of Twilight Rain''s bullying in the past.


    "Are you sure that you can deal with them?" Nevreal asked. "This is not a game, Lux. This is an all-out war. You can easily die when you join this battle."


    "Don''t worry, Sir Nevreal," Lux replied. "I promise I won''t get in your way. Can I also talk to His Majesty? There are a few things that I want to ask him."


    Nevreal pondered for a bit before nodding his head.


    Lux was recognized as the benefactor of the Kingdom of Gweliven after he saved Princess Anastasia from the members of Twilight Rain.


    Because of this, the Royal Family had a good impression of him.


    "Very well. Head to the Capital as soon as you can," Nevreal said. "I will talk to His Majesty and inform him of your arrival."


    After gaining Nevreal''s assurance, Lux used the Teleportation Gate of the Stronghold of Norria.


    Truth be told, he also wanted to see Millie and Princess Anastasia, who had turned sixteen years old a few months ago.


    They were the two people who had survived alongside him in the Wolfpine Barony, where they met Teju Jagua and the member of Memento Mori for the first time.


    He didn''t know when he could return to the Capital City of the Kingdom of Gweliven after he had gotten his revenge on Twilight Rain.


    So, he nned to use this opportunity to see whether his two friends were doing well before joining the battle that was being waged in ces themon folk of the Kingdom wouldn''t see.

 Chapter 1035 I Wish I Could Stay Like This Forever

    Chapter 1035 I Wish I Could Stay Like This Forever


    "Sir Lux!" an adorable Dwarf jumped toward Lux as soon as she saw the Half-Elf walking down one of the hallways of the Royal Pce.


    The Half-Elf didn''t hesitate to catch Princess Anastasia, whom he hadn''t seen for quite a while.


    "A princess shouldn''t jump at her father''s guest as soon as she sees them," Lux said before lightly patting the head of the little Dwarf who had clung to him like a ko. "Be mindful of your surroundings, and don''t act in this manner if you are in a ce with many people."


    "The reason why I did this is because there are no people around." Princess Anastasia pouted. "Can''t you see that the hallway is deserted? I made sure that no one would interrupt my reunion with you, Sir Lux."


    Millie and Megan, who were Princess Anastasia''s two protectors, couldn''t help but cover their faces in embarrassment.


    They were the people who responsibly instructed the maids and guards to steer clear of this particr hallway, knowing that something might happen when they personally weed Lux''s arrival.


    The two were right, but they just didn''t expect their Princess to act in a way that was unbing of a member of the Royal Family.


    ''Fortunately, we made sure that no one would be around this hallway,'' Millie thought. ''If not, this would be the greatest scandal of this kingdom.''


    Millie knew that Princess Anastasia had liked Lux ever since the Half-Elf had rescued her from the members of Twilight Rain.


    However, she also understood that this might just be the Princess'' "puppy love" phase, which would disappear as she grew older.


    Millie thought that the longer the Princess didn''t see Lux, the faster her feelings for him would disappear.


    But what she didn''t know was that the Princess was only bottling up her feelings during the times when she couldn''t meet her savior.


    "Hah�� you smell good, Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia buried her head in Lux''s chest and sighed in happiness. "I wish I could stay like this forever."


    Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus looked at the red-headed teenager withplicated looks on their faces.


    "Um, are we going to meet the King or not?" Cai lightly nudged Lux, who was still patting the head of the little Dwarf, who had no intention of letting him go.


    "We will meet with the King," Lux replied. "Princess, please calm down so that I can meet your father. I need to talk to him about something very important."


    "Is this about Twilight Rain?" Princess Anastasia asked in a heartbeat. "Are you going to join the battle?"


    Lux nodded. "That''s the reason why I am here."


    Princess Anastasia sighed in her heart, and reluctantly let go of the Half-Elf.


    However, she wanted to stay with him a bit longer, so she held his hand and pulled him towards the throne room with a smile.


    "It seems that you still know what to prioritize, Princess," Caimented as she walked beside Lux.


    "Of course," Princess Anastasia replied. "Since Sir Lux hase here to help our kingdom defeat that terrorist organization, I will not get in his way. The faster they get destroyed, the better."


    "It seems that you still carry a grudge since the kidnapping incident," Caimented.


    "Of course," Princess Anastasia smirked. "I''ve had a hard time sleeping peacefully knowing that my kidnappers are still atrge. How about you? Do you still carry a grudge as well?"


    "I do," Cai answered. "And this time, I will repay them in full."


    The two smiled evilly at each other.


    Both of them agreed that Twilight Rain didn''t need to exist in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    A few minutester, they arrived at the Gates of the Throne Room.


    Princess Anastasia reluctantly let go of the Half-Elf''s hand and fixed her dress to ensure that she would look presentable in front of her father.


    Once she was sure that she had smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress, she nodded at Millie and Megan, who pushed the doors open.


    Princess Anastasia entered the throne room with the grace and dignity befitting a member of the Royal Family.


    "Your Majesty, I have brought our guest," Princess Anastasia announced, making her father smile.


    "You did well, Anastasia," King Uther Von Gweliven, said with a smile. "It has been a while, Lux. I hope that you''re doing well?"


    "I am well, Your Majesty," Lux gave King Uther a respectful bow.


    Although he had the power to single-handedly trample the Kingdom of Gweliven if he wanted to, the Dwarven Royal Family had done many good things for him in the past.


    Since that was the case, he would give them the respect they deserved as one of the Kingdoms, which Lux was very fond of.


    "I can tell that you have grown stronger as well." King Uther nodded his head in satisfaction.


    The Dwarven King was a Saint, so he could easily gauge Lux''s Rank with a single nce.


    However, something was telling him that, despite the Half-Elf''s rank being lower than his, the young man was more dangerous than him.


    This feeling surprised him, but he was old enough to believe what his gut instinct was telling him.


    "Nevreal told me that you wish to join the war against Twilight Rain," King Uther said. "Do you want thetest information about the battle?


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Lux replied. "I want to know everything about them."


    King Uther nodded and exined that the all-out war was heating up.


    They had discovered the main headquarters of Twilight Rain, which was located deep underground.


    However, their enemies had plenty of tricks up their sleeves, including an army of mutated Monsters, which seemed to be under their control.


    "After the most recent sh, our forces have made a strategic retreat a mile away from their Main Headquarters," King Uther exined. "The battle is taking ce at the base of Mount Forberg on the Northern edge of the Kingdom.


    "ording to our reports, the Monsters were at the peak of the Empyrean Rank. The members of the Order are keeping them at bay for the time being. Our two Saints are also on standby, and ready to assist.


    "The only reason why they still hadn''t made their move is because they are wary of the Saints of Twilight Rain. ording to our information, Twilight Rain has two Saints among their Ranks, which includes their Leader.


    "Of course, there is a possibility that they have more than two Saints. Knowing this, I have sent more reinforcements to the battlefield. Nevreal will be departing shortly, so if you would like, you can go with him to reach your destination faster."


    Lux nodded and gratefully epted King Uther''s suggestion.


    If it was him a year ago, he might have been worried that their enemies had several Saints among their Ranks.


    But now, Lux no longer cared how many Saints there were.


    In fact, he even wished they had more.


    The more Saints they had, the more subordinates he could obtain.


    He also wanted to make the Guild Master of Twilight Rain regret the day that he had targeted Lux.


    Cai and Princess Anastasia were not the only ones who liked to carry a grudge.


    Lux was just as petty as them.


    After talking for nearly half an hour, the Half-Elf joined Nevreal''s army.


    They wouldn''t be traveling on foot. Instead, they would use the one-way teleportation gate that they especially constructed in preparation for this all-out battle against Twilight Rain.


    Truth be told, Nevreal was worried that Lux might be killed when the Saints of Twilight Rain finally joined the battle.


    He wasn''t aware that the Half-Elf, who had an evil grin stered on his face, would be the key that would end the three-decade-long conflict between Twilight Rain and the Kingdom of Gweliven once and for all.

 Chapter 1036 Simply Courting Death!

    Chapter 1036 Simply Courting Death!


    Twilight Rain Underground Base��


    "To think that they managed to push us this far," Harrus, who had been the leader of the operation to kidnap Princess Anastasia, solemnly muttered. "But I think this is for the best. From here on out, it will be a battle of attrition. All our forces are gathered here, so it is possible for us to turn this situation in our favor."


    After failing his mission, the Brawler focused on strengthening himself.


    With consistent hard work and dedication, he managed to be an A-Ranker, allowing him to regain a bit of his reputation.


    "You''re right, Harrus," the Guildmaster of Twilight Rain, Magnar Vonmus Gweliven,mented. "Perhaps this is a turning point for us. As long as we decimate their High-Rankers in this battle, we will be able to march towards the Capital with ease."


    Magnar was the current Dwarf King''s Uncle. He had long been nning to usurp his nephew''s throne and be the King of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    He had been biding his time andying the groundwork for his rebellion. But for some reason, something would always happen that would force him and his organization to take a step back each time.


    Their Lycan Project was discovered too early, and all of the people working on the project were killed, losing the results of their research in the process.


    Targeting Aina, who had also yed a role in cleaning up some of their bases in the towns and cities of the Kingdom, also failed.


    Then the battle of Whitebridge City took ce. Although the Head of the Merchant Guild of Whitebridge City, Lucius, managed to survive, everything continued to go downhill from there.


    To make matters worse, his top executives, as well as the leaders of the different Merchant Guilds, who served as his spies and logistic managers, were assassinated one by one.


    This forced their expansion to be put on hold until they captured the Assassin responsible for killing their supporters.


    For all of this to happen, there could only be one exnation.


    There was a mole inside their organization, leaking valuable information to their enemies.


    Magnar did everything, but he was unable to determine who the spy was, which was perfectly normal.


    Twilight Rain was an organization that had tens of thousands of members that spanned the entirety of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Although Magnar was a Saint, he wasn''t an all-knowing Saint.


    He wasn''t aware that Lux had nted not just one, but four spies inside his organization.


    Two Assassins and two Merchants.


    They kept Lux updated about the movements of Twilight Rain.


    In fact, it was Scarlet who told the Half-Elf that the Kingdom of Gweliven had started to take aggressive actions toward their Guild.


    Unfortunately, during that time, Lux was busy giving the allies of the Divine Army a visit, so he didn''t have time to pay attention to the situation in the Dwarf Kingdom.


    Now that he was free from dealing with the Divine Army, he could shift his attention to his old enemies, who had no idea who was about to knock on their doorstep.


    "Fortify the hidden entrances of our Headquarters," Magnar ordered. "We have the territorial advantage. If they want to fight us, they will have to enter a ughterhouse first. We will make sure that they regret bringing the battle to our Main Headquarters!"


    """Yes!"""


    The Elders and Executives of Twilight Rain left the conference room to carry out Magnar''s orders.


    When everyone had left the conference room, three Dwarves wearing dark robes appeared in front of Magnar.


    "I have confirmed that the enemy has two Saints in their army," one of the ck-Robed Dwarves said. "Must we really wait until theye to us? Why don''t we just go to them instead?"


    "What''s the fun of doing that?" Magnar asked. "If we make your presence known, that nephew of mine in the Capital will be alerted. Who knows what he will do? It is highly likely that he will seek the help of the neighboring Kingdoms. If their Saints join this battle too early, the oue will be difficult to predict.


    "So our best course of action is to let them enter our Domain. Once inside, they will not know what hit them. Also, there will be no witnesses to report anything back to the capital."


    Magnar smiled evilly as he looked at the three individuals in front of him.


    These three Dwarves were his Secret Weapons, and all of them were Saints.


    With him added to the mix, Twilight Rain had a total of four Saints, which was already enough to take over the Kingdom if they used a Blitzkrieg Attack.


    But they didn''t choose this option. Instead, they wanted to eliminate the two Saints first before making a beeline to the Capital of the Kingdom.


    If they took King Uther by surprise, the fate of the Royal Family would be sealed, and Magnar would be the new King of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    While the Guild Master of Twilight Rain was discussing strategy with his Trump Cards, the Kingdom of Gweliven had restarted their offensive against Twilight Rain.


    ��������������


    At one of the hidden entrances of Twilight Rain''s Main Headquarters��


    "Man, I hope that we finally get some action soon," a Dwarf said as he sharpened his Axe. "I''m looking forward to killing some people."


    "True," another Dwarf agreed. "The Guild Master has raised the bounty on every enemy''s head. A thousand gold for Initiates, ten thousand Gold for Low Rankers, and a million gold coins for High-Rankers. A very profitable business, don''t you think?"


    "Indeed, very profitable."


    "Hah�� I hope we get some action soon."


    Suddenly, the gate they were guarding exploded, alerting the members of Twilight Rain.


    A momentter, a Boar entered the Gate, followed by a Dragon Born.


    "Come out Twilight Rain!" Cai shouted. "I havee here to stomp on your faces!"


    "Filthy Low Landers, I, Cethus, havee to destroy all of you," Cethus dered. "If you don''t want to die, all of you should kneel and beg for my forgiveness. This is the only option that you have to survive my wrath!"


    The two troublemakers were very confident that they could overpower their opponents because they had be stronger than before.


    They even started tough maniacally as a way to intimidate their opponents.


    However, when the two noticed that they were facing dozens of High-Rankers, all of whom had their weapons drawn, both of them almost choked on theirughter.


    "Bastards! We didn''te here to fight High Rankers!" Cethus shouted in anger. "Bring out your Initiates and Low Rankers! Fight us fair and square!"


    "Juniors, you dare?! We only bully the weak and fear the strong!" Cai dered. "We are only here to fight the cannon fodders! Bring out your Apostles so I can step on them with my hoof!"


    Keane and Gerhart, who had also entered the gatest, couldn''t help but facepalm after hearing the two troublemakers'' demands.


    "Enough nonsense!" one of the High-Rankers shouted. "Kill them!"


    Just as Cai and Cethus were about to run away due to the difference in ranks, their enemies suddenly felt a strong pressure descend on their bodies holding them in ce.


    The two troublemakers then nced at the two beautiful Saintesses, who were standing behind their backs, paralyzing their enemies with their powerful presence.


    They were none other than the Saintess, Cleo, and the Oracle, Maeve.


    Lux had asked them to watch over Cai and the others and ensure that none of them got hurt.


    Seeing that two powerful Saints had arrived to back them up, Cai and Cethus nced at each other beforeughing out loud.


    "Hmph! You only brought out High-Rankers to deal with us? Filthy Low Landers," Cethus sneered. "Simply courting death!"


    "I expected more from Twilight Rain," Cai raised her chin in arrogance. "But it looks like I expected too much. I came here to fight strong opponents and not weaklings. However, since you still dare to stand in my way then eat my hoof!"


    "I AM CHARGING!"


    Cai no longer hesitated and charged at the High-Rankers, who couldn''t even lift a finger due to the pressure that was holding them in ce.


    Cethus took advantage of their situation as well and immediately unleashed his Gravity Domain, further adding to their opponent''s suffering.


    The two troublemakers then began to one-sidedly bash, punch, stomp, kick, headbutt, and body-mmed their unmoving targets with disdainful looks on their faces.


    They were like two Masters who felt contempt for having to fight against Ants, who didn''t know their ce in the world.


    Keane and Gerhart didn''t join the battle and simply crossed their arms over their chest.


    Clearly, they didn''t want to participate in this farce and simply allowed Cai and Cethus to bully the High-Rankers, who had no choice but to ept their pitiful fate.

 Chapter 1037 I Will Teach You The Proper Way To Use An Axe

    Chapter 1037 I Will Teach You The Proper Way To Use An Axe


    "Are you sure your friends are going to be safe?" Nevreal asked Lux, who had apanied him to infiltrate the Main Headquarters of Twilight Rain through a different entrance.


    "Don''t worry," Lux replied. "They are in good hands."


    "Well, if you say so." Nevreal shrugged as he and his men continued to travel deeper into the hidden passage.


    A momentter, the middle-aged dwarf suddenly stomped his foot on the ground, forming a wall of Earth in front of him.


    Several bolts, coated with poison, mmed on the Earth Wall that Nevreal had summoned at thest moment.


    Lux, who had also noticed the bolts, didn''t do anything because he wanted to see just what Nevreal was capable of.


    Simr to Lux, the middle-aged Dwarf was now an A-Ranker.


    A-Rankers, S-Rankers, and SS-Rankers all fell under the category of High-Rankers.


    These were the people who had the possibility of bing Saints. However, the majority of them would get stuck at this level for the rest of their lives.


    Nevreal was one of those people.


    With his age, the highest rank he could reach was S-Rank.


    That was his limit, and he would never be a Saint unless he got the support of the Kingdom of Gweliven, allowing him to advance in Rank by fighting strong Monsters with a team and consuming their Beast Cores.


    "Prepare for battle!" Nevreal shouted as he charged forward while reinforcing the Earth Wall in front of him, treating it as a portable shield that he could use to ram his enemies.


    The members of Twilight Rain deemed that ambushing them in the narrow passage was no longer possible due to Nevreal''s strategy.


    Aware of this, all of them retreated until they arrived in a spacious cavern.


    They then positioned themselves in preparation to attack the iing group from every direction.


    They waited, and waited, and waited until they felt that something was wrong.


    Just as they were wondering if their opponent was going to charge out of the passage or not, they heard the sound of footsteps.


    Half a minuteter, Asmodeus emerged from the passageway and walked inside the spacious cavern as if he were just taking a stroll in the park.


    "Well then, time to clean this up," Asmodeus said before pping his hand.


    Immediately, his two loyal subordinates, Morpheus (Death Tyrant) and Ithaqua, appeared beside him.


    A blizzard materialized inside the cavern, catching the hundreds of Initiates and Rankers by surprise.


    Visibility had suddenly plunged to zero, and at that exact moment, a vileughter that gave everyone goosebumps reached their ears.


    Morpheus, who could perfectly see through the blizzard, unleashed a barrage of Death Rays at their opponents. Ithaqua also didn''t hesitate to grab and shred anything within its range.


    Diablo, Ishtar, and Lazarus, also joined the fray, quickly decimating their enemies with chilling efficiency.


    A minuteter, the blizzard disappeared.


    Nevreal and his men could only look at the aftermath of the battle with solemn expressions on their faces.


    "You''ve gotten stronger since thest time I saw you," Nevreal said to Lux, who had his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Oh, you''ve seen nothing yet," Lux replied with a smile.


    Clearly, this was nowhere near the extent of what he was capable of.


    Truth be told, he could have ended Twilight Rain by himself. However, he decided to hold himself back.


    For the Dwarves, this battle held great significance.


    In short, this was their battle.


    As an outsider, he was allowed to help. But at the end of the day, the ones who should settle this battle were the Dwarves themselves.


    He could tell through Nevreal''s demeanor and bodynguage that regardless of how many of his men died today, they would put an end to Twilight Rain''s reign of terror once and for all.


    Advancing through the underground tunnels, Nevreal''s group finally arrived at an underground city.


    At the rear of this city was a castle made up of dark stone.


    This was the castle of Twilight Rain, where their Guild Master, Magnar, was staying.


    "For you to be able to arrive here is trulymendable, Nevreal," Magnar said as he looked at the Dwarven Army. "But you have pushed your luck too far. Before this day ends, this ce will be your tomb."


    "Oh, really?" Nevreal sneered before throwing a magic scroll to the ground. "The only one dying today is you."


    The magic scroll that had been thrown burst into mes, creating a golden magic circle on the ground.


    A momentter, two dwarves materialized in front of everyone.


    They were the two Saints, whom the Elf King had sent to eliminate his Uncle, who had repeatedly tried to overthrow his rule.


    "This battle ends here, Magnar," one of the Saints stated. "If you don''t want to die, surrender yourself peacefully!"


    "Very funny," Magnar chuckled. "I guess it''s time for all of you to understand that you have made a big mistake bying here."


    The Guild Master of Twilight Rain snapped his fingers, and three ck-robed individuals appeared beside him.


    "Kill!" Magnar ordered.


    Immediately, he and the three other Saints flew towards Nevreal''s forces in order to start a massacre.


    The two Saints, who belonged to the Kingdom of Gweliven, immediately understood that they had miscalcted the number of Saints that their enemies possessed.


    Because of this, they didn''t hesitate to issue emergency orders.


    "Retreat as fast as you can, Nevreal!" one of the Saints shouted. "We will hold them off!"


    The two Saints then erected a barrier in order to allow theirrades to escape.


    "Lux, we need to leave!" Nevreal urged while the rest of his soldiers entered the passageway in order to escape. "The barrier will not hold for long."


    As soon as Nevreal finished his words, a loud crack resounded in the surroundings, and one of the Saints that belonged to their side coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    "Hurry!" Nevreal grabbed Lux''s hand and was about to drag him away, but the Half-Elf didn''t budge, puzzling the middle-aged Dwarf.


    At that exact moment, the barrier that was holding back the four Saints of Twilight Rain shattered into pieces.


    "Die, fools!" Magnar shouted as he raised his great axe, intending to hack apart the Saint who had coughed up blood earlier.


    However, just as his axe was about to sever the Saint''s head, it was blocked by another axe.


    A much bigger axe, held by a bigger man who had blonde hair and blue eyes.


    "The name is Sion," Sion said as he casually pushed Magnar back using his axe. "I will teach you the proper way to use an axe."


    The Juggernaut of Agartha smiled evilly as his entire body started to grow in size.


    mes snaked around his arm that was holding his axe, making the Saints of Twilight Rain feel pressured.


    Lux helped the injured Saint to drink a Rejuvenation Potion to recover from his injuries. He was confident that Sion could deal with two Saints at once, allowing the two other Saints to battle the remaining two enemies on their own.


    Nevreal, who didn''t expect that another Saint would appear to help them, stood rooted on the spot.


    "Let''s go, Sir Nevreal," Lux said as he patted the middle-aged Dwarf''s shoulder. "While the Saints are fighting, let''s use this opportunity to decimate the Elders and Executives of Twilight Rain."


    Lux didn''t even wait for Nevreal''s reply before he picked up the Dwarf and ran towards the passage.


    There were many other paths aside from the one that they had taken, and they led to the locations of the other top-ranking officials of Twilight Rain.


    Of course, this was just an excuse.


    Lux had sent Lazarus and Draven to secretly enter the Pce of Twilight Rain in order to rob them of their treasures.


    Although he would allow the Dwarves to get the victory they deserved, he nned to collect his rewards for helping them ovee the Trump Cards of their enemies.


    If Nevreal only knew that the Half-Elf was taking him away from the battlefield so that he wouldn''t see his banditry, the middle-aged Dwarf would definitely throw a tantrum and give the Half-Elf the middle finger.


    Fortunately, he wasn''t aware of Lux''s n and was even touched, thinking that the red-headed teenager cared for his safety.


    While this was happening, Cai and Cethus were also making short work of the enemies they came across within the undergroundbyrinth.


    While the Top Dogs were fighting toe to toe in the underground city, the bulk of the members of Twilight Rain and the Army of the Kingdom of Gweliven now shed with each other.


    Shields broke.


    Weapons shattered.


    And blood spilled like a river.


    Everyone fought for what they believed in, and soon, the oue of the greatest battle within the Kingdom of Gweliven would enter its final stages.

 Chapter 1038 Time To End This Farce [Part 1]

    Chapter 1038 Time To End This Farce [Part 1]


    "Kill these bastards!" Harrusmanded as he took the lead to sh against the Dwarf Army, which had managed to break their first line of defense.


    Just like their Guild Master, Harrus was confident of winning the war, thinking that they had more Saints on their side.


    Little did he know, his Guild Master was currently dealing with a powerful Saint who hailed from the Kingdom of Agartha.


    Sion, whom Lux had summoned to deal with the leader of the Dark Guild, was having the time of his life, fighting against two Saints at the same time.


    The Guildmaster and the Vice Guild Master of Twilight Rain were both Axe users.


    As someone wielding the same weapon, Sion wanted to show his two enemies that, even if they teamed up to fight against him, he would still emerge victorious.


    The two Dwarf Saints from the Kingdom of Gweliven were busy dealing with the other two Saints who belonged to Twilight Rain.


    The Dwarf Saints were evenly matched against their opponent, leading to a stalemate in the central region of Twilight Rain''s Headquarters.


    Of course, Harrus didn''t know this.


    He simply fought against the enemies that were right in front of him and massacred as many people as he could.


    As a Brawler, Harrus was in his element when he was deep behind enemy lines. Anyone within the reach of his fists and feet would find themselves hard-pressed to defend against the High-Ranker, who was currently in a frenzy.


    Harrus was simr to Sion and Eiko.


    They were all battle junkies and enjoyed fighting more than negotiating with their foes.


    Just as Harrus was about to kill one of the Captains of the Dwarf Army, he sensed a presence, about to attack him from the side.


    The Brawler immediately raised his wrist guards to block the iing attack and nted his feet firmly to the ground.


    Lux recognized Harrus and locked onto the other party''s position, initiating a sneak attack while thetter was busy dealing with the Captain of the Dwarf Army.


    The Half-Elf''s foot collided with the wrist guard, sending Harrus skidding several meters across the ground.


    However, the Brawler was unhurt from the exchange and looked at the one who attacked him with surprise.


    "It''s you!" Harrus shouted. "You finally showed yourself, Randolph!"


    (A/N: When Lux fought Harrus for the first time, he introduced himself as Randolph. This made his Dwarven Master very annoyed with him because his ungrateful Disciple was stirring up trouble using his name!)


    "Yes, it is I," Lux replied.


    He didn''t even bother to correct the misunderstanding he caused long ago.


    For him, it didn''t really matter whether Harrus called him Randolph, Rudolph, or Santa. Before this day was over, he would beughing "Ho Ho Ho" because he had long wanted to settle his score with the Brawler, who currently had the same rank as him.


    Lux was currently an A-Ranker just like Harrus.


    However, there was a big difference between them.


    Harrus was a battle-hardened warrior, specializing in Melee Combat.


    On the other hand, the Half-Elf was an all-rounder, making the Dwarf stronger than him when it came to one-on-one battles.


    Even so, Lux decided to settle the score with the Brawler using his own method.


    "You will not escape me this time, Randolph!" Harrus shouted. "I will make you pay for what you did back then!"


    Lux didn''t say anything and simply made the e and get me" gesture with his right hand.


    The Brawler then roared as he jumped towards the Half-Elf with his fists zing with furious mes.


    The Half-Elf summoned Calypso, who immediately shed against Harrus, blocking his blow.


    "You are up to your tricks again!" Harrus bellowed before shing with Calypso again. "The only thing you are good at is hiding behind people! Fight me like a man if you dare!"


    At first, the Brawler thought that he could easily overpower Calypso. But, after their first exchange, he found out that the Living Armor wasn''t a pushover, and was effectively blocking his attacks with its metallic body.


    While this was happening, Lux would asionally throw a bone spear, forcing Harrus to dodge to the side and ept one of Calypso''s counterattacks.


    The Half-Elf''s attacks were so precise that it annoyed the hell out of the Dwarf, who wanted nothing more than to rip the red-headed teenager''s body apart.


    Lux snickered internally, having fun with purposely toying with his enemy.


    Back then, Harrus was someone who could easily defeat him with a single p of his hand.


    But, now, Lux wouldn''t even need to lift a finger to turn the arrogant Brawler into meat paste, courtesy of one of his Cmity-Ranked Monsters.


    However, he decided not to do that.


    He nned to annoy the Dwarf High-Ranker until Harrus puked blood out of sheer frustration for not being able to punch the devilish smile off of Lux''s face.


    As the battle progressed, the Dwarf found himself being slowly pushed back by the Half-Elf and his Summon, who were working in tandem tond blows on his body.


    Nevreal, who was paying attention to Lux''s battle, couldn''t help but be surprised because the Half-Elf had grown stronger and improved a lot since thest time he saw him fight.


    Seeing that the red-headed teenager didn''t need any help, Nevreal focused his attention onmanding his troops to decimate the High-Rankers of the opposing side.


    Lux, who didn''t want his side to suffer too many casualties summoned Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Revon, Zagan, and Shax to target the enemy High-Rankers.


    He had also summoned the Doom Knight Gangbangers and the Fortress Defenders to help the Vanguard push their enemies back.


    With such a powerful lineup, the forces of Twilight Rain found themselves unable to mount an effective counter-attack due to the Undead Monsters, who didn''t fear death.


    Soon, Harrus found himself surrounded on all sides, with a few Fortress Defenders blocking his path of escape.


    The Brawler almost puked out blood when he saw Lux calmly sipping a cup of tea while casting Dark Bullets in his direction.


    Reaching the limit of his anger, Harrus'' body turnedpletely red as he activated his Berserk Ability, raising all of his stats by 300%.


    He then charged towards Calypso and threw a punch at her face.


    Calypso hurriedly assumed a defensive position to block the attack. However, the Brawler used a feint to trick her into that position.


    Using this opportunity, Harrus ran past Calypso and reappeared two meters away from the Half-Elf, whom he wanted to kill.


    He knew that he only had one chance to overturn the situation. Because of this, he didn''t hesitate to unleash his strongest attack that would end his enemy''s life once and for all.

 Chapter 1039 Time To End This Farce [Part 2]

    Chapter 1039 Time To End This Farce [Part 2]


    Lux didn''t even look in the Dwarf''s direction and continued to drink his tea.


    Despite the fact that Harrus had thrown caution in the air and used his strongest attack, the Half-Elf remained indifferent.


    "Die!" Harrus roared as he threw the punch containing all of his strength.


    Just before his attack reached his target, a giant shield smashed against the side of his body, sending him smashing towards the wall of the cavern.


    Lux''s Corpse God had materialized to defend his Master from harm, using its shield to bash Harrus away.


    The current Lux didn''t really need to lift a finger to deal with the Brawler because his subordinates were already enough to deal with him.


    He simply wanted to make the High-Ranker think that he had a chance of winning against him, so he acted the way he did��allowing Harrus to get near him.


    Lowering his teacup to the small table beside him, Lux raised his hand and Calypso transformed into the Spear of Longinus.


    The Half-Elf stood up and pulled back his arm while aiming the tip of the Spear at the Dwarf, who had propped himself up from the ground while looking at him in disbelief.


    "Pierce through the void," Lux said with a sneer.


    "Spear of Longinus!"


    The Divine Weapon zed in golden mes as it flew towards its target with the force of a rail gun.


    Harrus roared as he punched forward, using all the strength that remained in his body.


    He knew that if he didn''t do this, he would definitely die from the might of the attack that was headed in his direction.


    A powerful explosion shook the underground base as Harrus'' fist shed against the tip of the Spear of Longinus.


    But a secondter, the Spear pierced through the Brawler''s fist,pletely disintegrating Harrus'' right arm in the blink of an eye.


    His pained cry spread into the surroundings, bringing despair to his allies, who were hoping that one of their Elders would be able to turn the tide of battle in their favor.


    Unfortunately for them, Lux had been toying with them from the very start.


    Seeing Harrus'' pitiful state, Lux stopped ying. With a snap of his finger, an Earth Spike pierced through the Brawler''s chest.


    The blow was an inch away from his heart, but it wouldn''t change the fact that it was still a fatal blow that would make the Dwarf bleed to death.


    "I don''t really need any A-Rankers right now, but I will make an exception just for you," Lux said with a smile. "Rejoice, Harrus. You will now be a subordinate of the very person you wished to kill."


    Harrus wanted to tell the Half-Elf that he would never get his way. But instead of words, only blood came out of his mouth.


    A momentter, a ck Coffin appeared in front of Harrus'', which made the Brawler''s body uncontrobly shudder.


    His instincts were screaming at him that he mustn''t let himself be taken by the ck Coffin, whose lid had already slid open.


    Unfortunately, Harrus didn''t have any strength in his body to resist the shadowy hands that grabbed hold of him.


    He could only watch in horror when he saw countless faces within the darkness of the ck Coffin, allughing and looking at him with anticipation.


    They were the people and Monsters that ckfire had devoured after it became a Divine Artifact, and they were very happy to see that anotherrade would be joining them in their eternal suffering.


    A soundless scream filled with horror escaped Harrus'' lips as his entire body was devoured by ckfire.


    Simr to Lux, the ck Coffin now had higher standards and preferred to capture Saints, Supremes, Cmity, and Demigods.


    However, it didn''t mind taking Harrus as one of its Master''s ves.


    After all, tormenting those who wished for its Master''s demise was ckfire''s favorite pastime.


    It had given the Oracle of Light plenty of attention after it had devoured her.


    Not only did Maeve''s body and soul suffer under Lux''s hands, but ckfire also didn''t hold back in torturing her inside its personal domain.


    The ck Coffin thoroughly enjoyed converting the Oracle to be its Master''s most loyal ve, using Abyssal mes to torture her soul and break thest vestiges of her resistance.


    The current Maeve would now live and die for the sake of her new Master.


    Even if Lux ordered her to parade herself naked through the Kingdoms that were once allied with the Divine Army, the Oracle would happily do it without a second thought.


    For Maeve, Lux giving her orders was the greatest form of happiness that she could achieve in her new life.


    As long as she was useful to her Master, she would be willing to do anything.


    Even if thetter were to use her as a chair or a bed warmer, Maeve would do her best to fulfill her role without fail.


    If the Founder and the Sovereign of the Divine Army could see her now, they would only shake their heads bitterly due to what she had be.


    The once prouddy, who thought that everything under the Heavens was in the palm of her hands, was now reduced to being a tool by the very person whom she wanted to kill with every fiber of her being.


    The Half-Elf nced at the remaining members of Twilight Rain, who were still visibly shaken by what happened to one of their strongest Elders.


    ''Lazarus and Draven have finished looting the treasury of Twilight Rain,'' Lux mused after hearing the report of his two subordinates. ''Time to finally end this battle.''


    The Half-Elf raised his hand and smirked.


    "Arise!"


    Nevreal, who was forced to retreat after two High-Rankers had teamed up against him, suddenly felt several powerful presences appear where Lux was currently at.


    "You don''t feel like ying anymore?" Avernus asked in a teasing tone.


    The Dracolich was currently in his Demi-Dragon Form, releasing a pressure that made the faces of the members of Twilight Rain turn as pale as a candle.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Time to end this farce."


    "Fine." The Dracolich smirked as he walked towards the pitiful Rankers of Twilight Rain, who found themselves looking at an existence that they never expected would make an appearance in their battle against the forces of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Avernus, the ck Ogre, and the Golden-Eyed Naga all sneered at the lowly creatures who were about to meet their doom.


    Soon, the sounds of dying screams reverberated within the underground base.


    Nevreal and the Dwarf Army looked at the three Cmity-Ranked Monsters in horror as they began their one-sided massacre.


    The middle-aged Dwarf then looked at the Half-Elf, who had his arms crossed over his chest.


    As if sensing his gaze, Lux nced in Nevreal''s direction and winked at the Dwarf, making thetter''s body shudder uncontrobly.


    Truth be told, Nevreal was nning to demand that Lux return his ten million gold coins, which the Half-Elf had swindled from him.


    The middle-aged Dwarf then forced an awkward smile to appear on his face before winking back at the Half-Elf.


    This, in turn, made Lux''s body uncontrobly shudder.


    The impact of the wink that came from a middle-aged Dwarf, who had an awkward smile on his face, made the Half-Elf feel as if his chastity was in danger.


    Fortunately, he had already given his chastity to his fiance, Iris, and no longer had to worry about Nevreal''s attempt to flirt with him.


    If the Dwarf only knew what Lux was thinking, he might have gone batshit crazy out of anger and thrown caution into the wind.


    It was a good thing that neither of them knew what the other was thinking, so the two of them only chuckled as ifing to an understanding.


    While this was happening, Cai, Cethus, Keane, Gerhart, Cleo, and Maeve had also finished cleaning up the forces of Twilight Rain on their side.


    With the resistance of Twilight Rain steadily growing weaker, all of the forces made their way towards the Underground City, where the seven Saints were still duking it out with each other.

 Chapter 1040 There Are No If’s In This World [Part 1]

    Chapter 1040 There Are No If��s In This World [Part 1]


    Scarlet and Sean (Sid''s friend) fought side by side as they retreated with the other members of Twilight Rain toward their Inner City, where their Leaders were currently at.


    The two only dealt non-lethal injuries to their opponents, using daggers coated with powerful paralyzing agents that would make their foes unable to move for a few minutes.


    Both of them had to make it look like they were seriously trying their best to kill their enemies while making sure that none of them died.


    At the end of the day, they were the Half-Elf''s double agents, and killing the Rankers from the Kingdom of Gweliven wouldn''t do them any good.


    All the manpower of Twilight Rain had been recalled from their missions in order to reinforce the Main Headquarters.


    The pro of this strategy was that they were able to resist the full might of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    The con was that all of them were confined in the same ce, and they would never be able to escape if the enemies managed to overpower their defenses, and that was precisely their situation at that very moment.


    Of course, just like Harrus, all of them believed that they would still have the upper hand in the battle. After all, from what they knew, they had more Saints than their enemies.


    But this confidence disappeared the moment they arrived at their inner city and saw the battle between the Saints that was now heating up.


    The Guildmaster and Vice Guildmaster of Twilight Rain nced in the direction of their subordinates and frowned.


    ''They have been pushed all this way?'' Magnar thought before focusing his attention back on the Juggernaut of Agartha, whose blows were as heavy as a mountain.


    The Vice Guildmaster shared Magnar''s worries. If this same scenario had happened an hour ago, they would have easily dealt with the army of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    But now, they were unable to do anything because another Saint had appeared out of nowhere to help their enemies.


    The worst part of it all was that Sion was actually only a step away from bing a Supreme, making him a Pseudo-Supreme.


    This meant that he was more powerful than an ordinary Saint.


    Although he was facing the two strongest Saints of Twilight Rain, his enemies could only hold him back if they worked together.


    Just as Magnar thought that things couldn''t get any worse than their current situation, Cai''s group emerged from one of the passageways that led to the Inner City.


    "Are you ready, weaklings of Twilight Rain?!" Cai shouted with arrogance. "I, Cai, havee to stomp you all with my hoof! Remember my name when all of you visit the afterlife!"


    "Filthy Low Landers! I, Cethus, havee as well!" Cethus dered. "I will give you all a chance to kneel and beg for mercy. Those who do so will gain the right to be my ves. Death or very, choose wisely!"


    The two arrogant troublemakers stood like second-generation Rich Young Masters, who were only able to do anything with impunity due to the two Saints guarding their backs.


    If it wasn''t for Cleo and Maeve, the two would have already left the Headquarters of Twilight Rain with their tails tucked between their legs.


    The appearance of two more Saints broke the bnce of the battle, forcing the four Saints of Twilight Rain to distance themselves from their opponents in order to regroup.


    ''This is bad,'' Magnar thought. ''So those two Saints were the reason our forces have been pushed back this far.''


    The Guildmaster of Twilight Rain assumed that Cleo and Maeve were the main reason why they lost the initiative of the battle.


    However, he instantly knew that his assumptions were wrong when he felt three other strong presences arrive in the Inner City.


    Avernus, the ck Ogre, and the Golden-Eyed Naga appeared like the Big Shots that they were, and stared at the countless members of Twilight Rain, who no longer had a ce to run.


    Nevreal, who had also returned to the Inner City, couldn''t help but look in surprise upon seeing Cleo and Maeve in the distance.


    ''Just how many Saints does this brat have as his subordinates?'' Nevrael thought.


    Deep inside, he was truly shaken by the number of powerful individuals who were willing to obey Lux.


    His body subconsciously shuddered at the thought of Lux bing their enemy.


    If the Half-Elf decided to stab the Kingdom of Gweliven in the back, he would easily be able to do it due to how powerful his lineup was.


    Three Peak Cmity Ranked Monsters and three Saints.


    Lux''s Undead Army was not yet included in this number, and Nevreal had a feeling that the red-headed teenager was still hiding his full strength.


    Hypothetically, even if all the Rankers and High-Rankers of their Kingdom fought alongside their Saints, the oue of the battle was already decided before it even began.


    ''I need to report this to His Majesty,'' Nevreal pledged in his heart. ''Lux must never be our enemy no matter what. Fortunately, Princess Anastasia has a good rtionship with him. Maybe we can make him one of our Kingdom''s Protectors in exchange for her hand in marriage.''


    The King''s Right-Hand Man was busy thinking of possible scenarios that would help them forge stronger ties with the Half-Elf, who had be an Overlord in his eyes.


    Magnar and his Vice Guildmaster exchanged a nce. Since it had alreadye to this, there was only one thing that they could do, and that was to escape.


    As long as they lived, they were confident that they would be able to rebuild their organization from scratch.


    It might take three to four decades to regain their organization''s peak strength, but as long as they were alive, they would still be able to realize their goal.


    This time, they would no longer focus on the Kingdom of Gweliven and would extend their reach to their neighbors.


    Even if he had to shake hands with those who were eyeing the Dwarven Kingdom with greed, he would do it as long as he became its king!


    Magnar and his Vice Guildmaster both took a tablet out of their storage rings.


    This was an artifact that would allow them to teleport to a location that they had prepared beforehand.


    A safe ce where no one would be able to find them.


    "Today, you win," Magnar shouted in anger. "But in the future, it will be my turn to win! Tell your damnable King to wash his neck because I will definitely take the throne away from him!"


    Without another word, Magnar decisively broke the tablet to allow himself to escape.


    The tablet crumbled into pieces, but Magnar remained where he was, making him frown.


    His Vice Guildmaster had the same expression on his face, which made the two of them feel that something had gone terribly wrong.


    "nning to escape?"


    A teasing tone reached everyone''s ears.


    The members of Twilight Rain and their Four Saints nced in the direction where the voice hade from.


    There, they saw a Half-Elf with a devilish smile, looking down on all of them with an amused expression on his face.


    "You really thought that you could escape huh?" Lux sneered. "Sorry, but you''re not going anywhere, Mister."


    As soon as Lux finished talking, a beautiful Fox Lady appeared behind him and gave him a hug.


    "I have locked the space within this area," Hana said softly. "No one will be able to leave without my permission."


    Lux nodded. "You heard her. None of you are going anywhere. Twilight Rain''s ambition ends here."


    "Junior, you dare!" Magnar roared in anger as he charged towards Lux with a crazed look on his face.


    He had painstakingly built up his organization from scratch. They only needed one more year at most to set their n in motion, and the Crown of the Dwarf Kingdom would fall into his hands.


    However, this dream of his shattered in the face of the sudden variables that had appeared before him.


    "They never learn," Hana sighed before snapping her fingers.


    A momentter, the space around Magnar distorted, making him scream in pain.


    It was as if his body was being stabbed by invisible des, bringing him excruciating pain.


    But Lux wasn''t satisfied with this.


    He raised his hand and pointed in Magnar''s direction before using a skill that would further make the Guildmaster of Twilight Rain suffer.


    "Finger of Death!"


    A red lightning bolt erupted from the tip of Lux''s hand and collided with Magnar''s chest, making thetter scream as if his very soul was being burned in the mes of hell.

 Chapter 1041 There Are No If’s In This World [Part 2]

    Chapter 1041 There Are No If��s In This World [Part 2]


    ?


    The members of Twilight Rain, who saw their Guildmaster being tortured by the Half-Elf, felt their hearts shudder due to helplessness.


    Suddenly, one of the High-Rankers of Twilight Rain dropped their weapons and knelt on the ground.


    He then bowed in Lux''s direction, as if begging him to spare his life.


    A few secondster, more Dwarves from the Dark Organization dropped their weapons and knelt in Lux''s direction.


    A domino effect then took ce, and all the members of Twilight Rain knelt one by one.


    They already knew that fighting against Lux was hopeless, so they decided to surrender.


    The members of Twilight Rain hoped that Lux would show them mercy and simply capture them all.


    "Why are they bowing to him?" Cethus clicked his tongue. "Didn''t I say that they should kneel and beg for my mercy?"


    "Hmph! Why should they kneel to you?" Cai asked in disdain. "You''re just a Cethus! Do you think you are on the same level as Lux? Keep dreaming!"


    The Dragon Born looked at the Boar and felt betrayed.


    Just now, the two of them were on the same side.


    But now, Cai had shamelessly jumped to Lux''s bandwagon and even disdained the Dragon Born for his earlier attempt to make the members of Twilight Rain his ves.


    Lux ignored the members of Twilight Rain and simply focused his attention on the Four Saints in front of him.


    "Avernus, Sion, you know what to do," Lux said.


    The Dracolich chuckled before flying toward the direction of the Vice Guildmaster, thinking about how he should beat him up until he was half dead.


    Sion, on the other hand, was less forgiving and directly hacked off an arm of one of the Saints of Twilight Rain, who was rooted in ce.


    A blood-curdling wail spread in the surroundings as the Saint''s arm fell to the ground.


    The fourth Saint, who had broken out of his daze, flew toward one of the passageways in an attempt to escape.


    He understood that the battle was already lost, and there was simply no way for them to make aeback with the current situation.


    The only thing on the Saint''s mind was to preserve his life and hide from the Half-Elf, whose gaze was boring holes through his back.


    Originally, the Saint thought that Lux wouldn''t care whether he escaped or not because no one moved to block him to prevent him from reaching his destination.


    It was at this moment that he heard the whistling of the wind, which forced him to dodge to his right side.


    A secondter, a ck arrow flew harmlessly past his shoulder, making the Saint''s eye shrink due to how close it was.


    However, before he could even thank his lucky stars, another arrow pierced through his back.


    The Saint looked at the head of the arrow that was sticking out of his chest in disbelief.


    Soon, his skin started to turn ck as Maeve''s corruption arrow worked its magic.


    Anyone hit by her arrows would find themselves being corrupted by the Element of Destruction from inside their bodies until they turned to ashes.


    Maeve''s Bow and Arrow were Divine Weapons, simr to the Spear of Longinus.


    Because of this, very few individuals would be able to survive a direct hit from her.


    Unfortunately, the Saint under Twilight Rain wasn''t one of those people.


    Half a minuteter, the Saint''s left started turning into ash, and not longter, the corruption spread to the rest of his body.


    "Noooooooooooo!" the Saint shouted. "Have mercy! Please forgive me! I am willing to do anything! Just save meeeeeeeeee!"


    As if waiting for that moment, a ck Coffin appeared in front of the Dwarven Saint.


    The lid of the coffin opened, revealing a bottomless darkness that was darker than ck.


    Rows of text appeared in front of the Saint, which made him feel that hope was not lost.


    ������������������


    < If you want to be saved, jump right in. >


    < If you do, I''ll even restore your arms as a freebie. >


    ������������������


    ckfire''s words were like the temptation of a devil, who was offering an olive branch of salvation.


    The Saint didn''t hesitate and dove head-first inside the coffin. He knew that he could either take the chance offered to him or turn into ashes, leaving nothing behind.


    A childishughter reverberated in the surroundings as ckfire shifted its attention to the remaining three Saints from Twilight Rain.


    He knew that his Master had no intention of letting the Masterminds of the Organization get a second chance at life, so it approached the Saints like the Harbinger of Death, making their faces turn pale.


    Avernus stabbed one of the Saints in the chest with his ck sword, draining their life force.


    When he felt like the Dwarf was only a few seconds away from death, the Dracolich casually tossed the Saint inside ckfire as if he was just throwing out the trash.


    Sion dealt with the third Saint and also tossed thetter towards the ck Coffin that had wittily devoured him in Agartha.


    The Juggernaut had to admit that after ckfire converted him into one of Lux''s subordinates, the things that he couldn''t do back in Agartha were now bing a reality.


    Lux gazed at the pitiful Guildmaster of Twilight Rain, who was trapped in ce.


    This was the person who had given the order to have him and Aina assassinated back then.


    A person who held absolute power and could kill him just by snapping his fingers.


    Now, their roles had been reversed.


    He was now the one who held Magnar''s life in his hand.


    A life that would easily disappear with a snap of his fingers.


    "Anyst words?" Lux asked as he looked at the Saint, who was ring at him in anger.


    "I should have killed you when you were still an Apostle," Magnar said through gritted teeth. "If I only knew that you would be my downfall, I would have personally killed you myself!"


    Lux looked at Magnar in the eye before the corner of his lips rose into a smirk.


    "Unfortunately, there are no ifs in this world," Lux stated before snapping his fingers.


    Avernus, who had already positioned himself behind Magnar, thrust his de into the Dwarf''s back.


    The Dracolich then pulled his sword out, letting the once powerful man who terrorized the entirety of the Kingdom of Gweliven bleed to death.


    "I will see you�� in hell," Magnar said as blood dripped out of his lips.


    Lux sighed before shaking his head.


    "Why are all of you reserving a ce for me in hell?" Lux asked. "Do I look like someone who is about to kick the bucket?"


    "Um, maybe you''re too hot for them to handle," Caimented as she walked beside Lux. "I remember Iris saying that you almost melted her from the inside out after the two of you had se��mmmph!"


    The Half-Elf covered the Boar''s snout and prevented her from continuing what she was about to say.


    Lux knew that his fiance''s IQ would drastically decrease whenever she was in her Boar form, but there were things that she shouldn''t say even if she were stupid, especially in front of his friends and acquaintances.


    ''I''ll deal with youter, Cai,'' Lux said to the boar through telepathy. ''I''ll make sure to melt you from the inside out.''


    ''�� I didn''t know you were into bestiality,'' Cai replied in a surprised tone. ''I mean, I love you with all of my heart, so if you want it, I am up for it as well.''


    Lux almost choked on his saliva after hearing the Boar''s reply. Because of this, he decided to punish her after he was done with this ce.


    "Avernus, Sion, Cleo, and Maeve, assist Sir Nevreal in dealing with the prisoners," Lux ordered. "Scarlet, Sean, both of you assist them as well."


    ""Yes, Master.""


    The two Assassins finally made their voices heard, surprising their colleagues in Twilight Rain.


    Soon, the Army of the Kingdom of Gweliven rounded up all the survivors and tied their High-Rankers up with magical chains.


    As for the Low Rankers? They didn''t dare to make a move to escape.


    In front of three Cmity-Ranked Monsters and five Saints, their chances of escaping were zero.


    After making sure that everything was finally dealt with, Lux grabbed the talkative Boar and teleported back to his Guild Headquarters.


    Cai then returned to her human form and was about to apologize to Lux. However, the Half-Elf didn''t give her the chance.


    Soon, the High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe found herself melting from the inside out as Lux punished her until she passed out with a satisfied smile on her face.

 Chapter 1042 Determination Of The Heart [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1042 Determination Of The Heart [Part 1]</h4>


    It had been three days since Lux helped Nevreal deal with the members of Twilight Rain.


    With the greatest threat in their kingdom finally rooted out of the ground, peace finally returned to the Dwarf Kingdom.


    The Half-Elf was currently making his way to the Royal Pce because the King had asked to meet him.


    But, before he arrived at the throne room, Princess Anastasia ambushed him, once again jumping into his arms.


    Lux reflexively spread his arms wide to catch the adorable Dwarf Princess, but Princess Anastasia had other ns in her mind.


    She had controlled the force of her jump, and shended gracefully a step away from the Half-Elf''s body.


    She then grabbed Lux''s right hand and dipped his thumb in a bottle filled with ink.


    A momentter, Millie appeared with two scrolls, one in each hand.


    At a speed that would put The sh to shame, Princess Anastasia pressed Lux''s thumb against the two scrolls, leaving his thumbprint behind.


    Millie then vanished without a trace, leaving Lux tilting his head in confusion.


    Everything happened too fast, so he had no idea what just transpired in front of him.


    Then, as if nothing had happened, Princess Anastasia lovingly wiped the ink from the Half-Elf''s hand with her handkerchief, removing the ink from it.


    "Let''s go, Sir Lux!" Princess Anastasia held Lux''s hand and pulled him in the direction of the throne room. "Father is waiting for us."


    Lux didn''t resist and allowed the Dwarf Princess to pull him. He still had no idea about what happened just now, but he had a feeling that he would soon find out after meeting with King Uther.


    When Lux arrived at the throne room, the guards bowed respectfully before opening the gate.


    They had heard that Lux yed a vital role in subjugating Twilight Rain, and this earned him the respect of the guards, who were very loyal to their Kingdom.


    "Father, I brought Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia announced as soon as she entered the Throne Room, making the King smile at his daughter.


    Nevreal was also inside the throne room, standing beside the seated Dwarf King. He gave Lux a brief nod, to which the Half-Elf responded with a nod of his own.


    "Lux, before anything else, I would like to thank you for what you did for my kingdom." King Uther rose up from his throne and gave Lux a bow. "Without you, Twilight Rain might have won this war, recing me as the King of this Kingdom. I am truly grateful for what you did, not only for my people but for my family as well."


    Ever since he was crowned King, Uther had never bowed his head to anyone.


    But what Lux did was truly exceptional, and he felt that there was no shame in giving the Half-Elf the respect and gratitude that he deserved.


    After doing that gesture, he once again sat on his throne and spoke like the King he was.


    "For your exceptional contribution to our Kingdom, I hereby dere you Duke Kaizer," King Uther stated. "I will bestow upon you anynd that you wish to have. Not only that, the Kingdom will also open its treasury for you, allowing you to pick three treasures of your choice.


    "Truth be told, this isn''t nearly enough to repay you for what you have done for us. So I made a very hard decision. From this day onwards, I will recognize you as my daughter, Princess Anastasia''s, fiance. May you and my daughter live a happy life together. Please, take good care of her, Lux. She means the world to me."


    Princess Anastasia blushed as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf, who stood rooted in the spot.


    To summarize the situation, it seemed like he was suddenly forced into a shotgun wedding without his consent. Lux didn''t react and wondered if King Uther was speaking a foreign but simr-soundingnguage.


    "Your Majesty, thank you for the rewards that you bestowed upon me," Lux replied. "But there is no need for you to marry off your daughter to me. I already have eight lovers, so I''m not sure if it''s appropriate to force Princess Anastasia to marry me. I will just take the other rewards, and I thank you for your generosity."


    King Uther smiled. "Anastasia, you heard him. He already has eight lovers. Do you still want to be with him?"


    "Of course, I do," Princess Anastasia answered in a heartbeat. "Since he already has more than five lovers, adding one more won''t make a difference."


    "You heard her, William," King Uther looked at the Half-Elf, who had a troubled expression on his face. "My daughter doesn''t care even if you have eight lovers. I also give you and her my blessing."


    "Um, Sir, my name isn''t William," Lux replied. "You got the wrong person. I''m not the Half-Elf with 47 wives."


    "My bad," King Uther smiled. "My memory isn''t that good."


    King Uther chuckled, which made Nevreal, who was standing beside him, smile.


    It was the middle-aged dwarf''s idea to make Princess Anastasia marry Lux so that their Kingdom would have a very strong person to protect it from any future threats.


    If it had been brought up in the past, King Uther would have definitely rejected this proposal without thinking. However, as a father, he already knew that his daughter really liked the Half-Elf ever since thetter had rescued her from the members of Twilight Rain.


    Also, he agreed with Nevreal. Lux was a very powerful individual.


    Although the Kingdom of Gweliven was quite far from the center of Elysium, the Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild in Aeronwen had heard of Lux''s aplishments against the Divine Army of Light. The Pce was also in the Capital City, Aeronwen, so the Guildmaster quickly rted the information he got to the King.


    At first, King Uther and Nevreal didn''t want to believe it. But, since they had known the Guildmaster for a long time, they had no choice but to believe it!


    Also, Lux had three Peak Cmity-Ranked Monsters and three Saints as his subordinates.


    And that wasn''t all.


    The Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild had mentioned that Lux hadn''t shown his full power when he fought against Twilight Rain.


    When he told them that the Half-Elf hadmand over Hundreds of Cmity-Ranked Monsters and had even made the Beast King his subordinate, King Uther''s and Nevreal''s eyes turned bloodshot.


    Knowing this, the two Dwarves decided that no matter what happened, they needed to do their best to make Lux a part of the Royal Family.


    The only way to do that was through marriage.


    It just so happened that Princess Anastasia was already in love with Lux, so this was a perfect opportunity to tie the knot and make the Half-Elf his son-inw.


    Princess Anatasia walked towards Lux and grabbed his hand. She then looked up at him with a sweet smile on her face, making the Half-Elf feel his heart waver slightly.


    However, since he already had many lovers, he decided to be firm and politely reject her advances.


    But before he could say these words of rejection towards the princess, Anastasia spoke before he did.


    "Sir Lux, where do you want to have our honeymoon?" Princess Anastasia asked. "There is a wonderful city that is surrounded by waterfalls andkes in our kingdom, I think that is a good ce to spend some quality time together."


    Lux blinked once then twice as he looked at the Princess who was looking up at him.


    "What honeymoon?" Lux asked. "I''m sorry, Princess, but it will be best for you to find another person to marry. You deserve someone better than me."


    "But there is no one better than you, Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia replied.


    "I''m sure there are." Lux lightly patted Anatasia''s head. "The world is a big ce. You will eventually find someone who will love you with all of his heart, and you will love him as well with all of your heart."


    Princess Anastasia then firmly shook her head. "Perhaps a day ago that is still possible. But, now, it''s impossible, Sir Lux."


    "Impossible?" Lux arched an eyebrow. "How?"


    Princess Anastasia smiled before looking in the direction of Nevreal.


    The middle-aged Dwarf nodded and walked toward the Half-Elf holding a scroll in his hand.


    Lux looked at the familiar-looking scroll, and a bad feeling arose in his heart.


    "Here you go, Lux," Nevreal said as he handed the scroll to the Half-Elf. "Wee to the family."


    The red-headed teenager looked at the middle-aged Dwarf weirdly before opening the scroll that was given to him, which was tied by a golden string and sealed with the mark of the King of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

 Chapter 1043 Determination Of The Heart [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1043 Determination Of The Heart [Part 2]</h4>


    Lux''s body stiffened the moment his gazended on the contents of the scroll.


    The big bold words that said "Certificate of Marriage" made his heart shudder as he read the rest that was written in the scroll.


    ����������������������-


    This is to certify that I, Lux Von Kaizer, and Anastasia Von Gweliven, by virtue of this license, required by Law and the Temple of the Gods, are united in the holy bonds of matrimony.


    ����������������������-


    His gaze thennded on the names of the witnesses who had signed the Marriage Certificate without his approval.


    ����������������������


    Witnesses:


    DiegoMysteries


    DaoistGoldenSin


    Elyon


    r0cket


    Jack_Gordon


    TheOneWhoSeek


    RedGhost_Fireme


    Jesse_Boyer


    Prince_Nuada


    EvilMoo


    Harsh_Raj_Singh2745


    CharredWoolf


    Peacestolero


    Joannichole


    Etheral_assassin


    TehHawks


    Lawlzie


    Jack_Barron


    Robert_Hines


    MiasmaLotus


    ShadowedKing


    PolAr_BeAR


    Camren_Kalb


    MchaiWolfe


    Keayre_Stephenson


    CelestialFaith


    Rambo1994


    Benjamin_Green


    darkde875


    tmcginty1120


    Cfmellow


    joejambul


    Generated05


    Drakars41


    Zion_Hoston


    Mystic Matt


    Lord_Belly


    darthkrow13


    neminem


    Monster Girl Harem King


    Joethedeath


    ����������������������


    ''Just who dafuk are these people?'' Lux scratched his head as he looked at the names who served as the witnesses of the marriage contact. ''I don''t even know them!''


    (A/N: to those who want their names added to the names of Witnesses, post ament in thement section.)


    But that was the least of his worries.


    The King had also signed the marriage certificate, and at the very bottom of it was Princess Anastasia''s thumbprint.


    Right beside it was Lux''s own thumbprint, making the Half-Elf understand just what the adorable princess had done earlier.


    Seeing his dumbfounded expression, Nevreal handed another scroll to Lux, which made the corner of his lips twitch after reading its contents.


    This time, it was a marriage contract, which included the prenuptial and postnuptial agreement between him and Princess Anastasia.


    When Lux saw the names of the two witnesses that were listed on the marriage contract, he almost ripped it apart.


    ��������������


    Witnesses:


    Eriol


    Macuilxochitl (Max for short).


    ��������������


    At the very bottom of the contract, his and Princess Anastasia''s thumbprints could be seen.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry after understanding everything that happened.


    He then looked at the Princess, who was no longer smiling back at him.


    This time, the adorable Dwarf was looking at him with a solemn expression on her face.


    "Sir Lux, know that I am serious about this," Princess Anastasia said. "I really want to be your fiancee. Although what I did earlier is uneptable, know that this was just my desperate attempt to be with you.


    "If you really feel that I have no ce in your heart, then just tell me. I will burn these scrolls, and both of us can pretend that none of this happened."


    Anastasia''s voice almost broke apart when she said thest words of her sentence. Still, she stood firm and looked at the Half-Elf with an affectionate gaze.


    Lux could see that the corners of her eyes were moist as if she was holding back her tears.


    He also saw her hands resting over her skirt trembling, making the Half-Elf sigh in his heart.


    Earlier, he was truly on the verge of rejecting her proposal, but seeing how determined Princess Anastasia was, he felt himself hesitating.


    "�� Let me ask my Fiancees about it," Lux said. "I would also like to show them these certificates if you don''t mind."


    Princess Anatasia nodded before lowering her head.


    She was really doing her best to hold back the tears in her eyes, making King Uther, Nevreal, and Millie, want to give her a hug.


    But Lux was a step faster than them and pulled Princess Anatasia close to him.


    "It''s fine, everyone in this room will momentarily be blind," Lux said softly. "None of them will see anything for the next few minutes. So you are free to do whatever you want in that time."


    King Uther, Nevreal, and Millie smiled at each other.


    Although they wanted to stay inside the room, they all decided to leave, so that Princess Anastasia wouldn''t feel too conscious of their presence.


    The moment the three people left the throne room, the adorable princess'' tears finally fell.


    She wrapped her arms around Lux''s waist and cried.


    When her father had asked her two days ago whether she wanted to get married to Lux, she readily said yes. She had been dreaming about this for a long time, and her father bringing up the topic made her very excited. It was simply a dreame true.


    Because of this, she asked Millie to go to the Temple of the Gods with her and ask the High Priestess to give her a Marriage Certificate.


    After that, he asked Nevreal for help in drafting a Marriage Contract.


    When everything was ready, she told Millie about the strategy they would use once Lux arrived.


    She had even practiced her jump and asked her brother, Robin, for help.


    Of course, Robin wanted his sister''s happiness, so he allowed himself to be used as target practice until his fingers were all covered in ink.


    Countless scrolls were wasted as Princess Anastasia practiced to perfect her strategy.


    Of course, she knew that what she was doing would be for naught if Lux really strongly opposed marrying her.


    His rejection made her feel anxious, but after what happened in Wolfpine Barony, she decided that she would live her life to the fullest.


    She didn''t want to regret the decisions she didn''t make.


    Even if Lux were to really reject her, at least she could tell herself with confidence that she had done her best.


    She went above and beyond her means to gain his approval. So, regardless of the oue, she would stand by her choice and ept it, even if it meant breaking her heart.


    A few minutes passed in silence as Princess Anastasia cried silently while holding onto Lux.


    The Half-Elf was quite surprised with the strength of her hold on him.


    He had a feeling that even if he tried his best to pry her from his body, she would continue to hug him as if her life depended on it.


    Half an hourter, Princess Anastasia finally let go of him and took a step back.


    She then made a curtsy towards Lux before turning around.


    The Princess of the Kingdom then walked toward the Gate of the throne room with steady steps.


    However, before she left, she said something that made Lux look at the wrist.


    "I am d that you''re still using the gift that I gave you," Princess Anastasia said without looking back. "Thank you, Sir Lux, for everything."


    After saying those words, the princess opened the gate and closed it behind her, leaving Lux all alone inside the throne room.


    A sigh escaped his lips as he looked at the Mithril Bracelet on his wrist.


    This was a gift that Princess Anastasia had given him long ago, telling him that it was a good luck charm.


    The bracelet could block one attack of a Low-Ranker every ten minutes, and it was considered one of the treasures of the Kingdom.


    Princess Anastasia had given this to Lux because she was worried that the Half-Elf would get hurt if a Ranker ever fought against him.


    Back then, Lux was just an Initiate, and now, he had long outranked the capabilities of the bracelet.


    Even so, he still wore it because it was a gift given to him by the Princess, whom he had saved in the past.


    Although it had several cracks in its surface, this precious gift had apanied Lux on his journey, bearing witness to the hardships that he had experienced in life.


    He then looked at the Marriage Contract and the Marriage Certificate in his hands before turning into particles of light.


    Just as he mentioned, he needed to talk with Iris and Cai first.


    Depending on their decision, he would return to the Kingdom of Gweliven to give the Princess a proper answer to her feelings.


    ��------------


    (A/N: This is the first time that I''m going to do this in this novel. It will be up to you guys if Princess Anastasia bes Lux''s fiance. State your answer in the Comment Section!)


    ��------------


    Author''s other Stories.


    Wizard World Irregr - (Ongoing) �C You won''t find this novel in my profile, so search for it manually.


    Reincarnated with the Strongest System - (Completed)

 Chapter 1044 Iris’ and Cai’s Decision [Part 1]

    Chapter 1044 Iris�� and Cai��s Decision [Part 1]


    Upon Lux''s return to his Guild Headquarters, he immediately informed Iris and Cai about what happened in the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    His two fiances patiently listened to him until he finished exining everything.


    A few minutester, Iris arrived at Lux''s Guild Headquarters so that they could talk about it more in detail.


    Since Cai was in the Floating Ind right from the very beginning, she simply waited for Iris toe inside Lux''s room.


    After making sure that Lux didn''t leave out any details about what had happened in the throne room, his two fiances talked to each other in private.


    However, they made sure to get the Marriage Certificate and the Marriage Contract from the Half-Elf.


    Of course, Lux didn''t resist and handed it to them and watched the twodies whom he loved very much leave the room so that they could discuss their verdict on Princess Anastasia''s gutsy move.


    Cai had been part of the Princess'' kidnapping incident and had even been kidnapped herself in the process.


    Even so, her understanding of the girl wasn''t that much. Back then, she was yet to be Lux''s fiance, and her experiences in the Kingdom of Gweliven were both exciting and frightening at the same time.


    Because of this, she had no time to get to know the kidnapped Princess and, at most, Cai could only treat her as an acquaintance.


    Iris, who was perplexed and amused by the Princess'' move, could tell that Anastasia was serious. At least, she was serious in her pursuit of Lux.


    Someone who only had shallow feelings wouldn''t go as far as she did, sealing the deal by securing a Marriage Certificate and a Marriage Contract.


    Because of this, Iris and Cai decided to talk to Aina using the Guild Chat Function.


    The Princess of the Xeno Kingdom was still managing her Guild as its Guildmaster while staying in Lux''s Guild as a member.


    Aina''s reasoning for joining Heaven''s Gate was really simple.


    The first was that she couldmunicate with Lux anytime and anywhere.


    The second was that it allowed her to visit Lux''s Guild Headquarters to meet up with him.


    The third was that if ever she wanted to meet the Half-Elf while thetter was traveling, she could ask Lux to summon her to his side, allowing the two of them to spend some quality time with each other.


    Also, the passive Guild Buffs that she received from Heaven''s Gate weren''t something to sneeze at.


    In fact, she was tempted to migrate her entire guild into Heaven''s Gate, allowing her Guild Members to benefit from being able to join the one-and-only Mythical Guild in the World of Sis and Elysium.


    Lux told her that he didn''t mind if Aina pushed through with this decision. In the end, he would simply let Aina retain control of her Guild Members and let them operate like before.


    Since Aina was his Fiancee, it really didn''t matter if he tookmand of the Guild Members of Eternal or not.


    Aina could simplymand them as one of Lux''s Commanders, and everyone would fall in line without a problem.


    In fact, Aina was just about to propose to her Guild Members to migrate to Heaven''s Gate when she received Iris'' message, informing her of what had happened in the kingdom of Gweliven.


    "She did what?" Aina asked in the same monotonous voice that she always used when talking to someone.


    She was still finding it hard to change her facial expressions, but her emotions could now be seen in her eyes, although they would only manifest themselves whenever she was with Lux.


    "She used Lux''s thumbprints to legalize her Marriage Certificate and Marriage Contract," Iris answered. "I just want to ask you what you know about the Princess of the Kingdom of Gweliven."


    Aina was quite surprised that the Princess, whom she got along with, would resort to such tactics to make herself one of Lux''s Fiancees.


    But, after thinking about it, she thought that it was just a natural thing. In her eyes, Lux was a very handsome and charismatic person. It was very normal fordies to fall for him after interacting with him for a time.


    Of course, she wouldn''t deny that she was truly in love with Lux, so her feelings were a bit biased.


    "Princess Anastasia is someone who genuinely cares for the Kingdom of Gweliven," Aina stated. "Although she has been spoiled by her Father, she didn''t be arrogant because of it and even does her best to help as many people as possible.


    "She had also joined thepetition to be the next ruler of the Kingdom, which surprised her family. Even so, they all epted that she had as much right as her brothers to be the next ruler of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    "To be honest, I''m not fond of sharing Lux with more women. But, if it''s her, I don''t mind making her one of my sisters. However, the Marriage Certificate and the Marriage Contract would have to go.


    "I''m not allowing her to get ahead of me in marrying Lux. I already feel sad since both of you became Lux''s fiance before me. I should have been his first, considering our past rtionship with each other."


    Although Aina was using the same monotonous voice as before, Iris still detected the hint of disappointment in them.


    Of course, she was not aware of Lux''s and Aina''s rtionship in their past lives since neither would borate to her.


    Eriol and Max had stepped in and made their opinions known about sharing information about the Cycle of Reincarnation.


    Iris found Aina''sint quite amusing, especially the part when the Dwarf said that she should have been Lux''s First Fiance.


    She had grown up with Lux since they were children, so it was impossible for Aina to get ahead of her when it came to the Half-Elf''s love and attention.


    At least, that was what she thought in her heart.


    "I see, thank you for the information," Iris said.


    "How do you n to handle this incident?" Aina inquired.


    She was quite curious about how Iris and Cai would handle this matter and, frankly, she wanted to witness how things would unfold.


    "I''ll message you again after I talk to the others," Iris replied. "Don''t worry. I''ll make sure that you''ll be there when we give our verdict."


    After assuring Aina that she wouldn''t be left out of the proceedings, Iris messaged Valerie, Aurelia, Aurora, Ali, and Ari, about the incident as well.


    "That girl made a very ballsy move," Arimented. "She got balls, I''ll give her that."


    "She doesn''t have balls, Ari," Ali corrected her sister. "She''s a girl, not a boy."


    "�� Sister, it''s just a figure of speech."


    "I know. I''m just teasing you."


    "You��"


    Valerie and Aurelia also found Princess Anastasia''s move quite bold.


    After putting themselves in the Dwarven Princess'' shoes, they realized that they wouldn''t be able to do what she did.


    As fellow members of the Royal Family, the two Dragon Princesses couldn''t help but be impressed and frustrated at the same time with what Princess Anastasia had done.


    They loved Lux, but they also knew that they couldn''t do anything remotely simr to what the Dwarven Princess dared to do.


    The more they thought about it, the more they felt that Anastasia was both scary and impressive at the same time.


    But, just like Aina, they didn''t want the Dwarf Princess to disrupt the pecking order.


    Even if she wanted to be Lux''s fiance, she should fall in line like the rest of them and not jump ahead in line to seal the deal with a Marriage Certificate and a Marriage Contract.


    Aurora, on the other hand, was just as impressed by the others. In fact, she was looking forward to personally meeting Princess Anastasia and getting to know her better.


    Among Lux''s lovers, Aurora knew more about desperation and loneliness than all of her sistersbined.


    She knew how much courage it took to take that one step to grab hold of what she truly wanted in life.


    The Misfortune''s Beloved believed that Princess Anastasia felt the same, especially since she truly wanted to be with Lux.


    Although it might have started as puppy love, that feeling must have only grown stronger the more time they were apart.


    Usually, puppy love disappeared after some time, but Princess Anastasia''s feelings were different.


    Lux very rarely came to see her in the Dwarven Kingdom because he was pretending to be dead so that Twilight Rain wouldn''t look for him.


    He was also busy traveling all over Elysium and dealing with the Divine Army, who was always on his heels.


    After talking to Lux''s lovers, Iris and Cai talked a bit more and came to an agreement.


    They then told the Half-Elf their decision.


    He didn''t say anything and simply nodded his head before going back to the Kingdom of Gweliven to talk to Princess Anastasia, King Uther, as well as Nevreal.

 Chapter 1045 Iris’ and Cai’s Decision [Part 2]

    Chapter 1045 Iris�� and Cai��s Decision [Part 2]


    Princess Anastasia''s and Nevreal''s eyes went as wide as saucers when Lux had invited both of them to join his Guild.


    Their reaction made the Half-Elf chuckle internally since he had expected this kind of reaction from them.


    Nevreal didn''t know if he wanted tough or cry when he saw the name "Heaven''s Gate" shining in front of his eyes.


    He was the one who gave Lux the funds to build his Guild Headquarters.


    Now he wondered if what he had given the Half-Elf was enough to build a ce that was worthy of the one and only Mythical Guild in the world.


    If Nevreal only knew that he would have the honor of being the sponsor who would y a crucial role in building the Guild Headquarters of Heaven''s Gate, he would have given Lux all of his money in order to construct the best Guild Headquarters that wouldn''t put his name to shame!


    What kind of honor was this?


    It was the greatest honor of a lifetime!


    Nevreal had been pestering the Half-Elf to let him see the Guild Headquarters, but now, he was having cold feet.


    How could he not be?


    If Lux''s Guild Headquarters looked subpar, then he would take this shame to the grave with him.


    Princess Anastasia, on the other hand, wasn''t feeling cold feet. But that didn''t change the fact that she was feeling very anxious.


    Lux only told her that Iris and Cai wanted to meet her.He didn''t say anything else.


    The Princess knew that Judgement Day hade, and she was feeling extremely nervous about how things would unfold.


    "Let''s go," Lux said with a smile. "Since you are now members of my Guild, you can instantly teleport to it just by consciously thinking that you want to visit the Guild Headquarters.


    Princess Anastasia and Nevreal nodded their heads and did what he asked them to. A momentter, the two turned into beams of light, which proved that they had sessfully teleported to his Guild Headquarters.


    When the Princess and the middle-aged Dwarf regained their vision, they found themselves staring at a Marble Castle in the distance.


    The structure stood tall and proud, making Nevreal breathe a sigh of relief in his heart.Although it wasn''t something that could be called mind blowing, it was still a good piece of architecture that he could be proud of.


    ''It was worth it,'' Nevreal almost became teary-eyed after seeing the Guild Headquarters of Heaven''s Gate.


    He was quite upset in the past when Lux had scammed his hard-earned money out of him, but after seeing that it was used well, all those heartaches disappeared like the fleeting clouds in the sky.


    "Wee to Heaven''s Gate," Lux said with a smile as he gave the two Dwarfs a light bow. "Please, follow me."


    Princess Anastasia and Nevreal nced at each other before nodding their heads at the same time.


    The two followed behind Lux as he walked towards the Gates of the Marble Castle where Emma and Garret were waiting for their arrival.


    "These two are the caretakers of my Guild, Emma, and Garret," Lux introduced his subordinates to his guests. "Emma is the Guild''s Secretary, and Garret is the Vice Guildmaster, taking over my responsibilities whenever I am away. In short, they are the ones overseeing the operations of my guild."


    "The name is Emma. It is a pleasure to meet you Princess Anastasia and Sir Nevreal," Emma said with a smile.


    She had traveled to many parts of the Kingdom of Gweliven in the past as an Adventurer before bing Lux''s secretary.


    Naturally, she knew who Princess Anastasia was and was quite happy to finally meet her in the flesh.


    "The name is Garret." Garret gave the two Dwarves a brief nod of acknowledgement. "If you need anything, don''t hesitate to ask."


    Lux had already told his two subordinates about the two guests that he would be bringing to the Guild.


    They didn''t know why the two hade to visit them, but since they were their guests who had been personally escorted by their Guildmaster, they nned to give them the VIP treatment that they deserved.


    "Emma, please give Sir Nevreal a tour of the Guild Headquarters," Lux ordered. "He was the one who gave us the funds to build our castle. We owe our humble beginnings to him."


    Emma and Garret looked at the middle-aged Dwarf in surprise. Neither of them knew that Lux had scammed the poor guy and only thought that he was a very generous person for giving the Half-Elf the funds to build their Guild Headquarters.


    Their impressions of him were raised by a notch, and both decided to treat him as a true VIP Guest from the bottom of their hearts.


    Nevreal, who felt ttered by Lux''s introduction, couldn''t help but smile.


    He secretly thanked the Half-Elf in his heart for boosting his image to his subordinates.


    "Pleasee with me, Sir Nevreal," Emma said in a respectful tone and even gave the middle-aged Dwarf a light bow. "I will give you the full tour of our Guild Headquarters."


    "Thank you," Nevreal nodded and followed behind Emma.


    Garret gave Lux a nce and the Half-Elf nodded his head in understanding.


    The Vice Guildmaster of Heaven''s Gate then joined Emma and Nevreal on their tour. He could tell that the middle-aged Dwarf was a military man, so he nned to talk about something that they had inmon to get to know him better.


    Lux then nced at Princess Anatasia and offered his hand.


    He could tell that she was feeling anxious, and she had every right to feel that way.


    The Half-Elf had been excluded from the decision-making process, so even he didn''t know how things would turn out.


    However, that didn''t mean that he didn''t care for the Princess, who, although she looked calm on the surface, was feeling nervous deep inside her heart.


    Princess Anastasia dly epted Lux''s gesture and ced her hand over his.


    The two of them walked hand in hand toward the Conference Room of the Guild where Iris and Cai were waiting for their arrival.


    When they arrived at their destination, Lux knocked on the door and announced their arrival.


    "Let here in alone," Iris'' voice was heard from the other side of the door.


    After hearing his Fiancee''s words, he nced at the Princess and saw her nod in acknowledgement.


    Lux then opened the door, allowing the youngdy to enter on her own.


    The moment she walked inside the room, he closed it behind her.


    Truth be told, Princess Anastasia wasn''t the only one who was feeling anxious.


    He was feeling anxious as well. Lux had already prepared himself for the worst-case scenario of escorting a broken-hearted Anastasia back to her kingdom.


    The Half-Elf looked at the closed door in front of him before heaving a deep sigh.


    The only thing he could do right now was wait until their talks were over.


    ������������������


    Inside the Conference Room��


    Princess Anastasia found herself staring at five beautifuldies, and they all made her feel intimidated.


    Valerie, Ali, and Ari weren''t present because it was impossible at this time.


    The Dragon King refused to let the Dragon Princess leave Karshvar Draconis for a short period of time because of what was happening in the central regions of Elysium.


    Princess Anastasia looked at the women, whom she believed to be Lux''s fiancees, with a calm expression on her face.


    But, deep inside, the pressure that these five people were giving her was making her heart shudder.


    Even so, as a Princess of a Kingdom, she knew that she should keep herposure at all times, especially when she was going to negotiate something.


    As she scanned the faces of the people inside the conference room, she recognized Aina, which surprised her very much.


    ''She''s one of Sir Lux''s fiancees?'' Princess Anastasia thought. ''To think that the expressionless Guildmaster of Eternal, whom our Kingdom had hailed as the Warrior Princess, would be one of his lovers. I didn''t expect to see her here.''


    Taking a deep breath, Princess Anastasia took a step forward and made a curtsy to introduce herself to thedies who held a position in Lux''s heart.


    "My name is Anastasia Von Gweliven," Princess Anastasia introduced herself humbly. "Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to meet all of you."


    "Iris Von Kaizer," Iris introduced herself as well.


    "Caitlin Von Kaizer," Cai said.


    "Aina Von Kaizer," Aina stated.


    "Aurora Von Kaizer." Aurora smiled.


    Aurelia didn''t introduce herself right away. Instead, she took a deep breath before looking at Princess Anastasia with determined eyes.


    "Aurelia Von Kaizer," Aurelia dered.


    She had already made her intention of marrying Lux known to her mother and her Aunt Augustina.


    Although she would still retain her Family name and identity as the Dragon Prince of the Crystal Pce, within this closed-off room, she made sure to dere that she was one of Lux''s fiances.


    Princess Anastasia nodded her head in acknowledgement before resting her hands over her skirt.


    "Do you already know why we have called for you toe here today?" Iris asked.


    "Yes," Princess Anastasia replied. "I came here to hear your answers."


    Iris smiled sweetly before taking the Marriage Certificate and the Marriage Contract from her storage ring. She held each of them in her hands.


    "This is our answer," Cai stated before snapping her fingers.


    A momentter, the Marriage Certificate and the Marriage Contract burst into mes.


    Princess Anastasia looked at the two scrolls with dazed eyes and felt a stinging pain in her innocent heart, which was very close to breaking into pieces.

 Chapter 1046 Cutting In Line Is No Good

    Chapter 1046 Cutting In Line Is No Good


    Princess Anastasia dazedly looked at the burning scrolls until nothing but ashes remained.


    Deep in her heart, she already expected this to happen.


    And because she had somewhat prepared herself, it didn''t take long for her to regainposure despite the pain that she was feeling inside her chest.


    "Do you know why we burned these scrolls?" Iris asked.


    "I do," Princess Anastasia replied. "But I still want to hear it from your lips."


    The corner of Iris'' lips rose because she was quite impressed by the youngdy''s reply.


    She could see the hurt in Princess Anastasia''s eyes and the subtle trembling of her hands.


    Even so, the princess of the Dwarf Kingdom held her ground, befitting someone of her standing.


    "We cannot allow our beloved to suffer an injustice," Iris replied. "Him being forced into a rtionship is something that we will not allow��especially if it''s a one-sided rtionship."


    "Of course, that is only one of the reasons," Ainamented in the same monotonous voice that she always used. "Princess, you jumped a couple of steps ahead of us. We are only Lux''s fiances at the moment, and yet, you made him sign a Marriage Certificate.


    "If we approved of that, wouldn''t that make you his First Wife? That''s not possible because I will be his First Wife."


    The doll-like beauty said these words in a firm and confident tone, making Iris shake her head helplessly.


    This wasn''t the first time that Aina had challenged her position as Lux''s first wife, so she was already used to it.


    "I know that our beloved is quite charismatic and very handsome," Cai said with a smile. "It is only normal for you to fall in love with him, especially after he rescued you from the kidnappers of Twilight Rain. But are you sure that this feeling you have for him isn''t just admiration? It might only be respect and adoration instead of love."


    Princess Anastasia shook her head. "Do not treat me like a child. While it is true that my feelings for Sir Lux started when he saved me from Twilight Rain, I knew for a fact that this wasn''t mere respect and adoration. I am a Princess of a Kingdom. Someone who is meant to be used as a political tool in order to strengthen our nation.


    "However, I refuse to take that role. That''s why I decided to join my brothers andpete for the position of Crown Princess.


    "I am someone who wants to control my own fate. However, after meeting Sir Lux, I am confident that, if given the choice of spending my life with him and ruling the Kingdom of Gweliven, I will choose to spend my life with him in a heartbeat. This is not a choice made from infatuation. This is a choice that I made for the sake of my future happiness."


    Iris nodded her head to acknowledge Princess Anastasia''s statement.


    "What you did was indeed very bold," Iris replied. "But it isn''t original."


    The blue-haired beauty then took out a scroll from her storage ring and threw it towards Princess Anastasia.


    Thetter caught it and opened it to see what was written inside it.


    To her surprise, it was a Marriage Certificate and was dated four years ago.


    Simr to her Marriage Contract, Lux''s thumbprint was also printed on the Marriage Certificate.


    "This?" Princess Anatasia looked at Iris in confusion. "Why do you have this? Aren''t you already engaged with Sir Lux?"


    Iris nodded. "Yes. But, in the past, my Father was against it. Because of this, I decided to make a backup n with the help of my Grandmother. She made Lux put his thumbprint on this Marriage Certificate while he was sleeping."


    Iris said it proudly, making thedies inside the conference room look at her weirdly.


    Even Aina, who usually had an expressionless face, couldn''t stop the corner of her lips from twitching.


    "That''s not something you should be proud of," Aina stated.


    Iris shrugged. "I know. Fortunately, I didn''t have to use it since Lux and I are now engaged with each other."


    With a wave of her hand, the Marriage Certificate flew back to her hand. Iris then carefully stored it inside her storage ring with a smile on her face.


    "You''re worse than me," Princess Anastasia said. "At least, when I took Sir Lux''s thumbprint, he was conscious. You took it when he was sleeping."


    "Right." Iris nodded. "And because of this, I understand why you did what you did. But that doesn''t make it right. What I did was wrong since this Marriage Certificate in my hand was taken when Lux was unaware of it, but in the end, this scroll doesn''t have any binding power in it. So I just keep it as a memento."


    What Iris didn''t know was that after seeing her marriage certificate, the rest of her sisters were very tempted to also get their own Marriage Certificates as a memento.


    However, they held back these thoughts for now since they still had to address their verdict to Princess Anastasia.


    "As Lux''s first fiance, I recognize your will to be his lover," Iris stated. "But cutting in line is no good. Even so, we decided to give you a chance."


    Cai nodded. "This time, pursue Lux properly. He already knows your feelings for him, so you don''t have to beat around the bush. Take your time and talk to him and start as friends."


    Aurora, who was quietly listening from the side, walked towards Princess Anastasia and gave her a hug.


    "Do your best, Princess," Aurora said softly as she patted the youngdy''s head. "I look forward to bing your sister."


    Perhaps, feeling touched by Aurora''s genuine words, the emotions that Princess Anastasia had been holding back finally gave way.


    She hugged Aurora back and buried her head on her chest. She then wept tears of sadness and relief, knowing that she still had a chance of pursuing her happiness.


    The Half-Subus kept on patting the Princess'' head until her tears stopped falling.


    When Princess Anastasia was done crying, Aurora crouched down and wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief.


    Although the tear stains were now gone, the redness around the youngdy''s eyes was still there.


    Since the pink-haired beauty was a kind and caring person, she whispered something in Princess Anastasia''s ear, which made the younger girl momentarily forget losing control over her emotions earlier.


    "Listen closely, Anastasia," Aurora whispered. "If all of your approaches toward Lux fail, know that he is very weak against thighs. If you use this to your advantage, you can definitely make him fall for you."


    Princess Anastasia''s face became beet red after hearing Aurora''s words.


    She didn''t know if the pink-haired beauty was just teasing her to relieve the tension in her heart or not.


    "I''m serious, you know?" Aurora smiled. "If you don''t know how it''s done, I will help you. We will pin Lux down together, okay?"


    Iris, Cai, Aina, and Aurelia couldn''t help but shake their heads helplessly because one of their sisters was revealing Lux''s weakness to someone who had just tried to force their fiance to sign a Marriage Certificate.


    Knowing how cunning the Dwarf Princess was, she would definitely use everything to her advantage to seal the deal with Lux.


    Fortunately, Princess Anastasia didn''t know that Aurora was telling the truth.


    Half an hourter, the door of the conference room opened, and Princess Anastasia came out alone.


    The Half-Elf looked at her and noticed that her eyes were red, and sighed in his heart.


    ''Did they reject her?'' Lux thought.


    Although the Princess tried hard not to show it, he could tell that she was feeling somewhat sad.


    But before Lux could even say anything tofort her, Princess Anastasia smiled at him and spoke first.


    "Sir Lux, please take me back to my Kingdom," Princess Anastasia said.


    "Okay," Lux replied.


    The Princess then took the initiative to take Lux''s hand, which surprised him.


    Even so, he didn''t make any move to pry her hand away and held her hand firmly. He then guided her toward the Teleportation Gate, instantly teleporting them to the private Teleportation Gate of the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Gweliven.


    Anastasia didn''t say anything until they reached the hallway leading to the throne room.


    "This far is already good, Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia said before reluctantly pulling her hand back. "Thank you for everything."


    The Princess then curtsied to the Half-Elf before looking straight into his eyes.


    "Are you not going to ask what happened inside the conference room?" Princess Anastasia asked.


    "Do you want to tell me?" Lux asked.


    Princess Anastasia thought before shaking her head. "No. But, know this, Sir Lux."


    The youngdy walked forward to give the Half-Elf a hug.


    "I''m not going to give up," Princess Anastasia said. "So prepare yourself to fall in love with me, okay? This time, I will do it properly. No more tricks."


    At first, Lux didn''t know how to react to Princess Anastasia''s confession. But, a few secondster, he crouched down and looked her in the eye.


    "Did they tell you my weakness?" Lux asked.


    Princess Anastasia blinked innocently. "What weakness? Do you have a weakness, Sir Lux?"


    Lux smiled before lightly patting the Princess'' head.


    "I''ll be going now, Princess," Lux said as he bowed lightly. "Do you wish to remain in my Guild?"


    "I do," Princess Anastasia replied in a heartbeat. "Please let me remain in your Guild."


    "Understood." Lux nodded. "Please call me if something is troubling you or the Kingdom. I will do my best to help."


    "Thank you, Sir Lux," Princess Anastasia said before gesturing to Lux like she wanted to whisper something in his ears.


    The Half-Elf then crouched once again in order to listen to what she was going to tell her.


    A momentter, he felt something soft press against his cheek, which lingered for at least three seconds.


    Before he could even do anything, Princess Anastasia was already running away, leaving behind a mischievousughter in her wake.


    Lux knew that the Princess was only hiding her feelings behind her happy facade. Even so, he also felt her resolve.


    "Take care, Anastasia," Lux said softly before turning around. "I''ll see you soon."


    The Half-Elf then turned into particles of light.


    Now that his business in the Kingdom of Gweliven was resolved, he once again returned to his Guild Headquarters to handle some of the important matters that he had left behind.


    What he wasn''t aware of was that the moment he returned, he would find his other lovers asking for his thumbprint on their own Marriage Certificates, making the Half-Elf scratch his head helplessly.

 Chapter 1047 Hidden Behind The Sweet Smile Of A Baby Slime

    Chapter 1047 Hidden Behind The Sweet Smile Of A Baby Slime


    Meanwhile, above the Capital City of the Ashenheart Family in the Ford Federation��


    "I''ll sing you a song, it''s the song of the sea," Eiko sang as her body swayed from side to side.


    "I''ll sing you a song if you sing it with me," Fei Fei also sang, imitating Eiko''s body movement.


    Countless Skeleton Swashbucklers yed their instruments as their two mistresses happily sang on themanding tform of the Battle Ship Poseidon.


    But their merry atmospherepletely contrasted the one-sided battle that was taking ce below them.


    The Pirates, who had decided to be part of Eiko''s Boom Boom Pirate Crew, wereunching a major offensive against the three Great Families of the Ford Federation.


    They had just subjugated the Dreadhart Family, and they were now heading toward the Capital City of the Ashenheart Family in order to vent out their frustrations for the countless years of suffering that they had to endure from these tyrants.


    The Pirates of the Seven Seas didn''t be Pirates because they wanted to.


    They became Pirates because they were forced to.


    They were the people who wanted to put a stop to the tyranny of the Three Great Families and their allies, the Ten Prestigious Families.


    After destroying the Grand Fleet of the Ford Federation, Eiko brought the battle to thend.


    Using the power of the Golden Anchor, all the Pirate Ships gained the power to fly in the sky. With this, they headed to the maind and started to wreak havoc, destroying the strongholds of the families who wanted to control everything in the Seven Seas.


    "What do you want?!" the Supreme that belonged to the Ashenheart Family shouted to Avery, who was preventing him from reinforcing his men to defend their city. "Money? Influence? Power? I will give them all to you! Just stop this!"


    The middle-aged man''s eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the devastation happening all around him.


    He and his family had stood strong in the Ford Federation for hundreds of years, and no one had dared to attack them openly�� until today.


    Avery chuckled before shaking his head. "My Mistress wants to take over the entire Ford Federation and put it under her control."


    "Ridiculous!" the Supreme of the Ashenheart Family replied. "Do you think the people will ept you if you do this? They''d rather serve us than be ruled over by Pirates!"


    Avery disappeared from where he stood and reappeared in front of the middle-aged man.


    He then gave the Supreme a p, sending the other party flying toward the za of the city, destroying his own statue that was built hundreds of years ago.


    "Don''t treat my mistress like an ordinary Pirate," Avery said in a tone that was reeking with killing intent. "I''m sure that she will be a better ruler than the Three Great Families and the Ten Prestigious Familiesbined."


    The middle-aged man red at the Ancient Skeleton King in anger, but he didn''t make any reply.


    He was waiting for something to happen to turn this entire situation around.


    At that moment, he heard something inside his head, which made him smile internally.


    ''What took you so long?'' the Supreme from the Ashenheart Family asked.


    ''Don''t whine,'' an annoyed voice replied. ''I''m already here. What kind of help do you want?''


    The Supreme of the Ashenheart Family then told his ally his n, and thetter agreed to it.


    The Saints of the Ten Prestigious Families had arrived to reinforce his family and started dealing with the Pirates, who had the upper hand earlier.


    While this was happening, the Supreme of the Shadowheart Familynded on the deck of Eiko''s gship, Poseidon.


    "So, you are that Pirate Princess who has been causing trouble over our territory, huh?" a skinny old man looked at Eiko, who was singing happily earlier but was now looking back at him in annoyance.


    The Pirate Swashbucklers immediately surrounded the intruder, protecting their Mistress from any harm.


    "Bunch of small fries, begone!" the Supreme of the Shadowheart family shouted, and the bodies of all the Skeleton Swashbucklers shattered into pieces, leaving only the two Slimes behind.


    "Now, it''s your turn," the Supreme of the Shadowheart family said. "To think that a lowly Slime would cause this much trouble for our families. Such a disgrace."


    Fei Fei hid behind Eiko because the Supreme made her afraid.


    Eiko, on the other hand, simply red at the approaching old man, making thetter chuckle.


    "Well, since these people are obeying your orders, I just need to capture you," the Supreme said. "That Demigod down there also listens to your orders. Maybe keeping you as a pet is also a good idea."


    But the moment the old man was only a few meters away from Eiko, the deck that the old man was standing on suddenly split apart.


    Losing his footing, the Supreme fell to the second level of the ship.


    The deck then returned to normal, and all the Skeleton Swashbucklers revived as if nothing had happened.


    They then resumed ying their instruments and encouraged the two Baby Slimes to continue singing.


    While this was happening, the Supreme of the Shadowheart Family found himself in what seemed to be a graveyard.


    Of course, he remembered everything that happened earlier, so he flew upwards with the intention of breaking through the floor above his head.


    However, it didn''t take long for him to realize that no matter how high he flew, he never seemed to be able to reach the supposed ceiling that was covered in bones.


    "Futile."


    A voice that was filled with disdain echoed inside the domain, making the Supreme shudder.


    "The moment you step on my body is the moment your fate is sealed. This will be your grave."


    As if proving that point, a giant Golden Skeleton that was thirty meters tall appeared inside the Domain.


    It held two golden swords, one in each hand, and looked at the Supreme from the Shadowheart Family in contempt.


    Knowing that saying anything would not make any difference, the skinny old man roared as he charged toward the Giant Golden Skeleton with the intention of fighting it to the death.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t even given that opportunity.


    With a single flick of the Golden Skeleton''s sword, the Supreme of the Shadowheart family lost both of his arms in an instant.


    A second flick and his legs disappeared, making the Supreme fall towards the graveyard.


    Thest thing that the old man saw was a ck Coffin and a beautiful spectraldy who was holding a sword in her hand.


    He wasn''t even given the chance to say hisst words before the beautiful woman pierced his heart with her sword.


    ckfire patiently waited until the Supreme was nearly dead before swallowing him whole.


    Of course, it picked up the sliced-off arms and legs that were lying on the ground and devoured them as well.


    A few minutester, the Supreme of the Ashenheart Family also fell and became ckfire''stest victim.


    After that, all the Saints from the Ten Prestigious Families suffered the same fate.


    Before the day was over, Eiko hadpletely subjugated all the major forces that stood in her way.


    The g of the Boom Boom Pirate Crew fluttered over all the cities of the Ford Federation, making it known that everyone was now under Eiko''s rule.


    Although it would take a while for reality to sink in and make everyone understand that the rule of the Three Great Families and the Ten Prestigious Families had been severed, it would eventuallye to pass.


    News of this incident spread to every corner of the Seven Seas, informing the other Sea-Faring Nations that there was a new Faction that had risen out of nowhere.


    These Nations, who shared the seas with the Ford Federation, immediately called for a conference. They needed to discuss how they were going to deal with their new neighbor, whose fluttering gs made them feel as if they were facing an unbeatable behemoth and whose danger seemed to be hiding behind the sweet smile of a Baby Slime.

 Chapter 1048 In Pursuit Of Happiness

    Chapter 1048 In Pursuit Of Happiness


    Five days had passed since Princess Anastasia and Nevreal had visited the Guild Headquarters of Heaven''s Gate.


    Since then, the Dwarf Princess would often use the Guild Chat function to chat with Lux whenever she was free.


    For her, this was the perfect opportunity to get closer to Lux, and talk to him anytime.


    Since the Half-Elf couldn''t always visit the Kingdom of Gweliven to see her, she decided to take the initiative to strengthen their bonds, and get to know him better.


    Their talks wouldst a few minutes at most, but these few minutes were very precious to the Dwarf Princess.


    Simply hearing the Half-Elf''s voice and talking to him about trivial things, like what he had eaten, what he was doing, and the weather, was enough to make her happy.


    Lux also enjoyed these short conversations with Princess Anastasia and would ask her a few questions in return.


    Of course, the otherdies heard about this, so they also started to use the Guild Chat function to its fullest.


    Valerie, Aurelia, Ali, Ari, and Aurora, would often talk to Lux in private. Sometimes, the Half-Elf would even talk to multiple girls at once.


    In fact, they had even created their own chat rooms for this very purpose.


    Valerie, Aurelia, Aurora, Ali, and Ari, would often talk to Lux in the chatroom that they named, Lux''s Favorite Harem Members, which almost made him choke when he was invited to join it.


    Of course, the one who came up with this idea was the mischievous handmaiden, Ari.


    However, since it had a nice ring to it, Valerie, Aurelia, Aurora, and Ali reluctantly epted it.


    All of them wanted to know more about him, and he also wanted to know more about them as well.


    In the past five days, Lux discovered many things about his lovers that made him fall in love with them all over again.


    He especially loved Ari''s stories about Valerie and Ali, which made the two girls team up against the mischievous handmaiden, preventing her from telling Lux about their most embarrassing moments.


    Aurelia was also very happy to know more about her Dragon Sisters and Aurora, who loved the same man that she chose as her significant other.


    The more he talked to his lovers, the closer he became to them.


    Even Aurora, who didn''t have any good memories while she was imprisoned in the Inner Sanctum, gradually opened up and shared her memories of her sister and her mother.


    Lux still hadn''t told Aurora that Queen Bianca was now inside ckfire, under recovery.


    Her soul was getting stronger with each passing day thanks to the core of the Crystal Dragon that ckfire was using to nourish her soul.


    Once her soul fully recovered, Lux nned to look for the perfect vessel that could be used to help his mother-inw reform her body.


    Lux knew that he only had a slim chance of finding a Fallen Seraphim or any other higher existences that could potentially be used to revive Queen, but Lux wasn''t giving up hope.


    He wanted Aurora''s mother to have a strong body that would allow her to return to the world of the living and hold her beloved daughters once again.


    For now, he nned to keep it a secret and give the pink-haired beauty the best gift that he could give her in this lifetime.


    As his lovers continued their talks with him, they finally broached the subject about his family.


    Of course, he mentioned that he was adopted by his grandmother, Vera, and became Iris'' stepbrother after he was registered as Alexander''s son.


    Valerie innocently asked Lux about his mother, purely wanting to know what she was like.


    The Dragon Princess really loved her mother and would often confide in her the things that she could never tell her father.


    Of course, Valerie had withheld the information about Lux bing her lover because Ali and Ari cautioned her that this wasn''t the right time to reveal this information to her parents.


    Lux, who was asked this question, pondered for a bit.


    His mother from his past life often called him a "mistake" and someone that "shouldn''t have been born".


    Of course, the Half-Elf couldn''t possibly share this with his innocent lover, who might feel sad after knowing the truth.


    Then, Lux remembered about the mother of the body that he had possessed when he arrived in the world of Sis.


    He remembered how the young Elf cried as she lovingly held the basket containing her dead baby.


    She even gave him a name, even though he was already dead.


    Lux.


    The name meant Light.


    Perhaps, the Elf wanted her son to be the light of her life, so she gave him this name.


    "My mother and I�� were separated at birth," Lux answered Valerie''s question. "Due to circumstances, she was forced to part with me. However, I am certain that she loves me very much."


    "Oh, no, Valerie is crying," Ari stated. "It seems that she feels sad that you were separated from your mother."


    "Lux, I hope that you reunite with your mother," Valerie said after she regained herposure. "I''m sure that she always thinks of you."


    "�� Un," Lux replied. "I hope for that as well."


    The Half-Elf sighed in his heart as he remembered that scene that happened eighteen years ago.


    Truth be told, the day he turned eighteen was in the midst of his chain conquest of the territories that had allied themselves with the Divine Army of Light.


    He hadpletely forgotten about it back then, and if not for Iris'' urging that they celebrate it even though it waste, Lux might have simply ignored itpletely.


    Yes.


    Lux was now eighteen years old and had already surpassed the Ranks of his peers who had started earlier than him in going to the world of Elysium.


    In the span of two years, Lux had experienced many things in the world of Elysium.


    He had met many important people who taught him many valuable lessons in life.


    He also met his lovers, who made him feel like the happiest and luckiest man in the world.


    He had met his Master, Gaap, who had be one of his role models in life.


    Heughed.


    He cried.


    He felt anger.


    He felt despair.


    But, more than anything, he felt loved.


    Loved by his lovers, family, friends, and acquaintances, who had be part of his life.


    After his talk with his lovers ended, Lux visited his Master''s grave and talked to him about the things that he had experienced since he hadst visited him.


    Although he knew that his Master''s soul had already ceased to exist, he still felt like sharing his experience with one of the people who had treated him like family, was something that he needed to do.


    By doing this, he was also able to release the pent-up emotion in his heart as he confided his feelings to his Master, who would usually listen to his woes with a knowing smile on his face.


    Although his Master wouldn''t bat an eye at performing a one-sided genocide, he was actually very warm to the people he cared about.


    "The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even be heard but must be felt with the heart.


    "To give life a meaning, one must have a purposerger than self. I think that is what everyone should strive for in life, pursuing happiness even though it is fleeting like the clouds in the sky."


    Lux felt teary-eyed as he looked at his Master''s tomb.


    He dearly missed his Master, and one of the greatest regrets in his life was to not see the Halfling hold his children after they were born.


    Gaap might have tried to hide it, but he actually loved the idea of being part of a family.


    He had lost everything when he was still young, and if not for Hereswith, he might have died alongside his family.


    "I''ll see you again soon, Master," Lux said as he lightly patted the gravestone. "There is someone I want to meet right now."


    After saying those words, Lux transformed into particles of light and returned to Sis.


    Although he didn''t need to do this, he wanted to give closure to the feelings that had been weighing down his heart, ever since he was given a second chance at life.

 Chapter 1049 The Second Coming Of The Child Of Light [Part 1]

    Chapter 1049 The Second Coming Of The Child Of Light [Part 1]


    "It has been a while since we had breakfast like this, right, Lux?" Vera said as she looked at her grandson, who was eating the simple breakfast that she had prepared for him.


    "Indeed, Grandma," Lux replied. "We should do this more often."


    "It''s you who''s always busy."


    "Many things happened as ofte."


    Vera only smiled. Iris had told her everything that Lux had experienced in Elysium over the past few months.


    She felt heartbroken that her grandson had to suffer seeing his Master die. He even had to fight against the Divine Army a second time in order to save Aina.


    Lux never asked for her help despite knowing that he only needed to say a word for her toe to his side and assist him, regardless of who he was fighting against.


    "You should eat a lot as well, Aurora," Vera said as she looked at the pink-haired beauty sitting beside her grandson. "Be healthy, and give birth to healthy children. I want to hug my great-grandkids as soon as possible."


    Aurora blushed after hearing Vera''s words. Even so, she nodded her head with a smile because she wanted this to happen as well.


    She found out that Lux had returned to Sis half an hour ago when she decided to talk to Lux in private.


    The Half-Elf said that he was nning to go somewhere in Sis and Aurora mentioned in passing that she would love to apany him wherever he was nning to go.


    Perhaps feeling that Aurora wanted to spend some time with him, he asked her if she truly wanted toe with him.


    After the youngdy said yes, Lux summoned her using Heaven''s Call, making her appear beside him.


    Unlike the others who were born and raised in Elysium, Aurora could travel to Sis.


    This was why Lux could summon her anytime regardless of where he was in both worlds.


    When Vera asked her grandson if he was nning to visit Iris and Cai in Barbatos Academy, the Half-Elf shook his head and informed her of the real reason he decided to return.


    "�� Do you want me to go with you?" Vera asked.


    "No, Grandma," Lux replied. "I''m still unsure about how to proceed, so it will be best if you don''te with me for now."


    Vera sighed in her heart, but she still nodded her head since she respected her grandson''s opinion.


    "Understood," Vera said. "But, if there is a chance, I would like to meet her too."


    Lux nodded.


    Right now, he couldn''t make any promises, so he simply nodded his head in agreement.


    Truth be told, the Half-Elf didn''t really know why he decided to do something that he never nned on doing in the past.


    Perhaps it was because of Valerie''s innocent question that he decided to confront the things that he had set aside in the deepest part of his heart.


    "Grandma, can I borrow Sophie?" Lux inquired.


    He knew that his Grandma loved to travel with the White Hippo, even though she could easily cross great distances now that she was a Saint.


    "Of course," Grandma Vera replied with a smile. "Sophie has missed you too, you know? I''m sure she''ll be happy to spend some time with you."


    After eating breakfast, Lux and Aurora rode on the back of the White Hippo and traveled upstream in the river.


    The youngdy leaned her body against Lux''s, enjoying this time that they were together.


    Lux, on the other hand, held her waist as he, too, enjoyed this intimate moment with her.


    Sophie swam at her own pace, and the two teenagers on her back were more than happy to leave everything to her.


    They simply enjoyed the scenery that they passed by and talked about random things, including the number of babies that they would have in the future.


    Unlike Lux''s other lovers, Aurora was still a chaste maiden.


    Physically, at the least. What Lux didn''t know was that, among his lovers, she was the most experienced of them all.


    The Half-Subus was able to merge her consciousness with any of Lux''s lovers as long as they were within a thousand-meter radius around her.


    But there was a catch. This was only possible if Lux was about to do something intimate with his lovers, allowing Aurora to feel the same emotions that they did.


    After experiencing what she did, Aurora was looking forward to the day when she and Lux would finally be one.


    She wanted their first moment to be just the two of them and away from her sisters who would often see him in private whenever he was inside his Guild Headquarters.


    Since Lux''s Guild Headquarters was within the territory of the Crystal Pce, his most frequent visitor was Aurelia.


    The Dragon Princess would visit the Half-Elf every time she was done with her duties, and Lux was more than happy to help his lover rx by giving her a full body massage.


    Of course, whenever this happened, Aurora would also receive that full body massage, making the Half-Subus lock herself up inside her room and prevent anyone from seeing her in that state.


    His second most frequent visitor was Aina.


    To this day, Aurora still couldn''t believe that the doll-like beauty, who always wore an expressionless look on her face, was very aggressive in bed.


    Aurora secretly anticipated the moment when Aina''s calm and cold appearance melted into that of a maiden in love the moment she reached her climax.


    Deep inside, she secretly wondered if she would make the same expression after she made love to Lux for the first time.


    Three days passed since Lux, Aurora, and Sophie had left Wildgarde Stronghold.


    The Half-Elf had guided the White Hippo on their journey, telling her which river path to choose whenever there were intersecting branches.


    Soon, they reached the ce in Lux''s memory.


    The ce where a dead Half-Elf baby was sent to float down the river because he couldn''t be buried in thends of Ashe Entheas.


    A ce where Half-Bloods, like him, were treated as rejects by the Elves, who thought highly of their pure bloodline.

 Chapter 1050 The Second Coming Of The Child Of Light [Part 2]

    Chapter 1050 The Second Coming Of The Child Of Light [Part 2]


    "Lux, where are we?" Aurora asked as she looked at her surroundings.


    She could tell that people frequented this ce since there was a path that led to the river.


    Lux didn''t tell her where they were going, but she assumed that it must be an important ce to the Half-Elf, since he was looking at his surroundings as if he was reminiscing about something.


    "This is the Land of Ashe Entheas," Lux replied. "I havee here to look for someone."


    "Who?" Aurora asked.


    "�� Someone very important," Lux answered. "If not for her tragedy, I wouldn''t be here today."


    Aurora nced at the Half-Elf, who suddenly showed a sad expression on his face. She didn''t know what kind of tragedy he was talking about, but for the time being, she decided to not ask any questions.


    "Understood," Aurora said as she held Lux''s hand. "You can always tell me when you''re ready, okay?"


    Lux nodded. "Thank you, Aurora."


    The Half-Elf held her hand firmly and gave it a light squeeze. This was his way of telling her that he was alright.


    He then took a deep breath before ncing towards the East.


    He could sense a strong congregation of life force in that direction, which is how he knew that there was a settlement not far from where they stood.


    "Let''s go this way," Lux said as he pointed towards the East. "I believe that there is a vige of Elves nearby. I don''t know how they will react to strangers, so make sure to stay on your guard."


    Aurora nodded seriously after hearing Lux''s statement.


    She had already be a C-Ranker.


    This meant that as long as she wouldn''t be fighting against a High-Ranker, she would be able to protect herself just fine.


    Lux held her hand and walked at a steady pace. It was neither fast nor slow.


    Clearly, he was not in a hurry to get to their destination and took time to enjoy the scenery as he took one step at a time.


    A few minutester, they arrived at a tall wooden gate with intricate designs.


    The Elves were known for their artistic side. Some of them dedicated their lives to their art, creating masterpieces that would often be sold in Human Domains and bought by wealthy nobles.


    "Halt!" a loud shout reached Lux''s and Aurora''s ears as several Elves on top of the wooden walls aimed their bows and arrows in their direction.


    "Who are you and what are you doing in ournds?"


    Lux scanned the faces of the Elves and was pleasantly surprised when he noticed that all of them were D-Rankers.


    The one who shouted was a B-Ranker, which made him the strongest among the guards who were just a push away from releasing their arrows.


    "My name is Lux Von Kaizer, and this youngdy beside me is my Fiance, Aurora Von Kaizer," Lux replied. "We are just adventurers who happened to travel to these parts. We have been traveling for days, and if possible, we wish to replenish our food supplies and take a rest inside your vige to recover our strength."


    The Guards nced at each other, while their Guard Captain narrowed his eyes.


    He could tell that Lux was an A-Ranker, while Aurora was a C-Ranker.


    He was stronger than Aurora, but he was not a match against the red-headed Half-Elf, who made him feel disgusted.


    "Half-Elves are not allowed to enter our vige," the Guard Captain replied in disdain. "The mere fact that you have stepped inside ournds is already a crime in itself. However, since we are not fond of conflicts, we will allow you to leave with your lives intact. Leave Ashe Entheas, and don''t step foot inside it again!"


    The other Elves also nodded their heads. No matter what happens, they will never allow a Half-Elf to enter their vige.


    Lux frowned because if possible, he didn''t want to start a conflict with the Elves.


    However, since he hade to meet someone, he couldn''t possibly return without meeting her.


    "Are you sure that we really can''t stay in your vige?" Lux tried to ask one more time. "We just need two days to rest. I promise that we will leave in two days."


    "Did you not hear me, Half-Elf?" the Guard Captain whom Lux named Viger A inside his head shouted. "You are not wee here! Get lost before we lose our patience!"


    "Get out!"


    "Scram!"


    "Filthy Half-Blood!"


    Aurora looked at Lux anxiously because she could tell that they really had no intention of letting him inside their vige.


    If this were the same Lux from three months ago, then perhaps he might have left silently or looked for another method to enter peacefully.


    However, Lux was different now.


    If people didn''t like him then he didn''t like them either!


    He had enough of being looked down upon and getting bullied by people.


    Since he couldn''t settle things peacefully then he would settle things a little "less peacefully."


    "Come, Avernus," Lux ordered. "Help me convince these people to let me inside their vige."


    Suddenly a Giant Dracolich appeared behind Lux, catching the Elves by surprise.


    Avernus then roared fiercely, sending a shockwave that rippled across the Lands of Ashe Entheas, alerting the powerhouses who were protecting its Domain to his presence.


    The Protectors of the Elven Vige rushed towards the Gate, with the intention of protecting their Domain.


    However, the moment their eyesnded on the Giant Dracolich, whose presence exceeded that of a Saint, all of them felt as if their legs had turned to jelly.


    Avernus smiled evilly as it unleashed its Dragon Fear, making the Elves who had all gathered on top of the walls of the vige fall down to their knees.


    At that moment, an old elf, whom Lux recognized, appeared on top of the walls and bowed his head respectfully towards Avernus.


    "Y-Your Excellency, I apologize if my people offended you," the Vige Head, who went by the name, Ammar, said with reverence. "We are just simple vigers, living simple lives. I beg of you, please spare us."


    "Spare you?" Avernus snorted. "Did you know how your guards insulted my Master when he tried to peacefully enter your vige? Filthy, lowly, puny, ugly, despicable, snot-nosed Elves��are all of you courting death?


    "Even if you sold every Elf in this vige, it is still nowhere enough to pay for a drop of my Master''s blood. Who gave all of you the balls to act cocky, hmmm? Just where is that confidence of yoursing from?"


    Ammar, who was facing Avernus'' cold, and merciless eyes, shuddered uncontrobly.


    He could tell that if he didn''t choose his words carefully, he and his entire vige would disappear from the face of the world in an instant.


    "I-it is my fault that His Excellency''s Master has suffered," Ammar stated. "I should have told the guards to be more lenient to visitors who are traveling within ournds. I promise that this incident will not happen again. So if you please��"


    "Of course, this incident will not happen again," Avernus cut off Ammar''s reply. "Because after I''m done with you, this vige will cease to exist."


    The Guards and their Captain, who heard this, cried out in rm. All of them began to beg for forgiveness.


    If they only knew that the Half-Elf could summon a Cmity-Ranked Monster, they wouldn''t dare to offend him the way they did earlier.


    Offending someone with a Cmity-Ranked Monster when the strongest beings in the Six Kingdoms were only Saints?


    Simply courting death.

 Chapter 1051 The Second Coming Of The Child Of Light [Part 3]

    Chapter 1051 The Second Coming Of The Child Of Light [Part 3]


    "You are begging the wrong person, Maggots," Avernus scoffed at the Elves who were doing their best to beg for their lives. "If you don''t grovel in front of my Master and sincerely ask for forgiveness after I count to ten, I will start killing people. One�� Two�� Three��"


    "Forgive us! We were wrong!"


    "Please, have mercy! We only wanted to protect our vige from outsiders!"


    "It is the tradition in our vige to not allow any race aside from Elves to enter our vige. Forgive us!"


    "Please, show us mercy!"


    Avernus, who heard the Elves plead for forgiveness, was instantly annoyed. They were not sincerely begging for forgiveness.


    Instead, they were indirectly telling their Master that he was in the wrong and that they were simply upholding the traditions of their vige.


    "It seems that all of you still don''t understand your situation," Avernus stated. "I told you to sincerely beg for my Master''s forgiveness, and not say EXCUSES!"


    Once again, Avernus unleashed his Dragon''s Fear, and this time, he didn''t hold back.


    All the Elves in front of him started to puke and froth due to the extreme pressure that he was releasing.


    Even Ammar wasn''t spared from this.


    The Dracolich''s intention was clear. If they don''t fall in line, he would force them to fall in line.


    "I apologize for my disrespectful words," the Guard Captain, whom Lux named as Viger A begged as he fought hard to suppress the fear that was bubbling inside his chest. "I had eyes but failed to see your greatness. I was blinded by my pride��"


    "Um, you forgot to say that my Master is more Handsome than any Elf in this lowly vige of yours. Also, make sure to mention how stupid you all are, and that you are lower than pigs," Avernusmented. "Start from the beginning."


    "I-I apologize, this�� lowly pig�� had been very disrespectful," Viger A said as tears and snot flowed out from his eyes and nose. "We were all�� stupid for not realizing your greatness. I have never�� seen someone�� as handsome as you, Young Master, in my entire life."


    Avernus nodded. "Not bad. Now, all of you say the same thing as he did. If my Master forgives you then I will allow you all to live. However, make no mistake. You are going topensate my Master for your insolence.


    "If he isn''t happy with your hospitality, then I will make sure that no one else will experience your hospitality."


    Avernus had been an arrogant Dragon ever since he was born. Of course, he had every right to be arrogant since he had the strength to back it up.


    He was also very happy because even though his Master had remained a kind person, he had also changed to be someone who would not allow others to treat him as a doormat.


    Because of this, the Dracolich was more than happy to do the dirty work for Lux and make everyone who dared to disrespect him understand that they were messing with the wrong person.


    All the Elves repeated the first Elf''s words and asked for the Half-Elf''s forgiveness over and over again. They evenpeted with each other on praising Lux''s handsome looks, making the Half-Elf have a hard time preventing the corner of his lips from twitching.


    After nearly thirty minutes of this farce, the Half-Elf decided to forgive them for their transgressions.


    "Can I now enter your vige?" Lux asked.


    "Of course!" Ammar replied in a heartbeat. "We will show you the hospitality of Moss Vige! Please, follow us, Your Excellency!"


    Ammar was afraid that Lux might suddenly change his mind and punish them for being disrespectful to him.


    Although they indeed had aw that forbade any Half-Elf from entering theirnds, thatw didn''t mean jacksh*t in the face of someone who had a Cmity-Ranked Monster as his subordinate.


    Lux and Aurora entered the vige with calm expressions on their faces.


    The first thing they saw were the treehouses that the Elves used as their home.


    Although the designs were simple and couldn''t bepared to the grand structures in the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden, the houses had a rustic charm to them, making Lux feel as if a refreshing breeze was blowing past him.


    Although there were many houses that were built on the tops of the trees, Lux couldn''t see any Elves in the surroundings.


    This waspletely understandable since Avernus had made his presence known, making the Elves flee towards the shelters that they had prepared just in case their vige was overrun by Monsters.


    Just as Lux thought that he wouldn''t see a single Elf in the surroundings, he noticed an Elf Lady standing on the balcony of one of the biggest Tree Houses in the Vige.


    She looked like someone in her early twenties, which was very normal for the Elves who had a very long lifespan.


    However, Lux stopped walking the moment his eyesnded on the Elven Lady, who was looking at him in disbelief.


    "Vincent��" the Elf Lady muttered. "No. You''re not him. Vincent is dead."


    The Elf Lady then jumped down from the Tree House and walked towards Lux as if she were in a trance.


    Without even asking for permission, she cupped Lux''s face, which almost gave Ammar and the Guards a heart attack.


    They had barely escaped with their lives due to their disrespectful words towards the Half-Elf.


    But now, one of their people was touching his face, without holding back.


    "Adeline! Don''t be disrespectful to our guests!" Ammar shouted. "Your Excellency, I am sorry. Adeline has not been feeling well for nearly two decades due to the loss of her child. She is a very good girl, but she can be entric at times. Please, forgive her if she offended you!"


    Lux didn''t say anything and simply allowed the Elven Lady, who had the same eye color as him, to touch his face.


    A momentter, her hands trembled as if she hade to a realization.


    "Your name," Adeline said softly as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf in front of her, who reminded her of the man she had loved twenty years ago. "What is your name?"


    Her hands still cupped the Half-Elf''s face, but they were trembling, reflecting the emotions that were starting to stir inside her heart.


    "Lux," Lux replied as he gazed at the beautiful Elf, who had cried bitterly as she lovingly held her dead baby a long time ago.


    "My name is Lux."

 Chapter 1052 Memories, Sorrows, And Thorns [Part 1]

    Chapter 1052 Memories, Sorrows, And Thorns [Part 1]


    Ammar raised his cup to honor their VIP Guests, who hade to stay in their humble vige for a few days.


    As much as they wanted to make Lux leave, none of them dared to actually bring it up, fearing that the Dracolich''s wrath would descend upon them.


    "I call for a toast for Lux''s and Aurora''s long and happy life," Ammar said as he raised his wine cup. "To friendship!"


    """To Friendship!"""


    The Elders of Moss Vige also joined the small banquet, which they held to honor the Half-Elf and the beautiful youngdy who apanied him.


    Aurora sat on Lux''s left side, while Adeline sat on his right.


    The Elf Lady didn''t hesitate to put food on Lux''s te, and the Half-Elf didn''t make any move to stop her from doing so.


    However, Lux and Aurora were both surprised.


    Both of them thought that Elves didn''t eat meat, and only settled for fruits and other edible nts in the forest.


    When Lux voiced his thoughts, Adeline smiled and told him that the only time that Elves ate only fruits and edible nts was when there were no animals to hunt in the forest.


    She couldn''t tell why she was feeling strongly attracted to Lux. Of course, the attraction wasn''t anything romantic. But truth be told, she was fighting the strong urge to hug him and hold him close.


    Adeline felt like the one person missing in her life had finally appeared, and she also felt that she was both familiar and unfamiliar to him.


    When she heard that his name was Lux, the young Elf remembered the time when she was holding her dead baby by the riverside.


    She had not been able to give her newborn anything, except for a name, which was Lux.


    A name that means Light.


    After her lover, Vincent, had died, the only proof of their love that remained was her baby.


    However, as if Fate found her union with a humanughable, that one thing she held sacred was also taken away from her.


    The "Light" of her life was snuffed out before he could even open his eyes to see the world he was born into.


    Now, seeing a Half-Elf, who looked exactly like her departed lover, made her feel as if thest puzzle in her heart had fallen into ce.


    Lux''s eyes, which resembled her own, looked at her kindly.


    Adeline was very sensitive when it came to the gazes of the people around her.


    Because of this, she also felt the affection that the Half-Elf was hiding in his subtle nces towards her.


    She didn''t mind this, because she was doing the same.


    Of course, Ammar, who had known Adeline since she was young, was also giving Lux some sidelong nces.


    ''He really looks like Vincent,'' Ammar thought. ''He also has Adeline''s eyes. His name is also Lux.But could this just be a coincidence? That child was certainly dead back then��''


    He had known who Adeline''s lover was and even repeatedly reminded her that falling in love with a Human was a mistake.


    The Vige Head of Moss Vige was well aware of the Laws of the Elven Kingdom that didn''t tolerate the existence of Half-Elves and barred them from stepping inside their Domain.


    Of course, even if the Elf King were to suddenly make a surprise visit to their vige, thisw that he had decreed would have no effect whatsoever.


    Ammar was certain that if the Elf King were to meet Lux, the ruler of the Elves would have no choice but to smile andmend the Half-Elf for his good looks.


    Only fools would dare to anger an existence that could wipe out the entire Elven Kingdom from the face of the Sis.


    "Lux, you said that you and this beautiful youngdy are adventurers," Ammar said. "Do you mind if I ask you where you came from?"


    "I mind," Lux replied, making Ammar''s smile almost crack.


    "Lux, where did youe from?" Adeline asked as she held Lux''s hand.


    "I came from Wildgarde Stronghold," Lux answered with a smile. "I was raised there by my Grandma since I was a baby."


    Ammar almost choked after seeing this scene. When he asked the same question, the Half-Elf didn''t even bother to give him a proper answer.


    Yet, when Adeline was the one who asked the question, he answered immediately and even gave some additional information about his background.


    Discrimination much?!


    Lux didn''t know that Ammar was fuming in his heart.


    But, even if he did, he wouldn''t care about it either.


    For him, the Vige Head of Moss Vige wasn''t important.


    He only came to see the mother of the body he had taken over, giving him a chance to live in this world as Lux Von Kaizer.


    "What is your grandma''s name? And is she Human?" Adeline inquired.


    "Yes, my grandma is a Human," Lux replied. "Her name is Vera."


    "Is that so? Then what is your rtionship with Aurora? Are the two of you perhaps lovers?"


    "Yes. She is my future wife. Isn''t she a beauty?"


    Adeline nodded and looked at Aurora fondly. "She is indeed very beautiful. When will the two of you get married? Please invite me. I want to be the Godmother of your baby."


    "Marriage? Perhaps two to three years from now," Lux answered. "And, of course, I would love for you to attend my marriage. In fact, aside from Aurora, I have other fiancees as well. If possible, I want you to meet them if there is an opportunity."


    Adeline blinked once and twice as she looked at Lux in surprise.


    "You have other fiancees aside from Aurora?" Adeline asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Right now, I have eight fiancees."


    "Right now? You mean there is a possibility that there will be more?"


    "Noment."


    Adeline rubbed her forehead as if this revtion was giving her a headache.


    "You''re like your fath�� I mean, my deceased lover," Adeline said sadly. "That guy was capable of making anydy fall for him. When the two of us were traveling, I lost count of the number of women who tried to join us on our journey. Fortunately, he was madly in love with me, so he didn''t even bother to look at them."


    "What is your lover like, Mo�� Lady Adeline?" Lux asked. "Can you tell me more about him?"


    "First, don''t call me Lady Adeline." Adeline pouted. "Just call me Mom or Adeline."


    "Okay, Adeline," Lux replied with a smile. For now, he held back in calling her Mom since things might getplicated.


    The young Elf narrowed her eyes.


    For a brief moment, Lux sensed the Elf Lady''s dissatisfaction with not being called Mom by him.


    "Very well, I will tell you about Vincent," Adeline said before drinking all the wine inside her wine cup. "But I will only tell you and Aurora. Come to my house."


    Adeline didn''t even bother waiting for Lux''s reply and grabbed his hand.


    She then dragged him away and brought him to her house. The story that she was about to tell him was quite sensitive, so Adeline didn''t want others to hear it.


    Once her guests were properly seated inside her living room, Adeline began her tale.


    "Twenty-five years ago�� the two of us met in an Auction House. He was a guest, while I was�� I was one of the ves that was being auctioned that day."


    Aurora held Lux''s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She could sense that Lux''s killing intent spiked up a bit, so she wanted to help him calm down.


    Lux returned her gesture and thanked her through their Guild Chat.


    The two of them then continued to listen to Adeline''s story.


    A story of how an Elf fell in love with a Human, and how the two of them became one.

 Chapter 1053 Memories, Sorrows, And Thorns [Part 2]

    Chapter 1053 Memories, Sorrows, And Thorns [Part 2]


    In a ck Market within the Fynn Kingdom��


    "Everyone, the moment that all of you have been waiting for has arrived," the Auctioneer enthusiastically said with a smile on his face. "I present to you an Elven beauty who nearly died after facing an Argonaut Ranked Monster near the border of the Vahan Empire.


    "Fortunately, one of our merchants came across her and managed to save her life. If not for him, we would not be able to auction off this beautifuldy, who had just turned twenty a month ago!"


    As if to prove that he was telling the truth, one of the Staff took a blue crystal from his pocket and ced it on top of the Elf''s head.


    A projection then appeared in front of everyone and the number twenty was shown.


    The artifact was something that most people used to determine the bone age of a person.


    Appearances could be deceiving, especially when it came to Elves, High-Rankers, and other Races who aged slowly.


    Seeing that the elf was indeed young, the buyers became more interested in purchasing her.


    "I guarantee that she is still pure, so her price will be set more expensive than usual," the Auctioneer stated. "I''m sure that all of you are looking forward to breaking this ve and making her your loyal servant. So, without further dy, bidding starts at one million gold!"


    "Two Million!"


    "Three Million!"


    "Five million!"


    The rich and powerful nobles from the Fynn Kingdom, who regrly participated in this Underground Auction hosted by Crime Syndicates, tried to outbid one another.


    Adeline was currently under a spell that prevented her from forming any thoughts inside her head.


    Because of this, she wasn''t aware that everyone inside the auction was fighting to be her new Master, to whom she would offer her body and heart for the rest of her life.


    "Thirty Million."


    A voice radiating confidence and power silenced everyone inside the Auction House.


    Those who were trying to outbid each other just now looked in the direction where the one who bid thirty million to purchase the Elf was seated in a leisurely manner.


    The young man seemed to be around fifteen years old.


    He had short red hair and eyes that made everyone who looked at him feel as if he could see everything, including their soul.


    "T-Thirty Million," The Auctioneer stuttered. "Any other bidders?"


    Clearly, even he was affected by the young man''s charismatic gaze, making him lose hisposure for a brief moment.


    "Going once!"


    "Going twice!"


    "Sold!"


    The young man smirked before standing up from his seat.


    The Elf was the final item in the auction house, so there was no need to stay any longer.


    Everyone looked at him with envy. After all, it was rare for a young Elf to be found in the Auction House. Because of this, everyone wanted to do their best to make her their possession.


    However, it was simply impossible to fight against the young man.


    The reason?


    Because he was the bastard son of the King of the Kingdom of Fynn.


    Although he was a bastard, his father was still a King, making it hard for them to fight him in the open.


    ����������������-


    In the back room of the Auction House��


    When Adeline opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a handsome young man who was looking at her with a smile on his face.


    "Good. You have finally regained your consciousness," the young man said as he approached Adeline, who was still trying to understand what was happening around her.


    She could tell that the young man was younger than her at a nce, which made her frown.


    "Do you understand mynguage?" the young man asked and then raised three fingers in front of the elven beauty. "How many fingers do you see?"


    Adeline''s wits returned to her slowly.


    However, once she finally recalled what had happened to her, she immediately raised her hand to touch her neck.


    At that moment, she felt a cool metallic sensation on her hand, confirming her worst fears.


    "A ve cor��" Adeline muttered absentmindedly.


    She then looked at the young man in front of her who was busy groping her right breast while muttering things that made Adeline''s cheeks burn in embarrassment.


    "Oh, my God! Why is this so soft?!" the young man eximed. "Are all breasts like this? Um? Why is this thing at the center bing firm? Hmm�� I wonder what it tastes like��"


    Just as the young man was about to put Adeline''s breast inside his mouth, the Elf was no longer able to hold back and pushed the young man away, making thetter fall on his butt and cry out in pain.


    Fortunately, the floor was covered in carpet, so the young man didn''t get hurt that much.


    "Hey! What do you think you are doing?" the young manined as he stood up. "Do you not know who I am? I am your Master!"


    Adeline ignored the young man and looked at her surroundings. She needed to escape no matter what and return to Sis.


    "Hah�� I guess you still don''t understand your ce," the young man said in an arrogant tone. "Since you don''t recognize me as your Master, I will make you recognize me as one."


    The young man then pointed at Adeline with a smirk on his face.


    "Kneel!" the young man ordered.


    Adeline, who had just been given an order, walked towards the young man until she was only two feet away from him.


    The young man stared defiantly at the Elf, who was a head taller than him.


    He had given her the order to kneel, and he was looking forward to making her understand her ce.


    However, instead of kneeling, Adeline raised her hand�� and pped his face, making the young man cry out in pain.


    "Just who are you ordering to kneel, huh?" Adeline grabbed the young man''s robes and lifted him up. "A mere Apostle like you dares to order around a Ranker like me? Just who between us doesn''t understand their ce?"


    The young man struggled to escape from Adeline''s grip. But no matter what he did, he was unable to escape her grasp.


    After a full minute of futile struggling, the young man sighed and looked at the defiant Elf with a pout.


    "Hah�� I guess ordering you while the ve cor is deactivated won''t work," the young man said. "Very well, since you don''t want to obey me when I''m being nice, I will stop being nice."


    Adeline suddenly felt the cor on her neck tingle, making her eyes widen in shock.


    "Let''s try this again from the start," the young man said with a mischievous smile on his face.


    "Kneel."


    This time, Adeline felt a strongpelling force for her to obey her Master''smand.


    She slowly ced the young man down before kneeling in front of him.


    The young man then ced his finger under the elf''s chin, and slowly raised her head, making her look at him.


    "Let me introduce myself," the handsome young man said with a smile. "My name is Vincent, and from this moment onwards you will protect me from those who wish to end my life. I hope we get along well. Um, I forgot to ask. What is your name again?"


    "Adeline," Adeline replied in a heartbeat. "My name is Adeline."


    "Good." Vincent then crouched down and nted a kiss on Adeline''s forehead. "By my name, I hereby dere that five years from now, the ve cor on your neck will break, and you will regain your freedom.


    "Until then, you are to protect me. Do I make myself clear, Adeline?"


    "�� Yes," Adeline replied as she looked at the young man, whom she was forced to serve for five years.


    Whether she would be able to protect his life or not, Adeline would only know the day the ve cor on her neck broke into pieces.

 Chapter 1054 Memories, Sorrows, And Thorns [Part 3]

    Chapter 1054 Memories, Sorrows, And Thorns [Part 3]


    "Vincent was a troublesome teenager," Adeline said with a sad smile on her face. "But as I spent more time with him, I realized that he had two very different personas��the Vincent that the public knew, and the Vincent that only I knew in private.


    "Outside the privacy of his room, he was a cold and indifferent person. He looked like someone whopletely held the world in his hands.


    "His confidence and charisma made those who saw him treat him as if he was a General who had sessfully finished many campaigns.


    "Because of this, he was fairly popr among the nobles, and some would even go as far as gifting him with treasures and gold in order to get on his good side."


    Adeline paused as a sigh escaped her lips.


    "That was a mask he wore to make those who ridiculed him and aimed to take his life think twice before making a move," Adeline stated. "Even I was surprised whenever I apanied him outside as his bodyguard.


    "Although he was younger than me by five years, his back looked broader and bigger than any man I have seen in my life. But his other persona, when we are alone�� was like a naive child who knew nothing of the world."


    This time, a sweet smile appeared on Adeline''s lips as if she relived one of the happiest days of her life.


    "He was adventurous, curious�� and at times, this curiosity is focused on the anatomy of the opposite gender," Adeline said.


    "In short, he was a pervert behind closed doors," Lux said. "Are you sure his name was Vincent and not Rudeus?"


    Adeline shook her head. "His surname was not Grayrat."


    "I see." Lux nodded in understanding. "Please continue."


    The beautiful Elf giggled before nodding her head.


    "I watched him grow up from a naive young man to someone who was less ignorant of the world," Adeline said. "During that time, I protected him from the assassins sent by his brothers. They were jealous of the attention he was getting from their father."


    "Vincent already expected such things to happen, so he decided to buy me at the auction house to be his personal guard. You see, he was very paranoid and trusted only a handful of individuals."


    "Since I was a ve, he gave me unconditional trust�� as well as love. I already mentioned that he was very popr with the nobles, and with his looks, he was also very popr with thedies.


    "Of course, I didn''t fall in love with him at first. But after three years of being with him, I realized that he had already wormed his way inside my heart. When he turned eighteen, his father asked him what kind of gift he wanted. Do you know what he asked for?"


    Lux shook his head. He really had no idea what someone like Vincent would ask a King for as a gift.


    "He asked his father to allow him to marry me," Adeline said and a faint tinge of red could be seen creeping up her face. "He did this inside the Royal Ballroom while he was celebrating his birthday.


    "Of course, I was shocked. Because at that time, I was still a ve, and the ck cor on my neck proved that. At first, his father thought that Vincent was just joking since that was what he was like. Vincent liked to joke around whenever he was outside.


    "But this time, he wasn''t joking. He was serious. The King asked him if this was what he truly wanted, and he said yes. The King then took a look at me before reluctantly nodding his head.


    "He then gave Vincent a choice. To stay with me and be disowned, or leave me a ve and remain a Prince. To everyone''s surprise, he chose to be with me in a heartbeat, surprising even his own father. He was only eighteen at that time. No longer a boy, but not yet a man.


    "After choosing me, the King sighed and disowned him then and there. His Majesty also ordered that the celebration be stopped. But just as everyone was about to leave the room, Vincent asked the King a question with a serious expression on his face."


    Lux and Aurora, who were now invested in the story, waited for Adeline to finish what she was going to say.


    "This is what Vincent said to his father who had disowned him in front of everyone," Adeline said with a solemn expression on her face. "Can I at least take away the cake?"


    Lux and Aurora blinked once, then twice, after hearing Adeline''s words.


    The beautiful Elf covered her lips as her body shook while holding back herughter.


    A minuteter, she finally regained herposure and smiled.


    "The king got so angry that he lifted the cake and threw it on his bastard son, covering his entire body with cake," Adeline smiled. "All the guestsughed after seeing this scene, and to my surprise, Vincentughed alongside them. Perhaps, theughter was so infectious that even the Kingughed with everyone.


    "That was how his eighteenth birthday ended. He chose to end it on a happy note instead of a sad one. He left the Royal Pce still covered in cake. Since he was disowned, he lost all the possessions he had that day, yet he still smiled at me and said��


    "At least, I still have you, Adeline. You''re far more precious than all the treasures in this worldbined.


    "That night, I knew then and there that I truly loved him. I took him away from that ce until we stumbled across a river. Both of us bathed, and I helped him remove the cake that covered his entire body. And then�� he embraced me, and I willingly embraced him back.


    "Back then, I thought that, since it was his birthday, I wanted to give him a gift. Something very precious to me, and that was myself.


    "I didn''t know if it was because of the remnants of the cake or not, but his kisses were sweet, just like the rest of his body. Although it was my first time, I didn''t feel any pain because of the overflowing love and happiness that I was feeling at that time.


    "Perhaps, that is also the night when I started to conceive. You see, Elves are not like Humans. In the eyes of our race, I was still a child. When Vincent was eighteen, I was only twenty-three. Because of this, the chances of me getting pregnant were slim.


    "Our gestation period is also long. Usually, it takes anywhere between one to five years for our gestation period to end. Whether I truly conceived on that night or not, I can''t really tell. But that was the sweetest memory I have, so I truly hoped that it was at that moment that I''d be blessed with a child."


    Adeline then looked at Lux with fondness. She and the Half-Elf didn''t say anything, but even without words, both of them seemed to know what the other was thinking.


    A few minutester, the beautiful Elf closed her eyes, and a sorrowful expression appeared on her face.

 Chapter 1055 Memories, Sorrows, And Thorns [Part 4]

    Chapter 1055 Memories, Sorrows, And Thorns [Part 4]


    Adeline took a few deep breaths in order to regain her calm and continue her story.


    "When Vincent turned twenty years old, he heard that his father had acquired a terminal illness and was on his deathbed," Adeline said. "Knowing that this might probably be thest time that he would see his father alive, Vincent returned to the Fynn Kingdom in order to see him."


    "No one barred him, and even the Crown Prince, whom he didn''t get along with, allowed him to see the King before he breathed hisst. I was there with him as he held his father''s hand. The two talked, and his father departed the world with a smile."


    Adeline''s face then hardened as a strand of killing intent oozed out from her body.


    "It was also on that day when the Crown Prince showed his true colors and tried to capture me by force," Adeline said as her body shook with anger. "It seemed that he had long wanted me to be his ything, and he was only holding back because he was afraid that his Father still cared for his bastard son.


    "But after his death, he no longer feared anyone, for he was the next in line for the throne. Out of desperation, Vincent used his trump card.


    "No one knew that he carried an artifact, given to him by the King as a means to protect himself. In order to allow me to escape, he summoned the Avatar of a Saint. A great battle took ce within the Royal Pce.


    "However, an Avatar wasn''t strong enough to fight against the Saint who was protecting Vincent''s Brother. Even so, we still managed to escape that ce, but my beloved was mortally wounded.


    "He drew hisst breath in my arms. But before that, he asked me to return to Sis and never step foot in Elysium again. Even though he was dying, he still worried for my safety.


    "I buried him in the flower field where we often spent our time together. He said that he wanted to be surrounded by flowers so that, even if I was not around to see him, there would always be flowers on his grave."


    A tear slid down the side of Adeline''s face and her lip trembled.


    Seeing this, Aurora stood up and gave the olderdy a hug. Lux, on the other hand, closed his eyes.


    The Fynn Kingdom was a kingdom bordering the Vahan Empire. With his current strength, it would only take him a day or two to reach his destination.


    After Adeline regained herposure, she stood up and hugged Lux.


    The Half-Elf didn''t resist and hugged his biological mother back.


    Adeline thought that she had no more tears to shed, but the moment Lux hugged her back, her heart felt like it was breaking.


    The beautiful Elf cried in Lux''s arms, soaking his clothes with bitter tears.


    Adeline didn''t know if her tears wereing from the loss of her husband, the loss of her child, or the possibility of reuniting with the child, whom everyone, including her, thought to be dead.


    It was even possible that it was all those reasonsbined.


    Even so, Adeline didn''t hold back the sadness, and the heartache that she was feeling and let her emotions flow freely like a raging river that had swelled after continuous days of rain.


    Lux patted the beautiful Elf''s back in order to help her calm down. Unfortunately, this only made Adeline cry harder, making the Half-Elf feel helpless.


    Half an hourter, Adeline finally quieted down.


    She remained in Lux''s embrace as if remembering a time when a simr pair of hands held her close, and made her feel like the happiest woman in the world.


    A few minutester Adeline fell asleep in Lux''s arms.


    The Half-Elf carried the beautiful Elf like a princess and brought her back to her room. He thenid her down on the bed and asked Aurora to look after her, while he pondered a few things on his own.


    Technically, Adeline''s and Vincent''s child was already dead.


    When Lux''s soul arrived in Sis, only a fragment of his soul remained. If not for the fact that there was a vessel that could house his weakened soul at that time, his soul might have disappeared and ceased to exist.


    Perhaps it was just a coincidence or a whim of Fate.


    But it didn''t change the fact that Lux only had a second chance at life because of Adeline''s baby.


    As if feeling his thoughts, an ache washed over his body. It was as if his body was crying due to the sadness of his birth mother at the loss of her child.


    "Understood," Lux said softly as he pressed his right hand over his chest, feeling his heartbeat. "I''ll avenge our mother. I promise to make those who hurt her and your father pay."


    After making this promise, the ache he was feeling disappeared, and his body felt light.


    For a brief moment, Lux thought he heard the sound of a baby''sughter echoing inside his ears.


    Although the ache in his heart disappeared, he felt a different kind of pain.


    A pain that plucked the strings of his soul, making a single tear stream down the side of his face.


    "Okay," Lux muttered. "I will also visit your father. Leave everything to me."


    Several minutes passed as Lux stood at the top of the tree where Adeline''s house was built.


    He gazed upon the moon in the sky as he contemted his next course of action.


    However, one thing was clear.


    When morning came, he would take Adeline and Aurora back to Elysium.


    They would pay a visit to the Fynn Kingdom and settle the debt that was long overdue.


    Lux knew that a happily ever after may not always be possible. But who was he?


    He was the Necromancer of Heaven.


    As long as it was within his powers and the right conditions were met, anything was possible.


    "Asmodeus," Lux called out the Lich King, who would do anything for his sake.


    "Yes, Master." Asmodeus bowed his head respectfully.


    "Go to the Fynn Kingdom and gather information," Lux ordered. "I don''t care what method you use. I just want to see the results."


    The Lich King smiled and his eyes twinkled in excitement.


    "Yes, My Liege," Asmodeus replied. "I''ll pave the path for your revenge."


    Without another word, the Lich King turned into a ck mist and traveled to the starry skies.


    His destination was the Fynn Kingdom, and Asmodeus would stop at nothing to ensure that his Master''s wishes would be met in full.

 Chapter 1056 You’re Still A Young Lady, And Not Yet A Woman [Part 1]

    Chapter 1056 You��re Still A Young Lady, And Not Yet A Woman [Part 1]


    When Adeline opened her eyes, she found herself gazing at the familiar ceiling of her room.


    However, it didn''t take long before she realized that she wasn''t the only one lying on her bed.


    Sleeping beside her was a youngdy whose beauty surpassed her own.


    Aurora was sleeping peacefully, hugging Adeline. The Elf couldn''t help but admire this youngdy, who was capable of charming boys and girls alike.


    ncing through her window, she noticed that the sky was still dark, and dawn was still a few hours away.


    She was still feeling sleepy, and Aurora''s warmth made her feel veryfortable. Adeline had been alone for nearly two decades after the death of her child.


    Although her parents wanted her to live with them in the Elven Capital, she insisted on living on her own and remained in Moss Vige.


    She spent her days taking care of the orphanage''s children who had lost their parents after they died or went missing in Elysium.


    Elves were a race that was highly sought out by ve Traders due to their beauty and grace.


    For this reason, they were not advised to travel alone in Elysium and to always travel with a group of their own kind.


    It was because Adeline refused to do this in the past that led to her being captured and auctioned away.


    Fortunately, the one who bought her, Vincent, was not a bad person.


    This saved her from suffering a fate worse than death, which was bing the ything of a Noble who would show her off to his friends like a trophy during the day and use her as a bed warmer at night.


    Vincent would often sleep with her every night, but he never forced her to do anything. At most, he would only hug her like a pillow and fall asleep in a minute or two.


    Perhaps, missing her beloved, Adeline wrapped her arms around Aurora and pulled her close.


    The youngdy was in a deep sleep, but she still burrowed her head subconsciously into Adeline''s chest because it felt soft and smelled good.


    ''I know that it is impossible, but I can''t help thinking about it,'' Adeline thought as she hugged the youngdy in his arms. ''I don''t want to hope, but if Lux is truly my son, then�� Aurora is my future daughter-inw.''


    Adeline''s gaze softened as she looked at the youngdy in his arms. She had been touched when Aurora lent her shoulder for her to cry on earlier, and it gave her a good impression of the youngdy.


    A few minutester, Adeline closed her eyes to sleep.


    She dreamed of enjoying a pic with Lux and Aurora as if they were truly a family.


    The beautiful Elf wasn''t aware that, despite the fact that she was having a good dream, tears streamed down her eyes in the real world, soaking Aurora''s hair with the warmth of her tears.


    ��������������


    A few hourster��


    Adeline woke up feeling refreshed.


    It had been many years since shest felt like this, and she knew that this was thanks to her two guests who were currently staying inside her house.


    The smell of something delicious reached her nose, making her stomach growl in response.


    Aurora, who was still sleeping a few seconds ago, opened her eyes and looked at Adeline in a daze.


    A secondter, the beautiful Elf''s stomach growled a second time, making her face turn beet red due to embarrassment.


    "Good morning, Aurora," Adeline said in order to hide the fact that her stomach was growling. "Did you have a good sleep?"


    "Yes," Aurora replied with a smile. "I slept well since it felt like I was sleeping with my deceased mother. It felt good."


    Adeline felt sad after hearing that Aurora''s mother was no longer in this world. It triggered her maternal instincts, making her kiss the youngdy''s forehead before patting her head affectionately.


    "Then why don''t you always sleep beside me from this point onwards?" Adeline proposed. "That way, both of us will be able to get a good night''s sleep together."


    "Sounds good," Aurora smiled. "I''d love that."


    Adeline was about to say more, but her stomach chose this opportunity toin a third time, making the words she was about to say stop in her throat.


    At that moment, the twodies heard someone knocking on the door.


    "Breakfast is ready," Lux said. "Come and get it."


    The two beautifuldies nced at each other and smiled.


    They then got out of bed and joined Lux to eat breakfast.


    "I didn''t know you were a good cook, Lux," Adeline said. "This is wonderful."


    Lux chuckled because he knew that Adeline was just exaggerating.


    He merely cooked sunny side up eggs and cured meat, so there was nothing special about it.


    After eating breakfast, Adeline took Aurora to a nearby spring so they could bathe together.


    Lux stayed in the house and waited for the twodies to finish.


    He wasn''t in a hurry to leave Moss Vige because he decided to stay one more day before returning to Elysium.


    Aurora looked very happy to spend time with Adeline, so he decided to let them enjoy each other''spany for the time being.


    Technically, the beautiful Elf would be Aurora''s mother-inw once the two of them got married.


    He thought that this was a good idea for the two of them to form a bond early, nurturing their future rtionship as inws.


    After a night of thinking, Lux finally decided to embrace the identity that was granted to him by Fate.


    While it was true that he wasn''t really Adeline''s child, the fact remained that his vessel belonged to her baby.


    He even felt that the remnant spirit of Adeline''s child, which still lingered inside his body, wished for him to take over his identity and be the beautiful Elf''s family.


    He didn''t really sleep and simply meditated all night, trying to better understand how he should proceed with his rtionship with Adeline.


    At first, he only wanted to see her to bring closure to his past. But after hearing her story, he knew that he couldn''t stand idly and remain on the fence.


    He was not the only one who wanted to look for closure.


    Adeline was also looking for it.


    She had lost her husband.


    She had lost her child.


    And now, she spent her days in solitude.


    For a long-lived race, this kind of lifestyle was considered torture.


    Nearly two decades had passed, yet Adeline was still unable to let go of the two people she had lost.


    If she truly had the ability to move on, by now, she would have already remarried and formed a new family.


    But, she didn''t do that.


    She clung to the feelings inside her heart, making her unable to find happiness in life.


    A sigh escaped Lux''s lips as he leaned on the sofa and closed his eyes. He had already made his choice, and he would abide by his decision.


    At that exact moment, Asmodeus'' voice reached his ears.


    "Master, I have a report to make," Asmodeus said.


    "Okay," Lux replied.


    The Lich King then began to tell him all the information that he had gathered in Elysium, making the Half-Elf frown.


    "That''s the end of my report, Master," Asmodeus stated. "But I will continue to gather information."


    "Good job, Asmodeus." Luxmended his loyal servant. "We''ll be there in a day or two. So, continue your mission."


    "Yes, Master."


    Asmodeus said nothing more as he returned to his undercover work in the Fynn Kingdom.

 Chapter 1057 You’re Still A Young Lady, And Not Yet A Woman [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1057 You��re Still A Young Lady, And Not Yet A Woman [Part 2]</h4>


    The more Asmodeus investigated the current King of the Fynn Kingdom, the more disgusted he became.


    He couldn''t believe that someone like him was able to remain in power for so many years, with no one challenging his rule.


    Perhaps, there had been a few who did challenge the current King in the past.


    However, with the backing of the corrupt Nobles by his side, these Rebels were snuffed out before they could even grow, allowing the vile King, who was sitting on the throne, to continue his debauchery.


    ''This King''s days are numbered,'' Asmodeus thought. ''Of all the people that he offended, he chose to offend my Master''s parents. His death will certainly not be swift.''


    The Lich King''s lips curled up into an evil smile as he gazed at the Royal Pce in the distance.


    If he wanted to, he could probably kidnap the King without too much effort.


    But he didn''t want to risk it since there were two Saints protecting the Kingdom.


    He was afraid that if he made a move, the King would go into hiding, making it more difficult to capture him.


    For the time being, he silently continued gathering information on who might be the next suitable ruler of the Kingdom.


    In all honesty, Asmodeus wanted to propose that his Master just take over the kingdom as its King.


    He had the bloodline of the Fynn Royal Family flowing inside his veins, so his legitimacy was secured.


    Though, even without that Royal Bloodline, Lux could still take over the Kingdom using sheer might.


    Even though the neighbors of the Fynn Kingdom, like the Vahan Empire, might be rmed by the sudden changes that would be happening soon, Asmodeus didn''t give a hoot about what they thought.


    If they had a problem with his Master, he would not hesitate to march his Undead Legion into their Capital Cities and drag their Kings off of their thrones.


    That way, Lux would not rule a single Kingdom, but instead a vast Empire, with countless subjects waiting for his beck and call.


    "Keep dreaming, Asmodeus," Asmodeus said bitterly. "Master will never do something like that."


    The Lich King sighed before shaking his head.


    ''I wonder if I can convince Eiko to be an Empress? Asmodeus thought. ''Although Master doesn''t like to rule, I have a feeling that Eiko might be willing to do it. If only she was just a bit older�� it would have been perfect.''


    What Asmodeus didn''t know was that the Baby Slime that he was thinking fondly of was currently humming a happy tune as her Boom Boom Pirate Crew destroyed all the opposing forces in the Ford Federation.


    The Pirates, as well as the families, who longed to overthrow the Three Great Families and the Ten Prestigious Families of the Ford Federation, were all gathering under her banner.


    The remaining forces of the Families who once ruled the ind nation with an iron fist were either fleeing to different nations or surrendering to their enemies.


    None of them were powerful enough to face Eiko''s might, especially after she had turned the Supremes of the Three Great Families into her underlings.


    The gs of the Boom Boom Pirate Crew fluttered across the inds of the Ford Federation.


    If Asmodeus was able to see them, he would probably ask the Baby Slime to give him a few of her gs so that he could also nt them in the Fynn Kingdom.


    Eiko was Lux''s daughter.


    Since she was family, then she could rightfully rule the Fynn Kingdom.


    What? A Baby Slime, who is considered a Monster, didn''t have the right to rule a Human Kingdom?


    Who said that?


    ckfire would like to offer you a Life Insurance Package before it ps you to oblivion.


    Huh? Kings and Emperors would refuse to recognize her as Empress?


    Wait a minute, we have a few Supremes and Demigods who would like to talk to you about the meaning of life.


    Unlike her Papa, Eiko was a battle junkie who wouldn''t hesitate to start making things explode left and right.


    If the Baby Slime was aware that the Divine Army had bullied Lux while she was away, she would have probably teleported to Lux''s side and summoned Poseidon to start an all-out war against the Divine Army of Light.


    So what if they had one of the Pirs of Eternity?


    Eiko had one too, and her Golden Anchor could drown countless cities in Sea Water if she wished for it to happen.


    Fortunately, the Lich King had no idea that Eiko was in possession of such power.


    If he knew, he would happily coborate with the Baby Slime and conquer vast swaths ofnd, making her the Empress of the biggest Empire in the world.


    Of course, whether Lux would allow such a thing to happen was another story.


    ������������������


    Elven Spring��


    "Lux has eight lovers?" Adeline asked in a surprised tone as she washed Aurora''s back.


    "It almost became nine a few days ago," Auroramented. "However, I believe that it will only be a matter of time before Princess Anastasia bes one of my Sisters."


    "��I can still believe that Lux is capable of having two Dwarf Princesses as Fiances," Adeline said. "But, two Dragon Princesses as his lovers as well? I don''t know if I shouldmend him or caution him for daring to do such an outrageous thing. He is just an A-Ranker. Isn''t he afraid of Supremes pinching him like a bug?"


    Aurora giggled as Adeline continued to wash her back. "Believe it or not, he managed to do it. But, please keep this as a secret for now. If this gets out, things might getplicated."


    "Then why did you tell me this?" Adeline inquired. "Are you not afraid that I will spread this information to others?"


    "You won''t do that," Aurora replied with confidence. "You won''t do anything that might bring harm to Lux."


    "How can you be sure of that? We''ve only been together for a day."


    "Woman''s intuition."


    Adeline didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry after hearing Aurora''s casual reply.


    "Have you forgotten?" Adeline lightly patted Aurora''s head. "I''m a woman too. Also, you made a mistake."


    The beautiful Elf moved closer to whisper something in Aurora''s ears.


    "You''re still a youngdy, and not yet a woman," Adeline whispered. "I can tell that you still haven''t done it with Lux."


    Aurora''s face reddened after hearing the beautiful Elf''s words.


    She didn''t know that Adeline specialized in Nature Magic, so the Elf was able to tell these kinds of things with a single nce.


    "I-I am not in a hurry to do it with him," Aurora stuttered.


    "Really?" Adeline smiled. "Well, I guess that''s fine too. Letting nature take its course is how things should be."


    The beautiful Elf wanted to know more about Lux, so she asked Aurora many questions.


    There were a few questions that she wasn''t able to answer.


    However, she had the Guild Chat.


    Aurora didn''t hesitate to ask these questions in the chatroom where all of Lux''s lovers were.


    Iris, who heard her questions, asked Aurora why she was asking these kinds of questions.


    Since the pink-haired beauty didn''t want to have secrets with her sisters, she mentioned that she was currently with someone, whom she believed to be Lux''s biological mother.


    The youngdy didn''t expect her words to instantly cause amotion among Lux''s fiances and lovers, who started to interrogate her and ask her where she and Lux were currently at.


    "�� I should have gone with them," Iris muttered while rubbing her forehead. "I missed the chance to meet Lux''s Mother first."


    Cai, who was seated beside her, was also feeling regretful.


    Lux didn''t say where he was going with Aurora, so the majority of them thought that he was just taking her out on a date.


    Among Lux''s lovers, Aurora was the only one whom Lux hadn''t embraced yet.


    Because of this, everyone encouraged her to spend some time with Lux alone and even told her that if she saw an opportunity, she shouldn''t hesitate and go for it.


    Although Iris and Cai were a bit disappointed that they weren''t able to meet Adeline like Aurora, the two of them answered the questions that their sister had asked of them.


    Of course, they made Aurora promise them to do everything in her power to convince Lux to make Adeline one of his guild members.


    That way, the Elf could teleport to Lux''s Guild Headquarters, giving them all the opportunity to meet his Mother for the first time.

 Chapter 1058 I Just Hope That You Don’t Break Easily

    Chapter 1058 I Just Hope That You Don��t Break Easily


    A day passed peacefully in Moss Vige.


    None of the Elves dared to say a word about the Half-Elf who was currently living in Adeline''s house.


    They were afraid of offending the Dracolich that could kill them all with a sneeze.


    Because of this, they tolerated Lux''s existence.


    Whatever they thought of him, they kept this inside their hearts and didn''t say anything out in the open, knowing what could happen if they were overheard.


    On the second day, Lux asked Adeline if she could apany him to the Fynn Kingdom.


    When the beautiful Elf heard about Lux''s intention of visiting the Kingdom where she had many happy but also painful memories, she didn''t know what to say.


    Truth be told, she was afraid of returning since the current King might still want to capture her.


    However, after Lux assured her that everything was going to be fine, Adeline decided to trust him.


    She knew that the Half-Elf had the Dracolich with him, so their safety was assured. Of course, this was on the condition that there were only two Saints in the Fynn Kingdom.


    It had been nearly twenty years since she had escaped from that ce, and she hadn''t heard any news about it since then.


    Although she was still afraid, the hands holding her own gave her strength.


    Lux''s and Aurora''s hands made her feel that, as long as she was with them, she would be able to face the fears that she had long buried inside her heart.


    "Vige Chief, we will be leaving now," Lux said with a smile. "I might visit this ce in the future again, so make sure to treat me nicely when that happens."


    "O-Of course!" Ammar replied. "You are wee to visit us anytime."


    The Vige Head didn''t really want to see Lux again, but what could he do?


    He needed to part with him on good terms to ensure that he and the other vigers would be able to keep on living.


    Adeline also bid her goodbye to the Vige Head and then guided Lux and Aurora to the Teleportation Gate, which was located a kilometer away from Moss Vige.


    Since all of them were Rankers, it didn''t even take them a minute to reach their destination.


    The Half-Elf could sense that Adeline was feeling anxious as she started to set the coordinates of the Teleportation Gate.


    It had been so long since she had gone to Elysium, and her hands were shaking as she adjusted the dials of the Teleportation Gate.


    Lux sighed in his heart, but he didn''t say anything. He wanted to help Adeline confront her heart demons by going to the Fynn Kingdom. Also, he wanted to see if a certain possibility existed.


    "Are both of you ready?" Adeline asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    Aurora nodded her head in affirmation.


    Taking a deep breath, the beautiful Elf activated the Teleportation Gate, sending her and the two teenagers to Elysium.


    When the three of them regained their vision, they found themselves in the za of a bustling town.


    They were currently in the Capital City of the Fynn Kingdom, which went by the name Kral City.


    "Lux, if possible, can you and Aurora please apany me somewhere first?" Adeline asked. "There is a ce that I want to visit."


    "Of course," Lux replied. "Lead the way."


    Adeline smiled. Then she led the two teenagers toward the West Gate of the city.


    As the three of them walked side by side, the people on the street couldn''t help but stare in their direction.


    A Half-Elf and an Elf traveling in the Fynn Kingdom was a very rare urrence.


    In fact, the only Elves and Half-Elves in the city were ves.


    But, since the two of them weren''t wearing any cors, everyone felt that they were merely ignorant tourists who unknowingly entered the Lion''s Den.


    Aside from the two of them, the people also noticed Aurora.


    A beauty like her could bring the downfall of a nation, so almost all the men couldn''t help but look at her as she walked by.


    In short, the three of them were pure eye candy, and their arrival had already alerted the various ve Traders inside the city who were always on the lookout for new products to sell.


    These people also had connections to the High-Ranking nobles, serving as their protectors.


    But, the ck Market, which hosted these underground auctions, had the King as their backer.


    Although it had been nearly two decades since they had seen her, the Elders of the ck Market recognized Adeline.


    They knew that the King had wanted her since he had first seen her, so they made sure to report their discovery right away.


    "So, she has returned��," King Yvar muttered after hearing the Elder of the ck Market. "And, you are saying that there is another beautifuldy aside from her?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty," the Elder reported. "Although I haven''t personally seen her, my right-hand man attests that she is even more beautiful than Adeline. She seemed to be in herte teens as well. But, he also noticed something else."


    "Hmm?" King Yvar arched an eyebrow. "What else did your subordinate notice?"


    The Elder smiled. "These two beauties are being apanied by a red-headed Half-Elf."


    "A Half-Elf?" King Yvar narrowed his gaze. "So, are you telling me that Adeline and that girl are his lovers?"


    "That possibility exists, but that is not the main concern, Your Majesty," the Elder replied. "He looks quite simr to your deceased brother, Vincent. If I have to make a bold guess�� the Half-Elf might be his son with Adeline."


    Yvar''s face contorted with rage as he mmed his fist on the armrest of his throne.


    "Guards, summon Lennox and Hassan," King Yvar ordered. "Tell them toe see me as soon as possible. Also, call forth Kajus as well. This is an order."


    ""Yes, Your Majesty!""


    The two Royal Guards bowed their heads and left the throne room immediately.


    "Where are they headed?" King Yvar asked the Elder of the ck Market in a cold tone. "I sure hope that you took the initiative to have your men follow them."


    "I did, Your Majesty," the Elder replied. "They have exited the West Gate and seemed to be headed to Starfall Valley."


    King Yvar smiled. "Good. She managed to escape once, but she will not be able to escape a second time."


    The King of the Kingdom of Fynn sneered as he thought about the Half-Elf who was apanying the two beauties.


    ''If you really are his son, then all I can say is that you are stupid for sending yourself here to my Kingdom,'' King Yvar thought.


    The King smiled evilly because he couldn''t wait to get his hands on the beautiful Elf whom he wished to pin down on his bed ever since he had firstid his eyes on her.


    ''As for the other beauty, she could serve as the main course after I''ve had my fill of Adeline,'' King Yvar mused. ''It seems that today is my lucky day.''


    One of the shadows inside the throne room swayed a bit, but no one was paying attention to it.


    At the same time, somewhere outside the city, the corner of the Half-Elf''s face curled up into a smile.


    ''It''s good to know that you''re as bad as the reports say.'' Lux sneered in his heart. ''I just hope that you don''t break easily. It will be a shame if you didn''t suffer enough after what Adeline and Vincent have been through because of you.''


    The Half-Elf looked at the beautiful Elf in front of him, walking side by side with Aurora.


    Bothdies were chatting happily as they took a stroll towards Starfall Valley.


    The two beautifuldies were unaware that the King of the Kingdom of Fynn had already summoned his three strongest subordinates in order to capture them.


    But, even if they knew, they would simply think that the King was stupid for doing such a thing.


    After all, why would they even step foot inside his Kingdom if they had no way to defend against his lustful intentions?


    Wasn''t that just asking for trouble?


    Little did King Yvar know, he wasn''t the only one mobilizing their subordinates right at this moment.


    Asmodeus, who had stayed in the city to gather information about the King and his misdeeds, had already set things into motion.


    His Master hade here for revenge, and he would serve that revenge on a cold tter, which would shake the entirety of the Fynn Kingdom to its very core.

 Chapter 1059 Sorry, My Bad

    Chapter 1059 Sorry, My Bad


    "I''m sorry. I haven''t visited you for a long time," Adeline said softly as she rested her hand on a tomb that was surrounded by countless flowers. "I hope you forgive me, Vincent."


    The beautiful Elf tried to keep her face from crumpling by biting her lip, but it didn''t work.


    Soon, her body shook as she tried her best to stop her tears from falling.


    This time, Aurora didn''t move to console her and simply watched from behind.


    She fully understood what Adeline was going through since she felt the same thing when she visited her mother''s tomb after years of being imprisoned in the Inner Sanctum of the Pantheon of Exile.


    Lux pulled his lover into his embrace and wrapped his arms around her.


    His gaze, however, was focused on the crying Elf and the red-headed man, who was also bawling his eyes out.


    "Adeline, I miss you so much," the red-headed young man, who seemed to be in his early twenties, cried as he tried to embrace the beautiful Elf with his ghostly hands.


    Even though his hands would pass through her body, the young man still kept trying tofort the woman he loved.


    Of course, this person was none other than Adeline''s lover, and Lux''s biological father, Vincent.


    As if sensing Lux''s gaze, the young man red in his direction.


    "Who are you?!'' Vincent shouted. "Don''t tell me that you seduced my wife, using her loneliness as a way to worm yourself into her heart. You bastard! How dare you taint my Adeline! If you get her pregnant, I will haunt you for eternity!"


    The ghost then shifted his attention to his lover and kissed her forehead.


    "Darling, why did you rece me with this snot-nosed Half-Elf?" Vincent asked Adeline knowing that thetter couldn''t hear him. "Although I admit that he is almost as good-looking as me, that doesn''t mean he is better than me in bed! Don''t give in to the temptation! I bet that his **** is only two inches long!"


    Lux almost coughed out blood after hearing Vincent''s words. Originally, he wanted to help the bastard reunite with his mom, but after being cursed like this, he was very tempted to torture his soul instead.


    "Hey, you!" Vincent flew towards Lux and red at him. "I know you can see me! You bastard. Don''t you darey your hands on my wife! I will fight you to the death if you do."


    Vincent even tried to punch Lux''s face, but his hands only went through him.


    Unlike Spectres who had a corporeal form that could affect the world of the living, Vincent''s soul was too weak.


    The fact that he was able to retain his consciousness after so many years proved that he was one of those Earth-Bound Spirits who couldn''t find rest due to the regrets that they had in life.


    Out of curiosity, Lux decided to ask the raging redhead some questions.


    ''How are you still able to retain your sentience after nearly two decades?'' Lux asked.


    ''How? I will tell you how!'' Vincent snorted. ''How can I possibly cross over when I know that my beautiful wife might get snatched by that bastard Yvar! If only I knew that he was targeting Adeline, I would have killed him in the past!''


    Vincent''s words were filled with hate and regret.


    When Adeline told him that she was pregnant with his child, he felt as if he was the happiest man in the world.


    However, after discovering that his father was on his deathbed, he decided to see him onest time.


    Everything was fine until his father drew hisst breath. The moment the King died, Crown Prince Yvar immediately ordered the guards and a Saint of the Kingdom to capture them.


    Vincent and Adeline had to fight tooth and nail in order to escape the Royal Pce.


    They had seeded, but Vincent suffered a mortal injury, which led to his untimely death.


    His greatest regret was not being there with Adeline to see the birth of his child, which was one of the reasons that prevented him from crossing over to the other side.


    Adeline, who regained herposure, nced at Lux and noticed that he was looking at something else.


    He could see the Half-Elf''s expression change from time to time, which confused her at first.


    However, after remembering Lux''s profession, her eyes widened in shock as she immediately grabbed hold of his arm.


    "C-Can you see him?" Adeline asked. "Can you see Vincent?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Do you want to see him as well?"


    He didn''t hide the fact that he was a Necromancer from Adeline, so he didn''t beat around the bush and came clean.


    Originally, he nned to let ckfire swallow Vincent and keep it as a future surprise to Adeline.


    However, Vincent cursing the current King of the Fynn Kingdom was so amusing that he momentarily forgot to capture his soul.


    "Yes!" Adeline almost clung to Lux, which made the annoying ghost raise his middle finger at the Half-Elf.


    Lux nodded and covered Adeline''s eyes with his right hand.


    "Bastard! Don''t touch my woman!" Vincent was once again enraged and started to throw punches at the Half-Elf, but all of it went through thetter.


    Half a minuteter, Lux removed his hands from Adeline''s eyes.


    Instead of seeing him first, Adeline heard him first.


    Although it had been many years since shest heard her husband''s voice, it was impossible for the beautiful Elf to forget it.


    "Vincent�� is it really you?" Adeline covered her mouth with her hand as she held back the torrent of emotions that were rising from her heart.


    "Yes, my Love," Vincent replied as he hovered in front of Adeline. "It is me. Your husband, the love of your life, your Prince, and the other half that holds your heart. Please, don''t let this Half-Elf seduce you. I don''t want to wear a green hat even if I am already dead."


    Lux had also covered Aurora''s eyes with his hand, giving her the ability to see his father, who was busy insulting him from the side.


    "Is he really your father?" Aurora whispered in an amused tone.


    "Technically, he is," Lux replied.


    "Technically?"


    "Mmm."


    Although Vincent wasn''t really his father, he was his body''s biological father.


    "Well, I can see the simrities between you and him," Aurora whispered. "He is like a more unrestrained version of you. Do you n to revive him?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Although it was my intention to visit his grave, I didn''t raise my hopes about being able to do so since it had been many years since he died. I didn''t think that he would be like your mother, who was able to retain her consciousness even after so many yea��"


    Lux paused whatever he was going to say next, but it was already toote.


    He hadn''t mentioned anything to Aurora about her Mother''s soul recovering inside ckfire.


    The Half-Elf nned to surprise his lover once he found a suitable body for her mother, who was now able to take a corporeal form and affect reality.


    But, seeing that Aurora''s eyes had already be moist and were on the verge of tears, he knew that she wanted to see if what he said was the truth.


    "ckfire," Lux said softly.


    A momentter, the ck Coffin appeared a few meters away from Aurora.


    Its lid then slid open, making the youngdy cover her lips with both hands.


    Soon, Queen Bianca appeared, who immediately walked towards her daughter and gave her a tight hug, making Aurora burst into tears.


    Lux sighed as he looked at this emotional scene, which happened due to a slip of his tongue.


    ckfire nudged his head with the side of its body as if ming its Master for being a party pooper.


    "Sorry, my bad," Lux replied as he raised both of his hands in surrender.


    He had no excuse for what he did. But after seeing how happy Aurora was after seeing her mother, he didn''t regret it either.


    But, before this emotional scene could continue, Lux frowned as he turned his gaze towards the location of the City of Krall.


    He could sense the presence of three powerful Individuals, apanied by several Rankers, who were headed in their direction.


    ''Took them long enough,'' Lux thought before ordering ckfire to devour Vincent''s Soul for the time being.


    He knew that things were going to get a little bit messy, and he didn''t want his biological father''s soul to disintegrate in a sh of powers.


    Queen Bianca also entered ckfire because she knew that her daughter was in good hands.


    Her Soul had recovered a bit, but it was still very fragile.


    In order to spend more time with Aurora, she decided to go back inside ckfire and wait until things settled down.


    Avernus materialized beside Lux and crossed his arms over his chest.


    ckfire did the same as it faced the direction the Three Saints wereing from, who would soon regret their decision foring to disturb its Mistress'' happy moment.

 Chapter 1060 Dealing With Third-Rate Villains

    Chapter 1060 Dealing With Third-Rate Viins


    Adeline''s expression contorted with rage the moment she saw one of the Saints whonded a few meters away from her.


    The name of the Saint was Lennox, and he was the same Saint who had tried to capture her and Vincent the moment the King breathed hisst.


    If not for him, she and her husband would be spending their lives in seclusion, living a peaceful life away from the politics of the Fynn Kingdom.


    Lennox knew that Vincent would protect her with everything he had, so instead of targeting the bastard Prince back then, who was protected by the Avatar of a Saint, he put his all into going after the beautiful Elf instead.


    This forced Vincent to use his body to shield his beloved, which caused his mortal injury at that time.


    "You bastard, why are you here?!" Adeline shouted in anger.


    "Mind your words, Adeline," Lennox replied with a smile. "The only bastard I know is long dead, and that is your husband.


    "As to why I am here��do you even need to ask that question? Of course, it is to bring you to King Yvar''s bed, where you rightfully belong. While I''m at it, it seems that I will also be adding one more beauty to his harem."


    Lennox''s gazended on Aurora, and he had to admit that the reports were right. She was more beautiful than Adeline, and he had a feeling that the youngdy was still a chaste maiden.


    ''It will be a pity to let Yvar have this maiden first,'' Lennox mused. ''I guess I''ll enjoy her for a day or two before handing her to the King. I''m sure he won''t mind having second-hand goods since he will indulge himself with Adeline first.''


    Lennoxughed internally as he looked at Aurora with satisfaction.


    Adeline used her body to shield Aurora from Lennox''s lustful gaze.


    Since the angelic beauty was Lux''s lover, she would do everything in her power to protect her, even if she had to fight against a Saint.


    The Elf also recognized the other Saint who went by the name Hassan.


    He was referred to as the King''s de, for he would kill anyone who threatened the King''s rule.


    Behind the two Saints were several High-Rankers, who had now moved to circle their targets, giving them no ce to escape.


    Avernus, who was standing beside Lux, suddenly extended his hand and grabbed something in the space beside him.


    A momentter, a man materialized out of thin air, struggling to escape from Avernus'' grasp.


    "Very sneaky," Avernus said with a smile. "But not sneaky enough."


    Adeline''s gaze locked on the man who was currently being held by Avernus in a vice grip.


    She didn''t recognize him since he was someone who migrated to the Kingdom of Fynn just a few years ago.


    This person''s name was Kajus, and he was a Pseudo-Saint who once belonged to the Vahan Empire.


    He had offended a High-Ranking Noble in the Empire, so he decided to escape. He went to the Fynn Kingdom and asked King Yvar for asylum.


    The King readily agreed, seeing that the man was a Pseudo-Saint.


    If given enough time, Kajus would also be a Saint, allowing the Kingdom of Fynn to have three Saints as its protectors.


    Kajus specialized in stealth attacks.


    His target was the red-headed Half-Elf.


    He didn''t pay any attention to Avernus because the Dracolich had hidden his Rank and only unleashed the presence of an Argonaut-Ranked Monster.


    Lux had ordered him to not scare away their guests since he had a few questions to ask them.


    "Let him go, fiend," Lennox said in a casual tone. "If you do, I will give you a quick and painless death."


    The Dracolich chuckled after hearing the Saint''s threat.


    "I''m afraid that it will take more than killing me to kill me," Avernus replied. "Also, you don''t have the ability to kill me."


    Lennox frowned after hearing Avernus'' reply. He didn''t really mind whether Kajus died or not since they weren''t close.


    The only reason why he even bothered to speak out was because Kajus was a useful pawn, willing to do menial chores for the King.


    "Adeline, it is best if you and the girle with us peacefully," Hassan, who also didn''t pay any attention to Kajus, spoke up. "This invitation also extends to you, boy. If you don''t want to get hurt, you should just obey and allow us to take you without resisting."


    Lux nodded his head in satisfaction because the Saints were acting like the Third Rate Viins that they were.


    He was just wondering if Yvar''s subordinates would act ording to the script that he thought in his head.


    So far, they didn''t disappoint him.


    "Tell me one thing before I beat the crap out of the two of you," Lux said as he looked at Lennox and Hassan with a frown. "Why haven''t the two of you usurped the throne for yourselves? Yvar is a weakling, and with your strength, you could have ruled this kingdom easily."


    "Oh? Now you''re trying to sow dissension?" Lennox arched an eyebrow. "Unfortunately, it will not work. While it is true that the King is weak, no one can sit upon the throne of the Fynn Kingdom unless they have the Bloodline of their founder."


    "You talk too much, Lennox," Hassan frowned. "Why are you saying these things to these people?"


    Lennox smirked. "Why? Because even if they know, they wouldn''t be able to do anything about it."


    Hassan shook his head in disappointment before raising his hand. Capturing these people was beneath him, and if possible, he didn''t want to dirty his hands.


    Because of this, he was fine with letting the King''s subordinates do the dirty work for him.


    "Capture them," Hassan ordered. "If they resist, just knock them out."


    The de of the Kingdom simply wanted to end this farce as fast as possible, so he no longer dyed the inevitable.


    Lux wanted to ask more questions, but since their enemies were about to apprehend them, he decided to set aside his inquiry and deal with the fools, who didn''t know who they were messing with.


    ckfire opened the lid of its Coffin and summoned Sion and Maeve.


    The Juggernaut of Agartha and the Oracle easily subdued the High-Rankers and knocked them unconscious without too much effort.


    "Capture those two," Lux pointed at Lennox and Hassan with a sneer on his face. "If they resist, just knock them out."


    After sensing that the two neers were actually Saints, Lennox and Hassan immediately knew that they were tough opponents.


    Because of this, Lennox moved to capture Adeline and Aurora, intending to use them as hostages.


    However, before he could even get close to the two beautifuldies, the King of Exiles and his subordinates appeared in front of Lennox, blocking his path.


    Lennox hurriedly backed away before looking at Lux in surprise.


    "Who are you?!" Lennox shouted. "Why are you interfering in the affairs of the Fynn Kingdom?"


    The Half-Elf didn''t even bother answering the Saint''s question and snapped his fingers.


    The King of Exiles and his subordinates moved in unison to apprehend Lennox.


    Since he was dealing with many Saints at once, the lustful Saint decided to escape using an escape talisman that would teleport him to a random ce that was a thousand miles away from where he was.


    Unfortunately, even after using the Talisman, nothing happened, which made his face turn pale.


    "I can''t get enough of seeing the looks of our enemies when they realize that they cannot escape," Hana, who materialized behind Lux, said with a smirk.


    Hassan, who had also done the same thing, red at the Fox Lady before running away in haste.


    He already knew that they no longer had any chance of winning, so he decided to use everything in his power to escape his current circumstances.


    But his attempt was futile.


    He wasn''t even able to take ten steps before Avernus appeared in front of him, and smashed his face on the ground.


    After seeing that the two Saints were apprehended, Lux nced in Adeline''s direction and asked her a question.


    "Adeline, how do you want to deal with these people?" Lux inquired.


    "I want them to suffer," Adeline replied in a heartbeat, her words filled with killing intent. "I want them to feel the suffering I''ve felt for nearly two decades!"


    Lux gave the beautiful Elf a slight nod before snapping his fingers.


    Cries of pain reverberated in the surroundings as Lux''s subordinates crushed the arms and legs of their enemies, crippling them and further lowering their chances of escaping.


    He had no intention of letting these people have a swift and painless death.


    Since his mother wanted them to suffer, he would make them suffer.


    However, he didn''t intend to do it personally.


    Asmodeus had alreadyid down the groundwork for their punishment.


    The only thing he needed to do now was to return to the City of Krall and drag the King off his throne,pleting Asmodeus'' n of giving Adeline the revenge that she had wished for the past years of her life.

 Chapter 1061 Music To Her Ears

    Chapter 1061 Music To Her Ears


    When Lux arrived at the City of Krall, he didn''t hesitate and led Aurora and Adeline directly to the Royal Pce.


    He didn''t even bother entering through the main entrance. He simply smashed his fist on top of the Pce, creating a hole that led directly to the throne room.


    King Yvar didn''t expect that someone would dare to act so boldly within his Domain.


    However, the moment his gazended on the red-headed Half-Elf, a name that he didn''t think he would say ever again escaped his lips.


    "V-Vincent?" King Yvar muttered as his gazended on the Half-Elf''s face.


    However, after observing the invader''s face for nearly half a minute, he realized that the Half-Elf only shared simr features with his deceased brother who had died many years ago.


    It was at that moment that Aurora and Adeline descended from the hole on top of the ceiling, gentlynding beside Lux.


    "I see." King Yvar narrowed his eyes. "I understand now. This Half-Elf is that bastard''s son. Since all three of you are here, is it safe to assume that Lennox, Hassan, and Kajus are already dead?"


    "They''re not dead," Lux replied. "At least, not yet."


    The King snorted. "Useless dogs."


    Lux arched an eyebrow as he looked at the arrogant King who still looked calm while sitting on his throne.


    He thought that King Yvar would panic and beg for his life the moment he became aware that his subordinates had failed to capture them.


    "Adeline, I''m d that you have decided to return to my Kingdom," King Yvar ignored the Half-Elf and shifted his attention to the beautiful Elf, whom he had fallen in love with in the past. "If you promise to be my woman, I will make you my Queen. How about it?"


    "Dream on!" Adeline replied hatefully. "I''d rather die than let you have me."


    King Yvar smirked before shifting his gaze to Aurora.


    "How about you?" King Yvar asked. "Would you like to be my Queen?"


    "No," Aurora replied before walking toward Lux. "I already have my King."


    The seductive beauty then hugged the Half-Elf from behind, pressing her body against him.


    "Is that so?" King Yvar rested the side of his face over the palm of his hand. "It seems that both of you have a good rtionship with this Half-Elf. I wonder if both of you will beg to be my women after I torture him."


    Lux was genuinely surprised by the King''s confident tone. It was as if he wasn''t threatened by their sudden appearance.


    "Do you know why Emperor Andreas, who is well-known for his strong desire to expand his Vahan Empire, doesn''t dare to send his army into ournds?" King Yvar asked in a teasing tone.


    "I''m sure that you''re going to tell me the answer very soon," Lux replied.


    Truth be told, he was also very curious as to why the Emperor of the Vahan Empire hadn''t conquered the Fynn Kingdom despite the fact that it only had two Saints.


    The Skystead Alliance had several Saints that could be mobilized at any given time. If they worked together, overpowering the Protectors of the Fynn Kingdom wasn''t a big deal.


    "The answer is because�� this Kingdom has a Supreme," King Yvar sneered. "A Supreme that follows my everymand."


    "I see, so that is the case," Lux nodded his head in understanding.


    Earlier, Lennox said that only the Bloodline of the Royal Family could rule the Fynn Kingdom.


    Now, he knew why Lennox hadn''t usurped King Yvar and was satisfied with his position as a mere Underling.


    He also understood why the King could still act confident and arrogant in front of him.


    Having a Supreme was indeed a good reason to act confident.


    However, even if King Yvar could act arrogant towards other people because of his strong subordinate, his arrogance only lookedical in Lux''s eyes.


    "Yes, that is the case," King Yvar had a smug look on his face as he gazed at Adeline and Aurora. "Both of you still have a chance to be my women. If you do, I promise to keep this Half-Elf alive. What do you say?"


    Adeline suddenly felt anxious after hearing the King''s words. She knew that Lux had several Saints as his subordinates.


    But a Supreme could easily fight multiple Saints at once.


    Lux smirked before snapping his fingers.


    Dozens of Doom Knight Gangbangers materialized in front of him and charged towards the King with their swords raised high.


    The Half-Elf wanted to check if King Yvan was just spouting bullsh*t.


    If he was telling the truth, then his Soldiers would be killed easily.


    If not then the King would personally experience what it felt like to have his backdoor opened up.


    When the Skeleton Gangbangers were only a few meters away from the King, all of them were cut into dozens of pieces.


    The Golden Statue, which was holding a sword, behind the throne opened its eyes and red at the people who had tried to kill the current King.


    "Interesting," Lux said as he eyed the Golden Statue, which stood six meters tall with great interest.


    "Kill him!" King Yvar ordered and the Golden Statue leapt towards Lux with its sword poised to strike.


    Lux didn''t move from his spot. Instead of dodging the Golden Statue''s strike, he only opened his mouth and gave an order.


    "Kneel."


    King Yvar sneered after hearing Lux''s words.


    Only the rightful King of the Fynn Royal Family couldmand the Golem, so he watched with anticipation as the Golem swung its sword to slice the Half-Elf apart.


    However, the de strike paused mid-way, as if the Golden Statue was bound by invisible strings.


    The Golden Statue struggled as if it was trying to break free from something, but even after two minutes passed, it still retained its position of shing-mid-strike.


    "W-What have you done?" King Yvar, who was feeling very confident earlier, couldn''t help but stutter after seeing the Golden Statue stop moving. "What did you do to our Kingdom''s Guardian?"


    "Oh, I was just trying my luck to see if it was going to listen to me, or not," Lux replied. "It seems that I can''t fully wrest its control from you since you are currently the King of this Kingdom. Even so, it also recognized my potential, so it is hesitant to follow your orders to kill me."


    If Adeline was still doubting Lux''s identity earlier, now, she was certain of who he was.


    She then walked towards the Half-Elf and gave him a tight hug, pulling him close to her.


    Lux didn''t resist and allowed Adeline to do what she wanted.


    "Come forth," Lux ordered as he summoned a dozen Doom Knight Gangbangers with a devilish smile on his face.


    The dozen knights, who were d in ck armor, looked at Lux in unison, waiting for his orders.


    "Go," Lux ordered. "It''s Gang Bang Time."


    The Skeletons then charged at King Yvar with sneers on their faces.


    Since their Master ordered a Gang Bang, they would give the King a Gang Bang.


    "Kill these things!" King Yvar ordered. "Protect me!"


    The King''s voice became high-pitched as he ordered the Golden Statue to protect him.


    However, the Golden Statue didn''t listen to him and remained where it was as if it didn''t hear the King''s words.


    As the Guardian of the Fynn Kingdom, it had seen the horrible things that King Yvar had done to his people.


    However, despite being strong, he was powerless to stop him.


    It was a creature created by the Founder of the Fynn Kingdom, and he was made for one purpose only.


    It was to follow the orders of its Creator''s Bloodline.


    This was the first time that it moved after many years of standing in the throne room.


    If possible, it didn''t want to serve King Yvar, but since he possessed his Creator''s Bloodline, it was duty-bound to obey his orders.


    But when Luxmanded it to kneel, the Golden Statue felt the Bloodline of its Creator inside Lux''s body.


    Although it was faint, the Bloodline was still there, which gave the Half-Elf the right tomand it.


    Seeing that there was someone who was a better fit to rule the Fynn Kingdom, the Golden Statue decided to override King Yvar''s order, stopping its killing blow mid-strike.


    However, since the crown of the Kingdom was resting on King Yvar''s head, it couldn''t betray him either.


    Because of this, the Golden Statue did the only thing that it could do, and that was to temporarily ignore any order given to it.


    It had no intention of getting into the fight between Lux and the King and nned to simply wait until their faceoff was over.


    King Yvar''s hateful cries of pain, anger, frustration, and disbelief echoed inside the throne room as the Doom Knight Gangbangers followed their Master''s orders.


    Lux had already pulled Aurora and Adeline away. He simply couldn''t allow them to witness such a gruesome scene.


    Even Adeline, who hated King Yvar to the bones, didn''t have the courage to look at what was happening behind her.


    She simply allowed Lux to drag her away while listening to the King''s screams, which was like music to her ears.

 Chapter 1062 Public Torment

    Chapter 1062 Public Torment


    A day after Lux dealt with King Yvar, the citizens of the Capital City gathered at the za.


    There, they saw several familiar figures, tied to the poles that jutted out of the ground.


    At the very center, the King of Fynn Kingdom, King Yvar, was tied up with magical chains, preventing him from using any skills or abilities to escape.


    The chains also lowered his Rank and made him only as strong as a Grade-A Apostle.


    Tied up on two poles beside him were the two Saints of the Kingdom, Lennox and Hassan.


    Just like the King, the two were also tied up with Magical Chains.


    The arrogance these three people used to have was nowhere to be seen. Lux, and Asmodeus, made sure that they wouldn''t be able to act tough in front of them ever again.


    King Yvar was gang banged by the Doom Knight Gangbangers, while his twockeys were gang banged by Satyrs.


    All of them now understood that in front of the creatures that specialized in gang bangs, their dignity was meaningless.


    Clearly, Lux not only wanted to avenge Adeline, but he also wanted to humiliate them in the most degrading ways possible.


    Standing beside Lux was the Satyr, Ampelos, who had disguised himself as a human, with his arms crossed over his chest.


    Behind him were the other High-Ranking Satyrs whom Lux had summoned from his Guild Headquarters and were responsible for making the two Saints understand that there were fates worse than death.


    "They put up a good fight, but in the end, they spread their legs like whores." Ampelos sneered. "I didn''t think that I''d enjoy torturing men, but I might get addicted to this��if you know what I mean."


    The corner of Lux''s lips curled up into a smile after hearing Ampelos'' words. A single nce was enough to tell him that the Satyrs hadpletely broken the wills of the two Saints.


    In the past, they might have schemed to find ways in order to escape.


    But after Ampelos told them that even if they managed to escape, Lux would easily capture them back, their wills weakened.


    Perhaps it was also because he threatened the two Saints that if they made such an attempt, he and his Satyrs would make them understand what it meant to be screwed ten times over and that it would make what they had been through a day ago look like child''s y.


    Not wanting to suffer worse than they already did, the two Saints became more obedient and allowed themselves to be chained and tied to the poles in the za.


    Kajus, and the other corrupt nobles of the Fynn Kingdom, were tied up as well.


    After Asmodeus started his investigation, he didn''t stop with just investigating the King and his two sidekicks Saints.


    He also investigated the Nobles who were on good terms with the King and happily dragged those whose corruption knew no bounds to the Capital City so that they would also be punished for their crimes.


    In short, the Lich King was already paving the way for his Master to rule over the Fynn Kingdom by eliminating the people who might hinder him since he was one of the very few potential candidates to be the next King.


    Of course, Asmodeus knew that his Master didn''t really desire to be tied down to one ce. But now that his biological father was tucked inside ckfire, it was only a matter of time before their family regained control of the Fynn Kingdom.


    "Standing before you is King Yvar and hisckeys," Asmodeus addressed the people who were all gathered in the za. "All of them havemitted many crimes, affecting most of you. Yet, because of their strength and authority, the majority of you could only bow your heads and grovel at their feet.


    "However, all their misdeeds will end here today. But before that, in order to vent out your frustrations, especially those who have been wronged by these people in the past, I will give you an opportunity to exact punishment over them."


    The Lich King then snapped his fingers, making countless stones drop in the za, surprising everyone.


    "These stones are special stones, imbued with the power of the Abyss," Asmodeus exined. "Even Saints will feel pain if they get hit by these stones. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get revenge on these bastards who made your lives a living hell. So, those who want to punish them, step forward!"


    Of course, Asmodeus had already ced the people who had been wronged by the King, the two Saints, the High-Rankers, and the Nobles at the very front.


    These were the people who wanted nothing more than to rip the King and hisckeys to shreds, making them the ideal people to punish the criminals in front of them.


    Lux, Aurora, and Adeline were seated on an elevated tform, giving them a good view of the surroundings.


    But Adeline stood up from her seat and jumped to the front of the masses to pick up a stone as well.


    Clearly, she also wanted to personally deal with the people who took away her happiness. Lux had no significant reaction, already anticipating this to happen.


    ''I hope she holds back and does not kill them instantly,'' Lux thought.


    Adeline was a Ranker, so even throwing a rock at someone could deal serious damage to them.


    Fortunately, the beautiful Elf was still thinking properly and lowered her strength to that of an Apostle.


    She didn''t want to give King Yvar and hisckeys an easy way out, and she had every intention of making them feel the pain that she had suffered for many years.


    "Ready!" Asmodeus raised his hand. "Open fire!"


    As soon as the Lich King gave the signal to start, countless stones flew towards the people who were tied up on the poles of the za.


    At first, King Yvar, Lennox, Hassan, and the High-Rankers thought that these stones wouldn''t deal much damage to them.


    However, they were wrong.


    Very wrong.


    The Stones were imbued by Lux''s Divine Abyssal Touch.


    Although it wouldn''t deal much physical damage against High-Rankers and Saints, it dealt great damage spiritually, making them feel as if their souls were being pricked by countless needles.


    "Stop! Stop! Stop!" King Yvar shouted. "I am your King! You can''t do this to me! You can''t do this to m-ack!"


    Adeline threw her rock towards King Yvar''s mouth, breaking a few of his teeth in the process.


    A sneer was stered on the beautiful Elf''s face as she continued to hurl one rock after another.


    Lennox, Hassan, the High-Rankers, and the Nobles weren''t faring any better. All of them were in so much pain to the point that some of them fainted.


    However, even if they fainted, a soul-rending pain would wake them up instantly, making them howl and scream, begging for forgiveness.


    "Why are you so quiet?" Lux asked the Ghost who was hovering a meter outside ckfire. "Are you not entertained?"


    Vincent''s Ghost, who was usually very talkative, looked at this scene without saying a word.


    "It is indeed entertaining," Vincent said without averting his gaze from his half-brother, who was being targeted by Adeline. "But seeing this scene, I can''t help but feel sad. I wished things could have been different.


    "I had no desire for the throne, and I simply wanted to live a peaceful life with Adeline. But that dream was snatched away from me by my own family, who even waited until my Father drew hisst breath before revealing his true colors.


    "If only I knew that things would end up this way, I would have killed him before he even got the chance to do what he did. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why I refused to cross over to the other side. As long as Yvar lived, I wouldn''t be able to rest easily, knowing that Adeline was bearing my child and had to live on her own."


    Lux listened to Vincent''s exnation from start to finish.


    What surprised him was that he didn''t feel any shred or hint of killing intenting from his biological father.


    Only sadness and regret could be heard in his voice, making Lux wonder about what could have happened if things had happened differently.


    In the end, he decided to just sigh because things had already happened.


    It also crossed his mind that he wouldn''t have possessed Adeline''s baby if things happened differently.


    He suddenly wondered if his soul would have ceased to exist if he hadn''t found a suitable vessel after his long journey to Sis.


    Perhaps sensing his difort, Aurora reached out to hold his hand, giving it a light squeeze.


    Her affectionate gaze made Lux very thankful that he was able to survive that long and perilous journey that almost caused his entire existence to cease to exist.


    Lux then patted hisp, giving Aurora an invitation to sit on it.


    The beautifuldy agreed and sat on her lover''sp.


    She then rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes as the handsome Half-Elf wrapped his arms around her.


    Lux then shifted his attention back to the King of Yvar, whose face was already bruised and bloody from the countless stones that had been thrown in his direction.


    He knew that the King wouldn''t die from this, because he promised Adeline that the one who would take King Yvar''s life would be her.


    This was the only way for the heart demon in his mother''s heart to disappear, and allow her to once again embrace the happiness that she had lost long ago.

 Chapter 1063 Asmodeus’ Compromise

    Chapter 1063 Asmodeus�� Compromise


    "Please�� spare me," King Yvar pleaded. "I promise to refo��khhh!"


    Adeline swung her sword, cutting the King''s head from his body. From start to finish, there was not a single hint of mercy in her beautiful green eyes.


    "Sparing you is akin to letting more innocents suffer," Adeline said in a voice filled with killing intent. "You don''t deserve any mercy from me."


    Without another word, she raised her foot and crushed the head, turning it into meat paste.


    Lennox, Hassan, Kajus, the High-Rankers, as well as the nobles, looked at her in horror, fearing that she might kill them next.


    As if understanding their thoughts, the beautiful Elf nced in their direction and smiled sweetly, causing their restricted bodies to shudder uncontrobly.


    Lux had no intention of re-animating King Yvar''s Soul, and ckfire shared the same sentiment.


    Both of them had standards, and they didn''t want to add a weakling to their ranks.


    Asmodeus chuckled as he grabbed King Yvar''s soul with his right hand.


    He then coated the soul with his necrotic power and hurled it towards the sky.


    The Lich King didn''t want to see King Yvar ever again, so he decided to directly send the soul to the Cycle of Reincarnation to be reborn as a pig who would be ughtered after it was fattened up by its owners.


    All the prisoners had been greatly weakened, and their souls were very unstable.


    Even the two Saints felt like sh*t and were barely able to keep their eyes open from the pain and exhaustion.


    "Do you want to deal with the others, Lady Adeline?" Asmodeus asked in a respectful tone.


    "No, Asmodeus," Adeline replied. "I promised Lux that I would only kill King Yvar. As for the rest, I will let him decide what to do with them."


    The Lich King bowed his head respectfully. "Understood, Lady Adeline. I will handle things from here."


    Adeline nodded and left without a second nce at the people behind her.


    Asmodeus then nced at his prisoners, making them all flinch.


    He then summoned a dozen Doom Knight Gangbangers and ordered them to take Lennox, Hassan, and Kajus to different rooms.


    Two were Saints, and thest one was a Pseudo-Saint.


    At the end of the day, they were still useful, so ckfire called dibs on them.


    Of course, the ck Coffin wasn''t in a hurry to absorb them since Ampelos had nicely asked for one more day to enjoy the Prisoners.


    Since ckfire was an understanding andpassionate coffin, it nodded its head and even told Ampelos to enjoy hisst day with the Saints, who would soon be its newckeys.


    In the past, it would have been thrilled to capture Saints and devour them without thinking twice.


    But, now, ckfire was only thrilled if it was devouring Supremes, Cmities, and Demigods.


    It was even paying close attention to Eiko in the Ford Federation, who was currently singing at the top of her ship, Poseidon, while her Pirate Crew decimated those who opposed their Boom Boom Princess'' authority.


    ckfire loved the Baby Slime so much, especially after she gave him three Supremes and dozens of Saints as she continued her conquest to make the Ford Federation her Domain.


    Although it wasn''t certain, it felt that the Baby Slime also intended to visit the other Ind Nations surrounding the Federation.


    As to what Eiko nned to do there, the ck Coffin had no idea.


    Asmodeus summoned another batch of Doom Knight Gangbangers and looked at the High-Rankers and the Nobles of the Fynn Kingdom with a devilish smile on his face.


    "My Master said that I can do whatever I want with all of you. Since you lots have screwed people over, I guess it is only natural that you get screwed in return," Asmodeus smirked. "May all of you have an enjoyable and unforgettable night."


    The Lich King left the room knowing that when morning came, the people inside it would bepletely broken for good.


    Now that all the pests had been taken care of, it was time for them to visit the rest of the Royal Family.


    King Yvar had six sons and three daughters.


    The King also had a dozen wives and concubines, some of whom had been forcibly taken from their families after they identally caught his fancy.


    Others were offered by the Nobles who wanted to form a good rtionship with their King, who were just as corrupt.


    To Asmodeus'' surprise, King Yvar''s children hated their father to the bone.


    He ruled without designating a Queen and treated all of his women, including his wives, as mere tools to give birth to his children.


    This caused thedies to resent him, telling their children that they mustn''t follow in his footsteps.


    Lux didn''t know how to deal with them either, but he ordered Asmodeus to not hurt them since they were also victims of the King, who was now on his way to be reborn as a pig in his next life.


    The Half-Elf was the Necromancer of Heaven, making Asmodeus the same.


    He was his Lord''s Equal, so any powers that Lux gained, he had them as well.


    Lux knew that he had the power to change the Fate of a soul, giving him the power to dictate what they would be in their next life.


    However, the Half-Elf didn''t want to meddle with the natural flow of the Cycle of Reincarnation because he didn''t want to y God.


    Asmodeus, on the other hand, was not as kind as Lux. He was willing to y the role of a viin for the sake of his Master.


    Also, the Lich King was also thinking of expanding the Fynn Kingdom and annexing the Vahan Empire, which had made things difficult for his Master in the past.


    Of course, he wouldn''t really do such a thing until Lux approved of it.


    ''Now, who should I choose as the temporary Steward for this Kingdom?'' Asmodeus thought as he reappeared in the throne room of the Royal Pce. ''Should I pick one of the Princes? Or one of the Princesses?''


    The Lich King looked at the Golden Statue, which had returned to its original position right behind the King''s Throne.


    This Golden Statue was the Guardian of the Fynn Kingdom, and it had the rank of a Supreme.


    It was what prevented the Vahan Empire from conquering thesends.


    Asmodeus also knew that the Stone Giant would have to recognize the temporary ruler of the Kingdom before they could actually rule on behalf of his Master.


    ''Too bad that one of the requirements is to have the bloodline of the Royal Family,'' Asmodeus sighed in his heart. ''If it weren''t for that condition, I would have just picked a random beggar on the street and made him King. Those types of people are easier to control.''


    After giving it some thought, Asmodeus decided topromise and choose King Yvar''s second daughter to be the Steward of the Kingdom while Vincent''s Soul was still recuperating inside ckfire.


    He had personally interviewed Yvar''s children, and his Second Daughter was the one that held the most potential to govern a Kingdom.


    After making his decision, the Lich King disappeared from the throne room and reappeared beside his Master to discuss with him the arrangement he nned for the Fynn Kingdom.


    Which was now under the Half-Elf''splete control.

 Chapter 1064 I Want To Stay Like This A Little Longer

    Chapter 1064 I Want To Stay Like This A Little Longer


    Lux found himself being hugged by two beautifuldies the moment he opened his eyes.


    This wasn''t the first time he had experienced something like this since his lovers would often do this to him, especially Iris and Cai.


    However, this time, it was different.


    A youngdy with pink hair was hugging him on his left, while a beautiful elf was hugging him on his right.


    As Lux tried to recall how he ended up in this situation, he remembered that after he ordered Asmodeus to handle the aftermath of the King''s execution, Adeline had asked if she could sleep beside him that night.


    Perhaps, knowing that his biological mother didn''t want to be alone after killing King Yvar, Lux agreed to her request.


    But he didn''t expect Aurora to sneak into his bed as well.


    Of course, he had noints.


    However, he wished that the twodies didn''t hug him so tightly like he was a hug pillow that he couldn''t even break free from their hold.


    A sigh escaped Lux''s lips as he decided to stay put for a while until one of thedies beside him woke up.


    He could already imagine his biological father, Vincent,ining like mad if he were to see his wife hugging a man aside from him, even if Lux was his own son.


    While waiting for the two girls to wake up, Lux received a message from his other lovers, asking him how things turned out in the Fynn Kingdom.


    Due to the difference in time zones, Valerie, Aurelia, Ali, and Ari were the only ones awake at the moment.


    "How is mother-inw?" Valerie asked. "Is she taking things well?"


    The Dragon Princess had already started calling Adeline "mother-inw", which made the Half-Elf smile.


    Of course, Ali and Ari jumped on the mother-inw bandwagon as well, making him feel ticklish inside.


    "Lux, make sure to let mother-inw visit your Guild Headquarters after you are finished with your business in the Fynn Kingdom," Aurelia said. "I want to meet her too."


    "I will also try to sneak away from the Pce in order to meet her!" Valerie stated. "Ali, Ari, you need to help me make this happen, so we can meet our mother-inw."


    "Don''t worry, Valerie," Ari replied. "We''ll meet her no matter what."


    "�� The two of you, just don''t do anything reckless, okay?" Alimented. "We should also think of what gifts to give our mother-inw when we see her."


    Lux smiled after hearing Ali''s thoughtfulment.


    ''As expected of My Ali,'' Lux thought. ''She is the voice of reason in their group.''


    Although the Half-Elf had recognized Adeline as his mother, Lux would still not change his feelings for Ali, who had first shown him unconditional trust and love.


    The beautiful handmaiden had very strong maternal instincts, allowing the Half-Elf to enjoy the care that he hadn''t felt in either of his lifetimes.


    He was also looking forward to how Adeline would react after meeting his lovers, which should be happening very soon.


    But, before that, he nned to let the beautiful Elf meet his grandma first.


    Vera was the one who raised Lux since he was a baby, and he was certain that Adeline would want to hear stories about him growing up.


    He owed so much to his grandma, who had picked him up from the river and saved him from the Giant Crocodiles who almost ate him as a snack.


    Perhaps, hearing thedies talk inside her head, Aurora''s eyes fluttered open, and looked around her in a daze.


    When her gazended on Lux, she didn''t hesitate to kiss his cheek, despite still being half-asleep.


    "Good morning, sleepyhead," Lux said before kissing his lover''s forehead.


    Aurora smiled before hugging her lover once more, which made the Half-Elf blink his eyes in confusion.


    He was hoping that either Aurora or Adeline would wake up so that he could finally get out of bed, but it seemed that the pink-haired beauty wanted to stay in the bed for a bit longer.


    "Fifteen more minutes," Aurora said through their Guild Chat as she hugged Lux happily. "I want to stay like this a little longer."


    Valerie, Aurelia, Ali, and Ari who heard Aurora''s words couldn''t help but shake their heads helplessly.


    They knew that their soon-to-be sister was still a maiden, and all of them were wondering why Lux still hadn''t embraced her yet.


    "Aurora, what is mother-inw like?" Ari asked.


    "She''s kind, caring, sweet, and beautiful," Aurora replied. "Also, she''s currently hugging Lux beside me. I''ll be honest. If she stood side by side with us, she wouldn''t look out of ce with how young she looks."


    "I want to meet her soon," Arimented. "Oh. Before I forget, can you ask herter what kind of food she likes eating? I n to cook her something good."


    "Understood," Aurora replied.


    Lux, on the other hand, arched an eyebrow. "You can cook?"


    "Well, I''m not as good as Ali, but I can do it if I try," Ari replied. "Did you forget? I cooked soup for you after we made love."


    "Right." Lux nodded. "That was good. I think my mother would like that."


    "Really? Then I''ll make some when we visit you in the Guild Headquarters to meet our mother-inw."


    "Mmm. I look forward to it."


    Half an hourter, Adeline finally woke up, and Lux could now stretch his body after being hugged all night.


    After washing their faces, they all went down to the dining hall to eat.


    Asmodeus was already there, waiting for them, and gave his Master a brief report on what he had arranged for the Fynn Kingdom. Lux listened as he handled his personal matters.


    "The one who will be taking over the throne will be Princess Camilia," Asmodeus stated. "She just turned seventeen, but I believe that she will be a good Steward for this Kingdom. It will be best if we leave Scarlet and Sid to guard her.


    "I will also ask a few Subi, who know how to manage a territory, to assist her. As long as they are around her, we won''t have to worry about outside forces trying to seduce her to betray you, Master."


    Lux nodded. "Great work, Asmodeus. I will meet with Camiliater. After that, I will be going back to Wildgarde Stronghold with Mother and Aurora. I will leave you here for the time being to finalize things."


    "Understood." Asmodeus nodded.


    An hourter, Lux met Camilia in the throne room and told her to manage the Kingdom as a proper Steward. The Half-Elf promised her that if she did a good job while he was away, he would permanently make her the Prime Minister of his Kingdom, giving her power second only to him.


    Princess Camilia nodded her head in understanding. "I will not betray your trust, Cousin."


    "I hope so," Lux replied. "Because you should already know what I might do to you if you betray me."


    Despite sessfully keeping the calm expression on her face from breaking, Princess Camilia wasn''t able to stop her body from shuddering after hearing Lux''s subtle threat.


    She had seen how the Half-Elf had dealt with her father and those who had been close to thetter, so she clearly understood that betraying Lux was a very stupid thing to do.


    The only way out for her and her family was to obey him and ensure that the Fynn Kingdom would prosper under her management.


    Seeing that the Princess understood what he wanted from her, the Half-Elf nodded his head in satisfaction.


    He liked how Princess Camilia carried herself, so he was more assured that his Family''s Kingdom was in good hands.


    After that short meeting, Lux took Aurora and Adeline back to Sis so that the beautiful Elf could meet his Grandma.


    Little did he know that Emperor Andreas of the Vahan Empire was feeling very anxious about the possibility that the Half-Elf would attack his Empire.


    Emperor Andreas knew that he had treated the Half-Elf badly in the past, and he was certain that Lux carried a grudge against him.


    This was why when his spies mentioned that the red-headed teenager had left the Fynn Kingdom to return to Sis, the Emperor was finally able to sigh in relief.


    However, he couldn''t risk the possibility that the Half-Elf would point his sword in his direction, so the Emperor called for an emergency meeting.


    He gathered his ministers and trusted advisors in order to talk about the gifts that they would send to the Fynn Kingdom as a way to appease the Half-Elf for the scheme that he had devised against Lux in the past.

 Chapter 1065 Adeline’s And Vera’s Meeting

    Chapter 1065 Adeline��s And Vera��s Meeting


    Adeline was feeling incredibly anxious as she followed Lux to the Teleportation Gate that would send them back to Sis.


    Although her son had said that his grandmother was a very kind and caring person, the beautiful Elf was afraid of meeting Vera.


    The reason?


    She was afraid that Lux''s Grandmother would judge her for allowing her child to be ced in a basket and sent adrift to a river.


    Everyone thought that the baby was dead, so they decided to send him off on his final journey towards the afterlife.


    Of course, Adeline didn''t want to send her baby away, and she even had to be put to sleep to prevent the scenario of her jumping into the river to reim her child who was being carried away from her side by the river.


    "It''s going to be fine," Lux said as he held his mother''s hand. "It is all in the past, and Grandma will not hold it against you, Mother."


    "Are you sure?" Adeline asked in a worried tone. "What if she hates me instead for abandoning you?"


    "She won''t."


    "What makes you so certain?"


    Lux smiled and faced his mother, whom he had met just a few days ago.


    "It''s because she''s my Grandma," Lux said with confidence. "If things didn''t happen the way they did, we wouldn''t have met, and I wouldn''t have been here today. So, be brave, Mother. Let''s go meet Grandma."


    The Half-Elf knew that the sooner Adeline met Grandma Vera, the sooner the two of them could form a good rtionship with each other.


    What Adeline didn''t know was that Lux had already given Vera a heads-up about their arrival. He had also exined to his grandma that the only reason why he was abandoned in the river by his birth mother was because she and the Elves of Ashe Entheas thought that he was dead.


    While Vera had her reservations, she, too, wanted to meet Adeline who had given birth to Lux.


    Although the reason she had met her grandson was due to Adeline''s loss, she was still thankful that it happened because Lux had brought many surprises into her life.


    A few minutester, Lux, Aurora, and Adeline appeared in the training room of the Half-Elf''s house in Wildgarde Stronghold.


    As soon as they arrived, the beautiful Elf saw ady with long silver hair, and her eyes were locked onto her body.


    ''A Saintess!'' Adeline''s heart almost leaped out of her chest the moment she discerned Vera''s rank.


    "We''re back, Grandma," Lux said with a smile.


    "Wee back, Lux. You, too, Aurora," Vera smiled at the two teenagers before shifting her gaze to Adeline. "You must be Adeline. I have already heard a few things about you from my grandson. Why don''t we all go to the living room to have some refreshments first?"


    Vera made a gesture, and everyone followed behind her.


    For Adeline, walking behind the Saintess was simr to walking behind an executioner who would chop off her head in a few minutes.


    If not for the fact that Lux was firmly holding her hand, she might have already escaped and left Wildgarde Stronghold as fast as she could.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t do that, so she epted her Fate and followed behind Vera who had already prepared for their arrival.


    A few sweet cakes were on the table, apanied by sses of fruit juice.


    Adeline found herself sitting between Aurora and Lux.


    This sitting arrangement reduced the anxiety in her heart, since the two teenagers were right beside her, acting as her pirs of support.


    "Let me introduce myself first," Vera said with a smile. "I am Vera Von Kaizer. Lux''s Grandmother. Just call me Vera."


    "Nice to meet you," Adeline nodded. "My name is Adeline Farryn Azariah. I also go by the name Adeline Farryn Fynn. Just call me Adeline."


    Vera could tell that Adeline was feeling anxious, and she had a feeling that it was because of the guilt of abandoning her son to the river.


    Lux''s grandma gave her grandson a sidelong nce and saw him smiling at her.


    This was enough to tell Vera that the Half-Elf was not holding a grudge against his birth mother, so she decided to no longer dwell on the reason he was abandoned in the past.


    "Do you want to know more about Lux''s childhood?" Vera asked.


    "Yes!" Adeline answered in a heartbeat, almost shouting her reply.


    Realizing her mistake, she hurriedly apologized and bowed her head.


    "Don''t be so anxious," Vera stated. "Rx. I don''t bite. Since you are already here, it means that my grandson has already recognized you as his mother. But before I tell you about Lux''s childhood, can you tell me why I found him floating in the river?"


    Although Lux had already exined how he ended up adrift on the river when he was a baby, Vera wanted to hear it directly from Adeline''s mouth.


    She could tell that Adeline wasn''t someone who would abandon her child without a proper reason, and Vera wanted her to confirm the things that Lux had told her about his mother.


    "I know that you might not believe me, but Lux died shortly after I gave birth to him," Adeline stated. "The healers of the n tried to revive him, but after half a day of trying, all of them finally gave up."


    Adeline''s eyes turned moist as she remembered holding her dead baby in her arms. Instead of feeling his warmth, the only thing she felt back then was coldness that permeated her heart.


    Tears were already falling from Adeline''s eyes by this point, and she was finding it hard to continue talking.


    Even so, she persevered until the very end and told Vera how she parted with the child, whom she nned to love with everything she had.


    How she kissed Lux''s forehead before cing him in the basket.


    How she wrote his name on a tablet and ced it inside his basket as thest gift that she could give him.


    Vera listened from start to finish as Adeline shared her tale.


    After sharing her story, Adeline finally broke down and buried her head in Lux''s chest.


    The Half-Elf didn''t hesitate to hug his mother to provide her with the support she needed in order to regain herposure.


    Vera watched this scene and sighed in her heart.


    If earlier, she still had doubts that Adeline had abandoned her child due to selfish reasons, now, she was convinced that she wasn''t that kind of woman.


    Lux being alive after being confirmed dead was nothing but a miracle.


    Since it was a miracle, Vera had no intention of finding fault with what had happened in the past.


    However, she couldn''t stop herself from looking at the beautiful Elf with pity, for she missed the chance to see her son grow up and share the happiness and sadness that went along with it.

 Chapter 1066 Things Just Got A Bit Complicated

    Chapter 1066 Things Just Got A Bit Complicated


    Luxy on the grass and looked up at the clouds, watching them slowly pass in the sky.


    It had been a while since he had done something like this due to how busy he had been for the past few months of his life.


    Things were happening one after the other, and he didn''t really have the time to take it easy.


    After things passed and he wasn''t doing anything, he mostly spent his time with his lovers, strengthening the bonds they shared together.


    He never had any alone time with just himself.


    He didn''t have the leisure to be carefree and not mind the things happening around him.


    The only reason why he was finally alone now was because he escaped from his Grandma''s house.


    Adeline wanted to know more things about Lux, and Vera was more than happy to tell his mother everything that had happened since he was a baby.


    Of course, his Grandma didn''t hold back a bit and also told his mother and Aurora about his embarrassing moments.


    Knowing that he was powerless to stop it, Lux fled the house. The giggles of thedies, as well as their affectionate gazes, made his cheeks burn in embarrassment.


    "I miss Eiko," Lux muttered as he closed his eyes. "I just hope she''s not throwing nukes wherever she may be."


    ������������������������������


    Somewhere in the Ford Federation��


    "Achoo!"


    Eiko sneezed, and Fei Fei wiped her nose with the table napkin beside them.


    Currently, the two Baby Slimes were eating in the dining hall of the battleship, Poseidon.


    The Boom Boom Pirate Crew had sessfully subjugated all oppositions and was now dealing with the aftermath of their conquest.


    Captain Jack Spawow had be the Baby Slime''s representative. Now, the Pirate Captain was hard at work, reforming thews of the Ford Federation to ensure that all of the citizens would be able to livefortable lives that were free from oppression.


    The members of the Great Families and the Prestigious Families were forced to sign a Soul Contract, preventing them frommitting rebellion and hampering the growth of the Ford Federation.


    Most of their treasures were seized, and they were only left with enough gold to sustain themselves for a year.


    If they wanted to survive, they would have to work hard like the rest of the citizens and contribute to the prosperity of the Federation.


    Now that she had gained the power to protect herself, Eiko was thinking of doing the one thing that she had long wanted to do.


    However, she decided to put this on hold for a few more days, until the territories that were now under hermand stabilized.


    For the time being, she just munched on some cookies while looking at the Map of the Seven Seasid on top of the table.


    The Ford Federation was only one of the major powers within the vastness of the open sea.


    There were still other Factions stronger than it. As for those with the same level of strength, they were currently holding a high-level meeting due to the reports from their spies in the Federation.


    Although none of them believed it at first, it became hard to ignore when the reports of the spies from the other Factions were saying the same thing.


    Since that was the case, it only meant one thing.


    All of them were telling the truth!


    And this truth was something that none of these powerful factions had expected to happen to one of their rivals in the Seven Seas.


    For the time being, they were trying to understand if the Pirate Princess of the Boom Boom Pirate Crew had the intention to cross into their Domain and expand her territory.


    If that were the case, they would have no choice but to ready their fleets to fight in a battle that would be written in the history books for years toe.


    ������������������


    Back in Sis��


    Lux, who missed his Baby Slime, sighed in his heart.


    "Kids grow up so fast nowadays," Lux muttered. "I wonder�� are Valerie and Aurelia already pregnant with my child?"


    Among his lovers, the only time he took the ring called, Evesting, off of his hand was when he made love to the two Dragon Princesses.


    Although he felt guilty for not letting Iris and Cai give birth to his children first, he also knew that the fate of Sis wasn''t secure at the moment.


    Perhaps the reason why he allowed Valerie and Aurelia to have the chance to give birth to his children was because both of them belonged to the two most powerful Kingdoms in Elysium.


    Unlike Sis, which was on the verge of destruction, Elysium was more stable.


    He would not have to worry that his children might grow up in a world that was about to disappear in a few years.


    Of course, Lux would do his best to prevent this from happening.


    But finding the Pirs of Eternity wasn''t an easy thing to aplish.


    (A/N: Pssst! Your daughter already has one!)


    ''Still, they also mentioned that Dragons don''t give birth easily,'' Lux thought. ''This is why their numbers aren''t that many. Also, can they give birth to my child even though I''m a Half-Elf?''


    Lux pondered for a bit before scratching his head.


    ''I have dragon blood in my body, and my body constitution is called Immortal Dragon Conqueror''s Legacy,'' Lux mused. ''That should be enough to give them a chance to be pregnant, right?''


    Technically, even if Dragons mated with humans in their humanoid forms, that didn''t guarantee any chances of offspring.


    Their races were simply too different, and Dragons were born from eggs.


    While Lux thought about these things, another question came to his mind.


    ''So�� will Valerie and Aurelia give birth to eggs first?'' Lux thought. ''Then those eggs will need to be hatched before my kids can appear in this world. I wonder if they will return to their Dragon Forms when they are about to give birth�� things just got a bitplicated.''


    Lux scratched his head. The more he thought in this direction, the more he realized that he hadpletely forgotten that his Draconic Lovers were only taking human forms.


    ''I guess I should ask them more about this when I bring Mother to the Guild Headquarters.'' Lux sighed.


    In the end, he decided to talk to his Dragon lovers in private and ask them a few things that he hadn''t thought about in the past.


    When Ari heard his questions, she only chuckled and even asked Lux if he wanted to see her Dragon Form the next time they met.


    The Half-Elf readily agreed to Ari''s proposal.


    Valerie, Aurelia, and Ali, on the other hand, were quite happy that Lux was finally trying to know their race seriously.


    When he asked them if it was possible for them to really get pregnant with his seed, all four of them said yes in a heartbeat.


    "Lux, we would not really consider you a lover if you didn''t have the ability to make us conceive your child," Aurelia said in a serious tone. "The mere fact that we hold attraction to you is enough proof that you have what it takes to get us pregnant.


    "Although you might not know this, we can sense Dragon Blood inside your body. It''s not ordinary Dragon Blood, but a very powerful one. Also, your body could also transform into a dragon if you truly wished for it. This is a fact."


    "Aurelia is right, Lux," Valeriemented. "Dragons can only be attracted to a fellow dragon. Although you are indeed a Half-Elf, you seem to have a Dragon''s Constitution. If I think about it rationally, this ispletely unheard of. Are you sure you are really a Half-Elf?"


    "I am," Lux replied. "But it''s true that I''m not an ordinary Half-Elf. You see, I ingested Dragon''s Blood in the past."


    Lux exined what had happened inside Keoza''s dungeon in the past, letting his lovers know something that they didn''t know before.


    Aurelia, on the other hand, listened to his words seriously.


    She remained quiet from start to finish as if she was deep in thoughts.


    "When will you go to the Guild Headquarters?" Ari asked. "I want to see mother-inw already."


    "Soon," Lux replied. "We''ll be there after I introduce Mother to my stepfather, Iris, and Cai. At thetest, we''ll be back in a week or two."


    "That''s fine," Valeriemented. "Father and mother will not let me leave soon. Waiting a week or two is better. Also, I can use the excuse of talking to Aurelia in order to strengthen the ties of both our kingdoms as a diplomatic visit. I''m sure I will get their permission if I say that."


    "Good," Lux said softly. "I missed all of you, and I want to see you girls soon."


    Right at that moment, a seductive beautynded beside Lux andid on top of him before giving him a kiss on the lips.


    "Grandma Vera has prepared lunch," Aurora said. "Time to go back."


    "Okay," Lux replied.


    He didn''t notice how much time had passed because he was enjoying his talk with his lovers.


    But he also wanted to spend time with his grandma and mother, so he bid his Dragon Lovers goodbye for now and headed home where his family was waiting for him.

 Chapter 1067 Revenge From An Innocent Heart [Part 1]

    Chapter 1067 Revenge From An Innocent Heart [Part 1]


    Somewhere in the Skystead Alliance��


    The Fourth Prince of the Ashina Kingdom, Prince Lionell, grinned ear to ear as he looked at the pretty youngdies who were captured by his subordinates. They were taken from the Merchant Caravan that they had ambushed a few hours ago.


    After he had been exiled by his Father from the Ashina Kindom, he and his escorts had lived as bandits on the border between the Ashina Kingdom and their neighboring Kingdoms.


    In truth, even though he had been exiled, he was still receiving support from his father. This provided him with enough resources to be a Bandit Leader terrorizing their neighbors from the Xynnar War Pact.


    The reason why he was exiled was due to the incident that happened more than a year ago.


    He and his men had sensed a great fluctuation while they were traveling together and found the entrance of the Forbidden Domain.


    This was where he and his men had ambushed Lux, Iris, Cai, and the rest of the members of the young generation who hailed from the Six Kingdoms.


    That incident triggered a series of events that made the Skystead Alliance and the Xynnar War Pact aware that the Six Kingdoms were monopolizing the Hidden Domain in order to gather resources behind their backs.


    If it weren''t for Vera''s timely assistance, things might have gotten out of hand, allowing Prince Lionell to have his way with Iris, Henrietta, and the rest of thedies who belonged to the Six Kingdoms.


    Prince Lionell had always been a womanizer, and he wanted nothing more than to conquer beautiful women and add them to his trophies.


    But after that incident, an enraged Alexander and Maximilian trampled the Capital City of the Ashina Kingdom, forcing the Skystead Alliance to step in and mediate the matter.


    The King of the Ashina Kingdom was forced to ept his losses and even had to exile his own son from his kingdom.


    Alexander and Maximilian wanted to kill the Prince, but they knew that this would not be the best course of action to take.


    They were the leaders of their own people, and they had responsibilities to bear on their shoulders.


    If they really offended the Skystead Alliance, this would mean war. That would have forced the Xynnar War Pact to take action as well.


    This would only sour the rtionship between the Xynnar War Pact and the Six Kingdoms, so the two Saints decided topromise for the sake of their people.


    "Good. Bring them all inside the cave," Prince Lionell said. "You guys know the drill. Make sure to not disturb me unless it is absolutely important, okay?"


    "Yes, Boss!"


    "Boss, after you''re done, it will be our turn right?"


    "Boss, I call dibs on that girl wearing red. Her body is so hot. Feel free to enjoy her first, so I can take my turn next!"


    "You bastard! Trying to get ahead of us, huh?!"


    Prince Lionell only smiled as he listened to the bickering of his subordinates.


    He was truly in a good mood because it was very rare for him and his men to capture so many prettydies in one day.


    But when his gazended on his right-hand man, he sighed because he knew that he had to share his spoils with this person.


    Esmond, the Ranker who personally safe-guarded the Prince, only smiled from the side.


    Unlike their subordinates who had to wait for second-hand goods to be handed over to them, he had the authority to take a fewdies with him to sample for himself.


    Although Prince Lionell was reluctant to share his spoil with his personal bodyguard, he had no choice but to allow it since Esmond was his strongest protector at the moment.


    After dividing thedies, he ordered his men to bring his women to the cave, which they happily agreed to do.


    Prince Lionell then walked towards the cave with a smile.


    Although the number of the beauties he was going to embrace had decreased, they were still enough to satisfy him for an entire day.


    But just as he was about to enter the entrance of the cave, a blob of water hit the back of his head, drenching his entire body.


    "Who dares?!" Prince Lionell shouted as he turned around to look for the person who dared to y a prank on him.


    The Bandits, who were still in the camp, looked at him in surprise after hearing him shout. But seeing that their Prince was drenched in water from head to toe, they immediately knew that something was wrong.


    No one in the camp would do such a thing. If they did that, their heads were going to roll off their bodies.


    Prince Lionell scanned the surroundings with bloodshot eyes until his gazended on something small and blue standing on top of the box of crates that they had looted from the Merchant Caravan.


    The Fourth Prince of the Ashina Kingdom red at the Baby Slime and raised his hand to conjure a Fireball.


    A weak Creature that dared to humiliate him in front of his men was something that he wouldn''t tolerate.


    "Die!" Prince Lionell hurled the Fireball at the Baby Slime, not caring if the Merchant Crates would be affected by the explosion of his spell.


    The Baby Slime looked at the Fireball in disdain before opening her mouth.


    A momentter, she unleashed a torrent of water thatpletely devoured the Fireball, instantly dispelling it.


    The attack didn''t stop there and mmed into the body of the lustful exiled Prince, making him shout in pain as he mmed against the wall of the cave.


    It was at that moment when Esmond suddenly appeared on the scene to investigate what was happening.


    He had heard Prince Lionell''s shout of pain, which made him wonder if one of the youngdies that they had captured suddenly attacked his Master.


    But the moment heid his eyes on the Baby Slime on top of the crate, he recalled a distant memory that happened more than a year ago.


    ''Impossible,'' Esmond thought. ''It might be another Baby Slime.''


    The Ranker remembered that on the day that he had tried to capture Iris, Henrietta, and the rest of the young men and women of the Six Kingdoms, there was a Baby Slime who had tried to get in the way.


    Naturally, he dealt with the weak monster like any Ranker would and killed it without any shred of mercy.


    When Eiko''s gazended on Esmond, the Baby Slime narrowed her eyes as she summoned a st Bomb.


    How could she possibly forget what Esmond looked like?


    Aside from Prince Lionell, Esmond was on the list of people that Eiko hated the most.


    This Human had killed her when she was weak and powerless.


    Now, things had changed.


    She was no longer the same Baby Slime whom the Ranker had easily killed after she did her best to protect her Mama from those who wished her harm.


    Eiko''s body glowed brightly as she transformed into a little girl, still holding a st Bomb in her hand.


    When Esmond and his subordinatesid their eyes on her, they couldn''t help but be charmed due to how cute she was.


    "Not bad," Esmond said as he gazed at the adorable girl who was holding some sort of bomb in her right hand. "You will fetch a good price on the ck Market. I''m sure that there will be plenty of buyers who would want to raise a small beauty like you."


    The corner of Eiko''s lips curled up into a smirk as if what she was hearing was a very amusing thing.


    The smirk on her face slowly transformed into a sneer. She hade to find these people to have her revenge.


    Now that she finally found them, she would not allow any of them to escape since she intended to blow all of them to kingdome.


    Eiko casually tossed the st Bomb in her right hand towards the Ranker who had killed her in the past before opening her adorable mouth.


    "F*cker."


    A few secondster, an earth-shaking explosion rocked thend, making Prince Lionell, Esmond, and the bandits who were in the vicinity scream in pain as zing mes engulfed their camp.


    Eiko had no intention of letting them die easily.


    She would torture them and make them feel the same pain that she had felt more than a year ago.


    The pain that hurt her small and innocent heart when she looked at her Mama''s crying face before her small and delicate body exploded into countless pieces, a lifetime ago.

 Chapter 1068 Revenge From An Innocent Heart [Part 2]

    Chapter 1068 Revenge From An Innocent Heart [Part 2]


    "Damn it! She''s toying with us!" Prince Lionell cursed out loud as he looked behind him.


    Esmond had saved him from their burning camp and hurriedly used a flying treasure in order to escape.


    However, no matter how fast the Flying Treasure was, the little girl with long blue hair was hot on their trail, with a devilish smile on her adorable face.


    Their men had already been burned to cinders back in their camp, and no one was left alive.


    However, Eiko made sure that their treasures and their prisoners were perfectly safe, after summoning Dreadnaught-Ranked Slime Monsters to protect them from harm.


    "Are you sure that she''s that Slime you killed long ago?" Prince Lionel asked. "Why is she still alive then?! Also, why can she transform into a Human form?!"


    "Shut up!" Esmond shouted, making the Prince stop asking more questions.


    Prince Lionell knew that his right-hand man was also shaken after seeing that the Baby Slime he had killed hade back to life, and was now after his own life!


    It had been more than a year since then, and due to the resources that the King of the Ahina Kingdom had given him in secret, he had already stepped into the realm of an A-Ranker.


    However, even with his newfound strength, his instinct was telling him that he wasn''t a match against the little girl, who was looking at him as if she was already looking at a dead person.


    He and Prince Lionell had suffered third degree burns, but due to the healing potions they used, they were able to endure the pain, at least for the time being.


    An hourter, the prince was no longer able to hold back and voiced out his concern.


    "How long should we run from this Monster?!" Prince Lionel almost shouted.


    "Didn''t I tell you to shut up?" Esmond growled. "I''ve already contacted your father, and the Saints of our Kingdom are on their way to meet us. Just stay put and stop annoying me!"


    After hearing that Saints were already dispatched to help them, the Prince felt less anxious and even forgave Esmond for his rudeness.


    Half an hourter, they sensed two powerful presence headed in their direction, making their hearts skip a beat.


    ''They''re finally here!'' Esmond thought as he saw two ck specks over the horizon, that were flying towards them.


    Prince Lionell breathed a sigh of relief in his heart before turning back to sneer at the little girl, who was still following behind them.


    ''Let''s see if you can keep smilingter!'' Prince Lionell sneered. ''I''ll make sure to torture you until you wish you were dead!''


    Eiko, who also sensed the appearance of two Saints, wasn''t fazed.


    In fact, the moment she realized that two powerful presences had appeared in front of her, the devilish smile on her face widened.


    Esmond''s flying artifact hovered beside the two Saints, who were looking at him and the Prince with disdain.


    "Useless fools!" one of the Saint shouted. "Why are you always causing us trouble?"


    "Sometimes I wish that Maximilian and Alexander really had killed the two of you," the other Saintmented. "That way, we would no longer have to clean up your messes for you!"


    The reason why two Saints were dispatched instead of one was because the King of the Ashina Kingdom didn''t want to take any chances.


    He was worried that this was a ploy made by Alexander and Maximilian to finally settle the old score for his son''s attempt to kidnap their daughter and granddaughter.


    But, when the two Saints looked at the Little Girl in the distance, who was hovering in the air with her hands on her waist, both of them frowned.


    "You called us because of her?" the Saint pointed at Eiko with a dumbfounded look on his face. "You can''t even beat up a little girl?"


    "Don''t be fooled by her looks, Your Excellency," Esmond replied. "She''s a Slime Monster and, judging from her strength, she''s at least at the initial stages of the Empyrean Rank."


    (A/N: Empyrean is the next stage after Dreadnaught. Cmity is the rank above Empyrean.)


    The Saint scoffed before eyeing the Little Girl, who was looking back at them with a smile.


    "A Slime Monster?" The Saint looked at Eiko from head to toe. "Even if Slime Monsters can transform into humans, their age reflects their appearance. Judging by her looks, she''s still young, not even five years old. You''re telling me that a Slime, who is less than five years old, is an Empyrean Ranked Monster?"


    The other Saint, who was also observing Eiko, narrowed his eyes.


    "She is indeed of the Empyrean Rank," the other Saintmented. "Goodness, this is the first time I''m seeing something like this."


    "Is she perhaps a mutant?"


    "The possibility is high. We should probably capture her, and do some experiments."


    After confirming Eiko''s rank, the two Saints no longer treated her as an ordinary Monster and prepared to strike.


    However, before they could even attack her, a ck coffin appeared above her head and opened its lid.


    "Him and him." Eiko pointed at the two Saints. "Beat them up."


    She then pointed her finger at Esmond and Prince Lionell.


    "Him and him, capture!" Eiko ordered.


    A momentter, the two Saints, who were about to attack Eiko felt three extremely powerful presences that came from the ck coffin.


    When their gazesnded on the three people that came out of the coffin, the two Saints almost pissed their pants.


    There were only two beings in this world that could make them react this way.


    The first one was Demigods.


    The second one was Supremes!


    Right now, there were not one, not two, but three Supremes looking at them with calm expressions on their faces.


    They knew then and there that they were facing a Little Girl that they shouldn''t offend no matter what.


    "Y-Your Excellencies, there must be some kind of misunderstanding here!" one of the Saints shouted. "We are not affiliated with these two people. They are exiles from our Kingdom, and we have no obligations to help them!"


    "That''s right!" the other Saint backed hisrade. "We are simply here to ensure that they don''t trespass on our borders since they were already exiled from the Ashina Kingdom!"


    Eiko smiled sweetly after hearing the name of the Kingdom that she now nned to destroy.


    "Ashina Kingdom?" Eiko looked at the Saint who had spoken the name of the Kingdom where Prince Lionell belonged. "Thank you."


    The Saint thought that he was now spared from harm after Eiko thanked him. However, what she said next made his face turn pale from fright.


    "Beat them up until half dead!" Eiko ordered. "Those two, capture!"


    """Yes, Your Highness!"""


    The three Supremes immediately took action and captured the people that their Mistress wanted to capture.


    Eiko then summoned the Golden Anchor and smashed it against Esmond''s legs, breaking his bones.


    She did the same to Prince Lionell''s legs, making the lustful prince scream in horror and pain.


    After crippling the two people she wanted to torture the most, Eiko grabbed their heads and mmed them into the ground.


    As if finding it amusing, she repeatedly smashed Esmond''s face on the ground, until it turned bloody.


    She did the same thing to Prince Lionell, breaking all of his teeth in the process.


    A momentter, she raised her foot with a sinister glint in her eyes.


    "F*cker."


    Without an ounce of hesitation, Eiko stomped down on the Prince''s family jewels, making thetter utter a blood-curdling-scream that made Esmond, the Three Supremes, and the two Saints, shudder uncontrobly.


    All of them were men, so seeing this scene had a great impact on them.


    A patch of red emerged from the Prince''s pants as his genitals were crushed by Eiko''s foot.


    She did the same to Esmond, making the High-Ranker regret the day that he had killed this devilish Monster, who hade to take revenge upon him.


    Eiko tortured the two people until both of them begged for their lives.


    Of course, she didn''t kill them right away.


    Instead, she summoned her Battleship, Poseidon, and tied them to the bow of the ship.


    She then made the two Saints cough up the information about where the Ashina Kingdom was.


    After knowing its location, she ordered Avery to set sail to the Ashina Kingdom.


    A kingdom that would soon cease to exist.

 Chapter 1069 Revenge From An Innocent Heart [Part 3]

    Chapter 1069 Revenge From An Innocent Heart [Part 3]


    The Castle of the Ashina Kingdom burned in a sea of mes under Eiko''s indifferent gaze.


    Unlike her Papa, she was someone that wouldn''t bat an eye when it came to destroying an entire Kingdom and its people.


    She was a Monster, and it was in her nature to be merciless.


    However, since she was raised by Lux and Iris, she still had a bit ofpassion left in her.


    But, at the end of the day, she wasn''t aspassionate as her Papa.


    After capturing the King, and ughtering him in front of the Prince Lionell, Eiko proceeded to exterminate his entire bloodline.


    Poseidon also bombarded the city with its zing cannon balls, turning anything they hit into a zing inferno.


    They first started at the castle, then gradually made the fire spread.


    The spread of the mes wasn''t that fast, because Poseidon deliberately controlled the scope of destruction that it was dealing to the city.


    It made sure that the people were able to evacuate from their homes before setting those homes aze.


    ck smoke rose towards the sky, alerting the neighboring kingdoms of what was happening.


    Originally, they thought that the Xynnar War Pact had decided tounch an invasion on their Domain, catching them all by surprise.


    However, when they saw that there were no massive armies on the ground, they started to think that this was an attack done by Saints.


    This wasn''t the first time that Saints attacked the territories under the Skystead Alliance.


    The most recent incident was when Alexander and Maximilian obliterated the Capital City of the Ashina Kingdom.


    It had been a year since then, and the city had been rebuilt with the help of the best Earth Mages in the Skystead Alliance.


    On their way towards the Ashina Kingdom, they came across several Saints from the Xynnar War Pact.


    They thought that their initial hunch was correct.


    But before they could engage the invaders, the Saints of the Xynnar War Pact told them that they came to investigate what was happening in the Ashina Kingdom.


    Of course, the Saints of the Skystead Alliance didn''t trust them and forbade them from interfering with the matters of their Alliance.


    This forced the Saints from the Xynnar War Pact to stop their investigation.


    With one problem out of the way, the Saints of the Skystead Alliance headed towards the Ashina Kingdom at full speed.


    When they arrived at their destination, they noticed the Giant Bone Ship that was hovering above the city, and shooting its cannons at the ground.


    This enraged the Saints, so they immediately started to attack the Bone Ship, with the intention ofpletely destroying it.


    But, none of their attacks managed to deal any damage to it.


    Poseidon was protected by a purple domeof light, covering its entirety.


    None of the attacks that had been unleashed in its direction even put a dent on the barrier, making the Saints look at it with grim expressions on their faces.


    The Baby Slime wasn''t pleased about the pesky insects that were getting in the way of her revenge.


    Because of this, she asked the three Supremes to deal with the Saints from the Skystead Alliance.


    In Eiko''s eyes, the Skystead Alliance and the Vahan Empire were one and the same.


    They were the people that bullied her Papa when he was doing his best to create his Guild in their territory.


    The Baby Slime was a vengeful little baby. Because of this, she treated the entire Skystead Alliance as her enemy.


    Of course, ckfire was more than happy to lend a hand, so it summoned all of the Saints that it had captured since it started to crazily gather powerful warriors under Lux''s banner.


    The three Supremes were already enough to make the Saints of the Skystead Alliance flee in fright.


    However, when countless Saints appeared, the reinforcements who hade to help the Ashina Kingdom found it hard even to breathe.


    The pressure emitted by these warriors was simply overbearing.


    The surprising thing was that even the Saints, who were patiently waiting on the border of the Xynnar War Pact, felt this overpowering sense of dread wash over them like a tide.


    "J-Just what is happening over there?!" a skinny Saint from the Xynnar War Pact eximed. "Just who did the Skystead Alliance offend? Is it the Dragons?!"


    "It must be," another Saint replied. "This dominating presence can only be released by Supremes and countless Saints."


    "�� Should we go and see what is happening over there?" the Saint asked.


    "If you want to die then go on your own," a chubby Saint scoffed. "Have you heard of the saying that curiosity killed the Saint? Just stay put and don''t interfere. If you annoy them, they might shift their anger to us when they are done with the Skystead Alliance."


    The Saint who proposed they should take a look shuddered.


    If these powerful people really decide to invade their territory, he was certain that even if all of them fought to the death, the one who would lose would certainly be them.


    They couldn''t afford to antagonize such an enemy, so they decided to wait until everything was over.


    ckfire zoomed across the skies of the Ashina Kingdom, devouring Saints left and right.


    Although not all the Saints of the Ashina Kingdom hade to investigate what was happening, it was still able to devour a dozen Saints, making its trip worthwhile.


    A few hourster, Poseidon finally flew away from the destroyed city.


    Thick ck mes were still rising up into the sky and could be seen for miles on end.


    When the Saints that had been dispatched by Emperor Andreas arrived at the scene, the only thing they saw were miles of scorchednd as evidence that a cmity had descended upon the Ashina Kingdom.


    What they didn''t know was that this "cmity" was currently making its way towards the Vahan Empire.


    Eiko stood on the top of the main mast of her ship, and looked in front of her with a calm expression on her face.


    Prince Lionell''s and Esmond''s lifeless bodies were still hanging from the bow of her ship because she couldn''t be bothered to deal with the two of them.


    Both of them had cried rivers of blood after personally seeing the destruction of their Kingdom from start to finish.


    Eiko didn''t give them a swift death.


    Instead, she ordered Poseidon to stick sharp spikes on their bodies from time to time, making them scream until they became hoarse from screaming.


    In the end, Eiko stopped caring because she had already done what she came to do.


    She understood that the moment she got her hands on Prince Lionell and Esmond, their deaths were a done deal.


    However, after torturing them for hours, she got bored of it, so she simply allowed nature to take its course.


    Now, she had set her sights on the Vahan Empire, in order to give them a little payback for her Papa''s and Grandma''s suffering back then.


    ckfire very much approved of the Baby Slime''s decisiveness.


    If only Asmodeus and Avernus were with Eiko, both of them would surely give the Baby Slime a thumbs up, and even assist her in her revenge.


    Sadly, Lux''s two diabolical subordinates were out of reach, so they weren''t able to witness the path of destruction that Eiko was carving as she continued her adventure in Elysium.


    Emperor Andreas was busy paying close attention to the Fynn Kingdom because he was afraid that Lux would invade his Empire due to the grudge he held long ago.


    Soon, he would realize that he was worrying about the wrong person.


    But, who could me him?


    How could he possibly know that the cute, harmless-looking Baby Slime, who was always perched on the Half-Elf''s head, was now on her way to his kingdom with an army that would make him piss his pants.

 Chapter 1070 Watch The World Burn Together [Part 1]

    Chapter 1070 Watch The World Burn Together [Part 1]


    "It''s nice to meet you, Mother," Iris said with a smile as she greeted Adeline, whom Lux and Vera had brought to Barbatos Academy to meet the rest of their family.


    "I''m d that I was able to meet you as well, Mother." Cai made a sign of greeting that was exclusive to the Rowan n.


    "It''s my pleasure to meet both of you," Adeline replied as she looked at the two beautifuldies, who were her son''s fiances. "I hope that we all get along well."


    Iris and Cai had long wanted to meet Adeline, and seeing her now, they could tell that she shared many simrities with their handsome fiance, especially her eyes.


    Lux watched as the two beautifuldies dragged his mom away, while giving him the "Don''t follow us, okay?" gaze, which made him scratch his head.


    Vera shook her head helplessly and followed behind them, leaving Lux and Aurora alone.


    "Aren''t you going to go with them?" Lux asked Aurora who remained by his side.


    Aurora shook her head. "I have been with your mother the longest. I think it''s about time that Iris and Cai had some private time with her."


    The Half-Elf smiled as he gently pulled the beautiful youngdy in his arms and kissed her cheek.


    "Then, let''s go meet with Father for a while," Lux said. "Although he is a bit stoic, he will be your father-inw in the future, so we need to make him more familiar with you."


    Aurora nodded. "I will listen to you."


    The Half-Elf then held her hand and guided her towards the Headmaster''s Office where Alexander usually stayed whenever he was in the Academy.


    Currently, Alexander was busy managing the paperwork of the project that he and Maximilian had started in Elysium.


    The Barbatos Academy and the Rowan Tribe were currently developing the territory that they had secured a good distance from the Xynnar War Pact.


    With the imminent fall of Sis, they needed to find a safe ce for their people. Because of this, they decided to cultivate one of the least desired areas that even the Xynnar War Pact hadn''t bothered to set their sights on.


    Thend was dry and arid, and crop production was nearly impossible.


    However, Alexander and Maximilian were confident that if their two Factions worked together, it would only take them two to three years to make the ce habitable.


    Also, with two Saints serving as their town''s guardian, the Saints of the Xynnar War Pact were hesitant to hamper their progress.


    They knew that even though they had greater numbers, they still didn''t dare to provoke the two individuals, who had once tted the Capital City of the Ashina Kingdom.


    When Lux, and Aurora arrived at the office, they found Alexander and Maximilian looking at a projection on the wall.


    A beautiful woman could be seen in the projection, and it was none other than Alicia, who served as Alexander''s secretary.


    "Lux,e," Alexander said the moment Lux, and Aurora had entered his office. "You have to see this."


    The Half-Elf obeyed and looked at the projection to see a grim-faced Alicia.


    "I just confirmed from one of our scouts that the Capital City of the Ashina Kingdom waspletely destroyed," Alicia reported. "Also, all the members of the Royal Family have been killed, including the King.


    "Currently the Saints of the Xynnar War Pact, as well as our people are investigating the cause of the incident. All of the evacuees, who managed to leave the city before it was burned down, said that a giant, floating, Bone Ship, was responsible for the destruction of their Capital City."


    "Bone Ship?" Lux blinked. "A flying Bone Ship? Such a thing exists?"


    "Are you not able to do something like that, Lux?" Maximilian asked.


    Lux shook his head. "Unless the bones already have flying properties, I am unable to create a flying Bone Ship, especially a giant one."


    "Originally, we thought that it was you because you are the only Necromancer that we know of who has a grudge against the Ashina Kingdom," Aliciamented.


    "Are you talking about the incident that happened in the Entrance of the Hidden Domain a year ago?" Lux inquired. "Actually, I was also nning to give them a visit to have my revenge. But, it seems that someone beat me to it."


    Alexander and Maximilian nced at each other and smiled.


    They didn''t hesitate to trample the capital city of the Ashina Kingdom in the past, and frankly, if not for the fact that their rtionship with the Xynnar War Pact might be even more strained, they would have killed the members of the Ashina Royal Family then and there.


    No one was more than happy to see the wretched Kingdom burn down in mes than Alexander and Maximilian.


    In fact, the first suspects of the Xynnar War Pact as to who had caused this destruction were none other than Lux, Alexander, and Maximilian.


    However, none of the survivors saw any of them, especially Maximilian, who transformed into a giant ck Boar whenever he fought.


    "Then, do you have any idea who caused this?" Alexander asked Alicia.


    "No," Alicia replied. "The Ashina Kingdom has many enemies because Prince Lionell has offended many people."


    "Did any of the survivors see anyone emerge from the ship?" Maximilian inquired. "Anything that can give us a clue as to what happened?"


    Alicia nodded. "Actually, we have made a startling discovery regarding this incident. ording to a few of the High-Rankers that we interviewed, they saw an unbelievable sight.


    "There were more than a hundred Saints that had appeared in the skies of the Ashina Kingdom. They even said that there were at least three people who gave a more powerful presence than the Saints.


    "Although none of them dared to confirm it, I have a feelingthat these presences that they felt belonged to Supremes."


    Alexander and Maximilian frowned after hearing the word Supremes.


    Although Supremes were non-existent within the Six Kingdoms, Xynnar War Pact, and the Skystead Alliance, they had at least seen them from a distance when they were still traveling all over Elysium.


    Even so, the two of them found it hard to believe that Supremes actually visited their region to personally oversee the destruction of a Kingdom.


    Also, the eye-witness reports of over a hundred Saints appearing over the skies of the now-destroyed-kingdom made their frown deepen.


    There was only one exnation for this incident and that was none other than an invasion.


    Invasion from stronger forces outside of the Xynnar War Pact and the Skystead Alliance.

 Chapter 1071 Watch The World Burn Together [Part 2]

    Chapter 1071 Watch The World Burn Together [Part 2]


    An invasion by Saints and Supremes from another region was the only exnation that Alexander and Maximilian could think at the moment.


    This possibility was something that they didn''t expect, and it was also a very dangerous thing to happen.


    For one, a Supreme was an existence that they couldn''t hope to defeat with their current strength.


    Also, even if the Supreme wasn''t present, the hundreds of Saints that Alicia reported was enough for the two of them to take this matter seriously.


    If an invasion had really urred then not only was the Skystead Alliance in danger, but the Xynnar War Pact as well.


    Although their new territory was a good distance away from the Xynnar War Pact, it wasn''t very far either. It was very possible for the mes of war to extend into their territory.


    Alexander''s and Maximilian''s scope of operation was only within the territories of the Xynnar War Pact.


    Because of this, they weren''t aware of the incident that had transpired in the Fynn Kingdom.


    They didn''t know that the Half-Elf, who was standing beside them inside the room, had managed to subjugate an entire kingdom and make it his own.


    If they knew this then the two Saints would press Lux for answers about how he was able to do it.


    Of course, they would also shamelessly ask him to let their people migrate to the Fynn Kingdom, so they no longer had to cultivate the inhospitablends that they were eyeing as their new base of operations.


    Lux, who was starting to have a nagging feeling that something wasn''t right, asked Alicia another question.


    "This flying Bone Ship, did anyone see where it went after it destroyed the Ashina Kingdom?" Lux inquired.


    "Well, if what the survivors said is true then it headed North after razing the Ashina Kingdom to the ground."


    "North��," Maximilian muttered. "North of the Ashina Kingdom is the Vahan Empire. Is that flying Bone Ship headed in that direction?"


    The Half-Elf, who was starting to have doubts about who the culprit of the incident was, narrowed his eyes.


    "Come, ckfire," Lux ordered.


    Immediately the ck Coffin materialized beside him.


    "ckfire, were you in the Ashina Kingdom a while ago?" Lux asked.


    The ck Coffin tilted its body to the side, as if it was averting its gaze from its Master.


    Lux suddenly had a bad feeling after seeing the ck Coffin''s reaction.


    "Did you act autonomously and destroy the Ashina Kingdom on your own?" Lux inquired.


    This time, ckfire shook its body side to side, denying Lux''s allegation.


    "So, you didn''t attack on your own?"


    < I didn''t. >


    Rows of text appeared in front of the ck Coffin, making Lux cross his arms over his chest.


    "Is Eiko behind this incident?" Lux asked.


    ckfire once again averted its body to the side, confirming Lux''s hunch.


    The Half-Elf sighed before scratching his head.


    "Where is she heading now?" Lux inquired. "Come, tell me. I assure you that I am not angry. In fact, I am very happy that she managed to avenge herself against the Kingdom that had tried to kidnap her Mama and killed her in the past.


    "Trust me. Even if she didn''t do this, I would have done it myself after a few days. So, this incident isn''t a big deal to me."


    Lux wasn''t lying.


    He had every intention to take revenge on Prince Lionell, as well as Esmond, who had killed Eiko in the past, as well as tried to kidnap Iris and hurt his Grandma.


    But, to his surprise, the Baby Slime had beaten him to it.


    After confirming that its Master wasn''t truly angry with Eiko, ckfire no longer hid anything and told Lux what he needed to know.


    < Eiko is heading towards the Vahan Empire. Also, she asked me to tell you something, just in case you find out about this incident. >


    "What is it?" Lux asked.


    He was quite curious about what kind of message did Eiko left for him.


    < She said that she won''t go overboard and just destroy the Vahan Royal Pce, and the Coliseum. This is payback for what the Human Emperor did to you and her Manma Vera. >


    Alexander and Maximilian, who saw the rows of text appear in front of Lux, felt as if their world view had changedpletely.


    They didn''t expect the Baby Slime, who was always perched on top of Lux''s head, to have the ability to destroy an entire Kingdom on her own.


    But, when they read that she was headed to the Vahan Empire to destroy their Royal Pce and Coliseum, the two Saints felt that the Baby Slime had already surpassed them in both strength and power.


    "Aurora, stay here for a bit," Lux said before ordering ckfire to return to Eiko''s side.


    "Are you going to see Eiko?" Aurora asked. "Are you going to stop her?"


    "I am going to see her," Lux replied. "But, I am not going to stop her."


    Lux then moved closer to Aurora and whispered something in her right ear.


    "I''m just going to watch the world burn with her," Lux whispered.


    The Half-Elf was just as curious as Alexander and Maximilian how Eiko was able to achieve such a feat.


    So, when they found out that Lux was going to go where the Baby Slime was, the two Saints asked to apany him as well.


    The Half-Elf didn''t mind, so the three of them used the Teleportation Gate in Barbatos Academy to instantly teleport to the Fynn Kingdom, which was very close to the Vahan Empire.


    It only took them a few minutes to cross the border of the Vahan Empire with the help of Hana and her Spatial Magic.


    After more than a dozen Spatial Jumps, they finally arrived at the Capital City of the Vahan Empire.


    "Looks like we arrived just in time," Lux said as he looked at the giant flying Bone Ship that was flying towards the city from the South. "Let''s go, Hana."


    The beautiful Fox Lady nodded her head and once again used her Spatial Magic to teleport them directly onto the deck of Eiko''s battleship.


    When they appeared, the first thing they heard was the sound of musical instruments ying, and people singing.


    Eiko, who was at the center of it all, giggled after seeing her Papa appear on the deck of her ship.


    ckfire had already informed her that Lux already knew what was happening. Because of this, she had already expected that he woulde to find her.


    "Pa!" Eiko happily jumped towards the Half-Elf, who caught her with both hands.


    "You''ve been a naughty girl, Eiko," Lux said before kissing her cheek, making the Baby Slime giggle.


    The Baby Slime wasn''t the least bit worried that her Papa would be angry for what she did. In fact, she was certain that Lux would even support her decision.


    "Un!" Eiko nodded, not even bothering to deny that she had been doing naughty things after she had started on a grand adventure with Fei Fei.


    While the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime were showing kinship with each other, Alexander and Maximilian stared at the lineup that was standing on the deck of the ship.


    When they saw the three Supremes they were already very impressed.


    However, when they saw Avery, Eiko''s Second-in-Command, the two couldn''t help but feel shocked in their hearts.


    Just a nce at the Pirate King was enough to tell them that they were staring at a Demigod.


    Avery, who had a vague idea of who these guests were, tipped his pirate hat in greeting, making Alexander and Maximilian nod their heads to return his greeting.


    A momentter, the Patriarch of the Rowan Tribeughed out loud.


    Alexander was also smiling because he was thinking the same thing as Maximilian.


    With the forces under Lux''s and Eiko''smand, why would they bother to cultivate and that would only be habitable after a few years?


    Since they had this amazing lineup, wouldn''t it be easier to just snatch fertilends and im them as their own?


    Xynnar War Pact?


    Skystead Alliance?


    Bah! Even if the two of them were to form a united front, what could they do?


    Alexander and Maximilian had endured for many years, for the sake of the bigger picture and their people.


    They were forced topromise again and again because they didn''t have the power to offend the Xynnar War Pact and the Skystead Alliance.


    But now?


    Who would dare to offend them?


    Since Lux and Eiko seemed hell-bent on taking revenge on the people who had wronged them in the past, the two Saints were more than happy to stand to the side.


    They wanted to see the world burn with the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime, who were both looking at the Capital City of the Vahan Empire, with evil smiles on their faces.

 Chapter 1072 Pride Goes Before Destruction [Part 1]

    Chapter 1072 Pride Goes Before Destruction [Part 1]


    There was once a Saint who decided to build his own kingdom.


    Due to his strength, the neighboring kingdoms feared him, and no one wanted to offend him.


    However, the Saint had other things in mind.


    After two decades of stabilizing his Kingdom, he decided that his territory was too small for him.


    Having thought of that, he led his army to conquer the weakest Kingdom on his border and subjugated it.


    A decadeter, he repeated the same thing.


    Soon, his Kingdom had subjugated three Kingdoms, giving birth to what was now known as the Vahan Empire.


    This Saint was Emperor Andreas'' great great grandfather, the founder of the Empire.


    Like his ancestor, Emperor Andreas also wished to expand his Domain in order to let his name be written in the history books of the Empire.


    Most people thought that the Vahan Empire only had two Saints.


    But, in truth, they actually had five in total.


    Three of these Saints were low profile and never showed themselves to the public.


    And one of those three Saints was the founder of the Vahan Empire, who was nearly seven hundred years old.


    When the Abyss tried to conquer Elysium, he was one of the Saints who had fought the invaders.


    However, he received a serious injury and was forced to go into seclusion.


    But, even without him, the Vahan Empire prospered because their Empire was strong.


    Two years ago, Emperor Andreas was certain that, once his right-hand man, Aron, became a Saint, his dream of expanding his Empire would soon be realized.


    The man who helped him manage the Vahan Empire was an S-Ranker. If given more time and resources, he would undoubtedly be the sixth Saint of the Vahan Empire, making it a true powerhouse among Empires.


    Unfortunately, when he met the Dragons of the Crystal Pce, he realized that he was just a small fish in a pond, ying with the other small fish.


    The big fishes, like the Crystal Pce, were in the sea, ying with the other big fishes who had the same rank as them.


    This realization made Emperor Andreas feel depressed for two months. However, after that phase of depression, he managed to bounce back and set his sights on what was in front of him.


    He might be a small fish in a pond, but that didn''t matter. Even if he was only a small fish, he decided to be the strongest fish in the pond and devour all the other fishes who were within his ying field.


    With this renewed vision, he set his eyes on the Fynn Kingdom.


    However, he remembered the warning that his Father had given him before passing the crown of the Empire to him.


    "Do not attempt to annex the Fynn Kingdom. They have a Supreme holding the fort."


    Emperor Andreas respected his father, so he believed that he was telling the truth. Because of this, he didn''t dare to intrude on the territory of the Fynn Kingdom and decided to shift his target to the Bjarni Kingdom.


    He was already making preparations to invade theirnds with the help of his allies.


    Emperor Andreas believed that, in the next four months, he would be able tounch a sessful campaign and bring another kingdom under the Vahan Empire''s rule.


    He believed that he was a conqueror and that he had nothing to fear within the small pond that was located in the Eastern Regions of Elysium.


    His confidence was at its peak, and he believed that he was unstoppable.


    But now, that confidence was nowhere to be found as he stared at the giant, flying Bone Ship about to enter the airspace of his Capital City, Dainsleif.


    Aron, the Emperor''s right-hand man, stood beside his ruler, wearing the same grim expression as thetter.


    The other four Saints of the Vahan Empire also made their appearance and hovered above their city, ready to protect their Domain from the invaders who were about to enter their capital.


    However, just as they were about to attack the giant battleship that was flying in the sky��


    Hundreds of powerful presences descended upon these four Saints like a sledgehammer, making all four of them crash into the ground.


    "By the Gods��" Emperor Andreas muttered. "Who have we offended?"


    Emperor Andreas was an A-Ranker.


    After being around Saints for a long time, he knew their level of power.


    He had also met the Saint from the Crystal Pce, Poro, who was stronger than the Saints of his Empire.


    Even so, the Dragon Born Saint''s dominating presence was nothingpared to the raging tide of suppression that he was now feeling in his bones.


    "Supremes," Aron''s face paled after sensing the power of the foes that hade to their kingdom. "We''re done for."


    The High-Ranker knew that the Vahan Empire had suppressed many people in the past, and why wouldn''t they?


    They had the strength to do it.


    They would be fools if they didn''t use what they had to their advantage.


    And yet, at this moment, they were feeling the same emotions that the people whom they had suppressed in the past had felt.


    In the face of overwhelming strength, any resistance was meaningless.


    Emperor Andreas took a deep breath and flew towards the sky.


    At the end of the day, he was still the Emperor of the Vahan Empire, and it was his duty to protect his realm from any invaders.


    "Your Excellencies, wee to the Vahan Empire," Emperor Andreas said in a calm manner. "I am Andreas Cy Vahan, and it will be my honor to be your host and give you the best hospitality of my Empire."


    Emperor Andreas did his best to keep his voice from breaking as he presented himself as a humble host who was willing to do anything for the guests who had arrived in his Domain.


    If the people whom he had trampled on in the past could see him now, all of them would be joyous at the sight of him acting like a groveling dog in front of someone more powerful than him.


    "This lowly one respectfully asks for permission to hear the name of your exalted leader," Emperor Andreas stated. "I will do everything in my power to provide him with everything he would need during his stay in my humble Empire."


    A deafening silence descended upon the Capital City of the Vahan Empire.


    It was as if all manner of sounds disappeared without a trace, making Emperor Andreas'' ears hurt due to its eerie silence.


    The only thing he could hear at the moment was the loud thumping of his heart, and his breathing, which was starting to get ragged.


    "Since you are being humble, allow me to tell you my humble name."


    A teasing voice reached the Emperor''s ears.


    For some reason, this voice sounded familiar, but Emperor Andreas didn''t dare to raise his head and look at whoever was talking to him.


    "My name is Lux," Lux said as he looked down on the Emperor, who had once looked down on him. "Lux Von Kaizer."


    The Baby Slime that was perched on top of his head also stated her name.


    "Eiko!" Eiko dered. "Von Kaizer!"


    Emperor Andreas'' body shuddered after finally realizing who was talking to him.


    He slowly raised his head and looked at the red-headed Half-Elf and the Baby Slime who was perched on top of his head.


    The Half-Elf and the Baby Slime were both smiling, yet their smile was the scariest thing that the Emperor of the Vahan Empire had seen in his life.


    For a brief moment, he nked out, unable to say anything as he stared at the two beings, whose mere presence was enough to make him feel that he was just one wrong word away from being sent to the afterlife.

 Chapter 1073 Pride Goes Before Destruction [Part 2]

    Chapter 1073 Pride Goes Before Destruction [Part 2]


    "Lux��" Emperor Andreas muttered as he looked at the Half-Elf whose name had given him sleepless nights for the past few days.


    His spies had informed him about themotion that took ce in the Fynn Kingdom, and it filled him with dread.


    Because of this, he immediately assembled an emergency meeting with his ministers and advisers. Their goal was to think of how they would act if the Half-Elf were to order the army of the Fynn Kingdom to march towards his empire.


    He was no longer that weak child that they had bullied in the past.


    The Half-Elf was now someone that could move unhindered across thend.


    They already knew that a battle against Lux was hopeless, but seeing him now, they realized that they had severely underestimated his strength.


    Three Supremes, hundreds of Saints, and a Flying Battleship that was big enough to block the sun and shroud their capital city in darkness.


    Taking a deep breath in hopes of preventing his entire body from shaking, Emperor Andreas forcefully calmed his wildly beating heart as he looked at the Half-Elf, whose lips were curled up into a sneer.


    He knew that his day of reckoning woulde, and yet, he was not prepared to face it so soon.


    "What must I do for you to spare my Empire?" Emperor Andreas asked. "What must I do for you to forg��"


    "One moment," Lux cut off Emperor Andreas before he could finish whatever he was going to say.


    The Half-Elf raised his hand, and immediately, dozens of Saints descended upon the Capital City.


    Emperor Andreas panicked because he thought that these Saints were going to kill him, but it didn''t take long before he realized that he wasn''t their target.


    The Saints apprehended the Four Saints of the Vahan Empire and dragged them towards the flying Bone Ship, where their Master was waiting.


    "Avery," Eiko stated. "Do it!"


    "Yes, Your Highness," Avery replied in a respectful tone.


    With a wave of his hand, four Bone Spears flew towards the Four Saints and pierced their chests.


    Emperor Andreas, who watched this scene, felt as if his chest was also pierced by the Bone Spears that were now firmly embedded in the bodies of the Protectors of his Empire.


    A momentter, a ck Coffin materialized in front of one of the Saints and opened its lid.


    Dozens of ck hands emerged from it andtched onto the Saint, who no longer had the strength to resist.


    The three remaining Saints, as well as the High-Rankers of the Vahan Empire who had now arrived at the scene, watched as the ck Coffin devoured one of their Saints with looks of horror on their faces.


    "W-Wait��," Emperor Andreas tried to gather his voice, and courage to speak out. "Please�� Stop."


    His oncemanding tone that made his subordinates and enemies fall in line was nowhere to be heard.


    Emperor Andreas had lost the edge of his voice. His tone no longer sounded like a ruler in power, but more like a beggar desperately pleading for coins.


    One by one, the Saints of the Vahan Empire were devoured by ckfire. After devouring thest Saint, it flew back towards the Bone Ship and hovered beside Lux.


    "Um, you can continue now," Lux said as he shifted his attention to Emperor Andreas. "What were you trying to say earlier?"


    "Continue!" Eiko red at the Emperor who once bullied her Papa.


    Emperor Andreas shifted his attention back to Lux. However, this time, he felt lost, as if he had forgotten what he was about to say earlier.


    "I-I�� I," Emperor Andreas stuttered as his mind tried to process everything that had happened.


    The Four Saints, who served as the Protectors of his kingdom were now gone, and he was left alone facing the person whom he had wronged in the past.


    Only a minute had passed since thest Saint had been devoured, and yet, in that span of a minute, the Emperor Andreas seemed to have aged more than thirty years.


    Aron gritted his teeth and flew towards his Emperor in order to offer his assistance.


    Lux eyed the High-Ranker but didn''t make any move to stop him from reaching the Emperor.


    "Your Majesty," Aron said as he supported the body of the King, who seemed to have lost the strength in his body. "Are you okay?"


    The moment this question escaped Aron''s lips, he almost had the strong urge to p himself for asking a stupid question.


    How could his Emperor be okay after everything that had happened?


    The worst part was that Aron believed that their misery had just only begun.


    Knowing that they could not turn back, he red at Lux and raised his voice.


    "What do you want?!" Aron asked. "What must we do so that you will spare our Empire?!"


    He had thrown his caution to the wind, for he knew that even if he addressed Lux in a respectful manner, nothing would change.


    Emperor Andreas had done that from the very start, and the end result was still the same.


    The Half-Elf and the Baby Slime didn''te to the Vahan Empire to hear their ttery. They hade for revenge, and Aron knew this with every fiber of his being.


    "For starters, we havee here for two things," Lux said as he raised two of his fingers. "Eiko, tell them what we want."


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Eiko replied, jumping in ce.


    "You heard her." Lux smiled. "We want things to go Boom!"


    As soon as he finished saying his words, some of the cannons of the Battleship, Poseidon, aimed at the Grand Coliseum in the distance.


    This was where Lux had fought in order to gain the certification that would allow him to create his guild in the Vahan Empire.


    However, they unreasonably made things difficult for him.


    This even forced Vera to prematurely appear in order to save Lux despite the fact that she was still in the middle of her recovery inside ckfire.


    A thunderous roar reverberated in the skies of the Vahan Empire, followed by a loud explosion that made the Capital City shake.


    Emperor Andreas and Aron looked at the Grand Coliseum, which was one of the symbols of the Vahan Empire.


    The Coliseum waspletely destroyed, and only a dense ck smoke rising up to the heavens could be seen in its location.


    "That''s one Boom," Lux stated.


    "Second Boom Boom!" Eiko stated. "Fire!"


    The cannons of her Battleship moved to target the Royal Pce of the once-formidable empire in the region.


    Another thunderous roar erupted, and thend shook once again as the Royal Pce was instantly obliterated by an attack that could turn a Saint into meat paste.


    "Now, for thest Boom," Lux eyed the Emperor of the Vahan Empire with a smirk on his face.


    "Last Boom! Boom! Boom!" Eiko shouted.


    This time, all the cannons aimed at Emperor Andreas and Aron, making both of them feel as if their legs were about to give way.


    Lux raised his hand and imitated a gun, aiming it at the two people, whose faces turned as white as a candle.


    "Bang!" Lux made a gesture as if firing the gun, making Emperor Andreas faint.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of her Papa''s head, giggled after seeing that the Emperor had been scared sh*tless.


    "If the Vahan Empire rebuilds their Coliseum, as well as their Royal Pce, we will return," Lux dered, his voice reaching every corner of the Vahan Empire. "And at that time, you can be assured that it will also be the day when this Empire will cease to exist."


    The Half-Elf smiled evilly. This sight and the Ultimatum that Lux had given them made Aron feel as if all the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end.


    "Go back!" Eiko ordered. "Fei Fei, let''s go!"


    "Aye, Captain!" Fei Fei replied, jumping on the steering wheel, making the Bone Ship turn to fly towards the Fynn Kingdom.


    All the Saints that were hovering above the skies of the Capital City returned to the deck of the ship, leaving Emperor Andreas and Aron behind.


    The right-hand man of the Emperor watched until the Flying Bone Ship disappeared into the horizon before shuddering.


    ''It''s over,'' Aron thought. ''My Emperor''s dreams are now over.''


    Although their Empire had been spared, he knew that, without a doubt, the Vahan Empire would never be the same again.

 Chapter 1074 Eiko’s And Fei Fei’s New Destination

    Chapter 1074 Eiko��s And Fei Fei��s New Destination


    "This is Princess Camilia. She is the Steward whom I assigned to govern this Kingdom while I am away," Lux introduced the youngdy to his Father and Grandfather-inw.


    The young princess bowed her head respectfully to the two people who were part of Lux''s family.


    "Camilia, this is my father, Alexander, and my Grandfather-inw, Maximilian," Lux said. "Take note that their words are my words, so I hope that you get along with them. They''ll also be bringing their people to the Fynn Kingdom to build a city. Make sure to coordinate with them to the best of your ability."


    "Yes, Your Highness," Princess Camilia replied. "I hear and obey."


    Lux nodded his head in satisfaction.


    He was aware that Alexander and Maximilian were preparing to migrate to Elysium as ast resort, just in case the miasma continued to spread towards the Six Kingdoms.


    Of course, Lux nned to prevent the disaster from happening. But that didn''t mean that he opposed the idea of having a backup n if ever things turned out for the worst.


    The Fynn Kingdom was basically his own kingdom, but he had no intention of ruling it. He nned to find a good vassal for his father, so that he could let him rule the Fynn Kingdom and make his mother, Adeline, the Queen.


    As for the sons and daughters of the former King, he had no grudge against them.


    It was not their fault that they were born to a father like King Yvar, whose lustful nature had no bounds.


    Alexander and Maximilian were quite impressed after hearing how Lux acquired the Fynn Kingdom.


    They also felt helpless when they realized that Eikomanded an army that was stronger than the both of thembined, making them feel as if their roles were reversed.


    Instead of them protecting the younger generation to give them time to grow, it was the younger generation that was protecting them to give them time to build their city.


    This was a funny development, but Alexander and Maximilian were more than happy to take advantage of it.


    Lux also didn''t want the two people who had helped him a lot in the past to suffer in silence in the Xynnar War Pact.


    Now that both of them were aware that they no longer had to bow their heads for the sake of their people, their true nature was unleashed in full.


    "Lux, do you have any ns after this?" Maximilian asked the Half-Elf, who was feeding Eiko and Fei Fei some cookies.


    "I don''t have any ns for this week, Grandpa," Lux replied.


    "Good." Maximilian smiled. "Then how about youe with me and visit our Ancestral Lands? I will need to talk to our people there and inform them about the development here. Also, this is a good opportunity for you to meet Cai''s father, mother, and grandmother. So, want to go with me?"


    Lux nodded. "It will be my pleasure."


    He still hadn''t met Cai''s family, except her sister, Rose. Since this was a good opportunity to meet his inws, he decided to ept Maximilian''s invitation.


    "Can I bring Iris, Aurora, and my mother, Adeline?" Lux inquired. "I would like them to meet Cai''s parents as well."


    "Of course," Maximilian replied. "We''re now one big family, so they''re free toe along as well."


    Lux then nced at his father, and thetter nodded his head.


    "Go," Alexander stated. "I will take over from here. We are going to be very busy for the next few weeks."


    Eiko and Fei Fei, who were being fed by Lux, nced at each other and looked up at the Half-Elf with determined looks on their faces.


    "Do you want toe with me to visit the Rowan Tribe''s Ancestral Lands?" Lux asked.


    Eiko and Fei Fei shook their heads, surprising Lux with their answer.


    "We go to the sea!" Eiko replied.


    "Yar!" Fei Fei shouted.


    Lux scratched his head because he could tell that the two Baby Slimes were determined to continue their adventure.


    "Okay. But stay with Iris and Cai for a day or two before you return on your adventures," Lux replied. "Is that eptable?"


    "Un!"


    "Wei~"


    After getting the two baby''s agreement, Lux and Maximilian returned to Sis, while Alexander remained to discuss a few things with Princess Camilia.


    Since Lux had provided them with a good ce to build their foothold in Elysium, he nned to look for the most optimal location to build the city that they would call their second home.


    Of course, they also had the option to stay in the town that Lux had built near his Guild Headquarters, but the Half-Elf didn''t mention this matter to them.


    The reason?


    Because he had a different n for his Floating Ind, which was slowly turning into a Floating Fortress.


    Lux knew that the Abyssal Gates were bing active, so he nned to make his Guild y an active role in helping the people of Elysium defend against their uing invasion.


    Having a mobile fortress would give them the flexibility of bringing the battle to their enemy, allowing them to unleash a bombardment of attacks from the sky.


    Since Lux''s Guild Headquarters would actively go to the harshest of battlefields, letting normal people live inside his fortress wasn''t the best option.


    The town he made was created to house mercenary groups, adventurers, and other people who would join him in his cause��to protect Elysium from the Monsters that sought to invade it and make it part of the Abyss.


    After returning to Sis, Eiko and Fei Fei stayed with Iris and Cai as Maximilian prepared to depart to their Ancestral Lands.


    The majority of his n Members were staying on thends of Barbatos Academy, and they would move to Elysium once Alexander had found a good ce to build their city.


    Aurora and Adeline were more than happy to go with Lux to visit Cai''s parents.


    The beautiful Elf was warming up to Lux''s lovers, and Iris, Cai, and Aurora also wanted to form a closer rtionship with her.


    Because of this, they also made preparations to depart and visit the Rowan Tribe''s Ancestral Lands, where the people, who had once suffered from the Purple gue, stayed.


    All of them were now cured and slowly regaining their strength.


    However, they still needed several months of rehabilitation, so they still couldn''t go anywhere.


    Two dayster, Lux, Iris, Cai, Aurora, Adeline, and Maximilian traveled toward the Northern part of the Six Kingdoms, where the Ancestral Lands of the Rowan Tribe were located.


    Eiko and Fei Fei, on the other hand, returned to the Kingdom of Gweliven and headed Northwest, where the sea was located.


    They still had a few ind nations to visit, which they were very excited to see.


    After experiencing the battle in the Ford Federation, Eiko and Fei Fei developed a sense of liberation from being away from their parents.


    After all, if Lux, Iris, and Cai were with them, they wouldn''t be able to go all out and throw st Bombs without a care in the world.


    As to what was waiting for them on those ind nations, the two Baby Slimes would only know after a week, when they finally reached the Ind Nation called Torstein.


    A ce where Giants walked thend and where Fairies danced and tricked the Humans who happened to enter their Domain.

 Chapter 1075 Do You Want Me To Scratch You?

    <h4>Chapter 1075 Do You Want Me To Scratch You?</h4>


    Contrary to what Lux expected, the Ancestral Land of the Rowan Tribe was located in the snowy Mountains that go by the name, Kolbein Mountains.


    His image of the Nomadic Tribe was that of people who always wore clothes that were meant for traveling to sunny ces, and not in the cold, winteryndscape that he was facing at the moment.


    "Surprised?" Maximilian chuckled after seeing Lux''s reaction.


    "Very," Lux replied. "I think my image of the Rowan Tribe took a ny degree turn."


    Cai, who was standing beside Lux, giggled after hearing her lover''s words.


    However, she couldn''t me him for thinking such a thing.


    The Rowan Tribe was a Nomadic Tribe, which was always migrating to the warmest regions of the Six Kingdoms, following the change in the seasons.


    For their Ancestral Land to be located in the coldest region of the Six Kingdoms was something that an outsider wouldn''t expect.


    Thisnd was actually not under the control of any Kingdom. It was a neutral ground where religious people woulde to as part of their pilgrimage.


    The High Priestesses of the Rowan Tribe held the highest authority in this ce, for the Kolbein Mountain was one of the locations that one of the Gods of Sis had dered as His Holy Land.


    Even though that God was no longer in Sis, the Six Kingdoms still recognized His authority and didn''t dare to im the territory in fear of divine retribution.


    Maximilian guided his guests along the secret route that was used by his Tribe to traverse the mountain.


    Blizzards were an everyday urrence in the Kolbein Mountains, so it wasn''t a touristy area despite being a Holy Land.


    Even so, there was still a small vige that was located near the base of the mountain, which was protected from extreme weather changes due to a powerful defensive formation.


    This was where those who were doing pilgrimages stayed and conducted their religious ceremonies.


    The people managing this vige were members of the Rowan Tribe.


    It was the first stopover before entering the secret passage that allowed entry directly into the mountain, where the Ancestral Lands of the Rowan Tribe was located.


    After seeing Maximilian and Cai, the people there didn''t hesitate to approach and give their greetings.


    The High Priestess and the Patriarch were the two highest authorities within the Holy Land, so everyone naturally treated them with respect.


    "Are you ready to meet your future inws?" Lux asked Keane in a teasing tone.


    Keane simply nodded his head. However, Lux could see the determination on his face.


    His close friend was like a soldier who was about to fight a great battle, and he had every intention of emerging victorious.


    Lux had invited the swordsman to join them on a whim, and thetter readily agreed to his invitation.


    Maximilian didn''t say anything and allowed Keane to join them.


    Truth be told, Lux had a feeling that his Grandfather-inw was already aware that Rose and Keane were secretly dating each other.


    Since the old man wasn''t saying anything, it meant that he had given the swordsman his tacit approval, deeming him worthy of Rose.


    Lux didn''t know Keane''s background, but he knew who his Master was.


    He had been able to meet that person, and he had to admit that Keane''s Master had left a good first impression on him.


    People simply called him The Void and he was a Pseudo-Saint.


    Even if he was only a step away from a Saint, there were rumors that he had no trouble defeating real Saints, who were supposed to be stronger than him.


    Of course, the Half-Elf was more inclined to believe these rumors since he had personally met the man.


    His Aura was as sharp as a sword, and even looking at him would make someone feel as if they were about to be cut in half.


    Even Alexander and Maximilian didn''t have that kind of dominating presence, making Lux believe that the rumors had some truth in them.


    After entering the secret passageway of the Rowan Tribe, Lux felt a very strong itch start to spread across his body.


    He was the only one who was feeling this, so he was a little confused.


    Perhaps, knowing his difort, Maximilian chuckled and said something that the Half-Elf didn''t expect.


    "The God of Snow and Ice, who made thisnd a Holy Land, was said to hate the God of Death with a vengeance," Maximilian exined. "Because of this, those who carry the power of anything rted to Death, like Necromancers, are supposedly unable to enter this Domain.


    "Actually, I was half expecting that you would be unable to enter this ce because of that restriction. But, since you are different from other Necromancers, I thought that there was a possibility that you would not be affected by the Holy Power that still permeated this ce."


    After hearing Maximilian''s exnation, Lux finally understood where the strong itch wasing from.


    Perhaps because he was a Heaven''s Necromancer, the restriction that prevented him from entering the Kolbein Mountain was negated.


    Even so, only half of his authority was recognized, and thetter half had to suffer the consequences of entering the Holy Land that hated anything rted to Death.


    "Are you alright?" Cai asked with concern.


    "I feel itchy all over," Lux replied.


    "Do you want me to scratch you?"


    "No. If you do, I''d probably lose control and start to scratch myself as well. I am only using my willpower to prevent myself from doing that."


    Lux was feeling very ufortable. The deeper they traveled into the underground maze within the mountain, the stronger the itch became, making him subconsciously scratch his neck, and face from time to time.


    "Let me try something," Cai said as she held Lux''s hand. Seeing her beloved suffer made her feel sorry for him. "Close your eyes. I will nt a blessing on your body."


    The Half-Elf nodded and closed his eyes.


    Cai then took out a feather fan and started to dance and sing around Lux, touching him with the fan from time to time.


    Every time the fan touched him, he could feel the strong itchiness subside a bit, making his body shudder.


    Particles of golden light appeared around Lux and slowly merged with his body, coating him with divine light.


    Half an hourter, Cai stopped dancing. She pressed the tip of her finger against Lux''s forehead and drew a symbol that looked like a mountain.


    She then moved closer to him and stood on tiptoe to kiss his forehead.


    A momentter, the drawing of the mountain on his forehead glowed and sent faint ripples of golden light all over Lux''s body.


    This ripple dispelled the feeling of itchiness, making the Half-Elf breathe a sigh of relief andfort.


    "Thank you, Cai," Lux said gratefully. "I feel a lot better now."


    "You''re wee," Cai replied. "However, that blessing will onlyst for half a day. We will have to renew it againter."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. He then shifted his gaze to Maximilian and gave the old man a thumbs up.


    "Very well, let us now continue our journey," Maximilian stated. "We will reach our destination just in time for lunch. I have already informed them of our arrival, so I''m sure that they have already prepared a feast for everyone."


    After saying those words, Maximilian once again led their group within the underground maze that could only be traversed by the people who had received the blessing of the God of Snow and Ice.

 Chapter 1076 Arriving At The Rowan Tribe’s Ancestral Land

    <h4>Chapter 1076 Arriving At The Rowan Tribe��s Ancestral Land</h4>


    After a few twists and turns in the underground maze, the exit leading to the Rowan Tribe''s Ancestral Land was finally within view.


    "This is your Ancestral Land?" Lux asked Cai, who was standing beside him and holding his hand.


    "Yes," Cai replied with a smile.


    Lux had been to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, so he was expecting something simr to it.


    However, the environment around him was very different from what he imagined.


    The sun shone brightly above his head, and the blizzard from outside was nowhere to be found.


    Although there was snow on the ground, it wasn''t freezing. The temperature was refreshingly cold, simr to a cold breeze on a hot summer''s day.


    Standing a few meters away from them was a youngdy with a sweet smile on her face.


    She was none other than Cai''s little sister, Rose.


    "Wee to the Rowan Tribe''s Ancestral Lands," Rose said in a calm manner. "Grandpa, I''m d to see that you''re well and healthy."


    Maximilian chuckled before giving his granddaughter a hug and a pat on the head.


    "Where are the others?" Maximilian asked.


    "At home, waiting for your arrival," Rose replied.


    Maximilian nodded his head in understanding. "Let''s not keep them waiting then."


    If the Rowan Tribe''s Ancestral Lands could be described in two words, then it would be none other than��


    Winter Wondend.


    The houses were built from ice and snow, and it was very different from the igloos back on Earth.


    They looked exactly like the houses that could be seen in Elysium. The only difference was the material used to build them, which was ice and snow.


    Several people bowed toward Maximilian as he headed to the biggest house in the area.


    The Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe smiled and waved his hands in greeting. He was very happy to see that the people, who were once infected by the Purple gue, were finally able to walk around like normal.


    Back then, he had no choice but to leave their Ancestral Lands in order to protect his people from being infected by the gue.


    Those who were infected remained inside the Ancestral Lands, where the remnant power of their God froze them all in a block of ice, preventing the gue from spreading to their entire body.


    The only people who had remained in the Ancestral Lands were Cai''s parents, as well as her sister, Rose.


    Rose had to stay because a Priestess was needed to regrly empower the seal that was ced on the infected people''s bodies, keeping them in a state of suspended animation.


    Cai apanied her Grandpa as he led the other members of the Rowan Tribe to wander across the Six Kingdoms, following the changes of the season.


    Now that the people in the Ancestral Lands were starting to heal, it wouldn''t take long before they went to Elysium and helped the rest of their people build a city in the Fynn Kingdom, along with the Barbatos Academy.


    "I''m home!" Maximilian said as soon as he opened the door of his house.


    "Wee back," an olddy, with beautiful blue eyes, said as she looked at her husband with an affectionate gaze.


    Maximilian didn''t hesitate to hug his wife, Quiana, and kiss her cheek. A myriad of emotions could be seen in the old man''s eyes, but among them was relief and happiness.


    After giving her the cure that he had concocted several months ago, Quiana showed signs of recovery.


    However, since Maximilian couldn''t stay away from the Rowan Tribe for long, he reluctantly left, leaving his wife in the care of his family that remained in the Ancestral Lands.


    This was the first time that he was seeing Quiana so healthy after a long time, and it made his heart overflow with happiness.


    He even teared up a bit, not caring what other people would say.


    "Look at you," Quiana said helplessly as she patted her husband''s back. "Already this old, and still can''t hold back your tears in front of guests? Shame on you."


    Although Quiana was reprimanding her husband, tears could also be seen streaming down the side of her face.


    "Grandma, Grandpa, why don''t you catch up a bit?" Rose asked. "I know that the two of you have a lot to say to each other. Don''t worry, I will take care of our guests."


    Maximilian nodded and carried Quiana like a princess in his arms, making the olddy thump his chest with her fist, making the old man chuckle.


    The Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe climbed the stairs and took his wife to their room. There were things that they needed to talk about, especially about the current changes in Elysium and Sis.


    At that moment, the door of the kitchen opened, and two individuals walked out with smiles on their faces.


    "Mother, Father," Cai called out to her parents as she practically ran in their direction with arms spread wide to give them a hug.


    "Cai," Cai''s mother, Dahlia, hugged her daughter tightly. "Wee back."


    The man standing beside her hugged his wife and daughter.


    His name was Liam, and he was Cai''s and Rose''s father.


    Lux looked at his inws with a calm expression on his face. He didn''t know if Maximilian had already informed Cai''s parents that their daughter was engaged to him.


    He was a bit worried that Cai''s father would react violently once he knew that his daughter already had a fiance.


    As if reading his thoughts, Rose moved close to him and whispered something in his ears.


    "They already know," Rose whispered. "Father and Mother have been wanting to meet you for a long time."


    After saying those words, the youngdy walked toward Keane and hugged him.


    Naturally, the swordsman hugged her back as he gave Rose the "do they already know?" gaze.


    Rose nodded, which confirmed Keane''s assumption.


    Although Keane had a calm expression on his face, deep inside, he was feeling very anxious. He didn''t know if Rose''s parents would approve of him, but he had already decided to do his best to ask her hand for marriage.


    A few minutester, Cai''s parents finally regained theirposure and looked at their guests apologetically.


    "Please,e to the dining room," Dahlia said, while still hugging her daughter. "We prepared a feast for all of you. I hope that it will be to your liking."


    Liam''s gazended on Lux''s and Keane''s faces, and a hint of killing intent oozed out of his body.


    The two young men didn''t know whether Liam purposely did this to make his displeasure known to the two of them.


    However, since he was Cai''s and Rose''s father, the two boys only smiled back at him like proper sons-inw who were asking for a good beating.

 Chapter 1077 Fighting For Love [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1077 Fighting For Love [Part 1]</h4>


    Everyone ate lunch and enjoyed the unique delicacies of the Rowan Tribe.


    Maximilian and Quiana appeared a few minutester, and both of their eyes were a little red from crying.


    Dahlia already knew that Lux was Cai''s fiance.


    However, she only heard from Rose today that her lover was alsoing to visit her.


    This was the first time that she had heard about this, so she looked at the quiet boy, who was eating peacefully beside her daughter, Rose.


    Keane was a good-looking guy, even when he had been skinny in the past. This was one of the reasons why Cai had invited him to the League of the Extraordinary Gentlemen during the tournament at Barbatos Academy.


    Now that the swordsman had been eating well, he was no longer skinny, and his good looks were enhanced even more, making Dahlia nod her head in approval.


    A nce was enough to tell her that the handsome boy had a good head on his shoulders and was pursuing her daughter with clear intentions.


    Liam, on the other hand, didn''t say much and only ate in silence. Just like any over-protective father, he wasn''t really too happy of hearing the news of his daughters gaining lovers without his approval.


    He would nce at Lux and Keane from time to time as if taking notes of their body measurements for the two ice coffins that he was going to build in his free time, which would perfectly fit the two boys, if they ever happen to suddenly kick the bucket inside the Rowan Tribe''s Ancestral Lands.


    Lunch ended without any bloodshed, but Lux and Keane knew that it was only a matter of time before they confronted their father-inw, who didn''t seem to be fond of the two of them.


    Just as they were thinking about how to approach Cai''s and Rose''s father, the middle-aged man approached them first and simply told them to follow him.


    Cai and Rose looked at their lovers and gave both of them a thumbs up as if assuring them that everything was going to be fine.


    Lux smiled and nodded his head, while Keane looked at Rose with the "I''ll convince him" look on his face.


    Liam took the two young men to the northern edge of the Ancestral Lands, where towering pine trees extended for miles on end.


    They headed deeper into the Pine Forest as if they were only taking a casual stroll.


    Half an hourter, Liam stopped walking and turned around to look at the two young men who had dared to touch his two precious daughters.


    "What is your rtionship with my daughter?" Liam asked the Half-Elf, who was Cai''s fiance.


    ''Your daughter calls me Daddy, and I''ve already managed to touch fourth base'', was what Lux wanted to say.


    But he knew that saying this would only enrage Liam, so he decided to tone it down for a bit to make a good first impression.


    "Cai is my Fiancee, and we are very much in love with each other," Lux replied with a solemn expression on his face. "I hope that you will give me your blessing, Father."


    Liam didn''t say anything to Lux''s reply and simply shifted his attention to Keane, waiting for his answer.


    "I love Rose, and I want to be with her forever," Keane replied. "I hope that you will give us your blessings, Sir Liam."


    Cai''s and Rose''s father didn''t say anything as he looked at the two young men in front of him.


    A few minutes of silence passed before the middle-aged man spoke.


    "I have raised my daughters with love and care," Liam said. "I also knew that, sooner orter, this time woulde, and I now recall the words that my father-inw told me when I asked for Dahlia''s hand in marriage.


    "Those same words, I will say to you. Only when I am satisfied with your answer will I acknowledge the two of you as my daughters'' significant other."


    Liam paused a bit before summoning a silver spear in his hand.


    "Beat me, and I will give you my blessings," Liam replied. "Fail, and you can forget being with my daughter in this lifetime."


    Lux and Keane were already expecting this to happen.


    Both boys were confident in their strength, so they nodded their heads in agreement.


    "Keane, you can go first," Lux said. "I''ll fight Fatherter."


    Just as the swordsman was about to nod his head, Liam snorted.


    "You don''t need to fight me one-on-one," Liam stated. "The two of you will fight me at the same time."


    Lux and Keane nced at each other and nodded their heads synchronously.


    Since Liam was asking for a beating, they would give him what he wanted and end the battle as soon as they could.


    However, just as soon as Lux summoned his spear, Calypso and Keane unsheathed his sword, a magic circle expanded under Liam''s feet, covering the entirety of the Pine Forest in the span of a few seconds.


    A momentter, the forest disappeared, and the two teenagers found themselves on what seemed to be an ancient battlefield.


    "Come!" Liam dered.


    Lux wanted to end the battle as soon as possible, so he summoned his Undead Legion to swarm his father-inw�� or at least, that was what he wanted to do.


    However, instead of summoning his Army, nothing happened, making Lux frown.


    He then pointed at the ground and activated a fireball spell. But, nothing happened.


    There was no ball of mes that hovered in front of his finger, ready to burn anything it touched.


    Keane, on the other hand, drew his sword like he always did and took a fighting stance.


    The swordsman had felt that this strength decreased drastically, but he wasn''t too worried about it.


    Even without his other abilities, he was still a swordsman who had mastered the ways of the sword.


    Liam stood with a spear in his hand and a solemn expression on his face.


    "Inside this ce, everyone is just an ordinary mortal," Liam exined. "Both of you can attack me at the same time. If either of you manage to wound me ornd a blow on my body, you will pass my test and receive my blessing."


    Keane, who had already taken a fighting stance, charged at Liam with the determination to win. He wanted to fight against his future father-inw fair and square without any interference.


    He had talked to Lux through their Guild Chat, and thetter respected his friend''s decision.


    The sword shed with the spear, and the sound of weapons shing against each other reverberated inside the ancient battlefield.


    Lux knew that Keane was a skilled swordsman, so he believed that he would emerge victorious against Liam.


    However, as the two warriors exchanged blows with each other, Lux realized one thing.


    Liam was actually a spearmaster, and he dodged, blocked, and deflected all of Keane''s blows with ease.


    But that wasn''t all.


    Liam would also counterattack, and each time he did, his spear almost drew his opponent''s blood.


    Keane barely dodged the Spear Master''s attacks, which made Lux understand that the only way to beat their father-inw was to gang up on him and attack him from his blind spot.


    But, that was easier said than done.

 Chapter 1078 Fighting For Love [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1078 Fighting For Love [Part 2]</h4>


    Keane''s body collided with several pine trees beforeing to aplete stop.


    He was a swordsman, so the restrictions in the domain didn''t bother him too much. However, even if he used everything he had, it was nearly impossible for him to beat his opponent due to the difference in Ranks.


    Right now, Keane was a C-Ranker, but his opponent was an SS-Ranker.


    An existence that was only a step away from bing a Saint.


    The gap in strength was something that couldn''t be ovee even with techniques, especially since Cai''s father, Liam, was also a Spear Master.


    A few secondster, the sound of falling trees once again reverberated inside the Pine Forest as Lux coughed out a mouthful of blood before falling down on the ground.


    He was the most affected by Liam''s Domain which prevented everyone inside it from using any kind of spells and abilities.


    "Is this the best that you can do?" Liam asked in a disdainful tone. "I can still ept that swordsman over there since his sword skills have potential. But you, after being stripped of your powers and your fancy tricks, you are nothing."


    The Half-Elf propped himself up from the ground and wiped the blood that was seeping from the corner of his lips.


    "Father-inw, do you really think I don''t know that you''re also using a trick?" Lux asked as he used the tree beside him as support in order to stand up. "But, let''s not talk about that for now.


    "It''s understandable that you are frustrated and want to beat us up. However, if you are going to act smug about beating two teenagers who are weaker than you, then you should at least stop cheating."


    A look of annoyance appeared on Liam''s face as he stared at the hateful Half-Elf, whose entire body was leaning on a tree.


    "First of all, don''t call me father-inw," Liam replied. "I don''t recognize you as my son-inw. Second, you said that I am cheating? How am I cheating?"


    Luxughed as he looked at Cai''s father, who was still acting like he didn''t know what the Half-Elf was talking about.


    If it were not for the fact that the Elysium Compendium, floating beside him, had finished analyzing the rules and restrictions of Liam''s Domain, he might have believed that the High-Ranker was fighting them without using any kind of abilities.


    "First of all, this Domain restricts anyone without the bloodline of the Rowan Tribe from using their abilities," Lux exined. "But those with the Rowan Bloodline are not affected by these restrictions. Even now, you are using your abilities to slow our movements, making us think that it was due to the effects of the Domain.


    "You''re already a step away from bing a Saint, and you''re still not confident in beating us without using your abilities? Father-inw, don''t you think that you are being overboard?"


    Liam arched an eyebrow because he didn''t expect the Half-Elf to understand how the Domain of the Rowan Tribe''s Ancestral Lands worked.


    "So? What of it?" Liam shrugged. "You still haven''t earned my recognition."


    "And how will I be able to earn your recognition?" Lux asked.


    "Simple. All you need to do is beat me," Liam replied. "I don''t care what methods you use. If you can beat me, then I will no longer oppose your rtionship with my daughter, Cai."


    Lux pointed at Keane. "What about him?"


    "I recognize his potential," Liam stated. "Although he is still not strong enough to protect Rose, he will get to that level as long as he continues to train."


    The Half-Elf nodded his head in understanding.


    "In short, you hate me, right, father-inw?" Lux asked in a teasing tone.


    "It seems that I still haven''t beat you up enough." Liam''s tone became cold andced with killing intent. "I told you not to call me father-inw."


    The High-Ranker swung his spear, and Lux was sted away by a strong force, mming into several trees beforeing to aplete stop.


    If not for the fact that he had managed to use his Divine Spear to block some of the damage, he might have suffered more injuries.


    ''I think I broke a few ribs,'' Lux thought as he felt the stinging pain in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. ''I guess my father-inw really does hate my guts.''


    Calypso hovered in front of her Master, allowing him to use her as support in order to stand up.


    The Half-Elf then gazed at Liam, who lifted the unconscious Keane from the ground and ced him inside an Ice Coffin that he had conjured out of thin air.


    Noticing his gaze, Liam sneered in his direction before summoning another Ice Coffin.


    "Don''t worry, I will bury both of you under the ground side by side," Liam stated. "That way, you can keep each otherpany."


    The Ice Coffin, which contained Keane inside, floated beside Liam as thetter walked towards Lux.


    The second Ice Coffin that Liam had conjured also floated beside him. Clearly, this one was meant for Lux, whom he nned to bury in the ground for a week.


    Of course, he didn''t have any intention of killing the two teenagers.


    He only wanted to teach them a lesson so that they''d know that they were still not worthy in his eyes. Liam believed that, after spending a week buried under the ground, the two teenagers would fear him and might possibly break off their rtionships with his daughters.


    However, Liam made one mistake.


    A very grave mistake.


    "Father-inw, is that coffin for me?" Lux asked in a teasing tone.


    "Behave yourself and don''t resist," Liam replied in an indifferent tone. "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you."


    Lux nodded before a devilish smile appeared on his face.


    "Father-inw, you shouldn''t have summoned that Ice Coffin," Lux stated. "I''ve been holding back since the start, you know? I''m only not doing you dirty because you are Cai''s father. But you are doing Keane and me dirty right now."


    Liam snorted as he waved his hand, sending the Ice Coffin flying in Lux''s direction.


    Right now, the Half-Elf didn''t have the strength to resist him, so encasing him inside the Ice Coffin shouldn''t be a big deal.


    However, when the Ice Coffin was just a few meters away from Lux, a ck Coffin appeared in front of him and pped the Ice Coffin away.


    As if not still satisfied with the result, the ck Coffin body mmed the Ice Coffin and smacked it repeatedly with the lid of its coffin.


    Liam looked at this scene with a frown. He could tell that the ck Coffin wasn''t a skill or ability and that it was, in fact, an artifact.


    The Domain only restricted the use of skills and abilities of those who didn''t have a drop of Rowan Blood in their bodies.


    However, Artifacts could still be used inside of it.


    The sound of something cracking spread inside the Domain as the Ice Coffin finally shattered into countless pieces after receiving ckfire''s body m several times.


    The ck Coffin then kicked the Ice Coffin in this disdain before shifting its attention to the SS-Ranker, who beat his Master to a pulp.


    Luxughed, but hisugh was short-lived due to the pain in his chest.


    Although ckfire wasn''t saying anything, it could tell that the ck coffin was offended, but it was not because he was beaten by Liam.


    ckfire was angry because the High-Ranker decided to encase his Master in a coffin without its permission!


    "Father-inw, please prepare yourself," Lux said with a mischievous smile stered on his face. "ckfire is going to teach you a lesson about humility."


    The Half-Elf was barely hanging to his consciousness right now, but he gritted his teeth and kept his eyes open.


    After all, he wouldn''t want to miss seeing his Father-inw having a taste of his own lesson.


    Wanting to ce a Heaven''s Necromancer inside a coffin?


    That was a sure-fire way to trigger ckfire, who now wanted nothing more than to devour Liam and let him have a taste of his own medicine.

 Chapter 1079 A Lesson About Humility

    <h4>Chapter 1079 A Lesson About Humility</h4>


    "Teach me about humility?" Liam scoffed. "It seems that you still don''t understand your position, Lux."


    The High-Ranker snapped his fingers, and dozens of Ice Coffins appeared around him.


    Seeing this scene, ckfire opened its lid, and dozens of ck hands appeared, which all gave Liam the middle finger.


    Luxughed before coughing a mouthful of blood as a consequence of his actions.


    Even though the Half-Elf was in pain, his body still shuddered from time to time as he did his best to hold back theughter that was bubbling inside his aching chest.


    "Cai, I''m sorry," Lux said through the Guild Chat.


    "Sorry, why?" Cai replied.


    "I might have to hurt your father a bit."


    "�� What?"


    Lux briefly exined to Cai what his father did to him and Keane, making Cai''s eyes widen in shock.


    ''So this is why Grandpa told us to not leave the house for the time being,'' Cai thought. ''He knew what was happening.''


    The High-Priestess stared at her Grandpa, and thetter only smiled back at her.


    Not only was Maximilian aware of what was happening, but he could also see the battle in real-time.


    The reason why he didn''t put a stop to it was due to the fact that he wanted his son-inw, Liam, to have a better understanding of his future sons-inw.


    Also, the Saint was curious to see how Lux would deal with Liam''s stubborn character.


    He believed that after this trial was over, they would be able to recognize each other''s strengths, allowing them to have a closer rtionship with each other.


    "Half of you destroy that coffin," Liam ordered. "The other half, capture that Half-Elf."


    The Ice Coffins he created were sentient, but they could only follow very simplemands.


    Since he ordered them to capture Lux, they would not attack the Half-Elf and simply restrain him.


    As for ckfire, they would attack it as ordered, making sure that it was destroyed in the process.


    ckfire, who saw the iing Ice Coffins, hovered in front of its Master for a few seconds before charging at the Ice Coffins head-on.


    The two sides shed, and for a brief moment, the entire Domain was shrouded in darkness before everything returned to what it was.


    ckfire, who had flown past the Ice Coffins, hovered in ce.


    A momentter, several rows of text appeared on its surface.


    < Omae Wa Mou�� >


    The Ice Coffins that had stopped moving after their sh with ckfire all shattered into pieces, making Liam''s eyes widen in shock.


    Out of anger, the High-Ranker no longer wasted any time and took a step forward.


    He then reappeared in front of ckfire and thrust his spear forward, intending to pierce the ck coffin''s body.


    At that exact moment, ckfire opened the lid of its coffin, and a ck hand reached out from the darkness.


    It then grabbed the spearhead, holding it in ce.


    No matter what Liam did, he could neither push nor pull the spear in his hands as it was firmly held in ce by the enormous hand that wasing from inside the ck Coffin.


    A momentter, the hand pushed the spearhead back, making Liam skid across the ground with a solemn expression on his face.


    One of ckfire''s faithful goons, the ck Ogre emerged from within its darkness.


    It then looked down pitifully on the High-Ranker who dared to annoy its Master.


    Without saying anything, the ck Ogre charged at Liam wielding its enormous steel club that could obliterate a boulder with a casual swing.


    "Cmity-Ranked Monster," Liam muttered as he took a fighting stance and activated the abilities that boosted his strength, attack power, and defense.


    With one mighty swing, the ck Ogre destroyed the ground in front of him, where the High-Ranker originally stood moments ago.


    However, his target was no longer there.


    The ck Ogre looked around, but it was unable to find its enemy, and with good reason.


    Liam was currently descending from the sky with his spear ready to strike.


    He had activated the second ability of the Ancestral Lands, which effectively halved the strength of a single target.


    This ability was meant to deal with Saints who would try to conquer their Holy Land by force.


    A fearless smile appeared on Liam''s face because he was certain that his strike would end the life of the monster that the ck Coffin had summoned.


    ''Die!'' Liam roared internally as he drove his spear downwards with the force of a railgun.


    But before he could hit his target the ck Ogre disappeared into thin air, making the High-Ranker''s attack obliterate the ground, creating a crater that was hundreds of meters wide.


    Liam didn''t know what exactly happened, so his reaction timegged for a bit.


    This was a mistake that any High-Ranker shouldn''t make, especially when fighting against a stronger opponent.


    Even so, he was still a High-Ranker, so he immediately positioned his spear to block the Giant Steel Club that was only a few meters away from his right side.


    Since ckfire had recalled the ck Ogre, the earlier restrictions that were ced on it, disappeared as well.


    Because of this, Liam had no choice but to block the full force of its strike, which sent him crashing towards countless trees, creating a trail of destruction in his wake.


    This time, it was the High-Ranker''s turn to cough out blood.


    Even with the additional boosts of his skills and the Ancestral Land, he was still just a High-Ranker.


    Fighting against a Cmity-Ranked World Boss was still too much for him to handle alone.


    As he propped himself from the ground, he noticed that the ck coffin was hovering a few meters away from him.


    Suddenly, several rows of words appeared on the surface of the coffin, making Liam feel as if his cheeks were burning.


    < Is this the best that you can do? >


    < You still have your powers and your fancy tricks, but even with them, is this all you can do? I know a Baby Slime who is stronger than you! >


    Liam red at the ck Coffin as he used his spear to support his body.


    "I''m just a High-Ranker, and I''m fighting against a Cmity-Ranked World Boss. It''s an unfair battle from the start."


    < B*tch, I''m not here to listen to your excuses! >


    ckfire Summoned Three More Cmity Ranked Monsters that made the corner of Liam''s lips twitch.


    He then shifted his gaze to the Half-Elf, whose body was covered in blood due to the injuries he received earlier.


    Lux was currently leaning on his Divine Weapon, Calypso, and watching the battle with a?smile on his face.


    He watched as ckfire trash-talked his father-inw to the point of making thetter puke blood.


    The four Cmity-Ranked Monsters didn''t even have to do anything.


    They simply stood there and released their pressure, making Liam unable to remain standing.


    The ck Coffin then body mmed the SS-High Ranker over and over again, while the Cmity-Ranked Monsters cheered for it.


    If not for Maximilian appearing beside Lux, and asking him to reign in ckfire, the ck Coffin might have really devoured his father-inw, making him forever loyal to their cause.

 Chapter 1080 The Truth About The World [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1080 The Truth About The World [Part 1]</h4>


    Rose carefully cleaned Keane''s wounds before applying a healing salve over them.


    Healing Potions, Rejuvenation Potions, and Elixirs were unable to heal the injuries received in the Domain of the Ancestral Lands of the Rowan Tribe as there were still the lingering traces of a God''s Divinity in it.


    Any injury received by the people who didn''t have the bloodline of the Rowan Tribe running in their veins could only wait for them to heal at a very slow rate.


    Only the medicines created by the High Priestesses of the Rowan Tribe could heal these injuries faster.


    But even then, it would still take a few days for any injury to healpletely.


    Dahlia looked at her husband, who was sitting by her side, with a displeased look on her face.


    She had heard everything that happened from Lux, and although she had expected her husband would beat the two boys, she didn''t expect that he intended to encase both of them in a coffin to be buried underground.


    This was simply going too far, so Dahlia wasn''t too happy with it.


    Of course, she knew that her father, Maximilian, wouldn''t stand idle either if that really happened.


    The Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe would, of course, not allow Liam to bury Lux and Keane.


    He had been observing the match from the beginning and was only waiting for it to end before he took action.


    But Maximilian had to admit that he didn''t expect that Lux would ovee all odds and reverse the situation in his favor.


    Also, he had gained a better understanding of the ck Coffin that Lux could summon at any given time.


    Despite how the battle ended, Maximilian was very happy that he had managed to matchmake Cai with the Half-Elf.


    He was sure that his decision back then was good, but he didn''t anticipate that Lux would grow powerful so quickly, to the point that he even surpassed him and Alexander, who were considered the two strongest beings in the Six Kingdoms.


    "Does it hurt?" Rose asked as she looked at the swordsman, who hadn''t said a word since she started treating his injuries.


    She had just finished bandaging his wounds, and she was feeling very sad that her lover had to suffer so much because of her.


    "It doesn''t hurt," Keane replied.


    "Liar." Rose pouted.


    Keane smiled as he pulled the youngdy into his embrace, hugging her tightly.


    He hadpletely forgotten that the two of them weren''t alone in the room as he closed his eyes and lightly patted his lover''s head.


    Lux, who was looking at this scene, gave his friend a thumbs up in his heart.


    Dahlia couldn''t help but smile after seeing how sweet the young man was, despite being someone who didn''t like to talk much.


    The Half-Elf looked at his friend, who was hugging the love of his life, before shifting his gaze to Cai, who was also bandaging the injuries he received from the battle.


    When she finished bandaging all of Lux''s injuries, she looked at him with concern.


    "Does it hurt?" Cai asked.


    The Half-Elf gave Keane a sidelong nce and gave him the "watch how it is done" gaze before shifting his attention to the beautiful High Priestess, who was now his fiance.


    "It does," Lux replied. "But if you kiss it, it will no longer hurt."


    Aurora and Adeline looked at the Half-Elf in amusement.


    Although they didn''t know what he was thinking, they had a feeling that Lux was doing this on purpose to get back at Liam for what he did to them.


    Now that his wife and daughters were angry at him, he didn''t dare to voice his opinions for fear that a certain ck coffin would appear and p him to oblivion.


    Cai, who was feeling sorry about what her father had done to Lux, nodded her head.


    She then picked up the Half-Elf''s hand and gave it a kiss.


    "Does it still hurt?" Cai asked.


    "No," Lux replied. "But this ce hurts."


    Lux pointed at his cheek, which had been grazed by one of Liam''s spear strikes.


    Cai also kissed that part and then asked what other ces Lux still felt hurt.


    Seeing that he had already made his point known, he no longer provoked his father-inw and just whispered in Cai''s ears.


    "You can kiss the other ces when we are alone inside your roomter," Lux whispered.


    The High Priestess blushed, but she still nodded her head.


    Keane and Rose, who saw everything from start to finish, stared at each other for half a minute.


    After that, the youngdy held Keane''s hand and led him upstairs to her room.


    She wasn''t as bold as her sister, letting their parents see such intimate scenes without feeling embarrassed.


    Rose decided to imitate what Cai had done inside her room, to make the shy swordsman feel a little better despite suffering serious injuries from his fight against her father.


    "It''s good to be young," Cai''s and Rose''s grandmother, Quiana,mented with a smile. "Seeing my granddaughters finding the love of their lives makes me happy. Right, Dahlia?"


    "Yes, Mother," Dahlia replied. "I''m d that Cai and Rose managed to get good partners."


    Quiana had a very good impression of Lux, for she knew that he was one of the people who helped Cai get the White Lotus, which Maximilian needed in order to find the cure for the Purple gue that had made countless people suffer.


    After curing his tribe, the Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe didn''t hesitate to distribute the cure to the Six Kingdoms, which also had people who suffered from the gue.


    This made everyone very grateful to the Rowan Tribe, not knowing that the real heroes were the young men and women who managed to bring the main ingredient back from the Gates of the Apocalypse.


    "Lux, Maximilian has told me that you also have other fiances aside from my granddaughter," Quiana stated. "I believe that Aurora is also one of them, correct?"


    "Yes, Grandma," Lux replied. "She is one of them."


    Aurora smiled as she gently held Lux''s injured hand. She was very happy that Lux was introducing her in this manner, making her feel loved.


    "How many lovers do you have exactly?" Quiana asked.


    "Right now, I have eight lovers," Lux answered honestly.


    Quiana looked at Lux with surprise. "Oh dear. I didn''t expect that you would have that many women in your life. Are you confident that you can make them all happy?"


    "I am not." Lux shook his head. "But I will definitely do everything in my power to keep them happy."


    The Half-Elf wasn''t conceited enough to dere that he could make all of his lovers happy.


    Even so, he had already promised himself that he would do his best, and the rest would be up to his fiances, who loved him very much.


    "Lux, can we talk in private?" Quiana asked. "There is something that I would like to ask you personally."


    Lux nodded and readily epted Quiana''s invitation.


    Even though he didn''t know what she wanted to ask him, he had a feeling that this was something that shouldn''t be heard by others.


    Even her husband, Maximilian, didn''t insist oning with them, which proved that whatever Quiana wanted to ask Lux was something that even the Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe was not allowed to know.

 Chapter 1081 The Truth About The World [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1081 The Truth About The World [Part 2]</h4>


    "Please, take a seat." Quiana made a gesture for Lux to sit on the chair beside her bed. "Make yourselffortable."


    The olddy smiled before sitting on top of her bed.


    What she was going to ask the Half-Elf was a question that had been bothering her for a long time, even before the Purple gue infected her body.


    "Lux, when you became the Necromancer of Heaven, I felt a surge of Divinity ripple across Sis," Quiana said. "I will not lie to you. I have long thought that the Gods have abandoned Elysium because they no longer answer our prayers.


    "But, when you broke through that wall, I faintly felt the power of Divinity. This power could onlye from a God, which means that my original assumption is wrong. Lux, are there still Gods in Sis and Elysium? Have they not abandoned us?"


    The Half-Elf didn''t expect that Quiana would ask him this kind of question. However, a faint memory appeared inside his head.


    It was the time when Cai was telling him things about her family, and she mentioned her Grandma a couple of times in that discussion.


    Quiana was the previous High-Priestess of the Rowan Tribe.


    During her era, the Gods of Sis and Elysium were still present.


    However, before passing down her position to her daughter, Dahlia, she had sensed that the Gods and Goddesses, whom she offered her prayers to, had be silent.


    It had been many years since shest heard their voice.


    Even Dahlia, who had be the High Priestess after her, felt that there was no longer any connection to the Divine Beings that watched over the mortals of the world.


    It was as if all of them had vanished at the same time, not even saying words of farewell to their believers, who had dedicated their lives to worshiping them.


    Lux pondered a bit before making up his mind.


    Since Quiana had decided to only talk to him without bringing her husband, Maximilian, inside her room, he understood that what they were going to talk about would remain inside the room.


    "The answer is Yes, and No," Lux replied. "The Gods, at least, almost all of them, have abandoned both Sis and Elysium."


    "Almost all of them?" Quiana looked at Lux with a solemn expression on his face. "Does that mean that there are still Gods that remain here in our world?"


    "Only Two Gods remain," Lux answered. "One protects Elysium, while the other wants to protect Sis. While I cannot tell you the identity of these two Gods, I know that they are doing their best in order to secure a future for both worlds, especially Sis."


    "�� So they have not abandoned us," Quiana closed her eyes. "They still care for our worlds."


    A tear streamed down the side of Quiana''s face, making Lux''s heart ache.


    This olddy had suffered a lot from the Purple gue, and yet, her hope that the Gods hadn''t abandoned them, kept her going.


    Hearing that there were still two Gods that had remained to protect Sis and Elysium, the sadness she had felt when the Gods stopped talking to her, lessened drastically.


    "Did they say anything to you?" Quiana asked after regaining herposure. "Anything that could help save Sis?"


    Lux nodded. "They asked me to find the Pirs of Eternity."


    After saying these words, a look of surprise shed on Quiana''s face.


    "The Pirs of Eternity," Quiana said softly. "The Five Divine Artifacts that have the power to bend thews of the world to their will. Do you know their location?"


    Lux shook his head. "I don''t. Do you know, Grandma?"


    "I only know the location of three of them," Quiana replied. "When the Pirs of Eternity were gathered in the past, the Leader of the Champions that came from another world, tried to convince the others to use the power of the Pirs to ascend to Godhood.


    "He believed that once they became Gods, any kind of problem will be fixed. Tempted by his words, some of the Champions sided with him, while the others refused to join his ambitious n.


    "They believed that they should do as the Gods had asked of them and do their duty properly, so that they could return to their home world. But, the Leader of the Champions, and those who sided with him refused.


    "In the end, a great battle between the two sides tore through the fabric of time and space, destroying thends of Sis.


    "They refer to this battle as the Hundred-Year-War because even after the battle of the Champions ended, the war still continued for a hundred years."


    "A bitter expression appeared in Quiana''s face as she looked at her hands that had seen the passage of time.


    "In the end, the Leaders of the Champions emerged victorious and vanquished all opposition.


    "However, in the middle of his Ascendance Ceremony to be a God, the Goddess of the World, Edaine, descended from the Heavens and forcefully snatched one of the Pirs, representing hope.


    "This caused the ceremony to fail, forever scarring the Leader of the Champions. Although she had seeded, she also received the bacsh of the world, stripping her of her Divinity.


    "The injury she received back then was too great, so after her power as a God was taken from her, she perished.


    "A God, even though she had been stripped of her Divinity, is still a God. This means that if they died, they would cease to exist.


    "In order to stop this from happening, the Gods bound the Pir that she had snatched away from the Champion to her immortal soul, allowing her to safely enter the Cycle of Reincarnation.


    "But, this method was far from perfect. Because of this, the Goddess would enter an infinite cycle of death and rebirth, and would always live a cursed life."


    Quiana looked at Lux with a solemn expression on her face.


    "One of the Pirs would be in her possession," Quiana stated. "Also, since she is a Goddess, she will always be reborn as a girl. Her body is cursed, so all the curseddies in the world have the potential to be her reincarnation. And this includes�� your lover, Aurora."


    The olddy sighed. "Of course. This is only a possibility. There are many cursed individuals in the world, and some of them are worse off than the others. But, even though Aurora''s curse has been sealed, I am very familiar with the curse afflicting her body. She is this generation''s Lady of Misfortune, correct?"


    Lux nodded. "She is."


    Quiana also nodded her head in understanding. "The Second Pir that I know of, fell into Elysium. The ce where it fell became a Holy Land, and an organization known as the Divine Army of Light was founded in that ce. I have every reason to believe that one of the Pirs is with them."


    "I already know of this," Luxmented. "We already have an agreement concerning the Pir in their possession."


    "That''s good then." Quiana smiled. "Thest pir that I know of fell into a very dangerous ce, alongside the Leader of the Champions, who was chosen by the Gods to save this world."


    Lux had a very bad feeling after hearing the olddy''s ominous words.


    "The Third Pir that I know of, which is the Golden Lion, fell into the Abyss," Quiana stated. "And its owner, the Leader of the Champions, is very much alive."

 Chapter 1082 Nightmare Of Mortals, And Immortals Alike [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1082 Nightmare Of Mortals, And Immortals Alike [Part 1]</h4>


    "One of the Pirs is in the Abyss," Lux muttered. "Grandma, do you know where in the Abyss the Golden Lion is located?"


    Quiana shook her head. "Wherever the Champion is, the Pir will definitely be with him. However, getting that Divine Artifact from him will not be easy. After all, he is the strongest among those who were summoned into our world. If possible, I don''t want you to fight such a being."


    "Being?" Lux frowned. "Is he not Human?"


    Quiana nodded. "He was once Human, but not after he attempted to ascend into Godhood. Although the Ceremony stopped midway, what was left of his humanity vanished after that event. He may still look like a Human on the surface, but deep inside, I am pretty sure that a monster dwells within."


    Lux suddenly remembered about the recent activity of the Abyssal Gates in Elysium.


    Although he wasn''t sure if thistest development was connected to the Pir of Eternity, he had a feeling that the Champion, who was once summoned to save Sis, was involved in it one way or the other.


    "One of the Pirs is bound to the soul of a Cursed Lady, the second one is in the Divine Army, and the third was in the possession of the Champion that fell into the Abyss," Lux said softly. "Grandma, that leaves only one of the Pirs unounted for."


    "What do you mean?" Quiana asked. "Do you know where the fourth Pir is?"


    Lux nodded. "My daughter, Eiko, happened to pick it up in one of her adventures in the Sea."


    "�� What?" Quiana looked at the Half-Elf with a doubtful expression on her face. "Are you sure about this?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Before she left, she showed it to me."


    The Half-Elf could still remember how the Baby Slime told him that she had picked something very nice on her journey.


    Wanting to show off to her Papa, she summoned the Golden Anchor, which almost made Lux cough out blood due to disbelief.


    After asking how she found it, Eiko told him that she "picked it up" in El Dorito.


    Of course, Lux knew that Eiko''s El Dorito was, in fact, El Dorado. The Baby Slime had personally asked him for the key, and he gave it to her without thinking twice.


    In order to confirm his suspicion, he asked the Wraith King, Leoric, whom he had tasked to follow Eiko in her adventures.


    Leoric confirmed that the Golden Anchor was indeed one of the Pirs, making the Half-Elf repeatedly kiss the Baby Slime, who was more than happy to receive his kisses.


    "If what you say is true, then you are one step closer to collecting the Pirs of Eternity," Quiana said after she had regained herposure. "But thest one might prove to be a bit difficult to obtain.


    "The Pir of Hope is represented by a golden candle. This is also a Soul Bound Divine Artifact, and there are no records about who could possibly possess it."


    Lux nodded in agreement. The only saving grace was that Eriol had told him that he was fated toe across all of the Pirs of Eternity.


    But whether he would be able to get them or not was all up to him.


    ''One step at a time,'' Lux thought. ''Fortunately, Grandma had some information about where the other Pirs are�� I better talk to Aurorater, just in case.''


    Aurora was Misfortune''s Beloved.


    Lux believed that, although there were many Ladies in the world who were suffering from curses, his lover was definitely one of the prime candidates to house the Pir of Love, which resembled a heart-shaped locket, in her soul.


    A Lion Figurine, a Scale, an Anchor, a Heart-Shaped Locket, and a Candle.


    These were the five Pirs of Eternity.


    Right now, Lux, or rather, Eiko, was in possession of one of them.


    The Divine Army also had one, which was the Golden Scale that represented Justice.


    The Golden Lion was in the Abyss, and the Golden heart-shaped locket was in the possession of a Cursed Lady.


    Only the Golden Candle remained, but this was the least of Lux''s worries.


    He was more worried about the Golden Lion in the Champion''s possession.


    Each of the Pirs of Eternity could bend thews of the world in a way, and that meant that his opponent could also do this as well.


    ''I have a bad feeling about this,'' Lux suddenly felt a bad premonition rising in the back of his mind.


    Although he now had a clearer picture as to where the other Pirs might be, getting them was easier said than done.


    ������������������������


    In the deepest level of the Abyss��


    The Angels were continuing their mission to ensure that one of the strongest Outer Gods in all of creation remained asleep in the Abyss.


    This powerful being had many names, and among them were Daemon Sultan, the Deep Dark, the Cold One, and Nuclear Chaos.


    But the majority of beings who both worshiped and feared this creature called it The Blind Idiot God.


    Perhaps out of spite and ridicule, this was the mostmon name used to refer to the Outer God, Azathoth, across the multiverse.


    Although the name might sound funny andedic, the moment this being woke up from its slumber, no one��not even the Gods, would dare tough.


    Once its sleep ended, the Nightmare of all Creations would begin.


    The heavenly music and voices of the Angels, merged together, creating a perfect harmony that would ease the soul of anyone who heard it.


    This was how Azathoth was kept asleep for thousands of years.


    These angels would take turns in their duty, making sure that the creature would sleep for eternity�� Or at least, that was the original n.


    Suddenly, and without warning, a distortion appeared in the lowest level of the Abyss, catching the angels that were on guard duty by surprise.


    "Halt!" the Angel shouted. "This is a restricted area!"


    "I know," a man, wearing ck robes that hid his face, answered.


    "Please leave," the Angelmanded. "This is not a ce for mortals to dwell."


    The ck-Robed Man raised his hand, and countless Abyssal Creatures appeared behind him.


    The majority of them were Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Beings, and over a dozen Demigods were there as well.


    Those who were singing and dancing noticed the arrival of the uninvited guests, but they didn''t dare stop what they were doing as they knew that if they did, no one in existence would be ready to face the consequences.

 Chapter 1083 Nightmare Of Mortals And Immortals Alike [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1083 Nightmare Of Mortals And Immortals Alike [Part 2]</h4>


    The Guards who were sent to protect the Performers all formed ranks in order to face the invaders who hade to hinder their mission.


    "Are you all mad?!?" the Archangel, who oversaw this mission, asked in anger. "Why are all of you doing this? Have you forgotten the Oath of the Abyss?!"


    The Archangel red at the Demigods, who immediately averted their gazes.


    How could they possibly forget the Oath that all the Demigods, new and old, had pledged for the sake of the Abyss?


    If Azathoth were to awaken, the first thing that would fall first would definitely be the Abyss.


    Because of this, the Demigods who ruled it would even assist the Angels from time to time, ensuring that the Blind Idiot God would remain sleeping in the lowest level of the Abyss.


    "Don''t worry. I didn''te here to stop your duties," the ck-Robed Man stated. "Please, continue what you are doing. We don''t want to wake up the Blind Idiot God, right?"


    Without another word, the ck-Robed Man walked forward, ignoring the Angels who had formed an imprable wall to prevent him from passing through.


    "Kill him!" the Archangelmanded.


    The fate of the entire multiverse was at stake, so he didn''t dare take the chance and immediately ordered to eliminate the person who wished to get in the way of their mission.


    "You Angels sure are stubborn." the ck-Robed Man sighed. "Fine. Have it your way."


    He then pointed at the iing Angels and sneered.


    "Kill!" the ck-Robed Man ordered.


    Immediately, the Demigods and the Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Monsters shed with the Angels.


    The Demigods were holding back their attacks because they themselves didn''t want to do this. However, they were currently being manipted by the ck-Robed Man against their will.


    The Cmity-Ranked Monsters were also in the same boat. Their bestial instincts were telling them that the gigantic Outer God in front of them was very dangerous, but they were unable to defy the person who had forced them into submission.


    While the battle was in full swing, the ck-Robed Man casually took a stroll towards where Azathoth was sleeping.


    He was even humming a yful tune, contrasting the angels desperately trying to stop his advance.


    However, the Demigods, who were protecting the man, got in their way.


    As for the Angels who were able to get past their defenses, the ck-Robed Man only raised his hand, which caused all of them to crash on the ground as if they were being pinned down by an invisible force.


    Divine blood flowed like a river as the Defenders were cut down one by one.


    This battle was not one-sided, but any Angel who dared toe within a few meters of the ck-Robed Man would either die in the hands of Demigods or die from the man''s mysterious power.


    "Stop!" the Archangel shouted anxiously. "You can''t go any further!"


    "Like I said, I only came here to do a task," the ck-Robed Man replied. "I have no intention of waking Azathoth, but all of you want to get in my way. If you really want to die that badly then go ahead and stop me�� that is, if you can."


    The ck-Robed Man sneered as he continued to walk forward.


    The performing angels kept on singing and dancing. However, it was very obvious that they were scared sh*tless about what the ck-Robed Man was going to do.


    An inner battle was raging inside the Archangel''s head. He wanted to stop the invader even if he had to risk his life in doing so.


    His other half was telling him that even if he did attack the mortal, nothing would change. He would just be dying like a dog, unable to stop what was about toe.


    In the end, duty won over his other concerns.


    The Archangel shouted and dove down from the sky, emitting light like a sun.


    No matter what happened to him, he must not allow the ck-Robed Man to gamble with the lives of the entire multiverse.


    "Stubborn fool," the ck-Robed Man said with a hint of annoyance.


    He then raised his hand, and just like what happened to the other Angels earlier, the Archangel stopped moving, as if he was bound by invisible chains that prevented him from doing anything.


    The ck-Robed Man then pierced the Archangel''s chest and grabbed his heart.


    Without even showing any signs of mercy, the man crushed the Archangel''s heart, making the Protector explode in a shower of golden sparks.


    "Continue your performance," the ck-Robed Man said in a cold tone. "Any of you who dares to stop me will die just like your leader."


    Although the Angels were all indignant and angry about what was happening around them, they truly didn''t stop what they were doing.


    Because of this, the ck-Robed Man walked unhindered until he was only a meter away from the sleeping Outer God, who seemed oblivious to what was happening around it.


    "Finally," the ck-Robed Man said as he pierced his chest with his right hand. "My long wait is over."


    His face distorted due to the pain he was feeling, but he endured it as he pulled something out of his body.


    A Golden Lion, which was coated with his heart''s blood, appeared in his hand.


    "With this, all the worlds in existence are mine for the taking." The ck Robed Manughed despite the pain he was feeling.


    He then pushed the Golden Lion onto the body of the sleeping Outer God without a second thought.


    A momentter, the Pir of Eternity was swallowed by the body of the Outer God.


    Without any warning, a mist of miasma was released from Azathoth''s body, which immediately flew towards the gaping hole on the man''s chest as if it was being sucked up by something.


    The man shuddered in ecstasy as power flooded his body.


    He had been waiting for decades to get to where he was now, and all the sacrifices he made during those years had finally borne fruit.


    The hole in his chest healedpletely, and several ck markings, resembling tattoos, appeared on his body.


    Suddenly, a blob of flesh emerged from the Outer God''s body and crashed beside the ck-Robed Man.


    From the blob of flesh, a creature that looked hideous and very alien materialized in front of everyone.


    It stood up on two legs, but countless tentacles were wriggling from its body.


    Its head, which was simr to the head of an Alien, had one long tentacle sticking out of it as if it was a whip that it could use tosh at its foes at any given time.


    This horrible creature looked down at the man standing before it and smiled.


    "Very bold of you, Mortal, to gamble with the lives of all of creation," the creature said in a hoarse voice. "However, I don''t dislike your courage. Tell me, what is your wish?"


    The ck-Robed man looked up at the creature, who was the embodiment of any sane person''s worst nightmare.


    "First, I want revenge," the ck-Robed Man replied. "After that, Conquest of the various worlds of creation."


    "Very well," the alien-like creature replied. "I will assist you in this endeavor, and in exchange�� I want you to sacrifice millions of lives in every world that you conquer. All for the sake of the Outer Gods."


    "Deal," the man replied. "What is your name?"


    The alien-like creature smiled, showing its countless horrendous razor-sharp teeth.


    "I am the Crawling Chaos, Nyathotep," Nyathotep dered. "And on this day, the Nightmares of Mortals and Immortals alike will be their realities."

 Chapter 1084 Your Child Is My Great Grandchild As Well

    <h4>Chapter 1084 Your Child Is My Great Grandchild As Well</h4>


    "We will be in your care in the future, Lux," Cai''s and Rose''s mother, Dahlia, said as she gave her future son-inw a hug. "Take care of Caitlin. She''s my precious daughter."


    "I will," Lux replied. "I promise."


    Dahlia nodded before walking over to Keane to give him a hug as well.


    "Take care of my daughter. She might be a handful at times," Dahlia whispered in Keane''s ear. "But she is a very good girl."


    "I will treasure her with my life," Keane replied as he looked at his future mother-inw with a determined look on his face.


    Dahlia was very impressed with the young swordsman''s reply, making her smile.


    ''My daughters managed to find themselves good partners,'' Dahlia thought. ''Although it''s still a bit early for Rose, I hope that Caitlin will let me hold my grandchild soon.''


    While Dahlia was thinking these things, Rose pulled Keane away from her mother with a pout.


    "I''m not a handful!" Rose, who had expected that her mother would say something like that, had used an ability that increased her hearing perception.


    This allowed her to hear what her mother was saying to his lover, which made her pout.


    Dahlia didn''t reply and only giggled after seeing how adorable Rose was at the moment.


    It was very rare for her serious daughter to act in this manner, so she was enjoying every moment of it.


    "I''ll see you soon, father-inw," Lux said to Liam, who waspletely ignoring him.


    The middle-aged man didn''t even bother to look in his direction and went up the stairs, leaving them behind.


    Lux scratched his head after seeing his father-inw''s reaction, but he didn''t take the middle-aged man''s dislike for him too seriously.


    After all, the one he was marrying was Cai, not Liam.


    He didn''t mind even if his father-inw didn''t like him!


    "Lux, be careful," Quiana said as she held the Half-Elf''s hand. "What you are about to do is very dangerous. Collecting all the Pirs will be very dangerous, so if you think that you are unable to do it, do not force yourself. We can migrate to Elysium. You must prioritize your safety, okay?"


    The Half-Elf nodded in reply. "See you all soon."


    Maximilian decided to stay in the Ancestral Lands for a few more days because he had missed his wife terribly.


    Also, he still needed to discuss his n to migrate to the Fynn Kingdom with his people who were still recovering from the Purple gue.


    "Rose, please send them off at the entrance of the mountain," Dahlia said.


    "Yes, Mother," Rose replied before holding Keane''s hand.


    The young swordsman smiled as he lightly squeezed his lover''s hand. Lux and Cai, who noticed the small gesture between the two, exchanged knowing nces with each other.


    The Half-Elf then reached out to hold Cai''s and Aurora''s hands, making the two girls smile.


    "Mmm, it''s good to be young," Dahlia nodded her head in satisfaction. "Cai, I want to hold my great grandchild soon, so make sure to feed Lux one of our Tribe''s powerful aphrodisiac potions and go at it like bunnies, okay? Aurora, feel free to join them as well. Your child is my great grandchild as well."


    Aurora blushed after hearing the olddy''s yful words. But, she still nodded her head and gave Lux a timid nce.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but chuckle internally due to how cute Aurora looked like when she was embarrassed.


    A few minutester, Lux''s group left the Ancestral Lands of the Rowan Tribe and entered the underground Maze under Cai''s guidance.


    Although Dahlia had asked Rose to lead them out of the mountain, the youngdy and Keane were at the rear of the group, enjoying the precious time they had in each other''spany.


    Cai was the one who led everyone back down the mountain, letting Rose spend as much time as she could with her fiance.


    Lux even told Cai through their guild chat to slow their journey a bit because they weren''t really in a hurry.


    Since Rose would be staying in the Ancestral Lands, it would be a while before she would be able to see Keane again.


    The young swordsman was doing his best to be strong as soon as possible. In fact, after they returned to Barbatos Academy, Keane would then head to Leaf Town.


    Gerhart and Cethus had already made their way into the Savage Lands and were helping the Draconian-Kobold, Cadmus, explore this new frontier.


    Keane would be apanying them on this mission to train himself and grow stronger.


    Although Lux wasn''t telling them anything, they could instinctively feel that there was a shift that was happening in Elysium.


    After Lux had waged war against the Divine Army of Light, Keane, Gerhart, and Cethus said that they needed to be as strong as possible. They didn''t want to get left behind by the Half-Elf, who was always surprising them.


    There was also the issue of the Abyssal Gates bing more active, which only intensified their resolve to be stronger.


    Everyone of them could feel it.


    The world of Elysium was about to usher in a new era, and in this era, a great battle would soon take ce.


    This was why, before it happened, the three of them wanted to at least be B-Rankers, giving them enough strength to at least survive the first wave of whatever was about toe their way.


    A few hourster, they finally arrived at the base of the mountain.


    "Visit me soon, okay?" Rose said as she was wrapped in Keane''s protective embrace. "I''ll miss you."


    "I''ll miss you, too," Keane replied before nting a kiss on Rose''s forehead, the sight of which made Lux nearly vomit sugar.


    He wasn''t aware that other people also felt the same thing whenever he was acting intimate with his lovers.


    In fact, Cethus was very fed up with him, so the moment the Half-Elf and his lovers were about to stick to each other like glue, he would make himself scarce to save himself from the diabetic-inducing kissing that would follow next.


    Ten minutester, Keane and Rose reluctantly parted with each other.


    If not for the fact that Keane wanted to catch up to Lux as soon as possible, he might have stayed with Rose for a few more days.


    However, he understood that the only way he could protect his lover was by bing stronger, so with a heavy heart, he turned around without a second nce.


    He had a feeling that if he were to look back and see Rose''s tearful face, his resolve might waver, and he''d end up staying with her until her Grandpa, Maximilian decided to return to Barbatos Academy.


    "Don''t worry. You will see her soon," Lux assured his good friend, who had been with him through thick and thin.


    Keane nodded and continued to walk alongside them.


    Now that he had met Cai''s parents, it was time to bring Adeline to his Guild Headquarters in the territory of the Crystal Pce.


    That way, his other lovers would be able to meet their future mother-inw.


    Valerie, Aurelia, Aina, Ali, and Ari were constantly asking him about when he would be bringing his mother to their Guild Headquarters.


    If not for the fact that there were still things that he needed to settle in Wildgarde Stronghold, he might have teleported directly to their Guild Headquarters already, along with everyone else in his group.

 Chapter 1085 Settling Things Peacefully

    <h4>Chapter 1085 Settling Things Peacefully</h4>


    Ford Federation��


    Originally Eiko was supposed to visit the other Ind Nations in order to go sight-seeing.


    However, one of her clones, that she had left in the Ford Federation, told her that the Pirates were waiting for her to pass judgment on the people that they had captured.


    Because of this, the two Baby Slimes reluctantly canceled their trip, and returned to the Ford Federation.


    "Bring the prisoners!" one of the Pirates shouted.


    Immediately, dozens of men and women, who were bound by chains, climbed aboard the Bone Ship, Poseidon.


    There, they saw two Baby Slimes who were eating biscuits, and looking at them with grumpy looks on their faces.


    The people that were brought for Eiko''s judgment were the surviving members of the Families that had once ruled the Ford Federation with an iron fist.


    Their once arrogant faces were nowhere to be seen, and only a defeated look could be seen.


    These were the people who had trampled on the lives of others, and did whatever they wanted because of their family background.


    Many lives had been lost because of them.


    Many families had been ruined because of them.


    And anyone who dared to voice any form of opposition would be silenced, or worse, killed, leaving no part of their bodies behind to bury.


    After eating the One Cheese, Eiko''s senses had been enhanced, allowing her to perceive the emotions of those whom she was looking at.


    To a certain extent, Eiko could also sense which were bad people, and which were not.


    This was an inherent ability that even she couldn''t understand.


    When she was back in the Fynn Kingdom, she had used this ability to look at her Papa.


    At that moment, Eiko had sensed that her Papa was a bad person.


    Lux wasn''t innocent.


    He wasn''t a Saint.


    Throughout his journey, he was forced to make hard choices, and those choices had imed countless lives.


    Instead of being disappointed, Eiko was even happy because as a monster, she understood that kindness would not always be repaid with kindness.


    She felt this very strongly when she died for the first time.


    It was at that moment when she understood that life wasn''t fair, and those with power could do whatever they wanted just because they could.


    Although Lux was bad ording to the power she gained, she was still her Papa.


    So, in her eyes, Lux was a "good" bad person!


    In fact, when Eiko looked at Asmodeus and Avernus, those two bad guys were worse than her Papa.


    They were practically oozing a ck aura that rose to the heavens, which meant that if her Papa was a bad guy, Asmodeus and Avernus were the baddest of the bad guys.


    But, since they were his Papa''s underlings, they were good bad guys as well!


    Eiko was very biased when it came to her allies.


    But, this bias didn''t extend to her enemies.


    Now, as the Baby Slime looked at the people in front of her, she didn''t hesitate to point out the people that were bad, and those who were not so bad, who didn''t deserve to die.


    The Pirates were more than happy to deal with the bad guys.


    As for the not-so-bad guys, they were going to be exiled from the Ford Federation.


    Eiko had given this job to Captain Jack Spawow, whom she trusted the most among her Boom Boom Pirate Crew.


    This purge and punishment processsted for two weeks.


    When everything had settled down, the Ford Federation was finally fully under her control.


    Since Eiko didn''t n on staying in the Ford Federation for a long time, she designated one of her loyal underlings, who went by the name Lupin, to be its steward.


    She believed that this man was capable of managing her territory, while she was away.


    After settling this issue, Eikomanded Avery to set sail to the Ind Nation nearest to the Ford Federation.


    This Ind Nation was called Torstein.


    ording to Captain Jack Spawow, it was a ce that was well-known for its spices, which was a very importantmodity in several nations.


    Eiko, who liked to eat many delicious foods, nned to visit this ce in order to try new dishes that she hadn''t eaten before.


    Due to Poseidon''s speed, it only took them half a day to arrive at their destination.


    However, when they neared the Torstein Territory, the Baby Slime noticed something peculiar.


    Several battleships lined the shore, as if they were preparing for an invasion.


    The moment Poseidon was sighted, a loud ringing sound reverberated at the Port City of Wulfstan, which was the Torstein Nation''s first line of defense.


    Avery halted the flying ship, and stared at the battleships that were lying in wait for their arrival.


    "Princess, your orders?" Avery asked.


    Eiko looked down at the countless battleships.


    Truth be told, she had no intention of fighting the people of Torstein because they didn''t have any conflict with her.


    She just came to their ind to eat, but seeing how strongly they were reacting to her presence, she decided to send Avery to settle things as peacefully as possible.


    After receiving his orders, the Ancient Pirate King descended from the skies andnded on the biggest battleship, which he believed to be the gship of the Nation of Torstein.


    He was immediately met with two Supremes, who stared at him with solemn expressions on their faces.


    "Are you perhaps Avery?" a middle-aged man with gray hair asked.


    "You did your research well," Avery replied. "You''re right. I am Avery."


    "What is your purpose foring to our nation?" the middle-aged man inquired.


    "To eat," Avery replied, making the two Supremes draw their weapons.


    Seeing their reaction, Avery chuckled because he understood that they had misunderstood him.


    "We didn''te here to eat anyone," Avery stated. "We came here to eat food. Your Nation is known for its spices and delicious cuisine. My Princess hase to put your reputation to the test."


    "How can we believe you?" the other Supreme, who was an olddy, asked. "How can we believe your words? Especially after what has happened in the Ford Federation?"


    Avery crossed his arms over his chest. Eiko had given him the task to handle this mission as peacefully as possible.


    Because of this, he decided to use his Trump Card to settle this matter "peacefully".


    "I''ll give you two choices," Avery stated. "Satisfy my Princess wishes, or we go to war. There is no third option. You already know what happened to the Ford Federation, we don''t mind doing the same to your Nation."


    "Bastard!" the middle-aged man red at Avery, his hands trembling as he held the sword in his hand.


    "So, you want to use force to settle this matter?" the olddy squinted her eyes.


    Avery chuckled. "I think you are misunderstanding something here. Whether you agree or not, my Princess will have what she wants. The only difference is that you can either treat her like a VIP Guest, and get on her good side, or you treat us as your enemy and have your entire Nation suffer the same fate as the Ford Federation.


    "The only reason why none of you aren''t dead right now is because our Princess is a good Monster. Do you really think that, with our army, we would have trouble destroying your pitiful attempt at resistance?"


    The two Supremes frowned. However, before they could even answer, both of their bodies shuddered uncontrobly.


    They then looked up at the flying Giant Bone Ship, and saw the ship''s bow open up like the jaws of a shark.


    Inside its jaw were countless razor sharp teeth.


    But the thing that made the two Supremes shudder was the gigantic cannon that could easily fit five of their gships inside of it.


    The muzzle of the cannon emitted a brilliant light, which made the faces of the two Supremes turn grim.


    They knew that if that cannon unleashed its attack, their entire navy, and perhaps the Port City, would be obliterated with a single shot.


    "Looks like Poseidon isn''t as patient as I am," Averymented. "Tell you what, I''ll give you ten seconds to give me an answer. Are you going to treat our Princess like a VIP and let her eat to her heart''s content? Or do we do it our way? Choose."


    The two Supremes could only smile bitterly as they signaled for their men to stand down.


    In the face of absolute strength, the only thing that they could do was to allow Eiko to have her way.


    What they didn''t know was that the Baby Slime was unaware of what Poseidon was doing.


    She and Fei Fei had been taken by the Skeleton Swashbucklers to the Galley of the ship, where the finest chefs of the Ford Federation had finished preparing her lunch.


    Poseidon took this opportunity, while its Master was away, to help the Nation decide to "settle things peacefully" as well.


    In the end, its method worked, and the two Supremes of the Torstein Nation apanied Avery back to the Bone Ship.


    They were going to ensure that their people would not do anything to the Baby Slime, who had allegedlye to their Nation as a tourist and connoisseur.


    Although they didn''t fully trust Avery, they decided that there would be no harm to agree to his request to treat Eiko as a VIP guest.


    Because of this, Eiko had a good impression of them and happily ordered Poseidon to enter the Ind Nation that would soon understand that they made a grave mistake letting the harmless-looking Baby Slime enter their Domain.

 Chapter 1086 Return To Lux’s Guild Headquarters [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1086 Return To Lux��s Guild Headquarters [Part 1]</h4>


    As the two adorable Baby Slimes entered the Ind Nation of Torstein in a "peaceful manner", Lux had returned to Barbatos Academy to finish a few things before he went back to Elysium.


    Keane didn''t stay for long either and immediately went to Leaf Town to catch up with hisrades in the Savage Lands.


    After fighting against Rose''s father, he understood that his technique was stillcking and that he needed to polish it as soon as possible.


    The Half-Elf spent two days in Barbatos Academy to rest, giving Valerie, Ali, and Ari some time to convince the Dragon Empress to allow them to go to the territory of the Crystal Pce.


    Valerie imed that she and Aur were good friends now and that it would be best to strengthen her connection with the Dragon Prince which would, in turn, also strengthen the rtionship of the two Dragon Kingdoms, ensuring the peace of both parties.


    The Dragon Princess'' mother, Empress Saphira, thought that this was a sound reason to allow Valerie to spend some time with the Dragon Prince, who was the same age as her.


    In a political view, a union between Valerie and Aur would solve all the problems between the two Dragon Kingdoms that were currently in a Cold War with each other.


    The Dragon King also didn''t have a problem with this arrangement. Just like his wife, he allowed Valerie to visit the Crystal Pce for a week.


    Of course, she would not be going alone. She would be escorted by Lady Faustina, who was the twin sister of the Crystal Pce''s reigning Steward, Lady Augustina.


    After getting her parent''s permission, Valerie immediately informed Lux that they would arrive at his Guild Headquarters in two days.


    Since this was technically a diplomatic mission, proper procedures had to be followed to inform the Crystal Pce of Valerie''s arrival.


    Although there was a slight dy, Lux didn''t mind it too much.


    "We will go to the Guild Headquarters tomorrow," Lux said to Iris, Cai, Aurora, and Adeline. "My other lovers can''t wait to meet you, Mother."


    "The same goes for me," Adeline replied. "I am very excited to meet my future daughters-inw."


    Lux was also very curious to see what his mother''s reaction would be when she saw his other lovers for the first time.


    However, he didn''t forget to tell his mother about theplicated rtionship he had with the two Dragon Princesses.


    "Valerie and Aur will have guards observing them, Mother," Lux stated. "Right now, we can''t let our rtionship be discovered by their families. If that happens, things might get very troublesome."


    "I understand." Adeline nodded. "I will be extra careful when interacting with them."


    Vera nced at Lux, and thetter nodded his head in understanding.


    "I need to stay here in Barbatos Academy and hold the fort," Vera stated. "Alexander is currently busy in the Fynn Kingdom, organizing the manpower and other human resources. It might take a while before he returns here."


    "With you here, Grandma, I''m sure that everything will be well," Lux replied.


    The Half-Elf then nced at the otherdies in the room and asked them to prepare for their trip to Elysium.


    Iris and Cai would apany them to Lux''s Guild Headquarters in order to reunite with their sisters, who were on a "diplomatic mission" to strengthen their bonds with the Crystal Pce.


    Of course, all of them knew that this was just an excuse they made up so that they could meet Adeline and strengthen their bond with the Half-Elf further through rolling on the sheets with him.


    A dayter, Lux and thedies teleported to their Guild Headquarters in order to prepare for Valerie''s, Ali, and Ari''s arrival.


    Since only Lady Faustina would apany them, Lux thought that it would not be too hard to find some private time with Valerie during their visit.


    If worsees to worst, the Half-Elf could ask Aurelia to help him convince Lady Augustina to invite her sister to have an afternoon tea with her or something along those lines.


    Adeline, who was seeing Lux''s Guild Headquarters for the first time, couldn''t help but look at the majestic White Marble Castle in awe.


    "I-Is this really your Guild Headquarters, Lux?" Adeline asked.


    "It is, Mother," Lux replied. "So, what do you think?"


    "I think it''s great." Adeline looked at the castle in front of her with a smile. "This is the first time I''m seeing a Guild Headquarters built like a castle."


    Lux then pointed at the town at the base of the mountain with pride.


    "That town also belongs to me, Mother," Lux said. "That is the Town of Edea. It took a while for construction to finish, but it was finallypleted. There are not many people in there right now, but I can give you a tourter, if you are interested."


    "I''d love that," Adeline replied. "But, I''d like to meet your other lovers first."


    Lux smiled. "They''ll be here by tomorrow. Until then, I can ask Emma to serve as your tour guide."


    Just as Lux was about to say more, dozens of Baby Slimes came jumping out of the castle doors with big smiles on their faces.


    Following behind them was none other than the Wicked Queen Slime, Lilian, whom Lux hadn''t seen for a while.


    "You kids are too excited," Lilian said with a helpless look on her face as she watched the Baby Slimes jump all over the ce, eager to explore their new environment.


    A few secondster, she finally noticed the Half-Elf as well as thedies beside him.


    "It has been a while, Lux," Lilian greeted. "I heard about your�� adventures over the past few weeks. I have to say, you''ve grown a lot since the time west saw each other. Is she perhaps your new lover?"


    Lilian pointed at Adeline, whose face immediately reddened after being mistaken as her own son''s new lover.


    Lux knew that if he didn''t correct the misunderstanding, Lilian would start teasing his mother, which would further embarrass her.


    "She''s not my lover," Lux replied. "She is my mother."


    Lilian blinked once then twice before the corner of her lips curled up into a smirk.


    "So, you''re fed up with young maidens and wanted to taste the charms of married women?" Lilian asked in a teasing tone. "I got to say, your fetish is evolving at a very fast rate, young man. Good for you."


    "Lilian, please don''t say things that will cause further misunderstandings," Lux stated. "She is my mother��biological mother, Adeline Farryn Fynn. Mother, this is Lilian. Don''t be deceived by her looks. She is actually a Peak Cmity-Ranked Monster. However, she had retired from terrorizing people and had taken the job of being the nanny of these Baby Slimes."


    As if understanding that Lux was talking about them, all the Baby Slimes started to jump in his direction.


    Some of these Baby Slimes were newly hatched, so they were filled with curiosity. They gathered around him and started jumping in ce.


    "Eyah."


    "Eyah?"


    "Eyah!"


    ""Eyah!""


    The Baby Slimes then started to crawl up Lux''s body. Some nudged his cheeks, some bit his ears, some jumped in ce on top of his head, while others entered his shirt and slept like the baby they were, with their heads resting on his chest.

 Chapter 1087 Return To Lux’s Guild Headquarters [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1087 Return To Lux��s Guild Headquarters [Part 2]</h4>


    Seeing the adorable scene of the Baby Slimes having their way with Lux, Adeline and the girls couldn''t help but feel as if their hearts were melting due to how cute the baby slimes were.


    Iris and Cai both remembered their own Baby Slimes, Eiko and Fei Fei, who were also quite clingy back when they were still newborns.


    But now, those two baby slimes had grown up and were currently in an adventure together.


    Lilian giggled after seeing the babies swarm around Lux and y with him.


    One of the reasons why the Wicked Queen Slime had a good impression of the Half-Elf was due to Eiko. Another reason was the baby slimes and their nursery in his Guild Headquarters and in Leaf Town.


    In her eyes, these two ces were Paradise. Her Maternal Instincts had urged her to stay and protect these precious children until they became strong enough to protect their own.


    Just like Eiko and Fei Fei, whom the Baby Slimes in Leaf Town treated as their Idol and Older Sister.


    "Um, Lilian, can you call these little ones for a bit," Lux said as he remained standing.


    He didn''t dare to move too much because he might identally step on the baby slimes that were gathered around his feet.


    "Fine," Lilianmented. "All of you,e. We will go visit the town. They have many delicious foods to eat there."


    "Eyah?"


    "Eyah!"


    ""Eyah!""


    All the baby slimes then crawled toward the Wicked Queen Slime in haste.


    Truth be told, they were quite hungry, so the notion of food easily swayed them to stop ying with the Half-Elf and follow their Nanny.


    "We''ll be off then," Lilian stated. "I''ll talk to youter, Lux. I want some modifications done for the monster nursery."


    "Fine," Lux replied. "But, if you want to send proposals, talk to Emma next time. She has the authority to make changes in the Guild Headquarters."


    "I''ll keep that in mind." Lilian nodded before transforming into her Wicked Queen Slime Form.


    All the Baby Slimes excitedly climbed on top of her body, and some of them even urged Lilian to move.


    Since they were just born, most of them were fearless, not understanding that the one they were riding on was one of the strongest monsters in existence.


    Without another word, Lilian steadily descended down the mountain while making sure that none of the babies fell off from her body.


    It was an incredible sight, and this was the first time Lux and the otherdies were seeing something like this.


    A few minutester, they entered the Headquarters and were greeted by Emma, who had just finished preparing the room that Adeline would be using during her stay.


    "Wee back, Master," Emma bowed respectfully to Lux.


    "Thank you, Emma," Lux replied. "You''ve worked hard."


    The dwarf smiled and nodded her head before shifting her gaze to the beautiful elf, who was his Master''s mother.


    "Lady Adeline, please allow me to give you a tour of our Guild Headquarters," Emma said as she walked towards the elf, who was visiting their guild headquarters for the first time.


    "Thank you, Emma," Adeline replied. "Lux has said many things about you."


    "Really?"


    "Yes. He always says that you''re a hard worker. I can now understand why he is able to leave the management of his guild in your hands."


    A faint redness appeared on Emma''s face after hearing Adeline''s praise.


    While Lux also praised her from time to time, hearing the Half-Elf''s mother praise her made her feel as if everything she had done for the guild was worth it.


    Because of this, her impression of Adeline went up by a notch.


    She was now more eager to give the beautiful elf a tour of Lux''s Guild Headquarters, andter the Town of Edea, to help Lux''s mother familiarize herself with the domain that belonged to her son.


    Lux watched as his mother followed her secretary inside the Guild Headquarters, leaving him, Iris, Cai, and Aurora behind.


    "Well then, what should the three of us do while waiting for Mother to return?" Lux asked.


    "Let''s go to your room," Iris proposed. "I''d like to monopolize you before my other sisters arrive."


    "Indeed," Cai nodded. "It will be hard to do that by then since all of them will want to have a turn."


    Aurora didn''t immediately understand what Iris and Cai were talking about, but a few secondster, realization dawned upon her, making her suddenly blush.


    "Do you want to join us, Aurora?" Iris asked in a teasing tone.


    She knew that Lux still hadn''t made her move on the pink-haired beauty, which was why she wanted to help her get close to Lux.


    However, contrary to her expectations, Aurora shook her head.


    "The three of you should spend some time together," Aurora replied. "Don''t mind me. I''m not in a hurry."


    "Are you sure?" Cai inquired. "Don''t be shy. You cane join us. I promise you that it will be a memorable experience."


    Although Aurora was tempted to say yes, she still shook her head in the end.


    She then nced at Lux as if asking him for help in order to escape from this sticky situation.


    "Aurora is still not ready for this," Lux said as he held Iris'' and Cai''s hands. "Give her some time to prepare her heart and mind."


    "Well, if you say so." Iris nodded her head in understanding.


    Cai smiled and also nodded her head.


    She had been wanting to ask Lux why he still hadn''t made his move on Aurora, but she decided to ask himter after they were done with their lovemaking.


    Aurora entered the Guild Headquarters with them before heading straight to her assigned bedroom.


    She hurriedly locked the door andid down on her bed.


    Aurora didn''t have to be in the same room as them to take part in their intimate moment. Her ability automatically manifested whenever Lux was about to make love with his lovers.


    A few minutester, a familiar sensation washed over Aurora''s body.


    She knew with absolute certainty that she would soon be drowned by the pleasure that would be shared to her by her two sisters.


    Her two sisters who had no idea that she would also enjoy the same sensations that they would feel once their beloved Half-Elf had his way with their beautiful and seductive bodies.

 Chapter 1088 Things That Cannot Be Forced

    <h4>Chapter 1088 Things That Cannot Be Forced</h4>


    "It''s good to see you again, Sister," Lady Augustina said with a smile. "How have you been?"


    "Busy," Lady Faustina replied. "How about you?"


    Lady Augustina sighed. "The same as you. We are making contingency ns just in case multiple Abyssal Gates appear near our territory."


    Lady Faustina nodded her head in understanding.


    The Divine Army had informed them that the power of the Abyss was growing everyday.


    They even predicted that as early as a month, the Abyssal Creatures would once again invade their world.


    Of course, this was just a theory. However, the rulers of each Kingdom, and Empire, couldn''t brush this warning aside.


    The Divine Army had dedicated their lives in fighting against the Abyssal invasion. Although they had done some overbearing things in the past, for them, everything they did was for the greater good.


    Of course, Lux disagreed with that notion, and even took the initiative to attack the Kingdoms and Empires that were under the Divine Army''s umbre.


    Knowing that this continuous conflict would not benefit anyone, the Founder and the Sovereign of the Divine Army asked the High King of the Elves, the Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis, as well as the Steward of the Crystal Pce to help mediate the situation.


    For the time being, both sides agreed to apromise and the war between the Half-Elf and the Divine Army was put on hold.


    At least for the time being.


    This allowed the various Kingdoms and Empires to make the necessary preparations for the Abyssal Invasion, which might happen at any given time, ording to the Divine Army.


    Even Memento Mori, who had not made any moves for the past decade, also announced to the world that the battle against the Abyssal Creatures should be everyone''s priority.


    For this mysterious organization of Necromancers, whom no one wanted to offend, to make a deration like this proved that what the Divine Army statement wasn''t just a bunch of nonsense.


    Because of this, everyone stopped their petty wars with each other, and made preparations for a battle that would shake the very foundations of this world.


    "Tell me, is Aur looking for a wife?" Lady Faustina asked.


    "Why are you suddenly asking this?" Lady Augustina arched an eyebrow. "Is your Master perhaps thinking of matchmaking Valerie and Aur?"


    "Mmm." Lady Faustina nodded. "He hopes that the union of the two will finally put an end to the Cold War between the two Dragon Kingdoms."


    Lady Augustina wanted tough after hearing her sister''s words. Of course, she couldn''t me her because to the world, Aur was a Dragon Prince and not a Dragon Princess.


    The enchantment ced on her body was so powerful, that even a Supreme would not be able to peer through it to see her true gender.


    But, since Lady Augustina more or less understood why Valerie was intent on seeing Aur, she yed along with her sister.


    "Well, a union between them is possible," Lady Augustina. "Both of them are almost the same age, and they seem to get along with each other. Perhaps, after a year, or two, we can all sit down and talk about this. For now, let the two of them deepen their connection with each other. Things like this cannot be forced, you know?"


    Lady Faustina sighed before nodding her head in agreement. "I guess you are right, Sister. But, since we are on this topic, the possibility exists, right?"


    Lady Augustina smiled. She knew that Aurelia and Valerie liked Lux, and this diplomatic visit was more of an excuse so Valerie could spend more time with the Half-Elf.


    Aurelia didn''t hide anything from Lady Augustina, and she even informed her mother, Empress Evangeline, about her rtionship with the Half-Elf.


    Of course, the two olderdies were shocked after hearing Aur''s revtion.


    But, in the end, they epted her decision and had be her aplices since then.


    The only reason why the two most powerfuldies in the Crystal Pce nodded their heads in approval was due to the fact that Lux was Keoza''s chosen one.


    Lastly, they had sensed that there was Dragon Blood flowing inside the Half-Elf''s body.


    They were quite intrigued by this development, and even asked Keoza how Lux managed to acquire it.


    Keoza didn''t hide anything from the two of them, and exined that the blood was a pure blood essence that came from the previous Dragon Emperor.


    Because of this, the twodies believed that Lux''s body was now capable of transforming into a Dragon. Keoza also mentioned that the Half-Elf had a special body constitution, which gave him Draconic strength and abilities.


    In the end, Lady Augustina, and Empress Evangeline realized that there was no problem even if Lux and Aurelia were to be a couple.


    With Draconic Blood running through his veins, it was very likely that he was capable of making Aurelia conceive, allowing their bloodline to continue.


    Of course, the twodies were also very amused that Valerie had be Lux''s lover as well.


    Both of them were even looking forward to knowing how the Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis would react, after he found out that his precious daughter had already be Lux''s woman.


    While Lady Faustina and Lady Augustina were having an afternoon tea together, things were getting lively inside Lux''s Guild Headquarters.


    "Mother, does the tea taste good?" Ari asked with a smile.


    "It does taste good," Adeline replied. "In fact, it is the best tea I''ve had to drink so far."


    "If you like, I can share with you the tea leafbinations I use for this, Mother," Ari stated. "This is Ari''s secret recipe that I am only willing to share with you."


    "Thank you, Ari." Adeline smiled. "I look forward to it."


    Not wanting to lose, Aina, also made sure to make a good impression of Adeline.


    She even sat beside the beautiful elf, and did her best to engage her in conversation.


    In fact, her expressionless face was showing so much expression that Lux, Iris, Cai, Valerie, Aurelia, Aurora, Ali, and Ari, thought that someone had kidnapped the real Aina and took her ce.


    But, to everyone''s amusement, Aina was only able to keep her animated expression for half an hour before returning to her expressionless appearance.


    She then stood up and sat on Lux''sp as if she was a mobile phone that required charging.


    Of course, the Half-Elf was more than happy to help his lover recharge.


    If they weren''t in front of Adeline, he was certain that Little Lux would help fill her up with his energy as well.


    Adeline couldn''t believe that her son had so many fiances, and all of them were very beautiful.


    Even her husband, Vincent, whom Lux had reluctantly summoned due to Adeline''s pleading, was impressed by his son''s harem.


    Of course, thedies also made sure to make a good impression on Vincent, but it didn''t take long for them to realize that they didn''t have to put a lot of effort to do that.


    Why?


    Vincent loved beautiful girls, and was even very jealous of his son for having a harem.


    "If I was still alive, I would have also made a harem!" Vincent stated. "In fact, I''m confident that I would have a bigger harem than Lux. After all, between the two of us, I''m more handsome, right?"


    Lux looked at his "father" in disdain.


    The old man was clearly spouting nonsense.


    How could he possibly be more handsome than him?


    What a joke!


    Adeline was also not too happy with how Vincent mentioned that he wanted to have a harem.


    Realizing that he blundered, Vincent tried to pacify his wife, but it was toote.


    In the end, it was Adeline who asked Lux to return Vincent''s Soul to ckfire, which the Half-Elf happily obliged.


    After that small incident, Valerie and Aurelia found themselves sitting beside Adeline, due to the machinations of Iris and Cai.


    The twodies knew that the two Dragon Princesses wanted to know more about her, so they gave way and made it possible.


    While this was happening, the Draco-Subus, Ari, made an excuse of wanting to get some refreshments from the kitchen.


    However, she made sure to grab Lux''s hand and pulled him along with her, making her sister, Ali, arch an eyebrow.


    "We''ll be back soon," Ari winked at Ali, and thetter only shook her head helplessly.


    They were going to stay in the territory of the Crystal Pce for a week, so she wasn''t in a hurry to spend some private time with Lux.


    But, Ari wasn''t the same.


    Ever since Lux took her first time, the beautiful handmaiden always seemed to be "in heat" whenever the Half-Elf was around.


    Of course, the otherdies, with the exception of Adeline, knew this as well.


    Because of this, they turned a blind eye to Ari''s action because they knew that they would be able to spend some time with their lover as well.


    This was especially true for Valerie, who had long been waiting to be embraced by the handsome Half-Elf, whom she hadn''t seen for a while.

 Chapter 1089 Changes In The Abyss

    <h4>Chapter 1089 Changes In The Abyss</h4>


    Three days after Valerie, Aina, Ali, and Ari, arrived at the Crystal Pce.


    Lux lightly patted Valerie''s head, which was resting on his shoulder.


    Aurelia, who was looking at the two, couldn''t help but be impressed when the Half-Elf raised Valerie''s waist to pull his member out from inside of her.


    His seed overflowed between her legs, creating an erotic sight that made Aurelia''s body heat up.


    Valerie''s angelic face was flushed, and yet, the happiness, and satisfaction on her face was in for them to see.


    "My turn," Aurelia said as she nted a kiss on Valerie''s right cheek before kissing the Half-Elf''s cheek as well.


    "Mmm," Valerie hummed as she rolled off Lux''s body, giving way for Aurelia, who had allowed her to be the first one to make love to their lover.


    "I missed you," Lux said before resting his hand on the back of Aurelia''s head, and pulled her close.


    Soon the two shared a passionate kiss, which was what Aurelia wanted to do.


    Among Lux''s lovers, Aurelia loved to be kissed the most.


    Because of this, the Half-Elf obliged, and kissed her passionately as he slowly lowered her hips, so that Little Lux could kiss her womb as well.


    A few hourster, the two Dragon Princessesid on Lux''s shoulders, as they did their pillow talk.


    They had just finished washing each other''s body, and were talking about their future ns.


    "So, you snuck out of the Karshvar Draconis with the excuse of forming closer ties with the Crystal Pce?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Valerie replied.


    "Valerie is still innocent," Aurelia replied. "I''m sure her father is thinking of matchmaking the two of us, so that the two Dragon Kingdoms will finally be at peace."


    Lux could understand why the Dragon King would have that kind of thought. He understood that Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce had conflicting interests, due to the session of the throne.


    So, he found that the union between Valerie and Aurelia seemed to be the most optimal choice in order to finally put the conflict to rest.


    The Half-Elf wasn''t well versed in politics, but he read plenty of novels back on Earth and understood that this was a method that Kings used in order to form an alliance with other kingdoms.


    Of course, he only found this amusing because Aurelia, whom everyone thought of as the Dragon Prince, was actually a Dragon Princess.


    Also, both Dragon Princesses were now his lovers, and were intent on having his babies.


    He found this very endearing, so whenever he made love to them, he made sure to remove the Evesting Ring, which prevented him from making his lovers conceive.


    While the three of them were talking, their discussion shifted to the current situation in Elysium.


    "Father said that we don''t have to worry even if the Abyssal Creatures were to invade our world," Valerie stated. "He said that he had made adequate preparations for an invasion years ago."


    "Oh?" Lux arched an eyebrow. "Your father is that confident? Maybe he is just saying that so you and your family won''t worry."


    "Perhaps." Valerie nodded. "Truth be told, I am scared. ording to the history books that I read in our Library, billions of people died when the Abyssal Creatures descended upon our world. It was the darkest era of Elysium, and if what the Divine Army is saying is the truth, this invasion will happen soon."


    Aurelia, who was also trained to be the next ruler of the Crystal Pce, also joined the discussion.


    "My Aunt said that she had also made adequate preparations," Aurelia stated. "It seems that everyone thinks that this war is right around the corner. Although it doesn''t show on their faces, everyone seems to be on edge as ofte."


    "Don''t worry," Lux said before nting a kiss on Valerie''s and Aurelia''s foreheads. "We''re going to be fine. The people of this world aren''t that weak."


    "Will you also fight when the Abyss invades ournd?" Aurelia asked.


    Lux nodded. "Of course."


    The Half-Elf was confident that, with his and Eiko''s forces under theirmand, they would be able to help the people of Elysium repel the invaders from the Abyss.


    The war against the Divine Army had taught him many things. Because of this, he nned to travel thends of Elysium, looking for ancient battlefields, where great wars were fought.


    Glee had also visited the Nursery a day ago, and fed the Baby Slimes the Beast Cores that allowed them to learn the skill, st Bomb.


    Currently, Eiko''s best friend was stockpiling weapons of Mass Destruction that were being stored within the underground Kobold Nest, inside the floating ind.


    The production of the Gyrocopters had also started.


    Lux''s current advantage was his aerial superiority. Since his floating ind could travel anywhere, they would be able to go to any battlefields and act as reinforcements.


    He had already discussed this matter with Emma and General Garret, who were also making sure that their logistical preparations would be enough in the case there was a prolonged war against the Abyssal Creatures.


    Lux had been in the Abyss once, and if they were just going to talk about statistics, he believed that the number of Demigods that the Abyss had was greater than the number of Demigods and Supremes in Elysium.


    Of course, not all Demigods were Warmongers.


    But, the majority of them were.


    Although he wasn''t certain, Lux believed that Queen Rhiannon and Antero would not side with the invaders this time around.


    In fact, he also wanted to visit the Abyss undercover to better understand the strength of their forces.


    But, the Domain of the Fallen, where the portal that led to the Abyss had been, no longer existed.


    Also, Lux didn''t know if it was possible for him to enter the Abyss by going to Zangr.


    The Kingdom that had been destroyed by the Abyss in the past, and the ce where Lux met Gaap for the first time.


    That ce held a special ce in Lux''s heart because it was there where he had gained the qualifications to be a Heaven''s Necromancer.


    It was there when he made the choice about what kind of Necromancer he wanted to be.


    It was there when he gained King Leoric''s allegiance, allowing him to make the Wraith King his subordinate.


    Unknown to everyone, a movement was happening within the Abyss.


    ������������������


    Thirteenth Floor of the Abyss��


    Queen Rhiannon was reading the reports of her subordinates about the recent movements of the Abyssal Lords in the Abyss.


    She could sense the tension in the air, and she didn''t like it.


    "Little Rhiannon, are you worried?" an ancient voice asked, which made the Subus Queen feel less anxious.


    She then walked towards the Balcony of her room, and looked at the towering Golem, who was seated right beside their castle.


    "Lord Antero, do you feel it?" Queen Rhiannon asked.


    "Yes," Antero replied. "Portals�� opening soon."


    As the Primordial Golem of Destruction, Antero could feel any shift in the Abyss.


    He had also sensed that something had happened at the lowest level of the Abyss, but he didn''t make any move to investigate.


    The reason?


    It was due to the life that was currently inside the Subus Queen''s womb.


    During pregnancy, a Subus would be unable to use their full powers because most of their magical and physical strength was being absorbed by their unborn child.


    The stronger the Subus, the stronger their child would be when they were born.


    Of course, the gestation period of a Subus was different from a Human, especially if it was a high-ranking Subus like Queen Rhiannon.


    Instead of nine months, it would take fifteen to twenty months before they gave birth to their child.


    Antero had no intention of leaving Queen Rhiannon alone during this period of time, especially now that the Hierarchy within the Abyss seemed to be changing.


    As the Primordial Golem of Destruction, he stood at the Apex in the Abyss.


    But, as if to make sure that the Subus Queen wouldn''t be disturbed by anyone, or anything, Antero had sealed the Portals that led to the Thirteenth Layer of the Abyss an hour ago.


    He had waited until Queen Rhiannon''s subordinates returned from their mission to gather thetest news about the other Layers in the Abyss.


    Antero understood that getting information was also important, so he made sure to wait until all who were sent on their mission had returned.


    The Golem of Destruction had sensed that something very unusual was happening on the bottomyers, which prompted him to take drastic measures to protect the one person in the Abyss that he considered to be his family.


    Now that the Thirteenth Layer of the Abyss was sealed, they were cut off from the other Layers of the Abyss, whose leaders were also starting to feel the changes that were happening in their world.


    ��---------------


    (A/N: I was suffering from a bad stomach ache yesterday so I was unable to post any chapters. Will see if I can post bonus chapters tomorrow to make up for it.)

 Chapter 1090 Countless Horrors and Heartache

    <h4>Chapter 1090 Countless Horrors and Heartache</h4>


    In a field of flowers sat two little girls.


    One of the two little girls looked like she was around four to five years old.


    Her short pink hair gently fluttered as she busied herself in creating a wreath of flowers for her little sister, who was seated beside her.


    Her sister, who seemed to be around two years old, was helping her by handing her one flower after the other. This little girl had blonde hair and blue eyes.


    Both of them looked like dolls due to how adorable and beautiful they were.


    Not far from them, three adults were looking at the two girls with affectionate expressions on their faces.


    One was a youngdy who seemed to be in her early twenties, with long pink hair and pink eyes.


    She was recording the scene of the two little girls with a magical artifact, which she would store in her personal collection.


    Beside her was a red-headed Half-Elf, who was looking at the two girls fondly.


    Last but not the least was a doll-like beauty, who was seated beside the Half-Elf as she looked at her daughter with a gentle smile on her face.


    A few minutester, the little girl with pink hair finished the wreath of flowers that she was making. She then ced it on her little sister''s head, making thetter p her hands happily.


    Satisfied with her work, she then stood up and helped her sister stand up as well.


    Both of them slowly walked towards their parents, who were watching them from the shade of the tree.


    A chuckle escaped the Half-Elf''s lips as he stood up to walk towards his daughters.


    He could have waited for them to reach the tree, but he found his two angels too adorable to resist.


    Seeing their Papa walk toward them, the two little girls squealed and walked faster with their hands spread wide.


    The handsome Half-Elf scooped up his beloved daughters and peppered their cheeks with kisses, making the two girls giggle and squirm in his hold.


    A minuteter, both girls kissed their Papa on the cheeks, making him smile from ear to ear.


    "Let''s go home?" the Half-Elf asked his kids, and the two nodded their heads.


    He then walked towards the tree where his two wives were waiting for him with a grin stered on his face.


    "Aurora, Aina, let''s go home," Lux said.


    "Okay," Aurora replied.


    "Mmm." Aina nodded.


    The family of five then walked side by side andter turned into particles of light.


    ����������������������


    Lux slowly opened his eyes and sighed.


    The dream he just had was so sweet, making him feel warm and fuzzy inside.


    Sleeping beside him were two naked beauties, who were sleeping peacefully with their heads resting on his chest.


    They were none other than Aina and Aurora, who had spent the night with him.


    Although Aurora was also in the room, the only one who went all the way with Lux a few hours ago was Aina.


    He understood that Aurora wanted their first time to be special, so he only did forey with her and helped her find release.


    Looking at the two sleepingdies beside him, Lux couldn''t help but remember the dream he just had.


    ''A family��'' Lux thought.


    Perhaps he had the dream due to his lovers'' influence.


    Valerie and Aurelia were not the only ones who wanted to give birth to his children. All of his lovers did, but he knew that it wasn''t the right time to get all of them pregnant.


    Ali and Ari, who had also spent the night with him, also made him promise that after Valerie had safely given birth, he would agree to make them conceive his child as well.


    But just a few hours ago, Aina also made her wishes known, which surprised him.


    Lux thought that getting pregnant was thest thing the doll-like beauty wanted to happen because she was still busy helping the Xeno Empire consolidate the new territories that he had given them.


    Although Aina''s parents were happy to have new territories under their rule, it also brought a lot of trouble, and not to mention, paperwork.


    This made Aina''s father, Victor, extremely busy.


    When Lux asked if the doll-like beauty was sure of her decision, Aina said yes in a heartbeat.


    Because of this, their lovemaking session had be a little rough. But in the end, Lux didn''t remove the Evesting Ring from his finger.


    Aina also knew the reason, so she didn''t say anything.


    Right now, giving birth to a child was very risky, especially in light of the increased activity of the Abyssal Gates.


    As the leader of the Guild, Serenity, and the Princess of the Xeno Empire, Aina needed to be in peak condition in order to face the possible invasion that would ur.


    Having a baby would not only endanger her but also the child whom she was carrying as well.


    As for Aurora, she didn''t ask Lux for a child like the others.


    She only wished to be by his side and stay with him forever.


    Even so, Lux still had a dream where a pink-haired little girl, who had simr features to Aurora, was ying with Aina''s baby girl.


    Of course, since it was only a dream, he didn''t really know if his future kids would truly look like the little girls in his dreams.


    However, seeing them tugged his heartstrings, making him anticipate the day when he would hold his children in his arms.


    Perhaps feeling lost in his thoughts, he subconsciously rubbed Aina''s and Aurora''s abdomens, feeling the softness of their skin.


    Right now, there wasn''t any obvious bulge to them, but in the future, he would certainly make that happen.


    Lux, who was still deep in his thoughts, didn''t notice that the eyes of the sleepingdies beside him started to flutter.


    Soon, the two of them opened their eyes and sleepily looked at the Half-Elf, who was still rubbing their abdomens.


    Since Aina and Aurora were facing each other, both of them gave each other a knowing nce and closed their eyes at the same time.


    The sun still hadn''t risen, and it was too early to get up.


    Because of this, they decided to sleep for a little while longer and return to their dream.


    A dream where they were walking side by side with Lux while holding their daughters in their arms.


    A dream where they no longer had to fight any wars and could spend their days in bliss with thepany of their daughters and the Half-Elf, who had faced countless horrors and heartaches at World''s End.

 Chapter 1091 Do Unto Others What Eiko Would Do Unto You

    <h4>Chapter 1091 Do Unto Others What Eiko Would Do Unto You</h4>


    A blissful week had passed in Elysium, allowing Lux to spend some quality time with his lovers.


    However, he knew that Valerie, Ali, and Ari couldn''t stay for long, and the day of parting had once again arrived.


    "I love you," Valerie said as she gave Lux a hug. "I''ll try to find another opportunity to sneak away from the castle to see you."


    "I love you too," Lux replied as he reciprocated her hug and patted her head. "I look forward to seeing you again."


    After their embrace ended, it was now Ali''s and Ari''s turn to say their goodbyes.


    The two beautiful handmaidens didn''t hold back and kissed Lux''s lips, making sure that he wouldn''t forget them anytime soon.


    "Eat on time, sleep on time, and think of me on time, okay?" Ali said when her kiss ended.


    "I will," Lux replied with a smile.


    "As for me, you should think of me all the time," Ari said before cupping Lux''s face to kiss him.


    When the kiss ended, the Draco-Subus whispered something in Lux''s ears.


    "I liked the bondage y," Ari whispered. "Let''s try something different next time."


    Lux looked at Ari with a devilish smile before lightly pping the naughty handmaiden''s backside.


    Ari giggled, not minding the p that Lux gave her. In fact, she even liked it when the Half-Elf was a bit rough with her.


    Although it was hidden by the clothes she was wearing, the remnants of their bondage y were still visible on Ari''s skin.


    She didn''t n on removing them anytime soon and decided to let them heal naturally as a reminder of the incredible night that she had with her lover.


    An hourter, the Dragon Princess of Karshvar Draconis, along with her two handmaidens, entered the portal with Lady Faustina.


    "It''s time for us to return as well," Iris said with regret.


    "Indeed." Cai nodded.


    Both of them had to assist the people from Barbatos Academy and the Rowan Tribe with their nned migration to the Fynn Kingdom.


    Adeline also needed to return to Sis in order to talk to her parents back in the Elven Kingdom.


    Truth be told, the Elves were also doing their best to secure their own territory in Elysium just in case the Miasma reached their Domain.


    Although it might take a few years for that to happen, starting early would allow them to find a good ce to settle down in the future.


    The other Kingdoms were doing the same.


    Adeline had already gotten permission from Lux to allow her parents to live in the Fynn Kingdom if the worst-case scenario were to happen.


    Lux also returned to Sis to inform Wildgarde Stronghold that they could build their own encampment in his Kingdom.


    Although there had been mishaps in his rtionship with the Guardian of the Stronghold, the fact still remained that they had taken good care of him while he was growing up.


    Lux didn''t mind repaying this favor because, for him, the people in Wildgarde Stronghold, with the exception of Nero, were all good people.


    Days passed.


    Weeks passed.


    And before long, a month had passed since Valerie''s visit to Lux''s Guild Headquarters.


    During this time, the two Baby Slimes that had sessfully infiltrated the Ind Nation of Torstein had be very popr with the citizens there.


    In fact, both of them had be so popr that certain Restaurants and Taverns now had the g of the Boom Boom Pirate Crew fluttering on the roof of their establishments.


    Of course, they only did this after gaining Eiko''s permission.


    Those who tantly used her reputation to do misdeeds were given swift and deadly punishments by her crew, who wouldn''t tolerate anyone tarnishing their Princess'' reputation.


    At first, the Nobles and the Royal Family of the Torstein Nation didn''t pay Eiko too much attention because the Baby Slime was well behaved and didn''t cause unnecessary trouble.


    In fact, she was so good that she even actively wiped out bandit groups in the region on a regr basis.


    Of course, the Royal Family had no idea about the main reason as to why the Boom Boom Pirate Crew voluntarily did "good deeds," which was to steal the treasures and resources that the bandits had umted over the years.


    After many sessful bandit subjugations, Eiko was treated like a hero by the locals of the Ind Nation.


    The Nobles were also happy about this because, without bandits threatening their Domain, their people could live in peace, and trade would flow ceaselessly.


    Eiko and Fei Fei loved treasures. But more than anything else, they loved good food.


    Because of this, restaurants that got Eiko''s nod of approval were allowed to raise the Boom Boom Pirate Crew g in their establishments.


    Since Eiko was considered a Hero of the Masses, the ces she visited became very popr, simr to the restaurants that celebrities frequently visited back on Earth.


    She had also begun trading with the Merchants, buying the spices they had for sale in bulk.


    Of course, the Baby Slime was buying these spices for her own personal consumption.


    She had employed the greatest chefs in the Ford Federation to be her personal chefs and apany her in his journey to conquer��errrr, explore the different Ind Nations in the Seven Seas.


    In the two months that Eiko was in the Torstein Nation, her fame had reached unprecedented heights.


    Fanatics emerged and started a religion in her name.


    Some of these fanatics were skilled artists��like painters and sculptors.


    They even asked her to pose in her Fairy Princess Form, holding the Golden Anchor in her hands.


    Soon, the Boom Boom Religion spread like wildfire, simr to a cult.


    This religion only had one rule, and that was the Golden Rule.


    "Do unto others what Eiko would do unto you."


    Altars with her statue were built in almost every vige, every town, and every city.


    Before long, something miraculous happened.


    Eiko gained the power of Faith.


    As the number of her believers grew, so did her strength.


    ording to Avery, it would only be a matter of days before Eiko broke through and became an Empyrean Ranked Fairy Princess.


    When the Royal Family realized what had happened, it was already toote for them to do anything.


    A quarter of the Torstein Nation was now a part of the Boom Boom Religion, and it was only a matter of time before it spread further.


    Because of this, the King politely invited Eiko to the Royal Pce in order to discuss this issue.


    Eiko didn''t understand these things, so she decided to let Captain Jack Spawow and Avery do the talking.


    In the end, apromise was made, and the Boom Boom Religion was only allowed to have their temples, altars, and shrines in the Southern Region of the Torstein Kingdom.


    Even with thispromise, the King wasn''t able to stop the masses from purchasing the Eiko statues and dolls that were being sold by her believers in every part of the Nation.


    Because of this, Eiko''s power of Faith continued to umte.


    Avery and Captain Jack Spawow, who knew that this was a good thing, decided that it was time to spread the Boom Boom Religion to other ces in the Seven Seas.


    So, after a month had passed, they left the Torstein Nation and headed to their next destination.


    The Power of Faith was the power of miracles.


    Avery believed that the more believers Eiko had, the more powerful she would be in the future.


    As a Peak Demigod, Avery could also feel that their peaceful days were numbered.


    But until the day that the world was drowned in darkness, he would continue to raise Eiko''s Power of Faith, allowing her to y a greater role in the greatest battle that the world would ever see.


    ---------------


    (A/N: Still feeling under the weather. No bonus chapter today.)

 Chapter 1092 Your True Conquest Is About To Begin

    <h4>Chapter 1092 Your True Conquest Is About To Begin</h4>


    The ck-Robed Man and Nyathotep frowned as they looked at the Portal that would lead them to the 13th Floor of the Abyss.


    They were currently on the 14th Floor, and they had just subjugated the Demigod who ruled it.


    For the past three months, they had visited all the levels of the Abyss and made those who ruled them kneel one after the other.


    With every Demigod that they defeated, their forces grew stronger until they became an unstoppable force.


    In the end, those who didn''t want to lose their lives could only bow their heads and submit to the ck-Robed Man, who was hell-bent on taking over the world where the Abyssal Creatures resided.


    Unfortunately, his one-sided conquest ended at the 14th Floor.


    The Portal leading to the 13th Floor wasn''t working, and no matter what they did, it remained firmly closed.


    Truth be told, the other Demigods who got wind of the ck-Robed Man''s conquest wanted to destroy the Portals that led to their floors. However, this was impossible to do.


    The Portals that led from one Abyssal Floor to another were nearly indestructible. Even if they were destroyed, they would just spawn again due to the power of the Abyss.


    Antero knew this as well, so he didn''t try destroying the gates and instead sealed them.


    As the first creature who was spawned alongside the Abyss, the Golem of Destruction possessed some authority over it.


    Because of this, he was able to seal the Portals that led to the 13th Floor, preventing anyone from harming the Subus Queen, whom he treated as family.


    Of course, to ensure that his n was foolproof, he had also sealed the portal that would allow those from the 12th Floor to enter the 13th Floor.


    So, although it was impossible to jump from the 14th Floor to the 12th Floor, the Golem of Destruction didn''t n to take any chances.


    Antero was powerful, and with the exception of the Outer God who was at the lowest level of the Abyss, none of the Abyssal Nobles could defeat it.


    But even though he was strong, he had one weakness, and that was Queen Rhiannon. She was the only one whom he treated as a family member, so he was willing to go above and beyond to ensure her safety as well as the new life that was currently inside her womb.


    "Who is the ruler of the next floor?" the ck-Robed Man asked the Demigod whom he had just subjugated.


    This Demigod went by the name Polo, and he was the ruler of the 14th Floor.


    "The ruler of the 13th Floor is the Subus Queen, Rhiannon," Polo replied.


    "Is she strong?" the ck-Robed Man asked.


    "She isn''t that strong, but after she subjugated the 12th Floor, her strength drastically increased," Polo answered. "I believe that, currently, she is nearing the Peak of the Demigod Rank, making her the strongest Demigod within the first 20 Floors of the Abyss."


    The ck-Robed Man frowned after hearing Polo''s exnation. Even though a Demigod was strong, they simply didn''t have the power to close the portal of the Abyss that led to their Domain.


    "My Lord, I think I have an idea as to why this has happened," a Demigod, who looked like a Mindyer,mented. "I have heard rumors that the Primordial Golem of Destruction, Antero, has returned to the Abyss. He has some kind of rtionship with Queen Rhiannon. Perhaps he knows that you areing and is unable to protect her.


    "Because of this, he decided to close off the Portals, preventing anyone from entering the territory of the Subus Queen."


    The ck-Robed Man frowned after hearing this exnation.


    Of course, he knew who Antero was.


    There was no one in the Abyss who didn''t know who the Golem of Destruction was. He had even fought Antero once, and that battle was still fresh in his memory.


    The overwhelming strength of the Golem of Destruction was something he wasn''t too keen on facing. Even with the power he had acquired from the Azathoth, he believed that he wouldn''t be able to defeat the Primordial Golem that easily.


    "Is there no other way to go to the 13th Floor?" the ck-Robed Man asked.


    "Perhaps, there is," the Demigod who looked like a Mindyer replied. "But I am not aware of such methods because we have only relied on the Portals to travel through the different levels of the Abyss."


    All the other Demigods, who had apanied the ck-Robed Man, nodded their heads in agreement.


    Nyathotep scoffed at the useless fools, but since it also didn''t know any methods to bypass this hurdle, it decided to just keep its silence.


    "Very well," the ck-Robed Man said after pondering for a while. "We don''t need the 13th Floor up to the 1st Floor to do what we need to do. Everyone, go back to your respective domains and prepare to invade the worlds of Elysium and Sis."


    The Abyssal Demigods nodded their heads and did as they were told. The ck-Robed Man had shown them a power that they were unable to resist.


    They even felt pity for the two worlds that they were about to invade. There was simply no chance for them to ovee the united invasion of the creatures from the Abyss.


    When the Abyssal War started over a hundred years ago, there were dozens of Demigods who chose not to participate in the war.


    These Demigods now ruled the Floors where the previous Lords had died in battle. Unfortunately, this strategy would not work a second time.


    The ck-Robed Man was dead set onmanding all the Demigods of the Abyss to participate in the invasion, bringing all of their forces to the two worlds that he wanted to conquer.


    When everyone had left, Nyathotep approached the ck-Robed Man with an amused expression on its alien-looking face.


    The main reason why the ck-Robed Man was able to subdue the other Demigods who had banded together to resist him was due to Nyathotep overwhelming strength.


    The vile Outer God of Madness, Chaos, and Ruin was quite powerful to the point that it had forcefully controlled the subordinates of the Demigods who opposed them and made them mad.


    Once they had be insane, Nyathotep manipted them to betray their Lords and massacre theirrades in arms.


    Because of this, even though many Demigods had formed a resistance group against the ck-Robed Man, they all failed in the end and had no other choice than to either submit or perish under the Outer God''s might.


    "Your true conquest is about to begin," Nyathotep said. "How do you feel?"


    "Feel?" the ck-Robed Man asked back. "I suppose I will feel satisfied once I conquered Elysium and Sis. But right now, I don''t feel anything. Not excitement, not anxiety, nothing. The only thing I feel is strength. Power that would allow me to crush those who oppose me.


    "Frankly, I don''t think that there is anyone alive who can stop me. But if there is, I look forward to the challenge. Perhaps I will feel something once again after the many years of solitude here in the Abyss."


    Nyathotep chuckled. "Then what about the Pirs that you spoke of? The Pirs that will allow you to ascend to Godhood. Doesn''t that excite you?"


    The ck-Robed Man paused as if remembering something very nostalgic that happened in the past.


    "Perhaps that will excite me," the ck-Robed Man admitted. "I had tried to be a God. Maybe this time, it will be a reality."


    Nyathotep didn''t say anything else and only nodded its head.


    It had already tried to pry the darkest secret out of the ck-Robed Man using its vile powers. But the only thing he was able to grasp was the man''s interest in the Pirs of Eternity.


    Maybe the process of collecting these Divine Artifacts would elicit some sort of reaction from him. But currently, the only thing that the Outer God could feel in the man''s heart was a certainty that no one would be able to stand in his way.

 Chapter 1093 Emergency Meeting [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1093 ?Emergency Meeting [Part 1]</h4>


    Lux, who had just finished sparring with Hana (Fox Lady) and Cleo (Saintess of Agartha), was wiping away his sweat with a towel, when the Oracle of the Divine Army, Maeve, entered the training room with an anxious look on her face.


    "Master, I had a vision," Maeve said. "The Abyssal Invasion will start seven days from now."


    Lux looked at the Oracle with a solemn look on his face before asking her to tell him everything about the vision that she saw.


    "A week from now, just before sunset, countless Abyssal Gates will open in Elysium and Sis," Maeve said while trying her best to prevent her voice from cracking. "It is a full-blown invasion, and blood will spill and flow like rivers."


    Maeve''s hands were trembling, which showed just how much she was affected by her vision.


    "Did you see anything else?" Lux inquired. "Like the oue of the war?"


    "N-No, but�� I saw Master in my vision." Maeve''s lips trembled as she looked at the Half-Elf with moist eyes. "Master, you ceased to exist."


    ����������������


    An hour after Maeve shared her vision with Lux, the Half-Elf held an emergency meeting inside his Guild Headquarters.


    He had made sure to call Aina, Aurelia, Hereswith, and Lady Augustina to join the meeting.


    The Half-Elf had asked Maeve to keep the part about him ceasing to exist to herself because Lux didn''t want to make anyone feel anxious about this information.


    When everyone was gathered, Lux once again asked the Oracle to tell everyone the vision that she saw.


    After repeating what she had said to Lux, the faces of everyone inside the room turned grim.


    If it was an ordinary person who said these words, people would definitely treat it as fake news.


    However, this news came from the Oracle, who was once part of the Divine Army, which gave her words some credibility.


    "You have heard what Maeve has to say," Lux stated. "Make sure to inform everyone about it. I will also do my best to warn the rest of the world about the uing invasion. So, please do your best to prepare for the uing battle."


    Lady Augustina looked at the Half-Elf with a calm expression on her face.


    "Lux, where will you be when the Abyssal Invasion starts?" Lady Augustina asked.


    Right now, Lux had one of the strongest armies in the world, and wherever he would be was the safest ce in the world.


    "I will be in Sis when the invasion starts," Lux stated. "The Six Kingdoms only have a handful of Saints protecting it. I can''t let them fight alone. However, I will split my forces. The Floating Ind will stay here in the territory of the Crystal Pce.


    "They will assist Lady Augustina in dealing with the threats that might endanger this territory."


    Lux owed the Crystal Pce a debt, for they had allowed them to seek asylum to their domain when the Divine Army was hunting them down.


    Although he didn''t believe that the Abyssal Creatures would be able to overpower the Dragons in this invasion, he didn''t want to take any chances. Especially since Aurelia was his lover.


    As for Karshvar Draconis, he believed that the current Dragon King was strong enough to defend his domain.


    Eiko, Avery, and Captain Jack Spawow, who were also in the meeting, were paying close attention to whatever Lux was saying.


    After answering Lady Augustina, the Half-Elf nced at Aina with a serious expression on his face.


    If possible, he wanted her and her family to stay inside his Guild Headquarters to keep them safe.


    However, he knew that she would reject this offer.


    Currently, the Xeno Empire was consolidating their power, and if they abandoned their people during this crucial time, they would lose their respect and loyalty.


    This was very fatal for any King or Emperor because the moment their subjects lost faith in them, their rule would notst for a long time.


    "I will send Asmodeus to help defend the Xeno Empire alongside ten Cmity-Ranked Monsters," Lux stated. "I will also add the King of Exile and his subordinates as your personal protectors. However, if these forces are to be annihted, you and your family must teleport to my Guild Headquarters immediately. Do I make myself clear?"


    Aina nodded her head in understanding. She was beyond thankful that Lux had decided to send forces to help protect their Empire from the Abyssal Invasion, proving how important she was in his heart.


    The Half-Elf then shifted his attention to Princess Anastasia, Lilian, Commander Thoram (Stronghold of Norria), Ken (Guildmaster of the Adventurer''s Guild), and Nevreal, whom he had asked toe to their Guild Headquarters as soon as possible.


    "Lilian, I will send ten Cmity Ranked Monsters to help you defend Leaf Town," Lux stated. "I will also send an additional twenty Cmity-Ranked Monsters to help defend the Kingdom of Gweliven. I would like to send more, but frankly, my forces will be stretched too thin if I do that. I hope you understand that this is the best that I can do at the moment."


    Princess Anastasia, Lilian, Commander Thoram, Ken, and Nevreal all nodded their heads in understanding.


    The Dwarf Princess was feeling very anxious, but she felt a lot better when Lux stated that he would send them Cmity-Ranked Monsters to help defend their Kingdom.


    "Cleo and Sion, I don''t know if any Abyssal Gates will appear in Agartha since it is located at the core of this world. But just in case, I will send twenty Cmity-Ranked Monsters to help defend it. Make sure to inform Aurora''s father about the invasion and make proper arrangements for the Monsters that will help protect your kingdom."


    The two Saints of Agartha nodded their heads to acknowledge Lux''s words.


    Aurora, who was also in the meeting room, had a very anxious look on her face because she was worried about her family. Even so, she hoped that the Kingdom of Agartha would not be invaded by the Abyssal Creatures who had failed to enter their Domain when they first invaded Elysium.


    The Half-Elf then looked at Eiko, Avery, and Captain Jack Spawow. He had some reservations about his Baby Slime, but he believed that she had already grown strong enough to protect herself and those who believed in her.


    "Eiko, as much as I want the two of us to fight together, it is best if we fight separately this time," Lux stated.


    The Baby Slime was surprised after hearing her Papa''s words because she thought that she would be fighting with him during the Abyssal Invasion.


    Her eyes moistened up because she thought that her Papa didn''t want to be with her, but Lux''s next words made her realize that not only did she care about her, but he believed in her as well.

 Chapter 1094 Emergency Meeting [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1094 Emergency Meeting [Part 2]</h4>


    "Eiko, I love you, and I believe in you," Lux said after seeing the teary-eyed Baby Slime. "Because of this, I will need your help to protect the Ford Federation and the Fynn Kingdom."


    "Pa?" Eiko looked at her Papa with a confused look on her face.


    "You are now the leader of the Ford Federation, and people believe in you as well," Lux smiled. "I heard from ckfire that the Boom Boom Church is now one of the biggest religions in the Seven Seas. Is that true?"


    "Pa!" Eiko replied, somewhat feeling proud that she was now a symbol of authority in the Seven Seas.


    Lux nodded. "Good. Then, I ask you to order your Pirate Crew to help protect it. The Saints and Supremes that belong to the Ford Federation will help defend that Domain. I will also give them an additional ten Cmity-Ranked Beast to reinforce their defenses.


    "As for you, I will need you, Avery, and Poseidon to help defend the Fynn Kingdom. It is where our people will migrate to in the future, and we must protect it at all cost. Also, it is your Grandpa''s and Grandma''s kingdom, so you should protect it to the best of your abilities.


    "I will also send twenty Cmity-Ranked Monsters to help you defend it. Make sure to keep it safe."


    Eiko nodded with a determined look on her face. "Pa!"


    Lux smiled. "Good girl."


    Truth be told, the main reason why he didn''t want to let Eiko fight with him was due to Maeve''s vision.


    He didn''t understand what the Oracle meant when she said that he ceased to exist, but if that were to really be a reality, he didn''t want the Baby Slime to suffer the same fate as him.


    After dividing his forces, the Half-Elf still had a little over fifty Cmity-Ranked Monsters that he could summon to fight for him.


    Although he had hundreds of Saints whom ckfire had captured during his rampage in Elysium, he intended to let them return to their respective Kingdoms in order to help defend theirnd in the uing invasion.


    Although this would greatly reduce the number of Power Houses he could summon, he was doing this for the bigger picture.


    The Beast King, who was also in the meeting, was tasked to protect his people from the uing invasion.


    Lux didn''t have enough forces to spare him additional reinforcements, but Dn was already grateful that he was allowed to fight for his homnd.


    Hereswith would help defend Espoir Frieden, where the World Tree was located.


    This was one of the priority targets of the Abyssal Creatures, and having his Master holding the Fort would give Lux some peace of mind.


    The ckrock n, the Dryads, as well as the other representatives of the Wanid Kingdom were also part of the meeting and had been informed of the uing invasion.


    All of them nned to gather at the Ancient City, which was located at the center of their Kingdom, creating a united front.


    Although Lux wanted to send some Cmity-Ranked Monsters to reinforce them, he refrained from doing so.


    Right now, his forces were stretched too thin, and he knew that he couldn''t afford to decrease his personal army even further.


    The only saving grace was that the ckrock n and the Dryads were all part of Heaven''s Gate.


    In the worst-case scenario, all of them could just teleport to the Floating Ind and escape annihtion as ast resort.


    As for the Subi and the Satyrs, all of them would remain on the floating ind to help defend it.


    The Subi were quite worried about Queen Rhiannon, who was the ruler of the 13th Layer of the Abyss.


    But after Lux assured them that Antero was there to protect her, their worries decreased drastically. If the Golem of Destruction was not able to protect Queen Rhiannon, no one would be able to protect her at all.


    They all knew that the Primordial Golem treated the Subus Queen differently, so her safety was ensured.


    Lux also didn''t believe that Queen Rhiannon would join the Abyssal Invasion. His gut instinct was telling him that, although they had a shaky beginning, Queen Rhiannon was now definitely on their side.


    When the meeting ended, Lux summoned his Battle Angel, Seraphina, to make a worldwide announcement.


    He wanted to share the news with every corner of the world. Eriol and Max cooperated, allowing her announcement to be heard in both Sis and Elysium.


    ������������������


    "People of the World, Ie with a message from the Gods. Seven Days from now, the Abyssal invasion will begin. Monsters from the Abyss will appear in our world, and rivers of blood will flow.


    "This is a time when all must work hand in hand to help defend everything that we hold sacred.


    "May fortune favor your valor in the crucible of war, turning every challenge into triumph and adversity into opportunity.


    "For Hearth and Home, victory will be ours!"


    ������������������


    Seraphina''s divine voice spread far and wide, reaching every corner of Elysium and Sis, including the Kingdom of Agartha, which was located deep beneath the Lands of Elysium.


    After the announcement was made, a worldwide panic took ce. But Lux knew that this was for the best.


    There was a saying that Forewarned is Forearmed.


    Even though this worldwide panic was inevitable, the moment things settled down, the rulers of their respectivends would calm down and start preparing for the uing battle.


    Eriol also took an active role in giving Divine Messages to the Priestesses and Seers of thends of Elysium, informing them that the announcement that they all heard was real.


    The Six Kingdoms gathered to have an emergency in Barbatos Academy after the announcement was heard.


    Lux was already there, alongside Alexander and Maximilian.


    Although the Six Kingdoms didn''t want to admit it, in times of hardships, they could only rely on these people to help them ovee the danger that was about to descend upon theirnd.


    Lux only had one thing to say, and that was he couldn''t protect everyone.


    He advised the Six Kingdoms to do the best they could to protect themselves.


    Of course, Lux wasn''t that heartless and promised to assign two Cmity-Ranked Monsters to each Kingdom.


    This was the best he could do for them. As for the rest, they could only pray that a gate would not appear near their territory.


    Lux had also ordered the entirety of Wildgarde Stronghold to seek refuge in Barbatos Academy.


    Maximilian had returned to the Rowan Tribe''s Ancestral Lands in order to bring his people to Barbatos Academy, where the Half-Elf would be stationed as its Protector.


    Eiko, Fei Fei, Glee, and all the Baby Slimes in Leaf Town and in Lux''s Guild Headquarters were stockpiling st Bombs, which Glee and Eiko would turn into tactical nukes.


    The Game-Shin Merchant Guild had decided to bring their people to the Floating Ind and let them stay in the Town of Edea in order to prepare for the uing war against the forces of the Abyss.


    The Divine Army and Memento Mori also announced their participation in this war.


    This made the people of Elysium feel a bit better, knowing that two powerful factions who were once against each other had decided to work together for amon cause.


    While all this was happening, Lux was also making his own preparations for the greatest battle of his life.


    He didn''t know whether Maeve''s vision woulde true or not, but he was certain of one thing.


    Whatever was going to happen, he would be there on the frontlines of war to protect everything that he held sacred in his heart.


    ----------------


    (A/N: Here is the bonus chapter. Cheers!)

 Chapter 1095 Before The World Comes To An End [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1095 Before The World Comes To An End [Part 1]</h4>


    A day after Lux asked Seraphina to make the worldwide announcement, the various Kingdoms and Empires in the two worlds, Elysium and Sis, began to move.


    Those who took the announcement seriously held meetings and rallied their troops.


    Of course, there were other rulers who didn''t take the announcement seriously.


    However, their ministers and generals advised that, even if the message was fake, they should at least make some kind of preparation just in case the announcement was true.


    In the end, these rulers decided to delegate these matters to the people who took the announcement seriously.


    A decision that these rulers would regret in the future.


    ������������������


    Fynn Kingdom��


    The giant Bone Ship, Poseidon, hovered above the capital city of the Fynn Kingdom.


    Eiko was tasked to protect this ce by her Papa, and for this reason, she took it very seriously.


    She already told the Pirates in the Ford Federation about the uing Abyssal Invasion and also assigned the Three Supremes, as well as the other Saints that belonged to that region, to defend it.


    Princess Camilia, who was the temporary Steward of the Fynn Kingdom, had already assigned the Generals, as well as the High-Ranking Nobles, to create temporary evacuation sites where the people could take shelter just in case an Abyssal Gate appeared in their territory.


    Upon hearing the news, the majority of the citizens of the Fynn Kingdom decided to migrate to the capital city, where the strongest powers of the Kingdom were gathered.


    Fortunately, the Fynn Kingdom had an underground shelter beneath its capital city, which the first King of the Kingdom had constructed during his reign.


    Although it wasn''t big enough to amodate all of the citizens of the Kingdom, it still gave others a ce to stay in preparation for the uing invasion.


    ������������������


    Karshvar Draconis��


    "The time has finallye," the Dragon King softly muttered as he stood on the balcony of the Royal Pce.


    His hands were sped behind his back as he looked at the capital city that had stood for thousands of years.


    A momentter, a sigh escaped his lips as he raised his hands.


    The air around him fluctuated as a ripple of power radiated from his body.


    "Rally to me!" the Dragon King shouted.


    His powerful voice was carried by the wind and reached all the Floating Inds that belonged to his kingdom, including the inds of the Outer Reaches.


    Soon, all the floating inds started moving and slowly flew toward the capital city of Rex Lapis.


    In order to ovee the Abyssal Invasion, all of the Dragons and Dragon Borns under his rule must unite and stand as one.


    He would not take this invasion lightly, and he even nned to awaken the Elders of the Dragonkind who had sworn to protect their race from any threats that would endanger their survival.


    Having finished what he needed to do, the Dragon King took a deep breath in order to regain the strength he used when he merged the Floating Inds together.


    Half a minuteter, he nced to his side, where a man, who seemed to be in his early forties and was wearing ck robes, stood with a smile on his face.


    "Appolyon, what are you doing here?" the Dragon King asked in a cold tone.


    The man standing before him was none other than the Supreme Leader of Memento Mori, one of the powerful organizations in the world that no one wanted to offend.


    "There is only one reason why I am here, Azza," Appolyon replied. "I came here for the Dragon Graveyard."


    The Dragon King, Azza, looked at the man in front of him with a calm expression on his face.


    If these were normal times, he would have already attacked the man before him due to the absurdity of his words.


    But the current time was nowhere near normal.


    The previous Dragon King had left a dying will.


    He decreed that if the Abyss were to once again descend into the world, the reigning Dragon King must surrender the Floating Ind, where the Graveyard of the Dragons was located, to the current leader of Memento Mori.


    The number of Power Houses in Elysium had long degraded after the first Abyssal War.


    In order topensate for the disparity in numbers, the dead Dragons must rise to protect the living.


    Azza clenched and unclenched his fists because the Dragon Graveyard was sacred to their race.


    It was the most protected ind in Karshvar Draconis, second only to the Capital City of Rex Lapis, where the Dragon King reigned.


    The reason why it was heavily protected was to ensure that Necromancers couldn''t sneak inside and desecrate the remains of the Dragons, who chose it to be theirst resting ce.


    After a while, the internal battle inside his mind ended.


    Although he was still unwilling, he reluctantly nodded his head.


    "Promise me one thing," Azza said through gritted teeth. "Unless it is ast resort, do not raise the dead of the Dragon Kind."


    Appolyon sighed before nodding his head.


    "You have my word," Appolyon replied.


    The Dragon King then rose towards the sky and made a gesture for Appolyon to follow him.


    Azza knew that, sometimes, sacrifices must be made for the greater good.


    ��������������������������


    Lady Augustina looked at the beautiful elf in front of her with a frown.


    Hereswith had personally asked for an audience with her in order to discuss the possibility of raising the dead Dragons that belonged in the Crystal Pce for the uing war.


    Simr to the Dragon King, Azza, she was very reluctant to agree to this.


    However, she also understood that this was something that would help bolster their forces and help them repel the invaders.


    Also, Hereswith was no ordinary Necromancer.


    She was a Heaven''s Necromancer and Lux''s Grandmaster.


    Since she had a connection with the Half-Elf, who was now Aurelia''s secret lover, Lady Augustina believed that Hereswith wouldn''t do anything that would harm the Crystal Pce or break ties with them.


    If there was one Necromancer that she would allow to enter their Graveyard, it would be none other than Hereswith.


    "Very well," Lady Augustina said. "But, after we win, you will let them get the eternal rest that they deserve."


    "Okay." Hereswith nodded. "You have my word."


    The other Necromancers of Memento Mori were also visiting the Ancient Battlefields all over the world, raising their Undead Armies and increasing their ranks.


    Out of the Seven Stars of Cmity, Memento Mori had only managed to gather five of them.


    Hereswith was able to find one of them, and it was now her contracted Beast.


    After losing Antero, Hereswith had lost one of her most powerful Trump Cards. Even so, the Star of Cmity that was now under hermand would y its role when the Abyssal Monsters invaded theirnds.

 Chapter 1096 Before The World Comes To An End [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1096 Before The World Comes To An End [Part 2]</h4>


    Barbatos Academy��


    Thousands of people had gathered in the city where Barbatos Academy was located.


    These people knew that this was the safest ce among the Six Kingdoms, so they didn''t hesitate to travel far in order to gain the academy''s protection.


    In fact, the members of the Royal Families of the Six Kingdoms, with the exception of their Kings and Queens, had sent all of their children to Barbatos Academy for protection.


    In the case that their Kingdom fell and they perished, their royal bloodline would at least be safe behind the walls of the academy.


    "I wish to fight by Father''s side, but he wanted me to hide in this ce," the Barbarian Prince, Amastan Mordosk, who had been part of Lux''s entourage whenever they challenged the Gates of the Apocalypse, said with a frown. "This is so depressing."


    His sister, Fiora Mordosk, sighed beside him and nodded her head. "Father has his duties, just like we have our own. His duty is to protect our kingdom, while our duty is to stay alive. It can''t be helped."


    They, along with their brothers and sisters, had been ordered to travel to Barbatos Academy and stay there until the Abyssal Invasion was over.


    Simr to their situation, the other Royal Families, including the Elven Royal Family, were also inside the academy grounds.


    Alexander had already prepared their amodation and asked Alicia to tell their guests about the house rules so that there wouldn''t be any quarrels in the future.


    Enlil Neifion, the Sixth Elven Prince of the Elswyth Kingdom, was also feeling restless. However, just like his brothers and sisters, the only thing he could do was behave until the battle was over.


    He hoped beyond hope that the Abyssal Gates would not appear in their Kingdom, allowing the Elven Race to survive this cmity.


    Just as everyone was feeling anxious and restless, they saw a familiar face walking through the academy grounds.


    It was none other than Lux, who had made a name for himself in both Sis and Elysium.


    They had initially known him as Iris'' Stepbrother and only came to know more about him during the Tournament in Barbatos Academy.


    The Half-Elf hade a long way and had surpassed them in strength, power, and influence.


    He was their beacon of hope.


    Although he was just a High-Ranker, weaker than Alexander and Maximilian, the forces under hismand far surpassed the power of the two Saintsbined, making him the strongest person in the Six Kingdoms.


    The Princes of the Six Kingdoms envied him.


    The Princesses adored him.


    Some of thesedies even took the initiative to approach him, including the proud Princesses of the Elves.


    They, who looked down on Half-Elves whom they believed as a stain to their race, were doing their best to gain his recognition and affection.


    Lux, for his part, politely rejected their advances, telling them that he already had many fiances and was no longer looking for more.


    Even so, these proud Princesses, who believed that they were more qualified than Iris to be his lover, didn''t give up.


    However, they understood that they also couldn''t force themselves on him because they still had their pride as members of the Royal Family.


    In the end, they backed away and gave him some space.


    They would wait until the war was over before they tried again to court him and allow their respective kingdoms to gain a backer that could move unhindered in both Elysium and Sis.


    "Someone sure is popr," Cai, who was in her Boar Form, said as she stood beside the Half-Elf. "Those snotty Elven Princesses were practically sticking their breasts to your body. Did it feel good?"


    "Your breasts feel better," Lux replied in a volume that only Cai was able to hear.


    "It''s so hard to tease you when you''re speaking the truth," Cai said with a smug expression on her face. "Are you worried about the uing war?"


    "A bit," Lux replied. "How about you?"


    "Just a bit as well," Cai answered. "Lux, can you see Spirits?"


    "Only the Spirits of the Dead," Lux replied. "Why?"


    Cai didn''t answer right away. Instead, she looked at her fiance, who had countless orbs of different colors sticking to his body.


    In her eyes, Lux looked like a moving snowman because every part of his body, including his clothes, had several spirits clinging onto them.


    These were all Spirits of the various elements, and they had all gathered around Lux as if they were all seeking his protection from the things that might bring them harm.


    "Because, if you could see them right now, you might feel troubled," Cai chuckled.


    The Boar didn''t care to exin what she was seeing, making the Half-Elf arch his eyebrow.


    A momentter, Lux asked Cai a question that was nagging in his mind.


    "Cai, if I were to die, what would you do?" Lux asked.


    "Mmm? Nothing," Cai replied.


    "Nothing? Why?"


    "Because you''re not going to die, duh!"


    The Boar then used her tusk to poke Lux''s body, making thetter take a few steps back in order to evade her poking.


    "I''m just talking about the IF scenario," Lux stated. "What would you do if that happened?"


    "It''s not going to happen, so I don''t need to think about it," Cai answered in a firm tone. "Also, stop talking nonsense. If you say one more word about dying, I''ll go to Iris right now and tell her that neither of us will be sleeping with you for a week. Let''s see if you can endure until then!"


    The Half-Elf could only smile bitterly after hearing Cai''s threat.


    Suddenly, a thought came to his mind.


    "Hey, Cai," Lux said as he cupped the Boar''s face and looked at her with a solemn expression on his face. "You want to have a baby with me? This time, I''ll make it a reality."


    The Boar blinked once then twice as she looked at her lover, who was looking at her with a serious gaze.


    "I don''t want to," Cai replied. "You promised me that you would give me your baby after two to three years, so we will stick to that condition. You better not kick the bucket before then, you hear me? I''m too young to be a widow."


    Lux sighed before reluctantly releasing Cai''s head from his grasp.


    "Very well," Lux replied. "You better prepare yourself because, when the promised timees, I''ll make sure that you will conceive my child."


    "Mmm, I look forward to that day as well." Cai nodded. "But, Lux, why are you talking like this? Is there something on your mind?"


    Lux shook his head. "No. I''m just being stupid. Don''t mind me, Cai. Let''s sleep together tonight with Iris."


    "Okay." Cai nodded. "Make sure to rest earlyter, and don''t keep us waiting."


    After saying those words, the Boar walked away from him in search of Iris.


    The Half-Elf watched her back until she entered the academy, disappearing from his view.


    Left with nothing to do, he flew above the academy to check the surroundings. Everyone was doing something to prepare for the uing war, which was a good thing.


    As he scanned his surroundings, he found a pink-haireddy, sitting on top of the clock tower of the academy.


    Having sensed his gaze upon her, Aurora waved at Lux and motioned for him toe to her side.


    Lux felt something tug at his heartstrings upon seeing the youngdy, who had followed him from Agartha.


    ''I guess it''s about time we take thatst step,'' Lux thought as he flew toward Aurora.


    Deep inside his heart, he didn''t want to believe Maeve''s words. However, he couldn''t dismiss it either.


    This was why he had been feeling restless since a day ago, and his heart had still not calmed down since then.


    If what the Oracle saw really came to pass, Lux would definitely leave behind the people that he held dear in his heart.


    So, in order to not have any regrets, he intended to spend as much time as possible with them��


    Before the world came to an end.

 Chapter 1097 Beneath The Moonlight, And The Starry Skies [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1097 Beneath The Moonlight, And The Starry Skies [Part 1]</h4>


    "This ce is beautiful," Aurora said softly as she looked at the field of flowers that surrounded ake.


    An hour before sunset, Lux had brought her to this ce in order to spend some time with her, as well as to help him temporarily forget the Oracle''s cryptic words.


    Lux identally found this ce while he was flying between Barbatos Academy and Wildgarde Stronghold, and it reminded him of the dream that he had a few days ago.


    In that dream, He, Aina, and Aurora were looking at two little girls, whom the Half-Elf believed to be his daughters.


    Although this wasn''t the exact ce that he saw in his dream, it was still a beautiful ce, and the moon reflected on the Lake''s surface made it even more enchanting.


    Soon, the sound of violin and lyre reached Aurora''s ears.


    The two little Skeletons, Zeke and Zane, were ying the instruments as Lux walked toward Aurora and bowed to her.


    "Mydy, would you honor me with this dance?" Lux asked.


    Aurora smiled before doing a curtsy. "It will be my pleasure."


    Lux then ced his right hand on Aurora''s waist and held her hand with his left.


    The two then started to dance, following the rhythm of the music.


    Small particles of lights flew several meters away from them, illuminating their surroundings.


    While this was happening, Diablo was lighting the candles on top of the table, while Revon arranged the tes and the cutlery.


    Lux had snuck into the kitchen of Barbatos Academy in order to prepare this simple yet romantic candlelight dinner for two.


    He didn''t want to have any regrets in life, so he decided to make this night special for Aurora and him.


    With the moon and stars as their audience, the two continued to dance until Zane and Zeke yed the third song.


    The moment it ended, the two stared at each other for a few seconds before Lux lowered his head to kiss Aurora''s lips.


    He kissed her three times, each kisssting for a few seconds, and the Half-Elf pulled back.


    A faint blush appeared on Aurora''s cheeks because she found Lux''s gentleness and sweetness very endearing.


    The Half-Elf then guided Aurora toward the table, which she didn''t notice right away.


    Standing beside the table were Diablo and Revon. Both were ready to assist them in any way that they could.


    The dishes were alreadyid out, so all they needed to do was eat. There was also a bottle of wine being chilled at the side, ready to be consumed anytime.


    When Lux asked her toe with him, she didn''t expect that he would do something like this, making her heart feel warm and fluffy inside.


    The two ate and chatted in a lively manner, while Zane and Zeke continued to serenade both of them from the side.


    Sensing that it was time, Diablo uncorked the bottle of wine and poured the two of them a ss each.


    He then moved to the side and stood in silence, watching his Master enjoy this romantic moment with his lover.


    As Lux''s First Born, Diablo could feel the anxiety that Lux was trying to bury in his heart.


    He might not have the power to see the future, but there was one thing he was certain of.


    Anyone who wished to harm his Master must get past him first.


    Lux''s Undead Legion shared this sentiment.


    "Don''t drink too much, Aurora," Lux said in concern because the pink-haired beauty had already drank five sses of wine, and he didn''t know if his lover had high tolerance to it or not.


    Lux himself only drank two of them, and although he wasn''t tipsy, his face had a slight tinge of red in it.


    "Mmm," Aurora hummed as she ced the empty ss on top of the table.


    Unlike Lux, her face was flushed. And under the candlelight, it made her look more seductive than usual.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not drunk."


    *Hic*


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched after hearing the youngdy''s hup.


    He then nced at Diablo and Revon and told them to no longer give Aurora wine, which made thetter pout.


    "J-Just one more, okay?" Aurora pleaded as she tried to reach the bottle of wine on the table, which Diablo hurriedly took away from her reach.


    "No," Lux replied. "You already have enough."


    "Boo!"


    Lux could only shake his head helplessly, seeing that his lover''s inhibition had been loosened by the wine.


    He helped Aurora stand up and supported her body before walking toward theke, hand in hand with her.


    When they were several meters away from theke, Lux summoned a couch, into which he helped his drunk lover sit, and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder.


    Diablo, Revon, Zane, and Zeke cleaned up the table before disappearing from sight.


    They had already yed their part, and it was now time to leave their Masters alone, allowing the two to create a memorable night together.


    The reflection of the moon on theke was beautiful, but the two weren''t paying any attention to it.


    Perhaps emboldened by the wine she drank, Aurora took the initiative to kiss Lux.


    Her kisses started with small pecks, gradually turning into passionate kisses that made both of their bodies heat up.


    Aurora might not know a lot of things, but she understood why Lux had prepared this romantic setting for her.


    Feeling his love and affection, the youngdy who had once been cast away by her own father into the Pantheon of Exile was now starting to open her heart once again.


    Lux''s sensual touch ignited the sleeping desire thaty dormant within Aurora''s body.


    As someone who had subus blood running through her veins, the beautiful youngdy was able to see the many forms of love that the Half-Elf had for thedies, who held a special ce in his heart.


    Aurora had seen them all, experienced them all, and she loved them all.


    Perhaps, among Lux''s lovers, she was the only one who fully understood the Half-Elf''s feelings toward them.


    And now, her time had finallye.


    Just like her Sisters, who had given their heart and body to him, she was finally ready to take that final step and im her rightful ce in his heart.

 Chapter 1098 Beneath The Moonlight, And The Starry Skies [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1098 Beneath The Moonlight, And The Starry Skies [Part 2]</h4>


    (Disimer: *wink wink* )


    Lux felt as if his breath was taken away the moment he saw Aurora''s naked body illuminated by the moonlight.


    Her pink eyes glowed faintly with power as her subus blood stirred within her heart.


    Currently, she was straddling Lux, and her passionate gaze, devoid of shyness, made him subconsciously swallow his saliva due to how sensual she looked.


    Without saying a word, Aurora cupped his face and kissed him passionately before pulling back.


    She then wrapped her hands at the back of his head, pulling him to her chest.


    He didn''t resist her and opened his lips to suckle her right breast, while his left hand groped and kneaded the other.


    She had seen and felt this sensation many times when she was peeking at the Half-Elf''s lovemaking with his other lovers.


    But having the same thing done to her feltpletely different. Aurora didn''t know that it was her Subus Blood that made her body very sensitive, amplifying the euphoria that was washing over her body.


    She felt this more strongly when Lux rested his hand on her hips and lowered them slowly.


    Instead of pain, a sigh of pleasure escaped her seductive lips.


    Two small horns grew out of the top of her head, and a tail with a spade-like tip appeared behind her.


    The moment she lost her maidenhood, her Subus power awakened in full, making Lux?nk out for a few seconds as his member moved deeper inside of her.


    Perhaps, knowing that her lover had fallen into a daze, she bit his neck like a vampire but didn''t draw any blood.


    The pain broke Lux out of his trance, and it resulted in him feeling extreme pleasure that surpassed even the Subus Queen''s sexual prowess.


    Lux had no idea that, the moment a Subus offered her chastity to a man, that person would be marked by her, raising his sensitivity to the very limits.


    Simply put, a single touch was enough to put an ordinary person to the peak of pleasure, making him lose control over his body.


    As if teasing her lover, Aurora shook her hips lightly. But, that was more than enough for Lux to lose control of his senses, making him release his seed and marking her as his woman.


    The release was so powerful that it was also painful.


    It was as if Aurora had sucked up everything he had to offer, with the exception of his soul.


    Despite the fact that his member was buried deep inside her, his essence, mixed with the blood of her innocence, overflowed and stained her thighs, making Aurora sigh in happiness and satisfaction.


    Lux couldn''t believe that he had alreadye without even doing anything.


    Even now, he felt as if Aurora had milked him to thest drop, leaving nothing behind.


    "Don''t worry," Aurora said softly as she cupped her lover''s face. "You will regain your strength soon, I promise."


    After saying those words, she lightly bit her tongue, drawing blood.


    She then kissed his lips, her tongue entering his mouth.


    The Half-Elf tasted blood, and with it, a warm sensation spread inside his body.


    He felt rejuvenated, and his member, which was about to go limp after releasing everything it had inside of Aurora, hardened like a rock.


    "Try tost longer this time, okay?" Aurora said in a teasing tone after she pulled back from the kiss. "Don''t worry. We will continue until you are able to match me."


    Lux held Aurora''s gaze as the fire of determination burned in his eyes. He had to admit that he didn''t expect this turn of events, but he didn''t feel too bad about it either.


    This was his first time with Aurora, and he wanted both of them to enjoy it to the fullest. Since his lover wanted him to make her feel good, he wouldply and give her a night that she would never forget in her life.


    A minuteter, Aurora''s sweet sighs reverberated in the quiet night.


    Beneath the moonlight and the starry skies,


    Two hearts intertwined, staring at each other with loving eyes.


    A promise was whispered, soft and clever,


    Vowing eternal love,sting forever.


    ����������������������


    The Half-Elf looked at Aurora''s sleeping face with a gentle gaze.


    He had just woken up a minute ago, and the first thing he saw was his lover, sleeping peacefully beside him.


    Both of themid in the field of flowers, with only a nket covering their naked bodies.


    The sun had peeked over the horizon, casting its first rays of lights upon the world.


    Looking at his beloved, Lux wondered if this was what Adam had felt when he woke up beside Eve in the Garden of Eden.


    Not wanting to wake her up, he simply held her close, feeling her skin touch his own.


    Aurora''s body was warm, and hugging her felt very good. Due to the nket that was covering her body, Lux was unable to see the marks that he had left on her seductive body during their lovemaking.


    ''Making love to her can be very dangerous,'' Lux thought as he remembered what had transpired a few hours ago. ''More dangerous than doing it with the Subus Queen.''


    Lux had his doubts about Aurora''s striking resemnce to Queen Rhiannon, who was currently in the 13th Level of the Abyss.


    But, after seeing the two small horns that were still on her head and the tail that he was touching right now, he had confirmed his suspicion that the two of them might be rted to each other.


    The Half-Elf was lost in his thoughts as he fiddled with the spade-like tip of Aurora''s tail, so he didn''t notice that the youngdy''s eyes started to flutter.


    A few secondster, Aurora opened her eyes and looked at the Half-Elf, who had just realized that the young beauty was already awake.


    "It tickles," Aurora said softly. "Don''t bully my tail."


    "I''m not bullying it," Lux replied as he moved the spade-like tip towards his lips and kissed it. "See?"


    "Mmm," Aurora snuggled closer to him, burying her head into his chest.


    Seeing that his lover wanted to be hugged, he reluctantly released her tail and wrapped her in a loving embrace.


    "You were amazingst night," Lux said softly. "Maybe I should get you drunk more often."


    "asionally is good," Aurora replied. "But you should have removed the Evesting Ringst night."


    "You know I can''t do that." Lux nted a kiss on her forehead. "At least, not yet."


    Aurora rubbed the Half-Elf''s chest lovingly before raising her head to look at him.


    "Now that you are sated and more rxed, it is time to tell me what has been bothering you," Aurora said. "I sensed your restlessness since yesterday, and I want to know what is making you feel that way."


    Lux didn''t expect that Aurora would be able to sense his anxiety. He thought that he had managed to hide it from his lovers, but it seemed that he had underestimated how strong the Half-Subus'' perception was.


    "I can tell you, but promise me one thing," Lux stated with a solemn expression on his face. "You will not tell anyone else, okay?"


    "Okay." Aurora nodded. "I promise."


    The Half-Elf took a deep breath before telling Aurora about Maeve''s vision. Her expression, which was as calm as ake earlier, remained as it was until Lux finished telling her everything.


    In the end, Aurora didn''t say anything after her lover''s exnation had ended.


    She simply held Lux tightly, as if she was afraid that he would vanish without a trace.

 Chapter 1099 Abyssal Invasion [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1099 Abyssal Invasion [Part 1]</h4>


    Days passed swiftly as everyone prepared for the promised date.


    Lux was able to step on the Ranks of an S-Ranker after gathering an extreme amount of Beast Cores from Barbatos Academy, Fynn Kingdom, Espoir Frieden, the Crystal Pce, and the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands.


    Something like this had never happened in the past, and it was truly unprecedented.


    A Half-Elf, who was only about eighteen years old, had aplished multiple feats that no ordinary person could pull off.


    All of his Named Creatures and members of his Covenant had also increased their ranks.


    For they shared his attributes and grew with him as he became stronger.


    With the exception of Avernus, Diablo, and the others had now all be Empyrean Ranked Alpha Monsters.


    He had done everything within his power, and now he stood on the ramparts of Barbatos Academy, looking at the setting sun with a calm expression on his face.


    Keane and Gerhart stood beside him.


    They had trained hard for this day, and even the green-haired Half-Elf had temporarily set aside his quarrel with the Elven Kingdom and chose to fight by Lux''s side in this battle that would descend upon Elysium and Sis.


    Alexander, Vera, Maximilian, Keane''s Master, and two old men stood side by side.


    These two old men were the two reclusive Saints of the Six Kingdoms, with the oldest of them being the Founder of Barbatos Academy.


    Kean''s Master, whom people simply referred to as Void or The Void was a Pseudo-Saint.


    Although he still hadn''t stepped onto the Saint Rank, his techniques and fighting prowess were equivalent to one.


    "To think that a day woulde when we would have to rely on the children to help us ovee a cmity," the oldest Saint in the group said with a sigh. "The times have changed."


    The other Saints could only nod their heads in agreement with his words.


    The six of them were the strongest people within the Six Kingdoms, and yet, the one whom they were depending on was a Half-Elf who was only about to turn eighteen.


    They found this quite humbling, but they were very d that Lux chose to stay in Sis to help defend the Six Kingdoms from a possible invasion.


    Aside from the soldiers and other fighters, everyone was evacuated to the underground shelters that had been expanded under Barbatos Academy.


    Iris, Cai, and Aurora were also in the shelter, and they would serve as thest line of defense, in case things went south.


    If an Abyssal Gate were to appear within the Six Kingdoms, Lux, Keane, Gerhart, Alexander, and Maximilian would move forward and kill as many Abyssal Creatures as they could.


    Vera, the Barbarian Saint, as well as the Old Man who was the founder of Barbatos Academy, would stay to defend the fort and ensure that the people would be safe from harm.


    Maeve and Hana stood behind Lux as they gazed at the sun that was slowly sinking beneath the horizon.


    Just as thest rays of light were about to disappear, they felt it.


    A powerful fluctuation rippled near the Barbarian Territory, which meant that an Abyssal Gate was spawning in that direction.


    Without another word, Lux summoned Avernus.


    He and the rest of the vanguard jumped on the Dracolich''s back as they headed toward the Abyssal Gate in haste.


    "Hyper Drive!" Hana shouted as she opened a Spatial Gate that would allow Avernus to travel at great speed and reach the location where the Abyssal Gate had spawned.


    Hana had prepared several Anchors within the Six Kingdoms, allowing her to instantly teleport anyone who was part of their group with ease.


    As soon as they arrived, they saw a fifty-meter-tall Purple Portal that emitted an otherworldly presence.


    Without any hesitation, Lux summoned his Undead Legion, his Covenant, as well as all the Cmity-Ranked Beasts that were currently with him.


    After splitting his forces to help his allies, Lux only had a little more than sixty Cmity-Ranked Monsters under hismand.


    Each of them was emitting a powerful Aura that boosted the morale of their group.


    Aside from them, there was one more Monster that stood at the forefront of Lux''s Cmity-Ranked Monsters.


    This Monster was a Demigod Monster that Lux had created using the body of Andras, who once tried to invade the 13th Layer of the Abyss with the intention of making Queen Rhiannon his woman.


    After using the Undead Generator Skill, a Unique Monster was created.


    It was a Strigoi.


    One of the most bloodthirsty Undead in existence, and their sole purpose was to kill everything that stood in their way.


    Strigois were vampires, but the one that Lux created was more simr to a Werewolf.


    Even so, it didn''t matter.


    What he needed was a killing machine, and he got what he wanted.


    A Demigod, who was not only deadly and fast but also became stronger the more it drank the blood of its victims, increasing its vitality.


    Thousands of Undead Monsters rose from the ground as the Half-Elf nted a dozen Tombstones that spawned an infinite number of Elder Zombies and Mummies as long as they remained erected.


    As if waiting for that cue, countless Abyssal Demons and Monsters emerged from the portal en masse.


    These Demons thought that after crossing over to the other side of the Abyss, they would be able toy waste on the helpless people who wouldn''t be prepared for their invasion.


    Unfortunately for them, not only was everyone aware of their ns, but they had also made adequate preparations in order to thwart them.


    "Kill!" Lux ordered and, immediately, the Lich Revenants and the Skeleton Nightstalkers unleashed a deadly volley of death upon the enemies, instantly killing the weaker Abyssal Monsters.


    A chaotic riot unfolded, but everyone knew that this was just the beginning of the true battle that was about to unfold.


    ��������������


    Elysium��


    The Dragon King, Azza, unleashed his Dragon Breath, decimating all the monsters that were crossing over from the portal.


    These pitiful Monsters turned into ashes before they could even do anything.


    "Everyone, give them hell!" Azza ordered.


    Behind him, countless Dragons unleashed their Dragon Breath towards the portal with the intention of destroying it.


    However, they all knew that this was impossible.


    But they did this for a reason.


    The Abyssal Gate wasn''t a one-way thing. Just like the creatures that were able to cross over to their world, the denizens of Elysium and Sis could cross over to their side as well, bringing the battle into the Abyss.


    However, they didn''t do that.


    Instead, they intended to annihte anything that was behind the Purple Portal about to intrude upon their world.


    While the Dragons were able to gain the upper hand in their battlefield, some ces weren''t that lucky.


    In the North-Western Region of Elysium, Nyathotep was having the time of his life.


    After crossing through the portal, he found himself in the Kingdom of Halflings, who didn''t make enough preparations for the uing war.


    This was one of the Kingdoms who had snubbed Seraphina''s worldwide announcement, refusing to believe her warnings.


    Because of this, their Capital City easily fell because their defenders were not concentrated in one ce.


    But, even if they had prepared��


    Even if they had heeded Seraphina''s warnings, the possibility of them winning against the Outer God, Nyathotep, was slim.


    "Hahaha!" The Outer Godughed as he used his power to manipte all the people in the city, turning them all into crazed mortals whose madness knew no bounds.


    He made them all fight against and kill each other.


    Fathers killing their children.


    Wives killing their husbands.


    It was a maddening scene, and Nyathotep''s crazedughter drowned out the cries of the Halflings whom he forced to witness the destruction that he orchestrated.


    "More!" Nyathotep shouted. "Suffer more! Sacrifice yourselves in my name!"


    The Outer God''s madness was infectious, turning all the Abyssal Creatures that had apanied him to Elysium into sadistic monsters, who wanted nothing more than to see destruction reign supreme.

 Chapter 1100 Abyssal Invasion [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1100 Abyssal Invasion [Part 2]</h4>


    The ck-Robed Man watched as the countless Abyssal Creatures in front of him entered the purple portal in great numbers.


    There were some spells and elemental arrows that managed to pass over to their side, making the man smile.


    ''So they are trying to resist,'' the ck-Robed Man thought. ''But it doesn''t matter. They will not be able to stop the inevitable.''


    Currently, only the small fries were going through the purple portal.


    Rank 4 up to Deimos-Ranked Monsters were the only ones passing through the gates because this was what he had ordered everyone to do.


    He wanted to give people despair by slowly increasing the might of the creatures passing over to Sis, making them all lose hope.


    The ck-Robed Man hated Sis with a vengeance.


    He had been chosen by the Gods to save the world, but after deciding to ascend to Godhood in order to gain the power to change its fate, its denizens rebelled against him.


    Even the Goddess, who had personally picked him from the masses, sacrificed her life in order to stop his ascension.


    Although the ritual had failed, the Champion had still turned into a Pseudo-God, which was a level higher than a Demigod.


    The only problem was that he could only remain in the Abyss because the Goddess had imbued his body with a powerful Law that prevented him from crossing over to Elysium and Sis.


    Because of this, he decided to send the Abyssal Horde to Sis and Elysium as his way of enacting his vengeance.


    As the minutes passed, more and more Abyssal Monsters entered the portal.


    But as if his patience had run thin, one of the Demigod Nobles roared as he jumped toward the portal with the intention of killing anyone who was waiting for him on the other side.


    A frown appeared on the ck-Robe Man''s face, but in the end, he didn''t say anything.


    Seeing his reaction, some of the Demigods, who were also waiting for their turn, nced at each other.


    "Since Briarz had entered the portal, I guess we will not get a chance to kill anyone," one of the Demigods said.


    "Let him do what he wants." Another Demigod shrugged. "It''s not like we won''t have our turn. The world of Sis is big, and he will not be able to annihte every living creature there in a day."


    The other Demigods nodded their heads in agreement. Because of this, all of them decided to wait until the small fries had all passed through the Portal before they, too, stepped into the world of Sis, whom their new Master wished to destroy at all costs.


    ��������������������


    Six Kingdoms in Sis��


    "Hahaha! Hear me, Mortals! I am Briarz! And I will be your doom!"


    The four-meter tall Demigod, who looked like a Blue Minotaur shouted.


    Blue mes were circling around his body, making him look more threatening than he already was.


    A nce was enough to tell him that the ce where he appeared had some decent defenders who were able to hold back the Vanguard of their invasion.


    But, just as he was about to join the fray, something fast, almost resembling a blur, pounced on him.


    Before he could even do anything, Briarz found himself being sent flying by a blow that could have easily killed anyone below the Demigod Rank.


    Everything happened so fast that the Blue Minotaur didn''t even know what hit him!


    ''Damn!'' Briarz cursed internally as his body crashed to the ground.


    Even so, it didn''t take long before he stood up and faced whatever creature dared to sneak attack him.


    "What are you?" Briarz narrowed his gaze as he looked at the Werewolf-like creature, whose entire body was as ck as the night.


    The Strigoi''s blood-red eyes locked itself on its opponent''s body, as his razor sharps fangs, which was dyed with the blood of the foes it had vanquished, extended.


    "Just a mindless beast." Briarz snorted as he summoned his Great Axe. "Come!"


    But, just as he was preparing to fight against the Strigoi in front of him, Avernus descended from the sky and unleashed a Dragon Breath toward the Demigod.


    Briarz clicked his tongue before dodging the attack that came from the sky. He didn''t be a Demigod by ying it safe, and he''d had his fair share of battles.


    The Rulers of the Abyss were battle-hardened Warriors.


    All of them were strong. A weak leader would not be able to hold their position for long, especially in the Abyss, where each Abyssal Lord was out for the others'' throats.


    Although Briarz had sessfully dodged Avernus'' attack, the Strigoi had used this opportunity to unleash a barrage of attacks that pushed the Blue Minotaur back.


    Wounds started to appear on his body as he tried to dodge, block, and deflect the Strigoi''s quick attacks, which were aiming to deal as much damage as possible.


    The battle raged around them, and each of their strikes resulted in mini shockwaves, decimating any creature that dared toe near their battlefield.


    While this was happening, Luxmanded his forces and continued to decimate the Abyssal Army.


    Alexander, Maximilian, Keane, and Gerhart had also joined the fray, killing as many monsters as they could and staying away from the battle of the two Demigods who could easily turn them into meatpaste if they weren''t careful.


    Avernus and the Strigoi were ganging up on their enemy, but Briarz wasn''t an easy opponent to defeat.


    Lux knew that the Demigod wouldn''t be the first or thest Power House that would enter Sis from the gate, which made him frown.


    Taking a deep breath, Lux took a step forward and instantly appeared in front of the Purple Portal.


    His movement caught the attention of Avernus, Alexander, Maximilian, Keane, and Gerhart.


    They understood what Lux was trying to do, so they decided to believe in him.


    The Half-Elf knew that he couldn''t remain passive because it would only worsen their situation in the long run.


    Because of this, he decided to take the chance and bring the battle to their enemy''s home turf.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know what awaited him on the other side, but he wasn''t too worried.


    In each of his hands was a st Bomb.


    They looked like the ordinary st Bombs that Eiko usually tossed at her enemies.


    However, the ones in Lux''s possession were no ordinary st Bombs.


    They were Nuclear-Level st bombs, and with them, he nned to decimate everything and anything that was waiting for him on the other side of the Abyssal Portal.

 Chapter 1101 Abyssal Invasion [Part 3]

    <h4>Chapter 1101 Abyssal Invasion [Part 3]</h4>


    "Something is wrong," one of the Demigods that was waiting for his turn to enter the portal said with a frown.


    "Indeed," another Demigodmented. "A person is about to enter here from Sis."


    "Such a stupid move." A Demigod with a single horn on his headmented. "I''m sure he will piss his pants the moment he sees what is waiting for him on this side of the portal."


    The Demigods chuckled because they found this fact amusing.


    "Stand aside," the Demigod with a single horn on his head stated. "I''ll personally deal with this stupid individual."


    Without another word, he leaped high through the air andnded dozens of meters away from the Purple Portal.


    He then crossed his hands over his chest and sneered. He really wanted to see how the trespasser would react after seeing that he had made the biggest mistake in his life.


    A momentter, Lux appeared in front of them.


    When he saw that there were countless Abyssal Creatures waiting for him on the other side, a frown appeared on his face.


    He had already sensed that there were several Demigods in the surroundings, including the one-horned Demon that was looking at him with a sneer stered on his face.


    "Wee, Mortal, to the Abyss," the One-Horned Demon said. "I will give you exactly five seconds to kneel and beg for mercy. If you do that, I will consider making you one of my ves. Aren''t I benevolent?"


    Lux ignored the One-Horned Demon''s words and continued to scan the surroundings.


    He could feel someone stronger than the Demon in front of him, and he was confirming if he was just imagining things or not.


    Seeing that the Mortal wasn''t paying any attention to him, the other Demigodsughed at the One-Horned Demigod, making thetter''s face turn red in anger.


    "Foolish Half-Elf!" the One-Horned Demon growled. "Since you do not wish to kneel for mercy then it''s time for you to di��"


    Just before the One-Horned Demon could finish his words, Lux threw the two st Bombs in his hand towards the Demigod before summoning Hana to his side.


    Without another word, the Fox Lady grabbed her Master and used her spatial magic to teleport several times in quick session to distance themselves from the explosion that would soon take ce.


    Angered by Lux''s actions, the One-Horned Demigod used his hand to sh at the two st Bombs that were flying in his direction.


    He didn''t take the two projectiles too seriously because he didn''t believe that anything that Half-Elf possessed could hurt him.


    That was a mistake.


    A very big mistake.


    As soon as his hands made contact with the two st Bombs, they exploded.


    The Abyssalnd shook, and an eruption that extended for miles instantly annihted any monster below the Cmity Rank.


    Even after using several spatial jumps, Lux and Hana were still blown away by the aftermath of the explosion.


    Fortunately, the impact wasn''t that strong, so neither of them received any injuries.


    The two stared at the mushroom cloud in the distance, and waited for a full minute before going back to look for survivors.


    A scene of carnage appeared in front of them.


    The One-Horned Demigod stood in the center of a giant crater, with half of his body burned to a crisp.


    He had received a very fatal injury, and it was only a matter of time before he perished.


    The One-Horned Demigod didn''t think that he would die this kind of death. Everything happened so fast, and before he knew it, his world was bathed in zing mes, annihting anything in its path.


    Eiko''s st Bombs had been modified to be able to seriously injure any Demigod Creature it came in contact with.


    But, the main reason why the One-Horned Demon was dying was not only due to its destructive power.


    Lux had imbued the two st Bombs with his Divine Abyssal Touch, raising its lethality to the next level.


    Even if the Demigod had managed to survive the Nuclear-Level-Explosion, his soul would?suffer serious injuries from it.


    And, this was exactly what had happened with the One-Horned Demigod.


    After looking at the Half-Elf for thest time, the Demigod''s body swayed as he fell on the ground.


    It was at that moment when a ck Coffin appeared and devoured the precious Demigod that would be Lux''s future powerhouse.


    The other Demigods, who managed to survive the st, looked at the Half-Elf with caution in their eyes.


    Their bodies hadn''t received any injuries because they were able to react in time, but their souls were a bit shaken by the aftermath of the explosion.


    After seeing that the number of Abyssal Monsters had been greatly reduced, Lux threw two more st Bombs, aiming at the ces where the survivors had gathered.


    The Demigods and the Cmity-Ranked Monsters that had managed to defend themselves on time, immediately retreated because their lives depended on it.


    Those that managed to survive the first st were unable to run, even if they wanted to.


    Their injuries were severe and there was no hope for them to escape a second time.


    The 70th Floor of the Abyss shook as the two st Bombs detonated in two separate locations.


    Just like what they did earlier, Lux once again escaped alongside Hana, using hit and run tactics against their stronger opponents.


    Lux might be an S-Ranker, but he couldn''t possibly fight several Demigods head-on.


    Because of this, he nned to reduce their numbers as much as possible, and fight them after they had received serious injuries from Eiko''s st Bombs.


    "Did we get them all?" Lux asked Hana, who was observing the scorched battlefield with her spatial magic.


    "Yes," Hana replied. "But, just as expected, fighting Demigods is tough. The only saving grace is that they are now reluctant to face you head-on, in fear of Eiko''s st Bombs."


    Lux smiled after hearing the beautiful foxdy''s report. This was exactly what he was aiming for.


    As long as the Demigods were reluctant to fight him, he would gain the upper hand in this battle.


    But, his smile disappeared when he felt a powerful force sweep away the ck smoke that had covered the battlefield.


    The Half-Elf stared at a man wearing ck Robes, who was staring back at him with a frown.


    "You��," the ck-Robed Man said as he pointed at Lux. "You came from Earth, right?"


    Although the two of them were a distance away from each other, he and Hana could hear the man''s words crystal clear.


    "I see." Lux narrowed his eyes. "You must be that Champion who tried to ascend into Godhood."


    The ck-Robed Man snorted. "The name is Daniel. Remember this, for I will be the one to end your life. Make sure to give your Gods my regards after I send you to the afterlife."


    The Half-Elf could feel a strong aura emanating from Daniel, which made his body stiffen due to how oppressive it was.


    Hana, who was standing beside him couldn''t help but shudder after sensing a power that transcends that of a Demigod.


    Her Master had already informed her that the one that was holding one of the Pirs of Eternity was someone that had tried to ascend into Godhood in the past but failed.


    Now that she was seeing the person that her Master had talked about, she felt as if she was staring at the personification of Death itself.


    She had a feeling that no matter how many st Bombs Lux threw at Daniel, none of them would be able to reach him due to the sheer power that was emanating from his body.

 Chapter 1102 Abyssal Invasion [Part 4]

    <h4>Chapter 1102 Abyssal Invasion [Part 4]</h4>


    ''Let''s ignore him for now,'' Lux said to Hana through telepathy. ''Let''s deal with the other Demigods first. They must not be allowed to enter the Portal.''


    The Half-Elf knew that even in their weakened state, the Saints that were fighting on Sis would be unable to fight against them due to the disparity in rank.


    If he hadn''t divided his forces, he might have managed to subdue them faster. But, he was also thankful that he had split his forces.


    Right now, he was fighting against a Pseudo-God.


    A being that was stronger than a Demigod.


    Just as they were about to teleport and target the other Demigods, Lux and Hana found themselves stuck in ce.


    It was as if they were in a quagmire that they couldn''t get away from, greatly restricting their movements.


    Hana was rmed because she was unable to use her Spatial Ability to teleport the two of them away to safety.


    Sensing that he would have to forcefully break away from their predicament, Lux decided to use his strongest ability.


    "Deus Gigantia!"


    A gigantic Skeleton King that stood over a hundred meters tall appeared behind the Half-Elf.


    The gem on its chest glowed faintly and transported the Half-Elf, as well as Hana, inside of it.


    "Hoh~ not bad," Daniel said as he looked at the towering Skeleton King. "But, not good enough.''


    Without another word, he raised his hand and the dozens of Demigods that had tried to escape earlier, were instantly teleported to his side.


    "If all of you don''t want to die, fight him," Daniel ordered. "Those who run away will be killed by my hand."


    The Demigods were very reluctant to fight Lux because they didn''t want to suffer the same fate as the One-Horned Demigod that had underestimated their opponent.


    However, none of them also dared to defy Daniel, who could kill them with a snap of his finger, especially after they were forced to submit to him.


    The Pseudo-God had embedded a powerful seal in their hearts, which he could activate at any given time.


    Just a thought was enough for this seal to obliterate their hearts, killing them from the inside out.


    Left with no other alternatives, all the Demigods charged at Lux with the intention of dying alongside him.


    After bing an S-Ranker, the Skeleton King had be a Peak-Cmity Ranked World Boss.


    Although it had be a lot stronger, it was simply no match against a dozen Demigods, despite the fact that they had suffered soul injuries from Eiko''s st Bombs.


    But, that was fine.


    This was the perfect scenario that Lux was waiting for.


    "Hana, now!" Lux ordered.


    The Fox Lady nodded and grabbed hold of Lux''s body.


    A momentter, they disappeared from the blue gem that was located on the chest of the Skeleton King.


    Even without Lux, the Skeleton King had no problems moving autonomously.


    Its Master''s safety was its priority, so not having him around was a good thing, especially because of what it was about to do.


    The moment the Demigods was about to crush its body, the Skeleton King detonated the st Bombs that Lux had ced in different parts of its body, creating a world-shaking-eruption that nearly split the 70th Floor apart.


    Lux had used dozens of Nuclear-Level st Bombs, emptying more than half of his stock.


    He couldn''t allow a single Demigod to survive, so he took the gamble, and prayed for it to seed.


    The 70th Floor was covered in hellish mes the likes it had never seen before.


    The two explosions that Lux had orchestrated at the beginning of the battle couldn''tpare to the pure, raw destruction that was brought down by dozens of st Bombs, detonating at the same time.


    Lux was even hoping that the explosion was able to injure Daniel at the same time. As long as he was weakened, he might be able to use the rest of his st Bombs to the best of his ability.


    After a few minutes, the raging ze that seemed unending was split apart in half, and dispersedpletely.


    Standing at the hellishndscape of fire, and magma, was none other than Daniel, who looked perfectly fine, despite the fact that none of the Demigods were able to survive.


    ckfire had no opportunity to collect bodies because there were no bodies to collect.


    ''Master, I think we should escape,'' Hana said in an anxious tone. ''We cannot defeat him. It is impossible.''


    ''I understand, Hana,'' Lux replied. ''But, where can we run?''


    ''Master, did you forget?'' Hana said softly. ''He can''t leave the Abyss. If we return to Sis, he will not be able to do anything to us.''


    Lux had momentarily forgotten this fact because of how surprised he was that Daniel had remained free of injury despite everything that had happened.


    He didn''t dare fight the Pseudo-God head-on, and his Deus Gigantia had also been destroyed by the explosion.


    Summoning the Skeleton King had a cooldown time of an hour. Since that was the case, he couldn''t use the same tactic. Also, he didn''t believe that the same trick would work against his opponent.


    ''Let''s go, Hana,'' Lux stated. ''Take me to the portal.''


    ''Yes, Master!'' Hana replied, and immediately used her power to teleport?in front of the Purple Portal, which would let them return to Sis.


    Daniel, who understood what they were nning to do sneered.


    "Since you want to run away then so be it," Daniel stated, making sure that Lux hears it. "I''ll just erase you and Sis at the same time."


    At that exact moment, a silhouette that made Lux and Hana shudder materialized behind the ck-Robed Man.


    Antero and his Skeleton King were the biggest creatures that Lux had seen in his lifetime.


    But, neither of them couldpare to the sheer size of the creature that was hovering behind Daniel.


    For a brief moment, the entirety of the 70th Floor copsed, allowing Lux, and Hana to see the being that made them look like specks of dust in the universe.

 Chapter 1103 Abyssal Invasion [Part 5]

    <h4>Chapter 1103 Abyssal Invasion [Part 5]</h4>


    "Behold, the power that will end all of your futile struggles," Daniel stated. "I didn''t n to use this earlier since I thought that simply destroying Sis without making the people inside of it suffer would be boring. But, you made me change my mind."


    The silhouette of the grotesque creature behind Daniel slowly opened the single eye on its body.


    "Keoza!" Lux roared as he activated the Dragon Token in his hand.


    Deep inside, he knew that even with the Crystal Dragon''s help, fighting against such a thing was impossible. However, he still decided to try, knowing that if he didn''t ask for his help onest time, he would never get an opportunity to use it again.


    The Crystal Dragon roared and appeared behind Lux.


    Keoza was at least fifty meters tall, and his Rank had jumped to the peak of the Demigod Rank.


    Every time the Dragon Token was used, Keoza was able to slowly regain his former powers from his peak.


    Staring at the Outer God, whom even the Gods dared not to face, the Crystal Dragon spread its wings wide and roared in defiance.


    "Lux, listen to me," Keoza stated. "No matter what happens, we must not let that Outer God''s attack reach Sis."


    "You know about him?" Lux asked in surprise because he didn''t expect Keoza to recognize the being that was bigger than an entire.


    "Yes. Its name is Azatoth," Keoza replied. "An Outer God who was sealed at the deepest level of the Abyss. What you are seeing right now is just a manifestation of its strength. It''s not really him, but an avatar of sorts that is being used by that person who once tried to ascend into Godhood.


    "It seems that he was able to harness a small portion of the Outer God''s power, who is still sleeping at the lowest level of the Abyss."


    Lux couldn''t help but clench his fist when he heard that what he was seeing was only a small portion of the Outer God''s Power.


    "This is just a small portion of its power?" Lux''s heart was beating wildly inside his chest. "It''s more than enough to destroy Elysium and Sis with a single attack, and this is just a small portion of its power?!"


    "I know it''s hard to believe, but it is the truth," Keoza replied. "Now, brace yourself. It''s about to unleash its attack. We only have one shot at this."


    "Hana, return to Sis," Lux ordered. "Tell the others to get as far away as they can from the portal."


    "B-But I can''t leave you here, Master!" Hana stated.


    "You staying here will not make any difference," Lux replied. "Go, Hana. Make sure to tell everyone to escape as far away as they can. Please!"


    The Fox Lady bit her lip, drawing blood as she turned around to jump into the Purple Portal to carry out her Master''s order.


    She knew that Lux was right. Even if she stayed, there was nothing she could do to help him.


    She was hurt by his words, but she also recognized that this was also her Master''s way of telling her to escape and save her life.


    Lux took a deep breath and summoned his clones. All of them then transformed into their Demi-Dragon form.


    Behind them, the images of several Dragons appeared.


    A Fire Dragon.


    A Golden Dragon.


    A Crystal Dragon.


    Lux, on the other hand, didn''t call out the power of Dragons.


    He gathered all of his power in his hands as he prepared to unleash his strongest attack using all the power inside his body.


    It was none other than his skill, Death Sentence, which he hadn''t used even once since it was given to him.


    This skill was hisst resort because after using it, he would be drained and unable to even lift a finger.


    His Clones were not able to use this ability because it went beyond what they were capable of.


    He had tried it in the past, but before the clones could even activate the skill, all of them exploded into a shower of golden sparks as if they were unable to handle the load of this attack.


    Keoza spread his wings and prepared to attack as well. But, before he did that, he shifted his consciousness to both Sis and Elysium.


    Alexander, Maximilian, Hana, Keane, and Gerhart, instantly turned into crystal statues.


    Aurelia and her mother, Queen Evangeline, also transformed into Crystal Statues.


    After doing this, the Crystal Dragon gathered all the strength it could muster for one final breath attack.


    "That''s it," Daniel smiled as he looked at the desperate faces of the opponents in front of him. "Struggle and despair! Understand that from the very start, none of you can stop the inevitable!"


    The silhouette of Azathoth behind him had fully opened its eyes.


    Daniel''s body was bathed in a reddish light, giving him strength beyond his wildest imagination.


    "Disappear alongside Sis," Daniel raised his right hand, aiming it at Lux and the Purple portal behind him. "Regret the fact that you have chosen to be a Dog of the Gods!"


    "Nuclear Chaos!"


    Daniel unleashed a giant beam of red light that seemed to devour everything in his path.


    "Crystal Dragon King''s Breath!" Keoza roared as he unleashed his strongest Crystal Breath attack.


    Lux''s clones also unleashed their own breath attacks, merging with Keoza''s own, empowering it.


    "Death Sentence!"


    Lux shouted as he also unleashed a beam of deathly energy that contained all of the power inside his body.


    It also merged with Keoza''s breath attack, which collided with Daniel''s skill, Nuclear Chaos.


    For a brief moment, Lux''s and Keoza''s attack managed to hold off the deadly skill that would erase everything in its path.


    Thissted for a few seconds before Daniel''s attack started to slowly push their attack back, visibly overpowering it.


    Lux growled as he channeled everything he had in this attack. But, even with his everything, they were still being pushed back.


    Danielughed because he was enjoying Lux''s suffering. However, he knew that he would not be able to sustain the Outer God''s Power for long because it was taking a toll on his body.


    "This is the end!" Daniel stated. "Goodbye, Half-Elf!"


    The red beam''s size increased, overpowering Lux''s and Keoza''s attackpletely.


    The Crystal Dragon roared onest time and transformed into a Dragon Token. He then flew towards Lux''s chest, turning the Half-Elf into a crystal statue.


    This was Keoza''sst attempt to protect Lux, but he knew deep inside that this was just wishful thinking.


    Suddenly, a roar filled with anger reverberated in the heavens.


    "I won''t let you have your way!"


    The Gambling God, Max, threw a ck dice that merged with Lux''s body. He couldn''t possibly stand by and watch the Half-Elf die in the hands of the Pseudo-God, who was hell-bent on destroying the things that they were trying to protect.


    The God of Games, Eriol, pressed his hands together and appeared behind Lux.


    Since an Outer God was fighting against a Mortal, the restrictions that bound them were temporarily lifted, allowing them to join the battle for a brief period of time.


    Daniel looked at Eriol and Max with disdain as his attack collided with the Half-Elf, who had be a crystal statue.


    At first, he thought that the statue would be obliterated, but it held strong and endured his attack.


    But Daniel wasn''t done yet.


    He further increased the power of the st and slowly pushed the crystal statue towards the portal.


    His intention was clear.


    He would destroy Lux, as well as Sis at the same time.


    Since Lux was unable to move, his body was helplessly pushed towards the portal until he disappearedpletely.


    Eriol, who was waiting for that moment, shouted, unleashing the power of his Divinity.


    The crystal statue, which was traveling between the Abyss and Elysium, glowed brightly like a sun.


    A momentter, a powerful ripple expanded from his body, spreading across the entirety of Sis, epassing even that of Elysium.


    Suddenly, countless shockwaves erupted in different ces of Sis and Elysium, destroying the Abyssal Gates that were still spewing hordes of Abyssal Monsters from the Abyss.


    No one knew how this happened, but one thing was clear.


    With the Abyssal Gates closed, no more Abyssal Monsters could enter either world, which was currently facing off against the Abyssal Monsters that had already descended into their worlds.

 Chapter 1104 Abyssal Invasion [Part 6]

    <h4>Chapter 1104 Abyssal Invasion [Part 6]</h4>


    Ten minutes before Lux shed with Daniel��


    Iris, Cai, and Aurora, who were currently inside the underground shelter in Barbatos Academy, felt the strong fluctuation of power that came from the Abyssal Gate even though they were deep underground.


    Because of this, they also knew that their loved ones were already fighting against the threat that had descended upon their world.


    Aurora, who was a Half Subus, could feel her bloodline reacting inside of her body.


    After being embraced by Lux, she was able to control her Abyssal Power, allowing her to hide her horns, wings, and tail.


    However, as the power of the Abyss spread itself into the world, she could feel her power stir, threatening to take control over her senses.


    But Aurora remained strong, and she put a tight leash on it, preventing it from breaking out of her control.


    After a few minutes, she finally regained her calm, and her breathing was no longer as ragged as before.


    Iris and Cai, who were aware of her condition, looked at her with concern. But after seeing that Aurora''splexion had now be a bit better, both of them knew that the worst part was finally over.


    "Do you think Lux will be alright?" Henrietta, who was also with them, asked. "This presence I''m feeling is truly strong. Stronger than a Saint."


    "He''ll be fine," Cai, who was in her Boar Form, replied in a heartbeat. "This is Lux we''re talking about. I''m sure that ckfire is currently having a field day, devouring Demigods left and right."


    Iris and Aurora, who were also worried about their lover, smiled after hearing Cai''s answer.


    They knew that with the forces under hismand, there would be very few individuals who would be able to hold their grounds against him.


    This included the Divine Army of Light, whom Lux had a grudge with.


    ������������������


    Somewhere in Elysium��


    Aina, who was in her Angel of Vengeance Form, was busy killing Abyssal Creatures left and right.


    Asmodeus, who had been tasked to keep her safe, had already summoned Morpheus and Ithaqua, who had summoned a Blizzard, greatly hindering the Lower-Ranked Abyssal Creatures from putting up a good fight.


    They didn''t know whether they were lucky or unlucky, but the strongest opponents that they were currently facing were Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Monsters.


    However, this threat was already being dealt with by the Cmity-Ranked Monsters, that Lux had assigned to protect Aina and the Xeno Empire.


    "Don''t go deep behind enemy lines, Aina," Asmodeus cautioned. "As long as you stay within our formation, we will be able to deal with any variables that might arise."


    "Understood, Asmodeus," Aina replied. "How is Lux fairing? You are connected to him, right?"


    "You don''t have to worry about Master," Asmodeus replied. "He''s fine."


    Aina nodded before attacking the nearest Dreadnaught-Ranked Monster, who was giving the army of the Xeno Empire a hard time.


    Asmodeus looked at his Master''s lover with aplicated look on his face. He didn''t tell Aina that Lux was currently facing off against a Pseudo-God, which was several times stronger than a Demigod.


    The Lich King was very tempted to return to his Master''s side in order to help him. However, he resisted this urge. He knew that if something bad happened to Aina, Lux wouldn''t be able to forgive him.


    ''When will this battle end?'' Asmodeus clicked his tongue in annoyance as he looked at the Purple Gate that was still spewing monsters into the middle of the blizzard.


    Due to Ithaqua''s blizzard, they were able to disorient the neers and deal a devastating blow to them before they even knew what hit them.


    Ithaqua had bestowed its allies with perfect vision, allowing them to see through the blizzard without any difficulty.


    Suddenly, Asmodeus'' body shuddered.


    He could sense that his Master was in great danger. However, when he attempted to teleport to his side, he realized that he was unable to do so.


    It was as if some kind of barrier was preventing him from going to his Master''s side, and this frustrated the Lich King, who was the main strategist and general assigned to protect the Xeno Empire.


    ''Please be safe, Master,'' Asmodeus prayed, despite knowing that the only Gods that could hear his prayer were Eriol and Max.


    This was how worried he was about Lux''s well-being as thetter was currently channeling every bit of his strength in order to defend against Daniel''s attack, which he called Nuclear Chaos.


    Suddenly, a faint ripple washed over everyone on the battlefield. It was very subtle, and only those with strong perceptions were able to feel it.


    Aina and Asmodeus had felt it. The Cmity-Ranked Monsters who were fighting to protect the Dwarven Army also felt it.


    A few secondster, several powerful shock waves blew everyone away, not caring whether it hit the Abyssal Invaders or the Defenders in its wake.


    This phenomenon happened all over Elysium and Sis, taking everyone by surprise.


    Aina, who was in the midst of battle, grabbed her head with both hands because she felt an excruciating pain inside her head, making her scream.


    Gathering the power inside her body, she created a protective dome around her, negating the effects of whatever was trying to tamper with her mind.


    "Lux," Aina muttered as she looked at Asmodeus with panic. "Something happened to Lux."


    She didn''t know why, but the overwhelming headache that she had just experienced was somehow rted to the Half-Elf, whom she held dear in her heart.


    Asmodeus, who wasmanding everyone, stopped moving as if he was frozen in ce.


    The Lich King, whose heart had stopped beating long ago, felt a heartache that transcended all the pain he had felt in his life.


    A momentter, he swayed from his spot, and almost fell on his back.


    Fortunately, he managed to regain his control over his body using sheer willpower, preventing him from falling unconscious.


    The Lich King''s gaze then shifted to the Purple Portal which was slowly decreasing in size with each passing second.


    A minuteter, the portalpletely disappeared, which meant that there would no longer be any more Abyssal Creatures that would descend upon the Xeno Empire.


    "Kill all the Abyssal Monsters as fast as you can!" Asmodeus ordered. "Leave none of them alive!"


    Asmodeus had decided to return to Lux''s side the moment they had annihted every Abyssal Creature in the surroundings.


    ������������������


    Barbatos Academy��.


    Iris, Cai, Aurora, and Henrietta were all on their knees as they held their heads at the same time.


    They were in so much pain that tears were falling down from their eyes. A minuteter, the pain disappeared, leaving the fourdies panting for breath.


    "Something happened to Lux," Aurora stood up shakily. "I need to go to him."


    "Aurora, where do you think you''re going?" Iris hurriedly grabbed the youngdy, preventing her from going anywhere. "The Abyssal Monsters are still atrge. If you go, you will just endanger yourself."


    "I must go. Lux needs my help!" Aurora tried to pry away Iris'' hand, which was holding onto her wrist.


    "Calm down," Iris insisted. "Who is this Lux you''re talking about?"


    Aurora, who was struggling to free herself from Iris'' grasp, looked at her friend in disbelief.


    "Iris, if this is a joke, it''s not funny," Aurora said as she looked at the Boar beside them. "Cai, tell her that this isn''t the time for jokes."


    "Aurora, I know that this may sound weird, but I also want to ask you who Lux is." Cai asked, "Is he your friend?"


    "Y-You!" Aurora was now getting angry. She could still forgive her sisters if they admitted that they were joking, but after seeing how serious they were, the pink-haireddy was starting to feel anxious inside her heart.


    "Iris, let Aurora go," Henrietta said softly. "Can''t you see she''s starting to get anxious? I''ll talk to her, so remain here with Cai."


    Iris reluctantly released Aurora because she also didn''t understand why she was acting this way. In the end, she allowed Henrietta to take her friend away and stayed beside Cai, who had a very confused look on her face.


    "Do you know who Lux is?" Cai asked. "Aurora looks very upset that we seem to not know of him."


    Iris didn''t reply right away as she pressed her hand over her wildly beating heart. Although she didn''t know anyone named Lux, she felt as if she had lost something very important to her in her heart.


    Henrietta, who had taken Aurora near the exit of the shelter, looked at her with a solemn expression on her face.


    "Aurora, my head is still hurting right now, and I am barely able to recall things," Henrietta stated. "I do remember someone named Lux. However, I can''t remember his face. Even so, I can tell that he is someone very important to you. You can go to his side. I will tell Iris and Cai that I took you to the infirmary to calm them down."


    "Thank you, Henrietta," Aurora replied before hurriedly running towards the exit of the shelter.


    She didn''t know why Iris and Cai hadpletely forgotten about Lux and why Henrietta could only remember his name.


    It was at that moment that she remembered the talk she had with her lover after the two of them had finished consummating their love for each other.


    "Erase��,'' Aurora muttered. "His existence will be erased."


    After this realization, Aurora opened her wings and flew in the direction where she could feel the fluctuation of Abyssal Energy.


    She didn''t know how or when it happened, but her speed had broken through the sound barrier, allowing her to fly at extreme speeds.


    Several minutester, she finally arrived at her destination, and it was a scene of carnage.


    All the Abyssal Creatures had been killed, and Lux''s summons, including the Cmity-Ranked Monsters, were gathered around a giant block of crystal that was at least thirty meters tall.


    Avernus, who recognized Aurora, ordered the creatures to make a path for her.


    When the youngdy saw who was frozen at the center of the giant crystal, she felt a stabbing pain in her chest as if she was being stabbed by countless knives.


    She walked towards the crystal with her hands covering her mouth, and her tears falling down like rain.


    Her lover, who had promised to take her to beautiful ces in Elysium, was frozen inside the Crystal.


    Aurora was very sensitive to life force.


    And a single nce was enough for her to tell that the heart of the love of her life was no longer beating.


    Lux was no longer breathing, and she couldn''t even feel his soul within his body.


    A momentter, a wail filled with sadness and pain reverberated in the surroundings as the youngdy, who had just felt what it was like to fall in love, broke down in a river of despair and tears.


    ������������������


    (A/N: It is at times like this when you should put your trust in me. You are in good hands. This Captain will sail you through this stormy sea without fail. We are at the End Game now.)

 Chapter 1105 Abyssal Invasion [Part 7]

    <h4>Chapter 1105 Abyssal Invasion [Part 7]</h4>


    Karshvar Draconis��


    Valerie and Ali lost their consciousness after experiencing the worst headache of their life.


    Ari, who barely managed to retain her consciousness, immediately summoned the other handmaidens to take Valerie and Ali to the Royal Infirmary.


    She was quite shaken by what just transpired, and she had no idea why it had happened. The only thing she knew was that she was unable to think properly at the moment due to the pain that still persisted inside of her head.


    Half an hourter, the pain she was feeling had faded, but Valerie and Ali were still unconscious.


    The doctor who had checked their vital signs said that everything was normal.


    "Perhaps the shock wave we experienced earlier made the two of them feel disoriented, making them lose their consciousness," the Doctor exined to Queen Saphira, who was holding her daughter''s hand with worry. "I''m sure that they will regain their consciousness soon, so you don''t have to feel anxious, Your Majesty."


    "Thank you, Doctor," Queen Saphira replied. "You may take your leave. I will call you if something happens."


    The doctor nodded and left the Infirmary to return to the front lines.


    Several Dragons and Dragon Borns were injured due to the ongoing battle against the Abyssal Creatures, and they needed all the help that they could get in order to repel the invaders that had dared to appear within their territory.


    Ari held Ali''s hand as thetter was also knocked unconscious by the headache that they felt earlier.


    Suddenly, the eyes of her sister slowly opened, making Ari immediately hug her out of worry.


    "Y-You''re heavy, Ari," Ali said after being hugged out of the blue. "Get off me."


    Ari refused to budge and ended up crying while clinging to her sister. The two of them were orphans, so their bond was extremely strong.


    If something really happened to Ali, Ari wouldn''t know what to do because her sister was the only family member she had left in this world.


    Valerie, who was on the other bed, also started to stir.


    The first person that the Dragon Princess saw was her mother, who was looking at her with worry.


    "Mother?" Valerie asked and tried to stand up. However, she winced and ced her hand on her head, trying to lessen the pain that she was feeling. "My head�� it hurts."


    "Does it hurt?" Queen Saphira immediately ced her hand over Valerie''s head and used a bit of her healing magic. "Just rx. I will help you remove the pain."


    Valerie obeyed and closed her eyes. Her mother''s touch made her feel safe and protected, just like the touch of that person.


    ''�� That person?'' Valerie thought. ''Who is that person?''


    The Dragon Princess was greatly confused. She felt as if she had forgotten something important, but when she tried to recall it, the pain would return, making her wince in pain.


    In the end, Valerie stopped thinking about it, and the pain went away.


    "Are you feeling better?" Queen Saphira asked after she removed her hand from Valerie''s head.


    "Yes, Mother," Valerie replied. "I am feeling a lot better now."


    "Good. Just rest here. The war is still ongoing. I will stay here and protect you, okay?"


    "Mmm. Thank you, Mother."


    Valerie then shifted his gaze to Ari, who was hugging Ali like a ko refusing to let go. The Dragon Princess couldn''t help but giggle after seeing this scene.


    She didn''t really know what had happened to her and Ali, but she was d that she was no longer feeling any pain inside her head.


    ''I hope this war ends soon,'' Valerie thought. ''I''d like to visit Aur and y with him for a bit.''


    ����������������������


    Crystal Pce��


    Two crystal statues, which were right beside each other, started to form cracks in their surface.


    Half a minuteter, the crystals crumbled to pieces and disappeared as if they had never been there in the first ce.


    Aurelia looked at her mother in surprise.


    Queen Evangeline, on the other hand, had a frown on her beautiful face. She briefly heard her husband''s voice before she was encased in crystal.


    Truth be told, it was impossible for Crystal Dragons to turn into crystal statues because they were already made up of crystal.


    The only way for them to enter this state was for a truly powerful Crystal Dragon, who had the authority of a Dragon King, to use their power to encase their bodies in crystal.


    Aurelia and Queen Evangeline could also use this ability as ast resort. It protected their bodies from physical and mental attacks, allowing them to survive a blow that could otherwise kill them.


    "Mother, did father��" Aurelia wasn''t able to finish whatever she was going to say because Queen Evangeline''s finger pressed over her daughter''s lips, preventing her from speaking.


    "Your father always has a reason for doing things," Queen Evangeline stated. "Since he acted like this, it meant that he had shielded us from something that might have otherwise harmed us."


    Aurelia nodded her head in understanding. Even from the Crystal Pce, she could feel the sound of loud explosions happening in the distance.


    An Abyssal Gate had appeared in their territory, and currently, Lady Augustina, Poro, and the Floating Fortress of Heaven''s Gate were in the midst of a battle against the Abyssal Creatures.


    Although she still didn''t understand why her father protected her mother and her, Aurelia believed that she would know the reason soon enough.


    ������������


    Six Kingdoms in Sis��


    Alexander''s, Maximilian''s, Keane''s, Gerhart''s, and Hana''s crystal statues all broke at the same time.


    The moment they regained their senses, they heard Aurora''s wails of sadness, making them all look in her direction.


    There, they saw Lux''s forces circling a giant block of crystal and a pink-haired beauty crying as she leaned her body against the crystal in front of her.


    It didn''t take long before they realized what had happened.


    Alexander, Maximilian, and Hana immediately appeared in front of the crystal.


    The Saint of Barbatos Academy shed the crystal with his sword, but aside from creating several sparks after the impact of his blow, the surface of the crystal remained clear. Alexander''s attack didn''t even leave a dent in it.


    "Stand aside!" Maximilian, who was in his Giant Boar Form, charged with the intention of ramming the Giant Crystal in order to free Lux.


    They didn''t sense any signs of life inside his body. Out of worry, they were desperately trying to break the Crystal so that the Half-Elf could get medical attention as soon as possible.


    However, even with Maximilian''s full-powered charge, the Giant Crystal was without damage, making the Giant Boar frown.


    "Please, stand down."


    A voice filled with Divinity reached their ears, making Alexander and Maximilian look at the young man who was hovering beside the Giant Crystal and looking at them with a pained expression on his face.


    Eriol''s face was pale, and his hand was clutching his chest. He had suffered serious injuries after blocking the attack of the Avatar of the Outer God, who was still sleeping at the lowest level of the Abyss.


    "You will not be able to break this crystal," Eriol exined. "And even if you could, you should refrain from doing so. This is the only thing that is keeping Lux''s chances of getting revived, so I would greatly appreciate it if all of you would stop doing anything reckless in an attempt to destroy it."


    Eriol then raised his hand and Keoza''s Dragon Token appeared on the palm of his hand.


    With a sigh filled with regret, Eriol tossed the Dragon Token to the ground.


    A momentter, a handsome man with long white hair appeared in front of everyone. His blue eyes were filled with sadness as he looked at the Half-Elf, who was trapped inside the giant crystal and suspended in time.


    "I can''t stay for long, so I will let Keoza exin everything to all of you," Eriol stated. "But know this. None of you are allowed to break this crystal. Make sure to let everyone know about it."


    Eriol gave the crystal onest nce before his entire body turned into particles of light, rising up to the Heavens.


    He and Max had suffered greatly from this sh against the Outer God, and both of them needed to rest in order to recover. As to how long their rest would take, Eriol didn''t know.


    He just hoped that the next time he opened his eyes, Sis would still be there.


    The Outer God''s attack meant to erase Lux and Sis from the face of the multiverse.


    The attack that Daniel had unleashed was not ordinary.


    It was an attack enforced by a powerfulw.


    Since the Law that he had used was thew to erase things, Eriol and Max both bent the rule a bit to negate its original purpose.


    Instead of erasing Lux and Sis, making them cease to exist, what the Gods of Games and Gambling did was to erase Lux from everyone''s mind.


    In short, almost everyone in the world had forgotten him, except for the Supremes, Demigods, as well as a handful of individuals who seeded in preventing their memories from being tampered with.


    Eriol had also used that opportunity to bend the Law of the Outer God to erase the gateway that allowed the Abyss to invade Elysium and Sis, cutting them offpletely.


    Because of this, no matter what Daniel did, he would be unable to open any gateway that would lead his forces to Elysium and Sis, trapping him in the Abyss.


    All of this was achieved because of the sacrifice of one Half-Elf, and yet, Eriol and Max felt very bitter about it.


    As the Gods of Games and Gambling closed their eyes, another God moved in the background.


    It had sensed the aura of someone familiar to it, so it decided to take a peek at what was happening in the Multiverse.


    Countless glowing golden orbs that resembled eyes shuttled across the weave, peering through the past, present, and future.


    After a brief investigation, they discovered something interesting, and all of them flocked towards a particr soul, who was floating aimlessly across time and space.

 Chapter 1106 A Force That Will Make Even Demigods Quake In Fear

    <h4>Chapter 1106 A Force That Will Make Even Demigods Quake In Fear</h4>


    Keoza stood in front of the people gathered around Lux and sighed.


    Since Eriol had delegated him to be his spokesperson, he decided to tell everyone the current state of things.


    "Lux faced a being that threatened to erase him and Sis from existence," Keoza stated. "However, at thest second, the Gods of this world intervened and prevented the worst-case scenario from happening.


    "In exchange, Lux had to pay the price in order to save everyone he cared for. With his soul as an anchor, the Gods were able to deflect the Outer God''s attack, as well as destroy the connection between the Abyss and the two worlds, Elysium and Sis.


    "With this, all the Abyssal Gates were forcefully closed, preventing the rest of the Abyssal Legion from entering both worlds."


    Keoza paused for a bit as he looked at Aurora, who was crying her eyes out before continuing the rest of his exnation. He pitied her, but there was nothing he could do about the current situation.


    "All of you gathered here, the Demigods, and a handful of people, were spared from the side effects of the Gods'' intervention," Keoza stated. "Aside from those whom I have mentioned, everyone else in the world has forgotten about Lux. Even those who hold him very dear in their hearts."


    Alexander and Maximilian nced at each other. Worry was reflected in their eyes and, before they could say anything, Keoza confirmed their suspicions.


    "Lux''s lovers, with the exception of a few, havepletely forgotten him," Keoza said, staring at the two Saints. "Iris and Cai were two of thedies who no longer remember him. I''m afraid that even his own mother, Adeline, has forgotten him as well."


    "�� What about my mother?" Alexander asked.


    Aside from Iris, there was one more person who loved Lux very much and raised him as part of their family.


    Keoza sighed before nodding his head. "Vera has forgotten him as well."


    Keane, who had remained silent until now, looked at Keoza with a solemn expression on his face.


    "If you hadn''t shielded us earlier, would we have forgotten him as well?" Keane asked.


    "Yes," Keoza replied in a heartbeat. "This Divine Spell affects everyone below the Demigod and Supreme Rank. Only Supremes and Demigods who have met Lux in the past will remember him."


    Gerhart frowned after hearing Keoza''s reply. "How about the Guild? Will they forget him too?"


    Keoza nodded "Yes."


    "Then, is he�� really dead?" Alexander asked.


    Truth be told, he didn''t want to ask this question. However, he needed to know the answer to this question.


    Keoza didn''t answer right away. Instead, he looked at the frozen image of the Half-Elf inside the giant block of crystal.


    "His heart has stopped, and he is no longer breathing," Keoza replied. "I would like to say that he is indeed dead, but even I am not sure if he is really dead or not."


    As someone who had conjured the block of crystal, Keoza was well aware of Lux''s condition.


    The Half-Elf''s current state seemed to be suspended in time. If not for the crystal keeping him in ce, his body might have already disintegrated into countless particles.


    The dice that Max had thrown into his body also helped to keep him intact, allowing his regeneration abilities to increase drastically.


    This ability was also patching up the Half-Elf from the inside, creating a better, and stronger vessel.


    There was only one problem.


    The body no longer had a soul.


    Perhaps due to the ripple or shock waves that happened afterward, Lux''s soul must have been blown away by the explosion.


    Before Eriol and Max lost consciousness, they told Keoza that his soul hadn''t entered the cycle of reincarnation.


    This meant that Lux wasn''t technically dead, but his soul was somewhere out there, and no one had any idea where he was.


    "I will be returning to Elysium," Keoza stated. "Just remember this. Do not break this crystal no matter what. Lux''s revival depends on it. Do I make myself clear?"


    Everyone nodded their heads in understanding.


    After giving the crystal onest nce, Keoza transformed into a Dragon Token and shot up towards the heavens, leaving Sis and those who cared about the Half-Elf behind.


    ��������������


    Asmodeus looked at the battlefield with a serious expression on his face.


    After confirming that all of the Abyssal Monsters had been killed, he went to talk to Aina and told her that he would return to Sis.


    He didn''t mention anything about Lux because he didn''t know how the youngdy would react to the news.


    "I will be leaving the Cmity-Ranked Monsters here to act as guards to be safe," Asmodeus said. "If anything happens, contact Aurora right away using the Guild Chat."


    Aina nodded.


    She wanted to ask if everything was fine, but she had a feeling that she wouldn''t like the answer to her question.


    Because of this, she held her tongue and watched as Asmodeus disappeared in front of her.


    ����������������


    Back in Sis��.


    All of Lux''s Named Creatures and Covenant Members gathered.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Asmodeus, Lazarus, ALL-MITE, Zagan, Revon, Shax (Nightgaunt), Leoric, Draven, Avernus, Hana, and Bedivere all looked at their Master''s body that was frozen in a block of crystal.


    Even ckfire hovered beside them with its body bent over, showing its sadness.


    "The fact that we remain here proves that Master is not really dead," Asmodeus stated.


    As Lux''s Equal, the Lich King, was considered his right-hand man. So, despite the fact that Avernus was stronger than him, he didn''t make any effort to usurp Asmodeus'' position.


    "I''m sure that all of you had seen a glimpse of hisst moments as he fought against that�� being," Asmodeus said while clenching his fists. "Right now, the world is embroiled in a war against the Abyss. We have won our battles, but some ces have lost theirs.


    "Elysium will have no choice but to use everything in their arsenal to defeat the invaders that are currently ravaging thend," Asmodeus stated. "Of course, the same is happening to Sis as well.


    "However, the miasma that separated the different regions has evolved to the point that it is also poisonous to the denizens of the Abyss. Because of this, we don''t have to worry about the safety of the Six Kingdoms, at least for now."


    Asmodeus paused as he looked at hisrades at arms with a solemn expression on his face.


    "With the exception of Avernus, we are far too weak to contend against Cmity-Ranked Monsters," Asmodeus said. "Also, we have no idea when Master will be able to return to his body. What I''m trying to say is that we don''t want a repeat of what has happened here today.


    "Master lost because he fought alone. He was forced to split his forces in order to protect the people that he cared for. You already know that a Necromancer doesn''t fight alone. We should have been there with him, but we couldn''t because the circumstances didn''t permit us to do that. So, I have a proposal."


    The fire in Asmodeus'' eyes glowed brightly as he looked at his Master''s subordinates.


    "All of us need to form our own armies," Asmodeus stated. "An army that numbers in the hundreds of thousands. A force that will make even Demigods quake in fear.


    "Master has a skill that will allow all of us to be one with him. But, in our current state, merging with him will not give him any substantial benefits. Sure, he might be able to be a Saint if we do that. However, he is fighting against a Pseudo-God.


    "A single Saint is not enough to defeat that kind of existence. But, what if he had millions of subordinates? Do you think he would stand a chance?"


    No one answered his question because they didn''t know the answer to it.


    "The answer is, I don''t know," Asmodeus stated. "Because it has never been done in the past. So, what we need to do is to make that a reality."


    Diablo and the others clenched their fists because they, too, wanted to see how strong their Master would be after he merged with all of his subordinates, granting him a power that might even surpass the Demigod Rank.


    "All of you, go and recruit as many members as you can into your armies," Asmodeus stated. "Master is no longer here, so if any of you die, you cannot be revived. Prioritize your survival and flee when necessary. Even if Master returns, you are not allowed to stand by his side until your own army reaches the hundreds of thousands.


    "Only those who manage to reach this number would be allowed to fight with him on the same battlefield. So, go. I do not care what methods you use. Only your results matter."


    ckfire, who was listening to Asmodeus earlier, disappeared as soon as the Lich King finished talking.


    After bing a Divine Artifact, it could move autonomously away from Lux and appear beside anyone that it considered as its Master''s ally.


    Now, more than ever, ckfire was determined to fill up the 100,000-strong quota. It would travel across Elysium, looking for strong creatures to devour, allowing it to y a role in the battle that was about toe.


    Diablo and the rest bowed in front of Lux onest time before they, too, went to Elysium.


    All of them would raise an army of their own, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, so that, when their Master returned, they could fight alongside him��


    And show their enemies their Unholy Might.

 Chapter 1107 One Of Those Crazy People

    <h4>Chapter 1107 One Of Those Crazy People</h4>


    Lux felt something wet touch his cheek, prompting him to open his eyes.


    For a brief moment, he was unable to move his body as if he was experiencing sleep paralysis.


    Although he couldn''t move, he was able to see the source of the wetness he was feeling on his cheek, and he didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry.


    A little dog, who looked very much like a French Bulldog, was licking his cheeks as if it was made of ice cream.


    However, it didn''t take long for Lux to realize that something wasn''t right.


    There were no French Bulldogs or any type of dogs in Sis and Elysium.


    In fact, one could even say that "man''s best friend" didn''t exist in those two worlds, so the Half-Elf couldn''t help but wonder if he was dreaming or not.


    Suddenly, a voice that reminded the Half-Elf of a soft summer breeze reached his ears.


    As if a healing spellnded on his body, his paralysis disappeared, allowing him to move.


    Freed from his shackles, Lux propped himself up to a seating position and lightly patted the French Bulldog, who had generouslythered his cheeks with its saliva earlier.


    However, when he gazed in the direction where the voice came from, his body eased up as he saw a familiar person walking toward him.


    "Aina, how did you grow to be so tall?" Lux asked.


    The girl approaching him looked at him with a frown before picking up the leash of her pet, who had run away when she wasn''t paying any attention.


    "I''m sorry, but my name is not Aina," the youngdy replied. "You might have mistaken me for someone else. Also, did my dog perhaps assault you? Are you hurt somewhere? I''m terribly sorry. I wasn''t paying attention to my surroundings. Before I knew it, Peanut had already run away."


    Lux blinked once then twice as he carefully observed the youngdy in front of him, who seemed to be in her early twenties.


    She was wearing a white dress and a white hat, which made her look like an angel that had descended from the heavens to guide his soul to the Cycle of Reincarnation.


    At that moment, the Half-Elf recalled his battle against Daniel, making his body break out from his daze.


    "Did I die?" Lux asked the youngdy in front of him.


    "Oh, no! I''m terribly sorry!'''' The youngdy immediately took out her phone and dialed an emergency hotline. "Hello? This is an emergency. Can you please send an Ambnce to Greenbelt Park? My dog crashed into someone, and he seemed to have injured his hea��mphh!"


    Lux casually pressed the button to end the call and let go of the youngdy as soon as he could.


    "I''m sorry," Lux apologized. "I''m alright. I''m just a bit disoriented."


    After saying those words, he looked around to gain a better understanding of his surroundings.


    He heard the youngdy, who looked like Aina, say that they were in Greenbelt Park, which sounded familiar and unfamiliar to him at the same time.


    The French Bulldog, who was named Peanut, started to bark at Lux as if he wasn''t happy with the way the stranger treated his Master.


    Fortunately, his owner calmed him down, allowing Lux to organize his thoughts.


    "I''m sorry, I have mistaken you for someone I know," Lux apologized. "Can you answer some of my questions?"


    "Well, I can. But can you answer my question first?" the youngdy asked back. "Are you a cosyer?"


    "I''m not," Lux replied. "Wait, did you just say cosy? Is this Earth?"


    The youngdy took a few steps back because she was starting to think that Lux was one of those crazy people that her manager had warned her about.


    Seeing her reaction, Lux immediately took a step back in order to not scare her or anything.


    "I''m not a suspicious person," Lux stated.


    "That''s what all suspicious people say," the youngdy replied.


    Lux scratched his head because he didn''t have a rebuttal for her words. However, there was a nagging question that he had wanted to ask the moment he saw the youngdy, who looked like Aina.


    "Are you perhaps, Luna?" Lux asked.


    "You''ve got the wrong person," the youngdy replied as she immediately walked away, dragging Peanut with her.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know what was going on. But, if what he was thinking was right, then he needed to take a leap of faith, and that was what he did.


    He ran toward the youngdy and grabbed her hand.


    "Please wait," Lux said. "Just answer a few of my questions, and I''ll leave you alone."


    "Let go of me, or I''ll call the cops." the youngdy struggled.


    Peanut growled at him, ready to pounce at any time.


    "Look, I''m sorry," Lux released his hold of the youngdy and raised both of his hands in surrender. "I''m still disoriented because your pet crashed into me. I think I hit my head hard on the ground."


    After hearing his reply, the youngdy looked at him with concern.


    She didn''t see everything, but when she finally caught up to Peanut, he saw him licking the body of the young man, who was sprawled on the ground.


    Peanut, on the other hand, looked at the Half-Elf as if saying, "Bro, don''t do me dirty."


    The Half-Elf didn''t want to y the victim card, but this was the only thing he could think of in order to make the youngdy lower her guard.


    "��I think I have amnesia," Lux said after half a minute. "Can you please tell me what the date is today? Also, what is the name of this city and country?"


    This was the only thing that he could think of to make the questions he wanted to ask not sound as crazy as they originally would be.


    "Today? It''s December 12, 2023," the youngdy replied. "Where in K-City, in Z Country."


    "2023��," Lux muttered. "K-City in Z Country."


    All of his doubts earlier had been confirmed by the youngdy''s answer. This was the same city and the same country where he lived back on Earth.


    Also, if his memory serves him right, it had already been six years since he had died and transmigrated into the world of Sis.

 Chapter 1108 I’m Not Dreaming, Right?

    <h4>Chapter 1108 ?I��m Not Dreaming, Right?</h4>


    "Thank you," Lux epted the tea offered to him by the youngdy and held it with both hands.


    It was warm, and it allowed the Half-Elf to feel very much alive. He really thought that he was a goner after being hit by Daniel''s attack.


    However, he still wasn''t sure if he was dreaming, in limbo, or was trapped inside an illusion.


    There was simply no way for him to return to Earth, and his current situation made him feel at a loss.


    Perhaps, seeing how lost he was, the youngdy pitied him and invited him to her apartment.


    Since it was her dog''s fault that caused the handsome young man to have amnesia, she felt that she needed to help him in any way she could.


    Peanut, who was unaware of what his Master was thinking, happily ate the dog food on his te.


    "Do you remember anything?" the youngdy asked. "Perhaps a family name?"


    Lux shook his head. "You can call me Lux. How should I address you?"


    "You can call me Lu�� Lucy," Lucy said.


    An awkward silence fell between the two. Lux didn''t know how to proceed because he didn''t want "Lucy" to think of him as a lunatic.


    Lucy, on the other hand, didn''t really have many experiences in talking to boys who were near her age.


    She had stayed in an all-girls school till she graduated, and it was only now that she was starting to talk to people of the other gender.


    Suddenly, Lux started talking, making her ears perk up.


    "What I''m going to tell you is a story that may or may not be real," Lux stated. "Whether you believe it or not, is up to you."


    Lucy looked at the handsome young man who had a very sad expression on his face.


    "There were two sisters, who really loved each other," Lux said softly. "Both of them had been scouted by many agents, hoping that they would be idols. The two of them rejected these offers until one day, one of the two sisters became sick.


    "Her disease wasn''t a simple one, and if she didn''t get an operation soon, her chance of survival would be very slim. Because of this, the elder sister decided to be an idol so that she could earn money to let her sister get the treatment she needed to get better."


    Lucy, who was listening to Lux''s story, felt her hands tremble because it was very simr to something that she had experienced in the past. Since she knew that the young man was still not finished with his tale, she remained silent and continued to listen to his story.


    "The youngdy, who has been confined in the hospital, was very happy that her sister was slowly bing popr. Because of this, she decided to help her in any way that she could. Since she couldn''t really go anywhere, she decided to create an ount and named it Little_Falling_Star."


    At that moment, the sound of breaking reached Lux''s ears, making him raise his head.


    "Who are you?!" Lucy asked. "How did you know about this?! Do you know my sister?! Answer me!"


    Even though Lucy was ring at Lux, the Half-Elf remainedposed and continued to tell his story.


    "She tried to help her sister by fighting against the trolls who were bashing her on the inte. However, Little_Falling_Star was a kind soul. She was easily affected by the hate of those who were targeting her sister and didn''t know what to do next.


    "That was until she met someone named MoonKnight69. The two became good friends, and together, they protected the rising idol named Luna. When the popr idol managed to gather enough funds, she immediately used it to let her sister, Aina Williams, undertake her operation."


    "Please�� stop," Lucy said before covering her mouth with her hands as tears streamed down her eyes.


    Lux nodded before waving his hand.


    The broken pieces of ss on the floor merged together, and the tea that had soaked the carpet disappeared, not leaving a trace behind.


    Lucy was too distraught to pay attention to this, as she cried.


    He wanted to hug her, but he knew that he couldn''t do that.


    Several minutes passed before Lucy finally regained enoughposure to sit back down and look at her guest with reddened eyes.


    "Just who are you?" Lucy asked. "How did you know about my sister?"


    "I am MoonKnight69," Lux replied. "And I came from a world very far from this ce."


    Lux snapped his finger, and the elements gathered to create a blue world, simr to Earth.


    The youngdy looked at the hovering world in front of her in disbelief. She even reached out to touch it to check if it was real.


    She touched thend, and it felt like soil.


    She touched the sea, and it was indeed wet with water.


    Then the world copsed and reformed once again.


    This time, it created a portrait of a doll-like beauty, who was looking back at Lucy, making thetter cover her mouth as tears once again threaten to fall from her eyes.


    The portrait in front of her made from different elements looked very much like a younger version of her sister.


    Lucy didn''t know if she was dreaming or not, but everything that she was seeing was so unbelievable that only a dream could make it possible.


    "Luna," Lux said with a gentle look on his face. "Although you might not believe it, your sister currently lives in the same world that I do. Even from far away, she still thinks of you. "


    The Half-Elf then raised his hand, making Aina''s portrait disappear.


    "Do you want to hear more stories about your sister?" Lux asked.


    Luna didn''t answer right away.


    Instead, she pinched herself, making her face wince in pain.


    "I''m not dreaming, right?" Luna asked.


    "Actually, I want to ask you the same question," Lux replied. "Am I dreaming? Because it is impossible for me to be here on Earth."


    At that moment, Luna''s phone rang, disrupting their conversation.


    "Hello?" Luna said as she picked up the phone.


    "Luna, where are you? I want to talk about your next project."


    "Sorry, Manager," Luna replied. "Please cancel it for now. I want to take a leave for a week. I don''t want to be bothered during that time."


    "W-What? This Project is the one you always wanted. How ca��"


    Luna decisively ended the call and turned off her phone. Right now, nothing was more important than hearing what Lux was going to say.


    Although she found his words and magic unbelievable, she decided to ept it for now and hear stories about her sister.


    The death of her sibling had caused her endless grief and pain. Although it had been many years since Aina died, she still hadn''t forgotten her.


    Luna loved her sister so much and even prayed that if there was an afterlife, she hoped that they would be sisters again in that lifetime.


    "I don''t know if we''re both dreaming," Luna said after a minute of silence. "But I''d like to hear more about my sister. Please, tell me everything that you know."


    The Half-Elf nodded and began his tale.


    A story that made the popr Idol momentarily forget about the Big Project that she canceled, despite wanting to get it for the past three years of her career.

 Chapter 1109 Family Reunion [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1109 Family Reunion [Part 1]</h4>


    Lux stood in front of arge Mall with a smile on his face.


    A day had passed since he had found himself on Earth, and with Luna''s help, he visited the ces where he had spent most of his time back in his past life.


    After Lux told her everything he could about Sis and Elysium, including the details involving Aina''s life, Luna took a one-week leave from work and holed herself up inside her room.


    Lux didn''t want to disturb her too much and only asked her to give him some pocket money in exchange for gold and other precious gems in his possession.


    After the transaction waspleted, he left Luna''s apartment and headed to the mall after visiting a few ces.


    He bought ten cell phones, sim cards, and ten power banks, making the owner and the rest of the customers give him some weird looks.


    Fortunately, he was good-looking, so their weird gazes gradually turned into looks of appreciation.


    Of course, their gazes would oftennd on his slightly long ears, but they simply thought that he was a cosyer.


    There were plenty of people who were into that trend nowadays, so seeing things like this wasn''t enough to rm anyone.


    Also, during the past two years, there had been some visitors from the world called Hestia, who brought a lot of surprises for the people on Earth.


    The most popr of them all was none other than a Rainbow-Colored Anteater named Kazogonaga, who had be a worldwide sensation with his hit single, "I Am Rolling!", that sold billions of copies around the world.


    "Next, I''ll buy Sr Panels��" Lux muttered.


    Elysium didn''t have the technology to charge the cellphones, so he decided to install Sr Panels in his Guild Headquarters, allowing his lovers to have a ce to charge their phones.


    Of course, he didn''t need the phones tomunicate with his lovers because he had the Guild Chat.


    However, he was certain that once they understood how they worked, they would definitely put them to good use.


    Although he didn''t know how he would be able to return to Sis and Elysium, he believed that if there was a way to send him to Earth, there would also be a way to return to where he came from.


    After getting the Sr Panels, Lux stored them inside the Spatial Closet that Hana had created for him.


    This way, he would be able to store Monster Corpses or anything else that he wanted to without having to use his storage rings.


    An hourter, the Half-Elf stood in front of a house.


    This was the ce where he had spent many years of his life, and he looked at it with nostalgia.


    "Hello there, handsome," a prettydy with long ck hair, walked up to him with a smile. "Are you lost? Or perhaps you''re a friend of one of my sisters?"


    "I''m not lost," Lux replied as he looked at his sister, whom he hadn''t seen for many years. "I''m just thinking that this house looks good."


    "Does it?" the prettydy looked at her house in curiosity.


    She had never paid any attention to what her house looked like because it was nothing special. Compared to the mansions of the rich and famous, their house looked normal, like the other houses in their neighborhood.


    "Do you want toe inside?" the prettydy asked. "This is actually my house. At this time, no one is at home."


    The prettydy then moved close to Lux and held onto his arm. "Come. I''ll give you a tour of the house."


    "Do you casually invite strangers you''ve just met inside your home?" Lux asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "I don''t," the prettydy replied. "But somehow, I don''t think that you are a bad person. How about it? Would you like to take a look inside?"


    "Why not?" Lux shrugged.


    He didn''t have any ns on entering his old home and simply wanted to look at it from a distance. But now that he had the opportunity to enter it, he decided to ept his sister''s invitation.


    The prettydy who was inviting him inside the house was actually his youngest sister, Jennifer.


    When he died, Jennifer was only fourteen years old. Among his siblings, she was the one who didn''t interact much with him.


    Based on his memory, Jennifer didn''t particrly like or hate him. Their rtionship was good, and she didn''t disdain calling him her brother in public.


    ''She''s twenty years old by now,'' Lux thought. ''This still feels surreal to me.''


    Lux never thought that he would get the opportunity to visit his family in his current lifetime.


    Truth be told, he was very curious to see how they were faring now that six years had passed.


    The house looked almost the same in his memory, with the exception of new furniture that made the ce look brighter.


    "Please, sit down," Jennifer said. "I''ll go get some snacks."


    Lux nodded and watched his sister open the fridge to see whether there was something that she could serve her guest.


    A minuteter, she brought out a bottle of lemonade and took some fish crackers from the shelf, which made the Half-Elf almost chuckle.


    ''Lemonade and fish crackers?'' Lux looked at the food offered to him with a calm expression on his face. ''Seriously?''


    Jennifer was paying close attention to Lux''s reaction. Truth be told, she was a little embarrassed but there was no other food in the house.


    She had ced a slice of cake in the fridge yesterday, but seeing that it wasn''t there anymore, there was a high chance that one of her sisters had eaten it without her permission.


    The Half-Elf took a bite of the fish cracker, creating a crisp sound that spread inside the living room.


    "Delicious," Lux said. "It has been nearly eighteen years since I ate fish crackers. Thank you for letting me remember how good it is."


    "Oh, please," Jennifer rolled her eyes. "How can you possibly not eat fish crackers in that span of time? You look very young. How old are you?"


    "Almost eighteen."


    "Pfft! And you say you haven''t eaten fish crackers for that period of time? Nice try!"


    Lux could only smile bitterly as he continued to eat the fish crackers that were served to him by his sister.


    A few minutester, the door of the house opened, and three people entered the house.


    Lux''s gazended on ady who was in her early fifties. Standing beside her was a young man, who was in his mid-twenties, and a youngdy in herte twenties.


    They were none other than his younger brother and sister, who had grown a lot in the six years since he saw themst.

 Chapter 1110 Family Reunion [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1110 ?Family Reunion [Part 2]</h4>


    "You lied to me," Jennifer said with a pout as he looked at the handsome young man in front of her with a face filled with injustice. "Why didn''t you tell me that you are Lucien''s friend?"


    "I''m sorry," Lux replied. "I just thought that it wasn''t a good time to tell you that I was one of his friends when we met earlier."


    Now that his family, with the exception of his father, was at home, he decided to experiment a bit to see their reaction after introducing himself as Lucien''s friend.


    To his surprise, none of them said anything bad about him. They even looked sad after his name was mentioned.


    This surprised Lux because his mother, young brother, and younger sister, with the exception of Jennifer, always treated him like he was the greatest shame of their family when he was alive.


    His mother had been especially harsh on him, often telling him that his birth was a mistake when he was still alive.


    Seeing her saddened look made the Half-Elf sneer inside his heart because he had a feeling that his mother was just putting up an act like she always did in the past.


    "I always believed that he would change for the better," his mother, Sarah, said. "But he never changed despite my efforts to redirect him to the right path. I''m a failure of a mother."


    ''You certainly are,'' Lux thought.


    "My brother was my idol," Benjamin stated. "He always helped me with my studies, especially Calculus."


    ''Bullsh*t. Anything above MDAS is beyond me.'' Lux was doing his best not to roll his eyes at his brother''s shamelessness.


    Between the two of them, thetter was a Math Genius, so he didn''t need any help��especially not from him.


    "Brother always gave me money to buy everything I needed, including trendy clothes and bags," Jessica said. "In fact, this bag I''m wearing is something I bought with his money."


    ''Damn right, you b*tch! You stole my credit card and maxed it out in a day!'' Lux did his best to keep himself from pping the liar in front of him.


    "Um, my brother gave me gifts on my birthdays," Jennifer stated. "He was a good person."


    ''Well, you pass, I guess,'' Lux smiled.


    He gazed at everyone in the family before an idea struck him.


    "If possible, can I see his room?" Lux asked.


    "His room?" Sarah frowned. "I''m sorry. After he died, we turned his room into a storage room. There''s nothing to see there."


    "I see." Lux nodded in understanding.


    He stayed half an hour longer before leaving the house. Jennifer apanied him outside because she was the one who invited him to their home.


    "You said that your brother had given you a gift on your birthdays, right?" Lux asked.


    Jennifer nodded. "Yes."


    "So, since he died, he hasn''t given you a gift for six years, am I right?" Lux inquired.


    "Yes," Jennifer tilted her head in confusion. "Is there a problem with that, Lux?"


    Lux shook his head. "No. Actually, since I''m already here, why don''t I give you a gift in his stead?"


    The Half-Elf pretended to take something from his pocket. However, he actually used his Spatial Storage to take out a handful of gems and ced them in Jennifer''s hand.


    "Consider this your brother''s gifts for the birthdays that he missed," Lux said. "Thank you for inviting me to your home, and next time, be sure not to invite strangers inside your house again, okay? You''re lucky I''m not a bad person."


    After saying those words, Lux walked away without looking back.


    He didn''t even respond when Jennifer called out to him. Instead, he ran away, leaving her behind.


    When he was certain that he had managed to shake her off, he heaved a sigh and looked up at the sky.


    ''I guess I expected too much from them,'' Lux thought.


    It was at that moment when the images of his Grandma Vera appeared inside his head.


    She was a person who treated him like a real member of her family and raised him with love and care.


    Then, he saw the images of Iris, Alexander, Alicia, and the people from Wildgarde Stronghold.


    They had been with him the longest, and all of them cared for him in their own way.


    Before long, the images of his lovers appeared before him. This made his heart ache, especially when he thought of the possibility of never being able to see them again.


    ''I need to go back,'' Lux thought. ''They are waiting for me.''


    Lux clenched his fists together before pulling back his hood to cover his head. He then walked into an empty alley before shooting up into the sky in a blur.


    His Draconic Wings pped behind his back at a very fast rate, making him turn into a ck speck in the sky.


    As he hovered high above the clouds, he extended his senses, hoping to find any sort of reaction that would lead him back to the ce where he rightfully belonged.


    He didn''t know what happened after he faced Daniel, but before he lost consciousness, he heard Eriol''s assuring voice, telling him that he would not allow Daniel to have his way.


    Lux believed that the God of Games wouldn''t lie to him, so he focused his attention on finding a way back home.


    But even after expanding his senses, he was unable to sense anything that might help him in his quest.


    Suddenly, the skies above his head turned dark, and he found himself frozen in ce.


    A momentter, countless glowing golden orbs floated around him.


    Lux felt all the hairs on his body stand on end when he saw that these glowing orbs actually had an eye on them.


    They all looked at the Half-Elf at the same time, and for some reason, he felt as if these golden eyes were looking at him with varying degrees of emotions.


    Some of the eyes looked at him with pity, curiosity, anger, sadness, disdain, happiness, excitement, and a myriad of other emotions that he couldn''t describe.


    However, one thing was certain.


    He felt as if he was in the presence of a being that was akin to a God.


    And that being spoke in his head and asked him a single question.


    "If your life was a novel, what would the title be, and how would your story end?"

 Chapter 1111 How Did Your First Night With Luna Go?

    <h4>Chapter 1111 How Did Your First Night With Luna Go??</h4>


    "If your life was a Novel, what would the title be, and how would your story end?"


    Faced with countless eyeballs staring at him, Lux felt a pressure that he had only felt for the second time in his life.


    The first time he felt it was when he was facing off against Daniel, and the illusionary image of a being that was even bigger than a.


    Clearly, whoever was asking him this question was an existence that was just as powerful as the one that he had faced back in the Abyss.


    Perhaps, getting a bit impatient that its question wasn''t answered, the pressure Lux felt doubled, making him almost fall from the sky.


    However, as if expecting something like that to happen, the air under his feet solidified, serving as a foothold for him to stand on.


    The Half-Elf knew that if he didn''t give an answer soon, the being pressuring him might just identally crush him, and end his life for the second time.


    "T-Ten," Lux said through gritted teeth. "Ten Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love Me!"


    An awkward silence permeated the surroundings before all the eyeballs that were looking at him suddenly grew mouths and started giggling.


    Their creepy giggles grated the Half-Elf''s ears, as if he was hearing someone wing a ckboard, only this time, this sound was multiplied countless times.


    After enduring for a few minutes, the giggling of the eyeball stopped. Clearly, they were amused by Lux''s answer, prompting them to ask another question.


    "Do you want to go back to Sis?"


    "I do!" Lux answered in a heartbeat.


    He wanted to go back so badly because he was worried about his family, lovers, friends, and acquaintances.


    His Guild Chat wasn''t working, and he also couldn''t summon any of his Named Creatures to his side.


    He was also unable to teleport directly to his Guild Headquarters, reminding him of the time that he was in the Abyss.


    "There is a Fairy Tale in this world called Cindere. I want you to show me something that has a strong connection to this story. Until you do, you will not be able to escape this ce.


    "You don''t need to find me, for if you meet this condition, I will personally send you back to your world. Fail, and you can live your life in this world. This is my mercy."


    Suddenly, Lux nked out, and fell unconscious.


    The countless golden eyes disappeared one by one, as if they never existed in the first ce.


    ������������������


    Lux felt something wet touching his skin, making him feel something akin to dejavu.


    When he opened his eyes, he found the French Bulldog, Peanut, licking his cheek, in an attempt to wake him up.


    He slowly propped himself up to a sitting position, holding Peanut at bay, before looking at his surroundings.


    A few secondster he recognized the room as the interior of Luna''s apartment.


    Peanut, who was hell-bent to continue licking Lux''s face like a candy, was struggling to break free from his hold.


    His Master, Luna, hadn''te out of her room, so he was feeling lonely.


    This was why when their guest suddenly appeared sprawled on the ground, and unconscious, Peanut immediately went to work and licked him like a madman��errr mad dog.


    Feeling helpless, Lux summoned a Skeleton Gangbanger, and ordered it to y with Peanut.


    The Skeleton Gangbanger removed its gauntlet, and petted the dog. However, instead of enjoying the attention he was getting, Peanut bit on the Skeleton Gangbanger''s hand, and started gnawing.


    The Skeleton Gangbanger found this funny, and even picked up the Bulldog before sitting on the couch and cing Peanut on itsp.


    Just as Lux was thinking of what to do next, he heard a knock on the door, making him automatically move towards it.


    "Coming," Lux said before opening the door.


    The first thing he saw was a beautiful woman wearing stylish clothes, who seemed to be in her early thirties.


    The beautiful woman eyed Lux from head to foot before nodding her head in understanding.


    "I see, I understand now," the beautiful woman said with a smile. "So, Luna finally has a boyfriend. Nice to meet you Mr��"


    "Lux," Lux replied. "But, I think you''re making a misunderstanding. I''m not Luna''s boyfriend."


    "Don''t worry, I understand," the beautiful woman winked. "Luna is a celebrity, and as her manager, I need to protect my talent. I''ll keep your rtionship with her a secret. Here is my calling card."


    Lux took the calling card from the beautiful woman''s hand and read it.


    "Hollie Molly," Lux said softly. "Rising Stars Unlimited."


    "Yes, that''s me." Hollie nodded. "Well then, Mr. Boyfriend. How did your first night with Luna go? She''s still inexperienced, and didn''t have the opportunity to have a boyfriend during her idol years.


    "Although many influential people and celebrities have tried to get under her skirt, she''s protected herself well and risen through the showbiz industry as a popr idol. Of course, her contract states that she is not allowed to have a boyfriend.


    "But, since all the handsome men are taken, I''ll turn a blind eye and allow her to hook up with you. Take care of her, okay?"


    Lux, who was forced to hear Hollie''s one sided dialogue, didn''t know how to reply. Fortunately, someone else did, which made the beautiful woman''s smile widen.


    "He''s not my boyfriend," Luna lightly pushed Lux to the side as she looked at her manager.


    Her eyes were red, and there were still tear stains on the side of her face.


    Hollie gave Luna a knowing nce before giving Lux a thumbs up.


    "Although I don''t mind you being rough with her on your first night together, make sure to do it in moderation," Hollie stated. "Luna is still my talent, and she has just started her career as an actress. I hope you don''t get her pregnant, so I won''t have to deal with any scand��mmph!"


    Hollie was unable to say the rest of her words because Luna used both of her hands to cover her mouth.


    While this was happening, Lux unsummoned the Skeleton Gangbanger on the couch, making Peanut look around the apartment, in search of his new-found friend.

 Chapter 1112 Consider This As My Gift

    <h4>Chapter 1112 ?Consider This As My Gift</h4>


    "He''s not my boyfriend."


    "Don''t worry, Luna. My lips are sealed."


    "No. You don''t understand, Hollie. He. Is. Not. My. Boyfriend."


    "I don''t care if you call him Daddy, Papa, Darling, or Husband, when it''s just the two of you. I''m on your side Luna. I won''t let the paparazzi get wind of this."


    "Y-You!"


    Luna angrily stomped her foot, making Lux and Hollie hurriedly take out their phones to take a picture of her, saving the adorable moment forever.


    "Is she always like this?" Lux whispered, feeling a little giddy seeing his idol act so childish.


    "Only when it''s just the two of us," Hollie replied. "I have over a hundred videos of her cute moments. Want to see?"


    "Send me all of them," Lux said in a heartbeat.


    "It will cost you an arm and leg." Hollie smirked. "Just one of these videos is enough for her fans to go wild."


    Lux shed a devilish smile on his face as he took a handful of gems from his pocket and gave them all to Hollie.


    A surprised expression briefly appeared on Hollie''s face before it was reced by a business smile that would make a certain old bandit of Lont nod his head in approval.


    "Pleasure doing business with you," Hollie shamelessly took the gems and stuffed it inside her bag before shaking Lux''s hands. "I''ll even send you her baby pictures as a freebie."


    "Fufufu. You''re good, Hollie."


    "Fufufu. I know, right?"


    Luna''s face was already beet red due to anger and embarrassment after seeing the two shameless people use her embarrassing videos and photos as merchandise for their transaction.


    "I hate both of you!" Luna walked up the stairs to go to her bedroom, leaving Lux and Hollie behind.


    When she was certain that the youngdy was really gone, Hollie heaved a deep sigh before sitting on the couch.


    Peanut immediately jumped off the couch and hid under the table. Clearly, the French Bulldog was afraid of Hollie, making Lux arch an eyebrow.


    "Let''s talk, Lux," Hollie changed her temperament to her business tone, making Lux understand that ytime was now over.


    The Half-Elf sat on a chair beside her, and looked at Luna''s manager with a solemn expression on his face.


    "How did you meet Luna?" Hollie asked. "Also, you''re not from this world, right?"


    "You don''t think I''m a cosyer?" Lux smiled.


    "No," Hollie replied. "Your temperament is different from normal humans. I''ve met a few Hestians due to my line of works., and you''re giving me the same vibe as them. This only means one thing, you are one of those Otherworlders, right?"


    "Otherworlders," Lux muttered. "Sounds about right."


    "Are you from Hestia?"


    "No. I came from a different world, and I''m trying to find my way back home."


    Hollie stared at Lux for a few seconds before nodding her head. "You''re telling the truth. I am an elite in the world of showbiz and I can easily tell if someone is lying or not. So, I''m guessing that you found yourself in this world, and for some reason, the person who found you is Luna, correct?"


    Lux nodded. "You''re right."


    "You didn''t touch my Luna, right?" Hollie asked. "I don''t want her to get hurt. It took her a few years to get over her sister''s death, but I know that she is just keeping that memory in the deepest corner of her heart. If you hurt her in any way, I''ll use all my connections to make you pay."


    Lux could tell that the beautiful woman was genuinely concerned about Luna''s well being, so his impression of her went up by a notch.


    "Worry not, I have no intention of hurting her," Lux stated. "After I find a way to get back home, I''ll leave right away. I can even leave this apartment to give you some peace of mind."


    "No." Hollie shook her head. "Don''t leave. I don''t know what happened, but for the first time in her career, she asked for a week long leave. Even when she was suffering, she didn''t take a break from work, and did her job as professionally as possible.


    "Since she asked for leave without giving me any specifics, it means that she isn''t in the right state of mind to do her work. I can tell that she trusts you, so stay with her and make sure that she doesn''t do anything reckless, okay?


    "Don''t worry, if therees a time when the two of you are unable to hold back and do the deed, I''ll turn a blind eye to it. Just make sure you don''t get her pregnant. There is a saying in the showbiz world that goes along the lines of.


    "A career in showbiz is like a distance run. You have to have patience and pace yourself."


    Hollie smiled bitterly, as she looked down on her hands, which were resting on herp.


    "Luna has been running a full sprint after her sister, Aina, died. Perhaps, it is her way of trying to forget the sad things in her life, by immersing herself with work. She has been working hard for so many years, and her effort has now borne fruit.


    "But, just as she was about to reap her just rewards, she came to a full stop. The role that she has always wanted hasnded on her head, but due to her current state of mind, I''m afraid I will have to cancel the project."


    Hollie then took out her phone, and was about to call the producer of the show when Lux held her wrist, stopping her from making the call.


    "Don''t do it," Lux stated. "Give me until tomorrow. I will convince her to go ahead with the project."


    "�� Luna can be stubborn, you know?" Hollie said. "I''m afraid that a day is not enough for her to bounce out of her current mood."


    "A day might not be enough," Lux agreed. "But, as long as she doesn''t reject the project, she will recover eventually."


    Hollie closed her eyes and pondered a bit. "I understand. The Producer of this project is from Hestia, and she has very high and strict standards. She also doesn''t like to wait, and I can only dy the proposal until tomorrow.


    "If you fail to convince Luna to sign the contract by tomorrow, I will be forced to look for someone else to take her ce. At the end of the day, this is business, Lux. Stars need to stay up in the sky, so that people can look up to them.


    "Those who give up or lose their way be falling stars. I hope that you can prevent that from happening. I''m not a Fairy Godmother, you know? I can''t wave a wand and make all endings happy endings."


    Lux''s body stiffened after hearing Hollie''s words. But, he managed to regain hisposure after a few seconds and nodded his head.


    "Don''t worry, Hollie," Lux said with a determined look on his face. "Although I can''t guarantee it, I''ll work hard to at least get a good ending."


    Hollie looked at the Half-Elf and smiled. She then took something from her bag and ced it in Lux''s hand.


    After doing so, she stood up and whispered something in his ears.


    "Do it in moderation, Mr. Prince Charming," Hollie whispered. "Consider this as my gift."


    After saying those words, she left the door without turning back.


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched as he looked at the "gift" that Hollie had given him before leaving.


    It was a pack of condoms, and they were the transparent and extra thin version too.


    Lux was so lost in thought that he didn''t notice that Luna had descended the stairs again.


    The youngdy then snuck up behind the Half-Elf and took a peek at what he was holding in his hand.


    Her face immediately reddened after realizing what it was.


    As if waiting for that moment, the Half-Elf broke out of his daze and finally noticed the youngdy standing behind him.


    "�� Hollie gave this to me," Lux said with a sincere look on his face. "She said that I should do it in moderation."


    Luna looked at Lux, and the pack of condoms in his hand before she reached out to grab it.


    She then walked towards the stairs and went back to her room, leaving the Half-Elf behind, whose jeans were now being pulled on by the French Bulldog, who wanted to y with him.

 Chapter 1113 The Little Ones’ Courage [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1113 The Little Ones�� Courage [Part 1]</h4>


    The sound of explosions reverberated in the surroundings as a battle between Cmity-Ranked Monsters raged across the territories that were under the protection of the Stronghold of Norria.


    Lilian, who hade to protect Leaf Town, had joined the fray and made sure to push her opponents as far away from the town as possible.


    However, due to the sheer number of enemies, some were able to get past her defenses and attacked the Beginner Town that held a special ce in Lux''s heart.


    Two Empyrean-Ranked Monsters and a dozen Dreadnaughts sneakily slipped past Lilian, taking a detour while she was busy dealing with three Cmity-Ranked Monsters at the same time.


    There were hundreds of Deimos-Ranked Monsters that had done the same, spreading to the nearby viges.


    The two Empyrean Ranked Monsters, alongside their cronies, headed to Leaf Town.


    Four Dreadnaughts and over sixty Deimos-Ranked Monsters apanied their leaders.


    There were also countless Low-Ranked Abyssal Monsters who followed them as well.


    This force was enough to easily destroy a city in the Kingdom of Gweliven that wasn''t protected by a Saint.


    The only saving grace was that Leaf Town was protected by a barrier. But even with this extrayer of defense, the Town would still be hard-pressed to protect itself.


    The Cmity-Ranked Monsters that Lux had stationed there were also fighting with other Cmity-Ranked Monsters.


    Simr to Lilian, they had brought their opponents away from the Town to ensure that it wouldn''t be affected by a battle that could easily change the topography of thend.


    "Hah! Fresh meat!" One of the Empyrean Ranked Monsters, which was a Red Ogre with tusks on its lower jaw,ughed. "Destroy the barrier!"


    Its subordinates bombarded the barrier with their attacks, making the residents of Leaf Town cower inside their homes.


    Grandma Annie was tightly hugging Laura and Livia, who were shaking in fear of the explosions that were happening around them.


    Their two Baby Slimes, Cora and Nora, were already teary-eyed, yet despite being scared as well, the two girls were doing their best to calm their slimes down.


    ''At this rate, the barrier will not hold,'' Grandma Annie thought. ''The moment it breaks, all of us will be doomed.''


    She wasn''t the only one who was having this thought.


    Cedwyn, Randolph, and the Elders of Leaf Town were thinking of the same thing.


    However, there was nothing they could do about it.


    They were simply too weak to face off against the monsters that were dead set on breaking the barrier that served as theirst line of defense.


    Heidi and her mother, Lilia, were looking at the barrier through their window.


    Small cracks were starting to appear on its surface, the sight of which made them very worried.


    Bedivere was currently not in Leaf Town and was fighting alongside Lilian and the rest of the Cmity-Ranked Monsters around their territory.


    If they were not able to defeat their foes on time and reinforce Leaf Town, the ce that they were doing their best to protect would cease to exist.


    Cedie, who was Heidi''s Slime, looked at his Master with a determined look on his face.


    A momentter, he jumped out of the window and headed towards the za in haste.


    The baby slime crawled up on top of the Guardian Statue and sat on Lux''s shoulders.


    He then shouted, calling out to the other Baby Slimes in Leaf Vige with everything he had.


    "Eyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"


    Cora and Nora, who were being hugged by Laura and Livia, immediately heard Cedie''s voice.


    He was their ymate, so they instantly recognized his voice.


    A momentter, the two Slimes looked at each other and broke free from their Master''s embrace.


    The two hurriedly left the house and headed towards the za, where the Guardian Statue was located.


    "Cora, Nora, where are you going?!" Laura and Livia cried out in rm as they both ran after the two Baby Slimes who left the house in a hurry.


    Grandma Annie followed behind the two girls. She knew that it didn''t matter whether they were inside or outside of the house. The moment the barrier broke, there would be no safe ce to hide, and their fate would be sealed.


    The moment the three of them left the house, they saw countless Baby Slimes of different colors headed toward the za in haste.


    Their owners, who were worried about them, had also left their houses and were just as surprised when they saw that there were hundreds of Baby Slimes jumping down the streets with resolute expressions on their faces.


    As the cracks on the barrier slowly spread, all the Baby Slimes of Leaf Vige looked at Cedie, who was seated on the shoulder of the statue of the town''s hero, Lux.


    "Eyaaaaah!" Cedie shouted. "Eyah! Eyah! Eyah!"


    All the Baby Slimes looked at each other. Fear could be seen in their eyes, and some were even crying on the spot due to how scared they were.


    Slimes were the weakest Monsters in the world, and even if they were well taken care of in Leaf Vige, that didn''t change the fact that they were still young. The oppression from the more powerful Monsters who were attacking the vige naturally made them feel very fearful.


    Cedie understood what they were feeling because he was feeling the same. His eyes were also moist, but he was doing his best to encourage everyone to do the only thing they could do for the ce that they now called home.


    "Eyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Cedie shouted before summoning a st Bomb.


    He then threw the st Bomb toward one of the low-ranked Monsters that were attacking the barrier above his head.


    The st Bomb went through the barrier and hit the Rank-5 Monster in the face.


    The Rank 5 Monster roared in anger and red at the Baby Slime that had attacked it.


    Cedie roared back and threw another st Bomb, hitting the monster again in the face, making thetter cry out in pain.


    Seeing this scene, all the baby slimes started to summon their own st Bombs as well.


    They then began throwing the bombs towards the monsters, with some of them not even aiming at anything.


    Some of the baby slimes were crying tears as they threw their st Bombs, while some were like Cedie, fighting their fear as they fought with everything they had.


    Soon, thousands of st Bombs were exploding left and right, making the Lower-Ranked Abyssal Monsters back away due to the umting damage that they were receiving from the Baby Slimes who decided to fight back.


    Seeing this scene, the people of Leaf Vige felt ashamed of themselves.


    Some of them treated the Baby Slimes as pets, others treated them as friends, while others treated them as family members.


    But no matter what rtionship they shared with them, all of them felt bitter because the weakest members of theirmunity were actually the ones who were fighting on their behalf.


    "Fire Ball!" Grandma Annie shouted as she hurled a fireball toward one of the Low-Ranked Monsters, obliterating itpletely.


    Soon, more people joined, until almost everyone who could fight in Leaf Town joined the bombardment.


    Since their Baby Slimes were fighting with everything they had, they would fight alongside them as well!


    Suddenly, Eiko''s statue, which was perched on top of her Papa''s head, glowed brightly.


    The st Bombs that the Baby Slimes were throwing left and right stopped mid-air and fused together.


    At first, the Baby Slimes were confused about why this was happening. However, something was telling them to continue throwing bombs in the air.


    After a brief pause, they resumed throwing their st Bombs, which all merged with the other st Bombs that were floating mid-air.


    Half a minuteter, a st Bomb that was as big as a basketball ball glowed in a dangerous light.


    This was thepressed st Bombs of all the Baby Slimes in Leaf Town, and it flew towards the two Empyrean-Ranked Monsters at the back of the Abyssal Formation.


    Looking at the st Bomb in disdain, the Red Ogre used his wooden club to strike it.


    It would soon realize that it had made the biggest mistake in its life.


    The moment his wooden club hit the concentrated st Bomb, a nuclear-level explosion erupted, obliterating all the Abyssal Monsters within a mile-long radius.


    A beam of light shot out from the Guardian Statue, reinforcing the barrier that was protecting Leaf Town.


    Even though everyone outside was burned to a crisp, the barrier held firm, protecting Leaf Town from the raging inferno and shockwave that had spread across thend.


    This made some of the Defenders, as well as the Abyssal Monsters they were fighting, look in the direction of Leaf Town with surprised looks on their faces.

 Chapter 1114 The Little Ones’ Courage [Part 2]

    1114 The Little Ones�� Courage [Part 2]


    Dark smoke rose up toward the sky, forming a gigantic mushroom shape that could be seen for miles on end.


    From within that smoke, a blue barrier glowed faintly, making Lilian breathe a sigh of relief.


    However, her relief didn''tst long because the three Cmity-Ranked Monsters she was fighting against broke out of their daze and resumed their attack on her, pushing her back.


    ''Useless fools.'' A Mantis-like Monster clicked his tongue as its gaze swept through the battlefield. ''I thought that I wouldn''t need to lift a finger, but it seems that we have underestimated the denizens of this world.''


    This Mantis-like Monster was actually a Demigod who had the ability to camouge itself by melding with its surroundings.


    Before the Purple Portal closed, it was able to arrive in Sis safely. Due to its passive ability of seamlessly melding with its surroundings so long as it wasn''t active, Lilian failed to notice its presence.


    But even if she did, it was a Monster far more powerful than her, making the match-up very disadvantageous for her.


    She was already fighting against three Cmity-Ranked Monsters, and she was using everything in her arsenal to stand toe to toe with them.


    Even the Wicked Queen Slime would be helpless if the Mantis attacked her as well. Fortunately, the Mantis didn''t join the other Abyssal Monsters in their battle. Instead, it headed toward Leaf Vige, curious to know where the explosion hade from.


    It was certain that even if it was met with the same attack, he would be able to tank it with the strong exoskeleton that was protecting its body.


    After getting close to the Leaf Town, it heard the cheering of the people inside it, making it look at them in contempt.


    ''These weaklings really think that they won, huh?'' the Mantis thought as it raised one of its razor-sharp ws to slice the barrier in half.


    But just as his w was about to hit its target, a golden blur flew in its direction, making it stop its attack mid-air to instead target the thing that caught its eye.


    A metallic sound reverberated in the surroundings, as the Demigod Monster was pushed hundreds of meters away from where it stood.


    The Demigod couldn''t help but be surprised, not expecting that there was someone in the vige who could match its might.


    The Golden Anchor flew back to Leaf Town and hovered in front of its Master.


    A small hand grabbed its handle with ease, making all the Baby Slimes, as well as the Dwarves of Leaf Vige, look in her direction.


    "�� Eyah." Cedie looked at their Fairy Princess with teary eyes.


    All the other Baby Slimes were feeling the same thing as him, but instead of crying, all of them jumped in happiness and called out her name.


    ""Big Sis!""


    ""Eiko!""


    ""Big Sis!""


    ""Eiko!""


    A devilish smile appeared on Eiko''s face as her little brothers and sisters called out her name.


    The Baby Slime thought of every Baby Slime in Leaf Town, as well as the Baby Slimes in the Guild Headquarters, as her brothers and sisters.


    Since her family members were being bullied, she couldn''t possibly watch and let it happen.


    She had just finished clearing all the Abyssal Monsters who had attacked the Fynn Kingdom.


    With her missionpleted, she immediately went to Leaf Town upon hearing the call of the Baby Slimes living there.


    With a devilish smile on her face, Eiko flew toward the Mantis-like Demigod Monster, with her weapon firmly held in her grasp.


    Right now, she was only at the Empyrean Stage, and her opponent was two levels above her.


    But Eiko wasn''t worried.


    She was wielding a Pir of Eternity, and even though her rank was lower than her opponent''s, she was confident that she would be able to defend herself from its attacks.


    "Foolish girl!" the Mantis roared as it opened its wing to fly toward Eiko with its ws ready to strike.


    Eiko blocked the strike and was blown away by the impact. Even so, she was unharmed. She then summoned her clones to join her in battle.


    These five clones summoned Five Empyrean-Ranked Thunder Slimes who immediately opened their mouths, releasing a rumbling sound of thunder.


    The Mantis was confident with its defense, but it had underestimated the Thunder Slimes'' attacks.


    Their attacks could pass through any defense because they were using Sound Waves instead of magical or physical attacks. 08:42


    Eiko then raised her Golden Anchor, summoning three Water Dragons that were dozens of meters long.


    These Dragons flew towards the Mantis and tackled it with a vengeance.


    The Demigod''s body turned ck, and its eyes turned crimson as it entered its battle mode.


    With a single swipe of its ws, a Water Dragon was split in half. It exploded into a shower of water, drenching the Mantis'' body.


    It did the same to the other Water Dragons, destroying them without much effort on its part.


    It was one of the deadliest Demigod Abyssal Nobles in the Abyss, so its power was stronger than other Abyssal Creatures of the same rank.


    After killing the Water Dragons, the ck Mantis pped its wings and turned into a blur. Eiko used the Golden Anchor like a shield in front of her body, just in time to block the ck Mantis'' attack.


    The force was so strong that the Fairy Princess was pushed back for hundreds of meters.


    Seeing this, the Empyrean Thunder Slimes once again unleashed their bombardment, making the Demigod roar in anger.


    It was as if its body was being hit by invisible cannons, rattling its internal organs.


    Understanding that the Thunder Slimes had the means to injure him, it once again turned to a blur and went for the kill.


    Just as it was about to kill the nearest Thunder Slime, its target''s body expanded like a balloon.


    A momentter, it exploded as the Thunder Slime used its suicide attack, making the Mantis cry out in pain as it was pushed back for several meters.


    The other Thunder Slimes propelled themselves like giant cannons toward the ck Mantis, using their power to travel at the speed of sound, resulting in shock waves.


    Simr to what had happened earlier, they all detonated, making the Mantis stagger and kneel on the ground.


    It was trying to calm down the tremors that were rampaging inside its body, making it unable to move.


    While it was doing this, it scanned its surroundings and looked at the little girl whom it had sent flying earlier.


    The Mantis'' body shuddered after finding the person that it was looking for.


    However, it didn''t shudder after seeing Eiko.


    Not yet.


    It shuddered after seeing that its enemy was standing at the bow of a Gigantic Bone Ship, whose main cannon was already charged and ready to fire.


    The Fairy Princess sneered at him before ordering Poseidon to unleash the power that instantly ended the battle in the Fynn Kingdom.


    A destructiveser beam sted from Poseidon''s Cannon, making the Demigod scream in fear, desperation, and unwillingness. Before the monstrous beam of light descended on its body, a word filled with ridicule reached its ears.


    "F*cker."


    That was thest thing that the Demigod heard before its entire body was vaporized, not even leaving its ashes behind.

 Chapter 1115 Their Legacy Was Finally About To Begin

    <h4>Chapter 1115 Their Legacy Was Finally About To Begin</h4>


    "Argh!" mma grunted in pain as he was sent flying by a Dreadnaught-Ranked Abyssal Monster.


    The ckrock n was doing their best to defend the Southern Gate of their Fortress in order to prevent the Abyssal Creatures from reaching the heart of the Wanid Kingdom, where the majority of the nonbatants were congregated.


    All the Factions gathered to form a united front, and all sides were doing their best to repel the invaders.


    The only saving grace was that there weren''t any Demigods who had crossed over from the Abyssal Gates.


    Still, the number of Cmity-Ranked Monsters was nothing to scoff at.


    They were only able to resist thanks to the Transcendent mes empowering their bodies, raising their rank by another level.


    Barca and his wife, the Orc Chieftain, Lady Avyanna, had stepped into the Cmity Rank with the help of the Transcendent mes.


    With them holding the line, they were somewhat able to fight off their enemies, at least for the time being.


    The enemy they were facing against were Abyssal Trolls, who were muchrger and stronger than the Orcs.


    Even so, the Orcs didn''t back down and engaged them in closebat.


    Just as the Dreadnaught-Ranked Troll was about to smash mma with its wooden club, a Domain descended upon its body, forcing it to kneel.


    ck Gravitational Spears stabbed its Arms and legs, increasing the gravity that it had to endure, making it unable to even stand up, or swing its weapon.


    The only thing that the Abyssal Troll could do was roar in anger and frustration.


    "Die!" Cethus roared as he threw another gravity spear on the Troll''s head, hitting its eye.


    A momentter, its entire body was mushed into meat paste, unable to handle the burden of twenty times the gravity on its body.


    "All of you, fall back!" Cethus roared. "They have breached the Western Side of the Fortress. I''ll hold them back here!"


    Barca nced at Cethus, who had already deployed his Domain, protecting the area around him with his Gravity Field.


    "Are you sure, Cethus?!" Barca asked. "Can you hold them back?"


    "I''m sure," Cethus replied as he looked at Emma, who was busy assembling a portable Teleportation Gate several meters behind him. "I''ll buy enough time until the others get here. For now, go and support the West Gate!"


    Barca knew that if the West Gate was to fall, holding back their enemies here would be useless.


    The Dryads, the Temrs, the Drows, as well as the other Factions of the Wanid Kingdom, were doing their best to defend their Kingdom, but just them wouldn''t be enough.


    They had asked their Guildmates to send someone to help them.


    Cethus and Emma were the first ones to arrive before the Gate that connected the ckrock n and the Floating Ind was destroyed.


    Because of this, they had to build another portal from scratch.


    Fortunately, Emma was carrying several portable portals that their guild could use, but it would take time to set them up.


    "I''ll stay with Cethus to defend this ce, Father!" mma shouted. "Go and support the others!"


    Seeing the determination of their son, Barca and Lady Avyanna nodded their heads and sounded the horn to retreat.


    "To the West Gate!" Barca shouted. "Hurry!"


    The ckrock n all disengaged from their enemies and ran away.


    Cethus gritted his teeth and expanded his Domain, preventing the Abyssal Monsters from moving forward.


    "Kill that weakling!" the Troll King pointed at Cethus, who was leaning on his spear to keep himself standing.


    "Weakling?" Cethus snorted. "If you can kill me,e!"


    Once again, he increased the strength of his Gravity Domain, raising it to ten times the gravity of Elysium, halting the advance of the Abyssal Creatures that were caught inside it.


    Left with no other options, the Abyssal Monsters unleashed ranged attacks towards Cethus.


    But due to the increased gravity, the majority of these attacks didn''t reach him.


    However, some hade through, making the Dragon Born grit his teeth due to pain.


    mma was doing his best to protect Emma from getting hit by the attacks of the Abyssal Trolls as she continued to assemble the portable Teleportation Gate.


    As long as she seeded, their Guild Members would be able to arrive at the scene and reinforce their allies.


    Several minutester, Cethus'' body was already beaten and battered by the attacks that managed to hit him.


    If not for the fact that he was wearing defensive artifacts given to him by his two grandmothers, he might have already died from the punishment that was descending on his body.


    Emma was already in tears as she hastened the building of the portal. She knew that if she were a few minuteste, Cethus would probably not be able to resist any longer.


    Suddenly, the Gravity Domain shattered, and Cethus fell to his knees.


    Thest blow thatnded on his body hadpletely shattered his Armor.


    With blood dripping from the corner of his lips, Cethus steeled himself and used his spear to stand up.


    "I am�� Cethus!" Cethus shouted as he once again activated his Gravity Domain, stopping the monsters who had once again started to advance in his direction. "The�� Great Dragon Born�� of Heaven''s Gate! Those who want to die��e!"


    Spreading his bloodied wings, Cethus braced himself for onest attack.


    The Gravity Domain shattered a second time as a fireballnded on his body, pushing him back.


    Cethus pped his wings as he skidded on the ground.


    mma helped him up, and the two of them faced the Horde of Trolls that were now running in their direction.


    "You�� protect Emma," Cethus said as he took a few steps forward, using his staff as a walking stick. "I''ll�� hold them back."


    His wings were already bloodied, as well as the rest of his entire body. However, Cethus'' eyes remained determined and fearless.


    The Dragon Born''s vision was already blurring a bit because his exhaustion was already catching up to him. However, a smile appeared on his face as he took a fighting stance, with his spear pointed at his foes.


    ''I didn''t know that ying the Hero was this painful,'' Cethus thought bitterly. ''It''s quite unfortunate that I won''t be able to have a rematch against that hateful, green-haired Half-Elf.''


    Still, he didn''t regret his decision toe to the Wanid Kingdom with Emma. Everywhere in the world, people were dying and fighting against the Abyssal Monsters.


    He just couldn''t turn a blind eye and escape from the reality that had befallen their world.


    After resolving himself for onest suicide attack, Cethus spread his wings wide. He knew that the moment he took flight, he would probably faint and lose consciousness.


    However, if he were going to die, he would die fighting.


    At that exact moment, a beam of light descended beside him.


    "What''s this? You still haven''t died?" Gerhart asked in a teasing tone. "And here I was, fully prepared to give a speech at your burial."


    Cethus looked at the hateful Half-Elf, whom he wanted to beat up so badly. However, he still couldn''t help but smile after seeing him appear by his side.


    Gerhart had treated Cethus as his enemy in the beginning, butter on, they became rivals and good friends.


    The Half-Elf didn''t help to support the Dragon Born''s body because he knew that the annoying bastard would hate him if he did that.


    Cethus didn''t like being pitied by others, and he always tackled things in a straightforward manner.


    The Dragon Born was someone who bullied the weak and feared the strong. however, during the battles in the early stages of the Abyssal Invasion, he was always at the front lines, fighting alongside everyone.


    Soon, more beams of light descended behind Cethus, numbering in the thousands.


    Garret, Cadmus, Bedivere, Zagan, ALL-MIGHT, and the rest of the members of Heaven''s Gate appeared behind him.


    The Trolls, who saw countless warriors suddenly appear out of nowhere, faltered a bit due to the sheer power that they were emanating.


    "We�� are�� Heaven''s Gate!" Cethus roared as he pped his wings to fly forward, leading his Guild Members to battle.


    Everyone followed behind him and charged with their eyes and weapons, hungry for the kill.


    Halfway through his charge, Cethus crashed down on the ground and rolled a few times beforeing to aplete stop.


    He had already lost consciousness due to the severity of his injuries, as well as the exhaustion of his mind, body, and spirit.


    Even so, a smile could be seen on his face as his Guildmates ran past him to engage their enemies that hade from the Abyss.


    The Dragon Born knew with utmost certainty that the legacy of his Guild was finally about to begin.

 Chapter 1116 Battles All Over The World

    <h4>Chapter 1116 Battles All Over The World</h4>


    A beautiful elf slowly walked across the battlefield, not caring about her dress being further stained by the blood of her enemies.


    The Giant Skeleton Queen behind her had just finished killing a Demonic Demigod, whose body crashed several meters away from her Master.


    Walking beside Hereswith was a beautiful blonde boy with blue eyes, carrying a staff.


    He looked like an angel, but his heart was of the devil. This was one of his terrifying traits, and only those who knew of his true identity would be able to see through his innocent charms.


    His gaze was enough to make the Abyssal Creatures in front of him feel sleepy and unable to fight properly.


    Because of this, they were mercilessly killed by the Elven Defenders, who were protecting the High-Elven Kingdom of Espoir Frieden.


    A ck Coffin materialized beside the fallen Demonic Demigod and devoured it. A momentter, it disappeared and reappeared somewhere else on the battlefield to devour another Demigod who had also died in Hereswith''s hands.


    The Blonde Boy chuckled when he saw ckfire''s antics. Hisughter echoed across the battlefield, making the movement of the Abyssal Monsters sluggish, lowering their effectiveness in battle.


    This angelic boy was none other than one of the Seven Stars of Cmity, Jasy Jatere.


    He was a Peak-Cmity Ranked Monster. However, once he unsealed his Divinity, he would step into the Demigod Rank in a heartbeat.


    Jasy Jatere was more of a support-type character, but this was what made him very scary.


    Anyone below the Demigod Rank was helpless against him. His mere presence on the battlefield would already weaken his foes, making them unable to fight at their peak potential.


    If he looked at them or evenughed, they would feel drowsy, with some of them instantly falling asleep due to his powerful ability.


    Hereswith reaped the lives of her enemies as if she were merely cutting grass.


    Her Skeleton Queen killed alongside her, quickly decimating the Abyssal Forces that appeared in their territory.


    ''The High-Elves of this world are much strongerpared to thest time we invaded,'' one of the Demigods, who had decided to distance himself from Hereswith, thought. ''This is bad. I need to escape or else, I''ll die alongside these fools.''


    After realizing that there was no hope of winning, the Demigod retreated in haste, not even sparing a nce behind him.


    Their target was the World Tree.


    Once it was destroyed, thend around it would slowly wither and die.


    Not only that, the entirety of the Elven Race in Elysium would also lose their longevity and die like ordinary humans. Their strength would also decrease.


    In the long run, the death of the World Tree would also affect the rest of the world. This was why the Abyssal Creatures were targeting it specifically.


    Unfortunately, the Elven Defenders now had Hereswith.


    With her around, as well as her Skeleton Queen and Jasy Jetere, it would take a sizable force before they could break past their defenses.


    ''The battle is almost over,'' Hereswith thought as she scanned her surroundings. ''Some Demigods escaped, but that''s fine. We can just hunt them downter.''


    She wasn''t too worried about the Demigods who had left the rest of their brethren behind.


    Although they were strong, she was confident that she would be able to track them eventually and hunt them down.


    An hourter, the battle finally ended, and all the Elves cheered for they were victorious.


    Hereswith didn''t share their happiness because she was worried about her Grand Disciple, whose connection with her had been cut off.


    She already knew what happened to Lux thanks to ckfire, and she felt bitter about it.


    The majority of the world didn''t even know the sacrifice that Lux made in order to stop the Abyssal Invasion.


    The worst part was that, with the exception of the Supremes, Demigods, and a few other people, almost everyone in both Sis and Elysium had forgotten him.


    Hereswith heaved a deep and long sigh before scanning her surroundings.


    ckfire was still picking through the corpses of the Fallen Abyssal Monsters.


    The ck Coffin was checking whether it had missed some useful pawns that it could store inside its body.


    ������������������


    Somewhere in the Middle Regions of Elysium��


    The Founder and the Sovereign of the Divine Army stood side by side, as they and their subordinates started a one-sided massacre.


    Maeve was also there fighting alongside them, and her arrows of destruction rained down on her enemies, obliterating those who were unlucky enough to get hit by her attack.


    Their Apostle Project was a resounding sess, and all the four Demigods who had appeared in their territories had been killed by the Pseudo-Supremes that they had created.


    At the moment, they were only cleaning up the Cmity-Ranked Monsters that were still alive on the battlefield.


    Both knew that the Abyssal Invasion had been prematurely stopped by someone or something.


    The number of Abyssal Creatures was far less than they had expected, allowing them to eliminate the invaders in a systematic manner.


    The majority of the Abyssal Creatures didn''t have a strategy. They just attacked their opponents in swarms and fought a battle of attrition.


    Unfortunately for them, the Divine Army had created a perfect strategy to counter their swarm tactics.


    A single Pseudo-Supreme was enough to wipe a countless number of Abyssal Monsters, rendering their swarm tactics useless.


    The Divine Army had prepared long and hard for this invasion, and the number of Pseudo-Supremes under theirmand amounted to nearly two thousand.


    Over two hundred of these Apostles died in this invasion by sacrificing their lives for the greater cause.


    In the end, the Founder and the Sovereign both agreed that their losses were minimal, and their operation was a sess.


    However, they also understood that their battlefield was just one of the many battlefields that were happening over the entire world.


    They couldn''t celebrate just yet.


    "We will lose almost all of our Apostles if we help the other Kingdoms and Empires, but we still have to do it," the Founder stated. "Maeve, return to the Headquarters and hasten the creation of the Apostles. We will need as many as we can in order to rid our world of this menace."


    The Oracle nodded her head in understanding.


    She then used a special artifact that would instantly teleport her to their underground Headquarters.


    Although there were many who seeded in winning their battles, there were other ces that had lost entirely.


    Several kingdoms and Empires had been razed to the ground, with their citizens either killed or eaten by the Abyssal Monsters that invaded theirnd.


    These same people had pleaded to the Gods for salvation, and yet no one was able to hear their pleas.


    The only two surviving Gods in Elysium and Sis were currently resting in order to recover the powers that they had lost in their fight against the Outer God.


    But, even if they were awake, they simply didn''t have the power to help them.


    The only thing they could do was watch helplessly as the people of both Sis and Elysium fought the invaders who nned to kill and destroy everything in their sights.


    Battles were happening all over the world, and no one knew when they would all end.

 Chapter 1117 Perfect For Stardom

    <h4>Chapter 1117 Perfect For Stardom</h4>


    It took a lot of effort, but Lux seeded in convincing Luna to not miss the opportunity that was presented to her.


    After being an Idol for many years, Luna had decided to try her hand at bing an actress, which her manager, Hollie, was very enthusiastic about.


    Because of this, thetter used her connections to pull strings that would allow Luna to join the crew of a Big Project, which was deemed to be the next Box Office Hit.


    On the day of the interview, Lux apanied her to make sure that she wouldn''t get cold feet and run away.


    Fortunately, she didn''t have any intention of doing that.


    However, there was still a problem.


    Even if she didn''t run away, she still had to gain the approval of the Producer, who was funding the movie entitled, Cantare.


    When Lux saw the title, he wondered if this was a wordy for a certain fairytale, but after doing a bit of research, he found out that "Cantare" was apparently a poison used to kill a Pope in the past.


    It was a poison that left no trace behind. However, whether this was real or not, no one really knew.


    The only certain thing was that the name of the poison existed until today.


    "You made us wait for a day, Miss Luna," a woman, who seemed to be in herte thirties, said in a calm manner. "Usually, it''s me making people wait and not the other way around. This is a first, and I have to admit, it doesn''t sit well with me."


    "I''m sorry, Miss udia," Luna apologized. "It will not happen again."


    "As it should," udia replied. "But that still doesn''t make me feel any better. Tell me one good reason why I shouldn''t rece you and have anotherdy take your role?"


    "Because I believe that I am perfect for the role of Mary Beth," Luna replied in a heartbeat. Her face was calm, and yet, a fierce glint of determination could be seen in her eyes.


    "Oh?" the corner of udia''s lips curled up into a smirk. "You think you are perfect for the role? I wonder where this confidence of yours ising from."


    udia then nced at the man who was standing near the door behind Luna.


    Thetter was wearing a hood that covered his head and a face mask that covered half of his face.


    The only thing that udia could see was his eyes, and from them, the Producer felt as if a lightning bolt had struck her body.


    "Who is this person?" udia asked with interest. "Your bodyguard?"


    "Y-Yes," Luna replied. "Something like that."


    Well, it was true that Lux was technically her bodyguard for today since the Half-Elf wanted to make sure that she wouldn''t run away from the interview.


    udia eyed Lux from head to foot. Now that she was focusing more on the other person inside the room, she could feel charisma oozing out of his body.


    Despite the fact that she couldn''t see his face, she felt almost certain that the person was good-looking. Based on her years of experience, this was how good-looking people carried themselves.


    "Show me your face," udia ordered. "If I like what I see, I might consider letting Luna keep her role. If not�� then she will need to find a new Project to join.


    Hearing her statement made Lux frown. However, since he didn''t want to be the reason why Luna lost her role in the movie, he agreed to show his face to udia.


    The reason why he had covered his face from the start was because he was too handsome.


    This was what Luna told him, which made him chuckle.


    However, ever since Lux had confessed that Aina, who was Luna''s sister and had been reincarnated in Sis, was his lover, she decided to prevent him from womanizing on Earth and ordered him to cover his face.


    This was her way of protecting her sister''s interest and ensuring that Aina''s lover didn''t cheat on her.


    Although it was a bit silly, Lux agreed to her demand. Since he didn''te to Earth to chase the skirt of girls, he thought that it wouldn''t be bad to listen to his sister-inw, who was only thinking about Aina''s well-being.


    The moment udia saw Lux''s face, she immediately stood from her seat and approached him.


    She then circled around the red-headed teenager and viewed him from different angles.


    "This will work," udia muttered. "This will definitely work."


    A few minutester, the Producer took out her phone and made a call.


    "Francesca, you no longer need to look for the Male Lead," udia stated. "I found him. Tell the cast to prepare for filming. We will start in four days."


    The Producer then patted Lux''s shoulder with a smile.


    "Congrattions, you not only saved Luna''s role, but you also got yourself a job," udia smiled. "What''s your name?"


    Lux blinked once then twice, as he looked at the mature beauty in front of him.


    He was only there to help Lunand her role, but in the end, he also got cast to be part of the movie.


    And the surprising part was that he got the Male Lead!


    "Lux," Lux replied after a minute had passed.


    "Lux?" udia smiled. "A good name. Perfect for stardom. Are you one of Hollie''s talents?"


    "No," Lux answered.


    "A free agent? Then you should sign yourself a contract with Hollie. Since you are good friends with Luna, I won''t try to poach you. But you better do your best to act properly. Her career depended on it, okay?"


    Lux didn''t know that he was being swept by the flow. But, in the end, he had no choice but to nod his head for Luna''s sake.


    "Great!" udia pped her hand once. "Now, meet me in the venue in four days. Hollie will fill you up with the details. I''m a busy person, so see youter, Lux."


    The mature beauty even gave Lux a wink before leaving the room.


    When he was certain that she was truly gone, he looked at Luna, who was looking back at him with a look of disbelief in her eyes.


    "What just happened?" Lux asked.


    "You happened," Luna replied before shaking her head helplessly. "I''m pretty sure that before this day is over, Hollie will be smiling ear to ear once she learns about this development.


    Luna was right.


    When Hollie heard that Lux would be the Male Lead, she not only smiled from ear to ear but alsoughed as well.


    Two hourster, she made the Half-Elf sign a contract, making him part of the Rising Stars Company.


    Although there were many twists and turns along the way, Lux was now going to be a star, which he definitely didn''t sign up for after finding himself back on Earth.

 Chapter 1118 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1118 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 1]</h4>


    The days turned into weeks, and weeks into months.


    Before Lux knew it, half a year had passed since the filming started.


    At first, he was very worried about the time difference between Earth, Sis, and Elysium.


    He believed that after he spent a few months on Earth, several years would have already passed in Sis and Elysium.


    Fortunately, on the day that he signed the contract, dozens of those glowing golden eyeballs appeared inside his room.


    "As long as you entertain me, and I am satisfied with your performance, you don''t have to worry about the difference in time dtion. So make sure to do your best or else��"


    Although Lux was still in doubt, he had no choice but to believe the being''s words.


    Since he could not go back on his own anyway, he decided to stay and help Luna make her first movie a sess.


    Lux wasn''t an actor.


    However, his dedication to help Luna realize her dream made him work very hard. In the end, after a few awkward shoots and a lot of guidance, he gradually improved until his acting became nearly perfect.


    udia told him that he was born for the role he was portraying, and Lux had to agree that she was certainly right about it.


    The role he was ying was a Necromancer.


    The Movie Cantare revolved around the Female Lead, who was yed by Luna, being forced to kill the Male Lead due to the order of an Evil Witch, who took her Royal Family hostage.


    Lux was a Prince of a Kingdom, who was actively hunting the Evil Witch. Wanting to protect herself, the Witch used the beautiful Princess to make the Prince fall for her and give her the poison that would end his life.


    The Half-Elf was indeed perfect for the job. The Male Lead was a Necromancer just like him, and he was also supposed to be a Half-Elf.


    ording to the Director, they were trying to get a person named William to y the role. But he was too busy as ofte, so they could only look for someone to be his recement.


    Francesca, who was the Director of the movie, told Lux that he wasn''t acting ruthless enough for the role he was portraying.


    A Necromancer should be cold, dark, handsome, and oozing with masculinity.


    Because of this, Lux was forced to tap into the darkest experiences he had in Sis and Elysium, allowing the director and the cast to see his ruthless side.


    What made Francesca extremely happy was that during the battle scenes, she didn''t have to bother looking for extras because Lux was able to find talented people to y as Undead Monsters, whom she praised for looking and acting their part perfectly.


    She even shook hands with a Doom Knight Gangbanger and praised him for his acting, making thetter scratch his head in embarrassment.


    If only Francesca knew that she was actually talking to and praising a "real" Undead Monster, she might have fainted then and there.


    After spending six months together as the Male and Female Lead, it was impossible for Luna to not get close to Lux.


    At first, she stuck close to him in order to ensure that the Half-Elf wouldn''t cheat on her sister. But the more he knew about him, the more she understood why Aina had fallen in love with him when she was still alive on Earth.


    "Tomorrow will be thest day of filming," Francesca dered. "I saved the best scene forst. It will be a Royal Party, and Lux wille to dance with Luna before the clock strikes twelve."


    "The moment the bell chimes, you will run away into the garden and disappear. That will be thest scene that we will shoot, and the movie will finallye to an end. Before anything else, I would like to thank the two of you for doing an exceptional job.


    "Working with you guys has reignited my passion for directing movies. I am very lucky to have both of you in my cast."


    "Thank you,?director," Luna replied with a smile. "It is also an honor working with you. I''ve learned a lot of things, and I''ll treasure these memories for the rest of my life."


    Francesca nodded her head in satisfaction before shifting her gaze to Lux, whose face had suddenly be pale.


    "What''s wrong?" Francesca asked as she looked at the handsome Half-Elf, who seemed to have seen a ghost.


    "N-Nothing," Lux replied. "I''m just a bit exhausted with today''s shooting. I promise that I''ll be fine when morninges, Director."


    "Well, if you say so," Francesca smiled and patted Lux''s shoulder. "Rest well. I''m counting on you to shoot the final scene perfectly, Mr. Prince Charming."


    After saying those words, Francesca went to talk to the other crew members and thanked them for doing a great job.


    Lux excused himself from the set and headed back to his room. His face was still pale, and Luna, who noticed it, felt worried about him.


    As soon as he arrived inside his room, the Half-Elf locked the door before sitting lifelessly on his bed.


    He stared at the space in front of him for a while before sighing.


    ��������������������


    < Countdown to returning to Sis. >


    33:25:14


    ��������������������


    The moment Francesca said that tomorrow would be thest day of filming, the Half-Elf heard a notification inside his head, and rows of texts suddenly appeared in front of him.


    It took him a moment to realize that the notification he got was actually a countdown timer.


    If this were in the past, he would have been thrilled to see such a development, but now, he just felt empty inside.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, he momentarily forgot about the bad things that were happening in Sis and Elysium because he was too engrossed in his role as the Male Lead of the movie.


    The anxiety and worries that he had locked up inside his heart rose to the surface all at once, making him feel very guilty.


    Guilty for actually enjoying his time acting with Luna, and guilty for forgetting his mission to save Sis.


    When this reality hit him, Lux felt suffocated as if someone was strangling his neck.


    He covered his face with both hands as he tried to stabilize his wildly beating heart.


    Lux knew that he had no choice on the matter, and yet, he couldn''t help but me himself for having fun while everyone else was suffering back in Sis and Elysium.


    Because of this, he didn''t notice the door of his room was open.


    He also didn''t notice that someone had already approached and was only a step away from him.


    "Lux."


    A familiar voice called out to him, making him break out of his daze.


    Lux lowered his hand and looked at the beautiful youngdy, whom he had spent the past six months with.


    "Luna," Lux replied. His tone was heavy, and his body shuddered from time to time as if he was holding something back.


    Luna was surprised to see that Lux was crying. She could feel the pained expression on his face, making her feel an ache inside her chest.


    Before she knew it, she had already wrapped her arms around the Half-Elf''s head and pulled him to her chest.


    "Everything is going to be fine," Luna replied. "You''re going to be fine."


    Seeing Lux''s expression reminded her of the day when Aina was about to undertake her operation.


    If it seeded, then her sister would finally be able to recover and live her life the way she wanted to.


    But the operation failed, and she was no longer able to see her sister''s smile ever again.


    Seeing Lux with the same expression on his face made Luna feel as if she was reliving the same scenario again.


    She felt as if the Half-Elf was about to disappear from her life, just like what happened to her sister.


    It scared her so much that she didn''t notice that she had also started to cry while patting the Half-Elf''s head in order to reassure him that it was going to be fine.


    Lux and Luna both cried, but they had entirely different reasons.


    They didn''t know how long they cried, but when they finally stopped, Lux told her everything.


    He could have lied and told Luna that everything was fine.


    But he didn''t do that.


    Aina''s greatest regret in her lifetime was that she wasn''t able to say a proper goodbye to her sister and thank her for everything she had done for her.


    For the sacrifices Luna made in order to gather the funds for her hospitalization and operation.


    Aina regretted not being able to tell her sister how much she loved her because, on thest night they were together, she only cried while her sister held her, just like how Luna was holding Lux a few minutes ago.


    When Lux finished talking, Luna felt as if her heart was breaking.


    She had already lost her sister, and now, she was about to lose Lux as well.


    Cupping his face, Luna looked at him with tears streaming down her eyes.


    No words were spoken between them as she lowered her head to kiss him on the lips.


    Due to their tears, their kiss was bitter and salty.


    It wasn''t sweet like it should have been.


    Instead, it was bitter, salty, and sad.


    When their kiss ended, they stared at each other before Lux wrapped his arms around her.


    A momentter both of themid down on the bed and held each other until they no longer had tears to shed.


    (A/N: Merry Christmas everyone!)

 Chapter 1119 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 2]

    Chapter 1119 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 2]


    Lux looked at the beautifuldy, who was sleeping beside him, with a gentle look on his face.


    He and Luna had slept together, in the literal meaning of the word.


    Both of them were still wearing all of their clothes. Nothing was removed, and nothing happened between the two of them.


    Well, that wasn''t entirely correct. Something did happen between the two of them, but there were no sensual elements to it. The two of them had kissed and hugged each other, falling asleep in each other''s arms.


    Lux was in full control of himself and didn''t take advantage of Luna''s state to make love to her.


    He was her greatest fan, so being able to be with her was enough to make him very happy. Aside from his feelings for her, he also respected her very much.


    Also, Aina was his fiancee, and with this fact in mind, he didn''t make any move to bring his rtionship with Luna to the next level.


    There was also the issue of his limited time on Earth. He didn''t want to leave Luna with any burdens and wished for her to seed in her dream of bing a popr actress.


    Although it was difficult, Lux knew that this was the right thing to do. He and Luna weren''t meant to be together, at least, not at this moment in time.


    As for the feelings that they developed for each other over the past six months, they could only keep them locked up in their hearts until the day they met again.


    Half an hourter, Luna''s eyes fluttered open.


    She looked at the Half-Elf in a daze before the memories of what happened the night before appeared inside her mind.


    Her face immediately turned beet red after realizing what she had done to him in a moment of passion. The one who had initiated the kiss was her.


    It felt right at that time, and even now, she didn''t regret it.


    After oveing the embarrassment that she was feeling, she looked at the handsome Half-Elf and greeted him.


    "Good morning," Luna said while trying to keep her expression as calm as possible.


    "Good morning," Lux replied. "What do you want for breakfast?"


    During the past six months, the Half-Elf had been in charge of preparing Luna''s meals whenever it was possible.


    He already knew the foods she liked and the foods she didn''t like.


    "Just an omelet would do," Luna answered after pondering for a few seconds. "I don''t have much of an appetite today."


    Lux nodded. "Freshen up first. I''ll go to the kitchen."


    The Half-Elf was about to kiss her forehead but stopped mid-way after realizing what he was about to do.


    In order to hide what he had originally nned to do, he stood up from the bed and patted Luna''s head before leaving the room.


    The youngdy looked at him in a daze because of what just happened. A few secondster, a sigh escaped her lips before she, too, got up from the bed and headed towards the bathroom.


    Horror washed upon her when she saw that her hair, face, and dress were a mess.


    The tear stains on her cheeks had smudged her makeup. Fortunately, this wasn''t the first time that it happened, and she was already prepared to deal with it.


    The next problem was her clothes. Her dress was a mess, and she couldn''t possibly go out in her current state.


    Also, some of the film crew were staying at the same hotel as them.


    If they saw her right now, a scandal might blow up, which wasn''t a good thing.


    Fortunately, their next shoot would be heldter in the evening.


    She still had time to fix herself before leaving Lux''s room to return to her own.


    Half an hourter, she went to the kitchen and ate breakfast with the Half-Elf.


    Lux almost dropped the te in his hand when he saw Luna appear in front of him.


    She was wearing shorts, a T-shirt, and a red cap.


    All of these things belonged to him, which meant that the youngdy had rummaged through his closet to find a new set of clothes to wear.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, Luna looked good wearing his clothes.


    Then again, all beautiful people looked good no matter what clothes they wore, even if they were rags, and Luna was not an exception to that rule.


    The two ate in silence. Only the sound of their cutlery against their tes could be heard inside the dining room.


    After the two of them finished eating, Lux decided to help Luna sneak back to her room without anyone noticing her.


    The male and female members of the staff were located on different floors.


    But with Lux''s abilities, he was certain that he could aplish this mission without things blowing up into a scandal.


    "Are you ready?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Luna replied with a determined look on her face.


    Holding her hand, Lux opened the door and looked at the hallways to check if there was anyone around.


    Fortunately, the coast was clear, so he led Luna toward the Fire Exit. Their n was to use the stairs to climb up to the next floor. Their n proceeded well. But when they reached the 16th Floor, where Luna and the other female artists were staying, they found a few people loitering in the hallway and chatting with each other.


    Hollie was even discussing with Francesca about a few things about the movie with an excited look on her face.


    This was still fine, but the problem was that they were walking toward Luna''s room. The Half-Elf had a feeling that they nned to see if she was already awake and wanted to discuss a few things with her.


    Left with no choice, Lux wracked his brain toe up with a n.


    Suddenly, a thought appeared inside his head.


    ''This can work,'' Lux mused as he eyed the lights surrounding the hallway.


    With a snap of his finger, all the lights went off, and a dark tide swept across the hallway, making everyone unable to see anything around them.


    Visibility had dropped to zero, which the Half-Elf used to his advantage.


    "Trust me and just hold my hand," Lux whispered to Luna''s ears.


    A momentter, both of them ran through the hallway. Since Lux was able to see through the darkness that he had created, he was able to bypass the people who had lost sight of their surroundings.


    Suddenly, a sh of light appeared in his vision as Hollie took out her phone and used its shlight.


    Fortunately, Lux had already anticipated this to happen, so he and Luna transformed into shadows and snuck past the Manager, arriving in front of her room.


    With a quick tap of Luna''s Room card, the door lock opened and they entered the room without a problem. Breathing a sigh of relief, Lux then smiled at Luna, who was still breathing hard due to the exhration that she had felt.


    She already knew that Lux was a Necromancer and was capable of using Magic. Because of this, she wasn''t too surprised by the things that he did in front of her.


    "I''ll be off now," Lux said.


    "Wait, you can''t go to the hallway," Luna stated. "Everyone will see you."


    Lux smiled and poked Luna''s nose with his finger. "Don''t worry. I don''t n to go to the hallway."


    The Half-Elf then walked towards the balcony of Luna''s room. He then waved at her before a pair of Draconic Wings sprouted behind his back.


    A momentter, the Half-Elf flew downward tond on the balcony of his own room, leaving the youngdy to deal with the aftermath of the chaos that they created.

 Chapter 1120 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 3]

    Chapter 1120 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 3]


    "We''re just talking, and then bam! All the lights went out," Francesca said in an animated fashion, moving her hands to emphasize how surprised she had been. "It was like one of those horror films I directed. I could have sworn that Zadaku was about to pounce at me from the darkness."


    "That must have been scary," Luna said with a stiff smile on her face. She had changed into her Pajamas to make it seem like she had just woken up from her sleep. Lux''s clothes were folded and hidden away inside her closet, preventing anyone from seeing them.


    "I almost screamed when I felt something brush past my leg." Hollie shuddered. "I swear I felt goosebumps then and there."


    Luna knew that the one that brushed past her was them, so she decided to keep mum and simply look at her manager with concern in her eyes.


    "I''m just d that nothing serious happened," Luna stated. "True." Francesca nodded. "The lights went off for half a minute, I think, before the power returned. I was just so shocked because everything became dark all of a sudden."


    Hollie nodded before reminding Francesca about the reason why they were intruding on Luna''s room so early in the morning.


    "I would like to ask for your opinion about thisst scene that we are nning to shoot," Francesca stated. "We made ast-minute revision of the script and decided to follow the Cindere route. You know, when the clock strikes twelve, she runs away and leaves her shoe behind.


    "However, it will be different with Cantare. When the clock strikes twelve, it will be Lux who will be running away. After that, you will run after him to the garden. We will ce various cameras at every angle.


    "The two of you will recite the lines from the revised script and hug each other. After that, we will let the Editing Team use some special effects to make Lux disappear. Since this is thest scene, I want to make it memorable. Feel free to improvise. I''ll take responsibility!"


    Luna nodded her head in understanding. Last-minute changes in the script were a verymon thing, so she wasn''t too bothered by it.


    "Will you visit Luxter to talk to him about the changes in the script?" Luna asked.


    "That''s the n." Francesca nodded. "I will also tell him that he can improvise. Even ad-libbing is fine. As long as it''s fitting."


    "Good." Luna smiled. "I''m sure that we will definitely make thisst scene work out well."


    "I''m looking forward to it," Francesca smirked. "This is going to be a big hit. I''m sure of it!"


    After discussing things with Luna, Francesca and Hollie headed to Lux''s room and told him about the changes in the script.


    Although he had never taken any acting sses, the Half-Elf gradually but also quickly adapted, making Francesca think of him as one of those geniuses who were born to be an actor.


    Several hourster, just past sunset, the Film Crew was ready to film the final scenes of the movie.


    The setting was the Royal Ball, which was held to make the members of the various Royal Families meet each other. Of course, some special individuals were also invited to join this banquet, includingmoners who had managed to catch the attention of the High-Ranking Nobles and the Royalty.


    This shoot took several hours because the Royal Banquet was the ce where certain developments happened. Although there were a few retakes, everything went well in the end. Luna yed her role perfectly, showing off her acting abilities. Because of her performance, udia and Francesca nned to invite her to their next Project, which was still in the works.


    Naturally, they also wanted Lux to be part of their next project as well. There were several Producers who were looking for a "red-headed Half-Elf" to y a big role in the projects that they had in mind. But udia and Francesca had no intention of sharing the diamond that they found with others, making the two of them feel giddy because of Lux''s potential.


    "Okay, everyone ready," Francesca announced. "Action!"


    The soft, mellow music yed in the background, and the cameras zoomed in on the beautifuldy with long blonde hair, sitting at the corner of the ballroom.


    She was wearing a white dress that highlighted her beauty, making her look like a sweet innocent angel that had descended upon the world.


    Several handsome men asked her to dance with them, but she turned all of them down politely.


    However, when it was the Viin''s turn to ask her for a dance, her rejection made him angry.


    Because of this, he forcefully grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him.


    "My Lady, there are some people whom you mustn''t offend no matter what," the Viin used his finger to lightly caress the side of Luna''s face, making thetter shudder. "Are you saying that you n to turn down the Crown Prince of your own kingdom? Please choose your next words carefully��"


    "I-I��" Luna was at a loss for what to say.


    On one hand, rejecting the Crown Prince would make her life difficult.


    On the other hand, epting his invitation was also just as dangerous.


    If she decided to dance with the Crown Prince, she would be the target of the Princesses from the neighboring kingdoms who hade to the ball to catch the Crown Prince''s attention.


    Left with no choice, she was about to nod her head and ept the Prince''s proposal when, suddenly, someone grabbed hold of the Crown Prince''s wrist, stopping him from pulling Luna to the dance floor.


    "I''m sorry, but I already reserved herst dance," a powerful and charismatic voice reverberated inside the ballroom as Lux made his appearance. "Please, let go of My Lady''s hand or else."


    "Or else what?" the Viin sneered, making everyone in the ballroom look in their direction.


    Clearly, they wanted to see the oue of the battle between the two handsome Princes from the two most powerful Kingdoms on the continent.


    Lux casually took off his right glove and threw it at the Crown Prince''s chest.


    "I heard that you''re a genius swordsman," Lux said with a devilish smile on his face. "Care to prove it in front of everyone?"


    The Viin snorted. "If you want everyone to watch your shameful performance, then I shall oblige and ept your duel."


    "Good." Lux nodded. "Shall we?"


    The dancers in the ballroom cleared out the scene and watched as the two Princes drew their swords at the same time.


    Without warning, the two shed with each other, their swords sending sparks flying in every direction.


    Luna looked at the two young men with worry in her eyes. She was hoping that Lux would not be hurt by his opponent, the Crown Prince who was well known as a master swordsman.


    Suddenly, the Crown Prince rotated his sword quickly, knocking the sword out of Lux''s hand and causing it to fly high up in the air. Just as the Viin thought that he already won, Lux unsheathed the second sword that hung on his waist.


    He was a dual wielder and would always carry two swords with him.


    This caught the Crown Prince by surprise, and soon, Lux''s flurry of attacks pushed him back.


    Just as everyone thought that the battle between the two woulde to a stalemate, the red-headed Prince raised his hand and caught the falling sword that had been sent flying by the Viin.


    Armed with a sword in both hands, he quickly neutralized the Crown Prince.


    The battle ended after the Viin''s sword fell from his grasp, and the tip of Lux''s de pressed over his neck.


    "It''s my win," Lux said with a smile.


    The Crown Prince clicked his tongue. "This isn''t over!"


    After spouting the lines of a typical second-rate Viin, which he truly was, the Crown Prince walked away, leaving the victor standing in the center of the ballroom.


    Lux returned his swords back to their scabbards and walked toward Luna.


    When he was only a meter away from her, he knelt on the ground like a knight and reached out his hand to her.


    "Would you honor me to have thest dance with you, Princess?" Lux asked, making the otherdies in the room look at Luna with envy and jealousy.


    "It will be my honor, Your Highness," Luna replied as she ced her hand over the red-headed Prince''s hand with a smile on her face.


    Soon, the final song of the night yed, and the two of them started to dance.


    A dance that the two of them would remember for many years toe.

 Chapter 1121 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 4]

    <h4>Chapter 1121 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 4]</h4>


    Lux and Luna danced, staring into each other''s eyes with smiles on their faces.


    Their steps were elegant and graceful, seemingly experienced. Both of them had taken dancing lessons from the choreographer that Francesca hired a month ago just for this very scene.


    Both of them wished for the song to be a little longer, but contrary to their wishes, the song soon came to an end.


    Suddenly, the tolling of a bell resounded in the night, making Lux look sadly at his partner.


    Without saying a word, he left the scene and rushed toward the pce garden in haste.


    After a moment of hesitation, Luna followed, almost running in order to catch up to him, with a hint of anxiety on her face.


    A few minutester, she found the Prince, standing at the center of the garden, illuminated by the moonlight.


    "It''s time to say goodbye," Lux said as he turned around to look at the youngdy. "It was fun while itsted."


    "Where are you going?" Luna asked while approaching him with hurried steps.


    "Somewhere very far," Lux answered.


    "Can I go with you?"


    "No."


    Lux sadly smiled before giving Luna a hug. She hugged him back, almost pressing her entire body against him as if wishing to be one with him then and there.


    The two didn''t say anything and simply held each other in a loving embrace.


    A minuteter, the Half-Elf reluctantly stepped back.


    "Wherever I may be, know that I will always think of you," Lux said.


    Just as he was about to walk away, Luna suddenly grabbed his hand, holding him in ce.


    She then closed the gap between them and wrapped her hands around Lux''s neck before standing on tiptoe.


    A secondter, she pressed her lips against his, giving him a kiss.


    "I''ll wait for you," Luna said after she pulled back from the kiss. "No matter how long it takes."


    "I may not be able to return," Lux replied. "Will you wait even then?"


    "Yes. Even if I grow old and decrepit, I will wait for you," Luna said with determination. "So, you better return before that happens."


    These weren''t part of the script, and the two were ad-libbing, and yet, the emotions behind their words resonated with Francesca''s heart.


    She had given them the green light to improvise in order to make this particr scene more impactful.


    The two stared at each other''s eyes, firmly holding each other as if they didn''t want to part.


    Lux then lowered his head to kiss Luna''s lips, to which thetter replied in kind.


    The two kissed, and kissed, and kissed, making the men and women at the scene feel jealous.


    Finally, after half a minute of kissing, Lux finally pulled back and gave Luna a confident smile.


    "Goodbye, Mary," Lux said. "I will keep this memory in my heart."


    The Half-Elf then turned before walking away.


    Luna watched him go with tears streaming down her face. The staff was impressed by her acting skills, but they didn''t know that she wasn''t acting.


    Her tears came from the heart because she knew that Lux would really disappear from her life before the night was over.


    At that exact moment, Francesca''s voice reverberated in the surroundings.


    "Cut!" Francesca shouted. "Good take!"


    Hollie immediately went to Luna''s side and gave her a hug.


    "That was amazing!" Hollie said. "Well done, Luna. Here, let me wipe those tears away."


    The beautiful woman started to gently dab Luna''s tears using a tissue paper so that it wouldn''t ruin her makeup.


    Everyone congratted her, including Francesca, who was very happy with how the scene turned out.


    Luna thanked them before her gaze wandered off to the corner of the set, where Lux stood with his arms crossed over his chest.


    The Half-Elf waved in her direction, and she waved back at him despite the sadness she was feeling.


    "Okay, everyone. Let''s go and eat our fill at the buffet!" Francesca ordered. "I''m a bit hungry, especially after seeing that kissing scene."


    The staff membersughed and looked at Lux and Luna, who had made an impressive shoot with only one take.


    "Are you noting?" Hollie asked Luna, who was still standing in ce.


    "No," Luna replied. "Manager, it''s fine to leave now, right?"


    Hollie looked at the youngdy before shifting her gaze to the Half-Elf, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.


    A realization came to her mind before nodding her head.


    "Here, take this," Hollie said as she handed something to Luna before whispering something in her ear. "Do things in moderation, okay?"


    Without another word, the third wheel left the set, leaving Luna behind.


    As soon as Hollie left, Luna ran in Lux''s direction and almost jumped into his arms.


    Naturally, her Prince caught her gently and pulled her into his embrace.


    The two hugged each other in silence for a full minute before Luna raised her head to offer her lips to him.


    Lux epted her offering and kissed her lovingly. A few secondster, he raised her right hand and also gave it a kiss.


    "What is this that you are holding?" Lux asked in a teasing tone, while lightly waving the thing that Hollie had given her a while ago. "Are you feeling a little naughty?"


    The youngdy pouted and lightly pounded Lux''s chest with her fist.


    "You''re so mean," Luna replied. "You already know that Hollie gave it to me, and you still tease me about it."


    The Half-Elf chuckled before moving his hands to carry Luna in a princess carry.


    A momentter, a pair of Draconic Wings appeared on his back.


    "Hold on, Princess," Lux whispered seductively in Luna''s ears. "I will show you the world."


    With a p of his wings, he took off to the skies, holding the youngdy in his arms.


    Luna looked up at him and asked the question that she had been meaning to ask.


    "How long?" Luna asked. She didn''t need to finish her sentence because there was no need to say anything more than that.


    "Two hours and forty minutes," Lux replied.


    The Half-Elf then pped his wings to fly to a secret viewing tform that gave a scenic view of the town they were currently in.


    This town had an old castle, which the crew had used to shoot the scene.


    It was surrounded by lush forest, making it a very touristy area to visit.


    Lux had scouted the ce while everyone was asleep, wanting to find the best ce to spend a memorable time with Luna.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t find any, so he decided to make one himself.


    Using his magic, he created an elevated tform on the small mountain, near the forest.


    This allowed them to have a full view of everything around them, creating a picturesque setting.


    The view was indeed beautiful, and yet, instead of being happy, Luna only felt sadness.


    She only had a little more than two hours to spend time with him, and after that, he would disappear and return to the worlds of Sis and Elysium.


    Back to the worlds where her sister, Aina, was waiting for his return.

 Chapter 1122 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 5]

    <h4>Chapter 1122 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 5]</h4>


    "Lux�� do you think you will be able to return to Earth again?" Luna asked.


    "I don''t know," Lux replied. "I''m sorry, Luna. I really don''t have any idea."


    The countless glowing golden balls with eyes was the one who had brought Lux back to Earth.


    He didn''t know what they were, and why they did something like this.


    Perhaps, they only did it due to a whim, or maybe they had a reason for doing what they did.


    Even so, Lux didn''t know whether he would be able to return to Earth again and meet the beautifuldy in his arms.


    A few minutes passed in silence as both of them looked at the castle where they shot theirst scene just a few moments ago.


    "Lux��" Luna muttered softly as she looked him straight in the eye. "Embrace me."


    "�� I can''t," Lux replied. "I can''t do this to you."


    Lux didn''t want to ept Luna''s wish because he was afraid.


    He feared that once he crossed that line, he would be unable to stop himself from falling in love with herpletely.


    Even at this moment, he was doing his best to hold himself back.


    Kisses, cuddles, and hugs were still fine. But if they end up going all the way, not only would it leave asting impression on both of their hearts, but they would also reach the point of no return.


    Of course, he liked her.


    He liked her very much.


    She was his greatest fantasy when he was still in his previous life on Earth.


    He was certain that any man would kill for the opportunity to swap ces with him. Fortunately, no matter how much he liked her, Lux could still remain rational and stop himself from doing anything impulsive, especially since he only had a little more than two hours remaining to spend with her.


    Sure, he would probably be the happiest man in the world if he were to embrace his idol at this point in time.


    But, he was certain that after the euphoria ended and after that exhrating rush faded, only sadness and heartbreak would remain.


    Luna bit her lip bitterly before lowering her head. Her vision turned blurry as she fought hard to stop the tears from falling from her eyes.


    The reason why she took the initiative to ask Lux to embrace her was to let him feel a stronger connection with her.


    She wanted to have asting memory that would remain with her, even if he would never appear in her life ever again.


    Suddenly, Luna thought of that fateful day when Aina was going to undergo her operation.


    She was in the middle of one of her idol events, so she couldn''t be with her in her final moments.


    Only after the show ended did Hollie tell her about the result of her sister''s operation. That time, Luna immediately left the venue and rushed straight to the hospital.


    When she arrived and saw her sister''s lifeless body, she felt as if her world had broken apart.


    It was as if a ck hole had appeared in her heart, devouring all life and happiness in her surroundings.


    That day was the day that Luna entered a state of depression thatsted for many years.


    She med herself for prioritizing her career over supporting her sister and encouraging her to do her best to live.


    Aina''s death was one of Luna''s greatest regrets in life, and it was still haunting her to this day.


    Suddenly, as if gaining a strength that came from the deepest corner of her heart, Luna stood up and pressed her hands over Lux''s shoulder.


    "Never again��" Luna muttered. "I don''t want to regret ever again."


    Despite being weaker than the Half-Elf, Luna seeded in pushing him down, which surprised Lux.


    "I know what you''re thinking," Luna said as she straddled Lux''s abdomen, with both her hands cupping his face. "You are afraid of leaving me behind. You don''t want me to spend my life waiting for you. I know this very well, but there is something you don''t understand."


    Luna started pounding Lux''s chest in anger as her tears started to drip onto his body.


    "It''s always harder to be the one who''s left behind than to be the one who leaves!" Luna almost shouted. "Why?! Why do all those that I love leave me?! My sister, my grandparents, and now you! Why do all of you leave me?! Why?!"


    Luna was no longer able to hold back her feelings and cried bitterly.


    After her sister''s death, her grandparents followed a few yearster.


    The people closest to her had left herpletely alone to fend for herself. The only thing she could do was focus on her work in order to distract herself from the heartache and pain that she was suffering.


    All these years, she had closed her heart from everyone else and focused everything on her career.


    Working had been her coping mechanism.


    It was the only thing that allowed her fragile heart to slowly recover.


    They said that all things heal with time.


    But, there were simply some things that even time couldn''t heal.


    Lux stared at the youngdy, whose heart was close to breaking.


    Her words pierced his heart, making him understand how much courage it took for her to take the initiative to ask him to embrace her.


    It''s always harder to be the one who''s left behind, than the one who leaves.


    He had heard this quote in the past, but he never really thought much about it.


    It was only at this moment in time did he fully understand what it meant, but the price for his understanding was Luna''s pain and suffering.


    Lux reached out and pulled the youngdy, whose heart was breaking, close to him and held her tight.


    "I''m sorry," Lux apologized. "I was being insensitive. I thought I was doing you a favor, but in the end, I ended up hurting you."


    Luna cried bitter tears as Lux held her tight. Only after a few minutes did she regain herposure, sobbing helplessly as the Half-Elf kissed her forehead and wiped the tears from her eyes.


    "Luna, I cannot promise you anything," Lux said softly as he cupped her face. "But if there is a way to return to you, I will find it. So, please, can you give me ten years? If during that time, I still haven''t found a way, then feel free to forget me."


    "I won''t forget," Luna replied. "Because I know that you will return to me. I just know it."


    The two kissed once again, sealing the promise they vowed to each other.


    Soon, the rustling of clothes spread faintly in the quiet night as the two of them decided to take thatst step to consummate the love that they had been holding back in the deepest corners of their hearts.

 Chapter 1123 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 6]

    Chapter 1123 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 6]


    Luna expected her first time to be painful.


    There was indeed pain, but more than anything, she felt loved.


    Lux was very gentle, treating her as if she was something very precious, making her heart overflow with warmth and happiness.


    Luna had already forgotten how it felt to be on the receiving end of a loving touch, which she only felt when she was being held by her family members.


    It was at that moment when she realized how much she hungered for Human Touch.


    Lux''s touch, kisses, and whispers of love, were like small mes that ignited the longing, and the lust that she never knew existed inside of her body.


    She had spent many years working, and focusing all of her attention on her idol career, so she didn''t have time to think about these things.


    Yes, there were many handsome men from influential families, and even celebrities who courted her.


    But, she didn''t have the time, or capacity, to open her heart to other people because she was still grieving for the loss of her parents, her sister, and her grandparents.


    Simply put, her heart had be cold and numb.


    Lux appearing in her life had thawed this ice, allowing her heart to beat once more.


    The past six months that they had spent together, shooting the movie, were the happiest days of her life, ever since she lost all of her beloved family members.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know that simply by staying beside Luna, she had started to get a new lease of life, especially after knowing that somewhere out there, her sister, Aina, was living a happy life.


    Lux told her that Aina was surrounded by a loving family, who would eveny down their lives to protect her.


    For Luna, this was enough. She even started to hope that someday, Lux would bring Aina to Earth, so that the two of them could have a reunion, and hug each other again, like they used to do when they were younger.


    Wanting to engrave his shape, his warmth, his everything, Luna raised her hips, offering herself to the man who made her feel what it was like to fall in love.


    With each thrust, he went deeper inside her.


    With each cry that escaped her lips, she felt that she was falling for him, more and more.


    When both of them found sweet release together, it came like a raging tide, washing over Luna, sweeping her away, until shey, gasping for breath, but still connected with him.


    Even though no words were said between them, the Half-Elf understood that Luna wanted more.


    Her flushed face that was looking at him in a daze was enough to reignite the desire in his heart.


    Just as she wanted, Lux made her his woman, marking her from the inside out.


    Only when she could no longer go on did the Half-Elf stop. He made her drink a rejuvenation potion, so that she would regain her strength.


    As much as Lux wanted to leave the kiss marks on her alluring body untouched, he knew that he couldn''t do that.


    Luna was a celebrity, so any marks on her body might bring controversy. Although the rejuvenation potion had removed some of them, he used healing magic just to be sure.


    The Half-Elf even inspected every part of her to make sure that he didn''t leave any marks behind.


    The youngdy found this meticulous side of him quite amusing, and yet, it only made her feel blessed because he was looking after her.


    She lovingly caressed her lower abdomen, feeling the pleasant heat inside her womb that was filled to the brim.


    Lux used a spell that would prevent his essence from leaking.


    This was his way of making Luna feel as if he was still with her, even though he would disappear in half an hour.


    The two held each other close, feeling each other''s warmth for thest time.


    They also kissed, and kissed some more, until there were only fifteen minutes before Lux''s departure from Earth.


    "It''s time," Lux said softly as he reluctantly stood up, and took out a one-piece nightdress to cover Luna''s body.


    He then pulled his clothes on before holding his princess in his arms.


    Opening his Draconic Wings, he flew towards the hotel where they were staying, andnded on the balcony of Luna''s room.


    "If someonees looking for me, tell them that I returned home," Lux cupped Luna''s face and kissed her forehead. "Take care of yourself, Luna. I will do my best to find a way to return to you."


    Luna nodded. "I''ll be waiting. Make sure to bring Aina with you when you return. I miss her terribly."


    "I will." Lux pressed his forehead over hers. "I promise."


    The minutes passed slowly, as the two held each other.


    When there was only two minutes left, Lux took out a ring out of his storage ring.


    He then slid it to Luna''s finger before raising her hand to his lips, giving it a kiss.


    "Goodbye, Luna," Lux said softly. "See you soon."


    Luna''s eyes moistened as she nodded her head.


    Lux didn''t want to wait until thest second, and disappear in front of her.


    No, he didn''t want to do that. So, before the timer ended, he left the room and flew towards the sky.


    ��������-


    < 0:00:05 >


    < 0:00:04 >


    < 0:00:03 >


    < 0:00:02 >


    < 0:00:01 >


    ��������


    When the counter turned zero, Lux found himself standing at outer space, staring at the countless gxies that made up the Universe.


    A momentter, a swarm of golden eyeballs appeared in his vision, encircling him like a tornado.


    "You did well. That was entertaining."


    The voice said in a teasing tone.


    "Although the lives of you mortals are fleeting, you still shine like a dazzling star before exploding in glorious death. Because you entertained me, I will grant you the privilege of asking me one question. So, is there something that you want to ask me?"


    Lux nodded. "Who are you?"


    This was truly the question that he wanted to know. As long as he got a name, he would be able to ask Eriol and Max about this whimsical being, who had brought him back to Earth.

 Chapter 1124 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 7]

    Chapter 1124 The End Of A Fairy Tale [Part 7]


    "Who are you?"


    All the golden eye balls started to giggle, after hearing Lux''s quest.


    Their giggles were like countless peeling bells that resonated within the entirety of the universe, reaching far and wide.


    "I know where the Old Ones broke through of Old, and where they shall break through again."


    "I know where they trod the multiverse''s fields, and where they tread them still, and why no one can behold them as they tread."


    "I am the Key and the Guardian of the Gate. Past, present, future, all are one with me."


    "I am Yog-Sothoth."


    All the golden eyes then merged together, forming a gigantic golden gate with countless eyes that were looking at Lux with different emotions.


    Happiness, sadness, anger, loneliness, pity, ridicule, disdain, and all the myriad emotions of the world, and beyond, focused on a single being, who was only as big as a grain of sand in front of the majestic gate.


    Slowly, but surely, the gate slowly opened, and Lux found himself slowly being pulled inside it.


    "I give you onest piece of advice, Lux Von Kaizer," Yog-Sothoth said. "No one alive in this Multiverse can defeat your foe. Your Fairy Tale has not ended, I am looking forward to its conclusion."


    The Gigantic Golden Gate closed as Lux''s body passed through it.


    Soon, it disappeared from existence, not leaving even a single trace behind.


    ����������������������


    One year after Lux''s battle against Daniel in the Abyss��


    Cracks started to form over the giant block of crystal that stood at the location where the great battle between the Abyss, and the defenders of the Six Kingdoms took ce.


    With every minute that passed, more cracks appeared, until finally, the entire crystal shattered and turned into particles of light.


    A soft thud was heard, as the body of a Half-Elf copsed on the ground. Snow was raining from the sky, covering the entirety of thend in white.


    Luxy unmoving, his face pale, not from the cold, but because his body was still in a state of hibernation.


    His soul had just returned to his body, so it would take some time before it merged with itpletely.


    A few minutes passed when a set of footsteps was heard trudging through the snowyndscape.


    After seeing that the block of crystal had disappeared from its spot, the steps quickened, almost running to the ce where a person that was lying on the ground was slowly being covered in snow.


    Asmodeus, waved his hand, sending the snow that covered the young man flying, revealing his Master, whom he hadn''t seen for more than a year.


    His hands trembled as he made a gesture to make Lux''s body float in front of him.


    The Lich King then pressed his hand over the Half-Elf''s chest, to see if it was beating.


    A look of happiness shed across his face as he heard a faint heartbeat.


    Although it was faint, it was enough to tell him that his Master was alive and well.


    "Master has returned," Asmodeus announced to hisrades, who were scattered all over Elysium. All of them were busy raising their forces for the return of their Master.


    Almost all of them, with the exception of Asmodeus, had not yet reached the quota that they had set in the beginning.


    Because of this, they couldn''t return to their Master''s side, as per their agreement.


    "Worry not, I will look after Master while all of you continue your task," Asmodeus stated. "He will take some time to heal, so use this opportunity to gather your army in his honor."


    Diablo, and the others, all voiced their reply, and asked Asmodeus to take care of Lux while they were away.


    Now that their Master had returned, all of them redoubled their efforts to bring their own hundred-thousand armies to fruition.


    Asmodeus then carried Lux''s body, taking him away from the cold and harsh conditions of his surroundings.


    The environment of Sis had degraded as the miasma slowly encroached upon the territories of the Six Kingdoms.


    The Abyssal Invasion had somehow hastened the effect of the world''s destruction, forcing the inhabitants of Sis, who were affected by the miasma, to flee into Elysium.


    Despite the ongoing war between the Abyssal Creatures that managed to gain a foothold in Elysium, and the Defenders who stood in their way, the Sians had no choice but to flee to this world.


    Now, among the Six Kingdom, only four were left, including Barbatos Academy, who was at the farthest point where the miasma was spreading.


    The Barbarian Kingdom, where the battle took ce, was also slowly being devoured by the miasma that threatened to corrupt and kill anything it touched.


    Asmodeus was already nning on moving the giant crystal away from the Barbarian Kingdom in order to ensure his Master''s safety.


    Although Lux had returned to Sis, none of them had felt it.


    Technically, his body was still Half-Dead, and was only in preservation mode.


    ording to the Lich King''s estimate, Lux would need one more month before he fully regained his consciousness.


    In order to hasten his recovery, Asmodeus nned to take Lux to Espoir Frieden, and asked Hereswith to help the Half-Elf receive the help of the World Tree.


    The World Tree was the driving force that gave the Elves their power.


    Despite only being Half, Lux still had Elven blood flowing through his veins.


    Because of this, the Lich King believed that the World Tree would be able to help his Master, who had finally returned to their side, after a year of being frozen in time.


    Fortunately, Hereswith was there when he arrived at Espoir Frieden.


    With her help, Lux was able to gain ess to the World Tree, and was allowed to rest in one of its roots.


    They didn''t know that by doing so, the World Tree would take the initiative to transfer a quarter of its lifespan, and power to the Half-Elf, allowing him to be the youngest Saint in both Sis and Elysium.

 Chapter 1125 The Abyssal Army’s New Target

    <h4>Chapter 1125 The Abyssal Army��s New Target</h4>


    While Lux was recovering in the World Tree, the Demigods of the Abyss near the center of Elysium had gathered to have a meeting.


    Currently, they were in a stalemate with the Power Houses of Elysium.


    Although they had conquered many Kingdoms and Empires at the beginning of their invasion, their advance gradually slowed and had nowe to a standstill. The Dragons, the High Elves, the Divine Army of Light, Memento Mori, and the other races of Elysium were starting to push them back.


    "Have you managed to contact Nyathotep?" a Demon asked the Adamantium Gargoyle that was seated across from him.


    "Yes," the Gargoyle replied. "But he is still having fun in his conquest of the West. He said that if we can''t even handle something this simple, we should just let the Dragons kill us because of how useless we are."


    The Demigods who were part of the meeting seethed in anger after hearing the Gargoyle''s statement.


    If only the full force of the Abyssal Army had managed to pass through the Abyssal Gates before it closed off, then Elysium would have long been conquered by now.


    The Abyss had more Demigods, Cmities, Empyreans, and other lower-level Abyssal Monsters than Elysium.


    Simply put, once the invasion began, there was no question that they would win hands down.


    However, the sudden closure of the gates had taken everyone by surprise.


    Their connection with the Abyss was also thoroughly severed, making them realize that they had been cut off from their home world.


    Although they could still vaguely sense a bit of Abyssal Energy leaking in Elysium, it was impossible to open any of the gates in the world that would connect to the Abyss.


    In short, the Abyssal Army and the Defenders of Elysium were currently in a battle of attrition.


    Unless Nyathotep joined forces with them and gathered the rest of the Abyssal Demigods who were still expanding their Domain, it would only be a matter of time before the bnce tilted in the Elysians'' favor.


    "Who is the greatest threat we are facing right now?" another Demon asked. "Why don''t we just focus all our forces into attacking that faction first? After they are eliminated, we will shift to our next target."


    The Adamantine Gargoyle looked at the map of the center of Elysium in front of them.


    "Our greatest threat is the Dragon Race," the Adamantine Gargoyle exined. "The Dragons of Karshvar Draconis and Crystal Pce are holding key locations, preventing our army from breaking past their defenses.


    "The Divine Army is ying guerri tactics and hitting our forces every time we least expect them to. The same can be said for Memento Mori. Those Necromancers are using the people we killed, as well as our fallen brethren, to fight against us. These two organizations are like cockroaches that are very hard to kill."


    The Demon then looked in the Kingdom of the High Elves where the World Tree was located.


    "Attacking the World Tree is also a pain," the Demonmented. "Within its territory, all High Elves and Elves are getting a boost in strength, and we, on the other hand, are weakened. Although they should be our top priority, without Nyathotep leading the charge, destroying the World Tree is impossible."


    The other Demons all nodded their heads in agreement.


    "Since the Headquarters of the Divine Army and Memento Mori are unknown, the only ces we can attack are the two Dragon Kingdoms," the Adamantine Gargoylemented. "But both of them have a few members of Memento Mori each, controlling the Undead Ancient Dragons, who are by far the greatest threat we are facing at the moment."


    It was at that moment when a voice filled with disdain spoke to everyone in the meeting room.


    "Since all of you are not prepared for a head-on confrontation with the powerful forces of Elysium, I suggest we employ Hit and Run Tactics, alongside a Divide and Conquer strategy."


    Everyone''s gazended on the Fallen Angel, who went by the name Eligor.


    He was handsome and looked like a man in his mid-twenties. However, everyone in the meeting knew that this fallen angel was actually thousands of years old and was a very formidable fighter.


    His main weapon was ance, and with it, he had carved his own Domain within the Abyss, proudly ruling the 555th Floor.


    The other Demigods didn''t want to mess with him, which made him grow very conceited. However, after suffering a loss from Daniel and Nyathotep, he was forced to lower his head and submit.


    Even so, he still kept his arrogance because he believed that, aside from those two beings, no one in the Abyss was stronger than him.


    Even the Demigods who were gathered in the meeting acknowledged his strength.


    "For this operation, I will volunteer myself as the temporary leader of the Abyssal Invasion until Nyathotep returns and takes control," Eligor stated. "Do any of you oppose my proposal?"


    The Fallen Angel scanned the faces of the crowd with a calm expression on his face. But, deep inside, he was mocking all of them for not having the guts to challenge his leadership.


    In the end, no one opposed him, and just like that, he became the Supreme Commander of the Abyssal Forces that were congregated at the center of Elysium.


    "I will divide you into different teams based on your specialty," Eligor said. "We will use gueri tactics and initiate a bombardment on several cities. Regardless of the oue, we are going to retreat right away. Once we find a hole in their defenses, we will hit them there, and hit them hard."


    The Fallen Angel then waved his hand, making the map on the round table disappear. Instead of the map of the center of Elysium, a new map appeared, making the Demigods frown.


    "For this strategy, we will not target the Dragons or the other two factions for the time being." Eligor smiled as he pointed his spear at the map that he had ced on the table. "Our target will be none other than Agartha, the Kingdom located near the Core of the World.


    "I managed to locate a few of their hidden entrances, and with the forces at our disposal, it should only be a matter of time before their defenses crumble."


    The Fallen Angel''s eyes glinted with malice, making the Demigods look at the map with Solemn expressions on their faces.


    They never considered attacking Agartha because they were located deep underground. However, that advantage would now turn into a disadvantage.


    With the entrances to their kingdom fully controlled by the Abyss, they would have no ce to run, and hide, leaving them no choice but to fight to the death or submit to the Abyssal Monsters that would soone knocking on their doorstep.

 Chapter 1126 Brace Yourself For What I’m About To Say

    <h4>Chapter 1126 Brace Yourself For What I��m About To Say</h4>


    Two weeks after Lux returned to Sis��


    A green cocoon pulsating at the root of the world tree slowly opened, revealing a Half-Elf wearing nothing but his birthday suit.


    The young man''s eyes fluttered before opening slowly. Half a minuteter, he slowly propped himself up from the ground and looked around his surroundings.


    ''Where am I?'' Lux thought.


    Just as he was pondering the answer to this question, a faint breeze blew past him, carrying a familiar voice that made him turn to his right side.


    "I''m d that you''re finally awake."


    One of the most beautiful women he had seen in all his livesbined appeared in front of him. Lux couldn''t help but smile as his Grandmaster, Hereswith, walked toward him with a mischievous expression on her face.


    "Grandmaster," Lux greeted as he stood up from the ground.


    Hereswith scanned him from head to foot, but her gaze went up a little and stopped at Lux''s middle region.


    "Is it just me, or has it grown a little bigger than before?" Hereswith muttered.


    The Half-Elf followed his Master''s gaze to see what she was looking at, only to find Little Lux standing tall and proud as if asking Hereswith to fight him for two hundred rounds.


    He tried to summon a few clothes from his storage ring, but nothing happened. It was at that moment that he realized that his storage rings weren''t in his possession, making him frown.


    "Looking for these?" Hereswith showed her fingers that wore one ring each. "I took them from you for safekeeping. The World Tree rejects anything that wasn''t born from nature.


    "Because of its disposition, I had to remove these rings from your body. Only then did the World Tree cover you up in a cocoon, speeding up your recovery. So, how do you feel?"


    Lux closed his eyes in order to check whether there were any changes in his body. A momentter, his eyes opened wide, and he looked at his Grandmaster in disbelief.


    "I-I am now a Saint," Lux said in disbelief. "How is this possible?"


    "The World Tree made it possible," Hereswith replied. "You are a Half-Elf, so that means that you have Elven Blood running through your veins. Because of this, the World Tree acknowledged you as one of its children, granting you a portion of its strength."


    Hereswith looked at the World Tree which had aided Lux to break through to the Saint Rank.


    She knew that the Tree of the Elves felt that the world was facing a threat that could potentially destroy its entirety. Because of this, it decided to sacrifice a quarter of its life force to allow Lux to be a Saint.


    It hoped that the red-headed teenager would be able to use his newfound strength to help the Elysians ovee the cmity that was hanging over their heads.


    Hereswith inched closer to Lux and started to lightly pat all over his body, making sure that everything was normal.


    "Looks good," Hereswith nodded her head in satisfaction. "Here, you can take them back."


    She handed the Half-Elf his storage rings. Thetter immediately took out a set of clothes and got dressed, making him sigh in relief.


    Although he didn''t mind his Grandmaster seeing him butt naked, he still felt ufortable due to the mischievous smile that was stered on her face as she looked at Little Lux.


    "Before you go anywhere, let me first tell you the status of the Abyssal invasion," Hereswith said in a serious tone.


    Her earlier yful demeanor disappeared without a trace, reced by a solemness that made Lux serious as well.


    "Several Kingdoms and Empires have fallen into the hands of Abyssal Lords," Hereswith stated. "The Powerhouses of Elysium are stretched thin, so they can''t go to every nook and cranny that needs saving.


    "Currently, the faceoff against the Abyssal Lords is in a stalemate, but our scouts have reported that they are starting to gather once again. We believed that they were about tounch an attack on one of the weakest links in our defenses.


    "Fortunately, Maeve''s irvoyance has helped us from time to time, allowing us to counter their ns when they least expect it."


    Lux breathed a sigh of relief after hearing his Grandmaster''s report about the Oracle of Light. Maeve had personally asked for his permission to return to the Divine Army to fight in the uing war.


    Since she was originally part of that faction, Lux agreed to her request. There were two reasons for this.


    The first one was to gain up-to-date information about the battle between the Abyssal Monsters and the Divine Army of Light.


    Second, it also allowed Lux to have a middleman who could ry his words to the Divine Army, even if he was in Sis, protecting the Six Kingdoms.


    At least, that was the original n.


    Unfortunately, what happened was Lux almost died at Daniel''s hands.


    If it weren''t for Keoza, Eriol, and Max working together to save him, the Half-Elf might have already ceased to exist, not even getting the chance to enter the Cycle of Reincarnation.


    "There is also one thing that you need to know," Hereswith stated. "This is just as important as the Abyssal Invasion. This is something that has a greater impact on you as a whole, so brace yourself for what I am about to say."


    The beautiful Elf''s words sounded ominous, making Lux feel as if she was going to say something really bad.


    "Almost everyone in Elysium and Sis forgot about you, including your lovers," Hereswith said. "I''m just letting you know in advance, so you can prepare your heart before seeing them."


    Her eyes were filled with worry as she looked at her Grand Disciple, who was looking back at her in disbelief.


    "T-They forgot about me?" Lux asked. "All of them?"


    "Not all of them," Hereswith replied in an attempt to calm her Grand Disciple, whose face had be as pale as a candle. "Aina, Aurora, Ari, and Aurelia, haven''t forgotten about you."


    It was at that moment that Maeve''s cryptic words shed inside his mind.


    "Master, you ceased to exist."


    Those were the words that Maeve told him when he had the premonition of the Abyssal Invasion.


    At first, he didn''t think much about it, but the words of an Oracle weren''t something that could be brushed off so easily.


    He had shared his worries with Aurora when the two of them had made love for the first time. Perhaps, it was his way of telling her a possibility that neither of them wanted to happen.


    "Master, I have to go," Lux said with a determined look on his face. "I need to go back to Sis."


    Hereswith sighed in her heart, but she still nodded her head. She knew that, with or without her permission, Lux would return to his home world to see his family members, who had likely forgotten his existence.


    "Lux, remember this," Hereswith said as she gave the Half-Elf a gentle hug. "I''ll always be here if you need me. So, don''t face things alone, okay?"


    "Yes, Master." Lux nodded.


    After saying those words, the Half-Elf turned into particles of light that shot toward the sky.


    Although his heart was filled with worry, he knew that he had to go back no matter what.


    Iris, Cai, Vera, Alexander, and Alicia were several of the people whom he cared for the most.


    Deep inside, he was scared to meet them.


    He was afraid that all of them would look at him like he was some stranger whom they were seeing for the first time in their lives.

 Chapter 1127 Bittersweet Reunion [Part 1]

    Chapter 1127 Bittersweet Reunion [Part 1]


    Lux appeared inside his home back in the Wildgarde Stronghold.


    It was currently empty because his Grandma Vera was currently in Barbatos Academy.


    After the battle, the residents had moved back to their homes, because Alexander had informed them that there would be no more invasion from the Abyss after the battle.


    Unfortunately, the spread of the Miasma had forced some of the Kingdoms to escape to Elysium.


    They used the territories that they had been developing for the past few years in preparation for this day.


    Lux looked at the lively stronghold, while hiding his presence.


    Now that he was a Saint, it was easier to do it this way. After seeing that the people living in the Stronghold hadn''t suffered too many hardships, he left just as silently as he came.


    His next destination was Barbatos Academy.


    With his current Rank, it didn''t take long before he arrived at his destination through flight.


    From his vantage point in the sky, his gazended on the City of Regulus where Barbatos Academy was located.


    He decided tond in the city first, as he prepared his heart for his inevitable meeting with the members of his family.


    After hearing that Iris, Cai, and Vera had forgotten about him, Lux felt an ache inside his chest that was hard to describe.


    Because of this, he was walking aimlessly, without paying any particr attention to his surroundings.


    It was at that moment when he bumped into someone, making that person fall down on the ground.


    "I''m sorry!" Lux said as he immediately helped the person whom he had bumped into stand up. "I wasn''t paying attention to my surroun��"


    Lux wasn''t able to finish his words as the shawl covering the youngdy''s face fell down on the ground.


    A pair of beautiful blue eyes looked at him, which took his breath away.


    The youngdy''s long blue hair fluttered as a gust of wind blew past them, making her raise her hand in order to keep it in ce.


    "Iris," Lux said as he looked at his step-sister and Fiance, who loved him very much.


    "Do I know you?" Iris asked as she looked at him with a calm expression on her face.


    She was well known in Regulus City because this was where Barbatos Academy stood. In fact, it was almost impossible for someone to not recognize her.


    This was also why she was wearing a shawl to cover her face and hair, preventing anyone from recognizing her.


    Lux clenched his fist as he tried hard to reign in the emotions that were about to burst from his chest.


    Seeing his Fiance look at him as if he was some kind of stranger, hurt him more than he expected.


    "I-I��" Lux stuttered because he was at a loss for what he should say.


    Iris subconsciously raised her right hand and wiped away the tear that had streamed down his face, surprising herself for her actions.


    "I-I''m sorry," Iris said as she hurriedly pulled her hand away. "You just look so hurt that my hand moved before I could think. I apologize if I offended you."


    Lux shook his head, while biting his lips. He was doing his best to not let his emotions get the better of him.


    He had confirmed his Grandmaster''s words that Iris truly didn''t remember him, making him unable to think of how he should talk to her.


    "Iris, who is this young man? Do you know him?"


    At that moment, another familiar voice called out to Iris, making both of them look where the voice came from.


    "Grandma," Iris said with a smile. "I identally bump into him, and it seems that I have hurt him. He was about to cry earlier."


    "Oh, dear," Vera looked at her grandson with an apologetic look on her face. "I''m sorry. Iris was in a hurry and wasn''t paying close attention to her surroundings."


    The Old Lady then frowned as she moved closer to Lux, giving his face a better look.


    "�� Have we met somewhere before?" Vera asked with a frown. "I feel like I''ve seen you in the past."


    "Do you know him, Grandma?" Iris inquired as she moved closer, looking at the Half-Elf with curiosity. "A Half-Elf is not someone you see very often in these parts."


    "�� I''m sorry," Vera said. "My age must be catching up to me. Please, take this potion. It will help heal the injuries that my granddaughter had caused you."


    Lux reluctantly epted the potion that Vera handed to him with a bitter smile on his face.


    "We are staying in Barbatos Academy, so if you don''t have a ce to stay, feel free to give us a visit," Vera smiled before holding Iris'' hand. "My name is Vera, and this is my granddaughter Iris. When you go to Barbatos Academy, just tell them our names. They will prepare a guest room for you."


    "Sorry, but we have to go now," Iris said softly. "By the way, I believe that you haven''t told us your name yet."


    Lux looked at his fiance, trying to keep his face looking as calm as possible.


    "Lux," Lux replied. "My name is Lux."


    "Lux�� a good name." Iris nodded. "I''ll see youter, Lux."


    Vera gave the Half-Elf a brief nod before walking away hand in hand with her granddaughter, leaving her grandson, whom she didn''t remember, behind.


    When the twodies disappeared from his vision, tears started to fall from his eyes.


    The people on the streets were looking at him with pity, thinking that he had confessed his feelings to Iris and was rejected by her.


    This was a normal urrence in Regulus City, especially when the blue-haired beauty made her appearance.


    Many teenage boys were trying their luck in order to catch the eye of the Princess of Barbatos Academy, whose father was a Saint.


    Lux stayed standing in ce for a few minutes before he walked away.


    His vision was blurry, so he just let his feet carry him to any ce, as long as it was far from the academy, where the people whom he held dear had forgotten about him.


    A few minutester, Lux found himself sitting on a hill overlooking the City of Regulus.


    He was feeling so sad and depressed that he didn''t notice that someone had appeared by his side.


    "Wee back, Lux."


    The Half-Elf raised his head and saw his Father, Alexander, looking at him with a sad smile on his face.


    "I''m d that you''re back with us," Alexander added as he lightly patted the young man''s head. "Almost everyone has forgotten about you, but there are people who didn''t. Just look over there."


    Alexander pointed in a direction where a dense swarm of birds was currently flying.


    Cries of rm erupted from the city, as people saw a youngdy with long pink hair, who was avoiding the bird droppings that were raining down on her from the sky.


    Running beside her were two little skeletons, who were holding two bone umbres to ensure that their Master wouldn''t get hit by the vile bird droppings from above.


    Zane and Zeke had informed Aurora that Lux had returned to Sis, prompting the youngdy to use the Teleportation Gate in Agartha to arrive at Barbatos Academy.


    Sensing his presence, Aurora cried out in happiness as tears streamed down her eyes.


    She then opened her wings and flew towards Lux''s direction, wishing to be with him as soon as possible.


    Alexander knew that the two teenagers needed some time to catch up with each other, so he disappeared from where he stood and returned to Barbatos Academy.


    The Saint had tried everything he could to make Iris, Cai, and Vera remember Lux.


    But, for some reason, the three of them would suffer a terrible headache whenever they were about to remember something about him.


    Seeing that his methods weren''t working, Alexander decided to stop for the time being.


    Now that Lux had returned to Sis, they needed to find a way to get their loved ones to recover their memories, which had been sealed away by thews that were implemented to prevent Daniel from having his way.


    Lux opened his wings and met Aurora mid-air, hugging her tightly.


    Both of them cried bitter tears, as they held each other close.


    Finally, after more than a year of separation, the youngdy was able to hold her beloved once again, whom she thought she had lost the day after the Abyssal Gates made their appearance in the worlds of Elysium and Sis.

 Chapter 1128 Bittersweet Reunion [Part 2]

    Chapter 1128 Bittersweet Reunion [Part 2]


    Zane and Zeke started to unleash an aura of death toward the sky, making all the birds that were targeting Aurora fly away in fear.


    Their two Masters had just reunited with each other, and anyone who would dare to try messing with them was the enemies of the two little skeletons.


    "Tell me about everything that happened while I was gone," Lux said softly as he held Aurora in a loving embrace.


    Aurora nodded and began her tale about the events that transpired after Lux was sealed in a block of crystal.


    She told him how scared she was when she realized that Iris, Cai, and a few of her sisters hadpletely forgotten about him.


    She told him about the destruction that the Abyssal Army had caused to the world of Elysium, and how the Factions of the world were resisting their expansion.


    After she finished talking, Lux gave her a bottle of water that she could drink to quench her thirst.


    "Currently, Agartha is the only Kingdom left untouched by the war that is happening on the surface," Aurora stated. "But my Father has never lowered his guard andmanded our armies to remain vignt. He had also ced several scouts on the surface to monitor the movement of the Abyssal Lords."


    Lux nodded his head in approval after hearing that the King of Agartha wasn''t taking the Abyssal Invasion lightly.


    "What about you?" Aurora asked. "Are you hurt anywhere? I really thought that you had died. If not for the fact that Zane and Zeke told me that there was still a chance for you to recover, I might have really thought that you were gone for good."


    Lux smiled bitterly before telling Aurora everything that happened to him while he was trapped inside the block of crystal.


    Aurora was quite surprised when she learned about Luna, who was apparently Aina''s sister in her past life.


    "Fate is truly mysterious," Aurora muttered. "But I''m d that you were able to get back. Are you nning to meet Aina soon?"


    Lux nodded. "Yes. I n to tell her about her sister. Also, I need to find a way for Iris, Cai, Valerie, and Ali, to regain their memories of me. Seeing them like this is very painful."


    The youngdy lightly rubbed Lux''s back as she rested her head on his shoulder.


    "Don''t worry," Aurora assured him. "I''m sure there is a way to make them remember."


    The two didn''t say anything after that and simply embraced each other, feeling each other''s warmth, reaffirming to themselves that this wasn''t a dream and that the two of them really were together again.


    "What are your ns?" Aurora finally took the initiative to break the silence.


    "�� Truth be told, I''m at a loss at what to do," Lux replied. "I was taken by Asmodeus to Espoir Frieden in order to ask my Grandmaster for help. She then took me to the World Tree, and I spent a few weeks there to recover."


    Lux then unleashed the power of his Rank, making Aurora''s eyes widen in shock.


    "You''re now a Saint?" Aurora looked at her lover in disbelief.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "But being a Saint won''t bring their memories back. I''d dly return to my previous Rank if that would bring back everyone''s memories of me."


    Aurora didn''t say anything and pondered for a bit. After she organized her thoughts, she cupped Lux''s face and looked at him with a solemn expression on her face.


    "Don''t say that," Aurora stated. "Right now, everyone needs to be strong to face the cmity that has fallen on both worlds. Currently, the Six Kingdoms are cut off from the rest of Sis due to the miasma that is preventing anyone from leaving it.


    "This is also a blessing in disguise since the Abyssal Lords are also unable to go to this ce. Even they are not fully immune to Miasma. Right now, we should prioritize eliminating the Abyssal Lords who were able to cross over to the two worlds. As long as they are here, the people will continue to suffer from their whims."


    "Perhaps after the immediate threat is eliminated, we will be able to focus our attention on finding a cure to bring back my sisters'' memories. You mentioned the Pirs of Eternity in the past. Maybe these Pirs have the power to restore their memories as well, so don''t lose hope, okay?"


    "Right," Lux replied as hope returned to his eyes. "I forgot about the Pirs of Eternity. They have the power to bend thews of the world. With them, we might be able to restore their memories."


    Aurora nodded. "But before that, we still need to meet your father at Barbatos Academy. He and Sir Maximilian have retained their memories. I''m sure they have a lot of things that they would like to tell you."


    The Half-Elf reluctantly nodded his head, knowing that Aurora was right. Although it would be quite painful to see his two fiances, who had no memories of him, he still needed to talk to his Father and Cai''s Grandfather about their progress in the Fynn Kingdom.


    "Don''t worry," Aurora said as she held Lux''s hands. "Until the day they regain their memories, I will not leave your side. I will support you with everything I have, so raise your head, and never lose your way. Only by moving forward can we change things for the better."


    Lux smiled before kissing Aurora''s forehead.


    "You''ve gotten a lot better at speaking after a year," Luxmented in a teasing tone. "I wonder, did anything else change?"


    Aurora stuck her tongue at the Half-Elf, who was looking at her with a mischievous smile on his face.


    "You''ll know about the changes that happened to me tonight," Aurora said. "I''ll let you inspect every nook and cranny of my body, so behave for now."


    Lux knew that Aurora was doing her best to make him temporarily forget about the pain he was feeling, which he greatly appreciated.


    He then stood up and held her like a princess while looking at the academy in the distance.


    "Aurora, please don''t leave my side like you promised," Lux said. "I might not be able to take it if I lose you as well."


    "I will not be going anywhere, I promise," Aurora replied. "So, let''s go, Lux. We cannot change anything by standing still."


    The Half-Elf nodded and opened the Draconic Wings behind his back.


    Their next destination was Barbatos Academy.


    The ce where he had made many wonderful memories, which he kept in the deepest corners of his heart.

 Chapter 1129 The Mind Forgets, But The Heart Will Always Remember [Part 1]

    Chapter 1129 The Mind Forgets, But The Heart Will Always Remember [Part 1]


    Lux looked at the gates of the academy with a determined gaze.


    Aurora was by his side, holding his hand firmly, preventing him from escaping.


    "Let''s go," Aurora said as she led the way, pulling the Half-Elf, who was still preparing his heart for the second time on that day.


    After entering the academy, they walked the familiar path that led inside.


    There were some students loitering in the halls. They gave the Half-Elf a curious stare and wondered why he was with Aurora.


    The Half-Subus was already well-known to everyone because of her incredible beauty�� as well as her incredible bad luck.


    Just as they were headed towards the Headmaster''s Office, they saw a Boar walking in their direction with a smug smile on her face.


    "Aurora!" Cai called out as she happily walked in their direction. "Um? Who is this guy? Is he perhaps your boyfriend? The one that you''ve been calling Tux?"


    "It''s Lux, Cai," Aurora corrected.


    "Yes, that''s what I said, Tux," Cai blinked in confusion.


    The Boar then moved closer to give the Half-Elf a better look.


    "He is indeed quite handsome," Cai stated. "Now I understand why you fell in love with him, Aurora. But, can he be really trusted? The way he look at me makes me feel that he has a thing for Bestiality. He might be a pervert, you know?"


    Lux was doing his best to hold himself back from hugging Cai, and pping her bum for calling him a pervert.


    The Half-Elf wasn''t a fan of bestiality, but if it would make the High-Priestess remember him then he was willing to do it.


    However, he knew that doing that would be useless, so he remained silent and looked at the Boar, whom he found annoying in the past.


    Cai and him had met at the Tournament in Barbatos Academy.


    She had joined in order to save Iris from being married off to a person that she didn''t like.


    The High-Priestess was a gentle soul, and yet when it came to things that were important to her, she was willing to fight for it.


    This was probably one of the reasons why Lux fell in love with her, aside from her beauty and unconditional support, which he could count on whenever he needed it.


    "By the way, since you are headed this way, are you perhaps looking for the Headmaster?" Cai inquired.


    Aurora nodded. "Yes. We are looking for him."


    "Good timing then. He is currently in Iris'' residence. My Grandfather is there as well," Cai stated. "I was nning to go there, so why don''t the three of us go together?"


    "Sounds good," Aurora replied.


    The three walked side by side, with Lux in the middle. He noticed that from time to time, the Boar would sneak nces on his face.


    "Um, would you like to join the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?" Cai inquired after being caught by the Half-Elf. "The application was closed years ago, but I am willing to make an exception for you."


    "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?" Lux asked with a smile. "Doesn''t your sister already have a lover? Why are you looking for people again?"


    "You know my sister?" Cai blinked. "You also know about the purpose of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?"


    "Aurora mentioned it to me," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "She''s told me a lot of things about her sisters."


    "Oh! So that''s it, phew!" Cai nodded her head in understanding. "Well, it is true that my sister already has a lover. But, that doesn''t mean that you can''t join it. Are you perhaps a swordsman? I have plenty of swords in my collection. If you join, I''ll give you three legendary swords like Excalibur, Balmung, Durandal, Cdbolg, and many more."


    Lux couldn''t help but smile because Cai had offered the same thing to Keane back then.


    In order to live his peaceful life, the Swordsman agreed, but he didn''t take any of the swords that Cai had mentioned.


    Feeling that he wouldn''t lose anything by teasing the boar, the Half-Elf stopped walking and used his free hand to hold the side of the boar''s face.


    "Do you perhaps like me?" Lux asked. "Aurora is a very understandingdy. If you like, the two of you can share me if you want. So, how about it?"


    "A-Aurora, is this guy sane in the head?" Cai took several steps back. "Although I admit that he is handsome, and is totally my type, isn''t he a bit too loose? Are you fine with having this kind of guy as your boyfriend?"


    "Yes," Aurora replied in a heartbeat. "So, how about it, Cai? I''m willing to share my boyfriend with you."


    The Boar hesitated for a bit before stomping her foot down.


    "I see, both of you are just teasing me huh?" Cai snorted. "Hmph! You''ve be bold, Aurora. It seems that returning to your family has made you naughty. I''ll go tell Iris about thister. As for you��"


    Cai walked towards Lux and circled his body twice. She even used her hoof to lightly pat Lux''s backside, as if testing if it was good or not.


    The Half-Elf was very tempted to return the favor because, just as always, his fiance''s IQ had decreased a lot because she was in her Boar Form.


    "I guess I can consider your proposal, Aurora," Cai stated. "But, I''ll only give my answer once I get to know him better. Now, let''s go. Iris is waiting for us."


    The Boar walked away without even bothering to wait for the two people behind her.


    Lux was quite surprised because he didn''t expect Cai would treat his joke seriously.


    "Although their minds can''t remember you, their hearts and bodies can," Aurora whispered. "I have been monitoring Cai, and her heart beats very fast whenever she looks at you."


    Lux looked at the youngdy beside him with a surprised look on his face.


    "Really?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Aurora replied. "Even now, Cai walked away in order to escape because she can''t understand why she finds you very attractive. If I was not here, she might have pinned you down, you know?"


    The Half-Subus giggled because she was telling the truth. She also didn''t expect Cai would react that way to Lux, making her feel that her hypothesis was correct.


    If only their memories were sealed, and their hearts and bodies still remembered him, they might actually fall in love with Lux all over again, despite "seeing him" for the first time in their life.


    "Right now, I think Cai experienced what they call, Love at first sight," Aurora smiled as she gave Lux''s hand a gentle squeeze. "You said that you met Iris earlier, right? I wonder if she felt the same."


    Lux couldn''t help but feel his heart skip a beat after Aurora''s revtion.


    Her words made him remember a famous saying back on Earth.


    "The mind forgets, but the heart will always remember. And what is the heart''s memory but love itself?"


    The Half-Elf didn''t know if this was true or not. But, if it was true then he might be able to have a close rtionship with them again, while looking for the Pirs of Eternity, which might help them remember him faster.

 Chapter 1130 The Mind Forgets, But The Heart Will Always Remember [Part 2]

    Chapter 1130 The Mind Forgets, But The Heart Will Always Remember [Part 2]


    "It''s you��," Iris muttered after seeing Lux appear inside her residence, while holding Aurora''s hand.


    For some reason, she felt a pang of pain in her chest when she saw the Half-Elf holding the Half-Subus'' hand.


    ''What''s this I''m feeling?'' Iris thought as she ced her hand over her chest. ''Is this perhaps jealousy? Me? Jealous of Aurora because of him? Impossible!''


    Aurora, who was standing beside Lux, couldn''t help but arch her eyebrow as she nced at Iris.


    She was very sensitive to emotions, and could even project herself on others, allowing her to feel the same feeling as them.


    The moment she entered the residence, she had already activated her powers, and subtly connected her senses with Iris and Cai.


    She could have done the same for Vera, but she didn''t take this chance because she was a Saint and stronger than her.


    Lux looked at his grandma with sadness.


    Long before the war of the Abyss had started, he had ordered ckfire to free her from its influence.


    Vera was a precious family member, and he didn''t want to treat her as a subordinate that he could summon anytime.


    It didn''t feel right, so he decisively ordered ckfire to set her free.


    The Coffin had the power to do that. Any creature that it freed would be free from its influence.


    Because of this, Vera was affected by the Laws that rippled across Sis, making her forget her grandson, whom she had raised with love and care since he was a baby.


    Although it hurt him that Iris and Cai had forgotten him, the thing that hurt him the most was actually Vera forgetting about him.


    He didn''t regret freeing her from ckfire''s control, but seeing her in this state hurt him very much.


    Aurora had already told him that she had tapped into Iris'' and Cai''s feelings, allowing her to understand what they were feeling at the moment.


    However, since Vera was stronger than her, she didn''t dare do it, so Lux was clueless about what his grandma thought about him.


    ''Iris is reacting to me being with you,'' Aurora said through telepathy. ''Let me try something.''


    The Half-Subus tiptoed and pressed her lips over Lux''s, kissing him in front of everyone.


    Suddenly, she heard someone clear her throat, and it was none other than Iris.


    "Aurora, please hold back a little on your public disy of affection," Iris said with a frown. "This is not the time and ce for it."


    Alexander, Maximilian, and Alicia, who were also inside the residence, looked at this scene with amused expressions on their faces.


    The two Saints even nced at each other, as if both of them came to the same conclusion.


    "I''m sorry, Iris," Aurora replied in an apologetic tone. "It has been a while since I saw my lover. I wasn''t able to stop myself from kissing him."


    Iris nodded. "I''m sorry as well. I didn''t know what came over me."


    Cai, who was watching from the side, was very tempted to charge at Lux and ram him with her tusks.


    For some reason, she also didn''t feel good seeing Aurora act sweetly with the guy, who was totally her type.


    In order to take control of the situation, Alexander cleared his throat and started the meeting.


    "We have gathered here today to talk about the migration to the Fynn Kingdom," Alexander stated. "Although the threat of the Abyssal Invasion has stopped temporarily, we cannot let our guard down. The only thing that is preventing them from reaching our location is the Miasma that is spreading in the surroundings.


    "However, after careful investigation, we found out that the speeding of the Miasma is also increasing. Perhaps, it is being affected by the other Abyssal Creatures that appeared outside of our borders.


    "Since we have been cut off from the world, we don''t know how many Abyssal Lords are present beyond the scope of the Miasma.


    "The people from the Ancestral Lands of the Rowan Tribe have already started to migrate to the Fynn Kingdom. Cai''s sister, Rose, is responsible for this migration, and the army of the Fynn Kingdom is assisting her as well."


    Maximilian nodded his head in confirmation. "The Rowan Tribe members here in Barbatos Academy will also start to migrate as soon as the people from the Ancestral Lands finish their migration."


    Alexander then nced at Alicia and waited for her report.


    "I contacted the Wildgarde Stronghold and informed them about our intention to migrate. They said that they would need a week to prepare for the migration. I will inform the people of Regulus City after this meeting is over about the migration ns as well.


    "If all goes ording to n, we will be able to transfer everyone to the Fynn Kingdom within a month."


    Alexander nodded. "Mother, I will ask you and Iris to oversee the migration to Elysium. I will remain here in the academy until thest resident of Regulus City has been evacuated. Also, I still need to talk to the Kings that remain here in the Six Kingdoms.


    "Because of Lady Hereswith''s help, the Elswyth Kingdom is being allowed to build their homes near Espoir Frieden, simr to us, it will take them a month toplete their migration."


    Just as Alexander was about to continue his exnation, a blueet descended from the sky andnded in front of Lux and Aurora.


    "Pa!"


    A Blue Baby Slime looked up at the Half-Elf with tears streaming from her eyes.


    "Pa!"


    Eiko jumped towards Lux, and buried herself against his chest, as her tears fell like rain.


    She had been fighting against the Abyssal Army that had tried to attack the Ford Federation, so she didn''t notice right away that her Papa had returned.


    Eiko only sensed Lux''s presence after the battle ended, and hurriedly returned to Sis to see him.


    The Half-Elf felt his heart ache as he lightly patted the crying Baby Slime on his chest.


    "Wuwuwu!" Eiko cried sadly as the heartache she had kept inside her heart burst forth like a broken dam.


    Iris, who saw Eiko act this way, was flustered and walked towards the Half-Elf in order to retrieve the Baby Slime who was crying on the chest of the red-headed teenager, whom she had seen only twice in her life.


    "I''m sorry," Iris said as she stood in front of Lux. "I didn''t know why she''s acting like this. She''s usually very tame, and doesn''t make things difficult for others."


    "It''s okay," Lux replied as he continued to gently pat the baby slime, whose cries were getting louder.


    Perhaps the fact that Iris hadpletely forgotten her Papa made Eiko sadder than usual, so she cried harder because of it.


    "Eiko,e," Iris said. "Please don''t bother him."


    "No!" Eiko replied. "I''ll stay with Pa!"


    "Eiko, don''t be like this."


    "No!"


    Iris felt helpless because even though she tried to pry the Baby Slime away from the Half-Elf''s body, the little one would dodge her hands and move to a new location.


    After this happened a few times, Lux held Iris hand and ced it over his chest.


    "Let her cry a bit," Lux said as he looked at his fiance with a sad smile on his face. "I don''t mind if she stays with me for a while."


    Iris'' felt her heart beating wildly inside her chest. She couldn''t understand what was happening to her, but for some reason, the Half-Elf''s touch made her want to imitate the Baby Slime, and bury her head on his chest, while being enclosed in his loving embrace.


    But, Iris'' willpower was strong.


    In order to prevent herself from making a fool of himself, she took a few steps back, with her hand sped over her chest.


    "Then, I''ll leave her to you for a bit," Iris said. "Your name is Lux, right? I''ll remember you."


    "Thank you," Lux replied as he coaxed Eiko, who was hiding behind his back to avoid being taken away by Iris, to return to his chest.


    The Baby Slime obeyed, and continued to cry on her Papa''s chest.


    It had been more than a year since she hadst seen him, and although she was very happy that he had returned, She was also very sad.


    Despite the fact that her Mama and Papa were in the same ce, there was a distance between them.


    This made Eiko very sad, so she did what only a baby could do to release her frustration.


    She cried, while her Papa covered her with his rough hands.


    Hands who had fought many battles with her, and allowed her to raise her rank to be a powerful Monster.


    Although they were rough, they were warm, and made her feel as if she had returned to that time, where she was still a powerless Baby Slime, and needed Lux''s protection to survive in the worlds of Sis and Elysium.


    ---------------------

 Chapter 1131 The Mind Forgets, But The Heart Will Always Remember [Part 3]

    Chapter 1131 The Mind Forgets, But The Heart Will Always Remember [Part 3]


    After the meeting ended, Aurora and Lux retired to the youngdy''s temporary room in Barbatos Academy.


    Of course, Eiko went with them because she had a lot of stories to tell to her Papa.


    Lux attentively listened to all of them, and he couldn''t help but smile due to how animated Eiko looked when she started telling him about how she fought against the Abyssal Lords and how she protected the Ford Federation from their attacks.


    She even shared with him the story of how the King of the Ind Nation of Torstein begged for her help in repelling the Abyssal Army that had reached their borders.


    "Pa!"


    "You''re amazing, Eiko!"


    "Pa!"


    "Good girl. You did well."


    The Baby Slime giggled after receiving her Papa''s praise. She truly missed Lux, and she didn''t want to part with him for the time being.


    As long as nothing drastic happen in the territories under her control, Eiko nned to stay with Lux, until she was satisfied.


    Of course, Lux was more than happy to spend some time with the Baby Slime, who was acting like a spoiled child who wanted his attention.


    Even Aurora found this side of Eiko very cute, and she simply listened at the side as the Father and Daughter pair chatted happily.


    "Pa��" Eiko looked at her Papa with a sad expression on her face.


    Lux sighed and lightly patted her head. "I know, Eiko. Don''t worry. I''ll find a way to make your Mama recover her memories."


    "Un." Eiko nodded before closing her eyes to enjoy her Papa''s petting.


    ��������������


    Meanwhile, inside Iris'' Bedroom��


    "That Half-Elf, why does he look familiar and unfamiliar at the same time?" Iris said, "Even Eiko seems to know him. She even calls him Pa."


    "I know, right?" Cai replied as she ced her hand over her chest. "When I saw him, I felt my heart skip a beat. I don''t know what happened to me. I am pretty certain that he didn''t use a Charm Spell on me. I have immunity to those kinds of spells."


    Cai had reverted to her human form since she and Iris were alone inside her room. Both girls were feeling confused about why they were reacting like this to a stranger whom they had met for the first time today.


    "Did you feel anything when he was together with Aurora?" Iris inquired. "Especially when she kissed him earlier."


    "�� I was in my Boar Form earlier, so I didn''t think much about it," Cai replied. "But, thinking about it now, I feel�� envious for some reason."


    "For me, I felt jealousy," Iris admitted. "I can''t exin why, but it just felt that Aurora had something that I didn''t. It''s making me feel frustrated."


    Iris was very popr among the young men of the Six Kingdoms, so she had seen many handsome young men try to approach her and ask for her hand in marriage.


    Nearly all of them had told her that it was a shame that she still didn''t have any partner despite being so beautiful, which never failed to make Iris roll her eyes.


    Of course, she knew she was beautiful. But she also knew that more than anything, they were just approaching her to form a closer connection with her Father, who was a Saint.


    Also, Alexander made it clear that Iris was already betrothed to someone and that he wasn''t going to entertain any suitors for his daughter.


    Iris was surprised when he dered his stance because she didn''t know that she was already betrothed to someone.


    However, she didn''t say anything about her father''s words, thinking that this was merely his way of protecting her and preventing anyone from sessfully asking for her hand in marriage.


    "Iris, there''s something that I want to tell you," Cai said with a solemn expression on her face. "Grandpa approached me earlier and asked me if I liked Lux. He said that all I need to do is nod my head, and he would ensure that he would be my lover, like Aurora."


    "W-What?!" Iris looked at Cai in disbelief. "Grandpa Maximilian said what?"


    "He told me that all I needed to do was nod my head, and Lux would be my fiance," Cai repeated what she said earlier. "I was also surprised. To think that my Grandpa, who is overprotective of me and my sister, Rose, would say such a thing."


    "T-Then, did you agree to be his fiance?" Iris asked. Her heart was beating wildly inside her chest, making her feel very anxious.


    She couldn''t understand why she was reacting like this whenever a topic involved the Half-Elf, whom she had just met. However, the more she thought about him, the more painful it felt seeing him with Aurora, especially with Eiko in the mix, making them look like a family.


    "I-I told him that I need some time to think about it," Cai answered. "I mean, I just met him. Everything feels rushed, and yet, why do I feel that being with him is just right? I don''t understand why I am feeling this way, but these are my honest feelings. How about you, Iris? Did your Father mention anything simr to mine?"


    "��"


    "Sir Alexander did?"


    Iris reluctantly nodded her head.


    This happened after Lux, Eiko, and Aurora left her residence together.


    Maximilian called for Cai, while Alexander talked to Iris in private.


    Just like the Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe, Alexander brought up the Half-Elf in their conversation.


    He asked Iris if she was willing to be Lux''s fiance, which surprised her.


    "Don''t you feel like my father and your grandpa seemed to know Lux?" Iris asked. "The way they look at him is different from how they look at the people who have tried to ask for my hand in marriage."


    "Now that you mention it, my Grandpa doesn''t look at him with hostility." Cai frowned. "Maybe he can tell that Lux is a good person?"


    "Well, since Eiko is close to him, that means that he isn''t a bad person," Iris nodded. "Also, I am honestly surprised that she kept on calling him Pa. If other young men were to try to hold her like that, she would not hesitate to throw st Bombs at them."


    Cai giggled because she had personally witnessed such scenes in the past. Many young men wanted to get close to Iris, and some of them thought that if they managed to be good friends with the Baby Slime, whom she treated as her daughter, they would only be a step away from making Iris fall for them.


    But the only thing they got from this attempt was a st Bomb in the face, making them flee for their lives.


    "Iris, why don''t we both agree to be his fiancee?" Cai asked. "That way, the two of us can always be together. What do you think?"


    Iris thought for a while after hearing Cai''s proposal. Although she didn''t want to admit it, she felt a very strong connection to the Half-Elf.


    It was as if he was thest piece of the puzzle that wouldplete her, making her understand what it was like to truly fall in love with someone, which she had never felt in the past.

 Chapter 1132 Lux’s Gamble

    Chapter 1132 Lux��s Gamble


    "So, what do you think, Lux?" Alexander asked.


    "I''m fine with this arrangement," Lux replied. "After all, both of them were already my fiancees to begin with."


    Maximilian chuckled after hearing the young man''s reply. The Patriarch of the Rowan Tribe had already recognized Lux as Cai''s fiance, so there was no way that he would allow his granddaughter to marry someone else.


    Although Iris and Cai had forgotten about Lux, their Guardians didn''t, and both men were simply returning things to how they were in the past.


    Of course, although Lux agreed, Iris and Cai still had the final say.


    He just hoped that the two would agree to this arrangement, allowing him to do a few experiments that might trigger their memories to return to them.


    "What are your ns, Lux?" Alexander asked. "Care to share them?"


    Lux nodded. "First and foremost, I would like to conduct a few experiments to see whether I can make Iris and Cai remember me. Also, I''m sure that both of you also tried your best to make them remember. If possible, please share what methods you used and what was their reaction to each of them."


    "Okay," Alexander replied. "I''ll tell you what I have discovered."


    The Headmaster of Barbatos Academy told Lux that whenever he tried to force Iris to remember him, the youngdy would suffer from a headache. Afterward, she would lose consciousness.


    Every time she woke up after the attempt, she wouldn''t remember what Alexander had done to make her remember. In the end, he gave up because he didn''t want to see Iris suffer.


    Maximilian''s exnation was the same as Alexander''s. Cai would suffer from a terrible headache and fall unconscious whenever she was close to remembering something about him.


    It was as if some sort of trigger would force the twodies to lose consciousness whenever they tried to recall anything about the Half-Elf.


    Hearing their replies, Lux could only sigh helplessly because he had already expected as much.


    He didn''t know whether the experiments he would conduct would trigger the same reaction in the twodies, but he still believed that he should at least give it a try.


    Eiko was happily perched on top of her Papa''s head like old times, which made her feel at ease.


    Although she liked the feeling of liberation and freedom, after not seeing Lux for a year, she nned to stay with him for some time.


    Since the Ford Federation was currently peaceful, she had all the time in the world to stay with her Papa, whom she missed very much.


    After his short meeting with Alexander and Maximilian, Lux decided to look for Aurora. With her powers, she was able to connect to Iris'' and Cai''s emotions, giving her an idea of what they were thinking and feeling.


    As he walked through the hallways, he found Vera standing on a balcony, overlooking Regulus City.


    Sensing his presence, the Old Lady smiled and beckoned Lux toe close to her.


    The Half-Elf obeyed, prompting Eiko to happily jump towards Vera while shouting "Manma!"


    The silver-haired beauty smiled and caught the giggling Baby Slime with both hands before giving her a kiss on the cheek.


    "It seems that Eiko really likes you, Lux," Vera said with a smile. "I''ve never seen her act this way aside from when she is with Iris. So, tell me, child. Have you met Eiko somewhere?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "I''ve known her since she was a baby�� Well, she is still a baby, but I''ve known her ever since the moment she hatched from her egg."


    "Oh?" Vera looked at the Half-Elf with an appraising gaze as if checking to see if he was lying to her or not.


    It was very hard to lie to a Saint, so it was very easy for Vera to tell that Lux wasn''t lying, which made her frown.


    "You said you knew her right after she hatched from her egg?" Vera inquired.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "In fact, Eiko was hatched from the egg that I found in Elysium."


    Thinking that this was a good opportunity, Lux decided to give it a shot. Since Vera could tell if he was lying or not, this was a good chance to see if he could make her remember anything.


    As long as he was speaking the truth, she would be more inclined to believe him.


    "Eiko was born from the egg that you found in Elysium?" Vera asked in confusion. "That can''t be. Iris was the one that hatched her egg."


    "Indeed." Lux nodded. "Iris was the one who hatched her egg, but I am the one who brought Eiko''s egg to her."


    Vera pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to recall how Iris had gotten hold of Eiko''s egg. The only thing she could remember was that Eiko was hatched in Barbatos Academy and that Iris was the one who had taken care of her ever since.


    "Grandma, how about you ask me a different question," Lux proposed. "For example, you can ask me where I grew up, and who raised me."


    Vera smiled before shaking her head. "Child, everyone has their secrets, and I am not one to pry into the privacy of others."


    Lux sighed internally because his n to make Vera ask about his childhood didn''t work. But he decided to try his luck one more time.


    Since Vera didn''t ask him, he decided to just take the initiative to tell her about his life story.


    "Grandma, do you know? When I was still a baby, you and Sophie saved me from being eaten by the Giant Crocodiles of Huntdeen River," Lux said softly, but clearly. "If not for you, I would have be their snack. After that, you brought me to Wildgarde Stronghold to raise as your own grandchild."


    Vera frowned because she was starting to feel a headache as she listened to Lux''s story. His words contained no lies, and yet, she was 100% confident that none of the things he mentioned actually happened.


    "You''re a very good liar, child," Vera said as she rubbed her temple due to the pain she was feeling in her head. "You can even lie to a Saint. This is a very impressive skill."


    Lux endured the disappointment that was welling up inside his chest as he gazed at his Grandma, who was looking at him with caution.


    "Grandma, do you really think I am lying?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Vera replied. "You are a very good liar. Even I cannot detect any falsehood from your words. Not many people can hoodwink a Saint, you know? This is an achievement that you can be proud of. But I advise you to not make a habit of lying to me often.


    "I know that my son, Alexander, ns to make you my granddaughter''s fiance. Originally, I didn''t oppose his decision. But now, I am starting to reconsider whether he made the right judgment in choosing you as Iris'' future partner.


    "So why don''t we do it like this, Lux? I will pretend that none of this happened, and you will stop telling lies. How about it? We can still be good inws if you do this."


    Lux didn''t answer right away. He knew that if he tried to push his luck, Vera would start to be wary of him and might even force Alexander to rethink his proposal of making the Half-Elf her granddaughter''s fiance.


    A person who could lie to her with a straight face was a very dangerous individual, and to be honest, she was starting to think of Lux as such.


    Lux understood this. Since Vera was starting to doubt him, this doubt would only grow with time, and there was nothing he could do about it.


    ''Should I take a step back here and y it safe, or should I take another gamble?'' Lux thought.


    After careful consideration, he chose to take a gamble.


    "Grandma, what do I need to do for you to believe my words?" Lux asked. "You can make me do anything, even make me do something impossible. But once I do it, promise me that you will believe my words no matter how impossible it seems. Do we have a deal?"


    Vera looked at the Half-Elf with a calm expression on her face.


    Truth be told, she found it hard to be angry at Lux. The mere thought of seeing him with a pained expression made her feel anxious.


    She called out to him because she wanted to know him better. Something waspelling her to talk to him to better understand what his character was like.


    But the moment he started talking about the time when he was a baby, fear gripped Vera''s heart.


    There was no doubt that Lux was telling the truth, but no matter how hard she tried to recall what he was talking about, she couldn''t recall anything.


    This was the part that scared her.


    What if the Half-Elf was telling the truth, and it was she who had the problem?


    Because of this, Vera reluctantly nodded her head and told Lux the thing he needed to do that would make her believe him no matter what.

 Chapter 1133 Don’t Keep Me Waiting For Too Long

    Chapter 1133 Don��t Keep Me Waiting For Too Long


    Lux sighed for the umpteenth time as he rested his head on Aurora''sp. His talk with his grandma was nerve wracking, but fortunately, both of them ended up in apromise.


    Vera asked him to let her see all of his memories, which he happily agreed to.


    However, just as she was about to tap into Lux''s memories, she was attacked by a head-splitting headache, making her cry out in pain.


    This pain immediately disappeared the moment she severed her connection from Lux, canceling the mind-reading ceremony before it began in full.


    Several minutester, Vera recovered. But, she hadpletely forgotten about the agreement they had with each other.


    It was as if her memory had been sealed, or forcefully stripped away from her by an invisiblew, making her forget the things that she and Lux had talked about.


    Thest thing she remembered was calling out to Lux to talk, but she had no recollection of what happened afterwards. No matter how hard she tried to recall, this was the only thing that was registering inside her head. In the end, the Half-Elf excused himself and returned to Aurora''s room with Eiko, feeling very depressed by his failed attempt to make his Grandma remember him.


    "It''s useless to make them remember forcefully," Lux said in a defeated tone. "I have to think of a different way to make them remember."


    Eiko, was currently sleeping peacefully on his chest because she didn''t rest for the past few days due to the non-stop battles in her territory. Now that her Papa had returned, she felt more rxed, and at ease, so her exhaustion finally caught up to her, making her feel sleepy.


    Lux didn''t want to disturb Eiko, so he allowed her to rest inside his shirt like she used to do when she was young.


    "Don''t worry," Aurora said in an encouraging tone while gently patting his head. "You will find a way, I''m sure of it. Also, even if Iris and Cai don''t remember you in the short term, nothing is stopping you from creating new memories with them, right? Also, I''m pretty sure they will agree to be your fiance."


    "Are you sure?" Lux asked. "Will they really agree to be my fiance?"


    Aurora giggled before lightly pinching Lux''s nose. "You''re talking as if they weren''t already your fiance back then," Aurora stated. "Things are just returning to how they were in the past. The only difference is that they no longer remember your existence. But, I don''t see any problem with you creating new memories with them. Who knows? This might also be a good thing for you."


    "Good thing? How?"


    "Aren''t you curious? Iris and Cai have forgotten about you, but their hearts and bodies still remember. Look at their reactions when you hold their hand, look into their eyes, and when you do something intimate with them. I believe that they only need a small spark before they melt in your embrace."


    Lux looked at his lover, who had a mischievous look on her face.


    "You talk as if you have known them for years," Lux said. "Since when did you know a lot about your sisters?"


    "Believe me when I say that I know their emotional states more than you do," Aurora replied with confidence. "Do you want to make a bet with me?"


    "I''m listening," Lux replied.


    Aurora smiled and told her lover about the details of their bet. Lux found the rules quite amusing, but he still agreed to them in the end.


    "This feels immoral," Lux pinched the bridge of his nose. "But, I am also curious about what will happen afterwards."


    "Right?" Aurora smirked. "I''m also very curious to know how it will turn out."


    "Where did my innocent Aurora go?"


    "It''s all your fault that she changed, you know? You took her first time, and made her cry, and worry for you for an entire year. You should take responsibility and ease her pain."


    The two stared at each other for half a minute before Lux raised his head to kiss her lips. Since Eiko was with them, the two didn''t do anything too sensual, but that was enough, at least for now.


    ��������������������


    Somewhere in the western part of Elysium��


    Nyathotep sat on the throne of a destroyed throne room, allowing him to see the ck smoke that was rising over the city that he had just conquered.


    The shouts of despair, pain, and suffering reverberated in the surroundings, and he was enjoying every second of it.


    A momentter, a winged demonnded in front of him and knelt to pay his respects.


    "Lord Nyathotep, I bring news from Lord Eligor," the Demon said. "Do I have permission to state his message?"


    "Why not?" Nyathotep replied in a carefree manner. "What does that Fallen Angel want this time? Does he want my help to attack the Dragons? Or perhaps, he wanted my assistance to raid the World Tree?"


    "Neither, My Lord." the Demon shook his head. "He just asked me to pass a message that he would soon start his invasion of Agartha. The Kingdom that is located near the Core of Elysium."


    "Oh?" Nyathotep''s interest was mildly piqued by this turn of events. "Well, tell him that I wish him good luck. I will head West a little while longer and conquer all thends in my way. When I start to feel bored, I will return to see their aplishments. So, make sure to tell them to work hard in order to not disappoint me."


    "As youmand, My Lord." The Demon bowed respectfully before leaving the throne room to deliver the news back to the Fallen Angel, who had gained control over the leadership of the Abyssal Lords who had gathered at the center of Elysium."


    Nyathotep watched as the Demon disappeared from his view before leaning on his throne.


    "It seems that the Fallen Angel wanted to unite all the Abyssal Lords under his banner," Nyathotep muttered. "Well, as long as he proves himself useful then he can do whatever he wants to do."


    Nyathotep looked up at the sky, and couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Daniel, oh Daniel, I''m sure that you''re feeling very frustrated right now," Nyathotep said in a teasing tone. "The Gods managed to thwart your ns halfway. So, what will you do now?"


    "Shut up, Nyathotep. Just do as nned," Daniel''s voice that was filled with annoyance replied. "The Abyss and its connection between Sis and Elysium was not severedpletely. However, it is currently impossible for any Abyssal Creature to pass through to the two worlds. The only thing I can do right now is contact you through the connection we share. How is the invasion?"


    "My conquest of the West is proceeding as nned," Nyathotep answered. "The battle at the center of Elysium has reached a stalemate. Eligor has rallied the other Abyssal Lords and is nning to target Agartha. I don''t know if they will seed, but the chances are very high."


    Daniel snorted. "Agartha. That Kingdom may be Ancient, and they did have the power to resist the Abyssal Lords to a certain extent. But, they will still fall in the end. "I cannot maintain this connection for long, so make sure to report to me if there are any significant changes in the status quo. For the time being, I will think of ways to re-establish the connection between the worlds."


    "Very well," Nyathotep replied. "Don''t keep me waiting for too long. If you do, I will destroy this world without you."


    "I''d like to see you try," Daniel said in a mocking tone. "You might be strong, but you''re not the strongest. I look forward to hearing the good news about Agartha''s invasion in a few weeks."


    Nyathotep felt that his connection with Daniel had finally been cut off.


    The Outer God once again chuckled because even though his coborator had tried hard to hide it, he was still able to sense the desperation in his voice.


    "This is why I can''t get enough of this chaotic world," Nyathotep stated before standing up from his throne. "Now, which kingdom should I destroy next?"


    The Outer God disappeared from the throne room. Everyone in the city had already been killed, and the strong ones had been turned into mindless thralls, serving the Abyssal Army to destroy their fellow men, who would soon suffer the same fate as them.

 Chapter 1134 I Want To Know You Better

    Chapter 1134 I Want To Know You Better


    Iris sat beside Lux while looking at the scenery in front of her.


    Eiko was humming happily on top of her Papa''s head because she felt very happy today.


    After Alexander asked her if she was willing to be Lux''s fiance, the youngdy thought about it for a day before giving her answer.


    The Headmaster of Barbatos Academy didn''t want to force his daughter into bing Lux''s fiance because it might have the opposite effect. After what happened to his Grandma Vera, the Half-Elf also didn''t want to choose this kind of approach, so he decided to just leave the decision to Iris and Cai if they were willing to be his lovers.


    Fortunately, the twodies agreed.


    Part of their reason was that whenever they looked at him, they found him very pleasing to their eyes.


    The two of them had seen many handsome men, but their hearts, minds, and bodies never reacted this strongly to any of them.


    Originally, they thought that the Half-Elf was using a Charm Spell on them, but after careful consideration, they deemed this to be impossible.


    Both of them were nearly immune to this kind of thing, especially since they were members of Heaven''s Gate. Their Guild Buffs raised all of their resistances, shielding their minds from such attacks.


    The other thing that convinced Iris to ept his Father''s proposal was Eiko.


    The Baby Slime was very happy being with Lux, and she also called him Pa! Making Iris feel as if the Baby Slime had truly acknowledged the Half-Elf as her Papa.


    Since that was the case, she felt as if this was meant to be, so she threw caution to the wind and agreed to be his Fiance.


    Cai, on the other hand, had a more simple reason for epting Lux as her lover.


    Lux was her type, and for some reason, her body would heat up whenever she was near him. This was a very primal feeling that was born from instinct.


    Cai instinctively knew that Lux would be able to give her strong children, which was a very important factor when it came to finding her partner in life.


    Also, when she was in her Boar Form, she couldn''t help but feel the strong desire to pin Lux down and have her way with him.


    Cai was very ashamed of this discovery because she didn''t expect that her Boar Form would act aggressively like this.


    Even though she could transform into her Therian Form, that didn''t mean that she was up for bestiality!


    In order to calm herself down, she decided to reject Lux''s invitation to go on a pic, while she stabilized her body and heart.


    Because of this, it was only Lux, Iris, and Eiko who went on the pic, and were currently enjoying the view of the city from on top of a hill.


    This was the same hill where Alexander appeared tofort Lux after he first met with Iris and Vera in the City of Regulus.


    Aurora might not be with them, but she was nearby. Her senses were connected to Iris'' and she was paying close attention to the blue-haired beauty''s emotions, which she would report directly to Lux through their Guild Chat.


    "Eiko, do you want to eat?" Lux asked the Baby Slime who was perched on top of his head.


    "Pa!"


    "Okay,e down from my head. I don''t want to deal with bread crumbster."


    "Kay~"


    The Baby Slime obediently crawled down until she arrived on Lux''s right knee. There, she remained in ce and waited for her Papa to feed her.


    Lux didn''t hesitate and fed her a sandwich, making the Baby Slime to open her mouth wide.


    "Is it good?"


    "Un!"


    "Do you want more?"


    "Yes!"


    The Half-Elf fed Eiko another sandwich, and thetter ate it with a big smile on her face.


    Iris, who was averting her gaze earlier, looked at the Baby Slime''s happy face before shifting her attention to Lux, who was looking at Eiko with an affectionate look on his face.


    "Eiko seems to like you very much," Iris said as she took the initiative to start a conversation with him. "I also like her very much," Lux replied as he nced at Iris with a smile. "You raised her well."


    "Well, she is indeed a handful at times, but she is a very good girl."


    "That she is."


    The Half-Elf took another sandwich from the basket and continued to feed the Baby Slime, whose appetite returned after seeing her Papa and Mama talking again.


    "Lux, can you tell me more about you?" Iris asked. "I want to know you better."


    "Of course," Lux replied.


    Lux told her about his adventures in Elysium, making sure not to mention anything about his childhood. He had changed his strategy a bit. Instead of trying to make them recall him, he decided to see if they could retain their memory of him.


    If they would be able to do that then he could just create new memories with them, while finding a way to make them remember their past moments with him.


    This was Aurora''s suggestion, and Lux thought that this was also the safest route to take right now.


    The more Lux talked about himself, the more he realized that he wasn''t triggering Iris'' headache, which was a good thing.


    Iris, on the other hand, found Lux''s stories quite thrilling. Before she noticed it, her right hand was already resting over his hand, but she didn''t make any attempt to move it away.


    For some reason, touching him like this was making her body tingle all over, in a good way.


    Lux then held her hand in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze. He then continued to talk about things about himself, and the struggles he faced as he journeyed to Elysium.


    Hours passed as he continued to tell his tale, sharing his lifetime of memories to one of the people who held a special ce in her heart.


    As the sun slowly set in the horizon, and the first stars appeared in the sky.


    Lux''s voice slowed down as a hint of sadness permeated his voice.


    He was telling Iris about his Master''s death, which was due to his carelessness.


    Lux had always felt guilty about his Master''s death. Although he knew that Gaap would die either way because he had sacrificed everything to get his revenge, knowing that he died because of him, still made him very sad.


    Iris felt an ache in her heart, when she saw Lux feeling sad and defenseless.


    In that moment, an overwhelming urge to hold him close took control of her body.


    The youngdy then moved to wrap her hands around Lux''s head, and pulled him close to her chest.


    She then rubbed his back, as the Half-Elf''s body shuddered. Lux was doing his best not to cry because he had already cried so many times since he returned to Sis. It took a lot of effort, but he seeded. Iris'' touch, and her supportive words, allowed him to ovee the sadness that had almost taken control of his body.


    "Thank you," Lux said as he reluctantly pulled back to look at the youngdy, who was looking back at him with moist eyes.


    Her face was flushed, and her breathing was a little ragged. It seemed that holding Lux close to her had an effect on her body, making her feel confused.


    Seeing the lost expression on her face, Lux was no longer able to hold himself back and moved his head closer to him.


    A few secondster, he tasted sweetness.


    A sweetness that made his body shudder.


    Iris was surprised that Lux kissed her. However, she didn''t dislike it.


    Eiko watched as her Papa and Mama started to kiss each other passionately.


    Being the smart baby that she was, Eiko decided to return to Barbatos Academy to look for her Manma.


    On top of the hill overlooking Regulus City, the faint sound of kisses reverberated in the surroundings, making Aurora, who was watching from afar, smile from ear to ear.

 Chapter 1135 The Firstborns of Elysium [Part 1]

    Chapter 1135 The Firstborns of Elysium [Part 1]


    Irisid down on her bed, hugging a pillow.


    Her face was beet-red as she recalled the memory of what happened a few hours ago.


    "I can''t believe it," Iris muttered to herself after remembering that she had also taken the initiative to kiss Lux and even pinned him down on the pic nket, kissing him passionately on the lips.


    ''There must be something very wrong with me,'' Iris thought. ''That was my first kiss, yet I gave it to him without any second thoughts. But�� being kissed by him felt so good.''


    The youngdy''s face turned a shade redder when she also remembered the thing that happened afterward.


    While she and Lux were kissing, he moved to switch positions with her. This time, she was the one being pinned down on the nket, while the young man was above her.


    His hand then snaked toward her breasts and gently groped them through her clothes.


    Iris was surprised at first and wanted to pry his hands away, but before she could do that, she felt herself losing strength as if her whole body had turned to jelly.


    The only thing she could do was hold onto Lux''s wrist as he lovingly kneaded her softness with a look of longing on his face.


    If there was an outsider watching them, they would think that the one forcing Lux to knead her chest was Iris, who had muffled moans escaping her lips.


    At that point, Iris no longer had any strength to resist any of his advances. She even thought that Lux would take her then and there and that she would probably not hate him for it.


    But, the Half-Elf didn''t go that far.


    Perhaps he came back to his senses and apologized to her after seeing her flushed expression.


    Helping her fix her crumpled clothes, he waited for her to recover a bit of her strength before bringing her back to the Academy in a princess carry.


    "Why do I feel relieved and disappointed at the same time when he didn''t go further?" Iris muttered, burying her head in the pillow due to the embarrassment that she was feeling. "I didn''t think that I was this loose as a woman. What is happening to me? Why are my heart and body reacting this way toward him? Are we THATpatible?"


    Iris'' mind was in a mess, unable to think properly about whether she liked Lux or not.


    While the youngdy had locked herself up inside her room, the Half-Elf headed straight to Aurora''s room, where his lover was already waiting for him.


    "Why didn''t you go all the way?" Aurora asked in a curious tone. "Iris was ready for it."


    "She might be, but I was not." Lux sighed before sitting down on top of Aurora''s bed. "I was almost unable to hold myself back. If not for the fact that I was afraid that making love with her could trigger her memories toe back, I would have already done it."


    The Half-Elf sighed a second time as he looked at his hands.


    Hands that had held Iris''s soft breasts, which he had missed so much.


    "I see. So you want to take the slow approach." Aurora nodded in understanding. "This way, even if she recalls her past memories from you, the new memories that you have made with her won''t disappear."


    "Yes," Lux nodded. "This is what I n to do for now. Slowly but surely create new memories with her so that even if she suffers from a headache, there will be a waypoint in her memories she could return to."


    Simply put, Lux nned to create anchors that would embed themselves deep inside her subconscious mind, allowing the youngdy to retain the new memories that they had created together.


    "Are you nning to do the same for Cai?" Aurora inquired.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Iris has received too much stimtion for the day. She needs some time to rest and reset her emotions. Tell me. Did you find anything while you were sharing her senses?"


    Aurora smiled sweetly before nodding her head.


    "Yes," Aurora said. "At the beginning, she was doing her best to not look at you because it was making her heart flutter. Then, when you kissed her, her emotions burst forth. Her heart and body, which have been deprived of your love, finally lost control. That was why she pinned you down and took the initiative to kiss you of her own ord."


    Aurora then held Lux''s hands and looked at him straight in the eye.


    "I''ll just tell you this. I''m pretty sure that Cai will react the same way as Iris," Aurora stated. "Don''t underestimate skinship. The more you touch them, the more their body will react to you.


    "Even if you only hold their hand, you will make ripples in their subconscious minds, allowing you to nt your seed deeper into their minds, making them unable to forget the current you."


    Lux nodded. "Thank you, Aurora. I''m d you''re here with me."


    Just as the two were about to kiss each other, they heard a knock on the door, startling the both of them.


    "Lux, are you there?" Alicia''s voice called out from the other side of the door. "The Headmaster wants to talk to you. He said it''s important."


    Aurora sighed before giving the Half-Elf a quick peck on his right cheek before urging him to go and see his Father.


    Lux obeyed and headed straight to the Headmaster''s Office to find out what important things he wanted to discuss with him.


    The moment he entered the room, he saw three people inside.


    Alexander, Maximilian, and Keane''s Master all had solemn expressions on their faces.


    "The Abyssal Lords have grouped together andunched an attack," Alexander stated.


    "Where did they attack?" Lux asked in a cold tone. "Did they attack Karshvar Draconis? The Crystal Pce? Or did they target the World Tree of Espoir Frieden?"


    "They targeted neither of those ces," Alexander replied. "The Abyssal Army had started to move, and from what the Scouts of the Grand Alliance had reported, all of them seemed to be headed away from the center of Elysium."


    "Isn''t that a good thing?" Lux asked.


    But, before Alexander could even answer Lux''s question, a familiar voice reached his ears.


    "Master, I just saw a vision. The Abyssal Army is going tounch a massive invasion," The Oracle of the Divine Army, Maeve, said in an anxious tone. "And their target is going to be the Kingdom of Agartha."


    Lux''s expression turned icy the moment he heard the Oracle''s vision. He then shared this news with Alexander, Maximilian, and the Void before leaving the Headmaster''s Office to talk to Aurora, whose kingdom was about to be attacked by dozens of Abyssal Lords of the Demigod Rank.

 Chapter 1136 The Firstborns of Elysium [Part 2]

    Chapter 1136 The Firstborns of Elysium [Part 2]


    After knowing that her Kingdom was about to be attacked by the Abyssal Army, Aurora didn''t hesitate to ask Lux to help her defend her homnd.


    Of course, the Half-Elf didn''t reject her request and immediately teleported back with her to the Ancient Kingdom, which many historians coined as the First Kingdom of Elysium.


    As a Supreme, King Septimius, the King of Agartha, remembered Lux and weed him with open arms.


    He had already epted that this young man was his daughter''s chosen one, making Lux his son-inw.


    Unfortunately, Aurora''s sister, Princess Shayna, had forgotten about him, making her wonder why her sister and her father were treating the Half-Elf as if he was already part of their family.


    After the greeting session ended, Lux immediately told the King of Agartha that the Abyssal Army was preparing to invade theirnds.


    King Septimius didn''t doubt Lux''s words for a moment because the Half-Elf wouldn''t possibly lie to him about something like this.


    Also, even if he doubted his words, he would still create a contingency n to ensure that the Abyssal Lords would have a hard time reaching his kingdom.


    "Sound the Bell of Soteria!" King Septimius ordered. "Let it be heard all across Agartha!"


    A few minutester, the loud tolling of the bell resounded in the surroundings.


    The Bell of Soteria had only been rung three times since the founding of Agartha.


    The third time that it was used was during the first Abyssal War, when the Surface World descended intoplete chaos.


    During that time, the Agarthians took up arms and helped their fellow Elysians defend their world.


    Even now, they had already prepared their army to support the Grand Alliance should they choose to execute an all-out attack in an attempt to wipe out the Abyssal Army from the face of the world.


    Unfortunately, the Dragons, the High-Elves, as well as the other Factions of the Worlds, were busy doing their best to prevent the Abyssal Army from conquering their own Domains.


    As such, the Agarthians hadn''t sent any of their armies to the surface, for that would mean that they would be fighting the battle alone.


    Doing so would only annihte their army. Even if they were strong, their strength was not at a level where they could face that many Abyssal Demigods on their own.


    Hidden deep within the underground chambers of the castle, the lids of several sarcophagi moved to the side.


    One by one, old men and women who had wrinkles all over their faces and bodies rose from their long slumber and sighed.


    "I guess these old bones will have to fight onest time," an old man cackled. "Hah�� what a good day to die."


    "To think that I would see you again after all this time. I wish you had stayed dead," an olddy, whose wrinkles would not lose to the old man, snorted. "Our souls have long departed this world, but our Wills were left behind for this very day."


    "Indeed," Another old manmented as he slowly ced his feet on the cold floor. "We are relics of the past, already long forgotten by most of our people. And yet, during its time of need, we all rise from our decrepit coffins to fight onest time."


    The other men and women, who had risen from their respective coffins, nodded their heads at the same time.


    Some of them weren''t old. In fact, the majority of them looked like middle-aged men and women.


    But, regardless of what they looked like, one thing was certain.


    All of them were very powerful.


    The majority of them were Saints, but there were also dozens of Supremes among their Ranks.


    They were the previous Kings and Queens of Agartha, who had witnessed the world since the founding of their Kingdom.


    Each King and Queen was duty-bound to leave a remnant of their Will inside their bodies so that even after their death, they would all rise up to fight onest battle.


    A battle that would decide whether their Ancient Kingdom would remain standing or be buried with them in the sands of time.


    Lux, who was very sensitive to the power of the Dead, shuddered before his gaze shifted to the floor under his feet.


    "Do you feel them, Lux?" King Septimius asked with a knowing smile on his face. "Of course, you do. After all, you are the Necromancer of Heaven. It is impossible for you to miss them."


    "Who are they, Your Majesty?" Lux inquired.


    "They are Elysium''s Firstborns," King Septimius replied. "You see, there was a prophecy given to the First King of Elysium that there woulde a day when the Kingdom of Agartha would faceplete annihtion.


    "In order to prevent this from happening, all of the Kings and Queens who ruled Agartha were duty-bound to bind their Will inside their bodies while they were still alive. So, at the moment of their death, their bodies would only enter a Half-Dead state.


    "Their bodies would then be preserved inside specially-made coffins, which were imbued with a special kind of magic.


    "When the Kingdom faces a threat that it can''t handle on its own, only then will these ancient Kings and Queens rise from their eternal slumber to fight for our kingdom onest time."


    Lux nodded in understanding. "Good. The more help we can get, the better. I will also make preparations to defend this Kingdom from the Abyssal Lords."


    The Half-Elf then shifted his attention to Aurora and gave her a reassuring smile.


    "Stay with your sister, and hide in the underground shelters," Lux said. "I will handle the rest."


    Aurora nodded. "Stay safe."


    "I will," Lux replied.


    A momentter, the Half-Elf left the throne room.


    "Master, only I and King Leoric have reached the quota that my brothers and sisters have agreed upon," Asmodeus said as he appeared beside his Master, walking by his side. "However, if you truly wish for it, they will return to answer your call."


    "Thank you, Asmodeus," Lux replied. "For now, You, King Leoric, Avernus, Andras (Strigoi), and ckfire will assist me in defending the Kingdom of Agartha. I will also ask for Eiko''s help. The five of us should be enough to handle several Demigods."


    Asmodeus nodded his head in agreement. With the five of them, they should be strong enough to handle several Demigods at the same time.


    He and the others weren''t there when Lux had fought against Daniel.


    This was Asmodeus'' greatest shame.


    Because of this, he had assembled a strong Undead Army that would wreak havoc on his foes.


    He had prepared a long time for this day, and he would show his Master that the one year the Lich King had spent traveling all over Elysium wasn''t done in vain.

 Chapter 1137 Behold, the bringer of Light! [Part 1]

    Chapter 1137 Behold, the bringer of Light! [Part 1]


    Eligor''s n was simple.


    Attack the entrances that were used by Agarthians in order to enter their underground Kingdom.


    He had already gained information from a King of a Kingdom that was affiliated with Agartha.


    Of course, the King didn''t give away this information on his own ord.


    That would''ve been impossible.


    Eligor extracted this information directly from the King''s Soul, reading all of his memories like reading a book. This was also why he had proposed that all Demigods temporarily withdraw their offensive against the Dragons and the Elves, shifting the focus on Agartha.


    He believed that it would be easier to capture the Ancient Kingdom, which only had three Supremes as its Guardians.


    Aside from King Septimius, there were two more Supremes that protected Agartha, keeping it safe from outsiders.


    Still, the Fallen Angel wasn''t worried. Their side had fifty Demigods who would join him in this invasion.


    The armies under theirmand numbered in the millions, and with this, he was certain of their victory.


    But just as he arrived at the location where the entrances of Agartha were located, they couldn''t find them.


    In order to prevent their enemies from easily reaching their kingdom, King Septimius ordered that all the entrances that led to Agartha must be destroyed, sealing them offpletely.


    Knowing that their Kingdom''s future was at stake, the Agarthians took this order critically and ensured that not a single entrance remained open after they were done.


    When Eligor and the other Demigods realized what King Septimius had done, they couldn''t help but apud him for his decisiveness.


    However, they weren''t deterred.


    The Abyss was a ce where only the strong survived. There were several Abyssal Creatures whose specialty was to dig underground in order to hide and hunt their prey.


    These monsters had joined their Abyssal Lords to conquer Elysium, and they numbered over a hundred.


    "Dig and unearth these entrances!" Eligor ordered. "We''ll show them that their move did nothing but dy the inevitable."


    The Abyssal Monsters who specialized in digging immediately went to work.


    Since they could sense theyout of thend underground, they were able to follow the destroyed tunnels that led to Agartha.


    A weekter, a couple of the pathways that led to Agartha had opened up, and the Abyssal Army finally started their march to conquer the Ancient Kingdom of Elysium.


    ����������������


    Royal Pce of Agartha��


    "They areing," King Septimius sighed as he opened his eyes.


    "Good," one of the two Supremes, who protected Agartha alongside the King,mented. "Fortunately, we managed to dy their invasion by a week. Our defenses may not be perfect, but they will hold."


    "Indeed," the other Supreme nodded his head. "We will show these monsters that we are not pushovers."


    King Septimius smiled before rising up from his throne.


    A momentter, he reappeared several miles outside his city and looked at the hundreds of gaping holes that the Burrowers of the Abyssal Army had dug.


    He could sense the powerful presence of the Demigods who were leading their armies to conquer hisnds.


    A faint sneer appeared on King Septimius'' lips as he raised his scepter.


    The Defenders, who had formed a defensive wall and were two miles away from where the Abyssal Army would appear, prepared themselves for the eventual battle that was about tomence.


    High above their heads, a Gigantic Flying Bone Ship hovered, simr to a Flying Fortress that was born for war.


    "Ready!" Eiko shouted.


    Immediately, the Skeleton Swashbucklers went to their respective positions, preparing for battle.


    The Ancient Pirate King, Avery, stood beside Eiko with his arms crossed over his chest. The mes burning in his eyes burned bright, ready for battle.


    Poseidon had also revealed the countless cannons in its body, ready to fire at Eiko''smand.


    The Baby Slime looked in the distance with a calm expression on her face. She didn''t feel any fear.


    On the contrary, she was looking forward to the start of the battle, thrilled that she wouldn''t be fighting alone.


    Standing at the deck of her ship, Lux looked in the distance with arms crossed over his chest.


    Asmodeus, King Leoric, Avernus, and Andras were by his side, ready to fight under hismand.


    Now that Lux had be a Saint, his Named Creatures had also grown a lot stronger. They were creatures that grew alongside him, which meant that the stronger he was, the stronger they would also be.


    Currently, Asmodeus and King Leoric were of the Cmity Rank.


    Avernus and Andras, on the other hand, had stepped into the Ranks of Demigods.


    Along with Eiko''s forces, the number of Demigods on their team alone numbered four.


    But that was only including those who were present on the scene.


    ckfire hovered behind Lux, and it was very excited to show its Master thetest additions to its personal army.


    It had apanied Hereswith in fighting against the Demigods who had attacked Espoir Frieden.


    Because of this, it managed to devour ten Demigods, as well as hundreds of Cmity-Ranked Monsters.


    All in all, ckfire could summon twelve Demigods, excluding Hereswith, who was protecting the World Tree of the High Elves.


    The eleventh Demigod was none other than Andras, who had transformed into a Strigoi.


    The other one was the Demigod, Briarz, who had arrived alone in the Six Kingdoms and found himself dying a pitiful death.


    ckfire didn''t bother to change the abyssal creature''s form because the four-meter-tall Blue Minotaur was already imposing enough. It deemed that simply reviving him as he is was good enough.


    "They''re here," Lux said in a solemn tone. "Eiko, give them a warm wee."


    Eiko nodded. "Go! Poseidon!"


    The countless cannons of the Giant Bone Ship started to glow. The moment the Abyssal Monsters spilled out from the holes to start their invasion, they found themselves staring at countless beams of light that vaporized anything they hit, not even leaving ashes behind.


    The Agarthians cheered after seeing Poseidon''s might, raising their morale to its peak.


    Even King Septimius couldn''t help but nod his head in satisfaction as the first wave of Monsters that hade to conquer hisnds were annihted before they even knew what hit them.

 Chapter 1138 Behold, the bringer of Light! [Part 2]

    Chapter 1138 Behold, the bringer of Light! [Part 2]


    Eiko jumped on top of Avery''s head to get a better view of the battlefield.


    Poseidon''s bombardment had decimated the first few waves of monsters that had gotten within its strike range.


    Its main cannon was still inactive because it would only be used against Demigods. Even so, its other cannons fired non-stop, sending the Abyssal Army''s formation into disarray.


    A minuteter, several purple barriers materialized on the battlefield, shielding the lower-ranked Abyssal Monsters from Poseidon''s deadly barrage.


    More than thirty Demigods, with Eligor at the lead, finally decided to first secure their foothold before letting their subordinates massacre everyone in sight.


    The moment they made their appearance, Poseidon''s Main Cannon started to gather energy, ready to unleash an attack that was strong enough to instantly kill a Demigod if it hit them directly.


    Eligor, who saw this, immediately summoned a multiyered barrier, having felt that an attack with enough power to potentially threaten his life was about to descend upon them.


    The other Demigods felt the same, so they, too, reinforced Eligor''s barrier with their own defensive abilities, strengthening it to its limit.


    A giant beam of light shot out of Poseidon''s main cannons, forcing the Agarthians to cover their eyes due to how dazzling it was.


    A few secondster, an earth-shaking explosion erupted in full, sending shock waves that also reached the location of the defenders, which were two miles away from the point of impact.


    "Brace!" King Septimius shouted as he created a barrier to prevent his people from being harmed by the aftermath of Poseidon''s strongest attack.


    When the light receded, they saw the purple barrier slowly shatter into countless pieces.


    It survived Poseidon''s blow, sessfully protecting those behind it.


    However, due to the massive force from the st, the shield still shattered in the end, making Eligor shudder.


    A few secondster, the rest of the Demigods appeared behind him,pleting the strongest lineup of the Abyssal Army that had decided to attack Agartha.


    "Don''t give them a chance to unleash another attack like that!" Eligor shouted. "Charge!"


    The Fallen Angel pped his wings and led the Army to engage their enemies at close range.


    The other Demigods followed and unleashed their long-range attacks toward the Gigantic Ship in front of them.


    Poseidon''s body underwent a transformation as it shifted from its Offensive Mode to its All-Rounder Mode.


    This Mode was meant for both offense and defense. Since their enemies had decided to fight them at close range, it couldn''t fire its cannons indiscriminately since it would end up causing friendly fire.


    The long-ranged attacks of the Demigods were blocked by a golden shield that protected Poseidon''s body from getting hit directly.


    Lux, who was standing on the deck of Bone Ship, raised his hand and signaled for their counterattack.


    As soon as he gave the order, Avernus and Andras jumped off of the Bone Ship and took on their Bestial Forms.


    A Vampire-Werewolf, whose only goal was to ughter everything within its range, and a Dracolich, whose notoriety was well known across Elysium.


    ckfire also summoned the Eleven Demigods under itsmand, and they didn''t hesitate to sh against the Abyssal Creatures, who were targeting Poseidon first.


    "It seems that Agartha is being underestimated," King Septimius said with a sneer. "They aren''t even paying attention to us."


    "Well, I guess we''ll just have to show them that it''s a mistake," an age-old voice spoke behind King Septimius.


    He was none other than the Founding King of Agartha, King Agarath.


    The First King of the Ancient Kingdom raised his sword, making the Kings and Queens behind him prepare for battle as well.


    "For Agartha!" King Aragath roared.


    """For Agartha!"""


    Without another word, the Founder of Agartha flew toward the sky and engaged one of the Demigods who were attacking Poseidon''s body.


    A Supreme was weaker than a Demigod, but what theycked in power, they made up for in numbers.


    There were twenty Supremes and hundreds of Saints among the Kings and Queens of Agartha, who had risen in order to fight.


    King Septimius and the two Supremes by his side also joined the battle.


    Their target was none other than Eligor, who they deemed to be the leader of the Abyssal Army.


    "Foolish mortals. You are doomed to submit to the Abyss!" Eligor shouted as he parried King Septimius'' sword strike before deflecting the attacks of the two other Supremes, who were attacking him from different directions.


    "You are the fool here, Fallen Angel," King Septimius replied with a sneer. "You came to my kingdom to die, so I will dly grant your wish!"


    The battle became more intense the moment the bulk of the Abyssal Army finally joined the battle.


    The Agarthian Army, which was headed by Sion, Darius, Cleo, and Garen shed against the Abyssal Army without backing down.


    All of them were fighting for their homnd, their families, lovers, children, and their future.


    Even if they were to fall in battle, they would die to ensure that those whom they held sacred would live.


    "Avery, join the battle!" Eiko jumped off Avery''s head and pointed at their enemies.


    "Yes, Princess," Avery replied before jumping off the flying ship to repel the Demigods who were trying to break past Poseidon''s Barrier.


    After her right-hand Captain had left to join the fight, Eiko jumped on her Papa''s head with a smirk.


    Lux smirked as well. He then ordered Asmodeus and King Leoric to show him the army that they had gathered throughout the one year he was away.


    The Wraith King and his Wraith Queen dove down toward the hordes of Abyssal Creatures that were targeting the Main Army of Agartha.


    A momentter, tens of thousands of specters gathered around them, creating a green tide that swept over the battlefield, hacking everything in their path.


    Since they were part of Lux''s forces, all of them were imbued with his Death God''s Aura and Divine Abyssal Touch, making their attacks stronger, dealing not only physical damage to their targets but also spiritual damage.


    Asmodeus, who didn''t want to lose out to King Leoric, raised his hand.


    Hundreds of thousands of Liches, Skeleton Archwizards, Skeleton Warlocks, and Skeleton Sorcerers appeared on, above it, and along the sides of the Poseidon''s deck.


    Asmodeus had scoured countless graveyards, battlefields, and ancient sites, looking for the most powerful magic users.


    He intended to create an Arcane Unholy Army, who would dominate the battlefield using destructive spells that would obliterate their foes.


    Some of these magicians were raised by Asmodeus, while others were subjugated by him. These Undead Mages who had managed to gain sentience had all agreed to be his subordinates after the Lich King used both fair and foul means to gain their allegiance.


    Even Lux didn''t expect that his two Named Creatures had formed an army of their own that numbered over a hundred thousand strong.


    Asmodeus raised his hand, and all the Mages channeled their powers to create a burning sun high in the sky.


    The Lich King sneered because although the battlefield was chaotic, with their enemies and foes fighting at close range, he was confident that he would be able to unleash an attack without triggering friendly fire.


    "Behold, the bringer of Light!" Asmodeus roared.


    "Mahemium Solis!


    The burning sun in the sky exploded into countless ming Spears that rained down upon the battlefield.


    To everyone''s surprise, the ming Spears were only hitting the Abyssal Monsters, whose cries of pain, surprise, and frustration resounded on the battlefield, making the sadistic Lich Kingugh out loud and causing Eiko and Lux to smile evilly.

 Chapter 1139 The Battle At The Capital City Of Agartha [Part 1]

    Chapter 1139 The Battle At The Capital City Of Agartha [Part 1]


    A rain of death and destruction descended upon the Abyssal Army as Asmodeus expertly controlled the countless fire spears that only targeted their enemies.


    Since Poseidon''s cannons were too powerful, it couldn''t be used to attack because it would hit their allies without a doubt.


    Because of this, it simply used its defensive abilities to protect itself, preventing any attacks fromnding on its body.


    Poseidon could have unleashed a powerful barrage, and probably decimate more than half of the Abyssal Legion. However, since its allied were also fighting alongside it, it simply fired its cannons at ces that ces where none of its allies would get hit by its attack.


    Although many Abyssal Monsters died, many more took their ce. Their Army numbered in the millions, so they still put a lot of pressure on the Agarthian Army, who was fighting to protect their homnd.


    Eligor and the Abyssal Lords under hismand proved to be quite powerful as well.


    They instinctively knew that Avernus and the Strigoi, Andras, were powerful, so they fought them in a three versus one battle.


    The Demigods under ckfire''smand also fought against the other Demigods.


    These Demigods were fighting thousands of meters up in the sky, making sure that their battle wouldn''t affect the armies that were fighting on the ground.


    Of course, the Demigods could y dirty and target the Agarthian Army, but they didn''t do that.


    They believed that they were strong enough to ovee the defenders, and they also didn''t want to lose a lot of their Lower-Ranking Subordinates who did all the menial work for them.


    Even with the awakened Kings and Queens of Agartha, the battle proved to be more difficult than they initially expected.


    A few of the Demigods who weren''t fighting anyone decided to slip away from the battlefield and directly target the Capital City of Agartha.


    These Demigods specialized in stealth, so they were typically able to move without anyone noticing them.


    However, there was someone who did, and he moved to take action to hold them back.


    Lux expected that there would be some Demigods who would decide to rush ahead instead of sticking with the main army.


    But he didn''t expect that there would be eight of them.


    Currently, all the fighting force of Agartha was trying to hold back the bulk of the Abyssal Army, leaving the defenses of the Capital to one of the Ancient Kings, who was also a Supreme, as well as dozens of Saints, who would serve as his backup.


    Lux calcted that the defenders would be able to hold back at least two Demigods, but eight would simply be too much for them.


    Because of this, he decided to take down the biggest and fastest threat among the Demigods, which was a Giant Demonic Falcon, whose speed was nearly as fast as lightning.


    The Half-Elf turned into a lightning bolt and crashed against the Demigod in the sky. He might be a mere Saint, but he was three times stronger than a regr Saint because he was a Progenitor, the first Necromancer of Heaven.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of his head, summoned a miniature version of her Golden Anchor.


    Using the power of its Law to harden the moisture in the atmosphere, it made the water droplets in the air be as hard as steel pellets.


    If the Falcon wasn''t a Demigod, it would have already been shredded to pieces due to how fast it was moving across the sky that was filled with these steel-like-water-droplets.


    Fortunately, it did have some effect, slowing the Falcon, whose gaze had locked on to the Half-Elf and Baby Slime who were getting in its way.


    Although the Half-Elf was worried about the other Demigods headed for the capital, he knew that he had to stop the Giant Demonic Falcon first, and worry about the restter.


    "Eiko!"


    "Pa!"


    Eiko jumped off her Papa''s head and transformed into her Fairy Princess Form. She then held the Golden Anchor on her hand like a weapon, creating several water tornadoes to hinder their opponent from going forward.


    "Deus Gigantia!" Lux raised his hand, and the Giant Skeleton King appeared behind him.


    "Wind Tempest!" the Demigod roared, activating its full power and creating a hurricane that threatened to destroy everything around it.


    Eiko hid behind the body of the Skeleton King to prevent herself from being blown away.


    Lux, on the other hand, melded with the blue crystal on its chest, taking full control of the giant Skeleton King''s body.


    "Calypso!" Lux called out the Spear of Longinus and pulled his arms back. "Duel [Epic]!"


    The Demigod, who had hidden itself inside the Giant Hurricane, found its body frozen in ce as the effect of Calypso''s Duel Ability took effect.


    The Half-Elf had the ability to sense the presence of any living and undead beings in his surroundings, so it was very easy for him to lock onto the Giant Falcon''s body despite the fact that the hurricane was blocking his vision.


    "Pierce through the Void!" Lux roared as he prepared to throw the Divine Spear in his hands.


    "Spear of Longinus!"


    The Giant Golden Spear hummed as it was thrown by her Master toward the center of the hurricane, where the Demigod was frozen in ce.


    The Divine Spear then transformed into a golden light, piercing through the hurricane and hitting its target in the chest, making the Falcon screech in pain, dispelling the hurricane it had created.


    Eiko, who had been waiting for an opportunity, shot out like a lightning bolt towards the skewered Demigod and raised her Golden Anchor above her head.


    "Eyaaaah!"


    Eiko shouted as she swung down her weapon, which increased its size to nearly thirty-meters, smashing on the head of the Demigod and sending it crashing towards the ground.


    At the moment of impact a powerful explosion took ce, resulting in a dust cloud.


    All the bones on the poor Demigod''s body had been shattered by the Golden Anchor. Eiko was able to increase its size and weight at will, making it as light as a feather and as heavy as a mountain, however she wanted.


    Calypso transformed into her Living Armor Form and dealt the killing blow to the Demigod who had reverted to its Demi-Human form as it breathed itsst.


    However, before the Demigod could diepletely, ckfire appeared and devoured it.


    It preferred half-dead Creatures to devour because they retained their ranks after it absorbed them. Although it also didn''t mind devouring a dead Demigod, the resources needed to revive it without degrading its rank was costly.


    After getting his target, ckfire disappeared and returned to the other battlefield, where blood was flowing like rivers.


    It was eyeing both the Demigods and the Supremes of Agartha, whom it nned to devour at the moment of their death.


    Even the awakened Kings and Queens were also part of the group that it wanted to devour. Some of them might be old and nearly decrepit, but it was only a small matter to return them to their peak after it had remodeled their bodies.


    Lux didn''t have the luxury to think about these random things as he and Eiko sped towards the Capital City of Agartha, where the sounds of explosions were already taking ce.

 Chapter 1140 The Battle At The Capital City Of Agartha [Part 2]

    Chapter 1140 The Battle At The Capital City Of Agartha [Part 2]


    "It''s going to be alright," Aurora said as she lightly patted Princess Shayna''s head, whose body was trembling in her embrace. "We''re safe here."


    The sounds of explosions boomed above their heads, apanied by the shaking of the ground, making those who had evacuated to the underground shelters of the capital city feel very anxious.


    "Sister, I''m scared," Princess Shayna replied. "Will we really be fine here in the underground shelter?"


    "Don''t worry," Aurora assured her. "Father and Lux are fighting outside. They will not let anything harm us."


    The sounds of explosions became louder, and the shaking also intensified, making the children, who were in their parents'' embrace, start to cry.


    Since children were easily affected by the emotions of other children, a domino effect took ce, making all the children who were six years old and below start to cry.


    Their parents did their best to make them feel safe, but their voices failed to hide the fear and anxiety that they, too, were currently experiencing.


    Aurora raised her head to look at the shaking ceiling, and inside her heart, she called out the name of the Half-Elf, whom she knew was fighting with everything he had to protect her and her beloved family from the forces of the Abyss.


    ������������������


    On the surface of the Capital City of Agartha��


    "Do not let any of their attacksnd on the city!" the Ancient King, who was known by his people as Farhan, shouted. "Block them with everything you have. We must protect our people at all costs!"


    The Saints behind him shouted in acknowledgment as they desperately worked together to counter the attacks that were being aimed at their city.


    Farhan and an elite group of Saints had engaged a Demigod, who looked like an Earth Dragon, that was nning to dig a hole and attack the city underground.


    This was something that they couldn''t allow, so they fought tooth and nail against it, forcing the Earth Dragon to abandon its n.


    The Demigod then decided to fight the pesky Supreme and his cohort of Saints who were trying to get in its way.


    Although they were able to contain the dangerous monster, there were still six other Demigods who were currently bombarding their city with powerful attacks and doing their best to destroy the barrier that protected it.


    "Duel!"


    A thunderous roar reverberated in the surroundings, forcing a Demigod, who looked like a Cockatrice, to look in Lux''s direction.


    Some of the defenders, including a handful of Saints, had turned to stone after meeting its gaze.


    Lux knew that all the Demigods were powerful and dangerous, but he needed to fight the stronger ones first before he dealt with the rest.


    Eiko, who was in her Fairy Princess Form, had called ckfire, asking it to summon the three Supremes from the Ford Federation.


    She was currently a Cmity-Ranked Monster, but she was still not strong enough to fight against multiple Demigods, even with the power of the Golden Anchor in her possession.


    ckfire obeyed and summoned the three Supremes, who all worked together to target one of the Demigods attacking the city.


    Eiko then summoned her clones, who summoned Cmity-Ranked Slimes alongside her.


    The Slimes they summoned were Thunder and Lightning Slimes, and they immediately worked together to unleash a barrage of lightning bolts and thunder waves to repel the Demigods, who were attacking the city.


    The battle became very fierce, making the ground shake under their feet as explosions reverberated in the surroundings.


    Lux, who once again summoned Deus Gigantia, was duking it out with the Cockatrice, who had the ability to summon stone spikes and pirs that were dozens of meters long.


    Although the Half-Elf was immune to petrification, the Cockatrice was fast and able to use multicast, allowing it to unleash several spells at the same time.


    But these spells weren''t aimed at Lux.


    They were aimed at the city!


    The Cockatrice was very sly and knew that the Half-Elf would protect the city no matter what.


    Because of this, the Giant Skeleton King used its colossal body to shield the city from these spells.


    The other Demigods also realized that this was the most effective method to deal with those who were trying to attack them. Since Eiko and Lux were able to dodge their attacks, they would simply force them into a situation where they couldn''t dodge.


    The simplest way to do that was by attacking the city with powerful spells and attacks, without the need to hold back.


    As expected, their strategy worked.


    The bones of Giant Skeleton shattered and fell on the ground as it desperately tried to hold back the attacks of Six Demigods at the same time.


    "Pa!" Eiko shouted as she used her Golden Anchor as a shield to block the attacks of the Demigods, alongside her Papa.


    "I know, Eiko," Lux replied through telepathy. "I will leave the Skeleton King to defend, while both of us attack one Demigod each."


    "Okay!" Eiko nodded.


    Immediately, Lux turned into a lightning bolt, leaving the blue crystal on the Skeleton King''s chest.


    He was confident that the Skeleton King would be able to hold on for a few minutes, and he would use that time to decrease the number of opponents on the battlefield.


    Just as he was about to do this, a powerful pressure suddenly descended upon his body, forcing him to stop his charge midway.


    "Oh? So you''re that person who got in Daniel''s way?"


    A voice that was filled with amusement reached Lux''s ears, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.


    His gaze scanned his surroundings beforending on a particr spot that didn''t look out of ce.


    However, since he could sense the Aura of the living and the dead, the creature that seemed to be invisible wasn''t able to escape his gaze.


    "As expected, you can find me."


    The voice filled with amusement chuckled, and then it appeared.


    An alien-like creature, standing on four legs, with a giant tentacle that served as its head, looked at the Half-Elf with a sinister glint on its diabolical face.


    Its fiendish wed hands made cracking sounds as it opened and closed them.


    Countless rows of razor-sharp teeth appeared in its tentacle-like face, making it look like a creature that came straight out of a person''s worst nightmare.


    "I was getting bored conquering the Western Regions of Elysium, so I sent one of my clones to observe the conquest of Agartha."


    The terrifying creature said with the same amused tone it had used earlier.


    "Since I am only sharing my senses with this clone, I have no ns to participate in this battle regardless of its result. However, after seeing you, I change my mind."


    The creature then unleashed a wave of malicious energy from its body, making the Defenders inside the city scream as they desperately held their heads in an attempt to stop the stabbing pain that they were feeling inside their heads.


    "My name is Nyathotep," Nyathotep introduced itself using one of its wed hands to point towards its face. "Although this is just a clone, it still possesses some of my powers. So, what is your name, boy?"


    Lux didn''t answer and simply raised his hand to summon the Spear of Longinus to aid him in battle.


    "You don''t want to give me your name? Fine," Nyatothep chuckled. "It doesn''t really matter since you will be dying soon anyway."


    Although the creature in front of him was only a clone, Lux instinctively felt that its strength was at the peak of the Demigod-Rank.


    He already knew that the battle to defend Agartha wasn''t going to be easy. But, with Nyathotep''s arrival, things just turned for the worst.

 Chapter 1141 The Battle At The Capital City Of Agartha [Part 3]

    Chapter 1141 The Battle At The Capital City Of Agartha [Part 3]


    Nyathotep scanned the battlefield and noticed that the Agarthians were still able to defend despite the fact that the Abyssal Army had a higher number of High-Ranking Combatants, like Cmity-Ranked Monsters, in their ranks.


    ''That Giant Bone Ship is targeting the Cmity-Ranked Monsters before they can sh with the Agarthians,'' Nyathotep thought. ''But it doesn''t matter. I''ll just have to do what I always do.''


    The Clone of the Outer God then nced at the Giant Skeleton King protecting the city, then to the Half-Elf who had been about to charge at one of the Abyssal Demigods earlier.


    But something else caught Nyathotep''s gaze, and that was none other than the Golden Anchor in Eiko''s hands.


    "Oh? Is that one of the Pirs of Eternity that I see?" Nyathotep chuckled. "If I only knew, I would have brought my main body here. You see, Daniel is unable to collect them, so that mission now falls onto my shoulders. How unfortunate."


    Nyathotep''s clone might be at the Peak of the Demigod Rank, but it didn''t possess all of its original body''s abilities.


    Eiko raised her Golden Anchor like a sword and sent a faint ripple through her surroundings. The Defenders of the City who were initially holding their heads due to extreme pain stopped screaming as the sensation that tortured them disappearedpletely.


    Nyathotep knew that the Pirs of Eternity controlled thews of the world. The Clone knew that a direct confrontation against its holder was not a good idea, especially when it currentlycked the abilities to overpower Eiko.


    The Outer God''s clone only possessed four skills, but these skills were enough to help the Abyssal Army tilt the tide of battle in their favor.


    Since its first attempt failed, the vile abomination shifted its attention towards the Agarthian Army and unleashed an ear-piercing scream, making all of them stagger.


    The Abyssal Creatures who were fighting against the Agarthians stopped attacking the lower-ranking Soldiers and focused their attention on the Saints and Supremes.


    They had fought alongside Nyathotep long enough to know what was going to happen next.


    The Majority of the Soldiers of Agartha roared like wild animals as their eyes glowed red.


    The Outer God had forced them to enter a berserked state, not caring if the ones they attacked were friend or foe.


    The first beings that they attacked where the people nearest them, causing the formation of the steadfast army to copse.


    "No!" King Septimius roared in anger after seeing that his soldiers had started killing each other.


    He wanted to snap them back to their senses, but the Demigods made sure that none of the Supremes of Agartha could support their people.


    They increased the intensity of their attacks, forcing the Saints and Supremes to defend themselves with everything they had if they didn''t want to end up dying in the exchange.


    Nyathotep had the power to drive those with weaker willpower insane. But even strong-willed people were not safe from its mind manipting powers.


    As long as they were injured or currently exhausted, the Outer God could easily break past their defenses and instill a singlemand in their consciousness, and that was to kill the Creature nearest to them, regardless if it was friend or foe!


    "Focus on attacking the city!" Nyathotep ordered. "Raze this kingdom to the ground!"


    The Abyssal Monsters answered the Outer God''s call with their bloodthirsty roars, making the entire battlefield shake.


    Eligor sneered as he pushed back the Supremes who had ganged up on him. Now that one of Nyathotep''s clones had arrived, the conquest of Agartha would be faster.


    Suddenly, arge beam of light flew towards Nyathotep, forcing the Outer God to dodge it.


    The Outer God had been paying close attention to Poseidon since it considered it to be the greatest threat on the battlefield.


    Even its original body would not survive a direct hit from the Flying Bone Ship, so it had already readied itself to dodge at the first signs of Poseidon targeting him.


    ''This is bothersome,'' Nyathotep thought, so it decided to position itself between the Flying Bone Ship and the City of Agartha.


    If the Poseidon were to target it, the Outer God would just dodge, letting the Bone Ship''s attack hit the city.


    Seeing that the Demigod was using the city as a hostage, Poseidon changed its strategy and unleashed countlessser beams towards the sky.


    These beams of light then rained down on Nyathotep and the other Demigods, who were attacking Agartha, forcing them to back away.


    Using this opportunity, Lux charged towards Nyathotep and engaged the Demigod in closebat.


    The two battled across the skies, not able tond a hit on the other.


    "Are you sure you want to focus on me?" Nyathotep asked in a teasing tone. "The other Demigods are targeting the city now, you know?"


    Lux didn''t answer because he knew that his enemy was telling the truth. However, he simply couldn''t do anything about it.


    Even if he defended the city, Nyathotep would just manipte the Agarthians who were under its control to do its bidding.


    In order to change the flow of battle, he needed to eliminate Nyathotep''s Clone as soon as possible, or else, the entire army of Agartha would be wiped out.


    Just as the Half-Elf expected, his relentless assault had broken the Outer God''s concentration, freeing the soldiers of Agartha.


    However, the damage had already been done, and they had lost nearly a sixth of their overall forces due to Nyathotep''s schemes.


    As the two were fighting, the Outer God let out several high-pitched screeches in order to force Lux into entering a berserk state.


    However, its attempts weren''t working because Lux was protected by his Guild Buffs, as well as his strong resistance against Mind Control Abilities.


    Suddenly he heard a loud explosion behind him, making his face turn grim.


    One of the Demigods had broken the barrier that protected the city of Agartha.


    Although the Skeleton King was fighting with everything it had, the Six Demigods were attacking the city from different directions, making it unable to defend itselfpletely.


    Eiko and her clones were also hard-pressed to defend the city because several Cmity Ranked Monsters had managed to get past the Agarthian Army''s first line of defense due to Nyathotep''s meddling.


    These Cmity Ranked Monsters had now joined the Demigods in attacking the city, and the defenders fought desperately to protect the people who were hiding in its underground shelters.

 Chapter 1142 The Battle At The Capital City Of Agartha [Part 4]

    Chapter 1142 The Battle At The Capital City Of Agartha [Part 4]


    While the battle against the Abyssal Army and the Agarthians intensified, Eligor was able to deal the killing blow to the Founding King of Agartha due to Nyathotep''s earlier screech.


    The Awakened Kings and Queens were only able to fight due to the Will that they had left behind in their bodies before they died.


    Simply put, the Kings and Queens no longer had souls. They were more like programmed robots who were only ordered to do one thing.


    So when Nyathotep attacked their minds, it caused a briefg in their movements, creating an opportunity for their opponents to deal a fatal blow to their bodies.


    The Founding King of the Ancient Kingdom, King Agarath, didn''t die right away after getting stabbed in the chest by Eligor.


    He was still able to fight despite his injuries, but his resistance onlysted for a few more minutes before he perished. The Elite Saints who apanied him in battle died not long after his death, freeing Eligor from those who were attacking him.


    Instead of fighting the Agarthian Army, Eligor flew towards the City of Agartha to join the other Demigods in destroying it.


    Now that the tide of battle had finally shifted to favor the Abyssal Legion, the Defenders were slowly being pushed back by their invaders.


    Aurora, who had been holding her sister in the underground shelter, suddenly shuddered and fell into a trance.


    A momentter, she touched her sister''s head, making her fall asleep.


    "Take care of her," Aurora said as she handed her sister to her other brothers and sisters, who were in the same room as them.


    She knew that if she didn''t do anything, her people would perish, which would mark the end of their kingdom.


    As someone who was loved by Misfortune, she had the power to use it against her enemies. Because of this, she decided to join the battle and help her Father and Lover keep her people safe.


    ������������


    Eligor saw Nyathotep fighting against Lux and decided to help thetter kill the Half-Elf.


    With two Demigods attacking him at the same time, Lux had no choice but to distance himself because he couldn''t fight against two of them at once.


    Also, both of his enemies were at the peak of the Demigod Rank, making them very hard to deal with.


    Suddenly, a song spread in the surroundings, making Lux, as well as the Demigods fighting around the city, look in the direction where the song wasing from.


    Standing at the ramparts of the city, a beautiful youngdy with long pink hair sang with her eyes closed.


    Dark clouds started to form in the sky, and thunder rumbled across the heavens.


    Lightning streaked across the sky as Aurora prepared to unseal her curse, allowing her to use the full might of Misfortune''s Beloved.


    A giant lightning bolt descended from the sky, hitting one of the Cmity-Ranked Monsters that had managed to enter the city and was starting to destroy everything in its path.


    Soon, more lightning bolts hit it, making it scream in pain.


    At the start, only a few lightning bolts descended. However, half a minuteter, lightning fell from the sky like rain, forcing the Demigods to distance themselves from the city.


    Although the lightning bolts wouldn''t kill them, their instincts were telling them that getting hit by one of them was bad news.


    Aurora was manifesting and summoning all the Misfortunes in the world, turning them into lightning bolts, which would curse the Creatures they hit with misfortune.


    A pained scream escaped Aurora''s lips as one of the Lightning Bolts hit her, making her stagger.


    She wasn''t exempt from the relentless bombardment.


    In fact, she was more in danger of it due to her bad luck.


    After the first lightning bolt hit, more lightning bolts followed, making Aurora scream in pain again and again.


    The sound of her screams made Lux''s eyes turn bloodshot, and the Half-Elf roared in anger, transforming into his Demi-Dragon Form.


    Seeing that their enemy was nning to go all out with them, Nyathotep and Eligor nced at each other and sneered.


    Both of them then unleashed a powerful long-range attack, not targeted at Lux but at Aurora, whose chaotic thunderstorm posed a threat to their Abyssal Army.


    Lux had summoned his Clones, and all of these Clones unleashed Dragon Breaths to block the two Demigods'' attacks while the Half-Elf focused his attention on Nyathotep.


    Among all the enemies in his surroundings, the Outer God was giving him a very bad feeling, so he was determined to end him as soon as he could.


    Faced with Lux, who was hell-bent on going for the kill, Nyathotep''s Clone knew that if it didn''t use its trump card, it would lose against the Half-Elf in battle.


    "Congrattions!" Nyathotep sneered. "It''s time for you and everyone here to die!"


    The Outer God kicked the Half-Elf away before flying high into the sky.


    Countless lightning bolts hit its body, destroying bits and pieces of it, but Nyathotep didn''t care.


    It simplyughed as its entire body expanded like a giant balloon.


    At that exact moment, Poseidon''s main cannons fired and hit it directly.


    However, instead of being vaporized, the body of the Outer God only grew as if it was using the damage it was receiving to empower itself further.


    Nyathotep''s body continued to increase in size, almost two hundred meters long. It looks absolutely horrendous like a flesh monster with countless mouths and tentacles protruding from its body.


    Seeing this scene, Eligor and the other Demigods hastily backed away in fright because they knew what was about toe.


    However, as if they were tied up by invisible strings. The Demigods'' bodies froze, and they were pulled towards the expanding blob of flesh with horrified looks on their faces.


    "Stop, Nyathotep!" Eligor shouted.


    However, all that answered him was a crazedughter that reverberated across the entire battlefield.


    Soon, countless Abyssal Monsters were being pulled up to the ever-expanding monstrosity in the sky, making them all scream in fright.


    Eligor gritted his teeth and activated a special artifact that allowed him to instantly teleport away to the Anchor that he had ced on the surface.


    A handful of Demigods did the same, for they were the type who always had a lifesaving technique that could be used in dire situations such as this.


    Unfortunately, not all Demigods had thought this far, and they were all sucked up to be consumed by Nyathotep, making Lux''s face turn grim.


    The creature in front of him was starting to resemble the image that hovered above Daniel when he had fought against it a year ago.


    The only difference was that Nyathotep''s form was more horrendous and vilepared to Azathoth''s.


    "Stop him at all costs!" King Septimus roared.


    Perhaps sensing what the monster was capable of doing, he unleashed his strongest attacks at it, hoping that it would be destroyed.


    Unfortunately, his attacks only made the creature''s body bigger, which was now over two miles long, and still growing.


    Eiko, who was holding her Nuclear-Level st Bombs, was hesitating because she had a feeling that throwing it against the monster would do more harm than good.


    Then it happened.


    Everyone heard a heartbeat that pulsed so loud, it could be heard for miles on end. The sound of this heartbeat grew stronger and faster.


    Nyathotep''s body then started to glow red at regr intervals, simr to the beating of a heart.


    The red glow intensified with each passing second as if it was a bomb that was about to detonate.


    rm bells started to ring inside Lux''s head because he had a feeling that he knew exactly what was going to happen next.


    As if confirming his worst nightmare, a single eye opened within the mass of flesh, looking down on all of them with contempt.


    "Perish in my name."


    Nyathotep''s disdainful voice sounded across the entirends of Agartha as its body swelled, in preparation for an explosion that might potentially destroy the entire.


    But, just as its body was about to explode, something flying in its direction caught Lux''s eye.


    His lover, Aurora, was flying towards the Outer God who was about to explode with a determined look in her eyes.


    "N-No!" Lux shouted. "Aurora!"


    The youngdy heard Lux''s shout and nced in his direction.


    Something golden was glowing on her chest, and it emitted a golden dome, encapsting Nyathotep''s entire body.


    Just before a world-ending explosion erupted, Aurora''s affectionate voice reached Lux''s ears.


    "I love you, Lux."


    A secondter, an explosion that was capable of destroying half the, detonated, drowning the entire kingdom of Agartha in blinding light.


    ��������������


    (A/N: Stay strong my dear friends. Remember to put your trust in me.)


    (E/N: Smiling sadistically as all of you scream, "Noooo!" LOL)


    (E/N: I''m on a bus rn and I have to hide my face cause I''m teary eyed)

 Chapter 1143 Give Her Back To Me!

    Chapter 1143 Give Her Back To Me!


    Lux didn''t know how long he was bathed in that white light.


    For him, it felt like forever.


    Although his eyes were closed, the image of Aurora bravely flying toward Nyathotep deeply etched itself into his mind.


    He noticed something golden glowing on her chest, which had trapped the gigantic body of Nyathotep''s clone in a golden dome. Despite the blinding light that had covered his entire vision in white when the Outer God''s body detonated, he didn''t feel any harme to his body.


    He was certain that all Agarthians were also safe from harm. This was supposed to be a good thing, but he couldn''t stop his heart from aching even more at this realization.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the light finally receded.


    Lux looked at his surroundings and saw the Agarthian Capital still standing. Poseidon and the Agarthian Army were also there, meaning that Nyathotep''s n to cause mass genocide was thwarted.


    The Half-Elf then looked up at the sky and shouted.


    "ckfire!" The ck coffin immediately appeared beside Lux, knowing what its Master would ask of it.


    "Aurora, did you get Aurora?" Lux asked.


    The ck Coffin lowered its head, making Lux''s face turn pale. "How about her soul?" Lux''s hands were already clenched into fists and were both shaking as he fought hard to keep hisposure from breaking.


    ckfire remained in its position, making all the colors disappear from Lux''s face.


    "No," Lux muttered. "This is impossible�� this can''t be happening."


    The Half-Elf then raised his head and looked at the holes that the Abyssal Army had dug to reach Agartha.


    Lux then turned into a lightning bolt and flew towards one of these holes, hurrying towards the surface.


    He was hoping that Aurora''s soul had risen to the Surface World, which was the reason why ckfire wasn''t able to find her.


    The trip to the surface was less than a minute, but the moment he broke through, he sensed the presence of several Demigods in the surroundings.


    Lux ignored them all and continued to fly high in the sky.


    "ckfire!"


    Lux once again called the ck Coffin, making it appear beside him. However, ckfire''s head remained lowered, making something inside Lux snap.


    With a roar filled with hatred and anger, Lux descended from the sky, targeting the Fallen Angel, Eligor, who had managed to escape Nyathotep''s n to add him to the sacrifices that would further boost the power of his self-destruction.


    The Fallen Angel felt the purest form of killing intent directed at his body.


    His first instinct was to fly away, but before he could do it, he found himself being pulled towards the Half-Elf, whose murderous eyes were screaming for his death.


    "Duel [Divine]!"


    Perhaps out of sheer hatred, Lux''s Duel Skill had suddenly evolved to the next stage, forcing the Demigod to exchange one blow with him.


    Eligor sneered as he flew towards the sky in order to sh against the Half-Elf, who thought that he could overpower a Demigod with his measly Saint Rank.


    A few secondster, the sneer on his face disappeared when he saw that Lux had been absorbed by a Giant Skeleton King who had its arms pulled back, holding a giant golden spear in its hand.


    "No!" Eligor shouted in fright because the power behind the spear was stronger than the one he had seen back in Agartha.


    Its golden body was enveloped with a reddish-ck Aura that reeked of death.


    Gritting his teeth, Eligor roared as he used his sword to parry the blow from the Gigantic Monster, whose burning eyes zed in a deep shade of red. When their weapons shed against each other, a resounding crack reverberated in the surroundings.


    A secondter, Eligor''s sword shattered, and his body was impaled by the Giant Golden Spear that pinned him to the ground.


    A great explosion that wouldn''t lose to one of Eiko''s Nuclear Level st Bombs erupted.


    However, despite all that, Eligor was still alive.


    But what happened next made him wish that he had already died.


    The tip of the Giant Spear had pierced his body, pinning him at the center of a two-mile-wide crater.


    The injury he received was fatal, but because he had once been an Archangel, there was still a way for him to recover from his injuries.


    Unfortunately, Lux didn''t give him that opportunity.


    The Half-Elf appeared in front of Eligor and smashed his face with fists zing with hatred and killing intent.


    "It''s all because of you!" Lux shouted as he unleashed a flurry of blows, all targeted at the Fallen Angel''s face. "Give Aurora back to me! Give her back to me!"


    The other Demigods in the surroundings were just about to attack Lux, but before they could do that, Eiko broke through the surface and summoned Poseidon.


    Now that there were no more obstructions in the path of its cannons, the Giant Bone Ship unleashed countless beams of light, all targeting the Demigods who were about to attack the crazed Half-Elf, who was pummeling Eligor''s face like there was no tomorrow.


    The Demigods dodged and used their defensive skills to survive Poseidon''s attacks, which they managed to do.


    Knowing that they were unable to face the Giant Bone Ship, they decided to retreat and fight another day. However, they no longer had that chance.


    "Where do you think all of you are going?" Asmodeus asked in a bone, chilling tone. All the Undead Magic Casters created a dome of ck light, preventing the Demigods from escaping.


    Although they were strong, the might of a hundred-thousand-strong legion of Undead Magicians was noughing matter.


    "Let''s start with you," Asmodeus sneered as he pointed at a Demigod who looked like a Gargoyle. "Duel [Divine]!"


    Since Asmodeus could use all of Lux''s Skills, he didn''t hesitate to tag-team with Poseidon to put an end to their enemies.


    The Demigod Gargoyle screamed in frustration because it was unable to run away and was forced to attack the Lich King, who was hovering above Poseidon''s deck.


    "All yours, Poseidon," Asmodeus stated.


    The Giant Bone Ship then fired its cannons, destroying the Gargoyles'' wings, arms, and half of its lower body.


    A momentter, a ck Coffin appeared and mercilessly pped the Gargoyle''s face with countless ck hands before devouring it.


    It was as if ckfire was also venting out its frustration against the Abyssal Monsters, who were responsible for killing one of its Master''s lovers.


    One by one, Asmodeus and Poseidon eliminated the remaining Demigods, despite their desperate begging and pleading to be spared.


    Unfortunately, their killers were not in the mood to hear their cries.


    Asmodeus and Poseidon worked hand in hand to kill the surviving Demigods for the sake of the Half-Elf, whose roars of anger reverberated in the surroundings as he continued to punch Eligor''s face, who had already died from the injuries that he received from Lux''s Divine Abyssal Touch.

 Chapter 1144 Don’t Worry, I Am Not Anyone Suspicious

    Chapter 1144 Don��t Worry, I Am Not Anyone Suspicious


    ckfire didn''t dare to devour the Fallen Angel who had long died from Lux''s countless punches.


    Despite the fact that his opponent had already died, the Half-Elf continued to smash the Fallen Angel''s face until it turned to meat paste.


    The Giant Skeleton King was no longer pinning Eligor''s body with the Golden Spear, allowing Lux to continue venting his anger, creating shock waves with each punch that he delivered.


    After he had smashed the Fallen Angel''s head, Lux did the same thing to his body, shouting every time he delivered a blow.


    Only after half of his body had been mushed, blending into the ground, did the Half-Elf finally stop. He then raised his head to the sky.


    "Erioooooooooooooooooooool!" Lux roared. "Give her back to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"


    The God of Games, who was still not fully recovered after the battle with Daniel, slowly opened his eyes.


    He then slowly propped himself up, gathering what remaining strength he had to stand up.


    With a heavy sigh, Eriol descended upon the world, appearing in front of the Half-Elf who was still calling out his name.


    The moment he descended into Elysium, time came to aplete stop. Only the Half-Elf was not affected by this phenomenon, allowing him to talk to the God who ruled over Elysium. "Aurora," Lux said hoarsely. "Give me her soul. I won''t ask for anything else. Just give me her soul! As long as I have it, I can revive her. So, please, give me her soul!"


    Eriol sighed before shaking his head.


    "I''m sorry, Lux. But I can''t," Eriol replied.


    "Why?" Lux asked as he closed the distance between him and the God of Games. "Why can''t you give me her soul? Is it too much to ask? Aren''t you the God of this world?! Why can''t you give me her soul?!"


    The Half-Elf had grabbed Eriol''s clothes and pulled him close to him, staring at the God of Games with bloodshot eyes.


    Before Eriol could even answer, a handnded on Lux''s shoulder, stopping him from doing something that he might regretter.


    "Lux, calm down first," Max said. "Do not forget that both of us are always on your side. We have always been on your side."


    The God of Games then gently pried the Half-Elf''s hands off Eriol''s body, which was still in a weakened state.


    Max was in the same boat as Eriol, but he was faring much better than his friend.


    Because of this, he decided to break the news to Lux, whose entire body was shuddering due to anger, anxiety, hopelessness, and desperation.


    "You have done your best for both Elysium and Sis," Max said softly. "Because of this, we are willing to bend the rules for your sake. However, we can not do what we can not do. You asked us to give you Aurora''s Soul, but if it were possible, we would have done it even if you didn''t ask. Unfortunately, Aurora''s soul is no longer in this world."


    The Half-Elf looked at the God of Gamblers, whose face was very pale. However, Lux was in no condition to care about Max''s circumstances because there was only one thing on his mind, and that was to obtain his lover''s soul.


    As long as he was able to do that, he could ask ckfire to store her inside its body. Lux would then find the perfect vessel for her so that she would be reborn in the world, more powerful than ever before.


    But after hearing Max''s exnation, he felt as if a hole had appeared in his heart, which would not be healing anytime soon.


    "D-Did her soul enter the Cycle of Reincarnation?" Lux asked with trembling lips. "Perhaps it would have been better if that were the case," Max replied in a bitter tone. "But to answer your question, her soul didn''t enter the Cycle of Reincarnation."


    Lux felt his heart turn cold after hearing Max''s reply. There had only been one person whom he and his Grand Master had been unable to resurrect due to special circumstances, and that was none other than his Master, Gaap.


    Lux felt as if his soul had left his body, making him fall onto his knees.


    His mouth opened and closed as if wanting to let out a word. But a part of him was afraid to ask the question he was dreading.


    If Aurora suffered the same condition as his Master, then there was nothing that Lux could do to bring her back to his side.


    Perhaps noticing that the young man was close to breaking, Max crouched down and rested his hands on Lux''s shoulders.


    "Aurora''s soul didn''t disappear," Max stated firmly. "But it is currently in a ce that is far from our reach."


    Lux, slowly raised his head to look at the God of Games, who was looking at him with sadness.


    "Where is her soul?" Lux asked.


    "In the Abyss," Max replied. "All souls that have been killed by Abyssal Creatures don''t enter the Cycle of Reincarnation. They are either trapped in the ce where they died, forever bing bound spirits of thend, like what happened in Zangr.


    "This is just one of the two instances of what happens to those who were killed by the Abyssal Monsters. The second is that their souls would go to the Abyss, where they are reborn as an Abyssal Creature."


    Lux didn''t answer right away as his mind, which was in a clouded haze, tried to process Max''s words.


    A few minutester, he finally understood what Max was trying to tell him.


    "So she''s in the Abyss right now?" Lux asked.


    "Since her spirit isn''t in this world, then yes, she is currently in the Abyss," Max replied.


    Lux slowly stood up and looked at the God of Gamblers before shifting his gaze to the God of Games.


    "Send me to the Abyss," Lux stated. "That is all I ask."


    Eriol bit his lip before lowering his head.


    "The connection of Elysium and Sis in the Abyss has been severed," Eriol stated. "Although its power is still able to flow to this world and back, it is impossible for you to go there. I also don''t have the strength to open a path for you."


    "Then what''s the point?" Lux asked as he closed his eyes. "Since I can''t go to the Abyss, I will not be able to retrieve the Golden Lion from Daniel''s hands. Without the Pirs of Eternity, Sis is done for."


    Max, who had remained silent, sighed.


    "Lux, you know that Daniel is in the Abyss and is probably thinking of ways to restore the connection between the three worlds even as we speak. However, once he seeds, it will not only be Sis that will be destroyed. Elysium will suffer the same fate.


    "So let me ask you��despite the fact that there is a possibility that you will never be able to return after you arrive in the Abyss, are you still going there to look for Aurora?"


    "Yes," Lux answered in a heartbeat. "I will go no matter what. Even if Daniel is there, I must go find her."


    Max looked at the Half-Elf''s eyes, which were brimming with determination and desperation.


    "Understood," Max said. "Wait for us in Zangr."


    After saying those words, Max moved close to Eriol and supported his body. Both Gods turned into particles of light and disappeared.


    At that exact moment, time started to flow again, making Eiko, who was very worried about her Papa,nd beside him.


    "Pa��" Eiko hugged Lux''s body with tears falling down her face. Lux didn''t answer, but he still hugged the Fairy Princess, who was hurting because she could feel his pain.


    "Eiko, I will be going to Zangr for a while," Lux said. "Please protect everyone, while I''m gone."


    "�� Un," Eiko nodded her head obediently after hearing her papa''s words.


    Lux patted her head affectionately before turning into a beam of light.


    The ring Gaap had left him before his passing allowed him to do several things.


    It could help him go to the Necromancer''s Ancestral Lands, as well as to Zangr, where he had met his Master for the first time.


    After arriving in the ce that bordered Sis and Elysium, Lux found himself surrounded by Abyssal Monsters of Cmity Rank and below.


    All of them were surprised that a living creature had appeared in their midst, which made all of them giddy.


    Roars, screeches, and shrieks reverberated in the surroundings as all Abyssal Monsters attacked the lone Half-Elf, who hade to their territory to die.


    A Cmity-Ranked Wyvern swooped down from the sky, about to unleash a Dragon''s Breath at the Half-Elf.


    But before it could do so, a Giant Dracolich manifested in front of it and smashed its head with its bony tail.


    The other Cmity-Ranked Monsters weren''t deterred by the Dracolich''s appearance and simply charged at the Half-Elf, who was still standing still.


    ck shadowy figures appeared around the Half-Elf like a ck Tide, expanding outward.


    "Hellfire Annihtion!"


    Diablo pierced the head of a Cmity-Ranked ming Bull, who was charging towards his Master from behind.


    Ishtar unleashed a barrage of arrows, turning everything she hit into ice statues.


    Pazuzu roared as he threw his spiked mace, obliterating all the low-ranking Abyssal Creatures that it hit.


    A twenty-meter-tall Ancient Adamantine Golem materialized on Lux''s right side, trampling those who were within his strike range.


    A lone skull whose entire being was burning in white mes opened its mouth and unleashed a cone of white mes, killing everything within its range.


    Asmodeus snapped his fingers, and a dozen Tombstones appeared around them, summoning countless Greater Zombies that tore the flesh of anything they could grab.


    Hundreds of Shadow Warriors rose up from the ground and charged at their enemies, starting a bloodbath. Draven stood beside his Master with his arms crossed over his chest, like a bodyguard who would not allow anything to get past him.


    A Dragon Breath descended from the sky as Bedivere charged at the horde of flying monsters. The sword in his hand radiated with a golden light.


    Dozens of Swords shredded the monsters in its path as the Fallen War God, Revon, walked like a killing machine.


    ck and white lightning bolts rained down in the surroundings as Zagan made his appearance.


    Countless Abyssal Monsters were sliced in half as a creature without a face flew past them. The Nightgaunt, Shax, had also arrived to answer its Master''s call.


    A howl filled with malice made Lux''s enemies subconsciously shudder as the Strigoi, Andras, started a one-sided massacre, killing everything in its path.


    At that exact moment, a loud and domineering voice reverberated in the surroundings.


    "United Nation''s Smash!"


    A beam of golden light obliterated nearly a fifth of all the Abyssal Monsters in the city of Zangr as the Strongest Member of Lux''s Covenant arrived.


    "Have no Fear," ALL-MITE dered. "I AM HERE!"


    Lux didn''t even need to do anything as his Named Creatures and the Members of his Covenant ughtered all the Abyssal Monsters in the city of Zangr in just a span of a few minutes.


    After everything was over, the Half-Elf sat on the highest roof that he could find and closed his eyes to rest.


    He was thinking of Aurora and the moments they shared together. An hour passed��


    Two hours passed��


    Several hours passed��


    Lux didn''t know how much time had passed. However, he was broken out of his reminiscing when he heard a voiceing from his side.


    "A gloomy-looking Half-Elf. Well, I guess their descriptions match you perfectly."


    Lux slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was an old man with white hair, wearing an eye patch.


    He looked like any ordinary old man that one would see in any city. But a single nce was enough to tell Lux that this person was either a scammer or a bandit due to the devilish smile that was stered on the other party''s face, which was reminiscent of the con artists that he had seen in the movies back on Earth.


    "Are you Lux Von Kaizer?" the old man asked. "Yes," Lux replied. "Who are you?


    "Don''t worry, I am not anyone suspicious."


    "That''s what all suspicious people say."


    The old manughed and nodded his head in agreement.


    "Max and Eriol sent me," the old man stated. "They said that a handsome Half-Elf is desperate to rescue his beloved in a ce that can not be reached using normal means. Is that true?"


    "Yes," Lux answered. "Who are you, Old Man?"


    The Old Man smiled and shed the Half-Elf a smile that would put toothpaste models to shame.


    "The name is James," James answered. "James Von Ainsworth, and I''ve decided to take a stroll in the Abyss. Are you interested ining with me?"


    Lux knew that the person in front of him was a scammer. But he was willing to take the chance.


    As long as he was able to go to the Abyss, he didn''t mind paying a hefty price if it meant that he would be reunited with his beloved, who had sacrificed her life to save not only him but also the Ancient Kingdom that was very dear in her heart.

 Chapter 1145 All Aboard The Sleipnir Express

    Chapter 1145 All Aboard The Sleipnir Express


    "The name is James," James answered. "James Von Ainsworth, and I''ve decided to take a stroll in the Abyss. Are you interested ining with me?"


    Lux was about to say yes, but he remembered something just as important.


    "Can you please give me a few minutes before we go?" Lux asked. "I need to say goodbye to some people."


    James nodded. "You do that. The ce we''re about to go is a very dangerous ce, and there is a chance that you might not return. I''lle back to pick you up in an hour."


    The old man then whistled and an eight-legged Stallion descended from the sky. James mounted its back and gave Lux a brief nod before lightly tapping the horse''s neck. A secondter, both of them disappeared right in front of the Half-Elf''s eyes, making Lux wonder if he was just imagining things.


    If not for the fact that his subordinates had also seen James, he might have thought that the old man was just a figment of his imagination, born from his desire to go to the Abyss to reunite with Aurora again.


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Lux pressed his hand over his chest and muttered.


    "Heaven''s Call."


    A momentter, five beams of light descended from the sky andnded around the Half-Elf.


    "Lux!" Aina immediately hugged the Half-Elf and held him tightly. Aurelia and Ari did the same, leaving Iris and Cai to look at their friend in confusion.


    The threedies hugged Lux tightly, not willing to let him go. The Half-Elf closed his eyes and hugged them all, feeling their warmth and love seeping into his exhausted heart.


    Luna had taught him a lesson that, no matter what happened, he must properly say his goodbye to those whom he held dear in his heart.


    He only summoned Aina, Aurelia, Ari, Iris, and Cai since Valerie and Ali had forgotten about him.


    Also, Valerie was a Dragon Princess from Karshvar Draconis. Her absence would definitely cause a ruckus, which might make the Dragon King do something reckless.


    A few minutester, he reluctantly took a step back and looked at his lovers with a bitter smile on his face.


    He told them about what happened in Agartha and how Aurora sacrificed her life to protect everyone from getting annihted by Nyathotep''s Genocidal Attack. When they all heard about Aurora''s death, all of them teared up, including Aina, who had spent many nights together with Aurora during the year that everyone had forgotten aboutLux.


    Bothdies had supported each other, and their rtionship had grown closer during the few months that they were together.


    "I am going to the Abyss to find her," Lux said with a determined look on his face. "I don''t know how long I will be away, but I will not return until I bring her back. Eiko will remain here to protect everyone, so you can ask her for help. No matter what happens, make your safety your top priority and wait for my return"


    All thedies nodded their heads and asked Lux to be careful.


    They knew that since he had already decided to go to the Abyss, he would not stop until he found Aurora.


    All of them believed that if the same thing happened to them, Lux would have done the same, which was why they supported him even though they were very worried about him.


    "Ari, look after Valerie and Ali for me," Lux said as he hugged the handmaiden, whose tears were falling nonstop. "I didn''t know that you were a crybaby. You never cried when I tied you up with ropes and let candles drip on your skin."


    "Although that''s painful, the pain I felt this past year when you were gone was greater than that," Ari replied. "Please, after you find Aurora, look for a way to make Valerie and Ali remember. It pains me to see that the two of them havepletely forgotten about you."


    Lux nodded. "I will. I promise."


    The Half-Elf then raised her chin and kissed her lips, making Iris'' and Cai''s eyes widen in shock.


    Neither of them was stupid, so it didn''t take long for them to realize that Aina, Aurelia, and Ari, had a rtionship with Lux.


    A faint pain shed inside their head, but the two endured it as they watched Ari kiss Lux back with tears streaming down her cheeks. When the kiss ended, Ari took a step back and allowed Aurelia to take her turn.


    "I''m d that you haven''t forgotten about me, Aurelia," Lux said softly as he brushed away the hair that had covered the Dragon Princess'' face due to the gust of wind that was blowing in their direction.


    He then kissed her forehead before kissing her lips, which Aurelia loved very much.


    Among the Half-Elf''s lovers, it was Aurelia who loved kissing the most. It had been too long since she had been kissed by her lover, and it made her heart melt due to how bittersweet it was.


    "Help Ari look after Valerie and Ali," Lux said. "I will," Aurelia replied. "Valerie always visits me, and aside from losing her memory about you, she seems to be in good health."


    "That''s good," Lux smiled. "Take care of yourself, Aurelia."


    Aurelia nodded. "Mmm."


    The Dragon Princess then took a step back, allowing Aina to take her turn. The first thing the doll-like beauty did was raise both of her hands. Lux understood what she wanted from him, so he crouched down, allowing his lover to wrap her arms around his neck before kissing him on the lips.


    When their kiss ended, Lux smiled and pecked the beautiful Dwarf''s forehead.


    "During the year that I was away, I met your sister, Luna," Lux said, which made Aina look at him in disbelief. "You met my sister?" Aina asked. "You met her on Earth?"


    Lux nodded. "She is now an actress, and she''s doing really well. I promise to talk more about her when I return from the Abyss."


    "You better." Aina looked at the Half-Elf with a solemn expression on her face. "I want you to tell me everything from start to finish."


    "I will," Lux replied. "I promise."


    Aina reluctantly let go of the Half-Elf, allowing him to walk towards Iris and Cai, who were both looking at him in a daze.


    Their heads hurt a bit, but it wasn''t painful enough for the two of them to nk out and lose consciousness.


    "I know both of you have many questions, but I''m afraid that I don''t have the time to answer them now," Lux stated as he hugged his two fiances, pulling them closer to him. "But please, wait for my return. I will answer your questions then."


    Iris and Cai nced at each other before nodding their heads.


    Lux then kissed both of their foreheads before taking a step back. The reason why he didn''t kiss their lips was because he was afraid that they would remember him, and their memories would once again be tampered with by thews that prevented them from remembering him.


    "Goodbye, everyone," Lux said. "The next time we meet, Aurora will be right next to me."


    All five of them nodded in acknowledgment of Lux''s promise.


    The Half-Elf then waved his hand, and the five of them once again transformed into beams of light, returning to where they had been before he summoned them.


    Although there was still time before the promised time of his return, the Half-Elf heard the neigh of a horse behind him.


    When he turned to look behind him, he saw the Old Man, who reminded him of a shameless Bandit in one of the novels that he had read in the past.


    For the time being, Lux pushed this thought aside because there was a more important matter that he needed to handle.


    "I am ready to go to the Abyss," Lux said.


    "Good," James replied before lightly tapping the back of his horse. "All aboard the Sleipnir Express."


    Lux nodded and jumped on the horse''s back, securing himself in ce.


    All of Lux''s Named Creatures and Members of his Covenant all merged with his body. This time, they would apany their Master to the Abyss and protect him from anything that wished to stop him from achieving his goal. Once James was sure that the Half-Elf wouldn''t fall off from his mount, he lightly tapped Sleipnir''s neck, making the horse gallop toward the sky, where the endless Abyss was waiting for them.

 Chapter 1146 The First Layer Of The Abyss

    Chapter 1146 The First Layer Of The Abyss


    Sleipnir ran across time and space, making it seem as though they were traveling at the speed of light.


    The only thing that Lux was able to see was streaks of light. It made him feel as if they were in one of those wormholes that he had seen in sci-fi movies.


    Lux felt like they had been traveling for hours, but he didn''tin. He knew that the path between the Abyss and the two worlds, Elysium and Sis, had been severed, so they had to take a roundabout route to reach their destination.


    Finally, just when the Half-Elf thought that their journey would never end, he found something red at the end of the light tunnel that they were running through.


    Half a minuteter, Sleipnir broke past the red light, and Lux found himself in a familiar environment.


    A red sky with a red full moon overlooking everything in the world.


    Below him, Lux saw several rivers of mes and countless portals of different colors.


    "This is the First Layer of the Abyss," James exined. "It has many names like the Land of A Thousand Portals, and the Land Before Time. But, to those who frequent the Abyss, they simply call this ce, Prima."


    Sleipneir continued to run until they reached the Western Region of the First Layer, where a white portal could be seen.


    Suddenly, a wall of me rose in front of them, preventing them from moving forward.


    This giant me then took the form of a beautifuldy d in mes, who looked at James with a yful smile on her face.


    "It has been a thousand years since yourst visit here, Father of the in," the beautifuldy said in a seductive tone. "Did youe here to see me?"


    "I didn''t," James replied. "But allow me to introduce to you my new friend. Lux, this is Prima Donna. Prima, this is Lux."


    "Pleasure," Prima Donna winked at Lux before shifting her attention back to the Old Man, who had once stabbed her with his spear, making her feel a pain that she had never felt in the past. "So, what brings you here, Father of Men?"


    "The usual," James replied. "Just taking a casual stroll."


    Prima Donna sneered. "A casual stroll? You must be very bored if you''ve decided to take a stroll in the Abyss."


    "Well, you know what they say," James replied with a smile. "Handsome old men are not afraid to get wet."


    "��"


    "��"


    Prima Donna and Lux were speechless upon hearing the Old Man randomly pull out a quote that had no connection whatsoever to their current situation.


    Perhaps, not wanting to let James take the initiative in the conversation, Prima Donna ced her hands on her waist and puffed up her chest.


    "I am the ruler of the First Layer of the Abyss," Prima Donna said. "As such, you will need to exin to me why you are here, and where you are going. Otherwise��"


    "Otherwise, what?" James asked.


    His tone is no longer yful, making Prima Donna subconsciously take a step back.


    Even Lux was suddenly surprised by the Old Man''s sudden change in personality, making him wonder if he was just imagining things again.


    "No one in this Multiverse can stop me from going to where I want to go, Prima Donna," James said in a cold tone. "If you wish to block my way then��"


    The old man raised his hand and a silver spear appeared in his grasp.


    It looked like an ordinary silver spear, but Lux, who wielded a Divine Weapon, knew that he was looking at a weapon that was stronger than the Divine Rank.


    A sh of hesitation appeared in Prima Donna''s face after seeing the spear. Clearly, she didn''t have fond memories of it, knowing well that it was a spear that would always hit its target no matter where they ran to or hid.


    "I''m just asking for a fee, which everyone, who wishes to use the portals in my Domain, must pay no matter what," Prima Donna stated. "You know that if you break thisw, Karma will catch up to you regardless of who you are."


    James then chuckled before lowering his spear.


    "Prima Donna, I''m just teasing you, you know?" James said in a yful tone. "Why so serious? Of course, I know that passing through your Domain requires a fee. What do you think of me? A scammer?"


    "Yes," Prima Donna replied with a deadpan look on her face. "The greatest scammer in the Ely-verse."


    "Hahaha! You give me too much credit," James smiled. "Well, as you may already know, our destination is the Second Floor of the Abyss. What kind of payment do you want before you allow us entry?"


    Prima Donna narrowed her eyes before shifting her gaze to the Half-Elf who was sitting behind the Old Man.


    She knew that making James pay a fee was an impossible thing to do. The old Scammer only took things from others and would never let others take something from him.


    Since that was the case, then she would ask the only person that she could reason with.


    "This old fool would not havee here on his own ord," Prima Donna stated. "This means that the reason why he is here is because of you. So, tell me the reason why you are here."


    Lux hesitated, but in the end, he revealed what reason he had foring to the Abyss.


    "I wish to go to the Thirteenth Floor to see Queen Rhiannon and Antero," Lux replied. "I need their help to reim something that I lost in the Abyss."


    Prima Donna arched an eyebrow after hearing the Half-Elf''s reply. A momentter, a smile appeared on her face as if she had found something very amusing.


    "The Thirteenth Floor has been sealed off by Lord Antero," Prima Donna stated. "No one from the Fourteenth and the Twelfth Layer of the Abyss can go to it. Because of this, that bastard, Daniel, was unable to make the Thirteenth up to the First Floor of the Abyss submit to him.


    "I don''t know why Lord Antero did this, but I am very thankful for his actions. Because of this, the portals of the Abyss that lead to countless worlds, are safe from his schemes."


    "The Thirteenth Floor has been sealed off?" Lux asked in disbelief. Prima Donna nodded. "Yes. Now that I know you''re here to see Lord Antero, I will waive your fee and allow you to pass. In fact, I will even make a deal with you."


    "Deal? What deal?" Lux frowned. He didn''t like the way Prima Donna was looking at him, which was giving him a bad feeling.


    "I now remember who you are," Prima Donna stated. "You are the one who faced off against that bastard Daniel when he started the Invasion of Sis and Elysium. I don''t know how you survived, but since you did, it means that your Fate is tied up with his.


    "Here is my deal. If you defeat Daniel, I will give you free ess to the Portals of my Domain. You can go to any world you wish. In fact, I will even allow you to bring a few people with you.


    "But all of this will only happen if you manage to kill that bastard who is treating the Abyss like his own house. Do we have a deal?"


    Lux didn''t answer right away. Instead, he looked at the countless portals in his surroundings before shifting his gaze back to the Ruler of the First Layer of the Abyss.


    "Do you have a portal that leads to Earth?" Lux asked.


    "Of course." Prima Donna nodded. "So, do we have a deal?"


    "Yes," Lux replied. "We have a deal."


    Prima Donna smiled sweetly after hearing Lux''s reply. Truth be told, she didn''t believe that Lux would be able to defeat Daniel.


    She just made that deal to motivate the boy. Perhaps by doing so, he would be able to inflict a world of pain on Daniel, who was currently lording over all the other Layers of the Abyss, whose denizens were helpless to resist the power that he wielded.


    "Send my regards to Lord Antero," Prima Donna said as she moved aside, allowing her two visitors to pass through the portal leading to the Second Layer of the Abyss.


    Prima Donna knew that it was nearly impossible for Daniel to restore the connection between Sis and Elysium.


    Because of this, she knew with every fiber of her being that Daniel would do everything in his power to bypass the Thirteenth Floor, allowing him to travel through the rest of the floors of the Abyss until he reached the First Floor.


    If that were to happen, he would be able to forcefully create a portal that would lead to Sis and Elysium.


    But she knew that Daniel wouldn''t stop there.


    Once those two worlds were conquered, nothing would be able to stop him from conquering the other worlds, which were also connected to the Abyss.

 Chapter 1147 Can He Still Get It Up?

    Chapter 1147 Can He Still Get It Up?


    After entering the Second Level of the Abyss, the rest was a breeze.


    The Abyss was infinitely deep, but it wasn''t infinitely wide.


    Each floor wasn''t as big as an entire continent. At most, it only had thend mass of a small empire in Elysium or Sis.


    Because of this, it didn''t take long for them to reach the edge of each Level and take the portal to the next.


    Unlike Prima, who was overly protective of her Domain and could sense anyone who entered it, the other Demigods didn''t even sense Lux''s and James'' arrival, making them think that everything was the same as usual.


    When they entered the Twelfth Floor of the Abyss, Lux felt anxious as he recalled what Prima had said to him.


    If the Portal that led to the Thirteenth Floor was indeed blocked, he would have no way to proceed forward.


    Even James admitted that, although there was a way for them to reach the 14th Floor using a detour, it would take them a year to arrive at their destination due to theplexity of the Abyss.


    The old man was also very hesitant to take such a path because he didn''t want to miss any of his grandchildren''s birthdays, which happened every month.


    He was only able to travel due to the difference of time zones in each world, allowing him to abuse this loophole.


    "There is the Portal that leads to the Thirteenth Floor," James said as Sleipnir slowly descended from the sky. "Sleipnir had just confirmed that it is indeed blocked, so he cannot pass through it."


    The eight-legged horsended a few meters away from the portal, letting Lux take a closer look at it. The moment he tried to enter it, he felt an invisible force blocking his way. The most he could do was touch the portal, but aside from that, nothing else was happening.


    It was as if the gateway had lost its ability to ferry people between the different levels of the Abysspletely.


    But just as he was about to lose hope, a familiar voice reached his ears.


    "Little Lux�� what are you doing here?"


    The Half-Elf''s eyes widened in shock when he heard Antero''s voice inside his head. Immediately, he turned his senses toward the portal and replied using his mind.


    "Antero, I need to pass through the otheryers of the Abyss," Lux replied. "Aurora was killed by Nyathotep, and her soul was sent to the Abyss. I need to find her before it is toote."


    "��Aurora died?" Antero asked.


    "Yes," Lux confirmed.


    A minute of silence passed before the White Portal in front of him changed its color to purple.


    "Come inside," Antero replied. "Hurry."


    Lux immediately mounted Sleipnir''s back, so that they could pass through the portal together. He was afraid that if he entered alone, Antero would just close the portal, leaving James behind.


    The eight-legged horse finally appeared on the Thirteenth Level of the Abyss, which made James arch an eyebrow.


    Even from a great distance, he could already see the giant Golem of Destruction who had been born when the Abyss was first created.


    "I see. So, he is Antero," James muttered. "The stories I''ve heard didn''t give him justice."


    Lux didn''t know what the old man was talking about. But, he was not in the mood to ask him questions. Instead, he waited until Sleipnir arrived near the Golem of Destruction, who was seated on the ground and leaning against the mountain, where the Subus Queen''s Castle stood.


    Before Lux could even say anything, the Golem of Destruction cut him off.


    "See Little Rhiannon," Antero stated. "Tell her�� everything."


    Left with no choice, the Half-Elf nodded his head. James then urged Sleipnir tond near the entrance of the Castle, where hundreds of Subi emerged, ready to fight.


    "W-Wait! Isn''t that Lux?" one of the Subus asked as she pointed at the Half-Elf, who was riding behind the old man''s back.


    "That is indeed him," another Subus replied. "How was he able to enter the Thirteenth Floor? Didn''t Lord Antero seal the Portals?"


    "It doesn''t matter why he''s here!" another Subus stated. "Everyone calm down. He is not an enemy. Don''t attack him!"


    Since Lux had helped their Queen fight against the other Demigods who had tried to invade their Domain, all of them extinguished the spells that they had prepared beforehand and weed him and the old man, whom they were seeing for the first time.


    Sleipnirnded in front of the Subi and threw them all a curious nce.


    Lux, on the other hand, dismounted from the horse''s back and greeted everyone with a solemn expression on his face.


    "I need to see Queen Rhiannon," Lux stated. "There is something very important that I need to discuss with her."


    The Subi nced at each other, not knowing what to say. It was not because they didn''t want Lux to see Queen Rhiannon. They just didn''t know if their Queen was willing to see him.


    It was at that moment that Queen Rhiannon''s voice reverberated in the surroundings.


    "Bring him to my room."


    Hearing their Queen''smand, a purple-haired Subus took a step forward and motioned for Lux to follow her.


    The rest of the Subi, however, looked at the handsome Old Man with great curiosity.


    "Why does this Old Guy look so yummy?" a Subus with long blonde hair and red eyes asked. "Indeed," another Subus replied. "Why is he brimming with vitality? At his age, he shouldn''t be like this, right?"


    "Can he still get it up?" another Subus asked, filled with curiosity. "Don''t underestimate old people," a Subus with ck hair stated. "Haven''t you heard the saying that Old Gingers are still spicy?"


    Lux pretended that he didn''t hear thements of the Subi, who were eyeing James with mischievous looks on their faces.


    The Old Man merely chuckled and even winked at the beautiful Demons, making all of them giggle.


    "It seems that yourpanion is popr with thedies," the purple-haired Subus said with a smile. "We have been sealed here on the Thirteenth Level for a long time. I am afraid that they are currently in heat after seeing two handsome men enter the Thirteenth Layer. Ah, but don''t worry. We are now allies. We will not force you unless you agree."


    Lux nodded and simply followed behind the Subus. He was currently not paying too much attention to what the Subus was saying.


    The reason?


    His heart was beating wildly inside his chest, and he couldn''t understand why this was happening.


    The closer he got to Queen Rhiannon''s room, the stronger this feeling became.


    "We''re here," the Subus stated. "You can go inside on your own. I will remain here and wait for you to leave."


    "Thank you for bringing me here," Lux replied before opening the door. Right now, he was about to see the woman who had striking simrities with Aurora.


    The woman whom he believed to be his lover''s real mother, who was currently lying on the bed and waiting for him toe and see her.


    It had been a long time since the two of them had met, and Lux needed her help in order to find his lover, who was somewhere in the Abyss, waiting for him to find her.

 Chapter 1148 Her Name Is Going To Be Dia

    Chapter 1148 Her Name Is Going To Be Dia


    Lux walked toward Queen Rhiannon''s bedroom, feeling a sense of dread that he couldn''t understand.


    He didn''t know why he was feeling this way, especially since he and the Subus Queen were now allies.


    Since there was no possibility of him being attacked by her, he was finding it difficult to think of a reason for his anxiety.


    ''Am I just feeling anxious because I want to find Aurora as soon as possible?'' Lux asked himself. ''That must be it. Otherwise, there is no other exnation for what I am feeling right now.''


    When Lux arrived in front of the door of Queen Rhiannon''s bedroom, he raised his hand and knocked.


    "Come in."


    After getting her permission, the Half-Elf took a deep breath before entering the room. The first thing that assaulted his senses was the fragrant smell of incense, which made him feel rxed. In front of him was arge canopy bed that could easily fit more than thirty people.


    Unfortunately, he was unable to see the Subus Queen due to the red bed curtains that blocked his vision.


    "Come closer, Lux."


    Queen Rhiannon''s voice which was as smooth as silk reached his ears. The Half-Elf obeyed and walked toward the bed, parting the red curtains that blocked his way.


    When his gazended on the beautifuldy who was lying on the bed, he felt as if his breath was taken away from his body.


    The Subus Queen was as beautiful as ever. She was even wearing a one-piece ck nightgown that looked good on her. However, Lux''s gaze wasn''t directed at the beautiful woman''s face. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the bulge of her stomach, and he was unable to tear his eyes away from it.


    A giggle escaped Queen Rhiannon''s lips when she saw the Half-Elf''s reaction. She didn''t expect that she would see him again so soon, and truth be told, she was also taken by surprise.


    While her subordinate was escorting Lux to her room, the Subus Queen had thought of many scenarios as to how the Half-Elf would react after seeing her.


    Although she had expected that he would react like this in one of her simtions, the look of surprise and disbelief on his face was priceless, making her unable to stop herself from giggling.


    Her giggle brought him out of his daze. But, he was still rooted to the spot, unable to think of what to do next.


    "Come," Queen Rhianon said softly. "You can touch it."


    As if he was ced in some kind of spell, Lux took off his shoe and crawled across the bed until he arrived beside the Subus Queen, who was looking at him with a sweet smile on her face.


    She even took the initiative to grab Lux''s hand and put his palm over her stomach, letting him feel the life inside her womb.


    As the Necromancer of Heaven, Lux could feel the strong life forceing from the baby girl, whom he believed would be born very soon.


    "Is she��" Lux said in a hoarse voice, while his hand remained in ce.


    But before Queen Rhiannon could even answer his question, he felt a soft kick from the baby, who seemed to be giving him a greeting.


    The Subus Queen smiled before nodding her head.


    "With your power, I''m sure you already know who her father is," Queen Rhiannon replied. "Yes. She is your daughter, Lux, and her name is going to be Dia."


    "Dia��" Lux muttered as he looked at the bulge of Rhiannon''s stomach, making him feel his heart melt.


    Although there were many twists and turns in his rtionship with the Subus Queen, the child she was carrying in her womb was his, and her name was going to be Dia.


    She was Lux''s first child.


    The Half-Elf forcefully tried to regain hisposure because, although he was happy knowing that he was soon going to be a father, his reason foring to the Abyss was just as important.


    "Rhiannon, we have to talk," Lux said with a solemn expression on his face.


    "It seems that you have forgotten to add Queen in my title," Queen Rhiannon replied in a teasing tone. "But, I will forgive you. This is your privilege for being the father of my child. So, what do you want to talk to me about? I''m sure that you didn''te all the way to the Abyss just toe and see me, no?"


    Lux thought of many ways to state his reason foring to the Abyss to the Subus Queen without making her feel upset, but no matter what method he used, it all came down to one thing.


    "Aurora was killed by a Denizen of the Abyss while protecting the Kingdom of Agartha," Lux said, holding Rhiannon''s gaze. "The one who killed her goes by the name Nyathotep. I tried to search for her soul all over Elysium so that I could revive her, but she wasn''t there. "Someone told me that the souls of those who were killed by Abyssals won''t enter the Cycle of Reincarnation. Instead, they would be reborn in the Abyss. I need to find Aurora as soon as possible. Do you have any idea about where she is?"


    The smile on Queen Rhiannon''s face disappeared the moment she heard that Aurora had died.


    As one of the Demigods who ruled the Abyssal World, she knew for a fact that what the Half-Elf was saying was the truth.


    Since that was the case, it only made her more worried. After all, Aurora was her daughter. Perhaps due to the shock, Rhiannon almost stood up from the bed in order to charge out of the Thirteenth Layer in order to find her daughter.


    However, before she could do that, she felt a jolt of pain in her stomach, making her wince in pain.


    Lux, who was by her side, immediately ced his hands on her stomach and used his power to stabilize her condition.


    While he believed that there wouldn''t be any issue if Dia was to be born right at that moment, he still didn''t want that to happen.


    At most, the baby only needed two to four more weeks to fully develop, allowing her to be born perfectly healthy.


    "Calm down, Rhiannon," Lux stated. "You don''t have to worry about Aurora. I will find her, so just tell me where you think she would be born in the Abyss."


    Queen Rhiannon took a few deep breaths in order to calm her down. The moment she regained herposure, she looked at Lux with a pleading gaze.


    "The souls of those who are killed by the Abyssals are born on the 111th, 222nd, 333rd, and 444th Floors of the Abyss," Queen Rhiannon stated. "However, I am willing to bet that Aurora''s Soul would be on the 333rd Level. However, be sure to check the 111th and 222nd Floors, just in case."


    Queen Rhiannon then summoned a pendant made of her blood and passed it over to the Half-Elf.


    "I''m sure that you already know that Aurora is my daughter," Queen Rhiannon stated. "Her birth waspletely unexpected, and the process was extremelyplicated. I had nned to seek her out the moment the gates of the Abyss opened to your world.


    "Because of this, I left a mark on her soul, using my own blood as a Catalyst in order to bind it to me. Once you step on the Layer of the Abyss where Aurora is located, this pendant will glow.


    "After that, all you need to do is channel your power into it, and it will form a red string of Fate that will lead you to her."


    Lux took the pendant from her hand and asked her to rest.


    "Take it easy," Lux replied. "Once I find Aurora, I will bring her to see you."


    A faint smile appeared on Rhiannon''s face after hearing Lux''s words.


    "I''m sure that she will be happy to find out that she has another sister," Queen Rhiannon replied weakly. "Bring her back safely regardless of the form she has been born into."


    "I will," Lux said as she held her hand firmly. "I promise."


    After saying those words, Lux left the bedroom with a resolute look on his face.


    In order to find Aurora, he needed to traverse manyyers of the Abyss. Since that was the case, the possibility of him meeting Daniel on his journey was very high.


    At the moment, he didn''t have the strength to stand up against the Pseudo-God.


    Even so, he didn''t n on turning back. Now that he had been given the means to find his lover, he would scour thends of the Abyss in order to bring his lover back to the people who were waiting for her return.

 Chapter 1149 The Search Begins

    Chapter 1149 The Search Begins


    After leaving Queen Rhiannon''s Room, Lux found James seated on a lounge chair, surrounded by Subi.


    A few of them were massaging his feet, legs, and arms, as well as feeding him grapes with flushed looks on their faces.


    Some of the bolder ones tried their luck and reached out to touch his trla, but the Old Man politely covered his ding ding dong, preventing the Subi from groping it.


    "James, you''re such a tease," a Cute Subus said with a smile. "How about you let me give little James a massage? Trust me, I will make you feel like you''re in heaven."


    The Old Man chuckled after hearing the cutedy''s words.


    "I''ve been to Heaven in the past," James replied. "It''s not as nice a ce as everyone thinks it is."


    "Oh? Then what is Heaven like?" a Subus with long blonde hair and red eyes asked. "I''ve never been there."


    "It''s a rowdy ce, much like an overnight bazaar," James answered. "Fights break out every now and then between the different factions, and these fights sometimes extend to their followers in the mortal realm. It''s a messy business, but it''s a fun ce nevertheless.


    "Ah, your Goddess is also up there. I know that it''s hard to believe, but one of her beloved daughters had be my grandson''s wife. They even have cute kids, so take a look."


    James took out arge portrait from his storage ring, showing a family of seven.


    A red-headed Half-Elf stood at the center, and he was being kissed by two beautiful Subi twins on his left and right cheek.


    Their daughters were clinging onto him, making him smile from ear to ear.


    "Aww! They''re so adorable!"


    "They are definitely living the Subi Life."


    "I want that kind of life as well!"


    "Our Queen will give birth to a cute daughter soon. I will be the little one''s Big Sister!"


    "Oi! I have already told our Queen that I will be her daughter''s Big Sister. Get in line, b*tch!"


    "Hahaha! Don''t fight. I am going to be her Subus Godmother, so it is best if we get along well."


    "Hello? Since when do Subi be Godmothers?"


    "Since now!"


    The Subi became rowdy as they all fought to be Dia''s older Sisters, Aunties, Godmothers, as well as Best Friends.


    Lux couldn''t help but smile knowing that his soon-to-be-born daughter was already surrounded by many loving individuals, who were willing to fight for her sake.


    James, who noticed the Half-Elf''s arrival, grinned as he lightly patted the heads of the Subi who were massaging his body.


    "Sorry, Ladies. I have to go," James said. "Destiny calls."


    All the Subi had disappointed looks on their faces, but none of them stopped the Old Man from walking toward Lux with a refreshed look on his face.


    "So, where are we headed?" James asked.


    "The 111th, 222nd, 333rd, 444th Layers of the Abyss," Lux replied. "Aurora is bound to be in one of those ces."


    James nodded his head in understanding. "Do you need to talk to Antero first? Or should we leave right away?"


    Lux pondered a bit before deciding to talk to Antero first. There was one thing that he wanted to rify, and only the Golem of Destruction would be able to answer his question.


    The Half-Elf left the pce and hovered in front of the Giant Golem, who was seated beside the mountain where Queen Rhiannon''s Pce was built.


    "Hehehe��" the Golem chuckled after seeing that the Half-Elf was hovering in front of his face. "Did you see Little Rhiannon?"


    "I did," Lux replied.


    "Good." Antero then pointed behind him using his thumb. "You can go now. Find Little Aurora�� bring her here."


    The Half-Elf took a deep breath before asking Antero the question that he was nning to ask the Golem of Destruction if he were to ever meet him again.


    "Is my Master, Gaap, really dead?" Lux asked.


    "Yes," Antero replied in a heartbeat. "Little Gaap is dead."


    Lux closed his eyes and sighed. He was hoping beyond hope that there was still a way to save his Master, but Antero''s answer crushed all of his hope.


    "Go," Antero said. "Find Little Aurora and return. I''ll protect Little Rhiannon and Little Dia."


    "Please do," Lux replied before flying away to meet up with James, who was already mounted on top of Sleipnir and was simply waiting for him to finish his conversation with Antero.


    Since there was nothing else to talk about, it would be best if he left the 13th Floor and resumed his search for Aurora.


    There was also the matter with Daniel, who was somewhere in the Abyss. Lux believed that there was a high chance that he would encounter the Pseudo-God, who nearly killed him in their first sh during the Abyssal Invasion.


    "All done?" James asked as Luxnded beside him.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "Thank you for waiting."


    The Old Man chuckled before lightly patting the neck of his steed. Sleipnir neighed once before galloping towards the Portal that would lead them to the 14th Layer of the Abyss.


    This was going to be a long journey filled with danger, and Lux had prepared himself to carve a bloody path forward in order to be reunited with Aurora who had sacrificed herself to save the lives of everyone in Agartha.


    ��������������


    Somewhere in the Abyss��


    Countless red cocoons, made of flesh and blood, glowed and pulsated like a beating heart.


    Among these cocoons, one stood out among the rest.


    It was bigger than others, and it pulsated with a golden light.


    Over a Dozen Abyssal Lords looked at this golden cocoon with expectant looks on their faces. From time to time, powerful Abyssal Creatures would appear in the Abyssal Nests.


    These unborn powerhouses were sought out by the Abyssal Lords, hoping that they would be able to make them their subordinates.


    All of them were waiting for the Golden Cocoon to hatch, and based on their experience it should be hatching very soon.


    Depending on what kind of creature would be born from it, one of the Abyssal Lords closest to its origin would take that creature under their wing.


    For example, if a Minotaur-Type Abyssal Creature were to appear, the Demigod that was closest to a Minotaur would gain the right to make it its subordinate.


    This was done to prevent the Demigods from fighting against each other, which could potentially kill all the unborn Abyssal Creatures in the nest who had great potential.


    "Based on its aura, I have every reason to believe that the moment this creature is born, its Rank will be that of a Peak Cmity-Ranked Monster," one of the Demigods stated. "Someone is going to be lucky in a few days and get a powerhouse as a subordinate."


    The other Demigods nodded their heads in agreement. Since they were unable to discern what kind of Abyssal Creature would be born from the cocoon, the only thing they could do was wait.


    Amongst the Demigods who were waiting in the distance, a handsome man with short blonde hair and red eyes smirked.


    Although he couldn''t see the image of the creature in the cocoon, he could tell that this creature was closest to his Originpared to the rest of the Demigods around him.


    Because of this, he couldn''t help but smile in anticipation, thinking that soon, another powerhouse would be joining his faction, which wouldplete his collection.

 Chapter 1150 Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

    Chapter 1150 Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures


    Crystal Pce��


    "You''re so carefree, Valerie," Aur said as he looked at the Dragon Princess, who was busy making a wreath of flowers.


    "If everyone could be carefree like me, I would probably be very happy," Valerie replied as shepleted the wreath in her hands. She then ced it over Aur''s head, making him look like the handsome Dragon Prince he was, who was adored by Dragons and Dragon Borns alike.


    For some reason, Valerie not only forgot about Lux but also Aur''s true gender. In her eyes, the person in front of her was the Dragon Prince of the Crystal Pce, who was also her close friend and confidant.


    Valerie didn''t feel any romantic feelings for him. However, she had unconditional trust in him. Thest time Aur tried to prove that she was a girl to Valerie, the Dragon Princess fainted for an entire hour before finally regaining her senses.


    At that time, she had forgotten almost everything rted to Aur being a girl, which frustrated Aurelia very much.


    In the end, she gave up and pretended to be a Dragon Prince in front of Valerie, who was spending some time in the Crystal Pce as a peace emissary from Karshvar Draconis.


    Ever since the Abyssal Invasion started in Elysium, the two Dragon Kingdoms temporarily set aside their differences and united against one enemy.


    Because of this, Valerie was given permission to visit Aur anytime she wanted.


    Both kingdoms hoped that the two would tie the knot and be a couple, ushering in a new era of peace between the two Kingdoms.


    The funny thing was that the Dragon King was aware that Aur was a girl. This was also why he allowed his daughter to visit the ''Dragon Prince'' anytime she wanted.


    Aside from that, it was good for his daughter to spend some time with someone her age, aside from her two handmaidens Ali and Ari.


    Lady Faustina and Lady Augustina watched the two from a great distance away. Both of them were having their afternoon tea together as they kept watch on the two Dragons, who held the fate of both of their kingdoms.


    Suddenly, something happened that made bothdies frown.


    Valerie, who had just been talking to Aur a moment ago, turned pale and started vomiting. Aur was already by her side, rubbing her back and allowing her to release everything inside her stomach.


    Ali and Ari sported worried looks on their faces because of the sudden difort that their Mistress was feeling.


    The two adults then appeared beside the Dragon Princess and checked herplexion.


    Valerie''s face was pale, and she looked quite unwell. Because of this, Lady Faustina held her hand and ced her two fingers over her wrist, checking her pulse.


    A momentter she frowned as she looked at the beautiful princess in disbelief. "What''s wrong?" Lady Augustina asked. "Did something happen to her?"


    Since Valerie was visiting her kingdom, it would be a big deal if something bad were to happen to her during her stay.


    The two Kingdoms were currently in an alliance due to the Abyssal Threat, and for the time being, she liked to keep it that way. "I need a second opinion," Lady Faustina stated. "Check her pulse, and tell me what you think."


    Lady Augustina knew that her sister wasn''t someone who liked to oveplicate things. Because of this, she ced her fingers over Valerie''s wrist and checked her condition.


    Suddenly, Lady Augustina''s eyes widened in shock and disbelief after discovering Valerie''s true condition.


    "Aunt, what''s wrong?" Valerie asked after seeing the shock on Lady Augustina''s face.


    As a Supreme, very few things could make the olderdy react in this manner, which made the Dragon Princess very anxious.


    "Is something wrong with me?" Valerie asked. "Am I going to die?"


    "You''re not going to die," Lady Faustina replied in a heartbeat. "But there is indeed something inside your body."


    "Something inside my body?"


    "Yes. Valerie, stay calm and listen to me okay? I''m going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer me honestly. Do I make myself clear?"


    Thinking that she might be suffering from a serious illness, Valerie nodded with a serious expression on her face.


    "You are pregnant," Lady Faustina said. "So, tell me, who is the father?"


    Valerie looked at Lady Faustina in confusion before her eyes widened in shock.


    "I am pregnant?" Valerie muttered in disbelief. She then looked at Aur with a hint of realization on her face. "Mother said that Dragons get pregnant when their hands are held by men. Aur, you have been holding my hand every time Ie to see you��"


    Lady Augustina and Lady Faustina didn''t know if they shouldugh or cry after hearing Valerie''s words. Just like the Dragon King, Lady Faustina also knew that Aur was a girl. This meant that it was impossible for her to get Valerie pregnant even if she tried!


    Aur nced at Ari and thetter nodded back at him.


    Unlike the clueless Valerie, both of them knew who the father of the life that was currently growing inside her womb was.


    But, just as Aur was about to tell Valerie the truth, her face also suddenly turned pale.


    The next second, she hurriedly walked away beforeing to aplete stop and vomited.


    Valerie cried out in rm as she ran towards Aur, and rubbed ''his'' back, just like Aur did to her a while ago.


    Lady Faustina and Lady Augustina nced at each other with grim expressions on their faces.


    After Aur finished vomiting, Lady Faustina held her hand and ced her fingers over her wrist.


    Half a minuteter, a sigh escaped her lips, making her look at Aurelia with aplicated look on her face.


    "Excuse me, but I have to confirm something," Lady Augustina said as she also held Aur''s hand, and checked her condition.


    She then looked at Aur with wide eyes, disbelief written on her face.


    "Am I pregnant?" Aur asked Lady Augustina directly. "Tell me, Aunt."


    "You are indeed pregnant," Lady Augustina replied half a minuteter. "Is it safe to assume that he is the Father?"


    The Dragon Princess nodded, confirming the Steward''s conjecture.


    "Who is this person?" Lady Faustina, who had forgotten who Lux was, asked her sister. "Is he also the Father of Valerie''s child?"


    Valerie, who thought that Aur was the one who got her pregnant, was horrified to find out that the other party was a girl.


    "Aur," Valerie said anxiously as she held onto the Dragon Prince''s arm.


    "Don''t worry, Valerie," Aur replied as she held the Dragon Princess'' hand. "I will handle everything."


    If news were to spread that Valerie was pregnant, things would be chaotic in the Kingdom of Karshvar Draconis.


    Likewise, if those within the Crystal Pce discovered that their Prince was actually a Princess, and even more so pregnant with a child, it would cause mass confusion among their people.


    "Aunt, let''s go to Karshvar Draconis," Aurelia said with a resolute expression on her face. "I need to talk to the Dragon King."


    Lady Augustina sighed and nodded her head. She had a feeling that she knew what Aur was nning. ''This matter has to be settled quickly,'' Lady Augustina thought. ''Thest thing that either Kingdom needs is a scandal.''


    After drinking some medicine to help both of them recover, Aurelia held Valerie''s hand and stepped into the Portal that would lead them to Karshvar Draconis.


    ''Desperate times call for desperate measures,'' Aurelia thought. ''Don''t worry, Lux. I will protect Valerie while you are away. Leave it to me.''


    Aurelia knew that if she didn''t take the initiative to talk to the Dragon King, thetter might do something reckless, which would lead to dire consequences.


    In order to prevent that from happening, Aur decided to take the only logical approach that would save the honor of both Dragon Kingdoms, who were busy fighting against the Abyssal Monsters that were currently being led by the Outer God, Nyathotep.


    c71241599ffa2342522e9fa0e93245a9b77279a7b89d8342071b2e9f762bb551905106e8e5bd2c2543ab13a33378dbdd24adf3e20449b065687b641640dff723f34a45b233dd16a09af9ced07e69c505d2246f5c22c026b3c63a91ac04

 Chapter 1151 The One Who Wished To Bear His Child

    Chapter 1151 The One Who Wished To Bear His Child


    The throne room was void of the Royal Guards, who usually kept watch over the Dragon King. Only a select few were inside the room in order to prevent the scandal from spreading in the Dragon Kingdom. "How and when did this happen?" the Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis, Azza, growled as he did his best to restrain himself from shouting in anger. "Who is the bastard who did this to my daughter? Where were the two of you when it happened?"


    Ali shook his head because she really didn''t have any idea about how Valerie became pregnant. She was inplete disbelief because she had always been with the Dragon Princess, whom she treated like a little sister that she needed to protect.


    Ari, who was aware of what had transpired, was about to speak up when Aurelia suddenly took a step forward and answered the Dragon King''s question.


    "It happened on the night of the party in Espoir Frieden," Aurelia answered. "Valerie, Ali, Ari, Lux, and myself decided to hold our own drinking party inside Lady Hereswith''s Residence.


    "At that time, we weren''t aware that someone had slipped an aphrodisiac in the wine that Ali and Ari took from the kitchen of the Royal Pce. When we realized what was happening, it was already toote.


    "The aphrodisiac had already taken effect, and we were too drunk and too intoxicated to resist it. On that night, Lux had made all of us his women."


    Azza mmed his fists on the armrest of his throne and shouted. "That bastard! How dare he?!"


    Lady Faustina, who was standing at the side, frowned because she couldn''t remember anyone named Lux. Also, she felt incredibly guilty because she was supposed to be Valerie''s Guardian. And yet, something like this had happened right under her nose.


    She was also very angry and wished that she could meet this Lux and strangle him to death for getting the Princess of Karshvar Draconis pregnant.


    Suddenly, Aurelia''s face turned pale, and she hurriedly covered her lips. Lady Augustina, who hade with her, pressed her palm against her back and cast a recovery spell to make her feel better.


    After she regained herposure, she once again looked at the King of Karshvar Draconis, who had a sneer stered on his face.


    "So, he also got you pregnant huh?" Azza said in contempt. "If only I knew that it would end this way, I would have killed that insect the first time he came to my Kingdom."


    Queen Saphira lightly patted Valerie''s back as she looked at her husband with a frown on her face.


    "What do we do now?" Queen Saphira asked. "We can''t let this news spread, or it will ruin our daughter''s image in our people''s eyes."


    Azza narrowed his gaze because there was only one way to settle this matter, and that was to marry Valerie off to someone, giving their family the perfect excuse for her pregnancy.


    Lady Augustina was thinking along these lines as well, and both of their gazes met,ing to an understanding.


    But before they could say anything, Aurelia spoke up and made her thoughts known to them.


    "I know that the perfect solution to this mess is for Valerie and me to marry each other, and go somewhere far away so that both of us can give birth without having our reputations destroyed," Aurelia stated. "I don''t have any issue with this, but I have a proposal to make."


    "Speak," Azza stated.


    Aurelia nced at Valerie, who was also looking at her with a worried look on her face.


    "I propose that Valerie and I seek the help of Lady Hereswith, and ask to have the two of us sheltered inside the World Tree of Espoir Frieden," Aurelia said. "We can tell outsiders that she has chosen us to be her Disciples and have to live with her in order to do our training.


    "If people were to discover our condition, we can just say that we fell in love with each other and chose to be life-long partners. "In the first ce, Dragons rarely marry each other, and public events are only held for the members of the Nobility and the Royal Family. I think this is the most optimal solution to our current predicament."


    Azza scoffed after hearing Aurelia''s proposal, but he also understood the merit of this n. In fact, Aurelia had more to lose with this setup. If someone were to discover that she was pregnant, the people of the Crystal Pce would realize that their Prince was actually a Princess.


    "Don''t tell me that you n to wait until that Half-Elf returns," Azza stated. "I''m telling you now that even if he returns, I''m going to murder him for what he did to my daughter."


    "You can do whatever you want," Aurelia replied firmly. "But, let me tell you this. When Valerie still had her memory, she was the one who insisted that Lux let her give birth to his baby."


    Valerie, who was listening to the entire conversation from start to finish, looked at Aurelia in disbelief.


    "I did?" Valerie asked. "I asked this�� Lux guy to get me pregnant?"


    "You did," Aurelia replied. "You were the most proactive between the two of us. Although I didn''t mind the possibility of giving birth to his child, it was you who seriously wanted to have his baby. You could even say that I was influenced by you."


    King Azza and Queen Saphira looked at their daughter in disbelief.


    Never would they have thought that their shy and obedient daughter would be so bold as to ask a man to get her pregnant on her own volition.


    "Is this true?" Azza asked Ari, who seemed to also remember the Half-Elf, whom he wanted to kill.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Ari replied. "The Princess was the one who wished to bear his child."


    All Supremes were able to tell if the one they were talking to was lying or not.


    King Azza could tell that Aurelia wasn''t lying, but he still asked Ari for confirmation.


    Hearing her handmaiden''s statement, Valerie''s face turned beet red, and she wished to deny everything that Aurelia and Ari had said about her.


    But just as she was about to do that, her heart skipped a beat as if she was about to make a grave mistake, making her unable to say what was on her mind.


    The Dragon King noticed his daughter''s hesitation, making him feel helpless. A rare sigh escaped his lips as he leaned back on this throne, thinking about whether he should ept Aurelia''s proposal or not.


    At that moment, Aurelia''s voice spread inside the room, making everyone look in her direction.

 Chapter 1152 Why Wouldn’t I Trust Him?

    Chapter 1152 Why Wouldn��t I Trust Him?


    Aurelia stood tall and faced everyone with the bearing of a member of the Royal Family of the Crystal Pce. "Many don''t know, but the reason why the Abyssal Invasion ended prematurely was thanks to Lux," Aurelia stated. "Because of his sacrifice, the gates between the Abyss and Elysium were cut off, preventing the rest of the Abyssal Army from invading our world.


    "No matter how strong we are, and no matter how much preparation we make, it''s impossible to win against such a force. Even now, we can not fully repel the invaders from our borders, resulting in this stalemate that we''re currently stuck in.


    "You might look down on the father of the child in my womb, but without him, Karshvar Draconis, the Crystal Pce, and even Espoir Frieden would have long been conquered, and the survivors would have been turned into ves of the Abyssal Lords.


    "Your wife, daughter, and people would have no choice but to serve them and suffer a fate worse than death. So, before you think about murdering the father of my child, know this��it was he who allowed you to continue sitting on that throne and gave you this opportunity to be angry."


    Aurelia was about to say more, but a hand suddenly rested on her shoulder, almost making her jump in surprise.


    "I''ll take it from here. You''ve done well, Aurelia."


    The Dragon Princess of the Crystal Pce looked at the person standing beside her with eyes as wide as saucers.


    She had only seen his face in portraits, but now, she was finally able to see him in the flesh.


    Keoza, the Crystal Dragon, who was supposed to be the one-and-only King of the Dragon Race, stood beside her with a calm expression on his face.


    "Was this your n all along?" Azza asked with eyes filled with killing intent. "Did you n to let that brat have his way with my daughter to get back at me for ''stealing'' your position as King?!"


    "Of course not," Keoza replied. "I am not that petty. Do you remember when I appeared before you and Saphira? It was at that time when Lux was having his way with my daughter. How could I possibly want to witness such a thing?"


    Aurelia''s face became beet-red after she understood what her father was talking about. She wanted to dig a hole then and there because of all the people to witness what she was doing with her lover, it had to be her father, whom she hadn''t seen in the flesh since the day she was born!


    An awkward silence descended inside the room after Keoza made his statement. Even King Azza, who hated Lux with his guts, couldn''t help but feel pity for the Crystal Dragon.


    However, his pity didn''tst long as he growled at the bastard, who could have stopped it from happening in the first ce.


    "Why didn''t you stop him?" King Azza asked. "You could''ve stopped him if you wanted to."


    "Yes, I could have stopped him," Keoza nodded. "But I didn''t. The reason is simple. I can''t think of any better man to be my daughter''s partner aside from Lux. I watched that boy grow up, you know? I don''t mind entrusting my daughter to him because I know that he will love and protect her with his life."


    King Azza snorted. "You trust that boy that much?"


    "Of course," Keoza replied. "I abandoned my throne, my wife, my daughter, and my kingdom for a chance to meet someone like him. Why wouldn''t I trust him?"


    Keoza then raised his hand, opening his Domain inside the throne room.


    The scenery in their surroundings changed, turning into the world of the Abyss.


    There, they saw a Half-Elf fighting against a horde of Abyssal Monsters alongside Hana.


    It was two against millions, surprising even the Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis.


    They saw how he unleashed a one-sided genocide, fighting dozens of Demigods using every trick he could think of.


    They were also able to see the Mastermind of the Abyssal Invasion, who made King Azza''s face turn pale after seeing what he was capable of doing.


    The image of a gigantic monster, whose single eye reminded him of the records passed down by the previous Dragon Kings in their hidden archives. "I-Is that Azathoth?!" King Azza asked in disbelief. "No," Keoza replied. "It is just a manifestation of his power. I didn''t know how Daniel did it, but he managed to harness the power of the Outer God and use it to do his bidding."


    The Crystal Dragon no longer spoke as everyone watched the scene unfold, making their faces turn grim. Valerie and Ali, who hadpletely forgotten the name and face of their lover, couldn''t help but feel their hearts beating wildly inside their chest as they looked at the Half-Elf, who stood in front of the portal, with the intention of preventing Daniel''s attack from passing through it.


    The moment the gigantic beam of light hit Lux, a cry of rm escaped Valerie''s lips as her supposed lover was hit by an attack that would have killed her father in a heartbeat.


    Everyone stared at the Half-Elf, who had been trapped inside a giant block of crystal, forever suspended in time.


    Seeing him in that state made Aurelia, Valerie, Ali, and Ari feel a sudden ache in their chest as their beloved did everything in his power to fight someone who had initiated the Abyssal invasion.


    King Azza felt his hands trembling after witnessing Daniel''s might. If such a being were able to cross into their worlds, then no one, not even if all the forces in Elysium united under one banner, would be able to defeat him.


    Just like Aurelia had said earlier, his people, wife, and daughter would have be the ves of the Abyssal Lords, suffering a fate that was worse than death if it weren''t for Lux.


    And he, as the Dragon King, one of the greatest obstacles in their way, would have been killed without mercy, setting an example to anyone who wished to defy them.


    Keoza lowered his hand, and the scenery returned to that of the throne room.


    Due to his power, Valerie, Ari, Queen Saphira, and Lady Faustina didn''t suffer from a headache, which would''ve made them forget the face of the Half-Elf, who was the father of the unborn children growing in Valerie''s and Aurelia''s wombs.


    The Dragon Princesses and the two Handmaidens were at a loss after witnessing such a scene. They didn''t expect that Lux had fought such a battle and ended in such a tragic state.


    "Is he still trapped in that block of crystal?" Valerie asked, feeling very sad all of a sudden for losing the memory of someone very important to her. "Is he�� is he dead?"


    ""No.""


    Aurelia and Ari replied at the same time. They had just met Lux not long ago and knew where he was currently at.


    "Where is he?" King Azza thought. "Is he too ashamed to show himself and take responsibility for his actions? What a pathetic man he is."


    Aurelia red at the Dragon King after hearing his scathing remarks. She wouldn''t have the guts to do something like this if she hadn''t personally seen what her beloved had gone through to protect Elysium and Sis.


    "He''s not here because he went to the Abyss in order to find Aurora''s soul," Aurelia almost shouted as she tried to restrain the anger that was rising from her chest. "While all of you have been waiting for the Abyssal Lords to attack you, he fought in Agartha to defend it from the Abyssal Invasion.


    "Aurora died to protect everyone, and her soul has been sent to the Abyss. Lux went there to save her, so don''t you dare say those things about him. You are pathetic whenpared to him!"


    Keoza looked at his daughter in surprise because he didn''t expect her tosh out like this, especially against the Dragon King of Karshvar Draconis.


    "The connection with the Abyss has been severedpletely," King Azza retorted. "How can he possibly go to the Abyss? Don''t lie to me, girl."


    Keoza raised his hand once again, and the scenery inside the room changed.


    There they saw Lux talking to Antero, asking him if his Master was truly dead. After that, they saw him riding on the back of an eight-legged horse, which was being controlled by an Old Man, whom they hadn''t seen before.


    "He is indeed in the Abyss and, right now, there is a big possibility that he will encounter Daniel while trying to look for Aurora''s soul," Keoza stated as the images disappeared, returning them to the throne room. "What we need to do is gather all our forces and finally rid ourselves of the Abyssal Lords, especially Daniel''s right-hand man, Nyathotep.


    "I suggest we follow my daughter''s proposal and let Valerie, Ali, and Ari go to Espoir Frieden. In fact, it is best if your wife, Saphira, and my wife, Evangeline, go with them so that they can look after our daughters. "Once we''re sure that our families will be safe, we can focus all our attention on eradicating the Abyssal Lords once and for all. I believe that there is nowhere safer than the location of the World Tree right now. As long as they are there, we can fight without holding back."


    King Azza looked at his wife, Queen Saphira, and thetter nodded her head in agreement.


    Although she didn''t want to leave Karshvar Draconis, she also knew that the stalemate couldn''tst forever. What they needed was a united army that wouldunch an all-out counterattack that would eliminate the Abyssal Threat from their world.


    "Fine," King Azza nodded. "I will agree to this suggestion. We leave for Espoir Frieden in a day. I will personally talk to Hereswith and her father about the situation."


    Keoza nodded and made a gesture for Aurelia and Lady Augustina to follow him.


    Now that the Half-Elf was in the Abyss, it was up to him to takemand of the forces of Elysium and wipe out the enemies who dared to stand in their way.

 Chapter 1153 United Under One Banner

    Chapter 1153 United Under One Banner


    Espoir Frieden��


    King Azza red at the beautiful Elf, who was smiling from ear to ear after hearing the news that Valerie and Aurelia were pregnant with her Grand Disciple''s children.


    Of course, Hereswith knew that the two Dragon Princesses were Lux''s women. She even yed a huge role in keeping their lovemaking a secret by erecting a barrier outside of her residence, preventing anyone from seeing or hearing anything.


    Lady Augustina was currently talking with King Kazimir about their ns tounch an all-out counterattack toward the Abyssal Lords and leave their family members under his protection.


    She also told him discreetly about Valerie''s and Aurelia''s current condition, which shocked the High-Elven King silly.


    However, after finding out that the one who got the two Princesses pregnant was his daughter''s Grand Disciple and that it happened right under his nose, he felt very embarrassed and promised that he would ensure that this secret would be kept under wraps.


    The Noble Lady who had tried to use an aphrodisiac to humiliate his daughter was already in prison, making her regret ever doing what she did during the party.


    Since he was partly at fault for what happened to Valerie and Aurelia, King Kazimir knew that if he didn''t handle this properly, the two Dragon Kingdoms would be his enemies.


    "I promise that I will keep the two of them safe here in my Domain," King Kazimir vowed. "Also, all the nonbatants of both of your Kingdoms will be allowed to migrate here to my kingdom. We will prepare their temporary residences and provide for them while all of you are away."


    King Azza, who was paying attention to their discussion, nodded his head in approval. He could just simply move Karshvar Draconis to the location of Espoir Frieden, allowing his people to be protected by the Elves while theirbatants were away.


    Keoza could do the same for the territories of the Crystal Pce. Although they were currently based onnd, he could easily make the Crystals, on which the cities were built, fly like floating inds in the sky.


    This also gave them the option for mass migration, leaving no one behind.


    "You really don''t remember him, do you?" Hereswith asked Valerie, who had been silent since she arrived in Espoir Frieden. "I don''t," Valerie replied. "But I know what he looks like now."


    "Isn''t he handsome?" Hereswith asked in a teasing tone. "He is my Grand Disciple after all."


    Valerie blushed before reluctantly nodding her head. "He is indeed handsome."


    The Dragon Princess was still reeling from shock after seeing the person who had gotten her pregnant. Also, after discovering that Lux was currently in the Abyss in order to save Aurora''s soul, she felt quite helpless. Not only had she forgotten about Lux, but she was also unable to do anything to help her friend, Aurora.


    Ali, who was standing beside Valerie, didn''t know why she was feeling an overwhelming sense of familial love towards the red-headed Half-Elf, whom she had seen in Keoza''s memories.


    She was also feeling lost after realizing that she had forgotten the face of her supposed-to-be lover, who had also made her his woman, just like Valerie, Aurelia, and her sister, Ari.


    Due to Keoza''s power, she and Valerie were protected from the mind-splitting headache that would have already tormented them, whenever they thought of Lux.


    Although their memories were still sealed and they were still unable to recall him, they now knew who he was, and what he had done for them.


    "Don''t worry," Hereswith said as she held Valerie''s and Aurelia''s hands. "I will protect the two of you until he returns. There''s no way I will allow my future Great Grand Disciples to be hurt by those Abyssal Lords and their cronies."


    After the discussion with the Elven King ended, Keoza, King Azza, and Lady Augustina returned to their territories, leaving Valerie, Aurelia, Queen Saphira, Queen Evangeline, Ali, and Ari behind. Hereswith then guided all of them toward the roots of the World Tree, where a residence had been built just for her.


    It had the same size and design as the one that the teenagers used during their stay in Espoir Frieden, making it an ideal ce to live and to keep their conditions secret.


    Also, since their temporary residence was located at the roots of the World Tree, the life energy in the surroundings was perfect for nourishing the babies that were currently growing in their wombs.


    On that same day, King Azza and Lady Augustina announced the migration of their domains towards Espoir Frieden.


    Their people were surprised by the sudden deration of their rulers, but they also supported their decision to finally put an end to the threat of the Abyssal Monsters, who had invaded their world.


    Keoza took a deep breath before raising his hands.


    The territory of the Crystal Pce was created from the Crystal Breaths of Ancient Crystal Dragons. Because of this, the King recognized by its people would be able to control them without too much effort.


    One by one, the Crystal Cities rose and hovered in the sky, imitating the floating inds of Karshvar Draconis.


    They then began to move in an orderly fashion, like a fleet of battleships that were ready for war.


    Two dayster, a fleet of floating inds could be seen in the distance, which represented thends of Karshvar Draconis.


    The two Kingdoms, which had been separated due to their beliefs, traveled side by side as they headed to the Ancient Kingdom of the High-Elves, where they would stay until the war was over.


    The journey took a week toplete, but the moment they arrived in Espoir Frieden, they were greeted by the cheers and booming horns of the Elves, who had been waiting for their arrival.


    The Divine Army of Light, as well as Memento Mori, began to move in the shadows.


    Since this war was going to be a battle where all the forces of Elysium would unite under one banner, they temporarily set aside their differences and agreed on a silent truce with each other.


    Now that the forces of the world were nning to gather for one massive counter-attack, the Agarthians surfaced from their underground Kingdom and informed the Alliance that they would also take part in the battle that would rid them of the Abyssal Monsters, who nearly destroyed their kingdom several days ago.

 Chapter 1154 I Will Welcome Them With Open Arms

    Chapter 1154 I Will Wee Them With Open Arms


    News of the uing counter-attack spread within the central and eastern regions of Elysium like wildfire.


    Hereswith also made her appearance in the Fynn Kingdom and Xeno Empire, convincing Alexander, Maximilian, and Emperor Victor to let Iris, Cai, Aina, and Colette migrate to Espoir Frieden, where she could protect them.


    Although they were reluctant, they still agreed to send Lux''s lovers to the High-Elven Kingdom, which currently boasted the strongest defense team in the world of Elysium.


    This move also relieved them of any worries because they would be able to fight to their fullest even in the case where their Kingdoms would be attacked by the Abyssal Army. Alexander and Maximilian knew that they needed to stay in order to protect their people and prevent mass panic from happening.


    Maximilian also sent his family members, including his granddaughter, Rose, and his wife, Quiana, to the Ancient Elven Kingdom.


    Vera and Alicia went with them to serve as Iris'' Guardians as well as to be a means to directlymunicate with Alexander, using the special artifacts that they carried.


    King Victor decided to have his entire family evacuate to Espoir Frieden as well. As an Emperor, he had a duty to his people, so he couldn''t leave.


    He would also raise an army that would join The Alliance, which would soon march toward the Western Regions of Elysium, where Nyathotep was busy conquering the Kingdoms and Empires that were unlucky enough to be targeted by his Abyssal Army. While all this was happening, Eiko was also gearing up to fight against Nyathotep.


    The Baby Slime instinctively knew that the Outer God woulde to find her because she wielded one of the Pirs of Eternity that he and Daniel had been searching for in Elysium.


    The Ford Federation was located in the Southwest Regions of Elysium, which was closest to the Abyssal Army that Nyathotepmanded.


    In fact, several of these forces had attacked the Ford Federation in the past, but since Eiko was guarding her territory, none of them were able to conquer it.


    Currently, Eiko was standing on top of a table, which was located on an elevated tform on Poseidon''s deck. Fei Fei was right beside her, looking at the map of the sea around the Ford Federation as well as the map of the Torstein Ind Nation. She was using her newly evolved skill, Treasure Hunter [Epic], to look for Demigod Cores in the surrounding territories, which they could use to create powerful monsters through Eiko''s Monster Generation [Epic] Skill.


    Currently, the Giant Bone cauldron had countless bony hands extended into the sea, digging up one of these Demigod Cores that Fei Fei had detected.


    Eiko didn''t n to use the Demigod Core right away because she nned to get as many as possible before she started to create her new Undead Subordinate.


    Poseidon had three Demigod Beast Cores inside its body, and it was already very powerful. The two Baby Slimes wanted to create a creature that had four or more Demigod Cores in its body, making them a force to be reckoned with.


    "Wae!" Fei Fei pointed at a location in the map of the Torstein Kingdom, informing Eiko of their next destination.


    Eiko nced at the ce where her best friend was pointing at and nodded her head in understanding.


    At that exact moment, the bony hands that were extended into the sea slowly rose to the surface, holding a four-meter-tall Demigod Core that was darker than ck.


    The bony hands then carefully ced the Demigod Core inside the Giant Cauldron before giving Eiko a thumbs up.


    "Avery!" Eiko called out.


    "Yes, Princess," Avery bowed and ordered the Skeleton Swashbucklers to man their positions. Poseidon then soared toward the sky to head to their next location. Just like its Mistress, Poseidon was also raring to fight against Nyathotep and its army.


    Last time, it was unable to deal the Outer God a devastating blow due to the chaotic battlefield in the Kingdom of Agartha.


    This time, it nned to obliterate the Abyssal Army''s rear, allowing it and the Alliance to trap their enemies in a pincer attack.


    It would notmit the same mistake that it did in the past, allowing the Outer God to have its way.


    Avery, on the other hand, was very curious to see what kind of monstrosity Eiko was about to make.


    He would be lying if he said that he wasn''t feeling excited and fearful at the same time. After all, there was a possibility that the creature that she summoned would be too powerful for her to control.


    Avery had brought this up to Eiko, but the Baby Slime told him that it was going to be okay. Since she had already spoken, the only things that he could do were to support her and ensure her safety to the best of his ability.


    ����������������


    Meanwhile, in Nyathotep''s Army��


    "Hahaha! So, they finally made their move," Nyathotepughed in disdain. "This will make things more fun."


    Its spies had already informed it of the move made by the powerful factions of Elysium. For Nyathotep, this was the kind of thrill that it was looking for.


    Truth be told, it was starting to get bored of the futile resistance of the Kingdoms and Empires that it had recently conquered. It was looking for more thrills and challenges.


    "I''m sure that the holders of the Pirs of Eternity will also be present for this battle." Nyathotep chuckled. "This is simply hitting two birds with one stone. I can''t wait to see the looks on their faces once they realize that they have all fallen into my trap."


    The Outer God already identified two of the holders of the Pirs of Eternity.


    They were none other than Eiko, as well as the Founder of the Divine Army of Light.


    "The Anchor and the Scales," Nyathotep muttered. "That girl who had stopped me in Agartha also carried one of them. Unfortunately, she has died. Since the Pir of Eternity in her possession is a soul-bound item, it will follow her soul to the Abyss.


    "Daniel will probably sense it sooner orter. I''ll leave him to deal with that girl. This only leaves one more Pir, whose whereabouts are unknown."


    The Golden Lion, the Golden Anchor, the Golden Scales, as well as the item in Aurora''s possession. These four Divine Artifacts are powerful in their own right. However, together, they could allow someone to wield the power of a God.


    Not only that, they could also use the power of the Pirs of Eternity to ascend into Godhood.


    Something that Daniel had failed to do in the past due to the intervention of the Goddess of Sis.


    Nyathotep wasn''t too worried about thest Pir since it was bound to appear sooner orter.


    He had a way to send the Pirs that he obtained directly to Daniel''s hands, allowing the former Hero to be stronger.


    If Daniel became strong enough, he would have the power to reopen the connection between the Abyss, Elysium, and Sis, allowing his n toe to fruition.


    ''For that to happen, I need to get the Pirs first,'' Nyathotep mused. ''Fortunately, I didn''t have to look for them this time around. Two of them wille to me, and I will wee them with open arms.''


    Another chuckle escaped the Outer God''s diabolical lips as he patiently waited for his enemies toe knocking on its doorstep.


    The two clones that remained by his side started to bury themselves deep underground and head to the locations where Nyathotep ordered them to go.


    An all-out war was about to unfold, and yet, both sides thought that they had the upper hand.


    As to who among them would prevail, they would only know on the day that their armies met on the battlefield.


    c71241599ffa2342522e9fa0e93245a9d8ec4ad4e8c3c5baf0c66a8666374fd07fd1676a24506ef1681212a20bd19a3fdd0ac49b7b9c72a1a7709c08a2f88baf21f9172072bc8bada2ee0d8919b7df4dfc39ed0b54be723acbbd4ad6bd90690f

 Chapter 1155 Red-Headed Half-Elves Sure Are Troublesome

    Chapter 1155 Red-Headed Half-Elves Sure Are Troublesome


    Antero had warned Lux through telepathy about Daniel''s subordinates, who were waiting on the other side, so he prepared himself for a battle the moment they appeared on the Fourteenth Floor. As soon as they passed through the portal, Lux and his subordinatesshed out and annihted the observers before they could send a message to Daniel.


    Even the Demigod who was assigned to monitor the situation hadn''t managed to do anything before James'' Silver Spear pierced it through the head, ending its life in a heartbeat.


    ckfire then devoured the Abyssal Creature''s body, leaving no traces behind.


    As for the corpses of the other monsters in the surroundings, the Liches in Asmodeus'' group reanimated them all and added them to their Undead Army.


    "I didn''t know you were strong, Gramps," Lux said as he looked at James, who was casually smoking a pipe and blowing circles of white smoke in the air. "You killed that Abyssal Lord without it realizing how it died."


    "That was just a lucky strike," James replied. "His face scared me, so I threw my spear in reflex."


    Lux stared at the Old Man before nodding his head in understanding. He knew that James wasn''t obligated to help him, but thetter still did. So, he decided to no longer pry about his amazing spear throw.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea to head to the next portal directly," James said as he gazed in the distance. It was as if he could see for miles on end, informing the Half-Elf about what he was seeing.


    "Then shall we take a detour?" Lux inquired.


    "Yes," James answered. "Although it will take longer, it''s still the safer option."


    The Half-Elf nodded because he agreed with the old man''s statement. He wasn''t prepared to meet Daniel at this point in time.


    If the two of them were to see each other soon, there was only one ending, and that was Lux''s death.


    Since that was the case, taking the slower yet safer option was the optimal choice.


    Sleipnir ran Northwest, following the edges of the Abyssal ne, where no Monster was in sight.


    This process took them nearly five hours, but no one noticed them when they entered the Fifteenth Floor.


    Fortunately, there was no weing party on the other side, so they did the same thing and sessfully infiltrated the Sixteenth Floor.


    They weren''t so lucky when they arrived on the Seventeenth Floor because a fight broke out. Lux changed his appearance, making himself look like an Incubus in order to prevent anyone from recognizing him.


    James, on the other hand, didn''t bother to change his appearance, but he still wore a white wizard hat, making him look like Goondalf the White. They fought when they had to and hid when they had to.


    Whenever they were forced to fight, they made sure to eliminate everyone, not leaving any witnesses behind.


    Following this method, they arrived at the 30th Layer of the Abyss before deciding to rest.


    Sleipnir had been running non-stop, and James thought that it would be best to let it recover its strength for the time being.


    He fed it hay and gave it water, while Lux dug a cave in a nearby mountain, which would serve as their resting ce.


    There were no days and nights in the Abyss. The world was constantly bathed in crimson light, with a bloody full moon illuminating the heavens.


    The star-studded sky was beautiful to behold, and yet, the Half-Elf wasn''t in the mood to enjoy its view. There was only one thing on his mind, and that was to find Aurora and bring her Soul back to Elysium, where he could revive her.


    Perhaps, knowing what he was thinking, James decided to strike up a conversation, temporarily pulling him away from his worries.


    "I already mentioned that Eriol and Max asked me to help you," James said. "Usually, those two are very secretive, so I was surprised when they approached me. Are you perhaps one of their followers? Did youe from Altair? Vega? Solterra, or Pangea? Or are you perhaps someone who came from Earth?"


    "You know Earth?" Lux asked back with curiosity.


    "I see." James smiled before puffing on his pipe. "So you''re an Earthling. I should have known. As to the answer to your question, I do know Earth. A month ago, I brought my granddaughters there, and we went to a Theme Park called Enchanted Kingdom. "My granddaughters are very cute and beautiful, you know? I worry about the future. I might identally kill the person who ends up asking for their hands in marriage."


    Lux could tell that although James seemed to be joking, he was half serious with his statement. For an Old Man who could casually kill a Demigod with a single spear throw, he almost felt pity for whoever was foolish enough to ask for his granddaughters'' hands in marriage.


    After giving it some thought, Lux decided to ask James a question.


    "Is there a way for me to go to Earth from Elysium or Sis?" Lux inquired.


    James chuckled. "Why? Do you perhaps have a girlfriend that you left in that world?"


    "Something like that."


    "�� Red-headed Half-Elves sure are troublesome."


    The old man sighed before looking at the stars in the sky.


    "There is always a possibility," James said. "Perhaps at the end of your journey, you will be able to find a way to visit Earth. I can also take you there for the right price. But let''s not talk about that now. I''m sure that you don''t want to go to Earth pronto, especially since there is a World Ending Cmity that''s threatening your world, right?"


    Lux nodded. "Right. I have no intention of returning to Earth right now. I''ll wait until I gather the Pirs of Eternity first and save Sis."


    "You do that," James smiled before puffing on his pipe. "I''ll give you a free ride to Earth if you live through this cmity. After all, I can''t bring you there once you''re dead."


    "How about as an Undead?" Lux inquired. "Hahaha. Well, I suppose that''s possible. But trust me��your wives wouldn''t want you to be Undead. Someone with unlimited stamina is a scary thing to face in bed, if you know what I mean."


    Lux scratched his head because he understood what James was talking about.


    Although he was a Necromancer, he had no intention of bing an Undead. He was certain that his lovers would be very sad if that were to happen.

 Chapter 1156 Sometimes, People Need A Little Sugar In Their Life

    Chapter 1156 Sometimes, People Need A Little Sugar In Their Life


    Somewhere in the Abyssal nes��


    Daniel frowned after failing to contact the subordinates that he had assigned to the 14th Layer of the Abyss.


    If not for the fact that he was currently doing something important, he would have gone there to personally check what happened.


    "Marchosias,e," Daniel ordered.


    A two-meter-tall ck Wolf with the wings of a Griffin and the tail of a snake appeared in front of Daniel.


    "Take your Legion with you, and go to the Fourteenth Layer," Danielmanded. "Regroup with the people I have assigned to watch over the portal. If you don''t see them anywhere, send someone to report back to me as soon as possible. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Yes, My Lord," Marchosias replied. "I will go as youmand."


    The Demigod then left the Sacrificial Altar and rallied his troops that were under hismand.


    As much as he hated Daniel for forcefully subjugating him, he didn''t have a choice but to follow his orders.


    Such was the fate of the defeated. Either they obeyed, or they would be killed without mercy.


    Marchosias chose to be Daniel''s subordinate so that he could keep his life, just like all the other Abyssal Lords whom the Pseudo-God had subjugated.


    After his subordinate left, Daniel closed his eyes and meditated. He had vaguely sensed a fluctuation simr to the power of the Pirs of Eternity within the Abyss.


    Because of this, he decided to focus his attention on this matter, giving him no time to spare to deal with the disturbance that happened in the 14th Layer.


    ''There it is again,'' Daniel mused as he felt the faint fluctuation of power for the third time. ''It''s so faint that I''m unable to pinpoint its location before the signal disappears.''


    The signal woulde and go every few days, leaving Daniel frustrated.


    However, every time he felt the fluctuation, he was able to narrow down where it wasing from.


    ''Fortunately, it is not located within the first Fifty Layers of the Abyss,'' Daniel thought. ''It would have been troublesome if it had appeared on the Thirteenth Layer up to the First Floor. The way to those ces is blocked, and I''m unable to pass through them at this time.''


    After thinking about these things, he once again sank deep inside his consciousness.


    He tuned his senses to their limits and waited for the next time he would sense the fluctuation of power that was simr to the Pirs of Eternity.


    ����������������


    Eriol and Max both had anxious looks on their faces as they looked into the scrying mirror that allowed them to see what was happening in the Abyss.


    They were aware that Daniel had already sensed the Divine Artifact within Aurora''s soul.


    Both of them knew that it was only a matter of time before the tyrant seeded in pinpointing her location and making a move to go get her.


    The two Gods had already used up all of their strength in asking for James'' help to open the portal that led to Elysium.


    Despite being Gods, the only thing they could do was watch and wait as the race to find Aurora started.


    "Why are the two of you looking so gloomy?" a little girl wearing little red riding hood attire asked as she walked up to them.


    On her head was the Dim Sum God, Dim Dim, and floating beside her was none other than the little Angel of Love, Cupid.


    "The three of you are back here again," Max frowned. "We have no time to y with the three of you. Lily, take your little band of troublemakers and scram."


    "Hehehe," the little Loli Goddess, Lily, giggled. "Don''t be like that, Max. Of course, we are here because we know that you and Eriol are currently powerless to stop us. Isn''t that right, Dim Dim, Cupid?"


    "Dim Dim!" the Dim Sum God replied.


    "Hmph! Now that the two of you are powerless to stop us, we can do whatever we want," Cupid said in an arrogant tone. "Last time, you chased us away, but now, we are going to have some fun."


    Eriol red at the little angel, making Cupid''s body stiffen.


    He then hid behind Lily and red back at the God of Games, whose Divinity was at an all-time low.


    "Now, now. Don''t fight," Lily tried to y mediator. "Do you and Eriol want a Lollipop? Sometimes, people need a little sugar in their life so that they can think properly. Even Gods are not an exception to this rule. Or do you perhaps want some Dim Sum to eat? We can give you that too, right, Dim Dim?"


    "Dim Dim!" the Dim Sum God on top of Lily''s head nodded.


    Max clicked his tongue, but there was indeed nothing he could do in this situation. Just like Eriol, his Divinity was at an all-time low, and it would take him weeks, perhaps even months, to recover even a sliver of his strength.


    Because of this, he reluctantly epted the Lollipop that was given to him by Lily and ced it inside his mouth.


    The sweetness cleared his thoughts a bit and even allowed him to recover a little bit of his Divinity, making him feel a little better.


    Eriol also ced the Lollipop inside his mouth, receiving the same benefits as Max.


    "Dim Dim!" The little Dim Sum God also gave Max and Eriol a tter of Dim Sum, which the two ate without saying anything.


    Simr to Lily''s Lollipop, both of them gained a little bit of strength back, making them feel better.


    Their faces had also regained a bit of their color and were now only slightly paler than normal.


    Seeing that the troublemakers were actually helping them recover, Max reluctantly thanked them, making Lily and Dim Dim smile from ear to ear.


    "Thank you, Lily, Dim Dim," Eriol said after he finished eating the Dim Sum that Dim Dim had given him. "Now that you''re feeling better, tell us what''s happening here?" Lily said as he pointed at the scrying mirror. "What is that Old Bandit James doing in the Abyss, and who is that red-headed Half-Elf beside him? Is he William''s cousin or something?"


    Eriol and Max shared a knowing nce at each other before looking at the three troublemakers in front of them.


    If they yed their cards right, they might be able to gain the assistance of the three little Gods, who had a lot of free time on their hands.

 Chapter 1157 Everyone Wants To Be The Hot Stuff

    Chapter 1157 Everyone Wants To Be The Hot Stuff


    40th Layer of the Abyss��


    "What do you think, Sleipnir?" James asked his horse with a serious expression on his face. "Do you want me to disguise you to look like a Nightmare Horse?"


    Sleipnir shook its head. It then neighed a few times as if telling James that it didn''t need such a disguise, and for the Old Man to worry more about himself.


    As an eight-legged horse, it didn''t stand out too much in the Abyss, since most of the Monsters there were unique.


    James, on the other hand, stood out like a sore thumb.


    The old man was wearing a white robe, and a white wizard hat. Also, he was human. It was simply too hard for James to pretend to be an Abyssal Monster with his get up.


    Lux, on the other hand, was ying it safe, and had transformed into an Incubus.


    This was a form that Queen Rhiannon had gifted him in the past, but he never bothered to use it. Now that he was nning to y it safe in the Abyss, he decided to finally use it, in case he and Daniel met, and there was a possibility that thetter wouldn''t recognize him.


    "You''re right," James nodded. "I truly don''t look like an Abyssal Creature."


    The Old Man coughed awkwardly before taking off the Wizard Hat from his head. He also removed his white robe, and changed it to something darker and duller.


    He then put on a demonic mask, covering half of his face, making him look more sinister. Toplete his disguise, he pulled up the hood of the robe he was wearing, covering his head and forehead. "Better?" James asked Sleipnir, who nodded its head in approval.


    The old man smiled and patted the neck of his horse before ncing at the Half-Elf behind him.


    "I think we''ve already had enough rest," James stated. "Let''s go cross to the Hundredth Layer as soon as possible."


    Lux nodded and mounted Sleipnir''s back, ready to continue their journey.


    Once its two passengers were properly seated, Sleipnir ran towards the Portal of the 40th Floor, so that they would arrive at the 41st Floor.


    But, just as the two were approaching the portal, something unexpected happened.


    A two-meter tall ck Wolf with the wings of a Griffin, and the tail of a snake, appeared in front of them.


    A few secondster, countless Abyssal Monsters poured out from the portal, blocking their path.


    "Hmm?'''' The ck Wolf nced at the two demons who were riding on the back of an eight-legged horse. "The two of you, which Abyssal Lord do you serve?" Marchosias asked. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We serve Lord Andras of the Twelfth Layer," Lux replied.


    This was the n that he had hatched after taking the form of an incubus.


    "Andras?" Marchosias frowned. "Isn''t he already dead? Also, as an Incubus, shouldn''t you be serving the Abyssal Lord of the 69th Layer of the Abyss, Jack Gorgon?"


    "Do you mean Jack_Gordon?" Lux asked.


    "No, I meant Jack Gorgon," Marchosias insisted. "Why aren''t you serving him?"


    Lux lowered his head. "It''s because I didn''t like him. Because of that, I left the 69th Layer and went down to the 12th Layer. Unfortunately, My Master died while fighting against that B*tch, Queen Rhiannon. I hid when they invaded the 12th Layer, and only left when things settled down.


    "Also, I heard some rumors that the ruler of the 69th Floor, Jack Gorgon, joined the Abyssal Invasion. However, the connection with the Abyss has been severed, so he is no longer able to return. "I n to go back home with the intention of starting over. I just hope that the bastard died in Elysium, so that I will never have to see his face again."


    The look of disgust appeared on the Incubus'' face, making the ck Wolf smirk.


    "It seems that you really hated that guy," Marchosiasmented.


    "I don''t hate him," Lux replied. "I despise him."


    "Hahaha! Spoken like a true Abyssal," Marchosias nodded his head in satisfaction. "By the way, you said that you came from the 12th Layer. How did you manage to pass through the 13th Layer?"


    "I took the opportunity to sneak out when everyone was preparing for war," Lux answered. "Fortunately, I had already arrived on the 15th Layer when the connection between the Layers was severed."


    "Then, have you seen anything suspicious as you''ve been traveling towards the deeper Layers?"


    "No. I''ve only seen some stragglers along the way, and some infighting in the cities due to the sudden power vacuum that has transpired since the big shots passed through the gates. It seems that everyone wants to be the ''Hot Stuff'' as ofte."


    The ck Wolf snorted because this was a fact. After the majority of the Abyssal Lords had entered the portal, those who were left behind thought that it was time to take over the position of their previous Masters.


    Infighting was verymon, and only those who directly served Daniel were exempt from doing something so foolish.


    By now, the Abyssal Legion of Marchosias had already passed through the portal, and was only waiting for their leader''s orders.


    "The two of you should settle down soon," Marchosias said as it moved to the side to allow Lux and hispanion to pass. "Things are getting rowdy here in the Abyss. It is not a good time to travel between the different Layers."


    "Thank you for your advice, Your Excellency," Lux bowed respectfully. "May fortune smile upon you."


    After Lux finished saying his parting words, James urged Sleipnir to walk towards the portal.


    Just as the horse was about to step inside it, the ck Wolf called out to them, making their bodies stiffen.


    "Oh, yeah, before I forget, there is something that I must tell you," Marchosias said with a mischievous smirk on its face.


    "Yes, Your Excellency?" Lux asked as his hand slowly moved, ready to summon Calypso and his Undead Army to fight at a moment''s notice.


    "The Abyssal Lord who now rules the 69th Floor is Jack Gorgon''s brother," Marchosias stated. "Although he is different from his brother, he is just as viscous as him."


    Lux bowed for a second time. "I''ll keep that in mind, Your Excellency."


    Sleipnir finally passed through the portal, disappearing from everyone''s sights.


    Marchoasias then ordered his Abyssal Legion to continue to march towards the 14th Layer of the Abyss.


    The mischievous smile was still stered on its face as it thought of the two people he met just now.


    ''Even if they tried to hide it, they are unable to fool my nose,'' Marchosias mused. ''It seems that they are the ones who eliminated the guards stationed at the entrance of the 14th Layer.''


    The ck Wolf continued to walk and lead his subordinates forward.


    Although he had discovered that the two were Humans, he didn''t make any attempt to report his discovery to Daniel.


    Marchosias hated his current Employer, and was only paying lip service to his order. Since the two might have the ability to give his Boss'' some trouble, Marchoasias was more than happy to look the other way and let them kill each other.


    That way, he would finally be free of his servitude, and be able to return to ruling his own Domain, without someone trying a leash on his neck and treating him like apdog, which Marchosias hated the most.

 Chapter 1158 Reaching The Hundredth Layer Of The Abyss

    Chapter 1158 Reaching The Hundredth Layer Of The Abyss


    "I think he let us go on purpose," James muttered as they traveled through the 41st Layer of the Abyss. "It seems that not all the Abyssal Lords are loyal to this Daniel fellow."


    Lux nodded his head in agreement. When the Half-Elf saw the mischievous smile on the ck Wolf''s face, he knew that Marchosias had already seen through their disguise.


    Because of that, he had prepared to summon his Undead Army and attack, not letting a single witness escape. However, Marchosias decided to let them go as if nothing had happened.


    "Do you think he will rat us outter?" Lux inquired.


    "The possibility exists," James replied. "But, I am more inclined to think that he will not do such a thing. It''s still a fifty-fifty chance though. What do you think, should we go back and eliminate him just in case?"


    Lux pondered for a bit before shaking his head. He liked to believe that not all the Abyssal Lords, as well as the Abyssal Creatures were the bloodthirsty kind. Although he had to admit that Queen Rhiannon and him didn''t have a good start, they were able to move on from that incident, and stand together as allies.


    He didn''t know if there were any Pacifists among the Abyssal Lords, but he sure hoped that he wouldn''t have to fight every Abyssal Creature that blocked his path to find his lover, Aurora.


    Traveling through the differentyers was easy. It was dealing with Daniel''s subordinates that was hard because they needed to kill them quickly, and ensure that they weren''t able to pass word to their Master about what was happening.


    Fortunately, they were able to do this without fail, allowing them to continue their journey.


    Several hourster, the two finally arrived at the 60th Floor, and decided to take a short rest before they continued their journey.


    The number of Abyssal Creatures that were wandering the Abyssal Layers were increasing the deeper they traveled into the Abyss.


    Lux knew that it was only a matter of time before they would have to force their way through the portal that would lead them to the One Hundredth Floor, where the Abyssal Nobles resided.


    They were the Demigods who decided to rule the Layer they were currently on together. This served as a deterrence, as well as a show of unity on the surface, preventing other Abyssal Lords from getting the wrong idea about them.


    Layer by painful Layer, Lux, James, and Sleipnir traveled without fail.


    After a few days, they finally arrived at the Hundredth Layer, and saw a magnificent city standing on the Abyssal ne. As much as they didn''t want to enter the city, they had no choice but to do so.


    Why?


    It was because the Portal was located in the very center of the city, and protected by Cmity-Ranked Demons, who were making sure that only those with clearance were able to pass through the portal that led to the 101st Layer of the Abyss.


    "If we brute force ourselves in, it will definitely cause amotion, alerting the Abyssal Nobles that rule the city," Lux said. "But, in order to gain a clearance, we must meet with one of them, which is just as dangerous. It seems that we need to have a n for how we should approach this."


    In truth, entering the portal wasn''t that difficult. However, Lux knew that the moment the Guards noticed that something was amiss, they would immediately notify their Masters, which would in turn, notify Daniel that amotion was happening in their Domain.


    If that happened, there was a very high possibility that Daniel would personallye and investigate the disturbance.


    This increased his chances of crossing paths with Lux, which was the worst case scenario that could happen.


    Just as the Half-Elf was desperately thinking of what to do, James hummed and took a nket out of his storage ring.


    "I have an idea," James stated. "Let''s use my Invisibility nket to get past those guards."


    "Invisibility nket?" Lux blinked once then twice as he looked at the nket in the old man''s hands.


    "Does that even work?"


    "Of course."


    As if to prove his point, James wrapped himself up with the nket, and before Lux could even blink, the old man had disappearedpletely.


    The Half-Elf extended his senses and tried to see if he could detect the old man''s presence.


    He did detect something, but it was very faint and negligible.


    Lux believed that unless someone knew where James was and used all of their senses to focus in that location, no one would be able to notice anything.


    A few secondster, James reappeared and looked at the Half-Elf with a smug expression on his face.


    "What do you think?" James asked. "I got this Invisibility nket from a Hag, who has many Warts. "Although she asked for a steep price, I decided to steal��err buy it from her without even asking for a discount."


    "How about Sleipnir?" Lux asked. "WIll you be able to cover him with a nket as well?"


    "You don''t have to worry about him," James replied. Sleipnir neighed and walked towards James. The horse'' body slowly shrank until he was only a foot-tall horse.


    James calmly picked Sleipnir up as if he was a cat, and nestled him in his arms.


    "Unfortunately, the nket might not be enough to cover us both," James stated. "Do you have a way to enter the portal undetected?"


    Lux nodded. "Come, Draven."


    His fateful Shadow Sovereign extended his shadow, allowing Lux to merge with it. The moment his master was safely inside his shadow, Draven merged with James'' shadow, making the old man smirk.


    "You have a lot of tricks under your sleeves, Lux," Jamesmented before covering his entire body with the nket. "Now, off we go." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Old Man slowly walked towards the gates of the city, hiding in in sight.


    Although there were Guards, who had a strong sense of smell, all of them thought that they were just imagining things when they caught the scent of an Old Scammer in their midsts.


    Although it took James an hour to reach their destination, he was able to sneak into the portal, leaving the Hundredth Floor behind.


    Now that they were only a few Layers away from the 111th Floor where the Nests of Abyssal Monsters were located, they hoped that the person they were looking for was there.


    If possible, they would like to avoid the need to go all the way to the 222nd Layer, where the second nest of Abyssal Creatures was located.

 Chapter 1159 Charging Through The Abyss [Part 1]

    Chapter 1159 Charging Through The Abyss [Part 1]


    "Did you find them?!"


    "I saw them running this way earlier!"


    "You, you, and your men go that way! The reste with me!"


    Several guards mobilized in order to hunt the two fugitives who had tried to enter the portal of the 106th Layer of the Abyss.


    Since Marchosias was ordered to check what happened to the Sentinels of the 14th Floor, he had no choice but to report their findings to Daniel.


    They didn''t see anyone at the camping site, and there seemed to be no evidence of a struggle. This was an irregrity in itself because the Sentinels weren''t allowed to go anywhere because their duty was to check if there would be any changes in the portal that would lead to the 13th Layer of the Abyss.


    The fact that none of the stationed guards could be seen proved that something, or someone, had erased them from existence.


    Although Marchosias had turned a blind eye on the two humans he had met along the way, he was still duty bound to report his finding, especially since there were many eyes watching him.


    After receiving the report, Daniel immediately sent a decree to all the Leaders of eachyer to increase the security of the portals that led to the other Layers of the Abyss.


    "Did you find them?" the Guard Captain asked.


    "No," another Guard replied. "They might have hidden somewhere else."


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Continue searching! If you can''t find them, Sir Axton will have our heads!"


    "Right away, Captain!"


    When all the guards disappeared in the alleyway, James finally made his move. He was still hiding under the Invisibility nket and carrying Sleipnir.


    However, one of the Cmity Ranked Monsters guarding the portal that led to the 107th Layer had thermal vision. Meaning, it could see the heat signatures of anyone within its line of sight.


    When it saw James trying to sneak in into the portal, it immediately attacked, forcing the Old Bandit to run away, and the entire Abyssal City went on high alert.


    Of course, James could have taken a gamble and crossed the portal right away, but this might have consequences that he wasn''t ready to take.


    Ever since Daniel tookmand of the Abyss, he had imposed strict guidelines when it came to the use of the Portals. Because of this, the other Monsters who could once freely travel to differentyers of the Abyss had no choice but to do it the hard way.


    They would assemble groups of Monsters and charge towards the Portal at the same time. Some of them might get captured, but a handful would be able to pass through the gateway that would lead them to the nextyer.


    Because of this, James was just treated as one of these annoying pests, who had tried to sneak himself through the portal.


    Offenders were usually imprisoned for a few days as a warning, and repeated offenders would be imprisoned for life.


    Of course, there were others who were given explicit permission to cross between the differentyers like Marchosias, who served as one of Daniel''sckeys.


    They were the only ones that could move between the Layers of the Abyss unchallenged, which was why many Abyssal Lords coveted bing one of Daniel''s direct subordinates.


    "What should we do?" James asked his shadow. "The security in front of the portals have now increased. I doubt we will be able to get past them using my Invisibility nket."


    Lux appeared beside James and frowned. They had managed to sneak past the security on the other Layers because no one could see invisible creatures.


    "It''s a bit risky, but I do have a n," Lux stated. "But, for this to happen, we need to get as close to the portal as possible."


    "That won''t be too much of a problem," James replied. "As long as I don''t appear in the line of sight of that One-Eyed Colossus, we will be fine."


    Lux nodded before calling out a name.


    "Avernus, it''s your time to shine."


    Red mes burst out beside Lux, and the Dracolich appeared in his Demi-human form.


    "Let me guess, you want me to serve as a distraction?" Avernus asked. "Yes," Lux replied. "Do not summon any of your Legion. I got that covered, just deal as much damage as you can in the city, and force everyone to look in your direction.


    "Sounds simple enough." Avernus nodded. "I''ll wait until the two of you appear near the portal. Just give me the signal when you want me to start."


    Lux and James nodded before the Half-Elf once again merged with the Old Man''s shadow. James then headed near the location of the portal as fast as he could, while making sure to keep track of the One-Eyed Colossus'' line of sight. The Old Bandit''s eyepatch could see through walls, so it was very easy for him to see where the monster was looking. After making sure that they were hidden properly, Lux gave the signal to Avernus to start his performance.


    As soon as Avernus received the order, he immediately transformed into his Dracolich Form and roared, making everyone in the city be aware of his presence.


    Lux then summoned several Tombstones that dropped in various locations near Avernus.


    A secondter, countless hordes of zombies emerged from the Tombstones and started to wreak havoc in their surroundings.


    The Half-Elf also decided to add Lazarus to the mix, and the Ancient me Skull unleashed a barrage of spells in every direction, causing sections of the city to start to burn.


    Avernus then unleashed a Dragon''s Breath, targeting the One-Eyed Colossus, and forced it to focus its attention on him.


    "Hey, you!" Avernus shouted. "Yes you, the one with the single eye on his head. You look like a D*ck!"


    The Colossus roared in anger and charged at Avernus with its weapon ready to strike. The other Demigods of the City had also noticed the disturbance, so all of them flew towards the Dracolich with the intention of ripping it apart.


    James, who was the opportunistic person that he was, didn''t hesitate to run towards the portal in order to go to the next Layer.


    Since Avernus and Lazarus were in the Abyss, it was very easy for Lux to summon them anytime.


    However, just as soon as they emerged on the other side of the Portal, which was the 107th Floor, they found themselves staring at two Demigods, who seemed to be waiting for their arrival.


    "Looks like we found ourselves the troublemakers," one Demigod, who looked like a Wyvern, said.


    "You''re right," the other Demigod, who looked like a Manticore,mented. "Do you think Lord Daniel will be happy if we hand these two fools to him?"


    "Definitely. We might be one of his Honored Guards." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Sounds good."


    The two Demigods then unleashed their aura with the intention of forcing James to the ground.


    However, just as soon as they decided to fight the old man who had appeared in their midst, James smirked and summoned his Silver Spear in his hand.


    "Looks like we need to bruteforce ourselves out of this one," James stated.


    "I agree," Lux replied as he emerged from James'' shadow. "Well then, let''s end this as quickly as possible."


    Without another word, the two charged towards the two Demigods, who didn''t know who they were dealing with.


    Before they could even react, a Silver Spear pierced the forehead of one of the Demigods, while the other one found himself staring at ALL-MITE, whose ming fist smashed through its face, and sent it flying for hundreds of meters in the air.

 Chapter 1160 Charging Through The Abyss [Part 2]

    Chapter 1160 Charging Through The Abyss [Part 2]


    ALL-MITE held the title as the strongest member of Lux''s Covenant.


    However, he was quickly overshadowed by the other strong Monsters who became Lux''s followers.


    King Leoric, as well as Avernus, were leagues above him, making his title as the Strongest Member of Lux''s Covenant seem like a joke.


    However, the moment Lux became a Saint, all of his summons and Named Creatures had explosive growth.


    ALL-MITE received the most benefits from his Rank Up.


    Simr to Avernus and Lux''s Deus Gigantia, ALL-MITE had now stepped into the Demigod Rank.


    But, he wasn''t an ordinary Demigod.


    He was a Peak Demigod, and the skill he now possessed could even make Avernus cough up blood just by looking at it.


    His Passive Skill, Above Ten Thousand, which made his stats always ten thousand higher than Lux''s was now upgraded to Above a Hundred Thousand.


    This meant that ALL-MITE''S stats would always be a hundred thousand greater than Lux,giving him a permanent bonus to his stats.


    His Core Skill, God Strength, had also been upgraded to Epic Rank, granting him a 5,000% increase in Physical Damage.


    But, the most amazing skill of all, was his trademark skill, Max Ultra [Epic].


    This skill was simply bonkers, allowing ALL MITE to increase all of his stats by an additional 5,000% for thirty minutes.


    But, that was not all, he gained another skill, and it was called, I Am Legend. When fighting opponents that were stronger than him, ALL-MITE would be invincible for one minute.


    This was true invincibility that couldn''t be negated, or dispelled!


    Even if Antero punched ALL-MITE with all of his strength, the Hero of Lux''s Covenant would just give the Golem of Destruction a thumbs up and say the words, "Nice Smash!", before returning Antero''s Smash, with a Smash of his own.


    When the Demigod that ALL-MITE punched was sent flying, he followed it up by jumping high up in the air, and grabbing the Demigod''s body firmly before performing a wrestling suplex, mming the Demigod to the ground.


    After that ALL-MITE raised his fist and roared.


    "UNITED NATION''S SMASH!"


    That single smash created a powerful shock wave that rippled for thousands of meters, creating a giant crater inside the Abyssal City.


    James, and Lux, were already speeding away from the center of the battlefield, leaving ALL-MITE to aggro all the Abyssal Lords inside the city.


    After smashing the Demigod to oblivion, ALL-MITE raised his hand, just in time to give ckfire a high five.


    The ck Coffin then greedily devoured the body of the Demigod that was about to take itsst breath.


    "Who are you?!" the Abyssal Lord who ruled the 107th Layer of the Abyss shouted in anger.


    "ALL-MITE," ALL-MITE replied.


    He had every intention of taking the me for everything that was happening in the Abyss.


    "Why are you doing this?" the Abyssal Lord asked. "Do you want to rebel against Lord Daniel?!"


    "Enough talk," ALL-MITE stated before pointing at the Abyssal Lord. "Let''s fight."


    "Bastard!" the Abyssal Lord growled, but he didn''t attack immediately.


    He was waiting for the two other Demigods who ruled the same region as him to arrive and teach the intruder a lesson he would never forget.


    "Since you don''t want toe to me, I''lle to you." ALL-MITE smirked. The Four-Armed Hero took a step forward and instantly disappeared from where he stood.


    A momentter, he reappeared in front of the Abyssal Lord and unleashed a Smash that the Abyssal Lord was able to block by crossing his arms over his chest.


    "You think you can beat me with just this?" the Abyssal Lord sneered.


    The smile on ALL-MITE''S face widened as he looked at the foolish Abyssal Lord who thought that he had blocked his punch.


    "Are you sure about that?"


    Before the Abyssal Lord could say anything in retort, he found his vision suddenly turning dark before his body copsed on the ground.


    All of Lux''s subordinates had also acquired the skill, Divine Abyssal Touch.


    Their attacks not only ignored defense, but it also directly attacked the soul.


    Blocking it physically was a mistake. One must also raise their Magical and Spiritual power to the limits in order to effectively block this kind of blow, especiallying from a Peak Demigod like ALL-MITE.


    ALL-MIGHT then stomped on the Abyssal Lord''s chest, sealing the deal.


    As usual, the ever diligent ck Coffin, came in to sweep the Demigod into its body.


    Seeing that the Abyssal Lord had been defeated, all of his subordinates fled in different directions.


    The two Demigods who were also about to arrive at the scene, stop mid-way after sensing that one of theirrades had been killed. Although there were two of them, the feeling of oppression that they were sensing inside the city was intimidating them.


    Because of this, they hesitated whether to engage the invader or not.


    ALL-MITE gazed in their direction before giving the two Demigods a smirk.


    Just as he was about to deal with them, he heard Lux''s voice inside his head, asking him to ignore the two other Demigods, ande with them to the next floor.


    Since it had alreadye to this, he nned to summon Avernus to fight alongside ALL-MITE, and brute force their way towards the next Layer. They had already created a ruckus, and there was no other way but to charge through the Abyss, in order to reach the 111th Floor as soon as possible.


    ������������������


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Abyss��


    Daniel''s eyes slowly opened as he finally discovered the location where the fluctuations of the power that resembled the Pirs of Eternity wasing from.


    It was also at this moment when the reports of the disturbances that were happening on the lower Layers reached his ears.


    However, the Pseudo-God ignored these reports, at least for the time being.


    He was more interested in going to the Layer where the fluctuations wereing from to confirm his suspicions. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If he was right, then he would definitely hit the jackpot.


    He never expected that one of the Pirs of Eternity would appear in the Abyss, and he had every intention to make it his own.

 Chapter 1161 Listen Here, You Little Slut

    Chapter 1161 Listen Here, You Little Slut


    On the 111th Layer of the Abyss��


    The Abyssal Lords waiting patiently for the golden cocoon to hatch all stirred when they noticed the fluctuation of power that was emanating from it.


    All of them became excited because this was a sign that the high-ranking Abyssal Creature would soon emerge from it and appear before them.


    Everyone wanted to make this powerful Abyssal Creature their subordinate, but because of the established rule, they had no choice but to wait and see what kind of Creature it was.


    Several minutes passed, and finally, the cocoon slowly opened up like a blooming flower, revealing a naked beauty with long pink hair and two small horns on her forehead.


    She had a tail, and on its end was a spade-like tip, allowing the Abyssal Lords to instantly know what kind of Creature she was. The majority of them sighed before shifting their gaze to the Incubus Demigod, whose devilish smile was filled with satisfaction as a faint tinge of lust momentarily appeared in his eyes before vanishing within their beautiful golden depths.


    "Congrattions, Narcissus,'''' one of the Demigods said. "Not only did you get a powerful subordinate, but she is also a beauty. I''m sure that you''re going to have fun training her to be your favorite pet."


    "Thank you," Narcissus replied. "I was just lucky that the one born from the cocoon was a Transcendent Subus. I hope that everyone will abide by the pledge we have all agreed upon and not snatch this beautifuldy away from me."


    The other Demigods grunted their displeasure, but since it was a rule that everyone had acknowledged, none of them made a move. They merely watched as the handsome Incubus went to im his prize.


    Narcissus'' lustful gaze wandered over the beautiful Subus'' body, and the smile on his face grew wider as he approached her. ''What a lucky day,'' Narcissus thought. ''A Cmity-Ranked Transcendent Being hatching from a cocoon is a very rare urrence. Not only is she very powerful, but she is also a chaste maiden. I''ll happily absorb her Yin Essence, making myself much stronger than before.''


    Narcissus thennded a meter away from the Subus, whose eyes slowly opened, looking in front of her in a daze.


    "Such a delectable little thing you are," Narcissus said as he ced his finger under the Subus'' chin, raising it until her eyes met his own. "The name is Narcissus, and from now on, I will be your Lord and Master."


    Just as he was about to lower his head to give her a kiss on the lips, marking her as his own, the youngdy raised her hand and slowly pushed his face away from her.


    "You''re not him��" the Subus said softly. "You''re not the one I am waiting for."


    Narcissus, who wasn''t able to im the maiden''s kiss, arched an eyebrow as he looked at the beautifuldy in front of him, whose golden eyes glowed faintly with power.


    "Oh? Are your memories of your past life still intact?" Narcissus asked in a yful tone. "Then tell me, what is the name of this person you are looking for? Is he perhaps a man?"


    The beautiful Subus frowned before she shook her head.


    "I don''t know," the Subus replied. "All I know is that you''re not him."


    A sneer appeared on Narcissus'' face as he held Aurora''s chin with his thumb and index finger, forcing her to look at him.


    "Listen here, you little slut," Narcissus stated. "I do not care how many Men, Demons, or Devils you''ll mate with in the future. But remember this��the one who will be plucking your cherry today will be me, Narcissus. So, give me what I want before I get angry."


    The Incubus tried to kiss the Subus for the second time. The Subus tried to resist, but she was far weaker than the Abyssal Lord who had bedded nearly all the beautiful Demons and women that he came across in the Abyss, with the exception of Queen Rhiannon, who resided on the Thirteenth Layer.


    Just as he was about to seed in iming his prize, a hand grabbed hold of his head and yanked him away from the pink-haired Subus, who suddenly found herself in the arms of a red-headed Incubus. "I finally found you, Aurora," Lux said hoarsely, while still in his incubus disguise. "I''m d you''re safe."


    His clothes were bloody, and there were several bruises and shallow cuts on his handsome face.


    Even so, he looked at her affectionately and summoned a nket to wrap around her, preventing anyone from ogling the naked body of the woman he loved. "You��" the pink-haired Subus cupped Lux''s face. "It is you�� you''re the one I''m looking for."


    "Mmm." Lux nodded. "Let''s go, Aurora. I''m taking you back with me."


    However, at that exact moment, an enraged voice reverberated in the surroundings. "You''re not going anywhere!" Narcissus shouted. "If you don''t want to die, leave her. Otherwise, I won''t spare your pathetic life, Mongrel!"


    Lux ignored the Incubus, whose body was radiating with undisguised killing intent.


    The Abyssal Lords, who were watching this scene allughed and cheered, looking forward to an entertaining show.


    They were still feeling bitter that Narcissus was the one who managed to get the powerful and beautiful Subus as his subordinate.


    Because of this, they had no intention of helping him to kill the Incubus who had gotten in his way.


    They were even secretly hoping that the Incubus could kill Narcissus so that they would no longer need to abide by the agreement and be able to im the beautiful Subus as their own subordinate.


    "You may feel a little ufortable, but bear with me for a while, okay?" Lux told Aurora, who was looking at him with a faint smile on her face.


    "Un��" Aurora even closed her eyes and nestled her head against the Incubus Lux''s chest, listening to his heartbeat.


    Holding her firmly in both hands, Lux nced at the enraged Incubus, who was now charging at him with unrestrained blood lust. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At that moment, the neighing of a horse reached Lux''s ears, making him look up at the sky.


    Sleipnir dove toward the ground, and the Old Man extended his hand to grab Lux so that they could escape from the encirclement of the Abyssal Lords.


    "I said, you''re not going anywhere!" Narcissus roared in anger because the Incubus was still not paying attention to him.


    When he was only a few meters away from Lux, a four-armed creature rose up from the Incubus'' shadow and collided with the Abyssal Lord.


    ALL-MITE grabbed both of Narcissus'' fists with two of his hands, leaving the other two free to pummel the Abyssal Lord''s body with punches that made pping sounds each time they connected with his body.


    On the other hand, Lux grabbed hold of James'' hand, allowing himself to be swept away in a heartbeat.


    After seeing this scene, all the Abyssal Lords moved in unison to stop the intruders from escaping.


    They didn''t mind if Lux fought Narcissus to death, but they would not stand idle and allow him to escape from right under their nose.


    Lux knew what they were thinking, but he didn''t mind it one bit.


    They hade prepared for war, and because of this, he threw two st Bombs at the pursuing Abyssal Lords, which detonated mid-air, causing a nuclear-level st that blew away his enemies, seriously injuring those who were caught with the st.


    He didn''t have time to deal with them individually, for he knew with every fiber of his being that Daniel had already be aware of his presence.


    Since that was the case, his priority was to escape and return to the Thirteenth Layer of the Abyss, where the Primordial Golem of Destruction, Antero, was waiting for their return.

 Chapter 1162 A Path Of Mayhem And Destruction

    Chapter 1162 A Path Of Mayhem And Destruction


    "Are you sure they''d be going this way?" An Abyssal Lord on the 105th Layer of the Abyss asked herrade, who was standing at the portal in front of her with arms crossed over her chest.


    "Yes," the red-haired Demoness replied. "ording to those on the 109th Layer, the fugitives are trying to escape to the upper Layers. Just like us, they are mobilizing their forces to block their escape."


    At that exact moment, the portal in front of them glowed brighter, which was a sign that someone wasing from the other side.


    "Get ready," the Abyssal Lord shouted to her forces. "Prepare to fig��"


    Before she could evenplete her words, a Giant Skeleton King emerged from the portal and kicked her away.


    Countless Undead Monsters surged forth like a tide, attacking the Abyssal Legion that waited for them at the entrance.


    The ten-meter-tall Orion charged forward like a Juggernaut, sending everything in front of him flying. He was clearing a path so that the eight-legged horse behind him could run unhindered across the battlefield, charging straight toward the portal that would lead Lux and James to the 104th Floor.


    Due to themotion they had caused on the 111th Layer, all the Abyssal Lords on the upperyers had been alerted of the fugitives'' escape route. Avernus swooped down from the sky andughed like a madman. Countless Undead Dragons and Wyverns flew alongside him, unleashing their Dragon Breaths at the Abyssal Forces on the ground, destroying their formation and making them scream in pain, anger, and frustration.


    Right beside Lux, a ck Coffin was flying.


    Riding on top of it was none other than Leonidas, who had summoned countless shields to protect Sleipnir from the ranged attacks that were beingunched in his direction.


    Calypso hovered above the shields and unleashed countless golden beams of light, targeting the range attackers, who were attacking her Master.


    The battlefield was quite chaotic, but the Undead didn''t mind it one bit.


    """Corpse Explosion!"""


    Asmodeus and his clones raised their hands simultaneously as they rode on top of the Death Tyrant''s Head (Morpheus), casting one of the most destructive spells that killed everyone, regardless if they were friends or foes.


    Soon, a series of loud explosions detonated on the battlefield. All the corpses that had littered the ground detonated with a gigantic force, sending shrapnel of bone and flesh flying in every direction.


    "You bastard!" the red-haired Demoness charged towards Asmodeus with the intent to kill.


    However before she could evene close, a Draconic Tailshed out towards her and sent her flying in the opposite direction.


    "Hahaha!" Avernusughed happily. "Better luck next time, B*tch!" The Giant Skeleton King then swung its bone scepter, swatting away the countless Abyssal Creatures in its path, and created deep fissures in the ground, sending those who were in its path to fall to their doom. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After nearly half an hour of this madness, Lux finally saw the Portal that would lead them to the 104th Layer.


    With a mentalmand, he ordered Asmodeus to step aside as he threw the st bomb in his hand towards the portal.


    He already knew what was waiting for him on the other side, so he intended to send them a surprise gift that would blow them all to oblivion.


    Just as he expected, the moment he stepped into the 104th Layer, a giant smoking crater appeared in front of him.


    The Abyssal Legion that was waiting for his arrival was in disarray, with their Abyssal Lords suffering serious injuries.


    Lux was sure that these Abyssal Lords would be at the forefront of their army in order to raise the morale of their troops. Because of this, they were prone to Lux''s st Bombs, which were strong enough to wipe an entire city from the face of the world.


    Jamesughed after seeing Lux summon his Undead Legion to charge ahead of him.


    This reminded him of his Grandson, who once fought against the Elves using his Beast Army to decimate their forces.


    "I''m going ahead, Master," ALL-MITE said before running at full speed, making it look as if he was teleporting every hundred meters.


    Avernus, who was feelingpetitive, also flew ahead, and his majestic form, which was thirty meters long, served as the banner for Lux''s Undead Army to follow.


    The Half-Elf''s n was not to fight his opponents in a death match but simply charge ahead using whatever means necessary.


    As long as they were able to get to the Thirteenth Floor, their enemies would not be able to follow them, even if they tried. While all this mayhem and destruction was happening, something else was happening on the Thirteenth Floor, which was making even the Primordial Golem of Destruction, Antero, feel anxious.


    ��������������������������


    "Take a deep breath, Your Majesty!" a purple-haired Subus said as she dabbed the sweat on her Queen''s forehead. "It will be fine."


    Queen Rhiannon gritted her teeth as she felt the contractions happening inside of her body.


    The baby was about to be born, and the Subi who had experience in handling childbirth was inside her bedroom, helping her deliver the baby safely.


    "I can see the head!" one of the Subi said. "Just a little more push, Your Majesty. The baby is almost out!"


    Although she was already feeling weak due to trying to deliver the baby for almost eighteen hours, she held strong because she knew that it would soon be over.


    A momentter, the cry of a baby spread inside the room, making the Subus Queen sigh in relief.


    The Subi all cheered and congratted their Queen on a sessful delivery.


    "It''s a healthy baby girl, Your Majesty." The purple-haired Subus cleaned the baby before wrapping her into a clean nket. "She''s very beautiful."


    Queen Rhiannon looked at the child, whose body was as white as cream and skin as smooth as silk.


    She looked at her daughter lovingly as she held her close to her bosom.


    Little did the Subus Queen know that Dia''s father was currently bulldozing his way toward the Thirteenth Layer of the Abyss, with a Pseudo-God hot on his heels.

 Chapter 1163 Unexpected Help

    Chapter 1163 Unexpected Help


    "The Undead are truly fascinating," Jamesmented as he held Sleipnir''s reins in his hands. "They never get tired, so they are perfect for long battles."


    They had just passed the 50th Floor and were now on their way to the 49th Floor.


    Although the Undead didn''t feel any exhaustion, the same couldn''t be said for Lux, James, and Sleipnir.


    It had been a few days since their escape from the 111th Floor, and they hadn''t rested since then. It was a non-stop cycle of fighting, and running for their lives. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As James had kindly put it, there was no rest for the wicked.Lux could only smile bitterly at the old man''s attempt to liven up the atmosphere. But, he couldn''t really enjoy it as they were facing hordes of Abyssal Monsters attacking them from all directions. Tension was at an all-time high because they were doing their best to reach the 13th Layer of the Abyss before Daniel could catch up to them.


    Lux''s spy on the 69th Layer confirmed that Daniel had already passed through the portal and was now headed to the 68th Layer.


    It was a race against time, so although Sleipnir was already tired, it continued to run in order to deliver the Half-Elf and his lover to the 13th Layer, where they would be safe.


    Suddenly, the Doomknight Gangbanger whom Lux had left on the 68th Floor confirmed that Daniel had appeared on the floor.


    However, not even half a minuteter, Daniel had been spotted on the 67th Floor.


    Half a minute after that he was already on the 66th Layer, which made Lux''s face turn pale.


    He didn''t know how Daniel was doing it, but the speed at which he was advancing through the Abyss had suddenly gone by leaps and bounds.


    "No good. Daniel will catch up to us soon," Lux said with a grim expression on his face. "Can''t we go faster?"


    "We can," James replied. "But we don''t know what is waiting for us on the other side of the portals ahead of us. I''m sure that they are now aware of your strategy of throwing a st Bomb at the portal to clear the way."


    "It doesn''t matter," Lux stated. "We''ll just brute force our way like usual."


    Knowing that Lux was right, James apologized to Sleipnir before asking him to go at his full speed.


    The eight-legged horse obeyed, and its speed increased exponentially, even leaving shockwaves behind as it charged toward the Portal that led to the 49th Layer.


    When Lux, and James, appeared on the next Layer, they were prepared to duke it out with the Abyssal Legion waiting for them. However, the first thing that they saw was the giant Golem of Destruction, Antero, terrorizing the Abyssal Army that was waiting for their arrival.


    At the mere sight of Antero, the Abyssal Army all fled because fighting against him wasplete suicide.


    Seeing this, Lux couldn''t help but feel thankful that the Golem of Destruction actually moved to lend them a hand.


    Antero, who had just obliterated the Abyssal Monsters who refused to run away, nced in Lux''s direction.


    "Good," Antero stated after seeing Aurora in Lux''s embrace. "Hurry�� Daniel ising."


    Using all the strength it could muster, Sleipnir headed towards the portal at the speed of lightning.


    Since Antero had already cleared the way for them, nothing blocked their way, so their advance went smoothly.


    After Antero passed through the portal of the 49th Layer, it casually sealed the portal, preventing anyone from being able to travel through it.


    The Golem of Destruction didn''t have time to fully seal the portal, and the most his seal could do was prevent entries through it temporarily,sting only for a few minutes.


    However, those precious few minutes were enough to stop Daniel, who arrived three minutester on the 50th Layer.


    When he realized that his way was sealed, an angry roar escaped Daniel''s lips as he crazily attacked the portal in order to destroy Antero''s seal.


    However, the seal held,sting for a full minute before it was destroyed.


    Daniel did the same to the other Portals that he came across, but by the time that he passed through the 14th Layer of the Abyss, Lux, James, and Sleipnir had already stepped through the portal that led them to the 13th Layer.


    Antero, who wasst to enter the portal, hurriedly sealed it again.


    Since he had already made preparations in advance, the seal on the 14th Layer''s portal couldn''t be broken by normal means.


    But in order to make sure that nothing would get in the way, he used his entire body to block the portal leading to the 13th Layer.


    As the seal he had ced started to take effect, an angry roar escaped Daniel''s lips as he smashed his fist against the Portal that led to the 13th Layer, but it didn''t budge.


    No matter how fierce, and relentless his attacks were, nothing happened and the portal remained blocked.


    "Dammit!" Daniel cursed loudly.


    If Antero hadn''t left the Thirteenth Layer of the Abyss to help clear the Abyssal Legions that blocked the other portals, Daniel would have caught up with Lux.


    The oue of that potential sh was already set in stone because the Half-Elf was not the Pseudo-God''s match.


    Only when they managed to pass through to the Thirteenth Layer did Sleipnir stop running and broke into an exhausted walk.


    "You did well, Sleipnir," James lightly patted the horse''s neck. "Well then, since we''re already here, why don''t you two love birds go to the castle while I let my poor horse rest a while? Sounds good?"


    Lux nodded and thanked James for everything he had done for him.


    He also thanked Sleipnir, earning a soft neigh from the exhausted horse.


    After that, he carried Aurora and flew toward Queen Rhiannon''s Castle.


    After Queen Rhiannon''s child, Dia, was born, Antero decided to leave the 13th Layer and look for Lux.


    He knew that the Half-Elf was not a match against Daniel, so it decided to extend its help to the father of Queen Rhiannon''s newlyborn daughter.


    The Golem of Destruction only treated one person in the Abyss as family, and that was the Subus Queen.


    Now that she had given birth to a daughter, Antero felt like a Grandpa and decided to look for Dia''s father, who was trying to save Aurora.


    When Luxnded near the Castle, he immediately noticed that all the Subi seemed to be happy.


    Because of this, it took them a while to notice his arrival.


    "Lux! You came at the right time!" a purple-haired Subus said. "Our Queen has just given birth to a beautiful baby girl. You should see her! Dia is so adorable and cute!"


    "�� She had given birth?" Lux felt as if all the breath had been sucked out of his lungs after hearing the Subus'' words.


    "Yes!" the purple-haired Subus replied. "You should go and see her�� also, who is she? She looks very simr to our Queen."


    Lux did not bother to respond to the Subus''ment about Aurora and walked toward Queen Rhiannon''s room briskly.


    He was still carrying Aurora in a princess carry, and although he tried his best to remain calm, his heart was showing what he was truly feeling as it beat wildly inside his chest.

 Chapter 1164 That’s My Daughter

    Chapter 1164 That��s My Daughter


    Just as Lux was about to open the door of Queen Rhiannon''s bed chambers, he heard the crying of a child from the other side, which almost melted his heart.


    Aurora looked at him in confusion and wondered if he was going to enter the door or not. Perhaps feeling impatient, she reached out her hand and opened the door on her own before looking at the Half-Elf with a smile.


    "Thank you," Lux said as he entered the room. He didn''t know why, but he suddenly felt that his entire body had be as heavy as lead. Each step took him so much effort, making him wonder if the adrenaline rush he had felt during his mad escape from the lower Layers of the Abyss had faded, leaving him feeling weak and lethargic.


    "Who is it?" Queen Rhiannon, who had sensed the presence of someone entering the room, asked.


    She still hadn''t fully recovered from her longbor, and she was currently breastfeeding Dia because the child was hungry.


    At that moment, she heard a familiar voice, which put her heart at ease.


    "It''s me," Lux said as Aurora parted the bed curtain. "I''m back, Rhiannon."


    The Subus Queen looked at the Half-Elf''s exhausted face, making her feel a slight ache in her heart. However, when her eyesnded on the youngdy in his arms, she felt her heart skip a beat.


    "Aurora��" Queen Rhiannon muttered as she gazed at her first daughter, whom Lux had sessfully rescued a few days ago from the 111th Layer of the Abyss.


    Aurora didn''t react to Queen Rhianon calling out to her because her gaze was focused on the baby girl, who was currently breastfeeding in her arms.


    Aurora then shifted her gaze from the baby to Queen Rhiannon. "Can I hold her?" Aurora asked.


    Queen Rhiannon nodded. "Of course. But, let her finish feeding first. Don''t worry, it won''t take long."


    For the first time since she was born, something else stirred inside Aurora''s heart aside from the affection she felt toward the Half-Elf who saved her.


    She could sense Lux''s blood flowing inside the baby girl in Queen Rhiannon''s arms, so for her, the baby was a very precious thing that she wanted to hold.


    A few minutester, Dia finally finished feeding. The baby then found herself staring at a beautiful Subus, who looked very much like her mother.


    Aurora couldn''t help but smile as she looked at the baby, whose golden eyes matched hers.


    She then lowered her head to kiss Dia''s forehead, making Lux and Queen Rhiannon feel happy inside their hearts.


    After holding Dia for a few minutes, Aurora returned the baby to her mother before walking back to Lux, pressing her body against his.


    "I want a baby too," Aurora said. "Give me one."


    Queen Rhiannon had already noticed that Aurora had beenpletely reborn as a Subus and seemed to have forgotten about Lux, making her feel a bit sad.


    However, Lux didn''t share her opinion because something was telling him that Aurora still had her memories. He was certain that once certain conditions were met, her memories of him would return,pleting their reunion in the Abyss.


    "Lux, Aurora has been reborn as a Transcendent Subus," Queen Rhiannon stated. "Also, I no longer sense the Aura of misfortune in her body or soul."


    When the Half-Elf heard Queen Rhiannon''s words, he realized that he hadn''t had the time to check Aurora''s condition because they were busy escaping.


    But now that he could check it without worry about being hounded to death by Daniel, Lux noticed that Queen Rhiannon''s statement was true.


    Aurora no longer had the aura of Misfortune''s Beloved, which made him very happy.


    ''Had she still been cursed with Misfortune, our escape would have been a difficult one,'' Lux thought. ''Fortunately, she is no longer bound by the curse.''


    Lux was truly happy with this kind of development, but Aurora''s gaze and touch were igniting the dormant desire inside his body.


    "A Transcendent Subus needs to mate as soon as possible so that her mind and power can be stabilized," Queen Rhiannon said. "It will be best if you do it now, or else, she might attack you and force herself upon you. Feel free to use any of the guest rooms. You cane back once you''ve calmed her down."


    The Half-Elf nodded in understanding and left the room with Aurora. Queen Rhiannon, on the other hand, shook her head because their family tree was a bit messed up at the moment.


    Since it wasplicated, the Subus Queen decided that it would be best to ignore it for the time being since it was not that important.


    Suddenly, the castle shook, making the Queen arch an eyebrow.


    However, after realizing that the source of the shaking wasing from one of the guest rooms, a faint smile appeared on her face as she looked at the sleeping baby in her arms.


    "It seems that Aurora is taking the lead," Queen Rhiannon muttered. "That''s my daughter, alright."


    The Subus Queen didn''t tell Lux that if he were to make love with a Transcendent Subus who was still a maiden, her Yin Essence would flood his body, giving him incredible strength and power. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Truth be told, it was enough for the Half-Elf to break through to the Supreme Rank, especially since any kind of boost to his stats and power would be multiplied by three due to him being a Progenitor of the Heaven''s Necromancer Job ss.


    The castle shook for a second time, then a third.


    It shook a few more times, making even the Subi living in the castle wonder what the hell was happening.


    Fortunately, Queen Rhiannon informed them that their guests were just having a very passionate round of lovemaking, making the Subi blush.


    They didn''t mind being roughed up by someone as handsome as Lux, but they also knew that he was already their Queen''s property, so they could no longer touch him.


    Just as everyone was getting used to the shaking, something unexpected happened.


    A burst of power reverberated through the entirety of the castle, making the Subi think that they were under attack.


    However, their Queen calmed them down and simply told them that Lux was undergoing a breakthrough.


    In just a short span of time, the Half-Elf, who had just be a Saint not too long ago, had be a Supreme, granting him powers that even he was not prepared to have.

 Chapter 1165 I Didn’t Know If You Are Lucky Or Unlucky

    Chapter 1165 I Didn��t Know If You Are Lucky Or Unlucky


    Inside the room, the steady breaths of a sleeping young man echoed faintly.


    Although the room was dimly lit, Aurora could see her lover clearly as if it was day.


    She looked at him affectionately and gently brushed aside the hair that clung to his face. ''His hair had grown longer,'' Aurora thought as she lightly caressed the side of Lux''s face. The Half-Elf was in deep sleep, so he remained undisturbed by her loving touch.


    She felt a faint ache in her heart, knowing that her lover looked very tired not because of their lovemaking, but because of everything that had happened since he had been freed from the block of crystal.


    The news of his lovers losing their memories of him was a heavy blow that he was unable to easily recover from. Yet, just as things were getting a bit better, the Abyssal Lords attacked Agartha, forcing him to leave Iris and Cai behind in order to apany her in protecting her kingdom from those who wished to destroy it.


    Unfortunately, Nyathotep didn''t care whether he destroyed friend or foe alike. He simply wanted chaos and destruction, so he chose to sacrifice his subordinates in order to empower his suicide attack, which would have wiped Agartha from the face of the world.


    In order to prevent that from happening, Aurora made the ultimate sacrifice by activating the Pir of Eternity that rested inside her soul, protecting everyone from harm.


    After her death, Lux didn''t waste any time in order toe and find her.


    Even though the connection of the Abyss from Sis and Elysium had been severed, he still found a way toe and save her, arriving on time before the Incubus Lord, Narcissus, imed her as his woman.


    Right now, Aurora''s heart was overflowing with love and happiness for the man who had risked everything to find her again.


    The moment Lux took her innocence for the second time, Aurora recovered her memories as well as the memories of times long past.


    The power that had been lying dormant in her soul for hundreds of years had finally awakened, sharing her essence with the Half-Elf, whom she had chosen to be her partner for life.


    Even though Aurora didn''t remember Lux right after she hatched from her cocoon, her instincts were calling out to him, trying to find him.


    This was why when Narcissus tried to kiss her, she pushed him away.


    She didn''t want something that was important to her to be taken away by someone whom her heart didn''t choose.


    Her primal instincts knew that there was someone who loved her very much, and she would give only that person her everything the moment she met him again.


    "For hundreds of years, I''ve been born as the unluckiest girl in the world," Aurora muttered softly. "Now, I feel like I''m the luckiest."


    After saying those words, she nted a kiss on Lux''s forehead, marking him as her man.


    The reason why Lux managed to reach the Supreme Rank was not just because he absorbed Aurora''s Yin Essence, but because he had also absorbed a bit of her Divinity.


    "I didn''t think that I would fall in love with a mortal," Aurora said with a smile. "But it doesn''t feel so bad. If it''s you, I''m sure that this lifetime will be filled with happiness and love."


    Lux didn''t know that his lover was not only a Transcendent Subus, but also the former Goddess of Sis. The person who stopped Daniel from achieving Godhood. With her sacrifice, she saved the world, but in return, her soul was cursed, taking in all the misfortunes of the world.


    After countless cycles of birth and reincarnation, her suffering only stopped after her fateful meeting with Lux.


    Now, she was no longer alone.


    She had a lover, who would go to the Abyss and back only to find her. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She had a family in Agartha who loved her.


    She had sisters who shared her love with the Half-Elf currently sleeping by her side.


    Last, but not the least, she now had a little sister, born from the seed of the same man whom she had made love to just an hour ago.


    "So is Dia my sister or my stepdaughter?" Aurora said in a teasing tone as she lightly poked the sleeping Half-Elf''s nose. "To think that you were able to make the Subus Queen give birth to your child. I don''t know if you are lucky or unlucky."


    A giggle escaped her lips because she thought that Lux''s bad luck was all because of her. "Rest, my love," Aurora wrapped her arms around the sleeping Half-Elf before resting her head on his chest. "You deserve it."


    Indeed, Lux deserved his rest.


    The former Goddess of Sis knew that the moment her lover opened his eyes, he would need to fight once again in order to save Elysium, as well as the dying world of Sis.


    If possible, Aurora didn''t want him to carry this burden. But she understood that only he would be able to turn the tide of battle in their favor.


    "If you seed, and we live through this ordeal, I will give birth to lots of your babies." Aurora smiled. "I hope you''ll be ready for that, Lux."


    This was the first time in all of her lifetimes that she had considered giving birth to children.


    It was a very mysterious feeling. Aurora simply felt that if it was with him, then she would be able to handle that much.


    While the former Goddess hugged her lover to sleep, Antero finally stood up and walked toward the castle in the distance.


    Daniel had stopped attacking the portal from the other side, so there was no need to worry.


    The seal he had ced in the portal was nearly indestructible. As the first being born since the creation of Abyss, Antero had a lot of control over it.


    Sealing portals was not a big deal for him. If he wished for it, he could instantly travel from one Layer to another Layer, without needing to pass through any of the portals.


    The castle was silent as everyone rested for the night.


    Although day and night were not really a concept in the Abyss, there were still times of the day when everyone felt like resting.


    Antero had still not seen Dia because he had left right after she was born in order to find the little one''s father.


    Now that he had some free time, he would ask Little Rhiannon to show him her baby, which he now considered to be his granddaughter, whom he decided to call Little Dia.

 Chapter 1166 Believe In Me, And Believe In Him

    <h4>Chapter 1166 Believe In Me, And Believe In Him </h4>


    ?1166 Believe In Me, And Believe In Him


    Elysium��


    After the migration of Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce to thends of Espoir Frieden, Princess Valerie and Prince Aur no longer showed themselves to the public.


    Hereswith also announced that she had taken the two as her Disciples.


    As someone who was now beloved by everyone, Hereswith''s deration was received positively by the citizens of both Dragon Kingdoms.


    The preparations for the counterattack were well underway.


    Although the bulk of the Draconic Armies, as well as the members of the Alliance who decided to join them in battle, were going to leave, they couldn''t leave their peoplepletely unprotected.


    So, they left a quarter of their Kingdom''s forces to defend their people and maintain order.


    The Elves would also be sending a Delegation to help the Alliance fight against the Abyssal Lords, who had thoroughly conquered the Western Region of Elysium.


    There was also one powerful faction who had made a name for themselves during the Abyssal Invasion.


    It was none other than the one and only Mythical Guild in the world, Heaven''s Gate.


    Led by Great General Garret, the Floating Fortress, which was called Edea by the majority of the Alliance, would also join the war.


    Inspired by their ability to travel anywhere, King Azza and Keoza decided to bring along three uninhabited inds from their own Domain, which they would also use as flying fortresses to house their armies.


    Currently, everyone was busy building barracks and houses on these floating inds, which would serve as amodation for the soldiers.


    After hearing about the Alliance''s All-Out Counter Offensive, the Abyssal Lords on the North, South, and Central Regions of Elysium migrated West in order to join Nyathotep''s Abyssal Army.


    Days turned into weeks, and finally, after a month, all preparations had beenpleted.


    "I''ll be going now," the Dragon King, Azza, said to his wife, sons, and daughter, who were all looking at him with worried looks on their faces.


    Seeing their expressions, the Dragon King chuckled.


    "Why are you all looking at me like this?" King Azza arched an eyebrow. "I am the strongest being in Elysium. Do you think I will croak before that bastard Keoza does? Not happening."


    "Juste back to us safely, Azza," Queen Saphira said. "I will look after our children while you are away."


    "Mmm," King Azza nodded before kissing his wife''s right cheek.


    He then nced at his sons, as well as his daughter, Valerie, who was carrying Lux''s child.


    He was still very annoyed that the Half-Elf had managed to worm his way inside his daughter''s heart.


    Although she hadpletely forgotten about him, she was no longer ignorant of his name, thanks to Ari''s stories about how they met in the past.


    Keoza''s powers were preventing Valerie and Ali from having a rpse, which would make them forget about him again.


    "I''m off," King Azza said before turning around. "Wait for my triumphant return."


    Without another word, he opened his draconic wings and flew to one of the floating inds in the sky, which would be his gship during the war.


    Keoza was also bidding his farewell to his wife, Queen Evangeline, and daughter, Aurelia.


    "I will return, just like how I returned to be with the two of you again," Keoza said softly. "Evangeline, look after Aurelia and her unborn child."


    "I will," Queen Evangeline replied before kissing her husband''s lips. "I''ll be waiting, even if I have to wait forever."


    Keoza''s gaze softened as he hugged his wife close to him.


    A momentter, he also hugged his daughter, Aurelia, who was doing her best not to cry.


    "Believe in me, and believe in him," Keoza said as he lightly patted his daughter''s back. "Both of us will return to you."


    Aurelia nodded, holding back her tears.


    "May fortune be with you, Father," Aurelia replied. "Both you and Lux are strong. I believe that the two of you wille back safely."


    Keoza nodded. He then nced at Lady Augustina, who was standing a few meters away from them, and nodded.


    The two then flew toward one of the Crystal Inds in the sky, which they had chosen to be their gship for the war.


    On the floating ind of Edea, Garret and the members of Heaven''s Gate stood in front of their guild headquarters and looked in the distance.


    When Keoza arrived, he told them the true identity of their Guild Master, whom they had all forgotten.


    They were surprised, of course, but they recovered just as fast.


    All of them thought that the one who founded Heaven''s Gate was a mysterious figure who had left them to explore the world.


    However, he left his daughter, Eiko, behind, who took the helm of Heaven''s Gate for a period of time before she passed it to General Garret.


    Eiko had her own battles to fight, and she couldn''t always be at their Guild Headquarters to take charge of everything.


    Because of this, the Guild operations were left to the two individuals who usually handled everything whenever Lux was away.


    Garret, the one who handled matters that required the Guild to mobilize, and Emma, the one who handled logistics and half of the administrative duties of their Guild.


    "Is everyone ready?" Garret asked.


    "Yes," Emma replied.


    Garret nodded. "Good."


    The floating Inds of Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce all moved forward.


    There were also two other floating inds apanying them.


    One looked like an altar, while the other looked like a floating graveyard.


    The Divine Army of Light and Memento Mori were also joining the battle.


    For the first time in hundreds of years, the two warring factions would fight side by side on the battlefield which would decide the fate of their world once again.


    The Beastkins, the Agarthians, and the other members of the Alliance were riding on their own flying ships, flying at the rear of the floating inds, maintaining their battle formations.


    "Let''s go," Garret stated before raising his fist toward the sky. "For Heaven''s Gate!"


    All the guild members did the same and shouted in unison.


    """For Heaven''s Gate!"""

 Chapter 1167 You Deserve A Happy Ending [Part 1]

    <h4>Chapter 1167 You Deserve A Happy Ending [Part 1] </h4>


    ?1167 You Deserve A Happy Ending [Part 1]


    Lux slept for an entire week, not opening his eyes even when Aurora washed his body in the small private pool of their room.


    His physical, emotional, and mental states weren''t in their best condition after he returned to Elysium.


    It was only now that Lux could truly rest properly, so his bodypletely shut down to prevent the Half-Elf from waking up even once until he was fully recovered.


    When Lux opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a cute little baby looking at him.


    Her beautiful golden eyes stared at him with curiosity, and a faint smile could be seen on her face.


    Lux thought that he might be in a dream, so he reached out his finger to lightly poke the baby''s cheek.


    The smile on the baby''s face widened, and her eyes looked as if they were smiling too.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but feel his entire body turn warm with happiness, melting from the expression of the baby, whom he believed was his daughter, Dia.


    A momentter, the baby''s small hand reached out and grabbed Lux''s finger, holding onto it.


    The Half-Elf slowly lowered his finger, but Dia still held onto it.


    A few secondster, she yawned and closed her eyes to sleep while still holding onto the finger in her hand.


    Lux was only wearing a bathrobe without any underwear. It seems that Aurora thought that it wouldn''t be a big deal to simply dress him in a bathrobe while he was sleeping.


    Soon, the Half-Elf sensed the presence of two other people as they entered the room.


    They were none other than Queen Rhiannon and Aurora, who had left Dia to look after her Papa while he slept.


    "It seems that my sweetheart has be tired from watching over you, sleepyhead," Queen Rhiannon said in a teasing tone as sheid down beside her daughter, with her head resting on the palm of her hand.


    "Such an adorable scene," Aurora said softly as she, too,y beside Lux, while resting her chin on the back of her intertwined hands. "I''m sure my baby will just be as cute as Dia. Perhaps even cuter."


    "Impossible," Queen Rhiannon was quick to shoot down Aurora''s statement. "Nothing is cuter than my daughter."


    "But I''m also your daughter."


    "�� You know, you''re actually right."


    The two beautiful women then giggled at the same time, but they immediately stopped when they saw Dia''s face scrunched up in her sleep.


    As soon as they stopped making noise, Dia''s face once again eased up as she continued to sleep peacefully while holding onto her Papa''s finger.


    ''Let''s just talk through telepathy, so we don''t wake up Dia,'' Aurora said through telepathy. ''Lux, I have something to tell you. While you were sleeping, James said that he would be gone for a week or two because he needed to attend his granddaughter''s birthday party in his home world.''


    ''Lord Antero also asked me to pass a message to you,'' Queen Rhiannon stated. ''You should stay here for a week or two because he ns to give you something before you return to Elysium. He said that it is something that will help you when you fight against Nyathotepter on.''


    Lux frowned after hearing the news that his return to Elysium would have to be dyed.


    Although he still had some of the White Marbles that could instantly take him back to Elysium, he decided to not use them for now and wait until the Golem of Destruction had given him the thing that he could use to fight against the Outer God.


    Also, he didn''t know if the White Marble would still work since the connection between the Abyss and Elysium had been cut off.


    There was a possibility that he might be sent to some other ce in the Multiverse, and Lux didn''t want to take the chance.


    He would rather wait for James to return and y it safe than be stranded in an unknown ce for eternity.


    Now that he had be a Supreme, his Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, had stepped into the Demigod Rank.


    Even Eiko, who was in Elysium, received this boon, allowing her to step into the Demigod Rank as well.


    Lux felt restless because he didn''t know what was happening in Elysium.


    His Guild Chat wasn''t working, so he couldn''t contact Aina, Aurelia, and Ari to ask for any news on their side.


    Perhaps, feeling his restlessness, Aurora untied the knot on Lux''s bathrobe before taking it off his body.


    "A-Aurora, there is a baby here," Lux looked in disbelief at his lover, who had undressed him in a span of a few seconds. "Don''t do anything that might be a bad influence on her. She is still a baby."


    Aurora blinked innocently at Lux before raising her hand to use telekinesis to make the vial of aromatic oil on top of the table fly toward her hand.


    After catching the vial, Aurorathered her hand with a generous serving of aromatic oil before pressing it on the Half-


    Elf''s leg.


    She then started to massage his leg with expert movements, making Lux gasp due to how good it felt.


    Aurora slowly worked her way downward to Lux''s feet and lovingly kneaded his ankle, targeting the pressure points there.


    Once she was done, she also massaged his other leg. After that, her hands gradually moved higher and higher, teasing the sides of his lower abdomen, close enough to, but not touching, Little Lux, who had started to twitch in anticipation.


    The Half-Elf knew exactly what Aurora was doing, but he didn''t do anything to stop her and simply enjoyed the softness and strength of her hands, which were relieving him of the hidden aches in his body.


    A few minutester, Queen Rhiannon gently pried Lux''s index finger from Dia''s grip so that he could turn to his stomach, allowing Aurora to massage his back.


    Lux couldn''t help but sigh in relief as Aurora''s hands applied pressure to his back, giving him the most amazing massage of his life.

 Chapter 1168 You Deserve A Happy Ending [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1168 You Deserve A Happy Ending [Part 2]</h4>


    ?1168 You Deserve A Happy Ending [Part 2]


    After Aurora was done massaging Lux''s back, she flipped Lux over and straddled his waist.


    The Half-Elf''s eyes widened in shock. Aurora was touching Little Lux now and guiding him toward her entrance.


    "We can''t, Aurora," Lux said. "Dia is here."


    "Who''s here?" Aurora asked back with a mischievous smile on her beautiful face.


    Lux nced to his side, only to find that Queen Rhiannon and their daughter were already gone from the room.


    While Aurora was massaging Lux''s back, the Subus Queen quietly carried her baby out of the room to go and see her Grandpa Antero, who seemed to be working on something very important.


    Seeing that the baby was no longer inside the room, Lux shifted his attention back to Aurora, who slowly lowered her waist, taking him in inch by pleasurable inch.


    "Although not all massages end with a happy ending, you are deserving of one," Aurora said as she ced her hands on Lux''s chest, using it as support. "Don''t worry, Lux. A week will pass quickly in this ce. All you need to do is enjoy your stay. If we''re lucky, Dia might even get a new sister soon. So, do your best okay, D.A.R.L.I.N.G~"


    Aurora''s seductive words and body were more than enough for Lux to not resist the happy ending that she promised him.


    And just like she said, a week passed by before he was even aware of it.


    James returned to the 13th Layer of the Abyss using a road made up of light.


    When Lux asked what method he used to return to the Abyss so quickly, James only said that he connected the Bifrost Bridge to the 13th Layer, allowing him toe and go as he pleased.


    The Half-Elf had no idea what this Bifrost Bridge was, but he had to admit that it was a very impressive means to travel between worlds.


    "Here you go, Little Lux," Antero said as he handed the Half-Elf a ck token. "Use this to summon me once. You don''t need to pay a price for doing so."


    The Half-Elf gratefully epted the token and gave it a closer look.


    The ck token was smooth and cool to the touch. There was also a carved symbol that Lux didn''t know the meaning of.


    But since Antero had told him what it was for, he did not ask any more questions and carefully stored it inside his storage ring.


    "Come back and visit us again, okay?" Queen Rhiannon said as she held Dia''s hand and waved it side to side, making the baby say goodbye to Lux as well.


    "I''ll be back," Lux replied in a firm tone. "Just sit tight until then."


    The Subus Queen nodded before shifting her gaze to her daughter, Aurora.


    "You take care as well," Queen Rhiannon stated. "You already died once. I don''t want to hear about you dying a second time."


    Aurora wanted to say that she hadn''t only died once.


    After regaining the memories of her past lives and the time when she was still the Goddess of Sis, she managed to consolidate her powers and break through to the Demigod Rank.


    She did it so subtly that no one noticed, with the exception of Antero, that another Demigod was born on the 13th Layer of theAbyss.


    "Are both of you ready to go?" James asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied.


    Aurora, on the other hand, only nodded her head and sat behind Lux, holding onto him tightly.


    "Let''s go, Sleipnir," James said. "Time to go back to Elysium."


    The eight-legged horse neighed before running toward the portal that would lead them to the 12th Layer of the Abyss.


    Queen Rhiannon and Antero looked at their retreating figures, knowing that their return trip to Elysium would be a long journey.


    The Subus Queen hoped that the next time they met Lux, he would have already seeded in dealing with the Outer God, Nyathotep, who was nowmanding the Abyssal Legion in Elysium.


    "Can they win, Lord Antero?" Queen Rhiannon asked the moment she felt that Lux and her daughter had finally left the Thirteenth Layer.


    "The possibility�� exists," Antero replied.


    Although there was a bit of uncertainty in Antero''s tone, he believed that if there was one person who could stop Daniel from having his way, it would be the Half-Elf, who was on his way back to Elysium to deal with the Pseudo-God''sckey.


    Passing through the 12th up to the 2nd Layer was a breeze.


    Since no one dared to stop them, their journey was smooth and uneventful. However, when they reached the 1st Layer of the Abyss, Prima Donna appeared and blocked their path.


    "Leaving so soon?" Prima Donna inquired. "You still haven''t dealt with Daniel, have you?"


    "I will deal with him soon, but not now," Lux replied. "I still need to return to Elysium to deal with his sidekick, Nyathotep. Once his right hand is eliminated, Daniel will lose his strongest backer."


    Prima Donna nodded her head because she, too, agreed with the Half-Elf''s words. However, a sneer appeared on her face as she looked at the red-headed teenager, who was about to leave the Abyss.


    "While it is true that killing Nyathotep would be a blow to Daniel, it will still not affect the oue if you were to fight with him," Prima Donna stated. "Also, once he gains another piece of the five Pirs of Eternity, he might find a way to break some rules of the Abyss, allowing him to reach this ce.


    "When that happens, it will only be a matter of time before he finds the closest world to your world and uses that as a springboard to go to Elysium. When that happens, you''re as good as dead."


    Lux could only smile after hearing Prima Donna''s words. He was certain that what the Demigoddess wanted was for him to face Daniel and possibly injure him, causing a dy in the Pseudo-


    God''s ns.


    However, this wasn''t feasible.


    Battling against Daniel now was pure suicide, and the only thing that would help him in a fight against him was to gather the pieces of Eternity, giving him a chance to win.


    "Prima, My Dear, I''m sorry, but we didn''t return here to listen to your chatter," James stated. "Now, if you''ll excuse us, we still need to travel for a month to return to Elysium. Don''t dy us any further, or I''ll stab you."


    The corner of the Demigoddess''s lips twitched after hearing James'' threat.


    "Fine." Prima Donna hissed. "Go back and help that little Half-Elf save his world. But the only thing he can do is dy the inevitable."


    "It''s still better than going on a suicide mission just to appease a Demigod who fears for her life," Lux replied in a calm manner.


    "Brat, you sure have a way with words," Prima Donna sneered. "Why don''t you use that against Daniel? Maybe, just maybe, he will allow you and your people to live as his ves for eternity."


    Lux didn''t bother to reply to the Demigoddess because he knew that talking to her was useless.


    James shared the same line of thought, so he lightly tapped Sleipnir''s neck and urged his steed to leave the Abyss.


    Prima Donna watched them go with an annoyed expression on her face. Despite the 13th up to the 1st Layer being cut off from the rest of the Abyss, she still couldn''t help but notice a nagging feeling in the back of her mind.


    It was as if it was really only a matter of time before Daniel found a way to bypass Antero''s seal and fully im the Abyss as his own Domain.

 Chapter 1169 The First Clash [Part 1]

    Chapter 1169 The First sh [Part 1]


    A week passed before the Alliance arrived in the Western Regions of Elysium.


    The devastation that they had seen made even the most veteran Warriors turn pale.


    Countless Kingdoms and Empires had been razed to the ground. Their rich history, gone.


    Their dignities, trampled.


    Those who passed through these ces didn''t know what had happened to their people.


    There was not a single corpse that could be seenying on the ground.


    "Maybe they''ve been eaten," one of the Dragon Borns muttered.


    His statement wasn''t far-fetched because Abyssal Creatures were technically Monsters and Demons. They ate the flesh of other Demons, so eating the flesh of Humans, and the other races of Elysium was normal to them.


    "If they were eaten then good," a Beast Kinmented. "But, if they weren''t, I can''t even think about the fate that befell them."


    No one knew how to reply to the Beast Kin''sment. If the people of these Kingdoms and Empires were indeed eaten then they would no longer suffer. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Unfortunately for them, those that had been killed by the Abyssal Creatures would find their souls in the Abyss. Given time, all of them would be reborn as Abyssal Monsters.


    Monsters who might one day return to Elysium, not asrades, but as enemies.


    This realization made many people frown, but there was nothing they could do about it.


    As they traveled deeper into the Western Parts of Elysium, they noticed that the color of the ground had changed.


    Thend had been corrupted, making it look purple.


    Still, they didn''t see any signs of life for miles on end.


    Their scouts, who had been tasked to report if they found anything, were unable to find any trace of the Abyssal Army.


    Finally, after two weeks of scouring the Western Regions of Elysium, they finally found the base of their enemies.


    A massive stronghold that stretched out for miles and stood hundreds of meters tall made the faces of the Elysians turn grim.


    The Formation of the Floating Inds came to a halt, preparing to attack their enemies from a distance.


    During their journey, they had already discussed the strategy that they were going to use.


    None of them would engage the enemy right away, and simply unleash a barrage of spells, forcing their enemies to make a move.


    They believed that this was the safest and most effective strategy because it would prevent their people from needing to fight their enemies in closebat.


    "Battle Stations!" Great General Garret ordered, and the members of Heaven''s Gate all went to action.


    Countless cannons emerged from the floating ind, as the Dwarves and the Orcs worked together to create the Magical Cannons that they had seized long ago.


    Ten giant cannons, which they called Giga Cannons, served as the Flying Fortress'' strongest cannons.


    All of them could unleash a barrage that could hit a target from fifteen miles away, making it the longest long-distance weapon in the alliance.


    The other Magical Cannons that they currently had could only hit targets up to five miles, which would force them to move closer to their opponent in order tond a hit.


    But, just as the Alliance was preparing their air strike, countless fireballs descended from the sky, and fell on their formation like rain.


    "Hmph!" King Azza flew upwards and erected a barrier that covered the entirety of the inds that belonged to Karshvar Draconis.


    Keoza did the same, keeping the inds under hismand safe.


    The rest of the Alliance was quick to act, and positioned themselves under the floating inds of the two Dragon Kingdoms, using them as a shield to avoid getting hit.


    But, not all the flying ships were able to react quickly, so some of them caught ame, forcing them to abandon ship or make emergencyndings on the ground.


    The Floating Ind of Edea was a good distance away, so no rain of fireballsnded on it.


    "Fire!" Garretmanded.


    Soon, the Giga Cannons all roared to life, unleashing a barrage of death upon the Abyssal Fortress in the distance.


    The cannonballs they were using were Glee''s modified st Bombs.


    They weren''t as strong as nuclear-level st Bombs, but they were still half as powerful.


    The Alliance cheered after seeing their counterattacknd on the enemy''s fortress, destroying bits and pieces of it.


    "Annihte them all!" King Azza ordered. "Open fire!"


    The Dragon Borns and the Dragons all took flight and unleashed their Dragon Breaths at the same time.


    Meanwhile, the Alliance used their long range attacks tomence bombardement on their enemies, who were also counterattacking using long distance spells and ammunition of their own.


    Sounds of explosion reverberated in the surroundings, as both sides pummeled each other with the intention of wiping their enemies from the face of the world. This was how the battle started between the Abyssal Forces and the Alliance of Elysium.


    Nyathotep watched this battle from the throne room inside the Abyssal Fortress with an amused look on his face.


    Dozens of Abyssal Lords were in the throne room with him, and all of them were looking at their enemies with calm expressions on their faces.


    Nyatothep had already told them the strategy they were going to use, and they had to admit that it was a very devious strategy.


    They almost felt sorry for the Alliance because they had no idea how this battle between them was going to turn out.


    "Stick to the n," Nyathotepmanded. "Lure them, and make sure that none of you fools die. Make yourselves useful for once, okay?"


    Over a Dozen Abyssal Lords left the throne room to fulfill their part in this battle that would determine the fate of Elysium.


    Each of these Abyssal Lordsmanded over a hundred Cmity-Ranked Monsters each, making their forces very deadly.


    "The enemies are finally making their move," Keoza said, rying the changes of the battlefield to Great General Garret, who was at the very rear of the formation, providing supportive, and offensive fire. "They are on the right side of the fortress."


    The Great General didn''t waste any time and barked a series of orders to his people.


    "Main Cannons at three o''clock!" Great General Garretmanded.


    Immediately, the Giga Cannons moved to aim at the right side of the battlefield.


    When he received the signal from his people, Great General Garret gave out new orders to his men.


    "Load the nukes!" Great General Garret ordered. "Give them hell!"


    As soon as the cannons were loaded with their weapons of mass destruction, they once again unleashed a barrage at their enemies.

 Chapter 1170 The First Clash [Part 2]

    Chapter 1170 The First sh [Part 2]


    Daniel had exined to the Outer God in detail how Lux had fought his forces when he crossed over to the Abyss.


    He mentioned that the Half-Elf had used powerful bombs, whose strength rivaled the nuclear weapons from Earth.


    Since Daniel was also an Earthling, he knew these weapons very well. He then used Azathoth''s ability to detect these kinds of weapons, allowing him, and Nyathotep to know if they were being used in battle. Nyathotep, who was waiting for this sneered, and snapped his fingers. The entire fortress was then covered by a purple dome of light.


    The moment the nukes collided with the barrier, all of them bounced off and flew towards the alliance, making Keoza''s eyes widen in shock.


    The Crystal Dragon didn''t hesitate and transformed into his Dragon Form and unleashed a Dragon''s Breath, encasing the st Bombs in crystals, preventing them from exploding.


    Nyathotep chuckled after seeing this scene. Daniel had warned him about these powerful weapons, and had even given him the ability to sense if they were being used on the battlefield.


    The Outer God wasn''t disappointed that the nukes didn''t blow up in their enemies'' faces.


    He just found everything that was happening in the battle very amusing.


    The Abyssal Lords who had waited for the st Bombs to lose their effectiveness, charged out of the Fortress and hurled long-distance attacks at the alliance.


    The Supremes of the Alliance all moved at once to intercept their attacks, and engage their enemies before they could reach their formation.


    King Azza, Keoza, and Lady Augustina were among those that fought in the vanguard, while the Beast King and the other Supremes remained in their flying ships to prepare for any contingencies.


    The Giant Flying Altar, which served as the Divine Army''s Flying Fortress, broke rank and charged towards the enemy fortress.


    Countless Pseudo-Supremes jumped off from the Floating Ind and engaged the Cmity-Ranked Monsters that belonged to the Abyssal Lords.


    The Bone Fortress of Memento Mori also charged forward as countless Wraiths, Specters, and Undead Monsters descended upon the battlefield, eager to reap the lives of their enemies.


    A chaotic battle ensued, with friend and foe shing against the hordes of Abyssal Monsters that seemed to have all entered a berserk state.


    The fighting was fierce, and allies and foes alike died in battle.


    Those that died were immediately reanimated to fight again, which was the specialty of the Necromancers who belonged to Memento Mori.


    This was one of the reasons why the Elysians hated fighting against Necromancers. More deaths on the battlefield means more soldiers for them, so the first tactic used against Necromancer was to kill them directly before they could summon more Undead and increase their forces.


    However, Nyathotep wasn''t worried about this matter, and the Alliance quickly noticed this as well.


    The ones who noticed this first were none other than the Necromancers themselves. Just as they were about to Reanimate the dead, these dead creatures suddenly transformed into abominations with many eyes, and dozens of tentacles protruding from their body.


    They looked very eerie, and revolting, making those who see them shudder subconsciously.


    The Necromancers frowned after seeing these abominations, so they sent the majority of their forces to kill them.


    They nned to kill these creatures and reanimate them afterward. But, it didn''t take long before they realized that these monsters couldn''t be revived.


    The moment they died, they immediately shriveled and turned to ash, leaving nothing else behind.


    Even so, the Alliance didn''t falter and continued to attack their enemies.


    An hourter, King Azza ordered his men to sound the horn to retreat.


    From the beginning, they understood that this war couldn''t be won in a day. They were simply testing to see what their enemies were capable of doing.


    Keoza had warned everyone that Nyathotep was an Outer God. Although its Rank had degraded to the peak of the Demigod Rank, it was still an Outer God, making it more powerful than the rest of the Abyssal Lords under hismand.


    They had also been informed about its ability to make clones, and unleash a suicide attack��like it had tried to do in Agartha.


    Although they suffered casualties in the first round of battle, they were still satisfied with the results.


    While neither side managed to kill a Demigod or a Supreme during their initial sh, hundreds of Cmity Ranked Monsters and lower-Ranking Monsters died in their first faceoff.


    The Divine Army of Light had also lost a tenth of their Apostles, contributing to most of the kills of the Cmity-Ranked Monsters. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Nyathotep didn''t order his subordinates to pursue the Alliance, who retreated fifty miles away from the battlefield.


    This distance could easily be covered in a few minutes, so either side could attack anytime.


    After stationing their Watchers and Scouts at the forefront of the battlefield, the various leaders of the Alliance went to the gship of King Azza, and discussed the battle that just transpired.


    "For the time being, don''t use your nukes in battle," Keoza said as he looked at Great General Garret. "One mistake and it will be our forces who might get wiped out by our own weapons."


    The temporary leader of Heaven''s Gate nodded his head in understanding. "We will use normal rounds to attack the Abyssal Fortress next time," Great General Garret replied. King Azza addressed the members of Memento Mori, who were also present in the meeting room.


    "Those abominations that appeared on the battlefield earlier, what do you make of them?" King Azza asked the leader of Memento Mori, who sat across from him.


    "Very alien and very dangerous," the Old Necromancer replied. "The most annoying thing about them is that they all look the same. You never know if you are fighting against a Cmity-Ranked Monster, or a lower ranking creature. That Outer God has many tricks up his sleeves."


    "Do you have any methods to stop them?" Keoza asked. "Or perhaps, you can reanimate the dead faster than the Outer God?"


    The Old Necromancer shook his head. "We tried to outpace him earlier, but it was futile. He can revive them faster than we do. At most, the conversion rate is four out of ten. We can reanimate four out of ten, while he can create six of those abominations. They have the upper hand in a battle of attrition."


    Truth be told, the Alliance were hoping that they would be able to overpower their enemies with the help of the Necromancers. The initial sh proved that the enemy had a simr ability, and they proved to be as deadly as the Undead Legion under Memento Mori''smand.


    "Neither side has unleashed their strongestbatants yet, and are simply testing each other," King Azza stated. "I suggest we retreat a hundred miles to let everyone have a proper rest before we fight them tomorrow. We have been traveling for a very long time, and the men still need to recover from the journey."


    This suggestion was met with the approval of all the leaders.


    After their meeting ended, the Alliance retreated another hundred miles, so that their fighters could rest.


    Tomorrow, the battle would be longer and bloodier, which would make both sides understand that their enemies had not been serious in the exchange that they just had a few hours ago.

 Chapter 1171 An Outer God’s Definition of Victory [Part 1]

    Chapter 1171 An Outer God��s Definition of Victory [Part 1]


    The night passed without any incidents as both sides rested for the inevitable sh that was bound to happen once the sun rose from the East.


    This development made the leaders of the different factions uneasy.


    They had prepared themselves for a sneak attack during the night, but the Abyssal Lords didn''t do such a thing.


    "What do you think?" King Azza asked Keoza, who was looking towards the West where the Abyssal Fortress was.


    "I can only think of three things," Keoza replied.


    "Three things?" King Azza arched an eyebrow.


    Keoza nodded. "The first reason why they didn''t attack is because they might be very confident that no matter what we do, we will not be able to break past their defenses.


    "The second reason is because, just like us, they might be analyzing their opponent''s strength while looking for weaknesses."


    "Last but not the least, they might simply be buying time."


    King Azza frowned after hearing the third reason.


    "Buying time?" King Azza asked. "Buying time for what?"


    Keoza shrugged because he also had no idea what their enemies were thinking. He was only supposed to give two reasons, but he said the third reason that had been nagging at his mind for quite some time.


    He believed that the Outer God thought differently and didn''t view victory and defeat the way they did.


    This was evident when he heard that Nyathotep had ordered his clone to detonate itself in Agartha by absorbing the Abyssal Army in order to strengthen his attack.


    Theplete disregard for the well-being of his allies was something that made the Outer God unpredictable.


    As long as he was able to reach his goal, he didn''t care what method he used to achieve it. This kind of enemy was very dangerous to face because one could never predict what they would do.


    "Well, it''s no use worrying about these things," King Azzamented. "Our goal remains the same."


    Keoza nodded because this was indeed the case.


    Exactly an hourter, the flying fleet of the Alliance was once again mobilized and began to advance in the direction of the Abyssal Fortress.


    They had created a strategy that they believed had a very high chance of sess.


    When they were only fifteen miles away from their targets, the Main Canons of the Floating Ind of Heaven''s Gate unleashed a barrage of Nuclear-Level st Bombs.


    Nyathotep, who had sensed the approach of these weapons of mass destruction sneered before lifting his index finger.


    "Mortals are really stupid," Nyathotep said in disdain. "They will only realize their mistakes when they blow up right in front of their faces."


    The Outer God activated the barrier that protected the Abyssal Fortress. His n was the same as what he did yesterday.


    Since their enemy wanted to die so badly using their own weapons, he was more than happy to send it back to them.


    However, just as the st Bombs were about to hit the barrier, all of them detonated at the same time.


    An eruption like no other shook the entire battlefield, causing an earthquake with the Abyssal Fortress as its epicenter.


    A mushroom cloud rose up in the sky, making the leaders of the Alliance have solemn looks on their faces.


    The one and only Mythical Guild in the world had only made themselves known during the Abyssal Invasion.


    And yet, the power that they possessed surprised not only the Dragon King but also the rest of the members of the Alliance.


    Keoza was the only one who wasn''t too surprised by this oue because he had been with Lux for a very long time.


    "Prepare the second bombardment," the Oracle of the Divine Armymanded. Great General Garret raised his hand, signaling that the second round of destruction be unleashed.


    The Main Cannons roared in fury as they once again sent a payload that was enough to obliterate an entire kingdom.


    But, this time, something changed.


    From within the dark smoke that covered everyone''s vision, countless spells red up. Their intention was simple.


    They wanted to destroy the st Bombs before they coulde near their Fortress again.


    Maeve sneered before waving her hand.


    The st Bombs then moved ording to hermand, evading the spells and attacks that were unleashed to destroy them. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    All of the st Bombs were coated by Maeve''s Power, giving her the ability to control and detonate them with a thought.


    This was the strategy that the Alliance hade up with during their meeting, which they deemed would force the Abyssal Army to react to their long-distance barrage.


    After seeing that their attacks weren''t hitting their targets, the Abyssal Lords immediately scattered, flying in different directions in order to save themselves from the explosions that would follow afterward.


    As someone who had experienced the same suffering in the past, Maeve truly knew what it meant to have one of these Nuclear-Level st Bombs explode right in front of someone''s face.


    An explosion that was more powerful than the first, rocked the surroundings.


    The Abyssal Lords who were not able to escape the range of the st used their strongest defensive abilities to protect themselves from the brunt of its might.


    Some were able to escape and only suffered from minor injuries.


    However, a handful weren''t too lucky, and they were vaporized by the concentrated might of the st Bombs that detonated at the same time.


    "Prepare the Third Bombardment!" Maeve shouted.


    However, this time, something happened that caught them by surprise.


    Right under the formation of the floating inds, several giant tentacles emerged from the ground.


    These tentacles then extended themselves to grab hold of some of the flying ships, which weren''t flying too high.


    Just as they thought that these tentacles would pull them down to the ground, smaller tentacles branched out from the giant tentacles and opened up like flowers.


    Hiding within the tentacles were countless Abyssal Monsters, who immediately boarded the flying ships, and engaged the Alliance inbat.


    Some of the Giant Tentacles unleashed countless flying Abyssal Monsters, which flew towards the floating inds with the intention of causing as much destruction as possible.


    The abominations that they had seen a day ago were also part of the invading forces.


    This time, these alien-like creatures had wings protruding from their backs, andughed in a creepy manner, making the hearts of those who heard it shudder.

 Chapter 1172 An Outer God’s Definition of Victory [Part 2]

    Chapter 1172 An Outer God��s Definition of Victory [Part 2]


    The Dragons and the Dragon Borns unleashed their breath attacks at the Giant Tentacles, destroying them from the root.


    But the more they destroyed, the more tentacles rose from the ground to rece them.


    "We will deal with the tentacles," the Sovereign of Memento Mori stated. "All of you focus on the Abyssal Monsters."


    As soon as he finished saying those words, two beams of ck light descended from the Bone Fortress of Memento Mori andnded on the ground.


    A momentter, the seven-headed monster, Teju Jagua, and the Cmity Boar, Ao Ao, appeared.


    They were two of the Seven Stars of Cmity that were under Memento Mori''s control.


    The seven-headed dog, Teju Jagua, unleashed seven breath attacks, targeting one Giant Tentacle each.


    Ao Ao squealed in anger before charging toward the Tentacles in a straight line.


    Its entire body was covered in zing mes, igniting everything in its path. Some of the tentacles tried to wrap around the Boar''s body, but soon, these tentacles were burned until nothing was left.


    Teju Jagua didn''t have the ability to cover his entire body with mes to protect itself from the tentacles.


    However, there was no need for it. Standing on each of its heads were Necromancers from Memento Mori, who dealt with the tentacles that tried to wrap around its body.


    But just as things seemed to be finally under their control, over a hundred Abyssal Lords appeared and unleashed their strongest attacks, not caring whether they hit friend or foe.


    Hundreds of flying ships were instantly destroyed by this surprise attack, making King Azza and Keoza immediately intercept their enemies. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lady Augustina, the Beast King, as well as the other Supremes of the Alliance, also joined the battle.


    They couldn''t afford to hold back because a hundred Abyssal Lords were more than enough to wipe out their entire fleet.


    There were only seventy Supremes in the Alliance, while the rest were made up of Saints.


    The Pseudo-Supremes of the Divine Army of Light, as well as the Seven Stars of Cmity by Memento Mori, somewhat evened up the odds, but everyone knew that they were still greatly outssed by their enemies.


    To make matters worse, Nyathotep had also made its appearance on the battlefield, and the first thing it attacked wasn''t the main fleet of the alliance.


    No.


    It specifically targeted the lone floating ind at the very rear of the formation, which was responsible for the destruction that had destroyed half of the Abyssal Fortress, forcing Nyathotep to initiate a strong counter-offensive.


    Keoza, who could tell what the Outer God was nning to do, cursed internally as he tried to go towards the Floating Ind of Heaven''s Gate.


    However, his way was blocked by two Abyssal Lords, preventing him from going to their rescue.


    Nyathotep''s order was simple.


    The Abyssal Lords were to engage the forces of the Alliance while it personally dealt with the most annoying pest that had gotten on its nerves.


    The countless cannons on the floating ind roared to life and attacked the Outer God with everything they had.


    Unfortunately, Nyathotep was simply too fast, and too agile to be hit, evading the defensive bombardment that was trying to prevent it from reaching its target.


    A few minutester, the Outer Godnded on top of the floating ind and looked in the direction of Great General Garret, whose face had turned grim after seeing Nyathotep face to face. "ytime''s over, mortals," Nyathotep said in a teasing tone. "Now, how do you all want to die, hmm?"


    The Outer God saw something out of the corner of its eye, stopping it from whatever it was going to say next.


    A little girl with long blue hair, wearing a pirate hat, could be seen standing in the distance, with her hands resting on her waist.


    "Peekaabo," Eiko said. "I see you."


    At that exact moment, a giant beam of light fired from behind Eiko.


    Nyathotep''s first thought was to dodge as fast as it could, but it was unable to move from its spot as if it was frozen in ce.


    The Outer God didn''t even have time to scream as its entire body was vaporized by Poseidon''s main cannon, leaving nothing behind.


    The Giant Bone ship then materialized out of thin air, making everyone in the Alliance gasp in surprise.


    They weren''t aware that Heaven''s Gate had another Trump Card up their sleeve, which was none other than the Pirate Fairy Princess, who hade to join the battle as well.


    With her Golden Anchor, Eiko made Poseidon invisible using the water droplets in the air to act like mirrors, reflecting the surroundings.


    She returned to the floating ind under the cover of darkness with the intention of helping the Alliance in her Papa''s ce.


    Avery, her right-hand man, was also a strategist, and he advised Eiko to hide Poseidon first so that they would have the element of surprise during the battle.


    Their n paid off, and Nyathotep died without even being able to escape the Bone Ship''s main cannon.


    When the Abyssal Lords saw that their leader had died, they all destroyed the teleportation crystals that they were carrying and vanished instantly from the battlefield.


    The Cmity-Ranked Monsters did the same and escaped the battlefield, leaving the low-ranking Abyssal Monsters to fend for themselves.


    Having been abandoned, these Abyssal Monsters entered a berserk state and no longer cared for survival.


    The only thought in their minds was to bring as many enemies with them to the afterlife just as Nyathotep had instructed.


    "Too bad, what we killed was merely a clone," Avery muttered as he gazed at the Abyssal Fortress in the distance. "This Outer God sure knows how to y it safe."


    Eiko nodded her head before ordering Poseidon to help the Alliance by using its smaller cannons to deal with the Abyssal Legion that was left to fend for themselves.


    She knew that it was only a matter of time before the enemy''s forces were decimated, but in order to lower the casualties, she decided to intervene and help save the lives of others. ����������������


    Meanwhile, within the Abyssal Fortress��


    Nyathotep was very annoyed because Eiko had killed itsst remaining clone on the battlefield.


    It had two other clones, but they had been sent to other locations in order to do something important.


    The Outer God could not create any more clones because it had already reached the limit of what it could create with the vessel it possessed.


    "Retreat," Nyathotepmanded. "We will go with n B."


    After saying those words, the entire Abyssal Fortress liquefied into a giant slime.


    This slime then shrank until it was only the size of a school bus before fleeing farther West at great speeds.


    Nyathotep might have lost its first line of defense, but the war was far from over.


    Even so, it burned the image of the annoying little girl in its head, for she had interfered with its ns twice in a row.


    "Enjoy your victory while you still can." Nyathotep sneered as it escaped towards its second base. "The one who will have thestugh will be none other than me. You fools are just ying on the palm of my hands."


    Yes, Nyathotep didn''t take this loss to heart because it knew that it would be the one who would win in the end.


    The victory that mortals sought was different from the victory that it had envisioned.


    When the Alliance finally realized what the Outer God was truly nning to do, it would already be toote for them to do anything about it.


    (E/N: If only you wrapped those tentacles in some flour mixture, then we''ll have takoyaki.)


    (A/N: Kekeke.)

 Chapter 1173 Waking Up To A Living Nightmare [Part 1]

    Chapter 1173 Waking Up To A Living Nightmare [Part 1]


    Somewhere in Elysium, the Sovereign of the Divine Army looked at the countless Apostles that were currently inside cylindrical containers filled with a green liquid.


    The Golden Scales in his hand glowed faintly, as the power of its Divinity seeped inside their bodies.


    The hands of the scales slowly tipped to one side, signaling that the ceremony was over.


    ''How many must we sacrifice, for us to win this war,'' the Sovereign of the Divine Army thought as he looked at the teenagers, who slept inside the containers.


    They were young men and women who had made the choice to fight, knowing that what awaited them in the end was certain death.


    The Sovereign sighed for the umpteenth time.


    Thousands of Apostles joined the Founder of the Divine Army to fight against the war of the Abyss.


    If given enough time, thousands more would follow them afterwards.


    He had stayed behind in order to continue the Apostle Project. This was the Divine Army''s strategy in order to win a fight of attrition against those that had decided to invade their world.


    Memento Mori had chosen a simr path. However, instead of sacrificing others, they chose to awaken the creatures that once threatened to destroy Elysium itself. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Seven Stars of Cmity. The Seven Monsters, who, if fought side by side, could make Kingdoms and Empires fall one after the other.


    Unfortunately, Memento Mori was unable to bring all seven of them onto the battlefield.


    Two of them had to stay and protect the World Tree, as well as the nonbatants of the Alliance.


    Currently, only five of these powerful beasts, including Teju Jagua and Ao Ao, had been deployed on the battlefield.


    Nyathotep and the Alliance shed many times since the Outer God had decided to retreat, pushing the Alliance to head further west.


    "This is a good thing because as long as the Outer God is pushed back, it will have no time to set its sights on other matters�� is what you stupid mortals thought, right?"


    The expression of the Sovereign of the Divine Army turned grim as their Underground Headquarters started to shake.


    He immediately activated the artifact that would allow him to talk to their Founder and ask for assistance.


    Unfortunately, the artifact in his hand remained unresponsive, which made his eyes widen in shock.


    "The Golden Scales of Eternity."


    "A sacrifice to tip the bnce."


    "The weight of morality on one side, the scales of depravity on the other."


    "A delicate bnce. A miraculous chance. Holding the life and death of others, simr to an eternal dance."


    The sound of thousands of crystals breaking reverberated in the surroundings as the barrier that protected the Underground Headquarters finally shattered.


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army roared, and raised the scales in his hand, protecting himself, as well as the countless unsung heroes, who were sleeping inside their containers, waiting for the right time to open their eyes.


    A loud explosion erupted, and a momentter, a crystal dome emerged from the ground and rose towards the sky.


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army red at the Outer God, who had miraculously found his hiding ce, which was tens of thousands of miles away from the battlefield in the Western Region of the world.


    "How?" the Sovereign asked. "How?" Nyathotep asked in a teasing tone. "Such a silly thing to ask."


    The Outer God then pointed at the Golden Scales that the old man was holding in his hands and smirked.


    "As long as you hold the Pir of Eternity in your hands, I will be able to find you," Nyathotep stated. "It doesn''t matter if you hide in the deepest corner of this world. The moment you activated its power, your fate was already sealed."


    "I see." The Sovereign then summoned a scepter in his hand. "This fight is inevitable then."


    "Right." Nyathotep nodded. "Have you tried to ask for reinforcements?"


    "Don''t ask a question that you already know the answer to?" the Sovereign replied.


    "Indeed. Such a waste of time. I guess this is where our little talk ends."


    "��"


    The Sovereign of the Divine Army then activated the power of the Pir of Eternity, making his entire body turn golden.


    A giant golden statue, holding a sword and shield, materialized behind the Old Man as he faced off against the Outer God, who had snuffed out his hiding ce.


    "Hah~ it''s really annoying when old farts like you don''t give up," Nyathotep said in a teasing tone. "It would save us a lot of time if you just offered your head, so I can give you a quick and painless death."


    "The one who will be dying here is you, Outer God," the Sovereign replied. "You do not belong in our world."


    "Very well." Nyathotep chuckled. "At least, don''t bore me too much, okay?"


    The Outer God then snapped its fingers.


    A dark purple portal then appeared above his head and, from that portal, over aHundred Abyssal Lords emerged.


    All of them sneered at the Old Man, who was left all alone to fend for himself.


    The Golden Giant glowed faintly, and absorbed the Apostles inside his body. They were currently in a very fragile state, and a stray attack from the Demigods could annihte all of them at the same time.


    Despite being surrounded by the High-Ranking Forces of the Abyssal Army, the Sovereign of the Divine Army stood on the shoulder of the Golden Giant, with a resolute look in his eyes.


    "Come, Outer God," the Sovereign stated. "I will send you and your cronies back to the Abyss."


    An amused chuckle reverberated in the surroundings as Nyathotep gave the order to attack.


    "What kind of delusional sweet dream are you having, Mortal?" Nyathotep asked. "I guess it''s time for you to wake up into a living nightmare."


    Raising the Golden Scales high over his head, the Sovereignmanded the Golden Giant to attack. The Golden Scales was a very strong Divine Artifact. But, it wasn''t meant for direct confrontations.


    Its purpose was to create powerful soldiers, who would fight and overwhelm their enemies in a battle of attrition.


    The Golden Giant was its only means of attack. Although it was strong, it was alone, just like the Old Man, who was facing over a Hundred Demigods all at once.

 Chapter 1174 Waking Up To A Living Nightmare [Part 2]

    Chapter 1174 Waking Up To A Living Nightmare [Part 2]


    Half an hourter, the Sovereign of one of the strongest organizations in the world,finally drew hisst breath. The battlested longer than Nyathotep expected. The Outer God thought that they would be able to kill the old man in a short period of time, but thetter fought tooth and nail, without even trying to escape.


    Even with such overwhelming disparity in numbers, the Sovereign of the Divine Army was able to kill thirty Demigods before he finally died.


    Nyathotep didn''t care for the deaths of its subordinates, and simply took the Golden Scales from the dead man''s hand and activated its ability.


    The Demigods who had died in battle, including the dead Sovereign, transformed into golden abominations, empowered by its Divinity.


    All of them looked exactly the same, which made the surviving Demigods unable to tell which of them were therades they knew in the past.


    After being changed into abominations, and imbued with the power of the Golden Scales, all of their strength rose to the peak of the Demigod Rank.


    The Golden Statue that the Sovereign had summonedy on the ground, cracked in several ces. It had fought valiantly, but it couldn''t stop the inevitable. With a wave of Nyathotep''s hands, the chest of the Giant shattered, and the dome that protected the Apostles emerged.


    A devilishugh emerged from Nyathotep''s lips as the Golden Scales in his hand turned ck.


    The Apostles sleeping inside their cylindrical containers started to squirm in their sleep as if they were having a bad dream.


    Half a minuteter, their containers shattered and from them emerged several horrifying abominations with countless eyes and tentacles protruding from their bodies.


    These abominations also turned golden in color, simr to the Demigods that the Outer God had raised from the dead a mere moment ago.


    "One down," Nyathotep sneered. "One more to go."


    Nyathotep then walked towards the portal in order to go to his next battlefield.


    The Golden Abominations and the Demigods followed behind him. They didn''t know where they were going next, but one thing was clear.


    The Outer God was now in possession of one of the Pirs of Eternity.


    He was already very powerful, but with the Divine Artifact in his hand, he became more horrifying.


    The portal only closed when thest Demigod finally entered inside of it, leaving behind the destroyed Headquarters of the Divine Army, which their Organization believed to be the safest ce in the world of Elysium. ������������������


    Western Region of Elysium��


    The battle between the Abyss and the Alliance was in full swing.


    Nyathotep didn''t send any of his Demigods out to fight against the Alliance, and simply ordered the Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Monsters to cast long distance spells to harass their enemy''s formation.


    Although they were weaker than Demigods, their attacks were nothing to scoff at.


    Because of this, the Alliance was forced into a defensive formation, with the floating inds belonging to the Crystal Pce, flying in the lead.


    Keoza unleashed his powers, and tanked the attacks that were headed in their direction, keeping his allies safe.


    However, what made the Heads of the Alliance frown was that the magical bombardment seemed unending.


    It was as if the Cmity Ranked Monsters had an unlimited supply of Mana, empowering their spells that could obliterate dozens of flying ships without Keoza''s protection.


    The return fire of the alliance was also brutal, taking the lives of countless cmity-ranked monsters.


    However, due to Nyathotep''s ability to raise them into Abominations, the battle had reached a stalemate.


    The Alliance couldn''t push forward, and the Abyssal Forces weren''t letting them gain any ground.


    Eiko had left the battlefield and returned to the Ford Federation.


    Her trump card was still not ready, and she needed to be there to ensure that nothing would go wrong.


    She had been with the Alliance earlier, but Nyathotep had continued to flee after engaging them for a period of time.


    The Outer God was using Guerri tactics against them, using the Giant ck Tentacles to move its forces anywhere in the terrain, and unleashing a bombardment of attacks in the blind spots of the Alliance.


    Also, Eiko could feel that something wasn''t right.


    Because of this, she prioritized creating her strongest Creature, using the Giant Bone Cauldron.


    It had already been more than a week since the Bone Cauldron started to create the Monster. However, whatever it was cooking, it was taking a very long time for it to be ready.


    Eiko didn''t know what kind of Monster would appear, but given the fact that it possessed Ten Demigod Cores in its body, it would definitely be a force to reckon with.


    This was why she needed to return, and ensure that her new subordinate would be born safely, and left the Alliance to fight the sly Outer God, who chose its battle very well.


    ����������������������


    Somewhere in the Ford Federation��


    "Still not done?" Eiko asked the Giant Bone Cauldron as she fed her pet Sea Otter, which she named, Lucky, with a cookie. "This Monster is a bit special," the Bone Cauldron replied. "I cannot rush its creation."


    Eiko nodded as she continued to feed Lucky, who was just a month-old sea otter.


    She had found him as an egg, as she and Fei Fei were scouring the oceans for Demigod Cores.


    The egg was frozen in ice, and was located at a very deste ce, bereft of anything.


    Avery evenmented that the egg was already hundreds of years old, and shouldn''t have survived after being trapped in ice.


    However, to his surprise, Eiko just sat on top of the egg for an entire day before it hatched.


    Because of this, the Baby Slime decided to name the baby Sea Otter, Lucky.


    It was only due to pure luck that it managed to be birthed, despite the situation it found itself in.


    Fei Fei also took care of the Sea Otter whenever Eiko was away, making the baby Monster treat the Baby Golden Slime like a caring older sister.


    "Avery, what do you think?" Eiko asked her Vice Captain. "About the war?" Avery inquired.


    "Mmm."


    "I have a feeling that the Outer God is just buying time. It''s like it is luring the Alliance farther, and farther away from the center of the continent."


    Eiko nodded. She also felt that something was amiss, so she decided to stay away from the battlefield for the time being.


    However, just as she was about to feed Lucky another cookie, a portal appeared hundreds of meters away from Poseidon.


    Avery immediately sensed the power of the Outer God, and immediately stood between Eiko, and the enemy, who was supposed to be fighting against thebined might of the Alliance.


    "Peekaboo, I see you," Nyathotep sneered as it and the Demigods appeared to surround the Giant Bone Ship that was far out into the sea. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Outer Godughed after finally cornering the little pest that had been getting in its way. "You''ve messed with my ns long enough," Nyathotep stated. "Time for you to die."


    With that, it signaled its force to attack the Baby Slime, who was still holding a cookie in her hand to feed to the Sea Otter who had started to cry.

 Chapter 1175 Am I A Joke To You?

    Chapter 1175 Am I A Joke To You?


    The Sea Otter, Lucky, started crying because the cookie that the Baby Slime was about to feed it stopped mid-air.


    Eiko broke out of her daze and finally resumed feeding the Sea Otter, who ate the cookie with tears still in its eyes.


    Poseidon had deployed its barrier, preventing the attacks of the Demigod from reaching them.


    "You''re still acting so carefree despite the fact that you''re surrounded," Nyathotep said in a teasing tone. "Am I a joke to you?"


    "Yes," Eiko briefly replied before looking back at the leader of the Abyssal Lords.


    "Forget about dying a swift death." Nyathotep sneered. "I''m going to enjoy killing you slowly." Clearly, the Outer God was annoyed by Eiko''s total disregard for it. Although Nyathotep''s forcespletely surrounded the Baby Slime, leaving her no path to escape, Eiko didn''t show any signs of fear whatsoever.


    It was at that moment when the sea under Poseidon started to churn.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Those who didn''t live near coastal waters would typically be unaware of the phenomenon that urred when countless fish jumped crazily at the surface of the water, making it look like the sea was boiling.


    This would usually happen right before an earthquake hit or something drastic was about to happen, forcing the fish to rise up to the surface of the water.


    This same scene was currently happening under Poseidon, which caught the Demigods'' eyes.


    "Why do you think we''re so far out in the sea?" Avery asked with a look of disdain on his face. "I''ll tell you why. It''s because this is the safest ce in Elysium for our Princess."


    Countless Cmity-Ranked Sea Monsters and dozens of Deep Sea Demigods rose up from the waters and engaged the Abyssal Lords who were attacking Poseidon.


    Eiko had made preparations in advance and asked the powerful Denizens of the Sea to stand guard at her side as shepleted the creation of her strongest Creature.


    They all answered her call, for they instinctively knew that she was fighting for the sake of their world.


    Faced with tens of thousands of Sea Monsters, all Cmity-Ranked and above, the look of disdain on Nyathotep''s face disappeared, reced with utter shock.


    "Argh!"


    One of the Demigods was pped from the sky by a giant tentacle belonging to the Kraken.


    It was one of the Demigods of the Sea, and it usually stayed tens of thousands of miles under the ocean.


    Another tentacle rose up to wrap itself around the body of another Demigod, and this time, it came from a Colossal Squid, whose giant eyes locked on the foe who dared to act arrogant in their Domain.


    Countless Hydro Balls from the Cmity Ranked Monsters sted the Demigods away from Poseidon.


    Although they tried to fight back, they were pushed back a second time by Poseidon''s Cannons, which were now fully charged and ready to kill.


    A gigantic beam of light exploded from the tip of Poseidon''s Main Cannon, headed for the Outer God, who thought that it had cornered them. Nyathotep was then forced to evade and distance itself from Poseidon''s Wrath, who unleashed an artillery strike that was solely aimed in the bastard''s direction.


    It didn''t even care about the other Demigods because the Denizens of the Oceans were more than enough to deal with them.


    It only wanted one thing, and that was to kill Nyathotep and end its evil once and for all.


    Although the Nyathotep that was fighting Eiko was only a clone, it still possessed some of the Outer God''s abilities.


    However, even with them, it was unable toe up with a strategy to get near the Bone Ship, whose attacks were growing fiercer with each passing minute.


    The Abominations that were new under the Outer God''s control weren''t meant for a battle in the ocean.


    When Nyathotep summoned them, they would simply fall into the sea and be massacred by the countless Beasts that were out for blood.


    Ten of the Demigods under hismand fell in battle, but just before Nyathotep was about to revive them, countless bony hands shot out from the Giant Bone Cauldron that was hovering above Poseidon''s deck, grabbing hold of the dead Abyssal Lords and dragging them into its depths.


    "Retreat!" Nyathotepmanded.


    The surviving Demigods didn''t even need his orders to retreat, for they already deemed that their situation was hopeless.


    All of them were already flying toward the portal in the sky, which was the only way to escape the ughterhouse set up by Eiko, who already expected that something like this would happen.


    After licking the Demigod Core, she had gained the ability to ask the Denizens of the Seas and Oceans who were the same Rank as her to heed her call.


    When Lux became a Supreme, Eiko also had an upgrade, allowing her to call out to the Demigods of the Sea and ask them for help.


    The Seas and Oceans of Elysium were generally unexplored regions.


    The entire world was covered with water, so it was natural for the waters to have as many Demigods in it as there were Supremes onnd.


    These monsters, who had stayed out of the way of those who lived onnd, usually stayed in their own Underwater Kingdoms.


    However, without rising to the surface, they could feel that their world was in grave danger, so when Eiko asked for their help, they answered her call and lent her their strength.


    Nyathotep also chose to escape to fight another day. But just like what happened to its clone when it tried to attack the floating ind of Heaven''s Gate, its body suddenly froze mid-air, unable to move a muscle.


    A secondter, a giant beam of light hit the Outer God directly, vaporizing its body, and leaving nothing behind.


    At that moment, somewhere in the Western Regions of Elysium, Nyathotep roared in anger.


    "Again?!" Nyathotep couldn''t help but smash the armrest of its throne, shattering itpletely. Never had it experienced such anger since the day it had left the Abyss to join the invading forces headed for Elysium.


    It was the same Blue Slime who had gotten in its way thest time, and for this reason, Nyathotep had moved Eiko to the top of its kill list.

 Chapter 1176 A Darkness That Belonged Only To Her

    Chapter 1176 A Darkness That Belonged Only To Her


    It took the Outer God five minutes to finally regain itsposure.


    ''Fortunately, all is not lost,'' Nyathotep said as it looked at the ck Scales of Eternity that covered its hand. All of Nyathotep''s clones were connected to it, so anything that belonged to them also belonged to it.


    When they died, their skills, abilities, and anything in their possession would return to it, including the Pir of Eternity that was now in its hands.


    "I''ll let you live a little while longer," Nyathotep said hatefully. "I have onest clone, but it is enough to continue with my n."


    As much as the Outer God wanted to take the Golden Anchor from Eiko, allowing him to have a hold over two Pirs of Eternity, it was unable to do that at this time.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even if its real body were to return to where the Baby Slime was currently at, it would be unable to unleash its full strength.


    It still didn''t know how Eiko was able to momentarily hold its body in ce and kill it with Poseidon''s overwhelming beam attack.


    For the time being, it didn''t n on attacking the Baby Slime until it figured out the trick she was using against it.


    Since it was no longer in the mood to y with the Alliance, it once again decided to retreat, heading further West.


    Nyathotep would make its stand at itsst stronghold, waiting for itsst clone to finish thest step for its preparation.


    As long as its clone seeded in its task, it would be able to wash away all its losses and finally turn the situation around, making the entirety of the world submit to its will.


    ������������������


    "The Outer God is retreating!" One of the Dragon Borns shouted when the countless waves of Abominations started to retreat like a tide.


    The sound of countless cheers reverberated in the surroundings, thinking that they had once again emerged victorious in battle.


    Even so, the leaders of the Alliance, especially the Founder of the Divine Army of Light, couldn''t help but think that something was very wrong with their victory.


    They had prepared a strategy to prevent the massive loss of lives on their side, and they had seeded in implementing it.


    However, they couldn''t shake the feeling that their victory was hollow.


    It was as if they didn''t win because of their own efforts, but because Nyathotep decided to call it quits and fight another day.


    Of course, they had no reason to believe that it was true because it was only a feeling.


    Even so, they didn''t say anything, not wanting to possibly dampen the morale of the members of the Alliance, who were cheering for their second victory.


    ������������������������


    Meanwhile, in Espoir Frieden��


    Valerie sat on a swing while lightly rubbing her abdomen. There was yet to be a noticeable bump to it, which would have shown that she was pregnant.


    But she could feel it.


    She could feel the life growing inside of her.


    For some reason, she didn''t feel scared. In fact, she felt as if she had been born to give birth to the child in her womb.


    Ali and Ari were right beside her, paying close attention to the faint smile on their Mistress'' face.


    "Can you tell me more about him, Ari?" Valerie asked her handmaiden, who still remembered the father of her child.


    "I''ve told you all I know about him, Valerie," Ari replied helplessly. "But if you really want to know, I will tell you the things that only I know about him."


    Valerie nodded happily as she waited for Ari to tell her the things that she still hadn''t told her about Lux.


    Ali''s ears also perked up because, ording to her sister, she held a very special ce in Lux''s heart as well.


    Ari even said that, out of all of the Dragons who were part of Lux''s harem, he treated Ali differently, and she treated him with a different kind of love that was unique only to her.


    Ten minutester, Valerie''s and Ali''s faces had be as red as tomatoes after Ari finished talking.


    "There''s more where that camefrom." Ari patted her chest with a smile. "Just so you know, Lux and I are very adventurous. We tried many things, and each time, he would teach me something new. It made me realize howcking my knowledge was when it came to the arts of lovemaking."


    "A-Ari, are you sure you''re telling the truth?" Valerie asked as the redness of her face became a shade deeper. "Does he make you do all of those things?"


    "I was the one who wanted him to do all those things to me, Valerie," Ari replied. "I just didn''t expect that I would like it so much. That time when he tied me up with a rope, rendering me helpless as he did it to me, was simply out of this world��"


    "Okay, you can stop now," Ali lightly pinched her sister''s ear, making Ari stop talking. "I can''t believe you''re this wild, Ari. Don''t you know the meaning of moderation?"


    Ari smiled because this was the word that Lux always said to her.


    "Let''s do things in moderation. I don''t want to hurt you, Ari."


    Those were the words that he told her on the first night that they experiment with this new way of making love.


    It made Ari feel loved, and perhaps because of this, she didn''t mind doing the things that Lux''s other lovers would never dare to do.


    She had allowed herself to take that extra mile to reach greater heights so that her other sisters would be safe from the darkness that resided inside Lux''s heart.


    A darkness that belonged only to her, making her feel special in her own way.


    Suddenly, the three sensed a presence entering their residence, making them stop discussing the things that Ari had shared with them.


    "So, the three of you are here," Aurelia said with a smile. "I thought that you were going to the garden to view the flowers today, Valerie."


    "That was my original n, but I feltzy and decided to just stay here and take it easy," Valerie stated. "Where have you been, Aur?" The original appearance of this chapter can be found at ??v�l?1n.


    To ensure that no one would know Aurelia''s true gender, Valerie, Ali, and Ari made sure to call her Aur anytime and anywhere, even if they thought that no one was spying on them.


    "I looked for Lady Hereswith to ask her about Lux''s situation," Aurelia replied. "She can vaguely tell where he is right now."


    "And where is he right now?"


    "He''s no longer in the Abyss, but he''s still not in our world just yet. Perhaps, he is traveling a path that will lead him back here."


    Valerie smiled sweetly as she once again touched her abdomen.


    "I want to see him," Valerie said softly. "I want to see the person who I asked to make it possible for me to give birth to his child."


    "You will see him," Aurelia replied. "Definitely."


    Aurelia also wanted to see Lux so badly. She didn''t know if he seeded in saving Aurora, or if he was forced to leave the Abyss in order to escape Daniel.


    But one thing was certain. Once she saw him again, she would tell him the good news that he would soon be a father of two.


    Aurelia was even looking forward to seeing the expression on his face once he heard the news, making her wish that her beloved could arrive back in their world as fast as he possibly could.

 Chapter 1177 An Excuse For Your Own Incompetence

    Chapter 1177 An Excuse For Your Own Ipetence


    "So you managed to get the Golden Scales. This is very good news," Daniel said. "However, why didn''t you send it to me right away? Are you that petty, Nyathotep?"


    "It''s not that I don''t want to send it to you, Daniel," Nyathotep replied. "It''s just that, if I do, things will suddenly get boring again. You know, I hate it when things get boring."


    "Boring? Is that your excuse for not even managing to get the Golden Anchor from that puny little Slime? How bored are you, really?"


    "That Slime is different. I''m going to make her my pet after I''m done dealing with the small fries."


    Daniel snorted. He knew that Nyathotep was cooking up something in Elysium at the expense of dying their n of an all-out invasion. Also, he hadn''t been in the best of mood because of the pests that had taken away the Transcendent Subus, who possessed one of the Pirs of Eternity in her soul.


    He didn''t know whether this was part of Antero''s n to prevent him from breaking through the seal that the Primordial Golem had ced on the portal that led to the Thirteenth Floor.


    Even so, Daniel had to admit that, unless he gained another Pir of Eternity, he would be unable to change the status quo in the Abyss.


    This was why he was very annoyed that Nyathotep chose to do things his way instead of promptly sending him the Golden Scale, which would allow him to get to the First Layer of the Abyss and traverse the portals that led to different worlds. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Calm down, Daniel," Nyathotep stated. "Give me two weeks. After two weeks, my n will havee to fruition. I am preparing a very special present for you��something that you will like very much."


    "The only thing that I''d like to see is Elysium and Sis being destroyed by my own two hands," Daniel replied. "Two weeks, Nyathotep, and not a day longer."


    "Fine. I know that you are getting impatient, so I''ll send you the Pirs in two weeks."


    "Good. Update me if any variables arise."


    After cutting off his connection with the Outer God, Daniel nced at the two-meter-tall ck Wolf with the wings of a Griffin and the tail of a snake.


    He was none other than the Demigod, Marchosias, whom he had sent to investigate themotion that had taken ce on the 14th Layer of the Abyss.


    "Why didn''t you stop them when you met those two suspicious individuals, Marchosias?" Daniel inquired. "You know that traveling through the differentyers of the Abyss is not allowed at this time, no?"


    "They told me that they were merely going back to their hometown, which was on the 69th Layer," Marchosias replied. "I didn''t know that they were nning to go to the 111th Layer of the Abyss."


    "They told you that they were going to the 69th Layer, and you believed them?" Daniel asked in contempt. "Tell me, Marchosias, why should I not kill you right now? Give me one good reason why I must spare your life?"


    "If that will make you happy for not being able to handle two small fries by yourself, then go ahead," Marchosias replied. "All of your subordinates tried to stop them, but what happened? They still escaped your grasp.


    "Of course, I had nned to block them on the 14th Floor as well, but the moment Lord Antero appeared, I was forced to lead my men to safety. I don''t think I did anything wrong. Feel free to kill me as an excuse for your own ipetence."


    The ck Wolf met Daniel''s gaze fearlessly. He had agreed to be the Pseudo-God''s subordinate, but that didn''t mean that he would grovel and beg on his feet just to ask him to spare his life.


    He was one of the rulers of the Abyss. He had his own bottom line.


    Even in death, he would not lower himself to that of a mongrel.


    "Get out of my sight!" Daniel ordered.


    He was really tempted to kill the Abyssal Lord, but he knew that if he did it, nothing would change.


    Even if Marchosias had fought against Lux, the oue would have still been the same.


    The Abyssal Lord would just die, including his subordinates, and no one would know what had happened until it was toote.


    Right now, Daniel believed that everything that happened was due to Antero''s ploy.


    Lux was disguising himself as an Incubus.


    Because of this, Daniel had no idea that the person who was supposed to be dead long ago had not only infiltrated the Abyss but had also stolen the Pir of Eternity, which he had set his sights on.


    If Daniel were to know of these things, he would definitely be shocked because not only was Lux supposed to be dead, the connection between Elysium, Sis, and the Abyss should have been cut offpletely.


    This was also the reason why it was impossible for Daniel to even think that the one who had snatched his prize was Lux. While he was still deep in his thoughts, a messenger hade to inform him of thetest things that were happening in the Abyss.


    Daniel had asked his subordinates to report anything that was happening in their respectiveyers once a day, in order to ensure that there would be no repeat of the incident that happened not long ago.


    "There has been an influx of souls that areing from Elysium and Sis," the Messenger reported. "Millions of cocoons have spawned in the 222nd, 333rd, and 444th Layers. I believe that this is all thanks to Lord Nyathotep''s actions, as well as the Abyssal Lords, who are currently in Elysium and Sis."


    "Anything else?" Daniel asked.


    Millions of souls suddenly appearing in the Abyss wasn''t something to be surprised about. He had already expected this to happen.


    What he didn''t expect was that, out of those millions of souls, someone housed a Pir of Eternity in her soul, which should have been a pleasant development for Daniel.


    "Nothing else to report, My Lord," the Messenger replied. "Even the scouts on the 14th Layer are saying that they are not seeing any changes in the portal that leads to the 13th Layer."


    Daniel sighed before waving his hand to dismiss the Messenger.


    ''I just hope that Nyathotep doesn''t forget his promise,'' Daniel thought. ''Two weeks is a long time, and I have alreadypleted my preparations here. It seems like the only thing I can really do is wait.''


    Daniel closed his eyes in order to meditate.


    This was the only thing he could think of in order to calm his nerves while waiting for the promised day that Nyathotep would give him the Pir of Eternity, the key that would allow him to enter the portals of the Abyss and conquer all the worlds that were within his grasp.

 Chapter 1178 Does He Rock Your World?

    Chapter 1178 Does He Rock Your World?


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Multiverse��


    Lux and Aurora were currently eating cake while looking at two beautiful little girls with short pink hair. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Both of them were currently in a world called Hestia because James had to make a short detour to participate in the Birthday Party of his two granddaughters, Maple and Cinnamon.


    Since the Old Man had helped him a lot in saving Aurora, Lux agreed to spend three days in Hestia so that the Old Bandit could buy gifts and spend time with his beloved grandchildren.


    "Have we met each other before?" Lux asked the red-headed Half-Elf, who was seated beside him and was holding a cute baby in his arms. "I could have sworn you look familiar."


    "I get that a lot these days," the Half-Elf, who had the same hair and eye color as Lux, replied with a smile. "Also, just call me William."


    "Lux," Lux replied as he shook William''s hand.


    Aurora, on the other hand, was busy talking with two other Subi, who had long purple hair and were just as gorgeous as her.


    "Is he good?" the first Subus, who went by the name Sidonie, asked Aurora with a mischievous smile on her face. "He is," Aurora replied.


    "How good is good?" the other Subus, who went by the name Morgana, inquired. "Does he rock your world?"


    "No," Aurora answered with a smirk. "I rock his world."


    Sidonie giggled before giving Aurora a thumbs up. "Girl, you rock." "Hah~ I''m a failure as a Subus," Morganamented. "My husband is rocking my world, and not the other way around."


    Aurora nced at the handsome Half-Elf who was holding a baby in his arms.


    He looked so rxed as he held his baby. It was as if he had done this many times already, making him an expert in handling babies.


    "Well, your husband is indeed very capable," Aurora said. "How many wives does he have again?"


    "Forty-seven," Sidonie replied. "There might have been countless more if we all hadn''t put our foot down to stop it."


    Aurora couldn''t help but smile after hearing Sidonie''s reply. Having many wives was not an easy thing to aplish, and she felt thankful that Lux only had less than ten lovers, which was obviously betterpared to the other Half-Elf, whose number of children was nearing a hundred.


    Suddenly, a bridge made up of light descended into the venue.


    A momentter, a rainbow-colored Anteater rolled down it, causing everyone to break out in cheers.


    "Uncle Kazo!" Maple said as she gave Kazogonaga a hug. "I miss you."


    "Cinnamon misses you too, Uncle," Cinnamon stated as she also gave the Anteater a hug.


    "I missed you too, Maple and Cinnamon," Kaozognaga replied as he hugged the two twins in return. "I''m just so busy doing concerts, T.V. Shows, as well as starring in movies. I promise to clear up a bit of my time in the next few months so we can go to an amusement park, okay?"


    ""Yay!""


    The two girls cheered after hearing Kazogonaga''s promise.


    The Anteater then gave the two birthday celebrants the gifts that he had prepared for them, which was a storage ring filled to the brim with all the junk foods found back on Earth.


    Lux, who was chatting with William a moment ago, gasped after seeing Kazogonaga.


    The rainbow-colored Anteater, who was also about to say hi to William, froze when he saw the familiar face sitting next to his friend.


    "Kazo!"


    "Lux!"


    William looked at the two and smiled.


    "The two of you know each other?" William inquired.


    Kazogonaga smiled before jumping on top of a chair that was made just for him.


    "Do you remember that Movie called Cantare that you turned down?" Kasogonaga asked.


    "Yes," William replied.


    "Well, Lux here was the one that took on the role that you are supposed to y," Kazogonaga exined. "Lux, do you know themotion you caused when you just suddenly disappeared? Fortunately, that ballroom scene was thest scene that we needed to shoot. If not for that, Director Francesca would have cursed you until her dying breath.


    "Also, Luna seemed to be very down after you disappeared. Although she does her best to not show it, we can tell that she is very sad and misses you terribly."


    Aurora, who was hearing some unfamiliar terms, frowned. She didn''t know why Lux was acquainted with the Anteater Kazogonaga.


    But when she heard the name Luna, something inside her clicked because Lux had mentioned this name to her in the past.


    ''If I remember correctly, she was supposed to be someone who looks like Aina,'' Aurora thought. ''Either he told me about Luna, or I just forgot it after I died.''


    A sad smile appeared on Lux''s face when he heard what had transpired after he left Earth.


    However, his sadness didn''tst for long because he just realized something.


    "How are you able to go to Earth?" Lux asked. "Is there a way that I can do that too?"


    "Well, you will need James'' help to do that," Kazogonaga replied. "That Old Man is the only one who can connect the Bifrost Bridge to different worlds. Of course, this doesn''t happen instantly. "He needs to set fixed coordinates, as well as establish the connection between the two worlds. Otherwise, it won''t work. It''s aplicated process, so it will be best if you just ask him how it''s done. Waiter, can I have a ss of champagne, please? Thank you."


    The Waiter immediately gave the Superstar his drink and even managed to ask for his autograph on the side.


    The rainbow-colored Anteater took a sip of the champagne before taking out a CD from its storage ring.


    "This is a copy of the movie, Cantare," Kazogonaga replied. "It will be released in theaters in three months, but since I am awesome, I managed to get a copy. How about you watch it before you go back to your world? I''m sure that thedy beside you will want to see it as well. "Is she perhaps your lover? Make sure to invite me to your wedding. Although I''m always busy, I''ll make sure to attend it if you marry Luna as well. Otherwise, I''m crashing your party."


    Lux nodded "Understood." He was dealing with so many things right now, and he still had a world to save. However, that didn''t mean that he wasn''t thinking about the future.


    Luna was waiting for him back on Earth, so he had to survive this cmity first. Otherwise, he was afraid that she would wait for him forever until she grew old and decrepit.


    That day, Aurora was introduced to the world of Movies.


    She was surprised and amazed that such a thing existed. Also, when she first saw Luna, she immediately understood why Lux said that she looked like an older version of Aina.


    "Let''s save the world so that Luna can reunite with her sister," Aurora said softly as she held Lux''s hand.


    "Yes," Lux replied as he watched the movie that took six months to produce.


    That time that he had spent with Luna was one of his most bittersweet memories.


    Memories that he wanted to experience again after he settled the problems that he had to face when he returned to Sis and Elysium.

 Chapter 1179 A Beautiful Flower That Bloomed Only For Him [Part 1]

    Chapter 1179 A Beautiful Flower That Bloomed Only For Him [Part 1]


    After much deliberation and with Aurora''s encouragement, Lux asked James and Kazogonaga for a favor.


    And that favor was to help him return to Earth so that he could talk to Luna for a day and tell her to not be sad anymore because he found a way to visit her. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Of course, James was fine with this request.


    Compared to going back to Elysium, going to Earth was just like snapping a finger.


    With the Bifrost Bridge allowing him to travel instantly to that world, it wouldn''t take much effort to give Lux a day to see the sad actress, who missed him terribly.


    ording to Kazogonaga, Luna was starring in another project and was shooting near a desert.


    Of course, the film crew and the director would not allow random people to just walk up to their set and say hi.


    However, if it was the Superstar Kazogonaga, they would be more than happy to allow him and his entourage to visit their set and watch them film.


    ��������������


    Somewhere in B-Country��


    "And cut!" Director Francesca shouted, and the crew finally rxed.


    The scene was difficult because of its intensity, but Luna and the other side characters of the project were able to pull it off perfectly.


    After her amazing performance in Cantare, Director Francesca decided to cast Luna in the next project she was working on.


    However, her role in this movie was only that of a supporting Lead Character.


    Even so, Luna was still thankful for the work because it allowed her to momentarily forget the sadness in her heart.


    "Good take," Director Francesca said to Luna. "We will pack up soon and return to the city. Make sure to take a proper rest tonight at the hotel because tomorrow, we will be staying in the desert heat to shoot a couple of scenes for the movie."


    "Understood, Director," Luna replied. Suddenly, they saw a van approaching their set, which made Director Francesca frown.


    Just as she was about to call the security guards they hired to protect them from any threats in the desert, the car stopped, and a rainbow-colored Anteater stepped down from the van and waved at the film crew.


    "It''s Lord Kazo!" one of the crew gasped in surprise. "Oh my god! My niece loves him. She even bought a Kazogonaga plushie and hugged it to sleep."


    "Mine, too!"


    "I have one of those as well. They are so soft, and you can even use them as a pillow."


    There were several new faces among the crew who never had the chance to work with Kazogonaga in the past. Because of this, they were very happy to see him on the set.


    All of them wanted to take his photograph and even take selfies with him to brag to their family and friends.


    A few secondster, a young man stepped out of the van and nced in Luna''s direction.


    The beautiful actress'' eyes widened in shock when she saw the young man, whom she hadn''t seen for a while.


    Director Francesa also recognized Lux, making her re in his direction.


    "Oi! You bastard!" Director Francesa shouted. "How dare you disappear without even telling anyone?! Do you know themotion you caused several months ago? Come here, I''m going to give you a good beating!"


    Lux smiled bitterly as he walked toward the Director, as well as the youngdy, whose eyes had locked onto his body.


    She wanted to hug him so badly right now, but if she were to do that, things might beplicated with her acting career.


    Because of this, she held herself back and tried to greet Lux as normally as she could.


    "It''s been a while since west saw each other," Luna said. "Are you doing well?"


    "Not really," Lux replied. "But I''m here. That''s all that matters."


    Before Lux could even say anything else, Director Francesca pulled on his right ear, which made Luna giggle.


    Lux didn''t even resist the olderdy''s "revenge" because he was guilty of suddenly disappearing without notice after the end of their filming.


    He was now a Supreme, so a normal human wouldn''t be able to hurt him even if they kicked him in the balls.


    Perhaps, seeing that her punishment didn''t have any effect on the Half-Elf, Director Francesca cursed loudly, which was unbing of a famous director like her.


    "Young man, we will have a lot of things to discuss," Director Francesca stated. "Make sure to not disappear anywhere without telling me, okay?"


    "Okay," Lux replied.


    However, he only nned to stay until morning before he and James resumed their journey to travel back to Elysium.


    He only wanted to tell Luna that he could visit her now, making her fears of not seeing him again go away.


    Of course, in order to have this opportunity, he needed to beat Daniel first and rid the world of any Abyssal Threat, allowing him to return to Earth and stay by Luna''s side for extended periods of time.


    It took the crew an hour to pack everything up before they drove to the city, which was a one-hour drive from the location they had filmed at.


    After arriving at the hotel, Kazogonaga was immediately booked a Presidential Suite before the Anteater could even say anything.


    For the hotel, having him there was like the ultimate promotion that they could use to attract more customers to their establishment.


    Since Lux was part of Kazogonaga''s entourage, he was also given a room for himself, free of charge.


    The Half-Elf joined the film crew for dinner and chatted with Luna and Director Francesca.


    ording to the Director, she had high hopes for the movie, Cantare, and she was even looking forward to the awards that she would receive the moment it hit the box office.


    Luna talked sparingly, but her eyes spoke a thousand words.


    Lux held her hand under the table, allowing the youngdy to finally calm down and understand that everything that was happening wasn''t a dream.


    An hourter, Luna retired to her room, and Lux sneakily entered it without anyone seeing him.


    As soon as he closed the door firmly behind him, Luna was not able to hold back any longer and jumped into his arms.


    Lux caught the youngdy, whose tears fell on his shirt like rain.


    No words were spoken between them, and before Lux knew it, he was already on the bed, pinned down by the beautiful actress.


    She was very beautiful, like a flower in full bloom.


    A beautiful flower that bloomed only for him.

 Chapter 1180 A Beautiful Flower That Bloomed Only For Him [Part 2]

    Chapter 1180 A Beautiful Flower That Bloomed Only For Him [Part 2]


    After their hearts and bodies were sated, Luna rested her head on Lux''s chest and hugged him firmly.


    This was the happiest day of her life ever since the Half-Elf had left her to return to his world.


    Deep inside, she couldn''t help but feel that meeting him again was a miracle.


    Of course, Luna was willing to wait.


    She was willing to wait for him even if it took a decade or, perhaps, even more.


    However, the uncertainty of seeing him again gnawed at her heart and spirit, making her feel depressed.


    If not for the fact that she had been made busy by filming and solidifying her career as an actress, she might have entered a reclusive state, not going anywhere outside of her room unless absolutely necessary.


    Her work was the only thing that allowed her to forget the warmth of his touch, the gentleness of his embrace, and the words of love he had whispered in her ears.


    Right now, she was feeling that warmth while being held in the embrace of the young man to whom she had offered her body and heart.


    The two of them talked in hushed voices while in this state.


    Lux told her that he had found a way to visit her, but he couldn''t stay for long because he still had unfinished business in Elysium.


    He didn''t dare tell her that he had juste from the Abyss in order to find his lover, who had died while protecting everyone she held dear.


    Aurora had stayed behind in the world of Hestia and was currently having fun watching movies and TV shows.


    Fortunately, one of William''s wives, who went by the name Erinys, was someone who loved to watch shows on NetFix.


    She and Aurora were currently binge-watching one of her favorite shows, which also caught the interest of the beautiful Subus who decided to stay behind and wait for Lux''s return.


    As much as she also wanted to meet Luna, she understood that this wasn''t the right time to do so. Because of this, she allowed Lux to meet her alone and make the beautiful actress feel the love that she thought she had lost forever.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "So, after you''re done with this business, will youe and meet me again?" Luna asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "And I will bring Aina with me when I do. I promise."


    "Good." Luna fought off a yawn, as she desperately tried to keep herself awake.


    Her lover told her that he would be gone by sunrise to return to his world. Truth be told, Luna was afraid that the moment she woke up in the morning, everything that happened would be just a dream.


    Even though she knew it wasn''t one, a part of her was thinking that this was simply too good to be true.


    Perhaps, knowing that she would think that everything was just a dream, Lux decided to leave a few kiss marks in ces that wouldn''t be seen by anyone but Luna.


    This would prove to the youngdy that everything she experienced was real.


    Of course, Lux intended to wake her up before he disappeared again.


    A proper goodbye was necessary in order to make the hearts of the people, who would be left behind, at ease.


    "Sleep," Lux kissed the youngdy''s forehead. "I''ll wake you up before I go. I promise."


    "Okay," Luna reluctantly replied as she finally closed her eyes to sleep.


    Their filming took nearly an entire day, and she was dead tired. However, she still used her remaining strength to make love to Lux and feel him deep inside of her.


    With thest of her strength gone, she fell asleep in an instant.


    She was even snoring lightly, which made the Half-Elf''s heart ache.


    Because of this, he made hery on the bed properly, before hugging her body.


    He then closed his eyes to sleep as well.


    As much as he wanted to cherish this moment, he was also very exhausted from their journey to the Abyss.


    He was now a Supreme, and his body was way stronger than ever before. But the exhaustion he felt in his mind and spirit was something that not even the power of a Supreme could brush off so easily.


    Lux was so worried about what was happening in Elysium that even spending a day with Luna was his limit.


    If not for the threat that was hanging over his home world, he would have stayed with Luna for a few days and kept herpany.


    s, it was not meant to be.


    Several hourster, Lux opened his eyes and looked outside the window of Luna''s room.


    The sky was still dark, and yet, he knew that it was already time to say goodbye.


    Using his power to revitalize the body of his lover, Lux gently shook Luna awake.


    "Is it time for you to leave?" Luna asked.


    Thest dregs of sleepiness melted away inside her mind like butter, reced with sadness.


    "Yes," Lux replied. "But there is no need for you to worry. Like I said, I now have a way to visit you. Just give me some time, and I will return here with Aina."


    Luna nodded before hugging her lover onest time.


    "This is not a dream, right?" Luna asked. Lux smiled mischievously, as he lightly pinched her butt, making Luna gasp in shock.


    "So, are you now awake?" Lux inquired.


    "I hate you," Luna pouted.


    However, she still wrapped her arms around Lux''s neck and stood on her tiptoe to kiss his lips.


    "Come and see me as soon as you can," Luna said softly. "I will be waiting for you and my sister to pay me a visit. However, make sure to stay for a few days�� no. You must stay for at least a week on your next visit."


    Lux chuckled before nodding his head. "I will. I promise."


    "Good." Luna then hugged Lux''s tightly.


    This hugsted for two minutes before she reluctantly took a step back.


    "Go," Luna replied. "I now know that this isn''t a dream. Safe travels, Lux, and may you return to your world safely."


    "Goodbye, Luna," Lux replied. "I wille and see you soon."


    The Half-Elf then opened the window in order to take flight.


    However, before he went away, he gave Luna a reassuring smile and onest wave of goodbye.


    Luna returned the gesture with a smile on her face.


    She knew that the next time she saw the handsome Half-Elf, she would experience the sweetest dream with the sister she loved and the man whom she was looking forward to spending forever with.


    ��----------

 Chapter 1181 It’s My Win! [Part 1]

    Chapter 1181 It��s My Win! [Part 1]


    After leaving Earth, Lux returned to Hestia and found Aurora seated on afortable couch, eating popcorn with the beautiful Halfling, Erinys. ??v�lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on ??v�l??n.


    She was one of William''s wives, and her hobby was watching Soap Operas, Adaptations, as well as Anime on Netfix.


    Having found a watching buddy, Erinys was very sad when Aurora bid her farewell. However, Aurora promised that after they finished dealing with the problems in their world, she would visit Hestia so that they could finish the rest of the Halfling''s rmendations.


    Aurora was also quite sad that she only managed to watch half of the show called Squirt Game, where people cleared life and death trials in order to live another day and earn millions of money.


    "I''ll be waiting for you," Erinys said as she held Aurora''s hand. "Promise me that you''ll be safe, okay?"


    "I will be safe," Aurora replied and hugged her new-found friend. "Lux will protect me."


    Erinys hugged her friend tightly for a few seconds before reluctantly taking a step back. "I''m sure he will protect you, especially after everything he has gone through in order to reunite with you." Erinys smiled. "Both of you, be safe. I will be waiting for your triumphant return."


    "Thank you, Erinys," Lux said. "Let''s go, Aurora."


    Aurora nodded and the two of them held hands before leaving the Ainsworth Royal Pce.


    James was already waiting for them outside, and as soon as he saw the two teenagers, he climbed on top of his eight-legged horse and reached out to help Lux and Aurora mount Sleipnir''s back.


    "Are both of you ready?" James asked.


    ""Yes.""


    James then patted the neck of his trusty steed, signaling to Sleipnir that it was time to leave.


    The eight-legged horse then ran full throttle before it gradually rose to the sky, moving at great speeds.


    Soon, they broke past through the atmosphere of the World of Hestia and traveled through outer space.


    Sleipnir''s speed further increased, and before long, Lux and Aurora found themselves traveling in a familiar tunnel, where the lights of the stars sped past them.


    Sleipnir ventured forward, closing the distance between them and the world of Elysium, which was about to enter a critical stage in the war against the Outer God and his Abyssal Army.


    ������������������


    Western Regions of Elysium��


    "The time has finallye," Nyathotep dered as he stood amid his Abyssal Legion. "It''s time to make these mortals understand that they never stood a fighting chance against me."


    The Outer God looked at the Floating Inds and Flying Ships of the Alliance in the distance with disdain.


    After nearly two weeks of hit-and-run battles, he now stood in hisst stronghold, ready to fight the Alliance in a bloody battle.


    King Azza, Keoza, Lady Augustina, the Beast King, and the Leaders of the various factions of the Alliance stared at the sea of Abyssal Creatures that spanned across the horizon.


    They were like a ck tide ready to swallow the world, and the majority of them were alien-looking abominations that had turned golden in color.


    "By the Gods, I think there are nearly a billion of those vile things under Nyathotep''s control," the Beast King grimaced. "Do you think��"


    The Beast King wasn''t able to finish his question when the Sovereign of Memento Mori cut him off.


    "During our journey, we haven''t seen a single Human corpse in or near the fallen Kingdoms and Empires that we visited," the old man said. "I believe that those golden abominations are born from the dead bodies of people. "I am a Necromancer, and I havemitted many vile acts in my lifetime, but I have never done something to this extent. I''m sure my otherrades will agree that seeing this scene makes us feel inferior as Necromancers."


    "You mean, you would have done such a thing if given the chance?" the Founder of the Divine Army sneered.


    "I will not say that the possibility doesn''t exist," the Sovereign of Memento Mori replied. "But I''d rather choose to raise the dead from the cemeteries and Ancient battlefields than to kill millions of people without a proper reason."


    "So, can your Undead Legion deal with these small fries?" the Founder of the Divine Army asked. The Sovereign smiled. "Of course. Let us handle the small fries. You can go aim for the Outer God''s neck if you''re that capable."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Founder of the Divine Army frowned but no longer said anything.


    Truth be told, he had tried to contact the Sovereign of their organization many times to ask that he send the newly created Apostles over in order to fight against the Abyss.


    However, the only reply he received from the other side was the words, "The Apostles are still not ready. I need more time."


    Even a few hours ago, he had gotten the same reply from the Sovereign, who had stayed behind in their Underground Base to continue the production of their Apostles.


    "Everyone get ready to attack!" King Azza shouted, and his orders spread far and wide, reaching all the Floating Inds and Flying Ships of the Alliance.


    As soon as the orders were given, the Floating Ind of Heaven''s Gate unleashed an opening barrage of st Bombs that rained down on the Abyssal Army like a carpet of destruction.


    By now, Nyathotep had already figured out the range of the Floating Ind''s bombardment, as well as the weapons it employed in battle.


    With a wave of his hand, a purple barrier rose up to shield his forces from the bombardment of Heaven''s Gate.


    When the first barrage ended, underneath the Alliance''s formation, countless giant ck tentacles rose up from the ground, ready to engage them inbat.


    The Alliance had seen these tentacles many times over the past few weeks of battle. Just like how Nyathotep knew The Alliance''s abilities, thetter also knew the tricks that he was employing.


    In simple terms, both sides had already gotten used to each other''s fighting style and had already developed countermeasures for each.


    The moment the ck tentacles appeared, the Dragons the Dragon Borns, as well as anyone who had the ability to fight while flying in the sky, attacked the Giant Tentacles that were right under their noses.


    While this was happening, Nyathotep''s Abyssal Army surged forward, marking the start of the final battle between the Outer God and the members of the Alliance.

 Chapter 1182 It’s My Win! [Part 2]

    Chapter 1182 It��s My Win! [Part 2]


    "All teams, mobilize!" Great General Garret ordered.


    Soon, countless Gyrocopters left the Floating Ind of Edea and joined the Dragons in fighting against the giant ck tentacles and the Abyssal Monsters that they were hiding inside their bodies.


    Countless flying Abyssal Creatures covered the sunlight, turning day into night, and the sounds of explosions reverberated across the entire battlefield as everyone finally unleashed their Trump Cards, determined to exterminate as many enemies as they could.


    Both sides were now out for blood, and blood flowed like rivers as the battlefield were littered with corpses.


    However, these corpses would either rise again as Zombies or Golden Abominations who continued to fight, even though the owners of those bodies were no longer present.


    The Abyssal Lords all attacked in full force, knowing that this time, there was no turning back.


    The Supremes also felt that this was the final battle, so they didn''t hold back and engaged the Abyssal Lords in a battle to the death.


    Dark clouds covered the sky as thunder and lightning boomed in the Heavens.


    The roars of countless Monsters, Humans, Beastkins, Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Gnomes, and all the other races of Elysium mingled with each other, creating a chaotic symphony of death and destruction.


    All this time, Nyathotep only watched the battle from afar as itmanded its forces to fight to the death.


    Cethus and Gerhart fought side by side in the sky as they dealt with an Empyrean-Ranked Abyssal Wyvern that had almost destroyed a Gnome Flying Battleship.


    After sessfully killing the Empyrean Ranked Wyvern, it was converted into an Undead Wyvern to fight for their side.


    Hundreds of Bone Dragons unleashed their Dragon Breaths at the approaching Abyssal Army, incinerating those who were not strong enough to resist their Draconic Might.


    Suddenly, something unexpected happened.


    A Golden Abomination extended its tentacle to grab another one of its kind.


    A secondter, it hurled itsrade towards one of the Bone Dragons in the sky.


    When the Abominationtched its body sessfully onto the Bone Dragon''s body, it detonated itself, sending an explosion that not only destroyed the Bone Dragon but also damaged the nearby Flying Ships that were near its st radius.


    "N-No," the Founder muttered. "It cannot be!"


    As someone who had used the power of the Golden Scales in the past, he was very familiar with the left-over Divinity that it unleashed the moment one of their Apostles attempted a suicide attack.


    "�� Are you there?" the Founder asked right after activating the artifact that would allow him to contact the Sovereign of the Divine Army that was back at their Underground Headquarters.


    "I guess the cat is out of the bag now, eh?"


    The Founder of the Divine Army heard the Outer God''s teasing voice loud and clear from the artifact that he was holding in the palm of his hand.


    "How long have you had the Golden Scales?" the Founder asked. "You''re quite quick on the uptake," Nyathotep replied. "To answer your question, I gained this artifact nearly two weeks ago. Also, don''t bother asking if your Sovereign survived. He''s among those Golden Abominations that are swarming your army right now. Who knows? The one that might attack you next might be him."


    "Bastard!" The Founder of the Divine Army roared out of anger and frustration. He had already been feeling that something had gone terribly wrong a week ago, and he couldn''t easily ept it now that it was confirmed.


    Nyathotep''sughter spread through the artifact in the Founder''s hand, making him crush it out of anger.


    After regaining hisposure, he warned the other leaders that his people had beenpromised and had been transformed into the Golden Abominations they were fighting against.


    Soon, more explosions shook the surroundings as dozens of Golden Abominations detonated themselves, destroying the Bone Dragons, Killing Dragons, as well as the flying ships in the surroundings.


    They didn''t even care if they detonated in the ces where their allies were fighting against the members of the Alliance.


    This caused massive deaths on both sides, but Nyathotep didn''t care like always.


    For it, the Abyssal Lords, the Abyssal Monsters, and the Golden Abominations were merely tools to be used to achieve the thing it wanted to achieve.


    Suddenly, a giant Crystal Dragon and a Giant Golden Dragon appeared on the battlefield, whose ranks had shot up to the peak of the Demigod Rank.


    They were none other than Keoza and King Azza, who had taken on their Dragon Forms in order to take out the Outer God personally.


    "It looks like they no longer want to y." Nyathotep sneered. "Fine. Let''s see what the two of you can do!"


    The Outer God unleashed its full powers and grew a pair of ck wings on its back.


    Nyathotep was already hideous and vile-looking. With the wings behind its back, it was like a flying monster that hade out of a horror movie.


    With an arrogantugh that echoed across the entire battlefield, Nyathotep faced off against the two Dragons, who stood at the Apex of Elysium.


    Keoza unleashed a Crystal Breath, while King Azzaplimented it with a Lightning Breath.


    The two powerful breath attacks flew toward the Outer God, but thetter only looked at them in contempt before raising the ck Scale and summoning its Guardian to fight.


    A giant ck Statue emerged from the ground and raised its shield to block the two breath attacks that were aimed at its Master.


    The attacks made the Giant Statue take a few steps back, but after getting a firm foothold, it managed to stand against the breath attacks of two of the strongest beings in Elysium.


    Nyathotep then unleashed countless dark rays at the two giant Dragons, forcing them to evade. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Keoza and King Azza didn''t dare to meet the Outer God''s attacks head-on, for it was an entity whom they had no idea what its attacks could do.


    The giant ck Statue grew bigger until it became as big as Lux''s Deus Gigantia.


    "What''s wrong?" Nyathotep asked as itnded on the shoulder of the ck Giant in a teasing tone. "Is that all you''ve got?"


    Keoza and King Azza exchanged a nce and nodded their heads at the same time.


    The two Dragons then flew high in the sky, reaching thousands of meters in the air.


    Nyathotep frowned because he had no idea what the two nned to do.


    However, a momentter, countless meteors, which were the size of a truck, descended upon the Abyssal Army and turned the rear of their formation into a hellishndscape that reaped the lives of countless golden abominations, as well as the lives of countless Abyssal Monsters.

 Chapter 1183 It’s My Win! [Part 3]

    Chapter 1183 It��s My Win! [Part 3]


    "Well yed." Nyathotep had to admit that the two Dragon Kings werepetent enough to lead the Alliance to fight against it. However, this was still not enough to faze it. The Giant ck Statue then raised its sword before unleashing a sword sh toward the Floating Inds, who were at the front of the Alliance''s battle formation.


    A giant ck Crescent de emerged from its sword, slicing one of the Floating Inds of Karshvar Draconis in half, as well as the other ships that were right behind it.


    The Crescent de flew dangerously close to the Floating Ind of Edea, where the Guild Headquarters of Heaven''s Gate was located.


    Loud explosions reverberated in the surroundings as one of the Floating Ind of Karshvar Draconis fell to the ground. The other Flying Ships that were hit by the attack earlier exploded mid-air, causing damage to the other Flying Ships that were adjacent to them. Nyathotep sneered and ordered the Giant ck Statue to unleash another sword sh, which was meant to obliterate anotherrge chunk of the Alliance''s forces.


    The Giant Statue obeyed, and another ck Crescent de flew toward the battle formation of the Alliance, not caring whether it hit even its allies.


    A loud Draconic roar reached everyone''s ears as Keoza dived down from the sky and erected a Crystal Barrier, stopping the Giant Statue''s attack.


    At the same time that this happened, a lightning breath descended from the sky and attacked the Outer God Directly.


    Unfortunately, the Giant ck Statue blocked the attack with a round shield that had materialized in its left hand.


    "You have to do better than that, Dragon King," Nyathotep said in a teasing tone as the Giant ck Statue started to charge towards the formation of the alliance with its shield raised in front of it.


    Clearly, it was nning to use its shield to charge through the enemies that were right in front of it, crushing them through brute force.


    Keoza once again raised a Crystal Barrier in an attempt to block the Giant''s charge, but to his surprise, his Crystal Barrier shattered mere seconds after the shield collided with it.


    Although the speed of the Giant''s Statue''s charge slowed down a bit, it still had enough momentum to m its shield against the Crystal Dragon and send him flying.


    "My King!" Lady Augustina shouted after seeing Keoza crash toward the ground, thousands of meters away from the formation of the Alliance.


    With nothing stopping its way, Nyathotepughed out loud as the ck Giant Statue once again charged forward, intending to destroy everything in its path, not caring whether they were friend or foes.


    At that exact moment, a beam of light hit the side of the Giant ck Statue and pushed it to the side, stopping its deathly charge toward the member of the Alliance.


    Nyathotep red hatefully in the distance and saw a Giant Flying Bone Ship.


    However, it wasn''t alone.


    Countless other Flying Ships with Pirate gs fluttering in the breeze surrounded it like satellites ready to strike.


    "I''ll sing you a song, it''s the song of the sea," Eiko, who was in her Fairy Princess Form, sang with a sneer on her adorable face. "I''ll see you a song if you sing it with me~"


    The Pirates who were now members of the Boom Boom Pirate Crew all sang the chorus of the song, raising the morale of the Alliance, who saw that reinforcements had arrived.


    "And it''s row, me bully boys, we''re in a hurry boys,


    We got a long way to go.


    And we''ll sing and we''ll dance and bid farewell to chance,


    And it''s row, me bully boys row."


    The Pirates of the Boom Boom Pirate Crew all moved toward the Abyssal Legion in order to help their allies in battle.


    Eiko and Poseidon faced Nyathotep and its Giant ck Statue, making the Outer God''s smiling face disappearpletely.


    Truth be told, it wasn''t afraid of facing off against the entirety of the Alliance.


    However, whenever it faced the Baby Slime, it always suffered a loss, making it treat the Fairy Princess seriously.


    "So, you''ve finallye," Nyathotep said. "I have been expecting you."


    Eiko didn''t say anything and simply ordered Poseidon to unleash another beam attack at the ck Giant, who had lost its arm, which was holding the sword earlier.


    Nyathotep sneered as he cast a spell that he had prepared to counter Poseidon''s deadly beam strike.


    Bending the space in front of it, a purple portal appeared and swallowed Poseidon''s attack.


    When thest of its beam strike had faded, another portal appeared above Nyathotep, sending back the beam strike that it had absorbed earlier right towards the annoying Fairy Princess, who had gotten in his way one too many times already! n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Come, C2!" Eiko ordered.


    Suddenly, a gigantic figure appeared between the Bone Ship and the beam attack that Nyathotep had returned toward Poseidon.


    A loud explosion shook the entire battlefield as the beam attack collided with something, sending a powerful shock wave that blew everything within five hundred meters around Poseidon away.


    A dust cloud covered everyone''s vision, preventing them from seeing the oue. Great General Garret and Emma, who were on the Floating Ind of Edea, couldn''t help but feel anxious after seeing that Poseidon had taken a direct hit from its own beam attack.


    But, just as everyone thought that the Bone Ship had been destroyed, something stirred within the ck smoke, making Nyathotep frown.


    A giant wed hand swiped the dust cloud away, revealing a Gigantic Monster with a squid-like face and countless tentacles dangling from its face.


    It was Eiko''stest creation C2, which was the shortened version of its original name, which was Cthulhu.


    ����������������


    < Cthulhu >


    "That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange eons even death may die."


    One Who Dreams At The Depths Of the Sea


    Rating: SSR++++++++++


    Rank: Strongest Demigod of Elysium (World Boss)


    Health: ?????????????????? / ??????????????????


    Mana: ?????????????????? / ??????????????????


    Strength: ??????????????????


    Intelligence: ??????????????????


    Vitality: ??????????????????


    Agility: ??????????????????


    Dexterity: ??????????????????


    Title: The One Who Wiped The Dinosaurs Out Of The World.


    Note: You want stats and vor text? I will give you stats and vor text!


    ����������������


    With the order of its Master, the Giant Monster of the Deep, charged with a roar that shook thends and the heavens.


    The strongest Demigod of Elysium had finally appeared in the world and, with its appearance, the Outer God''s face became as dark as the night.


    (E/N: Bad Guys who can''t handlepetition. Tsk tsk tsk.)


    (E/N: I can never look at the C2 drink the same way again.)

 Chapter 1184 It’s My Win! [Part 4]

    Chapter 1184 It��s My Win! [Part 4]


    With a single punch from C2, the Giant ck Statue staggered backward.


    With another punch, it was sent flying for thousands of meters, alongside the Demigod that stood on its shoulder.


    A different creature was supposed to be born from the Bone Cauldron that Eiko had summoned.


    With ten Demigod Cores, a powerful monster was guaranteed to appear.


    But things changed when Nyathotep decided to seek out Eiko in order to steal the Golden Anchor from her hands.


    Unfortunately for the Outer God, its ns were ruined when the Demigods and Cmity-Ranked Monsters of the sea all rose up to the surface and fought against it and the Abyssal Lords that it had brought along to hunt Eiko down.


    Ten of those Abyssal Lords died in that skirmish before the rest fled toward the portal in order to escape.


    Even Nyathotep''s clone failed to escape that encounter and was vaporized by Poseidon''s powerful beam attack.


    The Bone Cauldron then grabbed the bodies of the ten Abyssal Lords, who still had their Demigod Cores.


    This development changed the nature of the creature it was forming, resulting in the birth of the strongest Demigod that the world had ever seen.


    Regardless of what the Giant ck Statue did, it was unable topete with C2''s raw strength and power.


    With each sh, parts of its body were destroyed, making it look extremely pitiful.


    The darkness in Nyathotep''s face disappeared when he discovered something interesting within the Giant, who had a squid-like face.


    ''Hahaha! What a stroke of luck!'' Nyathotep rejoiced after confirming that its guess was correct. Earlier, it had nned on escaping, but after confirming theposition of the Giant Monster was simr to, only being slightly inferior in strength whenpared to Nyathotep''s true body in the Abyss, an idea popped inside its head.


    Many thought that the Outer God''s true body was in Elysium, but in truth, it was still in the Abyss.


    Nyathotep was simply too strong to descend into Elysium, so it had to divide off a portion of its true body and lower its rank to the peak of the Demigod Rank.


    To further decrease its strength, allowing it to pass through the fabric of time and space, it split into clones, greatly reducing the pressure that it would receive the moment it stepped into the world of Elysium.


    The Outer God''s body back in the Abyss was covered by a fleshy cocoon, allowing it to enter a state of hibernation, while its consciousness controlled its body and the clones it had created.


    This was the reason why Daniel was able tomunicate with Nyathotep''s consciousness even though the connection between the worlds had been cut off from each other.


    The moment C2 destroyed the Giant ck Statue, it immediately lunged toward the Giant Monster and transformed into a ck slime.


    Nyathotep then forcefully entered C2''s mouth, catching the Demigod by surprise.


    A momentter, it started to hold its head as if it was suffering from a painful headache.


    ck tentacles emerged from its body andshed out to everything around it.


    "Retreat!" King Azza ordered with a grim expression on his face. "Get as far away as you can now!"


    Poseidon also backed away because it was feeling that something had gone terribly wrong with itsrade who had just defeated the Giant ck Statue, who nowy on the ground in pieces.


    Eiko looked at her newest subordinate with a frown on her face.


    She also had a very bad feeling as C2 roared, making the sky and thend tremble due to its intensity.


    A minuteter, the roaring stopped and was reced byughter.


    "Hahahaha!" C2ughed. "Good! This body is perfect! Thank you for giving me such a wonderful gift."


    The Giant Monster with a squid-like face then raised his hand, sending countless ck tentacles flying toward Poseidon.


    Eiko, who realized that C2 had been taken over by Nyathotep, shouted amand.


    "Stop!" Eiko ordered.


    The tentacles that were about to attack Poseidon froze mid-air, stopping its attackpletely.


    Seeing this, Nyathotep frowned.


    ''It seems that this body is still following her on an instinctual level,'' Nyathotep mused. It had just fused with C2''s body, so it was understandable that it was still not fully under its control.


    This meant that staying wasn''t an option since Eiko would still be able to control the vessel that it was currently possessing.


    ''No matter. This wasn''t part of the original n anyway,'' the Demigod then retracted its tentacles andughed a second time.


    "Members of the Alliance, it was a pleasure toying with all of you," Nyathotep said. "However, even if this gift that I have humbly received hadn''t arrived, the ending would still have been the same.


    "While all of you here thought that you were waging thest battle to rid your world from my influence, I can only say that all of you have been wrong this entire time."


    Anotherugh escaped Nyathotep''s face as he nced at the two Dragon Kings, who were the leaders of the Alliance. "This whole battle was just a big distraction, acting as a smokescreen to prevent you from realizing my real goal in this world. It was never my goal to fight an all-out battle with all of you. No. This is just a farce that all of you decided to believe."


    Nyathotep then raised his hand, and the millions of golden abominations that were still alive on the battlefield all rose up and flew toward the Giant Monster with a squid-like face.


    "I will now leave for the true battlefield that has been waiting for me," Nyathotep sneered. "All of you can despair knowing that no matter what you do, you will be unable to arrive in time to do anything."


    After saying those words, Nyathotep disappeared, alongside his minions, leaving the Abyssal Lords and the Demigods behind.


    ����������������������


    Espoir Frieden��


    The sky darkened, turning the day into night.


    A giant ck dome encapsted the entirety of the Elven Kingdom, as well as the refugees that had gathered to seek shelter from the Abyss.


    Hereswith''s eyes widened in shock after sensing that a blockade had been erected around the Elven Kingdom, cutting off her connection with everyone outside of its range.


    Suddenly, a giant that was over a hundred fifty meters tall appeared outside the Kingdom of the High-Elves.


    Nyathotep then raised its hand, summoning the ck Scales and activating its powers.


    A metallic ring spread in the surroundings, making those who heard it feel their bodies weaken.


    Hereswith''s face paled when she noticed that her Rank, which was a peak Demigod, dropped to that of a Peak Cmity Rank Monster.


    The High-Elven King''s rank, which was a Supreme, also fell to that of a Saint, shocking him greatly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was not only the two of them.


    Everyone, inside the ck dome that Nyathotep had created had their ranks decrease by one whole realm, making them shudder.


    "Did you really believe that I had forgotten about the World Tree?" Nyathotep asked in a teasing tone. "As long as it is destroyed, this entire world''s strength will decrease drastically, making everyone drop a realm, just like what is happening to all of you."


    The Outer God then chuckled as it waved its hand.


    Countless Golden Abominations appeared around him, who all shifted their attention towards the Elven Kingdom, which was said to have the strongest defense force protecting its territory.


    Now, those defenders had been stripped of the strength that allowed them to protect their Domain and, with it, a tide of Golden Abominations charged towards the city with a maddened glint in their countless eyes.


    (E/N: How dare you end it here?)

 Chapter 1185 Nightmare Personified

    Chapter 1185 Nightmare Personified


    The Alliance, who was still in the Western Regions of Elysium, didn''t know where Nyathotep had gone with the body of the Giant that Eiko had summoned to help them fight earlier.


    King Azza and Keoza both knew that they weren''t a match for the creature earlier, and both of them now had grim expressions on their faces.


    A creature that was stronger than them as an ally was different from a creature that was stronger than them as their enemy.


    Also, it seemed that Nyathotep managed to take over the creature''s consciousness, making it twice as dangerous.


    The Mastermind of the War on Elysium might have left, but that didn''t mean that the battle was over.


    Facing millions of Abyssal Monsters, the Alliance knew that they still had to fight. They couldn''t let such a threat remain in their world.


    The Abyssal Lords, who had been left behind by Nyathotep, also understood that they were at the point of no return.


    Either they fought with everything they had in an attempt to survive, or they allowed themselves to die in the hands of the Alliance, whose numbers had grown significantly with the appearance of Eiko''s Boom Boom Pirates.


    While the battle was taking ce, Eiko stood on top of Poseidon''s deck with a frown on her face. N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter''s release on N0v3l--B1n.


    She could still feel her connection with C2, and she could also vaguely pinpoint its general location.


    However, when the Fairy Princess realized where Nyathotep currently was, her expression immediately turned grim.


    "Espoir Frieden!" Eiko shouted. "I need to save Mama!"


    Eiko immediately used her skill that would allow her to instantly teleport to Lux''s or Iris'' location.


    However, after using the skill, nothing happened, which made her eyes widen in shock.


    In order to prevent any reinforcements from appearing in Espoir Frieden, Nyathotep''s clone had painstakingly created a wide-area Magic Circle under the Earth, using the leylines surrounding the Elven Kingdom to create a dome of darkness, which manifested the Laws of the Abyss inside it.


    In short, the Elven Kingdom of Espoir Frieden had been temporarily turned into a Pseudo-Abyssal Land, which was made possible by the power of Azathoth, who was still sleeping at the deepestyer of the Abyss.


    Thisw prevented thews of Elysium from interfering with what was happening inside.


    The ck Dome only allowed Abyssal Creatures to enter and exit its territory, preventing any kind of reinforcementsing from outside.


    Knowing what was at stake, Eiko teleported to the Guild Headquarters of Heaven''s Gate and used its teleportation gate to teleport to the Fynn Kingdom.


    He left Avery and Poseidon behind to help the Alliance clean up the Abyssal Monsters.


    Also, Eiko could summon them anytime, anywhere.


    Because of this, she solely focused on making her way toward the Elven Kingdom of Espoir Frieden with the fastest speed she could muster.


    Eiko knew that it would still take her a day or two to arrive at her destination even with her full speed.


    She just hoped that when she arrived, her Mama would still be safe from the Outer God, who had taken over the strongest Demigod in Elysium.


    ������������������


    Espoir Frieden��


    Nyathotep watched as its army of Golden Abominations, which numbered in the tens of millions, swarmed toward the Elven Kingdom like a golden tide.


    The Outer God had its arms crossed over its chest as it relished the desperation, horror, and disbelief that had taken over the hearts of everyone in the High-Elven Kingdom.


    "Defend the World Tree with your lives!" the High-King of the Elves, Kazimir El Frieden, shouted. "If we fall here, Elysium will fall after! No matter what happens, the World Tree must survive!"


    The High King knew that even if they managed to survive the wave of Abominations that wasing their way, the moment Nyathotep made its move, everything would be over.


    However, the Outer God seemed to be content to watch the desperation on their faces, so it didn''t make any move and simply allowed its subordinates to terrorize the nonbatants from the different races who had all gathered in Espoir Frieden for protection.


    The safest ce in the world turned into the most dangerous ce in Elysium in a heartbeat.


    Hereswithmanded Jay Jatere, whose rank couldn''t fall lower than the Cmity Rank, using its powers to affect the enemies.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, there was one problem.


    Its powers to manipte the feelings of others by charming them didn''t work on the Golden Abominations, whose only reason for existence was death and destruction and were protected by the Divinity of one of the Pirs of Eternity.


    Its sibling, Luison, who was also one of the Seven Stars of Cmity and was currently under Lorelei''s control, howled and raised the morale of the protectors of the Elven Race.


    Luison was a Werewolf, standing six meters tall. Just like its brother, Jayson Jetere, its Rank couldn''t go lower than the Cmity Rank, making it among the top fighters that could defend the Elven Kingdom from the threat of the Golden Abominations.


    But that was it.


    It could only defend against them, but once Nyathotep moved, it would die just like everyone trapped inside the ck Dome, which made Espoir Frieden look like the Ruined Kingdom of Zangr before it was destroyed by the forces of the Abyss.


    "Louison, defend the people!" Lorelei ordered, making the Werewolf charge at the Abominations that were only hundreds of meters away from the walls of the Elven Kingdom.


    Hereswith opened her wings and rose high above the city.


    She then summoned her Deus Gigantia, whose Rank was that of a Demigod. Seeing this, Nyathotep only sneered. It was confident that even if there was a Demigod or two that would appear in the Elven Kingdom, it was still not enough to stop it from destroying itpletely.


    Luison then began its rampage and started to massacre the Golden Abominations that had scaled the walls of the city.


    The Saints, who had now been degraded to High-Rankers, were also giving their all to defend against the unending tide of Monsters that had started to ughter their way towards the city.


    Suddenly, a Golden Abomination lunged at Luison with its tentacles and countless teeth spread wide.


    At first, Luision thought that it was just one of the many Abominations in Nyathotep''s army.


    But, the moment they shed, the Beast of Cmity was sent flying by one of its tentacles, crashing into the structures in the city.


    A chuckle escaped Nyathotep''s lips because the one that attacked Luison was the former Sovereign of the Divine Army, who had been transformed into an abomination.


    The Abomination had the strength of a Demigod, which easily overpowered the Cmity Beast who had been weakened considerably by the Laws of the Abyss that permeated the entirety of the Elven Kingdom.


    Soon, cries of pain, horror, and despair reverberated in the surroundings.


    It didn''t matter whether they were Elves, Dragon Borns, Dwarves, Humans, Beast Kins, or one of the other races who had sought shelter within the Elven Kingdom of Espoir Frieden.


    All of them suffered the same fate when the Monsters, who looked like Creatures that had stepped out of their most horrifying nightmares, started a killing spree, dyeing the streets of the ancient Elven City with their blood.

 Chapter 1186 Title will be at the bottom to prevent spoilers

    Chapter 1186 Title will be at the bottom to prevent spoilers


    An hour after Nyathotep''s Abominations marched towards the city, a quarter of the Elven Kingdom had already fallen.


    Despite everyone''s desperate attempts to defend the city and its people, they were simply too weakened to resist the unending wave of Monsters, who let out a creepyugh every time they killed and ate someone.


    These synchronizedughter made the hearts of anyone who heard it shudder, further lowering the morale of the army.


    In the end, Nyathotep used its power to manipte the dark emotions of everyone, causing them to enter a berserk state, not caring whether they attacked friend or foe.


    Fortunately, Jay Jatere was quick to counter Nyathotep''s scheme, returning the sanity of the affected people.


    But in the end, that didn''t change anything.


    Their weakened minds were unable to ovee the fear and despair that they were facing.


    Soon, these Defenders started to run away from the frontlines, causing a domino effect to happen.


    "I don''t want to die!" one of the Elves shouted as he ran away with all of his might, causing hisrades to look at him in disbelief.


    But at the same time, they also understood that this battle was hopeless.


    Even if they fought, death would still im them in the end, so why even bother fighting?


    This mentality gripped the Soldiers, and one by one, they fled the battlefield, making the Elven King shout in anger.


    However, no matter how loud, King Kazimir shouted, and no matter how much he tried to rally his people, once the fear had taken root in their hearts, there was no way to stop its growth.


    The Dragon Borns, who had earlier helped in fighting against the Golden Abominations, returned to their Floating Inds in the hope that they could escape the death and destruction that was happening below them.


    There were still many people who hadn''t left their homes, hoping beyond hope that the Monsters wouldn''t be able to find them.


    But this was just the foolishness of those who refused to look at reality.


    All throughout the streets of the city, countless Elves, Humans, and other races were running desperately to find a safe ce to hide.


    Behind them, the Golden Abominations let out their eerieughs as if they were enjoying this game of hide and seek while pushing their prey to the edge of despair, causing them to go crazy.


    One such Abomination stripped the roof off an Elven House and looked at the mother and child who were huddling together.


    "Mother, I''m scared!" a five-year-old girl cried in her mother''s embrace.


    "It will be alright," the mother replied with tears streaming down her eyes, as she held her child in a protective embrace. "We will always be together. Mother will always be with you."


    Using her body as a shield, the Elf Lady hugged her child tightly.


    Seeing that its prey didn''t n to escape, the Golden Abomination chuckled before opening its mouth to feast on fresh meat that was filled with the vor of fear.


    But just as it was about to have its meal, something fell on top of its head and pierced its body with a ck de.


    A knight covered in ck armor from head to foot twisted the sword in his hands before pulling it out of the Golden Abomination, who copsed on the ground dead.


    The ck Knight''s cape fluttered in the wind as it nced at the mother and daughter pair.


    With a snap of its finger, two Doomknight Gangbangers rose up to carry the mother and child to safety.


    Suddenly, despite the loud cries of the desperate people and theughter of the Golden Abominations, a firm and powerful voice reverberated in the surroundings, making Nyathotep look to the Eastern Side of the City.


    "I see things others can''t."


    The zing mes that were starting to ravage the city suddenly parted, revealing a young man who was walking as if he were just taking a casual stroll in the park.


    "Hear things others don''t."


    The sound of warcries, curses, and dying screams spread across the entire city as the invaders mercilessly attacked anything and everything in their path.


    However, things started to stir from the shadows, and those who had fallen rose up again, not as Abominations, but as Greater Undead who lunged at their killers and fought them tooth and nail.


    "Shed tears when others won''t."


    "And fight when others don''t."


    The sound of babies and children wailing in their mother''s arms could be heard everywhere as their parents desperately looked for a safe ce to hide in order to save themselves from the one-sided massacre that was taking ce around them.


    The Monsters that were preying on these helpless people suddenly found themselves getting smashed by the spiked mace of one of the most grotesque-looking creatures in the world, and yet, also possessed one of the kindest hearts among the young man''s subordinates.


    The same abomination sent flying earlier was turned to meat paste by a powerful smash from the Four-Armed Hero, who had a permanent devilish sneer stered on its face.


    "Have no fear!" Pazuzu shouted with his spiked mace raised high.


    "I AM HERE!" ALL-MITE dered before charging at another Monster and smashing it to oblivion. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    All around the city, countless Undead Warriors started to rise and engage the Golden Abominations who had been having the time of their lives earlier.


    Now, they faced not only the Undead Army that appeared out of nowhere but also the people they had just killed.


    Their eyes glowed red with the color of vengeance.


    "I seek the Monsters you fear the most," the Half-Elf said softly as he raised his hand, summoning countless Undead to fight for his side. "I chase the nightmares that gue your sweetest dreams."


    Countless men and women ran past him as they engaged the Monster Army which was now starting to feel a pressure rooted in their primal instinct.


    "I walk in the darkness so that others may see the light. I fight the creatures that threaten this world with all my might."


    A giant bone dragonnded in front of the Half-Elf and bowed its head in respect. The Half-Elf patted its head before jumping on its back, preparing to fight alongside his Undead Legion.


    With one mighty p of his tattered wings, Avernus soared toward the sky and uttered a deafening roar of defiance. Lux stood straight on his back like a sword, looking at the countless Monsters that were slowly advancing in his direction.


    "In a world where my existence has long been forgotten��" The Half-Elf stated as his bone dragon opened his mouth to unleash its Dragon Breath.


    "I will let you know the error of the path you have trodden!"


    ����������������

 Chapter 1187 I Seek The Monsters You Fear The Most [Part 2]

    Chapter 1187 I Seek The Monsters You Fear The Most [Part 2]


    Hereswith, who was desperately trying to fight against the unending tide of Golden Abominations suddenly felt her Rank return to the Peak of the Demigod Rank.


    She was part of Lux''s entourage, and his presence on the battlefield negated the effect of the Abyssal Laws that Nyathotep had set in ce on all of his allies.


    Originally, his power alone was not enough to fight against one of the Pirs of Eternity that had the power to bend thews of the world to its will.


    However, he was no longer the same as before.


    Not only had he stepped into the Ranks of Supreme, he was now also in possession of one of the Pirs of Eternity.


    The Golden Locket that represented Love, was passed unto him by Aurora during their lovemaking.


    She deemed that Lux would be able to use it better than her, especially since he would be facing someone like Daniel in the future.


    The golden locket''s specialty was protection.


    It could create powerful barriers that could withstand the strongest attacks once manifested.


    And right now, all of his subordinates'' bodies were coated with a thin film of this barrier, negating the effects of the Abyssal Law that decreased their Ranks by one realm.


    "Lux," Hereswith said as she looked at her Grand Disciple who was riding on top of Avernus,manding his Undead Legion to fight the enemies that were aiming to destroy and kill the people who were important in his life.


    His lovers were currently sheltered within the World Tree, so no matter what happened, he would prevent anyone and anything from harming them.


    "Grandmaster, I''ll handle this fiend," Lux said, giving the beautiful Elf a reassuring smile. "Please handle the small fries."


    "Understood," Hereswith replied. Now that her Rank had returned to its peak, she unleashed the full might of her profession, which was Heaven''s Necromancer, just like Lux.


    Under her influence, anyone that had died on the battlefield would automatically be resurrected into a Greater Undead, instead of turning into a Golden Abomination that served the Outer God.


    Truth be told, she no longer needed to do this because Lux was already doing the same. However, having two Necromancers working together was better than a Necromancer fighting alone. "Interesting," Nyathotep said. "How did you manage to enter the barrier? I am certain that only Abyssal Creatures can pass through it."


    "The answer to that is really simple."


    A carefree voice reached Nyathotep''s ears, making it nce towards the Northern side of the Elven Capital.


    There, it saw an Old Man seated on top of an eight-legged horse, and casually throwing a Silver Spear from time to time, saving the fleeing Elves from being killed by the Golden Abominations.


    "There is no ce in the multiverse that I cannot go to," James stated. James didn''t really want to interfere in this battle, but he just couldn''t turn a blind eye to the lives that could be saved by him.


    Because of this, he would throw his Spear, Gungnir, targeting the monsters who were pursuing the nonbatants in this battle.


    Nyathotep shrugged because it didn''t think Lux or the Old Man were a threat to its existence.


    After all, it had taken over the body of the strongest Demigod in Elysium, and even if all the Supremes and Demigods were to fight it, it would not fall.


    Yes, Nyathotep felt that it was invincible, and truly so.


    The vessel that it had taken over was perfect, and it gave it the strength that it needed to do what it wanted. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Destroy the World Tree, and make everyone in Elysium despair.


    "Avernus, support the others," Lux ordered. "I''ll take it from here."


    "Are you sure?" Avernus asked. "He is strong."


    "Don''t worry," Lux replied as a pair of Draconic Wings opened behind his back. "I can handle him."


    After saying those words, Lux flew towards the Towering Giant in the distance, who was looking at him as if he was an insignificant insect that it could crush anytime.


    "I grow tired of these games," Nyathotep dered. "It''s time for me to end this farce."


    From the beginning, the Outer God could have destroyed the World Tree and ended everything. But, doing so was very boring.


    Because of this, it decided to make the people in the Elven Kingdom despair, as its countless Golden Abominations eat them to thest man, woman, and child.


    But, seeing the changes on the battlefield, Nyathotep knew that this was no longer possible.


    Several powerful beings were leading the fight against its minions, and all of them were of the Demigod Rank, with some even at the Peak of the Demigod Rank.


    Hereswith, Avernus, ALL-MITE, were among those who stood out due to their incredible power and strength.


    However, there were others that were only a tier lower than them which were Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Orion, Lazarus, Asmodeus, Bedivere, Zagan, Revon, King Leoric, Shax, Andras, Draven, and Leonidas.


    They brought their hundred-thousand armies with them, which were now shing head-first with the Golden Abominations, who were suddenly finding themselves hard-pressed to continue pushing forward.


    The Millions of Undead, especially their leaders, seemed to bepeting with each other on who would be able to kill more enemies.


    Within this chaotic battlefield a ck coffin could be seen darting left and right, unleashing tens of thousands of powerful beings, which it had devoured while Lux was sealed in the block of Crystal.


    High-Rankers, Saints, Cmities, and Demigods.


    ckfire had them all, and it was now unleashing these fiends into the world.


    Among Lux''s subordinates, ckfire was perhaps the most determined to collect the strongest creatures, who would serve its Master. And now, its hard work was paying off as its minions rampaged across the battlefield, turning any Abomination they encountered into meat paste. With the Powerhouses under hismand joining the battle, Lux was certain that he didn''t need to worry about anything else.


    All he needed to do was face the Outer God, who had terrorized the entirety of Elysium, and thought of mortals as nothing but tools to pass off its boredom.


    "You said earlier that you seek the Monsters that people fear the most," Nyathotep said in a teasing tone. "Well, too bad, I am way out of your league, Boy."


    After saying those words, Nyathotep pointed at the World Tree in the distance and condensed a ck orb of light on the tip of its finger.


    "Next time you brag about something, make sure that you can back it up," Nyathotep stated"I AM INVINCIBLE!"


    It then unleashed a dark beam of light towards the World Tree, intending to destroy it with a single blow.


    A few secondster a powerful explosion shook thend, and a dense cloud of smoke spread in the surroundings.


    Nyathotep frowned because the oue that he was expecting didn''t happen.


    From within the dark smoke that rose up to the heavens, a pair of pale blue glowing orbs shone brightly.


    A momentter, a Giant Skeleton King emerged from it andughed.


    Both of its arms were destroyed because it used its body to block Nyathotep''s attack. Even so, it looked at the Outer God in ridicule for boasting to be Invincible.


    "We''ll see how invincible you really are." Lux sneered from inside the blue jewel of his Deus Gigantia.


    The destroyed arms of his Skeleton King recovered in mere seconds, making Nyathotep scoff.


    "It seems that you still think that you have what it takes to beat me," Nyathotep stated.


    "I don''t need to think," Lux replied as more arms emerged from the body of his Skeleton King, which were holding different weapons in each hand. "I will beat you."


    A red mist also appeared around its body and the Corpse God, who always protected Lux, manifested itself to merge with the Skeleton King, raising its attack and defense to the next level.


    "You will be a good warm up before I fight against Daniel," Lux stated as the Skeleton King charged towards Nyathotep with its weapons ready to strike.


    "Keep your dreams in you sleep, boy," Nyathotep replied as it, too, charged at the Skeleton King, who was of the same size as it. "It''s time to wake up to reality."


    A momentter, the two titans punched out, meeting each other''s fists, and officially starting the battle that would decide the fate of the World of Elysium.

 Chapter 1188 Outer God Versus Heaven’s Necromancer [Part 1]

    Chapter 1188 Outer God Versus Heaven��s Necromancer [Part 1]


    A single exchange was enough to create powerful shock waves that spread across the battlefield like a ripple, instantly annihting countless Golden Abominations that were at the rear of the Abyssal Army.


    Several of the Doomknight Gangbangers, Ancient Zombies, Ancient Ghouls, and Ancient Mummies that had spawned thanks to the Tombstones that Asmodeus had erected on the battlefield were shredded as well.


    The Tombstones were also destroyed, but Asmodeus just shrugged and erected more.


    The Undead Warlocks, Liches, Sorcerers, Mages, that were under hismand spawned more Undead Creatures, making it seem that the loss of their forces was not a big deal to them.


    In a battle of attrition, the Undead would always win because they could spawn as many times as they could, ready to fight as if nothing had happened.


    The Corpse God, who was fighting alongside the Skeleton King, used its shield to bash Nyathotep, pushing it away.


    It then fired its crossbows at the Outer God, which thetter deflected with ease.


    The two once again engaged in closebat with Nyathotep and the Skeleton King, locking their hands at each other, in order to overpower each other.


    In this regard, Nyathotep was stronger. But, there was one problem.


    He only had two arms!


    While the two were locking hands, the Corpse God took this opportunity to stab, sh, pierce, bash, and kick the Outer God, who was forced to endure its attacks.


    "Are you tickling me?" Nyathotep sneered before kicking the Skeleton King away. "You have to do better than that if you want to hurt me, boy."


    Lux didn''t reply and simply looked at the Outer God in disdain.


    Tickling him?


    Lux would never do such a thing. Perhaps the Outer God felt ticklish right now, butter on, this ticklish feeling would make it feel fear beyond words.


    The two once again shed, and this time, Nyathotep''s attacks became stronger and more aggressive. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Each time one of its blows connected on the body of Lux''s Deus Gigantia, part of its body would shatter.


    However, the destroyed parts would regenerate in mere seconds. During these moments, the Corpse God''s weapons would hit Nyathotep''s body.


    Sparks would emerge during these collisions, but the body of Eiko''s strongest subordinate was very tough, and not even the Corpse''s God''s weapons could draw its blood.


    Even so, Lux wasn''t fazed and continued to fight Nyathotep in closebat.


    As the minutes passed, the more Nyathotep felt that something was wrong.


    It could feel that its reaction time had decreased by a quarter of a second, which wasn''t that much of a big deal.


    However, for someone at its level, it was able to observe these miniscule changes, making it wonder what was happening.


    ''I need to end this battle now,'' Nyathotep thought as it increased the power of its blows, enough to shatter the body of the Skeleton King in front of it.


    The Skeleton King, who had no idea that the Outer God was truly going for the kill, swung its scepter and met Nyathotep''s right fist.


    Sparks emerged when the fist, and the bone scepter collided, which caused a small crack to appear in the scepter''s surface.


    This made Nyathotep''s eyes widen in shock because the punch it just unleashed right now was enough topletely destroy its opponent, along with its weapon.


    But, even with the strength it possessed, it only managed to put a small crack in the bone scepter, which regenerated itself after a few seconds.


    Due to its momentary confusion, Lux found an opening, and ordered the Skeleton King to kick the Outer God''s chest, and sent it flying.


    This shift in battle confused Nyathotep very much. Earlier even if the Skeleton King''s attacks connected, they dealt no damage to its body whatsoever.


    But, now, its opponent had managed to send it flying, which was supposed to be impossible, given the disparity in ranks.


    Nyathotep then gave its opponent a long and hard look and noticed something in the corner of its eye.


    Small golden orbs were flying towards the Skeleton King''s body.


    The Outer God followed where these small golden orbs wereing from and saw that it wasing from the Elven City, the Floating Inds, as well as the other settlements, where the nonbatants were gathered.


    "I see," Nyathotep said. "You are gathering the Power of Faith."


    It was the power that created Miracles and gave people Hope.


    "Took you this long to find out?" Lux sneered as hemanded the Skeleton King to charge at the Outer God, who now understood what was happening. Due to the Half-Elf standing up against the Outer God who threatened to wipe out everyone in the Kingdom of Espoir Friden, the people there started to pray.


    They prayed that the Giant Skeleton King would be able to defeat the monster who nned to destroy the world.


    And their prayers manifested into golden orbs of light, which flew towards Deus Gigantia, giving it the strength it needed to fight against the Outer God, who had called itself invincible.


    Nyathotep then unleashed its full power and manifested countless giant tentacles that tried to wrap itself around the Skeleton King''s body.


    However, before these ck Tentacles could even touch it, countless Dragon Breaths descended from the sky and incinerated them.


    Avernus and his Dragon Legion hade to support their Master in battle.


    "You know, I made Deus Gigantia with the intention of imitating Antero," Lux stated. "But, I realized that I can do something better."


    Avernus'' and the Bone Dragons all turned into particles of light and merged with Deus Gigantia.


    Suddenly, a powerful aura radiated from the Skeleton King''s body, sending powerful gusts of wind expanding outwards.


    The body of the Skeleton King, which was as white as white marble, suddenly had a change.


    Four pairs of Draconic Wings grew from its back. Its body was then covered from head to toe with a ck armor that radiated a red aura.


    The Draconic ck Helm with a crown on its head covered the Skeleton King''s face, and only its blue glowing eyes could be seen through its visor.


    Dragon patterns could also be seen on the armor, making it look more intimidating.


    Deus Gigantia was Lux''s most powerful Skill.


    Whenever he summoned it, a Skeleton King which would always be one Rank higher than Lux would appear to fight alongside him.


    Now that Lux was a Supreme, his Deus Gigantia''s strength rose to the peak of the Demigod Rank.


    But, this wasn''t its true power.


    Deus Gigantia wasn''t indestructible like Antero, but it possessed an ability that the Golem of Destruction didn''t have.


    It was the power to merge with all of Lux''s subordinates, granting it a great boost in strength, making it break through Ranks of a Demigod, almost reaching the Pseudo-God level.


    "You said that you were Invincible earlier, right?" Lux said in disdain. "Let''s see if you can back up those words, you puny Outer God."


    After saying those words, Deus Gigantia pped its wings, and instantly appeared in front of Nyathotep. With the raging mes of hell coating its fists, it unleashed a flurry of blows on the Outer God''s body.


    Earlier, Nyathotep stated that Lux was just tickling him.


    But, what it didn''t know was that the ticklish feeling that it was feeling earlier was actually Lux''s blows directly attacking its soul.


    Because of this, Nyathotep''s connection with C2 was being disrupted, making it feel a shortg in its reaction time.


    But, now, with Lux raining blows on its body, Nyathotep finally discovered what Lux had done, making it scream in anger and frustration.


    The Half-Elf understood that Nyathotep''s true body was in the Abyss because James told him that it was impossible for an Outer God to descend to a world that was under the control of an existing God.


    Although Eriol was in a weakened state, it would be impossible for Nyathotep to descend with a God''s body in Elysium.


    Because of this, it took a chunk of its body, and nted its consciousness in it.


    This consciousness was connected to its main body''s soul, which Lux was attacking directly from Elysium.


    Because an Outer God''s Soul was extremely robust and powerful, the most the Half-Elf could do was make it feel ticklish.


    But, this soul damage slowly increased with time, making Nyathotep finally realize what kind of danger it was in.


    "No!" Nyathotep forcefully tried to leave C2''s body in an attempt to preserve its soul from being destroyed. But, how could it possibly escape in front of someone who specialized in handling souls?


    From the start of the battle, Lux''s goal was topletely destroy Nyathotep''s soul that was still in the Abyss.


    Daniel was already powerful enough, but with the Outer God helping him, he was a force to be reckoned with.


    Because of this, Lux had decided that no matter what happened, he would fully destroy Nyathotep''s Soul, ending one of his strongest enemies in the battle for survival.


    Realizing that it was toote to escape, Nyathotep attacked with a frenzy and even burned a portion of its soul to further strengthen its body.


    Thend under their feet shattered, and every blow that was exchanged was enough to instantly kill a Demigod three times over.


    Even Lux felt the pressure of Nyathotep''s desperate attempt to kill him.


    But, he would not fall here.


    Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, Asmodeus, and Orion, as well as their subordinates merged with Deus Gigantia, giving it the strength it needed to match the Outer God''s strength.


    Lux''s strongest Trump Card, finally showed its strength as it covered its entire body in hellfire, making sure that its enemy would scream in pain in desperation.


    The Half-Elf was giving the Outer God a painful lesson, which made it start to scream from inside its cocoon in the deepestyer of the Abyss.

 Chapter 1189 Outer God Versus Heaven’s Necromancer [Part 2]

    Chapter 1189 Outer God Versus Heaven��s Necromancer [Part 2]


    Daniel had sensed a fluctuation from where Nyathotep''s true body was currently located.


    Because of this, he hurried to the deepestyers of the Abyss in order to see what was happening.


    Ever since the intruders had slipped through his, Daniel had been in a very bad mood. Because of this, none of his subordinates dared to be even around him out of fear of being killed without even knowing how they died.


    In order to prevent the same thing from happening again, Daniel created waypoints all over the differentyers of the Abyss, allowing him to instantly teleport to the waypoint''s location.


    Even before he had arrived at the location of Nyathotep''s cocoon, he could already hear the Outer God''s screams, which made him wonder what was happening.


    "Stop!" Nyathotep shouted from within his cocoon. "I''ll give you back the Golden Scales! I''ll even help you fight Daniel! Just don''t destroy my soul!"


    Daniel''s face turned grim upon hearing Nyathotep''s desperate screams.


    He could tell that the Outer God wasn''t joking and that it truly intended to betray him just to save its life.


    However, what concerned him the most was the fact that Nyathotep was begging someone to spare his life.


    Something like this shouldn''t possibly happen since Nyathotep''s soul could instantly travel back to the Abyss in order to return to his body.


    If the Outer God was bing desperate, it could only mean one thing.


    Its soul was unable to return to the Abyss!


    Perhaps, whoever it was fighting had done something to prevent the Outer God''s Soul from returning to the Abyss, forcing thetter to beg and ask for apromise.


    However, after fully understanding what was happening, a sneer appeared on Daniel''s face.


    "You act so high and mighty, thinking that all mortals are beneath you," Daniel stated as his hands ripped apart the Cocoon that was protecting Nyathotep''s body. "But in the face of death, you show your true colors. Looks like I overestimated you, Nyathotep."


    Daniel didn''t know whom Nyathotep was fighting against, but he was certain that if the Outer God were to fight using its real body, very few individuals could threaten its life. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But since it couldn''t bring its true body to Elysium, it had no choice but to use a weakened version of its body, further split into clones, so that it would be allowed to cross between the two worlds.


    Daniel then pressed his hand on the Outer God''s chest and began to extract the Pir of Eternity that it possessed in Elysium.


    He would not allow anyone to get in his way, including his so-called ally, who nned to switch sides in order to save its life.


    ��������������������


    Espoir Frieden��


    "If you let me go, I swear that I will fight Daniel for you!" Nyathotep pleaded. "I am even willing to be your ve! We can have a contract between the two of us! Even Daniel didn''t have the chance to sign a contract of equals with me!"


    Lux ignored the Outer God''s pleading and focused on burning its soul with his Divine Abyssal mes.


    Although Nyathotep''s offer was enticing, he didn''t want to join hands with a being who treated mortals as if they were ythings.


    He would never make someone who tried to destroy the World Tree and kill his lovers an ally. Using his power as the Necromancer of Heaven, he sealed Nyathotep''s Soul inside C2''s body, incinerating it bit by bit with the hellish mes that covered his entire body.


    With every second that passed, Nyathotep knew that he was getting closer and closer to death, so he desperately begged and pleaded for forgiveness.


    Suddenly, the Outer God cried out in pain, not because of the mes that were burning its soul, but due to the fact that someone was attacking its true body in the Abyss.


    There was only one person who would dare do such a thing and it made the Outer God cry out in panic.


    The Pir of Eternity that it possessed suddenly disappeared from its possession and was forcefully transferred to its real body in the Abyss.


    "Daniel, you bastard!" Nyathotep shouted in fear, anger, and desperation. "How dare you?!"


    The Pir of Eternity was one of its bargaining chips to prevent Lux from destroying its soul. The Outer God nned to threaten the Half-Elf that if it didn''t release it, the Pir in its possession would be sent to the Abyss, which might allow Daniel to finally bypass the 13th Layer of the Abyss.


    The Outer God felt truly helpless and bitter because both its soul and real body were being attacked at the same time.


    Lux was dealing damage to its soul, while Daniel was desecrating its Main Body back in the Abyss, forcefully stealing everything in its possession.


    "I curse both of you!" Nyathotep shouted as its soul was nearing its breaking point. "I curse both of you to die together! May your soul burn in hell and cease to exist! I am Nyathotep! I am Invincible! I am immortal! I can''t die! I am God!"


    Nyathotep roared in anger, unwillingness, and defiance.


    But that didn''t change anything.


    Soon, its soul was finally extinguished by Lux''s Divine Abyssal mes, which was one of the most powerful mes in existence.


    As soon as Lux seeded, C2''s body copsed on the ground.


    He had only targeted the Outer God''s soul, so Eiko''s most powerful Summon was still alive and well.


    The Millions of Golden Abominations stopped moving at the same time their Master breathed itsst.


    All of them then turned into ashes, and the ck dome of light that encapsted the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden vanished without a trace.


    From within the Abyss, Daniel roared inughter as he held a Golden Scales in his hands.


    The Pir of Eternity that Nyathotep had promised to give him after two weeks was now in his hands. However, the Outer God didn''t keep its promise, so Daniel had to forcefully take it, speeding up the demise of Nyathotep''s soul in Elysium.


    "Finally!" Daniel looked at the Golden Scales in his hands, which still held a faint trace of Nyathotep''s Divinity. "The Second Pir is in my hands!"


    Lux, who had just finished fighting against the Outer God, felt a chill run down his spine.


    He had tried to look for the Pir of Eternity that should have appeared right after Nyathotep''s soul was destroyed.


    However, no matter how much he looked, the Golden Scales was nowhere in sight.


    This gave him a very bad premonition.


    A bad premonition that had already be a reality in the Abyss.

 Chapter 1190 A Bad Feeling

    Chapter 1190 A Bad Feeling


    As soon as the ck barrier disappeared, a blue beam of light descended from the sky and headed straight toward the World Tree.


    Eiko had felt that her connection with Iris was re-established, so she didn''t hesitate to teleport instantly to her location. She had been flying as fast as she could in order to reach Espoir Frieden to save her Mama from Nyathotep''s cruelty.


    "Ma!" Eiko, who was still in her Fairy Princess Form appeared in front of Iris and immediately hugged her.


    A look of relief could be seen in her face, as she held the youngdy tightly. "It''s fine, Eiko," Iris replied as she hugged back the little girl, who was trembling in her arms. "We''re safe. Your Pa��Lux came to save us."


    Eiko momentarily forgot her purpose foring to Espoir Frieden. She had been so overwhelmed with the thought of wanting to find out if her Mama was safe that she hadpletely forgotten about the Outer God, who had nned to destroy the World Tree.


    Eiko then nced in the distance and saw a Giant Draconic Knight, whose entire body was covered in ck armor, with dragon designs embedded in it.


    As if sensing her gaze, Deus Gigantia shifted its attention to the World Tree.


    There, Lux saw all of his lovers at the base of the tree, including Aurora, safe and sound.


    He was happy that they were no longer in danger, but he couldn''t rejoice due to the bad feeling that was rising up in his chest.


    Hereswith appeared in front of the Deus Gigantia, who was still in its Dragon Knight Form.


    "Lux, did you find it?" Hereswith asked. Simr to Lux, she had also tried to look for the Pir of Eternity, but her search didn''t yield any results.


    "No," Lux replied as countless beams of light left Deus Gigantia''s body.


    Avernus and his Undead Dragon Legion once again soared through the skies, roaring cries of victory, and making the survivors cheer because the Monsters that had endangered their lives had all turned to ashes.


    But the happiness and relief didn''tst for long.


    Soon, wails of sadness and heartache reverberated in the surroundings as everyone mourned for the loss of their loved ones.


    Lux and Hereswith sighed in their hearts, but they knew that they had already done the best that they could to minimize the number of casualties.


    Even so, the number of people who died numbered in the hundreds of thousands, which wasn''t a small number.


    All the nonbatants had been gathered to stay in the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden, knowing that it was the safest ce in the world.


    Unfortunately, the Outer God used this mentality tounch its devastating attack, killing many people who didn''t have the strength to defend themselves from its vile clutches.


    "Leave the rest to me," Hereswith said as he nudged the Half-Elf in the direction of the World Tree. "They are waiting for you there."


    Lux nodded, as he exited the blue jewel on Deus Gigantia''s chest.


    The Skeleton King then turned into particles of light, as the Half-Elf flew towards the World Tree to see his lovers.


    The moment hended, Aurelia and Ari hugged him tightly, and both of them had tears in their eyes.


    When Nyathotep appeared, they thought that everything was over and that they would never get the chance to see him again.


    But when Lux suddenly appeared, they felt their worries disappear without a trace.


    They couldn''t exin the feeling, but it was just what they experienced during their darkest and most desperate time.


    Iris, Cai, Valerie, and Ali looked at this scene withplicated looks on their faces.


    They didn''t know what they should do at the moment and simply watched Aurelia and Ari cry their hearts out in Lux''s embrace.


    Aurora didn''t join her two sisters and simply held Valerie''s hand.


    As someone very sensitive to life force, she had noticed that the Dragon Princess had a life growing inside her womb.


    This didn''te as too much of a surprise to her because she knew about Valerie''s determination to give birth to Lux''s child.


    She just didn''t expect that the Dragon Princess would actually seed.


    After confirming that Valerie was indeed pregnant, she immediately checked the bodies of her other sisters, to see if they, too, were with child.


    It didn''t take long for her to realize that Aurelia was also pregnant.


    Aurora felt a faint stirring of envy and jealousy in her heart because her two sisters had managed to get ahead of her. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After seeing Dia, Aurora felt very attached to her and also wished to have a baby that was as cute and adorable as her.


    However, she knew that Lux wouldn''t grant her request until Daniel''s threat had been eliminated.


    Aurora agreed with her lover''s mindset because she didn''t want to give birth in a world that was under Daniel''s rule.


    As the former Goddess of Sis, she hated the Pseudo-God with a vengeance. Unfortunately, her current self no longer had the strength to fight against him.


    The only one who could do that was Lux, who was now in possession of two Pirs of Eternity.


    Although Eiko still held the Golden Anchor, she would always fight by Lux''s side, so the Second Pir of Eternity technically belonged to the Half-Elf.


    ''Only the Golden Candle remains,'' Aurora thought. ''The Pir that represents Hope.''


    Aurora already assumed that Daniel was in possession of two Pirs of Eternity because the one Nyathotep had didn''t appear when it died.


    With this, four Pirs had already appeared in the world, with the location of thest one still unknown.


    Whoever managed to get it first would have the advantage. But in the end, this meant Daniel and Lux were fated to meet, for they both needed toplete the Five Pirs in order to reach their goals.


    For the time being, Aurora set these thoughts aside and looked at her lover.


    A faint smile even appeared on her lips. She didn''t know how Lux would react once he discovered that aside from Dia, he would have two more babies in the future.


    Valerie was also looking at the handsome Half-Elf with a faint blush on her face. She had been told that the father of the child she was carrying was Lux, although this was the first time she was seeing the handsome Half-Elf.


    Perhaps sensing her gaze, Lux looked back at her with a smile on his face.


    This made Valerie''s face turn a shade redder and her heartbeat to beat faster.


    Ali, on the other hand, who was also seeing Lux for the first time, had a strong urge to hug him.


    She didn''t know where this feeling wasing from, but this was the first thing that came to her mind after the Half-Elf appeared in front of her.


    "Let''s go inside the house first," Lux said after Aurelia and Ari finally calmed down. "We have a lot of things to talk about."


    The two beautifuldies in his arms nodded their heads at the same time. Now that the threat of Nyathotep was over, they would like to spend more time with Lux and be embraced by him once again.

 Chapter 1191 Lux’s First Child

    Chapter 1191 Lux��s First Child


    "�� You and Valerie are pregnant?" Lux asked as a rush of emotions rose up from his chest. "Yes," Aurelia replied. "Both of us are pregnant with your child."


    Valerie, who was seated on the couch beside her mother, looked at the Half-Elf with a reddened face. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Queen Saphira looked at the Half-Elf who had turned her daughter into a woman with a calm expression on her face.


    Although Valerie was innocent and ignorant of most things, that didn''t mean that she would want to bear the child of a person she didn''t like.


    The fact that she took that step, despite knowing the consequences, proved that she had strong feelings for Lux. This was something that she could ept as a mother.


    However, epting and agreeing were two different things.


    She felt that the Half-Elf had taken advantage of her daughter''s innocence and ignorance, which caused Valerie to get pregnant.


    However, after a long private discussion with Aurelia, she found out that even before the Aphrodisiac incident, Valerie already had strong feelings towards Lux.


    The Aphrodisiac was merely thest push she needed in order for her to make her feelings known, and it ended up with her conceiving the child of the person who had just saved them from a fate worse than death.


    Perhaps, feeling her gaze, the Half-Elf shifted his attention to the Dragon Queen, who was looking at him while holding onto her daughter''s hand.


    Queen Evangeline, on the other hand, looked at her daughter, who was looking at her lover like a maiden in love. She never thought that there woulde a day when she would see her daughter look this way, making her sigh in her heart.


    She was also paying close attention to Lux to see how he would react to the news of Aurelia and Valerie bing pregnant. The Half-Elf''s reaction was expected. He was shocked, but one could tell that he was also quite happy with the news.


    Of course, this happiness was short-lived and was reced by anxiety the moment he realized that the mothers of the two Dragon Princesses were sizing him up with their gazes.


    "Lux, I am happy to finally meet you," Queen Evangeline said. "Aurelia has told me many things about you."


    "She has?" Lux inquired.


    "Yes." Queen Evangeline replied. "Especially the part about you being a good kisser. Are you as good as she ims to be?"


    Aurelia''s face immediately reddened before she gave her mother a pleading gaze. She didn''t want Queen Evangeline to spill all of her embarrassing secrets in front of everyone.


    Her mother covered her lips with her hand and chuckled. After all, it was very rare for Aurelia to look this cute and adorable. "I don''t know if I''m a good kisser or not," Lux said. "But I do love kissing Aurelia. I''m addicted to her kisses."


    "Oh my~ you''re quite a bold one I see," Queen Evangeline looked at the Half-Elf with an amused expression on her face. "So you like kissing my daughter. How about Valerie? What do you like about her?"


    This time, it was Lux''s turn to redden as he nced at the angelic Princess, whose beauty could cause the downfall of nations.


    "Valerie is innocent, but that doesn''t mean she isn''t assertive," Lux replied. "The moment her switch is flipped, she likes to take the lead and make me feel as though I''m the luckiest man in the world."


    "You are indeed the luckiest man in the world for being chosen by my daughter," Queen Saphiramented. "Many would risk their lives to offend my husband just to ask her hand for marriage. But you didn''t do that. Instead, you took a shortcut."


    "I have no excuses for what I have done," Lux stated. "The only thing I can do right now is to ensure that all my lovers and future wives will live happy and wonderful lives. But I cannot give it to them right now. There is still one more obstacle that prevents us from truly being happy."


    The room quieted down a bit because everyone knew what Lux was talking about.


    There was one more hurdle that he needed to jump over, and that was none other than Daniel, who had probably gotten his hands on the Golden Scales of Eternity.


    Now that the Abyssal Invasion had calmed down a bit, Lux had the time to think about the future.


    But the future he saw was very dark.


    Even with the power he possessed, he still didn''t know how to fight against Daniel, who was not only a Pseudo-God but was also capable of wielding the power of the Outer God, Azathoth.


    If Lux only had to fight against Daniel, there might still be hope. But against that existence�� Lux couldn''t help but shudder when he remembered the near-death experience he had with the Outer God that slept at the deepestyer of the Abyss.


    "Don''t worry."


    Aurelia stood up from her seat and walked towards Lux.


    She then sat down by his side and held his hands tightly.


    "You will not be fighting alone," Aurora stated. "The worlds of Elysium and Sis will fight alongside you. I''m sure that there will be a way to beat him."


    The beautiful subus gave Lux''s hand a light squeeze, showing him her support.


    "Also, you are now a father of three." Aurora smiled. "You should make sure that they will be able to live in a peaceful world."


    The room once again descended into a deafening silence. But this time, it was due to a different reason.


    Half a minuteter, Aurelia spoke up as she looked at Aurora with a smile.


    "Congrattions, Aurora," Aurelia said. "You''re pregnant with Lux''s child as well?"


    "No." Aurora shook her head. "It''s someone else who was pregnant. That person already gave birth as well."


    "��"


    "��"


    "��"


    "��"


    "��"


    "�� Who gave birth?"


    The one who asked was none other than Valerie, and for some reason, she had a discontented look on her face.


    Even the two Dragon Queens had disgruntled expressions after hearing that someone had already given birth to Lux''s first child, which they thought would be born by either Aurelia or Valerie, who were both pregnant with his child.

 Chapter 1192 Prelude To The End

    Chapter 1192 Prelude To The End


    Valerie thought that it would either be her or Aur who would be giving birth to Lux''s first child.


    But after hearing Aurora''s statement, she felt like someone had stolen her ce in Lux''s heart, making her want to confront that woman.


    Even Iris, who still had her memories sealed, frowned. After spending time with Aurelia and Ari who got to retain their memories, she found out that she was Lux''s first Fiance.


    She could still ept that Valerie and Aurelia were about to give birth to Lux''s children, but finding out that someone whom she didn''t know had done it first, she felt as if someone managed to reach fourth base before her.


    Cai then looked at her sisters one by one.


    None of them had a bulging belly yet, so it was impossible for them to have given birth without her knowing.


    "I see, so that''s it."


    Aina, who had remained quiet until now, suddenly spoke up. Lux had talked to her about many things that happened in his life. One could even say that the Dwarf knew more than what her sisters knew about the Half-Elf.


    After connecting the dots, only one answer came to Aina''s mind.


    "It''s Queen Rhiannon, right?" Aina inquired.


    "Yes," Lux answered in a heartbeat. "She gave birth to a daughter, and her name is Dia." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Dia�� that''s a good name." Aina nodded before shifting her gaze to Aurora. The twodies held each other''s gaze, but neither of them spoke.


    It was as if both of them had reached a tacit understanding and decided to keep silent about the matter until Aurora was ready to tell everyone.


    ������������������������


    Meanwhile, in the Abyss��


    Antero stood tall as he gazed in the direction of the portal.


    He could tell that someone was trying to force their way in, and he knew right away that they would gradually seed in their endeavor.


    The Golem of Destruction could have dyed the inevitable, but he deemed that this was just a waste of time.


    "Little Rhiannon, don''t leave the castle," Antero ordered.


    "Yes, Lord Antero," Queen Rhiannon replied as she held Dia in her arms.


    The baby was sleeping, and unaware that someone would soon intrude upon her peaceful world, which she had enjoyed since the time of her birth.


    The space twisted and, finally, a figure emerged from the portal that led to the 14th Layer of the Abyss.


    "Finally," Daniel said as he looked at the Golem of Destruction in the distance. "You sure gave me a hard time, Antero."


    Antero didn''t say anything and continued to hold his ground.


    Behind Daniel, countless Abyssal Lords and Abyssal Monsters started to appear, which were under his rule.


    The Pseudo-God then nced in the direction of the castle, and the corner of his lips rose by a slight margin.


    But before he could do anything, space started to twist around him, making the smile on his face disappear.


    "Are you sure about this, Antero?" Daniel asked coldly. "We could settle this peacefully, you know? If you agree, I will not harm anyone on this Layer, and even forbid my subordinates to harm any of them. All I ask is that you give her to me."


    "No," Antero replied firmly as he took a fighting stance. "You''re not taking Little Dia under my watch."


    Daniel snorted as he raised his hand.


    The image of the Outer God, Azathoth, who made Antero look like a little insect, appeared.


    But despite all this, the Golem of Destruction stood his ground.


    Dia was his family.


    How could he possibly let Daniel take her away and extract the Pir of Eternity, that slept within her innocent soul?


    Yes.


    Dia held thest Pir of Eternity that Daniel was looking for.


    The Pir of Hope which was represented by a Golden Candle.


    "I''ll ask onest time," Daniel stated. "Give her to me, and we can still both walk away from this without antagonizing each other."


    Antero didn''t even bother to reply to Daniel''s words and prepared himself to fight.


    Cracks appeared all over the skies of the Thirteenth Layer, making even Daniel frown.


    "So you n to go all out, huh?" Daniel''s face became solemn after realizing how serious Antero was.


    Not many knew about the fact that Antero was the very first creature born in the Abyss.


    Because of this, he had the power to control the Abyss to a certain extent, which allowed him to seal the portals that led to the Thirteenth Layer where the two people he considered to be his family resided.


    Now that one of them is being threatened, the Golem of Destruction would not back down and would even destroy the entirety of the Abyss if it meant ensuring that Daniel wouldn''t get what he wanted.


    Truth be told, the reason why Daniel was trying to settle this peacefully was because he also didn''t want to antagonize Antero.


    He was the Golem of Destruction, and he could survive even if the entirety of the Abyss was destroyed.


    Antero was also a Pseudo-God, but he didn''t fight using his full power. Because, once he did, the Abyss would be destroyed by him.


    However, Daniel also couldn''t back down because he needed the Pir of Eternity from Dia.


    Because of this, he had no ns to change his decision. He channeled the strength of Azathoth in his body and prepared to sh against the Golem of Destruction.


    Suddenly, the cry of a baby reverberated in the surroundings, catching Antero by surprise.


    His sole attention had been focused on Daniel and he didn''t notice that an Abyssal Lord, who specialized in stealth, had infiltrated the castle and captured the baby in Queen Rhiannon''s arms.


    The Subus Queen still hadn''t regained her full strength, so she wasn''t able to detect the Abyssal Lord either.


    "Noooooo!" Queen Rhiannon shouted as the Abyssal Lord escaped from the castle, carrying her child in his arms.


    Antero roared, and the entirety of the Thirteenth Layer shook due to his rage.


    Now that someone had dared to kidnap his family member, he would not stop until that person was destroyed.


    The silhouette of Azathoth above Daniel''s head opened its eyes.


    It then unleashed a deathly beam of destruction at the Primordial Golem of the Abyss and shattered its body into countless pieces.


    Queen Rhiannon''s cry of despair spread throughout the entirety of the Thirteenth Layer as the world around her started to crumble.


    Now that the bnce of power in the Abyss was broken, the final prelude for the end of the world had finally begun.


    (E/N: Don''t worry. Elyon said that he''s asking to be strangled when he wrote this, so if you''re angry, I can provide you with ropes.)

 Chapter 1193 Antero’s Ultimatum

    Chapter 1193 Antero��s Ultimatum


    Queen Rhiannon still hadn''t regained her full strength after giving birth to Dia.


    At the moment, she was only at the peak of the Cmity Rank. But after seeing Antero get destroyed and her daughter taken away from her, she decided to burn her life force in order to save her daughter regardless of the consequences.


    But right before she was about to do that, she heard a voice speak inside her head, stopping her from what she was about to do.


    While this was happening, Antero''s shattered remains swirled like a tornado and began to attack not only Daniel but also the Demigod who had kidnapped his granddaughter right under his nose.


    The skies of the Thirteenth Layer now had cracks in it, and parts of it were falling to the ground.


    The Subi all joined the battle to protect their Queen, not caring about the fact that they were fighting against countless Demigods.


    Red lightning descended from the cracks in the sky and annihted countless Abyssal Monsters that were on Daniel''s side.


    Antero''s body was slowly reforming, and even then, his shattered parts didn''t stop attacking anyone within its range.


    The Demigod who had captured Dia was hard-pressed to escape because Antero had locked him in his sights.


    Even while in Stealth, he couldn''t escape from Antero''s Wrath. A giant spiked stone, which was part of Antero''s body, flew straight toward the Demigod with the intention of boring a bloody hole through his chest, killing him for the crime of taking his granddaughter.


    However, just as the stone was about to hit its body, the Demigod turned around and raised the baby in his arms, using the crying Dia as a shield against the stone that was about to kill him. But, just as he expected, the stone stopped a meter away from the baby, making the Demigod breathe in a sigh of relief.


    He didn''t know that this act not only angered Antero even more but that the Golem of Destruction had now decided to murder the entirety of Daniel''s forces.


    A gigantic stone fist descended upon the bulk of Daniel''s army, turning anything it hit into meat paste.


    This was the reason why the Pseudo-God didn''t want to fight against Antero. Not only was the Golem of Destruction Immortal, but it could also easily regenerate its body, which was why everyone referred to him as Indestructible.


    Although he could be destroyed, he would never be destroyedpletely.


    Even if the Abyss were to cease to exist, Antero alone would remain.


    This made him the most dangerous being to fight against. A Monster who could regenerate endlessly and could never be killed was a nightmare to face in battle.


    Knowing that this fight could not go on, Daniel teleported beside the Demigod who was holding Dia and took the baby away from him.


    The moment he did, a stone spike pierced the Abyssal Lord''s chest, killing it instantly.


    Dia was the only one preserving his life, so the moment she disappeared from his hands, his life was already forfeited.


    "Antero, stop!" Daniel shouted. "I only need the Pir! You can take back this child. I promise that she will not suffer from its loss! We will also not interfere with the Thirteenth Layer, so stop this madness at once!"


    Antero snorted.


    No one in the Abyss or anywhere in existence could threaten him. Although Dia might die if he really fought against Daniel with everything he had, the Golem of Destruction was confident that he could capture her soul and store it safely inside his body. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He could just go to Elysium and take a seed from the World Tree, using it to create Dia''s new vessel. Not only would she be reborn with a stronger body, but she would be many times more powerful as well.


    The same could be said for Queen Rhiannon.


    Even if Daniel were to kill him, Antero would do the same.


    Also, he had another option.


    Since Lux was a Necromancer, he was certain that the Half-Elf would go above and beyond to give Dia and Queen Rhiannon the perfect bodies, which would give them the perfect conditions to revive.


    The Golem of Destruction believed that, as long as he had their souls, everything was going to be fine. So even if Daniel was threatening him with Dia, Antero didn''t back down and raised his fist to punch the hateful Pseudo-God to oblivion.


    However, he stopped his attack when the Subus Queen flew between him and Daniel with her arms spread wide.


    "Please stop, Lord Antero," Queen Rhiannon stated. "It''s fine. Dia will be fine."


    The Subus Queen then turned to Daniel and red at him.


    "Take the Pir of Eternity," Queen Rhiannon stated. "But know this, if my daughter suffers even for a little bit from it, I swear that even if it costs my life, I will make you pay for what you have done to her!"


    Antero also red at Daniel, making thetter sigh in relief.


    Although it was troublesome to extract the Pir of Eternity without harming the baby, it was still within his capabilities.


    Taking a deep breath, the Pseudo-God channeled the power of Azathoth in his body to slowly, but gently remove the pir from the infant''s soul.


    He didn''t dare rush things because he felt that Antero had already sent part of his will to the deepestyer of the Abyss.


    The moment something happened to Dia, he would unleash his wrath there, waking the sleeping Outer God from its slumber.


    This was Antero''s ultimatum.


    He didn''t care even if he and Daniel suffered mutual destruction. The moment his bottom line was crossed, he would not hesitate to wake up the Outer God, who had the power to destroy almost everything in creation.


    Once the Outer God broke free of Daniel''s control, the first thing it would kill would be him. Knowing this, the Pseudo-God didn''t dare to y any tricks and did his best to extract the Pir of Eternity without harming the baby, who had now stopped crying in his arms.


    The Abyssal Army that belonged to Daniel also breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that Antero had finallypromised.


    In that short span of time, over a dozen Demigods had died, and countless Abyssal Monsters were killed.


    It once again reinforced the belief in their minds that they could offend anyone in the Abyss except the Golem of Destruction, who would not stop until those who offended him were dead without the hope of reviving ever again.

 Chapter 1194 The Three Troublemakers Of The Temple Of Ten Thousand Gods [Part 1]

    Chapter 1194 The Three Troublemakers Of The Temple Of Ten Thousand Gods [Part 1]


    The Thirteenth Layer of the Abyss was in shambles.


    Countless cracks could be seen in the sky, and arge portion of it had already copsed.


    Thend had countless fissures in it, and the only ce that remained standing was the mountain where Queen Rhiannon''s castle stood.


    The entireyer had also darkened considerably. Only Antero''s burning eyes, as well as the eyes of the creatures that glowed in the dark, could be seen in the surroundings. Although the Thirteenth Layer''s degradation had been put to a screeching halt, it still looked like a world that was about to meet its end.


    Antero was the only creature that was preventing it from being destroyedpletely, but all of that could change the moment he decided to attack Daniel and his cronies.


    The Golem of Destruction was paying close attention to Dia''s vital signs and aura. Although her presence was still as weak as a flickering me, it still held strong and refused to be snuffed out.


    Slowly but surely, a golden candle emerged from the baby''s chest. Its light burned brightly amidst the darkness that surrounded it.


    Dia slept peacefully without a care in the world as if the process of something very powerful and important to her being extracted from her body had no meaning.


    Earlier, Queen Rhiannon heard a voice inside her head.


    It was a childish voice telling her that everything was going to be fine, so she didn''t need to burn her life force in order to save her daughter.


    The voice also told her to let Daniel take the Pir of Eternity from Dia''s body, for the artifact would not serve the Pseudo-God even if it fell into his hands.


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t know from whom or where the voice hade from, but she felt that this voice was from someone who was on their side.


    Because of this, she stopped Antero''s attack and decided to trust the owner of the voice by telling Daniel that he could take the Pir of Eternity from Dia''s body.


    Although she believed that Antero would do everything in his power to revive her and her daughter, it was still better if both of them could live without needing to have their current vessels destroyed.


    Two hourster, the Golden Candle had been fully extracted from Dia''s body.


    Queen Rhiannon quickly descended in front of Daniel and hurriedly but gently took her baby from his arms.


    After that, she red at Daniel onest time before flying toward the castle in order to let Dia have a proper rest.


    Antero gave his granddaughter a nce and felt relieved that she was safe and unharmed from the extraction of the Pir of Eternity from her soul.


    "Go and leave this ce," Antero said in a cold tone. "I do not want to see any of you ever again."


    "We will leave as promised, Antero," Daniel said while holding the golden candle, whose light was burning brightly in his hand. "However, I want you to promise me as well that you will not be my enemy. I kept my part of the bargain, so you keep your part as well."


    "Go," Antero repeated. "I will not repeat myself a third time."


    Although he didn''t affirm or reject Daniel''s words, the Pseudo-God could tell that Antero no longer nned to antagonize him. Even though the Golem of Destruction could destroy the Abyss if it wanted to by waking up Azathoth, it would only do this as ast resort.


    The Abyss was his home, and he must have an attachment to it, so Dabiel believed that he would not dare to destroy it unless his hands were forced.


    Daniel thenmanded his army to follow him toward the 12th Layer of the Abyss.


    Now that the way was clear, no one was stopping him from reaching the First Layer, where the portals leading to the countless words were located.


    Daniel now had three Pirs of Eternity in his possession. He only needed two more toplete his ascension to Godhood and gain the power that he had desired for many years.


    But before that, he would first have his revenge on Sis and Elysium.


    He had long wished to destroy the two worlds with his own two hands, and soon, he would obtain the power to do that.


    When the Abyssal Army had all passed through to the 12th Layer, Antero raised his hand and snapped his fingers.


    The Thirteenth Layer started recovering at a rapid pace as it greedily absorbed the power of the Abyss.


    The cracks in the sky disappeared, and the portion of the sky that had copsed was once again filled up, making it look as if nothing had happened.


    All the fissures on the ground closed up as well, and the ce where the parts of the sky fell transformed into ake that shimmered like crystal. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With a wave of his hand, Antero once again sealed the Thirteenth Layer, excluding it from the grand battle that was about tomence between the Pseudo-God, who wished to be a God, and the Necromancer of Heaven, who had seen the battle in the Abyss from start to end.


    Lux looked at the crystal ball that was being held by Cupid with aplicated look on his face.


    Eiko, who was perched on top of his head, looked at the Dim Sum God, who was also perched on top of the head of a little girl, whom the Half-Elfbeled as "Red Riding Hood".


    The Dim Sum God and the Baby Slime held each other''s gaze and smiled.


    The Dim Sum God thought that the Baby Slime was a kindred spirit who also liked to perch on top of people''s heads.


    On the other hand, Eiko was wondering if the Dim Sum God tasted good because it looked very delicious in her eyes.


    While the two little ones were appraising each other, the Loli Goddess, Lily, was paying close attention to the Half-Elf, who now had a solemn expression on his face.


    Lux was relieved that Queen Rhiannon and Dia were safe, but he also felt pressured because he knew that it was only a matter of time before Daniel appeared in their world.


    Once that happened, a sh between them would be inevitable, and Lux still had no idea how he would beat Daniel in battle.


    Seeing his expression, a smile crept up Lily''s face. Unlike the mortal who didn''t know how to fight against a Pseudo-God, who wielded the power of an Outer God, she knew how to give Lux a fighting chance.


    This was also the reason why Eriol and Max allowed the three Gods to descend in Elysium.


    The three Troublemakers were the only Gods within the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods who could get away with breaking a few rules because of the connections they had with the other Gods.


    Although they were not strong as individuals, the three of thembined could move mountains if need be.


    And they would do just that.


    Move a big mountain so that Lux could meet with someone, who might be able to give him the knowledge that would allow him to fight against Daniel, who wielded the power of an Outer God that could potentially destroy all of creation the moment it opened its eyes.

 Chapter 1195 The Three Troublemakers Of The Temple Of Ten Thousand Gods [Part 2]

    <h4>Chapter 1195 The Three Troublemakers Of The Temple Of Ten Thousand Gods [Part 2]</h4>


    ?


    "Do you wish to have a fighting chance against that Daniel guy?" Lily asked the Half-Elf with a smile on her face.


    "Of course," Lux replied in a heartbeat. "If there''s a way that I can defeat him, I will dly do it."


    "So you say, but what are you willing to pay to gain that knowledge?" Lily arched an eyebrow. "I practice thew of equivalent exchange. I also don''t ept refunds. Once you agree to my conditions, you can not break the contract that you will sign."


    Lux looked at the little red riding hood with a solemn expression on his face.


    Eriol and Max had talked to him telepathically, and both informed him that the three individuals in front of him were actually Gods who had decided to offer their help to him, but not for free.


    "Then, what must I do?" Lux asked. "As long as it doesn''t fall below my bottom line, I am willing to pay any price."


    Lily pondered a bit before walking around Lux in circles.


    She eyed the Half-Elf from head to toe as if she were some kind of connoisseur checking the quality of the products that were on disy in the store.


    "The one who will decide the price for the knowledge you wish to obtain will not be me," Lily stated. "It''s someone who has been treated unjustly by another God, who at this moment is doing his best to survive in a world despite the limitations ced on his body.


    "His end game goal is to fight against Fate, as well as give his Father a beating he will never forget.


    "Us Gods are paying close attention to this individual, and some of us are actively rooting for him from within the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods. You are going to meet with this person, and he will decide whether he will help you or not."


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. "I want to meet this person."


    Lily smiled and nodded her head. "Wait here for a bit. I will ask my friends to help you. Cupid, you can stay here for a while. How about you, Dim Dim? Do you want to stay here and y?"


    "Dim~ Dim~" the Dim Sum God nodded its head.


    It had taken a liking to Eiko because she was like a kindred spirit to it.


    What Dim Dim didn''t know was that Eiko had also taken a liking to the Dim Sum God but in a different kind of way.


    "I''ll leave Dim Dim in your care then," the Loli Goddess, Lily, handed the Dim Sum God to Lux before opening a portal beside her. "I''lle back as soon as I can."


    The moment Lily left, Lux asked Eiko to take care of the Dim Sum God, whom thetter epted with a big smile on her face.


    Dim Dim was also very happy because it thought that it was going to y with the cute Baby Slime, who started licking its body, making Dim Sum God giggle.


    The Half-Elf smiled after seeing that Eiko seemed to be very fond of Dim Dim, but for some reason, he felt that the Dim Sum God was in danger.


    ''Must just be my imagination,'' Lux thought before leaving the room to look for his lovers.


    He had to inform them that he would be leaving Elysium for a while in order to meet with someone who would be able to help him fight against Daniel, who was able to wield the power of an Outer God whenever he wanted.


    ����������������������


    Five hourster, Lily returned.


    However, this time, she wasn''t alone.


    Standing beside her were two very cute little girls with pink hair, who were busy munching on gummy bears.


    Lily nced at the surroundings and sighed in relief when she noticed that Dim Dim wasn''t around.


    The two girls beside her were gluttons, so Dim Dim was very scared of them.


    Lux blinked once then twice as he looked at the two little girls whom he had met not long ago.


    They were none other than Maple and Cinnamon, who just celebrated their birthdays.


    He and Aurora were present at their birthday party because James took them back to his home world to stay for a few days.


    "Hello, Maple, Cinnamon," Lux said with a smile. "How is your mother, Chiffon? And your father, William?"


    "Mama is good," Maple replied. "She''s currently eating Papa''s hotdog. At least, that is what she told us before she and Papa locked themselves inside their room."


    "Cinnamon wants to eat a hotdog too! But Mama said I''m still too young for it," Cinnamon pouted. "It''s not fair!"


    "Right?" Maple nodded. "Neh~ Big Brother. Can we eat your hotdog?"


    Lux and Lily almost coughed out blood after hearing what the two girls had to say.


    Both of them even cursed their parents in their hearts for being bad influences on the two girls who just turned nine years old this year.


    "B-Both of you are still young to eat hotdogs, so why don''t you wait until you are a bit older?" Lux replied. "Or better yet, why don''t you eat something else for the time being? There are many more delicious foods than hotdogs."


    "But Mama always says that Papa''s hotdog is delicious," Cinnamon countered.


    "That''s right!" Cinnamonmented. "She even said that no matter how many times she eats it, it doesn''t run out of stock. Isn''t that like eating in an all-you-can-eat buffet? Oh�� I forgot. We are banned from going to buffets."


    "Yes. Cinnamon finds this very vexing as well," Cinnamon replied. "How can they call it a buffet when we are not allowed to eat there?"


    Lux coughed and nced at Lily, who was also looking back at him. The two then nodded at the same time and came to an agreement.


    Both of them decided to have a nice long talk with Maple''s and Cinnamon''s parents and tell them to be more careful when it came to teaching their children about things that they shouldn''t know until they were older.


    "Maple, Cinnamon, you don''t have to worry about eating hotdogs right now," Lily stated. "I will buy you a lot of themter, okay? But first, this Big Brother needs your help."


    "Okay," Maple nodded. "We''re going to visit that Big Brother, right?"


    "I like that Big Brother. He''s very nice to Cinnamon," Cinnamon replied.


    Lily smiled. "I won''t being with you this time because that world''s God is very strict. However, as long as you don''t do anything out of ce, you''ll be safe�� maybe."


    Lux felt that Lily''s words were ominous, but since he didn''t have a choice in the matter, he just nodded his head and gritted his teeth.


    Maple and Cinnamon held each other''s hands before moving their free hand in a circr motion.


    A momentter, a red portal appeared in front of them, which was emitting an oppressive aura.


    "Let''s go, Big Brother," Maple said. "Make sure to follow us closely. If you don''t, you might get lost in time and space."


    "Follow us closely, okay?" Cinnamon warned again before walking toward the red portal with her twin.


    The Half-Elf took a deep breath before he, too, entered the portal with the two little girls, who had the power to travel to different worlds, in search of their own special someone who would love them just as much as their Papa loved their Mama.

 Chapter 1196 The Second Strongest System [Part 1]

    Chapter 1196 The Second Strongest System [Part 1]


    "Big Brother, we''vee to visit you~" "Big Brother, Cinnamon is here, too~"


    Lux looked in front of him and saw a ck-haired young man, who was panting for breath as he leaned against a tree.


    Countless corpses of Monsters were littered around him, which showed that he had just finished a tough battle. Blood seeped at the corner of his lips, and the ck, military armor he was wearing was torn in several ces. His left arm was also bent at an unnatural angle, which clearly signified that it was either dislocated or broken.


    Either possibility was bad, and the way he saw it, the person in front of him didn''t seem like someone who could give him advice on how to fight against a Pseudo-God, who was able to use the power of an Outer God. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lux was sensitive to the strength of an individual, and a nce was enough to make him realize that the teenage boy was weak.


    Extremely weak by Elysian and Sian standards.


    He was just like a Grade-D Apostle, which was the weakest rank in Elysium after the Beginner ss. And by a single nce at him, Lux assumed that he was not even older than sixteen years old. "Big Brother, can you help Brother Thirteen?" Maple asked. "His left arm looks funny."


    Lux nodded and went toward the young man and gently held his hand. "This is going to hurt, so bear with it," Lux said.


    The teenage boy with short ck hair and green eyes nodded. Even though he was bruised and battered all over, his eyes remained calm, and his expression didn''t show any signs of pain.


    His stare was strong and steady, which made Lux feel as if he was looking at a monster that was trapped inside a teenage boy''s body.


    With one quick jerk of his arm, Lux straightened the teenage boy''s left arm, setting it back into its rightful ce.


    "Thanks," the teenage boy, whom Maple called Thirteen, said. "You''re wee," Lux replied.


    The Half-Elf watched as the young man casually raised the pinky finger of his right hand and stared into the distance.


    Although Lux couldn''t see anything, he had a feeling that the young man was looking at something, which made him frown.


    After the young man finished what he was doing, he lightly patted the head of the two little girls, who both smiled and gave him a hug.


    "What are the two of you doing here?" Thirteen asked. "Are you looking for your sister?"


    "No," Maple replied. "We came here for you, Big Brother."


    "This Big Brother wants to ask you for help, Big Brother," Cinnamon stated. "Can you help him?"


    Thirteen frowned before ncing at the Half-Elf and eyed him from head to foot. "How may I help you?" Thirteen asked. "I am in a hurry, so make it quick."


    Lux took a deep breath before introducing himself.


    "My name is Lux Von Kaizer," Lux said. "I came here because the Goddess, Lily, said that you can help me."


    "I don''t know any Goddess named Lily," Thirteen replied. "But you still haven''t answered my question. What do you want?"


    Thirteen''s voice was filled with impatience as if he couldn''t be bothered to talk to someone. However, he did ept the potions that Maple and Cinnamon gave him so that his injuries would recover faster.


    Sensing that Thirteen would really leave if he kept on wasting his time, Lux no longer minced his words and told him about his dilemma.


    The young man with short ck hair and green eyes listened to his story from start to end before looking into the distance.


    "Exining will take some time, and I need to go somece to look for someone," Thirteen replied. "Can youe back after a day? I really need to go." Without even waiting for Lux''s reply, Thirteen briskly walked away.


    He was still injured and, despite the potions that Maple and Cinnamon had given him, the injuries on his body still hadn''t fully healed.


    If he rested for two to three hours, all of his injuries would recover. However, he didn''t have the luxury of rest.


    Someone important to him was somewhere out there, fighting alone to help others survive against the Monsters, who had started to massacre everyone on the continent.


    Lux wanted to say that he could help him find the person whom he was looking for, but before he could do that, he found himself unable to say anything.


    He had lost his voice, which greatly surprised him.


    "Big Brother, we can follow Brother Thirteen, but you are not allowed to interfere or do anything," Maple stated.


    "Helping him is no good," Cinnamon said sadly. "Even if Cinnamon wants to help, she can''t do it because someone very scary will hurt him more if he receives help from others."


    "We helped him a bit earlier, but if we did more, we would just anger that scary person," Maple said with a pout. "This is the limit we can do for Big Brother Thirteen." Suddenly, Lux felt his strength being suppressed for some reason, which wasn''t always a good sign. However, after hearing Maple''s and Cinnamon''s statements, he assumed that this world had its own set ofws that he also had to follow, or else, he would face dire consequences for his actions.


    In the end, he had no choice but to observe Thirteen from a distance, along with Maple and Cinnamon, who were looking at him with worried expressions on their faces. He still didn''t understand why Lily told him that the extremely weak teenage boy, whom he could easily kill with a flick of his finger, held the answers to beat an enemy who was someone that even Lux couldn''t fight with his full power.


    However, it didn''t take long for him to be amazed when he realized that the teenage boy whom he just met had the courage to fight against Monsters whose ranks were many levels higher than his. Lux watched with a solemn expression on his face as Thirteen used every method in his arsenal to fight the enemies that Lux wouldn''t dare to face if he were in the same situation.


    Thirteen used the environment, other monsters, as well as his cunning, to ovee the challenges that stood before him. The more Lux watched the teenage boy struggle, the more he understood why Lily and the other Gods were paying close attention to him.


    Bleeding and battered, Thirteen continued to walk forward with a resolute look on his face.


    For a brief moment, Lux had a feeling that if Daniel had faced this young man in a one-on-one battle, the one who would win would be none other than Thirteen.


    He looked at the teenage boy who was dragging his injured body along and facing monsters stronger than him, to look for someone whom he held sacred in his heart.


    (E/N: Read System''s POV.)

 Chapter 1197 The Second Strongest System [Part 2]

    Chapter 1197 The Second Strongest System [Part 2]


    As Lux, Maple, and Cinnamon followed Thirteen''s journey, the Half-Elf''s admiration toward the person whom he initially described as extremely weak, rose by leaps and bounds.


    Thirteen didn''t manage to win because he was strong. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    No, he fought as if he knew exactly when his enemies would strike, and where their attacks wouldnd. Despite his foes being way stronger than him, it was as if they were trying to hit a fly that was buzzing around them, which was almost impossible to hit.


    Of course, impossible to hit was an exaggeration. While they were unable tond a direct blow on his body, their attacks still managed to graze the teenager since he couldn''tpletely evade their attacks.


    But even with this, Thirteen remained calm as he threw one throwing knife after the other.


    There were even times when he hit his own throwing knives, making them fly at an almost impossible angle just to hit their designated targets.


    It was as if the teenage boy was able to calcte everything perfectly, allowing him to hit where he wanted, and hit it hard.


    Thirteen''s first targets would always be the eyes of the Monsters, to rob them of their vision. If this was not possible, he would run around, maximizing the benefits from the terrain serving as obstacles for the Monsters to slow them down.


    Thirteen''s first targets would always be the eyes of the Monsters, to rob them of their vision. If this was not possible, he would run around, maximizing the benefits from the terrain serving as obstacles for the Monsters to slow them down.


    There were times when he set up traps and lured the Monster he was fighting into them, dealing serious damage and catching them by surprise.


    Basically, he was like watching someone who, despite being weak, was not afraid to fight toe to toe with stronger opponents.


    There was even one instance where Thirteen lured a Monster to fight against another Monster.


    Although Lux could easily kill these creatures with his current rank, he would certainly be running away from them if he were in Thirteen''s shoes.


    To put matters into perspective, Thirteen was like a Grade-D Apostle trying to fight against a Rank 5 Monster, which only the Initiates and Low-Rankers of Elysium should be able to fight.


    It was like imagining Colette when she was still a Grade-D Apostle, fighting against the Thunder Wolf King that almost destroyed Leaf Vige in the past.


    That was the kind of foe Thirteen was facing at the moment, and even a Monster as strong as that was having problems beating a teenager, who had already been injured before the battle began.


    Lux watched as three four-meter-tall ck Hercules Beetles were buried under an avnche that Thirteen had instigated.


    He had nted explosives at the top of a cliff, and detonated it remotely while being chased by the Monstrous Beetles.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but feel his blood boil after watching this scene because he had seen everything from start to finish.


    It was like watching a painter start to paint on a ck canvas, and see a masterpiece unfold right before his very eyes.


    That was the only way that Lux could describe the emotions that he was feeling right now. He momentarily forgot Daniel, as well as the threat he brought to his world.


    After burying and killing his targets, Thirteen leaned his body against a fallen boulder and closed his eyes.


    The battle he just had took a toll on him, and he was truly exhausted. He knew that moving forward would be detrimental to his condition, so he decided to rest for an hour to let his body regain a bit of his strength.


    Unfortunately, he underestimated how tired he was. Just a few minutes after closing his eyes, he fell asleep, the sight of which made Maple and Cinnamon sigh in relief.


    Even Lux thought that the teenage boy deserved to have a short break after everything he had been through.


    He thought of Thirteen''s battles and thought about what he would have done if he was in his shoes. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t see himself winning against the Monsters the teenage boy had fought if he was in the same rank as him.


    ''What does he have that I don''t?'' Lux thought. ''Courage?''


    Lux thought and shook his head. If hecked courage, he wouldn''t have gone to the Abyss to look for Aurora, despite the danger of meeting Daniel along the way.


    ''Then am I cunning?'' Lux pondered.


    He had to admit that he wasn''t cunning enough, or resourceful enough to aplish the things that Thirteen did.


    But, he still thought that this still fell short of his evaluation of the teenage boy, who was currently resting on one of the boulders that had fallen from the mountain due to the avnche that he had caused.


    ''Just what is it?'' Lux pondered. He felt as if he had grasped a bit of it, but before he could firmly hold it in his hands, it slipped away like fleeting air.


    The Half-Elf had never felt so frustrated because he truly believed that he had already found the answer to his problem, and yet, the answer always stayed out of arm''s reach as if teasing him toe a bit closer.


    However, every time Lux dide closer, it would move away, allowing only the tips of his fingers to touch its surface.


    Lux felt helpless, but since Thirteen asked him to wait for a day, he would wait for a day.


    Whoever he was searching for seemed important enough for him to brave these kinds of dangers despite his low rank.


    Two hourster, Thirteen opened his eyes. He slowly climbed up the small hill that was created by the avnche to go to the other side. Lux, Maple, and Cinnamon followed him at a safe distance.


    They followed him as he walked for five miles without stopping. When he reached the top of the small hill he finally stopped.


    In the distance, countless Monsters were advancing in his direction, making Lux, Maple, and Cinnamon frown.


    At that moment, Thirteen spoke up, which caught the three stalkers by surprise.


    "You asked me that question earlier, but I didn''t have time to answer you," Thirteen stated. "Now, I have a bit of time, so I''ll answer your question while I still can."


    A secondter, Lux reappeared beside the teenage boy, whose clothes were more torn apart than thest time he saw him up close.


    "Listen closely because I will not repeat myself," Thirteen stated. Lux nodded, as he, too nced, at the hordes of monsters that were advancing in their direction.


    Based on their presence, he could tell that they were Rank 1 up to Rank 7 Monsters.


    Lux could easily deal with these things if he summoned his Undead Legion.


    But, he didn''t do that. He simply waited for Thirteen to tell him the answer to his question before these Monsters descended toward the Second Strongest System in the world like a raging tide.


    -----------------

 Chapter 1198 The Second Strongest System [Part 3]

    Chapter 1198 The Second Strongest System [Part 3]


    Thirteen stared at the approaching Monster Army with a calm expression on his face.


    Lux was sure that the moment these Monsters reached them, the young man wouldn''t be able to survive no matter what tricks he used in battle.


    He was prepared to take Thirteen away by force if he had to because he didn''t want to see the young man die, knowing that he could do something to prevent it.


    While he was deep in thought, the teenage boy spoke unhurriedly, breaking him out of his thoughts.


    "More often than not, there are times when we can''t rely on anyone but ourselves to do things right," Thirteen stated. "Each of us has our own battles to fight, like the Monster Army that is headed toward me right now. With your current strength, you can wipe them all out just as easily as raising a hand."


    Thirteen then turned to face Lux. His eyes were as calm as the surface of a stillke, unperturbed by what was happening in his surroundings. The Half-Elf couldn''t see any trace of fear in those beautiful green eyes, who seemed to hold all the knowledge of the world and suffered countless hardships and heartaches.


    "But this is not your battle," Thirteen said firmly. "Just like how your battles are not mine."


    The teenage boy then shifted his gaze back to the Monsters that wereing closer and closer to him.


    "Remember this��the Fate of an entire world is not decided by the strength of a single individual," Thirteen exined. "You are stupid and arrogant if you think that you alone can save your world. What I hate the most are Heroes and those who have a Hero Complex.


    "Why must a single individual carry the weight of an entire world with billions of people in it? Are you telling me that those billions of people are all dead weight? If you think that way, then I suggest you let a donkey kick your head. There is something very wrong with you."


    Lux felt like he was being insulted, but for some reason, he also felt embarrassed after Thirteen''s pep talk.


    The teenage boy was right.


    The world of Elysium and Sis had billions or even trillions of people whenbined.


    He automatically assumed that since he was appointed by Eriol and Max to help save Sis from destruction, he alone had the power to save it.


    He thought that he alone would be able to save everyone in it.


    "If your life is a novel, I bet the readers are thinking that you''re not the real Main Character of your story," Thirteen stated. "You''re probably just the sidekick or the mount of a Baby Slime, who is secretly the true Protagonist of your story."


    ����������������


    Somewhere in Elysium��. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Eiko sneezed just as she was about to feed her pet Sea Otter, Lucky, a Cmity-Ranked Beast Core that she had taken from an Abyssal Monster.


    Thinking that it was her Papa and Mama thinking about her, she cutely smiled and continued to feed the Baby Otter, which made thetter very happy.


    ����������������


    Thirteen then held his left and right hands out to the side, creating a hazy fluctuation that seemed to disrupt space itself. From those hazy distortions in space, he took out two short swords, which he would use to fight against the Monster Army that was just a kilometer away from him.


    "Listen," Thirteen said. "When we feel like all hope is lost and we can no longer stand our ground, that''s when we often realize something very important."


    Thirteen then nced at Lux, and a faint smile could be seen on his face.


    "Remember this, Lux," Thirteen stated. "In the greatest battles of our lives�� We. Are. Never. Alone."


    As if waiting for that moment, over a dozen rocket missiles flew past Thirteen''s and Lux''s heads,nding on the Monster Army that was advancing on them.


    Loud explosions erupted, and pained cries reverberated in the surroundings.


    A few secondster, the sound of a Helicopter rotor reached their ears.


    Lux nced upwards and saw a ck military Helicopter flying in their direction. When it was right above their heads, four Individuals jumped out of it andnded perfectly in front of the teenage boy, who had been fighting alone all this time.


    "I''m sorry, Young Master," a middle-aged man wearing a butler''s suit bowed his head respectfully. "It took us some time to steal��errr borrow a Military Helicopter from the base. I deeply apologize foringte."


    A chubby teenage boy smirked before raising his hand.


    Suddenly, a six-meter-tall Troll appeared beside him, holding the most badass bastard sword that Lux had seen in his lifetime.


    "It''s smacking time!" A two-meter-tall young man bumped his knuckles together and his entire bodypletely turned bronze in color, making him look like a bronze statue that was moving on its own.


    The incredibly handsome young man with long blonde hair tied up behind his back and eyes that were red as rubies chuckled as he held a beautiful ornate sword in his right hand.


    He then pointed the tip of his de at the enraged Monster Army, which was now madly rushing in their direction with the intention of shredding them into pieces.


    "With my friends beside me, I am Invincible!" The incredibly handsome young man dered, as he, the Butler, the Chubby Boy, the Troll, as well as the young man that had transformed into a Bronze Statue, rushed towards the Monster Army with the intention of fighting them head-on.


    Thirteen watched them with a faint smile on his face before shifting his gaze back to Lux and pressing his closed fist on the Half-Elf''s chest.


    "You are not alone, Lux," Thirteen stated. "And I''m sure that there are many people who will dly fight alongside you, risking their lives to protect everything they hold sacred. This is why you are foolish if you think that you are fighting this battle alone.


    "Let''s say that this Daniel guy and this Outer God are truly powerful. You just need to think outside the box. If the people or creatures in Elysium and Sis are not enough to fight them, then you should tap into the power that was bestowed upon you by that b*tch named Fate. "You are the Necromancer of Heaven. Since that is the case, what is stopping you from using the power of Necromancy to pound your enemy into submission? Don''t only look inside of the two boxes you are in. If you look outside those two boxes, no one in the world or the multiverse will be able to stop you."


    Thirteen then gave Lux a slight push before turning to face the Monster Army in preparation to join his people to annihte them all.


    A portal had appeared behind Lux, so the moment Thirteen pushed him, he found himself falling into the portal, unable to do anything. "Death smiles at us all and all a man can do is smile back," Thirteen said as he took a step forward. "But when you look Death in the eye, and death blinks first, nothing seems impossible."


    (A/N: Quote from Marcus Aurelius, and Rick Yancey.)


    Lux watched the young man''s back as he dragged his injured body toward the Monster Army. This image was burned in the Half-Elf''s eyes, and before the portal closed to send him back to his world, the final words of the Second Strongest System in all of creation reached his ears.


    "In times of Darkness, one must stop looking for the Light, and be the Glow for others to follow."


    Those were thest words that the Half-Elf heard before he felt his body falling toward the endless Abyss, with Maple and Cinnamon flying closely by his side.

 Chapter 1199 Giving Him A Piece Of Their Mind

    Chapter 1199 Giving Him A Piece Of Their Mind


    After falling for what felt like an eternity, Lux found himself suddenly appearing in the skies of Elysium.


    The Fox Lady, Hana, suddenly appeared beside him and held him tightly.


    She then made several short teleportations in rapid session beforending softly on the ground, still holding the Half-Elf in a princess carry.


    "Thank you, Hana," Lux said.


    "You''re wee," Hana replied as she helped her Master stand up properly. "Did you find the answers that you were looking for, Master?"


    "Weren''t you there with me?" Lux asked back. "Didn''t you hear Thirteen''s words?"


    Hana shook her head. "The moment we appeared in that world, we couldn''t see what was happening outside. For some reason, we also can''t materialize beside you. "Our vision only returned a moment ago when you started falling from the sky, Master. Because of this, I took the initiative to bring you safely to the ground because I thought that youcked the power tond by yourself."


    Lux smiled and nodded his head.


    Although he could havended safely and broken free from Hana''s hold, he allowed himself to be taken care of by hispanion. Thirteen''s words had resonated in his heart, and he finally understood something that he had been taking for granted all along.


    ''Yes, I am not alone,'' Lux thought. ''I''ve been fighting with everyone from the start. Also, there are others like Keoza, who will always lend me their hand when I need them.''


    He then remembered Thirteen''s snarkyment about him being a side character and the mount of a Baby Slime, who was the true protagonist of his story if his life were in the world of a novel.


    "What a funny guy," Lux thought. "How can I be the side character of my own story? Isn''t that a joke?"


    Shaking his head, Lux teleported to his Guild Headquarters in order to see how everyone was doing.


    Currently, the Alliance was rushing back toward the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden after they received word that Nyathotep had suddenly appeared there, bringing its horde of Golden Abominations with it.


    They knew that no matter how fast they wanted to go, things would have already concluded the moment they arrived.


    Fortunately, Hereswith had informed them through the Guild Chat of Heaven''s Gate that everything had already been dealt with.


    Despite countless deaths and damage received by the Elven Kingdom, Nyathotep was finally defeated, which made the entire Alliance rejoice.


    Even so, that didn''t stop them from moving at full speed back to the Elven Kingdom to reunite with their loved ones, while hoping that their families weren''t among those who had died due to the Outer God''s invasion.


    Lux, who suddenly appeared in the Floating Ind of Edea, found himself facing two Dragon Kings, who had sensed his arrival.


    "So you''ve finally shown yourself, you brat." King Azza pressed his hand over Lux''s shoulder and held it in a vice grip. "We have many things to talk about. But first, tell me, how would you like to die? You can choose the method. I don''t particrly mind. However, I highly rmend that you choose the slow and painful way to die."


    The corner of Lux''s lips twitched when his father-inw stopped talking. Clearly, the Dragon King wasn''t too thrilled about the news of his precious and beautiful daughter suddenly being pregnant without his knowledge.


    "Father��" Lux said, but before he could finish saying the rest of what he nned to say, King Azza grabbed his robe and raised him up, making the Half-Elf look at the Dragon King eye-to-eye.


    "Don''t call me Father, brat." King Azza growled. "You have the guts to do that to my daughter. Do you know how much I''m tempted to rip you to shreds right now? The only reason why you''re still alive is because you dealt with that bastard Nyathotep, who is only a little less scummy than you."


    Lux didn''t know what to say after beingpared to the Outer God, who had almost destroyed the World Tree and turned everyone in Espoir Frieden into Golden Abominations, which would serve as its personal army.


    "Dad��" Lux said, which made the Dragon King raise his hand to smack him.


    Fortunately, Keoza held onto the Dragon King''s wrist and prevented him from hurting the Half-Elf, whom he was also very tempted to smack for getting Aurelia pregnant.


    The worst part of it all was that he was almost forced to watch the process. Fortunately, at thest second, he managed to split his spirit from the Dragon Token to appear in Karshvar Draconis.


    That was when he told the Dragon King that he would join him the next time King Azza went fishing.


    "Don''t tease him too much, Lux," Keoza stated. "First, tell us everything that happened. Hereswith has already told us how the event unfolded, but we want to hear your version of it."


    King Azza snorted, but he still released the Half-Elf so that thetter could talk.


    After fixing his robe, Lux told the two Dragon Kings everything from start to finish. He told them about going to the Abyss to save Aurora and his near brush with Daniel.


    When he came to the part when he finally arrived in Elysium, the two Dragon Kings'' expressions became solemn.


    The Half-Elf told them that ckfire informed him that Hereswith was in danger, and the Kingdom of Espoir Frieden was under attack by Nyathotep.


    Because of this, he had hurriedly gone there to fight against the Outer God and prevent him from destroying the World Tree, as well as hurting his lovers, who were all living near the tree itself.


    When he told them that the Golden Scales didn''t appear even after he destroyed Nyathotep''s soul, the expressions of the two Dragon Kings'' became even more grim.


    Lux even mentioned the part when he saw Daniel breaking the seal that Antero had ced to prevent anyone from reaching the Thirteenth Floor.


    King Azza, as well as Keoza, were dumbfounded when Lux admitted that the Subus Queen had given birth to his daughter.


    But that was not all. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His daughter possessed the Pir of Hope within her soul, which was now also in Daniel''s possession, making the Pseudo-God the owner of the three Pirs of Eternity.


    "So, you and Eiko are in possession of two of the Pirs. The Pir of Love and Pir of Stability, which are the Golden Locket and the Golden Anchor," Keoza said. "Only by gathering all five will you be able to save Sis. "On the other hand, if Daniel seeds in acquiring all of them, he will not only hold power over both Elysium and Sis, but he will also finally ascend into Godhood."


    The Crystal Dragon sighed before looking at Lux with the most serious expression he had made in his life.


    "So, have you found a way to defeat him?" Keoza asked.


    Even King Azza, who was still mad at Lux, held his tongue and waited for the Half-Elf''s answer.


    "Yes and no," Lux replied. "I think I understand how to defeat him, but until I put it into practice, I will not know whether I am right or wrong."


    "So when do you n to put this to the test?" King Azza inquired.


    Lux didn''t say anything. Instead, he pointed towards the Heavens, making both Dragon King''s frown.


    "We can''t let Daniel reach Elysium and Sis and make these worlds our battleground," Lux stated. "We won''t wait until he brings the fight to our doorsteps. We will bring the fight to him and hit him with everything we have or die trying."


    King Azza and Keoza nced at each other before looking at the Half-Elf with smiles on their faces.


    They were done being messed around with by the invaders from the Abyss.


    If a fight is what the Pseudo-God wanted, a fight he would get.


    But this time, they would be the ones knocking on Daniel''s doorstep in order to give him a piece of their mind.


    ��--------------

 Chapter 1200 Final Preparations

    Chapter 1200 Final Preparations


    It took the Alliance one week to hurry and reach Espoir Frieden.


    Some of them were relieved to see that their loved ones were alive, while some cried bitter tears after finding out that their family members were among the casualties of the battle.


    But their bitterness disappeared when they saw their loved ones, who had been turned into Undead by Asmodeus and his Undead Mages.


    Due to the power of the World Tree, the souls of the people who had died had temporarily taken shelter near its body, preventing them from being sucked into the Abyss.


    When Lux arrived, these souls returned to their bodies, which he had raised from the dead to help fight against the Abominations, who had ended their lives.


    Although they were now Undead, the mere fact that they could still talk andmunicate with their families was a blessing in itself.


    Asmodeus was now a Demigod-Ranked Monster, so his abilities to reanimate the dead had also been upgraded. As long as twelve hours hadn''t passed after the person had died, he would be able to bring their soul back to their bodies and allow them to be born again as Sentient Undeads.


    After their bittersweet reunions, ns were made for the final battle that would take ce in the Abyss.


    This was only possible thanks to Lux''s, Eiko''s, and Aurora''s help.


    Eiko could make everyone fly in the sky, allowing them to travel the path that Aurora would guide them to take.


    Since Aurora had been reborn as a Transcended Subus in the Abyss, her connection with that world was very strong.


    Also, because she had grasped the path that James had taken on their return trip to Elysium, she was able to point Eiko in the right direction.


    Lux, on the other hand, had the Golden Locket. He could create a barrier that would protect everyone from the fabric of time and space, allowing them to safely travel through one of the many pathways that led to the Abyss.


    Daniel had already infiltrated the First Layer of the Abyss and was now charting a path that would take him to Elysium.


    Lux and the others wanted to meet him halfway, and their battlefield would be on the path that connected both worlds.


    The Leaders of the Alliance told everyone to rest for three days before they undertook their final journey.


    Three days was just enough time to let the warriors, who would apany them into battle, say their goodbyes to their loved ones.


    They knew that this time, their chances of survival were significantly smallerpared to fighting against Nyathotep and the Abyssal Lords under itsmand.


    The one they would be fighting against was a Pseudo-God, and the power the other party had at his disposal was something that not even the two Dragon Kings, King Azza and Keoza, could easily ovee.


    Even so, they would still face him head-on, using the full might of the alliance.


    However, on the second day, something unexpected happened.


    Several portals appeared in Espoir Frieden, and countless warriors from the different Kingdoms and Empires of Sis poured out to join the battle.


    It seemed that they had also managed to defeat the Abyssal Lords that had tried to invade their world, and this time, they would join the fight, which made the total forces of the Alliance swell exponentially.


    The Six Kingdoms, the Rowan Tribe, Barbatos Academy, and many other forces decided to join the final battle that would determine whether their worlds would be saved or perished.


    Eriol and Max had used their authority tomunicate the current situation of Elysium to Sis.


    The Kings and Emperors of the various Kingdoms and Empires knew that once Elysium fell, there would be no hope for them as well.


    So although they suffered a lot from the Abyssal Invasion, they, too, sent all able-bodied men and women to join the Alliance in their final gamble.


    When Lux returned to Espoir Frieden, a pleasant surprise awaited him.


    All of his lovers, who had lost their memories, finally remembered him, and this was all thanks to Cupid.


    The little troublemaker had used his arrows to shoot the hearts of Lux''s lovers, forcefully destroying the seal that prevented them from remembering their beloved.


    Their reunion was happy, bittersweet, and painful.


    The reason why it was painful was due to the fact that Iris and Cai demanded that he make them pregnant as well.


    Of course, Lux could no longer use the excuse that "this wasn''t the right time" to have babies because Valerie and Aurelia were already pregnant with his children.


    Because of this, Lux was dragged into the bedroom by his two fiances, who had forcibly taken the Evesting Ring off from his finger to ensure that both of them would conceive his child.


    They knew that the battle he would face was a very dangerous one. But regardless of what happened in the future, whether they survived or not, they still wanted to conceive his child.


    Making Lux unable to refuse them.


    Ali and Ari had promised Valerie that they would only consider getting pregnant after she had given birth to her baby. Because of this, the two beautiful handmaidens didn''t demand that Lux get them pregnant.


    However, that didn''t mean that they didn''t spend some intimate moments with Lux in the bedroom.


    Of course, Aina and Aurora did the same. Three dayster, Iris, Cai, Aina, and Aurora all stood beside Lux on the Floating Ind of Edea.


    They decided toe with him and take part in the battle that would decide their futures.


    Valerie, Aurelia, Ali, and Ari also decided to travel with Lux and stay inside his Guild Headquarters alongside their mothers.


    All of them understood that there was no point in staying in Elysium if the Alliance was to be defeated in battle.


    If they were going to die, they would die alongside the people that they loved. That way, all of them could be reunited in the afterlife.


    Perhaps, the other races also felt this strongly as well.


    Because of this, even the nonbatants decided to take up arms and join the Alliance in their fight, further increasing the size of their Army.


    All the floating Inds of Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce would be used to house the people who wished to fight.


    Since there were more preparations to be done, the three-day limit was extended to five days, giving everyone barely enough time to make the necessary arrangements needed to prepare for the greatest battle the likes that Elysium and Sis had never seen.


    High above the Heavens, Eriol and Max watched this scene with solemn expressions on their faces.


    Both of them knew where Daniel was and how long it would take him to travel between the Abyss to reach the world of Elysium, where the two final pieces of the Pirs of Eternity were waiting for him.


    They ryed all the necessary information to Lux, who shared it with the rest of the Alliance. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This was why they were okay to dy their departure by two days, which they wouldn''t have done if they hadn''t known Daniel''s current location.

 Chapter 1201 Onward, We Make Our Last Stand At World’s End!

    Chapter 1201 Onward, We Make Our Last Stand At World��s End!


    Lux looked at the Grand Fleet of the Alliance with a solemn look on his face.


    Today was the day when they would embark on their journey to fight for everything they held dear in their hearts and ensure that both Elysium and Sis would have a better and brighter future.


    King Azza and Keoza were currently giving their speeches in order to raise everyone''s morale because morale was important in wars.


    When they were finished, the two Dragon Kings looked in Lux''s direction and asked him to give everyone in the Army some final words.


    After his fight against Nyathotep, his standing within the Alliance had risen, and many considered him as one of the Great Generals in the uing war.


    In order to make everyone feel a little more confident about their chances in the uing war, Lux had made preparations beforehand.


    Opening his Draconic wings, Lux flew in front of the Flying Fleet and crossed his arms over his chest. A secondter, a Giant Skeleton King, d in ck Armor inscribed with draconic designs, appeared behind him.


    The Half-Elf thennded on the palm of Deus Gigantia, who had merged with Avernus and his Undead Dragon Army.


    The presence that the Skeleton King was radiating was simply too powerful, making everyone who still doubted that Lux was the one who defeated Nyathotep, rethink their opinion.


    While they were deep in thought, Lux''s powerful voice resounded not only in the fleet of the Alliance but also in the entirety of Elysium and Sis, using Seraphina''s power of divinity.


    "Today is the day we embark on a journey to face an opponent that threatens not only Elysium but Sis as well. I will not lie to you all. Our chances of beating him are very low.


    "He is someone that even the Outer God, Nyathotep, couldn''tpare to. An opponent whom even the strongest beings in our world wouldn''t be able to defeat in a one-on-one battle. Heck, even if all the Supremes and Demigods of our worlds joined hands, the chances of winning are still abysmally low."


    King Azza, who had asked Lux to say some parting words to increase their army''s morale, was regretting his decision. Instead of raising everyone''s fighting spirit, the Half-Elf was even lowering it, making everyone fearful even before the battle started!


    It was not only King Azza who wanted to p Lux silly. Even the Kings and Emperors of their respective territories wanted to tell the Half-Elf to shut up and go away. But, his next words quieted everyone, who nned to stop his speech midway.


    "I see in your eyes the same fear that I felt many days ago," Lux stated, his voice bing stronger and firmer. "I have thought long and hard on how to defeat Daniel, whose might far surpass all the foes that I have fought in the past.


    "But someone weaker than me��


    "Someone whose strength was only that of a Grade-D Apostle told me that I was delusional to think that I alone could save Elysium and Sis from destruction. All of usbined numbered in the Billions, perhaps even Trillions. So why should a single individual worry about these things?"


    The corner of Lux''s lips curled up into a sneer as he scanned the faces of the people who hade from both Elysium and Sis to participate in this war. "Tell me, are all of you just extra baggage?" Lux asked in an arrogant tone. "Are all of you that useless?"


    "Damn you! Who are you calling extra baggage?!"


    "Useless?! How about youe down here so I can clobber you?!"


    "Bastard! Just because you are more handsome than me, you think you can spout whatever bullsh*t you want?!"


    "Come down and fight me, you scum!"


    "F*ck off!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The members of the Alliance all shouted in anger as they red at the Half-Elf, who seemed to be looking down on all of them.


    "Oh? For a moment I thought all of you were just useless trash who were onlying along for the ride to cheer me on," Lux sneered. "I mean, I don''t mind having cheerleaders. You guys can just watch the show, and see how awesome I am in battle."


    Naturally, the members of the Alliance didn''t like the arrogance of the Half-Elf, and their shouts of outrage and irritation reverberated in the surroundings, making the air itself feel as if it was cracking. "F*ck you!"


    "F*ck off!"


    "Someone make that bastard stop talking!"


    "Damn it! Someone stop me! I''ll fight that guy!"


    "I spit on you! *PITUI!*"


    Luxughed out loud as he pointed to his left and moved his hand slowly to the right until it reached the farthest flying ship in his vision.


    "As I stand here before all of you, so do all of you stand before me," Lux stated. "Who among you here are brave enough to fight alongside me at World''s End?!"


    "I will fight!" Ethan_King_6227 shouted. "Hold my Golden Tickets!" "So do I!" KingRig announced. "Magic Castles? Consider it done!"


    "I have been here since this story started," CharredWoolf dered. "I will be here until it ends!" "Thanks for the Chapters! I mean, You believe in living dangerously," Jack_Gordon said. "I can see that."


    Lux wasn''t the only one that had been fighting battles every day. The Unsung Heroes who cared for Elysium and Sis had also made their mark on History''s pages and had gathered to support him onest time, in the final battle of his lifetime.


    Darthkrow13, Star_Devourer, Ludiator, Julian_Ramirez_7438, Kingcamper125, Whitesh, justxforxfun, Beau_Moore, SpeedDemon266, Kira6157, DaoistGoldeSin, Wepln95_h, Daoist265567, TheOneWhoSeek, Mario_Lassl, Scott_Berry_3382, Yuuy789.


    12345high, Spencer_Elizondo, DaoistLIML1o, Jesse_Boyer, JunM, John_Hartigan, Alberto_Pellot,zy_dragon_29, Jack_Barron, Peter_Martinez, Drakeking12, Eldot, Mike_klimowicz, SteinsTrextus, AsmodeusKOD, congo_1979, zelmir4012, Blumey2.


    Paolo_Galli, Azul_Granato, Xenoir, Prince_Nuada, IdolTrust, S97_Reaver, Mikey_Evan, Cmity705, r0cket, EvilMoo, Chris_Morales_8006, Kuwar, Frederick_oren, Retrion, Spectre227, Hattorin, Deldwath, vTekGhost, Kyle_Lewis_5719, EnragedKing, Hans_Brevik.


    DraconicOverlord, KidSage, sadukar8_dnd, Draconis099, Kirk_Harrison, Crashtec, Luis_, Grimjoke, Ghstrider28, Vance_Marshall, abenddd, BloodyEvolver, Ronald_Ray, Generated05, Chi11_R3ader, Jetdy_S, Ryugin, DaoistLb1slQ, tim_liberatore, Fallnus, Derek_Peters, Eriq_Johnson, Will_andless, dbrown1637, ArkWeed, Mathew_Hibbard, Alexis_Figueroa_2684, LAVega87, DaoistpCscdv, Sifer_Lenatus, MiasmaLotus, Markus_List, darkde875, Tristan_Barron, Velsharoon, DaoistVHHuIY, Joshua_Shaw_1354, Jordan_Haskett_4344, Thecerealmaker, Kyle_Hille, Drakars41, Daemoncles_000, Joannnichole, Timothy_sson, EuryEvans, Xay563, Blue_me_7254, Sharky657, joejambul, Spudly, Lyonfang, Kryn_Winterbourne, Fox0818, TehHawks, Dillion_L,


    Leo81202, Ben007, Treyclub2k11, BookReader_007, ramon_sig, LightNight01, Tummy_4011, Edward_Kordish, Harsh_Raj_Singh_2745, AntGent, Lawlzie, Idiot_That_Reads, melchito.


    (A/N: Sorry, there are so many of you that I cannot add you all. To those who wish to have their names added, and immortalized in this novel, leave ament on thement section. Remember, leave ament, not a paragraphment!)


    The Half-Elf could still remember the words that Thirteen had told him before thetter pushed him into the portal so that he could return to his own world.


    ������������������������-


    "Remember this, Lux," Thirteen stated. "In the greatest battles of our lives�� We. Are. Never. Alone."


    ������������������������-


    Looking at all the Heroes of the world that had gathered to fight alongside him, Lux knew that Thirteen was right.


    He was never alone, and with these thoughts in his heart, he raised his hand high up in the air.


    "Today, we stand as one!" Lux dered. "Today, we will show our enemy that no matter how strong he is, and no matter how many are in his force, he will fight us until thest man and show him that we will not bow down to his tyranny!"


    """Yeah!"""


    "So, raise the colors!" Lux stated. "Say your prayers, for we will go to war! And we will win this war!"


    """Yeah!"""


    "What are your professions?!"


    """Ahoo! Ahoo! Ahoo!"""


    Lux nodded and Deus Ex Gigantia opened its majestic draconic wings behind its back and took the helm of the Alliance to fly forward.


    Suddenly, a Bifrost Bridge appeared in the sky, which would take them to the ce where they needed to be.


    "Onward!" Lux shouted as he pointed at the road that appeared before them. "We make ourst stand at World''s End!"


    """At World''s End!"""


    """At World''s End!"""


    """At World''s End!"""


    And with that, the entirety of the Alliance traveled the bloody path, which would bring them one step closer to the ending of a Fairy Tale.

 Chapter 1202 A Very Enticing Offer

    Chapter 1202 A Very Enticing Offer


    Lux led the way, and the entire Allied Fleet followed behind him.


    However, just before they were about to leave the territory of Elysium, a series of notifications appeared to all the members of the Alliance, making their eyes widen in shock.


    ����������������������������


    < Mythical Guild Invitation >


    �� You have been invited to join the Mythical Guild, Heaven''s Gate


    �� If you are currently part of another guild, there is no need to worry because this is just a temporary invitation and you don''t have to leave your current guild. �� Heaven''s Gate will be your Sub-Guild, giving you the benefits that all members of the Guild possess.


    ����������������������������


    < Heaven''s Gate Active Guild Buffs >


    300% Health Regeneration


    300% Mana Regeneration


    300% Stamina Regeneration


    100% Chance to learn skills from Beast Cores


    100% Immunity to Charm Skill


    100% Increase in Experience Points when killing Monsters


    300% Stamina Regeneration


    100% Immunity to Charm Skill


    100% Chance to learn skills from Beast Cores


    100% Increase in Experience Points when killing Monsters


    25% Chance of getting better Monster Drops


    25% Chance of resisting Status Ailments


    20% Increase in Physical and Magical Attacks


    20% Increase in Physical and Magical Defense


    20% Bonus Sess Rate in Crafting items


    ����������������������������


    < Heaven''s Gate Unique Guild Buff (EPIC Rank) >


    �� When fighting against opponents that are stronger than you, your Attack and Defense will increase by 300%.


    �� All the members of Heaven''s Gate would gain the passive skill, Divine Abyssal Touch. �� The Undead Legion of all Necromancers will also gain the power of Divine Abyssal Touch when they be members of Heaven''s Gate. < Divine Abyssal Touch >


    �� Your attacks will be imbued by the power of the Abyss, as well as the power of the Divine, dealing great damage against Abyssal Creatures, ignoring their defenses. ����������������������������


    When the members of the Alliance saw this, none of them could believe their eyes.


    Even King Azza, Lady Faustina, and Lady Augustina couldn''t help but gasp in shock after seeing the active guild buffs that were exclusively avable to the members of the only Mythical Guild in the world. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The members of Memento Mori all nced at their Sovereign withplicated looks on their faces.


    "Um, after the battle is over, can I permanently leave our Main Guild?" one of the Necromancers asked. "This Mythical Guild is right up my alley."


    The Sovereign of Memento Mori red at his Guild Member, who had just voiced out everyone''s inner thoughts, including his own thoughts.


    However, since their organization was already hundreds of years old, he didn''t want to disband their Guild.


    "Don''t worry," the Sovereign said. "After this is over, we will ask Lux to make Heaven''s Gate our permanent Sub-Guild, so we can continue to enjoy its Guild benefits."


    The Sovereign had a feeling that Lux was trying to poach his members directly by showing them such an enticing offer.


    Hereswith, who was with the flying Bone Fortress of Memento Mori, couldn''t help but cover her lips to giggle because she shared the same thought as the Sovereign of her organization.


    Lux was definitely trying to poach the members of Memento Mori, making them jump onto his bandwagon, ditching their old guild in the process. All the Necromancers were very happy with this arrangement because the Guild Buffs of Heaven''s Gate were simply too broken to ignore.


    If their Sovereign truly managed to convince Lux to share the Guild Buffs with them permanently, then all of them would all benefit from it. They all immediately joined Heaven''s Gate, after which they took out their rarest Beast Cores, which usually only had a one percent chance to give them a skill. But since the Guild Buffs guaranteed that they would get a skill from the Beast Core they consumed, they no longer hesitated and consumed them all.


    One by one the members of the Alliance epted the invitation because even their own Guilds didn''t have such Guild Buffs.


    Just like the members of Memento Mori did, they all started to consume the Beast Cores in their possession to learn the rare skills that usually couldn''t be obtained through normal means.


    "What a brat," King Azza snorted before he, too, epted the Guild Invitation. After doing so, he made an announcement to all the Dragons and Dragon Borns of Karshvar Draconis to not hesitate and join Heaven''s Gate, for this would allow them to be stronger in battle.


    Aside from the Guild Buffs, the 300% increase in Attack and Defense was very enticing to the Dragon King who pursued strength above all.


    He might not be able to defeat Daniel in a one-on-one battle, but he was confident that he would be able to defeat everyone else.


    Keoza also ordered the Dragons and Dragon Borns of the Crystal Pce to ept Lux''s invitation.


    He had been with the Half-Elf since thetter was just starting out in Elysium and understood what kind of person he was.


    With the addition of the Guild Buffs, everyone, including the nonbatants, suddenly felt their strength soar as the Active and Epic Guild Buffs took effect on their bodies.


    "Join!" Eiko ordered, and her Boom Boom Pirate Crew also epted the Guild Invitation.


    Flying alongside the Floating Inds of Karshvar Draconis, the Crystal Pce, Memento Mori, and the Altar of the Divine Army of Light was none other than the floating ind of Edea.


    There, countless Baby Slimes gathered, and they were continuously crafting one st Bomb one after the other.


    Glee, who was there to help condense their st Bombs, was smiling from ear to ear because she never expected that there woulde a time when there would be numerous Creatures who would share the same passion as her.


    That passion was none other than making things explode!


    ''Eiko did a good job!'' Glee thought as she happily condensed a Heat-Seeking Nuclear-Level st Bomb, which would be used the moment they came across their enemies.


    The Baby Slimes of Leaf Town had all decided to participate in the battle as well, surprising Lux and the Wicked Queen Slime, Lilian.


    It seemed that after the Abyssal Monsters attacked Leaf Town, these Baby Slimes understood that unless the threat was properly dealt with, they would no longer have any peaceful days in the world.


    Of course, the Baby Slimes that were being raised in the nursery of the Guild Headquarters were influenced by their seniors and also decided to fight alongside everyone.


    Lilian, who considered herself to be the protector of all the Baby Slimes, stood in the middle of them all with her arms crossed over her chest.


    With Lux''s help, she had also stepped into the Demigod Rank, making her one of the Powerhouses of the Alliance.


    The Kingdom of Agartha had also joined the battle, upying a few of the Floating Inds of Karshvar Draconis and the Crystal Pce, which were almost fully inhabited.


    King Septimius stood beside a beautifuldy, who was none other than his wife, Queen Bianca, who now had fully recovered and gained a new body with Lux''s help.


    When he first saw the woman whom he loved with all of his heart appear before him, the proud and even arrogant King of Agartha broke out in tears. He had been longing for her but he never expected that he would see her again.


    In fact, King Septimius joined this war, hoping that if he somehow fell in battle, he would be able to reunite with his wife in the afterlife.


    So seeing her alive and well made him very emotional, thanking Lux from the bottom of his heart.


    "Everyone, brace yourselves," Lux said as they were about to step outside the world of Elysium and enter the vast expanse of the Void, where James usually traveled whenever he had free time.


    Guided by the Bifrost Bridge, the Alliance plunged into the darkness of the Void, where the Army of Destruction had once traversed to destroy the dying worlds of the Multiverse.


    This powerful army was once led by one of the Gods of Destruction, Surtr, who had met his demise in the hands of another Half-Elf in a battle that shook the multiverse several years ago

 Chapter 1203 The Time Has Finally Come

    Chapter 1203 The Time Has Finally Come


    When I first met Lux, I thought of him as just a filthy lownder, who was only good enough to grovel on my feet and ask for my mercy and generosity.


    Truth be told, I was one of the Dragon Borns who had a very big secret that I tried to hide from everyone.


    And that big secret was that I had an inferiorityplex.


    Growing up, I could only watch as my brothers, sisters, friends, and acquaintances became stronger, leaving me behind.


    Many teased and even bullied me because of this, which further made me look down upon myself, further developing my inferiorityplex.


    Fortunately, my two Grandmas, Grandma Faustina and Grandma Augustina, stood behind me, making those who treated me like trash no longer dare to say it in my face.


    Perhaps because they spoiled me silly, I felt like I could use their influence to get back at those people who had once looked down on me.


    Sure, they were many times stronger than me and even better than me, but their fathers, mothers, grandmas, and grandfathers weren''t as strong as the two Dragon Borns who always had my back.


    This made me arrogant, and I started to use my position and influence to bully others and force my weight in certain circles.


    Everyone endured and tolerated my haughtiness despite being my better because of my two grandmothers who had decided to turn a blind eye to my spoiled actions.


    The two of them probably thought that I would change with time, but I probably wouldn''t have, at least if I never met Lux.


    "How ironic," I muttered as I drank a bitter ale that was handed to me by one of the most annoying green-haired Half-Elfs in existence, which was none other than Gerhart.


    "What is ironic?" Gerhart asked as he looked at me with a confused look on his face. "It''s ironic that a side character like you managed to appear before this story ended."


    "Huh? What side character are you talking about? You better watch your backter because cannon fodders like you are the first to die inrge-scale battles like this."


    "Oh, please. I''ve alreadye this far. How can I possibly kick the bucket?" I asked with a look of disdain on my face. I mean, my character arc had been great so far, so it would be a shame if I died in this battle, right? Right?!


    Just as I was thinking this, the green-haired bastard snorted and sat on the chair in front of me. "Acting so smug when you are just a Cethus," Gerhart said in contempt. I rolled my eyes at the side character who didn''t know his ce. I then shifted my attention to the Half-Orc who was seated beside me, and was also drinking a bitter ale while looking calmly into the distance.


    "What''s this, mma?" I asked. "You haven''t appeared for hundreds of chapters, and you look like you''re getting cold feet already. Do you want me to hold your hand when the fighting starts?"


    mma, who had been staring at the endless Void nced at me before taking a sip of the bitter ale in his mug.


    "Sometimes, when I close my eyes, I can''t see," mma said, talking to no one in particr.


    I was just about to tell him that such was justmon sense, and how can one possibly see something when they closed their eyes?


    But before I could say that, the Half-Orc continued to speak.


    "My mother always used to say, the older you get, the better you get, unless you''re a Cethus," mma said in a serious tone, which made Gerhart start tough out loud. What the f*ck is this dumb Half-Orc saying? Was he implying that I''m stupid?


    Just as I was about to give the bastard a piece of my mind, two Dwarf girls approached me, carrying trays that contained sses of the bitter ale that I''d been drinking until a while ago.


    "Do you want more, mma?" Colette asked.


    "I''m good," mma replied. "I already had two mugs. I''ll just get er when I feel like it."


    "How about you, Cethus?" Colette asked in an innocent tone.


    "That''s SIR Cethus to you, Pipsqueak," I replied in an arrogant tone.


    "�� I''ll tell my sister that you are bullying me," Colette said with a dead-pan look on her face.


    "Sorry, I was just joking," I hurriedly corrected myself. "I''ll take one of those mugs, please."


    "Here you go then."


    "Thank you."


    I watched as Colette, and her friend, Helen, who was a cleric, continued their rounds to give the other Guild Members of Heaven''s Gate some bitter ale, which helped improve their concentration and kept them wide awake.


    Although I had be stronger and could now back up my arrogance, there were still some people that I couldn''t cross.


    One of them was Colette, whose older sister was Aina, Lux''s fiance.


    I didn''t want to be devoured by ckfire, who had the habit of taking the corpses of powerful creatures to add them to Lux''s Undead Legion.


    I mean, I am strong, but bing that Half-Elf''s direct subordinate was something that I didn''t n on happening to me.


    Just as I was thinking about this thought, a ck coffin suddenly appeared in front of me, making my body stiffen.


    Rows of text appeared on its surface, almost making me choke on the ale that I had just drunk.


    ��������������������


    < Sorry, but I have standards. I don''t eat trash. >


    ��������������������


    Those were the words that ckfire dropped before it disappeared to go who knows where.


    I pretended to not have read the words it directed to me because there was no way that it could read my thoughts, okay?


    Maybe it was referring to this green-haired idiot, Gerhart, or this dumb Half-Orc, mma.


    If I were in ckfire''s shoes, I would not bother to revive these two deadweights, who would not contribute anything during the final battle.


    I mean, they are just side characters, unlike me, right?


    In the distance, I looked at another Dwarf, who was also carrying a tray of mugs in his hands.


    He was none other than the simp, Matty, who didn''t have the balls to confess to Colette about his feelings.


    Like duh, everyone already knows that he liked her very much, including Colette who seemed to just be waiting for him to make his move.


    "Too bad he is a simp," I muttered before drinking from my mug. "Maybe I should teach him some of my moves on how to seduce girls."


    While I was drinking my ale, I noticed that Gerhart and mma were both looking at me in disdain.


    I returned their disdainful stare with a disdainful stare of my own. They dared to look at me in disdain? They are a hundred years too early to look down on someone like me.


    "This is why the two of you are still virgins," I said arrogantly. "All you know how to do is fight. Aren''t you ashamed of yourselves? Even Keane managed to get a cute fiance. Bunch of puss*es."


    Iughed in contempt at the two bastards who put down their mugs at the same time. It seemed that my words hit a nerve. Well, what can I say? But the truth hurts, B*tches!


    But before the two of them could say anything, someone, who had been busy doing lewd hand-holding with his fiance, approached us from behind. "I heard my name," Keane said. "Are you guys talking about me?"


    "We are," Cethus replied. "Go ahead and teach these two doofuses how to get their own mates. Being with them makes me look bad."


    Keane blinked in confusion as he looked at Gerhart and mma, who had both stood up at the same time.


    "Two against one?" I asked while the corner of my lips rose to a smirk. "Fine. I want a warm-up before this whole fighting starts."


    I, too, stood up and was prepared to duke it out with these two pansies, who could only y with their dongers in private.


    But as I looked at them, I noticed that they weren''t looking at me, but looking behind me.


    Even Keane, who had just arrived, was staring behind my back, which gave me a bad premonition.


    Slowly turning my head, I looked at the farthest point that my eyes could see.


    There, I saw them.


    Just across the horizon, a long golden line, simr to the light of the sunrise, was slowly but surely expanding.


    I gripped the ck spear in my hand, with my heart wildly beating inside my chest.


    "The time has finallye," I muttered, and the bastards whom I both hated and trusted with my life, all nodded their heads as they stood beside me.


    One by one, the members of our Guild slowly stood up, their gazes looking at the same scenery that was reflected in my eyes.


    At that exact moment, I subconsciously spoke the words inside of my head out loud. "I hope Lux revives me if I ever die in this battle," I said softly. "If he survives, that is."


    That was my genuine thought as I gazed at the enemies that we would be facing very soon. Myrades also nodded their heads at the same time because they also felt the same way I did.


    There, in the distance, was the Abyssal Army led by Daniel, and appearing above this mighty army was a gigantic silhouette, whose size was bigger than severalsbined.


    It was none other than the Outer God, Azathoth, whom Lux had faced in the past, causing him to nearly cease to exist. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I didn''t know how I regained my memory of him, but after waking up a day ago, I finally remembered the person, who had faced this same monstrous God, who was responsible for almost destroying the Half-Elf''s home world, Sis.


    "Prepare for battle."


    At that moment, Lux''s voice reverberated across the entirety of the Alliance.


    Even in the face of such an enemy, the Half-Elf''s voice was firm and didn''t contain a trace of fear.


    This made me and those who heard it, especially my Guild Members, feel their blood boil inside their bodies as they prepared to face the forces of the Abyss and fight with their lives hanging by a thin thread.


    ''I knew I should have stayed home,'' I thought as everyone around me started to move. The horns of war sounded, informing everyone that the greatest battle of our lives was about to begin.

 Chapter 1204 You Don’t Deserve To Live

    Chapter 1204 You Don��t Deserve To Live


    Daniel was quite surprised when he noticed the Allied Armies of Elysium traveling in the Void.


    After bypassing the Thirteenth Layer of the Abyss, and reaching the First Floor where the countless portals that led to several worlds were located, the Pseudo-God didn''t waste any time and looked for the path that would take him to Elysium.


    Although the journey would take him nearly three weeks to reach his destination, he didn''t hesitate to take that path.


    He had already waited for over a hundred years, so waiting for a few more weeks wasn''t a big deal to him.


    However, instead of waiting for his arrival, the Allied Armies led by Lux, met him in the Void, which made Daniel wonder if they had already given up on their world, and were sending themselves to their death.


    The two armies stopped their advance and stared at each other. They were five miles apart from each other, but that distance wasn''t a big deal if the two really wanted to start their fight.


    Daniel looked at the Half-Elf in surprise because he was certain that thetter had been killed by his ultimate attack.


    Nyathotep wasn''t able to tell him that Lux was alive because the Outer God was busy asking the Half-Elf to spare his life.


    But, since Daniel had taken the liberty of forcefully taking the Golden Scales from the Outer God''s true body, he wasn''t able to know who Nyathotep was fighting against.


    "So, you managed to survive," Daniel said. "Tell you what, surrender the Golden Locket and the Golden Anchor and I''ll let all of you be my subordinates. "You will all be part of my glorious army that will conquer all the worlds in existence. I am also willing to spare Elysium and Sis. This is a good offer right, what say you?"


    "I say stop spouting bullsh*t," Lux replied. "You talk about sparing us, while in truth you just nned to use them as cannon fodder for your goal to conquer other worlds. Only idiots and fools will believe your words."


    Some of the people of the alliance couldn''t help but lower their heads in shame because they thought that what Daniel offered was a good deal. They didn''t know who the Mastermind of the Abyssal Invasion was, but they knew that he was very powerful.


    After seeing the person in question, and the giant silhouette that was bigger than the size of a hovering above the Abyssal Army, they couldn''t help but feel afraid, so the moment Daniel threw them an olive branch, countless people were already thinking of grabbing it.


    But, Lux''s words broke them out of their daze.


    No one wanted to die, but no one wanted to be treated as tools for conquest either.


    Although they might be spared if they really epted Daniel''s offer, they were still bound to die another day if they were sent to battlefields and treated as cannon fodder.


    "Do you speak for everyone?" Daniel asked in a teasing tone. "Aren''t there any of you who wish to live? If so, all you need to do ise to my side. I promise that you will all be treated well as part of my Army."


    Lux didn''t make any moves to try to dissuade anyone from the alliance to reject Daniel''s offer.


    For him, those who would be enticed by such lies weren''t worthy to stand on his side. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A few minutes passed, but no one made any effort to switch sides, which made Daniel chuckle.


    "A pity," Daniel said. "I was really serious about sparing those who wished to join me, but it seems that all of you are fools who thought that you had a chance of winning against me. However, since I am merciful andpassionate, I will give you all onest chance. Join me and live, oppose me and die."


    Suddenly, a few flying ships flew forward, and broke off from the formation of the Alliance.


    Lux, King Azza, Keoza, the Sovereign of Memento Mori, the Sovereign of the Divine Army, and the other rulers of thend didn''t say anything.


    Seeing that their leaders weren''t making a move, more ships flew towards the Abyssal Army thinking that they were joining the winning side.


    However, when these people were halfway through their journey, a beam of light struck all the flying ships in a line annihting all of them at the same time.


    Eiko, who was standing on the deck of Poseidon''s ship, looked at this destruction with a calm look on his face.


    Poseidon had fired its main cannon ording to hermand, and this was the result.


    "See?" Lux said in a disdainful tone. "He offered to spare your lives, and many fools believed him. Did he raise a hand to help save their lives? No? Well congrattions. Now you understand that in his eyes, all of you have no value whatsoever. "He couldn''t care less if you lived or died. Also, since they chose to join his side, all of them became my enemy. And all of my enemies will die. So, if you want to join his side, go and join him. I promise you that you will be the ones I will kill first."


    "I will also prioritize killing the traitors," King Azza stated. "You dare betray your own world? You don''t deserve to live."


    "I will also kill all traitors," Keoza stated. "It doesn''t matter if you join Daniel now orter. I will make sure that all of you die a dog''s death."


    The other Kings and Emperors of the various nations also dered that all traitors would be killed. They had already seen what had happened to the people who had tried to defect earlier, so they no longer considered doing the same.


    In the end, they realized that regardless of which side they joined, they could still be killed in the end.


    Because of this, they decided to stay with the Alliance and no longer believe Daniel''s honey-coated words that would only make them the targets of the entirety of the alliance.


    "Well, it seems that the entertainment is over," Daniel shrugged. "Shall we now fight for real?"


    The Pseudo-Godughed before raising his hand.


    A momentter, the horde of Abyssal Monsters surged forward like a tide, ready to tear apart the members of the Alliance, who had chosen the Void as their battlefield.


    c71241599ffa2342522e9fa0e93245a9d8ec4ad4e8c3c5baf0c66a8666374fd0992fed3033b8269bd3b4d56077a8b1bb72e41917baf41bb4f7449fe7a954821d5534e32a40bf3c3d1aefd5b4b046b515

 Chapter 1205 The End Of The World [Part 1]

    Chapter 1205 The End Of The World [Part 1]


    "Open Fire!" Great General Garret ordered.


    The Magical Cannons on the floating ind of Edea roared to life and unleashed a deadly barrage at the iing Abyssal Army.


    Eiko and her Boom Boom Pirate Crew also unleashed their bombardment, which decimated the vanguard of the Abyssal Army which wasposed of Low-Ranking Abyssal monsters.


    Glee had a devilish smile on her face as she sat on the special cannon that the Dwarves had made specially for her.


    "You''re all bad Monsters, but I''m a bad girl," Glee said as one of the Baby Slimes loaded a Nuclear-Level st Bomb inside of her cannon. "So, I guess that it''s okay for me to blow all of you up, right?"


    With a devilish smile on her face, Glee pulled the trigger on the cannon and the st Bomb flew at the speed of sound.


    She had aimed it at the very back of the Abyssal Formation, where the Demigods were located, making sure that her allies wouldn''t be hit by the aftermath of the explosion


    The Abyssal Lords already knew that the "harmless looking" st Bomb could destroy an entire city, so they made sure that they evaded it like their lives depended on it.


    While the Abyssal Lords were able to evade it, the other Monsters couldn''t and the explosion that followed afterward annihted the majority of them. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Daniel clicked his tongue as he nced at the little girl, who was about to load another st Bomb into her cannon.


    He understood that although he had a bigger army than the members of the Alliance, the st Bombs posed a serious threat to his Army.


    Because of this, he ordered the Abyssal Lords to all advance and target the little girl, who wasughing like a maniac as she fired another st Bomb at the rear of the Abyssal Army.


    This time, Daniel raised a barrier to defend against the st Bomb, but to his surprise, the st Bomb changed its direction before hitting the barrier.


    "Not all st Bombs are the same!" Glee shouted. "This is my special Abyssal Lord seeking st Bomb!"


    Just as she dered, the st Bomb targeted the nearest Abyssal Lord, making thetter cry out in shock.


    A secondter, a powerful explosion erupted leaving its target with a grievous injury.


    Glee knew that Daniel wouldn''t allow her to continue what she was doing, so she activated the special function of her cannon.


    "Load it all up everyone!" Glee ordered.


    Immediately, all the Baby Slimes loaded every single Nuclear-Level st Bomb that they had created into the cannon.


    Once everything was ready, Glee narrowed her eyes and aimed the cannon at where the majority of the Abyssal Monsters congregated.


    "Eat this!" Glee shouted as she pulled the trigger of her cannon for thest time. "Boom Boom Bakugan!"


    Dozens of st Bombs were shot out from her cannon at the same time, spreading across the entirety of the battlefield. Eiko knew that Daniel would try to defend against her best friend''s attack, so he asked Poseidon to aim its main cannons in the Pseudo-God''s direction.


    Just as expected, Daniel focused on defending himself, while the rest of the Demigods, and Cmity-Ranked Monsters deployed their strongest defensive skills.


    The Void Battlefield shook as dozens of Nuclear-Level st Bombs exploded at the same time, sending multiple shockwaves expanding outwards from the point of impact.


    Glee''s cannon was destroyed after setting it to overdrive, but she wasn''t too sad about it because she had achieved her goal.


    At least, that was what she thought.


    When the dust cloud receded, she realized that the entirety of the Abyssal Army was protected by a shield that wasing from the gigantic silhouette of the Outer God, Azathoth, who was floating above the Abyssal Army.


    "Shift to n B," Lux ordered.


    "Shift to n B!"


    "Shift to n B!"


    "Shift to n B!"


    The battle formation of the Alliance began to spread out.


    All the Supremes, and Demigods, that were part of the Vanguard charged forward, leading the Army of the Alliance to battle.


    The barrier that was protecting the Abyssal Monsters disappeared, prompting them to meet their enemies head-on.


    The sh resulted in countless casualties on both sides as they poured out their hatred for each other.


    Lux knew that Daniel would not bat an eye, and let the two sides sh because he was confident that he would be able to win in the end because his army both had quality and quantity. Also, with the silhouette of the Outer God hovering above them, the morale of the Abyssal Army was at an all time high.


    Even so, Daniel realized that, even though his army was bigger and more powerful than the Alliance, he had forgotten what kind of enemies he was dealing with.


    "Rise!" Asmodeus ordered, and all the people and Monsters who died in battle rejoined the fight as Undead Monsters.


    Diablo led the charge as he sat on his Hell Stallion, leaving trails of mes in his wake.


    During the time that Lux was sealed in the block of crystal, the Death Sovereign had gone to countless ancient battlefields, and raised their strongest knights in battle.


    All of these knights were now fighting alongside him on the front lines, giving the members of the Alliance some breathing space.


    Orion, who had also created his own Golem Legion, was like a Juggernaut that bulldozed through the Abyssal Army like a Mad.


    Fighting alongside him was Sion, who was known as the Juggernaut of Agartha. With two Juggernauts, and over a hundred thousand Golems serving as the Vanguard of the Alliance, their morale rose drastically.


    Ishtar, who had gathered countless Undead Archers, was raining arrows at the back of the enemy''s rank, making them have a hard time.


    "Give them hell!" Bedivered roared and all f the Dragon Knights that he had trained descended on the battlefield and unleashed a column of Dragon Breath at their foes, making them cry out in pain.


    All of Lux''s Named Creatures and members of his Covenant, with the exception of Avernus, and the Undead Dragons that served as the Alliance''s swords and shield engaged the brunt of the Abyssal Army''s front line fighters.


    While this was happening, Lux, Hereswith, King Azza, and Keoza made their move.


    Four of the most powerful warriors of the Alliance all flew in Daniel''s direction at the same time.


    They knew that unless they defeated Daniel, this battle would be impossible to win.


    Since that was the case, they would target their most troublesome enemy, hitting him with everything they had, and pray to the Gods that the gamble they were taking would lead them to victory.

 Chapter 1206 The End Of The World [Part 2]

    Chapter 1206 The End Of The World [Part 2]


    Cethus had wondered what the end of the world looked like in the past.


    He thought that the end of the world would start with an earthquake that would shake the entire world, destroying all the Kingdoms and Empires that were onnd.


    Since Karshvar Draconis was a floating kingdom, he thought that he would be able to see the Londers suffer as thend split apart, engulfing everything and anything on it.


    He also thought that volcanoes would explode, covering the entire world with ash, and blocking off the light of the sun.


    He even envisioned fountains of magma erupting from deep within the earth, anding out from the fissures on the ground, extending up to dozens of meters in the sky.


    A hellish scene that was never before seen in the world would appear right before his eyes, and he would marvel at them before the sky turned dark, and countless lightning bolts would descend above his head, destroying all of creation along with it.


    That was Cethus'' version of the end of the world.


    But, now, he knew better.


    Giants of all shapes and sizes rampaged across the Void Battlefield, killing everything in their parth.


    Countless Dragons, Wyverns, Griffons, and other flying creatures, fell from the sky en masse, as their blood rained down on the people below them.


    It wasplete pandemonium, and he was right smack in the center of it.


    "Don''t go too deep, Colette!" Matty shouted as he controlled his Gyrocopter near the person he liked, who was riding her own Gyrocopter, apanied by Helen and the two Baby Slimes that were perched on top of their heads.


    "I know!" Colette replied as she pulled the trigger which unleashed several st Missiles at the flying Abyssal Monsters in front of her. Matty originally didn''t n on fighting on the front lines, but when Colette decided to fight alongside her older sister, Aina, he gritted his teeth and hopped into one of the Gyrocopters that was readily avable on the floating ind of Edea.


    Since the person he liked was going to fight, he would not allow her to fight alone.


    Aina, who was currently in her Battle Angel form, didn''t stray too far from her little sister, ready toe to her rescue at a moment''s notice.


    Cethus and Gerhart were there as well, assisting the Gyrocopter Legion of Heaven''s Gate, which were mostly operated by Dwarves and Kobolds, who decided to fight as well.


    The Dwarves wereposed of the Riders of Norria, who had all joined Heaven''s Gate in this battle for survival.


    While the heavy-weights of their Army were dealing with the heavy-weights of the opposing Army, the low-rankingbatants tore at each other''s throats with an intensity that wouldn''t lose to the powerhouses of both sides.


    Countless sword shes flew past Cethus, slicing apart the Abyssal Chimera that had tried to attack the Dragon Born from his blindspot.


    "Good job, Low Lander!" Cethus shouted. "You''re making yourself useful!"


    Keane, who was riding on top of a Wyvern, just gave Cethus a curt nod before assisting the others in their battle.


    Several clicking sounds reverberated in the surroundings, as Keane flicked his thumb over the handle of his sword, unsheathing it briefly from its scabbard.


    Below them, a Giant ck Boar, with mes spewing out of its nose and mouth, rammed and trampled countless Abyssal Monsters that stood in its way.


    The Boar was none other than Cai''s Grandpa, Maximilian, who was currently leading the members of the Rowan Tribe in battle.


    Not far from him, a draconic serpent, made up of water, unleashed a blue beam of light, annihting the Monsters, who were ganging up on the forces of Barbatos Academy.


    Alexander was also at the front lines of battle, and made sure that he would be able to save as many lives of his people as possible.


    At that moment, something big flew over Cethus'' head.


    It was none other than the Earth Turtle, who was responsible for maneuvering the Floating Ind of Edea.


    Countless Gyrocopters took off from this flying fortress, while those that were damaged during the battle returned to it.


    Several Dwarf Engineers were there to fix the damaged Gyrocopters, allowing them to fight again.


    While this was happening, the Magical Cannons that were mounted on the floating ind didn''t stop firing, making sure that their base wouldn''t be overrun by the Abyssal Monsters who could fly.


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    Countless Baby Slimes, who were perched on top of dozens of Gyrocopters, kept throwing st bombs toawrds the ground, targeting the bulk of the Abyssal Army.


    Cethus didn''t understand why these weak Creatures were participating in this battle, when they could just stay hidden in the underground tunnels of their Guild Headquarters,pletely safe from harm.


    "Watch out!" Cethus shouted as an Abyssal Creature unleashed a breath attack on the Gyrocopters, which were carrying the Baby Slimes.


    The Dragon Born raised his spear, and used his Gravity Domain, to make all the Baby Slimes, as well as the Elders of Leaf Town, fly out of the War Machines before they exploded after getting hit by the Breath Attack of an Empyrean-Ranked Abyssal Dragon.


    Grandma Annie and Randolph were among the Dwarves that Cethus had saved from the explosion.


    "Can''t you weak Low Landers just stay put?!" Cethus roared in anger as he went to another location to save some Dwarves, whose Gyrocopters were falling from the sky. "You Baby Slimes should just go suck the milk in the nursery and stay out of this battle!"


    The Dragon Born was truly enraged because although he acted arrogant all the time, the people that were dying around him were members of his Guild, whom he had also interacted with in the past. However, no matter how hard he tried, Cethus wasn''t able to save everyone, making his eyes turn bloodshot.


    "All of you just stay in the flying Fortress and behave!" Cethus said as he flew towards the Floating Ind to dump the Baby Slimes, Dwarves and Kobolds that he had saved. "Please, just stay and don''te out! We can handle everything ourselves!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    Countless Baby Slimes nodded, making the Dragon Born sigh in relief. Although these little punks were annoying, he had grown fond of them because they would often offer him some berries whenever they found himzing around in the Guild Headquarters..


    "Hurry and go!" Cethus ordered. "This ce is dangerous!"


    After depositing the Baby Slimes, the Dwarves, and Kobolds on the surface of the Floating Ind, the Dragon Born was about to leave when a Cmity-Ranked Abyssal Demon hovered in the skies above them.


    "Die!" The Abyssal Demon unleashed countless purple fireballs that were the size of a bus towards Cethus, who was just about to return to the battlefield.


    Cethus'' first thought was to dodge the attack. But, after remembering that the Baby Slimes, Dwarves, and Kobods were right behind him, and would be instantly annihted by the Purple Fireballs if he were to dodge, the Dragon Born knew that he had to make a hard choice.


    "Damn you!" Cethus roared in anger as he gathered all the strength he could muster to activate his Gravity Domain a second time. He then wrapped those he wanted to protect in ck domes of light before sending them towards the Guild Headquarters in the distance. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A momentter, a loud explosion erupted as the Purple Fireballs descended upon the Floating Ind, which could have destroyed a fifth of it.


    But, these attacks didn''t hit the floating ind. Instead, a lone Dragon Born tanked it all, using all the life saving items that Lady Faustina and Lady Augustina had given him.


    "Damn�� it," Cethus muttered as his body copsed on the ground.


    Half of his body was destroyed from the explosion, and he could already feel his life fading away.


    ''Lux,,, if we don''t win this one�� I''ll haunt you in the afterlife,'' Cethus thought as he thought of the Half-Elf, who was currently fighting against Daniel at the very rear of the Abyssal Formation.


    Tears streamed down the side of his face, as the light in his eyes disappeared.


    Even so, his eyes remained open, hoping to see a future in the afterlife, where no one, not even the Baby Slimes who were all part of their Guild, needed to fight ever again.

 Chapter 1207 The End Of The World [Part 3]

    Chapter 1207 The End Of The World [Part 3]


    Gerhart''s roar filled with anger reverberated in the battlefield as he unleashed countless Wind des at the Cmity-Ranked Demon who had killed one of his closest friends.


    Cethus was fighting side-by-side with him several minutes ago, but the Dragon Born broke rank in order to save their Guildmates from dying.


    Gerhart covered for him, and attacked those that were trying to aim at the Dragon Born, who was retreating towards their Guild Base to take their people to safety.


    However, there were simply too many enemies who were hell-bent to reach the Floating Ind with the intention of destroying it.


    The green-haired Half-Elf did everything in his power to stop their advance. But, while dealing with several Dreadnaught-Ranked Gargoyles, a Cmity-Ranked Monster took this opportunity to get past him.


    Gerhart was unable to do anything because he knew that if he turned his back on the Gargoyles who were attacking him, it would be his doom.


    Fortunately, Aina and Keane appeared to help save the green-haired Half-Elf before it got too dangerous.


    "Hurry!" Gerhart shouted as soon as thest of the Gargoyles had been dealt with. "We need to save Cethus!"


    Unfortunately, when they arrived at the scene, it was already toote.


    Gripped by anger and guilt, Gerhart unleashed his strongest attack with the intention of killing his target.


    However, he was dealing with a Cmity-Ranked Monster.


    This was a creature that was only a level below the Demigod Rank, and the Half-Elf was only an A-Ranker.


    Although he was considered a High-Ranker, only Saints could effectively threaten a Cmity-Ranked Monster in battle, but he didn''t care.


    Keane, who also saw what happened to Cethus, unsheathed his sword fully from his scabbard for the first time.


    Simr to Gerhart, he was seething with anger, but it didn''t show on his face.


    Aina, who knew what the Dragon Born was truly like, also decided to go all out to kill the Cmity-Ranked Monster.


    In their eyes, Cethus was a very annoyingrade, but he was theirrade, who had sacrificed his life to not only save his Guild Members, but to also protect their Headquarters from being destroyed.


    Aina''s tendril-like wings turned blood red as her eyes glowed crimson. This was one of the Forms of her Battle Angel, which disregarded any kind of defense, in order to unleash her strongest offensive potential.


    Simply put, this was her ss Cannon Form.


    She would be able to hit extremely hard, but if she got hit in return, the injuries she would receive could kill her instantly.


    But, she didn''t care.


    This was how determined she was to kill the monster before her, to prevent others from bing its victim.


    The Abyssal Demon snorted, as he casually evaded Gerhart''s Wind des.


    However, he froze mid-flight when a shallow cut appeared on his chest, drawing blood.


    Touching the injury on his chest with his hand, the Demon then nced in the direction where the attack came from.


    There, he saw a young man holding a sword in his hand, and riding on top of a Wyvern, with cold eyes fixed in his direction.


    "Good." The Abyssal Demon sneered. "I will personally gouge your eyes out and add them to my collection."


    "Come," Keane replied fearlessly.


    He had unleashed his strongest attack, but he only managed to create a shallow cut on the Abyssal Demon''s body.


    Because of this, he knew that he needed to get closer to his target to deal the Monster a grievous injury, one that would take its life.


    But, that one attack took a lot from him. At most, he could only use it twice in a row before he would suffer a bacsh.


    Taking a fighting stance, Keane waited for the Abyssal Demon toe to him.


    However, the Demon wasn''t stupid. Although that attack was shallow, he felt as if his very soul had also been damaged as well, making him be very wary of approaching the Swordsman, who was emitting a cold and sharp killing intent.


    Since he couldn''te close to his target, he decided to use range attacks to end Keane''s life.


    With augh, the Demon unleashed countless purple fireballs in Keane''s direction, forcing the Wyvern to evade.


    But, the attacks of a Cmity-Ranked Monster weren''t that easy to dodge.


    Keane understood that if he didn''t do anything now, he was going to die just like Cethus, and he couldn''t let that happen.


    His fiance, Rose, had told him that she would marry him after this battle was over, so he couldn''t die no matter what.


    Filled with reluctance, Keane swung his sword for the second time, unleashing his strongest attack.


    All the fireballs were cut in half, creating an explosion that pushed his Wyvern Mount away due to the gusts of wind that blew in their direction.


    Another shallow cut appeared on the Demon''s chest because Keane made sure that his attack would reach him no matter what.


    Enraged that a mere Ranker was able to wound him twice, the eyes of the Demon turned bloodshot.


    But, just as he was about to unleash another barrage of Fireballs in Keane''s direction, something red shed at the corner of his eye.


    The Demon subconsciously moved to the side, evading Aina''s Heavenly de.


    However, the Monster wasn''t able to dodge itpletely as one of its arms was cut off from its body.


    A pained cry escaped the Demon''s lips as he tried to retrieve the arm that was falling to the ground.


    Suddenly, something fast flew over his arm and grabbed it, making the Demon roar in anger.


    Gerhart, who caught the Demon''s arm, created a mini-cyclone, and shredded it to pieces.


    Blood sshed on his face due to the violence of the cyclone, but Gerhart ignored it.


    The blood slowly streamed down on his face, making the handsome Half-Elf look like a devil who was out for blood.


    "You bunch of small fries!" the Demon shouted. "How dare you mock me?!"


    This time, the Demon was now truly enraged. He no longer cared and raised his only remaining hand to conjure a giant Purple Fireball, which was at least ten-meters-tall.


    But, before he could throw it, a pink-haired Subus appeared in front of him, making him stop whatever he was doing.


    Aurora''s eyes glowed with power, as she used Charm to stop the Abyssal Monster from moving. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As if waiting for that moment, Aina and Gerhart descended from the skies together.


    The Battle Angel used her sword to sever the Monster''s head off its body, while the green-haired Half-Elf pierced the chest of the Abyssal Monster with his dagger, piercing the Monster''s heart.


    With a twist of his dagger, Gerhart unleashed a concentrated st of wind, making the Demon''s body explode.


    Now that the Monster was dead, he nced at their Guild Headquarters where the Dwarves, Kobolds, and Baby Slimes gathered.


    In order to ensure that Cethus'' body wouldn''t bepletely destroyed from the battle, Gerhart used his powers to send it to the entrance of their Guild Headquarters, where the Dragon Born had sent his Guild members in order to save them from the Demon''s attack.


    The Baby Slimes, who Cethus had yelled at earlier, were all crying as they gently nudged the Dragon Born''s head, as if asking him to wake up from his slumber.


    Gerhart burned the image of the fallen Dragon Born in his heart before turning around to fight the other Abyssal Monsters, who, at this moment, were still killing his other Guild Members, whom his close friend, Cethus, had fought so hard to protect.

 Chapter 1208 The End Of The World [Part 4]

    Chapter 1208 The End Of The World [Part 4]


    From within the chaotic battlefield, two Dwarves would appear from time to time, unleashing sneak attacks that aimed at the vital points of their targets.


    Sometimes they seeded, sometimes they didn''t. But whenever one of them failed, the other woulde to the other''s rescue without hesitation.


    They were none other than Sid and Scarlet who had also be High-Rankers. Currently, they were doing their best to eliminate the Empyrean-Ranked Monsters, who were only a rank below the Cmity Rank.


    Both of them knew their limitations, so they didn''t target the ones who had a higher Rank than theirs.


    Besides, the Alliance had Saints and other Cmity-Ranked Monsters who would deal with these powerhouses themselves.


    Both Assassins had taken their Dhamphir and Cambion Forms, unleashing their full might on the battlefield.


    Fighting alongside them was none other than the Draconian Kobold, Cadmus, who was now an Empyrean-Ranked Monster.


    In the past, he was someone whom Lux couldn''t even hope to deal with due to the difference in Ranks. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But now, the Half-Elf had far surpassed him, leaving him in the dust.


    Cadmus would be lying if he said that this fact didn''t make him feel bitter inside. However, after the Kobold n had joined Heaven''s Gate, they entered a golden age and were able to do whatever they wanted while they dug out an underground nest in the Floating Ind of Edea.


    With the three of them working side by side, the Vanguard of the Alliance was able to breathe a little easier because the trio always targeted the most troublesome Monsters on the battlefield.


    "Cadmus, dodge!" Sid shouted, and the Draconian Kobold obeyed without a second thought.


    As soon as Cadmus crouched down, Sid flew past his body and pierced the chest of the Monster that was nning to sneak attack the Draconian Kobold from behind.


    After this exchange, the two returned to fighting their opponents.


    They didn''t have to thank each other. If they were to do it, they would have already said it more than a hundred times already.


    In the midst of a battle where one could lose their life in a heartbeat, repeatedly thanking each other was pure madness.


    Suddenly, the three sensed a presence approaching them which made their faces turn pale.


    "Everyone, back away!" Cadmus roared before unleashing a Dragon Breath in front of him. The breath attack incinerated the Abyssal Monsters that were unlucky enough to be in its path. However, his attack was suddenly dispersed by a Winged ck Tiger who had the rank of a Demigod.


    ''Sh*t!'' Cadmus cursed internally as the Demigod lunged in his direction with its jaws opened wide.


    Just as the Draconian Kobold thought that its time hade, something ck leaped above his head and shed with the Winged ck Tiger, engaging it in closebat.


    It was none other than the Strigoi, who was now one of Lux''s Covenant Members, Andras.


    The Winged ck Tiger and the ck Werewolf faced each other, forcing the other Creatures around them to distance themselves from the battle.


    A fight between two Demigods could identally kill anyone within their vicinity. Their attacks were simply that powerful.


    Cadmus opened his Draconic Wings and flew away with Sid and Scarlet, who also had wings that allowed them to fly.


    It was then that they saw Gerhart rampaging in the distance, seeming to have abandoned any form of defense.


    They knew that the Half-Elf was a more sensible fellow, so seeing him act like this was unbing of him.


    However, when they saw that these flying monsters were targeting their Guild Headquarters, the three of them didn''t hesitate to defend it with their lives on the line.


    Keane, who had a pale expression on his face, flicked the handle of his sword from his scabbard, creating countless clicking sounds.


    The lower-ranked Monsters in front of him were all cut in half. But a single nce was enough to tell them that he was about to reach his limit.


    "Keane, go back to the Guild Headquarters and rest," Cadmus said as he flew beside the Wyvern that was carrying Keane. "We''ll take it over from here."


    The swordsman hesitated for a moment before nodding his head.


    Sensing its Master''s mood, the Wyvern flew back towards their Guild Headquarters, while Cadmus, Sid, and Scarlet took over the ce he was protecting.


    Sid, whose eyes were very sharp, noticed a group of people near their Guild Headquarters.


    Several dead bodies wereid side by side, with some of them not havingplete body parts.


    He had seen several acquaintances, including Cethus, whom he had met in the past.


    Sid wasn''t that close with the Dragon Born, but he knew that he and Gerhart were rivals.


    He now understood why the green-haired Half-Elf seemed hellbent on killing as many Abyssal Monsters as he could. It was so that they would apany Cethus to the afterlife.


    The Void Battlefield had its own rules, so those who died in this ce would not have their souls sent to the Abyss.


    But Sid didn''t have the time to dwell on this matter because the intensity of the Monster attacks that were heading in their direction was steadily increasing.


    Suddenly, several Empyrean-Ranked Winged Serpents that were over a kilometer long unleashed their Breath Attacks at the Floating Ind of Edea.


    The Magic Cannons mounted on the Floating Ind were the most destructive weapons on the battlefield, second only to Poseidon''s Main Cannons.


    Because of this, the Abyssal Monsters were targeting it fiercely, but there were several Undead Creatures that were getting in their way.


    The Nightgaunt, Shax, and the Dragon Knight, Bedivere, blocked two of these Breath Attacks, leaving the other attacks to theirpanions.


    Cadmus dealt with one of the breath attacks with his own, nullifying thempletely.


    Lazarus unleashed a barrage of spells stopping the other attacks fromnding on their Guild Headquarters, making everyone breathe a sigh of relief.


    After what had happened to Cethus, a few of Lux''s Named Creatures and Covenant Members, prioritized defending their base to help decrease the number of casualties of the main Guild Members.

 Chapter 1209 The End Of The World [Part 5]

    Chapter 1209 The End Of The World [Part 5]


    Below the floating ind, a Death Sovereign charged fearlessly at a horde of Abyssal Creatures.


    Diablo''s long cape fluttered in the wind as he swung his sword sideways.


    "Hellfire Annihtion!"


    A zing crescent de flew toward his enemies, cleanly slicing them all in half.


    Countless lives were being lost with each passing minute, so Diablo''s attacks were getting stronger and stronger.


    The golden eyes that were glowing brightly from his visor showed his determination as he held himself back from assisting Lux in his fight against Daniel.


    The Half-Elf had asked him to fight on the frontlines and annihte those who opposed him. As a Demigod Monster, he was truly a terror on the battlefield, reaping countless lives with a single swing of his sword.


    However, just as he was about to continue his one-sided massacre, something unexpected happened.


    The gigantic silhouette of the Outer God slowly opened its eyes.


    The Earth Turtle, who had merged with the Floating Ind, moved its body sideways in order to avoid the beam of light that was directed at it.


    Half a minuteter, it unleashed a beam of light directed at the Floating Ind of Edea, catching everyone by surprise.


    The Earth Turtle, who had merged with the Floating Ind, moved its body sideways in order to avoid the beam of light that was directed at it. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Due to how sudden the attack of the Outer God was, none of the defenders were able to react to it right away.


    Sid subconsciously held Scarlet''s hand and used his body to protect her, but it was useless.


    The attack instantly vaporized the two of them as it continued its trajectory toward the target that Daniel had ordered the Silhouette to attack.


    From within the Guild Headquarters, a brilliant light collided with the beam attack from the Outer God, making Cai, who was within the Guild Headquarters, burst into tears.


    "I''m sorry, Rose," Keane said softly as he drew his de for thest time, using his life in exchange for a miracle.


    "Grand Void." Keane unleashed the final stance of his Sword Art, which was said to have the power to split the void in half. The beam attack was split into two, hitting the left and right parts of the floating ind, making the Earth Turtle roar in pain.


    In a span of a few seconds, half of the floating ind was destroyed, but the town and the Guild Headquarters remained intact.


    Keane, who had bravely used his life to block the attack, slowly turned into particles of light.


    However, before hepletely disappeared, he nced in Lux''s direction before closing his eyes.


    "I leave the rest to you."


    A momentter, he disappeared, and a cry filled with anger and pain reverberated on the battlefield.


    "Danieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel!" Lux roared in anger, while the Pseudo-Godughed.


    He knew that Lux cared about his friends and allies, so he specifically targeted the Floating Ind of Edea to anger his opponent, who was charging through his Abyssal Army in order to reach his location.


    Back in Espoir Frieden, in the residence built near the roots of the World Tree��


    The sound of something breaking spread in the living room as the Second High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe dropped the teacup in her hand.


    Rose stared nkly in space, while Laura and Livia, who were seated beside her, panicked because the hot tea had spilled into the High Priestess'' clothes but thetter seemed lost in thoughts and didn''t pay any attention to it.


    "Sister Rose, are you alright?" Laura asked as she hurriedly used her handkerchief to wipe the Priestess'' dress.


    "What''s wrong?" Livia asked, as she imitated her sister and helped clean the clothes that had been drenched by the hot tea.


    While the two girls were doing this, their two baby slimes, Nora, and Cora, absorbed the pieces of the shattered teacup, preventing anyone from stepping on them by ident.


    "Nothing," Rose replied after regaining herposure. "I''m fine. I just felt tired all of a sudden."


    Laura and Livia nodded their heads in understanding.


    "Sister, you''re not getting enough sleep as ofte," Laura said. "You should sleep early tonight."


    "Are you worried about Brother Keane?" Livia inquired. "Don''t worry. Our Brother is with him. Both of them are strong."


    "That''s right!" Laura nodded. "Big Brother promised that he would return to us safely, and he never breaks his promise. He will beat the bad guys ande back to us like he always does after a mission."


    "Yes!" Livia stated. "Before Brother Keane left, he asked us if we wanted to be the flower girls in your wedding. Of course, we epted, right Laura?"


    "Mmm!" Laura nodded. The Second High Priestess of the Rowan Tribe reached out to hold the two little Dwarves close to her and held them tight.


    "Right," Rose said as her eyes moistened, as she did her best to hold back the tears that were about to fall. "They will return to us."


    The youngdy''s body shuddered uncontrobly, failing to hold back her tears.


    Laura and Livia hugged Rose tightly and kept on telling her that everything was going to be alright.


    Rose didn''t reply, and simply hugged the two girls, who weren''t aware of what was happening in the Void Battlefield.


    As a seer, the High Priestess suddenly received a vision that shook the very core of her being.


    She had seen how Sid had tried to protect Scarlet before the two of them died from the Outer God''s attack. But that wasn''t the main reason why her heart was currently breaking right now. "I''m sorry, Rose."


    Keans''s voice, which was filled with sadness and regret, yed over and over again inside her head.


    Even in hisst moments, he thought of her, making the tears in her eyes fall endlessly.


    She had lost someone who was very dear to her, and her heart felt as if a ck hole had appeared, sucking out all the happiness and hope that she had for the future.


    As she held the two Dwarves, who had also lost their brother in the war, Rose closed her eyes and prayed.


    She prayed to any God that could hear her prayers, hoping that the person that she had lost would once again return to her, and keep his promise to spend his lifetime with her, making her happy for the rest of her life.


    (E/N: Elyon, f*ck you.)


    (A/N: Kekeke.)

 Chapter 1210 The End Of The World [Part 5]

    Chapter 1210 The End Of The World [Part 5]


    The Floating Ind of Edea slowly retreated as the Earth Turtle did its best to save everyone.


    Since it was now part of the floating ind, it was in pain after arge chunk of it was destroyed.


    Unfortunately, the Abyssal Creatures had no ns of letting them escape, so they all swarmed the Floating Ind with the intention of finishing it off for good.


    Suddenly, countless Shadow Warriors emerged as Draven made his appearance. It had been fighting alongside hisrades on the ground when the Floating Ind was attacked. Now that it was facing the united assault of the Abyssal Legion, the Shadow Sovereign of Lux''s army stood at the front to defend it.


    With the Abyssal Army''s massive numbers, it was inevitable that several monsters would get past Draven''s defenses.


    "Transcendent Fireball!" Grandma Annie shouted, unleashing a Fireball empowered by the Transcendent mes that was bestowed upon her.


    "Annie, go back inside the Guild Headquarters!" Randolph shouted as he swung his hammer at a Demonic Imp, sending it flying. "We''ll handle it from here, so go back!"


    Transcendent mes covered Randolph''s hammer as he fought side by side with Annie, who was protecting the entrance of their Guild Headquarters.


    "I can''t back down here, Randolph," Grandma Annie replied. "We''re thest line of defense, so we can''t allow anyone else to get past us."


    High above their heads, two Wyverns descended. Their ws were ready to shred the two Dwarves who were trying to hold their ground against the invading enemies.


    But when they were only several meters away from their targets, six puppets blocked their paths and hacked off their wings, resulting in a bloody scene.


    Vera, who was one of the Protectors of the Guild Headquarters, was manipting hundreds of her battle puppets at the same time.


    She was a Saint, and a very powerful one at that, but the sheer numbers of enemies that were attacking them were countless, pushing her back.


    Even so, she didn''t back down and moved her fingers as if she were a conductor in an orchestra.


    An orchestra that was ying the song of the end of the world.


    All the members of Heaven''s Gate desperately held their ground in order to protect their Headquarters from the enemies.


    Bentley and Glee fought side by side, hurling spells and st Bombs left and right.


    The Four-Winged Dragon of their Merchant''s Guild roared above their heads and unleashed a breath attack at the enemies that seemed unending.


    "Charge!" General Garret ordered as he and his men charged forward. Over ten thousand soldiers under hismand, including the soldiers that Lux had turned into crystal statues in the past, all advanced to engage their enemies.


    Within the Void Battlefield, the ind of Edea was like a floating beacon, where countless spells exploded left and right, illuminating the darkness.


    "Annie!" Randolph shouted as an Empyrean Dread Scorpion pierced the older woman''s body with its stinger. "You bastard!"


    Randolph roared in anger as tears streamed down the side of his face. Although the Monster was stronger than him, he charged at it with the intention of killing it with his own hands.


    The Dread Scorpion flung the body of Grandma Annie in Randolph''s direction as if mocking him.


    The cksmith of Leaf Town couldn''t possibly ignore this provocation and released the hammer in his hands, in order to catch the woman that he had loved for many years.


    They had been together since they were young, but his indecisiveness led to him being unable to tell her his real feelings.


    Randolphnded safely on the ground as he held the olddy in his arms. She was no longer breathing.


    The Scorpion''s stinger had pierced her heart, killing her instantly.


    Tears blurred Randolph''s vision as he held his beloved tightly.


    He knew that doing something like this in the middle of battle was equivalent to giving up on his life. However, he just stood there as he used his hands to close Grandma Annie''s eyes, who could no longer see anything.


    A shadow fell over the Dwarves'' body, making Randolph raise his head to look at the Dread Scorpion, who had moved closer to him.


    "Annie, I will be with you soon," Randolph said as he held the woman in her hands tighter. The Scorpion''s stinger then descended upon the cksmith''s body, piercing his head.


    Randolph copsed on the ground, still holding Grandma Annie''s body tightly.


    The Empyrean Monster then screeched as it advanced to kill more of the people who belonged to the Guild Heaven''s Gate.


    Daniel had given them all a mentalmand to focus their attention on the Floating Ind and make sure that no one inside it survived.


    Cedwyn, who was now the Mayor of Leaf Town, fought with tears streaming down his eyes when he saw his two close friends and fellow Dwarves die around him.


    They didn''t want to fight any wars and only wished to live in peace.


    But someone didn''t wish for that to happen and only wanted to destroy their world.


    Because of this, they were forced to fight, putting their lives on the line for a future where the living would not have to fight anymore.


    He heard Lilian''s shout of rage not far from him as she shredded all the monsters around her to pieces.


    Behind her, countless small Monster Cores, the size of nails and covered with a gooey substance, littered the ground.


    These were the remains of the countless baby slimes who refused to seek shelter and fought alongside their Masters in battle.


    The Wicked Queen Slime''s rage was the same rage that burned in the hearts of all the Guild Members of Heaven''s Gate, who fought tooth and nail against the Abyssal Monsters who had killed their family, friends, lovers,rades, and acquaintances.


    Diablo charged toward the enemies with his cape fluttering behind him, with his sword raised high.


    "Hellfire Annihtion."


    A single swing of his sword annihted countless lives. With so many dead people and Monsters on the battlefield, even the Demigods would not survive a single sword sh from him.


    "Rage Smash!" ALL-MITE roared as he punched forward, creating a giant zing fist that flew forward, instantly obliterating anything in its way.


    Rage that wouldn''t subside.


    Rage that would not stop until all their enemies were destroyed. Rage that empowered each of their attacks, carrying the weight of the lives of the people who had fallen in battle.


    Although Diablo and Asmodeus could have reanimated the bodies of Grandma Annie and Randolph, they didn''t do that.


    Just like their Master, these two Dwarves were so precious in their hearts that they couldn''t bear to turn their bodies into Zombies in order to fight again.


    ckfire was fighting side by side with Lux, so the ck Coffin was unable to gather the bodies of the people who were dying at their Guild Headquarters.


    Because of this, Diablo had summoned several Doom Knight Gangbangers to take their bodies back inside the Guild Headquarters.


    "Those who want to die, step forward!" Asmodeus shouted as he summoned his own Deus Gigantia who stood beside the floating Ind, swatting countless Abyssal Monsters and turning them to meat paste.


    A blizzard suddenly engulfed the entirety of the floating Ind, lowering the visibility of their enemies to just a few meters in front of them.


    Itaqua had joined the battle, covering the entire ind with its Domain.


    Unlike its enemies, all the members of Heaven''s Gate were unaffected by the cold and visual obstruction and were able to move within the blizzard perfectly.


    A ten-meter-tall Death Tyrant appeared within the blizzard and opened its eyes.


    It unleashed a barrage of petrification and death rays at the Abyssal Creatures, turning them into stone, while killing the rest instantly. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Not only did Ithaqua and Morpheus be Demigods, but the Death Tyrant had alsopleted its Beholder''s Legacy.


    These two creatures fought side by side with Asmodeus and killed their enemies mercilessly.


    Now that all of Lux''s Named Creatures, and Covenant members congregated in the floating inds, the number of their own people dying decreased exponentially, and the Abyssal Monsters were finally being pushed back.


    The stench of death filled the air as the Undead Army took control of the battlefield.


    Whether the Monsters were in the sky or thend, there was no escaping the verdict of death that Diablo and the rest of hisrades had set on the heads of their enemies.


    Now that Daniel was facing the Half-Elf in battle, he could no longer keep his attention on the Floating Ind, which had be aplete ughterhouse to the Abyssal Monsters who dared to touch the reverse scale of Lux''s Undead Legion.

 Chapter 1211 The End Of The World [Part 6]

    Chapter 1211 The End Of The World [Part 6]


    Lux''s eyes had already turned bloodshot. As the Guildmaster, he was receiving death notifications in real-time.


    When he saw that Cethus had died, he felt as if someone had stabbed a knife in his heart. However, he knew that if he hesitated for even a fraction of a second, more of his people were going to die. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Daniel also realized this. He chuckled and said something to the silhouette of the Outer God that was hovering above the battlefield. The Half-Elf instinctively knew that the Pseudo-God was up to no good, but before he could do anything, the Outer God had already opened its eyes and prepared to attack.


    At the beginning, Lux thought that the Outer God''s target was him, Hereswith, Keoza, and King Azza. ckfire had appeared in front of him, acting as a shield, ready to deflect any attacks that were about to hit its Master.


    As a Divine Artifact, it had the power to block an attack that was equivalent to the full-powered attack that almost killed its Master back then.


    But it could only do so once.


    After that, ckfire would disappear, and Lux wouldn''t be able to call it again for an entire month.


    The ck Coffin had already prepared for such a scenario, so it had unleashed all of the Creatures under itsmand to help the Alliance fight.


    Even if it were to be destroyed, the Creatures that it had summoned wouldn''t disappear.


    Of course, if these Creatures died, they would return to ckfire, but Lux would need to pay a price in order to revive them again.


    So the moment that the Outer God unleashed its attack, and it didn''t head in their direction, the Half-Elf immediately had a bad premonition.


    The beam attack of the Outer God flew towards the Floating Ind of Edea, making Lux''s face turn pale.


    But at that moment, a golden light appeared and cut off the beam attack in half. However, the attack still hit the sides of the floating ind, destroying arge portion of it.


    When he saw the notification that Keane had died, Lux roared in anger, making the Pseudo-God chuckle.


    "Danieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel!" Lux''s killing intent manifested and Deus Gigantia answered his call.


    With a sh of its giant sword, all Abyssal Creatures blocking his path were instantly annihted, creating a clear path that led to the hateful Pseudo-God who had killed two of the people he held dear in his life.


    Although Cethus was annoying and arrogant, he was a very loyal person. The Dragon Born wouldn''t hesitate to stand on the front lines of a battlefield in order to protect his friends, even though he didn''t like the concept of dying.


    Keane, on the other hand, had apanied Lux on his adventures alongside Cai. The swordsman only spoke a few words, but whenever the Half-Elf needed his help, he would be there to stand by his side.


    Before they left Elysium, Rose secretly talked to him in private and asked him to keep an eye out for Keane.


    "The two of us agreed to get married after this battle is over," Rose had said back then. "So, please, win and keep Keane safe if you can help it."


    Lux''s eyes were already bloodshot at this point as he flew straight towards the Outer God, who was looking at him with an amused look on his face.


    "So they are your weakness huh?" Daniel smirked. "It''s nice to have friends and loved ones, right? How about I kill them right before your eyes?"


    Daniel then gave an order to all the Abyssal Monsters to target the retreating Floating Ind and kill everything on it.


    Lux, who had already arrived at Daniel''s location, thrust his sword forward, and Deus Gigantia answered his call.


    Daniel calmly summoned the Golden Scales of Eternity, and something as big as Deus Gigantia appeared behind him.


    The true body of the Outer God, Nyathotep, summoned a ck sword in its hand and shed against Deus Gigantia.


    The sh between the two was so great, that almost everyone around them was blown away due to their collision.


    "Stand aside, Lux!"


    Keoza''s shout broke the Half-Elf out of his daze, as he made the Draconic Skeleton King move its body to the side, just in time for two breath attacks to collide with the giant Outer''s God''s body.


    At least that was the n. However, several ck tentacles emerged from the ground and blocked the Crystal and Lightning Breath of the two Dragon Kings, keeping Nyatothep safe.


    But before Daniel could evenugh, a Skeleton Queen emerged from thin air and punched the Outer God''s face, sending it skidding.


    Daniel then nced in the direction of the beautiful Elf and smiled.


    "I remember you," Daniel said. "When I was still following the words of that Goddess of Sis in the past, I once proposed to you, but you rejected me. But since that happened long ago, how about you we start fresh and you be my woman? I promise that I''ll make you my first wife. How about it?"


    "Do you know why I rejected you in the past?" Hereswith asked with a mischievous smile on her beautiful face.


    "No," Daniel replied. "I''ve always wondered why you rejected me. I am quite confident with my looks and the people also called me their Hero at that time. So, I don''t understand why you rejected my offer."


    "The answer is really simple," Hereswith answered. "It''s because you''re a cunt and your d*ck ain''t worth sh*t."


    "A pity then," Daniel sneered. "I guess I''ll just f*ck you like the b*tch you are after I''m done dealing with these mongrels."


    The Pseudo-God then snapped his finger. Countless tentacles wrapped around the Skeleton Queen, holding it in ce.


    "Just watch on the side," Daniel stated as he nced at Lux and the two Dragon Kings, who were preparing tounch their next attacks. "And take a good look at what happens to those who oppose me."


    But, just as Daniel was about to fight against Lux and the two Dragon Kings, the tentacles that bound the Skeleton Queen all burst with Golden mes.


    "You think too highly of yourself," Hereswith said in contempt. "This is why you''ll never be a God. You failed the first time, and you''ll fail again this time."


    "You talk too much," Daniel said before waving his hand. "Know your ce, b*tch."


    A giant tentacle that was hundreds of meters longshed out against the Skeleton Queen and sent it flying.


    But before Daniel could evenugh at this scene in front of him, a fist hit the side of his face making him fly in the opposite direction of the punch.


    "You talk too much," Lux said before charging in Daniel''s direction with his fist raised to strike. Lux''s Deus Gigantia made sure that Nyathotep wouldn''t be able to interfere with its Master''s battle with the Pseudo-God.


    Since the Outer God was only moving automatically due to the influence of the Golden Scales that had taken control over its body, it couldn''t think on its own and simply followed Daniel''s orders to deal with the enemies that were in front of it.


    "Now you''ve done it," Daniel teleported in front of Lux and gave the Half-Elf an uppercut, which thetter dodged at thest second.


    The two then engaged each other in a brawl, with each of their blows strong enough to instantly kill a Cmity-Ranked Beast. The ones with that rank and below had all evacuated from the battlefield of the two people, who were at each other''s throats.

 Chapter 1212 The Opposite Of Hope [Part 1]

    1212 The Opposite Of Hope [Part 1]


    "Are you sure you have time to deal with me?" Daniel asked after he distanced himself from Lux''s relentless attacks. "Yourrades will die if you don''t help them, you know?"


    Lux didn''t even bother to reply as he unleashed a fireball empowered by his Transcendent mes.


    Daniel sneered as he cut the fireball in half, but just as soon as the Fireball parted, the Half-Elf was already in front of him with his fist zing with a golden radiance.


    Behind him, the silhouette of a Giant Golden Dragon emerged, empowering his attack with golden mes imbued by golden lightning.


    "Peerless Dragon Emperor''s Strike!" Lux''s fist connected with the side of Daniel''s face, sending thetter flying. The Half-Elf disappeared from where he was, and reappeared right above Daniel with his fist poised to strike. Above his head, a White Dragon, whose eyes radiated with its majestic presence.


    The Half-Elf''s passive skill, Dragon Conqueror''s Majesty, empowered all of his Draconic Attacks, raising them to the limit. "Peerless White Dragon''s Divine Disaster!"


    Lux punched out, and a beam of light erupted from his fists, sting Daniel across the Void Battlefield.


    All monsters that were hit by Lux''s attacks were instantly vaporized, including a Demigod who was in the path of his attack.


    This blow was as powerful as Poseidon''s Main Cannon beam attack, which no one was able to survive�� until now.


    An explosion erupted within the void as Lux''s attack detonated, sending fiery mes expanding outwards.


    The Floating Ind of Edea that was at the frontlines was pushed back by the st, but aside from that, it didn''t suffer any harm.


    The Abyssal Monsters had stopped attacking the Floating Ind because it was useless.


    Protected by dozens of Demigods, Cmity-Ranked Monsters, and Saints that belonged to ckfire, it boasted the strongest force within the alliance.


    Aside from them, Poseidon and Eiko were there to ensure that no one else in their guild would die.


    The Fairy Princess was saddened after learning that Cethus, Keane, Grandma Annie, Randolph, and countless baby slimes had died defending their Guild Headquarters.


    Because of this, she prioritized protecting their Guild Headquarters.


    C2 was also standing in front of the floating ind, further deterring the Abyssal Lords, who knew that fighting against it was simply suicide.


    A two-meter tall ck Wolf with the wings of a Griffin, and the tail of a snake, ordered his subordinates to stop attacking the Floating Ind, and just watch the battle for now.


    He was none other than Marchosias, who had once defied Daniel in the past. The Abyssal Lord had no intention of sacrificing all of his men in this conflict.


    The Abyssal Lord understood that the oue of this battle wouldn''t be decided by the Abyssal Lords, or the members of the Alliance.


    ''Whoever wins between Daniel and those four people will decide the oue of this war,'' Marchosias thought.


    He didn''t really like Daniel, and even wished for thetter to be defeated in battle. As long as he died, the Abyssal Lords would no longer need to continue fighting this war.


    Simr to him, there were other Abyssal Lords that had no intention of invading Sis and Elysium.


    Not all of them were Warmongers, and there were many who preferred to stay in their territories within the Abyss.


    Perhaps, the Abyssal Lords also realized this fact, so they also stopped their attacks.


    The two armies suddenly had a ceasefire, distancing themselves from each other. They then watched in the distance as Daniel emerged from the zing inferno, mostly unharmed, but not unscathed either.


    "That stung a bit," Danielmented. "Like an ant bite."


    "Good," Lux replied. "There''s more where that came from."


    As soon as he finished talking, four beams of light flew past the Half-Elf, and collided with Daniel''s body, creating another world-shaking explosion.


    Hereswith, Keoza, King Azza, and Poseidon, all unleashed their strongest attack at the Pseudo-God.


    Nyathotep was currently fighting against the Skeleton King, and the Skeleton Queen, so it wasn''t able to go to its Master to defend him.


    Truth be told, Daniel could easily dodge those four attacks if he wanted. However, at thest second, he found his body momentarily frozen, unable to evade the attacks that were headed in his direction.


    "Did we get him?" King Azza asked as he looked at the raging inferno in front of him.


    Lux stared long and hard on the spot where Daniel was hovering a while ago.


    Calypso was right beside him, and the two of them had used his taunt skill, Duel [Divine], at the same time, preventing Daniel from escaping.


    Since thetter was a Pseudo-God, the most that this taunting technique could do was momentarily hold him in ce.


    Eiko had also learned this skill, which was the reason why she was able to kill Nyathotep''s clones during their confrontations.


    Suddenly, Daniel''s voice which now reeked of killing intent spread in the battlefield.


    "Do you know, what the opposite of Hope is?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The mes that were burning wildly a few seconds ago dispersed, as if they didn''t exist in the first ce.


    The giant silhouette of the Outer God above Daniel had cast a barrier around him at thest second, protecting him from a direct hit from the four powerful Demigods.


    Although he was a Pseudo-God, he was still susceptible to getting hurt by peak Demigods, which was only a level lower than him.


    Daniel discarded the ck robe that was already in tatters, showing his true form to everyone.


    Half of his body had transformed into that of a demon, while thetter half remained human.


    His long ck hair fluttered behind his back as a powerful aura radiated from his body. He looked like someone in his mid twenties, and even with the other side of his face transformed into that of a demon, it was very easy to tell that his looks were above average. The barrier that the Outer God had created shattered, revealing a golden candle hovering in front of Daniel''s chest.


    "None of you know what the opposite of Hope is?" Daniel chuckled as the golden candle in front of him glowed brightly. "The opposite of Hope is despair, and I will make sure that all of you understand what despair means!"


    The Pseudo-God then encased his demonic arm with purple mes, channeling it to the Golden Candle in front of him.


    The moment he managed to im ownership of the Pir of Hope was the time when his enemies would truly understand the meaning of despair, which he wanted them to feel so badly.


    I will post three chapters tomorrow because I can only post one chapter today. I made a mistake with the Privilege Tier of my other Novel, System��s POV, and was forced to write many chapters in order to meet the number of chapters required to activate it.


    I thought that the effect of the Privilege Tier would take effect next month, but it seems that WN has changed its mechanics. It��s already eleven in the evening, and I��m too exhausted to write more for today. I��ll make up for theck of a second chapter tomorrow. Goodnight everyone, and thanks for your understanding.


    Elyon

 Chapter 1213 The Opposite Of Hope [Part 2]

    Chapter 1213 The Opposite Of Hope [Part 2]


    Daniel had acquired the Pir of Hope not long ago.


    But unlike the Golden Scales, representing Justice, which he had already conquered as his own, the Golden Candle was still not under his influence.


    The reason for this was simple.


    He had just stabilized his control over the Golden Scales after using it to revive Nyathotep. Because of this, he didn''t have the time to convert the Pir of Hope to be the Pir of Despair, which would have further increased his strength.


    However, as his purple mes tried to refine the Golden Candle, something unexpected happened.


    The candle shone brightly and flew upward.


    It hovered over the Void Battlefield and created a barrier upon itself, preventing him or anyone else, from getting near it. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Suddenly, a voice, which no one could determine if it came from a young girl or boy, spread in the surroundings.


    "To those who wish to gather the Pirs of Eternity, I am here to give you my judgment," the Candle of Hope spoke. "Only the one who remains standing in the end will gain my power, for that is what it means to represent Hope."


    Daniel frowned after hearing the deration, but in the end, he just snorted.


    "No one gets to tell me what to do," Daniel stated. "It is my will that decides everything!"


    The eye of the Outer God once again opened as it directed its gaze on the Golden Candle hovering in front of it.


    Amidst the Darkness, the light of the candle that seemed as though it could go out at any moment held firm, despite the powerful pressure that the Outer God was emitting.


    Suddenly a thin purple beam of light emerged from the eye of the Outer God and flew towards the Pir of Hope.


    "Eyah!"


    At that moment, a giant Golden Anchor appeared in front of the Golden Candle and blocked the purple beam of light. Eiko, in her Fairy Princess form, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, surprising Lux and Daniel.


    Even the baby slime had no idea why she was able to traverse such distance when she was still on Poseidon''s deck and protecting the Floating Ind of Edea from the Abyssal Monsters.


    She just felt that no matter what happened, she couldn''t allow that purple beam of light to hit the Pir of Hope.


    A sound that was simr to nails scratching a ckboard reverberated in the surroundings.


    Thissted for a few seconds before everything descended to silence.


    The Golden Anchor once again shrank and transformed into an Anchor-like-sword, held by the Fairy Princess, who was hovering beside the golden candle.


    Eiko still didn''t know why she was able to teleport beside the candle. The only exnation she could think of was that for some reason, the Pir of Eternity felt as if it was part of her family.


    Yes.


    The pir was like a little sister to her, which for some reason unlocked a power within her to teleport right by its side.


    Daniel narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Golden Anchor in Eiko''s hand.


    "So the Anchor is in your possession. Very good," Daniel stated. "I''ll take it from you by force."


    Eiko was unfazed by Daniel''sment as she returned to her baby slime form. The first thing she did was swallow the Golden Candle before teleporting to the top of Lux''s head, holding a small Golden Anchor in her hand.


    "Pa!" Eiko said.


    "Right," Lux replied. "Let''s show him who''s boss."


    "Un!" Eiko nodded before shifting her gaze to Daniel. "F*cker."


    This time, Lux didn''t reprimand Eiko for cursing the Pseudo-God out loud. He even praised her in his heart for saying the things that reflected what was inside his heart.


    Daniel smiled faintly. In the end, someone was still getting in his way.


    "Fine," Daniel said. "I guess this is also interesting in its own way. So the winner takes all, right?"


    Nyathotep, who had been fighting against the Skeleton King and the Skeleton Queen, vanished without a trace.


    It then reappeared behind Daniel and transformed into a ck mist, merging with his body.


    The silhouette of the Outer God also transformed into a ck mist and started to merge with Daniel''s body as well.


    The Pseudo-God was covered by a ck dome as he absorbed the power of the Pir of Justice and Pir of Fortitude.


    "Attack him!" Lux ordered. "Don''t let him finish his transformation!"


    Eiko threw dozens of her Nuclear-level st Bombs, as well as ordered Poseidon to fire its Main Cannons.


    Keoza and King Azza transformed into their Dragon Forms and unleashed their strongest Dragon Breaths at the same time.


    Lux and Hereswith also unleashed their most powerful spells at the same time.


    "Dark Laser!" Hereswith said as she pointed her finger at the dome of darkness and fired a crimson beam of light, covered with dark lightning bolts.


    "Divine Disaster!" Lux roared as he unleashed a beam of light covered with golden lightning bolts.


    Theirbined attacks were so strong that everyone thought that they were witnessing the end of the world.


    A momentter, the loudest explosion that they had heard and witnessed erupted, making everyone cover their ears and close their eyes due to how powerful it was.


    Even though the Abyssal Army and the Alliance had already distanced themselves from the battlefield of the six powerhouses, they were still caught up with the st and blown away by the aftermath.


    Lux, Keoza, Hereswith, and King Azza were also pushed back by thousands of meters. Even so, their gazes were locked onto the ce where their attacksnded.


    "Bastards, can you not wait patiently until my transformation isplete?" Daniel''s voice, which was filled with annoyance, reached Lux''s ears. Although he tried hard to hide it, the Half-Elf was still able to detect the pain behind the Pseudo-God''s words, making him smile faintly.


    "Who in their right mind will wait until you finish your transformation?" Lux asked. "Only fools do that."


    Within the zing inferno, something stirred, making everyone''s faces turn grim.


    "True," Daniel replied as he appeared in front of his enemies. "But I will make sure that you pay for your insolence."


    A creature with eight wings on its back emerged from the hellish mes.


    It had four arms, which had razor-sharp ws on each end, capable of slicing a Demigod in Half easily.


    Standing at ten meters tall, Daniel looked down at the people whom he wished to trample with all of his might. This scene reminded him of the incident a hundred years ago when he tried to ascend into Godhood but was thwarted by hispanions and the Goddess who had summoned him to Sis.


    It all brought him unpleasant memories, and the thing he hated the most was these very same memories.


    "I''ll end all of you," Daniel said.


    In the next second, he reappeared in front of King Azza.


    Before the Dragon King could even react, Daniel''s wed hands pierced through the chest of the giant Golden Dragon and crushed his heart without even a shred of hesitation.


    Queen Saphira, who was watching this battle from inside Lux''s Guild Headquarters, screamed the moment she saw her husband''s body fall from the sky.


    King Azza didn''t even have the time to react before his heart was crushed, leaving Lux, Keoza, and Hereswith in shock.


    "That''s one down," Daniel said in a teasing tone. "Now, which one of you wants to die next?"

 Chapter 1214 The Opposite Of Hope [Part 3]

    Chapter 1214 The Opposite Of Hope [Part 3]


    "That''s one down. Now, who wants to die next?"


    But before anyone could answer, Daniel reappeared behind Keoza and cut off the Crystal Dragon''s head with one clean sh of his wed hands.


    Aurelia, who saw this, lost the strength in her legs and almost copsed on the ground.


    Iris, who was right beside her, supported her body and hugged her close. The Dragon Princess'' tears started to pour like a river as she wailed in Iris''s arms.


    Lux''s first fiance held her tight, knowing the pain that she was suffering right now.


    Queen Evangeline bit her lip until it drew blood. She had only recently reunited with her husband, and yet, she had to see him die right in front of his eyes.


    Lux and Hereswith finally moved and attacked Daniel at the same time.


    Hereswith was holding a fairy sword in her hand, while Lux was wielding his Divine Spear, Calypso.


    Daniel ignored both of them and teleported away.


    This time, Daniel appeared above the Floating Ind of Edea.


    Lux roared because he already knew what Daniel was about to do. Using his ability, he instantly teleported to his Guild Headquarters, just in time to face one of Daniel''s strongest attacks.


    "Decimation re."


    Lux channeled his power to the locket that Aurora had given to him.


    The Pir of Love had the power to create the strongest barriers. However, it came with a price.


    The stronger the attack the locket had to block, the more lifespan it had to take from its wielder.


    This was why Aurora died after shielding everyone from the explosion that Nyathotep had created.


    The Outer God''s suicide attack was so powerful that she lost all of her lifespan in that single exchange.


    While this might seem like an unfair exchange, the power of the Golden Locket was absolute. This meant that it could block the full-powered attack of a God in exchange for the lifetime of an ordinary Human.


    If you were a long-lived race like the Elves, you would be able to tank at least four to five of these powerful attacks before all of your lifespan was used up.


    Eiko, who knew what her Papa was about to do,manded her Golden Anchor to increase its size to be a shield.


    This was actually not the function of the Golden Anchor, but since it was one of the Pirs of Eternity, it could tank a hit if needed.


    The Baby Slime usually used it as a weapon and a shield because of its unique ability to increase its size ording to her will.


    Lux then applied the power of the Golden Locket to Eiko''s Anchor, reinforcing its defensive abilities.


    Daniel sneered as he unleashed his attack without holding back.


    A blinding light erupted in front of everyone, forcing them to cover their eyes.


    The Golden Anchor made creaking sounds as it endured the brunt of the attack. However,it wasn''t able to block itpletely.


    Daniel''s attack was aimed not only at the floating ind but at the entirety of the Alliance Fleet as well.


    Marchosias sighed after seeing how merciless Daniel was. He had hoped that Lux and the Elysians would be able to fight him, but this move alone was enough to show who was the victor of the battle.


    ''I guess this is it,'' Marchosias thought in dismay. ''It seems that I hoped for too much.''


    The other Abyssal Lords cheered after seeing Daniel''s disy of power. Although many of them were forced to bend to his will, this was a very normal thing in the Abyss.


    If Antero had the intention of ruling the Abyss, everyone would have fallen in line with him. They would have no hesitation because their world was ruled by the strong, and this unspoken rule would remain the same for as long as the Abyss existed. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When the light receded, blood seeped at the corner of Lux''s lips. Several strands of his red hair had now turned to silver, which was a sign that he had sacrificed a part of his lifespan in order to protect the people who were important to him.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t save the rest of the Alliance.


    Daniel chuckled as he looked at thest two Floating Inds, as well as a little over a dozen flying ships that survived his attack.


    The rest were instantly obliterated, killing everyone who resided in them in less than a blink.


    "You know what I find funny?" Daniel asked in disdain. "It is the fact that you Mongrels thought that you even stood a chance against me. I don''t know if all of you are being delusional or you''ve given up hope and just wanted to get it over with, so you came to find me. "Since that is the case, this will save me time gathering all five of the Pirs. Also, since all of you hot-blooded fools are here, it means that the people who are left in Sis and Elysium will submit to me easily. This is like hitting three birds with one stone."


    Daniel then shifted his gaze to Lux and sneered. "I guess it''s you whom I have to thank, no? If not for you, all of this wouldn''t have happened. So, thank you. You can die in peace knowing that you''ve yed your role in helping me ascend to Godhood."


    The Pseudo-God then pointed his finger at Lux with an evil smile stered on his face.


    "Decimation re."


    Lux and Eiko once again blocked this attack through gritted teeth, making sure that their Guild Headquarters wouldn''t fall because the precious people whom they wanted to protect were inside of it.


    When the light receded for the second time, only the Floating Ind of Edea remained.


    Daniel nned to attack again and again because he found the desperation in Lux''s face a very wonderful thing to see.


    If he really wanted to destroy the Guild Headquarters, he could have easily done it by teleporting past the Half-Elf and destroying the Castle in an instant.


    But where was the fun in that?


    He wanted to see him despair and use up his life force. When the Half-Elf could no longer even stand, Daniel would then kill the people inside Lux''s Guild Headquarters in front of him one by one.


    He had every intention to torture him mentally, and emotionally, making him regret the day he defied him in his life.

 Chapter 1215 The Opposite Of Hope [Part 4]

    Chapter 1215 The Opposite Of Hope [Part 4]


    Lux knew that he couldn''t remain passive, so he took the initiative to attack Daniel. But the Pseudo-God was simply too fast, and none of his attacksnded on his body.


    Seeing that their enemy was too fast to get hit by their attacks, Lux, Eiko, and Calypso all worked together and used their taunting skill at the same time.


    "Duel [Divine]!"


    Daniel found himself once again locked in ce, and facing countless attacks from every direction.


    "Hellfire Annihtion!"


    "Dark Laser!"


    "Death Sentence!"


    "Sun Beam!"


    "Venus Striker!"


    "Dragon''s Breath!"


    "Gaia Smash!"


    "United Nation''s Smash!"


    "War God''s Descent!"


    "ck Lightning!"


    "Shadow de!"


    "Ultima Break!"


    "Boom Boom Bakugan!"


    Thebined attacks of Lux, Eiko, his Named Creatures, Covenant, as well as the attacks of everyone including C2, Avery, and Poseidon, all merged, sting Daniel away thousands of meters.


    The Pseudo-God felt as if he was hit by a truck, making him feel a pain that surprised him.


    Because he was suddenly locked in ce, he was unable to effectively raise his defenses and was forced to ept thebined attacks of his enemies.


    This was the second time he received an attack that actually hurt him, with the first one happening during his transformation into hisplete battle form.


    Daniel could tell that Lux and his allies were aiming to damage his soul. This wasn''t the first time that he had injured his soul during a battle. The first time happened when hispanions and the Goddess prevented him from ascending Godhood.


    The pain he received at that time was the worst pain that he had encountered in his life. It was much worse than physical pain because it directly targeted the soul.


    Feeling the same sensation now made Daniel seethe in anger. He didn''t want to feel that pain again, so he decided to finally get a little serious.


    Daniel raised both of his hands and aimed at the Floating Ind in the distance. "Nova Strike!"


    Countless beams of light erupted from his hands and flew toward the Half-Elf likeets.


    Eiko once again erged her Golden Anchor, but this time, it didn''t work the way she wanted. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The beams of light changed their directions and passed through the spaces of the Golden Anchor.


    Some of them flew towards the Guild Headquarters, while some specifically targeted the members of Lux''s Undead Legion.


    The first one to fall was Bedivere.


    He had ced himself between Daniel''s attack, and their Guild Headquarters.


    Knowing that evading would destroy thest bastion that protected his Master''s heart, Bedivere summoned all of his strength and blocked the assault with his strongest attack.


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t enough, so he urged his Dragon Mount to block the attack with their bodies, which caused them to explode in a shower of mes.


    The second to fall was Shax, who, just like Bedivere, desperately defended their Guild Headquarters, with every strength it could muster.


    However, it wasn''t enough, and in the end, Daniel''s attacks pierced through its body, turning it into ash.


    Orion and ALL-MITE held firm and blocked the rest of the attacks using their bodies. Zagan unleashed a barrage of ck lightning bolts to counter the beams of light, but, he too, fell, after Daniel intensified the power behind his attack, creating countless beams of light that even he was unable to block.


    While everyone was desperately doing their best to protect their base.


    A chilling voice filled with killing intent reached their ears.


    "Decimation re."


    Lux and Eiko werepletely taken by surprise and were unable to mount an effective defensive stance.


    The Earth Turtle roared as it rapidly descended towards the ground.


    When the light receded, Lux looked at the Guild Headquarters anxiously.


    The upper half of the castle was destroyedpletely, which made his heart almost jump off his throat.


    Fortunately, everyone was in the basement of the castle, protected by dozens of defensive spells. However, the Half-Elf was certain that even that wasn''t enough to block one of Daniel''s Decimation res.


    But before he could even sigh in relief, he saw a chilling scene in front of him.


    Daniel hovered right above Lux''s destroyed castle with his right hand aimed at the remaining half of the castle.


    "Decimation��"


    "Noooo!"


    "re!"


    Time seemed to move in slow motion as the Half-Elf watched as Daniel''s attack slowly descended toward the castle where his lovers and family members were hiding.


    Thissted for a few seconds before the Half-Elf and all the defenders were blown away by the powerful explosion that made the Earth Turtle roar for thest time before its body shattered into countless pieces.


    The Floating Ind of Edea and Lux''s Guild Headquarters was reduced to a pile of debris that made the Half-Elf feel as if his heart was breaking into countless pieces.


    "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Eiko shouted with tears in her eyes as her beloved mother disappeared right in front of her.


    The Baby Slime''s tears fell like rain as she cried her heart out, while perched on top of her Papa''s head.


    Lux wasn''t faring well either, as his tears streamed down the side of his face.


    Originally, Daniel wanted to kill the people inside the castle one by one but decided that it would be more impactful if he just killed them all at the same time.


    This way, he would be able to break Lux''s heartpletely, making his victory taste sweeter.


    Daniel, who was about to attack Lux, smirked as he moved his body to the side.


    A momentter, Hereswith, who had tried to sneak attack him from behind, was caught in his grasp.


    "I purposely ignored you because I intend to make you my woman," Daniel said as he grabbed hold of Hereswith''s neck. "Have you be tired of waiting? Do you want me to screw you that badly? Or, perhaps you want me to humiliate you in front of that Half-Elf? I didn''t know you had this kind of fetish."


    "F*ck you!" Hereswith tried to move her body, but Daniel''s four hands held her in ce.


    "Yes. I will make sure to do that to youter," Daniel said in a devilish tone. "But for now, you need to behave. So stay put, okay?"


    The Pseudo-God''s eyes glowed briefly, making Hereswith''s body stiffen. A few secondster, her body slowly turned into a purple crystal statue, which Daniel lovingly caressed before ncing in Lux''s direction.


    "Well then, I enjoyed our little game, but I think it''s about time for me to be a God," Daniel stated as he pointed his finger at Lux. "It was fun while itsted. In your next life, be sure to never offend me again if you want to live."


    The tip of Daniel''s fingers glowed as the sneer on his face widened.


    "Fusion re."


    Dark and purple mes merged together and flew towards the Half-Elf, who seemed to have lost his will to live.

 Chapter 1216 The Guardian That Protects The Gates Of Heaven [Part 1]

    Chapter 1216 The Guardian That Protects The Gates Of Heaven [Part 1]


    As the Dark and Purple mes were about to hit Lux''s body, the ck Token that Antero had given him appeared in front of him.


    Lux was too heartbroken to notice anything, so he didn''t notice when his world descended intoplete darkness.


    Even Eiko, who was usually headstrong, was crying like the baby she was on top of her Papa''s head.


    Everyone and everything that they wished to protect had been destroyed by the Pseudo-God, who desired to ascend into Godhood.


    Suddenly, a soft sigh reached their ears, pulling their eyes to the person who appeared before them within the darkness that was darker than ck.


    "Long time no see, Lux. You seem to be in a pinch right now."


    The Half-Elf wiped the tears in his eyes because his vision was too blurry for him to see properly. Even so, he recognized the owner of the voice that called out to him.


    A voice that he thought he would never hear again.


    "Master," Lux said as he reached out towards Gaap, but his hand passed through his body.


    Gaap didn''t seem to mind and even took a step back, smiling at the Half-Elf whose face was stained by his tears, alongside Eiko''s own tears as well.


    "The one you are fighting against is someone who almost seeded in bing a God," Gaap stated as he closed his eyes. "Even I would not be able to win against him if I tried."


    A brief silence passed between them before Gaap finished what he was trying to say. "But you are different, Lux. You have something that I don''t."


    Gaap then lightly tapped his chest, making the Half-Elf look at his own chest.


    There, the Pir of Love shone faintly, simr to the flickering light of the Golden Candle that refused to be extinguished. Eiko opened her mouth and spat out the Pir of Hope, which hovered in front of the Half-Elf, as if to give him hope.


    "The Pirs of Eternity were made to save lives, not take them," Gaap exined. "Daniel wished to obtain all of them because he believed that it would give him what hecked. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Something that he always wanted, and that was Power.


    "Absolute Power, which he believed that only Gods possessed.


    "Well, he isn''t wrong. Gods are indeed very powerful. But the power they possess and the power that Daniel wished for are different."


    Gaap then pointed above his head, and the image of a young man with short ck hair and green eyes appeared in front of Lux.


    The Half-Elf had talked to this young man long ago, and he even asked him for advice on how to defeat Daniel, who was backed by the power of an Outer God.


    The Projection of Thirteen looked at the Half-Elf with the same calm expression that was still clear in his memory.


    "Listen closely because I will not repeat myself," Thirteen said. "During the times when we think that all hope is lost, and we can no longer stand our ground, that is the time when we realize something very important.


    "Remember this, Lux. In the greatest battles of our lives�� We. Are. Never. Alone.


    "You are the Necromancer of Heaven. Since that is the case, what is stopping you from using the power of Necromancy to pound your enemy into submission? Don''t only look inside of the two boxes you are in. Look outside of those two boxes and no one in the world or the multiverse will be able to stop you.


    "Death smiles at us all, and all a man can do is smile back. But, when you look Death in the eye, and death blinks first, nothing seems impossible.


    Thirteen gave Lux a faint smile before disappearingpletely.


    But it didn''t end there. Another sigh sounded in the Half-Elf''s ears, making him look behind him.


    "Making you my Disciple was the proudest moment of my life," Randolph said. "So thank you for being part of my life, Lux."


    Grandma Annie, who was standing beside Randolph, also smiled, making Eiko, who was also very close to her, tear up once more.


    "When I first saw you in Leaf Vige, I thought I was just imagining things. Not once did we ever have a Foreignere who wasn''t a Dwarf, so I thought that you were a very special existence. "However, you were hardworking, courageous, and funny. This made me wonder why the Gods sent someone like you to our humble little Vige. But as days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, I realized something��


    "Our vige had remained the same for centuries, and everyone seemed to have fallen into a monotonous lifestyle. But after you appeared, it was as if we were given a new lease of life, and things became a little more exciting."


    Grandma Annie''s smile widened as if she was a teenage girl who found something very new and exciting.


    "I can still remember the day I saved you from the Dungeon Outbreak. You were too weak to defend yourself back then. But a few monthster, it was you who saved our Vige from the Monster Outbreak led by the Thunder Wolf King. For that, I am forever thankful. Thank you, Lux."


    One by one, countless Souls appeared around the Half-Elf like golden glowing lights.


    So many souls surrounded him that it illuminated the darkness where he was earlier.


    "Back then, you were so weak," the Draconian Kobold, Cadmus, said. "So weak that I could have easily killed you if I wished for it. Now, I''m d I didn''t. Because if it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t be here at World''s End. This is something that our n can brag to the other Kobold ns for generations toe."


    Beside Cadmus, Lux saw his friend, Keane, who had an unwavering look on his face. "You and Cai were my first true friends. If not for the two of you, I wouldn''t have met Rose. Back then, I was looking for the true meaning of peace. Even now, I still haven''t found it, but I believe that I will get to see it someday."


    Beside Keane, a green-haired Half-Elf gaze raised his clenched fist and pointed it in Lux''s direction.


    "I nned to live this life of mine only for revenge," Gerhart stated. "I thought that after I finished avenging my mother, I could close myself off from the world and live like a hermit. But after meeting you and everyone else, I started to think that perhaps, there was more to life than revenge. "For the first time in my life, I had friends. Real friends whom I could count on during the tough times of my life. I''m d that I was able to experience something like this at the end of my journey."


    Suddenly, a burst of loudughter reverberated in the surroundings, making Lux bite his lip because the bastard, Cethus, had decided to make his appearance at this time.


    "Filthy Low Lander, you were blessed to have someone like me as yourpanion," Cethus dered. "Without me, you wouldn''t have be as strong as you are now, so you should get on your knees and thank me properl��oi!"


    The Drago Born wasn''t even able to finish his speech because Gerhart, Keane, and Cadmus tackled him.


    As if to make matters worse, mma joined in and pressed the pitiful Dragon Born down until he could do nothing, but lie on the ground.

 Chapter 1217 The Guardian That Protects The Gates Of Heaven [Part 2]

    Chapter 1217 The Guardian That Protects The Gates Of Heaven [Part 2]


    Struggling under the weight of his friends, Cethus tried to stand, but it was impossible. Because of this, he just raised his head and looked Lux in the eye. "L-Listen! I''m still not done with my speech!" Cethus said despite the fact that his bastard friends were pinning him down on the ground. "Lux, there are times when I hated you, envied you, and became jealous of you. "But after I realized that I''m more handsome and more awesome than you, I started to appreciate the finer things in life. I, Cethus, had only looked up to my Grandma Faustina and Grandma Augustina. And yet, I couldn''t help butpare you to them.


    "It didn''t take long for me to realize that true strength isn''t just measured by Ranks or power. Because of you, someone as weak as me was able to stand my ground, despite knowing that I was facing a battle that was impossible to win. "The past me would have definitely run away or hid myself until the fight was over. But when I saw these bastards beside me, I couldn''t possibly leave them alone, could I? All of these fools are all brawns and no brains. "Someone like me needs to rein them in, or it would make me look bad if people thought that I knew them. What I''m trying to say is, just as much as you helped us be the better version of ourselves, we are also willing to help you to be the better version of yourself. So, Lux, let''s go."


    "Someone like me needs to rein them in, or it would make me look bad if people thought that I knew them. What I''m trying to say is, just as much as you helped us be the better version of ourselves, we are also willing to help you to be the better version of yourself. So, Lux, let''s go."


    Cethus forcefully raised his clenched fist like Gerhart had done a while ago and pointed it at Lux.


    "For the sake of those who are waiting for us back home," Cethus stated.


    "For those who believe that we will return victorious," Cadmus said as he, too, raised his fist towards Lux.


    "For the promises that we made to our loved ones," Keane smiled as he too, raised his fist.


    "And for the promise of a better future," Gerhartmented as he raised his fist, just like his friends have done. "A future where we can all walk side by side," Randolph chuckled, raising his fist.


    "A future where the children can continue smiling," Grandma Annie added. "A future where we will go on a fishing trip together." King Azza suddenly appeared out of nowhere and ced his hand on Lux''s right shoulder, holding it in a vice grip.


    "A future where I will join that fishing trip as well," Keoza stated as he ced his hand on Lux''s left shoulder.


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    """Eyah!"""


    Dozens of baby slimes crawled up on Lux''s body, nudging him with their adorable heads.


    "Lux."


    The Half-Elf nced at his Master, who was looking at him with an encouraging expression on his face.


    "You are the Greatest Necromancer in both Sis and Elysium," Gaap dered. "You are the Guardian that protects the Gates of Heaven. "You''re just dealing with a startup Pseudo-God who can only borrow the strength of an Outer God who is toozy to open its eyes. Are you telling me that you are going to be defeated by that small fry?"


    The Half-Elf wiped the tears from his face, while the baby slimes, who had crawled on top of his head, wiped the tears from Eiko''s face.


    "No, Master," Lux replied. "I won''t lose."


    "That''s not the answer I want to hear, Lux," Gaap shook his head.


    "Master, I will win."


    "That''s better."


    The darkness receded, and Gaap''s image slowly became more and more transparent until he was gone. But the look in his eyes, which locked into his Disciple''s eyes, was enough to tell Lux all the words that were inside his heart.


    When the scenery changed, Lux saw the Dark and Purple mes headed in his direction.


    However, his First Born, Diablo, appeared before him and shed his sword, splitting Daniel''s attack in half.


    After countless lives had ceased on the battlefield, Diablo''s power had increased to unimaginable levels.


    Even if Daniel was a Pseudo-God, a single sh from Diablo was enough to cut his limbs, and seriously injure his soul. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Anyone who wished to harm his Master must go through him first.


    "Thank you, Diablo." Lux ced his hand on his fateful subordinate''s shoulder. "You must have a lot of pent-up frustrations, right?"


    "Yes, Master," Diablo replied.


    Lux nodded his head in understanding. He also had a lot of pent-up frustrations, and it was time for Round Two.


    "It''s no use," Daniel said in a teasing tone. "No one alive will be able to stop me."


    "Good." Lux sneered. "Because it will not be the living who will beat the crap out of you."


    Eiko, who was perched on top of her Papa''s head, glowed brightly. The Golden Anchor and Golden Candle merged with her body, creating a blue gem. This gem then descended onto the locket on the Half-Elf''s chest, merging with it perfectly.


    Countless golden orbs of light, representing the souls of everyone who had died on the battlefield, including the souls of the Abyssal Creatures, appeared behind Lux, making Daniel narrow his eyes.


    "In the light of day or the depths of night, no small fry backed by an Outer God shall elude my sight.


    "May the Souls of the Dead hear my plight. For, I, the Necromancer of Heaven, will ascend this night!"


    All the souls of the dead merged with Lux''s body, making him radiate a golden aura of Divinity.


    The Corpse God appeared behind his back, and this time, it had a golden color.


    But that wasn''t all. It now possessed hundreds of arms, holding different kinds of weapons, in each hand.


    Without even waiting for Daniel to say or do anything, Lux disappeared from where he stood and reappeared in front of the Pseudo-God, who didn''t even have time to blink before the Half-Elf''s fist smashed into his face and sent him flying. ������������������

 Chapter 1218 The Guardian That Protects The Gates Of Heaven [Part 3]

    <h4>Chapter 1218 The Guardian That Protects The Gates Of Heaven [Part 3] </h4>


    Daniel thought that his ascension to Godhood was at hand.


    All he needed to do was kill the Half-Elf and the Baby Slime perched on top of his head, allowing him to gain the three other Pirs of Eternity. Once all five were in his hands, he would gain the power that he had always wanted.


    But just as he was about to kill the young man, Diablo interfered and split his attack in half, making him arch an eyebrow.


    He didn''t expect that an Undead could possess such strength, making him feel intrigued.


    However, after that brief exchange, the Half-Elf seemed to have regained his sanity and challenged him once again.


    To Daniel''s surprise, the Half-Elf''s strength suddenly had a drastic change, catching him by surprise.


    He only realized how strong Lux had be when thetter''s fist hit the side of his face, and he was sent flying.


    Daniel had no idea what happened, but that single punch was enough to give him a wake-up call, making him take the Half-Elf seriously again.


    "It seems you got yourself a power-up," Daniel said as soon as he regained his bnce. "Is that the power of the three Pirs of Eternity that you absorbed?"


    The Pseudo-God could feel the strong power emanating from the locket that was hanging from the Half-Elf''s neck, making him narrow his eyes.


    "Something like that," Lux replied.


    Despite the power he possessed, Danielcked the ability to see Souls.


    He couldn''t see the countless number of souls that had merged with Lux''s body, fueling him the power to stand toe to toe with the Pseudo God in front of him.


    "Everyone, lend me your strength," Lux said as he summoned his Clones and Undead Legion.


    Thousands of Undead then appeared around the Half-Elf making Daniel snort.


    "Do you think your Undead Legion can help you?" Daniel sneered.


    "Absolutely," Lux replied in a heartbeat.


    A momentter, his Undead Army, Poseidon, Avery, and C2 all turned into particles of light, merging with the golden locket that hung on their Master''s neck.


    Diablo, Lux''s other Named Creatures, as well as the members of his Covenant, also merged with the golden locket, further boosting the Half-Elf''s strength.


    Daniel didn''t like what he was seeing, so he drew more power from the Outer God, who was sleeping in the deepestyer of the Abyss.


    "No matter how strong you be, I will still be stronger than you," Daniel stated.


    "Let''s put that to the test then, shall we?" Lux sneered as his Deus Gigantia emerged from behind his back.


    The giant Skeleton King then merged with Lux''s Corpse God, increasing the number of its hands to a thousand.


    The size of the Corpse God also increased, making it nearly forty meters tall.


    Daniel then stomped forward and reappeared in front of Lux, ready to strike.


    However, the Half-Elf was ready to meet his attack.


    Using his Spear of Longinus, he managed to block one of Daniel''s wed hands that was about to sh his face.


    The Pseudo-God''s three remaining ws descended toward the Half-Elf, with the intention of ripping him apart.


    However, Lux only sneered and even taunted Daniel by saying��


    "You only have four hands. What makes you think that you can reach me?"


    As if waiting for that moment, dozens of Skeleton Fists punched out at the same time, colliding with Daniel''s ws.


    The Skeleton Fists shattered after the collision, but it gave the Corpse God enough time tounch its deadly barrage.


    "Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!"


    "Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!"


    "Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!"


    Countless Skeleton Fists pummeled Daniel''s body, holding him in ce. The Pseudo-God was hit several times before he counterattacked by destroying all the fists that were attacking him.


    However, after he destroyed one skeleton fist, another one would take its ce, continuing the cycle.


    What was worse was that the destroyed fists regeneratedpletely in the span of a few seconds, making Daniel feel pressured.


    Lux then sneered as he allowed ALL-MITE to momentarily take over his body in order tounch his onught at the arrogant Pseudo God, who thought that he had already won earlier.


    "Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda!"


    "Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda!"


    "Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda!"


    "SMASH!"


    The Void Battlefield shook as Daniel''s body was sent flying a second time.


    However, before he could even regain his bnce mid-air, thousands of Divine Cross Bolts flew in his direction and transformed into golds, hitting his body non-stop.


    Lux''s Corpse God had equipped Crossbows in all of its hands, and they were all firing non-stop as the Half-Elf closed the distance between him and Daniel.


    Suddenly, the silhouette of the Outer God, Azathoth, once again appeared above Daniel''s head.


    This time, the Outer God was no longer transparent and had more luster in its body.


    "Die!" Daniel roared as hemanded the Outer God to attack.


    Opening its eyes, Azathoth fired a beam of light, which was too fast to dodge.


    Lux, who was locked in its gaze, didn''t panic and crossed his arms in front of him.


    The Golden Locket in his chest glowed brightly, encapsting the Half-Elf in a golden dome.


    Daniel couldn''t see what was happening because he was forced to cover his eyes due to how bright the beam was.


    When the light receded, and he was able to see again, what appeared in front of his eyes was something he didn''t expect.


    "Two can y that game," Lux said as his Corpse God equipped a thousand cannons that were as strong as Poseidon''s Main Cannon.


    Half of his hair had turned silver after his life force was used in order to block the Outer God''s deadly attack, but he didn''t care.


    As he unleashed an attack that was impossible to dodge, the only thing on his mind was to make the Pseudo God feel a world of pain.


    "Giga ster!"


    Over a thousand cannons roared to life and shot beams toward Daniel''s direction.


    Just like what happened to Lux earlier, Daniel was unable to evade the beams of light and was forced to tank it using his own barrier.


    Unfortunately for him, the golden locket was not only capable of creating the strongest of barriers, but it was also capable of nullifying all kinds of barriers in its surroundings!


    At that moment, a scream that Daniel never thought would escape his lips, reverberated across the entire Void Battlefield, as Lux''s Giga ster rained down on him, making him feel a world of pain that he hadn''t felt in a long time.

 Chapter 1219 The Guardian That Protects The Gates Of Heaven [Part 4]

    <h4>Chapter 1219 The Guardian That Protects The Gates Of Heaven [Part 4]</h4>


    Daniel''s body was in pain, not only due to the thousandser beams that were currently raining down on him from the sky, but also from the pummeling he received earlier from Lux''s Corpse God.


    Diablo had merged with Lux, carrying with him the boost in physical, and magical damage that he had umted during the war.


    Not only that, Lux also gained the abilities of all of his Named Creatures, and Covenant Members.


    Diablo'' Damage.


    Ishtar''s uracy.


    Pazuzu''s Defense.


    Asmodeus'' cunning.


    Orion''s endurance.


    ALL-MITE''S strength.


    Lazarus'' explosiveness.


    King Leoric''s courage.


    Andras'' brutality.


    And Avernus'' strong will.


    All of these powers, and abilitiesbined made Lux capable of making the Pseudo God feel a world of hurt, and more, as he continued to attack relentlessly.


    "Y-You!" Daniel roared. "Stop getting in my way! I will be a God! You will not stop me!"


    "Hold My st Bomb!" Lux threw the st Bomb that was nearly fifty-meters tall, which Eiko, Glee, and the Baby Slimes of Leaf Town, and Heaven''s Gate, had made in the past.


    The Baby Slime didn''t dare to use this st Bomb casually because it could easily destroy the entirety of the Ford Federation!


    But, now, the Baby Slime had given her Papa her strongest weapon.


    Daniel might have been unable to dodge Lux''s Giga ster earlier, but this one, he was confident in dodging.


    At least, that was what he thought when he felt his body moving subconsciously towards the Half-Elf in the distance.


    Duel [Divine] x 17!


    Lux, empowered by his clones, Eiko''s clones, Asmodeus''s clones, Calypso, Pazuzu, Orion, and ALL-MITE, all used their taunting ability at the same time.


    Since they had merged with Lux''s body, their Duel Skill was something that even daniel coudn''t ignore.


    Lux shouted. "Eat this, you Motherf*cker!"


    Eiko, who heard her Papa''s shout, also chimed in.


    "Boom Boom Bakugan, F*cker!" Eiko shouted.


    Another powerful explosion like no other made the entirety of the Void Battlefield tremble.


    Since all of Lux''s attacks were imbued by his Divine Abyssal Touch, they didn''t only bypass Daniel''s defenses, they attacked his soul directly.


    The soul of a Pseudo-God was very robust, and most attacks cannot even faze it. However, Lux was different.


    He both had the power of the Divine, as well as the power of the Abyss, creating teh most deadly ofbinations.


    These two powersbined were further boosted by the Half-Elf''s Passive, and Unique Abilities, making it one of the most destructive powers in existence.


    When the aftermath of the explosion subsided, Daniel, whose entire body was now covered by wounds, and bleeding appeared in front of Lux.


    The once arrogant Pseudo God, who had terrorized the entirety of the alliance was now bleeding, and in pain, after Lux fully embraced the power that he possessed.


    But, just as Lux was about to attack Daniel and finish him off, a powerful suppression descended upon him, holding him in ce.


    "I don''t care anymore!" Daniel shouted. "I will kill you, no matter what price I have to pay!"


    The body of the Outer God, who was sleeping at the deepestyer of the Abyss started to show signs of awakening.


    The angels, who were desperately singing, and dancing to prevent the Outer God from awakening, intensified their performance, putting everything on the line in order to prevent the Outer God from opening its eyes.


    But, despite their desperate attempts, the Outer God''s eyes slowly opened until it was half open.


    From within the depths of its monstrous eyes, a golden lion statue shone brightly.


    Suddenly, a golden beam of light shot out from the Outer God''s eye, and flew across time and space, reaching Daniel who was in the Void Battlefield,


    "Argh!" Daniel gritted his teeth as the Golden Lion, which had absorbed a great amount of Divinity from the Sleeping Outer God merged with his body.


    Lux watched as Daniel''s aura suddenly rose to the point that he was only a small step away from ascending into Godhood.


    However, that small step was still a step away, which means that Daniel was still not a God, but he was the closest being in existence to Godhood.


    In the past, he was only a Pseudo-God because his strength had surpassed the Demigod Rank. Now, he was truly an existence that was about to be a God.


    He didn''t even need to get all the Pirs of Eternity to ascend to Godhood. He just needed one of them, and he would be a God instantly.


    "Ha�� Ha�� Hahahaha!" Danielughed crazily.


    He no longer had any connection to the Outer God, Azathoth, because he now absorbed the Golden Lion Statue.


    He had ced the Golden Statue inside the Outer God''s body in order to borrow its power to do whatever he wanted.


    But now, things have changed.


    He needed the power to defeat Lux, so he went all out and took the Pir of Fortitude from the Outer God, and merged it with the Pir of Justice, which was already inside his body.


    He now felt a power that far surpassed his expectations, making himugh out loud.


    His soul, which had been damaged earlier, started to heal slowly, making the pain he was feeling be more bearable.


    "Let''s see if you can beat me now," Daniel growled at the Half-


    Elf, who was hovering thousands of meters away from him. "Are you ready to die, Half-Elf?!"


    Despite that distance, he, and Lux, could close that gap in a heartbeat if they really wanted.


    Lux then raised his hand and ced a finger over his lips.


    "Shhh�� can you not hear it?" Lux asked with his finger still pressed over his mouth. "Listen closely. If you do, you will hear them too."


    Danielughed because he thought that the Half-Elf was just buying time for his inevitable demise. However, since he felt that he was now unbeatable, he decided to humor the Half-Elf and actually closed his eyes to listen.


    It was then when he heard it.


    At first it was faint, but it was starting to grow in volume.


    Daniel thought that he was just hearing things, and his ears were ringing due to the silence.


    But, the sounds he was hearing weren''t the familiar ringing of the ear that people heard from time to time.


    No, this was different.


    What he was hearing wasn''t ringing, but giggling.


    Countless giggling sounds, that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.


    Then, he saw them.


    A golden line appeared at the end of the battlefield that soon rushed towards them like a tide.


    But, this tide didn''t go to Daniel''s direction, and instead, went to Lux.


    "We''re here, Lux."


    "Hahaha! We''vee!"


    "Did you miss us?"


    "We havee bearing gifts!"


    "All of them answered your call!"


    "Weeeeee!"


    Countless golden balls that had eyes in the center of their bodies gathered around Lux, and giggled.


    Their giggles reverberated within the Void Battlefield, making it tremble.


    A momentter, these golden balls merged together, forming a giant golden gate that was hundreds of meters tall.


    When the gate was formed, countless eyes opened at the same time, making it the creepiest gate that Daniel had seen in his life.


    He had no idea what that thing was, but for some reason, countless rm bells were ringing inside his head.


    "I already told you that I am the Necromancer of Heaven," Lux said with a devilish smile on his face. "Tell me, how many souls of the dead do you think there are in this Universe?"


    Daniel''s face turned grim when he finally realized what Lux was getting at.


    "I won''t let you!" Daniel roared as he took a step forward intending to kill Lux before he could even draw out the power that was hiding from the creepy-looking-golden gate.


    "Toote," Lux said as he jumped back, entering the Gate that was slowly opening.


    The Half-Elf''s body passed through the gate in an instant.


    A secondter, a powerful shock wave sted Daniel away, pushing him back for thousands of meters.


    The Pseudo God stared at the Gate that was now half open, and froze at the sight in front of him.


    Countless souls of the dead emerged from the Golden Gate, covering the entirety of the Void Battlefield.


    These souls then started to sing a song, proiming theing of the strongest Necromancer of Heaven.


    The Necromancer who was loved by both the Living and the Dead, and was now also a small step away from attaining Godhood.

 Chapter 1220 The Strongest Necromancer Of Heaven’s Gate [Part 1]

    Chapter 1220 The Strongest Necromancer Of Heaven��s Gate [Part 1]


    Inside the Golden Gate, countless souls gathered around Lux''s body.


    When he thought about what Thirteen said, along the lines of thinking outside of the box, he decided to give it a try and called out to all the souls of the dead, regardless of where they were.


    After meeting the Gods, he knew that there were other worlds within the vast expanse of the universe, so he attempted to use his powers to reach out to them.


    He was doing this while fighting against Daniel despite being unsure whether it would seed.


    But then it happened.


    Although faint, he felt them answering his call.


    It was also at that moment that he heard a voice that he thought he would never hear again.


    It was the Outer God, Yog-Sothoth, who had sent Lux''s wandering soul to Earth because it thought it would be more interesting that way.


    And now, this same mysterious God told him four words and they were��


    "Leave it to me."


    Hearing those reassuring words, Lux bought time by fighting against Daniel. He understood that his current strength alone wasn''t enough to bring down the Pseudo-God, whom he believed hadn''t shown his full powers as of yet. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    And he was right.


    Daniel had still been holding back.


    It was only after being repeatedly dominated by Lux that he decided to go all out, taking the Golden Lion from Azathoth to merge it with his body, alongside the Pir of Justice.


    Yog-Sothoth existed anywhere and everywhere.


    Because of this, it was able to ferry all the Souls in the entire universe without a problem.


    Truth be told, Yog-Sothoth was very annoyed with Daniel. A mere Pseudo-God dared to involve other Outer Gods like it in the affairs of mortals, in addition to his wish to attain Godhood.


    This was also the reason why it decided to help Lux and give the Half-Elf a fighting chance.


    Since their Guardian had asked for their help, those under hismand answered his call.


    It was not only the Souls of the Dead who had heard Lux''s call.


    The Undead that roamed thends of the other worlds lent their power as well.


    From the lowly Skeleton Warriors to the powerful Death Knights, as well as the formidable Liches, Yog-Sothoth gathered them all.


    And now, they were within his body, merging with Lux, granting him power beyond his wildest dreams.


    The Half-Elf didn''t know how much time had passed since he entered the Golden Gate, but one thing was clear. It was now time to leave.


    He slowly opened his eyes, and his golden pupils glowed brightly.


    Half of his hair was now silver, while the other half was red. But the lifespan he had burned to block Azathoth''s attack had already been recovered.


    In fact, his lifespan increased by leaps and bounds.


    It was as if he no longer had to worry about Death, for he was Death, and Death was he.


    Taking a step forward, Lux''s entire body was bathed with a golden light. If earlier, he only had eight wings on his back, now he had ten.


    All of them were golden and brimming with power.


    The clothes in his body burned to ashes and were reced by a majestic robe, which perfectly fit his profession.


    Calypso hovered beside him and waited for her Master to wield her.


    Luxplied and held the Spear of Longinus firmly in his hand. But, the moment he did that, the Divine Spear transformed into a golden staff that wizards used.


    The design of its tip was simr to a sun, with thirteen rays of light of different sizes protruding from its body.


    The Half-Elf only smiled after seeing his staff because it made him feel like he no longer had to worry about it, even if it was not a spear.


    "Let''s put an end to this battle, and go back home," Lux softly said as he took that final step to leave the Golden Gate.


    The moment Daniel''s eyesnded on his opponent, the expression on his face immediately became grim.


    A single nce was enough to tell him that his enemy had be stronger again, and for some reason, he even felt that the Half-Elf was now stronger than him!


    But that wasn''t all.


    As far as his eyes could see, there were only Undead Monsters around him.


    Whether he looked on his left, right, front, back, above, and below, he realized that he waspletely surrounded.


    If in the past, he wouldn''t think much of them, knowing that he could instantly obliterate entire armies without too much effort.


    But now, it was different.


    The Undead monsters around him were different. They were part of Lux''s body and an extension of his power. They would no longer be destroyed with the flick of his fingers that easily.


    "Don''t joke around with me!" Daniel shouted. "Just who are you?! What are you?! Why are you getting in my way?! WHY?!"


    "The name is Lux Von Kaizer."


    "My Profession is the Necromancer of Heaven."


    "As to why I am getting in your way? It''s because you''ve hurt and killed many important people to me. This is something I will not forgive. So, brace yourself. I have reserved a special ce in hell just for you."


    "F*ck you!" Daniel roared as he raised both of his hands, aiming it at Lux. "Decimation re!"


    "Decimation re!"


    "Decimation re!"


    "Decimation re!"


    "DECIMATION FLARE!"


    Daniel unleashed several Decimation res in rapid session, intending to wipe out all of his enemies at the same time.


    A blinding light erupted in his surroundings, followed by loud explosions. Daniel kept his eyes open and kept on unleashing Decimation res one after the other, and only stopped when he could no longer do it.


    A few minutester, the light receded as he panted for breath.


    Ever since he became a Pseudo God, this was the first time he felt something akin to fear, and he didn''t like it.


    Even when he was facing the sleeping Outer God, which was one of the strongest beings in existence, he never felt fear��only a sense of exhration and conquest after he managed to obtain its powers.


    But now, he felt fear.


    He felt that no matter what he did, he couldn''t win.


    Despite the power he possessed, which could easily destroy an entire world if he wanted to, he still felt that it was not enough.


    Countless shattered bones appeared in his vision, making him breathe a sigh of relief.


    The Half-Elf, whom he was fighting against, was also no longer in front of him, which made him regain a bit of his confidence.


    "He was just bluffing�� haha.. haha�� hahaha," Daniel forced himself to regain hisposure. "He was just bluffing! Hahaha! A bluff!"


    Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him, making his body stiffen.


    Daniel didn''t dare to turn around because he felt that if he did that, his worst nightmare would be a reality.


    "Why did you stopughing?" Lux whispered in Daniel''s ears. "Go on. Laugh some more."


    A momentter, the countless shattered bones in his surroundings merged together, regenerating the bodies that were destroyed earlier as if nothing had happened. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Daniel screamed as he flew away as fast as he could.


    He wanted to escape to a ce where the Half-Elf, who was behind him earlier, couldn''t find him.

 Chapter 1221 The Strongest Necromancer Of Heaven’s Gate [FIN]

    Chapter 1221 The Strongest Necromancer Of Heaven��s Gate [FIN]


    The Pseudo-God flew past countless worlds and gxies, almost at the speed of light.


    Daniel didn''t care where he ended up as long as the monster behind him wouldn''t catch up to him.


    Finally, in the distance, he saw a blue. A world that he knew very well.


    A ce where there was no magic and where only technology reigned supreme.


    But when he was only thousands of miles away from Earth, he saw a Half-Elf holding a stop sign as if telling him to stop. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "This ce is off-limits," the red-headed Half-Elf said. "Go back to where you came from."


    "You can''t stop me!" Daniel shouted as he clenched his fist to punch the bastard who dared to get in his way. He knew that he was unable to defeat Lux, but this Half-Elf in front of him was different from the one whom he was escaping from.


    Although they were both handsome and had simr features, there was a distinctive difference between their appearance. The red-headed Half-Elf sighed and scratched his head.


    "Oh, well. Don''t say I didn''t warn you," the Half-Elf then unceremoniously took out a chamber pot from who knows where and raised it like a tennis racket.


    "Eat sh*t, Motherfucker," the Half-Elf said as the chamberpot in his hand grew as big as an entire mountain. With a casual p from his chamberpot, Daniel was sent flying backward at the speed of light.


    After what seemed like an eternity of pain, he finally came to a stop and clutched his chest.


    It was at this moment that someone ced a hand over his shoulder and whispered something in his ear.


    "You couldn''t live with your own failure," Lux said as if he was giving someone some life coaching. "Where did that bring you? Back to me."


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Daniel shouted as if he was going crazy.


    He tried to fly away once again, but this time, all his paths were blocked by countless Undead, who had formed an insurmountable wall in every direction, leaving him no ce to go.


    "It''s useless," Lux said with a devilish smile on his face. "Get him guys!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    """Eyah!"""


    Countless baby slimes descended upon Daniel and body-mmed him with their squishy bodies.


    Their attacks weren''t enough to damage him physically, but when it came to emotional and spiritual damage, their simple attacks were like countless critical hits, making the Pseudo God scream in pain.


    A momentter, all the Baby Slimes retreated, reced by the Elysians and Sians whom Daniel had killed.


    All of them punched, kicked, pped, smashed, and pped him, forcing Daniel to fight back. He was literally drowning in souls, and no matter how many he sent flying, there would be others who would instantly take their ce.


    "Enough!" Daniel roared as his body glowed brilliantly, creating a shockwave that pushed the souls that were piling up on his body like zombies.


    "What enough?" an annoyed voice asked. "Filthy Londer, you think that''s enough? Eat My Fist!"


    Cethus smacked the side of Daniel''s face, making thetter take a few steps back.


    Behind him, mma gave him a strong kick, sending the Pseudo-God''s body forward.


    Keane appeared and used the handle of his sword to unleash an uppercut that sent Daniel''s body flying, but he was soon brought back down by a stomp by Cadmus who descended above him.


    "Don''t stop me. I''m going to smack this bastard silly," Cethus dered as he raised his fists and started to pummel Daniel''s face while shouting "Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!" like a mad.


    The others crossed their arms over their chest as they let their friend vent out his anger and frustration.


    A baby slime then crawled near Cethus holding a signboard that said "Time''s up" making the Dragon Born stop his punches.


    Cethus clicked his tongue before picking up the baby slime, and muttered, "You cheeky little thing," before stepping away from the Pseudo-God.


    "Stop�� please," Daniel begged. "No more!"


    "Stop?" Lux asked. "Not happening. Get him, boys!"


    Countless Doomknight Bangers, as well as the Satyrs who had joined the war, gangbanged Daniel, making him experience something that he had never experienced before.


    Cethus even covered the baby slime''s eyes as if he wanted to prevent the little one from seeing such a barbaric thing.


    This continued for an entire hour before Lux thought that enough was enough.


    "At the beginning�� I really tried to save Sis," Daniel said as hey on the ground, battered and broken from the punishment that he received. "The reason why I wanted to be a God was because I believed that was the only way I would be able to do it."


    The Pseudo-God then turned his head to look in Lux''s direction.


    "Was I wrong?" Daniel asked. "Is the method I chose to save everyone wrong?"


    "No," Lux replied firmly. "Your method wasn''t wrong, but your heart wasn''t in the right ce. Do you really think that if you truly wished to save Sis, yourrades, as well as its Goddess would have stopped you with everything they had?"


    The Half-Elf then shook his head.


    "It was because the moment you tasted power, you wished to make others submit to you. This is why yourrades and the Goddess did everything in their power to stop you. Absolute power corrupts people. If someone like you became a God, then the people of both Elysium and Sis would have suffered from your mood swings."


    Daniel chuckled. "So you say, but aren''t you going to do the same thing? The only way to save Sis is for you to be a God. What makes you think that you wouldn''t follow my footsteps?"


    "You don''t have to worry about that. He won''t follow your footsteps."


    Lux and Daniel looked above them and saw several beautifuldies together.


    The Half-Elf''s gaze softened when he saw that his lovers and their mothers were safe and sound. He didn''t see them among the souls of the dead when he had called out to them earlier, which only meant one thing.


    They were all alive and well.


    At thest second, Lily, Cupid, and Dim Dim, saved the girls and temporarily took them to the Celestial Realm.


    "Lux''s heart is in the right ce," Iris stated as she pressed her hand over her chest. "We will keep it safe."


    "He will not be like you," Cai said with conviction. "We will not allow it."


    "Whether it be the past Lux or the present Lux, he is still the same," Aina stated. "This is why we believe that he will not be led astray, even with the power he is about to receive."


    Aurelia, Valerie, Ali, and Ari, all nodded their heads at the same time, agreeing with their Sisters.


    "He is my Grand Disciple, so he will not take the wrong path," Hereswith, whom Lux had freed earlier, dered. "Because if he did, I would have buried him in my breasts in order to rehabilitate him."


    "Huh?!


    "What?!"


    "No way!"


    Lux''s lovers immediately reacted, making Hereswith giggle. She only meant it as a joke, but as everyone knew, jokes were half-truths.


    "I see�� in that case�� all of you should die!" Daniel forcefullypressed all of his power inside his body in order to self-destruct.


    Even if he died, he wanted Lux to suffer from heartache after truly losing his lovers.


    At least, that was what he hoped to do, but after he reached the limit of his powers, something unexpected happened.


    The Golden Lion and the Golden Scales flew out of his body and merged with the golden locket hanging on Lux''s chest.


    Lux already knew that Daniel might self-destruct, but he wasn''t worried about it.


    After all, he and Death were now best friends, so there was no longer any need for him to fear Death.


    A powerful explosion erupted within the void battlefield, sweeping across its width in fiery mes.


    Daniel was only a step away from being a God, so his final gambit was as strong as the explosion of a star, able to destroy the worlds around it.


    With this, he believed that he would have dealt a blow to the Half-Elf, who had thwarted his ns.


    But as his soul looked at the hellish inferno that he had caused, he noticed that there was a ce that was left untouched by the mes, and it was where the Half-Elf''s lovers were standing.


    Suddenly, a ck coffin appeared in front of Daniel''s soul.


    Its lid slid open, and within the darkness, several rows of teeth forming a smile appeared, making Daniel''s soul shudder.


    As ast-ditch effort, his soul tried to flee, but it was useless.


    Countless ck hands grabbed hold of him, and slowly but surely, they dragged him toward the ck Coffin, where a fate worse than death waited for him. "All things are equal in death, let this be a sign.


    "Do not hold your breath because your immortal soul is now mine!"


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    Daniel desperately tried to escape, but as soon as his soul was dragged inside the coffin, its lid shut close, sealing his fate.


    From within ckfire''s darkness, Leonidas, as well as the other creatures whom ckfire had absorbed looked at their new ymate with devilish eyes.


    "It''s Gang Bang Time!" Leonidas roared.


    "Ahooo! Ahoo! Ahooo!"


    "Ahooo! Ahoo! Ahooo!"


    Daniel''s screams echoed within the darkness, but his voice didn''t reach anyone. For Lux had sentenced him to a hundred years of suffering before his soul would be tossed into the River of mes within the pits of hell for hundreds of years of torment.


    Outside of ckfire''s body, several angels danced above Lux, including his battle angel, Seraphina, whose smile was as radiant as the sun.


    "In the boundless expanse of time,


    Eternity''s song, a sweet rhyme,


    No beginning, no final chime,


    Endless, infinite, a wondrous climb,


    Eternal moments, forever sublime."


    Gathering the Five Pirs of Eternity, a golden stairway appeared in front of Lux, and the gates to the temple of the Ten Thousand Gods appeared before him.


    The Half-Elf nced at his wives, and they all nodded their heads in unison.


    "Come back soon so that everyone can go home," Iris said softly as she hugged Lux.


    "We still have a lot of things to talk about, including your baby that you hid from us," Cai said in a disapproving tone as she too hugged Lux. "You said that you would help me meet my sister, soe back soon, okay?" Aina cupped Lux''s face and gave him a kiss on the lips. "That one is for me. This one�� is for my sister."


    The beautiful Dwarf gave Lux two kisses, making the other girls do the same.


    "We''ll be here waiting," Aurelia said after she finished kissing Lux. "Of course, our baby will wait for you as well."


    The Dragon Princess lightly caressed her abdomen, which made the Half-Elf touch it too.


    His free hand, however, was taken by Valerie and pressed on her own abdomen, while looking at Lux with a face filled with injustice.


    "Unfair�� I should have been the one to give birth to your first baby, but someone beat me to it," Valerie said with a pout. "I demandpensation!"


    "What kind ofpensation?" Lux asked with an amused look on his face.


    "I''ll tell you when you get back."


    "Okay."


    Ari then hugged Lux from behind and whispered seductively in his ears.


    "Don''t forget your promise, Papa," Ari said. "After Valerie gives birth, it will be my turn."


    "Our turn." Ali corrected as she hugged Lux from the side, and kissed his cheek. "I want to have your baby too. Don''t make me wait for too long, okay?"


    "Okay," Lux replied as he kissed his two beautiful handmaidens, who made their intentions known to him.


    The Half-Elf then nced at Aurora, who was waiting for her turn.


    She was once the Goddess of Sis, and now, she was a Transcendent Subus. Her lives had many ups and downs, but after meeting Lux, she felt that all of those sufferings had finally borne fruit because she found someone who would love her till the end of time.


    "Come with me, Aurora," Lux said as he extended his hand toward his lover, making her eyes widen in shock.


    "I�� I can''t," Aurora replied. "I am no longer a Goddess."


    "Trust me," Lux said with his hand still reaching out to her, waiting for her to take it. Aurora looked at Lux''s outstretched hand before firmly shaking her head.


    "I''ve been a God before, Lux," Aurora said as she held his hand with both of her hands. "That''s why I can say this with confidence. I''d rather be in your bed, making love to you, than spend eternity managing the lives of mortals."


    Lux''s smile widened after hearing Aurora''s reply. He then nced at the top of the staircase and smirked.


    "You heard her," Lux said. "My fiance wants to retire. The two of you should handle things from here on out."


    Eriol and Max, who were standing at the gates of the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, nced at each other before smiling bitterly.


    They nned to make Lux handle everything so that the two of them could take a break!


    They had been working hard for so long, and they wanted to take a vacation somewhere, so they could finally work on the anime called No Game No Waifu Season 2!


    Luxughed after seeing the two Gods'' bitter faces.


    He knew what they were nning to do, so he decided to decline their offer to be a God.


    He would rather spend his days making love to his wives and taking care of his babies rather than be a God!


    He also had no intention of bing a God because he didn''t want to be away from his lovers and be forced to simply watch over the affairs of mortal men.


    Lux raised his staff and prepared to use his powers to make everyone who was waiting in Sis and Elysium happy. The Five Pirs of Eternity that had merged with the golden locket glowed brightly, making Lux shine within the darkness of the Void Battlefield as if he were a newborn star that was about to shine upon the world.


    A few momentster, Cethus, Keane, Gerhart, Cadmus, mma, Keoza, King Azza, Lady Augustina, Lady Faustina, and the rest of those who had died in battle were all resurrected.


    They didn''t turn into undead but had undergone true resurrection due to the miraculous powers of the Pirs of Eternity that were capable of ascending someone into a God.


    Looking at the faces of everyone who had been resurrected using his power, Lux held Aurora''s and Iris'' hands and took a step forward.


    "Let''s go home," Lux said. "To the ce where we all belong."


    ��������������������

 Chapter 1222 After Story: Eiko’s New Pet

    Chapter 1222 After Story: Eiko��s New Pet


    Somewhere in Sis��


    When the Abyssal Army invaded Sis, most of the Kingdoms and Empires fell due to the sheer difference in strength between the two sides.


    The Abyssal Lords killed those who resisted and enved those who submitted. There were several Abyssal Lords and other Abyssal Monsters that weren''t affected by the miasma. Because of this, they were able to move unhindered across thend.


    Four of these Abyssal Lords had formed a raiding team alongside their subordinates, and they conquered one territory after the other.


    Knowing that no one could stand in their way, they all felt fearless. Since the connection between the Abyss and Sis had been severed, all of them thought that it would be best to make the entirety of Sis their new Domain.


    "I can sense a dense amount of life force in that direction," An Abyssal Lord who looked like a Centaur said. "Great!" an Abyssal Lord who looked like a Harpy smirked. "You take all thedies, and I''ll take all the men."


    "Both of you are too greedy," an Ogre Abyssal Lordmented. "I''ll take the kids. They taste good."


    "Tsk! You all should tone down a bit," A Gargoyle Abyssal Lord stated. ""Hahaha!""


    A few minutester, they passed through the denseyer of Miasma and appeared in thends of the Six Kingdoms.


    "Hmm�� it seems that all the living people in this territory are gathered in one spot," the Centaur said. "Well, that just makes our job easier," the Harpy stated. "Race you!"


    Without a warning the Harpy increased her speed andughed loudly, leaving behind herrades. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Damn hag!" the Ogre cursed. As the slowest in their group, it would definitely be thest person to arrive at the location where the people of the territory were gathered. Even so, it still did its best to run as fast as it could, creating minor tremors as it ran.


    The Harpy Queen, who had a head start, arrived first at the city, where Barbatos Academy was located.


    She was pleasantly surprised to see that the people in the city looked so happy as if there was some kind of festival.


    This made her sadistic nature rise up to the surface as she decided to descend to give everyone a scare.


    But just as she was about to descend, she saw a giggling baby Blue Slime sitting on the back of a baby Sea Otter. The two of them seemed to be ying and flying in circles around the city. They didn''t even pay attention to the Abyssal Lord who was hovering hundreds of meters away from them. The thing that surprised the Harpy Queen was that the Sea Otter was actually flying, which piqued her interest.


    This was the first time she had seen such a thing, and she thought that taking it as a pet was a good idea. ''Well, these Humans are not going anywhere,'' the Harpy Queen mused as she flew towards the two Creatures who seemed to be having fun.


    Lucky, who was flying without a care in the world, suddenly stopped mid-air when the Harpy Queen suddenly blocked his path.


    "Well, hello there, my little pretties," the Harpy Queen said with a smile. "Both of you seem to be having fun. Can this Big Sister join you as well?"


    Eiko looked at the Harpy Queen with great interest. This was the first time she was seeing a Harpy, and she thought that making it her pet would be good.


    Suddenly, a loudugh reverberated in the surroundings as the Centaur and the Gargoyle arrived.


    Seeing so many beautifuldies, the Centaur wasn''t able to stop himself fromughing, making the Harpy Queen snort.


    But just as the Centaur was about to start harassing thedies, a giant Golden Anchor descended from the sky and crushed his body entirely.


    The Gargoyle, who was dozens of meters away from hisrade, hastily backed away after seeing the Golden Anchor crush hisrade.


    A few secondster, the Golden Anchor shrank and flew toward the Baby Slime, who caught it like a boomerang.


    The Harpy Queen stared at the harmless-looking Slime in front of her in disbelief. The Centaur was the second strongest Abyssal Lord in their group, second only to the Ogre, who was still a good distance away from the city.


    Even now, she couldn''t feel the Baby Slime''s rank as if it was just an ordinary Slime that could be seen anywhere.


    She even thought that the Abyssal Slimes, which could be found everywhere in the Abyss, had more presence than the Baby Slime in front of her, which made her only think of one possibility.


    ''This Baby Slime is stronger than us!'' The Harpy Queen couldn''t help but feel that she narrowly dodged death just a minute ago. She believed that if she even released the tiniest bit of killing intent toward the two little Creatures in front of her, she would have died not knowing how she died just like the Centaur!


    The Abyssal Army that belonged to the Four Abyssal Lords finally arrived in the city.


    However, before they could do anything, a fountain of blood erupted, decimating a quarter of the Abyssal Army in a heartbeat.


    The Harpy Queen and the Gargoyle could only look in horror as their gazesnded on the back of a ck Knight, whose cape fluttered in the wind.


    Diablo swung his sword a second time, reaping the lives of thousands of Monsters with a single strike.


    Eiko, who was also watching this scene, was busy licking a pink lollipop that the Goddess Lily had given her before she returned to the Celestial Realm.


    Diablo made short work of the entirety of the Abyssal Army, not allowing even a single one of them to escape.


    When the Ogre finally arrived at the City, its sight was weed by the bloody scene in front of it, making it stop in its tracks.


    However, before it could even ask itsrades what had happened, its vision spun.


    A momentter, it saw its headless body still standing, with blood gushing out of its neck like a fountain.


    When its body fell to the ground, it finally saw who had killed it.


    A ck Knight whose de was stained by the blood of its victims.


    The Ogre''s eyes finally dimmed as death finally embraced it.


    The Gargoyle suddenly retreated as fast as it could, believing that the ck Knight wouldn''t be able to catch it in the sky.


    But half a minuteter, a beam of light illuminated the Heavens,pletely obliterating the Gargoyle, not even leaving a speck of dust behind.


    High above Eiko''s head, Poseidon hovered silently. It had the ability to turnpletely invisible and hide its presence, which was why the Harpy Queen and itsrades were unable to sense it.


    Now that all of herrades were dead, the Harpy Queen felt as if there was an invisible rope tied around her neck, ready to strangle her if she made a wrong move.


    "Want to be my pet?" Eiko asked.


    "Yes!" the Harpy Queen immediately replied. "Make me your pet!"


    Just as Eiko was about to nod her head.


    A golden beam of light suddenly shot up toward the sky, creating a golden ripple that extended outward.


    This ripple purified the Miasma in the surroundings and slowly epassed the entirety of Sis.


    The Abyssal Lords, who were still lording over the Kingdoms and Empires that they had subjugated, felt a chill run down their spine when the golden ripple passed over them.


    A minuteter, a voice filled with killing intent washed over them like a tide, making all of their faces turn grim.


    "Wash your necks. I''ming for you."


    The Harpy Queen, who also heard the voice, trembled in fear.


    "Eiko, I''m done," Lux said as he appeared right beside the Baby Slime. "Who''s this?"


    The Half-Elf eyed the Harpy Queen, which made the Abyssal Lord''s heart shudder.


    "My pet!" Eiko said proudly.


    "Your pet?"


    "Un!"


    "I see," Lux gave the Harpy Queen an evil smile, making thetter almost faint. "Take good care of your pet okay?"


    "Pa!" Eiko nodded.


    "Let''s y a game, Eiko," Lux said as he patted the baby slime''s head. "I''ll take North and East, while you take South and West. The first one to clean up all the Abyssal Monsters gets a prize."


    "Okay!" Eiko agreed. "Come, Pipi!"


    "P-Pipi?" the Harpy Queen stuttered as the Baby Slime motioned for her to follow. However, after sensing Lux''s gaze, she no longer said anything and quietly followed the excited Baby Slime, who seemed to be hell-bent on winning the game that her Papa had proposed.


    In just half a day, all the Abyssal Monsters were wiped out from the face of Sis.


    Those who didn''t treat the people too harshly were spared, but those who had killed countless lives didn''t receive any mercy.


    A day after that, a gigantic tree grew behind Barbatos Academy.


    This was the World Tree created with the power of all the Pirs of Eternity.


    With its appearance, the world entered a phase of rebirth, granting old and new wounds the opportunity to heal with time.

 Chapter 1223 After Story: Reunited At Last [Part 1]

    Chapter 1223 After Story: Reunited At Last [Part 1]


    Luna sighed for the umpteenth time, as she stared at the picture frame in her hands. It was a picture of Lux and her posing for amemorative photo before their ballroom scene was filmed.


    There were other picture frames hanging on her wall, and one of them was taken when she and Lux went out on a "date", when the two of them had a day off from work.


    Back then, they still hadn''t made their feelings known to each other. And yet, their closeness was enough for both of them to understand what the other truly felt.


    ncing at the clock, Luna knew that it was finally time to go.


    "I''m off, Lux," Luna said softly before kissing the Half-Elf in the picture. She then ced the picture frame back on the table beside her bed before leaving her room.


    Today, she was going to audition for the leading role of a movie adaptation. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This was another big production that many actors, and actresses were aiming to get.


    Since she had nothing better to do with her time, she decided to take a chance at it, while waiting for her beloved to return to her.


    08:58


    Since she had nothing better to do with her time, she decided to take a chance at it, while waiting for her beloved to return to her.


    "Are you confident in getting the role?" Hollie asked as she drove the car towards their destination.


    "All I can say is that I''ll do my best," Luna replied. "If I get it then good. If not�� then there''s always other projects to join."


    "That''s right! There are many opportunities out there waiting for you. Just take one step at a time."


    "Mmm."


    When they arrived at the venue where the Actors and Actresses would be screened, Luna felt someone staring at her.


    This wasn''t the first time that something like this happened, so she was already used to it. But, this time, she felt very ufortable as if the one staring at her was looking at her with malicious intent.


    ncing in the direction where she felt the gaze wasing from, he saw a handsome young man with blonde hair and blue eyes.


    She immediately recognized him as one of the Producers of the Movie that she nned to audition for.


    "Don''t look at that creep, Gustav," Hollie whispered. "He''s always chasing the skirts of promising young actresses who don''t have a strong backing. Many in the industry have already been ruined by him. "So, if he approaches you, just firmly reject him. It doesn''t matter if you don''t get this role or not. It''s much better than being this guy''s ything."


    Luna nodded and no longer paid attention to the Producer, who was looking at her with lustful eyes.


    There was one project she had participated in where Gustav had been one of the producers of the show, and he made a move on Luna. Fortunately, Hollie was always with her, so he backed down when Luna''s manager threatened to sue him. Even so, he had been eyeing Luna since her idol days, and he was one of her fans. But, he wanted to be more than a fan.


    He wanted her, which made him decide to join this big production as one of its producers.


    Gustav was one of the people who had the authority to pick the roles for the actors and actresses who would be auditioning today.


    He had already prepared the perfect bait for Luna, who had done everything in her power to stay out of his sight.


    Her record in the industry was quite clean. But, when Lux appeared in her life, Gustav knew that he needed to make his move before his target was stolen away from him.


    Fortunately, the red-headed teenager disappeared, and although Gustav tried to find him, he wasn''t even able to find the young man''s shadow.


    Still, he gathered enough material, and even fabricated a scandal that could destroy Luna''s career once he made it public.


    Simply put, he nned to ckmail Luna in order to make her his ything, which was something that he had been nning to do for a long time.


    Two hourster, Luna finished her audition and was about to go to where Hollie was waiting for her. That was when she met Gustav in the hallway. Luna had found it weird that no one was in the hallway when she finished her audition. Now that she was seeing the man in front of her, she finally understood the situation.


    "What do you want?" Luna asked, not moving from where she stood.


    "You," Gustav replied as he walked towards the young actress, whom he had vited so many times in his fantasies. "You''re the one I want, Luna."


    Luna knew that she couldn''t move forward, so she decided to return to where she hade from. But, just as she was about to do that, three men wearing ck appeared at the other end of the hallway.


    Clearly, they had no intention of letting go.


    "You know, if you just say yes, I promise you that you will live a very fulfilling life," Gustav said. "You will get the leading roles of any projects that you wish to have with my help. Most new actresses would jump at the opportunity to be in your shoes, Luna. So, why not be my woman and make your dreamse true?"


    "I don''t need you to make my dreamse true," Luna replied coldly. "If you don''t let me go, I''m going to scream."


    "Go ahead." Gustav smiled. "Although I''d like to make you scream in bed, hearing it now is also good."


    Luna knew that if she didn''t do anything now, it would end up badly for her. At that moment, a scream echoed in the hallway.


    However, it wasn''t the scream of ady, but the scream of a man, whose arm was bent in a weird angle.


    Luna''s eyes widened in shock when she saw a girl, who looked just like her younger self.


    After breaking Gustav''s right arm, the girl went ahead to break his other arm, making Gustav scream a second time.


    The men in ck suits, who were behind Luna, immediately moved to rescue their employer.


    But, they only managed to take a few steps when they suddenly copsed on the ground, unconscious.


    Luna looked at the young man, whom she hadn''t seen for a while, making her cover her lips to hold back a sob.


    Lux hugged thedy he loved and nted a kiss on her forehead.


    "You and your sister still have a lot of catching up to do, so why don''t you leave first?" Lux said before wiping the tears that had now started to fall from Luna''s eyes. "Don''t worry. I''ll just do a bit of cleanup and follow the two of you right away, okay?"


    Luna nodded before running towards her beloved sister, whom she hadn''t seen in many years.


    A momentter, both of them disappeared from the hallway, leaving only a screaming Gustav behind.


    Lux''s smile disappeared from his face as he walked towards the man, who tried to harm his woman.


    Soon, more screams of pain reverberated inside the hallway, as Lux made sure that Gustav would never threaten a woman again in his lifetime.

 Chapter 1224 After Story: Reunited At Last [Part 2]

    When Lux found Luna and Aina, the pair of sisters were hugging each other tightly.


    If you looked at them from afar, they would look like an older sister and a little sister showing their familial love to each other.


    When they noticed the Half-Elf''s arrival, the twodies looked at him askance.


    "Everything''s fine," Lux said. "I''ve dealt with him."


    "Did you kill him?" Aina asked. Although she tried hard to hide it, her killing intent was oozing from her body. She had been very tempted earlier to personally snap Gustav''s neck, but Lux asked her to calm down through telepathy.


    Because of this, she decided to just break both of his arms to make sure that he would feel a lot of pain.


    Lux didn''t stop his lover from doing so since even he wanted to do the same. He knew that Luna was very precious to Aina, and those who tried to harm her sister would no doubt be crushed by her own two hands.


    "He''s halfway there," Lux replied.


    "Good." Aina nodded before hugging her sister once again.


    Luna''s face was already a mess. Her tears had ruined her makeup, and yet, Lux still found her beautiful.


    "Let''s leave this ce for now," Lux proposed. "Let''s go somewhere that is not too conspicuous."


    With a wave of his hand, the three of them reappeared inside Luna''s condo unit in an instant.


    "You better give Hollie a call first, so she won''t panic when she can''t find you in the venue," Lux said with a smile. Luna hadpletely forgotten about her manager after seeing her sister whom she hadn''t seen for years.


    She hastily made a call, telling Hollie that she had left the venue and went shopping on her own.


    Although the excuse she made was a bit sketchy, her Manager didn''t pry and just told her to be careful and to return home as soon as she could.


    After that matter had been dealt with, she sat on the couch with her sister and held her tightly.


    "Is this a dream?" Luna asked. "If it is, I no longer want to wake up."


    "Silly girl," Lux gently patted her head. "Of course, this isn''t a dream. From now on, you will be able to see your sister anytime you want. But aside from Aina, you''ve also gained a new little sister that goes by the name Colette."


    Aina nodded and looked at her sister with gentle eyes.


    "She''s a very lovable girl," Aina said. "I''m sure you will like her."


    "I know I will," Luna replied. "But for now, stay with me, okay?"


    "Mmm."


    "Thank you."


    An hourter, Luna finally regained herposure and asked Lux if the important matter that he had to deal with was finally over.


    "Do you want to hear the long story or the short summary?" Lux asked in a teasing tone.


    "The short summary, please," Luna replied.


    The Half-Elf nodded and told her the summary of what had happened after he returned to Elysium.


    ����������������


    While he was busy exining things to Luna, several little creatures were exploring the city on their own.


    "Um, just make sure to not stray too far from me, okay?" Kazogonaga said to the little ones, who were following behind him. If you get lost, it will be a big problem."


    "Un!" "Da Wei~"


    "Dim Dim!"


    A week after the battle in the Void Battlefield, James surprised Lux by telling him that he had sessfully established a connection between Elysium and Earth.


    However, since the connection was still not that stable, only a few people could travel from Elysium to Earth using the Bifrost Bridge.


    James had other things to do, so the old Bandit asked the rainbow-colored Anteater to guide Lux to Earth.


    Lux and Aina went off to find Luna, while the little ones decided to explore this brand-new world together.


    Kasogonaga became their guide and nanny. He didn''t mind since he believed that the two Baby Slimes, the Sea Otter, and Dim Dim were all good kids.


    When Eiko and Fei Fei saw a cake shop, the two Baby Slimes drooled as they looked at the cakes that were on disy.


    "Do you want to take a look inside?" Kazogonaga asked. "Don''t worry. All of you can eat as much as you want. I have a tinum Card with me. The sky''s the limit!


    "Yay!"


    "Wei!"


    "Dim Dim!"


    Kazogonaga entered the shop with confidence and was immediately mobbed by the customers, as well as the staff of the shop.


    Since he was a Super Celebrity, they all wanted his autograph and a selfie with him.


    Of course, Kazogonaga didn''t disappoint his fans and posed with them.


    "What''s this?! Why are they so cute?!"


    "They look so jiggly as well."


    "Um, this Dim Sum looks good. I feel hungry now."


    Thedies inside the Cake Shop weren''t able to resist Eiko''s, Fei Fei''s, Lucky''s, and Dim Dim''s cuteness, making them fangirl over them.


    If not for the fact that they didn''t want to offend Kasogonaga, they would have already picked up the cute Monsters and peppered them with kisses.


    ������������������


    Meanwhile, back in Luna''s condo��


    Lux had finished telling Luna his tale, shocking herpletely.


    Seeing the dumbfounded look on her face, Lux couldn''t help but lightly pinch her cheeks, so she would snap out of her daze.


    "Aina, why don''t you take a bath with your sister for now," Lux proposed. The beautiful Dwarf nodded because her sister''s face was truly a mess. Although she didn''t mind it, she wanted her sister to feel rxed andfortable, so she took her to the bathroom to take a bath together. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Lux, on the other hand, nced in the direction where Eiko and the others were.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but smile after seeing that the four little troublemakers were busy eating all types of cakes.


    He continued to watch their little adventure in the city,pletely forgetting about the passage of time.


    The Half-Elf only broke out of his daze when he felt someone touch the side of his face.


    When he turned to look at Aina, his body subconsciously stiffened when he saw that she and her sister, Luna, only had bath towels covering their bodies.


    Their hair was also still a bit wet, and both of them smelled really nice.


    At that exact moment, he heard a notification from the Guild Chat and saw Cethus''int about him going to Earth without bringing them along.


    "Come back and take us to Earth as well!" Cethus demanded. "I want to see what the Low Landers of this ce called Earth are like!"


    Lux casually ignored Cethus'' demand and even turned off the notifications of his Guild Chat.


    He then allowed himself to be pulled by the two beautifuldies toward the bedroom, where they would talk about important matters.


    ''Yes, this is more important than Cethus,'' Lux smiled as he lightly tugged on the bath towels covering the bodies of his two lovers, making them fall down beside their feet.


    Lux couldn''t help but admire the two beauties in front of him, so he firmly put aside Cethus'' selfish demands. Demands that could wait until he, Luna, and Aina had finished sating the cravings of their bodies and hearts, which had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

 Chapter 1226 After Story: Reunited At Last [Part 2]

    When Lux found Luna and Aina, the pair of sisters were hugging each other tightly.


    If you looked at them from afar, they would look like an older sister and a little sister showing their familial love to each other.


    When they noticed the Half-Elf''s arrival, the twodies looked at him askance.


    "Everything''s fine," Lux said. "I''ve dealt with him."


    "Did you kill him?" Aina asked. Although she tried hard to hide it, her killing intent was oozing from her body. She had been very tempted earlier to personally snap Gustav''s neck, but Lux asked her to calm down through telepathy.


    Because of this, she decided to just break both of his arms to make sure that he would feel a lot of pain.


    Lux didn''t stop his lover from doing so since even he wanted to do the same. He knew that Luna was very precious to Aina, and those who tried to harm her sister would no doubt be crushed by her own two hands.


    "He''s halfway there," Lux replied.


    "Good." Aina nodded before hugging her sister once again.


    Luna''s face was already a mess. Her tears had ruined her makeup, and yet, Lux still found her beautiful.


    "Let''s leave this ce for now," Lux proposed. "Let''s go somewhere that is not too conspicuous."


    With a wave of his hand, the three of them reappeared inside Luna''s condo unit in an instant.


    "You better give Hollie a call first, so she won''t panic when she can''t find you in the venue," Lux said with a smile. Luna hadpletely forgotten about her manager after seeing her sister whom she hadn''t seen for years.


    She hastily made a call, telling Hollie that she had left the venue and went shopping on her own.


    Although the excuse she made was a bit sketchy, her Manager didn''t pry and just told her to be careful and to return home as soon as she could.


    After that matter had been dealt with, she sat on the couch with her sister and held her tightly.


    "Is this a dream?" Luna asked. "If it is, I no longer want to wake up."


    "Silly girl," Lux gently patted her head. "Of course, this isn''t a dream. From now on, you will be able to see your sister anytime you want. But aside from Aina, you''ve also gained a new little sister that goes by the name Colette."


    Aina nodded and looked at her sister with gentle eyes.


    "She''s a very lovable girl," Aina said. "I''m sure you will like her."


    "I know I will," Luna replied. "But for now, stay with me, okay?"


    "Mmm."


    "Thank you."


    An hourter, Luna finally regained herposure and asked Lux if the important matter that he had to deal with was finally over.


    "Do you want to hear the long story or the short summary?" Lux asked in a teasing tone.


    "The short summary, please," Luna replied.


    The Half-Elf nodded and told her the summary of what had happened after he returned to Elysium.


    ����������������


    While he was busy exining things to Luna, several little creatures were exploring the city on their own.


    "Um, just make sure to not stray too far from me, okay?" Kazogonaga said to the little ones, who were following behind him. If you get lost, it will be a big problem."


    "Un!" "Da Wei~"


    "Dim Dim!"


    A week after the battle in the Void Battlefield, James surprised Lux by telling him that he had sessfully established a connection between Elysium and Earth.


    However, since the connection was still not that stable, only a few people could travel from Elysium to Earth using the Bifrost Bridge.


    James had other things to do, so the old Bandit asked the rainbow-colored Anteater to guide Lux to Earth.


    Lux and Aina went off to find Luna, while the little ones decided to explore this brand-new world together.


    Kasogonaga became their guide and nanny. He didn''t mind since he believed that the two Baby Slimes, the Sea Otter, and Dim Dim were all good kids.


    When Eiko and Fei Fei saw a cake shop, the two Baby Slimes drooled as they looked at the cakes that were on disy.


    "Do you want to take a look inside?" Kazogonaga asked. "Don''t worry. All of you can eat as much as you want. I have a tinum Card with me. The sky''s the limit!


    "Yay!"


    "Wei!"


    "Dim Dim!"


    Kazogonaga entered the shop with confidence and was immediately mobbed by the customers, as well as the staff of the shop.


    Since he was a Super Celebrity, they all wanted his autograph and a selfie with him.


    Of course, Kazogonaga didn''t disappoint his fans and posed with them.


    "What''s this?! Why are they so cute?!"


    "They look so jiggly as well."


    "Um, this Dim Sum looks good. I feel hungry now."


    Thedies inside the Cake Shop weren''t able to resist Eiko''s, Fei Fei''s, Lucky''s, and Dim Dim''s cuteness, making them fangirl over them.


    If not for the fact that they didn''t want to offend Kasogonaga, they would have already picked up the cute Monsters and peppered them with kisses.


    ������������������


    Meanwhile, back in Luna''s condo��


    Lux had finished telling Luna his tale, shocking herpletely.


    Seeing the dumbfounded look on her face, Lux couldn''t help but lightly pinch her cheeks, so she would snap out of her daze.


    "Aina, why don''t you take a bath with your sister for now," Lux proposed. The beautiful Dwarf nodded because her sister''s face was truly a mess. Although she didn''t mind it, she wanted her sister to feel rxed andfortable, so she took her to the bathroom to take a bath together.


    Lux, on the other hand, nced in the direction where Eiko and the others were.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but smile after seeing that the four little troublemakers were busy eating all types of cakes.


    He continued to watch their little adventure in the city,pletely forgetting about the passage of time.


    The Half-Elf only broke out of his daze when he felt someone touch the side of his face.


    When he turned to look at Aina, his body subconsciously stiffened when he saw that she and her sister, Luna, only had bath towels covering their bodies.


    Their hair was also still a bit wet, and both of them smelled really nice.


    At that exact moment, he heard a notification from the Guild Chat and saw Cethus''int about him going to Earth without bringing them along.


    "Come back and take us to Earth as well!" Cethus demanded. "I want to see what the Low Landers of this ce called Earth are like!"


    Lux casually ignored Cethus'' demand and even turned off the notifications of his Guild Chat.


    He then allowed himself to be pulled by the two beautifuldies toward the bedroom, where they would talk about important matters.


    ''Yes, this is more important than Cethus,'' Lux smiled as he lightly tugged on the bath towels covering the bodies of his two lovers, making them fall down beside their feet.


    Lux couldn''t help but admire the two beauties in front of him, so he firmly put aside Cethus'' selfish demands. Demands that could wait until he, Luna, and Aina had finished sating the cravings of their bodies and hearts, which had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

 Chapter 1225 After Story: Can We Keep Her?

    While Lux, Aina, and the cute troublemakers were having fun on Earth, some unexpected guests arrived on the Floating Ind of Heaven''s Gate.


    The original floating ind had beenpletely destroyed by Daniel. However, since the Floating Ind and the Giant Earth Turtle were merged into bing a single entity, the Half-Elf was able to resurrect it.


    For the time being, members of Heaven''s Gate used the Royal Pce of the Fynn Kingdom as their temporary lodgings while their Guild Headquarters were being rebuilt.


    Everyone''s gazended on the old man wearing an eye patch and then on the extremely beautiful woman behind him.


    Aurora, who saw them, smiled sweetly and immediately approached Queen Rhiannon, who was holding her little sister, Dia, in her arms.


    Iris, Cai, Valerie, Aurelia, Ali, and Ari immediately figured out who the woman was and the baby that she was holding.


    Thedies didn''t move from their spot and only looked at the Subus Queen warily, which amused Queen Rhiannon.


    Aurora knew what her sisters were thinking, so she decided to take the initiative to introduce her mother to them. 10:38


    Aurora knew what her sisters were thinking, so she decided to take the initiative to introduce her mother to them. "This is Queen Rhiannon. As you already know, she is the Ruler of the 13th Layer of the Abyss," Aurora replied. "And this cute baby in my arms is none other than Dia, Lux''s baby. Isn''t she adorable?"


    Aurora, who was already holding Dia in her arms, walked toward her sisters and allowed them to have a better look at Lux''s first child.


    Iris fell in love with the baby the moment she saw how chubby Dia''s cheeks were.


    She lightly poked the baby''s chubby cheeks, making her feel something warm spreading inside her chest. Dia, who had been poked, smiled immediately, making her whole face brighten up. She then made gurgling sounds as if trying tomunicate with Iris. This gesture of hers was too cute, making everyone''s heart melt.


    "I can''t take it," Cai said as she gently touched Dia''s small hand with her finger. "Can we keep her?"


    "No," Queen Rhiannon replied with a smile. "But you can y with her anytime you want."


    As if confirming her mother''s words, Dia''s hand curled up to hold Cai''s finger, making the High Priestess press her hand over her heart due to how moved she was. "Dia says we can keep her." Ari was quick toment because she could sense Lux''s bloodline flowing inside Dia''s body. "Any objections?"


    """No Objections!"""


    As someone who had been intimate with the Half-Elf in various ways, she immediately sensed that the baby was truly her lover''s child.


    Queen Rhiannon could only shake her head helplessly as she looked at Lux''s other lovers. The beautifuldies fawned over Lux''s baby and took turns holding Dia, kissing her chubby cheeks and making the baby giggle.


    Queen Rhiannon watched this scene fondly and allowed the beautifuldies to do what they wanted. Although she felt a little guilty about giving birth to Lux''s child first before his future wives, she didn''t regret it.


    She might have decided to give birth to Lux''s child on a whim, but during the months that she carried Dia in her womb, the Subus Queen knew then and there that this was a child that she would love with all of her heart.


    Queen Rhiannon knew that she wasn''t a good mother because of what happened with Aurora. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, this time, she wanted to do it right. A few minutester, a handsome man, who seemed to be in his early forties, appeared beside Queen Rhiannon.


    He held a schrly aura, but his gaze was deep and profound, making those who looked at him know that he wasn''t someone ordinary.


    "The Bifrost Bridge is not stable yet, so the rest on the 13th Layer will have to wait for a few more days before they cane to visit this ce," the handsome man said.


    "Thank you, Lord Antero," Queen Rhiannon replied. "The connection wouldn''t have been made so quickly if not for your help."


    "It is just a small matter, Little Rhiannon," Antero, who had taken a human form, replied. "I cannot stay here for long because there are matters that I need to attend to in the Abyss. When Lux returns, call for me."


    "Understood." Queen Rhiannon nodded.


    The handsome man then nced at Lux''s lovers, who were taking turns in holding his granddaughter. A momentter, he disappeared, returning to the Abyss in order to stabilize the civil wars that were taking ce on the Layers that had lost their leaders.


    It would take a few years before order returned to the Abyss.


    Antero didn''t n on doing anything to stop the fight for power. He just wanted to make sure that none of the Abyssal Monsters did anything stupid, such as going to the lowestyer to wake up the Outer God, who was still sleeping despite everything that had happened.


    Antero understood that this was a normal thing.


    For Outer Gods like Azathoth, the mundane affairs of Mortals were just a trivial thing.


    They were too tiny and insignificant for someone like it to actually care, so despite someone leeching off him, he couldn''t care enough to wake up from his slumber and continued to dream.


    An hourter, the atmosphere between thedies became lively.


    Everyone was smitten with Dia, so they no longer thought of the Subus Queen as their enemy.


    Since she was still a baby, Dia got tired easily, and soon, she was peacefully sleeping in Valerie''s arms.


    ''So this is what it feels like to have a baby,'' Valerie thought as she lovingly and carefully held the child in her arms as if holding a priceless treasure.


    Seeing this, Aurelia couldn''t help but touch her abdomen. A few months from now, she would also give birth to Lux''s child. She was certain that she would also be very happy once she saw and held her own child for the first time.


    "That''s it," Cai said softly. "When Lux returns, I''ll ask him to get me pregnant as well."


    "Me, too." Iris nodded. In the past, she thought that she would be the one to give birth to Lux''s child first. When she discovered that Valerie and Aurelia were already pregnant, she uncontrobly felt sad, feeling like something important had been taken from her.


    Even so, this feeling didn''tst for long and was reced with the happiness of knowing that their family was getting bigger.


    She knew that a year or two from now, she, too, would be holding her baby in her arms, making her feelplete.


    For the time being, she decided to treat Lux''s babies as her own.


    The funny thing was that she wasn''t the only one thinking along those lines.


    Cai, Ali, Ari, and Aurora were all thinking the same.


    They also wished to hold their own babies in their arms as soon as possible.


    But for the time being, they were content with taking turns kissing and holding Dia and looking forward to her growth.


    Several years in the future, Dia would step out into the multiverse to find her own destined one��a man who would have to ovee the hurdle named Lux before he could hold hands with the youngdy, whom he was going to share forever with.

 Chapter 1226 After Story: Fishing Trip With The In-Laws

    Chapter 1226 After Story: Fishing Trip With The In-Laws


    Eiko hummed as she, Fei Fei, and Dim Dim, held small fishing poles in their hands.


    The three troublemakers were seated on Lux''s right side, who also had a fishing pole in his hand.


    it had been a month since their exploration on Earth, and the three of them had a great time.


    Lux took them to amusement parks, watch movies, y some games, and did anything fun that they could think of.


    Luna became their guide, and took them to the ces where she had wanted to go in the past. however, she wasn''t able to do it because of the heartache that she felt after losing her Grandparents, and sister, whom she loved very much.


    Lux returned to Elysium every few days to ensure that no problem had urred during his absence.


    It was also at that time when King Azza found him, and invited him on a fishing trip, which he readily epted. Sitting on the Half-Elf''s left side was none other than King Azza, and Keoza sat beside the Dragon King.


    Sitting beside Keoza was none other than Aina''s father, King Victor.


    They, too, were holding fishing poles in their hands.


    All of them were seated on a cliff, overlooking the sea. Three hundred meters away from them, thedies were seated on pic nkets, and chatting with each other.


    None of them were aware that the purpose of this fishing trip was to feed Lux to the fishes, so that he would disappear by ident.


    At least, that was the original n in the past.


    This location was swarming with Empyrean-Ranked Sea Monsters, so it was very easy for a Low Ranker to be fish food in a heartbeat. But, the current Half-Elf, was no longer the weakling of the past. Empyrean-Ranked Monsters were now food to him, so he thought that this fishing trip was something that his father-inws had set up, so that they could form closer bonds with each other.


    The two Dragon Kings had unreadable looks on their faces, while the Dwarf King was wondering why he was included on this fishing trip.


    Only the three troublemakers seemed to be enjoying their first fishing trip together and were looking forward to catching something.


    The Deimos, Argonaut, and Empyrean-Ranked Sea Monsters on the other hand, had all evacuated the area when they sensed the presence of the powerful beings, who hade to catch them.


    Only the lower-ranked Monsters, who still couldn''t measure the level of someone''s strength, remained.


    One of those monsters bit the bait of Eiko''s fishing pole and gave it a strong tug. It''s intention was to bring the Baby Slime from the cliff and make it an appetizer.


    But, to its surprise, the Baby Slime didn''t budge.


    "Ei!" Eiko, who noticed that something had bitten her bait, immediately turned around and pulled hard on the fishing pole, making the two-meter-long Rank 5 Sea Trout fall onnd.


    Of course, as a Rank 5 Monster, it wouldn''t really die onnd that easily. It could casually leap back to the sea if it wanted, returning to its home turf.


    But, before it could do that, it found itself getting body mmed by the three kids, who were very eager to y with the fish that Eiko caught.


    "Eiko, Fei Fei, Dim Dim, don''t y with your food," Lux said as he nced at the pitiful Sea Trout, who was being pinned down by the three troublemakers.


    "Pa!" Eiko said before giving the Sea Trout a p on its face.


    "Wei!" Fei Fei replied before spitting a fireball on the Sea Trout''s fins. "Dim Dim!" Dim Dim shouted happily as it jumped up and down on the Sea Trout''s back, breaking its bones.


    Ten minutester, Ali and Ari were grilling the Sea Trout, which they would have for lunch.


    Eiko, Fei Fei, and Dim Dim, returned to holding their fishing poles, and were more eager than ever to catch more fishes to share with everyone.


    "Father, thank you for inviting me on this fishing trip," Lux said to King Azza, who still had his poker face activated.


    "Mmm," King Azza hummed. "Fishing trips are good from time to time."


    King Azza knew that if the Half-Elf was weaker than him, things might have ended differently for this fishing trip. But, after the battle against Daniel, the Half-Elf''s strength had reached the realm of a true Pseudo-God.


    Lux could ascend to Godhood anytime, but he didn''t take that step, and chose to remain with the mortals in Sis and Elysium.


    In short, no High-Ranking Sea Monsters in Elysium would dare to target the Half-Elf and treat him as fish food.


    Just a single nce from him was enough to sever the connection of their soul from their bodies, turning it into a living vessel without a soul.


    Even the current Dragon King, the one hailed as the strongest person in Elysium, wasn''t safe from the power of Death that the Half-Elf currently wielded.


    If Lux wished to live forever, he could do so because Death was no longer a threat to him.


    "Father, Valerie told me that she wanted to have a dozen kids," Lux said. "While I am happy with that, I want you to help me convince her that having that many babies might have an effect on her health. I think four babies are fine, what do you think?"


    "Four is good," King Azza nodded. "Don''t worry, I''ll talk to herter."


    "Thank you, Father." Lux nodded.


    Keoza, who was listening from the side, decided to ask Lux a question.


    "How about Aurelia?" Keoza asked. "Did she tell you how many children she wanted?"


    Lux nodded. "Aurelia said that she wanted two children. Since I will have a lot of kids, she thinks that giving birth to more than that is not necessary."


    "I see," Keoza replied. "I am also looking forward to seeing my first grandchild soon."


    "I am just excited as you are, Father." Lux smiled.


    He knew how much courage it took for Aurelia to take that next step in their rtionship and give birth to his child.


    Truth be told, the Half-Elf didn''t know if she only said those things back then due to the effect of the aphrodisiac, or because she feltpetitive with Valerie.


    But, when he asked her for confirmation, she told him that she was still thinking properly even when she was influenced by the aphrodisiac. Although the aphrodisiac yed its part, Aurelia was the one who decided to take the leap of faith, which caused her to end up pregnant.


    Dragons didn''t conceive easily.


    They could go on for hundreds of years without giving birth, so when she found out that she was pregnant with Lux''s child, it made her very happy.


    That day, Lux, King Azza, Keoza, and King Victor didn''t catch any fish, and only chatted with each other.


    It was only Eiko, Fei Fei, and Dim Dim, who actually caught the fish that their group ate during their first fishing trip together.


    Although it didn''t end up like the Dragon Kings originally nned, they still found this trip worth their while.


    Since their daughters were already carrying his children, the two Dragon Kings asked him when the wedding ceremony would be held. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lux thought that it was also about time that he married his lovers, so he decided to consult the two Dragon Kings when the best day to hold the marriage would be.


    Since it was going to be a big event, they decided to hold the wedding day in half a year, which would give them enough time to prepare the venue, as well as send invitations to all the important people in both Sis and Elysium.

 Chapter 1227 After Story: Can I Really Do What I Want?

    Chapter 1227 After Story: Can I Really Do What I Want?


    "This is an emergency," Princess Anastasia said with a solemn expression on her face. "Sir Lux is going to get married soon, but we still haven''t made any progress with our rtionship with him. What should we do?"


    "��Why are you asking me?" Henrietta asked.


    "Isn''t it obvious? Didn''t your fiance break up with you because he fell in love with someone else?" Princess Anastasia replied. "And?" Henrietta blinked in confusion.


    "That means you''re free and can now pursue Sir Lux too!"


    "Hah?"


    Henrietta, who hade to visit Lux''s Guild Headquarters in order to rx, was suddenly invited over by the Dwarven Princess, who had alsoe over for a visit.


    Since Anastasia was now part of Heaven''s Gate, she often talked with Iris to ask for advice on how to get closer to the handsome Half-Elf of her dreams.


    During one of their talks, Iris mentioned that she was feeling sad because Henrietta''s fiance had one-sidedly broken their marriage agreement in order to pursue the person he loved. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    While it was no secret that they didn''t love each other and were just engaged because their families thought that the marriage alliance would strengthen both sides, she still felt bad that Henrietta, who had steeled herself to go through with the marriage, was suddenly left alone.


    Of course, Iris wanted one of her best friends to also be happy in life, so she believed that this was a blessing in disguise.


    Even so, Henrietta seemed to be feeling down after her engagement was canceled. It had been a week since then.


    Iris had mentioned that Henrietta might have feelings for Lux but was forced to hide them inside her heart because of her current situation. After listening to Lux''s First Fiance, Princess Anastasia thought that she had finally found an ally. This was also why she didn''t hesitate to invite Henrietta to have some tea with her in the guest room that was provided for her in the Fynn Royal Pce.


    "Don''t worry, the two of us are not alone," Princess Anastasia held Henrietta''s hand. "We still have one more ally that we can count on!"


    "�� Like I said, why are you dragging me into thi��" Henrietta''s words were cut short after they heard a knock on the door.


    Millie, who was Princess Anastasia''s Protector, walked toward the door and opened it.


    "This is what I like about you Anastasia. You don''t waste time."


    "Big Sister, thank you foring!"


    Henrietta''s face became solemn as her gazended on the Subus Queen, whom the Dwarven Princess referred to as a Big Sister.


    Although she knew that Queen Rhiannon wouldn''t harm her now due to her rtionship with Lux, the things that happened in the past were still fresh in her mind.


    Actually, after seeing the Subus Queen, Henrietta suddenly remembered the time when she almost did it with the Half-Elf.


    If not for the fact that Lux stopped her from lowering her hips to seal the deal, things might have ended differently for the two of them.


    "I can understand that you are wary of me, Henrietta, and I apologize for what has happened in the past," Queen Rhiannon slightly bowed her head to the youngdy, whom she had made use of to test how much Lux and Cai loved one another while they were still in the Abyss.


    "I have already moved on from it," Henrietta replied. "You don''t have to worry about it anymore, Your Majesty."


    Queen Rhiannon smiled and nodded her head in understanding.


    "Now that we have gathered, why don''t we all talk about how to make the two of you be Lux''s lovers as well?" Queen Rhiannon pressed her hands together with an amused look on her face. "Yes!" Princess Anastasia looked at the Subus Queen with sparkling eyes.


    "Um, I still need to do something, so I''ll see you girlster." Henrietta had a very bad feeling about this, so she wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    When she was only a few meters away from the door, she heard a deep sighing from behind her. "Henrietta, are you sure that you want to leave?" Queen Rhiannon asked. "Do you want to hide your true feelings and carry them to the grave? Didn''t you already die once? Did you not have any regrets after you got killed in the Void Battlefield?"


    Henrietta, whose hand was about to touch the door handle, momentarily froze.


    Just like everyone, she had also participated in the battle in the Void Battlefield.


    Actually, after Cethus died, Henrietta and a few members of her Guild died not long after.


    They were doing their best to protect their Guild Headquarters from being overrun by riding on Gyrocopters, but the enemy forces simply outnumbered them.


    Just as she was about to breathe herst, she felt an ache in her heart because, at the veryst moment, she was unable to see the face of the person she liked.


    If someone asked Henrietta if she died with regrets, she would answer yes.


    She definitely regretted many things, and among them was not being able to say her true feelings.


    However, she didn''t want to get in the way of Iris'' love and supported her from behind.


    She focused her attention on managing the affairs of their Guild, Serenity, in order to suppress the feelings, which she believed to only be puppy love.


    "Henrietta, life is a gift," Princess Anastasia said. "You''ve been given a second chance at life. Do you want to die without even trying? Do you want to die without even giving closure to your feelings?


    "I don''t want to live that kind of life, so I believe that we should be true to our feelings. Even if we get rejected, we can hold our heads high knowing that we did everything in our power to make it happen.


    "If it doesn''t really work out then we can cry together! After that, we can look for someone else to love. Won''t you at least give your feelings a chance?"


    Princess Anastasia''s gaze was firm, as she looked at Henrietta''s back.


    The purple-haired beauty''s hand was now touching the door handle, but she didn''t make any move to pull or push it open.


    She just stood there, digesting everything that the Dwarven Princess had told her.


    Queen Rhiannon didn''t say anything because she believed that Princess Anastasia had already said what she wanted to say.


    If Henrietta still didn''t change her mind, then there was nothing she could do about it.


    When the Subus Queen and the Dwarven Princess thought that Henrietta would go ahead and leave the room, she suddenly asked them a question, making the two of them sigh in their hearts. "Is it really okay?" Henrietta asked without turning her head to look at the two people behind her. "Can I really do what I want?"


    "Of course, it''s okay," Princess Anastasia replied. "You only live once��errr, twice! Don''t worry, we are in this together!"


    "As someone who had managed to give birth to Lux''s first child, I am confident that I can give the two of you some good advice," Queen Rhiannon stated. "So why don''t we all sit down and talk about it?"


    Henrietta remained standing for a few more seconds before she turned around to return to the couch.


    She still didn''t know if staying was the right thing to do, but she also felt that if she missed this chance, she would regret itter.


    Little did the fourdies know that just outside their door, Lux was holding a tray of freshly baked cookies from the kitchen.


    Because of his heightened senses, it didn''t even take him any effort to hear what the threedies were talking about inside the room.


    When he realized that they were talking about him, he thought that leaving them alone was a good idea.


    But Princess Anastasia''s passionate speech rooted him in ce.


    If Henrietta had opened the door at that time, she would have seen Lux in front of her, holding a tray of cookies in his hands.


    But that scenario didn''t happen.


    Lux didn''t leave immediately. Only after hearing what Henrietta had to say did he walk away from the guest room.


    He knew that things would just be awkward if he went in there while the threedies were talking about him.


    The Half-Elf already knew Princess Anastasia''s feelings about him, but this was the first time that he knew of Henrietta''s thoughts about him.


    ''I guess I''ll go talk to Iris for a bit,'' Lux thought as he used his powers to locate his lover inside the Pce.


    When Lux finally disappeared from the hallway, a faint smile appeared on the Subus Queen''s lips.


    As one of the strongest Demigods in existence and as someone who had given birth to his child, Queen Rhiannon knew that Lux had been standing just outside of the door and had heard everything that had been said inside the room.


    ''Although he may not marry these two this year or the year after, I''m sure that their feelings have reached him,'' Queen Rhiannon thought as she looked at Princess Anastasia, who was busy giving Henrietta some encouragement while holding the youngdy''s hands.


    And just like the Subus Queen had predicted, Lux did indeed marry Princess Anastasia and Henrietta a year after he wed Iris and the others, giving the two people who loved him very much, a happy ending as well.

 Chapter 1228 After Story: The Dawn Of A New Era [Part 1]

    Chapter 1228 After Story: The Dawn Of A New Era [Part 1]


    Seductive moans echoed throughout the room as Lux embraced Aurora.


    Unfortunately, it was not only the two of them who were in the room. The Subus Queen, Rhiannon, was also there to join in the fun.


    Dia was currently under the care of Iris and Cai. The two were more than happy to spend time with the cute and adorable baby who sparked their desire to have children of their own as soon as possible.


    Their wedding was only a month away. Right after that, Lux would finally ensure that all of them got pregnant, except for Ali and Ari, who said that they would wait until Valerie had safely given birth to her baby.


    They wanted to be there during that important moment and share her happiness. The twins viewed the Dragon Princess as their own little sister, whom they wanted to spoil very much.


    "Amazing, isn''t it?" Queen Rhiannon said as he hugged Lux from behind, pressing her voluptuous chest against his back. "Aurora will definitely surpass my beauty in a few years. You''re lucky to have her as your wife."


    Lux didn''t reply as he continued to kiss Aurora passionately, fully enjoying the feeling of being sandwiched between two beautifuldies.


    One had already given birth to his child, and the other would soon conceive his child as well.


    Lux didn''t reply as he continued to kiss Aurora passionately, fully enjoying the feeling of being sandwiched between two beautifuldies.


    One had already given birth to his child, and the other would soon conceive his child as well.


    Queen Rhiannon still didn''t know that her daughter was the former Goddess of Sis.


    The Goddess who had tried to stop Daniel from ascending into Godhood, which cost her a huge price��the loss of her Divinity and bearing the curse of endless bad luck as a mortal.


    But she didn''t have any regrets.


    Aurora had finally wrestled control over the curse in her body.


    Instead of being controlled by it, she now controlled it, using it as a weapon if she had to.


    Anyone who dared to antagonize her would find themselves experiencing the worst luck in the world, which had been refined by countless years of suffering. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Fortunately, those years of suffering had ended and would be reced by years of happiness and pleasure with the man she loved.


    "What a sinful man you are, Lux," Queen Rhiannon whispered in the Half-Elf''s ears the moment he joined with Aurora, moving his hips in a steady rhythm, making the beautifuldy under him sigh in pleasure. "Not only did you eat me, you''ve eaten my daughter as well. Sinful men like you deserve to be punished."


    The Subus Queen then lightly turned the Half-Elf''s head to the side before sealing it with her lips.


    ''Whoever made the dish Oyakodon needs a five-star review,'' Lux thought as he immersed himself in this sinful disy of love and affection.


    Since the Subus Queen had already given birth to his child, she was technically now part of his family.


    Because of this, he decided to take responsibility and marry Queen Rhiannon as well, alongside her daughter, Aurora.


    With Antero making sure that the denizens of the Abyss behaved, there was no immediate need for the Subus Queen to return to the Thirteenth Layer.


    Also, since the Old Bandit, James, had connected the Thirteenth Layer of the Abyss and Lux''s Guild Headquarters with the Bifrost Bridge, she coulde and go anytime she wanted.


    She also understood that she would find no better man than Lux in both Elysium and the Abyss, so she decided that it was finally time for her to settle down.


    As for the rest of the Subi, there were plenty of bachelors in Elysium. With their charm, she was certain that they would find someone who would love and care for them deeply, just like the young man whom she was sharing a passionate kiss with.


    Lux lost count of how many times he released his essence under thebined attack of the mother and daughter pair.


    The only thing he knew was that he didn''t have any regrets as the two of them cleaned Little Lux together after three hours of making love with him.


    "I guess being a Pseudo-God has its perks," Queen Rhiannon said in a teasing manner. "You''re still so lively. Fortunately, you have many wives. Otherwise, just one or two would not be able to handle you on their own."


    The Half-Elf couldn''t refute Queen Rhiannon''s words because even after making love to two Subi, he was still raring to go.


    However, he knew that both were already tired, so after they finished cleaning Little Lux, he took them to the bathroom and personally washed their bodies.


    He didn''t make any moves to continue another round and earnestly cleaned them before taking them back to the bed.


    Of course, he made sure to change the sheets so that they could sleepfortably side by side.


    His arms were wrapped around their beautiful bodies, while their heads rested on his chest. "Aurora, how many kids do you want to have?" Queen Rhiannon asked her daughter in a teasing tone.


    "At least two," Aurora replied. "We can have moreter, but I think having four is enough. After all, Lux will also have children from my other sisters."


    "Indeed." Queen Rhiannon smiled. "There is also a possibility that after he marries us, he will marry a new batch of wivester."


    Lux, who was being sandwiched by the two beauties, pretended that he was asleep as the two continued their conversation.


    Of course, they knew that the Half-Elf was just faking it, so they continued to chat while their hands caressed his chest, abs, and thigh, and also teased Little Lux, who was more than ready to fight another round with their soft hands.


    Lux wasn''t someone who actively sought to increase the number of his lovers. For him, the current lovers he had were enough.


    However, after overhearing the discussion between Queen Rhiannon, Princess Anastasia, and Henrietta, he decided to consult Iris and Cai about it.


    Ironically, his Grandmaster, Hereswith, chose that time to visit him, so she also heard their discussion.


    She even jokingly said that if Lux was interested, he could marry her as well.


    But, the Half-Elf knew that the beautiful Elf was only joking.


    He already knew that Hereswith had someone in her heart, and it pained him to know that even with the powers he currently possessed, he was unable to give her the happiness that she deserved.


    In the end, Iris and Cai told him that they wouldn''t have any problems if Lux were to marry Princess Anastasia and Henrietta.


    The Half-Elf then decided to consider this possibility right after his marriage with his current lovers.


    Aside from Iris, Cai, Aina, Valerie, Aurelia, Aurora, Ali, Ari, and Queen Rhiannon, the Half-Elf also nned to marry Luna.


    Fortunately, the youngdy didn''t need a lot of convincing, especially since she was already in love with Lux.


    The thought of living with him as a family with her sister, Aina, was more than enough reason for her to ept his proposal to marry him.


    It would not be an exaggeration to say that Lux was the most powerful individual in both Elysium and Sis, making some other rulers think about marrying their daughters to him to form stronger ties with him.


    But, the Half-Elf had asked his Father, Alexander, to reject all of these marriage proposals.


    After Princess Anastasia and Henrietta, who truly loved him, he had no interest in increasing the number of his wives.


    His Friend, Keane, had married Rose two weeks ago and had gone on a honeymoon on Earth.


    The Half-Elf made sure that both of them got the best amodation possible so that they could enjoy their newly married life.

 Chapter 1229 After Story: The Dawn Of A New Era [Part 2]

    Chapter 1229 After Story: The Dawn Of A New Era [Part 2]


    There were also a few others who had formed rtionships during and after the war.


    Great General Garret''s two daughters, Alexa and Emily, were both secretly dating Gerhart.


    The Great General only found out about it a week after the war ended, when he found his two daughters inside Gerhart''s room��


    Lying on top of his bed��


    And ying cards with him.


    (A/N: Kekeke)


    When Garret saw this scene, he immediately asked his daughters to leave and had a private talk with Gerhart. The Half-Elf confessed that he was in a rtionship with the General''s two daughters.


    In the end, the General gave them his blessing. After all, he knew what kind of person Gerhart was.


    He believed that the Half-Elf would take good care of his daughters. They seem to be really smitten with him as well.


    But what surprised Lux, and probably the rest of the members of Heaven''s Gate, was actually Cethus.


    The Dragon Born was actually dating Emma, and none of them had any idea about it!


    The two didn''t even interact much together inside the Guild Headquarters, so this news took everyone by surprise.


    So after having some girl''s talk with Iris, and the others, Emma finally spilled the beans that Cethus and her had been talking in private using their Guild Chat. When they asked her when it all started, she said that it happened after she and Cethuspleted their mission.


    It was the mission where they activated a teleportation Gate to allow the members of Heaven''s Gate to rush to the front lines of the war during the first days of the Abyssal invasion.


    A rtionship between a Dragon Born and a Dwarf was something that had never happened in the past.


    But Cethus and Emma seemed to be serious about their rtionship, so everyone gave them their blessings.


    After being revived by the Half-Elf, Sid and Scarlet went to talk to him and asked for his blessing because they decided to marry each other.


    Lux thought that it was only a matter of time before the two developed feelings for each other since they were almost always together.


    When Laura and Livia heard that their brother nned to marry, both of them became ecstatic.


    They loved their Big Brother, so seeing him marry someone made them happy. They were also looking forward to meeting their niece or nephew, whom they nned to spoil rotten.


    Speaking of rtionships that had finallye out in the open, Lux also did something to help the first two people who took good care of him when he arrived in Leaf Vige, which almost felt like a lifetime ago.


    When he resurrected his Master, Randolph and Grandma Annie, he gave them new bodies, making them revert to their early twenties.


    The Half-Elf even threatened Randolph that if he wasn''t going to marry Grandma Annie, he would be marrying her instead.


    Of course, the cksmith didn''t take his statement lying down, and the two ended up in a fistfight, with Randolph shouting for everyone to hear that he wouldn''t give Grandma Annie to the Half-Elf no matter what.


    "If you want to marry Annie, you have to go through my dead body first, you unfilial Disciple! Don''t you know how long I''ve loved her?! Bastard! Just because you''re a little more popr with thedies, you think that you can steal Annie from me? Dream on!"


    Of course, Lux didn''t really love Grandma Annie in a romantic way and only loved her as a family member, just like his Master Randolph.


    This was also why he decided to take matters into his own hands and force his stubborn Master to make his feelings known.


    The Master-Disciple duo only stopped fighting when Grandma Annie pped both of them silly with her sandals and made them kneel on the ground while reflecting on their actions. The funny thing was that, even though she was nagging at them for creating a ruckus, her face was beet-red, which made Cedwyn and the rest of the Elders of Leaf Town tease her. As a result, they also earned a p from her sandals, making them flee for their lives. In the end, Randolph manned up and proposed to Annie in front of the entirety of Leaf Town, which made her knock him unconscious for embarrassing her in front of everyone.


    Lux snuck away during themotion and decided to just let nature take its course with the two people who helped him during his early days in Elysium.


    Simr to the two Dwarves, Lux also made the former Vige Chief and the other Elders younger, giving them a new lease on life.


    He wanted Leaf Town to prosper, so he wanted Cedwyn and the Elders to work harder to continue the legacy of the Dwarf, Faunus, who built it from scratch.


    Leaf Vige held a very special ce in Lux''s heart. It was where everything started.


    Matty, who was worried that Colette would be one of Lux''s lovers due to how close they were, proposed to her.


    Colette epted his proposal, making the Simp Dwarf very happy.


    Those who had died in the war against the Abyssal Army felt that after getting a second chance at life, they should live it to the fullest.


    People confessed their feelings to the ones they loved, regardless of whether they would seed or not.


    They no longer wanted to regret anything and wanted to live their lives to the fullest.


    Even Nero, the one who hated Lux in the past, found happiness after bing engaged to the third Princess of the Vahan Empire, which Emperor Andreas ruled.


    He was one of the people who joined the battle in the Abyss and perished after trying his best to protect his subordinates, who were fighting alongside him.


    Of course, there were also other surprises that emerged in the months before Lux''s wedding ceremony.


    Lady Faustina and Poro also decided to tie the knot after the two Dragon Kingdoms decided to stop all hostilities against each other. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    They didn''t n on merging into a single kingdom again and decided to have two kingdoms that would keep each other in check to ensure the prosperity of the Dragon Race.


    All of these things were only possible because Lux had made it possible.


    And now, as the new era of peace dawned on both Elysium and Sis, thest preparations for the grandest wedding ceremony in both worlds were reaching their final stages. As all of this was happening, the groom slept soundly in the embrace of his two future wives, who were determined to make him the happiest man in the world for many years toe.


    ������������������������

 Chapter 1230 After Story: Elsoetia Olympics! [Part 1]

    Chapter 1230 After Story: Elsoetia Olympics! [Part 1]


    "Wee, everyone, to the first-ever Elsoetia Olympics!" Kazogonaga eximed through the microphone, informing the countless people who were watching the event through the projections scattered all over Elysium, Sis, and the World of Hestia.


    "Champions from Elysium and Hestia are now going topete in the first-ever Interary Iron Manpetition! This event will test their endurance, perseverance, and willpower!


    "A series of running, swimming, and biking events will be held. Hundreds of thousands of people have registered for this epic race, yet only one will emerge victorious once this event is over!"


    Kazogonaga''s voice reverberated in the surroundings, making the people in the venue, as well as those who were watching the projections all across the three worlds, cheer at the same time.


    Along the starting line, countless people were doing stretches in preparation for the first leg of the journey, which was a marathon.


    There, Cethus noticed a one-eyed Demon Dog, who was eyeing him with its single beady eye.


    The Dragon Born and the Demon Dog stared at each other for a few minutes before raising their hands at the same time to shake hands.


    "Cethus," Cethus introduced himself.


    "Psov," Psov did the same.


    The two cannon fodders nodded at the same time in recognition of each other''s strength.


    The other contestants were also eyeing each other as if looking for potential rivals.


    "Now, before this Iron Man event starts, let''s all wee the two sponsors of this event��Willian Von Ainzorth and Lux Von Kaizer!" Kasogonaga shouted.


    The sky then suddenly turned dark, making everyone who was watching suddenly feel anxious.


    A momentter, countless fireworks painted the sky with various colors and designs.


    But in the middle of these amazing fireworks disys, two golden lightning bolts streaked across the sky and drew a hand with the "peace sign" hovering across the sky.


    After the symbol was created, a Draconic Skeleton King appeared in front of everyone, with his two arms spread wide.


    The two golden lightning bolts thennded on the palms of the Skeleton King''s hands, showing their faces to the two worlds.


    "William Von Ainzworth. It''s an honor to be here!" William introduced himself with a smile.


    "Lux Von Kaizer. Is everyone ready to rumble?!" Lux asked, making the contestants raise their hands and shout their warcries. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "This event is being held so that the people of Elysium, Sis, and Hestia, can form stronger bonds with each other and work together to reach greater heights," William said. "It is the first of its kind, and I''m looking forward to seeing who will emerge as the victors of this match."


    "So without further dy, I hereby dere the start of the first-ever Elsoetia Olympics!" Lux shouted. "But before that, let''s have amercial break first!"


    At that exact moment, the Goddess Lily appeared on a giant projection in the sky.


    The Loli Goddess was dancing to the sound of the upbeat music ying in the background.


    On top of her head, the Dim Sum God, Dim Dim, was making countless Dim Sum spin in the air that synchronized their moves with Lily''s dancing.


    A momentter, these Dim Sums flew toward a tter on top of the table where several Baby Slimes were waiting.


    These Baby Slimes then reached out to eat the Dim Sums, with the camera zooming in to give a close up view of their reactions.


    All the seven Baby Slimes, who had the colors of the rainbow, had happy and satisfied looks on their faces as they chewed the Dim Sum in their mouths.


    "Dim Dim''s Dim Sums!" Lily said as she appeared behind the Baby Slimes. "Even Baby Slimes approve!"


    All the Baby Slimes then looked at the camera and jumped at the same time.


    ""Eyah!""


    "Dim Dim''s Dim Sum,ing to a store near you!" Lily said with a smile.


    "Dim Dim!" Dim Dim shouted.


    Themercial ended. Seeing the happy satisfied expressions that the Baby Slimes had shown earlier, everyone who saw the advertisement suddenly felt hungry


    Even Lux and William suddenly had the strong urge to eat after seeing thatmercial.


    Suddenly, a flying Sea Otter descended from the sky, and riding on top of him were Eiko and Fei Fei.


    The two Baby Slimes were holding two torches in their hands, with the intention of lighting the giant torch, which was actually Eiko''s giant bone cauldron that created Undead Monsters.


    When the contestants saw this, all of them took a running stance. The moment the torch was lit, the Iron Man Race would officially begin. Fortunately, they didn''t have to wait that long. When the Sea Otter was right above the giant cauldron, Eiko and Fei Fei both tossed their torches inside it. "Ei!"


    "Da Wae!"


    Within seconds, mes rose up from the cauldron, and the shouts of countless people reverberated in the surroundings as the contestants all began to sprint.


    The first part of the Iron Man Race was a long-distance marathon that spanned ten thousand miles.


    The second stage was to swim the seas until they reached the Ford Federation.


    On the third leg of the journey, they would enter a portal that would take them to Hestia, where they would all ride bicycles.


    Thest leg of the journey was a final sprint to the finish line.


    This was the Interary Olympics held in both Elysium and Hestia.


    Sis couldn''t take part in hosting this event at this point because the side effects of the recently cleared miasma were still prevalent in the surroundings.


    It would take at least a decade before the environment healed and returned to its former glory. "I''ll see you at the finish line, Psov," Cethus said in a confident tone.


    "Yes. You''ll see me holding the gold trophy for finishing first," Psov replied.


    "Hahaha! Nice joke."


    "Let''s see who will beughingter."


    As the two cannon fodders ran side by side, the other contestants ran past them.


    Both of them only had one thought in their minds as they looked at the fools who were sprinting at full speed from the get-go.


    ''Amateurs!''


    The two cannon fodders looked at their otherpetitors in disdain. Both of them were properly pacing themselves to save their strength to actuallyplete the long event.


    This was a very demanding event that would push them to the very limits. Since that was the case, pacing was the key to winning!


    Kazogonaga was busymentating, while the people cheered for the participants they were rooting on to win. "Go!"


    "Wei!"


    "Dim Dim!"


    The three troublemakers were currently riding the Sea Otter, Lucky, who was now big enough to carry all three of them at the same time.


    They were flying above thepetitors who were running on the ground, but none of the contestants paid the three of them heed.


    That was their mistake!


    Eiko, Fei Fei, and Dim Dim, were there for a purpose, and that was to make the event harder than it already was.


    "Boom Boom Bakugan!"


    "Da Wae!"


    "Dim Dim!"


    The three troublemakers started to throw st bombs from the sky, hitting countless people on the ground.


    The sound of curses and pained shouts spread in the surroundings.


    But instead of intimidating the three troublemakers, those only made them even more excited, and they began throwing st bombs like there was no tomorrow.


    Those on the ground knew that this event wouldn''t be easy because they had already been told that they would face obstacles along the way.


    They just didn''t expect that they would be bombed in the starting phase of the journey, making some of thepetitors curse the organizer of the event in their hearts.


    Hereswith, who was seated beside Kazogonaga, was smiling from ear to ear. She was one of the organizers of the event, and the three troublemakers making things difficult for everyone was one of her suggestions, which the gamingmittee readily approved.


    Only one would emerge victorious!


    Only one would gain fame and glory!


    This was the start of the Elsoetia Olympics!

 Chapter 1231 After Story: Elsoetia Olympics! [Part 2]

    Chapter 1231 After Story: Elsoetia Olympics! [Part 2]


    The first leg of thepetition had just begun, but many had already fallen to the bombardment of the three troublemakers in the sky.


    Even so, those who were powerful enough had managed to protect themselves by evading, and deflecting the bombs that were raining down on them from above.


    In fact, some of them even used this opportunity to eliminate theirpetitors by deflecting the bombs, and sending it towards other people.


    Although the start of thepetition was chaotic, the cheers of the people watching the event was at an all time high.


    "Taking the lead of the Marathon is none other than Mr. Adee Dash," Kazogonaga said as hemented on the event in real time. "He is followed closely by Mr. Reeh Boke, and Mr. Nai Kee. However, the others are not far behind!"


    Everyone was forbidden from using their abilities, and were even wearing artifacts that suppressed them.


    They could only rely on their strength, endurance, stamina, and will power, which was something that they didn''tck.


    Truth be told, none of them were worried about the race.


    What they were worried about were the hurdles that would stop them from reaching the finish line!


    "The bombardment finally stopped," Psovmented. "Is it just me or are those slimes purposely not targeting you?"


    "It''s just your imagination," Cethus replied.


    Cethus was indeed not targeted even once during the bombardment of st Bombs from above, and the reason for this was simple.


    He was someone who had taken good care of the Baby Slimes in their guild headquarters, and even protected them during the war.


    Because of this, Eiko, Fei Fei, and Dim Dim didn''t target him even once when they started throwing bombs at everyone.


    A few hours passed, and the runners finally arrived at the next leg of their journey. They needed to swim towards the Ford Federation, which was located on the other side of the sea.


    Fortunately, there were several floating Slimes that held gs, which informed everyone the general direction on where they needed to go.


    Those that had taken the lead in the Marathon earlier found themselves being overtaken by people who specialized in swimming.


    Some of the participants lived near coastal towns or on inds, with others even being demi-humans that had aquatic origins.


    Everyone thought that they would be bombarded by bombs, while they were swimming in the water, so they made sure to spread themselves ordingly, so that they could evade at a moment''s notice.


    "Damn, why isn''t there a flying event in this contest?!" Cethusined as he swam in the water.


    Swimming wasn''t really his strong point, but he practiced a lot just to join the tournament.


    Several spectators who could fly in the sky followed the contestants, including Kazogonaga, who was riding on top of a Wyvern.


    When the contestants were halfway in their journey, they saw several pirate ships sailing in the waters.


    They were the members of Eiko''s Boom Boom Pirate Crew, and their role was to be the obstacle that would hinder the contestants from reaching their destination.


    "Aim!" Avery ordered, and all the cannons of the pirate ships aimed at the people that were swimming in their direction.


    "Fire!"


    All the cannons roared to life, but instead of explosives, the cannonballs were made of a silvery liquid that would encapste those it hit with an air bubble, trapping them in ce.


    Of course, those that were trapped inside the bubble could still break free. But, it would take them considerable time and effort to do so.


    Unlike the first hurdle, this time, Cethus wasn''t spared from the bombardment that was raining down on them.


    However, none of the cannon balls hit him because he was able to dodge them in time.


    An hourter, he managed to safely pass the Pirate Ships, who were only firing their cannons at the people that were in front of them.


    Those who managed to pass through their defensive line were no longer targeted, making them sigh in relief.


    Due to the bombardment, more than half of the participants were forced to retire because they were unable to break free from the air bubbles that trapped them in ce.


    Several hourster, the tired contestants finally reached the Ford Federation.


    All of them were then given bicycles to ride, so that they could continue the third phase of their journey.


    The sun was setting in the horizon, but that was not a problem.


    Their goal for the third part of the race was to travel across the Bifrost Bridge, which would take them to the world of Hestia, where the final phase of thepetition was waiting for them.


    Most of the contestants had reached their limit by this point, even if they had superhuman strength.


    The bike ride towards Hestia would take them at least ten hours at the minimum, if they were traveling at least 40 kph.


    But, since most of the participants were already tired, the majority of them were only cycling between 15-20 kph.


    Some were even moving at 5-10 kph, and resting their heads on the steering bar of their bikes to recover their strength.


    Cethus and Psov were among the people who were trying to recover their strength for the final push.


    This continued for several hours until they finally saw the world of Hestia in the distance.


    Simr to Elysium, Hestia was a beautiful blue.


    Although the marks of the previous war could still be seen on its surface, the majority of people had managed to adapt to the changes of their environment, and live rtively peaceful lives.


    Since the final descent to Hestia was downhill, all the contestants elerated, even if they weren''t doing anything special.


    Most of them had recovered a bit of their strength during the journey, and were now preparing for the final phase of the race, which was a ten-mile-sprint.


    The reason why everyone was adamant on winning the race was because of the prize that Lux and William promised to the victor.


    Whoever won the first ever Elsoetia Olympics, would be granted a wish.


    As long as the two Half-Elves were able to grant it, they would grant it without fail.


    Of course, there were certain restrictions to the wishes.


    Wishes that would harm anyone in whatever way were not allowed.


    Wishes that might cause instability in the world were not allowed either.


    But, as long as the wish wouldn''t affect the two worlds on a grand scale, the two Half-Elves would grant it.


    This was why many had trained so hard for this event because they wanted one of their wishes to be granted.


    "See you at the finish line!" Psov roared as he dropped his bicycle on the ground and made a mad sprint.


    "That''s my line, you punk!" Cethus roared as well as he, too, ran with everything he had. The other contestants were also running at their fastest speeds in order to reach the finish line.


    A ten-mile-sprint was not a big deal to these powerful individuals, who had surpassed the limits of mortals.


    It wouldn''t even take them an hour to reach their destination.


    ''It''s there, I can see it!'' Cethus gritted his teeth when he saw the gs in the distance, where the finish line was located. ''Just a little more!''


    Psov and the others were thinking about the same thing, so all of them pushed themselves to the limit onest time.


    Suddenly, Kazogonaga''s voice spread in the surroundings.


    "What''s that up in the sky?!" Kazogonaga eximed when he saw something that wasn''t part of the event.


    High above the clouds, and perched on top of the Bifrost Bridge, were Eiko, Fei Fei, and Dim Dim.


    Behind them, countless baby slimes of different colors, all looked down on the contestants below with determined looks on their faces.


    Eiko, who was the leader of the Baby Slimes, took a deep breath before shouting with all of her might.


    "I''m Rolling!" The moment she said those words, the Fairy Princess rolled down on the rainbow bridge that extended towards the ground.


    Fei Fei and Dim Dim were quick to follow her example, as they, too, rolled down the rainbow bridge for thest leg of the race.


    "Da Wei!"


    "Dim Dim!"


    The countless Baby Slimes also followed their leader as they, too, rolled down, creating a rainbow-colored-avnche that made the people on the ground panic.


    "Rolling."


    "Rolling~"


    "Rolling?"


    "Rolling!"


    """Eyah!"""


    Kazogonaga and the rest of the spectators could only gasp in shock at the unexpected turn of events.


    The three troublemakers had gathered all the Baby Slimes in Elysium in order to join thest part of the race.


    With Eiko leading the charge, all the bodies of the Baby Slimes glowed, encasing them in a protective coating, which would prevent them from getting squished.


    "Sh*t!"


    "Argh!"


    "Damn!"


    "F*ck!"


    All sorts of curses escaped the contestants'' lips as they were mowed down by the Slime Army, who were all giggling like mad as they rolled over them.


    "Damn�� I wish I was there!" Kazogonaga, who wasmentating the event, could only watch with envy as the countless Baby Slimes rolled towards the finish line, leaving all the contestants lying on the ground.


    "We won!" Eiko jumped in ce happily. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Wei!"


    "Dim Dim!"


    "Won!"


    "Eyah!"


    "Eyah!"


    The happy Baby Slimes all jumped in ce after they had sessfully hijacked the event.


    However, Lux and William descended from the sky and told the three troublemakers that they were disqualified from winning because they didn''t participate in the event properly.


    In the end, the surviving contestants were allowed to rest for two hours before restarting the final sprint of the race.


    The final winner of the Iron Manpetition was a tie between Cethus and Psov, so both of them were allowed one wish each.


    As for what they wished for, no one really knew.


    However, one thing was clear.


    Both of their wishes were granted, which also marked the end of the first ever Iron Man Race, which would be held again in another ten years.


    This event would pave the way for the next generation of heroes, who would y a vital role in the unexpected event that would shake the entire multiverse in the future.

 Chapter 1232 After Story: You May Now Kiss Your Brides

    Chapter 1232 After Story: You May Now Kiss Your Brides


    Today was a special event.


    It was the day when Lux Von Kaizer would marry his lovers.


    The wedding would be held on the floating ind, which was docked just outside of the Fynn Kingdom''s Capital City.


    The important people from all over Elysium and Sis made their way to the venue with the intention of being part of the grandest wedding in the history of the world.


    The wedding would be held in front of the Headquarters of Heaven''s Gate, which was now filled to the brim with guests.


    Those who were unable to get some good seats watched the event on the decks of their flying ships, from the sky.


    The groom restlessly stood at the makeshift altar with his father and mother, feeling excited and anxious at the same time. "Are you nervous?" Adeline asked as she used her hand to smooth the non-existent creases in Lux''s ck suit.


    "Yes, Mother," Lux replied. "Hah! Even though you''re already this powerful, you still get cold feet?" Vincent, Lux''s biological father asked. "But I have to admit that all of your wives are very beautiful. I wonder, should I also marry other wome-arggggh! It was just a joke, Adeline! Just a joke!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The beautiful Elf didn''t hesitate to pinch Vincent''s waist, making thetter cry out in pain.


    "Can you repeat what you just said?" Adeline asked. "I didn''t hear you properly the first time."


    "Wife, I love only you," Vincent replied in an anxious tone. "This is why I haven''t married anyone else ever since the two of us got together."


    "Uh-huh, then what was that about you nning to marry more women?"


    "Marry what? How can I possibly do that when I already have the best woman in the world? Such nonsense!"


    Lux couldn''t help butugh internally as he looked at his henpecked father who was at the mercy of his mother.


    Adeline was about to say more, but she stopped herself when she noticed a pair of cute little girls walking down the carpeted floor while throwing flower petals.


    One of them had long blue hair and blue eyes, while the other had long blonde hair and gold eyes. They were wearing blue and yellow dresses, highlighting the color of their hair and eyes.


    These two adorable girls were none other than Eiko and Fei Fei.


    Simr to Eiko, Fei Fei had gained the ability to transform into a Human. The two of them had been chosen to be the flower girls for the wedding, and the two of them had wide smiles on their faces as they threw flowers. Behind them, the Sea Otter, Lucky, hovered a meter above the ground. Mounted on his back was none other than the Dim Sum God, Dim Dim, who was also throwing flower petals everywhere. Seeing this scene, Adeline pulled her husband''s hand as they walked back to the front seats, where they belonged.


    The brides had arrived, and Lux''s gaze softened as he looked at them walking down the aisle.


    Iris was being escorted by her Father, Alexander.


    Cai was being escorted by her Grandpa, Maximilian. Valerie by her Father, King Azza.


    Aurelia by her father, Keoza.


    Aina and Luna were escorted by Victor. Since Luna no longer had any living family members aside from Aina, King Victor decided to escort her to the altar, having considered her as part of his family.


    Ali and Ari, on the other hand, were escorted by their Father, Tirion, whom Lux had only met thrice since the war had ended.


    Aurora was escorted by her father, King Septimius, while Queen Rhiannon was escorted by Antero in his human form.


    With his inws being made up of the most powerful individuals in both Elysium and Sis, it was no exaggeration to say that Lux was the most influential person in both worlds.


    One groom and ten brides. Everyone looked at them with smiles on their faces, including Princess Anastasia and Henrietta, who both didn''t know that they would be marrying him as well a year from now.


    Lux stood at the center, with his wives standing behind his back.


    When everyone had gathered, an old man wearing an eye patch, walked towards the altar holding a book in his hand.


    He then nced at the people and raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to remain silent.


    "We are gathered here today to join this young man, and these beautifuldies in holy matrimony," James said with a smile. "With love andmitment, they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wives."


    "But, before I continue, if anyone objects to the marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."


    After James said these words, Asmodeus stood up and turned around to face the guests, who hade to witness his Master''s wedding.


    "If any of you have a death wish, speak now or forever hold your tongue," Asmodeus stated. Diablo, Ishtar, Pazuzu, and the rest of Lux''s Named Creatures all stood up, ready to deal with the troublemakers who would dare to get in the way of their Master''s happiness. Seeing that no one was saying anything, James smiled and faced the Groom and his Brides. "Today, as you join yourselves in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you," James said softly. "The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great, and now falls upon your shoulders the task of choosing your values and making your dreams real.


    "Through yourmitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes all of you better people. A love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life."


    "May you always need one another, not to fill an emptiness, but to help each other know your fullness. May you want one another, but not out ofck. May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another. "May you seed in all important ways with each other, and not fail in the little graces. May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it in loving one another."


    James then nced at the two little girls and nodded their head in their direction.


    Eiko and Fei Fei walked toward the altar, holding the box that contained the wedding rings.


    Lux took a ring from the box, and gently ced it on Iris'' ring finger.


    He did the same for his other brides until all of them were wearing their wedding rings.


    "I pledge today to have all the patience and passion that love demands. Inughter and in silence, I''ll forever be by your sides," Lux said. "All of your love gives me hope. Your smiles give me joy, each of you makes me a better man.


    "Forever with all of you will simply not be enough, but from this day forward, I vow to make the most of every moment."


    Cai and the others also said their vows, making Lux feel his heart melt inside his chest.


    Thest one to say her vow was Iris, who gently slid Lux''s wedding ring on his ring finger. "On behalf of everyone, we pledge to honor you, love you, and cherish you as our husband today and every day," Iris said. "We love you with all of our hearts with a passion that can''t be expressed in words, only in kisses, nces, and years of adventures by your side.


    "Today, we are the happiest women in the world, and we are certain that our happiness has only just begun."


    After saying their vows, James raised his hands, and a faint radiant light descended from the sky, bathing the Brides and Groom with the blessings of the heavens.


    "With the power vested on me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wives. You may now kiss your brides!"


    A resounding cheer and apuse reverberated in the arena as Lux kissed his brides one by one.


    Lux and his brides then walked down the aisle together, receiving the blessings of everyone.


    A few minutester, Iris threw her bouquet of flowers, which was a wedding tradition on Earth that Lux wished to adopt in Elysium and Sis.


    Surprisingly, the one who caught the bouquet was none other than Lux''s Grandmaster, Hereswith, making her smile with amusement.


    Lux had said that whoever caught the bouquet that was thrown by the bride, would superstitiously be the next one to get married.


    Although the Half-Elf didn''t know if Hereswith would indeed marry someone in the future, he wished with all of his heart that his Grandmaster would find happiness in her life.


    That night, Lux spent his honeymoon with his wives in one of the most beautiful ces in the Fynn Kingdom, savoring the overflowing love, and passion that all of them had for him.

 Chapter 1233 After Story: Happy And Bright Days

    Chapter 1233 After Story: Happy And Bright Days


    Two years had passed since Lux had married his lovers�� In the dimly lit room, a youngdy with long purple hair wrapped her arms around Lux''s neck, her seductive voice spilling out of her sensual lips.


    Lux''s hands were supporting her buttocks as he moved her body up and down, pushing her to the peak of pleasure.


    A few minutester, Henrietta''s body shuddered as something hot gushed inside her womb, making her feelplete. Her beautiful and exhausted body lost its strength, but there was no need to worry.


    Her man had his arms wrapped around her, securing her in ce as her body shuddered from time to time due to the intensity of his release.


    When everything was over, Lux patted her head and kissed her cheeks. Henrietta felt tired but also fulfilled as her husband whispered words of love in her ears.


    Lying beside them was Princess Anastasia, whose eyes slowly opened.


    She had just regained her consciousness after Lux had made love to her countless times to the point that she passed out. The Dwarf Princess slowly propped herself up and looked down at her lower half, which was still leaking a bit of Lux''s essence and staining the bedsheets.


    A few red stains could be seen on the white sheets, proving that she had given her chastity to the person she loved. She and Henrietta had married Lux just a few hours ago, and now, they were consummating their marriage. Seeing that Princess Anastasia was awake, Lux reached out to gently pat her head, making her look in his direction.


    "Does it still hurt?" Lux asked in a gentle tone. "No," Princess Anastasia replied before shifting her gaze to Henrietta, who seemed to have temporarily lost consciousness as well.


    "Let''s go wash up," Lux said as he carefully carried Henrietta in his arms like a princess. The Dwarf Princess nodded and followed him to the washroom, where the Half-Elf washed both of his wives thoroughly.


    Since this was their first night, he didn''t want to push the two of them too hard.


    He then cleaned the bed and changed the bedsheets so that both of them could sleep morefortably.


    The three of them then slept together, holding onto each other, for when morning came, their new lives would start anew.


    Two more days passed before Lux, Henrietta, and Princess Anastasia returned to the Floating Ind of Edea, where the rest of Lux''s wives were currently at.


    When they arrived, they saw Eiko carrying a baby girl in her arms, gently rocking her to sleep. Watching this scene made Lux smile because it made him remember some fond memories.


    A few years back, Eiko was still a baby, and she was the one being carried. Now, the little girl was taking care of her little sisters, making sure that all of them were safe from harm.


    Not far from Eiko, Valerie''s daughter, Rhea, was sleeping peacefully beside several baby slimes, who were also sleeping beside her. Valerie''s Draco Slime, Kei, was also there to keep watch on the little girl, whom he was treating as his own little sister.


    Iris and Valerie, who were both seated on the couch and were also watching over their kids, nced at Lux with a smile.


    "Wee back, Lux," Iris said. "Did the three of you enjoy your honeymoon?"


    "I did," Lux replied. "I don''t know about these two though."


    Lux grinned as he walked hand in hand with Henrietta and Princess Anastasia.


    The Half-Elf''s two brides were blushing so hard because they, too, enjoyed their honeymoon.


    In fact, they enjoyed it very much.


    If not for the fact that Lux didn''t want the two of them to get pregnant right away, he would have definitely made sure that both of them would be carrying his child before they returned to their Guild Headquarters.


    Princess Anastasia and Henrietta agreed to wait two more years before the two of them conceived his child.


    The Half-Elf would still need to nurture their bodies with his essence so that they would be able to bear the burden of giving birth to his children, who would be blessed with the power of his Divinity.


    "Where are the rest?" Lux asked after kissing Iris'' and Valerie''s cheeks. "Sleeping," Valerie replied. "We had a long discussion thatsted until dawn."


    "Long discussion?" Lux arched an eyebrow. "About what?"


    "Secret," Iris answered before Valerie could spill the beans.


    They couldn''t possibly tell Lux that they were creating a schedule that would allow each of them to monopolize him for a few days.


    ording to the agreement, Iris and Cai would be with Lux on Monday nights.


    On Tuesdays, it would be Valerie and Aurelia.


    On Wednesdays, Ali and Ari would be apanying him. Thursdays nights were reserved for Aina and Luna. Fridays would be Aurora''s and Queen Rhiannon''s turn.


    Last, but not the least, Saturdays were for Princess Anastasia and Henrietta, who had just married Lux.


    As for Sundays? They would all sleep together. Lux''s room already had a bed that was massive enough to easily fit thirty people, so all of them sleeping together wasn''t a problem.


    Suddenly, the door of the room opened, and the Subus Queen entered with her nearly three-year-old daughter, Dia.


    The little girl immediately ran toward Lux the moment she saw him, calling out "Papa!" which made the Half-Elf pick her up and shower her with kisses.


    Queen Rhiannon walked towards her husband and daughter and gave the two of them a kiss on the cheeks. "Dia missed you terribly," Queen Rhiannon stated. "Won''t you be a dear and apany her for a while?"


    "Of course," Lux replied before looking at his adorable daughter. "Where do you want to go, Dia?"


    "Godfather!" Dia answered in a heartbeat. "You really like visiting your Godfather, huh?"


    "Un!"


    "Okay, let''s go visit him," Lux agreed and left the Guild Headquarters with his daughter.


    Lux would often take her to Gaap''s grave and tell her stories about her Godfather, who was no longer with them.


    Not being able to revive Gaap was one of Lux''s greatest heartaches.


    Even if he had the power to revive the dead, what good would it be if he didn''t have Gaap''s soul?


    As the Half-Elf made his way up the highest peak of the Mountain of Edea, he saw two people, whom he hadn''t seen in a while, waiting for his arrival.


    "Eriol, Max," Lux greeted. "It has been a while."


    The God of Games and the God of Gamblers both nodded their heads at the same time.


    "Indeed it has," Eriol replied. "The two of us have been sleeping in order to recover our strength, and we only woke up a few days ago."


    Max lightly patted Dia''s head before shifting his gaze to the Half-Elf, whom he had chosen as the candidate for their Heaven''s Gate Project. Lux had gone above and beyond his expectations, making him feel very proud that he made the right decision in choosing him.


    "Eriol and I want to thank you for everything that you have done for both Elysium and Sis," Max said. "Not only did you save Sis, but you have also opened a new era of peace."


    The God of Games nodded as he approached the Half-Elf, who had refused to ascend to Godhood.


    If it had been anyone else, they wouldn''t have hesitated to take the opportunity of a lifetime.


    "We can''t stay long, but know that we will always watch your happiness from afar," Eriol stated. "Your happiness is our happiness, and we sincerely hope that you can be happy for a very long time."


    Max nodded as his and Eriol''s bodies started to glow faintly.


    "The Gates of Heaven will always be open for you, Lux," Max said. "Come visit us when you have time. I''m sure that the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods will be happy to have you join our ranks."


    Seeing that the two Gods were about to disappear, Dia waved her hands at them.


    "Bye-bye!"


    Eriol and Max both smiled and waved at Lux''s first daughter.


    "Bye-bye, Dia."


    "See you soon, little one." After saying those words, the two Gods, who had changed Lux''s lives for the better, returned to the Celestial Realm, where they would observe the lives of mortals and see what this new era of peace would show them. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lux looked up at the sky for a few more seconds before continuing his trek up the mountains.


    When he reached his destination, he saw someone standing in front of his Master''s tomb.


    The first thing he noticed was the person''s long ears, which resembled that of an Elf.


    However, unlike most Elves, this person had long white hair that reached down to his waist, which was tied up by a ck hairpin.


    "Excuse me. Are you perhaps lost?" Lux asked as he walked toward the Elf while carrying his daughter in his arms.


    Hearing his voice, the white-haired man slowly turned around and gave Lux a faint smile.


    The Half-Elf''s body stiffened when he saw the person in front of him.


    Although he was now an elf, it was impossible for the Half-Elf to not recognize the person who had yed an important part in his life.


    Lux bit his lip, as he tried his best to rein in the emotions that were rising up his chest.


    However, he wasn''t able to stop the tears from streaming down his face, causing Dia to look at him with worry.


    "Papa?" Dia asked as she wiped the tears on Lux''s face with her small hands. "What''s wrong? Are you hurt?"


    "I''m not hurt," Lux replied as he took a step forward in order to reach the person who was smiling at him. Although he was crying, the tears he had were not of sadness or anger.


    They were tears of joy after seeing the one person whom he wanted to meet the most in his life.


    When he was only a meter away from the Elf, Lux smiled through his tears and wondered if he was dreaming or not.


    "Have you been well?" the Elf asked with a smile on his face.


    "Yes, Master," Lux replied. "I''m doing well."


    The smile on Gaap''s face widened as he patted the Half-Elf''s shoulder, making thetter cry harder to the point of tears blurring his vision.


    The God of Games and the God of Gamblers had worked tirelessly with Antero in order to revive Gaap''s soul.


    The three of them had somewhat seeded, but it was not enough. Because of this, they took Gaap''s extremely weak soul to the World Tree and used one of its seeds as a vessel to nourish the Halfling''s soul, allowing him to be reborn as an Elf.


    It took two full years before the seed they nted bore fruit, and only a handful of people knew about it.


    The first one was Antero, whom Eriol and Max had approached.


    The second was none other than Hereswith, who had safeguarded the seed that housed Gaap''s soul while it was being nurtured.


    When they were certain that Gaap''s soul was finally stable, Eriol and Max returned to the heavens to take a nap.


    Lux had done many things for them, so they wracked their brains over what they could do in order to give him the best reward possible.


    "Papa, is he Godfather?" Dia, who seemed to have understood the Elf''s rtionship with her Papa, asked.


    "Yes, Dia," Lux answered. "He is your Godfather."


    "Godfather~" Dia cooed as she reached out her hands towards the Elf, who was more than happy to hold his Godchild for the first time.


    Suddenly, Lux felt a presence behind him, which made him hastily wipe the tears on his face.


    He didn''t want this person to see him in such a state because he was sure that she would tease him whenever an opportunity would arise.


    When he was certain that he now looked somewhat presentable, the Half-Elf turned around and saw his Grandmaster, Hereswith, setting up a table and three chairs.


    She then ced several wine bottles and snacks on top of the table before giving her Grand Disciple a mischievous wink.


    "I brought wine and snacks," Hereswith said. "The three of us have a lot of catching up to do, so we''ll be drinking all day and all night."


    Lux, who had stopped drinking wine ever since the aphrodisiac incident, suddenly found himself in the mood for a good drink.


    With his Grandmaster and Master by his side, he was certain that his days would be happy and bright.


    ��--------------------

 Chapter 1234 After Story: Open Heaven’s Gate!

    Chapter 1234 After Story: Open Heaven��s Gate!


    Randolph paced back and forth, incredibly feeling anxious.


    He had waited for this day to arrive all his life.


    When he woke up a few hours ago, he thought that he was just dreaming. However, after confirming that this was all real, he wasn''t able to calm down despite doing his best to not overthink things.


    ''What if she changed her mind?'' Randolph thought as he continued to pace back and forth. ''What will I do then?'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Seeing him pacing back and forth, the Mayor of Leaf Town, Cedwyn, who was also Randolph''s and Annie''s close friend, sighed loudly.


    "Get a grip, man," Cedwyn stated. "If you are getting cold feet, I don''t mind swapping ces with you today."


    "F*ck off, Cedwyn!" Randolph broke out of his worry and red at his friend. "I know you''ve been simping for Annie for the past century. You better stay away or I''ll clobber you!"


    "So what if I''ve been simping for her for the past century?" Cedwyn snapped. "She doesn''t deserve a stupid guy like you. Even now, I don''t see what she saw in you that I didn''t have. Oh, right. Maybe she has a soft spot for idiots. The kind of hopeless fools who can''t even tie their shoes properly."


    "You, Simp! Get out of here!"


    "Bastard! Stop calling me Simp!"


    "You wanna fight?!"


    "Who''s afraid of who?! Let''s go!"


    Randolph and Cedwyn both didn''t hold back and started to wrestle with each other.


    The Dwarves who were watching from the side all raised their hands and cheered.


    """Fight!"""


    """Fight!"""


    """Fight!"""


    Complete pandemonium ensued as the groom and his best man duked it out in front of countless people.


    "Aren''t you going to stop them?" Gaap asked Lux, who was standing beside him as his own best man.


    "Nah," Lux replied. "It''s better this way."


    Cethus, who was also wearing a suit, wasn''t paying attention to anyone because, just like Randolph, he was also feeling very anxious.


    Even before the battle against Daniel, he never felt this anxious in his life. But now, he felt as if he wanted to run away, never to be seen or heard from again.


    If not for the fact that Gerhart, who was also wearing a suit and standing beside him, the Dragon Born would have done so already.


    He didn''t want the green-haired Half-Elf to have something to use against him in the future, so he simply stared at the ground, while waiting for this event to finally end.


    Sid stood as straight as a sword, unmoved by what was happening around him. But, deep inside, he had the same feelings as Randolph and Cethus, who were very anxious about tying the knot with the people whom they would spend the rest of their life with. Alexander, who was also standing in front of the altar, was the mostposed among the group.


    For him, something like this wasn''t a big deal. But, he had to admit that seeing the young men around him feeling anxious made him smile in his heart.


    Suddenly, the orchestra that Lux hired started to y their instruments in the background.


    The Half-Elf had invited a very popr singer from Earth to sing the song "Perfect" for the wedding, and he had to admit��this made the walk down the aisle for the brides more memorable.


    Eiko, Fei Fei, Laura, and Livia were the four flower girls and were at the very front, scattering flower petals on the aisle.


    Right behind them, Hereswith walked in her white wedding dress.


    Gaap, who saw his bride-to-be, couldn''t help but smile because he had loved Hereswith ever since he hadid his eyes on her.


    The time she had saved him when he was still a boy, was the same day he had fallen in love with her.


    Even after so many years had passed, his feelings stayed the same.


    This was why he had poured everything he had, including his soul, into his revenge after her death. This was the only thing he could do for the woman he loved and cherished for a very long time.


    Right behind Hereswith was Alicia.


    After many ups and downs, her love had finally borne fruit. Perhaps having herself and Alexander die in Daniel''s hands was a good thing.


    It allowed them to live their lives to the fullest without any regrets, allowing them to take thatst step to walk this life together hand in hand.


    Behind Alicia was Emma.


    No one, not even Lux, expected her to have a romantic rtionship with Cethus.


    All the members of Heaven''s Gate confronted her, ready to beat the crap out of the Dragon Born if he used any underhanded tricks to force Emma to have a rtionship with him.


    But, to their surprise, Emma defended Cethus and said that no one forced her to be his lover, saying that the two of them simply found each other''spany very worthwhile and, shortly thereafter, their feelings for each other grew naturally.


    Following Emma were General Garret''s two daughters, Alexa and Emily.


    Both of them would be marrying Gerhart, who had managed to get their father''s approval after the two fought each other.


    Lux was there when this happened, watching the two people duke it out with each other without holding back. The battle was intense, but in the end, Gerhart managed to win by a close margin, gaining Garret''s acknowledgment.


    Behind the two sisters was Scarlet.


    She was the assassin who was tasked to assassinate Lux alongside Sid many years ago.


    After being revived by ckfire when the war was over, she and Sid decided to take their rtionship more seriously.


    This was why when they heard that Randolph and Annie were getting married, they asked Lux if they could also marry each other.


    The Half-Elf was more than happy to help the two and thought that this was the perfect opportunity to kill six birds with one stone.


    He then talked to his two Masters, Gaap and Randolph, his father, Alexander, as well as Cethus that they should hold a joint wedding and make it a grand event.


    It took him a lot of effort to convince the men to do it, but once one of them agreed, the rest followed.


    The Half-Elf couldn''t help but smile as he looked at thest bride who was walking down the aisle.


    Grandma Annie was no longer a Grandma, but a young, beautifuldy, who was given a second chance at life.


    Lux had restored her youth alongside Randolph and the Elders of Leaf Town. Now that there were no longer any barriers to stop them from finally tying the knot, the men at the altar all held the hands of their brides


    James presided over the wedding, just like he did for Lux''s wedding.


    Unlike the Half-Elf''s wedding, though, which was truly a grand event, the scale of today''s wedding was smaller.


    Even so, it was still just as grand, with Lux taking care of the preparations.


    He didn''t skimp on the budget and invited professionals from Earth to make the wedding memorable.


    When the marriage ceremony finished, he felt truly fulfilled because, just like him, the people who were part of his life were also going to start their lives with their special someone.


    A few hourster, the Half-Elf sparingly drank a ss of wine, as he chatted with another red-headed Half-Elf, who was sharing the table with him.


    "Did you get the invitation?" William asked as he looked at the young man in front of him.


    "I did," Lux replied. "Did you get one as well?"


    "Mmm." William nodded before taking out the letter that was sent to him a day ago.


    "The Sentinels," Lux said as he took out his own letter. "And we need to deal with enemies who are consideredary Level Threats?"


    "Mmm." William hummed. "At least, that is what is written in the letter."


    The letters were signed, but the name of the sender remained anonymous.


    The only thing that they did know was that, if they agreed to be part of the Sentinels, they would receive another letter with more details written in it.


    Lastly, the letter was authentic because the Gods in the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods knew who the sender of the letter was.


    Lux and William already knew that the Gods themselves could not make a move, and only those who didn''t step into the realm of Godhood��like the two Half-Elves��were capable of dealing with threats, as well as individuals, who had the power to destroy entires.


    "So are you going to join?" William asked.


    "Why not?" Lux shrugged. "How about you?"


    "I''m in as well," William answered.


    As soon as the two of them both agreed to join The Sentinels, an orb of light suddenly appeared in front of the two Half-Elves.


    "Thank you for epting the invitation to be part of The Sentinels," a voice that was impossible to tell whether it came from a boy or a girl spoke. "Before I tell you the details of the organization, do you have any questions to ask?"


    Lux and William nced at each other before the Necromancer of Heaven asked a question.


    "Are there any other people that you have invited aside from us?" Lux inquired.


    "I n to invite two more people," the voice that wasing from the orb of light replied. "But they still haven''t finished their own battles. The stories of their Epics are still notplete. Only when they have ovee their own battles, would they be allowed to join our Ranks."


    "And who are these two people?" William asked.


    He was very curious about the identity of the two other individuals who could potentially join them in the future.


    "Are you fine with just their names and faces?" the voice asked.


    "Yes," William replied.


    A momentter, the orb of light shot out two projections, showing two young men.


    The two Half-Elves were familiar with one of them, which made them react differently.


    Lux had nothing but approval after seeing Thirteen''s face on the projection because he approved of him joining their Ranks.


    Even though he was weaker than them, he believed that having the young man around would be a very fun experience.


    William, on the other hand, looked like he had eaten a fly. For him, Thirteen was an eyesore because one of his daughters was seriously pursuing the stand-offish young man, whom William wanted to pinch to death. After looking at Thirteen, their gaze shifted to the handsome young man with long blue hair, who was currently fighting against a giant. The two Half-Elves were very curious about who he was because they hadn''t met this person even once.


    "If these two people don''t perish and are able toplete their Legendary Saga, then they too, will be joining the Ranks of The Sentinels," the voice dered. "Their names are��


    "Zion Leventis and Ethan Gremory."


    After hearing their names, the Necromancer of Heaven finished drinking his wine before standing up with a smile on his face.


    "Done already?" William asked.


    "Yes," Lux replied as he gazed at the young man, with short ck hair, and green eyes, who was fighting a hard battle. "I n to repay the favor to someone."


    Without even waiting for a reply, Lux disappeared from where he stood and reappeared near the Bifrost Bridge.


    His story might have ended, but with it, a new one was about to begin.


    Lux raised his hand and grinned fearlessly towards the void.


    "Open�� Heaven''s Gate!"


    ��������������������

 Chapter 1235 I’ll See You All In My Next Stories! [FIN]

    Chapter 1235 I��ll See You All In My Next Stories! [FIN]


    Before anything else, let me start by saying Thank You for being there through the good and bad times of my life.


    Thank you for being there during the hard moments, especially when I felt vulnerable and restless.


    Thank you for being patient and understanding when I was sick and unable to post on a regr basis. This journey, which hassted for nearly two years, and isposed of 1.7 million words, has finallye to an end.


    It was an honor to write this story for you, and I pray that I have touched your life in more ways than one. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Being a Webnovel Author may not be the easiest profession in the world, for we face some harsh criticism on a daily basis.


    Like my fellow author once told me in the past, you need to be "bulletproof" because if you don''t, you won''t be able to survive the world of Webnovels.


    Unfortunately, I am far from being bulletproof.


    But, my heart is no longer made of ss.


    When I was writing my first novel, Reincarnated With The Strongest System, I almost broke because of the harsh criticisms that I faced back then.


    However, I managed to survive and be stronger.


    Now, afterpleting my second novel, I feel like I have aplished the promise that I made to myself when I decided to write novels.


    And that was, to give my readers a happy ending.


    As you may already know, I tend to make you guys suffer a lot.


    Cliffhangers, heartbreaks, and sad moments, all of you will experience these in my novels. However, rest assured, that the suffering will have an equal, if not an increased amount of happiness in return.


    As I steadily grow in my craft, I promise to give all of you the best stories that you will read in your lifetime.


    Each of these stories will have a different vor, for I always strive to challenge myself in writing genres that I haven''t touched yet.


    Also, I give you my promise to alwaysplete these stories, and not drag them out, giving them the endings that they deserve.


    Strongest Necromancer may not be perfect, but I wrote it to the best of my abilities.


    I know that most readers didn''t care if the authors of their favorite stories were suffering. All they want is to have their daily chapters.


    My fellow authors and I talk every day, and we often joked about things like that. Even if there were days when we didn''t want to write, we still had to write.


    We do this, not because of obligation, but due to discipline.


    We discipline ourselves to write every day, regardless of the circumstances we face on a daily basis.


    So, if we ever miss our daily chapters, it just means that we have experienced something that has prevented us from following our daily routine.


    I ask on their behalf for your understanding, for we are humans, too. Of course, I am also extremely thankful to some of you, who would rather have me rest and take a few days off in order to recover, instead of pushing myself to write.


    This was why I didn''t always post daily, and took my time to properly recover so that I could give you the final after stories of this novel.


    Truth be told, I still haven''t fully recovered from my month-long vacation, and the burnout following it.


    However, I have recovered enough to finally see this novel to itspletion.


    All of you, who have read my stories from beginning to end, are the true VIPs. Just as I grew as an author, all of you have grown as readers as well.


    I often tell my author friends that my readers and I have a Love Hate Rtionship. Sometimes you guys love me, sometimes you hate me. But, despite the suffering, all of you have be masochists��errr be stronger on an emotional level.


    After everything you''ve been through in reading my novels, nothing much can faze you anymore.


    Of course, I did my best to not push you guys to the limits, like what I did with my other novel, RWTSS. It is through that story that I''vee to learn what you guys could take, and what you guys couldn''t take.


    Most authors have a problem with making their readers anxious because it also makes them anxious.


    I was like that too, but like I said, I''ve grown as an author and an individual.


    I am an emotional writer, so I specialize in bringing out the raw emotions to people.


    Powerful chapters which elicit powerful replies.


    Whether those replies were of praises, awe, admiration, hate, anger, or wishes for me to stub my toe on the table or chair, I just want you to know that I deserve all of that and more.


    These are the greatest joys and sorrows of being an author, and boy oh boy~ what a journey it has been.


    As I give you the finalments about this novel, as I speak my final rants, know that with every ending, a new door opens.


    The Strongest Necromancer of Heaven''s Gate might have ended, but with it, a brand new story will emerge.


    Tales that will make youugh out loud in public, and make others wonder if you have gone crazy. Stories that will make you cry like a girl, making those around you wonder if you''re suffering from a heartbreak.


    And scenes that will sometimes make you shout out loud, punch something, stomp your foot, or throw your phone, due to the overflowing emotions that you were unable to hold back.


    My friends, supporters, and partners in crime, I humbly ask that you continue to follow my journey as an author, as I write story after story for all of you to enjoy.


    Read my stories when you are sad.


    Read my stories when you are happy.


    Read my stories when you are mad.


    Read my stories when you are lonely. Read my stories during your lunch break, or when you go for a toilet break. Regardless of the reasons, regardless of the situations, time, and ces, I will wait for you in my world.


    Soe my dear friends, and open the pages that will take you on an epic journey in worlds where adventures run wild and free.


    For I, your favorite storyteller Elyon, will once again weave tales of farawaynds where another legendary adventure is about to begin!


    On behalf of my two editors, RedPandaChick and Reinesse, we thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts. How does an Author live forever?


    It''s when our stories live on.


    I''ll see you all in my next stories!


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    < Author''s Other Stories >


    System''s POV - (Ongoing and Highly Rmended to read!)


    Strongest Warlock - Wizard World Irregr (You will not find this in my profile. Search for this manually in the search tab. If you like Wizards and Witches in a magical academy, then this story is for you.)


    Reincarnated with the Strongest System - (Completed).


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!